Hey all!
Just wanna send a quick shout-out to my PM buddy WolfWitchHuntress1318 for helping me craft and edit this chapter. Your contributions for the descriptive and more fluffy scenes were a huge help :)
Read on, live on :D
Chapter 138: Conquering & Embracing Personal Demons
Continuing from last we left off, while Coraline was being assaulted by Akago the Demon Infant within the mansion of Lady Okugata, the battle out in the courtyard rages on as Inuyasha and company work to try and dispatch the guards and servants.
Miroku knocks one staff-wielder down by punting the end of his own in their torso, throwing them to the ground...
"Why you...!"
Another guard retaliates by trying to bring his blade down against Sango, who blocks with her Hiraikotsu before disarming him and two more with her wrist blade.
(Ka-tang)
"Uh!"
The swords land to embed the dirt, but hardly deter the rest of the mansion workers who crowd around the slayer and monk. The latter comments,
"Fighting off these men without actually killing them, is proving to be very difficult..."
"No kidding; it's easier to fight off demons..."
One guard lunges forward to attack.
"Now die!"
"Back off!"
(Clang)
But Besa suddenly jumps in to block the katana with his own two sickles in a cross position, much to Sango's surprise.
"Besa...!"
He flashes a smile of reassurance at her, before focusing a glare onto the assailant.
"Can't you see that you and your men are the ones in the wrong here?! If you wanna save yourself some grief, just tell us where my sister is and be done with it!"
"Silence, foreigner!"
Freeman, who had just whacked down another guard with a neutral jab from his long hammer, turns around to see his brother struggling with his current opponent.
"Oh for the love of..."
He runs over, using his weapon like a jousting lance.
"Yaaaa-aah!"
(Whap)
"Gauh!"
The swordsman is thrown backwards, crashing against another guard and two servants...The espresso-complexioned twins turn to stare at one another, and the one with regular coarse black hair says to the one with cornrows,
"Dude, I'm pretty sure these guys aren't gonna be listening to a peaceful solution anytime soon."
"Haah, so I'm noticing, but it doesn't hurt to try..."
Looking around and spotting Shippo being backed to a wall with the full-grown Kilala beside him, while Inuyasha becomes surrounded by another group of guards closer to the front door of the mansion, Miroku thinks to himself,
This isn't good. At this rate, we'll never rescue Coraline.
Sango also grew worried for their missing group member and good friend.
Coraline, please be safe...
And as for the dog demon, he was becoming increasingly frustrated by the ongoing resistance blocking his way in searching for his newly-turned human mate.
"Rrrrr, will you lot just stay down already?!"
He thrusts a few more punches, taking three more down...
Rgh, if these guys were demons, this would've been done with one quick Wind Scar.
...But even I know when to draw the line on destruction. Still, how the heck are these guys even carrying on?
"(...Sniff) Hm!"
That's when his nose picks up on a familiar dangerous scent, and he turns to the screen door to spot the silhouette of a certain wind sorceress.
Uh! Grrr, I knew it...Kagura...
He's forced to stop staring when a guard's sword comes crazy close to swiping his face, and he dodges before kicking them down...Meanwhile, said incarnation watches the group carry on while muttering to herself,
"Tuh, so they're all still alive, and it seems they're refusing to kill the castle soldiers, even Inuyasha...Heh, as usual, they're far too principled."
Though perhaps not for long now that the dog knows I'm here...
She turns away to walk back to Lady Okugata's quarters, where the captive redhead kneels with a firm but slightly shaky grasp on Akago. He says to Kagura,
"But soon, they'll want to kill the soldiers. After all, the soldiers are quite intent on killing them...The malice of the soldiers is quite contagious, and soon the humans, those two demons and that half-breed will kill eachother."
The human heart is weak. Hatred is bred easily...This girl is no excepti-
"S...St-op."
"Hm?"
The fair-haired demon child's thoughts are cut short when his ears pick up on a ragged and rough-toned whisper, and he looks up, finally noticing what his power was doing to the captive redhead. The dark arctic ice blue glow in her eyes was flickering more feverishly, like an electrical lamp during a wind storm, her breath coming out in hisses each time she felt her muscles tighten and throb, the dark power of the Naraku Incarnation vibrating against her like sharp stones across calm waters.
"Re...Release, m-my s-s-soul. Stop, gras-ping it, y-you little, leech! Agh!"
(Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump...)
Her Aura Energy works to try and counterattack Akago's strength, which consequently causes more pain for the recipient...as well as some more equally hurtful flashes of some otherwise unpleasant memories.
(Flash)
The final blow she delivers to the rabid wolf pack leader back in France...
(Flash)
Her bloodied form mindlessly firing the handgun every which way, walking forward past the roaring flames of the slaughtered village in India...
(Flash)
Shaking hands with a certain antagonistic ally whose arm was pitch black and thin as a tree branch, she crying out loudly over his chortle while their covenant symbol burns into her skin...
(Flash)
A violent shiver passes through Coraline, she letting out a soft cry and a series of whimpers, the glow in her eyes spreading to ring around her body. Both demon incarnations watch with a new wariness in their expressions, Akago humming to himself,
Interesting...Her darkness is much stronger than I would have guessed for a human.
...She strives for justice against evil, yet has committed quite a number of sins herself.
"What's going on? Why is she still conscious?"
Breathing out a laugh, he replies to the confused Kagura,
"Merely an, unexpected development, something I should have taken into consideration with her powerful soul...which very well makes her more prone to my manipulation."
The wind sorceress looks the human female's tensing form up and down, before muttering with narrowed eyes,
"If you say so..."
Yet something tells me it may not be that simple...
Now, while the youthful demon was assured by such presumptions, those he accused of being controlled by Hatred were not feeling that call to taking drastic measures so they could save their single member...Well, not yet.
