InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ He's My Girl ❯ The Thin Line ( Chapter 20 )

Disclaimer: We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

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Yes, we waited too long to put out this chapter. We're sorry. And yes we will finish this, there's about three chapters left, we're almost done.

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Warnings: Foul language and plenty of violence. Some words in this chapter may be offensive to some readers. We'd like to mention that it's not us, it's a desperate guy doing his best (or worst) to insult his opponent.
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Special thanks to our awesome betas: SplendentGoddess, Tori Rex and Theleb K'aarna!
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Written by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea
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Chapter 20: The Thin Line

If only there were evil people somewhere, insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?

- Alexander Solzhenitsyn

~*~

Kouga was on the top of his game and he was doing what he liked best--pissing someone off and even better, he was able to fight while doing it. He swerved and dodged as two mercenaries tried their best to take him down, however the wolf demon was too quick for their feeble attacks.

It's been too fucking long since I have been able to throw a punch like a guy!

He briefly thought back to his many days as the buxom female, Kori. He grimaced when he remembered being drugged at the nightclub and how his roommate had saved him from a bad situation. He felt a slight twinge in his stomach when he thought of Ayame, the girl who had not only rescued him, but had also comforted him--a girl who he had even comforted in return. He had never done anything like that before. Just holding her in his arms had given him an inner peace that he had never known he could possess. Now all he wanted was a second chance with her and for her to know who he really was.

And the bracelet is off! I can be my-fucking-self again!

Kouga bellowed out a whoop of sheer joy as he evaded Suikotsu's long claws and the ponderous blows of Kyokotsu.

Too fucking easy.

The young wolf demon could have already taken the two humans down, but it was so much more fun to just play with them. He used to live for fights, perhaps not as much as Inuyasha had, but he still needed a little ass kicking to make his world feel right. He had been a girl for too long. He had played with those silly rules of behaving like a lady and he just wasn't going to be that kind of er…gal…anymore.

Kouga grinned evilly as he sucker punched Kyokotsu in the face. He watched the blood spurt from the giant's nose, his entire form falling backwards before thumping heavily onto the misty, wet ground.

He eyed Suikotsu's striped face and long claws with a smirk. He briefly wondered what he could do to prolong the battle when a wall of white mist battered against him.

The boy dropped to his knees as the strangest feeling of purity cascaded against him, driving him down. The last time he had felt like this was when he had asked Kagome to purify him in an attempt to lose his cursed bracelet. His very body felt pummeled by sharp pains, and an unfamiliar weakness griped his muscles, making them unresponsive.

He looked up to see Suikotsu staring at him with wide eyes and Kyokotsu glaring at him. Thick, bound muscles on the giant's arms seemed to clench and flex with anger—an anger that was now directed at him.

Kouga seemed to sink further into the muddy ground as his body refused to obey him. The large figure of the murderous mercenary loomed over him and prepared to strike.

And for once, there was nothing he could do about it.

Oh shit…

~*~

A thunderous clash echoed through the woods when shiny, thick iron met its rusty, ancient opponent with brutal force. Seconds ticked by as the wielders of the two swords glared at each other from above their locked weapons. Metal ground against metal and strained growls rose from the rivals until finally one of them decided to play dirty.

Golden eyes with grayish hues widened for a moment, but the panic was short-lived. Even though his strength was waning due to the barrier, Inuyasha was still faster than Bankotsu. He jumped back with a grunt before the sneaky human's well-aimed kick landed on his knee.

“Bastard,” the hanyou hissed under his breath once he landed on his feet with enough distance to gather his senses before the giant sword was upon him again. He threw the arm wielding the Tessaiga up and blocked the monstrosity of a sword before it cut through his shoulder. Tremors ran up Tessaiga's hilt all the way through his arm under the force of the impact. To keep his heirloom from cracking under the strain, the half-demon pushed against the human's chest with his free arm and used the momentary ease on his sword to jump, yet again, a safe distance back.

A smug grin appeared on Bankotsu's face before he clicked his tongue in mock disapproval. “Can't even hold your ground, can you, Hanyou?”

Slightly shortened fangs peeked under Inuyasha's upper lip as he snarled in fury, trying his best to not rise to the bait. He knew he was not a weakling, even as a human. He could take on that bastard any time. If only he could get him away from that monstrosity of a sword… As it was, his Tessaiga proved to be nothing more than a weak shield against Bankotsu's Banryu.

Never one to admit to his distress, Inuyasha snorted. “Feh! What the fuck do you know, you faggot?! Come closer and I'll show you what I can do to your ugly human ass!”

Bankotsu's nostrils flared in anger as he raised his sword above his head. The smooth surface of the giant weapon caught the rays of the sun, reflecting them directly into the hanyou's eyes and blinding him for a couple deadly seconds. Inuyasha's ears caught the beginning of a hissed curse before it was drown out by the screech of iron against iron as the mercenary lunged at him with surprising speed for a human.

Bankotsu was relentless as he unleashed the Banyru's power with strike upon strike, never giving the hanyou a break long enough to get away from his fury. With each attack, Inuyasha found himself further pushed back. He was grateful that his heirloom hadn't yet broken under the brutal force of the monstrous sword.

