InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Captive Soul ❯ chapter 28 ( Chapter 28 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyahsa or any of it's characters.

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Chapter 28: Family Reunion

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After circling the enormous banquet hall again, Inuyasha stopped by a table filled with desserts and let out a hard breath of exasperation at what he now deemed a futile attempt to find his suspect. Absently, he reached up and began scratching behind his right ear.

Even though Naraku's scent had disappeared several minutes ago, Inuyasha lingered in the banquet area believing the hanyou was masking his foul odor and was still lurking about somewhere.

Inuyasha held to the belief that the hanyou was after a youkai.

The only two youkai, other than himself and Naraku, who had entered the banquet hall were still here.

The wolf youkai prince remained, dancing with a strawberry blonde on the dance floor, and the inu youkai was also close by for he could sense him as well.

Since nothing had happened to them, that meant Naraku had not made his move yet.Fast paced footsteps rushed up from behind. Inuyasha looked to his right to see the pretty girl in the red evening gown from earlier run past him. He briefly looked down at her dress and noticed the rip up the side, exposing very long, slender legs and small bare feet.

The inu hanyou raised a brow. 'Huh?'

The corner of his eye caught a flash of silver and white, causing him to jerk his attention to the left. The blur, too fast for even his half demon eyes to make out, zipped through the few guests that were left, heading for the garden door.

Inuyasha started for the obscure blur that disappeared through the double glass doors which led to the garden. By the scent, he knew it had been the inu youkai.

Of the two other youkai that were here tonight, that one had the greater demon energy, and that demon could be the one Naraku had his sights set on.

Inuyasha only got a few steps before the scent of familiar tears made him pause.

He turned his attention to his right. Standing in an archway, holding her cheek and crying, was his former love: Kikyo.

Stunned, Inuyasha inwardly despaired at the sight and smell of Kikyo's tears, the salty drops he had tried so hard to forget.

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Running to their family's table, Kagome thanked the stars that her father and mother were not off dancing. They both looked up.

Her father's smile faded to a frown of intense worry as she approached. He stood. "Kagome, what is wrong? You look frazzled."

Kagome stopped, trying to catch her breath. She looked to her father and mother. "Mom, Dad, you need to leave. Pull the fire alarm and get everyone out. I am going to the car to get my bow. Dad, before you go, tell Kouga to meet me outside at the garden exit. Tell him it is a dangerous emergency and I need his help. There is no time to explain. We have a rogue youkai on our hands."

She gave her father a stern look. "A very powerful youkai."

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With demon speed, Sesshomaru darted out the hotel and down the left brick path.

A mere second later, he came up short by a wall of black mist. He stopped before the foul miasma and examined it cautiously. By his sense of smell, Sesshomaru determined the swirling, dark mist to be poisonous and deadly, but more so for an ordinary human than himself and, he surmised, a miko. Kagome could purify it easily. She would be in no danger from it. With that realized, Sesshomaru took a step forward into the blackness.

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At first, he frowned deeply as her saliva oozed from his left cheek and nose.

To her horror, his frown curled up into a sinister grin. "That was not very clever, my dear Rin."

At that moment, Rin knew she was going to die. One desperate wish repeated in her mind; she wished Sesshomaru was close to Kagome.

The tight grip around her throat squeezed, cutting off precious air. Black spots speckled her vision. In vain she reached up to pull at the hand choking the life from her, but her muscles would not respond. All she could manage was a hopeless effort of loosely tugging and scratching at Naraku's tightening fist. Her lungs labored, aching for a breath. Rin could feel her heart beating slow, hard, thumps; waning with each rushing boom in her ears. The spots expanded, blotting out reality and Naraku's calm, collected expression. Before she fell away into a strangely welcoming darkness, she briefly wondered if this was what it felt like for Sesshomaru.

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Sesshomaru paused within the black fog. His collar pulsed, sending a numbing vibration through his body. He knew that pulse. It foretold of impending change of masters by death. His current master was dying. That....meant.....Rin....

Sesshomaru hurried forward.

The mist parted, finding him in a circled, brick courtyard.

As the miasma diminished, he looked to his right. There, standing tall and rigid a mere twenty feet away with his back to him, was the hanyou: Naraku.

He was holding Rin, one hand gripping her shoulder, the other clasped around her neck.

A reddish pink, rippling barrier surrounded them both.

Rin's eyes were closed; the lines of her face becoming lax.

