InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Matters the Most ❯ Transformation ( Chapter 70 )

A/N: Sorry about taking so long with the update! This time I do have a plausible excuse! Schools up and running again (as I’m sure most of you have noticed) and I’m being forced to pay more attention to it than my writing. I’m hoping that’ll change soon though...

Anyway, got all hyped up cause Conqueror of Shambala comes out today (where I live anyway) and I’m just dying to see it (What, I don‘t see the movies when they come out in Japanese), so I’m giving you all an update! ^_^

I’m not entirely certain if I like the way I ended this chap, and it may be altered later, but for now this is what my muses wanted, so this is what came out.

Oh, and before I forget, my email is currently not working, so I’m not gonna be able to send out any alerts this chapter. GOMEN!   ~*~   Transformation

Sesshomaru’s caught Inuyasha as he fell, his arms wrapping around his frail frame and supporting him as he moved to slowly lower the boy onto the ground, staring intently at his face for a moment. Because, somehow, he knew Inuyasha could not have been behind those attacks.

There was no way.

Sesshomaru could smell how weak Inuyasha was at the moment. It had been a hard enough trial for the hanyou to stand on his own, let alone run around and trying to fight. Besides, everything Inuyasha had said... even a lot of his actions... it all belied the idea that he wanted to kill Sesshomaru.

This knowledge though, however comforting it might be to the young youkai lord, was nowhere near enough to explain what had made his younger brother attack.

And he was determined to find out had caused it.

Pulling back from his mate a little, Sesshomaru cast Naraku a glance out of the corner of his eye, and was slightly relieved to see his father was still holding the spider at bay. He didn’t want to fight with Naraku just yet. He needed to make certain his mate was safe. However, that did not stop his hackles from rising dangerously at the way the kumo was so obviously leering at his brother’s fallen frame, and it took a great deal of his willpower not to just go over there and claw the bastard’s eyes out.

That could wait until later.

Until then, he would let his father deal with Naraku, and he would tend to Inuyasha as best he could.

Turning back to his brother, Sesshomaru eyed the silver-haired hanyou carefully. From what he had seen of the boy’s unexpected assault on his being-- the way he had seemed to literally fight against his own body-- and drawing from his current conclusions that his mate wasn’t directly at fault, that left Sesshomaru with absolutely no question in his mind of who exactly had been behind that attack.

‘What did you do to him?’

The question slipped out before Sesshomaru realised he was even going to ask it, yet once it was out in the air, there was absolutely no way of taking it back. And he didn’t really want to anyway. He needed to know what that bastard was doing to his otouto to make him behave this way...

Naraku’s eyes flickered over to Sesshomaru as he cut off from whatever exchange he and Inu Taisho had been participating in before and he fixed the inuyoukai with a sadistically amused stare. ‘I did nothing to him, Lord Sesshomaru.’ The kumo murmured, falling onto Sesshomaru’s ears like poison and beginning to coax his youki into ire again. ‘At least, nothing you did not do to him yourself.’

‘What is that supposed to mean?’ Inu Taisho’s voice cut in, demanding the very thing Sesshomaru had been wondering himself, and making Naraku’s attention turn to him instead.

‘I mean that I did nothing to Inuyasha that your precious son did not do to him first.’ And, at the heated looks of confusion he received in response, Naraku elaborated. ‘I claimed the hanyou’s body, impregnated him, and marked him as my own. Though it seems that my way of marking him is different from your own... it is, nevertheless, effective.’

Sesshomaru’s body stiffened at the kumo’s words.

“I claimed the hanyou’s body, impregnated him, and marked him as my own. Though it seems that my way of marking him is different from your own... it is, nevertheless, effective.”

‘You filthy bastard!’ Inu Taisho’s voice called from somewhere that suddenly seemed very far away to Sesshomaru’s ears. ‘How can you compare what you have done to Inuyasha to Sesshomaru’s own doings? You have no right--’

“I claimed the hanyou’s body and marked him as my own...”

