InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Consciousness ❯ Reckoning ( Chapter 14 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Reckoning


“Kagome, let’s go back to camp,” Inuyasha said quietly, hoping not to startle her since she had been sitting silent, staring at the night sky.

Kagome had felt the brush of him nearby. She waited for him to approach her.

“Inuyasha?” she asked.

“Yeah?” he settled down next to her.

“What is going on? What is wrong? Nothing makes sense to me anymore” she sighed.

“I don’t know, Kagome. I don’t know.”

“Tell me about the prophecy. Let me decide. Please?” she pleaded.

Inuyasha let out a low growl and stood up; he began pacing behind her. He knew she had the right to know, that she had a right to decide. He was truly afraid that if she knew she wouldn’t want to stay. Bokuseno was right; he had no right to make that choice for her.

Inuyasha stalked away from her. He was so frustrated. He had thought once Naraku was gone, once the final battle was over that it would all be so easy. Barking out something that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, he stalked back toward her.

“Inuyasha?” she looked up at him. “Please, please, share whatever it is with me. We have always made these decisions together.”

“Kagome” he whined, his ears flattened against his head. “What if you couldn’t go back?”

“What do you mean? Back? Back to my time?”

“Yeah” he growled.

She stared at the sky, trying to figure out how to tell him, how to make him understand.

“See, that’s it. You couldn’t decide that, could you?” he asked.

“It isn’t that simple.”

“You should just go back to your time and stay there!” he snarled. Jumping up again, he stalked off.

Kagome jumped up and ran after him this time.

“Inuyasha! Stop right there!” she yelled.

Ears pulled back tight, he turned and looked at her. Fear was shining in his eyes. He knew; he’d always known that she wouldn’t choose him over her family.

“Is that what you want?” she demanded. “Do you want me to go back to my time and never come back?” she growled at him.

He whined; he felt trapped. He didn’t want to force her into something she didn’t want; yet, he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.

“Answer me for once, damn you!” she growled again. Her frustration was evident. She was tired of always dancing around the answers with him, tired of never really knowing where she stood.

“No!” he bellowed. “No, I don’t, damn it!”

He turned and stalked away, afraid that there would be rejection in her eyes as well as being afraid that there wouldn’t be. He was so confused. He knew he wanted her to stay. He knew that he wanted her to be his. This was what tonight was supposed to be about.

Spinning around, he looked back at her. He didn’t know what he expected. What he found wasn’t it. She has sat down right where she was. She was just sitting there, staring at him. She looked like she was waiting for something, something else. As he came closer, he could see tears on her lashes.

“Kagome?” he said softly. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.” He looked slightly panicked; this wasn’t what he had planned, not what he had envisioned when they set out this morning.

“That’s not it” she said as a tear slipped and made its way down her cheek.

He sat down and pulled her toward him. “What?” he asked “What is it?”

“I just realized; it all hit me” another tear spilled over.

He waited silently for her to continue. He knew that there was something that she needed to say. For once, he just waited quietly.

“This is it,” she said softly as another tear spilled. “I really have to decide, don’t I?” Another tear spilled over. “This is what you have been trying to protect me from.”

“Yeah, yeah it is,” he answered gruffly.

“Will you tell me the prophecy?” she asked softly as another tear spilled over.

“I think you should read it for yourself,” he said softly.

“I promised; I promised mama” she said.

He waited.

“I promised her that I would follow my heart. She knew. This is what she wouldn’t tell me. She knew.”

“I think she did, yeah.”

Kagome sat there in silence, staring at the sky, a path of tears streaking across her face.

“Let me take you back to camp,” he said.

She just nodded. He picked her up and headed back toward their camp.

*****

Sesshomaru set out to patrol his lands. He didn’t like the fact that Inuyasha was out there with the Miko. He was just beginning to fully realize the implications of the her importance. The survival of his race seemed to hinge on the well being of one Miko.