(Twok-twok)
A few arrows are released to go flying against Miroku and Sango, the latter using Hiraikotsu as a shield to block the ammunition. They bounce off the demon bone-enforced giant boomerang and clatter to the ground like they were nothing more than broken branches...But, the guards and servants just ready to fire more.
"Get it together, men! Kill them!"
Meanwhile, the Brownlee twins had shifted gears to try and make their way over to the young fox demon and twin-tail cat demon, the former pair caught in a simultaneous deadlock against a swordsman and staff wielder. Grunting as they shove back against the mansion warriors, Freeman and Besa call to their friends trapped by four more guards near the wall,
"R-Rh, hang in there, Shippo, Kilala!"
"We're comin' to help you!"
The young boy with bright green irises and orange-red hair nods with a nervous expression, thinking to himself as he feels his fellow demon friend rumble a defensive growl,
Oooh, man, this is getting out of hand...!
Another minute or so passes before the young monk dressed in purple begins to consider possibly throwing his personal morals out the door if he wants his friends to escape this place with their lives.
"I'm sorry, Sango."
"Hm?"
"If I were to use my Wind Tunnel, we could probably stay alive...but..."
The demon slayer with long brown hair and matching irises nods slightly, understanding the conflict.
"If it means killing all these men, then I can't do that either...However, Miroku..."
The leading castle guard calls another offensive order.
"Shoot them!"
(Twok-twok-twok)
Another row of arrows fly, and Sango cuts two down with her curved wrist blade while blocking a few more with Hiraikotsu. She finishes her sentence with reservation, her worries for the absent redhead winning over her reluctance of doing harm to humans in the wrong though not of their volition.
"It's our duty as her friends to rescue Coraline!"
Forming a minuscule smirk of his own, Miroku replies,
"Absolutely, so there's now way I'm about to give up trying!"
"...If that's the case, then I'm definitely through messin' around!"
"Huh?"
The monk and slayer pair glance over behind them closer to the front door of the mansion, just as Inuyasha pulls out a battle-ready Tessaiga from its sheath, the anger in his amber irises rising to full capacity.
"I know I saw her, that bitch Kagura, inside where Coraline was taken. Naraku's behind this bullcrap, and I'm not about to let these naïve humans stand in my way a second longer!"
He pivots his head to the directional point the twins, Shippo and Kilala were standing.
"Freeman! Use your hammer and shake these clowns off their feet!"
Swinging out said long-appendaged weapon to stop in an offensive angle in both hands, the young male with espresso skin calls back,
"I'll do you one better, man! I'll knock 'em all out in one shot!"
I was hoping for a little more practice, but, then again, best way to know if something works is to just do it.
...Besides...Cora needs us...
Drawing in a sharp breath, Freeman silently calls upon the power of his Seven Light crystal piece, that familiar transparent rainbow sheen rippling over his body and traveling to envelop the head of his weapon...
"Anvil Wave!"
The long hammer is swung downward, the head hitting the hard-packed dirt with an almighty, ground-shaking smash...But instead of the usual path of soil shooting out of the ground and creating a small chasm, this attack sends an electrical-like wave of the Seven Light's power, traveling in several separate currents to attack all the guards and servants like vicious snakes, the energy coiling around their bodies before they're hit with a moderately-strong shock!
(Bzzzzzzt)
"Gaaaauuuh!" "Aaaaaa-uuuuuh!" "Jauuuuuuh!"
"Caaaaaaauuuuu!" "Waaaauuuugh!"
...
They all fall to the ground in dead-like limps, the sound of their pained moans filling the air, while the deliverer of the attack pants heavily with a new coat of sweat forming on his body.
"Hah...hah...hah..."
His friends and brothers could only stare at him in awe from the sudden release of raw strength coupled with spiritual power, before Besa breaks the silence by walking up to the former to say,
"...Brother...that was incredible. How did you do that?...Freeman?"
A soft groan emits from the addressed, before the long hammer drops from his hands as he fell to his knees, prompting a worried exclaim from Shippo.
"Oh no, Freeman!"
Besa hurries to his own knees to catch his brother before he completely drops to the ground, and Sango asks tentatively,
"Is he...?"
Feeling the other's forehead with the back of his hand, the young man with cornrow black hair breathes out a sigh of relief before calling back with a half-smile,
"It's okay! He's alright!"
He must have used too much energy to pull that one off...Oh, bro...
He then locks his stare with the dog demon over yonder and adds,
"Inuyasha, now's the time: get Cora outta there!"
"On it!"
Speeding to the front door, Inuyasha throws back the screen flap as he leaps inside, following the familiar scent of the wind sorceress down the inner halls.
Kagura went this way...and I'm getting traces of Coraline's too.
...
Unfortunately, by the time he reaches the quarters of Lady Okugata, the evil incarnation pair and their hostage were gone, leaving behind the corpse of said mistress of the mansion along with that of the dead body of the elder priest...Inuyasha recognizes the latter figure right away.
That's the priest who told us that Kikyō was alive...Tch, thank kami I didn't fall for that trick...
...But then where is she? Where's Coraline?!
"Coraline!...Coraline!"
Hearing no response and smelling a new scent trail heading out of the mansion, the dog demon curses,
"Dammit! I'm just a bit too late."
He runs outside to meet with the others and quickly plan their next move...while at the same time, Kagura, Akago and Coraline were flying away from the area aboard the wind sorceress's giant feather transport...
Eventually, the strange trio arrive at a temple long since abandoned by the original caretakers...where another Naraku incarnation was awaiting them by the large, fragmented Buddha statue.
"...Hey there."
The Demon of the Void pivots her head to the sound of her sister's voice, watching the small party make their way towards her.
"If it isn't Kanna."
Turning to fully face Kagura, the demon girl with the emotional face presents a Shikon-no-Tama shard glowing a poisonous black.
"Mm? A Shikon-no-Tama shard?"
