Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
As they ran through the halls of the compound, drawing nearer and nearer to the entrance, the voices of the men chasing them grew quiet. They had lost them. The group finally rounded the last corner and burst throught the doors, Inuyasha and Kagome wincing at the bright light that met their eyes. Neither one had realized just how dim the light was inside those cells.
Sesshomaru kept running once they got outside, and Inuyasha followed suit. There was no way he was letting him get away without an explanation. Besides, he had absolutely no idea where or when he was and Sesshomaru did. He could at least concede that he needed his brother's help finding his way to a safer place, but only for now.
The two demons ran between buildings and down alleyways, carefully avoiding the major streets. Kagome decided it best to just hang on tight and see what happened. At least she knew that she was with two strong demons that she shared an enemy with; that should keep her safe for the time being.
When Sesshomaru finally came to a stop, he did so suddenly. So suddenly that Inuyasha nearly collided into him. Pulling himself to a stop and managing not to fall over in the process, Inuyasha kneeled down to allow Kagome to slide off. She climbed to the ground with only slight hesitation; she didn't have any idea what was going to happen now that the trip from the compound was over.
Looking around, Kagome realized that they had made it almost halfway across the city and were now in a section of town that she didn't recognize from personal experience. She recognized it from the news. This was a dangerous section of town, one that her mother would never have let her go into. Trying not to let her fear of the place show, she stood up straight and listened in on the two brothers as they discussed their next move, and Sesshomaru's previous one.
"Here, take these," the demon said, holding out a set of clothes to Inuyasha. Now where had those come from? Searching their surroundings once again, Kagome spotted the bag that Sesshomaru had been carrying. She hadn't noticed it before, but then again she hadn't really had time. Sesshomaru spoke again, causing her attention to be drawn back to the conversation going on.
"Your clothes are far too outdated and will only draw attention, even if they are protective." He handed Inuyasha the bag. The hanyou took it slowly, a scowl dawning his features.
"Just what do you think you're doing, huh?" he asked harshly, anger burning in his eyes. "Every time I see you you try to kill me. You hate me! What's different this time? Why are you helping me?" He tensed suddenly, seeming to stumble upon a conclusion. Turning his head slightly, he eyed his older brother. "What are you planning?"
"I am planning nothing. It has been 550 years, brother; much has changed since we last met. I no longer have any need for your sword and thus no need to fight with you. As for my contempt for you, time has shown me my fault. I only despised you because you had the Tetsaiga and were a hanyou. I believed you to have destroyed our family name with your impure blood. However, my thoughts on the matter have changed. Humans are not something to be despised."
Inuyasha's mouth fell open, his eyes wide. His arms went slack at his side as he tried to absorb what he had just heard. His brother didn't hate humans anymore? He didn't want to kill him or take his sword? Shaking his head, he looked back at his brother, confused. Had he heard right? Blinking at the demon in front of him as if to clear his vision since he was sure he was hallucinating, he stuttered, "W-What?"
Kagome stared at the two, her gaze switching from one to the other and then back again. The girl tried desperately to figure out just what was going on, but it was futile. She had the distinct feeling that she had missed something.
"I do not hate you or desire to fight you. You are my brother and I wish to help you. Do you understand now?" Sesshomaru replied to his befuddled sibling. He had known it would take some convincing for his brother to accept what he was doing. After all, in the five centuries that he had been alive and protecting humans Inuyasha had been pinned to a tree under a miko's spell. As calm as ever, he continued his explanation.
"You were on that tree for well over 500 years, Inuyasha. In that time, I changed. I now understand why our father considered the Tensaiga to be just as powerful as the Tetsaiga. Even though I respect humans, they are still frail creatures and need others to protect them. With the Tensaiga, I can do that." Inuyasha only looked more shocked at this statement. He was protecting and helping humans? Surely he was dreaming. The hanyou shook his head again, but everything remained as it was. He wasn't dreaming at all; it was all very real.
