Hello, hello, hello! So many people have been reading this! Runs around the room excitedly. Here is a thank you to those that have continued to read and review this fanfic- it really helps me keep going. I have decided that in canon we're before Inuyasha fights a certain Dragon, so there will be more canon plot.
Now, without further ado, here is Chapter 9! Warning- there WILL be gore, swearing and violence in this chapter! I do not own Inuyasha or Fairy Tail; I DO own my OCs and plot twists! Please comment and review but let's not flame please.
Country of Japan, World: Earth
"Why the hell do you have Sesshomaru's poison?!" Inuyasha yells at Jade.
She blinks and looks down at her hands, which are discharging a silver-green substance.
"Huh. So now you come out." She berates her hands, annoyed.
"Oi!" Jade glances up and rolls her eyes.
"I got stabbed, remember? Use your brains!" Inuyasha flinches back at her acidic tone.
"But-!"
"Here's a big hint- I wasn't stabbed with that lightning sword of his. Draw your own conclusions." Jade snaps.
Inuyasha steps back, feeling more and more confused by the second.
Sesshomaru got her with his poison claws?! But- she's still alive! How did she not melt?!
"Why aren't you melted?!" He growls, ears flat against his skull.
Jade grimaces at him.
"The hell if I know- it's probably because of my magic." He stares at her, disbelieving.
Jade notices and glares.
"I don't get how it works, okay? If I did, I wouldn't be making whatever" Shakes her hands as emphasis.
"This is! All I know is I got stabbed, I still have the poison inside of me, but it's not eating at my guts anymore and it hurts like a bitch basically all the time! But then I made this goopy stuff when I fought with Breezy Bitch and I'm desperately trying to figure out how to control it so I don't accidently hurt anyone! And none of the books I read helped worth crap! So thank you, Fluffy Ears, for pointing out the obvious. Thank you so very fucking much!"
Silence falls after her surprising outburst. They stare at each other and poison continues to drip from her claws onto the ground. Inuyasha's eyes flicker to her hands.
"You… don't know how to control it?" Jade starts to smack him on the head, rethinks it and settles for rolling her eyes.
"That's what I said, dingus!"
Inuyasha crosses his arms, glaring at her.
"… The poison smells like that bastard. It doesn't smell like your 'magic' stuff at all- more like yoki."
Jade stares at him blankly.
"What's yoki?"
Inuyasha gapes at her.
"You've been here for almost 2 months and don't know what yoki is?!" She shakes her head.
"Nope. No idea. Now spill!"
Inuyasha starts pacing, agitated.
"It's demon energy!" Jade taps her foot, waiting for more.
Inuyasha fails to expand on the subject, clearly thinking that is sufficient.
"… is that it? 'It's demon energy!' That's your explanation?"
"That's what it is!"
"But that tells me basically nothing!"
"It's not my fault you don't get it!"
"You say 'demon energy' but what the heck is it?!"
Inuyasha throws his hands up into the air, frustrated.
"It's demon energy! Only demons are supposed to have it!" Jade gives him a scathing look.
"So, what, is it like magic or life-force or what?"
"Graah! It's not magic! That only seems to be you and your wacko sister!"
"Excuse me?"
Inuyasha jumps away from her, a shiver running down his spine. Jade's eyes have a decidedly predatory gleam as she watches him flee to a 'safe' distance.
"I must have misheard you- surely you weren't so rude to insult my sister. R-I-G-H-T?" She drawls, not noticing the poison oozing faster from her fingers.
Inuyasha grabs Tetsusaiga's hilt, trembling.
She- she feels like him! Shit, she wants to kill me!
"Fluffy Ears…" Jade coos menacingly, starting to pace towards him, the ground almost boiling from the poison.
"What?! You want to fight?!" He snaps at her, readying Tetsusaiga.
She leans forward and slowly smiles in a terrifyingly sweet manner.
"No… I want you to apologize, Fluffy Ears~ apologize for calling Ryo 'wacko'."
A looooooong pause as Inuyasha weighs his pride versus the clear threat of Jade's wrath.
