I do not own Inuyasha and Co! But I do own Ipo! Yay! ENJOY!!!
'I just know this won't turn out good.' Kagome's right eye twitched in annoyance, jaw clinched and the urge to scream in frustration jolted through her. Why?! Why was it she always got into some sort of trouble? 'Am I a trouble magnetic...I have to be, I swear to the Kami's!'' and to top matters off, they were alone. It wasn't as if they couldn't fight, they could but no one knew they left or which way and Inuyasha would be to busy hurtling insults at his brother to notice. 'Damn their childish behavior!' she cursed.
Looking to Ipo, it seemed she was having the same inner turmoil. Then her brown eyes turned her sister and a look passed between them, a look that clearly stated he was NOT going to get the shards. As a precautionary, their hands curled, the hands that absorb the shards.
"Well, you can't have'em." Ipo stated, matter-oh-factly, head held high. 'Creepy bastard.'
"I didn't expect you to give them to me." he chuckled darkly at her their questioning look, lunged toward them. Instead of splitting to run away, like he expected or most humans did, they clasped hands and used Ipo's demon abilities to jump away and into the trees. 'Hm, I will have to remember to not underestimate these two.' he to had heard the rumors of the growing gang of travelers that were collecting the jewel shards. And he knew, for a fact, that the largest amount was with the two, strange miko's.
Kagome nodded toward the older girl then armed herself. Ipo, soundlessly, jumped from one tree to another, all the while keeping Naraku in her sights. "What is your quarrel with us?" though she was moving, he was able to look directly at her. 'Hn, he can see me...gonna be harder then most.'
"You travel with the half-breed. In my book, that entitles you to the same fate." he sneered.
Ipo stopped suddenly, looking toward him. "Inuyasha?" she descended from the branches to stand before him, a hard look on her face. "What do you know of him?"
"What do I know?" his manic laughter filled the clearing. "I made him what he is today."
"Explain yaself." she demanded with a growl, flexing her claws and ready to spring forward at any moment.
"I once knew the star-crossed lovers many years ago. Kikyo took care of me but she loved that fifthly half-breed. She was weak, gave into her childish desires and for that, both were punished." a satisfied smirk crossed his face at her shocked look.
'Many years ago...? She took care of him...it couldn't be....could it?' both Kagome and Ipo wondered, thinking back to a story Kaede had told them.
***Flashback!***
The bandit had been burned badly, scars covered most his body, his face was especially bad. To make matters worst, it looked as if he had fallen from a cliff, broke both legs but still, he, Onigumo, lived. Being as bad off as he was, he was unable to move but he healed, slowly and was able to speak. However, his true self had quickly poked there.
A young Kaede tended to the burnt man, keeping her silence and not even looking to him. Anything, anything to keep her mind off the man from before her. Pure evil radiated off him and he was a mere human.
"Hey kid.." his raspy, muffled voice startled her but still she didn't look up.
"Kaede." she corrected and he grunted. "My name is Kaede."
"Your sister...she has something called the Scared Jewel, does she not?" he asked.
Now her eyes snapped to his face, staring into the almost dead eyes. It was the only unwrapped part of his body. "How do you know that?"
"All bad men are after it." he answered, vaguely.
"You too?" hesitantly, she looked back to what she was doing.
"I understand that the more evil the jewel absorbs, the more evil it becomes...How nice." young Kaede didn't have to look up to see the smirk, it was plain as day in his voice.
"She has it under control. It will not go bad." she assured him.
"Kikyo is always so smug. I'd like to see her worried and scared. Not that would give me a rush." he laughed and Kaede jumped to her feet, leaving the cave. She just couldn't stand that man and his cruel humor.
***End Flashback!***
"Onigumo?" Ipo breathed.
Naraku chuckled, shaking his head. "Such a nostalgic name. I, Naraku, am not Onigumo." he paused in thought a moment then sighed. "But it is true...that fifty years ago, I was borne out of Onigumo. He was a foolish man, desiring the kind-hearted, young priestess who nursed him." the disgust at his former self seeped into his words.
"You...it was you that tricked them! That turned oniisan and Kikyo against one another!" her eyes grew wide in shock then narrowed in anger.
