Chapter 8
Okay all of my faithful readers, here is chapter 8. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga InuYasha nor it's characters. I do however own my OC Alisha. I also do not own Final Fantasy or the music from it.
For a whole month Sesshomaru had Jaken seek out strong demons that he could take an arm from. During that entire time though there was very little success. The arms would only last a short time before they would rot while still connected to the dog demon's body.
During their time in between finding a new demon arm, the priestess continued to teach Sesshomaru her native language and history. The demon lord had become very adapt at speaking English. In fact he no longer needed lessons after awhile. He knew just about every word in the English language and his only fault was his accent which he would never lose. History was a very one sided lesson. Sesshomaru would normally comment about something, but he continued to be silent as he listened. This made the lessons move along faster and eventually Alisha taught the demon lord up to after World War II. His lessons would soon be complete at this rate.
With her MP3 player in her ears, Alisha sat on A-un's back watching Sesshomaru. Her companion had found a large blue demon to get an arm from. He had been very quiet lately and that is why Alisha resorted to her MP3 player. She amused herself by playing Final Fantasy battle music while Sesshomaru fought. Of course the fight never lasted the entire length of the song, but it never ceased to be amusing.
Using his poisonous claws, Sesshomaru removed the demon's left arm. Without getting a drop of blood on his kimono, he attached the arm to his stump. After making sure the arm bent to his will, the demon lord finished off the demon. Alisha removed her ear buds and put the music player in her backpack. She did not want to miss the beating if Jaken picked another dud.
"Another fine arm, don't you think, my lord?" Jaken asked as he hurried over to Sesshomaru.
"We shall see," the demon lord replied and turned to search for something to test his new appendage on.
Alisha urged A-un in the direction Sesshomaru was taking. Jaken walked just a little ahead of A-un much to Alisha's delight. She would not be caught in the crossfire this way. The trio only traveled a short distance before a large group of bandits on horseback came toward them. The bandits held their swords high as they prepared to kill Sesshomaru for his armor and sword.
Graceful as ever, Sesshomaru used his new appendage to remove the heads of both the thieves and their horses. Blood dripped down the three clawed hand making the demon lord appear fierce and deadly. Alisha slide off of the dragon's saddle and grabbed a hold of the reins. Both of the lord's companions carefully approached Sesshomaru just incase he still felt like testing his new arm.
"You see, my lord, a fine arm indeed," Jaken boosted, pleased with his selection.
Once Jaken came close enough, Sesshomaru stepped on the imp's head and kicked him back a bit. "Have you knotholes for eyes?" the lord sneered, "This arm is rotting. Find me a better arm or feel my wrath."
The imp bowed many times while apologizing, "I'm so sorry, my lord. I will find another immediately."
Alisha laughed quietly to herself as she watched Sesshomaru beat on his little servant. Jaken could take a lot of punishment that was for sure. He was like one of those punch clowns. You knock him down he gets right back up. The priestess was also very happy that Sesshomaru made the imp do all of this work. She was not sure she could take daily beatings like that. Not that he would ever hit Alisha, Sesshomaru new better than to do that. It would mean another sit command for sure.
"Having some trouble?" a deep voice asked from behind the trio.
They quickly faced the newcomer, what they found was a man crouched in the bushes. To their surprise he was covered in a baboon pelt and his face was masked by the baboon's stolen face. Alisha had seen some pretty strange things while in Feudal Japan, but this just topped the list. She also got a really bad feeling about him. Being only two feet away from him made her skin crawl and her stomach churn. The priestess took a couple of steps back slightly behind Sesshomaru so that she could feel a little less sick.
The baboon man chuckled at the woman's actions before he continued speaking, "You are the elder brother of the worthless half-breed InuYasha, correct?"
"And you would be?" the demon lord countered.
"Someone who also cannot stand InuYasha," he replied. The strange man then brought his hands out from underneath his pelt and in his hands was an arm. "You should use this."
"How dare you insult my lord," Jaken squawked at the man, "That's just a human's arm."
