The sky was dark as nightfall fell heavily upon the land, the full moon shimmering a bright crimson red. For a certain mortal, it would be the last moon she would ever see. Sesshōmaru knew it would be like this from the last they time met- when he had seen her high in the sky, trapped within the barrier of flame. He knew she would only last to this day, and judging by her appearance now he was only proven to be right.
Her body was covered in the rotten stench of Naraku's deadly miasma, her skin paler than a winter's snow. She looked ill, more ill than any human should be, and yet she was still alive. He can only assume she was clinging to life with all that she had… and for what? To protect a child she didn't even know? How foolish of her.
He did not know what led to the separation from her allies- his younger brother and friends- but he did know from scent alone that it involved Naraku. There was no point in interrogating her, however. She would be dead soon, and he doubted she could give him any information he would like. Irene was not going to live to see the sunrise.
How inauspicious. He mused, gazing up at the blood red moon. To die tonight of all nights.
It was strange, Sesshōmaru supposed. Just like how her entire existence was strange.
She was not meant to be in this time, yet she was. She should not have lasted this long, and yet she did.
But, what the demon lord found even stranger, was how she seemed to keep finding him. No matter the circumstances that led her to be separated from her friends, it did not change the fact that she located his ward all on her own, and then settled into their campsite. It did not change the fact that she had found him just in time to spew some utter nonsense that she had claimed she had wanted to say to him before she died.
It did not change the fact that he was the one with tenseiga, and therefore was the only one capable of reviving her.
Father… He gripped the handle of the dull blade tightly, furrowing his brows as he stared up into the ominous star-filled sky. I still don't understand.
It was with tenseiga that he had managed to free the souls of the undead, sparing her of suffering. It was also with tenseiga that he had awakened her soul, and that she was able to break free of the barrier she had been trapped in. So why now, of all times, was she here on her final day? Is he supposed to save her again?
He never should have bothered saving her the first time. He almost didn't.
And yet… now…
If part of your soul is truly in the fang you left behind for me, why does it not speak? Why do you refuse to tell me of your intentions?
He does not desire to save that human woman. She was a friend of his pathetic little brother, and of no consequence to him. Yet something drew her here tonight of all nights, and Sesshōmaru couldn't help but wonder if tenseiga truly was the cause for it. If it was her fate to die and be revived by his hand.
Irene…
Just who are you, priestess?
He narrowed his eyes at the blood red moon.
And why must I, Sesshōmaru, help you?
Suddenly, a breeze blew by- and he knew at once something had happened. Not only had the scent of the wind changed, but carried along with it was the heavy smell of blood. Human blood, blood that could only belong to one woman. The demon lord tightened his grip on tenseiga, feeling it start to shake, and a hint of irritation made itself known on his features.
It would seem fate was the cause indeed.
Irene was going to die this night.
"Lord Sesshōmaru~!" Jaken's voice could be heard crying, the imp struggling to make his way through the tall grass, Ah-Uh following behind him. Jaken tugged on the reins, wailing for the demon lord. "Lord Sesshōmaru, something terrible has happened!"
Turning his head, Sesshōmaru glanced down at the imp, expression falling into one of neutrality.
Jaken huffed, exhausted from all the running, and looked up at him, alarm in his beady yellow eyes. "Young Rin has been abducted! Naraku's incarnation, Kagura, appeared out of nowhere and took off with her! Th-The annoying human priestess is nowhere to be seen, either, but there's blood all over the field where they had been! She can't be too far, if she escaped and made it out alive; though in her condition I doubt it, honestly…" The imp made a face, recalling how terrible she had looked earlier.
Jaken shook his head.
"Either way, her story had been true! Now Rin is gone and- uh, L-Lord Sesshōmaru…?"
The demon lord was staring him down, less than impressed with the explanation he had been given, and Jaken shifted nervously, sweat beading down the sides of his face as his master's molten stare bore into him. In times like these, Sesshōmaru questioned why he bothered keeping the imp around, as he proved time-and-time again that he was useless.
"Y-You're not… uh…" Jaken stepped back, mildly afraid. "...m-mad at me, are you?"
"Let me reassure you, Lord Sesshōmaru." A voice suddenly said, dark and sinister and all too familiar. "Those mortal girls are still alive."
The demon lord and his ward turned in the direction of which they could hear the disgusting buzz of poisonous insects, a man dressed in a bamboo pelt appearing from the darkness. A smirk could be seen on his cruel, pale lips.
Jaken jumped, startled by his appearance. "It's Naraku!"
"If you heed my request, I shall return Rinin good health." The artificial half-demon promised. "But as for the priestess that commands the spirits… well, I'm afraid I need her for a little while longer. I'm sure you understand."
"Of course." Sesshōmaru said calmly, gazing at the villain with disinterest. "So, what is it you have up your sleeve this time?"
"Nothing special." Naraku informed. "I simply want you to kill Inuyasha."
A moment of silence passed then, a gentle breeze blowing in the wind as the scent of blood became even stronger. Sesshōmaru narrowed his eyes before his lips tilted upwards in an amused smile, the demon lord letting out a small chuckle. He gazed at Naraku, entertained by his request. "Why are you going through all this trouble for something so… trivial?"
Sesshōmaru rushed forward then, outstretching his claws and slicing through the man's neck, tearing his baboon-pelt covered head right off of his body. Unsurprisingly, as the head landed on the ground, it transformed into bits of clay, revealing that it was no more than a doll Naraku had sent in his place, the main body dissipating into nothing. Jaken screeched, disgusted.
"What is that!?" In the center of the clay body, was a voodoo doll wrapped with hair. The imp leaned forward, squinting at it. "A demon puppet?"
Sesshōmaru just turned his nose up at the cowardly display. "Does Naraku honestly believe he can threaten me into action, by endangering the lives of two mere mortals?"
