Disclaimer: I own Rhiodoru, Masaka, Akika, Shinobu, Mutsu, Isao, Zaniistar, Karameida, Miyuki, Kishotaka, and Kuroyama. Inuyasha and the rest of the characters associated with the anime/manga belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
( " " talking, italics thinking )
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Transformation
Kagome watched in horror as Rhiodoru advanced on them. But even in her present peril, she could think only of Inuyasha. She had been terrified when he had been caught in the dragon's lightening attack. She knew he had been thrown, but she couldn't see where he had landed. He could be dead for all she knew.
He's alive, she told herself fiercely, He has to be!
She cringed as the dragon took another threatening step towards them. The very earth seemed to tremble under the monstrous dragon's weight. Sango and Miroku stood in front of her, preparing to battle the monster.
Kagome stared, fear cascading through her, as the dragon drew back its head, roaring in fury. She screamed in terror as it lunged for them.
Without warning, Rhiodoru stopped, freezing in the process of bringing his talons down to tear Sango apart. It slowly pulled its foreleg back, turning its head to gaze at something behind it.
Before Kagome had a chance to wonder what the dragon was looking at, Sango had grabbed one of her arms, Miroku the other, and she was being pulled away from the dragon. Kagome ran along side them as they dashed past Rhiodoru, heading for the cover of some boulders at the edge of the plateau. As they ran, she had to make a conscious effort not to look at Zaniistar's still body. Poor Zaniistar. She struggled to hold back tears. He hadn't deserved to die.
When they were nearly there, the protection of the boulders mere steps away, Kagome glanced over her shoulder in the direction that Rhiodoru was staring. At the sight she saw, she stopped dead in her tracks.
Inuyasha stood in the middle of the plateau. He seemed completely unaware of the deep wounds in his side that were dripping blood in a pool at his feet. He was clutching Tetsusaiga, holding the blade up in front of him. And . . .
And he was pulsing.
"Kagome, what—" Miroku began, tugging on her arm. He fell silent as he followed Kagome's gaze.
Inuyasha's entire body pulsed again. Thuh-thump. Kagome could hear it, feel it, even from where she stood.
"Inuyasha," she whispered, both confusion and fear in her voice. She looked at the others, "What's going on?"
Sango shook her head in silent bafflement. Miroku stared intently at the hanyou.
"He's doing something with the Tetsusaiga . . . but what?" The monk muttered.
Kagome turned back to watch the half-demon. Her breath caught in her throat.
Inuyasha's eyes had turned blood-red.
He was transforming! But how? He was holding the Tetsusaiga! Holding it! How could he be transforming? A sudden breeze picked up, whipping her hair into her face as she stared at the hanyou in consternation.
She started to take a step forward. She had to do something! But she had no idea how to stop his transformation, not when the Tetsusaiga no longer seemed to have any effect on him anymore.
She abruptly realized that the wind was not natural. It started to gust, seeming to center around Inuyasha. The wind howled as it swirled around the hanyou, gaining momentum and beginning to take on a pinkish tint. Kagome watched with growing horror as Inuyasha started to glow with the same pink light.
What's happening? She thought in panic. Inuyasha!
The maelstrom of air suddenly spiraled upwards as it expanded outwards with unbelievable force, obscuring Inuyasha from view. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, covering her face with her arms as the gusts of air blew sand and rocks at her. With a crack like lightening, there was a sudden flash of bright pink light that shone right through Kagome's eyelids. Something small and hard hit her in the shoulder. The wind roared, feeling like it was going to blow Kagome right off her feet.
And then it stopped.
Kagome slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was the small round stone that had hit her in the flash of pink light. It was not a stone, but a bead from the kotodama rosary that Inuyasha wore. The beaded necklace, the subjugation spell, had broken. In near panic, Kagome looked up, her eyes desperately scanning the scene for Inuyasha.
What she saw took her breath away.
In Inuyasha's place stood an enormous dog. Kagome gasped as she realized that the giant dog was actually Inuyasha! It was the dog demon's true form. He stood proudly, silver fur rippling over his powerful body, his long, full tail swishing as his ears twitched.