Akago speaks up from his place in the hold of Coraline, whose struggling had subsided temporarily but still carries a wary glow around her body.
"I want you to implant that tainted Shikon-no-Tama shard into Coraline. Once it is in, she will be completely under our control...My mission here is almost done. Implant the shard and I shall go into hiding."
Humming with a mild interest, the demon woman with red irises and short, banged black hair picks up the shard from Kanna's hands and muses,
"With this, Coraline will become Naraku's slave, you say?"
Stepping forth so she was directly in front of the redhead on the stand, Kagura reaches to tilt the other's chin up, wincing slightly from the buzz of soul energy that shocks her fingertips.
Such raw power...But still, if this does succeed...
"She will share the same fate as Kohaku."
The glow that enveloped the whole of Coraline's eyes seemed to sharpen a little upon hearing that familiar name.
Ko-ha-ku...?...Wait...
Previously clouded in a bright blur, her Aura Sight focuses back in just a few heartbeats, picking up on the dark aura of the Wind Sorceress...as well as the corrupted jewel shard.
That, darkness...A jewel shard...Kagura...
Does she, intend to put that shard in me?
...No. No, not again!
"N-No-t, a-again...Not, s-same trick, as, T-Tsubaki...!"
Kagura gasps slightly upon hearing the girl talk.
What? How?
Coraline hardly called it a victory however, cursing her limited speech.
Dammit, I can't even speak properly!...Akago.
She turns her gaze downward, narrowing her glowing eyes as best she could under the pressures of the Demon Infant.
He still has a grasp on my soul...Damn him.
Her next haggard whisper slips through her lips in a hiss.
"L-Let, go, y-you leech...!"
Akago orders the other demon incarnation to halt her actions.
"Kagura, hold on."
"Hm?...So you heard her as well?"
"Yes. She's a stubborn one...She's regained her fight once more."
(Ba-bump...ba-bump...)
That power throb starts up again, starting out steady but gradually becoming more violent as the one emitting the phenomenon tries to fight off the invading energies.
"Hr-rh!...I-Inu-yasha...!"
Inuyasha...Inuyasha, please find me!
Akago switches tactics to try and quell the redhead's resistance, preying on an old insecurity she previously kept bottled within the depths of her mind.
"It's useless. You must know by now that he won't be coming to save you...And why would he?...Why would Inuyasha come for someone more demonic than a demon?"
That certainly struck a chord in the young woman, feeling her heart skip a beat, and the energy throb stops dead, settling as a frozen blue glow.
...I'm, more demonic...than a demon...?
Inuyasha's POV
Once I informed the rest of my pack what I discovered inside the mansion, I hurried on ahead into the forest away from the place, following the scents of that damned incarnation...and my mate.
Dammit...I should've acted faster!
Just recalling her scared face as she was taken away by that leading guard was enough to make my heart clench, and I grind my teeth together as I think further on the situation at hand.
...If I don't hurry...this could end like...
My stomach churns as I try imagining what that bastard Naraku must have done to, kill Kikyō...How she likely plummeted to her doom off the side of the crevice to the river of miasma below...The dark illusion twists so that Coraline was in her place, a soft cry of my name emitting in her voice...It took everything in me to keep from screaming in protest like a madman.
No!...No...Losing Kikyō, was hard...but I wasn't the only one hurting. Coraline was too.
...We needed eachother, so we could move through the bulk of the grief.
(Flash)
"...You won't lose me. You won't, b-because, I don't wanna lose you. (Sniff) I...I love you too much to let you go, Inuyasha. So much...!"
"I love you too, Coraline, and I refuse to let anyone or anything take you away from me...The road may get harder from here, but when has that ever stopped either of us?...No matter what life may throw at us, at the end of the day, you belong with me, and I belong with you...We have eachother's hearts, (small smirk) and I for one, don't plan on giving yours back."
"Ehehehe, I should hope so...because I'm keeping your heart forever."
"Good to hear."
(Flash)
I'll be the first to admit, I didn't expect the rest of that night to get, so heated...But, I don't regret it at all. We're now at a level of commitment that can't be undone by anyone...She's my lover for all eternity...and I'll be damned if I allow anything to try and stop that.
My friend from over fifty years past may be gone...but my girl, my mate, is still here.
...I can feel it: I just know she's fighting, waiting for me.
"Wait for me, Coraline! I'm coming!...Don't you die on me!"
Coraline's POV
Out of all the accusations I have been dealt by the enemy or simply by negative people...what Akago just said now...
Me, more demonic than a demon?...Could, that be true?
He senses my resistance has frozen, and proceeds to guide me on the matter with a persuasive tone, the kind that reminded me of Naraku to an almost perfect T.
"Tell me, Coraline, when you learned that Kikyō was dead...weren't you actually quite pleased?"
A short gasp escapes my lips, and I barely manage to ask in a choppy whisper,
"W-What...do, you mean?"
"The woman who came between you and him is gone...and the soul that has caused yours nothing but torture will no longer plague you...Is that not the reason why you sought that deal with the demon with unspeakable powers?"
...He's talking about...
(Flash)
I remember the aftermath of making that Faustian Covenant with, him, and how I thought to myself while staring at the symbol on my wrist,
"This is more than likely gonna bite me in the ass later on. He sounds both sane and insane...Even so...I don't regret my move."
And who knows? Maybe there is a selfish part of me doing this to eliminate the reincarnation title on my back, but I'm not making a big deal about it anymore like I was in the beginning of this whole adventure...I know I'm not that petty...
(Flash)
...But...what if I was more petty than I told myself back then?
Akago takes advantage of the doubt starting to creep its way into my spirit.
"You see it now, don't you? Your hatred towards having to fill Kikyō's role had never left you. It merely quieted down...making room for the guilt that would come later...You may claim to have done what you did to protect Inuyasha and save the priestess...but you still committed quite the betrayal, did you not?"
