InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love Found After Centuries: pt 3 Sibling's Journey ❯ The hero of God ( Chapter 5 )

The Hero of God

by Inumaru_Rapture

Disclaimer: I do not own the Original Inuyasha characters. I do own the ideas behind the children and grandchildren and other characters. The story is mine as well… I just don't own Inuyasha, Kagome, Sesshoumaru, Rin, Sango, Miroku, Naraku, Kikyo, Shippo, or any of the other original characters. I'm sad now.

 

For whatever reason, Kagome insisted on bringing Sesshoumaru with to visit Miroku and Sango. Gabriel traveled on Ah-un with Inumaru and Emiko behind his parents and youngest sibling on Father's cloud. Kagome had spoken with Inumaru privately before they left, and when he came back to his brother and his heart-mate, he was blushing and grinning cheekily. When Gabriel tried to figure out why, Inumaru just grinned bigger. Emiko and he whispered as Gabriel tried to listen in, but was foiled when they stopped whispering and started writing little messages on a piece of paper Emiko pulled from her purse.

Bored, Gabriel went to reading their auras. `If they won't tell me, I'll find out on my own,' he thought. Watching their auras caress and embrace each other with almost no shyness, it didn't take more than a few seconds before Gabriel tore his eyes away from their happy young love to realize this was an arrangement of mating. Inumaru was going to ask `Uncle' Miroku for his daughter to be his mate. Gabriel was very glad that Miroku and Sango weren't really blood relatives because, well, Inumaru and Emiko would be very dirty people. Suddenly, a thought hit him. Why was father being so lenient with Inumaru mating with a human? Was it because he and Gabriel were from Kagome when she was human? Confusion set in as the two headed dragon descended to Inuyasha's village. Another thought hit him and left him smiling. Kiara was studying with Koto here, and how that he was back, he could see her again! True, he loved the kitsune youkai, but he was almost positive she didn't return the favor. A bit of sadness filled his heart as he tried to look optimistic as Inumaru grinned back at him.

Sesshoumaru was laughing as his wife was holding and coddling Asa, Sango's newest baby girl. Gabriel noticed his brother's nervousness as Miroku motioned for the two of them to go for a walk.

“Hey Nu!” Gabriel called before Inumaru disappeared after Miroku. Inumaru glanced at him. “No Fear.” Inumaru smiled and disappeared around the corner. Sango went to meet up with them, leaving Asa and Keiji with Kagome and Sesshoumaru. While his parents whispered amongst themselves, Gabriel wandered to go find Kiara. While approaching the hut she was staying in, he overheard her voice.

“I don't know, Koto. I know I love him, but I have no idea how he feels. He is always so sweet and kind to everyone, and he always shows love and affection for everyone, and I don't know if I'm just another friend he likes, or if I should be in love with him,” Kiara's voice floated to his ears.

`Oh, so she found someone here then? No wonder she stays here so often with Koto…I understand now.' Gabriel felt his heart beat slow as his steps stopped. Why go see her if all was lost? Maybe congratulate her for falling in love? The beads of the door moved as Kiara appeared at the door.

“Gabriel? I thought you went home,” Kiara asked surprised. She moved to him as she watched his face twist and turn from distraught to pain to nothing to kindness.

“Oh, no. Inumaru brought Emiko home, and instead of having our reputation turn to rot, Mother and Father brought us back to have Nu ask for Emiko to be his mate,” he said the news in a soft voice, one he used when he was hurting and didn't want anyone to know. Kiara looked worried.

“That's great, Briel. But.. are you okay?” She took a step towards him. Startled, he took one step back and mumbled out a lie while a look of hurt flashed across her face. “Gabriel, what's wrong?” Kiara demanded, stepping closer to him. Before he could answer, a shout took his attention away, and he took off running to get back to his parents. Kiara was at his side, running with him. “You will have to tell me sometime.” She muttered to him as they came to a halt in front of a happy embracing couple. Inumaru and Emiko took a shy step apart, since both sets of parents were watching. Sango and Kagome were hugging and talking excitedly about a marriage ceremony and Miroku and Sesshoumaru were making small talk on the match.

