Hey everyone! Yeesh, it's been a while but I just could not find the flow for this chapter but I finally did so here you go! Okay, so I don't own Inuyasha or Fairy Tail, I do own my OCs and various plot twists! Whew, there, out of the way. Thank you so much for your reviews, especially first-timers! It made me really happy to see them! As always, please comment and review- let me know if there is something confusing. Now, without further ado, here is Chapter 11!
Country of Japan, World: Earth.
Jade is dreaming of the fluffiest, cushiest clouds ever- she isn't a girly-girl, but Jade can admit to a long standing love for the soft and cuddly. Anyway, in her dream the clouds are a nice silver color that wrap around her back and support her comfortably.
So. Soft!
Jade wiggles deeper into the fluff, loving the warmth as she turns over in her sleep. Only she cannot. Jade frowns, annoyed.
This is MY dream, dammit! I'm turning over!
Letting out a low growl, Jade forcefully tries to flip over so she can enjoy the fluff in peace. Again, something stops her from completing her flip.
Okay, that's IT! Time to die, denier of good dreams!
Jade lashes out, mostly on instinct, and nearly howls when horrible pain flashes up her arm. Her eyes snap open and she sees her broken, poison burned arm trapped. Trapped in a strangely familiar hand with long, well maintained claws. Jade blinks, trying to process what she is seeing. Her eyes follow the path of the arm, recognizing the purple tattoos and the sleeve of the kimono.
Jade twists her head and meets Sesshomaru's familiar glare.
Oh… crap.
"Uh… morning?" Jade tries, attempting to pretend she hadn't punched at him.
Sesshomaru's gold eyes narrow.
Double crap. Oh man, I'm gonna get it now-!
"Sorry! Super sorry! I was dreaming about floofy clouds and they were so warm and soft and I just wanted to bury myself in them, but I couldn't flip over- and I really wanted to flip over. So when I couldn't I just- reacted. It's a habit, ah ha ha ha… Stupid guild brawls!" Jade scratches her head, sweating as she tries to gauge his reaction.
… Why does he have to have an awesome poker face?! Jade panics.
Sesshomaru's Point of View
Warrior Jade is rather amusing to watch- she is clearly panicked and ashamed that she had attacked him in her sleep. Feeling superior, Sesshomaru keeps his expression blank as Jade flounders in her explanations.
She is rather entertaining, for a mortal. He reflects, shifting his mokomoko so it wraps around the Dragon Slayer more snuggly.
"Wah! Agh, why does this have to be so soft-!" Jade grumbles, stroking the fur with her uninjured hand.
Sesshomaru's mouth twitches with suppressed amusement.
"What time is it, anyway?" Jade mumbles.
"It is dawn." Sesshomaru murmurs in her ear.
Jade stiffens, swears and struggles to get up.
"Shit! Ack, I was supposed to get back by now! Let me up already! I gotta go!"
Sesshomaru feels a spark of irritation.
"Do you wish to return to the half-breed that badly?" He demands, unconsciously tightening his grip on her.
Jade stops struggling, twists her head to face him.
"Half-breed? What half-breed? And could you loosen your grip please? Gal with broken ribs here!" Jade snaps: her expression is a mix of pain and bewilderment as she glares at him.
Sesshomaru's mouth twitches into a small scowl but he does, slightly, loosen his grip.
"Inuyasha." He says icily.
Jade blinks.
"Inu- oh Fluffy Ears. Why would you care about Fluffy Ears? Unless…"
She takes a deep sniff, her nose scrunches as she thinks then her eyes widen with realization.
"Holy shit, Fluffy Ears is your brother?! Is that why you two smell so much alike? Dang, you two are super different from each other!"
Jade says excitedly, piecing it together aloud. Sesshomaru feels his temper rising with her every mention of his detested half-sibling.
"Why did you never teach him to fight?" Sesshomaru stiffens at the unexpected question.
"You're better than he is by a long shot, so why not teach him?" Jade pushes.
He drags a breath in, scenting her for deceit or anything that might indicate she is mocking him.
