::Finishes hammering a big sign:: Phew! Sorry- I forgot to do this last time. ::Points to the sign which reads in big letters, INU YASHA AND CO. DO NOT BELONG TO ME!::: Now that we are all clear on that and now that no one will sue me, here we go!
Chapter 2: Kagome gets bitchy
I knocked and entered without waiting for an invitation. All three lords were unhappy with my presence. I shrugged and leaned against the table by Sesshomaru. He wasn't happy I was there either. I arched a brow at him. "Hey, these guys may have some info on the Dark Army; I came to compare notes."
"Human, get out. You meddle in affairs that do not concern you." Baldie said. He glared at me and his power scalded my skin. I frowned at him and felt my power flare in response.
"Look Curly, I don't know what your problem is and personally I don't care." I said.
"Bitch! My name is Lord-"
"If I am 'Human' than you are Curly." I said. "You have been told to treat me with respect and have done nothing but insult me." I stood straight, my power flaring bright and strong, drowning out any of theirs. "I respect those who have earned it and so far you have done nothing to demonstrate to me you are deserving of it. Now, shut the hell up and tell me all you know about the Dark Army!"
"Lord Sesshomaru, control her!" The semi-balding brown haired one ordered. Larry.
"I told you that Lady Kagome was to be treated with respect and you have tossed aside my decree." Sesshomaru said quietly and I knew he was really angry. "You have disrespected me and all within my home." Sesshomaru stood up from studying the map by his hand. His anger radiated through the room and I was glad my power insulated me from the biting energy. Immediately, the three lords dropped to their knees, bowing low to the floor.
I don't know if the youkai downstairs are being commanded by them, I looked at Sesshomaru as he watched the lords. But they keep trying to eat the humans that are down there. As a result, we're all practicing up here. I ran into Rin and she told me. I knew he'd listen to me if I mentioned his little admirer.
"I am through listening to your prattle." Sesshomaru said to the lords. "Honor the alliance and fight with us or you will not leave here alive." It was not an idle threat; Sesshomaru meant what he said.
"We honor you, Lord Sesshomaru, son of Lord Momaru the Great Warrior." The three said in unison. "We shall hold to the contract and fight to defend the Western Lands." Sesshomaru nodded and told them to rise.
"Do not forget what you have pledged." Sesshomaru intoned. "Or you will be my next target after the Dark Army."
"Well," I said when everyone was on their feet. "Now that we're all friends again, start telling me all you know about the bastards." I listened to each of them, giving them my full attention and jotted down important facts and figures. I heard from Sesshomaru also, treating him as I had the lords. When I was done I looked at the maps, reviewing my notes and rearranging some of the markers- much to everyone's annoyance. I frowned and heard the walkie talkie at my hip beep.
I answered it like I would the phone, hitting the button to talk while I continued to look over the maps. "Kagome here, what's up?" I let go of the button to listen to the message. I noticed that the lords were looking at me as if I had lost my mind. I ignored them keeping my attention on the maps and on the conversation in my ear. From the looks of it, we had a week at best; looking over the data, the soldiers for the Dark Army didn't move very fast but they were extremely thorough.
"Kagome! The youkai downstairs are still trying to eat the humans." Sango's voice was a little squawky but that was to be expected. At least the walkie talkies had a long distance range- the next step was to check the range out. Without looking at him, I knew that Sesshomaru was looking at the lords in a very deadly manner.
"Is Rin with you?" I knew Sesshomaru wanted to know by the stir of alarm that trickled through our link. I looked at the lords and they shrank back from Sesshomaru and I. I didn't know what I looked like but I didn't care- if they had hurt those humans they really weren't going to like my expression. I spared them another glare and headed for the exit.
"Yes. Miroku and Shippo are here too but we aren't going to be able to fend off all of them- even if Sesshomaru's army joined in the fray."
"Alright. Send Shippo and two humans to me. I got an idea." I returned to the room we had stored everything from my world in.
Youkai were strange; every one of them was an individual but in some respects you could lump them together. One thing that usually got their attention, but not necessarily their respect, was a very blunt show of force. By myself, I was not very intimidating- like batting zero on the danger scale. The youkai would not follow me, would not obey or listen to me unless they thought I was scarier than they were. This was how Sesshomaru kept competition at bay- he created a reputation of being heartless and that cowed a lot of his would be challengers. It was how Inu Yasha handled things more often than not. Ah, violence- crude but very effective.
