Chapter 9 - Fall of House Hasan

Netali woke with a start, something was very wrong and she could feel it. She quickly got out of bed and put on a pair of hakamas to cover the skirt she slept in and made her way to the entry doors, bow in hand. She saw intruders within the house and Netali assumed it was some type of invasion force. She assisted the estate guards for a few minutes steady making her way to the front doors. When the doors opened, a creature from someone's worst nightmare greeted her. The tentacled thing looked down at her and laughed as if he had found its prize. It's laugh sent chills down her spine.

A tentacle came towards her and she moved her bow in front of her warding off the attack. Not knowing what it was in for the tentacle proceeded and upon reaching her was purified.

"Just as I thought, you are Hasan." The creature stated, not phased by what had just happened to it.

Netali froze in place; this creature knew what she was! Is that why her parents had been killed? Is this creature responsible for those that turned against her within her home? "What have I to do with you?" She shouted at the creature.

"Simple answer, I mean to kill you." It told her. The male torso told her its gender but she still preferred to call it an it.

"Let's dance then." She told it, flaring up her aura and preparing to strike.

"Let's." It stated, a grin on its face.

Netali leapt towards it, and too late she saw the spears in two of its tentacles. As she was hit, she was slammed back against the only object strong enough to stop her flight, wooden doors. Netali knew she could not get herself down and protect herself from the creature at the same time. She had to fight it while pinned through the shoulders to the front doors of her own home. Without the ability to use any type of weapon, she was limited to using her energy alone. Netali created a barrier around her in order to provide a means of attack and for defense. Black looking smoke seeped towards her and with a small burst she neutralized what she knew was poison. Netali used her heart as a focal point to release attacks and with a short arrangement of an incantation within her mind she shot out multiple energy arrows towards the creature. On contact the arrows burst as if they had been made with gunpowder, causing much of the creatures flesh to disappear. One of the tentacles then made its way towards her, in an attempt to weaken the barrier around her, only to have it destroyed when it came close by her aura, which was radiating at full strength.

The attacks continued to be exchanged and fight raged for several hours. Netali knew that the fight had to stop soon, she moved her palms so that they were facing out and with another incantation a white triangle appeared in front of her. The attack was weak, but it bound the creature long enough for her to gather all of the strength she had left for one final attack. She repeated the incantation as if it were a mantra, building its strength. By the time the creature had released itself from the binding she loosed the spell and sent a flurry of arrows towards him, bursting them all over his warped form. She'd nearly killed the thing, but instead of dying it fled.

Netali was wracked with pain as she felt someone attempt to open the doors from the inside and cried out to make them stop from pushing on the door.

"Lady Netali?" The voice questioned.

"Yes, Ramsee, the spears are through my shoulders." Netali told him.

"Oh gods, is anyone left out there?" He questioned.

"Not that I can see, I can't hear anyone either." She stated.

"I can't get to you, Lady Netali, I don't have the strength." Ramsee stated, full of despair.

"I'll be able to get myself down, Ramsee. I just need to rest. What's everything like in there?" She questioned.

"Most didn't make it, everyone's wounds are severe." Ramsee told her.

"Ramsee, I smell smoke, is it from in there?" Netali questioned.

"I don't believe so, I don't smell it from in here." He answered.

There was a long few minutes of silence before Netali spoke, "Ramsee."

"Yes, Eminence?" Ramsee stated, his strength obviously gone from the sound of his voice.

"Talk to me. I don't want the rest of my time here to be in silence." Netali stated.

"You won't die, Eminence, don't talk like that." Ramsee stated.

"Ramsee, cut the title bullshit, we're both dying." Netali retorted.

"You know, even though I've never said it before, you're just like a daughter to me. I was there when you were born, began to crawl, took your first step, and spoke your first word. I was there for it all. I always wanted to see you take a mate and have children of your own, it doesn't look like that's going to happen though." Ramsee stated, somewhat rambling.

