A/N - Mentions of torture and actual torture, character death (not a main).
The forest was unnaturally quiet as Inuyasha and Kagome entered. The usual sounds of nature were missing and it was disturbing to Kagome's soul. Reaching out with her spiritual powers, Kagome was shocked to detect an unexpected presence. She grabbed Inuyasha's arm and began tugging him deeper in to the woods.
"Inuyasha! This way!"
The two moved quickly, Inuyasha also detecting the presence. Soon they stumbled into a clearing to find Chikako bound in chains. She had been badly beaten and was barely conscious.
As they approached her, Kagome was curious. "Why hasn't she healed? She is a strong demon."
Inuyasha leaned over the injured demon but did not touch her.
"She is bound in spiritual chains. A powerful miko or priest infused them. They are used to drain a demon's power and keep them under control." Inuyasha's face wrinkled in disgust. "It's torture."
Inuyasha felt rage and sorrow for Chikako. Even with their tumultuous past, he wouldn't have wished this fate on her. He knew she was aware of what would befall her because of her seer powers. There were things that could have been done to protect her but Chikako and her father, Isao never shared this moment with them. Inuyasha understood why they didn't often share their visions but times like this, he really hated the secrecy.
Kagome knelt beside the injured woman. "I can touch them, I'll get them off."
It took Kagome diffusing some of the spiritual energy before she could finally get the chains free. An audible sigh fell from Chikako's lips
"Thank you. Now leave me."
Inuyasha growled. "No fucking way!"
Chikako shook her head. "You have to. Yuji is using me as one of many diversions. He wants to separate you."
"We can both go to take you back to the compound." Kagome insisted.
"No, you must keep moving. I can feel the imprint of my father's wards. A few moments of rest and I'll be able to move on." Chikako replied
Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other both sharing the same thought. If what Chikako said was the truth, they needed to move on to deal with the threat would be sending their way.
Breaking the gaze, Inuyasha turned to Chikako. For a moment, she was reminded of the young, brash lord in training she had fallen on love with so desperately. Bowing her head, Chikako refused to let old memories stand in the way of their destiny. Recognizing this, Inuyasha slightly inclined his head in response.
"Very well. Be safe."
Grabbing Kagome's hand, they moved on deeper into the forest, Kagome giving on last glance at the abused demon they left behind.
"Do you think we did the right thing?" Kagome asked as they moved deeper into the forest, away from Chikako.
Inuyasha sighed. "She was right. If we had taken her back, we'd been vulnerable to any attack. My hands would have been full because she needed to be carried and it may have been too late to react to a threat."
"I just hate we left her behind. What if Yuji comes back before she is strong enough to move?"
Sesshomaru's words played back in Inuyasha's mind. Sacrifices would have to be made and they all needed to understand the risks.
"This is war, Kagome. Yuji will stop at nothing to kill us all. You need to be prepared to make a hard choice."
Kagome stopped in her tracks, her feet frozen by Inuyasha's words. "Hard choice?"
Inuyasha stopped walked and for a moment, Kagome wondered if he would turn to face her or keep his back to her. When he finally looked at her, she didn't recognize the cold hard mask that he now wore.
"Yuji wants me dead. He wants you broken and his puppet. I won't let that happen."
Anger flared in Kagome. "It is no longer just your decision! Whatever happens out here today will be because of all of us. You aren't in this alone."
With the bond between them wide open, they both could feel the conflict of emotions running through them. An unnatural quietness surrounded them as they stood in the cool woods. Inuyasha finally broke the silence.
"I won't live without you again."
Kagome rubbed his cheek, her eyes filled with sadness. "Don't say that."
Pulling her close, Inuyasha rubbed his face in her hair. "It's true. If something… I won't go on, not again. Not for all the promises Midoriko throws my way."
Before Kagome could reply, the sound of clapping filled the woods. Pulling apart, the duo pulled their swords and stood back to back, searching for the threat.
