DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: This author has no financial or non-financial relation nor do they possess any right to "Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale" franchise. Full ownership of all characters is the sole intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 96

She cheated that little brat but I'll be damned if she can't take a hit. Kicked her in the stomach and she flew damn near close to the edge before she started crying. Fucking fatherly instincts. I fell for it. Totally fell for it and she wasn't even phased. Got me good and managed to throw me when I let me guard down. Still...

"No demon is gunna take pity on you if you start crying. You're not ready. End of story."

"I used my opponents weaknesses against them. I say that's fair! I won so you have to let me come with you."

"I don't hafta do anything!"

"So you lied to me. That's what you want me to take away from this? That my dad is a liar."

Why you little manipulative shit...

"You cheated. You fought dirty."

"Like you're one to talk. You're bigger and stronger than me! If anyone cheated it was you! You thought you could kick my ass because you had the clear advantage and you were wrong!"

Damn, she's got me there. Need to try a different angle.

"You're still in school. Once you're done..."

"Oh no you don't. I won fair and square. Next exorcism I'm going with you."

"Like hell you are! You trying to get me killed?! How am I supposed to fight anything if I'm worried about you!?"

Wait...

Shit...

"You fought beside mom and you both turned out just fine."

That does it...

"Listen little girl, I've had an arm thrust through my chest. Been stabbed, poisoned, had an arrow hit my heart twice and every other injury you can think of. Your mom? She's almost died more than once. Been possessed and almost killed me. Been poisoned and attacked. She's shed blood. Just ask her to show you her scars! You think it's all fun and games and it's not. You're not ready and that's final."

"An arrow hit your heart? Twice? How..."

Oh shit now I've done it. God dammit I didn't want...okay that's a lie. I did want to scare her but why is she looking at me like that? Like...like...What the literal...

"You could've died."

"But I didn't. It's not..."

"Before you met mom...before the jewel...you never talk about that. You don't even really talk about your battles against Naraku. Is this why? Because you were hurt so bad? Because mom was?"

Fuck, what am I supposed to say to that? I don't want you to feel sorry for me? I never told you because it's...it's...fuck, what is it?

"You aren't old enough to understand and hopefully you'll never need to learn for yourself what it was like. I'm trying to protect you."

"Did you ever die? You know...like did Uncle ever bring you back?"

Kid why can't you let this go?! Oh my fucking...

"I've never died. Been hurt but never bad enough to kill me."

"Even when the arrow hit your heart?"

"I'm built stronger than most."

"Must've hurt. Even for someone like us. Especially for someone like us."

"It...it..."

I never really talk about it. Pain. Yeah I'm more sensitive in general to just about everything but...but shedding tears...admitting it hurt...I still won't do it. When I'm human stuff actually doesn't hurt as bad to be honest. Almost a relief. Human bodies...they shut down sorta. You feel cold and kinda numb but my body normally? It never does...and it was...

"It's how I had to survive. If I let pain stop me, I'd've died. That's not a skill I want you to learn. I had to learn how to fight not because I wanted to learn but because I had to. You don't have to."

"You don't want me to go through what you did."

"No."

"But accompanying you on exorcisms won't be about survival and I'm tougher than I look. I want to be just as good a fighter as you one day. Is that wrong?"

You little...after all that mushy shit and you still won't...you know what? Fucking fine. Get hurt you little fucker. See if I care.

"Fine. You want to go with me on the next one? Fine but if you get hurt, don't expect anything sympathy from me."

"Oh please. You're a giant marshmallow. I mean, just look at your track record! If I so much as scrape my knee, you lose your...your..."

A fucking what now? What the...fucking modern shit. Every time I think I know it all something new pops up.

Wait...she stopped arguing...

Oh god dammit. What fresh hell is this?

Why is she looking like that?!

I swear I will never understand...

"You know, maybe it is best if I stay behind until I'm ready. You're right. I did cheat."

Uh...o...kay?

What...what just happened?

"Alright then. Uh, I guess...I guess that's that."