Paradigm Shift

Chapter Twenty-two : Ruin

… … …

Somehow, the light of day seemed to make it all seem so much worse. Too many had fallen in this battle. Far too many. Twisted remains and scattered fragments of his loyal fighters littered the ground.

The sight of it was horrific. It wrapped him in the sense of his own failure. Tore at him.

The smell of it was nearly impossible to bear.

They had all been too arrogant, too used to being undefeated. Too confident that they could overcome any foe, any army, any threat to the west. Too sure of their victory… and they had underestimated the sheer numbers of their enemies. Had underestimated Naraku's cunning.

They had been too arrogant.

He had been too arrogant.

The Western Hall was taken.

"Your impenetrable fortress has fallen, Lord Sesshomaru." The humor danced in Naraku's eyes. Frozen fire; the bloody hue of his eyes was fitting. "Your loyal soldiers lay dead at your feet." Naraku took leisurely stepped across the gore of the massacre, making his way toward Sesshomaru from the other side of the destruction. He tauntingly threw his arms wide, taking a deep breath. "How sweet the smell of victory is. This aroma of death. Although, I suppose you appreciate it much less than I, seeing as this is the stench of your own defeat."

Naraku's malicious laughter rang in the air. It was chilling in his passion for torment. This is what he reveled in. He adored seeing Sesshomaru brought so low. This was an absolute joy. This sight of the great dog demon, respected and feared by so many, here at his feet; injured and snarling and utterly at his tender mercy.

"I knew that I would one day have you, Sesshomaru. How the mighty do fall."

Sesshomaru, brought to one knee with the blood of his allies and enemies alike seeping into his hakama, acidic poison dripping from his claws and into the gore-soaked earth beneath his hand, crimson eyes glaring and a vicious snarl making its way through his bared, half transformed, rows of pointed fangs, could do nothing- nothing to this abomination before him.

Without a thought to his injuries, Sesshomaru leapt over the remaining space between himself and Naraku, swiping his deadly claws through the form and snapping his jaws around the other's throat.

To no avail.

The form simply dispersed in a cloud of black smoke, reforming seconds later into Naraku's visage; laughing that cruel laugh.

"Surely by now you don't think me so foolish as to put myself before you. Even injured as you are. What would be the point of it? There is no need for me to be present, personally." Naraku gestured behind himself, calling the puppet that lurked in the shadows at the edge of the slaughter near. "After all, you were so easily defeated."

The white-clad mockery drew near. It held a circular mirror before it.

"See your kin, Sesshomaru. Such a disgrace to your lineage he is. How embarrassing for you."

Colors swirled about in the mirror, eventually settling into the image of a blood-lust crazed Inuyasha. Sesshomaru stood as his own blood seeped into his hankimono from the wounds he bore. He watched as Inuyasha ripped through the flesh of enemy and innocent; indiscriminately.

"How beautiful it is. If he could be leashed I might have considered bringing him into my own ranks. Ah. What pleasure it gives me to see him so uninhibited. It almost allows me to forget my hatred for him."

In the mirror, Sesshomaru watched as Kouga engaged Inuyasha. It didn't last long. The taijiya called out to him; alternately begging the wolf prince to not harm Inuyasha and calling to Inuyasha in vain; pleading for him to stop, to reclaim the Tetsusagia.

Sesshomaru's red eyes widened in fury and disbelief. How stupid could these fools be; separating his unstable half-brother from their father's fang? He growled loudly at the sight of the taijiya grasping the sword.

He could not tear his gaze from the scene playing out in the mirror. She would not be able to stop the attack coming her way. She was too focused on Inuyasha. Too occupied by her friend to be aware of her surroundings. Too consumed with swinging her great boomerang in calculated non-attacks. Trying to prevent Inuyasha from advancing on the terrified villagers. Trying to redirect him toward Naraku's overwhelming swarm of low-level youkai.

It caught Sango totally by surprise. There was a scream of pain ripped from her throat as a massive snake plunged its fangs into her thigh, no doubt filling her veins with its venom. Her curved bone weapon fell to the ground near her as her knees hit the ground. The snake went in for another strike, but was slain before it could further damage her as Kouga tore its head from its body.

The damage was already done.

