Chapter 23: Tessaiga Breaks! / Opposite Day
Daitan sat quietly outside of the hut, her sword in her lap as she shredded little blades of grass between her claws. It had been three days since Inuyasha had gotten hit by his own Wind Scar, and his recovery was slower than usual. Sango wasn't much better off. She had sprained her wrist when she fell from being hit with the Hiraikotsu, and despite the brave face she put up, everybody could tell that her ribs and stomach still hurt quite a bit. Sango had allowed only Kagome and Daitan to treat her wounds, and the dark bruise that traveled the width of Sango's body just above and below her ribs had made them both cringe. Kirara hardly left Inuyasha and Sango's side, and Shippo had done his best to help by fetching water and washing and boiling old bandages.
How much more are we going to be held back by such grievous injuries? Thought Daitan. She flicked bits of plant matter off of her fingers and sighed, resting her cheek against the side of her sword. It isn't so bad when it's Inuyasha or me — we have youkai blood, after all, and I'm already recovered. But Sango… a human can only take so much.
A quiet hum reached Daitan's ears over the usual sounds of wind rustling leaves and the twittering of birds, but she brushed it off as just the insects buzzing in the grass. But when it started to get louder, she perked up immediately. Her golden eyes narrowed as she scanned the area for threats. Nothing seemed out of place in the meadow where they had found the abandoned hut. There were no shadows emerging from the trees, and the fact that it was broad daylight ruled out any bandits planning an ambush.
Something white flickered in the corner of her eye, and Daitan whipped her head around, senses on alert. No… it wasn't flickering. It was moving between the trees across the meadow, undulating through the air in a way that was unmistakably snakelike. A soul collector. Daitan frowned. If she wasn't mistaken, it meant that Kikyo was nearby. She kept her seat in front of the hut, but her eyes followed the soul collector with laserlike focus. It was only one… maybe it had come from far away.
Daitan knew better than to take the words of someone such as Naraku to heart, but his possession of an almost entirely whole Shikon Jewel unnerved her. It's better to be safe than sorry… If Kikyo really did give Naraku the shards she stole from Kagome, there's no way I'll let her near Inuyasha!
As soon as the thought had crossed her mind, two more soul collectors appeared in the dappled shadows of the trees. Daitan got to her feet, keeping one hand on her sword, her muscles tensing. Shippo and Kirara were still in the hut with Inuyasha and Sango, but Kagome and Miroku had left to forage for food and herbs two hours ago, leaving only Daitan to guard their injured friends. Her feet remained planted in front of the hut as she watched the soul collectors. They glided gracefully through the air, and another three joined them as they finally started to come out from under the shade of the trees. Daitan briefly bared her fangs in their direction, and finally made a decision. She poked her head into the hut, where Shippo was keeping an eye on Inuyasha and Sango. Or at least, he was certainly trying, with the way his head kept nodding drowsily.
"Shippo!" whispered Daitan urgently, and he snapped to attention with a gasp. Shippo yawned widely, rubbing his eye.
"Daitan? What is it, is there trouble?"
"I'm going to go check something out… I'm starting to see some soul collectors."
Shippo's eyes popped all the way open.
"Soul collectors?!" he exclaimed. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose in his sleep, and Daitan quickly shushed Shippo.
"I shouldn't be long, but if anything happens, just scream and I'll come running."
With that, Daitan pulled her head back through the door screen and set off at a quick pace toward where the soul collectors weaved through the trees. The few that had been adventurous enough to emerge from the forest abruptly pulled back into the shadows at Daitan's approach, seeming to hesitate. But when she made no effort to stop, they suddenly turned tail and zipped off into the trees.
Daitan picked up the pace, never taking her eyes off of the white streaks ahead of her, teeth bared. As she hopped easily over a fallen tree, she took a swipe at the closest soul collector to her with her sword. The blade narrowly missed cutting it clean in half, and Daitan skidded to a halt, shoes slipping a little on the fallen leaves. She frowned when the soul collectors abruptly turned upward and vanished into the foliage above. What was that all about…?
She didn't have time to wonder much at all, however, when a shrill scream of her name echoed from somewhere behind her. Daitan snapped to attention, heart pounding in her chest. Shippo—! The soul collectors seemed to have led her farther than she first thought as she raced back through the forest. Damn it, of course it was a trap! They led me away so that they could get to Inuyasha and the others!
Daitan finally burst from the treeline in a shower of leaves and twigs, her eyes immediately spotting Shippo. He struggled against three soul collectors that had entangled themselves around his body, rendering him unable to move. Daitan's eyes flashed, and she swiped one hand forward. The soul collectors around Shippo's body tore apart easily under her claws, and Shippo jumped up, immediately latching onto her leg.
