InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ Showdowns ( Chapter 19 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Two budding conflicts boil over.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.01.2009 | Updated On: 01.08.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 9.0K | Visits: 3.7K | Status: Completed
Two budding conflicts boil over.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.01.2009 | Updated On: 01.08.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 9.0K | Visits: 3.7K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
Fanfiction of the Week: “Lessons,” by Feudal Dream Demon
This one comes courtesy of little white kitsune. There are many differing views on just how much experience Inuyasha has with sex, and this story is at one extreme end of the spectrum. Starts out dark, but is very satisfying in the end.
Miss_Marilyn69: “eight dry days in the fanfiction desert without a drop of Metamorphosis to drink, how cruel you are o-evil author, dark master of fangirl torture. Please spare us further pain, with another update and a inu smooch!” That has to be the single funniest review I’ve ever received. Thank you! And since we’re talking about fangirl torture…
*Cracks whip* Silence, slave! You’ll take the almost-kisses and like them! *Whack*
little white kitsune: well, Inuyasha is a baka. Is he an ultimate baka? We’ll see…
Showdowns
After Miroku picked himself off the ground, rubbing the rather large lump on his head, things almost returned to normal for the Inu-gang. Inuyasha marched at the head of the column, hands folded in his fire-rat sleeves, with Kagome and Sango bringing up the rear. Somewhere in the middle of the group had become Miroku’s customary place ever since Sango had caught him foolishly staring at her ass months ago. But could he really be expected to do otherwise? Could any man, for that matter? If he asked the girls that question, they would probably point to Inuyasha, but that was only because they didn’t know how often he caught the hanyou looking at Kagome. Oh, it didn’t occur that frequently, but when it did, there was no doubt what Inuyasha was thinking about. And every time he would catch himself and look away blushing, and Miroku would shake his head. Just go for it, man! She totally digs you! But alas, the dense hanyou seemed, and probably was, totally oblivious.
Then again, Miroku didn’t feel especially enlightened at the moment either; he still couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Sango. He had explained himself to her, hadn’t he? So why was she moping along at the back of the group, a pensive look on her face? Why was she walking with Kagome instead of by his side? Maybe it’s to keep Kagome from beating me into a pulp. The miko looked like she wanted nothing more than to do just that, and Miroku had first gathered that impression several hours ago. Yet, Kagome appeared as mad as ever, still glaring daggers at him. If her eyes had any destructive power, he would have two circular bald spots on the back of his head. He had hoped Sango would tell her what happened, and thereby mollify her anger, but the taijiya had yet to speak a word. Finally, Miroku decided he had to take the matter into his own hands. Turning, he prepared to face down his demon.
“You know, Kagome-sama, it was not my intention to spend last night with Chiyoko-sama. There was a…misunderstanding, and she got the wrong idea. So I’d appreciate it if you would stop trying to incinerate me with your eyes.”
Kagome studied him for several moments, but she could detect no deceit in his eyes or scent. “Fine, houshi,” she responded curtly.
Miroku cringed, knowing that Kagome must still be pissed at him if she was calling him “houshi.” But she didn’t seem that upset anymore, so he turned and resumed walking. When his back was turned, Kagome grinned and elbowed Sango in the side.
“See, Sango-chan!” she whispered excitedly. “He really wasn’t cheating on you!” To Kagome’s surprise and dismay, Sango merely scoffed.
“So what, Kagome-chan? ‘She got the wrong idea’ is monk-speak for ‘I asked her to bear my child and then changed my mind.’ It still doesn’t change the fact that he’s an unfaithful lecher.”
Now aghast, Kagome tried again. “B-but, he didn’t—”
“Yeah, this time. What about next time, huh? Face it, Kagome-chan; he’s never going to change.”
“I refuse to believe that,” Kagome replied sternly.
“Maybe that’s the only reason I haven’t broken it off with him, because you see something in him that I don’t. I want to see what you see, but…”
“It’s okay, Sango-chan,” Kagome comforted, wrapping her arm around the older girl’s shoulder. “Don’t give up hope.”
Sango nodded miserably, but Kagome was confident she wouldn’t go do anything crazy, like tell Miroku she didn’t want to be with him anymore. Such a thing would never be true; if they did break up, it would be completely the monk’s fault. If it wasn’t for her promise to Sango, Kagome would already have talked some sense into him. Glancing at Inuyasha, she caught him gazing back at them with half an eye. She and Sango had spoken softly enough so Miroku wouldn’t hear, but Inuyasha had been eavesdropping with his canine ears. She smirked as he wrenched his head back around to look forward again. He can say he doesn’t care, but I know him. He cares about Sango’s happiness as much as I do. I’ll have to remind him that he agreed to talk to Miroku. But she couldn’t do it now; it would be too obvious. No, her whole plan rested on not letting Sango find out that she had confided the situation in Inuyasha. Sure, Sango had only made her promise not to tell Miroku himself, but that was a sneaky loophole, and Kagome knew the slayer would not be impressed by it. So she would have to wait for a good opportunity to remind the hanyou of his obligations.
The day seemed to fly by, but that’s what happens when you’re practically sleepwalking. An afternoon nap was all the sleep she and Inuyasha had gotten in over seventy-two hours. Even the normally resilient hanyou was showing signs of fatigue. The humans were better off, but they needed rest every day, and didn’t object when Inuyasha called an early halt to their trek. Kagome prepared some ramen for everyone, and retired to her sleeping bag immediately after dusk. Inuyasha propped himself up against the soft fabric of her backpack, not even bothering to leap into a tree before dozing off. They got a late start the following morning. They would easily reach Aoi’s mountain that day, and for once Inuyasha didn’t feel like rushing.
The mountain with the purple ring around it was not that large at the base, but it was extremely steep, which explained its height. Sheer cliffs greeted them, but eventually they found a path winding its way up the mountain. At its narrowest, it was barely two feet wide, and they had to travel single-file. They made sure to tread carefully as well; one slip and you could be in for a very long fall. They passed through the ring about halfway up, discovering that it was actually a thin band of flowers, a special kind that seemed to thrive in the thin upland soil. The edges were perfectly linear, so it definitely wasn’t a natural formation. The path ended in a small valley about three quarters of the way to the summit. Sitting in the middle of the clearing was a large, well kept mansion, a far cry from the cave they had been expecting. There were three small children playing in a green field, two girls and one boy. All were youkai, and as soon as they noticed the newcomers, they dashed inside the house. The inu-gang slowly made their way toward the building, getting closer and closer to a strong demonic aura. Moments later, a beautiful woman emerged from the house, waving at them in a friendly manner before striding to meet them. Her robes were long and elegant, but her luxurious light blue hair was unbound. Her eyes were a bright cobalt hue, and her lips were quirked in a genuine smile, revealing small fangs. She was a youkai, and a powerful one at that, but she seemed kind enough. The three children trailed along behind, peeking out from behind her legs.
“You must be Inuyasha,” she said in a rich, harmonious tone. Inuyasha could only nod. “I am Aoi. Daichi told me to expect you sooner, but no matter. My mate is out at the moment, but it is I you wish to speak with anyway, correct?”
“Yes, Aoi-sama,” Miroku said. Introductions on both sides followed, and the Inu-gang learned that Aoi was in fact the mother of the three children, who had become less shy in their mother’s presence.
“Why don’t you take Shippou and go play?” she said to them. Nodding, one of her daughters grabbed Shippou by the hand and dragged him off. “Come inside and make yourselves at home,” she told the remaining members. She seated them around a large table, with plush cushions supporting their backs. Then she served them tea that smelled so divine, even Inuyasha couldn’t resist having some.
“Alright,” she began, “now that we’re all settled, the first thing I want to know is why you’re all looking at me funny.”
“Forgive us, Aoi-sama,” Miroku said sheepishly. “You…just aren’t what we were expecting.”
Aoi chuckled. “What were you expecting?”
“An old hag,” Inuyasha replied tersely.
“Inuyasha!” Kagome whispered furiously.
“What? Tell me you weren’t expecting the same thing.”
“…”
Miroku cleared his throat. “What my ill-mannered friend means is that we were expecting someone who resembled Daichi in age, since he spoke so highly of your expertise.”
Aoi laughed easily. “That old bear is like a father to me,” she said fondly. “And I may not look it, but I am well over two hundred years old. We turtle youkai tend to age very slowly.”
“T-turtle?” Inuyasha choked. “Wouldn’t have guessed that.”
“Well, some youkai are better at concealing their true form than others. Would you guess from looking at him that your brother is an inu youkai?”
“I guess not. How do you know that bastard, anyway?”
“Inuyasha!”
“That’s quite alright, Kagome-sama,” Aoi interrupted. “Besides, Sesshoumaru is a bastard.”
Three mouths gaped at this comment, and Inuyasha smirked. “Lady, you and me are gonna get along just fine.”
“Of that I have no doubt. Now, on to business. Why don’t you tell me of your travels?”
It was Kagome who took up the challenge of recapping their adventures, leaving out all but the most relevant details. Aoi listened intently, only interrupting to ask questions. When the story was complete, she nodded thoughtfully. “So now you wish to change back into a human, Kagome-sama?”
Kagome opened her mouth to respond, but something stopped her from just coming out and saying “yes.” Maybe…
“Can you help us?” Inuyasha spoke into the silence, effectively breaking Kagome’s train of thought.
Aoi sighed. “Normally, it would be a relatively simple thing, but unfortunately the tool I would use has been stolen. So I’m sorry, but I cannot help you until I get it back.”
