InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Captive Soul ❯ chapter 35 ( Chapter 35 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters

A/N: I am using plain text format. It may change my formatting a little. I apologize if the formatting does not seem as neat as it was before. It may be like that for the rest of the story. Sorry for the inconvience folks. another thing. about Sesshomaru's problem with not being able to sire children. I knew from the beginning that Sesshomaru could not have children. The miko who cursed him did not want other little demons running around so she did this to him. She did it magically if somewhat physically as well. That was the pain Sesshomaru was referring to. The next five chapters will be the releasing spell. I will try my best to update every tuesday from now on. till next chapter, Ras.

AA/N: Addressing what Kagome thought of when Inuyahsa said he would protect her and Rin. Kagome thought of using a very powerful protection spell against spiritual curses, keep in mind spiritual curses against the soul, not physical ones, you will come to understand later on.

Another side note: I as an author am writing a Pg-13 story here. I do not put vulgar cuss words (or try not to) in my work. I would appreciate it if a reviewer (I am not naming which one) would not cuss in their review. Other readers would see it. If you want to say something that bad about my writing, critisize it, go ahead and voice it in an email, not where my underage readers will see it. Thank you, Ras.

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Chapt er 35: coming to terms

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Even though he was warm, Rin shivered. How could someone do that? How could someone be that cruel? That...that...evil? Now she knew who had crushed his spirit. It had been the witch who had cursed him, the dark miko that wanted him to live a life like this, wanted him to serve forever. She had been the one to break him.

A knot welled up in her chest, a dark anger. Evil witch. Evil, evil witch.

Rin, however, knew she would have the last say. After tomorrow, no more would he be a servant, no more would he be subjugated. He would be free.

Deeply breathing the anger away, Rin allowed a small smile. Yes, he was going to be free.

She only wished she could live to see it.

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Inuyasha started his car and pulled out of the driveway, Kagome sitting next to him in the passenger seat.

He glanced at the young woman with a curious smile. "Okay, Kagome, tell me. What has you so excited? What is going on?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "First, I must tell you why I was looking for another releasing spell, one that would not physically involve Rin."

Inuyasha gave a nod as he stopped at a red light. "Go on."

"Sesshomaru's restraint, the black choker around his neck, is cursed. Sort of....booby-trapped...in a way."

He watched the traffic light. "How so?"

"The dark miko who subjugated him put a curse on the collar. Whoever physically removed the restraint from his throat would be cursed with a living death."

The light turned green. "Living death?"

"Yes, whoever takes the choker from Sesshomaru's neck would die, their soul would be purged in some way. I don't know how though. Rin would be the one to remove the collar when we attempt the releasing spell. She would be the one to die."

Inuyasha swallowed heavily. "What kind of person could have done such thing?"

The young woman beside him sighed. "One that wanted Sesshomaru to remain a servant and punish anyone who dared to release him. If he were freed, in a way, that dark miko would be making Sesshomaru suffer as well. She knew that anyone who cared enough to release him.......Sesshomaru would care for them also."

"She sounds sick in the head."

Kagome shrugged. "It doesn't matter now. Hopefully, well more than likely, she is long dead. Right now all that matters is that I found a way to thwart the dark miko's plans."

"How so?"

Inuyasha heard the rustle of old parchment as Kagome opened the book to a certain page. He could not really see it while driving but he glanced at it anyway.

She placed a fingertip at the top of a page. "In this book is a spell, the most powerful protection spell known. It is a spell that protects anyone who it is placed upon from being cursed. No matter how powerful the curse is, this spell will protect the person from it. It is as ancient as time and was said to be created by Midoriko. With this spell, I will be able to protect Rin while she removes the collar. The only thing is.....to make the spell stronger, a certain item must be present."

He glanced at the young woman sitting next to him who was now eyeing him somewhat strangely. "What?"

"Rin has to be wearing something when I place the protection spell on her."

Inuyasha glanced at her again. She was looking at him intently. Something in her grey eyes were watching, trying to decide. It unnerved him. "What?"

Kagome licked her lips and looked down at the book. With a decisive sigh she spoke hesitantly, "Rin...will have to wear.....the Shikon no Tama."

Inuyasha nearly slammed on the brakes. He pulled the car to the side of the road.