Jaken looked up at him, eyes wide. "Will you turn your back on Rin? Will you forsake her!?"
He said nothing, simply turning around and walking away.
"W-Wait! Lord Sesshōmaru, where are you going!? What about the priestess!? Are we really abandoning Rin!?"
…
Deep within my soul, I found myself lying amidst a field of flowers.
Only this time, instead of a vibrant blue sky and beautiful blooms, the flowers were all wilting, dying, and the river stream had been polluted, drying up. The green grass had faded into a sickly brown, and I could scarcely move my body at all.
Roh, ever the loyal dog, was curled up against my side, licking my face worriedly and barking, trying to get me to wake up and move. All the spirits were surrounding me, screaming in my ears, pleading and desperate and afraid. Most notably, the dragon had coiled its long body around me, and the other spirits had followed suit, kneeling and sitting in a circle.
I felt so weak. So dizzy. So cold. I was exhausted. Everything hurt.
But they wanted me to wake, and so I did.
The pain I felt in the waking world was excruciating, tearing so deep it took all I had not to scream as I twitched my fingers. Thankfully, my wounds seemed to have stopped bleeding for the moment… but they still ached terribly nonetheless. I was also vaguely aware of a child crying into my chest.
A child…? Oh.
Rin.
I remember now. Jaken made her cry and I followed her to a melon field after she ran away, and we had been ambushed by Kagura. My injuries were from her wind blades. That must mean… we're in the castle.
Slowly putting the pieces together, my sick brain too sluggish and too tired to move at a decent pace, Rin's cries only grew louder. "B-Big Sister, please! Please, wake up!"
Ah, right. I should probably open my eyes. "…m… okay…"
Rin gasped, sitting up straight and looking at me with big teary eyes. The little girl choked, hiccuping as another sob wracked through her tiny body. "Y-You're alive? Big Sister! Big Sister, you're alive!" Her arms curled around my waist as I struggled to sit up, the girl burying her face in my kimono. "I-I was so scared!"
"…I-I'm okay, Rin…" My voice was raspy and my hand trembled as I rested it atop her head. "I'm… o-okay."
"…You're really not." A familiar voice quietly stated. I couldn't help but jolt upon hearing it. Looking up with wide eyes, I saw Kohaku sitting in the far right corner, a large melon sitting beside him. His brown eyes looked sad as they gazed at me. "I don't know why you're trying to claim you are."
"K…Kohaku…?"
Rin sniffled and looked up at me, eyes puffy and red from crying. "Y-You know him, Big Sister?"
Kohaku turned his head away, expression darkening, and I tried to catch my breath, fighting against the dizziness to stay awake. I wasn't sure what all I could say without hurting the boy, given his lack of memories, and I didn't want to scare Rin either.
After a moment, Kohaku spoke, refusing to look at either of us. "Irene and I have met before. Twice… no, maybe three times? Though to be honest, I only really remember the one."
Fair enough.
Aside from our first meeting, Naraku had possessed him and had him try to kill me. The worst part was definitely when he attacked the village and held off Sango while Kana tried to steal my soul. That was awful. I'm still furious about all the deaths that occurred, but… I do appreciate him not saying aloud to Rin what exactly happened. The little girl was upset enough as is.
I don't want her to know he tried to kill me, and has killed others, and will likely try to kill us if given the order.
Lowering my head and waiting for some of the dizziness to subside, I gave Rin's hair a slight ruffle and shifted in place so I was sitting on my legs. I cast a quick once-over around the room, trying to figure out where we were and how to best escape. I was becoming quite used to getting kidnapped. "A-Are… we in… Naraku's castle?"
Kohaku glanced at me from the corner of his eyes, then turned his attention back to the doors. "Yeah. Don't think about trying to escape, though. The halls are full of demons."
But… that doesn't make sense. "Th-The miasma-"
He just pulled something out from his kimono. It looked like a stone. A sparkling stone. His voice was solemn, as if he was emotionally detaching himself as much as he could from everything. From us. "So long as I have this barrier stone, we'll be protected from the miasma. So you have to stay near me."
Oh, I get it…
Out in the hall, we'll face demons and could be killed quickly- either by suffocation from the sheer pressure of the demonic aura or by inhaling the deadly toxin of the miasma- without some form of protection from it. But if we stay in this room where there is protection, we're risking being attacked by a young boy who knows all the different ways to kill someone, and will kill if Naraku deems it necessary.
He may be sentient right now, but once the possession happens he'll become no more than a puppet. Kohaku knows this, and he also knows that if he tries to go against Naraku he'll just get rid of him.
Either way, Rin and I are trapped.
"Do you get it?" Kohaku asked, glancing at us- though mostly at Rin- to see if we understood his words. "If you try to go outside…"
"We'll die?" Rin's voice cracked as the tears welled up again.
Kohaku nodded, confirming her suspicion. He tucked the stone back in his pocket. "I have my mask so I'm fine; I don't really need it, but… that masked priestess of theirs insisted since neither of you have that kind of thing. If you want to escape, you'll need the stone."
"I see…" Rin looked utterly heartbroken at his words.
But… something was bothering me. He phrased that quite strangely. I may be dazed and dying, but I'm still aware enough to pick apart a hint when I hear one. He seemed to be looking straight at me when he said it, too, before turning away again.
Kohaku- did he want us to escape? Did… he want me to take the barrier stone from him? Why?
"There's also a barrier surrounding this castle." The boy suddenly continued. "It's what's keeping the castle hidden from the outside world, and locking the miasma inside. But even if you do manage to get a barrier stone and leave the castle, you'd still have to find a way to break the barrier. And that's if the demons don't get to you first."
Shifting in place, I moved to sit on my legs, my palms pressing against the rickety old floor. Staring intently at Kohaku, I tilted my head and furrowed my brows, wondering why he was trying to help us by telling us all of this. Well, help wasn't really the right term for it. He physically can't help us. It's… more like he was giving us a warning.
