InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fire and Ice ❯ Rescue Mission ( Chapter 20 )

A/N: I've always disliked it when I'm reading a story and the author gives a detailed explanation of how much life has sucked and that's why it's taken so long. Sure, I mentioned the concussion thing, but that was important, since I'm beta-less and I stood a better then average chance of making no sense. With that in mind, just take my word on it that something went very wrong and this was the soonest I could post. The good news is that the other chapter is pretty much done and if I can finish editing tonight I'll put it up. These two should be one chapter, but it got too long. Go figure. To everyone that has e-mailed me or tried to contact me, I'm sorry I've been such a slacker. I'll try to get caught up (especially GPPR, I'll get back to you, I promise!) To my readers, this chapter was brutal to write and the next looks pretty evil, too, but I will finish. Promise. I want to know what happens too! The voices don't like to give it away.

 

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“The home of a ningen lord. What would they take Mama for?” Katsuro crouched next to his father, staring at the complex that Sesshomaru was certain held his mate.

 

“There is no reasonable explanation.” Sesshomaru's eyes traveled across the complex. His mind was going through the logical steps of planning his attack while his heart frantically searched for its other half. `I am coming, koishii. I will find you and never let this happen again.'

 

“And when did any part of this whole thing become reasonable?”

 

The gold eyes blinked. Despite the grim situation, he could find the humor in his son's statement. “True.”

 

The hanyou tipped his head to the side. “Should be easy enough to get in. The walls are low enough we can just jump right over. The big question is who's inside? How's Mama doing?”

 

“Anxious, but unharmed.”

 

“Is that the polite way of saying pissed off and impatiently waiting for us?”

 

“Hn.”

 

“At least that's something. Should we just charge in? They can't be expecting us this soon.”

 

“I will not risk Kagome.”

 

“Good point. Sneaky it is.” Silent as a shadow, Katsuro turned and jumped away. He returned to the rest of the party and to pass along what he had seen.

 

`Whoever is responsible will die a slow, painful death.' Claws sunk into wood as Sesshomaru gazed at the place where his mate was being held.

 

----

 

“He's here.”

 

Takanou snapped his head up to look at the miko. Kagome smiled, despite the fact that she was still bound in a cell. “He's here, and he's really, really pissed.”

 

“I wanted him to come here.”

 

“What, are you suicidal?”

 

“Of course not. It just makes things easier. If the two of you are together then I can free you.” Takanou gestured for a group of ningens. The door to the cell was opened, and the ningens were knocked back with a barrier. “I will wait, Kagome. I have plenty of ningens here, and eventually you will be too tired to fight anymore. No youkai would dare to touch you, but all you can do to a ningen is knock them back.”

 

Kagome hurled the ningens against the wall hard enough to knock them unconcious. “Good luck getting more volunteers.”

 

“When you are ready to accept the inevitable, they will escort you upstairs. I will be waiting.”

 

`Damn it all to hell!' Kagome knocked the new ningens away, but she already knew she was in trouble. `When was the last time I really ate? Or slept, for that matter? I'm not going to last more then a few minutes. You better hurry, jo-chan.'

 

----

 

“Can he tell where she's being held?” Yuriko checked over Ah-Un's tack, getting him ready for yet another fight.

 

“No, not at this distance. We're going to have to figure that one out as we go. We don't want them to kill her rather then have us rescue her.” Katsuro was pacing restlessly, impatient to know that his mother was safe again. “Damn, I need Ki-chan right now. This is exactly what she's best at.”

 

“We will work without her. I am no slouch at strategy.” Mayu smiled and ruffled Katsuro's hair.

 

“Oh, come on, you know I hate that.” Katsuro ducked away. “I hated that when I was five.”

 

“If you insist.”

 

“Sneak attack. Only Sesshomaru needs to be sneaky, since he's the only one that's going to be able to find her.” Shippou tapped a claw against his chin. “What if the rest of us arrange a distraction?”

 

There was a soft rustle of leaves, making Katsuro spin around. Sesshomaru was gone. “Damn it all, strategy meeting is over. We'll get Mama, you make sure that they don't see us coming!”

 

`As soon as Mama is in danger he starts doing irrational things.' Grinding his teeth, Katsuro chased his father. `I thought I was the impulsive one.'

 

Sesshomaru stopped at the edge of the trees, glaring at his son. “I did not ask for your presence.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Go with the others.”

 

“No.”

 

Growling, father and son locked eyes in a battle of wills. The gold eyes were tinged with crimson, but Katsuro stood his ground. The emerald eyes never wavered, even when Sesshomaru's hand went to Tokijin. With a fleeting look of exasperation, the inu-youkai continued towards the wall and let his son follow after him. Katsuro heaved a relieved sigh as he dropped the aggressive stance and chased after his father. `Thought he was going to knock me out that time.'

