InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Phoenix Blade: Time Lapse ❯ Brothers & Arms ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: The InuCru and the basic storyline are all the property of Rumiko Takahashi…but I'm happily scheming up ways to corrupt them!

 

A/N: Sesshomaru in Full Metal Bastard sequence coming up…sorry, fan girls/guys, but he really is such a tool at this point in the anime… another OOC warning, `cause I'm having too much fun!

 

 

The Phoenix Blade: Time Lapse

Chapter Eight: Brothers & Arms

 

Sengoku Jidai

 

Kaede had been delighted with the sushi, and near-ecstatic over the rice. Kagome made a mental note to bring a bag at least once a week, and a case of ramen, too. Inuyasha wasn't exactly a light eater, and since the village was now “base”, she didn't want to stretch Kaede's resources too thin while they were staying with her.

 

The hanyou sprawled by the fire, idly picking bits of vegetable out of his teeth with a claw. He hadn't spoken a word to her since the incident on the riverbank. Abruptly, he sat upright, and smacked himself in the cheek, swearing. Kagome raised an eyebrow.

 

“Myoga, you little bastard, how many times have I told you I'm off-limits for snacking…! C'mere!” He trapped something between his claws, and squeezed firmly. The now-flattened “something” drifted down to the floor, and resolved itself into a fat, elderly flea-demon. Kagome yipped and scooted farther away.

 

Great! First he licks his balls, and now he has fleas…!

 

“Inuyasha-sama…is this any way to treat your oldest and most loyal retainer?”

 

“Keh! Stuff the `lord' crap…you know I don't hold with that shit!”

 

“You should be proud to be the son of the greatest dog-demon that ever walked this earth…”

 

“Shut up! That's ancient history…you have anything new to say?” Inuyasha's eyes were sparking dangerously, just like this afternoon. Kagome cleared her throat, attracting the flea's attention. He glanced coyly at Inuyasha, before turning on the charm full blast.

 

“Well, well, well, who do we have here…Master Inuyasha, you sly dog! How long have you been hiding this delicious little thing? What a bishoujo, I must say!” The flea bowed very low to a flabbergasted Kagome. “May I have the honour of your name, my stormy-eyed beauty?” Kaede developed a sudden coughing fit.

 

“You need your eyes checked, you old lech, if you think Kagome's a beauty. This is Myoga, an old and irritating hanger-on of mine…”

 

The maligned stormy-eyed beauty glared icicles at him, then smiled dazzlingly at the flea. He obligingly swooned. “You are as fair as the dawn, Kagome-sama. Indeed, you are as lovely as Master Inuyasha's own royal mother, who was a beauty beyond compare!”

 

Kagome fluttered her lashes outrageously, her cheeks pink. “Really? You are too kind, Myoga-san. Can you tell me more about Inuyasha-sama's parents? I'm quite curious…”

 

They were all taken by surprise when the loudly cursing hanyou dove out the door, nearly taking the mat off its fastenings. In the ensuing silence, Myoga coughed, and sat down, crossing most of his legs.

 

“Inuyasha-sama is very, um, defensive about his family, Kagome-sama. It is a tragic story of love, honour, death and survival. Would you like to hear it?”

She nodded eagerly. Kaede poured both of them cups of tea, including a drip in a tiny cup Myoga produced from somewhere. He sipped thoughtfully, then continued.

 

“His honoured mother was a human princess, promised to the Demon Lord of the Western Lands as a tithe. Now, this was not uncommon along the border lands at the time, but the great Inutaisho made the girl his chief concubine. Upon the death of his honourable Chief Wife, he took the human as his mate. Inuyasha-sama was born within the year. Unfortunately, before the pup was five years old, Inutaisho died from wounds sustained defending his clan against a fearsome dragon-demon. The princess was turned out of the fortress, and forced to return to her family. They tolerated her and her half-breed child, but upon her death three years later, Inuyasha-sama was rejected again. He has been making his own way in the world since the tender age of eight.”

