OK, here we are with the long awaited chapter nine. Sorry for the kind-of-long wait, but believe it or not, I had a hard time getting the first part of this chapter right, so I had to re-write it a few times over before I was actually satisfied with the result. I sure hope it was worth the wait, though :3
Virtual cookies go to InuKag4eva and demonic angel23 for getting the right answer to my question from the previous chapter. As for the special surprise, you'll get that in a PM (so long as you, InuKag, have an actual account, since your reviews are never signed…) in a short while.
WARNING: Inuyasha might seem weaker than in any other chapter before now, but please keep in mind that Sesshōmaru is not only much stronger than any other demon Inuyasha's faced so far, he's in a class of his own altogether.
Oh, and please red the second A/N later, too, there'll be something important there.
As always, great thanks to Amber for editing :] Love you, girl!
Anyways, enough chit-chat, I'll let you read now.
ANONYMOUS REVIEWERS:
latentlullaby: I thank you for the praise, it really made me feel special. I'm glad to know you're enjoying the fic, and your kind words really made me smile. I appreciate it, really (though I can't help but doubt that there weren't other people who 'fleshed [the reversal] out as well as [I] have' as you put it. Still, that comment was really nice and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the praise. I really appreciate it. And I also thank you for the review. I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the fic as well.
InuKag4eva: Well, as you already know, your answer was correct, so if I manage to find your account, I'll send you the special surprise in a PM. Other than that, thanks for the review and I'm glad to hear you enjoyed
Happy reading everyone!
Tracks:
Within Temptation: Memories
SID: Moochrome no Kiss
Breakers:
XxX: change of scene
~ξ~: time-skip
実: Beginning/End of Flashback
[T] and [/T]: beginning/End of soundtrack
Reminder: 'Inuyasha' written normally refers to Inuyasha, while written in cursive (cursive and bold in thoughts) refers to Kagome, the "Gentle Dog Demon". 'Hanyō' written normally means "half-demon", while written in cursive (cursive and bold in thoughts) it means "half-breed".
Chapter 9 – Kagome & Sesshōmaru: determination vs. raw power
Inuyasha always thought that Kagome was too full of herself for her own good. Not in terms of thinking herself stronger than she really was, more in the sense of believing she could teach him something she had – in his opinion anyway – no idea about. She always fought bare handed after all, so he always thought she hadn't even ever held a sword in her life and was just pretending to be better than him, because she wanted to humiliate him even more than he already was.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
The black haired boy stood where she left him, completely frozen and unable to move, but not because he was afraid. It was more because he had a hard time believing what he was seeing. There she was, right in front of him, sword in hand, twirling and slashing around like she had never done anything else in her life. It almost looked like she was dancing considering the grace with which she turned this way and that, avoiding her brother's attacks or blocking them and also attacking herself.
It was only now that Inuyasha actually considered the idea that she might have learned swordplay at some point, as there was no way someone could move like that without ever having held a sword before.
Kagome however had a different opinion on her own performance.
'This is bad. Really bad,' the young hanyō thought as she evaded another attack from Sesshōmaru's whip, only to be forced to jump back as he came at her with his claws. She answered with an attack of her own; she slashed downwards in a wide, diagonal arc, her sword catching the whip almost perfectly as it came at her again. Sesshōmaru used that, however, to wrap the weapon around the wide blade in order to immobilize the hanyō-girl. He raised his other claw at the same time and his cold, golden eyes narrowed as he aimed his next attack.
"Dokkasō," he said calmly and slashed sideways with his claw, sending green blades of energy at his sister. He didn't expect her to turn her blade to the right, however, as she slashed the air in a horizontal line, thus forcing him to lean forward as the whip followed the blade it was wrapped around. Kagome then swiftly turned the blade again and slashed upwards diagonally. The sudden change of the swing's direction and the strength put behind it created a small wind which forced the Dokuhebi no Kei away from Tessaiga's blade at the same time as it cut through the energy blades of Sesshōmaru's Dokkasō. Not waiting for her brother to attack once more, the silver haired hanyō jumped to a safe distance where she crouched in a defensive stance, waiting for her brother to attack again, since she knew better than to attack in the situation she was in at the moment. She cursed in her thoughts.
'I should have known better than to engage a battle with a new sword,' she thought as she eyed the other demon wearily. It might not have been visible to an untrained eye, but Kagome knew her movements were far from the greatness Inuyasha saw them as. They were awkward and jerky, which in turn caused her to almost lose her balance more than once.
This was truly a far cry from her full capability of using a blade. If only she had a sword that wasn't a stranger to her…
[T]
The young half-demon shook her head and rose slowly when Sesshōmaru made no move to attack. Once she straightened up, Kagome brought the sword's handle once again to her temple, holding it with both hands and pointing the blade at her brother. 'There has to be something I can do in this situation,' she thought fervently, although nothing of her agitation could be seen on her face.
