InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Loss of Self, Discovery of Truth ❯ Caught ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Loss of Self, Discovery of Truth

Chapter 12: Caught

Mitsurugi led the way though a series of narrow alleyways sticking to the dark shadowy regions. He held up a hand to indicate for the others to halt, checked around the corner, and then curled his fingers forward to start them up again.

Eventually, he guided them to an overhanging in the cliffs to the side of the village that seemed to serve as a fortified wall as if protecting the smoldering city from outsiders. Kagome looked over at Kouga to see him looking back at her and scratching his neck in discomfort—it seemed remarkably similar to the valley of the bird demons where they first met years ago.

“There he is,” Mitsurugi whispered. Kagome followed the direction he was gazing and noticed a familiar feminine figure. Jakotsu, the member of the seven-men team with the vicious snake sword, sat on a large bolder swinging his legs absently with a bored expression on his face. It made sense—he was a human and was most definitely cursed.

“What's he doing here?” Kouga hissed. His eyes darted past the man in search of other enemies. “And where are the others?”

“Don't worry, Kouga-kun. I'm sure you'll be able to defeat them again if they show up.” Kagome gave him a reassuring pat on the arm.

The wolf prince huffed. “Of course I can defeat them, but I don't want to waste time in unnecessary battles. Unlike Inuyasha I prefer to fight only when I have no alternative.” A quick grin split his face. “Running is usually the best choice.”

“Running away won't find your companion,” Mitsurugi calmly pointed out. “If any thing has happened to your friend we'll find out by listening and observing here. No one likes to gossip more than Jakotsu and no one has more connections at the moment either.”

Jakotsu's posture straightened and he seemed to sense their presence. He looked over in their direction before a shout drew his attention and he turned his back to them. A man came running toward Jakotsu, dark hair wild and green markings along his face—it was Suikotsu their sometimes ally usually enemy.

“What's up doc?” Jakotsu asked with a cheeky grin.

Suikotsu glowered at him. “Don't compare me to that weak human.”

“Whatever. What's got you running like your feet are ablaze?”

“We've a new guest to these lands.”

“And? People die every day why should I care?”

“Because this person is the one who killed you the second time.”

“Not possible. Sesshoumaru, my darling Inuyasha's older brother, killed me. Let it be known that it was through luck that he defeated my blade, but it hardly matters now. He's a demon. How does his passing affect me?”

“Because he's human now.”

“What? Never mind that, where is he?”

“Hiding for now, but soon I'll know where.” Suikotsu hit his palm against his temple. “As soon as the doctor loosens his tongue I'll know Sesshoumaru's location.”

“Right, well, you get to convincing your other half. I'll just sit and enjoy the fires from my nice and comfortable bolder.”

“So this tells us…” Kouga looked over at Mitsurugi questioningly.

The former monk rolled his eyes. “Must I do all the thinking? This is why I was raised to rid the land of demons. Incompetent.”

“It means,” Kagome interjected before the two could get into a fight. What was it about Kouga that seemed to provoke others so easily? “It means that Suikotsu knows where Sesshoumaru is. So, we just need to follow him and when he converts to his amiable doctor half we can find him.”

“Almost an intelligent plan,” Mitsurugi said. He held up a hand to silence to protest Kouga was ready to voice. “Unfortunately, that's what they would be counting on if they happen to know of your presence. The devouring of holy powers—such as yours—would be an incredible power boost for these parasites.”

“What do we do then?” Kagome asked.

“Keep with Jakotsu. When Suikotsu captures Sesshoumaru it will be easier for us to free him.”

“That's your plan?” Kouga asked. He ran his tongue over a fanged tooth. “I like it.”

“Well I don't,” Kagome said crossing her arms.

“You're outvoted, sit back and watch,” Mitsurugi said with an all too Miroku-like grin. Curse that grin. She could never be mad at the one sporting that grin for long.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Sesshoumaru waited in awkward silence with his—not his stepmother for his parents' marriage was never dissolved—father's mistress for Suikotsu to return.

“Is there anything you'd like to talk about?” Izayoi asked.

He only looked at her as if she were crazy and then returned his gaze to the every exciting stairs that led to the cellar he was currently hiding.

“Sesshoumaru, this is the perfect opportunity to say whatever you've had on your mind? There must be something you want to say to me.”

“Really? You want me to ask you why my father turned his back on his family? On his wife and son? Why he went to your bed?” He glared at her. “Why should I care about his sex life? He severed the relationships that should have been important for a good time.”

She looked at him sadly. “Perhaps what you say is true to some extent.” He snorted his derision, but she continued nonplussed. “He and your mother were in a loveless marriage—an alliance of duty to produce a strong heir to the Western lands. They succeeded with you. Your father spent his whole life working to gain and control power over those lands to give you a legacy to live up to. Your mother goaded him and he goaded her. They were tolerant, but—”

“I'm aware of the faults in my parents' behavior toward one another. There is no need for you to point them out.”

“But there is a point.” She walked across the small place and sat beside him. He grunted in annoyance but couldn't very well get up and walk away now. Such an action would be beneath him. “He and your mother stayed together until after you were an adult and strongly capable. You do realize that your mother left him before he ever met me?”

“He could have gone after her,” Sesshoumaru mumbled. He shook his head feeling disgusted with himself for such thoughts. He was behaving like a sullen teenager! Curse his humanity again!