Fear almost compelled him to move prematurely, but he forced patience, knowing full well that this half demon's powers far exceeded his own at the current moment. He would be defeated in a 'one on one' fight. The only course of action was to wait on Kagome. If they both teamed up together, they would have a chance at beating this demon. "Naraku."

The hanyou let go of Rin's throat. When Rin's head lolled backwards, it nearly provoked him to disregard his strategy. Suppressing his panic, Sesshomaru inhaled deeply, drawing in what he needed to know.

Relief washed over him. Rin was alive, delicate vanilla mixed with glorious life. She was merely unconscious.

Naraku sniffed indifferently. "I thought you would never get here. I was almost afraid my little diversion had taken you out of the picture entirely, but I am elated to know Kikyo didn't harm my intended meal."

Sesshomaru silently regarded the hanyou who slowly turned. A cruel smile formed on Naraku's lips as the lust in his eyes roved over Rin's face. "Or could it be that you just didn't care enough for your master to come to her aid quick enough?"

Sesshomaru could feel a growl rumbling within as the male's filthy fingers stroked Rin's pale cheek.

A short, wicked laugh cut the air. "She is so sweet. Don't you think? I, myself, fancy she would make a wonderful mate. So....perfect."

Sesshomaru knew the hanyou was goading him, trying to get him to attack.

Holding his rage in check, the dog demon glared at the hanyou. "You will release my master."

Naraku's brow raised a touch as he switched his wanton gaze away from Rin. Amusement danced in the devil's features. "Master? What's this? Are you not claiming this beauty as yours? From what Rin has whimpered to me, I assumed you two were ...quite.....intimate."

Unsheathing Toukijin, Sesshomaru pointed the sword at the monster holding his future mate. "I do not like repeating myself. Release Rin or die."

The half demon smirked in his direction. "Please....don't insult me. You and I both know you are no match for me. That restraint suppresses all of your demon power. You are as helpless as a lamb, and a very tasty looking one at that."

Not giving Naraku the satisfacion of seeing his expression of mutual knowledge of that fact, Sesshomaru only stared at the hanyou, waiting.

Naraku turned completely around to face him, moving Rin's limp form to his front, brandishing her body as a shield. "I will strike a deal with you. If you want me to release your master, I will consider it on one condition: drop your weapons and surrender to me. If you do this, I will set your little tramp free." The hanyou's hands slid to Rin's throat. "Decide now or I snap her neck."

With a sharp snarl, Sesshomaru dropped Toukijin, and then removed Tenseiga, also letting it clank to the brick before him. "Done. I am yours. Release Rin."

A hint of surprise flashed across Naraku's features before he smiled sadistically. "Very smart, dog."

However, the hanyou did not let go of Rin. Instead, his body began to change. Bulbous, black tentacles sprouted from his torso, ripping through his clothes, spreading along the courtyard like a sea of slithering snakes.

Giant, sticky, spider like pincers shot out from the half demon's sides, clicking and curling about.

Several thick tentacles crawled toward him. Sesshomaru did not move, never taking his eyes off Rin.

Something thick and heavy rolled over his feet.

Rin began to stir.

A burning sensation slid up his calf.

Rin's eyes opened a little and she shook her head.

Sesshomaru spoke calmly. "You have me. The bargain."

Naraku shrugged his shoulders with a look of disinterest before moving a disorinented Rin to the side, placing one insect leg in front of her sitting form to prevent her from interfering.

As a crushing heaviness seared it's way over his thighs, Sesshomaru watched Rin come to, rubbing her throat and looking around in confusion.

Her immediate attention focused on the monstrous insect leg in front of her.

Rin's eyes widened considerably.

Sesshomaru felt his hips being smothered by unyielding pressure.

Dropping the hand from her neck, Rin began to look up, past the obstruction. Her horrified gaze moved in slow motion and found him. Brown eyes locked with his.

He didn't have to smell her fear. Sesshomaru could see it.

She reached a hand toward him and cried out his name.

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Inuyasha's jaw dropped. "Ki....Kikyo?"

The crying young woman partially stumbled into the banquet hall. Almost as if she had heard him, she looked up.

Before he knew it, Kikyo was running in his direction. She stopped a few feet in front of him, hesitating.

Minutes passed in mutual shock.

A longing hope shone in her tear stained features and watery brown pools. "Inuyasha?.....Is it really you?.....Have you come back to me?"

Dazed, Inuyasha unintentionally gave a slow nod. "I......"

The young miko accepted his nod as an answer; closing the distance, falling into him, wrapping both arms around his waist in a forlorn embrace. "I knew you would come back to me."

