Morning came far too quickly, and she was indeed sore. Thankfully, not as badly as she could have been, and she congratulated herself for taking the time to rub some salve into her wounds after she had washed. Inuyasha, unsurprisingly, was already awake; she was disappointed to discover that she had missed his transformation, then thought better of it. He might prefer the privacy, so she decided not to mention it at all.
"Are you ready to get started?" She asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
The ear with the studs flicked. "Are you sure you don't wanna rest awhile longer?"
His reply startled her. She had been sure he would be keen for her to try as soon as possible and couldn't believe that he had let her sleep as long as she apparently had. She stood up, assessing her injuries while she stretched. There was pain, but it was manageable, especially if she didn't have to fight again very soon.
"No, I rested quite well-thank you for this, by the way; I think it helped," she said, passing him his haori, fascinated by the light pink that stained his cheeks as he took it.
Inuyasha avoided looking at her and shrugged into the still-warm haori, realizing he may have made a mistake when he was wrapped in her scent. He darted to the mouth of the cave to take a deep breath of air, hoping she would just think he was eager to get started.
Kagome cocked her head. He was acting oddly, but at least it wasn't with the same tension as the past few days.
"Do you think it's weak enough for you to get through on your own?" She asked. No reason to waste energy if he could do it himself.
Without answering, Inuyasha tried to lean out of the cave...
And was instantly slammed into his personal dent in the wall.
"Looks like that's a "no."" she said with a sympathetic wince.
"Maybe you'll have better luck," Inuyasha groaned, propping himself up.
With movements that were becoming second nature, Kagome once again set about breaking the curse. While it felt discernably weaker, there was something about it that just refused to allow Inuyasha to leave. It had to be something at the core of the spell, and she quickly realized that picking at the edges wasn't going to unravel it.
"This isn't going to work. I need to go see if Sango can find anything in the scrolls," she admitted.
He had been expecting that. He wasn't happy about the idea of her leaving, but maybe it would give him time to compose himself.
"Be careful. Tsubaki might still be lurking around. You saw last night she's not above makin' a contract with a lower youkai."
Kagome snorted, gathering up the few things she had unpacked the night before. "Tsubaki isn't above much of anything. I expect that at some point, she'll try something, but after so many wounds to get pride, she'll want an assured victory. Given the state she was in last night, that'll take some time. I'm more worried about leaving you alone before Sesshomaru has made his appearance."
Sesshomaru was coming. Inuyasha knew that—the Marks scattered across his body fairly throbbed at the promise of his arrival. If it happened while Kagome was away, all the better. Tsubaki's visit last night was hard enough; Sesshomaru was in a completely different league. Outside of the cave, they might stand a chance. Inside? He would settle for both of them going down together.
"He doesn't think I'm goin' anywhere, so if he hasn't shown up by now, I'm a low priority."
"Maybe. I still don't like it."
"Just concentrate on gettin' ahold of those scrolls. If I can get out of this cave, everything'll be fine."
Somehow, Kagome wasn't reassured.
At the opening of the cave, she paused beside him, reaching out to take his hand and give it a squeeze. "Just be careful while I'm gone, please?"
His mouth gaped at the contact, but he quickly recovered, giving her a fang-baring smirk. "I promise I won't go lookin' for trouble."
That wasn't the problem, Kagome thought as she walked away. She was more afraid of what was going to happen if trouble came looking for him.
The journey went much smoother than the day before, and Kagome felt she was making good progress. She might be able to make it to the village by nightfall if she ate lunch while she was walking and didn't run into any trouble. Once she made it to a road, she was able to move faster without having to pick her way over rocks and fallen branches. There were other travelers along the way, but thankfully they didn't try to stop her.
The sun had reached its peak when she decided to eat. As she was reaching into her bag, she heard a faint jingle. She looked up, but there was nothing in sight. It sounded familiar, and she strained her ears to see if she could catch it again. Now that she was concentrating, she could tell that whatever it was, it was moving in a steady rhythm. The longer she listened, the closer it seemed to come, and she moved to meet it when she realized it was coming in the same direction as the village. She was at the base of a small hill when she saw the very top of a dark head of hair, along with the tip of a monk's staff. On a hunch, she called out.