“That was not his fate. He and I met and we both fell in love. It was the first and only time for both of us. Your father didn't think he was capable of love before that time. He cared about providing you things but he'd never thought to hold or hug you as a boy—pup. He saw how cold and distant you tended to be and vowed he would do what he could to fix that and when I became pregnant with Inuyasha he swore he'd not make the same mistakes twice.”

The door opened and Suikotsu stepped in. “I'm not interrupting am I?”

Sesshoumaru rose to his feet. “Yes, and I wish you had done so about five minutes earlier.” He ignored the disappointed sigh that escaped Izayoi's lips. “Did you learn anything?”

“I know how to reunite you with your demon half.”

“Do not lie to me.”

“I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing. You both must come with me. There's a place we must go.”

Sesshoumaru offered his hand to Izayoi and helped her to her feet. They followed closely after Suikotsu. Perhaps his eyes weren't adjusting well to the poor light, but Sesshoumaru thought the good doctor's hair had a greenish-tinge to it. He leaned down so that his lips were near Izayoi's ear.

“If I tell you to run, do it. And don't look back.”

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

“I take it back. I don't like this idea any more.” Kouga rolled over onto his back and drummed his fingers impatiently across his chest. “It's so boriiiiing!”

“Be quiet!” Mitsurugi punched him in the gut with a fist.

“Something is happening,” Kagome said. Jakotsu had turned his attention in their direction and was grinning with a dangerous gleam to his eye. It was then that the cliffwalls seemed to come alive as flocks of giant bird youkai began to fly out of them. “There are demons! Why are there demons?”

Mitsurugi waved aside her concern. “They're not coming toward us. If you'd pay attention you'd see that they are simply migrating.”

Kouga sat up quickly. “And why would they be migrating?”

An intense smell of sulfur began to permeate the air. Mitrusugi pointed in that direction as a creature of fire and brimstone emerged from behind the cliffs. “I think they're running from it.” He looked down to see that Jakotsu had migrated the same as the bird demons. “And our quarry has just vacated the premises.”

“Damn. We wasted our time then,” Kouga growled. “I'll be right back.” He took off in the direction of the hellhound intent on making it pay for ruining their plans. He lifted his right hand and his claw goraishi emerged.

The hellhound opened it's massive jaws and pounded the ground with it's giant feet. The rocks shook and Kouga lost his balance but scampered up and ran for the devouring demon releasing a wave of divine energy. It was destroyed instantly while at the same time about eighty percent of Kouga's energy was also obliterated.

Mitsurugi and Kagome came running to him. Kagome cradled his head in her lap while the monk surveyed the charred remains of the hellhound. “Nice work. I've never used my kazana in this realm. I figure one of two things would happen. One: this is the void to which things I sucked up enter and I would just be making things worse. Two: I'd be consumed by the black hole—again.”

“Wise decision,” Kouga said though bloodied teeth.

Kagome tried to hold her breath against the awful smell of the hellhound. “And now we have no leads,” she said unable to keep from inhaling. She began to cough violently. “But we need to get away from here.”

The three went in the direction of the bolder Jakotsu had been sitting. In the dirt were obvious footprints. “All is not lost,” Mitsurugi said reaching across and putting his arm around Kagome's waist. His hand started to inch its way towards her rear.

“Have you forgotten that we're looking for a very short-tempered demon lord?” Kagome reminded.

His hand stayed above the waist. “How I could I forget?”

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

He knew it was bound to happen. Since his change of species his luck had all run on the negative side. It was foolish to follow Suikotsu. In life—or rather his unlife—he'd been known for shifting personalities from the valiant doctor to the murderous psychopath.

So when he'd become his mad green-haired counterpart it wasn't a real surprise. His own reactions surprised him though. Naturally, Sesshoumaru had been able to get away when Suikotsu's brothers Bankotsu and Renkotsu showed up around the corner with weapons at the ready.

Unfortunately, Izayoi hadn't been able to get away. He cursed foully under his breath—a habit he seemed to have picked up from Inuyasha. He really, really hated being human.

“Come on out Lord Sesshoumaru,” Bankotsu called out. He held his great sword over his shoulder and tapped his hand casually over its hilt. “It's nothing personal. The great demon lord Sesshoumaru—regardless of present incarnation—is worth great rewards if offered to the king of the hellhounds. It's businesss.”

Bankotsu his free hand to yank on Izayoi's long hair from where she struggled in Suikotsu's arms. “This woman would only be a snack. Hardly satisfying to his needs, but she might satiate some of his other wants.”

With a reluctant sigh Sesshoumaru stepped out of his hiding spot and approached the men. His mother would be so ashamed. Sacrificing his own well-being for a mere human. Especially since the human was all ready dead. “Release her.”

Jakotsu started to laugh. “What happened to the great Sesshoumaru?”

Bankotsu elbowed him sharply in the ribs. “Do not goad the demon lord. He is well known for his grudges.” He then smiled. “But then he won't be around long enough to collect any vengeance so I suppose you can laugh as long as you do it respectfully.”

“Release her and I will come with you willingly.”

Suikotsu shoved Izayoi away and she feel to her knees. She looked up at Sesshoumaru with tears flowing down her cheeks. “Run! Don't go with them!”

“I have no where to run,” Sesshoumaru said walking past her. She clutched at his ankle but he continued on with the humans.