"So, you help humans?" It was more of a statement than a question. Sesshomaru nodded. Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha continued. "And you want to help me instead of kill me." Another nod. "And you expect me to just believe all of that?" he asked, mostly hidden malice threading the words.
"You do not have to accept it, and I do not expect you to. But it is the truth. Would it help if I told you that my first mate was a human?" Inuyasha faultered, completely flabergasted.
"WHAT?!" he yelled, hurting both his brother's and his own sensitive ears.
"There is no more time for explanations. You have a choice. You can either come with me and allow me to help you, or you can survive on your own." Seeing Inuyasha's eyes narrow at the first suggestion, he continued. "Since I did not believe you would want my help, I made sure to put a couple more sets of clothes in that bag as well as a small bit of food. Make sure not to eat it all at once."
Inuyasha looked down at the pack in his hand, reaching through the still open zipper cautiously to make sure it contained nothing that was a danger to his health. Finding nothing except for the food and strange clothing his brother had told him about, he looked back up and waited for Sesshomaru to go on. Apparently the hanyou wasn't in as talkative a mood as he had been before. He was beginning to think that maybe he wasn't lying.
"As I said earlier, I was not expecting a girl to be with you. You will have to work together now and share the contents of the bag," he said, glancing over at Kagome for a moment before turning his attention back to his younger sibling.
"Work together to do what? I just want to go home; Inuyasha can stay there if he wants," Kagome said quietly. Sesshomaru's gaze slid back to regard her for a moment, about to speak before Inuyasha turned to her to explain himself.
"You can't go back home, girl. They would expect that and it would only put your family in danger for protecting you," he said, a bit harshly; but she had to know. The people from the compound would be looking for them and that would be the first place they would look. If her family tried to keep them from taking her again, then they would probably be taken to the facility as well just to make sure that they didn't talk about it.
"I could hide there. No one would have to know that I was there; my family wouldn't have to tell anyone. I could just..."
"Inuyasha is right; you cannot go back."
"But what if they didn't say anything at all?"
"That's not possible. It would cause a big ruckus if you went back because they wouldn't be expecting it at all." Before Kagome could interrupt him again, Inuyasha continued. "They think you're dead; there's no way that they would be the only ones to find out it wasn't true and be able to keep it that way."
"They wouldn't have given up on my that easily!" Kagome snapped at the hanyou, angry at him for not allowing her to go home like she wanted. But even as she said it, she was beginning to realize that the demons were right; she couldn't go back. She felt tears well up and sting her eyes as she tried furiously not to let them fall and failed miserably.
"That's what those people told them! They had no choice but to believe them. Just accept it. You can't go home."
Kagome closed her mouth tight, her fists clenched at her sides. The tears were falling freely now, but she was silent. If she couldn't go home right now, she would find a way to go back someday. For now she would just be quiet and take Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's advice.
"So you cannot go home and you need someone to look after you, since you are only human. And you," Sesshomaru said, looking back to Inuyasha who's attention was quickly turned back to him, "do not know anything about this time and need someone to teach you how things work. Seeing that you do not want me to be that person, this girl will have to be the one. You will protect her and she will help you. There is no other way; you need each other."
Before Inuyasha or Kagome could object, Sesshomaru spun to face down the alley and started to walk away, leaving the two of them standing there watching him. "Be careful, brother. Stay away from public places and do not take public transportation; humans are not very keen on seeing demons. It would cause quite a stir for them to see you with your ears and claws; they do give you away, you know. It would be best if you left the city as well. Hiding in the country side is much easier."
Kagome could barely hear the last of Sesshomaru's instructions as he turned the corner and disappeared out of sight. Slowly, she turned to face Inuyasha who was still staring at the last place his brother had been seen. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to him. He finally looked over at her, not quite sure what to do or say.
"I guess that we should get started?" she asked, saying more than questioning. Inuyasha nodded and they began to make their way out of the alley. "We can't take the bus or anything and I can't drive, so I guess that we walk."
