Dark as Day
Chapter Fifteen
"I thought you were smarter than this," Naraku said with mock disappointment lacing his voice. He stared at Inuyasha for a long moment before smirking to himself and occupying himself with staring out the window. "But it seems that you've purposefully gone against my orders, yes?"
"You said you wouldn't hurt her. I don't see how you ordering me to kill her will keep her unharmed, wouldn't you say?" Inuyasha steamed out, crossing his arms and staring darkly at the man's back. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as Naraku slowly turned around to look at him.
One elegant eyebrow arched upwards and he chuckled mirthlessly. "But I don't remember telling you it was okay to run away, now did I?"
"How can she be unharmed if you're ordering me to kill her?" Inuyasha snarled angrily.
Naraku chuckled. "I was testing you, stupid hanyou. I expected your refusal of such an order… but I never said you could leave voluntarily."
Inuyasha's hands dropped to his sides, balling into fists. He dared to take a step towards Naraku. The man didn't seem intimidated by Inuyasha's fierce anger. Instead, he merely raised his eyebrows again and chuckled ominously.
"I suppose I should bring you to see what happens when you disobey me," he mused to himself as he turned towards the door. Throwing it open, he beckoned in two tall demons of unknown breed. They slunk into the room, hunched and slouching.
"What are you doing?" Inuyasha demanded.
Naraku ignored him and focused his attention on the two demons. They stood, staring at Naraku expectantly, not saying a word.
"Hiten, Manten," Naraku addressed the two demons.
The taller of the two demons, the one who looked most human, bowed his head slightly as the other, fat one following suit. "Yes, sir?"
"I have assigned you two the task of finding Kagome Higurashi." The man nodded his head in understanding of his master's orders. Naraku turned to look at Inuyasha, though he still addressed the demons. "Do not kill her… but make her feel the repercussions of Inuyasha's mistake."
Inuyasha's eyes widened and he lurched forward. "You can't!"
"I can," Naraku dismissed his repugnant disapproval with a wave of his hand. He snorted. "As if you can give me orders, hanyou."
"No…!" Inuyasha growled out, his fists clenching. "You can't hurt her."
Naraku turned back to Hiten and Manten. "Bring him with you. I want him to see her suffer."
"Yes, sir," the two demons said at once.
Inuyasha, to his credit, struggled as best he could against Hiten and Manten, but the two demons proved to be too much for him. Once they'd constrained him and carried him off, he'd resolved to simply kick at their shins and bite at their fingers should they get to close to his bounded body.
Struggling all the way, Inuyasha soon saw the familiar home of Kagome Higurashi. The Sunset Shrine was true to its name. The sun was just setting beyond in the horizon and undoubtedly the Higurashi household was settling down for the nighttime routine. Dinner would have been eaten already and Kagome was probably up in her room.
Inuyasha swallowed and tried to break free again, but he was incapable. All he would be able to do would be to sit back and watch Hiten and Manten fight against Kagome. Would the girl be okay in the end? Kagome was capable of fighting, he knew that, but this was a surprise attack in its worst. Two against one…
He found himself forced into the branches of the Goshinboku. He was slammed against the trunk before the two demons stepped away from him.
"Don't move," Hiten ordered. "If you do anything… Naraku-sama will not be happy."
Manten sneered easily at Inuyasha. "And don't you dare turn away either. You're supposed to see her. See what happens when you disobey our leader."
With that, the two demon brothers leapt from the boughs of the God Tree and onto the ledge of Kagome's window. With a nimble flick of his foot, Hiten kicked the window's glass, shattering it. He reached in, unlocked the window, and stepped in nimbly with Manten following behind him.
Inuyasha sat, petrified, on the tree branch. He knew that he should be doing something to stop them, but at the same time he knew that if he did, he could kiss Kagome's life behind. There had to be something that he could do… but what?
His eyes traveled around, searching for something inconspicuous he could throw at the downstairs window. Snapping off a dying twig he threw it towards the window before being rewarded with a satisfying slap of the wood against the glass.
Moments later, the window opened and Souta stuck his head out the window, searching around for the source of the disturbance. He searched around, but his untrained human eyes couldn't see the dark figure in the tree above him.
