A/N: ALRIGHT PEOPLE! I'm ALIVE AND WELL WITH A CHAPTER! :-D I survived a root canal! WHOOT! Afterwards, I was actually like, "Wait—it's over? Can you do another one?" LOL! I went to the mall, instead. :-D But now I'm suffering from deadly cramps, so...
Ok, let me explain what happened to this story. One of my reviewers, ygfi, suggested that I cut my lengthy chapters in half, and I decided it would be a great idea! My story will be easier to read, right? And I'll have to update sooner... Well, this chappie is kinda long, though...
So, instead of 22 chapters, Oh My Gods! now has 36! Anymore suggestions, feel free to tell me so in a review! Thanks britt for telling me about chapter 13! I wouldn't have noticed it without you!
Fangremtom2: I owe you your fluffy moment with Inu and Kags! Since now the chapters in this story are kinda messed up, I promise I'll get your idea out next chapter! Damn, I keep saying that and it never happens—I only right fluffy moments between Sesshoumaru and Rin... O.O
PuppiesAreAdorable: I OWE YOU A REVIEW AND A RESPONSE! I'm just lazy, too! We need to go to Lazy Rehab... :-D
Anyway...enjoy the chappie!
Oh My Gods! 36
She was a coward.
Always running...always fearing...always so goddamn compliant...
It was her main problem, even though people—bystanders, at most—would say she was brave, sometimes blunt, psychotic...
Of course, they failed to penetrate through her façade.
Sadly, she only realized now the consequences of her mode of life, of her protective shield. Spending most of her life in an orphanage having forgotten the faces of her murdered family members and never knowing what true friendship was created the mask of 'happiness' she wore daily. She convinced herself that if she pretended to be happy and carefree, then nothing would ever hurt her.
For the most part, it worked.
She had passed through it all: denial, rejection, hatred, abuse. But she wasn't like the other kids in her orphanage who merely became aggressive as a result of their loneliness.
Nope.
She smiled at her attackers and allowed them to do as they pleased. She undertook favors from her ungrateful peers and shrugged when it ended in a juvenile prank.
Children were unkind; it was a fact. It hardly bothered her.
Nope.
Yet...then she finally had the chance to grow up by attending Imei Academy, away from the place she almost dared to call 'home'. Then she met her fiancé, a dog demon she discovered she was supposed to marry through her deceased parents' lawyer—who knew how long that lawyer had been trying to find her?
And then she discovered...her life had been fucked up for a long time.
Better yet, she hadn't lived at all.
Rin absently stared at the wall opposite her seat on the bed in her shared apartment. Her dull cinnamon eyes refused to register the subtle movements of her roommate and fiancé as he gathered what he deemed important. Truthfully, he needed nothing from his 'mortal' life. He was just stalling the inevitable, which was actually telling her that he was leaving.
She knew this...but she remained quiet and let Sesshoumaru do as he pleased.
However...this was her just being a fucking compliant bitch.
'Well, how about that! There's a war brewing in my homeland and I have to return home to become a king. Yeah, sorry. I know I just spent the last five months with you and you really care about me, but I can't care 'cause I have to go. Yup. Oh, and by the way, there's a chance I may not survive this war. Bye bye!'
The condensed version of what occurred earlier replayed in her mind over and over again. Sesshoumaru's uncle, Seiryuu, appeared out of thin air and informed his nephew that some lord with a stick up his ass declared war on his kingdom. Basically, the dog demon was a prince, and he was supposed to be a king to handle these matters. So, in order to be instated as a king, he needed to be virtually present in the immortal realm.
As in, his kingdom came above all else.
As in, he had to leave the life he only just started.
As in, he was leaving her here 'for her own safety'.
What in the hell was that?! Her own safety.... She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself! She proved it by fighting Ka-whor-a and winning! She could heal certain ailments using her voice! She restored a demolished Tokyo—thanks to a berserk Inuyasha/Kurayami—back to its normal establishment!
Did her accomplishments mean nothing?!
Even so, Rin didn't voice her thoughts. Nope. Why? Because, again, she was a fucking compliant bitch.
It was a part of her that rose during her childhood—she always listened to orders. Ha! The day she neglected to listen to her superiors was the day all the chickens in the world would catch on fire simultaneously!
And then arrived the fact that she was a coward. No, had been a coward.
Scared of the outcome of being brazen...terrified of overstepping her boundaries...wary of breaking from her shell and actually feeling pain for once...
Running away from danger...staying out of trouble...never getting angry at the people who hurt her...
Yet, all of that trash crumbled when Rin met Sesshoumaru. Inadvertently, he changed her. He was the possessive and protective one, but she avidly returned the favor, and it showed throughout their whole Eri-problem. She felt emotions she never felt before in her life!