"… Fine. She's not a wacko," He mutters nearly too softly to be heard.
Jade's demeanor changes and she relaxes, accepting his apology despite the reluctance it was said (not that it really was one, but she's not picky).
"Apology accepted." Inuyasha starts to protest but Jade shakes her head at him.
"You said what needed to be said. No point in griping about it."
She glance down at her hands and sighs when she sees how much poison is leaking.
"I really need to figure this out."
Inuyasha leans against a tree and crosses his arms.
"What're you gonna do now?" He asks, reluctantly concerned.
Jade shakes her head.
"No damn idea." He blinks, surprised.
She notices and gives him a wry smile.
"I need to figure out my new- poison claws, I guess I'll call them. But since it's 'yoki' instead of magic I don't know where to start. It doesn't act like magic, doesn't feel like it, appears at random moments and is just plain confusing." Jade starts to lift her hand to scratch her head but stops when she feels the acidic liquid melt part of her shirt.
Inuyasha turns a little red. Jade rolls her eyes.
"Actually, clothes that don't melt would be nice. This was my last shirt." She carefully holds her hands away from her body to avoid melting her boots or pants.
"It doesn't hurt you?" Inuyasha asks, awkwardly noticing her skin seems fine from what he sees.
"Huh? Me? Nope. Melts almost everything else though." She says absently.
Inuyasha turns redder and coughs, doing his best to not stare. She notices and grins.
"Oh? Why are you so red in the face~?" Jade teases him, leaning forward slightly.
His face grows hotter as he gets a good look at her assets.
"S-Shut up!" He splutters, looking anywhere but her.
Her eyes crinkle in merriment and she laughs loudly, clutching her stomach. She fails to notice the poison stops seeping from her fingers, being too caught up laughing.
"Oh geez, Inuyasha, you're too goddamn cute sometimes!" Jade chokes out, still shaking.
"Ah-! But yeah, clothes. I have a feeling Miroku won't be able to keep his hands to himself- he reminds me of Loki."
"Loki?"
"Another womanizer, he's in Fairy Tail with me- Loki has a minimum of three girlfriends at any one time. Also could never keep from flirting with every female in sight." Jade sighs, nostalgic.
"… After you get clothes, what'll you do?" He asks again, still trying to not look at her.
"No idea. Maybe just wander around..? Definitely train, but I've got no clue after that." Jade shrugs, clearly not bothered by her lack of plans.
"… You could come with us." Inuyasha mutters.
Jade blinks.
"Eh?"
He scowls at her.
Is she mocking me?!
"Wait, did you say I could go with you guys?" Jade asks, confused.
"Yeah, I did! So what?!" He growls, agitated.
Jade stares at him, uncomprehending.
"You… want me to travel with you?" She verifies, her voice very soft in the clearing.
"Feh! I shouldn't have bothered!" Inuyasha snaps, stung but trying to not show it. He turns to leave the clearing.
"Why?" Jade's voice stops him, not because of the question itself but the tone of it.
Confusion and wariness colors her voice and he sudden smells her scent change from surprised to a muddle of emotions.
"Why would you want me to go with you?" He turns his head to look at her and feels a jolt when he sees her expression.
Closed off, cold with small hints of uncertainty flickering in her eyes. It surprised him how much for a moment she looked like Sesshomaru.
Ack! Why does she look like that?! What- what do I do?! Ugh…!
"Because you're strong!" Inuyasha snaps, unable to think of anything else to say.
"… That's it?" Jade's expression turns exasperated.
"Come on! What did you expect me to say?!" He yells at her.
"I had hoped it was more than my being 'strong'. It's disappointing, honestly." Jade replies, crossing her arms.
Inuyasha rolls his eyes.
"You're strong and I know you can fight. That's what matters!" Inuyasha glares at her, daring her to disprove him.
"… So you want me along because I can fight and I'm 'strong'? I guess coming from you, that's a compliment."
"Shut up! You're strong so you can help protect Kagome and the others better- that's all!" He bellows, turning a little red.