Pushing back against the Tessaiga, Bankotsu whirled around inhumanly fast. The tip of the mercenary's long, dark braid grazed the hanyou's cheek before the flash of the Banyru--aligned with his throat--caught his eye. It was only the reflexes he had developed during his countless fights that helped Inuyasha escape the sword's cutting edge by a mere inch.

“Fuck,” croaked the hanyou with widened eyes.

Inuyasha stood leaning back from the waist while Bankotsu's arm stretched right in front of his nose.

The half-demon saw the opportunity he never dreamed would happen, and he took it.

Baring his fangs, he bit the mercenary's wrist with all his might. Bankotsu screamed, and the Banyru dropped from his slackened grip. Before his opponent could recuperate, Inuyasha swung his fist into the mobster's stomach. Bankotsu doubled over in pain, giving the hanyou the chance to knee his face.

Not waiting to see his bloody-nosed opponent fall on his back, Inuyasha turned to get the Banyru from where it fell and cursed when he realized that he couldn't lift it. Right then, Bankotsu lunged at him, colliding with the half-demon's back and sending them both to the ground. The two swords lay forgotten as their owners rolled back and forth with fists flying here and there.

“Stop being a girl and fight like a man, you bastard,” hissed Bankotsu once he was on top. His demand was swiftly followed by a hard blow to the hanyou's cheek.

Inuyasha's hands clawed at the human's torso in an attempt to throw him off balance until he got a hold of his long braid. Seizing the opportunity, he yanked hard, which helped him reverse their position. The moment the half-demon was on top again, his fist landed on the human's jaw.

“A girl?” Another punch to the other side of the mercenary's face accompanied Inuyasha's growled words. “Oh, but you weren't complaining before, were you, asshole?”

“What the fuck does that mean?” the dark-haired man managed to get out between his attempts to keep his face from being pummeled to the ground.

Inuyasha only smirked in response, remembering his last night at the Seventh Heaven and his heated make out with Kagome in front of the club's manager. It didn't matter that he had been Shaya and that the man had believed that he was a girl at that moment. The fact that the bastard had been about to grope his very male ass was enough proof of his questionable preferences in Inuyasha's eyes. Still, he wasn't going to voice that out loud since the butt in question was his and it did not sit well with his male pride.

Instead of wasting his breath to further goad his opponent, the hanyou focused on beating the shit out of him. Yanking Bankotsu up by the collar of his shirt, Inuyasha threw yet another punch on his bloody nose. He grinned in triumph when he heard the crack of bones under his knuckles. He had been right; he could take on any human without the aid of his enhanced powers.

Perhaps, he had been too hasty in congratulating himself because when he arched his arm to land another blow, he was thrown off balance by a fist that came out of nowhere and met his jaw with no resistance in his unguarded state.

Inuyasha looked up to see Bankotsu lunge at him again. But this time, instead of landing on top of him, the mercenary jumped over him and rolled on the ground a couple times until his hand came in contact with the hilt of his sword. The half-demon cursed under his breath for not having noticed how close they had gotten to the sword in the midst of their fistfight.

Rising to his feet with the Banyru once again in his hands, Bankotsu smirked menacingly. The red liquid dripping down his teeth only accentuated the heated fury in his gaze. “Now,” he said, adjusting his stance in preparation for his next move. “What were you saying about me being a fag?”

Inuyasha's eyes darted around in search of his only shield until they found the old sword lying on the ground quite a few feet behind where the enraged human stood. He knew then that he had been far too hasty to consider himself victorious. As the giant weapon came at him with impossible speed for its size, his panicked mind was far too occupied with repeating one thing to come up with a response.

Oh, shit... Oh, shit... Oh, shit!

~*~

Words fluttered against her mind. “Who are you? Who dares to violate my sanctuary?”

Kagome's eyes opened to a scene of mist. A lone figure sat before her, kneeling like she was, in the lotus position. His leathery and wrinkled skin hung from the skeleton of his frail body. Purple Monks robes with a golden sash and cowl covered his small frame. But what was most mesmerizing about him was not what he looked like--it was his soul. Intense peace and calm surrounded him, causing her to nearly forget why she had tried to commune with the living Buddha in the first place. Her entire being seemed to want to draw nearer to him, her spirit begging to be closer.

His steady eyes, yellowed with age, looked unwavering at her. He seemed to be taking in her very being, judging her by the light and purity her soul emitted.

“I asked you a question,” the monk stated with patience. “Will you respond?”

“I…” Kagome answered with a stutter. It wasn't every day that you could talk with a living Buddha, a deity that her people were called to worship and honor. She swallowed and then allowed the tranquility around her to still her soul. Minutes before she had been on the verge of panicking, but now she had trouble remembering exactly why she had been so insistent on coming here in the first place.

The quietness of her spirit helped to guide her. “Honored Buddha, I am Higurashi, Kagome.”

“I am Hakushin. You are a priestess,” he responded with a nod. “Now why do you disturb my solitude?”

Kagome blinked. She had only been here a few moments, or at least it felt like mere moments. It was so hard to judge the passage of time in a place that contained no walls, only bright light and shimmering mists. “Honored Hakushin, I beg you to dismiss the purification barrier that you have erected. My friends are here and it is undoubtedly hurting them.”

The elderly monk shifted in his silken robes. “My purification powers are hurting them? But it would only harm a demon.”

