Author's Note: The poem was found online. I didn't get it through memory. I own nothing!
Word count: 3,369
Dedicated to: CidAngel'sTears
Kagome glances over to the silver haired general nervously. Dark rings around his eyes, and a very visible tention to his back, like he's running on overdrive. It's near painfully obvious that the man hasn't gotten much sleep lately, and Kagome can't help but worry. Inuyasha is worried too, but for an entirely different reason. This man is acting like a frightened animal and if he loses any sense of mental stability, he might turn violent.
Inuyasha unconsciously holds Tetsuiga closer to him. He will protect his friends. From everyone.
It takes all of Sephiroth's focus to not let his eyes drop. If he is pulling people into his head, then he needs to stay awake until Hojo finds him and somehow makes all of this stop. Sephiroth doesn't understand how he pulled poor Rin into his mind but he certainly doesn't want to do it with anyone else. Strange, though, why that girl? Of all people? Sephiroth cannot remember ever doing anything remotely similar at home, so what is it here that makes it possible?
Could it be the demons?
Sephiroth's mind immediately travels to the golden eyed Dai Youkai.
Was it really just a dream last night, or did Sesshomaru somehow block whatever mental signal that Rin was picking up from Sephiroth and invite himself in instead? Can someone really have that kind of power?
Sephiroth stands, swaying a bit from head rush, but manages to steady himself. He turns to Kagome, "I have burdened you all with my presence for too long. I should best be on my way."
There he goes again, trying to avoid as much human contact as possible. But now he has a reason for it; he has seemingly no control over his powers anymore. It has to be this place, these people, that make weird things happen.
Surely Shinra is freaking out over the loss of one of their top generals. Angeal and Genesis must be undoubtably worried for him. Hojo too. Sephiroth is his son and his greatest experiment, after all.
"What?" Kagome says shocked. "No, no, you are no burden to us. You don't have to go. Besides, what will you do?"
Sephiroth is quiet for a moment, wondering where he would go or what he would do. His eyes travels to the east, a yearning to head in that direction, some almost uncontrollable desire to head that way.
"To the east," Sephiroth says softly, exhaustion evident in his voices. "There is a force pulling me to the east."
"East?" Shippo echoes.
"What is to the east?" Miroku asks.
Sephiroth gets a far away look, almost as if on autopiolet, his eyes widen; pupils dilate, "Sesshomaru."
That simple name comes out in a whisper. Inuyasha moves toward Sephiroth, a frown marring his face. "Sesshomaru? What do you want from him?" Suspicion evident in his voice.
Sephiroth closes his eyes very slowly and when he opens them, his once vibrant blue eyes have dulled significantly. The urge to go east becomes almost too unbearable. Sephiroth begins to feel a throbbing in his head, and a fatigue that he knows only accompanies from low mako levels.
"I don't know..." Sephiroth rubs his temples. "I just have to go."
"Sephiroth, are you okay?" Sango asks.
Sephiroth shakes his head, and starts to move in that direction. He can feel his mind shutting down, and soon his body will follow. The lack of sleep is speeding up Sephiroth's mako consumption and he's getting close to empty.
"Wait!" Kagome calls, running up to the swaying general. "Sephiroth, let us come with you."
"What?" Inuysha snaps. "No! We have to look for the sacred jewel shards and stop Naraku! We don't have time to help every single person, demon, human, etc., when ever they need it!"
"Yeah," Sango says, "I can't believe it but I agree with Inuyasha, it's because we spend so much time helping that we are so far behind Naraku."
Kagome gives Miroku a desperate look. He smiles and moves to Kagome, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I agree with Kagome."
"Of course you do," Inuyasha grumbles.
"Sephiroth may need out help," Shippo says, hopping onto Kagome's shoulder. "That's three-to-two, we win. We help."
Inuyasha groans loudly and Sango shrugs. "They got us, Inuyasha." Inuyasha groans again. The group runs after Sephiroth who didn't stop to listen to their argument.
They walk east for about half the day, Sephiroth slowly getting less and less lucid. His movements sluggish less his eyes nearing a gray, lifeless color. The groups unease mounts, growing more and more in intensity.
