Yay! Updateyness! Oh, before I forget, it has come to my attention that my story may have gone a little bit over R. I didn't think so but I REALLY don't want my account to be deleted so I'm going to put in a little extra warning.
Warning: the following story contains a lot, A LOT, of sexual content. If you are offended by such things please save us all the trouble and simply don't read my work because it is ALL R-rated. If you decide to ignore my warning and read my work anyway, please understand that is not my problem and don't have me thrown out. For the record, my writing is one of the few things left that actually makes me happy so if I can't write I have little reason to live. Okay, I'm being a little dramatic but it gets the point across. On to the fic.
Disclaimer: Do I own Inuyasha? Ask Kami-sama, 'cuz there's no way in hell.
…
Naraku woke up feeling very cold. He was lying on a slab of white marble all by his lonesome. He appeared to be on some kind of platform suspended a good thirty feet in the air. The lighting consisted of thousands of little candles dancing on the ground below him, so it was difficult to see more than a few feet in any direction. He could; however, make out the ground below. He was in Ashe's throne room, or at least that's what he assumed, since he had never been there.
Ashe was in the center of a large black design that had been seared into the floor and appeared to be chanting in a strange language, but he was too far away to attempt a translation. He gazed across from him and saw an identical platform all the way on the opposite side of the room. A crouching figure swathed in moonlight was staring back at him, and even though he couldn't make him out, he was more than willing to bet it was Sesshoumaru.
He now saw that both platforms were not suspended by pillars or chains, but were simply floating in midair. Lady Ashe must be a more powerful sorceress than I first assumed… Naraku admitted to himself as he imagined how much power it must take to keep two slabs of marble suspended in the air consecutively, all while performing yet another spell. He didn't want to own up to it, but Ashe may very well have gotten the best of them. The only way to escape from the platforms was to jump down, and the only thing to land on was the ominous black symbol on the floor, which he could sense evil magic flowing through.
There was no doubt in his mind that if they even so much as touched it, their life force would be instantly stolen and they would perish. This is a tricky situation… Naraku thought as he gazed back across the room to his former cellmate. Even though he could barely see him, he could feel the force of Sesshoumaru's stare as strongly as if he were reaching out to him with his mind. Naraku very much wished he could reach his lover because he doubted if either of them could escape this on his own.
It was then that Naraku got his wish.
Sesshoumaru had backed up to the far edge of the platform he was on before leaping across the entire width of the throne room and landing lightly at Naraku's side. The kumo, for once in his life, completely forgot his composure and let his mouth hang open as his lover walked over to him. Now why didn't I think of that? Naraku berated himself as the inu youkai slipped an arm around his waist.
They both stared down at Ashe's work, admiring it and cursing it sequentially.
" Do you have a plan?" Sesshoumaru inquired in his perfectly calm voice, acting as if this was no more than some minor annoyance to him.
" If I did, we'd be gone by now." Naraku growled playfully, pulling the youkai closer. If they were going to die now, he might as well enjoy his last few minutes. Oddly enough, the thought of his death didn't bother him in the slightest. The only person he came even close to caring about was going with him, so what did he have to worry about? Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow at him. " Did you say 'we' would be gone by now?" Naraku came close to blushing as he realized he just admitted that he would not only save himself, but Sesshoumaru as well if he had the chance.
Even though Naraku knew plainly how he felt about the beautiful male he had taken as his own, he would never actually admit it to Sesshoumaru or anyone else. Maybe one day… but certainly not now, even though seconds before their death would seem like perfect timing to anyone else.
Suddenly, the candle flames on the floor beneath them flickered and died in the icy wind now screeching through the hall. Ashe had completed her ceremony and was gathering her power.
" This is it." Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth as he watched angry silver bolts of energy gather around their mistress, preparing to perform the duty she had given them. As Sesshoumaru watched the figure below him carefully, he felt a very strange sensation pass through him. He could sense the energy around Ashe as easily as before, but the power had definitely shifted. This didn't make sense to him until it clicked in his mind what he was seeing.
All Ashe's power was now devoted to her ritual… and none of it was devoted to the shield she placed around herself! She was completely vulnerable to attack, but only until she completed her spell and they were killed. They only had a few precious seconds to make their move before the window of opportunity slammed shut.
" Attack her now, Naraku!" Sesshoumaru ordered as he gathered his power to launch at his captor.
" But…" Naraku began to protest. He had been too busy concentrating on her growing power to notice the power she had lost.
" Naraku, there's no time to argue!" Sesshoumaru insisted. " You have to trust me!" Naraku was a little stunned at the emotion with which his lover now spoke. He nodded his head gravely and began to gather his own power. Sesshoumaru gave him a significant look and without another word, they both leaped off the platform and straight towards the unaware Ashe.
She broke her concentration just in time to see two demons leaping down on her.
She had just barely enough time to construct a barrier around her, but this one was quite different from the others. Instead of being used for protection, this barrier was used when you knew you were going to lose and you wanted to take the other guys with you. Smiling sadistically, Ashe watched as the two demons launched themselves headfirst into her power as she herself died before her own throne.
Little did she know, not hours later a wounded figure awoke to see both her mutilated body and the body of his blood-drenched lover. The figure scooped his beloved up into his arms and with the last of his strength, got them both far, far away from the forsaken castle of the former Lady Ashe, praying to whatever gods existed, he would not have to watch his lover die in his embrace.
To be continued.