Chapter Twenty-Four: The Completed Shikon No Tama
Sesshomaru and Koga stared at the ground around them. It was bare of anything. No body parts and no grass, just blood soaked dirt. Their bodies were still drenched with the crimson liquid. Both lowered their weapons, not yet sheathing them just in case. Sesshomaru's eyes scanned the area, pausing a short moment on Kagome and the others before beginning to search for his half-breed brother. The droplets of still falling blood landed on his long eyelashes as he spotted Inu Yasha. Koga followed the inu youkai's gaze to the fallen hanyou. Together, they went to the boy.
Kagome rubbed her eyes as the light faded. Her head throbbed, but one thing struck her mind as she sat on her knees between two of her best friends. 'Inu Yasha...' Despite the dizziness she felt, she tossed her head, frantically scouting out her mate. She spotted him lying face down in the earth, shining with a thick sheet of sweat that covered his naked form. She stood, running toward him and nearly killing herself in the process. The black kimono she wore tied around her legs and forced her to the ground many times. Kagome felt as though she would cry, for the shear fact that she couldn't get to Inu Yasha frustrated her to no end.
Miroku slowly opened his eyes. They ached and were scratchy; bloodshot. His left hand pulsated under its wrapping as he strained his body to sit up. 'What happened?' The thought crossed his mind and he shivered. 'Kanna... she... Sango!' his dark eyes shifted to the girl beside him. She was moving to sit on her knees, completely dazed with glassed eyes. Miroku crawled over to her, wincing as his left hand ached even more. He brought his right hand to wipe the hair from her eyes. She blinked, her eyes becoming livid again and she fell into his lap, thanking the lords they were both still alive. His arms held her tight as he kissed the top of her head and began to survey their surroundings. The houshi slowly stood with his love when he spotted Sesshomaru, Koga, and Kagome.
Koga walked beside the inu youkai, slightly shaking himself of the blood he was covered with. The blood rain had seemed to slow and die around them. The ookami looked over to see Kagome frantically running toward the fallen hanyou. With a slight nudge at the man beside him, both darted toward Inu Yasha. They had beaten Kagome by mere moments and had only time to look over his back. No wounds were visible, no blood, nothing. He was in perfect condition aside from the fact that he was unconscious. His body was coated with sweat that seemed to pour from every pore in his skin. Sesshomaru kneeled beside his half brother just as Kagome reached his side.
Her eyes were wide when she noticed he was hardly moving with his shallow breaths. With trembling hands she had Sesshomaru help her flip her mate onto his back. The inu youkai removed his now stained top and placed it over Inu Yasha's naked form as Kagome looked over him for injuries. Silver hair stuck to his body with perspiration. Her slender fingers shifted the hair from his forehead and she gaped at what she saw. Her small sharp intake of air drew the attention of both demons. Sesshomaru's face kept its usual look as Koga raised an eyebrow.
It was faint, but was visible on Inu Yasha's flesh as it regained its color. A purple crescent moon painted the center of Inu Yasha's forehead. The area around it was deathly pale and it burned Kagome's hand when she graced her hand over it. She sent a concerned look to both Koga and Sesshomaru, hoping one of them could explain it. Sesshomaru used a clawed hand to get his own hair from his face.
"It seems as though my dear brother has undergone a serious transformation," he said quietly. Kagome simply watched the man on the ground, gulping.
"What do you mean? Like, into his demon self? I thought that was sealed." Her hands ran down Inu Yasha's arm as the tanned tint to his skin slowly came back.
Sesshomaru put a hand to his mouth, thinking of all possibilities for the mark. "The strength of his demon counterpart was controlled. That is, it was while he still had you." His gaze shifted quickly to Kagome then down to the hanyou. "I am going on a hunch, but I think my half brother battled Naraku, do you disagree?" Both Koga and Kagome shook their heads. "Kagome, did Naraku do anything to you that would piss Inu Yasha off?" She could feel the intensity of their eyes on her.
"He... uh... Naraku raped me." A solitary tear fell down her face as Koga drastically paled. Sesshomaru was quiet a moment before he wrapped up his thoughts.
"The only reason Inu Yasha would have gone through a transformation would be if his life were in danger or his mate. That would be you, am I correct?" Kagome nodded slightly. "Then I can only come to one conclusion. Naraku told Inu Yasha about mating with you. That drove my half brother over the edge."
"But the mark? I sure as hell haven't ever seen it before." Koga threw in. "Does that always happen after a transformation?"
