InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Death, Trust Me, as You Didn't in Life ❯ Let No One Put Asunder ( Chapter 59 )

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

Chapter 59: Let No One Put Asunder

Chaos swirled with deadly intent around Kagome, and wild-eyed, stunned, she floundered, completely uncertain of what was going on. Then she felt her connection to Sesshoumaru cut - and she panicked.

Power pulsed outward from her as it bled into the maelstrom surrounding her, and the backlash was vicious - had she still been human, she would have been torn apart from the violence surrounding her form.

As it was, she couldn't sense anything outside of the storm she was seemingly trapped in, and that fact alone frightened her half to death. She could have withstood that... but the loss of her mate, her lover? No... she didn't know what had happened to him - or whether something had happened to her, instead.

Had he been pulled away from her, or was it the other way around?

The longer this went on, the worse her soul felt - it was as though something was tearing asunder inside her, and she began to lose her normal calm state of mind, instead degenerating into a keening grief that held madness at its core.

With that grief came an upsurge in her own power, one that almost seemed to calm the raging forces directly around her, making her appear as nothing so much as the eye of some great storm - a storm such as had never been seen on the face of the earth... or in the realms below.

One that even Sosa noticed... and began to fear. Because that storm, that maelstrom, was joined by one being created by Sesshoumaru, as well... and it was finding resonance, and being fed by, the link the two shared to the Western Lands.

If this wasn't fixed, and fast, the very fabric of reality would be torn apart, and even Sosa, as the god of chaos and storms, wasn't fool enough to want something like what was brewing right now.

Chaos, by its very nature could not be controlled - Kagome had been correct about that - but it should be guided... by him.

This disaster was not being guided by anything.

-cCc-

Back in the other realms, a mad daiyoukai raged, his power flooding the paths between the realms with uncontrolled vitriol. Sesshoumaru could feel his full strength surge to the surface of his mind, and he let it out to destroy everything around him, not caring what he did any longer.

There had never been a mating such as this - on the one had, a daiyoukai that had no equal, he was the most powerful living being on the face of the earth - and on the other hand, a goddess. The power potential was exponential, and on top of that, there was all the power implicit from the link with the lands that both now had.

Normally, in a mated pair, if one passed on, and the link between the two was broken, one of two things happened. Either the bond between the mates was so weak as to cause no reaction at all, or the bond was strong, and the mate left behind weakened slowly and eventually passed on to follow the other.

With this pair, that wasn't the case.

Sesshoumaru could no longer feel his mate's presence in his mind, nor could he sense her in any other way, and he wasn't sure what that meant. Normally, one couldn't really kill a god... but could another god do so? And he had no doubts in his now misfiring mind that this could only have been caused by Sosa... leaving him to deal with the backlash of the loss of contact with abject fear.

Because there was no telling what had happened to her.

Throwing back his great head, the beast howled his grief to the universe, slipping further and further into madness as he did so.

If he couldn't be with his mate, then he didn't care if he destroyed everything. Let the rest of the damn kami figure it out of they wanted to save anything.

Without Kagome, he didn't care about any of the rest of it. The kami and all the worlds be damned.

-cCc-

On earth, the separating of the two was most certainly felt.

First, a pulse, deep within the earth, coming from the center of the Western Lands, causing every living being within several hundred square miles to panic - something was obviously very wrong.

Then, a tremble within the fabric of the earth... followed by a shudder - one that came again, and again, and did not stop.

And then... as fear began to permeate the lands around, a lurch in the psychic energies of the West, as power began to be pulled from them, draining the natural energies of the lands.

If it did not stop fairly soon, all of the world was doomed.

-cCc-

"Sosa, you fool!" Amaterasu almost screamed, as close to losing her temper as she had ever been. "You have unleashed a cataclysm on us!"

What in the heavens was that idiot thinking? Dammit, I only hope that I can get through to Kagome before the power she and Sesshoumaru are drawing destroys everything!

Closing her eyes, she willed herself to bond with the physical presence of her youngest daughter, Kagome's own essence answering the call of her mother and drawing her to her... all unknowingly. Amaterasu found herself once again combining with Kagome, just as she had when she had first shared herself with her.

Much as she had not wanted to do such a thing again, there had been no choice this time - from within was the only way to reach the panicked goddess.

"Kagome!" her voice ran out commandingly in the young goddess' mind. "You must calm yourself, or you will destroy everything! Sesshoumaru is not gone - you must simply look for him! The bond is still there," she softened her voice, aware that Kagome was beginning to listen, "just look for it. You are drawing so much power right now that you are threatening the very fabric of time and reality - and your mate is doing the same. He has lost himself to madness, and if you do not stop him soon, he will unleash more chaos on us all then even Sosa could guide."

"W-what do you mean, look for it? Where am I, and where's Sesshoumaru?" she asked, thoughts shaky and fear-ridden.

"You have been trapped by Sosa in a time where Sesshoumaru is not, yet - in between your own time and Sengoku Jidai. That is why you do not feel him. But your bond is too strong to be broken, it is just muted right now. Look for it, and open it back up, quickly!"