Inuyasha was infuriated for half a second before a light came on. “Tell me, Aoi-sama,” he said, surprising everyone with his politeness. “Is this tool a dagger that doesn’t cut flesh?”
The turtle youkai’s eyes widened in shock. “Yes! You have seen it?”
Inuyasha scoffed. “Seen it? Try gotten stabbed with it!”
“And you’re still alive? You must be very strong or very lucky.”
“Feh. Kagome’s miko powers saved my ass.”
At this, Aoi turned her attention to Kagome, grabbing her hand. “Please, Kagome-sama, summon your miko energy. I wish to see it for myself.”
Reluctantly, Kagome did so, exuding just enough power to scorch Aoi’s palm. The youkai pulled her hand away, staring at the burns with an amazed smile on her face. “Fascinating. But how did these powers save you from the effects of the dagger?”
“She purified me,” Inuyasha replied. “I told her to do it,” he stressed, sensing slight melancholy from Kagome at the reminder of what she had done.
“Ah, I see…a very wise strategy indeed. That dagger was ripping your youki out of you, and by purifying you Kagome placed it beyond the dagger’s reach. That’s what it does; it separates youki from living or dead beings. It’s very useful in my line of work, for extracting the youki I need for various potions. But when it is used by an untrained hand, it can go out of control and destroy both the wielder and the victim.”
“You use youkai?” Kagome asked, inwardly appalled.
“Don’t worry,” Aoi hastily assured, “I only use low-level youkai, the kind that don’t do the world any good and are missed by no one.”
Inuyasha relaxed visibly. “So…if you had this dagger, you would be able to help us?”
She nodded. “It would be a relatively simple matter. Tell you what; retrieve my dagger for me, and I will gladly use it to restore Kagome to her human form, if that is what she truly desires,” she said, eyeing Kagome intently.
Kagome frowned as a new thought occurred to her. “Aoi-sama, if you did this, then what would happen to the youki? It originally had another’s soul attached to it.”
“I see…it is not within my power to bring that youkai’s soul back from the afterlife. I could harness the youki for one of my potions, or we could simply allow it to disperse and disappear.”
“Is that what you’re worried about, Kagome?” Inuyasha asked, flabbergasted. “Bringing that bastard back to life?”
She shook her head. “I just wanted to know if it was possible, because that’s what his brother and sister are trying to do.”
“Well they’ll just have to fuckin’ deal with it,” Inuyasha said gruffly. Turning to Aoi, he stood to leave. “You got a deal, lady,” he declared.
“Where do you think you’re going? It’s late afternoon, and what kind of hostess would I be if I didn’t make you stay the night?”
“We do not wish to impose,” Miroku stated.
“Nonsense! My mate will want to meet you, and I still want to hear all about the youkai who robbed me. Speaking of which, there was something else that was stolen: a gourd containing—”
“Fucking putrid black smoke?” Inuyasha finished for her.
“Well, that’s one way of putting it. I would very much like that returned to me as well.”
“Too bad. The assholes already used it.”
“Dammit! It took me weeks to get that potion right! And I was going to barter some nice fabrics for it, too…”
The conversation continued until just before dusk, when Shippou and Aoi’s children entered the house escorted by a tall male youkai. He was Aoi’s mate, and seemed to be the same type of youkai, thought they couldn’t really tell. He was kind and relatively soft-spoken, and seemed content to defer to his mate’s judgment most of the time, a refreshing sight to see in any day and age. The entire family appeared to have found true happiness, and none of the Inu-gang were without jealousy. All four adults could imagine raising a family someday, together with the one they loved.
The only one who was surprised by his imagination was Inuyasha; the others had already come to terms with who they wanted to spend their lives with, at least internally. But it wasn’t so simple for Inuyasha, and this was the first time he had imagined living with Kagome, having children with her, being her…mate. He was surprised that the thought filled him with warmth, and very confused. Did he love Kagome? Was it possible to love two women at the same time? He still loved Kikyou, didn’t he? These questions had been coming up more and more often lately as his relationship with Kagome intensified, but still he had no concrete answers. But he knew how strongly her sadness or happiness made him feel, and he knew how his blood heated with desire when he gazed at her, kissed her… That would have to be enough for now.
The evening was pleasant, made all the better when their hosts produced sake. Miroku and Inuyasha were far too ‘polite’ not to accept the drink when offered. Neither overindulged, but both went to bed on a very satisfying buzz.
The Inu-gang set out in the morning, though no one could say for certain where exactly they were going. All they knew was that the odds of Takehiko and Sora returning to the scene of their crime were slim. Kagome, after mulling over the possibilities for awhile, broached the subject first.
“Hey, Inuyasha?”
“Yeah, wench?”
“I-I think I’d like an item to seal my youkai blood. Why don’t we go see Totosai?”
Inuyasha looked at her, taking in her downcast expression. “If you want to,” he replied evenly.
“Really? You don’t mind going out of our way?”
“What way? This is just like Naraku; we can’t do shit until those fucking cowards decide to come out of hiding.”
“Oh, in that case…isn’t Totosai’s mountain on the other side of Kaede’s village?”
“Yes,” Inuyasha growled, already knowing what Kagome’s next question would be.
“Do you think we could go to my time for a few days?”
Inuyasha choked back a harsh reply as Kagome’s words—one word in particular—set in.
“We, wench?”
“Well, there’s really no reason for you to stay here,” Kagome said, feigning nonchalance. “I certainly don’t have to hide you from my friends anymore; they seem to like you. So yes, you can come with me. Unless you don’t want to…”
“Keh! I’ll go. Someone’s gotta keep you out of trouble.” His reply was delivered with his usual gruffness, but inside he was deeply touched. And Kagome knew it too, if that secretive smile on her face was anything to judge by.
“How long do you think it will take to get to the well from here?”
Inuyasha shrugged. “Dunno. Two, three days maybe? Why, you in a hurry?”
“Nope. Just wondering.”
“Good, ‘cause you’re only getting one day in your time.”
“Three!”
“One!”
“Three!”
“One, wench!”
“Osu—alright, baka! We’ll compromise—two days.”
“Dammit… Fine,” Inuyasha relented, recovering from his cringe upon hearing the first syllable of ‘the word.’ “But not a second longer!”
“Okay, Inuyasha, you’re the boss!”
“Keh. Sometimes I wonder.”
Kagome snickered; her plan had worked to perfection. More than a year of dealing with Inuyasha’s ‘separation anxiety’ meant she was quite good at getting what she wanted while letting Inuyasha think he’d won at least a partial victory. In reality, she had only wanted two days at home. But it was fun to let Inuyasha think he was the boss, even when that rosary around his neck and her own fiery personality clearly said otherwise.
They took their time traveling, as there was really no reason to rush. There was a general feeling that Takehiko and Sora would confront them again long before they reached Totosai’s domain. Sure enough, just as they were nearing the edge of Inuyasha’s forest on the afternoon of the second day, it happened.
The attack came from out of nowhere, and without warning. One moment Kagome was walking amidst her friends, and the next she was flying, held aloft by several razor sharp talons driven clean through her shoulder. Sora had approached from behind, like a hawk stalking an unsuspecting rabbit, then dove on her prey with dizzying speed and absolute stealth. Dimly Kagome heard the cries of her friends over the wind whipping past her ears, but their voices were rapidly fading into the distance. And then she was free, released to plummet toward the unforgiving earth. She landed on her feet with feline grace but couldn’t halt her momentum, rolling over and over to lessen the impact until she crashed into a tree with a muffled thud. For a moment, she just lay there, trying to gather her bearings and ignore the pain that wracked not only her shoulder, but the rest of her body now as well.
Movement to her left had her scampering out of the way just in time, as Takehiko drove Aoi’s dagger into the earth where she had been. Now she comprehended their plan completely; Sora would snatch her and drop her near Takehiko, who would stab her with the dagger. Perhaps in her best fighting condition she might be able to defeat the inu youkai alone, but not now, when her concentration was shaky at best and she was still dizzy from the fall and subsequent tumble. No, her goal had to be simply to stay alive until her friends arrived.
Even that task appeared as if it was going to be extremely difficult. Takehiko attacked again and again, not giving her a moment’s respite. It took all the agility she had to avoid impalement, and probably some she didn’t have. She dodged as best she could, but as time wore on the blows came closer and closer to landing. Thin red lines appeared on her legs and arms, and small rips in her clothing, testaments to tired, weary muscles. Finally, an unseen tree root caught her foot, sending her tumbling backward even as her attacker raised the dagger for the final plunge into her flesh. Unable to do anything else, Kagome raised her hands, closed her eyes, and prepared for a horrifying end.
Instead, there was a flash of blinding light, and an agonized scream. The scent of burning flesh filled the air, prompting her to open her eyes. Takehiko was kneeling ten feet away, holding his right arm and glaring at her with abhorrence in his gaze. Between them, shimmering in what could only be called deadly beauty, was a barrier. It took her several seconds to realize that it was of her own creation. A barrier? H-how? How did I do that? Then again, her miko powers always seemed to emerge when she needed them the most. But it didn’t really matter how this barrier came into being. It was now the only thing shielding her from her enemy, and she would do her damndest to maintain it.
Standing, Takehiko drew his sword, wielding it in his uninjured left hand. His scorched right arm hung limply at his side, the dagger still clutched tightly by thumb and fingers. The first blow nearly shattered the barrier, and Kagome hurriedly poured all her energy into it. It strengthened momentarily, but after a dozen more sword strikes it was once again close to collapse. Never before had the use of her miko powers drained her so, and when combined with her injuries, the effect was that her body itself was almost at its limit. If help didn’t arrive soon…
Inuyasha swore under his breath before taking off after her. He had sensed Sora’s approach, but barely had any time to duck his head let alone warn any of the others. And now she and Kagome were little more than a rapidly vanishing speck in the distance.
