InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A New Sibling ❯ Sibling Show-Down... ( Chapter 16 )
I'm going for a longer chapter this time!!!
Here's the quote of the chapter:
"The more people I meet the more I like my dog." - Unknown.
Movie quote this time is…:
"Deception, disgrace, evil as plain as the scar on his face. Deception (an outrage!), disgrace (for shame!), he asked for trouble the moment he came." - Animals from The Lion King II.
Now for more fanfics!!!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~
*Ayumu's Bed Chamber*
Sesshoumaru was just a few feet away from the two practically cowering youkai.
"S-Sesshoumaru, you s-should c-c-calm d-down…"
He ignored Ayumu's pleas and lunged forward, catching her shoulder with his claws as she tried to jump out of the way. She surged through the wall to the ground on the other side, closely followed by Suzuka - who transported in a small puff of smoke - and Sesshoumaru - who burst through the wall. (A/N: Forget doors! He's maaaaaaaad!)
Kuzume followed through the fairly large hole in the wall, falling three stories before landing on her feet in the grass of the courtyard.
"Sesshoumaru, stop it! Stop it, now!"
She ran towards the battling duo just as Sesshoumaru swung his poison claw. He `accidentally' overpowered it, though, and Kuzume was tackled to the ground by Suzuka. Just as they hit the ground, a blinding green light went overhead, and Ayumu - along with much debris - followed closely.
Ayumu turned in the air, catching herself on the ground with her right hand and springing upward to land on her feet. <Okaa-san's agility really helps…>
Sesshoumaru leapt out of the deep crater he had created and drew Toukijin from its sheath. Ayumu followed suit, drawing her own sword from its sheath on her back. (A/N: I wasn't about to make up another name for a sword that she hardly ever uses…)
The twins took their own battle stances, and then charged, swords raised, ready to finally rid themselves of the biggest nuisance in their long life.
InuYasha and his assorted company burst through the shoji door from the citadel, obviously alerted to the battle by the crash.
"What the HELL is going on here!?!?!" InuYasha erupted as he made it to Kuzume and Suzuka - who were just now brushing themselves off.
"I believe," Suzuka looked behind her as Sesshoumaru and Ayumu's swords met and sparks flew, "that Sesshoumaru has finally snapped."
Kuzume turned to her and shoved her back a little in irritation. "He has NOT! How many times do I have to tell everyone that?" she gave a pointed glare at Kagome and Sango. "Next time you decide to say something like that, be sure you know the full extent of the stress he's constantly under."
Suzuka turned to her, eyes turning pure white with rage. "You do not believe that I know what it's like to run lands as vast as these?" she took a step towards Kuzume. "You do not believe that I know what it's like to lose everything, everyone in my life? You have a few things to learn about everyone in this family, Kuzume!"
Thoroughly put out, Kuzume turned just as the twins' swords met once more, sending sparks and another blinding light that forced everyone to shield their eyes.
~*~
"You never did like my judgment for anything, brother!"
"And you had to stick up for that human `whore' that InuYasha called `Mother'!"
They ran at each other once more. The force of the impact tossing the swords a distance away from the battle. Ayumu turned to watch them land - blade down - in the grass near the line of trees beyond the dojo. Just as she turned back to Sesshoumaru, she was thrown by powerful claws into the wall of the citadel.
There was a thunderous shattering noise that rent the air as she came in contact with the stone. Sesshoumaru stood, emotionless, as he watched Ayumu slide down the wall and land in a lifeless heap. When he did not hear, nor see, her breathing he chanced a step forward. Seeing her lying motionless still, he continued walking until he was looming evilly above Ayumu's body.
~*~
"What did he say about my mother?!"
"It would seem as though Sesshoumaru has gone too far this time."
Suzuka looked over to Kuzume, expecting her to contradict her, to defend Sesshoumaru, to say anything at all. But she did not. She stood there, staring unseeingly at Sesshoumaru step up to Ayumu's stationary body. Seeing that Kuzume was not about to say anything, Suzuka turned to walk towards the twins.
"I-I," Suzuka turned around to stare at Kuzume as she spoke, "I guess he…has."
"Wait a second! What did he say about my mother?!"
"Ayumu can't be dead, can she?"
Kagome stared unbelievingly at the previously fighting pair. Suzuka turned her eyes to the questioning ningen.
"Indeed, she may be, Kagome."
Miroku stepped next to Sango as he spoke.
"But…she's Ayumu. She can't be dead."
Sango shook her head, refusing to believe what her mind was screaming at her.
"Hey, what in the seven hells did Sesshoumaru just say about my mother?!"
Suzuka ran forward and had InuYasha dangling by the throat in the blink of an eye. "I would advise you to shut the hell up, InuYasha." she whispered just so he could barely make out what she was saying. "No one is in the mood to put up with your shit."
She abruptly dropped him when she heard a small gasp from Kagome, and turned around to see what had happened.
~*~
Sesshoumaru went flying to skid on his side, ultimately turning to stop on his chest. Ayumu had come back to life…
She raised herself to her feet. A small blast of white light was given off from her ribs on her back where a break had occurred from the impact just as Sesshoumaru stood back up.