Confusion, interest, curiosity and surprise but nothing manipulative or gleeful. Sesshomaru feels a spark of surprise at her lack of mockery or disgust over his connections with the filthy half-breed.
"… This Sesshomaru sees no point in teaching a filthy half-breed." He finally replies.
"Why not? And why do you keep calling Fluffy Ears 'half-breed'?" Sesshomaru closes his eyes as she persists in questioning him.
"This Sesshomaru is not obligated to answer any of your questions, Warrior Jade."
Jade glares at him then starts struggling again.
Sesshomaru tightens his grip, more carefully this time.
"Let me up." Jade orders, moving the mokomoko away from her shoulders.
"Why? So you can go back to the filthy half-breed who is unworthy of a warrior of your caliber?" His voice growls in her ear.
His eyes start to turn red at the thought of her being anywhere near Inuyasha.
Jade's Point of View
Jade had had enough.
She slams her head back and elbows him viciously at the same time, surprising him. Sesshomaru's grip on her falters slightly and that's all she needs to surge to feet, broken ribs notwithstanding. The second her feet are under her she leaps to the opposite side of the cave, gritting her teeth at the pain.
Sesshomaru snarls at her, his hand covering his face. Jade doesn't feel the least bit sympathy when she sees the blood dripping onto his clothes.
"That get your attention? Good." Jade's eyes burn a brighter green as she matches his glare.
"I said I would travel with Inuyasha's group and I fucking. Keep. My. Word. You have no say in how I live my life! If you ever attempt to force a choice on me again, I will crush your balls and break every bone in your body! I am a mage of Fairy Tail and we don't fucking abandon comrades or family! Period."
Sesshomaru stills, looking at her oddly.
Jade huffs and starts to walk towards the entrance.
"Thanks for the hospitality. Tell Rin to be careful and keep the wounds clean. Maybe we'll meet again sometime."
She had barely taken half a dozen steps before her ribs began to ache fiercely. Jade focuses on putting her feet in front of each other, one at a time. Each step, each breath, increases her pain and Jade feels light-headed. Stubborn, she pushes herself towards the exit.
Come on, Jade. Get a move on! She urges herself and manages to take a few more steps.
Her vision blurs as the pain builds, blinding her. Stumbling, she leans against a cave wall, trying to breathe.
"Shit!" She wheezes, legs trembling.
Her senses pick up Sir Floofy moving closer to her, the scent of his bloody nose making it laughably easy. He stops a short distance away and she can tell he is staring at her.
"What?" She demands.
"You can hardly move."
"I know that!"
"You are weak. The demons will kill you easily."
"Oh, stuff it!" She snaps tiredly, head still spinning.
Her skin prickles as Sesshomaru continues to stare at her.
"Do you have a plan?" He asks coldly, almost sarcastically.
"… Not really." Jade admits, keeping her eyes closed.
Silence falls as both of them brood.
"… Hey, Sesshomaru?"
"Hn?"
She slumps against the wall and let's a self-deprecating smile show on her face.
"Would you help me get back to my traveling companions?"
"…"
Jade sighs.
"Please?"
"…"
The air shifts as he moves closer and Jade breathes in his scent, a surprisingly pleasant blend of dog, steel and something flowery. Though marred by the smell of blood, it's still appealing in a weird way. His arm goes around her waist and roughly supports her upright. Jade bites back several curse words but lets him help her.
Ugh, I hate feeling weak! She complains in her mind.
Sesshomaru helps her walk outside, the sky barely beginning to brighten in the distance. Jade sighs in relief when her vision clears and eyes the opening to the cave.
"Hang on, I'm gonna do something." Sesshomaru doesn't respond but lets her go.
Jade touches the cliff and pushes her magic into the stones; a faint green glow builds up around Jade. With a growl she gives the magic a simple task: Hide this! The cliff groans and shifts, a boulder shoving its way to the surface and neatly hiding the opening. Jade sags and blinks when she feels claws on the back of her neck.
"… You know, I probably should have explained what I was gonna do," She remarks, glancing back at Sesshomaru.
