InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unexpeced Allies Part III: Trial of the Century ❯ When Left to Their Own Devices.. ( Chapter 2 )

{Disclaimer: Anyone who's read this from chapter one of part one knows this already, so…}

Chapter Two:

When Left to Their Own Devices…

Sango watched as the tip of Keni'Chi's tail twitched behind him as he, Shorin and Kagome left the arena. A guard appeared beside her as Shippou landed in her lap.

"Let's go," the guard grumbled, motioning for Sango and Miroku to stand. He led them to the top of the stairs, then followed a path along the edge of the stadium. He turned into a tunnel like the one they used to enter the council arena and lead them down it to the sunlight on the other side. Sango gasped as they emerged from the darkness.

The city before them was magnificent, with richly adorned houses made of stone. Miroku moved in front of Sango as they moved through the city. All youkai eyes were on Sango, as if she wore a sign that said 'Youkai Exterminator: We Kill 'Em AND Grill 'Em' on the back of her shirt. The guard entered an inn and lead them to two rooms.

"The room on the left is the exterminator and the pup's." He motioned to the room. "And the room on the right is the houshi's. There is a door connecting the rooms. The dining area is down the hall if you're hungry, though I don't recommend you eat there."

"Why not?" Shippou asked. The guard sneered at them, making Shippou's and Kirara's hair stand on end.

"Because some of the youkai there may think you're the main course. There are those here that eat humans." He shrugged. "I don't see why. I personally can't get past the smell."

Sango glared at him as she opened the door to her room. Miroku followed her in as the guard leaned against the door.

"You are free to run around as long as you wish, anywhere you wish except the dungeons below the arena. You must be accompanied by a guard at all times." He bowed in mock reverence before them. "I'm to be your personal guard. My name is Gensu. I must be off now. I have to help get the taiyoukai and the hanyou into their cells."

"I hope you put them in different ones," Shippou said as Gensu turned to leave.

"Why?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Because if you don't," Sango said as she sat Shippou on the bed. "There'll be holes in the cell."

"They can't escape. The bars and cell walls are youkai-proof."

"Who said anything about escaping?" Miroku asked. "They'll kill each other."

Gensu chuckled and shook his head. "They'll be fine." He left, leaving Sango, Miroku, and Shippou shaking their heads.

"I don't know if we should feel sorry for the guy or what," Miroku said as he sat down on the floor. Sango sighed and sat on the futon beside Shippou.

"I don't, the jerk," Shippou said, the fur on his tail standing out like a pipe cleaner. "I hope they give him hell."

"If Kagome heard you say that, she wouldn't be happy," Miroku told him.

Sango sighed. "I just hope he listens. Putting Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha in such tight quarters is sure to be bloody."

++++++

Inuyasha hit the cell wall first, then grunted as Sesshoumaru was tossed into him. The guards shook there heads in amusement as they locked the cell doors.

"This bites," Inuyasha grumbled as he sat down on one of the beds in the cell. Sesshoumaru sat on the opposite futon, crossing his legs under him and staring into space.

'Kagome is angry. I could feel it. Why did I not tell her about the human arm sooner?'

'Because until recently, you didn't admit feeling anything for her.'

'Not now.'

'Yes, now. You know, with the way you're acting, she'll never agree to be your mate.'

'As I am sure I have said before, I do not care if she agrees. She is my betrothed and that is that.'

'As Kagome would say, 'You don't have a snowball's chance in hell' Sesshoumaru. You know you can't have her without her knowing your love, you can't use the ultimate power of the swords without her, and the hanyou will more likely sneak his place back in her heart if you don't. Speaking of the bastard-'

"Sesshoumaru, why are you so interested in Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.

"We will discuss this later."

Inuyasha smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "You said that at your castle. It's later now and I want to know."

Sesshoumaru sighed and rubbed the middle of his forehead with his index finger, trying not to put his own eye out with the rest of his claws. He and Inuyasha were still chained by their wrists. "What do you want?"

"For one: Why the sudden interest in Kagome? Two: Why do you two have a mind link? Three: Why can she use our swords?"

Sesshoumaru glared at him from behind his chained hands. "Gee, Inuyasha. Is that all? And here I thought you were going to ask something unrelated to the situation at hand."

