Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sealed Past ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 9

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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Kagome dipped the cloth into the water basin and wrung out the excess moisture before placing it on Ranma's forehead again. Night had fallen and the full moon's light spilled through the room's window and flooded across the bed.

 

Kagome gave a soft sigh as she stared at the moon's white surface. So many memories. Some of them bad, but so many of them precious. She only hoped that whatever her exorcism spell had done was not dangerous for this young man.

 

Reaching across to rewet the cloth, she started when Ranma's hand closed around her wrist like a vice without warning.

 

“Ranma-kun! You startled me.” Kagome scolded as she gave her hand a tug. There was no response from the teenager lying on the bed. “Ranma-kun?”

 

A growl rumbled deep in his throat as his eyes snapped open. Grey irises turning an iridescent blue as the whites of his eyes bled crimson. Jagged lines faintly appeared upon his cheekbones before darkening to a sinister burgundy.

 

Kagome sucked in her breath as she stared in shock at the transformation occurring. A demonic transformation that she had not seen in over a decade.

 

The growl deepened into a full throated snarl as he tackled her to the floor. Canine teeth sharpening into real fangs, he bared them at her as he trapped her beneath his own body.

 

He tilted his head from side to side, seeing her and yet not seeing her. Lowering his head he sniffed from underneath her jaw to the delicate bones of her collarbone.

 

Kagome's breath hitched in her throat as his tongue warmly retraced his earlier actions.

 

“Mine!” The word was a snarled command.

 

***

 

Shippou shook hands with Souta when he opened the door in warm greeting. “Long time no see Uncle.” The fox demon teased.

 

Souta rolled his eyes, his honorary nephew never failed to capitalize on the irony of this situation. Even though he knew that it had been five hundred years since Kagome had actually been older than the demon child she'd somehow adopted, Shippou still insisted on calling her `mother' and everyone else by their relationship titles.

 

God help him if he ever had to really explain the situation to his schoolmates. Having them hear Shippou call him uncle earned enough reactions as it was. The man was over five hundred years old but as he was a nine-tails he appeared to be only in his very late teens or early twenties depending on the circumstances.

 

“So Mama actually had a spell go wrong?” Shippou asked as they made their way down the hallway and up the stairs to the spare room.

 

“From what she's told me, it didn't really go wrong, she just overshot the mark and exorcised something she shouldn't have.”

 

“Ah…” Shippou responded wisely, yes, that was often the problem with his mother's incantations. They had too much power behind them, not too little as was usual in the magic community in these modern times. Being the Shikon-Priestess really had its disadvantages sometimes. She was really much better suited for purification rituals.

 

Giving a perfunctory knock on the door, they both walked through the doorway and froze in shock at the picture before them.

 

A demon crouched over the still form of Kagome. Demonic energy radiating off of him. As visible as heat waves on rock during a hot summer's day. A canine growl vibrated in his chest. Fangs rested dangerously close to Kagome's throat.

 

With a snarl of his own, Shippou leaped at him, the demon instincts to protect one's family taking over.

 

The unknown demon lashed out, the powerful physical and energy attack catching him full in the chest.

 

Shippou shucked in a breath as he smashed against the doorframe, knocking Souta from the room. And realized from the demonic aura that the demon he faced was a great lord.

 

“What do you want with my mother?” Shippou hissed in demon, as he pressed a hand to the bloody claw marks that marred his chest. The human concealment spell he wore dropping from him, revealing the nine fox tails that lashed restlessly about behind him.

 

The demon merely shifted position, staying firmly between Kagome and himself.

 

Staring at the demon's unusual eyes, Shippou realized that he was in thrall, caught up in his demon instincts between forms. Luckily as long as one remained motionless, a thralled demon would not initiate an attack.

 

As long moments passed and his heartbeat slowed, intellect taking over demon instincts as Shippou realized something.

 

The demon's demeanour towards Kagome was more protective than threatening. Even when he had attacked, the demon had not moved. Meaning that he would have remained as a shield between Kagome and his own impulsive attack.

 

And then there was the demon's scent. It was the mixture of a dog demon and a human, not unlike the smell of a hanyou but different all the same. It was the essence of that smell however that nearly knocked the feet from under him. His father's…?

 

“Mama?” Shippou said softly and very gently, trying not to aggravate the demon.

 

“Yes?” She replied softly, not taking her eyes off the demon that had his clawed hands wrapped around her arms and held her against him and pinned to the floor.

 

“I want you to say Father's special word, the one that would activate his rosary spell.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Just say it please,” Shippou insisted quietly.

 

“Okay,” she replied with obvious confusion and snapped out the command. “Osuwari!”[1]

 

The demon's reaction could not have been more immediate then if the true rosary spell had been cast. He flinched and let loose a loud whine as he released his grip on Kagome. Curling into a defensive ball much like a puppy would.

 

“My god,” Kagome breathed as she sat up, her eyes wide with disbelief. “It can't be…”

 

Shippou found it to difficult to believe as well. Was this truly his father's reincarnation as promised?

 

Kneeling beside the demon, Kagome brushed his black hair back from his face and wasn't really surprised when he burrowed closer to her. Acting very much like a young pup that had just been badly chastised. The markings were slowly fading, as his whimpers grew quieter and quieter.

 

Taking a deep breath, Kagome dropped the magical barrier she'd kept between herself and the world since her separation from her dead love. The Shikon's power within howled with recognition of its bearer's other soul half. Tears streamed from her eyes and down her cheeks to drop onto the head resting on her lap.

 

“It's him,” she whispered through her tears, “Its Inuyasha.”

 

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Footnote:

[1] Osuwari: vb. sit