Betrayal...Yes. I betrayed my friends...I betrayed my lover, just to get rid of a presence I never wanted in my body.
...And worse still...I've, betrayed myself, my very being, more times than I care to mention.
"Yes, now you understand: someone like you with such instability is not worthy for the side of good...You are a monster that has been trying to be like those foolish humans for too long."
I feel Akago's head snuggle close to my chest again.
"Now come. Fill your heart with bitterness once more..."
...Fill it, with bitterness...?...Ha. Hehaha.
Something about the way he conveyed it, like I was already under his command...It struck me as if it were the most hilarious thing I've heard in a long while. A chuckle began to bubble in my throat, coupled with an emerging smile that, dwells on insane, surprising and confusing Kagura and Akago.
"Huh?" "Why are you-How-?"
"...Has Naraku really lost that much of his intelligence, or is it just you, Akago?"
My upturn of mouth curves into more of a sneer as I continue my train of thought, blind and deaf to the new pulse in my veins and darkening of the ethereal blue, until it felt I was sinking deep into an underwater cave where light could not brighten the liquid.
"You tell me, to fill my heart with emotions like hatred and malice, as if I've fallen under your hold already...You truly are the most foolish of all his incarnations."
I feel him stiffen in my hold, the anger in his aura increasing from my insult.
"Excuse me?"
"Naraku, through help from the Dark Priestess Tsubaki, tried to take control of me once before...He failed, his voice expelled by my soul...This time is hardly any different."
A bit of sadness creeps into me as I lament,
"I'm willing to admit, what you say about me...what I've done, is nothing I can deny. I've made some terrible decisions over the years, a few quite recently, just to save my own skin...And the guilt, the self-hatred, will likely never leave me...Human though I am, I'm also a monster...However."
That deep sea blue energy begins to spark and crackle around my body, making Kagura back a step or two.
"Uh!"
The next words that leave my lips were more malicious and dangerous-toned.
"I'm not a monster that's easily controlled, by anyone, least of all a demonic brat who presumes as arrogantly as his master. You believe a darkness like mine should be on your side? Ha! My darkness..."
My pupils appear over the shadowed deep sea blue.
"My darkness plays on no one's side but my own!"
...
All I can fully recall after that, was this feeling of pure chaos.
(POW)
Inuyasha's POV
I had just reached the next edge of the forest, opening towards an old temple that hasn't seen any caretakers for kami who knows how long...when suddenly, a huge rumble courses through the ground under my feet, following a blast of power that came smashing through the sliding doors of the place!...I skid to a halt, watching as that same energy began to surround the temple with streams of lightning-like sparks.
"Huh?"
What's going on?...Wait...that light...I know that light!
"Coraline's soul!"
Now convinced the situation's turned for the worst, I snap into a run faster than before, leaping in through the demolished doorway...only to find myself staring at one of the more crazier scenes I've ever paid witness to.
"Uh!...Coraline...?"
The room permeates with a dangerous energy, the kind you'd almost expect from a wild predator. Over by the ruined religious statues were Kanna, Kagura, and some third smaller figure that's more than likely another incarnation, the second holding them in a bend while gritting her teeth from what must've been a hard impact...
Meanwhile...my mate stands dead center, her body completely enveloped in a blue light much darker than I've ever seen before, radiating off of her in waves that rippled across the floor and hung heavy in the air...Her expression is set in a glare, eyes glowing with the same dark blue light surrounding her, teeth bared...but there was a lot more than rage written in her face...And the beads of sweat, the creases in her forehead, the whimpers between her snarls...she was scared, in pain.
What the hell happened here...?
"Now I see, why Naraku hates that girl so much."
I snap my focus to Kagura as she makes that comment, feeling my anger settle side-by-side with my worry for my mate.
"Why you...What did you do to Coraline?!"
The puny thing that reeks of Naraku's familiar scent spoke next, having no remorse whatsoever.
"Ha. I just rummaged around in her soul a bit...I was quite surprised to see such a deep twist between her light and darkness, not something you normally see in a human...And what impressed me more was how strong the darker parts of her are. Such a deadly nature within a simple-looking girl, a true monster in disguise."
Narrowing its pupiless eyes, they add,
"A shame she's decided to go rogue. Had my persuasion worked, her soul may not be currently struggling to avoid destroying itself."
Destroying itself?...Coraline...
Stealing a glance at my girl as she lets out a few strangled yelps and cringes, I then growl and lock my glare back on the one responsible for triggering this new problem in my mate.
"Bastard! Just what the hell are you?!"
"...Inuyasha!"
The rest of my pack arrives...but as Kilala lands with the twins jumping behind her, I quickly gesture an arm out to halt them from getting too close.
"Stop! Don't come in here!"
"Huh? Why? What's wro-Uh!...Coraline..."
They all form shared expressions of shock and worry when they see the state of my mate, and Shippo exclaims,
"Wh-What's going on?! What's happening to Coraline?!"
"If I could tell you, I would, kid, (points forward) but what I do know is that they were harassing her soul!"
Miroku would put the names to the more familiar demon incarnations in the room, careful to not step too close to the doorway or risk getting hit by the sparks of Coraline's energy.
"Kagura! Kanna!"
"What? You're still alive?"
Freeman moves to the monk's side and retorts edgily to the wind sorceress,
"Hell yeah we are, and you were stupid to think we'd be defeated by some dumb mansion guards and servants!"
The small demon in Kagura's arms spoke next.
"Monk, demon slayer, and warrior twins...Tell me: how many of the soldiers did you and the rest kill?"
Huh? What the hell's that got to do with anything?
"Hate to disappoint you, but we don't kill needlessly."
Besa nods in agreement with Miroku.
"Unlike your master, we know how to draw the line in battle."
"Now, tell us...are you Naraku's human heart?"
Uh!...Naraku's human heart?
