InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Alternate Storyteller ❯ Defiance ( Chapter 13 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Previously on The Alternate Storyteller:
Kijinko and her new friend returned to Shimonoseki after several months of training. She was reunited with Wu Fei and heard some interesting gossip. She later met up with Inuyasha, and battled him. After losing miserably, she ran and ended up where she started the whole thing…

Author’s Note: No, it’s not your imagination. This really is a new chapter.

Thanks: To all my wonderful reviewers/fans. I have the utmost appreciation for your feedback.

Disclaimer: Kijinko and all other original characters, scenarios, etc. belong to *me*. Inuyasha and everything in his world belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. All the rest belong to their respective creators/owners. I make no money from this, just a lot of ego stroking and fun times.

Chapter 12

Defiance

I wandered in and out of consciousness for days. Sometimes I saw faces from this time, sometimes from home. All I would remember later is trying to cry out and run from their mocking laughter.

Finally, I woke up after an especially restless sleep to find Hoshi, and no other faces, watching me from the other side of the fire. As soon as she was certain I was at least semi-conscious, she stood and picked up a shallow bowl sitting on a nearby shelf. I attempted to sit up as she approached my bed, but it was short-lived because of the throbbing pain that lanced through my lower torso. I fell back on the bedding with a groan.

She knelt beside me and said, “You are still recovering from your last battle.”

“H…How long?” I whispered hoarsely, wincing when she raised my head slightly and held the bowl to my lips. She gazed at me cautiously, ensuring I had taken a sip before she answered.

“It has been eleven days since we found you,” she stated. Her gaze went from serious to stern, “And I want to know what you did to receive these kinds of wounds.” I nodded slightly and returned my attention to the drink at hand, revelling in its cool sweetness while she checked the bandages. I noticed it was dark outside, with a touch of moonlight peeping through the doorway.

“You are mending well,” she said a few minutes later. “In fact,” she continued and glared at me, “you are mending at twice the rate of a normal human.”

My gulp was audible in the small hut. I didn’t even know where to begin, but she saved me the trouble by taking the bowl from my hands and settling me down for another rest. Once I began drifting off, she moved away, and I sank into the bliss of dreamless sleep.

----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------

Quiet voices greeted my return to consciousness, along with bright sunshine and warm winds. I cracked my eyes open, and wished I hadn’t. The sun was fierce to my weakened sight, and I struggled to put my hand over the upper half of my face. My movements caught the notice of the speakers, and I heard the rustle of cloth, and gentle footsteps stopped next to me.

“So, my young friend,” a male voice said close to my head, “You have found yourself in a most alarming situation.

“Hardly, Kenichi,” I croaked hoarsely as I removed my hand, “I just bonded with a homicidal sword, got on the bad side of two powerful demons, and made it halfway through Death’s door before returning to the world of Men.” I peered up at my trainer through blurry eyes. From what I could tell, he had quite the grim look on his face. My stomach sank to my toes.

“Lords Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha have been on the hunt for you these past days,” Kenichi continued as Hoshi moved about my bed, “Your exploits have gone far and wide, and Sesshoumaru no longer hides from our eyes. If I did not know better, I would almost say he is desperate to find you.” I let out a strangled gasp involuntarily at his final statement.

Sesshoumaru is hunting for me…but…it couldn‘t be because…? I wondered as I thought back to our encounters. The first one was unlucky. The second one was just weird. Cursed with a human time until he mated with a human. The confrontations with his brother were no better, especially this latest face-off. But nothing warranted the hunt these guys were apparently on.

“When you are stronger in a few days, you will tell us all that has happened during your travels,” Hoshi stated firmly, “But until then, you will rest. You should be fully healed in two days’ time.” My old trainer deferred to her wisdom and bid us both farewell. I pulled the covers over my shoulder as I painfully shifted onto my side and went back to sleep.

----------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------

As Hoshi predicted, I was up and about after a couple more days of rest. The injuries I had sustained would have kept a normal human bed-ridden for weeks, if not months, but they only had me out for a total of thirteen days.

After her final examination of my now-healed injuries, she sat me down next to the fire and sent for Kenichi. Once they were settled in their spots, expectant eyes turned on me. It took me a few seconds before I remembered I was supposed to explain my activities of the past several months. I told them as much as I could remember, but left out some of the conversations I had had with Ryuuseijin.

By the time I was finished telling them everything, my mouth was parched and I felt completely drained, as though I had just written a huge final exam. It was absolutely silent in Hoshi’s tiny hut, and as I took a closer look at their faces, I knew something was very wrong. They both had concern, grief, and fear in their eyes. I couldn’t understand why, and it must have shown on my face because Hoshi cleared her throat and began explaining.