 

Kagome sat very still, thoughts racing around in circles and screeching madly. Well, this went a long way to explaining some of Inuyasha's personal issues! Her eyes grew moist at the thought of a little silver-haired boy cast out of both sides of the only family he had, and forced to survive on his own. It was a miracle that he hadn't been eaten by something, at the very least. No wonder he was so slow to trust anybody…how could he, when he'd only known rejection? No wonder he'd reacted so badly to utterly letting his guard down. Well, here was a challenge…

 

She bounded to her feet, and scooping her weapons, flew out the door. She was going to find him and give him…something…a piece of her mind, a piece of her heart, a …

 

Piece of your ass?

Whatever he wants… what?!

Whether he wants a piece or not? What if he doesn't?

I'll tie him down and do it anyways!

Thought you weren't into bondage…

 

Myoga watched her go, eye appreciatively cocked at her long legs. Kaede cleared her throat.

 

“Put thine eyes back in thy sockets, flea-demon, else Kagome-sama's beauteous fist will undoubtedly teach thee some manners!” Myoga smiled ingratiatingly at the old miko, and held out his empty cup.

 

“Perchance is there any more tea, my good lady? I'll just leave those two alone for a while, before I deliver my message…”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Kagome jogged along the village path, wishing that she had an inu-youkai's sense of smell. There was a brilliant full moon, but she needed a visual on the hanyou if she ever hoped to find him in a reasonable amount of time…like tonight. Gods knew where he might have flung himself off to…wait a minute…what was that perched up near the dead top of that cedar tree, over on the hill? Yes, it was undoubtedly him.

 

A few moments later, she stood under the tree, looking way up at him. This seems awfully familiar… His silver hair gleamed in the moonlight. He didn't look down, though he must have been aware of her presence. Inuyasha, Inuyasha, let down thine hair… She leaned back, and slid down the trunk, making herself comfortable. She sure as heck wasn't going to climb the tree, but he'd have to come down sometime...hopefully before she got completely pissed off.

 

She pulled an arrow out of her quiver, and idly twirled it, until it flared white at the tip. It amazed her that she could do this; while her shoulder healed, Kaede had been working with her on harnessing her spiritual power. She was at the point where she could charge the arrows without really thinking about it. Kaede had also sent Inuyasha out with purified shards of the Jewel, so that Kagome could gain some experience with gauging distances and directions when she sensed their presence.

 

However, Kaede had flatly refused to have anything to do with the sword, saying it was a demonic weapon, and she had no idea how to control the thing. Kagome was sure that the blade was sulking because of it, just like it snickered when it had blasted Inuyasha that first night.

 

Sighing, her thoughts turned again to the red-clad figure above her, and she went over Myoga's story again. Kagome was still a little skittish from his blazing anger this afternoon…what was up with that, anyway?... so she mulled over a few approaches, discarding most of them. She stood up, and started to pace, thinking hard.

 

She was flattened by a heavy object, dropping from a great height.

 

Face-down, desperately trying to refill her lungs, she was then nearly smothered by cloth flung over her head.

 

“Shhhhh, wench. We've got company…”

 

She tried to quietly suck in air while she listened intently. The fire-rat fur effectively muffled all sound, so she shoved at his arm until he moved enough that she could yank it off her head. Anticipating resistance, Inuyasha rested more of his weight onto her, pressing her down into the dirt. Kagome, after freezing momentarily, gave up being nice and jabbed him sharply in the ribs. Gasping, he slid off her slightly, and she squirmed free enough to breathe and crane her neck upwards to see what he was looking at.

 

Silhouetted against the moon was an ominous, swirling cloud. It began to descend, and Kagome watched it turn from black to blood-red. She heard Inuyasha begin to growl deep in his throat, and the sound made her scalp prickle. He wrapped an arm diagonally from her waist to her throat, his clawtips pressing lightly on her collarbone, and tucked her under his chin, the growl vibrating though her chest. She couldn't see what was going on; she just knew it couldn't be good. Besides, that growl was doing something very interesting to her nipples, even through her armour, and she had to concentrate on not getting all flushed and bothered at a moment like this.

 

“Oh, Master Inuyasha…! Oh, dear…um, sorry!” Myoga wrung at least two sets of his chubby little hands. “I hope I'm not interrupting…I meant to tell you…Sesshomaru-sama wants your father's tomb!”