Ready with an answer the baboon man said, "Ah but it is a human arm with a sacred jewel shard imbedded in it and with it you will be able to take hold of your brother's sword."
"A sacred jewel shard you say?" Sesshomaru queried.
Since his first encounter with a shard, Sesshomaru learned that his female companion could both see and sense these shards even through flesh and clothing. She would be able to confirm weather or not this demon was trying to trick him. The demon lord glanced out of the corner of his eye at Alisha who felt the stare. She caught his eyes and knew instantly what he wanted.
The arm seemed like any normal severed arm, and it disturbed Alisha slightly that she thought it normal for an arm to be in someone's hands severed. Once she got to the top of the arm, just before where the flesh had been cut, Alisha could see the familiar purple glow of Midoriko's jewel. The priestess only gave the slightest of nods, hoping that this creepy demon would not discover her secret.
Satisfied with the priestess' findings and the idea of holding the Tetsusaiga, Sesshomaru said to the man, "You are using me because you are afraid to fight InuYasha yourself, I know this. However, I will take this arm."
"B-but, my lord?" Jaken stuttered surprised that his master would accept doing someone else's dirty work.
The imp went unnoticed as the two other demons continued conversing. The demon in the baboon suit pulled another item out from beneath the pelt, an insect hive as big as his hand. "Take this with you as well. It will come in handy if the monk traveling with InuYasha interferes. It is a nest of the hell wasp and will stop the monk's hand."
After attaching the new arm, Sesshomaru took the hive. "Your name," he demanded.
Chuckling he replied, "I am Naraku."
"Do not think that I shall forget that," Sesshomaru told the demon as he pocketed the insect hive.
With a new means to get his father's sword, Sesshomaru went in the direction that he could smell his brother. Jaken followed behind worried about what his lord may have gotten them into with this strange person. As they left Naraku behind, Alisha turned around to see that he was watching her specifically. Very disturbed by the creature and his actions, she jumped up onto A-un's back. The priestess kicked her heels into the dragon's sides so that he would take off running. A-un sped up and caught up to Sesshomaru easily. Once at a safe distance, Alisha commanded the dragon to slow down in time with the demon lord.
The priestess let out a sigh of relief. That Naraku gave her such a bad feeling. He felt nothing like any other demon or human that she had ever encountered. She was just happy to be away and next to Sesshomaru once more. Alisha looked at his new replacement arm and could see the jewel shard glowing underneath the white kimono sleeve. The jewel shard was without a doubt tainted, but Alisha could not risk purifying it. She would end up hurting Sesshomaru and Alisha was not in the mood to die if the purifying did not kill him.
The demon lord lead them deeper into the woods until the forest floor shook with great force. He stopped and waited as the ground shook again. His companions stayed close and looked around nervously. Alisha kept her hand on her sword's hilt, ready to strike if anything were to happen.
Trees were forced to the ground by mighty hands of a very large demon. It stepped into view showing just how massive it was. The demon was the size of a mountain with maroon colored skin. The top of its head looked like its brain was sticking out and two very large horns protruded from the area. The demon's glowing red eyes focused on Sesshomaru.
"You will accompany me to fight my wretched brother," the lord told the monstrous demon.
The demon's eyes narrowed as it swung one of its massive hands down at Sesshomaru. He sidestepped the assault and used his energy whip to strike the mountain ogre across the chest. It howled in pain before trying to strike Sesshomaru again. The act ended in the same result and after Sesshomaru was done whipping the ogre, it surrendered. The demon lord leaped up onto the hunched over ogre's shoulder and took a seat. Jaken scurried up the demon's arm to join his lord. Not interested in a ride on a mountain ogre, Alisha stayed put on A-un.
"Remain close but out of sight," Sesshomaru commanded the priestess who nodded in understanding that he was to not be seen with a human.
It turned out that his brother and the people who traveled with him were not very far away. They were staying at a village only fifteen minutes away from where Sesshomaru found the ogre. The village was on the ocean and built into a mountain with trees completely surrounding it. Before Sesshomaru started, Alisha found a spot in a nearby tree line where she would be able to see. She slide off of A-un and waited impatiently. This would be the first time she would be able to see the brother who took Sesshomaru's arm and wanted to get a good look at him.