"There's one thing you can do if you're forced to fight with a sword you do not know, but it is very dangerous, even for you, so please refrain from doing it unless you really have to," a faraway voice from a time long passed resonated in her head and her eyes widened as the person the voice belonged suddenly appeared before her mind's eye.
実
She swiftly backed up, her eyes trained on the human before her as she blocked every single one of his attacks with ease. Her eyes narrowed, searching for an opening good enough to strike back. Kagome was patient; she could wait… at least so long as she didn't tire herself out, which could right now happen any minute, actually.
She turned to the right in order to avoid another stab from the human before her, her black hair twirling around her and almost slapping her enemy in the face. When he leaned back to avoid the rather harmless but still a little disorienting 'attack', Kagome suddenly ducked, then seemingly launched herself at him. Next thing the young man she was fighting knew, the flat side of her sword was but an inch away from his nose. Had she not turned her blade, his face would have been cut in half and he would have most likely been dead. When his shock subsided, a grin broke out on his handsome face and he laughed.
"Now that was something, Kagome," he said to the human girl before him. Kagome had been young then; she hardly passed for ten years old in human eyes, especially on a day such as this, when her hair turned black and her eyes became a captivating grey-blue, so very different from their usual golden hue.
She laughed lightly as she straightened up and sheathed her katana before looking over at her would-be kill. He looked older than her, although with him really being human, her ten-year-old-looking self was actually the older of the two of them. The young man was in his mid-thirties and had mid-length, black hair. If let loose, it would reach little further than his shoulders, even though it didn't look it when it was tied in a knot on the top of his head – the typical samurai knot – like it was most of the time.
His eyes were a deep, warm, brown color and he was clothed in the black outfit of the samurai, though most of the parts of the armor that went with it had been removed due to the heat and to enable faster movements.
"Thanks," Kagome replied shyly as her gaze fell to the ground and a light blush colored her cheeks. Not that she wasn't used to him complimenting her quick progress, but it was always nice to hear your mentor praise you. She was happy to make him proud just as she was grateful he even taught her this beautiful art at all.
"Give me your sword for a moment," he said suddenly and Kagome jerked her head up to look at him with wide eyes, silently wondering what he was up to. Nevertheless, she nodded and untied the sheath from her obi, handing him the sword without a word. He took it in a firm grip, holding it in his right hand where the middle of the blade was, while his left hand reached for the handle and slowly unsheathed the weapon. He swung it around a few times before holding it in front of his face in one hand, the blade pointing at the ground.
"It's a good blade. One you have known for a very long while now, though you still know not its name," he suddenly said. "It's long and sharp, yet light and thin. A strong blade that will cut through almost anything and will not be easily detected attacking. A blade fitting for a predator on a hunt," he said as he slowly sheathed the weapon and laid it in both his hands, one supporting the handle and the other the tip of the sheathed blade.
"A blade fitting to hunt those who want to hurt others for their own pleasure and gain," he continued as he slowly extended his arms, presenting the blade to her. "A blade fitting you perfectly, Kagome," he finished with a smile as she gaped.
"A blade… fitting me?" she asked as her eyes wandered from him to the sword and back again when understanding of what exactly was happening dawned on her. She heard him laugh slightly.
"You've been learning to use it for at least three years now. I must say, I'm impressed at how quick you progressed, especially since you hardly stayed all of those three years here, so it's actually even less than that. But the fact remains that there is still nothing more I can teach you. You have mastered this art and you deserve a blade of your own," he said seriously, but a smile stayed firmly on his face. Kagome nodded and took a step forward.
"Sensei…"
"I am not your sensei any longer," he interrupted gently.
"Tsurugi-kun, then," Kagome corrected herself with a small smile before she sobered up. "Are you really sure, Tsurugi-kun?" she asked as her hands slowly closed over the sheath of the sword and she hesitantly accepted the weapon from his hands. Tsurugi nodded.
"Yes, I'm sure. You might look like a ten-year-old, but we both know you're much older than that, Kagome," he said jokingly, ignoring her suddenly cold stare. "You only need to give it a name."
Kagome blinked in surprise, her gaze once again falling to the sword in her hands. It didn't have a name yet? That was weird…
"Yougo," she said suddenly as the perfect name presented itself without her even having to really think about it. Tsurugi chuckled.
"Protection, huh? Why am I not surprised?" he asked no one in particular. Kagome scoffed.
"Why indeed," she muttered sarcastically, but concentrated on her ex-mentor again when his voice suddenly became very serious. More so than she ever heard it even while he was teaching her the subtle art of swordplay.
"There's something I have to tell you before you leave… don't look at me like that, don't you think I know you were planning to leave soon again anyway?" he interrupted himself when he noticed Kagome's surprised stare. Clearing his throat, Tsururgi continued.
