Chapter 10
A month has passed since my memory was lost then found. Sesshomaru has been waiting for me to fully recover. My injuries were serious. Nothing had attacked us, until now.
We were in a small clearing in the middle of the forest. A few demons were surrounding us. Sesshomaru had his sword drawn and was ready to defend. I had my bow out and an arrow notched. The all attacked at once, smart enough to realize one would just be tossed aside. My arrow hit one square in the forehead, and Sesshomaru beheaded another. One grabbed my arm, his claws digging into my skin. Blood trickled down, making them even crazier. I easily used my powers to blast the demon off, but two more took its place.
One raked my leg, and I kicked it. The other one was on my back, tugging at my arms. I grabbed it, ignoring the claws, and threw it. It landed on the other side, but before it could move I put an arrow into its head. Sesshomaru dispatched the rest, and looked at me. He was clean and pristine. I on the other hand, was a mess. My arms and legs were bleeding, and my clothes ripped.
The smell of my blood must have blocked everything else, because Sesshomaru didn't detect the demon that swooped in and grabbed me. I grabbed the arm around me, and used my power. The demon screamed and threw me into a tree. I hit the trunk with a thud, and all the air came out in a rush. I slid down the trunk into a heap on the ground.
Sesshomaru
All the demons were dispatched, and I looked over at Kagome. The smell of her blood was overwhelming. It smelled of power, and her. She was assessing her injuries when the demon came in and grabbed her. I didn't smell it because the air was full with her blood. I watched as she used her powers to make it let go. The demon screamed and threw her. The demon spiraled down, and landed with a crack. I could barely hear it because the sound that filled my ears was Kagome hitting the tree. I heard all the air rush out of her lungs. She slid down to the ground, and landed in a heap.
Quickly I rushed to her, ignoring the demon that was still alive. I scooped her up into my arms. Her eyes were barely open. She looked into my own. Her breath was in ragged gasps, that was half coughs. She was fighting to keep her eyes open. The blood loss only made it worse. Her eyes kept focusing and blanking out.
With her previous head injury, I could tell this wasn't good at all. If I can't even protect one human, I must truly be weak. In my mind I was berating myself and trying to figure out how to proceed. She lost the fight, and closed her eyes. I gently put her down, and began cleaning her wounds.
Kagome
When I awoke, it was early morning. Sesshomaru was asleep next to me. I was sore all over, but I remembered everything. Last night was terrible. I looked over myself, and saw he bandaged me. Gently I prodded them, to judge how bad they were. My leg was the worse, but I could probably walk on it. I tried to stand, and found out I couldn't. My leg hurt too much to walk on. Sesshomaru had woken up, and was watching me fail. I smiled sheepishly. He put me on his back, like I used to do with Inuyasha.
"At the bottom of the top, is a hall of shadows. With light through Darkness, is a bright flame. The center is the end, for which it shall amend." Sesshomaru said, his voice distant.
"What is that supposed to be?" I asked, my chin resting on his shoulder.
"My father never told me where the sword was, just gave me this riddle. So far though, I can't figure out any of it."
"Oh, well I can try to help." He nodded and together we worked out one of the lines. 'At the bottom of the top, is a room of shadows' could be a cave at the base of Mt. Fuji.
We didn't encounter any demons on our way to Mt. Fuji. We just talked the whole way there. It took about three days and at the base was a cave. I had an ominous feeling about it, like something bad was going to happen. He set me down, and my leg was basically numb.
At the entrance was a barrier. Sesshomaru pulled out his sword. He ran at it, and swung. When his sword made contact, he was flung back. Sesshomaru though, was prepared for anything. He landed on his feet about twenty meters away. He started to ponder. Inuyasha would have kept charging at it again and again.
I slung my bow off my shoulder, and notched an arrow. My hands started to tingle as my powers awoke. I focused on breaking the barrier, and released. I was pushed back a few inches from the force of it. It hit the barrier and exploded. There was a hole in the barrier where my arrow hit it, but it quickly closed.
A crazy thought went through my head, and I started running towards the barrier. Sesshomaru, realizing what I was doing, started chasing me. Of course this was stupid, but I just knew it would work. I got to the barrier first, and put my hands out. When they touched the barrier I shot out my power before it could fling me back. There was a shattering, and I was flying through the air.
Sesshomaru caught me, and we both landed a few feet from the entrance. When I opened my eyes, the barrier was gone. My face stung, and I realized that I had a cut on my cheek the length of my thumb. It bled steadily, so I tore my sleeve and held it there. I started to smile, and looked up at Sesshomaru. He was looking at me with an odd expression. It was a mix of questioning and admiration.