“We have heard the faintest of rumours about the Taiyoukai’s curse,” she said softly, “And we had hoped there was nothing to them.”

I sat quietly for a moment thinking about what I had seen and heard in that cave so many months ago. A realization came to me. “I had read that Sesshoumaru was supposed to be immune to holy power. Even Kagome couldn’t take him out, so how did the old miko manage to curse him?”

“The miko he slew was one of the last indirect descendents of Midoriko. Some believe she may even have been Midoriko‘s reincarnation,” Kenichi said sadly as I gawked at them.

Hoshi continued, “The Old One had great powers of foresight. This seemed to give her already-strong powers an extra surge while in the midst of ’seeing’. And since Midoriko was one of the most powerful priestesses to live, it gave the old miko a considerable inheritance. Jaken had spoken of her prophesying at the moment she was speaking to Lord Sesshoumaru, and we think this is how she managed to curse a demon supposedly immune to such attacks.”

“The one thing Jaken never mentioned was a time limit,” I said, “He’s been cursed for the last three-and-a-half years, and these things usually have a grace period before they become permanent.”

“Which brings up an even more alarming issue,” Kenichi broke in, “And that is Sesshoumaru’s open search for you. We are fairly certain that he has chosen you to be his mate. His curse-breaker, if you wish to think of it that way.”

Sesshoumaru’s words from that night came flooding back. This Sesshoumaru wishes for you to become my mate, to bear the heirs of the Western Lands…You are perfect as a mate. Intelligent, resourceful, affectionate. I wish to take you this night.” I could feel the blood rushing to my face. Hoshi nodded as I turned bright red, as if my reaction confirmed something. It made me angry for some reason, and reminded me of the turn the “conversation” took later on.

“He can hunt me all he wants,” I replied coldly, “But Hell will freeze over before I mate with such an egotistical jackass.”

“You have the power to stand up to him, then?” Kenichi asked, ”You can rebuff him at every turn? Even if he, the Taiyoukai of the West, were determined to take you by force?”

“I have a powerful sword and the will to use it!” I brashly proclaimed, “Bring it on!”

“Don’t be foolish!” Hoshi said sharply, “These stories about Ryuuseijin have been around for centuries. The sword is notorious for abandoning its masters at critical times, as it did when you activated the ofuda in the mountains.”

My curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask, “Exactly what are the rumours around this blade?”

“Only that it is inherently evil, destructive, and fickle,” Kenichi replied. “It has been around for so long, its’ origins are shrouded in ancient myth . We had hoped it would never come to these shores, that the power was somehow bound to the Continent.” He sighed and stirred the fire. “Apparently, it was a fool’s hope.”

I felt guilt well up until it was burning my throat. Hoshi must have sensed it, because she came and sat next to me, and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Do not regret what happened, for it is impossible to know the path of your fate even when your feet are firmly upon it. The best action to take now is to master the sword, if possible, and perhaps ascertain what it hopes to accomplish by binding itself to you.” I nodded my understanding, and the topic was dropped for the present.

Our next battle plan for the next few weeks was to better my swordsmanship so I wouldn’t get my ass whooped the next time I ran into one of the brothers…or worse. The one glaring obstacle to my mastery was the style of the sword. It was a Chinese Wudan blade, and Kenichi had no idea how to use it. We discussed possible techniques by blending the two styles, but I needed an advanced master of Wudan to use it as a blade. I still practiced what Wu-Fei had taught me in those few short weeks, and it helped somewhat. However, I couldn’t go past the intermediate exercises, and it frustrated me to no end. My frustration was compounded one day when Kenichi abruptly announced he was taking off.

“I shouldn’t be too long.” he said as he strode around his hut packing his bundle. “Be sure to continue practicing what you know.”

“Oh, you mean the same fifty techniques I’ve been going through for the past six weeks?” I snarked. “The more I practice, the worse I get. It isn‘t doing me any good anymore.”

He came up to where I was standing and peered down at me. I felt like he was sizing me up, but all he said was, “Continue on, or you will never accomplish what you need to.” He finished packing, strapped on his gear, and left without another word.

I did as he said for a few days, and gave up after completely screwing up one of the most basic exercises I knew. I stalked back to Hoshi’s, and found her sitting next to the fire instead of attending the shrine, as she usually did at that particular time of day. I approached her warily, not entirely sure about this change in routine. She looked up as I sat down. Her stare was the same measuring look Kenichi had given me before he left.

My irritation made me more short-tempered than usual, so I finally snapped, “What? I feel like a criminal on trial with you staring at me like that.”

