InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Centre ❯ Big Trouble ( Chapter 32 )

Chapter 31: Big Trouble

"No," Sesshoumaru said, his face void of expression. Rin looked up at him, her eyes widening.

"But Sess," Rin began. Angry golden eyes flashed at her and she gave an audible gulp. She'd never once feared him, but when those eyes focused on her she knew she was on thin ice. Some things even she could not ask of him.

"Go," Kagome said quietly, her eyes never leaving the tree.

"Kagome-" Rin began, but the younger girl stopped her.

"He would not have left me. I'm not leaving this garden without him."

"Then you are a fool," Sesshoumaru commented and turned away. Rin looked torn between the two. On one hand the youkai she loved was going off to kill Naraku. On the other hand, her closest female friend was alone and unprotected in Naraku's garden, vulnerable to horrors only Naraku and divine beings would know of.

"Rin," Kagome whispered. "Just go."

Rin nodded, trembling a little as she turned and sprinted to catch up with Sesshoumaru. The youkai didn't so much as glance as she neared, but his steps slowed ever so slightly to allow her shorter legs to keep up. Rin gave Kagome one last mournful glance, understanding in her eyes. She knew she would be in Kagome's place if it were Sesshoumaru pinned to the tree. But she also knew someone had to go after Naraku.

`Dammit!' Rin thought while cracking her knuckles. `Fucking rock and a hard place. I'm gonna kick Naraku just for letting that miko bitch pin Inuyasha to the tree. Fucking asshole just enjoys watching people suffer like a god damn soap opera. The shithead should just get a damn tv!'

"Rin," Sesshoumaru said, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Hm?"

"You're being too noisy." Rin blushed and dropped her hands. `And damn Sesshoumaru for being such a know-it-all.'

****

Kagome stopped as she came before the big tree, uncertain if what she was about to accomplish would actually work. Well, it had worked to get him out of the trance with Kikyou. What did she have to lose?

"When mom said love was painful I don't think this is what she had in mind," Kagome muttered to herself.

"Sis, you ok?" Souta's voice asked and Kagome jumped. She'd completely forgotten about her brother. She smiled weakly to herself. Well…at least she wasn't alone.

"Yeah…" Kagome said. "I'm going to try to wake Inuyasha up. I'll be vulnerable though so let me know if any youkai are coming."

"Not a problem," Souta said. "Just…be careful." Kagome cracked a full blown smile.

"Aww, is my wittle brother worried about his big sister?" she teased.

"Hell yeah! You die and I'll be the sole heir to the Shrine. I hate tourists! And Jiichan will make me wear those funny pants!" Kagome giggled. She heard another giggle through the radio, probably Shiori and Shippou.

"Ok, here goes nothing. When he wakes up I'm going to beat him for ever marking me. Damn thing is more trouble than it's worth," she joked.

"Men always are," Shiori commented over the radio.

"HEY!" Souta protested.

"Kids, shut it. I'm trying to concentrate," Kagome said as one of her eyebrows began to tick. She steadied her breath, closed her eyes and tried to just feel.

Her power was what most described as pure. Untainted by ambition, violence or hate. It was why she could not hate Kikyou…even after the woman had tried to kill her. Or Kouga, even though he'd marked her against her will. Her heart was too forgiving. It was why Inuyasha had been able to worm his way into her heart. Why she was still loyal even though his heart belonged to another.

Why a simple touch would kill a youkai. Youkai were all ambition, violence and hate. Some contained it better than others, but the deep instinct was there. It was why a pissed off demon was dangerous. Anger made them loose control over their instincts.

And her touch purified all of that.

The mark upon her shoulder was a demon mark, a taint upon her body. Amazingly her body seemed to accept it…unless she consciously rejected it. Why it had rejected more strongly to Kouga's was beyond her. She could only assume it had something to do with being nonconsensual. Or maybe it had to do with the fact Inuyasha was only half demon. Only half tainted.

Strange thing was she never thought of his youkai side being a taint.

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Souta looked down at the monitor, rubbing his eyes lightly. Staring at a computer screen wasn't good for your eyes, but when your sister's life was on the line you really didn't give a shit about that crap.

"What's she gonna do?" Shiori asked, handing him a drink from the mini fridge.