"How sweet!" Yuji's voice rang out. "It is so fitting to for you to declare undying love before your ultimate demise."
"Show yourself, you bastard!" Inuyasha yelled eager to face the man who had been tormenting them for so long now.
"Not now, hanyou, not now. I have other things to attend to first. Just so you know, I promised Kagome she would be there when I ripped out your beating heart. I would hate for you to die before you see her become mine."
Inuyasha's eyes changed immediately to red and Kagome could feel the pulse of his demonic energy as it threatened to take over.
"She is mine!" A deep growl ripped from Inuyasha's throat.
Yuji laughed again, his voice still calm. "For now. But soon, hanyou, I will have her and the last thing you'll see is me taking her, claiming her. She will be mine for eternity!"
ooOOoo
Sesshomaru and Dai moved through the unnaturally quiet forest. Their youkai senses were extended, sweeping through the woods but detecting nothing.
"Yuji has cloaked himself as well as his people." Dai noted.
Sesshomaru agreed. "So it would seem. As we get closer to his humans, we should be able to detect them."
The duo continued to move through the woods. Another ten minutes passed before Sesshomaru detected group of humans. Silently signaling Dai, they moved quickly but stealthily towards the group. Remaining hidden in a grove of trees, the evaluated the threat. There were six humans, none with spiritual powers or supernatural weapons. They were armed with modern guns and swords but neither demon could detect a magical signature on them.
With an unspoken signal, the two moved with practiced ease. Even though it had been centuries since they fought side by side, they quickly dispatched all of the humans, save one. Quickly binding him to a tree, Dai stood in the man's face while Sesshomaru remained in the background, willing, for the moment, to allow Dai to handle the situation.
"Where is Yuji?"
The captive spit at the tiger demon, missing but was rewarded with a backhanded slap for his efforts. The man spat the blood and loose teeth from his mouth.
"Do you think I'd tell you what my master has planned? Just know it will end with all of your deaths!"
Dai growled, the sound reverberating through the forest and causing the man to flinch and tremble.
"You do realize your 'master'", he said sarcastically. "Has left you here as bait. You do realize your life is forfeit as of this moment?"
The man gulped, looking around at his deceased companions, scattered about the ground like broken dolls.
"it doesn't matter. I won't tell you, there's nothing that you can say that would make me betray him."
Shaking his head, Dai walked away from the man, looking at Sesshomaru in frustration. Tiring of this hapless man, Sesshomaru moved forward, ignoring the man's blanching face. As the bound prisoner tried to move away from the cold demon, Sesshomaru grabbed his arm and jab his with his razor sharp claws. Ignoring the man's pained cries, Sesshomaru injected a small amount of his deadly poison into the man's arm, his pained cries turning into agonizing screams.
"You won't die…just yet. I've only injected enough to motivate your way of thinking."
Dai and Sesshomaru watched impassively as the man writhed in agony. It had been centuries since they had to resort to such methods and Sesshomaru knew that Inuyasha would not approve of using the "old ways" but Sesshomaru understood Yuji was heartless and he would use Inuyasha's heart against him. Someone had to be ruthless and Sesshomaru was more than willing to step up and take the position.
"Where is your master?" Dai asked again.
The man tried vainly to ignore the question but with the poison burning through his veins, he soon gave in. He detailed Yuji's plans and gave his general location. Exchanging glances, Dai and Sesshomaru moved to walk away. The man's pleas stopped them.
"I told you what you wanted! Where is your mercy?"
Sesshomaru turned to the man, his cold stare chilling the man to the bone. "My mercy ended when your 'master' stepped foot on my land with the intention of harming what is mine. My mercy will be to grant you a quick death. None of your other comrades or your master will know such mercy."
Before anyone still alive could blink or comment, Sesshomaru had unsheathed Bakusaiga and loped off the man's head. Without waiting for the head to hit the ground, Sesshomaru turned and walked away, leaving Dai to follow in his wake.