"You seem to be," Sesshoumaru wiped a small trail of blood from the corner of his mouth, "like a cockroach."
Ayumu took a step toward him, beginning the encircling motion. Sesshoumaru followed suit, and they slowly walked in a circle around the crater created by Sesshoumaru's poison claw attack. Neither one would attack until the other left an opening for such a daring move.
"How so?"
Ayumu had transformed to her enraged state, her voice becoming wispy when she spoke.
"You never seem to die!"
Sesshoumaru lunged forward once more as part of Ayumu's back was left vulnerable. She quickly dodged, hoping for just an attack from him. As he flew passed her, she lifting her arm and planted her elbow firmly into the small of his back where a rip in his shirt had happened some time during their brawl. As her flesh came into contact with his, a small trail of smoke rose from his back, and the stench of burning flesh filled the evening air.
~*~
"No! Sesshoumaru!"
Kuzume tried to run forward to aid her lover, but Suzuka caught her by the arm.
"It would not be wise to interrupt this. It is between the twins, not you, Kuzume."
"But she's killing him!"
"He will…live…"
Suzuka prayed to any gods that might be listening that Ayumu didn't exact her revenge on Sesshoumaru in this battle, and kill him. It was not often she doubted her own actions, and released Kuzume in surprise as this fact dawned on her.
Kuzume seemed to take some comfort -- at least -- from Suzuka's words, and it was all she could do now, not to take off and embrace Sesshoumaru, healing his wounds, and making sure that Ayumu paid.
~*~
"GAH!"
Sesshoumaru screamed in agony, landing on the ground hard, with Ayumu's poisonous flesh burning into his back.
When she was thoroughly satisfied with the 3rd degree burns forming on Sesshoumaru's back, Ayumu stood and leapt back a fair distance to stay out of reach while Sesshoumaru recovered onto his feet. After he stood, he took a few uneven steps toward Ayumu. Steadying himself, Sesshoumaru stood, watching for Ayumu next move.
It was her turn to lunge toward him. He quickly dodged, doubling over as the full effect of her poison set in. She barely caught herself on the ground before hitting her head, and sprung once more to land on her feet. She took a dive over the short distance between herself and Sesshoumaru, tackling him to the ground and burning his neck as they landed.
Reacting to the pain in his neck, Sesshoumaru grabbed her arms and tossed her toward the line of trees. She turned in the air and bounded off of a tree toward him again, but catching herself once more on the ground and catapulting herself over his head to land directly behind him. Before Sesshoumaru could turn around, though, Ayumu gave a powerful kick to the burn on his back.
He moved forward with her foot, taking away most of the force that came with the kick, and leapt forward, ignoring the pain. He turned around abruptly and nailed her in the stomach with his poison claws, sending her sprawling to the ground.
They were both starting to wear down as the sun lowered below the horizon, covering the sky in a dark blanket of twilight.
Ayumu's rage transformation wore off, and she was left curled up, holding her bleeding gut. Sesshoumaru - sensing that she wasn't up to attacking him again - finally let his guard down, and fell to his knees, breathing in the crisp night air, and the intoxicating sent of Ayumu's poisoned blood, before passing out, and falling to the ground.
~*~
Kuzume saw the end of the battle and rushed forward before anyone had the chance to stop her, but changed her thoughts on the subject when she looked behind her to see Suzuka and the others running toward the unconscious twins.
As she bent over Sesshoumaru and drew him into her arms, Suzuka walked to Ayumu and crouched beside her cousin.
"They exhausted themselves, passed the point of consciousness."
She reached down to examine Ayumu's wounds, but was stopped by the obtrusive stench of slowly rotting flesh. Kuzume, too, seemed to notice the same scent covering Sesshoumaru and jerked up to her feet.
Suzuka tore the end off of the sash around her waist, covering her nose and mouth with it. Kuzume tore the end of her sleeve off and did the same. It did not eliminate the stench from their youkai senses, but dulled them enough to ignore partway.
Both young youkai women leaned back over the person they were examining. Sesshoumaru had luckily landed on his side, so it was easy to roll him so that Kuzume could see the torn, burnt flesh of his back. It was omitting a foul odor of burning, rotting flesh as the poison still sizzled on his skin.
Suzuka also found Ayumu in much the same condition. The gaping hole in her gut was bubbling from the poison in Sesshoumaru's claws, but was slightly illuminated from the green substance.
With the help of InuYasha, Kuzume got Sesshoumaru to his chambers while Suzuka left on her lonesome to her own quarters. Ayumu's room had been virtually destroyed when the fight had started there.
~*~
"So, they fight amongst themselves, and Ayumu is injured. Sesshoumaru is also too injured to protect his family. This will be all too easy."
Kagura stepped out from the tree she had been watching the battle from behind, and walked into the shadows toward Kanna and Naraku's youkai puppet. They would attack at sunrise.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~
H'Okays! I finally wrote a chapter over 1,500 words long, and had the biggest sibling rivalry to hit this Earth in the last millennium! Hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Reading,
Taiyoukai Ayumu of the Northern Lands