InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Truth About Cats and Dogs ❯ Ayame's Victory ( Chapter 7 )

Recap: Koga and Kirara had a small fight, after which Ayame appeared and challenged Kirara to a fight. Kirara appeared to accept Ayame's challenge, but revealed that she had another idea in store.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Chapter 7 - Ayame's Victory

 

“First of all, we must stay here long enough for everyone to believe that a battle has taken place,” Kirara began.

 

Ayame slowly nodded in agreement.

 

“Secondly, we must make it look as though a battle has actually taken place,” Kirara continued. “Even though you are far more powerful than I am, and you defeated me with relative ease, we must make it at least look like I tried to fight back.”

 

“But I'm not a lot stronger than you,” Ayame nervously replied.

 

“Yes you are,” Kirara said, smiling warmly at Ayame.

 

“But-”

 

“This is a game, remember?”

 

Ayame looked confused, and so Kirara set about putting the plan into action on her own.

 

“What are you doing?” Ayame asked, stretching onto her toes to watch curiously on as Kirara squatted down and began clawing her hands through the dirt at her feet.

 

“During our battle, you pinned me to the ground, where you got covered in dirt,” Kirara explained, standing up again with handfuls of dirt.

 

Ayame started in alarm as Kirara threw the mud and leaves at her.

 

“What do you think you're doing?” Ayame snapped, wiping at her fur where most of the dirt had landed.

 

“That's right, smear it in,” Kirara encouraged. “Make it look like there has been a struggle.”

 

Kirara walked over to Ayame, drawing her muddied fingertips over Ayame's face.

 

“This is crazy…” Ayame said, crossing her eyes to watch Kirara's hand moving over her face.

 

“But it will work, you just have to trust me,” Kirara insisted. “Now, mess your hair up a little.”

 

“Do what?” Ayame echoed.

 

“Mess your hair up!” Kirara repeated. “Like this.”

 

“Hey!” Ayame protested as Kirara ruffled a hand through the hair on top of her head.

 

“We need to make this look convincing, and without me actually scratching or hitting you, this is the best I can do,” Kirara explained.

 

“Oh…” Ayame said. “Right…”

 

Despite trying to look convinced, Ayame merely look more confused than ever; but she did comply with Kirara's wishes in silence.

 

“There!” Kirara said proudly.

 

“What about you?” Ayame asked, eying over Kirara's spotless new armour.

 

“I'm still unconscious by that tree over there where you left me, broken and defeated,” Kirara replied, as if the answer should have been obvious.

 

“I really beat you then,” Ayame said, frowning at the area Kirara had indicated.

 

“Yes, you did!” Kirara said cheerfully. “That's the spirit!”

 

Kilala playfully punched Ayame in the shoulder, the blow causing Ayame to stagger back a step.

 

“Sorry,” Kirara hurriedly apologised. “It's been so long since I had hands, I'm still getting accustomed to how they work and how strong they actually are.”

 

Ayame eyed Kirara over as though she were mentally unstable, before forcing a smile.

 

“Well, thank you for your help, cat demon,” she said.

 

“My name is Kirara,” Kirara replied.

 

“Right,” Ayame said slowly. “Well then thank you for your help Kirara.”

 

“No problem, Ayame.”

 

Ayame nodded slowly, still eying Kirara warily, in spite of the friendly grin plastered across the fire-cat's face.

 

“So should I leave now?” she asked.

 

“Well, do you think that was long enough to defeat me?” Kirara asked her.

 

“I don't know,” Ayame replied honestly.

 

“Well I think you can leave now,” Kirara offered. “But first, I have something I must share with you. You can take this as advice, and you can ignore it if you wish, but please promise me that you will at least consider what I am about to say.”

 

“Alright, I promise,” Ayame agreed.

 

“These are dangerous times, and with Naraku around, we are constantly fighting for our lives,” Kirara began, her grin vanishing as she became serious. “In times as dark as these, it is important to be honest and true, and to give love where you can. If you truly love Koga, you must do what you can to be with him.”

