Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.
A slight shift of winds during the night had Sesshomaru rising and heading for the woods on the horizon. Walking past the border of trees, he turned his head toward his followers. Rin was curled up atop Ah-Un, humming in her sleep and Jaken was snoring on the ground, leaning against the two-headed dragon. Satisfied, he turned once more toward Inuyasha's scent and paused. 'His scent has changed'
His eyes widened the slightest bit as he remembered this particular scent and stepping forward, he disappeared into the shadows, silencing Tenseiga with his hand.
It wasn't long later when another scent passed his nose that had one eyebrow lifting up in amusement. 'The smell of the dead...and mating?' Turning to his right, he followed the scent into a tiny, circular clearing. He could see where the grass had been matted down, but what caught his attention were the robes of a priestess that had been thrown askew. His nose scrunching in disgust when he caught Inuyasha's scent mingling with that of the dead priestess.
Disinterested, he turned to leave when Tenseiga rattled again. Moonlight glinted off an object to the upper left corner of his vision, just passed the clearing and his curiosity got the better of him. Stepping closer, his eyes widened. 'Tetsusaiga...abandoned?!'
Sesshomaru stood as though in a trance, his mind trying to piece together this new puzzle. 'What could have caught Inuyasha's attention so thoroughly for him to abandon his own father's fang?'
Inuyasha was entranced by the pounding flow of blood in Kagome's neck.
Intense bloodlust rippled through him, drawing him to close his mouth against her neck, flicking his tongue over the soft flesh and tasting the salty tang of her skin. Her rapid pulse beat against his tongue and growling, he sank his teeth into her, bitting shallow.
Withdrawing his claws from the bark of the tree, he skimmed his callused fingertips against kagome's trembling shoulders and down her arms to grip her wrists. Lifting his head, he regarded Kagome's trembling body as he sank to his knees in front of her.
The scratch on her right leg was a basic surface wound, except along the middle of her thigh where small beads of blood were still forming. Leaning in closer, he licked the wound clean of her blood, savoring the taste and sounding a growl deep in his throat. Nipping at her thigh, he brought his nose to her womanhood. The demon in him salivated and shuddering with lust, Inuyasha gave in to the demonic urge to take her and use her.
Standing abruptly, he grabbed Kagome by her neck, his thumb pressing into her windpipe as he held her aloft. Her nails clawing at his hand as she fought to get away, her wide eyes pleading.
Scoffing, he brought her in and roughly whispered in her ear.
"Stupid wench, I will have you"
Squeezing his grip, he threw her to the ground at his right, making her cry out as she bounced and rolled, landing on her back.
Kagome had never felt so paralyzed by fear before. 'Why is Inuyasha doing this?'
She wasn't so sure she wanted an answer.
Knowing his intentions, she still couldn't get her jumbled mind to wrap around a way to stop him.' I knew I should have stayed in bed!'
Her throat throbbing, she tried to rise up but winced, kicking at his hands travling up her legs, her scream choked off when he grabbed her throat once again and knocked her head into the ground.
Lights danced before her eyes, her hand rising to her forehead, she attempted to turn away but was roughly pulled to her back. Rising up to lean on her elbows, she locked eyes with him. He was standing at her feet, watching her as he loosened the tie to his hakamas. 'Wait a minute, where's his Tetsusaiga?'
A quick look around showed no sign of the fang. 'He must have left it back at that clearing!' Adrenaline pumped through her as she pieced together a way to stop Inuyasha from hurting her further.Taking a deep breath...
"SIT BOY!"
The beads around his neck began glowing a bright blue and pulled instantly, implanting Inuyasha's face in the ground between Kagome's knees. Without hesitation, Kagome began crawling backwards on her hands and heels, trying to put as much distance between herself and the disgruntled full demon as possible.
"SIT BOY!"
Subduing him once again, she turned her back toward him and rising to her feet, she stumbled forward and catching her balance, she bolted for the clearing. 'Please, Please let the Tetsusaiga be there!'
Sesshomaru's ears quirked to the sound of a girl crying out in pain. He had almost turned his back to the sound, figuring that what ever was going on; it wasn't his buisness, until his brain conjured up the image of 'Inuyasha's wench' and he was unnerved by the urge to help her.