He set me down carefully, and started walking towards the cave. I followed him, ignoring the ominous feeling that the cave brought about.
The cave was musty and dark. So I made a little light with my powers. A small blue flame was in my hand, and it led us through the darkness. It cast shadows on the wall, which only added to the ominous feeling. The light bounced around, making the shadows appear larger. Then something clicked.
"Sesshomaru, I figured out the second line." He glanced over at me. "It's about me. With light through darkness, is a bright flame. My light is a bright flame, and the cave is very dark." He nodded, and whispered the third line. The center is the end, for which it shall amend. The third line sounded the most chilling. It could mean a few things, most of them unpleasant.
We reached a giant room. It was lit by glowing rocks at the edges. In the middle was pitch dark, but not silent. There was a high pitch hysteric laugh. We both walked towards it, and sitting on a rock, was a young girl. She had blue eyes, with no pupil. Her hair was a light violet, and it reached to her lower back. Her bangs were to her nose, and her clothes were tattered.
"Are you here to take it away?" She asked in a child's voice. "Please don't, it doesn't want to go. It wants to stay here with me, forever."
"What's your name?" I asked. "And what is it that you don't want us to take away?"
"It's Raisuke right? Last time it was Raisuke, but I can't be sure." She said barely above a whisper. "It changes my name so often."
"What is it? What changes your name?" I asked softly.
"Bakusaiga, it loves me you know. It doesn't want to leave." She stood up and reached behind her. She pulled out a long sword that glowed green slightly. "I can't let you take it, it's mine!" With that she lunged towards me slashing with the sword. Sesshomaru was ready though, and he blocked it with his own sword.
She jumped back, and cocked her head to the side. "A lion's protecting an injured lamb, how weird." Sesshomaru leapt at her, and swung down, dodging her attack. She brought the blade up, and they clashed with a cling and broke apart. She smiled widely. "Why do you want it?" She then jumped at me.
I put my hands out in front of me, and shot forth a blast of spiritual energy. She put the sword out in front of her, and screamed. It was a horrible ear-piercing scream. She fell to the ground, limp. Slowly she got back up. Her blue eyes narrowed and glared at me. With a screech she lunges at me, but was stopped by Sesshomaru.
He grabbed the back of her tattered kimono and pulled her back. She turned toward him wide eyed and smiled. "Oh, I see!" She started giggling uncontrollably. "I see!" She yelled in glee. Then she disappeared, only the sword left. Sesshomaru blinked and looked up.
Sesshomaru
Raisuke was behind Kagome, a dagger to her throat. "Such a waste, she's so nice." Her voice was filled with hysteria, and something else.
"W... wait!" stammered Kagome. "It's okay. I can help you. I know what it's like."
Raisuke threw her head back and laughed. "What do you know? You have Sesshomaru, and I nothing. He was never interested in me."
"I know because Sesshomaru isn't the first." Kagome took a deep breath. "I truly thought that Inuyasha was for me, until the night we killed Naraku. Naraku had captured Kikyo, and Inuyasha went mad trying to kill him. I could just sense the love between the two. They were yearning for each other, so I made a selfless wish on the jewel. I regretted it though, so Naraku and the jewel came back to haunt me. That's when I truly met Sesshomaru. So rain makes things grow is what I'm trying to say."
The dagger clattered to the floor, and Kagome wrapped her arms around Raisuke. "It's okay." She said simply.
"I've been here for over a hundred years. I loved Inu no Taisho, in my heart though I knew he would never love me. I thought maybe I could fool myself into thinking he did, or maybe I could win his love. So I volunteered to guard the blade, and have been ever since."
"How did you know my father?" I asked. I had never seen her before, but she knew my name.
"I was one of your mother's servants, and rarely saw you." She looked at him. "You were a young man the last time I saw you." It was then that he remembered her. She was always so quiet and her face was always covered, except the eyes. Her eyes were the same, big and blue. Her hair was usually tied back, and right now it was down and wild.
I nodded and turned toward Kagome. She was looking at me with her big brown eyes. A sad smile was on her face.
"Inu No Taisho took me here, and that's when I found out about Izayoi. Your mother hadn't heard yet. I couldn't back away though, I already told him I would. So I was sealed with the sword." Raisuke said, sadness etched in her voice. The memory of after my mother found out about Izayoi played in my head. I was only a teenager at the time.