Even if Sango managed to survive the blow she had been dealt, Tetsusaiga had fallen from her grip as she lost consciousness. Though she had been gathered into Kouga's arms and taken out of the range of the mirror's sight; Tetsusaiga had been claimed.

The foolish hanyou had given his trust too easily. The undead miko should never have been allowed to wander the land of the living for so long. Her face was blank, cold, emotionless as she was carried away by her shinidamachu.

"What a wonderous ally Kikyo has been. Anything to destroy the one whom she despises so. What is left of Inuyasha will ravage the lands without your father's treasured fang. He will not maim. He will only bring death and fire to anyone and anything in his path." The images swirled on the mirror's surface again, settling into Sesshomaru's own face once again. "And it will be known that your blood, your line has no honor."

The Mirror was held above the puppet's head and carried away by a saimyosho. The pelt crumpled to the ground, empty; leaving behind a wooden doll wrapped in black hair and the false Naraku dissipated into black smoke once again, carried away on a breeze.

… … …

"I should have known that Naraku would refuse to come to me himself."

Kagura scoffed at the words that Kikyo spoke.

"Naraku cares for no one. Not even you, priestess. Why would he bother to retrieve the sword from you when he can just send one of us?"

Kagura ripped the Tetsusaiga from Kikyo's hand, hissing as her hand and arm were burned painfully. She dropped it on the giant leaf that hovered at her side. She wouldn't let it show that she was unnerved by the other woman. She was unnatural and it grated on the wind wielder. Kagura was of the wind; a force of nature itself. That something so far from natural stood so near her made Kagura's skin crawl in repulsion.

Her face contorted with disgust and her eyes widened as she watched Kikyo's retreating back double over with a shrill scream. She climbed into her leaf and rose into the air as the screams continued, cringing away from the fang at her side.

White orbs began to pour from the golem below and Kagura watched in horrified silence as Kikyo reached out to them. That scream kept on. The mockery of a woman below didn't even need to draw a breath. More emotion than she had ever witnessed from Kikyo was written in the pale clay face. She thought it would have made her less disgusting, but the fear and desperation on Kikyo's face and the unearthly, tortured, unending screech was so much worse.

Kagura hovered high above, watching as the white orbs fled from Kikyo and she practically melted into a mound of mud and cloth. She shouldn't be surprised that Naraku would destroy her. He destroyed everything. Everyone. Would destroy her soon enough. She welcomed it.

… … …

Kouga skid to a stop at the edge of the purity that now protected Edo. He stared down into the face of the woman in his arms. She needed help badly. She was fading even as he watched. He had to get her to the old miko in the village. He didn't have time to search for a different priestess or healer. He wouldn't even know where to look.

Blue eyes scanned around him. He knew he wouldn't find anyone nearby to carry a message to Kaede. Even if there did happen to be someone nearby, what then? Any youkai would be destroyed trying to pass over the land. Any human wouldn't be fast enough.

Sango spasmed against his chest. This was taking too long. He had to do something. His mind raced through his options, but there weren't many plausible paths that he could follow.

His eyes hardened and his shoulders tensed. He was fast. He was powerful.

Kouga walked backward, away from the edge of the purity. He could do this. Kaede wouldn't need him to stay and explain. She was experienced. She would know how to heal Sango.

In and out. Fast. Then he could lick his wounds and return to the west. Leave the neutral lands and find Sesshomaru. He had to warn him that the eastern lord had allied with Naraku. Had to warn the west… his tribe.

In and out. Fast.

He took a deep breath and bent his knees. Flared his jaki around himself and Sango.

He could do this.

And he was gone in a whirlwind of dry dirt.

… … …

Rin clutched Shippou in her arms, tears running down her dirty cheeks. At her back, the dead body of one of Lord Sesshomaru's guards was hunched over, leaning against the trunk of a tree.

He had gotten them out of the Western Hall. Through the passages- the ones that were secret.

Barely.

They had tried so hard to help him once they stopped. Shippou had ripped long strips from the guard's silk haori. He had used his foxfire to try and stop the flow of blood from the guard's wounds. Rin had tried to bandage the wounds. None of it helped.

"Lord Sesshomaru will come. He will." She cried into Shippou's red hair.

