Chapter 9: Fear of You

"Come at me Inuyasha. What's stopping you?" Sesshomaru said in a none-caring tone of voice to agitate the temporary demon. When he saw his brother shift at his words he smirked and felt it necessary to take hold of his sword. Before he would not even consider killing Inuyasha in his current state but certain circumstances had angered him to the point to do so anyway. Glancing over at Kagome who concentrated on his hanyou brother, his heart began to race for many different reasons. With Inuyasha out of the way, no one could stop him from taking the reincarnated shrine maiden and do what he pleased with her. There were so many open options with Inuyasha gone. He could make Kagome his own. But then again, she'd probably struggle and its no fun loving someone who won't love you back. So he could kill her too and end all his problems. "Inuyasha." He started, looking back over to the hanyou. "I'm going to ask you again. What is stopping you? You're a demon. There is no room for fear."

Inuyasha growled loudly and cracked his knuckles at his side. Glossy saliva licked his dry lips and his fangs glistened in the rising sun's light. "I am a demon and I am not scared of you Sesshomaru or anything." He muttered, his voice shaky and sinister.

Unsheathing the Tokijin from his side Sesshomaru took his stance and locked his eyes with the demon ahead of him. "Then why aren't you coming to kill me Inuyasha?" He said, smirking in spite of himself.

Lifting his hand to his chin, his sharp claws exposed and looking threatening, Inuyasha grinned and chuckled deep in his throat. "Because I thought you'd never ask." Crouching down, he sprung from the ground and soared over to the demon lord at a fast rate of speed. "You won't live for much longer Sesshomaru!" He muttered as he came down upon the demon.

Sesshomaru grinned. Just as his enemy was only a few feet away, he lifted the Tokijin above his head and released it's power to trap the hanyou in mid-air. "You're so very confident when you're a demon. You know nothing of fear and pain. This is why I didn't want to kill you in your current state." He paused and narrowed his eyes, as his half brother didn't seem to care and tried to force his way past the invisible barrier. "I wanted you to die in sheer agony Inuyasha but I no longer have time to wait for that. Any time is as good a time." He hissed. Twisting his hands on the hilt, a large amount of blue energy emitted from the sword and slapped away the hanyou.

Inuyasha, to his own surprise, though he didn't show it, was forced away from the youkai. He didn't feel a thing from the blast. New wounds opened on his chest and arms and spit out fresh blood but he didn't take any notice of it. Leaping back into the air he attacked the demon and again, was unsuccessful.

Kagome watched in fear as Inuyasha was constantly thrown away and injured in a new place every time. There were puddles of his own blood around Sesshomaru's barrier and wherever else he stood. Clutching the sword into her chest she bit her lip and hoped that he'd tire himself out and give up. Her anxiety grew and just as she was about to scream his name and demand him to stop, the Tetseiga in her hands pulsed and gave her a different idea.

Inuyasha fell to one knee and punched his fist into the ground to keep his balance. Blood soaked through his haori and dripped to the ground below him. His breathing grew heavier from the amount of stress that was on his body. Wiping the corner of his mouth with his fingertips, he chuckled at the sight of his own blood. "I'm shocked Sesshomaru. I honestly thought you would have killed me by now. Is there a weakness that I sense?"

Sesshomaru cringed at the mockery made towards him and gripped tighter around his sword. "Rest assured little brother, you will be killed. I'm just having some fun for the time being." He said as best that he could without letting his annoyance show through his voice.

A smirk grew across Inuyasha's face as he rose unsteadily up onto his feet. "Whatever you say. For some reason I don't believe you." Cracking his knuckles as his eyes began to flicker red, he could feel his insides shiver with the need to kill and taste another's blood. Digging his heels into the ground he slightly crouched down and prepared himself to attack the demon again. "Time to say good-"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, running towards the hanyou with his sword in her possession. 'If I get the Tetseiga to him then he'll go back to normal and we can get out of here.' She thought and pushed herself to run as fast as she could before he became out of reach.

Inuyasha whipped his head over his shoulder and growled angrily at the interruption. "Who the hell do you think you are you fucking human! Go back to where you belong!" He shouted in rage through gritted teeth.

