Sorry about not updating Sunday night; I had the chapter ready to go at like noon on Sunday (I don't post till late at night though; you guys get to read it in the morning, and it stays on the front pages longer; getting more reviews ^_^), but fanfiction.net seriously screwed me over: it wouldn't let me upload the story, so all I can say is gomen ne!
Well, I've accrued over a dozen new reviews; so I'll just respond to some of them now ^_^.
Liyah: I'm probably going to incorporate that into my story; I'd probably take a leaf out of DracOnyx's book, however, and post it as a separate story.
Sailor Saturn (wow, lots of anime characters are responding, huh? ^_^): No, I haven't bashed Hojo yet, and I'm probably not going to; I don't really think I'm going to have them go through the well into Kagome's time…don't count it out, but it's just not likely.
BurningBritelyOne: Just read this chapter; you'll see how he got a Jewel (it was actually in an episode of Inuyasha, that's how I got the idea).
Inuyasha: Same as above, except no problem with the borrowing of the disclaimer: it would be supercool to have ears like him (I think having ears like an elf would be cool, too…my left ear's almost like an elf's, which I think is cool haha).
Quick Japanese grammar:
Nakude kudasai: Please, no…(ie Please, no…not again)
Mou nakude kudasai: Please, not again
I don't own Inuyasha, but I do own the Kaze no Kizu! ::lawyer whispers in his ear:: We lost the case on that!?!? CRAP!
Chapter Eighteen
Kagome and Inuyasha sat together, less than an hour after meeting with Kouga; Inuyasha had refused to acknowledge her, blaming her for Kouga escaping, and despite his resistance, Kagome was tending the side of his face that Kouga had wounded. He had protested that it would do no good, and by the time she got done he would have already healed.
Kagome had refused to allow him to merely heal himself, and it was with a softened expression Inuyasha had allowed her to treat him in a redundant effort: by the time she had finished cleaning up the blood seeping from his mouth, the three teeth Kouga had knocked out had grown back; by the time she had been able to apply ice to his swelling, it had dissipated.
Kagome groaned and pouted for a second, knowing that Inuyasha had been right, and prepared herself for a bout of, 'I told you so's from Inuyasha. She could virtually count down the seconds…
'Three…two…one…'
"Oi, Kagome."
'Right on time. Well at least I…'
"Thanks anyway," he said, turning his head away with a blush tainting his cheeks.
'…tried?'
"What, no laughs? No I-told-you-so? No wench?" She asked in disbelief, wondering what in the world could have happened to Inuyasha.
Inuyasha sighed, thought up a retort, thought better of it, then just smiled devilishly as he grabbed Kagome's hand and gently forced her into a sitting position, falling on top of his lap as his arms wrapped around her middle. Forced into a sudden (and compromising) position, Kagome blushed furiously as she struggled to release herself from the hanyou's grip; a few moments later, however, she had to admit that her position—while compromising—wasn't at all uncomfortable…
"This is my way of saying thanks," Inuyasha mumbled in a low growl, as he rested his head gently on top of hers, inhaling her scent, as fine as perfume to him; Kagome just smiled, a pink blush still upon her cheeks, and leaned back, snuggling into him, golden sunshine playing around the two as they bathed in the lush green life of the forest.
'Maybe Fate's decided to grant me a shot at this before some damn demon or monster comes along and ruins it,' Inuyasha thought to himself, feeling himself slipping into bliss as he held Kagome tight, feeling her warmth and love spread into him.
Unfortunately for Inuyasha, Fate had decided that today would not be his day either: unbeknownst to him, nose filled with Kagome's wonderful scent, Kouga's wolf pack was drawing closer with plans memorized, positions scouted, and steps taken to ensure the success of this mission. Kouga himself, after swallowing a Shikon no Tama, was following after; speed increased to blinding levels by the power encased within.
Even as Inuyasha and Kagome settled in, hoping to stay here as long as possible, never leaving this place, the first five members of Kouga's pack stationed themselves around Kagome and Inuyasha's clearing. There they stayed, awaiting Kouga's signal…and with a short, deafening howl, the attack started.
The five members that had arrived leaped forward; two ripped Kagome from Inuyasha's grasp, the other three tried to disarm him of the Tetsuaiga.
Kouga's plan, however, found its first flaw as the Tetsuaiga's barrier repelled them, scalding their hands with blistering electricity as they stood for a loss of what they should do: unable to decide, they attacked Inuyasha, stunned for the moment over what had just happened.
He was not stunned for much longer, however: as the smell of Kagome faded, replaced by the reek of the wolf pack, he realized what was going on, and he was not in the least pleased by it. The Tetsuaiga flashed from its sheath, a very angry hanyou holding it as he refused to let himself be taken down by a bunch of wimpy wolves that smelled like Kouga.
Even as this realization dawned on him, however, a second one took hold: these were Kouga's friends, possibly his family, and Kagome wouldn't like it if he killed them; aside from that fact, he had already made a promise to Kagome to refrain from killing Kouga, and he supposed that included Kouga's pack members (along with his Sankon Tessou); so it was with a dejected sigh and withering glare that Inuyasha sheathed the Tetsuaiga, cracked his knuckles, and decided to wade into the fray.
Fist met jaw in a solid blow as he swept his hand up in an uppercut, teeth ground together as the uppercut finished its path and Inuyasha swept his leg behind him in a roundhouse. It had been years since he had fought like this, hand-to-hand, without using his demon powers, but he could feel it all coming back to him as another drove of the wolf demons arrived.
