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Itty Bitty Pretty One
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"It sounds to me like Kanna is using her mirror to trap their souls," Miroku mused as rubbed his chin idly with his hand, "It will be difficult to save them."
"If I shoot it with my arrow, it should be enough to set them free, right?" Kagome asked quietly, "It's worked in the past. It shouldn't…"
"No fucking way," Inuyasha interjected angrily, "You are not putting yourself in danger over this."
"Inuyasha, we save people. It's what we do," Kagome groaned as she rolled her eyes, "Besides, Miroku and Sango will be there with me."
"And what if she pulls your soul into the mirror?" Inuyasha hissed to which Kagome merely arched a brow and giggled.
"Um, she's already tried and my soul was too big, remember?" Kagome laughed, "It almost broke her mirror."
"Oh," Inuyasha sighed – not willing to give up quite that easily, "So what am I supposed to do, huh? Just sit here and pretend I don't exist."
"Inuyasha, no one is suggesting that," Sango cut in in an understanding tone, "But you must admit its dangerous for Naraku to discover you're human."
"Well fuck, Sesshomaru already knows. What's to stop him from telling everyone?" Inuyasha shot back before blanching slightly as the figure in question suddenly appeared in the doorway.
"What do you want?" the very human Inuyasha snapped angrily as he defiantly held the daiyoukai's gaze.
"This Sesshomaru couldn't help but overhear your deliberations over the fate of those mortals," the man said casually with his usual stoic air, "If, as you say, their souls are already forfeit, perhaps merely allowing Kagura to cut down their bodies would be the easiest solution."
"Excuse me?!" Inuyasha snorted incredulously, "We're just supposed to let them die?"
"No," Sesshomaru replied simply as he entered the hut and to the amazement of everyone sat down amongst them as though it were the most natural thing in the world, "The half-breed shall go back and inform Kagura that she will not go through with the plan. In turn, Kagura will be distracted with killing the two humans. During that time, the miko shall shoot an arrow at the mirror allowing the souls to escape. Once freed, This Sesshomaru shall spare their miserable lives."
"And just what do you get out of this?" Inuyasha scoffed suspiciously, "Why help at all?"
"They dare attempt to take what is mine," the daiyoukai replied, "It shall not be Naraku that takes your life. Only…"
Instantly, the entirety of the inutaichi stared at the ceiling as they rolled their eyes and mouthed along silently, "This Sesshomaru shall be the one to kill Inuyasha."
"But she wasn't going to poison me anyway," Inuyasha spat out before his eyes widened incrementally as he thought better of the word vomit.
"That is irrelevant," Sesshomaru replied as he turned his eyes onto the girl, "It is the principle of the matter that disturbs This Sesshomaru."
"So…so I just go back?" Emi asked meekly, "How do you plan on saving their lives if you're letting them get killed?"
"This Sesshomaru has a way," the daiyoukai replied coldly, "Do you dare doubt This Sesshomaru?"
"No, no," the girl whispered in a terrified tone, "If you say you can do it, I believe you."
"Very well," Sesshomaru replied as he turned cold golden eyes onto the remaining individuals who were all staring at him like he'd grown a second head, "Shall we begin?"
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Fear sat on her like a pillow covering her mouth and nose. Enough air was getting by – enough for her to keep from suffocating but it was crippling all the same. As she ran through the forest – back towards those that would tear everything important to her away, she tried to run over the plan. It should be simple enough. Shrink them. Trap them. Allow the miko to purify the mirror. Run like hell. Easier than said than done in her opinion but there it was.
As she approached the clearing, fear found her once more. It spoke to her in its cackling voice – this plan would fail, all would be lost. It told her legs to go weak, her stomach to lurch and her heart to ache to the point where she stumbled awkwardly into the clearing and immediately ran into the wind sorceress' chest.
"Sorry," Emi mumbled weakly as she regained her balance and grimaced up into the woman's crimson eyes, "I just wanted to make sure before he came back what the plan was again."
"Are you really that stupid?" Kagura asked suspiciously as she narrowed her eyes and tapped her fan lightly against her lips, "Or perhaps you've had a change of plan."
"No," Emi breathed shakily, "No. I, uh, just wanted to make sure that I could just get it on his skin is all."
"Is that so?" Kagura replied coldly – unfurling the fan in one quick, menacing movement, "Or perhaps you've led them straight to us?"
"I just…" Emi began – her chest heaving erratically as she realized the gig was up and closing her eyes she thrust a shaky hand out and sent a blast of energy straight for the wind sorceress…..and missed.
"Pathetic," Kagura replied almost apathetically as she held her fan out at the ready, "You actually thought that would work."