The insult hurt she had to admit, but the Inuyasha she knew and loved would never say such a thing to her ever. "Inuyasha you've got to snap out of it! You've got to come back to me! Come and take the Tetseiga!" She shouted as she kept her pace.

Looking from the human girl to his brother, Sesshomaru frowned heavily as she grew closer to spoiling what he was prepared to do. "Damn wench! You always seem to find some way to interfere!" He shouted in absolute anger.

Hearing Sesshomaru's voice she looked over her shoulder and nearly lost her breath when the demon she expected to be far away was now right in her face. He knocked the Tetseiga from her hands and tossed it out of reach. Feeling his arms snake around her waist and neck, Kagome gasped out loud when he tightened his grip. "Inuyasha!" She screamed, squirming and thrashing around to get free.

Sesshomaru bit his lip till it bled to stop himself from choking the girl in his arms. Pressing his chin into the crook of her neck, his hot breath caressing her skin, he glared at the hanyou. "Inuyasha," He paused and brushed the tip of his nose up her neck. Smirking with pleasure as he engulfed her intoxicating scent of fear, he tightened his grip a little more till she began to whimper then looked back at Inuyasha. "You were too naïve to think that I didn't care for this woman anymore. Now it's too late for you. If I can't have her Inuyasha, than neither can you." He growled.

Inuyasha snarled at the demon lord's threats, though not totally understanding because of his clouded mind. Baring his fangs, he cracked his fingers and pounced at the demon to kill him.

'That's it Inuyasha.' Sesshomaru said to himself, his smirk growing as the demon grew closer. As he jumped over their heads and attempted an attack from behind, Sesshomaru quickly spun around, Kagome still in his arms and used her as his shield.

It all happened in slow motion. All air was stolen from her lungs as she stared into the eyes of her killer. No emotion of sympathy or regret crossed his face as he drove his sharp claws through the sensitive flesh of her thigh. She winced in pain and a loud screamed slipped past her lips in which she had tried to keep sealed. Hot tears stung and fell from the corner of her eyes.

Sesshomaru chuckled out loud as he watched Inuyasha step away from his prey and lick his fingers clean of her warm blood. "Does that taste good? Now finish her off." He spat, throwing Kagome to the ground without a care in the world to her current condition. Glaring at her as she whimpered and stared fearfully up into his eyes he spoke harshly to her. "I no longer wish for you to be mine and I am prepared to let Inuyasha kill you." Without even a proper goodbye of any sort, he leapt away from the couple and into the safety of a hidden tree to watch his little brother kill the woman he once loved.

After Sesshomaru had disappeared, Kagome cautiously turned her head over her shoulder and gazed upon the demon that had injured her. "Inuyasha…please wake up." She begged, though finding her voice lost and shaken. She hated the way he stared her down with those eyes full of blood lust. 'I've got to stop him.' Looking around frantically, she spotted the Tetseiga and dug her fingers into the ground. She was about to stand when the singeing burn in her leg reminded her of her injury. Rolling onto her side, she turned away from the demon and began dragging herself towards it. She knew that if she got to it in time and returned it to Inuyasha he'd go back to his normal self again. Getting as close to the sword as her body would allow, she stretched out her arm and, using the tips of her fingers began inching the sword towards herself. Just as she was about to pull the hilt into her hand, a new pain struck her body and a burning sensation rose from her leg. Looking quickly down to her ankle, she gasped as a hand of claws was dug into her skin, releasing more of her blood.

Inuyasha looked at her with a sinister grin and look in his eyes. Pushing his claws deeper into her skin he found it amusing when she screamed his name in utter terror and pain. He chuckled deep in his throat and dragged her backwards and underneath him. "The more you struggle the more fun you make this." He said in a low husky voice, lifting his hand to her face and pinching her cheeks.

Kagome screamed in her throat and moved her face from his hand. She heard him laugh again and could feel the warm streak of her own blood painting her cheek that was left from his fingers. "Inuyasha! Please stop!" She shouted, squirming on the ground to get away but he wouldn't allow it when he pierced her hands above her head with his claws. "Inuyasha…please." She pleaded, a single tear rolling down her blood stained face.

