InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Double Vision ❯ Chapter 62 ( Chapter 61 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: knife thrower 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.27.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 518 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.27.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 518 | Status: Work In Progress
The next day dawned clear and dry. Jak decided Kagome’s injuries had fully healed. He announced it was time to begin training with their swords, as their lord had instructed. He led Kagome and Shippou through a few kata, or forms. It was obvious that both had already learned the proper manner of unsheathing and holding their weapons. He reclined on a blanket for about an hour, calling out guidance as Kagome and Shippou repeated the ritual movements he had shown them. Growing bored, he decided his students would take the path Bankotsu had chosen when training him, randori, which involved non-ritual fighting as opposed to kata. They would use bokken, or wooden practice swords. Under his guidance, Shippou used his claws to quickly carve out three bokken of approximately the same dimensions as their true swords. While probably not at all what Sesshomaru had in mind when he told Jak to train Kagome and Shippou, randori would certainly be much more exciting than practicing forms. Sensei and pupils happily slashed away at each other, what had begun as a fairly sedate lesson quickly devolving into chaos, which was actually the theory behind randori. Jak began to throw in spins, tumbles, rolls, and other gymnastic maneuvers to avoid his students’ strikes, and they all began to happily incorporate taihenjutsu or “body changing skills” into their practice.
Kouga limped along, supported by Ginta and Hakaku, his right-and-left-hand men. He had managed to take out Kyokotsu of the Band of Seven, but just barely. Goraishi, his revered tekko-kagi, was the only thing that had made a killing blow against the gigantic beast possible. His left leg had been badly shredded in the battle. How he missed his sacred jewel shards! While he was still an effective fighter and the fastest being in all the lands, he could never hope to equal his earlier prowess without the jewel shards. It would take time to recover from his grievous injury. His legs had taken a lot of damage over the years, and no longer healed within a day or two, as they had when he was younger. He had lost a lot of blood, which would further slow his healing. The wolf prince had decided to leave the mountains around Fudo and take refuge in a well-hidden cave he had used in the past. As he recalled, there was plentiful game all around, a nice hot spring, and a demon village conveniently located nearby.
As the three comrades neared the mountain valley that provided shelter for the cave, they began to hear sounds of fighting. Kouga’s ears pricked up when he heard a feminine voice shout out a loud “kiai!”
“Kagome!” Kouga yelled, ripping himself from the grasp of his men. He ignored his damaged leg as he ran over the rise and down into the midst of the heated battle taking place in the valley. His woman Kagome and her fox kit Shippou were fighting off Jakotsu, a member of the Band of Seven! “Jakotsu, if you want to fight, fight me!” He roared. Jak rounded on the intruder. If he had wielded his true sword, rather than a wooden bokken, he would have ended the wolf’s life then and there. Kouga had not possessed his hand claw weapon last time the two did battle, and managed to land a terrible blow to Jak’s abdomen. Jak collapsed backward, clutching his gut.
“Kouga, stop! Jak’s not our enemy any more!” Kagome tried to run to Jak’s side, but was held back by Kouga, who had taken her little hands into his big ones, and was staring into her face with his usual look of utter devotion.
Ginta and Hakaku ran onto the scene, panting with exhaustion. “Hold that specter!” Kouga ordered his men. “Kagome, are you telling me this zombie is a friend of yours, now?” She nodded. “Why was he attacking you and Shippou, then?”
“He was teaching us to fight!” She struggled out of his grasp, and ran to Jak’s side. “Jak, how bad is it?” Kagome didn’t know what to expect. Jak wasn’t a living being, after all. His kimono was ripped open, and his stomach bore five deep gashes from the blades of Kouga’s tekko-kagi.
“This kimono didn’t come cheap, you stupid wolf! I expect you to buy me a new one, and it better be really pretty, too!”
Kagome let out a sigh of relief. If Jak was that concerned about his kimono, the wounds would not apparently be ending his sojourn in the land of the living. From her position kneeling by Jakotsu’s side, Kagome caught sight of Kouga’s wounded leg, and cried out in horror. “Kouga, you’re hurt, too!” She took command of Shippou and Kouga’s men. “Come on guys, let’s get these two into the cave!”