Sesshomaru’s brow furrowed a little at that as he forced himself to filter the kumo’s words in a desperate attempt to calm his raging youki, while he tried to block out the small snatched of his father and Naraku‘s conversation that were still managed to reach him... He couldn’t afford to lose control. Not now. Not when Inuyasha was so desperately in need of his help.

Still... marked him?

‘What makes you think I do not have a right to do with the hanyou as I wish? He did, after all, bear my child--’

Sesshomaru’s eyes trailed over Inuyasha’s body as he tried to find this “mark” Naraku claimed to have placed on his mate. How the hell he was supposed to find this mark was beyond him, however, considering the fact that Inuyasha’s body was covered in marks the bastard had placed upon him...

Still... if Naraku had placed a mark on Inuyasha’s body, then it would have to be something specific... something that could be told apart from the rest of the wounds plastering his mate’s flesh...

Sesshomaru frowned again, his eyes trailing back up his brother’s exposed torso, before coming to rest on his neck where his own mating-mark resided, and freezing there as they came to land on the small band of black that was wrapped so tightly around his mate’s abused throat as the last part of Naraku’s words rang through his head again...

“It seems that my way of marking him is different from your own... it is, nevertheless, effective.”

A different way of marking him...

Sesshomaru’s eyes widened fractionally as everything suddenly clicked into place in his mind... Inuyasha’s words... his unexpected attacks and the way he had seemed to fight against him... the horrible and unidentifiable dark aura that had been emanating from the half-demon when they were fighting... the small whispers he caught coming from Naraku just before Inuyasha attacked... Naraku’s “mark”...

It was the collar!

It had to be!

Sesshomaru had encountered few items like this before, but he knew how they worked... possessing the body and bending it to the will of another... Leaving the mind free to watch in torment-- helpless to do anything as the body that housed it was manipulated like a puppet...

The fact that Inuyasha had managed to find the strength to fight at all was a testament to his mate’s sheer willpower. That and his stubbornness....

Because, from what he knew, it was very physically and mentally draining to even attempt to fight against the possession these things induced... and rarely were the attempts successful.

It was both oddly touching and overwhelmingly frightening that Inuyasha had put so much effort into it... jut to try and protect him. Not to mention how unintentionally aggravating that the foolish pup had used what little energy reserves he must have had in that effort, when he should have been saving them up to try and heal himself...

Sesshomaru stared down at his mate for long moments, his face grim as these emotions battled it out within him, before, finally, everything was pushed aside-- taken over by an overwhelming surge of outrage that this had been done to his mate in the first place.

His eyes flickered crimson, and his hand shot out-- reached toward the obsidian band with claws extended, and every intent of shredding it where it lay. However, the moment his hand connected-- the moment his nails slipped between material and flesh and attempted to pry it away-- the collar gave an odd pulse, enough to make Sesshomaru pause. Not a moment later and the collar pulsed again, and, before Sesshomaru had time to react, began rapidly constricting itself around Inuyasha’s neck. Sesshomaru saw a flash of silver and watched in horror as tiny hooks seemed to swell in size and burrow tightly into his mate’s flesh-- latching themselves there in a way that suggested they weren’t ever planning on letting go.

Blood welled from both the punctures and the lacerations the collar was inducing, and a small, strangled choking noise reached his ears as Inuyasha’s body convulsed and struggled to get breath back into it’s lungs even in his unconscious state.

Sesshomaru’s claws made an attempt and just slicing the damn thing off before it could suffocate his mate, but again the collar pulsed, and small streaks of pain wrapped themselves around the youkai’s extended fingertips as the collar sank even deeper into flesh-- all but drowning in the flood of blood that was now surrounding it.

Panic raced through Sesshomaru as he realised that he could no longer get anywhere near the band without fatally wounding Inuyasha as well, and he wrenched around, turning his eyes toward the two demons behind him-- his father seeming oblivious to what was happening and growling out small threats and hissed curses at Naraku, who had his crimson eyes fixed on Sesshomaru, a small smirk creeping it’s way onto his face.

