Chapter 14: Transformation
Kouga eagerly approached Kagura with all the rage he possessed flowing through his very veins. That wind demoness would pay for her trespasses against his kin. He could feel his fangs elongate slightly as his strength increased.
Kagura's red eyes widened at his approach. She frantically tried to pull the cursed arrow from her shoulder. Helplessly awaiting a ticked off wolf prince was not on her to-do list.
Kouga couldn't resist a grin as he watched her struggling to no avail in efforts to escape. "It really is quite futile." He told her as he reared back his right arm and brought his fist to her face, crushing the mandible and zygomatic arch. The tree shattered upon impact and Kagura fell to the ground with several wooden stakes protruding from her flesh.
"I was only obeying orders." She tried to plead with him, every word causing intense pain on her ruined face.
Kouga looked at her with sadness for a moment, before bitterness clouded his judgments once again. "You should have disobeyed them then." He kicked her thrice creating a deep crater to bury her. Then he unsheathed his ornamental sword that he picked off a human samurai and thought it fitting to behead Kagura using a human weapon.
Her body disintegrated after the mortal blow and ashes scattered into the wind. Kouga thought he could hear a whispered sigh and a thank you for freedom. He stared a moment more at the crater that contained no evidence of the demoness then sheathed his sword. He turned back to join in the battle against the relentless army. He would lose no more of those he cared for because of Naraku.
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"Kazana!" Miroku shouted with sweat pouring from his pores. He was so very tired. Never before had he absorbed so many youkai into his air void. He noticed that the size of the hole was increasing. He was running out of time, but he was willing to sacrifice himself to save his friends.
"Stop that!" Inuyasha yelled down at him as he landed on the ground near Miroku's feet. "Are you trying to get yourself sucked up into that cursed hole?"
Miroku looked at him grimly. "I will do what I must to ensure the safety of my friends." He vowed with great determination while clenching his teeth together in agony.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Well if you're going to be stupid, I can't allow you to fight." He clobbered the monk on the back of the head and knocked him unconscious. He then stood guard over his body and released his wind scar attack to decimate a good portion of the field.
Sango caught her bone boomerang with practiced ease. She noticed Inuyasha standing protectively over Miroku and had Kirara land beside them. "What happened?" She asked the sword welding hanyou.
"Hentai monk was trying to get himself killed." Inuyasha told her as he released another attack.
Sango released her boomerang once more while standing back to back with Inuyasha, protecting their unconscious friend. "Hiraikotsu!"
Kirara stood beside her master and bit and clawed at the nearby foes.
#####################
"There are so many." Kagome admitted to Sesshoumaru as they fought back to back further out from the others of the group.
"Indeed. However, they are weak. Perhaps if I transform I can crush more of them quickly." Sesshoumaru told her as he slashed the masses of filth with Toukijin.
"I think you may need to. I will do fine without you. I have plenty of arrows." Kagome lied to the western lord. She knew he would be unable to detect her lie this time, as he was preoccupied at the moment. She felt him move away from her slightly and could feel his aura's power increasing. She cast a glance over her shoulder and noticed she now stood against his rear paw.
His massive jaw was already snapping ferociously and he was stomping on the nearby demons. Sesshoumaru wrapped his tail around the miko and hoisted her onto his back. He could tell she had lied about her amount of arrows earlier.
Kagome settled upon his great back and aimed her arrows at youkai in the distance as Sesshoumaru annihilated all those in close proximity. She began to run out of arrows and held on tight to Sesshoumaru. Her fingers were entwined in this thick white mane as she searched the fields for worthy targets.
Soon, however she was down to her last arrow. She saw Naraku at the distance.
She stood upon the great tai-youkai's back to increase her accuracy. Sesshoumaru had lost much of his sense of control as he became engrossed in the bloodshed he was causing. He failed to notice that the miko was no longer secure upon him.
Kagome took careful aim and released her arrow. It would be true to it's mark. Unfortunately, it was not Naraku that she hit, but another puppet.
"Coward." She muttered to herself disgusted. Then Sesshoumaru shifted and the miko plummeted to the Earth. However, her fall was not complete for below her stood a small child with white hair and a blank expression.
The child held up her mirror to Kagome and sucked the miko within its confines. Then she disappeared from the battle scene as if she was never there. Kanna returned to her master Naraku with his package in tow. He would be pleased with his child this day.
