Hey, guys! SOOOOO, I finally got this up! Yeah!! …Come to think of it, the fact that I've had my account for a while and I've just gotten the prologue up, that's pretty pathetic. *sigh* Oh well! Since it's up, here ya go!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. *sigh again*
Blood spurted out in a brilliant shower of red as she decapitated her attacker. Without missing a beat, she turned her attention to the others.
They all converged upon her, holy weapons gleaming. For moment it seemed as if she was done for. Then all of the intruders burst in an explosion of body parts and broken weapons. They didn't even have time to bleed.
The one man still standing shook in terror as he took in the gruesome sight that was all that was left of his comrades.
"Vile demon! Die!" he hissed. With a mighty war cry, he lunged at her exposed back, prepared to avenge his fallen companions or die trying.
The young demoness gracefully pivoted and plunged her clawed hand through his chest.
Flicking the blood off as one might with a sword, she scanned the area for her brothers.
She caught a flash of red and silver in her peripheral vision. The demoness spun around to greet her otouto(1).
"Inu—," any words she had died on her lips. She watched in horror as a fatally injured samurai(2) brought his sword down as a last- ditch attempt, aiming right at her little brother.
She leapt forward.
An arc of flashing steel.
Blood.
Pain.
ھ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ھ
Frozen by fear and eyes wide with disbelief, Inuyasha saw his older sister jump in front of the blow meant for him. The samurai toppled over dead, a triumphant grin twisting his already mangled face.
Numbly, with shaken hands, the little boy cradled her body in his arms. His older brother walked over, face cold and stoic. He did not see.
"Where is she?" he demanded, "Answer this Sesshoumaru, half- breed!"
When Inuyasha stayed silent, Sesshoumaru's patience wore thin. He grabbed Inuyasha's small shoulder and froze.
The tang of her blood reached his sensitive nose. He finally understood his younger half- brother's silence.
His mask cracked.
Because there in Inuyasha's arms, was his imouto(3), bloody and broken.
"What did you do?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice low and deadly.
"I-I—"
"Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru?"
ھ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ھ
Her vision was nonexistent. She struggled against the darkness that threatened to smother her.
Any sound was muted and indistinct. She thought she heard her brothers' voices. She struggled harder.
Suddenly she was free.
Their figures were blurry, but it was definitely them. She tried calling out to them but the words wouldn't come.
Her tongue felt thick and sluggish. She tried again.
"Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru?" she slurred through the haze. Her tongue was starting to loosen just a bit. They rushed to her side.
"Nee- chan(4)..." Inuyasha whimpered, looking as though he was trying to fight back tears.
"Don't talk. Save your strength," ordered Sesshoumaru. His face was pinched and drawn, red seeping through into his eyes.
"No. I need to tell you something. My time's up anyway," she rasped out. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to protest.
"Just…hear me out, okay?" Breathing was getting harder. Black spots danced before her eyes. She screwed her eyes shut in concentration, willing her soul not to leave yet. She had to tell them this, so that when she crossed over, they wouldn't go and do something that would get them killed.
He eyes flew open when Sesshoumaru's hand squeezed hers. Her heart warmed a little at that. Inuyasha was crying openly now, tears running in glittering trails down his cheeks. With her one free hand, she wiped away the tears and softly stroked his face.
"Inuyasha, otouto…I— Become strong Inu-chan(5). Strong enough to protect yourself and to protect those you care about. Anybody who looks down on you, you sock 'em in the gut, huh?" she gave him a watery grin, "Can you do that for nee- chan?" Inuyasha nodded, still sniffling.
"Sesshoumaru, you…you try to take that ten foot- long stick out of your ass, ne(6)?" she joked weakly, "Heh, try not to piss off too many demon lords… and, Sesshoumaru?"
"Hai(7). I am here."
"Look out for your brother. But, above all… you should live a happy life, no regrets. You deserve that much," she finished and dissolved into a coughing fit, splattering droplets of blood onto the stone courtyard.
Every breath she took now gurgled. 'The sword must have pierced a lung', she thought idly.
"Aishiteru(8)," she whispered as she felt her body going limp. The pain dulled to one tiny pinpoint. All her senses faded… slowly. Those golden eyes, so much like her brothers', drifted shut.
The darkness came and she embraced it.
ھ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ھ
"Nee- chan?" Inuyasha asked tentatively. "Nee- chan?" Her body was growing cold and her usually warm and comforting scent was being replaced with the stench of decay and death.
"NEE- CHAN!"
Sesshoumaru's howl echoed through the heavens.
Wow. I just killed her. I'm so terrible! *sob* But really. Her death, as much as I hate to say it, is really important to the overall storyline. Anyways, tell me what you think! Is it terrible, awesome, good, bad…? Tell me, tell me! Press the review button!!! Come on! Ya know ya want to!
Translations:
younger brother
(2) a swordsman from feudal era Japan that served under a lord
(3) younger sister
(4) informal way of saying 'older sister'
(5) the suffix '- chan' is sort of like an affectionate term
(6) something you can add to the end of a sentence, equivalent to 'right?'
(7) 'yes' or 'alright'
(8) I love you