InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wicked ❯ Shockwave ( Chapter 22 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 22:  Shockwave

Walking like she was an inmate on death row, Kagome shuffled very reluctantly out of the well shrine, leading her way too out-of-place mate across the shrine grounds towards her house.  She did not notice the ripple that crossed his form as his armor and swords disappeared from view, as well as his crests and pelt, leaving him clad only in what would be considered japanese traditional dress, with no overly unusual markings save his coloring.

While that itself would perhaps attract a bit of attention, it would be less than what his full regalia, along with his pelt, and markings, would attract, should anyone spot them.  

Mattaki watched her with amusement dancing in his golden gaze.  “Perhaps I should have you go back to the other side, Kagome, and introduce myself to your family without you present,”  he said, laughter lighting his face at the shocked expression she shot him from over her shoulder.  “You look as though you are doomed, and I wish not to meet your family with such an expression on your face.  It does not look good, mate,”  he chuckled.

“Stop teasing me, Mattaki, it's not funny,”  she wailed.  “All this has just been too damn much, lately – it's all happened too fast for me to take in and get comfortable with it all.  I don't need you making it worse!”

He eyed her with concern, halting her progress towards the house by the simple expedient of taking ahold of her arm and turning her to face him.  “I suppose it would seem overwhelming,”  he agreed, rather begrudgingly,  “though, truly, things happen at their own pace, and it is up to us to accept and simply move on.  But things will calm soon, my hana – they are already doing so, and you will have plenty of time to take everything in, I promise.”

Kagome was about to answer him; brow furrowed, she pulled away from him and looked up at his face – he had stiffened, and his entire manner had changed – he was reacting as though he'd scented a predator.  Her own body stiffening as she couldn't help but react as though threatened, she swept her gaze across the shrine grounds, and went limp with momentary relief when she took in the sight of Hojo topping the shrine stairs.

Then she stiffened again when she recalled Mattaki's reaction to the idea of Hojo having feelings for her, and she began to panic.  Oh, of all the stupid times for him to visit!  She grabbed ahold of her mate's arm and turned his attention to her.  “Mattaki, now, just calm down.  It's just Hojo, and he's harmless!”

Mattaki swung his gaze down to his mate, and scowled.  “That is Hojo?  And you think him harmless, mate?  That so-called 'boy' is not human!”

Needless to say, Kagome was dumbfounded.  Turning all her senses on him, she studied Hojo as he ambled towards them, then looked back up at her mate, confused.  “I don't sense anything from him, Mattaki – what are you talking about?”  

“He hides his aura well – but he cannot hide from me.”  He raised his voice, then, and addressed the 'young man' who had now seen them, and paused in his step.  “So, Kage – you still live, I see.  Still hunting humans, despite the fact that they are not much sport?”

The male addressed as Kage pinned Mattaki with his gaze, and scowled angrily.  “And here I thought Ryokotsussei had done me a favor and gotten rid of you, Mattaki no Taisho.  It appears he failed, however.  And that I should find you with my next victim is the ultimate bad luck for me.  What is this mark to you, Mattaki?  Are you going to interfere with my sport this time, as well?”

Mattaki responded by growling and pushing Kagome, who was completely shell-shocked, behind him.  “You will not touch my mate, Kage – this I promise you!”

Kagome clenched her hands in her mate's haori, and drew in a shuddering breath.  “I... I don't understand.  Who is Kage?  Is he possessing Hojo or something?”

Hojo, now known as Kage, looked over Mattaki's shoulder at her with a sneer.  “There is no Hojo, you simpleton human,”  he spat.  “He is me.  I am Kage.  And you were to be my next victim.  For centuries I have hunted humans – mostly women, though I have taken some men, as well.  And not just from here in Japan, but from all over the world.  In England, I was known as Jack the Ripper, and more recently, in America as the Zodaic Killer.  Such creative names, don't you think?”  he laughed, a sick, dark, twisted laugh that sent chills down Kagome's spine.  “And you were to be the start of my next masterpiece, Ka-go-me.”

The horror she felt was almost overwhelming.  Hojo, the sweet, unprepossessing boy she'd known for so long, was really... this?  This... demon?  Was he a demon?  He had to be... couldn't be human with a lifespan so long.  And the bloodlust – she could see a red, evil spark in his eyes as he spoke of his previous conquests.  This was far more evil than she had ever seen before – even from Naraku.

“But... but why would you do something like this?” she whispered, still so, so stunned.  “And how do you know Mattaki?”

Mattaki growled again, standing strong and protectively in front of her, letting Kage know in no uncertain terms that he would not be allowed to touch her.  “This trash was murdering women in my lands, and I caught him and nearly destroyed him, then kicked him out of Japan.  It appears he went elsewhere and continued his bad habits.  He is simply evil, Kagome, and enjoys blood more than most.  He has no control over himself.  I think that this time, I need to finish the job I started so long ago, and kill this murderous bastard once and for all.”