Shippou's eyes were hard. Harder than a child's eyes should be. Then again, he had lived much longer than Rin, despite his appearance. Youkai aged much slower than humans, after all. He had seen carnage before. He had. When his father had been killed, he'd seen it. He'd seem Inuyasha and Kagome and the others in battle. This was so much more than he had ever seen though. He hoped that Lord Sesshomaru would find them, he did, but he was unsure.

"We can't stay here, Rin. They'll find us. We're too close."

"He'll come! He will!"

Shippou pushed against the girl, trying not to hurt her but needing to get free.

"Rin! We can't stay here!"

"No! We have to wait for Lord Sesshomaru! He told me to wait for him if I ever got lost!"

"We're not lost, Rin! We have to go!"

Shippou didn't know what to do. He didn't know where Lord Sesshomaru was. He didn't know where Kagome was. He didn't know where Inuyasha was. Even if he got Rin to agree to leave the west… he couldn't leave his mushrooms for Lord Sesshomaru. Even if he could come. They couldn't risk being followed by the youkai that had invaded the Western Hall. They were lucky that the guard had even thought to take them through the passages.

His own eyes began to fill with tears. What were they going to do?

… … …

Everyone at Atsuta shrine stared into the west. The howl could be heard even there. It pierced the air and walls.

Nozomi stood from the table; all eyes on the fierce lines of her posture. They knew what the sound was. They all knew.

Miroku and Kagome looked around at the youkai that were sat around them, their lunch forgotten as they stood with the rest.

"Lord Sesshomaru is near. He calls for us. He calls for aid. " Nozomi growled.

… … …

Narrowed emerald eyes pinned the messenger to the floor where he knelt. The scroll in his hand crumpled as he tightened his hand into a fist. The borders of the southern isles had not been threatened in centuries. He would have to send reinforcements to the edges of his islands to protect his people.

It wouldn't be enough. They would be spread too thin. He'd had no need for a large military force for too long. He had grown complacent in peace with the west. He had not thought that his friend could be overcome.

His tails bristled and flipped in agitation. He shook his mass of wild obsidian hair from his face and turned to the window.

"And so the darkness spreads."

… … …

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

Rin took off as quick as she could into the trees. The wrong way. Back toward the Western Hall that they had just escaped. She knew the howl could only have been him. No other could have a voice so fearsome that it would travel so far. She had to get to him.

Shippou took off after her, terrified and hopeful.

… … …

Sesshomaru's massive paw crushed another eastern jacana youkai soldier underfoot. Traitorous birds.

His massive snout scented the area. He must retrieve the pups. They had scattered, fled. Taken away by the guards, away from the bloodshed.

As they should be.

He howled again in rage, snapping his jaws around another treacherous bird, shaking his maw and ripping it in two from the combination of his fangs and the force of his shaking. He let the top half of the disgusting thing roll from his tongue.

Jaki flared around his massive beast form as he shot into the sky, scanning the area around the hall. They were too spread out.

… … …

Nozomi ran loped down the side of the mountain on four legs, the rest of Atsuta's fighting forces following in her wake. She knew what this meant. She had heard this call before, many many years past when Sesshomaru's father fought against Lord Ryuukotsusei.

Her eyes bled crimson as she ran, dread filling her gut. Never had she thought that she would relive the fall of the west. Lord Sesshomaru had retaken his father's lands and reclaimed them from the clutches of the northern dragons long ago.

She couldn't help the flood of rage at the thought that it had been a mortal woman to bring the downfall of her previous lord, and here they were; with another mortal woman close to their Lord- and the west had fallen again.

Her lips pulled back as she bared her fangs when she felt the flare of reiki behind her. Would they forever be cursed by the presence of these mortals?

… … …

Yellow plumes rose from smooth black feathers as they raised their weapons. This human bred spawn of the inuyoukai knew no pain. He had decimated the few soldiers that Lord Yokuto had sent to take him down. There had been a dozen of them. Only four remained.

They took to the air, watching in savage satisfaction as he crossed the border and stepped onto northern soil. They may not have been able to kill him or contain him but he was no longer their problem. Let the dragons deal with the hanyou beast.

… … …

Kouga stood in Kaede's home in stunned silence, rigid, looking down at the old woman as she tended to Sango.