"Miroku? Is that you?"
The jingling stopped. "Kagome?"
With a grin, she ran forward, laughing when she met his eyes. They rushed toward each other, and Miroku took her in a one-armed hug.
"Kagome, it is you! It's been far too long-I was hoping to see you while I was traveling, but your mother said you were away."
At the mention of her mother, the homesickness that Kagome had suppressed until now came to the surface. "You've seen Mama? How is she? Is everything alright in the village?"
Miroku laughed at her rapid questions and patted her arm. "I can see the concern for your safety was unnecessary; you're quite lively for someone who has been missing so long! To answer your questions, yes, I've seen your family. They, and everyone else in the village, are fine. Another miko has offered her services during your absence, and she seems to be doing quite well."
Kagome sagged in relief. Knowing that there was someone to take care of her people's needs reduced her guilt. That's wonderful news and one less thing I need to take care of. I don't suppose that Sango is nearby?"
The monk's mood shifted to gloomy wistfulness. "Sadly, no. My beloved has returned to her village for a visit since her brother misses her when she goes on long journeys."
Sango was a demon slayer and Miroku's long-suffering fiance. Kagome had met her when they were younger, and both were training, and the two had become fast friends. Three years ago, Miroku, a monk, had wandered upon them in his travels. Smooth-talking and more than slightly lecherous, Miroku quickly became enamored of Sango, who never hesitated to put him in his place. It took a while to convince her that his intentions were true, but several months ago, she had agreed to marry him.
"And you didn't go with her?" Kagome asked, surprised that he would be so far from Sango now that they were engaged.
"Normally, I would have. However, I sensed something ominous recently and decided to investigate. I was traveling in that direction when I felt the aura dissipate suddenly last night, and the light I was following went out."
Kagome clutched his arm in excitement. "Were you going that way?" She pointed in the general direction of the cave.
Miroku looked surprised, eyebrows arching over amethyst eyes. "As a matter of fact, yes. Do you know anything about that?"
"Let's sit down; I have a lot to tell you," Kagome said, motioning to a spot on the side of the road that looked comfortable.
The sun continued its journey across the sky as Kagome told him everything that had happened; her story slowed down by having to stop to answer his questions. He was amazed but not disbelieving; he had known her long enough to trust what she said.
"So I was on my way to find Sango and see if there were any scrolls in her village that might help," she finished.
Miroku rolled the prayer beads that were wrapped around his wrist, a gesture he always made with the family heirloom when he was deep in thought.
"I see. It sounds as if time is of the essence if Lord Sesshomaru is indeed preparing to attack. I suggest you return to Inuyasha while I find Sango and help her search for any information that may be of help. With Kirara, we should be able to make the trip to you very quickly."
Kagome perked up. This meant she would make it back to Inuyasha sooner than she had thought! She felt much better at the thought, not wanting him to be alone any more than needed.
"Would you? That would be wonderful! I didn't want to leave Inuyasha for very long."
Miroku's eyes glinted with amusement, a familiar teasing smirk forming at her words. "I understand your feelings, Kagome; I, too, am reluctant to part from my beloved-"
"It's not like that!" She squealed, smacking his arm so hard that he nearly fell off the rock he was sitting on.
He waved his hands in defeat, still laughing. Privately, Miroku didn't quite believe her. He was particularly interested in the sensations she mentioned when she described what happened when she used her powers to calm him. He knew quite well what that meant, but he chose not to mention that; it was a choice best made without feeling some type of imaginary obligation.
"Is it not? I don't recall ever seeing you blush quite like that before," he couldn't resist teasing.
"There is nothing between me and Inuyasha," she huffed. "Besides, I don't think he would see me like that; the only reason he has anything to do with me is because I'm his only hope of getting free."
Miroku became serious, not liking seeing her having doubts about herself.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. From what you have said, I think it's likely that Inuyasha has a hard time expressing any feelings that may be taken as a weakness, and I'm positive he would expect any romantic interest on his part to be rebuffed. He is a hanyou, and you are a miko, after all. Not many would want to deal with the complications being in that type of relationship would bring."
