InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Collected Works ❯ Vulnerable ( Chapter 28 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Title: Vulnerable
Author: LuxKen27
Universe: Canon (mid manga)
Word length (free): 1545
Rating: T
Warning: Implied violence; mentions of blood and gore
Summary: A riff on Chapter 187. When Inuyasha rages out of control, it’s up to two unexpected allies to join forces and set things to rights.

Author’s Note: expansion of “Someone to Protect”

Entry for: iyfic_contest Week 170, prompt-free

Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.

Kagome crouched behind the low bush, her breath escaping in harsh gasps, her heart beating hard and fast in her chest. Please…let this be the end, she thought, closing her eyes. Exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her, but she railed against it.

It was up to her: she was the only one who could help him now.

Willing herself to calm, she opened her eyes once more, gazing out at the scene before her. When she was convinced he wasn’t going anywhere, she slowly stood and moved toward his prone form. The shaking of her legs only grew more violent as she approached. “Oh, Inuyasha,” she whispered, falling to her knees beside him.

He lay motionless, his head turned to one side, his face obscured by the curtain of his silvery hair. His body was covered with lacerations and wounds; his clothes were soaked with blood. Tentatively, she reached out, afraid to even contemplate whether he was alive or dead. This latest rampage had been his worst yet, and she was genuinely fearful that he had not survived.

She couldn’t look at him as her hand found his neck, her fingers sliding against the sweat and blood on his skin. When she felt the slow, steady beat of his pulse, a wave of relief flooded through her. “Thank God,” she stuttered, falling forward, her head landing on his chest. Thank God you’re still alive. Her breath hitched as she fought against the sobs that rose in the back of her throat, but she utterly failed in containing them.

“This damn thing is useless,” Inuyasha spat, pulling the sheath of his sword from his belt.

“No, Inuyasha, don’t let go of it!” Kagome begged, distracted from her target by his rash actions.

“What good is a sword I can’t swing?” he responded, pushing Tessaiga back into its scabbard and hurling it away. “Besides, these are only humans. I can take care of them with my fists.”

Kagome sat up slightly as the memories continued to ebb through her mind. She gently brushed Inuyasha’s hair from his face. His mouth was still twisted in that cruel leer, fangs protruding over his bottom lip, their points gleaming in the harsh glow of the dying sunlight. His eyes were still wide and bloodshot, the usually golden pupils now an enlarged, shimmering blue.

How this expression haunted her…

It had only been the beginning of the nightmare. Behind the band of thieves stood a mid-level demon – one crafty enough to elude their tactics – one tricky enough to back Inuyasha into a corner, to threaten him within an inch of his life. Kagome and her friends watched with fear and dread as he transformed, his unsealed youkai blood raging to the fore in order to protect his life.

He’d made quick work of the demon ringleader, but his thirst for blood had not been satisfied. He gave chase after the fleeing humans, finding great satisfaction in cutting them down one by one. The tiny village was soon littered with bloody corpses, and it somehow fell to Miroku and Sango to keep the villagers from going after Inuyasha in a blind and hateful rage.

“I’m going after him!” Kagome called as he continued to chase the remnants of the band. “Bring the sword to us when you have the chance!”

And so her pursuit began – first on bike, then on foot. Inuyasha continued to fight, even after the last of the bandits had been dispatched. He continued to run, his bloodlust as obvious as it was unslaked. He killed anything and everything that dared to cross his path – human and youkai alike. He appeared to feel no pain, no fear, no anxiety as he matched up against his various foes.

Nothing would fell him.

Kagome soon lost sight of him as he disappeared into a densely wooded area. She continued on, beating through the briars and brambles with her bow, hoping he was beginning to tire. The sun was beginning to set; if he was still going strong after dark, she’d never be able to find him.

It was just as this feeling of foreboding filled her that she stumbled across his dormant form.

God, I hope they get here soon with Tessaiga, she thought, covering her mouth with one hand as she continued to stroke his hair. Her gentle ministrations seemed to have no affect on him, and for that she was secretly glad. If he wakes up like this, would he hurt me as well?

There was no way to know for sure.

Her heart took a painful beat. She bolted up, all movement ceasing. What was that?