 

“The hell he does…! That bastard just won't leave well enough alone…” He sprang to his feet, bringing her up with him; before forcefully shoving her away, he executed another of those full-body hugs on her. His voice rough-edged, he barked, “Myoga, get Kagome-chan out of here!”

 

Kagome staggered briefly, then squared her jaw, ignoring the spluttering flea, and marched resolutely back to Inuyasha's side, pulling out her bow and arrows. She took up a position at his shoulder, and notched an arrow to the bowstring. He briefly glared at her; she smirked back. “Can't get rid of me that easily, dog-boy. Your ass is mine after this is over, because we have a few things to discuss…however, I'm curious to meet a demon that scares you into groping a girl...I might have to hire him to come around once in a while…”

 

Inuyasha grunted. “He's not just any demon, you crazy wench. He's my fucking brother.”

 

Brother?!

 

A huge, dark blue clawed appendage descended out of the centre of the swirling cloud, aiming right for them. Kagome flamed the arrow, dropping to one knee to steady her aim, and let go at the centre of its palm. She lined up another shot at the thing's forearm, and was rewarded with a guttural roar of pain as the limb disintegrated.

 

Then the rest of it came into view, and it became clear that this thing couldn't be any relation to Inuyasha. However, up on its massive shoulder stood a luminescent creature dressed in white, silver hair blowing wildly, violet cheek-stripes and a blue crescent moon on his forehead standing out even at this distance. That must be the bastard in question. Kagome prepared to line up a shot at his chest, but Inuyasha knocked away her arrow.

 

“Don't even try, wench. It's not worth your life…”

 

“Maybe not, but it might be worth yours, Inu-chan…” She grinned minutely at his startled expression, but she kept her focus, gauging the distance, and letting fly. The arrow struck the monster's shoulder, just under his brother's feet, and it lurched away, roaring. She sent two more into its torso as it exited the battlefield. Something small, noisy and green tumbled down to the ground in the monster's ponderous wake. Now for the brother…

 

He floated down, gracefully poised like a tightrope walker. She could see red stripes wrapping around his wrists and disappearing up the sleeves of his pristine white kimono. He would have been astonishingly handsome, except for the ice-hard expression in his golden eyes. Before she could flame an arrowtip, something about him struck her senses, made her hair stand up on end, and she had to repress the sudden urge to run, to hide.

 

Inuyasha sensed her internal struggle, and gripped her shoulder. “That is the natural instinct of an animal to escape a predator. You are sensing his youkai, the demon that dwells inside him, and now you know the fear of the hunted.”

 

“Very poetically put, little brother. It appears being pinned to that tree for fifty years improved you somehow…or perhaps not?” The coolly icy tone chilled Kagome's blood, but she shook the sensation off, and positioned a short-range hunting bolt, sneering boldly at the tall, slender demon. A cruel smile curved the demon's lips as he stared the girl down.

 

“I see you aren't cured of Father's weakness for mortal women, Inuyasha. Wasn't one enough? First a priestess, and now a child that fancies herself a samurai…tsk, tsk. Let us see how easily she dies…”

 

“Leave her out of this, Sesshomaru! You want a piece of me, I'll be more than happy to oblige!” Inuyasha stepped in front of her, flexing his claws. Behind him, Kagome chuckled drily.

 

“I can see the family resemblance now; but you're at least a Grade A for `asshole'…”

 

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Twirling, she put her back against Inuyasha's, facing a small, green, ugly toad-like demon armed with an unusual two-headed staff. His beady yellow eyes were already gloating in triumph.

 

“Foolish human wretch! Feel the wrath of the Staff of the Two Heads!” Flames roared out of the mouth of the head facing her; she threw up her gauntleted arm to protect her face…and somehow produced a barrier. The toad demon was startled, and she was able to sweep him off his feet with a blow from her bow. He tumbled, screeching, and faced off against her, swinging the staff wildly, and forcing her away from Inuyasha.