 

It was a matter of seconds for the rescue party to reach the walls. The two inu watched the guards patrolling the edges of the complex for a few moments, looking for their opportunity to get in without notice. They would not give Kagome's captor time to react. The poison whip flashed into existence, cutting two of them down without a sound. Nodding to each other, the pair jumped to the top of the wall. From there they dropped down to the ground inside, crouching down in the shadows to avoid detection.

 

An explosion rocked the buildings and yelling could be heard at the main gate.

 

“Our distraction is here.” Katsuro grinned as she heard Yuriko's voice raised in a war cry, sending the ningen guards into a panic. “She sounds like she's going to eat them raw.”

 

“Hai.”

 

The complete chaos made it easy for the inu to move through the buildings. Sesshomaru followed the tug that was getting stronger as he got closer to the source. There was a smell in the air, a smell he had not sensed in over two hundred years. The closer he got to his other half, the stronger the scent became. Katsuro glanced at his father, seeing the barely suppressed rage and not at all sure he liked the way this was going. Sesshomaru ripped a door clean off of its rails, staring inside of a room and finally finding his mate.

 

“So you made it, Sesshomaru-sama.”

 

----

 

“Kee - yah!”

 

Yuriko dove at the gates again, making as much noise as possible while Ah-Un made a fantastic show of blowing up everything around him. On the ground Mayu charged in her leopard form, stopping to roar loud enough to make the walls rattle.

 

“We have to hold the wall!” One of the guards yelled to his quaking forces, trying to keep them from fleeing in a blind panic.

 

“Foxfire!” Shippou released a huge ball of blue fire, aiming for the one brave soul.

 

“Run for your lives!”

 

Mass panic ensued as the guards tried to flee. Merkamou stood by Shippou, not even bothering to attack. “This is rather amusing.”

 

“Well, we're not exactly looking at a group at their best. We trounced them yesterday, remember?” The kitsune watched the stampede with a smile.

 

“That is true. It is a bit cruel to frighten them like this, considering what they have been through.”

 

Shippou raised an eyebrow at his lord. “They attacked us, remember?”

 

“Also true. Maybe you could encourage them to hasten their retreat.”

 

“Foxfire!”

 

“I thought we were supposed to be drawing them towards the gate, not chasing them off!” Yuriko dipped down to glare at the two males.

 

Merkamou and Shippou looked at each other. “Oops.”

 

“Males. Mayu, we need to herd them back!”

 

A roar was the response, Mayu running around the outside of the complex. There were screams of panic as the guard turned and ran the opposite direction, away from the leopard and back towards the gate. Ah-Un convinced any stragglers to race back the way they had come, even if there were two more youkai waiting for them.

 

----

 

“You.” Sesshomaru stood in the remains of the doorway, his hand clenched around the hilt of Tokijin. “I will ensure that you die this time.”

 

“You know him?” Katsuro looked at the youkai that had his mother bound on the ground in front of him.

 

“Of course he knows me. I was once a member of his household.” Takanou smiled brightly. “I was hoping you would come. It will be easier this way.”

 

Even gagged, Kagome had no trouble letting her mate know what was coming. Sesshomaru got a very brief but clear image of the threat that Takanou had planned for him. The youkai hidden in the next room never had a chance as Tokijin blasted away the far wall and the enemies hidden behind it.

 

“How the . . . Oh, Mama must have known.” Sighing with relief, Katsuro strolled into the room as Sesshomaru went to his bound mother. “You should ungag her first. I'm sure she's got plenty to say about this.”

 

“Get away from her.” Takanou lunged forward, only to be knocked off of his feet by an almost casual swing from the hanyou.

 

“This is the leader? How embarrassing.” Katsuro stayed over Takanou, shaking his head in disappointment. “You'll have to tell me how he knows you later.”

 

“Koishii.” The ropes and gag were gone in an instant and Kagome found herself in Sesshomaru's arms.

 

“We need to get out of here.” Her voice was muffled by his hair, but she knew he could understand her. “Right now.”

 

“First I finish this.”

 

“I'll take care of him, father.” Katsuro shifted his grip on his weapon.

 

“Insolent pup.” Takanou threw a powder in Katsuro's face, making him gasp and back up. “You are not going anywhere, Kagome!”

 

Katsuro's eyes were squeezed shut with tears leaking out from underneath them. His ears told him exactly where Takanou was, and he barreled into the healer. “You stay away from her!”