Then he heard her command and felt the earth tremble with the violent impact. Scowling, he cursed Inuyasha for being subdued by a human female but felt an un-admitted respect for the girl. She had a backbone uncommon to humans.
The growing sound of rapid footfalls and rustling leaves drew Sesshomaru's attention and he turned to face the intruder. She came flying through the trees in his direction and Sesshomaru's instant reflexes kicked in. Haulting her escape with his hand around her throat, he slammed her onto the ground before she could even comprehend what hit her.
Hardly acknowledging his 'Lord's'presence, the girl rolled over to her stomach and pushing herself to her knees, she choked out another command. Once again the earth shook under Sesshomaru's feet as Inuyasha met the ground a few feet away, only this time the half-demon's head collided with a rock, rendering him unconscious. His back rising and falling evenly.
Lowering his eyes to the girl in front of him, Sesshomaru watched, expressionlessly, as Kagome remained on her hands and knees and attempted to slow her own jagged, wheezing breaths. Failing, she fell onto her right side and rolled, seemingly painfully, onto her back with her arms and legs spread out. Eventually, her breathing slowed and she seemed to have fallen asleep.
Given the slightest opportunity, his eyes drank in the girl. He noticed the wound on her leg and her ripped skirt. He could smell Inuyasha all over her and his face showed his disgust. Searching her neck, through the reddish grip marks and the forming bruises, he found the broken skin of a bite mark, although too shallow to be a mating mark. 'As though he was playing with her, So, the half breed tried to mate her by force as a full demon and the mortal, Kagome, fought back.'
Sesshomaru bristled when his quick mind accurately pieced together bits of the puzzle. 'The many occasions they had 'protected' each other and fought side by side, this was what their companionship was reduced to?'
Glancing at Inuyasha, he estimated a few moments time and he'd be awake, then his gaze returned to Kagome and found her chocolate brown eyes locked hard on his. He felt trapped with a vague sense of responsibility toward the girl and the experience unnerved him; irritated him.
"He'll be awake soon, I'd suggest you leave before then."
Turning his back to the girl, he started walking away, ignoring the holes he could feel boring in his back from her lingering stare.
Kagome watched Sesshomaru's back until it disappeared beyond the trees. Closing her eyes and bitting her bottom lip, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her stomach felt queasy and she became dizzy with the motion. 'Uck, I feel like I've been hit by a truck!'
Curling her knees, she planted her right hand on the forest floor and brought her other hand to her throat and hissed. Her skin was raw, swollen and it burned with the slightest of touches. Amazed that she hadn't had her neck broken, a sudden wariness settled over her as her ears picked up a pulsating sound. Slowly turning her head to her left, her eyes focused on an object laying on the ground a few feet away. 'THE TETSUSAIGA!'
Then she remembered Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru's warning. Rolling her upper body around so that both hands were in front of her, holding her up, her wide eyes sought Inuyasha... and found him awake.
Inuyasha had woken up tasting dirt, his head splitting.
Palming a particularly tender spot on his forehead above his left eye, he drew his hand back and found smears of blood. A flash image of Kagome licking her hand passed through his mind and he felt all the more confused, and pissed. He hated not knowing what the hell was going on and had almost growled in frustration until the sound of something shuffling around ahead of him had him biting the sound back. Silently, he brought himself up to a crouch position. 'Hey, it's Kagome!'
Instantly bits and pieces of his memory came rushing back...followed by a powerful bloodlust. He could feel his muscles tensing, getting ready to pounce.' Stupid, she thinks she can get away from me? Like Hell!'
Kagome felt like a caged animal, tears springing to her eyes as the early morning's sunlight reflected off the red flecks in Inuyasha's piercing gaze.
'Oh No!' Her hopes of him being normal again were dashed.