 

“Right,” Ayame said. “Well, thank you for that advice, Kirara. And thank you for the… Fight…”

 

“You're welcome, Ayame!” Kirara replied, her grin returning.

 

“Well, goodbye Kirara,” Ayame said, backing away from her slowly. “And thank you again.”

 

“Goodbye, Ayame!” Kirara called to her. “And good luck!”

 

Ayame turned her back on Kirara, shaking her head in disbelief at the crazy fire-cat. Deciding that it would not be right to run back to the others, Ayame walked back slowly, trying to look both tired and proud, even though she was still energised from the rushes of adrenaline that had been coursing through her when she first challenged Kirara, and she felt more confused than anything else.

 

“Ayame!” Kagome shouted to her as she stepped into sight of the others.

 

“Hey, where'd Kirara go?” Inuyasha shouted.

 

“I beat her,” Ayame called back, her tone losing some of its decisive momentum as the words left her mouth.

 

“You what?” Koga echoed.

 

“I defeated her,” Ayame repeated. “I had to, after what she did to you, Koga.”

 

“Wow, I guess what they say about a woman scorned really is true…” Koga mused.

 

Although Koga had spoken under her breath, Ayame had heard his words, and the very idea that Kirara's plan might actually be working gave her the courage and inspiration that she needed to continue.

 

“Koga, let me help you avenge your tribe,” she offered as she neared Koga. “Let me and my wolves travel with you, and we can help you defeat Naraku.”

 

Koga eyed her over sceptically. Sensing that she was losing him, Ayame hurriedly continued.

 

“It's the least I can do, after you saved me when I was young,” she said. “I am indebted to you. Please let me repay you.”

 

Koga still looked sceptical, but Kagome, Ginta and Hakkaku seemed to like the idea.

 

“It would be good to have an extra demon with us,” Hakkaku suggested.

 

“Someone else to help with the night-watch,” Ginta added.

 

“I think it's a great idea!” Kagome gushed. “Koga, you must let Ayame come with you!”

 

“Well, if she really is strong enough to defeat that cat demon, then I suppose she could be useful…” Koga said thoughtfully.

 

“Take her with you already, Koga!” Inuyasha snapped impatiently. “Just take her, and take your wolves, and get out of here! All of you!”

 

“Shut-up, dog-boy!” Koga said dismissively.

 

“I don't see your stupid, skinny, hairy little legs running away yet, Koga,” Inuyasha sneered.

 

“I'm thinking about it, back off!” Koga retaliated.

 

“Well think faster, idiot!” Inuyasha grumbled.

 

“I'm going to check on Kirara,” Sango said, hurrying off in the direction Ayame had just come from.

 

A mild wave of panic washed over Ayame as she realised Kirara's plan would be ruined if the others discovered that Kirara had not been hurt at all.

 

“Let's go, Koga,” she said decisively. “Let's find Naraku before Inuyasha does, and defeat him in the name of the wolf.”

 

“I like the sound of that,” Koga agreed. “Let's go.”

 

Unable to hide her grin as Koga grabbed her up into his arms, Ayame barely had time to say the word “bye” before he had whisked her off, leaving Ginta, Hakkaku and the wolves desperately trying to catch up with them.

 

“Good, he's gone,” Inuyasha said, before opening the bag of potato chips he had somehow managed to rescue from Koga.

 

“Inuyasha, why do you have to be so mean to Koga?” Kagome asked him sternly.

 

“Gee I dunno Kagome,” Inuyasha sneered sarcastically. “Why do you have to be so nice to him?”

 

“Sango, Kirara,” Miroku said, looking at first surprised to see them both returning, but then confused when he saw Kirara was completely unharmed. “What happened?”

 

“Kirara decided she would just pretend to fight Ayame,” Sango explained. “She told Ayame to tell Koga that she had beaten her.

