Along the way, Courtney was still having a difficult time getting used to her coyote form. After about 6 villagers ran away in fear, her ears drooped in sadness and embarrassment. One had even gone as far as poking her with a spear! But he too, ran away, when Courtney had grabbed the spear and accidentally knocked him to the ground, her strength even greater than she was used to. All she had done was smiled and waved! She kept the spear, though. Kagome said it might come in handy.
She turned to Kagome, who had treated it with indifference, if at all with slight amusement when the tough looking men ran away screaming higher than the women. Using the sharp spear point to scratch behind an ear, she asked Kagome in a casual tone, “How long until Kaede’s village?”
Kagome pointed up at an angle, showing her a multitude of smoke trails billowing into the sky. “We’ll be there in a couple minutes.” Looking over at Courtney, she noticed the distressed look on the girl’s face. Punching her on the arm playfully, Kagome put on a mock terrified face, and threw her hands up in the air. “Oh no! It’s a demon!! Ahhhh!”
Courtney cracked a smile, and bared her fangs, holding up her claws in a playful attack pose. Dropping the spear, she lowered her voice to a deep growl. “Run little girl,” she said jokingly. “Or I’ll eat you up!” Laughing, she let out a coyote hunting cry, two short barks and a yodeling howl.
Also laughing, Kagome screamed and started running away. Courtney followed, hot on her heels. Laughing all along the way, Courtney finally caught up with Kagome and tackled her as they both rolled into the village laughing breathlessly. All of a sudden, Courtney saw a red flash, and almost in a split second she saw a giant fang’s point resting on her throat.
Its owner, a handsome looking dog hanyou, was now snarling in her face. Grabbing Kagome by the elbow, he dragged her away, setting her behind him, yet never taking his eyes off the young girl in front of him. Courtney had braced herself, her eyes closed and teeth bared, her entire body shaking with fear. The hanyou smiled menacingly, lifting Courtney’s chin with the point of his sword. He clicked his tongue in disappointment, his harsh voice ringing through the village. “Shame I’d have to kill a pretty girl like you, demon or not.” Bringing his face closer to Courtney’s, who had tears streaming down her face, he growled. “But a worthless little coyote demon shouldn’t be too hard.” As he raised his sword, prepared to strike, Courtney sat there, paralyzed with fear.
"INUYASHA! SIT, BOY!”
The hanyou slammed into the ground, startling Courtney out of her stupor. She quickly got up, and ran away, hiding behind Kagome.
The hanyou’s voice, muffled by the earth, sounded out, “Kagome, how…could…you?”
Kagome yelled at him, her hands balled into fists, a vein popping out in her forehead. “How DARE you treat a poor girl like that? IF I CHOOSE TO HAVE A FRIEND WHO JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE A DEMON, I DON’T COUNT ON YOU TO PROTECT ME EVERY SINGLE TIME WE JOKE AROUND! GOT IT?”
The hanyou peeled his face from the ground, raising an arm as if in protest. Kagome, however, wasn’t done yet.
“SIT, BOY! SIT, BOY! SIT, BOY! SIT, BOY!”
As the poor boy slammed into the ground multiple times, Courtney couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, even if he had almost killed her. She flinched when he hit the dirt, imagining how much pain the guy was in.
Her nose in the air, Kagome went and grabbed Courtney by the elbow and stalked off to a nearby hut, leaving the hapless hanyou on the ground.
~-~
Inside the hut lived the village seamstress. After the hanyou incident, Kagome figured Courtney should have some clothes that would at least effectively hide her tail. The seamstress, a young girl like the Courtney and Kagome, clicked her tongue. What clothes the young demon had on! She immediately shooed Kagome away, and brought Courtney into the back room.
In the small workspace, Courtney was amazed. The room was filled with beautiful kimonos, all made of soft linen and silk. Even as the seamstress measured her, Courtney still looked around. Finally, the seamstress bustled off, and chose a beautiful china blue skirt, white water hyacinth flowers embroidered in strategic places. After Courtney nodded energetically, the she also brought out a soft pastel green kimono top that patched with it and a long ribbon the same color as her skirt.
After stripping down completely, Courtney felt rather awkward standing naked in this strange woman’s house. Thankfully, the seamstress seemed rather used to it, and she dressed her rather quickly. After what seemed to be about a million petticoats, she wrapped the skirt around her waist, and slipped the green top over her head.
Taking the long ribbon, the young girl brushed out Courtney’s long unruly hair, being careful of the pointy ears that she was still getting used to. Using deft fingers, she wove the hair and the ribbon into a long plait down Courtney’s back, tying it off with the remainder of the ribbon. Taking a paintbrush, she painted a thin green line over her eyes. The seamstress then led Courtney over to a long burnished silver mirror.
