The Snow Angel by SunsetMiko

The Fight

Chapter 223 - The Fight

He's Such a Traitor that He Can Laugh (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge 2)

"Kouga, stop this," Kagome yelled. She knew that Sesshoumaru would easily slaughter the wolf, who she considered a friend. "Just give me your shards and leave while you still can."

Kouga laughed. "I'm not giving you my shards. I'm going to use them to kill your mate. Then, I'll deal with this bitch and afterwards, I'll take you for my mate."

"There's no way in hell I'd let you force Kagome to be your mate," Inuyasha snarled. "Over my dead body."

"That can also be arranged, half-breed," the wolf growled back.

"Oh, you're just going to take on everyone, huh?" Kagome hollered. "You're out of your mind if you think you can defeat Sesshoumaru."

Kouga really was out of his mind. He was so angry that he had completely forgotten his realization that he couldn't take on the taiyoukai. He was so focused on getting to Kagura that nothing else mattered to him at the moment. If Sesshoumaru was going to stand in his way, then he would just have to take him out first. Just the sight of the wind witch lit his blood on fire with the desire for vengeance, and she would pay for what she did to his men, no matter what he had to do first.

"This isn't necessary," Kagura said while stepping forward. "I deserve every bit of the punishment he has for me." The wind witch didn't want to see Sesshoumaru and Kouga fight. The miko's distress was obvious, and Kagura was still filled with guilt over what she had done to the wolf's pack. She wasn't afraid of pain, had suffered a great deal of it during her relatively short life, and besides, Kouga couldn't kill her, no matter how hard he tried, so long as her heart was outside of her body.

"It wasn't your fault," Kagome cried out, tears now streaming down her face, the sight of which only served to enrage her taiyoukai mate. "Naraku made you do it. You're not responsible for anything he forced you to do. Now, Kouga, stop this foolishness."

End the Fight Violently (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge 2)

Refusing to heed her warnings, the wolf launched himself at Sesshoumaru full speed, only to be shocked when the taiyoukai disappeared. "What the hell?" he muttered, looking around in confusion. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru was directly in front of him and punched him full force to the face. An instant later, Kouga found himself dangling from the ground by his throat. His hands immediately went up to attempt to pry the taiyoukai's fingers from around his neck.

"You will surrender your shards to Kagome, and then you will leave this place. You will not pursue this vendetta against Kagura. It all ends now, or you die here. Do you understand?"

Noticing that the wolf was turning a sickly shard of blue, Sesshoumaru loosened his hold just enough for Kouga to gasp for breath. The wolf looked around, considering his limited options, before nodding as best he could. The taiyoukai dropped him to the ground and turned his back on his enemy, walking towards his angel, ready to soothe her by any means necessary.

Kouga fought to catch his breath for a moment before rising and barreling at Sesshoumaru's back. In an instant, his outreached hand was wrapped in the taiyoukai's youki whip. Sesshoumaru turned slowly, his expression dark. "I know what it is like to live without an arm. It is incredibly difficult. Tell me, do you desire to learn what life would be like without your dominant hand? Remove the shards, now."

Scarlet Shards (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge 2)

"Kouga, you’ve been using those shards for a long time," Kagome said softly. "It'll probably take a while for you to get back to normal without them. Don't be surprised if you feel weak for a while. When I took away Naraku's chunk of the jewel, he literally fell apart. His stolen body parts shriveled up and turned into dust because his body was so dependent on the power of the jewel. Be careful, okay?"

The Western Lord looked on apathetically as Kouga turned and strained to remove the shards from his calves with only his left hand, while his right remained trapped by the whip, the youki burning against his skin painfully. After removing the fur cuffs he wore over his calves, being forced to twist awkwardly, the wolf successfully plucked the shards from their place just beneath his skin using his claws. He held them out in the palm of his hand, his body shaking with both pain and rage. He never intended to surrender those shards to the miko, even though he had promised to do so once Naraku was dead. He needed them!

"Inuyasha, collect the shards," Sesshoumaru ordered. He didn't want Kagome coming within ten feet of the angry wolf. The hanyou did so, smirking all the while, which only angered Kouga further.

Kouga knew the instant the shards left his hand that Kagome was right. He felt weaker than he ever had before, even before he found the shards in the first place. His body had grown used to the extra power, and now he was definitely feeling its loss. He knew he would stand no chance against Sesshoumaru now, or Kagura either, and so, when Sesshoumaru released him, he turned to walk away, utterly defeated.