(31/01/2011) Yay first chapter of the new year! It took me forever, but I suddenly realized in this chapter how much I really like this story! Which is good news by the way! Umm.. I dunno what else to say about this, so enjoy!
[Edit] Oh yeah also, I've changed my profile a bit, now it will say the three next upcoming chapters (in order) so there wont be any wondering when what will come out! Hopefully this keeps things a little more organized, okay!
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You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.
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I Don't Own Inuyasha
"Talking"
59. A Problem With Tetsusaiga
"Shoji! My hands flew to the katanas at my hips,"What the hell are you doing here?"
Shoji chuckled, "Did you really think your parents would let you leave that easily?"
"Now what in the world are you talking about?" I shouted, "You're acting like we escaped! We were let go!"
"That might be true.." Shoji paused for a moment, "However, my orders no longer come from them."
I swallowed a nervous lump that had formed at the back of my throat. What was he talking about? My parents had control over them didn't they? If not then who.. I gasped.
Shoji chuckled again as my hand flew to my mouth, dropping one of the katanas into the snow. "That's right, Kaori. I serve Naraku now."
"Well then," Inuyasha growled. I spun around to look at him. I had almost forgotten he was there. He looked angry and determined.. but with that dark hair 'weak' was stamped all over his face, "I guess there's no choice but to kill ya."
"No!" I shouted, jumping in front of him, "You're human! You can't!"
"Oh let him, Kaori-chan," Shoji said, "This sword here was forged with the teeth of Goshinki you see. I longs for the blood of both of you.. However since I'm rather fond of you Kaori-chan, your life shall be spared."
"Wha.." My stomach turned, and Inuyasha shoved past me.
"You bastard! Who the hell do you think you are! Saying 'Kaori-chan', 'Kaori-chan'. Human or not, I'll kill you!"
"Jealous are we, Inuyasha!" Shoji smirked.
"Inuyasha, get back!" Sango rushed past Inuyasha just as he was about to grab the katana I had dropped in the snow.
"Leave this to Sango and I!" Miroku grabbed him by the shoulder, and pulled him back.
"Damnit! No!" Inuyasha snarled. He went to run again, but I wrapped myself around his arm. Right now at this moment I didn't care if even I had to miss out on the fighting, I wouldn't let Shoji kill Inuyasha.
Sango threw the Hiraikotsu into the branches above. Shoji's smirk never faltered as he dropped to the ground seconds before the bone weapon struck him. It turned, and with a flick of the wrist, Hiraikostu was nothing but two giant triangles in the snow.
"Nice try," Shoji said.
Miroku braced himself. He reached into the many folds of his kimono and pulled out a talisman. He whipped it as hard as he could at the yokai.. However as soon as it had left his fingers the paper had combusted and dissolved into ash.
"Hmph, you guys are so weak, it's a surprise Naraku hasn't finished you off yet. But no matter, I haven't the time to play with either of you today. Come on Inuyasha, you have your chance to really prove your strength or.." Shoji eyed him, "Is that pathetic human form you're in making you afraid?"
"Don't get provoked, Inuyasha!" Shippo squeaked.
"Keh! I'm not that simple-minded!" Inuyasha snapped, "However, this bastard's involved with Naraku and if he wants to fight I ain't gonna run or hide!"
He suddenly yanked his arm from my grasp and I stumbled hitting my back against the wood of the hut, "Inuyasha, what the hell are you doing!"
"Such a simple personality!" Shippo muttered.
I growled in frustration. Stupid Inuyasha! I rushed forward, catching up to him in less than a second. I flung out my hands and grabbed his shoulder. With a swift kick off the ground Inuyasha toppled face first into the snow. I landed roughly on top of him.
"Kaori! Get off!" he shouted. He pulled his face up from the snow which was now wet and red.
"No!" I shouted, using all my strength to keep him in the snow bank, "You're going to get yourself killed!"
"Idiot! I might be human but that doesn't change that you're not heavy enough to keep me pinned down!"
He started getting up, ignoring my screams of protest. The ground shook and he fell back down. The air suddenly smelt of farm, fire, and old people.