By the time they reached the cave, Jak’s wounds had closed up, leaving no sign he had been injured at all, save the damage to his silk kimono. Kouga’s wounded leg, on the other hand, looked serious. Kagome knew Kouga wouldn’t put up with laying flat on the floor, so she dragged the fur cape close to the cave wall closest to the fire. “Set him on the fur, guys.” She ordered. She grabbed the bundle of medical supplies, and knelt between Kouga’s extended legs. “What happened to your leg, Kouga?” She asked, as she prodded the extensive wound.
“The Band of Seven’s running amok in the Eastern Mountains. But I guess you already know about that, huh?”
“I only knew about Jak, here, and his brother Bankotsu. Are you saying the rest of the Band of Seven is around, too?”
“That’s not all. I just killed Kyokotsu for the second time. The third time, actually, if you count the time I killed him when Naraku brought them back.”
“Kouga, do you know who brought the Band of Seven back this time?”
“Ask him!” The wolf jerked his head at Jakotsu, who was busy sorting through his collection of stolen kimonos. Judging by his mumbling, he was having a hard time picking out one that he felt would go well with his complexion.
“Jak doesn’t know who brought him back, or why. Are the rest of the Band of Seven fighting on behalf of some warlord or something?”
Kouga didn’t answer. He was looking around the cave, sniffing. “Where the hell is Mutt Face, Kagome? Why isn’t he here protecting you?”
Kagome was getting tired of having to explain her marital problems to all and sundry, so she was relieved when Shippou answered for her. “Inuyasha left her for Rin. But don’t get any ideas, wolf. She’s mated to his brother, Sesshomaru now.”
“That utter asshole! I warned you about him, Kagome. Wolves mate for life, dogs don’t. They’ll climb on top of anything warm. And now you went and mated another one!” Kouga was fuming. “I told you I would wait for you. Why the hell did you go to that frigid prick Sesshomaru? You have to have known I would take care of you!”
“I love Sesshomaru, Kouga!”
“Last time I checked, it was Inuyasha you loved. Even though he kept running off to be with that damned dead priestess all the time! What the hell’s wrong with you, Kagome?” Kouga was pissed. His eyes, usually a beautiful, serene Mediterranean blue, were now glowing red, and his fangs had extended, becoming wicked looking weapons. Kagome was sure they were a full two sun in length, as long as her little finger.
Kouga limped along, supported by Ginta and Hakaku, his right-and-left-hand men. He had managed to take out Kyokotsu of the Band of Seven, but just barely. Goraishi, his revered tekko-kagi, was the only thing that had made a killing blow against the gigantic beast possible. His left leg had been badly shredded in the battle. How he missed his sacred jewel shards! While he was still an effective fighter and the fastest being in all the lands, he could never hope to equal his earlier prowess without the jewel shards. It would take time to recover from his grievous injury. His legs had taken a lot of damage over the years, and no longer healed within a day or two, as they had when he was younger. He had lost a lot of blood, which would further slow his healing. The wolf prince had decided to leave the mountains around Fudo and take refuge in a well-hidden cave he had used in the past. As he recalled, there was plentiful game all around, a nice hot spring, and a demon village conveniently located nearby.
As the three comrades neared the mountain valley that provided shelter for the cave, they began to hear sounds of fighting. Kouga’s ears pricked up when he heard a feminine voice shout out a loud “kiai!”
“Kagome!” Kouga yelled, ripping himself from the grasp of his men. He ignored his damaged leg as he ran over the rise and down into the midst of the heated battle taking place in the valley. His woman Kagome and her fox kit Shippou were fighting off Jakotsu, a member of the Band of Seven! “Jakotsu, if you want to fight, fight me!” He roared. Jak rounded on the intruder. If he had wielded his true sword, rather than a wooden bokken, he would have ended the wolf’s life then and there. Kouga had not possessed his hand claw weapon last time the two did battle, and managed to land a terrible blow to Jak’s abdomen. Jak collapsed backward, clutching his gut.
“Kouga, stop! Jak’s not our enemy any more!” Kagome tried to run to Jak’s side, but was held back by Kouga, who had taken her little hands into his big ones, and was staring into her face with his usual look of utter devotion.
Ginta and Hakaku ran onto the scene, panting with exhaustion. “Hold that specter!” Kouga ordered his men. “Kagome, are you telling me this zombie is a friend of yours, now?” She nodded. “Why was he attacking you and Shippou, then?”
