InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sesshoumaru, sit! ❯ Love Feather ( Chapter 26 )

 

CHAPTER 26:

 

“Waaah!”

 

Kouga grunted, trying to hold on to the edge of the blasted feather with one hand while keeping the other over his left ear. He was in danger of losing his life, certainly, but his hearing seemed in more jeopardy at the moment.

 

“Shut up!” he hollered above the roar of the wind. “Slow down!” he added hysterically when Amaya somehow pitched the flying feather they were riding to the side and sped up even more, nearly dropping the both of them.

 

“I don't know how to drive this thing!” she squeaked in terror, tugging back the edge of said feather and miraculously straightening it. They were still going remarkably fast. So fast Kouga's mouth was halfway to the back of his head, and Amaya's head was constantly in the wolf prince's chest. And she was riding up front.

 

“You shouldn't be driving anything, woman! You're gonna' kill us! Geeeh!” He let out a startled shout when the feather made an unexpected double-loop. “Oh, Gods…I think I'm going to throw up,” he gagged miserably.

 

“Well…” Amaya put in hysterically, “at least we'll get there really fast.”

 

Kouga powered through another loop, glaring at the top of the head plastered to his chest.

 

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Sesshoumary went through the barrier effortlessly with the help of the obscene fairy on his shoulder. He headed straight for the small fortress, following the fairy's directions.

 

Just as his small guide said, the Amaya-looking Kagura was slumped against the wall of the dojo, looking near death.

 

She gasped as she saw him approach. “Sesshoumaru-sama!” she said hoarsely. “How did you…get in here? You're human.”

 

He saw her attempt to get up and fail.

 

`She's bleeding. It's not fatal yet, but it will be without proper attention,' the fairy warned, sounding pensive. `Just wrap up her chest for now.'

 

“Where is the miko?” Sesshoumaru asked, kneeling next to the human Kagura.

 

“Kagome? Hmph!” she snorted, smirking. “She's gone. Naraku took her some time ago.”

 

`Ask her what he wants with her?' Aneko pressed, waving her arms.

 

“Why?” the demon lord demanded, motioning for her to remove her bloody shirt. Even human, he could catch Amaya's unique scent on the cloth.

 

“To use her of course. He's gone off to destroy your little friends, and that girl will make the perfect bargain chip. Or shield.” Kagura sneered, making Sesshoumaru snarl in distaste; the tone and face Kagura was making through Amaya's body simply did not belong.

 

“What are you going to do? Umph!” Kagura grunted as he tightened the torn shirt around her wound to stop the bleeding.

 

He raised his golden brown eyes to hers. “I will give you to the miko's friends. They will take care of you until everything returns to the way it was. Naraku should be facing off with my fool of a brother now.”

 

`Too true, darling,' the fairy said with a sigh. `And you have to be there, or they'll never succeed.'

 

“You have to know something,” Kagura put in suddenly. “Amaya is in my body, and as such now Naraku has her heart. If he dies…” Kagura shook her head, eyes closed and lips quirked in dark amusement as Sesshoumaru stiffened. “she will too.”

 

There was an endless moment of silence, and the small green-garbed woman could not even keep up with the flurry of thoughts and feelings going through the demon's mind. Two thoughts were clear, one being: he did not fancy being manipulated and tricked.

 

`Oh! Oh!' Aneko gasped and stared as a violent growl exploded from the demon lord's throat. He was angry. Really angry. He sounded like a rabid dog. She heard Kagura gasp in shock at the fury in the blood-red eyes.

 

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The place inside the barrier, where Naraku stood clutching Kagome, was foggy with poisonous miasma. Miroku, Kirara, Inuyasha and Kikyou faced the malicious hanyou while Sango flew over them protectively on the transformed crow demon.

 

Naraku sneered smugly. “So chivalrous of you to save me the effort of going after you myself. You all are a much easier target this way.”

 

“Kagome! Are you all right!?' Inuyasha cried, ignoring the evil half demon.

