InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Centre ❯ Teamwork ( Chapter 28 )

Sorry it took me a bit. First tons of work (only one week left) then mediaminer didn't want to let me on. The things I do for my art…..

FYI: According to the info book I have (which is in Japanese, authored by Rumiko Takahashi) Jyakotsu is a guy. All of the people of that troupe are guys. I don't know what they translated in the anime…I watch it in Japanese. So unless there is some huge mix-up in Japan….I'm pretty sure he is 100% male…at least physically. Mentally, well that's a whole nother ballpark.

Guess what…another lemon warning. Slightly violent too, but not rape. Just…vigorous.

Chapter 27: Teamwork

"And just why are you convinced you'll die?" Inuyasha asked the small bat hanyou.

"I…don't know," she admitted quietly. "Grandfather said so."

"Do you really want to risk it, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. Behind her Sesshoumaru gave a low growl. Inuyasha looked at his brother in surprise.

"You sure?" the hanyou asked the demon, obviously well versed in growlese. "She's a hanyou….remember? You hate us." Sesshoumaru gave another growl and Inuyasha suddenly looked very indignant. "What do you mean just me?!"

"Inuyasha," Miroku interjected, bringing his holy staff on top of the hanyou's head with a satisfying thud. "Stop fighting and translate. We haven't got all day."

"He said if she dies, he'll bring her back to life."

Shiori's eyes widened. The great inu-youkai before her had that kind of power over life and death? Just who were these people? A warm hand up her shoulder caused her to turn. The woman named Kagome smiled down.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you," she said. Shiori could feel the strength of this woman radiate off her in waves, soothing and calming her. This woman was a miko. A very powerful miko. And yet she was teamed with youkai? Something about her…. was so easy to trust.

Shiori gave a slow nod, unable to say anything. If she died….would it hurt? Would she even know?

Inuyasha brought the sword before him, both hands wrapped around the hilt. To the normal eyes he just stood there, but to others they could see coils of energy twisting around the blade, strengthening it. In one mighty swing Inuyasha raised the sword above his head and brought it crashing down upon the globe. A clap of silent thunder reverberated around them. Then silence.

Shiori exhaled a sigh of relief.

A dark chuckle broke their momentary happiness. Shiori gave a horrified scream as the face of her grandfather appeared in the cracked orb.

"I warned you child. This barrier holds you life." Inuyasha cursed, slamming Tetsusaiga back down upon the crack, wedging it in as he pressed down. The old bat laughed. "You may have killed me, but I won't go without my granddaughter!"

A great surge of power burst out, heading straight for Shiori and Kagome. The miko quickly shielded the hanyou girl with her body, praying her own barrier would be enough against the old youkai's hatred.

"Kagome!" she heard Inuyasha bellow as the power wrapped around the weaker barrier, tearing through it like rice paper. Kagome closed her eyes to the certain death.

A warmth suddenly surrounded her, causing Kagome to look up. The glow around them dissipated and a tall, handsome man…no, youkai, looked down upon them. His eyes shone with intense love. He radiated acceptance and trust. Kagome could not help but feel like turning into a puddle of mush as she watched him approach.

`That has to be the most gorgeous male I've ever seen,' Kagome thought. `He makes Sesshoumaru looked unrefined and uncivilized.'

The youkai stopped and looked down at Shiori, smiling with a smile that made him ten million times more dazzling than before. Kagome's knees began to feel a little weak. He reached out a hand and layed it upon the girl's head in obvious approval. Shiori smiled back, recognition in her eyes.

Then he was gone, leaving Kagome blinking uncertainly. Inuyasha was calling her name, concerned, while Tetsusaiga was buried in the ground with the orb in two halves around it.

"Who was that?" Sango asked, a little breathless. Miroku's head snapped to look at her in disbelief. "He was…."

"To die for," Kagome sighed happily and both women got a strange dreamy look on their faces. Miroku and Inuyasha were not amused.

"That was my dad," Shiori said brightly. "He died when I was 10."

"That…was…a ghost?" Kagome said with a shiver.

"What he must have been like in the flesh," Sango cooed in an almost seductive voice. "I'd jump him any day." Miroku's jaw dropped, shock plainly written across his face. His woman wanted a specter over him? The remnants of his ego floated away in the gentle breeze.

"Stop mooning over the dead guy," Inuyasha snapped, wrapping an arm around Kagome's waist to remind her he was living and she was still bound to him. "Let's go."

"What about Shiori?" Miroku asked, waving a hand in front of Sango's far off expression. The exterminator didn't even blink.

"I got her," a small voice piped up. Everyone startled as they looked down. Shippou innocently blinked back at them.

"When did you get here runt?" Inuyasha asked.