A flash of surprise seemed to pass over the infant's face before he asks,
"Why would you think that?"
"We know that Naraku hid himself at Mount Hakurei, in order to create a more powerful body...But also, he wanted to cast away his human heart. Naraku told us that he cut away his human heart, the one that continued to yearn for Kikyō. That way, he could slay her."
...That's right. The lowlife Onigumo's heart was basically holding Naraku back from dealing his long-awaited finishing blow...
With it gone, nothing can hold his evil back...Meanwhile, this baby...
"This baby, is the heart of that bastard who yearned for my friend, who reached out to my mate once through Muso before becoming swallowed into his flesh again?...The heart, who now seeks to tear Coraline apart through her soul?"
My body began shaking with rage, and I snap with my own malice,
"It's absolutely sick, the underhanded ways Naraku toys with people's emotions!"
"Haaaauuh!"
"Rh!"
I dart my eyes on said girl again, who suddenly bends down and shook her head like a creature on rabies, before letting out a hoarse roar of pain...It hurt me deeply to see her like this.
Coraline...!
"Ha. I'd be careful of your tone, Inuyasha. She may very well attack you out of agitation from listening to such hostility."
I growl at the infant, he smirking the slightest before continuing on.
"Now then...there is a possibility, that I am indeed the human heart which Naraku once possessed. I can clearly see into a person's heart, their weaknesses and frailties. I know just what to do in order to make one suffer, to make them feel sorrow or hate...This is all familiar to me...but if there's one feeling I did not inherit from Naraku, it is the anguish and yearning of Kikyō."
What...?
"Where do you think that feeling went?...Those disgusting clumps of flesh you saw at Mount Hakurei?...That's where."
It dawns on me:
So, that would mean, human heart or not...Onigumo's desires for Kikyō have been, erased?
"And that is why, I feel neither pain nor sorrow."
Clenching my fist, I retort back,
"Tch, so in other words, you're just a monster created from Naraku's heart, all twisted and grotesque. That's all I need to hear!"
I pull out Tessaiga at ready.
"Prepare to die! Wind Sca-"
"(Ghostly moan)"
Lumos suddenly bursts out from the pouch of Coraline's satchel we picked up from the mansion before coming here, and came to speed in front of me while letting out a series of protesting cries and blinking that warning glow. I make the motion to ask what the heck he was doing...until I remember,
Gh!...Dammit. I can't attack them...or I'll hit my mate in the process.
"Deeemoooon..."
"Uh?"
My focus turns on said girl when I hear her drag out that grinding whisper, and scrape of metal against leather sounds, before I'd be witnessing my mate readying her own sword to strike, as if the energies sparking out of her jittering body wasn't happening at all.
"Dem-ooon, must, diiieeee...Spir-it, Slaaash!"
(SHING, SLASH)
Unlike the other times I've seen her do this move, the cut mark that went flying through the air didn't look very stable, as if it was going to break apart before even hitting the target...But even though it did last, it hardly mattered, for the damned demon infant was prepared, erecting a barrier at the last moment to block the attack.
"Auh!"
"Look: her attack's being absorbed into the barrier!"
"...Oh crap-Hit the deck, people!"
(Vwoooooo-...POW)
A reverse flow of Coraline's attack is released...
"Spiiirit Shieeeld!"
(Shing-sheeeen...POoooowwwww...)
Cringing from the eruption of light, I lower my arm when it dies down, and find myself still standing with no damage dealt.
"Huh?...What happened?"
My ears catch the sound of winded pants, and I look forward, widening my eyes when I see a dome-shaped shield of dark blue light dimming down from around my mate!
"Uh!...Coraline..."
She erected a barrier with her soul power...
"Don't think this is over just yet."
"Rrh!"
I look upward where a new giant hole in the roof's been created, and see that demonic brat, Kagura and Kanna floating away inside that other barrier the former created.
"I'll be back soon."
Just hearing how smug and sure of himself he was, like the freak he was born from, made my blood boil.
"Shut up, you bastard! As if I'll ever allow you to touch Coraline again!"
"Hehmhmhmhm...Now that the priestess Kikyō is no longer with us, that monster of a girl is the only one who can sense the Shikon-no-Tama shards."
What...?
"Soon, very soon, once Coraline's eyes become ours, the Shikon-no-Tama will become whole once again...a Shikon-no-Tama filled with hate, that is."
...He wants to do the same thing Onigumo wanted to do to Kikyō and the jewel back when!
"Are you crazy?! There's no way on earth that Coraline would ever do anything to help Naraku!"
"Humph. There are many ways to corrupt that girl, Inuyasha...Of course, that's assuming her darkness doesn't kill her and all she cares about this hour first."
Uh! Grrrr, why you...!
A final whisper of a laugh is sent our way, before the incarnation trio takes off for elsewhere...
"Gaaaarrrrruuuuuuhhhh!..."
(Bzzzzt-pow-pow-pow)
But for once, I could care less about Naraku and his damn subordinates, because right now, I have an even bigger problem that needs address. Ducking down from the shots of soul energy that go flying out the doorway, I look forward to see my mate's power becoming more out of control and corroding her worse than before. Her veins were pulsing, glowing, almost like they were about to burst, and her screaming...it began to sound like something between man and beast...!
Coraline!
"What's happening to her, Miroku?!"
The monk calls back to Sango,
"I don't know for sure...but if what that infant said is accurate, the darker half of Coraline's soul must be threatening her existence in this world!"
Besa then says,
"Cora did say once that the physical-spiritual structure of Aura Readers isn't balanced...that the kind of human souls they carry, are almost too strong for them to handle."
Uh!...That's right.
(Flash)
"As strong as we are spiritually, that same power...it's, not really made well for the human body. Our souls are actually almost too powerful to handle, which throws our very lives and sanity at stake...I know I've told you about how most of my family tree has been killed off thanks to Trinity...but some...some died because they were destroyed from the inside out by their very souls."
