InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Old Switch-eroo ❯ The Return of an Enemy ( Chapter 9 )

All right, no excuses. I haven't updated this story because (drum roll) I hate it. I'm itching to click that tempting little `delete' button… but I didn't. I love you all too much to do that! So I'll finish it quickly and just get it out of my hair.

 

REMEMBER: When I say `Inuyasha' I mean Sesshoumaru is Inuyasha's body. When I say `Sesshoumaru' I mean Inuyasha in Sesshoumaru's body. So when I write `Sesshoumaru growled.' It's really Inuyasha in Sesshoumaru's body growling. Got it?

 

The Old Switcheroo

Chapter 9: The Return of an Enemy

 

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Inuyasha's eyes flickered open and he found himself staring right into the face of the young priestess Kagome. Relief washed over her face and she smiled softly. “Inuyasha! I'm glad you finally woke up… that demon put us all under some spell or something. I woke up just before the others,” She said practically radiating with warmth and love. It was then when Inuyasha became aware that she was clutching his left hand in her own. He snatched his hand away from her.

 

Kagome's face faltered. “Oh, I'm sorry Inuyasha…” Why was he so touchy lately?

 

Inuyasha almost retorted with something smart, but caught himself. He spoke as simply as he could and tried to make his voice sound less monotone. “Don't be sorry, Kagome. I'm just a bit out of it, I guess.”

 

She nodded, smiling again. “Sesshoumaru seems to be stirring.”

 

The sky was black, dusted with stars and moon perched in it's center. Light from the campfire jumped about bathing them in light one second and darkness the next. Everyone else seemed to be asleep…

 

Inuyasha watched as Sesshoumaru sat up dazed. The inu-youkai glanced about until he spotted Kagome leaning over Inuyasha. Jealously flashed across his narrow hues and his face twisted in anger. So Sesshoumaru thinks he can have my Kagome because he's in the good body now? Never!

 

Sesshoumaru stood and quickly closed the gap between himself and Kagome and Inuyasha. He glared down at them both. “Priestess, I need to speak to Inuyasha alone,” He commanded. Kagome nodded confused and went to occupy herself with setting up her sleeping back. Sesshoumaru knelt beside Inuyasha. “What the hell are you doing?”

 

“Doing my best to keep our secret hidden, little brother,” Inuyasha said flatly in a low voice.

 

“Keh! I know what you're doing. You're trying to take Kagome from me!”

 

“If I wanted to take your mate from you I would have done so all ready.”

 

“Bastard.”

 

“Half breed.”

 

“Inuyasha? Sesshoumaru?” Kagome said timidly. “I'm going to sleep now. It's one of your turns to stand watch tonight for Naraku…”

 

“I'll do it,” Both brothers answered in unison. They glared at each other. Kagome rolled her shoulders in a light shrug and went to sleep.

 

The half demon's ears twitched. “Go to sleep.”

 

“Why don't you?” Sesshoumaru growled.

 

“I need to think,” Inuyasha said simply.

 

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A certain monk found himself awakening from a rather pleasant dream where a certain demon slayer decided she wanted to follow him alone to a hot spring. (A/n: Bad Miroku. ::Blinks:: ) He sat up with a stifled yawn and stared listlessly into the dying embers of the camp fire. Everyone seemed to be asleep except - his gaze fell upon a silent hanyou - Inuyasha.

 

Ah, his friend had been acting quite strange as of late. Perhaps it had something to do with his half-brother Sesshoumaru? Standing, Miroku took hold of his staff and walked over to his friend. The monk was quiet a moment and then he spoke with a sly grin. “Something up between you and Kikyou?” Surely that had to be it. Inuyasha had been completely ignoring Kagome it seemed…

 

The hanyou was leaning idly against a tree with his arms folded across his chest and eyes closed. He didn't give any indication he had heard Miroku speak other than a slight twitch of his ears. Kikyou, He thought, the dead priestess?

