InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ For The Last Time ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

You wanted an update? Well here you go!!Chapter Dedication: To all those who review my story. Thank you.
Guess what: This story is complete, meaning that I have it completely written out in my notebook! Hooray! With this chapter, we are halfway done. Yes, there will be a sequel.
Request: Anyone willing to draw the pic of Syd hugging Jaken in the last chapter? If so, you’ll get a chapter dedication!Explanation: single quotes (‘’) are Beast talk, double quotes (“”) are normal speech.Disclaimer: I don't own this show. But I do own this story line, what I am going to do to Hojo, and the new characters I have introduced.
Previously in For The Last Time...

Sesshomaru finally decided to take some pity on Jaken. “Juumai, release Jaken. He is still of use to me.”Obsydian sighed. “Hai, Itoko. Bye, Little Youkai! Don’t worry, though,” she stage whispered. “I’ll be around for us to catch up on old times.”The little imp cried out in fear at this, running to hide behind his Lord’s hakama.“I have yet to finish my rounds of the area, Juumai. You and the horse are to accompany me while these duties are completed. You are to learn every nook and cranny of these lands. This is your home, you should know it. Now, let us leave,” Sesshomaru ordered curtly, turning to leave the area.

&&&&&

Inuyasha sat in Kaede’s hut, fuming about being tricked and locked up. All because Kagome didn’t want him following her into the future to finish what he had started. Damn woman! She was always besting him in a lot of things. When it came to arguments, she was always right. If he tried to beat up on the little runt kit, he was the one who got punished, not the fox!

So that was how he got himself into this predicament now. Sango had told him that Kagome was willing to apologize for her actions and was waiting for him in Kaede’s hut. At first he was suspicious, Kagome didn’t apologize that often. But when Miroku had insisted it was true, the hanyou tore off at full speed for Edo.

A short time later, he barreled into Kaede’s hut, fully expecting Kagome to be there. Nothing. The hut was empty. He turned around, ready to chew out his companions, only to find the door shut in his face and sutras placed all around the house being activated.

Damn his gullibility!

“Oi, baabaa! Let me out of here!” Inuyasha called for what seemed like the millionth time.

“Ne, Inuyasha. Lady Kagome asked that you remain here until she returns. It may be a while yet so save your strength for we will not be letting you out of there until she returns,” Kaede intoned, her one eye closed in concentration.

“Don’t worry, Inuyasha, I’m sure Okaa-chan will be here in the next day or two,” Shippou said, his green eyes glittering in mirth.

&&&&

Kagome sneezed. Rubbing her nose, she groaned. Someone is talking about me behind my back, she thought miserably. She had been sneezing on and off all day long. She wondered what she had done to make someone talk about her behind her back. “Oh!” she exclaimed when it clicked in her head. “I forgot to unseal Inuyasha!”

Sesshomaru turned his head slightly to look at her, not even bothering to stop his forward motion. What was she babbling about now? Perhaps she was sick and talking about the herbs she needed to heal herself? Maybe. That would explain why she had been sneezing all afternoon.

Obsydian, though, was the one to voice his unspoken thoughts. “What are you talking about, Kagome?” she asked, turning around to walk backwards beside her older cousin.

“I promised my friends that once I got Sesshomaru healed, I would unseal Inuyasha!” the priestess wailed. She turned on her heel and began making her way through the dense underbrush in a desperate struggle to reach her old village.

The bitch turned to her cousin. “Are you going to stop her or should I? If she keeps going that way she’s going to–”

“Ahh!!” Kagome screamed.

“–find the snake pit that’s there,” she finished belatedly. Turning a beaming smile towards the older dog beside her, she lifted one eyebrow, silently asking her question again.

“You go,” he ordered curtly. “I have no wish to disrupt Rin.”

Obsydian looked softly at the little girl sleeping in her cousin’s arms. The dark haired girl child was curled up in the strong arms of her unusual protector. Her little thumb was stuck in her mouth as she turned to face Sesshomaru’s armor plated chest. The kid’s small body was covered with a light blanket to block out the cool morning air.

Rin had fallen asleep in his arms last night after awakening from a nightmare. Probably those damn wolves again, Obsydian thought with disdain. If I ever see one of those foul excuses for a canid again, I’ll kill them. In the few weeks that the small group had been together the little girl had grown on the two demonesses.