She gasped, and turned around. No tail! It was completely hidden. Even her ears poked out cutely. Giving the seamstress a rib crushing hug, and the silver bracelet she had been wearing as payment, Courtney walked regally out the door.
Walking outside, she saw Kagome waiting patiently for her, and the handsome hanyou sulking not far behind. Kagome’s eyes went wide, and she squealed n excitement. Grabbing her by the wrists, she gave Courtney a look over, just as she had done that very morning. Even the hanyou seemed impressed. Finally, Kagome took her by the hand and led her over to the hanyou. Nodding her head to introduce them, she said cordially, “Courtney, meet Inuyasha. Inuyasha,” she punctuated this with a glare, “meet Courtney.”
Courtney smiled sweetly at Inuyasha, and bowed formally. With a sickeningly sweet voice, she came closer to him, hovering enticingly under his nose, “Oh, it’s OK, Inuyasha. You can call me by my nickname…” She balled a fist, “Worthless Coyote!” Courtney reared back, and landed one in his stomach.
Inuyasha, who had been entranced by her scent, was now startled out of his reverie as he lay gasping on the ground. As he lay wheezing, Courtney stood over him, and smirked. Bowing again mockingly, she walked away, Kagome walking with her.
~-~
Kagome guided her to Kaede’s hut, where she found herself warmly welcomed by an elderly miko, a young woman, and a young monk. After Courtney formally bowed to them, Kagome introduced her formally. “Miroku, Sango, Lady Kaede, meet Courtney, a friend of mine from the present. She is from a country called America. Courtney, meet Miroku,” the monk bowed, “Sango”, the young woman smiled, “and Lady Kaede.”, the elderly miko smiled and bowed slightly.
Before Courtney could blink, Miroku was already over to her, looking into her eyes, holding both of her hands in his. Getting way to close for comfort, he asked her a simple question.
“Would you have the honor of bearing my child?”
Courtney blushed, but that blush soon turned to fierce anger when she felt a stray hand caressing her bottom. Acting as an impulse, she balled her fist, reared back, and punched him in the face as hard as she could. As Miroku flew across the room, Courtney turned red, and ran to help him to his feet again.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I just found out I was a demon, I don’t know my own strength yet, I’m so, so sorry!”
The young woman named Sango eyed Miroku distastefully. “Eh, he probably deserved it.” She offered her hand, and Courtney shook it, noticing the strong grip. Sango smiled, as she returned to polishing the giant boomerang she had been holding.
It soon became a quiet scene, with Miroku still not conscious, Sango silently polishing the hiraikotsu, and Lady Kaede was preparing a bow and arrows for Courtney on Kagome’s request, who asserted that she would need a weapon in the Feudal Era. That is, it was a quiet scene. Inuyasha soon came stumbling in, indignant that a girl coyote demon had gotten the best of him.
It took both Sango and Kagome’s strength combined to keep him held back. Inuyasha growled at Courtney, and issued a short bark. His teeth bared, he was furious.
“Why you scraggly little coyote, I’ll rip you to pieces!”
Courtney smirked, and continued to flex her new bow, testing out the spring of the string, and sighting it. Putting a flighted arrow up to the bow, she nodded to the pair holding the insulted hanyou. “Let ‘im go”.
Surprised, they both let go. Courtney expertly sighted down the arrow, and addressed the slightly dumbfounded Inuyasha. “Listen, mutt. You mess with me, I mess with you. You be civil to me, and I won’t consider shooting you. Got it?”
Inuyasha smirked, “You wish, coyote. What are you? Not noble enough to be a dog, not strong enough to be a wolf. You’re just a weak little...”
PLUNK
The arrow had now buried itself deep within the wood just above Inuyasha’s ear. Courtney was now shaking with anger, but her aim had been purposeful. Finally calming herself down, she turned back to the fire.
As the stunned trio looked on, she simply turned around to Lady Kaede and thanked her for the reliable bow.
Lady Kaede simply smiled, and faced the surprised Inuyasha. “Methinks yon gel has more strength than what would show.”
Inuyasha, still twitching from the close call, finally crossed his arms, admitting defeat. “No kidding…”
Courtney's voice called belligerently out from over near the fire, "WHAT WAS THAT, MUTT?"
Slightly panicked, Inuyasha waved both hands as he tried to calm her down. "Oh, nothing..."
Author's Chapter Notes:
I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA OR HIS FRIENDS OR FOES.
I do own Courtney.
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