AN: Sess/Kag Week 2020!
Day: 5 (7/24)
Theme: Horror
Sub-theme: Disaster
#skw2020d5
Release
"Inuyasha!" A scream pierced the air, just as a sickly gray tentacle cut savagely across the clearing, intent on wounding the distracted hanyou as he battled a mass of gyrating, blood-thirsty demons.
The miko felt panic rising in her veins as she notched an arrow, the tip blazing purple with her ki, and shot it at the vile tentacle, piercing and disintegrating its flesh just before it reached her friend.
The sound of an explosion somewhere behind her was followed by the shockwave and she was thrown to the ground, her head smacking unforgivingly into the packed earth and her bow knocked from her hands. Groaning, she glanced blearily around the battlefield, shaking her head to stop the ringing in her ears.
Metal rang against metal, skull-fracturing screams and shouts split the air, and beneath it all was an unceasing roar that seemed to make the very earth tremble beneath her. All around, mindless demons writhed, awaiting their turn to take a chunk of flesh from an unsuspecting victim. The smell of blood and death assaulted her nose wrenching a gag from her throat and she had to swallow the bile that threatened to spill.
Rolling over, she pulled herself to hands and knees with a pained grunt and ignoring the feel of sticky warmth rolling down her scalp she searched for her friends through the madness encompassing her.
Across the field, Sango circled slowly, watching her brother's movements with a critical eye. Her opponent was dangerous, made even more so by the influence the spider hanyou held over him.
The slayer never noticed the poisonous wasps surrounding her.
Miroku, however, did. And, dropping his staff, he ran toward her without a second thought, exposing his wind tunnel.
"Watch out!" Someone screamed from within the mayhem.
Stand up, Kagome! The miko told herself firmly, gaining her bearings. Pulling herself to her feet, she glanced around for her bow and pitched toward it.
A violent crash sounded to her right, large chunks of dirt and rock exploding around her, and she flinched, covering her head. The ground shook forcefully beneath her feet and she stumbled again, falling to her knees, the impact jarring and she tasted blood.
An inhuman shriek pierced the air as Sesshomaru's great dragon plummeted to the ground, landing with a fresh blast of earth as it's massive body slid across the clearing, a large crevice cutting into the ground in its wake.
A vicious snarl and a flash caught her attention as the daiyoukai himself unleashed an attack from his Bakusaiga; Naraku his target. Jaken was close behind his lord, the faithful retainer covering him from behind; the staff sending blasts of fire at anything daring to come near enough.
Rising once more on trembling legs, Kagome stumbled the rest of the way to her bow, snatching it from the ground and looking around. A flash of red caught her eye and she glanced toward it. Kikyo was down on her knees, Kagura holding her by the hair in a painful looking grasp.
Another flash, this time white, caught Kagome's eye and once again she felt panic flood her veins.
"Kikyo, behind you!"
But it was too late. Kanna snuck up successfully, holding her soul-stealing mirror to reflect Kikyo as she struggled. And then suddenly, she went still before falling limply to the ground as Kagura released her.
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha yelled in anguish.
And, as if to add insult to injury, the wind witch sent a blast of blades toward the clay miko, shattering her body irreparably.
"No! Kikyo!"
And with those two words, Inuyasha's fate was sealed.
"Inuyasha, no!" Kagome screamed, stumbling toward him as he ran to where Kikyo lay broken.
In his anguish, he'd forgotten his surroundings, and before he could do more than kneel beside his shattered lover, his soul was being sucked into Kanna's demonic mirror.
"Inuyasha," she whispered, wide-eyed.
Gripping her bow tightly, she did the only thing she could do. She notched, aimed and released, her vibrant arrow blazing across the field toward her target – a little girl with an innocent looking mirror.
Hit the mark, she prayed and closed her eyes.
