InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Slayer Sango ❯ Chapter 26 ( Chapter 26 )

Some action, some reflection in this chapter.

 

Chapter 26

 

The mountain shook all around them. Something about the celestial sphere raised high over the witch's head had a significant and disrupting effect on the mountain. To Miroku it seemed the entire edifice could come down at any moment. He tried unsuccessfully to reach Inuyasha to beg him to get out of there.

 

"You will suffer as your mother suffered!" howled Koto at Sesshomaru. Her rheumy eyes were fixed on the bent form in front of her who, now captured in the beam of the celestial sphere's energy, had become greatly impaired. He could barely move or even breathe, and had dropped to his knees as the ground beneath his feet became unstable.

 

'My energy is leaving me,' thought Sesshomaru. 'What is this detestable weapon the witch is using?' He struggled to take a breath of air but could not. He had not noticed Inuyasha and Miroku's arrival while concentrating on obtaining Tokijin at his side. It was an onerous struggle-- his hands felt like lead weights as he tried to move them and his mind began to fog with the lack of air.

 

"Sesshomaru!" yelled Inuyasha.

 

The demon lord managed to turn his head slightly in the direction of the voice calling his name and could just barely make out a hint of red clothing and golden eyes in the blazing light. 'What is Inuyasha doing here,' he wondered while on the verge of blacking out.

 

"Kaze no Kizu!" yelled the hanyou. Tetsusaiga transformed and was raised over his head to face the witch. "Stop whatever you are doing-- Let him go hag!"

 

Koto finally realized she was no longer alone with her victim and glanced over to see a slightly shorter, rougher looking version of Sesshomaru wielding a huge sword. Her eyes grew large.

 

"Son of Inutaisho, half-dog prince! Your pup, I must have him-- He is the one pure of heart-- give him to meeee!" she cried. Her sphere wavered for only a second, but it was just enough time for Sesshomaru to grasp his sword. With effort he advanced on Koto expecting Tokijin to destroy her instantly. But instead of dashing the witch to bits, the sword in his hand seemed to freeze as if it were withdrawing, as if it did not wish to be used.

 

'This is not Tokijin. I have grasped the wrong sword,' he realized. In the confusion Sesshomaru had unsheathed Tensaiga, the sword that could not kill, instead of bloodthirsty Tokijin. He cursed his father in his mind for leaving him such a useless weapon.

 

"Tensaiga! It must be mine!" Koto instantly knew the sword as Sesshomaru came forward. She went to raise the celestial sphere to finish the demon lord off and take her prize, but at that moment Inuyasha lowered his own sword to begin a strike.

 

Something remarkable then happened. The mystical energy of both Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga suddenly joined together in an incredible burst of light and heat that created a gigantic bolt like lightning. It sizzled and crackled in the closed in space of the cave. Dust whirled around everyone. Miroku had to cover his face with his robe to avoid being singed.

 

In raising their swords together at the same time Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had loosed an incredible phenomenon, albeit unintentionally. Together Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga had combined to create a wave of power strong enough to completely obliterate the witch in front of them, along with her celestial sphere. It burned the witch's flesh and caused the beam from the sphere to flicker.

 

"NOOOOO! Curse you dog demons! May your souls rot in hell! I don't deserve this...gods know I don't! Inutaisho! I hate youuuuu!" Koto screamed as her body disintegrated in a cloud of dust and a strong, acrid smell. An eerie glow of red and yellow and green light pulsed from the combined bolt that finally engulfed Koto completely. It dimmed the force of the celestial sphere's beam until it too went totally defunct.

 

"We've got to get out of here! Look out!" Yelled Inuyasha. Above Sesshomaru an outcropping of rock began to tumble with a great roar. It threatened to bury them all but the demon lord was able to wave away the debris over their heads with Tokijin, sending it all in another direction.

 

"Miroku! Where are you?!" Inuyasha could not see his friend in the great cloud of dust that had been whipped up in the cave. He managed to pick up his scent, but by the time he reached the spot where he thought he was there was no sign of the monk. Inuyasha quickly turned to look elsewhere and eventually picked up the trail again.