Adrenaline flooded Emi's system like it was on an intravenous drip - right into her blood at full volume. In that instant, she felt that her heart would explode and she knew her eyes were wide, letting in every ounce of the fading light. Her body wanted to either run fast for the hills or work to find something that could be used as a weapon, but instead she stayed right where she was. Sometimes freezing is the best of the choices, and let's face it, there really are only three options in a situation like this. Closing her eyes once more, Emi let out a long, unsteady breath – her hand still held out at the ready – and released a burst unlike any she'd ever managed before, encompassing both Kagura and Kanna instantly.
As she opened her eyes and realized that she'd been successful, Emi swayed momentarily on the spot before turning and emptying the contents of her stomach all over the brilliant green grass.
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"This Sesshomaru shall stay with Inuyasha," the daiyoukai replied coldly as the others waited anxiously for Emi mid-way through the forest, "The girl has been successful in her endeavor."
"No, I'll stay," Kagome clipped back in a tone that left no room for argument to which Sesshomaru smirked – actually smirked – making the miko take an involuntary step back. A smirk from him usually meant bad news and despite his earlier proclamation that he meant them no harm, it was hard not to fall back on old habits.
"Miko, your power is needed to release those two humans," Sesshomaru countered – his cold mask once again falling over his visage, "And it is likely that non-lethal methods will be needed to subdue the two humans. This Sesshomaru shall stay as I am the most capable of protecting this pathetic half-breed."
"Oi! Don't I get a say in this?!" Inuyasha interjected heatedly from the beneath the stupid cloak he was being forced to wear to protect his identity – 100% done with being talked about like he wasn't even there, "If Kagura and Kanna are shrunk or whatever, I shouldn't be in danger. Why don't I go with them?"
"Scent is more damning that appearances," the daiyoukai clipped with a subtle tone of exasperation, "In either case, you shall stay back."
"Since when do you give a shit!" Inuyasha spat back venomously, "For all I know, you plan to kill me once they leave!"
"Do you believe their presence would spare you even the slightest of moments?" Sesshomaru replied darkly as he narrowed his eyes, "Or that This Sesshomaru would be so dishonorable as to go back on his word?"
Glancing slightly as Kagome for guidance – which was completely unhelpful as she seemed completely torn and stared at him with wide doe eyes – Inuyasha finally huffed and rolled his eyes, "Whatever. I'll get my powers back soon enough and then I'll kick your ass. Until then, truce."
"Truce," Sesshomaru replied – something unfamiliar flashing across his face before he turned towards the miko, "You should hurry. The girl's spell will not hold them long."
Nodding uncertainly, Kagome rushed over to Inuyasha and kiss him gently on the lips – something to which Inuyasha responded with a slight involuntary moan, much to his annoyance and humiliation, before the miko ran towards the clearing and the others jumped atop Kilala. Once they were a fair distance away, Sesshomaru turned towards his brother and assessed his condition with an almost concerned look on his face.
"Your youkai is still present," Sesshomaru replied after a long silent moment, "Barely but it is there."
"Don't you think I know that?" Inuyasha replied coldly as he folded his arms across his chest, "But…but it feels like its getting weaker."
"Indeed," the daiyoukai acknowledged, "Unless it's replenished, it will be gone within the night."
"Okay, but how do you fix it?" Inuyasha asked wearily – somewhat unbelieving that he was having a civil conversation at all with the demon whose sole goal in life was to wipe him off the planet, "Unless you…."
In a flash of light, Inuyasha found himself being an unwilling captive of the daiyoukai as he flew through the air at sickeningly fast speeds before being deposited unceremoniously on the ground in front of the well.
"What….the fuck?!" Inuyasha gasped in between great heaving breaths before stumbling to his feet, "Why the…."
It happened so quickly that he didn't even have time to react. Time suspended as Sesshomaru's claws grazed cleanly through his neck – cutting an artery in the process. The blood didn't gush in a constant flow, but in time with the beating of Inuyasha's heart. At first it came thick and strong, flowing through his fingers as they clasped the ripped flesh and his knees buckled. He felt the blood move over his hand as it futilely clasped the fatal injury, the thick fluid no warmer or cooler than his own skin. After a few moments more the blood was still leaving his rapidly paling flesh, but the pulses were slower, weaker and his vision blurred – barely able to see Sesshomaru running a sword over his own hand and replacing Inuyasha's human hand with his own.
In the end, he couldn't find it in himself to blame the bastard for killing him and he didn't want to waste the last bit of energy he had thinking of him. As the human stared up at his brother, his heart broke slightly and a single tear escaped his eye before he closed his violet eyes and tried to envision the face he longed to see one more time. It wasn't fair, he thought hazily as darkness ebbed into the corners of his mind and his body grew colder with each passing second. Just as he finally found someone who loved him, after he spent the best night of his life, just as he found somewhere to belong, that's when he would die. It was stupid, selfish wish but a wish all the same. He wished it was Kagome holding him in his final moments.