InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Vying for Dominance ❯ Making a Stand ( Chapter 31 )

Making a Stand

 

 

In an instant, what had been his hanyou opponent became something else. It was a savage, nothing more than one of the mindless rogues that he had so often seen dispatched that they could not bring harm to the members of the great clan. Kuro could see it in the eyes of the once-hanyou, the fury and the madness, the mind lost in the savage burn. But there was something else there as well. It carried in the scent of this creature: power, raw and untamed, explosive and wild. It came so suddenly and so unexpectedly that even with his speed he could not have prepared himself for the creature's retaliation.

 

From one instant where his claws had embedded themselves in the soft tissue of the hanyou's weak body, to the next where the mindless laughter of the beast poured out of it as it relished in even the spilling of its own blood. With no regard to its own welfare, the beast had taken hold of Kuro's arm, wrenching it free of its confines with such tearing force that his elbow join snapped in dislocation even as his claws still tore their way out of the hanyou's body.

 

Kuro was thrown to the ground, the unexpected impact leaving him winded. And just barely did he recognize the coming of the other's attack. The hanyou's claws crashed down into the dirt only inches away from their mark. Kuro had just managed to roll free of the crushing blow, but still he felt the ground shuddering with the impact.

 

The match hadn't even been reset, and Kuro had just barely gained his feet when the maddened hanyou came again. No form, no warning, and with a speed impossible for a lowly hanyou to obtain; and the beast was on him, tackling him to the ground. Claws racked across flesh, blood being drawn without restraint, the creature's madness only fueled by the wild tearing. Even the blows it suffered as Kuro retaliated against its assault meant nothing to the savage. Its blood flowed freely, and it cared not. All its mind knew was the fury of the burn, the spilling of blood, and the hunger for the kill.

 

His arms were torn with long gouges from his blocking defense, blood running in thick, heated streams to drip down on him; and Kuro roared in fury. No savage would get the better of him. No repulsive hanyou gone mad with power could ever measure up to the strength of a true Inu!

 

His voice lifted from him, a thundering pulse that spread out to hammer against the arena walls; and with it, came the rising of his powers to fuel him with even more strength. By force and will did he throw the savaged creature from himself, but even as he snapped his stance upright, he could hear it coming again. But this time he would be ready for it. And this time, there would be no more second chances.

 

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“What is the meaning of this, Sesshomaru?”

 

Sesshomaru didn't take his eyes away from the match below to answer Takked's question. “The hanyou curse. To draw of the power of his demon blood, the mortal in him is consumed by its fury. He becomes of half a mind, a savage, a beast, something ruled by his blood and his instincts with no rationality and no restraint.”

 

“You have seen this before.” It wasn't a question, but it carried one hidden between the words.

 

“The hanyou is bound by a totem of power that seals his blood. It is his weapon, and his best defense against his own weakness. Kagome will return it to him once the match has drawn to its close.”

 

“You would allow her to approach such a danger?”

 

“She would have it left to no other.”

 

“Remarkable.” Tannis had risen as well to join Takked and Sesshomaru standing at the edge of the dais to oversee the unfolding of the match below. His eyes, however, saw not the battle being fought or the blood being draw, but remained fixed on the hanyou turned demon in their midst. Even with his golden eyes corrupted by the crimson fires and the flashing silver of his mane whipped by the winds that catered to his demonic power, it was the jagged indigo marking that stretched over his skin that made it impossible to deny any longer. “The resemblance is uncanny.”

 

And though both Takked and Sesshomaru knew to whom Tannis was referring, neither said a word.

 

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“It's terrible.”

 

Blow for blow, blood for blood; the match between Inuyasha and Kuro was simply too much for Kagome to bear. Clutching Tetsusaiga tightly to her chest, she turned away from it, leaning into the supportive embrace offered to her by Kouga.

 

“It's almost over, Kagome.” Though he knew it was little consolation for a woman who always tried to dispel the fights between Inuyasha and himself, Kouga at least had to try. “There's already been two falls. One more and it's over.”

