InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Incomplete ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

When she felt brave enough to peek out from beneath her arms, she couldn't hold back her gasp.

Between her and Inuyasha stood Sesshomaru, with his Tokijin drawn and the blade pointed squarely at his brother's chest...

Suddenly the terrifying growls and angry snarls emanating from Inuyasha didn't matter. Nor did the wounds on her arms, or the feelings of betrayal and anger that left her heart aching. Because the only thing Kagome could focus on was her utter shock that Sesshomaru was the one standing between her and certain death. Of all the people in her world, he was the very last she expected to see in such a position.

She eyed his back warily, uncertain whether to trust him or not. He had threatened to kill her only a few days earlier, after all. Always too curious for her own good, she cowered behind the protective shield of his white robes and ignored the persistent twitch in her legs that demanded she run for freedom.

Sesshomaru's words, directed at his brother, were filled with uncompromising judgment and she felt oddly comforted by it.

"What have you done to yourself Inuyasha? Used a jewel shard to turn into a full demon? Have you no pride in your own blood?"

Inuyasha responded with a bevy of snarls and struck out at Tokijin. Sesshomaru blocked the blow gracefully enough and subtly manoeuvred his body to shield her from further attacks. He said nothing to her, but she understood that she was to follow his lead if she wanted to emerge unscathed.

"Leave now and I might spare your life," he warned, levelling the threat at his crimson-eyed brother. Inuyasha took a menacing step forward and Sesshomaru responded in kind, angling Tokijin higher so it pointed at his more vulnerable neck.

"I won't say it again."

Shrinking as far into the crevice of the rock cliff as she could, Kagome inched her body along its surface and away from the two brothers. She had no desire to be caught up in the battle that was sure to follow. If Inuyasha won, both she and Sesshomaru would be dead. On the other hand, if Sesshomaru defeated Inuyasha...

She shook her head to block out the jarring thought. That scenario wasn't one she was ready or willing to consider. Sesshomaru had saved her life more than once, and she was grateful to him for that, but if it came down to a choice between him and Inuyasha...

Turning her back on the sound of fang clashing against claw, Kagome made a dash for freedom. If she could just get far enough away, by the time Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had settled their battle she'd be long gone. The uneven terrain made for rough travelling and more than once she was forced to grab her arms and wince when a stumble painfully jostled her injuries. Her limbs grew heavy and her movement sluggish the longer she ran. Distracted by the pain in her arms and the path ahead, she tripped carelessly over a raised tree root. She hit the ground hard, crying out when her knees skidded raw against the rocky soil.

In a panic, she whipped her head around to be sure neither of them had followed her and found Sesshomaru glaring in her direction. His eyes were blood red, the same as Inuyasha's, and with their change his face had lost its characteristic mask. He looked angry and vengeful, the very embodiment of evil. Her body trembled beneath his gaze as she was reminded of his face on that morning when she'd woken up to find him sleeping next to her. She was certain he would kill her then, and even as far as she was from him now she didn't know who to fear more - him or Inuyasha.

With his gaze fixed upon her Sesshomaru inadvertently let his guard down. It was only for the barest of seconds, but it was long enough for a seasoned fighter like Inuyasha to take advantage. Kagome watched wide eyed as he drew back his claws to strike. She wanted to call out and beg him to stop, but her throat closed up tight and choked off any word of warning.

Crouched in the dirt, with her arms throbbing and her raw knees stinging, Kagome struggled with what she should do. The physical pain her body was experiencing was nothing compared to the agonizing debate going on within her heart. Situations like these were never black and white. What was the right thing to do? Who should she help?

Should she take her chances with Sesshomaru and hope he could be reasoned with? Or, should she let Inuyasha exact revenge for a lifetime of torment and ostracization and deal with the consequences afterward?

Inuyasha was her best friend. He'd been there for her since the beginning and she desperately wanted to bring back the unconventional hanyou she loved so much.

Sesshomaru was the aloof, arrogant demon she'd known next to nothing about until a few weeks prior. He gave off the impression that he cared for nothing and no one beyond his own designs and yet he'd saved her life without any sort of explanation on more than one occasion. Could she ignore all of that now, and act like the sacrifices he'd made for her meant nothing?

It wasn't easy choosing sides, and in the end, Kagome found she couldn't even breathe as Inuyasha claws slashed across Sesshomaru's chest. A shower of blood rose up into the air and with a look of stunned surprise, the great demon lord stumbled back into the rocky outcrop and slowly slid to the ground.

"NOOOO!"

