Disclaimer: This is getting boring...not mine...
Chapter Two ~ Kiss Me
The sunlight struck Sesshoumaru in the face, momentarily blinding the youkai lord. Blinking, he scanned the immediate area for Kagome's figure, and leapt lightly into a tree to listen to the girl's conversation with the hanyou.
"I should have guessed!" she was huffing, glaring at Inuyasha.
"Guessed what?" he retorted, looking very annoyed.
"You were too calm yesterday when I saved your brother! I should have known that you'd try to assassinate him as soon as I left the room!"
"I would have woken him up first," Inuyasha retorted mulishly. "It'd be a proper fight, since I'd give him back his stupid sword."
"Oh, right, a really great battle!" Kagome shrieked. "After all, when one fighter is in perfect condition and the other's been poisoned, it's so unbiased! Of course, you had to fight him when he was poisoned; you couldn't beat him otherwise!"
Silence followed this statement, a silence unbroken until Sesshoumaru dropped from the tree, smirking at the bastard hanyou. "She's right, you know," he sneered.
Their reactions were about the same. "Sesshoumaru...!"
His claws were at Kagome's throat in an instant. Gesturing at the beads, he demanded, "What are these?"
"Sesshoumaru..." Kagome gasped, trying to breathe, "I can't see what you're pointing to, since you're sort of pinning me down with your very...sharp...claws..." She knew what he'd been referring to, naturally, but she didn't feel like being decapitated after her explanation.
As soon as he let her go, she leapt behind Inuyasha, squeaking in fright. The hanyou whipped out Tetsusaiga after giving Kagome somewhat of a disparaging glance, and eyed his brother evilly. "So, Sesshoumaru, you're going after little girls now because you can't beat anyone else?"
The youkai's answer was to leap at the hanyou, but Inuyasha easily parried Sesshoumaru's weakened strikes, laughing. Sesshoumaru winced as the gash on his arm, not yet fully recovered, throbbed. He pulled back his sleeve, glaring at the blood-soaked cloth.
It was then that Kagome began to choke. Inuyasha whirled to help her, stopping abruptly when he saw the hurricane of dust swirling before her. Batting away the sand that was obscuring her vision, Kagome muttered dully, "Hello, Kouga."
"Hey, Kagome! How's my woman!"
Even more mundanely, she replied, "I'm not your woman..."
"Don't you two go over this at every meeting?" Inuyasha snarled. "Why don't we just skip to the part where I fight him?"
"You mean where I beat you?" the wolf youkai retorted.
"No, I mean when you slink off with your tail between your legs!"
"What is the meaning of this?"
Kouga glanced behind Inuyasha to peer at Sesshoumaru in confusion. "Kagome, what's that dog doing here? I can understand you switching from a mutt to a purebred dog – though wolves are always at the top of the canine chain, of course – but the mutt still seems to be tagging around." Letting out a derisive snort, he flashed the hanyou an insolent smirk. "Maybe the poor thing's a stray!" he taunted Inuyasha, who growled menacingly.
"Kouga," Kagome snapped, her usual docility gone. The wolf turned to her, looked confused.
"What is it, Kagome? Don't you want me to chase these mangy dogs away?" he asked, running over to her.
"Kouga, this is *really* not a good time for you to be here..."
He blinked. "You don't want me here? But Kagomeeee, you're my woman!" he wailed.
"Firstly, I'm not, and secondly, you should probably be going now before either of the dogs decides to kill you," she hissed softly.
He grinned arrogantly at that. "Ah, so you don't want me getting hurt, Kagome! I see completely! Well, I suppose I'll just have to slay them all later. Sayonara!" The whirlwind appeared again, but soon died down. "Wait, Kagome, I forgot something..."
"And that would be...?"
Grabbing her arms, he tried to kiss her, as usual. She shrieked, flailing away at him, exasperated by his constant attempts. "Kouga, how many times do I have to tell you that you're not allowed to KISS ME?!" she roared.
The last two words were accentuated above the rest. She realized her mistake, even as a bright flash illuminated the area.
Turning, she prayed that the light wasn't what she assumed it was, but her wishes were not to be granted.
Another flash, and only one word passed through her mind as Sesshoumaru, unable to resist the compelling of the rosary, pressed his lips to hers...
'KUSO!'
*
Sesshoumaru crashed into the miko, managing to let out an almost inaudible string of curses before he made contact with her. He tried desperately to yank himself off of her, with the aid of the livid Kouga and Inuyasha, but the rosary continued to bind them together.
Pulling herself from under his weight, Kagome emerged, looking harassed, embarrassed, and annoyed. The latter reaction came from Kouga's insistence that 'his woman' was not allowed to even think about touching another person, and from Inuyasha, who was trying to kill the wolf.