"No," Kagome wiped her face with the long sleeve of her kimono. "It's never happened before. Do you know what that means, Sesshomaru?" Her eyes fell on the Lord.
"I do not have all the answers. The best I can say is that it will allow him to seal his blood for good. However, since he has probably made a transformation into a full inu youkai, he may be more aggressive and possessive."
"A full inu youkai?" both Koga and Kagome's voices asked, hers a bit shakier than his.
"A dog. He changed into the natural form of our race." Koga's face fell in utter confusion. He had never seen the body of a full inu youkai in its beast form. Kagome fell silent and gripped Inu Yasha's hand, or tried to. When her hand went to intertwine with his, a round ball fell into her hand. She lifted the practically complete sphere.
"The Shikon no Tama..." she whispered. Two pieces were missing. Her eyes went to Koga, or, rather, his legs. "Koga... may I have the jewel shards in your legs?" Another tear made its way down her soft cheeks. Koga stayed silent a few moments.
His voice was small and quiet. "Is the jewel nearly complete?" She nodded. A heavy sigh fell from his lips. A low chuckle made both Kagome and Koga jump.
"Too worried I'll kick your ass even easier without 'em?" The voice was filled with agony and strain. A hissing breath followed the sentence. Kagome looked at Inu Yasha, as he lay on the ground, half glaring at the ookami youkai standing at his feet. A soft smile came across Koga's face.
"Yeah, like I need the shards to kick you to hell and back, mutt face. Here Kagome." With a flick of the wrist and a slight twitch of pain, his nails had pierced the skin of both shins and removed the shards. Kagome took them gratefully before placing them and the jewel in her hands, closing them tight. "Now get up and fight, if you still feel you can beat me."
Inu Yasha forced his still numb arms to comply with his wishes and move. He grumbled with pain, hissing and moaning as his torso lifted off the ground. Sesshomaru pushed him back into the ground, forcing him to stay put. Curses were heard spilling from the hanyou's mouth as Koga laughed deep in his chest. A small light leaked from Kagome's closed hands and the demons (and hanyou) looked over at her. The complete jewel shone a bright pink when she moved her hands. It rolled on her palm slightly before she looked up at everyone.
"Any one know what we should do with it?" she asked. Sesshomaru was the one to answer.
"Worry about that when you get back to your village." Something clicked in Kagome's mind as she stared at the stone in her hand.
'Kagura said that if we killed Naraku, she would get us his hidden pieces... but the jewel is full now.' She stood slowly and looked around, spotting Kagura near Sango and Miroku. She began her walk her.
Kagome stood in front of the wind sorceress as calm as could be. Her voice didn't waver or shake when she spoke. "Kagura, why did you lie to me?"
"I wanted to be free. Besides, I freed you from the castle, I killed Kanna, what more do you ask in return? You would have spent your lifetime trying to escape the mazes in the castle," she shifted her head slightly towards the dark building. "Kanna would have surly killed you. She may have looked weak, but that mirror wasn't all the power she had. I saved your life and joined you with your friends. All I asked for was freedom."
Kagome listened as Kagura spoke. "Then go, Kagura," she said quietly. "You have your freedom. But don't try and attack us. Although I did free you, there is a demon over there that desperately wants revenge for his kin. He will not hesitate to kill you." A small nod was the older woman's only reply as she pulled a feather from her hair. The wind around her swirled and lifted her. She flew away without a trace.
Kagome stood beside her two friends. The two had injuries from their prior fight with Dereamu (A/N if you don't know what I am talking about, then go read chapter 19 and you will). That in itself made it difficult for them to walk, but they managed. The miko lead them to the area where Inu Yasha, Sesshomaru and Koga were. The two youkai had already lifted Inu Yasha and began carrying him. Their first an foremost stop was Keade's village.
END CHAPTER
Hmmm... lets see now...
Mystic Hanyou: Inspiration for Inu Yasha's transformation... well, the day before I wrote that chapter, I was watching my tapes of Inu Yasha. The episode where Inu and Sesshy go into their father's grave and Sesshy turns into his true form was one of the ones I watched. And then I remembered this story I read where Inu went to the Western Lands and was with all kinds of other inu youkai and so I drew from that too. Its just, I have never seen it before and I wanted to know if I could pull it off and if it would even make sense. But, yeah, that's where I got my inspiration. Kinda weird, but ok.
