Kagome started to run, hearing the three men break through the brush and start to chase after her.
The question is what am I going to do with them? How far can I lead them before they stop chasing me? I might be able to stop one the way I did before, with my sword, but not all three, not at once! Ok, two are down. One has a bad wound in his shoulder - he's not going to be doing anything to InuYasha, and the other one is...is...well...he's not doing anything to him either way.
She pushed her way through some heavy brush, trying to keep clear and yet make enough noise that they kept chasing her. She got halfway through the brush, and suddenly realized she was going a lot slower than she should, struggling. Kagome suddenly realized Tetsusaiga was snarled in some branches.
How the hell does Sesshomaru manage with two swords all the time? And he only had one arm for a while!
Kagome threw herself forward, savagely tearing her way through. By the time she was out on the other side, the three men had come around the turn, and had seen her. They yelled at her to stop. Kagome turned, and ran on.
Why do they always yell for you to stop? Like someone is actually going to stop?!
Kagome ran along the riverbank, following it for a while, keeping one eye behind her.
These guys are faster than those bandits were.
She kept running, wishing her track and field teacher could see her now. He wouldn't have made those snotty comments years ago.
Making sure they were still behind her, Kagome turned, and leapt down over the riverbank, splashing along in the shallows of the water. The men, cursing, ran down behind her.
Come on, that's it, Kagome thought gleefully, looking over her shoulder, Get those robes nice and wet. Miroku's always complaining about how hard it is to run in wet robes. Let's go!
Sure enough, one of the men snagged his feet in the sodden hem, and went down with a splash.
The other two men stopped, and went back to help him up. Kagome actually hadn't expected them to aid each other, and she cursed.
I wish I had brought my bow, I could try to wound one of them.
She paused, watching them, catching her breath. The two men helped the third up, and they started wading towards her again. Kagome watched as the water got deeper, rising up around their ankles, and then knees.
She watched, surprised, when they stopped, and seemed to be talking to each other, mumbling.
Now what?
The man that had tripped stayed where he was, while the other two started running towards her.
Kagome wasn't sure what was going on, but she hoped the third man wasn't able to swim.
The water was up to her thighs now, and she continued to lead them out a little farther.
A little closer...closer...
When the water finally reached her waist, Kagome threw herself forward, and started to swim, letting the current move her along.
"She's going back, move, move!"
You'll have to walk back near the bridge to get out, and I can swim with the current a lot faster than you can run in wet robes! Hang on, InuYasha, I'm coming!
He fought with the ropes that bound him. It was bad enough his arms and legs were tied, but he had been tied down to the stupid rock and he couldn't even roll off!
It had taken him a few minutes to realize what had happened after the first guy half fell on him, and the second had fallen, screaming. InuYasha was still feeling dizzy, his face and body hurt, and even thinking seemed hard. But each minute brought clarity as whatever they had forced down his throat wore off, and he was able to think better.
The man that had half fallen over him had an arrow protruding from his back, and the other one had one sticking out of his shoulder. It must have hit the shoulder, because the man had blacked out with the pain. Now both of them lay on the ground, not moving.
InuYasha recognised those arrows...Kagome had bought them from a fletcher in that village of hanyou. She had remarked over the bright yellow flight feathers, finding them unusual.
I told her to run the stupid little idiot! Not come here and wage open warfare! The other three left to chase her...damnit! And I can't...break...free!
He had tried calling to Tetsusaiga, hoping the sword would have come to him, but it didn't work. It must be too far away.
If I was hanyou I could break these stinkin' ropes! I hate being human, Gods Above I hate being human! And I hate those damned bells too!
He pulled against the ropes with everything he had, but only succeeded in seeing stars before his eyes. He couldn't, it was too tight, and too strong.
"What in the name of the Nine Hells is going on around here!?" came an angry voice.
InuYasha turned his head to see another man striding towards him, shorter than the others, but wearing the same robe. His hair was cut in the same short style, but it was grey with age, and his face was wrinkled. The man walked into the clearing, looking in disgust at the two bodies on the ground. He kicked the man with the arrow in his back, and then the one with the arrow in his shoulder. The one with the arrow groaned, but did not stir.
He raised cold grey eyes, looking at InuYasha, "What happened here!? Where are my students?"