A blast reverberated around the clearing, splashing everything with a wave of shimmering purple. Kagome shielded her face with her arms, turning away from the blinding violet light. A scream pierced the air and finally Kagome dared to look at the destruction she'd just caused, praying she hadn't hurt anyone she cared for.
"Enough!" An angry voice roared, drawing Kagome's eyes. "You lose, priestess! Use reiki again and your precious kit dies."
The blood drained from her face as she took in the horror before her.
Kikyo was dead, a broken shell scattered across the blood soaked ground. Kagura lay wounded, blood spilling quickly from a large hole across her abdomen and in her arms was a lifeless Kanna, her body burned beyond recognition. Her mirror lay shattered in the grass.
Kohaku was face down in a crimson pool, Ah-Un's breathing was shallow at best, their wounds grisly and likely killing them. Miroku was motionless but appeared to be breathing and Sango was crumpled over his body protectively, wounded and dazed.
And Inuyasha, her brave warrior, was laying unconscious beside his shattered lover.
Glancing back at Naraku, Kagome's bottom lip trembled as the spider held Shippo high off the ground by his throat, Rin clutched tightly within a tentacle.
The Shikon Jewel glittered darkly in his free hand and he laughed menacingly as he saw realization in Kagome's eyes.
They'd lost.
After everything they'd faced, all they'd accomplished, all they'd lost…they were losing yet again.
"Priestess."
His voice reached her across the eerily quiet clearing and with burning eyes she looked at Sesshomaru, the only other being left standing on her side.
"We are all that's left. Will you give in as the rest have?"
"Ah-ah-ah. Try anything and the kit pays the price," Naraku promised with glee.
"I can't," Kagome cried, her voice trembling. "If I do, he'll hurt Shippo. He'll hurt Rin!"
"I'm aware of the consequences, miko," the daiyoukai said, his eyes never wavering from his ward, held tightly in Naraku's clutches.
"You'd risk their lives?" She asked incredulously, her eyes shifting from Shippo to the daiyoukai and back again.
"Some things cannot be avoided," he said almost angrily. "Sacrifices must be made for the greater good."
"Will you risk your sweet, innocent Shippo?" Naraku mocked, laughing as he tightened his grip around the child's throat.
The fox struggled, his tiny claws digging into Naraku's hand. Black blood dripped to the ground, sizzling as it landed.
"Enough, miko! The time is now! Act or get out of my way!" Sesshomaru yelled, his voice rising in a way she'd never heard.
He was angry. Beyond angry, he was livid. Seeing red as his eyes bled with the crimson color. Dropping his sword, his body began its transformation. His roar rang through the clearing with malicious intent, red eyes set on Naraku.
And she knew. In that moment, she knew. She stood no chance against Naraku as she was now. Sesshomaru was right. She had to act.
If there was a chance that she could save Shippo, it wouldn't be by giving Naraku what he wanted.
"I'm sorry, Shippo," she whispered raggedly before taking a deep breath to clear her head and closed her eyes.
A bead of moisture slipped down her face, blood or tears, she couldn't say. Likely both.
She knew what she had to do. Tsubaki's face was in sharp contrast in her mind. Kagome could still save them. She still had a chance.
She just…had to…let go.
No more running. No more losing. She wouldn't spend another moment in fear of the wannabe threatening her loved ones.
She would end him.
She would end him.
She would end him!
Brilliant blue eyes opened as a scream tore from her throat, a searing pain winding through her chest and tightening around her heart. Clutching her chest, she fell to her knees, unaware of the massive silver youkai placing himself between her and the vile hanyou.
Another roar echoed around them before Sesshomaru launched himself at Naraku, jaws opened wide. Glowing, green acid sprayed around them as he bit into Naraku's midsection and the spider growled in pain, flinging Rin and Shippo's limp bodies away in opposite directions.
Shoving the jewel deep into his wound, Naraku knit himself back together, taunting Sesshomaru as he did so.
"You're a bigger fool than I thought you were, Lord of the West. Or is it that your brain got smaller even as your body grew? You are a dog, after all," he laughed. "Not the smartest creatures, certainly."
