I know, I know, I know. It has been exactly one month since the date I had promised to post. However, I can't even begin to explain what kept me so long. Please forgive me friends. I've made this chapter twice as long, still I know I can't fully redeem myself for being so late on this. Enjoy!
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"Why did you leave?" Kagura stared at Sesshomaru and demanded an answer. "You could have helped me!" Her jaw tightened. Still breathing heavily, she clutched at the bleeding hole in her chest. The dog demon, unsurprised that the wind sorceress had followed him, turned to leave without acknowledging her.
"Wait!" Kagura extended her hand out towards Sesshomaru and fell to the ground in pain. "You left me for dead! Naraku...he..he was going to kill me! And you left..." The wind sorceress winced in pain as she sat up and gritted her teeth, still in disbelief. "You left...and for what?! To return to see a stupid human girl!"
Kagura smiled wickedly as she felt Sesshomaru become tense. "How pitiful Sesshomaru. It seems you and your father are more alike than I had first thought." Sesshomaru turned to the sorceress, growling at her, disgusted to be accused of loving mortals.
"Kagura. I did not come here to rescue you. I had come to settle my score with Naraku. What your fight with him consists of, does not matter to me." Kagura softened as her eyes became sad. She looked straight into the demons golden eyes.
"Rin. Does that girl's life really mean more to you than mines?" The sorceress desired a no but knew the truth well.
"Kagura...I implore you to let go of such stupid and wishful thinking. Neither you, nor a human girl hold any meaning for me." That was the last Kagura knew she would hear of Sesshomaru's cold voice that day. The dog demon swiftly turned to leave.
Sesshomaru. You cannot hide the truth. "You lie. It is clear that you care for the girl Sesshomaru. I don't under-stand...ugh" Kagura winced in pain as more blood poured out of her. She smirked at the tense Sesshomaru. "Demon blood runs through you, yet you've chosen to stoop so low as to protect a mere mortal. A human does not belong with you. And you do not belong with a human!" Forget that girl Sesshomaru. "However, I ensure you that you will regret today!" Kagura growled at the demon before taking off into the sky, still clutching at her wound.
Sesshomaru stopped in his path. Wretched woman.
...
"Master Jaken! Help me!" Rin screamed in terror as the wind sorceress lifted her by the collar.
"You pathetic human. You are no more than a weakness. Such a pity, Sesshomaru does not even care enough to watch over you." Kagura smirked wickedly at the girl.
"That...that's not true!"The little girl yelled back at the sorceress only feeding into her anger.
"You let her go, or choose to face the staff of two heads!" The green imp hurriedly faced his staff towards Kagura but hesitated to attack. Rin. I can't hurt Rin.
"Ha. Pathetic." Kagura swiftly took off into the sky with the girl. "Tell Sesshomaru that he better hurry to retrieve the corpse of this girl after Naraku kills her. He better not be late, because I'm just itching to feed her body to the demons!" She smugly smiled at the imp before disappearing.
"You wretch!" Jaken fell to his knees knowing that his master would kill him for letting Rin get abducted. He stayed like that for what seemed like forever.
"Jaken." A cool voice sent shivers down the imps back. "Where is Rin?"
"The...th-the sorceress. Rin and I fled from the battle. Shortly after, she came here and she took Rin. She was wounded, I could have stopped her...but she held Rin across her body. I could not attack! My lord! Please forgive me! Do not kill me!" The imp looked up in fear, afraid he would see his master's sword targeting his neck. However, he was surprised. The dog demon had already taken off and was running at lightning speed.
...
"Sesshomaru. How unexpected." Naraku smiled at the dog demon. "Have you come in search for the girl?"
"Naraku. I would have thought that after being injured so badly by me, you would at least show some prudence. I thought you ran away. Killing you will almost be unenjoyable, seeing as you are too wounded to fight back." Sesshomaru flashed his claws towards Naraku.
"Hmm... fighting back is the least of my worries." Naraku smirked at Sesshomaru. Ha..hmm mm hmm. Attack me you fool. That is all I require of you now.
"Prepare to die!" The dog demon repeatedly attacked Naraku's body which refused to give way. After many strikes it stubbornly continued to regenerate.
"Sesshomaru. Why have you stopped? Is it not your purpose to kill me for capturing that little girl?"
"Naraku. I hope you don't think that I've come all this way for a mere mortal. My resentment towards you stems from elsewhere." The dog demon began to attack fiercely again, taking off more of Naraku's body each time. Still it was a useless effort. He could not be destroyed.
"Sesshomaru. The only resentment you should feel is towards yourself. That poor little girl. Did you not once think about the dangers she would have to endure before you began to travel with her at your side?" Naraku laughed a low laugh. "Sesshomaru...did it not occur to your omniscient self, that you do not live in the same world as a mortal? You are a demon Sesshomaru, and in her eyes you are the one that puts her in harm's way. The only one here to blame, is you. Pity you were not born a human. Perhaps that little girl wouldn't have to die such a pitiful death today. HA!HA!HA!" Naraku laughed uncontrollably as Sesshomaru's anger grew to a superior level.
Sesshomaru began to strike again, and again. Frustration encouraged his each blow. The dog demon was determined to kill Naraku.
"Sesshomaru. You are so weak! By this time, her body must be in the mouths of a thousand demons, split into many pieces." Naraku laughed once again, louder this time.
" !" The half demon waived his Tetsusaiga at Naraku, unleashing a great amount of power.
"Inuyasha?!" Naraku gasped, shocked at the half demons presence. "How did you get through my barrier?!" He lunged at Inuyasha with his tentacles, allowing them to be chopped off.