My plan was simple; I was going to put the fear of me into them. I had stuff that was hundreds of years ahead of them; surely I could be scary as hell with all those gadgets at my disposal. Modern science was going to take on a whole new meaning to these idiots. I scooped up Shippo when I saw him, leading the two panic stricken humans to the room. I gave them instructions, simple and straightforward. The only really complicated orders were for Shippo.
I tossed the cover off a cardboard box and pulled out the ugliest pink bear I had ever seen. I showed it to Shippo and he looked at me questioningly. "Can you hold this shape or as close as possible to it?" I asked him and he took the bear from me, studying it thoroughly. At last he nodded and I told him to practice a few times before we went downstairs. The two humans- I didn't know their names and there was no time to ask- brought me the pitchers of water I asked them to. I took out the bottle of perfume I had put in my pocket, the very same one Inu Yasha had acted so weird about. I was hoping that the effect would be a depressant- like opium or liquor. I didn't need a hundred plus youkai hyped up as if they were on speed.
I added a capful of rubbing alcohol to the two pitchers, as well as a drop of gasoline. One of the tanks had been brought in to keep it away from curious people. I really needed to bring the two other tanks up as well- unattended gasoline; we wouldn't need the Dark Army to swoop down on us because one spark from a stray lamp and we'd all be blown sky high. Mostly, the watered down moltolave cocktail was for scare- almost every youkai I had ever met had a well developed sense of smell. I added a sprits of the perfume and we were almost done.
"Shippo, how's it going?" I asked as I filled a small empty bottle with gasoline. I looked at it critically; yah, this would be enough to toast the poor bear.
"Kagome, I'm ready!" Shippo said and changed into the ugly pink bear. I grimaced at the color; God, neon pink was such a horrible color.
"Okay, go downstairs and be seen. That's all you have to do- stay out of the way but be sure people see you." He looked at me skeptically but ran off to do as I said. I grabbed the flare gun from the emergency kit and a box of matches. I took the bottle of gasoline with me, slipping it in my pocket with the other small bottle of regular perfume. The ugly pink bear –now stuffed with a small screamer firework and an old watch I had reprogrammed- came too; it was time to see how well I could act. "You two, follow me!" And the two pitcher bearing humans followed me down the hallway.
Kagome's arrival was announced by a lot of yelling from around the corner of the entrance way and into the foyer. The hanyou had been watching a suspicious youkai- one of the strangest he had ever seen- run around the floor. The ugly pink thing had made a point to get under everyone's feet and be noticed by everyone present. The humans behind Inu Yasha were surprised, asking each other what kind of youkai it was. Sango herself didn't know what it was, her attention centered on the political battle between Sesshomaru and the other lords. Rin clung to Inu Yasha's leg, filling the small gap caused by Shippo's absence.
The ugly pink youkai ran into on of the milling youkai's legs, stepping on the foot and getting smacked for his stupidity. All the youkai present were ready to leap into battle and defend the honor of their respective lord- off the hundreds assembled in and around the castle, Sesshomaru had the smallest force; something that startled Inu Yasha greatly. The whole room audibly crackled with energy, holding both the potential to be peaceful or to start a blood bath that would rival the one the Dark Army would cause. The humans were rapidly becoming an endangered species in the room, going quickly from fellow soldier to entrée. From the look of most of the foreign youkai, they hadn't eaten anytime recently- that explained their behavior but not their masters'.
Miroku and Sango stepped up on either side of the hanyou looking worried. The walkie talkie thing at Sango's side crackled and Inu Yasha's sharp ears picked up Kagome's voice. She seemed to be yelling at someone, someone who had made her very, very angry. "Incompetent dolt! Worthless idiot!" and her yelling was followed by incoherent whimpering and pleading and then by a heavy crunch. Her voice carried through the room as every walkie talkie held by the humans caught her voice and amplified it until everyone in the vicinity could hear her. The lords paused in their angry debate and heard it too. At that very moment, liquid rained down on the assembled youkai, causing shouts of alarm. A pungent smell circulated through the room and many of the more aroma oriented youkai dropped to their knees coughing.
