InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis. ❯ Contenders ( Chapter 31 )

~~Chapter 31~~

~Contenders~

 

“Kouga, stop!” Kagome shrieked.

 

He didn't listen. “How dare you put your filthy lips on my woman!” InuYasha spun away in time to avoid the youkai. Kouga's fist left a crater in the ground as Kagome squeaked and darted for cover.

 

“Damn you, Kouga! What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you trying to hurt her? You're pissed off at me! Leave her outta this!” InuYasha bellowed as he shot forward, claws drawn back, an air of complete concentration dictating his movements. “Sankon-tetsusou!”

 

Kouga hopped out of the way of InuYasha's flying claws. “She knows I'd never hurt her—unlike you, dog-shit! Keep your hands off my woman!”

 

InuYasha sprinted at Kouga again with a growl in reply. “She'll never be yours, bastard! She don't want you, or didn't you hear her say she wants to say with me?” Lunging forward again, InuYasha barely missed Kouga as the youkai jumped back.

 

“Baka! Keep away from my mate!”

 

“Mate, my ass!” InuYasha snarled, “or did you miss the fact that she was kissing me?”

 

Kouga roared as he stretched his arms out in complete rage.

 

“Stop it!” Kagome yelled from behind a large boulder. “Please!”

 

“You can stop acting now, Kagome. I plan on killin' him, then I'll take you home,” Kouga assured her.

 

Kagome's upset was obvious to InuYasha. Why couldn't Kouga sense it, too? “Keh! Are you listening to her? She don't fucking want you; she never has! Now back off before I have to kill you!”

 

“I've already claimed her, you fool! Can't you smell me on her, or are you too stupid to tell?”

 

Momentary shock set in. InuYasha shook his head slowly. `That can't be right . . . I would have smelled that . . . What the hell is going on?' Glancing over at Kagome, he saw that she was holding something in her hands though the boulder hid it from view. Eyes squeezed shut, Kagome was mumbling something as a tear streaked from the corner of her eye.

 

With a vicious growl, outraged that Kouga could be so stupid as to make her cry, InuYasha lunged again. A predatorial satisfaction surged through him as his claws cut across the youkai's chest. Leaping away with a furious howl, Kouga wiped the blood off and shot forward to intercept InuYasha.

 

InuYasha avoided Kouga's claws and heaved him back with a hard shove. Kouga slid across the ground, digging his feet into the soil as he sought to stop his forced retreat. “Damn you, InuYasha! You're going to die!”

 

“Keh! Just try it, bastard!”

 

Kouga lunged again. His claws tore InuYasha's sleeve but missed his flesh as the hanyou pushed off the ground and leapt back out of the way. InuYasha had enough. Drawing Tetsusaiga in a flash of yellow-white light, the hanyou waited, blade resting on the ground. The wisps of wind rippled over the blade, the twisting air of the Wind Scar.

 

“InuYasha, no!” Kagome's voice rang out. “Don't kill him! Please!”

 

Kouga's eyes flashed with a condescending light. “As if he could, Kagome. Don't worry about me. I'll take care of him, mark my words.”

 

“No, Kouga! You can't!”

 

“Save your breath, wench. It's obvious the fucking wolf won't listen to reason,” InuYasha retorted.

 

“Enough!” Kouga bellowed as he sprinted forward again.

 

InuYasha flipped back out of the way, landing near Kagome—close enough to sense her consuming fear.

 

Kouga altered his course, bearing down on InuYasha. InuYasha raised Tetsusaiga and started to swing it. “Kaze no—”

 

Kagome darted out, planting herself between InuYasha and Kouga. Too late to slow his progress, Kouga slammed into her as her arms shot out, a streak of bluish-black fell from her hands over Kouga's head as InuYasha caught her and leaped to the side. “Are you stupid, bitch?” he bellowed as she fought to catch her breath. “Damn it, Kagome!”

 

Kouga hadn't given up. Running at InuYasha again, despite the fact that Kagome was cradled in his arms against his chest, the wolf youkai was absolutely livid.

 

Kagome gasped as Kouga closed in. Closing her eyes, she drew a deep breath and yelled, “Osuwari!”

 

InuYasha stared at her in shock, wondering just what she was trying to do since he didn't have the kotodama anymore. Immediate irritation shot to the fore. `Keh! I ain't doing a damn thing, anyway!'

 

Seconds later, Kouga's gasp echoed loud as a tremendous crash filled the clearing. InuYasha blinked in surprise to find the wolf youkai spread-eagle, in a two-foot deep indentation in the ground where he lay. “Oi, wench . . . what did you do to him?”