Pain, sorrow, desperation, affection... Could she add love? She didn't know.
For once, Rin wanted to find out who she really was, something she never questioned prior. For once, she wanted to protect someone instead of the other way around and prove her worth. For once, she allowed herself to become angry, sad, psychotic, and express true happiness!
Seiryuu, however, was taking it all away from her.
Not like he hadn't in the past. She remembered now from her 'past life'. Sesshoumaru didn't....because it hadn't involved him.
Immediately, her bridge of apathy and false content ripped in half, and a flood of mixed emotions ravage the barricaded sanctuary that was her mind. Her lips curled over her teeth, seeking protection from this merciless torrent, preventing her voice from being heard. The teen's eyes expelled a flood of their own, creating salty rivers streaming down her cheeks.
Rin couldn't help the pour of thoughts that overwhelmed her mind. Her trembling hands fisted in her unruly mass of obsidian tresses, and she attempted to choke down a sob, to be inaudible, but of course she failed. She sensed her fiancé staring at her in concern, stepping towards her in order to console her—but she wanted the opposite!
She wanted him to...t-to... Gods, what did she want? What did she want Sesshoumaru to do? He couldn't stay with her—she understood that and she couldn't be selfish. Yet, how could he expect her to forget everything they've been through? What happened to him marrying her?
No. Rin wasn't going to be compliant anymore. She wasn't going to sit here like a zombie and allow her life to pass by. The only person who controlled her was her and not even Sesshoumaru could say otherwise!
And so, she gathered her wits, ceased her sobbing and weeping. Her tears eventually dried, and she faced her concerned fiancé with grave cinnamon eyes that did not fear to assert her control.
"Right before the war with Naraku started in our past lives," Rin began barely above a whisper, yet her words were not being comprehended by Sesshoumaru, "you left me alone in our palace to settle some matters in your lands. As Queen of Makai, I was protected. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case."
What is she trying to say? Sesshoumaru narrowed his gaze and closed the distance between him and the bed she sat on. He stared down at her, never once breaking their intense lock of eyes. That I shouldn't leave her? Has she recalled one of her past memories that I haven't?
Yes, and the next best thing to do would bring her to a foreign world right when a war was about to begin. Oh, and he should allow her to roam aimlessly with his enemies close by while he was off battling a greedy bastard. What a wonderful idea.
The obsidian-haired teen took a shaky breath and continued. "I...I had a foster family: a mother, father, twin older brothers, and an older sister named Rima. Rima...was the lover of Meimori. I don't know how they met, but...Rima is the reason why Meimori hates you, and me, as a matter of fact."
After thinking about it for some time and piecing together the fragmented parts of her dreams that she recalled, Rin came to the conclusion that Meimori stilled pined after her foster sister, who had actually looked remarkably alike her except for their eye colors. When she had first met the dark-haired dog demon, he had kissed her passionately, though not because he liked her, but because he saw Rima in her.
He was obsessed with Rima...dangerously obsessed.
Sesshoumaru couldn't believe all of this—his cousin once had a lover?! Not that he believed the bastard was a virgin or whatnot, but... When had Meimori ever loved someone? Not since his mother died saving Seiryuu during a hostile battle! Besides, Meimori had hated him for as long as he could remember; it wasn't because of jealousy, either.
"How is Rima involved in Meimori hating us?" The silver-haired immortal asked, taking a seat beside his fiancée. His expression was emotionless, yet inwardly he was already seething. Just thinking about Meimori made his inner youkai boil in rage...
"Sessh...you left me alone, as I was saying. And...And Rima came over. She handed me a glass of water and...I drank it and..." Rin neglected to mention the fact that she had been pregnant in this 'memory'. There was no need to tempt her fiancé into a death rampage over something that happened in the...err...future. "W-Well..."
It was so hard to say...she couldn't say it! But it clicked—she understood everything now. Why Meimori hated her and Sesshoumaru, why Kagura scorned her immortal 'gift', why Inuyasha had been sick in Portugal...
"Rin, whatever it is, say it." She knew Sesshoumaru hated to be kept waiting for an answer. He liked straightforward comments, and for the most part, Rin was blunt by nature.
However...this was a different case altogether...
"Let's just say that...what happened to Inuyasha...happened to my future self."
Her words, uttered in a self-loathing voice, struck Sesshoumaru and drenched his heart in ice-cold water. Deep down inside, he knew what she referred to. A few weeks ago, it had come to his notice that Meimori somehow fed Inuyasha a nazupede egg and it awakened Kurayami's dormant and destructive soul.
But...he never imagined that...
