The Path We Walk
Chapter 10: End of the Road
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.
An: Okies a couple of things I need to mention, Nicole asked why in chapter 4 didn't Kagome use a barrier instead of being wounded. Okies that's easy since she just learned how to do them she needs to concentrate in order for them to work and at the moment she didn't have time to since Shippo was about to be hurt. Pretty much she just wasn't in a position to think clearly. Sorry if I didn't make that clear in the post.
And thank you Miki who pointed out that Ginta and Hakkaku do call Kagome onee-san, and thx for telling me his name. :)
Just to touch up a bit on what Snappy Burns mentioned, for my cliché notes this is not to put down other authors or stories, it's mainly to give everyone an idea of what's not in this story so they will know it will be a fresh idea. Also to give others a guide line to go by in case they want to do the same thing as me. If anyone else felt they were even a tad rude I'm sorry that was not my intention.
FYI this is the second to last chapter, only the epilogue to go after this. If you would like another story from me, feel free to go to my profile and vote on which story to be next :)
"Weaklings." Chikara grumbled upset when he noticed he was out of men to play with. The others searched the battlefield as well, taking note that only Sesshoumaru and Tadashii were left fighting. "What do we do about them?" Chikara wondered, nodding to the piles of unconscious or injured men at their feet.
"Pick apart their bones?" Kaigaishii suggested, a obviously feral look in his eyes, earning a laugh from the other demons around him. Kagome merely rolled her eyes at him.
"I have a better idea." Kagome informed that with a smirk that had them wondering if their sense of smell was off and she were in fact a demon.
"What do you suggest Lady Kagome?" Miroku inquired when she had remained silent for a few moments and his curiosity had gotten the better of him.
"Well since they destroyed the villages, wouldn't it make sense for them to help the youkai rebuild them?" Kagome wondered sweetly, stressing the word 'youkai' for the men conscious of the ground.
"That sounds fitting, how better to punish them than to have them work for the youkai they tried to kill." Miroku agreed with a smirk, gaining nods from the youkai around him.
"Have your uninjured round them up in one spot and you guys should go in and have your wounds tended." Kagome commanded more than suggested as she turned back to the taiyoukai.
Kaigaishii went to complain about 'being a taiyoukai and not being weak enough as to need medical treatment' but Kouga silenced him when he shook his head. "Don't bother, just easier to go along with it." Kouga explained before giving a few short barks to the youkai and heading inside with the help of Ginta.
"He's right you know." Sango agreed with a smile to Kagome as she helped lead the taiyoukai into the castle behind the ookami.
"Be careful." Miroku warned before he headed in as well, leaving just Kagome to watch the continuing battle between Sesshoumaru and Tadashii, along with the lesser youkai who were gathering up the ningens.
Blocking the sword that was crashing down on him with his staff, Tadashii risked glancing around for any of his men he could call for to help him, but instead spotted his men being dragged away. Seems they had lost and the war was down to just him and Sesshoumaru.
Spotting Kagome watching from a little ways away, Tadashii decided to try again to get her on his side. "One day he'll betray you miko, just as all youkai will." Tadashii swore, keeping his eyes on Sesshoumaru, but it wasn't hard for either to figure out who he was talking to or about.
"You think he'd betray me?" Kagome inquired, unable to prevent a chuckle from escaping. Sesshoumaru turned with a raised eyebrow, his expression easily read 'you think this Sesshoumaru wouldn't?'. Even Tadashii looked at her strangely, perhaps she had grown a second head.
"Lord Sesshoumaru would first have to be loyal in order to betray me." Kagome laughed waving her hand as if she was dismissing the idea. "And Tadashii, you should worry more about the taiyoukai trying to kill you, than about my future." Kagome mocked as he barely stopped an attack from slicing him in half while his attention was diverted.
If he wasn't livid before, Tadashii sure was now. Not only had his men already lost and he was losing to Sesshoumaru, but Kagome was mocking him as well. Perhaps if she won't turn against the aka I can make him turn against her. Youkai aren't that trusting in the first place. Tadashii decided in his mind as he blocked the incoming swings of Sesshoumaru's sword with his staff.
