Author's Notes: Wow, I'm almost sad to keep posting chapters for this story, because I know that very soon it will be coming to an end. It, like all my other works, has become dear to my heart, and I'll be extremely sad to see it end. But it must, just like all stories in life (wow, that sounded really wise, didn't it?).
This chapter is a little darker, almost angsty, then the others I've posted so far. It delves into Sukiono's past, so that you all can get to know him better, so to speak. It will deal with his feelings regarding all the people he's known in his life, and I think I might have succeeded in surprising a few of you with the outcome. We also get to see the start of the final action sequence, so be prepared for that.
Other then that, the only announcement I have is one that some of you have probably already seen if you read my other story, 'Impossible Dreams', but I'll tell you anyway, just in case. The website where my story, 'Soul Therapy', has been nominated for an award, is currently having its People's Choice award polls, so I would encourage you to go check it out and vote for the story(s) of your choice. No, this is not me telling you to vote for my story, I really feel that there are some worthwhile fics on that site that have been nominated, and I honestly want you all to choose the one you like the most. You'll find the website at the top of my profile page.
So, besides that, all I can say is the usual thanks for all of your wonderful reviews. As usual, the response to this trilogy never ceases to amaze me...this story may even reach the 1,000 mark like the second one, which would absolutely thrill me to no end. I just love you all! Enjoy chapter twenty!
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Fala1385: Yes, I frequently go back and reread chapters from my stories, because it helps to refresh my memory as far as what I've said and had the characters already do. And even still I make mistakes, like introducing someone twice, or at least that kind of thing. Besides, I think it's really fun to go back and see what I've done in the past after putting some time and space between myself and the writing. And I would love to read your story, just let me know when!
Array: Thanks for the compliment, and I just want to assure you that all will be explained in the end, either with an extremely long epilogue or a couple of extra chapters that jump ahead a few years...I still haven't decided which I'll go with yet. We'll just have to wait and see. Thanks!
Title: Soldiers in a Timeless Battle
Author: dolphingirl0113
Chapter: Twenty
Rating: PG-13 (for language and, at times, sexual implications)
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
The night was dark and cold, signaling that autumn was making its final turn into winter, and Sukiono knew, from experience, that the first snows would not be far away. But snow was the last thing on his mind at that moment.
He lay on his side, curled up in a tight little ball, his eyes squeezed shut as a nearby fire managed to keep his body at least at a reasonably warm temperature. He was exhausted, and just wanted to sleep, but his mind would not grant his wish, tormented as it was by recent events.
"Ka-go-me..." He breathed through his quivering lips, a slight shiver running through his body as he pulled his long, fur-lined cape further up around his ears. He'd once had a mother to do that for him, but fate had seen to it that he would be alone in life.
Memories...nothing but memories haunted his dreams, and had been doing so for the past week...memories of a time when he had been happy. Memories of his mother, her smile and her soft hands, and memories of Kagome, with her gentle, carefree laugh and forgiving heart.
He could still feel her body against his, supple and soft, yet strong at the same time. How was that possible? How was she so special, so unique? Or more to the point, how could she find it in her heart to forgive and pity him while the others could only show him hate?
"Mother..." He missed her, oh so much, especially now when he felt so lonely. Why had those bandits come? Why had they killed so many innocent people?
A familiar sense of anger built within his breast, and Sukiono could remember the first time he had felt such a powerful emotion. It was the same day his father, the demon Naraku, had come to him, offering him power to take his revenge. Blinded by childish tears, Sukiono had taken the offer without considering the consequences, and for the rest of his life had been bound to his father's fate, even after Naraku's demise.
Ever since, he had been shown nothing but scorn from those he came close to, so surrounded was he by dark energy and negative feelings. Village priestesses would feel his approach long before he had arrived, so that when he did, he was greeted with an arrow pointed at his chest, along with a warning to stay away. And so he had gone on, after Naraku had died, desperately searching for a place to belong, until finally he came to understand he could never belong anywhere, because his father's poison had taken hold of his heart, holding him to the same desire for revenge.