“Inuyasha!” Sango called from behind him. Taking the offered hand, Inuyasha vaulted himself up onto Kirara. With three full-grown adults on her back, the fire-cat was still losing ground to the swift-winged hawk. Suddenly, the speck on the horizon stopped shrinking, and began growing larger. It was Sora, alone, heading straight for them. As she closed, Inuyasha leapt forward off Kirara and launched the Kaze no Kizu in midair. The streaks of energy were easily dodged, but the attack served its purpose in forcing Sora to veer off course. Inuyasha landed in a crouch, and Kirara dropped down beside him.
“Go, Inuyasha! We’ll take care of her!” Sango ordered, brandishing hiraikotsu. Miroku and Shippou leapt down to avoid hindering the taijiya in any way. Nodding, Inuyasha took off at top speed. He had gone perhaps a hundred feet when a warning shout from Miroku gave him just enough time to dive to the right and avoid having his head lopped off. Sora dropped out of the sky, landing in front of them.
“Sorry, half-breed,” she spoke dangerously, “but none of you are getting past me.”
Inuyasha grimaced. Shit. Under normal circumstances, they would just split up; Sango and the others would hold the enemy off while he went after Kagome, or vice versa. But that wasn’t going to work here. The humans had obviously tried to keep Sora busy, but she had used her blazing speed to just fly around them. One thing was becoming clear—if they turned their backs for even a moment, they would end up with holes in them.
“Bitch! Where’s Kagome?!”
Sora chuckled. “Don’t worry; Takehiko will take good care of her! In fact, he’s probably already killed your miko and returned our brother Minoru to life!”
“Listen, you fucking moron! That won’t work! Even if you use the dagger, there’s no way to bring your asshole of a brother back!”
“Ha! You expect me to believe you, half-breed?”
“The rightful owner of that dagger said it!”
“It matters not. Even if we cannot bring Minoru back, we will take great pleasure in slaughtering you lot for all the trouble you caused us. We have not forgotten about our revenge!” Sora cried. Their collective revenge, that is. Each of them had forgone personal vendettas in the interests of victory; she would not hold it against Takehiko if he killed Kagome, and he would not be angry at her for slaying Inuyasha. There was no room for selfishness if they were going to get their brother back.
By this time, the humans had come up to flank the hanyou, and Sora stared them all down without blinking. Inuyasha swore inwardly. Dammit! I’ll have to kill this bitch or we’ll never get past her. Kagome…be safe.
The thought filled her with trepidation, but also gave her an extra burst of adrenaline, which she put to good use. She dove to her left, feeling the sharp edge of the blade slice into her bicep. Blood trickled down her arm as she rolled to her feet, but the flesh wound was the least of her worries. Takehiko resumed his relentless assaults, and Kagome doubted she could muster up the concentration to throw up another barrier. Hell, she didn’t even know how she had done it the first time. What she did know was that she was tired of retreating. Her youkai was screaming at her to fight back, and she didn’t particularly feel like resisting its demands.
Exuding a feral snarl, she ducked a swing and swiped with her claws, causing Takehiko to leap back from sheer surprise. He studied her for all of a second before charging forward again, but Kagome was ready. She hadn’t lost control, but her youkai blood was surging in her veins, her instincts moving her body with feline ferocity. Her claws glowed with purifying energy, proof that her miko powers were willing to fight alongside her youki once more. She had the added advantage that her opponent could only injure her, not kill her outright. If he did the latter, he would throw away any chance of returning his brother to this world. She at least needed to stay alive long enough for the dagger to do its work. According to Aoi, such a thing was impossible anyway, but Kagome was not about to enlighten the man trying to impale her.
Her inexperience with hand-to-hand combat was almost her undoing. She spied an opening and lunged, but Takehiko easily sidestepped her out-of-control attack. Spinning, he brought his sword down in a cleaving blow meant to slice off her arm at the shoulder. Unable to evade, Kagome brought her hands up and summoned her miko powers, hoping they would at least deflect the katana. It worked; pink lightning crackled as the blade was thrown back, the sudden movement throwing Takehiko off balance. Kagome didn’t waste the opportunity, swiping at the retreating Inu youkai with her claws. He managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but still received a set of scorched slashes running from chest to abdomen. Growling, the two adversaries resumed the battle.
The melee went on for several more minutes, with each party receiving wounds. Blood now trickled from several deep gashes in Kagome’s legs, as well as a thin cut across her cheek. Blackened claw marks crisscrossed Takehiko’s front, and Kagome took satisfaction in his heavy breathing. Every slice pumped just a little more purifying energy into his body, and it was clearly affecting him. The problem was that, when combined with the physical exertion of the battle, it was quickly tiring her as well. But she had no choice but to use her powers; they were the only reason she was still in one piece. They forced her enemy to use caution, and saved her when her raw, unpolished combat abilities put her in jeopardy. They were still standing apart, sizing each other up, when the cavalry arrived.
“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled as he crashed into the clearing. He had feared the worst when he caught the scent of Kagome’s blood, and he and the others were immensely relieved to see that she was still standing. Understandably, Takehiko was not as happy to see them.
“You lot?! Where the fuck is Sora?!”
Inuyasha smirked. “Dunno. Last time I saw her she was running off to go bleed somewhere. Who knows, maybe she’s dead?”
“Why you,” Takehiko growled. Inuyasha was bluffing, convincingly so by the look on the other youkai’s face. He had managed to catch Sora off guard with the Hijin Ketsusou, inflicting some serious, but not life-threatening, wounds. The hawk had retreated, probably figuring she’d bought her brother enough time to finish off Kagome. Shippou and the others were under orders to keep a watchful eye out for her, leaving Inuyasha free to focus on rescuing Kagome. Stepping in front of her, he whipped out Tetsusaiga.
“So you like using a sword on an unarmed woman, asshole? Well, how about fighting me with this sword?! Or are you too much of a spineless cowa—”
“Inuyasha.” Kagome’s voice was soft and low, but it carried with it unquestioned authority. “Step back, please. This is my fight.”
His first instinct was to yell at her, tell her how ridiculous that was, but one glance in her direction stilled his tongue. She was staring at Takehiko, all uncertainty, all hesitation gone from her gaze. She looked absolutely incensed, the overwhelming desire to finish the battle swimming in her fiery eyes. The last time her expression had been so serious, her demeanor so fierce, she had made Naraku pay dearly for forcing Sango to steal the Tetsusaiga, nearly destroying him in the process. This did not bode well for Takehiko. And as much as Inuyasha wanted to tell her to wait on the sidelines, to shelter her and protect her, this time he couldn’t. This really was her fight, and he would be a cruel hypocrite indeed if he denied her the chance to end it. He drifted back a few steps, and Kagome smiled gratefully at him. Nodding grimly, he resolved to stay on his toes; the instant Kagome needed backup, he would be ready.
“Listen well,” she addressed her enemy, “I know you think you can bring your brother back, but the true owner of that dagger said it’s impossible. His soul was sent to the netherworld, and I don’t know if there’s anything in this world with the power to bring it back now. Besides, your brother was happy when he passed. I know; I spoke to him just before his soul made the journey. You should cherish your brother’s memory, but he’s gone! There is still time for you to give this up. Walk away now. I don’t want to have to kill you, but I will.”
Takehiko’s lips curved in a sneer. “Even if what you say is true, do you expect me to forget who it was who killed Minoru? You and the other half-breed must pay for his life, and the life of my father!”
And so the battle resumed, two equally determined opponents locked in mortal combat, each fighting for their loved ones. The spectators could only watch anxiously from the sidelines as more flesh was rent and more blood was spilled. Kagome was nearing exhaustion, having to constantly use her miko powers to ward off Takehiko’s youkai sword. Her reaction time was slowing, and the close calls were increasing in frequency. She needed to end this fight, and soon. Her bow, miraculously still in one piece, was lying where she had landed after plummeting to the earth. The quiver was broken, but she was willing to bet that at least a few of the arrows had survived the fall. The trouble was getting over there; Takehiko was positioned between her and the weapons.
The inu-youkai came on again, but this time instead of stepping back and blocking the sword, Kagome dove forward underneath the blade. Rolling to her feet, she darted over to her bow, snatched it up, and turned back to face her enemy with an arrow notched and ready. Takehiko lowered his sword to his side, and for a moment Kagome though he was giving up. Then he started twirling it around his finger with a wicked smirk on his face.
“Heh. You must be really desperate if you went for those. Look at you! You’re shaking! You can’t even hold your string back.”
Kagome gritted her teeth; what he said was true. Her arm really was shuddering in fatigue, but that didn’t mean she lacked the strength to finish this fight.
“This is your last chance, Takehiko. Don’t make me kill you,” she warned, fully prepared for the answer she already knew was coming.
“Don’t make me laugh!” Takehiko exclaimed, pointing his sword at her. “No dirty hanyou could kill m—”
With a mighty cry, Kagome released her arrow. She was tired of being demeaned for what she was now, and equally sick of hearing Inuyasha insulted for what he had always been. She poured all of her remaining strength into the arrow, which glowed and crackled with blinding purity. Is soared straight and true, and moved with such speed that not even Sesshoumaru would have been able to avoid it. But Takehiko had no intention of dodging.
