A/N: Muhaha! Here it is, Chapter 11, the beginning to the tournament action. First off, I want to get down on bended knee and thank my brother. Jesse, you are sent from God for the soul purpose of helping me write good fight scenes, lol. Everyone thank my twin with me! I knew there was a reason he was born with me! Enjoy the chapter!
Miko Sakura-sama: Yay! Double treats for me! Score! Thank you so much for the reviews, lol. Yes, I did put out 10 fast because I have to be honest, that's my favorite chapter. It was fueled by a lot of resentment and sadness, mostly experienced by yours truly. Thanks for reading!
Lilo: Thanks for reading and for the review. Don't worry, anything you said will stay in the reviewer's box. Here is another chapter for your enjoyment. Never fear, Inuyasha will keep his promise, but that doesn't mean a certain someone else won't come looking for him. *looks innocent*
AngelGurl2: Yes, I was going for deep. It didn't come out too over the top did it? Yes, he can be mindless, but that's why he's fun to write, lol. Thanks for reading and the review!
Leomae: I wouldn't have made him do that. Inuyasha is not a glutton for punishment, he's just a moron. There is a kiss in this chapter, so don't worry. I'm actually not trying to portray Kikyo as a horrible person in this fic, I just think she's the polar extremes of any person, can go from really nice to really bad at any given moment. I dunno, maybe that's not the right thing to do. Thanks for reading, and the review!
Star0704: Well, I'm so very glad you stumbled across this story too! I'm always happy for new faces, or reviewer, hehe. Here's the next chapter, and Inuyasha's first fight. Beware, it's not the greatest fight scene. I swear better fights as I go along, this was more of a warm up. I'm glad you enjoy my story, because it is for enjoyment, lol. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Hihi: I'm so glad you approve! Thanks for the review!
Sweet little country girl1: Lol, deep, cleansing breathes. It'll all be okay, I promise. I don't think I'll kill Kikyo because in this story I'm not making her evil. A little insensitive and a bitch, maybe, but she's not evil, therefore it wouldn't serve my means to kill her. Well, *pockets the first fifty* If you want to kill her, then by all means! *hands her a metal bat and points to Kikyo, bound and gagged to a chair in the corner* As for Kagome *pockets the other fifty* I'm afraid she stays, sorry. Thanks for the review!
Kakera No Yume: Thanks you *bows* This chapter was one very close to my heart. You want to know a secret? Some of what Kagome said was actually said by me. I dunno, it's always the emotionally damaged ones that draw me in. *sigh* Anyway, thanks for the review. I hope this chapter meets your standards.
Nite1: Thanks, I'm glad someone agrees with me. It hurts like hell, but it's true. There is an old saying, when someone lives in the dark and is suddenly given light, when the light is threatened, the dweller would fight to keep it. Someone like Inuyasha falls in love, they'll fight like hell to keep that, no matter what. But, three years and a new love later, I think he's finally letting it go. What do you think? Thanks for the review!
Sierra: Well, this chapter isn't that intense. Next chapter will be though, that I promise. It's a chapter I actually cried while writing, only because I really didn't want to do it! But I had to, in the name of the story. Thanks for reading and for the review!
( ): Ah well, Inuyasha is a man of his word. But…just because he promises to stay away from someone, doesn't mean that someone won't come looking for him. Oh, ah, got ya there! Yes, I really love Kouga's character. Everyone always makes him some kind of villian or just an annoying psycho. See, Kouga really isn't like that. If you really take a good look at his character, and not just the fact that he stalks Kagome, you'd see that he's a very loyal person who will fight to the death for his people. He's strong and he can be intelligent, except when Inuyasha is around. I think it's his loyalty that I really love the most about him. I wanted to make him into the kind of character that people could like. Thanks for the review!
Angelwarrior1: Yep yep, Kouga is my messiah, lol. Actually, I've never seen Ayame, so she was not worked into this fic. Perhaps in future stories I will add her, but in this one, Kouga plays a very significant role, and it's not the part of the back love story. I'm glad I could help you, it makes my day! In fact, I dedicate this chapter to you! Thanks for the review!
Josie: I do too, it's my favorite so far. I wanted to make someone to give Kagome the advice she needed to really begin to understand things. I want Kagome to grow, and Kouga's character is the friend that she needed, the one that doesn't know every bit of her but can still know enough to tell her what will have an important effect, you know? And I am so loving how Kouga turned out! I was scared no one would like him, lol. Thanks for the review!