“Hai, Itoko. I’ll be back shortly,” she said before tearing off after the miko.

Kyra shook her head from her place on Ah-Un’s back. “That girl is more trouble than she’s worth. If you didn’t have to mate her then I would be more than happy to get rid of her for you.” She stretched and reclined against the dragons’ necks, lazily crossing her ankles. The horse yawned wide, revealing teeth that would pass for a human’s. As a horse, she didn’t have the fanged canines that her allies did. “She really is irritating, always yammering on about this ‘Inuyasha’ character. I still don’t get who he is. Whatever, I’m going back to sleep. Wake me when we get were we’re going.” She yawned once more before closing her eyes.

“Impudent colt,” Jaken muttered darkly.

“I heard that, kappa. If I were you I’d keep my mouth shut. Syd just might find out that you want to play with her,” Kyra grinned evilly, her eyes still closed. “And for your information I am a filly.”

The green youkai gulped, instantly shutting up.

Sesshomaru took note of his actions. It would be useful to keep his cousin around. If the threat of playtime with the pup made his retainer shut his mouth that quickly, well, he just might keep her around a while longer.

“Put me down, Obsydian! I have to go release Inuyasha! Who knows what he might be doing to poor Kaede and the rest of the villagers,” Kagome whined.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the position his cousin had the woman he was supposed to marry. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t considered the position himself, but if he were to turn his head his vision would be filled with her butt. So, although her butt was a very nice thing to look at, his overall opinion of the ‘miko over the shoulder’ technique was rather low.

Kagome pounded the back of the bitch that had roughly thrown her over her shoulders. Obsydian took no notice of the girl’s fists, however. She wasn’t that strong yet. Instead, she walked up to her cousin and continued their journey toward his castle.

“Quit your yapping, kid. Be grateful that I stopped walking long enough to rescue you from those snakes. Otherwise you’d be dead,” Obsydian said, bouncing Kagome a little to adjust her position on her shoulder.

“Speaking of dead, Syd,” Kyra called out. “Jaken wanted to play catch with you.”

“Really?!” the young bitch asked excitedly. “Oh, Itoko, can I? Please?” she begged, her eyes shining with excitement. The female was practically dancing where she stood, looking up at her cousin with hope written all over her face.

“Hn. Not now, Obsydian. You may play when we stop for the evening,” Sesshomaru replied with a smirk. He wanted Rin to be awake when they played, it would be great entertainment for the girl child.

“Ya!” she cried joyously as Jaken simultaneously screamed in fear. “Oh, Little Youkai, I can’t wait! We’re going to have so much fun! I’ll catch you every time, don’t you worry about that.”

“That is precisely what I’m worried about,” he muttered sourly. “I don’t want to be a dog’s chew toy! I have enough problems dealing with a mortal girl. I don’t want to have to ‘play’ with an immortal one too. Kami help me.”

“Put me down, Obsydian! Sesshomaru, tell your cousin to put me down! Inuyasha is still locked up in Kaede’s hut. They’re not even going to feed him because I was supposed to be back a week ago. Please!” Kagome begged.

Sesshomaru sighed. He would do it, but only to relieve his ears of her incessant whining. “Fine, do as you wish. But you will return to me,” the taiyoukai said, holding his young ward closer when she began to shiver. He hoped another nightmare wasn’t setting in.

“Duh. I have to; otherwise you would have a fit. But if you trust me that little, then come with me. Who knows what kind of trouble I’ll get into?” Kagome goaded, sincerely hoping Sesshomaru would come with her. The trip would go so much faster if he carried her.

The white dog shook his head imperceptibly. The girl was cunning. She would probably be dead within five minutes of leaving them if she went by herself. Who knew what she could get into? Sesshomaru knew all too well what kind of trouble she could attract. There was that damned wolf prince that claimed her as his own. There was the pathetic human Akitoki Houjo who sought to mate her. And let’s not forget every other youkai out there that wanted a piece of her for one reason or another.

“Fine, I will escort you to the village and back,” Sesshomaru grunted. “Juumai, take Rin. She will be safer with you and the horse than she will be with me. It is unlikely the miko will not attract trouble.” Kagome snorted beside him. “Jaken,” he called. The little kappa snapped to attention. “If Rin is hurt your life will be forfeit.”

