InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Only Time... ❯ Forever Gone ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8: Forever Gone

 

Kane watched as they talked seriously outside her fortress walls from her bedroom window. The stranger with the dark blue hair and silver eyes complained about something and Ori laughed. Their conversation took a more serious note when Nakura appeared. They opened their arms to him and invited the stranger into her fortress, and she felt anger rise in her chest. Were her own subordinates plotting against her? She had taken notice on how friendly they were towards Setsuna and now grew suspicious as they kindly invited this other man in. Had they convinced Setsuna to seduce her and distract her to keep her eyes away from something more sinister? Or maybe Setsuna had been the trap all along.

 

She turned and looked at him. `No, he wouldn't do that. Would he?' She felt the doubt enter her mind as she watched him sleep. `But I…I love him.'

 

Does he love you back? That little voice of uncertainty had grown and blossomed. Dark thoughts entered her mind and rage began to fester like an open wound.

 

He rolled over and opened his eyes, looking right into her suspicious, angry face. “Kane?” He sat up.

 

Angry tears rushed to her eyes when he called out her name. “Who are you? What's your true intention?”

 

“What?” Surprise registered in his voice.

 

“Did Ori and Nakura tell you to sleep with me only to distract me?” She walked stiffly over to the sleepy cat. “They have never acted friendly towards one of my prisoners until you, and now they let in another demon.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

 

`Akira, that idiot.' “Kane, why would you accuse me of something like that? I love you.”

 

Her heart leapt when the words reached her ears, but doubt had turned it to ice again. “What did they promise you; riches, leadership, another woman?” She turned from him.

 

Setsuna stood. “Did this demon have blue hair and silver eyes? Because if he did, I know who he is. He's a friend of mine and probably tracked me here.”

 

“Still, why are Ori and Nakura so friendly with him? Shouldn't they…?”

 

“Kane, no one is plotting against you. I made love to you because I care about you. I have no ulterior motive against you.” He planted himself before her, naked. “Don't ask me why they treat me with respect, but maybe they do because they sensed your feelings for me. They're different this time, aren't they?”

 

The ice began to melt. “I…yes they are.”

 

“Did you ever think that their loyalties go beyond doing your bidding? Did you ever once wonder if maybe they're looking out for your well-being?”

 

“But…your other demon friend…”

 

“I happened to tell them to expect him and treat him as a friend, not harm him.” He lied. “I knew he'd come looking for me eventually, and I didn't want him hurt.” He put his hands on her cheeks. “We're all loyal to you, especially me because I'm your lover. We'd never betray you.”

 

More tears fell from her eyes and a vision appeared in her misty vision. He had done this before, back when Ren-Tao…no, someone else had raped her? He'd taken her face in his hands and reassured her that this man would die for this. She saw it with pure clarity; felt a deep sadness like her trust had been shattered.

 

He saw the distant countenance in her face and knew she was seeing something from the back of her mind. Her knees bucked and he caught her before her body hit the floor. “Kane, are you still with me?” He carried her to the bed to lay her on it.

 

His voice was distant. Nonetheless, it pulled her out of the trance and back to reality. “Se-Setsuna?”

 

He smiled. “Listen, I'll go talk to my friend to tell him I'm okay. I'll be right back.”

 

Kane watched him go out of the room with his hakama slung on his arm. She pulled the covers over her body, thinking deeply about him and that vision. Why did it feel so familiar? And who had raped her? Was it a memory she'd locked away and forgotten? No, she'd never met Setsuna until a few months ago.

 

All of a sudden she felt lost in her world. Like the life she was living was a lie, make-believe. Her left hand took a life of its own as it moved to touch her lower abdomen. Why did she expect something to be there?

 

***

 

Shirtless and thoroughly pissed off, Setsuna descended the stairs to see his friends. He could feel himself losing control of his demon instincts to kill whoever had made his mate cry, but he ignored them and focused on taking things rationally. Then he heard the cheerful sounds of laughter out on the deck and thought only of Akira leaving Mika and Michi behind, both of them still pregnant with his twins. He burst out in a fury and yelled, “Akira, you idiot! What the hell are you thinking?!”

 

Akira turned and saw the angry neko. “I was kicked out! I couldn't take…!”

 

Setsuna punched him in the face. “You left Mika and Michi unprotected at Kaeda's village! Don't you remember that they're each carrying one of my twins?!”

 

He nursed his cheek as he glared at Setsuna. “Of course I know that! If I didn't, I wouldn't have left in the first place! They're both moodier than ever!”