"You were always around a lot more then my father was. You were my best friend growing up, hell, you're still my best friend, even though I could never treat you like it." Netali told him.

"Yes, but I'm not the only one in your heart, there is another." Ramsee stated.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru, what will happen to you when you find me like this?" She spoke into the wind. "If I was going to have a mate, it would have been him Ramsee."

"I know Netali, if I would have chosen who I would have wanted to see you with, it would have been him. He's a good man." Ramsee stated.

Neither one of them found the energy to speak anymore to each other, but the occasional coughs told each other that they were still alive. Netali waited in anticipation for the next noise from Ramsee, but it never came. She didn't know weather he was unconscious or if he had left her. She silently started to cry. She cried because she was in pain, because her best friend in the world was most likely dead, and because she would never see the man she loved again. 'Yes, she admitted to herself, I love him.' There was no use in hiding it now, no need for the noble façade. She felt her vision blurring, and knew she would pass out soon, and since she was still losing blood, she knew she would not wake up. She only had one chance to live, and she was going to take it. One arm at a time, she lifted her hand and struck at the shaft of the spear, cutting it close to the skin. When it was finished, she braced herself for the pain she was about to go through. She lifted her legs and placed her hands at her side to push against the door. In one strong motion, she pushed with all she had and soon the bloody steps that had been beneath her met her body. She didn't have the strength to check on Ramsee, she simply allowed sleep to overtake her.

--

Taisho knew something was wrong; Netali had not come this morning, as she should have. With everything that had been happening in her estate over the past several years, he decided to go to the southwestern estate. Three hours passed and he froze for a moment when he saw smoke in the distance.

"Hasan." He whispered in fear, racing towards his destination.

He couldn't believe the damage to the estate, it looked as if an army had come against the mansion. Bodies were all over the outside of the wall. He made his way to the gates and opened them. There was nothing in existence that could prepare him for what he would see.

"No!" He yelled, and began to run up to the front steps.

Netali lay on her stomach, blood stained the doors and steps. Sesshoumaru was almost in tears as he rolled the woman over onto her back. He knew that the spears in the door were responsible for the holes in her shoulders. He quickly felt her neck and was relieved that she was alive. He picked her up gently and used his cloud to move her to the back of the estate. As he had hoped, there had been no battling this far from the front gates. He made his way to a pond within the center of the garden and laid her down. He took off his haori and began to wipe at the wounds on her. Besides the holes in her shoulders there were many smaller scrapes over her torso. He did the only thing he knew to do, he used his claws and cut his wrist, and gently held her head up to get his blood into her system. He could hear her heartbeat strengthen and since he did not know weather the attacker was still present or not, decided to stop before it took too much of his strength.

"Netali." He questioned.

"Sesshoumaru." She whispered.

"Thank kami, I thought I'd lost you." He whimpered, lowering himself to hold her.

"I love you, Sesshoumaru, and I will find you. Even if it takes hundreds of years, I will find you. My lands are forfeit to you." Netali whispered.

"Tell me what to do to keep you here, where are your crooks?" Sesshoumaru questioned desperately.

"It's too late. The crooks won't bring me back, they're in my quarters, one crook and one small chest, keep them safe until I come back to you. I love you, I have for a while. Don't grieve for me, I'll be back." Netali told him.

"I love you too, Netali, I should have said that a long time ago. I don't want you to leave." He told her. His breath hitched, her heart wasn't beating. A roar came out of his throat, and all within miles trembled at the anger.

--

All eyes were upon Kagome as she paused a moment to gain her bearing. Slowly she lifted her head to find her son gazing into her eyes intently. "Mother, the story cannot stop there, you sit before us now." He stated.

"Yes, my son. That is the story of my life before I returned. If you would keep your comments to yourself, I would be able to continue the story." Kagome told him.

"I'm sorry, Mother, please continue." Her son stated.