Inu Yasha's eyes widened in horror as he recognized the scent and quickly covered his nose. Kagome's perfume! He thought desperately. Near by he could see Sesshomaru cover his nose and begin to cough, the other lords following suit. A warm angry wave of energy rolled through the room before Kagome walked inside, announcing her presence. Every movement she made said that she was angry and promised punishment to those who had caused her foul mood.
Kagome strode inside the room carrying an ugly pink bundle, one hand dangling the fuzzy body while the other hand rested on her hip. For the first time the hanyou realized that the annoying ugly pink youkai was missing. Inu Yasha watched her, watched the liquid grace her movements had become and knew that this was a very different Kagome from the one he knew- a darker, more cold hearted Kagome that must have been hidden for decades. Her expression was cold, calculating, as she surveyed the youkai around her. Her eyes narrowed and her power flared when her gaze settled on the coughing lords. For the first time in his life, Inu Yasha was scared of the girl. He felt Sango and the monk take a startled step back as they watched their friend. The hanyou had explained to everyone about Taomaru blocking Kagome's memory of the night before, warned them not to bring it up until after the battle. No one was happy with the arrangement and now they were wondering if there were side effects.
"My name is Lady Kagome." She began, making her voice carry. "I am the mistress of this castle and answer only to Lord Sesshomaru and Price Inu Yasha." Both brothers started although Sesshomaru hid it better. The assembled youkai frowned at her, unhappy that a human was giving them orders. Kagome tilted her head arrogantly, sneering at them in defiance. She curled her lip, an evil smile forming and Inu Yasha felt a chill of foreboding crawl down his spine.
"I had hoped that we would be untied enough to fight side by side without too much conflict; that the Dark Army laying our home to waste would be enough of an incentive for everyone to cooperate." Kagome's expression became tragic and she spread her hands in a helpless gesture, the pink body hanging limply from one hand. The head rolled bonelessly, the front covered in a dark noxious smelling liquid. Inu Yasha's ears caught a vague ticking noise coming from the body and realized it was the things heart- the pink youkai was still alive.
"After meeting your lords I realized I was wrong and that is very unfortunate." Kagome carelessly tossed the bleeding body into a clear space in front of them all, making sure that everyone could get a good look. The injured youkai landed with a heavy splat and the ticking was plain in the silent room as every set of eyes looked from the body to the raven haired girl. Kagome pulled a pack of matches from her pocket as well as a small bottle that Inu Yasha knew all too well. Kagome held up the bottle for all to see.
"The liquid that was dumped on you is the same as this. Once absorbed by the skin, the unfortunate bearer is resigned to a very painful death." Inu Yasha couldn't believe his ears- this wasn't his Kagome, couldn't be his sweet, tender Kagome! "That hideous thing had the audacity to knock me over in the hall. I had thought that his beating would be enough of a punishment but you are all in need of a demonstration. Watch closely everyone- the next person will not be allowed to pass out." Her eyes were fierce, her expression empty, as she struck a match and carelessly flicked it on the pink body. All assembled watched as the fuzzy form began to burn, igniting like dry kindling. The smell was horrible but not as horrible as what happened next.
The ticking sped up and the body began to twitch, flopping on the floor as if possessed. The flaming pink thing convulsed and a shrieking began. The sound grew in volume and the helpless bucking of the body became more insistent. Many youkai and humans covered their ears, watching in open mouthed horror at the thing on the floor. Kagome watched it all dispassionately, as if this was something she did all the time. The desperate moves of the burning youkai became worse and the screaming became louder, reaching a crescendo as it crept closer to the line of youkai. The others retreated immediately, numbly watching as the little body doubled in on itself, clutching its middle and then flinging its limbs wide as it exploded in a shower of multicolored sparks and burning pieces of fur. The colors would have been very pretty had the context not been so macabre. The colors faded and there was nothing left of the gory body except some scraps of skin and ash.
Silence, think and heavy, permeated the room in the after math. All eyes were on Kagome, disbelieving that she could be so cruel. Through out it all, Kagome had remained impassive, uncaring. The unspoken message was not missed by anyone: Kagome could do this to you and not care at all. Now her expression had hardened into a cold mask, her icy tone matching it perfectly. "The liquid that was dumped on you has the same effect." She drew something from her waist band, the flare gun she had stashed there before entering. She held it in her hand, her finger near the trigger as she pointed it at the ceiling. "This has the power of a thousand matches. One spark and all of you will end up like that pathetic creature on the floor." No one moved, watching her warily. Sango, Miroku, and Inu Yasha simply stared at their friend.
