Author's Notes: Hi everyone, great to be back, and totally on schedule! Just a few things to say and then we can get right to it. First of all, I had to split this chapter into two. I really liked the ending, but this chapter was getting so long that I had to cut it. I still left you all with a lot to ingest, so I hope you're happy with what I've put out here to you all.
Second, I've had a shuffle of betas recently, my main beta had to step back for a bit, and a few others have stepped in to take her place. Please bear with me as we go through this transition and get comfortable with each other.
Oh, and last but not least, I'm so excited to be heading to Athens, Greece next week! I'm going to try my hardest to finish up Chapter 48 before I go, so I'm staying hopeful on that. And now, on to it!
Awesome Betas: Not_Towa_Wakasa, Noir, Youngimoo
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Chapter 47: Split Flesh
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Kagome
A torch had been lit on the inside, the orange hue casting deep shadows in the back of the cave. Kagome stepped further inside, letting the covering fall back against the entrance, giving them the illusion of privacy.
He was right where she'd left him, arms and legs tethered and pulled apart so he couldn't curl up in on himself. Gravity had taken its toll, and he was now slumped forward as much as his restraints would allow. His hair fell around his shoulders and ears, covering his face. She could barely see his nose. Sweat pooled at the tip and a sharp plip, plip, plip echoed off the walls as the liquid smattered against the floor at his feet.
His breathing was definitely wet. Each inhale was a shutter, each exhale pressed forcefully through his teeth. His shoulders, rounded with the weight of his head, rose and fell as he sucked in the air around him.
"Inu… yasha?" Kagome asked, taking another step forward. She instinctively reached out her hand to push his hair back, but froze as Ginta's words ran through her head.
"Do not touch him. This is not because we worry that it will help the dog. Kouga does not wish to see you hurt. The dog will hurt you."
She was still unconvinced. He won't hurt me, she repeated to herself, the same words she'd so confidently spat back at Ginta. However, she was still unaccustomed to Inuyasha's full youkai. Would he hurt her? Was it possible, after everything they'd been through so far? Could the same man who had jumped off a cliff to save her life without even thinking about it turn around and harm her?
He's not the same man, idiot.
Still... Still.
She brushed her fingers against his hair. It was just as silky, thick and soft as she remembered. Carefully she pushed it back over his shoulder. He didn't seem to notice that she was there. He stayed still, save for the steady rhythm of his breath forcing his shoulders up and down.
"Inuyasha, can you hear me?" She swept her fingers against the side of his cheek, tracing the striking, dark line that ran across his skin with the pad of her thumb. He was warm to the touch. Warmer than he usually was. Her fingers felt like ice compared to him.
"Do you have a fever?" she murmured. She stepped closer, so she could see his face through the hair that fell around it, and moved her hand to his forehead to push his bangs from his face.
He jerked back, the chains binding him into place yanking violently at their anchor points. A squeal of terror ripped from Kagome as she shuffled backwards, her hand gripping at her chest to slow her beating heart. Inuyasha's wild eyes met hers. They were still the deep, dark red where clean white should have been.
"You," he snarled, his hands fisting in his chains, "your scent…"
She was suddenly back in Sango's kitchen, her body splayed over Inuyasha's, protecting him from Sango after she'd doused him with youkai poison.
"You… smell good," he'd said. "Like vanilla and cherry blossoms."
Was he going to say it again? Were his memories the same as his hanyou side? Could he hear her heart beating the same, irregular pattern as it had back then?
"You stink of wolf," he spat, brows drawn together and nose wrinkled in disgust.
...Okay. Kagome stood straight and crossed her arms over her chest. "Really? Because the wolves keep telling me I stink of dog. I wonder which of you is wrong."
Inuyasha inhaled, his breath rattling in his lungs. Kagome's lips pulled down at the sound of it. ...That couldn't be good.
"What are you waiting for, woman? Release me. It fucking hurts."
"Inuyasha…" she started.
"I demand my release."
