InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Reunion ❯ Chapter Forty: Kagura's Attack ( Chapter 40 )

Chapter Forty

 

A/N: Howdy, folks! Yes, I know, very country, but that's how I am. Thank you for the reviews. I appreciate all of them, good and bad. Do not be afraid to offer constructive criticism. I appreciate any input that will improve my writing. “Input! Need input!” Yes, I love old movies and cartoons so I occasionally will throw in odd sayings. Anyway, I don't own Inuyasha, so I have to settle for the DVD's.

 

Kagura watched Sesshoumaru dispatch the soldiers in admiration. Even though she was angry with him for choosing that hanyou over her, she could not help herself. The pleasure of watching him move as he destroyed those humans was intense. His motions were all grace and economy. He seemed to kill the soldiers with only the amount of effort required and no more. And yet, he made it look like a dance of skill and grace that took years to master. Of course, that wouldn't help him when she resurrected them with her `Dance of the Dead' attack. Her admiration for his fighting skill only went so far. Still, he was fascinating to watch as he moved through the last of the swordsmen surrounding him and turned his attention to the rather ineffective archers. Oh, they had tried, but he was just too fast for them to hit. In the moments that he had been standing still, his concentration had been so complete that he was able to sense the arrows and cut them out of the air with Tokijin.

 

Her admiration for his skills was cut short by a sudden stabbing pain in her chest. Kagura's pleasure turned to annoyance and not a little fear. She knew then that Naraku was watching her and he had a request of her. `Damn him!' she thought as she began to move her fan in a strange manner. When her fan came to a certain place, a short wave of pain would lance through her chest. When it came to another place, another swift pain. `Damn, damn, damn him!' she cursed in her mind, cursing Naraku for this pain and cursing him for coming up with this elaborate code.

 

Not content with watching her in Kanna's mirror, Naraku had devised a system to communicate with Kagura when he so chose. He would squeeze her heart to get her attention and then would squeeze it at intervals during her fan movements to give her instructions. Each position of her fan had a different meaning, and each series of positions had its own meaning based upon a previous instruction. It was a very complex and painful process to receive instructions, but very effective. Kagura had no choice but to obey for fear that Naraku would cause her pain beyond belief if she didn't follow his message.

 

When she had received the last of his instructions, her eyes widened. `You have got to be kidding me?!' she thought, in amazement and confusion. Why did he want the hanyou? Frowning, she considered her problem. `Now, how am I to get her away from the demon lord?' Then she smiled as a plan came to her mind.

 

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Sesshoumaru drew Tokijin as the soldiers moved to encircle him. `I have to protect Takara.' was his first thought. Rescuing Rin was also very important to him, but he sensed that she was in no immediate danger. He and Takara were. As he drew his sword, he considered warning the soldiers off but decided that there was no need. They would not listen to him and it would only waste precious time. He smiled, grimly. Besides, the best warning is one that cannot be ignored.

 

Moving faster than the eye could follow, he slashed the soldier nearest to Takara across the chest. Gathering himself, he leapt high into the air and did a somersault with a twist so that he came down before the startled soldier on the opposite side of the circle. He used his downward momentum to increase the power of his swing so that, even though the soldier had raised his sword in defense, Tokijin sheared through it as if it were made of paper. His ears caught the twang of a bowstring and whistle of an arrow cutting through the air. With almost negligent ease, he cut the arrow from the air just before it reached him. Darting quickly over to the soldier on the right of him, he decapitated him before leaping into the air again. While in the air, he spared a look at Kagura. She appeared to be moving her fan in preparation for some spell. It was time to end this charade. He had halfway hoped that these humans would realize that they had no chance and would flee, but they were apparently too foolish or too stubborn to realize that they could not defeat him. Sheathing Tokijin while approaching the height of his leap, he drew upon the power of his youki to create his energy whip. Before he reached the ground, his lash had reached out three times to kill the remaining three swordsmen. As he landed, he again heard the twang of bowstrings and this time the whistle of two arrows coming toward him. He prepared to leap out of the way when he realized that Takara was in the path of the arrows if he moved. He spun around to face the oncoming arrows.

 

“Sesshoumaru!” Takara screamed as one of the arrows embedded itself in his chest. The other one glanced off his armor, but the damage had been done. Or so Takara thought.

 

Sesshoumaru reached up and plucked the arrow from his chest and looked at the blood on it in fascination. He dropped the arrow and looked at the archers. “It has been many years since a mere human has drawn my blood.” he mused. His eyes narrowed as he regarded the archers, who were preparing to fire at him again. “Do not mistake your good fortune for anything other than what it was.” Suddenly, he dashed forward and with a quick slash, disemboweled one of the bowmen. Spinning, he leapt at the remaining bowman with his claws extended. The look of fear on the mans face was … satisfying , just before he drove his hand through the bowman's chest. It meant that he had finally remembered his place in the scheme of things, too late to change his fate, but in time to know that he had faced his superior and lost.

 

Sesshoumaru withdrew his hand from the man's chest and shook it gently to remove the blood from it. Then he turned to stare at Kagura. “That was foolish.” he stated. “You honestly did not believe that these mortals would defeat me, did you?”

 

Kagura smiled at him. Something in her smile put Sesshoumaru on his guard. She seemed too pleased with herself.