Advice, to be precise, that was disguised as a warning.
Suddenly, Rin stood up, rushing over to pick up the giant melon by the young demon slayer. Plastering a smile on her face, she asked, "I-Is anyone hungry? We… We should eat! We don't want the melon to go bad, after all!"
Oh, sweetie…
"Hey, um, what was your name again?" Rin looked down at Kohaku, who was eying her curiously, though the tired look in his eyes never faded. "Kohaku, was it? I'm Rin! You… already know Big Sister, so… I won't tell you her name. How old are you?"
"Eleven…"
Sitting down beside him, she held the melon in her lap, rambling away to try and lighten the mood. She did seem genuinely curious about him, however. "Eleven, huh? I'm eight! But… how come you have to guard us? Are you a demon like the others? How did you meet Big Sister? Was it when she met Lord Sesshōmaru? I was just going to share the melon with Big Sister and Master Jaken, but since we're all here I'll share some with you, too! Oh, but I should probably ask if you like melons first, right? Do you like melons? I like the really sweet ones."
Kohaku just stared at her, the boy clearly baffled by the amount of questions she was asking. "...Yeah, I guess." He frowned. "You sure talk a lot."
Rin blinked at first, but the flash of sheer pain that crossed her expression was enough to stab my heart, and I started to push myself up onto my knees to try and tell Kohaku off for being rude, but another wave of dizziness hit me and I had to sit back down and catch my breath. I could only watch with sad eyes when Rin looked down dejectly at the melon in her arms and sighed.
She hugged the fruit tighter, clearly upset. "I know… but I get scared when I'm not talking."
Kohaku's expression softened at that, the tiniest bit of guilt flashing in his gaze, and for a long moment a heavy silence filled the room. After a while, he extended a hand out to her. "Here. I'll cut the melon."
Rin's head snapped up and she looked at him with wide eyes, before a tiny smile crossed her face and she did as told. "Really? Thank you!"
He didn't say anything, simply using his kusarigama to cut the fruit into pieces. Rin was quick to hand me my own portion before sitting back down next to the boy, happily munching away. I ate a lot more slowly than either of them, but the freshness of the melon did seem to give me a bit more energy. Still not enough for me move from my spot, but just enough that I didn't feel like keeling over immediately.
After eating most of his portion, Kohaku commented, "This melon is really sweet."
Rin beamed up at him. "Would you like another piece?"
"...Yes." He seemed somewhat surprised by her kindness, seeing her hand him one of her own slices. "Thank you."
"Here you are."
Kohaku didn't waste any time taking it from her and biting into it.
Rin, while still very scared, just smiled at him again. "If you like it that much, I can always go steal some more."
It became unnervingly quiet again.
"Earlier," The girl began, "you said you didn't remember meeting Big Sister except the one time. What did you mean by that?"
"...I meant exactly what I said. I don't remember. There's a lot I don't remember, actually."
"Really?" Rin looked up, concerned. "Not even about your mother or your father?"
Kohaku just turned his head away, staring into nothing. His voice was soft, and to my heartbreak it sounded so very haunted. "I've… forgotten."
"...Huh." Rin looked thoughtful, if not sad. "I've never heard of a person forgetting everything. I guess… everyone has things that they don't want to remember."
At that, Kohaku turned his head back to her and I sat up a bit straighter, moving to face the girl. Worry painted itself across my sickly features.
I was already concerned as to why she was traveling with such a supposedly cold-hearted demon lord, but that comment was very alarming. If there weren't enough red flags already, then that one was a bright neon red sign. Something had happened to her, something really bad, and for whatever reason it led to her traveling with Sesshōmaru.
"Rin…" I started to ask, hesitant and a bit afraid of the answer. "W-What… happened?"
Her brown eyes flickered up to me before falling back to focus on the half-eaten piece of melon in her hands. She was reluctant to speak at first, but soon found the courage. "Before I met Lord Sesshōmaru, my… parents and brothers were attacked by thieves. They… t-tried to get away, but…" Her voice cracked and her shoulders shook. Rin ducked her head down further, bangs falling into her face as she tried desperately not to cry. "...they were killed."
Oh.
"I still have nightmares about the night it happened." She confesses. "It… still scares me."
Oh, sweetie.
No wonder she was freaking out so badly when I told her I was going to die. It all makes so much sense now. She said she didn't want to watch me die, because she had seen her family killed right in front of her. How much younger was she compared to now when that had happened? If she was eight now and had only started traveling with the demon lord a few months ago, then it must have been fairly recent.
Baby girl… I'm so sorry.
Ignoring the pain it caused me and the amount of energy that it took, I forced my body to crawl over so I could sit next to her. Feeling my hand rest gently on her head, Rin tensed- before relaxing and leaning into the touch. I wrapped my arms around her, but she didn't pull away from the hug, instead accepting the embrace and comfort I was trying to five her.
"The… v-villagers took me in afterwards, but…" She shook her head, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as her tiny body shuddered, the girl burying her face against my chest. She was gripping the melon piece so tightly that her hands were shaking. "They always got so angry with me. N-Nothing I did… ever made them happy, and… s-sometimes, when they got really angry, they would… they would hit me…."
"It's okay," I breathed out, rubbing my hand against her arm to try and calm her, resting my head against hers, "It's okay. Y-You don't… have to say it if it hurts."
"I-I was really surprised when I met Lord Sesshōmaru, you know? He… He can come off as really scary, but he's really nice. After my family died, he… was the only one who seemed to care about me. He hits Master Jaken all the time for being mean, but… he never hits me. He… never yells at me o-or gets mad. Even though… I-I know I'm probably just a nuisance to him, like Master Jaken says…"
"Rin."
