InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Futures' Past ❯ Unintended Metamorphosis ( Chapter 9 )

My Futures' Past

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, the well, the swords, or the tree. Hell, I don't even own my cat; she owns me. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi and I am just borrowing them for my own guilty pleasures.

 

100reviews, I can't believe it! Thank you so much to everyone, readers and reviewers. Things are getting more peaceful here and hopefully I'll be updating more regularly. Thank you so much for the nominations at IYFG! It really made my night to find out how much people enjoyed the world I plunked Inuyasha and his gang in.

 

Chapter 9: Unintended Metamorphosis

 

“Sesshomaru? Here?” Kagome asked, dropping her yellow sack on the floor.

 

Inuyasha tipped his nose in the air and inhaled deeply a few times, opening his mouth slightly and closing his eyes.

 

“He's somewhere in my forest. The bastard hates humans too much to come into the village to kill me. Probably doesn't want the stink of their blood on his hands.”

 

The hanyou cracked his knuckles and made for the door but his forward motion was stopped by a small hand gripping the bright red fur of his fire rat.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Keh. To kill the bastard and get my property back. Stay here, wench.”

 

“No. I'm going with you, Inuyasha.”

 

A low, almost subsonic growl reverberated through the tense silence of the hut. Kirara let out a soft mew before jumping into the arms of her mistress and Kaede shifted from her place by the fire pit. The human girl the growl was directed at would not be deterred. She walked around and grabbed hold of Inuyasha's forelocks, tugging his head down to her level.

 

“You told me two nights ago that I belonged to you. What happens if Sesshomaru manages to win? Will I become his property then? I fight with you. If anything I can distract him long enough for you to attack.”

 

Inuyasha lowed his head so the twos foreheads touched.

 

“I don't like being told what to do, wench, but you have a point. Get your bow and arrows. We'll lead him into a clearing that we choose and keep him away from the village.”

 

He turned to face the slayer and fire neko.

 

“It's your choice to come with us.”

 

Without another word, Inuyasha pulled Kagome onto his back and flew out the door. Sango met Kaede's eyes briefly before grabbing hiraikotsu and following behind, Kirara at her heels.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Inuyasha set Kagome on her feet and kept her beside him as he scanned the tree line. He could smell and sense his half brother everywhere so it was a matter of relying on his other senses to tell him which direction the taiyoukai would appear. Kagome was quiet beside him. She'd never felt an aura as strong as the one Sesshomaru was giving off and he felt pissed. The hanyou had a split second to react and roll himself and the miko out of the way as a green energy whip made an appearance through the tree line.

 

“You are fast, little brother. And you seek to protect the human female that reeks of you. Perhaps it is the tainted blood that runs through your veins that endears you to such creatures.”

 

Inuyasha stood to face the full demon and noticed Kagome didn't rise with him. She remained crouched on the ground with the tip of her bow resting in the grass, an arrow loosely nocked and ready.

 

“Bastard, the girl has nothing to do with us. Where the fuck is my sword?”

 

“Such crass language. No manners. Why don't you search my person if you desire the Tessaiga so much?”

 

“Because, asshole, it ain't here. Its aura is faint.” A smirk appeared. “Meaning if you don't have Tessaiga on you, you still can't wield it.”

 

“Silence, half breed. Once you are dead, the fang will find me worthy of its power.”

 

Before Sesshomaru could move, Inuyasha sprang forward with his claws spread. He felt a pulse in the rosary and angled to the right at the late minute, catching the taiyoukai across the cheek as Kagome's arrow cracked and shattered his chest armor. She wasted no time gloating over her hit, instead moving to a new position before Sesshomaru could recover enough to come after her. Inuyasha landed with a soft thump in front of her.

 

“Do you allow your human whore to fight your battles for you, little brother?” Sesshomaru asked, wiping the blood from his cheek. He'd felt the slight sting of spiritual energy in the hit and was mildly surprised. The girl should have no power if the hanyou rutted her and by the way they stank of each other, he had, and recently.

 

“Keh, no one fights for me, bastard. I'm not the one that sent human bandits and a hair oni to do his dirty work for him. She fights with me because she is mine. Now, where the hell is my sword before I have to rip your fucking arm off?”

 

“No one does this Sesshomaru's work for him. They were simply a means to an end. To give you a direct message where to meet this Sesshomaru, since I have no doubt your mixed blood mind couldn't come to the conclusion on your own.”

 

Sesshomaru moved forward in a blur of speed, slicing his claws deep into Inuyasha's chest and flinging the hanyou into a nearby tree. Kagome acted on impulse, pouring her energy into her arrow and letting it fly. It lodged deep within the taiyoukai's left shoulder and with a flash of blue; he let out a howl as the limb was purified. Kagome ran to the bleeding hanyou but was caught around the throat by Sesshomaru.

