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Me first." InuYasha snarled, pulling Kagome out of the vortex and jumping in first. He was going to get that bastard first.Everything went black as he jumped in, and his feet hit solid ground. The first thing that hit him was the scent of the place. He tried to block out the ever present smell of death and fire.
The girl came through behind him. Immediately, she covered her nose. "Jesus! What is this place?" "A grave." InuYasha replied, looking around. They were on a brick path that lead through a marsh. Fog clung low to the ground. The smell seemed to have no source. "If there is a hell, I'm sure this is how it smells.." InuYasha muttered.
"A grave? Whose?" "My dad's most likely." "But you said he was buried-" "I say a lot of things." InuYasha interrupted. Over the damned smell, he could pick up his brother's scent. They had to catch him, quickly.
"I don't like this place, I got a weird feeling about it.." Kagome said. "You don't like it? I'm in my own eye. How do you think I feel?" InuYasha replied as he knelt down. "Climb on"
As InuYasha stood up, Kagome on his back, he stopped suddenly and looked around in suspicion. "What's wrong?" Kagome asked quietly. "I don't hear a thing.." InuYasha whispered, his ears scanning the world.
Nothing. Not the sound of wild life the in background, no grass moved in the breeze. Nothing. The only sound that reached his ears was the girl's heartbeat and their breathing. This world, what ever it was, was dead. InuYasha shook his head and set of at a sprint.
Within moments, the road ended at the doors of a large cathedral. The doors lay open, the inside dimly lit by the large stained glass windows. InuYasha set Kagome down and walked cautiously into the church.
The doors creaked shut of their own accord. A quick sniff of the air told him that the girl was inside, and that his brother's scent filled the church.
Stone carvings filled the walls. Large stain glass windows spilled light in. A single cross shaped window let bright light spill in the aisles between the pews. The large stain glass window stood behind a balcony high above the alter. The bright out line was broken by the dark silhouette of a marble cross. Something was draped over the cross's arms.
Sesshomaru was no where to be seen, hiding in the shadows. InuYasha looked around and scowled. He didn't know where to search. He was a tourist here.
He sent a glance toward Kagome. She got the message and hid in the shadows.
InuYasha began to walk up the aisle, toward what ever was draped over the cross. A cold voice echoed through the building. "You're careless InuYasha."
InuYasha stopped and slowly scanned the shadows, hands in pockets. He lifted his voice up to every inch of the building. He could of almost swore he heard an organ playing, a phantom from the cathedral's past. "Stop hiding. You know I'll hear you coming the moment you attack."
"You can. But your new human can't." The voice betrayed no intent of action. InuYasha looked toward the shadows he had left Kagome in.
Kagome saw him debate action for a moment before he snapped his head back and called out angrily. "Don't think a human girl is possibly worth delaying this, Sesshomaru." "A year ago you would have said different"
Silence. Then, "Stop hiding coward! Face me like a man!" Foot steps echoed through the darkness. Sesshomoru strode into the light.
The two brothers stared at each other. Someone flinched. There was a clash of metal and dull yellow sparks filled the air. The demon's sought each other's throats.
Knives thrust only to be met by another blade. Sesshomaru swung, a bright green line of acid ripped into InuYasha's leg. InuYasha responded with a slash of his own that was easily deflected.
The half demon pushed forward with out a rest. The switch blade constantly probed and sought openings. Sesshomaru cooly defended him self, waiting for his brother to slip up before making a strike.
InuYasha twisted in air, and a line of acid went wide, slicing into the wall near where Kagome hid. The girl ran along the side of the church, toward the large stain glass window at the front.
The two blades glinted in the light. Kagome only glanced briefly at the two demons. She knew there was nothing she could do. Her gaze happened to catch the marble cross above her. And hanging form it was.. 'Is that? Here? Is that what we're looking for?' Kagome searched frantically for the stairs.
The two demon's broke apart. InuYasha was panting heavily, his leg bleeding. Sesshomaru stared at him coldly, not a hint of exhaustion on his features. "Bastard.." InuYasha panted.
"Mongrel"
The demons once again drove at each other's throats.