 

During the time the brothers dealt with Koto, Miroku managed to hide himself in a wall crevice to avoid total disaster. The mountain seemed ready to tumble over from the force of the energy generated by first the celestial sphere and then the action of the two swords. 'How the hell am I going to get out of this?' he wondered. 'What about Inuyasha?' The sound of crashing rocks deafened him. Suddenly a clawed hand reached inside his small hiding space and grasped his robe tightly. "Dammit Inuyasha I was looking for you!" he cried and allowed himself to be pulled out.

 

In an instant Miroku found himself on the outside in the fresh air again. He looked back over his shoulder at the trembling mountain. How had he got out so quickly? "Inuyasha, I--" It was not the hanyou who stood before him.

 

"You had no business there. That fool should have removed you from the area when he found you in the forest," said Sesshomaru. Miroku was dumbstruck. Sesshomaru had pulled him to safety? He couldn't believe it. Why would the demon lord help him? 'Obviously he did since we're the only ones here.' Where was Inuyasha?

 

The hanyou came bounding up almost immediately. He scowled at Sesshomaru. "You bastard. Could you have fought that damn hag someplace safer? We almost got killed in there...Oh there you are, Miroku. Good. Sango won't have to beat me down for leaving you back there..."

 

"Tetsusaiga..." Sesshomaru spoke quietly, looking at Inuyasha's weapon. It glimmered still and was bathed in an odd glow.

 

"Look at Tensaiga," said Inuyasha, pointing to the weapon at Sesshomaru's side. It too seemed to glow with an inner light. "What happened in there?"

 

Sesshomaru looked away. "There is no time to go into that now. I must return to my warriors. The war still goes on. The traitors have not yet been fully dealt with." He began to walk away, but stopped mid-stride. He spoke over his shoulder.

 

"Inuyasha."

 

"What?"

 

"Why did you intervene," he asked calmly. Why had Inuyasha, who never failed to inform anyone within hearing distance that he couldn't stand his youkai brother, intervened to save him from destruction at the hands of an enemy?

 

"I don't know." Inuyasha scratched his head. He decided not to lie, at least. "For Sango maybe," he mumbled almost under his breath. Sesshomaru turned to look at him. He gazed intently for several moments. Neither Miroku nor the hanyou could read anything in his neutral expression and both frowned when he said nothing and then disappeared into the forest, leaving them where they stood.

 

"That is a mysterious one there," observed Miroku. He wondered silently why Sesshomaru had saved him from being crushed in the mountain by pulling him to safety. Hadn't the youkai lord once said that he wished him dead? The houshi shook his head, confused. "I think part of what makes him so scary is that you never know what he is thinking."

 

"Nah. He's just an asshole. Sango owes me in a major way. I saved both her boyfriends' asses in one day! She'll be doing patrols for me for weeks! I can just sit back and relax and watch her work..." Joking, he rubbed his hands together and grinned devilishly.

 

Miroku smirked at his friend's sense of humor. "I'm not her boyfriend, Inuyasha." He was curious about something. "That was amazing what Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga did. Did you know they were able to join like that?"

 

"No, and I don't think that bastard did either. Its just like the old man to build in some surprises. Lucky for us, I suppose."

 

"Are you going to tell Kagome and Sango what you did for him?"

 

He shrugged. "I didn't really do anything." He thought about it for a minute. "Well maybe I did a little." In truth Inuyasha wasn't sure why he acted to save Sesshomaru's life. In his mind Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga had really done the work. "But, I'm not saying anything. And neither are you. Now lets go. That fucking mountain is about to come down, and I don't want to be anywhere nearby when it does." Miroku nodded and the two began the long journey back to the inuyoukai palace.

 

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"Where are you going, mistress?"

 

"Out."

 

"Out? You are not well enough."

 

"Blast that. I am going insane laying in bed all day!" Sango frowned at Kirou, the healer in charge of her recovery. Lately she had come to think of him as more of a jailer than a healer-- the fussy youkai rarely let her out of his sight.

 

"Mistress. Sesshomaru-sama gave me specific instructions that you are to be watched. Because of my duties in the infirmary that means you must stay here."

 

"Well, Sesshomaru-sama isn't around and I need fresh air!" With that the taijiya got out of bed and headed for the door.

 

"Mistress!" Kirou was at his wits end. This human woman had proved a handful. It had been remarkable to him that she could recover so quickly from the effects of the poison dagger-- whoever fashioned the weapon that stabbed her had meant to put down a full-fledged youkai. 'Perhaps it is the youki of the child inside her, protecting its mother in some way...' he mused. Kirou chased after Sango as she made her way out of the palace and into the rear courtyard. "Mistress I must object! You must rest!"