An angry, guttural growl vibrated the ground beneath Kagome's feet. Fire burned through her veins in a painful transition. As she allowed herself to shed her human inhibitions, she felt immense power filling the space. But, with power came pain, and Kagome choked on her own breath.
I can do this, she told herself like a mantra. I can do this.
Breaking into a sweat, she growled and pushed past the pain, taking a deep breath and pushing herself to her feet.
For Shippo, Inuyasha. Miroku and Sango. Kohaku. Rin.
Closing her eyes, she swayed. Swallowed. Inhaled deeply.
And released.
In front of her, the fighting continued, growls, roars, howls and grunts. The sound of tearing flesh and the constant spraying of blood. Naraku's voice taunting Sesshomaru as he knit his ruined flesh back together again and again.
The silver beast began to pant as he grew tired. Even the great lord could only fight for so long before his body became weary.
That was fine. Kagome would take it from there.
With acceptance, she registered the swell of power rise up around her as she called upon it to aid her. It wasn't missed by Sesshomaru, nor did it pass by Naraku unnoticed. Not that it mattered much to the priestess.
"Naraku," Kagome said, her tone bored as she dug in her pocket for the stick of gum she could've sworn was in there. "Wait a minute. I know it's here…"
Switching to her other pocket she smiled as her fingers brushed the tinfoil wrapping.
"Ah ha."
Shoving the minty gum in her mouth she chewed for a moment, both man and beast eyeing her.
"Is this a joke, priestess?" Naraku demanded.
"Oh, right! Naraku," she said, looking up at him as he hovered in the air on several tentacles. Cracking her nuckles, she smirked. "You should really choose your enemies better. Unfortunately, you won't have a chance to."
With a degree of calm, she summoned her reiki to the surface of her skin, allowed it to quickly collect in her palm and blew it toward him with the breath from her lungs.
His tentacles shriveled as violet light dusted over them, turning them to dust beneath him and he fell from the sky unable to reform the sickly appendages.
"What are you waiting for?" She asked the daiyoukai lazily. "Attack."
Sesshomaru growled but took the opportunity to bite the head from Naraku's shoulders as Kagome sauntered over. With a touch of her hand, his body began to wither, flaking away as his tentacles did before. His scream disappeared with the wind.
The jewel rolled across the ground to Kagome's feet and she reached down to pick it up. The dark trinket fluctuated between black and bright pink as if it couldn't make a definitive choice.
"Well…that was anticlimactic," she said with a glance at Sesshomaru who was transforming back to his smaller form.
"What did you do?" He drawled, watching her closely.
"What was necessary," she shrugged. "Sacrifices had to be made, right?"
With a wink she walked over to the bush she'd stashed her things in and lifted them to her shoulder.
"Anyway, later," she called over her shoulder, pocketing the jewel and walking away.
"Priestess, what of your kit?"
Glancing over at Shippo's still form, she waited just long enough to see a sign of life before continuing on.
"He'll live."
"And the jewel?"
"Are you stalling for time, Sesshomaru?" She asked, looking at him over her shoulder.
Glancing at his brother, still unconscious, he shrugged a shoulder.
"Perhaps."
"Grown a conscience, have you?" She asked, turning back to face him. "Worried about me?" She mocked. "This was your idea, wasn't it?"
Kagome looked around the clearing. The gouged, blood-soaked earth. Death and dying.
So much loss over a silly little trinket, Kagome thought, her fingers curling around the jewel in her pocket.
"It was," Sesshomaru agreed slowly. "Though, I hadn't considered something quite so…drastic."
"You know what they say: desperate times, desperate measures."
"Were you so desperate?"
"Weren't you?"
She held his eyes seriously, seeing the truth there. He was just as concerned as she'd been.
"You should go check on Rin," she suggested after a moment of quiet. "And that retainer of yours seems to have gone missing."