"Daitan!" he cried, little tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry! I let Inuyasha follow the soul collectors into the woods!"
"Are you alright?" she fretted, frantically checking him over for injuries.
"I'm okay, but you need to stop Inuyasha from going to see Kikyo!" squeaked Shippo. Daitan nodded and stood up straight.
"Get inside the hut and stay there, Kirara will protect you. I'll be back soon, I promise."
And off she went, following Inuyasha's scent into another part of the woods. For someone who was injured as badly as he was, Inuyasha had managed to move quite a ways away already. As his scent became stronger, Daitan felt the familiar tingling under her skin, and the scent of grave soil hung in the air… as well as Kagura's faint presence. Daitan bared her fangs. Inuyasha… you better not be doing anything stupid!
Up ahead, a blast of pure, spine-tingling spiritual power fired through the air, and Daitan finally burst into a small clearing. She brandished her sword in front of her, searching for the threat… but there was none. Inuyasha sat in the middle of the clearing, half leaning on the Tessaiga for support as he watched Kikyo's silhouette fade from where she stood atop an old, twisted tree branch. Even Kagura had gone, and Daitan sheathed her sword with a huff. Inuyasha's head whipped around, his eyes wide.
"Wha— Daitan? What're you doing here?"
"Me?" Inuyasha's face went from confused to fearful regret when Daitan marched right up to him with a furious glare. "Me?! What are you doing out of bed?! You're still injured, bonehead! I don't care if Kikyo didn't kill you this time — you can't take any chances right now!"
Inuyasha's face screwed up in annoyance, but he didn't put up much of a fuss when Daitan pulled one of his arms over her shoulder to start half-carrying him back through the woods.
"Hey, if I remember correctly, you were supposed to be standing guard outside! Where the hell were you?!" he retorted. Daitan rolled her eyes.
"Kikyo must have known I'd try to stop you from leaving, so she sent a few soul collectors as a diversion to keep me busy in the woods while she lured you away."
"Lured me? What do I look like, some kind of fish? And if I'm that gullible, then that means you fell for it just the same as I did!"
They emerged from the trees and started to climb the grassy hill to the meadow, and Daitan wrinkled her nose.
"That was completely different! I thought there was a threat nearby, it's a perfectly reasonable explanation! You on the other hand—"
Faint, familiar voices reached their ears, carried over the wind.
"I can hear bickering, so they must be okay…" sighed Miroku's voice, and hurried footsteps announced Kagome's arrival. She appeared at the top of the hill, her brow wrinkled with worry.
"Inuyasha, Daitan! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but I'm not so sure about bonehead over here." said Daitan, shooting Inuyasha a pointed look. Inuyasha's cheeks flushed a little as he quickly extracted his arm from over Daitan's shoulders. Daitan did nothing to stop him, only raising an eyebrow. Trying to save face, huh? He took a step forward, and his legs promptly gave out. Looks like that didn't work out too well. Kagome knelt down in the grass beside him, leaning forward to get a good look at his injuries.
"Inuyasha, are you okay?"
Inuyasha just stayed silent, unable to meet Kagome's eyes.
"You went to see Kikyo, didn't you? It's written all over your face!" accused Kagome. "You can't even look me in the eye… Just like always."
Daitan, Miroku, and Shippo all exchanged identical looks. Here we go again.
"Listen, it wasn't like some kind of tryst or anything…" Inuyasha muttered. Kagome crossed her arms.
"I figured that much out for myself, stupid!"
Both of them were too stubborn for their own good, and in the tense silence that followed, Miroku turned to Daitan.
"So, what exactly happened?"
Daitan just shrugged, shaking her head.
"I'm not sure… I only caught a glimpse of Kikyo before she disappeared. Although I did catch Kagura's scent in the general vicinity."
Miroku's eyebrows furrowed.
"Hmm… Inuyasha, did you find out the truth? Whether Naraku lied when he said that Kikyo actually gave him the shards of the Sacred Jewel?"
In addition to his exhaustion from his injuries, Inuyasha seemed to deflate even more at Miroku's question.
"...Yeah…" he finally muttered.
"So it's true then," Miroku stroked his chin, furrowed brow deepening. "She made a pact with Naraku—"
"That's not true!" Inuyasha's outburst made Miroku go silent. "I can't say what Kikyo intends to do, but I think that— huh?"
Kagome stood up abruptly and started to walk away. Daitan could smell the salt of her gathering tears as she passed by. Oh, Kagome… Inuyasha, however, remained confused.
"She's leaving? Now what's her problem?"
This time, it was Miroku who hit Inuyasha on the head, his staff making a satisfying thunk when it contacted his skull. Inuyasha reared back, all of his earlier gloominess replaced with annoyance.
