InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Tribute ❯ Down To the Wire ( Chapter 15 )

{Author is wheeled in on a gurney totally battered with two black eyes and in a full body cast}

My Muse kicked my ass and fought me to the bitter end and resisted my efforts for almost 3 weeks to get this chapter finished. Gomen that the updates for "Tribute" take forever but this is my pride and joy and it has to be done right. Everyone who has patiently been reading, reviewing and waiting for this story, this chapter is dedicated to you all!

Disclaimer: I own nil. Inuyasha & co. belong to Rumiko Takahashi. All original characters featured in this fan fic belong to me. Including supporting characters that are hot as Yukio and Kuro (wink) and the extra villains.

THE TRIBUTE

by kittie le sabre

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

DOWN TO THE WIRE

Initially, Miroku felt disoriented as he sped through the portal. His senses were overwhelmed by the static of white noise and the velocity until abruptly he was bombarded with the chaos of sound and pure, unadulterated dark energy.

For several moments he hovered suspended in mid-air that was more like gelatinous fluid than a current of wind before landing on the hard floor with a forceful thud. He groaned lying with his face pressed to the floor, before managing to turn over onto his back and opening his eyes. His eyes grew wide as he looked up.

Above him, the portal glowed and shifted, pulsating with energy. Suddenly a loud surge exploded in the room, there was a glaring flash and then a spiral of energy burst through the opening. The spiral twirled around the room for several moments and then grew larger and larger until there was a crack very much like lightening and Sesshoumaru appeared a few feet away from Miroku, lying unconscious on the floor.

Before Miroku could ponder the cause of Sesshoumaru's condition, the portal shifted again. As he looked up, the last thing he saw was something bright red coming at him full force before it landed on his face. Literally.

Kami! He COULD NOT breathe! He was being smothered by something. Just when he thought it could not get much worse, a firm and hard object dropped dead center in the middle of his groin! His eyes rolled in the back of his head from the shock and the pain. No sound escaped from him because he was still being smothered!

The weight suffocating him shifted for a brief moment, but not before emitting a disagreeable funnel of noise and smelly air. It was too much to bear, but it did yield the mistreated advisor enough space and air to scream out in agony. The cry startled the individuals in the area, managing to awake the unconscious taiyoukai who groaned in discomfort at the sound. The source of the groin pain shifted, and Miroku's vision cleared enough that he could see Sango moving away from him and off him. The hard padding that had choking the life out of him was Inuyasha's muscled leather-clad rear end.

"Are you okay?" Sango had staggered to her feet and peered down at him in concern. Inuyasha staggered behind her somewhere, his sensitive ears still ringing from the noise.

Miroku grunted, trying to inhale and hold his breath at the same time. The breathing helped the pain dissipate somewhat but the lingering effects from Inuyasha's breaking wind was torture.

"Oi Miroku! Get up from there! Kagome has to come through the portal!"

Biting back several curse, Miroku managed to stagger to his feet with Sango's help. Her face was flushed because she realized what she had landed on. Miroku leaned against her, moving his arm to slide it around her waist. He continued to tune out Inuyasha's tirade as he let his hand wander lower and lower to gently massage the bounty hunter's backside.

The loud crack of her open hand resounded in the room like a shot. Inuyasha angrily stormed over to him to yell directly in his face.

"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME??" The hanyou bellowed, while Sango moved away and muttered furious comments about hentai jogonsha. Sesshoumaru wandered over to them with an air of impatience.

"It was rather difficult after you landed with your buttocks in my face and decided to release an unpleasant aroma as a reminder. Not to mention this lovely young woman delivered an unloverlike blow to my manly extremities."

"Nani?" Sango exclaimed heatedly backing away from him. "I did NOT touch you THERE!" Her pretty face was flushed vibrant rose.

"I would not be in such a condition had you not," Miroku insisted.

Inuyasha glared at them both and "keh'd" impatiently before storming off to gesture wildly at the portal.

"Ikimashou! Get over here you two! We need to help Kagome!"

"Inyasha, I strongly suggest that you move out of the way," Miroku advised, gingerly wandering over towards where the hanyou was standing almost directly under the portal.

"What in the hell are you fucking going on about now, Miroku?" Inuyasha snapped turning to face him

Sango's eyes grew wide as she noticed that the portal had expanded and before anyone could utter a warning, a blast of light blinded them. There was a loud thud and a wounded puppy yelp from Inuyasha.

Kagome had landed directly on the hanyou, knocking him backwards to the floor with the full force of her body weight and the backlash of the portal closing. Inuyasha groaned because Kagome's entire body felt as if it was imprinted into him.

Sango and Miroku rushed over to help the couple who were to say the least, winded and partially in shock. Sesshoumaru had enough of the foolish display. He was at the end of his patience while they dilly-dallied around wasting time. There was no point in waiting for them, after all he needed no help in retrieving his mate. A/N: Didn't Kagome and Miroku just help him find the portal??