Removing his claws from one of her hands, he towered above her, his shadow darkening her figure and licked the end of his claws. "It's time for you death you worthless human." He spat heartlessly. Raising his hand above his shoulder he smirked and prepared himself to cut clean her head from her body.

Shifting her glance from his evil stare to his dangerous hand that was going to end her life, she frowned more seriously, determined not to let herself die on his day and at his control. Lifting her uninjured leg, she slammed her heel into his chest, kicking him away from her. Turning quickly onto her stomach, she frantically crawled towards the Tetseiga. Snatching onto the hilt, she pulled it into her chest and rolled onto her back.

Growling in rage, Inuyasha leapt into the air and pounced right in front of his prey's feet. As she turned around to face him, he wrapped his hand around her neck and stood up straight, lifting her from the ground. "You are quite a nuisance little girl." He muttered.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome choked, pressing her feet into his legs to take away the tension in her neck. She could feel his hand tighten and knew without a doubt that his claws had punctured her skin. Holding tightly to the Tetseiga, she tried to hold back her tears but her loss of breath was making it difficult.

Inuyasha smirked as she pleaded him to stop. As he was about to grip tighter and watch her die, the sword in her hand pulsed and rung through his ears. 'What is…' His mind began to clear and his trapped soul began to gain consciousness. The sword pulsed again and his thirst for blood began to die. 'It's the Tetseiga.' His eyes blinked and the blood red started to fade. The first thing he saw through his partially clouded vision was Kagome and the painful look upon her face. 'Kagome!' His mind screamed. The smell of her blood stung his nose but he couldn't stop what he was doing. 'Kagome!' He screamed again, begging the demon inside to release her from his death grip.

Kagome began to gasp violently for air but didn't lose hope. She noticed that his grip would loosen then tighten again, as if he was battling with himself. "Inuyasha…please let…go." She managed to say, though it was very choppy.

He could hear her soft voice struggle to say his name. He could smell her fading scent as her life was slipping away. He could taste her blood in his mouth although he had no idea why. But he couldn't drop her. His demonic side that had practically swallowed his soul had other things in mind. 'I'm sorry Kagome!'

As the seconds wore on, Kagome's arms began to grow numb with the loss of circulation. Her foot slipped off the demon's legs and she left them dangling above the ground, having no strength left to lift them again. The Tetseiga she held tight in her hands grew heavier and heavier and was soon slipping from her grasp. Unable to hold on to it any longer, she let the sword fall from her hands and crash to the ground by the demon's feet. "Inu…yasha." She gasped.

Inuyasha panicked at the sound of her voice and gazed intensely at her through his murky red eyes. 'Kagome no! Don't give up on me!' He shouted, pressing harder to awaken his trapped soul within and put the demon to sleep.

Kagome swallowed back the blood in her mouth that had risen from her collapsing throat. She looked at the demon one last time before closing her eyes and finishing what she had to say. 'Goodbye Inuyasha.' Blood ran from the corner of her lips as she opened her mouth to speak. "…sit."

Inuyasha's body went hurling into the ground, flattening Kagome underneath him upon contact. Awakening as the hanyou he was used to being, he rubbed the side of his throbbing head and shut his eyes as tight as he could to take away the pain. His mouth was dry and salty to swallow. Slowly opening his eyes, he gazed down upon the girl underneath him. Dried blood tainted her soft complexion and her hair was knotted with sweat. "Kagome…" He whispered, pressing his hand to her cold cheek. Sniffing the air for her comforting scent, he lowered his head into his chest when he found only the smell of hers and his own split blood. Pulling her into his chest he leaned his cheek against her forehead. "I'm sorry Kagome. Please…please wake up." He whispered. As no response of any sort came, his shoulders shrunk and he tightened his grip on her limp body. Tears rolled from his closed eyes and dripped onto her cheeks but they didn't stir her from her slumber. "I'm sorry." He whispered again in a shaky voice before kissing the top of her head.

Sesshomaru folded his arms into his sleeves and glared down at his hanyou brother who held onto the dead girl whom he loved and who loved him in return. He wrinkled his nose in disgust before turning his back to them. "Pathetic." He muttered. Leaping from his tree, he disappeared into the forest.