His lips turned up in a snarl that drew goosebumps along her flesh and she remembered the Tetsusaiga. 'If nothing else, his fathers sword will stop his transformation!' She turned away from him and locating the sword, she flung her body in it's direction, her fingers falling just inches short of the hilt. Inuyasha's kimono flapped in the wind when he launched in the air and Kagome could feel the swirls of wind surround her body; parting like waves with his descent. Spasms overtook Kagome's reaching arm and down into her shoulder, having pulled the muscles in her desperate attempt to grasp the Tetsusaiga. Refusing to give up, her throat burned with her intake of breath.
"S-..." 'MY VOICE?!?, I lost my voice!'
Heart racing, her eyes widened with the dawning realization. She was in trouble...and no one to save her.
Sesshomaru stepped past the border of the woods and paused.
Dawn's early light illuminated the valley with a gray tint and his sharp eyes fell on his sleeping companions. Subconsciously focusing on Rin, his mind wandered back to the priestess he had left laying on the ground. A tiny, but significant part of his brain was gnawing at him, demanding that he go back to her, and it infuriated him.
He had hated humans, passionately, for so long that it had rankled him when he realized he had a growing fondness for Rin. A human unlike any other, Rin had risked her life to nurse him back to health, against his own wishes and asked for nothing in return. After restoring her life, she had been unfailingly loyal, as independent as a child could ever be and a pleasant distraction from the daily boredom.
Sesshomaru thought's reverted to Kagome; another human unlike so many others. She piqued his interest and left him wanting to learn more about her. While most would begrudge her willingness to fight for, beside or against a cause, he found the trait admirable. She had an unmatched drive to succeed and an unfounded patience to survive with the half-breed.
Flexing his claws, he recalled the way they had fit perfectly around her slim neck. He had felt her pulse against his fingers, surprisingly keeping a steady but quick rhythm. That she had chosen him to be the lesser of two threats, that she had ignored him nearly made him tic in annoyance.
Sesshomaru's throat vibrated with his growl when he understood that the damned wench had wormed her way under his skin, warping his thoughts. Flinging a glance at Rin, he remembered the way Kagome had protected her time and again. Knowing Rin's fondness for the priestess, he found himself turning on the ball of his foot and racing back through the trees.
A sudden feeling of apprehension had awoken Miroku at dawn.
Sitting straight up, he blinked away the sleep in his eyes and searched the camp, noticing the missing members. He could almost feel the remaining tendrils of grogginess break as he launched himself to his feet, stumbling toward Sango's sleeping form.
"Sango" Mumbling incoherently, she turned her back to the monk and resumed sleeping.
"Sango!"
"Go away..."
Placing one hand on her raised shoulder to shake her awake, his other hand reached up to grasp her fist headed for his face.
"Argh!, what do you want, lecher?!"
"Kagome and Inuyasha are missing." Sango's eyes shot open.
Sitting up she looked over Miroku's shoulder and, sure enough, Kagome's 'sleeping bag' was empty. A series of scenario's were flying in her head, each one depicting a reason for her friends unannounced departure.
" Where's Kagome?" Turning their heads, they met Shippo's confused face staring back at them.
Kilala's angry growl had all three whipping around as flames shrouded the tiny cat, growing with her body until they cleared to expose a fang bearing, two tailed, demon feline. Sango leapt to her feet and dove behind a large tree and began stripping out of her kimono, donning her demon slayer outfit.
Within minutes, they hit the skies and were en route for the growing demonic aura.
"Hey Miroku, I found Kagome's backpack back at camp." Sango delivered over her shoulder above the roar of the wind rushing past.
" Then the chances of her returning to her world are slim. I don't believe that she would have simply left it behind." 'hmmm, behind...' Miroku's hand twitched, wanting to caress Sango's bottom mere inches away.
" Hey Guys! LOOK! There's Inuyasha!" Three sets of eyes followed the direction pointed out by Shippo and glimpsed the red kimono as it disappeared beyond the canopy of leaves.
"Kilala!" They followed.
Sango, Miroku and Shippo gasped as they came upon the scene unveiling below them. They watched Inuyasha halt his descent mid-air and jump back to land a short distance away, bearing his claws and fangs at Sesshomaru.
To the others, this was normal. It was Sesshomaru literally standing over a frightened Kagome with Tokigen drawn, telling her to 'get back', that had them confused. 'Is Inuyasha the bad guy here?'