"What do you think you're doing, huh?!" he snapped. Daitan just huffed and turned away to follow after Kagome. He can be so thick-skulled sometimes.
—-
Only a few hours later, everyone had reconvened inside the hut. Thick grey clouds hung low in the sky, and Daitan sat against the wall next to the door while Miroku and Kagome tended to Inuyasha and Sango's wounds. Kagome, Daitan, and Sango had all made it quite clear to Miroku what the consequences were going to be if he didn't sit with his back to Sango while Kagome treated her.
When Kagome was finished, Sango sat up to slip her kimono back over her shoulders.
"Ugh… we should get moving again soon, it's not safe to stay in one place for too long…" she groaned. Daitan clicked her tongue.
"Normally I would agree with you, but with you and Inuyasha still in this state, we could try to stay here for at least a couple more days."
Kagome nodded in agreement, placing a hand on Sango's shoulder.
"Yes, I mean, are you sure you can even move?"
"I can try— ah!"
Sango groaned with pain, clutching her stomach. From the brief look she had gotten earlier, Daitan had spotted the extensive bruise on her abdomen. It was starting to turn a greenish yellow at the edges, but it was clearly still very painful.
"Don't push yourself, Sango!" squeaked Shippo, and Daitan patted him on the head with an affectionate smile. Sango just shook her head.
"No, I'll be fine… we can't stay here for long."
Miroku, who had almost finished placing bandages on Inuyasha's quickly healing wounds, turned his head slightly and nodded.
"Kagura is close, so it would be better to move on."
Daitan just hummed her uncertainty, but didn't say anything. They were right — while she hadn't actually seen Kagura, she had certainly caught her scent earlier when she went after Inuyasha in the woods. Perhaps Sango could endure a flight on Kirara's back with another person to protect her, and the others could catch up later on foot? No… separating would leave them weaker than they were at present…
A strange scent wafted in through the door screen, snapping Daitan out of her thoughts. Inuyasha seemed to notice it too, as he suddenly sat up straight, ears perked up to attention.
"Hm? What is it?" asked Miroku. Daitan stood and grasped her sword, moving the screen in the doorway a tiny bit to peek out. The scent was coming from across the meadow, and she could hear the sound of uneven, shuffling footsteps in the grass.
"It's the scent of a dead man…" growled Inuyasha.
"...And Kagura." Daitan finished.
Miroku and Daitan burst through the doorway, weapons at the ready. Inuyasha braced himself in the doorway, but Daitan didn't have time to yell at him to get back to bed. A man shuffled toward them, his feet dragging with every step. When he spoke, his voice sounded strained, as if it had gone hoarse from screaming.
"A youkai has come and devoured the entire village, and on its back was the mark of the spider!" Everyone's eyes widened. If Daitan had to guess, she was certain she knew exactly who was behind all this. "Please, help me—!" The man suddenly fell forward, landing hard on the ground in a cloud of dust.
Daitan carefully approached the body, holding her sword ready in front of her just in case he decided to come to life again. His body had turned completely black, as if he had been burnt alive. Kagome, who had emerged from the hut, shuddered as she clutched onto Sango's arm. Sango leaned heavily on Kagome's shoulder, holding her own sword in her good hand.
"Has that man been dead all this time?" asked Kagome. Daitan frowned.
"Looks like it. Smells like it, too."
"Kagura must have been controlling his body with her Dance of the Dead," said Miroku, lowering his staff. "It has to be a trap."
"Yeah, a trap set to force me to meet a third incarnation." added Inuyasha. Daitan shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Naraku just couldn't wait a few more days, could he? He's really been putting us through the gauntlet the last couple weeks."
Kagome turned to Inuyasha with an incredulous look.
"Don't tell me you're considering going, your wounds are still too serious!"
"But Kagome," It was Sango's turn to speak up. "If Kagura sent the dead man to us, then she already knows where we're hiding."
"And if we stay put and don't take the bait, who's to say that she won't send whatever she has in store this way when we're least expecting it?" added Daitan.
Kagome went quiet, though she was still noticeably hesitant. Inuyasha, however, was quite the opposite.
"I'll go after him," he announced, gripping the Tessaiga a little tighter in his hand. "It's like Daitan just said, the youkai is bound to attack us here sooner or later!"
—-
Inuyasha only took enough time to put his juban back on, not even bothering with his outer kimono. He and Daitan took the lead, following the dead man's scent back to where he had come from. Everyone tried to convince Sango to stay behind with Kirara at first, but she stubbornly insisted on coming anyway.