His suspicious golden eyes bore into hers.
"What did you do, wench?" He purrs, claws digging in harder.
Jade rolls her eyes.
"Hide the entrance- that's it. And what did I tell you about calling me 'wench'?!" She hisses, incensed.
Sesshomaru glances away from her and frowns slightly; upon closer examination, he does spot a gap between the boulder and the opening.
They are not trapped…
Sesshomaru stoically ignores his relief and once again wraps his arm around Jade's waist, summoning his cloud.
"Wah! Ack, wait a sec-! What the-!" She babbles, startled by their sudden ascent.
Sesshomaru ignores her as he backtracks Jade's scent.
Back with Team Inuyasha…
"Where is she?!" Inuyasha yells, glaring into the forest.
"Inuyasha…" Kagome sighs, watching his furious pacing.
"I must admit, I am worried myself," Miroku remarks.
"Jade is still a young woman, all alone in the woods and she was injured rather badly by yesterday's fight. Any man might happen upon her and take advantage-!"
Smack!
Sango hits him with her boomerang bone, shutting him up.
"That's it! I'm going after her!" Inuyasha growls, moving for the edge of the clearing.
"But-! Inuyasha, Jade said we could die if we followed her!" Shippo reasons, shivering at the memory.
"Just give her space, Inuyasha! She just found out that all her friends back home are dead!" Kagome snaps, glaring him down.
"It's after dawn! I'm not waiting any longer!" He starts forward with a mulish expression.
"Sit!" Bam!
Inuyasha swears as he pushes himself up from the crater, glaring hatefully at Kagome.
"Knock it off with your 'sits', dammit!"
"No! You suck at listening!"
"You-!" Inuyasha stops mid-rant, sniffing the air.
His eyes widen.
"Shit! Sesshomaru is coming!"
Tension fills the camp as weapons are readied and Kirara transforms into her larger form. Kagome shudders when she feels the imposing Daiyoukai's yoki draw near and Inuyasha lets out a continuous growl. The trees sway as a ball of golden light descends from the sky and reverts to Sesshomaru- and Jade?!
"Ugh…" Jade groans, looking a little green.
"Your scent ends here. I do not smell your- companions." Sesshomaru states, his eyes narrowed in confusion.
Jade rolls her eyes.
"I left them a way to stay hidden- good to know it works!" Jade carefully stretches, wincing a little.
"Your ribs bother you, Warrior Jade?"
"Yeah, they'll put up a fuss until they heal- don't worry about it too much." Jade waves off his concern with a small grin.
Sesshomaru glares at her. Jade notices and gives him a cocky smirk.
"You didn't hit me that hard, Sir Floofy- if they hadn't already been cracked by Ryukotsusei I doubt they'd be broken right now. Don't mistake me, it hurts like a bitch but I'm no princess who cries over a broken nail. So, I absolve you of any lingering guilt!"
"…"
"Oh, yeah, sorry again about nailing you in the face this morning." She says offhandedly.
Sesshomaru quirks his eyebrow at her.
"Do you always punch those holding you while you sleep?"
Jade thinks about it.
"Pretty much- I get attacked in my sleep a lot back home. It's nothing personal."
Inuyasha and the others gawk at this- almost normal interaction between Sesshomaru and Jade.
"Is that really Sesshomaru?" Kagome whispers, stunned.
"What happened between them?" Sango wonders, noting the lack of a splint and messy bandages.
Miroku leers at the view Jade's heavily damaged clothing offers him.
"I must applaud Lord Sesshomaru- he works fast-!"
"Pervert!" Sango hisses, punching him.
"Why does Jade look worse than she did?" Shippo wonders, curious.
"Shh!" Kagome hushes them as Sesshomaru speaks again.
"Do not be so foolish in the future, Warrior Jade. This Sesshomaru will not tolerate a whelp's mistake from you."
"Whelp's mistake? What cha mean?" Jade asks, tilting her head.
He huffs a small sigh and pins her with a glare.
"Your reckless behavior last night. You hunted demons while injured and then fought with this Sesshomaru."
