InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Death, Trust Me, as You Didn't in Life ❯ An Ill Wind ( Chapter 43 )

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

Chapter 43: An Ill Wind

Inuyasha watched curiously as Nyoko pulled another scroll out of that tiny pouch she carried and began studying it.

They were sitting in a small cave, about two miles from Ungai's army, as he had stopped for the night, and with the weather deteriorating, they had also sought shelter.

Inuyasha studied the woman he'd been keeping company with for the last week, frankly fascinated by her, though he'd never admit that out loud.

She was such a contradiction.

One minute acting like a child, pranking anyone and everyone, the next, unmistakably adult - and a powerful one, at that.

It was strange, in a way. He'd been around woman of power most of the last fifty some odd years - but this was a different sort of power than he was used to, and it held his attention completely.

He was glad that she was on their side, because he certainly wouldn't want to face her as an enemy - she was a formidable opponent, though she didn't look it.

With a silent sigh, he looked away from her as his mind went back to the still growing army camped a few miles away. He was beginning to worry a little, though he hadn't said anything to his companions of his fears.

The truth was that Ungai's army was growing - rapidly. It seems as though many human daimyo had heard of his quest, and wanted to be a part of it. Every day, more samurai bearing different clan flags marched into sight, bearing truce requests, and then swearing loyalty to Ungai.

Not only that, but he was beginning to get hints of something else - something disturbing, though he was unable to pinpoint what it was, exactly, or why it felt so ominous.

Whatever it was, though, was definitely coming from Ungai's camp - and it had all his fur standing on end everytime he encountered its scent on the wind.

It was definitely an ill wind, and he worried that they might not be able to defeat this enemy - especially if they didn't strike soon.

He was pulled from his worried musings by Nyoko's sound of satisfaction.

"What'cha so happy about?" he asked curiously.

She looked up, seemingly startled, as though she'd forgotten his presence, and blinked.

"Oh... it's nothing - I was just reading this scroll, I wanted to see if I had what I needed for this spell. It's a very powerful one, much stronger than almost any others, and I don't want to make a mistake - that would be very bad."

"If it's that testy that you have to be so careful, why are ya gonna bother?"

"Because it's one that will cause a great deal of havoc. Which is what we need at this point, because..." she trailed off, not really needing to finish. They both were thinking the same things.

"Yeah," he said softly, glancing out of the mouth of the cave into the gloom of a stormy early evening. "If this is such a good spell, why haven't you used it before now?"

She sighed, and set the rolled scroll down near her, looking into the fire contemplatively.

"Because there are consequences for its use, that's why. It's very destructive - the whole region is going to be a ruin when I'm done. That's one reason I've chosen to do it now - because Ungai and his idiots have already torn this area up."

"Oh." He pulled his gaze back into the cave, and looked at her. "So what's it do, then?"

"It's a nature spell, you could say - I will be unleashing a weather disaster on them. I actually have two of these spells," she said, a tired look crossing her face, and he realized that she hadn't slept in two days, "but the other one... well, let's just say it's a spell of absolute last resort - if I unleash that one, the whole region would be destroyed, because there is no controlling it once it's unleashed."

His eyes were wide at the completely serious look on her face. "What...?"

She understood his unspoken question. "It's a spell for a series of tornado's."

He stared at her, then huffed softly, finally pulling his gaze from her and staring into the fire. "Well, I can see why that would be a last resort. There wouldn't be anything left."

"Exactly."

"So, then this other spell, the one you are gonna use... what's it do?"

"It will bring up a very powerful thunderstorm - one the likes of which you've never seen, centered right where I want it. The lightening will stalk right through the army, decimating everything in it's path." She looked up at him, and chuckled at the look on his face. "It'll last about five minutes - but that's enough."

"I'll say," he snorted. "Damn... you're a really dangerous woman, you know that?" he said admiringly, and she chuckled in return.

"Yes, I am aware of my hopelessly endearing qualities," she said flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes at him.

"You consider danger as endearing?" he asked incredulously, and she nodded earnestly.

"But of course, Inuyasha, my dear. After all... that's why you are attracted to me."

She let out peal after peal of laughter at his red-faced, sputtering denials, while Kanna just sat at the back of the cave and watched the budding romance between the two...

The romance the hanyou wasn't even aware of, yet.

That would change soon, she knew.

---wWw---

So, Amaterasu has placed her champion, has she? A miko - and now a little goddess.

How quaint.

But will she really be a danger to my plans? Can she actually figure it out in time, and defeat me and my champion?

I wonder...

Perhaps I should worry... but I will not.

This one does not fear anything - not even a goddess with a part of the aspect of Amaterasu.

---wWw---

Man, I need to tell Sesshoumaru about this morning - what I encountered. With our little argument, and his mother, here she growled inwardly, I haven't had the chance.

He really needs to know...