Kouga smirked as he watched Inuyasha tire himself out fighting off half of his pack, his plan clicking into place even as he watched: the first two members had taken Kagome far enough away to where Inuyasha couldn't get at her; twelve or so members of his pack were now tiring Inuyasha out enough to where Kouga could easily dispose of him; and if that wasn't enough, the Shikon no Tama he had found—not the Shikon Jewel, but a clever facsimile; crafted by a demon that had been terrorizing a village, collecting enough souls to create it, it lacked the power of the true Shikon, it made up for it by more than doubling his speed, strength, and power—would ensure him victory.
If only he could separate Inuyasha from the Tetsuaiga, he would be nearly helpless before him…and it was only a matter of time before his temper wore out and he drew Tetsuaiga, allowing Kouga to rip it from his grasp and be rid of it.
That time was fast approaching—Inuyasha's patience was wearing thin; fueling his growing anger as the wolves kept coming, annoying him to no end and keeping him from reaching Kagome—not to mention the fact they'd broken up he and Kagome's private time by deciding to wage all-out war on him.
Kouga grinned as Inuyasha grew nearer and nearer the breaking point…he could see rage festering inside his amber eyes, illuminated by the fire that was slowly building up inside of them. And then, in a burst of piquant rage and liquid hate, Tetsuaiga flashed out of its sheathe once more, more a threat than anything else—he wouldn't let his promise be broken that easily—but it was enough.
In a burst of speed, Kouga leapt down from the tree, covered the hundred yards to the battlefield in less than a second, and kicked straight up: Tetsuaiga flew out of Inuyasha's hand, spinning through the air only to slash three feet deep into the ground next to where Kagome was held by the same two guards that had taken her from Inuyasha.
"Yo," Kouga called out to the ten or so wolf demons that had surrounded Inuyasha. "Back off; Inukoro is mine, understand?"
The wolves nodded their heads in agreement, silently backing off and leaving a tired, angry, and panting heavily Inuyasha before Kouga, hate still blistering in his eyes as he cracked his knuckles in anger, struggling to keep himself bound to the promise he had made Kagome…he wouldn't; no, couldn't kill Kouga…
"Well, Inukoro; let's see just how powerful you are without your precious sword."
In a blaze of speed, Kouga sped through the distance separating he and Inuyasha; right fist hurled forward at a speed that even Inuyasha could barely see, let alone do anything about as it smacked into the side of his face. Not content with this first punch, a knee to Inuyasha's gut followed, a shin-kick to the side of Inuyasha's head, spinning him in the air and hurling him to the ground.
"Kouga, stop! You'll kill him!" Kagome screamed from the side of the clearing, struggling against the two guards as she tried to get at, to help Inuyasha in some way, any way she could.
Kouga just smiled, bitter rage mixing with the sweet revenge he was now exacting upon the beaten, but not broken, hanyou—he was rising to his feet, even as Kouga was rushing forward to strike him down once more—a flurry of blows came, as thick as raindrops in a thunderstorm as the false Shikon no Tama lent its jaki-infused strength to Kouga's aid.
Thuds resounded from Inuyasha's ribcage, followed by a gruesome snap as one punch found its mark and cracked a rib—another soon followed, and, with an uppercut that would have felled Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha was hurled once more to the ground, bleeding both inside and out as pain welled in a black tide from the very depths of his being.
Kouga grinned widely: revenge exacted upon one of his enemies, 'his' woman claimed, he rushed over to Kagome and embrace her in a warm hug; knocking both guards to the side as he wrapped a crying Kagome in his arms.
"Shhh, shhh sweet Kagome…don't worry, I took care of that weakling; he'll never bother you again…you're with me now!" He spoke softly, holding her too tightly in his grasp as he attempted to stop her tears.
"That's not why I'm crying, BAKA!" She screamed. "YOU KILLED INUYASHA! YOU KILLED HIM!"
"So?" Kouga asked, smiling encouragingly at Kagome once more. "We have each other now, and you don't have to be stuck with that foul-smelling Inukoro!"
"You don't understand, do you!? I'm not your woman, I'm…I'm…," she started, rage dying…and being replaced by cold, depthless fear as she stared behind her towards where Inuyasha's body had lain.
Had lain, because he was not dead—far from it, in fact. Red eyes glowed out from the darkness, stained the same color as the blood that they had seen spilt, spilt from the countless slaughters of the bandits and villagers; angry red marks snaked themselves up the side of his face, claw-slashes that matched the pain that his soul was going through now, trying to fight this monstrosity welling up inside of him.
"Oh Gods, no…," Kagome whispered, tears falling from her cheeks as she looked at Inuyasha lost; trapped again in the clutches of his demon half as pain and rage shone in equal measure from his angry red eyes. "No…nakude kudasai, Inuyasha…mou nakude kudasai…"
Bwa ha ha, everyday updating schedule is BACK ON TRACK! I almost didn't do this today…my best friend gave me a late birthday present today (he had to send away for it, though; that's why it was so late), and I've spent most of the day playing with my brand-new, 37" long Katana (affectionately nicknamed Tetsuaiga ^_^). But, in any case, here it is: sorry for the delay!
As always, please read and REVIEW; I really like reading new REVIEWs, they just give me a tingly feeling inside ^_^.