Kagome looked at him with wide, open eyes. She felt like she was exposing her soul as she spoke, and perhaps she was not far from the truth. “My friends are demons. They are fighting for their very lives here on this island.”

“Ahhhh,” murmured Hakushin as he closed his eyes. She felt his large spirit cascading past her, seeking to reach the world outside of the small confines of their communion.

After several moments, his eyes opened. “Are your friends the demons and half-demon that are fighting humans on this island? And…” he paused as if trying to ascertain something puzzling. “Is the large dog demon who is trying to crash past my barrier also a friend of yours?”

The miko was puzzled for a moment before she remembered that Sesshoumaru had been in cell phone contact with his father before they had left to Takeshima Island. The older Takahashi must be trying to help save them! If she could only get the barrier lowered, then the fight would surely fall their way! “Yes, he is the father of my friends. He is here to help.”

The monk hummed to himself. Then he leaned forward to look directly at Kagome's doe-like eyes.

“I do not see the point of releasing my barrier of purification. Whether it is up or down, there will still be conflict and fighting. It makes no difference to me who wins or loses.”

Kagome's eyebrows pulled together in concern and her mouth nearly dropped open in astonishment. It took everything she had to quell the panic that was coursing through her. She was Inuyasha's only hope. She had thought the living Buddha would listen to reason. Her hands began to tremble as her pulse quickly started to palpitate. The slow, even breaths that had enabled her to meditate started to transform into quick bursts.

Hakushin started to shimmer in front of her. The mists that surrounded them grew deeper and she felt her connection with the living Buddha waver.

No!

With an iron will that drew from her love for the only man she had ever wanted, she managed to still her panic. She could do this, for Inuyasha! She slowed her breath, her heartbeats no longer thumped excitedly against her chest. She took another deep cleansing breath and steadied her gaze at the monk whose actions would very well decide the course of the battle that was raging.

The monk gave her a wizened smile. “Good, you can contain your emotions. They are your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. You would do well to learn how to harness their energy when you need them in battle, but to not let them overtake you to such an extent that you lose your mind to the onslaught of their power.”

Kagome's eyes were watering. She was fighting with herself to keep the tears from falling. “Honored Hakushin. Please, I beseech you! My friends, my sister and the man I love are fighting for their very lives. Please lower your shield.”

The saint's eyes softened and looked at Kagome with a studied expression. “You would have me lower my defenses to what end? This conflict will only end in death.”

The miko raised her arms in order to plead. “Hakushin-sama, you must know that the leader of the people we are fighting is an evil man. He has kidnapped my sister and has threatened to kill her.”

The living Buddha sighed. “There is no such thing as evil--only greed, ill-will and delusion. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

Kagome faltered. She was failing. In her one task, the one and only thing she could do to help end the fight, a fight that could end in Inuyasha's death, she was powerless. Against her will, the tears that she had been keeping inside brimmed and cascaded as hot droplets down her cheeks.

Hakushin continued, “Young one, no matter what I do or you do, this fight will end in death.”

~*~

Sesshoumaru grimaced as his leaden feet tried to move. He was normally the fastest demon on the battlefield, now even a mere human could outrun him. To someone of his stature, this was egregiously intolerable.

Ever since the storm of purity had cascaded over him like an angry dust cloud, it had become increasingly difficult to make his limbs obey. Every time he attempted to move, it felt like his body was moving through quicksand. Energy was being sapped from his very essence, and it was pulling him down. Another demon would have been quaking in panic, but he was a prince among demons. Nothing could keep him from defending Rin; nothing would keep him from rescuing her.

He peered ahead at the effeminate mercenary, who stood with confidence, a large scimitar poised over his shoulder. The hideous man wore a woman's pink kimono and makeup imitating a clown. The one lone blackened tear over his eye looked out of place compared to the smirk that pervaded his features.

The man brought his sword out to point at the dog demon and licked his red stained lips before he spoke.

“Well, well...Aren't you a pretty sight?” laughed the man. “I am Jakoutsu, and this is my snake sword. You'll look even lovelier when I cut you up.”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. He scoffed at the man's bravado and willed his claws to drip with poison, for his whip of light to extend. However, his body wouldn't respond. Everything felt sluggish, and his hands looked far too human and ordinary.

A lesser demon would have panicked, but the taiyouki kept his impassive mask in place as a quick flash of silver slithered toward him.

Something was terribly wrong, time normally slowed down for him in battle. He would effortlessly glide between opponents, catching them off guard with his speed and attacking before they could even raise a weapon in defense. Now he was on the defense, and it did not sit well with him.

He felt ripping pain as he willed his legs to move away from the oncoming path of the sword. He pushed his body back and maneuvered between the sweeping lines of silver. It looked as if the mercenary was a rhythmic gymnast, twirling his silver, ribboned baton around. It flashed close to Sesshoumaru's face. He managed to dodge the sharp metal, but then hissed as the blade found its mark. His shoulder and legs were cut. Angry, red slices oozed open and dripped down his silken garment.

When the weapon had scored, Jakoutsu whipped his hand back, and the sword followed, bending like an accordion to fold back into the shape of a scimitar.

Even if the dog demon's body couldn't fully obey him, his eyes had not been damaged. He could see that the scimitar that he faced was actually a sectional sword.

A trick sword?

“Ohhh,” crooned Jakoutsu. “I knew you would look so pretty dripping with blood.”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he watched the human freak lick the black blood from the edge of the scimitar.