Inuyasha blinked in surprise, then laughed. "You SOUND like HER!!!!!" He continued to giggle as

Sesshoumaru shook his head in annoyance.

"To answer your first question; Kagome is powerful. All things of great power interest me."

"Yeah, whatever," Inuyasha commented. "Is that why you nearly beheaded Keni'Chi on sight when he first came to camp?"

"He dared to harm someone that belonged to me. Thus the violence."

"You said 'someone' not 'something'. You're not telling me something."

"You are correct," Sesshoumaru said as he closed his eyes. He mediated, searching for Kagome's aura over the vast distance that separated them.

"Kagome's pissed at you, Fluffy."

Sesshoumaru growled but didn't open his eyes. He focused a little more, trying to break through her mental barriers.

"I would suggest you not sleep for a while. There's no telling how you'll wake up. Answer my second question."

"Our mind link is in cooperation with my vow to protect her."

"When was that made?" Inuyasha asked.

"When you mated the undead miko."

Inuyasha winced visibly and Sesshoumaru mentally smirked.

'Laughing at the pain of others, I see,' Kagome's voice rang out in his head. He latched onto the link as it faded away. Soon it was nothing, her mental barriers back in place.

"As for your third question," Sesshoumaru said, moving right along. "Read this."

He handed Inuyasha a small scroll. "What the hell's this?" he asked.

"Read."

Inuyasha grunted something rude, then unrolled the scroll and began to read. After a few seconds his eyes widened, then narrowed. A low growl started at the back of his throat. "What does this mean?"

Sesshoumaru fought the urge to sigh in irritation. "It means that Kagome can control our swords, plus her own. When used for the same purpose, the swords' ultimate powers become five times more effective. When in her hands, the swords become one sword, the Tosusagia. The Tosusagia is twelve times more powerful than the swords separately, plus it takes on the three most powerful attacks of the swords."

"So Kagome can use the Kaza no Kizu?" Inuyasha asked.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, plus she can apply her purification to it. You saw how much damage the blade can do."

Inuyasha nodded as he looked to the scroll. "But it says here that the Lady of the West, your mate, can only use the swords. Why can Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru finally cracked an eye open, a small smirk on his face. "You can read, ne? What does it say?"

"I said what it says! Now stop playing with me!" Inuyasha screamed. "From the way I'm reading it, the swords would mean that Kagome is your mate."

"Betrothed, actually."

Inuyasha glared at him, saying through gritted teeth "No way. You hate humans, remember?"

"Kagome is more than human. She is power, and a way to control the Tetsusaiga."

Inuyasha sat up straight, his eyes never leaving his brother's. "Kagome won't do it. She would have to love you to mate you."

"She already does," Sesshoumaru told him, leaning forward and bracing himself on his knees. "What do you think we were doing at the well, hanyou?"

"You mated her?"

"No, not yet. When I ask her to, she will accept."

Inuyasha growled, the whites in his eyes bleeding red. "She's mine," he growled.

"No, I do not believe that is true. Kagome does not love you anymore, halfbreed."

Inuyasha growled and lunged off the futon at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru dodged it easily, his eyes still closed as Inuyasha slammed into the wall behind him head-first.

"It is the truth. You are only making it worse."

Inuyasha snarled as his youkai blood pushed aside the last of his common sense. Sesshoumaru sensed the change and stood up, preparing himself for a fight with the enraged hanyou. Inuyasha attacked again, his claws shredding the front of Sesshoumaru's gi but missing his stomach. Sesshoumaru stepped aside as Inuyasha made another attempt to grab him. The guards heard the noise and stood around the cell watching.

Sesshoumaru noticed them and grimaced. 'I will not become a spectacle for these filthy creatures. Inuyasha must be stopped.' He stepped aside again as Inuyasha attacked. As Inuyasha sped past him, Sesshoumaru hooked his hands in his collar and tossed him underhanded into the cell wall. He landed with a thud, shaking dust and stone from the cell wall. The guards groaned in disappointment as an unconscious Inuyasha slid down the wall to the floor.

"I was warned this would happen," one guard said as he unlocked the cell door and shooed the others away. "I guess I should have listened. We now have to move one of you to another cell."