 

“As…fine as I'll ever be…considering the situation,” Kagome gasped out, finding it somewhat hard to breath with Naraku's arm wrapped tightly around her neck.

 

The young half-demon snarled, noticing this. “Let her go, bastard!”

 

“Certainly.” Naraku chuckled, stroking a hand down the girl's face and evoking a vicious growl from the inu-hanyou. “The jewel shards for the girl. A fair trade, don't you think?”

 

Kagome struggled in his grasp, attempting to bite his arm and failing. “No! Don't do that! He'll be too dangerous if you-Ugh!” her protests were cut short as her captor tightened his hold punishingly.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha cried.

 

“Kagome-sama!” Miroku stepped forward, staff at the ready while Kirara growled in warning.

 

“We trade on my count,” Kikyou interjected coolly. “One-“

 

Inuyasha turned to her in shock. “What the hell are you doing, Kikyou!” Inuyasha protested. “We can't trust him!”

 

“-Two,” she continued undeterred. She lowered her arm, ready to throw the shards to the demon.

 

“No!” Miroku and Sango cried at once at the resounding “Three!”

 

Inuyasha and his two human friends watched in horror as Naraku held Kagome in both arms and flung her violently in the air while his countless tentacle-limbs reached for the airborne shards.

 

Inuyasha gave a savage curse and lunged after her. Screaming, Kagome landed in his arms with a thud that knocked the wind right out of her.

 

The hanyou flew back at the impact, but no sooner had he landed did he jump into the air and take refuge behind his comrades. “Miroku!”

 

“I'm on it!” The monk charged at the evil half-demon as the latter completed the shikon jewel. Sango saw the flash of corrupt light from the jewel and charged with Yashi, heading right for Naraku and the jewel he was getting ready to swallow.

 

“Kagome! K…Kagome?”

 

The schoolgirl gasped out, her lungs filling with air after several terrifying moments of silence.

 

Inuyasha breathed in relief, pulling her to him. He waited until she could breathe well enough, his ears straining for any threatening sound while at the same time trusting Kirara to keep danger at bay until Kagome recovered her balance. “Are you all right?” She nodded, still panting. “I'm sorry,” he continued, looking fierce. “…I didn't know-”

 

“It's all right. I agreed to this, remember?” She smiled up at him comfortingly.

 

They both turned at the sound of Miroku's angry cry. He'd just been flung away by one of Naraku's tentacles, Sango and Yashi barely keeping from being slammed to the ground through the same slimy means. The air crackled with an evil that had not been there before, making Inuyasha's hackles rise.

 

“We have to kill him before he absorbs the jewel completely,” Kagome said desperately. “I don't think we can handle him if he gets that kind of power.”

 

He nodded, leaning over to look out at the scene. A scene that looked anything but promising.

 

“Down boy! Down!”

 

Inuyasha and Kagome turned in shock at the faraway, familiar voice.

 

“It's a feather you fool! What are you talking to it for? Pull on it!”

 

Another familiar, less shocking voice. What was truly shocking was that those two voices were together.

 

“Kouga and Kagura?” Kagome murmured in shock, immediate danger momentarily forgotten.

 

It was clear that “pulling on it” did not proceed as planned, as a female screech and a male cry resounded a second later, and both Kouga and Kagura came flying through the trees…without the feather.

 

They both crashed where Kagome and Inuyasha used to be -the hanyou having already moved Kagome out of harm's way. Kagura looked ridiculous and foreign with her mussed hair, skidding to a halt on her bottom. “Ow. Ow…That was bad,” she moaned, dropping to her side in exhaustion.

 

Spitting a mouthful of dirt, Kouga pulled his face out of the hole he'd made in the ground and glowered at his new greatest enemy. “You…have no sense of direction whatsoever!”

 

Amaya had just enough sass to glower back. “I got us here, didn't I? It's not like that thing had an instructions manual!”

 

Kouga and Inuyasha looked confused, unfamiliar with the term. Kagome gasped. “Amaya…chan?” But how possible was that? Amaya in Kagura's body?

