InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Between Darkness and Light ❯ Taiji Fort ( Chapter 10 )

OOO…a million thanx to Eikos, my stories have a new home. http://www.missdream.org/cataluna/

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does!

Between Darkness and Light

Chapter 10: Taiji Fort

By Cataluna

`Damn him!'

An aura of complete rage enveloped him, his hands curled tightly into two fists, knuckles turning a deathly shade of white, and veins surfacing. He shot daggers at them through his shaggy bangs, his eyes flickering back and forth from amber to red at the sight of Kagome wrapped tightly in another male's embrace.

Taking Miroku's advice, he had wanted to talk with Kagome, to justify his action and give her an explanation. But still, his heart was conflicted on rather or not he should pursue a relationship with her, too many obstacles stood in their way of happiness. He didn't know if they would be strong enough to get through it. He needed more time to think. What he did not count on another man moving into his territory so quickly. Now he was seeing red, ready to tear him apart limb from limb for daring to take his Kagome.

Ignoring the swearing and angry looks he was receiving, he shoved his way rudely through the crowded dance floor.

As Kagome's eyes met his, a look of fear and confusion flashed through her face, totally unsure of his feelings and intentions. She flinched under his gaze as if she had just been burnt and involuntarily squeezed Hojo's arms before guiltily taking a step back from him. Hurting Inuyasha was not her intention, even though he had caused her pain. Her heart beat faster and louder as he closed the distance between them. She cursed at herself for not being stronger, for her inability to forget.

He was but a few feet away from them when a busty brunette took it upon herself to tame the man with an infamous reputation for rejecting any woman who dared to approach him. The moment of surprise worked to her advantage, so engrossed in reaching Kagome's side that he was frozen on the spot when the brunette molded her body against his.

He looked down at her seductive smile briefly before snapping his head back to glance at Kagome, who gazed back at him with sadness, totally misunderstanding the situation. Her insecurity surfaced as she compared herself to the brunette, wondering if that was the type of girl Inuyasha was attracted to. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to fight back her tears. She felt nauseated, her head swimming. `Maybe if I was taller and my boobs were bigger, and-`

"Kagome?" Hojo called out to her from behind, confused by her sudden change in behavior, interrupting her thoughts in the process.

She turned her head to look at the boy that she had all but forgotten. Her eyes blinked a few times as she focused on his face, a twinge of guilt fluttered through her stomach. She had wanted to use him as a way to keep her mind off from Inuyasha. `Use. I'm becoming no better than those girls…' But for once, for tonight, she wanted to stop being nice. She wanted the taste of vengeance, wanted to make Inuyasha feel the pain she was feeling right now. `He may not want me, but Hojo does!' She stepped back and wrapped Hojo's arms around her waist, and much to his delight began to grind her hips and shoulders against his, moving sensually with the music.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. `What the fuck does she think she's doing?' He pushed the brunette away.

She reached up with her hand and stroked Hojo's face. Giving Inuyasha a seductive smile, she turned around and slowly slithered her body downward, swaying her hips from side to side, not losing contact with his body.

Hojo made the mistake of touching back.

One minute he was starting to let his hands traveled over her curves, the next he was lying dazed on the dance floor. He rubbed the back of his head lightly, absolutely confused as to why the silver haired man stood there glaring at him from above, looking like he was a step away from ripping his throat out.

Kagome quickly stepped in between them, her muscles tensed, afraid of what Inuyasha might do to Hojo. After all, she would be at fault if anything happened to him. "What is wrong with you!" she cried out in anger, hands on her hips, though she had to admit that she was slightly pleased by his reaction. A crowd gathered around them, murmuring and whispering amongst themselves.

"His fucking hands were all over you!" he shot back, nose flaring with anger. Images of him touching her like that kept flashing through his mind. "And what do you think you're doing dressed like that, like a streetwalker, huh? You want to get raped or some-"

She slapped him.

His head snapped back, stunned and completely shock by her blow. If it weren't for his superhuman strength, it would have sent him flying across the room. Though she was the slayer, he knew how much she disliked the use of violence. He touched his now red cheek gingerly, feeling the sting of her slap, a look of disbelief painted on his face. `Damn she must be pissed.'

"What I do is none of your business…you told me that you didn't want me," her voice low and shaky from her attempt at controlling her anger. Her face burned red from embarrassment at having so many people witness their fight. Breaking eye contact, she bent down to help Hojo up to his feet.

Having learned his lesson, Hojo was careful to keep his hand off Kagome, even taking a dramatic step back from the girl. He straightened out his clothes and stared down at his feet, "Umm..Higurashi…I just remembered I have to go somewhere, so I'll see ya later." He hurried out of the club, concluding that no girl was worth the trouble of getting killed.

Kagome turned her head to briefly watch his retreating figure before turning her full attention back to the silver haired hanyou.

