InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Divergence ❯ Chapter 9

Divergence

 

Canto IX

 

This is the way the world ends

 

Kagura awoke early in the morning to humming. It didn't surprise her much because she had come upon Inuyasha while he was singing before. He wasn't the greatest singer ever, but it was fairly pleasant to listen to. Even though Kagura was completely awake she didn't shift from her reclined position in the tree. Instead she allowed the early morning currents to shift around her, bringing to her the scent of dew and wet grass. She knew that not all of the currents around her were natural but she ignored this. Instead she let her consciousness stretch out and brushed against Inuyasha's. She snorted when he gave her a slight shove in return without even pausing the tune he was now softly singing.

 

As it turned out Inuyasha's presence had been what was enhancing her powers. Naraku manipulating what access he had to Inuyasha's spirit through the spells on the subjugation beads had messed him up spiritually and mentally the wind-wielder soul had had a hard time melding with him. At least, that's what Kagura figured; Inuyasha wasn't exactly being forthcoming with information about himself. But she guessed that that's what Naraku had planned the whole time when he had moulded her out of himself. But wind was unpredictable and it hadn't been long before Kagura developed enough to think for herself. Naraku had wanted a puppet to control one of the elements and with the jewel had thought himself powerful enough to do it. But it had backfired and he had lost the jewel. A few weeks before Naraku had managed to capture Inuyasha she had sensed the winds…contorting, for lack of a better word. She hadn't known it then but that had been the last wind-vessel passing. Then she had felt it, Inuyasha's soul calling out for the soul but through her Naraku had sensed it as well and taken advantage. She still didn't know how he managed it, but that was how he managed to gain access to Inuyasha's spirit, closing it off to the soul and allowing the half-demon vulnerable to attack. So Naraku had attacked but Kagura had managed to get Inuyasha from Naraku and through freak circumstance the connection tying him to the half-demon had been broken, leaving Inuyasha open to accept the wind-wielder soul.

 

This is the way the world ends

 

Kagura looked up at Inuyasha who was still singing softly. The sad part however was that Inuyasha was affected mentally and spiritually, no matter what he tried to tell her. The elemental sensed Kagura's cinnamon colored eyes on him and raised an eyebrow at her.

 

“What?”

 

“Thinking,” Kagura explained shortly.

 

He shrugged and stretched his arms above his head, giving a large yawn. The sun hadn't even risen completely but he felt the army of demon's stir around him. It was time to awaken the village. He looked to Kagura, who had already stood up and was straightening her clothes.

 

“You look sexy,” he said bluntly hopping over to her branch so she could straighten him out as well.

 

Kagura adjusted his long over-coat while smirking saucily. “Thank you.”

 

“That red really suits you.”

 

“Doesn't it? I always thought that red was your color, but no, black looks very good on you.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Ready?”

 

“No.”

 

Kagura gave Inuyasha an unattached sympathetic look and Inuyasha gave her a disinterested grin in response.

 

“Well that's too bad then,” Kagura said softy, tugging at the ties to Inuyasha's shirt one more time.

 

“This is the beginning of the end isn't it?” the half-demon asked softly looking rather somber.

 

“Of course,” Kagura answered in the same tone looking a little nervous. “But just because all this nonsense is beginning to end doesn't mean that's the end of everything. After this we have a certain bastard dog demon lord to bail out don't we?”

 

Inuyasha's face crumpled and Kagura sighed sadly, patting him on the shoulder. “I know. We'll get him good for you when we turn up to save the day.”

 

“You really do know, don't you?” Inuyasha asked quietly.

 

Kagura didn't even answer. She just smiled and turned toward the destroyed fields of the village where everything had started. Inuyasha sighed to himself and turned as well. He felt the soul rise up within him and readied to fight against its possession but it just settled close to the surface and expanded filling him with what felt like trickles of icy cold water. He gasped and Kagura glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, saying nothing. Suddenly Inuyasha had to move. The itch was as strong as it had ever been and the violently twisting feelings he had fought with surged to the forefront of his mind. He felt the soul chuckle and cursed silently to himself.