Chibilee: Lol, actually I never thought about Mortal Combat while reading this only because in the game they all have those sweet powers and stuff. This is just normal fighting. *coughQuestcough* Yes, well, the fighting will get better and more intense as we go along, don't worry! Ah, Hojo…I really love him, I do. He's just so delightfully clueless, he's the guy you just want to smack around for a little while. I wanted him to have an affect on this story, so I liked him, lol. Actually, I wasn't planning on giving Sesshomaru a guest appearance. If I do, it won't be until the very, very end. Thanks for reading! *eats pocky* And for the review!
LilNezumi LilInu: A constant reviewer, those are always welcome! Happy Holidays to you as well, and thank you for the review! Here is more, to sate your appetite.
Calendar: Sorry, had to make her appear. No no, for if Inuyasha and Kagome are really meant to be, even the foulness of Kikyo can not drive them apart! She's more of a test really, a tool to make them both realize that they are, in fact, in love with each other. But you will see, Inuyasha will not go to Kikyo, but that doesn't stop Kikyo from going to Inuyasha…Thanks for the review!
Ayrith: *hugs* You are officially my favorite reviewer! I get two uber-long reviews in one day, yay me! The emotion there, that was mostly real. As I have mentioned to a few people, this story was actually inspired by events that took place in my own life. I fell very much in love with someone who was still in love with his old girlfriend. It was very emotionally trying for me, and for him, and this story was really a way for me to help release some of that emotion. That is really why this story means so much for me. Yes, Kouga is my 'wisdom character' the one who shares that piece of advice that just changes everything for the main character. He's the one who can change your life. Now Kikyo, I'm not trying to show her as anything evil. I got a little philosophical with her because Kikyo is actually the two polar ends of the human spectrum. In the eyes of Kagome, she's someone who has the ability to be a good person, but to Inuyasha she'd already damned. You'll see where I go with her as we go along. Inuyasha--he is a quandary of many things. He has a hard time trying to understand himself. He was once a very outgoing and cocky person, but after everything happened and he became a hermit, his entire personality changed drastically. Now he's stuck somewhere in the middle and it's taking him longer to truly understand where he wants to be. But I will say this, a near-death experience can change a man, or at least make him fess up to change. And finally, Kagome. I based her off of myself, I really didn't know I made her insightful, lol. Thanks for reading, and for the super review!
Teeny: Yes, I love that chapter though, lol. Thanks so much for reading and for the review!
Rome34: Here! Enjoy the new chapter! I'm glad you think it's awesome, thanks for reading, and for the review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, but I do like to collect pictures of him to fawn over.
A Fighter's Story
Chapter 11
Inuyasha woke to a very strange aroma, the scent of food. Everyone knows that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and Inuyasha was no exception. He happily tossed off the covers of the bed and followed his nose into the kitchen. Kagome was busy at work, still dressed in the clothes she had slept in. Hopping around the kitchen, she had managed a rather large breakfast. Inuyasha crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, waiting until she noticed his arrival. After a minute, he got impatient so he coughed to let her know of his presence.
"Ah, so you are among the living once more," she laughed when she took in his disheveled appearance. Then she swept into a deep bow. "Come, my liege, I have prepared you a stunning feast to commemorate the first day of your future victory."
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her, but Kagome only beamed and grabbed his hand before shoving him into a chair. "So what's good to eat?" he asked her.
"I'm glad you asked!" she exclaimed. "I've been up for over an hour, scouring every inch of the kitchen in search of breakfast foods fit for a king like yourself."
"And what did you discover?" he asked, playing along.
"Well, I made you my personal favorite, cheese omelet," Kagome explained, placing the eggs on his plate with flourish. Then she grabbed a smaller plate that was piled with a few flapjacks. "Pancakes too, only to be traditional," she explained, passing him the small jar of syrup and the tub of butter. "Some bacon too," she added, forking a few pieces of fried pig on to his plate. "And last but not least," Kagome chuckled, placing a bowl in front of him. "Ramen, for the king who eats everything."
Inuyasha's mouth watered as the noodles were placed in front of him. "Kagome, have I ever told you that you are a God sent?"
"At least once a day," she beamed, patting him on the head before taking her own seat. "I want you to have a good meal in you before today's events. You'll have two matches today, if you win the first one that is."
He looked up at her sharply. "You don't think I'll make it past the first match?"