Hoshi blinked, but didn’t say anything right away. She stoked the flames, then got up and went to the door. As she pulled back the mat hanging in the entrance, she turned to me and said;

“Come.”

I had no idea what to expect, and my curiosity got the better of me. I got up and headed out behind her. She led me down a path that took us out of the village and into the surrounding forest. I couldn’t help but lose myself in the sounds and smells of the surrounding wildlife. The wind whispered through the trees as the local birds sang their cheerful calls to each other. The foliage under our feet muffled any noise our steps made. After about twenty minutes, Hoshi stopped in a small clearing surrounded by high trees and waist-high brush. She turned to me with a look of pure curiosity and gestured for me to stand in the middle of the clearing. When I had done as she asked with mounting apprehension, she returned to the edge of the clearing and gave the one line of command I had been dreading for the last two weeks.

“Show me what you have learned.”

I gave her the blackest look I could and drew Ryuuseijin without a word. It rejoiced as we once again joined our minds, and whispered how happy it was to have me at full strength. I snorted at it and began concentrating on catching the faint elemental threads that floated throughout the clearing. Earth groaned, Air sighed, Water moaned, Fire chuckled, Darkness whispered, Light sang. I hesitated to begin because of the unreliability Ryuu had shown in our confrontation with Inuyasha. Those stray thoughts brought on a vehement reaction from the spirits.

:No!: Ryuu cried, :You chose battle. We did not. Blame falls squarely on own shoulders.: They were right, yet I still felt betrayed that It hadn’t intervened until I was almost killed by the Kongousouha. :Teaching lesson. Power not to be used in pointless feud. More important things to do:

“I. Don’t. CARE!” I screamed as I bent all the Elements to my will and loosed six ten-foot tall dragons in one swing. At first, they appeared like a bunch of phantoms, but as I poured more of my spirit into them, they took on very solid forms. The noise the Elements were making was deafening, and their clawed feet made the ground tremble. The atmosphere in the clearing was heavily charged with anger, tension, and power. I could see and hear everything at once. I was both exhilarated and terrified by this unexpected display of elemental power.

I could see Hoshi prostrate on the ground out of the corner of my eye with her hands clutched in front of chest and her clothing and hair whipping around from the wind and energy. She was clearly frightened by what she was seeing, which didn’t make sense.

She’s a priestess, so she can handle this stuff…right?

“Stop this!” she hollered above the commotion. As I turned towards her, her eyes widened in fear, and she shrank away from me. I had no idea what her problem was, but I started reigning in the dragons. They were reluctant to return to the relative calmness of the blade. I had to bend the full might of my will before they reverted to unsubstantial forms and disappeared. The silence in that clearing was louder than the racket from the moment before. Hoshi staggered towards me and grabbed my arm with so much force I cried out in pain as I turned to look at her again. I didn’t get the chance because she was dragging me back to the village with all due haste. At the village outskirts, we could hear the frightened shouts and running feet of the villagers. Once Hoshi appeared, everyone in the immediate area surrounded us and began talking all at once.

“The creek overflowed it’s bank when I…” “I was checking the rice fields and the earth opened up…” “A cloud of dust rose up and seemed to have a dark shape in it…”

Apparently, my little display had rattled the village and surrounding area. People were reporting random flash floods, earthquakes, thunderstorms, and a variety of other occurrences, with others hurrying in from the surrounding area and reporting similar events. Hoshi reassured them as best she could as she took hold of my arm. We pushed our way through the chattering crowd to her hut, where she sat me on the floor with enough force to knock my breath out. While I lay stunned and gasping, she walked rapidly around the perimeter muttering and setting up ofuda.

“Do not move,” she said when I started to stand up, “I need to ensure the spirits cannot escape the barrier.” I stayed where I was and watched as she continued to place ofuda on the walls, my curiosity rising with each passing moment. Once she was satisfied, Hoshi sat a fair distance away from my position. I was just about to break the increasingly awkward silence when the priestess spoke first.

“The spirits of your sword have deceived you,” she began quietly, lowering her to a spot on the floor. “What is visible to the eyes is completely different from what a Holy One or demon can sense with their spirit. While I saw the Elements take on the forms of dragons, I felt as though the very power of the universe had descended from the heavens into you. I do not know where they originally came from, but they represent more than just what exists here on Earth.” I nodded as my thoughts wandered back to when I was training on the unknown beach. All Ryuu had said at the time was they were from beyond the Sun.

“Then what makes you think the ofuda can keep them in here?” I blurted without thinking. I immediately shut my mouth with a loud click, embarrassed I had been so brazen about her powers.

