A/N: And here we have one year of Hooked. This fanfiction was originally set to debut on Valentine's Day last year, but…well, it was delayed for reasons little different than the ones going on now. Thank you all very much for reading and being very patient with my slow updates (but, hey, the story's still going!).
A/N: Apparently, this chapter's title is the most popular name for goldfish in the U.K. Ah, and I offer a nod to a certain famous poem…and a cutesy song.
Jaws
Kichiruka had but half a heartbeat to react. Were it not for Inuyasha he would have had none. After swatting the hanyo aside, claws glowed a sinister green as they sped for Kichiruka. Staggering back, he grasped the rim of the barrel behind him. His fingertips grazed the water inside. Without another thought, he vaulted in. Kichiruka had only one destination in mind. Away.
His footing, when he regained it, slipped and Kichiruka splashed to his knees. In mud. How'd he make it to land? Blue eyes looked up to the gray sky and smiled at the rain.
Water. Water everywhere! Kichiruka heaved a sigh of relief. Normally, he would have to be completely submerged to teleport anywhere, but the heavy rain was part of the atmosphere. Just as good. One man's dismal day was Kichiruka's saving grace.
Almost.
Sesshomaru whirled to where the water demon reappeared. How did he miss his target? Doppelgangers? Or some other magic? Either way, the coward had run. Thinning lips pulled back over hard, white teeth. That prawn wouldn't repeat it.
"Lord Sesshomaru, don't!"
The daiyokai looked down. He hadn't felt it, but Rin tugged on his sleeve. Some futile attempt to dissuade him? Sesshomaru gave her a flat look.
Rin cringed. She knew that expression. His mind's made up.
"Hey! Bastard!" Inuyasha barked from behind his brother, Steel Fang in hand. "If it's that hard for you to be decent, I'll hafta –"
A jet stream of water pushed the Tetsusaiga off target. Inuyasha swore and Kichiruka stood posturing with his conch staff.
"Moron! What the hell? I'm tryin' t' protect your stupid ass!" Inuyasha blustered, swinging his sword arm in the direction of their aura-pulsing threat.
Kichiruka nodded, a withering smile in his eyes. "I appreciate it, Inuyasha, really. But I'd rather handle Lord Sesshomaru on my own." The water demon readied his staff. It felt like holding a twig against an ogre. There was only so much you could hope for, but the outcome was obvious. But maybe it'll be like Kohaku said, Kichiruka hoped. He remembered the taijiya remarking on Sesshomaru's respect for strength and tenacity. Maybe if I can stick it out long enough he'll recognize me as a worthy match for Rin. "Come then, Lord Sesshomaru! I've got fight in me!"
Despite the water demon's bold declaration there was no change in the daiyokai's expression. Kichiruka just made his job faster.
"Don't you see, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru said, his eyes never leaving Rin. "The little fool wants to die. A prawn's value is only after it is skewered." Cat-stepping from the porch, Sesshomaru unleashed his energy whip. Kichiruka spared the second to bat it away. That was his mistake.
Sesshomaru leapt over the water demon's lowered defenses. As greater yokai, he was much faster than anything Kichiruka had ever encountered and, on land, Kichiruka knew he was slower, razor-edged reality grazing him as he barely teleported away from Sesshomaru's next strike.
"Damn idiot," Inuyasha growled. He since sheathed Tetsusaiga, but his thumb still pushed on the hand guard, readying it for a fast draw. "He's gonna get himself killed."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome admonished, casting a concerned glance Rin's way.
The girl didn't say anything. Her lips soldered shut in watching with rapt attention as Sesshomaru sped toward Kichiruka. She took in a sharp breath as her guardian's "prey" evaded him once more. He has Kich' completely on the defensive.
Kichiruka danced backward, trying to lead the dog-demon from Rin's village. If Sesshomaru knew his own strength and if he cared anything for his ward's home, he would follow and spare the village any possible damage. But he probably thinks he can finish me here without it getting messy. Kichiruka didn't want to test the theory.
With whatever seconds gleaned from his death-defying dance, Kichiruka riffled through his options. I don't want to hurt him. It seemed impossible to even land a blow, but it didn't sit well with Kichiruka if he somehow managed to injure Rin's guardian. But I've got to stop him in his tracks. He tried to think back to his last exam with Tensai. If only he could get the dog-demon to calm down a little.