"I didn't say that," Kagome said calmly, like soothing an angry child before a tantrum. "But we have to be prepared for anything. As I was saying," she pressed on as he grudgingly went back to his Ramen. "You'll have your first match sometime this morning, I think your schedule has you down in the fourth bout. If you win the first one, then you'll be in the second round this afternoon."
"An' 'f I wen tat 'en 'oo?" he asked with his mouth full.
"Well, if you win that one too, you'll get to fight tomorrow. Simple," she said with a thoughtful expression, her fork biting into the flesh of the eggs on her plate. They ate the rest of their meal in silence. Once he was finished, Inuyasha went to the bathroom, showered, and dressed in the gi given to him by the tournament staff. It was a little big, but not so much that it would be a nuisance. The pants were red, as well as the outer shirt. There was an under layer that fit him better, and that was white. Socks were optional when it came to the matches themselves, but Inuyasha had always felt more comfortable bare.
"Aw, you look so cute," Kagome laughed, when she saw him. She was also wearing red, to match his uniform. Plain, in a pair of jeans and a red hoodie. She entered the kitchen and came out again with a piece of toast, nibbling on it as she tormented him.
"A tournament fighter does not look cute. I resent that remark," Inuyasha grumbled as he tried out a few basic warm up moves in the new clothing.
"Oh really," she teased. "I'm sure Kouga would take a compliment." The remark had just the desired affect; he twitched.
"You'd...call Kouga...cute?" he haltingly asked.
"No," Kagome said with a sigh. "Although, by all means, he's a dreamy fellow." Inuyasha twitched again. "He's not cute." He looked a little relieved, at least enough to flash her his signature smirk. "You're the cute one, 'Yash."
"Ok, I'll allow you to call me cute, just this once."
"Why thank you, my liege!" she exclaimed, falling dramatically to one knee. "You are a most generous ruler."
"And you are ridiculous." Kagome shrugged as she got back up.
"As if you'd have me any other way." Just then, when Kagome was laughing, Inuyasha felt something in his chest tighten. Kagome had taken the couch that night, and Inuyasha had the bed to himself. He had been up late into the night, after they had returned to their cabin, thinking things over.
Kagome had made a lot of good points during her little scene, but it stung that she thought he'd simply fall back into the same position he had been in. She said that people like them didn't change. That wasn't true. They didn't change easily, but they could change. He had changed, slowly...very slowly, but still, he had changed. No longer did he hide away in his bar and deliver pizza for nine dollars an hour so he could buy himself Ramen and chips and beer, the three major food groups he lived off of. No longer was he a reclusive has-been, he was a social has-been. Most importantly, he didn't wallow in the private hell he had sunk himself in anymore. And he had Kagome to thank for that. That night in the bar he had started out trying to help her, but she ended up helping him more.
He really couldn't explain it. If someone asked him what it was about Kagome, why he could put up with all her comments and actions where he'd never take such behavior from anyone before, he wouldn't have an answer. It was plain, he just didn't know what it was about the woman that calmed him and made him feel so...at home. That was the entire reason why he had asked her to come with him. He truly needed her. Never in his life had he needed someone as much as he did her. It scared him, and it awed him. Inuyasha wouldn't admit it to himself, but some part of him know that, somewhere along the way, he had fallen in love with her. He just wasn't ready to say it to himself yet. Too much, too soon, and he was still too damned afraid.
Scared as he was, unsure of himself as ever, Inuyasha still made a leap of progress. One minute, he was just thinking about how retarded Kagome could act, but she said that phrase again. The same one she told him the day before. 'As if you'd have me any other way.' And just as before, he knew that he wouldn't change a thing about her. She stood there, laughing at him, with that familiar, superior sparkle in her blue eyes, and Inuyasha didn't even think twice.
He took that step, that single, solitary, infuriating step that always stood between him and what he was after, and he kissed her. Kagome was so startled that she dropped what was left of her toast. She hadn't expected him to do that...ever really. The first kiss they ever had was weeks ago, in her apartment, but she had initiated that. This was the first time her had ever kissed her, not that she was complaining! It was just so unexpected that her brain didn't register what was going on at first.