"Souta sent me," he explained, talking to the angry Hanyou like he was a small child. "She'll be safe with us."

"You and what mode of transportation?" he asked, looking between the small fox and the hanyou three times his size.

Inuyasha received no answer as Shiori stretched and a pair of leathery wings sprouted from her back. Shippou made the mistake of looking incredibly smug. He got a few hits on the head for it too.

"Oi, how come you didn't pull that neat little trick while you were falling?" Inuyasha asked. "Could have saved me the trouble."

"Inuyasha," Kagome scolded, a gently finger grasping his ear and tugging lightly. The Hanyou growled in annoyance but bit his tongue.

"You all go on ahead," Souta's voice came over the radio. Inuyasha's ears twitched, picking up the message from Kagome's head set. "Oh, and Inuyasha?"

"What?" the Hanyou said grumpily, giving his woman a glare for the indignity she was causing.

"You were way cool!"

"Uh…thanks." Somehow, coming from Souta, it wasn't really what he wanted to hear. The only one he wanted praise from was mooning over a dead youkai and holding him by the ear like an insolent school boy. Kagome still had a slight blush on her cheeks and a far away look when she wasn't focused on something. How come he couldn't get that sort of reaction out of his bitch? Goodness knows she did it to him often enough.

Kagome waved enthusiastically as Shippou and Shiori took off…..until she heard a sickening crunch. They turned to look behind them. Sesshoumaru had the remnants of a human's skull in his jaws. The body, now headless, its collar having fallen off the neck, was all bone. No flesh, blood or anything else remained.

"I told you Naraku lied, brother," the remaining brother hissed to Bankotsu. "We're only immortal as long as these stupid things are around our necks!" The man was cut off, his face twisted into a horrible scream as acid filled jaws ripped his head from his body, turning him to a naked skeleton that instantly crumbled under the weight of the demon standing on it.

"I feel sick," Kagome said, her shoulders shaking as she buried her face in Inuyasha's chest. He felt a surge of pride that she took comfort in him….and a surge of anger for his brother doing such disgusting things in front of his bitch.

Sango gasped, but her realization was too late. Sesshoumaru roared in pain and backed off Bankotsu who was still holding that incredibly large sword of his. Blood dripped down Sesshoumaru's leg and the dog demon snarled, acid dripping from his jaws. Before he could snap at the human a foul wind blew in their faces, causing even Sesshoumaru to back away from it.

Kagura dropped low enough that Bankotsu was able to struggle on board, his legs virtually useless. In the blink of an eye they floated upward, back into the safety of the castle.

"Cheater," Miroku miffed.

"Now there's no barrier, we'll go kick his ass again!" Inuyasha said. "Oi, Sesshoumaru! I don't think you'll fit through the gate!"

"Why is that?" a calm voice asked, directly behind him. The hairs on his neck stood on end as Inuyasha jumped to the side a bit, startled that his brother had gotten so close, so fast, and was in human form already. Inuyasha bit back a swear and aimed his sword at the gates.

The blade began to glow a deep red.

*************************************************************** *********

"Oi! Kouga!" Ginta called out. "Slow down!"

The wolf prince slid to a stop, looking back at his exhausted pack. Pathetic really. All those years being collared had done nothing for their stamina or physique. He'd have to whip them back into shape.

"Stop whining. Those human guards are dead aren't they? We have to kill Naraku before dog-turd so we can kill him and take Kagome home." Kouga finished his little speech with a pose as his fellow wolves struggled to catch their breath.

"Right, but-" Ginta started but Kouga was already off again. "What if she doesn't want to go with you?" the poor wolf finished, picking up his heavy feet to follow his leader.

Kouga's nose worked furiously as he raced down the corridors. There was no smell here. Nothing. Not even his own. Whatever tricks Naraku had, keeping youkai noses useless was a neat one. He could only hope that by killing Naraku the smells would return. Otherwise….how the hell would he find his way out of here?

Kouga slid to a stop at another dead end. This one, however, had a door. Ginta and the others nearly ran into him as they stopped behind him. Kouga's ear strained to hear. Something was moving on the other side of that door. Moving cautiously.

"Cover me," Kouga said as he approached the door. Twisting the knob slowly it opened easily. The wolves behind him tensed, ready for action. Kouga yanked the door back, ready to pounce on whoever was there.

A very startled, wet and naked wolf princess looked back at the tribe who had just stumbled into her bathing chamber. Suddenly the quiet corridors were filled with high pitched screams.

Kouga cursed, jumping across various bath items to jump into the bath, his arms wrapping around the slender female.

"Shut up woman!" he snarled. "We're not here to harm you. We're looking for Naraku." Something about her smelled vaguely familiar.

"Kouga?" she asked tentatively. He frowned. Did he know her?