 

“There's more. Kane suspected me of distracting her with sex while Ori and Nakura plotted her downfall!” Setsuna's hand clenched by his side. “She thought that's why you were let in here without her knowing!”

 

Ori put his hands up in mock defense. “Jeez, sorry. What were we supposed to do, turn him away after that storm?”

 

“Which didn't damper your actions in the cherry blossom grove.” Nakura added.

 

Setsuna looked away, relaxing his hand. “Even though she didn't say it, I can tell she loves me.”

 

“Nonetheless, you didn't follow the plan. Things might as well stay this way…”

 

“Shut the hell up Akira!” Setsuna bellowed. “She confided in me! She spilled her life story to me with tears running down her cheeks!” He turned away from his friends as fresh grief covered his features and swelled in his chest. “I love her and since things haven't changed because of that, I'm beginning to think that what we've done wouldn't have worked.”

 

Akira stepped forward, anger making his nostrils flare. “You are such a bastard! You slept with her before she told you she loved you! You didn't stick with the plan!”

 

“Boys!” Kane's voice resonated as she entered the room. She was dressed again, wearing her simple red kimono and sandals. “What is going on in here?!”

 

Nakura and Ori bowed low in apology. “We're sorry Lady Kane, we didn't mean to...”

 

“I would like a word with Setsuna.” Her voice was tipped with icy coolness and her eyes reflected it. “Alone.”

 

Akira shrugged and walked out on his own accord. Nakura and Ori exited after bowing once more and closed the door behind them. Alone with her lover, Kane continued to talk. “So, there was no `ulterior' plan against me? There wasn't another motive for you to sleep with me?”

 

“Kane, I can explain...”

 

“And what's this about Mika and Michi in another village? And the fact that they're carrying your twins?”

 

“No, you don't understand...”

 

“Shut up! I thought you loved me!” When Setsuna moved forward to touch her, she stepped back. “And another thing, why is it I keep having these weird visions?! Ever since you came along, I've been getting these flashbacks of me in some other time period with you and my minions and these other girls!”

 

He stopped his advance on her as his breath hitched in his throat. “Visions?”

 

“Yes, almost like they're memories. In one, you're comforting me; others are of good times with friends. I was even pregnant in a few of them!” Her head began to swim. “Tell me, did I miss something? What's happening to me?”

 

He never had a chance to tell her when an arrow whizzed past her head and towards him. “Get down!” He pushed her down as the arrow stuck itself into the wall behind them.

 

“What's going on?!” He sat up with fire burning in his eyes. “Who the hell's attacking us?!”

 

Anger seethed in Kane's golden eyes. “InuYasha. He's had his wench fire a warning shot at me. They must've followed your friend here, and they're taking the opportunity to kill me.” She looked around and saw nothing. “They're in hiding.”

 

“Don't worry Kane, no matter what happens I'll be here to protect you.” Setsuna reassured her.

 

“I don't need protection!” Kane protested, nearly throwing him off of her as she stood. “I need the Shikon Jewel, and since Kagome's here, I'm going to take it,” she smirked, “right out from under their noses.” She sprinted for her chamber to get Teretsu, completely ignoring Setsuna's disapproval. There was no way she was going to let this opportunity pass her by; the Shikon Jewel was going to be hers and her older brother was going to die by her hands.

 

“Kane! Get back here!” He got up to chase after her, but an arrow just missed piercing his side as it whistled in front of him. “Holy shit!” He stopped and looked towards the direction the arrow had come. No longer hidden, he saw Kagome, bow drawn with another arrow knocked back. InuYasha had Tetsusaiga brandished and glowing as he prepared to launch the Wind Scar. And as he did, Setsuna panicked as he ran after Kane, who had disappeared from his sight. `I've got to stop her, there's no telling what they could do to her!'

 

***

 

With her sheathe secured on her hip but armor forgotten, Kane ran for her fortress doorway to have the final face-off with her brother. She heard a blast in the distance, which was followed by Setsuna's call for her. “Kane, get back here! You won't win!”

 

“Who does he think I am?!” She stated angrily. Then she saw Ori and Nakura approaching her.

 

“Lady Kane, InuYasha is attacking the fortress. What is your plan?” Ori said as he bowed. That's when he saw the sword at her hip. “You don't mean to attack?”

 

“I do Ori, and if you try to stop me, I'll kill you first.” She coolly walked past him. “Tell Setsuna that too. I won't tolerate resistance.”