"It's a curse," he muttered softly, starting to feel some warmth return to his body, along with a sudden drowsiness as his instincts told him he could now go to sleep. "Damn you, father, for what you did to me..."
A child's laughter filled the forest, and Sukiono found himself gazing at his six-year-old reflection in a small stream, wiping off his cheek where his mother had just splashed him with water. He turned to face her, his cheeks rosy and his green eyes sparkling with life.
Her long black hair was pulled back into it's usual bun, her slim body accentuated by her ragged clothing, which even had a few patches in places where she had been unable to mend the fabric. But he didn't care, in his opinion she would always be beautiful with her exotic violet eyes and long, elegant neck. At that moment, she set down her water skin and held out her arms with a smile on her face, to which he responded by laughing and leaping into her arms.
"Mother!"
She took in a sharp breath at his growing weight, but laughed it off as she ruffled his hair, falling into a sitting position and allowing him to sit on her lap. "Oh Sukiono...my wild little boy."
They sat like that for a long time, just watching the clear water flow over the rocks in the stream, listening as the occasional bird chirped or flapped its wings in one of the trees.
Finally he turned around and looked into her eyes. "Mother, why don't I have a father?"
"What?" Her eyes had opened slightly in surprise at the question.
"Well, all the other boys I meet in the villages have fathers, but not me. Why don't I have a father?"
He watched as his mother sighed, almost in resignation, before replying. "Of course you have a father, Sukiono, all little boys have fathers, but..." She closed her eyes as though to block out some kind of pain, "Your father did not want to stay with us."
For some reason, that caused a barb to pierce him in the heart, and he felt a tear roll down his cheek. "Why? Did he not like me? Did I do something bad?"
One of her soft hands gently wiped the tear away, smiling lovingly as she did so. "You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. If anyone is at fault, it is me for thinking he would stay at all." She hugged him closely. "In all honesty, you're better off without having him around. He was not a good man."
That caused Sukiono to stop crying as curiosity overcame his despair. "Why, what did he do?"
Her eyes clouded over, and her voice fell to nothing more than a whisper. "Something very horrible to two innocent people, something that ruined their lives forever."
"Oh..." He looked away for a moment before looking back again. "Is he still alive?"
"I don't know, my love, I haven't seen or heard from him since two months after I found out I was going to have you, and that would have been almost seven years ago." She sighed again. "If he is still alive, he certainly has no more concern for me or my wellbeing."
Sukiono snorted in frustration and threw his arms around her neck, clinging to her small body tightly. "Well, don't you worry, mother, I'll take care of you. If he was so mean, I don't think I want to know him any more."
She laughed; but that laughter began to fade, or rather, meld into something much more horrible: screaming. Suddenly it was all around him, coming from all directions, and the pleasant, sunny afternoon was gone, to be replaced by a stormy morning full of pain and tears.
People were running about madly all around, and it was all he could do to keep from being trampled. "Mother!" He cried. "Mother, where are you!"
He spotted her, fighting off a man nearly twice her size, and he screamed in fear, running towards her with only the thought of saving her on his mind. But before he could reach her, he felt something strong and cruel grab his hair, holding his sandy gold locks in a vice-like grip. He whimpered in pain, and screamed again. "Mother!"
Someone slapped him, hard, across the face, and a gruff male voice spoke. "Shut up, you little brat, or I swear I'll kill you."
But that only fueled his need to be safe, so Sukiono tried again, this time louder and more desperate. "Mother, help me!"
She turned, and their eyes met as a newfound determination came into her eyes at the site of her son in danger. "Sukiono!" With surprising strength, she rammed her knee into the groin of her attacker, sending him to the ground in a ball of pain, and she took the opportunity to run up and start punching the giant who had the grip on his hair with all her might. "Let him go, you monster! He's just a child!"
"Get off of me, bitch!"