"Ha. Easy enough, with my sword!" Inuyasha prepared to attack again. "Naraku, if you think I'm gonna let you live, then get ready to be disappointed. I'm gonna hack you into a hundred different pieces!" Inuyasha began to strike Naraku uncontrollably.
"Back off! He's mine to kill!" Sesshomaru joined Inuyasha and endlessly attacked Naraku.
"Hmm. How opportune. If you both wish to make my life easier, I will not oppose. Sesshomaru, Inuyasha. You fools. Prepare to be swallowed up by the very same pieces of my body, that you so generously tore off. " Both dog demons quickly became engulfed in Naraku's body. Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga formed a protective barrier around their wielders, however they would not last long. The demons were surrounded by a darkness and forced to give into it.
In the darkness, time did not seem to be existent. What was only a few moments felt like forever, and what was a long time, seemed to pass within seconds. Rin's innocent face crossed Sesshomaru's mind over and over in his shaded state. All he could remember and see was her. Images of her dead body plastered the darkness. Rin. Please, forgive me Rin. If it were not for me, you would be happy somewhere. Somewhere safe and away from demons like me. I...I am the one who has deprived you of the life you should be living. I should have left you...you should have grown older, loved another man, and died peacefully. Not like this! I've wronged you beyond reason. You're a beautiful new morning and I...I'm but an evening of autumn. And I've ruined you...ruined you with my dirty rain, and tainted your pure surface with my dying leaves. Forgive me, Rin. Forgive me.
That's right Sesshomaru. Just a little longer and both you and your brother will have become a part of my body. Naraku laughed loudly. Then when you and I are one, I will kill the girl. How sad...she will die by none other than your hands. "You...girl...prepare to die. Only then will you understand that humans and mortals live in different worlds. How could you hope to share an affinity with a demon?!"Naraku choked the girl with his tentacles.
"Lord... Sesshomaru! Help m-" The girl's voice sent a shocking pulse through Sesshomaru, awakening him from the darkness.
"Rin?" The demon immediately pulled himself together, recalling now that he had been swallowed by Naraku's body. She's alive!
Rin. The Tenseiga pulsed in the demon's hand. Naraku. Your heart is elsewhere. For now, you are a collection of dead souls. Thus, my Tokijin is ineffective, but the Tenseiga..it will destroy you. He pierced through Naraku's body, leaving him gravely injured and forced to release both Inuyasha and Rin.
Jaken had caught up to his master. "Lord Sesshomaru!"
"Impossible!Ahhhhhh!" Naraku's body began to whither with each of Sesshomaru's strikes.
"Jaken, take Rin and go!" Sesshomaru continued to fight Naraku until his body had completely disintegrated. That battle finally ended after a long period.
"Do you think... he's dead?" Inuyasha was weak from the darkness and held onto his sword for support.
"Unlikely. His life remains with his heart, which still beats." Sesshomaru swiftly tucked his sword into its sheath and placed it back at his side, where it belonged.
...
"Lord Sesshomaru! You've returned!" The little girl excitedly ran towards the demon with her hands full of flowers.
"Rin. I hope you have fared well." He looked down at the girl who was smiling frantically. Her face forced him to remember the darkness.
"Yes my lord! AhUn and I were on our best behaviour! However, Master Jaken disagrees." Rin turned to the imp behind her. "We were worried about you."
"Oh Lord Sesshomaru! I'm so thankful your alive!" The imp dramatically cried and fell to his masters feet. "You. Rin! You mustn't give Lord Sesshomaru so much trouble! He has more important things to do than go after you all the ti-...ohh Lord Sesshomaru...oooo." The dog demon had knocked the imp unconscious.
"Rin." Sesshomaru coolly called for the girl's attention.
"Yes?!" Rin enthusiastically turned towards Sesshomaru.
He looked down at the girl and stared long at her innocent face before breaking silence."Rin...do you truly wish to stay at my side? Why do you not detest me like you should?" The girl's happy expression changed easily to confusion. Sesshomaru looked away from her and into the space ahead of him.
"Huh? Um...I'm sorry Lord Sesshomaru, I don't understand. What do you mean?" The girl wore an apologetic and desperate look on her face, and slowly plopped down to the ground.
"Never mind." The dog demon walked to the nearest tree and eased against it to rest.
He noticed the distressed expression on the girl's face. It looked as though she were thinking very hard about something very serious. Finally, after some time, she turned to the demon.
"Lord Sesshomaru?.." The demon quietly gasped, taken off guard. He had not expected the child to shift away from her resolute state.
"What is it Rin?" He stared at her across to the other side where she sat, still grasping her flowers.
"I'm sorry my lord...I know I cause you a lot of trouble. But please...let me stay with you. I promise not to get in your way anymore." Sesshomaru became shocked at the girl's reply.
You're apologizing to me? You fool. The dog demon became tense as his jaw tightened. He soon became relaxed as the girls innocent voice soothed him.
" Please, don't make me go back to..." Tears began to stream down the girls small face. "Lord...Se..Se..Sesshomaru, you have to believe me! I don't detest you...I wish to stay with you forever and always!" Sesshomaru gasped at this.
Rin. For a few moments the demon was unable to speak. He watched the worried expression on the girls face grow stronger as more and more tears forced their way out.
"Rin, you may stay with me so long as you desire it. Do not apologize to me. It is my fault.." The demon did not complete his sentence. He thought of reaching over to the girl to comfort her but quickly evaded the thought. I'm selfish to keep you Rin.
The girl's tears slowly began to stop. "So I can stay?!" A smile lit her face one again. "I will stay forever..and travel with Lord Sesshomaru and Master Jaken." The girl now speaking to herself returned to collecting flowers for the dog demon.