“Milord!” Jaken gasped. “Why is it my life that will be forfeit? The colt and pup are here as well!”

“Do not question my judgment,” Sesshomaru growled in a low tone.

“And I’m a filly!” Kyra called, her green eyes sparkling with rage. “If you ever call me a colt again, I’ll make frog leg soup out of you!”

Jaken gulped heartily, the filly rarely failed to follow through on her promises. “Hai, Milord!” the green youkai gasped, bowing so low his pointed face scraped the ground.

“Hmph,” the white dog snorted. Turning to his cousin, he gently deposited Rin in her arms, adjusting the blanket to cover her shoulders. Slowly, he ran his knuckles down the side of her face.

“What a truly special girl she is, Sesshomaru, if she can elicit such an emotion from you,” Obsydian smiled. Smoothly readjusting the child, she held her closer and looked at her with shining eyes. “A truly special child indeed. Tell me, Itoko, what brought you two together?”

Sesshomaru said nothing, though. He ignored his cousin and turned on his heel, making his way through the underbrush toward the village of Edo. Obsydian laughed lightly and held the small child closer, singing softly.

Kyra looked up from her perch where she had been half dozing. She smiled at the sight of her best friend with the girl. Obsydian had a strange affinity for human children; she really did care for them. The horse couldn’t count how many times they had stopped in their travels to help a child. Whether that meant returning the kid to its parents, finding them a loving home or bandaging up a wound, Obsydian did everything within her power to help. Now that she had Rin to take care of and dote on, Kyra thought that it just might help her friend grow up some.

They continued on their way towards Sesshomaru’s castle, Obsydian in the lead with a sleeping Rin, Kyra on Ah-Un’s back and Jaken leading the two headed dragon.

&&&&&

“You know, Sesshomaru,” Kagome said in an irritated tone, her fingers drumming. “I could have walked. I am perfectly capable of standing on my own two feet.” One elbow was propped up with her head resting in her hand while the other hand’s fingers were drumming impatiently.

The Taiyoukai said nothing, though; he merely kept walking through the woods. Indeed, Kagome had proved to be more trouble than she was worth. Not ten minutes into their two day journey, they had been attacked by a group of youkai that were out for revenge on a brother that they had lost. It wasn’t as if it was her fault that their brother had gone nuts with a tainted jewel shard in its head.

She had merely done her duty and extracted and purified it. While Inuyasha was the one who had killed the poor beast. But, alas, it seemed as though the dead beast’s siblings were just as dumb as he. They attacked Kagome, knowing he was right there. Of course, he had stepped in and, with a few slices of his whip, the impudent beasts had fallen to pieces on the ground before him.

But then again, it was her fault that the jewel had been broken in the first place, partially, anyway. The carrion demon crow had snatched the jewel up from the ground, swallowing it whole. In a moment of inspiration, Kagome had tied the crow’s dismembered foot to one of her arrows and shot. She hit the crow alright, and the jewel. The pink orb shattered into hundreds of shards, flung across the ancient lands of Japan thanks to the four winds.

“Oh, Sesshomaru,” Kagome sing-song chanted, her anger rising. This wasn’t what she had pictured when she thought of him carrying her. “Please, oh please, put me down. Or do you intend to carry me on your shoulder for the remainder of our journey? Just think of how it would look if you walked into Edo with me flung over your shoulder. Think of what Inuyasha would–umph!”

Sesshomaru dropped her without pause and continued walking.

“Hey! What the hell was that all about?” she ranted, rubbing her sore bottom. Really, if he had wanted to put her down he could have helped her off his shoulder with as much grace as possible. But no…he had to dump her on her butt and keep on walking.

“Come, Miko. You wish to see your friends again, do you not?”

Oooh! He was so infuriating! “Yes, Sesshomaru, I do. That’s the whole reason we’re going back to Edo. Otherwise you wouldn’t even bother to sniff in that direction for fear of catching Inuyasha’s scent,” Kagome sneered.

A muscle ticked in Sesshomaru’s jaw. This girl sincerely did not know when to shut up. “Let’s make a deal, Miko. You remain quiet for the rest of the journey, there and back, and I will speed our travels.”