Suddenly, a strange cry sang out and a strange looking bird dropped from the sky. Alarmed, Sesshoumaru took stance in front of his wife and the children while Miroku and the two hanyou males took stance in front of the females nearest them.

“Mother! Father!” Aiko's voice rang out. Kagome looked instantly worried.

“Aiko? Darling, what's the matter?” Kagome hurried to the odd looking bird, who introduced himself as Gizimbo, a Raven youkai enlarged by Aiko's nature controlling ability.

“Momma, I'm sorry. I tried to calm him down!” Aiko was sobbing, holding Washi on her back as Kagome went to her and took her son from her daughter.

“Washi?”

“No, Goro!” Aiko wailed. Sesshoumaru was at his wife's side, taking his son from his wife.

“What happened?” He demanded. Aiko explained the situation, how she had left Rin in charge of the children remaining at the palace, guarded by the tiger spirit Ra, Jaken, and all the other servant youkai. Sesshoumaru's eyes glowed red.

“Why bring Washi then?” Kagome asked as she took her husband's hand and placed his fingers over her mating mark. His eyes dimmed and his hand caressed her neck skin softly as he listened.

“He insisted I bring him. He wouldn't explain and he only said it would save the worst from happening.” Gabriel looked at his brother's aura and saw his death closing in. Choking, he ran to his brother and took him from his father.

“Washi… Washi, listen here. Don't do this,” he begged. Kagome and Sesshoumaru looked at their sons in shock. Washi smiled and patted his brother on the cheek.

“Hurry… Goro…” Washi wheezed, his breathing heaving.

“Father…” Gabriel looked at his father with tears in his eyes. Sesshoumaru had sadness in his aura but fire in his eyes.

“Lets go.” Emiko and Kiara stepped back as Kirara appeared and Sango grabbed her Hidikots. Kagome smiled in gratitude at her friends as they prepared to leave.

Kirara transformed from her little kitten form and Sango and Miroku jumped on. Kagome left her pup with Koto, who had recently joined the odd group to see what was going on.

“Protect my pup with your life, Koto,” Kagome said softly, kissing Keiji's head softly. Sesshoumaru's cloud was waiting for his wife as he stood holding his crippled son. Gizimbo was mounted by Aiko while Inumaru and Gabriel mounted Ah-un. They had to hurry.

The beasts took off and hurried to the north while Washi urged swiftness. Kagome felt her son's forehead and felt his fever intensifying. All her attempts to help her son was turned away by some unfamiliar force. Kagome was incredibly distraught at being unable to heal her son and held onto him and her mate as they moved through the air. A bird was circling, a battle was being held. The scent of blood was heavy and the shouts and cries loud. The circling bird swooped down and a number of spears and arrows were thrown to meet it. The bird moved higher, and upon seeing the posse of flying beasts moving towards it, it turned and flew to them. The posse tensioned before a cry was heard.

“Lord Sesshoumaru!” The bird cried. It was Satu. Gabriel saw blood trickling down the phoenix youkai's arm as he flew to meet them. “It was an ambush. The bear youkai were luring young youkai men in to feast on them. Humans infested by demons and evil were surrounding the youkai men and killed them if they tried to leave. I saw Goro in the beginning, but now, I can't find him. Amaya is down there looking for him. I lost her in the crowd as well, and every time I went to find her, they would throw weapons at me.”

“Amaya!” Kagome screamed, anger growing in his will to protect her children as she transformed into her giant dog form, snarling as she jumped from the sky into the trees. Sesshoumaru was with her, in his human form and holding their son as the rest of the group followed swiftly. Sango and Miroku were told to protect Washi as Gabriel unsheathed his never used but always worn Kin-Fujita (Golden Field), his sword made from his father's right fang. Inumaru's poison claws glowed strongly as he attacked the evil men and searched for his siblings in the chaos.

Ice shot by his head as he plummeted down into the chaos, tokijin seething in his hands, his son having been left to the care of the two humans. Sesshoumaru looked to the side and saw his ice princess of a daughter freezing and fighting her foes around her, the usually white snow stained with blood. Snarling in anger, Sesshoumaru leapt to her side, extinguishing the evil men around her and hugging her close to his body with one arm.

