InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tomaru's Story 2: Prejudice ❯ Chapter 10

Dragonfly: -whacks Tomaru upside the head- BAKA! What the hell are you thinking???

 

Tomaru: -flinch- OW! What did I do?

 

Dragonfly: You're seriously being considered for neutering.

 

Tomaru: O.O

 

Dragonfly: Maybe you should stop messing around and start acting like a taiyoukai for once!!

 

Tomaru: -hangs head- Yes, ma'am.

 

Dragonfly: -bows to readers in apology- Gomen nasai, minna. We've been absent for a while (school, overworking, and stress are NOT a good combination) and Tomaru left us at a rather bizarre spot. I'll try to fix the problem, but I don't know how I'll write his lecherous tail out of this.

 

Chapter 10 (dedicated to Warm-Ice-sama)

 

Tomaru strode away from his mother, heading for his rooms to change before leaving for the Southern Lands to broach Kouga for his daughter's hand in marriage.

 

“Oh, Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered as he walked away, hanging her head and letting the tears fill her eyes. “What have you done to my son?”

 

Oi, Kagome! It ain't me, I swear! This hard-headed pup has gone crazy!

 

Quiet, old dog! If I'm crazy, you drove me there!

 

“Ooommph!” Tomaru was hit head on by a smaller, delicate form that seemed to be seething in frustration. He blinked in surprise as he realized it was Haruko.

 

“Get out of my way, you hentai dog!” she demanded icily. “Why do you insist on colliding with me on a constant basis?”

 

All thoughts of the angry conversation he had with his mother dissipated in the face of her irritation. One thing he truly seemed to enjoy- rattling the inu-hime when she was already frazzled. He grinned at her. “In case you didn't notice, Princess, you ran into me.”

 

She gasped in indignation. “I most certainly did not! As usual, your barbarian brain has prompted you to assault me once again and then try to blame me for it!”

 

Tomaru ran the tip of his tongue over his fangs and narrowed his eyes at her, still smirking. “Barbarian, eh?” he purred, knowing it would rile her even further. “I believe you like me acting like a `barbarian'…”

 

“Why, you arrogant, egotistical, insensitive…”

 

“Shhh,” Tomaru placed a finger over her soft lips to quiet her tirade. “You're prettier when you don't talk.”

 

Her ears flattened and she glared daggers at him. “Bshtrd,” she mumbled against his finger.

 

Fine. Enough was enough. He released her and shrugged. “If you say so.” Without saying another word, he walked around her and headed for his rooms.

 

Haruko stared after him, confused. “Wh…where are you going?”

 

“To get changed,” he called over his shoulder, not stopping. “I need to get to the Southern Lands immediately.”

 

She blinked large blue eyes. “The Southern Lands? Are the Wolves in trouble?”

 

He stopped, but he didn't turn his head. “I decided to grant your wish and release you from our betrothal,” he said, his voice carefully neutral. “I intend to ask Kagetsuniji to be my mate.”

 

Haruko held in a gasp of horrified shock. “You… what?” she whispered.

 

“You heard me. You do not have to marry a `letch' like me any more.”

 

She took two tentative steps toward him. “W-wait… I… I didn't…”

 

“Excuse me, Princess,” he interrupted, walking away again. “I am sure you have more important things to do.”

 

Haruko watched him leave, her heart full of conflicting emotions. This was what she wanted, right? Then why did it hurt so bad?

 

He can't just break the betrothal like that, her youkai reminded her. It would start a war between the Northern Lands and the Western Lands. You have to follow him- talk him out of it.

 

But… I don't want to! Haruko paused. …Do I?

 

Let me ask you something, honey.

 

She braced herself. What?

 

Answer me honestly- and I'll know if you're lying. How does the thought of Tomaru marrying that wolf wench make you feel?

 

Haruko growled before she even realized it.

 

Her youkai chuckled. I thought so. I tried to warn you, but you wouldn't listen. So stubborn…

 

The inu princess sighed. I suppose I have no choice.

 

You have a choice. Ignore it and cause immense hardship on your father, or show that puppy who his mate REALLY is.

 

------------------------

 

Tomaru strode purposefully out of the front gates of his father's house, the guards bowing respectfully as the heir to the Western Lands left home on some important yet secret mission. No one dared speculate why the prince would leave so soon after his engagement to Princess Haruko, but there were whispers in the servants' quarters. Rumors of deceit and the return of Lord Sesshoumaru's late brother. Murmurs of another that had caught the prince's attention. No one knew what was true and what was false.

 

The hanyou ignored them all. With his ceremonial pelt draped gracefully over his left shoulder and his best silk green-and-white robes gleaming in the sunlight, he looked every inch the mighty Sesshoumaru's son.

 

For several hours he walked, his mind fighting silently with Inuyasha's protests so much that he barely noticed when he had reached a lush forest.

 

Inuyasha seemed to pause in his ranting and raving. Wait a minute… go that way.

 

Tomaru stopped walking altogether, resting his hand lightly on Tetsusaiga's hilt- a present from his mother and father when he had turned sixteen and had mastered the Kaze no Kizu during training with it. What for? I have more important things to do than listen to your grumbling.

 

Just do it.

 

Heaving a rather un-taiyoukai-like sigh, Tomaru turned and followed the old dog's directions, weaving through the trees and foliage until he reached a small clearing.

 

And an old, wooden well.

 

Tomaru looked at the well, slightly confused, as he walked toward it. So it's a well. So what?

 

Inuyasha was silent a moment. That's the Bone Eater's Well, pup. The well your mother came to this time through.

