InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon's Diary ❯ A Sacrifice For Them ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter 16: A Sacrifice for Them

 

Inuyasha had finally located Naraku's scent and the group was in the process of following him as he headed deeper into the dark forest. They had not gone far when the hanyou stopped, picking up a different scent. A young human boy stepped out dressed in fine silk holding a slender katana before him. Behind him was a neko hanyou girl holding a sobbing kitsune in her arms with a small human girl clutching the hem of her kimono, the child's eyes red and round.

 

“Are you Inuyasha, brother of Sesshoumaru?” the boy asked, his voice firm, holding his sword protectively in front of his small group.

 

“Bougumaru,” stated Inuyasha in surprise. Inuyasha and the others of his group immediately recognized the four children from Sesshoumaru's journal.

 

The young teen's eyes opened in surprise. Sesshoumaru had told him that if anything were to happen he was to search out Inuyasha and had described his brother to the boy and his brother's group. Bougumaru was certain Sesshoumaru had not told the dog hanyou of them. “How do you know me?” he asked suspiciously. He knew he had not seen him at the teahouse either, he would have remembered a hanyou.

 

“That's not important. Where is Sesshoumaru?” Inuyasha questioned. This brought large sobs from the fox and human girl causing Inuyasha's heart to leap into his throat. Something was off here and he didn't see the toad demon either.

 

“He has traded himself for our lives,” the cat hanyou said, her voice cracking slightly and her tail whipping back and forth in agitation.

 

“What do you mean?” asked Kagome getting worried as well.

 

“Naraku caught us and Sesshoumaru-sama told him he would stay with him if he let us go unharmed,” Bougumaru stated as he sheathed his katana.

 

Inuyasha was impressed with the boy's control. He could smell his anger, frustration and distress but did not outwardly show any emotion. My brother taught him well, the hanyou thought.

 

“He hurt chichi-ue,” sobbed Chame. Inuyasha stared in surprise at hearing that term used in connection with his brother.

 

“Please go help him Inuyasha-sama,” cried Rin

 

“How did he hurt Sesshoumaru-sama?” asked Miroku finding it hard to believe that Naraku could really hurt the demon lord.

 

“He raped him…in front of us,” answered Bougumaru, his lips closing in a thin line and his brows furrowing in fury.

 

The boy's blunt revelation was met with stunned silence. Kagome had her hand over her mouth as did Sango, both of their eyes opened wide in shock. Miroku felt sick and Inuyasha never felt so furious in his whole life. All of them knew that Sesshoumaru had been saving himself for someone that would love him and to have it taken so brutally from him was horrid for the group to hear.

 

“You four stay here, I'm going to rip Naraku to shreds for this,” Inuyasha snarled out.

 

“We're going with you, at least me and Koneko. We are not going to abandon our father,” Bougumaru stated firmly staring Inuyasha straight in the eyes, surprising the hanyou with his intensity and love for his demon lord brother. Koneko passed Chame to Kagome and telling Rin to stay stepped up beside the human boy allowing her claws to extend. The look of pure hatred on her face caused Inuyasha to shiver slightly, he could see they were loyal to his brother and he would not be able to talk them out of coming.

 

“We…we're coming too,” sniffed Chame as he wiggled out of Kagome's grasp taking Rin by the hand. The small human girl nodded.

 

“Keh, we don't have time to argue, let's go,” Inuyasha growled, saddened that he had never known his brother in the way these children had. The whole group followed the hanyou as he trailed the scent.

 

Bougumaru and Koneko stayed up front with Inuyasha helping him to locate the spider's lair. Inuyasha grew suspicious as Naraku certainly wasn't hiding himself. He knew they were all probably walking into a trap and that the evil hanyou probably knew they were coming.

 

“Did Naraku just let you go?” Miroku asked Rin, he too was nervous, Naraku keeping his word just didn't seem right.

 

“No, he let us leave the room after…well after and then a bad woman grabbed us. Master Jaken fought her off...” the small girl started to sob as Miroku held her and the two fox demon boys on Kirara between himself and Sango.

 

Chame spoke up softly. “She killed him but he gave us time to get away.” Large tears began to fill his eyes as well and Shippo patted his shoulder comfortingly not knowing what to say.

 

Miroku shared a look with Sango as she sat at the front on Kirara, the look said they were going to kill Naraku without hesitation or mercy.

 

They arrived at the front of the castle with no problems which made them all jumpy and suspicious.

“We need to be cautious, this is most definitely a trap,” stated Miroku. He helped the children off the cat demon and they all stood staring at the seemingly empty building before them.

 

Inuyasha spoke up, “Miroku, you and Sango find Sesshoumaru. Kagome and I will tackle Naraku.”

 

“Koneko and I will go with you,” stated the young teen boy firmly before Inuyasha could tell him to stay behind, his tone broking no argument. “Rin and Chame, go with the others, you know where Sesshoumaru-sama is, help them find him.”

 

“Ai,” both younger children said in unison and then took off at top speed causing Sango and Miroku to hurry to follow.

