InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ It Must Be Destiny ❯ Chapter 20

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

Chapter 20

A soft pink light engulfed them and they were surrounded by strange lights, almost like stars or fireflies. Amber looked around in a mixture of amazement and confusion.

Abruptly, it was over. It had happened so fast that Amber didn't believe it had really happened. They were standing on the hard-packed dirt at the bottom of the well. She gave Inusouta a bored look. (“There. It didn't work. Now will you stop this foolishness?”)

In reply, he swept her up into his arms, bridal-style, as his father jumped out of the well. She barely had time to take a breath before he leaped out as well, rather nimbly for a human. Of course, he had been trained his whole life, so a meager jump like that was nothing even if he was currently a ningen.

It was then she noticed that they were no longer in the well-house. Nor were they anywhere near the shrine. They were in an open meadow, surrounded by lush forest.

Her eyes went as wide as they could. (“Wh-where…?”)

Inuyasha was long gone, leaving the two of them alone by the well, presumably to inform their friends of the arrival of one skeptical ningen girl.

Inusouta, still holding her in his arms, brought her face closer to his, their noses almost touching. She flushed slightly, matching her shirt and hair ribbon. “Welcome to the Feudal Era, Amber-chan,” he murmured in English, his warm breath caressing her mouth, making her want to kiss him senseless.

She swallowed nervously. “That's impossible. There is no conceivable way that we are 500 years in the past.”

Grudgingly, he released her, setting her down carefully on the soft grass. His father must have scented a youkai nearby and went to dispatch the problem so that they would have a safe journey through the forest to the village. Reaching down he gently grasped her hand, holding it lovingly in his own. (“Let's go. The village isn't too far, but there are youkai roaming the forest on the way.”)

Still extremely skeptical, she allowed him to lead her into the dense foliage, all the time looking around as if trying to find something that didn't fit, like a sign on a camouflaged door that said “Exit” or something, revealing that this was just an elaborate movie set.

A slight rustling caught her ear and she paused. Inusouta, so focused on the path in front of them, didn't even hear it. That, and the fact that his youkai was berating him for not admitting his feelings for her right then and there.

A deafening roar sounded, making them both whirl toward the source. They had not even completely turned around when a huge armadillo-looking youkai charged out of the bushes and slammed into Amber, knocking her off her feet and causing her to fly though the air several yards to only be stopped by the hard trunk of a tree.

She collapsed to the ground at the base of the tree in a heap, blood trickling from a gash her forehead and several puncture wounds on her body from where the multiple horns on the youkai's head had gored her. Her blood began to pool under her body.

“Amber!” Inusouta yelled, frantic. Oh, shit… Amber…

Absolutely livid, the young man turned toward the snorting youkai, who bared its long sharp teeth at the tiny creature in front of it. It snarled, making ready to charge again.

Amber, nearly unconscious, managed to raise her head- it hurt… oh, God, it hurt- to see the youkai facing off against Inusouta, who was still human. Her eyes widened slightly as she lifted a bloody, shaky arm, reaching out to him. “Inu… sou…ta…” she whispered, wishing there was something she could do to save him. She knew he'd be killed- he didn't have any weapons and he was currently human. A tear slipped down her cheek.

No… don't kill him… I need to tell him… I love him…

Her eyes were beginning to go out of focus, but she blinked several times to keep Inusouta in her sight.

He growled, sounding very much hanyou-esque. Amber focused harder and would've gasped if it wasn't agony with every breath.

Inusouta was a hanyou, brandishing deadly claws at the youkai. His fangs were bared in a snarl and his black ears were laid back. He looked rather strange- a hanyou dressed in jeans and a t-shirt- but to her, he had never looked more wonderful.

He leaped at the youkai, bringing his claws down on its body with a loud (“Sankon Tessou!”)

Instead of being ripped to shreds by the attack, his razor-sharp claws scraped right off. That youkai was well armored, and it would take more than just his claws to kill it. The youkai charged him, but he jumped nimbly away from the huge creature, landing to the side, closer to Amber.

His ears swiveled toward Amber as his keen hearing picked up the sound of her voice, weak and soft. She was calling for him, reaching out to him.

Kami, Amber… I'll save you… I promise… I won't let anything else happen to you.

Another rustling behind him almost had him turning again, but the scent arriving was that of his father. ("Where's Amber?”) he growled, never taking his eyes off the huge youkai in front of them.

Inusouta couldn't answer with the lump of pure anger in his throat.

Inuyasha eyed the youkai. (“There's no way you can kill it without a weapon,”) he said, scowling. (“That shell is harder than your claws.”)

(“Tell me something I don't already fucking know!”) Inusouta snarled. His father looked at him, seeing the blue crests on his arms pulsing with his heartbeat.

I see… so, it's like that, is it? Inuyasha mused as he saw the absolute fury in his son's eyes. Making a decision, he took Tetsusaiga out of his waistband and tossed it to the seething hanyou. Inusouta caught it, glancing at his father in slight confusion.

(“Protect your mate,”) he said simply as he leaped away, heading over to where Amber lay, fighting to remain conscious.

Inusouta looked from the sword in his hands to the ugly, snarling youkai in front of him. Determined, he unsheathed the ancient blade, nicked and rusty in its repose. He slid the wooden sheath through one of the belt loops on his jeans, securing it there with the sageo. He reached up and removed the tie from his hair.

Now he stood there facing off against the huge youkai, his long black hair unbound and flowing in the wind and an old rusty sword in his hands. The youkai made a deep, gravelly sound- as if it were laughing.