 

“Kagome!” came the breathless cry, and both girls screeched in joy, lunging at one another. “Finally!” the older girl cried happily, hugging Kagome tightly and crying in relief.

 

“What happened to you?” Kagome asked tearfully.

 

“Only a friend of Kagome's could manage to turn herself into a demon.” Inuyasha grumbled, sighing in relief and turning his gaze to Kouga. “You're finally back.”

 

Kouga dusted himself and snorted. “Yeah. Barely.” He froze, spotting Naraku putting the jewel in his mouth and swallowing. “What the hell! I didn't give you my shards for you to hand them to him!” Kouga snarled, looking a step away from attacking the inu-hanyou.

 

“It was your shard for Kagome, moron!”

 

“Guys!” Miroku called after delivering another failed attack. “Some help? Naraku is absorbing the jewel!”

 

“Kirara! Watch out for them!” Inuyasha instructed the cat-demon and went off with Kouga.

 

Kagome stared after the two males. “Stay here, Amaya-chan. I have to help them or we're done for. Kirara, stay with her.”

 

“W-wait!” the young miko was gone before Amaya could protest that she could help too…Though maybe that wasn't such a good idea. She might kill them all by accident. Kiarara looked just as uncertain of what to do. Kagome had been in her protection as well.

 

A large ball of miasma was hurtled at her and Kirara immediately carried her out of harm's way. This was really dangerous, she realized, sliding back off Kirara. “Thank you,” she told the cat demon sincerely.

She watched as Kagome pulled her arm back and fired an arrow, incinerating a bunch of tentacles. “Whoa! That's cool.”

 

`Howdy!'

 

“Oh my God!” Amaya gasped in a mixture of horror and annoyance, her worst nightmare returning.

 

`Goodness. You don't like me very much, do you?' The fairy said in just as much annoyance. `After all I've done to help you?'

 

“Oh, please! I mean I'm thankful you were there with me in the dark, but other than that…” She paused. “Where have you been exactl-Eee!” she squealed in shock as Kirara moved her away from another miasmic blast.

 

`Getting your butt saved, fool.” Amaya frowned at the genuine look of offense on the fairy. Maybe she should be more grateful…Aneko did help a little- `Butt-save is on his way as we speak.'

 

Amaya strained to understand that one. “What?”

 

She gasped when Sesshoumaru unexpectedly materialized beside her. In all his fair and snowy glory.

 

She gawped at him. “You're…back!” And then gawped some more as she saw “herself” in his arms. “You got me! I mean…”

 

“Protect her at all cost,” was all he said, ignoring her words, and was off, leaving the fake Amaya slumped against her.

 

Amaya's heart was beating fast; his scent was more intense and beautiful than when he'd been human, his voice rough and deep. He meant business. “Wait…How am I supposed to protect anyone!?” she cried after him once his command sank in. She was powerful, true, but she couldn't control it.

 

“My tools are still beyond your control I see,” the Kagura in her body wheezed out, leaning against her helplessly yet managing to smirk derisively.

 

Amaya frowned at the truth in that. Then she took the time to blush as she saw what “she” was wearing. Her school shirt was tied around her waist -where Naraku had cut her- like a tube-top. Deciding to put off thinking about just how much Sesshoumaru had seen applying the make-shift bandage, she turned to observe the battle scene.

 

She watched as everyone fought for everybody's life. Kagome was firing away at Naraku and avoiding attacks as much as she could. Inuyasha helped there, attacking violently with his Tetsusaiga, and keeping an eye on the young miko behind him. Amaya recognized Yahsi's crow demon form and saw Sango riding her back, the both of them inflicting quite a bit of damage from a distance. And then there was Sesshoumaru, his speed a thing to behold.

 

He fought with a viciousness that had her gasping in awe. If he'd fought Kouga back then the way he was fighting now, the wolf prince would have perished within moments. His chi whip swung and whistled deafeningly, slicing and incinerating anything that got in his way. His Toukijin was a horror in itself, its attacks wide and devastating, and if it weren't for Naraku's developed regenerating powers the corrupt half-demon would have been reduced to nothing by now.

 

Gods, but I'm going to miss him.

 

The tearful thought had Aneko smiling sadly. If only the girl knew how much she meant to the stubborn, break-my-own-nose-off-before-I-admit-I-feel demon. His heart was quite the prisoner now, and that silly girl might never know. Aneko would bet anything Sesshoumaru would never say a word. In fact, he'd reject the hell out of any such thoughts.

 

Still, a little more time with Amaya might adjust his thought process further…

 

`Use your fan you emotional idiot,' advised Aneko softly.

 

Amaya snapped her head to the fairy in horror. “That's dangerous! I might hurt them.”

 

`But the fan is perfect. You can stay by Kagura's side and help everyone out at the same time. You don't actually have to be a demon to use it, so…try. Just be gentler.'

 

Amaya gave a big sigh and got the fan tucked at her side. She flipped it open slowly. “How do you use it?” she asked the girl in her arms.

 

“Hm…Twist your wrist like so…and like that…” Kagura demonstrated, holding Amaya's hand.

 

A powerful gust erupted and sliced several tentacles Inuyasha was about to attack. He looked back at her in shock, but had to turn his attention back to the battle as more came after him. “Good. Keep doing that, it'll help them,” Kagura said on a cough.

 

“Are you all right?” Amaya asked in concern after delivering another wind attack.

 

“I'll live,” the demon said with a smirk.

 

“He's absorbed it!” Kagome cried from close by. “His tentacles are much harder to destroy. How are we going to get to him?”

 

“Inuyasha. Attack with your wind scar when I say,” Sesshoumaru ordered his brother.

 

Inuyasha stopped in mid slice, looking at his brother like Sesshoumaru's gone mad. “Excuse me!”

 

“Listen to him, Inuyahsa!” Kagome and Sango called angrily.

 

Feeling set upon, Inuyasha scowled and nodded. “Whatever. I'm still killing you after this is over, though!” He turned to his brother angrily when he heard Sesshoumaru snort derisively.

 

Amaya had to make three consecutive attacks to destroy one tentacle-limb and she was getting scared. “He's getting stronger!” she cried.

 

“Give me that,” mumbled Kagura, snatching her fan back. With a different twist of her wrist, a far more devastating wind attack erupted and shred several demons and tentacles to bits.

 

“Whoa! You can still do that!?” Amaya gaped.

 

“Humph. Why do you think Naraku hurt you before he switched us? He knew I'd be free of my imprisoned heart and try to destroy him right away.” She unleashed another attack. “If it weren't for this human body…I'd have killed him with my wind powers. I wouldn't have considered your well being for a moment.”

 

Amaya frowned in confusion, wondering what she meant by that. And how could she, in a human body, still be able to do what she was doing now?

 

“Kikyou!” Inuyasha cried, as a demon Naraku released from his body attacked. It went right for the still miko. Amaya noticed that the undead woman hadn't been attacking at all. Whose side is she on? What was she even doing here?

 

Inuyasha made in just in time, slicing the demon in two and standing between Kikyou and Naraku protectively.

 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome warned, too late, as another demon attacked from behind, snatching Kikyou up in its mouth, causing Kikyou to squeal. Kagura flicks her fan and unleashes another devastating wind, slicing the demon.

 

Inuyasha catches Kikyou, just as she goes up in puff of smoke, leaving Shippo behind. “Are you all right, runt!” Inuyasha asks in concern, giving Kagura-slash-Amaya an uncertain, appreciative glance.

 

“Sorry,” Shippo apologized, looking beat up. “I guess the jig is up.”

 

Naraku growled furiously. “What is this? Where is Kikyou!”

 

Amaya watches in horror as the evil hanyou seemingly doubles in size, his teeth and eyes morphing monstrously until he looked nothing like his older self.

 

“Scratch that. Now he's absorbed the jewel!” Kagome cried hysterically. “If we don't destroy him soon, we'll all die!”

 

“Wait! Don't come out!” Sango cried from above, catching everyone's attention.