She sniffled, looking up at me with teary eyes. I frowned deeply, trying to suppress the growing urge to beat the annoying imp with that stupid staff of his.
It hurt to speak, and my lungs stuttered and shriveled from the pain, but in order to make this small child feel better I made myself force the words out. "You are not a nuisance. I-If… Sesshōmaru of all people… cares about you, o-or lets you travel with him, then… that's proof of it. B-Besides…" I held a finger up, flashing her as bright a smile I could muster. "If anyone's a n-nuisance… it's Jaken. D-Don't you think?"
Rin blinked, stared at me for a moment, then let out a weak giggle, pulling away and sitting up to wipe at her face with her sleeve. "Y-Yeah. I guess so."
I can't believe anyone would hurt such a sweet child like her. I can't believe anyone would ever hurt a child. Those villagers must have been complete bastards. No wonder Sesshōmaru had a change of heart. He must have seen how cruel they were to her while she was trying to nurse him back to health and decided to take her under his wing. Hmph. Jerks.
I have a newfound respect for Sesshōmaru now. That being said, it would be nice if he and his half-brother could get along- or at the very least learn to work together.
"Rin," I said sternly, "don't… let anyone ever tell you you're a nuisance. Don't ever believe you're a nuisance. Y… You're the sweetest little girl I've ever met, okay? And… I bet you Sesshōmaru thinks the same. That's… why he's going to come here to rescue you."
"...To rescue us." She corrected, a new light in her eyes after hearing my words. Rin sat up, expression much more cheerful, and blinking away the tears a grin formed on her lips. "Lord Sesshōmaru is going to rescue us, Big Sister!"
Well, that's only if I survive long enough for him to get here. "Th-That's the spirit!"
Rin then paused, face flushing red, and she looked at Kohaku nervously, the boy having been watching the exchange silently. "I-I'm not… talking too much, am I? Master Jaken is always telling me to be quiet…"
I'm definitely going to have to hit that imp if I survive this.
Kohaku's gaze softened. "It's okay." He told her. "I don't mind if you keep talking. I don't get to talk much."
…Gods, I hate Naraku.
So many children are being used and abused and killed, and one of them is Sango's little brother. To make matters worse, I need to think of a way to get the barrier stone from him before Naraku decides to have him get rid of us, and I also need to find a way to protect Rin from the demons outside. I have my demon slayer mask Sango made me, so I could wander alone, but I can't leave her behind with Kohaku.
I can't let another child die. Not when I'm here and able to prevent it.
But I can't move.
I won't be able to fight. What should I do?
"...Huh?" Rin's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I watched as she turned her attention to something in the corner, hiding in the shadows. "Is… that a cat?"
Kohaku tensed at that, and his hand automatically shot out to grab the kusarigama at his side. He shifted to sit on one knee. "What? That doesn't make any sense. There can't be any cats here."
True. They would all be killed by the deadly miasma surrounding this castle. But stepping out of the shadows was definitelya cat.
A calico cat, to be exact, with emerald green eyes whose stare was boring into my own brown ones. Kohaku stared it down, looking ready to attack it if need be, one arm held out in front of Rin as if to protect her. "That's… not a demon I recognize."
"S'not a demon." I said, pulling away from Rin and weakly outstretching a hand. The cat glanced at Kohaku and Rin, before turning its attention back to me and slowly approaching. "That's… a friend."
"A friend?" Kohaku looked confused.
Rin, however, appeared delighted by the tomcat's appearance. "It's so cute!"
Indeed it was.
"It's time." It said, and it was then that I realized neither Kohaku nor Rin could hear it speak. The tomcat climbed into my lap, and though my limbs felt like noodles I managed to lift the mysterious creature into my arms, cradling it close to my chest. Resting its paws over my heart, it leaned forward, its cold nose pressing lightly against mine. Green bore into brown, and I felt my breath hitch in my throat. "It's time, Irene."
A sense of despair washed over me upon hearing that, its weight heavy and harsh.
I knew my death was coming. I knew my time to die would come. I knew it would be soon. I had been given a deadline, and I knew using my Shikigami earlier would only shorten my time, but hearing from this being that had helped me time and again that my end was finally here was… painful in ways I can't even begin to describe.
I was separated from my friends, from my sister, and while I knew that I wouldn't be able to see them before I died it still hurt. It felt like my heart was being wrenched out of my chest. And to make matters worse, this poor little girl who had suffered through so much was going to watch it happen.
She had already seen her family die.
I don't… want her to have to watch me die, too.
Foolish as it was, I had been hoping to leave beforehand. I was hoping that I would be able to protect her, and after the danger passed I would wander away and… find somewhere somewhat peaceful and safe to lie down. I would sleep my life away.
I would die alone.
But now…
At the very least, I don't want to die here. Not in this castle. I want to save Rin. I want to make sure she's safe. We've been here a while already, right? Sesshōmaru should be on his way, if not pretty close. After all, Naraku kidnapped Rin solely to lure him here. If I can get us out, maybe we can meet up with him.
I just… need the strength to do it.
Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I fought against tears and looked down at the mysterious cat, shifting my hold on it so I didn't drop it. "Please… just- please." I have to help this child survive. I have to get her out of here. "Wh-What you did last time, please- can you…"
"Of course." The cat smiled sadly at me. "I must, after all. This is the only way you'll be saved."
Saved…
It said something about me not being able to be saved last time. Was it because I was alone in the castle back then? Sesshōmaru was on his way now, but I can't possibly see how he would save me. I was going to die, and there's no way he would ever even consider using tenseiga on me. But… it's fine.
If I can just save Rin, then I'll be able to accept my fate with a smile on my face.
I'll die without any major regrets.
Taking a deep breath, blinking away the stinging in my eyes, I flashed the cat a trembling smile. "Thank you."
It just gave me a nod, it's green gaze solemn. "This is all I can do for you. I am sorry."
