InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sword of Supreme Conquest ❯ Chapter 26 ( Chapter 26 )

How many more times will I have to say goodbye to you?

 

 

The question tormented her heart the same way the cool night air burned her lungs. Thorny tree limbs, twisted and gnarled like great claws, groped at her fleeing form as she tore through the forest; their branches slapping soundly against her skin in stinging blows, like a reprimand for an impudent child.

 

 

Blinded to everything but her ultimate goal she pressed forward, her feet pounding loudly against the well packed soil of the forest floor. She ran like the Devil was at he heels and her might as well have been. She didn't dare waste precious seconds by glancing over her shoulder to see if she was being pursued. Of course he would follow - he always went after what was his.

 

 

The demon that'd once been her mate was a ruthless killer at heart and she knew better than any other the haunting truth - he would not stop his pursuit until she was dead. She found herself silently praying to any god that would listen that Inuyasha had the ability to hold him off long enough to give her a significant head start. The only hope she had now was to find Akira and dispose of the sword before he found her in the dark. The locket around her neck jangled back and forth along its chain and slapped against her chest with each hurried step, a continual reminder of her next impossible hurdle.

 

 

She kept that same ruthless pace for nearly an hour, her final destination unknown even to herself. When her lungs could take no more and her sides and legs were cramped so painfully she could hardly bear to take another step she finally allowed herself a brief rest. An exhausted sob escaped her lips as she collapsed heavily against the thick trunk of a nearby oak tree. Its comforting stability supported her as she stared Heavenward and concentrated on filling her lungs with much needed oxygen. The mask she wore around her face had long since become unnecessary and now felt like it was slowly suffocating her. With an irritated grunt she gave it a tug and let it drop loosely around her neck. The cool air washed instantly against her heated skin, forcing a small shiver down her spine.

 

 

Rubbing at her arms to stay the cold she noticed the cool touch of Akira's locket against her skin. With a curious eye she held it up to her face and casually turned it over in her fingers so she could examine the intricate patterns engraved on either side. It looked the same as any other locket. It was the kind where the two halves fit together so you could place a picture on either side. It resembled the one she'd given Inuyasha all those years ago, except that this one was oval rather than heart shaped and silver rather than gold.

 

 

Wedging her fingernail between the two halves, she forced the locket open and stared blankly at the darkened pool of blood that'd hardened inside. She remembered Akira's instructions for her to summon him with her powers, but she hadn't the faintest idea how to go about accomplishing such a task. It wasn't as if she could snap her fingers and magically know where he was. Without Inuyasha's sensitive nose to guide her search she felt somewhat helpless.

 

 

Not knowing what else to do, she left the locket open against her chest and continued her journey in the direction she'd been pulled since she left the palace. It was like an invisible tow line was guiding down a current that only flowed eastward. She closed her eyes as she walked, trusting that she wouldn't crash into any trees or shrubs, and concentrated on finding the elusive demon. She pictured him in her mind; his kind azure eyes that had made her trust him with one glance, his long flowing mane of silver hair, and his confident smirk and cat like posture that seemed as much features of his physical form as his personality. She focused every fibre within her body on feeling his presence in the forest around her. After several moments she opened her eyes and stared blankly at the darkness surrounding her. With a frustrated growl she lashed out and kicked the tree next to her.

 

 

“Dammit! Akira where are you?”

 

 

Hot tears of frustration welled up in her eyes and she kicked the tree again with her hands fisted at her sides. If she didn't find him soon everything she'd suffered and sacrificed until would be for nothing. She absolutely refused to let that happen. She didn't care if she had to wander aimlessly screaming his name at the top of her lungs - she would find him.

 

 

Just as she opened her mouth to call for him again something made her pause. A discrete sound reached her ears - the gentle rustling of bushes to her right. She turned towards the disturbance, straining her eyes against the impenetrable inky shadows. Discretely she moved one foot to the left, widening her stance, and gripped the sheathed sword in her hands ever tighter. Her breaths came slow and shallow as she stared into the woods, waiting for whomever, or whatever, had just joined her to show itself.

 

 

 

oOo

 

 

 

A blur of red, white and silver darted about the room, punctuated every so often by the green hue of Sesshomaru's claws. The sound of their grunts and muttered curses when they missed a lethal strike could be heard down the hall, encouraging servants to flee and guards to gather in the doorway. Sesshomaru's eyes had long since turned a menacing blood red as he sought to maim, slice or kill the brother who'd entered his life like a plague and never left.