Jade gives him a droll look.
"Are you pissed because I wasn't smart and stayed at camp or because I challenged you?"
He stiffens, his expression going colder.
"You were being irrational- rather like a certain half-breed. Act in a way befitting of this Sesshomaru's equal in combat."
Jade raises her eyebrows.
"Ignoring the insult to Fluffy Ears, was that a round-about compliment?"
"It is the truth." Sesshomaru dodges the question.
Jade sighs and gives him a pitying look.
"Sorry Sesshomaru- but there's no way I won't be 'irrational' again." She raises her good hand, cutting him off.
"I'm human. We're irrational when it comes to things we care about. Sure, it can be a weakness but I consider it a strength as well. Besides, if I wasn't having my 'irrational' moment, Rin-chan and Jaken probably wouldn't be alive right now. You can't have my being 'irrational' as a bad thing and a good thing. It just is."
Sesshomaru glares at her but offers no rebukes. Jade grins at him.
"Don't worry too much: I can promise to not go a major demon-killing-spree while badly injured. That work for you?"
"… Do as you please." He replies, turning to go.
"See? You're figuring it already!" Jade laughs.
Sesshomaru pauses and looks back at her with a strange expression.
"… If you ever tire of that incompetent half-breed's company, seek this Sesshomaru out."
Inuyasha bristles in outrage.
That-! How dare he-! Jade is HIS packmate!
Jade blinks at Sesshomaru.
"… Thanks? I think? And ya know he would be less incompetent if you help him learn." She points out reasonably.
"Why should this Sesshomaru waste time on the likes of Inuyasha? He is a fool."
"Oh, I don't know, because he's your little brother?" Jade snaps, letting her irritation show.
Sesshomaru scoffs.
"That whelp is no brother of mine." Jade throws her hands up in the air.
"In your opinion maybe but the facts don't change, you dumbass! He's family, so fucking act like it! And you call me irrational!"
They glare at each other, unaware of their attentive audience.
"As if I'll ever accept that bastard's help!" Inuyasha snarls.
"Sesshomaru considers Jade equal to him?" Sango questions, watching the way they interact.
"They kind of act like Kagome and Inuyasha, without the 'sits'," Shippo comments, eating candy.
"Shh!" Kagomes hisses, eyes glued to this new development.
Jade suddenly sighs gustily, turns and walks away.
"Fine, you two want to be absolute dipshits? Be my guest, but in my book you're both fools." She mutters loudly, pointedly ignoring him.
"You are bold… to turn your back on an enemy." Sesshomaru murmurs softly.
Jade waves her hand dismissively at him.
"Then do it," She challenges him, not bothering to look at him.
"Attack- or don't. Either way, this conversation is done."
Sesshomaru flexes his claws, takes a step forward- and Inuyasha charges into view from seemingly nowhere to attack him!
"Sesshomaru! DIE!" He screams, bringing the sword down.
Sesshomaru dodges easily, goes to slash Inuyasha's face open when Jade somehow gets between the two of them and knocks both of them back. She snarls at both of them, baring her fangs in a clear 'don't screw with me'. Sesshomaru stops, eyeing her and then Inuyasha as he struggles to his feet. When Inuyasha tries to lunge at Sesshomaru, Jade kicks Tetsusaiga out of his grip and grabs an ear, snarling right in his face.
"Knock. It. Off."
She glances at Sesshomaru.
"Go." He raises an eyebrow at the command.
"Rin and Jaken need you. Go!" Jade urges him, getting Inuyasha into a headlock.
Sesshomaru considers the situation and nods once, leaving swiftly. Jade sighs and pointedly glares around the clearing.
"Come on out, you lot! Time to go!"
Shippo deactivates the spell and everyone else appears, Kagome ready to blow a gasket.
"Inuyasha! What were you thinking?!" Kagome yells, marching right up to him.
He pouts then his nose wrinkles when he gets a good whiff of Jade's scent.
"Ugh-! Get away from me! You smell like him!" Inuyasha complains, wiggling free.