A snarl rose in Sesshomaru’s throat at the smug look as his anger combined with his panic, yet his body did not move toward the kumo that it longed to tear into. His whole frame had tensed up as he internally battled with himself-- trying desperately to fend off the transformation he had been on the brink of ever since arriving here.

Yet he didn’t know how long he could manage to do that... He could feel it within him now... the swelling of his youki... the crimson haze that was filling his mind-- blinding his vision and filtering everything out but the bloodlust and the endless desire to protect his mate.

Naraku seemed to realise this, too, for the next second something flickered in his eyes, and Sesshomaru saw his lips move in a muted command for the collar.

Sesshomaru felt another small pulse of power from beside him, and he assumed that the collar must have loosened, because the next second there was an incredibly haggard intake of breath, and then a loud fit of coughing from Inuyasha.

Instantly Sesshomaru turned to face his mate, taking hold of his shoulder and propping his body up in an attempt to ease the flow of his air as a wave of relief washed over him. His mate was okay. He was still alive. He wasn’t going to die...

Yet, despite this, Sesshomaru’s transformation did not back off. It did not follow through all the way, but it refused to back down. Despairing days and sleepless nights and stress and anxiety and depression and anger and desperation and panic and confusion and everything else he had been feeling in the last few days fuelled his youki, and it refused to back down. Not now. It wouldn’t risk it.

So he sat there, cradling his mate the way a mother might a newborn, his stance one of relief and something akin to happiness, while his eyes remained painted crimson, and his claws and fangs and stripes stayed in their elongated forms... his instincts still clinging to the most primal and base stages.

And Inu Taisho seemed to be able to sense his son’s tension, for he quickly fell silent and still behind him, staring grimly and warily at the younger inuyoukai’s hunched back.

The state Sesshomaru was in was a very dangerous one-- both to him and everyone around him.

His transformation had been dangerous enough when provoked by sheer emotional force and not by his own will, but to be trapped in this stage-- caught between rationality and insanity... All it would take was the slightest push and Sesshomaru would be lost into the oblivion of bloodlust. There was just too much stress and panic and desperation and his youki wouldn’t be able to tolerate it, and it would force his exhausted mind to succumb to it.

Right now the best course of action would be to remain unobtrusive, and leave Sesshomaru to find his own way back to sanity... And if that course involved sniffing his way along Inuyasha’s unconscious frame and licking at the blood surrounding his neck, then so be it.

Unfortunately for him, however, Naraku didn’t seem to think so...

Sesshomaru’s head spun slightly as he gingerly attempted to clean the area around Inuyasha’s throat, his instincts driving him the entire time, and he frowned slightly as he pulled back, grimacing at the taste of the hanyou’s blood. There was something... not quite right about it’s taste. Besides just being weak in general at the moment... it held a strange metallic tang that, while similar, did not belong in blood’s natural taste. It kind of reminded him of his own poison... Or something like that...

But why would his mate’s blood taste like that?

Before his foggy mind had the chance to put two and two together and figure this conundrum out, however, Naraku’s voice cut into his small moment of peace and contemplation, making his entire frame go stiff and tense again at the mere sound of his voice.

He didn’t catch all of what Naraku said-- his mind refusing to focus on the words properly-- but, from what he did catch, it seemed Naraku was taunting him and warning him that he held Inuyasha’s life in his hands, and could end it all with a mere word...

That had been the wrong thing to say.

Instantly Sesshomaru’s breathing quickened slightly, his eyes blazing with crimson light as his pupils completely vanished within the sea of red for a moment.

Fangs flashed as they elongated to hang over his lips and a loud snarl tore itself free from his throat as his youki was pushed over the edge.

Never again.

Never, ever again was he going to let that bastard lay a hand on Inuyasha!

He would kill him first!

He would kill him!

Naraku would die!

Those were the only thoughts running through the youkai’s mind as his demonic power surged, youki energy swirling around him and sending his hair flying, a shout of some kind from his father that might‘ve been his name reaching his ears just before he disappeared behind the veil of wind.

He hunched slightly, his body forced to all-fours as his transformation began to take over, his teeth unconsciously gritting against the pain that his mind was too far gone to acknowledge.