 

 

 

If he were thinking logically, he would've realized that killing this Inuyasha would mean that the brother he had come to respect from his own time would cease to exist, but when Sesshomaru was this angry, it was impossible for him to think logically at all. He was beyond that now, striking, blocking and moving purely on instinct, his body feeding off the raw adrenaline coursing through his veins.

 

 

He wanted blood. He wanted retribution. He wanted someone to suffer the way he had. Wanted someone had to be to blame for the pain and betrayal he'd experienced from those closest to him and Inuyasha was a prime target to exact his vengeance upon. After all, it was he who'd dragged Kagome down this route to begin with. He'd been the one to use her body, the one to encourage her heart into betrayal…He was the key to everything and it only made sense that he should be the one to pay the penance for her sins.

 

 

 

“For someone who used to love Kagome as much as you claimed to, you sure seem pretty intent on killing her,” Inuyasha spat out as he blocked the smooth, deadly arc of Sesshomaru's green hued acid whip. The demon lord growled menacingly and lashed out with his claws but missed his target.

 

 

 

“Do not presume to know me hanyou,” he threatened icily.

 

 

 

Inuyasha ignored the jab and parried Sesshomaru's attacks easily before releasing several of his own. He succeeded in slicing a fair sized gash into his opponent's unarmed shoulder with his claws. Without another hand to stay the bleeding, Sesshomaru was forced to grit his teeth as rivulets of blood flowed down his arm to collect at his wrist. Though it must've taken a great amount of effort, his face did not waver as he lifted his injured arm and cracked his knuckles in preparation for another attack.

 

 

 

“Well it's good to see that some things haven't changed. You're still a stubborn bastard!” Inuyasha chided with a scoff. “Just leave it be. Trust me, you want her to leave with that sword. It'll be the first good thing you've done in three hundred years.”

 

 

 

Sesshomaru fixed him with a dark glare and sneered. “It would seem that you are also unchanged. You're still the same ignorant hanyou you always were.” He made a swipe at Inuyasha's head and `tsk'ed when he ducked out of the way just in time.

 

 

 

“Don't presume to tell me what to do mutt. That sword and that woman are mine to do with as I see fit. Do not bother coming to her defence. She is just as guilty as you and I will have my revenge on you both. You made sure to that didn't you little brother?”

 

 

 

Inuyasha faltered at his brother's words and stumbled backwards as if he had been struck. Everything Sesshomaru said was true, he couldn't deny it. He was the root cause of everything bad thing that'd happened to Kagome during her life and nothing he did could ever take away the guilt he felt. With an angry cry, he leapt at his opponent and sliced at his injured arm, intent on disarming him without killing him. Kagome would never forgive him if he did that, even if it was for her own good.

 

 

 

Sesshomaru predicted this line of attack and quickly turned to the side, forcing Inuyasha off balance. The demon lord wasted no time raking his razor sharp claws down his opponent's back. The half demon cried out as the acid burned through his skin and took several staggering, unsteady steps forward. He hunched over to ease the pain and eventually collapsed onto all fours. He glared over his shoulder at Sesshmomaru who returned his look with an icy cold glare that would send chills down any mortal's back.

 

 

 

“Bastard,” he seethed tersely and winced at the pain spreading across his back. His chest was heaving from the exertion of their heated close-quarters battle. Sesshomaru merely stared down his nose at him, his expression filled with his disdain.

 

 

 

“You know,” Inuyasha continued, “if you had enough brains to figure out what was really going on here, you wouldn't be so hasty to kill everyone and everything in sight.”

 

 

 

Sesshomaru was mildly curious as to what he was getting at but kept his face carefully un-emotive and feigned indifference.

 

 

 

Inuyasha eased his body to the floor and rested his back against the footboard of the large bed in the centre of the room. It was time Sesshomaru knew what was going on. He didn't give a damn about screwing up the time line or any of the rest of it anymore. He wasn't prepared to lose his life over a misunderstanding. Fixing his brother with a serious stare, he held his gaze intently.