"How is it that ye are unharmed?"

Kouga looked down at his hands. They were stained with dried blood. His own. That of Inuyasha and Sango. The weak youkai masses that he had slain in battle. Yet even his wounds from the battle had been healed in an instant.

As soon as he stepped into the borders of the sacred grounds.

There had been pain. Stinging and burning as his wounds knitted together in seconds. Wounds deep enough that he wouldn't have healed for days. And he passed in a blur over the distance between the border and the village. Unharmed. Refreshed. Only the grime and blood giving evidence of the battle that he had escaped with the injured woman.

"I… don't know."

Kaede twisted the wooden dowel in the fabric another two turns, tightening the tourniquet.

"Come here. Hold this steady. I must bleed the venom from her wound and she cannot afford to lose much more blood."

Kouga stepped over Kaede's hunched form, crouching to do as he was told. Kaede reached toward the knife she used primarily for preparing herbal pastes and poultices. It was dull, but she had no other. Her hand stilled and she looked over her shoulder, hesitant, as Kouga spoke.

"Let me. I can tell that thing won't be much help."

Kouga flicked as much dirt as he could from under the claw of his left thumb and rubbed it around on his pelt to try to get the surface as clean as possible. He set his face, determined, and reached to Sango's leg, slicing into her deeply from one large hole to the other; where the snake had pierced her.

"Thank ye, Kouga."

Kaede wrapped her hands around Sango's ankle and squeezed, pushing her hands along the leg, watching tainted blood seep from the wound.

"Push it down from the top, Kouga. She needs to be rid of it."

So Kouga kept his grip on the wooden dowel and pushed down on Sango's thigh with his free hand as Kaede continued pressing the blood and venom upward. Their hands finally rested around the wound, his above and hers below, and they pressed her leg into the dirt floor of the hut, watching with relief as the blood began to flow untainted.

"She will not recover quickly. Whatever vemon that seeped through the rest of her body must run its course. She will be weak from both that and the loss of so much blood." Kaede stood and retrieved a heavy needle and course thread from beside her herbs. "Keep tight on that wrapping until I close her leg, Kouga."

He nodded, turning to look down at Sango's face. The woman was strong. Still, he was glad that she slept for this.

… … …

Kagome's knuckles were white and her legs ached from gripping the fur on Heiji's back as he followed after Nozomi hastily. She buried her face down into his brown fur to protect her eyes from the blasting air that stung them at this speed, and her face from the whipping brush. She bled from shallow scratches caused by the plant life in the forest. Her clothes had been torn in places, caught here and there by branches or thorns.

She didn't care. Her heart pounded with anxiety. She hoped against everything that Sesshomaru was alright.

Heiji had snatched her off her feet and flung her onto his back as they had all bolted into the west from Atsuta Shrine. All of the youkai had shifted into their beast forms to lessen the time it would take to reach Sesshomaru.

She could feel the pulse of Miroku's reiki behind her somewhere and it was comforting, but she swallowed thickly nonetheless.

… … …

The huge dog dove to the closest group of pups that he could sense, light bursting around him as he plummeted toward the ground.

His black boots hit the ground between the trees and he strode up to the guard standing protectively in front of the three fearful pups. He clapped his hand to the man's shoulder and squeezed, relaying his approval through his eyes with a look.

"Find as many others as you can. We must gather them and bring them out of harm's way."

The guard nodded, spoke softly.

"How many of their parents are left?"

Sesshomaru looked down at the crying pups. His hand left the guard's shoulder and he crouched to scoop up the children. He let his jaki gather under his feet as he held the last of the noble lines close to his chest. He didn't look at the guard as he rose upward, intent on finding any others that he could.

"None. Find any you can. Follow the eastern road to the border. I will find you."

The guard clenched his jaw and nodded, bounding off in the opposite direction as Sesshomaru sped away through the air.

… … …

Kaede wiped her hands on an already much-stained scrap of cloth, head hung low.

"Will she be okay? Kouga asked.

"If she can last through the night and into morning, she will recover." Kaede dipped the fabric into the pail of water and wrung the excess out, turning to hand it to Kouga.