"Toutousai!" Miroku called, "Tetsusaiga's fixed!"
Inuyasha and I looked up at the same moment. Sure enough a large, brown, three-eyed bull stood blocking Shoji from our view. Toutousai in his green stripped kimono stared down at the two of us, with the Tetsusaiga popped up over his shoulder.
"Geez," he said, "I was wondering what all this uproar was about, but if I had known you and Kaori were putting on a perverted play for everyone I woulda hurried."
The ground disappeared beneath me and I held onto Inuyasha's shoulders for dear life as he leapt to his feet and snatched his beloved fang from the old man, "Shut up and gimme that!" he shouted.
"We're not doing a perverted play." I mumbled, my face a little warm.
"Are you sure?" the old man stared at me.
"Inuyasha!" Meoga's voice came from Toutousai's kimono, "Don't fight! You can't even wield Tetsusaiga this way!"
"So you're still alive, eh, Toutousai?" Shoji was back up on his branch again. His white teeth glistened as he smiled evily down upon us. I wondered why he hadn't stuck yet. We had all been as distracted as one could ever get, but he hadn't taken this opportunity at all. If he truly was working for Naraku, he wouldn't be pleased.
"It's been a while hasn't it, Shoji?" Toutousai nodded up at him as if he were an old friend. He eyed the sword in Shoji's hand, "My, what an evil aura. You got Kaijinbou to forge you another cruel sword."
Shoji chuckled, proudly looking over the shinning iron, soaked in red and black yoki, "Toukijin is it' s name. Toutousai you know I have so such patience for your types. After the Henshin no Tsurugi for Hisao I had enough."
"Hisao!" I gasped.
Inuyasha glared at me over his shoulder as if to say "Now's not the time".
"Toutousai-sama, you know Shoji?" Sango asked.
"Yes, he worked under Hisao-sama for many years until that tragic event. Then he changed his loyalties toward Kaijinbou, a disgraceful and expelled student of mine. Shoji, you had ten children killed in order to make one sword didn't you?"
Shoji rolled his eyes, "Because of all the malice it could cut so well. I don't see a problem with that, they were only humans. Their deaths wouldn't have been wasted if Hisao hadn't destroyed it."
"Hisao, Hisao! I'm damn confused! Who the hell is he!" I shouted.
No one responded.
"I'm tired of this idle chatter," yawned Shoji. He reminded me of a more cheerful version of Sesshoumaru, which sent a chill up my spine, "Draw, Inuyasha. I will smash apart that sword of yours once more and end your life."
"Keh! At any rate, with this bastard there's no need for me to hold back, is there!" Inuyasha unsheathed the Tetsusaiga. He let me go, and I fell hard on the frozen ground.
I scrambled to my feet, "Inuyasha, ouswari!" As Inuyasha plummeted I rushed forward, meeting Shoji's attack with a blaze of lightning and sparks as the yoki collided. I but one katana and I felt horribly off-balance as I swung with two hands.
"Kaori, what the hell are you doing!" I head Inuyasha shout.
"Saving – Your- God – Damn - Life!" I replied between hits.
Shoji swung and I blocked it. We were locked motionless, each of our strength trying to over power the other.
He smirked, "Really, I don't want to have to kill you. With your shard seeking abilities and relation to the Itami clan, you'd be an extremely powerful ally."
I heard my katana breaking as he pushed harder, "Sucks to be you then, eh?"
"I really doubt that."
Katana cracked a little more. Shoji took a step forward pushing me back. Suddenly, as the pressure built, I felt thin, and sharp invisible blades slice my skin. Pain followed quickly after, and I buckled. Shoji's leg came up just as I had, and I soon found myself staring up at the light purple sky.
The ice cold snow melted into my clothes and hair, instantly chilling my body. I could almost feel the blood freezing on my skin, and listened as Shoji's blade cut through the air, right above my body.
A clash of iron shook me from my daze and I blinked. Inuyasha was growling, his legs and another pair of them, blocking most of my vision. The second pair of legs were pushed back across the clearing and I realized they belonged to Shoji. He balanced himself by placing one hand on the ground, as he crouched, wiping a droplet of blood from his lip.