Maybe it was only anxiety over his upcoming fight that drove him to do this, or maybe he just wanted to shut her up from a lame joke. Maybe it was the fact that his old girlfriend was still fresh in his mind. So many little doubts bit at Kagome as Inuyasha kissed her. She wanted, more than anything, to believe that he was kissing her just because he wanted to kiss her, Kagome Higurashi, nothing more to it than that. And yet, she found it increasingly hard to make herself believe that he would want anything from her except emotional support. It depressed her really. Yes, she did fling Kouga at him like a spear, and yes, she did wear the dress to the banquet solely for the purpose of wowing him, but Kagome was acutely aware of what she was and what she was not. And she was not the kind of person that Inuyasha Dai would want to kiss.
That was when she pulled away. Kagome took that step back, that quick step of escape. She stared at him with wide blue eyes, bringing her fingers up to tentatively touch her lips. Shock had turned to doubt, doubt had turned to fear, but fear was quickly turning to anger. "What the hell did you do that for?" Kagome asked in a tone that expressed she was more than a little miffed.
"I'm sorry," Inuyasha said quickly. "I don't know why I did that." Of course he really did know why, but he couldn't tell her that. She obviously didn't want him to kiss her, so he wouldn't go spilling the fact that he had been wanting to do that ever since she had kissed him that night in her apartment. He'd just been to freaked to do that. Maybe it was the place, Kagome said there was magic and power in these grounds. Perhaps it was the adrenaline of battle that gave him the courage.
"Yes you do!" Kagome snapped. "You knew exactly what you were doing, or you wouldn't have done it. Don't think that I don't know you that well, Inuyasha, because you are sorely mistaken."
"What the hell...?" he muttered. "You know I never think before I act."
"You never think before you speak," she specified. "But you're a fighter and you always think before you act." She had him there, and they both knew it.
Inuyasha lifted one shoulder in a shrug and tried avoiding eye contact. "Seemed like a good time."
"So it's not because you're feeling sorry for yourself?" Kagome asked. "This has nothing to do with the fact that Kikyo is here?"
Inuyasha's head snapped up to look at her. She looked back at him, all expression cleverly masked from her eyes. "This has nothing to do with her."
Kagome took in a deep breath and nodded. "Good." That was all she said before taking that step. The very same step Inuyasha had taken only a minute before. Kagome took the step, wrapped one arm around his neck, and pulled his mouth down to hers. The other arm linked with her other, giving him no chance for escape until she was good and ready to let him go. The last thought on his mind was escape.
Inuyasha's arms snaked around her waist, pulling her close against him. Kagome bit at his bottom lip, and Inuyasha answered with a low sound in the back of his throat. He could feel her smiling, even though his eyes were closed, that smug smile she wore whenever she bested him. Just this once, he was more than happy to let her dominate. He leaned into her a little further, his tongue asking entrance to her mouth. She was all too happy to give him permission. This time, there were no children in the other room to interrupt, this time it was just them. Needless to say, Inuyasha took full advantage of the fact, deepening the kiss. Now it was his turn to dominate. Kagome, a woman who never liked men to think themselves stronger that her, felt that sometimes, playing the defenseless female had its advantages.
Now, one thing could have lead to another, but it didn't. The only reason it didn't was because there came a knock on the door. They were both reluctant to pull apart, but Kagome rested her forehead against his and smiled. "Too be continued," she promised. Inuyasha smirked.
"Promise?" Kagome winked and left the circle of his arms to see who interrupted their session.
Kouga stood at the door, arms folded across his chest, yawning. He didn't notice that Kagome had opened the door until she greeted him. "Good morning Kouga," she said with a smile. This was the first time she was unhappy to see him.
"Hi Kagome," he said cheerily. "The first fight is about to start. I noticed you guys weren't there and I know you weren't feeling well, so I thought I'd see if you were going to come down."
Scratch that, Kagome loved him again. "Thanks Kouga!" she exclaimed. "We're late! 'Yash, haul you're cute ass, we've got to go!" Kagome yelled into the house, running back inside to grab the schedule and a pen. Inuyasha was scowling at her as he followed. She locked the door behind them and the three fighters jogged down the hill toward the arena.
Once inside, Kouga bid them farewell as he took his spot in the line-up. He wasn't until the last match of the first round. Inuyasha was in the fourth bout, just like Kagome thought, so they took their places. Inuyasha sat on the bench labeled for the fourth fight, Kagome seated in the row just behind him. She reached over the short divider and rubbed his shoulders as they waited for the first, second, and third matches to end. Inuyasha continually cracked his neck, Kagome whispering how irritating it was to feel his bones pop under her fingers in his ear. He knew she was trying to keep him relaxed, and he appreciated it.
