Howdy readers and hopefully reviewers! Sorry again but Psych homework was a bitch, not to mention
History, which I think I already hate the teacher in...grrrr Oh well, I'll live as long as I can escape to my
laptop and write.
Chapter 17: Never!
*****************************************************************************
"What?!" he said, surprised he was ejected from her mind. Sesshomaru's satisfied smile left his
face as his eyes sprang open. He ran to the window and stared out towards the star-filled sky. "You
won't get away that easily," he told the night.
Pressing his middle and forefinger to his temple, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He
envisioned the smiling girl with brown eyes and auburn hair, her neck encircled with a black band. He
imagined his own hand going out to that collar. When his hand reached it, he placed his hand over the
collar and squeezing it, chocking the girl that wore it. He laughed a little as the girl in his head squirmed
under his grasp. Her will began bending to his own, her life melting away in his hand.
The time was drawing near. She would soon be in his power once again. But then, something
he didn't expect happened. Under his imaginary hand, he felt a break in the collar. 'No!' The never
ending ring had split, was bent away from her neck and discarded. The image he held burst, like
mirror, shattering into an innumerable amount of fragments.
"No! Damn it!" he yelled out the window. "I lost her."
He went the cold room where he had imprisoned her and perambulated around, looking at the
unmade bed, covered in her scent. Sitting down upon the bed, he thought about how he could get her
back. As if answered from someone of greater power than him, he grinned, remembering what he had
heard from her own mind.
The nearest window was a few rooms down. He came to the window and sat his feet on the
sill. "So, they are ten days south by southeast, my little spy said, should only take me four. They will,
most likely, be on the move, but slowly," he surmised He jumped out of the window into the air.
"They won't have a clue I know. She won't be able to remember a thing," he laughing cruelly.
Subsequently, Iliana couldn't remember a thing from the point of laying on the floor in the dark
room. The only thing that lingered in her mind was the lightning hot pain she felt, which she longed to
forget, but never quite could. No one pressured her to remember anything, on the contrary, they
helped her try and forget.
They camped in the clearing for the next two nights, letting everyone recuperated from their
injuries. Sango took care of the cooking because Kagome could not do any sudden movements, or
move much at all for that matter, for she would become incredibly dizzy. Miroku took the watch both
night so Inuyasha could tend to Iliana and Kagome, taking a nap during the day. Shippou did his best
to keep everyone's spirits up, scampering around and just acting cute, like any child would do. Iliana
stayed quiet for the most part, her stutter still hindering her speech badly. She had become rather
sheepish since the incident, still smiling, but not as full as her normal one. Inuyasha also remained quiet
throughout their stay. He was struggling with his thoughts and wasn't making any headway.
The morning of the third day, they packed up there things and began the long trek back to Kaede's.
Inuyasha was loading up the last of the food when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "What do you want?"
"I want to know what is wrong with you?" Miroku asked. "You have been more distant than usual."
"I don't know what you are talking about," he sneered. He tied the pouch shut and lifted his
eyes across the clearing, staring at the girl, wearing his haori, playing with the kitsune.
Miroku looked towards the end of the clearing, watching the girl and the fox play. "Iliana is
fine, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru no longer has any power over her. He didn't get her," he said.
"Not this time, anyway," Inuyasha said bowing his head. "I know my brother, he won't stop
until he has what he wants, and he wants Ili. I can't have her here when she's in danger."
"Are you saying..."
"Yes. I gave her man my word that I would take care of her, and I can't do that as long as
Sesshomaru pursues her. She has to go back to her own time." He sighed and looked back to the
seemingly happy girl, "I...I can't stand the thought of losing her, especially to him," he whispered.
"I understand," Miroku said. He grabbed the pouch and it slung over Kirara, who had transformed
into her larger form.
Inuyasha walked over to Iliana and Shippou. They were laughing and talking. Iliana finally
could speak in complete sentences.
"Here, Iliana! I made this for you!" Shippou said, handing her a crown of wild flowers.
She gladly took it a placed it on her head. She smiled and said, "Th...Thank y...ou Ship...pou.
I...love it!"
Inuyasha knelt down in front of her and tried to pull her on.
She pulled away from him and back off. When he turned to her she smiled somewhat big.
"I..I. w...w...want to w...walk."
He wasn't going to argue with anything she wanted. He had started back to the group when he
was grabbed by the arm. "Yes, Ili?" he asked childishly.
"Y...You sh..sho..uld carry K..Kagome. Sh...She st...ill seems a...little diz...zy."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. She gave him a look with a pouting face and he caved. "Ok, Ili. If
that's what you want, that's what I'll do," he said bringing her in for a hug.