With an irritable sigh, she looked up from the spot she'd sat down in after his mother had relieved them of the burden of her presence, and over to where her other half lounged.

"I never got the chance to tell you about what I found earlier today, when I was meditating," she began, stopping for just a moment when he shot her a still annoyed glance when she reminded him of that incident.

Then she continued. "Oh, get over it. It's a good thing I did what I did, because I found something disturbing." She continued on to tell him of the suspicious aura she'd found, and about her recognition of it, though she could not place it, and her worries about what it could be.

She told him, too, about her discussion with Miroku and Ryozo, and their contributions to the discussion - and where that left them in terms of who it could be.

The list, as she pointed out, was very limited - and none of the choices on it were good.

As she spoke, he became more concerned; he knew that the monk was level-headed, and wouldn't be so concerned unless there was a very valid reason to be so.

And his miko as well - she was no fool - if she was that worried, then it was definitely something they needed to dig deeper into.

With that thought in mind, he stood, and holding out a hand, indicated that she should join him.

"We will go to Ungai and his army, and we will search out this aura. Perhaps this one will have encountered it, and then we will know what we face."

She stood up obediently, and took his hand, though she was frowning. "But how are we going to get there that fast," she asked, confused, becoming even more so at his smirk.

"There are two ways. We can walk the other paths, my little goddess, which you should have been aware of," he quirked a brow at her embarrassed flush, "or, we can travel this way."

All of a sudden, Kagome found herself clasped tightly against her demon Lord, not that she was complaining, or anything, and then she squeaked - they were suddenly weightless, and streaking over the landscape in a brilliant bolt of light.

When they finally came to a halt, and he put her back down on her own two feet, she was red with anger, and she actually smacked his shoulder.

"Don't ever do that again, Sesshoumaru! Next time, I just might purify you!" Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, and his damn smirk wasn't helping a bit. "You could have at least warned me," she grumbled.

He merely blinked at her, then turned away, and let loose a small portion of his aura, searching for whatever it was what had so set Kagome off.

"And another thing! You're such a show-of, but we really don't want Ungai and his army seeing your light flash across a dark sky and come hunting for you," she finished sarcastically, then huffed and folded her arms across her chest when she realized he wasn't paying her any attention.

"You should be searching for that aura, and not talking, miko. Your ranting serves no purpose."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, but she opened her aura as well, deciding that she could get him back for this later.

It wasn't long before she felt the tainted touch of that aura again, and she gasped, locking onto it, she reached out and grabbed Sesshoumaru's aura, guiding it to the faint touch of the other.

As soon as Kagome locked him onto the aura that she'd sensed, he knew who it was...

And Kagome opened her eyes wide as he let out a curse - she'd never thought to ever hear him vocalize something like that.

"Damn!"

He immediately tugged her back into his chest, and reaching out once more with his aura, he tracked his brother down, and within seconds, they were approaching Inuyasha's position.

The moment they landed, Sesshoumaru was striding into the cave, finding a startled Inuyasha, and Nyoko, and a silent Kanna.

Kagome stormed in after him and started yelling. "Okay, that's it, Sesshoumaru. You can't just curse like that, and then leave me in the dark! Who is out there?"

He flashed her a hot glance, and she fell silent in surprise, listening as he filled Inuyasha and Nyoko in on what had happened - including her new kami status, as the two were staring wide-eyed at her, and she realized she was glowing again.

She grumbled, but dimmed the glow again, and then fell silent when he got to what he'd found when he'd sensed the aura that was with Ungai.

She had no intentions of missing his words because she was irate at his high-handed behavior, and apparently, neither did the other two, because they'd been completely quiet the entire time he'd been speaking... and for Inuyasha, that was a record.

"... the miko found the aura she'd sensed earlier, and brought it to this ones attention. Somehow, the dark miko that was summoning a spirit to aid her managed to conjure Sou'unga's spirit."

Kagome's mind froze.

---wWw---

Kaede glanced up at the night sky, then back to her path.

Dark as it was, the path she and the two monks and the slayer were walking was well illuminated; there were three torches with them, and they were definitely needed - they were checking all the wards around the village, and making sure all guards were where they were supposed to be.

After this, they would all head to their beds - tomorrow would likely be a long day - as would they all until this most dangerous of threats was overcome.

She sighed a little as they walked, all lost in their own thoughts.

She'd already lived through Naraku, and all the havoc he'd created for over fifty years, and she'd rejoiced when the group had finally destroyed him, though she'd strongly mourned the death of Kagome.

But she'd hoped then, to live out her remaining days in peace - and yet, within weeks of the destruction of the spider, they were faced by something just as bad... and maybe even worse.

Brow furrowing uneasily in thought, she wondered, again, on what the aura Kagome had sensed had been. Much as she didn't know about the groups travels, and all the opponents they'd faced, she had a very bad feeling that whatever it was, was going to take everything they could conjure to destroy - and maybe more than they could bring up to defend the lands.

