Unexpected Allies Part II: Chosen, The Tosusaiga's True Master by Striking Falcon

Captured!

{Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha. I don't even own this computer. It's a rental. What do you expect from a poor college student?}

Unexpected Allies

Part Two

Chosen, the Tosusaiga's True Master

Chapter One:

Captured

From Part One

Sesshoumaru walked down the hallway, Shorin close behind. Sesshoumaru slid open the door at the end of the hallway, stepping past the many beds inside. A healer was at the side of one bed, blood streaked over his face and hands. There was a lump of bloodied fur on the bed, gasping for breath. Sesshoumaru recognized it immediately.

"Aniki?" he whispered, kneeling down beside him. Aniki's fur was a mess of scratches and stab wounds. He shuddered every now and again against the night air.

"Aniki, who did this?"

Aniki said nothing, but raised his head. The instant his glassy black eyes met Sesshoumaru's gold, he smiled.

Panic suddenly replaced it.

He grasped the front of Sesshoumaru's tank top fiercely, pulling him closer to him. Just as Sesshoumaru was going to strike him for his insolence, Aniki wheezed

"My lord, your miko is in danger!"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"What are you talking about? What has happened?" Sesshoumaru growled, forgetting the badger's death-like grip on his tank top.

"My house and I were attacked days after you and Kagome-miko-sama left. The youkai destroyed everything. They killed my best guards, tortured my servants and murdered my slaves. They would have killed me, but the leader of them stopped him. He said he wanted me to deliver a message to you."

Aniki lifted his gi. On his stomach was a spider-shaped burn.

"My lord, he said that he was on the way to Kagome-sama's village. He said something about wanting a miko of his own. Please!" Aniki pulled Sesshoumaru closer, whispering, his breath dancing on Sesshoumaru's pallid face.

"Don't let him hurt her…"

Aniki dropped his hand and passed out. Sesshoumaru stood up and in one fluid motion was outside the room and heading toward the courtyard. Shorin followed close behind. When he reached the courtyard, he and Shorin leaped into the sky.

"Shorin, stay here. Tell Jaken to look after Rin."

"Hai, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Shorin descended, leaving Sesshoumaru to fly by himself. When he could no longer sense the general, Sesshoumaru darted for all he was worth toward Kagome.

++++++++++++

Inuyasha stayed a few steps behind Kagome and Shippou as they walked back to camp, listening in on their conversation.

"Kagome, are you o. k.?" Shippou asked, his tiny voice strained with worry. Kagome patted his head affectionately.

"Yes, Shippou, for the millionth time. Don't worry about me."

"Sorry."

Kagome hugged the worried kit closer. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad you worry about me."

"Really?"

Kagome nodded. "It makes me feel good to know someone is concerned for my welfare."

Inuyasha landed in front of them, startling them. Kagome drew her sword in an instant, ready to fight.

"Oh. It's you, Inuyasha. Jeez, can't you find a better way to get attention?"

Inuyasha scowled. He started forward, a dangerous gleam in his eye. Kagome took a step back, instantly regretting the action when he followed her. Shippou growled in warning, watching Inuyasha warily.

"Why are you so afraid of me, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he stepped forward again. He backed her against a tree, ignoring Shippou. He thrust his claws into the bark, trapping her in between them.

"What are you doing?" she gasped.

Inuyasha sighed irritably. "You know, I remember a time when you feared Sesshoumaru and idolized me. Now it's the other way around." Inuyasha could still smell Sesshoumaru's filthy scent all over her. Kagome stiffened as he sniffed her shirt.

"I mean, you're clothes are different, you talk different, and you use a sword better than most samurai. All this in three months. What happened to cause such a change?"

"You."

Inuyasha became rigid, his eyes closed tightly. Kagome waited for him to say something , do something when

"When?"

"When I found you with Kikyou."

Inuyasha sighed. "Kikyou is my mate."

"Kikyou has betrayed you. Just as you have betrayed me."

Inuyasha slammed his fist into the bark beside her head, snarling "When have I betrayed you, you ungrateful-"

"Don't you get it?" Kagome yelled, forgetting how vulnerable she was at the moment. Shippou covered his ears.

"Kikyou not only wants to kill YOU, she wants to kill ME because of YOU! All you think about is how perfect Kikyou is, how beautiful she is, how much more powerful than me she is. You never think for one second that she has TURNED ON YOU! You are nothing more to her than a sucker for the cause! Grow up, preferably before you get us all killed!"