The ogre's arm came down onto a temple on the mountain side. People screamed and ran away out of the village. The priestess watched hoping that no one innocent would get hurt. Sesshomaru would hear it from her it someone did. A group of three people came running down the main staircase from the tavern toward the ogre.
"Sesshomaru!" one of the men yelled.
Alisha knew instantly that the one that called out was Sesshomaru's brother. They looked very similar except for a few things. InuYasha had dog ears on top of his head and no demon markings. He was also dressed in all red unlike his brother who dressed in mainly white. He looked like he was happier more often with bright eyes. The half demon was also not missing any limbs which annoyed Alisha slightly.
Behind InuYasha was a monk as Naraku had said and a young girl with a fox demon attached to her legs. To Alisha's amazement the girl was dressed in a green and white Japanese school uniform. She also had to be from the future. The priestess found this kind of funny in a way. Both brothers had a woman from the future with them. She thought about finding a way to talk to her until her thoughts were interrupted by Sesshomaru starting the fight by jumping down and landing right in front of InuYasha. The girl, monk, and fox demon ran and hid nearby. InuYasha drew his sword which transformed before their eyes and swung it at Sesshomaru who dodged easily.
'That must be Tetsusaiga,' Alisha thought, 'It's huge!'
Swinging downward once more, InuYasha attempted another attack. Quicker than the human eye could see, Sesshomaru grabbed the wrist of InuYasha's sword arm. The poison from Sesshomaru's claws slowly began to eat away at his brother's skin. Cringing in pain InuYasha managed to gather enough strength to push Sesshomaru back. The demon lord countered by using the fur boa wrapped around his right shoulder to knock the Tetsusaiga from his brother's hands. The sword landed a few feet away, the blade stuck in the ground. The sword then transformed back into a regular katana.
Sesshomaru was by the sword's side in a flash and using his new arm, he grabbed a hold of the sword's hilt and pulled it free. The Tetsusaiga transformed in his borrowed hand. All of InuYasha's companions and himself looked absolutely astonished. Apparently Sesshomaru was not supposed to be able to even touch the sword let alone wield it.
"Now little brother, let me show you the true power of the Tetsusaiga," Sesshomaru told his brother before speaking to Jaken still on the ogre's shoulder, "Jaken."
"Yes, my lord we will call the mountain dwelling demons down," the imp responded while prodding the ogre with his staff.
The ogre's hand slammed down onto the trees on the mountain side opposite where Alisha was watching. A moment later a swarm of demons with snake like bodies flew up into the air toward the night sky. Sesshomaru swung the Tetsusaiga upward toward the fleeing demons. A beam of energy moved along the ground and up the mountain toward the demons with great speed. The energy enveloped the creatures and killed them all along with decimating that part of the mountain side. Alisha was very amazed, it was similar to her own attacks but on a much larger scale with demonic power instead of simply purifying as well.
When Sesshomaru returned his attention to his brother, the monk and girl stepped in front of InuYasha to try and stop the demon lord from continuing. The monk wanted to take over fighting which started an argument with InuYasha who refused to back down from his brother.
"My lord," Jaken spoke up, "leave them to me. There is no need to dirty your hands with them."
Jabbing the ogre with his staff once more, Jaken commanded the ogre to squish the three below. The monk removed the rosary from his right hand and a great wind picked up. Sesshomaru drove the sword into the ground to keep from being drawn in. The ogre on the other hand was not so lucky and was being pulled in arm first. Unbelievably the ogre was pulled into the monk's very hand. This must have been exactly what Naraku was talking about.
Sesshomaru pulled the nest that Naraku gave him from his sleeve and threw it at the monk. Large ugly wasps sprang forth and flew purposely into the monk's hand. The monk flinched and then replaced the rosary which caused the wind to instantly die. He then told InuYasha to take over again. The half demon finished off any remaining wasps flying about. The ogre now missing its left arm and most of its face, lay dead behind Sesshomaru. Jaken pulled himself up on top of what remained of the ogre, lucky to still be alive.
Just as the demon lord freed the sword from the ground, InuYasha carried the monk behind the fallen ogre for safety. The wasps must have poisoned him for the monk was very limp.
"It is useless to hide!" Sesshomaru shouted and swung the blade destroying what was left of the ogre's head.
Much to Sesshomaru's disappointment, InuYasha leaped from the ogre's leftovers at his brother. They continued to fight, this time the younger brother using the Tetsusaiga's sheath to fend off Sesshomaru. Just as the demon lord was about to strike down InuYasha, a purified arrow parried the Tetsusaiga and transformed it back to normal. It was the young girl from the future who had fired the arrow.
"Sesshomaru, the next one severs your arm," the girl shouted pointing another arrow where the Shikon shard was.
Hoping it was just a coincidence that the girl was pointing at the shard, Alisha readied her sword. She was prepared to defend Sesshomaru if the girl fired. This was a fight between brothers, she did not need to get involved. The girl did however fire and just as it left the bow Alisha released a blast from her sword knocking the arrow off course. Everyone was stunned except Sesshomaru. He knew very well who had assisted him. InuYasha's group searched but could not see where the strange blast had come from.
"You better keep your attention on me, little brother. Unless you wish to die," Sesshomaru said probably to make sure no one discovered Alisha.
"Don't worry, Sesshomaru, I know exactly what to do now," InuYasha told his elder brother, "If I get rid of that new arm you won't be able to use the Tetsusaiga anymore. And I even get a jewel shard out of it."
That said InuYasha lunged at his brother aiming for the human arm. Sesshomaru dodged and punched his brother in the face knocking him away. The girl took this time to run and help the dieing monk. The two brothers took turns striking at each other. As they did the ground beneath them soon had many large holes and gashes in the earth. Their fighting had become intense and Alisha became very focused on the two brothers. So focused in fact, she did not notice the other girl string another arrow. The arrow shot off toward the demon lord and Alisha had no way to stop it. She noticed the arrow too late and if she fired now she would hit Sesshomaru. Luckily, the girl was not as good a shot as they thought she was, and hit Sesshomaru's armor instead. Though the demon lord came out unharmed, his chest armor completely shattered. InuYasha took this opportunity to punch Sesshomaru in the stomach.
"What pests. You deserve each other," Sesshomaru said as he grabbed his brother by the neck and threw him into the girl.
They young archer was knocked unconscious by her fallen companion. InuYasha worried over her trying to make sure she was still alive. He did not have much time because with the girl out the Tetsusaiga could once again transform. Sesshomaru stood nearby to take out the whole group in one swing. Enraged it seemed, InuYasha charged at the demon lord as he began to swing the sword. The younger brother managed to catch Sesshomaru's arm and stop the sword's movement.
"How foolish to show me your back," the demon lord said as he plunged his right hand through his brother's back and out the other side.
Anyone else would have died, but InuYasha somehow remained alive and alert. Taking advantage of his position, the younger brother ripped off the hand of the human arm and took back his sword. The wound finally got him at that moment and he fell to one knee, his sword shielding him. If either Sesshomaru or Jaken drew closer they would surely be attacked as the imp demonstrated.
"I can not take hold of Tetsusaiga. There is not point in staying any longer," Sesshomaru stated and began to float up into the air with Jaken riding on the lord's boa.
Once they were fairly high up, Alisha mounted A-un and took off as well easily catching up. What hell wasps remained hidden followed them as they left the area. Below InuYasha's group had huddled around their fallen comrade. They watched as their enemy left and noticed something strange.
"Look from the tree line," the monk said pointing at the taking off A-un, "It looks like a two headed dragon."
"And there is someone riding it," the girl noticed.
"They must have been the one who stopped your arrow before, Kagome," the fox child said.
"Okay but why were they hiding?" Kagome asked confused.
"Who knows maybe we'll find out next time," the monk told her, "For now let us help InuYasha."
The hell wasps continued to follow and swarm Sesshomaru and his companions. Alisha really was not enjoying it. She did not like the idea of being surrounded by giant bugs. Jaken asked Sesshomaru before the priestess could about how much longer they would be following them.
"They must be waiting for me to get rid of the shard in this arm," Sesshomaru said as he lowered the left half of his kimono to show the arm.
Alisha almost screamed when she saw the state of the demon lord's arm. The skin of the human arm was growing over Sesshomaru's own. It could actually be seen snaking up the other skin. The demon lord grabbed a hold of the arm and pulled it off leaving his own arm open and bleeding once more. He then threw it away where the hell wasps caught it. The horrid insects then took off into the mountains. Sesshomaru followed them at a distance with Alisha right behind.
They were lead to a clearing in a swamp where Naraku sat waiting. The wasps gave him the jewel shard from the arms flesh and tossed the arm away. Sesshomaru touched down right behind the baboon skin wearing demon. Startled Naraku jumped away and faced the demon lord.
"Naraku, you used that arm to try and capture Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken accused.
With a chuckle the demon answered, "I simply added something to ensure the return of my jewel shard. I wouldn't want your priestess to add to her collection."
Stunned and angered by the fact that Naraku knew about her jewel shards, Alisha took hold of her sword. She was ready to kill him if necessary. There should have been no way for him to know about her own. Naraku was sure to try and take hers by any means if he were like any other demon. What was really bothering her was that her backpack with the shards in it was attached to A-un's saddle. He could possibly get them if he was fast enough. The priestess made sure to make no movements toward the backpack. There was still a chance that he did not know where they were.
Sesshomaru did not seem very bothered by what Naraku had said. The demon lord simply asked him, "Prepared for anything?"
Before the fiendish demon could react, Sesshomaru lurched forward and cut off the baboon's head with his claws. The head of the pelt landed at the demon lord's feet and the rest of the pelt fell limp. Naraku was no longer inside the animal skin. Jaken prodded the pelt angrily looking for the sneaky demon.
"Calm yourselves, friends," Naraku's voice rang out from no where in particular, "If I turn my attention back to InuYasha I may contact you once more."
"He's gone. I can't even sense his jewel shard anymore," Alisha spoke up as she relaxed her hand and released her sword's hilt.
"We're leaving," Sesshomaru said and began heading South.
"Oh of course, my lord," Jaken piped up as he joined his lord, "You need to get new armor after that wench destroyed your last one."
That girl did interest Alisha. The priestess really wanted an opportunity to talk to her since they seemed to be in very similar situations. The problem would be Sesshomaru. Alisha would have to make sure he was not around if she wanted to chat.
Something else crossed Alisha's mind. They were heading South to most likely get the lord new armor and she had to go home soon for the Spring semester. An idea popped into her head.
"Lord Sesshomaru," she called as she caught up, "Since we're heading South, maybe you could have the demon slayers make you new armor. Their armor is extremely strong and fine enough for a lord like yourself."
Sesshomaru glanced over at the priestess for a moment before answering, "Very well."
A smile crossed Alisha's lips. She would be able to spend some time with the villagers before heading back home. There would even be plenty of time for the priestess to spend with Sango and Kohaku. No rushing home this time was diffidently something to look forward to as well. Sesshomaru would have no problem with her going home at that time. He has never really care before, so why would he now?
The end of another chapter what a relief. I do apologize if the fight scene was to long or reminiscent for you, but it was one of those things you can't really avoid. Plus I rushed the battle as it was and I didn't want to cut out anymore. Next chapter should be very interesting. It will kind of prove just how similar the two brothers can be. I'm going to start writing it now but I can't be sure when I will finish. I've even given up a couple days with my boyfriend to write for you guys. He understands though so long as I love him and not the character I'm writing about. Anyway I used volume 7 of the manga and Episodes 18 and 19 of the anime for reference. Until next time, thank you for reading. Bye for now.
