One Month of Romance by Corisu Li, chapter 11, inu yasha fanfic

This work is complete. It's one of the greatest fanfics I've found on the Web. I'm posting it here with the permission of the author. I found it at http://www.geocities.com/inuyashakarma . Enjoy. Tim Seltzer

Disclaimer: Inuyasha: Fuck y-
Trainer: *whaps him on the head with a rolled up newspaper* Stop cussing!
Inuyasha: Dammit!
Trainer: *does same, says same*
Inuyasha: If you do that shit one more time...
Trainer: *does it one more time, says it one more time*
Inuyasha: *backhands the trainer into the wall, knocking him out*
Corisu Li: *enters the room and surveys the damage* Man, Inuyasha, that's the 5th one you've gone through this hour alone...
Inuyasha: *scoffs and looks proud* No mere human can tame me!
Corisu Li: Maybe you're right...Maybe we need...
Sesshoumaru: *enters and looks disdainfully at his brother*
Inuyasha: IF YOU THINK I'M TAKING LESSONS FROM MY ASSHOLE BROTHER YOU'VE-
Sesshoumaru: *cracks Inuyasha on the back with his whip* Stop cussing! *gives Corisu Li an amused look* And how much are you paying me to do this again?
Corisu Li: *whispers something in his ear*
Sesshoumaru: *looks pleased* All right, maggot, get up! It's time to whip you into shape!
Inuyasha: *gets up and folds his arms* It's not like you can teach me anything about behavior, anyway...
Sesshie (forgive me, I got lazy): *cracks him again*
Inuyasha: Ow! Dammit, what'd you do that for?!?!
Sesshie: *cracks him again*
Inuyasha: Shit, what the f-
Sesshie: *does same* I'm beginning to enjoy this...
Corisu Li: Well, since this could take a while, on with the next chapter! As you know, I don't own anyone in my fic except Ayako...

Chapter 11: Right Up to the Front Door

At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than woodland. If examined a little closer, however, one could see the purplish cloud that engulfed the trees everywhere except for a wedge-shaped section that was directly in front of them all. This wedge was widest at its outermost point, and as it reached inward, it tapered off into a section just as wide as the entrance to the castle.

Misa glowered. "Listen, you uptight white-haired moron, do you want my help or not?!? I could just let you wander in there alone and get yourself killed!"

Kagome focused on the screaming pair. They really didn't get along at all. Since they'd been traveling, they had gotten into heated arguments at least five times a day. Kagome figured it was because both had the same haughty, arrogant attitude.

Once the quarrel was over (helped to an end by Miroku, who whapped Inuyasha soundly over the head with his staff), everyone began to approach the area of trees that was unaffected by the toxic gases. Right before they entered the trees, Misa made it a point to warn the others. "It's very possible that Inazuma knew where we were headed when we first left my house. Stay on your guard, everybody, because I'd be very surprised if he doesn't know we're here."

Everyone nodded to show that they understood, and the gang finally entered the forest, keeping their eyes peeled for anything ominous.

Koijiu entered the main room of the castle, looking very pleased with himself. "Lord Inazuma, the outsiders have entered the forest. Do you wish for us to move out?"

Inazuma glanced around the room at the army of youkai soldiers before him before speaking. "Yes. Take the first wave of troops to the outsiders' present location. Keep the second back at the bank of our lake. The third should remain very near the castle. Need I remind you what should happen if you should fail?"

Koijiu showed fear for the first time, but it was fleeting. "No, Lord Inazuma." To the soldiers, he said, "You heard him. Get going!" At his word, the youkai flooded out of the room and took their posts, each silently promising that there was no way that the intruders could get by them...no way at all...

Meanwhile, Inazuma himself didn't share the same carefree thoughts. Instead, he allowed himself to worry just a small bit. If these people had defeated Naraku...

"Inazuma, your reign stops here!" Naraku hissed, throwing himself at the Taiyoukai. Inazuma effortlessly sidestepped the attack and aimed a bolt of lightning at Naraku, who also successfully dodged. The two stood facing each other, each panting slightly. They had been fighting for quite a while now, but neither showed a sign of giving up. It appeared that they were almost evenly matched. Just then, Naraku had a brilliant idea...but it would cost him dearly...

Leaping forward, Naraku hissed a short incantation and shivered as his body was enveloped in a cold, violet light.

"What is this?" Inazuma asked, mostly to himself. He stopped wondering as Naraku reached him, placed a hand on Inazuma's chest and- passed directly through him! Inazuma shivered as the icy aura entered his body. Whirling to face Naraku, he realized that all that lay in front of him was Naraku's baboon pelt. 'But then,' he thought, 'Where is Naraku?'

He soon got his answer as a alien voice spoke in his head. 'I am inside of you, foolish one. And soon, I will release the power of my charm and you will be no more. I, of course, will have to search for a new body, but all is well as long as you...'

Inazuma felt a searing pain start in his heart and spread to each of his extremities. He bellowed a protest of pain and rage, but there was no way to fight something that was inside his body. Weakening, the great lord fell to his knees, clutching his chest.

Naraku spoke once again, his voice telling of the pain that he was feeling from the exertion of using this certain spell. 'Die, vermin!'

Naraku barked a cold laugh. 'Hai, but I doubt if I will die in the process...unlike YOU!' Again, the pain overwhelmed Inazuma and he howled, watching as the purplish light began to seep through his skin like a fine mist. Then, in an instant, a silent explosion washed over the castle, vaporizing all signs of life that were too near...and disintegrating the bodies of Inazuma and Naraku.

Inazuma shivered violently, again remembering that day. 'He was ruthless, willing to sacrifice his own body to destroy me. But now that I have my new body, I doubt that even he will be able to defeat me!' With this thought, Inazuma lifted his fist and rose from his throne. He finally stepped out of the shadows, allowing the casual observer to finally witness his true form. He sort of resembled a bull, having the creature's head and legs, but that is where the similarities ended. His arms and torso were human, giving him the look of a centaur. The tail that arced behind him was that of a scorpion, loaded with venom. His entire body was plated with an armor that resembled reptile scales. All in all, he was a frightening beast that was more than capable of cold-hearted murder. Looking to the sky, the source of his power, he thought, 'If I defeat these intruders, no one will ever question that I am the most powerful! My ruin will lay forgotten in the blood of those meddlers! I will regain the level of renown that I lost when Naraku bested me!' Bellowing a laugh to the heavens, he avidly awaited the arrival of the interfering outsiders.

"Hmm, I'm surprised that we haven't met anyone yet," Misa said thoughtfully. Inuyasha and Kagome were leading the pack. Misa followed, with Sango, Miroku, and Kirara (carrying Shippou) bringing up the rear. "When we lived here, Inazuma would always dispatch soldiers to-"

She cut off as Inuyasha drew his sword. A second later, Kagome followed suit. A second after THAT, a mob of youkai poured out of the trees on all sides, shrieking curses and death threats. Above the din, a voice could be discerned as it spoke one word: "Attack!"

It turned out to be an unusually uneventful battle. The youkai were obviously low-level, because they were easily brought down. Sango's Hiraikotsu was powerful enough to put most of them out of commission. Inuyasha and Kagome seemed to be everywhere at once, slashing demons with their swords. Both fought with vigor, but Kagome found herself unable to produce the acidic wave that she had displayed earlier. Shippou could even distract a few of them with his kitsune-bi, setting their garments afire and causing them to race around in circles, colliding with each other and falling down in tangled heaps. Kirara scratched and bit, as she had with the wolves, and she found the fight very simple. Usually, only one demon attacked at a time, making them very easy to pick off. There was a brief moment of panic when a swarm of bat youkai made their way out of the forest to distract the group, but they proved no match for Miroku's kazaana. Misa had once again drawn her chains. She used them to swing herself through the trees before dropping onto an unsuspecting youkai and beating him senseless. In a very short time, the battle was over.

Misa dropped from a tree and scanned the battlefield. "That was really easy! If this whole trip is going to be like that, it'll be no problem at all!"

Inuyasha put Tetsusaiga away and folded his arms. "Keh. Too easy, if you ask me. It's like they want us to get there."

"Well then, why send all of these youkai to be killed for no reason?" Kagome asked, resheathing her sword as well and tossing her hair over her shoulder, irritated at its length.

"Hell if I know! If I didn't know better, I'd say that Inazuma sent them without telling them what they were in for. It's like he wanted them to be killed off."

"Probably not," Miroku answered. "Perhaps he wishes for us to shatter his defenses to lead us into a false sense of security. Or maybe he wants to look even more supreme if he defeats us."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Like he'll be able to defeat us! Come on, you guys, it looks like we still have quite a way to go."

Everyone resumed the trek, each lost in their thoughts about Inazuma's seemingly foolish motives and their chances of defeating him.

Soon, their second challenge swam into view. Ahead of them was a vast lake that appeared to be made of tar. On each side of this lake were dozens and dozens of youkai. Inuyasha sighed, once more pulling out Tetsusaiga. This fight proved just as easy as the last, and proceeded in pretty much the same manner. When the closest opponents were finished, the youkai on the opposite bank began to throw insults across the black water, as if taunting them closer.

"They want us, huh?" Inuyasha sneered. "Well, they'll get us!" He made a motion to leap over the lake, but he was halted by one of Misa's chains coiling around his waist and pulling him back to the ground.

Misa shot him a dirty look. "I mean that it's more dangerous than it looks." The girl walked forward and prodded the sluggish liquid with a stick. Instantly, the stick began to give off smoke. When she withdrew it, it looked intact, but it also seemed to have lost something vital, because it looked dull and slightly unreal. "Soul-Sucking Serum," she whispered, throwing the stick disgustedly away. "Just the fumes are enough to do the damage." To prove this, she tossed a rock over the lake. It halted in midair, seemed to fade, and dropped into the liquid. Then, Misa glared defiantly at Inuyasha. "Guess you owe me one, huh?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something insolent, but what came out was: "Yeah, I guess I do."

Everyone gaped for a while before Misa broke the silence. "Um, yeah. Well, I have just the thing for such a situation!" Misa reached into her side pouch and pulled out a small bottle filled with a whitish substance. She threw this into the lake. Seconds later, a blinding white light engulfed them all as a thin, glassy sheet appeared over the lake. "That should keep the fumes down and us up!" Misa chirped cheerfully before cautiously stepping onto this artificial floor and crossing the lake effortlessly.

"Who is this girl?" Miroku wondered aloud as the others followed her across, preparing to kick some youkai butt. Apparently, the explosion had frightened them off, because nothing awaited them at the other side. Once more, everyone took up the hike, uneasily noting the narrowing of the safe area as they advanced.

In just a few minutes, the door of the castle was visible to them. Unfortunately, so was another group of youkai. Everyone in the group noticed something different about this wave, though. For one, there were only about five or six of them, while the other waves had at least three dozen. For another, they were much larger and appeared much more powerful.

Everyone brandished their weapons and took up fighting stances. Inuyasha launched the first attack, slicing at the nearest youkai. This youkai was seemingly very slow, because by the time it had raised its arm to defend, Inuyasha had cut it off. Landing, Inuyasha smirked. "Not very fast, are w-" He broke off as the arm that he had severed suddenly grew back. "Oh, shit."

Soon, everyone was involved in the battle. Inuyasha was tackling two of the Regenerators, leaving one for Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Misa. Shippou and Kirara acted as back-up for the humans, making sure that they were protected during attacks. After a while, it was apparent that they were making no headway at all. The ground was littered with Regenerator blood and body parts and still, the youkai fought as if each attack was a pinprick. Every time someone managed to wound one, the flesh healed immediately. Suddenly, there was a scream as Sango's youkai pushed forward and overpowered her, knocking backward. For the fight, Sango had given up trying to use her Hiraikotsu at close range and had drawn her katana. This weapon was now pressed to the youkai's neck as they fell. This wouldn't have been such a big deal if the safe zone hadn't thinned out so much. Because of this narrowing, the pair disappeared into the purple mist that surrounded the battlefield.

"Sango!" Kagome shrieked, giving her youkai a sound kick which sent it sprawling, only to regain its feet seconds later. She began to run towards the spot where they had fallen, but Inuyasha grabbed her quickly and pulled her back. The others were retreating from the youkai as well. It seemed that, as they neared a certain point, the youkai stopped advancing and, instead, returned to the door of the palace. It was obvious that they had no order other than to prevent their entry.

Frustrated tears leaked down Kagome's face. They were facing a horde of seemingly unbeatable opponents who were guarding the one antidote to her condition, and now Sango... Sango was... Inuyasha held the girl as she wept. Just as he opened his mouth to offer comfort, he heard a rustling to his right. Whirling, he shoved Kagome behind him and held Tetsusaiga ready. The rustling intensified, then out of the mist, everyone heard a voice.

The taijiya emerged from the trees, panting. Her skin seemed to be burned slightly, because it had a pinkish tint. Her clothes were smoldering and the girl looked exhausted. On further inspection, Kagome realized why her voice was so muffled. Over her mouth and nose was the mask that she used when employing her own poison gas. It must have protected her from the fumes!

