Slaughter And Devour

Chapter One

Begining To An End

By Inuyashas Youkai

Awoken yet again from the nightmare's that had plagued his sleep for some time now, and still with his eyes forced open , filled with torment , while his ears still rang from the now fading shrilling cries. Sitting up tautly within the warmth of the man's lonely bed , running one hand still somewhat shaking from the torrent of emotions the sight of what from behind closed eyes yet invoked within. Momentarily following , amongst the defeat overwhelmingly taking over on the inside, riddled with doubt of the chances as to being able to regain his previous state of slumber captured prior, and with this then stripped the covers away from his body to take comfort from the new found chill, in the soothing promise of a hot shower.

Passing through the entry of the bathroom , carrying a towel , and a robe , while lightly allowing his hands to brush against the photo frames lingering to be acknowledged upon their hanging spot on the hallway wall leading to the room he'd just entered. Although, if one happened to look closely at the merely aged photographs , it would be found to be those of mused companions of the male periodically laying a gentle touch, as if trying to gain comfort from the stills , told by the pained look within the orbs from their owner who acted upon the action. As soon as the door closed placing the glow from the room now possessing the sound of cascading water , with the chasing gusting trails of steam , as well as the male only welcoming the feel of its current to loosen up the tightened muscles left in the horrid remembrances wake.

The first capture held securely in its frame in the darkened hall , now casted in shadow, was that of a group of comrades , consisting of three humans, a neko negatta, a fox kit, and a Inu hanyou. Those that followed was of each one pictured separately , smiling lovingly upon the eyes whom chose to cast their gaze on them, whilst withholding the secrets kept inside , the tales evoking pain ignored, stories of heartache forgotten, the concealed truth foretelling of the loss that was yet to come without knowing , and by the means that took them, as their loving expressions never told anything past the happiness felt within for the chance of having to have each other by their sides, even if it was only for a time. But , depending upon whom one asked , it would be concluded very differently , actually , to the one now following a old routine of burying his screams of sorrow , filled with tears of regret , underneath the blaring sound of a nearby stereo , the man accepted to being cursed with reliving the days of the past , would claim the time shared with all of them was a waste , for all of their passing's were in vein.

Alas their stolen existence was taken by not what neither had planned , nor expected , but something more sinister , and for that fact the blame was to befallen upon the only one to survive , because the truth is that it was. Certainly , it was in the end his doing that ended everything with him now standing alone , maybe not for the cause , but it was his claws that tore , sliced , slaughtered , and mangled his friend's right to exist . The path was set in motion long before anyone knew , but the result was still the same , their hearts ceased to pound its next beat, shuddered breaths faded away to nothing, small puddles of blood leaking from still corpses until there was no more to spill, and anything tried once the male regained himself wouldn't proof useful in waking them from their forced slumber , as he distraughtly tried to remove the frightening sadness in their eyes in summoning them to move , so that maybe they could be made to smile at him once more.

Without much to stimulate the recollections of the reacquiring dreams threatening to haunt him even now , the male could remember exactly how everything went so wrong, and with his only desire to go back to redo what has already been , while knowing that it couldn't be done for the days from so long ago have passed on , they were already dead, because of him, but it didn't change his wishes as it was endured to constantly see what couldn't be altered. Awake , or asleep , he could still see them through wildly tormented orbs coveting the likeness of the pale hue , mimicking the moon , but over time the once lively amber had dulled to a almost greyed , but dying honey, from a tree weakened by the effects of a disastrous storm , as it took casualties , and in life it had , thus with it taken away from his own.

It all started many moons ago , countless in fact for it had been already about 600 years ago give or take since the feudal era , and about eight years since since the coming time to pass where it held presence of the coming miko who overcame time, Kagome, as well as a additional five years since the last time he saw any of them, including the man who once freely learned to accept his hanyou heritage , gifted solely by the woman mentioned prior , now buried within a constricting concealment , never to allow the beast to see the light of day, or to combine with the similarities once known , lives his life day by day , with the memories as a human for he wouldn't let another die because of him, nor let anyone close only to have to see them go away . Continuing onward, the beginning to an end started way back to the the days when all of them were still alive, and happily together.

Well, sort of..

Early dawn had risen , making it's mark upon the new day with hidden vengeance, as the descending moon traded places with it's cycling twin , dividing twilight to daylight, and to shine it's bold searing glare upon the awaiting living to behold. A dwindling flame was then rekindled , as sounds of movement coursed about to begin the makings of preparation prior to the time to depart. Soon the smells of nourishment wafted to the senses, ensuring grumblings of un-sated hunger, and the silent hesitant apparitions to what would be faced upon the unknown waiting to be unfolded.

Once eating a meager meal of fish, and roots seasoned with herbs over a open fire , the members of the traveling pack had then lost themselves for a moment in their own thoughts, before searching for comfort within each others gaze , with reminders of the proof from the battles against demons desperately willing themselves to fight for the opportunity to take the few remaining shards in their possession in the time previously, as it had shown the actions placed upon them by the opponent wanting the cursed object had evoked more ferocious attacks for the cursed object. Carrying the weight of the dangers awaiting them , each one unfrozen now by the destructive thoughts threatening to pull them downwards to drown each one in the promise of what could, the pack began to gather their belongings, and set upon the path that summoned the strings that bound them.

The occupants within the small clearing shared between lone friends , and comrades , taken to the cause to end the nightmare that had chosen their presence within it had all been tense , everyone was caught in the truth that the very road luring them would soon come to an end, but only if they had known that the battle to end the evil that taunted their every move , would in fact only be traded for another , without remorse. Although it wouldn't be long till a end was granted , but not of one anyone had ever considered in their craziest of dreams , and the destruction of Naraku , while living to tell the tale was indeed one of them , only giving way for a new evil , ominously coming from within one of their own.

TBC..