 

“Come on, Inuyasha,” Miroku pushed, “Do you really love Kikyou? I mean sure she-”

 

“Love is a useless emotion.” Inuyasha surprised even himself by speaking, eyes snapping open but not truly focusing on anything.

 

The monk stared at his friend. What's gotten into you, Inuyasha? “Surely you don't mean that?”

 

“You're a human,” He said coolly, “and have been one all your life. You see it as strength when it is weakness.”

 

“It sounds like,” his friend began, “you've been spending too much time with Sesshoumaru…”

 

“…” Inuyasha remained silent. Why couldn't this damned monk just go back to sleep?

 

Miroku frowned. “Inuyasha, do you really think that?”

 

“I would not have said so if I did not.”

 

“How can you believe something so stupid? Honestly! When you have something to protect don't you fight just that much harder?” When Inuyasha didn't answer, Miroku held his tongue and returned to where he had been lying before.

 

When you have something to protect don't you fight just that much harder? Inuyasha closed his eyes. Fools…He thought with an inward frown. The half demon's ears twitched. Miroku spoke from where he lay. “Something's coming, Inuyasha. I don't like the feel of it…”

 

While the monk went about rousing the others from their sleep the half demon moved quickly to reach whatever approached before it could reach them. He almost wrinkled his nose at the disgusting scent filling his nostrils. It smelled something between rotting flesh, burning hair, and a place where humans relieved themselves in vast numbers. To put it simply, he didn't like it in the least and was determined to destroy whatever demon emitted it.

 

That is, if you would go as far as calling Naraku a demon. Which, in his opinion, Naraku was most definitely not even close.

 

Inuyasha stopped feet from the said thing and scowled. With his dulled senses he couldn't tell if this was the true Naraku or another one of his endless puppets. “Come alone, Inuyasha?” His voice was confident and a low, a rumbling laugh followed. “Of course, your friends are not far behind.”

 

The half demon remained silent. At the moment, Naraku retained a basically human looking shape from his torso up. Below, however, tentacles of various sizes fell over each other; some venturing even to nearly graze Inuyasha's feet. Instinctively he grabbed the hilt of his blade and unsheathed it. It was not until the marvelous blade transformed into a large fang did he suddenly remember it was Tetsusaiga he held, not Toukijin.

 

“Inuyasha!” The priestess's voice cried out as she rushed to his side with bow and arrows ready. His ears twitched feeling a soft whoosh of air as Kirara landed beside him and Sango and the monk dismounted. Standing just behind him, was Sesshoumaru. The dog demon's scent flared with anger and confusion. Rin, Jaken, Shippou, and Ah-Uhn observed anxiously some feet away. Inuyasha fought the urge to drag the girl away. She didn't need to see…

 

“I wonder what Naraku is planning,” Miroku mused quietly.

 

Sango kept her eyes trained on Naraku. “It's unusual for him to attack without reason.” The grip on her Hiraikotsu tightened.

 

“Most likely after the shards,” Sesshoumaru muttered with growing restlessness. He eyed the sword in Inuyasha's hands with jealousy. The word mine hissed through his mind.

 

Naraku watched them closely. An alliance between Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha was not in his favor. Ten pairs of eyes were watching him just as intensely. The rising sun offered little light. A cool wind howled, it's tendrils wrapping and unwrapping about the group. It almost seemed uneasy as well.

 

“Damn, I've had enough of this!” Sesshoumaru roared flexing his claws. He leapt, arm outstretched with a spray of poison he was unable to control. It touched his skin and burned away the flesh, but it regrew quicker than he could truly notice. Naraku reacted instantaneously, moving quickly away from the dog demon and launching an arsenal of poisonous insects at the gang to subdue the wind tunnel.

 

Miroku mumbled a string of obscenities and jumped into action. He used his staff to hack away at the oncoming onslaught of various low-level demons, tossing a few sutras when he got the chance. “What's Naraku up to?” He bit out to no one in particular. What reason was there for this sudden appearance? Surely the enemy had something planned.

