"My Lord!' Jaken squawked which forced the group to fall to a stop. Sesshomaru quietly turned his head to stare at the green imp who was holding the crystal close to his face, his eyes rolling over it before running up to his Lord.
"Lord Sesshomaru, the aura from the crystal is weakening. That can only mean that Naraku's heart is somewhere nearby." Jaken looked up toward Sesshomaru and saw that his face remained impassive as his golden eyes scanned around the ravine they were in.
Since the incident with the boar demons some days ago, Sesshomaru had been on edge as well as Tenseiga. The sword had been in a state of unrest, jostling and pulsing to where even when he grasped its hilt, Tensiega still continued to act up.
"Something is wrong, Tenseiga." He thought as closed his eyes and breathed in deep, willing the sword to calm. "There is something amiss and you know it." He knew there was something wrong, something that wasn't right and the sword just knew it. Even he could feel that there was a change in the wind and it didn't sit right with him; not at all.
"Oh look Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin's calling broke his train of thought and the demon lord lifted his head from the sword to look at his young ward, which had her arm raised and pointing at something in the distance. "There is a cave up ahead!"
Following her small pointing hand Sesshomaru did indeed see a cave on the face of the cliff but something wasn't right. Inhaling deeply his hair prickled and a growl settled in his chest. That scent. Removing his hand from Tenseiga, he gripped the hilt of the Tokijin with white knuckles. There was something there, something that smelled like rot and miasma; he could recognize that stench anywhere.
"Jaken, take Rin and stand back now!" He called and gathered as much demonic energy he could and swiftly slashed his sword free from its sheath. Like a swift ball of lightening, his dragon wave attack flew toward the mountain face, blasting it away into rubble and revealing what he knew was hiding.
There, standing in the swiftly dissipating cloud, was Moryomaru himself. Sesshomaru scowled at his newest form, easily recognizing the spiked green shell as the armor of the turtle demon, Meioju. The impressive demon stood to its full height, attempting to dwarf the demon lord with a smirk.
"So, you're Inuyasha's older brother hmm?" Moryomaru inched closer to Sesshomaru and received a thrill from the scowl that shuddered through the demon lord.
"I've never considered that half demon to be my brother. Although you knowing that information leads me to believe that you are Naraku's heart, are you not?" Readying into a battle stance, Sesshomaru raised his sword toward the towering demon who only continued to smirk.
"Now, now how rude is this? Wielding your sword before greeting me? You'll regret that." Moryomaru readied himself for the attacks he knew was coming and shuddered upon soon feeling the strong demonic energy that he would absorb.
"I highly doubt that. The only thing you will be regretting is uttering that half demons name in my presence!" With a swift stroke of his arm, Sesshomaru sent a large blast of his dragon wave toward the chuckling demon but only a growl came forth upon seeing his attack halt before Moryomaru and soon be absorbed.
With no other choice, Sesshomaru charged Moryomaru and swung his blade upon the raised armored arm of the demon and watched as his Tokijin bounced away like it were nothing but a plank of wood. His armor. Sesshomaru growled and leapt away before another large arm could strike him. "My Tokijin cannot even pierce it." Upon seeing yet another arm swing to strike him down, Sesshomaru again slashed at the appendage only to see it bounce back once more.
With a frustrated yell Sesshomaru jumped away and unleashed another dragon wave hurdling toward the demon but just as the times before, the attack halted and soon disappeared inside the chuckling demon. Landing to his feet and holding his sword before him, Sesshomaru snarled at Moryomaru who only continued to be amused.
"Good, keep swinging that sword of yours. In time I will have absorbed all of your demonic energy!"
Sesshomaru was growing tired of this and with a large leap he sent yet another dragon wave attack, larger than the last ones and could only marvel as that too was swallowed by Moryomaru, the demon pulsing with all the stolen energy that it even set Sesshomaru on edge.
The large demon stood straight over Sesshomaru and raised his hands, forming a circling ring of energy that wiped up a cyclone around the Ravine. "I shouldn't let you have all the fun, let's put use to this demonic energy that you have bestowed upon me!" With a loud yell the energy was released and sent hurdling toward the demon lord.
Curse this wretch! Sesshomaru thought as he dodged each ball of energy, leaping and jumping away before the attack could fully hit him. Leaping to the side and avoiding a large blast of energy, he saw Moryomaru ready another attack that was soon sent spiraling toward him. With a yell Sesshomaru called upon is Dragon Strike and blasted it toward the oncoming attack, the two meeting and sending an explosion of dust in to the air.
Nows my chance! With a leap he charged through the dust and swung his Tokijin as hard as he could against the shell, hearing a loud crack upon the blade that momentarily worried the young Lord but what worried him the most was that upon the Tokijin striking the shell, the silent Tenseiga let loose a powerful pulse. Sesshomaru was startled and lost his grip which allowed Moryomaru to grasp him midair. Tenseiga let loose one more powerful pulse before abruptly falling silent and the feeling of something disappearing filled his being and made his heart race.