Sango edged Kilala's flank with her right foot, maneuvering her to swoop around the trees toward Kagome. Before Kilala's paws could hit the ground, Miroku jumped down and kneeled beside Kagome, who had managed to crawl on hands and heels into the middle of the clearing. His eyes bulged as they took her in.
The bruises around her neck were a deepening shade of purple, not unlike the shade of his monks' robe. The pervert in him made an eyebrow raise as he noticed the way her ripped skirt had slipped between her legs to expose her milky thigh, but he pushed that thought away when he realized that she was cut as well, and that the wound was reddening with possible infection.
" Kagome, what happened here?"
He flinched when she turned her large, glassy eyes to him. Raising her right hand she made a grip motion around her neck, showing that she had been choked. Then she opened her mouth as though to speak but nothing came out. A tear slipped down her face.
"Kagome, can you tell me who did this to you?" Miroku followed her gaze to the two brothers.
Sesshomaru was in a stand off against Inuyasha and Miroku had a suspicion that one of them was trying to bide her time to get away. From this angle Miroku was able to see that Inuyasha was transformed, and his eyebrows knit together in confusion.
"Kagome! Miroku!"
Sango and Shippo ran up and dropped to their knees on the other side of Kagome. Kilala stood between them and Sesshomaru, blocking off the clearing.
"Ohmigod, Kagome! Who attacked you?" Miroku looked to his dearest Sango and his heart bled; she looked about ready to cry.' She probably feels as I do; as though we betrayed Kagome for not being here when we were needed.'
Kagome wanted to scream in frustration for the very reason she couldn't. She could see the way her friends kept glaring at Sesshomaru and she wanted to tell them that he saved her! Sesshomaru saved her from Inuyasha!
She had just lain there waiting for Inuyasha's attack, all wide eyed and seemingly defeated when a vision of white had rushed over her and blocked the attack. Her heart had skipped a beat when he had locked eyes with her over his shoulder and told her to 'Get back'.
Looking around, her gaze fell upon the robes of a priestess. Her hands dug up turf's of grass as they fisted and she felt sick when she realized she was sitting in the very spot that, to her, reeked of betrayal. Stiffly rising to her feet, she ignored the protests of her friends and bolted for the forgotten fang. Jumping over Shippo's head she wrapped her left hand around a tree and swung her body around and under Kilala's two tails. Three more steps forward and she swiped the Tetsusaiga off the ground without missing a step and ran for Inuyasha.
Sesshomaru swung his body to the left, narrowly missing Inuyasha's claws aimed at his stomach, and twirling on the ball of his foot he aimed Tokigen for Inuyasha's right shoulder and missed. Inuyasha had jumped in the air and smirked, showing his enlarged fangs and cracking his knuckles, he lunged.
Sesshomaru waited a few seconds and brought up his knee, making full contact into Inuyasha's ribcage and felt a few ribs crack. Inuyasha spit up blood, but swung his claws and grazed Sesshomaru's chest plate.
Seconds into the fight, Sesshomaru concluded that Inuyasha wasn't fighting to kill, but maim; he wanted Kagome only.
He was tempted to use Dragon Strike, but Inuyasha's constant assaults made summoning the attack impossible.
Ducking, he saw fur flying from his shoulder wrap and he smirked. 'Inuyasha's becoming impatient, that attack was aimed for my throat.' His smirk faded into a scowl.
From the edge of his vision he watched Kagome dash through the trees and felt betrayal seep through him when he noticed her clutching the Tetsusaiga. Until she winked at him.
Feeling, rather that seeing Inuyasha's pause, he took the chance and filled Tokigen with his own demonic aura.
The intense blue light lit up the forest, snapping and whirling around the blade, Sesshomaru swung, throwing the crackling bolt of demonic energy straight into Inuyasha's chest.
Animalistic, Inuyasha's screech made his friends cringe, watching as he was flung sprawling to the ground, out cold, but certainly not defeated.
Kagome's heart was pounding in her chest. 'This is it!' Stepping up to Inuyasha, she kneeled down and laid the pulsing Tetsusaiga against his chest.