The sun is the highest it can be in the sky when Inuyasha catches wind of Sesshomaru. But only moments before said demon appears before them. The brothers stare at each other but the first to look away is Sesshomaru, whom looks to Sephiroth, taking in his newly haggard appearance and the vacant eyes.
Sesshomaru's youkai immediately becomes deressed, saying what Sesshomaru doesn't want to hear, "Mate. Mate is dying. Must save Mate."
Sesshomaru looks into those usually captivating eyes, now gray and lifeless, stare back at him.
"Sephiroth," Sesshomaru says, barely audible strain in his voice. "What hinders you?"
Sephiroth, shakes his head dazedly. "My body runs on three... different forms of energy. One from consumption, one from repose, and an unnatural form; yet universal, is mako." Sephiroth says slowly, like he hasn't the energy to speak. A bitter smile crosses his face. "I am currently running on one."
Rin runs past Sesshomaru to Sephiroth, grabbing hold of Sephiroth's hand. She looks up at him with big scared eyes.
"Sephiroth? Will you die?" The little human says, brown eyes wide.
The silver haired general drops to his knees before the small girl, an uneasy smile on his face. He pats the top of her head and says so softly only the demons and Rin could hear him, "Yes."
Sesshomau's youkai roars in grief at that, but his outward appearance doesn't change. Rin's eyes water, a small, "why?" comes from her.
Sephiroth's smile turns humorless. "The only one that I can live solely on is mako, and that is unobtainable here. Unless, my father comes soon, I will not live to see night fall."
An unsettling feeling washes over the group, even Inuyasha looks away, but not from his elder brother. Inuyasha is confused by the relationship these two could, or do, possibly have.
No one knows what to say. All of them are uncomfortable now, except Rin, who is crying into Sephiroth's shoulder, the older man seems to not notice, his eyes getting darker.
"What can we do?" Kagome says softly, her own eyes brimming with tears.
Sephiroth closes his eyes in exhaustion for a moment, like its getting harder to even think now. Sesshomaru can feel his youkai yowling in grief and sadness on the inside, so violently that he is practically shaking on the outside. There is a visible tension to his back and shoulders.
All Sesshomaru can think of is his dad. That somehow, Inu no Taisho, the great and feared demon lord of the west, would know how to to fix this. Strange, Sesshomaru thinks bitterly, that at a time like this Sesshomaru's brain goes to the parent that is dead, not the one that is still alive.
Maybe it's because out of both of his parents, Inu no Taisho would be the one to understand.
"Yes," Sephiroth says again, his voice laced with fatigue. Then suddenly, his entire posture changes. His back straightens, muscles tightened, and his eyes begin to brim with life. "I will not die on my knees. I will die as a warrior should; on his feet and in the thick of battle."
Inuyasha feels a flash of understanding, washing over him. The warrior in him sees the need to not die on ones back, instead he too would rather die on his feet. Old age is not an option for him. Just like his father, Inuyasha isn't going to die submitting to anything, even death.
Sesshomaru himself can understand the desire to die as a warrior should. As a general it is natural to not want to submit, but no matter how prideful Sesshomaru is, Sephiroth is his mate. Sesshomaru's youkai has already recognized it as such and there is no way for him to deny it. But would Sesshomaru be able to fight and kill his own mate?
Sesshomaru would never let anyone hurt his mate, but does that extend to himself? The mere thought of hurting his own mate brings a pain to his chest and an angry growl from his youkai.
If anyone should put down his mate, it is only right that it be him.
"General Sephiroth!"
Sesshomaru is jolted into awareness by an unfamiliar voice. Turning around he watches as a tall male; his face covered by some metal helmet, a tight blue shirt, shoulder paldrons, a big metal band around his waist and baggy pants. He breaks into a sprint toward the group, a sword on his back.
"Huh?" Sephiroth squints at the male as he gets closer. "Have we met?"
The male, now more clearly by his voice to be a young man, runs up to the dazed general, confused. He gives the two groups of humans and demons a weary look before turning to Sephiroth. "Uhh, no, General. I... we were looking for you. I came to bring you home."
"Wait," Sango says, stepping forward. "You are from Sephiroth's time?"