"While you are here you will obey our rules. That goes for all of you." Kagome looked at the lords until they all nodded. Sesshomaru looked arrogantly at them and then walked purposely over to Kagome's side. Without taking her eyes off the other youkai, Kagome wrapped her arm around his waist. After a quick glance down at her, Sesshomaru's tail curled around Kagome's leg. The Lords, humans and frightened youkai bowed, kneeling on the floor and pressing themselves as far as they could go. Settling against him, Kagome continued as if nothing had happened. "The humans are not to be eaten under any circumstances. They are here to fight beside you, not feed you! The humans will not attack you or harm you in any way until this is over. You will obey the leaders we put in charge of you. They may be human or youkai but you will obey them or suffer my wrath." Everyone looked at the pile of ash and pink fur. "Everyone is to be treated with respect- when the Dark Army invades there is no telling who may save your life. New tactics and ways of fighting may pop up; if you have questions then ask. If something is unfeasible then tell your commander. Everyone's input could become important so please share information."
Kagome paused, out of rules, and Sesshomaru separated from her. The youkai ruler took a few steps away and looked back at her. After a reluctant sigh, Kagome got down on one knee but not bowing, looking bored. Sesshomaru looked out at the kneeling crowed, amber eyes flashing. "You will obey these rules and any others we decide upon while you are in my home. Until the battle is over, your lords are not where your loyalties lie. I am the ruler of the Western Lands and that is never to be forgotten. My brother Inu Yasha, the miko Lady Kagome and I have joined forces to defeat the threat to our home. Any who have heard of the feud between us know that that is a substantial accomplishment and not to be taken lightly." Sesshomaru heard Kagome rise behind him and Inu Yasha join her.
"That's no joke." Inu Yasha said, looking at his brother, arms crossed defiantly. Before Sesshomaru could continue, Inu Yasha continued his commentary. "It is no secret that I've been the object of ridicule with my brother and the more pure blooded youkai in the kingdom. I am a hanyou, that is what I am and I accept it. Sesshomaru is a full blooded youkai and the two of us have fought on numerous occasions. We have never gotten along and never thought we would be in the same mind about anything." Inu Yasha laughed quietly and looked out at those in the chamber. He was trying to look princely and he did in that moment, falling back into the behavior taught him in his younger years. "The Dog clan has fought the Dark Army before, defending our lands even at the cost of our lives. We have turned them back repeatedly, even when our so called allies sided with them and attacked us. No matter what feud lay between the members, the Dog Clan has always come together to defend their territory and this time is no different. If Sesshomaru and I can get along without killing each other than you lot can co-exist for the duration of the campaign. No excuses." It was a round about speech but it had the desired effect. The youkai and humans looked at each other for the first time without menace but still were a little doubtful.
"Great!" Kagome said, clapping her hands and discarding her cruel manner. "Let's go get something to eat; most of you look like you haven't eaten in days!" She shrugged at the incredulous looks and motioned that all who were hungry were to follow her. Just then Shippo and Rin raced around the corner and skidded to a halt at the girl's feet. Inu Yasha hadn't even noticed Rin slip away during the horrible scene.
"Kagome! The cooks are baking as fast as they can." Shippo said happily as Kagome bent and picked up the two children. She smiled at them and a few feet away her trio of friends had a hard time processing the two sides of Kagome. She was nice now, back to her usual self, but a second ago she had been the iciest person in the room aside from Sesshomaru. Would the real Kagome please stand up?
Rin chimed in. "That was a really fun game, Kagome-onee-chan! What can we play next?" Kagome smiled and muttered to herself, "How about playing find Kagome's backpack?" In a louder voice she said, "Food is on the way. Sit down where you are- there's not enough table space!" The youkai in the room hastily sat on the floor, making themselves as small as possible so as not to offend the woman and incur her wrath. The humans also took up a seat on the floor, exchanging wary looks with the youkai who sat close by as Kagome walked past them and over to Inu Yasha, Sango and Miroku.
"Do know where my traveling bag is?" Kagome asked them, briefly grimacing and rubbing her temple with a free hand. Sango took the children, Kagome flashing a quick smile as she rubbed her temples.
"Are you alright?" Inu Yasha asked, forcibly pushing away his unease at Kagome's previous attitude and feeling a stir of alarm. He watched anxiously as she rolled her head, rubbing the muscles of her shoulders and neck.
