(AN) Sorry about the cliffhangers! :-/ They keep happening! I can't seem to stop! If you thought that last one was bad---you're, uh, really gonna wanna to kill me now! O_O hehehe *gulp*
Most of this chapter pretty much wrote itself (I love when they do that!) but it's really kind of...odd? Oh yeah, it is definitely odd.
Well, anyway, read and tell me what you think! ^_^
It Changes Everything
Chapter Four:
Now You Don't
He was just sitting there! In his territory! How dare he! Inuyasha paced back in forth at the edge of the forest like a wild animal in a cage. How could he just sit there?! His gold eyes never left his brother. His claws curled and uncurled at his sides, as if they were itching to just wrap around the youkai lord's insulting throat.
Sesshoumaru had found a nicely situated rock close to a small lake not far from the well. It was the perfect place, he had decided, to show off his beauty and irritate his half-brother, all at the same time. A double-pleasure. He tilted his head back, knowing the sunlight reflecting off the water would play across his pale hair, his neck, bring his youkai-markings to a bright, glowing contrast.
A growl could be heard in the distance, but the youkai lord ignored it, his face an interesting mix of tranquility and boredom.
The growling got louder.
Inuyasha spun around, ready to grab his brother up by his collar and pound him with the rock he was sitting on. He nearly tripped as Miroku just suddenly appeared at his right, and Sango at his left.
"Don't do it," the monk said, looking at his fingernails.
"Ignore him, Inuyasha," Sango sighed.
Inuyasha snarled at the two annoying humans, took a step forward, but stopped as Miroku's staff crossed before him, the rings clinking together.
"Don't do it," Miroku repeated, sounding less interested than before. If that was even at all possible.
The half-demon promptly shoved the staff out of his way and started stomping towards the 'oblivious' Sesshoumaru.
His two 'guards' watched him go.
"Well," Miroku said, "We tried."
Sango nodded. "We did."
"Ready?"
"Yep."
Miroku swung his staff into Inuyasha's stomach, effectively doubling him over. At the same time, Sango lifted Hiraikotsu off her back and brought it down in one graceful arc against the back of the hanyou's head. Inuyasha collapsed to the ground, out-cold for the second time that hour.
Had anybody bothered to look over at Sesshoumaru, they probably would have screamed then fainted dead away. The full-blooded youkai smiled. A small, little thing, but a smile nonetheless. He quickly shook the unfamiliar expression from his face and turned his attention back to the water as if he weren't aware of anything else.
Settling Hiraikotsu back in its rightful place, the demon hunter looked to her companion. "Tell me again why we have to baby-sit the half-brothers from hell?" Just as a precautionary measure, she stepped back so she had a perfect view of the monk's wandering hands.
"Because Kagome-sama needs some time. Besides, don't you think this is good practice?"
"How's that?" Sango's eyes narrowed suspiciously, her hand sliding up to inconspicuously grasp Hiraikotsu's handle. But before the monk could even say the very lewd comment all knew was coming, the exterminator's head raised, her eyes widening. "Do you feel that?"
Miroku licked his lips, "Feel what, dear Sango?"
Sango shot him a withering look, her hand tightening around Hiraikotsu with the desire to just put him out of her misery. "Focus, houshi!" she snapped.
Miroku blinked, raising his head up, too. It was at that time they noticed Sesshoumaru, who had stopped 'sunbathing' and was staring intently at the trees behind them. He blinked once, slowly, then relaxed back on his one arm. The entire action was very close to a 'shrug', without being one at all.
"Something's coming," Miroku hissed the obvious, holding his staff out before him. Sango, taking her cue from him, brought her boomerang down again. Both of them slipped instantly into a fighting stance.
Inuyasha stirred on the ground, rubbing tenderly at his abused head. He stopped, just as Kagome appeared out of the forest. It was so unexpected that both Sango and Miroku gasped. She stomped right past them. Inuyasha jumped to his feet, running to keep up with her.
"Bitch, where have you---"
Kagome didn't even look at him. "Osuwari."
Inuyasha ate a mouthful of dirt as the miko stomped on. She stopped at the rock Sesshoumaru was sitting on and slapped her hands on her hips. "I thought you were a victim of this curse, like me, but the scroll says that the spell only works if it's cast by one of those involved. Is.This.True?"
Sesshoumaru glanced down at her, then back out again. "It is."
Kagome's eyes grew wide. "You cursed me. ME! Why?!"
"My reasons are not your concern, human."
"Not my..." Kagome twitched; she took one step toward the demon, but stopped as Miroku and Sango appeared in front of her.
"Don't do it, Kagome-sama."
"Ignore him, Kagome-chan."
