Hey there once again my friends! I know I didn't update last week, but my brother and sister got off school and took over the computer… I couldn't get anywhere near it! Anyway, now that Fanfiction is working again, here's chapter 11!
Disclaimer: I'm sorry, but I still don't own Inuyasha, so for those of you looking to buy individual characters from me, you'll have to wait a while.
Chapter 9: The Tetsusaiga
Inuyasha reached the top of the hill and looked down into the valley that had just been revealed to him. There, in the very center, was the castle of the Western Taiyoukai, his brother's castle. It would take him another day to get there, but he was almost certain that Sesshomaru would be there when he arrived.
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Kagome looked around her new room. It was much like the other room she had been given, but this room was done completely in white and palest pink. She and Sesshomaru had arrived at the castle just as night was falling the night before. When they walked into the garden surrounding the castle, Sesshomaru informed her that he had sensed Inuyasha on their way to the castle and that he would be there sometime the next day.
As much as Kagome was enjoying this time to learn to control her mind under Sesshomaru's teaching, she knew she needed to get back to Inuyasha so that things could happen. She had wanted to save Shippo's father from dying, but she wasn't even sure when he had died last time, and so much had changed already, that Kagome didn't know what was still the same.
As soon as Inuyasha has the Tetsusaiga, we're going to go and find Shippo. If his father is still alive, then that will be awesome! But if he's not, then I will make sure that my kit is properly taken care of. Kagome stared off into the distance, imagining finding Shippo and all of her friends again.
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Sesshomaru sat in his study, going over the reports that he had been ignoring for the past few weeks. Being the lord of such vast lands could be an annoyance at times. He was constantly away checking on his people and making sure that no one was trying to invade, then he would return to his castle to find reports of monster attacks, food shortages, floods, famines, and anything else that could possibly be a thorn in his side.
Too bad I need to give that miko back to get the Tetsusaiga, she is powerful enough to stop most of these things from happening. And it would be quite easy to stay in touch with her without needing her to come back every time she finishes a task since she has the ability to speak with her mind. But I am a man of my word, I will return the miko to my brother when he tells me where our father's grave lies.
Sesshomaru looked down at the reports in his hands again. Inuyasha would be at the castle before nightfall, so he needed to put plans into action to correct the wrongs happening in his lands before that. He needed to be prepared in case the grave was a great distance away and would remove him from his lands for long. He set to work delegating tasks to his servants that could be carried out in his absence.
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Inuyasha stood outside the gates of the castle. This close he could smell his brother everywhere, and to his relief, some of the scents were fresh. He had not been to this place in a very long time, but from what he could tell, nothing had changed. Even the same flowers were growing in what he could see of the garden.
Inuyasha walked up to the gates and tried opening them. He couldn't decide whether to be surprised or not when they opened under his hand. Of course, Sesshomaru is waiting for me to come, so I guess it would make sense to allow me to come inside…
He walked into the gardens and made a beeline for the door closest to him. Before he could get there, however, Sesshomaru was standing in front of him, with Kagome held close against his body. "Do you know the location of our father's grave?" Sesshomaru asked, coldly.
Inuyasha nodded reluctantly, he was not looking forward to having his eye ripped out. "It's in my right eye." He whispered.
Sesshomaru's ears twitched, picking up the barely audible words. Although it didn't show on his face or in his posture, he was ecstatic to finally understand the cryptic riddle surrounding the whereabouts of the grave.
Sesshomaru gently put Kagome away from him and grabbed Inuyasha's left shoulder with his right hand, holding him in place. Then he made the claws of his left hand sharp and plunged them into Inuyasha's right eye.
Inuyasha cried out as the blades cut in to him, and drew back out holding a black pearl. Kagome cried out as well, turning away from the horrible scene before her. Even though she had seen it before, and knew it was coming, she still wasn't ready to see it again.