 

“Houshi-sama!” Sango cried watching the overly large flying insects scatter about. She had her back to the monk, using the large hiraikotsu to help remove the lower demons. Kirara snarled, the skin around her neck standing on end and tails swishing anxiously behind. The cat demon was ready to help in anyway.

 

“Stay back Rin!” The young fox demon yelled moving to stand in front of her and disposing of an insect quite nicely with the use of foxfire. Rin nodded silently, her eyes never strayed from Sesshoumaru-sama. It was rare she ever see him battle, but the girl was smart enough to know he had never rushed head-on without thinking before. Meanwhile Inuyasha hung back, preparing himself for a more thought-out attack. Ah-Uhn nudged her.

 

“What is it?” Rin asked the two-headed beast. It lowered its massive, scaly hide to the ground and beckoned her forth with a soft grunt. “Come on, Shippou!” The young girl grabbed the fox's shirt collar and pulled him on to the animal. In a whoosh of air they took to the skies, hovering over the battlefield. Willing to do whatever he could to help, Shippou showered poorly aimed acorns at Naraku.

 

“Sesshoumaru wait!” Kagome yelled in vain. A barbed tentacle had already thrown the dog demon back. Crimson stained the innocent white of his haori. With a snarl the ice prince leapt again. With a deep frown, the priestess readied her bow. She glanced at Inuyasha standing stiffly near. “You can jump in with the Tetsusaiga anytime now Inuyasha.” Her voice was low. Straining to keep her shaking limbs still, Kagome fired and grazed the half-breed Naraku's flesh.

 

“I expected better from you,” Naraku spat with one of his sickening smiles. His body was always changing, growing, and folding back in on itself. Sometimes the mismatched group had to wonder if Naraku could truly control what his body did. “But perhaps, your luck has run out?”

 

“Shut the hell up!” Sesshoumaru snarled. He flicked his wrist and a glowing whip shot out. Not the intended action, but he guessed it still worked just fine. Naraku evaded the weak offense by easily maneuvering to the left - right into one of Kagome's arrows. With a hiss the spiritual arrow ripped through his lower torso with a spray of dark blood.

 

“Got him!” Kagome cried out in triumph.

 

The battle continued. Sango, Miroku, and Kirara made quick work of the lower ranked demons and move don to help with Naraku. Seeing the three new attackers Naraku encased himself in a glimmering shield their hits seemed to have no effect on. Acorns continued showering from overhead with even an occasional beam of energy shot down from Ah-Uhn. Jaken ran in circles firing random spurts of flames from his treasured staff.

 

And there stood Inuyasha, silent and forgotten. He stared at the people around him, almost baffled. They were all working so hard and in futile. Yet, they didn't stop. Even the baby fox did his best to contribute. Somehow this unlikely group had banded together and formed strong bonds. They fought for each other. They would die for each other.

 

Would I die for anyone? He questioned himself. Do I care for anyone so much? His train of thought was broken by a piercing female scream. It made him wince, ears slamming down against his head.

 

“INUYASHA!” Kagome screamed in agony. Naraku had her held firmly, locked in a speared tentacle. Her bright blood oozed slowly from the forming wounds. Everyone froze, all eyes turning from Kagome to Inuyasha and then back to Kagome. “INUYASHA, Please!” Her voice cracked, her hues misted over in pain. Sesshoumaru couldn't move. He looked to Inuyasha, eyes pleading.

 

“And now I have what I came for,” Naraku rumbled darkly. He began to dissipate into the swirling mass of miasma. Inuyasha could hear the silent whisper of Kagome's voice float down form the wind.

 

“Do you want me to die?” She asked. And just before they were gone, Kagome managed to hurl the bottle holding the one small shard Naraku did not yet have. It landed at Inuyasha's feet.

 

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Sorry it took so long. >< No time for notes, sorry. I'll update again ASAP! No time to tweak the chapter, sorry.