(Flash)
...Th-Then this means, her soul is...?!
"Inuyasha."
"Hm!?"
I snap out of my panicking thoughts to the sound of a familiar accented voice that seemed to echo from nowhere...
"Can ye hear me, Inuyasha?"
"...Rosiagnes?"
My friends make sounds of confusion, most likely not hearing what I could.
"Huh?" "Did you say...?"
"Rosiagnes?" "Where?"
The voice echoes into the air again, making it seem like they were standing beside me.
"Aye, tis me, and ye be the only one who can hear me voice...because of dat deeper connection ye share with me reincard now."
Deeper connection...Our mating bond.
Shaking my head of the weirdness, I then ask,
"What's happening, Rosiagnes? Why is Coraline acting like this?...Is, her soul..."
"Haaah, aye. Unforchunately, that new spawn of Nauraku 'as agitated the darkness of me reincard's soul in ways that cannot be easily tamed. 'er mentality is in a very dangerous place at present, hostile to practically anything with a beating aura. It matter not what side they be on."
"So, she could attack any of us and not be aware of the consequences?"
"Correct. It be part of a very deadly ability called Last Resort, somet'ing only activated when we Aura Readers are in an especially dangerous situation. The soul blocks out reason and gives into an inner beast within ourselves dat guarantees protection...but a' the cost of our morals, and in some cases, our very lives."
...That sounds almost exactly like my demon ego...
Still, something about this didn't make sense, and I ask the woman from beyond,
"But Coraline's been in a lot of life-threatening situations before! Why's this happening now?"
"I am afraid the brat born from the spider-marred devil may have preyed upon some sensitive triggers within me reincard's darkness...He convinced 'er of an old insecurity that Coraline thought she rid 'erself of."
Old insecurity...?
"But tha' be a concern for later conversation. Right now, we must focus on subduing 'er raging soul now befo' the worst comes to pass...And Inuyasha...ye are the only one who can help 'er."
"Me?"
"Aye, you. As far as me reincard's aware, and because of the bond ye both share with each other, ye may be the only one with the right aura who can approach 'er so long as ye remain calm and firm...But, I must implore ye t' take heed: once ye grasp 'er, she may recognize ye, but she will still try to resist ye because 'er aura is out of control and drowning in darkness...Once more, she won't be able to stop it from surging into ye, which may aggravate and cause the demon part of ye to emerge."
A quiet gasp escapes me, for while I'd never admit this aloud...the very thought of my demon ego emerging has become rather terrifying to me...
"What's happening, Inuyasha? Are you alright?"
Turning my eyes over my shoulder, I tell the others,
"Yeah...except, Rosiagnes is tellin' me that the only way to save Coraline...is that I have to reach out to her and talk her down."
A round of gasps sound, and Shippo asks,
"B-But, is that really a safe idea? I mean, won't she try to-"
"There is a risk that she may lash out at me, but, between all of us, me going in is most likely the wisest move. With my body, I can take whatever she has to throw...Besides, she's done the same for me before."
Turning back to face my struggling lover, I explain my reasoning.
"Though I've never actually seen myself when my inner demon took over, I can't imagine it looked too different from how she looks right now, save the power radiating. (Bitter smile) I must've been unrecognizable, a dark shadow of who I am right now, right?"
Miroku hesitantly replies,
"Uhm, well...yes, I suppose that's one way to describe it."
"Hm...and yet, despite how dangerous and tense those moments were, Coraline...She refused to turn away. She always found a way to reach out, and bring me back to center...even if it meant she would get hurt in the process...That's what I want to do for her right now, not just to return the favor...but to show her how far I'm willing to go for her, like how she's shown how far she's willing to risk it all for me."
Even if it means I gotta fight down the beast within me...
Drawing in a deep breath, I began my approach, using caution to avoid the shots of soul energy sparking from my mate's body or accidentally agitating her any further...
"...Coraline."
Stiffening, she pivots to face me, giving me a full view of the problem wracking her being. Her eyes have now gone a full pitch black with a dark blue ringing the edges, similar to the veins on her arms, neck and face. Even her red hair was darker than before, like someone spilled ink on her and it didn't wash all the way out.
...She eyes me for a moment, unsure of how to perceive my presence, which I took as an opportunity to take a few steps closer.
"Coraline...I know you're, probably not all in your right mind right now...but you've got nothing to be afraid of. The threats, they're gone now. You're with the people who care about you, who could never hurt you..."
"Hrh...hrh...I-In...u..."
It wasn't much, but a bit of hope rose in my heart hearing her try to pronounce my name.
"(Nod) That's right. It's me, your mate, Inuyasha."
I'm now directly in front of her, and could feel the heat of the power against my own skin, making me shift the slightest out of discomfort.
"Mph..."
Suddenly, I'm back at the active volcanic area that old battleax sword-maker calls home.
...Must be almost unbearable on her end...I better cool her down fast.
Sucking in another stream of air, I raise my left hand and tentatively reach out towards her shoulder, making her shuffle back with a grinding wince.
"Nh! H-Hh! N...No...T-oo...dan-g'r's...!"
Anyone else but me wouldn't have understood that gibberish, but I did, and it hurt to listen to the distrust and fear in her broken tone. Fighting to stay firm and calm, I step towards her again, all the more determined to rescue her from herself.
"No. I won't abandon you, not in your hour of need...I don't care how dangerous this is: you need me, more than you're probably aware."
And I need you, in ways I can barely understand with words...I need you here, with me, and I'm gonna keep you on this earth in any way I have to!
With that silent promise made, I wait until she tries to flinch back again, before making my move, lunging and embracing her as tightly as I can!
"Hh!"
"Anh!"
...
...
The grounds fall silent around her and me, as if all the life in our proximity was afraid of breathing loudly and causing a stir. The energy froze in time with her muscles, as if my very gesture was unthinkable...