Jaken, the ever-present annoying imp, materialised, seemingly from nowhere, and handed to head staff to Sesshomaru. The lord of the Western lands put the pearl on the ground and drove the bottom of the staff into it. The old man's head began to laugh, as the seal on the grave dissolved and the portal opened. Just before going through the portal, Sesshomaru turned to Inuyasha, still nursing his torn eye. "Take your miko and go. If you are still here when I return, I will not be so lenient."
With that, the Taiyoukai of the West walked through the portal toward his father's grave and the legendary sword Tetsusaiga.
Inuyasha glared after his half brother with his remaining eye. Then he got up and started moving toward the portal. Kagome almost sat him to stop him from getting hurt anymore than he already had been, but she knew that this was the way it had to happen. Just before he reached the portal, Kagome saw Inuyasha hesitate. She knew he was thinking of keeping her from following him, but he would need her to get the Tetsusaiga, even if he didn't know that yet. Another little tid bit that she had left out of her story…
Before he could say a word, Kagome raced past Inuyasha, reaching the portal as he turned to where she had been standing. When he realized that she wasn't there anymore, Inuyasha whipped his head around looking for her. He spotted her just as she was climbing through the portal.
"Kagome! You baka! It's dangerous in there! Stay here, where it's safe!" He called reaching for the back of her kimono.
"No Inuyasha, you'll need me in there. Hurry up!" She replied urgently, a slight edge to her voice.
"Is this another one of those things you know from living this already?" Inuyasha asked snidely.
"Yes, as a matter of fact it is." Kagome countered. Something strange was happening to her memories though. She could remember everything from the other timeline from here to the end, but anything before this moment in the other timeline was starting to get fuzzy. All she could remember clearly was what happened this time. It was like her old memories were being replaced by her new ones.
Inuyasha wasn't waiting for her to get her thoughts together though, as he almost pushed her through the portal, and into the waiting grave.
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Sesshomaru looked at the sword in front of him. It didn't look like a sword that could cut through anything, even one hundred demons all at once. In fact, it didn't look like it could cut through butter very effectively. But Sesshomaru knew that this unlikely looking sword was the legendary Tetsusaiga. At his hip, Tenseiga called to its sibling and Sesshomaru was only too happy to unite the two swords.
He reached his hand out to grasp the hilt of the sword and felt a crackle of energy leap from the sword to his fingers. It was not entirely unpleasant, but it did fill the Western lord with a sense of foreboding. He reached further and grasped the hilt. This time, the jolt of energy was entirely unpleasant, and he feared that, if he didn't let go, he would lose his hand to the sword.
Sesshomaru let go of the sword, shaking his hand slightly to get the felling to return to it. This is not how I had envisioned this… Then he heard a scrambling sound behind him. When he turned toward it, he found his hanyou half brother, and the miko that had so intrigued him during the short time he had observed her.
He felt a growl start in his chest at the thought of Inuyasha here, probably trying to take the Tetsusaiga, but he stopped the growl before it became audible. Letting one's feelings show was a weakness that he did not intend to cultivate.
"Don't touch that sword Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled, diving at his elder brother, claws extended.
"I already did, my dear half brother, but it would seem that our dear, departed father left a spell behind to deflect those seeking the sword." Sesshomaru replied, gracefully jumping out of Inuyasha's way, causing the hanyou to stumble to the ground.
Inuyasha quickly picked himself up off the ground and stared at his brother, the picture of serenity at the moment, then glanced at the sword. "I don't believe you. I don't think you've touched it, you just want to keep me from taking it!"
Sesshomaru just raised an eyebrow at his younger brother, but said nothing. Kagome, however, heard his thoughts loud and clear. How stupid Inuyasha is. Why would I lie about something as insignificant as a shielding spell? If he wishes to try and pull the sword from our father's remains, I wish him well in the effort.
Kagome hid a grin behind her hand. They were both so cocky! She carefully shielded her mind so that Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to read that thought, he probably wouldn't think to kindly of it.