 

Oh how long you've wanted him, young one. Now you finally have the means.

 

Without a word Inuyasha raced along the treetops to the front of the village, he jumped onto the wall and jumped down onto the hut that had belonged to Kaede, but was now a sick house. He heard a number of surprised gasps from below on the street and jumped down into a small crowd of villagers.

 

“Be quiet,” he hissed sharply.

 

They at once shut up. Inuyasha's sight drew inward and he stalked through the village, barking orders to the increasing amount of villagers on the streets. Those who remembered him did as told at once. The main wall was supported with a number of beams from a hut that was in the process of being rebuilt. (“Who's going to live there if the wall falls and you're all killed?”) Other barricades were made the few carts left where tipped over on their sides to make another round of defense, while on the other side of the fields Naraku was rallying his demons into a frenzy.

 

This is the way the world ends

 

Kagura had sought out Inuyasha's old companions, awaking the village as she went. She managed to find them in a small campsite near the wall constructed near the path that led to the sacred tree.

 

“What are you going here Kagura?” Kouga asked sharply getting to his feet quickly.

 

Kagura closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again looking up at the sky as if it could rain answers on her. Oh, to hope.

 

Instead she just said, “It's beginning.”

 

Inuyasha stood on the wall watching the line of demons begin their attack on the village. A number of them took flight and Inuyasha snorted as he knocked them out of the air with a careless wave of his hand. The skies were his. Wordlessly Kagura landed at his side and the two of them scanned the squirming mass below them. Then they dropped down and began slashing their way through anything that got close enough.

 

Inuyasha's hands were a blur. Alternating between graceful sweeps and sharp slashes he called the currents around him and commanded them with so much force they appeared solid and ripped through flesh easily. Kagura danced with her fan close to him, and together they caused a chaotic jungle of twisting airstreams that broke bones and crushed skulls. One demon that was mostly teeth lunged at Inuyasha and he drew his elbow back before extending his arm so fast the human eye couldn't follow it. There was a lull in the fighting for a brief moment before the winds followed through with his arm's motion blowing a hole through the demon's head and causing all the demons behind it for several meters to hit the ground with enough force to break their spines. And there in the small opening that the hanyou had created, he saw Naraku. The demon was staring at him mockingly, as if saying “Come hither.”

 

Inuyasha flipped him off and turned to sidestep a large bug like demon and knock it out of the air as it tried to pounce on Kagura. The two of them stepped closer and Kagura tossed him one of her fans. He slashed once up, down and then to the left, ripping out a demon's throat.

 

“My Wind Lady,” he shouted over the din. “Will you give me the honor of a dance?”

 

Kagura laughed ruthlessly as she purposely slashed off a humanoid youkai's arm leaving her screeching in agony. “My Wind Lord, the pleasure is mine.”

 

Inuyasha grabbed her arm and twisted her against his chest, pivoting on one foot, sending a wave of air currents so strong they were visible. Kagura shifted her stance so that she was facing Inuyasha one of her arms wrapped around his waist. Both their faces were streaked with gore but they were both smiling widely anyway.

 

“I still think red looks better on you,” Kagura shouted saucily.

 

Inuyasha responded by stomping on the ground with his right foot causing a low air current that broke many surrounding demons' legs off. Soon the two of them managed to set a fast paced tempo. Down beats punctuated with slashes, stabs and sweeps. Upbeats created with stomps, turns, leaps and steps.

 

Piles of bodies began to build up around them until the demon's stopped their attack all together. Naraku had disappeared apparently and they were without leadership. Inuyasha straightened and stretched, trying to wipe sweat out of his eyes but only managing to leave behind a streak of blood on his forehead. Kagura was panting next to him and a number of the wolves from Kouga's clan were helping their fellows to their feet. Kouga limped over giving Kagura a wide berth and stopped next to Inuyasha. The two of them looked out over the remaining demons before looking to each other.