The priestess’s ears perked up at the sound of the promise. The only thing was, though, she didn’t know if she could keep her end of the bargain. She thought she could, but Napoleon thought he could beat England at Waterloo and Alexander the Great thought he could conquer the world. Who knows? Perhaps she could. It was something to think about anyway.

“I’ll do my best,” she grinned at the Taiyoukai who had returned to look at her. Extending her hand, she waited for him to help her up. Surprisingly, he took the offered appendage and pulled her to her feet before scooping her up bridal style. Kagome flushed slightly, squirming a little to make her position a little more comfortable.

She squeaked and clutched to his spiked armor as he took off in a very fast run. Inuyasha never ran this fast, the young woman thought in amusement and shock. The young woman snuggled a little closer, flushing a brighter shade of red when she felt his arms draw her closer still.

“Arigatou, Sesshomaru,” she whispered.

“Miko, you are forgetting our bargain,” Sesshomaru said.

Kagome looked up at him to give him a piece of her mind only to find a slight smile quirking the tips of his mouth and one golden eye looking down at her. Instead, she stuck her tongue out at him and turned her head out to watch as the trees flew by around them.

Soon, she was lulled by his rhythmic running into a sleep. Her eyes began to drift shut even as her mouth opened wide in a large yawn. She turned her head back towards Sesshomaru’s chest, snuggling into the warmth and security his arms offered. She was asleep.

Sesshomaru watched as the young woman whom he was to marry slowly drifted off to sleep in his arms.

Sleep well, little miko, he thought with a soft smile on his face.

Aww, so you do care! his inner youkai teased.

The white dog huffed before leaning his head down to nuzzle softly into her hair. Indeed, although it would never do for one to find out. She is a beautiful young woman and would make a great ransom deal for an opponent of my lands.

In two days time, the couple ended up on the outskirts of Edo. Sesshomaru gently set his bride-to-be on the ground and walked beside her as they entered the village. People called out to her as she made her way through the center of town. It did not surprise the Taiyoukai to find that she was so beloved of her townspeople.

Kagome called and waved back to those who called to her, bowing when necessary and issuing a polite “We can talk later,” to those who wished to talk with her.

In a few minutes, they were just in front of Kaede’s hut.

“Kagome!” Shippou yelled, launching himself off the ground and into the miko’s arms. “I missed you! And Inuyasha has been an awful jerk even though he’s been locked up! He’s been calling you all sorts of names and–”

Kagome placed two fingers to his lips to silence him. “Alright, Shippou, I understand. You don’t have to spell out every foul thing he called me,” she placated the kit.

“Kagome-chan!” Sango cried, wrapping her friend in a massive hug. “We didn’t even sense yours or Sesshomaru’s aura coming. Why not?”

“It’s because of all the training Sesshomaru has put me through. I’ve learned to control my aura and he’s always been able to control his. I just think that whenever he came to fight Inuyasha, he let it show simply to pick on him,” Kagome explained thoughtfully, tapping her chin with one finger.

A well placed, derisive snort echoed from behind her. The young woman laughed.

“Kagome-sama, it is good to see you again. Perhaps now you will release the bothersome Inuyasha from Lady Kaede’s hut?” Miroku asked, walking up to the small group.

“Hai,” Kagome said, a light blush coloring her cheeks. Turning, the young woman dumped the fox kit into Sesshomaru’s arms before she walked up to the hut, examining it.

The young kitsune stared up at the fearsome dog in wonder, his eyes wide. Why on earth had Kagome put him in Sesshomaru’s arms? I mean, it was one thing to drop him with Inuyasha, the hanyou was his alpha after all, but to drop him with Sesshomaru? The being that could care less whether he lived or died? What was she thinking?!

The dog looked at the fox with nothing showing on his face, although his inner thoughts were in much turmoil. What on earth had possessed the miko to put the kit with him? He didn’t care. He had only saved the kit that time because he knew Kagome would be upset if he had died by her hand. A sound from ahead snapped his attention to his betrothed and from the kit.

Shippou visibly relaxed when the Taiyoukai removed his golden gaze.

“Kagome!” Inuyasha was hollering from inside his makeshift prison. “Let me out of here, wench!”

“Calm yourself, Inuyasha,” Kaede said calmly, standing beside her protégé. “If you do not make such racket it would be easier for Kagome and I to release these sutras.”

