InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chained ❯ Cloak and Dagger ( Chapter 65 )

A/N: Well, this chapter really didn’t turn out the way I expected... yeesh, now I’ve got even more stuff to deal with in this fic... Oh well, hopefully it’ll all work out... here’s to hoping I can remember everything! ^_^

Oh, and I made a brief edit in this chapter and changed the function of the cloak... I don’t like what I originally came up with... it just seemed stupid...

-Tryst/Punishment of the Inu/WinterMoon/Lalamoon - Hello both of you! ^_^ Tryst: Lol, yeah, well I don’t know why, but Sesshomaru never seemed like the kind who would be interested in a place so far into the future, so I didn’t make him interested in it. ^_^ You’re right though-- he better hope to hell that Rin doesn’t go there, cause I can only imagine the kind of clothes she’d come back wearing. ^_^ -- Moon Girl: ^_^ Glad you’re still liking it! ^_^ -- And I’ll try to update soon, don’t worry! ^_^

-elenacala - Lol yeah... Sess seems to know a whole bunch of stuff he shouldn’t know. Maybe he just overheard them or something-- he does have pretty sharp ears, neh? Lol, I don’t know, I’ll have to think about that some more. ^_^

-pokiepal - Lol, well welcome back! ^_^ It’s great that you liked the chapter so much! ^_^ (Yay!) But hang on, backtrack a second... you don’t like Sesshomaru?... *gapes openly for a few minutes*... Huh. Lol, well I think you’re the first person I’ve met who doesn’t like him-- but then again, since most of my stories have him as a main character in it, and only Sess likers would likely read them, that’s not saying much is it? ^_^ Lol. Well, anyway, to each their own I guess, neh? I’m glad that I could make him likeable enough for you in my fic though. ^_^

-....###.....####....### - Oh wow, you mean people actually are reading what I have to say? Huh. Go figure that. ^_^ Lol. Yeah, I rememeber that one. And thanks for your help btw! Always appreciated! But in this case it wasn’t necessary. Apparently in the way I put that statement down about how hard it is to write a review, I didn’t make it clear that I was joking about it. I did put another author’s note up later that said I was joking cause I realised that people weren’t getting that, but maybe you missed it? (Not surprising really, considering how much I rant, neh? ^_^) Lol. Still, thanks again for the help! ^_^ And don’t worry, I’m not irritated. Even if I hadn’t been joking, and had figured it out (or had it mentioned to me) I’d have no right to get irritated at you. You’re only trying to help-- and if I didn’t want people to comment on that, I shouldn’t have put it up in my chapter in the first place. ^_^ Don’t worry about it! ^_^ -- And thanks! I’m glad you’re enjoying my story! ^_^ Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner than this one was! ^_^ (Lol, and don’t worry about the ####.....###...### = Y mixup. Lol, I got it. ^_^ And I’m already in a state of constant confusion, so a little more wouldn’t have hurt me anyway. ^_~)

-animaygurl - Lol, yay, I impressed you! ^_^ Lol. I’m glad you’re liking it! And I imagine Naraku would come up with something as sadistic as collaring Inuyasha if for no other reason than to create a cruel irony for him. I agree with you on Sess and Kikyo being OOC-- and I’d just like you to know that I hate it just as much as it probably bother’s you (if not more so). I really really really don’t like making people OOC. At least not without a reasonable reason for it happening, and I usually would prefer to stretch it out over time, but... I don’t know what happened, I was just writing the fic, and my muses insisted that they come out this way, and this is the way they came out. I’m still not entirely happy with the way they’ve come out, but it seems to have been the only way to keep the story going, so I guess I just have to suck it up and live with it. Grudgingly. Still, hopefully it’s not disctracting from the story too much, neh? ^_^   ~*~   Cloak and Dagger

‘Do you have everything?’ Inuyasha asked softly.

Kagome frowned and looked up.

‘Well there isn’t that much to bring. Those horses travel very fast don’t they? We shouldn’t need all that much...’ The miko responded, looking at the tattered yellow bag she had once used to lug around books.

Amaya had somehow fixed it up when she returned it to her back in the dungeon, but it had since become very grimy and torn once again.

Still, it was something from the future-- something she was used to handling-- and she enjoyed using it. Especially since she still had to use these old fashioned kimono’s.

They gave her a new found respect for Sango and Miroku and most of the other people they had met in their search for the jewel.

‘Doesn’t hurt to be prepared.’ Inuyasha said softly.

Kagome blinked and glanced up at him, but he was facing away from her and she couldn’t see what emotions lay behind that statement.

Sighing, she grabbed hold of her bag and slung it over her back, taking her quiver and bow in her other hand.

She turned and had to move her head back slightly as she found herself face to face with a fairly large dagger clutched in a rough, battle-hardened and clawed hand.

Albeit it, it was still sheathed, and the hilt was pointed toward her, but it was still a dagger, and caught her slightly offguard.

Her eyes crossed slightly in the attempt to look at it, and then she frowned and took a small step back so she could look at it.

The sheath was simple enough-- just an ordinary wooden sheath, though it was a strange, deep blue colour-- like the sky just before a storm, or on a moonless night-- with ornate silver leaves twining their way across it.

