InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Tale of Sesshoumaru ❯ Instrument of Destruction ( Chapter 33 )

 

 

Akanesuji felt like she was falling, yet she had no idea which way was up either. In one direction was an intense red fire, a mosh pit of souls running in circles round and round. In the other was a bright blue like the clearest of days. The two colors interchanged themselves over and over until she was pretty sure she was going to vomit inside the dog mask tied about her face.

 

With a gut wrenching pull, she landed on nothingness. It hurt like she had hit the ground, but when she looked at her feet, there was only the dark red mass far below. Looking above was the blue. Before her was the spirit of Inu No Taisho.

 

“Uncle,” she gasp in wonder. He had saved her from falling into the pit.

 

“Favorite niece, why do you come in the void?”

 

“You know why. I come for Sounga.”

 

“But why do you want it?”

 

“To bring peace and unity through strength. I am tired of the wars of man and youkai. I will end it and finish what you started.”

 

“You will not end it,” came a woman's voice from behind the great dog general. Akanesuji disbelieved what she saw though in her heart of hearts she knew it to be true. It was the Goddess Sieobo herself, dressed in great finery, her hand resting gently on the shoulder of her uncle. Her hair flowed like water all around her as if there was no gravity at all. Her face was supreme serenity itself. “War can never be totally ended. All things that are created must be destroyed. War brings about that destruction.”

 

“Then I will try to bring peace.”

 

“High ideals for a lowly inuyouka,” the goddess stated.

 

“They are better than none at all.” Akane was affronted. “Look at your sons, Uncle. They do you no honor. They don't even honor your ancestors. Our ancestors.”

 

“Favorite niece, you have always honored me most of all. You have tried to keep my dreams alive.”

 

Akane nodded. “How can I honor you more? How can I succeed?”

 

“Be his mother,” the goddess said. “The child within you has yet to quicken. Allow him to re-incarnate and and he shall wield So'unga once again.”

 

“Manatsu...”

 

“There is no Manatsu yet, just an empty vessel waiting for a soul. Would you deny your uncle and allow another soul to enter?”

 

Akanesuji shook her head, tears running down her face. “Do it.” The vision of the great inuyoukai faded and disappeared. The Goddess touched her belly, her hand phasing though the layers of armor and disappearing within. “Will he remember?”

 

“No. And neither will you. You will return home and birth your son. You will raise him to be a gentle soul. When the time is right, you will know to bring him here.”

 

“How?”

 

“Have faith, daughter. Your destiny will unfold, just like Sesshoumaru's. Just like InuYasha's. Just like Manatsu's. You are all under my protection, and I will call you when I need you.”

 

“Please, Sieobo, tell me I will bring peace. I need to know.”

 

“I am sorry, daughter. There are no happy endings. In the years to come, there will be a great war, something larger than this planet has ever seen. Our gods will fight against other gods, and your kind will be our officers. Your long lives are training you for this eventuality.”

 

“No. I will not be your pawn.” Akanesuji raised her hand in a fist and shook it, as if there was anything she could do against a goddess.

 

“I am afraid you have no choice. It is either fight, or loose the afterworld.”

 

“How can that be? We all hope for an afterlife. Heaven has always been promised us.”

 

“If the other gods take our lands, where will all the souls go?”

 

“I see now. I pray...make me an instrument of destruction. I will bring peace through noble combat.”

 

“So be it.”

 

Akanesuji woke with a terrible body ache. She was crumpled up in the blackened pit, a blade in each hand. When she sat up and took off the helm, she felt burn blisters around her eyes. She had survived Hell, but she could not remember how. It was a memory on the tip of her tongue, just out of reach. Looking at her hands and arms, where ever there was no armor, there were deep red burns, giant watery blisters or scorch marks. The stink of her burned up hair filled her nose. She couldn't remember her long hair catching flame, but it had.

 

“Save his baby teeth,” a woman's voice whispered to her. Looking around, Akanesuji could find no one. The voice was some how comforting, like she had heard it somewhere before. It seemed familiar too and she guessed it was her brain talking to her. It could have been her aunts voice, or the voice of her child hood nurse.

 

At the crest of the pit, she stopped and watched the sun rise. It was beautiful A brand new day. The baby kicked for the first time and she let tears of joy run down her face.

 

She walked home slowly, watching the burns slowly clear. She didn't want to discuss them with Sesshoumaru. Explaining where she was with the armor would be hard enough. She could just imagine it. “Hi honey, I went to hell for the night. What did you do?”

 

She smirked to herself. What exactly had she done? She didn't have So'unga with her, so some how she had failed on that account. She did have the armor and her life though. That was a plus. She did remember seeing Inu No Taisho. Yes, that was it. He called her his favorite niece and sent her back. He said to send Manatsu to get the sword when he was old enough as a right of passage. That would be many years from now.

 

The baby kicked again, and she covered her stomach with her hand. Maybe this little kick would draw Sesshoumaru out of his most recent funk. Maybe not. She called him a moody ass bitch to herself.

 

“How was the party?” his deep voice called out from the shade of a tree. He watched her limp along the road, her head cast down at the path before her. She wasn't paying attention to anything except walking, the helm in one hand, her other hand over her stomach like she was going to puke. “Drink too much?”

 

“No, but I sure could use a drink right now.”

 

Sesshoumaru eyed her suspiciously. “Hell a little on the dry side?”

 

“How did you know?”

 

“I'm not as stupid as you think I am.”

 

“You just let me go?” She was now a little pissed. Any man in love with a woman would have tried to protect her from certain death.

 

“We saw Akane of the future remember? I knew you would survive it.”

 

That made more since. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

 

“I wondered if you would be bringing that damned sword back with you.”

 

“Would it have changed anything?”

 

“Well. No. If you had brought it back, it would have meant you could control it. I'm not going to argue with anyone who can control father's sword.”

 

“Good. Glad to hear you and Manatsu will be getting along well in the future then.”

 

“Since when did we decide to name him Manatsu?”

 

“Since you and I of the future told me his name.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah.” Akane smiled. He wouldn't argue with her over it now.

 

“What else did Akane say to you?”

 

“That you were a moody ass bitch. But I already knew that.” The two started walking along side by side, Sesshoumaru looking ahead as always, calm, serene. Powerful. She looked ahead too, pondering what he was pondering. “Hey. That reminds me...”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Feel this.” Akane took his hand and placed it through the slits of her hakama pants and under the armor plates, stopping in the middle of the road. The little boy kicked hard against his palm and Sesshoumaru smiled.

 

“So he's a little demon from hell...”

 

“Nah. Are you kidding... with a name that means mercy?”

 

Sesshoumaru kissed her, a deep passionate kiss. “Want to go in the bushes?” he growled into her ear, his breath caressing the folds of her ear.

 

“I'm awfully tired.”

 

“But we are alone. Rin is not here to spoil it for us.” He licked at her neck, tasting the sweat and dirt on her. Hell tasted like shit. He made a horrid face and wanted to wipe his mouth out.

 

The woman laughed at him. She couldn't resist him. She never could resist him. Moody ass bitch or not, he was what she wanted most in life. Finding his mouth with hers, she kissed him well, drawing his bottom lip into her mouth and sucking on it a little. The helm dropped to the ground and the two started at it in the middle of everything, the trees singing in the wind, the sunshine exposing them to the world.