However, Hoshi simply raised her eyes and nodded, not offended by my challenge. “It won’t stop them from completely escaping, but it will lessen the impact if they decide to go on a rampage. For a time, at least.”

“What did you see when I looked at you in the clearing?” I asked softly, “You looked absolutely terrified when I turned around.” Hoshi sighed and looked away again before answering.

“You were surrounded by an incredible aura , and when you looked in my direction, your eyes were reptilian and emitting red and blue flames. The magic and power that rolled off of you in waves was almost too much to bear. You were more than human in those moments, and I feared you had been completely overcome by the sword.” I felt the blood drain from my face as she described her experience. I resolved right then that I would be more circumspect about my temperament when I summoned any or all of the Elements.

:Took long enough: Ryuu whispered, exasperated. :Remember what we said about control. Learn before progressing to next level:   Indeed, their comment brought back the conversation we had had towards the end of our stay on the beach.

:Is that why you refused to help me when I was facing off with Inuyasha?:

:Would have destroyed you and all things around you if we let you have tantrum. We ensured you lived to see new day: The tone turned smug, :Did not too bad of job, if we say:

:No, you don’t say: I thought as I rolled my eyes. I returned my attention back to Hoshi, who was staring at my face curiously. I realized I had completely zoned out on her.

I gave her a sheepish smile and apologized. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I had an epiphany of sorts, as well as a lecture from my other voices.” She snorted in amusement and began gathering the food needed for the evening meal. After we ate, I told her more about my time on the unknown beach. The sun was long gone when we finally headed off to bed. Despite how tired I was from the day’s events, it was a long while before my mind settled down and I fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
< br> Over the next several weeks, I made sure to spend several hours a day training both physically and mentally. Since my demonstration that last time, I became more aware of my emotions when summoning the Elements. Ryuu seemed to approve, because they opened up other aspects of the magic as I progressed.

:Good. Very good: they hissed after a particularly successful session. :Learning to control emotions and power, linking them together and flowing as one: I was glad one of us was happy, because I was drenched in sweat and absolutely exhausted from summoning one Element after the other with the sword embedded in my hands as the gold chains. Summoning and swinging a blade around was easier than calling them up on my own, and I said so.

:Yes. Is easier, but not as beneficial if you make like war mage:, they replied, :Once control firmly established, can summon quickly without blade. That why we concentrate on this first. Control without blade will make summoning with blade much easier, instinctual:

I accepted the lecture without further comment, but it felt like something wasn’t being said, and the logic didn‘t quite work. I filed my concerns in the back of my mind and continued on during the ensuing weeks. Once I was comfortable with hand-summoning and my emotions were better controlled, Ryuu began putting me through a series of tests to force me to listen to my intuition and instincts. I had a habit of thinking too much about the maximum impact a certain summons would make, which made me very slow in defending and attacking. So, they just started hurling things at my head that I had to defend against. Needless to say, the first few times left some respectable bruising on my body. Hoshi wasn’t very sympathetic, saying the only way to get me battle-ready was to assault me at every turn.

“Assault or insult?” I grumbled after a test that included large boulders, fog, flames, and blinding light. I barely managed to fend them off, and once again walked home with a limp and a black eye. Hoshi just sighed when I came in the door and handed the ointment to me before returning to her work.

“I feel like I’ve stalled.” I complained as I sat down, “I was progressing so fast, and I’ve spent the last month going nowhere.”

“Perhaps you need an actual battle,” Hoshi said thoughtfully as she set down the leaves she was grinding, “It may very well be that you’ve made as much progress as is possible in this particular setting. I have been wondering if you should perhaps leave us and travel once more.”

“You have a point,” I replied, “The last several days have been rather restless, like the first time I left you.” I sighed, “I just don’t know if I want to. Part of the reason I’ve stuck around for so long is I’m frightened of Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha finding me. Ryuu told me my ‘demonstration’ was like an alarm going off.”

She gave me her trademark stern look and said in no uncertain terms, “You are leaving during the time of the Dark Moon, and that is final. Fear is a poor excuse to stymie your magic, especially in this day of war and monsters.” I gaped at her for several seconds before blurting, “Are you kicking me out?!”

She chuckled at the look on my face and said, “Yes, in a manner of speaking. You must understand, Kijinko, you were brought to this time and place for a purpose. Lady Kagome’s disappearance and taking possession of the sword Ryuuseijin are just two events that perhaps need a spirit that has seen and experienced a much different life than anyone in this land could ever hope to know.”