"I don't see anything," Souta called over his shoulder.
Kagome's voice filtered through the window, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it must have been a bird or something," Souta decided. Inuyasha paled. This wasn't working. Kagome would go upstairs and be ambushed by two demons, unless he got her on alert. If she thought it was simply a misguided bird hitting the window, then she was done for.
He growled loudly and Souta snapped his head up, his brown eyes wide in surprise and fear.
He slowly moved his head inwards and slammed the window shut. Perfect. Kagome would be on guard now.
"What are you doing?" a voice snapped out. Inuyasha jerked his head upwards to stare at Hiten, who was glaring at him through Kagome's broken window.
"Sitting," Inuyasha snorted.
Hiten narrowed his red eyes but withdrew his head back into Kagome's room, preparing for the miko's arrival.
Sure enough, not ten minutes later, Kagome's door crept open and she poked her head in. She was nearly blasted away by a shock of lightening from Manten's open mouth and she leapt back with a yelp.
Her eyes were wide, from what Inuyasha could see through the window. 'Be careful, Kagome.'
"Who are you?" Kagome demanded, her blue eyes darting between Hiten and Manten. She shifted nervously, inching towards the door again. Another blast from Manten's mouth stilled her hesitant retreat.
"We are the Thunder Brothers," Hiten said casually, as if they were discussing the weather over some well-deserved tea. Kagome swallowed and her eyes darted to her broken window and back to her door, calculating her best method of escape. "We were sent by Naraku to kill you."
"Kill… me?" Kagome whispered, inching backwards.
Her eyes swept over the two brothers. "But why?"
"Enough talk," Hiten decided and leapt towards Kagome.
Kagome wasn't able to defend herself. In a flash, quicker than lightening it seemed, Kagome was on the ground, knocked down by Hiten's high kick. She released a tiny gasp and cringed as Hiten sent an electrical shock coursing through her body.
She was pinned to the ground as Hiten blasted her with the flow of electrical currents. She gritted her teeth and struggled to break free from the slow, agonizing torture.
She inched her hand out, grasping the man's ankle. Either Hiten didn't notice or he didn't think her grasp a danger. Within moments, however, he felt a tingling running up his leg and glanced down. Kagome's hand was glowing pink and as he drew his attention to her appendage, she sent an excruciating blast through his body, purifying him.
The electrical shocks were gone from her body and Kagome leapt to her feet, crouching and glaring between the two Thunder Brothers.
"Don't come near me," Kagome murmured, creeping along the wall, trying to stay away from the two brothers yet close enough to throw out an attack should the need arise.
From the branch outside, Inuyasha watched in morbid fascination.
"Seems we've underestimated you, priestess," Hiten barked angrily and sent a small ball of light towards her. Kagome ducked just in time to see the energy blast burn her wall.
She strode towards Hiten, locking eyes with him. This proved to be a mistake as Manten slunk his way behind Kagome and clapped the back of her neck, sending her sprawling to the ground. Instantly, the electrical shocks were back, stronger than before.
She bit back a scream of pain, muffled by Hiten and Manten's hideous laughter as they blasted her with their powers.
Tears sprung to Kagome's eyes as she tried to bite back the pain. It was becoming too intense. She felt her flesh crawling and her blood surging through her body. She wanted the pain to end but she fought against falling into tranquil exhaustion. If she were to fall asleep now, Kagome was positive that she would never wake up.
She struggled against the pain, clenching to the ground and screaming into her soft, plush carpet. Black hair tumbled over her eyes, shielding her face as she wept from the pain.
"Not strong enough, brother?" Hiten asked and Manten nodded gleefully.
A large blast hit Kagome's back and she nearly passed out.
Inuyasha couldn't stand to sit there any longer. He stood up, against the small part of his mind that screamed that he needed to protect Kagome. He leapt the short distance from the tree branch to Kagome's window.
"That's enough," he commanded, standing up as tall as possibly. He towered over Manten and met Hiten squarely in the eye. The two brothers paused to glare at him. "She's beaten. Leave her."
Hiten released his hold on his elemental power and the electrical shock was once again gone from Kagome's body.
"Why should I listen to you?" Hiten asked nonchalantly.