 

“Jeez!” Yashi cried in frustration, and it soon became clear what they were both so upset about. Kikyou had just stepped out from the cover of the trees close to the transformed half-demon. Too close. She was chanting furiously and glaring right at Naraku. Amaya gasped as she saw Ran and Tenshi, the wolf maids, step out with her along with two other males she did not recognize.

 

“Kikyou!” Inuyasha cried in horror. “What-!”

 

Instantly Naraku unleashed several demons and tentacle limbs at her. Not budging, the miko continued to chant, her hand held up in front of her chest, and Amaya thought it looked almost like she was summoning something. Her wolf friends and the males pulled out their swords, yet did not try to move the miko out of the way, as she must have asked them not to.

 

Inuyasha, as always, was there to rescue her, cutting down every attack violently and effectively. Sesshoumaru materialized in front of the distracted demon, swinging his Toukijin viciously and cutting off Naraku's large, clawed arm.

 

Amaya gasped at the powerful sight, watching as Naraku roared in anger and pain, releasing a miasmic attack from his mouth so poisonous and fierce Sesshoumaru was forced to fall back from its force alone. Inuyasha carefully carried Kikyou to a safer spot, taking care not to cause her eye-contact with the evil hanyou to break.

 

“Go! We'll cover her,” cried Yashi, descending with Sango to stand beside Kikyou.

 

Nodding, Inuyasha went ahead, attacking with his brother, side by side. Amaya heard Kagome mumble something in disbelief just before she shot another arrow, and Amaya could easily guess what that might be.

 

Naraku, furious, swung his sword hard, a fiery attack hurtling right at Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. They dodged easily, before realizing that attack had not been meant for them at all.

 

Kagome turned to Amaya desperately, her face contorted with terror. “Watch out!”

 

Amaya stared as Sesshoumaru ran towards her and Kagura, while Kouga and Inuyasha -busy with several demons of their own- watched helplessly. It all seemed to be happening so slowly…Sesshoumaru looked furious, and that somehow comforted her. But…he wasn't going to make it. The fire ball was much too close, and he too far…

 

`Now! Do it now!' she heard Aneko scream furiously into her ear. `If there was ever a good time to try-!”

 

Kagome screamed as she was hurtled into the air by the force of the ensuing explosion. Sesshoumaru, now close enough to catch her, did not even try. Kouga got to her in time instead, covering her from the flying debris.

 

Once the scene settled, it was apparent just how strong the attack had been from the deep furrow in the earth.

 

“No! Why would he kill her! He needed her power!” Kagome cried in devastation, pushing against Kouga angrily.

 

“I think it…maybe because he has the jewel, and she might have fallen into someone else's…” Kouga looked guilty as Kagome glared tearfully up at him. Her friend had been killed for convenience's sake. It wasn't fair!

 

Sesshoumaru whirled around to face Naraku, his eyes a red so deep they were barely visible in the foggy light. “Naraku,” he growled, a promise of violence dripping from every syllable.

 

“Come and try, Sesshoumaru-sama,” Naraku mocked, looking smug and satisfied. “You and your lands will soon be history.”

 

Suddenly Sesshoumaru's eyes were back to their original golden yellow color, shock clear as day within them. Naraku noticed this, but by the time the reason for the stunned looks on the faces of the entire group of fighters became clear, the enemy had already gotten too close.

 

His armor shifted suddenly, and he turned to find himself looking into a pair of thunder-struck pink eyes.

 

“Oh damn!” Amaya exclaimed, staring at him in as much shock as he.

 

Aneko, for her part, was slapping her forehead in frustration. `Of course! Teleport to the most dangerous spot, why dontcha'!'

 

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To Be Continued…

 

Finally up!!!! Oh, dear…that's a cliffhanger isn't it? Eheh. Well I can't help it! I'm a cliffhanger extraordinaire!!! It's beyond my power I tell you! According to me sister, this is a BAD one. So I'll update soon…if anyone is ever reading this now.

 

So please REVIEW! It gives me the power to go faster XD