The Path We Walk
Chapter 9: Onward to Battle
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 our first 'romantic' scene is in this chapter so let me know what ya think :). Also there is quite a bit of fighting in this chapter and I fully admitt it is not my forte so there is very little description to it.
It was almost time, the battle would be on them on the morrow. Kagome glanced around at those that would be following them the next day and couldn't help but notice the lack of moral. She decided to herself with a curt nod that this was why Inuyasha never planned out his battles, he just rushed in not giving anyone any time to think about it. It may not always be the best plan, at least it prevents people from moping around about it. Deciding that if her life was going to be in their hands in less than 24 hours she was going to make sure they went in with brighter spirits, Kagome smiled to herself and then stood and made her way over to the nearest servant. Whispering in her ear mischievously, Kagome watched as the servant's eyes widen and grinned in return before leaving the room.
As Kagome headed back to her seat she was greeted by the raised eyebrow of Sesshoumaru in question to what that had been all about, but she merely waved him off with a smile. Within a few minutes the soft, beautiful notes began drifting into the room as a few servants walked in carrying various musical instruments.
By the time they had taken their spots near the wall, Miroku had already pulled Sango out of her chair and began leading her in a slow and almost poetic waltz. Kagome watched them with a smile while they twirled around the floor before turning to Sesshoumaru. Before she could even ask he had raised a delicate eyebrow and glared at her with a look that clearly said 'no'.
Kagome merely rolled her eyes at him as she turned to look at Kouga who was seated at her other side. "Kouga-kun?" Kagome caught his attention and glanced momentarily at the others who had began dancing to clue him in.
"Of course." Kouga replied with a confident grin as he took her hand and began leading her out to the floor. Kagome was pleasantly surprised at how graceful Kouga was as he led her around in pace with the music. The song ended and the next began in a more fast paced tempo enticing Miroku and Kouga to twirl their respective partners around the floor to keep up with the beat, creating fits of giggles from both of the girls.
As the beat picked up more, Kagome led the others in what could only be described as a mosh pit, as Chikara and Kaigaishii each grabbed onto a female servant and pulled them out onto the floor. While Kagome was jumping around, fully enjoying herself, her eyes met with Sesshoumaru's as he watched from his spot at the table, and she smiled at him before being twirled away once again.
The long halls in the castle seemed to be never ending and Kagome was quite sure she had passed the painting she was currently facing at least once before. She knew she should have said yes when a servant had offered to lead her back to her room, but everyone was still having so much fun she didn't want to disrupt them and so had turned him down.
"Not one of my better plans." Kagome grumbled to herself as she turned and started back down another hall hoping this one would be the one to bring her to her quarters.
"What wasn't?" a cool voice called out from behind her making her jump and turn to face the one who had spoken. Glancing up to meet his eyes, Kagome wondered briefly when Sesshoumaru had gotten there since she was sure he hadn't been there a moment before.
"Don't suppose you could show me the way to my room Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome inquired sweetly ignoring his question as she smiled at him.
Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes having heard the servant offer to show her and instead turned and began down the correct hall. Kagome picked up her pace to try and keep up with his long strides and in about a minute they were standing in front of a door she assumed was her own. "Thanks Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome called over her shoulder as she went to open the door but Sesshoumaru's hand on her own stopped her and she turned to face him.
Before she could question his actions, she felt his soft, but firm, lips pressing down on her own. Her eyes widen in disbelief as he raised his other hand to cup her cheek as he pressed into her and deepened the kiss. Kagome felt her knees begin to weaken as her lids lowered and she leaned slightly into the kiss. All too soon he pulled away and she opened her eyes to stare into his own golden orbs.
"What are you doing Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome whispered, having problems finding her voice as the sensation from the kiss lingered on her lips.
"That should be obvious miko." Sesshoumaru replied in his normal stoic voice, yet a slight mirth could be seen within his eyes.
"Why?" Kagome wondered as she reached her hand up to rest her fingertips on her lips as if trying to figure out why she could still feel his lips on her own.
"This Sesshoumaru wanted to." was his only explanation and her response was only to seem even more confused. "Miko," Sesshoumaru started to get her attention back as she began to get a dazed look in her eyes, "did you not want this Sesshoumaru to?"
"No but..." Kagome started but was cut off when Sesshoumaru began to speak again.
"Did you wish to make this Sesshoumaru jealous by dancing with the wolf?" Sesshoumaru questioned watching in slight amusement as she seemed to once again grow more confused.
"No but..." Kagome once again tried to start but like before was interrupted when he began to speak again.
"Miko why are you confused about this Sesshoumaru kissing you?" Sesshoumaru wondered as her tongue caught his attention as it ran across her suddenly dry lips.
"It doesn't make any sense Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome whispered as she looked from her fingers as she lowered her hands and back into his eyes.