She came over to where I was sitting and laid a hand on my shoulder as she knelt down in front of me, “The potential you have now could defend my people for a thousand thousand years. I truly believe you are our one hope against what is on the horizon in the coming time.”

I swallowed and looked into the fire as I absorbed her words. If she was right, what I burden I carried! Literally the weight of the world on my shoulders. I began to feel sympathy for poor Atlas and his task of supporting us on his back. I raised my eyes to Hoshi’s and saw sympathy, and even a bit of pride, in her gaze.

The whole situation struck me as funny for some reason, and I suddenly grinned at her and said, “No pressure.”

She just rolled her eyes with an air of ’you are impossible’ and finished with her herbs. I began planning what I needed for my latest foray into the big, bad world of Feudal Japan before going to bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~

My remaining time with Hoshi and her little village swiftly came to an end. The morning of my departure was hectic. I was up well before dawn packing the last of my things. The east began turning pink as Hoshi and I sat down for a quick breakfast. It was a quiet meal, both of us busy with our own thoughts. It was while we were cleaning up that I realized I hadn’t seen Kenichi in almost three months. I mentioned it to Hoshi, who also wondered where he was.

“He did not tell me of his intentions, but he did inform me that he would be back before the Dark Moon.” She said worriedly, “It is not like him to be so late.” I prayed he was okay, and he would come back safely, even if I missed him before leaving.

I gathered the last of my feudal belongings before heading out the door. Hoshi had agreed the night before to keep my modern possessions for the foreseeable future, since the stuff would bring up some rather uncomfortable questions if I was found with them. We headed east past the last few buildings. Hoshi stopped me and did a final check, and gave me some last minute advise.

“Keep your disguise on at all times.” She said softly, “I know I have said this in the past, but I feel this time it is imperative to stay undetected every moment you are on the road. The brothers may be searching for you, and Inuyasha as seen your true face. Ryuuseijin will make it very difficult to hide from any kind of demon or holy one, especially if it is used in battle. Use your sword training. Do not use the dragons unless it is matter of life and death.”

I nodded soberly. The same thing had crossed my mind more than once in the last week. Even with all our precautions, however, I had the feeling I wasn’t going to be so lucky this time. Whether it was intuition, or Ryuu’s connection to the world, my gut told me a time of great personal change was in the road ahead. Hoshi surprised me with her next words.

“I feel the change, as well,” she said sadly, “and I do not know if it is for good or evil. I do not think we will meet again, yet I hope to see you once more, all the same.” I felt tears welling up in my throat, and I fought past them to speak.

“I hope you’re wrong, Hoshi, because I grieve if this is our last meeting. You’ve been a great friend to me.” We bowed deeply to each other, and I turned and walked down the dusty road without looking back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I eventually made my way to the south-eastern shores of Kyuushuu. Ryuu had finally quit with the exercises, insisting the only way to learn now was by experience. So, I ended up with plenty of on-the-job training by taking on pretty much anything and everything that crossed our path. I’m pretty sure I learned more in the last two months than I had all the last year. Our bond was to the point where summoning everything by hand was second nature, and calling up the dragons just took a swing of the blade because Ryuu could read my intentions as fast as I could think them.

Who’d’ve thought I’d be sitting by the Pacific in Feudal Japan, I thought as I gazed at the vista before me. We were stopped by the ocean to rest for a few days, and I took the opportunity to reflect on the last couple of years. I had to admit to being awed and humbled by the life I was living, even if the situation could be extremely trying at times. The major events I had experienced flitted through my mind, still as clear as the moment they happened. My arrival, realizing where I was, seeing Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha for the first time, taking control of Ryuu in Shimonoseki, the first time I controlled an Element, Sesshoumaru and his curse. They all had changed me in some way, for good or bad.

I smiled at that last thought, Yes, I do believe some of the changes were for the worse. My smile grew even bigger as I remembered my last face-off with Inuyasha. And my ego inflated so much I thought I could take on a 200 year old demon armed with one of the most powerful and unpredictable weapons in existence.

My smile faded as another, sobering thought popped into my mind, But I know better now, and there’s very little I can do to defend against either him or Sesshoumaru if they decide to fight again. I sighed and watched the sun set over the water as I took off my haori. I hope I can avoid them long enough to get home. As the first of the stars winked into sight, I rolled up in my outer garment and went to sleep.

The next morning, I was wandering through the lush, green forests that lined the coast and enjoying the quiet when Ryuu suddenly roared :Something approaches. Something with great power!: My stomach lurched into my throat, and I swept the area with both eyes and magic. Something was indeed coming, and at an insane speed. Even as I drew Ryuu, I knew the thing would be upon me, it was moving that fast. I cursed my complacency and prayed I had a chance.