 

 

 

“There's something going on with Kagome you need to know about. I'm not supposed to tell you, but right now I could care less. And I know you probably won't believe me either. You're a stubborn bastard who cares more about his pride than the well being of his mate, but I don't give a damn about that right now either.”

 

 

 

Sesshomaru flexed his claws at the insults carelessly tossed his way but did not immediately strike out. He had to admit that whatever the miko was up to it'd piqued his curiosity. She'd never been so reckless before and to seeing her acting in such a way had thoroughly confused him.

 

 

 

With the confident smirk of someone waiting to drop a bombshell of hurt, Inuyasha began his story.

 

 

 

 

oOo

 

 

 

 

Kagome clutched the locket at her throat between her fingers and held it tight as she waited. Her body was tense, ready to strike out or run depending on what emerged from the shadows ahead. A stick cracked nearby and the sound echoed loudly in the stillness of the night. Her shoulders twitched in anxious anticipation and she could feel her heart racing beneath her hand.

 

 

Come on…show yourself! she demanded inwardly and darted her tongue out to nervously wet her lips.

 

 

As if in answer her silent pleas, a flurry of silver darted out of the dark and materialized before her. Her eyes took in the familiar features of his face and the solid build of his frame, hardly willing to believe that she could be so lucky. With a cry of relief she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest. The steady beat of his heart thrummed reassuringly beneath her ear and the tension immediately evaporated from her shoulders.

 

 

“Thank the gods!” she sniffled and absently wiped away the tears of happiness that'd begun to brim in her eyes. Pulling away from his solid warmth she tilted her head upwards until her gaze met the warm azure eyes she remembered so well. Akira's eyes were filled with a seriousness now that they hadn't possessed before. He gripped her shoulders tightly and held her at arms length while he studied her. His eyes dropped to the sheathed sword in her possession and he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

 

 

“Ah, so you were successful. Might I ask…how were you able to retrieve it?”

 

 

Kagome smiled wryly as she glanced down at the fang, turning it over in her hands so she could study it in the moonlight. She was hardly able to believe it herself, the fact that she'd made it out of the palace and to this place alive and in one piece. It almost felt too good to be true and she was tempted to pinch herself just to be sure she hadn't fallen asleep somewhere along the way.

 

 

“Well I can tell you one thing…it wasn't easy.”

 

 

Akira waited patiently for her to continue but when she pressed her lips together and maintained a thoughtful silence he decided it was probably best not to push her for more. He pitied the sad, distant look that'd settled in her eyes but hastily pushed such troublesome thoughts out of his mind. Everything they'd done up until now was necessary and justified he reassured himself. It was so because it'd brought the sword into their hands.

 

 

He stared hungrily at the blade resting easily between the miko's hands. He could feel the power emanating off of it in great rushing waves. It was calling to him already. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold it within his claws, to feel its infinite power coursing through his body, but he restrained himself and held his hands at his sides, balled into tight fists.

 

 

Kagome didn't notice the tension emanating from Akira. She shook herself to rid her body of the weighted feeling that'd slowly settled into her limbs and sighed softly. With one last glance at the sword, she held it out to him expectantly. “Here. I believe this is for you,” she said perfunctorily and held it out to him.

 

 

Akira's breath stopped short in his chest as he stared wide-eyed at the Sword of Supreme Conquest. It beckoned to him in a sweet voice, pleading to be unsheathed. It wanted to use his body, wanted to send its power flowing freely through him like water to nourish his beast and bring his darkest desires to fruition. As he lifted his clawed hand to grasp the sheath, Akira realized without a hint of regret that he no longer had the strength to resist the call.

 

 

 

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Author's Note: For those of you who read my previously posted message about me falling off the face of the earth well…it certainly felt like it, to me anyway. I wasn't sure when I'd be able to post next due to time constraints and other commitments but things worked out for the best so here I am (again!) with another update. This one is kinda short too I know, but it's better than no update right? *grin*

 

 

I'm also incredibly sorry about leaving you off on yet another cliffhanger *hangs head in shame* There's…umm…kinda gonna be a few more of those….*hides from the pitchforks and tomato bazooka guns*

 

 

Well to those of you who don't want to kill me yet (yet being the operative word) thank you for your lovely reviews :) I promise I will post review responses next chapter, I've just run out of time for now. *hugs to you all and a plate of freshly baked cookies*

 

- Langus