Inuyasha clenched his fist and growled darkly at Hiten and Manten. The Thunder Brothers were taken aback by the man's abrupt behavior. He glared darkly at them, and they could almost see the twinge of red in the man's eyes.
Kagome twitched on the ground, her black hair covering her teary blue eyes. She struggled to lift her head before it plunked to the ground. Inuyasha clenched his fists. Someday he would make Hiten and Manten pay for what they did to Kagome.
"I told you to stay in the tree," Hiten snarled.
"Naraku told you to just make me pay, not to kill her. She's no use to him dead," he struggled to say the last bit. He swallowed the lump that had lodged in his throat and stared sadly down at the collapsed girl. "We're done here. Let's go."
"How dare you boss us around hanyou," Manten snarled but a wave of his brother's hand silenced him.
"No, he's right… we best be leaving before her family gets up here," Hiten eyed the door. "Let's go."
They moved towards the window but Inuyasha was still captivated by Kagome's fallen form. Slowly, he knelt and touched her shoulder.
"Kagome…" he murmured.
She struggled again and lifted her head, blue eyes staring up at him. The unfocused orbs stared at him blankly for a moment before she whimpered.
"I'm so sorry, Kagome," he murmured, his golden eyes saddening.
He took a step back and she reached out a hand towards him. "Sha…"
He took a step backwards and ran to the window, leaping through it, and leaving Kagome alone in her room.
Kagome awoke silently, her blue orbs opening and staring up at the sterile ceiling. She blinked a couple of times to clear the blurry visions in her head. She sat up, her body struggling to remain upright.
"You're awake," a voice said beside her. Kagome tilted her head and saw Sango in a sterile white bed beside her. Kagome started and stared around her in shock. "We're in the hospital ward of HQ," Sango explained gently. "I'm glad to see you awake."
"How did I get here?" Kagome questioned, trying to remember the events that had sent her into the hospital. Her mind was fuzzy, though.
"HQ intersected your family's call to the hospital and we sent some agents to pose as ambulance drivers to bring you here," Sango explained, eyeing her cousin tenderly. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been hit by a truck and then a car," Kagome groaned and rubbed her head, which was wrapped up tightly. She cursed quietly under her breath as a surge of pain rushed through her body.
"Demons would be more accurate, I'd wager," Sango said with a frown. "Do you remember what happened at all?"
Kagome struggled to recall the events that had caused her predicament. "Two demons ambushed me in my room."
Sango frowned deeply. "Naraku."
"Yes," Kagome agreed. "They called themselves the Thunder Brothers."
Sango looked surprised. "They're infamous for their brutality towards humans. It's amazing that you're alive, Kagome." Sango furrowed her brows.
"Sha stopped them," Kagome said with a curt nod. "I saw him."
Sango looked skeptical. "Kagome… I hate to tell you this, but… Sha has been working with Naraku." Sango paused and stared at her white bed sheets as if they were the most exciting things in the world. She didn't speak for a long moment before she lifted her head. "He's been passing information on to Naraku ever since he joined the team."
"What are you talking about?" Kagome looked scandalized.
"Just think about it, Kagome. Naraku has always been one step ahead of us. How do you suppose he's managed to do this?" Sango looked furious, or perhaps just determined to make Kagome see reason. "He's been getting insider info, and it was Sha supplying it to him."
"But Sango," Kagome argued, her eyes narrowing. "Naraku's been ahead us before Sha joined the taijiya. He can't possibly be the one behind it."
The door creaked open and Kagome snapped her head up, as if expecting to see the double-agent enter through the door dramatically.
Instead, she was greeted with the sight of Miroku. He entered slowly, clipboard in hand and reading glasses perched on the tip of his button nose.
"Ah, Kagome," Miroku smiled warmly, "You're awake. I'm pleased to see it."
"Hello, Miroku," Kagome greeted and instantly returned to Sango. "I know that Sha would never betray us. I just know he wouldn't."
Sango sighed and glanced at Miroku, who nodded. "Kagome…" she started slowly. "Do you know why I was put in this ward?"