"It won't work Sesshomaru, I shall now absorb your delicious demonic energy." Moryomaru chuckled and gripped the demon lord tighter with his tentacles. "There is no sense in prolonging this any longer; time for you to die."
Sesshomaru could only glare at the large demon but when he felt Tenseiga no longer pulse, he knew that something was about to happen.
He just didn't know what.
Kagura whimpered as she trudged along the soft white flowers, her red stained fingers holding tight against her wound that continued to bleed. Red eyes could only shed quiet tears as her vision began to blur and her footing becoming shaky.
Was this what she wanted, was this the freedom she so longed for? To die painfully amongst flowers all alone? With a sharp cry and her knees quaking from under her, Kagura let her body crumple and fall to the ground which was ultimately stained with her blood and the white flowers shading to red.
"Why. . . Is my body F. . . Failing me?" She cried as she dropped her stained hand to her lap and watched as fresh blood seeped through her kimono and fall upon the flowers. Blurry red eyes looked from one wound to the other and saw that she was losing blood quicker than she could heal it, her heart and energy spent from exhaustion.
"My wound has re-opened. . . I can't heal it anymore." Red lips parted with a gasp when a severe jolt of pain shot through her chest, her heart beating rapidly as it tried to keep her alive.
Tears rolled off her chin as her eyes closed from the tiredness that ached through her. She was in so much pain and for what? She was suffering and knew that death was knocking on her door but then she didn't care. She was going to die a free woman with her heart in her chest where it belongs. The tears fell quicker as she tried to think of a happy outcome to her situation but she couldn't find one.
"I. . . Don't want to die. . . By myself." She cried and let a sob heave upon feeling her body becoming cold and the circle of red growing larger around her.
With her soft sobbing and eyes closed in exhaustion, Kagura never knew that a presence had approached where she sat and stood before the slowly dying wind sorceress. Gently a pale hand reached down and cupped her wet cheek, making a breathy sigh escape Kagura's lips.
Upon feeling the sensation of a palm upon her face, Kagura stiffly raised her head and opened her eyes to look upon the blurry vision of person kneeling before her. Blinking slowly and trying to regain her focus, her sight cleared momentarily to stare into familiar green eyes. Blinking once more, Kagura focused completely on the woman before her and leaned into her touch. Just by looking into the greenness of her eyes, she recognized her immediately as the red haired woman that was among Sesshomaru's company.
From her many encounters with the Demon Lord of the West over the years, Kagura always noticed a red haired and green eyed woman amongst his group. A human woman that appeared every so often but right off the bat Kagura knew she was not of this world. She got the idea when she once saw her walk before Sesshomaru and he held neither reaction nor eye movement of her.
A mystery that has baffled her until this very moment.
"It's you." She grunted and spit up a small spatter of blood that coursed down her chin. "You're here. . ." Her voice was failing her and her eyes were becoming shaky as they strained to keep their focus on the sadly smiling woman.
"I am. . ." Her voice was so accented and airy that it sent the desire to go to sleep through the wind sorceress.
Kagura smiled and blinked her eyes tiredly, her vision slowly leaving her. "Can you save me?"
The woman lost her smile and only gave a sad frown as her hand dropped from Kagura's cheek and grasped her stained hands in her soft pale ones.
"I cannot, your body is fading at a pace that there is no saving it." Glittering tears fell down her cheeks and landed upon their intertwined hands. "I can take the pain away only for a while but I need you to hold on as long as you can. There is one more thing you need to see."
Kagura shook her head and let a sob breathe past her lips. "I can't, I'm too tired. Please make it go away."
The woman shook her head and squeezed Kagura's palms and the wind sorceress sighed at the delightful numb feeling that over took her searing pain. Without her hands leaving the dying sorceress's, the wind began to pick up and soon a billowing gust lifted the red stained petals and carried them off to a destination only Eavan knew.
Moving her hands from Kagura's, the woman gripped the blood stained cheeks and soon red eyes were looking upon her once more and she let a knowing smile light up her transparent features.
"I know. . . I know. You will see him one last time." Gently stroking the sorceress's face, the woman slid her arms down to her lap and grasped the blood stained hands once more.
Kagura choked and spat up some blood and heaved a breath. "See. . . Who?" She rasped out and tried hard to hold herself up and gripped the pale hands that held hers.
The woman smiled and let her tears fall for the wind sorceress. She may have been deceased but she was not blind, this woman loved Sesshomaru; she truly did love him. A sob heaved past her throat as a large gust of miasma sputtered from her wounds. Eavan gripped her hands tighter around Kagura's and willed the pain to stop but upon seeing her red eyes fall shut and her head bow, she knew she didn't have long.
Eavan could only weep silently and hold her hand as they waited; waited for the demon lord to show and upon feeling a pulling sensation to her back, she knew he was close. Letting her green eyes fall upon the sorceress, she couldn't help but feel the wave of guilt flow through her. She really couldn't save her, there was no way. The wound inflicted by that half demon was filled with such a dark aura that even she couldn't touch.