With the slightest hint of a smirk playing on his lips, he leaned over so his mouth was just a breath away from her ear and watched with amusement as she shuddered when his hot breath caressed her ear. "What this Sesshoumaru wants, this Sesshoumaru gets." Sesshoumaru whispered huskily as he pulled back to look into her eyes that were now widening even more. "What part of that doesn't make sense?" Sesshoumaru wondered as he watched her small tongue come out and lick her lips again.
Before she could even think of answering, he lowered his lips onto hers again and followed the path her tongue had taken with his own. She gasped as her eyes closed of their own accord and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into the moist cavern that was her mouth. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue traced a path along her teeth and her own. She wondered briefly how her legs could still be holding her up since they had decided to turn to Jell-o, but before the thought got very far she felt him pull away and opened her eyes to find her standing there alone.
Kagome blinked and thought for a moment that she had imagined it all, since that would of course make more sense than the ningen hating taiyoukai kissing her, but his slightly spicy taste that still lingered in her mouth confirmed that it had indeed happened. Shaking her head, Kagome turned and walked into her room before clasping on her futon.
Back in the hallway, in a darkened corner, a pair of golden eyes watched and waited until she had closed her door before allowing a ghost of a smirk to grace his lips. Had anyone seen it, they would have ran and cowered truly believing someone was about to die, but they couldn't have been more wrong. In fact killing was the last thing on the normally stoic taiyoukai's mind, instead he was currently thinking of other things he could do with the miko that his beast would approve of.
Dawn of the next morning was met with the castle in full swing, the sun's rays greeting a courtyard full of youkai and a handful of ningens as they finished readying for the upcoming battle. All across the yard were groups of youkai getting in a little warm up while their leaders stood in the middle waiting for the word.
Kagome rolled her shoulders to help her loosen up as she fingered the youkai bone bow on her back. She couldn't help but smile as the familiar smack rang out from the only other two ningens on the field. "This is hardly the time houshi-sama!" Sango yelled as she turned to glare at him, however, the effect was ruined by the smile that graced her lips.
"Ah but my dear Sango, I can think of no better time." Miroku insisted with his lecherous grin ever present on his face as he leaned down to kiss her lightly on the tip of her nose.
The gesture caused Kagome to turn her gaze to the taiyoukai next to her to find him staring at her with a raised eyebrow and the slightest of smirks on his lips. She fought the urge to roll her eyes as a shout echoed out from ahead of them. It could only mean one thing, Tadashii was here.
"It is time." Sesshoumaru informed them coolly, his ever stoic mask back in place as he began walking toward the battle. Chikara, Kaigaishii and Kouga following in a horizontal line behind him, Kagome, Sango and Miroku likewise behind them. No more than 20 paces behind them were the youkai, each divided into groups by their taiyoukai.
As they reached the top of the hill, that the scout stood on, they could see Tadashii marching toward them with what seemed like hundreds of men. Kagome forced herself to breath as her eyes scanned the ningens she would be battling soon. When her gaze landed on Tadashii, any hesitation she might have been feeling went out the window as imagines of everything he had done flashed through her mind. Anyone who cared to listen, could hear the slightest of growls coming from Kagome as she looked at the houshi with disgust.
Tadashii glanced over the youkai standing not far from him and when any other would be running scared or pleading for his life, his arrogant self was instead thanking the kami that he could deal with the leaders at once, knowing once they were gone the lessers would fall easy to him and his men.
The smirk left his face when his gaze landed on Kagome, who was now standing at Sesshoumaru's side. He mentally noted that there were two other ningens standing next to her. "How disgusting, ningens siding with kitanai youaki. And you, Lady Kagome, should be standing by myself when I rid this world of that scum." Tadashii called out, ignoring the growls from some of the lesser youkai.
"Tadashii-baka I wouldn't stand next to you if you were the last coward on earth." Kagome spat earning cheers from the youkai behind her and smiles from the two ningen and ookami around her. "You should have heeded my warning, you dug your own grave." Kagome told him coldly, sounding very much like Sesshoumaru at that moment.
"Like I would ever listen to a wench." Tadashii taunted, earning a growl from Kagome. "You're even starting to sound like that aka." Tadashii spat now completely disgusted with the miko as well.
"Better like them than like you." Kagome assured him ignoring the glare he was giving her.
"Enough." Sesshoumaru spoke quietly to Kagome before raising his head and letting out a sharp bark. Which apparently meant to attack since the youkai behind them began to charge toward the men as Sesshoumaru pulled out his own and began to face off with Tadashii.
As Kagome readied an arrow she looked around at her allies, Sango and Miroku were fighting side by side to her right, Kouga had been joined by Ginta and were fighting to her left. She could hear the grunts coming from Chikara and Kaigaishii from behind her and of course Sesshoumaru was in front of her. Bringing her attention back to him, she noticed the ningen who was currently charging toward his back while he was busy with Tadashii. Snorting in disgust at the cowardly act, she let the arrow fly, without bothering to add any power to it, and it swished through the air, before embedding itself in the man's leg, bringing him down before he could strike.
Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder as he heard the man shriek in pain behind him, and after spotting the arrow in his leg, looked up and curtly nodded to Kagome who smiled in returned before she turned and let another arrow fly at a ningen who was coming at her. Turning his attention back to Tadashii, he swung his sword down and was blocked by his staff.
A loud roar shook the ground below them as Chikara took his true form, causing a few of the ningens to run from the battle, even some who weren't currently fighting him. The rest stared in momentary awe at the large red dragon that was looming over them where Chikara had stood a moment before. Stretching out his huge wings, he flapped them once, causing a gust of wind to shoot out from them, throwing a few of the nearby ningen back.
His sniffed the air before a look of disgust crossed his face as he turned to look at a ningen who stood in front of him. Had the dark spot on his robe not been enough to give away his overwelming fear, the stench that was now invading his nose sure enough was. Annoyed, he roared at the ningen and watched as he finally regained use of his legs and ran from the battle. Chikara chuckled darkly, well as much as a dragon youkai could chuckle darkly in his true form, and turned to fight the ningens who had not run off yet.
Kaigaishii snickered as he watched the scene unfold with his companion before deciding he had the right idea and took his true form. Nowhere near as frightening as the dragon, but none the less it was much easier to fight as a vulture. Squawking loudly to get Chikara's attention, he took to flight and grabbed onto the nearest ningen with his talons.
Seeing that Chikara had stopped mid swing to stare at him, he flew over to the taiyoukai and dropped the ningen in front of his claw. Chikara, taking the hint, swung his powerful claw at the ningen and sent him flying across the battlefield. Kaigaishii chuckled, sounding oddly like a clucking chicken, as he veered back the way he had come to grab another ningen so they could continue their game.
Laughing at the antics of the two taiyoukai, Kouga turned his attention back to the ningen he currently had a hold of by the claws of his left hand. Bringing his right around, he punched him soundly in the head, knocking him out instantly and let him fall to the ground with the others. He had decided before the battle that in respect for Kagome he wouldn't kill them, but if any of them decided to get up and be stupid enough to attack him again, well that was an entirely different story.
Ginta added another ningen to the pile he was making, like Kouga, only knocking them out in respect for nee-san.(1) Grabbing the heads of the two ningen that were charging toward him, he knocked them together and unceremoniously dropped them on the ever growing pile. Risking a glance at Kagome, he noticed she was fairing rather well and so turned back to his own battle.
Kagome let another arrow fly, this time hitting the sword hand of a warrior that was heading her way. Ignoring the cry of pain he omitted, she notched another arrow, and shaking her head, let it fly into the leg of another ningen that was trying to sneak up behind Sesshoumaru.
Grumbling about 'cowards' she turned her attention to the others to see how they were fairing in the battle. Seeing none that needed her help, she let her next arrow fly to the thigh of a ningen that was charging toward her.
Sango had opted to use her katana rather than her boomerang in fear she might kill them and soon had developed a pattern with Miroku. She blocked their attack with her sword, thrusting them back toward him, and he would hit them over the head with his staff knocking them out.
Block, thrust, whack, fall...block, thrust, whack, fall...block, thrust, whack, fall. This had been going on since the beginning of the battle and already they had grown bored. Deciding to mix things up a bit, Miroku twirled his staff around in his hands and moved to stand next to Sango.
She raised her eyebrows at him but he just smiled in return and raised his staff to block an incoming attack as Sango blocked one of her own with her katana.
Tadashii was seething, the battle was not going the way he had planned and in fact he was currently losing to the taiyoukai. He didn't like it, not one bit, and decided to try and draw out the taiyoukai's temper in order to tip the scale in his favor. "Tell me aka, is the miko as good as she looks?" Tadashii taunted with a smirk.
Sesshoumaru's reply was not what he had been expecting and only furthered to aggravate him. The taiyoukai merely smirked back and replied, "You will never be good enough to find out."
Had Tadashii been a youkai, his eyes would have been bleeding red at this point, instead if you looked closely enough, you could see faint puffs of smoke coming out his ears as his face burned hotly in anger.
Sesshoumaru mentally smirked at turning the houshi's game back on himself before becoming annoyed that the ningen had thought to make him lose him temper over some miko.
Noticing the waves of men had began to slow down, Kagome risked a glance around to see how it was going and noticed Chikara and Kaigaishii seemed to be getting over ran by men who were rather pissed that they were toying with their comrades.
Shaking her head at the antics of the two taiyoukai, Kagome turned her attention fully toward them and readied an arrow and began picking off the men that were heading toward them.
Now out of men of their own, Sango and Miroku noticed Kagome was currently helping the taiyoukai and with a shrug to each other, heading off to where they were currently fighting to lend a hand as well.
1. I believe Ginta, and the other wolf who I can't remember the name of off hand, called Kagome 'nee-san' or older sister. If this is incorrect please let me know so I can fix it.
Translations
Kami-God
Kianai-filthy
Ookami-wolf
Aka-filth
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