 

“And my plan worked!” Kirara said smugly. “The dogs are gone!”

 

“The wolves, you mean,” Sango corrected her.

 

“Right, that was what I said,” Kirara said with a nod of her head. “The wolves are gone.”

 

Sango and Miroku exchanged sceptical looks, but Kirara appeared not to notice.

 

“It was just lucky I had my medical supplies with me,” Kagome said as she repacked the unused supplies into her bag. “You almost bit right through Koga's leg, Kirara.”

 

“Obviously she didn't bite him deep enough, he's still got both shards of the jewel,” Inuyasha moaned.

 

“Wait a minute…” Kagome said, tilting her head thoughtfully as she pointed a finger at each of the items in her first-aid box in turn. “Oh no!”

 

“What is it, Kagome?” Shippo asked her, leaping over to her side in concern.

 

“I forgot to pack the antidote for the poison from Naraku's insects!” she groaned. “And it would take hours to go back for it now!”

 

“It is something that we need though,” Miroku pointed out.

 

“I'll go back for it,” Inuyasha offered. “You all keep going, I'll catch you up again. You left it at Kaede's hut, right?”

 

“Right,” Kagome confirmed.

 

“No, wait,” Kirara interrupted them. “Please, let me go back for it. I know exactly what it looks like, and I can be just as quick as Inuyasha can.”

 

“I could be quicker,” Inuyasha grunted.

 

“I'm not trying to compete with you, Inuyasha,” Kirara said lightly. “But you are needed here. You have a better nose than me for detecting any traces of Naraku, and you are the only one who can break his barrier if we do find him any time soon.”

 

“She's right,” Kagome agreed. “But maybe I should go back on my bike.”

 

“No, you're needed here too, Kagome,” Kirara insisted. “You are the only one who can sense the jewel shards. And neither Sango, Miroku or even Shippo can move as fast as I can. I'll transform and fly back. I won't be long.”

 

“Maybe I should come with you, Kirara,” Sango suggested. “In case you can't find your way back.”

 

“I will be fine,” Kirara assured her. “And I will travel much quicker on my own.”

 

“Well, alright then…” Sango said slowly, still looking less than convinced by the arrangement.

 

“Keep going, I'll be back with you as soon as I can,” Kirara said. “Goodbye for now.”

 

“Goodbye Kirara,” Sango said, watching solemnly as Kirara leapt into the air, transforming into her giant cat form and flying off.

 

“Don't worry, you've still got me here with you, Sango,” Miroku offered, sliding his hand across her rear-end.

 

“And I'm eternally grateful,” Sango drawled sarcastically, before smacking Miroku across the face.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

As Kirara descended towards Kaede's village, she transformed back into her human form, making her way over to the hut. Kaede was out tending to her herbs, and so Kirara had peace to find the antidote. A few minutes of clawing through the mountain of bags Kagome and Inuyasha had taken back from Kagome's era soon led to Kirara finding the item she sought. Kagome had packed three bottles of the antidote this time, but Kirara decided to just take two; at least that way if anything happened to Kagome's first aid box, they would know they had a spare antidote nearby.

 

Returning one bottle to the bag and stuffing the other two into her belt, along with a few additional ointments and bandages she had seen Kagome use to dress wounds, Kirara left the hut again, deciding that since she had reached the village so quickly she would make the return journey in her human form. She was still not entirely adjusted to walking around on two legs again, and the exercise seemed like a good idea.

 

Aware that the others would probably have slowed their journey to allow her to catch them up again, Kirara was conscious not to travel too slowly, and began by running through the trees, past the old bone-eater's well and beyond. Once she reached a part of the forest where the trees were much thicker, Kirara scaled up the nearest tree and began leaping from tree to tree, silently noting that, since Naraku's disappearance, there certainly were more demons around. All manners of bird demons were flying around along the horizon in every direction, and in the trees and on the ground below her, Kirara could see some of the more common demons like centipede demons, weasel demons, bear demons and snake demons.