 

Ori grabbed her arm anyway. “I'm sorry Lady Kane, but I can't...”

 

She turned towards him, her golden eyes glittering with anger. “It's my duty to protect my home. It's only an added bonus that my older brother is attacking it.”

 

“But, my lady...”

 

She unsheathed Teretsu, allowing the giant fang to glow in its magnificent form. “Let me go, or you'll suffer the consequences of having your arm chopped off.”

 

Nakura stepped forward. “Lady Kane, if you insist upon fighting him, at least allow us to help.” He put a hand on Ori's shoulder, a silent gesture that told him to let go.

 

“The only way you can help is to stay out of my way. Get in it, and I won't spare you.” She turned to run the instant Ori's hand released her, like a wild stallion free from its reigns. They watched her go in silence until she was out of sight.

 

“What's your scheme now Nakura?” Ori inquired angrily, slapping his hand off his shoulder. “She could be killed out there!”

 

He closed his storm-grey eyes in regret. “She's not incapable. That and we need to defend our home.”

 

“You're not insisting...?”

 

“It looks as though things won't be changing back. We might as well accept this place as our home.”

 

Ori turned away. A feeling of utter despair buried itself in his stomach. If that were true, he'd never be able to see Michi again. And he knew in his heart that he'd never be able to move past that.

 

“Come on Ori. We have a castle to defend.” Nakura put a hand on Ori's shoulder to say he knew how he felt.

 

***

 

By the time Nakura, Ori, and Akira had found Kane, she was already in the midst of battle. Setsuna was nowhere to be seen, but they knew he was hiding somewhere to keep an eye on his mate. A blast of Wind Scar came their way and they scrambled to safety behind a bunch of trees in the garden.

 

“This isn't good. InuYasha has an advantage.” Nakura verbalized grimly.

 

“How so? I think it's a pretty even fight.” Akira stated. “They both have swords with some kind of power and they're equals in energy and strength.”

 

“True, but InuYasha has something Kane doesn't.”

 

Ori picked it up right away. “He's right; she doesn't have something, or someone, to protect. InuYasha has Kagome with him, so he's fighting to keep her away from danger. That, and Kagome is an excellent fighter. Her arrows are hitting all of her targets today.”

 

“She's aiming at Kane, right?” Ori nodded after Akira had asked his question. “She hasn't hit her yet.”

 

“True, but she's come close.” Nakura added. “Kane moves at the last second to dodge the hit. Had she remained where Kagome had aimed, she'd have been punctured to a tree.”

 

A racket resounded in the treetops and Kane crashed onto the ground behind the boys as they hid. She jumped up instantly, face scratched and body bruised, to face her brother. She put her sword up as a shield and caught InuYasha as he lunged from the trees. Their swords met in a destructive clang that left them locked together.

 

Her face was inches from his. “Someone's been practicing.” She tightened her grip on the sword, unleashing diamonds from the blade. He evaded the sharp stones with a single leap. In the air again, he swung Tetsusaiga over his head and heaved it onto Kane's blade again. They stopped in another sword lock.

 

InuYasha growled. “Damn straight. And it's all to kick your ass!” He stated as she threw him off with her sword. He skidded, ran forward after regaining his footing, and locked swords with her again.

 

“Quite honestly, I think you need a new strategy. I'm predicting every move you make.” She gripped her sword tighter and unleashed a wave of power that spiraled around them. “I'm flattered that you practiced for my benefit, but your manners still need some work!”

 

The auras of the siblings swirled around them, glowing in the heat of battle. InuYasha faltered under the weight of her blade, and Kane used that instant to push harder and try to cut him in half. Then a vision clouded her sight, stopping her mid-lunge. She put one hand to her head and backed off.

 

She saw herself having an argument with InuYasha. But she didn't feel hatred or the need for revenge. She only felt slight temper and humor. She mocked him, saying she could beat him easily if she trained by herself. Then she said she'd challenge Sesshomaru. What surprised her was InuYasha's reaction. He was pissed off, but behind his mask was worry.

 

When she could see again, the first thing her eyes picked up was the silver glint of Tetsusaiga as it came hurtling down on her. She braced herself for the sting of losing and closed her eyes. Instead she felt a warm, hard body push her away and yell out in pain. She opened her eyes and saw Setsuna holding his left shoulder with his right hand as he embraced her. “Wha-what did you do that for?”

 

He panted as he squeezed the shoulder that now turned red with his blood. “Why else wouldn't I? If I hadn't…” he winced. “If I hadn't, you'd be dead.”