 

“The . . . kotodama . . .” she breathed as she struggled to get down.

 

“My kotodama?” he demanded, eyes rounding as he stared incredulously at the miko.

 

She flushed. “It's not yours anymore, and I'd rather have used it this way than to see either of you ripped to shreds, baka!”

 

“Keh! As if! It would have been him,” InuYasha snorted but set her on her feet and watched as she hesitantly stepped toward Kouga. InuYasha uttered a low growl when he felt she was more than close enough, and she stopped.

 

“Kouga . . . I'm sorry, but you have to listen . . . I didn't . . . I never . . .”

 

The subjugation was starting to wear off, and Kouga managed to peel his face off the ground as he pushed himself up on his elbows to glare, red-faced, at Kagome then InuYasha, who was struggling not to laugh outright since he knew first-hand how Kouga must have been feeling. “You said you wanted to be with me,” Kouga ground out, staring hard at Kagome.

 

She shook her head. “I didn't . . . I haven't left the village or my . . . home . . . without InuYasha in months.”

 

Kouga growled and started to push himself out of the pit he'd created as his gaze shifted menacingly toward the hanyou once more.

 

“Don't do it, or I'll say `it' again,” Kagome said quietly.

 

“Come on, if you think you can,” InuYasha goaded.

 

Kouga lunged after him. Kagome sighed. “Osuwari!”

 

This time InuYasha did laugh when Kouga hit the ground. Kagome's gaze narrowed on the hanyou. “You did that on purpose,” she accused.

 

InuYasha didn't deny it as he knelt down by the wolf youkai. “Keh! Ignorant wolf. I told you, but you wouldn't listen. I don't smell you anywhere on Kagome.”

 

Kouga didn't believe him. “Like you'd admit it, either way. Kagome . . . you can tell him, what you told me.”

 

Kagome winced at the confusion and upset evident in Kouga's stare. She shook her head slowly. “But I didn't . . . Kouga, please . . . It wasn't me.”

 

InuYasha folded his arms together as Kouga cautiously pulled himself off the ground again. Apparently unconcerned with the wolf's movements, InuYasha knew he'd be able to move, if it came to that. “She couldn't have,” he informed Kouga. “But that still don't explain why you smell like her . . . so bark it out already before I decide to skin you alive to remove it from you.”

 

Kouga's glare returned as he narrowed his glower on the hanyou. “I told you why. She's my mate.”

 

InuYasha growled in complete frustration as he lowered his hands to the ground and sank his claws into the earth. “Then I suggest you sniff her again, damn it, because she ain't your mate!”

 

Kouga glared at InuYasha for a moment longer before deliberately turning and sniffing in Kagome's direction. InuYasha almost felt sorry for the poor bastard at the sudden look of complete confusion that filtered over his face. Almost. Not quite, but almost . . .

 

“What have you done to her?” Kouga demanded as he shifted his eyes to stare defiantly at InuYasha.

 

“I didn't to a damn thing, mangy wolf. I told you, she ain't your woman.”

 

“She is!” he argued, appealing to Kagome with a confused expression. “You came to me two weeks ago . . . you asked me to kill InuYasha . . . you said you wanted to be with me.”

 

Kagome looked utterly horrified. “I didn't! I wouldn't! Two weeks . . . ?” Her gaze skittered to InuYasha. “I had the baby two weeks ago . . . I couldn't have been there . . . I was home . . . InuYasha was with me.”

 

“Keh!” InuYasha snorted as he stood up. “Come on, Kagome. We're wasting time with this miserable baka.”

 

Kagome frowned, wringing her hands as she slowly shook her head. “But he's hurt, and . . . I don't understand why he'd think that.” She dug for her first aid kit.

 

InuYasha snatched the bag out of her hands. “You ain't touching him, Kagome.”

 

She opened her mouth to argue but the fierce glower he directed at her convinced her that it wasn't a good idea.

 

Kouga's cheeks reddened just a little as he stood stiffly. “I don't know . . . you came to me, I know you did . . .”

 

InuYasha growled. “You callin' her a liar?”

 

Kouga's lips pulled back to expose his sharp fangs in a grimacing snarl. “No, I'm not . . . I know it was her. I know what she said, and I know what we did. What I don't know is what you did to change it.”

 

“I didn't do a damn thing because I didn't need to do a damn thing, baka! You never claimed her, and you won't unless you want Tetsusaiga shoved so far up your ass you'll be walking on your tiptoes for the rest of your miserable life, you stupid bastard!”

 

“Oh yeah? And just what is a scrawny-assed runt-pup like you gonna do to stop me?” Kouga growled.