 

Inuyasha was momentarily distracted by the commotion at his back, allowing Sesshomaru to sweep in, and seize him by the throat. He hoisted Inuyasha up to eye-level, with no more effort than if he was a doll, and throttled him into submission. Narrowing his yellow eyes thoughtfully, he peered into each of Inuyasha's in turn. Satisfied, he pointed a long sharp claw at the right of the pair, and drove it into the hanyou's eye, twisting and flicking out a round dark object, ignoring Inuyasha's scream of pain.

 

“Jaken! Leave the human…” The toad, jabbering excitedly, scrambled obediently to his master's side. He placed the tip of his staff on the black pearl-like object, and the one head opened its eyes and squawked briefly.

 

This seemed to satisfy Sesshomaru, because he tossed Inuyasha aside, the hanyou landing heavily. Wiping at the blood streaming down his cheek, he watched as a void appeared in the very air, and his brother and retainer disappear into it. Kagome ran to stand over him, drawing her bow and cursing inventively. He had a brief, very nice view up her skirt. Damn those short hakama she'd taken to wearing!

 

“Kagome…this is far too dangerous for a human…Oi! Where do you think you're going, wench?!”

 

She paused in the act of stepping into the void. “Come on, dog-boy…what are you waiting for, an engraved invitation? Let's go!” He gaped momentarily, then threw himself after her…

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Kagome clung tightly to Inuyasha's shoulders, as the winged, skeletal creature they were riding flapped ponderously towards what she could only describe as an unimaginably huge horror-movie prop. It was a massive skeleton, the gap-mouthed skull propped up by weathered body armour. As they neared it, she estimated that a good-sized apartment building could have fit inside the torso, and only slightly smaller ones in each arm.

 

“Inuyasha? Who or what is that?” she shouted over the rush of the wind.

 

“My father, just as he died, in his full demon form.”

 

“This was inside your eye? Incredible…”

 

The pterodactyl-like creature dropped them off on the skeleton's massive shoulder-guard. Kagome looked up at the spikes adorning the two-foot-thick armour plate. Each was at least fifteen feet high, and six feet around at the base. She shook her head. Amazing…

 

“You should maybe wait out here, Kagome. I don't know what it's going to be like inside, and you've already experienced some of Sesshomaru's considerable charm.”

 

She cocked her head at him. “What, are you nuts? Do you think I'm going to miss this party? We go together, or not at all.”

 

He rolled his eyes at her, then held out his hand. “Stubborn wench. All right, come on. Let's see how much trouble we can get into…”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Sliding down the vertebrae, Inuyasha stopped their descent about halfway down the ribcage. From their vantage point, they watched intently as Sesshomaru approached a raised dais placed in front of the spine, with a shabby-looking katana jammed tip-down into it. The tall demon paused, as if contemplating something, then swiftly reached out and seized the hilt.

 

Bolts of energy crackled out, filling the air with blue fireballs. Sesshomaru was actually thrown back slightly. Kagome smelled singed hair. He examined his hand with an expression of distaste, then lowered it and glared icily at the sword. “I do not find this amusing, Father…” Green whip-like cords of power laced from his fingertips, and he snapped them around the blade, attempting to yank it out. An even bigger explosion met that attempt, chunks of decaying bone clattering and bouncing to the floor, which was paved with hundreds of…human skulls. Sesshomaru paused, then swung around to search out the watching pair.

 

“This is your fault, you miserable half-breed, yours and your witch of a mother! She must have laid a spell on my father, for him to have left you the Tetsusaiga!”

 

“He doesn't take disappointment well…” Inuyasha muttered in her ear.

 

“Probably runs with scissors, too…” She murmured back.

 

Inuyasha gripped her around the waist, and sprang down to the bone-carpeted floor. He dropped her on one side, then leapt across the space, alighting next to the dais, his brother's glowing green hand tracing his arc. Inuyasha crouched, waiting the inevitable strike of the energy whips, his eyes never leaving Sesshomaru's face.

 

Kagome found her voice. “Inuyasha! Hit him in his ego…I'm sure it's big enough to withstand the damage…draw the sword! The tomb was hidden in your eye; what he says must be true…your father meant for you to have it, not him!”