Inuyasha stalked over to the sword and glanced at Sesshomaru once again. The demon lord had not moved. Inuyasha put his hand out and grasped the hilt of the sword, and nothing happened. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, and a grin tugged at his lips as he watched his brother struggle to draw the blade.
So, his human blood protects him from the spell's shock, but his demon blood makes him unable to draw the blade nonetheless. Kagome heard his thoughts, she knew he was projecting to her, for her benefit.
She watched as Inuyasha strained with Tetsusaiga, and eventually gave up. Then, Inuyasha glared at his brother with his one eye, an unreasonable anger shining there. He jumped at Sesshomaru, slashing wildly.
Kagome knew how this would end. When they had first arrived, Kagome had jumped Jaken, and left him unconscious, so she didn't have to worry about the head staff coming in to play. She ran across to the Tetsusaiga and grasped the hilt. She felt her miko powers calling to the Tetsusaiga, and the sword responded, but she gently told it not to reveal it's true form to her. If a sword could sulk, she was sure that the Tetsusaiga was.
Sesshomaru felt the Tenseiga pulse and try to leap in the direction of the Tetsusaiga. He glanced in that direction, and noticed Kagome holding the sword. He was so surprised, that Inuyasha was able to strike him a glancing blow on his armour. When Inuyasha noticed the direction of Sesshomaru's distracted gaze, he glanced that way too. Instead of just staring, however, Inuyasha ran straight to Kagome, Sesshomaru realizing too late that Inuyasha was going to take the sword from the miko.
Kagome looked directly at Sesshomaru as Inuyasha approached her. I'm sorry. She projected to him. But this is the way it has to be. With that, she handed Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha and stepped back.
Sesshomaru stood stunned, though it didn't show. She was sorry? Why? Wasn't she his enemy? Inuyasha's laugh brought him back to reality.
"Now, brother, die!" Inuyasha yelled, racing toward Sesshomaru, sword forward. Sesshomaru, however, was trying desperately not to laugh at the hanyou. Inuyasha had no idea how to use the Tetsusaiga! He decided to give his brother a small lesson, while testing one of his own theories. Kagome, I am going to attack you, look suitably terrified.
Kagome was surprised at the humour in Sesshomaru's mental voice, but when she saw him running at her, poison dripping from her claws, she really was terrified! "INUYASHA!!" She screamed.
Inuyasha ran in her direction and got between her and his brother. The fang transformed and Inuyasha slashed at Sesshomaru. If he hadn't made a habit of hiding his emotions, Sesshomaru would have been grinning broadly. It would seem that he had been right. The lesson had been given, now Inuyasha just had to learn the meaning of it.
Sesshomaru jumped out of the way of the wildly flailing sword, right to where Jaken still lay unconscious. He picked up the imp and jumped straight up, forming his cloud beneath him as he went. "Keep the Tetsusaiga for now Inuyasha, but I will be back to claim it some day soon. I hope you have better control over it by then. I want a real fight." With that he flew away, but not before sending a thought back to Kagome.
You are a master of the sword. Teach Inuyasha to use that blade, I want a challenge next time. And try not to teach him too much of my technique please, I wish to teach him that myself.
Kagome was stunned. She had forgotten which exercises she had done to prove her worth with a sword. She had gone through the exercises he had taught her last time! Now, what did he think of that?
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Well, that's it for chapter 9 (it's actually a pretty long chapter…) Here's the Reviewer Response:
Seida02: Thanks! I hope you like this one too!!
Shippo's Friend: Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it! Keep reading, I promise that this is going somewhere…. And somewhere different than the show!
Crazar: Thank you! I'm sorry for not updating last week, but you already know why… I'll try to update more quickly in the future.
Demented-squrriel: All right… I know you want to know, and trust me, so do many other people… but I really can't tell you because that would spoil it, not only for any other readers who might read your review and figure it out from my response, but also for you. Once you know, you'll be wondering when I'm going to make it happen. I don't want to rush anything, so I'm sorry, but I won't be telling you, or anyone else. Onegai forgive me?
That's it! See you next chapter! Ja!