Her mouth hardened into a dangerous line, and she continued to punch even harder. "I said...LET HIM GO!" She jabbed her fingers into one of his eyes, and the next thing Sukiono knew he was crashing to the ground as the man howled in pain, clutching his left side, his fingers quickly being covered in his own blood.
"You fucking bitch!" He screamed. "I'll kill you for this!"
Without much time for thinking or goodbyes, Sukiono watched as his mother turned to him, her violet eyes full of care and love. "Sukiono, go, my love, and never look back, do you understand? Run away!"
"But mother..."
"Do as I say, child!" She shoved him in the direction of the forest to prove her point, the giant of a man all the while charging at her with one hand still plastered to his face. "I love you. Always remember that. Now go!"
And so he did. He turned around and sprinted for the trees faster than he had ever moved before, his legs practically flying so that even once he had reached the forest it took several minutes to come to a complete stop. And there, in the dark of the trees, he waited, curled up into a tiny ball, for the screaming to stop.
By nightfall all was quiet, save for his quiet breathing, and Sukiono gradually made his way in the direction of the village, hesitant at first, but then desperate to find his mother.
All the huts had been burnt to the ground, the remains of the wood smoking mysteriously, as though to add a ghostly feel to the atmosphere. There was also the stench of burnt flesh, and he had to cover his mouth with his tiny, dirty fingers to keep from vomiting right there on the ground.
And then, he saw her, lying on her back with one arm resting on her abdomen, her long raven hair strewn about her like angel's wings, her eyes closed as though she were in nothing more than a peaceful sleep. But there were bruises on her wrists, and worse, on her neck, which told him, even as a child, that she was dead.
"Mother..." his voice was weak as he sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of a grimy hand. Then the pain hit him full force, and he could no longer hold it in. "MOTHER!"
"No!" Sukiono flew into a sitting position, his breathing coming in sharp, haggard rhythms. At first, he looked around for the dead bodies, but slowly, as his eyes adjusted, he found himself staring at a grove of trees and a fast dwindling fire that had been reduced mainly to red-hot coals. His hair fell down his back, and as he looked at his hands, they were once more large, like a man's should be. He sighed. "It was just a dream."
But it was also more than a dream. It was an exact replication of that day, when he had lost her, as though his mind couldn't forget, and as such insisted that he relive the horror again and again in his sleep. He remembered, vividly, how, after the pain had vanished, the rage had begun to appear, consuming him so that he was blinded by it. And that's when Naraku had appeared.
"You're awfully grown up to be crying," A low, raspy voice called out from the bushes, and Sukiono whirled around, feeling his heart pound.
"Who's there?"
"Tell me this, young man...would you like to avenge your mother?"
Revenge? Only a day before, he would not have been able to even define such a concept, but now that it was placed before him, he wanted nothing else. "Yes," he hissed, feeling suddenly like his body was on fire with the need to kill those who had killed all he had ever wanted and loved.
The voice chuckled, and the bushes shook as someone approached. "Excellent." Suddenly Sukiono was staring at a tall man wearing a cape and the mask of a baboon over his face so that all he could see were his lips, which were curved up into a smirk.
"How can you help me?" He asked warily, trying to sound more grown-up than he actually was.
The man chuckled again. "Take this," he held out a large, straight, almost stick-like object.
Sukiono hesitantly took it in his hands, feeling his fingers go numb with cold as he briefly touched the skin of the stranger before him. "What is it?" He whispered, staring at the thing in his hands.
"This will create a barrier around you, and prevent others from attacking." He extended his hand again, and this time he possessed a small sword. "And take this as well, for while the barrier will protect you from their blows, it will not protect them from yours."
This time Sukiono wasted no time taking the object into his hands, clutching it close to his chest, along with the other strange object. "And this is how I can have my revenge?"
"Yes."
He nodded and turned to follow the horse tracks that led off into the woods, but before he could, he turned back around to face the strange man in the mask. "Who are you?"