Kagome laid the fighting schedule on her lap, and noticed that Naraku--Kikyo's new flame--was in the fifth match, just after Inuyasha. She looked over to the bench down just a little from them and saw him sitting there, leaning against the divider. Kikyo sat behind him, running her fingers through his hair, and talking to him in a low voice. She was thankful that Inuyasha was too focused to see them, or it might run the risk of distracting him. Kagome knew she didn't really need to worry. Inuyasha was a fighter, a true warrior, and he was in the zone.
Before she really knew it, the fourth fight had been called, and Inuyasha was set to fight. He got to his feet, hopping up and down a little bit to loosen his muscles. "Wish me luck," he said to her with a smile as he went to the center of the ring. Kagome clasped her hands together in her lap.
"Good luck," she whispered to herself.
Inuyasha took center ring and looked over at his opponent, a small middle aged man wearing dark blue. Kagome had mentioned to him that his opponent was from Nepal. He looked limber, but Inuyasha had his doubts because of the man's years. Both fighters bowed to the Dovon from his seat above them, then they bowed to each other and took their beginning stance. Yusan hit a small gong, signaling the beginning of the fight. All of Inuyasha's doubts were erased when the small man leapt forward to attack, faster than Inuyasha could have expected. Still, he raised his arms in perfect sync to block the attack. It was like a dance, both fighters' moves graceful and practiced. After a few minutes of circling one another, and trying attacks to feel out each other's strengths and weaknesses, they clashed head-to-head. Everyone watching in the arena held their breath, waiting for the next move. None watched more intensely than Kagome. She was literally on the edge of her seat.
Inuyasha feigned to the left, narrowly missing a kick to the side of the head that would have surely left him dazed and open for the attack. The small man from Nepal dodged Inuyasha's fastest attacks, making the American wonder just how in the name of all things holy he was supposed to beat this guy. The answer came in the form of a sweeper move. Inuyasha froze his movements, making it just slow enough so that his opponent would move in close for the kill, or the win in this case. When he was within reach, Inuyasha fell to the floor and brought his leg around, catching his opposition in the back of the knees and knocking him off his feet. Inuyasha was on him in a second, pressing the heel of his bare foot into the smaller man's windpipe.
The gong was sounded and Yusan declared Inuyasha the winner of his first round match. The audience clapped and a few even cheered. Kagome jumped to her feet and squeaked happily. When Inuyasha came back to his seat, winded as he was, Kagome still mauled him with a hug from over the divider. "That was beautiful," she raved, kissing his cheek in her enthusiasm. "See? My breakfast gave you the edge you needed in battle."
"Yes," he agreed. "Nothing saves lives quite like Ramen." Kagome giggled and sat back down in her seat, but she was so giddy that she could keep still. Inuyasha had defeated his first opponent, but there were still several to be beaten, and they would only get harder as they went along. And as she looked over at the fifth fight bench, as Naraku took his position in the ring, something in her gut told her that Inuyasha would be fighting him before the tournament was out.
Naraku took his position, bowed, and then looked over at his competition. The skinny man from Turkey didn't look very threatening, but he had to be good to have been invited. His speed was impressive, and he was far stronger than one could guess by his bony visage. Still, Naraku made quick work of the poor man. All he had to do was stay still and absorb a few blows. Once the Turkish fighter grew confident, he grew sloppy and got too close. Naraku made a clean grab at his throat, catching an arm first. But he bent that around before hooking his free arm around the exposed neck of his opposition. There was a loud choking sound from the fighter, and then a sickening crack. The Turkish man hit the mat in a crumpled mass, and did not get up. The gong was sounded and Naraku was the winner. For at the Kiyomatsu Tournament, anything went, even death.
Naraku returned to his seat slowly, confidently, as if he hadn't just taken a man's life. Kagome felt sick just looking at him. She had come across fighters like him before. Those who believed in the older ways that fighting should be done to the death and nothing else. She had to turn away, too ashamed to look at him any longer. She caught sight of Inuyasha staring at him with eyes of pure hatred. That was when she became afraid. If her premonition was true, than the man she loved might be the next one to fall victim to the mat.
A/N: Okay, how was that? Chapter 12 will be out soon, promise. I know this isn't exactly before the New Year, but I went to a party and I was too hung over to write much the last two days, sorry, lol. Thanks for reading, please review!