"Princess….Ayumi," Ginta said, still huffing for air.

"Ayame, you idiot!" she snarled and began squirming in the prince's arms. "I demand you let me go!" Kouga raised an eyebrow. She obviously did not realize that him holding her was shielding her naked body from everyone's gaze. Growling low he held her closer, his mouth pressed close to her ear.

"Wait til they leave," he whispered. A shiver ran down her spine as she immediately stopped moving. Between his warm arms, the fur caressing her bottom and the tickling warmth of his breath on her ear, Ayame was remembering that she had not yet found a mate….and this one was not only virile, he was of the right blood and class. In a word, perfect.

"Out," he snarled at the pack over his shoulder. The wolves moved with great reluctance stemming from exhaustion and the fact that one hot wolf bitch was standing on the other side of their leader, naked as the day she was born. Ginta bowed respectfully as he closed the door behind them. Only then did Kouga release her.

And unlike many other men, he looked directly into her face, his gaze not once straying downward.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I got collared, you idiot," she pointed out, a clawed finger pointing to the collar around her neck. "How come you haven't got one on?"

"I escaped," he said, not caring to elaborate. "Let's get out of here." He grabbed her hand, only she pulled back, her wet hand slipping which unbalanced them both and sent them sprawling into opposite corners of the bath. Kouga came up sputtering.

"What'd ya do that for?"

"I'm naked. Or did you forget?" she asked, standing with her hands on her hips. That was when he truly looked at her. From head to toes and back up again he looked at her.

The last time he'd seen her she was five, the size of that Shippou brat, with red pigtails. The pigtails were still there….but everything else was so much….curvier. Her arms crossed under her breasts weren't helping either. He felt blood pound in his ears.

The heat of the bath. That had to be the reason for his reaction…right?

"Glad you approve," Ayame purred, wading in the water toward him. Kouga was still sitting on the far end, a slightly stupefied expression upon his face. She stopped just over him, then dropped to her knees so she was straddling his lap. There was definitely one part of Kouga that GREATLY appreciated her. "So how do you get these collars off, mate?" she asked, wrapping her arms around him. Her lips brushed his, slowly increasing their firmness as she pressed against him.

Kouga snarled, brought back to harsh reality when a sharp pain shot up his shoulder. Ayame looked up, a smirk upon her face. She certainly was smug about what she'd just done without his permission.

The damn bitch marked him. HIM! Kouga's blue eyes flashed in anger. How DARE she presume to have any sort of hold over him.

Now every man, and demon, has an invisible line where the cognitive thought shuts down completely because there is only enough blood in the body to run one important organ. Kouga had long since crossed his. It wasn't everyday you stumbled across a naked wolf female begging for a fuck.

Soft, velvety fingers brushed across the mark, sending waves of pleasure down his spine. His growl changed, although a bit of anger was still there. Ayame's face flushed in excitement. Here was a mate who would match her! No more submissive fools whimpering at her feet!

Kouga's mouth crashed down upon hers, forcing a squeak of surprise as their roles were reversed. He flipped her, pressing her back against the side of the bath in terrifying strength. A human might have been scared, frightened to death probably. But Ayame was more turned on, her body temperature rising as solid muscled arms forced her down. His kiss was less than gentle, bruising her lips so much she could taste blood. She in turn bit his, earning another growl as he fought her for dominance. Just as she was getting used to the hard tile bruising her back he flipped her again, her stomach pressed against it. Claws raked her skin as they moved to settle on the sides of her thighs.

Ayame had no idea when he'd pulled off his armor, but his arms soon moved to pull her legs farther apart. She squirmed, trying to get him to slow down a bit. Kouga seemed heedless until she let out a terrified whine. THAT got through to him. Dark blue eyes laced with lust and energy locked onto hers as she looked back at him. She didn't say a word, but her plea was evident enough. He paused and sniffed the air, confirming what his instinct was telling him.

Virgin.

Ayame relaxed as he pressed against her back, nuzzling her neck with nibbling kisses. Clawed fingers gently made their way southward, pausing only briefly before pushing into her. She let out a moan and pushed against his hand, her muscles clenching around his fingers. Kouga growled appreciatively, removing his fingers. His hands rested on her hips and she spread her legs farther, waiting for the inevitable.

Ayame frowned as he pushed in. This was NOT comfortable. It was tight, hard and painfully dry. She hadn't done this before, but she knew there was supposed to be a lot more lubrication and ease than she was getting. Kouga didn't even pause as he pushed all the way in, his hips giving a sharp jerk to settle all the way in her. Ayame was trapped between him and the tile, her muscles clenching frantically around the obstruction that was causing severe discomfort.

