Book one is finished! Everybody dance! *does the 'Book one is finished' dace, Tenshi ni Narumon style* Wheee!
OMG! Do you think that maybe I'm too obvious? Everyone guessed the mysterious savior was Kouga! How do you know it's not… uh…Inu-Yasha's clone?! Yeah, that's it… leave me alone. I'm sick and have had too much sugar. And watched too much Fruits Baskets and looked at too many other animes, such as the aforementioned Tenshi ni Narumon. Now THERE's an anime on 3 pounds of crack. Anyway, you're all right it is Kouga. So read on, and enjoy the last chapter of Book one!
Yeah, you're going to notice, for those of you that have seen it, that this chapter and the Kouga episode are really similar, but I couldn't help myself! It's one of my favorite eps, I had to give tribute to it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 14:
Wolf
"Dammit." Inu-Yasha growled as he avoided the lashing fangs of the double-headed demon. He had to kill this thing quickly before it got too many mortals involved. He raised Tetsusaiga above his right shoulder and landed skillfully on the roof of a nearby building before swinging his giant sword forward. "Eat this you bastard! Kaze no kizu!"
The giant blade of wind ripped through the air and hit the serpent dead on, splitting a hole right through its chest. It snarled and spat fire from one of its heads while trying to snap the angel into bits with the other. Inu-Yasha grinned and avoided the snake's clumsier movements with ease, kicking it on the head on his way up. The second head reared up and snapped at him, catching a bit of his kimono and tearing it. Inu-Yasha glanced back at the sound of ripping cloth and growled. He flipped around and landed neatly on a coil of the snake's body, grabbing Tetsusaiga's handle with both hands.
"You're gonna pay for that you bastard." He snarled, twisting the sword for a definite payback. "Kagome got that outfit for me!" With a snarl he leaped forward and drove the blade deep into the skull of the first head before tearing it forward and ripping the demon's head open. The other head hissed in pain and surprise as Inu-Yasha again leaped up, snapping the sword through the air to get the youki just right. It resulted in a huge explosion, destroying the snake demon completely. It died and vanished before it even hit the ground, leaving behind tatters of the section of the fair it attacked. Inu-Yasha landed among the rubble and snorted, putting his sword back. Anyone watching the scene would have spotted a longhaired, red-clothed figure with an amazing sword flicker slightly into the mortal plane before fazing out again. Many legends of a samurai spirit guarding that section would be spawned from that night and live for a long time.
Inu-Yasha glanced over to where Miroku and Sango were cleaning up the remains of the demons they had killed. He grinned, his fangs gleaming in the firelight as he ran over, excited from the rush he had just gotten over killing something.
"Ha, gottim!" He proclaimed happily, running up to his companions, looking for all the world like a small child who had just won a game. He was almost giddy with the energy it gave him. "Dammit, that felt good!"
"Inu-Yasha?" Sango asked, looking up at the half-angel as he jumped around, retelling his battle to them, not noticing they weren't even paying attention.
"He used to be a demon exterminator for the angels." Miroku explained, clearing up the excited threeblood's antics to Sango, who nodded with understanding. "I expect that the old adrenaline rush from the job is coming back now."
"Damn I'm good!" Inu-Yasha grinned as he mimicked the final movement of the bakuryua he had pulled on the demon. "Wasn't that great? I have to go see if Kagome saw it!" Before the others could say anything he tore off.
"Is he a guardian angel or a child?" Sango asked as Inu-Yasha excitedly jumped from booth to booth to get to where he had left Kagome. Miroku just smiled and shook his head, while Kirrara transformed to her smaller form and groomed herself down, used the excitable angel's antics.
"Kagome!" Inu-Yasha ran forward, looking around for his task. "Kagome, where are you? Kagome!" When the girl didn't answer he began to get worried and a little frantic. "Dammit girl, I don't have time for games! Where the hell are you?"
