InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Sage ❯ The Dark Realm ( Chapter 26 )

~*~*~*~*~*~Edited version~*~*~*~*~*~

 

A/N: Thankies for the wonderful reviews everyone!! Again I'm really sorry about the late update. I hope you enjoy and review ^_^ with that said here's the next chapter *hands out popcorn*

 

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Dark Realm

 

Kagome sat in the training room idly playing with the Shikon no Tama. Inuyasha and Sango were changing into more appropriate sparring attire. Kagome was still thinking about her meeting with Kaeda as she ran her finger over the smooth surface of the Shikon no Tama. She would be hearing the voice of the Tama if she listened for it. But what in the world did that mean? The Shikon no Tama was just a Tama with strange powers wasn't it? I knew that I should have listened to Jii-chan when he was talking about this kind of stuff.

 

Kagome was vaguely aware of the fact that Sesshomaru, Rin and Miroku had taken up the seats next to her. She was thinking solely about her Jii-chan. He left me something. He left me a scroll about the Higurashi Fortune. Could it be information about the Shikon no Tama? The family was wealthy but never wealthy enough to be considered a fortune.

 

Kagome sat in silence as she continued to ponder everything that had happened in the last week or so. Everything was changing so quickly. She was now Inuyasha's mate. She had given birth to the Shikon no Tama. They had discovered that Mystic was actually a youkai puppet. Now the mystery around the Fortune of her family. Another thing to add to the puzzle.

 

“Hey Miko you all right?” Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Rin.

 

“Yeah. I'm just thinking. Were you saying something?” Kagome let the Tama fall from her hand and hit her chest. The weight of the Tama was now something that she needed to feel. It felt like it belonged there.

 

“I wasn't saying anything. I was just noticing that you were spacing out. Are you worried about Inuyasha getting his butt kicked but Taijiya?” Rin giggled as she spoke.

 

Kagome smirked, “I think that the two of them are equally matched. I have only seen Inuyasha train a few times and he looks like he can handle himself just fine.”

 

Miroku leaned around Rin to join the conversation, “Well he did grow up with Sesshomaru. Inuyasha was bound to learn to defend himself.”

 

Rin started to laugh and Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru who looked like he was trying very hard not to listen to the conversation that they were having. Kagome just shook her head as Miroku and Rin continued on with the conversation. She was only half listening as she had taken up playing with the Shikon no Tama again.

 

~ Stop! For Kami-sama's sake Duane stop! ~ Kagome jumped as Sorano's voice filled her head. Kagome could feel her heart pounding at the fear in Sorano's voice. But Sorano isn't even here?! Why did I hear her voice? Kagome looked down at the Shikon no Tama and gasped, drawing the attention of the others. The Tama, which was normally solid pink, was now streaked with black wisps.

 

“Miko what's wrong?” Rin had a concerned looked on her face as she looked from the Tama to Kagome, “And what's up with the Shikon no Tama?”

 

“I… I don't know. I heard Sorano's voice in my head as I was playing with it. Now it has these black swirls in it.”

 

Sesshomaru was instantly kneeling in front of Kagome, “What did she say?” Kagome could see that it was taking everything in Sesshomaru's power not to growl.

 

“She was asking for someone called Duane to stop whatever it was that he was doing.” Rin gasped and placed her hands over her mouth. “What is it Innocence?!”

 

Rin slowly lowered her hands but the horror on her face remained, “I knew that there was something wrong with Sorano. Duane is an old friend of Kaeda's. He just transferred here from England. He's a… a…”

 

This time Sesshomaru wasn't able to keep the growl out of his voice, “Spit it out!”

 

Rin flinched as she continued, “He is a dark youkai.”

 

Miroku looked at all of them before finally saying what Kagome and Sesshomaru were thinking, “Dark youkai?”

 

Rin nodded her head, “Dark youkai come from the realm that lies between the physical realm and Hell. They are the complete opposite of Light youkai. Sorano once told me that if she ever meant a Dark youkai that she was going to put as much distance between her and it as she could.”

 

Sesshomaru was losing his patience very quickly as he glared at Rin, “Why!”

 

Rin was shaking now. Kagome didn't know if it was because Sesshomaru was glaring at her or because of what a Dark and Light Youkai meeting would mean, “Dark youkai prey on Light youkai. The Dark youkai will do everything it can to mate the Light youkai. Sorano didn't go into details as to why but she said that she never would give a Dark youkai the time of day.”

 

~ Sesshomaru! Please make this stop! I need you to make this stop! ~ Kagome and Sesshomaru both jumped up. Kagome looked at Sesshomaru who was fighting very hard to keep his youki in check. He heard it too! Sorano is in danger!

