InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Death, Trust Me, as You Didn't in Life ❯ Alliances ( Chapter 32 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 32: Alliances

Izayoi watched her son run towards the west, towards his friends - and towards the two women that had, so far, ruled his life, and decided that it was time to push him to finalize his decision to seek his happiness away from either of them.

Especially as the woman he was truly meant for would enter his life that very day.

And the fireworks on this one are going to be spectacular - I think I'll stick around and watch, she thought, highly amused. The both of them, so stubborn and determined to get their own way...

With that thought in mind, she waited until her son stopped for a breather, and then announced her presence to him, letting him once more feel her surrounding him in safety... and love.

The moment he realized that she was there, she spoke.

"My son... where do you go so swiftly?"

"Mother?" he smiled a bit as he felt her... it was like a hug, and he hadn't had that from her in so long...

"Hai, Inuyasha. I have come as I said I would - have you decided? Do you wish to have the girl returned to you?"

Inuyasha swallowed heavily at that. He'd known she would return and ask it, she'd said she would but... I know what my decision is - but it's so hard to actually say it - because once I do, it's truly over. It's the last time I could have any claim over her.

"I... " he trailed off, looking down at the ground, he sighed, and whispered, "No. I don't want to force her to my side. That's not... love. I can't make her want me, and call that fair. She's made her choice - and I can only blame myself for my loss."

And Izayoi smiled to herself, pleased. "That is wise of you, my son. You are right. Coerced love is not love. What then, will you do? Will you stick to the other miko?"

He chuckled. "Funny thing about that... Kikyou..." he sighed again, "well... I held on to her, I think, out of fear of being alone. I was afraid, that if I lost both, I would lose everything. But... that's not true. The whole world is open to me, if I have my friends at my back - and I do. Kagome will never abandon me as a friend, I know that, and as long as I have that... I have more than I ever had before."

"You are right again, Inuyasha. But do not lose hope for a love of your own - she is out there, and you will meet her - sooner than you might think. Trust your mother on this."

"Do you... really mean that, mother?" he asked, wistfully.

"Yes."

Inuyasha smiled then, hope opening in his heart once again, and Izayoi's heart settled; her son would not spend his days alone ever again.

"I think, my son, that you should continue on to your friends, and your brother. There is battle coming - and the fate of all demons rests in the hands of both sons of the Inu no Taisho - and the miko that carried the tama."

At that, the half-demon's face grew grim. "Ungai. Yeah... this whole thing with him stinks."

"Go. Put the past behind you, Inuyasha, bury the emnity between you and Sesshoumaru. Your father himself is watching. Make all of us proud - join your brother and defend not only the West - but all the lands."

He nodded, eyes turning towards the west again, and asked, "Will I... hear from you again, mother?"

"Yes, my Inuyasha, you will. Now go."

With a grin, he yelled, "Later!" and took off, once more heading for his friends.

With his brother, and himself, allying together, the West would stand - and if they had anything to say about it, so would all the other lands.

Ungai was going down.

---wWw---

Sesshoumaru watched Nyoko and Kagome talking with something akin to horror, and he had to wonder about his sanity in allowing the two to meet. One alone was dangerous enough, but together...

He shuddered internally.

"Sorceress," he said, recalling her to his presence - and the reasons for her own.

"Oh... yeah. Sesshoumaru. Sorry, didn't mean to forget you," she said flippantly, and he gritted his teeth silently as Kagome once more broke out into silvery peals of laughter. "So... what can I do for you?"

"I would like to discuss this monk, Ungai, woman."

"Yeah... that reminds me. I already caused that bastard some major trouble. He's lost about half his forces, and it'll be at least a week before he's able to straighten things out and regroup."

The entire clearing went silent at her pronouncement, and Sesshoumaru, brow quirked, asked, "What did you do?"