"… Okay." Jade sighs and relaxes, the earlier tension leaving her body language.
Inuyasha quirks an eyebrow.
"'Okay?'" He asks, confused.
"I guess you'll have a plus one to your group starting tomorrow." She tells him a small smile.
He blinks and nods shortly, unnerved by her change in attitude.
"F-fine. We'll be leaving at dawn so get some sleep," He mutters before heading back to Kaede's hut.
He stops when he notices Jade isn't following.
"Oi! Hurry up!" Jade rolls her eyes and grabs the book before leisurely strolling after him.
"Don't get your hakama in a bunch, Fluffy Ears." She tells him lazily.
He snorts and resumes his dash to Kaede's. Jade looks up at the sky and feels herself sober.
Traveling with a group again… I never saw this coming. I'll do better this time, Orora. Watch over us, okay?
Jade sends off the brief prayer and makes her way back to the village, pondering the changes in her life.
Several days later…
"So, where are we going again?" Jade asks, Soren placidly trotting after Inuyasha and Kirara.
"To see Totosai!" Shippo calls back from his position on Inuyasha's back.
"And who's that?"
"The swordsmith that created Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha's father's fang," Miroku explains, eying Jade's cleavage.
"So we're going to see him about Tetsusaiga? Stop staring at my boobs, Miroku, I find you entertaining but I'll still bury your ass in the dirt." She tells him and ignores his fake sorrowful look.
"Yeah, maybe that old geezer will know how to lighten this thing!" Inuyasha growls- even after Jade's hellish training, he could only lift it part way and maintain that position for a few moments before needing to rest.
"Nah, you just need to train more," Jade says lazily.
"Besides, you're just doing this to get out of more training, aren't you? You're harsh on a gal's feelings, Fluffy Ears." She drawls, hiding a grin as his ears flatten at 'training'.
Sango and Miroku openly grin- they found it hilarious how Jade consistently beats up Inuyasha with a measly stick. Kagome frowns at Jade.
"Jade-chan, what are you talking about? If Tetsusaiga is lighter, then of course Inuyasha can fight better!" Kagome gives Jade a stink eye.
Jade bursts out laughing.
"Hey! Why are you laughing?!" Kagome snaps, her face growing warm.
"Sorry, sorry, but Kagome-chan… you really don't understand sword fighting." Jade gasps out, tears leaking from her eyes.
"Huh?"
"Making the sword lighter isn't necessarily going to make Fluffy Ears a swordsman overnight. Heck, it can make him overconfident and get him killed." Jade points out, yawning.
"To be fair, he'll be able to wield it better, but only practice and training will make him a better fighter."
"Oh? What an interesting lass, to speak so of Tetsusaiga!" An unfamiliar voice calls out.
They all look up and see a flying three-eyed ox with an old man riding on it float down. Jade inhales and smells smoke, fire, iron, demon, ox, and that weird scent old men sometimes get. Jade cocks an eyebrow at him.
"What? It's true, unless the sword wields him rather than the other way around," Jade says cheerfully, leaning on the pommel of her saddle.
"And from what I've seen that's not the case. So tell me I'm wrong, Smoky Gramps." She challenges him with a grin.
"Smoky… Gramps?" Sango mutters to Miroku.
"Oi! Are you saying I'm weak?!" Inuyasha yells at Jade.
"Yup." Everyone sweats at her swift and brutal reply.
"You keep losing to me, so yup, you're weak. Points for trying though," Jade consoles him.
Totosai eyes this foreign girl riling up Inuyasha so easily.
She's keen in understanding- and she's stronger than Inuyasha? Hmm, scary. He decides, reflexively checking for escape routes.
"Totosai-san, why are you here?" Kagome asks, ending the argument between Inuyasha and Jade.
He sighs and glares at Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, your sword is no longer just your father's fang, but yours as well. The weight you feel is from your lack of mastery over your own strength."
Huh. That actually makes sense. Jade thinks, watching Inuyasha's expressions- it's seriously entertaining to see.
