InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Imperfect Curse ❯ Drain Me Dry ( Chapter 3 )

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Glossary

Gomen nasai - I am sorry

Ningen - human

 

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Chapter Three - Drain Me Dry

 

The light of the full moon filled the clearing. Kaia stood in the centre, in her human form. A feeling of confusion and a fleeting anger overwhelmed her. She was clueless as to where she was…but wait…dé jà vu? It felt like she'd been here before.

 

Suddenly the echoing growl of a lioness filled her ears. She would know that growl anywhere, and her heart skipped a beat as she acknowledged the sound. It was Kuruna.

 

The half lioness whirled around, trying to find the source of the growl—her mother. A loud roar reverberated through the small meadow, and Kaia's heart caught in her throat as Kuruna appeared before her.

 

“Mama!” Kaia cried. Kuruna smiled, her eyes filled with pain and sorrow. Her broken body seemed to be suspended in mid air, and a strange green aura surrounded her. A lone tear slid down her bloodstained cheek as she began to fade, fade into nothing. Kaia cried out again as her mother disappeared, and darkness as black as the depths of hell surrounded her. The moonlit clearing melted away as the deep shadowy gloom closed in.

 

“Mama, don't leave! Don't go! You can't die, Mama! NOOOO!” her frantic roars of anguish were futile, her youkai mother was gone. She was alone. Truly, completely alone.

 

The black void surrounding her closed her in, and the now-human hanyou felt sick with anguish and utter sadness. She was alone. She fell to her knees as the empty feeling of loneliness engulfed her. It's all your fault…you killed her…she's dead because of your weakness… These thoughts were thrown around in Kaia's mind, wounding her soul. She was alone.

 

“I'm sorry Mama…”

 

Suddenly…a heartbeat could be heard, thumping steadily. It pounded softly at first, penetrating the deep black with its rhythm. With each passing second the sound grew stronger. The girl looked around, her thoughts interrupted, and a glowing orb of bright blue light floated in mid air before her. She rose from her knees and took a step towards the curious crystal. She was drawn to it, and the feeling was uncontrollable. As she reached out to touch it, the light glowed ever brighter and the hypnotizing tones of the heartbeat quickened.

 

When the tip of her delicate finger made contact with the orb, she felt as though she was being pulled down inside of herself, into her very heart. The girl felt a strange power within, just beyond the reach of her fingertips. Look inside yourself…keep searching…remember…

 

The sparkling sapphire light pulsed and the heartbeat pounding around her quickened even more. The brightness changed to a golden yellow, as bright as the rising sun…

 

The sky on the eastern horizon glowed warmly as Kaia stirred beneath the trees' canopy. A root was digging into her side, much to her discomfort. She pushed herself up onto her knees and let the head rush that hazed her vision subside. A small sigh escaped her as she gazed upon the morning fresh grass, covered with precious beads of dew that reflected the rising sun's rays like tiny crystals. How she loved the morning, and the fresh, new feeling that accompanied it. Kaia stretched her stiffened limbs as she recalled her recent dream.

 

It had seemed so real…and so strange. Her mother's death was painful to her, and she felt the stinging of its reality everyday, like a slap in the face. It was the same with her loneliness. The relentless ache of being alone was more of a hollow feeling, the emptiness dragging her down as if the demons of the underworld were standing upon her shoulders. Yet…the strangers who had saved her life without reason…they helped her to forget these feelings sometimes. What they couldn't fix was her mother's passing. It's my fault…she died to protect me…

 

The hanyou shook her head to bring herself out of her thoughts, and silently thanked whoever was watching over her, as she still remained safe after spending the night in this strange and unfamiliar area. She shakily rose to her feet, clutching the large oak tree that she had slept under. She took a few tentative steps, but was suddenly overwhelmed by a terrible sickened feeling. Stumbling over to another tree, she retched up water that she had involuntarily swallowed while being tossed around in the river. Her throat burned…but even as the wave of sickness encumbered her, she could feel her demon blood pulsing in her veins, healing her wounds and salvaging her strength.

 

She knelt at the river's edge and washed her face and hands, as well as rinsing the nasty bitter taste from her mouth. Looking down at her shoulder, she wiped the dirt away from the cuts, quite certain that infection hadn't tainted her blood. After a few moments she got to her feet again, determined to start her trek back to her friends.