 

"It is alright, Kirou. I will walk with her," spoke a sweet, intelligent sounding voice. Sango looked up to see dark almond-shaped eyes approaching. The demoness wearing them had delicate claws and rich dark brown hair meticulously coiffed. A beautiful kimono adorned her petite, slender figure. "My guard is with me. She will come to no harm," said the demoness.

 

"Kaiya-sama." Kirou bowed low.

 

'Kaiya? This is her! The fiance!' Sango's eyes grew wide as she took in the lovely vision of Sesshomaru's future mate. The taijiya was surprised at herself-- her immediate feelings were not resentful or jealous. Instead she was curious about who this young demoness was and why Sesshomaru had chosen her. The taijiya scrutinized her closely. "I-I am Sango," she said finally.

 

"Yes, I assumed so seeing you come out of the infirmary. My name is Kaiya. Hisako informed me that you'd been brought to the palace. That will be all, Kirou." She dismissed the healer, and he backed away to return to his duties.

 

"Hisako? I haven't seen her since I returned. Is she well?" asked Sango. Hisako had been the first welcoming presence she had encountered at the palace and Sango still held fondness for the elder demoness.

 

"She is. There are many functions going on at court right now. She is occupied night and day, I'm afraid. I am sure she will come to see you shortly." Kaiya smiled sweetly. Sango was wary, but so far the elegant demoness did not give off any hint of animosity or resentment toward her. "Here, we will walk in the garden. It is a lovely day, isn't it?"

 

Sango nodded. 'So this is the woman he will marry.' She felt a bit dizzy and paused against a wall.

 

"Are you alright, Sango-san?"

 

"Y-yes. I will be fine. I just need to rest a moment." She hadn't expected to encounter the one person who embodied what stood between herself and her youkai prince.

 

"Then we will rest." Kaiya led them to a marble bench near the hedgerows. Her guard took a post several meters away.

 

"I know it must be odd for you, us meeting this way," said Kaiya.

 

"It is just a little."

 

"It is the same for me...You must be quite an amazing woman for Sesshomaru-sama to favor you as he does." Kaiya looked away, her face neutral. She recalled the whisperings at court about the master's show of affection to the human female, something no one had ever witnessed in him before.

 

"I don't know about that..."

 

"I can see that you are quite attractive." Sango could not detect any patronizing tone in the statement. "And you will bear his child. I do not know Sesshomaru-sama's mind, but I do believe he would give a woman a pup only if he cared a great deal for her," she said.

 

Sango wondered at Kaiya's feelings for Sesshomaru. "But he will mate with you. You will have children by him as well. His heirs." She tried not to let the words catch in her throat as she spoke.

 

Kaiya sighed. She said nothing for several moments and looked away, leading the taijiya to wonder at her reticence.

 

"I want to speak to you as one woman to another, Sango. We are both female, are we not? I know that you are human and I am youkai but there are still similarites that exist for us as members of the same sex. So may we speak, woman to woman?"

 

"Yes of course."

 

"If you love him, do not give up hope." Her eyes became moist, and for the first time Sango could sense that the young demoness was less than enthused about her coming fate. "Love is such a miraculous thing in this world...it should be nurtured. Circumstance can be quite cruel sometimes, and love suffers. But we must fight it." A faraway look came into her eyes. "If I had my way marriages would only take place where it fluorished."

 

"I agree," said Sango, not wanting to give away too many of her thoughts.

 

"I envy you, demon slayer. You have freedom. You can make a life for yourself with your skills and talents. I am bound to this castle, and must do as I am told...You can have children or not as you please. If only I were so fortunate..."

 

"Sango-san! Oh Sango-san it really is you!" Suddenly the brightly smiling figure of Rin came bounding up, her arms outstretched.

 

"Sango!!!" Shippo appeared as well. He chased behind the little girl. The two had become friends in short the time the kitsune had been living at the palace. Both nearly tackled the still-weak taijiya and Kaiya found she had to intervene.

 

"Now, now you musn't crowd her that way...she is still tired, children."

 

"Yes, Kaiya-sama," said Rin who then bowed slightly. Sango noted with interest how respectful the little girl behaved in the presence of the young demoness. Obviously Sesshomaru had lectured his ward on how to properly address his future wife.

