InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Windows on the West ❯ Separations ( Chapter 26 )

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

Disclaimer:  I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

~oOo~

Sesshoumaru leaned back against the god tree, and considered the happenings of the last week.

Naraku had finally been defeated, though the fight had been fierce, and several times, he had been separated from those he called pack.  Still, in the end they had all come together and defeated the hanyou.  And that was all to the good, of course, he was pleased that it was finally done.

The problem, from his point of view, is what came after.

Just as they had all thought it was over, Naraku's final wish had taken hold, and the miko had been pulled away into the meidou.  

Furious didn't even begin to cover it.

And to add insult to injury, the one who had to go bring her back, was Inuyasha – wielder of the meidou - at their father's command.  As pleased as he was to have finally surpassed his great father, and generated his own sword, Bakusaiga, from his youki, still, this failure of his to protect his packmate was eating at him.

Add to that his astonishment of the sheer power Kagome had displayed once he had defeated Magatsuhi and released her seal, and you would have the recipe for a particularly explosive-tempered daiyoukai.  At this point, it was a good thing that the others had all taken themselves into what was left of the village, and left him in peace.

He greatly needed it at this point to restore his equilibrium.

If Inuyasha fails to retrieve her, I will kill him.

Right now, that one thought kept sliding in and out of his consciousness – the hanyou had best not come back if he didn't find her and return her – in one piece and healthy.

He wouldn't admit to himself the worry he felt when he considered never seeing her again.  It simply would not happen, he assured himself.  She would return to him, and his pack would once more be whole.

Still, it had already been three days since she'd been taken, and Inuyasha had followed early this very morning, and had not returned yet.  As every hour passed without any sign, he became wound even tighter inside.  I wonder what it was that she encountered inside the meidou.  What was Naraku's purpose in doing this thing?

Iie... what was the jewels purpose in doing this thing?  Naraku as much as admitted that the jewel had coerced him into wishing for its benefit, and not his own...

Only Kagome hadn't seemed surprised at that; everyone else had been quite taken aback that the jewel seemed to have a wish of its own.  Kagome had just looked at Naraku with pity.  Did she realize?  Did she know that the jewel was sentient in that manner, and had desires of its own?

It was very probable that she had at least suspected – after all, she had lived with it inside her for fifteen years.  That was bound to give her at least a bit of insight into it.  But it bothered him that she'd never said anything about it.  She should have discussed such things with her alpha.

His thoughts were interrupted by a pulse of power, and he was up and gone immediately, recognizing the power signature of the well.

But when he arrived, he found only Inuyasha, and a newly returned well, and no sign of the miko.  Instantly enraged, he flashed across the meadow and grabbed his brother's throat, pinning him against a tree at the opposite end of the clearing.

“Where is the miko, Inuyasha?”  he gritted out, red eyes flaring.

“She's with her family, back in her time,”  the hanyou said, his manner subdued.  “When I found her, and she made her wish on the jewel, it sent her back to her time – neither of us had a choice.”  Inuyasha didn't even fight the hold his brother had on him, instead, he just hung there, limply, dispirited, and Sesshoumaru stepped back, letting him loose.

“And what of you?”  he asked.  “Why did you not stay with her?  This one can tell that you wanted to.”

Inuyasha shrugged.  “I wasn't given the choice.  And besides... I don't think she wants the same thing she used to want from me.  There wouldn't have been any point in me staying with her.”

Sesshoumaru frowned, for once, openly looking surprised.  “What do you mean?”

The hanyou just looked at him for a minute, then sighed and shook his head.  “It doesn't matter – she's gone, anyway.  And I don't think the well is going to let her come back.”  With that, obviously depressed, Inuyasha made his way out of the clearing, leaving his brother to fight his confusion and rage alone.

The only thing that kept him from destroying the well, and the entire area, was the fact that he could feel the magic still strong inside it.

Which meant that at some point, she would be able to return.

He decided that he would wait for her, sticking close to the village until she came back.  

No matter how long it took.

And he still managed to ignore the pain inside him when he thought of not seeing her...

But only barely.

~oOo~

A/N:  Shocked?  Yes, I decided to go along with canon on the three-year separation – for several reasons having to do with plot.  There will be a couple of chapters covering that time, and then we will move back into what happens after her return.  That will be where we abandon canon, and move into divergent territory.

Amber



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