"Get back here, prawn," Sesshomaru snarled when Kichiruka winked out of range again. A clawed hand hesitated over Bakusaiga. Then thought better of it. He wasn't about to crush an ant with a blacksmith's hammer.
Kichiruka reappeared some distance away. "First of all," he called, "I'm not a bottom-feeder."
"A worm, then." Magenta stripes curled up Sesshomaru's wrist.
Kichiruka lightly chuckled. "If that's so, then Rin's a bird."
Sesshomaru paused. He actually appeared bemused. "How's that?"
Kichiruka grinned. "If my segments get separated, I'll scream and she'll be there."
A low growl rumbled in the dog-demon's throat. Kichiruka gulped. Humor had won him friends before, but it was getting clearer there was nothing to be had with Sesshomaru. Any chance that the dog-demon could be diverted with a little jesting was definitely out of the question.
Sesshomaru huffed. He would not be mocked. The daiyokai lashed a band of poison laced energy at him, but Kichiruka already vanished into the rain. Weather normally didn't bother Sesshomaru, but being soggy from pelt to boot did nothing for his mood. And the drenched silks were somewhat hampering his movement. He should've had that that prawn by now. Sesshomaru frowned. There was one solution to this pest's magic tricks. Pivoting on his toes, Sesshomaru spun faster and faster, the ribbon of his yoki bright and lengthening around him until he was surrounded in a perfect and lethal barrier. When Kichiruka reappeared, the dog-demon unfurled his whip. There.
Kichiruka yelped. His conch deflected the first lash, but the whip ricocheted and licked at his jaw. There was a sizzled as it burned across his cheek.
Too close! Kichiruka ground his teeth. Sesshomaru was going to figure him out one way or another and the lesser yokai could already guess whose stamina would wear out first. All right. Let's fight.
Issuing the necessary syllables, Kichiruka froze the rain in midair, freezing them to small icicles. Waving his conch staff, he directed the icy shrapnel at Sesshomaru.
Amber eyes marginally widened at the presumption to strike. Then in a single, strong flare of his aura, the ice melted back to the rain.
"Is that all, prawn?"
Kichiruka gulped. Well, that just took out a few of his best moves. He aimed a torrent of water a Sesshomaru. Who easily sidestepped it. Damn, he really didn't want to do this. Kichiruka sighed. "Please, Lord Sesshomaru, won't you hear me out?" The pounding downpour subsided to a fine drizzle.
The same could not be said for the daiyokai's temper. Talons cracking before him, Sesshomaru answered Kichiruka's question. And charged forward.
Seeking refuge in the last drops of rain, Kichiruka teleported – only he didn't go much of anywhere this time. I could've jumped farther.
And that mistake left him perfectly his Sesshomaru's range. In an instant, claws were at his throat. Tossing the water demon like a toy, Sesshomaru threw him to the ground. Raw flesh was revealed where toxic claws had touched. Kichiruka's head smacked the earth after his shoulders made impact, which was the only thing that had saved him from passing out. He ended up sprawled on his back, a vulnerable position were it not for the conch staff in his hand by instinct. The strength in that one violent movement left his gut hollow with fear. He tenderly fingered his throat and pain zinged through him. This encounter with Sesshomaru was a struggle on two fronts; it was one thing to battle a daiyokai, but time and again Kichiruka had to fight down the urge to teleport himself out of there. He was surrounded by rain puddles. It would have been so easy, too.
"Kich'!"
Rin. Whispering a water spell, Kichiruka called up the nearest puddle. He was planning to move it closer so he could move out of the way, like diving into a rabbit's hole. But, naturally, that wasn't what happened. And Sesshomaru got there first.
Plunging into the knee-deep puddle, the Lord of the West slipped. There was a loud splash and squelch that would've been satisfying if you were eight. But Sesshomaru was well over eight hundred. Muddied fur and silks disgraced his stately image.
Kichiruka smirked. Then paled. Oh shit.
Sesshomaru lunged out of the puddle. His pride bruised, if nothing else. Worse, he didn't stand up either. Kichiruka felt a wildfire's scorch – ten times the furnace of Rin's infusion blade – blast his way as Sesshomaru maintained his crouch. A ripple ran through his back like a wave of water driven by wind. In the tumult of mounting yoki, the dog-demon's mane whipped high and Kichiruka could see it was coming less out of his head and more from his spine.