"I don't even know how to-"
He lunged for her, hands fisted. Twisting back and forth, he opened his mouth and his rage reverberated against the rocks that surrounded them. Kagome clamped her hands down over her ears, turning away from his madness.
When she turned back, he had exhausted himself. His head hung forward again, as if he were bowing to her, his fingers limp as the metal cuffs dug into his wrists. His fire rat coat had fallen off his shoulders, showing his bloodstained, white tee. Kagome's eyes widened as she saw it was ripped to shreds across his back.
"What…?" she asked, taking a cautious step forward. When he didn't move, she grew bolder and took a few more steps. As she got closer, she realized it was true: deep, dark, bloody gashes decorated his skin. They were open and oozing. They looked fresh, as if he'd been beaten only moments ago.
"No," she breathed, reaching out and gripping onto the red fabric. She pulled it down as best she could. How was it possible? His fire rat coat should have protected him against such wounds. She could see them, they split his back open, running down further than they should have been able to.
She fisted the collar of the fire rat coat in her hand, and it trembled along with her. "What did they do, Inuyasha?" she asked.
His only reply was the same ragged, wet breathing.
"Inuyasha, what did they do to you?" she asked again, her voice rising with her anger. "What the hell did Kouga do to you?"
His head lifted. He was trying to say something, but she couldn't hear, so she leaned over to watch his lips. She couldn't make him out before his teeth ground together and he started to shake. The veins in his neck popped out and his fists clenched again. Pain. He was in pain.
She heard it then: like soaked flesh tearing in two. She whipped her head back to look under his fire rat coat and let out a horrified gasp as she watched his back split apart. Blood oozed from the wound as it moved, as if by magic, tearing across his ribcage.
"How…?" she breathed, horrified.
"Keh," he sighed, so much like he did when he was his normal self, "did you think the wolves would simply imprison me?"
"I didn't think…. never this…" she couldn't choke the full sentence out of her mouth, her thoughts tumbling ferociously in her head: No way. No way.
And yet, it was. Frantic, she reached up to his shackles and pulled. She gripped his metal bindings and yanked as hard as she could, again and again until her fingertips turned red. Screaming, she tried to force her powers into her chest, her eyes squeezed shut, her mouth open in a sharp cry as she mustered everything she could with all her strength.
They didn't budge.
"I sit here, tortured and slowly decaying while what-is-mine does nothing."
"What do you call this?" she shouted, giving one last yank on the chains. "I'm trying to break you out!"
"Why not use your powers, priestess," he sneered.
She bit her lip against the string of curses she wanted to let fly. "They won't come," she said instead.
"Is that why what-is-mine lays in the furs of the Wolf King?"
Kagome let out a frustrated groan and stepped back away from him. "I haven't laid in anyone's furs. Don't make it sound like I've abandoned you!"
"Then free me."
"I can't. I don't know how." She took another step back and rubbed at her face with her hands. She could feel him staring at her, and she glanced up at him through her fingers. "What?"
"You look like one of them."
"I look like myself," she snapped.
He chuckled, long and low. "You look like a wolf bitch and you have the smell of a female begging to be claimed. I must admit I'm curious why he has not taken claim as his." He spat at the ground, stark red against the pale dirt. "I should have claimed it when I had the chance. Nevermind the wolves that surrounded me."
"Would you stop talking about claiming me? I won't be claimed. Kouga cannot claim me, you cannot claim me. So just drop it already and turn back to how you usually are."
"I will not."
"Why? They'll release you if you turn back! Kouga has said so himself!"
"I am finally free from both my mirror and my human half. I will not willingly step back into my cages."
"You idiot, you're not free from anything! You're still trapped to the mirror, you just haven't been inside it for a while - thanks to me. And don't think I'll help you like you are now. The only way to get out of this mess is to let Inuyasha back out!"
"Foolish woman, the wolf will not let me free no matter what form I take. He will torture me until I die. You think he is true to his word?" He straightened out slowly, wincing and hissing through his teeth as he moved.