"…Thanks…"

Kaede glanced down at the cloth as she pressed it into Kouga's rough palm. She thought nothing of it when she tightened her hand on Kouga's fingers and his claws pierced her palm in her haste. Her other hand wrapped around his forearm, just above his wrist.

"What be this mark!?" Her tone was insistent.

Kouga looked down at his wrist where the little star he had noticed a few days ago was sparkling dimly with a pink glow. His eyes widened and he leaned down to look more closely at it.

"I'm not sure. It showed up a while back. It didn't hurt or anything. Figured it was a scar or something."

Kaede ran her finger over the little star.

"This be Kagome's reiki. Mayhap this is why ye are able to walk on this land."

Kaede and Kouga's eyes met in astonishment.

… … …

Miroku dropped from atop Kirara's back as Nozomi and Heiji ground to a halt just past the treeline. He barely noticed Kagome slide from Heiji's back as he looked out over the grounds around the Western Hall in mortification. He felt Kagome's hand on his back as she took in the sight too.

They couldn't tear their eyes away from it all until they heard Nozomi's voice shouting behind them.

"Tatsuo! Head that way! You know what to do! Find them and follow the eastern road!" Nozomi pointed to three other youkai, telling them to follow Tatsuo.

As the rest of the youkai caught up to them, Nozomi directed them in a similar fashion. When they were all headed in different directions to follow Nozomi's directions, she finally turned back to Miroku and Kagome. They recoiled at the snarl she gave them and the anger in her eyes.

"This is not their doing, Nozomi." Heiji said, taking a step in front of Miroku and Kagome.

Miroku blanched at his words. Nozomi was blaming them for this chaos? Why!?

Kagome felt numb. She looked over her shoulder, half expecting to see pristine walls and lush grass filled with summer flowers behind her. It hadn't changed, though. Nozomi, Heiji and Miroku barely registered as she tried to remember how to breathe.

… … …

Sesshomaru landed again, the three pups still crying and still held tight to the broken pieces of armor on his chest.

"Tatsuo."

The red wolf was consumed in swirling jaki as she shifted back into her normal form and hurried to stand before her lord.

"Nozomi is here?"

"Yes. She sent us and the others to find any pups that got away."

Sesshomaru lowered the children into her waiting arms.

"Good. What of the miko and the monk?"

Tatsuo nodded.

"With Nozomi and Heiji at the eastern guard tower."

Sesshomaru nodded to her, watching as she held the pups close and took off in the direction of the eastern road, three other inu close behind her.

He took to the sky again, heading toward the eastern guard tower and Nozomi. The familiar auras washed over his senses as he approached.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome yelled as the ball of light expanded and faded to reveal the taiyoukai. She ran to him but stopped short as she took in his appearance with a gasp; covering her mouth with her hands.

Sesshomaru didn't look at Kagome, but held his bloodied and dirtied hand out to her as he addressed Nozomi.

"How many?"

"We brought as many as we could without leaving the shrine unguarded. Nine groups of four." She told him.

Heiji stepped forward and Sesshomaru's eyes met his.

"Take the southeast side." Sesshomaru told him.

Heiji turned and ran off without hesitation. Sesshomaru turned back to Nozomi.

"The northeast side, Nozomi. We cannot allow any of them to follow us with the pups."

Nozomi's jaki flashed and she was a gray wolf again, heading off in the opposite direction.

Kagome was frozen in place, staring at the blood and dirt and other things coating Sesshomaru's skin and clothes. Even his hair was streaked through with things and his chest plate was nearly non-existent.

Sesshomaru opened and closed his hand, beckoning Kagome to him again. She stumbled toward him, her hand hovering uncertainly over his.

"Travel that way, Monk. You will come upon a wide road; the eastern road. It leads toward Atsuta Shrine. The children of the western nobility that have managed to escape will be brought there. Nozomi and Heiji will pick off any scouts that intend to follow. Aid in the defense of the pups as they travel. We will meet with you before nightfall."

Miroku's eyes dropped to Kagome at Sesshomaru's side.

Sesshomaru looked down at Kagome as well. The blood and grime that covered him was smearing across her own clothes and arms. She was crying. There was something more, though. He leaned down and took a long inhale near her neck. He looked up with narrowed eyes at Miroku.

"We will discuss this later." He said.