With that apology said, the floor beneath us lit up. Rin let out a startled screech and scrambled back into Kohaku, who was unable to lash out due to having her crashing into him. An ice blue pentagram took shape, its light rising and enveloping me whole, blindingly brilliant and cold as could be.
A gust of wind, stronger than before, swirled around me, sending my hair and kimono sleeves flying in every direction, and a group of beautifully colored birds drifted in its breeze before diving into my body, their flames filling me with a familiar burst of energy and strength.
I was left gasping just like before, my back arching, and as one more violet-colored bird dove into my chest I felt a numbness form. A cold, one that was preventing me from feeling any and all pain.
As I struggled to recover my breath, the cat nuzzled my face and then licked my chin. "Stay strong. I am counting on you, Irene."
"Y-Yeah." Me too. "Thank you."
The cat smiled one last time, before disappearing yet again in a flash of red, purple, blue, and green flames. It had been resting in my arms just seconds ago, yet disappeared in that burst of fire like it had never been here at all. Thankfully, it had been here, and because of it I could breathe again. I couldn't even feel the pain of my illness or the pain of my wounds. I felt more alive than ever.
Cold, but very much alive.
I can do this.
I can save Rin.
Taking a deep breath, I pressed a hand to my chest where the bird had flew into me, calming my racing heart, before opening my eyes with newfound determination. I turned to look at Rin and Kohaku.
Kohaku releasing her, Rin was able to sit up on her knees, the girl very much concerned. "B-Big Sister…? What… just happened? What was that cat? Why did it turn into flame? I-Is it okay? It's not dead, is it?"
"N-No, it's alive." Wow, I could even talk clearly for the most part. Nice. Shikigami magic really was something else. Clearing my throat, I stood, and her eyes went wide when she saw I didn't stumble. Turning to look at her, I reached into my kimono, taking out my demon slayer mask. "Rin, get behind me, please."
"H-Huh? Why?"
Kohaku's stare intensified when he saw me put the mask on. "You…"
As Rin got up and reluctantly did as told, the eleven-year-old boy closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
"I see. You want the barrier stone I have. You're going to escape."
I tried to ignore the pang in my heart, and the shaking in my legs as I held my right hand out- red flames dancing upon my fingertips. We both knew very well what trying to take the barrier stone meant. We both also knew that neither of us were going to back down easily. Biting down hard on my bottom lip, I met his gaze sadly, knowing full well this would break his sister's heart if she knew. "I'm sorry. I… really am, Kohaku. But I can't let you kill us. I can't let you kill Rin."
"Wh-What?" The little girl looked alarmed, glancing up at me and then at Kohaku and then back at me. "Kohaku wouldn't kill us! …R-Right, Kohaku?" She looked at him again. "You wouldn't kill us, would you?"
"...I don't have a say in the matter." He answered quietly, voice as devoid of life as it was when we first woke up in this room. "When Naraku takes over, I have no choice but to do as he says."
"B-But…"
Kohaku just lowered his head, then grabbed the kusarigama and stood. He pointed the blade at me. "I can't disobey Naraku. If you want the barrier stone, you'll have to take it from me."
The flames dancing on my fingertips formed into a singular ball of fire, hot and ready to burn. "I know. That's what I planned to do."
"...Then take it." He said.
"...What?"
Kohaku turned his head away, letting the blade fall to the floor as he grasped it by the chain. His arm fell to his side. "Take the barrier stone from me. Before he takes control of me and makes me hurt you. The Saimyōshō are outside, so they can't see us. Just take it."
Hesitant and very confused, the ball of fire in my hand smoldered out and faded. I took a small step forward, uncertain if this was a trap, before approaching him. I was a bit scared to do so, but I reached out and quickly snatched the barrier stone that was hiding in the top half of his kimono, and then backed away just as fast.
I continued to back away until I was by Rin again, and keeping an eye on him I tucked the barrier stone safely into Rin's green obi. "B-Big Sister, are we… really just going to leave Kohaku…?"
"We have to." I told her, voice firm despite my fear. Patting the obi and making sure the stone was securely in place, I nodded and stood, snatching her hand with my left one. "It's going to be really dangerous when we leave here, so you have to stay by me. Do not let go of my hand. Okay? I'm going to get us out of here."
"But… K-Kohaku…"
I looked over my shoulder once more at the boy we were about to leave behind, guilt flooding my being once more. He looked so… alone, standing there in the corner of the room, head turned away as he stared lifelessly into nothing. He was drained of all hope, of all life. He was empty. He was hurting. He was only eleven years old, but had been forced to kill his entire family, and had been forced several times to try and kill his older sister. He's killed children and mothers and sisters, fathers and brothers and cousins. Elders that couldn't fight back.
Kohaku was broken.
And to make matters worse… he didn't even remember Sango that was his sister. He doesn't remember anything. He just knows he's a puppet, and is made to kill again-and-again, regardless of whether the opponent is a demon or a human, or a bandit or a civilian.
He's such a kind boy at heart, and him letting me take the barrier stone just further proves that fact. But… I can't help him.
The only way he can be saved is if Naraku is killed.
"I'm sorry…" I found myself apologizing, the guilt and sorrow making itself so prominent on my features. Kohaku closed his eyes tightly, gripping the chain of his weapon to hide the shaking of his fists. The sincerity of my voice, of my apology, of knowing we could have been friends if the situation was different, made this all the more painful. "Thank you, Kohaku."
"Just go." He forced out, a lump seeming to have caught itself in his throat. "As soon as the Saimyōshō see you, I won't be far behind. So hurry up and go!"
Swallowing thickly, I nodded and tightened my hold on Rin's hand, tugging her along with me as I headed for the doors. Rin looked close to tears. "Big Sister!"
"You heard him, Rin! Come on!"