Kagome giggled irrationally, her mind stuttering to a halt with shock. His ears were the same, if much bigger now.
Muscular legs ended in large paws with long, razor-sharp claws. The dog demon's blood-red eyes were locked on Rhiodoru. His lips pulled back in a snarl, revealing huge pointed fangs.
Kagome gazed at him in awe. He was beautiful. The light highlighted his gorgeous silver hair as it ruffled in waves from the gentle breeze. His body was perfectly proportioned, the embodiment of power and grace. His muscles rippled with strength as he shifted his weight, a growl rumbling from deep within him as he glared at Rhiodoru.
She stared. She couldn't help it. Inuyasha, her gruff, aggressive, hot-headed, annoying, stubborn, powerful, sweet, kind-hearted, shy, gentle, loving hanyou had found his wonderful and glorious true form. The animal that she had always known existed deep within him, the wildness that made him who he was, had finally found its way out.
"He's magnificent," she whispered to herself in wonder.
"He's transformed!" Sango exclaimed, her voice harsh with shock. "Bu-but he can't! He shouldn't be able to! He's only half demon!"
"He's somehow merged with Tetsusaiga!" Miroku whispered, marveling at the demon that stood before them.
A sudden ruthless laugh filled Kagome's mind. Rhiodoru seemed to have gotten over his shock at Inuyasha's transformation.
"Don't think that your pathetic new form will be strong enough to defeat me, you fool!"
Kagome, though still hopeful, thought that there might be some truth to what the dragon had so scathingly claimed. Even transformed, Inuyasha wasn't even as big as Zaniistar had been. He was only a third the size of the Rhiodoru. Examining the dog more closely, Kagome realized that he wasn't as large as Sesshomaru when he transformed either. But still, he had a better chance now than he'd had before.
She stifled a scream as Rhiodoru roared in fury and lunged towards Inuyasha, raising his talons to tear his enemy to pieces.
"Inuyasha!" She screamed.
With an effortless leap, the dog demon sprung away, landing smoothly on Rhiodoru's right as the dragon crashed into the spot where Inuyasha had been seconds before. With predatory grace, the dog demon leaped at the dragon's unprotected flank, his claws tearing through the dragon's scales and into the soft flesh beneath with unbelievable ease.
Rhiodoru screamed and whirled around, talons at the ready, but Inuyasha had already danced away, moving out of harm's reach. With quiet elegance, the dog demon trotted smoothly around the dragon, as if he were sizing up his adversary. Rhiodoru roared again, and once more leaped at the dog, flailing his useless wings. Once again Inuyasha dodged the attack. As Rhiodoru tried to halt his forward momentum, the dog demon calmly sunk his fangs into the middle of the dragon's tail. Howling in pain, Rhiodoru twisted uselessly, trying to break Inuyasha's grip. But the dog demon held on determinedly. With a powerful thrust of his neck, Inuyasha jerked his head upwards, yanking Rhiodoru off his feet, and wrenching another pained scream out of the beast.
Suddenly, the dragon snapped his wings up, lighting arching between his wingtips. With a flash of white light, the bolt of lightening slammed into Inuyasha, sending him flying backwards. With a skillful twist, the dog landed on his feet, sliding backwards as he dug his claws into the rock to stop the movement. Growling angrily, the dog demon charged the dragon. His movements were hardly more than a blur of silver.
Kagome was shocked at his speed; he made Rhiodoru look slow! With a howl of fury, Inuyasha leaped at the dragon, slashing Rhiodoru's wing to shreds with his claws and ripping open the dragon's belly.
Rhiodoru howled, sending another bolt of lightening at Inuyasha. The dog sprung away easily, the lightning from Rhiodoru's wings exploding harmlessly against the ground and sending a shower of rocks and pebbles through the air. Moving with the uncanny grace of a deadly predator, seeming unaffected by the blast of lightening he'd already been hit with, Inuyasha prowled another circle around Rhiodoru.