 

“I will not kill you here, Inuyasha, but will have the satisfaction of killing you on our father's land, as is my right. And to ensure your cooperation, I will kill this meddlesome human.”

 

His claws began to dig into Kagome's neck as he cut off her air. She didn't want Inuyasha to turn full demon again and she didn't want him hurt worse. Digging deep inside, where Kaede said her center of power was, she blasted it towards Sesshomaru and caused him to fly back. Rolling to his feet, he snarled at the pair.

 

“This isn't over half breed. I will kill you and gain the power of father's sword. No more games. Seek me at my home. If you even remember where it is.”

 

Kagome watched as Sesshomaru disappeared into a ball of light that flew off towards the west.

 

“Wow.”

 

The miko crawled the few feet to Inuyasha and brushed his silver bangs back from his face. His forehead was warm and damp. She didn't feel so hot herself. She was hot and cold and slightly dizzy. A rustling caused her to spin and place herself in front of her protector and nock another arrow.

 

“Kagome, Inuyasha, what happened? Are you all right?” Sango came out of the tree line riding on a transformed Kirara. Her eyes swept the impromptu battle ground but there was no sign of Sesshomaru. She saw both Inuyasha and Kagome were bleeding. She started forward when she noticed Inuyasha reaching for Kagome's cheek.

 

Inuyasha could smell his brother's poison beginning to affect the little miko. Sweat was already beginning to bead up and drip down from her forehead.

“You're hurt,” he whispered.

 

“Not as badly as you. We need to get you back to Lady Kaede's and…Inuyasha what are you doing?”

 

Kagome watched, fascinated, as Inuyasha sank his long fangs into his wrist and held the bloody flesh up to her lips.

 

“Sesshomaru's claws are tipped with poison. I have some natural resistance because we share the same father, the same youki. You need to drink. It will help your human body fight the poison.”

 

She tipped her head back slightly, afraid.

 

“I don't know. You shouldn't lose anymore blood.”

 

“Wench, what part of poison don't you get? You're going to die. Now drink.”

 

Still watching the hanyou with worry in her eyes, Kagome accepted the bleeding wrist into her mouth and began to suck and lick lightly on the wound letting the blood run down her throat. With his free hand, Inuyasha drew her back to his chest and closed his eyes, focusing on the strength of his youki.

 

Sango and Kirara kept their distance (more like Kirara kept her mistress from running to help the young miko when Inuyasha shoved his bloody arm under her nose) and watched as first Inuyasha and then Kagome began to glow softly with the colors of their auras. The two energies swirled and blended until they were both shrouded in soft lavender light.

 

Inuyasha tugged his wrist gently from Kagome's grasp and simply sat with his eyes closed breathing in her scent. His blood was already beginning to fight the effects of Sesshomaru's poison but she would be weak through the night. Tomorrow - they would leave for the west tomorrow. He grunted when she shifted her weight against him and rubbed against the deep claw marks on his chest and shoulder.

 

“Umm…Inuyasha?” Sango asked softly as she approached the hanyou. He opened red and gold eyes and blinked once.

 

“You and Kagome can't stay out here; it's too dangerous with both of you hurt. I… I can help get you both on Kirara and take you to Lady Kaede.”

 

To her surprise, Inuyasha nodded and got unsteadily to his feet, keeping his arms around Kagome's waist. He allowed the slayer to help settle both of them on the fire neko and Kirara gave a soft mew.

 

“Sango?”

 

Jolting in surprise, she turned to look at Inuyasha's tired eyes.

 

“We both need rest tonight…but I want to head west in the morning. I need to find my bastard brother's castle and get back Tessaiga. You're…damn it. If you want to waste your time and your life, you're welcome to come. It might do Kagome some good to have female company. But it's your ass on the line.”

 

Sango gave a small smile and nodded.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Two days and all it's done is rain. Kagome wrapped her haori tighter around her thin frame and blinked the water out of her eyes to stare at the hanyou walking ahead. Both were more or less healed from Sesshomaru's `greeting' but Inuyasha had no idea how long it would take to reach the castle or how many human villages they would have to pass through to get there. The last village provided a nasty shock when they welcomed Sango but chased Kagome (who was sleeping on Inuyasha's back) and Inuyasha out with fire torches.

 

Thunder rumbled in the distance and she struggled not to cringe. She liked to watch storms from the safety of her room at the shrine but wasn't too fond of being out in the middle of a storm with no protection. The sky was an angry shade of gray and the clouds rolled rapidly over each other as the wind picked up and thin veins of lightning streaked across the sky. She had no idea what time it was and wasn't willing to ask Inuyasha since he'd been in a particularly bad mood since they woke up.

