i hope this makes sense. i seem to keep getting myself into sticky situations with this fic so i apologize it doesn't get updated that often. fear not, though, it's still running... just on low speeds
Night fell and Sesshomaru was pouting in the corner of the hut about his new predicament. Kaede and Sango watched him as they ate their supper and Kagome ignored him, dipping some soup into her cup.
"Should we do something about him?" Sango asked.
"He'll be fine. We have no idea how long he and InuYasha will be switched so he needs to get used to it. Now maybe he'll have some sympathy for us humans."
"I think he looks kind of nice." Rin said, blowing her soup.
"Here, see if you can get him to eat something instead of pouting like a child." Kagome said, handing Rin another bowl of soup.
Rin happily got up and ran over to her lord.
"Lord Sesshomaru, would you like some soup?"
He looked at her and turned away.
"What is the point when I cannot taste it to the degree it should be tasted?"
"But it's still good." Rin said.
"Stop sulking over there and just eat." Kagome growled.
"This Sesshomaru will not get any pleasure from eating something that is not as tasteful as it should be."
"This Kagome doesn't care." She mumbled. "Starve for all I care you big baby…"
Rin decided to try again with a different approach.
"Even though you won't be able to taste it to your liking, Lord Sesshomaru, I think you'll still really like it. If humans can enjoy it then I think you'll be able to too. I don't want you to starve, Lord Sesshomaru."
Rin's look of desperation seemed to somewhat help in her convincing of her lord to eat. He took the bowl from her and sniffed at it a little. He then dipped his spoon into the bowl and tasted it. To his surprise, it was quite flavorful.
"This Sesshomaru is surprised." He said to the soup more than to a person.
"See? If you wouldn't be such a baby about everything, you'd see that some things are good." Kagome grumbled.
Sesshomaru just started eating his food, ignoring Kagome's jabs. Rin was happy and sat in front of him, watching him eat. He was almost finished with the bowl when he realized that Rin was still there.
"What is it, Rin?"
"You really like, Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Yes, it's acceptable… why?"
"Because I helped make it! I put the narutomaki in!" she said with a grin.
Sesshomaru was quite sure this was something very admirable to humans, or at least to young humans. Rin seemed to find a lot of menial things that she did as quite the accomplishment and at first, he would dismiss them; but then he saw that this behavior usually made his young ward sad and so he decided to fake-praise her. Her face would light up and it made him feel… less annoyed with life.
"It would seem that the narutomaki is the best part of the soup." He said with a small smile.
Rin grinned happily as he finished the bowl. "Do you want some more?"
"It seems humans need to eat more than usual, so yes, I would like more."
Rin grabbed his bowl and ran to the small cauldron to get him some more soup.
Suddenly Jaken ran into the hut screaming and ran to Sesshomaru.
"Lord Sesshomaru! You have to help me!" he cried.
Sesshomaru growled and pushed the imp off of his knee.
"What is it, Jaken?"
A roar sounded and everyone turned to the flap of the door. Sango and Miroku go up.
"We'll go check out what's going on." She said.
"As will I."
"No." Miroku said, pointing his staff in Sesshomaru's way. "You'll stay here. You're human."
"I am unfortunately aware of that."
"You'll be no use to use out there. You don't understand how to fight in that form. If we need anything and are desperate, we'll call upon you. Right now, keep Kagome and the others safe."
The two left and Sesshomaru crossed his arms and actually pouted.
Kagome couldn't hold back a laugh but when he turned to her, she looked away.
Sango and Miroku walked out of the hut and came face to face with Kikyo.
"Kikyo." Sango hissed, holding Hiraikotsu in front of her. "What are you doing here?"
"I have come for the jewel shards that Kagome possesses."
"Like we would give them over to you. Besides, what do you need them for? They won't help you." Miroku asked.
"How could you say that when the whole purpose of the Shikon Jewel is to grant the wish of the one who has it?"
"That didn't work out so well for you the last time, did it?" Sango growled.
Kikyo didn't do anything and then turned away from them.
"InuYasha." She said softly.
Sango and Miroku waited for a second but were surprised to see the large white dog step from behind the forest. Miroku leaned to Sango.
"I think we actually might need Sesshomaru for this."
"You want to go and get him? I can hold him off with Kirara."
"Are you sure?"
"Not for very long."
Miroku ran back to the hut as Sango got her weapon ready.
"Kirara!" she yelled.
The small cat pranced out and upon seeing the youkai in front of her owner, she transformed and galloped towards Sango, growling for a fight.
Miroku practically dove into the hut, scaring Shippo and everyone looked at him.
"Sesshomaru, we need you." He said immediately.
Sesshomaru couldn't even hide the smug smile he was giving.
"I told you that you would."
"You still have to hang back because there's no way you can fight him in your state." Miroku said.
"Then what would you need me for if I cannot fight?"
"Tell me and Sango how to defeat him."
Sesshomaru scoffed. "That will not be enough for you."
InuYasha roared and the sound of Kirara being thrown to the ground echoed from outside.
"Sesshomaru, this isn't the time to get testy! You can't do anything as a human, even InuYasha knew that!"
"If I can't do anything as a human, then what makes you believe you can?"
"Because we were born human and have lived with our frailty for centuries. This is probably the first time that you have ever been this weak. Putting you in this situation would bode unwell for all of us."
"Sesshomaru, we're asking for your trust." Kagome said softly. "We normally wouldn't even ask but… given as you really can't help us because you don't know how to fight as a human, we can use the information you give us to help defeat InuYasha to a degree we can handle."
Sesshomaru frowned but grabbed his sword.
"I may not be used to being human, but I still know how to fight. This Sesshomaru will help you but you must let me fight. If you weak humans believe that you can defeat InuYasha in his unbridled full yokai form, then I also have a chance."
Miroku knew that nothing was going to keep him from trying to join the fight and so he sighed.
"Fine."
They began to leave.
"Sesshomaru?" He turned to Kagome. "Hold out until sunrise at least… if you can do that, you'll get your hanyou powers back."
"Your advice is quite imperative."
The two left and Kagome wished them all luck.
The battle lasted almost all night and even Kagome had to get in it, using her arrows to fight against InuYasha, which was not something she really wanted to do. InuYasha was surprisingly proficient at changing from his human state to the yokai state. Usually when he was getting tired in his yokai state from having to balance with three legs, he would change into his human form and vice versa. The battle lasted until close to the morning until InuYasha caught sight of Sesshomaru defending Kagome, seeming somehow very close to her. He gave a mighty swipe to Miroku, Sango, and Kirara –they ending up flying into the forest from impact- and InuYasha turned into his human form. He grabbed Sesshomaru from behind the neck, digging his claws into his skin.
"I told you that if you got too involved with Kagome that I would kill you. Did you think that was an empty threat, Brother?" he snarled, throwing Sesshomaru to the ground.
Sesshomaru coughed, the wind being knocked out of him, and pushed himself up to look at InuYasha.
"You seem to be letting your blind instincts take over your feeble mind. If you were in your right mind, you would see that I am merely protecting her."
"I can smell the infatuation all over your body, human." Sesshomaru sneered. InuYasha smirked. "Did I hit a nerve?"
"InuYasha, stop it." Kagome growled, hobbling towards them. "This is ridiculous."
"Oh, you can get jealous of Kikyo but I can't get jealous of you showing your affection to someone else?"
Kagome pursed her lips. "You're an idiot! I don't have feelings for Sesshomaru! He's trying to protect me from your rampage."
"InuYasha, don't dawdle." Kikyo said from behind him.
He whipped around to her and snarled.
"What are you trying to accomplish here, Kikyo? Tell me now or I'll-"
"Or you'll what, InuYasha?" she said with a slight turn of her head.
InuYasha calmed down and he seemed to relax.
Sesshomaru and Kagome frowned at her.
"You're making him a slave." Kagome said.
"I am giving him what he always wanted. He loved me before he met you, a half-rated version of me, and when we were together, he wanted nothing more than to become a full yokai. It changed while we were together, obviously, but now I can give him what he wants until I get what I want."
"And that is?"
"The Shikon Jewel."
"You destroyed it for a reason, Kikyo." Kagome snapped.
"Well why should anyone else have what I could not? We were tricked into hurting each other and I died for falling for it. Now, I can finally have our wish fulfilled in both senses. While we search for the other jewel shards, InuYasha can stay in his full yokai form. Then, when it's complete, I will wish to be alive again and for InuYasha to be human. We will then live out our days just like we wanted to fifty years ago."
"That is crazy!" Kagome said. "That's just crazy."
"InuYasha agrees with my plan, don't you?" she asked him.
"Yes. Her plan is everything that I want."
"You're hypnotizing him! You're forcing him to do this!"
"But at least I'm not hurting him."
Kagome turned away as Sesshomaru held his sword tightly, ready for anything to happen. He looked behind them and just happened to see the sun slightly peeking its head up above the mountains. He smirked a little as Kikyo began to walk away.
"Keep them busy for me, InuYasha; I'll go and collect the shards already found."
InuYasha seemed to come out of his daze and turned his attention to Sesshomaru. Seeing the smirk on his face, he turned around to see what he was looking at. While he was turned, Sesshomaru attacked but InuYasha thrust out his hand and Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks.
"Did you really think I would be so stupid as to forget about my own weaknesses?" He shook his head. "Tisk, tisk."
A lot things flashed through Sesshomaru's mind but he couldn't find anything that compared to the immense pain he felt. Kagome screamed as he fell to his knees, InuYasha's hand practically lodged in his chest.
"But I'm a good person and I'll keep you alive until you are a hanyou again…"
"InuYasha! How could you?!" Kagome yelled, tears falling down her face.
"I've been wanting to do this for a long time, Kagome. You don't know the hell he put me through when I was younger. There are so many reasons for this…" Seeing Sesshomaru's eyes change color, he pulled his hand out.
Sesshomaru felt his hanyou powers slowly returning as he felt the blood slip down his chest in sopping slow drizzling streams. He coughed, blood spraying the grass in front of him. InuYasha stood and watched him and then knelt down to him.
"You still in there? Did you give up on me so soon?"
Sesshomaru chuckled, blood oozing from his mouth. InuYasha frowned.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I know what you're trying to do but… it won't work with me." He chuckled again, his legs giving out. He fell forward but caught himself with his hands as he laughed some more. "You think that I'm like you? That having full yokai powers flowing through me will cause me to go berserk like you? That I would lose control?" He looked up at him. "You take me for a fool."
"And you're too cocky. Sure, you were a full yokai and sure, you understand how it works; but, the problem here is that my hanyou body can't take it. My hanyou mind can't take it. So… when you try to go full yokai -and you will from the wound I gave you- you won't be able to control it…" Sesshomaru's arms gave out and he plopped to the ground, breathing heavily. "Apparently if you even survive the ordeal."
InuYasha chuckled and then looked at Kagome, who was looking at him in shock and horror.
"Don't look at me like that."
"How could you?"
"You ask that and yet you saw what happened."
"Kikyo is controlling you."
"It's better than being purified to a crisp."
"Let it go, InuYasha! You know why I did what I did and I've explained hundreds of times."
"Explaining doesn't really take away the pain. They still ache and throb from pain. Do you know what it's like to have what feels like lightning go into your body? To have that sort of pain?"
"What about his pain?" she yelled, pointing at Sesshomaru.
"He'll be fine. If he's so strong, then he'll recover fine."
"Even you couldn't deal with that type of blow!"
"As a human, of course not, but my hanyou form is pretty durable as you know. He'll be fine but it might take a turn for the worst."
Kagome was confused for a second when she realized what he was doing.
"You're trying to make his yokai blood come out."
"I was, but by the looks of it, I did it a little too soon. Looks like he might need major medical attention even in his hanyou body."
Sesshomaru coughed as blood oozed out of his mouth and InuYasha turned away from him.
"Well, I can cross this off of my list of things to do." He looked behind him. "Then again, I'm sure Kagome will save you so, I guess I'll see you again. And do bring your better game."
He walked off as Sesshomaru watched after him, his eyesight beginning to dim and blackness closing around him.
"Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru! Hold on for me! Just hold on!"
The darkness finally enveloped him.
so to paraphrase, inuyasha was trying to get the sessh to go into the hanyou version of full yokai. but because he wounded him too early in his human form, he was too far into unconsciousness for his hanyou form to even register what was going on and pick up he was near death. it makes sense to me...
and from what i read, the shikon jewel grants wishes. that's what it does. kikyo wanted to use it selfishly the first time she had it but now she has a better motive.