The mouth smirked again. "I am called many names, but you, Sukiono, may call me father."
Sukiono shook his head to rid it of the horrid memory. He had been so foolish then, to accept the supposed 'gifts' of Naraku. If only he hadn't been so anxious to kill those guilty of killing his mother, perhaps he would have seen the danger in trusting such a man as his father. His mother had been right...he would have been better off never knowing him at all.
He remembered how, after he had killed all those bandits, and his hands were forever more stained with their blood, Naraku had come to him again and offered to give him shelter, putting him up in a castle that was secluded and seemingly far away from the rest of the world, though in reality it had only been another of his illusions. There he had remained, waiting and honing his skills as a fighter, for the day when his father would call for him and they could go fight the world together.
But that time never came.
Instead, he had been bombarded with stories of a beautiful, enchanting priestess who was the spitting image of perfection, and of a weak hanyou who had stolen her heart away from Naraku. It had slowly hardened his heart, so that, before long, he had become as heartless and cruel as his father, and slowly, the line between their lives began to blur, and Sukiono felt that his father's plan for revenge was his own. He began to hate Inuyasha and Kikyou as much as Naraku, and slowly began to be intrigued by the new woman, Kagome, as well.
The last time he had ever seen him, his father had come to him, accompanied by those damn detachments of his, Kagura and Kanna, to say that he would finally have his revenge, Kagome would be his, as would the Shikon no Tama, and Kikyou and Inuyasha would be dead.
"So that's it?" He asked, feeling his voice quiver slightly in disappointment and anger. "That's all you have to say?"
Naraku raised one of his eyebrows slightly. "What else did you expect me to say? At long last our fight for revenge, for world domination, will be complete."
Sukiono had turned away, feeling bitter. All he had wanted, all he had hoped for, was even one word of approval from the man for all the hard work he had done training himself for battle. Even a small pat on the back would have sufficed. But of course, yet again, he had been disappointed, and he missed his mother more than ever.
"It is your battle to fight, father, and your need for revenge," he hissed, turning around to head back into the castle that had become more like a prison then a home. "It is none of my concern."
"That's where you're wrong," Naraku called out in reply, causing Sukiono to stop and turn around in spite of himself.
"What does that mean?"
"You are my son, and you feel the same way I do." He smirked...oh, how Sukiono had come to loathe that smirk. "The instant you accepted my help in avenging your mother, you became more like me then you'll ever realize. Your heart is dark, Sukiono, and you can't change that. In the end, you will carry out my work, should things to awry, though I doubt they will."
"You lie," he spat back, moving to wrap his fingers around the man's throat, but was stopped by Kagura, who stepped in front of him and flicked her fan about dangerously as a warning. Knowing he could not win, he backed off, but still glared. "I am not you."
"But you are. Your heart will never go back to the way it was. You are a different person then you were then. Accept your fate."
"Never!"
"No one will want you now that you have killed so many, Sukiono, don't you understand? I am all you have left."
"Stop it! Just stop it!"
Sukiono had started rocking back and forth, his arms wrapped around his legs, pulling his knees up to his chest in a very child-like manner. It didn't matter. He'd do anything to get that memory out of his mind.
"He was right," he whispered, "I am nothing more than his means of avenging what he believes were wrongs committed against him." A tear rolled down his cheek. "I am good for nothing more then that."
A soft wind blew past his cheek, and he could have sworn, for just an instant, that he could hear Kagome's laughter, though he knew it was only in his mind since her village was far away. That triggered an onslaught of memories, of her face, of her eyes, her lips curved up into a smile, and her gentle touch as she tried to comfort him. It hadn't been the kind of comfort she gave to Inuyasha, from wife to husband, but rather, the kind of comfort his mother would give to him whenever he woke from a bad dream. That's what he wanted, more then anything else; he wanted the presence of a mother again.
"Kagome..." More tears caused his vision to blur, and he could do nothing to stop them. He had to find her. He had to have her with him. She was his salvation. He needed her love, and her pity.