Kagome held back the urge to touch him again. She wanted to let him know, the him inside, that he wouldn't have to be in pain much longer if she had anything to do with it.
But his eyes were hard and chilling, and standing tall, he towered over her. "Ask yourself, why did he bring you here? To dangle what-is-mine in front of my face. To show that he has what-is-mine and will do what he will with it."
"I'm not an it. I belong to no one."
"You belong to me."
"I don't, you arrogant-" she paused and inhaled deep, calming herself. "You are not the same Inuyasha. He's who I fell in love with, not you."
"You do not know me, then. You think we are separate? That we are not one in the same? There is no Inuyasha without me. Even if you succeed in drawing the hanyou to the surface, I will always be there, inside him, whispering to him - my thoughts, my actions, my entire being is Inuyasha!"
"Stop talking, just - shut up!" she stomped her foot on the ground, her hands fisting at her sides. "If the Inuyasha that I know is still in there anywhere, then he knows that I'm not leaving him to rot inside of you." Her eyes came up to lock onto his, and for the first time since encountering the wolves, her plan was solidified. Inuyasha's youkai wouldn't help her? Fine. Screw him. She would force the hanyou back. She would force Inuyasha back to himself. "I'll get the mirror and I will make you get inside. And then I will find a way to change you back."
His lips pulled back to show his teeth. "This spell will rip me to slithers before I willingly step into that prison."
No more. Talking to Inuyasha as he was now was useless. Kagome stormed from the room and thrust aside the hanging pelt. Ginta was in the same spot, looking bored. He turned to her as she stomped towards him.
"You didn't follow the rules," he said. "Kouga won't be happy."
"I don't care about your stupid rules, and I could give a fuck about whether Kouga is happy or not. Take me to him," she demanded. "Now."
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Ginta didn't say much as he led her down the tunnels to Kouga's chambers, but Kagome had to give it to him - he didn't dawdle. Anger stewed inside her as they neared, and she pushed past him and swept aside the pelt, ignoring Ginta's protests about formality or whatever - she didn't care at this point about showing Kouga any sort of respect. Not when he was torturing Inuyasha and hiding it from her!
"Hey!" she called out, making a beeline for him. He was sitting at one of the larger tables that circled the fire pit, talking with another youkai. This one wore the same attire Ginta did. Another attendant? He had a blonde, spiky mohawk, which under any other circumstance Kagome might have stopped and stared. But her anger boiled over. She was seeing red. And Kouga was her target.
"Kagome!" Kouga said, as if he were pleasantly surprised to see her. As if he wasn't aware that he was torturing her friend. "I'm glad to see you again so soon. Were you able to talk to your dog?"
"Stop calling him dog, his name is Inuyasha. And how dare you!" she seethed.
"Ginta, you're supposed to be watching her," the mohawk youkai snapped as Ginta came up behind her.
"She surprised me, Hakkaku, I thought she knew better. I forgot that humans have no respect."
"Fuck you, I have respect!" Kagome spat.
Hakkaku snarled in her direction. "Human-" he started.
"Enough," Kouga demanded, his hand out in front of his attendant. "Ginta, Hakkaku, leave us."
"But Kouga…" Hakkaku said, eyes narrowing in Kagome's direction.
"You don't think I can handle myself in front of a human? Out."
Looking slightly dejected, Hakkaku and Ginta retreated. Kagome fisted her hands. Now wasn't the time to get nervous. Kouga wouldn't hurt her. He knew what she could do, and he wasn't about to lose her ability. It was the only leverage she had at this point.
"Now, what's this about?" he asked, voice gentle, as if calming a child.
"You know what this is about, you jerk! What, did you think I wouldn't notice that that stupid binding spell you have him under is literally ripping him apart? Do you think I'm fucking stupid?"
He motioned towards the table he had been sitting at previously. "Please, sit."
"Fuck you, I'll stand."