“You taste good, too,” said Jakoutsu with a smirk. “All the better that I bring you down slowly and have you begging me for your own death.”

Sesshoumaru maintained a firm countenance as he brought out his Bakusaiga. The human filth who had addressed him was not even worthy of a reply. Silence reigned between the two combatants.

After a pause, a flash of silver whipped from the mercenary's hand and was deftly countered by the demon lord's thin blade. Metal clanged as the swords froze in a tangled grip. Sesshoumaru's thin sword was entrapped by a mangled weave of metal. Just as Jakoutsu was about to relish the fact that his opponent was caught in his web, Sesshoumaru pulled his sword clean away from the mess.

While the dog demon stood and tried to steady his weakened body, the mercenary struck again. Sesshoumaru tried to evade the oncoming barrage, but his body was slowing to almost human proportions. His once graceful attempts to rebuff an attack came out as a stuttered dance. The accordion sword reached and hit home, leaving red, staining welts against each thigh.

This time, Jakoutsu didn't mock him; the man simply grinned with the smile of someone who was already certain of victory.

~*~

“God dammit!”

The world was a blur of green and blue as Inuyasha rolled on the grass, leaving streaks of liquid red in his wake. Panting in exertion, he rose to his feet unsteadily. He was too caught up in the manic aggression in his enemy's gaze to try and hide the fact that he had used his only shield, the Tessaiga, to regain his balance.

Bankotsu did not miss it.

“What a waste,” the mercenary muttered as he extracted his sword from where the hanyou had fallen a few seconds ago. “I hoped I'd have a worthy opponent for once; but it appears that without the help of your tainted blood, you're worthless.” The corner of his mouth twisted in a show of pity, but the glint in his eyes betrayed his sick pleasure in seeing his prey wounded and helpless.

That was what Inuyasha was now.

Prey.

“I'll show you worthless, you fucking bastard,” snarled the hanyou after spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth. Through the pounding of his heart, he could hardly make out the cries rising from the other battlefields nearby. From the sound of it, Sesshoumaru and Kouga were not doing well, either. Inuyasha was not surprised; the effects of the barrier were getting more pronounced with each second that passed.

Locks of midnight hair stuck to his sweaty forehead and cascaded down his shoulders as the hanyou forced his exhausted limbs to raise the Tessaiga in challenge. The cut on his bicep protested the movement vehemently, but he masked his grimace with a well-practiced smirk. Although his pride would not let him admit it out loud, he knew deep down that his opponent was right.

For the first time in his life, he was outmatched.

~*~

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow arched. The Kami must have a bizarre sense of humor...

It was both disturbing and nearly unthinkable that Sesshoumaru was facing what could be his final battle with the troublesome wolf demon at his back.

He had come to this island with the clear intent to save Rin. He knew it was a trap. He knew that if he didn't obliterate his enemy swiftly that the ambush would engulf him and Rin.

Rin.

If there was one good thing in his life, one woman he needed to protect and cherish, it was her. She was confusing, challenging, infuriating, utterly engrossing, sensual, and divinely beautiful. He really didn't care if he died; even in death, he was quite sure that he would continue on his quest to protect her.

But to be slowly sliced away by Jakotsou's sword, his lifeblood dripping down his face, torso and legs, it was not the way his existence should end--like a mere human bleeding to death.

Red, the color of liquid velvet, dripped down his face, his chest and legs. His kimono was in tatters, ripped by the sweep of a sword and blackened with his own blood.

Behind him, wheezing in near exhaustion was Kouga. The man also stood with red ooze all over his matted fur armor and numerous slashing cuts in the shape of claws raked his body. Normally, these wounds would have healed in a matter of minutes. But they were not healing; they continued to bleed and their strength was slowly seeping from their bodies. The purification barrier was a dense fog that crept in under their skin, sapping their strength, slowing them down and making them impossibly...human and far too mortal.

Kouga was dealing with two mercenaries against Sesshoumaru's lone opponent. The dog demon would not normally feel any need to compliment another fighter--he much preferred to taunt, even if the person in question was fighting on the same team. However, for once, Sesshoumaru was actually vaguely impressed by the wolf demon. The whelp had yet to flinch or complain despite several repeated attacks.

The demon lord only arched an eyebrow as he heard his companion speak. “You know… I've lived as a girl for weeks, but I've never felt as weak as one before.”

A sudden shower of silver crossed Sesshoumaru's vision. He willed his arm to block the attack with his sword, even as pain laced his wearied body. With the deft maneuver that only a demon of ice cold tenacity could deliver, Jakotsu's trick sword crumbled into a myriad of slices before them.

The two demons could hear the effeminate mercenary huff in anger that his precious sword had been tangled and Kouga could only respond with a laugh. It was a laugh of resigned acceptance.

Kouga grinned as he stood side by side, for perhaps the first and last time, next to the demon who was once his arch enemy, “I wouldn't have imagined I'd say this, but… It was a pleasure fighting with you, Sesshy.”

Something akin to camaraderie seemed to emanate from the taiyouki. But the dog demon quickly shrugged off the useless emotion. Still, he felt the need to respond. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but… You're almost tolerable when you're not flirting with me.”

~*~

Kagome's tears fell onto her kimono top, each drop of water darkening the white silk with gray wetness.

