A/N- Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter took so long. I know I left the last one at a cliffhanger, but it took me a while to get my ideas down on Microsoft Word. Love ya lots! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
The Colors of Emotions
Chapter 16
Focused Power, Enemy in Debt
"Shippou, are you sure they went in this direction?" Inuyasha asked.
"Yep." Shippou responded.
Inuyasha's voice grew in intensity, "Then why haven't we found the slightest trace of Kagome and the kotsonu?!"
"Calm down Inuyasha!" Miroku advised. "I will venture to guess that you still cannot catch her scent?" The monk stated matter-of-factly. The hanyou glared at him, but Miroku simply offered, "Then they must have quite a lead on us."
The small group of Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara had been traveling for quite a few hours, heading deeper and deeper into the lands of the hanyou's brother. Sesshoumaru's domain was vast, and it seemed that the group was getting nowhere in their search for their kidnapped traveling companion. Inuyasha couldn't catch her scent, and he was worried beyond all belief.
Suddenly, a very unpleasant smell found its ways to Inuyasha's sensitive nose. He hated that smell and it made him stop in his tracks. "Wait!" The hanyou called.
The rest of his companions turned expectant eyes upon him.
"I smell Kagome's blood."
* * * * * *
Kagome continued to watch in fear as the kotsonu advanced painfully slow upon the young girl referred to as Rin. He seemed to be testing her, forcing her to agree to give him the power that he yearned for. Kagome could see the faint glow of the Shikon shard that hung around the demon's neck. 'I have to get out of here! That little girl…she'll be killed…because of…me!'
"Her cries of pain when I rip her apart bit by bit will hopefully persuade you miko." The cruel voice of the kotsonu entered Kagome's head.
"Leave her alone!" Kagome yelled frantically. But nothing outside the barrier seemed to hear her. Kagome kept herself from focusing on the images of the past that were being portrayed for her on the barrier walls. Her eyes, however, slipped to look upon the time when Inuyasha held her in his arms. It was after the battle with Sesshoumaru where the hanyou had admitted he had been afraid for her safety.
'Focus Kagome!' Kagome mentally screamed at herself. She focused her eyes on the little girl that played still in the small river. She was laughing and splashed Jaken when he tried to pull the small girl out of the water. Jaken turned and began walking away. 'No don't leave her alone! She'll be killed! She doesn't deserve to die!' Kagome felt power rush through her. She looked at her hands in shock when they began to glow an eerie green.
'Protection.'
Kagome realized instantly what she had to do. Her eyes flicked onto the freely bleeding scratches on her chest, and she quickly prayed that she was strong enough to survive what she was about to do. 'At least I can save her. It doesn't seem that I have much of a future anyway. My power won't be a danger to anyone if I'm dead.'
With those excuses for probably taking her own life by of attacking, Kagome moved her hands in front of her as Kaede had instructed. A small ball of green light formed in the space between her hands. She watched in awe as the ball grew larger with each passing second. She took one last look at Rin, and it gave Kagome an extra burst of power, as she was overwhelmed with the need to protect the little girl. Kagome brought her hands up above her head, and crashed her arms forward to release the powerful sphere.
The light shot from Kagome's hands. Kagome had never felt so much pain all at once when she unleashed her attack, and she shrieked when the energy rushed from her small form. She felt like she was being torn apart. 'It's never hurt this much before.' She noted.
Kagome struggled to stay conscious, and watched what happened with wide eyes. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
The beam of power shattered the barrier. It continued on its course to crash into the kotsonu. The demon was just about to rake his claws down at the small girl. The girl finally acknowledged the danger, and looked with fearful eyes at the demon. Her eyes squeezed shut waiting for the pain of claws to come. She screamed in fright, green light flashed, and then all was quiet.
Rin opened her eyes when she realized that the pain never came. In front of her, was a smoldering pile of ashes, but nothing even remotely resembled a demon. She looked beyond the remains, and noticed a strangely dressed girl standing not so far away. The weird girl smiled and asked, "Are you alright."
Rin nodded. The little girl watched in horror as her apparent savior fell to the ground in a bloody heap.
* * * * * *
"Inuyasha, stop!" Miroku yelled. The group came to an abrupt halt at the urgency in the monk's voice. They had been traveling in the direction in which Inuyasha had smelt Kagome's blood not to long ago. The hanyou knew they were steadily getting closer and closer, and he was aggravated that the monk had made them stop.