"Let me guess," InuYasha said coldly, "You're this Manabu."
"That's right, I am Master Manabu." He narrowed his eyes, "I'm guessing, from the way you're tied up there, you're supposed to be the sacrifice I need?"
"I'm no one's sacrifice!" InuYasha snarled, fighting the ropes savagely, "When I get out of this, I'm going to cut you open!"
"Did you do this to my men?" he asked, kicking at one of the bodies below.
"That's right," InuYasha grinned, "pity I didn't get all of them."
The old man snorted, "And the others?"
"I killed them. If you let me go I'll let you live."
"And why should I let you go when you're all trussed up like this, and I need a sacrifice? I'm guessing you must be a hanyou. Saburo is an idiot but he's not completely stupid. The bell worked. Good."
He turned, disappearing from sight for a moment, and InuYasha turned, trying to see where he had gone. His eyes suddenly fell on Kagome.
She was crouched in the shadow of a tree, and was notching an arrow to her bow. Kagome looked up, met his eyes, and smiled.
No, you idiot, get away from here!
InuYasha shook his head wildly at her, mouthing for her to get the hell away. Kagome glared back at him, and shook her head.
Black eyes glared into black eyes, InuYasha jerked his head in the direction of the woods, a "Go-over-there!" motion.
Kagome shook her head, and mouthed, "No!"
Manabu reappeared, blinking at InuYasha. He spun in place...but saw nothing, only a tree.
He looked at InuYasha, arching a brow, but then turned back to him. In his hand, he held a black dagger, created in the shape of a snake, the body of the snake was the long serpentine blade. The blade was toothed, and each tooth had a small, back-wards curled hook, created for the sole purpose of tearing and ripped when it was removed. InuYasha blinked at it.
"Why the hell do you need a sacrifice, anyway?" InuYasha yelled at him. His only hope was that if he kept Manabu's attention, Kagome could hit him hard once, hard enough to kill, and she could get him out of there fast enough that they could both get away safely.
"I need one soul to seal the seal on my gouremu."
InuYasha blinked, "To what the what on your what?!"
"I need to complete the seal on my golem."
"Golem?"
Manabu turned, and held out a hand.
For a split second, InuYasha thought the man was completely insane, and he was talking to someone who wasn't there.
A deep, groaning sound echoed out over the clearing, and suddenly, with a burst of dust, what had looked like a tall stone tower started to shift.
InuYasha stared, shocked, at the tall rectangular tower, as it rose, and turned. Rotating in place, InuYasha suddenly found himself looking back at a face. It was flat, with only two square holes for eyes, and a long rectangular hole for a mouth.
With another groaning shudder, arms seemed to break free of it's sides, sliding out as if they had been folded neatly away.
Likewise, it was rising up, gaining yet another ten feet, as legs slid down out of the retangular body, feet sliding out of the legs.
It took a ponderous step, and the ground shuddered.
It was creepily fast for such a large thing, and a reddish glow could be seen in the eyes.
InuYasha stared, mouth open, utterly shocked. It was huge, and heavy. Yet fast, almost as fast as a human. Nothing that big, not alive, should be able to move that quickly.
"You see?" Manaby said with a note of pride in his voice, "My golem."
"How is that thing alive?" InuYasha asked.
"There is a demon inside. I have trapped it in there. I stole it's body, and forced it into the golem's body. It is forced now to do my bidding." He turned, and looked back up at it, and laughed.
"I can feel it's hate for me. How it despises me. But it doesn't matter. It must do what I tell it to do."
He looked back to InuYasha, and smiled, "You have a very important part to play. Your heart's blood will harden the seal on the golem so that it can never escape. It has to be a hanyou's blood, in it's weakest form. Well, that means human."
He paused, and spoke again, "You know, our brother monestary was telling me, a while ago, about a hanyou that had arrived and released a terrible creature out into the world, one that we had finally captured. He gave me a description. I didn't have the honour of seeing you in your hanyou form, but I find it hard to believe there are two young men with long hair and crimson clothing running around in these lands. It was you, wasn't it?"
"Yeah it was me! That 'terrible creature' was a little six year old girl! Your brother monk was insane!"
"I do not expect you to understand. My order has been watching over these lands for hundreds of years, protecting the people from violent, savage creatures like that. You undid something that took us a long time to do."