Bones snapped and creaked within flesh-- breaking apart and reshaping before jamming themselves back together like mismatched puzzle pieces, forcing skin to stretch and break and tear to accommodate the change-- the small gaps quickly being filled up by fresh flesh before the blood could flow.

Fur rippled beneath said skin, before bursting through-- covering his skin in a sheet of silk while his eyes flashed and his youki continued to pulse within him. A small, strangled sound escaped his lips despite himself-- lost to the void of wind surrounding them-- as he felt the bones in his face shift, and his skull begin to stretch and rearrange itself, elongating out before him to form his muzzle, and he instinctively bared his teeth, flashing the now sabre-like fangs before him as the transformation completed itself.

It all had happened in a mere matter of seconds, yet somehow, to Sesshomaru, it always felt much longer.

He was actually thankful for the wind that surrounded him and protected him from the site of others, because, if there was ever a time when he felt vulnerable in his life, it was when he was transforming. Caught between his youkai and humanoid form with a body that had no real way of interacting with itself properly... Completely and utterly defenceless.

Sesshomaru shook his head slightly, blinking in confusion against the red haze, trying to discern something. But it didn’t work. His mind couldn’t focus on anything... his youki had taken over... And all he knew for certain was that he was hungry... not in the eating sense, but... his body was hungry. It was yearning for something. He needed... to kill.

A small whine escaped Sesshomaru’s lips as he tried to shake the feeling, but it refused to go away.

A sound from somewhere behind him cause Sesshomaru’s ears to twitch, and he twisted around, his hackles raising instantly and his shoulders hunching as he faced whatever threat there might have been.

At first he saw nothing, and that confused him.

Then his mind clicked in (however minutely) and his eyes trailed downward toward the ground-- focusing on the two tiny figures there-- his eyes locking on the one closest to him, which seemed to have made the noise.

The silver-haired figure was saying something. Sesshomaru could see his lips moving. He could hear the sounds, but... he couldn’t understand. The youkai seemed somewhat... angry though. Or at least, that’s what his expression read. However, his scent read desperation, and was tainted with the barest hints of fear, and Sesshomaru instantly narrowed his eyes.

Fear and desperation.

Instantly his mind moved to associate those things with others-- panic, irrationality, sudden attacks... prey. He fought with himself a moment and cocked his head to the side, trying to decide if this creature could be considered prey.

He decided in the end that, no, it could not. While it was desperate, and maybe a little afraid like prey, it wasn’t afraid and desperate enough. It didn’t have that “Fight for your life” quality that prey should have. And it wasn’t running. Even if this creature was prey, there was no sense in hunting it if it wasn’t going to give up a good chase.

Still, that only left him with the other options, and he didn’t like those much either. He’d have to keep an eye on this creature, just in case. No need to worry just yet, though. The thing didn’t seem to mean any harm, so...

Letting out a small snort of dismissal, Sesshomaru turned his gaze away from the first figure, and let it drift to the second-- the darker one.

And he didn’t have to stare at it for a moment before his eyes were narrowing and his hackles were pulled back to bear his fangs to the root. The creature was speaking as the first one had, it’s stance and scent almost leisurely in their calmness and amusement, yet Sesshomaru found himself not paying attention to that. The site, the scent, the sound of that creature... Everything about him was sending his mind into a frenzy... and Sesshomaru suddenly knew... this was what he craved. This little tiny bug was what he desired to kill-- to tear limb from limb and scatter across the country in the most brutal, one-man massacre there ever was.

And Sesshomaru could no more resist this desire than he could transform himself back into humanoid form (which, at this point, was nigh on impossible).

Blood pounded in his ears, blocking out all noise as adrenaline began to rush through him, and Sesshomaru’s head whipped back-- his mouth curving into a small O shape as he released a loud, high-pitched howl that sent what little wildlife there was in the surrounding area scattering at the sound of a dog about to go in for the kill.

Twisting his head back down, Sesshomaru hunched his shoulders, his fur bristling as he stared at the dark-haired creature. For a minute he waited to see if it would run... silently hoped it would... but, when nothing happened, he realised he’d have to settle for just the kill without the thrill of the hunt, and, with a loud, enraged snarl, he flung himself forward.