She could only look up at me with big eyes, before turning to glance at Kohaku, watching the boy fall to the ground with a hand over his face as I opened the door. Stepping out and hurriedly closing the door behind us, the boy faded from view, and our journey to escape the castle began.
It was just as dark and disturbing as I remembered, and Rin let out a few terrified squeaks when she saw the decaying corpses and skeletons nearby. Her face paled considerably at the sight of some rather hideous-looking demons floating and wandering about, and hearing some familiar buzzing I knew the Saimyōshō were nearby.
It would be nice if I had one of those gross smelling flowers to burn to get rid of them, but unfortunately this was an entirely different castle…
Frick.
"Which way, which way?" I looked back-and-forth as we approached a wooden deck, trying to figure out the fastest way out of here. Hiding wasn't exactly an option since most demons had a strong sense of smell. Honestly, it really was a miracle Naraku didn't figure out I wasn't Anastasia sooner. Is it because he's a spider? Do spiders have noses? Ah, whatever. Now's not the time to be wondering about that. "Uhhh- this way!"
Quickly bringing a ball of flame into my hand, I dashed towards a rather ugly looking worm-like demon and grabbed it by what I think was it's throat. It barely had time to turn around before I had amped up the heat to a scorching white, its body melting around my hand before collapsing to the ground. Rin let out a strangled sound, as if she were suppressing a scream, before she clamped her free hand over her mouth.
Gods, I'm so sorry. This is probably terrifying for her to see.
But I'm panicking and we need to get out of here.
Rushing through the wooden deck, the buzzing of the Saimyōshō grew louder- and they were coming from behind us now. The filthy bugs were hot on our tail. "Freaking heck!" This is insane. I don't know why I'm doing this. We're going to get killed.
No, it's fine. It's going to be fine.
I can do this.
I can't feel pain. I can't even feel the exhaustion right now.
I can do this.
"Rin, come here." I let go of her hand and held my arms out, and though confused she stepped forward. Picking her up by her waist, I carefully lifted her and set her on the wooden railing. "O-Okay, good girl. Now, turn around and jump onto the ground, please- yes, like that. Perfect." I then climbed up myself, following suit. I could hear footsteps in the distance, footsteps of someone running, and I knew that it was a possessed Kohaku coming after us. Snatching Rin's hand, I tugged her along into a run. "Let's go, go, go!"
Unfortunately, we weren't able to get very far.
There was no avoiding the blade that sliced my arm and took off my sleeve, and then sliced me again when Kohaku yanked the kusarigama back to him. I ended up falling to ground from the force of the abrupt blow, and poor Rin was yanked down with me. In a rush of adrenaline, I clapped my hands together and slammed them onto the ground, a stark white pentagram appearing beneath me.
"O' flame burning bright…!"
A rhinoceros appeared and roared, and charged at Kohaku when I threw a hand out and pointed at him. The boy dodged it, but through sheer determination I was able to keep the Shikigami summoned, and it continued to chase him. Kohaku slashed and dodged and slashed again, but his blade simply phased through it and the rhinoceros took that chance to ram its head into his chest, sending the boy flying into the air.
Skidding against the ground, Kohaku dug the kusarigama into the dirt to halt his descent, and digging his heels into the ground he charged again.
That was when I heard Rin scream. "Big Sister!"
Whirling my head around, I inhaled sharply at the sight of more demons approaching. "G-Get behind me!"
Stay focused. Stay focused. Keep the rhinoceros here.
"Sh-Shikigami!" I threw my right hand up above my head. "Bind these evil demons!"
In a flash of green flame, a familiar eagle appeared and cawed loudly, its cry echoing through the ruins as it flew towards the demons rushing at us. The flames around the eagle grew higher and brighter, spreading until the Shikigami was several times larger than it was after being summoned, and it's green flames swallowed the horde.
When the worst of the flames disappeared and the eagle had returned to my side, the demons could hardly move, trapped in place by the fire dancing along their limbs. They roared and cursed and screeched, and quickly thanking the eagle I dismissed him and called forth a fiery red bull, sending it charging towards the trapped demons. As it tore into them, ripping them to shreds with their horns, I heard a cry from Rin.
"Kohaku, no-!"
I wasn't able to turn my head in time.
There was a flash of silver and a warmth in my right shoulder, and as I stumbled back the blade returned and slashed deep into my left side. I ended up pushing Rin to the side to avoid her getting hit, and then Kohaku was in front of me, the boy swinging determinedly at me with his kusarigama. I had no choice but to try and hit him with balls of fire, stepping left-and-right and back and attempting to leap out of the way of his weapon.
Rin was screaming, pleading for Kohaku to stop, tears forming in her eyes as she started to cry.
But… he didn't hear her.
He couldn't even hear me.
Before long, my arms were shredded and covered in cuts, my right kimono sleeves halfway gone and my left ones missing completely. Whenever I got too far away from Kohaku's liking, he would slash at my legs, and after I managed to hit him pretty hard with the rhinoceros spirit again I tripped stepping backwards. That somehow managed to spare my life for just a bit longer, for the kusarigama's blade grazed my face- leaving a couple cuts on my cheeks due to its strange shape.
I was breathing heavily after I recovered, blood spilling from far too many wounds.
Whatever that mysterious talking cat did to me with those bird spirits, it was certainly keeping the pain away. It was also keeping me moving, despite how weak my body was right now. I could feel the dizziness start to creep its way back in, the bloodloss starting to overpower the magic, but I couldn't stop now.
"B-Big Sister-!"
"O' overflowing blue sky!" I shouted, stepping to the side to avoid the worst of another hit, Kohaku getting a deep gash on my right bicep again. A green light shone behind me. I raised my hands in the air, forcing out two medium-sized fireballs from my palms to send the boy stumbling back as they hit his chest. "Bind my foe!"