"Let me ask you, little miko....why was the trust the two had in each other destroyed so easily?" his head cocked to the side in question.
"It doesn't matter. It wasn't yours to go playing with! You should have minded your own fucking business!" a hand thrust into the air and before he could move, an arrow from the trees flew at him, striking the head of the baboon pelt he wore. Surprised, he watched as the suit fell into two pieces, revealing a himself in a purple -blue haori. Smirking, he held a hand to his face and purple fumes rush free, enveloping the entire forest. The trees surrounding them start to rot and Kagome is forced to abandoned her post and stand beside Ipo.
"Poison!" Kagome began coughing and, again, to the surprise of Naraku, both pulled slayer masks over their mouths and nose. A smug sparkle lit their eyes. "There are benefits to befriending a demon slayer."
"Ah yes, the slayer...hm, I am fixing that problem as we speak. Do you think dear brother and sister will fall apart without their father...or village?" again, he laughed.
Both girls gasped, realization dawning at his words. 'Sango, the demon slayer villagers.' Sango and Kohaku needed to be warned, they needed to go home and possibly stop an attack before happening. Ipo grabbed Kagome's arm momentarily, stealing glances to the younger girl. "You go, Kag's, I'm more...equipped to handle him." then she gave a great shove and attacked Naraku.
Kagome only hesitated a moment, watching her sister fight to give her a chance then took off running back to the others, praying that Ipo would last long enough for Inuyasha to get there.
"Hehehe. If I didn't know any better, I might think you're trying to hurt me." Naraku taunted the miko, dodging the attack.
Ipo was not going to take the bait. "Oh sweetheart, I just like toying with my food." a wolfish grin shun her face as she unloaded her quiver of bows. She never did like to fight with the bow, she preferred the hands on approach.
"Awww, is the miko all out of her arrows." again, he taunted.
Smiling, Ipo tossed the bow aside and shrugged. "I don't need a bow to whoop your ass."
"Hahahaha! You need some kind of a solid object to purify me." he laughed, letting his guard down to the seemingly unarmed human.
"Who said I didn't have a weapon?" she feigned innocence and his head snapped toward her. Ipo had lunched herself forward, pulling both arms back and with a flick of her wrist, the blades popped out. The sun gleamed all the way down the right blade as it sliced through the air and down toward him.
Clank!
Blade met blade, Naraku pulled his sword out to block her. The miko just kept pulling surprises from her sleeve. "Hm, you are a strange miko, aren't you." he gritted, pushing and Ipo spun back to her earlier spot in a flutter of blue, yellow and black.
"Nothing about me is normal, Oni." anger flickered on his face at the hated name. 'Hmmm, seems I hit a nerve.'
Clank, clank, clank!
Ever swing, from either was blocked, sparks flying between the metal blades. Only, this 'wanna-be' demon didn't know Ipo was holding out on him. She was saving his sorry ass for Inuyasha to kill. It only seemed right, since he was the reason he and Kikyo were 'killed'. 'Or maybe the bousan? Did he not say the tunnel in his hand will go when Naraku is dead?' what irony it would be to be sucked into the very whole which you, yourself created. She almost wished Miroku did kill him. It would be a more suitable, painful death.
"Come on little miko, you're losing your touch." at his mantic laugh, a tentacle sprang from under his haori and flew toward the unsuspecting girl. Ipo, though, moved quick, only shielding her body at an angel that would cause the 'limb' to hit instead of impale.
She was viciously thrown back, slamming into a tree with an 'omphf'. Gasping for the breath she lost, her back arched against the bitting wood, cursing said tree at the same time. Then Naraku was by her side, grabbing a fist full of black hair to jerk her head back. Glowing red eyes and a sadistic-smug smirk stared back. "Whatever shall I do with you, little miko? Maybe I should take you for my pet?" he traced a finger over her jaw line. "Maybe I should kill you now and save myself the trouble?" now, he gripped her neck, tightly.
Ipo's hand inched to her boot, slowly pulling her butterfly knife free and opening it. "Or maybe you should fucking die!" snarling, she twisted her arm and swung the blade to plant it in his chest. With a hiss of pain, he released her and stumbled back as blood soaked his clothes. When he reached for the blade, a barrier erected, shocking him and preventing him from removing said object. (like the one around Tetsusaiga from the grave!).