"But how could she want me like this?" He wailed. "I am cruel and heartless, and even now I hate Inuyasha and Kikyou for being the cause of my mother's suffering." He broke into outright sobs. "What can I do, Kagome? How can I fix what Naraku did to me? Tell me Kagome!"
The sun was just beginning to rise as she opened her eyes, and Kagome smiled at how relaxed she felt in that moment...so peaceful. But she also felt a slight cramp in her arm, and brought it over her head to stretch, only to be startled by a howl of pain.
"Ow! Watch it!"
She turned in surprise to find a pair of amber eyes giving her a hard stare, a small red print on Inuyasha's forehead. But he looked so cute, lying with his head on the pillow she had brought over from her time a long time ago, that she couldn't help but smile in spite of herself. "Sorry, Inuyasha."
"Keh, forget it, I'm tougher then your average human, after all."
Kagome just rolled her eyes, having heard that one way too many times before. Sitting up, she stretched again, feeling as the blankets fell away from her bare shoulders, causing a chill to run up and down her spine. But more then that, she suddenly felt extremely self-conscious with her bare back in plain sight for Inuyasha to observe.
Quickly scanning the room, her eyes finally landed on her shirt and quickly reached over and pulled it over her head, much to Inuyasha's surprise.
"What's wrong?" He looked confused.
"Nothing, Inuyasha, I'm just, well..." She trailed off, her blush deepening, and he suddenly seemed to understand.
"Kagome, you're not going to tell me that after all we've been through together, and I don't just mean our marriage, you're still embarrassed to be this way with me?"
"Well..." she bit her lip. "Only in the daytime."
"The daytime?" That brought on another wave of confusion for the poor hanyou. His instincts told him she should feel completely comfortable with him, not nervous and flighty, like they were still merely friends and she'd done something wrong. "What's the big deal with the daytime?"
"Look," She reached over and snagged her underwear as she spoke, "It's just that, well, I'm still pretty new at this sort of, um, relationship, and, well, I'm okay at night, when it's dark and you can't see very well anyway, but during the day, when everything is in plain sight, I guess I'm just still not very comfortable."
"Oh, I see," he looked hurt. "And have I done something wrong to make you feel this way?"
"No!" She threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek before pulling away again, grinning and winking as she did so. "It's just that I'm not going to be able to break almost three years worth of habit in just a few months, got it?"
Now that made sense, and he smiled at her response, laying back down and putting his arms under his head, dosing off again for a few extra minutes of sleep. Kagome laughed again, and he cracked open one eye. "What's so funny?"
"Just that you're usually the one dragging me out of bed."
"Maybe you're just having a bad influence on me."
She giggled and kissed him lightly on the nose. "Maybe."
The sounds of movement could be heard coming from the main room of the hut, so Kagome decided it was time to get up and help Kaede prepare breakfast, since Sango was becoming more and more inclined to stay in bed in the mornings. Even though she didn't know for sure, Kagome was willing to wager a guess that the demon exterminator had been pregnant for about three months, since morning sickness didn't show up until a few months into the pregnancy, and also because of the fact that her stomach had started to become round, though it was only a slight difference that could only be seen by people who knew her really well.
She's going to have a hard pregnancy, Kagome thought inwardly as she stepped into the main room, where Kaede was sitting by the fire waiting for some water to boil, Nancy at her side trying to sew together a blanket, though in reality it was no bigger then about a four inch square, and an uneven square at that. Clearly the blonde lawyer had never needed to sew before.
"Good morning, Kaede," she called out happily, enjoying her wonderful mood.
"Good morning, child. And where is Inuyasha? He is never one to sleep in so late as this."
Kagome grinned mischievously. "Oh, I think he has good reason to be tired this morning."
"I heard that, woman!" A disgruntled voice called out from the other room, and Kagome just giggled, knowing how much the hanyou hated to be embarrassed, and how embarrassed he became at the thought of others knowing the details of their intimate love life.