Blood dripping onto the ground, the eagle appeared- its green wings spreading behind me almost as if they were my own, before it flew upwards and dived down towards Kohaku. The boy raised his kusarigama to slash at it, but suddenly found himself unable to move when it flew through him, his body becoming enveloped in flames and binding him, preventing his movement.
Seeing I was successful, I could feel some of my strength fade, the dizziness growing even stronger. Kohaku was trapped.
"I… probably should've done that from the start." I breathed, wheezing a bit as I stumbled backwards. My legs suddenly felt so weak. "Th-That would've… made this so much…"
My knees gave out.
Rin rushed over to me crying, hands hovering in the air as she tried to figure out what to do. Most of what she was saying was unintelligible, the child panicked and afraid as I continued to bleed and bleed. Kohaku struggled against his new restraints, tightening and loosening and tightening his grip again on his kusarigama, before he stopped. Head snapping up, his dead eyes turned to look at something behind us.
Following his gaze, I blinked- then stared in utter confusion for a long moment, brain processing what I was seeing, before I patted Rin on the arm and pointed.
Sniffling, the teary-eyed girl looked up, and then she brought her hands up to her mouth with a relieved gasp. "Lord Sesshōmaru!"
The demon lord glanced at the boy before us, then at Rin, and finally landed his gaze on me.
"So," He said, "you protected her?"
At that, I flashed him a bright yet lopsided grin, holding up a thumb. I had completely forgotten that I was wearing a mask. "D-Did my best! Um… huh." My vision faded for a moment and I brought my hand up to my head, blinking away the darkness and the spots that had appeared. Shaking my head, I pressed my palms to the ground and staggered onto my feet, wobbling a bit as I walked over to grab Rin's hand. "This… way."
"B-Big Sister, you're-"
Stopping in front of Sesshōmaru, large droplets of blood dripping with each footstep, practically forming a puddle from where I had been sitting earlier, I held Rin's hand up dramatically for him to see and pointed at her. "N-Not a demon touched her! Your kiddo's safe."
His eyes narrowed at that, and for a moment it looked like he had turned his nose up at me- though whether it was from my words or the strong stench of human blood I wasn't quite sure. His brows had furrowed, the slightest downwards tilt of his lips showing displeasure. But, despite it all, he didn't correct my words. He didn't deny them.
Sesshōmaru just stared me down, watching as more and more life drained itself from my face as the blood continued to pool. He turned to look at Kohaku, and his gaze darkened at the sight and smell of blood on his blade. "That boy's the one who did this to you." It wasn't a question, but an observation. He knew he was the one who hurt me.
That didn't stop my sluggish brain from having to take a moment to process that, though. "...Huh? O-Oh, uh, yeah, but it's fine. It's Kohaku."
He amber eyes flickered to me upon hearing my casual dismissal.
Suddenly, there was a familiar voice screeching in the distance. "-ruuuuu~! Lord Sesshōmaruuuuu~! Wait for meeee! M'loooord!"
Jaken. That wee lil' bastard. I'm gonna-
Whoa. Lost my balance there. Letting go of Rin's hand, I had to hold my arms out to catch myself, bending my knees slightly to prevent myself from falling. A few seconds later, there was a strange wavering in the air- and the skies began to clear. I looked up with wide eyes, half-dazed and half-amazed. "It broke!"
Laughing somewhat deliriously, I pointed at the sky and looked down at Rin. I was too light headed to process what the barrier breaking actually meant, or who it was that must have broken it.
"We can escape now!"
"W-We need to take care of your wounds first!" She cried, latching onto what little remained of my sleeves. "Th-There's too much blood- I-I- Big Sister!"
"Rin." Sesshōmaru spoke, catching the girl's attention and causing both of us to look up at him. While his expression was hard to read, his voice was quite firm. "Take the priestess with you to Ah-Un and leave."
Blinking away tears, she stared at him, before snapping out of it and nodding her head. "Y-Yes!"
Grabbing my hand, she tugged on it, trying to get me to follow her.
"This way, Big Sister!"
"Wh-What? Wait-" This isn't right. I'm not supposed to stay with them. In my shock, I ended up following Rin for a few steps, only to pull back when I snapped out of it, looking up at the demon lord in great confusion, utterly baffled by his demand. "Sesshōmaru-"
"Let's go!" Rin huffed, grabbing and tugging on my hand again.
Jaken had nearly reached us by this point. He ended up coming to a startled stop when he saw my bloodied state and the way Rin was bossing me around, and Ah-Un let out a muffled worried roar.
By this point, the fire restraining Kohaku had faded. The boy was left standing there, watching lifelessly as Rin tried to force my tired form up on Ah-Un. Unfortunately, my vision kept fading in-and-out and the dizziness was growing too strong to fight against, making it hard for me to try and climb onto the saddle.
As I managed to hook my foot onto the stirrup with Rin's determined help, weakly grabbing onto the saddle to try and hoist myself up, I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder to blearily watch as Kohaku turned to face Sesshōmaru, lifting up the bloody kusarigama as he did so.
I couldn't see his face, but I saw the demon lord lift up a hand, two fingers stretched out and most likely ready to poison the boy. "Oh?" I heard him muse. "You'd turn your blade toward me?"
No…
"D-Don't…!" I could barely get the words out now, the spell the mysterious cat had casted clearly wearing off. Slowly but surely, pain was flooding back into my senses, and it hurt like hell. As Rin snapped at Jaken to help her push me up onto the two-headed dragon, I felt a painful lump catch in my throat. "Don't… kill him! Don't…!"
Please. He's just a kid.
He's all Sango has. He's her little brother. "S-Sesshōmaru…!"
"Kohaku!" Right as Rin and Jaken pushed me up onto the saddle, there was a flash of red and silver and then Kohaku was falling back. My eyes widened, and a wave of relief and surprise came crashing down on me, a strange mix of emotions flooding me as I saw Inuyasha appear, the half-demon punching the boy in the face to stop him from attacking Sesshōmaru. "What are you doing, you fool!?"
