InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny ❯ Realization ( Chapter 13 )

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InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

 

Destiny Chapter 13 - Realization

 

 

The beautiful wash of colors that bathed the land as the day dawned did not reach them. The coming sun's gentle caress was banished by the thick black mist emanating from the resurrected Naraku. It swirled around them with his deep booming laughter, slow and deliberate, it coiled itself around them like a serpent sizing up its prey.

 

Sesshoumaru's grip on Toukijin tightened in response. The dark mocking tones of Naraku's mirth heated his demon blood and called to his desire to kill. He fought back the hints of red that had begun to bleed into the molten gold of his eyes, signaling the rise of his youkai nature. Sesshoumaru steeled himself, willing control over his demon instinct. This Sesshoumaru would not give in; he would not give an enemy as worthless as Naraku the satisfaction of seeing him lose control.

 

He stole a glance over at Kikyo and his brother, noting with disdain that Inuyasha held her more tightly than before. The Priestess herself did nothing but gaze up at the conflicted hanyou; her pale hands clutching desperately at his shirt. Perhaps because of the faraway expression on Inuyasha's face. Did she fear where his mind was at that moment? If she did the strength of her embrace was the only clue, her expression remained as impassive as it usually was. What was she thinking about Sesshoumaru wondered, the conundrum she presented drowning out his anger at Naraku for the moment. Did she still wish to die? Or was it Inuyasha's death she plotted whilst laying there?

 

Her scent was overpowering, the feel of her now warm body clutched to his own, brought back memories he thought he had finally lain to rest. His heart thundered as he thought back to the day he had finally freed the chains around his heart. The day she had blindly stumbled into him and he had thrown his arms around her, finally allowing himself to feel the love for her that he had been holding in for such a long time. He ran his fingers idly through her hair, without thinking he brought his head down, his lips gently gracing her soft forehead. His eyes widened as he felt her long delicate fingers run along the length of his face. The contact seemed to bring him out of his thoughts and he moved abruptly and looked down to see her eyes flutter open. He stared transfixed by the warmth in her chocolate orbs shining with life. His heart skipped a beat as he looked into the eyes of the woman he had given his heart to more than fifty years previously. This was not the empty shell that had walked the earth for the last three years seeking his death. No this was Kikyo, Kikyo who wanted to be with him forever, Kikyo who loved him, his Kikyo. For a moment he forgot everything around him, the only thing that existed was Kikyo. A smile began to tug at his lips only for it to leave as suddenly as it had begun to appear. He tore his eyes away from her to gaze far off into the distance, his embrace loosening as he did so. Kikyo's hands clutched tightly at his clothes, she knew where his thoughts now lay and they weren't with her.

 

Sesshoumaru frowned sensing a change in his brother, he could feel his distress, something was very wrong. His golden eyes flashed with sudden understanding, Kagome...

 

Kikyo watched Inuyasha intensely, straining for any clue to his feelings. She caught the slight narrowing of his eyes before he raised a clawed hand to cradle his head. Something was very wrong, he wasn't just in emotional pain as she had first thought, something was physically hurting Inuyasha. Kikyo reached up to softly cup her hand around his own, her fingers shaky and uncertain.

 

"Inuyasha... are you alright?"

 

He closed his eyes and Kikyo wasn't even sure if he had heard her, Sesshoumaru however had, and it was he who answered her.

 

"Her life is slipping away, that, is the pain he bears. As her life ebbs it tears at the link between them, severing them from one another. The stronger the bond the worse the pain, restoring her would restore him."

 

Kikyo narrowed her eyes noticing the emphasis Sesshoumaru had placed on the last sentence he had uttered. His meaning was not lost on her, to stop Inuyasha's pain; Kagome's soul would have to be returned to her before death claimed her.

 

"Will he, will he die?" She gripped Inuyasha's hand tighter, not sure she wanted to hear what Sesshoumaru had to tell her.

 

The demon lord's gaze was piercing, almost as if he were sizing her up. She turned away to stare at the ground, unable to meet his penetrating stare.

 

"Perhaps."

 

Kikyo fought back the urge to cry, his deep resonating voice struck chords of fear deep within her soul. It twisted like a knot in her gut and kept a tight grip on her heart. 'Perhaps' Sesshoumaru's voice echoed in her mind.

 

"It is possible to survive such a torment, if he wishes to, if he feels there is something here for him to remain for.

Our father overcame it because of his duties as a Lord and a father. To have succumbed to such grief would have been weak and I was far too young to have ruled in his place. Even so, he was an empty shell, a pitiful excuse for the demon he had been. He overcame such desolation because of Izayoi. Pitiful is it not that a human would be such a source of strength for a demon?"

 

Kikyo didn't reply, understanding Sesshoumaru had meant it as a rhetorical question. Still she stared at him in shock. She had always viewed the demon lord as cold, and uncaring. And when he spoke it was rarely for any length of time. And yet here he was, seemingly baring his soul, in front of his enemy no less.

 

Delight danced in his crimson eyes as Naraku smiled and watched the effect of Sesshoumaru's words on Kikyo. Her pain was delicious, he loved to see her suffer as much as the pitiful Onigumo had lusted after her. He watched her torment with undisguised pleasure on his smirking face, as Sesshoumaru's words continued to tear at her heart.