The taiyoukai snarled in annoyance and walked off, annoyed by the entire exchange and desperate to find his mate, not that he would ever admit that. A/N: Of course not.

The miko would be fine but time was against him. He focused on the link he had through the Marking bond, letting his youki swirl through his body as a reddish mist bore him aloft. Using his youkai senses along with his mating tie to Rin, he allowed his demonic energies of the Mark to reach further and further throughout their enemy's lair until he could detect her life force along with that of the unborn pup.

Suddenly, a surge of energy generated by powerful emotions slammed into his body with such violent force and he almost lost control of himself. Rin! The sensation of mind numbing terror filled him briefly and he knew that his mate was in danger.

Sesshoumaru's eyes bled crimson as he fought from shifting into his true form, since he was more than ready to hunt down Naraku and the others' that had taken his mate and threatened her life

*~*~*~*~*

Chaos erupted in Naraku's laboratory.

Ginta and Hakkaku were shooting their laser beam guns, while diving, running and jumping to avoid Kagura's wind attacks after Kouga was rushed by Kuro. The beams from the duo's weapons were still bouncing all over the place and striking everything in sight because Kagura was using a barrier to deflect the laser beams. She combined the deadly beams with her wind attacks making it virtually impossible for anyone to get near her or Naraku.

Naraku floated above the action but was pleased when Kuro immediately appeared and began following his orders to kill Kouga-or at least try. He used his powers to create a barrier around himself to avoid the deadly beams that were destroying the room. Fortunately, the Shikon No Tama was immune to such petty weaponry. His blood raced with excitement as he looked over at Rin floating suspended in the tank. It was almost time to fuse her unborn pup's life force with the Jewel of Fours Souls. The three moons were almost completely in conjunction. All he needed was for his henchmen to keep the intruders occupied long enough for him to bring the final part of his plan into action.

He glanced down at Akiko. The miko would be conscious any moment. The plan was to trick her into using her powers. She would believe that she was helping her niece but in reality she would be fulfilling the purpose he had kidnapped her for. Already she was corrupted and tainted with anger, hatred and the desire for revenge.

Kuro and Kouga were facing off in a fight, testing one another's mettle as they made tentative swipes at one another. Kouga grew impatient and decided to strike, feting an uppercut in order to get Kuro to duck so he could make his next move. Kuro was standing before him, and phased so that when the ookami youkai attempted to fake out the nekomata so that he could use his opposite fist to deliver a rib-shattering body blow, Kuro was delivering a strike to sever his head from his shoulders. Kouga dodged the attack, but just barely. Kuro managed to slash him across the shoulder and upper back, slicing through the thick engineered leather of the vest that usually acted as armor. He was momentarily stunned by the blow, aware that his skin was stinging from the razor-blade claws. If it wasn't for the vest, he would be either dismembered or cut in half.

Yeah, the cat youkai was fast but not quick enough to bring him down.

Kouga smirked at his opponent. "Not bad, for an itty-bitty kitty-cat. Guess all that aggression comes out in not being able to keep the ladies satisfied, huh?"

Kuro lifted a brow at him in answer but didn't deign to reply. He wasn't falling for that shit. But before he could spring into action, he heard Akiko' scream of terror shortly after she had regained full consciousness. Kouga, Kuro, Ginta, Hakkaku and Kagura all ceased at the sound of her terrified cry, "What in the Kamis-?" The youkai all turned as one to view the cause of the miko's outburst.

Everything appeared to happen in slow motion.

The beams had struck the control panels until the force field protecting the immersion tanks was deactivated. Two of the chambers with Naraku's clones inside were completely blown up. The source of the miko's horror was that another beam had ricocheted across the room and shattered the tank that Rin was floating suspended in.

The fiber glass broke into large fragmented pieces and the greenish water-fluid spilled out in a rush. For several moments, Rin was still trapped within, unaware until the pressure from the shattered glass and violently escaping water slammed her into the back wall of her glass prison. The force shook her awake and her eyes opened as she was falling, being swept along by the artificial current towards the jagged opening…

"Imbeciles!" Naraku's enraged bellow echoed throughout the room. Kouga and the others all scrambled to get out of the way of the flying glass and gallons of water raining down from above. The irony of the matter was those fools were the cause of the disaster!

Naraku began to glow; his body became surrounded by a sickening purple-blackish aura. The evil in the room was nearly suffocating as the Shikon No Tama pulsated and throbbed in answer to him tapping into its power.