"I think she'd going to try and wake him up by purifying the mark. At the rate she's going she'll purify it before he wakes up and then she'll have no connection left."

"Why didn't Sesshoumaru help?"

"I think they don't get along," Souta said. "Like extreme sibling rivalry. Sesshoumaru has tried to kill Inuyasha on several occasions. He probably sees this as an advantage."

"Oh," Shiori said softly, sniffling a little. Souta looked back at her, concern flickering across his face.

"Shit, don't cry!" he gasped. "I'm sorry! I'm sure Inuyasha will be fine! He always comes out in the end!" Shiori nodded, but the tears kept falling. "Dammit, please stop crying. Here, have a tissue. Shippou, can you-"

"What's this?" Shippou asked, pointing to the monitor. An unidentified youkai was moving toward the garden. Fast.

"Fuck!" Souta swore.

"You should stop hanging around Inuyasha," Shippou commented.

"Shut up," Souta snapped, grabbing the radio. "SIS! SNAP OUT OF IT! DANGEROUS YOUKAI COMING AT YOU FAST!"

*****

Kagome immediately snapped out of her daze as her brother's words rang in her ears. Her eyes fuzzed a bit as she tried to get her bearings. She looked up at the tree, hoping beyond hope she'd had some effect. Inuyasha didn't twitch. The mark on her shoulder was almost gone, the pain lessening as it disappeared. This wasn't working.

"SIS! GET OUT OF THERE!" Souta screamed. "WHATEVER IT IS IT'S HUGE AND FAST."

"I can't leave Inuyasha unguarded," she said, standing. "What direction?"

"South, no, east, no, hell, it's coming straight at you!"

"How far away are Sango and Miroku?"

"No far," he replied. "Sis, Inuyasha has a seal on him, he'll be fine. Get out of there!"

"Call Sango and Miroku. I'm not leaving him!" she said, ripping the radio from her ear. She placed herself in front of Inuyasha's unmoving form, pulling an arrow from the quiver. The bow was practically humming as she notched the arrow, her eyes flicking back and forth across the area. Where was this demon?

The air around her shifted, changing direction. What was once a light breeze turned into a blast of forceful wind. An evil wind. She shivered lightly, but stood her ground. Whatever it was, the only way it would get to Inuyasha was over her dead body!

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"Kohaku, how well do you know this place?" Sango asked.

"Consciously? Not well at all. I usually don't move unless controlled," the boy said bitterly. A hand settled on his shoulder and he looked up. The monk smiled down at him.

"You're not the only one who has suffered under that thing," he said gently. Kohaku barely knew this man, but immediately warmed to him. There was something that was just….fatherly about him. Fatherly…like Father used to be.

"Sango, Miroku, do you copy?" Souta's frantic voice came over the radio. Sango jumped, startled.

"Yeah, what's got your pants in a bind?" Miroku asked.

"Kagome's in trouble! She's in the garden!"

"Kagome?" Sango asked. "Isn't Inuyasha with her?"

"He got nailed to a tree by his dead girlfriend. Don't ask. Just get your asses to that damn garden!"

"The garden?" Kohaku repeated. "I know where that is! Follow me!"

Miroku gave Sango a supportive arm as she picked up Hiraikotsu, stumbling after the boy.

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The air suddenly stilled, a hush falling upon the garden in deadly silence. Kagome's back stiffened as she felt unnatural eyes watching her, but she couldn't see anything.

`Don't fire until you see a target,' she told herself. `No use wasting arrows.'

A dark laugh filled the garden. Kagome strained to try and find the youkai it was coming from, her heart beating faster as fear took hold of her.

"That's right, little miko," the voice growled. "Fear me."

`I am not afraid,' she told herself. `Inuyasha would not be afraid. I will not be afraid.'

"But you are afraid," the voice chuckled. Kagome frowned. She hadn't said anything….how had he…?

"That's right, little miko. I can read your thoughts. Your little hanyou can't save you now."

He stepped from the shadows, suddenly appearing in front of her with a dark, sadistic grin. He was huge, two large horns bend back from his head, large, evil eyes glaring down at her as he gave her a grin that showed a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. He was the stuff of nightmares….a horror brought to life. Kagome had never seen anything so terrifying in her entire life. She desperately pulled the bow string back, letting loose the arrow.

