InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Centre ❯ Setup ( Chapter 14 )

Chapter 13: Setup

"How do you kill something that's not dead?" Sango shouted, her back against Rin's. Rin's left arm was hanging useless at her side. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru stood on either side of them, claws swiping out against wolves that drifted too close. The dead ones fell, rose and kept coming.

Kagome, Inuyasha thought. I'm sorry. I was too slow. He blinked back tears, his anger directed at the creatures flying at them. Every wolf symbolized his failure, every spray of blood reminding him it should have been him, not her. The anger of his failure, the pain in his chest….it all fueled the burning rage within him. He failed to notice his fangs growing longer, nails sharpening or the red glow his eyes began to take.

Demon? Sesshoumaru thought, stopping for a second. The smell of a full demon suddenly assaulted his senses. Eyes wide in surprise he glanced back.

Kouga came to a sliding stop just as he crested the ridge. He could smell the death, the blood….everything. Naraku was nowhere in sight even though his smell was all over. He could see Kagura on top of a building, watching the fight below….all too happily.

And then he saw the hanyou. Wolves were flying everywhere, pools of blood bathing the green grass in a sea of red. And the smell. Oh gods the smell! Death. All of it. He was too late. Every wolf down there was dead.

And yet they were still moving. Kouga's eyes narrowed. There was some key to this he was missing. Kagome? Where was Kagome!?

Inuyasha bared his fangs and grinned, his red eyes glowing bright red, stripes streaking down his cheeks. The grin on Kagura's face had faded as she began to look a little worried. What the hell was going on?

"Sango! Rin!" they heard and Miroku came running up, breathing hard. He was bent over, coughing horribly as he desperately tried to catch his breath. His lungs were burning as they tried to take in enough oxygen to balance the severe depletion. "What's…going..on…with…Inuyasha?" he huffed.

"He's turned into a full demon," Sesshoumaru answered, watching his brother with careful eyes.

"Huh? He can do that?" Sango asked, eyes widening.

"Tetsusaiga," Rin moaned, clutching her shoulder. "It tames his blood."

"Where's Kagome?" Miroku asked. No one met his questioning gaze.

"Oi! Dog breath!" Kouga said, suddenly at their side. Sesshoumaru looked down with a condescending snarl. "What the hell is going on? Where's Ayame?"

"Who?" Sango asked. "The only chick here is Kagura."

"Fucking slut," Rin added. After a long pause Kouga looked at them expectantly.

"Aren't you lot going to do anything about him?" he demanded.

"You wanna go talk some sense in him? Be my guest," Rin said. "I'll be sure to decorate your grave with flowers…if we find anything left to bury."

Kagura surveyed the scene with a sneer. This wasn't working.

:Kagura:, a voice in her head echoed.

Kagura looked up, surprised. Naraku? She thought. But Naraku was miles away!

:Play time is over, Kagura: How the hell was he talking inside her head? Kagura frowned and looked around her but saw no one. Damn bastard. Pulling a feather out she flew into the air, knowing they would not follow. An unattended building was too tempting for them to pass up and Rin wouldn't let Sesshoumaru get her. The little vixen wanted Kagura to herself, selfish bitch. She would rue the day she didn't let the dog demon tear her apart. For now one woman's mistake was Kagura's fortune.

Inuyasha snarled in rage. The stupid wolves didn't know when to quit. He needed more power! Slashing them only had them keep coming back. He needed the power to wipe them from existence.

Something at his hip vibrated. Startled he looked down, red eyes focusing on the sheath at his hip. Sword? That registered in the chaotic demon brain. He could feel the power from the sheath as it called to something. Anything with that much power in just a sheath would have to be holding something mighty powerful. His bloodied claws grabbed the sheath, holding it out. Whatever it was calling, he wanted it. He wanted it now.

"Holy shit!" Sango cursed and all eyes turned to where she was looking, across the field at Inuyasha. He was holding Tetsusaiga's sheath in front of him and an unnatural wind was surrounding him. Sesshoumaru and Kouga dropped to their knees, clamping their hands over their ears, grimacing in pain as the wind howled at unnaturally high levels, a high ear piercing whine calling out.

Tetsusaiga quivered where it lay still buried in Manten's dead body. The wind howled stronger and Inuyasha was bathed in a bright glow. The dead wolves were caught up in the wind, unable to reach him and Kagura was long gone, the threads of control thinning as her distance increased.

Suddenly Tetsusaiga lifted and flew straight to the sheath as if a great invisible arm had hurled it toward the swirling vortex Inuyasha stood in. Bloodied claws closed around it.

"KAZE NO KIZU!!!!"

<Moments later>

Kouga surveyed the damage. That was one dangerous weapon dog-breath had. Nothing was left of his dead comrades. As prince of his people he had failed. Gotten here too late.

"Anything inside?" Rin asked Sesshoumaru who had done a speedy check of the now abandoned factory. He shook his head in reply. "Dammit. How did he know?"

"Oi, where's Kagome?" Kouga demanded.

"We don't know," Sango said, her eyes tearing up.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" the wolf prince snarled, picking Sango up by the shirt collar. "Where the fuck is MY WOMAN?"

His answer was a punch from the side. Dropping Sango he looked at Miroku who stood there, eyes blazing in anger.

"Boys, stop it!" Rin ordered. "Kagome was in front of Manten when he released his power. We can't find her." She said nothing else. Everyone knew what she meant. Kagome was dead.

"Damn you dog-turd!" Kouga swore, advancing to where Inuyasha was standing, sword still in hand, his body covered in blood and sweat. Golden eyes looked up, fuzzy, and focused on the approaching wolf. He blinked, the movement slow and drawn out. He never saw it coming as Kouga swung a hard round kick, sending the already badly injured Hanyou flying backward. "YOU! You put her in danger! This is all your fault, bastard!" Kouga accused.

Inuyasha struggled to stand, every muscle in his body screaming. Why couldn't he focus? Why was everything blurry? What happened? When did Kouga get here?

"That's enough," a cold voice said, long claws wrapping around Kouga's throat. Sesshoumaru easily lifted the wolf into the air, letting him dangle as the youkai's flat stare captured frantic blue eyes. "No one kills Inuyasha but me."

The threat removed, Inuyasha turned, stumbling to the place his head was telling him he should go to. The smell. Oh the smell! He couldn't smell her anywhere! No blood, no death. Just….gone. Inuyasha dropped to his knees, the pain in his chest making breathing impossible.

How could he possibly live after this? Without her? To lose her scent…her comfort…her compassion….forever. It wasn't fair!

Inuyasha threw back his head in a heart shattering howl that echoed through the surrounding area. Tetsusaiga pulsed at his hip, then all was quiet as he sat there, slumped over, golden eyes glazed and unfocused.

Sango had tears streaming down her face as she knelt down next to him. She reached a hand out but couldn't bare the sorrow coming off him in dark waves. Grabbing Miroku she buried her head in his chest and began to sob uncontrollably. Rin was quivering, her bottom lip threatening severe spasms as she stood there, unmoving. Kouga was gasping for air, having been released. Sesshoumaru said nothing, his face impassive and blank.

Inuyasha reached out and grabbed a handful of the ash where Kagome had been laying. He pulled off the remnants of his shirt, ripping a chunk of it. Slowly he began to pick up the dark black ashes, his mind and body numb. They all stood and stared as he wrapped the ashes up, holding it close to his chest where several wounds were still dripping blood.

"Is this some sort of after battle demon tradition or something?" a voice called out. Rin let out an audible gasp. Inuyasha turned, dazed and confused.