Kagome stared at the flames of the fire.  They looked like tiny dancers before her eyes.  She stared at them thoughtfully while resting her chin on her knees.  After a moment she looked around the fire to her companions.  “I have an idea,” she announced.  “Let’s tell stories.”

“I have an idea,” Inu Yasha frowned in annoyance.  “Let’s not.”

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him.  “Wet blanket.”

“No one else wants to either,” he announced, glaring at his two demon companions.

“Actually, that sounds like fun,” Shippou grinned.  “May I go first?”

“You don’t live as long as I do without acquiring a story or two,” Myouga said thoughtfully.

“Then it’s decided,” Kagome smiled.

“It’s a horrible idea…” Inu Yasha scowled.

“Don’t share then,” she responded.  “OK, Shippou, you go first.”

The fox boy sat up importantly.  “Well…” he began.

*                  *                  *
The Fox Demon Child’s Tale

One day back when my dad was still alive he took me to a great big tree.  It was the biggest tree I had ever seen.  I mean it was huge, gigantic, monstrous, stupendous, awesome…

(Get to the point already)

(Shut up, Inu Yasha… Go on, Shippou)

Anyway this tree was big, right?  I mean huge and it was topped with dark green leaves.

Dad said, “This is the grave of your mother.”

I told him that it couldn’t be.  Mother had only been gone for a short time.  How could a great big tree grow over her so fast?

Dad told me not to worry about that.  He told me to climb way up in the branches and I did.  He then told me to gather all the leaves and acorns I could… and I did.

He and mother had taught me to use tree magic.  Dad wanted to see how good I had gotten at my shape shifting, so I showed him a bunny rabbit. 

Then those thunder guys showed up… and I ran away and Dad was… was…

And I was alone.
*                  *                    *

Shippou slouched at his place by the fire.  “Guess that wasn’t a very good story,” he said quietly.

Kagome reached for him and cradled him in her arms.  “That’s OK.”

Shippou looked up at her sadly.  “Will you tell me a funny story?”

“A funny story?” Kagome smiled.  “I suppose…”

*                 *                  *
The Shrine Maiden’s Tale

Since I spend so much time away from home, Grandfather tells people stories about me to cover for my absences.  Well… I’m gone a lot, so people think I’m suffering from all these horrible afflictions.

There is this guy who goes to my school, Houjou-san.  Apparently he’s been hanging around my house, trying to talk to me.  The last time I went home he brought me all these herbal remedies for things I don’t even have.  He asked me on a date, and I felt bad and accepted.

(You told me you had to study)

(Shut up, Dog Man.  Let Kagome finish)

Thank you.

So we went to a nearby café.  He tried to be a gentleman and lent me his arm.  Poor guy.   I’ve got to tell Grandpa to stop with these stories.

Anyway, we get to the café for a quick bite to eat.  He asked me all these questions about my “illnesses.”  I wanted to tell him the truth, but how would that sound?  “Hey, the reason I’m gone so much is because I live a double life in the feudal era.”  I’d be hospitalized for sure.  I decide not to tell him… at least not until the second date anyway.

So we are sitting there and I happen to notice the guy at the next table.  He had long, white hair, a black trench coat, black baseball cap and dark sunglasses.  He was trying not to be noticed, but he stuck out like a sore thumb, especially with the sunglasses. 

(I thought it was the perfect disguise) 

So, anyway, I try my best to ignore him and have some fun.  I accidentally dropped my napkin and Houjou-san went for it just as I was about to.   We bumped heads.  Next thing I know, Mr. Obvious here jumps on my table and pulls out his sword.

(I still say he was going for the jewel)

I thought Houjou-san was going to piss his pants in fright.  Just imagine a white haired demon wearing a black trench coat, baseball cap and sunglasses pointing a sword at you.

I, of course, invited Mr. Obvious to “sit!”

(Ouchie!)

Houjou-san was so shocked that he insisted on taking me home and I haven’t seen him since.
*                *                *

“Well, good riddance,” Inu Yasha snorted from his place on the ground.

“That’s funny,” Shippou howled with laughter.  “I could just imagine Dog Ears doing something like that.”

“My lord, my lord,” Myouga shook his head.  “When will you ever learn?”

“I just want to know why you had to wear a trench coat,” Kagome snickered.

“I’d be recognized otherwise,” Inu Yasha responded.

“As if your hair didn’t give you away.”

“Fine, it’s my turn,” he grunted pulling himself up from the “sit.”

“I thought you didn’t want to,” Myouga said.

“I changed my mind.”

*                *                    *
The Dog Demon’s Tale

Once there was a half demon that wanted nothing more than to be a full demon.  A lot of shit happened to him while he was growing up.  He was pinned to a tree by an angry priestess to wait out eternity.  Fifty years passed and some girl comes along to set the demon free.  The poor demon is forced to obey her.

One day she lied to him and tells him she has to go home and study.  He follows her to check on her and what does he find?  She’s missing.  She’s not in her room where she should be, so of course this demon thinks that she’s been abducted.  He tracks her down to a food place where she is talking to a suspicious looking man who laughs at all her jokes even though they are not funny.  She drops something and her makes his move to attack her.  The demon jumps into the fray, only to be told to “sit!”
*                *                    * 

Inu Yasha sniffled as he finished his story.

“I’m sorry,” Kagome said.  “But, you can’t fight all of my battles for me.  What’s going to happen when our quest is complete?  I have to learn to take care of myself, you know.”

Inu Yasha made a face.  His amber eyes caught the firelight while he stared at nothing.

“That wasn’t a funny story,” Shippou announced.

Inu Yasha tore his eyes from the flames.  “I don’t know any funny stories.”  He frowned and closed his eyes.

“Well,” Myouga began, breaking the surrounding tension.  “I happen to know that my lord’s parents were funny.”

Kagome pulled her focus from Inu Yasha to Myouga.  “Really?”

“Of course.  My lord’s father was something of a trickster.  My lord’s mother was a sophisticated lady.  She knew how to find humor in a situation.”

“Tell me about them,” Kagome begged,  “How did they meet?” she asked, hugging the fox boy to her chest in intrigue. 

“Well…”

*                     *                   *
The Flea Demon’s Tale

 Many, many years ago the mighty dog demon, Inu Youkai, ruled these lands, from here to the Western Sea.  He was ancient, even by demon standards.  As lord of the land he exacted certain honors from the humans who settled under his protection.  You see he was very territorial and no other powerful demons were allowed in his realm aside from his spawn.  None of his own were anywhere as near powerful as their sire.  In return for a life without chaos the provincial lords under him sacrificed whole herds of livestock to keep him fed.  He had so much land he only collected his due once very four years. 

Now, one year he visited the western lands that bordered the sea.  The years had been rough on them.  The lady of the land had given birth to a girl with eyes like the sea.  Wise men in the area predicted bad fortune to follow because of the unbalance of water in the girl.  Sure enough, the rains didn’t fall as abundantly and much of the livestock died.  The infant was blamed.

The dog demon visited his western lands, not expecting to see impoverished people.

The provincial lord bowed to the dog demon and offered his watery daughter in recompense.

Dog demons are known for their huge appetites, but contrary to popular belief they don’t eat humans.  Inu Youkai was put into a bit of a bind to accept payment for his protection.  “Keep your child happy and I will return for what’s due in four years,” he said to save face.

The provincial lord was overjoyed at not feeling a demon’s wrath.

Four years passed and Inu Youkai returned to the western lands.  Before he arrived there were heavy rains and floods.

The provincial lord bowed to the dog demon and again offered his “Mizuko.”

“She is old enough to amuse you with her antics.”

“Why do I need a child?  The best place for her is here with you.  Keep her happy and I will return for what’s due in four years.

Four years later he returned once again to a devastated land.  There had been a mighty earthquake.

“Please take our Mizuko,” the provincial lord begged.  “She is old enough to serve your household.”

“She must learn more.  Educate her.  Keep her happy and I will return for what’s due in four years.”

Four years later he returned to a land desolated by a tidal wave.  By this time Inu Youkai was beginning to dread his visits.

“Please, please take Mizuko.  She is on the verge of womanhood.”

Inu Youkai glanced pityingly at the poor girl being offered.  She had only seen twelve summers, but she had been sacrificed four times to him.  She averted her eyes from him.

“She needs to grow into a young lady.  Keep her happy and I will return in four years.”

Four years passed and the dog demon returned as promised.  The unluckiest province in his land was once again struck by disaster.  This time it was freezing rains killing crops and livestock.

“I humbly offer you the Lady Mizuko in recompense,” the provincial lord grovelled.

“Very well, I accept her.  I will send a servant for her sometime next year.”

The provincial lord was elated.

The lady hid behind her fan.

The demon was beginning to feel manipulated. 

The year passed quickly and Inu Youkai returned to his poor lands by the sea.  He took his young human form so no one would recognize him.  He strolled through the gates and no one cringed in terror.  Eventually he came to the provincial lord’s palace.  He knocked on the door and demanded audience.

“Who are you?” the provincial lord asked.

“I am the servant of the great Inu Youkai.  I have come as promised to take your daughter, Mizuko, to my lord and master.”

“How do I know you are a servant?  Why didn’t he come himself?”

Inu Youkai’s eyes flashed amber and every man in the room cringed with fear.  “I am his servant.  He is very busy.”

“Of course,” the provincial lord replied from behind his chair and immediately sent for his daughter.

Inu Youkai took the poor girl by the hand.  He turned to her father and said, “You no longer need to pay tribute, but I advise you to be respectful or my lord will complete the chaos on your lands.”

The provincial lord humbly agreed.

Inu Youkai led the lady away.  He decided to walk for a distance so he could get to know the girl who had been placed in his care.  He also wished to test her powers of observation and intelligence.

“So… Why are you called Mizuko?” he asked after a day of travelling.  They were camped for the night.  The lady had never spent the night away from the palace, much less out of doors, but as a true lady she never showed discomfort.

“I hold too much water.  It curses my people with water problems when I am worried.”

“So the disasters before my lord’s visits were brought on by your anxiety?”

“All except the earthquake.”

“You needn’t worry about my lord.  He may find you a nuisance, but he would never harm you, nor would he let anyone else, human or demon bring you harm.”

The girl stared thoughtfully at Inu Youkai.  She passed a restless night and a grueling day of travel without protest.  That night she glanced thoughtfully at Inu Youkai and asked, “What is your lord like?”

“He is very old and powerful.  You are lucky that his nature is to protect rather than kill or you would be dead.”

The lady paled at the words.  “Is it in your nature to protect?”

“I… I am my lord’s servant.”

The lady gave a tiny smile and grew silent.

The night passed and the next day they traveled.  That night they camped in much the same place as the previous nights.  It even had the ashes from the previous night’s fires.  You see, Inu Youkai had been leading them in circles.  The landscape was changing, but the place they camped remained the same night after night.  He was curious to see how long it would take the lady to figure out his game.

The lady looked weary of outdoor life, but she held a strength that didn’t allow her to quit.  That night she turned to the lord in disguise.  “If your lord didn’t want me, then why did he take me away from my home?”

“To save face.  He couldn’t have the western shores disrespecting him.  That would never do.”  The lord stared thoughtfully at the flames.  “Besides,” he said at some length.  “I… my lord took pity on you.  It could not have been easy to grow up being a sacrifice every time he came to visit.”

“It was my duty.”

“Not any more.”

The lady stared silently at the flames.

Another night and day passed.  At the fire that night the lady asked, “What will become of me?”

“Your father told my lord that you would be good for eating, amusement, housekeeping and companionship.  Are you good at anyone of these things?”

“I should hope not eating… unless it pleases your lord.  I was trained in all the arts as well as magic.”

“Magic?” Inu Youkai asked.

“Yes.  There is magic within me.”

“My lord has no need for any servants.  He may find you useful as a conversationalist.”

“What is your position?” she asked, staring at him thoughtfully.  “If he has no need for servants?”

“Me?  Hmm… That is for you to guess,” he said with a small smile.

Another night and day passed and they were once again at the same fire they had been using since the first night even though the landscape had changed dramatically.

“Have we,” the lady began “by any chance, been going in circles?”

“What makes you say that?” Inu Youkai asked, pleased with her observation.

“I noticed it on the second night.  We stopped at the same fire pit I watched you make on the first night.  I marked the ground and even though we walk all day long we always come back to it again.  See?” she said, pointing to the ground.

“You are a clever girl,” Inu Youkai said with a smile.

“You have been leading us in circles?  What will your lord say to such delay?”

“He won’t mind.”

“Are you…?”

“Am I…?”

“Nothing, it’s silly,” she said with a little chuckle, the first the demon had heard from her.

“Amuse me,” he challenged.

“Are you Inu Youkai?” she asked.

He laughed a little,  “That is my name.  How did you guess?”

“You slipped up a few times, replacing ‘he’ with ‘I’ and not very formal in referring to ‘him.’  And no servant I know would wander around with a lady in the woods for a few days while his master was kept waiting, especially if she was under his protection.”

“Ah yes, you are a very smart girl.”

“So what happens now?”

“That depends on you.  Are you still afraid of me?”

“You aren’t nearly as scary in this form.”

“Good, my true form eats too much anyway,” he laughed.  He suddenly grew gravely serious and knelt before the lady.  “I am the lord of the Western Lands, your protector, Inu Youkai.”

She gave a bow, as a proper lady should.  “I am Mizuko.”
*                   *                  *

“That’s a stupid story,” Inu Yasha announced.

“Kagome wanted to know how they met and it just so happened that a lot happened before they introduced themselves properly,” Myouga replied.

“And from there they fell in love, got married and had Inu Yasha?” Kagome asked with little romantic stars in her eyes.

“Well, I believe the exact order was marriage, love, the making of my lord, his father’s death and then my lord’s birth.  Tiny little thing he was too… but he could scream something awful.”

“Did he throw temper tantrums, like now?” Shippou asked, amazed that Inu Yasha had a child side to him.

“Not until after his mother was taken away…”

“Can we shut up now?  We all told our stupid stories.  We don’t need to hear any more,” Inu Yasha scowled.

Kagome glanced at him pityingly.

“Stop with that look, woman,” he growled.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, shifting her position to better accommodate the fox child.

Inu Yasha shifted slightly, letting his knee touch hers.  He sighed. 

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