"It's a secret technique passed down from teacher to student in our family. I don't teach it to every one of my students, but I'm sure you won't use it needlessly," he said seriously. Kagome narrowed her eyes, concentrating solely on the young man's words.
"As you know, no sword is eternal. As any other sword, Yougo will eventually break one day. When that happens, you'll need to re-forge it or find a new sword. Whichever you chose to do, though, it will no longer be the same sword. You'll need to get to know it, like you did with Yougo in the last three years," he said and Kagome nodded. She knew what he meant alright. There were no two swords that were the same. They could be different in length, width, weight and so many other things, no matter how close they might seem to each other. This was why a true swordsman only ever fought with only one weapon: because once you knew it, it was no longer just a weapon – it was a part of you. This in turn made your performance in battle even better, much better than one could ever perform with a stranger-sword.
"Without knowing the sword, fighting is dangerous, as you know; you cannot control your movements as well, you misjudge the range of the attack or the strength needed to be put behind it for it to be the most effective. That's why you must always avoid fighting with a new sword, a sword you do not know."
"I already know that, Tsurugi-kun. You told me that many times. Where are you going with this, explaining the obvious for the hundredth time?" Kagome interrupted gently and she could see the approval in her ex-mentor's eyes. He smiled slightly as he continued his explanation.
"Sometimes though, you have no choice but to fight with a stranger-sword. What do you suppose you'd do then?" he asked calmly and Kagome's eyes widened. She lowered her head and silence reigned behind Tsurugi's small hut, in a sort of backyard where the two were training. Finally, Kagome sighed and shook her head, a clear sign she did not know what her sensei wanted her to figure out.
"All I know is that in such a situation, I would be in some deep shit. What else could I do than try to run away like the coward I am not?" she asked warily.
"There's one thing you can do if you're forced to fight with a sword you do not know, but it is very dangerous, even for you, so please refrain from doing it unless you really have to," Tsurugi answered seriously and her head snapped up to stare at him.
"I promise I will only do it when I really have no other choice," she answered, sensing that was what he wanted from her. Nodding his acceptance, Tsurugi spoke up.
"There's a way to get to know your sword better in a shorter amount of time, though it only works in a real fight. That's what makes it so dangerous. This is also the secret technique I want to tell you about," the young samurai said quietly, sitting down in the grass and staring up at the cloudless sky. Not taking her eyes off of him, the human-turned Kagome followed suit.
"If you're in a real fight, you react to what you see your opponent doing. You put your training to use," Tsurugi spoke in a full lecture tone. Kagome blinked a few times, but knew better than to interrupt. "If you do not know the sword you're using, however, your movements are slow, jerky, off balance, putting you in unnecessary danger. There is a way to overcome that however, especially in your case," Tsurugi said as he slowly turned his head to look at her.
"You, who are not human, have senses that far surpass ours. As such, you don't need sight to fight. Were you blind, your hearing and your nose would make up for it, would they not?" he asked and Kagome nodded dumbly. She didn't really understand where he was going with all this, but she was slowly starting to figure it out on her own
"In that case, if you were to close your eyes in battle, you would still know what was going on around you. You have not been trained to fight blind, though, so if you were to fight like that, the only thing that would allow you to fight back would be your instinct and your body's reflexes.
"Unhindered by training-thoughts and sight, your body would act on its own. Only survival would matter. Your primal instincts would take over and your body would respond on instinct to what your nose and ears told you was happening. Instinctively, you would know how to use the weapon you're holding best, even if you do not know it consciously. If you let your instincts take over… you can get to know a new sword much quicker this way.
"The downside, however, is also the lack of sight. When your instincts take over, you defend yourself. But I know you, Kagome, and I know whom you have to fight sometimes, so let me tell you this: when your instincts take over, there are two possible outcomes. Either you win, in which case your opponent, whoever it was, is most likely dead, whether you wanted to kill him or just to fend him off, or you lose and you die," Tsurugi said gravely and Kagome blinked. She didn't answer for a longer while as she processed the information she had been given, Tsurugi's words echoing in her head over and over for a while. Finally, she nodded.
"Thanks for sharing that with me," she said quietly not looking at him and fixed her new sword at her hip. "I need to think about it all," she added with a small smile as she finally turned to look at him. "I'll be back soon," she said when she noticed his worried look, then ran off towards the nearby river, where she knew she could be alone for a while. That was exactly what she needed. Time to herself.
実
Kagome shook her head lightly to clear her thoughts as the images faded away from her mind, only to swiftly strike downwards diagonally, her blade hitting Sesshōmaru's whip off course once more.