 

Her only response was a weak nod against him and a soft sniffle, but he could feel the trembling of her body and hear the shortness of her breaths and he knew that her mortal heart was taking more of a beating than the mutt was out on that arena floor. He pulled her closer, offering her his strength in the security of his embrace. “Don't you worry, Kagome,” he soothed her. “I'll get you out of this place.” Lifting his eyes to the arena floor, seeing the bloody mess the maddened hanyou had let become of himself, he added in a quiet voice that was no less determined, “I'll get us all out of here.”

 

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Nothing slowed it. Nothing stopped its advance. No matter how much blood it lost, no matter how many injuries it suffered, the beast still kept coming as though it was unaffected by its state. It would fight itself to death if it was allowed. Maybe it would be a fitting end for such a repulsive creature. But no. He couldn't let it end like that. Not only would it steal his rightful victory, but it would leave the hanyou's death as a stain on his honor. No, Kuro would not let the match come to such an end. He would have his victory. He would put the hanyou down.

 

The beast was wild, untrained, undisciplined. It was reckless. It had no form, and thus had no real defense. Even the most basic attacks were getting through to it, though none would keep it down, none would stop it from coming back for more. So then how to put it down without ending its life?

 

The answer was so obvious and so unbelievably simple. It was the human in him that made him so weak, and so it would be his human heart that facilitated his downfall and made it known to all watching where his weakness truly lay.

 

Moving out fast from the hanyou's next approach, Kuro positioned himself across the arena from his opponent, waiting for him to turn, waiting for him to attack again. Dark anticipation gripped him as he watched the savage burn of those eyes lock onto him. What they could not see was only the beginning. This creature, this mindless beast, it would serve its purpose to him. It would give him more than a victory; it would give him his retribution and prove once and for all the weakness of the mortal race.

 

It launched its attack. Wild and reckless but fueled by untamed power, its claws came crashing down into the ground to tear it asunder under the devastating force. But Kuro had long removed himself from the line of the assault, and stood back to watch as the hanyou's eyes lifted to find, not his opponent, but something else entirely.

 

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Kagome hadn't wanted to watch, hadn't been able to look on as her best friend was torn and bloodied in the arena, as he lost his mind to the fires of his blood all because of her mistake, of her carelessness that had bound her to this place. She hadn't wanted to see, hadn't wanted to watch; but when she felt Kouga stiffen against her, the comfort she had received from his protective embrace turned to apprehension.

 

Pushing back despite the wolf's resistance to her movement, Kagome forced herself to turn. Slowly, guardedly, she brought her eyes to rest on the form of the maddened Inuyasha. In the morning light, the burning crimson of his eyes was intensified, made to stand out even as the silver stands of his hair caught the blazing red of the new day's sun. All around him the air tumbled with unrest, angry currents of power that screamed out in warning and howled of madness. He looked at her not with the eyes of a friend, but of those of the beast ruled by his blood. Fangs bared, a snarl ripping on his lips, and his claws stretching at his sides as though he would attack at any moment.

 

He was fearsome, and even more terrifying was the knowledge that she had done this to him, that she was the cause of his demonic rampage. And now, as she stood there caught in his terrible crimson gaze, she knew she had become the target as well.

 

She felt Kouga's hold on her shift, felt it as he tried to push her away and behind him; but Kagome knew what she had to do. She wouldn't stand back any longer. She wouldn't let another pay the price for her failure. She couldn't. She stopped the wolf from pushing her away with a tightly controlled flaring of her powers. They drifted across her skin, searing against his where he held her. He was startled by the sudden tearing against his senses and the sluggish response of his powers as they were tamed by the light of purity; and Kagome used that time to pull herself completely away from his protective hold.

 

She stepped forward, away from the sidelines and onto the arena floor. For a fleeting moment, her attention was caught by the rosary beads encircling Inuyasha's neck. But fleeting it was, because she knew that not only would her subjugation spell turn him from his mindless state when it had progressed so far, but also that she would not shame him by using it here, in this place where he had fought so hard for her sake.

 

No, the spell put upon him by his former love was not what she would use to bring him back to her. What she would use was so much stronger.