“He was teaching us to fight!” She struggled out of his grasp, and ran to Jak’s side. “Jak, how bad is it?” Kagome didn’t know what to expect. Jak wasn’t a living being, after all. His kimono was ripped open, and his stomach bore five deep gashes from the blades of Kouga’s tekko-kagi.
“This kimono didn’t come cheap, you stupid wolf! I expect you to buy me a new one, and it better be really pretty, too!”
Kagome let out a sigh of relief. If Jak was that concerned about his kimono, the wounds would not apparently be ending his sojourn in the land of the living. From her position kneeling by Jakotsu’s side, Kagome caught sight of Kouga’s wounded leg, and cried out in horror. “Kouga, you’re hurt, too!” She took command of Shippou and Kouga’s men. “Come on guys, let’s get these two into the cave!”
By the time they reached the cave, Jak’s wounds had closed up, leaving no sign he had been injured at all, save the damage to his silk kimono. Kouga’s wounded leg, on the other hand, looked serious. Kagome knew Kouga wouldn’t put up with laying flat on the floor, so she dragged the fur cape close to the cave wall closest to the fire. “Set him on the fur, guys.” She ordered. She grabbed the bundle of medical supplies, and knelt between Kouga’s extended legs. “What happened to your leg, Kouga?” She asked, as she prodded the extensive wound.
“The Band of Seven’s running amok in the Eastern Mountains. But I guess you already know about that, huh?”
“I only knew about Jak, here, and his brother Bankotsu. Are you saying the rest of the Band of Seven is around, too?”
“That’s not all. I just killed Kyokotsu for the second time. The third time, actually, if you count the time I killed him when Naraku brought them back.”
“Kouga, do you know who brought the Band of Seven back this time?”
“Ask him!” The wolf jerked his head at Jakotsu, who was busy sorting through his collection of stolen kimonos. Judging by his mumbling, he was having a hard time picking out one that he felt would go well with his complexion.
“Jak doesn’t know who brought him back, or why. Are the rest of the Band of Seven fighting on behalf of some warlord or something?”
Kouga didn’t answer. He was looking around the cave, sniffing. “Where the hell is Mutt Face, Kagome? Why isn’t he here protecting you?”
Kagome was getting tired of having to explain her marital problems to all and sundry, so she was relieved when Shippou answered for her. “Inuyasha left her for Rin. But don’t get any ideas, wolf. She’s mated to his brother, Sesshomaru now.”
“That utter asshole! I warned you about him, Kagome. Wolves mate for life, dogs don’t. They’ll climb on top of anything warm. And now you went and mated another one!” Kouga was fuming. “I told you I would wait for you. Why the hell did you go to that frigid prick Sesshomaru? You have to have known I would take care of you!”
“I love Sesshomaru, Kouga!”
“Last time I checked, it was Inuyasha you loved. Even though he kept running off to be with that damned dead priestess all the time! What the hell’s wrong with you, Kagome?” Kouga was pissed. His eyes, usually a beautiful, serene Mediterranean blue, were now glowing red, and his fangs had extended, becoming wicked looking weapons. Kagome was sure they were a full two sun in length, as long as her little finger.
“Kouga, knock it off! I need to take care of your leg, or you might lose it!” Kagome refused to let him see her fear.
Breaking eye contact with the angry male, she gentled her hands over his wounded leg. ‘If I allow myself to fear Kouga, there’s a chance I could purify him.’ She wanted to be very careful not to purify her demon patient. Purity was the basis of her power. That was very clear. At her weakest, with her powers restricted, she had still been able to shoot sacred arrows that contained enormous amounts of purifying energy. Everything else she knew about her powers stemmed from that single source. Her accuracy had been lacking, at first. But the power was always there, and it was very strong. She had taught herself how call upon her powers to accurately hit a target, every time, and to infuse not just arrows with her powers, but other weapons as well. While Kaede was training her in herbal medicine and midwifery, she had quietly experimented with infusing the knives and needles and bandages she used on her patients with her spiritual energy.
Under ideal circumstances she felt confident of her ability to fine-tune the same spiritual energy that could totally obliterate a demon and direct it towards healing, at least enough to help a little. Kouga’s enraged state made the situation far less than ideal. “Kouga, saving your leg is what’s important right now. Just relax, and let me do this for you. We can worry about every thing else later, after I’ve healed you, okay?”