She'd always trusted her gut feelings - as a miko, those could often save your life, and this one was telling her that they were in big trouble.

Glancing at her companions, she could tell that they felt the same - especially Miroku.

"Am I correct, Miroku, in thinking that you are still pondering on the information that we obtained earlier from Kagome and monk Ryozo?"

He started a little, shaken out of obviously deep thoughts, then nodded at the elderly priestess.

"That I am. I am concerned... knowing that the list of possible suspects is very short, and that none of those on the list is a very good option. Any one of the possibilities could be disastrous. The one that worries me the most, however," he glanced at Sango, and caught her eye, "is..." he was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a very large demonic aura, wrapped around a holy aura - Sesshoumaru and Kagome.

"Sou'unga," Sesshoumaru said, taking the words right from Miroku's mouth, and Ryozo and Kaede gasped, while Miroku and Sango's faces grew grim - echoing Kagome's expression.

"You are certain?" Kaede asked, and Kagome nodded.

"Yeah. When I told Sesshoumaru what I'd found earlier, he took me near to Ungai's army, and I searched out the aura again, then directed his attention to it. He recognized it instantly."

"We will need to have another council of war tomorrow, as soon as possible after sunrise. We do not have much time, and this information changes everything - this is no longer just a war of attrition by humans against demons - this is Sou'unga attempting to take over the world and drench it in blood. He will not stop at just demon blood," he said warningly, and Kagome nodded.

"He's right," she said softly. "Sou'unga only wants the blood of the world at his feet - he cares naught for whose blood it is. It's not just demons who are at risk now... it's everyone."

Miroku frowned, and then said, "But if this is so, Kagome, and he wants to destroy the world, then it would seem that we win, and perhaps, we should not be so worried."

Everyone frowned at him in confusion. "What are you talking about, Miroku?"

"Your time would not exist if Sou'unga won, now would it?"

Kagome frowned deeper, but shook her head. "It's not that easy, Miroku. Time isn't constant. It could still be changed. And besides that, we have no demons in my time. So... that still doesn't bode well. As far as I'm concerned, if we win against Ungai in the end, but still lose all demons - we'll have lost. We have to win completely to declare the victory."

"Which means we have to be very careful here to go over every possible scenario," Sango said. "I have the feeling that there's gonna be several different fronts in this war - and not all of them will be on this plane of existence."

Everyone nodded soberly at that, acknowledging her words.

This was likely the biggest battle that the world would ever see - and if they weren't victorious, no one would survive to battle again.

They only had one chance at this, and failure wasn't an option.

---wWw---

Inuyasha and Nyoko stared at each other for a long while after Sesshoumaru left, too stunned to really say anything.

Inuyasha remembered Sou'unga all too well, after all, the sword had forcibly possessed him, and caused him to almost do several things that he would have been horrified of, if he hadn't managed to fight the bastard off enough to get away before he could hurt anyone.

He certainly never wanted to meet that spirit again - and all because of some meddling dark miko bitch, he was gonna have to. He could admit to himself that he was scared.

He was terrified of what would happen if that evil spirit managed to take him over again.

Nyoko, while she hadn't had such a close acquaintance with the sword, was well aware of what Sou'unga was.

When she'd been young, long ago when the world itself was much younger, that name had been whispered in the night, in stories told to frighten children, and it had worked. She was definitely afraid of that name - and the being behind it.

Finally, Inuyasha broke the silence.

"I never thought we'd have to deal with that bastard again. I don't understand how a stupid dark miko had enough power to conjure Sou'unga. That just doesn't sound right," he said, frustration breaking through.

Before Nyoko could answer, they both heard a movement behind them, and glanced back in surprise to see Kanna moving forward, to sit near them before the fire.

"We must leave first thing in the morning, in order to make it back to my Lord," she said softly, and the two strained to make sure they heard her. "My Lady Nyoko, you should work your spell now, so you may rest before we leave."

Turning to face Inuyasha, ignoring the surprised looks of the two at her sudden assumption of command, she continued.

"The dark miko was only a useful tool for the one who truly unleashed the spirit of the sword of hell back upon the earth. Our true opponent is much more powerful."

Both of the two sitting in the cave with her blanched. More powerful than Sou'unga?

Nyoko cast a glance at Inuyasha, then cleared her throat and asked, "Then who is our real opponent, Kanna?"

She was in no way, shape, or form, prepared for her answer.

"Sosa-no-wo-no-Mikoto."

---wWw---

A/N: So... now we know who Ungai is being controlled by. I only had two people guess correctly, so I guess I did a good job of confusing everyone.

And now, we know who's behind even him. Sosa-no-wo-no-Mikoto is taken directly from Shinto beliefs. In their mythology, he is a brother of Amaterasu - and he contends against her to take over the heavens.

Amber