"We found you in an alleyway, knocked out and terribly wounded. Another attack by Naraku," Kagome said offhandedly, remembering the horrifying experience of seeing her cousin, a very capable and experienced fighter, carried into headquarters completely brutalized. Kagome didn't like where this was heading. "Why?"
"It was an attack planned by Naraku," Sango said, her eyes lowering. "I'd been sent to that quarter of Tokyo to investigate the strange disappearances… It was another boring checkpoint that led to nothing but dead ends. But then I was attacked."
Sango clenched her fists and stared at Kagome for a long moment, who returned her gaze steadily.
"Sha attacked me," Sango said at last. Kagome looked like she'd just been slapped.
"It can't be true," Kagome said instantly, her eyes narrowing in determination. "Sha would never do that…"
"We don't even know him. We don't know how his mind works," Sango murmured, trying to soothe Kagome's ruffled feathers. "He's been working for Naraku for all this time, Kagome, it's the only explanation."
"Sha wouldn't do that," Kagome said again, stubbornly. "It must have been a shape shifter. We know that Naraku is a shape shifter."
"Kagome," Miroku interjected. "If that's the case, then were his the real Sha?"
"Captured?" Kagome guessed.
Sango shook her head again, giving her cousin a look that clearly stated that Kagome was being ridiculous. Perhaps the young miko knew this as well.
"You can sense his aura. I know you can. You'd know if it were Sha or not," Sango whispered, looking defeated.
Kagome sighed. "Mind control?"
Miroku shook his head. "You'd be able to sense that, too, Kagome. If there were any abnormalities to Sha's behavior, you'd detect it immediately. But there wasn't anything, was there?"
Kagome shook her head. "I don't remember. But I know that Sha wouldn't betray us."
"You have such faith in him," Sango sighed and shook her head, glancing at Miroku with a rather sad expression.
"I wish that I were as optimistic as you are, Kagome. But," Sango sighed again, her breath feathery and breathless as she struggled to breathe against the bindings that were wrapped around her body. "I'm afraid that your optimism is a bit naïve."
"You'll see… I'll bring Sha back," Kagome whispered, determination written clearly on her saddened face.
Inuyasha turned his situation over in his mind for the umpteenth time that day. He'd had more than enough opportunities to tell Kagome what was happening. But he couldn't risk her getting hurt by Naraku.
Naraku had eyes. He knew this for a fact. He seemed to know everything before anyone else did. His glowing red eyes had the habit of staring at someone as if he were looking deeply into the soul. It was an eerie feeling and it left Inuyasha feeling cold and raw under the man's dark gaze.
'What am I going to do?' Inuyasha thought sadly as he stared at his clenched hands. He had no way of knowing whether Kagome was safe or not and he prayed that she was being taken care of, as well as Sango.
His communicator was destroyed by Naraku and that was his only possibility for contacting Kagome. Now, he was simply a fly caught in a spider's master web. But there had to be a loose strand somewhere. There had to be someway that he could work his way out of the spider's lair.
He kicked his foot out and watched as small clouds of dust rose in the air, curving and twisting in the stale air.
'I wish I could just tell her. But if Naraku found out, Kagome and Mom are as good as dead.' A thought seemed to strike him and he sat up boldly. 'Mom!'
He was on his feet instantly and darting down the dank hallways, searching for Naraku. He found him in his office, watching the wall as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. Inuyasha hadn't bothered knocking but the Ring Leader seemed unfazed with Inuyasha's presence.
"Ah, half-breed," Naraku said silkily. "What can I do for you?"
"I want to see my mother," Inuyasha said curtly, staring down at Naraku, who continued to sit leisurely. He tapped his fingers together and his eyebrows arched elegantly.
"Your mother?" he asked and Inuyasha nodded again. "Why?"
"To make sure she's still alive. You promised me that she wouldn't be hurt." Inuyasha slammed his fist down on the desk and he felt the wood groan under the unnecessary pressure. "Where is she?"
"So impatient," Naraku said icily, eyeing Inuyasha like a rotten piece of meat. He stood silkily and swept past the irate hanyou. "This way."
Inuyasha followed after him, snarling as he moved. Naraku paid him no mind and led him through a maze of hallways, tapping his lips in thought.