Sesshoumaru knew this battle would soon end, even if he couldn't see the perspiration rolling off of the houshi, which he could, he could smell it. Even if he couldn't hear his heavy panting, which he could, he could feel the exhaustion rolling off him in waves. Sesshoumaru allowed himself a small inward smirk, yes the houshi would soon be begging for his life on his knees before the great taiyoukai.
"You do realize aka that she only wants you because of your power do you not? Even you have to be intelligent enough to figure that out." Tadashii mocked as he swung his staff in an arc toward Sesshoumaru's ankles in attempt to trip him, however, Sesshoumaru merely jumped over it gracefully.
"She turn against you in the end, just as any ningen onna would. Youkai and ningens don't mix. Are you really that baka enough to risk your land and title for one pathetic onna?" Tadashii continued to mock trying to get a rise out of Sesshoumaru so he could throw his perfect fighting technic off. Anything that might give Tadashii the upper hand.
Does this ningen truly believe this Sesshoumaru to be so easily side tracked? Sesshoumaru wondered to himself with disgust, only raising one delicate eyebrow outwardly to the houshi's taunt.
Tadashii opened his mouth to continue on with his monologue, however, Sesshoumaru took the slight opening to swing his sword powerfully in a wide arc, causing vibrations in the two weapons when they connected. Sesshoumaru was able to keep a hold of his with no outward trouble, however, Tadashii was unable to stop his fingers from opening due to the vibrations and his staff went flying across the field.
Tadashii risked a glance from Sesshoumaru to where his staff lay judging the distance to see if he could reach it before the taiyoukai could strike, but quickly realized, seeing as Sesshoumaru had just kicked him in the back of his knees and he was currently kneeling before him, that he in fact did not have enough time before Sesshoumaru could strike.
"Lady Kagome save me!" Tadashii cried out as he turned his attention towards her. Seeing her merely raise her eyebrow in a very Sesshoumaru like manner, he continued, "You're a miko you can't just stand there and let him kill a houshi!"
Sesshoumaru was, well at first confused, then he was amused and finally he was pissed. He was confused because while he had thought the ningen would plead for his life, he should be begging him not the miko. Then he was amused that the houshi still thought that the miko would turn against him mid combat just because of his words. And then he was pissed, how dare the houshi think the miko would have a chance at stopping him from his victory in battle.
Kagome on the other hand was merely annoyed, still the houshi-baka continued on as if she would just drop her allies to save this pathetic man. Now Kagome was still a pure as she had been in her younger days and didn't believe in killing others, but at the same time experience had taught her that for the better of the many some did in fact have to die. Naraku had been one of them, never once did she believe there was good still within him, never once did she believe that he had deserved a second chance.
For a while, however, Kagome had wondered about Tadashii in the beginning since he was in fact human and a houshi at that. But after everything he did, it would be like saying Hitler had some good left in him and deserved to live, well she didn't believe that either. But instead of making his peace and praying to the Kami to spare his soul, he was still trying to make it seem like she was so pathetic that she would drop her ally and some what friend of most of the last few years and save his life after he had killed innocent youkai, including a ningen onna just because she was pregnant with a hanyou. Okies scratch that, Kagome was no longer annoyed, now like the taiyoukai a few feet away, Kagome was pissed.
"You're right Tadashii as a miko I can't just stand by and watch a youkai kill a houshi." Kagome began, smirking mentally in satisfaction when she saw the smile appear on his face. "However, as a mother I can stand by and watch as an ally kills my son's would be murderer." Kagome finished in an icy tone, so cold in fact you could almost see the icicles forming around her.
Now Sesshoumaru was really confused, although he betrayed none of it on the outside, but he was almost positive that it was his voice that had just spoken, but yet he had seen the miko's lips moving. He almost smirked when he thought about the last time he had paid attention to those very same lips. Not the time. Sesshoumaru reminded himself mentally. However, there will be plenty of time afterwards. Sesshoumaru decided allowing himself a little outward smirk since neither were looking in his direction at the moment.
"I am a houshi! You're a miko! You can't side with a youkai against me!" Tadashii screamed at her, literally shaking in rage as he stared disbelievingly at her. Had she turned her back so far on her humanity that she truly didn't care that a youkai was about to kill a ningen?