Kagome stood on the balcony and looked at the cross. Draped over it was a pistol belt. A revolver hung in a holster under each arm of the cross. Kagome slowly reached for one. 'I can help him. I did it before with that bird, and I can do it again. Besides, Sesshomoru's bigger than a bird..' She pulled a pistol from it's holster. The sound of metal sliding against leather seemed lost in clash of metal below.
The pistol was lighter than she thought it would be. She rushed toward the stairs.
Something hit the balcony behind her as she entered the stair well. Kagome whipped around to see InuYasha push him self to his feet just in time to avoid a killing stroke from his brother.
Sesshomaru swung his foot a high arc, catching InuYasha's wrist. The switch blade flew from the half demon's hand and off the balcony.
In a instant InuYasha found him self staring into a pair of eyes as cold as the knife pressed to his throat.
A triangle of green light fell over InuYasha's pupil less right eye. Silence reigned. Kagome suddenly realized it was now or never. She took aim.
"What's the hold up?" InuYasha asked pointedly. "Eager to die little brother?" A smile spread over the half demon's face. "You can't kill me, I died a long time ago"
After a moment of silence, Sesshomaru spoke. "Your new human isn't as bright as the other one. She is trying to shoot me with an unloaded, de cocked fire arm"
InuYasha let his eyes wander toward Kagome. He almost groaned. 'Goddamn girl.'
"Tell me, InuYasha" The half demon's eyes snapped toward his brother. "Should I kill her first, or would she like to see you die first?" 'Goddamn this girl!' InuYasha swore mentally.
Sesshomaru hit his brother hard in the chest, winding the half demon. In an instant he was upon the girl. He snatched the revolver from her hand. "Next time, make sure you know what you're doing." He scolded.
The demon walked back to his brother, removing several .45 Long Colt rounds from his pocket and loading the pistol. As InuYasha pushed him self up, Sesshomaru placed the revolver to his face and pulled back the hammer.
InuYasha stared down the barrel at his brother. "Again you hesitate. What the hell?" "It does not seem to want to work for me. Strange, that a human girl could draw it, yet I cannot fire it." "Fascinating."
Sesshomaru dropped the pistol and reached for his knife. InuYasha was quicker. The half demon rocked back and kicked his brother in the chest. The demon went toppling over the edge and hit the ground floor.
InuYasha scrambled and picked up the revolver. His brother was going to be back any moment. He rushed to Kagome.
"Stay the fuck down, and let me fucking protect you, or you'll get us both killed"
InuYasha stormed back to the edge of the balcony, and stood on the railing, looking for his brother.
A flash of light shot straight at the half demon. Two hands grasped around his throat. He fell back. InuYasha stared into his brother's murderous eyes as his back slammed into the floor. InuYasha rolled backward. Sesshomaru's back was the to window.
InuYasha jammed the pistol into his brother's shoulder.
A brief second of understanding seemed to pass between to the two. InuYasha pulled the trigger. A gun shot echoed through the cathedral. The glass shattered. A thousand shards of light glistened in mid air. Sesshomaru howled in pain.
InuYasha pushed him self to his feet. Out the window, he could smell his brother fleeing. An arm lay at his feet. InuYasha spat out the window. "And we'll never see the likes of you again!" He yelled after his brother, knowing full well how wrong he was.
He walked back to the cross andgrabbed the pistol belt. Kagome walked out of the stair well and into the bright light pouring in through the shattered window.
"Let's get the fuck outta here."
As they stepped out of the vortex, it closed up behind them, condesing back into InuYasha's pupil. The black stone shot back into the half demon's eye. "Mother fucker!" "Well, at least that won't happen again." Kagome said. "Still hurt like hell though.." InuYasha trailed off, testing his vision.
Seeing everything was in place, InuYasha headed back to the Electra Glide. Kagome climbed on behind him, and they set off on the road again.
InuYasha was moving the bike faster than normal. Much faster. kagome tried to, but couldn't seem to find the handles underneath her seat.
She loked at InuYasha's back in thought. 'Fuck it. We travel like that on foot, why not.' Kagome moved on the seat and slipped her arms around InuYasha's waist. He gave no indication he noticed. As the world whipped by, Kagome reflected.
'Did he really say what I thought he did back there?'