"So..." He started slowly, gathering the facts in his mind, his brows tightly knitted, "you're telling me your foster sister fed you a nazupede egg and that's why...why you killed..." Was that even possible?
"Yes, Seiryuu and Kagura were right: I killed my foster family." Rin smiled sardonically and fell back onto the bed, spreading her limbs as far as they could reach. "Rima miscalculated my expanse of energy, though, and I ended up killing her as well. Meimori still holds a grudge against us for that reason since I did the actual murdering and you granted me the immortal power to do so."
Either way, Rin was leaving out another huge part that contributed to Sesshoumaru and Meimori's hatred for each other. It was a large, important detail that had driven her mate into a killing field to literally tear his cousin to shreds. Had it not been for her, Meimori would still be dead.
Had it not been for Meimori, since he was the one who located the nazupede for Rima, Sesshoumaru's and her pup would have survived the entire ordeal.
But Rin wasn't about to voice her opinion.
The wheels in Sesshoumaru's head were no longer rusted but turning swiftly. He had forgotten about the Shurikan he apparently performed twice. Although in order to be affected by a nazupede a person had to possess immortal energy levels, due to the ritual exchange of power called a Shurikan, Rin was also a prime target.
Now I see why Kagura seemed furious that I performed a Shurikan for Rin. She has always taken care to protect Meimori. To alas understand a dilemma was a wonderful feeling...
"Truthfully," Rin interrupted her fiancé's thoughts with her grave tone of voice, and he turned his head to face her inquisitively. She gazed back, completely serious and devoid of her joviality. "I'm relieved they're all dead. I never shed a single tear for them."
It was a horrid, ugly part of herself she tried to keep at bay, though ventured to the surface once in a while. She couldn't deny that she was like every human in the world and possessed feelings of hatred inside her 'good', compassionate heart. Rin had hated her foster family—even after being revived, she could still feel it in the depths of her soul, quietly spurning, and reminding her of the suffering she had endured with them.
She had been compliant with them as well. She had run away from the truth—they emotionally abused her. She had worn her masks of false content proudly.
She had.
Until, again, she met Sesshoumaru and he became the first person to see through her façade. He changed her...and he brought her to his world of peace.
Peace...that was what Rin desired. And if she had to fight for it, she would do so by proudly standing beside her mate in battle. He would not—could not leave her!
Silence enveloped the couple as they lost themselves in their respective thoughts. Rin unconsciously gripped the white sheets crumpled beneath her body as her fiancé sat on the opposite end of the bed, pondering one thing or the other with his ever present cool expression. She glanced at him, and instantly, a thought entered her mind.
In her dream yesterday, Rima played upon her fears of Seiryuu discovering her pregnancy.
Today, Seiryuu's insults were brutal as he tried to convince Sesshoumaru to leave her and become a true king.
Her future self had committed a grave mistake by breaking her promise to her uncle-in-law of not bearing children...
...it was only logical that he would avoid the same mistake altogether given the chance.
That's it! Rin bolted upright in the bed, gaping at the newfound revelation. He doesn't want me to marry Sesshoumaru because the same thing might happen twice! He's trying to purposely separate us since he knows Sesshoumaru wouldn't risk my life by taking me with him!
It made perfect sense! And if she didn't know any better, she'd bet that Seiryuu was attempting to execute an identical plan with Inuyasha and Kagome, but he used Meimori to his advantage instead. From what Myouga and Jaken said when we came back, Inuyasha and Kagome are off training in the immortal realm.
So...they couldn't be separated. Not yet. However, Kagome's deeply rooted to this realm with her family and all. If her mother orders her not go, she won't argue. Rin bit her bottom lip in worry. Mrs. Higurashi wouldn't do such a thing, right? I can't say for sure. There are a lot of things I don't know.
"Rin...I must leave."
The cinnamon-eyed teen immediately tensed after hearing her fiancé's smooth yet firm voice and her breath caught in her throat. She swore her heart skipped a beat at the finality of his words. I still can't believe this is happening. "I know."
Sesshoumaru's expressionless mask prevented any emotions from slipping, so she couldn't discern what he was about to utter next. "I cannot bring you with me."
"I know." She wasn't going to whine over it, or plead to tag along. It hardly meant, however, that she would grant Seiryuu the pleasure of remaining apart from her fiancé in different dimensions. "But first you have to listen to me."
"Then please continue," the dog demon said civilly, perhaps already emotionally detached from the mortal realm as he strove to achieve the rational mentality of a king-to-be. His fiancée gulped, yet didn't allow his apathy to deter her steady course.
Rin stood up from the bed and confidently walked up to the opposite side, where a certain silver-haired immortal patiently sat. With her head held high and shoulders squared, she reached over to grasp his large, finely clawed right hand in both of hers. She lifted her gaze to lie solely on his awaiting golden honey irises, and while keeping their eyes locked, she softly and affectionately pressed her lips against the smooth skin of his palm.
"Sesshoumaru," she murmured, keeping his hand close to her lips, "you won't bring me with you. And that's ok; if you bring me with you, it's like you're taking a subordinate under your wing in order to protect it."
"What is your point?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously—what the hell was she getting at?! I don't treat her as a subordinate...do I? Well, he was a dog demon...sometimes he was carried away being the dominant...
The teen's resolve never wavered, and before her confidence melted, she replied in a silky though adamant tone of voice, "I'm not asking you to bring me with you. I choose to stand by your side throughout this entire ordeal and I will accompany you."
"Don't say such foolish things!" Sesshoumaru snatched his hand away and glared at the indifferent mortal. How could she be impassive about it?! Didn't she know what she was saying?! Naraku would kill her during the war! "Your place is here in this realm finishing high school. Do you prefer to let your endless hours of studying go to waste? And what about your scholarship?"
"None of it matters," Rin sighed, having already surmised he would be upset.
"The hell it won't!" He couldn't understand her track of thought! Anything she uttered from her treacherous mouth was preposterous! The dog demon stood in fury and paced around the room. "You're still sick—you're not thinking straight."
"Listen—"
"Yes, you're partially insane, as well. Of course you wouldn't know what you're implying!"
"Sessh—"
"Before I leave, I'll have Jaken find you some medicine. What happened to that remedy Kagome left to pick up? Hmph. I can't trust priestesses anymore..."
"Argh! Just—"
"And I forbid you to watch anymore cheap romance movies. They are filling your brain with nonsense. Now, I believe you should—"
His sentence was interrupted when a pair of hands fisted in his hair and crashed him upon a commanding pair of lips that devoured his, leaving him breathless. It took Sesshoumaru a few seconds to realize that Rin was kissing him...kissing him rather aggressively, pleadingly... She was trying to make him understand a matter she was truly passionate over...
Did she...did she really wish to abandon her mortal life and venture to the immortal realm? Was she ready for it? Wouldn't she regret it ten years later?
Even so, he wasted no more time to hungrily respond, sliding his tongue past her bruised lips to search for its match hiding inside a humid cave that was her luscious mouth. The tantalizing vanilla and lilies scent intoxicating his nostrils and spinning his mind made him forget recent events; he could only register the heat of a slender body against his.
And gods, he couldn't savor enough of it.
The dog demon then found himself pushing the teen onto the bed as he climbed on top of her, absentmindedly sliding his knee between her legs, making room for his body to lie. His hands travelled welcoming areas, reveling in the sounds of pleasure coming from his fiancée, while his lips voyaged down her neck, nibbling and nipping. He faintly felt gentle fingers caressing his scalp, lightly scratching, and a growl emanated from within his chest—obviously he enjoyed the tender ministrations.
I want her, the demon god selfishly thought as he rose again to attack her lips without mercy, eliciting a gasp from Rin, I want to make her mine. Now. Her scent was driving him insane...her soft skin was always amenable to his touch...
Mine. Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed crimson for a fleeting second. Mine.
He could feel his fangs elongating, surprising the teen beneath him although she continued to return his passionate kiss; she was now curiously exploring the sharp points of his canines. His inner youkai wanted release...it desired to claim what was rightfully his...
It wouldn't wait—not this time. Mine. Only mine... If he left her...then he would be allowing another to have her in the future... No! Mine! His eyes returned to a berserk crimson again, but faded back to gold before his fiancée could notice.
Sesshoumaru growled, frustrated with his youkai's desires, and pulled away from Rin, only to settle his mouth in the conjunction of her neck and shoulder. He nipped the patch of sensitive skin, his ears rejoicing in the moan they processed, and with a fog blinding his mind's eye, he was about to sink his fangs to create a permanent mark, but...
Her scent...was so sweet...her arousal spiked...
Her quick gasps of breath...the heaving of her bountiful chest...her body screamed with desire...
Her cinnamon eyes adept to his every touch or movement...her cheeks were flushed from the heat of their bodies combined...
But...
This isn't right. His eyebrows furrowed as he supported his weight above Rin with his forearms, staring down at her slightly confused yet blissfully dazed expression. This is definitely not right. Dammit, I...I lost control of myself.
Sesshoumaru swiftly stood and faced away from her in shame, sliding his hand over his face while the other raked his silver bangs back. This was what happened when he suppressed his inner desires and pretended that he wasn't affected by his imperative departure. Heh, he acted like he was a virtual ice statue devoid of carnal desires and in no need of a mate—was he some kind of fool?