"Houshi? Miko? Youkai? Odd I don't see a youkai or miko or houshi. All I see is the good guy about to kill the bad guy. And Tadashii, that's the way the story goes." Kagome spat unemotionally at him as she turned her back and started walking back toward the castle.
Tadashii's shocked expression was short lived when he saw Sesshoumaru advancing on him for the kill and he began screaming for her to come back. Kagome continued on ignoring him not even pausing when he scream was cut short and made her was into the castle.
Sesshoumaru whipped his sword in an arc away from himself to clean off the blood before sheathing it. Turning his back on the now headless body of Tadashii, he followed after the miko, leaving the mess for his men to clean up.
"Lord Sesshoumaru can you let Shippo out so he can help me with the wounded?" Kagome inquired not bothering to look up from the youkai she was tending as she felt his presence enter the room.
Sesshoumaru gave her a slight nod, ignoring the fact that she was unable to see it with her back turned to him, and continued toward the back of the castle, making sure no one was following him.
"This is going to hurt." Kagome warned the youkai beneath her, giving him to time to respond before snapping his arm back into place. "It was just dislocated so should heal quickly." Kagome assured him before standing and moving onto the next injured.
"Momma!" Shippo cried out rushing to her side the moment he spotted her after entering the room and jumped into her waiting arms. "I'm glad you're okay." Shippo told her giving her a bright smile. "How can I help?" Shippo wondered looking around the room at all of the injured.
"Help Kouga with his bandages." Kagome replied with a smile as she set him on the ground and watched as he ran over to the ookami.
"Your turn Lord Chikara." Kagome said with a smirk as she turned toward the taiyoukai, ignoring the glare and complaints he was giving her. "The quicker this is finished the sooner you don't have to deal with me." Kagome reminded him and inwardly smirked when he stopped his struggling.
Within an hour all of the injured had been taken care of, most being only minor, and Kagome sighed as she wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. "Shippo would you mind cleaning up while I go wash up?" Kagome wondered as she turned toward the kit.
"Sure momma." Shippo replied with a smile before turning back to picking up the dirty cloths he had used to clean up the blood. "You go and relax afterwards, I'll take care of everything here." Shippo assured and after smiling at him, Kagome turned and left the room heading toward the nearest hot springs.
A few hours later, everyone was sitting around Sesshoumaru's large dinning table, celebrating their victory. Good cheer and sake being passed around unsparingly. "Miko." Chikara called out gaining hers and everyone else's attention. "I must admit you and your friends aren't bad, for ningen anyways." Chikara joked ignoring the glares sent his way.
"What Lord Chikara is trying to say is that you and you're friends are welcome in our lands." Kaigaishii finished for him chuckling when Chikara shrank back a tad at Kagome glare.
"Thank you Lord Kaigaishii, Lord Chikara." Kagome replied giving each a slight bow. Sango and Miroku followed after.
"So what do you plan to do now?" Chikara wondered after a moment bringing everyone's attention back to the miko.
"Same thing as I always do Lord Chikara, help those in need." Kagome replied smiling brightly.
Dawn met the group waving goodbye to their friends as they headed off toward the horizon, each heading back to their own homes. Once they were out of her sight, Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru and smiled. "The path we walk sure is funny." Kagome pointed out, giggling at his slightly confused expression.
"What do you mean miko?" Sesshoumaru questioned after regaining his normal stoic expression as he turned to look down at her.
"Four years ago I would have never imagined myself standing next to you as an ally, a hostage maybe, but not an ally. Had anyone told me everything I would have to go through to get here, I would have thought them crazy." Kagome explained as she turned her gaze back toward the horizon. Turning back to Sesshoumaru, she gave him a slight nod before heading back inside when she heard Shippo calling out for her.
"Yes Kagome, the path we walk is funny indeed." Sesshoumaru whispered to himself after she was out of sight and followed after her.
Translations
Onee-san-older sister
Ookami- wolf
Kami-God
Onna- girl
Hanyou- half demon
AN: Well there's the next chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly