Chapter 12: Tetseiga Returned
Inuyasha pulled Kagome into his chest as he leapt high into the cold air to the tallest branch of a dark tree. Landing softly on his bare feet, he gently pushed her head down to face the ground. "Keep it quiet ok?" He whispered, frowning as he stared through the shadows and listened carefully for his angry brother.
Kagome nodded slightly under his hand and lifted her hands to cover her mouth. 'Just don't do anything stupid.' She wished in her mind. The cold air burned at her eyes and she quickly shut them tight. Inuyasha could have easily smelt the salted water and turned his attention away from the danger surrounding them just to make sure that she was ok. This is one thing she didn't want in a situation like this.
"Come on out little brother. I won't bite." Sesshomaru teased, his fang slipped over his lip and it sparkled against the bright moonlight. He sniffed the air for his brother and Kagome's scent but found none. "Damn. My demonic powers are still diminishing. That wench." He growled, clutching his hand into a tight fist. 'When I get my hands on them, they're all dead.' Scowling, he continued on his search for his escaped prisoners.
Sango held her breath as the demon lord passed by the bush where she and Miroku hid. When he disappeared into the dark shadows of the forest, she sighed lightly and whipped away at the sweat gathering on her forehead. "That was close." She whispered, looking at Miroku and rising up onto her knees.
"Indeed." Miroku agreed with a nod and he stood to his feet. Taking Sango's hand he pulled her up beside him then looked up into the tree where Inuyasha kept Kagome safe. "Inuyasha, he's gone." He whispered to the above silhouettes. Soon after he had spoken, the half-dog demon had jumped down from the branch, a flustered young maiden under his arm. "It's safe to go back now."
"Don't let your guard down that easily monk." Inuyasha growled as he placed Kagome down onto her feet. He tucked his hand into hers to help balance her shaky body. Her fear engulfed his senses and for once he really wished that he didn't have the ability to smell such things. It bothered him to think that even under his protection she was still scared of what was around her. "Come on Kagome." He said coolly, picking her up onto his back.
'Be strong Kagome. Now is not the time to be scared.' She quickly hopped onto his back and held tightly onto his shoulders. Something told her that this was going to be a quick and fast ride. "Lets go." She said trying to sound calm to lower Inuyasha's worry about her well being.
Inuyasha grabbed onto her legs and shifted her on more comfortably. "Time to get the Tetseiga back. You guys comin' or what?" He asked over her shoulder to the young couple. Anticipation got the better of him and he had leapt away before they could even answer.
Sango frowned and crossed her arms across her chest. "No, please Inuyasha, wait for us." She muttered emotionlessly. She hadn't expected him to wait or even slow to their pace but it defiantly would have been nice.
Chuckling, Miroku placed his hand on her shoulder and slowly shook his head side to side. "That's Inuyasha for you. Just be happy he's back to normal again."
She sighed and looked up to the man she had such strong feelings for. "I guess you're right. We better get going then huh?"
With that said, the two ran off into the night, the cold air rushing past their faces. The breeze burned their eyes and tears stung them, rolling out of the corners and drying on their cheeks. In only a few minutes, the dark candlelit castle came into view and their run slowed to a walk.
"Inuyasha I'm surprised you're not inside yet." Remarked Miroku with a sly smirk on his face. His feet stepped lightly across the dirt ground as he approached the half-demon and the miko by his side.
When Miroku stepped in front of him, Inuyasha grabbed onto the collar of his robe and pulled him closer to his face. "Shut the hell up monk! I would have been in there already if it weren't for Sango. She's the only one who knows where my sword is!" He frowned and pushed the monk away angrily.
Miroku whipped his hands down his robe, un-wrinkling the creases Inuyasha had just newly formed. "Don't blame her for your problems." He shot a glare at the hanyou but quickly dropped it when he saw the look in Kagome's eyes. All his anger seemed to be pushed away by the glistening in her hazel orbs. Clearing his throat he walked past the silver-haired man and spoke calmly over his shoulder, "Just forget it ok Inuyasha? We have more important things to deal with. Petty arguments can wait until later." His sandals tapped up the stairs leading to the castle. Soon his feet weren't the only ones heard and he smiled slightly to himself, knowing that his companions had joined his side once again. As he reached the castle's double doors he opened them with relative ease and led the group into the dark and dusty hallway. "Sango," He called back in a normal tone of voice. Sesshomaru was well far away and if he couldn't even smell them, then there was no way he could here them all the way over here. "You're the only one who knows where we're going. How about you lead the way." Smiling at the woman, he took a step the side and held out his hand.
Sango nodded with a serious expression and walked calmly in front of the crowd. "It's just this way." She quickly said and began walking down the hall. It wasn't common for her to be the leader and she didn't want to disappoint the group in any way.
Inuyasha grumbled quietly to himself and followed silently behind his friends. Watching their dark figures walk so easily and uncaringly ahead of him, he snickered across his mind. 'They have no idea what's coming.'
With Sango leading the way, the group silently stepped down the stone stairs that led to the darkest and lowest level of the castle. "We're almost there." She whispered. Reaching up along wet and moldy wall to her right, she pulled down a lit torch and held it in her hands.
The group's senses were on high alert and Inuyasha had decided to step closer to Kagome having entered a more darker corridor that even the torch in Sango's hand couldn't light up. Their breathing was silent, only puffs of smoke escaping from their mouths showed that they were still living.
Finally, Sango stopped, signaling the others to do so as well. Sighing from the amount of nervousness built up inside of her, she wrapped her hand around the handle of the doorway that stood in front of them, blocking their entrance to the next room. "We're here. Inuyasha, the Tetseiga will once again be with us."
Grinning, Inuyasha rubbed his hands together, anticipating the feel of his beloved sword in his grasp once more. 'Sesshomaru you are so dead! Once the Tetseiga's back you'll wish you never messed with me! You'll pay for doing this to Kagome and my friends!' He watched quietly as the door creaked open at Sango's own will. "Come on Sango. We don't have time for this!" His impatience overcame him and he pushed his way past Kagome and Miroku to reach Sango. Removing her hand from the door handle he swung it open and stared deeply into the pitch-black room.
Sango frowned and took a step beside him, holding the torch out into the room. "It's good to learn some patience Inuyasha as well as some precaution when entering a strange room. What if there were traps set in here? We all could have been killed thanks to you." It didn't matter how many tips either she or Kagome gave him, it just wouldn't sink in. After getting no response except for a small grunt from her interrogation, she lifted the torch up to the sidewall and lit another on fire.
Kagome gasped as every torch in the room suddenly lit on fire in domino sequence and brightened up the room in which they stood. "Amazing…" she whispered, not really expecting anyone to hear and answer back.
As the last torch caught fire, a smirk appeared on Inuyasha's face as his eye instantly caught the figure of his sword. "Tetseiga." He said while walking towards the back corner of the room.
Kagome followed closely behind and gazed at all the weapons that hung on the cracked walls of the narrow room. "I don't like it in here…Its like being in a slaughter house." She said uneasily and moving closer into Inuyasha's arm. She recognized these weapons and was sure that everyone else did as well. Each of them were used to harm Inuyasha during Sesshomaru's regular hunts and his blood still stained the now rusting blades.
"Quit whining. We'll be out soon." Muttered Inuyasha, his full attention on his sword.
Sango smiled as her boomerang came into sight and old memories of battles fought and won flashed across her mind. "Hold this Miroku." She said passing the lit torch to the man behind her then walked out towards her weapon. As she reached it, she fell onto her knees and pulled it off the wall and into her chest. Her hand dragged down the surface and tears began to swell in her eyes as those memories returned once again, memories of her family, her village, Kohaku and Kilala. "I'll be back soon." She whispered, closing her eyes and resting her head against the Hiraikotsu. 'That's right. We're getting out of here!' Strength suddenly warmed her blood and she gripped tightly onto the handle of her Hiraikotsu before standing to her feet. Swinging her weapon over her shoulder she walked back to Miroku who had already gathered his staff and was patiently waiting for the others to return.
Miroku smiled at the young woman and was happy for her that her weapon, crafted by her father had returned to her. Their time for truth was finally arriving and soon they would be able to go home and live happily again.
Inuyasha stopped in front of his sword and immediately took it into his grasp. He grinned as his clawed hand wrapped around the hilt and he felt that familiar feeling of strength again. Pulling the sword out a bit from within it's sheath he gazed at its rusty and battered blade. "Just as I remember. Great to have you back Tetseiga." Strapping the Tetseiga securely at his left hip he turned around to Sango and Miroku already with their weapons and ready to go. "Lets go. It's time to kick some demon ass." He said, pleased that the gang and everything was back to normal again. "Come on Kagome." He instructed, beginning to make his way back to the couple by the doorway.
Just as she was about to follow, a familiar green piece of fabric caught the corner of her eye and without even thinking, she quickly ran to it in hopes that it was what she thought it was. Kneeling down to the floor, she tugged on the material that was piled underneath a bunch of old swords and a large smile appeared on her face when it was set free. "My uniform!" She exclaimed, hugging it into her chest.
Everyone turned to the see the young girl and smiled when they saw her gleaming face.
Inuyasha couldn't help but smile too although his pride didn't allow it for long. "Kagome, we have to go. Do you want to live or not?" He demanded for answers.
Kagome rose to her feet and smiled sweetly in his direction. "Please Inuyasha just give me a second ok?" She asked.
After Inuyasha's huff about her holding them up, Sango led them outside of the room and closed the door behind them. Kagome didn't have a weapon to retrieve after Sesshomaru had snapped her bow in half when she had tried to shoot him down. Not only had he taken her bow, he had stripped her of any memories she had of her own era by taking her clothes and giving her an old dress in return. That day Kagome was very upset but tried her best to hid it from everyone. If this was what would make her happy, give her strength and make her feel like part of the group again, then she deserved to have what she had found.
A short while after, the door opened once again and Kagome stepped out, now dressed in her usual school uniform. "Alright, lets go everyone." She said tapping her toe on the ground and lifting up a bow and quiver full of arrows from behind the door.
"And just where did you get those?" Inuyasha asked curiously, a bit annoyed that she hadn't confronted him first before she began taking things that didn't belong to her.
Kagome frowned slightly and swung the quiver over her shoulder. "I need some kind of weapon Inuyasha. How else am I suppose to fight."
"And who said that you were going to fight? Its better if you didn't. I wouldn't have to worry about you getting hurt or getting in the way!" He shouted walking towards her. His body towered over hers and he glared down into her fearless eyes.
"I'm fighting whether you like it or not Inuyasha. I've been fighting the whole time I've been here. We all have." She grinned as his mouth opened to speak and yet nothing came out. Getting a hold of her bow, she stepped past Inuyasha and began leading the way back out of the basement. Before getting too far ahead, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder. "And you can't stop me. Now, are we going to get out of here or not?" Her rhetorical question was announced with much enthusiasm. She believed they would win no doubt about it.
Inuyasha smirked at her readiness for a fight and he held his hand tightly around the hilt of the Tetseiga. This was the Kagome he loved. "Yeah, let's get out of here for good." He gazed at Kagome's serious grin and ran up by her side, followed by Sango and Miroku. The time had arrived and he knew that each of them would do anything to get out safely, alive and all together.