InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Spark ❯ Turnabout is Fair Play ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter Ten

 

Turnabout is Fair Play

 

 

 

 

InuYasha just didn't understand.

 

He'd thought Kagome would've responded better to his kiss. Especially now that she'd explained the whole Sesshomaru debacle. But…. The way she'd looked when he'd stumbled across them. Her eyes had been hazy with lust, her cheeks and chest flushed. The smell of her arousal was a heavy perfume in the air.

 

She'd not reacted that way when he'd kissed her. He didn't think his friend was lying, but then, he didn't think she was being completely truthful either. Maybe the spell affected her too?

 

Whatever the reason was, he didn't like it. He'd be damned if he'd let Sesshomaru have her. InuYasha knew Kagome had a tender heart. That was one of the things he liked about her, though he'd never admit it. It was one of those things that made her strong and weak all at once.

 

Stretching his sore arms, InuYasha let her dab some of that stinging stinking liquid from her `first aid kit' on a small scrape on his cheek. “Look, Kagome…you know Sesshomaru is dangerous…right?”

 

She nodded. “Of course. Now, hold still and stop being such baby.”

 

“Feh! That stuff hurts. I'm not being a baby. But don't ya think he'll be pissed when the spell wears off?”

 

Kagome nodded again. “Yup. But I've got a plan.” She gave him a wicked grin. “You remember your old rosary, don't you?”

 

He felt the color drain from his face at the mere mention of the hated piece of jewelry. “Yeah, what about it?” He narrowed his eyes which made her laugh.

 

“Well, I'm going to find a way to get it around his neck. That way…after the…um…the deed, if he tries to attack me, I'll just use the magic word and make a run for the well.”

 

Cold fear lanced through InuYasha. “Kagome…if you do that, it'll humiliate him. He'll never stop trying to kill you.”

 

“I know. That's why I won't be coming back.”

Seeing the hard glint in her eyes and the determined set of her jaw, InuYasha knew better than to argue with her. All the same, he wasn't going to let it happen. He wouldn't let Kagome be lost to him…especially not when he hadn't even made up his mind yet. He just needed more time.

 

 

#

 

“Just do it, InuYasha.” Kagome gave him her most evil glare. Really, she couldn't understand why he was being so stubborn. After she'd double-checked his wounds in the forest, she'd made InuYasha carry the still unconscious Jaken back to Sango's hut.

 

The taijya hadn't seemed too pleased to have the imp in her house, but other than a thinning of her lips and a huff, she'd acquiesced.

 

On the walk back, InuYasha had been oddly silent. Then, he surprised Kagome by telling her that perhaps he'd been a bit hasty in having `the talk' with her. That maybe all he needed was a little more time.

 

Kagome hadn't responded. Why bother? She'd given him three years. That was enough.

 

“I ain't gonna! I don't wanna leave you here when that bastard could pop back up any second!” InuYasha groused.

 

She pinched the bridge of her nose, clenching her eyes shut. “Sango-chan?” she began sweetly. “Could I borrow Kilala?”

 

Sango, who looked rather haggard and nauseous, just nodded. Then she sipped on some of the rather dubious-looking green tonic she'd received from Azami.

 

“What? Wait!” InuYasha sputtered. “Kagome! You can't be seriously thinking about going through with this!”

 

She knew his bluster was for show. Kagome knew that deep down, InuYasha was hurt by all this. She just didn't know why. Despite him saying how much he cared for her, that maybe, given some time, he could even come to love her the way she loved him…that he didn't and he wouldn't feel the same way.

 

At this point, she wasn't even sure she felt the same anymore herself. After their clumsy kiss in the woods and the absence of any real feeling, Kagome was beginning to doubt her heart. It was almost as though she had talked herself into falling in love with InuYasha just because it fit with how a fairytale was supposed to turn out.

 

But it hadn't been a fairytale. People had died. The ending was still uncertain, and while InuYasha was a brave and dashing hero…he wasn't a white knight, and Kagome was old enough to not be needing rescue all the time.

 

“InuYasha. I have to do this. It isn't fair. I started this mess. You expect me to just let Sesshomaru go crazy and die painfully because I was being immature?”

 

His ears twitched and then flattened against his head. “Feh. But isn't there some other way? You're sure you have to…sleep with him?”

