InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Trust ❯ Chapter 20
OK, dammit. I don't know what's up with these italics, so mental speech will now be indicated by asterisks. (*__*) Like that.
Chapter 20
Sango turned around as she helped the last of the wounded through the doorway. She saw Nzinga looking intently at her blade. As she watched, her friend gave a rueful smile and came to her feet.
"Where are you going?" Sango asked.
"To battle. There's apparently something I need to see to." There was a trace of sarcasm in Zi's voice.
"What? You're not making any sense!" Sango snapped.
Nzinga brandished her blade. "Scathach has a task for me."
Sango merely gaped as her friend turned to leave. "You really don't want to cross She Who Strikes Fear." With that cryptic statement, Zi began to run, heading for the front wall.
When Kagome came back to see what was keeping her friends, she saw a dumbstruck Sango and no trace of Zi.
"Sango? What--?"
She grabbed Kagome's arm. "We have to go. We have to help her."
"What is she doing?"
"I don't know…but it can't be anything good." The two ran after her, confused, but hoping they could help somehow.
Reaching the wall, she leapt lightly atop a turret. "Where is he, then? Show me." She whispered, dragging Scathach across her forearm. Her blood shone against the bright metal in the afternoon sun. Closing her eyes, she ignored Sesshomaru's mental battering as he demanded to know what the hell she was doing, and listened only to the sword.
There. In the midst of the heaving mass of monsters, something else was visible.
He must be in that small wagon, she deduced. Opening her eyes and unblocking her other senses, she continued to ignore her mate.
*I should have taken a firmer hand with you from the start. How dare you disregard---*
*Idiot.* She sent fondly, cutting him short. *I told you nothing was worth losing you. Do you honestly believe I'm going out here to die?*
*Woman…* he began.
*Do you trust me?*
*This is not about trust!*
*Do you trust me?*
A pause. *You know I do.*
*Then let me go.*
She felt his unwilling assent, and felt tears come to her eyes, knowing how hard he resisted both his nature and his instincts. As her friends watched, her leg muscles bunched, and she leapt from the turret, arcing up and out, before beginning her descent, straight into the waiting mob below.
*I need flame arrows!* She called to Sesshomaru. She barely heard his command as the wind rushed past her ears.
As the arrows thudded into the ground below her, she channeled her energy and the small flames became a conflagration, spreading in a circle, much like the energy from Kagome's arrow. She could have created fire, but the amount of energy required was enormous. It was much easier to augment already existing flames.
The white-hot flames cleared a safe space and she landed, knees bent, one arm held out to steady herself. She began to run towards the small wagon she had seen earlier. Concentrating, she bid the flames to burn on either side of her, clearing a path to the prisoner.
Scathach hummed and sang as Nzinga sliced through anything foolhardy enough to try its luck through the flames. She finally reached the small wagon that had gone unnoticed amidst the horrors of the battlefield.
Kicking the door down, Zi cried, "Faolan! Can you hear me?"
A shadow in the corner lifted its head. "Do I know you?" The flames' dancing light showed a man with dark hair, knees drawn up to his chest.
"Does it matter?" she snapped back. "I can't hold them off much longer, you have to come with me--now!"
Confused he may have been, stupid he was not. Gaining his feet as quickly as he could, he ran out of the wagon after the Kushite, only to pull up short at the flames.
She snatched him by the collar. "I am only going to say this one more time. Come! Now! They're my flames, here to protect us." And she gave him a shove in the direction of the fort. First moving clumsily, his gait soon smoothed out as cramped muscles re-accustomed themselves to movement.
Nzinga ran in front, slicing through their enemies as before, but she was tired. It was a long sprint from the fort to the wagon and back, in addition to maintaining all these flames.
She heard a cry behind her-one of the creatures had managed to get a weapon through the flames and wound Faolan in the arm.