"Ah yes, of course," he said after some time. He stopped at a door and tapped the wooden frame. "She's in here. Safe and… sound."
Inuyasha didn't like the way Naraku said that. He slammed the door open and marched in. It was dark and even his demonic eyes took a moment to adjust to the inky darkness that covered the room in its peculiar pall.
Naraku entered after him and slammed the door shut. Instantly, Inuyasha heard a petrified scream rip its way through the tranquil silence. Inuyasha cringed at the bone chilling shriek that pierced the very core of his being. The inhumane scream was followed by countless more, all melting into one, disgusting shriek that reminded him of fingernails on a chalk board.
His ears flattened against his head as the lights flickered on. He was in a room with countless amounts of cages. His eyes swept over it, shocked and horrified at what he saw.
Humans thrashed on the inside of the cages, their faces contorted in animalistic expressions, snarling and ripping at the bars, trying to pry themselves free. They thumped and thundered across their cage, bouncing against the metal bars like it was rubber.
Their eyes were red, wide, and frightened. They paced and snarled at him as he passed. Inuyasha was nearly frantic with worry as he searched for the one familiar face. As he passed, he recognized all the humans that'd been abducted by Naraku's minions, and even a couple he'd abducted himself.
Suddenly, he saw his mother's face. It, too, was rippled in animalistic expressions, her face contorted in a shriek as she snarled and ripped at her bar.
There was a shocked silence that followed as Inuyasha watched his mother, eyes red and pointed fingernails shooting out towards him, trying to catch his arm and draw blood. She snarled and screamed her inhumane wail and Inuyasha cringed, covering his twitching dog ears.
It took a moment for him to settle in and he whipped his head towards Naraku. "What did you do to her?" he hissed out, his eyes wide with disbelieving fright. Naraku didn't answer. "What did you do to her?"
Naraku walked silkily towards the screaming Izayoi and chuckled darkly. "It's you, Inuyasha that we have to thank for. For this breakthrough in," he chortled again, "Human-demon relations."
"What did you do to her?" Inuyasha cursed loudly, causing an avalanche of demonic shrieks.
"Well you see, my pathetic little hanyou," Naraku spoke silkily. "For some time I've been searching for a way to make my own, obedient army. One that I could create without having to hunt down troublesome demons and convince them to join me."
He ran his hand over the cool metal of the cage. He ignored the demonic Izayoi's attempts to claw his hand away.
Inuyasha didn't speak, just continued to stare at him in horror.
"Your mother was the first successful test in my hybrid project," Naraku laughed icily. He stared at Izayoi in a sick fondness that reminded Inuyasha of nothing he'd ever seen before. He wanted nothing more than to rip Naraku's eyes from their sockets. "By adding your blood to the human's, I've created the first ever artificial hanyou. Unfortunately, your blood causes them to lose control of all reason and sense. But soon… I'll have my own army for my own personal control. And it's all thanks to you, Inuyasha. Congratulations."
"Why my blood?" Inuyasha whispered, shaking from the disgusting truth of Naraku's words.
"I needed a hanyou's blood. Your human blood tethered the demonic blood to theirs. With a demon's blood, the human would simply die from the harsh blood. After all, demons and humans are different species…" Naraku laughed mirthlessly. "I was going to use my own blood but…"
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "You're a…"
"Hanyou?" Naraku snapped out, his nonchalant expression melting away into one of disgusted irritation. "Yes, I am a disgusting sin-against-God like you."
"I'm nothing like you," Inuyasha hissed.
"I was going to use my own superior blood," Naraku continued, ignoring Inuyasha's snide remark. "But then I thought… why not use Inuyasha's. Use the worthless hanyou's blood and give him the pleasure of knowing that it is all his fault."
He turned to Inuyasha and smirked wickedly. "This is your entire fault, Inuyasha. I thank you for the blood you gave me."
Inuyasha stared numbly at his still mother, her red eyes staring at him sharply. He stared long after Naraku had left the room, leaving him alone in the dank room filled with inhuman cries for help.
He crouched once again in Goshinboku and watched Kagome through her window. The slight golden warmth that danced across his face from the window caused his golden eyes to glow like two beacons in the otherwise darkening dusk. The sun would set sooner or later. Kagome hadn't looked up from her desk, however. She was busy working on something, probably for school.