Inuyasha nodded,sighing. What were they supposed to do now? He didn't quite understand some of Sesshomaru's final words of advice – what was public transportation anyway? - but he did understand his reasons behind them leaving the city. Looking around them when they reached the street, he turned to Kagome for which way to go. When she shrugged, he sighed again. Squaring his shoulders, he chose the direction that looked the best to him and they struck out. And so began their journey through Tokyo to Japan's countryside. Where would go after that?
AN: Chapter 10! Double-digits! :) *confetti flying, balloons floating, horns being blown* Alright, enough of that. I hope that you guys liked it! I decided that Sesshomaru would make a good good guy, and I have a use for it ;) Next Chapter: Inuyasha and Kagome make it out of Tokyo, but where are they off to now? A certain company owner seems to be finding his way to their bad side. Please review! They make me write better and faster!
Pycho Piranah – Glad you think its cool! Thanks for the review; hope you liked how Sesshomaru is turning out! :)
MiraiYume – So happy that I could give you something to think about all week :) Sesshomaru is good! I love it when he's a good guy. ^_^ Thanks for reviewing! I hope that you liked this chapter!
purplepeopleeater – Thank you very much for letting use your idea! You've made me a happy writer :) Your first question was answered in this chapter, but you'll just have to wait for the others! hehe I love making people wait for answers. I'm so evil. Thanks for the reviews! I hope that you liked chapter 10!
Silver Eyes Bright – Good luck with your hw and softball! That's really cool; I think you're more motivated than I am about hw. I tend to put it off in order to do some more productive things, such as read fanfics or write them.... hehe Hope that this chapter kept your attention! Thanks for the review!
Storm-Maker – Thank you for the review! As much as I love cliffhanges, I hope that this wasn't too much of one since I left ya'll with one last time. Next chapter will probably answer the question of what they're gonna do now. Hope that you liked this chapter! :)
Reality – Yes, Sesshomaru saved Inuyasha and Kagome! :) Nope, I really think that that was the last thing Inuyasha expected. I just love surprising my characters! Thanks for reviewing! I hope that you liked this chapter, too!
As they ran through the halls of the compound, drawing nearer and nearer to the entrance, the voices of the men chasing them grew quiet. They had lost them. The group finally rounded the last corner and burst throught the doors, Inuyasha and Kagome wincing at the bright light that met their eyes. Neither one had realized just how dim the light was inside those cells.
Sesshomaru kept running once they got outside, and Inuyasha followed suit. There was no way he was letting him get away without an explanation. Besides, he had absolutely no idea where or when he was and Sesshomaru did. He could at least concede that he needed his brother's help finding his way to a safer place, but only for now.
The two demons ran between buildings and down alleyways, carefully avoiding the major streets. Kagome decided it best to just hang on tight and see what happened. At least she knew that she was with two strong demons that she shared an enemy with; that should keep her safe for the time being.
When Sesshomaru finally came to a stop, he did so suddenly. So suddenly that Inuyasha nearly collided into him. Pulling himself to a stop and managing not to fall over in the process, Inuyasha kneeled down to allow Kagome to slide off. She climbed to the ground with only slight hesitation; she didn't have any idea what was going to happen now that the trip from the compound was over.
Looking around, Kagome realized that they had made it almost halfway across the city and were now in a section of town that she didn't recognize from personal experience. She recognized it from the news. This was a dangerous section of town, one that her mother would never have let her go into. Trying not to let her fear of the place show, she stood up straight and listened in on the two brothers as they discussed their next move, and Sesshomaru's previous one.
"Here, take these," the demon said, holding out a set of clothes to Inuyasha. Now where had those come from? Searching their surroundings once again, Kagome spotted the bag that Sesshomaru had been carrying. She hadn't noticed it before, but then again she hadn't really had time. Sesshomaru spoke again, causing her attention to be drawn back to the conversation going on.
"Your clothes are far too outdated and will only draw attention, even if they are protective." He handed Inuyasha the bag. The hanyou took it slowly, a scowl dawning his features.
"Just what do you think you're doing, huh?" he asked harshly, anger burning in his eyes. "Every time I see you you try to kill me. You hate me! What's different this time? Why are you helping me?" He tensed suddenly, seeming to stumble upon a conclusion. Turning his head slightly, he eyed his older brother. "What are you planning?"
"I am planning nothing. It has been 550 years, brother; much has changed since we last met. I no longer have any need for your sword and thus no need to fight with you. As for my contempt for you, time has shown me my fault. I only despised you because you had the Tetsaiga and were a hanyou. I believed you to have destroyed our family name with your impure blood. However, my thoughts on the matter have changed. Humans are not something to be despised."
Inuyasha's mouth fell open, his eyes wide. His arms went slack at his side as he tried to absorb what he had just heard. His brother didn't hate humans anymore? He didn't want to kill him or take his sword? Shaking his head, he looked back at his brother, confused. Had he heard right? Blinking at the demon in front of him as if to clear his vision since he was sure he was hallucinating, he stuttered, "W-What?"
Kagome stared at the two, her gaze switching from one to the other and then back again. The girl tried desperately to figure out just what was going on, but it was futile. She had the distinct feeling that she had missed something.
"I do not hate you or desire to fight you. You are my brother and I wish to help you. Do you understand now?" Sesshomaru replied to his befuddled sibling. He had known it would take some convincing for his brother to accept what he was doing. After all, in the five centuries that he had been alive and protecting humans Inuyasha had been pinned to a tree under a miko's spell. As calm as ever, he continued his explanation.
"You were on that tree for well over 500 years, Inuyasha. In that time, I changed. I now understand why our father considered the Tensaiga to be just as powerful as the Tetsaiga. Even though I respect humans, they are still frail creatures and need others to protect them. With the Tensaiga, I can do that." Inuyasha only looked more shocked at this statement. He was protecting and helping humans? Surely he was dreaming. The hanyou shook his head again, but everything remained as it was. He wasn't dreaming at all; it was all very real.
"So, you help humans?" It was more of a statement than a question. Sesshomaru nodded. Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha continued. "And you want to help me instead of kill me." Another nod. "And you expect me to just believe all of that?" he asked, mostly hidden malice threading the words.
"You do not have to accept it, and I do not expect you to. But it is the truth. Would it help if I told you that my first mate was a human?" Inuyasha faultered, completely flabergasted.
"WHAT?!" he yelled, hurting both his brother's and his own sensitive ears.
"There is no more time for explanations. You have a choice. You can either come with me and allow me to help you, or you can survive on your own." Seeing Inuyasha's eyes narrow at the first suggestion, he continued. "Since I did not believe you would want my help, I made sure to put a couple more sets of clothes in that bag as well as a small bit of food. Make sure not to eat it all at once."
Inuyasha looked down at the pack in his hand, reaching through the still open zipper cautiously to make sure it contained nothing that was a danger to his health. Finding nothing except for the food and strange clothing his brother had told him about, he looked back up and waited for Sesshomaru to go on. Apparently the hanyou wasn't in as talkative a mood as he had been before. He was beginning to think that maybe he wasn't lying.
"As I said earlier, I was not expecting a girl to be with you. You will have to work together now and share the contents of the bag," he said, glancing over at Kagome for a moment before turning his attention back to his younger sibling.
"Work together to do what? I just want to go home; Inuyasha can stay there if he wants," Kagome said quietly. Sesshomaru's gaze slid back to regard her for a moment, about to speak before Inuyasha turned to her to explain himself.
"You can't go back home, girl. They would expect that and it would only put your family in danger for protecting you," he said, a bit harshly; but she had to know. The people from the compound would be looking for them and that would be the first place they would look. If her family tried to keep them from taking her again, then they would probably be taken to the facility as well just to make sure that they didn't talk about it.
"I could hide there. No one would have to know that I was there; my family wouldn't have to tell anyone. I could just..."
"Inuyasha is right; you cannot go back."
"But what if they didn't say anything at all?"