 

“You are right, most noble Lord.” she said, mockingly. “I did not expect them to beat you … while they lived.” Quickly, she brought her fan up over her head and brought it down in a sharp motion. “Dance of the dead!” she screamed, the wind from her fan increasing as her spell took form.

 

Sesshoumaru heard Rin scream shrilly from her place beside Kagura, and she heard Takara's choked, “Kami-sama!” as he spun to see the effect of the spell. His mouth turned down in disgust as he watched the men he had just slain raise themselves from the ground. As he prepared to draw Tokijin to destroy these undead men, Tensaiga pulsed at his side. He frowned at his father's sword for a moment and then a grim smile played across his lips. “Let us see what you will do without your army of the living dead, Kagura.” he said to the suddenly puzzled wind demon. Drawing Tensaiga, he ran to the first of the dead men and slashed him with the healing sword. Quickly, he ran to all the others, slashing them in passing and restoring them to life. As each man was restored, the shock of his death and resurrection was too much for him to bear. Each collapsed in a heap, retreating into a state of unconsciousness until his mind could cope with everything that had happened.

 

“It is finished, Kagura.” Sesshoumaru said as he healed the last soldier. “You have lost.”

 

“Not yet.” cried Kagura. She brought her fan up in a kind of swirling motion, causing a small whirlwind to form …. around Rin!

 

Rin screamed shrilly again as she was lifted off the ground. “Lord Sesshoumaru!” she screamed.

 

Sesshoumaru's rage grew as Rin was lifted higher off the ground. “Release her, Kagura, or I will surely slay you where you stand.” he growled.

 

Kagura bowed slightly to Sesshoumaru. “As you wish, my lord.” She suddenly made a flipping gesture with her fan that caused Rin to fly up higher into the air and begin to arc down toward the ground.

 

“Damn you, witch!” Sesshoumaru screamed out as he took off at top speed to try to catch up to Rin before she hit the ground. He heard Kagura's mocking laughter follow him.

 

“You only said to release her, my lord.” she called after him. “You never said where.” Kagura smiled in victory as she surveyed the field before her, and the now unprotected hanyou.

 

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`RIN!' Emotion screamed. `Damn it, old dog, MOVE!'

 

`If she dies…' Ration began.

 

`Run now, think later!' Emotion ordered as he pushed for more speed.

 

Sesshoumaru tried to turn into his energy form to catch Rin, but he had expended too much energy from his previous flight, then with his fight and then with resurrecting the soldiers to transform. So, instead, he ran, his eyes never leaving the little girl as she flew through the air. He watched as she hit the top of her arc and began to fall to earth. `Damn it, she's too far away!' he thought. Pushing himself to increase his speed, he exerted his will. `Transform, damn it, transform!' Rin was falling to earth faster. Heart pounding as he watched the child approaching her death, his rage at his feeling of helplessness goaded him to exert even harder. Then he felt it. That familiar tingle swept over him as he changed to his energy form. The ground fell away beneath him as he raced to catch Rin. Mere feet from the ground, he over took and caught her, then fell to earth, hitting on his shoulder and going into a tumble while clutching Rin to his chest. He came to rest on his back. Panting from his exertion, he lay on his back for a moment and sniffed of Rin to make sure she wasn't injured while his mind raced.

 

`We did it!' crowed Emotion.

 

`Was there ever any doubt?' replied Ration.

 

`That was too close.' Emotion said, with a shudder. Then he darkened. `Now, we can think…' he began.

 

`… about Kagura and her demise.' finished Ration vehemently.

 

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru heard something that made his blood run cold. In the distance, he heard Kagura shout, “Dance of the Dragons!” He released his hold on Rin, slid her off his chest, and rolled over in one smooth motion. As he pushed himself to his feet, he saw Kagura's whirlwinds strike all around Takara, blasting her off her feet. She didn't move from where she had fallen.

 

“Takara!” he bellowed, as he began to run back to the fallen hanyou and the wind sorceress.

 

As he ran, he watched helplessly as Kagura loaded Takara onto her feather and then rose into the air.

 

She circled above Sesshoumaru for a moment, just out of jumping reach, and taunted the enraged taiyoukai with a malicious laugh. “Don't worry about your little plaything, Lord Sesshoumaru!” she called to him. “I am quite sure that Naraku will let you have her back when he is through with her. That is, if she survives.” With a last laugh, Kagura flew away with Takara.

 

“TA-KA-RA!!!” screamed Sesshoumaru, but his only answer was a taunting laugh on the wind.

 

A/N: Finally! This is one of those chapters that is hard to find an appropriate ending for. Of course, there are those of you out there that would say that this is NOT an appropriate ending, but I think it is perfect for a cliffhanger. evil grin You know how much I love those. On to other news, I must report with some sadness, mixed with relief, that this story only has about 10 more chapters in it. It has already gone on far longer than I ever planned. I will resolve all issues, so don't worry. I haven't forgotten about Yukiho and her bonding to Inuyasha. I think that I have come up with a unique solution, but you won't see that for a couple of chapters, yet. And, the great secret that will change Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's relationship forever will also be revealed soon. Now, that I have thoroughly ticked everyone off, I'm signing off to work on 'Ties of Blood and Honor'. See ya' later, Fyrloche.