Finding comfort in Amaterasu's words, knowing that she wouldn't be wrong in what she was saying, Kagome began to pull herself forcefully back from the chaos threatening to destroy her mind, and started to search within herself for the bond with her mate - the one that was so new, yet so necessary for her sanity, now.

Where is it? Dammit... Centering herself with every bit of control she could muster, she closed her mind to everything going on outside herself, and concentrated, looking for the smallest sense of Sesshoumaru hiding anywhere within her, determined to find him. I can't give up...!

There! I can feel him! At that realization, something inside herself that had been tight and anguished released just a bit, and taking hold of the wild currents of power swirling around her, she began to guide the power into the bond, opening and strengthening it in defiance of time's strictures - and the trap she had found herself in. As the current swelled, she began to feel his presence, once more strongly within her - but it was not stable. Amaterasu was right - he was drowning in the madness of the bond disappearing, and his mind was almost totally gone to his beast.

This is going to be harder than I thought... Sesshoumaru, you'd better respond to me, you damn stubborn inu - I'm not going to lose you to your own demon blood!

Opening the flow of power that she was channeling even further, she began to pour it into him, trying to taking back his mind from the insanity that was trying to grip it.

I won't let you go!

“Sesshoumaru!”

-cCc-

Sugimi shuddered as he felt the building energies beginning to bleed into the other realms from the pathways between, and frowned deeply, suddenly worried – he easily recognized his eldest son's youki, though it was slightly changed by his mating with his little goddess.

Forming his orb around himself, he moved as close as he dared to the center of the disturbance, then regained his solid form. Extending his senses, he almost reeled back in shock at the utter madness tainting his son's youki – while taking in the fact that he was in his true form, and dangerously enraged.

What the hell is going on, and where is his mate? Damn... there's nothing for it – in order to even try to stop him, I'm going to have to also assume my true form. I only hope he isn't too far gone to recognize and respond to his sire and alpha.

I just hope the explosion of my own power isn't too much, with all the power he's drawing down already...

Without another thought, he allowed himself to bleed into his larger form, trying to go slower, so as to keep the power from being less abrupt and destabilizing the fabric of reality around them. Finally, transformation complete, he stood, and shaking himself, threw his head back and roared his challenge to his son, hoping that if Sesshoumaru were concentrated on him, he would quite trying to rip the universe apart.

I just want to know what's happened to cause this - I've never seen Sesshoumaru react this way to anything before...

The moment he sounded out, Sesshoumaru whipped around, his acid saliva pooling on the ground below his feet, and growled low in his chest, no recognition in his eyes, only rage. It was clear that there would be no submission on his part – and of course, Sugimi would not submit, either.

There would be battle.

However, unlike it would have once been, there was no way to know who would win. Sesshoumaru had grown in stature, now equaling his father in size, and slightly greater in power... and that was without access to his mate's strength.

This would definitely be a titanic fight... but at least, with Sesshoumaru's ire focused on his father, he wouldn't be rampaging and destroying reality.

Hopefully, Kagome will arrive before any real damage is done, was the elder daiyoukai's last thought before the fight commenced with his son rushing him, trying to knock him off his feet.

He barely made it out of the way in time, and just that quickly, the battle was joined.

-cCc-

“Sesshoumaru!” Kagome screamed into the link, desperately trying to get his attention. She was appalled at the amount of rage the perceived loss of her engendered in him – and the fact that he did not care if he destroyed the world as vengeance against the kami for taking her away from him.

He truly was mad if he thought he could take down the kami – daiyoukai he may be, but he was no match for a god.

He had surrendered so much of himself to the blood rage, however, that even though she was now practically screaming inside his own mind, he wasn't responding. But just as she was about to begin panicking again, she felt his rage redirect itself from the kami, to something else...

She almost choked when she realized who he was now facing – and what was about to happen.

“Oh, dear gods,” she whispered to herself, forgetting that Amaterasu could hear everything she was saying and even what she was thinking immediately – since she was still inside her mind. All the information feeding into her from the bond was going just as easily to the goddess herself.

That was a good thing, however.

“Kagome, I am going to go to him. This cannot be allowed to continue. The fabric of reality in that area has already been too compromised by his actions – adding a battle of the proportions that those two will unleash is too dangerous. I will stop Sesshoumaru.”

For one moment, Kagome panicked. “What are you going to do to him?”

“I will render him unconscious for a time – until you are able to return to his side and calm him. It is the only way. I could do it... but it would damage him. It would be best for you to figure this trap out and then rejoin your mate.”

“Can't you just let me out of this?” she fussed. “I really don't have the time to be messing around.”

“I could... but there is, I have found, a lesson for you in this. I will not free you – you must do so yourself. Find the solution, and then exercise your will. As a kami, you must learn to do this. The problem is that you don't like enforcing your will on others – but you no longer have that choice, you must. This gives you the chance to begin learning that lesson. Another thing you must learn, my daughter – just because you can do something, does not mean that you should. I know you can do this, Kagome. I will take care of your mate, you figure this puzzle out, then join us.”