 

Shippo had already climbed into Sango's lap and now hugged her tightly around the neck. "We're so happy you're back! Inuyasha and Kagome said I couldn't come to the infirmary to see you...you aren't mad at me, are you Sango?"

 

"Of course not, Shippo! It is so wonderful to see you again. And you too, Rin."

Sango giggled in spite of her tiredness and reached out to ruffle Rin's hair while she returned Shippo's embrace. She secretly wondered what else Kaiya was about to discuss with her, but could not think of a graceful way to continue their conversation in front of the children.

 

Kaiya's guard came forward and whispered in her ear. The elegant demoness stood and faced Sango. "I'm afraid I must leave you now. It has been quite pleasant meeting you, Sango." She smiled gracefully.

 

"And you as well, Kaiya." Sango intentionally left off the honorific. Why should she give her rival an edge? Kaiya seemed not to notice and she walked away. The taijiya marveled at how elegantly she moved, the way she seemed to float over the ground. 'She is very beautiful,' thought Sango. 'And polite. And charming...No wonder he chose her. But...does she have feelings for him?'

 

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"My lord Sesshomaru." Ryuchi knelt on the ground as the demon lord approached but was able to breathe a sigh of relief. No longer did his lord appear thirsty for blood, his eyes were once again their normal color and his face had regained its usual neutral expression. Ryuchi could only assume his master had accomplished what he had set out to do.

 

"Yes, the traitor is dead as are several of his followers. Your instructions are to attack and destroy the rebel army, what there is left of it. I want it made clear in the territory that this kind of activity will not be tolerated."

 

"Yes, my lord." Ryuchi had sent scouts to investigate the scene of Sesshomaru's work of carnage outside the mountain. The reports brought back to him of the incredible destruction imposed on the rebels made the normally unflappable demon warrior shiver. Sesshomaru was clearly not a demon to be trifled with. "Are you well, my lord?" He looked up to see the taiyoukai's ripped clothing and bloodstained hands.

 

"I am. I will soon return to the fortress."

 

"Yes, lord Sesshomaru. We will leave none of the traitors alive."

 

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Silently making his way inside the palace, Sesshomaru reflected on what he had learned at Mount Koragi. Knowing so little about his mother's life made him wonder. Koto's words still sounded in his mind. 'She destroyed the entire village...ripped my husband to bits herself!...'

 

Nayame had indeed been a fighter it seemed. Normally Sesshomaru would not think twice about the fact that an entire human village had been destroyed at her hands. Even if Koto's rantings were true it mattered little-- a group of humans was nothing for a demon lord to concern himself over. The loss of a few mortals was a negligible event in the world. In any case Nayame had surely been justified in her actions, had she not?

 

'But do I truly believe that?' He pondered the question while heading to his private bathing chamber. 'Inuyasha's mate is human...I cannot say that she is especially offensive. Annoying perhaps, interfering, but not beneath contempt. She has a valuable skill-- she can heal others, and she has a strong spiritual aura... Why she chose to attach herself to my dolt of a brother is beyond me,' he thought. Or was it the fact that he had spent time with the priestess, had become familiar with her and her infant son that made him view her differently, he wondered.

 

And of course there was Sango. He had strong feelings for a human. She moved him in ways no other being had ever done. Could he now abide the actions of his mother given his professed affection for one of the species? It gave him food for thought as he allowed himself to be washed by his attendants. 'I must discuss some of this with Tamaku,' he concluded. 'To learn if any of it is fact.' The elder demon had known his mother during her lifetime. Sesshomaru had always found it strange that Tamaku would often invoke the memory of Inutaisho, but neglect to mention Nayame. Ever.

 

The demon lord soaked in his bath. He had waved away his attendants, preferring to be alone with his thoughts. Something waited in the back of his mind, something he did not relish considering. Inuyasha's actions had saved him back at the mountain. He would have died at Koto's hands if Tetsusaiga had not joined with Tensaiga to obliterate the witch. He owed him his life, this brother whom he'd condemned countless times as a half-breed stain on his father's bloodline, and whom he still did not think really worthy of the Tetsusaiga. What would his relationship with Inuyasha be like from now on? He sighed, suddenly fatigued. 'I can't begin to sort that out now...' He was ready to get out of the bath. His thoughts had turned to her. 'I want to see her. I must go to Sango.'