'If I don't do it, I'll most surely die,' Kagome thought to herself as she continued to fend her brother off, though she was now on the defensive. If she didn't turn this around quickly, it would end very badly. 'But if I do…' she was unable to finish that thought, as even unfinished, it made a shiver run down her spine. If she let her instincts take over, she might very well die, true. But that wasn't what she was worried about, no. Her worries were on her opponent, her brother… whom she might end up killing just as well.
Watching from the sidelines, Inuyasha frowned. Up until a few seconds ago, Kagome had been truly fighting. Now however, she was only defending. He knew better than to think she was unable to attack though, for even he saw a few instants when, with her amazing speed, Kagome could have gotten an attack in. It seemed like she was suddenly holding back, however. Whatever the case, Sesshōmaru didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he probably blamed it on something like Kagome's 'dirty blood'.
"Is that all, half-breed?" Sesshōmaru asked calmly as he suddenly was not even a centimeter away from Kagome, a claw ready to strike her face. She didn't respond, didn't jump back, didn't move at all. The daiyōkai hesitated for a few extremely short instants, but long enough for even Inuyasha to notice. The black haired boy also saw the reason why he did only milliseconds later.
Kagome's eyes were closed.
Brushing it off, the demon struck out his claw. He never hit the target however, because with speed Sesshōmaru never knew Kagome possessed, the hanyō ducked and proceeded to attack from her vantage point below him. The silver-haired demon swiftly jumped back, neatly avoiding the upwards stab Kagome tried to hit him with. The move left her belly open to attack, so Sesshōmaru used it and sent his whip that way. The young hanyō twirled to the side however, avoiding the whip effortlessly it would seem, then let one of her hands release the hilt of her sword and held it at the height of her hip, the tip pointing straight at him. She then leaned forward and ran, almost flew actually, unconsciously going alongside the whip that could easily wrap around her now.
Seeing that, Sesshōmaru quickly moved his clawed hand to do just that, but when the poisonous, nimble weapon was about to enclose the hanyō-girl in a deadly hold, she jumped high, out of his reach, but still going forward. She turned in the air until it looked like she was lying on an invisible bed, then twirled in mid air as he came crashing down towards her brother, Tessaiga still directed at him as if he were a magnet calling it. Even with closed eyes, no matter what she did, Kagome knew exactly where he was. That thought was as unnerving as it was amazing, at least in Inuyasha's point of view.
The stoic demon quickly jumped away and let his sister crash into the skulls littering the ground, his eyes narrowing. It would seem he noticed that something wasn't quite right here. Unbeknownst to Inuyasha, this was also the truth, since just a second before, Kagome was moving awkwardly and was often close to losing her balance. But now, that awkwardness was gradually disappearing. Sesshōmaru narrowed his eyes as he continued avoiding her, suddenly him being the one on the defensive, while Kagome attacked mercilessly. Inuyasha didn't fail to notice that and he frowned. 'I thought she was against even the idea of killing her brother… so why is she suddenly fighting so ferociously?' the young priest asked himself, though no answer presented itself to him.
Kagome's mind was made up and clear of thoughts as she let her body take over. She knew there was no other way. She knew the risk she was taking, but she hardly had any choice. 'If I don't do it, I won't be the only one dying here… and that I cannot allow!' she thought fiercely as her mind wandered into the past yet again, her instincts guiding her body with growing ease.
実
Kagome looked up at the woman before her, her tiny dog-ears twitching madly as she listened to the woman's words. The young half-demon didn't look older than two or three years old at that time.
"The old ways of the demons?" she asked curiously and the woman before her nodded. She was wearing a yellowish-brown kimono, and though it was one of the most common kinds of clothing, it still made her look like the princess she once was. That was before she had met the demon that stole her heart.
The woman had long black hair that reached her waist and kind grey-blue eyes. Kagome had yet to see her with something other than a smile on her face, though there were times when the young hanyō-child smelt the salt of what she concluded to be tears in the house. It always made her feel bad to know her mama was hurting, but what could she do? Only pretend she didn't notice, like her mother wanted it to be.
The woman never wanted her to know she was crying sometimes, so Kagome felt obliged to play along.
"Yes, my little Kagome," she said calmly as she stroked the silver hair of her tiny daughter. "I already told you about those, remember?"
Kagome nodded as she concentrated and recited everything she remembered on that particular topic. Her mother's smile widened with every moment. The woman was obviously proud at her daughter's memory. The child smiled.
"Kaa-san?" Kagome asked suddenly and the woman nodded at her to continue. "Why isn't it like that now? Why did demons forget the old ways?"
"It's because of various arguments the demons had with humans," Kagome's mother replied, keeping the answer simple enough for her young daughter to understand. Of course, it was much more than just arguments. They were millennia-old conflicts, mostly between human and yōkai Lords, who, unable to settle their problems on their own, decided to wage war to settle them. Thrown into years of fighting, the demons gradually got so used to it, that once peace finally came again, the idea of the old ways was nothing more than a legend.