"Yah," Kagome said unhappily. "But I think I have a tension headache. How odd." She rolled her neck one last time and then dropped her hands as she stood normally. She looked around; their group was the only one left standing- apparently Sesshomaru and the other lords had departed- and they were making quite a show. Inu Yasha took her hand and led the troop out of the room, through the huge doorway and around the corner toward the stairway. The hanyou was still battling with himself: on one hand he wanted to be sure Kagome was entirely all right; on the other hand he wanted to turn on her and demand to know how she could so casually burn a youkai to death and not bat an eye.
It was a trick Inu Yasha. And he could feel Kagome pull away from him, both physically and mentally. She frowned at him, looking and feeling sad that he could think she was so horrible. How could you ever think I could do such a thing? It was a trick that Shippo helped me pull off. Aloud she asked the monk, "Miroku, do you know where my bag is?"
Sango answered for him. "Sesshomaru had it placed in a storage area but I'm not sure if it's downstairs or upstairs. From what I've heard all morning, the castle chambers do not stop at ground level."
"That makes sense." Kagome mumbled. "Is my bike with my bag?"
"Bike?" Miroku asked.
"It's a bigger version than the one I usually bring; bigger, heavier, and more powerful. I want it to stay out of sight unless we need it. I have to find it and check it to make sure it won't blow up."
"Blow up?" Inu Yasha stared at her. "You are not getting on anything that will blow up!"
Kagome sighed, suddenly tired, and felt a stab of pain through her temples. She winced and closed her eyes, putting a hand against the area as if touching it would make the pain go away. She felt a rough hand cover her own and opened her eyes to meet Inu Yasha's. He squeezed her hand and his touch chased back the growing headache. Kagome gave him a lopsided smile and he backed off, the girl immediately wincing after his hand left hers. She grabbed his hand, curling her own around his tightly and the headache lessened again- it didn't completely leave but she could think now.
"Lady Kagome, are you alright?" Miroku asked, touching her temple lightly and looking for any sign of injury.
"Is Kagome-onee-chan okay?" Rin asked Sango anxiously. Shippo jumped from the exterminator's arms and onto Kagome's shoulder. The kitsune wrapped his fluffy tail around her neck and ran his hands through her hair in an effort to comfort her. They all gathered around her to see what was wrong. Kagome blushed in embarrassment.
"I'm ok! I'm fine- just a headache." She smiled brightly but didn't let go of Inu Yasha's hand. In all honesty, Kagome was getting suspicious as to the headache's origin. Kagome had the feeling that the pain was originating from someone else. She had been fine until now, and Inu Yasha was perfectly alright. She frowned and reached out with her magic down the links she shared with Sesshomaru and Taomaru. The dark haired youkai only replied with sleepy thoughts, disjointed and confusing. He was dreaming, she realized, in a den a mile or so below her feet. Kagome blinked and yawned despite her efforts to suppress it.
"Kagome?" Inu Yasha asked uncertainly. He watched as she frowned again and closed her eyes. Her brows furrowed and she winced again before she shook her head and came back to herself. That is just too weird. Inu Yasha thought. He had felt what she had, had experienced the sleepiness Kagome had when she reached out to Taomaru but the hanyou resisted it better. Inu Yasha had also gotten a taste of the headache she had been experiencing when she reached out to Sesshomaru.
Kagome shook her head. "I can't get through; Sesshomaru's blocking me." The others looked at her as if she had momentarily gone insane. Inu Yasha sighed, noting her embarrassed expression. Silently, he pulled her against him, into the protection of his embrace. He rested his chin on her head, looking completely relaxed, as if this were normal. The dark haired girl started and then relaxed against him, smiling slightly. For one perfect moment the couple was united in complete contentment. Inu Yasha's demon powers flared and wrapped the two in a metaphysical blanket, increasing the pleasant feeling. Kagome's power did the same and the flimsy link between the two solidified into a clear connection. The outside world disappeared for the couple.
Kagome. Inu Yasha whispered in awe. I can feel you... in my head. He couldn't think of anything truly moving to say so he settled for the obvious, the emotions he felt accompanying the statement. He felt Kagome laugh, a warm flowing stream of color and mirth, and knew she felt the same way he did. It was a pleasant moment to be ruined as fast as it occurred.