“My beloved daughter, are you okay?” He asked, his calm voice worried. She nodded into him, her blood soaking his robes. “How dare you touch my daughter!” Sesshoumaru cried, leaping gracefully to annihilate the evil men surrounding them.

Kagome tore through the men, searching for her daughter and her son. Her anguish at not finding either had her killing blind. Before she knew it, Sesshoumaru was at her side, her daughter on her back.

“Take her out of the battle, love!” Sesshoumaru ordered. Relief washed over Kagome as she sprinted and leapt from the battle, landing by Miroku and Sango and returning to her human form to embrace her daughter. Gabriel emerged with a little human boy, about 12 years old, bleeding and hurt.

“Mother, he's a village boy …” Gabriel explained, setting the boy down in front of his mother. Kagome set to work on him immediately and started to heal his wounds as Gabriel returned to keeping the Samurai at bay with Aiko's raven friend, and Aiko. Miroku, Kirara, and Sango held the rear, making a protective circle around Kagome, their siblings, and the village boy.

Inumaru found his father on the battlefield, his wounds small but many. He tried to make his way to his father, to help him find Goro, and to fight off the samurai. A large ugly man loomed up before him and brought his sword crashing down against Inumaru's sheath. Thought he had a sword, it was still sheathed. He had found a much deeper liking to slicing through the opposing forces with his nails and poison than by using the more powerful force of his sword.

Upon blocking a hard strike by a possessed samurai, Inumaru heard a sound that made him almost vomit. The sound of bones cracking, blood spurting, flesh tearing all followed by the sound of his father's pained grunt filled his ears. Swiping at the samurai, Inumaru whirled around to see his father with two spears sticking out of his body, one having gone in through the back and out the front, and the other up from the bottom of his stomach up through his shoulders. Blood was coming from his lips as he growled and killed both men with a swing of his sword. A bear youkai loomed over the injured inutaiyoukai as he swung his poison whip at him and whirled his tokijin. The bear roared in pain and swiped a heavy, clawed paw down upon Sesshoumaru, slicing the spears penetrating out the front of his body into pieces.

“FATHER!” Inumaru screamed, running to him. Sesshoumaru growled and stood on weak legs.

“Find your brother!” Sesshoumaru commanded, moving to kill the bear youkai. Inumaru watched with horrified awe as the bear youkai fell, his father with it. Inumaru hurried again to go to the aide of his father as he stood and, with a pained grunt, began pulling the first spear out of his back, bone fragments, organs, tissue, and blood falling away with it. With a sickening crack, the spear released some of the rib cage away from its normal place of being attached to the spine and created internal organ damage for the inutaiyoukai. Inumaru had to stop the vomit from escaping his mouth as he turned from the sight and searched for Goro. A few paces and many more dead bodies away, he found his brother's body, the head missing, the blood drained. A mournful howl escaped Inumaru as his pain and loss and anger and love for his brother built up and exploded in a poisonous shock wave that killed off the rest of the human's evil spirits. Dead bodies fell, and crumbled around them as the battlefield became blanketed in blood. Inumaru picked up his brother's dead body, finding the head underneath the torso, and carried him back to his family. Gabriel turned green when he saw his younger brother and put his hand on a tree for support as tears streamed down his face. Sesshoumaru howled in pain at the loss of his son as he collapsed onto the ground, tears dripping off his blood stained face.

“Sesshoumaru!” Kagome's voice cried as she ran to her mate, helping him to the ground. She was sobbing quietly, and trying to heal her mate as she struggled to find her power. When barely a light pink escaped her fingers, she collapsed on top of him and sobbed. “I can't… I can't get the healing light, Sessou… stay with me, please…” She whispered, begging him. Sesshoumaru's breathing was faint as Washi stepped forward, struggling to hobble with his one leg, unable to get to his youkai state and walk on his two legs. Collapsing beside his mother, Washi took her hand in his and placed both over his father's chest. Aiko and Amaya held each other and sobbed as Inumaru fell to his knees with his brother in his arms. Miroku was helping stabilize Gabriel and Sango was sobbing with the two youkai girls. They watched as Washi shut his eyes and his hands started to glow.