 

Kagome didn't wait for the others as she took off running. She didn't really know where Sorano was but for some reason she knew to check the Elite Office first. Kagome ignored the yells of Rin and Miroku as she kicked open the changing room door and flew through the locker room as fast as her legs would carry her. Kagome was vaguely aware that she had just run past Inuyasha and Sango as she rounded a corner and saw the exit in sight.

 

“Kagome do you know where she is!” Kagome glanced to her right and saw that Sesshomaru was running with her.

 

“I'm not to sure but I have a feeling that she is in the Elite Office. I think it's the Shikon no Tama that is telling me this. I don't have anything else to go on so that's what I'm going on.”

 

Kagome and Sesshomaru burst through the locker room and scared the daylights out of two rookies that were standing against the adjacent wall. Kagome didn't even stop to say sorry as she headed for the elevator. Kagome slid to a halt at the elevators and pounded and the `up' button. By the light indicators the elevator was currently sitting on High Command and wasn't coming down.

 

Damn it! Kagome kicked the steal doors to the elevator shaft before she pivoted and took off towards the stairs. Kagome and Sesshomaru rounded a corner and the stairs came into sight. Kagome touched her bracelet and the green scanner on the wall beside the stairs lit up. `Please state name, rank and clearance.'

 

Kagome continued to run towards the stairs as she yelled, “Higurashi Kagome, Agent 1097, clearance level Alpha!”

 

`Higurashi Kagome cleared.' The metal door to the stair slid open just as Kagome and Sesshomaru reached them. Kagome leapt through the door, grabbed the railing, and flung herself up the flight of stairs. Sorano please be all right! We're coming! Hang on!

 

***

 

Inuyasha didn't even bother to wait for an explanation as he took off after Kagome and Sesshomaru. He could hear the others all running after him as he followed his mate and his brother. The only one fast enough to even keep up with his speed was Sango.

 

“What the hell was that all about!” Sango and Inuyasha jumped through the locker room doors causing two rookies to scream and run away from the training rooms.

 

“I don't know but I can feel that Kagome is under distress. Something is wrong and the fact that she didn't even stop to tell me has me worried.” Inuyasha and Sango reached the elevators and saw that the light for `up' was lit up but the elevator was still on High Command. Inuyasha glanced around the corridor and just saw a flash of silver as a door slid closed. “This way!”

 

Inuyasha took off down the hall with Sango right on his heels, “Inuyasha you don't have clearance for the staircases! We have to stop!”

 

“My bastard of a brother just when up those stairs with Kagome. There has to be a way for me to go up them too!”

 

“Well then Miko has just broken protocol. Fuck it! Nothing is making sense anyways!” Inuyasha suddenly noticed that the I.D. scanner on the wall beside the metal door had just lit up.

 

`Please state name, rank, and clearance.'

 

“Hiro Sango, Agent 1103, Clearance Level Alpha!” Inuyasha was starting to get more then a little worried. The door was still closed and he wasn't going to stop if it didn't open. He just didn't want to get in trouble for busting down a door.

 

`Hiro Sango Cleared.' Inuyasha's hair whipped back as the air was pushed from the stairwell room by the opening of the metal door. Inuyasha leapt through the door and started up the stairs four at a time. He would have leapt up them but the stairs were built over each other and the space between them was to small to leapt through.

 

“Come on Sango move it!” Inuyasha whipped around the first flight of stairs and didn't look back as he quickened his pace.

 

***

 

The metal door slid open as Kagome and Sesshomaru reached High Command. The corridor was deserted as they ran down to the Elite Office. Kagome could feel the youki of a powerful youkai but Sorano's youki was what was concerning her. It had dropped so much that someone who wasn't looking for it wouldn't feel it. Sesshomaru must have felt it too as he started to growl deep in his throat as they stopped outside the office.

 

“Open it!” Kagome flinched at the malice is Sesshomaru's voice.

 

“I… I can't…”

 

“WHAT!”

 

Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru and gasped at the red that had bled into his eyes. “You need Omega Clearance to enter the Elite Offices or you have to be an Elite.”

 

Sesshomaru growled out as he flung himself at the door leaving four great claw gashes on the door. Kagome had tried to warn him but he wasn't listening. Suddenly two large steel doors slid out of the wall and covered the office entrance. The I.D. scanner on the wall, which was glowing green, suddenly changed to red as the office went into lockdown mood. This didn't help Sesshomaru's youki induced rage.

 

Kagome jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and came face to face with Inuyasha. “We can't get in!” Kagome flung herself at Inuyasha as Sesshomaru continued to attack the steel doors.

 

“There has to be a way.” Kagome wrapped her arms around Inuyasha as he tried to comfort her. Kagome didn't know what to do. Sorano was in danger and they couldn't get in to help her.