 

“Yeah. I'm sure. Now, you wait here, since you're so opposed to even touching the rosary, I'll just have to go and get it. Watch over Jaken. If he wakes up, try to find out where Rin might've been taken,” Kagome said shouldering her backpack.

 

InuYasha stalked to the corner of Sango's house and plunked down like he was a petulant child. He grumbled under his breath about how uppity bitches should really stop trying to order everyone around. It made Kagome smile. It was so much like old times that it hurt her heart just a little with the heavy sweetness of it.

 

Kilala hopped down from what was left of Sango's lap and gave Kagome a soft mew.

 

“Be careful, Kagome-chan,” Sango said.

 

“I will! Don't worry. I'm just going to Kaede's village to get the rosary. Not much could go wrong between here and there.” Kagome forced a laugh.

 

Miroku gave Sango a dry look. “All the same, Kagome-sama. Do be careful. Were Sango in a more suitable condition….”

 

Kagome smiled. “Thanks. But really, this is my mess, and I'm going to clean it up.” She waggled her fingers at her friends in a cheerful goodbye. She was finding forced happiness wasn't all that hard after all.

 

Once outside in a swirl of youki and flame, Kilala transformed and kneeled on her forepaws so that Kagome could climb on her back.

 

As Kilala surged upwards, powerful muscles rippling under her soft fur, Kagome felt her hands begin to shake.

 

It was like walking right to the edge, standing and looking down from a great height. There was the pull, in the center of her chest, telling her to jump, that it wouldn't hurt for long.

 

But it would. It would hurt forever.

 

She didn't want to leave her friends, lose them to time. But as every year passed, the knowledge that she didn't belong in this time was hammered home.

 

Home.

 

That's where she belonged. And after this whole mess was over, that's where she was going to go. Home.

 

#

 

The wretched youkai woman had landed yet another blow. This one caught him in the thigh. The trail of torn flesh and blood her claws left did little more than sting, but still, she should've never even been able to hit him the first time.

 

Sesshomaru was distracted. He couldn't focus on the fight before him when his mind constantly meandered back to the girl.

 

He was imagining her beautiful face as she licked a wet trail down his stomach when a fist smashed into his cheek. Sesshomaru stumbled and fell, landing on his back with a thud.

 

A dainty booted foot came to rest on his throat. He looked dazedly up at his attacker. “Mother,” he said, suddenly remembering her. Vaguely he recalled her putting him in this position before and decided his childhood had probably been very…strange.

 

She gave him a tender smile, removing her boot from his neck. Extending a hand, she hauled him to his feet. “You've been poisoned?”

 

He nodded.

 

“Is there an antidote?” she asked, plucking a leaf from his tussled hair. He flinched away from her when she licked her thumb to get at some dirt smudged on his face.

 

“Stop that!” he hissed. “As for an antidote…there is a cure, but it is unpleasant,” he lied. The idea was becoming increasingly not unpleasant to him. In fact, that was all he could think about. “I must rut with the human who bespelled this Sesshomaru.”

 

She sighed. “Ah well. Better to die with dignity, I suppose.”

 

He held up a clawed finger. “There is also the matter of my ward. Or so I've been told. I can't quite seem to recall her. Apparently, she is in some sort of peril.”

 

“Indeed? Then it seems you have no other choice. But where is this human girl who has bespelled you?” His mother looked around as though the miko was hiding in the bushes somewhere.

 

“The human did not intend to put this curse upon me. She is repulsed by the very notion.” Sesshomaru couldn't suppress his sigh.

 

A slow wicked grin spread over his mother's regal features revealing the tips of her sharp canines. “As I've always said, Sesshomaru, turnabout is fair play.”

 

He raised a brow at her quizzically.

 

She turned her back on him, the air around her glowing and humming with power as she began to change into her true form. “The answer is quite simple. The girl must have a taste of her own medicine. Now, come with me, I have just the thing to do the trick.”

#

 

Jaken relished his pain.

 

It was only right that he should have to suffer for failing his Sesshomaru-sama in such a complete way. Rin was gone.

 

Now that he was certain death was looming, it felt safe for him to express his misery. Though it was a much guarded secret, Jaken had never really hated humans at all. Oh, he had never sought their company, but he didn't mind them.

 

But once Sesshomaru-sama had saved his life and forever made Jaken beholden to him in his debt, Jaken had somehow let his master's prejudices become his own. Then came Rin with her bright gap-toothed smile. A child of the earth. The only creature who had ever loved him.

 

Yes, the pain was sweet. He wished there were more.