Well, we are gonna have a few more chapters. I know, I keep on changing the number of chapters, but hey, it's my story and things change. ::smiles brightly:: Ja matta, all
Inu Face
Sesshomaru and Koga stared at the ground around them. It was bare of anything. No body parts and no grass, just blood soaked dirt. Their bodies were still drenched with the crimson liquid. Both lowered their weapons, not yet sheathing them just in case. Sesshomaru's eyes scanned the area, pausing a short moment on Kagome and the others before beginning to search for his half-breed brother. The droplets of still falling blood landed on his long eyelashes as he spotted Inu Yasha. Koga followed the inu youkai's gaze to the fallen hanyou. Together, they went to the boy.
Kagome rubbed her eyes as the light faded. Her head throbbed, but one thing struck her mind as she sat on her knees between two of her best friends. 'Inu Yasha...' Despite the dizziness she felt, she tossed her head, frantically scouting out her mate. She spotted him lying face down in the earth, shining with a thick sheet of sweat that covered his naked form. She stood, running toward him and nearly killing herself in the process. The black kimono she wore tied around her legs and forced her to the ground many times. Kagome felt as though she would cry, for the shear fact that she couldn't get to Inu Yasha frustrated her to no end.
Miroku slowly opened his eyes. They ached and were scratchy; bloodshot. His left hand pulsated under its wrapping as he strained his body to sit up. 'What happened?' The thought crossed his mind and he shivered. 'Kanna... she... Sango!' his dark eyes shifted to the girl beside him. She was moving to sit on her knees, completely dazed with glassed eyes. Miroku crawled over to her, wincing as his left hand ached even more. He brought his right hand to wipe the hair from her eyes. She blinked, her eyes becoming livid again and she fell into his lap, thanking the lords they were both still alive. His arms held her tight as he kissed the top of her head and began to survey their surroundings. The houshi slowly stood with his love when he spotted Sesshomaru, Koga, and Kagome.
Koga walked beside the inu youkai, slightly shaking himself of the blood he was covered with. The blood rain had seemed to slow and die around them. The ookami looked over to see Kagome frantically running toward the fallen hanyou. With a slight nudge at the man beside him, both darted toward Inu Yasha. They had beaten Kagome by mere moments and had only time to look over his back. No wounds were visible, no blood, nothing. He was in perfect condition aside from the fact that he was unconscious. His body was coated with sweat that seemed to pour from every pore in his skin. Sesshomaru kneeled beside his half brother just as Kagome reached his side.
Her eyes were wide when she noticed he was hardly moving with his shallow breaths. With trembling hands she had Sesshomaru help her flip her mate onto his back. The inu youkai removed his now stained top and placed it over Inu Yasha's naked form as Kagome looked over him for injuries. Silver hair stuck to his body with perspiration. Her slender fingers shifted the hair from his forehead and she gaped at what she saw. Her small sharp intake of air drew the attention of both demons. Sesshomaru's face kept its usual look as Koga raised an eyebrow.
It was faint, but was visible on Inu Yasha's flesh as it regained its color. A purple crescent moon painted the center of Inu Yasha's forehead. The area around it was deathly pale and it burned Kagome's hand when she graced her hand over it. She sent a concerned look to both Koga and Sesshomaru, hoping one of them could explain it. Sesshomaru used a clawed hand to get his own hair from his face.
"It seems as though my dear brother has undergone a serious transformation," he said quietly. Kagome simply watched the man on the ground, gulping.
"What do you mean? Like, into his demon self? I thought that was sealed." Her hands ran down Inu Yasha's arm as the tanned tint to his skin slowly came back.
Sesshomaru put a hand to his mouth, thinking of all possibilities for the mark. "The strength of his demon counterpart was controlled. That is, it was while he still had you." His gaze shifted quickly to Kagome then down to the hanyou. "I am going on a hunch, but I think my half brother battled Naraku, do you disagree?" Both Koga and Kagome shook their heads. "Kagome, did Naraku do anything to you that would piss Inu Yasha off?" She could feel the intensity of their eyes on her.
"He... uh... Naraku raped me." A solitary tear fell down her face as Koga drastically paled. Sesshomaru was quiet a moment before he wrapped up his thoughts.
"The only reason Inu Yasha would have gone through a transformation would be if his life were in danger or his mate. That would be you, am I correct?" Kagome nodded slightly. "Then I can only come to one conclusion. Naraku told Inu Yasha about mating with you. That drove my half brother over the edge."
"But the mark? I sure as hell haven't ever seen it before." Koga threw in. "Does that always happen after a transformation?"