Kagome was surprised to hear the sound of her own voice screaming into the night. It sounded detached, as if it belonged to someone else. Though her heart remained undecided, her body moved of its own volition. Before she realized it, she was running back into the fray, towards him, with her feet pumping hard against the rocky terrain. Once she was close enough to see the extent of his injuries and the large pool of blood slowly seeping into the dusty earth around him, her heart leaped into the back of her throat.

He sat deathly still with his body propped up against the solid rock wall at his back. The golden eyes of his that were so often filled with malice, stared blankly into a vast nothingness. He wasn't calculating or plotting or deceiving anyone - it was as if with that one strike of Inuyasha's blood soaked claws Sesshomaru had ceased to exist.

Kneeling in the dirt at his side, Kagome struggled to understand the painful crushing sensation in her chest that made it so difficult for her to breathe. It felt like she was being torn in half, her body ripped to pieces from the inside out. Behind her, Inuyasha eyed the blood staining his fingertips. He shook off the excess with a flick of his wrist and lifted his claws to deliver a final blow.

At that moment Kagome's anger, frustration and helplessness combined and finally burst forth in a wave of pure determination. Entwined now within the usual calming blue of her spirit, were tendrils of fiery red. Narrowing her eyes at Inuyasha, she stepped protectively between he and Sesshomaru, with her arms out, and screamed "SIT!". She'd been so panicked before she'd completely forgotten about her 'Trump card'.

With her hands balled into angry fists, she screamed the subjugation command over and over again until finally, on the sixth try, Inuyasha's body implanted itself into the dirt. Picking up Sesshomaru's Tokijin, Kagome turned Inuyasha over and stabbed it into his chest. His eyes, still blood red and dark with rage, opened wide as the sword cut unforgivingly into his flesh.

Closing her eyes, Kagome withdrew the blade and cringed at the sound of his pained cry. She didn't relish the thought of causing him pain, but in this instance, there just wasn't any other way. Praying he would eventually forgive her, she tossed Tokijin away and quickly removed the jewel shard from around his heart with deft fingers. Once it was out, Inuyasha instantly reverted back into his half demon form and she breathed an audible sigh of relief.

After a moment he blinked and looked up at her. His eyes were now a clear and familiar amber.

"Kagome?"

He sat up slowly, grimacing as a flash of pain sliced across his chest. Pulling his hand away from the wound she'd inflicted on him, he stared at the blood staining his palm. His breaths became slow and shallow as he gradually looked around and took in the sea of red before his eyes. Something was wrong, his instincts were practically screaming it at him, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Alert, he looked around with his senses straining to find the source of the threat.

"Where are we? What happened?" he demanded.

His eyes searched hers imploringly and when she didn't answer, he reached for her tentatively with his unsullied hand. She turned away from him, her back rigid. He could feel the waves of emotion coming off of her as readily as if she was screaming the words in his face. She was furious. He'd felt her wrath before, but never like this. This time it was so intense he felt like he was being slowly suffocated beneath its weight.

Kagome kept her back to him to hide the tears he could smell and he slowly scanned the scene around him until a horrifying picture formed in his mind. It was something out of one of his worst nightmares, the very moment he'd been dreading since the day she'd walked into his life.

"Kagome... Did I...?" he muttered, his words dying away when he finally caught sight of the claw marks on her arms and the red finger-sized bruises around her throat. His stomach churned hard and a sickening feeling of dread overtook him. When he'd used that jewel shard to restore his demon half, he'd never imagined this would be the result. He'd convinced himself that his feelings for her would be enough, but he could see now just how wrong he'd been.

"I'm sorry...," he whispered, unable to find the strength to even look her in the eye. Kikyo had once told him that his apologies were meaningless to her. He understood now exactly what she'd meant. He could throw himself at Kagome's feet and beg her for forgiveness, and she might grant it, but he could never gain back the trust that'd been lost. Things between them would always be different now. It could never go back to what it was. He'd betrayed her, just like he'd betrayed Kikyo, and the agony of it was eating him alive.

For her part, Kagome ignored his apology completely and knelt at Sesshomaru's side. She seemed to be studying the wounds on his chest, trying to determine if there was anything she could do for him. Even from this distance, Inuyasha could tell that they'd already begun to heal, but they were severe nonetheless. The claw marks were unmistakable to his eyes and he looked down with disgust at his blood stained fingertips. He'd always accused Sesshomaru of being a monster, a ruthless killer, but who was the monster now?

The answer seemed obvious and with it came a loneliness unlike anything he'd ever felt.

oOo

With pursed lips, Kagome listened to Sesshomaru's laboured breathing and did her best to loosen what was left of the armour he kept strapped across his chest. It wasn't much, but it was the best she could do for him for the time being. Once they got him back to the palace she could do more.