 

“Damn it, I just said what I was gonna do! Now get out of my face before I cut you down!”

 

“InuYasha! Kouga! Stop it!”

 

Both male heads turned to stare at Kagome. Glaring at both of them in turn, she drew a deep breath and shook her head very slowly as she hitched the backpack over her shoulders and stomped away, back in the direction of the village.

 

“Oi! Where you going?” InuYasha hollered, the first to react as he ran off after the miko.

 

“Isn't it obvious? Something had to make Kouga think . . .” she trailed off and shook her head as a light blush washed over her skin. “We need to speak with Kaede . . . what if . . .” Glancing over her shoulder, she frowned as she saw that Kouga was heading toward them. “It doesn't make sense . . .”

 

Kouga tugged on the rosary as a soft chime of the spell indicated that the wolf was trying to break the strand.

 

“Keh! Give it up, you mangy wolf. Once that damn thing is in place you can't take it off. The only one who can is Kagome, and it'll serve you right if you have to wear it and eat dirt for the rest of your miserable life!”

 

Kagome shook her head and sighed. “I'll remove it if you promise not to fight with InuYasha,” she stated.

 

InuYasha snorted.

 

Kouga growled.

 

“Mangy wolf,” InuYasha muttered.

 

“What was that?” Kouga asked tightly.

 

“I said you're a fucking mangy-assed wolf, you pathetic excuse for a youkai! You're telling me you mated something but you don't know what? How fucking stupid are you?”

 

“That's it, dog-shit!” Kouga growled as he lunged forward again.

 

Kagome sighed. “Osuwari!”

 

InuYasha didn't bother trying to hide his grin as Kouga ate dirt again.

 

“It's not funny!” Kagome maintained as she frowned at the hanyou.

 

“Wanna fucking bet?” InuYasha couldn't help the slight grin that he tried to hide. No doubt about it, seeing Kouga harnessed by the kotodama did wonders for his mood. A sudden thought crossed his mind, though, and he frowned. `If he . . . smells like Kagome to me . . . and Kagome wasn't with him, then . . . does that mean . . . ?'

 

Stopping abruptly, InuYasha swung around and eyed Kouga. “Did you meet up with a butterfly youkai?”

 

Kouga glanced up from the rosary with a scowl on his face. “A what? No!”

 

InuYasha narrowed his eyes. “Have you been having . . . dreams?”

 

Kagome gasped as Kouga looked away stubbornly, face impassive despite the rising tide of flush that climbed his cheeks. “InuYasha? What are you saying?” She bit her bottom lip for a moment as she pondered InuYasha's words. “You think . . . he's been subjected to the toxin?”

 

InuYasha snorted. “It makes sense, don't it?”

 

Kagome thought it over and nodded though her blush didn't diminish, either. “Kouga? Did you get any powder in your eyes recently? Anything . . . unusual?”

 

Kouga shook his head. “No . . . why?”

 

InuYasha crossed his arms over his chest. “You're sure? No weird powder? No dust?”

 

“Nope, no . . .” trailing off as a flash of recognition filtered over his features, Kouga's eyes widened, and he groaned, shaking his head slowly, incredulously. “Dust . . . in my clothes . . . It got in my eyes.” He grimaced. “I think it got Ginta and Hakkaku, too . . .”

 

InuYasha and Kagome exchanged significant looks. Kagome looked horrified, and rightfully so, in InuYasha's opinion. She was obviously the object of that mangy wolf's obsession . . . a low growl escaped before he could stop it. “When?”

 

“Three weeks ago?” Kouga shook his head. “That doesn't matter, though . . . I'm still taking Kagome with me.”

 

“Like hell you are!”

 

Kagome stopped InuYasha from going after the youkai with a gentle but firm hand against his chest. “It's all right, InuYasha. I'm not going anywhere.” Turning to face Kouga again, Kagome sighed. “I'm sorry, Kouga, really, but . . . I belong with InuYasha.”

 

Kouga didn't look like he wanted to accept that. InuYasha snorted and carted Kagome around. “Let's go. The sooner we reach the village, the sooner we can get rid of the trash.”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes. Kouga growled. InuYasha stared straight ahead. `And the sooner we get to the village, the sooner the old woman can do something to counteract Kouga's dreams because if that bastard thinks he's gonna dream about my—about Kagome that way, he's got another thing comin'.'