She sobbed once. "I knew if I waited....long enough....you would see reason.... and come back to me...."

Sadness coursed through him in suffocating waves, but he did not return the embrace. "Kikyo......I....."

At that precise moment, the fire alarm rang throughout the building.

Everyone in the banquet hall looked around in confusion before heading for the exits.

Inuyasha grasped Kikyo's shoulders and pushed his former love away from him.

He turned and looked across the room. People were filing out the exits in hurried fashion.

The young woman in the torn red dress ran through the evacuating bodies heading towards the garden exit, a miko's wooden bow in one hand and a quiver of arrows strapped on her right shoulder.

Inuyasha's pulse quickened. Something was wrong, and that woman knew exactly what was going on.

Without looking at Kikyo, he gave her a firm order. "Kikyo, get out of the building. Something bad is going down, dangerous bad."

After nudging a bewildered Kikyo in the direction of the nearest fire exit, Inuyasha rushed to follow the young woman in the torn dress and bare feet.

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Kagome found Kouga waiting in the main garden courtyard.

His brow furrowed in anxious concern. "Kagome, what is going on? Your father told me to meet you out here."

Grabbing Kouga's hand, Kagome pulled him toward the left brick path. "Kouga, there is little time to explain. Naraku has Rin near the hedge maze. He was shaking her. His demonic power is off the scale. I need your help....."

"Oi! You there, hey, where are you going?!"

Kagome stopped and looked back to see a hanyou with long silver hair and perky dog-ears staring at them. For a second, she startled at the remarkable resemblance to Sesshomaru. Breaking from the irrelevent notion, Kagome answered the half demon, "There is a hostile hanyou threatening my sister. We are going to battle."

The silver haired hanyou grimaced. "Does this half demon go by the name...Naraku?"

Kagome nodded once. "Yes."

"My name is Inuyasha. I will help." A swishing sound cut the wind when the hanyou unsheathed a sword from his left hip. The thin blade flourished in a pulse of power, expanding and extending to a fierce and formidable weapon of demon energy.

Kagome gave a nod in agreement. "My name is Kagome. This is Kouga. Your help is accepted."

With that decided, all three headed down the left brick path.

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Absolute terror seized her heart. Rin reached a shaking hand outward. "Sesshomaru!"

Sesshomaru did not speak, his neutral expression giving nothing away.

His blank features did not deter Rin's search. Deep in his straightforward gaze she found it: determination, relief, loss, and sadness. He was.... preparing to...leave....to die.

No.Rin stood up with unsteady muscles and took a step forward. "Sesshomaru! No!"

The giant insect leg pushed her back.

Rin glanced over to the thing that was Naraku. The grotesque monster's concentrated attention focused only on Sesshomaru.

She looked back at Sesshomaru whose sight remained locked on her.

A black, swelling mass of flesh covered him, engulfing his body. Undulating tentacles rippled their way around, circling him, bulging about his form.

Rin had a good idea what the sticky, thick, pulsating globs of flesh were doing. The knowledge struck her mind white with fear. Naraku was absorbing Sesshomaru to become part of him, part of his power.

Ignoring the obstructing insect leg, Rin stepped forward only to be pushed forcibly back once more. Prickly leaves scratched her backside, tangling in her hair.

Righting herself quickly, Rin watched, terrified as the black globs of flesh crept to Sesshomaru's chest.

Naraku's voice vibrated in her direction. "Move again and you die."

With desperation, Rin cried out to the hanyou, "Naraku! Please! Stop! I will do anything if you spare him. Please!"

The bulbous assault paused.

Naraku's calm features turned towards her. "Anything?"

Rin heard Sesshomaru growl out a yell, "Rin, no!"

At Sesshomaru's thundering objection, Rin glanced at him.

She could see his fear over her outspoken sacrifice.

It hurt her heart to see it. So, she looked back to Naraku who was still regarding her coolly. She swallowed down the knot in her throat. "I... If you let Sesshomaru go,...my life is yours. Whatever you want me to be, I will be. Whatever you want me to do...I will do...Just...please... let him go....."

Naraku smiled the most frightening smile she had ever seen. "Interesting......."

The hanyou shook his head in malicious wonderment. "You would be my mate?....For the life of this....dog?"