That's when I felt it.
(Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump...)
"Arh!"
The dark energy began to surge and beat against my body, clouding my vision in complete darkness until the only thing I could see was the raw power of the energies sparking out around us...and the out-of-control, darkened aura raging within the woman that was in my arms. It was seeping through my skin to penetrate my very soul, creating this piercing cold feeling like I was being dragged into ice water! It was frigid, and burning at the same time, making me cry out in pain and alerting the rest of my pack. Though my ears rang, I was able to catch the faint cry of Sango calling out to me before Miroku pulled her back, Besa doing the same for his brother based on what I could smell. Now normally, I wouldn't pick up that much detail in the heat of a life-threatening situation...However, as the overloading energies of Coraline's soul kept bullying mine...
(Ba-bump...ba-bump...)
My more demonic side was beginning to peek out. If the sharpening of my senses wasn't enough of a tipper, then the feeling of my fangs and claws lengthening would be.
"Gaaaa-uuuuurrrrrhhhh! Grrrrraaaaahhh!..."
D-Dammit!...Something, taking, over...!
...No!
No...Gotta, s-tay! calm, for Coraline's sake.
My darkened aura vision starts to cloud over with a weak red hue I knew was coming from my demon side, and by focusing on the squirming form in my arms, I keep it that way. I also make sure that her own arms were pinned to her sides so she couldn't thrash about, holding her tight like I've done many times before...
"C...Cora-line..."
"I...I-nu...yash..."
(Inuyasha...Inuyasha...!)
I almost jump when I hear the more familiar voice of my mate echo in my mind...but that surprise quickly left before it could settle, setting my priorities on her.
Coraline...can you hear me?
(Y-Yes...Inuyasha...I'm, I'm scared. I, I can't, s-stop this; my power is-)
Shh, it's gonna be alright. Just concentrate on me, okay? Listen to the sound of my voice...I'm right here, and I'm not letting you go.
(...But...why?...Why, would you go through all this, risking you life and your humanity...for a monster like me?)
Monster?
I furrow my eyebrows in confusion from the label she was using on herself, before responding back,
Because I love you, why else?
(Uh!...)
I dunno what the hell that freak of an infant said to you...but it's like I told you that night: there is nothing on this earth that will take you away from me, ever!
And if that means I have to battle with your soul to bring you back to me, then so be it...You've gone against my demon ego before to bring me back. How is this any different?
...Please, Coraline...don't resist me. Just let go of what's causing you to lash out, and come back to me.
(Ba-bump...ba, bump...)
"I-Inu...I-nu-ya-sha..."
I feel my inner beast rumble in satisfaction from hearing the more normal tone returning to my mate's voice, and a tiny smile curves onto my lips as I chide to her,
That's it. You're doing great; just keep focusing on me...
...
...
Very slowly, the pulsating power of her soul began dimming down, the glow in her veins fades away, and her true irises appear over the black before that too went away. The signs of my more beastly-like being started to retract as well, my teeth and claws shrinking back to what they were before and the weak red hue in my vision started to clear back to normal as well...
Eventually, it would just be the two of us, no strings attached...
A small whimper sounds from my mate, followed by a soft, whispering moan which told me she fell unconscious, something I expected would happen by the end of all this. As the others hurry to us, I pull back a little to look at a more peaceful Coraline sleeping away, the exhaustion written heavy all over her features...I frown with worry, yet sigh in relief that she was safe once again...
Time Skip, No POV
It would only be but a two day journey before the entire group returns to Goshinboku Village, quickly finding Kaede and informing her of all that's happened since they last saw eachother, particularly, the fate of her undead sister...
She and Inuyasha would be found at the base of Kikyō's gravesite right now, tending to the repaired marker and sharing this melancholy feeling hovering over their shoulders like a weighted blanket that's only just being lifted away...After another moment of silence, the dog demon finally speaks.
"...Forgive me, Kaede."
The aging priestess with gray-brown hair replies with a gentle sigh in her tone,
"Say no more, Inuyasha. My sister Kikyō...was forced to return to this world of the living. While here...her soul only suffered...and so..."
Breathing out through his nose and holding down the urge to break into tears, Inuyasha mutters grimly,
"I was, unable to save Kikyō's soul...She was killed for a second time by that bastard Naraku."
Gazing wistfully at the blue skies above, Kaede laments,
"Sister Kikyō's soul has faded now...She will no longer have to suffer."
"But I-"
"So Inuyasha, you, and Coraline, need not suffer either."
...The young man with long silver hair makes no response, and eyes fall to the pretty violet iris plant set in front of the grave marker...
"Yes, my dear sister is gone, but, I wish...that her remains could be returned, to their proper resting place."
From what I gathered, this woman called Rosiagnes, has chosen to hide Kikyō's body...
Though perhaps until Naraku is vanquished, that may be wise...for I do not want my sister's remains to be desecrated again.
...
A little more time passes before we reach around midday, and we zoom in on the riverside heading into the forest outside the village, where Miroku, Sango, the twins and Shippo were currently hanging about. As the young monk and one young man with black cornrow hair kneel down to refill their water containers, the redheaded fox demon sighs with worry,
"I sure hope Coraline will be alright. She hasn't woken up for a few days now since, well..."
He couldn't finish the sentence, shivering slightly in remembrance of the frightening state the older redhead was in before her lover coaxed her back. Smiling reassuringly, Miroku and Sango chide,
"Inuyasha is with her."
"She'll be just fine."
Freeman and Besa add with their own nods,
"Yeah, we've got nothin' to panic about."
"Besides...something tells me those two will need a bit of time to talk..."
Panning away to Kaede's hut, we peer inside to see the dog demon kneeling on the left side of the unconscious Coraline, who is right now resting comfortably on a futon bed under the soft blue blanket she usually brings with her. Hovering just an inch above the bed on her right near her head was Lumos, who chose to stick to her like dogwood fluff since she first blacked out...