Sesshoumaru continued to decimate the youkai around him. Soon he was pleased that the field was reduced from the hundreds to only around fifty. The odds were more satisfying so he began to turn back to his humanoid form. Only then, did he notice that his load was lightened and that Kagome was no longer present.
##################
Kouga had fought his way through the masses to stand near Inuyasha and Sango. They slaughtered countless lesser demons. The endless ranks seemed to be thinning.
"Where is Kagome?" Kouga asked once a break in the fighting had been found.
Inuyasha gestured to a rise in the land. "She's fighting over there with Sesshoumaru." He answered before jumping away and slicing through another pesky youkai with his 'Iron Reaver Soul Stealer' attack.
Miroku began to moan from the ground and Sango kneeled before him, trusting in the other three allies to protect them. "Are you okay?"
Miroku opened his lavender eyes to meet Sango's concerned chocolate orbs. "I just have a bit of head ache."
"Good. Now next time don't even think about dying like that. If you do, I'll kill you!" Sango threatened him as she reached down her hand to help him stand on his feet. Once up she did not release his hand but merely stared at it.
Miroku offered her a charming smile and then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to whisper in her ear. "I'm sorry. I won't be so foolish again." He promised.
"Looks like this battle is about over. It seemed pretty easy." Inuyasha admitted, as there only remained about twenty demons on the field. He decided to release one more 'Kaze no Kizu' to take out the remaining weaklings.
Sesshoumaru began running towards them and his eyes were wide. "Where is Kagome?" He demanded as soon as he was within hearing range.
The others stared at him with slack jawed expressions. "I thought she was with you." Inuyasha told him.
"She was, but we were separated." Sesshoumaru told them.
"Kukuku. Don't worry." The greatly despised voice of Naraku consoled them as another one of his puppets glided towards them. He looked at the crater created by Kagura. "She was a good servant." He remarked before looking back at his audience. He smiled as their looks of hatred were quite apparent.
"What did you do with her?" Kouga ground out through clenched teeth.
"I'm merely taking her home. We have all the pieces of the jewel now. Or at least we will once you two hand over your shards." He pointed to Kouga and Miroku.
"I will kill you." Kouga vowed.
"I'm sure you will try." Naraku agreed. "However, I really would like to move on. My new mate will need some time readjusting."
"Kagome will never be yours." Inuyasha told him as he drew the Tetsusaiga. Sesshoumaru placed his hand upon his brother's to prevent him from attacking.
"Where are you taking her?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, perhaps after I attain the jewel we can put this little mishap behind us. You would make a very valuable ally." The puppet bartered.
"I do not make deals with the likes of you." Sesshoumaru replied.
"Pity." Naraku moved to attack Miroku and Kouga simultaneously with his tentacles. He wanted those shards now!
Kouga's eyes were becoming crimson as his rage began to mount to levels he never thought possible. He leaped into the air and sliced through the golem with his bare claws.
He landed with a thud onto the ground, his back facing his companions as his anger continue to increase.
"I can find them." Sesshoumaru told everyone. "Their scent is still fresh." He walked towards Kouga to help him stand and begin their hunt for Naraku and Kagome. However, he noticed something was different with the wolf.
Kouga slowly turned to face his companions. His eyes were burning crimson. His fangs had grown and his very skeletal structure was elongating. They all stared at him in amazement.
"They will not get far." Kouga vowed before his body no longer bore a humanoid appearance. A great wolf equal to the size of Sesshoumaru's true form stood before them. He gave a great heart-wrenching howl to the sky before he began to run off in the direction that Sesshoumaru believed the scent trail led.
"I didn't know wolf youkai could transform." Sango admitted once the initial shock had wore off.
Sesshoumaru shared a look of amazement no less great than the others. "It has never happened before in my lifetime. My father once told me that there was once a great leader amongst the wolves that possessed the ability to transform."
"So maybe Kouga's related to him." Miroku reasoned.
"That wolf only transformed under the most extreme circumstances." Inuyasha informed them, remembering the same tale as Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru narrowed his golden eyes in the direction they would soon take off towards. "The only time that wolf transformed was when his mate was in danger."
Sango and Miroku exchanged looks. 'Looks like Kagome's going to pick Kouga.' Sango mouthed to him. Miroku would have to agree.