Sesshoumaru sat back down on his futon and closed his eyes, ignoring the guard completely. The guard reached down and dragged Inuyasha out of the cell and across the hall by his feet. He shut the cell door back and opened the door to the cell across from Sesshoumaru {Think of the cell block on 'The Green Mile'.} The guard tossed Inuyasha on the futon and slammed the door closed. When he walked back to his post on the outside of the cell, Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and mentally sighed.

"I hope Kagome is having more luck than I."

+++++++++

Kagome and Keni'Chi followed Shorin back to the well. They landed beside her as she changed back to her humanoid form.

"We will wait here until you return, my lady," Shorin said as she leaned against a tree. Kagome nodded as she slid down Keni'Chi's tail to the ground. She patted his enormous paw, then grabbed her pack .

"I'll only be gone for a few hours, ok?"

"We will be here, Lady Kagome."

"Kay! Bye!" Kagome jumped in the well and was gone in a flash of light. Keni'Chi transformed back to his humanoid form, fiddling with the end of his gi.

"Why did Lady Kagome call me her general?" he asked Shorin.

Shorin shrugged. "I don't know, Keni'Chi. Why do you call her 'lady'?"

"You call her lady."

"Because I have been trained to. She's loyal to my lord, she's a miko, and she's a very kind human. What's your reason?"

Keni'Chi scratched an ear thoughtfully. "I guess because I tried to kill her. I was pissed at the time, because she killed my brother, but after joining you all and seeing her fight I don't hate her anymore. I understand that she was only trying to protect herself and the kit pup. I regret what I did."

"Yet it bothers you that she calls you her general?"

"Hai."

Shorin sat down at the base of the tree, brushed some unseen dirt from her gi sleeve, and glanced up at him. "From what the houshi and exterminator say, Lady Kagome is a forgiving creature. Perhaps she has forgiven you."

"Do you think so?"

Shorin shrugged again. "The only way to know is to ask."

Keni'Chi nodded and leaned against the other side of the tree. A few hours later Kagome's head popped out of the well. She pushed the heavy yellow pack, groaning under the weight.

"Why do I carry so much?" she grumbled to herself as the pack finally slid over the side of the well. It landed on the ground with a heavy thump. Shorin and Keni'Chi stood as she climbed out of the well, draping herself over the pack to rest. Kagome puffed as they bowed. She waved a tired hand at them when they looked back up.

"Hi! Sorry about taking so long! I have something for you two!"

She slid off the pack to the ground to her feet, reaching behind her for a black duffel bag. She opened it and yanked out three trench coats. Kagome tossed one to Keni'Chi, another to Shorin and plopped the last one on the pack.

"What are these, Lady Miko?" Keni'Chi asked as he turned the coat in his hands.

"They're to keep out the cold. You put it on like this." Kagome demonstrated, putting on the third coat. Shorin and Keni'Chi followed her example. The coats reached their ankles, and there was a split in the back of Shorin's that reached mid thigh.

"Yours is my mother's, Shorin. Keni'Chi, yours is my father's." She looked at Keni'Chi worriedly. "Do you need something else to wear? I could go back and find you something. I don't want you to get cold."

Keni'Chi blushed lightly. "No, my lady. I'm fine."

Kagome smiled and reached inside her pocket. "Ok. Here's another part of the coats. You put this on your head like this." She yanked the black knit cap on, watching with approval as Shorin and Keni'Chi did the same. "Great! They'll keep us warm as we travel through the mountains!"

She turned and went back through the well. She came back moments later without the duffle. "Sorry. It's not mine. It's my brother's and he'd have a fit if he found it gone." Kagome yanked her pack onto her shoulders and started for the mountains. Shorin moved ahead of her, with Keni'Chi behind her. Kagome slowed down enough to walk beside him.

"Keni'Chi," she whispered, even though she knew Shorin could probably hear anyway. Keni'Chi gazed up from his musings to her.

"Yes, Lady Miko?"

"Um," Kagome faltered, not really knowing what to say. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your brother."

"You-you are?"

Kagome nodded. "I don't like taking life, even to save my own. I said a prayer for him in Naraku's castle, if it helps any."

Keni'Chi gave her a sad smile. "I'm sure he's honored, my lady."

Kagome sighed and shifted the pack. "I hope so. I understand if you hate me."

"I…don't hate you."