Kagome inhaled sharply. Confusion flickered on her face for a moment, then schooled into a battle-readied calm. She removed her headband and fastened it around Shippou's neck.

"Up the tree, Shippou," she whispered, her arm raised to the nearest branch.

"Why?"

"We have company."

Inuyasha sniffed around intently, then growled. They were surrounded, and his conversation with Kagome had distracted him from picking up on their scents. 'But how did Kagome sense it if I didn't?' he wondered as Shippou scurried up the tree. Inuyasha released Kagome and withdrew the Tetsusaiga.

"We'll finish this later," he growled. Kagome drew her sword and stood at the base of the tree, ignoring him for the youki around her. She could sense every one of them, and it was a lot more than Inuyasha thought it was. They would need Sango and Miroku's help. Kagome only hoped they would get there in time.

The first wave of youkai broke through the trees, attacking the two instantly. Inuyasha slashed at the many hands trying to grab him, becoming separated from Kagome in an instant. Shippou watched from his perch as the youkai attacked Kagome one by one. She defeated each easily, slicing through them like lunch meat. Her sword glimmered in the waning sunlight, her face a picture of determination as she kept the enemy away from Shippou. A bear youkai ripped her sword out of her hands, forcing Kagome into hand to hand combat. She adapted easily, pumping her purifying power into her fists and kicks. Youkai surrounded her from the front and sides, with the tree to her back. A tiger youkai suddenly appeared in front of her. It backhanded her into the tree, then pinned her hands above her. Kagome kicked and struggled, but she couldn't get free.

"INUYASHA!!!"

Inuyasha turned at the sound of his name and was instantly knocked unconscious by another tiger youkai. He smiled at the other as he made his way through the crowd of youkai to Kagome. Kagome stopped struggling to watch them.

"Is that her, brother?"

"Hai. It is. Naraku will be pleased."

"Aren't you guys supposed to kill me or something?" Kagome said, trying to find a way to get free and get to her sword. The youkai holding her stroked her cheek.

"Naraku is right. She is pretty. I hope he'll let us play with her when he's finished."

"I don't THINK so!" Kagome growled, sending every ounce of power she had to her hands. They glowed a pinkish light, purifying the tiger youkai's hand off. It yelped in agony as Kagome fell to the ground. She called for her sword, and beheaded it the instant the sword was in her hand. Its brother howled as the other youkai attacked her again. Kagome fought them off, cutting off anything that came in reach of her blade. Youkai blood covered the ground under her assault. She took a deep breath and called for help

"Aso-"

Kagome was cut off by a blow to the back of her skull. She sank to the ground, unconscious. The tiger youkai stalked toward her; intending on ending her life right then and there.

"I'll kill you, you little-"

"You will do no such thing, Keni'Chi," Kagura said as she descended into the thicket. She glanced at the unconscious hanyou before picking up Kagome's still form. Kagura glared at Keni'Chi as he started toward her.

"Take one more step and you're life is forfeit," she warned, her fan raised and ready. "Naraku could care less about whether you live or die."

Keni'Chi growled again, but lowered his head in submission. Kagura smiled. "Good kitty. Return to Naraku immediately. He wants the half breed alive." Kagura glanced around again and flew away. Keni'Chi waited for her to leave before commanding the others to leave. The youkai split up, running in different directions to keep them from being tracked. Shippou waited until he could no longer sense them before climbing down to Inuyasha. He nudged him lightly, calling his name.

"Inuyasha?"

He shook Inuyasha some more. Inuyasha groaned, but didn't move.

"Inuyasha?"

Shippou slapped him quickly, running back to the tree when Inuyasha's hand tried to grab him. Inuyasha was after him in an instant, standing at the base of the tree.

"Come down here, you little runt!"

Shippou squeaked and climbed a little higher in the tree. "Leave me alone! We have to find Kagome!"

Inuyasha stopped. "What do you mean 'find Kagome'?"

"Kagura took her. They're headed for Naraku."

"What?" a voice growled, making the hair on their necks stand on end. Inuyasha turned around just as Shippou gasped. A few feet away stood Sesshoumaru. His fangs protruded out of his mouth and his eyes glowed blood red as he glared at them. He was barely holding his humanoid form by sheer will. He streaked toward Inuyasha, his claws dripping with poison.

"You mean to tell me," Sesshoumaru snarled, lifting Inuyasha by the throat and slamming him against the tree. "That you let Kagome just fall into Naraku's hands?"

-------