"So… what does he have to do?" Jade asks, intrigued.
"Hmm?" Totosai blinks at her.
"What does he have to do?" She repeats herself patiently.
"… He will have to surpass his father." Totosai says finally, stroking his beard.
Kagome frowns.
"But… he's dead!"
"Um hum," Totosai agrees, still stroking his beard.
Jade settles in for a wait- these old geezers love to drag out drama. Shippo and Inuyasha predictably lose patience first.
"Tell us!" Shippo demands.
"Out with it, old man!" Inuyasha snarls.
Miroku, Sango and Jade look at each other; Jade shrugs and offers some jerky. Sango takes some and feeds Kirara as Totosai begins his explanation. Jade tunes him out for most of it until a certain word catches her attention.
"-dragon Daiyoukai, Ryukotsusei. Only then will Inuyasha surpass his father."
"Wait, did you say 'dragon'?" Jade interjects eagerly.
Totosai leans backwards, confused by her enthusiasm.
"Yes, I suppose I did-"
"Dragons exist here? They haven't died out? What are they like? Are they strong? Do you know of any called Aquileon or Demetria?"
The others watch in shock as Jade interrogates Totosai.
What's gotten into her? They all think.
"Come on, Smoky Gramps! Clue a gal in!" Jade insists, jumping off of Soren to move closer to Totosai.
Totosai eyes her with trepidation.
"Why would you like to know, tall lady?" He retorts.
Jade blinks and smacks herself on the forehead.
"Ack, I didn't introduce myself did I? Hiya, I'm Jade Aquilo and I'm looking for dragons because they might know what happened with my foster parents, who're also dragons."
Everyone, except Shippo and Inuyasha, react with shock and disbelief.
"Eh?!"
"Seriously?"
"What the-!"
"You're parents are dragons!?"
"No way!"
"But, lass, you're but human!" Myoga protests, peeking out at her.
Jade shrugs and looks curiously at the flea demon.
"Doesn't matter if you believe me or not, but that's my reason, Mister Flea. Are you gonna tell me now, Smoky Gramps?" She asks, meeting his gaze.
Totosai strokes his beard, considering her request and finally nods.
"Aye, there be dragons here. They are strong, there's no doubt of that. As for your foster parents… I've never heard a whisper of them, lass."
Jade slumps.
"Dang it…" She groans, ruffling her hair in agitation.
"Ugh, better luck next time, I guess!" Jade decides and then bows to Totosai.
"Thanks for answering my questions, Smoky Gramps!"
"You're a polite one," Totosai remarks, looking her over more closely.
Jade shrugs again.
"Kinda had it beaten into my brain when I little that if you want something it's better to be polite than rude in asking. Anyway, where's this dragon guy?"
"Sealed at the site where the Dog General fought him all those years ago," Totosai tells them, pointing.
"Slay him whilst he is sealed, Inuyasha, and you will master your own strength." Totosai reminds him, wagging his finger.
Inuyasha huffs in annoyance and stalks off in the direction Totosai pointed him in. The others mutter to each other, worried and excited at the same time. Jade watches Inuyasha thoughtfully then glances at Totosai.
"What happens if Ryukotsusei is released? Do you think Inuyasha can slay him?" She asks him softly.
Totosai jerks and Myoga squawks in fear.
"How can you say such a thing?! That seal is very powerful! It's unthinkable that it would fail!" Myoga lectures her, trembling.
"But seals have failed- they're not perfect. Heck, in Fiore we have a history of old seals busting at wrong moments, so I figured it was smart to ask if he can handle Ryukotsusei, in your informed opinions." She says nonchalantly.
Totosai eyes her beadily and sighs heavily.
"He would not survive. It would take a miracle for Inuyasha, as he is now, to kill Ryukotsusei if he wakens." Totosai tells her bluntly.
Kagome gasps in horror and the rest are similarly worried. Jade considers this and nods firmly.
"That settles it then," She murmurs to herself and starts after Inuyasha, taking her pack off of Soren.
"Lass?! What are ye doing?!" Myoga calls after her, frantic.
She pauses and looks back at them all.
"Going after him- I'll bring him back alive if it goes sideways,"
Totosai and Myoga give her bewildered stares.
"How? What can ye do against a dragon? Yer only mortal," Totosai points out.
Jade grins at him, showing off her fangs.
"Cause I'm a Dragon Slayer- my magic is meant for killing dragons!" She says cheerfully and strides after Inuyasha.
Several days later…
"So that's him?" Inuyasha asks Myoga, staring up at the massive dragon demon pinned to the cliff with a large claw.
Jade whistles when she sees Ryukotsusei.
"Big bastard," She comments, internally cataloging the differences between this world's dragons and her own.
"Seems cowardly," Inuyasha mutters as he draws Tetsusaiga and he glares at her.
"Why're you still here?! I don't need a babysitter!"
Jade smiles at him and laughs.
"Cause I want to be and because dragon!" She waves her hand excitedly at Ryukotsusei.
"You're weird," He growls at her and Jade laughs again.
"Relax! I'm just watching your back, not stealing your kill, Fluffy Ears!"
"Will both of you focus!" Myoga squeaks, jumping up and down on Inuyasha's shoulder.
Inuyasha growls and hefts Tetsusaiga.
"Shaddup! I know!"
Jade ignores Inuyasha and Myoga's bickering and squints, staring at the top of Ryukotsusei's head.
"Oi. Isn't that Pervert Baboon?" Jade asks, pointing.
Both refocus and Inuyasha starts swearing when he sees the familiar baboon pelt.
Naraku smirks and starts eroding the seal on Ryukotsusei, the claw melting away. Jade's eyes narrow when she feels the dragon demon start to wake- his aura pulses and soon enough Ryukotsusei's eyes open and fix on the three figures below.
"Free at last…" He hisses, wrenching himself free of the sealing claw.
Myoga quivers with fear.
"R-Run, Inuyasha-sama!" He begs.
Inuyasha snorts and glares at the dragon.
"Hell no! Besides, it's better this way!" He snarls.
Jade rolls her eyes at his overblown pride.
Oh Fluffy Ears, you have no clue what we've got coming, do you? She sighs and gets ready for a grueling fight.
The dragon's lips curl in a cruel smile as he smells them.
"Ah, a whelp of that idiot Dog General… and what's this?" He peers closer at Jade, hissing.
She smiles cheerfully at him.
"Just your average wizard, don't mind me~!" Jade says, keeping one hand free as she gets ready to drag Inuyasha to safety.
Ryukotsusei abruptly charges and tries to eat them; Jade jumps clear easily and keeps an eye on Inuyasha as he starts to fight Ryukotsusei. While he manages a few solid strikes, Jade can easily see that they aren't doing enough damage to pierce Ryukotsusei's natural armor. After a few more whacks, Inuyasha gets fed up and tries the Windscar- Jade narrows her eyes. When the dust clears, Ryukotsusei starts to laugh.
"Fool! I am dragon! As if your puny sword will so much as scratch me!" He hisses and opens his mouth.
Jade's hair stands on end and she moves, dragging Inuyasha out of the line of fire as Ryukotsusei unleashes a Dragon's Roar. Critically, she notes it's not as powerful as Aquileon's or Demetria's but it's still a threat none the less. Inuyasha turns to snarl at her but Jade beats him to the punch.
"Save it. Fight first, yell later," She tells him and drops him on the ground, turning to face Ryukotsusei.
"I'll buy you some time- don't argue with me." Jade cuts him off as he opens his mouth.
"Tetsusaiga won't cut through- so I'll make cuts for you to cut into, got it?"
Not waiting for his response, Jade summons her magic.
"Earth Dragon's Ruby Claws." Her arms turn blood red as the scales form and vicious talons manifest.
Ryukotsusei blinks, confused by what his instincts are telling him.
Why does she feel dangerous? She's human!