Kagome looked back at Miroku. Her world had become surreal again. Miroku was back in his full monk robes, Sesshomaru was injured and covered in death, the grounds around them were nothing more than a grotesque graveyard. Her free hand reached out to Miroku.

He closed the distance between them, Sesshomaru's reservations be damned, and kissed Kagome roughly.

"Don't leave Lord Sesshomaru's side, Kagome. I'll see you at Atsuta Shrine when you get there. I'll be waiting for you."

He kissed her again, reluctant to leave even as he tore himself away and climbed back onto Kirara to head in the direction that Sesshomaru had indicated.

She couldn't make any sound leave her throat, a dry, silent heave making her shoulders hunch over as she covered her mouth with her free hand. She could still feel his lips on hers and was near panic now. Everything was happening so fast and she still wasn't sure what was going on.

Kagome turned back to Sesshomaru, mouth still covered by her hand, horror and fear in her eyes; coloring her scent.

"We will search for any surviving fallen, Kagome. Kaede has taught you well and any who can be saved will need to be tended. I must find any that the Tensaiga will allow me to return to us." Sesshomaru's jaki gathered under their feet. "Kagome." He pulled her closer, disregarding the transfer of gore from him to her. "Kagome! I need you to focus."

Kagome blinked and shook her head. When she spoke, her voice wavered.

"I'll do what I can."

… … …

Even with his speed, even if he didn't allow himself any rest, it would take Kouga two days or more to reach the western border of the neutral lands. Two or more days to reach his wolves. Three days to reach Lord Sesshomaru at the Western Hall.

Kouga pushed himself harder, faster. He had to get there as soon as he could. Who knew how much destruction Inuyasha could cause in three days?

Damn Naraku. Damn him.

… … …

As the cluster of inuyoukai and Atsuta residents came into view, Miroku tried his best to reassure himself that the kiss he had shared with Kagome would not be their last. He clung to his wavering faith in Sesshomaru's power and strength. Clung to his faith in Kagome's ever-growing abilities. Did his best to focus.

He jumped off of Kirara's back as she touched the ground, surveying the huddled inu children and their watchers. There were more youkai than just the ones from Atsuta. Survivors, he assumed.

"Lord Sesshomaru wants us to begin heading toward the shrine. He will join us there by nightfall."

Tatsuo stepped out of the throng,

"How fast can that neko fly?" She demanded.

Miroku glanced back at Kirara. If Tatsuo was suggesting what he though she might be, it was a good idea.

"Fast enough. She could carry five or six and one adult."

"If she can take six, that leaves up with sixteen."

Miroku nodded.

"Nozomi and Heiji are making sure we're not followed. We should make haste."

Tatsuo grabbed up the nearest pup and unceremoniously deposited the girl on Kirara's back.

… … …

If she could have smiled in this form, she would have. It had been a long time since she had felt so savage. Nozomi's teeth ripped through the throat of an eastern soldier. Traitors. As the bird fell to the ground, she shook her head and gnawed at the mass of bloody flesh and feathers.

… … …

Heiji stood his ground, standing on two huge back paws as two jacana and one snake closed in on him from three sides. He growled and snapped his jaws. The snake lunged, but it was no match for him. His claws tore through its scales, severing the thing's head. As his hand followed through in the swipe he changed forms without a thought, swiveling on one foot and landing a kick to one of the birds' head; sending the traitor to the ground.

… … …

Kagome's stomach did flips as Sesshomaru carried her over the bodies strewn around the grounds. The moved quickly so they wouldn't be seen; staying to the outer edges of the battlefield so they wouldn't be noticed.

They made two passes around the area that they could safely scour. No survivors. No responses from Tensaiga.

She tightened her left arm around Sesshomaru's. He held her tight against his chest. The fragments dug into her back and shoulders but she paid no attention to it. Her right hand clenched at the fabric over her stomach, doing her best to keep from vomiting.

Finally, they moved into the treeline and away from the horror.

"Without wounded to tend to, we will head toward the wolf dens. From there, I will take you to Atsuta and leave to seek out the bear tribes and then head to the coast. They are not far."

Kagome turned around in Sesshomaru's grasp, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek against his arm; trying not to think about the things that were smearing into her skin.