Kagome couldn't get over the whole Jack the Ripper thing.  Even in Japan they had read of those killings in England so long ago.  The other, the Zodiac thing, she wasn't familiar with, but taking into account the Ripper thing, she could pretty well guess what it was, and she shivered.  He was planning such a fate, for me?  Horror welled up inside her, and she almost threw up as what had been revealed here finally sank in.

She looked up at the guy she'd thought she'd known for so many years, and shivered at the darkness now bleeding from his eyes at Mattaki's challenge – his whole appearance was changing, and she was horrified suddenly – they couldn't fight like this, right on the shrine grounds.  

“Mattaki, you can't fight him here!”  she yelled into his mind.

“I will attempt to grab him and take him back into the past – I can fight him there with no repercussions, Kagome.  But the first blows will be exchanged here.  I am sorry, mate.  Go to your family, and keep them inside, away from this.”  With that, he tamped down the bond, and moved, faster than the eye could see.

With a shriek, Kagome ran, heading for her house before the first shockwave of conjoined combat even hit, and she only moved faster once it did, knowing her mother and grandfather, especially, would be coming out to investigate.  She couldn't allow that, even as her mind spun in dizzy circles trying to take in the repercussions of what had just occurred.

Sure enough, she almost ran into her mother at the top of the steps from the main courtyard to the house, and grabbed her, gasping.  “S-stop!  Mama, stop!  You can't go down there, we have to go back in the house, now!”

Her mother looked at her in shock, but allowed her to pull her back towards the house.  Once inside, she sent her daughter a set look, and said,  “You'd best explain what's going on out there, Kagome.  Do I need to have grandpa call the police?”

She shook her head, still trying to catch her breath, putting out a hand to her grandfather as he shuffled his way down the stairs, shouting about the noise outside.  “Grandpa, mama, come into the kitchen and I'll explain it to you.  Where's Souta?”  she asked, panicked when she didn't see him come running also wondering about the commotion.

“He's at school, dear, now why don't you get to explaining what all that out there is.”

Another shockwave rolled over the house just then, and Kagome shot a panicked glance that direction.  Please, Mattaki, hurry up and get him out of here!  “There's a dangerous demon out there, mama, and it's not something you and grandpa can fight.  Mattaki's taking care of it, though,”  she said under her breath, hoping that he would soon get that thing wearing an innocent face out of here, and back into the past, where he could be disposed of.

“And just who is Mattaki?”  Mama asked, curious as to why it wasn't her daughter's long-time hanyou companion who was doing the fighting.

She cocked a questioning brow when she caught sight of her daughter's blush, and guilty expression.  “Out with it, Kagome.  Obviously, something has been going on, and you haven't told us anything about it.”

Grandpa nodded, muttering about secretive granddaughters and demons.  Mama shot him a look, and his grumbles trailed off.  

“Let's all sit down, and then you can get to explaining, Kagome.”

With a deep, reluctant sigh, Kagome nodded, and sat down at the kitchen table, not looking at her mother or grandfather.  Just as she was about to start, Mattaki's voice came into her mind.

“I have him in the well, Kagome.  I will return as soon as I have taken care of him, koi.  I apologize for the damage to the shrine – I did my best to keep it to the minimum.”

Kagome groaned, then sighed again.  “Mama, Mattaki has taken care of the demon – he took it through the well.  But there is a bit of damage, he said, to the area, and he apologizes for that.  He did his best to keep it as small as possible.”

Her mother nodded even as her grandfather shrieked and stood up as fast as he could, rushing out of the house to look at the damage to his beloved shrine and moan over every last bit of it.  They both watched him go, then Kagome winced when her mother turned back and pinned her with a gimlet glare.

“Start talking, young lady.  I want to know everything – and especially why you would know what a person not even in the house was saying to you.”

Kagome knew then that she was in for it – and lucky for Mattaki, he wasn't even around.  No... she was the one stuck with the explaining...

And she'd be the one stuck with the grounding that was sure to follow.

-wWw-

Sesshoumaru watched Rin as she gambolled happily through a field of flowers, and barely held back a tiny smile at the waves of contentment and happiness flowing from her aura.  

Such a happy child – almost incomprehensible to him that she was, considering the background she had.  He'd never met a soul like her, he was sure... though...

She does remind me of someone, though I cannot seem to think who.  Perhaps the priestess?  Maybe... there are certainly similarities between them.  But still... when she first found me, I felt as though I should know her.  That is why I brought her back – because she was familiar, though I still cannot fathom why.  Maybe I never will... and that is acceptable, too.  As long as she is with me, there is yet time to figure it out.

His thoughts turned then, to what he had interrupted between his father and Inuyasha.  Despite the many times he'd fought the boy, he'd never come so close to killing him as their father had on that day, and though he'd watched at first, not interfering, when it became clear that his father's control was gone, and Inuyasha's death an increasing certainty, he had come between them before he'd even thought about it.

He'd always insisted that Inuyasha's life and death was in his hands, but the truth was, he could never bring himself to kill the boy – because despite the fact that Inuyasha was his brother – their father was right – had things been different, he would have been his son.  If for no other reason than that the boy carried Izayoi's blood, he would never actually be able to kill the whelp – nor allow any other to do so.

His eyes strayed back to Rin, then.  

