InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Consciousness ❯ Searching ( Chapter 15 )

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

The Search



Sesshomaru scoured every inch of the area where the attack had happened. He was frustrated; there was little there to tell him what had happened, only the vague scent of death and darkness.

Darkness, Sesshomaru thought, darkness. There was something vague and tingling in the scent, something that clung to his nostrils and tickled a memory. Was this what attacked Kagome?

“You smell it too?” Kagura asked.

Sesshomaru whipped around and looked at her. He had not felt her approach. He had been so wrapped up in his search he had not heard her behind him.

“What is it?” his eyes traveled her form.

“If I had my guess, I would say that is IT,” she responded with a sigh.

“Where do I know that scent from?” he asked, more rhetorical than anything.

Kagura just glanced at him as she continued to circle the area. She touched her hand to the soil and brought it to her nose. She walked over to Sesshomaru and brought her hand up.

“I think it was wounded.”

Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose at the foul stench coming from her fingertips. Separated out, he could identify more, the stench of death, of decay, of darkness and of something singular, the identifying stench. It was the acrid stench of immortal evil. They were on the right track. That was the scent of a dead god.

“She is wicked,” he said.

“I think it is time to find out what they remember,” he said as he turned and strode toward the palace.

*****

Sesshomaru strode into the castle, grim determination set in his face. He stalked up the stairs two at a time.
Flinging the door wide, he found Kagome and Inuyasha still asleep on his bed. He reached out, he pulled his brother roughly up by the scruff.

He was enraged that his brother had led them to this point; he was enraged that his brother had failed to protect the Miko. Sesshomaru was unaware of the gathering at the door.

Inuyasha’s eyes opened to peer into the seeping red eyes of his brother. Sesshomaru let him drop.

“One singular request, half-breed,” Sesshomaru sneered.

Inuyasha growled at his brother for the rough awakening. He looked over at Kagome’s sleeping form. Sesshomaru’s eyes followed his path. With lightening speed, Sesshomaru moved to her, pulling her sleeping form up, and letting her head fall back. Inuyasha moved toward them, Sesshomaru bared his fangs at his brother.

“Don’t come any closer” he snarled softly, fangs bared above Kagome’s neck.

“Sesshomaru, let her go,” Inuyasha replied softly.

“Let her go?” he snarled. “Let her go?” A short bark of harsh laughter followed.

“She has nothing to do with this,” Inuyasha said as he felt momentary panic creep up his spine, looking at his brother and holding Kagome in his arms. Sesshomaru looked every inch the sadistic demon with his fangs bared against her throat.

“Should I claim her as you have failed to do? Should I ensure her safety as you have failed to do?” he snarled.

A small gasp came from the doorway as Miroku restrained Sango. Sango found herself reacting, the need to protect her sister strong. The need to protect Inuyasha was almost stronger.

“Or, should I rip her throat out? Should I allow the life to drain from her, to stop this madness? It all ends one way or another if her heart ceases to beat.” Sesshomaru looked over at his brother. He could see the fear in Inuyasha’s eyes.

“Sesshomaru, stop, please, stop this!” Sango’s voice echoed through the room. Both demons turned to look at her. “Please, it is not her fault” Sango begged.

Sesshomaru shifted his gaze from his brother to the Taijiya, then back to Kagome. Kagome had opened her eyes and was looking at him. He looked into her eyes. A small part of him flinched. She felt no fear of him, and she felt no hatred. He could feel her energy. He only saw promise in her eyes.

“And you?” he growled at her.

“Well, I would prefer my throat intact,” she said very softly. He knew he was the only one to hear her words.

“Will you be the salvation of my kind, or will you be the death of all demons?” he growled.

Kagome looked at him and could easily see what no other could. She could see regret, sorrow, and perhaps, even a hint of fear in his eyes. She gently let a small amount of her energy flow. She allowed the lightest trickle of her power to seep into his fingers.

Sesshomaru’s eyes widened as he felt the tingle of her purification on his fingertips. The edge of red receded from his eyes. He let her slide limply to the bed. Kagome looked around the room. She looked at Inuyasha as he started toward her.

“Kagome,” he said, horror written on his face. As the others turned to go, Kagome stopped them all.

“Wait” she said softly. Everyone turned to look at her. “Please, take Inuyasha, help him get cleaned up, and get him some breakfast,” she sighed softly, turning her eyes to the Tai-Youkai, “Sesshomaru, please stay.”

“NO way in hell!” Inuyasha snarled. He headed toward the bed, growling loudly.

“Inuyasha! Please! I will be alright; he won’t hurt me,” she said softly, pleadingly.

Inuyasha snarled, “Touch her and I will kill you.” He stalked past his brother.