The miko raised a confused eyebrow at her friends, then shook her head. "Excuse me," she said, politely pushing past them. The action actually looked more like a barely disguised lunge. The monk caught one arm and the exterminator held the other, effectively 'containing' her. Sesshoumaru looked down on the scene blankly.
The smaller girl struggled between her friends, her hands flailing around in tight-knuckled fists. "Is that how your kind reproduces," she screamed at the demon lord, "By CURSING the females into MATING WITH YOU!?"
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "I have given you a great compliment, girl."
"COMPLIMENT," she spat in outrage, her blue eyes promising pain. If she could just get free.
With one hand on Kagome, Miroku nonchalantly stuck his staff out to the side, tripping Inuyasha as he charged at his brother. The hanyou made a sound that might have been a curse as dirt filled his mouth yet again. He, otherwise, went unnoticed.
"You will be the mother of my child and a prince. Of course, you will gain a title as well." To Sesshoumaru, the discussion was over. He expected her full compliance now. In fact, any moment she would be falling at his feet to paw and fawn over him. Humans were such simple creatures.
"Did it ever occur to you," she screeched, "that I don't want to bear your stupid child!?"
The youkai lord looked down on her, his eyes mimicking something that might have been surprise. No, that particular thought had never crossed his mind. And now that it had, he didn't like it one bit. He calmly straightened and hopped down, landing on Inuyasha's back as he lay sprawled out at the base of the rock. The monk and demon hunter backtracked, dragging the still furious miko between them. It was good to keep her hands a certain distance from the demon.
Sesshoumaru glared at the overly emotional human and snorted. "Stop your struggling, girl. Or have you forgotten that any pain you deal me will only be returned to you?"
Kagome blinked, going slack in her friends' hands. After a moment, she visibly pouted. Had her arms been free she probably would have crossed them stubbornly over her chest.
"Oi," said Kaede, calmly walking into the epicenter. Shippou followed her with wide eyes, his little hands wringing before him. He hadn't missed the show.
"You left before I could finish reading the scroll, Ka-go-me." The old miko immediately brandished the said scroll for all to see.
Kagome blushed sheepishly. She settled onto her feet as Miroku and Sango cautiously released her arms. "I'm sorry, Kaede-bachan. Please continue, I suppose everybody should hear it."
Kaede stared at her pointedly for one moment, then shrugged. "It says here that the 'curse' is actually just...the 'bitch' bestowing her favour on her chosen mate."
"Huh," Kagome said, displaying her confusion in a very unladylike manner. Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed.
Kaede looked at the group before her, from Shippou standing nervously at her side, to Sesshoumaru nonchalantly grinding Inuyasha's face into the ground with the heel of his foot. She wondered, not for the first time, if any of them were really mature enough to even be hearing this conversation.
Finally, she said, "When a bitch goes into heat, many youkai will come to mate with her. They will fight and kill amongst themselves for the 'privilege'."
Kagome's mind processed the last part of the old woman's words before the first, mainly because she was still hanging on to her previous anger. Glancing resentfully at Sesshoumaru, she said, "How barbaric." Then blinked. Her eyes shot back to Kaede. "What?!"
The old miko sighed, but didn't say anything.
After a moment, Kagome's mouth snapped closed, only to fall open again. "I'm not a bitch."
Inuyasha snorted, but fortunately for him, the sound did not carry through dirt.
Not having to hear the hanyou to know exactly what his response would be, Kagome snapped, "I'M NOT!"
Everyone quickly nodded, some because they weren't stupid, and others because they were following the 'trend'. Inuyasha tried to struggle up, but his hands slid in the dirt, and then his face. Sesshoumaru pressed down harder, just to help him out.
"Besides," Kagome was going on, "If it's the bi---female's choice, then how did he cast it over me?"
"Traditionally, it is the female," Kaede said, "but it doesn't have to be. A male can cast it while the female is on the verge of going into heat, so that when she does go into heat she is already spoken for. It prevents most fights of dominance." Kaede rolled the scroll up, that was really all there was left to say. "Though, in that case, it only works if the female expresses an interest in the male as a potential mate."
"Wait!" Kagome held up a hand, "You lost me there." Turning to Sesshoumaru, she gave the inuyoukai a glare that clearly said 'got you!'. "When did *I* show ANY interest in YOU?"
Sesshoumaru stepped off his brother, but made sure to put a little bounce in his step before leaving completely. Kagome saw the step and immediately backed away one, then tried to pretend she hadn't moved at all.
"A bitch," he said, "will often initiate mock-fights to test the virility of a potential mate."
The miko shook her head furiously, then grasped it between her hands. "I don't understand what you are saying!"
"Foreplay," Sesshoumaru said simply, snapping all eyes to him. Of course, all eyes quickly swung to Kagome.