 

This is the way the world ends

 

“What now?” Kouga asked, still regaining his breath.

 

Inuyasha paused and thought for a moment but before he could say anything one of the more humanoid demon's stepped forward. It was a kitsune judging from his look and scent. A few of the wolves from Kouga's tribe began to growl but a look from Kouga quieted them.

 

“Let us live and we will leave, Wind Lord,” the kitsune shouted from across the field. “Naraku has abandoned us. We will not attack again.”

 

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side. By this time Sango, Miroku and Kirara had made it to his side and he looked to them as if waiting for an answer. When they stared at him in surprise he gave them a grim smile.

 

“I don't live here anymore. This is not my choice.”

 

They looked even more surprised at this and even a little sad but they seemed to push it aside. Sango and Miroku looked to each other and began to speak quietly. Kagura walked closer to Inuyasha causing Kouga to take a step back. It seemed that Kagura's presence was becoming more and more of a strain on him. The wind witch smiled in satisfaction. Inuyasha eyed her in amusement before turning to the remaining demons. They were still waiting patiently for a decision. They must have known that they stood no chance if they ran away, especially in the air. It was Inuyasha's turn to look satisfied.

 

I'm so awesome.

 

Modest as well, the soul spoke up for the first time.

 

Sango and Miroku finally looked up and Inuyasha read their answer in their eyes. He didn't agree with them but it was neither his place nor his decision. He turned to the kitsune with thoughtful look.

 

“The humans living here think it best to kill you all off.” A glance at the two behind him and the other villagers perched on the walls was unreadable but Kagura seemed to understand and shook her head. “I believe they think that I will concede to this request. I don't plan to.”

 

The villagers began to protest. Sango and Miroku looked shocked to their core. The elemental ignored this and allowed an unattached angry look to settle on his features. “I'm not your fucking dog,” he hissed. But somehow his voice carried and everyone heard him. The villagers quieted and the demons fell completely silent. “I won't attack on command. I've been forced to do it for more than 4 months now, no longer.”

 

Sango and Miroku looked shocked, but Kouga was staring at Inuyasha intently, his face a perfect stone mask. The hanyou locked eyes with the wolf youkai for a brief moment and finally Kouga understood what Kagura had been talking about. He looked away and sought out Kagome on the wall. She was watching everything carefully, her face pensive. He knew that she could hear everything that was going on and Kouga would have thought that she'd been upset. She wasn't. She just watched, silent. Sango and Miroku however, were not.

 

“What has Naraku done to you Inuyasha? If you allow these demons to go free they'll just attack us again,” Miroku said. The monk's voice was quiet but still firm. “You've never thought about it before.”

 

The hanyou said nothing. Instead he looked to the demons and addressed them with a cool quiet voice that had no trouble carrying over the now resumed protests of the villagers.

 

“Leave. Don't come near my forest again.” Everyone that was listening caught the silent `Or else'.

 

The youkai slowly disappeared into the forest until all that remained was the kitsune. He was staring at Inuyasha as calmly as the hanyou was staring at him. Then he bowed deeply and disappeared as well. When he turned back to the wall the villagers that had fought on this side of the wall began shouting, at Inuyasha and at each other. Miroku began to speak to him but Sango was silent waiting for Inuyasha to explain himself. Kouga turned to Kagura, not even realizing he had done so.

 

“Every day they prove more and more that they're just human.”

 

Kagura turned to him in surprise but didn't show it. “Well said Wolf Prince.”

 

“What if they return Inuyasha? A few weak villagers cannot stand up against an army of youkai. Will you be able to reach us in time if that happens, since you've made it clear you will not help us rebuild?”

 

Kagura and Kouga watched Inuyasha's left twitch and the Kouga thought about saying something but changed his mind, leaning back slightly and crossing his arms. Kagura glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and shook her head in amusement.