He landed on the roof where he had left her, sniffing around, ears turning to catch any sound that may be her. He froze when he recognized her blood and was at the tree in a flash, sniffing around. He saw a few spots of her blood and snarled in a panic, looking around. "KAGOME!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. She had been taken away from him, again! He sniffed, recognizing Kagura's scent. Oh, damn that bitch, she was going to pay…
He paused, sniffing still. There was another scent, something he didn't recognize. He kept sniffing, trying to figure it out. It was a demon, he was sure of that. He sniffed harder, trying to figure out the scent that he had when it hit him. He clenched his fists, growling deep in his chest, shaking. Of all the bloody things for Kagome to get herself caught up in…
"Shippo-chan!" He turned around to where Sango and Miroku had found the unconscious young angel and were trying to revive him. Shippo was blinking the proverbial blackness out of his eyes as Inu-Yasha landed and walked calmly up to them.
Sango looked at the half-angel in shock. Just half a moment ago he was bounding around like a young child and now his eyes were hard and burned with determination. She had heard him shouting for Kagome, and the older girl couldn't see her young friend, now that she looked. Sango was beginning to feel panic; Kagome didn't get kidnapped again, did she?
Inu-Yasha knelt beside Shippo, looking strangely calm. The tiny angel rubbed his head, trying to remember what happened, when a fist grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him forward to what was probably one of the most frightening sights he would ever see in his life.
"Where is she?" Inu-Yasha asked in a low voice, his eyes flashing. Shippo gulped, hoping to remember what had happened before Inu-Yasha ripped his head off. Then it came back to him.
"A demon, a demon!" He squeaked frantically, worried both by what he remembered and Inu-Yasha questioning him on Kagome's whereabouts. "A demon came and tied her to a tree and was gonna kill her and I tried to stop her Inu-Yasha I really tried but she hit me and then I don't remembered what happened but I think Kagome's dead and it's all my fault!"
"Shut up." Inu-Yasha said, dropping the kitsune child and standing up. Shippo sniffed but dried his tears and looked up at Inu-Yasha. The half-angel was frozen, ears in a certain direction has he tried to get his bearings. His lip curled in a sneer, revealing a dangerous fang. "She was kidnapped by a wolf demon." He growled. "I don't know if he's working with Naraku or not. Wolf demons have a habit of kidnapping women, so it might be a fluke. Still, I hate wolves! And this one's going to fuckin' die!"
He turned to the group, angry reflecting in his eyes. "Let's go now. The quicker the better and it's going to rain soon and that's gonna screw up the scent." He jumped onto a booth and sniffed, trying to catch the scent. He turned to the others, who were getting on the transformed Kirrara, and nodded, indicating the direction. Then he took off.
"I think trouble follows us everywhere." Miroku noted as Kirrara took to the air after the half-angel. Sango nodded knowingly and glanced back, making sure Shippo was safely between her and the monk.
"This is all my fault." Shippo sniveled. "I wasn't strong enough to protect her and now Kagome's probably dead!"
"It's alright Shippo-chan." Sango comforted him. "Kagome-chan's a tough girl, she'll be able to take care of herself even with these wolf demons."
"That's provided we get there soon enough." Miroku warned and Sango glared at him. "Of course, Kagome-sama is indeed a strong-willed girl and would be able to fend off those demons single handedly and probably doesn't need our help anyway!" He said quickly. Sango rolled her eyes and turned back to focus on where Inu-Yasha was running.
Dammit girl, where are you? Inu-Yasha thought as he ran through the outskirts of the city, headed towards the mountains. What have you gotten yourself into this time?
Kagome woke up with her eyes closed, trying to register what was going on. Last she remembered she was tied to the tree and Kagura had used that snake… As she remembered the pain flashed violently through her side again. The snake had taken some sort of rose sphere, the Shikon no Tama? Was that inside of her?
She opened her eyes slowly, her whole body feeling heavy. She had fainted some time after that, so she didn't know what had happened. Was she dead, again? Or did Inu-Yasha and the others manage to save her? It felt like she was lying on something soft, and wherever she was it was warm. She sat up, trying to figure out what was going on.
She blinked the heaviness out of her eyes, looking around and supporting herself against the rough wall behind her. She looked around in confusion, trying to locate or make sense of where she was. It looked like a cave with about a hundred of man-sized nooks filled with straw, as well as straw strewed about the center of the cave. She looked around and saw that she was in one of the nooks, maybe the biggest one.