Damn, damn, damn, damn. "Lord Sesshomaru, if you'd please listen…"
The corners of Sesshomaru's mouth ripped back to the hinges of his jaw. Blossoming around him, the pink clouds of yoki enfolded the last of Sesshomaru's human-like form. The muzzle that emerged from the tornado of demonic aura was incapable of speech. But the rows of serrated fangs that lined it spoke clearly: Run, prawn. Sesshomaru snapped at Kichiruka, just missing his leg and tearing off a dark blue piece of his robe.
Heels over head, Kichiruka tumbled backward in the mud. He had enough time to see the massive paw come down. And feel his fingers dip into a puddle. Close enough.
Scarlet eyes stopped to stare at where the water-demon had just lain strewn. Sesshomaru lifted his paw. Nothing. He sniffed and couldn't find a trace of the sea-salt scent. Strange – he thought only the rain had been what was throwing off his nose.
"Lord Sesshomaru, please!"
Behind him.
In his canine form, Sesshomaru listened even less to the pleas about him. It's as if he's driven with the singular goal to kill me.
Jaws chomped and caught a tree instead.
Or eat me.
Without the rain to rely on, Kichiruka slid into the nearest puddle. But when he poked his head out of the destination – a rice paddy – Sesshomaru's large pink nose was already there. Kichiruka barely avoided being lapped up. He quickly transitioned to the next pond, Sesshomaru followed and they were gradually getting farther from Rin's village. Soon only the brook would be his last resort.
He's predicting where I'm going to come out next. Kichiruka sucked in a sharp breath. Sesshomaru's timing was catching up quick.
Kichiruka stood half submerged in another rain puddle. "M'lord! Your audience is all I request."
The dog barked. Then lunged.
Kichiruka spun the staff. He hadn't wished to resort to this extreme. He took aim at Sesshomaru's foreleg.
A keening yipe! escaped the great canine as the leg opposite his mane crumpled beneath him. All the muscles contracted, it felt as if they had shriveled. The pain was near instantaneous, searing through a series of ligaments and nerves.
Little bastard. Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to crunch that seashell between his teeth. Preferably with the wielder. He struggled to stand. It had been a while since he'd had only three legs.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Kichiruka heard Rin cry. Damn, she'd followed. Kichiruka looked at his staff and felt sick for even attempting to –
Sesshomaru's teeth grated like two slabs of granite as they clamped just inches from Kichiruka. Feeling the dog's whiskers at his face and hot breath on his throat, the water demon bolted and backpedaled.
Trying once more to stand, Sesshomaru gave up and resumed his temporary form. Mud matted his fur and stained his clothes. A few smudges smeared across his face where his muzzle had went after the water demon. Sesshomaru glared at Kichiruka, his left arm hanging limp at his side. He would heal within mere hours, but the humiliation was unforgivable. He clicked his claws, but his ear flexed at Rin's approach.
Huffing and puffing, Rin made it to where Kichiruka and Sesshomaru had come to a break in their skirmish. Rin cautiously approached, nervously looking between the demons. She had run off before Inuyasha and Kagome could stop her. And it definitely wasn't that hard to lose track of Sesshomaru.
Kichiruka looked at his paused opponent. Maybe he's tired out. Kichiruka sighed. He certainly was. Did I pass by his standards? Now he almost wished he had used dehydration earlier if it would win any points. Smiling, he sagged a little, the conch at rest. "Lord Sesshomaru, have you considered…?"
The lesser demon hacked. There was the vice grip of claws around his throat. And Kichiruka's world reeled.
.
A/N: Thank you for reading! With regards to reviews, I always reply to those who login and have their accounts enabled to accept private messages (can't do it otherwise!). Just a reminder, in all reviews please keep your language suitable for a teen audience in accordance with the website's policies lest they be promptly removed. Thank you.
Anniversary cartoon: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/art/Hooked-One-Year-Anniversary-198226070 (beware ye spaces in the links)
Fanart courtesy of Healing-Touch on Deviantart: healing-touch. deviantart. com/gallery/#/d39kvnj
Check out her profile! She also does a fanficition collaboration, "Demon Guns," (an InuYasha Western!) with the highly acclaimed Animaker.