"But if it's just that, can't the yōkai and the ningen simply make up and live like they used to?" the little hanyō asked naïvely, making her mother chuckle. The question was just so naïve and so innocent… and yet so true.
"Not if no one's ready to return to the old ways, little one," the black haired woman replied gently. "But if there were humans or yōkai who'd return to the old way's of their own will, then maybe the consequences of the argument could be erased," she didn't really believe it, but couldn't bring herself to crush her little darling's hopes. The old days were over and gone, they'd never return. If they ever existed, anyway. They were just legends after all… maybe she should have never mentioned them to her daughter, as to not plant false hopes in her young head.
Kagome looked pensive for a moment, before a brilliant smile illuminated her face.
"Then, when I'm older, I'll live by the old ways and I'll do my best to make those days return! That's a promise, mama," she said enthusiastically, earning herself an amused smile from the human woman who was her mother.
実
'That's right,' Kagome thought to herself as her thoughts slowly returned to the here and now, though a bystander would have never thought her mind ever strayed. Even Sesshōmaru had not noticed. 'I promised mama I'd live by those rules… I had no idea what it meant then, but I do now. Still, I promised. I decided to walk this path, and I will, no matter what I must do because of it!'
[/T]
Her resolve renewed, Kagome continued her assault, now truly allowing her instincts to take full reign of her body, since her eyes were still closed. Yes, she might kill her brother, and yes, she would feel guilty about it and most likely even regret it later. But it was better than to let herself be killed. She still wanted to live, and without fending her brother off, that would no longer be possible, since he thought her worthy of killing now. Besides which, if she held back, then Inuyasha might die as well… and if that happened, she would never forgive herself. It would be an unforgivable failure to let him die, so no matter what it took, she would protect him.
Even at the cost of her own heart and life.
A new feeling suddenly settled in her gut as Sesshōmaru jumped farther away from her than was truly necessary. Stopping, Kagome opened her eyes and stared at her brother warily. He had something up his sleeve, of that she was certain. Somehow though, she felt that now, she could take him on with more ease. Then it hit her.
She didn't really know how long the two of them were at it… but somehow, it felt like eternity to her. No, she wasn't tired – but she felt as if Tessaiga had been a part of her since she was a pup. An incredulous thought since up until a few hours ago, she hadn't even known of the sword's existence.
Fighting blind really shortened the time needed to get to know one's sword considerably, she noticed with awe.
Sesshōmaru however, was not so pleased.
"So you know of the technique used to fight with swords you do not know," he said stoically, though his eyes were even icier than Kagome ever remembered seeing them. "How trash like you came to this knowledge, this one doesn't know, nor does it matter. But now, this Sesshōmaru shall test if a hanyō bitch like you can truly master the Tessaiga."
Kagome growled low in her throat and bared her fangs in anger at her brother's words, even as an involuntary shudder of fright ran down her spine. It wasn't that she was afraid for herself, though, but rather for the black haired boy she quickly glanced at. He was relatively far away, but it would no longer matter soon enough. She knew what Sesshōmaru was planning.
And she was not wrong.
"Oi, Inuyasha!" she suddenly called, her eyes never leaving her brother as she called for her charge's attention. "Watch closely. You were wondering what it meant that yōkai disguised themselves. Sesshōmaru is going to show you exactly what it means," she said sarcastically as she changed her stance. Now, she was holding the sword in front of her, the blade pointing above her opponent, towards the ceiling behind him. She was holding the sword with both hands once again.
"What the Hell do you mean?" Inuyasha asked her angrily when a sound that reminded Inuyasha of gas leaking out of a not-entirely-closed bottle suddenly filled the skeleton's belly. The violet eyed priest quickly turned his head to look at the source of the sound, which turned out to be Sesshōmaru himself as he seemingly partially dissolved and a white cloud formed behind him, only to surround him partially. That cloud, as Inuyasha would later learn, was the physical manifestation of Sesshōmaru's powerful youki.
"He's about to drop his disguise and show us his true form," Kagome replied calmly as she watched seemingly unimpressed as her brother's face lengthened and slowly morphed into a dog's jaw. Sesshōmaru grew visibly bigger and it wasn't long before a giant, white dog was towering over Kagome, though surprisingly, it still had a lot of space to move in the 'room' they were in.
The marks which adorned Sesshōmaru's cheeks were now jagged and much more visible on his white fur. His eyes had become blood-red and his pupils turned blue. The only thing remaining remotely the same was the crescent on his forehead and the fur surrounding his scruff and shoulders, for it was much more wild there, reminding Inuyasha a little of the mokomoko he was wearing in his human form. Looking at the gigantic dog before him now though, Inuyasha couldn't help but gape, the idea that a few seconds ago this thing looked remotely human suddenly sounding ridiculous to him.