 

Twisting, Takanou was able to break away from the blind hanyou. A long set of gashes were torn into the healer's side as a price for his escape, but the hanyou was reeling from more then blindness. Takanou grabbed onto the black hair, hauling his opponent's head back. Katsuro froze when he felt a dagger at his throat. He could smell poison, and he had no interest in seeing if any of his father's immunity to poison had been inherited.

 

Kagome had thrown up a barrier around herself and her mate, swaying at the effort. Outside of the barrier she could see that Takanou had Katsuro, keeping the hanyou in front of himself. “What did you do to my son?”

 

“Nothing permanent. At least not at this time. Drop the barrier before I finish off your brat.”

 

Kagome dropped her barrier, biting her lip in frustration. She could not do anything while he was touching her half youkai son. “Leave Katsuro out of this. He wasn't even born when all of this started.”

 

“As long as he does not interfere, I will not harm him further.” Takanou was hauling the blind and confused Katsuro along with him as he approached the miko. “This is perfect. I can free you, Kagome. You can be with me.”

 

Sesshomaru snapped Tokijin up, but froze when Takanou pushed his son between them.

 

“Do you remember?” Kagome grabbed onto her mate's arm and thought hard about the day they had found out about their bond, praying that Sesshomaru would remember what she was remembering.

 

It is a tribute to Sesshomaru-sama's strength that he is still alive.

 

“Trust me.” Kagome slipped around him. “Leave him alone, Takanou. I'm right here. Just leave my son alone.”

 

Takanou kept his grip on Katsuro, moving closer to Kagome. “No tricks?”

 

“None.”

 

The healer's empty hand went to his sash and reappeared with a packet of powder. A dark smile twisted his features as he threw it at Kagome and her world exploded.

 

----

 

“How long do we have to keep this up?” Shippou dodged a spear, growling at the attacking ningen.

 

“Until we hear that Kagome-sama is safe.” Merkamou sent a whirlwind to knock some soldiers from their perches on the wall.

 

“I'm tired of just standing here and letting them take shots at me!”

 

“Perhaps you would like a real opponent?”

 

The ningens scrambled away from the new comers, who were crouched over the gate and smiling at the two youkai outside.

 

“And who the hell are you?” Shippou crossed his arms and leveled his best threatening look.

 

“We are in charge. I assume that you are here to rescue the Lady of the West?”

 

“Yeah! Are you gonna' try to stop us?”

 

A group of youkai dropped to the ground, all dressed in identical armor. “Try? I do not think this will require even that much effort, kitsune.”

 

“And why are you holding the Lady of the West?” Merkamou glanced across the group. “If I am not mistaken, you are from the Eastern Lands.”

 

“And why would that concern you, Merkamou?” The strange youkai looked the hawk up and down. “Perhaps you and the little miko are closer then rumored.”

 

“If you do not know why you are holding her, that is all you need to say.”

 

The leader's complexion darkened. “You are outnumbered, hawk. You would do well to shut your mouth.”

 

The youkai were sent flying in all directions as the taiyoukai they had forgotten plunged through their midst, scattering them like grains of rice.

 

“Arigato, Mayu-sama! I was in serious danger of being talked to death.” Merkamou drew his sword, noting that Shippou had echoed his move. The gold eyes glanced at the sky, tracking movement. “I do not believe we are outnumbered.”

 

One of the downed youkai disappeared in an explosion as Ah-Un returned to the front of the complex. Yuriko looked over the new threat with her free hand on her hip. “I leave you alone for just a few moments, Papa.”

 

“Enough, Yuriko.”

 

----

 

Raw power exploded, sending Takanou skittering backwards and away from the miko. All of the power that had gone into the bond was suddenly free to swirl around its owner with no focus or control. Her control continued to slip, feeding more and more power into the growing storm.

 

For her part, the miko had her eyes squeezed shut, trying to regain some semblance of control as the world spun. Her heart ached as the bond leaked away, leaving her feeling like she was bleeding to death. The youki that Sesshomaru had fed into their bond was also free, still mingled with her powers and adding to the chaos.

 

Desperate, Kagome reached behind herself, meeting Sesshomaru halfway as he pulled her up against his chest. His youki continued to drain into the inferno, feeding it. Wrapping his arms around her, he desperately tried to keep their connection intact. He ignored the pain that came with the spiritual powers all around him, certain that she could not actually hurt him.

 

With the physical contact the bond between them stopped failing. The connection was weak, but it was there.

 

`I knew Takanou couldn't do it. He could never understand this, much less break it.' Kagome let her head fall back to lean on Sesshomaru's chest. `I'll never let you go, jo-chan.'