 

He hadn't offered to carry her through the muck and water logged dirt paths and he kept sniffing at things and shaking his head when he though no one was looking. Sango didn't appear to be paying any attention as she tucked Kirara deeper into the folds of her kimono and tugged at the straw hat that kept the rain off her face.

 

A strangled `eep' escaped when Inuyasha suddenly plucked Kagome off her feet and settled her against his back. Even though he was soaked to the skin, his body heat seeped through the wet fire rat fur and Kagome found herself snuggling closer and burying her face in his wet mane.

 

“There's a set of caves up ahead. We can stay the rest of the night there. This damn storm is only going to get worse.”

 

To Sango's surprise, Kirara jumped out of the relative safety of her kimono and darted off into the woods with several short cries.

 

“Kirara? Kirara, come back!” She shouted against the steady stream of cold rain.

 

“Keh, she's going to hunt.”

 

“She told you that?”

 

Shrugging his shoulders and adjusting the girl on his back, Inuyasha cast the slayer an annoyed glance.

 

“Close enough. Let's move, the wench is shivering and she'll be sick if we stay out in this much longer.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The fire felt wonderful on Kagome's chilled skin and she didn't even mind that she was only wrapped in her soft fur blanket and underwear. The rest of her clothes and her pack were pretty much soaked through and scattered around the small cave. Inuyasha had chosen the smallest in the series that lined the rock wall and gathered wood and roots from the others to start a fire. Additional wood was drying nearby and the rabbits Kirara hunted down were roasting over the flames. Casting a glance at Sango, she smiled.

 

Even with Kagome's assurances that Inuyasha wouldn't care what she was or wasn't wearing, the demon exterminator settled for sitting as close to the fire as she could without smoking in only her black body suit. It was only slightly damp, protected for the most part by her satchel and blanket. Those items and her kimono were lying with Kagome's things to dry.

 

Inuyasha was sitting near the mouth of the cave, still in his wet cloths, sulking. He'd barely spoken to Kagome when he'd cleaned and handed her the rabbits and now he was staring out at the rapidly darkening sky with a frown.

 

“Inuyasha? Is something wrong?” Kagome asked as she scooted over to sit next to the pensive hanyou.

 

“Keh.”

 

“That's not an answer. Don't you want to get warm and dry your clothes? Kami knows you have no problem running around without any.”

 

A faint blush rose up over his cheeks.

 

“That was before. I didn't exactly have many human emotions then, wench. Now that I've got some, I don't exactly like it.”

 

“Oh,” Kagome replied. She looked out at the storm a moment before looking back at her friend. She could tell he was cold and trying not to be. His ears were nearly flat to his head and his hands were so far up his sleeves she wouldn't be surprised if they were resting on his shoulders. “You could share my blanket.”

 

He cocked his eyebrow at her and was silent. He hated to admit to himself how much the human girl had grown on him. He hadn't been surprised by the reaction of the villagers who drove them out. With the resurfacing of his human emotions (which seemed to be growing stronger throughout the course of the day) came memories that Inuyasha wished he didn't have to relive. Loneliness, pain, anger, and a sense of not being wanted the way he was. Kagome didn't seem to mind him in this form or his full demon personality but she wasn't native to this land. She might still end up leaving him in the end.

 

“Inuyasha, you're my friend, the only person that I really can trust here. I heard what those villagers told you and I don't care. You're important to me and that's all that matters.” She smiled. “Now, strip and come over to the fire to get warm before I figure out a way to pin you down and do it myself.”

 

Her last comment caused Inuyasha to crack a smile.

 

“Keh, as if you could actually win against me, wench,” he replied with a growl.

 

Giving in to Kagome's demands, and hating to admit even to himself that he was freezing, Inuyasha stripped off both his haori and under kimono. Kagome had turned to lay the sopping clothes next to the fire when she heard Inuyasha's gap. He was on his knees, doubled over, and clutching his head.

 

“Inuyasha, what's wrong? Are you hurt?”

 

Kagome flew over to the hanyou while Sango snapped out of her daze and rose to her knees.

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

Shaking his head he murmured, “My senses are fading…I can't smell or hear right. Gahhh!”

 

Kagome watched in a mix of fascination and horror as Inuyasha's silver hair darkened along with the evening sky. The claws that tipped his fingers faded and blunted into human looking fingernails and his soft puppy ears receded.

 

Reaching out to lay a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, Kagome couldn't hold in the gasp. There before her where her golden eyed, silver haired hanyou had sat was an onyx haired, violet eyed boy. A boy that she knew was Inuyasha; she'd seen the transformation herself. Sango echoed her gasp and began to move closer. Kagome brushed back his soft black bangs to look into his eyes.

 

“Inuyasha, what happened? You look - you look…”

 

“I'm human,” he whispered.