InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Phoenix Blade: Time Lapse ❯ Shattered Expectations ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: Hell no, she doesn't own mutt-face, the underlying storyline or magnificent

moi!

Umm, thanks, I think. Koga…er, do you and the boys mind not howling quite so much? You're gonna give Mrs. Anderson heart failure…

 

 

The Phoenix Blade: Time Lapse

Chapter Four: Shattered Expectations

 

Sengoku Jidai

 

Groggily, he saw dainty booted feet stomping towards him, and then a tight voice snarling in his ear, “Watch your mouth, dog-boy, or I'll wash it out with dirt a few more times. Now, get up and make like a nice hanyou…” He staggered to his feet, and she propelled him forward with a none-too-friendly hand planted firmly between his shoulder blades.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Once back inside the warmth of Kaede's hut, Kagome was made to sit down and submit to the old woman's ministrations. Inuyasha lounged insolently in the far corner, watching their activities through his lashes. He was rather hopeful that Kagome would have to take off her body armour, as she was certainly a luscious little piece. Plus, the Jewel would be easier to grab. He was just mulling over a plan when he realized they were both staring at him intently. Before he could move, the old miko murmured an incantation, and he was looking at them through a pinkish haze.

 

Damn. The old hag had encased him inside a barrier.

 

Double damn. Kagome had only removed her shoulder-guard.

 

He noted the girl, wide-eyed in surprise, staring at the shimmering wall. She then went as white as a sheet, gritting her teeth audibly, when Kaede pressed a cloth soaked in some kind of poultice to her wounded shoulder. He winced in sympathy. A youkai bite usually had some kind of poison involved. Hopefully the scar wouldn't be too bad…

 

Why do you care?

Keh! I don't really…

::laughs into sleeve::

Fuck off. She's prey, get it?

 

She was watching him. Those grey eyes were now soft and questioning, rather than hard and dangerous. Even through the barrier, he could smell her scent, and he found himself relaxing slightly. She wasn't more than a pup, really, and couldn't be much of a threat to him…

 

What about the sword?

 

Oh, yeah. The sword. It was lying beside her, looking innocent, the black leather scabbard gleaming dully in the dim light. He knew better. The aura he had seen around it, just before it had cold-cocked him, belonged to the more powerful youkai-forged weapons…

 

Like your father's sword.

Yeah, but…this was a human bitch. A sword like that should have sliced her head off by now, just because she touched it, never mind letting her swing it around like she owns it or something…

Explain how she was able to charge that sacred arrow, if she's merely human?

Oh, that…

Explain why she could be Kikyo's twin.

Keh. Don't want to think about it, actually.

So what else is new?

 

The old woman was obviously satisfied with tormenting her patient, because she stood up, patting the girl's uninjured shoulder with a wrinkled paw. She stumped around the fire and seated herself where she could watch him from her one good eye. He glared right back.

 

“Inuyasha, do ye still seek the Jewel to become a full demon?”

 

“Hell, yeah. Who wants to be a weak human?”

 

Kaede smiled wryly. “Well, it seems we weak humans have the upper hand on ye, Inuyasha.”

 

“Only a temporary lapse, old hag, so enjoy it while you can!”

 

The girl met his eyes through the barrier, and smiling, shook her head. He sneered back. Her expression changed to a frown, and then she thumbed her nose at him. He chuckled in spite of himself. Feisty little wench. Great legs, too…

 

The girl then wrapped herself in a gleaming silver haori and propped herself up against the opposite wall, sword resting against her bandaged shoulder, and the bow across her thighs. She held an arrow in her hand, toying with it until the tip flared white, with several others within easy reach. She met his eyes again and smiled darkly, the challenge in her preparations evident.

 

He grinned back cockily, folding his arms. Half-demons don't need as much sleep as humans, so we'll see who dozes off first. The second that barrier wavers, you're dead, bitch, though it would be a shame to ruin that lovely throat…

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

He woke up the next morning, alone and barrier-less. The fire was glowing under the pot, and an appetizing smell made his stomach growl. A bowl and spoon were laid beside him, an obvious invitation to eat. He looked into the pot, sniffing suspiciously, and then decided to live dangerously, because he was actually salivating. How embarrassing.

 

Three bowlfuls later, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and decided to go hunting for the girl, since there didn't seem to be anything to stop him. She must be carrying her weapons, but her silver haori and black trousers were folded neatly against the far wall. He stooped to sniff them, then ducked out under the woven mat covering the doorway, and stood tall, inhaling deeply. Over that way…

 

He followed her scent all the way to the river, stray villagers dodging out of his way. He stood just at the edge of the trees, hands folded into his sleeves, watching. The girl was laughing, her dark hair tossing over her shoulders, as she played with a group of village children on the banks. Playing…had he ever done this? No one had ever wanted to play with him…Something glowed in her hands as children, chattering, bent over to look. He was thunderstruck…was the silly bitch letting them touch the Jewel?