There were about twenty-odd people in the cave, lounging about and talking amongst themselves. They were a rough looking bunch, wearing what seemed to be animal skins, and there were some large wolves milling around. Kagome could sense demonic auras from both the people and the wolves, although it was a lot fainter then before. Another lance of pain shot through her and she winced.
"Hey girl, you all right?" a voice said beside her and she looked up with shock and a slight bit of hope that it was Inu-Yasha. Instead a black-haired, fur-clad demon looked down at her with narrow blue eyes, studying her. He crouched down so that he could be at her level and studied her side where the snake had bit. He frowned and touched it lightly, causing her to pull away from both fright and pain.
"So it still hurts?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice. She looked at him, unsure what to do. He wasn't going to kill her or something? She swallowed nervously, but didn't say anything.
"Hey Kouga, is she awake?" Another demon shouted from the cave. The blue-eyed demon, presumably Kouga, glanced over to the speaker and snarled.
"Yes and you're still not eating her!" He snapped. "Hear that? Anyone who touches this woman will answer to me!" The rest of the demons looked a little frightened and went back to whatever it had been they were doing before. Kouga glanced over at Kagome, who was still unsure of whether or not he was a good guy. He studied her carefully. "What was Kagura's business with you?" he asked.
Kagome just blinked.
Kouga raised an eyebrow. "Can you talk?" he asked. Kagome nodded. He was beginning to look confused, reminding her of Inu-Yasha for a moment. "Then why aren't you talking? Did Kagura do something to you?" Kagome shook her head. The wolf demon looked completely confused now, as well as concerned. "Then why don't you answer? You can't tell me you're scared of this bunch." He jabbed a thumb over at the group of demons, who were doing a rather bad job of trying to look like they weren't listening.
"Hey Kouga, maybe she's scared 'o you!" one said and the rest of them laughed. Kouga shot a glare over at them. "I thought I told the lot of you to SHUT UP!"
The demons clamped down immediately. "Man, Kouga's scary sometimes." One with a spiky hairstyle muttered to his companion, who only nodded. Kouga sneered at them and turned back to Kagome, where he smiled. "Don't pay any attention to them. They're just a bunch of idiotic losers." He shot a meaningful glare at them, daring someone to say something again. No one took the challenge and he seemed content, seating himself down in front of Kagome, who wasn't sure whether she should be scared, confused or both. Kouga held up both hands and tried to look harmless.
"We're not going to hurt you, so don't worry. I'm just curious," he looked thoughtful. "What would Kagura want with a mortal?" He looked at her, blinking. "Although you do look kinda familiar." He paused briefly, then looked at her again. "Don't you have anything to say?"
The questions came out of Kagome all of a sudden, her bout of silent fright over as panic and anger took over. "Where am I?" She shouted. "What do you want from me? Who are you? What's going on? Where's Inu-Yasha? What do you know about Kagura? Wh-"
"Woah, stop!" Kouga looked overwhelmed. "One question at a time. First of all, you're in the wolf clan territory, on the mountains near that mortal city you were in. I brought you here to take care of you after that job Kagura did on you. I'm Kouga; I'm head of this demon wolf clan. I have about just a much of a clue as you do as to what's going on and -" He paused. "Who's Inu-Yasha?"
"Inu-Yasha's my guardian angel." Kagome said. He's going to go crazy looking for me too, she added mentally. Kouga snorted.
"Feh, angels. Worthless bunch if you ask me." He said. "Inu… Ga, I hate dogs! Trust me girl, you're much better off here. This clan's much stronger then any stupid angel." He grinned proudly, revealing dangerous fangs. "So you can stay here as long as you like."
"Uh… thanks…" Kagome said uncertainly.
"Great." Kouga grinned. "I've decided: you'll be my woman."
Kagome froze. "Y-your what?"
Kouga stood up and stretched before looking down at her. "You're pretty and you're tough too, although you don't look it. And you have spirit and I like that in a girl. Besides, I'm much better then some dorky dog angel, aren't I?"