 

Kaia secured her weapons and set off upstream.

 

As she journeyed, she thought of her previous companions. Surely they would think her dead, and she hoped that they hadn't left the area. Even I thought I was a goner…

 

As Kaia gazed over at the rapidly rushing river, she realized how lucky she was to be still breathing. She had to have been in that swirling current for a few hours at least! Smiling slightly, she knew that her mother was watching over her, so perhaps she wasn't as alone as she felt.

 

The sun had risen completely in the east, and the golden rays were warming Kaia's shivering body. The scent of the spring breeze was refreshing… but her scalp crawled as she sensed that someone was near. There was a human scent, and she was almost certain that the other was youkai. The half lioness moved ahead with caution.

 

A flash of a bright magic flame as well as a choking smoke numbed her senses once more. The heat was intense, and she held up her gauntlet to shield the blast. Kaia caught sight of her attacker between its assaults. It was Jaken!

 

“Jaken, stop it! What the hell do you think you're doing? JAKEN!” Kaia roared.

 

Suddenly the blast ceased. She stood tall, towering over the wee assailant, her tail flicking with annoyance.

 

Jaken cringed. “Gomen nasai! Have mercy!”

 

She raised her eyebrow at the cowering demon before her. Suddenly Rin poked her raven head out of the bush behind Jaken.

 

“Rin!” Kaia smiled. She had met the young girl about three weeks ago when she was still recovering from wounds inflicted on the night her mother passed. The small child was incredibly sweet, and they had quickly become friends. Rin smiled back and ran out to greet her.

 

“It is strange to have met you here alone, Kaia. Where are Inuyasha and the others?” Jaken questioned politely, trying not to annoy her further. He looked around warily, making sure that none of the others would jump out at any given moment.

 

Quickly she told them about the incident at the cliff. Both of them nodded in understanding.

 

“And where is Lord Sesshomaru?” Kaia asked curiously, scanning the area for any signs of the taiyoukai. The silver fur draped around Rin's shoulders had not gone unnoticed by the half lioness.

 

Jaken and Rin looked at each other apprehensively. The small human girl looked up at Kaia, her eyes filled with fear and sorrow as she clutched the fur closer. Something is wrong, the hanyou thought.

 

“Well…we don't know where he's gone,” Jaken spoke. “We were attacked by demons several hours ago…and Lord Sesshomaru was…overpowered.”

 

Jaken's shock and disbelief was obvious as he spoke these words.

 

“What?” she snapped. Sesshomaru overpowered? The girl knew better than that. That demon was even stronger than Inuyasha. “What attacked you?”

 

“They were an unnatural type of spider demon that I have never seen before. They covered him with some sort of webbing, and he was unable to break free!” Jaken screeched. He paused, clearing his throat and taking on a pompous expression. “Rin and I had been hiding nearby, obeying my lord's wishes. When you came along I was merely defending Rin and myself.”

 

“I understand Jaken.” Kaia nodded. Still, it was difficult to believe that Inuyasha's brother had been overwhelmed. She glanced at Rin, who was staring at the ground with a deep expression of worry.

 

Kaia was sympathetic. She knew exactly how the young one felt… she had suffered the loss of her mother only a month ago, and the hanyou knew that Rin looked up to the great youkai as a father. There was still hope for Rin, however, for Sesshomaru could still be alive. Besides, he held the Tenseiga in his possession, which had protected his life before.

 

Jaken cleared his throat; he seemed to be squirming with the fight of an internal battle. It was a humourous sight, and Kaia gazed upon him with her arms crossed.

 

“Will you help us?” Jaken murmured through clenched teeth. It seemed to irk him greatly to have to enlist the help of a half blood. “I give you my word that once you help us we will return you to your company.”

 

The hanyou stood for a moment, gazing at the two before her. Jaken made brief eye contact, and although his request was made begrudgingly, there was sincerity and helplessness written on his face. Rin remained still, but her imploring stare gave away her inner turmoil. Kaia could not abandon them.

 

“I will help you find your master.”

 

* * *

 

*hours before*

 

The wind whistling…a faint buzz, a hum… a feeling of weightlessness…

 

His eyes began to open.