What happened next seemed to occur in slow motion. Takehiko blocked the arrow cleanly, but was unable to sweep it aside as he anticipated. The tip continued to press forward with irresistible force, pushing toward his body even as every muscle strained to keep it at bay. Cracks appeared all along the katana, and the weapon was a breath away from shattering when a fearful cry sounded from off to the left. Sora flew in, placing herself between the arrow and her brother just as the tortured blade fractured into a million pieces. She probably meant to take the arrow and save her brother, but it was not to be. The projectile passed straight through both of them, burning a gigantic hole in each torso, before impacting an unfortunate tree and destroying it as well. They didn’t even have time enough to hit the ground; their bodies immediately disintegrated to dust in the wind. Completely spent, Kagome collapsed onto the dirt. She remained conscious, however, and rolled over on her back to stare reassuringly into the worried eyes of her friends. It was over.
“Inuyasha,” she rasped as Sango helped her sit up, “get the jewel shards.”
Inuyasha appeared startled for a second, then went to retrieve the shards. In fact, he had forgotten all about the stupid things. Two were just lying on the ground, and one was embedded in Aoi’s dagger. Inuyasha smirked victoriously as he held the weapon aloft.
“We got it.”
But Inuyasha’s elation was short-lived; no one felt much like cheering when Kagome was so beat up. If a human had suffered her wounds, they would have been in grave danger of bleeding to death. As it was, Kagome’s hanyou blood had sealed up many of the smaller cuts, but the larger ones still bled freely. Miroku and Inuyasha were ordered to turn their backs and stay that way on pain of death while Sango bandaged her up. Then the taijiya helped her into her pajamas and the sleeping bag, where she was quickly out like a light. The rest of the gang wanted to follow suit, but the scent of blood that saturated the clearing would attract predators and youkai. They certainly didn’t need any more excitement today. So Inuyasha picked up Kagome, encased in the sleeping bag, and led the way to a more suitable campsite about a mile away. He stayed awake all night, keeping vigil over her. As the night wore on, and the color slowly returned to her pale skin, his anxiety faded away, but it wouldn’t completely vanish until she opened her eyes and told him she was fine. He was pleasantly surprised when Kagome stirred just after dawn the following morning. She sat up quickly, a little too quickly it seemed, and hissed as the wound in her shoulder reopened.
“What are you doing up, wench?” Inuyasha asked, masking his concern with annoyance. “Lie back down!”
She glared at him. “Unless you want me to wet myself, you’d better shut up and help me.”
Grumbling, Inuyasha went to her, steadying her as she wobbled on her feet. Fortunately, she gained her balance, sparing Inuyasha the incredibly awkward task of helping her urinate. He blushed just thinking about that prospect. Evidently, taking care of nature had alleviated Kagome’s early morning irritation, because she returned with a contrite look on her face.
“Sorry I snapped at you, Inuyasha.”
“Keh. How’re you feelin’, Kagome?”
Kagome smiled. He was feigning nonchalance, but she knew better. The way he pointedly glanced away from her when he asked the question, that small frown he made when he was hiding something, how he had used her name instead of ‘wench’… She wasn’t surprised that he had been worried about her, but it delighted her nonetheless.
“Fine, Inuyasha. I feel a lot bett—” She punctuated her statement with a cavernous yawn, causing Inuyasha’s frown to deepen.
“Go back to sleep, wench. I’ll wake you up when breakfast is ready.”
“M’kay.”
After a short nap and breakfast, Kagome was able to walk when the Inu-gang set out, though they did travel at a noticeably more sedate pace than usual. It was going to take them several days to get back to Aoi’s home at this rate, but Kagome was grateful for their slow progress for several reasons. First, she didn’t have to push herself physically. But more importantly, it gave her plenty of time to think about where they were going, and what she was going to do when they got there.
“Promise me you will at least think about what I said.”
“Deal.”
Yes, she had promised Myouga she would think about whether she really wanted to change back into a human, hadn’t she? It shamed her to admit that she hadn’t yet fulfilled that promise. Well, better late than never.
In the beginning, her hanyou powers had been such a hindrance. She really had wanted to get rid of them, or at least had gone along with Inuyasha’s strident demand that she do so. It had been so easy to just defer to the judgment of her strong-willed protector. Looking back on it now, it was hard to believe she had ever thought of her hanyou powers as anything but a blessing. After barely a month, they were as much a part of her as her heart or her brain.
“Trust me, being a hanyou ain’t a privilege most days.”
Inuyasha had been wrong about that. In her short time as a hanyou, Kagome had experienced some of the things that had driven Inuyasha to make that claim. She had been distrusted, reviled, insulted…but surely those hostile villages were the exception, right? Surely Inuyasha’s life hadn’t been a living hell? How much worse could it get? No, she spent most days in the company of her friends, and genuinely enjoyed having youkai blood. Being a hanyou was a privilege a majority of the time.
“We both have blood on our hands, but it wasn’t really us killing anybody!”
She grimaced. Her biggest worry these days was losing control and murdering someone else. She would never completely forgive herself for what happened, but she had moved on. With the support of her friends, she had realized that it wasn’t really her fault; the blame rested on close-minded individuals who would persecute a child just because he was youkai.
“You find people who accept you for who you are, and you care about what they think. The rest of the world can go to hell.”
Kagome smiled as she thought of that day, when Inuyasha had reassured her after Kouga’s cruel reaction to her metamorphosis. Ultimately, Inuyasha was her greatest inspiration. He was so strong, yet blessed with a pure heart, one he tried his best to conceal behind a mask of gruffness. But she knew it was there; she saw it whenever he let his guard down, whenever he dropped his tough façade. And that seemed to happen more often since she became a hanyou. How much had she learned about him since that fateful day? How close had they become? How many times had they kissed, or come tantalizingly close?
She didn’t want to go back to the way things used to be, with an impassable distance between them and Kikyou hanging over both their heads. Somehow, after their last confrontation, the dead priestess didn’t seem like such an obstacle anymore. It didn’t feel so foolish to dream that Inuyasha loved her as much as she loved him. There were no guarantees; Inuyasha would still probably end up joining his true love in hell. Life rarely offered certainties, but Kagome was faced with one now. Changing back into a human would be a mistake. How she knew this was a mystery, but she knew it as surely as she knew her own name. She wanted this, to remain a hanyou; she truly, truly wanted this.
“Ok, Inuyasha. I’ll be fine, as long as you accept me…”
“Feh! You don’t even need to ask.”
Her smile turned brilliant as Inuyasha’s words came back to her. She knew, beyond a doubt, that her friends and family would accept her no matter which form she chose. With her decision made, all that remained was to inform them that their entire quest over the past few weeks had been for nothing. Her face fell slightly; Inuyasha would probably be pretty pissed about that. He seemed dead set on restoring her to full humanity, but she was sure he could be persuaded. In the end, he would accept her decision. So why was she feeling so nervous all of a sudden?
“Inuyasha?” she asked, having finally gathered up her courage around noon.
“Yeah, wench?”
“Um…” she began, before steeling her resolve. “I’ve made my decision. I want to stay a hanyou.”
Several gasps sounded from behind her, but Inuyasha didn’t turn around at first. He froze, not making a sound as the air around them seemed to take on a foreboding chill.
“No.”
That single-syllable answer sparked a disturbing mixture of fear and anger in Kagome. She had expected him to argue, maybe yell at her, but this cold shoulder was too much. He wouldn’t even look at her, as if she was below him.
“No?” she questioned incredulously. “That’s it? Just ‘no?’”
Silence.
“Who do you think you are?!” Kagome yelled. “You have no right t—”
Snarling, Inuyasha finally spun to face her, the rage in his expression causing Kagome to take an involuntary step back. Perhaps if she had been calmer herself, she would have noticed the other emotions hovering just below the surface.
“NO, wench! You are NOT staying a hanyou!”
“Inuyasha! Be reasonable!”
“Reasonable? Fuck, bitch! What happened to preferring death over being a ‘filthy hanyou?’”
Kagome gasped, having in all honestly forgotten about that remark. “I…you know I didn’t mean that! I’ve never judged you for being what you are!”
“Feh! It don’t matter. This ain’t up for debate, bitch!”
“Inuyasha,” Kagome said darkly, “it’s my body. You can’t tell me what to do with MY body!”
Inuyasha shrunk back slightly, and for a moment Kagome thought she had gotten through to him. That is, until his next words passed his lips.
“You’re right. I can’t make you change back. But there’s only room for one hanyou in this pack, and it ain’t you.”
Kagome felt tears spring to her eyes. Never in a million years had she expected to receive such an ultimatum from the man she loved. Nearly heartbroken, she tried once more to plead with him.
“What happened to accepting me no matter what, without question?”
A long, uncomfortable moment passed, and Inuyasha’s face hardened into a nearly unrecognizable mask before he finally spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
“I lied.”
Kagome: “Wow! I got to save myself this time, with no help from anybody! Takahashi-san never let me do that! Thanks, dude!”
King Baka: “No problem. I got tired of seeing you constantly play damsel in distress.”
Kag: “Really? So I never have to be a damsel in distress ever again?!”
KB: “Uh…I wouldn’t go that far…”
Kag: “Awww, come on!”
KB: “Sorry, but I have plans… Until next time, readers!”
Kag: “And hurry it up! Inuyasha has some serious explaining to do…”
2011 Note – more fun times, I guess? Sometimes when I finish a chapter I get in a goofy mood.
Converting /tmp/phpgRuN4u to /dev/stdout
Fanfiction of the Week: “Lessons,” by Feudal Dream Demon
This one comes courtesy of little white kitsune. There are many differing views on just how much experience Inuyasha has with sex, and this story is at one extreme end of the spectrum. Starts out dark, but is very satisfying in the end.