He sighed. "Fine. No, I don't think you're stupid."
"Then why didn't you tell me it was slicing him open! He's lost a shit ton of blood already. It doesn't matter if he's youkai or not, he'll bleed to death!"
Kouga's mouth pressed into a firm line. "Kagome, I was not aware at first that the spell would injure him like that. It wasn't until after our talk last night that it was made known to me."
"You should have told me as soon as you found out about it."
He frowned. "I had a lot to deal with. The ceremony for my people couldn't be taken lightly. That came first."
"So now the ceremony is over. What are you going to do about it?"
His eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to do anything about it. There's nothing I can do at the moment."
"You can free him!"
His lip pulled back. "I won't. Not while he is full youkai and a danger to my people."
"You're torturing him!" she cried. "And don't think for a second that I'll help you with anything." She turned to leave. She needed to get back to Inuyasha, to figure out some way to free him. If Kouga wouldn't help her, she would die trying to get him out.
Kouga grabbed onto her arm, holding her in place. "Kagome, the torture was not intentional, I need you to believe me. But you also have to understand my position as King. I cannot put my people at risk again."
She stopped struggling against his grip, feeling helpless. When she didn't reply he continued.
"I've given you back your shards and explained that I'm willing to work together. But I need you to work with me as well. I can't let him free as he is now, but if he were to return to his hanyou form…"
She whipped her head around, eyes wide. "That's it?"
"That's it."
Kagome bit her lip, her thoughts racing. If she could get back to the mirror and bring it back to Inuyasha… well, maybe the mirror spell would cause him to change back? It was worth a shot. She turned to him and he released her arm, taking a step back to give her some room. She rubbed at the spot where he grabbed, although it didn't really hurt. He hadn't gripped her that hard.
"There might be a way that I know of…" she said, her voice trailing off. She was hesitant to give him too much information, worried he might use it against Inuyasha.
His eyebrow raised. "There is?"
She nodded, slowly. "When your wolves attacked, I- we left our stuff behind in the cave. I need to get my stuff. Hopefully it's still there."
"My people brought nothing back to me. It must still be there." He nodded, as if confirming to himself that it was the right thing to do. "I'll escort you myself to ensure your protection."
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Kagome was ready to go now, but Kouga took his time. A meeting was called with his close attendants, and Kagome didn't miss the narrowed glares Ginta and Hakkaku sent her way in passing as she left his chambers. She waited eagerly outside the entrance, her thoughts buzzing around inside her head.
This could be it. Getting Inuyasha back to himself and freeing him of his second entrapment. She prayed to whoever was listening at that it would work.
It seemed like forever before Kouga finally emerged. His eyes found hers before he jerked his chin, a sign to follow him. Ginta and Hakkaku were nowhere to be seen.
She shadowed him through the tunnels and out into the sunlight. The air seemed colder, and she wrapped herself up tighter in her robes, rubbing her arms underneath the fabric. She could almost make out her breath in the air.
"We can use the time to show you around my territory," Kouga said as they walked towards the edge.
Kagome stopped at his side and looked down off the mesa. There was no way for her to effectively get down, no stairs or sloping decline. Just a drop. She opened her mouth to ask where she could go, but Kouga moved, too fast for her to see and swept her up into his arms.
"Hey, wha-" she cried.
"It's okay, I've got you," he said, and she could practically feel the pride oozing from his words.
But those words… those words…
"I've got you," Inuyasha whispered in her ear as they fell to the earth, "I-"
She started to struggle out of Kouga's arms, but quickly ditched that idea as he leapt off the mesa, choosing instead to wrap her arms tightly around his neck as they dropped to the forest floor below.
It was different from being carried by Inuyasha. She had one-hundred-percent of her trust placed in him, but who knew if Kouga would drop her? It would certainly solve a lot of his problems.
The jewel, she breathed to herself, he needs me alive to find the rest of the jewel!