"I'm relieved, Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha said. I could hear a smirk in his tone, and pushed myself to sit upwards, "It looks like you've gotten a bit harder."
"It didn't break!" I heard Shippo cheer, "Kaori's cracked a little but Tetsusaiga didn't!"
I looked at the katana in my hand. There was a crack right to the middle and downwards a few inches. It made my heart hurt, like it had been a real person who was injured.
"Kaori, are you alright?" Inuyasha asked me. He didn't look at me, keeping his eyes steady on the waiting yokai. I looked at my body before I answered. I was covered in blood, my blood by the scent. They came from about fifty paper-thin cuts up my arms, legs, and torso.
"Despite all the blood, and the horrible feeling of my body practically shredded.. yeah."
"You're an idiot!" he growled.
"Not as much as you I'm afraid," I sighed. Stumbling to my feet I held my cracked katana in two hands once again.
"What the hell are you doing!"
"Yes, Kaori-chan," Shoji purred chuckling lowly under his breath, "What are you doing? That katana will break, Hisao's precious gift to you. But even before that happens you'd have been shredded to pieces.."
"Kaori, go stand with Sango!" Inuyasha snapped.
"No! You're human! You'll die!"
"Kaori.." Inuyasha sighed. I looked at him to glare, but was shocked when I seen his hair slowly fading to grey, then silver. The fangs were growing, and his eyes at the moment was a deep beige as they transferred over to gold.
I wanted to come up with a witty remark but I couldn't. I was injured, he wasn't. My katana was crippled and his was fixed. Plus he was hanyo again, a much stronger more experienced one at that. As I thought over how much I couldn't win, the Tetsusaiga transformed in his hand. I expected him to go leaping forward as he always did, leave me in the dust, however he only stared at it as it rested upon the ground.
I watched him struggle to understand something for a moment, then looked up to Shoji. He was standing again, with his sword over his shoulder. He patiently waited for us to get it together. He obviously wasn't for an unfair fight.
"Toutousai.." Inuyasha snarled, "What the hell have you done!"
"Hmm? Is there something wrong?" Toutousai replied innocently.
"Don't mess with me!" Inuyasha attempted to lift it, "It's incredibly heavy! What did you do!"
"Ah, that'd be the fang of yours used as a filler. Don't pay it any mind."
Shoji laughed, "Having a sword you can't swing? Might as well say good-bye now, Inuyasha."
The Tetsusaiga is too heavy for Inuyasha..? But.. God why did this feel so familiar?
I struggled to my feet as he shouted, the sword making it extremely difficult to move. "This thing weights a million pounds! How the hell do you manage to throw it around like you do!"
"It does not weigh a million pounds you stupid girl! But why did it transform!" He barked.
"How am I supposed to know!" I replied, dropping the stupid sword from my hand. "I can't even pick it up so shut up, and never mind!"
"Meoga!" I shouted, dashing back to the group as Inuyasha struggled to defend himself with the heavy Tetsusaiga, "Meoga! This this happened before! Months ago!"
"What are you talking about, Kaori!" Meoga squeaked.
I heard Inuyasha shouting, and Shoji laughing. I spun around. I couldn't stay focused on one thing. Too many thoughts were in my mind. I remember Meoga explaining this to me before, something about a burden and protecting yourself. Something, something like that!
Inuyasha and Shoji were locked. Their strength was equal and neither of them could force back or break the other. Shoji smirked, saying something, and I could see Inuyasha snap something back. But just then, Toukijin cracked, just a tiny chip, and the Kaze No Kizu burst from the Tetsusaiga.
When the lighting disappeared, all I could see were giant craters in the earth. Shoji was no where to be found. There was nothing but Toukijin and his hand still attached to it, gripping as hard as it possibly could. Inuyasha snarled, wheezing slightly and put the Tetsusaiga back into its sheath.
"Is he dead?" I asked as Inuyasha came stomping past.
"No, I didn't feel it hit anything but his arm. The damn bastard. It probably would have worked if you hadn't broken my Tetsusaiga!"
Toutousai stared at him, "You have another problem now?"
"It's all your fault! How'm I supposed to use such a heavy sword? It was hard enough doing one swing, let alone defending myself!"
