InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Tale of Sesshoumaru ❯ The bone of Inu No Taisho ( Chapter 22 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
Disclaimer: I do not own copyright to any of the Inuyasha characters. Wish I did. I make no profit off of my fan fiction. Wish I did.
Disclaimer #2: I do own the character of Akanesuji, Smart Ass, Hizumeha and Kuza . If you would like to use them, please contact me at skycladstrega@yahoo.com
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Akanesuji watched the companions fly away from the compound and laughed silently to herself. Everything was working out so well. She would make the brothers come together one way or the other because that was what Inu No Taisho had wanted. She would make them come together because it was good for her husband's soul.
She looked down at her left arm which was still oozing infection from that last demon slaying. She didn't have her faithful horse companion with her that time, and doing it all alone was more difficult than she realized. Tightening the bandages, she was angry at herself for letting the tiger get too close too fast. He had been a challenging fight, refusing to go to his animal form and brandishing a shortened spear. It was only when she was able to use her blood stripes attack to cover his hands and claws that she was able to get the inside shot to his ribs. Jewel shards or not, this one had been very close.
The fangs from this tiger were beautiful, and his fur was lovely. The feline ivory was a dark cream and amber yellow variegation. They would make lovely knives to slip inside tall boots, or maybe even another set of wakizashis, which she really didn't need now that she had the boar's tusks. The boar's tusks she nick named “the gutters” for what they were meant to do, to gut one's enemies deeply and throughly. She rubbed the fangs in a respectful appreciation, noting their lovely gloss.
Since leaving the buffer lands, she had traveled to meet the infamous Inuyasha and had found him not to be quite the snot nosed little brat Sesshoumaru had painted him to be. Yes he was brash and uncouth, but he was also faithful and loyal to his friends. He was young and inexperienced in the ways of the world, naturally so since his upbringing had been so different. His cute little ears made him an outcast in human society and an annoyance in hers. That was a shame, for now her little growing state in the buffer lands could use more of his kind. She could see what they were good for and appreciated each and every one of them. He would have been welcome there.
His friends were pleasant too. The girl Sango was sweet and shy, their monk friend Miroku very friendly. Well, maybe a bit too friendly, but she would not hold that against him. Shippo was adorable and Kaede was nice. They all talked well of their missing friend Kagome, whom Koga loved so much. It was pretty obvious Inuyasha was in love with her and would not let Koga get anywhere. How was she going to break it to Koga that Kagome really did love the inu best? Akanesuji sighed. That quest may just be hopeless.
She snuck through the rafters of the women's wing and climbed out the window facing south. Using steady hands and bare feet she ascended the wall and crossed the roof line until coming to the larger main hall section. Ducking into another window there, she padded down the hall until she found one of the secret passages she and Sesshoumaru played in as children. It skirted through one of the thick outer walls and she took it until it led to a small little tunnel that over looked the main hall. Peering through a small hole, she looked down on Sesshoumaru and Rin. Now that she knew exactly where they were, she backed up until she met the main passage and traveled to the hall that held her and her husband's bed chamber.
Sneaking out, she crossed her room and entered his. It was a very plain room, decorated only in richly carved black furniture with mother of pearl. His bed was covered in a black coverlet, lightly embroidered with white dogs chasing each other around the edges. Coming up to his pillows, she laid a small package on them, a reward for his good behavior.
In Rin's room she left a carved pony of boar tusk made from Totosai's left overs. With haste she left the building, climbing back up to the roof tops and scaling down the tall walls. When she touched down on solid ground, she changed into her true form, taking to the night like the wind on four legs. She would make better time this way.
She guessed she only had a few days before Inuyasha and his companions would go to the burial place of Inu No Tasha, but that was fine. They would lead her right to it and when they did not find her there, they would turn and leave to look for her somewhere else.
When Kirara flew, she was so much faster than her and it exhausted Akanesuji to chase after them. Akanesuji could only run after her in her dog form, using her nose to sniff the wind. On several occasions she would come to a dead end. A cliff or mountain blocking her path. She would have to retreat and find a different path going in the same direction.
When Kirara touched down and the party started walking, she made much better time catching up to them. She was now faster than they were and within a day was within spotting range. She caught sight of them walking down a farmer's road. When they camped for the night, she laid down in the bushes too, making her self as small a dog as she could. It was not easy. Being a great big dog was much, much more natural. The envied the little cat Kirara who could do the size transformations with ease. She didn't envy her too hard though. Kirara couldn't make human form as far as she knew.
In the morning she rolled around in the mud to make herself a very dirty and ugly dog. Letting herself relax some, she was bigger than a horse. It was a much more comfortable size and walking went a lot quicker. She would not have to run after them now, she could just lope along, sniffing the ground.
When the companions went into the marshes, following a very rough path, Akanesuji knew they must have been coming closer. She waited several hours for them to go in first before taking the path herself. When she saw a large clearing in the trees ahead, she skirted around it until she could look down into it from a rock ledge above. There were the five companions sitting on their butts while the large carcass of Inu No Taisho sat above them looking down. His dog shaped skull sat atop a huge pile of rusting armor, the laces rotting in the weather. Akanesuji could hear most everything they said.