Grabbing him, she continued to run, but increased the intensity of the flames. She was channeling the heat away from Faolan to keep him from burning, but she did not know how much longer she could last. The flames would not harm her, but maintaining them as well as keeping this man safe was a drain on her energy.
Finally, they were nearing the fort, and the smooth, burned circle where she originally touched down. There, driving off the monsters back to back were Sesshomaru, Sango and Kirara in her larger form.
"Get behind us!" Sango yelled. Zi nodded wordlessly, and pulled her companion with her, sheathing her blade as she did so.
Sango hurled Hiraikotsu, and it sailed through flame and flesh alike before returning to its mistress. Zi's flames began to falter as she struggled to keep the creatures at bay.
"Let's go!" Sango shouted. Grabbing Faolan, she helped him onto Kirara and they took off, back to the safety of the fort. Sesshomaru grabbed Nzinga and prepared to do the same.
She snatched her arm back, and he yelled, "No, we do not have time…"
Dropping to her knees, she dug her hands into the ground, closing her eyes. A jolt of energy passed from her to the earth, draining her completely.
"Now," she whispered, before passing out. Sesshomaru caught her and turned to leap back up the wall. His own exhaustion made for a less then graceful landing, but he recovered and ran to the infirmary with his charge. Miroku, who had taken the injured man from Sango, followed close behind.
"Don't leave me, damn you." Sesshomaru whispered to the woman in his arms. "You promised me, woman. You promised."
He burst into the infirmary, looking around wildly. Laying her down on a free bed, he ran a hand gently over her forehead. "Who was that man? Who was he, that he was worth risking your life…risking us?"
He watched her intently, as if he could will her back to consciousness. Her forehead creased, and she murmured, but did not wake.
***
On the wall, a cry was raised. Kagome and Sango ran to the main courtyard. The main courtyard had two gates, one for each end of the Pass. Shaya was watching the entrance into the Domain, away from Naraku's forces.
"Shaya!" Kagome called. The woman on lookout waved down to them. "What's going on?"
"It's a host!" She called down. "It looks like Domain forces!"
"Thank the gods." Sango breathed. "Are you certain?" she called up.
*Inu Yasha! Shaya thinks the Domain fighters are here, but we can't be certain!* Kagome called to her mate.
*Got it.* He replied. After a moment, he sent back, an undercurrent of excitement in his thought. *It's them. Let them in.*
*How do you know?*
*It's my father, bitch. I can't be more sure than that.*
In spite of her fatigue and worry, a spurt of excitement and nervousness flowered in her. This is not how she imagined meeting her in-laws.
"Shaya! Let them in!" She called excitedly. The woman waved acknowledgment and signaled for the gates to be opened.
As Kagome and Sango watched, the enormous, seldom-used gates slowly opened to admit the host. Kagome could not remember the last time the gates themselves had to be opened. For everyday traffic, there were smaller doors cut into the gate to admit riders and wagons.
As the astonished women watched, the army approached. It stretched back for as far as they could see.
At the head was a mix of riders on horseback and people on foot. Kagome assumed the runners were all shifters. Another look confirmed her suspicions. The man leading the host was tall, with white hair and amber eyes. He looked to be a little older than Kagome's own father, perhaps two and one half score in age. Having grown into his frame, he no longer had the youthful slimness of Inu Yasha (and to a lesser extent Sesshomaru), but this man was undeniably their father. His black vest and leggings hugged a body that was obviously no stranger to battle.
"Where is Commander Higurashi?" He asked, his voice a bass rumble.
"My father is on the walls, Clan leader." Kagome answered. "I can take him to you if you like."
He inclined his head graciously. "Lead on…daughter."
She stopped short, eyes wide. "You…can tell?"
He smiled gently, and his eyes lost their intimidating quality. "Of course. My wife is a few hours behind, and she is eager to meet you."
Suddenly, the ground trembled; once, twice. Then it gave a mighty heave, throwing everyone to the ground before giving a last shrug and subsiding.