"Miroku, you know that wouldn't matter to me!" Kagome countered hotly as if she had forgotten that she had denied that she had any feelings for the surly hanyou.
He nodded. "Of course I know that. But does he? That may be something that takes him a while to fully accept."
Kagome couldn't argue with him but now wasn't the time.
"Be that as it may, I still need to get back soon. Would you please stop and tell my mother that everything is alright? I don't want her to worry."
"Of course! I would be happy to reassure her. Is there anything else you need while I'm there?"
She hesitated, then shook her head. As long as her family knew she was safe, nothing else mattered. The village sounded like it was in good hands, and if all went well, she could leave things as they were while she decided what she would do with her life.
With a final farewell to Miroku, Kagome set off, knowing she would need to stop for the night before she reached the water.
Inuyasha sprawled on his side, his eyes closed against the sunlight that warmed the entrance of the cave. He basked in the heat lazily, dozing as he listened for any sign of danger. He was immensely bored without Kagome, having grown used to her efforts at conversation. Even the moments of quiet between them were satisfying in their own way, and he was finding that he didn't enjoy solitude quite as much as he did in the past. He was resigned to waiting for several days, possibly more, depending on how far she had to travel. When he caught her scent in the wind, he could hardly believe it. Thinking it was the remnant of a dream, he sat up to inhale deeply, his ears pricked forward at the faint sound of footsteps. Had something gone wrong? He hopped to his feet, cursing the barrier that prevented him from rushing to find out what was going on.
The tightness in his chest eased when she came into view, a large smile overtaking her face when she saw him and her hand coming up in a wave. She looked fine, which meant she hadn't run into Sesshomaru or Tsubaki.
"I bet you weren't expecting me back so soon!" Kagome said brightly, entering the cave.
"I figured three, maybe four days would be the soonest you could make it back," he agreed, plopping down next to her.
"I was lucky. I ran into the friend I've told you about on the way-Miroku?" She asked, wondering if Inuyasha remembered or if he had ignored those portions of her frequent ramblings.
"The pervert?" Inuyasha snorted, wondering how that could possibly be of help.
Kagome giggled; she supposed that was accurate enough. "Yes, but he's also Sango's fiance. He's going back to her village, and they're going to go through the scrolls there. They'll come here when they're done since it seems the curse has lifted enough that it isn't repelling anyone from the area anymore."
Shocked, Inuyasha leaped to his feet. "What do you mean, they're coming here? A monk and a slayer? Are you tryin' to get me killed?"
Taken aback by his reaction, Kagome became defensive. "Of course not! Neither Sango nor Miroku would do anything to you-neither one of them has a problem with youkai, as long as they aren't attacking humans without reason."
"That's easy for you to say-they haven't dedicated their lives to wiping you out!"
Kagome got to her feet, her face thrust close to his as they glared at each other. "They haven't dedicated their lives to killing anyone! I'm telling you, Sango and Miroku aren't like that! I trust them!"
"Well, I don't! And I say they don't come anywhere near this cave!"
"They may be our only chance for useful information!" Kagome tried to reason.
"If you can't hack it, maybe you should go," Inuyasha said coldly, turning his back on her.
"No. I told you I would get you out of here, and I will-even if you're a stubborn ass!"
"That was when I thought you might be competent enough to do it yourself!"
At her gasp, he knew he had gone too far. He also knew it wasn't true. Kagome was more than capable, and she had gotten much farther than any other miko could have managed-or would have endured for a hanyou. He wasn't even truly afraid that they would harm him. To be more accurate, he didn't think that they could. But other people would change the dynamic of the cave and remind Kagome just how unnatural he was. It was completely selfish of him, but he wanted just a little more time to have her to himself. His ears sagged against his head, each shuddering breath, she took a stab to his heart. He wanted to take his words back, but he had no idea what he could do to make things better. All he could think to do was to stay silent and not make them any worse.