Prior to his engagement, he merely had to glance at a woman to have her draped on his bed, ready for his use out of her own free will. Sex was just a way to sate the wild beast within him and calm it in order for him to concentrate on important matters throughout the day. Though, after meeting Rin...all the times she aroused him unintentionally...
If he hadn't stopped himself...he would've imposed himself on Rin and marked her without a second thought.
Should he take her as his mate, he didn't want to regret it.
"Sesshoumaru..." Rin was standing directly behind him—when the hell did she stand up?! He was out of his mind. Yes, especially when she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Why did you hesitate?"
Instantly his body tensed and the immortal turned around in her hold, staring down at her as though she morphed into a two-headed dragon threatening him with a loaf of bread. "Are your brain cells fried? Had I not hesitated, I would have—"
"I know what you would've done, but I wasn't about to stop you," she cut in, briefly shutting her eyes, asking any higher entity for patience. At his blank stare, however, Rin sighed in disappointment. "You just don't get it, do you?"
"No, I don't 'get it'. Enlighten me." Was she playing games with him? Was this some sort of test? Grr! He had no time for this! He had to leave and—!
"Future King Sesshoumaru of Makai, I refuse to remain here like a helpless idiot. I'm going to the immortal realm with you, but not as your fiancée—as your Queen."
Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if he heard correctly. Hell, for the first time in his life, he swaggered to the bed, feeling faint, and took a much needed breath. "I...I don't understand." He opted for the safe route and feigned confusion.
It bought him some time to think of a better solution to his...predicament.
Rin followed after her fiancé, undaunted. She forced him to look at her by once again grabbing the sides of his face, sliding her hands down his flawless cheeks. Her expression was serious—she was completely certain of her decision. "I'm asking you—no, I'm demanding that you marry me...right now."
That was the final strike...Sesshoumaru finally passed out cold.
Darkness.
All she could see was darkness, as though she was cocooned in a black blanket with no way to escape. Hell, she could barely see her hand and it was only an inch away from her face! Where was she? A place so empty...so quiet...so dark...it was devastating. Obviously no one would think of residing in such a desolate place.
"Inuyasha?" Strangely, he was carrying her on his back—when their position switched from holding hands to this was lost on her. But the fact that she at least knew she wasn't alone comforted her, and she wound her arms around his neck, hugging him close.
If they were to separate in the black abyss...
She shook her thoughts away. "Um...is this normal?"
Silence.
"Hey, dog boy! Answer me!" It couldn't be normal!
"Kagome," she heard the whispered response, and she wondered why he was whispering if there was absolutely nothing in sight. Then again, her sixth sense was pricking the back of her subconscious, alerting her to danger.
Shit...danger in an abyss where she couldn't see anything was...well, dangerous.
Inuyasha seemed to hesitate for a second. Kagome wondered why he would be reluctant to speak to her. "Don't talk so loud, ok? Whisper." He was practically mumbling under his breath—she could barely hear him so he was serious about keeping their voices down.
"Why?" The raven-haired miko whispered back, leaning her head in closer to hear him better...and also because terror was slinking its way into her heart. "What's happening...?" Were they being spied on?
"Something messed up the transportation system and we're stuck between dimensions." Inuyasha's eyes flitted to his right and then to his left, as if he was searching for something. He found nothing. At least...there was nothing within eyeshot.
A growl rumbled in his chest and died in his throat, yet Kagome was able to catch the slight vibration. It sounded as if he felt threatened, and it only served to heighten her presentiment.
We're in between dimensions? That seemed worse than visiting hell! They were basically in the middle of nowhere! And I'm still in pajamas! Though, it was the least of her worries now. "How are we going to get out?"
"I'll have to summon a portal, but even that might land us somewhere remote." Yet, anything was better than their current location, where there was no time, no people, and no—
"RRROOOAAARRR!!!"
Kagome bit her lip at the resonating roar that originated from below them, and she couldn't help but wonder what kind of gigantic creature could've made such a horrid noise. Perhaps this was why Inuyasha was so paranoid...
...bestial creatures resided in the void between dimensions...
"Look, wench," the hanyou mumbled in order to keep them from being discovered by the huge and probably unfriendly creature floating in the darkness, "I'm powerless against this piece of shit because it's a phantom—my abilities won't do crap to it. Since you're a miko, you might be able to distract it while I open a portal."
"W-What?!" She quickly lowered her voice after he threw a cool glare her way. "I don't have a weapon! What am I supposed to do—throw my Slipper of Death at it?" Ha! That would save their lives for sure!
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but a second later, a faint glow radiated from his right hand, though Kagome couldn't decipher his actions. She cocked her head in confusion when he grabbed one of her hands, pried its fingers open, and placed some kind of smooth-surface object in it. Ok...I'll pretend I know what he just did.
"There, now you have a weapon: a bow. You know how to use a bow, right?" He asked, but was confident in her ability to aim and shoot. Hmph, if she could use a gun, then she could use a bow...especially if she could beat people up with a gun...
"Well, I was in the archery club in middle school..." And Kagome had been ranked the best one there...it was only a stereotype of her miko heritage, however.
"Good enough."
"Where are the arrows?" He just handed her a lone bow—who could forget arrows accompanied bows? I think Inuyasha should join the archery club. He'd learn the essential items in no time.
Inuyasha smirked although his fiancée couldn't see his face and replied, "You don't need 'em. This bow—crafted by immortals, mind you—allows priestesses to create arrows out of their own spiritual energy."
Was that even possible?! Kagome never heard of such a thing, and despite their current terrifying situation, she smiled, feeling giddy at the new information. "How do you know?"
"It was my mother's."
"Oh..." His mother was still a sore subject—there was no need to touch upon it. But she hadn't known that his mother was a miko as well as a seer... She was cooler than I can ever dream to be. "Ok, so where is this thing—"
"ROOOAAAR!"
"Fuck! Kagome! Shoot straight ahead!"
Inuyasha summoned his wings in a split second and maneuvered away from the large black phantom beast that would have swallowed them whole. The slimy bastard was using its dark surroundings to its advantage, camouflaging easily, confusing his eyes. His enhanced vision allowed him to see the creature's long silhouette, like a dragon's graceful body, but it wasn't enough! The vexing phantom lacked a scent for him to follow, which was the worst part of fighting it.
A dog demon's sensitive nose was crucial during battle...
Kagome heeded the hanyou and wrapped her legs firmly around his waist in order not to fall off; she then moved to prepare her bow. Wait—she forgot she didn't have arrows...crap!
Now how in the world do I do this? There wasn't anytime to think, however, especially when Inuyasha suddenly plunged approximately twenty feet below to avoid being hit, causing her to almost lose balance.
"Be careful!" She yelled, assuming she no longer had to keep her voice down since the beast had located them anyway. "Argh! How does this bow work?!"
The half-immortal growled at his opponent as he tried to evade it at all costs, but answered his befuddled fiancée nonetheless. "Summon your energy to your finger tips! It'll turn into an arro—AH!"
"RAHR!"
"Inuyasha!" The beast managed to fling them with its tail end, initiating their rapid, spiraling dive into the never-ending abyss. Kagome panicked and grabbed onto the hanyou's shoulders, shaking him a couple of times—the hit must have dazed him. Grr, there wasn't any time to be dizzy! "Come on! Focus! FOCUS!"
"S-Shut up..." Inuyasha blinked a couple of times, yet regained full consciousness and cursed at his own weakness. He officially hated phantoms! "Dammit..." The hanyou god flapped his golden wings twice, halting their swift descent and up righting their bodies.
His eyes searched for any outline of the dragon-like creature stalking them; he fleetingly pondered what the thing desired to do with them because being a phantom, it never hungered. At least he hoped it didn't... Keh! That piece of shit just wants to play.
It was fucking lucky it was protected against immortal powers!
Inuyasha continued to fruitlessly search for the creature, and he couldn't prevent dread from compiling a heavy lump in his throat each fleeting second. Where the hell is it?! He concentrated on his heightened senses, but the only thing he was aware of was Kagome gasping for breath on his back, having been caught off guard by the abrupt fall.
Next time I'll warn her. Only if there was a next time.
"There's the bastard..." Inuyasha alas caught sight of an oddly shaped figure amongst the solid darkness, merely slithering about, circling them. He ground his teeth. "Wench, hold yourself together and shoot to the right! Hey—hurry the fuck up!"
Something about the phantom's actions suggested that he was a predator...preying on its oblivious intruders...helpless people in the wrong place at the wrong time... It already chose its target, but the hanyou was at loss as to who the overgrown shit was after.
And is it just me, or did this crap suddenly grow? The silhouette his golden amber eyes were trained on grew nearly twice its former size...
"Alright, alright! It's not my fault you're a grouch when you're constipated!" The miko rolled her chocolate eyes, ignoring the hanyou's outraged protest in favor of executing his orders right away. But the next time he spoke to her like in such a bossy manner, she was whipping out his best slipper friend.
Instantly she felt the familiar tingling sensation on her finger tips sizzling with her spiritual energy, and in the following second, she pulled back the string of the wooden long bow. Her energy sparked pink and then took the form of an electric arrow impatient to be launched. Kagome aimed to her right, and she momentarily heard Inuyasha chanting in the ancient immortal language.
Time to leave this phantom netherworld!
I have to get this right. Kagome couldn't see the beast, but she hoped it was still where the arrow was poised towards. This could mean our lives if I miss. The teen sucked in a nervous breath, yet consolidated her momentum. "Here goes!"
She let go of the string and watched her bright pink arrow stream through the thick darkness and disappear out of sight. There was nothing more than that; no roars of agony, no sounds, no boom... What happened?
Her sixth sense was still nagging her...the danger hadn't abated...
"—wi cari ma...loki wa shki!" After Inuyasha finished his chant, a large ring of golden light shot out from his hands and developed what seemed like a tear in the black void. The portal was covered in golden light, so it was impossible to see what was on the other side.
"At least the portal opened..." Kagome mumbled to herself, still not sure if she missed her shot or not. Well, their escape route was most important, right? She'd wonder about the elusive beast later. "Let's get out of here, dog boy!"
"Stop calling me that, wench!"
"Whatever, dog boy..."
"Keh!"
It never occurred to them, however, that they were just being watched...silently observed by a beast desiring to play... And so, the creature pounced when its opponents turned their backs... No sound resonated from it...its body successfully mimicked the darkness that was its home...
Inuyasha sensed a certain mishap around him, but the portal was only about teen feet away; if he hurried, then he could bring Kagome to safety. Or at least in a dimension other than a place where two collided, creating nothing more than a dark void. He smirked in pre-victory, Kagome smiled in relief...
Yet...
"RRROOOAAARRR!"
SMACK!!!
"KAGOME!" It all happened too fast—too goddamn fast! He had been flying over to the portal, thinking that the coast was clear when all of a sudden...all of a sudden...dammit!
The creature used its tail end to knock him away from the portal, and as a result, Kagome lost balance again, yet this time she did fall from his back. Inuyasha could only hear her screams, wherever she was, because the darkness prevented him from catching sight of her. Her scent permeated from all around him—locating her through that method was futile.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! How could he have been so stupid?! And the portal wouldn't remain open forever... GRR!!! The hanyou's head turned from side to side, searching for the bane of his existence in the nothingness surrounding him. His hands glowed with vibrant blood red energy—he was furious.
FURIOUS!!! He was going to fucking KILL that phantom, spiritual energy or not! It was impossible that he failed to protect his fiancée AGAIN!
Kagome's screams were still audible, meaning the beast had a hold of her; good, she wasn't sinking to her demise. If she keeps screaming, I'll be able to find her. For once she was using her obnoxious voice to actually aid him... "I have no time to play hide and seek, you goddamn lifeless fuck! Give me back my fiancée!"
It was circling him, again; he knew it. And it was fucking annoying him to no end. What the hell did it want from him?! Why was it targeting him?! WHY?!
Inuyasha snarled and launched a series of energy blasts in a circle around him, even though he already acknowledged it would have no effect. However, a bright pink light glittered from his left, and he immediately turned only to see an energy arrow zoom an inch by his head. He blinked in shock—the source of the arrow had to be Kagome!
And she nearly purified him! Geez! Some bitches over there have to calm down! Ahem, not including him, of course...
The miko stopped screaming and was now shooting arrow after arrow, yet her efforts kept disappearing behind him. Hmm...how odd...why would it suddenly vanish?
What...the hell...? His brain was in frenzied; there was no solid floor in the abyss, so she couldn't be floating. Therefore, she must be on top of the beast or...something akin to that nature. So...shouldn't she be shooting down rather than straight?
Not unless the miko was trying to alert him to her position...
Inuyasha knew it wasn't the case, though.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome was close enough for him to hear her, and the hanyou's ears twitched at the sound of her voice coming from in front of him. He couldn't help feeling relieved that she wasn't dead or falling endlessly! Her mother would take a shotgun and shoot his poor Lil' Inu if he let her die... "Behind you! There are two of them!"
"W-Wha—AAAH!!!"
It was too late, however.
Kagome didn't know what was happening—all she knew was that her fiancé was screaming in agony and she hated it.
When she had been falling in the abyss, the creature had slithered under her, cushioning her tumble. For a phantom it possessed a pretty solid back...but back to the point! Now using it as a transportation method, the miko quickly noticed that the creature she was riding on seemed to be communicating with another one since it growled in a precise pattern in the dark.
And they were both circling their prey: Inuyasha.
Of course, she tried shooting at the other creature to keep it at bay, but it only worked for a few seconds and it still had her fiancé captive! She currently tried to think of an ulterior solution, yet...gods! The fact that her mate was in physical pain was practically ripping her heart out of her chest! She could barely think clearly!
