In the Beholders Eye

Written By Sarga

May/June 2006

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters, I'm just taking a theme and running with it...

Chapter 6: A Helping Fang, Claw or Hair

Despite Kagome's fatigue, she was able to keep up with Inuyasha as they ran through the forest, past villages and into a mountainous volcano region. Climbing up and over a particularly cavernous outcropping, Kagome saw their target.

"So this is where Totosai lives!" she exclaimed, leaping over the last of the rocky debris.

"Yup. Lesser demons don't have the brains to not be drawn in by the decoy scents and the greater demons know not to kill the greatest sword smith known to demon-kind." They slowed to a walking pace, Kagome savoring the uniformity of the smells and sounds, the white noise.

"Totosai!" Inuyasha called. "You there old man?"

They reached the opening of Totosai's cave, looking in to find none other than the famous Totosai asleep, drooling on his anvil-turned-pillow.

Inuyasha walked up to the man and prodded him.

"Huh...who..." The old man jumped up, grabbing Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga. "What have you done to her this time!" He demanded, coddling the sword like a baby. "Look at her, all chipped and worn. What have you been doing, hacking through rocks?!" The old man jumped back as Inuyasha reached for the sword. "Don't touch her, I'll fix her up!" he snapped. Turning to the sword in his hands he crooned, "Don't worry, dear, I'll fix you up so you're nice and new again."

"That's not why we're here, old man," irritated, Inuyasha took the opportunity to steal back his purloined possession.

"We..?" he said confused. Noticing Kagome, he jumped forward "What are you doing here? Where are the rest of your clan?" Walking up to her, he grabbed her by the waist, looking around either side of her as if she had her friends behind her back.

Annoyed, Kagome conked the old man on the head. Realizing what she had done, she apologized profusely. 'I can't believe I just did that!'

Grinning, Inuyasha explained the situation. "Kagome here's been turned into a half demon..."

"A half-demon you say..." Interrupted the old man, "She looks the same to me." He ran up to Kagome and stared at her from millimeters away. Growling, Kagome resisted the urge to bop the old man on the head again, instead opting to shove him off of her.

Jumping back towards her, the old man grabbed Kagome's new ears.

"Ah-ha!" He exclaimed. "I've found them!" Pinching one of her ears, the old man twisted it and dragged her into the light outside his home. Yelping in pain, Kagome could do nothing but follow.

"So I take it you want me to make you a sword too?" He mused, tugging at her hair to make sure it was not a wig. Kagome let out a low growl, warning the old man. Taking the hint, Totosai let go and stood back, hand on his chin in thought.

"Actually," Inuyasha piped up. "We came here for.."

Kagome cut him off. "That would be a great idea Master Totosai," hints of her former cheeriness pushed through her gruff-sounding voice.

Kagome slapped her neck at the tinge she felt there. Feeling dejected, Mioga floated to the ground.

"Is that any way to treat a friend!" he demanded.

"A friend who drinks our blood?" Inuyasha leaned down to pick up the flea, holding him in front of his face.

Hopping out of Inuyasha's grip, Mioga rested on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"I was on my way to see you, hearing of Naraku's defeat, when I ran into Miroku and Sango." Hearing her friends' names Kagome sighed. "They informed me of Inuyasha's blunder and they asked me to seek you out to tell you the news."

Kagome's ears perked up. "News?"

"Yes, they have found a great monk who knows of another great monk who knows of a legend of a great and powerful amulet with the ability to grant wishes."

Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest, mocking the flea on his shoulder. "They know a guy who knows a guy who knows a story that may or may not lead to something useful?"

"Quite Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped. "At least they're doing something to try to change this. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your selfishness" Kagome felt the anger towards Inuyasha she had been suppressing bubble back to the surface. Raising her claws, she took a step back. "If it wasn't for you and your stupid selfish wish, I'd be home in bed right now. I'd be with my family, enjoying what should be the best years of my life." Mioga jumped to Totosai's shoulder, sensing the tension rise.

"Kagome, I.." Inuyasha pleaded.

"No! This is your fault. There is nothing that you can say that will change that fact." Kagome heard the voice again, whispering in her ear. '...attack...' Letting the voice persuade her actions, Kagome felt a heat spread throughout her body as she lost control.