Jade rolls her eyes.
"What are you, twelve? We camped together after I killed all the demons I could find. Besides, what's it to you?" Jade demands, hand on her hip.
"That's-!"
"Jade-san, what happened to your splint?" Miroku interrupts, eyes worried as he examines the damage.
"It melted off," She says casually.
"Melted?" Shippo mutters in confusion.
Jade nods firmly.
"Melted. I'm hungry, Soren~!" She staggers over to Soren and rummages through the saddlebags for jerky.
"Uh, Jade-san… what happened exactly between you and Sesshomaru?" Sango asks her, resolved to ask since no one else did.
"Hmm..? We bickered, fought, he broke my ribs and my splint fell off then he helped patch me up. Did you know his saliva is a congealment? Oh and I got to touch the mokomoko! It was so soft!"
Jade chatters as she yanks out the bag of jerky and takes a bite.
"A congealment? What is that?" Miroku inquires.
Jade pauses, thinking hard about how to explain it to the monk.
"It's something that helps blood clot- you know how when you get a scratch and the blood hardens to make a scab?"
Miroku nods, listening intently.
"Well, there's stuff out there that can help clot wounds so you don't bleed out- Sir Floofy's saliva happens to be one of them." Jade finishes, explaining between bites of jerky meat.
"But how do you know Sesshomaru's saliva is a con-geel-ment?" Shippo asks, sounding out the unfamiliar word slowly.
Jade opens her mouth and stops. Her face turns an interesting shade of red and she suddenly turns and hops into Soren's saddle.
"Oh man, we should really get going! So much to do, so much to do~!" Soren snorts at Jade's antics but trots into the woods at her insistent urging.
Shippo, Miroku and Sango watch her go, certain now that something had happened between the Dragon Slayer and Daiyoukai.
Several days later…
After making their way back to Kaede's village, Jade finally had her wounds looked at by the old priestess. After hmming and hawing, Kaede set her arm in a new split and rewrapped her ribs with orders to drink a healing tea each night. When Jade leaves Kaede's home to fish, Sango, Miroku and Shippo sit down with Kagome, Kaede and Inuyasha to gossip.
"Oh? So Sesshomaru has declared Jade an equal?" Kaede murmurs thoughtfully.
"Feh! That's nothing special!" Inuyasha grouses.
"But Sesshomaru doesn't like humans." Kagome points out worriedly.
"He seems to like her though," Shippo mumbles.
Inuyasha snarls and the debate heats up. Kaede quietly sips her tea, mulling over Sesshomaru's potential actions.
"I'm back~!" Jade yells cheerfully.
Kaede sweats a little when none of the others realize Jade is about to walk in on them. Too busy arguing, Jade gets a good earful while standing there with her catch.
"No way in hell that bastard is getting Jade!"
"Inuyasha, it's her choice- and he is rather handsome," Miroku reminds him.
"Feh! Pretty looks don't mean shit since he's a self-absorbed asshole!" Inuyasha snaps back.
"Why are you so defensive about this, Inuyasha?" Sango wonders.
"It's because his mug is so ugly he's self-conscious!" Shippo cackles.
"Why you-!" Inuyasha goes to punch Shippo.
"Inuyasha! Sit!" Bam!
Inuyasha face plants into the floor with a crash.
"Nice to see everyone is having fun." Team Inuyasha freezes as Jade walks forward.
Kaede sighs and offers Jade a cup of tea.
"Ye caught anything?" Kaede asks her.
Jade nods but keep her eyes on Inuyasha.
"A few good sized trout." She hefts up her catch to show Kaede.
"Oh? Good, good, we'll sup well tonight." Kaede smiles, pleased.
As Kaede bustles around the cabin, Jade keeps her gaze very steady on Inuyasha. He starts to sweat at the intensity of her glare and fidgets. Finally he can't stand the silence any longer.
"What?!" He snarls.
"…" Jade sips her tea, her expression neutral.
"Why are you staring at me?!"
"… Oh I don't know. Maybe because what happened between Sir Floofy and I is private?" Jade says coldly.