 

“Sesshomaru knock that off right now!” Kagome turned from Inuyasha's chest and looked at Rin. She was out of breath but a fierceness was alive in her eyes. The tone of her voice was nothing that Kagome had ever heard before. Sesshomaru stopped in mid strike and growled at Rin. “Don't you growl at me! Now MOVE!”

 

To everyone's surprise Sesshomaru actually stepped aside and allowed Rin to move towards the I.D. scanner. She placed her hand upon the scanner. `Elite Office is Offline.' Rin cleared her throat as she spoke clearly to the empty corridor.

 

“Takahashi Rin, Central Command Operator 326, Clearance Omega.”

 

`Takahashi Rin Cleared. Elite Office Online.'

 

“Override Protector Code 1187.”

 

Kagome smiled for what felt like the first time that night as the steel doors pushed open to show the Elite Office plaque and door. `Omega Override Cleared.'

 

The I.D. scanner changed from red to green. “Abort Security measures Beta 99 Alpha.”

 

`Security control on lock down overridden. Welcome to the Elite Office Takahashi Rin.' The doors to the office opened and Kagome gasped. A strange mist spilled out of the office the minute the doors opened. Sesshomaru didn't wait for the others as he leapt blindly into the mist. Inuyasha grasped onto Kagome's hand as they entered the room together.

 

***

 

Inuyasha slowly walked into the office. The mist was making the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. There was something off about this mist. It was as if it was youki but it was different. Kagome grasped onto his hand more tightly and suddenly Inuyasha was aware that he was growling.

 

A loud crash caused Kagome to wrap her arms around Inuyasha from behind. They all stopped where they were and tried to see through the mist. Another crash, this one a lot closer to them, was followed by the loud growls of Sesshomaru.

 

“Temper temper my Inu Youkai friend.”

 

“How dare you! This Sesshomaru is not your friend!”

 

The mist started to thin and Inuyasha could just make out the outline of Sesshomaru and some other youkai in the room. Inuyasha scanned the room but couldn't see Sorano anywhere. She must be further back in the room. The mist hasn't thinned enough. I don't know where I'm going or I would go to her and see if she is okay.

 

“Ah but all youkai are friends. However it was very rude of you to stop me. I was about to claim what is rightfully mine.”

 

Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief. At least he didn't mate her. But why can't I sense her? I now know what her youki feels like and I would smell her but this damn mist is making it so I can't even smell Kagome and she is holding onto me.

 

“Sorano is mine! This Sesshomaru will destroy you for daring to touch what is mine!” Inuyasha saw Sesshomaru leap at the youkai but it seemed to vanish.

 

“I will return for her. She is now lost until I claim her. I will let you say your good-byes to her but I will be back for her in due time.”

 

Kagome leaned up Inuyasha's back and whispered, “He's gone now. I don't sense his youki anywhere.”

 

Inuyasha nodded as what Kagome said was true. The mist instantly vanished from the room and the odd feeling that Inuyasha had was gone. That's when he saw her. She was lying on one of the desks, half naked by the looks of it, and wasn't moving. Sesshomaru was instantly at her side. Kagome released Inuyasha as she ran to her. Inuyasha and others followed after her. When he reached the table he gasped.

 

“She is so pale…” Sesshomaru spoke out. Inuyasha knew he was talking more to himself then any of them. Sesshomaru removed his jacket and wrapped it around Sorano before he climbed onto the desk and pulled her into a sitting position leaning her against his chest.

 

The smell of salt hit his nose and Inuyasha turned to see that silent tears were running down Kagome's cheeks. Inuyasha's youkai blood screamed at him to comfort her but he didn't really know how he was going to do that. So he opted for the best thing he could think of. He walked over to Kagome and pulled her close to his chest.

 

“Look at her eyes,” Rin walked around Inuyasha and walked towards Sesshomaru and Sorano. Sesshomaru growled but Rin didn't stop as she climbed onto the desk and gently brushed a stray hair out of Sorano's lily white face. Rin was right. Sorano's eyes were completely silver but they were dull and lifeless like the rest of her.

 

“Innocence is she… is she breathing?” Sango slowly walked forward to look more closely at Sorano.

 

Tears were running down Rin's face as she leaned over Sorano's mouth. “Yeah but it's not very strong. We need to get her to the ICU.”

 

“That won't do any good.” Inuyasha jumped as a voice filled the room. He turned and looked at the very angry face of a neko youkai. She had long spiky fire coloured hair with the most intense orange eyes he had ever seen. A long fire coloured tail flicked out behind her as she walked towards them.

