Subsequent Requiem- A Sesshomaru Romance
The days had turned into weeks which blended seamlessly into a month. I could not track down the elusive woman that was my wife. She had tore out of my house, left behind her daughter to plague the steps of a child stealing demon who surely had it out for any relation of blood I had. I swore violently that when I did find my errant wife, that I would make sure she learned just where her duty set was and it was far from gallivanting across Japan in rage. Even if her cause was just.
In the last three days I had managed to find Totosei in his volcanic cavern under the mountains and even given my need he refused my demand for a weapon which could enact my revenge. I would deal with him later when my concerns were not whole sale preoccupation. So now, looking down from the almost vertical cliff of the same mountain I pushed back the dredges of helplessness. Something I would not dine to entertain for much longer.
"Where are you Rem? Where in this desolate land do you seek your justice in blood?" The need to consult myself in open speech bespoke my dwindling metal health... or so it seemed.
"Do not fret my love... I will return to you and wound your broken morale..." Her voice rang clear as if she spoke next to me, but this was not her standing over my shoulder was I wished. It was mid speech.
"Where are you? Return at once Rem." She would heed my warning or pay the consequences for her failure to comply." A sweet chuckle crossed the air and I knew she was not listening.
"Cheer up darling. I am just carrying out my right as a woman and mother. I have located the little bastard demon and with Lore's help I doubt I will be longer than another week arriving home. Please return home to Jin... She misses you." I watched the clouds pass the darkening sky but didn't really see it at all.
"You have spoken with Jina?" She sighed.
"Of course. She is the one who told you I'd left, no? She is ever my child. I wouldn't have her think for a moment I'd forgotten of her. Nor would I you, Sesshomaru." The connection between us severed suddenly and a single word had broken through before if shattered completely.
"Naraku..." The air seemed to chill as if it were mid-winter and I dropped off the cliff's edge and shot towards the direction I thought Rem, Lore and now Naraku must be.
The small sounds in the background, muted only slightly by Rem's voice were the sounds of a particular night gale which lived in one area only. Its song was unmistakable and only sang in the short time between twilight and full darkness. Seeing as most the area there was mountainous much like here, meant the sun still shone where she was. This narrowed my search area down drastically.
"Do not engage him Rem." I hoped that through some fluke she could hear me as the ground disappeared behind me.
.
"You set your minions on me now? You steal my child and attack my family and home. Did you not think repercussions would come of such an act petty demon?" Naraku smiled as he pulled off the white baboon mask over his face.
"That would be most rude if I did not give him back then, wouldn't it?" Rem grinded her teeth and clenched her nails into her palm.
"You cannot return a child dead...And eye for an eye calls for your death little fiend." A young boy behind Naraku stepped forward and Lore hung back. She was no more apt to defend herself now then the baby Naraku had taken from her sister.
"Mother..." His voice was as sweet as Sesshomaru and his resemblance was as if Sesshomaru had been doubled. The shadows which had hidden him before seemed little less than false in the light of his charm.
"I am not your mother. Move else I will remove you, do not think to stand between me and your master." Naraku took in a lazy breath and put a hand on the youths shoulder.
"She would not know you... you were taken as a baby yet birthed... how would she understand." He turned his dark eyes to Rem and then to Lore. "You can see it can you not, Lorelei...? A little help and the child lived and grew... very fast. This child is in fact your child... Would you not greet him?" Lore gapped and drew next to her sister.
"Rem... the child's aura... his blood... everything is as your child was... Perhaps the demon speaks truth?" The boy stepped closer and Rem barred her teeth with a snarl.
"Very good. Truth be told, I needed an excuse to keep you from your Lord's brother... InuYasha. This diversion was all and well. I return your son to you now in hopes you will not intercede on my plans again?" Rem gripped the sword at her side and drew its length from its sheath.
"Lies... even spell bound a child barely conceived would not last... this is some evil work which I will not heed. Fight me or I will just cut you down. Either way I would be most content." She ignored the cry in her heart. That the child looked, smelled and even felt like hers...