The landing was so soft, she didn't realize they'd stopped falling for a moment. Not until Kouga chuckled and nuzzled the top of her head with his nose.
"Hey!" she cried again, untangling her arms and pushing at his chest. "What are you doing?"
He pushed his bottom lip out. "You were holding me so tight, I couldn't help it."
"Well, stop it. Let me down."
He sighed, but released her. "It's only a matter of time, Kagome."
"Until what?" she asked, dragging her hands through her hair to tame the wind-blown stays.
She felt his breath on her ear. "Until I'm the man you come running to, instead of your dog."
Color flooded her cheeks and reached out and pushed him back. "Keep your distance. I like my dog just fine," she mumbled.
He chuckled in reply. "I'll leave it for now," he said.
The ensuring walk was peaceful, and it was somewhat interesting to see the mini caves carved into the slope that served as homes for the extensive wolf pack. They peeked and prodded their noses in her and Kouga's direction, heads tilting and sniffing the air curiously. Every so often one would whine and leap at Kouga, and he would laugh and wrestle around a bit before they moved on.
...It was sweet, although the thought of Inuyasha still tied up and tortured dampened the wholesomeness of it a bit.
The forest surrounding the mesa looked starkly different in the daytime than it had the night Kagome had been chased by the wolves. Still, every so often she got a flash of deja vu, and she would break out in a sweat despite the brisk air that swept across her skin. They approached a clearing that Kagome couldn't tell if she recognized or not, and again, the eerie sense that she'd been there before fell upon her.
Beside her, Kouga sniffed the air. "We've got company," he said, then turned to point out another small cavern off to the left. But Kagome was curious about the company he mentioned. She peered through the tree to see a group of youkai huddled together. Oh, that's what he meant. She could hear them laughing, mixed in with a high pitched squealing that grated in on her nerves.
"What are they doing?" she asked, pointing in their direction.
"Hmm," Kouga said absentmindedly, "looks like the fox pup is back."
Her breath escaped from her lugs. "The fox pup… you mean Shippou?"
He shrugged, "I don't know its name."
"Hey, they're hurting him."
"Let them play with him, he's only a fox."
"Kouga, that's sick!" She broke away from him and ran towards the group. There were seven or eight of them, male and female, all huddled around… yeah, it was definitely Shippou. She could see a flash of his copper hair and a bulbous yellow backpack. Her backpack.
Kouga had caught up and was easily trodding along beside her. He took a few more quick steps and turned, walking backwards to face her as she jogged. "Wait, what's sick? I don't understand."
"He's just a child!"
His nose wrinkled. "Yeah, but it's a fox."
Kagome reached out to push him to the side. "You think youkai are so much better than humans, but you treat each other like shit. Shippou!" she called, picking up her pace as she neared the group.
"Wah! Kagome!" his voice warbled out from between two youkai holding him to the ground. Another was opening her bag and going digging through her stuff. A third had picked up Inuyasha's mirror and was turning it this way and that, catching her image as well as her friends.
"It knows you?" she heard Kouga ask from behind.
"Hey, get away from him!" she shouted, pushing through the group and falling to her knees in front of Shippou. He was disheveled and dirty, his hair matted with dirt and sticks and leaves. His shirt was torn. The two youkai who held him down snarled at her, and for a moment she thought they might attack, but Kouga snapped his teeth, his snarl causing them to jump back and away from Kagome.
"Do as she says," he ordered.
Shippou started to cry. Big, fat tears slid down his little cheeks as Kagome gathered him up in her arms and held him to her chest. His tears soaked the cloth of her robe as she rocked him slowly.
"It's okay," she whispered, brushing his hair with her hands. He trembled in her grasp.
"I-I thought you died!"
"Hey, now… you know I can't die. Inuyasha is strong, remember? He wouldn't let me die."
"Th-there was so much blood and the wolves were e-everywhere and I kept losing your scent!"
"Oh, Shippou," she said as her own tears welled up in her eyes, "I'm so sorry."