Midoriko's bow twanged as the arrow released in a ball of light, flying straight toward the towering demon.

The demon threw back his head and laughed, dodging to the side with impossible speed as the arrow sliced through the area he'd once occupied. Kagome's eyes widened in shock. How the hell was she supposed to purify him? If he got his hands on her she'd probably die before she could completely do it with her hands. Purification by hand was something she was not as good at. She quickly pulled out another arrow, drawing the bow back farther, hoping for more speed.

"Fool," the demon snarled and backhanded her, sending her sprawling across the grass. Something under her snapped. Kagome groaned, picking herself up as quickly as she could. She pulled another arrow out and lifted the bow.

Midoriko's bow was snapped in half, hanging limply by the bow string on either end. Kagome's jaw dropped in disbelief. She'd broken the sacred bow? SHIT!

"So your little bow is broken? Now what will you do little miko? Run? Beg?"

Kagome's eyes flickered to Inuyasha. And to the sword at his hip. `Tetsusaiga,' she thought.

"Tetsusaiga?" the demon mused, slightly confused. Whatever that was he did not like the way she was eyeing the sealed hanyou. Before she could move toward the tree he stepped between her and it, raising a clawed hand. "Shouldn't spend so much time thinking, little miko. Wastes time and I can hear you."

Kagome's mouth went dry. There was no way she could get past him, nothing she could do. She was totally helpless.

`Someone…..HELP!'

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Darkness surrounded his senses…a dull pain in his chest contracting with every breath he tried to take. His very soul was bound, a powerful vice-like grip squeezing every nerve in his body. He couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't feel.

`Am I dead?' Inuyasha thought. No one answered. He couldn't hear or feel anything, not even his own heartbeat.

`Kagome,' he thought. `What will become of her? Who'll protect her? Who'll make sure dumb ass men don't take advantage of her?'

Who would be there to wipe her tears away when all this was over?

Anger welled up inside of him, his youkai side struggling with the bonds that shackled his soul. It was a losing battle from the start and he knew it…but that didn't stop him from trying.

`Kagome,' he thought, his mind finally giving up. `I'm sorry.' If he could have felt his head he would have hung it in shame. It was the final blow…to not be able to protect the ones he loved. First Kikyou…now Kagome.

"Someone….. HELP!"

Inuyasha's conscious immediately perked up as the desperate plea rang through him. It was a powerful plea; coming from someone facing death with no other option but a frantic and powerful tug toward anyone and anything. The power hit him like a shock wave, sending pulses through him that awakened his senses and began pumping his heart. He could feel….it was slowly coming back. He reveled in it, the youkai side of him clawing at the invisible binding that kept his mind locked away. A barrier stood before him, a mental block that kept him from opening his eyes. Something deep within him doubled in strength, drawing unknown power from somewhere….struggling to break that barrier no matter what the cost.

And ever so slightly…the vice-like grip upon his conscious began to slip.

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Yeah, so this one was a little short, sorry! Yeah, yeah, another cliffy I know. But then you eagerly await the next chapter….ah, the method to my madness. Anyway, little clarification for some people here. When Inuyasha marked Kagome Kouga's mark disappeared. Thus she only has one mark on her. Also, some people thought Sesshoumaru is a bit too cold. Dude, I'm sticking to the manga and anime. He's never the nicest guy. Sure, he cares about Rin, but no, there will be no brotherly bonding. Sometimes people do not reconcile. Funny huh since Rin and Kagome are pretty close….

Anyway, thank you all for the lovely reviews. Krystal and Hououza have repeatedly reviewed, each time with encouraging words! Thanks you two! (I'm sure others have too, those two were just the ones that came to mind immediately) I'm glad you all are enjoying the story so much.

On that note, I already have another idea for another story, but won't start it until this one is done. Writing stories simultaneously is a pain….my poor head starts to spin keeping it all straight. Bad enough I have to reread what I've written sometimes just to remember what the hell I've said! Pretty bad huh?

Jya, thanks again for the reviews and lovely support! I hope to get many many more reviews as I finish this story up…no worries, there will be quite a few chapters to follow, the end is not that close. Past halfway, yes, but the light at the end of the tunnel is still a bit of a ways off.

If anyone is curious about the next fic idea let me know, I could include a teaser summary in the next chapter.