 

Blurs of colour… cold gusts of thin air… restrained movement…

 

Sesshomaru's eyes were half open now, and things began to slide into focus. His shining sliver mane was buffeted in the wind around him. The great demon spiders were flying through the air, moving fast. He couldn't move…he was wrapped still in the strands of their webbing. He felt feeble; powerless… these trapping fibers had some sort of magic that was draining the lord of his strength. The only strength he could feel was the burn of his bitter hatred for his predicament.

 

He could sense the insects begin a quick descent, and soon there was deep forest surrounding them. Only the light of the moon purged the darkness, but soon even its bright glow was lost. The air grew close, and the darkness deepened for a moment…then an eerie glow shone from a strange veil of mist…

 

Although the full demon lord was weakened, his senses had somewhat returned, and he realized that he'd been dragged into a large cave of some kind. It was an enormous round room with stalagmites growing down from the ceiling, glistening with moisture. The mist before him glowed with a mysterious, unearthly light.

 

Suddenly the great spider youkai dropped him to the cold, hard ground. He was still bound in the cords of web.

 

“Welcome Sesshomaru, lord of the Western Lands,” a resounding voice spoke.

 

The great youkai narrowed his eyes. He was certain it was the eerie veil that spoke. The voice, though deep, was indiscernible from male or female. “Who are you and why have you brought me to this hole?” he spat menacingly.

 

There was a short pause.

 

“Of course, my lord,” the mist snickered mockingly. “I merely extended an invitation to you. Now that you have politely accepted, I can borrow your power, as you won't be needing it. There are some who require…a reminder of what I am capable of.”

 

The demon lord smiled derisively, his narrowed golden eyes glittering smugly in the ghostly light. “I see. So you are nothing but a pitiful coward who needs to use my strength to obtain vengeance.” Somehow this plot sounded familiar. The thought of Naraku attempting to use him to exact revenge on Inuyasha so long ago made him seethe with fury. “You do nothing but waste my time.”

 

“Say what you like, dog, but I still hold you captive. You can't stop me from draining you of your energy, and I doubt very much that we'll see that sweet ningen child barging in here to rescue you. Such a tasty little morsel, is she not?” The demon lord burned with hate at these words as the mist laughed unpleasantly. Did this bastard mean to harm Rin? Sesshomaru's eyes blazed with a sharp ruby light, illuminating the grimy rocks before him. He could not sense her, or Jaken, anywhere close. The veil continued its speech.

 

“You are the most powerful demon on the whole of this island, and yet you still lie there, weak. I've overpowered you Sesshomaru, face it,” the strange voice hissed spitefully.

 

“You haven't answered my question,” the youkai snapped, his anger evident. “Who are you?”

 

Another snicker echoed from the shroud of mist. “Listen carefully because this is the last name you'll ever hear, Sesshomaru. I am Reikoku.”

 

Suddenly, the strands of webbing tightened into a deadly vice grip, and he was thrown up against the wall. He was pinned, spread-eagle, against the damp rock—unable to move, unable to breathe.

 

“You are nothing, you pitiable mongrel,” Reikoku spoke in a vicious undertone. The mist surrounded Sesshomaru, making the air stale with his captor's rotten stench. His fangs were bared and his eyes still flashed a bloody scarlet. Still, he could not transform into his full demonic state.

 

The mist that was Reikoku hammered into the youkai, piercing him like a thousand daggers. It ran through his entire being, clawing at him on the insides, penetrating his very soul. Reikoku was consuming Sesshomaru's energy. The cords of web cut further into his arms and legs, scorching the skin. The piercing pain of the mist's unending onslaught took much from him, and he could feel himself begin to slip, losing control. He gritted his teeth against the anguish, trying not to cry out, but it was impossible. He roared in agony, his ruby eyes wide. He could feel mists ripping and tearing at his body, eating away at his life force.

 

If only he could free himself from the strands of demonic cobwebs, Reikoku would no longer have control…but the great youkai of the West was paralyzed. Sesshomaru cried out again as the splitting pains tormented him, overtaking his shattering mentality. It was his last burst of anger before he once again fell into the inescapable emptiness that was unconsciousness.

 

He was now no more than a broken shell, helpless, drained dry of all vigor.

 

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Holy god… it's two in the morning. At least I'm done the chapter! My cat is outside killing moths at the window. What a retard. I think I'm going to go watch some Inuyasha.

 

If you don't review I'll get my retard cat to eat you like she is that poor moth at the window. I'm serious. So just review and save me the trouble of convincing her to change her diet. Sweet dreams.

 

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