"And your backpack is heavy!" he wailed, his little fists clenching onto her robe.
She couldn't help the chuckle that escaped between her lips. "I know, I'm sorry, it really is heavy! But you were so brave, bringing me my backpack!" And Inuyasha's mirror! she added with relief.
"I-I am brave," he hiccupped.
"You're the bravest."
"Kagome…" Kouga interrupted, his voice filled with hesitation, "I was unaware you knew the fox pup."
She jerked her head around to glare at him. "Well I do, and don't think I don't know how awful you've been treating him, either!"
"Well-" he started, sheepishly.
"I swear, it's like the more I find out about you, the worse it gets," she spat, her anger bubbling over.
"But Kagome, youkai have-"
"Just leave us alone, Kouga."
He huffed but stayed put. "You know I can't do that."
"Give us some space, at least! He's terrified!"
After a moment he sighed and snapped his fingers. The youkai ruffling through her bag stood and backed away, the one holding the mirror gently placed it on the ground. Narrowed, yellow eyes stayed on her as they dissipated, grumbling about humans and how dare she speak to Kouga like that?
"I'll be over there," Kouga finally replied, pointing to where they'd been walking along the path. "Take your time and when you're ready, I'll bring you back to your room."
"Shippou's coming with me."
He opened his mouth the argue, but snapped it shut when Kagome scowled at him. She turned back to Shippou, listening to Kouga's footsteps as he moved away.
"Better now, right?"
Shippou nodded, eyes wide. He wiped at his face, and peeked over her shoulder. "Kagome, that's the wolf king!"
"I know," she sighed.
His nose wrinkled. "You smell like him."
"Not you too," she mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"But where's Inuyasha?" At her hesitation, he cocked his head to the side. "Did he leave you here? Is that why you smell like Kouga? Are you Kouga's mate now?"
Kagome choked on her words.
Shippou dropped his chin to his chest. "Aw, and after I brought his mirror back and everything."
She cleared her throat. "Inuyasha is here, Shippou. He's just… inside," she said, lamely.
He wiggled free of her arms, a burst of excitement seemingly out of nowhere. "I was brave, Kagome, and I cried a lot when I saw all of Inuyasha's blood and I thought you died and he died, but I still followed the trail back here and I kept hoping that maybe you would be here, but then the wolves found me and I thought they were going to take all your stuff and steal all the food you have in your backpack. That's why I fought back!"
Kagome's heart ached in her chest. It was so good to have Shippou back, to hear his chatter. She almost felt like she was back in the cave they'd been holed up in, listening to him babble away as she made dinner or gathered firewood.
But there wasn't time to fall back into the good times. Shippou had, unknowingly, given her a new hope that she hadn't thought possible only moments ago. She now had Inuyasha's mirror. She now had her belongings. She now had a plan.
"Shippou," she said, reaching out and brushing his hair back from his face, "you look dirty and tired. Let's get you a warm bath, okay?"
His nose wrinkled again. "No, I don't like to bathe."
"I have a really nice pool in my room!" she said, trying to make it sound as exciting as she possibly could. "And we can play some games afterwards!"
His lip jutted out. "What if the wolves are mean to me again?"
"They won't be, I promise. I won't let them."
"Yeah, but how?"
"Because they do what I say, Shippou. I stopped Inuyasha from being mean to you, right?"
He nodded, "Oh yeah cause you were Inuyasha's mate, but now you're Kouga's mate so the wolves won't bother me if you say so."
"No, Shippou, I-"
"Humans are weird, youkai only have one mate."
"I'm not…" she trailed off, thinking better of it, "we'll talk about it later. Can you make it inside with me?" She stood and re-packed the items that had been pulled out of her sack. "I'll carry this, you've come so far with all this stuff!"
"Okay!" he said, vibrating with excitement. He jumped up into her arms, and together they made their way towards Kouga.
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Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please remember to let me know what you think of the chapter, I love hearing your thoughts, no matter what they are!
~SugarRos