He longed to stay in this tree forever with Kagome, but he wasn't here by choice. Not two hours ago Naraku had ordered him to attack Kamen at her home.
For one brief, horrifying moment Inuyasha was positive that Naraku knew that Kagome and Kamen were the same person. But his distress had been eased, only somewhat, when Naraku had stated that he'd need to attack Kamen at her home.
"Use any means necessary to find her home," Naraku had told him, his red eyes narrowed as he observed the hanyou, "Catch her off guard."
'I'll go easy on her,' he told himself. 'And tell Naraku that Kamen is stronger than I am. That way I won't have to hurt her.'
He crept closer to Kagome's window. The girl didn't look up. Had she sensed his aura yet?
He reached out towards her but quickly recoiled. He couldn't sense her distress, either from her work or from the situation she'd been submerged into, but he knew that it had to be there. He felt guilt rush over him but quickly shooed it aside in his attempts to remain objective to his mission.
He felt blunted tonight. Everything was dull for him. It seemed as if he'd been submerged into murky water, dulling all his senses.
It had been a couple days since he'd seen his mother again. Her horrifying sight still plagued his mind. But it had determined him even more to save her. He would stop at nothing until Naraku was dead and his mother and Kagome were safe. He knew that HQ would have some way to save all the humans who'd been kidnapped and his mother from the fate Naraku was subjecting them to.
Without further delay, Inuyasha jumped from the tree and kicked her window, knocking the glass inwards. Kagome was alone tonight, he'd made sure. Nothing would interrupt him.
Kagome was on her feet instantly, visibly shaking. Was she afraid of the Thunder Brother's returning? They'd hurt her terribly, he knew. But he also knew that she was strong.
She observed him for a long moment, her blue eyes wide.
"I was wondering when you'd come in," she whispered. So she had sensed his aura? "You were here the other night, too, weren't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Inuyasha lied. She couldn't know that.
Kagome persisted. "You were here with the… Thunder Brothers. You told them to stop. I saw you."
"You must have been delusional." Inuyasha forced himself to keep from running towards her and wrapping his arms around her. The wind from outside fluttered the curtains and his hair, pulled into a low ponytail. His shadow stretched across the room, touching Kagome's feet.
He felt her aura touch his and he nearly fell over in his efforts to run away from her. He didn't want her to feel his aura, to feel his feelings. He thought about Naraku, forcing his mind to dwell on his hatred and his contempt for the other hanyou.
Her aura wrapped around his before quickly retracting. Kagome stood silently and took a small step back. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the sad look on her face. Had she really been expecting something other than anger? Probably. He felt his heart plummet down his chest.
"There are no abnormalities," Kagome said sadly and inhaled deeply.
"What are you yappin' about now?" Inuyasha asked, frowning at her words.
"No mind-control in your system, and that's certainly your aura, not Naraku's." It seemed as if Kagome were talking to herself and not to him. It was almost as if he'd melted away from the room.
"What? You didn't think I'd willingly join Naraku?" Inuyasha asked, and forced a laugh.
Kagome's crushed expression answered him.
Silence passed between them and Inuyasha tried to still his racing heart. He knew that it would be hard, but he never imagined that it could feel like this. He found himself taking in her form. She looked defeated… but the glimmer in her eyes proved her determination.
Then he saw Kagome's hands tighten into fists. She lifted her head defiantly, standing up taller than before. It was almost as if all her emotions weighing her down had simply melted away, leaving only anger behind. Her blue eyes crackled with her anger as she stared at him.
"I wanted to think that you weren't truly doing this, Sha," Kagome whispered, feeling her anger surge through her. She wanted to believe that Sha was good, but even Sha seemed to be in disagreement with her faith in him.
"Sorry to crush your dreams, then," Inuyasha said with a tiny laugh. He felt his heart crack as the bitter noise left his mouth.
"I'll make you pay for what you've done. I won't allow you to win," she warned, walking slowly towards him. He circled her, their eyes locking and never leaving. "I won't go easy on you."