He wanted to make sure that his lands were free of trouble, free of dangers for the Miko. He snorted in disgust. At what point had his clan been brought so low by a human? He remembered his feelings when his father had been brought low by a human. Disgust welled through completely him; he was horrified to realize that at some point, his people would be at the mercy of her.

His stupid half-brother didn’t understand. He would never comprehend the severity of the situation. He was wrapped in his ignorance and wrapped in his belief that he was able and capable of protecting her. He was oblivious to the extent of the danger.

As Sesshomaru prowled his lands, disposing of lesser youkai that thought to trespass on his lands, his mood darkened and turned foul. He had been training his brother for weeks now. He knew Kagura was training the Miko to defend herself.

He could smell an oncoming storm; rain would be here by morning. Maybe that is what he needed, a strong storm to blow the stench out, to cleanse him from his dark thoughts.

As the night darkened and he moved east toward the edges of his land, he heard a dark howl split the night air. He was north of where his brother and the Miko had traveled. Yet, he heard the sound clear, echoing through his lands.

A shiver ran up his spine as he heard the dark, mournful sound again. The depth of that sound, the depth of the pain in that sound, reverberated through his soul.

In a flash, he headed south.

*****

Inuyasha held onto Kagome, tears pouring down his face. He howled again. He was drowning in his despair. He could feel his heart; it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. The pain was overwhelming.

Blood pooled around him, spilling into the ground, mixed with his tears. Kagome was gone.

He couldn’t stand the pain. Blinding light shot through the back of his eyes. The pain of his injuries was inconsequential compared to the pain of loss.

Pulling her body closer to him, he howled again.

With grief numbing his senses and pulling him into darkness, he didn’t feel the presence behind him, didn’t hear the approach or feel the brush of the youkai.

When it reached out to touch him, his eyes flashed red. No one would take her from him. Turning on the balls of his feet, he snarled at the force that had dared to touch him. Pulling her limp form tighter into his arms, he bared his fangs at the youkai.

Reasoning and comprehension were beyond him. He was incapable of determining friend or foe. His breath left him in a rush as the youkai reached toward Kagome. Snarling, he batted the hand away; he leapt backward. The hand reached for her form again. Inuyasha leapt back again, pulling her tighter against him.

“Inuyasha,” the voice demanded in harsh cold tones.

“Inuyasha!” it reached for Kagome again.

“Mine,” he growled and pulled back again.

Sesshomaru moved in the blink of an eye, slamming Inuyasha against the rocks behind him, disregarding the limp form he clutched to him. Sesshomaru could smell the death, knew that he could do no more damage. He struck out at Inuyasha again, dislodging her from the death grip that Inuyasha had on her.

The instant he had her in his arm, he spun and placed a kick in Inuyasha’s mid section.

“Stay down,” he growled at him, pulling Kagome back away from his brother. Stretching his senses, he was trying to determine what had happened. He tried to assess how long she had been dead, assess how it had happened. With his senses trained on the half breed, he began to examine Kagome.

Cursing his lack of planning, he realized he did not have Tenseiga with him.

“Follow, half breed!” He snarled.

Sesshomaru disappeared in a flash.

Inuyasha’s eyes flashed red as he followed in the direction that Sesshomaru had headed. Still not in control, he failed to recognize his brother. He followed after the youkai that had taken Kagome from him. They were moving swiftly away from him.

Inuyasha followed behind; the youkai ahead was moving at a pace that was impossible to match. Grief drove him on, drove him forward. He had to have her back.

Sesshomaru was outpacing Inuyasha; he wasn’t concerned. In the state he was in, Inuyasha would follow the scent, the scent of her death.

As his palace came into sight, Sesshomaru began bellowing, calling for servants, ordering towels, sheets, water be brought. He bellowed for Sango and Miroku.

Sango came running into the foyer as Sesshomaru stormed in the front door.

“What happened!” she cried, seeing the limp form of Kagome in his arms.

“Not now, he is coming; stop him,” Sesshomaru brushed past her and headed toward his rooms.

Sango looked at him, not fully understanding; then, she heard the awful, dreadful howl. Striding toward the door, Miroku caught up with her, just as she whipped the door open.