Kagome blinked.
Kouga grinned. "Heh, you're cute. What did you say your name was?"
"I didn't, and it's Kagome."
"Kagome?" Kouga repeated it a few times, getting the feel for it. Then he smiled. "That's a cute name too. Well Kagome, are you hungry?"
"A little, yes." Kagome admitted. Kouga nodded.
"I'll go get you something then. Oi!" He shouted over to his clan. "A bunch 'o you are coming hunting with me, got it? The rest of you: if anyone touches my woman, we'll be having you for dinner instead! Got it?"
"Yes Kouga!" the clan chorused back and a few of them got up to join the hunting party. Kouga turned back to Kagome, a smirk on his face. "You'll be safe here Kagome, so don't worry. This bunch is stupid, but they're loyal. And they won't hurt you, especially now that you're my woman. I'll be back!" And with that he took off, running unbelievably fast and leaving Kagome blinking.
Kouga of the demon wolf clan, she thought as she leaned against the stonewall. Well, for a demon I suppose he's not that bad. I'd just better get out of here before Inu-Yasha comes and gets the wrong idea and tires to kill everyone. Now that'll make a mess of things. She sighed and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. Inu-Yasha's overly violent and Kouga doesn't seem the type to take no for an answer. At least Kouga was polite, nice, gentlemanly, didn't swear half as much as Inu-Yasha and was rather handsome too, in a rugged sort of way. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be stuck here anyway.
Then she felt a peculiar pick at her neck, like a small insect, and her hand automatically went up to squash the bug. As she removed her hand she gasped in shock. "Myouga-ji-san!"
"Kagome-sama," Myouga popped himself back to normal. "Are you feeling better?"
Kagome nodded, then looked around to make sure no one saw her suspiciously talking into her hand. "Where's Inu-Yasha and the others?" she whispered as quietly as she could.
"On their way." Myouga indicated the direction the group was coming from. "They should be here shortly."
"Then I'd better leave now." Kagome said, standing up. Myouga hopped to her neck. "Why so soon?" he asked, with a hint of worry in his voice. Kagome tried to look at him but gave up. "Because if Inu-Yasha and Kouga-kun meet there's going to be a fight, I just know it. Besides, if you're here then I'm not in that much danger, am I?"
"Er, what's that supposed to mean?" Myouga asked and Kagome smiled. "Nothing." She said, moving forward slowly. "Just stay quiet."
"Nee-san!" One of the wolf demons stood up as Kagome walked past him and the girl froze. She looked behind her at him. "Nee-san?" she repeated.
The spiky-haired demon nodded. "You're Kouga's woman, so that makes you our nee-san." He explained. Myouga slapped himself on the forward. "This is wonderful." The flea demon moaned.
The other demon looked as though he had heard Myouga for a second, but shrugged it off and looked at Kagome curiously. "So nee-san, where are you going?"
"Uh…" Kagome thought quickly. "Just… you know… for a walk." Kami that is so lame, she thought to herself. He is never going to buy that.
"Oh, alright. Just don't go anywhere unsafe, okay?" he said. Kagome blinked, then decided not to tempt fate and she waved, smiled nervously and walked out of the cave as fast as possible.
"That was a close one." Myouga said, tapping his forehead in relief.
"Yeah well, we're not out of the woods just yet." Kagome said, walking quickly. The wolf clan cave was behind a waterfall surrounded by rocky walls with only one definite way out and that was to follow the river. Kagome did so, glancing behind her nervously every once in a while, hoping she wouldn't get caught. As soon as she rounded the bend she began running for dear life, trying to find Inu-Yasha's aura and ignoring the pain in her side at the same time. Almost there, she thought as she neared the forest, almost there.
"Kagome!" She almost fell forward as she heard her named called and she stopped dead to a halt, looking to where the voice had come from. Inu-Yasha was running towards her, followed by Kirrara carrying the rest of the gang. Shippo jumped forward and ran past Inu-Yasha to leap into the girl's arms.