"Uhh," he looks at her. "Yes. I'm in his division of the army." Then he turns back to the general, his back ramrod straight and he salutes. "We need to go back. Sir? Are you... are you okay?"
Sephiroth blinks very slowly. "Who is your commanding officer?"
"Uh, 2nd class Roger Williams, sir."
Sephiroth smiles lightly. "At ease. No, I mean of this mission. Who is at the helm, so to speak?"
"Oh," the boy says. "Professor Hojo, sir. General Hewley, General Rhapsodos and General Hawk are all here as well, sir," he hesitates. "Sir, are you sure you are okay?"
"No," Sephiroth says softly. "Get Professor Hojo here immediately. Tell him I will die of mako withdraw very soon."
The boy just stares at him for a moment, as if not sure what to do with this information. Quietly, he says, "Sir?"
"Are you deaf?" Inuyasha snaps. "Your boss is dying and needs help."
The boy snaps to attention. "Yes sir! G-General, please, hang on. I'll be back soon!" With that the boy turns on his knees and sprints, far faster than a normal human boy should, in the direction he appeared from.
There is a moment of silence before a hissing sound fills the air. Sesshomaru watches as Sephiroth turns his head upward, letting the breeze blow through his hair. He feels the tension form between his shoulders.
"Sephiroth?" Rin says softly. "Will this Hojo guy be able to save you?"
Sephiroth lowers himself to the grassy field, very slowly and with clear difficulty. He lets out a strained sigh once he's sitting. "He can, if anyone can."
There a few collective sighs of relief from Kagome, Shippo, Rin, and Sango. Inuyasha relaxes slightly, looking down at the strange man, who although very suspicious looks so tired, but at the same time, so peaceful. Inuyasha then looks to his brother, who is watching the man on the ground with an unreadable expression on his face. Sesshomaru definately not acting normal, that's for certain.
Sesshomaru steps closer and lowers himself in front of Sephiroth. "How long do you have left now, Sephiroth?"
The silver haired general leans back on his hands, giving Sesshomaru a half lidded look, that look makes Sesshomaru's inner youkai growl in desire. But the Dai Youkai has to shake the feelings away before he tries anything that neither of them are ready for. No matter how much his youkai wants to rut, there is no way he is going to blindly follow his hormones like an inmature child.
"How long?" Sephiroth repeats, closing his eyes slowly. "Not long now."
The next few minutes are tense. All have sat themselves around the quiet General, whose only indication of life is the shallow breaths he gives off every few seconds. After a couple of minutes, there is a humming in the distance. Sephiroth opens his black eyes.
"They come." He leans forward, his skin near see-through and gray with illness.
Sesshomaru looks off the distance to see a metal boxed thing soaring through the air toward them. That puts all those of the feudal era on edge. Kagome looks shocked.
"Is that a helicopter?" She asks.
Sephiroth nods. With trembling hands, he struggles to undo the buttons on his jacket. The helicopter lands a few yards off and the door immediately slides open. The first ones to exit is two men, one wearing an outfit identical to the young boy but his shirt is black. Same with the other, but a bright crimson jacked trails behind him. Neither have helmets on, their concern bared naked for anyone to see as they rushed toward their fallen friend.
The red head gets to the fallen general first. "Sephiroth? Oh goddess."
"Here," the other says, kneeling down in front of Sephiroth. He reaches forward to help him unbutton his jacket. "Let me help you."
"Angeal? Genesis?" Sephiroth's eyes lull back and forth, his words slurring.
"Shh," Angeal says. "Don't talk. Save your energy."
The red head stands up and turns toward the helicopter. "Yo, Hojo! Hurry, Sephiroth looks about to keel over any second now."
An older man, clearly human makes his way toward the group. He's hunched over with long, graying black hair and a lab coat. A woman follows after him with a briefcase in her hand. They stalk past the stunned of demons and humans to the weak general.
Angeal takes Sephiroth's jacket and moves away, with Genesis.
Sephiroth lays on his side, looking up at his father with half lidded eyes. Hojo kneels down next to him with an unreadable look on his face. He grabs Sephiroth's chin and looks into his eyes, with a calculating look.
"My boy, how close to death are you?"
Sephiroth blinks very slowly. "Breaths."