Inuyasha saw as Kagome's eyes started to change colour, red bleeding into gold, threatening to engulf the once meek girl. Her silver hair started to raise off of her body glowing blue with an electric aura he had never before seen in half-demon.

"Totosai, I suggest you start making that sword!" Inuyasha yelled to Totosai as he bared his own claws. 'I'm just going to have to keep her occupied until this rage passes. I'm just glad she hasn't slept recently. It won't take so much to wear her down.'

Leaping forward, Kagome struck at her friend. Her claws snagged at his cloak, missing their target. Landing behind him, she again jumped at him and again he dodged, pushing her off balance. Falling to the dirt, Kagome rebounded, springing at him, teeth bared and claws slashing.

Watching the battle from the safety of his doorway, Totosai spoke to the flea on his shoulder. "He tells me to make a sword for her, but I don't have the supplies to make a sword like his. He's going to have to provide me with what I need before I can make a new sword. It's not like demons just give up their fangs willingly, you know."

Outside, Kagome tore at Inuyasha, striking the defensive hanyou in the arm.

Trickling blood, Inuyasha swore under his breath. 'Damn, I can't hurt her, but if I keep jumping away from her, she's bound to hit me where it hurts. I'll just have to hope she wears out before that happens.'

He jumped back as she put her fist into the ground, leaving a crater a foot wide in her wake.

Roaring in rage, Kagome flew at him again, a primal urge driving her to draw blood, to maim, to kill. Inuyasha caught Kagome's claws in mid-air, kicking her to the ground. Pausing to pant, Kagome leaped back at him and again he threw her down. Running in a circle around Inuyasha, Kagome tried to get behind him. Spinning and spinning and spinning, Inuyasha tripped falling to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Kagome leaped at him one last time, slashing at his throat – but too late! Inuyasha, his back on the ground, grabbed her hands and threw her above him, using her momentum to jettison her into the rocks beyond.

Finally she lay still. He could tell from her ragged breathing that she was still alive. Walking to her he noticed all the blood on her, his and her own. Picking her up gently, Inuyasha brought the unconscious half-demon miko to the cave. He gently laid her on the ground near Totosai's cooking fire. Looking for something, anything to wipe off the blood, Inuyasha sighed. Taking off his cloak, he ripped a piece off of his shirt. He wiped away the blood from her face and looked at her sleeping form. She still had on the same clothes she had been wearing all week, her school uniform. Muddy from her week in the forest, and now bloody and partially torn Inuyasha knew he would have to get her something more durable, something more suited to battle.

Inuyasha turned towards Totosai. "I thought I told you to start the sword, old man," he growled. 'I hope he doesn't expect great sums of money for this, Kami knows I don't have anything'

Mioga jumped from Totosai to Inuyasha. "About that, it seems Master Totosai requires a few provisions before he can begin the process..."

"Provisions!" Inuyasha made a sweeping gesture towards the supplies lining Totosai's cave. "Don't you think he has enough provisions!"

"Well actually," the old man chimed in "I don't have a demon fang, or a demon claw or a demon hair."

"What would you need hair for?" Inuyasha looked to Totosai, obviously missing something.

Mioga filled him in. "While not a master in the art of bow making, Totosai does know a few tricks for making durable bows. A normal bowstring could never endure a demon's strength, so several demon's hairs would be required. Her own would do nicely."

Shaking his head, Inuyasha voiced his concern. "But she won't be standing back, away from combat. She wants to kill using her hands, a bow could never suit hand to hand combat."

Totosai piped up. "I thought'a that one!" Taking out a pair of pliers, Totosai scooted towards Inuyasha, yanking one of his larger fangs out in a single motion.

Yelping in pain, Inuyasha rubbed his sore jaw. "You can't make a sword out of that old man." With a little embarrassment, he added: "It's too small."

Staring blankly at the hanyou, he blinked. Looking back at the fang in the pliers in his hand, Totosai tilted his head as if debating something. "Then I'll make her a dagger! I'll infuse the demon-suppression magic into it's blade and give her a bow to work with when she's not fighting close up."

With a satisfied smirk, the old man stared at the fang, mumbled incoherently and walked to his anvil.

End of Chapter

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