"Kagome I'm so sorry that I wasn't strong enough to protect you from the demons!" Shippo wailed, crying into her blouse. Kagome smiled and patted the small angel on the head. "It's alright Shippo-chan."
"Dammit girl, can't you spend one day without getting kidnapped?" Kagome glared over to her guardian, who was glaring back. "Hell," he growled, "why of all things did you have to get kidnapped by a wolf? I hate wolves!"
Oh this is just perfect, Kagome thought. Inu-Yasha grabbed her wrist. "Promise me you'll stay out of trouble from now on!"
"Hey dog, get your filthy hands off of my woman!"
Scratch that previous thought, Kagome groaned inwardly. Now it was perfect.
Inu-Yasha and the others looked up to see Kouga standing on a rock, looking angrily back at them. Inu-Yasha turned to face the wolf demon, snarling. "Your what, wolf?" he sputtered.
"My woman!" Kouga said, jumping down so he could be face to face with the half-angel and matched him snarl-for-snarl. "I don't want any filthy puppy touching my Kagome!"
"In case she didn't tell you, I'm her fuckin' guardian angel you twit!" Inu-Yasha growled back. He stepped back and drew Tetsusaiga but didn't transform it just yet. "Now get out of here or do we have to settle this the hard way?"
Kouga grinned, flexing his claws. "If that's how you want it puppy. But angel or no angel Kagome is still my woman!" With that he dove at Inu-Yasha, who blocked him with Tetsusaiga, quickly transforming it. Kouga jumped out of the way and smirked, running behind Inu-Yasha faster then the eye could follow the kicking the angel's legs out from under him. Inu-Yasha snarled and swung the sword after the nimble demon, who avoided it with ease. "She's not fuckin' yours!" Inu-Yasha snarled, while Kouga just smiled.
"Kagome-sama, care to explain?" Miroku asked as they watched the wolf and dog fight. Kagome sighed and hung her head in disbelief.
"Both of you stop it right now!" she shouted but the pair kept fighting.
"Clumsy puppy!" Kouga said, jumping right over Inu-Yasha's head. "You're slow and stupid and you stink of dog. You're not worthy to have Kagome!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Inu-Yasha growled. "You're no better them I am! And stop using her name so familiarly!" He swung Tetsusaiga around, only to growl with frustration when Kouga used it as a springboard.
"Is it just me or is this a fight between love rivals?" Miroku muttered out loud. Sango, Shippo and Kirrara nodded while Kagome kept trying to get the two to stop, not hearing Miroku's comment.
"I'll speak of Kagome as I wish! She's my woman and I love her!" Kouga shouted, hitting Inu-Yasha on the chest with a back kick, sending the angel flying. Miroku and Sango looked over at Kagome, who looked as though she was about to faint from shock.
"Damn it wolf just shut the hell up!" Inu-Yasha said, hitting Kouga with the flat of his sword and knocking the wind out of the demon. As Kouga slumped to the ground Inu-Yasha transformed his sword and walked up to the wolf, eyes on fire and cracking his knuckles. "You talk big wolf but you're still just a stupid little puppy yourself." He clenched one hand into a fist and raised it. "And this is only what you deserve!"
"Inu-Yasha sit!"
Kagome ran past her subdued angel to Kouga, who was just catching his breath. "Kouga-kun, are you okay?" she asked as the demon stood up.
"K-Kouga-kun?" Inu-Yasha repeated in disbelief, not even trying to get up. Kouga smiled at Kagome as he coughed and retained his breath.
"Puppy's stronger then he looks." Kouga said and put a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Maybe it's best that you go with your angel, Kagome." He said sadly. "After all, it's what you mortals are supposed to do. But come visit me every once in a while and I'll see if I can find you as well. Take good care of her for me, 'k pup?" he asked to Inu-Yasha, who just growled in response. Kouga smirked and turned back to Kagome and took her hands in his own. "Kagome, I look forward to our next meeting. I love you. Goodbye." And with that he ran off, leaving a dust cloud, a shocked Inu-Yasha, confused Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirrara and a stunned Kagome who just stared at her hands.