Inuyasha satisfied himself with a snort and seated himself against the far wall. He waited for what felt like forever. “Hey!” he yelled. “Hurry up out there! I’m gonna die of old age if you don’t!”

“Sit!” Kagome retorted, never once faltering in her removal of the holy seals.

The hanyou felt the dreaded subjugation beads around his neck come into effect. “Gah!” he cried, eating dirt. “Whadya do that for?” he asked when he was released from the spell.

“Because you won’t shut up when I’m trying to work out here. Now sit!” she replied, a satisfied smirk gracing her lips when she heard him go face first into the ground.

He opened his mouth to say something but Kagome beat him to it. “If you say another word, I’ll say the ‘s’ word for twenty minutes straight!” she threatened.

The half dog gulped and sat back down, scowling. What was her problem? So what if he was upset, he had ever right to be! She had tricked him, locked him up, stolen his sword, run off with his brother and then sat him unconscious when he tried to kill the bastard. Since when did she even care about him?

Ten minutes later, Kagome removed the last of the sutras from the house. She sighed and wiped her face, turning a beaming smile to Kaede who merely nodded. “You’ve done good, child. You have definitely improved. I believe you no longer need my services as a mentor.”

“Don’t say that, Kaede! You’ll always be my teacher. I’m sure there’s something you haven’t taught me,” the girl reasoned, her blue eyes welling up with unshed tears.

“Ne, child, you should have known that there would come a time when I could not guide you any farther. Whether it be my death, yours, or your powers excelling above my own, the time has always been known. Why do you not accept it?” the wise old woman asked.

“Because, Kaede, you’re a dear friend to me, practically my second mother. I have no wish to be separated from you,” Kagome announced tearfully.

“Child,” Kaede sighed. “There is no reason why you should be separated from me simply because you no longer have a need for me as a teacher. I will remain in this village until the day I die. My hut is always open for you.”

“Thank you,” her former apprentice whispered softly. Suddenly, she threw her arms around the old woman in a loving embrace.

Startled, Kaede slowly reached up and patted the younger woman’s back with her hand, unsure of what to do. She had never been the comforter between her and her late sister. She was the younger, more emotional of the two. Kikyou was the one who spoke kind, soothing words to her, promised her of good things that would come to pass. Once Kikyou was gone and Kaede was the miko of the village, she knew no soft words, only meager words of a decent future. Nothing so kind as what this girl seemed to know.

Kagome pulled back, wiping a few stray tears from her face. She opened her mouth to speak only to hear a roar. In an instant, she once more found herself in Sesshomaru’s arms, high above the hut.

“Sesshomaru, what--?” she started before a flash of red appeared in front of her.

His long silver hair trailed out behind him and the triangular ears atop his head were focused on her. His eyes were a blood red, their golden pupils merely slits, and one purple stripe graced each cheek.

Inuyasha had gone feral.

With effortless grace, Sesshomaru dropped to the ground, taking Kagome with him. Once his feet touched the ground he pushed off with considerable force that sent them both several feet backwards. The Taiyoukai placed his bride to be on the ground behind him. He was once more her shield.

“Sesshomaru!” Kagome called, fear lacing her voice. “What happened? Why did he go feral? He wasn’t in danger for his life!”

“Hn, I do not know. Be quiet or you will attract his attention to yourself,” he ordered, his own golden eyes trained on the red figure before them.

“I don’t care about that! You shouldn’t be fighting yet. You heard what your cousin said, no fighting for two weeks. It’s barely been a week! You don’t want the stitches to rip!” the young woman wailed, her eyes sparkling with more than just tears. Fear, there was definite fear in her eyes. Fear for his safety, for his well being, for that of Inuyasha.

The feral dog roared, his blood red eyes roaming over the village proper, searching for his next victim. Already, Kaede had a bloody gash down her left shoulder, similar to the one Naraku gave Kikyou before her death. His gaze landed on a quaking fox kit. A devious smirk twisted its way onto his mouth. The hanyou’s fangs protruded out of his mouth and over his lips. He licked them in a way that sent shivers down Shippou’s spine.

“Inuyasha?” the kit asked slowly, not wanting to hear the answer he knew was coming.

A low growl reverberated from the half dog. It spoke of danger, of hunger, of bloodlust. It promised the kit’s death in a bloody and brutal way. It told volumes of Inuyasha’s ancestry. The growl was not a warning, it was a declaration.