Kagome didn't let her brother's new appearance surprise her however and only tightened her hold on her sword as she smirked, though it didn't reach her angry eyes.
[T]
"So in one day I pass from 'not worthy of killing' to 'killable only in your true form', dear brother? Really, I'm honored," she said sarcastically, quickly dropping her fake smile as her eyes narrowed to slits. "Honored that I get to wear your fur later today!" she yelled as she sprang high, her sword held above her head as she aimed at his head.
With that last insult, Sesshōmaru had crossed the line, and no matter how much Kagome might have tried, she was unable to keep the dam holding her emotions in check. Her cold fury was almost palpable in the air as she flew at her brother, Tessaiga ready to strike and cut his head in half. Surprisingly however, despite her anger, which by then escalated much further than any other time in her life, she still kept a cool head.
It was a good thing, too, for in the next second, Sesshōmaru raised his head and opened his jaws high enough to not only allow her to fall straight into his throat, but to also make sure that should she decide to strike now, Tessaiga would only bounce off his strong teeth. Seeing this, Kagome did the only thing she could to not be eaten alive: she struck.
To her surprise, Tessaiga didn't actually bounce off quite like she expected it to. Yes, it bounced back a little, but the sword was obviously stronger than either she or her brother suspected. It actually managed to make a small crack in Sesshōmaru's fang before bouncing off. Kagome flipped backward in the air and landed lightly on the ground, only to jump backwards immediately afterwards as an enraged dog demon tried to squash her with his gigantic paws. The young hanyō was forced to continue her retreat as Sesshōmaru walked after her, each time his paw barely missing her as she jumped away at the last moment. It wasn't long before she was almost backed up into a corner.
A sudden idea suddenly popped into Kagome's head and she smirked inwardly as she jumped back yet again, this time landing on her father's bones (most likely one of his lower rips). She then quickly sprang forward and dove under Sesshōmaru's raised paw. She landed on the ground right underneath the giant dog's belly, then continued to run forward without stopping, holding the Tessaiga at her side with the tip of the blade pointing backwards. Once she was close enough, she swung in a wide, horizontal arc, coating her blade in her brother's blood as she cut deeply into one of his hind paws.
This only served to enrage Sesshōmaru further as Kagome quickly noticed. She got out from underneath him just as he turned around much quicker than she thought his gigantic body was able to.
Suddenly, he lowered his head rapidly, his jaws practically diving towards her. Kagome swiftly jumped to the side, and though she avoided being bitten by the daiyōkai, or more like being crushed between his fangs, she was still blown away by the mini-explosion the collision of her brother's jaws with the ground caused.
Flung by the strong wind, Kagome hit the 'wall' on other side of the 'room' with her back in an upside-down position before she slowly slid to the skull-covered ground.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha couldn't help but yell in poorly hidden concern when she didn't stand up right away. The impact had dazed her a little, but she still turned on her stomach and got back up much quicker than any human ever could, while Sesshōmaru used this time to slowly approach her like a predator approaching his dying pray. It was almost as if he were wondering whether to finish her off or to watch her die slowly and painfully. She scoffed.
"You're going to need more than that to kill me off," she growled as she took a fighting stance again. Her movements were better, but Tessaiga still didn't feel like it was an extension of her arm. It would be a long while before it did.
Sesshōmaru's crimson eyes never left her as he raised his left front paw and struck it down right at her faster than Inuyasha could blink. The attack hadn't been quite as quick in Kagome's eyes however, so the half-demon had more than enough time to jump to her left and land on Sesshōmaru's other paw. Smirking to herself, the silver haired hanyō-girl quickly ran up the over-grown appendage, intent on getting on her brother's back. She should have an advantage from there, since because of his size, Sesshōmaru could hardly reach something that was perched on his back.
Kagome didn't quite get that far, however, as Sesshōmaru decided that catching her was worth the risk of biting his own paw. She evaded his attack by jumping upwards, right at the daiyōkai's head, Tessaiga ready to slice. She was aiming for Sesshōmaru's eyes to be quite honest, but due to his movement, she only managed to cut one of his ears lightly before she almost flew over him and landed gracefully on the ground again.
She didn't leave her back open to attack for long, however, and was quick to turn around to look at her brother. He had turned to face her as well and was snarling viciously, the sound vibrating in the empty space of her father's remains. Suddenly, he pounced.
Startled, Kagome jumped back, but she had misjudged her brother's jump, so instead of avoiding his attack, she instead landed straight between his front paws just as his jaw descended upon her once again. 'Oh shit!' was all she could think before she disappeared in a cloud of dust that rose when Sesshōmaru bit into the ground. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he watched from the corner he had backed up to when Sesshōmaru revealed his true form.