 

“Inuyasha.” She called his name softly, her voice thick with emotion; pain, fear, concern, and above all love.

 

Because though she knew his heart was never hers to have, she knew as well that he would always have a place in hers. He was her champion, her hero, her best friend. She loved him not despite what he was, but because of everything that he was.

 

She loved his determination, his strength, and his fighter's spirit. She loved the way he would brush off concern, both his and that of others, and yet still show how much he cared by his actions alone even though his words were always conveyed in his own boorish and gruff manner. She loved his expressiveness and his flamboyant displays of displeasure, especially the way he would grumble for hours after being `sat'. She even loved his crudity and the impulsiveness that always got him into trouble. And she really, really loved those puppy ears.

 

She loved his vulnerability that he tried to conceal in his human form, and, looking at him now, she would even love the terror of the beast that he fought with every moment which only made him that much stronger.

 

And so it was no power of magic or spell that changed the air in that instant's time, but a power beyond such magics, and beyond any physical explanation. And for that instant, looking upon her, hearing her voice calling his name, and having her heart speak to him of words that had no name and no meaning to the ruling demon fires; Inuyasha felt the beat of his human heart in his chest.

 

But it was in that instant, too, when the barest traces of his humanity broke through Inuyasha's demon shell, that Kuro attacked.

 

One hit and it was over. A solid blow to the side of his head, and Inuyasha was sent hurtling across the arena grounds, landing in a sprawling heap of unconsciousness.

 

“Inuyasha!” Crying out in horror for her friend, Kagome immediately turned to Kouga.

 

Desperation shone so clearly in the sapphire of her eyes, and he understood without her having to say a word. Wrapping his arms around her, he took them in one bounding leap to come to rest by the fallen hanyou. When he set them down, she pulled away from him without even a look back. All her focus and all her concern was only for her injured friend.

 

The first thing she did was place Tetsusaiga in his hands, the motion almost reverent, like she was handing him a delicate flower. But she knew, she knew that even though he was unconscious, the power of his father's fang would still serve him well. It would protect his as it had so often protected her. And with it in his hands, he would never have to fear the mindless burn of his demon blood.

 

Her hands shook as they traveled his body, finding everywhere she looked more and more of his blood. Tears clouded her vision, but she forced herself to blink them away, focusing everything she had on the treatment of his terrible wounds. She could smell the poison still eating away at torn sections of flesh. It made her stomach heave. But what was worse was that even through the blood and dirt staining his skin and the tatters of his clothing clinging to his battered body, she could see the white of his bones protruding from several of the long gouges running down his arms and across his sides.

 

“It'll be alright.” She chocked on the words, saying more to herself than for the hanyou that could not hear them. “You'll see.” She forced a trembling smile as she brushed back the matted tangle of his hair from his face. “You'll be back on your feet in no time.”

 

“Do not waste you time with that hanyou, miko.” The slick voice of the Black Inu hardened Kagome's sentiment, converting painful emotions into righteous anger. She turned stiffly to face him, but he only met the sharp narrowing of her eyes with wickedness shining in his own. “Yow will tend to my wounds, and then we shall discover what other skills you possess.”

 

“Never.” The word was hissed out on a breath of loathing too vile to stomach.

 

But Kuro was not deterred. “Your hanyou lost, miko,” he informed her with authority. “You are mine now to do with as I please.”

 

“I beg to differ.” Sesshomaru had descended from the dais to come to stand on the arena floor. He positioned himself between Kuro and the fallen hanyou, facing off against the Black. “The hanyou was the miko's protector, the one she named her champion to take her from this place. He is not her mate. In defeating him, you have had your retribution. However, if you wish to partake of Kagome's company in ways beyond that which all can enjoy, then I suggest you take it up with the one she has chosen as her mate.”

 

“Mate?!” Kuro roared in furious indignation. “That mortal filth?! You dare to give her rights to an Inu mate?!”

 

But Sesshomaru was not moved, did not even bother to raise his voice to the challenge Kuro would present him with. “She has defeated one of our strongest females in a fair contest, proven herself beyond any doubts with her remarkable displays of power. As far as I am concerned, the miko has earned her right to take a mate.” He turned slightly to catch Kagome's eye, but never far enough to let Kuro out of his line of sight. “To whom do you give your favor, miko?”

 

“Well, it's not him!” Kagome replied shrilly, lifting an accusing finger to point at the vile Kuro.

 

“Miko,” Sesshomaru shook his head, “The time has past for you clever deceptions. Name him so that he may defend your honor and his own.”

 

“Sesshomaru…?” Was he really saying what she thought he was? Did he really want her to…?

 

“Go ahead, Kagome.” It was Kouga that had spoken. In all the commotion, she had forgotten he was still there. She turned to him in a daze, her mind still spinning with the implications of what Sesshomaru was asking of her. “Just tell these mutts that you're my woman and I'll stand against anyone they throw at us.” He reached out to her and took her hands in his, pulling them away from where she had been holding them in hard compress against Inuyasha's wounds. Lifting her to stand with him, he smiled charmingly. “Just say it, Kagome, and I will fight for your honor. I can protect you. And I will not fail.”

 

“Kouga…” she stuttered weakly. “I…” Shaking her head, she pulled her hands away from his. “You don't understand. I will always be your friend, and I will always be your sister; but I will never be your mate.”

 

Stepping back from the wolf prince, Kagome took a deep breath and closed her eyes to the world around her. In the darkness of her mind, where thoughts flowed freely and emotions were bright colors upon the dark canvas, she sought out her path.

 

She knew what Sesshomaru was offering to her. She knew that he was saying he would stand for her, that he would fight for her. But she also knew what it meant for him for the true ties between them to be revealed in this place. How much was he putting on the line for her? How much was he sacrificing to make this stand? He said it was for honor, but was that enough? Was what could happen to her worth yet another sacrifice? Was it worth any at all?

 

Inuyasha had already fallen, still alive, but only by the strength of his demon blood. He had fought for her, and he had paid the price. Could she let another do the same, pay a terrible price all because of her? Could she let him make this stand, knowing how dangerous it was, how destructive it would be against his position, and how ill-received the knowledge would be in this community that was so tied by their prejudice and hatred for her kind?

 

But then, he knew what he was doing. This was his world, after all. These battles were his to command, and his to partake in. So then the question was not if she could allow it, for that decision was not hers to make. The question was: was it truly him that she wanted?

 

It was too sudden, too unexpected. She couldn't make such a monumental and life-changing decision in a moment's time. She couldn't promise a future when there was no future to be seen. She couldn't commit herself to something so important when she knew her life was being held in fate's fickle hands.

 

She couldn't be his mate.

 

Her heart clenched painfully at the thought. After everything they had been through to share their stolen time together, now that there was an opportunity for them to turn what was forbidden into something more, something wonderful; and she knew she couldn't. But it was her mind that knew these things, and in the darkness of her thoughts, the vibrant light cast upon them by her heart showed her a path not yet taken and not yet tried. It shone with the light of moments past and hope for moments to come. It spoke of her heart's song and of those things wordless and nameless. It spoke of a future not yet written, and of possibilities not yet understood.

 

A leap of faith, then. A calling understood only by her heart, where rational thought simply didn't hold sway. For whatever she knew, there was so much more that she simply did not. For whatever was, there was so much more that could be if only given the chance.

 

And when she opened her eyes and saw him, she understood that they stood now at the beginning of a journey yet come to pass. And she knew then, knew it in her heart, that for all the reasons she couldn't, and for all the reasons she shouldn't, that none of them were as powerful as those that told her she should, she could, and she would.

 

So, as he put everything on the line to make this stand for her, she would do the same for him.

 

Reaching to her neck, she pulled out the jewel shard that had been strung there for her safe-keeping. She pulled it away, holding it up for all to see. Her light shone around her, passing through the glittering surface of the jewel to be swept away in a wave of radiance that carried over all in the gathered crowd.

 

She stepped forward, her eyes meeting his, and though she whispered the words, they were the most powerful she had ever spoken.

 

“You, Sesshomaru. It's always been you.”

 

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