"Kagome?" Inu-Yasha stood up and went over to her task, waving his hands in front of her face. She looked up at him and blinked. "Exactly what happened between you and 'Kouga-kun' while you were gone, hmm?" he asked dryly.
Kagome looked at him for a second, then frowned and her eyes narrowed. "Exactly what are you presuming, Inu-Yasha?" she asked slowly and dangerously.
"Uh… er…" Inu-Yasha looked over at his companions for help, but they seemed interested in other things at the moment. He swallowed nervously and looked over at Kagome.
"I-nu-Ya-sha…. SIT!"
The girl stormed away and led Sango and the others through the forest as they headed back to Kyoto, leaving behind a confused, frustrated and winded half-angel. He sat up and dusted himself off, grumbling to himself before he reluctantly followed the group, wondering why the hell he was with them to begin with.
End Chapter 14
End Book one, Fate's Threads
Hurrah, The story's now a third over! Celebration!
Wait… that means that soon the story will be finished! That makes Ama sad! *starts crying* But that's okay, my brain is so on overdrive and sugar that I can always come up with other stories. But that's different, because I still have a ton of Guardian Angel to write! So we won't be leaving for a while folks! Yay!
I have so many people to thank! At the end of a book, I should at least give some credits. Shmeck, I'll probably need an entire other chapter for credits alone by the time the story's finished completely. But like I said, that's not happening any time soon.
First of all I'd like to thank my crazy, crazy friends. Tori, who got me on the sugar drugs in the first place and introduced me to what crack-induced anime truly means and who nearly killed me with a hug because I recognized a Fushigi Yugi manga. Yingy, who introduced me to anime in the first place and ruined my innocence in grade 9 by bringing me to a Gundam Wing forum. My first Japanese word ever was 'yaoi'. Yingy was also the fiend who brought me to fanfiction.net. Sarah, for introducing me to government conspiracies and big mecha and the joys of vampire animes. Thank you giant robots. Krystle, for introducing me to shojo animes or else I probably would have been in the giant robot/gothic horror anime genre for a long time (Not that there's anything wrong with Evangelion or Hellsing. It's just that I also love Gravitation and Love Hina) My sister, for allowing me to corrupt her in the ways of otakudom. And finally, Stephy, for without her I would have never been introduced to nearly any of the animes I love today, and I definitely wouldn't be able to watch them. Without Stephy, I would have never learnt what my nickname, Ama, meant and I would have never seen/read the great anime/mangas of our time and before. I would have never heard of Astro Boy. I wouldn't be the Di Gi Charat fan I am now. Inu-Yasha would just be another on 'never will see' list. I would never know Sesshy, or the word 'bishounens' in the first place. We must thank Stephy for many, many things. And I thank my mom, because she's slowly learning the Japanese words I keep speaking and can actually name everybody in most of the animes my sis and I watch. And she just gave me chocolate.
Now I'd like to thank people you may actually know or care about: youselves! After all, it's the reviewers that make the fic. Thank you everyone!
WarriorGL, link no miko, Trunks Gal and many others of you (I just can't get all the names) have been reading this fic from when I posted it up that cold October evening. Thanks to all of you for being with me and giving me the drive to finish this fic!
v-chan, you drew a fanart of my story? My fanfic has fanart? *faints* That's just too amazing! I wanna see it, I really do! Maybe I'll put it up on my website when I finally figure out how to work the stupid thing ^_^ (my address is ajtabbycat@hotmail.com)
Tsukinoko: *hangs head in shame* yes, I know, Miroku and Shigure don't have the same seiyuu. I found that out just moments after I posted. I feel like such a fool. But it's great there's others out there who have seen Fruits Basket! I get to see the rest of it this weekend! Yay!
Vicious-wolf: ditto on the Fruits Basket pal thing! Yay Haru!
Everybody: I love you all!
…
Man! And this is just book one!
Anyways, I won't waste any more of your time. I'm sure you're all anxious for book two, now aren't you? Happy waiting!
~Ama
("If I had a guardian angel he'd be tall, handsome and a gentleman, three things you're not!" –Kagome, upon first meaning Inu-Yasha in Chapter 1. Ah, the memories)