"KAGOME!" he yelled as his eyes searched frantically a shadow in the dust, or anything that would prove that she was not dead. But when the cloud cleared, there was no sign of her as Sesshōmaru rose again and slowly chewed whatever it was he had gotten into his mouth. Inuyasha swallowed as his eyes widened even further.
"Kagome!" He called again, hoping for a response, but getting none. Cold dread washed over him and she shook his head, letting his long, black hair shield his face from Sesshōmaru's view. 'It can't be! She had to have gotten away somehow! There's no way she was eaten!' he tried to convince himself while fear slowly washed over him.
Sudden growling brought him out of his musings and he jerked his head up, his eyes meeting the crazed, red eyes of Kagome's brother. There was no doubt who the great dog's next prey was, and try as he might, Inuyasha could only watch, unable to move a muscle, as the demon slowly approached him with a feral snarl on his face.
Had he been able to think rationally, he would have drawn his sword and at least tried to fight. A small part of him was even telling him to do just that, though it was easily overpowered by the terror that washed over the future-born teen, rendering him unable to move an inch. He was literally paralyzed with fear, and really, considering there was a giant dog about ten times his size approaching him with a look that promised bloody murder, how could he not be?
Sesshōmaru's nose twitched as he took in the scent of the human below him when he got close enough to easily swallow him whole. Inuyasha had no trouble at all believing the great demon relished in the thick scent of fear that must rolled off of him (Kagome had once told him that his scent changed depending on his emotions, which is how she could read him so well weather he liked it or not), but that realization hardly did anything to help him overcome the emotion.
Inuyasha shut his eyes tightly when Sesshōmaru lowered his head painfully slowly to swallow him. The black haired teen waited while holding his breath, trying desperately to move, to get away, to do something, anything, but it was in vain and he hadn't moved an inch. He did jerk his head upwards however when suddenly, Sesshōmaru howled loudly. Inuyasha stared wide-eyed at the gigantic dog as it threw its head towards the heavens (or rather towards the skeleton's head, considering where they were) and howled loudly what Inuyasha soon concluded to be howl of a mixture of anger and pain. The demon even backed up a little and as it turned sideways, Inuyasha saw the reason for Sesshōmaru's odd behavior.
Kneeling on his back a little behind his shoulders was Kagome. And she had embedded the Tessaiga down to the hilt in Sesshōmaru's flesh, right between the shoulders of his front paws. The great tai-yōkai had obviously not been prepared for that. As for Inuyasha, he let out a relieved breath as he slid down to the ground, suddenly unable to even remain upright. He watched in morbid fascination as Sesshōmaru turned around wildly, clearly trying to get the hanyō off his back – his obvious weak spot.
Holding Tessaiga's hilt tightly, Kagome suddenly rolled over forwards, pulling the sword along with her. It twisted inside Sesshōmaru's body, cutting easily through the muscle and skin as it came out, making the wound not only deep but also as long as the fang's blade.
Howling again and snarling angrily, Sesshōmaru twisted again, finally managing to make his sister fall off his back. She landed easily on the ground and raised her golden eyes to look at him as she raised the blood-covered sword and stood in a fighting position once again.
"That's what you get for turning your back on the enemy," she said calmly, her anger now gone as the stench of Sesshōmaru's blood reached her nose. She suppressed the grimace of self-disgust that tried to form on her face and squashed down the guilt. Sesshōmaru deserved everything he was getting.
The great dog growled menacingly, and gazing up at him, she saw that his eyes were narrowed into tiny slits and he was baring his fangs menacingly. It was obvious she had pissed him off with that one. She inhaled and exhaled once to calm her nerves. This fight was far from over.
Sesshōmaru pounced at her again, though this time, rather than jump back, Kagome threw herself to the side. The only mistake she did was that now, Inuyasha was right behind her, which meant that whatever Sesshōmaru did next, if she dodged any other way than retreating, the human boy would most likely get the burn of it.
The young half-demon was well aware of the state Inuyasha was in at the moment. Not that she blamed him really. Sesshōmaru's true form was truly intimidating, especially when he was towering above you with bared fangs.
Kagome was actually surprised Inuyasha hadn't died, or at least fainted from the terror he must have felt at that moment, even if that would have been a very girly thing to do.
The sliver haired hanyō jumped back as Sesshōmaru continued to come at her and soon enough, she was much too close to Inuyasha than was safe for him. Biting her lip and deciding to take a small risk, Kagome jumped forward, as high as she could, when Sesshōmaru tried to smash her with one of his paws again. She then sliced horizontally with all her might when he was close enough. Sesshōmaru howled loudly yet again and suddenly, he was gone, a golden orb remaining in his place before it rapidly flew away. It first took off towards the far corner of the room where Jaken still sat and swept him along before speeding off towards the exit of the skeleton, and most likely back into the normal world.