 

She caught sight of him.

 

He tensed.

 

She waved him over, smiling.

 

He made a rude gesture.

 

She scowled, and pointedly turned her back on him.

 

He growled low in his throat, anger rising. How dare she turn away from him…how dare she not be afraid? He took a step towards her, cracking his claws.

 

Before he could make an ass out of himself, all hell broke loose.

 

Time slowed…he saw the black shadow pass over the girl and the children as they raced in and out of the shallows. The girl's head coming up as she sensed the developing attack, her bow appearing in her hand, the arrow's tip already glowing. The sword…it was already leaking vapour around the hilt, readying itself. She thrust the child closest to her away, indicating that he should run into the underbrush where the birds could not follow.

 

The strike happened so fast, he was amazed she was able to draw a bead on the crow-youkai and let the arrow fly. Several more demon birds fell, before both girl and hanyou simultaneously realized that the attack was only a diversion. The birds were after fresh meat.

 

Hovering over the melee of screaming, running humanity, one youkai swooped down and picked off a small boy on the edge of the clearing, slicing its cruel talons deeply into the child's body. It struggled to get enough lift, flapping powerfully, the screaming boy flailing wildly in its claws. As the child went limp, something pink and glowing slipped from his fingers, falling towards the earth. Inuyasha leapt for it, straining,…only to watch it disappear down the gullet of the biggest crow youkai he'd ever seen, which promptly let out a triumphant caw.

 

As it clawed for altitude, it mutated into something out of a nightmare. Kagome stared, stunned, for a split second, then reacted. She tore the katana out of its sheath, and flung it like a javelin after the ponderously flapping bird. Flaring power sent it streaking toward its target, shearing off the crow's foot before arcing into the river, sizzling. The obscenely quivering foot thumped onto the beach.

 

She raced for it, but Inuyasha was quicker.

 

“Here, wench, tie it onto an arrow.” He held the squirming foot in place while she lashed it onto the shaft, her fingers trembling. She looked up at him, questioning. “It will try to rejoin the rest of its body, so it will keep the arrow in flight. You'll only get one chance, so try not to screw it up.”

 

She shaded her eyes against the sun, looking for her target, then yelped in surprise when he grabbed her and swung her up onto his back, claws gripping her thighs to his hips. She scrabbled at his shoulders, nearly dropping the bow and gruesomely-decorated arrow. “Hang on…I've got to get some altitude so you can take a decent shot…” She yelped again as the first bound left her stomach somewhere ten feet up, and then really screamed when they flew at least twenty feet in the air on the second, the ground rushing up twice as fast on the descent.

 

“Quit screeching in my ear, bitch, and time your shot for the peak of my next jump!” he yelled back at her. She closed her eyes, took a deep, steadying breath, just as she did when Sensei Shimano used to breathe down her neck at the archery range… and drew the bow over Inuyasha's shoulder, leaning into his back while gripping his hips tightly with her knees. She felt his whole body tense as he readied himself for the spring…and then they were flying.

 

They soared through the treetops. Kagome aimed more carefully than she ever had in her life, conscious that this was for real, not for mere points or petty bragging rights. The clawed arrow pulsed in her hands, straining to be rejoined to its body. The transformed carrion-crow, slowed by its heavier body, conveniently fell into an overlapping target with the heavily-laden second bird. The power-charged arrow streaked through the sky, tearing through both demons. There was an explosion of feathers…and then a second, much louder blast shook the very air.

 

“Dammit, bitch!! You are useless!!” Inuyasha hit the ground, snarling. He yanked Kagome from his back and into his arms, shrouding her with the sleeves of his haori, shielding her from the shockwave with his body. She held herself very still, her cheek pressed against his chest. The scent of pine needles, damp moss and twilight teased her nose…where had she smelled that before? Before she could remember, the hanyou suddenly released her, turning away as he looked up into the sky.

 

Damn, shit and fuck…

How's the prey?

Stupid bitch shattered the Jewel!

Guess you won't be getting that wish, then…

 

Kagome's mouth dropped open, and the bow fell from her nerveless fingers. She clapped a hand to her cheek. “What did I do…? Was that…the Jewel?! Smooth move, Higurashi…!”

 

She winced at Inuyasha's colourful invective as she watched the Shikon Jewel spectacularly scattering itself to the far corners of the sky, but then…her attention fastened on a small shape plummeting earthwards.