The dragon was panting now, his muscles quivering, and he didn't seem to be able to move very well any more. It seemed he was having difficulty keeping his guts from spilling out of the wound in his side. He was now standing in a pool of blood.
More like a lake, Kagome thought with wry satisfaction.
"Inuyasha," Rhiodoru's voice thundered, "it is time for you to die. Now."
The dragon once again raised his wings. Kagome saw a pink glow flare in the area of his chest, a bright light that kept getting brighter. She gasped in fear.
"Inuyasha!" She screamed. An ear flicked towards her and she knew he was listening. She just prayed he could understand her when he was in that form. "Rhiodoru is drawing on the power of the jewel shards! They're in his chest!"
She watched in amazement as the dog turned to gaze at her with his blood-red demon eyes, considering. His head suddenly bobbed up and down in what was unmistakably a nod before he turned back to his adversary. Well, that answered her question as to whether he has understood her or not.
Rhiodoru stretched his wings out to their full span, despite that fact that they were torn to shreds by both Sango and Inuyasha. The dragon gave a bone-chilling howl. Kagome saw the electricity begin the spark at his wingtips at the same time her hair tried to stand on end. She watched in dread as lightening streaked along his wings, and then arced across. This time though, instead of the lightening shooting at Inuyasha, it just kept flashing and crackling between his wingtips, growing larger and larger as the jewel shards glowed brighter and brighter.
"Inuyasha!" She screamed in warning as she realized that Rhiodoru was creating a giant ball of lightning to throw at the dog demon.
But Inuyasha just stood calmly, watching as the sphere of lightning grew yet larger. Kagome squinted in the bright glare. It was now a huge ball of crackling light suspended between Rhiodoru's wingtips, attached by two thin streams of electricity connecting the sphere to the dragon's wings.
"Now, half-breed," the dragon screamed in fury, "die!"
With a roar of triumph, he snapped his wings down, releasing the ball of lightening, which hurtled straight at Inuyasha.
Suddenly, with a howl of his own, the dog demon rose up on his hind legs. Throwing all his weight into it, Inuyasha slammed his front paws, claws first, into the rocky ground.
With a sound like thunder, light flashed from the point of contact. Kagome watched in shock as huge whirlwinds of energy shot from Inuyasha's claws, racing towards Rhiodoru. As the whirlpools of air blasted forwards, they crashed into the dragon's ball of lightening as it hurtled towards Inuyasha. As the two energies collided, the Backlash Wave absorbed the lightening, growing larger and more powerful as it shot towards the dragon. Rhiodoru screamed one last time as the whirlwinds of demon energy tore into him, ripping him apart.
And then there was silence. Kagome was in shock. Inuyasha had somehow used the Backlash Wave without the Tetsusaiga!
Then she remembered Miroku's words.
He's somehow merged with Tetsusaiga!
The Tetsusaiga was a part of Inuyasha now. A smile spread across her face. He had done it. Inuyasha had destroyed Rhiodoru.
The dog demon now stood, silent and unmoving, calmly gazing at the dragon's body. He looked like a beautiful dream, the very essence of power and majesty. Without a second thought, Kagome took off at a run towards him.
"Inuyasha!" She called ecstatically. "You did it Inuyasha! You defeated him!"
He turned to watch her approach. Stopping ten feet from him, she craned her neck up, trying to see his face. She hadn't realized he was quite so . . . big. He towered over her. She could easily walk underneath his belly without fear of his fur ever brushing the top of her head. But she wasn't afraid. How could she ever be afraid of her Inuyasha?
He watched her, a silent question in his eyes.
"You're gorgeous," she said quietly, lovingly. And he truly was. With the morning sun glinting off his beautiful silver fur, his head held proudly, his elegant and graceful body standing at ease, he cut a beautiful and imposing figure. Like a mythical creature from a fairy tale, he appealed to every aspect of her mind, heart, and soul.
At her words, the dog's lips pulled back as his mouth opened, his tongue lolling out. She laughed. It was unmistakably a doggy smile.