Sango, Miroku, and Kagura led him from the room.

Sesshomaru stood regarding her through hooded eyes. He was once again locked away in his icy façade.

“Sesshomaru” she said softly. “Please, come closer and talk to me.”

“Miko,” he said as he approached the edge of the bed.

“Why do you all regard me as unable to make my own decision?” she asked.

“You are human; you do not understand the implications of what is to come,” he said simply.

“Ha!” she barked out “I don’t understand? What makes you so all-knowing about me?” she growled in her own right. “What makes you so sure I don’t grasp what is to come? What has to come?” she glared at him.

“You are not facing the extinction of your race, Miko,” he sneered.

“You! You can stop right there! Don’t for an instant think the extinction of your race has no bearing on me!” anger seeped into her voice. “At the moment, I don’t care whether you live or die! I do, however, care about your race!” she sneered back at him.

Sesshomaru blanched; she did not! His mind growled. She did not just say that! His mind rebelled. He had never faced such an openly defiant human, let alone one sitting in his own chambers, alive at his own hand.

“Ever ungrateful, Miko?” he sneered. “Mayhap, I should end your life,” he spun on her.

“No, no, Sesshomaru, I don’t believe you will. I believe you will stop with your pretentious, self-righteous airs, sit down, and talk to me! I believe you will treat me as something akin to an equal and not dirt under your feet!” she yelled at him.

He froze as he felt the spike of her purification. She was shaking with anger and something else he had yet to identify. Sesshomaru heard the light tinkle of laughter on the wind. He knew the others had heard her; she had bellowed loud enough for the dead to hear her.

He began to realize that she had more arrogance than even his dimwit brother. She was determined to say what she wanted, and with a sigh, he sat down. He realized that walking away would only prolong the inevitable.

“Well, Miko, please, stun me with your brilliance,” he sneered softly.

“No brilliance, Sesshomaru, just the plain simple truth,” she said, “which is more than I can give you or your brother credit for knowing.” She muttered this last part under her breath.

“It is simple; present me with what you know and allow me to make up my own mind,” she said simply.

“I have placed my life before that of the demon clans before; what makes you think I wouldn’t now?”

“There is more at stake now,” he said.

“Inuyasha said I could read the prophecy, may I?” she asked.

“Humph, my brother is an idiot,” he replied.

“Why? Because it tells that I have to make a choice? Do you really think me incapable of making a decision?”

“Are you willing to let go of your life? Are you willing to stay here and stay by his side?”

Kagome looked at Sesshomaru. She realized his fear; she now knew what was at the heart of his fear. He was afraid she was no better than he. He was afraid that she could not stay with a half-breed. Kagome began to laugh, quietly at first, but then her laughter welled up inside and spilled out until she was actually laughing aloud in the face of the demon lord. Sesshomaru sat there silently, staring at her. He had heard that humans could easily loose their minds and began to wonder, if mayhap, she was actually insane.

“You are so blinded by your petty jealousy and hatred that you dare to assume - you dare to assume that in some way I would be blinded by prejudice as you are?” she asked harshly.

“Humans do not willingly sacrifice for demons, especially for half demons,” he sneered.

“That is where you are wrong. I willingly sacrifice for those I love, demon, human, or a cross of the two. You fail to realize I am not blind to love in any form,” came her reply. “What is it that you want from me, Sesshomaru?”

“I want to know where you stand; I want to know that our salvation is protected,” he replied softly. “If the prophecy is correct, you are what will be needed to defeat this evil rising against us.”

“Yes, that is what you all keep telling me,” she responded.

“You will have to give up your family; you will have to give up your time,” he said.

“Yeah, so I heard.”

“What of your family?” he asked.

“My family? What you don’t understand is that my family understands; my mother knows,” she looked at him darkly.

“I apparently am the only one who doesn’t know. I am the one who has the decision to make, the one who has to give up all she knows, and you sit there high and mighty trying to make decisions for me?” she sneered.

“Well, Miko?” he asked. “Will you?”

“Will you let me read the scroll?” she asked.

Sesshomaru sat there in silence. He would refuse to admit that he was wrong. Humans were the weaker species; humans could never understand their culture, their lives. Then, a thought crossed his mind-Rin.

Looking over at the fuming Miko, he reached out a hand. “Come,” he led her out of the room. Sesshomaru led her to the study. He opened the door and pointed to the scroll on the desk. “There.”

“Could you please have someone send for Sango?” she asked quietly.

Sesshomaru nodded and spun on his heel. Jaken was just outside the door. “Fetch the Taijiya for her,” he said. He headed toward the dining hall.