Naraku made it so that there was no saving her. That bastard.
"You're not leaving here alone, I promise." She whispered and upon feeling the strong presence at her back, she smiled and shimmered away. He came. . . He came for her. Slowly she disappeared and Kagura's hands were soon grasping empty air.
Opening her eyes and seeing that her hands were empty, she closed her stiff fingers and looked up to see a pair of black boots before her. Her pain filled heart stopped and slowly lifted her eyes to stare at the tall form of Sesshomaru who, shockingly, held a look of pure sympathy.
"Y. . .You came." She rasped out and darted her eyes around him seeing that the red haired woman was gone.
"I followed the scent of blood and miasma." Was his reply as he softly cocked his head to the side and stared down upon her.
Kagura chuckled and dropped her head in disappointment. "I see, you thought I was Naraku." She breathed in deep and tried to catch her voice upon the blood rushing into her mouth.
"A. . . Are you disappointed t. . . That it's not him?" She could see that her vision was becoming black and her heart was beginning to slow but it perked up upon hearing his words.
"No, I knew it was you."
Her heart soared. "So that's what she meant." With a smile to her lips she finally accepted the rushing feeling of peaceful death reach out to her, she was no longer afraid. Slowly the wind began to pick up and circled around the two demons in a flurry of petals. She was finally feeling the peace she longed for.
Sesshomaru stared down at the dying sorceress and reached for Tenseiga. Upon feeling no pulse from the blade, he understood what was happening. Not even the Tenseiga could save her. Gripping the hilt of the sword, he continued to watch over the wind demon as she swiftly succumbed to the effects of Naraku's attack but upon her head leaning up to gaze upon him, it was another's face he saw. Gripping the hilt tighter he watched as recollections hit him like an arrow; He, Sesshomaru, was once again unable to save someone he desired to save. Again, he was weak.
The wind continued to circle around the two and both knew that it was now time. With his golden eyes gazing into her reds, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Are you leaving?" He asked softly and watched as Kagura nodded.
"Yes. . . I have had enough." Slowly she reclined her head and the two gazed upon each other silently.
Kagura memorized his beautiful face and blinked slowly with a smile to her lips. "Now that I've seen you. . . One last time." With one final exhale, Kagura fell back and was engulfed with the miasma that was churned with the wind until it fully dissipated, leaving no trace of the wind sorceress that sat there moments before.
She was gone; a woman who died to be free.
Sesshomaru watched as the wind slowly circled and disappeared before walking from the area where Kagura held her final moments, until a voice stopped him.
"Sesshomaru Wait!" He heard Inuyasha call and upon turning around he saw his brothers pack standing there with expressions that matched his own. They knew she was gone.
"Kagura, did she suffer?" Inuyasha asked solemnly and watched as Sesshomaru gazed upward, eyes falling on her feather hair piece that danced with wind. An image of her smiling features filled his mind and his heart felt a dull ache that has been dormant for some centuries.
Sighing softly Sesshomaru lowered his head. "She was smiling." With that he walked away and left the group standing in the field of flowers.
Inuyasha growled and gripped his hands into fists. They were too late! They shouldn't have left her alone. Lowering his gaze to the flowers, he sniffed quickly and caught a scent he wasn't familiar with. It was a fresh smell, a pure smell but it also didn't have the scent of the living. Craning his head up and gazing upon where Kagura was sitting, he hitched a breath at what he saw and grasped Kagome's attention.
"Inuyasha? What is it?" She asked and saw that Inuyasha was locked onto something with wide eyes.
Gold eyes darted to Kagome then back to where they were before. "Don't you see her?" He asked quickly and Kagome looked around as well as Sango and Miroku, they only seeing the large span of the flower field.
"See who Inuyasha?" Kagome placed her hand on his shoulder and looked in the direction he was but she saw nothing, only flowers.
But Inuyasha could see her, she was standing right there! A tall woman, dressed in an emerald green dress with long wavy red hair was standing upon the spot where Kagura died, just standing there still with her back to them and her head trained upward. Why was he able to see her? He could see his pack looking around trying to find what he was looking at but they still couldn't see her!
Slowly the woman turned around and Inuyasha stared into green eyes that lit up her pale transparent face. They just stared at each other and soon she gave him a glittering smile before turning and walking after Sesshomaru, ultimately shimmering away like she was never there.
"That was so weird." Inuyasha breathed and was lightly smacked by Kagome.
"What was that? What were you looking at?" Kagome was freaked out, how could he see something that they couldn't?
"It was a woman. A red haired woman in a green dress, she was standing right there." He pointed to the spot where the woman was standing. "She followed after Sesshomaru and disappeared. Believe me; I'm just as freaked out as you are."
Kagome sighed and gripped her bow. They needed to get going and make sure that Naraku pays for what happened to Kagura, to try and avenge her. "Geeze Inuyasha, it's like you saw a ghost or something." With that she turned and began to walk with the group but Inuyasha faltered.
"Right. . . A ghost." He mumbled and turned to follow his pack toward their next destination.