(“That will be the last thing you ever do, you bastard,”) Inusouta growled as he lifted the sword. The rusty blade transformed, becoming the huge fang his grandfather had bestowed upon his hanyou son years ago.

The armored youkai opened its mouth and a ball of energy began to grow, filling the toothy cavern. With a huge blast of youki, it fired a blue column of energy right at Inusouta.

He narrowed his eyes. He could see it… could use it… just like his father. He lifted the fang blade and unleashed his own retaliation.

(“Bakuryuuha!”) he yelled as he unleashed the Backlash Wave. The unstoppable blast wrapped itself around the youkai's attack and sent it back to the youkai, ripping it to shreds with deadly whirlwinds of youki.

He stood silently, expressionless as he stared at the chunks of youkai littering the grasses.

Instantly, the sword was back in its sheath and Inusouta was by Amber's side. Inuyasha nodded, impressed. (“I'm proud of you,”) he said uncharacteristically. (“I wasn't sure you'd be able to even get it to transform, let alone master one of its techniques.”)

(“Love and fury can perform miracles,”) he replied in a monotone, his complete attention on the battered and bloodied girl now cradled in his arms.

(“Careful,”) Inuyasha murmured. (“We shouldn't move her- I don't know if her back is injured as well.”)

Amber opened her eyes slightly, looking up at him with those sapphire orbs that had captured him from day one. She gave him a weak smile, trying to reach up to touch his face. “So that… was the… Bakuryuuha…” she whispered in English. “I… wondered… what Izayoi… was talking… about…”

Pain lanced through his chest as he saw her wince in pain. There was blood, so much blood... “In English,” he said, trying not to choke on his words, “it's called the Backlash Wave. It… looses something in translation.”

She gave a shuddering cough that might have been a laugh. “I see… that…”

Tears pooled in his eyes as he held her close. “Don't talk… don't move, okay? My okaasan will be here soon… and she'll get you fixed right up.”

Taking a very long blink, she opened her eyes and gave him what she hoped was a loving smile. “Inu… souta… I have to tell you… something…”

He shook his head violently. “No… you have to save your strength.”

“I... have to... tell you...” she whispered, closing her eyes again.

The tears he had managed to hold in escaped, sliding down his cheeks where they dripped off, mingling with the copious amounts of blood soaking through her clothes. “Oh, Kami… Amber…”

She opened her eyes again, the sapphire orbs now growing dull. She managed to lift a bloody hand and gently caressed his face, sliding up his black hair to weakly rub his soft furry ear, tears spilling from her own eyes.

“I love you…”

His heart stopped. When it finally started again, he found that he had pulled her closer to him, hugging her to his chest as if that alone would stop her pain, trying to hold in the sobs that racked his body.

“Amber,” he whispered into her golden hair, tears slipping down his cheeks. “My love… my mate… my wife…”

It was too late. She was already unconscious, unable to hear his final confession as she slipped closer and closer to death.

A horrified scream and two gasps of dismay signaled the arrival of his mother and sisters. He could hear their footsteps behind him although his body was too numb to move much more than his ears.

Reverently he lifted her hand, lacing his clawed fingers through her delicate ones. Kagome landed hard on her knees next to him, eyes wide in panic. (“What happened?”)

(“Armored youkai,”) Inuyasha said softly, not taking his eyes off Inusouta and his son's chosen mate. (“Caught `em by surprise and went for Amber first.”)

Suki whimpered, clinging to Izayoi's arm. (“Is she… is she…?”)

Inusouta only barely turned his head but his eyes shot fire at his younger sister. (“She is not dead!”) he roared.

Kagome placed a hand on her son's shoulder. (“Inusouta… honey, you have to let go. I can't help her if you don't let me look at her.”)

The pain and grief that she saw in his eyes when he looked at her were enough to break her heart. Her little boy was really hurting. (“Okaasan… onegai…”) he croaked, choking on the words.

She nodded. (“I'll do everything I can. I promise.”)

Izayoi stepped forward with the bag of supplies they always brought with them from the future. She handed it to her mother, who promptly pulled out all her medical supplies- gauze, bandages, ointments, etc.

(“Inuyasha… please take the girls and head to the village. See if Minako is there. I'll need her help.”)

Apprehensive about leaving his mate behind, Inuyasha glanced over at his son, who crouched protectively near the unconscious girl, Tetsusaiga still on his hip. His face relaxed slightly. His son was now able to wield the weapon in battle- that would be protection enough. He nodded at his daughters. (“Let's go, girls.”)

(“Hai, Chichi,") they replied quietly, standing up and following him quickly through the forest.

.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.

Kagome wiped the blood off one of the puncture wounds, examining it with sort of a detached state of mind.

(“So… you've told her she's your mate…”)

Swallowing the sob in his throat, he bowed his head in shame. (“No… well, I did tell her… but she thought I was calling her `a mate,' which she assumed was a hanyou slang term for a quickie.”)

Kagome sighed. (“Not good.”)

(“No. It took a ton of mediocre restaurant food and a chunk out of my wallet to convince her to come to the shrine today.”)

She smiled as she pressed a cloth to the wound to staunch the bleeding. (“That would convince me you were serious.”)

(“She… she said she loved me, Mom.”)

Kagome blinked in surprise. Not only had her son actually called her “Mom,” instead of his traditional “Okaasan,” but the girl had confessed her true feelings for him. (“And do you believe her?”)

He swallowed another sob. (“I do. With all my miserable heart.”)

She gave him a bright smile. (“Then we're just going to have to help her get better, ne?”)

He nodded slowly, keeping his saddened eyes on the prone, bloody girl. (“Hai… I'll do anything. I swear it.”)

.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.

A/N: -sniff- Anyone got a tissue?