 

 

::0::0::000::0::0::

 

 

Pulling up the thick blanket on her bedroll, Kagome popped one eye open to peer from InuYasha to Kouga, who were sitting on opposing sides of the campfire. InuYasha had his hands folded together inside his haori sleeves with Tetsusaiga held against his chest. Kouga had one knee bent with his arm resting casually on top. The two were glaring daggers at one another, and Kagome heaved a sigh and sat up. “I can't go to sleep when the two of you look like you're ready to tear into each other as soon as I close my eyes.”

 

“Keh. Go to sleep, wench. You're the one who was falling asleep on my back,” InuYasha commented without taking his eyes off Kouga.

 

“I'll watch over you, Kagome. Since you're going to be my mate, it's my responsibility to make sure you're safe.”

 

“You can't take her as your mate, even if she would have you, which she wouldn't, you flea bag. You've already mated . . . something.”

 

“And I say that if she looked and smelled like Kagome, then it was meant to be Kagome!” Kouga snarled back.

 

“Wanna fucking bet?” InuYasha growled as he leaned forward.

 

“Yeah, I do.”

 

“Keh!”

 

“See? Stop that!” Kagome interrupted as she waved her hands around to gain both their attentions. “No one is mating—forget it! I don't want to talk about it! Now stop fighting or I'll . . . I'll . . . Ooh! Just stop!”

 

InuYasha's ears flicked and drooped at Kagome's bellowed proclamation. Kouga glared at InuYasha. “See? Stop upsetting my ma—”

 

“She ain't your mate, bastard!”

 

“Ugh! Good night!” Kagome hollered to be heard above the escalating disagreement.

 

InuYasha suddenly stopped mid-tirade and looked over at Kagome. “Wait, wench.”

 

Kagome sat up again and shot InuYasha a consternated eye. “What now?”

 

He got up, cast one last withering glance at Kouga, and stomped over to her. “You have to shake it, remember?”

 

Kagome sighed and hurriedly did as he instructed before burrowing into her sleeping bag again and dragging the blanket over her head. `They'll kill each other during the night, I know it,' she thought with a grimace.

 

“What's that?” Kouga asked grudgingly, nodding at the vial. InuYasha shook it ten times and stuffed it back into his undershirt.

 

InuYasha snorted. “Keh! None of your damn business.”

 

Kouga yawned. InuYasha's ears quirked at that. Watching incredulously as the wolf youkai stretched his arms over his head and leaned back on his elbows, InuYasha scowled. “Oh, no you don't! No fucking sleeping, damn it!”

 

Kouga blinked in surprise and shifted his gaze off the fire to meet the hanyou's stare. “Isn't that what you're supposed to do at night?”

 

InuYasha snorted. “Yeah, that's right. Too bad you're not going to.”

 

Kouga rolled his eyes. “I wasn't going to.”

 

“Good. Then we understand one another.”

 

InuYasha glared at him for another moment before letting his eyes drift back to the fire. `Damn . . . there ain't no way I'm letting him go to sleep. If he is affected by that toxin, he'll be dreaming about . . . Keh! No fucking way . . .'

 

He sighed. After jogging most of the day in her stubborn effort to get some exercise, Kagome had been asleep within minutes when he'd finally dragged her on his back. He'd have been more than happy to keep traveling until they reached the village. Kagome, though . . . he couldn't push her that hard. She'd just birthed that pup a couple of weeks ago, and her body was still recovering. He could smell her fatigue, could sense her body's struggle to return to normal. She hid it well, but she just couldn't hide it from him. For her sake, he'd found a good place to make camp for the night. They would reach the village in the morning, and then they'd be rid of the damn wolf youkai, hopefully for good.

 

Kouga snorted abruptly. InuYasha blinked, shaking off his reverie and narrowing his gaze on the wolf. Kouga was starting to nod off. InuYasha growled. `Not happening, damn it . . .'

 

Standing up, InuYasha stomped around the fire and poked Kouga in the ribs with the sheathed sword. Kouga jumped and glared up at the hanyou. InuYasha glared down at him. “I told you, mangy wolf, you're not fucking sleeping, even if I have to keep prodding you every five minutes like a damn cow. Got that?”

 

Kouga sat up slowly, returning InuYasha's glower the entire time.

 

Satisfied that Kouga was going to try to stay awake, InuYasha stalked back to his place and sat down again. `This is going to be a long fucking night . . .'

 

He sighed.

 

 

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A/N:

That's right… a very insightful flamer told me that I was “Worse than SATIN” … Now, I figured that the brainiac meant SATAN … so it works…

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Final Thought from InuYasha:

Keh! Stay away from my wench …

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Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Metamorphosis): I do not claim any rights to InuYasha or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi, et al. I do offer my thanks to her for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.

 

~Sue~