Nyoko chuckled wickedly, and tapped her lip with a slender finger. "Well, you know how what people believe is sometimes even stronger than truth?" At his nod, she smirked, and continued. "I had this little powder that goes really good with meat, and so I snuck into his camp and seasoned their food with it. It kinda made for an interesting night - although the two miko that woke nude next to Ungai sorta freaked out..."

Eyes wide, Kikyou and Kagome looked at each other, then back at the sorceress - and apparently, Miroku figured it out as well, as a very perverted look crossed his face.

"Passion powder, Lady Nyoko?" He snuck a glance at Sango, then grinned. "Tell me... would you happen to have any more?"

Sango's face grew outraged, and she swung instantly as the sorceress laughed, knocking Miroku right out, and with a blissful smile on his face, he keeled over peacefully.

"Pervert," she hissed angrily.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to tamp down his rising frustration.

"Nyoko," he said warningly, "explain."

She laughed, and then bounced over to take a seat near the two miko. "Okay, okay, keep your hakama on, sheesh. Anyway, all those miko in his army have the traditional belief that their powers are based on bodily purity." She shrugged. "It's not, of course, but because they believed it, when they all woke up deflowered, they couldn't access their powers anymore, and now are just ordinary women."

The demon lord considered her words for a few moments, almost laughing internally at the idea of what she'd done, though he would never show it.

"That does not account for him losing half his forces."

"Nope. But the flip side of the whole thing is that quite a few of the monks felt that they had dishonored the buddha and the kami by deflowering said miko, and have given up their robes."

The entire pack found themselves astounded as they stared at the sorceress, awed.

Kagome shook her head to clear it, and said, "Well... it was a brilliant idea, I have to say. The mind is a powerful thing, and belief in an ideal can certainly influence the reality of a situation." She looked at Nyoko. "So... half?"

She shrugged gracefully. "Mmhmm. Though I'm sure he'll recoup some of those losses, I don't think he'll regain them completely. At the very least, it buys us some more time."

Sesshoumaru nodded thoughtfully. "Yes... indeed it does. Now... we must make alliances." He turned to look at the fire elemental, who'd been rather quiet for the last little while. "Tell me, Kisho - do you know of any others of power that would fight with us?"

Kisho looked away, eyes troubled. Finally, he said, "Yes... " he sighed. "I will go speak to them, though it should be understood that I cannot guarantee their participation."

"It is acceptable. Do what you can." He watched as Kisho nodded, then turned to leave, although he stopped and turned to Kikyou with a smile, before disappearing in a streak of fire.

Before anyone could say anything, a red-clothed bombshell came skidding into camp cursing up a blue streak, and as Sesshoumaru watched, brow quirked, the half-demon turned to speak to him, then caught sight of Nyoko.

"Oi, Sesshoumaru - who the hell's the skinny wench?"

An ominous silence followed, and Kagome's face darkened, seeing that, Inuyasha's ears plastered flat to his head, and he braced himself.

"Inuyashaaaa! Sit! SIT! How can you be so rude?!" she yelled, outraged.

Nyoko's eyes widened almost comically at the sight before her, and then she dissolved into hysterical laughter, while the rest of the camp just shook their heads.

"S-sit??!" she gasped out, tears streaming down her cheeks. She stumbled up to the crater the half-demon lay in, and dropping down to her knees, said, "Awww... good doggy... he's sooo cute! You sit when told... looks like Kagome has you well-trained. What a fate for a son of the Taisho!"

Kagome clapped a hand over her mouth at that, and Sango, Kikyou and Kagome all fell into each others arms, giggling madly.

With a deep sigh, Sesshoumaru turned away, shaking his head as he listened to the cursing of his brother as the fool erupted from his hole, and waited for the next yell that would precede him being forced back into the crater.

He looked up into the sky.

Why me, father? Why did you saddle me with this chaos?

---wWw---

Somewhere far away, and yet not, the Inu no Taisho burst into laughter.

Welcome to it, my son, he thought, gleefully.

---wWw---

Several hours later, Sesshoumaru sat with the rest of the group around the fire, while the children were occupied drawing and playing games. It was time to start planning.