Kagome gazed after the orb in wonder, but as she looked back towards the ground, Tessaiga fell from her hands with a loud clanging sound before it turned into its rusted form again. Kagome's hand rose slowly to cover her mouth as she unwillingly stepped back from the proof of what she had just done, this time unable to stop the guilt and self-loathing from washing over her.
She had wanted to fend her brother off, preferably without killing him. She was even able to bring herself to wound him considerably.
But she never intended to cut off his arm.
[/T]
That was what she did, though. She had misjudged Tessaiga's range of attack, so her swing had not only dealt Sesshōmaru a serious wound to his chest like she was aiming at, it also reached his left arm, cutting it off so easily she hadn't even noticed it.
"Kagome?" she heard a voice behind her and turned around to see Inuyasha standing close behind her. He was still a little pale, but it seemed he had gotten his fear under control again, while she finished the fight. The half-demon didn't respond.
"That was magnificent, Kagome-sama! I always knew you would win," an excited flea suddenly appeared on Inuyasha's shoulder before it jumped over to Kagome. Her reaction, however, was far from what Myouga expected, as she caught him in a tight fist and almost squeezed him to death. And while she often squeezed him tightly when he angered her with his snide remarks, it was rarely as strong as right now.
"Shut up, you stupid flea," she barked out angrily as she bent down to pick up the sword she had been fighting with. In all honesty, she would have liked to leave Tessaiga behind and forget all of this ever happened. But it was now clear that the sword belonged to her. Besides, thanks to the injury she had given him, Sesshōmaru was bound to come back, most likely to get back at her. When that time came, should she not have Tessaiga, she'd be sure to die, of that Kagome was certain.
Sighing, Kagome crouched down in front of Inuyasha and looked at him over her shoulder.
"Come on, let's get out of here," she said and he nodded, slowly getting onto her back. This time, he didn't complain about the piggyback ride, since it was not only the quickest way, but also pretty much the only way to get back outside. That didn't mean he was enjoying it any more than before, though.
Sensing that Kagome was upset, most likely by what had just as occurred, Inuyasha decided to distract her from it.
"Oi," he said as she jumped higher and higher, slowly approaching the mouth of her father's remains and the exit. She looked at him over her shoulder wordlessly, and he took at is a sign to continue. "Would you mind finally explaining why it would have been so bad if I killed that imp?" he asked. He wasn't angry at her about it anymore though, merely curious. The excitement of the battle he had just witnessed had drained him of almost all the energy he had, so he didn't even have enough to feel angry. Kagome sighed.
"The two of them traveled together for a very long time as far as I know, so somewhere along the way, that imp became pack, though Sesshōmaru would never admit to it. And he's the alpha, so it's his duty to protect his pack, as much as he hates to admit to it. It's an Inu-instinct. Had you killed him, you would have not only wounded his pride by showing he isn't a good leader and alpha, you would have awakened another instinct, too. An instinct called 'need for revenge'," Kagome replied calmly. "Had you killed that imp, you can bet your life on the fact that Sesshōmaru would hunt you down until he killed you in the most painful way imaginable, if only to get back at you for wounding his pride as the alpha, and I wouldn't be able to protect you from him then."
Inuyasha bit his lip as he digested this piece of information. Looking at it that way, it was probably a good thing she had stopped him. After what he saw just now, Inuyasha was quite certain that a vengeful Sesshōmaru was not something he wanted following him.
Suddenly, a thought hit him.
"What about us? We travel together, too. Does that make us a 'pack'?" he asked curiously. Kagome snorted, a bit of her old spark returning to her eyes as she jumped out through the mouth of the skeleton and landed on another dead-yet-flying bird, where she let him slide off her back.
"Just because we travel together doesn't mean we're a pack," she said, and though Inuyasha didn't show it, he was a little disappointed at her answer.
Because when he thought Sesshōmaru had eaten her, he was scared. Not for himself, but for her. He was afraid she was dead.
He didn't know how or when it happened, but somewhere along the few weeks they spent together, he grew kind of fond of her. Enough to not want her to die.
Enough to not want her to leave.
His eyes widened slightly at that realization, as except his mother, there was never anyone whom he'd want to stick around with.
And yet the thought of Kagome leaving him alone wasn't as pleasing as it once was anymore.
Well, here you have it, that's it for that chapter. I hope you liked it and that it was worth the wait.
Now, for 'important' thing: more than once, I had read in a review that this story feels like watching the anime again (as in, while reading, certain people see what's happening as if they watched an anime on TV). Truth be told, I use certain songs while writing certain parts, almost like an OST, though minus the 'original' part. So, I wanted to ask you: do you want me to tell you from now on what song I use for what scene, or should I keep that to myself? Please tell me in a review.
If you decide to give me one, of course, but I look forward to the feedback, so please do!
Well, see ya next chapter :3