All at once, several things happened; I drew, I realized what the thing was, and said thing materialized in front of me.

Sesshoumaru.

Before I could defend, or even cry out, he flashed right up to me and grabbed my throat. I could only stare into his yellow-gold eyes, fearful of what he might do. After several agonizing moments of silence, he spoke.

“This Sesshoumaru is amused by your pathetic attempt to hide from me,” he
said, “I have been watching you since you hid yourself in that human village.”

“I hope they still walk in this world, demon,” I snarled, or more precisely, gurgled past his hand.

A slightly amused look flitted across the pale, perfect features before settling into the ever-present blank expression that was his trademark. I guessed he wasn’t too impressed with my implied threat, and I struggled a few seconds longer against his choke hold before he let me collapse to the brush-covered ground. I gingerly inspected my throat with my hand as I caught my breath and ran through a quick checklist.

Windpipe; check. Blood flow; still there. Limbs; attached. Brain activity; check. Enchanted weapon…

“GO!” I screamed as I unsheathed and swung my blade at the demon lord, unleashing all six Elements at the same time. Sesshoumaru flashed out of my eyesight to a point six feet to my right, neither moving forward or stepping back. Where a lesser being would have been prostrate with fear at the power and draconic forms on display, the being before me looked rather…bored.

“This is all you have, human?” he mocked, “A few tricks with a sword and you think this Sesshoumaru will turn tail and run.” I snorted at his choice of words as he took a step closer. I pointed the blade at him, hoping beyond hope to keep him from coming forward. His cold gaze turned thoughtful as he regarded my defiant stance.

“There could be a mutually beneficial arrangement made,” he said. Now I was confused. Where the hell was this confrontation going? “I know that useless servant of mine told you what happens every two moon cycles,” Sesshoumaru continued, “Only a human mate will break the curse. You bind yourself to me and the old miko is defeated.”

O h, shit! Anything but this!

“You said ‘mutually beneficial’”, I managed to say calmly, “and yet, only you seem to benefit from any arrangement you have in mind.”

His face and gaze became even colder as he simply stated, “I can offer protection.”

“Protection from what? I have enough firepower to level the entire planet if need be.”

He raised an eyebrow at that. I half-expected his face to crack, yet he didn‘t explain his last statement. The cold claws of dread began creeping into my stomach. Something was going on, and the feeling of premonition I had before I left the village washed over me as he said, “I will take you by force, woman, if you do not come willingly. Either way, I will end this curse.”

“Only if you defeat me first!” spilled out of my mouth before I could stop it. Now the Taiyoukai just looked pissed off, and I wondered if he was close to his next human phase, since it was very rare to see this much emotion on the battlefield.

“You dare to challenge this Sesshoumaru?”

“Yeah, I do, so bring it on!” But even as I put out the challenge, my heart sank as Kenichi’s words came to mind, “You have the power to stand up to him, then? You can rebuff him at every turn? Even if he, the Taiyoukai of the West, were determined to take you by force?”

Maybe not, Sensei, I thought grimly to the man who never did make it back to see me off, But I can still put up one hell of a fight!

“What are the terms of this useless…duel?”

I swallowed nervously as I pondered the terms that would be in my favour. Sesshoumaru picked up on my fear and hesitation, and smirked in response as the unspoken truth pounded through my head, I can’t beat him. I can barely control my own power, and yet I hope to overcome his. He knew it when I showed Hoshi Ryuu that day in the clearing. It was like an A-bomb going off for every demon on the islands.

“If you win,” I began, “I go with you and bind myself.” He simply gave me his characteristic stare.

“Should I win, you will leave me alone for the rest of my life,” I firmly stated, “And you will not approach me for any reason.” He smirked again. I could effortlessly read his eyes. Easy win, his gaze said. I’d had enough beating around the bush.

I swung.

The natural state of being around us erupted into chaos as I let Ryuu out of their restraints. Earth, Shadow, and Fire surrounded me to form a barrier. Sesshoumaru pulled out Bakusaiga and stabbed into Fire, the closest of the three. I felt a sudden searing pain in my torso, a tearing sensation that made me wish for oblivion to end the horrible throbbing as I screamed in agony and terrible revelation. My opponent jerked back in surprise, taking the blade with him. He hadn’t expected this any more than I had, yet I knew what it was an instant after he had struck. I was so tightly bound to the soul of my blade, their pain was my pain; their death, my death. And because Bakusaiga disintegrated anything it attacked, trying to destroy my Fire was like using it on me. Sesshoumaru stared at us for only a second before exchanging Bakusaiga for Tenseiga.