Where did Jaken end up? She wondered as she turned to walk away once more.
"Kagome," Sesshomaru called again.
Pausing, her brows pulled together in slight irritation before she turned around.
"Yes?"
"Your job here is not finished."
Lifting a brow, she waited for him to continue.
"Look around you, priestess. There are wounded to heal. You have the power to do so."
"Just because I have the power, doesn't mean I have to use it."
"No," he agreed, catching her eye and holding it to get his meaning across. "But you have come a long way and worked hard for what you've achieved today. Do not do yourself a disservice by walking away from those you care for without ensuring their health and safety."
Glancing around the clearing once more, she puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
"Fine," she huffed, dropping her backpack at her feet. "I'll heal them."
Fixing her attention on a point in the distance, she called upon her reiki, feeling it tingle against her skin as it built up. Feeling like a fully charged battery, she released her breath, allowing her reiki to coat everyone in the clearing, wrapping them in her healing power.
It was the strangest sensation. The feeling of bones mending, gashes closing, blood restoring. As if she could feel every wound she healed.
Too soon, it was over, and Kagome withdrew her reiki, pulling it back within her petite body. Groans of those awakening from near death floated around the clearing.
"There. Happy now?" She asked as she picked up her backpack, threw it casually over her shoulder, and began to walk away.
Sesshomaru looked at her. Really looked at her. Watching as she walked away from them. Away from him.
"I'd be happier if you remained here," he admitted quietly.
But she didn't hear him. And she didn't stop.
And she didn't remain.
xRx
Thirty days and nights passed.
On the thirty-first day, Sesshomaru scented something sweet on the air. Following his nose, his eyes fell on the female he'd desired for some time now.
Remaining in the shadows of the trees, he watched her as she walked, leisurely, down a worn path in the forest. She was coming toward him, her nose in a book.
Stepping deeper into the shadows, he waited for her to pass.
But she didn't.
Stopping on the path, in front of where he hid himself, she tilted her head and glanced in his direction.
"Sesshomaru," she prompted, her voice smooth. "Why are you hiding in there?"
The smirk on her lips drew his eyes and he stepped forward, his cover blown.
"Kagome."
Her smirk grew into a smile and she made space for him on the narrow game-trail.
"Long time, no see."
"It hasn't been that long."
"Not long enough?" She joked.
Perhaps too long, he thought.
"Where's your posse?" She asked, glancing into the thick forest. "Are they hiding as well?"
"I was not hiding, priestess."
"Weren't you?" She asked, her eyes sharpening on him. Closing her book, she stepped closer to him. "Are you afraid, Sesshomaru?"
Her voice dropped to a near-whisper and his eyes fell to her lips.
"Afraid?" He asked, his voice soft. "What would I have to be afraid of?"
She smirked again, stepping closer. Her fingers reached, brushing her hand down his silk-covered arm.
"Emotions," she said, her eyes following her hand before snapping back to his. "Desires."
"What is it you think I desire?"
"That's obvious, Sesshomaru," she said, sultry. "Your eyes are very expressive."
"You're the only one who thinks so."
Graceful fingers brushed across his chest, hooked over the top of his armor and yanked. He allowed her to pull him toward her.
"You want me."
His eyes flashed as she held him captive.
"Admit it," she demanded softly, her eyes falling to his mouth as he opened it to speak.
"I'm inclined to believe you aren't opposed to such a thing."
Delighted laughter spilled from pink lips.
"Why would I be?"
He could think of a number of reason that she'd be opposed to such a union, but if she saw no issues, he certainly wasn't going to bring them to her attention.
Lifting his hand cautiously, he grazed his fingers down her cheek to her neck and over her shoulder.
"I admit it," he said. "I want you."
Her triumphant smile was breathtaking.
"So, what are you waiting for?"
AN: Gah, what a disaster...oh, the horror.
Kagome, you're kind of being a bitch right now...smh.