When they reached the village the dead man had come from, it was hard to even call it that anymore. All of the houses and structures had been completely destroyed, crushed to splinters. Dozens of farm animals lay dead, but there was no sign of any humans. And when Daitan spotted the size of the youkai that they were clearly meant to face off against, she could certainly guess why. He stood at twelve feet tall, with long muscular limbs, purple skin, and glowing crimson eyes. Two sharp horns sprouted from his draconic head, and a thick white mane sprouted down the back of his neck. That wasn't the last of it, however. Two young children held each other tightly and screamed as he lunged forward, his jaws open wide to swallow them whole.
Inuyasha and Daitan leapt forward with blades drawn and fangs bared. Daitan had fought plenty of large youkai before, and this one didn't seem any different. At least, he didn't at first. Inuyasha swiped with his claws, and Daitan made to cut through the tendons in his leg, her sword only a bright flash in the sun. But claws and blade only met thin air when the beast dodged out of the way with blinding speed. Wh-What? How is he so fast when he's this big?!
"Go on, get outta here!" Inuyasha shouted at the kids. They didn't need to be told twice as they stood and darted away, still holding each other tightly by the hand. He then turned to the youkai in front of him, readying the Tessaiga. "You must be Naraku's third incarnation, huh?"
The beast's lips curled into a wide grin, red eyes narrowing with delight.
"You're thinking I dodged both of your attacks, and you are surprised at my speed, despite my enormous size." he chuckled in a deep, growling voice.
Daitan's eyes widened. Could he possibly know what we're thinking? Unless that was just an educated guess… But something about the way he said it puts me on edge…
The youkai in front of them chuckled again.
"It is exactly as you are thinking. I am able to read the minds of others. My sisters, Kagura and Kanna, were merely the opening act… Now, Goshinki makes his debut!"
"Maybe you should get into theatre instead of killing innocent people…" Daitan muttered dryly. Inuyasha seemed to be on the same wavelength.
"Feh, stuff your big speech — time to get you off the stage!"
Inuyasha leapt into the air to bring the Tessaiga down on Goshinki's head, and Daitan Dashed to the right. She kept low as Goshinki jumped up to dodge the Tessaiga, and when he crashed back down to the ground, her whip flashed as she swung it to entangle his legs. Despite her efforts, however, Goshinki easily dodged it. His enormous fist swung for her with unusual speed, and Daitan barely managed to avoid it with a Dash. It was just like their first encounter with Kouga all over again. Goshinki was almost as fast as her, and she was only dodging by a hair. But this time, her opponent could read her mind and anticipate her moves before she even made them. Inuyasha wasn't doing much better. Only his first strike made him clutch the healing wound on his chest in pain.
"It is just as I said, I know every thought that crosses your mind," grinned Goshinki. He tilted his head at Inuyasha. "You seem to be suffering greatly… could this be the end of you?"
Despite his pain, Inuyasha got to his feet.
"Not very likely — I'm getting real tired of you!" he growled. A gleeful glint entered Goshinki's eye, and before Daitan could try to stop him, Inuyasha made another leap toward Goshinki with the Tessaiga held high. The Tessaiga slammed into the ground… but Goshinki had vanished. Inuyasha just blinked, confused, and Daitan drew in a sharp gasp.
"Behind you, Inuyasha!" shouted Daitan. Inuyasha turned too late when Goshinki appeared behind him, and Daitan gasped as Goshinki sent him flying with one swipe of one enormous clawed hand.
Goshinki dodged Daitan's whip again, laughing when she Dashed out of the way of his enormous claws. Doubt started to settle in when she barely managed to dart away from Goshinki's attacks. How can we defeat someone who knows what moves we're going to make before we even make them?! We're not all up to our full strength, and I don't know how long I can keep skirting around him! Just as the thought crossed her mind, Goshinki's palm appeared in front of her right when Daitan leapt into another Dash. Stars popped in her eyes when she slammed into it face first, and Goshinki added insult to injury by swiping her through the air, just like Inuyasha. Her body bounced and rolled on the hard dry dirt until she finally came to a stop in a heap.
"No! Daitan!" gasped Kagome. Daitan lifted her head, blinking, and spotted Miroku as he stepped forward from where he stood next to Kagome.
"I'll go!" he said, starting to unwrap his prayer beads. "Inuyasha is still too weak to fight, and Daitan needs help!" But just before Miroku pulled off the beads around his wrist, the sound of loud buzzing filled the air.
"Wait!" shouted Kagome. "It's Naraku's poisonous insects!"
Hundreds of saimyosho had appeared around Goshinki, whose smug smirk couldn't get any wider on his dragon-like face. Daitan slowly got to her feet, groaning with frustration. Seriously? These things again? Sometimes it feels like we're playing a game with a little kid who claims immunity to everything instead of facing off against a legitimate threat to the world. A sour look crossed Daitan's face. The pure smugness radiating off of Goshinki was really starting to tick her off. But she still had no idea how to face him if he could read her mind… Miroku's Wind Tunnel would have been a big help, but that was out of the question. Daitan glared up at the saimyosho around Goshinki, but inside, her heart started to race and her hands trembled slightly. Maybe if I… But I haven't been able to in so long…
Goshinki turned to face Miroku, his red eyes intense with bloodlust.
"You were just thinking you could suck me into your Wind Tunnel, monk. You can't. As you can see, I know all of your weaknesses! Kagome," Goshinki looked down at Kagome, who clutched her bow so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. "don't even consider shooting me with your arrow. I would kill you before you could draw the bow! Sango, you are unable to battle. You still can't move since you were struck with your own weapon. And you," his eyes met Daitan's and flashed with delight. "You avoid and evade, never attacking me head on, because the fear that you cannot defeat me consumes you. You were just thinking now that you could tear me to pieces with ease if you were in your beast form. Perhaps you're right. But… you can't do it, can you? You, a once proud inudaiyoukai, now so broken that you cannot even call upon your true form!"
Daitan's eyes widened with shock, and she took a step back, gritting her teeth.
"You don't know what you're talking about." she growled in a cold voice. Goshinki just grinned, fangs gleaming in the weak sunlight.
"Don't I? It's all there, inside your head."
Everyone's eyes seemed to burn into the side of Daitan's skull. She could practically taste their questions in the air, but she ignored them. Goshinki suddenly cocked his head, now looking over at Inuyasha, who had gotten to his feet.
"'I'll kill this youkai once and for all.' That's what you were thinking, correct, Inuyasha? Don't make me laugh. You are a hanyou, are you not? You have youkai blood coursing through your veins, and yet you take pity on humans. Not even a full youkai of that blood can defeat me!" he boasted. Inuyasha spared a single glance at Daitan, but his gaze didn't linger.
"Get off my back," he sneered, and readied the Tessaiga. Daitan's legs tensed, ready to assist. "I'll tear you to pieces!"
"You were just thinking you would slice through the Wind Scar, were you not?" Daitan didn't know why Goshinki even bothered asking anymore. He clearly already knew the answer.
"If you can figure that out, then you know you're already dead!" Inuyasha leapt forward, ready to release the power of the Wind Scar upon Goshinki. But something was wrong… Goshinki wasn't moving out of the way.
Goshinki's jaws clamped down on the Tessaiga before Inuyasha had the chance to use the Wind Scar. Bright light pulsed at the point of contact, and the blade creaked under the pressure… and broke in half. The snap of the broken blade seemed to echo on forever, and everyone stared in horror as shards of the broken Tessaiga fell useless to the ground. Goshinki spat out the half of the blade that he had bitten off, and Inuyasha stared wide-eyed at what was left of the sword in his hand.
"I suppose that proves my fangs are stronger than your Tessaiga!" Goshinki proclaimed proudly. Inuyasha just stood there, reeling as he stared down at his father's sword, and Daitan lunged forward just when Goshinki did. She skirted right, concentrating with all she had, and Inuyasha went flying when Goshinki's hand swiped through the air again. Blood flew through the air as Goshinki's claws tore through the flesh of his torso. He landed in a bloody heap, and the broken Tessaiga clattered to the ground.
"Inuyasha!" cried Kagome from the sidelines. If her bow could breathe, it would die from strangulation with how hard she gripped it. Daitan paid no attention to her, however. She needed all the concentration she could get. As she closed in, Goshinki dodged left with his impressive speed… only to let out a howl of pain.
One of his legs had been cut clean through at the ankle, and Goshinki fell to one knee as his foot dropped to the ground with a thump. Daitan stood in front of Inuyasha's broken body, fangs bared and blade finally dripping with Goshinki's blood. Goshinki's eyes flashed, his face breaking into rage. Quite a change from his earlier arrogant smirks.
"What did you do?!" he roared. His fist slammed into the ground in front of him, and Daitan just gave him a wicked snarl.
"Make another move and I'll cut through the other one. You're not going to kill Inuyasha or my friends without one hell of a fight!"
Goshinki laughed, though his voice sounded strained.
"What is the point of protecting him now? His mind has already gone blank. His sword is broken, and so is his spirit… or is he dead, perhaps?"
"Shut up!" shouted Daitan. She could still hear Inuyasha's heartbeat, as weak as it was. "Even if he was dead, I'd kill you before you could devour his body!"
Cocking his head slightly, Goshinki considered her for a moment.
"Yes, I see… you purposely thought one thing and did the opposite, correct? That must have taken much concentration to hide your true intentions. But now you face me head on. Can you really do it again?"
Doubt started to creep back into Daitan's mind, and she gritted her teeth. It really had taken quite a bit of effort. She hadn't been able to summon her whip to pull herself forward, and had gotten to him too slowly to prevent Inuyasha getting injured further. Perhaps the only reason she had gotten a hit in on him at all was because she struck from behind… Daitan readied her sword in front of her, standing defensively in front of Inuyasha's limp body. She had to try anyway.
Kagome took a step forward, hand outstretched toward Inuyasha, but Miroku quickly rushed ahead to cut her off.
"No, stay back Kagome—!"
One of Goshinki's hands swept Miroku through the air with blinding speed. He may have had diminished movement, but his long arms still had quite a lot of reach. Miroku hit the ground hard on his back, gasping for breath.
"And you, monk," said Goshinki. Daitan's eyes widened when he stood up on the stump of his leg and lunged toward Miroku and Kagome. "You were planning on sucking me into your Wind Tunnel, even if it meant sacrificing your own pathetic life! Don't rush to your death, be assured that I plan to devour each and every last one of you humans, and you, Kagome, shall be my first!" He hissed from the back of his throat with the pressure on his wounded leg, but other than that, he showed no other outward signs of pain. What the hell—?! That should have put him out for longer!
Daitan was just about to leap into action again, ready to protect Kagome with everything she had, when the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly prickled. Her muscles tensed, and an odd, but familiar scent met her nose. And it was coming from behind her…? She chanced a glance over her shoulder and her heart skipped a beat.
Inuyasha was standing tall behind her, and through the tears in his juban, Daitan could see that all of his wounds were now completely healed. But what struck her most were the jagged blue stripes on his cheeks, the whites of his eyes that had turned a familiar blood red, and his glowing blue irises. Pure, untamed energy radiated off of him. It was uncanny, how similar it felt to another daiyoukai's beast form, and his scent… he no longer smelled like a hanyou. He smelled just like her and her father. A full inudaiyoukai.
His eyes snapped to hers, and when he bared his fangs, Daitan saw that they had grown considerably. Daitan's lip curled. Who does he think he is, trying to boss me around? She thought sourly. She stepped aside, but didn't break eye contact. You get this one time.
Almost as soon as she had cleared the way to Goshinki, Inuyasha darted forward. In a flash, Goshinki's arm was severed clean off of his body as Inuyasha tore through it with his claws. Goshinki reeled back, clutching at the stump at his shoulder. Daitan took her chance to dart over to where Kagome stood, dumbstruck at the sight before her. In her shock, she put up very little resistance as Daitan caught her around the waist and carried her farther away. She had been standing way too close to Goshinki than Daitan felt comfortable with. Meanwhile, Inuyasha flexed his claws, speaking in a low, dangerous voice.
"What's wrong, Goshinki? I thought you were able to read my mind."
Kagome blinked, regaining some of her senses.
"...What's happened to Inuyasha…? What happened to his face…?" she mumbled. Daitan made to stand a little in front of her with her sword at the ready, just in case.
"I'm not sure," murmured Daitan. "But whatever happened… he sure doesn't smell like a hanyou anymore."
Goshinki turned to Inuyasha, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
"I don't understand… Why have you transformed?"
"How would I know that?" scoffed Inuyasha. His tone was unusually low and calm, but Daitan could practically feel the bloodlust radiating off of him. "You should be less concerned about me, and more concerned about Judgement Day."
Goshinki's jaw hung open as he bared his teeth, tail thrashing wildly behind him. He suddenly lunged for Inuyasha, remaining arm outstretched.
"I'll tear you apart with my fangs, half-breed!" he roared. Inuyasha just smirked, his enlarged fangs glinting in the light.
"The youkai blood that flows through my veins is unlike yours," he flexed his claws and leapt straight toward Goshinki with a mad grin. "I'm in a class of my own!"
Kagome gasped out Inuyasha's name, and Daitan held out her free hand to keep her from rushing forward. Inuyasha's whole aura had changed completely as his claws cut straight through Goshinki's body. The beastly youkai's head fell to the ground with a heavy thud, crimson eyes dim in death. Daitan lowered her arm as she stood in shock. Inuyasha had struck Goshinki down in one go, and now he stood tall before them, having barely broken a sweat. How was he unable to read Inuyasha's intentions before he made them?
"Goshinki… I enjoyed that." he growled.
"What's going on?" murmured Kagome, eyebrows drawn with worry. "What's happened to Inuyasha?" She tried to take a step forward, but Daitan moved into her way again.
"Don't, Kagome," she said quietly, keeping her eyes on Inuyasha. His eyes flicked to hers, but she held her ground. "He's not in his right mind right now."
Despite her cool tone, Daitan's mind raced frantically as Inuyasha paused, examining his blood-soaked claws. What on earth is happening? Has Inuyasha's youkai blood suddenly taken over his body somehow? It would explain his scent, but those eyes… I've only seen eyes like those when Dad transforms into his beast form…
Kagome tried to take another step forward, and Daitan caught her by the arm.