"Right back at you," he said and bit his tongue. He knew he couldn't truly hurt Kagome. But the anger he saw in her eyes suggested that she wouldn't do the same for him.
Simultaneously, the two launched towards one another.
Her punch flew at him quickly, catching the side of his face while her foot arched and landed in his side. He felt a small gasp of pain rush from his lips as his own fist collided with her chest, knocking her backwards.
He knelt in pain, touching his ribs and cringing when a jolt of pain shot through him. Kagome moved back towards him, making sure to keep her distance from him. As she approached he saw her torn expression. Tears were fighting against the inside of her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Are you okay—" Kagome never managed to finish her sentence.
Inuyasha shot his hand out and grasped her ankle, throwing her down onto the ground. Her back collided with her carpet and she gasped in surprise. Inuyasha rolled onto his hands and knees before leaping up towards her, pressing his foot against her neck. He didn't press too hard, but enough for her to feel the pressure.
She choked for a moment before she grasped his shin and sent a jolt through him that felt more like an electrical shock than purifying energy. He hissed in pain and jumped away, allowing Kagome to stand back up again. A small coil of smoke rose from his shin, where her purifying energy had burned a hole in his shin guard and taijiya uniform.
Their eyes locked again, sad blue-grey eyes melting with golden orbs. She seemed to be searching for something in his eyes. Apparently, she didn't find it because she broke the gaze and stared off to her side.
She crouched, her hands still balled into fists again. She frowned at him, her blue eyes glaring at him angrily. He met her gaze once again, daring her to make a move towards him.
"How dare you use us?" she hissed out in agony, running towards him and sending a punch towards his face, which he liquidly dodged. "We trusted you… I trusted you!"
"I'm sure you've learned a valuable lesson, then," he returned silkily, ducking when she tried to punch him again. "Foolish girl."
She stiffened, allowing Inuyasha to kick her side, sending her toppling onto her floor again. Had he been trying to defeat her, he would have launched on top of her and continued his assault, but instead he stood, hands on hips and eyeing her like a mother would her small child.
Kagome was on her feet almost instantly, crouched and breathing heavily, trying to haul in her catapulting emotions.
He arched his back, looking more like a cat than the dog that he was. He growled slightly, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as she sent him another penetrating stare. He felt exposed under her gaze and he did not like it in the least.
She rolled smoothly onto her stomach, inching under her bed and extracting her taijiya uniform. He watched her in shock as she easily opened a compartment in her shoulder bad and extracted a long, thin string of piano wire attached to a tiny ring. Had he not been concerned with his safety, he would have been happy to see that Kagome hid her uniform under her bed, too.
But, alas, he was far more concerned about his life. In that moment, Kagome launched at him, her kakute poised to wrap around his neck. He dodged, sweeping his foot out and catching her ankles. She toppled slightly but regained her balance just in time to see Inuyasha bound away to the other side of the room.
"Weapons, Kagome? Do you truly want to kill me?" Inuyasha questioned, arching one of his dark eyebrows.
"It's not dipped in poison," Kagome reassured him. Still, the girl was coming at him with a piano wire. That was not something Inuyasha could sit back and willingly take.
He swallowed and dodged again, ducking between Kagome's legs and darting away. He heard her mutter in frustration at his slippery ability to jump away from her.
After what seemed like an eternity trying to escape, Inuyasha felt the wire wrap around his neck, holding him hostage against her shivering body.
"Now then," Kagome murmured quietly, "now that I have you, I won't be letting you go."
She squeezed and he felt his windpipe close. He choked, trying to grasp the elusive wire. The piano wire was hard to grasp, especially when it was wrapped around a neck.
Her hold on him relaxed a bit and he gulped down a large lungful of air.
"Can't… breathe…" he lied. It worked; Kagome's hold slacked even more.
Instantly, he'd whipped around, yanking the kakute away from his neck. He shoved her against the wall, pinning her shoulder with his hand. In a steady swipe of his hand, he'd grabbed a dagger from his sash and poised it over her own neck.
His triumph was interrupted, however, when he felt a similar point pressing against his Adam's apple. Kagome's own dagger was dangerously close to his neck, the tip poking against his tanned skin.