As if in answer to Kagome's thoughts, Sango nodded and said, "The poison gases must have been made like the gases that we used in my village. The mask was enough to keep me from breathing it, but I could do nothing for my skin or clothes. But...on the bright side, I found a way of defeating the youkai..." Lifting the hand that was not clutching her katana, Sango gave everyone a good look at what was clearly the head of a Regenerator. Obviously, they couldn't regenerate heads, or Sango would be dead by now.

Everyone's mood brightened a little as the idea clicked in their minds. She had killed one, now they just had to behead five more. At least they had a plan of action. Before they could move back into attack range, however, Sango removed her mask and they could see her panting in pain. Sweat poured down her reddened skin and she fell to all fours. Kagome gasped and ran to the girl's side. Misa looked at Sango and shook her head.

"The poison must have worked into her pores. It's not as effective as breathing it, but it can still be lethal. She needs care, immediately." Misa cast a glance at the group. Miroku stepped forward and addressed everyone.

"If everyone agrees, I will escort her back to Lady Kaede's. She is the closest thing to a healer that we know of. Myouga is there as well, and he has proven his worth at extracting poison."

Everyone nodded at this good idea. Even though they would be short more than half the group (they would travel on Kirara, and Shippou insisted upon acting as a second escort), Miroku felt no discomfort at leaving. On the contrary, he was glad that the weaker members would be out of the way so that they would not pose a distraction to Inuyasha and Kagome. Misa had insisted on staying, but she would be helpful because she could lead them through the castle. Besides, he hadn't expected to be much help in the fight against Inazuma, seeing as his strongest weapon was a hole in his hand. With a grunt of effort, Miroku lifted the now-unconscious Sango onto the fire-cat and beckoned to Shippou, who jumped onto his shoulder. Yelling well-wishes over his shoulder, Miroku clutched Sango's body tightly as Kirara took to the sky, leaving Kagome, Inuyasha, and Misa alone to face the inevitable.

Inuyasha tightened his grip on Tetsusaiga as the shrunken group approached the Regenerators once more. Now that they knew their weakness, however, the fight now went nearly as easy as the first two. Misa would sometimes immobilize one with her chains, leaving it vulnerable to decapitation, but usually, the hanyous found no problem in beheading them alone. When the dead bodies of Regenerators cluttered the ground, the trio stepped up to the door, uncomfortably aware of the gases pressing in close around them. "It's time," Misa whispered, pressing the door inward. It swung open with a loud squeal, and they entered the castle which would be the location of the final showdown of their journey.

Corisu Li: Sorry it took me so long to update this time, you guys, but I have to baby-sit from 8:30 in the morning until 7:00 at night, so forgive me if I'm a little sluggish. I think I can do better now, though, because the story's getting kind of interesting... Oh, and to satisfy ladykaa28: I solemnly swear that under no circumstances will I allow Kagome to kill Inuyasha. I'd never forgive myself! Oh, speaking of our favorite hanyou, how about checking on his progress with Sesshie? *wiggles her nose and appears in the training room with them* How goes it?

Corisu Li: Huh? Where's the animosity, the bloodshed, the 'I hate my uptight brother' shtick? What the hell is going on here?

Sesshie: *raises his hand as if to strike her for daring to swear in front of him*

Corisu Li: *glares and raises her own hand, freezing his own* You ungrateful baka! I offer you a job and a chance to get revenge on your brother and you act as if to SLAP me???

Inuyasha: You did this to give him revenge?!?!?!? *shuts up as Corisu Li glares at him*

Corisu Li: *continues to rant, slapping Sesshie, who's still frozen, every now and then*

Corisu Li: You know, come to think of it, I liked Inuyasha the way he was before! So screw you, Sesshoumaru, from this day on, I banish you! (tee- hee, I'm a poet and I didn't know it... I make a rhyme every time....)

Kagome: *yells 'osuwari' until she's so out of breath that she feels like fainting*

Corisu Li: Ummm...yeah....so thanks to new reviewers and I gottagobye! *begins to run*

Kagome: *eyes glow red and hair blows upward* Corisu Liiiiiiii....you got some 'splainin' ta dooooooo.....

Corisu Li: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!! *vanishes* ( I luv 'I Love Lucy'...eep! Don't own it, don't sue me!)

One Month for Romance by Corisu Li

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One Month for Romance

Chapter Eleven: Right Up to the Front Door

Chapter 11: Right Up to the Front Door