Jade charges at Ryukotsusei, dodging his tail as it slashes at her and gets in close. He twists his body to crush her, but Jade anticipates him and doesn't bother to move.
"Hah! Die, human wench!" He snarls.
Jade smiles at him.
"Earth Dragon's Dual Crushing Fangs!"
As he slams into her, she uses the force of the blow to increase the impact of her own strikes- Ryukotsusei's eyes widen when he feels bones shatter and scales tear.
"What?!" He roars, rearing back.
Jade spins on one foot and mid-spin changes her right arm into a blood red sword.
"Earth Dragon's Ruby Blade!" She snarls, slashing at his flank.
Ryukotsusei howls as blood spurts from the wound and Myoga gapes at Jade.
"So-so easily she's injuring a foe even my lord could barely defeat?!" He sputters.
Inuyasha glares at her, annoyed but secretly awed by her fighting prowess.
I want to get as strong as her-!
"Inuyasha! Move your ass!" Jade yells at him- Ryukotsusei was unleashing a barrage of Dragon Roars.
"Feh! I don't need you telling me!" He growls, stung.
"Earth Dragon's Horn Strike!"
She smashes her left fist into Ryukotsusei's (to her) vulnerable stomach, punching a hole into his guts. Jade continues to tear into Ryukotsusei, gritting her teeth when he manages to land blows against her.
Damn, he's a heavy bastard-! She thinks, fending off another tail slash.
"You ready, Inuyasha?!" Jade roars, muscles tensing.
"Feh! I've been ready for ages, witch!" He yells back, readying Tetsusaiga.
Ryukotsusei snarls and releases another Dragon's Roar; this time, Jade doesn't dodge.
"Earth Dragon's Roar!" She howls, her magic smashing into his and forcefully canceling it out.
"Go!" She yells to Inuyasha, who doesn't need to be told twice.
He leaps into the fray, trying to aim for the places Jade had already torn open. Ryukotsusei hisses and leaps into the air, avoiding Inuyasha.
"Enough!" He howls and smashes down on Inuyasha, pinning him to the ground and then through it.
Inuyasha falls into the crevasse and loses his grip on Tetsusaiga.
"Shit!" He yells, reaching for it.
Tetsusaiga spins out of reach and Inuyasha lands hard on the dirt. Ryukotsusei circles above him, blasting the crevasse with another Dragon's Roar. Jade swears and intercepts it.
"Earth Dragon's Battle Scales!" She grunts as the lightning hammers her, but she manages to keep the worst of it off of Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, you alright?" Jade groans, wincing as she stands up.
A low snarl answers her and Jade's hair stands on end. She carefully turns to see Inuyasha standing and his eyes blood red and purple markings on his cheeks.
"… Well shit." Jade sighs.
He snarls and charges her- Jade side steps and he tears on towards Ryukotsusei. The dragon is taken aback when Inuyasha manages to wound him with his claws. Above, Totosai looks on worriedly with Kagome and the rest of Team Inuyasha as Inuyasha gives in to his demon blood.
"In this state, Inuyasha can kill him- but Tetsusaiga will remain too heavy to wield." Totosai explains.
Kagome clasps her hands together, praying Inuyasha will come to his senses. Down below, Jade decides to redirect the enraged hanyo- she grabs him by the scruff of his neck and simultaneously fires off Earth Dragon's Ramparts to give Ryukotsusei something to attack.
His blood red eyes glare into her green ones and he tries to bite her- Jade makes a face.
"Stop being a little shit, Fluffy Ears, and get your act together!" She snaps, using her grip on his clothes to toss him at Tetsusaiga.
He falls directly in front of it and struggles to stand.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome yells at him, hoping her voice reaches him.
That… voice… do I know it..? Inu… Yasha… that's me..! Who..?
While Inuyasha is struggling, Jade faces off with the demon dragon who growls at her.
"What are you?" He hisses at her again, glaring balefully.
Jade gives him a lazy grin.
"Jade Aquilo, just your run of the mill Dragon Slayer," She tells him, baring her fangs at him.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you- that's Fluffy Ear's job!" Jade reassures him cheerfully.
Ryukotsusei's mind whirls with questions and the tiniest grain of fear.
These two could defeat me- me!
"Die then, Dragon Slayer! You and Inu no Taisho's whelp can die at my fangs!" He bellows, lashing out at her with his tail.
She jumps over it and starts running up his body towards his back. Ryukotsusei snarls and snaps at her but Jade hammers him in the face with an upper cut. Inuyasha barely notices the battle behind him and Kagome yells at him once again.
"Hang in there, Inuyasha! Grab Tetsusaiga!" She calls out, heart in her throat.
Distantly, Inuyasha hears her.
Tetsu… saiga? What… grab it? Grab it. Grab Tetsusaiga! Through the red haze of his vision, Inuyasha spots the katana's hilt and reaches out, wrapping his fingers around it. His aura and the sword pulses as it subdues Inuyasha's demon blood, bringing him back to reason.
"Inuyasha-sama? Oh thank goodness Jade-sama came with you- hurry, use Tetsusaiga's greatest technique! Jade-sama is holding Ryukotsusei at bay, hurry, hurry!" Myoga squeaks frantically.
Inuyasha shakes his head to clear it and looks up in time to see Jade crash land in front of him. She glances up at him and grins wearily.
"Oh good, you grabbed it. I got him all hissy prissy for you, so don't waste my efforts!" Jade tells him and Inuyasha looks up to see what she is talking about; his jaw drops.
Inuyasha and the others all knew she was strong; Jade had proved it on more than one occasion rather forcefully. But the sight of Ryukotsusei with massive slashes, bloody puncture wounds, broken bones and flesh ripped off drove it home. Jade had paid for the damage she had wrought on Ryukotsusei with a broken arm, a sliced up back and several cracked ribs, but overall she was in better shape than him by a long shot.
Ryukotsusei roars and starts to summon his demonic energy, furious and determined to wipe Inuyasha and Jade from the face of the earth. Jade faces the impending doom calmly and knows it's make or break moment for Inuyasha.
Come on, Fluffy Ears, figure it out! She urges him silently.
Tetsusaiga pulses and Inuyasha hefts the blade, charging at Ryukotsusei's massive attack head on. Tetsusaiga seems to guide his swing as the blade unleashes a surge of power that counters and then overpowers the Dragon's Roar. Ryukotsusei's eyes widen in disbelief and fear as tornados manifest and finish the job Jade had started.
"How?! How could a measly half-breed defeat me-!?" He howls as the Backlash Wave rips his head to goopy pieces, ending the existence of Ryukotsusei.
Totosai nods in approval and Jade smiles tiredly at Inuyasha.
"Good job, Fluffy Ears. Say, are you any good at setting bones?" He gives her a bewildered stare.
"Huh?"
"Never mind," Jade groans, staggering to her feet.
"Tough bastard- I was wondering how the hell I was supposed to keep him alive long enough for you to kill him without using my big moves, but it worked out!" She starts walking.
"Oi."
She carefully twists to look back at him- Inuyasha's ears are partially flattened and he refuses to meet her eyes.
"Thanks." He mumbles.
Jade smiles slowly at him.
"You're welcome, Fluffy Ears." He risks a glance and doesn't see any scorn or degrading smirk on her face.
Jade offers her good hand to him and nods her head towards the others.
"Come on- they're waiting for you too, dummy." Inuyasha growls at her and Jade chuckles as they make their way to the others.
Later that day…
After Totosai left and all temporary medical aid rendered, they bunk down for the night. Jade shifts uncomfortably, forced to sleep on her stomach.
I hate getting my back sliced up… she complains in her head, trying to find a comfy position.
Absently, she watches the magic of Ryo's warding device pulse in time to a heartbeat.
"Jade-chan?" She lifts her head to see Kagome hadn't fallen asleep yet either.
"What's up, Kagome?" Jade says softly, mindful of their teammates slumber.
"… What's Fiore like?" Kagome whispers.
Jade considers the question and shrugs.