The hilt was slightly worn and tattered-- like Tetsusaiga was before it transformed-- and looked like it survived through several centuries, yet not used in many battles.

She glanced from the dagger to Inuyasha uncertainly.

‘Take it.’ The hanyou said, pushing it toward her hands. Kagome’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as her fingers wrapped instinctively around the smooth case, feeling it seem to tremble slightly beneath her touch.

She stared down at the dagger, her fingers unconsciously trailing the leaves across it, and then looked up at Inuyasha again. ‘Why?’ She asked softly, uncertain what else to say.

Inuyasha frowned.

‘Arrows are well and good for long distance fighting, Kagome, but you should know by now that if you go up against an enemy that can get close enough to you, there’s no time to aim a bow, let alone draw an arrow.’ His expression darkened slightly. ‘I won’t let you go out unprotected like that.’

Kagome blinked again in surprise.

‘Yes, but you’ll be with me, and you can protect me...’ She trailed off.

She had meant that almost as a joke-- just a way to lighten the mood or make him feel better about this whole situation, but, judging by the look on his face, the effects had been completely opposite, and his expression darkened even more as his ears pressed back.

‘But I didn’t.’ He said angrily, his hands clenching slightly as he stared down at her. ‘Don’t you see? I didn’t protect you Kagome? Not any of you! I couldn’t stop Naraku from taking you! And I...’ He swallowed, looking away and dropping his head slightly so his bangs feel over his eyes. ‘I won’t let that happen. I won’t let him take you away from me. Not again.’

Kagome’s mouth opened slightly as she stared at the half-demon, uncertainty welling up within her. Did he really still feel so guilty about what had happened? It wasn’t his fault! It couldn’t have been helped...

‘Inuyasha...’ She said softly, but broke off again as he looked back at her, his eyes grim and dark, causing her words to die somewhere between her throat and her lips.

‘Take it Kagome.’ He said again. ‘Please... For me.’

Kagome swallowed thickly and looked down at the dagger again, her fingers resuming their slow exploration.

‘Where did it come from?’ She asked softly after a moment, if for nothing else then to distract from the current situation.

Inuyasha was silent a moment.

‘It was my mother’s.’ He said softly. Kagome’s eyes shot up, but his were cast down, staring at the dagger with a faraway sort of expression.

‘It was forged from another of my father’s fangs, but not one of the canines. He wanted it to protect my mother, since so many were after her because she was carrying me. It’s name is Seiitsu.’

Kagome stared at him a moment, then down at the dagger again. Slowly she gripped the hilt and pulled it out a little ways.

Instantly she felt the power of the gatana pulse through her, seeming to extend itself into her arm as she caught sight of the gleaming moonlight silver of the blade, that was also adorned with a small line of leaves that seemed to run down from the hilt and disappear into the sheath-- likely going all the way to the tip.

The whole blade was gleaming and a bright white aura surrounded it, making it slightly hard to look at it.

Carefully she slid it back into her sheath and looked back up at Inuyasha.

‘It’s beautiful.’ She said slowly.

Inuyasha gave a small nod, then reached around her, and Kagome felt something soft drifting around her shoulders.

Kagome brought a hand up to gently touch the silvery material that was now flowing over her shoulders, gleaming as well with a faint pale aura, though not nearly so bright as the blades.

‘What’s this?’ She asked softly. Inuyasha gave a small shrug.

‘A cloak.’ He said, earning a frown from her. Taking pity on the human, Inuyasha continued. ‘It’s not as good as the fire-rat, but it’ll work as a shield or armour or something...’

Kagome’s eyebrows shot up and threatened to disappear into her hair as she looked up at the half-demon.

Inuyasha just shrugged again, then scowled.

‘It’s for your own good, ya know? Besides, Amaya suggested that we protect ourselves in whatever ways we can now that Naraku knows we’re gone. She’s the one who put the spell on that cloak.’

Kagome stared at him a moment more, then nodded her head slowly, and, making sure he noticed, she moved and slipped the dagger into the obi of her kimono so that it could rest in the traditional place next to her hip.

Strangely enough, she felt safer already.

And, if that hadn’t made it worth it, then the small, crooked smile Inuyasha offered her certainly would have.

She shyly returned the gesture, fastening the cloak around her shoulders as Inuyasha walked toward the door.

‘Where are you going?’ She asked with a small frown.

Inuyasha paused and looked back.

‘I was going to ask Kazkaen and Arron if they’d be willing to take us to the bone-eaters well.’ He said slowly. Kagome’s eyes widened slightly again.

‘You mean you haven’t asked them yet?’ She demanded.

Inuyasha tensed slightly, seemed to consider for a moment, then shrugged, turned and opened the door.

‘I’ll be back soon. Don’t wander off or anything.’ He said, shutting the door quickly and striding off down the hall before she could respond. ~*~  

Glossary

Miko - Priestess/Witch (In this case priestess)

Tetsusaiga - Iron Pulverizing Fang (I’m pretty sure that’s it’s meaning anyway)

Hanyou - Half-Demon

Seiitsu - Purity

Gatana - Dagger. Katana would be sword (but that only applies to one somewhere around 20-26(?) inches long)

Kazkaen - Wind Blaze (OC)

Arron - Wild Theory (OC)