"Well cry me a river," InuYasha growled.
"I saw you and your woman across the river, and ordered the golem to open fire on you. Unfortunately the fool thing shot with everything it had, and you were obliterated. Or so I thought. I do, actually, apologise if your lady friend was killed or hurt. This was only about you.
Now then."
The man reached out, and untied InuYasha's haori and gi, baring his chest. InuYasha struggled, trying to break free, but it was useless.
"I'd like to be able to tell you it wouldn't hurt, but I don't want to lie to a man about to die."
InuYasha looked at the dagger, poised over his heart.
Kagome...please...don't watch them-
Her voice suddenly rang out, "Hey! Get away from him!"
Kagome had watched as the man turned from InuYasha, rummaging around in a small bag. She had readied her bow, when their eyes had met.
Kagome tried to let him know it was ok, she was there, and was going to save him, when he shook his head at her!
Did he want to be skewered?!
She watched, unbelieving, as he actually fought with her.
He was tied up, on an altar, going to be a sacrifice, and he was arguing with her!
Kagome had been ready to shoot him, when suddenly, the tower had shifted, and started moving, and Kagome had heard the man's words.
A golem.
She crouched, watching, her heart sinking. Now what was she going to do? She couldn't shoot the golem with the arrow, it wouldn't do anything. And if she shot the man, she couldn't be completely sure she would kill him with one hit. If he lived long enough to give even one command, the golem would turn on her and InuYasha. And it might take time to free InuYasha too.
What do I do!?
At her hip, she suddenly felt Tetsusaiga pulse.
Kagome looked down, blinking, shocked. She had never felt it pulse like that before. She hadn't heard anything, but had felt it, like a heartbeat against her hip.
Tetsusaiga? You want me to bring you to InuYasha, don't you? I can't, at least not yet. I'll be killed if I go out with you, and if I call out to him, to tell him you're here, that man will plunge that dagger in him!
Another pulse.
Worried, Kagome put down her arrow, and hesitantly took ahold of Tetsusaiga's hilt, and quietly pulled Tetsusaiga out.
Another pulse.
Kagome whispered, "I can't. Either that thing will kill me or that guy will stab InuYasha. Either way you won't get to him in time! And why am I whispering to a sword?"
Kagome started to re-sheath Tetsusaiga, to pick up her arrow again, when the Tetsusaiga gave another pulse, and with it, the Shikon, under her shirt gave a quiet chime, ting!
Kagome blinked.
She paused, and opened herself to the Shikon. Only it wasn't just the Shikon's presence she was aware of.
It was Tetsusaiga.
The Tetsusaiga was using the Shikon to communicate.
Izumi had once startled InuYasha by calling Tetsusaiga 'she'. She had told InuYasha that the spirits of all swords were female. Kagome had thought Izumi was speaking in the figurative, in much the same way ships were always called 'she'.
Whether Izumi had been speaking figuratively, or literally, the presence inside the sword, the spirit of Tetsusaiga that Kagome was encountering, was that of a female.
Tetsusaiga was angry.
As it spoke to Kagome, it didn't use words. It wasn't like talking to another person. What Tetsusaiga gave Kagome was feelings, emotions, images, sensations, and ideas. Kagome very quickly discovered that Tetsusaiga was very aware of what was going on around it...her. It didn't have the same sensations of a human woman, or even a demon. It was more detatched. But it still felt, and it was giving Kagome the equivalent of an earful, one woman talking to another.
Tetsusaiga was angry.
Kagome was swamped with images of her original master. InuTashio. InuTashio had forged Tetsusaiga, and from his body had come her awareness of the first time. Tetsusaiga had loved her master, who had weilded her with love and concern. He had used her with honor, with grace and wisdom.
But her master had fallen.
She had been abandoned, left behind in an empty place, for many, many years. And when she had been weilded next, by a non-human - Kagome was suddenly, shockingly aware that Tetsusaiga had been awake when she had accidentally pulled it from the ground inside the resting place of InuYasha's father - it had been held by someone Tetsusaiga had realized was a descendant of her master. And while Tetsusaiga missed InuTashio, being weilded by a son of him was certainly acceptable to her.
But this master...this master...