The last rays of sunlight fell behind cloud and rock and song echoed softly from everywhere. Rem almost dropped her sword with the tune sung. In fact, now one knew this song save for herself and Jin. Perhaps Sesshomaru had listened, but she herself had sung this song to the growing babe that once she bore. Water welled in her eyes and fought the slightest thought that in truth this could be her son.
"Lore!" A light shone and struck from through the boy and pain crushed Rem in turn.
"That would be most unwise... You see, a mother has such a bond with her children until birthed... that connect is still set. A mother will feel her child's woe as the same visa versa. That is proof enough that he is your son, no?" Naraku moved in the shadows unchecked.
"Rem!"
"Mother!" Rage built and exploded... no talk would ease her craze driven need to kill. As she turned to fend off the attack of her so called 'son', Jin appeared from nowhere and defended the sword which would have run the boy through.
"I name you false." Rem gripped her daughter's collar and pulled her back and slung shot forward. "For that, I will destroy you, your master and his vile plots and schemes."
"Mother no!" Jin leapt again and pulled down on the leg of her fake brother, Rem narrowly missed a lethal blow and cursed.
"Jina, do not believe his lies! In fact, return home at once!" Jina stood in front of the boy shielding him from her own mother.
"Jina..." Lore pleaded from the side lines to no avail.
"Mother listen... you are not yourself. It is him... Changed... but it is him. Right, Kohaku?" Jina glance behind her and the boy smiled... a grin which Rem could never place on Sesshomaru, but looked so pure and sweet that she could almost believe in Jin's words.
"Yes, changed." The boy shook a moment and pulled a blade from his side. Rem had not seen if before.
"Jina look out! Run!"
"JINA!" Sesshomaru fell to the earth and the ground shook. Jin looked at her father with surprise before a pool of blood formed, staining her shirt.
Time stalled.
"Kohaku...why..." The boy stepped away and Sesshomaru tried to grab his daughter before she slumped backwards, but he found himself immobilized.
"I didn't... I moved without meaning to... it was not me!" His fear was almost palpable when from behind, Lore gasped. Naraku stood hold her, his miasma oozing in long trails along the crumpled grass and from behind Sesshomaru stood Kana. She had relieved him of Tenseiga. Sesshomaru made no move to stop her. Rem could tell just from looking that he was not in the right mind to break whatever spell she wove over him.
"All is well then... I have what I came for." Naraku gripped Lore tightly and she kicked and screamed in muffled tones.
"Stop!" Rem shot a dagger from her side, but Naraku sent it flying away with ease.
"All I needed was your sister... don't worry... if all goes my way she will be back in a short time and you can all go back to being a family. Son and all." The world was breaking... Rem could feel it under her feet.
"Rem!" Lore screamed as both she and Naraku faded into the miasma and disappeared.
"Mother..." Jin coughed blood and pulled her father's kimono which was equally stained with blood as the wounded. He had finally been released and taken Jina into his arms.
"Jina... please be silent... you will be fine..." Rem wept and held Jin's hand tightly.
"I'm not so sure... she has it... Father's sword..." Sesshomaru emitted a pained growl low in his throat as he felt the life energy from his beloved daughter fading. Without the sword, he could not revive her.
"Stay with her. I will bring back Tenseiga and set this right."
.
I left my daughter in her mother's hands as I tried with dying hope to at least retrieve my sword. I needed to save my child at all costs, but as the dark of night grew thicker no trace of Naraku or even of Lore drift in the air to find it.
"Sesshomaru..." The word broke the silence and all was still again. From the distance a single cry left the world a shadow of what it had been before.
Jina had passed... and from the place she had left Rem screamed her pains to the shadows. The internal pain from his wife he could feel. The cry seemed to go on forever and it bounded off mountains, reserved in pools and ponds and was remembered by earth and stone and sand.
Above the clouds where starlight shone tears and fell to earth like diamonds. Alone he would weep for the loss... alone he would share his beloved wife's pain and alone he would remain until he could face his wife and be able to bare the grief of both him and her.