"No," Kagome wiped her face with the long sleeve of her kimono. "It's never happened before. Do you know what that means, Sesshomaru?" Her eyes fell on the Lord.
"I do not have all the answers. The best I can say is that it will allow him to seal his blood for good. However, since he has probably made a transformation into a full inu youkai, he may be more aggressive and possessive."
"A full inu youkai?" both Koga and Kagome's voices asked, hers a bit shakier than his.
"A dog. He changed into the natural form of our race." Koga's face fell in utter confusion. He had never seen the body of a full inu youkai in its beast form. Kagome fell silent and gripped Inu Yasha's hand, or tried to. When her hand went to intertwine with his, a round ball fell into her hand. She lifted the practically complete sphere.
"The Shikon no Tama..." she whispered. Two pieces were missing. Her eyes went to Koga, or, rather, his legs. "Koga... may I have the jewel shards in your legs?" Another tear made its way down her soft cheeks. Koga stayed silent a few moments.
His voice was small and quiet. "Is the jewel nearly complete?" She nodded. A heavy sigh fell from his lips. A low chuckle made both Kagome and Koga jump.
"Too worried I'll kick your ass even easier without 'em?" The voice was filled with agony and strain. A hissing breath followed the sentence. Kagome looked at Inu Yasha, as he lay on the ground, half glaring at the ookami youkai standing at his feet. A soft smile came across Koga's face.
"Yeah, like I need the shards to kick you to hell and back, mutt face. Here Kagome." With a flick of the wrist and a slight twitch of pain, his nails had pierced the skin of both shins and removed the shards. Kagome took them gratefully before placing them and the jewel in her hands, closing them tight. "Now get up and fight, if you still feel you can beat me."
Inu Yasha forced his still numb arms to comply with his wishes and move. He grumbled with pain, hissing and moaning as his torso lifted off the ground. Sesshomaru pushed him back into the ground, forcing him to stay put. Curses were heard spilling from the hanyou's mouth as Koga laughed deep in his chest. A small light leaked from Kagome's closed hands and the demons (and hanyou) looked over at her. The complete jewel shone a bright pink when she moved her hands. It rolled on her palm slightly before she looked up at everyone.
"Any one know what we should do with it?" she asked. Sesshomaru was the one to answer.
"Worry about that when you get back to your village." Something clicked in Kagome's mind as she stared at the stone in her hand.
'Kagura said that if we killed Naraku, she would get us his hidden pieces... but the jewel is full now.' She stood slowly and looked around, spotting Kagura near Sango and Miroku. She began her walk her.
Kagome stood in front of the wind sorceress as calm as could be. Her voice didn't waver or shake when she spoke. "Kagura, why did you lie to me?"
"I wanted to be free. Besides, I freed you from the castle, I killed Kanna, what more do you ask in return? You would have spent your lifetime trying to escape the mazes in the castle," she shifted her head slightly towards the dark building. "Kanna would have surly killed you. She may have looked weak, but that mirror wasn't all the power she had. I saved your life and joined you with your friends. All I asked for was freedom."
Kagome listened as Kagura spoke. "Then go, Kagura," she said quietly. "You have your freedom. But don't try and attack us. Although I did free you, there is a demon over there that desperately wants revenge for his kin. He will not hesitate to kill you." A small nod was the older woman's only reply as she pulled a feather from her hair. The wind around her swirled and lifted her. She flew away without a trace.
Kagome stood beside her two friends. The two had injuries from their prior fight with Dereamu (A/N if you don't know what I am talking about, then go read chapter 19 and you will). That in itself made it difficult for them to walk, but they managed. The miko lead them to the area where Inu Yasha, Sesshomaru and Koga were. The two youkai had already lifted Inu Yasha and began carrying him. Their first an foremost stop was Keade's village.
END CHAPTER
Hmmm... lets see now...
Mystic Hanyou: Inspiration for Inu Yasha's transformation... well, the day before I wrote that chapter, I was watching my tapes of Inu Yasha. The episode where Inu and Sesshy go into their father's grave and Sesshy turns into his true form was one of the ones I watched. And then I remembered this story I read where Inu went to the Western Lands and was with all kinds of other inu youkai and so I drew from that too. Its just, I have never seen it before and I wanted to know if I could pull it off and if it would even make sense. But, yeah, that's where I got my inspiration. Kinda weird, but ok.
Well, we are gonna have a few more chapters. I know, I keep on changing the number of chapters, but hey, it's my story and things change. ::smiles brightly:: Ja matta, all
Inu Face