CORPUS DRACONIS

An Inuyasha fanfic by SerialZero

Episode Seven: Wicked Truth and the Tearing of Hearts, Part II

oooooooooo

The air filled with a terrible energy, as the demon Sesshoumaru, and the half-dragon Azuya shifted into their battle stances.

Azuya regarded Sesshoumaru coldly, his jade eyes dancing with a light that bordered dangerously on madness.

A madness, however, that was kept in check by the absolute confidence in which he held himself, his body now free of the chains of deception imposed upon him by his mother.

“Well now.” Sesshoumaru remarked in an amused tone, closing his eyes momentarily, and allowing himself a grin. “Quite a far cry from the pathetic rodent I witnessed mincing around Inuyasha and his band of fools.”

Azuya’s eyes narrowed, and a fine mist of smoke escaped from his lips as he exhaled.

“Shall we dance?” The silver-haired demon crooned, flexing the claws on his only hand.

The half-dragon slid one of his feet backwards, then ceased to be visible.

Sesshoumaru had but a split-second to react, dodging just as Azuya suddenly appeared in the spot where he had been standing, his open-palmed claws slamming into the ground and sending a massive cloud of dust and dirt flying in every direction.

‘Impressive.’ The demon thought as he came to a landing a few yards away. ‘He propelled himself forward using only the ball of one foot.’

“It appears as though I am at a disadvantage-“ Sesshoumaru began. He cut himself off in mid-sentence and dodged once again as the half-dragon arched his body into a handstand, and pirouetted, his tail lashing out at incredible speed. A sharp crack echoed out, and at first, the demon assumed that it was merely the sound of Azuya’s tail snapping at the empty air, until his armor fell off of his shoulders and clattered to the ground, coming to a rest in two clean pieces.

Sesshoumaru chuckled, seemingly delighted with the challenge.

Azuya tucked from his handstand into a crouching position, and just as he took to the air, Inuyasha arrived at the edge of the clearing, just inside the line of trees.

‘What the hell?’ The half-demon thought to himself, watching the heated battle with slight confusion. ‘Why are they fighting again? I thought she…’

He nearly bit his tongue as he saw Azuya swivel to avoid Sesshoumaru’s backhand swing, and got a good look at the half-dragon’s bare chest.

“She’s… a GUY?” He blurted, a bit too loudly.

Azuya’s ears twitched, and his head snapped around to glare in Inuyasha’s direction. It was a petrifying look that had the half-demon swallowing.

Sesshoumaru took advantage of the momentary distraction and reached to seize Azuya by the throat, but succeeded only in creating three shallow scratches on the skin of his neck as the half-dragon snapped his head back at the last moment.

With an agitated grunt, Azuya lurched forward, simultaneously cracking the silver-haired demon in the forehead with his own forehead, and sending him flying backwards with a forceful shove from both palms.

Inuyasha blanched, astounded with the power that Azuya was displaying. His concentration on the battle was interrupted, however, when he caught a familiar scent on the wind.

“Naraku…” He growled, his head snapping in the direction the scent was coming from.

His eyes darted back to Azuya for a moment.

‘She can take care of herself…” He thought, preparing to spring into action. He then clamped his eyes shut and ran a hand down his face.

“Or himself… ugh, whatever. I don’t have time for this.”

And then he was gone.

oooooooooo

Back at the campsite, Kagome felt a sudden sense of unease wash over her. She stood, and stared off into the distance for a good minute before Miroku took note of it and addressed her.

“What’s wrong, Kagome?” He asked, concerned. “Do you sense a jewel shard?”

The young schoolgirl seemed startled when he spoke. “Oh, Miroku. It’s… it’s nothing.” She replied, scratching the back of her head, looking slightly embarrassed.

The monk tilted his head a bit.

Kagome hesitated, giggled sheepishly, and broke into a somewhat musical tone. “I just got this crazy feeling something awful is going to happen, but it’s probably just my imagination. You know how paranoid I can get sometimes.”

Miroku smiled warmly, attempting to quell her nervousness. “Well, let’s hope you’re right.”

oooooooooo

Sesshoumaru brought his hand back from his forehead, and was amused to see blood smearing his palm.

“You really are something.” He remarked, pausing to lick some of the blood from his fingertips. “I must admit, I find it much more attractive when my opponent comes at me as they are, and not wrapped in a blanket of self-delusion.”

Azuya was taken aback for a moment, but soon his anger returned, and he regarded the silver-haired demon with a contemptuous sneer.

“You’re one to talk, pretty boy.” He snarled. “Walking around like you don’t give a damn, when the truth is you’re just bitter.” He paused, chuckling. “Poor you, daddy didn’t give you what you wanted, you got the bum end of the inheritance, so you decide to throw a hissy fit and take it out on everyone you come across, BRAVO!”

At this, Sesshoumaru’s face darkened, and a slight red tint began crawling its way into the corner of his eyes. Then, just as quickly as the expression of indignant rage appeared, it disappeared, and laughter echoed across the valley.

The half-dragon gritted his teeth. “What’s so damned funny?!”

Sesshoumaru slid the edge of his hand across his mouth to quell his laughter, and flashed Azuya a sidelong stare. “I have never been thankful for anything in my life until this moment. Now that I have finally met a truly worthy opponent, I must admit…”

The half-dragon furrowed his eyebrows.

“…I am actually glad I killed your father.”

oooooooooo

Not far away, in a small canyon, Inuyasha exploded onto the scene, full of vengeful intent.

“Come on out, Naraku!” He shouted. “I know you’re here!”

There was a moment of silence, as a dusty breeze passed through the rock walkway.

Then, the wind picked up speed, and out of the sky, a narrow cone of air touched down on the canyon floor. When it dispersed, an all too familiar figure, dressed in an intricately decorated silk kimono, stood grinning at him, his eyes obscured by a white blindfold.

Inuyasha’s face twisted with disbelief as he recognized the demon before him. “Hey, what gives?! I thought Kagome kill your stupid ass!”

Bokunaka laughed. “Foolish half-breed. I am the demon of desire. You only saw what you wanted to.”

A single bead of sweat ran down Inuyasha’s temple. This was going to be tricky. How was he supposed to defeat a foe, when that foe played on the very desire he had to win in the first place?

“And now, Inuyasha… can you kill me, before your brother, and your little friend kill each other, I wonder?”

oooooooooo

“BASTARD!!”

Azuya burst forward, slashing wildly at Sesshoumaru.

The silver-haired demon bobbed and weaved, using every ounce of his energy to avoid the deadly swipes.

“I’LL KILL YOU!!” The half-dragon bellowed, focusing his own energy into a swift leg sweep, which took Sesshoumaru off-guard just long enough for him to clamp a hand around the demon’s throat.

Sesshoumaru froze, knowing instinctively that one false move could cause Azuya to snap his neck.

“How does it feel?” The half-dragon seethed, a slight froth of saliva leaking from the corners of his mouth. “Knowing that you’re going to die? How does it FEEL, demon?”

Sesshoumaru merely stared, his expression blank.

“WELL?!”

“Well, what?” The silver-haired demon said at last. “You’ve got me right where you want me. So why do you not proceed as you have promised?”

“Don’t TEMPT me.” Azuya hissed, tightening his grip, which caused a slight trickle of blood to travel down Sesshoumaru’s spine, from where the half-dragon’s claws were piercing the skin. “I want some ANSWERS from you first. I want-“

Just then, Azuya felt a small pang in the middle of his forehead.

oooooooooo

“Marvelous.” Bokunaka chuckled. “I didn’t think the dragon would succumb, but I suppose I underestimated the power emotion has to cripple you mortals.”

“Arrrgh, shut it already, I’ve had enough of your crap!” Inuyasha spat, drawing his Tetsusaiga. The instant the sword left its casing, it flared up into its superior form.

“Oh my, and what, pray tell, do you think you’re going to do with that?” The demon chided, feigning boredom.

“Just watch!” The half-demon sprung forward, slashing the sword sideways, sending a shockwave of energy rocketing towards Bokunaka. The demon’s body appeared to disintegrate instantly.

However, moments later, Inuyasha sensed a presence behind him, and wheeled to see the demon still intact, chuckling to himself.

“Hnnnh, OK, try dodging THIS!” Inuyasha leapt into the air, and brought the Tetsusaiga down with a mighty swing. “WIND SCAR!”

Once again, Bokunaka seemed to be torn apart as fierce trails of fire tore across the canyon floor, but like before, he appeared in another location, a smug smirk creeping across his face.

“Dammit, how am I supposed to kill this guy?” The half-demon muttered under his breath.

“Master Inuyasha!”

“What the…?” Inuyasha blinked in surprise, as a tiny figure suddenly appeared on his shoulder, jumping up and down in alarm. “Myoga? What are you doing here?”

The flea-demon ceased his frantic hopping. “Master Inuyasha, Bokunaka draws his power from his opponents’ desires. If you wish for his defeat, he can manipulate your senses and make you believe that you are getting exactly what you want!”

Inuyasha sneered. “So how the am I supposed to beat him, exactly? NOT want to beat him?”

Myoga blew out his breath in exasperation. “I know Buddhism is not quite your forte, young master, but please try and take this seriously. In order to defeat an opponent you preys on your desires, you must clear your heart and your mind of ALL desires.”

“Yeah, and how the hell do I do THAT?”

The flea-demon grunted. “Try thinking of something you DON’T want, it may nullify the effects of Bokunaka’s manipulation long enough for you to get a bead on where he actually is, because right now, you’re not seeing him clearly.”

Inuyasha fell silent for a few moments. A flashback ensued, wherein he and his allies were discussing their own personal fears, and Inuyasha had a vision of Kagome’s slain body.

The half-demon opened his mouth to speak, but found he was reluctant to admit the specifics of his fear aloud. He clamped his mouth shut, gritted his teeth as he organized his thoughts, and opened his mouth to speak again.

“So, what if I thought about not wanting a friend to die, or something?” He said flippantly, shrugging in an attempt to cover up his emotions.

“Close, master Inuyasha, but not quite.” Myoga replied in a serious tone. “That too, is a desire. You must think about that friend dying and nothing more, for that is a desire you do not have.”

Inuyasha’s face sank.

“Damn.” He gritted under his breath. “I’m not sure I can do that.”

“Well, you don’t have much choice in the matter.” The flea-demon said solemnly. “Or you may find that what you desire not to happen, might actually come to pass.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. When he finally snapped out of his shock to address Myoga, he found that the tiny demon was no longer there.

“Figures.” He growled bitterly.

oooooooooo

Sesshoumaru shifted his weight slightly.

Azuya sensed it, and snapped out of his momentary disorientation.

“You know what?” He said, his voice growing gravelly. “Forget it. I don’t need to know why. I know what I really want.”’

A wicked grin crossed his face as his grip on the demon’s neck tightened even more.

“Do you, now?” Sesshoumaru rasped, making no further attempt to break away.

“YES, I-“

“Lord Sesshoumaru!”

The slap of bare feet on dry ground broke Azuya’s concentration, and he glared heatedly at the small human huffing her way towards them.

“Please, don’t kill him!” Rin cried out, tears welling up in her eyes. “Aziru-“

“That is NOT my name!” The half-dragon growled, baring his teeth.

Paying no attention to Azuya’s threatening expression, she pressed on, latching onto the half-dragon’s pant-leg and sobbing into the cloth.

“Please, don’t!” She wailed. “He’s the only one who ever took care of me! He’s my friend!”

Azuya’s face was clouded with rage.

“Quit crying, you little brat! What good did crying ever do for anyone? Why don’t you be a good little girl and-“

Three things happened simultaneously. Azuya lifted his hand to strike Rin, Sesshoumaru latched onto the arm Azuya was using to hold him in a deathlock, and Azuya’s words died in his throat.

The half-dragon’s eyes were wide and trembling.

“Rin.” Sesshoumaru addressed the young girl in a soft, yet authoritative tone. “Run along now. I will handle this.”

Reluctantly, Rin let go of Azuya’s pant-leg, backed up slowly, and began making her way back across the field, constantly looking back in concern.

Sesshoumaru tugged gently at Azuya’s arm, and found that the hand came easily with it, freeing him from certain doom. He held onto the arm, and used it as “branch” to pull himself closer.

Azuya did not move, but his eyes darted sideways, still trembling.

“If it makes any difference, it was your father who initiated the attack.” Sesshoumaru began, at last letting go of the half-dragon’s arm. “And you should know that anyone foolish enough to cross me will pay the price.”

Azuya’s eyes clamped shut, and a mixture of anger and despair crept into his expression.

“But it matters not right now. The most important question I have for you at the moment is, who do you REALLY want to kill?”

Azuya’s expression changed to that of shock, and his head swiveled so that he was gazing directly at the demon’s face.

“I… I want…” He faltered, eyes darting left and right. “My muh… I want to kill my…”

Sesshoumaru’s hand lifted to cup Azuya’s cheek.

The half-dragon felt something in his chest seize at the contact, and bolted into the forest.

oooooooooo

Deep in the woods, all was quiet apart from the occasional trill of animal-life.

A figure was making his way through the trees, his gait heavy but silent, a piece of white cloth dangling from his clawed hand.

Inuyasha paused in a patch of dotted light, trying his best to forget. The thoughts that had won him the fight against Bokunaka taunted him, resisting his efforts to push them away into the depths of his psyche.

He squeezed his eyes shut, a string of muted expletives spilling from his lips.

The sharp rustle of leaves suddenly broke his concentration, and a moment later, a familiar figure shot past somewhere on his left side.

“Aziru?”

A few seconds after that, Sesshoumaru followed suite, pursuing the half-dragon with focused intent.

Slightly eager to continue distracting himself, Inuyasha decided to follow them at a distance.

oooooooooo

“Go away!” Azuya called back, frantic to escape the silver-haired demon.

Sesshoumaru said nothing, matching the half-dragon’s speed.

Soon, Azuya’s emotions overwhelmed his senses. He leapt at the wrong moment, caught his foot on an arching root, and stumbled shoulder-first into a large boulder.

He cursed in pain, and turned with his back to the rock just in time to see Sesshoumaru descend upon him.

He failed to lift his arms in time, and the demon seized him by the jaw, pressing the weight of his body into the half-dragon’s fear-stiffened form.

“You did not tell me the whole truth before.” Sesshoumaru said in a calm tone. “Why is it that you are so focused on me?”

“No, I…” Azuya attempted to resist, but as he gazed into the demon’s eyes, his body soon relaxed, and in turn, Sesshoumaru loosened his grip on the half-dragon’s face to run a finger across his lips. Then, he dipped his fingertip ever so gingerly into Azuya’s mouth.

Azuya fixed him with a questioning look.

“I’m curious…” The silver-haired demon drew out slowly, removing the digit and pressing his face closer.

“About what?” The half-dragon asked, almost inaudibly.

“I wonder what it is…”

His hand slid around to grasp Azuya by the back of the head.

“…that you taste like.”

Surprisingly, it was the half-dragon who closed the gap, grasping Sesshoumaru’s shoulders and covering the demon’s mouth with his own.

They stood, locked together, hungrily savoring each other’s “flavor” for the better part of a full minute, when Inuyasha came within range.

Once he got a complete eyeful of the interaction, he stopped dead in his tracks.

His first reaction was that of complete shock, but then, a dark sense of apathy washed over him.

He turned around, without a word, and headed back to his allies.

oooooooooo

“Inuyasha, you’re back!”

Kagome sprang up from a sitting position, eager to see him return safely, but her expression quickly changed to that of concern once she saw how he was carrying himself.

“Yeah.” He responded stiffly, refusing to look her in the eye.

Miroku frowned. “So how did it go?” He asked, arching an eyebrow. “Is Aziru doing all right?”

“Yeah. Fine.” The half-demon huffed, tossing Bokunaka’s blindfold into the campfire.

Kagome’s hand went up to her mouth. “Was that…?”

“It’s nothing.” He snapped. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Inuyasha…” The young schoolgirl’s face crinkled with concern. “I’m worried about you.” She reached to grasp the half-demon’s hand. “Are you-“

Without warning, Inuyasha slapped her hand away, shoving her to the ground.

“Errrgh, I’M NOT IN LOVE WITH YOU, OK?!” He screamed, his tone on the verge of hysterics. “AND I NEVER WILL BE, GOT IT?!”

As his voice echoed across the plains, Kagome’s eyes began to well up with tears. “That isn’t what… I was just…”

“INUYASHA!” Sango yelled angrily. “What is wrong with you?!” She rushed over to kneel by Kagome’s side, holding the trembling girl by the shoulders.

Miroku’s face darkened with anger. He rose to his feet, and approached the half-demon, gripping his staff tightly. “I think you’d better leave now.”

“What?!” Inuyasha shouted indignantly. “I’m not allowed to say how I feel? You guys do it all the time! Give me a freaking break!”

“You pushed her, Inuyasha!” Miroku barked, stabbing the point of his staff into the half-demon’s chest. “You hit a woman! A woman who did nothing but give a damn about your well-being! Sango’s right, what the hell is wrong with you?!”

Shippo and Kirara watched, dumbfounded.

Inuyasha batted the end of the monk’s staff away. “Fine! You wanna kick me out? Then I’ll be taking those jewel shards with me!”

Kagome lifted her tear-soaked face from the hands she was burying it in. “Is that all you care about?” She sobbed.

Miroku took another step forward.

“Leave, or I WILL hurt you.” He growled, rolling up his sleeves.

“HA, you don’t have the-“

“I SAID NOW!” The monk bellowed, half-unwinding the beads around his cursed hand.

“Tch, you’re all crazy.” Inuyasha sneered, backing up. He turned, and began stomping his way in the opposite direction. Once he was almost out of earshot, he turned around once again.

“And if you guys think this touchy-feely crap is gonna last forever, you’ve got another thing coming!” He paused, squeezing his eyes shut. “It ALWAYS falls apart!”

And with that, he disappeared into the forest.

oooooooooo

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

Fear not, hetero fans!

Though I have indeed transformed the Azuya/Sesshoumaru relationship into a shounen-ai, I won’t be changing the Inuyasha/Kagome or the Miroku/Sango relationships, at least not in this particular fanfic series, anyway. XD

Though it DOES look like I’m headed in that direction at the moment, again, worry not, there IS method to my madness.

Hehehehe…