Sesshomaru growled deeply, "Rin! No! Rin!"Rin trembled with the knowledge of what she was proposing as she watched the half demon's monstrous form. The single thought of having to touch...that.. made her insides twist into nauseating lumps. Rin slowly nodded, her voice quivering. "Yes.....if you let Sesshomaru go.....I will consent to be your mate. My body, my life, and my soul will be yours. I will give it all willingly for his freedom."

She waited the few seconds that seemed like hours, tuning out Sesshomaru's loud protests to her drastic proposition.

His cries were tearing at her soul.

Naraku shook his head with a deepening frown. "I will hold to my bargain with your slave, your freedom for his life. His power added to mine is worth more to me than having you....Even if...you are...willing."

Helpless, hot tears dripped from her cheeks in hopeless despair. The hanyou turned his attention back to Sesshomaru.

Rin bowed her head in shame at what she had offered the hanyou; the courage to look Sesshomaru in the eye being too painful to pull to the surface.

Then the fear of never seeing him alive again pushed the shame back.

Something stronger than courage compelled her to slowly look up and meet her love's gaze for the last time.

What she saw gave light to the darkness of her sorrow, Sesshomaru's quiet, calm expression of understanding.....and....hope?

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Inuyasha could feel his blood rushing. It didn't take long to reach their destination. The woman in red skidded to a stop in front of a heavy black wall of miasma.

Kagome raised a hand, parting the dark poisonous mist easily.

In the back of his mind, Inuyasha marveled at the young miko's power.

The young woman waved her hand, signaling them to follow.

A booming growl struck Inuyasha's ears, a powerfully familiar voice.

A minute later, they came upon a most horrific scene.

The tall, silver haired inu youkai, or what little Inuyasha could see of him, was standing with his back to them. A mass of black, pulsating flesh nearly covered the dog demon.

Naraku's true demon form twisted and coiled on the far side of the courtyard, his body, a mass of large creeping tentacles and thorny spiderlike pincers. Undoubtedly, Naraku was in the middle of a meal.

The petite female in the emerald dress he had noticed earlier stood by the monster. One giant, spider like leg barred her way.

For a split second, Inuyasha glanced back to the dog demon's flowing silver hair. An eerie familiarity tugged at the back of his mind.

He shook out of the mental lapse when the young woman in red beside him gasped.

The female in green screamed out to her sister. "Kagome! Naraku's trying to absorb Sess! Please help him!"

Naraku laughed: a sickeningly arrogant sound that seemed to make the ground itself shake. "Ah, uninvited guests. How quaint. You two youkai are welcome to become part of me," The monster's glare fell on Kagome. "but you were not invited and are not welcome!"

Inuyasha had no time to think. Acting purely on instinct, he shielded the young miko from the oncoming onslaught of spiked tentacles that began shooting towards her.

With Tetsusaiga, he hacked away at the tenacious attack. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the wolf prince charge. Inuyasha did not get the chance to warn the wolf demon of the barrier before Kouga's kick landed on the pinkish red obstruction, earning the prince a shock that sent him flying backwards and crashing to the ground. He inwardly cursed the wolf's brash actions while continuing to defend himself and Kagome from Naraku's assault.

Suddenly, a stray tentacle knocked him and Kagome to the far left of the courtyard, landing near a leafy archway.

Inuyasha jumped up quickly, helping the miko to her feet in the process.

Anger flared. Inuyasha's tunnel vision centered only on the monstrosity that was Naraku. "Naraku!"

The spider hanyou only smirked.

Behind him, he heard an arrow being notched. A powerful light of purity flashed by, extremely close to his ear. The arrow missed it's intended target by a foot.

An aggravated yelp prompted him to glance back and then he knew why the arrow had missed it's mark.

Kagome was being grabbed from all sides by slick tentacles, but the miko held her own. Purifying power surging from her hands and body, melting the voracious demon flesh.

He turned again. This time, his vision included the entire scene. This time, he got a complete frontal view of the inu youkai ensnared by the spider hanyou.

Inuyasha blinked in stunned astonishment.

His body froze in confused shock.

Time moved in vivid, slow motion.

There.

Not more than thirty feet from him.

Standing tall.

Unchanged.

The same detached, stoic expression.

But....it couldn't be......

The golden gaze that mirrored his own slowly fell on him.

The inu youkai raised an elegant brow in his direction before switching his reserved gaze back to the distressed female in green.

Inuyasha stuttered as the black, rippling flesh claimed the dog demon's shoulders and head, engulfing the youkai completely.

"Sess.....Sesshomaru?"

"Brother?"

A female's shriek of terror penetrated the shadows. "Sesshomaru!!!!!"

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