“Changing…strategy?” I asked as I gasped painfully for breath, “Makes…my life…easier.” My opponent eyed me disdainfully.

“If my objective was to take your life, you would be dead,” he stated, “A dead woman will not give me pups.”

His words made me cringe, and he moved towards me, his burnished eyes bright with intent, which only goaded me into action. I quickly retreated and kept my sword in front at the ready. The Summoned writhed around us as Ryuu and I tried to come up with a strategy.

:What if I simply bring all of you out? At least I’ll have everyone at hand to battle with. Or maybe…: I broke off as a thought flashed through my mind, :Why are you agreeing to this battle, Ryuu?:

:Technically, you did not start battle. Must fight for self, although demon has point.:

I sighed, irritated. :I think Hoshi and Kenichi were right about you. You are inconsistent.:

Now it was their turn to let out an irritated sigh. :Will deal with lies later. Must finish challenge.:

:At least we agree on something: I said as I came back to the situation and realized Sesshoumaru had moved to stand directly in front of me, so that all I could see was the top of his breastplate and part of his kimono. He was that close and I hadn‘t sensed it.

I jolted back impossibly fast, boosted by my now-superhuman reflexes as Ryuu poured their power into my body. Sesshoumaru was right there with me the whole time as I dodged backwards and side-to-side, never raising Tenseiga and looking incredibly bored. When I made no move to attack, he began to appear somewhat irritated.

“I will end this now,” Sesshoumaru said, and anticiapted my latest movement and intercepted me, causing me to smack right into him. Looking into his eyes, I saw that he had been biding his time and toying with me. I knew if I wanted to have even the smallest chance of getting out of this intact, I had to make for the forest behind him. I quickly manoeuvred until I had the ocean at my back and the Taiyoukai ten feet in front of me. I swung across my body as my feet entered the water and called a Water Serpent fifty feet long out of the ocean just as Sesshoumaru flew up. I used the water as a diversion to let me get past him, and made it within twenty feet of the forest before he blocked off my escape route.

“I grow weary of these games,” he growled as he took a step towards me, “I will have you.”

“Since when does a lowly human woman irritate a powerful demon swinging a big sword?” I mocked, “If I didn’t know better, I would think you were desperate to have a human mate and half-breed pups.” I smirked. “Are you having a mid-life crisis?”

The response I got nearly brought me to my knees in surprise, never mind dismay. He suddenly lost all pretence of control and gathered as much youki as he could, possibly to counteract anything I had in mind. The power surrounding him whipped his hair and clothing around his body. The closer he came, the more it physically and psychologically pounded into me. I had trouble breathing and concentrating from the extreme pressure. A surge of power came from me so abruptly, even the super-charged demon lord was startled. The very air came to life with electricity as a crash of thunder surrounded us and shoved me into the forest so fast that I was half a mile in before I knew what had happened. I lay on the ground, stunned and half deafened by the event .

:Get up!: Ryuu cried, :Before he gets here! Quickly!: I had never heard Ryuu so panicked, and it set my own fears in motion. I stood up as fast as I could and made for the deeper part of the woods. The stumbling walk through the trees was eerily silent, as though everything in the area was holding its collective breath. I felt an aura growing behind me, and I broke into a run, desperate to find some way out of this situation my idiocy had gotten me into. As the aura rapidly grew, I grabbed the lower branches of a nearby tree and hauled myself up into the concealing leaves of the upper branches.

Stupid, I thought as Sesshoumaru approached, As if a few leaves will keep him from finding me. I may as well put up a sign saying “Here I am!” He stopped in the small clearing next to my hiding place and looked straight at where I was.

“Surely, you can do better than cowering in that tree like a common cat,“ he said as he walked to the base of the tree, “I seem to have underestimated your strength.”

“I’m not exactly trying to court your good opinion, Sesshoumaru,” I responded caustically, “I have no intention of spending the rest of my life with such an emotionally constipated bastard like you.” I thought I saw a flicker of confusion cross his face. He didn’t seem to completely understand my statement, although he caught main point. A look of anger flitted over his cold features as he jumped onto the branches just below mine, so I summoned Wind to get me to the next tree. He followed me there, so I jumped again…and again. We continued our game of ‘Cat and Mouse’ for several hundred yards before he got fed up and plowed right into me, forcing both of us to the ground.

I swung as I hit the forest floor with my back and forced him to get off of me, or risk having his arm cut off. He came in and swung, which I just barely managed to parry because of my sudden impact with the ground. One moment he was just off to my right, and then he appeared in front of me, my sword arm in his left hand and swinging his right to bring Tenseiga to my neck.