"You sure?" Keni'Chi nodded. Kagome grinned and hugged him fiercely. Shorin stopped and looked back at them, amusement playing in her eyes. Keni'Chi stared down at the small girl wrapped around his waist, shocked, as Kagome smiled up at him.

"Thank you."

She released him and started walking. Shorin resumed as well, but Keni'Chi stayed in one place, gazing in wonder at the back of the miko in front of him. 'She asked forgiveness from me. I tried to kill her, not once but twice and she asks forgiveness from me?' Keni'Chi watched as Kagome struggled under the weight of the pack. 'This human is special. She called me her general and from now on, I will behave as so.'

The strap on one shoulder slipped down, tipping its weight sharply to the right. Kagome squealed as the unbalanced pack yanked her down. She squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for the fall. A clawed hand stopped the fall, righting her back on her feet. Kagome opened her eyes as Keni'Chi removed the pack from her back and put it on his. Kagome stared at him quizzically.

"You looked as though you needed help, my lady," he said as he answered her mental question. Kagome nodded, smiled again, and returned to her place between him and Shorin, now free to move as she pleased. She bounced along the path, smiling and staring into the forest in wonder.

'So innocent,' Keni'Chi thought as he watched her pick a flower from the grass growing from the side of the path. 'No wonder Sesshoumaru feels what he does for her. I wonder if she knows?'

-----

Kagome: {::tending to the lump on Inu-chan's head::} I still can't believe you attacked him. You weren't supposed to do that!

Inu-chan: Whatever…

Sesshou: {::on the other side of the stage::} Ignore the twit. He doesn't have enough brain to know that this is just a play.

Inu-chan: Did he just insult me? He did, didn't he? {::unsheathes Tetsusaiga::} Come on then, smart ass! Lets see if you can fight as well as you talk!

Kagome: Inuyasha! {::grunts as Inuyasha shoves past her:: ::watches as Inu-chan and Sesshou fight::} STRIKING FALCON!!!!!! COME QUICK!!!!!

{SF, Silver Fox and Sango run on stage}

SF: {::gaping at the gigantic mess the inu brothers have made::} JUST WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!!!

Silver Fox: Looks like a fight to me, but I might be wrong.

SF: Shut the hell up, jerk. {::to inu brothers::} If you two don't stop, you'll wish you had. {::sighs as inu brothers ignore her::} Fine. Silver Fox, take Kagome and Sango to the rafters.

{Silver Fox does as he's told (surprise, surprise), watching as SF glares at the brothers}

SF: Last chance! {::brothers continue::} Alright then. {::snaps her fingers, then watches as copies of herself surround inu brothers::} Ready girls?

SF copies: Ready!

SF/SF copies: Lightening Strike!

>ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!<

SF: {::laughing at blackened inu brothers (cajun style!) as clones disappear::} I told you jerks! Anyway, the preview and recommendations are below!

RECOMMENDATION: 'The Red Hunger' by Xanthos

OK, you guys know how much I love a dark story, right? Well, this on is right up my alley. This is what it's about: Kagome is injured running away from a spat between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Her injury is the cause for a very unusual effect, bringing an inconvenience for the western taiyoukai and a definite change for our favorite miko. OK, this preview sucks worse than the others. I don't know why. Ignore this preview and go read the story. I swear it's the best and you won't regret it. (You might hit me for my lack of summary skills though. : ( )

Chapter Three:

Nothing is as Easy as it Sounds

Shippou pouted. "I hope she does. I like the idea of Kagome with wings."

"Not me," Inuyasha groaned. "I don't like the idea of a mate with wings but Sesshoumaru seems not to mind, right Fluffy?"

Sango and Miroku looked at him quizzically as Sesshoumaru glared at him. "Not now, half breed."

Inuyasha grinned. "Why not? You don't want to tell them the happy news?" he jeered. He laughed suddenly. "I agree. Why get their hopes up when you don't have a chance in hell?"

"What are you babbling about, Inuyasha?" Miroku grumbled as his hand lowered to Sango's back.

SF: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm so sorry about the change and all, but I promise it'll work out. Oh, and today I've started my very own fic! It's called 'Of Gods and Children'! The link is on my bio page. It's my first, so please help me out and review it too! Thanks bunches!