"Nyoko... I think that you will need to speed up the process with Kagura. Is that possible?" he asked.

She frowned, flicking a quick glance at Kagome, then nodded. "Yes... but..."

"Just what are you planning on doing to Kagura, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

He quirked a brow at her tone. "I am going to turn her little plan of possession around on her, miko. I will control her for a time... until she learns her place. At this point, her help in the coming battle would be acceptable - whether it is willing... or no."

Eyes narrowing, Kagome stared at him, then looked away uneasily. "I don't suppose I could talk you out of this...?"

"No."

"I didn't think so," she mumbled.

"Oi, we- err... woman..." he said, ears flattening to his skull at her warning glare, "what's the big deal? It's just Kagura."

She sighed. "I'm just not comfortable forcing others to do things against their will, that's all."

"It may be that this will teach the wind witch to view possession as you do, then, miko. Let us hope for her sake that it does." He looked back at Nyoko. "How long until you can give me control of her will?"

"Perhaps a week, maybe ten days. I will have to use a different path than I had first planned, but..." she trailed off, then shrugged. "Not that it will make much difference to her. Controlled is still controlled, after all."

Sesshoumaru eyed her, then nodded. There is something she is not saying... but perhaps that is for the best. Kagome would probably not like it.

"Very well, then. What will you need from me?"

She rubbed a hand down her arm, eyes thoughtful. "When I have need to bond her to your will specifically, I will bring her to you. There's nothing else until then."

He inclined his head to her. "Take Kanna with you - she will be able to show you where we are when you are ready."

Nyoko stood, and bowed slightly to him, her face serious for once, then turned to her newest friends. "Take care - and be cautious. This Ungai... he's insane."

Inuyasha scowled at her. "Yeah, yeah, go away now. Not like we don't already know the old geezer is crazy."

Nyoko studied him for a moment while the three other women snickered, then her usual unrepentant grin crossed her lips. "I have special plans for you, little doggy... don't you fret your self. Be a good boy, now!" She laughed and blew him a mocking kiss as she pulled a feather, and crawling on behind Kanna, she giggled at the outraged sputtering of the half-demon.

"Later, everyone!"

With that, she was gone, and everyone stared at Inuyasha's red, angry face as he cursed after the departed sorceress.

Kagome poked him in the side, laughing breathlessly, she said, "Ya know, dog boy... I think she's perfect for ya!"

Sesshoumaru considered that for a moment, watching his brother's shocked face, then smirked faintly. "I concur, my miko. Perhaps I should consider her as a suitable mate for my younger brother."

The enraged half-demon scowled at everyone, then plopped down next to Miroku, a sulky look on his face. "Feh," he said, disgustedly. "As if I'd ever think of that wench like that! Now... weren't we talking about serious stuff, or what?"

---wWw---

As the talk continued amongst the group, Kagome let herself get lost in her own thoughts for a while, and then, when it got late enough, she got up, and helped the children to bed.

She wasn't really paying any attention to the talk around the fire, battle plans and the like not being her forte. Once they were in battle, she'd go where she was most needed - until then, she had other things on her mind.

As she sat near the children, humming them into dreamland, she let her mind wander some more, so was caught a bit off-guard when Sango came over and sat with her.

"What's wrong, Sango? Usually you love to talk about battles and fights," she said dryly as she eyed her friend.

Sango blushed, but laughed. "Yeah... well, mostly, what they're talking about right now is just supposition and vague possibilites. Once we're into actual planning and strategies..." she trailed off, glancing suddenly at her friend, then away.

Kagome looked back at her wryly. "What's really on your mind, Sango?" she asked.

Her friend looked sheepish for a moment, then her expression changed, sadness creeping into her eyes.

"What... what's it like to be... dead?"

Kagome blinked, surprised - and then her eyes went distant, and she sighed. She wants comfort for the memories of her family. "Like being alive... only better. Of course, for others, it's different... as I went to the place that finished souls go to."