"What is it?" Inuyasha hissed. He was worried for Kagome more than he had ever been in his whole life. Kagome was defenseless, and apparently was hurt.
"I just felt a huge surge of power in the direction where you smell Kagome's blood."
It took Inuyasha a few moments to register what the monk had said. At first he was confused, but then everything clicked. "She wouldn't…she couldn't have attacked! She's bleeding! Kaede said if she attacked when she was wounded she'd…she'd…" Inuyasha trailed off.
"Inuyasha, is Kagome alright?" Shippou asked worriedly.
"I'm going ahead." And Inuyasha sprung forward in front of the group. He ran faster then he ever had. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and determination to save Kagome pushed his already tired body even faster. 'Hang on Kagome.'
* * * * * *
Sesshoumaru sniffed the wind and caught the scent of an unknown demon nearby. Fear for Rin's safety entered his mind. It was an unwanted feeling, and the demon lord quickly pushed it away. 'She is fine.' He convinced himself. It wasn't uncommon for an unknown demon to stay in his lands. He just liked to keep track of what was going on in his territory.
But then the demon lord picked up his brother's scent. 'Why is that half-breed here? He couldn't possibly be stupid enough to bring Tetsusaiga into my lands where I could easily take it from him.' Sesshoumaru suddenly felt a huge shock of power and immediately froze. It had come from the direction he had sent Rin and Jaken in a few moments before.
Jaken stumbled out from the brush nearby. "Where is Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly, though inside he was a bit frantic.
"I don't want to play baby-sitter to that little brat anymore. My lord, must you continue to allow her to follow us?"
Sesshoumaru glared at the toad demon, "You left her alone?"
"Y-yes." Jaken began to get nervous under his master's cold glare. Sesshoumaru turned away and immediately went in the direction where he could pick up Rin's scent.
"Rin!" He called to the small girl.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" He heard the little girl call to him frantically. Sesshoumaru picked up his stride and soon came to the clearing where he had instructed Jaken to take Rin.
Sesshoumaru was in shock at the scene before him. He didn't show his shock of course, but it took him a few moments to take in what was in front of him. Rin was knelt over a young woman's body in tears. A pile of ashes lay a few feet in front of the demon lord. It smelled like the remains of a demon, but what force could have been destructive enough to cause a demon to practically be disintegrated?
Sesshoumaru strode to the demon remains and noticed something reflect the sunlight. Being a demon, he knew exactly what it was, a shard of the Shikon no Tama, and a very large shard at that. Sesshoumaru was not after the jewel, but he stared curiously at it. 'Who would own such a large shard? Who is that girl? What killed this demon?'
Sesshoumaru took in the strange garments of the young woman that Rin was by. She seemed familiar. He took in her scent and found blood, some strange floral smell, and…his brother! 'It's the little wench that follows my brother around! This must be her shard.'
Sesshoumaru bent down and tugged at the chain that was connected to the Shikon no Tama shard, and he pulled the necklace from the ashes. He strode to Rin and made sure she wasn't hurt. Rin seemed fine, but the young woman was another story.
Sesshoumaru took in the bloody scratches that showed through her tattered clothes. Sesshoumaru could hardly hear her heart beat. 'She is barely alive.'
"Rin, what happened?" Sesshoumaru asked in a calm voice.
Rin looked up at the demon lord with tearful eyes. "Rin was almost killed. A demon tried to hurt Rin, but this girl shot green light at it. Then…*sniffle* then she fell. Is she dead Sesshoumaru-sama? She saved Rin. Rin was so scared."
"She killed the demon?" Sesshoumaru questioned disbelievingly. He immediately regained his composure when he noticed his impassive mood had slipped a bit.
"Yes. She saved Rin." Rin answered.
"Just perfect." Sesshoumaru stated sarcastically. With a sigh, the demon lord very carefully picked the young woman up. 'I can't very well leave her on the ground.' He placed the necklace with the Shikon shard on it around her neck. "Now I am in debt to my brother's wench." He mumbled. As a demon lord, he had to follow the codes of honor. He could not harm this girl, or his brother and their friends for that matter, for he now owed the young woman for saving Rin's life.
"What are we doing Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"We must wait for my little brother, and return his girl to him."
"Will she be okay?"
"I don't know Rin. But it is not my responsibility for her to get better, merely to make sure she is safe until in Inuyasha's hands."
Sesshoumaru picked up Inuyasha's scent close by, and knew it wouldn't be long before he had to face his brother.
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