They stood in that stalemate for what seemed like an eternity. Kagome's scent wafted by his nose and he swallowed the lump in his throat, causing Kagome's dagger to pierce the first layer of his epidermis.
"Was everything a lie to you, Sha?" she asked, her blue eyes locking with his as their daggers came dangerously close to drawing blood.
Inuyasha paused. Now would be the time to tell her that he was being blackmailed. Naraku wasn't around. No one was around but them. But he couldn't. He mentally shook his head. He couldn't involve Kagome. This was his battle. He would not give Naraku the leverage over him and Kagome.
"Yes."
A tear escaped her eye and she blinked a couple of times to shoo such a troublesome emotion away. She licked her dry lips and leaned forward a bit. He tensed, his dagger moving closer to her throat.
Instead of a deadly head-butt, which Inuyasha had been half-expecting; Kagome brushed her lips against his before pulling away. She stared at him pleadingly.
That simple ghost of a kiss managed to steal his entire breath away. He'd been plunged into an eerie world without any senses. Kagome had stolen his soul with that simple, light brush of lips against lips.
But he had to protect her.
"Heh."
She stared at him in horror at the emotionless half-chuckle. Inuyasha pushed against her, flattening her against the wall.
"You're nothing," he murmured in her ear, his lips breezing over her jaw line. He heard a dagger thump to her floor and the felt the pressure of metal against his skin disappear.
"Sha…"
He backed away. "Nothing."
That single word seemed to seal the deal for Kagome. She bit back a sob as she dove forward, her left leg poised to kick out at him. Inuyasha was ready for her. He prepared himself to grasp her leg and throw her. He'd knock her out and leave. For now, Naraku would be satisfied.
But instead of his left leg, Kagome switched positions, sending a high right kick towards his head. He gasped in surprise and pain as her foot collided with his skull, knocking him to the ground with a rather showy looking spin. He landed with a groan and his body screamed at him to get up.
She grasped his shirt collar and forced him up. Still slightly dizzy from her powerful kick, Inuyasha barely remembered to struggle. She pushed him against the wall and sent a shattering punch to his cheek. He cringed in pain and tried to push her away.
After successfully dislodging her, he growled out darkly. But Kagome remained undaunted.
She ran around him, sending kicks and punches every which way. After what seemed like an eternity, Inuyasha finally fell to his knees, grasping the plush carpet and gasping for air. A kick, strategically landed on his solar plexus, left him winded and weak. Kagome soared over him and landed a flying kick on his chest again, knocking him backwards.
He struggled to breathe and golden eyes stared out the window, watching as the sun came dangerously close to setting.
She moved over him, planting her hands against his chest. He grasped her wrists, trying to move them. Her warm hands glowed a faint pink, surging with her miko energy. He felt his body numb and tingle as her priestess powers flowed through him like a warm current before he felt a painful burning in his chest.
He hissed in pain, resisting the urge to dig his claws into her wrists and send her flying. A tear splashed on his cheek and he glanced up at Kagome's face, poised just above his.
"I wish that…" she choked on a sob, never finishing what she was going to say.
He struggled to move but Kagome stopped any movement he may have made with the gentle press of her dagger against his throat again. The long blade ran dangerously close to the pink mark her piano string had left.
"I'll kill you… I will…" she wept out, clenching her eyes shut. "Because I know that Naraku will kill you first for failing your mission. I'll… if you want me to… please… Sha."
He stared up at her weeping expression, her face contorted in her pain. It wasn't a very flattering expression on Kagome's face, but the girl was far beyond caring what she looked like. She straddled his hips, pressing the dagger closer to his throat, just beneath his chin. One simple movement would cut him.
"Kagome…"
He felt a sudden pain shoot through him, but he knew that it wasn't because Kagome had hurt him. He knew that, in the end, Kagome would never be able to kill him, even if he asked her to.
No, the pain shooting through his body was more numbing than anything else.
As darkness fell over the night sky, dotted with stars, Inuyasha remembered why he'd wanted to stay at home tonight. The moon was conspicuous only in its absence.
But he couldn't escape now. He felt his golden eyes close as they melted away into a deep, gorgeous violet.
The sun set behind the forest, shrouding his world in darkness.