Within the first day, they hadn't gotten far at all, only going about half the speed they were used
to. Sango rode on Kirara, keeping the supplies in place. Miroku and Inuyasha walked on either side
of Kirara, Kagome content on the back of her hanyou. Iliana also walked, right next to Inuyasha, with
Shippou sitting on her shoulder.
Miroku and Inuyasha didn't want to stop when night fell. The girls on the other hand, were
ready to call it a day. With a little shifting, they were able to keep moving. Sango was slumped over
Kirara's back with Shippou sleeping on the fire cat's head. Iliana was on Miroku's back, who was
walking in front of Inuyasha, so he could keep a close eye on his hands. They planned on walking at
least a few more hours before resting, but they didn't get far.
Through the trees, Miroku would occasionally look up towards the sky, admiring the stars. At
one point, his eyes landed on a large looking star that glowed brightly. It looked as if it was growing
larger. "Inuyasha, look up at that star," he said, stopping in his path.
He complied and raised his head. He quickly spotted what star the monk must have been
talking about. He narrowed his eyes and did something that can only be described as 'freaked out'.
"That's no star!" he yelled.
His cry woke up the girls, who started looking around frantically.
"What's going on?" Sango asked.
Inuyasha sat Kagome on Kirara's back as did Miroku with Iliana. The hanyou unsheathed
Tetsusagia, growling as the 'star' came closer, forming into a dog Youkai.
"Stand back. I'll handle this," Miroku said. His hand went to his prayer beads around his right
hand, ready to set his Wind Tunnel towards Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru merely smiled. Before Miroku could remove his beads, Sesshomaru swooped
down to the three girls, grabbing up the cringing short one and back up into the air. "Sure you want to
do that now, Monk?" he said, holding Iliana out with one hand by her arm, acting as if he'd drop her.
Miroku quickly put his prayer bead backs around his hand.
"I...I...Inu...yasha! P..P...Ple...ase..."
"Shut your mouth, Slave!" he commanded, shaking her violently, making the red haori fall off of her.
All she did was scream out bloody murder, letting tears stain her face. She tried to reach up with
her free hand and grab on to something, only being knocked away from him.
"Get your filthy hands off of her!" Inuyasha shouted.
"If that's what you want," he said happily. He released her arm and let her fall, hearing her
screams descending to the ground. Inuyasha was poised to catch her. Sesshomaru though, reclaimed
her and brought her back up to the sky just inched away from Inuyasha's grasp. Iliana was hysterical.
"You basterd!" he cried. He leapt up, Tetsusagia in hand, pulling back to strike.
"Inuyasha, no!" screamed Kagome. "He'll block Tetsusagia with Iliana!"
Kagome was right. He would certainly move Iliana in front of his blow. He dropped back
down to the ground. His eyes locked on to his brother, flowing down to his dangling sister. 'Gods,
help me!' he pleaded without a sound. Gazing at his sister, he found her eyes, full of tears and fear.
'How can I help you?' he asked her in his face.
She seemed to have gotten the message. Drawing in a breath, she stiffened her lip and nodded
a bit. Her mouth formed a silent request,'My bo'. Her mouth gave a sly smile, the most confident she
had given in the last three days.
His jaw dropped, but he knew she was serious. He nodded and tore his eyes away from Iliana
to Kirara and her passengers, finding the object he searched for. "Sango, throw Iliana her bo!"
Inuyasha called.
Sango didn't hesitate a second. She quickly slipped the bo out from under the other bags. The
soft ground gave away as she planted her feet on the ground. She grabbed the bo by the end and
stretched out her arm. Swinging it fully, the bo launched into the air, spinning end over end up to an
outreached hand.
With the bo clenched in her, she looked up to Sesshomaru with a courageous fire in her eyes. She
swung it upwards, striking on his leg. He released her and she fell to the ground, oddly landing on her
feet. He gaped his mouth, but not letting that stop him. Using his poison whip, he snapped it towards
her and it wrapped around her bo outstretched in front of her and pulled it back. He expected it would
break or at least me yanked out of her hand, yet, neither happened. Shocked, he brought his whip
back and dispersed it.
"In...destruc..table, re..member?" she shouted.