 

Kirara contemplated stopping to battle some of the larger, stronger demons she passed nearby, her mind still conscious that she was sorely lacking in recent battle experience in her human form; but she ignored the urge, hurrying on to her friends.

 

However, Kirara's urge to test her skills suddenly overtook her desire to return to the group quickly. Pouncing into a tree and clinging to its trunk, Kirara honed her senses in on the distinct demon aura ahead of her. Far stronger than any of the others she had encountered so far, Kirara became slightly suspicious of its even being there. Deciding to investigate its presence to satisfy her own curiosity as well as to test her own strength, Kirara strayed from the North-Easterly direction she had been taking, turning North-West to follow the demonic aura.

 

Ignoring a warning she had once heard about curiosity being the death of a cat, Kirara soon found herself at the edge of the forest, overlooking a large grassy plain, with little more to see than a few sparsely distributed clumps of flowers. Hesitating at the top of a tree by the very edge of the forest, Kirara began to contemplate abandoning her pursuit of the demon; but a gust of wind brought the scent of blood to her nostrils, her attention once more fully fixed on the demon.

 

Looking directly down, Kirara almost fell out of the tree at what she saw. By the very base of the tree she was in she could see a young girl on her own, knelt in the grass. Was she hurt? Was she even human? Kirara sniffed experimentally at the air, her senses telling her two things: first of all, the blood in the air belonged to a dragon demon, and secondly, the girl below her was indeed human.

 

Kirara quietly slid down the tree, stepping out into the light.

 

“Hello there,” she said.

 

The girl looked up abruptly, blinking at her for a moment before grinning up at her.

 

“Hello,” she replied.

 

“What are you doing?” Kirara asked, crouching down by the girl's side.

 

“I'm making a chain of flowers,” the girl replied, holding up the fruits of her efforts.

 

“Oh, that's pretty,” Kirara said with a smile. “Are you here alone?”

 

A quick, sly sniff of the air told Kirara there were no humans around. And, other than Kaede's village far behind her, there were no human settlements nearby either. This human girl was, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere, and still just young.

 

“No,” the girl replied, shaking her head as she continued to thread together the flowers she had.

 

“Oh,” Kirara said, looking around for any signs of life that her nose may have missed. “Someone is with you? Your mother, or your father? Or maybe your brother or your sister?

 

“My mother and father and my brothers were killed,” the girl solemnly replied.

 

“Oh, that's awful,” Kirara said, sitting down and crossing her legs in front of her. “So who looks after you now? Did you run away from home?”

 

“The people in my village were killed by wolves,” the girl replied.

 

A momentary expression of horror flashed over Kirara's face, but she quickly covered it over.

 

“Are you here alone?” she asked again.

 

“No,” the girl said again. “I'm helping Ah and Un get better.”

 

“Ah and Un?” Kirara asked. “Who are Ah and Un?”

 

“My friends,” the girl answered, pointing over Kirara's shoulder.

 

Kirara stiffened, the overwhelming scent of the dragon demon's blood invading her senses, and the sudden close proximity of the strong demonic aura instantly causing her defences to rise. She turned her head sharply, gasping as she sighted a two-headed dragon demon with a bloodied leg limping towards them. The demon stopped after a few steps and began to eat the leaves from a nearby bush, apparently unperturbed by Kirara's presence.

 

“That dragon demon is your friend?” Kirara asked, turning back to the girl.

 

“M-hm,” she replied, nodding her head. “Will you be my friend too?”