The strange miko laughed and as she pushed herself to stand when a pain erupted in her side, one that made her almost pass out and for a brief second, see white. "Aaaaaahhhhhh!" looking down, she noticed a tentacle protruding through her skin, hell, from the feel of it, her body. A sickening smirk was on his face as he twisted the limb, bringing a new wave of pain. "Hehehe, stupid human."
She dropped to her knees, numbly, almost tumbling over as she did so. More pain flared, fist clutched around the tentacle. 'No! I won't give him the win!' a voice berated and it was enough to make her grasp tighten. "I'm..not down...and out...yet." she hissed, sending miko powers through the attached extremity and back to it's owner.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" insistently, the tentacle was disintegrated and she fell to the ground again.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Kagome cursed, ducking the lower branches and fallen logs and jumping over little puddles she happened by. She hadn't realized just how far they had gone, until she had to run it. 'I shouldn't have left her!' as soon as the thought left her head, she paused, pain exploded in her side.
"Oooooo." crying out, a hand clutched the side for a moment before she straightened and lifted the black tee alittle. Her skin was unmarred, her brows furrowed. Why would she fell such pain but be okay? Her blue eyes widened in realization. 'Ipo?!' turning in the direction the miko and demon, she was caught between going back and getting Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. 'If this Naraku is strong and he's able to get Ipo down, I'm doomed. I have to get Inuyasha!' she decided and started back toward the others.
Flashes of red and silver caught her eye and she almost yipped for joy. The campsite couldn't be to much further. 'Maybe I should call out for them, before things get to...much uglier.'
Clank, clank, clank!
"Die, bastard!"
'Yea, I...should do that.' Kagome's thought process dead panned and she took a deep breath. "INUYASHA! SESSHOUMARU!" after she yelled the two brothers name, she grimaced, realizing she was going to have to explain why she yelled the hated brothers name. 'Oh, to hell with it!' she scowled, bursting from the forest and onto the battle field. The battle had already stopped, a confused look on the Inu-tachi's face and a bored look on Sesshuomaru's.
"Kagome?" Sango asked softly, looking behind her, expecting to see Ipo.
"Where's okaasan?" Shippou jumped onto her shoulder, lifting his nose to sniff the air.
"Fight....Naraku...hurt!" she waved a hand toward the direction she ran from, leaning over to brace herself.
"Naraku...?" Miroku gasped, his fist clinching. A strong gust of wind filled the clearing and when she looked up, Sesshoumaru was gone. Inuyasha stared after his brother then looked to Kagome with a look that screamed 'You better tell me what's happening!'
"Okaasan?" Shippou's eyes watered as he jumped from Kagome's shoulder and started running after the demon lord. He had to be there, he had to help his okaasan!
"Shippou!" Sango called after him, moving to follow.
"No!" Kagome grasped her arm, stopping the older girl in her tracks. "Naraku has planned an attack on your village. You need to go home, Take Kohaku and go." hesitating a moment, Sango nodded and called for her neko companion. Kirara transformed and brother and sister climbed on and flew off into the distance.
Now she turned to the bousan and hanyou. "And yes Miroku, the same Naraku and Inuyasha...he is the same demon that attacked Kikyo, turned you two against one another." at his look of disbelief she nodded slowly. "He told me and Ipo that he was in love with Kikyo but she was in love with you. That's why he killed her..."
Sesshoumaru was moving through the forest, at a speed faster then light. Ipo's blood and tangerine scent drifted to his nose, making him wince slightly. There was a lot of blood. 'She better be okay...or someone will pay with their life.' not much further ahead, he could feel her.
Finally, he came to the clearing he had been looking for, momentarily frozen in place. Blood covered the forest ground, Ipo's but also some belonging to a demon he didn't recognize. Looking at bit further ahead, the battle between said human onna and demon, Naraku he believed Kagome called him, was still going on.
The demon-sniff-hanyou had a fist full of Ipo's hair, jerking her head back. "Whatever shall I do with you, little miko? Maybe I should take you for my pet?" he traced a finger over her jaw line. "Maybe I should kill you now and save myself the trouble?" now, he gripped her neck, tightly.