Kagome was furious. Hurt, yes, but mainly furious. Just who did he think he was? Had the time she had spent here been meaningless to him? She wanted to yell-to pound his chest until he took the words back. A glance at his ears had her jaw tightening. She had observed him long enough that she could read his body language better than he imagined. It looked like he had surprised himself and regretted what he had said. That didn't mean she was going to let him off the hook. She was still mad, and she wasn't going to act as if everything was okay just because he couldn't express his feelings better. Instead, she began to go about fixing her dinner, deliberately ignoring him. Until he made an effort, she wasn't going to say anything.
Inuyasha watched her move about the cave. He waited for her to ream him out, but the tongue-lashing never came. By the time her food had finished cooking, he realized she didn't intend to speak to him at all. There was no getting past the fact that he deserved it, but the longer the silence stretched, the harder it became to say anything at all. The sun had barely set before she had pulled out her bedding, and he could only hope that by the time she woke, he had figured out what to say.
Inuyasha poked at the fire, risking a glance at Kagome, who had pointedly lay down facing away from him. Her body had remained still for a long time before sleep finally claimed her, and he wasn't sure if it was her anger alone that had kept her awake or if she could feel his own emotions twisting and coiling within him after their fight.
She should have known he wouldn't welcome the idea of others coming, seeing him trapped like an animal in a cage. Kagome said they could be trusted, but it wasn't her life she was risking. Not that he thought two humans would be enough to take him down, even if they were a monk and a slayer. He wasn't used to curbing his tongue and sparing people's feelings when he was mad. She knew that. She knew that, damn it!
So why did he feel so guilty?
The song of a night bird cut off mid-trill, and the cool evening breeze flattened out into a sheet of oppressive stillness. Every hair on the back of Inuyasha's neck stood at attention, and he knew there were only moments before the scent he hated most would fill the cave to the point of suffocation.
"Kagome? You need to get up!" He said, already moving into a position to try to take what little advantage the space offered.
"Kagome! Get up! Now!"
She must have heard the urgency spiking his voice because she finally rolled over to look at him, her eyes hazy with sleep.
"Inuyasha? Wh—"
"He's here."
To her credit, Kagome immediately realized what he was saying. Training took over as she rolled to collect her bow and quiver in one fluid motion, an arrow already nocked before she had risen to her feet.
There was a flash of light that one might mistake for lighting, and Inuyasha planted his feet more firmly as the form resolved itself into that of his brother.
The lord of the East had changed very little in the century that Inuyasha had slept. An inch or two taller, a hint broader in the shoulders. His eyes were just as cold and calculating. As Inuyasha looked for weak points he knew did not exist, he couldn't help but sneer at Sesshomaru's expression of disdain.
"Miko. I see you are still making poor decisions."
Inuyasha held his breath. Sesshomaru's face might be as expressive as an egg, but his eyes were flashing dangerously, red flickering at the edges of his irises. He was out for blood, and his attention was turned on Kagome. To make matters worse, she looked as if she was about to hurl one of her barbed insults; if he didn't act fast, Inuyasha knew she would be dead before her arrow could leave her bow.
"C'mon, Sesshomaru. After all this time, aren't you going to greet your brother?" He taunted.
Sesshomaru barely turned in his direction, the emblem of his mother's house glowing a lighter purple in the moonlight. "Inuyasha. I suppose it's fitting that she should be here with you. Neither of you ever knew when it was in your best interest to die quietly."
Kagome's eyes darted between the brothers. There were very few similarities. Hair and eye color, although she supposed there would be more of a resemblance if Inuyasha's hair were at its original length. Sesshomaru had a finer bone structure; his nose was thinner, all the better to look down, she snickered internally. He was languid and ethereal, with sort of a contained deadly intent.
Inuyasha was rougher, his energy and expression wilder and less inhibited. The shade of his eyes was darker and flashed with strong emotion. There was a warmth about him that captured her attention and drew her in, some undefinable that Sesshomaru could never hope to mimic.
And something that she should most definitely be focusing on while confronting a hostile youkai that wanted to eviscerate them both.
"Guess this means there won't be a celebration in honor of my return?" Inuyasha smirked, knowing his flippancy would get under Sesshomaru's skin.