He raised his eyebrows in amusement at her, but her stern glare prevented him from giving her his usual smirk. They stood staring at each other for a long while, though both wanted to say something, their stubbornness won't let them. The crowd around them soon scattered, bored by their staring contest, and disappointed that they won't get to see a fight tonight.

Inuyasha gave in and spoke first. "We need to talk." He tucked his hands in his pockets, and lowered his head, eyes hidden beneath a thick curtain of hair.

"Talk? I don't think we have anything to talk about," she snorted at his request, her hands tensing on her hips.

It was ironic how much they were acting like each other right now, with him for once willing to talk and her refusing to compromise. He raised his head and searched her face for clues. "Why? You actually liked that wimp?" his brows raised in question. There was so much that he couldn't understand or ever hope to understand about women. He held in his breath, the muscles around his jaw tightened with tension as he waited anxiously for her response.

Kagome's eyes blinked several times in surprise, almost wanting to burst out laughing at his comment. It was just so ridiculous how he could be so arrogant one minute and so insecure the next. `Besides, how fickle does he think I am? I can't kiss him one week and like someone else the next.' Her eyes hardened again with these thoughts. She stiffened, and looked directly into his eyes. "His name is Hojo, and what if I do? There's nothing you can do about it," she challengely told him, and watched with satisfaction as his eyes widened even more.

His mouth opened and shut several times as he searched for the right words to say. He wanted to tell her that she can't like him because she was his, she belonged to him. That Hobo guys just wasn't right for her. `And I am?' his hands fisting tightly at his sides.

Kagome watched with a curious fascination at the tongue-tied hanyou, who seemed for once to be at lost for words. He seemed to be fighting an internal battle with himself.

Swallowing a couple of times to be sure that he was going to be able to speak, he locked eyes with her, "I-"

As usual, Miroku arrived at what might have been a critical point in their relationship. "Inuyasha, Kagome," Miroku pushed through the crowd and approached up to them, ignoring Inuyasha's angry snarl and Kagome's look of disappointment.

Their argument was temporarily forgotten and put aside. "What is it?" Kagome asked, she looked over at Inuyasha who seemed just as confused as she was.

Miroku motioned with his head for them to follow, leading them outside, away from the loud music and any spies among the crowd. He led them to an alley a couple of blocks down from the club, and nodded for Inuyasha to check to make sure they were alone.

He made a quick scan of the area using his acute senses assuring that they were safe, before leaning back comfortably against the wall and took his usual pose, with his arms folded across his chest. "Well, spit it out already," he growled, already growing impatient.

Pointing at the cell phone in his hand, "My friend just called in with the Taiji fort location."

Kagome gasped quietly, realizing that this meant that they were this much closer to finding the jewel, and getting their revenge.

Inuyasha processed the information for all but a second. "Ok, we'll go tonight," he declared in a voice that left no room for argument from either of them.

"Excuse me?" she cried out, not because she didn't want to find the ring as soon as possible, but because he was making plans and telling her what to do without consulting her. "I'm kind of in the middle of having fun," Kagome protested.

He snorted and gave her a smug smile, "Well Hobo ran out of here with his tail between his legs…and you didn't seem like you were having much fun to begin with."

She stuck her tongue out at him, "Stupid JERK!"

"Bitch!"

"Fuck you!"

He looked up and down at her, and smirked, "This is too easy."

Kagome's face reddened at his comment and self-consciously tugged at her dress, cursing herself once again for letting her friends talk her into wearing it, before letting out a feral growl. Her right fist raised, ready to pound the life out of him.

Miroku, wanting to prevent the start of WWIII, bravely stepped between them, and held up his hands in each of their faces. "Guys, we have no time for this. We need to get to the ring before they do," he told them sternly.

She blushed, feeling as though a teacher was scolding her. `How does he do it? How does he do this to me? He always get me into these immature fights and shouting matches.' She shot Inuyasha an angry glare, in which he responded with a look that pretty much said "why the fuck are you glaring at me for?"

"Kagome, do you think you can meet us at the park next to the fountain in half an hour?" Miroku asked carefully. Inuyasha looked as though he was about to say something rude, but was silenced quickly by a hard slap on the head from Miroku.

She sighed heavily and went back inside the club to tell her friends she was leaving.

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They arrived an hour later at a location far away from the city, almost nearing complete wilderness.

With Miroku leading the way, they traveled on foot for several miles into darkness and uncertainty, moving quickly and steadily. Kagome was thankful that she was given the time to change into sneakers. She grimaced at the thought of having to walk that amount of distance in her silver heels. Not a word was spoken between them, only facial expressions and understood body gestures.