Their hands glowed yellow, then pink, then white as a huge amount of energy came from her son into her body, Kagome gasped in shock as the electricity billowed through them and into Sesshoumaru. The wounds, visible through the cuts of his robes, soon began to close in on themselves, mending and healing. Kagome shut her eyes, wrapping herself around her son and pouring all of her love and healing into both of them. Her whole world went pink and white as she concentrated on the pure power of healing flowing out of them. Washi's laughter met her ears as she opened her eyes to seeing her son, not crippled, running and playing with his brother, Goro, in the garden. They were wrestling around, light shining from them, happy as could be. Washi stopped and looked at his mother and smiled and waved and blew her a kiss.

“I love you, Mother…”

Opening her eyes, Kagome looked down at the sleeping male under her hands, and felt the heavy weight of her son between her arms. She moved her fingers slowly, her body stiff from the amount of energy taken from it. She ran her fingers softly over his thinning hair and realized how much of a cancer patient he resembled. Her voice was soft, hoarse, as she spoke softly to her son.

“Washi, my beloved Washi, You saved your father. You're a hero, my son. Washi? Washi, wake up, please…Oh…My Washi…” Kagome nuzzled her son, tears caressing his cheek as she hugged her self-sacrificed son to her living mate.

Gabriel stared in awe as the auras of his brother disappeared into his father. Tears were running down his cheeks as he saw the weakness growing in his mother and the strength in his father as his wounds healed. The youkai in him begged to howl in mourning for his brother's losses, for his loss, for his parents loss, for the world's loss. A part of him died with Goro and Washi at that moment, even though he knew that poor crippled Washi would be forever whole and happy in the afterlife, and that, poor arrogant Goro would be forever smart and wise in the afterlife. The urge to flee rose in him as he wanted to run from the pain, but his duty to his parents remained. He needed to be strong for them, to be there for them.

A thought hit him. If Washi hadn't forced Aiko to bring him, would they all have died? Who else would have died at the cost of Goro's absent-minded desires? Anger grew in him as he formulated blames on Goro for leaving, but then realized that if Father had just listened…. Or if Goro had just listened…

`Stop being stupid, Gabriel Hidiko,” he told himself in his mind, using the full name his mother gave him. He internally growled at himself for being stupid and blaming his dead brother and recovering father on this whole mess.

“Sesshoumaru… mate…. Love….” Kagome was wheezing softly as she put her head on his chest. Gabriel looked at his twin, seeing him sitting in shock with Goro still in his lap, Gabriel hurried to him and set his dead brother on the grass, pulling him up, and hiding his brother's face in his robes. Inumaru's lips were moving, a silent prayer for their brothers, the lullaby he and Gabriel used to sing to them when they were little.

“Each little pup in all of our love,

we sing to thee the song of life.

Everyday you taken in breath,

I promise that thee I will protect.

Hush now, baby brother, please.

Shut thy eyes for eternity…”

Inumaru's voice was hoarse as he sang softly, tears clogging his throat. Gabriel moved his lips, his eyes shut, his heart singing the song. Kagome was sobbing, rocking her son in her arms, praying softly. Aiko and Amaya had turned their heads and wept into their `Aunt' Sango. Satu watched from a distance and glowed a soft blue in mourning. Gabriel shuttered softly at the thought of his younger sibling's faces when they hear the news…

 

Later… (Gabriel's pov)

Morning came and past and soon, the sun was overhead to signify noon. Father was still sleeping and Satu and I had wrapped my brothers in robes. Kirara had taken Sango and Miroku home while Gizimbo took my two sisters and twin to pick up Keiji and go home. I didn't want to think about what awaited us when we got home. Mother was resting against one of the trees, father's head in her lap. She hadn't slept, even though the gray bags under her eyes were heavy and tired. She said she would refuse to leave until father had woken up. I wanted to kick him in his ribs to get him up so we could return home, but I knew I shouldn't.