 

“Suzuki!” Rin leapt off the desk and ran towards the neko. “Suzuki you have to help her! She needs medical attention.” Rin grabbed onto the front of Suzuki's shirt as she pleaded with her to help Sorano.

 

“Innocence medical attention will not help her now. Nothing but Duane can help her.”

 

Sesshomaru growled as he glared at Suzuki, “I will not let that thing near her again.”

 

Suzuki cocked an eyebrow at Sesshomaru, “Do not growl at me Inu youkai! I am your superior. And if you want her back you will let Duane near her again.”

 

“Suzuki-san please tell us what is wrong with her,” Kagome looked so helpless that Inuyasha wrapped his arms more around her as he pulled her closer to him.

 

Suzuki ran a hand through her hair, “I knew it was mistake to let Duane here but Kaeda said that he was needed here. I figured it was because I was leaving but I guess the old babaa had her own reasons. Sorano's soul and youki are locked within the dark realm. The only way to get her back is to have Duane release her. She has been fighting him off all week but tonight was to much for her to handle.'

 

`You see dark and light youkai's youki are complete opposites on a scale. Duane wanted to claim Sorano so that he would gain her power and strength. He knew that Sorano wouldn't willing mate with him so if he forced her so he would gain all the power from mating. And trust me the last thing we want is a dark youkai with the power of the light youkai. He would be an unstoppable youkai.”

 

“I don't think I follow,” Sango glanced between Sorano and Suzuki. You're not the only one.

 

“In laymen terms it means that Duane would become extremely powerful if Sorano didn't want to mate him. He forced himself on her to get that power. I told Kaeda that there was something off about him and I guess I was right. Now Sorano is trapped between the physical realm and the dark realm but her youki is from the light realm.”

 

“So you mean to say that Sorano isn't going to be waking up anytime soon?” Rin let go of Suzuki's shirt.

 

“I'm sorry Innocence. I have never actually seen this happen before. I have only read about it. And now that Duane knows that we all what his death he won't be coming around if we are around Sorano. Especially if Sesshomaru's around.”

 

“Why? I mean if he wants her then why would he care if we were around or if Sesshomaru was around?”

 

Suzuki shook her head at Miroku, “Duane now knows that Sesshomaru is the one that Sorano wishes to mate. He knows that Sesshomaru will never leave her side. If he were to come after Sorano he would have to deal with the wrath of an Inu youkai.”

 

Sesshomaru growled again as he pulled Sorano closer to him. “Then what do we do?” Inuyasha looked at Kagome before waiting for Suzuki to answer her question.

 

Suzuki sighed and shrugged, “Like I said Miko. I have only ever read about this. I haven't actually witnessed it before.”

 

Inuyasha was about to make a reply with suddenly the sound of sirens echoed throughout the office. Inuyasha's ears flattened as a voice came over the PA system. “All Elites to the nearest Holo-projector! All Elites to the nearest Holo-projector!”

 

Suzuki raised an eyebrow as she walked to the nearest desk and activate the Holo-projector. The orb rose out of the desk and hummed to life. “It can't be!” Inuyasha had to agree with Kagome on that one. The Holo-projector was showing an image of the roof to Tower Recordings. The very building that was located over top of the Headquarters. On top of the roof was none other then Mystic.

 

Sango walked over to the image and looked closer at the figure. “How come he is still alive! He was a youkai puppet and Sorano took care of him.”

 

Suzuki looked from the image to Sango, “This is the puppet that Sorano was talking about?” Sango nodded, “Then I know why he is alive. You can't kill a puppet. The puppet master is the one that you have to kill otherwise the master can just keep making more and more of the same puppets.”

 

Suddenly the room filled with a strangely familiar voice, “This is Central Command Operator 229. All Elites are to head for the roof of Tower Recordings and eliminate the threat. The archives show that the youkai on the rooftop is known as Mystic. Team Sage is to report to the roof as well.”

 

Kagome wiped her eyes as she tried to pull away from Inuyasha. “Inuyasha I have to go. I am the Team Lead of Sage now and we were just assigned to eliminate that puppet.”

 

“Are you fucking crazy! That youkai puppet knows about the object that you carry. I am not letting you go off to face him! Not without me!!” Kagome was about to argue when Suzuki hissed at the projector.

 

“No fucking way!!” Suddenly another person appeared in the projector. It was none other then this Duane that they had been talking about. He was talking with the puppet as if they were old friends.

 

A growl from behind Inuyasha made him turn to see that Sesshomaru had arose, carrying the limp form of Sorano, and started to walk towards the door. “Sesshomaru?” Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder at Suzuki who had her hands on her hips.

 

“I will make that worthless youkai Duane release Sorano even if it kills me!”

 

***