He sat there for several minutes before looking at the startled miko beside him. "You....have...the Shikon no Tama?"

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He did not want to let her go but he could hear Miroku and Sango returning, their footfalls coming closer. Gently, he motioned for Rin to sit beside him. She did, if somewhat reluctantly, giving him a small smile of understanding.

Sango and Miroku stopped at the edge of the blanket holding hands. They seemed to have resolved their argument.

Rin looked up at them. "Ready to go?"

Sango smiled and nodded. "Yea."

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During the ride home, all Rin wanted to do was sit by him, sit so close that she could imagine never leaving his side again. She wanted to be with him forever, but she knew that was not possible. No. Tommorrow she would give her life to set him free, and she would be giving it with no reluctance or qualms. She had made a promise to herself. That promise filled her heart with a strange, sad, happiness.

Miroku and Sango dropped them off in her driveway. With a few goodbyes and a last parting wave, they left.

Rin glanced up at Sesshomaru who was looking at her quite intently.

She smiled a little. "What?"

His nose rose a touch, as he peered down at her. Curiosity laced with concern hinted in his features. "Tell me, Rin. Tell me what I sense. For there is something deep inside. It almost escapes me but... I can feel it. What are you hiding from me?"

Her bottom lip fell a little in a gape before she caught herself and blinked up at him. "I....I don't know what you mean."

Rin looked away from the intensity of his gaze and began walking to her house.

"Rin."

She could hear his footsteps trailing hers up the walkway. Silently, she cursed that sharp demon nose while searching for the house-keys in her purse.

As quick as she could, Rin unlocked the door and went in, walking up the stairs, hoping he would not pursue his sudden suspicion.

"Rin. Talk to me."

At the middle of the staircase, she turned around, startled by the gold gaze that watched her. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Tell me what I sense. Tell me what I know is there."

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The young miko gave a nod. "Yes, I have the Shikon no Tama."

Inuyasha could not believe what he was hearing. What he had searched for, what he had dreamed of attaining during most of his life was the infamous jewel of four souls. Now he had come across it and the woman sitting next to him had it in her possession. "Are you its keeper?"

"Yes, I am."

The hanyou shook his head, looking away to stare out the windshield. This was incredible. What he had finally given up to myth so many years ago now showed up in present reality. Somewhere deep down he knew fate had been planning this all along. He no longer wished to become full demon, but this sudden revelation brought out the temptation of desire for such a wish. "This is.... incredible. I have been searching most of my life for the Jewel of Four Souls."

"Yes, many demons as well as men have been looking for it. That is why I was a little reluctant to admit that I have it."

He looked back at the miko. "Then why did you tell me?"

"One reason is because I had to. I promised you could be there when we removed the collar, you would have seen it then. Another reason is...." She averted her gaze away from him. "I believe I can trust you."

Inuyasha did not know what to say. She trusted him with a secret knowledge that belonged only to the order of the miko. A new respect emerged for the woman who was fidgeting next to him. This young woman was powerful enough to keep the Shikon no Tama safe and hidden from demon senses. For the first time in a long time, a warm smile pulled

at his lips. "Hey."

Kagome looked back at him.

"You can trust me. I will keep your secret."

The young woman returned his smile.

Inuyasha started the car, pulled out into the street, and continued the drive to Rin's house.

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She knew she couldn't tell him. No. If he knew, he would never allow her to keep her promise. "I..."

Thankfully, the doorbell rang.

"....will go answer the door." Rin stepped around Sesshomaru and down the stairs.

She opened up the front door to see Kagome standing there, Inuyasha behind her. "Hi, Kagome, Inuyasha, what brings you here?"

Kagome's smile reached all the way to her eyes. "Rin, I have some very good news." Her sister grabbed her hand and began pulling her down the hallway. "Come on, I need to speak with you in private."

Rin glanced up at Sesshomaru while Kagome dragged her along. "I'll be right back."

Kagome tugged her out of the house, down the cobblestone pathways, all the way to the outer edge of the garden, far from the house. Stopping near the old oak, Kagome turned and enveloped her in a warm hug. Her tone was light with relief. "I found it Rin! I found a way!"

Confused, Rin patted her sister's back. "Uh...what way?"

With a light laugh, Kagome held her a little tighter. "I found a way to keep you safe while you remove Sesshomaru's collar."

"What?"

Leaning back, Kagome looked her directly in the eyes. "I have found a way to protect you while you remove Sesshomaru's restraint. I have found a spell that will keep you from being cursed. You will not die, Rin!"

For several moments, Rin blinked at her sister before what she had said finally sunk in. Then a knowing smile began lifting her cheeks. Suddenly, she jumped, hugging her sister back. "Thank you, Kagome! Thank you!"

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Sesshomaru watched Rin and Kagome until they disappeared down the hallway. He then looked calmly at his brother who was still standing in the front foyer stupidly gazing at the after-image of the young miko.

Inuyasha blinked out of his daze, lifting his gaze to him.

Without a word, Sesshomaru broke eye contact and turned, ascending the stairs to his room.

"Sesshomaru."

The inu youkai paused.

Several moments passed, the only sound, the clock ticking in the kitchen.

"I do not wish to babble with you, Inuyasha. If you do not have anything important to say, do not call my name."

With that, Sesshomaru left, ascending the stairs, heading for his room, thankful to be leaving his half-brother's presence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ < p>Inuyasha watched his older sibling ascend the stairs, enter a room, then close the door.

He had wanted to speak to his half-brother, but frankly, he did not know what to say. Sesshomaru did not know he knew about the collar. Inuyasha wanted to talk to him, find out who had done this to him, find out who it was that had enslaved him, but he knew Sesshomaru's pride, which was growing ever stronger, would never allow that knowledge to be known. His brother who had been so proud, so confident, so strong, had been stripped of his dignity and worth. He know knew, deep inside, that the dark miko that had taken his half brother had ravaged his spirit and stolen his inner strength. Nothing else could have made his half-brother bend to being a ....a slave. That evil miko witch had....broken him.

Inuyasha looked down to the polished wooden floor. He knew what he wanted. He wanted vengeance. He wanted retribution for his brother. He wanted to find who had done this to his older sibling and choke the very life from their body, end the existence of the sadistic dark miko. His right hand tightened into a fist as he held it out in front of him, letting his claw pierce the skin, firmly promising a blood oath. In a low whisper under his breath, he formed the words sealing that oath. "I promise brother, I will find who did this to you. I will find the witch and make her pay."

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Kagome and Rin sat under the old oak tree, lazily watching the roped board swing creak back and forth in the breeze. They had just finished discussing the details of the removal spell and the protection spell. Rin sighed, smiling. Fate was finally shining on her and Sesshomaru.

She looked over to Kagome who was holding her hand out, trying to catch a falling oak leaf. The green leaf fell into her hand. She began rubbing it between her fingers.

Rin tilted her head, slightly smirking. "Kagome, are you and Inuyasha...?"

"Are Inuyasha and I what?"

"Are you and the hanyou...uh...getting close?"

A pink hue tinted Kagome's cheeks. Rin had never seen her sister blush before. She found it quite sweet but incredibly tempting. A sudden mischievous notion sparked. She grinned. "I bet you have already kissed him."

That pink hue reddened Kagome's entire face, all the way to the tip of her ears. She could tell her sister was trying not to sputter. "I....I..."

Giggling, Rin held one hand over her stomach while pointing to her sister. "Ha! You have kissed him! It's written all over your face!"

Huffing, Kagome stood, dusting her behind with her hands. "Rin, that is none of your business." She finished dusting and folded her arms over her chest while looking away toward the field beyond the garden. Offhandedly, she shrugged. "Well, it was just a little one."

Rin leaned against the tree, smiling. "Where did you kiss him?"

Kagome raised a brow, looking down at her. "That, sis, is none of your bees wax." She held out her hand. "Come on, we need to get back."

Smiling, Rin nodded, taking her hand.

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Rin stood at the front door waving goodbye as Inuyasha and Kagome drove off.

Something very warm breathed close to her ear. "You smell different."

Rin smiled, turned, and looked up at the male that had been standing behind her. "Really?"

He bent forward, his eyes almost closing as the tip of his nose touched hers. The warm wisp of contact trailed across her cheek then down to her neck before nuzzling into her hair. His words, whispery deep but light in tone, warmed her skin. "The scent from earlier has departed."

The tall youkai leaned back, gazing down at her. "Will you tell me now? Will you tell what was....upsetting you?"