 

“Come on then,” said Inuyasha. The group entered the castle and still there was no opposition. Sango and Miroku followed the two smaller kids to the left.

 

“Be careful,” warned Kagome. The four had just disappeared when Kagura and Kanna walked into the main room where the rest were.

 

“Where's that bastard, Naraku?” Inuyasha ground out.

 

“Waiting for you,” Kagura stated with false sweetness. She then threw out her wind which knocked over Kagome and Bougumaru. Koneko leapt to one side while Inuyasha leapt to the other both managing to avoid the worst of the wind attack.

 

Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and called out the wind scar.

 

Koneko had another idea and charged Kanna, making sure she didn't look into her mirror. The small white haired child tried to avoid the cat but Koneko was quicker and slashed out with her six inch claws, slicing the small mirror in two. Kanna's usual unemotional face showed surprise and then pain as the mirror broke into pieces. Before the glass had a chance to hit the floor, Kanna's throat was tore open by the hanyou and she fell to the floor in a heap, her white kimono coated in red.

 

Inuyasha became concerned when he looked at Koneko as she leapt out of the way of Kagura's blades of blood coming to crouch beside him, her eyes trained on the wind witch. Her red eyes.Damn, she's going demon, but she seems in control. How is she…? He never got to finish his thought as Kagura sent her attack straight at him seeing he was distracted. Koneko pushed Inuyasha hard out of the way and he was surprised at the strength contained in the small bodied cat/child. He flipped in the air and landed on his feet and again brandished Tetsusaiga blocking the next attack.

 

Kagura was being pushed back from the force of the combined attacks of Inuyasha and Koneko. She decided that now was the time to retreat back towards her master as she had been instructed to do.

 

“Wait,” yelled Inuyasha to Koneko as she went to follow the sorceress. “She wants us to follow her, don't rush in before we know what's going on.” When did I start to be the sensible one? Inuyasha thought surprised at himself.

 

The cat turned her red eyes to Inuyasha and snarled out, “I don't care; they all die now!” She took off after Kagura.

 

“Come on, Inuyasha,” commanded Kagome. “We have to catch up and help her, she'll be hurt.”

 

How is she able to control her demon side? Inuyasha thought as he went after the two girls and Bougumaru.

 

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Chame and Rin led Sango, Miroku and Shippo down a set of stairs to the lower part of the castle. Here there were no windows and the atmosphere was dark and close. Sango took point just beside Chame and Rin leaving Shippo and Miroku to watch their backs. All five were quiet as the two small children led them to a closed door.

 

“This was where he was last time we saw him,” whispered Chame.

 

“Stay back,” ordered Miroku. “I'll go first to make sure it's okay.” He was more than nervous that nothing had stopped them and was certain that at any moment they would be attacked. Sango pushed the children back against the wall, her eyes scanning the corridor and her hand on Hiraikotsu. Kirara on her shoulder sniffed the air.

 

Miroku cautiously opened the door and was met with the sight of an unconscious, naked demon lord. Sesshoumaru was lying on the floor coated in blood and chained by a metal collar around his neck to the brick wall. Dear Kami, he prayed. “Stay out here,” he told the others as he held the door so the rest couldn't see inside. “He's inside; I'll see what I can do.”

 

He stepped into the room and closed the door, quickly looking around to see if there was another way in that someone could use to sneak up on him. Seeing none he stepped towards the prone demon. “Sesshoumaru, can you hear me?” he asked. Getting no reply he knelt down and put his fingers on the demon lord's throat. He was relieved when he felt a strong pulse.

 

Miroku took off his top robe and laid it over Sesshoumaru. So much blood, no one deserves this, he thought as he looked over the wounds on the dog demon's body. Most of the blood was congregated between the demon lord's thighs and Miroku tried not to think of what had happened to cause that. He could see that some of the smaller wounds were already starting to mend but there were a few larger ones that he knew from being with Inuyasha that would take a couple of days to heal. He reached out and shook Sesshoumaru. “Hey, wake up,” he called out.

 

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes groggily at first, unsure where he was, and then snapped fully awake as everything came flooding back to him. Miroku jumped out of the way of his slashing, poisonous claws just in time.

 

“We're here to help, the kids brought us here,” he told the agitated demon who had lunged to the end of the chain and was snarling at him.

 

The mention of the children brought Sesshoumaru to his senses. “Where are they?” he asked as he clutched the robe around him.

 

“Chame and Rin are just outside the door with Sango. Bougumaru and Koneko are with Inuyasha and Kagome upstairs.”

 

“You brought them back inside here with Naraku?” Sesshoumaru asked angrily. He was trying to tie the robe around himself. Miroku saw his hand shaking but was too nervous of getting his heart ripped out to offer assistance.

 

Finally finished with tying the robe on, he wrapped the chain around his arm and gave it a jerk. Miroku was surprised and impressed when the chain snapped off the wall. He must be hurting but still he has such strength.

 

Sesshoumaru didn't look back but headed towards the door as if nothing was wrong. He did feel the pain, physically and emotionally, but right now he had other things to worry about so he shoved the agony and anguish back and went to protect his children and kill the one that had caused him such disgrace.