A/N: A little late due to the arrival of my DDR pads.. O.o
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Ultimate Chance, Chapter Two: Memory
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Sesshoumaru jumped slightly as Inuyasha made a noise in his sleep, or at least he thought he did because Sesshoumaru knew his body would never be the snoring type. He decided to find Inuyasha's camp, he did plan to kill his friends, but he seemed to know a lot more about them than he thought, like their names for one.
Sesshoumaru had expected them to be awake and ready to travel by the time he got there, like a good traveling group should be. He was sorely disappointed.
He looked to Kagome, whom he before never knew before, and felt an overwhelming emotion. Sesshoumaru looked to all of the group members in turn and felt a pang somewhere in his chest when he thought of killing them. He then made the decision to stay with them for a while, until this feeling passed.
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Why can't I remember where we were camped? Inuyasha thought hotly, looking around the clearing with no clue as to which way to go.
"Do you know where we are going, Inuyasha?" said Jaken, struggling to keep up with Inuyasha, who was walking across the clearing in a curved and distorted trail.
Inuyasha ignored Jaken coldly. He couldn't remember where the camp was, and he felt as though he were forgetting more. Inuyasha's urge to find Kagome suddenly lessened and all that was left on his mind was Tetsusaiga. He looked down at Rin, forgetting she was there for the umpteenth time. As soon as he looked at her, she smiled at him and Inuyasha grinned back. What am I doing, I don't even know her..
They walked in circles after they left the clearing into the forest and soon came to a small village. Inuyasha avoided the village, by walking along the edge of the forest. What would happen if he couldn't find his camp? Would he continue to walk around with these two forever? It really didn't seem that bad of a prospect; walking around with Rin and Jaken. Inuyasha blinked, did he really want to do that; to spend the rest of his life? No, he wanted to find Kagome and... the monk... and the slayer...
He could remember Kagome's name, but the rest of them slipped his mind. Inuyasha was sure that he would remember once he saw their faces, although he could barely remember them. It really did scare him. He feared he would never see Kagome again, but even that didn't seem too bad a thing to happen anymore.
"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Rin said taking Inuyasha's hand.
"Why do ask?" Inuyasha questioned, looking at Rin.
"We've been walking around this village in a circle quite a while now, and the villagers have noticed." Jaken answered for Rin pointing at the villagers staring oddly at all of them.
Inuyasha stared at the villagers, why did he recognize some of them? He didn't know who they were, and he surely had never been here before.
Inuyasha turned around and began to walk away, leaving Jaken and Rin behind, until they noticed and ran to catch up to him. As they walked he heard a strange voice cackling.
"Your brother has made a terrible mistake! Kyah Kyah Kyah!" This creature laughed shrilly. "He dared to trick my father! Kyah Kyah Kyah!" This creature said, his voice echoing around Inuyasha.
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha said, a growl forming in the back of his throat. Rin clung to Inuyasha, frightened.
"Let me take care of him, Inuyasha!" said Jaken, stepping in front of Inuyasha.
"No, he might have useful info, like why I look like this." said Inuyasha darkly. He pulled Jaken back, next to Rin. "Explain!" Inuyasha said, looking around to find the place where the voice had come from.
"Well well! The brother wants an explanation! Since your brother gave so much gold to seal his fate along with yours, I will tell you and make the terror all the worse!" This creature cackled, somewhere above Inuyasha.
Inuyasha jerked his head up, and saw nothing but the tops of trees. He stared blankly upwards, and remained silent waiting for the creature to elaborate.
"Kyah! Your brother is deceitful and bad! This creature punished him! This creature tricked him!" This creature screeched, somewhere behind Inuyasha.
"How did you trick him?" Inuyasha asked, spinning around in vain to find this creature. He could hardly believe his brother had been tricked; this creature must be clever, and insane for that matter.
"Kyah! Kyah! This creature was caught listening! This creature heard desires for Tetsusaiga!" This creature howled, this time beside Inuyasha.
Inuyasha remained still, maybe if he stopped trying to find this creature, he could concentrate on what he was saying.
"This creature is a master of spells! To accelerate desires is but a simple task!" This creature yelled hollowly with laughter, sounding as though it was just behind Inuyasha.
Inuyasha did not turn around, he stood there stiffly.
"This creature offered! Your brother accepted! Now you both will lose your own memories!" This creature said gleefully.
Rin clutched onto Inuyasha's robes tighter.
"Kyah! You both have switched, your brother tricked, and your fate is now doomed along with his. How entertaining!" this creature yelled, its voice sounding farther and farther away, eventually disappearing into the trees.
"Damn!" muttered Inuyasha. He turned his head from side to side, looking for any sign of the creature, and above him for good measure.
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"Inuyasha..." Kagome said, standing up to greet Sesshoumaru soon after she awoke. She looked to the ground. "I think we need to talk.." she whispered. "alone" she finished, looking to Miroku and Sango, who had woken up before her.
Sesshoumaru and Kagome walked into the woods, Sesshoumaru in the lead.
"Inuyasha has been acting strange since last night." Sango said to Miroku.
"Well, it is no wonder. I mean, to have your brother kiss you can be quite disturbing." Miroku said sagely.
"Well, I suppose, but it can't be that bad, can it?" Sango replied.
"Think about it this way, how would you feel if Kohaku kissed you? I don't mean in the loving sibling way or in the it's-great-to-see-you way." Miroku said calmly, or at least as calm as he could with the mental images being played in his head.
Sango's hand made contact with Miroku's face as he smirked about something Sango didn't want to know about. "Spare me!" she said angrily.
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Sesshoumaru turned to face Kagome. "What did you wish to talk about?" Sesshoumaru said staring at Kagome.