 

The young hanyou was visibly startled. Th-this… Mother came here through HERE?

 

She told you the story many times as a pup, didn't she? Well, now you're looking at the reason she was able to come to this era.

 

Tomaru leaned over slightly, peering into the inky depths rather skeptically. Doesn't look like much…

 

A low rumble shook the ground and the silver-haired hanyou whirled around, hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt. His eyes narrowed as the rumbling grew closer, the foliage on the trees shaking more and more violently as whatever it was came toward him…

 

And then Haruko ran out from the trees, dressed in a white kimono edged with a familiar magenta flower pattern, long silver hair flying behind her, her ears flattened against her head and her sapphire eyes wide. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she looked frightened. Not her… she could take on a boar youkai with her eyes closed.

 

“Haruko?” he asked, rather stupidly. “What are you doing here?”

 

She stopped, chest heaving from exertion, yet she managed to glare at him as if they were facing off in Sesshoumaru's palace once more. She opened her mouth- most likely to give him some icy reply- when she was cut off by a deafening roar.

 

Haruko's eyes flew wide again as she resumed her flight- straight for Tomaru. He watched in bemused silence as she actually hid behind him. “What are you doing?” he asked again.

 

“A youkai found me,” she muttered back. “And it's immune to my magic.”

 

“So? Didn't your father teach you how to fight?”

 

She flushed slightly but gave him a disgusted look. “No- I was trained in how to be a good mate and mother. My strength lies in my magic, not physical combat. Father figured my mate would protect me from any physical threats, should my magic fail.”

 

Tomaru nearly groaned. Nice work, old man. Way to go.

 

Will you shut up and just deal with this thing already? I'm itching for some youkai-slaughtering!

 

Always.

 

Placing himself more definitely between Haruko and the encroaching youkai, Tomaru took up a protective stance. His face hardened into an emotionless mask. Haruko blinked as she glanced up at him, noticing how much he looked like his father with that cold, calculating expression.

 

Trees cracked and groaned as something huge broke through them. A looming, dark shape finally emerged into the clearing around the well, saliva dripping from a cavernous mouth filled with a multitude of fangs.

 

Tomaru's goldenrod eyes narrowed infinitesimally. Figures. A rock youkai. That explains its immunity to magic.

 

Your claws will be just as useless. Better pull out Tetsusaiga and Kaze no Kizu this thing's stony ass.

 

Deciding not to spend any more time in a silent argument with his youkai, Tomaru simply grasped the rusty-looking sword's hilt. Haruko gasped. “Are you crazy?” she hissed, her voice sounding as if she were near to panicking. “That rusty toothpick isn't going to defeat that thing!”

 

Flicking an unreadable glance at the lovely inu princess, Tomaru merely unsheathed the sword, letting her stare in shock as it transformed to its full fang form. “Any more protests, Princess?” he murmured.

 

“N-no,” she stammered. Baka! Can't you keep your mouth shut?

 

Apparently not.

 

Tomaru assumed his father's fighting stance- in other words, he stood there, emotionless, with the sword held with one hand, looking for all the world like he was completely bored with the situation. Slowly he lifted the sword, grasped it with his other hand, and deftly swung it down in the direction of the rock youkai- even though the creature was still several paces away from them. I can see it… the Wind Scar…

 

“Kaze no Kizu!”

 

Haruko gaped in awe as five brilliant flashes of light-energy radiated out from where the sword pointed. They raced toward the rock youkai and engulfed it, seeking to slice it to pieces.

 

When the light faded, the rock youkai chuckled, low and cocky, as it brushed pebbles and loose debris off its stony skin. “Your puny attack cannot hurt me, hanyou,” it rumbled. “Now I will have you and that delicious half-bitch next to you for lunch!”

 

Shit, Tomaru thought, slightly frowning. Now what do we do?

 

Damn. Looks like you're not skilled enough yet, pup. You'd probably need at least a Bakuryuuha to get through that armor.

 

So what do we do?

 

Learn fast. Or let me take over.

 

You don't know if that will work!

 

The rock youkai gave a gravelly laugh as it swung a fist toward the now-slightly-worried hanyou prince.

 

Tomaru deftly avoided the attack only to be hit by a flying rock from the side. As he was knocked through the air, he noticed that the rock youkai's tail was flinging chunks of itself as weapons. Didn't know it could do that…

 

He landed gracefully on his feet, directly in front of the well, his long hair drifting down around him like silver rain. Haruko noticed that his temple was bleeding from the blow. She took several steps toward him, her ears slightly perked in concern. “Tomaru, you're hurt!”

 

The rock youkai swung at her and shot a barrage of rocks from its tail, taking advantage of her preoccupation with the other hanyou. Tomaru saw the attack and ran toward her. “Haruko! Look out!” he yelled as he wrapped his arms around her and tried to block the blow with his body.

 

The rocks slammed into him painfully and the force of their attack knocked him forward. He somehow twisted as they fell, hoping to prevent falling on top of Haruko and crushing her with his greater weight.

 

A soft pink glow surrounded the entwined hanyous as they fell into the well.

 

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

 

Dragonfly: Just a quick note- I have three labs due by next week for my computer class and I work almost every day this week and next, so it may be quite some time before I'm able to update again. Please bear with me and be understanding- I WILL finish this! I just need to get through these next two weeks and hopefully things will calm down a bit with my next classes. English and History- eeeeeeasy stuff. So arigatou to everyone who has remained vigilant in waiting for me- I really appreciate it!

 

Tomaru: -bows- Hai. Arigatou, minna. -winks at Haruko- I missed you, inu-tenchi…