 

“Of course,” Kirara replied. “And I would like to help you. Why don't you let me take you - and Ah and Un, of course - to the next village? There will be people there who can take good care of you. You can get food, and water, and some… New clothes…”

 

Kirara frowned darkly as she ran her eyes over the girl's clothing, having to fight the urge to reach a hand out to touch the material. It looked like fine silk, hand-embroidered with pain-staking accuracy. For a girl who seemed to live in the wild with nothing but an injured, elderly dragon demon for a companion, she was certainly very clean and very well dressed. Kirara momentarily entertained the idea that this girl was a princess, or the daughter of a lord or some sort of dignitary, who had fled her village following a demon attack, her dragon companion allowing her to flee quickly and safely; but Kirara dismissed the idea again, deciding that such a girl would attract too much attention from other humans, who would doubtlessly look for her due to her material value.

 

“Oh, that's alright, I don't want to go to the village,” the girl said. “What's your name?”

 

“My name?” Kirara echoed. “My name is Kirara.”

 

“Kirara. That's a pretty name,” the girl said cheerfully. “My name's Rin.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Rin,” Kirara replied. “What happened to Ah and Un?”

 

“I don't know, they won't tell me,” Rin whispered, glancing over Kirara's shoulder as though checking the beast could not hear her. “They went on a special mission with Master Jaken, and when they came back, they were hurt. But I cleaned their wounds.”

 

“Oh, well that was very clever of you, Rin,” Kirara said, smiling as Rin beamed up at her compliment. “And who is Master Jaken?”

 

“Master Jaken is my friend,” Rin plainly replied. “He's very moody, but he's very funny too.”

 

“I see,” Kirara said, nodding her head.

 

“Look, you can wear this flower chain,” Rin said, tying a small line of flowers around Kirara's wrist. “It's just like mine.”

 

Kirara smiled at the wilting, well-handled flowers that hung from Rin's wrist.

 

“Now we can be friends forever, Kirara!” Rin squealed, clapping her hands in delight.

 

“Thank you, Rin,” Kirara said. “Rin, when did you clean Ah and Un's wounds?”

 

“Um…”

 

“Have you cleaned them today?”

 

“No.”

 

“Those wounds look quite bad, can you call Ah and Un over for me please?”

 

Rin stood up, cupping her hands over her mouth.

 

“Ah-Un!” she called.

 

Kirara watched the dragon trot over slowing at it neared her back.

 

“It's okay, Ah-Un, Kirara is our friend,” Rin said softly. “Come on over.”

 

Ah-Un edged closer, all four of its eyes watching Kirara cautiously. Kirara slowly moved onto her knees, reaching out a hand towards the dragon. The head nearest her flinched back at first, but a few soothing, reassuring words from Rin soon calmed the beast again, allowing Kirara to move closer, grabbing a hand around the reins hanging from its heads.

 

“Rin, I think we need to clean Ah and Un's wounds again,” Kirara said, her lip curling in spite of herself as she saw the festering sores on the beast's front leg. “I think they have been chewing at their injuries, so it's very important that we clean the wounds and dress them properly.”

 

Kirara had been about to suggest that Rin hold Ah-Un still whilst she treated the wounds, but as the beast tossed one of its heads, the reins almost tugging right out of her hand, Kirara realised such an idea was insane. This was a very powerful old demon, and no human, least of all a little human girl, would ever be able to hold it against its will.

 

“Rin, have you ever dressed a wound before?” Kirara asked, wrapping the reins around her hand and wrist and clutching onto them tightly.

 

“Uh-uh,” Rin replied, shaking her head.

 

“Would you like to learn how to dress a wound?” Kirara asked politely.

 

“Yes please,” Rin said, stepping forwards eagerly.

 

“Alright then.”

 

Kirara reached her free hand into her belt, clumsily pulling out items she had retrieved from Kagome's bag, dropping them all onto the ground by Rin's feet.

 

“First of all, we need this,” Kirara said, pointing to a can of the spray-on antiseptic Kagome always carried with her.

 

Silently praying that the operation of the can would not be beyond or too frightening for Rin, Kirara grabbed onto Ah-Un's reins with her other hand, holding its heads tightly in place.