With a fearsome look, Sesshomaru lunged down to the girl. He drew back his massive clawed
hand, and brought it down above the girl. She was able to move the bo over her head and block his
attack, commencing in a fierce battle. Iliana was holding her own fairly well. With her new bo, she was
even able to form a few bruises along his arms, legs, and one on his head. Sesshomaru was getting
frustrated. With one final lash of power, he brought his arm over his body and slammed it down on
the bo. Iliana was caught off guard, but held strong. Slowly, he could feel her grow weak in the knees
and arms. He forced her down further, hovering over her. She fell to her knees, pushing all of her
strength into her arms. As she dropped, he also dropped his face down to her's. He smiled evilly and
laughed at her.
At his laugh, her head sprang up and burrowed her eyes into his. She gritted her teeth and
growled the best she could. She formed her lips into a happy smile. Taking in a large amount of air,
she breathed out the words, in perfect vocalization, "You..can't..break..me!" She pushed her bo
furiously upwards, flinging the Youkai off of her. Iliana jumped to her feet and took a fighting stance.
Before Sesshomaru could fully regain his balance, he found a very pissed off hanyou standing
between him and Iliana, Tetsusagia pointed at his neck. Inuyasha charged Sesshomaru with intent to
kill. With one swipe, Inuyasha drew Tetsusagia across his brother's chest, feeling the flesh give way as
a crimson river flowed from the wound. He jumped backwards, holding his chest.
"Come on, Sesshomaru! You want her? Come and get her!" he cried.
"Oh, I will. She will be mine. She might be a challenge after all," he said, flying off to the night,
forming into a little star until fading away completely.
"You will never have her! I'll see to it!" Inuyasha growled. 'Never. You will never have her. You
can't get to her if she's not here.' He turned to face Iliana, just in time to catch her collapsing into his
arms. "Ili?!" he cried.
"I'm..ok...just...tired," she said, heaving heavily.
With that he let a breath out that he didn't know he was holding and gathered her up. He
walked back to the group, who when they saw Iliana's smiling face, relaxed and breathed again.
"Let's..go," she said quietly.
He nodded and draped his haori over her shoulders, sitting her gently on Kirara. He turned and
looked at everyone, giving them a look that asked if they were ready. They all nodded simultaneously.
Without another word, they made their long slow, yet content, way back to Kaede's hut.
******************************************************************************
Ok, I'm gonna go eat now...I haven't eaten all day, which is bad for me because I have hypoglycemia
(low blood sugar). I believe there will only be two more chapters in this story, so enjoy them when the
come out!
Take it Easy
LFA
History, which I think I already hate the teacher in...grrrr Oh well, I'll live as long as I can escape to my
laptop and write.
Chapter 17: Never!
*****************************************************************************
"What?!" he said, surprised he was ejected from her mind. Sesshomaru's satisfied smile left his
face as his eyes sprang open. He ran to the window and stared out towards the star-filled sky. "You
won't get away that easily," he told the night.
Pressing his middle and forefinger to his temple, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He
envisioned the smiling girl with brown eyes and auburn hair, her neck encircled with a black band. He
imagined his own hand going out to that collar. When his hand reached it, he placed his hand over the
collar and squeezing it, chocking the girl that wore it. He laughed a little as the girl in his head squirmed
under his grasp. Her will began bending to his own, her life melting away in his hand.
The time was drawing near. She would soon be in his power once again. But then, something
he didn't expect happened. Under his imaginary hand, he felt a break in the collar. 'No!' The never
ending ring had split, was bent away from her neck and discarded. The image he held burst, like
mirror, shattering into an innumerable amount of fragments.
"No! Damn it!" he yelled out the window. "I lost her."
He went the cold room where he had imprisoned her and perambulated around, looking at the
unmade bed, covered in her scent. Sitting down upon the bed, he thought about how he could get her
back. As if answered from someone of greater power than him, he grinned, remembering what he had
heard from her own mind.
The nearest window was a few rooms down. He came to the window and sat his feet on the
sill. "So, they are ten days south by southeast, my little spy said, should only take me four. They will,
most likely, be on the move, but slowly," he surmised He jumped out of the window into the air.
"They won't have a clue I know. She won't be able to remember a thing," he laughing cruelly.
Subsequently, Iliana couldn't remember a thing from the point of laying on the floor in the dark
room. The only thing that lingered in her mind was the lightning hot pain she felt, which she longed to
forget, but never quite could. No one pressured her to remember anything, on the contrary, they
helped her try and forget.