Hojo nods. The woman, Shalua, opens the briefcase and pulls out a needle, three others still in there, and hands it to Hojo. The calculating Professor takes Sephiroth's arm and injects the blue liquid into Sephiroth's body. The white haired man's body completely relaxes and his eyes close. Very carefully, one after another, Hojo injects the mako into Sephiroth, and the man doesn't move once through the entire thing.
After Hojo injects the last needle filled with mako into Sephiroth and hands it off to Shalua, he turns to watch his son's impassive face. A few moments of silence goes by before Miroku, uncomfortable about the silence, inquires, "Will Sephiroth be okay?"
Hojo huffs, turning to look at the dark haired man. "Of course he will, you imbecile. Sephiroth is not some weak incompitant fool," Hojo snaps, then adds begrudgingly, "Although he sometimes acts like it."
Miroku looks a mixture of shock and confusion at what Hojo said to him. Angeal steps forward and puts his hand on the munk's shoulder. "What Hojo is trying to say, is that Sephiroth is tough. Something like this wont be the end of him." Miroku looks up at the impressive looking man in awe at how he is outwardly very intimidating but when he speaks, it's very clear that he a kind person.
"Right," Genesis moves over to Sephiroth, looking down at him with a thoughful look. He lowers himself and begins to recite a poem he knows very well.
"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end
The goddess descends from the sky
Wings of light and dark spread afar
She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting
"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end
The goddess descends from the sky
"Wings of light and dark spread afar
She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting
"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess
We seek it thus, and take it to the sky
Ripples form on the water's surface
The wandering soul knows no rest.
"The infinite mystery
The gift of the goddess is what the three men seek
But their fates are scattered by war
"One becomes a hero, one wanders the land
And the last is taken prisoner
"But the three are still bound by a solemn oath
To seek the answer together, once again
"There is no hate, only joy
For you are beloved by the goddess
Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds
"Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul
Pride is lost
Wings stripped away, the end is nigh
"Though the prisoner escapes, he is gravely wounded
His life is saved, however
By a woman of the opposing nation
"He begins a life of seclusion with her
Which seems to hold the promise of eternal bliss
"But as happiness grows, so does guilt
Of not fulfilling the oath to his friends
"My friend, do you fly away now?
To a world that abhors you and I?
All that awaits you is a somber morrow
No matter where the winds may blow
"My friend, your desire
Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess
"Even if the morrow is barren of promises
Nothing shall forestall my return
"As the war sends the world hurtling towards destruction
The prisoner departs with his newfound love
And embarks on a new journey
"He is guided by hope that the gift will bring bliss
And the oath that he swore to his friends
"Though no oath is shared between the lovers
In their hearts they know they will meet again
"My friend, the fates are cruel
There are no dreams, no honor remains
The arrow has left the bow of the goddess
"My soul, corrupted by vengeance
Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey
In my own salvation
And your eternal slumber"
Genesis smiles at that, as if the ironry wasn't as true as if could have been, if they hadn't been fast enough to here when they did. The horrible face of the matter is if they didn't get here on time, Sephiroth would be dead and the mere thought feels strange and unbelieveable. But he continues to recite Loveless:
"Legend shall speak
Of sacrifice at world's end
The wind sails over the water's surface
Quietly, but surely
"Even if the morrow is barren of promises
Nothing shall forestall my return
To become the dew that quenches the land
To spare the sands, the seas, the skies
I offer thee this silent sacrifice"
Kagome and her friends along with Sesshomaru and his followers stare at the red haired man quietly. An undenyable power coming from that poem. Something definately not of this world has attatched itself to the poem. The "Goddess" that is frequently mentioned in the poem almost seems to flood into this world with those words alone.
Sesshomaru's youkai rumbles contently. A great peace befalling the group.
"Genesis," Sephiroth says softly, opeing his now light blue eyes. Their glow not quite what they were before, but a definate inprovement from before.
"Yes, friend?" Genesis says as Angeal kneals next to the red head to stare at the white haired general.
Sephiroth slowly sits himself up and looks at each of his best friends in turns, his eyes landing on Genesis. "Quit reading Loveless to me while I rest, it gives me strange dreams."