"It's a peninsula, so it's surrounded by water on three sides- it has mountains, beaches, thick forests and flatlands. Warm most of the year. The people are pretty welcoming and take things as they come- not much reason to hurry, you see. We use lacrimas to power most things with magic- the ambient magic in the air is really high so it's pretty easy."
As Jade talks, Kagome starts to picture this foreign land in her mind.
"We don't have demons- at least I don't think we do, but we do have a bunch of monsters to deal with regularly. We've got these nasty giant monkey ape things called Vulcans- they use a magic called 'Take Over' where they can possess someone. So annoying. There's more, but I can't remember them all. And then there's the Guilds; we've got Guilds for almost everything! Accountant guilds, Treasure Hunting guilds, wizard guilds…"
Jade's voice trails off as she remembers some of the crazier moments with her comrades in Fairy Tail.
"Sounds wonderful," Kagome whispers.
Jade snaps out of her reverie and smiles at the younger girl.
"It is." She says simply.
Suddenly they feel a spike in magic; Kagome is on edge but Jade grins when she recognizes the energy. Grunting, Jade pulls out the remains of the drowsing pendant and sets it on the ground. Once again a beam of light bursts forth- Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo and Kirara yell or snarl at the sudden brightness. Ryo and Yasmine appear, Ryo frowning when she sees Jade in a makeshift cast and bandages.
"What the hell happened to you? You're a mess!" Ryo demands, pointing at her.
Jade grins widely.
"Fought a dragon~!" She tells Ryo cheerfully.
Ryo's face becomes annoyed.
"Stop screwing around, Jade-nee. What actually happened?"
Jade's smile doesn't shift.
"We fought a dragon!"
"Is this your idea of a sick joke?!" Ryo snaps, furious.
"I told you to not get into fucking trouble and you went a fought a goddamn dragon?! Your arm is broken and you're covered in bandages!" Ryo yells, slamming her hands down on her counter and glaring at Jade.
Jade loses her smile and tries to calm Ryo down.
"Ryo, I'm fine-"
"Fine! Fine?! You call this fine?! Like hell it's fine! You know what? I don't care anymore! See if I care that your freaking Guild is in shambles!" Ryo explodes and Yasmine swears softly.
"Shambles? Fairy Tail?" Jade questions, bewildered.
Ryo's eyes gleam dangerously.
"You remember the S-Class exams, Jade-nee? The ones you were supposed to help out with? Well, everyone there is was wiped out by that flying disaster Acnologia. Tenroujima is gone and so is most of Fairy Tail with it." Ryo says this viciously, getting a dark thrill out of the grim news.
Dead silence falls.
"… What?"
Everyone flinches at Jade's voice- she wasn't loud, just the opposite, but there is no mistaking the menace in her tone.
"You heard me!" Ryo snarls, trying not to feel terrified.
"If this is a lie, Ryo, I will destroy your workshop and everything you made the last five years." Jade's voice is silky as she delivers her threat, clearly meaning it.
"It's true, Jade." Yasmine interrupts, pulling out a newspaper.
"Look." Jade narrows her eyes as she reads the headlines and glares at Yasmine.
"This is a mistake."
"It's not. We checked in on Fairy Tail after it happened- the core members, aside from yourself, are gone." Yasmine tells her, eyes sad.
Team Inuyasha tenses as they feel Jade's anger swell in the air like a living being.
"… Go." Ryo flinches and Yasmine purses her lips.
"Jade-!" Ryo protests.
"GO. I don't want to see you, much less TALK to you, right now." Jade keeps her voice soft, but Ryo jerks back at the cold words.
Yasmine nods and ends the spell, throwing the campsite into shadows. Jade stands up and Inuyasha's ears go back when he sees poison starting to leak from her fingers.
"I'll be back in the morning. Don't follow me if you value your lives." Jade leaves and they all look at each other with wide eyes.
"What… What just happened?" Sango whispers, fingers clutching her boomerang bone.
"Nothing good, it seems." Miroku states, eyes staring after the Dragon Slayer.