"That's not possible. It would cause a big ruckus if you went back because they wouldn't be expecting it at all." Before Kagome could interrupt him again, Inuyasha continued. "They think you're dead; there's no way that they would be the only ones to find out it wasn't true and be able to keep it that way."
"They wouldn't have given up on my that easily!" Kagome snapped at the hanyou, angry at him for not allowing her to go home like she wanted. But even as she said it, she was beginning to realize that the demons were right; she couldn't go back. She felt tears well up and sting her eyes as she tried furiously not to let them fall and failed miserably.
"That's what those people told them! They had no choice but to believe them. Just accept it. You can't go home."
Kagome closed her mouth tight, her fists clenched at her sides. The tears were falling freely now, but she was silent. If she couldn't go home right now, she would find a way to go back someday. For now she would just be quiet and take Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's advice.
"So you cannot go home and you need someone to look after you, since you are only human. And you," Sesshomaru said, looking back to Inuyasha who's attention was quickly turned back to him, "do not know anything about this time and need someone to teach you how things work. Seeing that you do not want me to be that person, this girl will have to be the one. You will protect her and she will help you. There is no other way; you need each other."
Before Inuyasha or Kagome could object, Sesshomaru spun to face down the alley and started to walk away, leaving the two of them standing there watching him. "Be careful, brother. Stay away from public places and do not take public transportation; humans are not very keen on seeing demons. It would cause quite a stir for them to see you with your ears and claws; they do give you away, you know. It would be best if you left the city as well. Hiding in the country side is much easier."
Kagome could barely hear the last of Sesshomaru's instructions as he turned the corner and disappeared out of sight. Slowly, she turned to face Inuyasha who was still staring at the last place his brother had been seen. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to him. He finally looked over at her, not quite sure what to do or say.
"I guess that we should get started?" she asked, saying more than questioning. Inuyasha nodded and they began to make their way out of the alley. "We can't take the bus or anything and I can't drive, so I guess that we walk."
Inuyasha nodded,sighing. What were they supposed to do now? He didn't quite understand some of Sesshomaru's final words of advice – what was public transportation anyway? - but he did understand his reasons behind them leaving the city. Looking around them when they reached the street, he turned to Kagome for which way to go. When she shrugged, he sighed again. Squaring his shoulders, he chose the direction that looked the best to him and they struck out. And so began their journey through Tokyo to Japan's countryside. Where would go after that?
AN: Chapter 10! Double-digits! :) *confetti flying, balloons floating, horns being blown* Alright, enough of that. I hope that you guys liked it! I decided that Sesshomaru would make a good good guy, and I have a use for it ;) Next Chapter: Inuyasha and Kagome make it out of Tokyo, but where are they off to now? A certain company owner seems to be finding his way to their bad side. Please review! They make me write better and faster!
Pycho Piranah – Glad you think its cool! Thanks for the review; hope you liked how Sesshomaru is turning out! :)
MiraiYume – So happy that I could give you something to think about all week :) Sesshomaru is good! I love it when he's a good guy. ^_^ Thanks for reviewing! I hope that you liked this chapter!
purplepeopleeater – Thank you very much for letting use your idea! You've made me a happy writer :) Your first question was answered in this chapter, but you'll just have to wait for the others! hehe I love making people wait for answers. I'm so evil. Thanks for the reviews! I hope that you liked chapter 10!
Silver Eyes Bright – Good luck with your hw and softball! That's really cool; I think you're more motivated than I am about hw. I tend to put it off in order to do some more productive things, such as read fanfics or write them.... hehe Hope that this chapter kept your attention! Thanks for the review!
Storm-Maker – Thank you for the review! As much as I love cliffhanges, I hope that this wasn't too much of one since I left ya'll with one last time. Next chapter will probably answer the question of what they're gonna do now. Hope that you liked this chapter! :)
Reality – Yes, Sesshomaru saved Inuyasha and Kagome! :) Nope, I really think that that was the last thing Inuyasha expected. I just love surprising my characters! Thanks for reviewing! I hope that you liked this chapter, too!