“You…will…YIELD!” he shouted, eyes glowing with anger and determination.

“I REFUSE!” I screamed at him and Summoned all the Elements at once and hurled them just as Tenseiga came within a hair’s breadth of my neck. While he was surrounded by the dragons, I made my way deeper into the forest. As soon as I stopped, I recalled the Elements to the sword.

With the blade just above the ground, and perpendicular to it, in front of me, I held the hilt in my left hand and placed my right hand on the butt of the handle. I closed my eyes and concentrated on absorbing Ryuu into my body. A bright flash and tingling in my hands were the only indicators of what had happened. The chains embedded themselves almost instantly as I opened my eyes, a warning of how urgently Ryuu wanted to be ready for Sesshoumaru. I turned to face the direction I felt my opponent approaching from. He arrived moments later and stopped about ten feet away, before glancing around to take stock of the situation. He immediately noticed that I was defenceless.

“So,” he said, “Your weapon has abandon you. Even it knew it was futile to resist me.” I rolled my eyes as We are the Borg. Resistance is futile… ran in my head. I opted to not say anything, since the humour of the situation would have been wasted on my opponent.

He saw my somewhat distracted expression and came closer. I straight away took several steps back into the deeper shade of the trees. He kept stalking towards me, so I backed up as fast as I could. As soon as I hit the deep shade, I drew what darkness was around into me and disassembled my body until it became a dark haze and began blending in with the shade. Sesshoumaru froze in astonishment only for a split second, but it was enough time to become the dark pools of shadows and get beyond his reach. He walked to where I had been and peered around, trying to find my hiding place.

From my vantage point of some shadowy patches several feet above him, I could see he was furious with this latest turn of events. I had just eluded him, the great Taiyoukai, for the second time. He started slashing at the shade with Tenseiga, as if he could draw me out. When that didn’t work after several minutes of activity, he stood absolutely still with his head tilted up, and closed his eyes. He slowly turned until he was facing the tree I was in.

Shit! I thought in alarm, He can sense me, even when I exist as an Element. I can’t hide! He opened his golden eyes and pinned me down with his stare. I saw the triumph in his gaze and knew that he knew that I knew I couldn’t get away from him. He jumped at me, and I changed to Air and raced for the clouds, but my inexperience with the process kept me solid and made it easy for him to grab me and pull me down.

As we fell to the earth for a second time, I asked Earth to reach up and catch me as Shadow began forming around me again. Sesshoumaru anticipated me and kept a firm hold on my arm even as I began to disassemble. I became so fed up that I shot Fire and Air at him point blank. I had never controlled so many Elements at once without the sword, and I was beginning to feel the strain and lack of training, but continued to defy my captor.

By the time we were about twenty feet above the trees, I lost control of everything and practically collapsed when we touched down. The demon lord let go of my arm, and I took off like a shot, hoping to get away long enough. I could feel him right behind me the whole time, and turned around to give him a shot of Earth, Fire, and Air, with a healthy dose of Darkness, to put him off. I drew Darkness around me to hide for a moment. I quickly returned Ryuu into the sword and dispersed the shadows. As I figured, Sesshoumaru was right there, knowing what I was up to.

I rushed at him while I called the Elements to my aid. He swiftly shifted to the side as I directed a three prong attack at him while giving a two-prong assault from above and below. He easily sidestepped the dragons and ran up to me as I threw Fire across his path. My frustration and anger with the situation put some bite into the flames and Sesshoumaru hesitated to cross the draconic inferno. I spun around and charged for the taller trees I had seen from the sky in the hopes of making good my escape by flying. I jumped with a boost of Air and reached for the highest branches just as Fire died out from my lack of focus. I felt the demonic aura a second before he threw me to the ground.             &nb sp;

The fall knocked the breath out of me and stunned every nerve in my body. I almost lost consciousness as stars burst before my eyes. When I regained my senses, the object swimming around in my vision resolved itself. It was Sesshoumaru standing over me and holding Tenseiga to my neck.

“You were predictable and untrained,” he began, “However, you were also resourceful and determined. These traits are needed to be my mate.” He shifted the blade slightly, pressing it into my neck a little harder and continued, “You are unable to fight any longer. Our duel is at an end.” I drew a breath to respond and ended up coughing violently. I knew the truth in his words. I could barely move, let alone concentrate to wield my magic.

I had lost.

“I yield,” I rasped tiredly in defeat.

He sheathed Tenseiga and gathered me up in his arms to begin the journey home.

I was now the mate of Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai of the West.



Converting /tmp/phptpalqH to /dev/stdout