Sesshomaru's pupils elongated briefly before snapping back to normal.
"Your return? You mean you do intend to join us? I was growing concerned that you had become too attached to this place to leave," he retorted silkily.
"And yet, that would still be better than having to admit to everyone that you had to trap him here like a coward," Kagome snapped, her fingers tingling with the need to release her arrow.
Sesshomaru flicked his arm faster than the human eye could track, his energy whip slashing through the air to strike Kagome. Before it could make contact, Inuyasha flung himself in front of her, batting the energy away by using the sleeve of his haori as a buffer. A tendril brushed against his fingers, and he bit back a hiss.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, torn between worry for his safety and cursing the fact that she no longer had a clear shot of Sesshomaru.
"Stay back, Kagome!" He grunted, not risking a look over his shoulder.
"Interesting. It seems as if you've managed to train the little human. Could it be because you have the same filthy blood in common?"
"Nah, I think it's because I have the better personality," Inuyasha goaded, ignoring Kagome's dark muttering behind him. "But she does have a point. Why did you go to all this trouble? There would've been more honor in just killing me."
"And give credence to the claims that you were becoming strong enough to threaten my rule?" Sesshomaru spat, the idea clearly turning his stomach. "I don't think so. Much better to send you on a quest that you obviously didn't survive."
Inuyasha laughed, falling into a deceptively casual stance. "Except things didn't work quite like you planned, did they? What do you think they'll have to say about my ability to overcome death itself? That's gonna boost my standing even if I don't tell 'em what really happened."
The thought was enough to make bile rise to the back of Sesshomaru's throat. He could just imagine the sly digs if anyone discovered the truth, and he had enough enemies that would welcome the hanyou challenging him for power.
Either option was detestable.
"Yes, I see know I was mistaken in how I chose to deal with you," he conceded. "But that is a mistake that is easily rectified!"
Inuyasha barely had time to brace himself before Sesshomaru launched across the cave, slamming into Inuyasha with enough force to push the air from his lungs. Dimly, he registered Kagome crying out, but he couldn't focus on that right now—if he did, they were both dead.
He used the momentum to twist and fling Sesshomaru to the side, giving him just enough time to catch a breath. His attention was drawn to Sesshomaru's right hand. The skin of the palm was quite pink, still shiny enough to show that it had only recently formed. Normally, full youkai took no more than a day or so to heal from near-fatal injuries, so Inuyasha knew his brother's pride had to be bruised—although that meant Kagome was even more of a target.
"Stay on guard, Kagome. He has poison in his claws and fangs that will melt the flesh right off your bones."
"If he gets that close, I'll do a little melting of my own," Kagome countered, flaring her reiki.
Inuyasha was torn between laughing and throttling her. She was brave. He would give her that; it was one of the elements that drew him closer to her with an almost irresistible pull. He knew she was powerful, but in this cave, her arrows were almost useless, and she no longer had the element of surprise about the damage she could do. Sesshomaru had needed her before, but now that she was of no use, she was going to end up as a bloody stain in the dirt if she didn't watch her mouth.
He darted to the side, attacking Sesshomaru from an angle that put more distance between Kagome and Sesshomaru.
Kagome watched for an opening, but she quickly saw that idea was hopeless. Even if she had enough distance for her arrow to be effective, the two men were moving too fast that she could fire without risk to Inuyasha. Even flaring her reiki had been dangerous; it would only work if Sesshomaru attacked her while Inuyasha was out of her range, and she didn't think Inuyasha would allow things to come to that. She had noticed that he had tried to move Sesshomaru away from her, and while she was grateful for his concern, she was afraid that it put him at a disadvantage.
To make matters worse, she knew Inuyasha was not in his top form. He was still well-muscled, but there had been no opportunity for him to exercise and work off the rust from his long sleep. His movements were slightly slower than Sesshomaru's, and the youkai was getting in more hits than Inuyasha could block. It put Inuyasha on the defensive, and she wasn't sure how much he could take. When Sesshomaru's hand erupted from Inuyasha's back, she couldn't help the scream of despair that nearly dropped her to her knees. The taint of poison was sharp in the air, mixing sickeningly with the scent of charred, bubbling flesh as it ate away at the edges of Inuyasha's wounds.