He was hard! And clumsy! He was rough! He had used her as if chopping wood! He had no control over his emotions, letting anger best him so easily! Gone was the honor, gone was the grace, gone was the skill with which she had been used! She was thrown around like some lesser blade, used to hack and saw!
Her master was a savage!
But over time...over time...they had found a comfortable rhythm. And her new master used her better. Used her properly. Gracefully. Skillfully. Tetsusaiga found herself forgiving her new master. He was, after all, young, and the young are forever full of emotions and hormones and youthful insanity. He was trying. She would try too.
Her new master had unlocked a great many of her powers, making her happy with him. He used her less and less like an axe, and more and more like a sword, a thing of beauty.
Then he had started taking proper care of her. He often oiled her now, cleaning her, admiring her form and grace, and that was as it should be. A swordsman and his sword were bound, and each should care for the other. And Tetsusaiga was content. She forgave his few tantrums he had, occasionally using her like a shield, or using her to just hack his way through something. This master, after all, was not as strong as her former, and would perhaps never be. If he occasionally used her a little roughtly, well...she would forgive that.
She fought for him, and when, sometimes, she failed him, she despaired. As she had despaired when she had been unable to fight back the Solar Flare and the Backlash wave on the island, and she had been unable to protect her master, and he had died.
Thankfully, that other one, that other woman, had brought back her master, and he had taken her up again, and had let her rest and recuperate.
But over time, over a great deal of time, Tetsusaiga had become aware of something else.
She was pulled from her sheath often, to fight, to protect...but not always to protect her master. Now there were others with him, and he often used her to defend them.
This was also fine. She was a sword, she was used to fight and defend. However...often...quite often...there was another near her master.
This human woman.
Kagome blinked, shocked. Tetsusaiga was aware of her?
Tetsusaiga gave the affirmative to Kagome. Tetsusaiga was, indeed, aware of her. She was often with her master. Was often carried by this woman to her master. And Tetsusaiga had become aware a while back just how much her master took pride in Tetsusaiga. He loved his sword with a pride that was fierce, and that too was only proper and right. Just as Tetsusaiga loved her master.
But for her master to allow this woman to carry her when he allowed very few others...well...that was an indication of how much her master cared for this woman.
More than once, InuYasha had held Tetsusaiga across his lap, looking down at her, while thinking about this human woman, troubled, upset, and Tetsusaiga was very aware of her master's feelings.
And now...now...her master was hurt. In pain. She had heard him call for her, but she had been unable to go to him, the distance had simply been far, far too great. And he had not called for her again. And despite how powerful Tetsusaiga was...she couldn't move on her own.
Tetsusaiga... was... angry.
She loved her young master. He was her master, no other sword's.
Master needed her.
So...what were they going to do about it?
Kagome blinked, shocked. She had thought that it was likely Tetsusaiga was aware, but she hadn't realized just how aware she was.
Kagome's mind was overcome by images that Tetsusaiga had shown her, of the times InuYasha had held Tetsusaiga, despairing over Kagome, over the gulf that separated them. Of the times he had held Tetsusaiga, terrified for Kagome, thinking her hurt, or dead. An image of InuYasha hunting down and killing the goblin-things that had killed Kagome by the well, the despair that had driven him to hunt down every last one, for revenge. For Kagome.
Images of the times he had lunged into battle for her, to protect her, to save her, to keep her safe, and her heart starting hurting.
He had died. Tetsusaiga told it herself, when the Solar Flare and the Backlash wave had been forced back at him from that portal, InuYasha had died, and Izumi had brought him back, and now she was gone, too.
InuYasha had died.
What would I have done if I had known that at the time? she thought, her heart breaking.
The sword pulsed, impatient.
Ok. Fine. I'm not fighting this, not anymore.
Kagome peered up over the bushes, glad to see the human and InuYasha were still talking. All things Tetsusaiga had told her, shown her, had been in mere minutes. They still had time.
"Tetsusaiga," she said quietly, "I will shoot that man with my arrow. If I don't kill him outright, if he turns that golem thing on us...do I...do I have your permission...to weild you?
To weild you to save the one... we both love?"
Another pulse.
"Ok," she said, sliding Tetsusaiga back in the sheath so she would be at Kagome's fingertips, and nocked an arrow.
Kagome stood up, aimed, and called out, "Hey! Get away from him!"