"...Mm...Mm-m..."
Another minute passes, before those familiar sea-storm blue irises flutter open to greet the world again, much to the tremendous relief of Inuyasha.
"Uh! Coraline...you're awake."
A murmured sound of confusion emits from the tired redhead, before she glances sideways to meet with the amber irises of her lover/mate...She smiles weakly and softly mutters,
"Hey, love...Thank you, for bringing me back. I just knew you would..."
A wispy moan grabs her attention, and she looks up to see her Will O' Wisp partner flying above her head in an excited circle, making her giggle quietly.
"Yes, hello t' you too, Lumos."
She gingerly moves one of her palms to help her push herself up into a sitting position, grunting a bit from the muscle aches and exhaustion weighing on her being. Her dog demon mate wraps his arms around her instantly.
"Are you okay? Take it easy."
"I'll, manage...Just, wan' some fresh air..."
Once they were sure she wasn't going to collapse, Coraline and Inuyasha move into a quiet part of the latter's namesake forest, sitting between two beech trees to talk about recent events...Neither was willing to speak up at first, finding it difficult to find the right words to convey...but as soon as Lumos passes their vision again, the dog demon would start by apologizing for his half-blunder.
"...Coraline...I'm sorry about what happened. I should've gotten to you faster."
Smiling sadly with a light headshake, the other replies,
"What matters is tha' you came for me. If anything, it was my fault for bein' easy prey to that damned infant."
"Easy prey? Don't be ridiculous! You were pushed beyond your limits just to protect yourself!"
...And if Rosiagnes hadn't told me what I had to do...then I could've lost Coraline for good...
...
A beat of silence passes between the young couple, before the redhead sighs out quietly,
"She's left."
"Hm?"
"My ancestor...She spoke with me before I awoke, saying that, she has other matters to attend, and that I may not hear from 'er for a time...So, it may be a long while, before we learn what truly happened to Kikyō's body..."
"I see..."
Inuyasha could sense there was more on his mate's mind, and thought back to how Akago and even she characterized herself...
"In that case, you mind explaining something else to me?"
"Shoot."
"...What the heck was all that 'monster' nonsense about?"
Coraline felt herself stiffen in her seat...before relaxing with a depressed expression forming on her face.
"Oh...that...Haaah, it's, nothin' really; the darker part of me was doing most of the talkin'. Like you said, just a spout of nonsense."
"That's not what I heard."
"Huh?"
A clawed hand reaches to gently grasp the area of her chin and lower jaw, turning her face so she was looking right at Inuyasha, he sporting a serious frown.
"The tone you used when I was fighting to coax you back, and the way that freak was characterizing you before he and those other two incarnations left...It's not nonsense to you, is it? Somethin' got to you before I came crashing into the temple."
"Uh...I..."
"...What did that infant say to you, Coraline?"
Wincing the littlest bit, the girl bites her lower lip nervously before coming clean with her troubles.
"Akago...he...he said I was, more demonic than a demon. He reminded me of, the guilt and betrayal that's still roosting in a corner of my heart, before saying that I'm a monster fruitlessly trying to be human, unworthy of the side of good."
"Uh!...Coraline..."
Inuyasha could hardly believe what he was hearing, and would only become more concerned as a few tears gather in the girl's eyes, she gritting her teeth bitterly before going further.
"And, while I know he was just trying to manipulate me...what he said wasn't too far from the truth. In reality, I may be human, but at the same time...I've become quite the monster of a human. Heh, it's a wonder that my darkness hasn't tried t' corrupt me sooner...Still, as I told Akago, my monstrous dark nature's not one to be collared. It plays by its own rules, and is even willing to go against me. How demented is that?(Sniff) I...I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm...I'm sorry I scared you all and put you through all this, and, I understand if...if you can't-"
"Can't what? Stand to be with you anymore?...Now that would be demented. And you wanna know why?"
The redhead's eyes would then widen with surprise, when her dog demon mate suddenly swoops in to kiss her deeply, taking the advantage to pull her close so she was sitting in his lap...Once their lips part, Inuyasha continues his response with a firm but honest air.
"Because even after everything we've been through together since we met, you can still stand to be with me. Even after all the times my inner demon came out and caused havoc and bloodshed...you never once saw me as a monster, and I can't ever see you that way either. So shut up with belittling yourself like that and just be happy with who you are."
"...And who am I?"
"Kuh, you're really fixin' to play dumb, aren't you? Alright, I'll tell you...You're Coraline Croft, a smart, courageous girl with the most fiery red hair and amazing blue eyes I've ever seen."
He kisses her right cheek.
"You also have one of the most fierce, headstrong personalities I know, and that's saying somethin' considering how Sango can get during one of her moods."
Coraline giggles at her mate's characterization of the demon slayer, making him smirk a bit before pecking her left cheek.
"You're very strong, in mind, body and spirit...You have a heart as open as the skies above, and hardly judge anybody unless you have a good reason to...But most importantly..."
He finishes with a kiss to her forehead,
"You're my mate, forever mine...to have, to hold, to protect, to fight beside...to laugh with, to cry with, to comfort...to be happy with, to love...to live together, and stay together for as long as we both shall live...How's that for an answer?"
Releasing a few tears she's barely able to keep in with such a happy smile after hearing her lover's heart-filled declaration to her, the redhead leans in to kiss the dog demon's cheek before snuggling into his chest as she embraces him.
"Perfect, love. Absolutely perfect, especially since it was from you...Thank you, Inuyasha."
Smiling a little himself, he hugs the girl close to him, both souls watching the little white-blue orb glide along a gentle breeze with a pair of cabbage butterflies.
No...Thank you, Coraline, for loving me as I am, and for not leaving me nor this earth too soon.