Miss_Marilyn69: “eight dry days in the fanfiction desert without a drop of Metamorphosis to drink, how cruel you are o-evil author, dark master of fangirl torture. Please spare us further pain, with another update and a inu smooch!” That has to be the single funniest review I’ve ever received. Thank you! And since we’re talking about fangirl torture…
*Cracks whip* Silence, slave! You’ll take the almost-kisses and like them! *Whack*
little white kitsune: well, Inuyasha is a baka. Is he an ultimate baka? We’ll see…
Showdowns
After Miroku picked himself off the ground, rubbing the rather large lump on his head, things almost returned to normal for the Inu-gang. Inuyasha marched at the head of the column, hands folded in his fire-rat sleeves, with Kagome and Sango bringing up the rear. Somewhere in the middle of the group had become Miroku’s customary place ever since Sango had caught him foolishly staring at her ass months ago. But could he really be expected to do otherwise? Could any man, for that matter? If he asked the girls that question, they would probably point to Inuyasha, but that was only because they didn’t know how often he caught the hanyou looking at Kagome. Oh, it didn’t occur that frequently, but when it did, there was no doubt what Inuyasha was thinking about. And every time he would catch himself and look away blushing, and Miroku would shake his head. Just go for it, man! She totally digs you! But alas, the dense hanyou seemed, and probably was, totally oblivious.
Then again, Miroku didn’t feel especially enlightened at the moment either; he still couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Sango. He had explained himself to her, hadn’t he? So why was she moping along at the back of the group, a pensive look on her face? Why was she walking with Kagome instead of by his side? Maybe it’s to keep Kagome from beating me into a pulp. The miko looked like she wanted nothing more than to do just that, and Miroku had first gathered that impression several hours ago. Yet, Kagome appeared as mad as ever, still glaring daggers at him. If her eyes had any destructive power, he would have two circular bald spots on the back of his head. He had hoped Sango would tell her what happened, and thereby mollify her anger, but the taijiya had yet to speak a word. Finally, Miroku decided he had to take the matter into his own hands. Turning, he prepared to face down his demon.
“You know, Kagome-sama, it was not my intention to spend last night with Chiyoko-sama. There was a…misunderstanding, and she got the wrong idea. So I’d appreciate it if you would stop trying to incinerate me with your eyes.”
Kagome studied him for several moments, but she could detect no deceit in his eyes or scent. “Fine, houshi,” she responded curtly.
Miroku cringed, knowing that Kagome must still be pissed at him if she was calling him “houshi.” But she didn’t seem that upset anymore, so he turned and resumed walking. When his back was turned, Kagome grinned and elbowed Sango in the side.
“See, Sango-chan!” she whispered excitedly. “He really wasn’t cheating on you!” To Kagome’s surprise and dismay, Sango merely scoffed.
“So what, Kagome-chan? ‘She got the wrong idea’ is monk-speak for ‘I asked her to bear my child and then changed my mind.’ It still doesn’t change the fact that he’s an unfaithful lecher.”
Now aghast, Kagome tried again. “B-but, he didn’t—”
“Yeah, this time. What about next time, huh? Face it, Kagome-chan; he’s never going to change.”
“I refuse to believe that,” Kagome replied sternly.
“Maybe that’s the only reason I haven’t broken it off with him, because you see something in him that I don’t. I want to see what you see, but…”
“It’s okay, Sango-chan,” Kagome comforted, wrapping her arm around the older girl’s shoulder. “Don’t give up hope.”
Sango nodded miserably, but Kagome was confident she wouldn’t go do anything crazy, like tell Miroku she didn’t want to be with him anymore. Such a thing would never be true; if they did break up, it would be completely the monk’s fault. If it wasn’t for her promise to Sango, Kagome would already have talked some sense into him. Glancing at Inuyasha, she caught him gazing back at them with half an eye. She and Sango had spoken softly enough so Miroku wouldn’t hear, but Inuyasha had been eavesdropping with his canine ears. She smirked as he wrenched his head back around to look forward again. He can say he doesn’t care, but I know him. He cares about Sango’s happiness as much as I do. I’ll have to remind him that he agreed to talk to Miroku. But she couldn’t do it now; it would be too obvious. No, her whole plan rested on not letting Sango find out that she had confided the situation in Inuyasha. Sure, Sango had only made her promise not to tell Miroku himself, but that was a sneaky loophole, and Kagome knew the slayer would not be impressed by it. So she would have to wait for a good opportunity to remind the hanyou of his obligations.
The day seemed to fly by, but that’s what happens when you’re practically sleepwalking. An afternoon nap was all the sleep she and Inuyasha had gotten in over seventy-two hours. Even the normally resilient hanyou was showing signs of fatigue. The humans were better off, but they needed rest every day, and didn’t object when Inuyasha called an early halt to their trek. Kagome prepared some ramen for everyone, and retired to her sleeping bag immediately after dusk. Inuyasha propped himself up against the soft fabric of her backpack, not even bothering to leap into a tree before dozing off. They got a late start the following morning. They would easily reach Aoi’s mountain that day, and for once Inuyasha didn’t feel like rushing.
The mountain with the purple ring around it was not that large at the base, but it was extremely steep, which explained its height. Sheer cliffs greeted them, but eventually they found a path winding its way up the mountain. At its narrowest, it was barely two feet wide, and they had to travel single-file. They made sure to tread carefully as well; one slip and you could be in for a very long fall. They passed through the ring about halfway up, discovering that it was actually a thin band of flowers, a special kind that seemed to thrive in the thin upland soil. The edges were perfectly linear, so it definitely wasn’t a natural formation. The path ended in a small valley about three quarters of the way to the summit. Sitting in the middle of the clearing was a large, well kept mansion, a far cry from the cave they had been expecting. There were three small children playing in a green field, two girls and one boy. All were youkai, and as soon as they noticed the newcomers, they dashed inside the house. The inu-gang slowly made their way toward the building, getting closer and closer to a strong demonic aura. Moments later, a beautiful woman emerged from the house, waving at them in a friendly manner before striding to meet them. Her robes were long and elegant, but her luxurious light blue hair was unbound. Her eyes were a bright cobalt hue, and her lips were quirked in a genuine smile, revealing small fangs. She was a youkai, and a powerful one at that, but she seemed kind enough. The three children trailed along behind, peeking out from behind her legs.
“You must be Inuyasha,” she said in a rich, harmonious tone. Inuyasha could only nod. “I am Aoi. Daichi told me to expect you sooner, but no matter. My mate is out at the moment, but it is I you wish to speak with anyway, correct?”
“Yes, Aoi-sama,” Miroku said. Introductions on both sides followed, and the Inu-gang learned that Aoi was in fact the mother of the three children, who had become less shy in their mother’s presence.
“Why don’t you take Shippou and go play?” she said to them. Nodding, one of her daughters grabbed Shippou by the hand and dragged him off. “Come inside and make yourselves at home,” she told the remaining members. She seated them around a large table, with plush cushions supporting their backs. Then she served them tea that smelled so divine, even Inuyasha couldn’t resist having some.
“Alright,” she began, “now that we’re all settled, the first thing I want to know is why you’re all looking at me funny.”
“Forgive us, Aoi-sama,” Miroku said sheepishly. “You…just aren’t what we were expecting.”
Aoi chuckled. “What were you expecting?”
“An old hag,” Inuyasha replied tersely.
“Inuyasha!” Kagome whispered furiously.
“What? Tell me you weren’t expecting the same thing.”
“…”
Miroku cleared his throat. “What my ill-mannered friend means is that we were expecting someone who resembled Daichi in age, since he spoke so highly of your expertise.”
Aoi laughed easily. “That old bear is like a father to me,” she said fondly. “And I may not look it, but I am well over two hundred years old. We turtle youkai tend to age very slowly.”
“T-turtle?” Inuyasha choked. “Wouldn’t have guessed that.”
“Well, some youkai are better at concealing their true form than others. Would you guess from looking at him that your brother is an inu youkai?”
“I guess not. How do you know that bastard, anyway?”
“Inuyasha!”
“That’s quite alright, Kagome-sama,” Aoi interrupted. “Besides, Sesshoumaru is a bastard.”
Three mouths gaped at this comment, and Inuyasha smirked. “Lady, you and me are gonna get along just fine.”
“Of that I have no doubt. Now, on to business. Why don’t you tell me of your travels?”
It was Kagome who took up the challenge of recapping their adventures, leaving out all but the most relevant details. Aoi listened intently, only interrupting to ask questions. When the story was complete, she nodded thoughtfully. “So now you wish to change back into a human, Kagome-sama?”
Kagome opened her mouth to respond, but something stopped her from just coming out and saying “yes.” Maybe…
“Can you help us?” Inuyasha spoke into the silence, effectively breaking Kagome’s train of thought.
Aoi sighed. “Normally, it would be a relatively simple thing, but unfortunately the tool I would use has been stolen. So I’m sorry, but I cannot help you until I get it back.”
Inuyasha was infuriated for half a second before a light came on. “Tell me, Aoi-sama,” he said, surprising everyone with his politeness. “Is this tool a dagger that doesn’t cut flesh?”
The turtle youkai’s eyes widened in shock. “Yes! You have seen it?”
Inuyasha scoffed. “Seen it? Try gotten stabbed with it!”
“And you’re still alive? You must be very strong or very lucky.”
“Feh. Kagome’s miko powers saved my ass.”