 

“Will you just shut up?” Inuyasha finally snapped causing Miroku to close his mouth with a click. “Stop worrying about stupid things like that and start rebuilding the village! They won't attack again! I fucking took care of it, like I'm expected to!”

 

“Naraku won't let the jewel go so easily Inuyasha,” Miroku reminded him his tone soft.

 

Inuyasha bristled. “Would you stop that, you patronizing bastard? I'm not stupid, stop talking to me like I am!”

 

“Just calm down, Inuyasha.”

 

The hanyou looked ready to pull out his hair. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and when he opened them Kouga knew that they were no longer speaking to Inuyasha. He heard Kagura sigh next to him and for the first time realized how close they were. He expected the familiar feeling of rage to fill him but when it didn't he couldn't seem to make himself care much.

 

`I'm tired,' he thought to himself. `I'll feel better after I sleep.'

 

“Mortals who seem to greatly underestimate the threat of an elemental,” the soul hissed softly through Inuyasha.

 

This is the way the world ends

 

Miroku took a step back, gripping his staff tightly in one hand, the other clenching into a fist. “It appears that Inuyasha has not completed his training yet,” he said to Sango without taking his eyes off the half-demon.

 

“Again you underestimate the vessel by assuming that he would leave his teacher until he was ready. But now you insult the fire-wielder as well by assuming that he would allow the vessel to leave. You, Lord Monk, are being very foolish.”

 

Miroku didn't bend. His face was perfectly impassive. “If I am assuming wrong please inform me why Inuyasha does not have control over you.”

 

“You assume that he is supposed to? Perhaps it was a mistake convincing the vessel to leave his brother. He underestimated us as well but at least he did it out of strife instead of foolishness.”

 

“Are you insinuating that we are foolish?”

 

“I do not believe we have to insinuate anything. Unlike Inuyasha, we are not tethered to you in any way. Neither guilt nor the feeling that we owe you something tie us to you.”

 

Miroku looked confused for a fleeting moment before he began to look angry. “Are you calling me stupid?”

 

Suddenly the slightly amused expression that Inuyasha held melted right off his face and he huffed out a frustrated sigh. “Only you would try to win a battle of wits against an ageless entity! Only you, you stupid monk! I'm leaving! Fuck all of you!”

 

Then the air seemed to distort around Inuyasha and he disappeared.

 

 

He appeared again a few moments later in the entryway of Sesshoumaru's keep. A maid was sprawled out on the floor a meters away looking like she'd seen a ghost.

 

“What?” he snapped coldly.

 

She just shook her head and crab-walked further away from climbing to her feet. Before anything further could be said one of the advisers walked into the room looked as frustrated as Inuyasha felt. He stopped upon noticing Inuyasha and stated at him in surprise.

 

“My Lord Inuyasha?”

 

“What?” the half-demon snapped again.

 

“May I ask what you are doing back here so soon?” the elderly looking demon asked carefully. “And how you got in?”

 

“You can but don't expect an answer,” Inuyasha said sharply causing the adviser to take a startled step back. “Take me to Sesshoumaru, now.”

 

The old demon looked a tad scandalized. “I'm sure a servant can take you to the study-,”

 

“Take me to my bastard brother now,” was the hissed response.

The adviser's face blanked but the slight trembling of his old body allowed Inuyasha to see his fear. When Inuyasha finally got to the large wooden double doors that led to Sesshoumaru's study he pushed them open so hard they knocked against the stone walls behind them, shaking loose dust that had settled over centuries. Sesshoumaru's head snapped up but before he could even say anything Inuyasha was before him, looking murderous.

 

“Let me loose,” he whispered “Let me loose.”

 

Sesshoumaru didn't seem surprised by the appearance of his brother. He put down the records he had been looking through and stared at him evenly.

 

“Are you that desperate to release your powers half-breed?”

 

The tremor that rocked through the hanyou at that moment was the answer that he couldn't give his brother. Sesshoumaru's eyes caught it and he stood.

 

“Come.”

 

Inuyasha went.

 

Not with a bang, but with a whimper