 

“Silence, human wench! You will not speak of the great Sesshomaru-sama this way!” screeched the toad-demon, popping up from behind a pile of skulls and taking a swipe at her with his two-headed staff. She reacted with her sword, catching Jaken across the ribs with a satisfying thwack and sending him flying into the wall. The toad's head cracked and he slid into an untidy, mostly silent heap.

 

Inuyasha digested her words, a large arrogant grin lighting his face. He spun on his heel, and jumped up onto the platform. “Can't wait to see the look on your face, asshole…” he said over his shoulder, as he grasped the hilt, and pulled.

 

Not only did it not budge, it zapped him. Not as spectacularly as Sesshomaru, but it definitely got the message across. Don't Touch.

 

Inuyasha looked from his hand to the sword and back again. Kagome started, her hand covering her mouth. What went wrong? Sesshomaru's coldly sneering voice drew their attention. “It appears that Tetsusaiga has enough taste to reject a half-breed as its master as well. It would have been more satisfying to kill you with Father's sword, but I'll remove your blot on the family escutcheon just the same.”

 

And then a battle the likes of which Kagome had never even imagined began. It was their speed that left her breathless; her hair blew in the swirling air currents generated by their passing. Occasionally she could see a red or white blur, sometimes heard a shouted curse, was once grazed by a hurtling body, but mostly she just felt the rush of air. She flattened herself against the wall, and crossed her gauntleted arms in front of her chest. A shimmering pink barrier enclosed her. Since she couldn't help Inuyasha, she'd do her best to stay out of the way, until the fur settled.

 

Everything stopped when Inuyasha ran full-speed onto Sesshomaru's fist. Kagome thought she could hear bones snapping; his whole body folded up, and he dropped like a stone. Sesshomaru grabbed him by the throat, flexing his long fingers, and waited until Inuyasha opened his eyes. “Little brother, have you ever met my poison claws…?”

 

A deep voice thundered inside her head. Galvanized, Kagome raced for the sword, leaping onto the dais, and seizing the hilt. Silver sparks briefly fountained and died; as she jerked the tip out, the air surrounding the blade began crackling ominously. Her dark hair beginning to rise from the electricity, her eyes wide with wonder, Kagome held the sword in front of her.

 

Sesshomaru dropped Inuyasha, and flew at the girl. He stopped, barely a pace away, his nostrils flaring. He noted the spirals of energy beginning to twist around her body, and the scent of pure, unadulterated power. She tore her eyes away from the blade, and looked at him squarely, challengingly.

 

“Seems your old man had a sense of humour, Sesshomaru, letting a worthless human draw his katana while denying you the pleasure…”

 

“What are you, girl?”

 

Her voice changed, deepened, as light began to glow in her mouth, her eye sockets. “Something you will respect, O Lord of the Western Lands!” A blast of power knocked him backwards, as Kagome's body began to rise from the ground, her arms outstretched like a benediction, holding Tetsusaiga in her left hand.

 

Both brothers were startled when the girl made a lazy gesture with her right hand, and Tenseiga flew out of Sesshomaru's obi, straight into her grip. Her whole body fluoresced, her dark armour suddenly revealing itself to be completely covered by interwoven sutras, the overlapping kanji becoming visible as her body rotated slowly upward. She slowly brought the two blades together over her head, and then gently released them. They continued to spiral around each other as she sank gracefully back to the floor.

 

Sesshomaru hissed as the transformed girl, light pouring from the orifices of her face, slowly drew her own katana. Red and green vapours coiled like demonic snakes around the blade, as she stood, glowing and goddess-like, pointing it upward at the orbiting Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga. The voice that came from her mouth was deep, rich and male.

 

The Fangs of the Father,

The Fang of the Sons,

Their powers Unite;

When their Will becomes One.

 

A blast of immense power shook the air, as all three swords pulsed and released fiery energy streams that wound around each other, building in intensity until their combined strength blew a considerable hole in the wall of the tomb, sending shrapnel composed of rusty armour plate and bone flying.

 

Kagome dropped to her knees against the wall behind the dais, gasping, lights extinguished, tiny sparks flickering across her armour. Her blade was quiescent, only small wisps of vapour sliding across it. Tetsusaiga slipped stealthily into her lap, as if it was looking for a scratch under its hilt. She looked up to see Tenseiga sheathing itself smoothly at Sesshomaru's hip…and then she threw herself flat as he hurled a glowing green ball of poison at her.