Fangs flashed and dripped with acidic saliva as he bound forward, his jaws opening wide-- preparing to go in for the kill-- his mind barely registering the flash of silver rushing toward him until a set of familiar claws had already dug their way into his side. ~*~  

Glossary

Hanyou - Half-demon

Youkai - Demon

Kumo - Spider

Otouto - Little Brother

Inuyoukai - Dog-Demon

Youki - A Demons Spiritual Energy ~*~  

-golden_kitsune - Mm, yeah. Well I agree, it wasn’t necessarily terrible, considering they almost had something to work with, but it definitely didn’t come anywhere close to the standards the third movie set. And I’m still trying to figure out why they advertised Inuyasha having a “history” on the island. I mean, technically, he barely made it onto the island, and then he left almost immediately afterwards. *shrugs* And you’d think if they were carrying around these glittering scars on their backs all this time, someone would notice. But then again, maybe they only appear when the island does, I don’t know, I forgot. Anyway, enough about that. ^_^ Lol, there, Sess realised it in this chap. And now he’s out of control in full-demon berserker mode. Happy? ^_^ Lol, I think I know what you mean. Lately I’ve been reading some WAFF fics. The kind that used to make me gag and dive for the angst immediately afterwards. I think I might’ve had an angst overload or something (if that’s even possible). So yeah, I think I might want to get some fluff in here sometime. However, so far it doesn’t look like that’s happening. Still, if I ever do a sequal about life after all this mess, I’ll probably go a bit easier on Inu and Sess. I mean, then I’d have at least Arekusu and Inuko to torture, so I wouldn’t have to be as mean to all the characters I didn’t make. ^_^

-cloverfire19 - Hm. Well, I could try to integrate you into the fic so you can participate in the battle, but somehow I think that might kinda throw things in the fic off. And yes, Sess seems to be doing something. What that something is, I’m not quite sure at the moment, but so far it looks like he’s opted to go insane on Naraku. Lol, and you’re right, he’s not the kind of person to just stand and take it, but then again, he only just barely found his mate (who is quite weak) that is being controlled by Naraku, and he still doesn’t know where his daughter is. Chances are it would take a good dose of insanity to actually make him attack in those circumstances. Lol, yeah, I suppose I must be evil. But you love me anyway! Or at least, you love the fic. ^_^ And as to what they did to me? Hm... well, nothing besides being too unbelievably too good to pass up for a fic like this. ^_^ I mean, c’mon, they’re just so perfect/hot/great together! ^_^

-Crazy-Inuyasha-Girl - Lol, cool! Is that a step up or down from awesome? Lol, jj, I’m glad you liked them! ^_^

-Trysted Inu Punishment - Lol, I’m glad you liked it. ^_^ And that sucks. Do you know what’s wrong with you? Nothing serious I hope. Hate not feeling good. >_< Completely messes everything up. Lol, still, I’m glad you liked it, and that it’s “giving you ideas.” ^_^ Lol, I’ll try and keep it going, but only cause you asked so nicely. ^_^ And You’re more than welcome! Lol, thanks for all your reviews/emails/fics to help keep me going!! ^_^ And np. Lol, I didn’t exactly do anything besides write the idea out, so it was, literally, no problem. ^_^ Hopefully you can make whatever your devious mind has come up with work. ^_^ *grimaces* That sounds bad. I’d offer to get you something, but I’m not sure what I could get you besides a virtual bucket (and that wouldn’t help much now would it?). Maybe this chap helped you feel a bit better? If you’re not already...