“Don't cry,” the living Buddha intoned. He looked Kagome squarely in the eye with both compassion and detachment. He tilted his head to the side as if considering something and then continued. “You must remember, Higurashi-san, that everything in this life is impermanent. The sakura blossoms that are so glorious in the spring have a lifespan measured in days. The buds flare into beauty, and they quickly fall to the ground and wither away. Life is fragile, short and transient. You and I are like that.” He paused to make sure that Kagome was following his every word. “The man you love is like that.”

Kagome's stifled a sob and tried to calm her turbulent emotions. Her hands fisted into her lap, her back stiff and her face hot with tears. Hakushin shifted in his seat.

“My dear, every living being, every human, everyone we love is impermanent. And you are suffering before me because you love someone who can die.”

Kagome shook her head, her mind clearing as she prepared her words. “Yes, I willingly suffer for Inuyasha. I would give my life over and over again for him.”

The living Buddha sighed and fixed his eyes on her again. “And you have… Perhaps in this life, and you have done so in your past lives as well. It seems that you are bound by the red string of fate to re-live this tragedy of love and that leads to the death of one or both of you…”

Kagome gasped as she suddenly spied a single red string that was tied around her pinky finger on her left hand. The string itself wandered into the mists surrounding her, but she had no doubt that Inuyasha held the other end of the string. She tugged at it and felt it grow taut. There was definitely something on the other end of the string that was bound to her.

Her heart fluttered as she lifted up her hand to her face in wonder. She held a string that was even more magical and lovely than an engagement ring on her finger.

She had never stopped to think why she had such an intense attraction to Inuyasha, a magnetism that called to her even when he looked like a girl. She almost huffed at the bizarre courtship she had shared with Inuyasha. She had immediately fallen in love with him the first time she had seen him. Then when Inuyasha rebuffed her advances, her usual happy disposition had soured perceptively. Then it flared to life again when Shaya had shown up at her dorm rooms. At first she had thought it was only because the hanyou girl reminded her of Inuyasha. But she couldn't stop her intense feelings of attraction to the girl, emotions that confused and astounded her in their passionate desire.

Was this all because they had been in love before, in a past life? The legend of the half-demon dog who had been pinned to the Goshinboku tree by a miko long ago, was it them? Had she and Inuyasha been reborn again, to relive their ancient dance, a dance that had ended in death?

It was all because of this, a red string of fate. It had bound her to Inuyasha and was constantly pulling at her.

And now, she knew that it tugged just as strongly against him as well. Many times in their relationship she had wondered if the intense pull she had felt was one sided; now, she knew better.

She smiled inwardly in contentment, a bittersweet smile gracing her lips. She really didn't care if she had participated in the tragedy that had sealed the fate of the hanyou and miko long ago. She knew that she would do it all over again for the simple chance to be part of his life, to love him and to be loved in return.

“You must break the red string of fate,” intoned the monk. “People bound by such a string are destined to live in an endless cycle of reincarnation. It will only prolong your suffering if the one you love lives in this life. It is best for you to let go, otherwise you will suffer again in the very near future and you will never freely enter into nirvana.”

“What?” exclaimed Kagome. Whatever inner peace had alighted on her small frame evaporated instantly, and even the calming nature of the living Buddha next to her couldn't stop her fury. She found herself drawing the red string and her hand close to her body, as if worried that the monk would somehow reveal a pair of scissors that he would use to sever her connection with Inuyasha. “You can't say that. Hakushin-sama, I would never willingly cut my ties to the man I love. I told you that I would give my life for him and I meant what I said.”

White-hot anger and outrage were coursing through her and her connection with the living Buddha was dissipating again. The cloudiness and lightness that surrounded her started to darken, like a storm cloud enveloping them. However, Kagome was stubborn, and she was not about to give up on her pleas for Inuyasha. She took a few deep, cleansing breaths. She tried to push away the negative, dark thoughts that had taken hold of her mind and instead decided to focus on what was good in her life—her steadfast love for the man who held her heart.

Her deep brown eyes concentrated on Hakushin, she calmed her mind and spoke with purpose. “That is what love is, Saint Hakushin, when you love someone deeply enough, you would freely give your life for them. That is something I am willing to do. Will you let me?”

The living Buddha sighed and Kagome could feel a deep sadness emanating from him. He nearly repeated her words. “Yes, it is love that causes us to sacrifice our lives for another. Perhaps…perhaps your lifepath is not to be corrected then. Self-sacrifice is the greatest achievement that Gautama Buddha spoke of. He once said that the quickest path to enlightenment is to sacrifice your very life for others--a sacrifice that must be done with a clear conscious and with no regret.”

Kagome blinked. She could feel a deep emotional sadness emanating from the living Buddha. The poor man seemed to withdraw into himself. He looked down at his own hands in startled confusion. She could not help but to move forward and to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. There was a deep emotional sadness churning from the living Buddha. It was a heartbreaking longing that erupted form his very soul and escaped into the surrounding air.

Deep compassion drew Kagome closer to Hakushin. She couldn't understand why her words of a living sacrifice would cut him so deeply, but they did. She felt regret for speaking to him so harshly. He truly was a gentle soul, and his sadness was completely consuming. “Honored Hakushin, why are you so sad?” she asked, her eyes full of empathy.