 

“No!! Gods, nooo!!” Screaming, she raced towards the riverbank, leaving a trail of equipment behind her. At the water's edge, she hopped on one foot, pulling off greaves and boots, then waded in, fumbling frantically with the thongs securing her breastplate.

 

Please, oh please, let him be alive…

Ummm...you know, it's not looking too good…

Don't care…I have to try!

 

Saying a silent thank-you to Sensei Kosaru for assigning her extra swim practice, Kagome dove in, just as the boy hit the river with a loud splash. Surfacing, she rapidly stroked towards a point upstream of the body's entry.

 

Inuyasha was not so pissed off that he failed to notice how naked she was just before she disappeared under water. Her image was imprinted on his retinas; long glossy black hair tumbling down her bare back to her narrow waist, a very skimpy black fundoshi, deliciously long slender legs. For a moment, he stood, immobile. Then, he scooped up her discarded items and retrieved the breastplate from where it sloshed gently in the shallows, depositing everything in a neat heap. He didn't notice Kaede watching him intently out of the corner of her one good eye.

 

Kagome surfaced once, treading water while she got her bearings, then inhaled deeply and dove under. The water was cold, moving fast, but thankfully clear. By pure chance, she almost immediately sighted the child's body, caught against a rock, and kicked powerfully towards it. The current pushed her away; she popped back up to the surface, took another deep breath and forced herself back down into the depths. This time, she snatched at a languidly-waving arm, and was rewarded with the feel of skin and fabric in her fingers. Kicking hard, she pulled for the sunlight.

 

Inuyasha waded out to meet them, as Kagome staggered to her feet, cradling the limp form against her chest. Wordlessly, he pulled off his haori and dropped it over her bare shoulders, then gently took the child from her. She pulled the garment closely around her, trailing forlornly ashore in his wake.

 

She stood to the side, face averted, as Kaede tended to the little boy in the centre of a silent, hopeful circle. A pleasant-faced woman, obviously the boy's mother, twisted her hands as silent tears poured down her cheeks. The old miko finally shook her head, and rose to her feet. A cloth was placed over the child's face, and two men stepped forward with a makeshift bier to take the body back to the village, as the gathered women began keening loudly.

 

Kagome turned away, choking, silent tears dripping onto her tightly folded arms.

 

I tried, oh gods, I tried…

 

“You did your best for the brat. Don't beat yourself up over it.”

 

Arms wrapped around her from behind and held her firmly against his chest. Startled, she opened her eyes and saw white sleeves enfolding her and silver hair spilling over her shoulders. Suddenly feeling very tired, she closed her eyes again and relaxed against him, not particularly caring that she was in the embrace of a half-demon who had intended to kill her less than twelve hours previously.

 

He found himself nuzzling her wet hair and visualizing what she wasn't wearing under his haori. He knew he shouldn't have even been looking in the direction of her breasts when he extracted the dead child from her arms, but there they were, dammit, round and firm, nipples hard from the cold water…

 

And mighty fine ones they were, too.

Keh…

I take it she's been moved out of the “prey” category?

For now.

::sighs::

 

“Ahem!”

 

Inuyasha and Kagome both looked, owl-eyed, at Kaede, who was standing in front of them, tapping her foot, hands clasped behind her back, her beady eye boring into them. “I was going to advise ye that ye needed to work closely together to recover the shards of the Sacred Jewel, but this…! Kagome, do ye really trust Inuyasha not to harm ye?

 

“Relax, old hag. Kagome is far more valuable to me alive. I'll protect her…”

 

The dark-haired girl twisted out of his arms, eyes wide. He winced inwardly. She stood just out of arm's reach, wary again. He sighed, and gestured towards the pile of armour. “I won't hurt you, Kagome. I need your help finding the shards to put the Jewel together again.”

 

Her head shot up, eyes glinting. “Let's see if I have this right...you'll protect me, so that I can help you recover the shards, and then you'll try to kill me again? Wow, what an offer…what do you want the Jewel for, anyways?”

 

Kaede snorted. “He wishes to become a full demon, to attain power beyond his current form.”

 

“It's all I ever wanted…”

 

“You lie, Inuyasha. You once wanted to become human to be with my sister,” Kaede said crushingly. “Kagome, come along. We must see about replacing your wet bandage, and prepare the boy for burial.”

 

No doubt about it, he was going to kill the old hag.

 

Wordlessly, Kagome stooped to retrieve her gear. He watched as she pulled on her boots, and then used her obi to snug his haori more neatly about her small frame. She refused to meet his eyes, to even look at him, anger positively radiating off of her.

 

Then she noticed the empty scabbard.

 

“Dammit! Damn, damned, damnable…”