Silence started, an uncomfortable silence that lasted for ten minutes.
Finally, Kagome emerged with a small 'sorry?'
And that was when chaos erupted.
It took a few hours for Kagome to explain to Inuyasha that the command hadn't been anyone's fault, and that if he kept complaining she'd subdue him as well. It took even longer to force Kouga to leave; the wolf took the entire incident as an insult to his honor, although he'd been the catalyst.
And it took even longer to persuade Sesshoumaru not to kill everyone within a one-mile radius, take the Tetsusaiga, and run away. This was mainly accomplished by Kagome's insistence that if he didn't feel much like kissing her for all eternity, he'd comply to her demands. Naturally, this sparked new rebelliousness in Kouga and Inuyasha, and the entire cycle was repeated over again.
So in the end, everyone was pissed, tired, and ready to kill everyone else, despite just what Kagome said. Kouga finally left, with the promise that he'd be back, but Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were still at each other's throats.
That was when the first of the soulstealers drifted into the clearing.
*
The undead priestess gazed tranquilly at the rather strange scene, her soulless eyes unblinking. She motioned to Inuyasha, who went to her hypnotically, running right past Sesshoumaru. The Tetsusaiga lay forgotten on the ground where he'd dropped it, and he completely disregarded Kagome.
They walked into the forest together, leaving the other two behind, and disappeared into the darkness.
Sesshoumaru frowned as Kagome stood immobile, watching the empty clearing fade in the dimming sunlight. "Aren't you going to go after him?" he asked incredulously, hoping that she'd leave and let him return to the Western Lands.
Kagome turned tear-filled cerulean orbs up to him. She bent, lifting the Tetsusaiga, and smiled bitterly, reminiscing about the first time she'd seen the rusty ancient katana. Grabbing the sheath as well, she slipped blade into its covering.
The youkai watched her doubtfully, suddenly making a move for the hilt. She dropped it in surprise; his hand was shocked with electricity immediately afterwards. Cursing, he withdrew, and Kagome flashed him a tired smile.
"You still can't touch it, can you?" she inquired, sorrow lacing her voice. Picking up the sword again, she placed one hand on the hilt, and the Tetsusaiga accepted her, letting her hold it.
"We're leaving," she murmured quietly, motioning to Sesshoumaru. Still not understanding, he stayed stationary, but she half-turned, indicating him. "Come on, Sesshoumaru."
"Where are we going?"
"Wherever the road takes us," she replied dreamily. Noticing his disgruntled expression, she amended, "Anywhere that Inuyasha and that...thing...won't find us."
"And I suppose I must come along with you?"
"I suppose so," she answered, and he was surprised to hear her laugh, though the tears were still threatening to slip out of her eyes. He liked her laugh, and he also enjoyed the scent emanating from her body – a mixture of succulent fruit and sakura blossoms.
Following her lead, the two walked away towards the sunrise.
*
Miroku entered the clearing tentatively, noting the air of suppressed anger. He glanced around at the deserted campsite, Sango following him closely.
"Kagome?" the taijiya called, furious at herself. Why should she have cared about the damned monk enough to rescue him from the angry husbands of the village whose wives Miroku had...er...asked his infamous question to?
"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled, searching for the hanyou.
Spotting one of the dragon-like soulstealers, Sango pointed to it, and Miroku growled softly to himself. "That explains where Inuyasha and most likely Kagome are," the monk muttered.
Shippou came hurtling from a nearby tree, his bushy tail waving. "Where's Kagome?" he demanded frantically.
"Probably watching Inuyasha and Kikyo," Sango retorted caustically.
"But...I was just there, and she's not with them..."
It was then that they noted the absence of another prominent member of their little group.
"WHERE'S SESSHOUMARU?!"
*
Inuyasha blinked as he heard an outraged cry coming from the campsite. Grabbing Kikyo, he pulled the two of them towards the clearing, ignoring Kikyo's angry protests.
"Kagome had better be safe," he muttered to himself.
"And why would you care?" Kikyo panted, clutching her side.
He frowned, unsure. Why *did* he care? "She's...a good jewel detector," he offered lamely.
The undead priestess laughed triumphantly. "Now you have me!" she reminded him triumphantly. "You can dispose of her, and I will accompany you wherever you go."
Her tirade was interrupted by the angry exclamations of Sango, Miroku, and Shippou as they accosted the poor hanyou, furious. "How could you have left Kagome alone with Sesshoumaru?" (A/N: That's somewhat of an illogical statement, ne?)
He growled. "You were the ones who decided to leave her in the beginning," he snapped, still glancing around the area.
That was when he noticed it. "Well, she's still alive," he said dully.
"And how do you know that?" Sango hissed, glaring at Kikyo, who was looking pointedly disappointed.
"Sesshoumaru can't carry the Tetsusaiga..."