*****

Kagome sat down and began to read the scroll; she did not raise her head as Sango entered the room. Sango walked over and stood behind her sister, reading the scroll over her shoulder. Both girls read in silence, studying the prophecy, and allowing it to time to absorb, reading and re-reading, Sango finally reached down and led Kagome to the long low bench by the window.

Settling down, they both studied the scroll further. Sango’s eyes filled with tears as the full weight of the decision Kagome faced bore down on her. Her sister had to choose between them and her life at home, her family. Kagome looked up as she saw a tear fall from Sango. “You’re my family now,” she said softly.

*****

Inuyasha smirked at his brother as he walked into the dining hall.

“She’s something else when she puts her mind to it,” he said casually.

“She should consider herself fortunate that I did not separate her head from her being,” Sesshomaru snarled petulantly as he sat down.

“Where is she?” he asked.

“In the study with Sango.”

“Reading?”

“Well, you are ever perceptive, aren’t you?” he sneered.

“I had no intention of bringing her home unclaimed, Sesshomaru” Inuyasha said softly. “I would never put her at risk intentionally.”

“You will tell me what happened,” Sesshomaru replied coldly.

“We were attacked,” Inuyasha simply said.

“Really? I had not noticed.” Sesshomaru sneered.

“What attacked you?” he asked.

“I don’t know; it came out of the darkness. We had just settled back at camp, were making dinner, and something rose out of the darkness and grabbed her from behind,” Inuyasha’s face darkened. “My claws had no affect on it; every time I tried to slice through it, it was like ripping through water, no real substance.”

“And, your sword?”

“The moment I went to draw it, the thing recoiled and pulled back with Kagome in its arms,” Inuyasha replied.

“It asked her if she was the whore of a half-demon,” Inuyasha said quietly.

“Tell me little brother, what did she say?” Sesshomaru sneered.

“She said no; she told it that she was the whore of no one. This seemed to anger it,” Inuyasha said quietly.

“How was it injured?” Sesshomaru asked.

“When it taunted her with the fact that she bore the marks of a demon’s whore, she let out a blast of power; a blast of purification ripped a whole in it.”

“Did you never draw your sword?” he sneered.

“I never had time; when she let loose the purification, it ripped her throat and disappeared,” Inuyasha choked.

“It materialized out of nowhere?” Sesshomaru asked.

“As near as I could tell, it came from the darkness. It just came right out of the darkness. The only warning was this stench. This horrible stench that rose on the wind right before it materialized.”

“I have noted this scent you are talking about. I scoured the area this morning for clues.” A thoughtful look crossed Sesshomaru’s face. “I have noted this scent before. It is vaguely familiar to me.”

“Where?” Inuyasha asked. He, too, had noticed something familiar in the air when it attacked.

“I don’t know, but Kagura seemed to think she had been exposed to it before, as well.”

“Hmm, do you think this was the power behind Naraku?”

“I don’t know. I do know that Naraku was merely a puppet designed to take out you and the Miko,” Sesshomaru sighed.

“Well, that didn’t work, and this won’t either.”

“It’s a god,” Sesshomaru said quietly.

“What?” Inuyasha looked at him incredulously. “When were you going to share that one?”

“It’s dead,” he replied.

“Great! A dead god?” Inuyasha looked at him. “What, a dead god with a grudge?”

“I don’t know,” he sighed again.

“We need time to see what information we can find,” Sesshomaru looked up as Kagura came into the room.

“Kanna is ready to start research as soon as the girls are done in the study.”

“How are they?” Inuyasha asked quietly.

“They seem to be doing well. When I looked in, she seemed to be taking it in stride,” Kagura responded.

Sesshomaru looked at he; she was waiting to say something. “Yes Kagura?”

“I would like to talk to Inuyasha,” she said quietly.

Sesshomaru looked at her. “Well?”

“Inuyasha, if you expect her to stay here, you must offer her something,” Kagura said.

“Offer her what?” Inuyasha asked.

“She is human; humans have rituals before they mate,” she said.

“Oh, marriage!” Inuyasha said as it occurred to him what she was talking about.

“Marriage?” Sesshomaru asked. “Is that necessary? She does seem to understand our culture.”

“She may understand, but that does not mean she won’t want a wedding,” Kagura growled.

“So what do you propose I do?” Inuyasha asked her.

“The monk may be better suited to answer those questions,” Sesshomaru interjected.

Inuyasha stood up and started for the door. “I’m going to look for Miroku.”

“I’ll be in the study with Kagome and Sango,” Kagura headed toward the study.

Sesshomaru sat at the table staring into his tea. He failed to understand the desire to play to the needs of the human. No matter, as long as the Miko agreed to stay and do her part in ensuring the survival of his kind. He could only hope that his brother would be smart enough not to mess this up.





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