Instantly, Inuyasha's body began to change. His claws withdrew, as did his fangs. The jagged, lavender stripe on each cheek melted away. Beads of sweat began to form all over his face from the pain that seconds ago, he had been oblivious to.
Kagome's body visibly relaxed and sagged with her heavy sigh of relief. 'Thank goodness!' Rising quickly to her feet, she turned to face Sesshomaru and her friends behind him, all with quizzical faces but felt blood rush to her head and all the faces blurred. Her step faltered and she felt her body falling as her world went black.
The muscles in his chest, back, arms - 'hell, all of 'em', protested painfully as Inuyasha sat up. His vision was blurry and he had to blink a few times to clear it up and adjust to the lack of light.
He knew he was in a hut, an old one, possibly abandoned by the looks of it. The room was small, just big enough for maybe four of him, and barren. Dust was everywhere and he could make out shuffled foot prints leading up to where he was, obviously, lain out.
Noticing the lack of door covering, he attempted to lean over to peer outside but a wave of intense pain assailed him and his hand flew to grip his chest, ruffling the bandages.
His groan of pain and aggravation had Sango sauntering in the door unhurried. She looked angry and Inuyasha eyed her warily as she made her way toward him and kneeled down. Calling for Miroku to light the pit inside the hut over her shoulder, she turned back to Inuyasha and gently pushed against his shoulders, making him lay back down. Inuyasha bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snapping, or at the very least, growling at Sango for causing him more pain.
Miroku stepped past the threshold carrying an armload of broken wood, Shippo behind him carrying a single stick slightly larger than he, flames burning the top end. Within minutes the hut had taken on an orange glow as the pit fire grew.
Sango had a scowl plastered on her face as she turned once more toward Inuyasha and silently, began to unwrap the bandages on his chest. Inuyasha winced every time her fingers whisked over a particular spot to the right of his heart.
His eyes widened as they drank in the uncovered wound. The gash was almost two inches wide and about an inch deep. Not so amazing as the burned flesh surrounding the gash that stretched clear across his chest or the bruises scattered across his ribs; deep purple, green and yellow.
The only sound heard in the hut were the flames licking at the wood, and Inuyasha grunting as Sango applied an herbal disinfecting ointment and re-wrapped him in fresh bandages. When she was finished she gave him a drink of water and turned away from him.
Scooting back against the wall, he watched the others through lowered lashes. Shippo was sitting beside the door, licking away at piece of candy on a stick. Miroku was polishing his staff, sitting parallel to Inuyasha and Sango was standing by his own feet, wiping her hands off with a towel from Kagome's backpack. 'Wait a minute..'
"Where's Kagome?"
Every body froze and the silence stretched on. Sango spoke first, her words barely audible.
" To be honest Inuyasha, we don't know." His heart skipped a beat.
" What is that supposed to mean? Where'd she go?"
Another silence enveloped the room. Inuyasha was fuming when Miroku, brows drawn together in annoyance, finally laid it all out.
" We're not aware of the events that led to this morning, but we do know that you transformed to full demon and attacked Kagome. Sesshomaru came and knocked you down long enough for Lady Kagome to reunite you with your Tetsusaiga.
"She was so beaten that she passed out and Sesshomaru caught her and flew off with her. We brought you here, to this hut we spotted while flying overhead, and the rest...well, you know."
Inuyasha felt hundreds of emotions flow through him. He remembered now. He had gone off to see Kikyo and Kagome caught him. Although his memory was broken, he had enough to draw the right conclusion.
The burning from his constricting heart muted the physical pain he felt. The lump in his throat was growing and grabbing the sword beside him, he stood up and walked calmly past the threshold into the night.
Kilala ran inside the hut and jumped on Sango's lap as she sat beside Miroku. All four bodies flinched and Shippo hiccuped with his tears when the anguished scream reverberated through the air.
The earth continued to shake deep into the night with every Wind Scar thrown. By sunup, had anyone searched out the half demon they would have found him amongst the rubble and uprooted trees. Down on one knee with one hand clasping the rusty Tetsusaiga to the ground, his other hand ruffled in his bangs, hiding his tear-stained face.