Kagome sputtered. "Gah...I didn't do such a thing with him! Don't look at me like THAT!"
Inuyasha shoved himself between Kagome and the monk who had started innocently inching her way. The hanyou hugged her tight against his side with one clawed hand on her hip. The other hand curled just as possessively around the hilt of Tetsusaiga.
"She didn't know what she was doing! So just BACK-OFF, MONK!"
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"
"Take your hands off my mate."
"Kagome Kagome!" Shippou wrapped his little body around the miko's leg, clinging to it as if to life itself.
"Kagome-sama," Miroku casually stepped around the growling hanyou and gave Kagome his most warm and charming smile. Grasping her free hand in both of his, he bowed low over it and said, "I would be honored if---"
*THUNK* The lovely sound of Hiraikotsu meeting a thick-head.
"Stupid monk," Sango mumbled.
Miroku fell to one knee, his head still bowed, though not of his own will now. He held stubbornly to Kagome's hand, but Inuyasha lifted the girl completely off her feet and swung her around, forcing Miroku to let go. Kagome quickly forgot about defending her virtue, and demanded that Inuyasha set her down.
The hanyou did nothing of the sort. In fact, he braced her tighter against him as the monk climbed determinedly to his feet.
Miroku tried to yet again step around the half-youkai, after all, the lovely lady had not yet turned him down, so there was still hope.
Kagome gasped as Inuyasha shoved her behind him, physically putting himself between her and Miroku, and forcing her to let go of the handful of hair she had been tugging at. Shippou dragged across the ground as she stumbled back. She tripped over the kitsune, and they both went down.
Inuyasha didn't notice, he was too busy brandishing a fully transformed Tetsusaiga at the monk. "I'll cut off your freakin' hands so you won't have to worry about Kazaana swallowing you up. YOU DAMN PERVERT!"
Miroku 'eeped' and ducked under the ridiculously large sword. Spinning around, Inuyasha brought the blade down in one stroke, imbedding it in the ground and narrowly missing his target. The monk used the one full second given to him to turn-tail and run.
"WAIT," Sango cried, "You guys, where's Kagome?!"
Inuyasha slid to a stop, Tetsusaiga's point striking the dirt. He lifted his head and looked around. Before him a shuddering Miroku held a hand to his heart and gave a great sigh of life-loving relief.
Inuyasha's gold eyes widened. "Where the hell is Sesshoumaru?!"
Identical expressions passed from face to face.
"Oh shit."
Except Kaede, who calmly shook her head and walked off.
TBC...
Gee, one word can cause so much trouble. Bad Sesshoumaru! Ah, yes, how many of you hate me now? ;-D
Question: what is that thing over Sesshoumaru's shoulder? One person told me it was a tail, another told me it wasn't. Does anybody know for certain? Or is it a matter of opinion? Just thought I'd ask. ^_^
Anyway, thanks for reading!
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I'm attaching this note to all my fics in their next update. Please read and give me your opinion.
Someone recently asked me if I had a site of my own for fics. My answer was no. But then I got to thinking...maybe I should create a site. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe I've ever really seen an IY site dedicated purely to Alternative romance pairings. That is my question. How would you feel about an Inuyasha fansite hosting ONLY alternative pairings?
I know that's not enough to go on, so allow me to clarify a little! ^_^
What do I consider an alternative pairing? Simple, any pairing that isn't a traditional one. What do I consider a traditional pairing? In a short list:
Inuyasha/Kagome
Miroku/Sango
Shounen ai, yaoi, shoujo ai, and yuri pairings would be accepted. Triangles also, even ones featuring a traditional pairing---only so long as they feature an alternative character and do not end with the traditional pairing. For example, Inuyasha/Kagome/Miroku would be okay only if the triad is kept intact, or if it ends with Mir/Kag OR Inu/Mir. But not if it ends with Inu/Kag. I would consider Inu/Kag/Kik acceptable, but it would have to follow the same rules.
Some examples (off the top of my head) of the types of pairings that would be hosted are:
Miroku/Kagome
Inuyasha/Kikyou
Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Inuyasha/Sango
Kagome/Kouga
Sango/Kagome
Sesshoumaru/Naraku
...Basically any pairing besides Inu/Kag and Mir/San.
All ratings would be acceptable, and the proper measures enforced to warn readers of adult material, should they come across it. Sorry, but I would NOT accept any traditional character/original character couples. I know there are some well-written mary sues, but only characters created by Rumiko Takahashi would be supported.
I know for a fact that the main pairing of the site would be Sesshoumaru/Kagome, because this couple seems to be the most popular 'alternative' within fanfiction. That should appeal to quite a few of you! I know it appeals to me! ^.~
If I get enough interest expressed then I will definitely start work on the site.
So, anyone interested? ^_^