Naraku lassoed a stream of dark miasma until it became a thick conduit, like a huge gaping mouth. The toxic shaft suctioned the cascade of water and glass, then promptly expelled it until Rin was drawn into it. The Demon Lord of the North focused on keeping her within a protective barrier so that she would not succumb to the poisonous fumes of his miasma. Rin drifted inside of the funnel, and Naraku floated towards her, anxious to make up for the lost time. The moons were almost aligned now.

He called down to Akiko who was standing below there observing it all.

"Miko! Your niece's life is in danger! Save her!"

Akiko's jaw flexed in anger and indecision at his words; Rin was hovering above them in midair, suspended by that miasma funnel. What if she died anyway? What if this was some trick? Hadn't he revealed his sinister plans for Rin and her baby?

But the decision was taken away from Akiko.

One moment everyone was standing around awaiting her decision, the next moment there was blur of white as something swept through the air, causing the miasma to sweep away from the funnel and to dissolve. Naraku's visage contorted with fury as his miasma was destroyed by what he identified as strong youki. When the cloud of miasma cleared there was no sign of the taiyoukai's mate. The light from the Shikon No Tama dimmed as Naraku's ruby eyes swept the room. Someone had come into his lair without his knowledge! He was in such a rage that it barely registered that Rin had vanished until the cause of his anger was revealed.

Sesshoumaru reappeared, standing on top of a large scaffold opposite of Naraku with his mate in his arms. It was all that he could do to keep himself from transforming. The saving grace was that his mate and pup were safe for now. Rin was still unconscious and his eyes were crimson as he glared at his enemy. His blood was burning in his veins for the kill!

Naraku floated away from his line of sight and hissed in fury, "Sesshoumaru!" The demon lord did not acknowledge him at all. Naraku seethed. How dare that dog thwart him? It was almost time for the completion of his plans! He was so close! His senses registered that the moons were nearly in total alignment. But for now other matters demanded his attention.

The Shikon No Tama vibrated with dark energy and his only thought was to remove it from the laboratory and make his escape.

He concentrated his energies on locating Kanna who was waiting for him as she manned the main systems. It was odd being inside of her mind because the sensation was as if he were adrift in a void. But he could feel her mind within the void responding to him.

{Kanna, get the transference beam ready. You will transfer myself, the Jewel and the girl to the ship!}

{Naraku-sama, I cannot get a fix on the girl the taiyoukai's youki and barrier is surrounding them both.}

{Then concentrate on me and the Shikon No Tama}

{Hai, Naraku-sama}

A second thought registered in his mind and he nearly laughed aloud as he noticed that Akiko was rushing across the room to the platform towards her niece and Sesshoumaru.

{Kanna, get a fix on the miko! She is going with us!}

{Hai, Naraku-sama.}

Kouga decided to make his move since Naraku appeared to be occupied elsewhere.

"Ginta! Hakkaku!" He cried out aiming his weapon at his enemy. "Don't hit the Shikon No Tama but kill his sorry ass!"

"Wait for us, Kouga!" the duo cried as they hastened to follow their leader.

Kouga and his henchmen took that opportunity to attack the taiyoukai of the North who was floating above them. They started shooting at Naraku who merely smirked and looked down at them since the laser beams bounced off his barrier. It was time to up the stakes.

Naraku mentally summoned his horde of "enhanced" youkai to attack Kouga and his boys. Silently giving the order to Kanna to open the main door, the cyborg creatures rushed into the room in a massive swarm that descended upon the trio.

Naraku smirked. That should keep them busy for a while. Naraku turned away with a satisfied grin at the end result. But something gave him pause as he looked down at the fighting.

What was that self-serving nekomata doing? He spotted him edging away towards one of the steel doors. Did he think to leave unnoticed?

{Kuro, deal with these fools! I won't say it again!}

Kuro tensed, all too aware that Naraku was using him and the other youkai to hasten his own escape. Why didn't he give the order to Kagura who was merely standing nearby and doing nothing? Then again, the body of the woman's lover, Ishi, was still lying in a pool of blood so perhaps he did not quite trust her to protect his hide.

Kuro mentally scoffed. He'd had enough of Naraku today. There was no way he was going to save that sorry ass bastard and risk his own neck. Kuro peered over at Akiko who was cautiously approaching the platform where Sesshoumaru was standing. She used her powers to purify several of the demons who attempted to attack her.

When three of them managed to sneak up behind her, a green electric whip lashed out and sliced them to shreds before she was even aware that she was in danger. She turned to see Sesshoumaru with his back to her as he jumped up into the air to remount the scaffold. A mass of youkai rushed to topple the scaffold but Sesshoumaru had already drawn Toukijin and was making short work of the fools.

A snake youkai wrapped itself around the base of the scaffold causing it to slide. Sesshoumaru held his ground but his mate was rolling to the end of the platform. She disappeared over the side before he could reach her and his heart burned with a foreign emotion: fear.