Satu and I sat with my brother's bodies in the shade so they wouldn't smell so bad, but the stench of the bodies of all the dead samurai, who had disintegrated quickly through the night, still hung heavily in the air. Satu, being much older than I, had told me to sleep for a while, if I could, and regain some of my strength. I had declined the offer and went to the still sleeping human boy that had been caught in the fray. I nudged him awake, since I'm sure his family would be worried. He sat up with a gasp and looked around, frightened. I felt the urge to be angry with him, but I shoved that down. He wasn't the fault my brothers were dead…

“Hey there. You all right?” I asked quietly, crouching down beside him. He seemed afraid of me. I guess he knew I was youkai. He nodded, his big, wide eyes tearing with fear. “Oh, stop now. You have no reason to fear me. My mother over there,” I said, pointing to my mother, “is the one who healed you last night. I think you should bring her a flower to thank her. I'll take you back to your village after that, okay?” The boy nodded again, then inched to the side and plucked a little white flower from the ground and crawled over to my mother, holding out a shaky hand to give it to her. She looked at him with a sad kindness and took the flower.

“Thank you,” the boy whispered, bowing. Kagome smiled and touched his hand lightly.

“You're most welcome,” she whispered back. The boy crawled away again and stood, obviously aware of the youkai around him, and the two bodies wrapped in robes. He paled as he saw one of them was awkwardly shaped and turned quickly from it. I touched his shoulder gently.

“Your village around here?” I asked. The boy nodded and led the way.

A while later, we were out of the forest, and walking along a well-trodden road towards the smell of fresh fire and cooking fish. We were walking in silence for a while before I noticed his shy glances up my way.

“Is there something that fascinates you?” I asked softly. He blushed, looking down.

“You look like the boy who saved me last night. He was shorter than you though,” he said softly. I looked at him oddly.

“Go on. Tell me more of this boy.” I wondered if he was thinking of me, since I had found him amidst the youkai bodies, trying to crawl out of the chaos.

“He was waiting in the clearing before the whole mass started. I had been out hunting with my father when we were separated by the big bears, and I had run until I saw him sitting there. Afraid, I tried to run back the other way, but the bear was there, and before it got me, that boy was flying over me with his big sword and attacking it. I crawled away, but I watched as other younger youkai boys came out and saw this and went to help him. Then all the samurai came and they were full of smoke and bad smelling purple stuff. I wanted to get away, but I couldn't. I got thrown into the middle of everything and that same boy was protecting me. Then… Then he got separated from me and I don't know what happened to him.”

I had almost stopped walking half way through the story. He was talking about Goro… my brother had saved his boy's life. A bit of my heart healed itself from that bit of knowledge as I walked along side him.

“What did your savior look like?” I asked, just to be sure.

“Silver hair like yours… shorter than you though. He had those things on his face too,” the boy said, moving his index finger over his cheek. I bowed my head and a tear slid off my cheek. “What's wrong?” the boy asked me.

“That boy who saved you,” I began. “Was my brother.”

The boy was quiet for a little ways before speaking again. “Is he okay?” I shook my head. The boy looked sad and watched the ground for the remainder of the journey. As we approached the village, a woman cried out and came running.

“Momma!” the body cried and ran to her. They hugged in the middle of the road as I watched. I turned to leave, since he was safe, and stopped when I heard his feet running back towards me. Turning, I looked down to his top-knot as he bowed to me.

“Thank you, youkai-sama, for helping me. And… I will pray that your brother will be happy in his next life. Thank you.” I smiled lightly and bowed back to him.

“I appreciate that, and I know my brother will be happy,” I reassured him and myself. I turned to leave again before his voice stopped me.

“What was his name?” I turned my head and looked at him with one golden eye.

“Goro, the Fifth Child of my father,” I told him. The boy stated his name on his lips then nodded, bowed, and ran off towards his village again.

I turned my head and continued on my way back to my parents and Satu. Hopefully, father was up now, and we could return my brothers to the garden to be buried.

 

<end chapter>

 

Wow… sorry. That's a lot there. Deep…. Please don't kill me for killing off two characters so quickly. I promise things will get better. There's still many questions that need to be answered… and I hope You're not too sad with Washi's death. He was fulfilling his reason for existence, you know. ^^;