At this, Aoi turned her attention to Kagome, grabbing her hand. “Please, Kagome-sama, summon your miko energy. I wish to see it for myself.”
Reluctantly, Kagome did so, exuding just enough power to scorch Aoi’s palm. The youkai pulled her hand away, staring at the burns with an amazed smile on her face. “Fascinating. But how did these powers save you from the effects of the dagger?”
“She purified me,” Inuyasha replied. “I told her to do it,” he stressed, sensing slight melancholy from Kagome at the reminder of what she had done.
“Ah, I see…a very wise strategy indeed. That dagger was ripping your youki out of you, and by purifying you Kagome placed it beyond the dagger’s reach. That’s what it does; it separates youki from living or dead beings. It’s very useful in my line of work, for extracting the youki I need for various potions. But when it is used by an untrained hand, it can go out of control and destroy both the wielder and the victim.”
“You use youkai?” Kagome asked, inwardly appalled.
“Don’t worry,” Aoi hastily assured, “I only use low-level youkai, the kind that don’t do the world any good and are missed by no one.”
Inuyasha relaxed visibly. “So…if you had this dagger, you would be able to help us?”
She nodded. “It would be a relatively simple matter. Tell you what; retrieve my dagger for me, and I will gladly use it to restore Kagome to her human form, if that is what she truly desires,” she said, eyeing Kagome intently.
Kagome frowned as a new thought occurred to her. “Aoi-sama, if you did this, then what would happen to the youki? It originally had another’s soul attached to it.”
“I see…it is not within my power to bring that youkai’s soul back from the afterlife. I could harness the youki for one of my potions, or we could simply allow it to disperse and disappear.”
“Is that what you’re worried about, Kagome?” Inuyasha asked, flabbergasted. “Bringing that bastard back to life?”
She shook her head. “I just wanted to know if it was possible, because that’s what his brother and sister are trying to do.”
“Well they’ll just have to fuckin’ deal with it,” Inuyasha said gruffly. Turning to Aoi, he stood to leave. “You got a deal, lady,” he declared.
“Where do you think you’re going? It’s late afternoon, and what kind of hostess would I be if I didn’t make you stay the night?”
“We do not wish to impose,” Miroku stated.
“Nonsense! My mate will want to meet you, and I still want to hear all about the youkai who robbed me. Speaking of which, there was something else that was stolen: a gourd containing—”
“Fucking putrid black smoke?” Inuyasha finished for her.
“Well, that’s one way of putting it. I would very much like that returned to me as well.”
“Too bad. The assholes already used it.”
“Dammit! It took me weeks to get that potion right! And I was going to barter some nice fabrics for it, too…”
The conversation continued until just before dusk, when Shippou and Aoi’s children entered the house escorted by a tall male youkai. He was Aoi’s mate, and seemed to be the same type of youkai, thought they couldn’t really tell. He was kind and relatively soft-spoken, and seemed content to defer to his mate’s judgment most of the time, a refreshing sight to see in any day and age. The entire family appeared to have found true happiness, and none of the Inu-gang were without jealousy. All four adults could imagine raising a family someday, together with the one they loved.
The only one who was surprised by his imagination was Inuyasha; the others had already come to terms with who they wanted to spend their lives with, at least internally. But it wasn’t so simple for Inuyasha, and this was the first time he had imagined living with Kagome, having children with her, being her…mate. He was surprised that the thought filled him with warmth, and very confused. Did he love Kagome? Was it possible to love two women at the same time? He still loved Kikyou, didn’t he? These questions had been coming up more and more often lately as his relationship with Kagome intensified, but still he had no concrete answers. But he knew how strongly her sadness or happiness made him feel, and he knew how his blood heated with desire when he gazed at her, kissed her… That would have to be enough for now.
The evening was pleasant, made all the better when their hosts produced sake. Miroku and Inuyasha were far too ‘polite’ not to accept the drink when offered. Neither overindulged, but both went to bed on a very satisfying buzz.
The Inu-gang set out in the morning, though no one could say for certain where exactly they were going. All they knew was that the odds of Takehiko and Sora returning to the scene of their crime were slim. Kagome, after mulling over the possibilities for awhile, broached the subject first.
“Hey, Inuyasha?”
“Yeah, wench?”
“I-I think I’d like an item to seal my youkai blood. Why don’t we go see Totosai?”
Inuyasha looked at her, taking in her downcast expression. “If you want to,” he replied evenly.
“Really? You don’t mind going out of our way?”
“What way? This is just like Naraku; we can’t do shit until those fucking cowards decide to come out of hiding.”
“Oh, in that case…isn’t Totosai’s mountain on the other side of Kaede’s village?”
“Yes,” Inuyasha growled, already knowing what Kagome’s next question would be.
“Do you think we could go to my time for a few days?”
Inuyasha choked back a harsh reply as Kagome’s words—one word in particular—set in.
“We, wench?”
“Well, there’s really no reason for you to stay here,” Kagome said, feigning nonchalance. “I certainly don’t have to hide you from my friends anymore; they seem to like you. So yes, you can come with me. Unless you don’t want to…”
“Keh! I’ll go. Someone’s gotta keep you out of trouble.” His reply was delivered with his usual gruffness, but inside he was deeply touched. And Kagome knew it too, if that secretive smile on her face was anything to judge by.
“How long do you think it will take to get to the well from here?”
Inuyasha shrugged. “Dunno. Two, three days maybe? Why, you in a hurry?”
“Nope. Just wondering.”
“Good, ‘cause you’re only getting one day in your time.”
“Three!”
“One!”
“Three!”
“One, wench!”
“Osu—alright, baka! We’ll compromise—two days.”
“Dammit… Fine,” Inuyasha relented, recovering from his cringe upon hearing the first syllable of ‘the word.’ “But not a second longer!”
“Okay, Inuyasha, you’re the boss!”
“Keh. Sometimes I wonder.”
Kagome snickered; her plan had worked to perfection. More than a year of dealing with Inuyasha’s ‘separation anxiety’ meant she was quite good at getting what she wanted while letting Inuyasha think he’d won at least a partial victory. In reality, she had only wanted two days at home. But it was fun to let Inuyasha think he was the boss, even when that rosary around his neck and her own fiery personality clearly said otherwise.
They took their time traveling, as there was really no reason to rush. There was a general feeling that Takehiko and Sora would confront them again long before they reached Totosai’s domain. Sure enough, just as they were nearing the edge of Inuyasha’s forest on the afternoon of the second day, it happened.
The attack came from out of nowhere, and without warning. One moment Kagome was walking amidst her friends, and the next she was flying, held aloft by several razor sharp talons driven clean through her shoulder. Sora had approached from behind, like a hawk stalking an unsuspecting rabbit, then dove on her prey with dizzying speed and absolute stealth. Dimly Kagome heard the cries of her friends over the wind whipping past her ears, but their voices were rapidly fading into the distance. And then she was free, released to plummet toward the unforgiving earth. She landed on her feet with feline grace but couldn’t halt her momentum, rolling over and over to lessen the impact until she crashed into a tree with a muffled thud. For a moment, she just lay there, trying to gather her bearings and ignore the pain that wracked not only her shoulder, but the rest of her body now as well.
Movement to her left had her scampering out of the way just in time, as Takehiko drove Aoi’s dagger into the earth where she had been. Now she comprehended their plan completely; Sora would snatch her and drop her near Takehiko, who would stab her with the dagger. Perhaps in her best fighting condition she might be able to defeat the inu youkai alone, but not now, when her concentration was shaky at best and she was still dizzy from the fall and subsequent tumble. No, her goal had to be simply to stay alive until her friends arrived.
Even that task appeared as if it was going to be extremely difficult. Takehiko attacked again and again, not giving her a moment’s respite. It took all the agility she had to avoid impalement, and probably some she didn’t have. She dodged as best she could, but as time wore on the blows came closer and closer to landing. Thin red lines appeared on her legs and arms, and small rips in her clothing, testaments to tired, weary muscles. Finally, an unseen tree root caught her foot, sending her tumbling backward even as her attacker raised the dagger for the final plunge into her flesh. Unable to do anything else, Kagome raised her hands, closed her eyes, and prepared for a horrifying end.
Instead, there was a flash of blinding light, and an agonized scream. The scent of burning flesh filled the air, prompting her to open her eyes. Takehiko was kneeling ten feet away, holding his right arm and glaring at her with abhorrence in his gaze. Between them, shimmering in what could only be called deadly beauty, was a barrier. It took her several seconds to realize that it was of her own creation. A barrier? H-how? How did I do that? Then again, her miko powers always seemed to emerge when she needed them the most. But it didn’t really matter how this barrier came into being. It was now the only thing shielding her from her enemy, and she would do her damndest to maintain it.
Standing, Takehiko drew his sword, wielding it in his uninjured left hand. His scorched right arm hung limply at his side, the dagger still clutched tightly by thumb and fingers. The first blow nearly shattered the barrier, and Kagome hurriedly poured all her energy into it. It strengthened momentarily, but after a dozen more sword strikes it was once again close to collapse. Never before had the use of her miko powers drained her so, and when combined with her injuries, the effect was that her body itself was almost at its limit. If help didn’t arrive soon…
* * *
“KAGOME!!!” Inuyasha swore under his breath before taking off after her. He had sensed Sora’s approach, but barely had any time to duck his head let alone warn any of the others. And now she and Kagome were little more than a rapidly vanishing speck in the distance.