They camped in the clearing for the next two nights, letting everyone recuperated from their
injuries. Sango took care of the cooking because Kagome could not do any sudden movements, or
move much at all for that matter, for she would become incredibly dizzy. Miroku took the watch both
night so Inuyasha could tend to Iliana and Kagome, taking a nap during the day. Shippou did his best
to keep everyone's spirits up, scampering around and just acting cute, like any child would do. Iliana
stayed quiet for the most part, her stutter still hindering her speech badly. She had become rather
sheepish since the incident, still smiling, but not as full as her normal one. Inuyasha also remained quiet
throughout their stay. He was struggling with his thoughts and wasn't making any headway.
The morning of the third day, they packed up there things and began the long trek back to Kaede's.
Inuyasha was loading up the last of the food when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "What do you want?"
"I want to know what is wrong with you?" Miroku asked. "You have been more distant than usual."
"I don't know what you are talking about," he sneered. He tied the pouch shut and lifted his
eyes across the clearing, staring at the girl, wearing his haori, playing with the kitsune.
Miroku looked towards the end of the clearing, watching the girl and the fox play. "Iliana is
fine, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru no longer has any power over her. He didn't get her," he said.
"Not this time, anyway," Inuyasha said bowing his head. "I know my brother, he won't stop
until he has what he wants, and he wants Ili. I can't have her here when she's in danger."
"Are you saying..."
"Yes. I gave her man my word that I would take care of her, and I can't do that as long as
Sesshomaru pursues her. She has to go back to her own time." He sighed and looked back to the
seemingly happy girl, "I...I can't stand the thought of losing her, especially to him," he whispered.
"I understand," Miroku said. He grabbed the pouch and it slung over Kirara, who had transformed
into her larger form.
Inuyasha walked over to Iliana and Shippou. They were laughing and talking. Iliana finally
could speak in complete sentences.
"Here, Iliana! I made this for you!" Shippou said, handing her a crown of wild flowers.
She gladly took it a placed it on her head. She smiled and said, "Th...Thank y...ou Ship...pou.
I...love it!"
Inuyasha knelt down in front of her and tried to pull her on.
She pulled away from him and back off. When he turned to her she smiled somewhat big.
"I..I. w...w...want to w...walk."
He wasn't going to argue with anything she wanted. He had started back to the group when he
was grabbed by the arm. "Yes, Ili?" he asked childishly.
"Y...You sh..sho..uld carry K..Kagome. Sh...She st...ill seems a...little diz...zy."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. She gave him a look with a pouting face and he caved. "Ok, Ili. If
that's what you want, that's what I'll do," he said bringing her in for a hug.
Within the first day, they hadn't gotten far at all, only going about half the speed they were used
to. Sango rode on Kirara, keeping the supplies in place. Miroku and Inuyasha walked on either side
of Kirara, Kagome content on the back of her hanyou. Iliana also walked, right next to Inuyasha, with
Shippou sitting on her shoulder.
Miroku and Inuyasha didn't want to stop when night fell. The girls on the other hand, were
ready to call it a day. With a little shifting, they were able to keep moving. Sango was slumped over
Kirara's back with Shippou sleeping on the fire cat's head. Iliana was on Miroku's back, who was
walking in front of Inuyasha, so he could keep a close eye on his hands. They planned on walking at
least a few more hours before resting, but they didn't get far.
Through the trees, Miroku would occasionally look up towards the sky, admiring the stars. At
one point, his eyes landed on a large looking star that glowed brightly. It looked as if it was growing
larger. "Inuyasha, look up at that star," he said, stopping in his path.
He complied and raised his head. He quickly spotted what star the monk must have been
talking about. He narrowed his eyes and did something that can only be described as 'freaked out'.
"That's no star!" he yelled.
His cry woke up the girls, who started looking around frantically.
"What's going on?" Sango asked.
Inuyasha sat Kagome on Kirara's back as did Miroku with Iliana. The hanyou unsheathed
Tetsusagia, growling as the 'star' came closer, forming into a dog Youkai.
"Stand back. I'll handle this," Miroku said. His hand went to his prayer beads around his right
hand, ready to set his Wind Tunnel towards Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru merely smiled. Before Miroku could remove his beads, Sesshomaru swooped
down to the three girls, grabbing up the cringing short one and back up into the air. "Sure you want to
do that now, Monk?" he said, holding Iliana out with one hand by her arm, acting as if he'd drop her.
Miroku quickly put his prayer bead backs around his hand.
"I...I...Inu...yasha! P..P...Ple...ase..."
"Shut your mouth, Slave!" he commanded, shaking her violently, making the red haori fall off of her.
All she did was scream out bloody murder, letting tears stain her face. She tried to reach up with
her free hand and grab on to something, only being knocked away from him.
"Get your filthy hands off of her!" Inuyasha shouted.