The kitsune screamed in fear, taking off in a random direction. He knew he was no match for the half dog when he was going easy on him. How could be one now, when Inuyasha had absolutely no control over his actions?!

“Sesshomaru!” Kagome cried, grabbing the sleeve of his haori. “Please do something! Save my kit!”

The young woman was overwrought. The fox had been a constant companion to her since the day she and Inuyasha had helped him to defeat the thunder brothers. He had stuck with them through thick and thin. The spunky little kitsune had even tried to defend her against greater youkai. It would kill her to see him die.

“Woman,” the white dog growled. “Release your hands from This One’s person.”

“No you damn dog! Not until you help Shippou! You did it before, why not now?” she pleaded, her cerulean blue eyes overflowing with tears. “Please,” the girl whispered.

Sesshomaru sighed, the girl was a pain. Swiftly, he scooped her up into his arms once more, taking off at full tilt past the blood lusting hanyou and upon the kit. He grabbed the red fox with no thought and carried the two to a safer spot where he quickly deposited them.

He turned, his silver hair flowing around his form, and faced his crazed half brother. There would be no talking sense into the hanyou, the only way to correct the problem would be to kill him. Something he did not mind at this point. He cracked his knuckles and took a step forward only to find a restraining hand on his arm.

The Taiyoukai turned to look at Kagome. Her tear streaked face was beautiful, he had to admit. “What?” he growled, a little harsher than he intended.

Kagome sucked in her breath at his curt tone. More tears welled up in her eyes. Why was he so constantly callous? What had happened in the past to make him so? She was surprised when he reached up one clawed hand and gently wiped away her tears. The girl clutched his wrist and buried her face in his large palm.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please don’t kill him. He can’t think straight. He is unable to control his blood. Please.”

“Then what would you have This One do?” he asked in turn.

The priestess took a deep breath. This wasn’t going to be very easy. “The sword.” She looked away from his surprised expression. “Tessaiga seals his blood. It prevents this from happening. I shouldn’t have given it to you in the first place. It was not mine to dole out as a payment of sorts.”

Sesshomaru raised one eyebrow at her newfound wisdom. “Indeed. It is not fair of this one to accept a payment for protection from his betrothed. Stay here with your kit. Do not interfere in this skirmish.”

The young woman nodded, taking up her kit once more and snuggling him to herself. “Please,” she whispered once more. “Please return alive and unharmed.”

“This One will do as asked,” Sesshomaru promised. He raised a clawed hand and placed it gently on her cheek once more. “Do not fear. I, Sesshomaru, will not break my word.” With that, he was gone. He reappeared on the battlefield of the village, next to his half brother. He kept both eyes on the half dog, watching intently as the boy circled him.

“Sesshomaru,” Inuyasha snarled. His blood rage grew with every passing moment, eating away at his sanity and humanity. In no time, if something was not done, he would be nothing but a crazed half demon, completely out of touch with himself.

“Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru replied in a calm tone. “Come here.”

“Why should I? You hate my guts. You would probably kill me in a heartbeat,” he sneered.

“Come here,” Sesshomaru repeated, pulling Tessaiga from his obi.

“I don’t want that piece of scrap metal,” the half dog scoffed, a wary eye on the sword. “It would do no good to me.”

“You would dishonor your father by disgracing his sword?” the Taiyoukai replied in a low tone. Anger rumbled through his voice, the hanyou was treading on dangerous ground. Another step and Sesshomaru’s calm, icy façade would break.

“Bah,” Inuyasha spat. “I’m stronger than the old man. I defeated Ryokotsue. I defeated the band of seven. Hell, I even defeated Naraku.”

“You did none of that without the sword,” Sesshomaru replied evenly. Just another half step and he would force the damned sword on the hanyou.

“Pft,” the hanyou scoffed once more. “I don’t need anything to defeat you!” He roared and launched himself at his half brother.

The two met in the air. They tangled with each other for a few moments before Sesshomaru gained enough of an upper hand to throw Inuyasha to the ground, pinning him with the sword on his chest. He leaned all his weight on the figure beneath him, carefully releasing one hand to grab the hanyou’s and place it on the hilt of his sword.

In the space of three minutes, Inuyasha returned to normal. His sad golden eyes reflected into his brother’s depths. “What…happened?” he asked wearily. “Did I lose control again?”