 

“That's right,” InuYasha seethed behind him. “She'd be dead, but you had to get in the way.”

 

Setsuna glared at him over his shoulder. “Yeah, and what of it? Maybe I don't want her to die.”

 

“Setsuna, that's enough.” She put her hand on his good shoulder. “I need to do this on my own.” She glanced up just in time to see InuYasha heaving his sword at them, the intention of death in his eyes. Her legs reacted instantly as she grabbed Setsuna and jumped out of the way.

 

He cried out in pain in her arms as she unintentionally wrenched his injury. “Hang on, I'll get you out of harms way.”

 

“It's nothing.” He stated, his voice reflecting how much pain he was really in. “Stop this nonsense Kane. He could…”

 

“Setsuna, in this life we're enemies. Whatever life came before that…it doesn't matter now.” She leaned down and kissed him. “Whatever happens, just know this: I love you.” She stood before he could react to her statement or protest. She lunged for her dropped sword.

 

InuYasha wasn't about to let her get her prime weapon back so easily. He managed to get in front of her and unleashed Wind Scar. She dodged the attack that went careening into the trees behind her and somersaulted mid-air. Landing just behind InuYasha, Kane reached Teretsu without much trouble. When she turned to face him, what she saw made her skin crawl; he was smiling, no smirking, in victory. It dawned on her that she'd been duped and put in a trap. She looked over her shoulder and saw Kagome, an arrow knocked back and ready to fire. Before her, InuYasha was poised to attack with Tetsusaiga. She smiled. “A nice strategy. Tell me, wasn't this almost the same on that killed Naraku?”

 

“Of course.” InuYasha stated. “I'm surprised you actually fell for it.”

 

Teretsu fell from Kane's grasp. Accepting defeat wasn't easy, and it never had been. But it didn't really matter now. As she looked over at Setsuna as Ori and Akira tried to wake Setsuna and Nakura watched her, she realized that being beaten didn't have as much an impact on her anymore. Maybe by her death she could start life over again. Maybe those visions she'd had would come true. She smiled once again when she saw Nakura's herbal medication take effect and waken Setsuna. Her heart soared in relief. At least she'd told him how she felt. Even though she knew she had no chance of beating them, she decided to feign one last attack. Spinning on her heel, she lunged for Kagome.

 

Time slowed to a crawl as she approached Kagome with her claws outstretched. Her ears were deaf to InuYasha's call of attack, to Ori and Akira's plea to stop, and to Setsuna's desperate calling of her name. All she could hear was her breathing and the pounding rhythm of her heart. And all she saw was Kagome and the Shikon Jewel around her neck. The arrow was aimed at her heart and was released from the taunt bow string just as InuYasha's Backlash Wave hit her from behind. The arrow hit its intended target as she grasped the Shikon Jewel and pulled the delicate string off Kagome's neck with a gentle snap. She smiled one last time as her hand squeezed the little ball, and she made her wish.

 

As she died, her body began to glow a florescent red and soon after disappeared. It wasn't long after that the boys slowly started to fade away too. This time it was Setsuna who vanished last. And he smiled solemnly as he realized what her final wish had been.

 

***

 

Yuki gazed up at the sky as the final rain clouds disappeared. Regret ran across her face along with worry. It had been two days and Akira still hadn't returned. The rain might've slowed him down, but not so much that he wouldn't be back yet. She sighed and leaned back against the hut. If only she hadn't lost her temper and…

 

“Yuki, is something wrong?” Michi now stood in the doorway, her arm resting on her rounded belly. “You've been gloomy ever since Akira left.”

 

“I'm fine, just a little worried. He should be back by now.” She gave Michi a hand as she tried to sit down beside her. “How're you feeling? No more Braxton Hicks?”

 

“Mika was timing them before. I think we're farther along than we thought.” Michi winced when the pain returned. “They're about six minutes apart.”

 

Yuki offered her comfort by giving her a hand to squeeze. “Breathe through it, you'll be okay.” She reassured the monk. “And what about Mika?”

 

“She acts calm, but I think she's panicked too. Yuki, we can't have these babies; if we do that could mean…” Both girls noticed suddenly that they were glowing in a reddish light, the same color light as when they had faded away from the future.

 

“Michi, Yuki! I'm glowing!” Mika called out from inside the hut. Soon she was outside with them, grinning in knowledge. “They did it! They figured out how to fix this mess!”

 

They all giggled in excitement as they slowly vanished. The only clue that they had ever been there was the faint sounds of giggles as the times righted themselves.

 

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