Kouga snarled as the bitch under him squirmed. He wasn't surprised. In her haste she'd forgotten the recent bath had effectively dried her out. It wasn't making his job any easier either and her squirming really didn't help. His arms steadied her as he ground his hips into her, gaining a light whimper. She quivered, but remained still.

`Note to self,' Ayame thought as she bit her lip. `Never do this in water again. Not fun.' At least he wasn't moving. Some wolves were a lot less considerate to their mates and would have pushed in and out until she was raw. Kouga only moved his hips, never really pulling out enough to hurt her going back in. And the light kisses he was placing on her neck were delightful. Just when the hell was he going to mark her?

Kouga shuddered as he released, grinding his hips against her one last time before pulling out.

Ayame was highly disappointed. No orgasm. No pleasure. No mark. She turned to snarl at him in her displeasure.

Only Kouga had the most blissful expression on his face as he leaned back in the bath. A light trail of blood disappeared in the warm waters, evidence of her inexperience and his roughness. All anger washed away. How could she fault him? Next time, she promised her self. Next time it would be so much better.

`Dammit, I don't think I can walk,' she thought to herself as she tried to stand. There was a dull throb between her legs. Kouga opened her eyes and noted her discomfort. He gave her a lazy smirk of self confidence.

"Don't give me that look!" she snapped. "This is YOUR fault!" She winced as she sat down and the smirk got wider.

"You'll get used to it bitch," he commented. Before she could answer the opposite door to the chamber opened.

*************************************************************** ******

"Did you have to destroy the gate?" Sango asked Inuyasha as they stepped around the remnants of the large gate.

"Shut up," the Hanyou mumbled. He nearly ran into the back of his brother as the youkai had stopped and was looking at something.

Three archways to be exact. Of course. Naraku couldn't be like normal people and have a foyer. This meant they'd have to split up.

"Rin is down there," Sesshoumaru said, his nose indicating the far left hallway.

"How can you tell?" Inuyasha asked, sniffing the air. "I can't smell a thing!"

"I do not need my nose to find her."

The demon was gone before anyone could reply. Kagome sided up to Inuyasha, her head shaking lightly.

"Doesn't work well with others, does he?" she asked.

"Keh! It'll be funny if he's wrong and we find her first. Come on Kagome," he said, pulling her toward the middle passage.

"Who said I'm going with you?" she asked. Inuyasha picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Whatcha gonna do about it?" he asked, smirking. Kagome kicked and hit his back as he made his way down the hallway.

"Put me DOWN! Now! Put me down or I'll purify you, you stupid puppy!" Kagome echoed. A light smack was heard and Kagome squealed, immediately starting to giggle.

"I do believe he just spanked her," Miroku said, a perverted grin on his face. "Would you like a spanking, love?"

Sango gave him a dead paned look, turned and made her way down the third passage, not bothering to wait for him.

"Sango, love, it was a joke!" he cried.

*******

"Please put me down?" Kagome asked nicely as they continued. Inuyasha stopped, setting her down lightly, but stole a quick kiss before letting her go. Kagome was grateful for the darkness of the hall. It hid the dark blush across her cheeks.

"Only cause you're taking up my sword arm," he teased.

"Like I'm heavy enough to burden you," she teased back. "Your sword probably weighs more than I do."

"Nah. You're both light as a feather. Although this thing fits in smaller spaces." He could almost hear the fumes coming out of her ears and wasn't too surprised when she smacked the side of his head.

"Baka," she mumbled.

Inuyasha's ears twitched. There was something on the other side of the door ahead on the right. He paused, an arm back to protect Kagome lest anything pop out. She squeezed acknowledgement and he heard an arrow notch on the bow string. He hoped she wouldn't have to use it. Very large holes tended to happen when she did. Like that target. He wondered how the school was going to explain the overnight destruction of one of their targets. Not only was it gone, a huge crater was left in its wake.

That was one powerful ass bow.

Inuyasha's claw curled around the door knob, pushing it open. Sword raised, lip snarling his eyes adjusted to the light. A girl shrieked.

Kouga was laying in a bathtub with a rather attractive wolf bitch on the side who was trying to cover herself up. Kouga looked back, giving Inuyasha a half hearted snarl. Hardly the reception he expected. The wolf bitch was grabbing some sort of clothing, pulling it on in haste. The room stank of sex….and male hormones. Not female, curiously. Inuyasha suppressed a grin of satisfaction in the fact that Kouga had not satisfied his bitch.

"What's going on?" Kagome asked as she stepped in from behind Inuyasha. Kouga visibly tensed. He was laying half naked in the tub, a woman off to the side rushing to pull on clothes and the woman looked embarrassed. Kagome put two and two together quite easily.

"Oh," was her comment. Inuyasha was disappointed. He had been expecting female hysterics. Oh well, less stress on his ears.