“Inuyasha!” Sango called from behind him. Taking the offered hand, Inuyasha vaulted himself up onto Kirara. With three full-grown adults on her back, the fire-cat was still losing ground to the swift-winged hawk. Suddenly, the speck on the horizon stopped shrinking, and began growing larger. It was Sora, alone, heading straight for them. As she closed, Inuyasha leapt forward off Kirara and launched the Kaze no Kizu in midair. The streaks of energy were easily dodged, but the attack served its purpose in forcing Sora to veer off course. Inuyasha landed in a crouch, and Kirara dropped down beside him.
“Go, Inuyasha! We’ll take care of her!” Sango ordered, brandishing hiraikotsu. Miroku and Shippou leapt down to avoid hindering the taijiya in any way. Nodding, Inuyasha took off at top speed. He had gone perhaps a hundred feet when a warning shout from Miroku gave him just enough time to dive to the right and avoid having his head lopped off. Sora dropped out of the sky, landing in front of them.
“Sorry, half-breed,” she spoke dangerously, “but none of you are getting past me.”
Inuyasha grimaced. Shit. Under normal circumstances, they would just split up; Sango and the others would hold the enemy off while he went after Kagome, or vice versa. But that wasn’t going to work here. The humans had obviously tried to keep Sora busy, but she had used her blazing speed to just fly around them. One thing was becoming clear—if they turned their backs for even a moment, they would end up with holes in them.
“Bitch! Where’s Kagome?!”
Sora chuckled. “Don’t worry; Takehiko will take good care of her! In fact, he’s probably already killed your miko and returned our brother Minoru to life!”
“Listen, you fucking moron! That won’t work! Even if you use the dagger, there’s no way to bring your asshole of a brother back!”
“Ha! You expect me to believe you, half-breed?”
“The rightful owner of that dagger said it!”
“It matters not. Even if we cannot bring Minoru back, we will take great pleasure in slaughtering you lot for all the trouble you caused us. We have not forgotten about our revenge!” Sora cried. Their collective revenge, that is. Each of them had forgone personal vendettas in the interests of victory; she would not hold it against Takehiko if he killed Kagome, and he would not be angry at her for slaying Inuyasha. There was no room for selfishness if they were going to get their brother back.
By this time, the humans had come up to flank the hanyou, and Sora stared them all down without blinking. Inuyasha swore inwardly. Dammit! I’ll have to kill this bitch or we’ll never get past her. Kagome…be safe.
* * *
Kagome’s barrier shattered in a flash of tortured light. Takehiko raised his sword once more, this time blade-down, as he prepared to plunge it through her, anchoring her to the ground for an easy strike with the dagger. It was when the weapon was on its way down that Kagome had an epiphany. No one was coming to rescue her. Tetsusaiga wasn’t going to magically appear out of nowhere and block her attacker’s katana. Hiraikotsu wasn’t going to come whizzing over her head, forcing Takehiko to leap into the air to avoid being chopped in half. This time, she would have to save herself. The thought filled her with trepidation, but also gave her an extra burst of adrenaline, which she put to good use. She dove to her left, feeling the sharp edge of the blade slice into her bicep. Blood trickled down her arm as she rolled to her feet, but the flesh wound was the least of her worries. Takehiko resumed his relentless assaults, and Kagome doubted she could muster up the concentration to throw up another barrier. Hell, she didn’t even know how she had done it the first time. What she did know was that she was tired of retreating. Her youkai was screaming at her to fight back, and she didn’t particularly feel like resisting its demands.
Exuding a feral snarl, she ducked a swing and swiped with her claws, causing Takehiko to leap back from sheer surprise. He studied her for all of a second before charging forward again, but Kagome was ready. She hadn’t lost control, but her youkai blood was surging in her veins, her instincts moving her body with feline ferocity. Her claws glowed with purifying energy, proof that her miko powers were willing to fight alongside her youki once more. She had the added advantage that her opponent could only injure her, not kill her outright. If he did the latter, he would throw away any chance of returning his brother to this world. She at least needed to stay alive long enough for the dagger to do its work. According to Aoi, such a thing was impossible anyway, but Kagome was not about to enlighten the man trying to impale her.
Her inexperience with hand-to-hand combat was almost her undoing. She spied an opening and lunged, but Takehiko easily sidestepped her out-of-control attack. Spinning, he brought his sword down in a cleaving blow meant to slice off her arm at the shoulder. Unable to evade, Kagome brought her hands up and summoned her miko powers, hoping they would at least deflect the katana. It worked; pink lightning crackled as the blade was thrown back, the sudden movement throwing Takehiko off balance. Kagome didn’t waste the opportunity, swiping at the retreating Inu youkai with her claws. He managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but still received a set of scorched slashes running from chest to abdomen. Growling, the two adversaries resumed the battle.
The melee went on for several more minutes, with each party receiving wounds. Blood now trickled from several deep gashes in Kagome’s legs, as well as a thin cut across her cheek. Blackened claw marks crisscrossed Takehiko’s front, and Kagome took satisfaction in his heavy breathing. Every slice pumped just a little more purifying energy into his body, and it was clearly affecting him. The problem was that, when combined with the physical exertion of the battle, it was quickly tiring her as well. But she had no choice but to use her powers; they were the only reason she was still in one piece. They forced her enemy to use caution, and saved her when her raw, unpolished combat abilities put her in jeopardy. They were still standing apart, sizing each other up, when the cavalry arrived.
“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled as he crashed into the clearing. He had feared the worst when he caught the scent of Kagome’s blood, and he and the others were immensely relieved to see that she was still standing. Understandably, Takehiko was not as happy to see them.
“You lot?! Where the fuck is Sora?!”
Inuyasha smirked. “Dunno. Last time I saw her she was running off to go bleed somewhere. Who knows, maybe she’s dead?”
“Why you,” Takehiko growled. Inuyasha was bluffing, convincingly so by the look on the other youkai’s face. He had managed to catch Sora off guard with the Hijin Ketsusou, inflicting some serious, but not life-threatening, wounds. The hawk had retreated, probably figuring she’d bought her brother enough time to finish off Kagome. Shippou and the others were under orders to keep a watchful eye out for her, leaving Inuyasha free to focus on rescuing Kagome. Stepping in front of her, he whipped out Tetsusaiga.
“So you like using a sword on an unarmed woman, asshole? Well, how about fighting me with this sword?! Or are you too much of a spineless cowa—”
“Inuyasha.” Kagome’s voice was soft and low, but it carried with it unquestioned authority. “Step back, please. This is my fight.”
His first instinct was to yell at her, tell her how ridiculous that was, but one glance in her direction stilled his tongue. She was staring at Takehiko, all uncertainty, all hesitation gone from her gaze. She looked absolutely incensed, the overwhelming desire to finish the battle swimming in her fiery eyes. The last time her expression had been so serious, her demeanor so fierce, she had made Naraku pay dearly for forcing Sango to steal the Tetsusaiga, nearly destroying him in the process. This did not bode well for Takehiko. And as much as Inuyasha wanted to tell her to wait on the sidelines, to shelter her and protect her, this time he couldn’t. This really was her fight, and he would be a cruel hypocrite indeed if he denied her the chance to end it. He drifted back a few steps, and Kagome smiled gratefully at him. Nodding grimly, he resolved to stay on his toes; the instant Kagome needed backup, he would be ready.
“Listen well,” she addressed her enemy, “I know you think you can bring your brother back, but the true owner of that dagger said it’s impossible. His soul was sent to the netherworld, and I don’t know if there’s anything in this world with the power to bring it back now. Besides, your brother was happy when he passed. I know; I spoke to him just before his soul made the journey. You should cherish your brother’s memory, but he’s gone! There is still time for you to give this up. Walk away now. I don’t want to have to kill you, but I will.”
Takehiko’s lips curved in a sneer. “Even if what you say is true, do you expect me to forget who it was who killed Minoru? You and the other half-breed must pay for his life, and the life of my father!”
And so the battle resumed, two equally determined opponents locked in mortal combat, each fighting for their loved ones. The spectators could only watch anxiously from the sidelines as more flesh was rent and more blood was spilled. Kagome was nearing exhaustion, having to constantly use her miko powers to ward off Takehiko’s youkai sword. Her reaction time was slowing, and the close calls were increasing in frequency. She needed to end this fight, and soon. Her bow, miraculously still in one piece, was lying where she had landed after plummeting to the earth. The quiver was broken, but she was willing to bet that at least a few of the arrows had survived the fall. The trouble was getting over there; Takehiko was positioned between her and the weapons.
The inu-youkai came on again, but this time instead of stepping back and blocking the sword, Kagome dove forward underneath the blade. Rolling to her feet, she darted over to her bow, snatched it up, and turned back to face her enemy with an arrow notched and ready. Takehiko lowered his sword to his side, and for a moment Kagome though he was giving up. Then he started twirling it around his finger with a wicked smirk on his face.
“Heh. You must be really desperate if you went for those. Look at you! You’re shaking! You can’t even hold your string back.”
Kagome gritted her teeth; what he said was true. Her arm really was shuddering in fatigue, but that didn’t mean she lacked the strength to finish this fight.
“This is your last chance, Takehiko. Don’t make me kill you,” she warned, fully prepared for the answer she already knew was coming.
“Don’t make me laugh!” Takehiko exclaimed, pointing his sword at her. “No dirty hanyou could kill m—”
With a mighty cry, Kagome released her arrow. She was tired of being demeaned for what she was now, and equally sick of hearing Inuyasha insulted for what he had always been. She poured all of her remaining strength into the arrow, which glowed and crackled with blinding purity. Is soared straight and true, and moved with such speed that not even Sesshoumaru would have been able to avoid it. But Takehiko had no intention of dodging.