Know this, Izayoi, wherever you are – I will not allow your son to pass from this life without a fight, if only to honor you.  It is the only thing I can give to you now that you are beyond my reach.

For some reason, just at that precise moment, Rin lifted her head and looked at him with a radiant smile on her lips.   She held his gaze for several moments, and then looked away, and the moment was lost.

Sesshoumaru stood, and gesturing for his pack to follow him, he walked from the meadow, once more heading back towards the village Inuyasha called home.

Rin, still smiling, followed, just as she always had.

-wWw-

Mattaki leapt from the well just as Kage managed to writhe his way out of his iron grip, and he tossed the now openly demonic being across the clearing, keeping himself between the black panther and the well.

It was clear that Kage was confused from his expression as he looked around the clearing.

“Where the hell are we, Mattaki no Taisho?!  What magic have you dragged me into?”  The panther was well aware of Mattaki's proficiency with all types of power and magics, and would put nothing past him.

He was the most dangerous opponent that existed, and Kage was very leery by this point.

“I have dragged you into the past, Kage,”  he said with a tight grin.  “Here, I can destroy you, and no one will care – or be any the wiser.”

“The past?!”  Kage was astounded... and not inclined to believe his enemy.  “You lie!”

“Do I?”  Mattaki watched Kage with an eagle eye, straightening to his full height, he shook his head and his expression became stern.  “Truthfully, it does not matter where you are, Kage – simply that this place will be the last place that you ever see.  It was bad enough, the things you did to others – but then you targeted my mate.  For her sake, as well as for any other future victims of yours, you will die here today.”  He cocked a brow at his enemy.  “Oh, and you will probably hate to know this... but all those that you killed in my lands before?  I raised them all with Tenseiga.”

An outraged roar came from Kage, and then Mattaki disappeared, only the sudden wind as he streaked towards the panther giving away his position as he attacked, leaving the youkai before him no other choice but to shut up and fight.

Shooting straight up into the air, Kage just barely managed to avoid Mattaki's first attack, but then was left open when the daiyoukai changed direction in mid-air and actually picked up speed.  It was no odds that Mattaki would take full advantage of that lapse, and he did, landing a powerful blow to his jaw that sent him plummeting back towards the ground.  He had no chance to even get his legs under him, simply smashing to the ground with thunderous force.

Mattaki watched with satisfaction as his enemy landed face-first in the hard-packed earth of the well clearing, and then pounced, once again taking after his opponent with his eyes beginning to bleed crimson as thoughts of what this bastard had planned to do to his mate snuck into his mind and unlocked a deadly rage.

He caught Kage just as the male regained his feet, and raking his claws from belly to sternum, he slit several lines into his flesh, smirking with satisfaction at the other male's pained roar.

“Don't like it when it's your blood being spilled, Kage?  How pathetic you are!”  he gritted into the dark youkai's ear as he came around behind him and held his claws to Kage's throat.  “You should never have targeted my mate.  If you hadn't, your death would have been quicker – and much easier,”  he said with satisfaction as he ripped his claws from one side to the other, then dropped him, leaving his enemy without a voice... and bleeding to death on the ground before him.

He stood there and watched as the panther bled out, flicking his claws absently to rid them of the blood.

“You should have known that sooner or later, fate would catch up with you, Kage.  Ones like you never prosper forever.  And I take great pleasure in the fact that it was I to bring this fate to you.  This is something I will thank the kami for for years to come, I ssure you.  Enjoy your stay in hell,”  he finished, watching with a satisfied air as the light in the dark eyes dimmed, and the body went limp.

Nothing threatens my mate and gets away with it.

Holding up one hand, he allowed his poison to gather, and then dropped it over the body, pleased when it immediately rendered the panther down into nothingness.

Hojo had ceased to exist – and no one on the other side of time would ever figure out his fate, unless he himself decided to tell them.

Now to return to his mate and her family...

-wWw-

Kagome felt his return through the well, breaking off her explanations to run to the door to the house and slide it open for him.  

“Mattaki!”  she looked behind him hesitantly, uncertain on Hojo's (or Kage's) fate.

“He is gone, Kagome, and will not be returning – ever.  I made sure of that,”  he said, a pleased air surrounding him.

“B-but... what are we going to do about this whole mess?!  People are going to be looking for him – what about his parents?”  she gasped, wringing her hands with worry as she began to panic.

Mattaki stepped forward and pulled her into a comforting embrace.  “I think you will find that no one will really be looking all that hard, Kagome.  I know not the particulars of his life here, but Kage always took care to leave as little trace of himself behind as possible.  As for his parents... they died centuries ago.  But even if there is a large uproar over this, no one will ever know that you ever had anything to do with his disappearance – as, indeed, you did not – I did.  You need to calm down, my miko.”

He eyed the woman who stepped into view with interest as she regarded him steadily, and weighingly.

“Kagome, you need to come back into the kitchen and finish explaining things – and as for you, sir, I think that you should join us, don't you?”  she asked cooly.

Mattaki grinned even as Kagome groaned.  “Do I have to?”  she almost whined.

Her answer was two voices, chiming, “Yes!”




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