Mother was sitting on the edge of the pond in the garden. She was holding a cherry blossom from the cherry tree that was above her. When she noticed me, she smiled and called me over. I went and sat next to her. She was wearing a red silk kimono with white and purple flowers. Her hair was flowing down her back in silver waterfall. Her golden eyes were almost blank. The only emotion he could find in them was a slight fondness.
"Sesshomaru, I want you to tell me what you think of humans." She said as she tossed the flower into the pond. She watched as the water rippled out in circles from where the flower touched.
"Humans are fragile, beings. They don't care for the land; only use it to feed their hunger. They are a weak pathetic race, you said so yourself. Why do you ask?"
"I ask because I want you to know, they can steal a person's heart. Your father has had his heart captured by a human woman. I know she'll be the death of him. He won't listen though, so I want to warn you." I watched her, to see if she meant it. I only saw her blank face watching the disappearing ripples. In her eyes was nothing, only a void. "Sesshomaru, don't make the same mistake as your father. Become stronger, so you can overcome anything that may come." She stood up, and smiled. There was nothing behind it; it was just to reassure herself she still could. Then she walked off, and he hardly ever saw here since.
Kagome
Sesshomaru was lost in a memory, reliving something only he remembered. So I walked over to him, and grabbed his hand. My fingers fit perfectly in between his. He registered my hand after a minute and squeezed lightly. Raisuke sat down on a large rock. She remembered something then jumped up.
"Hurry! You need to leave!" Her face was horror stricken.
"What is it?" I asked, confused. What was she talking about?
"The trap! I just remembered the trap!" She said panicked.
"What trap?"
"The one I activated right before I attacked you guys!" She started pulling on me arm. "You need to leave!" Sesshomaru grabbed me and started running. The floor started to break. Giant cracks spread out, and left gaping holes. Then the whole floor started falling apart, down into the dark. A different demon stepped out of the shadows near the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" he was tall with dark green hair, and orange eyes. In his hand was a dagger, it was dripping a black liquid.
"Move or die." Said Sesshomaru, no kindness or anything but deadly command.
"How about I kill you?" He said, than disappeared, only to reappear next to him. Sesshomaru knew what he was going to do, and easily parried it. He was using one hand though, which held him back.
"I'll take her. I know I can't face him." Raisuke said.
"Shut up." Said the demon, he obviously knew I was the weak spot for Sesshomaru.
"Tayon, you can't stop me." She said fiercely.
Sesshomaru nodded briefly and quickly set me down on the unstable floor net to Raisuke. I almost lost my balance but just barely kept steady. Tayon yelled out in rage and disappeared again.
I flared out my powers and heard screaming behind me. Bewildered I whirled around. Tayon was behind me on his knees. His skin was smoking, and he was covering his eyes. That was when the ground beneath me fell. It was only a piece the size of a bathroom, but it was where I was standing. I couldn't steady myself so I fell down. Sesshomaru jumped to me, and grabbed me. His arm circled around my waist, and went back to flooring that hasn't fallen yet.
Tayon was standing, blood coming out of his right eye (which was closed) and mouth. He was glaring at us as we came up. "How dare you!" He disappeared and appeared a half-second later behind us. His dagger sunk into my side with sickening ease. Sesshomaru whirled around, and swung his sword down. The dagger slid out, covered in blood. His sword went into Tayon's shoulder, splattering blood everywhere.
I felt a shock of pain shoot from the wound from Tayon's dagger. I looked down, and saw a lot of blood. Mixed in with it though was flecks of black. The pain traveled along my veins, and I had to clench my hands to not scream. Black dots danced in my vision, and everything was going blurry. Desperate I squeezed my eyes shut. Sesshomaru was running as fast as he could out of the cave, and soon we were outside.
I didn't want to open my eyes or unclench my hands because I knew I would scream. Raisuke was right behind us, I could hear her ungraceful movements. Gently I was set down, and examined.
The pain started to fade, but I knew nobody had done anything. I opened my eyes, and sought golden ones. They looked into mine, sadness in them. He pulled out tenseiga, and cut unseen demons. It was all for naught. It was getting more blissful every moment. I felt nothing now, and I reached for his hand. The sword dropped, and I tried to smile.
"I figured out the last line. The center is the end, for which it shall amend. I guess your father knew everything. I'm sorry, and I hope you can forgive me." The last thing I saw was a single tear roll down his perfect face. Then everything went black.
~ There will be more this isn't the end!