"If that's what you want," he said happily. He released her arm and let her fall, hearing her
screams descending to the ground. Inuyasha was poised to catch her. Sesshomaru though, reclaimed
her and brought her back up to the sky just inched away from Inuyasha's grasp. Iliana was hysterical.
"You basterd!" he cried. He leapt up, Tetsusagia in hand, pulling back to strike.
"Inuyasha, no!" screamed Kagome. "He'll block Tetsusagia with Iliana!"
Kagome was right. He would certainly move Iliana in front of his blow. He dropped back
down to the ground. His eyes locked on to his brother, flowing down to his dangling sister. 'Gods,
help me!' he pleaded without a sound. Gazing at his sister, he found her eyes, full of tears and fear.
'How can I help you?' he asked her in his face.
She seemed to have gotten the message. Drawing in a breath, she stiffened her lip and nodded
a bit. Her mouth formed a silent request,'My bo'. Her mouth gave a sly smile, the most confident she
had given in the last three days.
His jaw dropped, but he knew she was serious. He nodded and tore his eyes away from Iliana
to Kirara and her passengers, finding the object he searched for. "Sango, throw Iliana her bo!"
Inuyasha called.
Sango didn't hesitate a second. She quickly slipped the bo out from under the other bags. The
soft ground gave away as she planted her feet on the ground. She grabbed the bo by the end and
stretched out her arm. Swinging it fully, the bo launched into the air, spinning end over end up to an
outreached hand.
With the bo clenched in her, she looked up to Sesshomaru with a courageous fire in her eyes. She
swung it upwards, striking on his leg. He released her and she fell to the ground, oddly landing on her
feet. He gaped his mouth, but not letting that stop him. Using his poison whip, he snapped it towards
her and it wrapped around her bo outstretched in front of her and pulled it back. He expected it would
break or at least me yanked out of her hand, yet, neither happened. Shocked, he brought his whip
back and dispersed it.
"In...destruc..table, re..member?" she shouted.
With a fearsome look, Sesshomaru lunged down to the girl. He drew back his massive clawed
hand, and brought it down above the girl. She was able to move the bo over her head and block his
attack, commencing in a fierce battle. Iliana was holding her own fairly well. With her new bo, she was
even able to form a few bruises along his arms, legs, and one on his head. Sesshomaru was getting
frustrated. With one final lash of power, he brought his arm over his body and slammed it down on
the bo. Iliana was caught off guard, but held strong. Slowly, he could feel her grow weak in the knees
and arms. He forced her down further, hovering over her. She fell to her knees, pushing all of her
strength into her arms. As she dropped, he also dropped his face down to her's. He smiled evilly and
laughed at her.
At his laugh, her head sprang up and burrowed her eyes into his. She gritted her teeth and
growled the best she could. She formed her lips into a happy smile. Taking in a large amount of air,
she breathed out the words, in perfect vocalization, "You..can't..break..me!" She pushed her bo
furiously upwards, flinging the Youkai off of her. Iliana jumped to her feet and took a fighting stance.
Before Sesshomaru could fully regain his balance, he found a very pissed off hanyou standing
between him and Iliana, Tetsusagia pointed at his neck. Inuyasha charged Sesshomaru with intent to
kill. With one swipe, Inuyasha drew Tetsusagia across his brother's chest, feeling the flesh give way as
a crimson river flowed from the wound. He jumped backwards, holding his chest.
"Come on, Sesshomaru! You want her? Come and get her!" he cried.
"Oh, I will. She will be mine. She might be a challenge after all," he said, flying off to the night,
forming into a little star until fading away completely.
"You will never have her! I'll see to it!" Inuyasha growled. 'Never. You will never have her. You
can't get to her if she's not here.' He turned to face Iliana, just in time to catch her collapsing into his
arms. "Ili?!" he cried.
"I'm..ok...just...tired," she said, heaving heavily.
With that he let a breath out that he didn't know he was holding and gathered her up. He
walked back to the group, who when they saw Iliana's smiling face, relaxed and breathed again.
"Let's..go," she said quietly.
He nodded and draped his haori over her shoulders, sitting her gently on Kirara. He turned and
looked at everyone, giving them a look that asked if they were ready. They all nodded simultaneously.
Without another word, they made their long slow, yet content, way back to Kaede's hut.
******************************************************************************
Ok, I'm gonna go eat now...I haven't eaten all day, which is bad for me because I have hypoglycemia
(low blood sugar). I believe there will only be two more chapters in this story, so enjoy them when the
come out!
Take it Easy
LFA