“She's not here Kagome,” Inuyasha said to his female companion. “Let's go home.”
“She's bound to come here Inuyasha. We can't just leave now. I promised Rin I'd find her.”
“I'm going home then. You can stay.”
“Quit being so impatient.”
“Feh.” Inuyasha turned away to look up at the big dog skull, missing it's eyes and it's large fangs. He thought to himself that pulling teeth like that had to hurt. It was a very big sacrifice.
“How long are we going to stay here?” Miroku asked Kagome. Shippo started kicking rocks out of boredom.
“Not long now,” Kagome said in a whisper. “Don't anyone look, but she is watching from the rocks.”
“She's here?” Inuyasha said, continuing to look in the direction of his father, but starting to take deep sniffs.
“Yeah. I can feel the jewel shards in her body. I don't think she counted on that.” Kagome continued to keep in a whisper, looking at the ground so that she would not attract attention.
Akanesuji was caught and she knew it. She backed out as quickly as could. Taking to her normal size, she bolted into the forest. It didn't matter now if they knew she knew or not, what only mattered was that they did not catch her and turn her over to Sesshoumaru, who would undoubtedly drag her home kicking and screaming. She could come back in weeks, or months or years.
The soft muddy marsh slowed her down, the tree limbs and branches smacking her across her face and eyes. When she hit firmer ground she was glad to hear them struggling behind her just as badly. Inuyasha was carrying Kagome on his back, while Kirara floated above with Sango and Miroku. They were fast, but not fast enough. They couldn't compete when they had to carry each other around. With a fast sprint, she cleared fifteen feet at a time, her dog legs bounding through the trees.
The open road was better, at a full run she made dirt fly behind her. She could hear the others loosing ground. Looking back over her shoulder she saw Kagome pull an arrow. The bitch was going to attack her! She cut to the right and then to the left to make herself an unsteady target. She had to get out of range.
Range didn't matter. The arrow hit her in the back leg anyway and she spun out of control into a stone wall. Transforming back to her human form, she pulled her wakizashis and took a low stance. “Inuyasha, I hoped it wouldn't come to this,” she seethed.
The group came to a skidding halt within yelling distance to her. “We don't want to hurt you Akanesuji! We just want to talk!” Miroku yelled at the top of his lungs. None had drawn a weapon, except Inuyasha, who would love a fight no matter what. Kagome smacked his shoulder and he put his sword away.
“I don't want to talk. I have things to do.”
“So it's true then. The shards have turned you evil,” Inuyasha declared.
Akanesuji stood up right and pulled the bandages off her already wounded arm. Digging into the flesh she pulled the shard out and threw it in their direction. “If I were evil, would I willfully and unselfishly give you a shard?”
All of them nodded no, except for Inuyasha, who still thought it was some kind of trick. Akanesuji brushed herself off and started walking away at a normal pace with a slight limp, sheathing her weapons. Miroku was quick to catch up with her and was the first to walk beside her. “Sesshoumaru told us you would go after Inu No Taisho's bones to make weapons, is that true?”
“Sesshoumaru thinks he knows me so well. He has no idea what I am up to.”
“So what are you up to?”
Akanesuji stopped in her tracks and turned to face the monk. “I am going to make a set of armor from his claws, monk. A set of armor that no demon can stab, crush or slash, just for my son. Are you satisfied now?”
“Sesshoumaru thinks you are going to try and make another weapon.”
“Now why would I do that? I already have weapons.” She started walking again.
“But he seemed convinced you are preparing to make a huge Inu dynasty.”
Akanesuji laughed. She laughed so hard her eyes started to water. The others were quite confused. “Oh guys, guys...that is so good. Of course I am going to make a huge Inu dynasty. I mean...come on. I do have a full blooded inuyoukai growing in my womb, and Sesshoumaru is the damned lord of destruction and you...you Inuyasha are the most powerful warrior this place has seen since your father walked this earth. By the Gods you people are so ignorant to the destiny that lies before you! If you could all just get along like your father wanted, the world would be yours for the taking!”
Everyone looked around at each other. Yep, Akanesuji had gone absolutely insane.
“Even the damn miko you run around with is as strong as a miko can be. Do you really think that a weak ass miko could break the Jewel of the Four Souls all by herself?” Akanesuji laughed some more, wiping her eyes as she walked along.
The companions stopped in the road dumbfounded, each looking to the other and back again. The inuyoukai continued on, strolling up the hill, grabbing her stomach in a fit of course laughter. The jewel shards may not have made her evil, but she was certainly out of her gourd nuts.
“What about Sesshoumaru?” Kagome yelled to the inuyoukai. “He loves you so much!”
Akanesuji turned so that she was walking backwards away from them. “Don't worry about Fluffy! I love him too! I'll go back when I am damned good and ready!” With that she turned and disappeared into the wood line, the last parting shot of her was her white fluffy tail.
The companions started slowly walking down the road. “Do you get the feeling we have been tricked?” Kagome asked anyone who would listen.
“Yeah. She used us to find my father's bones,” Inuyasha replied.
“Worse than that,” Miroku said, “She is using us in her personal vendetta against Fluffy.”
“Well, it might be just be worth it then,” the hanyou said, wiggling his ears up and down.
“Sit!”