With that, Amaterasu's presence in her mind disappeared, and Kagome scowled in disgust. “We really don't have time for this, dammit,” she yelled, though her voice was still drowned out by the twisting power coiling around her.

Mouth thinning in displeasure, Kagome opened her eyes and looked around at her prison.

I am so going to find a way to make Sosa pay for this crap, she thought, irritation flaring in her gaze.

That's one time I won't mind exercising my will, as she put it.

Not at all.

-cCc-

Sesshoumaru threw his head back and roared his acceptance of the challenge by the male confronting him. He would be the first to pay for the loss of his mate.

As far gone in his rage as he was he did not recognize his sire, and with no hesitation, he lunged, determined to bathe in the blood of his opponent.

The other was fast, however, and as he reached where he had stood, his form landing with ground-shaking power, there was no one there to draw blood from.

Eyes narrowing, he swung around, expecting the other male to be charging him in return, only to find him standing back, eyeing him. Why does he not attack? his youkai blood snarled, enraged by his opponent's refusal to do so.

So be it... if he does not, then I will! Snarling out loud, he leapt after the male, moving so quickly that he managed to catch him off guard and got in a good swipe with his claws, opening his opponents shoulder. The scent of blood had him growling with pleasure, but once again, the other male disengaged and backed off, growling low at him. With a surge of power, the male transformed, and just as happy to fight in his humanoid form, Sesshoumaru also allowed his human form to reform.

Eyes just as feral in this form as the other, he immediately drew his sword and attacked, not giving any quarter.

“Stand down, Sesshoumaru!” Sugimi snarled, even as he crossed swords with his son. “I do not wish to fight you!”

Despite his transformation, his beast was still firmly in control. “No!” he bit out. “The world will pay, the kami will pay for the loss of my mate! I will not be pacified!”

Damn! Sugimi knew that as powerful as he was, his son was just slightly stronger. His only real advantage over Sesshoumaru at this point was experience. He had several millenia of that, where his son hadn't yet reached his first millennium.

If this battle lasts too long, there'll be trouble. Why couldn't the boy pick a realm and take the fight there? Then it wouldn't be a problem! Instead, he had to fight in the pathways... stubborn boy. He met his son's flurry of blows with his own sword, his blood rising despite himself. The call of battle to an inu was overwhelmingly powerful, and if this didn't end soon, he would end up just as combat-minded as his son.

Sesshoumaru's blood was boiling with the high of battle, never mind the power that was feeding into him from the Western lands, and he was beginning to push the opposing male back, little by little. In his rage-hazed mind, he still hadn't realized it was his own father he was attacking so violently, and, blade flickering in and out so fast it almost couldn't be seen, he landed another blow, drawing blood once more.

Sugimi pushed away and leaped back, breathing a bit heavily, but too engaged by the fight to really notice his wounds, which were all minor. “You would make everyone pay for your mate's disappearance? She would not thank you for that, Sesshoumaru!”

Eyes flaring a bright, bloody red, he snarled at that. “What do you know of my mate?!” That statement seemed to feed his rage to hitherto unknown heights, and narrowing his eyes, he began to focus his power, building it up so high that his own hair was almost standing on end. He would be done with this impudent male, now.

Dear gods! He's feeding all that power into an attack! If he releases that...

Thankfully, just as he began to build his own power, in an attempt to protect himself at least somewhat, Amaterasu, in all her glory as the goddess of the sun, flashed into place between the two opponents, facing Sesshoumaru. Enfolding herself and the raging daiyoukai in a barrier of her own will, she allowed her mind to touch his, draining the power he'd built up into her own body, and then blanking his mind out, before he could even register what had happened.

With a sigh as the last of his power passed through her and back into the Western Lands, much more gently then it had been pulled from it, she allowed his body to come to a rest at her feet, then turned to look at a relieved Sugimi.

“Inu no Taisho, there is a task that I have for you. Until my daughter can free herself from the trap Sosa has placed her in, Sesshoumaru will be unfit to be allowed to wake. The battle with Ungai will commence soon – you will be needed there until your son can return. Therefore, I will allow you to once again walk the earth – until this battle is finished.” She smiled at his surprised expression. “You will have a chance to stand beside your sons in battle, Sugimi. Will you accept this charge?”

He stared at her for a moment, then bowed. Straightening back up, he asked slowly, “So for this battle, I will be allowed to join my sons, and then will return here to the other realms?”

She smiled wider at his hesitance. “Hai.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “You said that Kagome is fine?”

“She is – and she will free herself from the trap my brother set for her soon. Then she and your eldest son will return.”

“I accept, then, Amaterasu kami-sama, and thank you for this chance.”

With a twinkle in her eye, she chuckled. “I cannot wait to see your youngest son's face when he sees you.”

Sugimi's expression was startled for a moment, and then he began laughing.

It will be funny, won't it?

-cCc-

A/N: Finally got this chapter finished! This week has really been busy, so I wasn't sure I was gonna, but I did, so I'm happy.

Ja Ne!

Amber