'Kill the half breed! He touch our mate!' the beast demanded, a growl vibrated his chest but before he could move, she pulled free of Naraku and stabbed him. "Or maybe you should fucking die!" with a hiss of pain, he released her, stumbling back and tried to remove the blade but was shocked. She laughed, pushing herself to stand when suddenly a tentacle shot from Naraku's haori and pierced her side. A sickening smirk was on Naraku's face as he twisted the limb, bringing another wave of pain. "Hehehe, stupid human."
Ipo dropped to her knees, almost tumbling over as she did so. A look of determination passed on her face and she gripped the offending appendage. Even from a safe distance, Sesshoumaru could fell the sting of her miko powers she sent through. Crying out again, she was free of the monster to fall to the ground, her breathing harsh. Everything had happened so fast, Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if he seen correctly. But Ipo was on the ground, bleeding out. Naraku was screaming in pain as the power she sent back was slowly purifying him.
'Nobody harms what is mine.' the demon lord growled, red tinging the corner of his eyes. Lifting a hand, the thick green acid dripped to the forest ground, burning what it touched. Pulling his hand back, Sesshoumaru lashed out, his whip cutting through the demon that was Naraku. To his surprise, confusion, and irritation, a light surrounded the body when he was served in two and transformed it to a small wooden doll. (Don'tcha ya hate those bloody puppets? Stupid Naraku! Hmphf!) Ipo rolled her head to look in his direction and smiled warily. Even as tried as she was, she would always be happy to see him. "Hey Sesshy...I think...I hurt'im." chuckling painfully, blood trickled from the corners of her mouth and a hand rested over the wound.
"Don't move, you have been badly injured." kneeling by her side, he piled the shirt from her body. When the gapping hole revealed itself, if he had been a lesser demon, he would have flinched. 'We kill filthy hanyou.' the red spread through his eyes.
"Hey." her soft voice made him look to her. A smile was on her pale face. "T'wis but a flesh wound." she assured with another painfully chuckle. Lifting a hand, she touched his cheek softly, even with the blood on her hands, like she was memorizing him. "I just need a doctor and I'll be cool." now, she struggled to stand.
"Stay." he pushed her back down, without having to really exert any strength.
"Stop pushing me around, bully." she glowered at the full blooded demon when he smirked then frowned. "That...was a strong hanyou."
Sesshoumaru snarled again, the sound making Ipo shiver. She had only heard that sound from him once and twice and that was when he and Inuyasha fought. "I'll be fine, no worries." her hand rested on his forearm, calming him almost insistently.
"I will take you to my home." he announced, as if she had no say which at the moment, she didn't really care. She only nodded, relaxing into his body when he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Okaasan?!" Shippou's cry made her stand alert and cry out, abit in joy and a bit in pain as he collided with her chest. "You...promised, okaasan! You'd never leave me!"
"And I won't hun." she cooed, wrapping one arm to hug him to her. "I never make a promise I can't keep." her eyes closed as the kit clutched her desperately.
Sesshoumaru watched from his view, something warming inside to see her interaction with the kit. If she acted this way with one that wasn't her own, she would be fiercely protective of her own pups. 'Make a good mate and mother to pups.' it also made him a bit envious. His mother was never that 'touchie' with him.
"Ipo?!" Kagome, Inuyasha and Miroku burst into the clearing, all with their weapons ready. Taking one look at his brother and sister, Inuyasha exploded. "What did you do to her, you bastard?!" Tetsusaiga was poised and ready to attack.
"SIT BOY!" Kagome screamed and the hanyou face planted. Slowly, she stepped up to Sesshoumaru, lifting a hand to brush hair from her sisters face, her own eyes teary. "Please...take care of her."
"I'll be back." Ipo assured her, smiling as they clasped hands. "Promise." she added.
"K." she nodded.
Sesshoumaru nodded firmly then gestured to the wooden puppet. "It was fake, just a puppet." looking from him to the wooden doll, Kagome scowled, snatching up the vile piece. Then she stepped back to watch as inu demon, human miko and fox kit disappeared on his cloud.