With two steps, Inuyasha closed the distance between them. Before she realized what was happening, he leaned down and, to her eternal disgust, licked her from knees to face in one shot.
"Ewwwww!" She shrieked, jumping back. She tried to wipe the slobber off her face. "Inuyasha, that's disgusting!"
He gave a quiet, amused woof. She glared at him. The doggy smile returned as his tail swished back and forth.
"You big bully!" She yelled.
"Well, Kagome, I think you win the prize for getting the biggest, wettest kiss of all time."
"Shut up, Miroku!" She snapped as the monk and demon slayer came up behind her. She looked miserably down at her wet, slobbery shirt.
"You have to admit, Kagome," the monk continued, heedless of anger, "that was fairly amusing. And you'll be the only one who will ever be able to claim you've been kissed by someone with a tongue the same size as your body."
Kagome gave him her deepest scowl before turning it on Inuyasha. The dog's ears flattened as his head drooped. She realized she was hurting his feelings. She stopped glaring and smiled.
"Inuyasha, you're okay, right?" She asked. The doggy smile surfaced once again. She sighed. He woofed.
"Oh, Inuyasha." She laughed, amused with his puppy antics.
Still laughing, she walked past him, heading for the bloody mess that used to be a dragon. Nearing the gory pile, she focused with her inner senses, locating the telltale glow. Grabbing the jewel shards, she slipped them in her pocket.
She then ran back to Inuyasha and wrapped her arms around his foreleg. As she hugged his leg, she buried her face in his silky-soft fur. She was so glad that everything was okay now.
At that thought, she raised her head and looked over at the still body at the other end of the plateau.
No, she sighed, everything is not okay. Zaniistar died . . .
Inuyasha suddenly bent his head down and bumped her gently with his nose. With a quiet sob, she wrapped her arms around his muzzle, pressing her cheek against the short, soft fur.
"Oh, Inuyasha, why did he have to kill Zaniistar?" She cried, remembering how the young dragon had helped her by taking her to Inuyasha when he had been suffering with the mind fever. She thought sadly of how he had been there for them the whole time they had stayed at the dragon lair.
Suddenly Inuyasha's head snapped up, jerking out of her grip. Stumbling, she looked up at him in surprise. He was staring into the sky, ears flat against his head, lips pulled back in a silent snarl. She followed his gaze, her eyes fixing on a distance spec in the sky. As the dot grew larger, she realized with a start who it was.
"Sesshomaru," she whispered.
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A/N:
I got a number of questions/comments about the Tetsusaiga's "awareness" last chapter, so I just thought I'd clear that up. Remember the episode where Sesshomaru uses the human arm with the jewel shard given to him by Naraku to steal the sword and fight Inuyasha? In the episode(s), after Inuyasha tears off the hand of the human arm to take the Tetsusaiga back from Sesshomaru, our dear dog-eared darling loses consciousness (because Fluffy stuck his hand through Yasha's guts…). When Jaken attempts to take the sword from the helpless hanyou, the sword tries to blast the ugly imp, and Jaken exclaims that the Tetsusaiga acted of its "own accord". This clearly suggests that Tetsusaiga has some kind of will and awareness of the world around it.
On a completely different note, "Charmed" has absolutely nothing to do with the titles for the "The Power of Three" chapters, simply because I didn't even know what "Charmed" was until I got asked about it in couple reviews, where I then asked my editor what the heck they were talking about.
I'd also like to address a number of comments I've gotten about Sesshomaru being out of character. I realize that in my story, he has far more emotion than is typical in the anime, but I shall explain. Normally, no one knows what Sesshomaru is thinking or feeling, because the dog demon lord hides all his thoughts and emotions. However, the emotions are still there. He still thinks and feels and experiences, even if you could never tell by looking at his face. In my story, it's the same, except when I move the story into Sesshomaru's point of view. When a chapter is from his POV, all the dog demon's emotions are laid bare for us to see, so it appears OOC, even though it really isn't. Or, at least, that's my opinion. ;-)
:wipes away tear: Only two more chapters left . . .