She jogged easily beside Inuyasha, who was merely an arm length away, occasionally sneaking glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking. Sometimes she would become so mesmerized by the way his silver hair trailed behind him and the determined look on his face that she had to force herself to look away. Her stomach fluttered as she recalled the expression on his face when he was trying to speak to her before they were interrupted. `What did he want to tell me?' she kept wondering.

What she hadn't realized was that she was not the only one sneaking sly glances. Inuyasha was also doing his fair share of it throughout the night. He loved the flushed look on her face, making her look extra pretty. It was the same look she often had when he would make her mad, most of the time on purpose. The running had given him extra time to think. Before Miroku came between their conversation, he had wanted to apologize for being so cold to her and tell her that she was wrong, he did want her, more than he had ever wanted anyone before. Now, the more he thought about it, the more he realized how much she meant to him. It felt right to have her beside him. No one had ever been able to make him feel so at ease and…

He stopped suddenly and grabbed on to both of them to remain still. His sensitive ears had picked up on the sound of a large object slicing through the air, heading straight for them. "DUCK!" he yelled out, at the same time he pushed Kagome onto the ground and shielded her body with his.

A large boomerang cut through some nearby trees, they looked up and watched as it turned around. A dark figure from a distance caught the boomerang in one hand, sliding back slightly from the impact. "You guys don't belong here…leave now or else!" a female voice warned.

He got off of Kagome and helped her on her feet. "We're here to talk to you about the ring," Inuyasha yelled back, and stepped in front of the group, assuming the leadership role. The muscles all over his body were tensed, prepared to dodge any attacks she might throw at him and to strike if necessary, even if she was human.

An attractive girl around the age of twenty, dressed in leather pants and black turtleneck, leapt in front of them, landing a few hundred feet in front of Inuyasha. "There's nothing to discuss," her body also in a stance, ready to throw her boomerang at them again.

Inuyasha growled menacly at her, his lips pulled back into a snarl.

Wanting to prevent unnecessary bloodshed, especially with a human, Miroku quickly stepped in front of Inuyasha, blocking his path. He held his hands up defensively in peace, and flashed her a charming smile. "Please excuse my rude friend. We do not mean you or your people any harm."

Unaffected by his charm, she gave him a cold glare before turning her attention back to Inuyasha, "Your friend…he has the blood of a demon in him. I will not allow the ring to fall into his hands!" She drew out her sword, boomerang still in hand, and charged at Inuyasha, knocking Miroku to the hard ground along the way.

Inuyasha sidestepped out of the path of her sword and knocked it out of her hand.

She whirled around, "Hiraikotsu!" The boomerang connected with Inuyasha painfully, knocking the breath out of him. He recovered and sprang up just in time to block her kicks and punches. The exterminator tried to sidekick him in the stomach, but Inuyasha caught her foot and used it to twist her body in midair nearly breaking her ankle. She fell on the ground with a dull thud. Ignoring the sharp pain in her ankle and back, she staggered to her feet, and renewed her assault on the hanyou.

Sensing Kagome's distress as they watched the demon exterminator charged at him over and over again. "Don't worry, she's no match for him," Miroku assured her, and lightly squeezed her arm.

Barely feeling his contact, she nodded absentmindedly as her eyes followed Inuyasha's every move, ready to jump in and help at a moment's notice. She chewed nervously on her bottom lip, and tried to maintain a calm composure, but every blow he suffered caused her to wince outwardly.

She threw another punch at his face, which he was able to block easily. What he did not expect was a sudden release of a puff of pink powders from her other hand. Unable to hold his breath in time, he involuntarily inhaled the substance, causing Inuyasha to kneel over and cough violently. His eyes watered, it felt as though his lungs were on fire and someone was slowly squeezing at his windpipes. `What the fuck was that?' Taking advantage of his temporary vulnerability, she brought her fists together and slammed down on the back of his head with all her strength, knocking him out.

Before she could pick up her sword to finish him off, she was met by the fury of Kagome's fists, knocking her a few feet back away from the hanyou. Mentally cursing herself for not helping him sooner, she punched the exterminator in the face, then grabbed her shoulder and yanked her body down to meet her knee, getting her twice in the stomach and once in the face. Falling on the floor, the demon exterminator moaned, and doubled over in pain.

Satisfied that she would not be getting up anytime soon, Kagome gestured for Miroku to come over and keep an eye on the exterminator before dropping down next to Inuyasha. She rolled him over and lightly touched his face, noting the light layer of sweat. He stirred at her touch, wincing at the throbbing ache in his back, and slowly opened his eyes. Blinking rapidly to clear his blurred vision, he almost let out a small smile at the sight of Kagome's concern face looking down at him. She breathed out a sigh of relief, and placed her arm underneath him, supporting his head in order to help him sit up. "Are you alright?"

His shoulders shook as he coughed a few more times to reject the foreign particles from his body. Finally getting hold of himself, he got up, his hand on his forehead. "I'm fine," he assured her, then suddenly tensed.

"Not for long," a voice called out.

Kagome gasped, and stood up, so preoccupied with making sure Inuyasha was well that she had completely ignored her slayer sense. Now the jolts were coming at her so fast that she almost fell to her knees, it was taking all her willpower to keep from staggering. `Fuck, we're surrounded.' She could feel that Inuyasha was staring at her in concern, she ignored it, now was not the time to show any weaknesses. The phoenix on her back burnt hotly as though it was scolding at her. She recognized the woman as the vampire who had attacked her earlier and escaped. "You!"

"The name is Kagura, don't worry slayer, we're not after you…yet." A dozen vampires appeared behind her. "Thank you for knocking her down for us. You've simplified our job," she told her, before turning to her pack of demons. "Get her!" gesturing to the unconscious girl on the floor. The vampires quickly rushed forward with their fangs bared.

A wooden object whizzed through the air and struck one of the demons in the front, causing them to halt in their assault. He looked down at the stake in his chest in astonishment, then at the girl responsible, before turning into dust.

"Idiot, keep going!" Kagura yelled.

Kagome jumped in front of Miroku and the girl, blocking their path. Four vampires rushed toward her at the same time. "Miroku…protect the girl!" she cried before ducking a swing from a vampire.

He gently touched her forehead. She was still out cold. "Alright, we need to get you out of here." He swept one of his arms underneath her legs, the other cradling her head to his chest.

This did not escape Kagura's eyes. She jumped in front of them. "I didn't say you could leave." Before she could act, she was staked through her heart by Inuyasha. "Keh, annoying bitch." Sensing another vampire was coming up behind him, he spun around and backhand punched him. "Go!" he yelled at Miroku without pausing from his fight.

Kagome turned around and punched another in the face. Yet another vampire tried to grab her neck from behind, only to be on the receiving end of Kagome's elbow. "Inuyasha, make sure they get out safely. I'll join you guys as soon as I'm done here."

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He raced back to where Kagome was as soon as Miroku and the girl were locked safely in his car. If he had it his way he would have stayed and fought beside Kagome, not because he had doubts in her ability, but because this was the first time she would be fighting without him watching over her. Breathing a sigh of relief, he stopped when he caught sight of Kagome running his way when he was halfway back into the wood. She looked beautiful, her hair had somehow came undone during the fight which now flowed freely behind her, but… Something was wrong, his nose quickly caught the scent of a distinctive metallic smell coming from her.

She quickly came to a stop at the sight of a huge frown spreading on Inuyasha's face. Thinking that he was still angry with her for what happened earlier, she decided to keep her distance and stay a few feet away instead of running straight into his arms like she had wanted to at first. She quickly regretted that decision for without the rush of adrenaline pumping through her like it had before, she suddenly became very well aware of the gnawing pain in her back. Letting out a sharp hiss, with her eyes squeezed tight in discomfort, Kagome pressed her palm to her back to find her shirt ripped and soaked with a warm stickiness. She pulled it away to stare down in wonder at the scarlet stain in her hand, totally oblivious to her injury until now.

He was by her side in a blink of an eye, watching as her face twisted in agony, her hands clenching into tight fists at her sides. "You're injured," he stated, grasping her hand. "Here, let me see."

"Don't worry, I'm fine…it's only a scratch…it'll heal soon," she squirm to move away, only receiving another jolt of pain in her back.

He sighed, and ran his hand through his hair in frustration at her stubbornness, "Before you make it worse…turn around and let me see," he growled through clenched teeth.

Knowing that she could not win this battle, she reluctantly obeyed, and turned her back towards him.

Gently, his hands gathered her hair in one hand and moved it aside to the front of her left shoulder. He cursed out loud at the sight. The back of her shirt was soaked in blood. A low growl rumbled from his throat, causing her to flinch. `Fuck! I shouldn't have left her,' he scolded himself mentally. Brows furrowing, he raised her shirt to look at the wound more closely. There were some deep scratches running across her back, but they were already starting to close. He gave a sigh of relief, and turned her around, "It's not too bad, but we should treat it…still, you shouldn't be moving. Miroku took the car, so I'll carry you on my back," with his jaws set, he looked at her sternly, daring her to protest.

Kagome's mouth opened and closed as she debated with herself internally. Finally, she nodded, somewhat pleased at his concern for her. He kneeled down; letting her wrap her arms around his neck, then put his hands under her thigh. "Ready?" She pressed her cheek against his warm back, inhaling his earthy scent, feeling the rising of his every breath. "Yes," her voice quiet, their closeness reminded her of the kiss they had share. Her eyes blurred with moisture as he took off.

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Okay I'm going to put this story aside and work on my Round Robin story contest on Ookami-chan's site till I get at least 10 reviews. So remember to review ; )

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