 

"Ka... Kagome..." Her name slipped painfully from Inuyasha's lips as his hand fell from beneath Kikyo's to rake through the earth at his side. His eyes flickered open and Kikyo saw utter desolation and despair in his rapidly dulling amber depths. She gasped to see the crystalline formation of tears.

 

'He loves her this much...'

 

She closed her eyes desperately trying to fight away the tears she knew were coming. Her hand clenched at her breast as the pain she felt grew stronger.

 

'Even now, even now I'm alive its too late for us... There's no place for me in his heart...'

 

Sesshoumaru watched Kikyo closely and was rewarded by what he observed. Her cool facade had disappeared, leaving behind a face full of emotion.

 

'Good so she is capable of feeling.'

 

Sesshoumaru had started to believe her devoid of emotion, a trait that made her very dangerous indeed. Kagome wore her emotions on her sleeve, her actions were easy to predict. On the few occasions Sesshoumaru had been in Kikyo's presence he could see she was very much Kagome's opposite in that respect. Her face was often an expressionless mask, making it hard to determine what course of action she would take. But his words and Inuyasha's state had served to change that. He smelt the salt of her tears, her heart was breaking, she was beginning to realize Inuyasha was lost to her. Sadness, underneath that facade was sadness and longing, the beginnings of despair. But not hatred, this revived miko felt no hate for his brother...

 

"Ses...sho...maru... Kagome, I need you to go to Kagome..." Inuyasha's tired plea shook Sesshoumaru from his thoughts. Inuyasha wanted him to go to his wench? For what purpose?

 

He watched half amused as Inuyasha painfully pulled himself up to half stand and wearily raise his head to look him in the eye.

 

"She's fading..."

 

'Such sorrow, there is such sorrow in his voice.' Sesshoumaru noted with disdain that he felt his brother's sorrow, although he showed no outward signs of it. He looked back at Kikyo who looked to the ground, seemingly unawares to all around her. Sesshoumaru shot a look at Naraku who gazed happily at them all.

 

'Disgusting, he does nothing because he gains pleasure from all of this. He would rather revel in this sadness than attack when he should, this will be his undoing.' Inuyasha's voice once again brought Sesshoumaru back from his thoughts.

 

"Do you have something you wish to protect Sesshoumaru?"

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in shock and he was taken back to another time, another place. He closed his eyes briefly as the image of his father floated into his mind. He had asked the very same question of Sesshoumaru, right before he had gone to rescue Izayoi from the hands of a madman, a quest that ended with his death. He had asked for assistance, but Sesshoumaru had refused him. Why would he rescue his father's pregnant whore? Would he have done things differently if he had known the outcome then? No, preknowledge of his father's death would have changed nothing. Back then his heart had been too bitter, his thoughts would have been the same despite the outcome. That his father had died foolishly to protect a pitiful human. He snapped back to reality, realizing that Inuyasha wanted to continue.

 

"From the moment we were bound together, I wanted to protect her. The way she has always protected me. A fine job I've done eh?" He laughed bitterly before falling onto his rear, Kikyo still clutching onto Inuyasha fell with him, her head buried in his chest. Sesshoumaru felt that same tug he had earlier to see the lost expression on his brothers face.

 

"I know, I know you want to stay and fight Naraku... But by the time you kill him it may already be too late. You could bring me back with Tensaiga, but... I don't want that, not if she's gone..."

 

Kikyo tensed, her chest tight with emotion. For a moment she had been happy, held in Inuyasha's arms, everything she had wanted, for that brief time had been within her reach. But now she knew the truth, from Inuyasha's own lips, he had finally chosen...

 

"You can't revive her, not while her soul resides in Kikyo, but you can keep her from crossing over, you can give me time. If you can anchor her here, then I can fight, this is the only wa... way."

 

Sesshoumaru watched as Inuyasha doubled over in pain once again. Pushing Kikyo away from him slightly. It had required a lot of strength for him to talk to Sesshoumaru as he had done.

 

'Fool, one should know one's limits, yet you persist. Is this what love does to you? Humbles you to beg for help from one you most certainly distrust? How can the love of one woman garner such strength, such will?'

 

Inuyasha stared back up at his brother desperately. This was his only chance, if Sesshoumaru denied him, then both he and Kagome would be doomed.

 

'I'll spend eternity making up for it, I swear Kagome.'

 

Inuyasha stared in shock as Sesshoumaru gave him a curt nod and turned to leave.

 

"Very well brother, use this time wisely."

 

He watched as a swirling ball of energy enveloped his brother and he was gone.

 

"Ku ku ku, poor pitiful Kikyo, so sad and alone, your love dying before your eyes. But oh, he thinks not of you with his dying breath, but of your reincarnation! How happy he will feel with your death, then he can have his beloved again. That's what he wants you know, he's sent Sesshoumaru off to bind her to this world until he can return her soul to her!"

 

"SHUT UP!!!!" Naraku watched amused as Inuyasha pushed Kikyo away, staggering to stand he drew Tetsusaiga, only to have to use it to prop himself up.

 

"Who told you to fucking talk. I'm sick of you, you and your twisted games. How did it feel to die Naraku, I hope it hurt, because this time I intend to make it permanent!"