-Snowfall - I’m not really certain what’s going on with Kagura. It’s a lot like in the anime I guess-- she’s not on anybody’s side but her own, even though Naraku forced her to work for him. It seems to be similar here, she’s on whichever side she thinks has the best chance of garunteeing her to stay alive and have freedom. *shrugs* looks like that must be Sess’s side. Lol, yeah, I know, I kinda let that whole Rin-sideplot just drop off the face of the earth for a while. Not that you can blame me. Really? You don’t know? Cause you guessed it once, when we were emailing each other, I’m pretty sure. *shrugs* well either way, I’m sure everyone’s gonna find out eventually. ^_^ Yeah, I can only imagine the amount of therapy that collar alone is gonna cost them. ^_^ And Sess did try and get the collar off... it just... didn’t work out too well. ^_^ Yes, you’re right, Inu does deserve to get the killing blow. But since when have I ever given Inu or Sess what they deserve (besides each other)? Mm. I don’t know if Inu Taisho will go to find Tsukiko. Mostly because he has no idea where she is. But you may have just given me an idea for giving him a more active roll in this. ^_^ -- Sess’s latent abilities? -- *ducks head* Sorry! It’s not my fault though! It’s the rest of my life! It’s conspiring to make me slow! (Or at least, that’s the story I’m sticking with as long as you’re violent... *glances nervously at abused trashcan*)

-inusesshoumaruluver - Lol, I’m glad you like it! ^_^ And I’ll try to! ^_^

-Tai-san - Lol, I’m glad you liked it. I’m beginning to wonder if there might be too much angst in this fic... I mean, I don’t know if it’s possible to have too much angst, but if there’s a fic that can manage that, then I imagine it’ll be this one. ^_^ Aw, *hands virtual Kleenex* I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you nearly-cry. That twist just made it so much more fun to keep writing. And you can’t say you didn’t like it! ^_^ Lol, still you’re right, Inu does deserve peace. But then again, escaping from Naraku will only give him peace in body. It’ll take a long time before he heals in mind. If at all. In fact, the only way to achieve peace might be to kill him. Hm... have to think about that. And as to Naraku getting what he deserves... I’m beginning to wonder what that might be. Lots of people have made helpful suggestions about that (usually along the lines of cutting his balls off and feeding them to him in some manner) but I’m not sure... Anyway, as always, I’m thrilled (<-- HA! a new word that isn’t “glad”!) you’re liking it so much! And I’ll do my best to keep it up and give you chapters ASAP! ^_^ Best wishes and waves to you too! ^_^

-Caitriona695 - Lol, well I offer them my sincerest apologies for the disturbances. ^_^ And I think the reason Naraku dares to do stuff like this is because... well, he’s a sadistic bastard and I make him. ^_^ Hm. Well, you can scream at him all you want I suppose (although your coworkers might object). Can’t let you beat him up thought. Sess or Inu need to be responsible for any ass-kicking that ensues. It’s only fair. ^_^ -- Questions? Hm, okay, let’s see if I can’t answer... *reads question*... Mm. Yeah, you make a good point-- attacking him would look like rejection. To a point. But Sess did figure out in the last chapter that it wasn’t Inuyasha that was actually attacking him, and I’m assuming his youki has chosen to acknowledge that fact as well. Inu was even apologizing. Now, while that certainly would’ve been confusing to Sess’s youki, it could probably sense the lack of malice in Inuyasha’s aura and would’ve realised that it wasn’t really him. Or something like that. Did that make any sense? Cause if not, I’d be glad to elaborate further... and probably confuse you even more. ^_^ Anyway, on to your next review! ---- Lol, yeah, back at the castle. I realised I’d kinda been neglecting the castle, but it’s really hard to kinda switch over to there at this point in the story-- there’s just too much going on between Naraku, Inu and Sess that’s much more exciting. And as to the demon... well, I don’t know how big of a part he’s gonna play in the end. I’ll reveal who he is before the end of the fic, of course, but there’s not really much I can have him do at this point to really... well be a big part of the plot. *shrugs* I don’t know what I’m gonna do about him really. He’s one of those iffy parts of the story that I need to work on. Lol, he wasn’t meant to be a distraction though. Like I said, I realised I’d been neglecting the castle, and that was my pitiful attempt at integrating more of it into this section of the story. ^_^ ----- *blinks* *blinks again* Woah, are you serious? O.O Huh. Lol, well I didn’t know that. I write it out on size 10 font usually, and I save all the chapters individually, and considering all my rants at the beginning and ends of them, I’m never entirely certain how long it is. Lol, now I know. ^_^ -- Mm, yes, you make a good point. But then again, Sess still is full-demon and his healing abilities are probably a good deal faster than Inuyasha’s. Not to mention his youki was already invariably close to the surface at that point in time, so maybe that effected it. *shakes head* okay, I messed up and forgot about that. Lol, thanks for reminding me though, I’ll try and be more careful about that in the future. ^_^ Lol, you’re right though, Sess knows inu isn’t really attacking him. But, evidently, it has driven him ever-so-slightly psycho. ^_^ You’re right about the healing thing though.That’s why I’m thinking this fic might have to be cut off and given a second part. Either that, or I’m risking heading into who-knows-how-many-chapters. *shrugs* Still, it’ll be great angst material. ^_^ And as to the “evil piece of shit”... well that’s a whole ‘nother ball of wax entirely. The question isn’t how they’re going to remove the collar though. It’s more of an if, because, as we can see, it doesn’t much like the idea of being removed. And, while it’s not necessarily locked into his spinal column, it is probably pretty damn close. For all we know, they might not be able to get it off safely. You’re right though. The only painless thing to do might be to kill him and bring him back to life. Of course, that’s assuming Tenseiga would let that happen. And Tsukiko... well, I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. ^_^ Lol, well okay, I don’t wanna get you banned from the comp again after all. ^_^ I’m glad that you’re liking this so much! And thanks again to you for reviewing! You’ve given me a few ideas, actually, that I may use in later chaps (which is always good!). ^_^