Kouga eagerly approached Kagura with all the rage he possessed flowing through his very veins. That wind demoness would pay for her trespasses against his kin. He could feel his fangs elongate slightly as his strength increased.
Kagura's red eyes widened at his approach. She frantically tried to pull the cursed arrow from her shoulder. Helplessly awaiting a ticked off wolf prince was not on her to-do list.
Kouga couldn't resist a grin as he watched her struggling to no avail in efforts to escape. "It really is quite futile." He told her as he reared back his right arm and brought his fist to her face, crushing the mandible and zygomatic arch. The tree shattered upon impact and Kagura fell to the ground with several wooden stakes protruding from her flesh.
"I was only obeying orders." She tried to plead with him, every word causing intense pain on her ruined face.
Kouga looked at her with sadness for a moment, before bitterness clouded his judgments once again. "You should have disobeyed them then." He kicked her thrice creating a deep crater to bury her. Then he unsheathed his ornamental sword that he picked off a human samurai and thought it fitting to behead Kagura using a human weapon.
Her body disintegrated after the mortal blow and ashes scattered into the wind. Kouga thought he could hear a whispered sigh and a thank you for freedom. He stared a moment more at the crater that contained no evidence of the demoness then sheathed his sword. He turned back to join in the battle against the relentless army. He would lose no more of those he cared for because of Naraku.
####################
"Kazana!" Miroku shouted with sweat pouring from his pores. He was so very tired. Never before had he absorbed so many youkai into his air void. He noticed that the size of the hole was increasing. He was running out of time, but he was willing to sacrifice himself to save his friends.
"Stop that!" Inuyasha yelled down at him as he landed on the ground near Miroku's feet. "Are you trying to get yourself sucked up into that cursed hole?"
Miroku looked at him grimly. "I will do what I must to ensure the safety of my friends." He vowed with great determination while clenching his teeth together in agony.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Well if you're going to be stupid, I can't allow you to fight." He clobbered the monk on the back of the head and knocked him unconscious. He then stood guard over his body and released his wind scar attack to decimate a good portion of the field.
Sango caught her bone boomerang with practiced ease. She noticed Inuyasha standing protectively over Miroku and had Kirara land beside them. "What happened?" She asked the sword welding hanyou.
"Hentai monk was trying to get himself killed." Inuyasha told her as he released another attack.
Sango released her boomerang once more while standing back to back with Inuyasha, protecting their unconscious friend. "Hiraikotsu!"
Kirara stood beside her master and bit and clawed at the nearby foes.
#####################
"There are so many." Kagome admitted to Sesshoumaru as they fought back to back further out from the others of the group.
"Indeed. However, they are weak. Perhaps if I transform I can crush more of them quickly." Sesshoumaru told her as he slashed the masses of filth with Toukijin.
"I think you may need to. I will do fine without you. I have plenty of arrows." Kagome lied to the western lord. She knew he would be unable to detect her lie this time, as he was preoccupied at the moment. She felt him move away from her slightly and could feel his aura's power increasing. She cast a glance over her shoulder and noticed she now stood against his rear paw.
His massive jaw was already snapping ferociously and he was stomping on the nearby demons. Sesshoumaru wrapped his tail around the miko and hoisted her onto his back. He could tell she had lied about her amount of arrows earlier.
Kagome settled upon his great back and aimed her arrows at youkai in the distance as Sesshoumaru annihilated all those in close proximity. She began to run out of arrows and held on tight to Sesshoumaru. Her fingers were entwined in this thick white mane as she searched the fields for worthy targets.
Soon, however she was down to her last arrow. She saw Naraku at the distance.
She stood upon the great tai-youkai's back to increase her accuracy. Sesshoumaru had lost much of his sense of control as he became engrossed in the bloodshed he was causing. He failed to notice that the miko was no longer secure upon him.
Kagome took careful aim and released her arrow. It would be true to it's mark. Unfortunately, it was not Naraku that she hit, but another puppet.
"Coward." She muttered to herself disgusted. Then Sesshoumaru shifted and the miko plummeted to the Earth. However, her fall was not complete for below her stood a small child with white hair and a blank expression.
The child held up her mirror to Kagome and sucked the miko within its confines. Then she disappeared from the battle scene as if she was never there. Kanna returned to her master Naraku with his package in tow. He would be pleased with his child this day.