 

That and he'd seen that his master had gone completely mad and had let himself be seduced by his half-brother's annoying wench. The sight of her kneeling with her disgusting human breasts bared over his master had nearly killed him.

 

Oh well, he thought. It will all be over soon.

 

Something poked him square between his tightly shut eyes. Jaken did his best to ignore it. He was trying to die with some damned dignity.

 

“Hey, ugly!” a harsh voice barked at him.

 

Jaken cracked open an eye. His master's ludicrous half-brother was looming over him. “Let me die in peace, half-breed,” he croaked.

 

“Feh! You ain't dyin', stupid. Now…you gotta tell me where that Raiju asshole took Rin.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I'm going to go and save her, dumb ass!” The hanyou jabbed him with his finger again. Jaken squawked at the abuse of his person.

 

“I can only assume that the Lord of the North took her to his stronghold in the mountains. But one such as you couldn't hope to penetrate his defenses. The weasel taiyoukai has spent centuries perfecting his fortress.”

 

InuYasha snapped his fingers. “Ha! I knew he was a weasel! So…a fortress in the North, eh? Think you could show me the way?”

 

“I'll do no such thing! We must wait for Sesshomaru-sama.”

 

The hanyou laughed, but Jaken thought it sounded bitter.

 

“Sesshomaru's got his own problems right now,” InuYasha said, scowling. “Kagome accidentally put a spell on him. So…you could say he's not himself right now. We're going to have to do this without him.”

 

“I refuse!” Jaken said.

 

“You think Rin can wait? Who knows what that weasel bastard has in store for her.”

 

“Fine! Fine. I'll show you, you miserable filth. But where is the wench?”

 

“Kagome?” InuYasha asked, carefully hefting Jaken into his arms despite Jaken fighting him with what little strength he had left.

 

“Yes! The annoying scantily-clad female that follows you around.”

 

InuYasha gave him a feral grin. “This is gonna be dangerous, and Kagome just invites trouble. We're gonna rescue Rin today, right the fuck now. Then, maybe I'll come back here for her. Maybe.”

 

Jaken flapped his arms, trying to wiggle free from the hanyou's iron grip. “But what about Sesshomaru-sama's curse?”

 

The grin only grew wider. “Yeah well…I'm going to fix that too.”

 

#

 

The first unlocked door Rin found was someone's bedchamber. It was small and sparsely furnished, but it had a chest with clothes in it.

 

Quickly, she donned a pair of dark blue hakama and a pale grey haori. The material was rough against her still sensitive skin, but anything was better than running around naked.

 

She'd had no luck finding a weapon, but now that she had clothes, she figured braving the snow and cold wouldn't be so bad. Rin turned around to leave the bedchamber, but a dark shape of a man blocked her path.

 

“Had you wanted something to wear, all you had to do was ask,” Raiju said, green eyes glowing ominously. “Besides, I'd much rather see you in something more befitting your station as my lady wife.”

 

Rin spit at him. “I'd rather die than be your wife!”

 

Raiju chuckled. “Oh, my little flower, I assure you…that can be arranged. But not yet.”

 

He crossed the room, silk whispering around his legs. He reached out a clawed hand to grab her.

 

Rin recognized the look on his face. It was the same look the bandits had given her mother before they'd done terrible things to her.

 

A strange thing happened then. The palms of her hands tingled, and her blood sang with an unfamiliar surge of power. A soft pink glow flared between her fingers. In awe, Rin held her hand up to her face.

 

Raiju watched her with narrowed eyes. “What is this?”

 

Rin shook her head. “I…I don't know!”

 

In a flash, his large hand was on her shoulder, gripping her…hurting her. Rin grabbed onto his wrist, trying to twist out of his grasp. The pink light flared so brightly that she had to close her eyes.

 

There was a hissing and popping sound. Then Raiju snarled, stumbling back, holding his smoking hand. “Interesting powers you have, girl. But you'll pay for burning my hand like that.”

 

But Rin barely heard him. Whatever it was…it had lain dormant in her for a long time. The power felt achingly familiar, but wild and strange all at the same time. Tensing, she knew what she had to do.

 

Rin closed her eyes, willing that untamed force within her to rise to the surface. As Raiju came at her again, she let it slip past her skin.

 

The small room was filled with the sound of the taiyoukai's screams. It was the last thing Rin heard as darkness claimed her, and she slipped under.