Below, Akiko centered herself, using all of her strength to tap into her powers, feeling her strength waning from over exerting herself in the battle. She managed to arrest Rin's fall as Sesshoumaru phased and caught his mate before Akiko's power gave way. The miko's last effort was to purify the snake youkai along with its comrades who were charging her.

The taiyoukai of the Western Lands floated back up to the scaffold with Rin in his arms. He lowered his mate to the ground and made eye contact with the miko. He rose to his full height and imperiously gestured for Akiko to join them. When the miko mutely stared at him, Sesshoumaru finished off the attacking youkai with Toukijin effortlessly unaware that the entire scenario was being observed from across the room.

Kuro narrowed his eyes. What was the dog demon doing? The laboratory was littered with the mangled remains of youkai, while the remainder continued their fight with Kouga and his men. Kagura had vanished into thin air when his back was turned. No point in obeying Naraku's orders. What in the hell was he waiting for? Kuro snorted; eh could care less. It was his chance to make his move.

Sesshoumaru was aware that the miko shared a blood tie with his mate. Although he despised all humans he could not ignore his instincts, it was part of being a dog demon. She did not respond to his offer but she was at least somewhat safe for the time being. He needed to attend to Rin.

The bond between Sesshoumaru and Rin pulsed, alerting him to the fact that she was aware that he was with her. He could also sense the pup, marveling slightly at how his heir had grown in the brief time of separation from her. The Lord of the Western Lands was grateful for not just her life but his offspring's also. It was hard to reconcile himself to the fact that he no longer cared that she was ningen and NOT youkai. The hardest consideration was his feeling about siring a hanyou. Would it continue to be a matter of disgrace, dishonor to his lineage? He had always considered this to be the case with his brother. But now he was forced to face the possibility and it required that he delved deeper into himself. Just then Rin groaned and shifted upon the platform diverting his attention from his troubling thoughts. The inu youkai reinforced the protective barrier surrounding them and crouched down next to her, supporting her torso in his arms after he partially lifted her up from the floor.

Rin felt as if she was far away, trapped in darkness until she felt something tugging at her bringing her closer to something. What was it? She could feel immense power, and realized in that moment that it was youki. Once she acknowledged what it was, she KNEW that it was her mate, Sesshoumaru. The connection was verified as the pup inside of her womb moved slightly in response to the presence of its sire. The tugging ceased as the darkness lifted and light pierced her, as she was impaled with the energetic force of HIS presence. Slowly, she opened her eyes, content because of the solidarity of his arms supporting her weakened state.

Golden eyes peered down into her onyx orbs and all of their troubles fell away in that moment. Not even Naraku was an issue, or how she came to him as part of the High Tribute, a gift, an object to be kept or discarded according to his demonic whim.

She weakly lifted her hand to caress the side of his face, tracing one of the crimson stripes along his cheek. His large hand clasped hers, keeping her hand there.

"S-Sess…shou…m-maru…" she croaked out his name faintly as silvery tears spilled from her eyes. He had come for her. He truly cared. She thought that she was going to die when the glass shattered and the water-fluid rushed from the tank but he had managed to save her and their child.

A new thought made her eyes widen as she thought of her aunt.

"Ak…" it was an effort to say her aunt's name but he knew who she meant.

"She is safe. This Sesshoumaru has seen to her. When you are both away from here, this Sesshoumaru will deal with that filth Naraku."

It was disquieting to hear Naraku's name uttered with such cold fury and dripping venom but she had to focus on her aunt first.

"W-where?"

Sesshoumaru made a gesture and she glanced downward, spotting her aunt who was attempting to approach the scaffold.

Akiko was intimidated by him but she wanted to make certain that Rin was safe. She had kept her distance from the scaffold, waiting as he attended to her niece. Did she really have a choice? There was a movement in his arms. Her heart accelerated, pounding with joy and excitement when she saw that Rin was now awake and unharmed.

"Rin!" she called out, her eyes brilliant with happiness. The moment was dampened by Naraku's presence as he calmly watched them with vile malevolence. Thankfully, Sesshoumaru was safeguarding his family. A chill swept her blood as the full force of how much in danger they were because the Lord of the Northern Lands was not acting, or at least not yet.

Naraku was planning something; he was way too quiet right now. Before she could contemplate the situation further, there was quick flash and the Demon Lord of the Northern Lands, along with the Shikon No Tama was gone!

Akiko knew that she had to act now and fast. Sesshoumaru was growling in rage because his enemy had escaped. The miko began moving toward the scaffold, determined to reach Rin before Naraku could make his next move. She heard Sesshoumaru's deep voice cry out to her briefly before the matter became moot. The decision was taken from her when Kuro suddenly appeared next to her and grabbed her.

Japanese vocabulary:

Ikimashou: Let's go!

jogonsha: advisor

ookami: wolf

bakamon: dumbass, moron

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing!