CHAPTER 2

SWORD PLAY

Inuyasha and company were the ones who Sesshoumaru had heard walking through the forest. Kagome was saying something to Inuyasha and the others about sensing a moving Sacred Jewel shard in the area. Nobody was really paying much attention. Sanmgo was too busy glaring at Miroku who kept putting his hand on her rear.

"Knock it off, you perve," the demon hunter snapped, slapping the monk so hard on the cheek his face turned red.

"Hey, what did you do that for?" he demanded.

"You know very well why I did that!" she shot back. "Youy were touching my butt again."

"It wasn't me. It was Shippo."

"Give me a break. Shippo can't even reach my ankles."

"It still wasn't me."

"I'm not going to argue with you about it."

"I think we're close to the village Kikyo lives in."

That was Inuyasha. He was looking around the forest and sniffing the air. "I caught her sent."

"Is that all you think about?" Kagome demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

Inuyasha looked at the girl from Tokyo. "Don't start with me again," he growled, glaring at her. "If I want to think about Kikyo I will and there's nothing you can do about it, so there."

"But that's all you think about!" she yelled right in his face. "Why can't you think about us for once... ! Hey, are you even listening to me!"

He wasn't. The half demon was too busy staring at someone farther up the path.

'"INUYASHA!" she screamed in his ear like a fog horn. "EARTH TO INUYASHA!"

"Do you see that?" he asked not even fazed by her loud mouth.

"See what?" she demanded, instantly returning to her normal attitude. She stared at him waiting for an answer.

He pointed ahead and spoke as if he hadn't heard her. "I see someone."

That got her ticked again. "Don't you ever pay any attention to me?" she bellowed looking ready to slap him.

"No," he told her. "Just look ahead. Do you see who I see?"

Kagome finally calmed down and looked where his finger pointed. She saw a man with white hair and dressed in white standing motionless farther up the path. His body was sideway like he wasn't even watching them, but staring thoughtfully into the trees.

"Who's that?" Sango asked noticing the person as well.

The man with white hair turned his head slowly. They all spotted the blue cresant moon and red squiggle markings on his cheeks and forehead. They all knew who he was.

"Sesshoumaru," they said in one voice.

Kilala growled.

Sesshoumaru started walking toward them at a slow deliberate pace. "Hello, half brother."

"What do you want now?" Inuyasha asked, as Kagome hid behind him.

"You know what I want," Sessy said, as if he were stating the obvious.

"Why do you want it? You have your own sword now."

Sesshoumaru laughed spitefully. "And you thought that would make me give up on wanting that one?"

Inuyasha pulled out the sword his father had made for him. Tetsusaiga. "Well, you're not going to get it."

Sesshoumaru pulled out his own sword. Not Tenseiga the other one. "We'll see about that,"

He charged.

Inuyahsa struck a battle stance. Sango and the others ran to safety.

Toukijin struck Tetsusaiga.

Inuyasha countered the his brothers sword. "You idiot! Why don't you just give up? You can't even hold the freakin' sword!" he shouted.

Sesshoumaru struck Tetsusaiga again. "I will get it! Don't try to stop me!"

And the fight began.

Sesshoumaru laid out attack after attack with his sword. Everytime Inuyasha blocked it blow for blow.

After fighting that way for awhile Inuyasha's older brother noticed his younger brother seemed to be wearing down, which was exactly what he wanted. He laid off attacking for a moment and backed away.

Inuyasha stood panting holding his sword straight up. It had grown to ten times its original size. He's up to something, the half demon thought. I can tell by that look on his face. I'd better be ready.

Sesshoumaru came at him again. Inuyasha saw another blow coming. Suddenly he yelled loudly and swung the sword. The force of the blow knocked Toukijin out of his brother's hand and sent it flying. The sword disappeared over the tops of the trees.

"No, matter," Sessy said, looking unfazed. "I can still beat you. Even without a sword."

Now he came at his brother with his long poison claws.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted.

"Stop being a pest!" he shouted at her. "I don't need you distracting me while I'm trying to fight!"

Kagome shut up looking hurt.

"Let him handle it," Sango said, putting a comforting hand on the school girl's shoulder. "Even if Inuyasha loses to him he still wont lose exactly. Sesshoumaru can't hold Tetsusaiga anyway."

"I just hope Inuyasha doesn't lose," the young sap said, worry covering her face. "If he does his brother will kill him."

"Mew," Kilala said looking up at the girl.

Meanwhile Sesshoumaru was mercilessly attacking his little half brother with his pioson claws. As they fought, they went deeper and deeper into the forest getting far away from the spot where they'd started. The rest of Team Inuyasha had to keep moving and were having a hard time keeping up with them.

While Inu blocked Sessy's attackes a plan began forming in the younger demon's mind. All I have to do is wait for Sesshoumaru to drop his guard or hesitate.

But it seemed his older brother wasn't planning on doing either anytime soon.

Deeper and deeper into the forest they went. If I don't do something soon we're going to enter Naraku's territory. If that happens and Naraku attackes us I won't have the energy to fight him off.