"Stay back!" she hissed. Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but Inuyasha's growl cut her off.
"Listen to her, Kagome… I can't say what I'm going to do next…"
Daitan felt Kagome's gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Please… let me near him."
"But Kagome—"
"Just trust me," Kagome's big brown eyes held no fear when Daitan chanced a glance in her direction. "Let me go to him."
Daitan hesitated. Inuyasha's lip twitched, and his claws flexed… But if he had enough control to warn Kagome away… Her eyes widened when Kagome raised her eyebrows and touched her neck. Ah… That's what she's going for. Daitan finally stepped aside, and let Kagome pass. Inuyasha bared his fangs and swept at the air.
"I told you, stay away!" he snarled. Kagome didn't stop, even when Miroku, Sango and Shippo shouted from the sidelines.
"Kagome!"
"Don't go near him!"
"Be careful!"
Daitan turned and shushed them, giving them a sharp look. Any loud sounds or distractions could set him off at any moment. Kagome stood directly in front of Inuyasha, who took a step back.
"Kagome—!" blurted Miroku, but he was quickly cut off by Daitan marching over and gripping him roughly by the hair. "Ow, what are you—?!"
"Shut up!" she hissed under her breath. "Do you want to send him into a bloodthirsty rage?! Kagome knows what she's doing — look!"
Inuyasha trembled with effort as he tried to control himself, but Kagome just stood calmly before him.
"Inuyasha…" she murmured… "Sit."
Inuyasha's face met the ground with an impressive bam!. When he lifted his head, his eyes had turned back to their usual gold, and the markings on his cheeks had vanished. His face then screwed up into a familiar angry expression.
"Would you stop doing that?!" he shouted. Seeing that he had gone back to normal, Kagome threw her arms around his neck with a sob. Daitan breathed a sigh of relief, letting go of Miroku's hair. Miroku rubbed his sore head, staring at the scene before him.
"Incredible…" he muttered.
"How did she do that?" wondered Sango. Daitan shrugged.
"Well, I guess they are called the Beads of Subjugation for a reason." she said.
—-
With Goshinki dead and Inuyasha back to normal, they had all decided to gather the rest of their supplies from their previous campsite and move on. They didn't get far, seeing as Sango couldn't travel much with her injuries, but Daitan was still relieved to be somewhere else. What brought down everyone's mood, however, was the state of the Tessaiga.
They had all done their best to pick up its broken pieces, but it had been rendered useless, for the most part. It could still technically cut, but Inuyasha was unable to call upon its power. Their greatest asset was now out of commission leaving them more vulnerable than ever. For now, it had been wrapped in a cloth for safekeeping, and Inuyasha just sat, staring at it. Kagome and Miroku prepared dinner in the pot that hung over the campfire, and Sango rested against Kirara's flank with Shippo in her lap. Daitan was polishing her own sword, her eyes lingering on the characters engraved near its guard.
"So… Daitan?" Inuyasha's voice broke her out of her thoughts.
"Yeah?" Inuyasha looked unusually unsure of himself.
"Seeing as you're a full inu daiyoukai… do you know what happened back there?"
Everyone seemed to perk up, and Daitan hummed, sliding her sword back into its sheath.
"Sorry, can't say that I do. I've never seen anything like that before," Inuyasha looked away, discouraged. "But," Daitan added quickly. "I can say for sure that you smelled like a full-blooded youkai, and your eyes… they looked just like when an inu daiyoukai transforms into their beast form."
Kagome nodded, tapping her spoon on the edge of the pot to get a few chunks of meat off of it.
"That's right, they looked just like when Sesshomaru changed into his dog form."
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.
"Eh? Really?"
Miroku grasping his chin thoughtfully.
"I wonder… if inu daiyoukai have a beast form, then perhaps that was Inuyasha's, but his remaining human blood only allows him to take part of the way, despite the change in his scent."
Inuyasha blinked, surprised.
"You really think so? But then why has it never happened before?"
"A youkai's beast form is a concentration of their most potent and primal energies. The transformation is often triggered by strong emotions, like fear or anger, though it's more common in children, who don't have as much control over it yet," said Daitan. "What were you feeling right before it happened?"
Inuyasha looked down at his claws, his eyebrows furrowed.
"I felt the blood under my body… I thought I was dying… and then I felt an overwhelming urge to live, and something… came alive inside of me. Before I knew it, Goshinki was dead."
Daitan nodded. She had the feeling that he wasn't telling the whole truth, but she didn't push it.
"That sounds about right. The will to live when on the brink of death would certainly be strong enough to trigger a beast form transformation. Though more mature youkai are able to transform on command."
"Um," Kagome spoke up timidly. "This might be a sensitive topic, but now that we're talking about beast forms… Goshinki mentioned that you… couldn't transform into yours?"