 

`And I will never release you.'

 

`Nani?' Kagome's eyes flew open, meeting the gold ones that looked down at her. She could feel him like a solid wall of support behind her. She could also feel his relief at her safety, and his annoyance that her powers were still snapping across his skin in a most uncomfortable manner. The tiniest of smiles tugged at her mouth. `Gomen.'

 

`Then cease, miko.'

 

`What do you think I'm trying to do, youkai?'

 

One eyebrow cocked, and Kagome's smile grew as their bond continued to restore itself. The rest of the world was a vague haze as the storm raged around them, their two powers recombining violently. The bond that had taken over two hundred years to build was recreating itself in a matter of minutes. She could feel herself fading, exhaustion tugging at her, but she could also feel him so clearly now. Every thought was shared. `This is kind of neat. Scary, but neat.'

 

`Hai.'

 

----

 

Takanou stared in horror at the storm, almost forgetting the hanyou that he held captive. `What have I done? What have I released? I cannot finish this, I would never survive. How can Sesshomaru still exist in that?'

 

He could only see the vague silhouettes of the couple at the center of the inferno. `It did not work. She is still bound to that dog. That is the only way he could survive. He will hunt me down and kill me. He could even force Kagome to help.'

 

Frantic, the healer looked around the room. `I will run. They cannot track me, I know that. As long as I can get a head start, I will be able to escape.'

 

With a hard shove, he pushed his captive into the storm so that he could bolt for the door.

 

----

 

“Come along now, at least make this entertaining for me.” Merkamou smirked as he rocked on the balls of his feet, taunting the group of dragons that had surrounded him.

 

One took the bait and lunged, earning himself a blow to his back that dropped him like a stone. The second one to move was caught and thrown into a friend, knocking both to the ground. The pommel of Merkamou's sword connected with another's dragon's face and sent that dragon to the back of the group.

 

Shippou smiled at the pair of youkai that was advancing on him, both confident that the little kitsune would not be a problem. One of the mischievous green eyes winked as he threw a handful of pebbles in the air.

 

“And what was that supposed to . . . Ah!”

 

Giant boulders crashed to earth, sending the two youkai running for cover. The slower of the two found himself tossed to the ground, his arm locked behind him. Still smiling, the kitsune slammed his sword through his opponent and finished him.

 

A quick glance showed Shippou that his other opponent had made a run for it, but only to be brought down by a giant snow leopard.

 

“Arigato, Mayu-sama!”

 

Mayu roared, then transformed to her usual form, still holding her prey down. “I am in need of information, lizard.”

 

“I will never talk, bitch.”

 

“Expected.” Mayu patted over her clothes, mumbling to herself, until she found a small, sheathed stiletto. “I knew I had remembered to bring this. You should do yourself a favor and start talking now.”

 

“Never.”

 

Sighing, Mayu jammed the stiletto deep into her opponent's back. “Nasty, is it not? I am told that it is similar to Sesshomaru-sama's poison, but it takes longer to die. I will wait.'

 

The dragon howled and struggled, babbling as he tried to free himself.

 

“Just cooperate already.”

 

Chest heaving, the dragon went limp. “What do you want to know?”

 

“Why did you target the Ladies?”

 

“The miko was the price for Takanou's armies. The dragon was for my lord Tsuki, so that he may regain power of the East. The hanyou was for the Southern armies, who wish for revenge on Merkamou.”

 

“And me?”

 

“To try to control Hideaki. Tsuki-sama will rule all of Japan, taking advantage of the distracted Lords.”

 

“It did not work.”

 

“Even now he is consolidating his power. Akira is dead, and the miko is our prisoner.”

 

“You are a fool. Sesshomaru-sama is freeing his mate as we speak, and Akira still lives.” Mayu used her free hand to draw her sword. “Your Tsuki will not last to the new moon.”

 

The sword flashed, and the dragon was silent.

 

“Treacherous lizard.” Mayu resheathed the stiletto and tucked it back into her armor.

 

A bright glow lit up the complex, pulling many eyes towards its source.

 

“Yuriko, Shippou, go to Kagome and Sesshomaru!” Merkamou crossed blades with a dragon again and knocked him back in a shower of sparks.

 

“But Papa, what about you?” Knocking her own opponent aside, Yuriko dove down near her father.

 

“Now, Yuriko!”

 

“Ah-Un!”

 

The two heads swiveled around to regard their rider.

 

“Keep the wall clear! Don't let them shoot at Papa!” Dropping to the ground, Yuriko snagged Shippou by the back of his collar and took off towards the pink glow.

 

“Hey! Where are we going?”

 

“We have to help Kagome-chan!”