That's when it hit him. A paln to make his brother stop fighting sooner.

Inuyasha facked and dropped his sword slightly as well as his guard. Sesshoumaru gained more confidence from the fact that his brother had been weakened. He came with another blow.

Inuaysha was waiting.

SLASH!

Sesshoumaru let out an eerie wail and backed away from his brother, holding his now bleeding right shoulder.

"You're lucky I didn't cut that arm off as well," Inuyahsa said.

Now Sessy was angry. "You won't have the advantage! I'll cut off your head!"

Since he was unable to turn into his giant dog form he ran madly at his brother. He assaulted him with blow after blow from his poison claws. He wasn't aware that with every movement he made, he bled even more and was covering himself with it as well as his brother, the sword, the trees, and... Kagome who had gotten much too close.

"EW!" she wailed as the hot red liquid splashed over her.

"KAGOME GET BACK WITH SANGO AND THE OTHERS RIGHT NOW!" Inuyahsa yelled at the top of his lungs. "I TOLD YOU TO STAY BACK! THIS IS MY FIGHT! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU? DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND ENGLISH?"

Kagome's face became striken but she did go back to the others.

Inuyasha kept on blocking his brothers wild frantic attackes. He knew with every movenment, Sesshoumaru lost more blood and got a little bit weaker. Inu just hoped he'd be able to knock Sessy out before he lost too much blood.

Sessy wasn't letting up but Inu noticed his brother was beginning to feel the affects of losing too much blood. His moves were getting slower and sloppier as well as weaker and lest intense. Now all I have to do is wait for the right moment.

After a sloppy off balance attack Inuyasha caught Sango's gaze. She nodded knowing what he wanted her to do.

When Sesshoumaru, out of sheer desperation, came at him with a weak pitiful attack the half demon put out his foot and kicked his brother away. Sango saw her chance when Sessy stumbled back and weakly tried to keep his balance as he got for another swipe. Shouting her war cry she threw her huge boomerang.

It flew crazily and slightly wobbly at Inuyasha's older brother. It didn't exactly reach it's mark but it did bang Sess'ys head pretty good as it made its course.

As brightly colored stars filled his vision, Sesshoumaru moaned and grabbed his head as he tried to stay concious. The whole place was spinning and the ground lurched as if he were on a boat in the middle of the ocean. What...? Where am I?

Inuyasha noticed how preoccupied his brother was and saw his chance "Wind Scar!" he yelled, throwing his sword downward.

Sesshoumaru heard what sounded like a voice far... far away... he turned his head toward it but only saw a huge beam of light then he was in the air. He had no idea what hit him. He had no idea where or who he was. All he was aware of was the beating of his heart.

Then he had no awareness at all.

He vanished.

Inuyahsa stood panting as he stared at the spot where his brother once stood. He hadn't been able to kill his brother. He knew why. That sword! Why does Tenseiga always have to do that!

"Inuyasha!" a voice called.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder. He saw Kagome running at him. She looked like she wanted to hug him. He did not want to hug her, though.

He stepped out of her way. She ran past him, lost her balance and fell flat on her face on the ground.

He was totally miffed and it was partly her fault. "Don't touch me," he growled, staring at her coldly.

Kagome got up and glared at him. She quickly pulled her skirt back over her rear, it had flown up when she's fallen, and demanded. "What did you do that for?"

"You know darn well why I did it," he yelled, stepping farther away from her. "You got in my way while I was fighting my brother. Did you want him to kill you? Did you want me to kill you!"

"No,... but..."

He turned away from her. "I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses." he told her.

"Inu...!"

Inuyasha swung his sword over his shoulder and began to walk away. He totally ignored her. Which is something he did that she hated most.

"Wait a minute, you jerk!" she called after him.

He looked over his shoulder at her. "What?" he snapped not wanting to hear anything from her.

She stood up, ran around in front of him, and got right in his face, "How dare you!" she yelled angrily. "Why did you have to yell at me! I could have gotten him with my arrow!"

Now he got in her face. "I don't want you shooting my brother with your wimpy pieces of wood," he shouted right into it as she'd just done. "The only one who can fight my brother is me!"

"But you let Sango-!"

"Her boomerang wouldn't have killed him!"

"Well, fine then. I just won't help you anymore."

He turned away from her again and started walking the other way now. He didn't wait for her to say anything else. He sprinted. "That's fine with me!" he called over his shoulder as he ran off. "I don't need your help anyway!"

"I'm going home!" she shouted after his fleeing figure.

Inuaysha rolled his eyes. She used that line so often he didn't care what she did anymore. But still he wanted the last word for once.

"SEE IF I CARE!"

Authores note: Just so you all know I do not like Kagmoe very much. Even though I don't like her I'm trying to keep everything the way it is without adding to much spite at her. I know Inuyashe hurts her feelings a lot so I tried to make those parts so it would be the normal way the show is with that kind of thing. I also know Inuyasha doesn't always say he's sorry so that wasn't much of a problem. Anyway that's all I wanted to say. I hope you like the story so far.