After a few moments, Kagome and Sango picked themselves off the ground, and everyone gave each other grim looks.
"I think," Masaharu said lightly, "that I had better see your father sooner rather than later." He dusted himself off.
"Of course." Kagome answered, shaken. They made their way to the walls.
Instead of the chaos they expected on the fort wall, there was a tense silence. Everyone stared out where Naraku's vanguard had been. Moments before, there had been an unbroken plain leading to the mountain range through which the Pass led. Now, there was a large crack running from north to south, more or less parallel to the range.
Perhaps crack was not the best word. Gorge, perhaps. Or chasm.
And it was filled almost to the top with molten lava, trapping the remainder of Naraku's forces on the far side.
"Well." Masaharu said, breaking the tense silence. "This will give us time to regroup at least."
He turned to Naota. "Commander, I am Masaharu, son of Tetsuo, Clan Leader of the Dog Clan. I have arrived with fighters from the shifter nation, the black kingdoms, and the lands of Erin, Scotia and…well, there are a fair amount of us." He shrugged. "Enough with formalities. Where do you need us?"
Naota dragged a smile up from somewhere. "Clan Leader, my people have been fighting for three days straight. If you have enough people, I need all of my fighters relieved."
"I think that can be done. And since it looks like we have the time, you can brief me indoors and take your rest. You deserve it."
Naota nodded.
Masaharu motioned to a man behind him, who nodded. A stream of fighters made their way onto the walls from the courtyard below.
"Shall we, Commander?" He motioned before him. Naota led the way back indoors.
After the briefing, Naota left for a well-needed rest, while Kagome and Masaharu went to find his sons. Both were in the infirmary, sitting with Nzinga. Kagome gasped when she saw her friend lying there, and Inu Yasha turned worried eyes on his father.
But it was Sesshomaru who made the older man flinch. Looking up, he simply said hoarsely, "Father." He could not remember having seen his son look so bleak in all his days.
Masaharu came over for his first look at his other new daughter. When he saw the figure lying on the bed, his face paled. "Uchenna? No…Nzinga? Is that…truly her?"
Despite himself, Sesshomaru smiled slightly as he ran a hand through her braids. "Yes, it is her."
Inu Yasha made room as the Clan leader made his way to the side of the bed. "Is that really my little girl? She's all grown." Collecting himself, he cleared his throat, and sent out a summons.
"One of the elders is on the way, my son. He will help your mate." Sesshomaru nodded, never taking his eyes off of her.
"I don't understand…was she wounded?" Kagome spoke for the first time. Inu Yasha gathered her in his arms, as much for her comfort as for his own.
"No." Sesshomaru answered.
"She used too much energy." A new voice answered. They turned to see an old man, dressed in robes.
"Elder Akio! How did you get here so fast?" Inu Yasha asked.
"I was already on my way. Move aside, young one." At any other time, someone addressing the aloof pack leader in such a manner would have been laughable, but at the moment, he was just happy to hand control over to someone else.
"Child," he now looked at Kagome. "Will you lend me some of your spirit to revive her?"
She nodded. "Why not mine?" Sesshomaru demanded.
"This child has it to spare, and you do not. Besides…when she has recovered, the three of us need to have a conversation." The elder responded sternly.
"I do not understand." Sesshomaru said stubbornly. "I am her mate."
"At this point, your energy would…complicate the healing. Now be quiet and let me work." The older man snapped.
He closed his eyes, concentrating. Kagome felt energy drawn from her being and watched as it was infused into her friend's body. Nzinga's eyelids flickered and she began to stir.
"We need to build a fire…as large as we can get it. This fireplace is too small, we need a larger one."
"There are meeting rooms on this floor…there should be one with a fireplace large enough." Kagome unwound Inu Yasha's arms from her waist and stood.
"Show me." At Kagome's nod, Sesshomaru gathered Nzinga in his arms and followed her; the others close behind.