What could she do? Her bow was useless at this range, and with Inuyasha between them, she was more likely to accidentally finish him off than help him. She needed something to buy some time, or another weapon, or—her eyes flickered over to the sword that had been left with Inuyasha. Deemed useless since he could not figure out how to unlock its power, he had only carried it as an heirloom of his father, only valuable since Sesshomaru resented Inuyasha for having it.
She let her bow clatter to the ground as she lunged for the sword leaning against the cave wall. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt, the soft fur almost caressing her fingers. Quickly removing it from the sheath, she brandished it at Sesshomaru, wondering if she could surprise him by channeling her reiki through the sword as she did with her arrows.
It would be a surprise to her, as well.
"My father's fang has fallen to a sorry state; it was bad enough in the possession of a hanyou who could not call forth its transformation, but to be in the hands of a filthy human is too much," Shesshomaru sneered, letting Inuyasha slide to the floor.
Eyes already cloudy from the poison and blood loss, Inuyasha turned his head to see Kagome advancing on his brother, rusty Tetseiga held as if there was a hope in hell of it cutting through anything besides air.
This was far too reminiscent of the night that they fought Tsubaki. Then, as now, he had been nearly helpless as Kagome battled the other miko. As hard as it had been to admit, she had saved him. Even now, in the face of certain defeat, she refused to allow him to die if she could help it.
Sesshomaru was infinitely more deadly than Tsubaki.
Kagome was going to die.
Kagome was going to die because she refused to leave him to his fate. She was going to die because she had not escaped when he asked her to.
She was going to die for him.
Dredging up the remains of his stubborn strength, he forced himself to his feet, jerkily snatching the sword from her hand and shoving her behind him.
"Let me take care of this," he rasped, sparing a glance behind him through his half-swollen right eye.
"Inuyasha, you've been poisoned! You need to—" Kagome tugged on the back of his haori, hardly believing that he was still able to remain standing, let alone continue to fight.
"Just shut up and let me protect you!" He roared, not wanting Sesshomaru to think they were worried. A good portion of a battle was convincing the enemy that you believed you were going to win.
The words had barely left his mouth when the sword began to pulse like a heartbeat. Inuyasha stared in wonderment as the blade grew, the rust disappearing as it widened, the edge becoming sharp and deadly. An almost maniacal grin spread across his face as he looked up to see Sesshomaru's reaction.
The youkai's eyes had widened before narrowing into slits, and a vein throbbed at his forehead. For Sesshomaru, exhibiting this much emotion was the human equivalent of throwing a tantrum. Kagome was fortunate he kept his emotions so tightly restrained; otherwise, she would have a paralyzing headache.
"Don't get cocky, little brother. Just because Tessaiga has transformed doesn't mean you will be able to control it."
Inuyasha was painfully aware of that; however, even as Sesshomaru was insulting him, Inuyasha felt the connection between himself and the sword growing.
"Maybe not. But we both remember how much damage I can cause when I'm learning somethin'. I gotta say, though, I think this is gonna be on a whole new level. I never really did believe you when you talked about the power of the old man's fang, so we'll see if my opinion changes after I put this through its paces."
Kagome was intrigued by the shadow of hesitation she saw in Sesshomaru's eyes. Even she had heard the legends concerning his father, Toga. If Inuyasha could harness a fraction of that power for even a short amount of time, things might turn in their favor.
It wasn't only the sword that gave Sesshomaru pause. No, it was the hauntingly familiar expression on Inuyasha's face that Sesshomaru had seen countless times on their father's face while in battle.
Usually, before he utterly destroyed an enemy.
"Would you really be so foolish as to risk unleashing that power inside this cave? Even if you did manage to wound me, you and the miko would die."
"Well, I was raised with a pack mentality. Where our fearless leader goes, the rest follow."
Sesshomaru turned his attention to the miko, who was still peering over Inuyasha's shoulder. "Are you so quick to die as well?"
Kagome sent him a smile that was all tooth and malice. "From one vindictive bitch to another, I think you know my answer."
Inuyasha desperately smothered a laugh, nearly puncturing a lung with his efforts. This woman was priceless, and if they lived through this, he was going to apologize for their fight out of appreciation for this comment alone.
Sesshomaru did not believe that Inuyasha would be able to deal him a mortal blow, but he would sustain enough damage that would not easily be explained. As satisfying as it would be to kill them both, he was going to have to take the longer approach.
Schooling his features into unconcerned amusement, Sesshomaru took a casual step toward the entrance. "If you have resigned yourself to death, my involvement is hardly necessary."
Inuyasha didn't lower his sword, even though the poison coursing through his system made his grip unsteady. "You're not gonna walk away and leave me with a chance to escape, Sesshomaru. I know you don't like loose ends."
"I had thought to give you the mercy of a swift death when I was informed you had awakened but remained trapped. Now that I've been reminded of your ungrateful attitude and foul stench, I'm more than content to leave you here to rot in your misery."
Kagome bit her tongue. If Sesshomaru would leave, she didn't care if he thought Inuyasha's situation was hopeless. The important thing now was getting rid of him so she could tend to Inuyasha's wounds.
"Will you be content when I get out of here and show you up as the coward you are?" Inuyasha couldn't resist taunting.
Sesshomaru's nostrils flared at the insult, but a malicious smile soon replaced his irritation. "Oh, Inuyasha. Do you really believe she will do what it takes to release you?"
"Kagome defeated your dark miko, and she can break this curse!" Inuyasha flung back harshly, feeling Kagome's grip on him tighten.
Sesshomaru knew the terms for breaking the curse, as well as what it took for the sword to transform. He laughed, and it was the sound of river ice breaking under your feet.
"Have you forgotten, Inuyasha? You're a hanyou. You know what that means. In the unlikely event that she decides to break the curse…." His eyes briefly flickered to the sword, his smile growing, "The less you'll want her to. Enjoy these moments I've given you, brother. This time in your prison will be the only time you can pretend to be more than you are."
Inuyasha stepped forward, bringing the sword up over his head, but before he could swing, Sesshomaru darted away in a ball of light.
"Bastard!" Inuyasha shouted, falling to his knees. The sword pulsed once more before transforming back into its original state.
Kagome gripped his shoulders, bracing his body as it continued to slide to the floor. From this angle, she could see his stomach and discovered that the entry wound was larger than the one on his back. He was coated in thick, black blood, the poison corroding it as it leaked from his body. If she didn't do something quickly, Inuyasha was going to die.
"Inuyasha, I need you to hold on! I have supplies, but if you keep moving, you're going to bleed out!" She yelled, watching his eyes flutter with a sinking feeling. They were glassy, and his skin was taking on a red flush caused by a fever.
Now that the danger had passed, Inuyasha found it difficult to motivate himself to push through the poison. He couldn't feel his limbs, and he wished he could say the same about the agonizing pain in his gut.
There had been something he had wanted to do after the fight, wasn't there? His brain was like a stew, and he struggled to get the right thought to float to the top. Kagome was leaning over him, and he knew she was saying something, but the words made no sense. At least she was speaking to him again.
Oh. That was it.
"Hey. Kagome?" He murmured, his voice coming out garbled and wet.
"Shhh, don't talk right now. You need to focus on healing," Kagome said, gently brushing sweaty bangs from his forehead. She needed to get her supplies but was afraid to move in case he tried to strain himself.
"It—it's okay if your people come," he said, referencing their earlier fight.
"That doesn't matter right now, so don't worry," she tried to calm him, pushing him back down as he struggled to look at her face.
His eyes were wide, barely any gold rimming the pupils. He looked confused, a wobbly smile fighting to stay in place. "They can come, but I'm not sure there'll be enough room for them now that there are three of you. How'd ya do that? You some kinda kitsune?"
His speech had become more slurred, and his eyes began to roll to the back of his head. The last thing he heard before the darkness consumed him was Kagome screaming his name.