 

It struck the bone above her, melting it instantly. She screamed out Inuyasha's name once, before gulping in as deep a breath as possible, as she was completely entombed in molten bone.

 

The hanyou erupted instantly into a towering rage. “You bastard! You insult my mother, you spit on me, and now you destroy the only person that means anything to me…I'm going to rip your guts out, `cause I know you don't have a heart…!” He launched himself at Sesshomaru, his attacks actually forcing the elder back onto the defensive, but not enough that he still couldn't taunt the younger verbally.

 

“Did you love this human, brother? I wish had known that earlier…it would have made it far more amusing to have tortured her in front of you, perhaps even taken her myself, if that's what would have made you fight harder from the beginning…”

 

“Damn you…” Inuyasha's extended claws tore four slashes right through Sesshomaru's kimono and deeply gouged his chest, shocking the tall demon into silence. His eyes narrowed, as red began to bleed into them.

 

“You insolent puppy…you'll pay for this.”

 

“Inu…yasha…help me…please…” Kagome's soft voice reached both demons' sensitive ears simultaneously. They both looked to see the girl wobbling to a crouch, a sword in each hand, the bone coffin crumbling away from her. Inuyasha viciously kicked Sesshomaru in the face, and raced to her side. She looked up at him, pale, but with a faint smile curving her lips. “Thought I was a goner…” He pulled her upright, steadying her with his arm around her shoulders. She handed him Tetsusaiga. “Your father meant for you to have this…go spank that bastard for me!” They both turned, to see a transforming Sesshomaru.

 

“Shit! Kagome… we're getting out of here…he's changing into his fully demonic form, and things are going to get real ugly, real fast…”

 

Sesshomaru's face lengthened, stretched and grew as his body became that of an enormous white dog with a blue crescent moon on its forehead, slavering green drool that instantly became a poisonous miasmic cloud rolling along the floor, melting the fallen bones underfoot. Kagome swung onto Inuyasha's back, as he jammed the sword into his obi, and began bounding from side to side, straining for altitude up the dark tunnel of his father's defleshed throat. The gigantic dog, roaring like a hundred demented bull elephants, took the shorter route, smashing a larger exit wound through the hole blasted by the three swords a few moments before.

 

He was waiting for them when they erupted through the mouth of the skull.

 

Inuyasha dumped Kagome just inside the barrier of the teeth, and warily stepped out onto the shoulder plate. He was snatched up in his brother's jaws like a mouse, and given a thorough death-shake, before being tossed against one of the spikes of the armour. Kagome screamed his name, and ran out into the open. A huge paw slammed down, barely missing her, but she gained the relative safety of another spike.

 

“Dog-boy! Use the Tetsusaiga, fer cryin' out loud! Sheesh, most guys can't wait to play with a new toy…”

 

He drew the katana and pointed it at Sesshomaru. Nothing happened. He launched himself upward, raising Tetsusaiga over his head, and brought it down on the demon's snout. Sesshomaru yipped, and snapped his teeth shut on Inuyasha's torso. The hanyou twisted violently, and stabbed the blade deeply into his brother's eye. The dog howled, dropping its prey, but then pounced forward. Inuyasha landed on his feet, then sprang away from the massive paws, but not before chopping down on them. “Damn thing couldn't cut cooked noodles…!” Sesshomaru didn't even flinch, but pursued him between the spikes to where Kagome sheltered. She snapped a bolt to her bow, and dodged out for a quick shot, which creased the fur on Sesshomaru's shoulder. Inuyasha yanked her back, and stepped in front of her.

 

“Stay back, Kagome! …I'll protect you!” Snarling, he turned, crouched, and…the shabby old katana blossomed in his hand to a fearsome length of enchanted metal. He flew upwards towards his brother's head, slicing though the nearest limb, which happened to be the one that had nearly crushed Kagome. Blood gushed, flowed and spattered thickly, as Sesshomaru howled in pain. The dog staggered, and regained his footing, drooling poison. He gave a deep, guttural growl, and made one final lunge…Kagome was suddenly struck by his resemblance to something familiar…and then Inuyasha slashed a powerful blow to the centre of his brother's chest. The dog crumpled, falling backwards, down to the distant landscape below, trailing bloodied clumps of fur.