Inuyasha's nose suddenly twitched. Face paling, he glanced around him at the disturbingly large amount of blood on the ground, before finally turning his gaze in my direction. His lips curled back, and his amber eyes went wide.
When he spoke, his voice was a choked whisper. "I-Irene…?"
"Inuyasha!" I could hear Kagome shout. "Inuyasha, is it Kohaku!?"
"Kohaku!" Sango.
"Inuyasha, wait for us!" Miroku.
"Did you find Irene!?" Shippō.
My friends were here. I can hear them.
"Where is Irene!?"
My sister is here.
But just as they all came into view, Rin had hopped onto Ah-Un without even waiting for Jaken to climb up, and she grabbed hold of the reins, flicking them and instructing the demonic dragon to fly. Rin kept firm hold of one of my arms so I didn't fall, but that didn't stop me from weakly outstretching a hand towards the group of people I've come to trust and love so dearly. As my vision started to fade once more I could just barely see Maria look up at me, horror in her hazel green eyes.
I'm so sorry…
This wasn't how I wanted you to remember me. I didn't want you to see me like this.
I wish I could have told you about my fate, but there was no way you would accept it. I didn't want you to have to suffer with that knowledge, too. You can be mad at me if you want. You can curse me. I know I'm a terrible sister. But… I'm so glad that I got to see you, and all my friends, one last time.
I love you so much.
You deserved better than me, but you cared about me anyway. All of you. You all were my world. There's nothing I could ever say or do that could express that enough, or show you how grateful I am.
My dear friends… I can't believe I really came this far.
Inuyasha, you were the one that saved my life when I first came to this world. You carried me, a total stranger and a foreigner, on your back to the village for help from Kaede. Arguing with you all the time has made me less afraid to say what's on my mind, and made me more confident as a person. Training with you was certainly an experience, and I know now that despite your harshness the things you say come from a place of concern. You got so angry and protective after learning how I was being mistreated, and… I know that there's a lot I wouldn't have been able to do without having constantly butt heads with you.
Kagome, you nursed me back to health so many times, and despite hardly knowing me for more than a few days you went out of your way to convince your family to lie to the doctors in order to get me my medicine. You saved my life so many times. Yet, despite that, a part of me was jealous that you could go home whenever you wanted. That you could see your family freely. I wanted to hate you for the longest time. But… I never could. You were just far too kind, and I adored you far too much.
Shippō, you were just as alone as I was, but you went out of your way to comfort me and cheer me up. You were always by my side, even when I fell deeply ill. When Kagome wasn't there, you were next to me trying to help me fight a fever, and was always ready to defend me no matter what we were up against. You're just a child, but you're the bravest person I've ever met. Kirara, too. She was there for me in my darkest moment, and carried me for days when I was unable to walk. She was always with you, curled against me when I fell sick.
And Sango…
You were the big sister I needed when I was hurting and afraid. I may be the older one and you the younger one, but our relationship with our siblings became the catalyst of our friendship. We had lost that which we cared most about, and leaned on each other as a result. You filled the void that Maria had left, and set yourself a place in my heart that can't ever be taken away. You are, without a doubt, my most dearest friend. I wish I could be there for you when the day Naraku is defeated, and Kohaku is freed.
I wish I could see you two reunited, with him recognizing you for who you are.
And… Miroku. I despised you at first. I couldn't stand to be near you. But you gave me validation and advice when I needed it most. You taught me to be confident with my powers, and to believe in the care you all had for me. You taught me to believe in myself. You were there on Mount Ho-oh when I told the truth of my insecurities, but you accepted me regardless. When I saw you got hurt trying to rescue me from the panther demons, the guilt was excruciating. Despite your perverted antics, even you grew to be a friend I treasured deeply.
For that, thank you.
Thank you all for accepting me. For loving me. For never calling me a burden.
I hope, that if the afterlife exists, we don't see each other for a very long time. I want you all to defeat Naraku, survive, and live your lives.
Please… will you do that, for me? And… take care of my sister, too?
She's stubborn and hotheaded like Inuyasha, but she's kind and cares a lot. I don't want her to be lonely in this place. If it's you all, I know I can trust she'll be alright.
"...Big Sister?"
The dizziness too strong to fight, I found myself falling forward, forehead hitting the back of Rin's shoulder. My vision was fading in-and-out again, and no matter how many times I blinked I couldn't get back control. As we flew over the forest, Rin flicked the reins again and Ah-Un began to move downwards.
We ended up settling near a stream, and Rin- carefully keeping hold of my shoulders, shifted so I was leaning on the saddle in a way that would allow her to jump down on the ground. Carefully, the demonic dragon knelt down, and Rin helped me climb down, though I wasn't standing for very long. I ended up collapsing on the grassy ground, resting against Ah-Un's side. The poor girl was fretting, starting to cry again even as she grabbed some random cloth and tried to clean my wounds with water from the stream, yanking my mask off to better tend to the cuts on my face.
She was talking to me, saying something frantically, but I couldn't hear her. My ears were ringing. My vision was completely spotted.
I… felt cold. In a way that was different from the Shikigami spell the cat had casted.
And yet… that moon in the sky, glowing such a brilliant red… felt so warm. I couldn't help but outstretch a bloody hand towards it, trying to grasp it into my palm. "So… pretty…"
How lucky am I to see not only my sister and friends before my death, but such a beautiful sight as well? To be able to tell Sesshōmaru the words I had wanted to say for so long, and even succeed in saving Rin? For all the misfortune I suffered, the world seemed to have finally taken pity on my pathetic self, granting me this one last mercy.
Truly, I don't deserve…
As always, thanks for reading and have a wonderful day/night wherever you are! Let me know what you think in the comments. 💕