"Well.. I..uh.." Kagome stammered. "what-happened-between-you-and-your-brother?" Kagome said quickly, closing her eyes and blushing.
Sesshoumaru felt another wave of emotion tug at his heart, and he wrapped his arms around Kagome.
"I really don't know, Kagome.." He said softly into her hair. "I will kill him someday.." Sesshoumaru whispered more to himself than Kagome.
Kagome returned the hug by wrapping her arms around Sesshoumaru's shoulders, they had hugged many times, even kissed a few times, but this hug felt different. "He's your brother, you don't have to kill him you know. I thought you were thinking about giving Tetsusaiga to him?" Kagome said gently into Sesshoumaru's red fabric.
"That's a lie." Sesshoumaru said releasing his grip on Kagome and staring at her blankly. There was no way his brother would ever consider giving Tetsusaiga to him.
Sesshoumaru walked solemnly back to camp before Kagome could say another word. "I love.." He began to mutter, but stopped himself. He didn't love a human, even though he was half human now.
As he walked back, he automatically flipped his hair back. Don't do that! He screamed in his head, but he ignored it.
Kagome stood there watching Sesshoumaru leave. She needed some time to think. Kagome had thought she had Inuyasha completely figured out. She sat down on a patch of soft, green grass. Was Inuyasha cold again? She eventually decided to warm up to Inuyasha again. His brother has made him defensive again.. Kagome thought sadly.
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Sesshoumaru sat down next to Miroku and sighed.
"Look at it this way, Inuyasha, you're lucky with the men and women!" Miroku said smugly. "Like me.." Miroku grinned, glancing at Sango suggestively.
"Sango, do you, by chance, have a brush.. or comb?" Sesshoumaru asked lazily tilting his head to look at Sango.
"Uhh..." Sango said. Sango and Miroku stared at Sesshoumaru incredulously, as if their hearing had failed them, they had obviously never seen Inuyasha do anything with his hair. Eventually Sango snapped herself back to earth and rummaged through her pack, and eventually handed a brush to Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru took the brush and tried to brush his hair. After the brush got stuck in his hair a few times, he decided to see if water would help his tangled mess. As a plus it would solve the problem of pondering just how much dirt was caked on him.
Ignoring the surprised faces of Sango and Miroku he set off for a spring with, what he considered, was a severe lack of bath supplies.
"He must feel dirty, I wonder what he did in the woods?" Miroku smirked.
"Monk, there are children present!" Sango said, looking to Shippou then slapping Miroku as he replied with a 'He'll find out someday'.
Kagome soon found her way back to camp from her time spent thinking.
"Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, noticing he was not there.
"He went to take a bath and do his hair." Miroku said, two handprints on either side of his face.
"What?" Kagome said, surprised. She had been begging Inuyasha to brush his hair for a while. Was this his way of making up for his bout with Sesshoumaru? She bounded over and sat down joyfully next to Sango.
This isn't right, there is something this creature didn't tell me, I just know it.. Sesshoumaru thought seriously. He could barely remember Rin's face, and he couldn't remember his vassal's name at all. This creature never told him he would lose his memories, and it surely was not common practice among this creature's kind. He would have never done this if he had known those facts ahead of time.
Sesshoumaru slipped off his robes and giggled at how scrawny Inuyasha was, but stopped giggling when he looked down. I told you he took after father in that aspect! His inner voice piped up annoyingly, and Sesshoumaru slipped quickly into the water, refusing to look below the waist or above the thigh. Sesshoumaru washed his hair and brushed through it dazedly, noting how much he loved having ears, it was all a blur by the time he was done, after he put on his wet, but clean, robes.
His bangs were brushed in front of his eyes, and he pushed them to the side. Sesshoumaru tied his robes tighter than they had been. He couldn't stand having them as loose as they were. He also took a band and tied back the, to him, annoying strands of hair too short to stay back on their own.
Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to skip, as he had done when he was younger, back to camp. He was actually glad Kagome hadn't sensed any shards nearby. Sesshoumaru blinked. How did he know that she could?
Wait.. I never skipped when I was younger.. He walked back picturing little Inuyasha skipping after a bath, and smiled despite himself.
By the time he got back, due to the distance between the spring and camp, Kagome, Sango, and Shippou were asleep. Miroku was nowhere to be seen. Sesshoumaru sat beside Kagome and fell asleep with his chin on his chest. After all, even though he didn't need sleep every night, the day had been tiring.
Inuyasha, Jaken, and Rin had wandered deeper into the woods, which had become denser and darker. The trees seemed to leer at them, and looked as knotted as this creature's voice had sounded, the farther they went.
Eventually Inuyasha decided to turn back. This creature was no doubt long gone by now. He thought about what this creature had said and wondered what all had he truly forgotten. Inuyasha saw a girl in strange green and white clothing pass across his mind. Who was she? He seemed to know her pretty well. Was she even a real person? He felt as thought he should know her.
Inuyasha looked at Rin. Maybe it is Rin's future? He dismissed this thought quickly; they looked nothing alike. Rin coughed and stumbled, almost falling. Inuyasha picked Rin up precariously with his one hand and put her on his shoulders. "How is that?" He asked Rin calmly.
"Great Inuyasha!" She said, smiling. "I mean Lord Inuyasha!" Rin corrected herself, resting her head on top of Inuyasha's. Jaken remained silent at Inuyasha's side, he wondered how long he should follow this imposter. When would he see Lord Sesshoumaru again? After all that is the only reason he was even following Inuyasha; in the hope of being reunited with Sesshoumaru.
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A/N: Yes, a lame-arse title (and ending ) for chapter 2, but hey this took a long time to write (even if it is shorter than the first chapter). Also a lot more dialogue in this chapter. The original ideas I had for this story changed a bit.