 

The large blade transformed back into a shadow of its former glory. Kagome could swear her sword was cheering, and that Tetsusaiga rumbled in acknowledgement. Inuyasha looked at it for a moment, then shrugged and stuffed it into his obi. He looked over at Kagome. “Well, wench, I suppose that's enough excitement for one day. Shall we…?”

 

Myoga cheerily hailed them from the crest of a skeletal bird. Inuyasha put his hands on his hips, and glared up at him. “Oi! Ran away and hid during the important bits again, eh, Myoga? Kagome could really have used your help…”

 

The elderly flea puffed himself up. “I wasn't hiding, Master Inuyasha…I object to that insinuation! I was merely securing Kagome-sama some transportation, and locating the Tetsusaiga's sheathe.”

 

“Oh, well, in that case…I'll give you a reprieve on being squished this time.” He turned to loop his arm around Kagome's waist.

 

As she gripped his shoulder, she whispered, “Don't count on a reprieve from me…we're still having that talk…”

 

He grinned arrogantly, and pressed himself against her in an unmistakably masculine manner. “Keh! Who says there's going to be any talking, wench?” Then he grabbed her elbow before she jabbed him.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

She watched as the void they had just exited vanished back into the black pearl, and then as the pearl sank into Inuyasha's eye, returning its appearance to normal. They were all feeling a bit giddy.

 

“Keh! That's a relief…hey, Kagome, wanna see who's got the bigger sword?” He whipped out Tetsusaiga, but nothing happened. She snorted.

 

“At least mine isn't a dud…how about your smaller one? Or maybe it doesn't get any bigger, either?”

 

He blushed very brightly, and turned away, mumbling. Ooops, she thought. I actually embarrassed him. Obviously he didn't attend the Academy with a bunch of horny teenage guys!

 

They walked back to Kaede's hut in easy silence. Inuyasha seemed to have lost some of his adrenaline-influenced bravery; he kept his hands in his sleeves. He did wait for her when she briefly stopped to rub Arashi's velvet nose, and Kagome noticed he then walked right beside her, close enough to occasionally brush arms. She was just wondering if she dared to slip her arm around him, when Myoga called their attention to her own brief transformation.

 

“Kagome-sama, do you know whose voice was speaking through you tonight? I thought I recognized it…”

 

She rubbed the back of her head with the hand she'd originally been aiming for Inuyasha's hip. “I'm not really sure…someone used to command, that's for sure. The voice just filled my head; when it ordered me to grab Tetsusaiga, I had to obey. There was something else… maybe it was Inutaisho? ... because there was a definite thought that this was not the right time for Inuyasha to inherit the sword, it was too soon, but the desire to protect him overrode that consideration. As for that other stuff, like that prophecy-thing …I have no idea. Pretty impressive firepower, though. I just know that my sword seems to recognize the other two. I swear it was talking to Tetsusaiga … but maybe I'm just over-tired.” She smiled, unconvincingly.

 

“Keh! Maybe you were just dropped on your head too many times as a child…” He dodged her swipe, chortling, and skipped ahead a few paces.

 

Feigning indifference, she folded her arms and looked away. He shrugged, and continued walking. She stalked him from behind, then pounced, tackling him around the waist. “Oi! Leggo, you sneak-attacking dirty-fighting wench! No fair…!” He swatted at her hands where they locked in front of him, and then twisted around to grab her shoulders.

 

She buried herself in his chest, hugging him for all she was worth. He went very still, his eyes very wide. “ …Umm, Kagome…?”

 

Myoga was snickering in the vicinity of his left ear, when she gave him a final rib-shattering squeeze, and then bolted for the door of the hut before he could retaliate. “I believe she still owes you one, Inu-chan…could be an interesting game, to see who comes out on top…”

 

“Keh! No contest…”

 

Her voice came faintly from the hut, “Depends which sword he brings for me to play with…”