The man looked up at her with a look of both disbelief and grief. He then crumpled into her waiting arms. His frail body felt as light as a child's as she pulled her arms tight around him, trying to offer him comfort and to still the sudden influx of pain that erupted from him.

He murmured against her. “I…I sacrificed myself for the good of my village. We were wracked by war, death and famine. I was already ill, so they asked me if I could become a living Buddha. And as a living Buddha, I could protect them even in death.”

The man choked out a whisper. “It was an honor…an honor to sacrifice my life for the good of my people. To protect them even in death… I had always wanted to break my cycle of reincarnation with the greatest gift that I could ever give—my own life. But…my mind fell to dark thoughts. I hated them…”

“Hated?” asked Kagome in an attempt to try to understand the living Buddha in her arms.

Hakushin took in a shuddering, deep breath. “Hated that they were so selfish to want my death. Hated that I had to suffer through years of starvation to only be buried alive. It was all for their benefit, and before I finally breathed my last breath, before my soul left this reality, before I could finally taste nirvana…I became trapped between this world and the next. Never moving on…mired in this frail, mummified body. Forever, regretting my actions.”

“Hate? Regret?” Kagome chewed over the word and felt how discordant it was with the man she held. “But all I feel from you is sadness. There is no hate emanating from you. And if you regret, it is not the regret for giving your life, it is a regret for not passing on. Look at your own soul, Hakushin-sama. You radiate peace and sadness--not hate.”

The older man looked up at Kagome's face with sad bewilderment. “How is it that a child can see more clearly than me?”

Kagome tried to smile, but it lingered and the curve of her lips turned down. “Things are always clearer when it is not your own life that you're looking at.”

The monk nodded. “So it is child, so it is… I didn't truly regret sacrificing my life for my people. It was the greatest act of love that I could give. I just regretted…”

“That you doubted yourself enough that you were not able to pass on….”

“Ahhhh,” the old man intoned. “Self-doubt is always such an ugly thing.”

Kagome smiled down at the frail, old man in her arms. “Don't doubt yourself anymore. You have served humanity enough. It is now time for you to let go.”

The old man sighed in her arms. “Yes, I have been bound to the earthly realm for far too long. Thank you for helping me to see, dear child. I now need to rest…but remember the lifepath you have chosen for yourself…”

“Chosen?” questioned Kagome.

“Yes, you have chosen to sacrifice your life for another. Remember that you have freely chosen your path.”

The miko swallowed as the bony man in her arms dissipated into a shimmering mist. She then felt a rush of joy as Hakushin's aura swept through her, his radiant purity suffusing her very soul. The area surrounding her flared with a brilliant light before the small wooden shrine reappeared before her.

She was sitting on the ground in lotus position in front of a small altar for the living Buddha. But the body that was once before her was gone, only his silken robes remained in a discarded heap. He had left this reality for the next, and even his body had ascended.

“Saint Hakushin,” she whispered with reverence.

As she tried to shake herself awake, she noticed that the holy aura that had once surrounded the area was gone.

She smiled to herself. I have done it! Now, Inuyasha can fight with all of his strength, and his father should be able to make his way through the barrier.

~*~

Sesshoumaru was both merciless and stubborn in every endeavor he had tried to accomplish. It had taken him years, but he had found Rin. Somehow throughout it all, he had faith that he would see her again. It was at this very moment, when his body was trying to fall under the fatigue of blood loss and mortal wounds that his hope and sheer stubbornness prevailed. A lesser demon might have admitted defeat. Sesshoumaru, however would never stand down to any demon or man.

Beside him, he could hear Kouga's labored breaths as the tired wolf demon tried to evade not one but two blows from his opponents.

Kyokotsu was a giant among men. The man must have taken various growth hormones and steroids in order to achieve his immense stature. His size simply wasn't normal. The Goliath's ponderous fists tried to strike a blow, and this time, Kouga's drained body could no longer evade.

Crack.

There was a sickening wrench in the air as the wolf demon's jaw was broken. Kouga fell to the ground to the buffeting laughter of the giant who stood tall above him.

Sesshoumaru would have tried to help, but it was taking everything he could to keep the trick sword at bay. His body was already riddled with cuts, and the fury within him was increasing with Jakotsu's continued taunts.

“Had enough foreplay, handsome?” smirked the man in a pink kimono. The mercenary was not without cuts and bruises of his own. But it was clear that he was winning the battle. He stepped even closer to his prize.

Normally, the dog demon would not be bothered by the words of an opponent. But the intense purity that swept up among them was pulling his very life force from his bones. He felt sapped of strength. It was only his iron will that kept his body standing upright.

His eyes narrowed as he barely made out that the man who was fighting him was walking right up to him, without any fear.

“Oh, I do so love a man in red. You look so lovely in your own blood,” the fighter laughed as he pulled his sword to his side and reached for Sesshoumaru's chin. “Kiss me handsome. It'll be the last thing you do...”

Revulsion swept through him at the mercenary's advances. The dog demon was quite sure that he would prefer dying to touching something so vile.

The man was right next to him and was moving forward in what he must have thought to be a lover's embrace.

With a sudden shock, the purity that had encompassed him shrunk away. The dog demon could feel power return to his limbs, his demon-like healing taking over and mending his wounds, knitting together the rips that had gone through sinew and muscle.