"You want to know?" Toutousai was suddenly serious, "A way to handle heavy Tetsusaiga that is.."
"There is a way?"
"It's simple."
Inuyasha waited patiently for a response. We all did in fact. But all the old man did was stare.
"You're not seriously going to suggest strength training are you?" Inuyasha muttered after a moment. It occurred to me then that they had communicated through thoughts.. But I never remembered Inuyasha having such a skill and tried to ignore it.. However in such a calm and peaceful time I couldn't help my mind wandering into what types of things they might have said if such a thing were true.
Toutousai gulped and instantly received a hard whack on the head.
"So it was that."
I was suddenly confused. For a moment I had thought Meoga and Toutousai might repeat what we'd been told so many months ago. Something about the burdens, strength and protecting but.. they seemed not to care to mention this. I wanted to call them out, and I opened my mouth to do so.. but then I remembered what Mika had told me..
"Kaori, are you aware that the sword you friend wields, the 'Tetsusaiga' was made to constrain his yokai blood?"
I stared at Inuyasha as he continued to pummel the old man. There was no doubt about it that Meoga and Toutousai already knew this.. and.. Inuyasha, how badly he wanted to be yokai.. knowing such a thing might cause him to ignore Tetsusaiga all together.
"..your friend's yokai blood will take him over each time he is near death.. until eventually he wont ever be able to return back."
"You have enough power at this moment to subdue him.. however that ability will grow weaker with each episode.."
He'd become.. that yokai again. That was what he wanted and be believed he could be sane but having experienced it.. No, I knew that wasn't possible. Inuyasha mustn't know.. at least not for now.
"If you guys have finished with your conversation," Miroku interupted, "Toukijin's evil energy has decayed."
"Hmm.." Toutousai walked up to it, around it, then tapped it twice with his mallot, "The sword's stained with the evil of Shoji and the oni Goshinki.. a large amount of Kaijinbou's is in there as well. Such a thing has to be removed from existence."
The sky above grew dark and cloudy. A large ball of golden light burst through, and the sword was covered in flame.
I looked up.
Sesshoumaru was descending upon us, riding a two-headed green scaled demon. It was from this the fire had come. Once upon the ground, Sesshoumaru leaped from the yokai and landed before Shoji's sword, inspecting it carefully.
"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha shouted, "What are you doing here?"
"That's my line," replied the brother, "I just came after this sword. It seems like the oni killed by you, still wanted revenge even after it became a sword."
"How does he know Toukijin was made from Goshinki's fangs..?" Sango murmured.
Sesshoumaru never bothered to answer this question, as a large yellow and purple bee was seen hovering over head.
"So Naraku told you, eh?" Inuyasha snarled, "So you, too, are here on his orders!"
"I am on no such thing," Sesshoumaru replied coldly. He reached out a hand toward the sword.
"Sesshoumaru, you mustn't touch Toukijin!" Toutousai cried, "It is better off destroyed! It's evil's too powerful, you might be possessed by it!"
Sesshoumaru scoffed, gripping Toukijin tightly in his fist. He yanked it out of the ground and smirked at the cowering old man, "Who do you think I am? If that pathetic Shoji could wield such a sword there shouldn't be any trouble for me."
I watched in amazement as the swords evil had disappeared. It had overflowed with Shoji, and I was sure he was just as high a rank as Sesshoumaru, or at least close.
"Toukijin's evil lost to Sesshoumaru!" Toutousai squeaked, "What a creepy guy!"
"This means this sword has also chosen its master," Sesshoumaru said, "Draw, Inuyasha. I want to verify something about you."
"You're not fighting him!" I said, before anyone could respond.
"Keh! Who do you think you are? My mother!" Inuyasha snapped, "He isn't the type of guy who'd listen even if I said 'no' anyway! Just get back Kaori, what's gotten into you anyway!"
I couldn't tell him that with Tetsusaiga the way it was.. I wanted to get all my information out of Toutousai and Meoga before I'd let him fight again. If the risk was he completely disregards it and get's eaten up as a yokai.. I didn't want to chance it.
"If you won't come, Inuyasha, then I will." Sesshoumaru rushed forward.
"Keh! Don't regret diffing your own grave, Sesshoumaru!" When Inuyasha unsheathed the Tetsusaiga he almost toppled due to its weight. He stared in shock down at it. He'd probably forgotten its condition.
Sesshoumaru swung Toukijin and Inuyasha struggled to block the attack. An array of deep, bloody, paper cuts appeared all over his body and it was at that moment I realized I was still bleeding.
"Sango.." I murmured.
She'd been taken in by the events around us as we all had, but she spun around instantly when she head me call her name. She stared at me for a moment, then realized I was still oozing red fluid. She helped me sit down on the rock by the hut and proceeded to disinfect and bandage my wounds.
"This is really ba-a-ad!" cried Toutousai.
"Has Inuyasha got no chance?" Miroku asked.
"We-e-ell... He can't swing Tetsusaiga.. Besides, that inherently dangerous sword, Toukijin ended up in the hands of Sesshoumaru of all people we're pretty much dead."
"D-damnit.." Inuyasha wheezed. Blood dripped down his face like tears as Sesshoumaru paused to stare. He looked calm but confused, as if something wasn't making any sense.
"Have you changed your fighting style, Inuyasha?" he asked, "You always used to wave Tetsusaiga around.."
"Shut up!" Inuyasha threw Tetsusaiga over his shoulder, racing toward Sesshoumaru. He swung down. Sesshoumaru blocked it. Once again lighting sparks rained over them. More cuts appeared on Inuyasha's body.
Sesshoumaru chuckled, "Tetsusaiga's become a little heavier, has it?"
"It's.." Inuyasha gasped, "It's not a little bit, you damn jerk!"
"Hmph. For a sword that's too much for you..You're better off without it!" Sesshoumaru swung Toukijin, disarming Inuyasha instantly. Tetsusaiga flew to the side, landing far out of arms reach.
"Oh no!" Shippo cried, "It'll be like an adult fighting a child!"
Sesshoumaru knocked Inuyasha back. He fell hard to the ground a few feet away. I gasped, jumping to my feet. The bandage Sango had been working on ripped and she grabbed my arm to sit me back down. Quickly she tied up that last one, then freed me. Half my wounds stung as I ran, stretching and tearing them further, only half Sango had managed to tend.
"Inuyasha!" I shouted, snatching Tetsusaiga up in my hands. I was careful not to think of wielding it or else, I was sure it would transform for me like it had that first night. I crouched down in front of him, holding it out for him to take.
"It didn't transform for you?" He mumbled. Obviously he remembered parts of that night, and just that made me blush a little.
"Cause I don't want to use it, I want you to use it. Please, take it," I said.
He stared at it for a moment, then got to his feet, "Don't need it!"
I ran after him as he took off.
"Go back, Kaori!" he shouted.
"You can't fight him without it, idiot!"
"Such a heavy sword won't help me win this fight at all! What's the point!"
"You don't know your own limits." From the corner of my eye I watched Seshoumaru point Toukijin at us. Sparks flew from it. Inuyasha pushed me to the ground. Once more I saw Toukijin's power as it shredded the kimono and skin of its opponent.
Inuyasha turned around, his feet still sliding on the ground due to the force Toukijin's invisible blades had inflicted. He crowed to the ground, digging his claws into the frozen earth.
"So, the hanyo is just a hanyo, huh.." I heard Sesshoumaru mumble, "Enough. Die, Inuyasha."
The ground pulsed, and the instict chemical exploded into my veins, screaming at my body to run. A slight breeze blew the hair out of Inuyasha's face, revealing blue irises and red scleras. In a second I was on my feet, racing past Sesshoumaru who had hesitated in shock, and dropped to my knees in front of the changing boy.
I wanted to shout 'ouswari' or even just do what Mika had showed me, but before I could a blaze of fire scorched my back. A brown cow and large demon cat appeared in front of me and at that moment I knew we were escaping.
"Ouswari!" I shouted! Once Inuyasha was in the snow we both were quickly rushed onto one of the large animals, and fled from his elder brother.
End Of Chapter 59
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