Everyone flinches at that. Jade sets down her tea cup and looks at everyone.
"Gossip is one thing. But I choose you idiots as my companions and comrades. Not Sesshomaru. Don't fucking forget that, Fluffy Ears." Jade finishes her tea and stands, stalking out the door.
"… I think we might have annoyed her." Miroku murmurs as the Dragon Slayer leaves.
Everyone nods in agreement except Inuyasha, who's partially hiding behind Kagome.
A week later…
"Let's go!" Jade hollers, standing impatiently next to Soren.
"How is she so energetic this early?!" Kagome groans, dragging on her giant yellow backpack.
"Perhaps Jade is happy she is no longer hindered by her injuries." Suggests Miroku, rubbing his chin.
Inuyasha huffs but can't deny Jade is even more eager to be on the road than he is- both of them had been itching to travel, but Kaede had put her foot down. So the week was spent training (absolute hell for Inuyasha/Shippo/Kagome), healing and quizzing Kagome (Jade knew a surprising amount about science).
As they prepared to leave Soren suddenly tosses his head and rears, nearly throwing Jade.
"Whoa!" Jade yelps hanging on for dear life.
"What the hell is wrong with that beast!?" Inuyasha yells at her, backing away from Soren's hooves.
Soren tosses his head again and paws at the ground, bellowing loudly, his eyes fixed on Kagome. Or more specifically, her feet. Distracted, Kagome winces at the sudden stinging sensation in her ankle.
"Ow!" She gasps.
Soren races forward and rears, slamming his front hooves down forcefully on a patch of grass near Kagome. Then he pauses and cocks his head, surveying the ground for… something. Dissatisfied, he shakes his head and paws at the ground again.
"Kagome, are you alright?" Sango demands, worried.
Kagome shows everyone her ankle- no blood, no injury, nothing.
"I'm fine, it just stings for some reason." She explains to the group.
"Be careful Kagome, there are some nasty snake demons out there." Sango tells her, helping her up.
"Jade-chan? Why was Soren- well, he was actually kind of scary! Do you know why-?" Kagome tells her, shivering a little.
Jade rubs the back of her head and grimaces.
"It's a protective habit he's got- Wapiti defend members of the herd so he must have sensed something off, otherwise he wouldn't have acted like that."
"He's done this before?" Shippo asks, eyeing Soren warily.
Jade nods, her face somber.
"Yeah, but last time… it was because there was a basilisk." She finishes, her expression oddly closed off.
After a beat of time she shakes off her mood and grins at them.
"Anyway, let's get going, shall we? Adventure awaits!"
"Yeah, let's get-!" Kagome freezes suddenly, unable to move.
The shards in her carrying jar pulse with a dark light, break free and stab her in the neck. Kagome collapses into a dead faint, everyone else calling her name frantically. Soren turns his head and glares in the direction he felt the not-beast-predator slither off to.
Elsewhere…
"Hmph, pathetic for her reincarnation," Tsubaki gloats, gleeful over her success. Naraku smiles, pleased by her work.
"My, you certainly do work swiftly," He marvels, appreciating her competency.
"Not without peril! My poor familiar nearly died when that animal tried to trample him!" Tsubaki pouts, a hateful gleam in her eyes.
"I'll curse that beast to death for that!" She rages.
"Now, now. Its' rider is a far greater threat." Naraku reminds her.
Tsubaki scoffs.
"Her? Please, she has no reiki or yoki to speak of- how can she be of any significance?" She demands with a glare.
Naraku restrains a sigh and keeps his urge to smite her in check.
Lousy, weak fool…
"She has unknown abilities and has massacred demon hordes easily- if she is not dealt with, the one known as 'Jade' will disrupt our plans. I would hate to see our hard work go to waste, wouldn't you agree?"
His smile turns vicious as he stares at the dark priestess. Tsubaki huffs but nods, annoyed with him.
"Fine. How do you propose to deal with her then?" She questions him.
Naraku smiles, menace oozing from him.
"With a well-laid trap, of course, to offset the odds."