"What the hell is going on?!" Inuyasha demanded, crawling from the crater, just as he caught the back of his brother. "He's got Ipo, we got to go save her!"
"She's not in any harm." Kagome told him, finally turning to face his wrath. There was no way he was going to take this easily.
"What do you mean?" he eyed her suspiciously.
Kagome took a deep breath, preparing herself. "Sesshoumaru has been courting Ipo for quiet some time."
"...."
"Inuyasha?"
"..."
"Inu...yasha...?"
"...WHAT?!"
The sun had set atleast and hour by now, Ipo bundled up under a tree, unconscious while Sesshoumaru and Shippou sat a couple feet from her. It was the closest they could get without her powers purifying them as well. The demon lord didn't think her normal powers would hurt either but with the extra shards she carried, they had combined to make her healing powers strong enough to keep her alive and heal any fatal damage. Not to mention, the demonic healing ability was added to it, he could smell it.
Halfway through the journey, they had to stop, for the very reason that was healing her. Shippou cried when he was unable to approach and that left the older of the two having to comfort him. Not an easy task for the stoic demon. 'When I find the hanyou, his death shall be painful.'
'Indeed.' his beast agreed, purring as Shippou lie asleep on his lap.
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
A little girl peeked from behind a large tree, looking from demon, to Shippou, to the sleeping Ipo then to the two demons. Sesshoumaru growled, his eyes bleeding red again and frightened her. She gasped, ducking behind the tree again. After a couple seconds, she peered around again to see Sesshoumaru sitting up and glaring at her.
"Sesshy, stop scaring the child." Ipo's soft voice caused both set of eyes to swivel to her. Her brown eyes were opened, barely and she wigged a bit to stretch then winced in pain. She felt a lot better but knew she still had a ways to go. Then she turned her eyes to the little girl and smiled. Startled, the child disappeared, her retreating foot falls echoing back to their ears.
"How do you feel?" Sesshoumaru's aura flared out to caress her own and didn't recoil this time. The jewel shards had gone dormant again, leaving her regular powers to heal what was left.
"Like I got ran through." she answered defiantly then glanced about her. Didn't he say he was taking her to his home? She remembered him saying that but she didn't think this was it. A forest? "Where are we?"
Sesshoumaru stood gracefully and with a flutter of his haori and hakama, sat beside her, with Shippou still snugged up to him. "I had to stop and put you down. Your miko powers, combined with the shards were trying to purify us." an alarmed look crossed her face as her eyes flew open to sweep over both her males. "We're fine." he assured her.
"Good." she breathed a sigh of relief then looked to Shippou. Her eyes softened, a hand reaching out to stroke his hair. "How's Shippou holding up?"
"He was worried." he replied also stroking the kit's hair, almost like a second nature.
Ipo watched them a bit longer, how gentle he was then smiled. Her eyes met Sesshoumaru's gold ones, her smile growing at the content look there. "You'll make a good daddy one day." that comment seemed to catch him surprise and she chuckled.
That...he had not expected her to say that. Anything else would have been but those words. Would he, honestly make a good dad? He wasn't very good with children, never had been and his own relationship with his father wasn't a great one. 'But you promised not to have same relations with your own pups. That you be more involved.' the beast reminded him.
"Don't doubt yourself." she cut into his musings as she slipped an arm around her sons little body and brought him to her.
"You are very emotional with this kit." he noted.
Ipo glanced to him, a brow rising then looked back to the sleeping face of her kit. He looked so peaceful, so calm and she wished he stayed like that. He snuggled against her unhurt side and she started to purr. "I guess that's the difference between human mothers and demon mothers."
"And what is that?" his brow cocked.
"Humans are more emotionally involved with their young." she explained in a quite voice, looking to her intended.
'Well that is the truth.' he thought as he watched mother and son. His mother never cuddled him like that. "What is there to gain from acting in such a manner?"
"Many things, Sesshoumaru. Mothers can inspire the best of their children with a simple word or look. It's her power." the last sentence was worded vaguely.
'Strange human she is.'
So...whatcha y'a think? was it worth the wait, lol? like i said before, i'm so sorry about the wait and i hope yu all enjoyed the latest chappie!