What happened next seemed to occur in slow motion. Takehiko blocked the arrow cleanly, but was unable to sweep it aside as he anticipated. The tip continued to press forward with irresistible force, pushing toward his body even as every muscle strained to keep it at bay. Cracks appeared all along the katana, and the weapon was a breath away from shattering when a fearful cry sounded from off to the left. Sora flew in, placing herself between the arrow and her brother just as the tortured blade fractured into a million pieces. She probably meant to take the arrow and save her brother, but it was not to be. The projectile passed straight through both of them, burning a gigantic hole in each torso, before impacting an unfortunate tree and destroying it as well. They didn’t even have time enough to hit the ground; their bodies immediately disintegrated to dust in the wind. Completely spent, Kagome collapsed onto the dirt. She remained conscious, however, and rolled over on her back to stare reassuringly into the worried eyes of her friends. It was over.
“Inuyasha,” she rasped as Sango helped her sit up, “get the jewel shards.”
Inuyasha appeared startled for a second, then went to retrieve the shards. In fact, he had forgotten all about the stupid things. Two were just lying on the ground, and one was embedded in Aoi’s dagger. Inuyasha smirked victoriously as he held the weapon aloft.
“We got it.”
But Inuyasha’s elation was short-lived; no one felt much like cheering when Kagome was so beat up. If a human had suffered her wounds, they would have been in grave danger of bleeding to death. As it was, Kagome’s hanyou blood had sealed up many of the smaller cuts, but the larger ones still bled freely. Miroku and Inuyasha were ordered to turn their backs and stay that way on pain of death while Sango bandaged her up. Then the taijiya helped her into her pajamas and the sleeping bag, where she was quickly out like a light. The rest of the gang wanted to follow suit, but the scent of blood that saturated the clearing would attract predators and youkai. They certainly didn’t need any more excitement today. So Inuyasha picked up Kagome, encased in the sleeping bag, and led the way to a more suitable campsite about a mile away. He stayed awake all night, keeping vigil over her. As the night wore on, and the color slowly returned to her pale skin, his anxiety faded away, but it wouldn’t completely vanish until she opened her eyes and told him she was fine. He was pleasantly surprised when Kagome stirred just after dawn the following morning. She sat up quickly, a little too quickly it seemed, and hissed as the wound in her shoulder reopened.
“What are you doing up, wench?” Inuyasha asked, masking his concern with annoyance. “Lie back down!”
She glared at him. “Unless you want me to wet myself, you’d better shut up and help me.”
Grumbling, Inuyasha went to her, steadying her as she wobbled on her feet. Fortunately, she gained her balance, sparing Inuyasha the incredibly awkward task of helping her urinate. He blushed just thinking about that prospect. Evidently, taking care of nature had alleviated Kagome’s early morning irritation, because she returned with a contrite look on her face.
“Sorry I snapped at you, Inuyasha.”
“Keh. How’re you feelin’, Kagome?”
Kagome smiled. He was feigning nonchalance, but she knew better. The way he pointedly glanced away from her when he asked the question, that small frown he made when he was hiding something, how he had used her name instead of ‘wench’… She wasn’t surprised that he had been worried about her, but it delighted her nonetheless.
“Fine, Inuyasha. I feel a lot bett—” She punctuated her statement with a cavernous yawn, causing Inuyasha’s frown to deepen.
“Go back to sleep, wench. I’ll wake you up when breakfast is ready.”
“M’kay.”
After a short nap and breakfast, Kagome was able to walk when the Inu-gang set out, though they did travel at a noticeably more sedate pace than usual. It was going to take them several days to get back to Aoi’s home at this rate, but Kagome was grateful for their slow progress for several reasons. First, she didn’t have to push herself physically. But more importantly, it gave her plenty of time to think about where they were going, and what she was going to do when they got there.
“Promise me you will at least think about what I said.”
“Deal.”
Yes, she had promised Myouga she would think about whether she really wanted to change back into a human, hadn’t she? It shamed her to admit that she hadn’t yet fulfilled that promise. Well, better late than never.
In the beginning, her hanyou powers had been such a hindrance. She really had wanted to get rid of them, or at least had gone along with Inuyasha’s strident demand that she do so. It had been so easy to just defer to the judgment of her strong-willed protector. Looking back on it now, it was hard to believe she had ever thought of her hanyou powers as anything but a blessing. After barely a month, they were as much a part of her as her heart or her brain.
“Trust me, being a hanyou ain’t a privilege most days.”
Inuyasha had been wrong about that. In her short time as a hanyou, Kagome had experienced some of the things that had driven Inuyasha to make that claim. She had been distrusted, reviled, insulted…but surely those hostile villages were the exception, right? Surely Inuyasha’s life hadn’t been a living hell? How much worse could it get? No, she spent most days in the company of her friends, and genuinely enjoyed having youkai blood. Being a hanyou was a privilege a majority of the time.
“We both have blood on our hands, but it wasn’t really us killing anybody!”
She grimaced. Her biggest worry these days was losing control and murdering someone else. She would never completely forgive herself for what happened, but she had moved on. With the support of her friends, she had realized that it wasn’t really her fault; the blame rested on close-minded individuals who would persecute a child just because he was youkai.
“You find people who accept you for who you are, and you care about what they think. The rest of the world can go to hell.”
Kagome smiled as she thought of that day, when Inuyasha had reassured her after Kouga’s cruel reaction to her metamorphosis. Ultimately, Inuyasha was her greatest inspiration. He was so strong, yet blessed with a pure heart, one he tried his best to conceal behind a mask of gruffness. But she knew it was there; she saw it whenever he let his guard down, whenever he dropped his tough façade. And that seemed to happen more often since she became a hanyou. How much had she learned about him since that fateful day? How close had they become? How many times had they kissed, or come tantalizingly close?
She didn’t want to go back to the way things used to be, with an impassable distance between them and Kikyou hanging over both their heads. Somehow, after their last confrontation, the dead priestess didn’t seem like such an obstacle anymore. It didn’t feel so foolish to dream that Inuyasha loved her as much as she loved him. There were no guarantees; Inuyasha would still probably end up joining his true love in hell. Life rarely offered certainties, but Kagome was faced with one now. Changing back into a human would be a mistake. How she knew this was a mystery, but she knew it as surely as she knew her own name. She wanted this, to remain a hanyou; she truly, truly wanted this.
“Ok, Inuyasha. I’ll be fine, as long as you accept me…”
“Feh! You don’t even need to ask.”
Her smile turned brilliant as Inuyasha’s words came back to her. She knew, beyond a doubt, that her friends and family would accept her no matter which form she chose. With her decision made, all that remained was to inform them that their entire quest over the past few weeks had been for nothing. Her face fell slightly; Inuyasha would probably be pretty pissed about that. He seemed dead set on restoring her to full humanity, but she was sure he could be persuaded. In the end, he would accept her decision. So why was she feeling so nervous all of a sudden?
“Inuyasha?” she asked, having finally gathered up her courage around noon.
“Yeah, wench?”
“Um…” she began, before steeling her resolve. “I’ve made my decision. I want to stay a hanyou.”
Several gasps sounded from behind her, but Inuyasha didn’t turn around at first. He froze, not making a sound as the air around them seemed to take on a foreboding chill.
“No.”
That single-syllable answer sparked a disturbing mixture of fear and anger in Kagome. She had expected him to argue, maybe yell at her, but this cold shoulder was too much. He wouldn’t even look at her, as if she was below him.
“No?” she questioned incredulously. “That’s it? Just ‘no?’”
Silence.
“Who do you think you are?!” Kagome yelled. “You have no right t—”
Snarling, Inuyasha finally spun to face her, the rage in his expression causing Kagome to take an involuntary step back. Perhaps if she had been calmer herself, she would have noticed the other emotions hovering just below the surface.
“NO, wench! You are NOT staying a hanyou!”
“Inuyasha! Be reasonable!”
“Reasonable? Fuck, bitch! What happened to preferring death over being a ‘filthy hanyou?’”
Kagome gasped, having in all honestly forgotten about that remark. “I…you know I didn’t mean that! I’ve never judged you for being what you are!”
“Feh! It don’t matter. This ain’t up for debate, bitch!”
“Inuyasha,” Kagome said darkly, “it’s my body. You can’t tell me what to do with MY body!”
Inuyasha shrunk back slightly, and for a moment Kagome thought she had gotten through to him. That is, until his next words passed his lips.
“You’re right. I can’t make you change back. But there’s only room for one hanyou in this pack, and it ain’t you.”
Kagome felt tears spring to her eyes. Never in a million years had she expected to receive such an ultimatum from the man she loved. Nearly heartbroken, she tried once more to plead with him.
“What happened to accepting me no matter what, without question?”
A long, uncomfortable moment passed, and Inuyasha’s face hardened into a nearly unrecognizable mask before he finally spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
“I lied.”
Kagome: “Wow! I got to save myself this time, with no help from anybody! Takahashi-san never let me do that! Thanks, dude!”
King Baka: “No problem. I got tired of seeing you constantly play damsel in distress.”
Kag: “Really? So I never have to be a damsel in distress ever again?!”
KB: “Uh…I wouldn’t go that far…”
Kag: “Awww, come on!”
KB: “Sorry, but I have plans… Until next time, readers!”
Kag: “And hurry it up! Inuyasha has some serious explaining to do…”
2011 Note – more fun times, I guess? Sometimes when I finish a chapter I get in a goofy mood.
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