Kouga nodded, sagging back against the wall of the cave. Kagome suspected that he was feeling weak, but didn’t want anyone to know. He had always been so much like Inuyasha. She breathed in deeply, remembering Sesshomaru’s advice about meditating. Emptying her mind of everything but thoughts of healing, she focused on her hands, watching as they began to glow with a faint, pink light. She closed her eyes, visualizing Kouga’s leg, whole and undamaged. Gently, eyes still closed, she stroked her fingers softly up and down the length of Kouga’s leg. She repeated the gentle caress, over and over, totally losing track of time. She was startled out of her trance when she felt her hands captured in Kouga’s. Her eyes opened to stare into his, which were once again a tranquil blue. He smiled softly at her, and she lowered her gaze to his leg.
Ginta, who was leaning close, gasped. “Ooh… Look, everybody. His leg is completely healed!”
Hakaku peered over his shoulder “Ahhh…”
“How are you feeling, Kouga?” She asked softly.
“Better than ever, Kagome. Thank you, my woman.”
She smiled back at him, feeling a little misty. “I think I’m going to cry!”
Ginta and Hakaku both waved their hands in dismay. “Don’t be afraid, little sister! Kouga’s leg is healed now, and he can protect us all from the Band of Seven again!” Jakotsu, who had been staring into his mirror, made a point of smirking.
Kouga pulled Kagome into his lap, stroking her hair as she rested her head against his bare, muscular chest. “Are you tired, Kagome?”
She nodded. She was very tired, and felt strangely weepy, the way she often did when she started… Shit. Just what she didn’t need. Stuck in a cave with three wolves, and she was about to start her period.
Kouga rocked Kagome in his arms. She did not have the strength or even any desire to resist. She just wanted to be held right now. A mean little voice inside her head added that if Sesshomaru didn’t like it, tough. He wasn’t here for her when she needed him, and he’d just have to suck it up.
Ignoring Kouga and Kagome, Shippou decided to find out what Ginta and Hakaku knew about the situation with the Band of Seven. He had always thought Kouga’s men were more intelligent than their leader anyway. “I take it you guys don’t know who brought the Band of Seven back, then, right, Ginta?”
“Right, Shippou. Over the last year, more and more humans have been cutting down trees in the Eastern Mountains, around the area of the old demon slayers’ village and the mining encampment at Fudo. The humans have always cut down trees to use for charcoal, to make steel for swords.”
Hakaku took over. “But more and more trees started being cut down. We haven’t ever seen deforestation like that, even when Naraku’s demons were running wild all over the Eastern Lands! And it’s not just the forests they are destroying, either. They’ve wiped out all of the game our wolves use for food.” He looked over at Kagome, who was still cradled in his leader’s arms. “Our tribe hasn’t started hunting humans for food again, Kagome. We’ve been sending our hunters farther and farther afield to look for meat. But the tribe has been trying to recover our numbers after all the lives we lost to Kagura, and our new cubs are going hungry because of all the new human activity in our territory.”
“Right.” Added Ginta. “A lot of the new demons we’ve taken in from other tribes, especially Ayame and the wolves she brought with her from the Northern Tribes, wanted to use all these new humans for food. Kouga ordered that we just conduct raids on the work crews out cutting wood and the humans hunting our game, to try to drive them out of our territory. Just to scare them, though, not to kill them or eat them. Kouga’s refusal to let the wolves eat humans led Ayame and her wolves to form a separate pack, which doesn’t abide by Kouga’s rules.”
Hakaku finished the story. “It seems like that’s what brought the Band of Seven into the mountains. They’re killing off the wolves in both Kouga’s tribe and Ayame’s tribe so the human woodsmen can keep harvesting wood for making steel.”
Kouga, still stroking Kagome’s hair, added quietly, “I won’t ever go back on my promise to you, Kagome. My tribe will never use your kind for food again.”
Kagome really did start crying, then.
Breaking eye contact with the angry male, she gentled her hands over his wounded leg. ‘If I allow myself to fear Kouga, there’s a chance I could purify him.’ She wanted to be very careful not to purify her demon patient. Purity was the basis of her power. That was very clear. At her weakest, with her powers restricted, she had still been able to shoot sacred arrows that contained enormous amounts of purifying energy. Everything else she knew about her powers stemmed from that single source. Her accuracy had been lacking, at first. But the power was always there, and it was very strong. She had taught herself how call upon her powers to accurately hit a target, every time, and to infuse not just arrows with her powers, but other weapons as well. While Kaede was training her in herbal medicine and midwifery, she had quietly experimented with infusing the knives and needles and bandages she used on her patients with her spiritual energy.