Sesshoumaru continued to decimate the youkai around him. Soon he was pleased that the field was reduced from the hundreds to only around fifty. The odds were more satisfying so he began to turn back to his humanoid form. Only then, did he notice that his load was lightened and that Kagome was no longer present.
##################
Kouga had fought his way through the masses to stand near Inuyasha and Sango. They slaughtered countless lesser demons. The endless ranks seemed to be thinning.
"Where is Kagome?" Kouga asked once a break in the fighting had been found.
Inuyasha gestured to a rise in the land. "She's fighting over there with Sesshoumaru." He answered before jumping away and slicing through another pesky youkai with his 'Iron Reaver Soul Stealer' attack.
Miroku began to moan from the ground and Sango kneeled before him, trusting in the other three allies to protect them. "Are you okay?"
Miroku opened his lavender eyes to meet Sango's concerned chocolate orbs. "I just have a bit of head ache."
"Good. Now next time don't even think about dying like that. If you do, I'll kill you!" Sango threatened him as she reached down her hand to help him stand on his feet. Once up she did not release his hand but merely stared at it.
Miroku offered her a charming smile and then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to whisper in her ear. "I'm sorry. I won't be so foolish again." He promised.
"Looks like this battle is about over. It seemed pretty easy." Inuyasha admitted, as there only remained about twenty demons on the field. He decided to release one more 'Kaze no Kizu' to take out the remaining weaklings.
Sesshoumaru began running towards them and his eyes were wide. "Where is Kagome?" He demanded as soon as he was within hearing range.
The others stared at him with slack jawed expressions. "I thought she was with you." Inuyasha told him.
"She was, but we were separated." Sesshoumaru told them.
"Kukuku. Don't worry." The greatly despised voice of Naraku consoled them as another one of his puppets glided towards them. He looked at the crater created by Kagura. "She was a good servant." He remarked before looking back at his audience. He smiled as their looks of hatred were quite apparent.
"What did you do with her?" Kouga ground out through clenched teeth.
"I'm merely taking her home. We have all the pieces of the jewel now. Or at least we will once you two hand over your shards." He pointed to Kouga and Miroku.
"I will kill you." Kouga vowed.
"I'm sure you will try." Naraku agreed. "However, I really would like to move on. My new mate will need some time readjusting."
"Kagome will never be yours." Inuyasha told him as he drew the Tetsusaiga. Sesshoumaru placed his hand upon his brother's to prevent him from attacking.
"Where are you taking her?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, perhaps after I attain the jewel we can put this little mishap behind us. You would make a very valuable ally." The puppet bartered.
"I do not make deals with the likes of you." Sesshoumaru replied.
"Pity." Naraku moved to attack Miroku and Kouga simultaneously with his tentacles. He wanted those shards now!
Kouga's eyes were becoming crimson as his rage began to mount to levels he never thought possible. He leaped into the air and sliced through the golem with his bare claws.
He landed with a thud onto the ground, his back facing his companions as his anger continue to increase.
"I can find them." Sesshoumaru told everyone. "Their scent is still fresh." He walked towards Kouga to help him stand and begin their hunt for Naraku and Kagome. However, he noticed something was different with the wolf.
Kouga slowly turned to face his companions. His eyes were burning crimson. His fangs had grown and his very skeletal structure was elongating. They all stared at him in amazement.
"They will not get far." Kouga vowed before his body no longer bore a humanoid appearance. A great wolf equal to the size of Sesshoumaru's true form stood before them. He gave a great heart-wrenching howl to the sky before he began to run off in the direction that Sesshoumaru believed the scent trail led.
"I didn't know wolf youkai could transform." Sango admitted once the initial shock had wore off.
Sesshoumaru shared a look of amazement no less great than the others. "It has never happened before in my lifetime. My father once told me that there was once a great leader amongst the wolves that possessed the ability to transform."
"So maybe Kouga's related to him." Miroku reasoned.
"That wolf only transformed under the most extreme circumstances." Inuyasha informed them, remembering the same tale as Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru narrowed his golden eyes in the direction they would soon take off towards. "The only time that wolf transformed was when his mate was in danger."
Sango and Miroku exchanged looks. 'Looks like Kagome's going to pick Kouga.' Sango mouthed to him. Miroku would have to agree.