Chapter Two ~ Kiss Me
The sunlight struck Sesshoumaru in the face, momentarily blinding the youkai lord. Blinking, he scanned the immediate area for Kagome's figure, and leapt lightly into a tree to listen to the girl's conversation with the hanyou.
"I should have guessed!" she was huffing, glaring at Inuyasha.
"Guessed what?" he retorted, looking very annoyed.
"You were too calm yesterday when I saved your brother! I should have known that you'd try to assassinate him as soon as I left the room!"
"I would have woken him up first," Inuyasha retorted mulishly. "It'd be a proper fight, since I'd give him back his stupid sword."
"Oh, right, a really great battle!" Kagome shrieked. "After all, when one fighter is in perfect condition and the other's been poisoned, it's so unbiased! Of course, you had to fight him when he was poisoned; you couldn't beat him otherwise!"
Silence followed this statement, a silence unbroken until Sesshoumaru dropped from the tree, smirking at the bastard hanyou. "She's right, you know," he sneered.
Their reactions were about the same. "Sesshoumaru...!"
His claws were at Kagome's throat in an instant. Gesturing at the beads, he demanded, "What are these?"
"Sesshoumaru..." Kagome gasped, trying to breathe, "I can't see what you're pointing to, since you're sort of pinning me down with your very...sharp...claws..." She knew what he'd been referring to, naturally, but she didn't feel like being decapitated after her explanation.
As soon as he let her go, she leapt behind Inuyasha, squeaking in fright. The hanyou whipped out Tetsusaiga after giving Kagome somewhat of a disparaging glance, and eyed his brother evilly. "So, Sesshoumaru, you're going after little girls now because you can't beat anyone else?"
The youkai's answer was to leap at the hanyou, but Inuyasha easily parried Sesshoumaru's weakened strikes, laughing. Sesshoumaru winced as the gash on his arm, not yet fully recovered, throbbed. He pulled back his sleeve, glaring at the blood-soaked cloth.
It was then that Kagome began to choke. Inuyasha whirled to help her, stopping abruptly when he saw the hurricane of dust swirling before her. Batting away the sand that was obscuring her vision, Kagome muttered dully, "Hello, Kouga."
"Hey, Kagome! How's my woman!"
Even more mundanely, she replied, "I'm not your woman..."
"Don't you two go over this at every meeting?" Inuyasha snarled. "Why don't we just skip to the part where I fight him?"
"You mean where I beat you?" the wolf youkai retorted.
"No, I mean when you slink off with your tail between your legs!"
"What is the meaning of this?"
Kouga glanced behind Inuyasha to peer at Sesshoumaru in confusion. "Kagome, what's that dog doing here? I can understand you switching from a mutt to a purebred dog – though wolves are always at the top of the canine chain, of course – but the mutt still seems to be tagging around." Letting out a derisive snort, he flashed the hanyou an insolent smirk. "Maybe the poor thing's a stray!" he taunted Inuyasha, who growled menacingly.
"Kouga," Kagome snapped, her usual docility gone. The wolf turned to her, looked confused.
"What is it, Kagome? Don't you want me to chase these mangy dogs away?" he asked, running over to her.
"Kouga, this is *really* not a good time for you to be here..."
He blinked. "You don't want me here? But Kagomeeee, you're my woman!" he wailed.
"Firstly, I'm not, and secondly, you should probably be going now before either of the dogs decides to kill you," she hissed softly.
He grinned arrogantly at that. "Ah, so you don't want me getting hurt, Kagome! I see completely! Well, I suppose I'll just have to slay them all later. Sayonara!" The whirlwind appeared again, but soon died down. "Wait, Kagome, I forgot something..."
"And that would be...?"
Grabbing her arms, he tried to kiss her, as usual. She shrieked, flailing away at him, exasperated by his constant attempts. "Kouga, how many times do I have to tell you that you're not allowed to KISS ME?!" she roared.
The last two words were accentuated above the rest. She realized her mistake, even as a bright flash illuminated the area.
Turning, she prayed that the light wasn't what she assumed it was, but her wishes were not to be granted.
Another flash, and only one word passed through her mind as Sesshoumaru, unable to resist the compelling of the rosary, pressed his lips to hers...
'KUSO!'
*
Sesshoumaru crashed into the miko, managing to let out an almost inaudible string of curses before he made contact with her. He tried desperately to yank himself off of her, with the aid of the livid Kouga and Inuyasha, but the rosary continued to bind them together.
Pulling herself from under his weight, Kagome emerged, looking harassed, embarrassed, and annoyed. The latter reaction came from Kouga's insistence that 'his woman' was not allowed to even think about touching another person, and from Inuyasha, who was trying to kill the wolf.
Silence started, an uncomfortable silence that lasted for ten minutes.
Finally, Kagome emerged with a small 'sorry?'
And that was when chaos erupted.
It took a few hours for Kagome to explain to Inuyasha that the command hadn't been anyone's fault, and that if he kept complaining she'd subdue him as well. It took even longer to force Kouga to leave; the wolf took the entire incident as an insult to his honor, although he'd been the catalyst.
And it took even longer to persuade Sesshoumaru not to kill everyone within a one-mile radius, take the Tetsusaiga, and run away. This was mainly accomplished by Kagome's insistence that if he didn't feel much like kissing her for all eternity, he'd comply to her demands. Naturally, this sparked new rebelliousness in Kouga and Inuyasha, and the entire cycle was repeated over again.
So in the end, everyone was pissed, tired, and ready to kill everyone else, despite just what Kagome said. Kouga finally left, with the promise that he'd be back, but Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were still at each other's throats.
That was when the first of the soulstealers drifted into the clearing.
*
The undead priestess gazed tranquilly at the rather strange scene, her soulless eyes unblinking. She motioned to Inuyasha, who went to her hypnotically, running right past Sesshoumaru. The Tetsusaiga lay forgotten on the ground where he'd dropped it, and he completely disregarded Kagome.
They walked into the forest together, leaving the other two behind, and disappeared into the darkness.
Sesshoumaru frowned as Kagome stood immobile, watching the empty clearing fade in the dimming sunlight. "Aren't you going to go after him?" he asked incredulously, hoping that she'd leave and let him return to the Western Lands.
Kagome turned tear-filled cerulean orbs up to him. She bent, lifting the Tetsusaiga, and smiled bitterly, reminiscing about the first time she'd seen the rusty ancient katana. Grabbing the sheath as well, she slipped blade into its covering.
The youkai watched her doubtfully, suddenly making a move for the hilt. She dropped it in surprise; his hand was shocked with electricity immediately afterwards. Cursing, he withdrew, and Kagome flashed him a tired smile.
"You still can't touch it, can you?" she inquired, sorrow lacing her voice. Picking up the sword again, she placed one hand on the hilt, and the Tetsusaiga accepted her, letting her hold it.
"We're leaving," she murmured quietly, motioning to Sesshoumaru. Still not understanding, he stayed stationary, but she half-turned, indicating him. "Come on, Sesshoumaru."
"Where are we going?"
"Wherever the road takes us," she replied dreamily. Noticing his disgruntled expression, she amended, "Anywhere that Inuyasha and that...thing...won't find us."
"And I suppose I must come along with you?"
"I suppose so," she answered, and he was surprised to hear her laugh, though the tears were still threatening to slip out of her eyes. He liked her laugh, and he also enjoyed the scent emanating from her body – a mixture of succulent fruit and sakura blossoms.
Following her lead, the two walked away towards the sunrise.
*
Miroku entered the clearing tentatively, noting the air of suppressed anger. He glanced around at the deserted campsite, Sango following him closely.
"Kagome?" the taijiya called, furious at herself. Why should she have cared about the damned monk enough to rescue him from the angry husbands of the village whose wives Miroku had...er...asked his infamous question to?
"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled, searching for the hanyou.
Spotting one of the dragon-like soulstealers, Sango pointed to it, and Miroku growled softly to himself. "That explains where Inuyasha and most likely Kagome are," the monk muttered.
Shippou came hurtling from a nearby tree, his bushy tail waving. "Where's Kagome?" he demanded frantically.
"Probably watching Inuyasha and Kikyo," Sango retorted caustically.
"But...I was just there, and she's not with them..."
It was then that they noted the absence of another prominent member of their little group.
"WHERE'S SESSHOUMARU?!"
*
Inuyasha blinked as he heard an outraged cry coming from the campsite. Grabbing Kikyo, he pulled the two of them towards the clearing, ignoring Kikyo's angry protests.
"Kagome had better be safe," he muttered to himself.
"And why would you care?" Kikyo panted, clutching her side.
He frowned, unsure. Why *did* he care? "She's...a good jewel detector," he offered lamely.
The undead priestess laughed triumphantly. "Now you have me!" she reminded him triumphantly. "You can dispose of her, and I will accompany you wherever you go."
Her tirade was interrupted by the angry exclamations of Sango, Miroku, and Shippou as they accosted the poor hanyou, furious. "How could you have left Kagome alone with Sesshoumaru?" (A/N: That's somewhat of an illogical statement, ne?)
He growled. "You were the ones who decided to leave her in the beginning," he snapped, still glancing around the area.
That was when he noticed it. "Well, she's still alive," he said dully.
"And how do you know that?" Sango hissed, glaring at Kikyo, who was looking pointedly disappointed.
"Sesshoumaru can't carry the Tetsusaiga..."