The portal's still open—somehow, I have to get Inuyasha and jump in! But how could she get close to him if she couldn't see him? It was like she was in a haunted house with ghosts lingering by...watching her...preventing her from leaving...
No! I am leaving! There's still so much I have to say to Inuyasha—I have to make him understand how I feel! If he's going to die, my Slipper of Death will be the murderer, not some stupid, cowardly, and probably ugly phantom beast crap!
Kagome narrowed her eyes and summoned another energy arrow; in response to her fury, the larger arrow was crackling with powerful energy. She notched it on the bow and aimed towards where her Bond of Mates revealed her mate's presence to reside.
Izayoi, the miko mentally called to Inuyasha's mother for strength, guide this arrow and let it hit the mark. Please don't let me miss for Inuyasha's sake. With her eyes determinedly set, heart steady, and arms straight back, Kagome finally released the bow's string. "GO!"
She heard a roar in the distance and heaved a sigh of relief—she hit it! Yes! As the beast beneath her quickly ventured to its fallen companion, Kagome also heard a dull thud and a groan from a few feet ahead of her. "Inuyasha!"
He said nothing in reply, but she wasn't concerned. A shaky hand reached out to her and she grasped it without a second thought—it truly was him and he was alive! Her lips curved into a smile as her heart fluttered, eased from its earlier turmoil. She was so glad he wasn't...he wasn't...
The sentence remained incomplete.
The hanyou's arm wrapped around her waist, and together, they jumped off the desolate black beast, whose real appearance was still a mystery, and into the brightly glowing portal. It closed after they jumped in; it left no mark in the black void they never wished to stay in again.
Everything was ok now...or so Kagome thought.
"Well...it's not dark anymore, that's for sure!"
Kagome deeply inhaled the fresh air around her and took in the beautiful sight of clear blue skies above her. Thick, green-topped trees lined her vision while grass crunched beneath her feet. Birds chirped in the distance, the sun was shining, and all in all, there was no black abyss in sight!
Her troubles were over! And she wouldn't be surprised if she was scared of the dark for now on... What if the Boogeyman really existed since there were other dimensions excluding the immortal and mortal realms? Oh gods...
Anyway...whoot! I'm not in my pajamas anymore! The teen glanced down at what she guessed was her own cool battle outfit and suppressed the urge to shriek like an excited schoolgirl. It reminded her of her Halloween costume, the sorceress dress, yet this time, her torso was covered by a lightweight black breastplate that was gilded in gold and hugged the curves of her upper body.
All in all, she looked like a warrior miko ready for battle!
Alas, I'm stuck with the uncomfortable black stockings from hell again...but these leather boots make up for it! She grinned in content, glancing at the high-heeled sable boots, which reached right below her knees. I swear this dress is sexier than my last one, though...
No one could deny that the slit on its right side definitely reached mid-high...
"So, where are we, dog boy?" Kagome asked with a smile, knowing the haughty response she would receive from her 'loving' fiancé. Strangely, the biting remark never came. Her heart skipped a beat as concern washed over her. "Inuyasha?" She turned towards where he was surely standing behind her.
He wasn't standing, though...
...Inuyasha was clawing at the ground, his fangs bared as he nearly convulsed in pain...
...blood soaked the green grass, his silver hair, his recently appeared battle clothes...
Kagome's shocked eyes continued to assess the hanyou...and they trailed over his back...
...his back...
"Oh...m-my gods," she gasped, and her hand moved to cover her gaping mouth. She was unable to form any other words while her eyes watered, blinding her clear vision. "...I-Inu..."
All she could register was his...his grave injury...and she was useless...again.
He...Inuyasha's...he was...
Oh my gods.
A/N: END! Wow...I wonder what happened to Inuyasha...he's always getting hurt, poor thing. So, Seiryuu and Rin have some beef turkey to settle, whew. Sessh is always caught in between... Meanwhile, Kagome is stuck feeling useless again. It must be horrible to watch your fiancé suffering and feel helpless...
But I'm a merciless person! MUAHAHA! Penguins love me, though!
Next chappie: Well, Inu and Kags are in the wilderness, Naraku is very evil...ahem...
Sooo...will Sesshoumaru accept Rin's proposal? Heheheh... Where the hell is Yuka?! And what's up with Kagura and her little mission, huh? When's she coming in again? What's Meimori going to do when he finally finds out? Will Inuyasha die?! Kagome can't heal ppl like Rin can...
REVIEW PPL! I LOVE THEM! THEY KEEP ME WRITING! AND I NEED THEM OR THE PHANTOM BEAST WILL DRAG ME TO ITS LAIR! Well, I guess I can kidnap it and take it to Antarctica with us... I'll name him Billford...for some reason. :-D