 

“This,” Rin said, picking up the can.

 

“Now, you see that small part on the top?” Kirara asked. “I need you to point that at the wounds and press it hard. It will make an strange sound, and Ah and Un might be a little upset at first, but this will help the wound heal much quicker.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Rin did as Kirara said, moving the top of the can to Ah-Un's wounds. She was holding it a little too close to the wound, but Kirara decided that it would probably still do the beast far more good than bad. Rin began to press the spray, at first not pressing it hard enough to activate it. Kirara opened her mouth to tell Rin to press harder, when the spray suddenly activated, spraying into Kirara's mouth and all over her face.

 

Kirara began choking on the spray as Rin profusely apologised for her error; but Kirara was too distracted to even notice her any more. Not only was the taste of the spray overwhelming her delicate demon senses, but Ah-Un had reacted badly to the unusual sound, and both its heads were rearing up, tugging the reins with them. In Kirara's stunned and momentarily weakened state, she was dragged up by the dragon, shaken from side-to-side, one of her hands slipping from the reins.

 

Kirara mewed in alarm as she remembered that her other hand was still wrapped around the reins, leaving her effectively tied to the dragon demon. Kirara tried desperately to free her hand, but Ah-Un had begun to buck around recklessly, stamping all over the supplies Kirara's had taken with her, smashing both bottles of the antidote.

 

“No…” Kirara whimpered helplessly as she watched the antidotes soak into the ground.

 

“Ah-Un, stop it!” Rin cried, throwing aside the antiseptic spray. “You're going to hurt Kirara!”

 

Rin tried to grab Ah-Un's reins, but the dragon jerked out of her reach, jumping into the air. Kirara screamed as Ah-Un began to fly upwards, leaving her dangling by her wrist. She hurriedly reached up her other hand, freeing herself and falling ungracefully to the ground, landing hard on her back. Closing her eyes and groaning softly, Kirara tried not to think about the wasted antidotes. She coughed feebly as the antiseptic tickled her throat, slowly opening her eyes and sitting up.

 

Once she was sitting upright, Kirara coughed a few more times, before freezing as she realised she was suddenly under a large shadow, inwardly kicking herself for not having detected the phenomenally large demonic aura before her, one so immense it dwarfed that of Ah-Un's.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru, you've come back!” Rin said.

 

“Huh?” Kirara yelped, her head snapping back to look up at the figure standing over her.

 

“It's a filthy cat demon, Milord!” Jaken squawked, poking the end of his staff at Kirara's face.

 

Kirara ignored the little toad, coughing feebly against the antiseptic as she looked into the intense pair of amber eyes staring back down at her.

 

“Of course,” she said, smiling ironically. “Lord Sesshomaru. Who else would it be?”

 

Kirara forced out a choked, bitter laugh, before falling backwards unconscious. Jaken leaned over her curiously, poking her upper arm repeatedly with the end of his staff. When she did not respond after ten or twelve particularly rough jabs, Jaken decided to stop.

 

“She's unconscious, Milord,” he announced, turning to Sesshomaru. “Shall we eat her?”

 

Sesshomaru began to squat down, reaching his hand towards Kirara's limp form; but before he could reach his goal, Rin threw herself over Kirara's torso.

 

“No Lord Sesshomaru, please don't hurt her, she's my friend!” Rin begged.

 

Sesshomaru immediately retracted his hand, narrowing his eyes curiously as he glanced between Rin's tearful eyes and Kirara, who lay flat on her back, her arms and legs spread out on the ground around her, her mouth hanging open, looking about as far from a lady as one possibly could.

 

For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru was unsure of what to do next.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Next Chapter: With her friends waiting for her to return with the poison antidote, Kirara needs to get back to Kaede's village to get the remaining bottle and return it to her friends as soon as possible; but this seemingly simple task becomes a lot more difficult for Kirara when Rin asks her an unusual question. Chapter 8 - Rin's Request.