-CrimsonInHumanBlood - Lol, yep I did! ^_^ Wait, WAFF? In my fic? Where?!!! *searches anxiously through chapter* Well, then, I guess that just means I’ll have to find some way to add even more angst to cancel that out. ^_^ Lol. Mm, yeah, I was wondering if someone was gonna say something about the 69 thing. Lol, if I could’ve, I might’ve put a lemon in this chapter, but really, it’d be kinda awkward to follow the storyline if two of the characters (preferably Inu/Sess) just suddenly jumped each other in the middle of it. ^_^

-Nikkie23534 - Lol, I’m glad you “love” it! ^_^ It’s great to know you’re enjoying it so much! ^_^ And don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten. I’ll have to bring it up with my muses though, they’re the one’s who make deciscions like that. ^_^

-rin_sama1989 - Lol, but unexpected in a good way, right?

-nique - Lol, alright already, here’s some more. ^_^ And I don’t know when they’re gonna get out of it. I’m still trying to figure out how they go in to it to begin with. Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll figure something out. ^_^ Lol, and thanks! I’m just glad that you’re able to enjoy them all! ^_^

-FXL - Lol, yeah, I’m still not entirely certain what’s gonna happen with Kagura and (insert demon name here), but I’m sure I’ll think of something. Probably. Hopefully. Lol, yeah, the next chapter was kinda intense. Things are really beginning to heat up now though. And of course Naraku made Inu do something he didn’t want to. He’s been doing that the entire fic! ^_^ Lol. Aw, c’mon, don’t be like that, I mean, it’s not like it’s Naraku’s fault he’s a sadistic bastard who just happens to have made the perfect villain in my sadistic and angst fic. ^_^ Lol, and hopefully this chap will keep you satisfied until I can get the next one out. ^_^

-Korune - Lol, well I’m glad you’re enjoying it so much! ^_^ Lol, yeah, I suppose I do, but who am I to complain? That’s what I want, after all. It means people are liking the fic. ^_^ And you’re right-- can’t ever have too many of those! ^_^ Or at least, my ego can’t get enough of them. ^_^ -- Lol, yeah, I know what you mean. Long fics usually deter me too. Which doesn’t explain in any way why all my multi-chap fics always end up being he size of novels. ^_^ I’m glad that you kept going though! ^_^ And thanks again! I’m most certainly going to try! ^_^ ~*~  

A/N: Well, that’s it for now. Hope y’all liked it! ^_^