Deciding to change the subject, she decided to return to what she had been thinking about a moment before, coming to sit with the other two women. "Sango is still asleep, I assume?"
The miko nodded. "Yes, and I suspect she'll be asleep for a few more hours yet. Even this early in a pregnancy, its toll on the body is great."
Kagome sighed. "It's a shame she'll have to survive the winter while pregnant. It would have been better for her if she could have been pregnant during the spring and summer, when it's a little warmer."
Nancy just waved one of her hands, the one with the needle. "Hey, if she wasn't pregnant in the winter, then she would be having her baby in the winter, and neither of those scenarios are appealing. Unfortunately we human women have nine month pregnancies, which means it's pretty hard to avoid any of the seasons completely." She poked herself with the needle, and frowned, throwing the scrap of material into the fire. "Oh, screw the thing..." Kagome just giggled.
"Good morning to all," a sleepy Miroku called as he stepped forth from the second adjacent room. Kaede's hut was forever expanding, it seemed, since none of them, for some reason, were very anxious to move out and have homes of their own. Perhaps it was because of everything they'd been through with Naraku. They'd formed such a close bond with one another, that Kagome couldn't bear the thought of living somewhere else then with Sango, Miroku, Kaede, and Shippou, and she sensed that even Inuyasha felt the same way.
"Good morning, Miroku," Kaede replied cheerfully, pulling the water off of the fire and adding several herbs into the pot to make some morning tea.
"Where is Inuyasha?" The monk asked, looking around, and Kagome got a mischievous look again, glad that everyone was noticing. It was the perfect setup to tease him. Unfortunately, with his super hearing abilities, he headed her off before she could do any damage.
"Don't even think about it, Kagome!"
She sighed and crossed her arms in mock frustration. "Aw, he's no fun, is he?" Everyone else just laughed.
But suddenly, as quickly as a shift in the wind, Kagome felt her body go rigid, a familiar presence causing the ends of her senses to tingle. She knew who it was, but didn't like the thought of meeting up with him now, just after she and Inuyasha had finally seemed to come back to a happy place in their relationship.
"Kagome, what's wrong?" It was Nancy who asked, a cup of tea poised halfway between her lap and her lips.
"He's out there," she whispered in reply, and no one had to ask who she meant by that. Rising to her feet, she moved to step outside, but felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Miroku.
"No Kagome, you're not going alone. I'll come with you."
She smiled in thanks. "Very well."
Just then, Inuyasha burst into the room, still not wearing a shirt, though he'd at least been courteous enough to find his pants. "What's going on? Why can't Kagome go outside alone?" But he seemed to answer his own question when he caught the familiar scent on the wind, and growled.
"Let's go," Kagome commanded, and everyone in the hut, including Kaede, left, leaving Sango and Shippou sleeping in the back room.
Sesshoumaru was outside looking like he had been waiting for them, and Nancy instantly went to his side as they continued walking in the direction of the well. It was a silent, short trip, with no one daring to say anything, though Kagome could have almost laughed at how they appeared in that moment: she with bedraggled hair, Inuyasha without his shirt or coat, Miroku looking half-dead, and Nancy still wearing her flannel bunny pajamas, complete with pink slippers. They weren't exactly what you would call an intimidating group.
But all thoughts of humor faded as they entered the clearing by the well to find none other than Sukiono sitting on the well, a bow and quiver of arrows strapped to his back. He saw them approach, and rose to his feet, readying his bow as he did so.
"Sukiono," Kagome breathed, "What are you doing here?"
"I've come for you, Kagome," he replied simply, his voice hard, his face strained, like he had been crying. "And to finish what I was meant to do." With that, he pointed his arrow straight at Inuyasha's heart, its tip black with negative energy, just like the arrow Kikyou had found in the villager a few months before. He blinked and met Inuaysha's steady gaze. "This ends today." And with that, he fired the arrow.