Under ideal circumstances she felt confident of her ability to fine-tune the same spiritual energy that could totally obliterate a demon and direct it towards healing, at least enough to help a little. Kouga’s enraged state made the situation far less than ideal. “Kouga, saving your leg is what’s important right now. Just relax, and let me do this for you. We can worry about every thing else later, after I’ve healed you, okay?”
Kouga nodded, sagging back against the wall of the cave. Kagome suspected that he was feeling weak, but didn’t want anyone to know. He had always been so much like Inuyasha. She breathed in deeply, remembering Sesshomaru’s advice about meditating. Emptying her mind of everything but thoughts of healing, she focused on her hands, watching as they began to glow with a faint, pink light. She closed her eyes, visualizing Kouga’s leg, whole and undamaged. Gently, eyes still closed, she stroked her fingers softly up and down the length of Kouga’s leg. She repeated the gentle caress, over and over, totally losing track of time. She was startled out of her trance when she felt her hands captured in Kouga’s. Her eyes opened to stare into his, which were once again a tranquil blue. He smiled softly at her, and she lowered her gaze to his leg.
Ginta, who was leaning close, gasped. “Ooh… Look, everybody. His leg is completely healed!”
Hakaku peered over his shoulder “Ahhh…”
“How are you feeling, Kouga?” She asked softly.
“Better than ever, Kagome. Thank you, my woman.”
She smiled back at him, feeling a little misty. “I think I’m going to cry!”
Ginta and Hakaku both waved their hands in dismay. “Don’t be afraid, little sister! Kouga’s leg is healed now, and he can protect us all from the Band of Seven again!” Jakotsu, who had been staring into his mirror, made a point of smirking.
Kouga pulled Kagome into his lap, stroking her hair as she rested her head against his bare, muscular chest. “Are you tired, Kagome?”
She nodded. She was very tired, and felt strangely weepy, the way she often did when she started… Shit. Just what she didn’t need. Stuck in a cave with three wolves, and she was about to start her period.
Kouga rocked Kagome in his arms. She did not have the strength or even any desire to resist. She just wanted to be held right now. A mean little voice inside her head added that if Sesshomaru didn’t like it, tough. He wasn’t here for her when she needed him, and he’d just have to suck it up.
Ignoring Kouga and Kagome, Shippou decided to find out what Ginta and Hakaku knew about the situation with the Band of Seven. He had always thought Kouga’s men were more intelligent than their leader anyway. “I take it you guys don’t know who brought the Band of Seven back, then, right, Ginta?”
“Right, Shippou. Over the last year, more and more humans have been cutting down trees in the Eastern Mountains, around the area of the old demon slayers’ village and the mining encampment at Fudo. The humans have always cut down trees to use for charcoal, to make steel for swords.”
Hakaku took over. “But more and more trees started being cut down. We haven’t ever seen deforestation like that, even when Naraku’s demons were running wild all over the Eastern Lands! And it’s not just the forests they are destroying, either. They’ve wiped out all of the game our wolves use for food.” He looked over at Kagome, who was still cradled in his leader’s arms. “Our tribe hasn’t started hunting humans for food again, Kagome. We’ve been sending our hunters farther and farther afield to look for meat. But the tribe has been trying to recover our numbers after all the lives we lost to Kagura, and our new cubs are going hungry because of all the new human activity in our territory.”
“Right.” Added Ginta. “A lot of the new demons we’ve taken in from other tribes, especially Ayame and the wolves she brought with her from the Northern Tribes, wanted to use all these new humans for food. Kouga ordered that we just conduct raids on the work crews out cutting wood and the humans hunting our game, to try to drive them out of our territory. Just to scare them, though, not to kill them or eat them. Kouga’s refusal to let the wolves eat humans led Ayame and her wolves to form a separate pack, which doesn’t abide by Kouga’s rules.”
Hakaku finished the story. “It seems like that’s what brought the Band of Seven into the mountains. They’re killing off the wolves in both Kouga’s tribe and Ayame’s tribe so the human woodsmen can keep harvesting wood for making steel.”
Kouga, still stroking Kagome’s hair, added quietly, “I won’t ever go back on my promise to you, Kagome. My tribe will never use your kind for food again.”
Kagome really did start crying, then.