On the ground, outside, was Inuyasha on his knees, head thrown back, as another howl split the night air.

Sango hurried toward him, no thought for her own safety. Inuyasha was her family.

He bared his teeth at the approaching form. She never faltered in her steps. Arms flung wide, she reached out to him. Pulling him to her, he growled, yet, did not retaliate. Something in her scent was familiar, non- threatening.

“Please, Inuyasha. Please” she pleaded, looking in his eyes. She waited for a flash of recognition, a hint of the red receding.

“Kagome will be alright” she said softly, pulling him up, keeping him close. “Please, stay with me; wait for Sesshomaru to do what he needs to do.”

Sango’s soft voice triggered something in his head. He could feel her pulling him, pulling him along toward sanity.

“Please, stay with me; I’ll take you to her.” Again, Sango’s voice worked to lead him back to reality.

Years of them being together had lead Sango to this. She had learned from watching Kagome; Inuyasha wouldn’t actually injury his pack. He did not see Sango as a threat. She had learned to move slowly, to speak softly, and to lead him back.

“Inuyasha? Do you know who I am?” she asked.

“Pack,” he growled.

“Yes, pack,” she said softly. “Who am I in your pack?”

“Sister,” he growled. “Sister.”

“Yes. You trust your sister” she said.

“Mine,” he growled again.

“Yes, I’ll take you to her,” she said again.

“Mine,” he said as he let her lead him toward the palace. She knew she had to keep him moving so he wouldn’t have time to react.

Continuing to talk softly to him, she led him in the doors. As the scent of Kagome assailed him, he began to growl again.

“Shh, It’s ok; I’ll take you to her.”

“Mine!” he snarled louder.

“Yes, yours. Don’t worry; nobody here will hurt her. They only want to help her”

“MINE!!” he snarled again.

Sango picked up her pace, continuing to reassure him.

She led him up the stairs, praying Sesshomaru had time to do what he needed.

Inuyasha was continuing to drip blood on the floor; blood trickled from the wounds on his head and face. The wounds on his arms let blood drip off his fingers. Sango kept her arm around his waist. She knew that when he returned, his injuries would be too severe, and she didn’t know if he would have the strength to continue.

*****

Sesshomaru stood over her with Tenseiga drawn; the sword pulsed in his hands. He could feel the power; the sword virtually begged him to bring it to bear down on her.

He hesitated one long moment. He knew that if he let her go, it was over; one way or another, it was over. If he brought her back, they had to battle.

He brought the sword down.

Kagome gasped.

Sesshomaru waited.

Her eyes slid open. She looked at him. She didn’t have the strength to speak. She just let her eyes slide shut again.

Sesshomaru took a moment to assess the injuries. The clothing had protected her well. Most of the damage had been to her head and neck.

He didn’t understand how this could have happened.

He could hear Sango’s low voice, whispering to his brother. They were coming.

Sango, slowly opened the door. She saw Kagome lying on Sesshomaru’s bed. She could see the rise and fall of her chest.

“See, she is breathing,” Sango said low, pulling Inuyasha into the room.

Inuyasha blinked at her. He was trying to make sense of what she was saying. Then he smelled it, smelled the light scent of Kagome.

Turning his head slowly, he looked over. Smelling the scent of life, he dropped to his knees. Sango sank with him, totally unprepared for the weight of him collapsing.

Sango turned to look at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru sighed and pulled Inuyasha up. He dumped him unceremoniously onto his bed and called for his servants.

“Clean them up,” he demanded. Turning on his heel, he spun out of the room. He knew there was no point in waiting; he would get no answers until his brother woke.

Sango turned her attention to helping the servants clean her brother and sister.

*****

Sesshomaru headed out, back toward the area where they had been camped.

There were answers to be had, and he would find them.

Swiftly moving East, he was unaware of the form following him in the distance.




Disclaimer:
I don’t own Inuyasha, its characters, or its storyline.
That sole joy belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
I’ll let you know which ones I own as we go!