Ch. 10
Sharp yellow eyes loomed in the darkness stalking its prey's every move. Sesshoumaru walked along side AhUn in the depths of the spirit's forest. His nose no longer as sharp his ears not as keen and his strength slowly evaporating with each day; he was complete unaware of the danger.
"Shikon no Kakira"
He heard the growl of a demon then felt the hot wind that rushed out of the trees.
"Give it to me"
Sesshoumaru turned around just in time to see AhUn rush out in front of him blocking the path of a foul smelling oversized demon. Its yellow eyes darted wildly around the two-headed dragon focusing on the tall dark headed human just a few feet away. It took a heavy step forward its muscles shaking with the impact. It shook its matted mane and in a dragon's tongue spoke to the two-headed dragon.
"Get out of the way brother; I only want the human and its shards"
AhUn only deepened his stance; staring the large swamp dragon down.
Sesshoumaru turned from the scene to walk away; he did not fear this dragon nor was he concerned for AhUn, the beast had proven himself in more than one occasion.
"I will await your return AhUn" and he was gone.
AhUn nodded to his master and focused his attention back to his opponent.
When Sesshoumaru was nearly out of sight the swamp dragon bared his sharp-yellowed teeth.
"Brother; why do you protect that human, he only uses you."
The stench of the beast was enough to choke AhUn, but he did not back down. The demon took another step forward the slime glistening off its muscles. AhUn refused to move.
"Stand aside Brother"
AhUn stared daggers into the other dragon then unleashed a fearsome blast of lighting. The swamp dragon staggered back a few steps, but was other wise unharmed.
"Enough of this" the larger dragon spit a sticky acidic green liquid at AhUn. The smaller dragon dodged it easily, a little too easily he stepped right in the path of the dragons powerful claw. It knocked the two-headed dragon into the forest plowing down all the trees in his path. He landed with a sickening crunch. He lifted one head his eyes forcing their way closed. Before darkness swallowed him, he could see the powerful tail of the swamp dragon knocking down trees as it headed in the direction his master had just gone.
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-Inuyasha, what are you doing out here?-
Kagome wrapped her towel around her tighter and borrowed Sango's kimono when she heard the hanyou calling for her.
He was waiting outside of earshot of the spring so Sango could not see nor hear them.
Kagome tiptoed into the forest looking around trees and calling for the Hanyou.
"Inuyasha where are you… Inuyasha?"
She felt a demonic aura approach then subside and before she could scream Inuyasha had his hand wrapped around her mouth.
"Shh Kagome, Sango might hear you"
Kagome pulled Inuyasha's clawed hand from around her mouth.
"It's ok Inuyasha, I told her I was meeting you and she went back to the village with Kirara"
"Now why am I secretly meeting you out here?"
Suddenly the weight of what he was about to do was getting the better of him. He started to fidget and his cheeks turned a brilliant pink. He had a difficult time suppressing the guilt bubbling up in his amber orbs.
"Inuyasha are you blushing?"
Kagome leaned in close to his face. His face had indeed turned pink.
He pushed her back trying to hide his embarrassment and to keep her from reading all the lies he was keeping from her just then. He didn't mean to push her so hard; she stumbled backwards and fell on her butt.
"Inuyasha what is wrong with you"
Kagome pushed herself back up and dusted herself off.
"Look if we are done here, I'm getting cold so I'd like to get back to the village"
She turned to walk away, but was stopped by a firm grip on her wrist. Inuyasha's clawed fingers were wrapped tightly around her wrist his face a maze of confusion.
"Inuyasha, what is it…"
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Sesshoumaru had made it to the edge of a river a ferryboat was pulling to the shore an old toad as its captain. He squinted his eyes as the boat pulled closer. "Jaken?"
A roar rolled out of the forest rippling the water across the river.
"You are mine now human"
His amber eyes slide to the forest where a large green claw swooped out knocking him into the river.
"Sesshoumaru Sama!"
Jaken leaned over the boat to search the water beneath. The water still rippled from where he had landed. The dragon was not about to stop his onslaught he barreled for the river ready for when the human surfaced or he would fish him out himself. The water was still for a few moments more; then they heard something surface on the other side of the river.
"You are not going to get away that easily human"
The enormous demon leapt across the river only to be disintegrated by a purification arrow. Sesshoumaru pulled his body up on the bank with the last of his strength; just before his eyes closed he saw a woman with long dark hair clad in white and red walking away with a bow in her hand.
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Kagome stared down into Inuyasha's hand. A small gold bracelet lay in an innocent circle.
"Inuyasha…what is this"
His face flushed again and he reached out grabbing her hand and slid the bracelet on her wrist.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you…take it as an apology"
Kagome couldn't help herself she leapt up into his arms and hugged him. She pushed herself away from him averting her eyes; a bit embarrassed. He took her hand tipping it back and forth watching the bracelet glimmer in the moonlight.
He held her hand for a little while longer until a familiar scent hit his nose.
In the distance a pair of amber eyes watched everything. His body leaned heavly against the tree his wounds still bleeding.
"Blood? Sesshoumaru's blood"
Inuyasha pushed Kagome behind him and withdrew Tesiaga.
"Alright Sesshoumaru come out already I can smell you're there"
In the distance a body clad all in white fell from the tree line. Kagome ran past Inuyasha to the fallen western lord. "Sesshoumaru!"
She knelt down by his side wrapping her hands around his shoulders and turned him around to lie on his back. His eyes were closed and his breathing labored. She looked him over carefully and found that the shards were no where in his body then she noticed that his fist was closed tight around a faint pink light.
You idiot they are not any good to you if you just hold them-
She pried his fingers open and took the shards from him. She held the shards up to the frail moonlight.
– They're still pure –
She closed her hand around them and whispered into them. She was about to push the small fragment into his chest when a clawed hand reached down to stop her.
"What are you doing Kagome… let him die"
Kagome looked up to Inuyasha in horror,
"What are you saying he's your brother?"
Inuyasha's grip loosened, her words pushing him off balance a look of pure disbelief frozen on his face. The girl was crying, she was crying for his brother the evil demon who had once tried to kill her.
She pulled her hand away from him only to have it stopped again by a masculine human hand. She looked down at the western lord.
"I do not wish to have those things placed in my body; they have caused me nothing but trouble"
She couldn't pry her eyes from him he looked so helpless yet he lay there not wanting any help at all.
"See, just leave him"
Kagome glared at Inuyasha then turned her back to him. She tried to make Sesshoumaru as comfortable as possible, but first she had to stop the bleeding and her bag was back at the village. She looked down at Sesshoumaru for a moment then took a sharp breath and turned back to Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha will you go back to the village and get my bag please"
He was appalled there was no other word for it. Here was his girl helping even crying over his brother.
"Hell no… why are you even helping him"
"I need those bandages Inuyasha or he will bleed to death please"
Tears spilled from her eyes pleading with him to do this favor for her.
He pulled his gaze from her desperate eyes and turned his back to her folding his arm in a classic Inuyasha pout.
"Forget it"
"Fine"
Kagome stood up pulling Sango's kimono from her shoulders then let the towel fall in a pool on the ground. Inuyasha turned to the soft thud and quickly turned back around.
"What are you doing Kagome?"
She picked the kimono back up slipping it back over her shoulders.
"I have to do something Inuyasha seen as how you won't"
She torn the towel into long ribbons and wrapped them around Sesshoumaru's wounds. Then she sat down beside him determined to stay by his side the entire night.
Inuyasha's shoulders sank; she had won.
"Alright Kagome, let's take him back to the village"