Daitan sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"I was hoping you didn't catch that…"
Kagome put up her hands defensively.
"Ah, it's okay! You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to!" she backpedaled. Daitan shook her head with a little smile.
"No, no… it's okay. I used to be able to — Dad even told you about it when you came to visit, Kagome." she said. Kagome smiled, and Miroku and Sango's eyes almost popped out of their skulls.
"You saw Sesshomaru in your time, Kagome?" asked Sango, as utterly flabbergasted as Miroku, who sat beside her.
"And you spoke civilly?"
Kagome shushed both of them, gesturing at Daitan.
"Shh, don't interrupt!"
Daitan chuckled at their outburst, though there wasn't much amusement to it.
"There's not much more to tell, honestly. I haven't been able to for a while, not since about fifty years ago. From my and Kagome's time, that is."
Miroku hummed thoughtfully.
"So, have you tried to do it recently?" he asked. Daitan shook her head.
"Not really. The last time I tried, I just got a big headache. It's like trying to burst out of a shell, but I couldn't break it, you know?" she then sighed, leaning back a little. "I just… can't do it."
—-
Later that night, Daitan lay awake in her sleeping bag, still thinking about her beast form. She had been able to transform so easily before, but after the bombs dropped, after she had to slay her own kind, mutated and suffering in grotesque in-between forms… Daitan rolled over again, facing away from the doused campfire. I am not broken. She thought bitterly.
As her eyes roved through the darkness, Daitan spotted a silhouette sitting a little ways away from where everyone slept. The white hair gave it away as Inuyasha. He just sat, wide awake and staring down at the broken sword in front of him. Daitan watched him silently from where she lay, and after a few moments, she slipped out of her sleeping bag. Matching sets of golden eyes met when Daitan sat herself next to Inuyasha.
"What're you doing up?" he muttered.
"Couldn't sleep," Daitan replied. "You?"
Inuyasha just nodded, his eyes moving back down to the broken Tessaiga in front of him.
"Same here."
They sat in silence for a moment, the fire crackling a little ways away. Crickets and tree frogs chirped in the night air, and a cool breeze rustled through the leaves of the trees above. Daitan looked up at the spray of stars in the night sky above them.
"What's eating you?" she asked. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.
"The hell does that mean?"
Realizing Inuyasha was completely serious, Daitan giggled.
"I'm asking you what you're thinking about."
Inuyasha let out a tch! and looked away. For a few seconds, Daitan thought he wasn't going to answer, and she was just about to change the subject when he finally spoke.
"When I transformed… I know that I… I enjoyed seeing Goshinki's blood on my claws. I enjoyed killing him," Inuyasha looked down at his claws, flexing them a little. "Something inside of me was just… running wild. I barely had any control at all."
Daitan stayed silent for a little while, mulling over his words.
"...Apart from the bloodlust, I'd say we have opposite problems."
"Huh?"
Inuyasha squinted at her through the darkness, and Daitan gave him a little smile.
"Well, I can't call on my beast form, and you need to find a way to reign yours in when it happens."
"'When it happens'?" he asked, skeptical. Daitan nodded.
"Now that it's happened once, it'll probably happen again. Usually, I would say that transforming into your beast form on occasion is a good thing, but if you felt an almost uncontrollable bloodlust… I think in your case, it would be better if you kept it contained."
Inuyasha folded his arms into the sleeves of his kimono, looking away.
"I'd say that Kagome's pretty good at that, even if it does smash my face into the ground."
"But you want to be able to have control, right? Kagome won't be around all the time." Daitan countered. Inuyasha went quiet, sinking into himself a little. "…Listen, I can go back to my time and ask my dad about it. He's almost a thousand years old by then, he's got to have heard of something like this."
Inuyasha gave her a withering look.
"Get help from Sesshomaru? No thanks."
Daitan rolled her eyes and stood up, brushing dirt off her pants.
"Well would you really want to find out the hard way?" she asked. Inuyasha grumbled something unintelligible in response. "We can talk about this tomorrow, but try to get some sleep for now. Good night, Inuyasha."
She wasn't expecting a response as she made her way to her sleeping bag, but just as she slipped back into it, she just barely heard Inuyasha reply.
"Good night, Daitan."
A/N: We've officially reached over 100k words!
Daitan's method of getting around Goshinki's mind reading was inspired by that one post about the cat that would beg for ice cream before their owner even opened the freezer to get some, so the owner thought "tea thoughts" instead when getting ice cream and it totally worked - the cat didn't beg at all. Psychic cat? Who knows.
Inuyasha and Daitan are slowly getting closer, it's so sweet. And I'm super pumped about the next chapter, you guys have no idea. See you next week!