If he makes it that long, she thought, wearing a troubled frown. Her fingers gingerly touched his chest and felt the reassuringly strong beat of his heart. Despite their differences, she'd never rest easy if he died like this. If Sesshomaru was anything, he was proud and egotistical. Dying at the hands of his brother had no honour. It didn't suit him, and she wasn't about to let it happen.

His hand suddenly closed around her wrist and held her fast with surprising strength.

"Why did you run?" His voice sounded raw, almost animalistic, and his eyes glowed brilliant crimson red. She'd seen him like this once before, right before he transformed into a monstrous dog demon and tried to devour her and Inuyasha whole.

Swallowing down her fear, she stayed by his side despite the anxious twitches in her legs that told her to run. She was done running. Running was what had gotten them all into this mess to begin with. It was time she learned how to stand her ground.

"I was scared," she answered honestly, unable to meet his gaze.

He snarled in response and released her wrist.

With a soft sigh she stood, brushed the dirt from her skirt, and turned to Inuyasha. The expression on his face reminded her of a lost, wounded puppy. The emotion in his eyes pulled at her heart, but for now she had more important things to worry about than reassuring him. Pointing to Sesshomaru she demanded that he carry his body back to the palace. Inuyasha blanched and Sesshomaru growled a fierce "No." Even in matters of life and death they couldn't seem to put it behind them and work together. Figures.

Wearing her best stern expression, she knelt next to Sesshomaru once more and uttered an uncompromising "Yes."

He looked like he was about to argue but was overcome by a vicious coughing fit instead. After spitting a pile of blood out of his mouth onto the ground, he rested his head wearily against the rocks and looked at her as though he was seeing her for the first time.

"Minako... You've been gone a long time," he muttered while his glassy, unfocused gaze wandered over her face. Her momentary confusion at his words took a back seat when he slumped unconscious against the rock. After a brief check to ensure he was still alive and breathing she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. It was probably better this way. It'd be easier to move him and he'd heal faster if he wasn't fighting them the whole way.

Brushing past Inuyasha without a second glance, she started down the path that would lead them back to the palace. It seemed ironic that she was heading back willingly now after she'd spent so many days pining for freedom. When she heard Inuyasha fall in step behind her, his footsteps heavy from the extra weight on his back, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. Inuyasha felt remorse for what he'd done; nothing short of that could've convinced him to bear the burden of carrying Sesshomaru's body such a long distance.

Her arms and knees still burned from their various cuts and scrapes, but she didn't have time to worry about herself. Her mind was miles ahead, already making preparations and lists of what she would need once they got back to the palace. It was the early hours of the morning when they finally entered the main corridor of the palace, carrying Sesshomaru's body with them. Hearing the commotion, several servants emerged from their rooms dressed in their night robes, rubbing their eyes and blinking wearily at the sight of their lord's body draped over the hanyou's back.

Kagome took quick control of the situation, demanding that Sesshomaru be brought to his room, herbal mixtures and hot water be brewed in the kitchens and fresh towels and bandages laid out. Surprisingly, the servants obeyed and followed her orders without so much as a single sideways glance.

That taken care of, she braced herself to handle the one last detail she'd been dreading. Turning slowly, she found Inuyasha standing in the doorway, nervously tapping his fist against this thigh.

"What can I do?" he asked, looking down at the ground. He was too ashamed to meet her eyes.

Kagome crossed her arms and breathed out a heavy sigh. All she wanted was to have his arms wrapped around her and hear his voice in hear ear, reassuring her that everything was going to be okay, but she had to stand strong. If she gave in now, nothing would ever change.

"I think you've done enough," she answered, her tone hard. Inuyasha gulped and tightened his fists.

"I want you to leave now."

"Wait! Kagome-," he began to argue, but she didn't give him the chance.

"LEAVE!"

Her scream echoed across the stone walls of corridor and down the hall, resonating in the silence that fell between them. She furiously wiped a few rogue tears from her cheeks and swallowed the rest.

"I can't even look at you right now," she spat.

Inuyasha hung his head in defeat. Without another word, he made his way slowly down the palace steps. Once he was at the bottom he turned and cast one last, long, look over his shoulder at her. Their eyes locked for a moment, expressing with a glance the regrets they couldn't speak aloud.

It was Kagome who turned away first. Pulling herself inside, she shut the large wooden door behind her. Finally alone, she gave in to the storm of emotions she'd been keeping locked down tight. They stole the strength from her legs and her body slowly slid to the floor. With no one around to disturb her, her sobs echoed softly through the entryway until there was nothing left.