Sesshoumaru flexed his hands and felt his poison once again slowly drip down into his claws.

The dog demon sneered, and for a brief moment, Jakotsu thought the demon before him was accepting the inevitable.

Jakotsu's grim smile was soon replaced by shocked surprise as Sesshoumaru's claws, dripping with green acid, shoved their way into the mercenary's gut.

The man twisted his face in a look of surprised betrayal. “I thought,” whispered the man as blood crept out of his mouth and a real tear joined the blackened facsimile of one around his eye. He coughed out blood before his eyes faded and his lips opened up into a silent `O'. His body fell backward, slid off of the dog demon's claws and collapsed into a broken heap at the taiyouki's feet.

~*~

“What is wrong, hanyou?” Without waiting a response to his snarled question, Bankotsu swung the heavy piece of metal in his hands once more.

Clank!

Banyru landed on the abused Tessaiga with brutal force, pushing the ancient sword down toward its wielder. Inuyasha's hands shook as he struggled to keep his heirloom between the giant weapon and his exposed shoulder.

The blatant signs of the hanyou's exhaustion brought a sinister smile to the mercenary's partially bruised face. He clicked his tongue, and mocking disapproval dripped from his voice as he continued taunting his opponent. “Can't get it up, can you?”

Inuyasha was livid. He didn't know what infuriated him more: the bastard human's arrogance or the fact that he was losing against a mere human. A growl built up in his chest, but it was a grunt that came out instead when the Banyru came down on him once more before the battered boy could take a breath.

Clank!

As it turned out, all that rage coursing through his veins did nothing to make the hanyou's fight easier. His tired limbs could only take so much, and when the two swords met, Tessaiga's blunt end pressed against his neck under the weight of the Banyru. For once, Inuyasha was glad that his heirloom was a rusty old metal that couldn't cut through paper.

The pressure on his skin increased as Bankotsu pressed harder, and the hanyou had no choice but to force his aching legs to jump back. Landing unsteadily on his feet, he resorted to using the Tessaiga to keep him up like a walking stick. His breaths came out in short pants, and his hand flew to his neck to meet wetness, red and hot.

“Not like you could do much damage with that teeny-weeny thing anyway.”

The amusement in the mercenary's voice brought Inuyasha's gaze back to his opponent. Bankotsu seemed carefree and completely entertained as he chuckled at the sight of the hanyou's blood as if he was watching a light-hearted comedy in the comfort of his home. Sick bastard! The merry glint in his eyes unnerved the hanyou more than the rage he had witnessed before.

And he was right to feel so for before he could blink, the mercenary was coming at him again, his amused smile now sadistic on his contorted face.

Clank!

“Accept it, puppy.” Bankotsu's sneer barely reached Inuyasha's ears above the protests of his limbs as he struggled to stand his ground. And then, the threat of sharp steel on his fragile skin was gone only to return more forcefully, determined to break through his heirloom and steal what was left of his life.

Clank!

“You're fucked.”

Clank!

“You're not getting off of this island alive, and neither are your friends.”

Clank!

Banyru grinded against Tessaiga, the screech of metal on metal irritating the hanyou's ears. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, passing over the thick barrier of his brows and seeping into his eyes, burning them in their salty wetness and making his vision blur. His jaw was set so hard that it was a miracle that his teeth had not shattered yet. The cuts in his body, both minor and deep, screamed at him to just give up, to show them mercy and let the blissful numbness of eternal sleep take away his pain. He was so tired that he wanted to listen to them for once. And for a moment, while the world swam around him in a mix of colors, he forgot why he resisted. But, the echo of a harsh whisper reminded him why.

“The girl was a nice piece of ass, though. Maybe I'll keep her.”

His overworked heart stuttered, and the fire that had almost been reduced to ashes reignited with a vengeance in the hanyou's veins. The ugly, bruised face of his enemy, so close to his own, came back into focus with its lines sharpened in premature celebration of victory. And then, the world was once again a blur as his head flew forward, hitting the mercenary hard in the face.

Breaking the sword-lock, Bankotsu staggered back a few steps in shock. A string of profanities spilled from his lips only to be washed away by the blood running down his nose. His free hand came up to wipe at the thick liquid, and his features bore surprise as his wide eyes, oozing confidence only moments ago, met the hanyou's steely gaze.

Whether it was because of the threat against Kagome or something else, an unexpected but familiar surge of power washed over Inuyasha's entire being. “I will kill you before you lay a hand on her,” he hissed, causing his opponent to involuntarily step back from the venom in his voice. Straightening his back, he tightened his grip on the Tessaiga and growled out with conviction, “She's mine to keep, mine to protect.”

The moment the words left his snarling lips, a flash of light burst into life in his hands. Inuyasha smirked, watching his full set of fangs reflected at him in the smooth surface of his heirloom. He raised his eyebrow in mock confusion as he noticed the mercenary inch back slowly. Both men knew what had happened.

The connection was reestablished.

Inuyasha was back in the game.

“Yeah, run while you can, you bastard,” he sneered as he raised his sword. “`Cause you won't get a second chance.”

That put a stop to Bankotsu's unconscious retreat. His mouth twisting in fury, he spat, “Damn half-breed.” With a maniacal glint in his eyes, he came at the half-demon with impressive speed.

Having already figured out the mercenary's fighting style, Inuyasha was not taken off guard. He had steeled himself for the oncoming attack and intercepted the blow from the Banyru with relative ease. Rejuvenated by the return of his demonic powers and sick of playing with the sadistic human, he whirled around, his arm stretched out and making a wide arch, before Bankotsu could swipe at him again. Tessaiga, shining brilliantly under the sun, sang as it cut through the air...

...and then flesh and bone.

Inuyasha grimaced as blood gushed out of the deep cut across the mercenary's abdomen. As dramatic as the scene was, the hanyou could not wait to see more than the disbelief in his enemy's eyes as the man fell to his knees. Turning his back to the human that was dying from the wound he had caused, Inuyasha took off in the direction of his comrades, hoping that they were still alive.

A tiny voice in his head kept urgently whispering that he had killed a human, but he could not dwell on that. He reminded himself who Bankotsu was: a mobster who killed people either by his own hands or by way of the drugs he had hooked them up with, a monster who took advantage of and forced women into prostitution and Kami knew what else. No, he deserved what he got. Besides, if Inuyasha hadn't killed him, Bankotsu would have killed the hanyou and his friends and many more in his days to come. He was lucky that his powers returned when they did.

And how did that happen?

The barrier's purifying effects had been so oppressive that despite the sun shining with all its glory above his head, he had felt as if it had been another moonless night--and, the worst one he had ever been through. The lightness he felt as his feet rapidly pounded on the ground proved that the barrier was gone. Something must have happened to cause that. Something... or someone.

Kagome!

Inuyasha's steps slowed to a crawl as dread filled his heart. She was the only one with the skills to deal with such great purifying power. He knew without a doubt that it had been her doing. He kicked at a nearby tree, sending it tumbling down with a loud crash. He should have known that she would not listen to him and stay where he had left her. She had probably saved all their lives, but now she was out there somewhere, completely defenseless against those crazy bastards.

Kagome.

Out in the open.

Among psychotic killers.

Inuyasha's lip pulled up in a snarl right as a chill ran down his spine.

Stupid wench!

~*~

Excitement coursed through Kagome's veins, and she tried to ease herself from her sitting position, but found that her body seemed to have fallen into a drunken stupor. She was only able to loosen one leg before she fell over onto the ground in inebriated haze.

“What?” she murmured.

Then she noticed that the air was thick with chemical smoke. It was acid and it burned her lungs. She could hardly move.

She heard a quietly menacing laughter from behind. She tried to turn and see who it was. But even her head would not move. The gooseflesh on her skin prickled as the unknown man moved closer. He ran a finger down her face before he yanked her up by her hair.

“Such a lovely girl,” he crooned. “Such a lovely girl... I always preferred dark haired beauties like you. Now that you won't be fighting me, I think we need to get acquainted.”

She couldn't see his face but could make out the odor of his breath, which smelled of rotted eggs. She could also feel meaty, greasy hands against her skin.

The man laughed again, and she felt her kimono top being ripped open.

“Yes, my lovely. I am Mukotsu, and now we shall get to know each other,” he intoned as bulbous brown eyes leered at her with a sickening lust.


End of Chapter 20

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Reviews help Inuyasha run faster.

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Next Chapter: Oh no, what's Mukotsu going to do with Kagome? Will Inuyasha get to her in time? And where is Rin? Is she even alive?

Authors' Notes:
#1: Help is needed. BlackMamba07 has taken down all of her lovely Inuyasha fan fiction. And just recently InuSaga took down all of her wonderful Inuyasha fan fiction as well. Ai Kisugi desperately wants to get a hold of `Mirrors' by Blackmamba07. She loved that story and needs to have a copy for her own personal reading to keep it in her heart. It just kills her whenever she finds a piece of fiction that starts to live in her memory and then to see it disappear, without ever having the benefit of re-reading it again. Ai loves to re-read great pieces of fan fiction. Did anyone save a copy? Please PM Ai Kisugi if you did. She will be utterly ecstatic and would gladly trade you for a partial copy of chapter 22. (Yes, chapter 22 is partially written already, though chapter 21 is not.)
#2: The authors would also like to apologize for how long this chapter took to get out. Real life caused a myriad of delays. It was also hard to write the section with Hakushin since it required deep research into Buddhism and (for the authors) a completely different outlook on life than what they were used to. It was extremely hard to get into Saint Hakushin head! And have no fear, chapter 22 is already halfway written. But what of chapter 21 you ask…? Errr…well, we'll get to that one…Ai was just having too much fun with chapter 22 and skipped ahead a little.
#3: The authors want to apologize for the serious scenes. The comedy will return again in Chapter 22, but right now the action/angsty scenes call for a different mode of writing.
#4: The red string of fate binding Inuyasha and Kagome together is seen in the closing credits of Inuyasha: The Final Act, which can still be viewed at Hulu (dot) Com.
#5: Both authors would like to state that we are never taking our stories down and that we are immensely saddened when authors take that route. Nothing is more depressing than never being able to read a beloved fan fiction story again. `He's My Girl' did briefly disappear from `Adult Fan Fiction,' however that was due to the admins at that site telling us the story was not a valid Inuyasha story, since it was evidently a crossover (this was news to us). After we added Ranma to the list of anime that we did not own, AFF added us back. (Go figure...)