Sesshomaru stood up with fluid grace, looking down his nose at the hanyou at his feet. “Hai, you did.”

“Did you save me?” Inuyasha whispered fearfully.

“Hn,” the white dog replied.

“Did I kill anyone this time?” he asked even quieter.

“No. Though you did aim for the kit and Kagome. Your claws, wounded the old priestess, I suggest that you seek recompense from those whose homes you have destroyed,” Sesshomaru said.

“Hai, Aniki,” the inu hanyou whimpered.

Both of Sesshomaru’s eyebrows went up. This was extremely uncharacteristic of his younger half brother. The Taiyoukai was used to being called every filthy name in the book by the boy but he was not used to being called ‘older brother’ with respect. He felt someone at his side and turned to see Kagome. She stood there, the kit in her arms, and stared at Inuyasha. The girl was openly weeping for him.

“Oh Inuyasha,” she sighed. “You have my deepest apologies.”

Inuyasha looked up at her in amazement. Him? Why did he have her apologies? He had done nothing to deserve her apologies, merely her forgiveness. “Why?” he managed to say in a choked voice.

“I should never have taken the sword from you,” she explained. “It was not right. I should never have given it to Sesshomaru. It was not meant to be his, no matter what his father may have thought of yours and Kikyou’s coupling. It was meant to seal your demon blood and therefore it belongs to you.”

Sesshomaru’s deep baritone sounded in the deafening silence that followed. “You may keep the sword, little brother, on the conditions that you will not disturb myself, my grounds or my intended unless called upon.”

Inuyasha’s brows rose at his brother’s words. His intended? He looked to Kagome only to see her blushing a heavy red. “Kagome?” he asked slowly, really afraid of the answer that she might give.

“Inuyasha, Sesshomaru and I are to be mated. Our father’s asked for us to be together so Midoriko found us and explained the whole thing.” She nervously pushed the dirt around in front of her with her foot. The girl cringed when he looked at her with heartbroken eyes.

Kagome sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Inuyasha. I have already accepted Sesshomaru’s suit. I will not revoke it now. Besides, you have Kikyou, wherever she may be. It is time for me to move on. I waited for you for too long. I loved you but you could never see me as anything more than her reincarnation. I am more than that,” she finished in a firm tone.

&&&&&

Alright, there’s the next chap. Hope you enjoyed! Now, it’s muse time.

&&&&

Sess is still tied in a chair while Kagome circles him, dog treats in hand, and FL circles in the opposite direction, Dog Fancy in hand. The top is off the dog treats and Kagome is shaking them while FL has the center fold out open in the magazine.

FL: Alright now, Fluffy. Sess cringes at the name. Where is Dreamish? Both of ya’ll have some splainin’ to do.

Kags: Oh please, FL, you so can’t do Ricky Ricardo off of “I Love Lucy”, which you don’t own.

FL: sticks her tongue out at Kags It’s not like you can do any better.

Kags: I never said I could. I just said you couldn’t.

FL: pouts Aw, come on. I’m not that bad am I?

Kags: Nah, I just like picking at you.

FL: growls Well, don’t. It’s really annoying and I will not be responsible for anything that might happen to you if you start knocking my accents.

Kags: eyes FL suspiciously Just what might you have in mind?

FL: shrugs Who knows, you just might be the next one buried.

Inuyasha sneakily enters the scene and leaps, tackling FL.

Inu: Let me out of this subjugation spell dammit!

FL: NO! Now get off me before I say the ‘h’ word!

Inu: You wouldn’t dare. I’m still on top of you.

FL: Ya! That’s my point. The only one allowed on top of me is Sesshomaru! Now get off! Vainly tries to shove Inu off of her.

Inu: That was a hell of a lot more than I needed to know about either yours or Sesshomaru’s love life. Spies the center foldout of the magazine in FL’s hand. Oooh, is that the latest issue of Dog Fancy?

FL: Heel!

Both FL and Inu are dragged out of FL’s house and to the well, down the well and to the Feudal Era were they end up in Kaede’s hut.

FL: See what you did you stupid mongrel! Now get off! Shoves Inu off of her, throws the magazine in a corner.

Inuyasha rushes to the corner, pouring over the magazine with wide eyes, drooling mouth and panting breath.