She showed them to a room with an enormous fireplace. Since this part of the fort got little to no sunlight, such a source of heat would have been essential, especially in the winter.
"This will do." The elder quickly built a fire, stoking it until the room soon became uncomfortable. "Now, lay her next to the flames."
Sesshomaru eyed him doubtfully.
"Why must you always question me? Just do as I say." The old man snapped.
Still looking suspicious, he lay her on the floor as close to the fire as he could stand.
After a moment, she began to stir on her own, reaching a hand to the flames. Sesshomaru started forward, only to be restrained by his father. She seemed to gain strength, sitting up on her own and moving closer to the fire.
"Child of earth and flame." The elder murmured.
The elder turned to Inu Yasha and Kagome. "This will take some time, and she does not need a roomful of people around. Why don't the two of you go on and see if anyone else needs you? We will keep you informed."
Inu Yasha knew better than to argue, and led Kagome from the newly converted sickroom.
She became visibly stronger as the fire subsided. Finally, the flames gave one last flicker, and died.
She rolled over to regard the others in the room, with a sheepish grin on her face. She was still obviously unwell, but it was a vast improvement over her death-like stillness of before.
Pushing herself to her feet, she looked at the Clan leader with large eyes. "Hello, Uncle."
"My little girl…you grew up." She laughed as he carefully folded her in his arms. "Later on, you will tell me everything that's happened…but I think you have some explaining to do." She peeked around his arm at Sesshomaru's stony face and winced.
"You both have explaining to do." The elder announced.
"Akio," Masaharu murmured. "Can this not wait?" At the steely look he received in response, he gently released Nzinga and nudged her over towards Sesshomaru.
Not caring that others were in the room, he grabbed her, pulling her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest, not wanting to see his expression. After a moment, he turned her around so that she faced the elder, keeping both arms around her waist.
Akio fixed them both with a stern gaze. While Nzinga's wide eyes were fixed to the ground, Sesshomaru gazed off into the distance with studied indifference.
"I was on my way here when your father summoned me…I could sense that a Bond had gone wrong. After being with the two of you during this time, I have been able to determine the cause." He looked at them and shook his head.
"I. Have. Never." He began, "In all my days, seen such a botched Bond formation." His pronouncement washed over them like a roll of thunder.
"You," His green gaze speared Sesshomaru, "have been so impatient, so insistent, so arrogant that you have been attempting to force the Bond to form before its time." The silver haired man looked back impassively.
"And you," Nzinga flinched, keeping her eyes on the ground, "have been blocking it. To be fair, it was not ready to form…but you are not so far from being ready as you would have him believe. You detest being forced into anything to such an extent, that you will resist out of spite…even against your own best interests." She still refused to meet anyone's gaze. Part of her wanted to rail against the familiarity of someone she just met, but the rest of her was just relieved to have it all explained.
"I suppose I should be grateful that neither of you realized what you were doing." He shook his gray head, disgusted.
Finally raising her head, Nzinga spoke. "Is that why it hurt, Elder?"
Sesshomaru looked down at her, brow creased slightly.
"Did it hurt you as well, Sesshomaru?" The elder asked.
"No." He continued to regard Nzinga. "And I did not realize it caused her pain."
Akio looked at the two of them another moment, then threw up his hands. "We will continue this later. I am sure the two of you have plenty to discuss." He left the room, followed by Masaharu.
Almost before she realized, she found herself slung over her mate's shoulder. "Umm…"
"Be silent. No more talking."
She shut her mouth immediately. She began to recognize that she was being carried to her room. Everyone gave Sess a wide berth, and Nzinga sympathetic glances. She tried again. "Umm…"
Without turning, he barked at her, so enraged that he could only vocalize, beyond the ability to form actual words.
She gave a soft, submissive yowl in response, hoping to calm him somewhat.
Ah, hell.