Rin smiled faintly. "It's so hard to keep anything from you."

Reaching out, she grasped his hand and led him to the couch then sat down, tugging on his hand for him to sit down with her. Rin stared at the large hand that now lay between hers in her lap. Telling him outright about the curse would be a bad idea. If he knew about the curse attached to his restraint, he would never allow it to be removed even if Kagome had found a way to dodge it. He would consider it too great a risk for her to take. No. She would have to fugde over it a bit, tell him just enough, as close to the truth as she could possibly get without informing him of the curse. Building up her courage, Rin inhaled deeply, letting it out slowly. "Sess, this morning, Kagome informed me about her worries concerning the removal spell. She feared it was too great a gamble that I might get injured, so she was reluctant to carry it out."

A warm finger touched under her chin, lifting her eyes to meet his golden ones. "Is that why you were worried?"

Rin swallowed and nodded. "I was worried that Kagome wouldn't help me."

"What changed?"

She smiled. "Kagome found a way to keep me from harm. She will be using a powerful protection spell that will shield me from anything dangerous that may arise."

"A protection spell?"

"Yes. Are you angry with me because I did not tell you?"

He did not say anything for several moments, merely studied her face in silent reservation. Finally, he spoke, the softness of his words vibrating through her senses. "I am not angry with you, Rin. What I sensed bothered me deeply. I can feel more than smell your emotions. We are connected. I know this. I feel this. What you feel, I feel."

Suddenly, her heart began pounding in her chest, thundering in her ears. It was almost as if he were saying that he......

Her thoughts scattered for he closed the distance in a breath, the warmth of his lips touched hers.

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Kagome glanced at the hanyou sitting next to her, driving quietly. He had been silent ever since they had left Rin's, sullen in a way. Maybe she could pull him out of his mood. She smiled. "So, uh, what brought you to my house today?"

Inuyasha seemed to startle from his deep contemplations to acknowledge her question. "Huh? This morning? Well I... uh. was just..."

Kagome inwardly grinned. Was he blushing? She glanced at his ears. They were twitching back and forth now, almost nervously. She remained fixated on them. How soft would they be? Did the fur smooth one way and crinkle in the opposite direction or were they soft all around, like a new-born kitten's?

He must have caught her looking for he cleared his throat. "Yes, they're ears."

Kagome hid her grin with her hand. "I'm sorry for staring."

He glanced at her shrugging his shoulders a bit. "It's okay. I get a lot of strange looks. It's like no one has ever seen anyone with dog ears before."

Kagome lowered her hand, smiling. "Well, most haven't. Youkai are rare around here. I think I know more youkai than eighty percent of the population. Hanyous are not as rare, but most look so human that nobody notices that they are half-youkai."

The hanyou glanced at her again with a small smile. "Are you hungry?"

Her stomach rumbled, answering his question.

He switched lanes, heading toward the center of town. "I think that was my reply."

Kagome shook her head. "I am so embarrassed."

"Why, because your stomach decided to inform me how much you need food?"

"It growled."

"I can growl."

Kagome willed her jaw not to drop. Was he flirting with her? "Uh...I kinda figured you could...since you are a...dog demon and all."

He smirked, glancing at her again. "Want to hear me growl?"

Now her jaw did drop, slightly agape before she caught herself, shutting her trap. He was flirting with her! Her heart sped up with an unexpected excitement. "I...uh..."

Inuyasha laughed. "You don't have to tell me now. I can wait for you to decide if you can handle it or not."

Trying her best to contain the feeling that wanted to explode from her chest, Kagome grinned back at him. "You would be surprised to see what I can handle."

While pulling the car into the parking lot of the local grill and bar restaurant, he raised a dark brow. "Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe."

He parked the car and turned off the engine then turned his complete attention to her. "Women like that word too much."

"Maybe."

The hanyou smiled brightly. "Be my date?"

Kagome smiled. "Yes?"

He gave her a playfully stern look. "Is that an affirmative reply?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He pointed at her. "Stay right there."

Somewhat confused, Kagome watched the hanyou as he got out of the car and quickly walked to her door. He opened it and held out his hand.

Kagome accepted his warm invitation, stepping out of the car.

Together they walked, hand in hand, towards the restaurant.

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