"What do you mean?" Sango looked confused.

"I'm the last incarnation of this soul, Sango... so I didn't go to wait until my next re-birth."

"Oh," she breathed. "I see. Nirvana."

Kagome frowned a little. "Well... yeah, I guess you could call it that. Although... perfect nothingness... no... it definitely isn't that. It's an entirely new existence, Sango - just like being alive, only time, and death, have no foothold there at all. And distance means nothing. Here, and there, are as close, or as far, as you want them to be."

Sango was awed. Is it really so? "I can see why you didn't want to come back, Kagome..."

"That's not really why, Sango. I was just... tired. I'd spent so much time following Inuyasha, trying to love him the only way I knew how - by giving him all of myself - but it never worked. I'd finally given everything I had, and there was nothing left for me. So... when I died, I was at peace. And then... there was Sesshoumaru, and he was... everything. He was what I didn't want to leave."

The two women hadn't realized that the others had stopped talking and were listening, and as they heard Kagome's words, they were flung into thoughts of their own... Kikyou, feeling bad once again for the pain she'd inflicted on her one time rival, and Inuyasha...

Inuyasha just hurt. Despite his recent realizations, he still loved Kagome - and in some way, probably always would. It would just change over time. But he would spend much time in the coming years kicking himself for his loss, and the hurt he'd dealt her.

Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, was inwardly pleased as he heard her words... for as long as he'd loved her, and as hard as he'd fought it, once he'd finally given in, he'd watched the triangle with his brother and the former undead miko with a very deep sorrow...

And envy for his brother - to have her heart, and abuse it... he'd never understood the foolish half-demon. So to hear her now speak of loving him, of wanting to stay with him, filled him with happiness... something he'd never hoped to really feel.

He hadn't, either... until she'd chosen him.

He was roused from his thoughts as a powerful group of auras suddenly swelled over the encampment, and the entire group was on their feet with weapons in hand when Kisho walked slowly into the circle of firelight...

Accompanied by a small contingent of youkai - obviously warriors of high calibre by their stance and weaponry, and Sesshoumaru slid Bakusaiga back into his obi as they cautiously approached.

The oldest, a male water youkai, followed by a wind youkai, nodded at him, eyes glinting savagely as they looked around themselves and noted all the members of the group, and their readiness for battle.

"We will fight this threat with you, Sesshoumaru of the West - as Kisho has spoken, we have also seen for ourselves the danger this Ungai poses to all of our lives." With another approving glance around, he finished, "There will be others that come. When that monk comes, we will meet him in battle and defeat him utterly. What say you to this alliance, Lord of the West?"

Sesshoumaru stared consideringly at the group for a few moments, then nodded once, sharply.

"Be welcome, then. We will be allies as we see to the destruction of the one who threatens our existence. Come... join us around the fire - this camp is open to you."

With that, the enlarged group eyed each other a bit, and settled slowly back around the fire.

Kagome stared at the youkai, then at Sesshoumaru, and inhaled deeply.

Oh... this is gonna be fun, she thought. I can already foresee some of the infighting that's going to take place with this group.

Sango chuckled at the look on her friends face, and patted her back comfortingly.

"Don't worry, Kagome. Normally, in a group like this, they'd all start fighting immediately to establish dominance... but with Sesshoumaru, backed up by you, no one will even try it."

And then she broke out in laughter. "Inuyasha, on the other hand... he might just end up getting in several fights."

Kagome slumped. Great... just great. That's all we need. We're supposed to all be allies... why can't we just get along nicely and save the fighting for Ungai?

And then she gave herself the answer.

Because they are youkai, that's why. They just love to fight.

---wWw---

A/N: Poor Kagome, surrounded by testosterone laden males bent on proving themselves... looks like she and Kikyou and Sango are going to have their hands full dealing with them and the children... wait... children, males, children...males. Okay... got it. Same diff.

Amber