Slowly, she turned, trying to find the source of the disturbance. Something dark brushed against her, a light yet intimidating pressure. Youki? she thought wildly, her muscles tensing. She glanced down at Inuyasha – he was still completely unconscious.

As the demonic aura grew stronger, she reached back, pulling an arrow from her quiver and nocking it in her bow. She arranged herself in a defensive position, raising her weapon in preparation for the imminent confrontation. You can do this, she told herself, pulling the bowstring taut. You must defend Inuyasha, no matter what.

He sensed her distress long before he came upon her.

The panicked sobs and sniffles rang in his ears long before he caught sight of her.

He was not surprised to find himself staring down the business end of her arrow as he finally moved within her sights.

“Don’t come any closer,” she called out, her voice hoarse but firm.

Sesshoumaru paid her warning no heed, continuing to stride forward in his usual, languid fashion. The swords at his hip rattled slightly as he closed in, stoking his curiosity. He eyed Kagome as he approached, silently daring her to do as she threatened to, with her sizzling purifying arrow pointed straight and true to his chest.

“I won’t hesitate,” she screamed, her tone frayed with nervous adrenaline. “Not even for you, Sesshoumaru.”

He stopped, raising an eyebrow in slight distaste at her familiarity. For a long moment, he did nothing more than stare at her, his expression impassive, yet calculating. Kagome held her own under the intensity of his cold golden glare, her arms firm as she held the bow, the glow of the arrow pulsating and spiking along with her annoyance.

“Is he dead?” Sesshoumaru asked tonelessly, motioning slightly to the lump behind her.

She stared at him for a long moment before releasing her stance with a shaky breath. “No,” she admitted, tucking the arrow back into her quiver.

Sesshoumaru reigned in his youki as he watched her disarm. “Where is Tessaiga?”

Kagome nervously chewed on her bottom lip. “I don’t know,” she murmured. “It’s still too heavy for him to use, and he threw it to the side in frustration.” Tears slipped from the corners of her eyelids. “I told the others to bring it when they had the chance, but…” She waved her arm helplessly. “Obviously, they haven’t caught up to me yet.”

Sesshoumaru looked past her, gazing imperiously down at the face of his half-brother. So Bokusenou was right, he mused silently. His youkai blood took over, shutting out the human soul. He narrowed his eyes as he continued to stare. He has become nothing but a mindless killing machine. When he awakens, he will continue this massacre.

His eyes shifted to Kagome. She sat beside Inuyasha, hovering defensively as she watched him warily. Does she realize the danger she’s in? he wondered. In this state, Inuyasha recognizes neither friend nor foe. Why does she protect him, when he would just as soon slay her?

One of the swords at his hip pulsated, clattering against its mates. Why, Father? he thought savagely. Why is this vile half-breed so worthy of your love?

He took a step forward. Kagome pushed back, covering Inuyasha’s body with her own. “I won’t let you kill him,” she vowed, her gaze ruthless, even as tears trickled down her cheeks.

“Hmph.” With a flick of his wrist, he tossed something in the air. “I don’t attack defenseless adversaries.”

He gained little satisfaction from the shock that coursed over her expression when she realized what he’d done.

“You had it?” she gasped, reaching out, touching Tessaiga’s scabbard tentatively. “But…how? Why?” Her eyes were wide as they met his. You know the secret?

“Inuyasha is an idiot, to toss away such a valuable sword,” Sesshoumaru replied. “One never knows if something so powerful might fall into the hands of an enemy.”

Kagome clutched the still-sheathed sword to her chest. She was visibly shaking as she contemplated the implication of his words. “Thank you,” she whispered, lowering her eyes, glancing back at her beloved.

An inexplicable, sharp pain sliced through Sesshoumaru’s heart as he stood there. That she cared for him was obvious; that she was willing to put herself in such danger for him was nothing short of impressive…and yet, Sesshoumaru still didn’t understand why. Why she felt that way…

…or why he felt it, as well.

“He does not deserve your compassion,” he muttered with a sniff, turning on his heel. “Nor mine. I warn you: the next time the sword is in my possession, I will not be so generous.”