The Broken Miko
Chapter 25: Battle
Kagome stood upon the parapets in the early dawn hours, as the sky was beginning to turn pink along the horizon. All around her, soldiers ran back and forth, relaying orders and reassuring themselves that everything was going according to plan. Within the city, thirty feet below her, the army was congregating to march out to meet the god's troops. Morale was surprisingly high, but they were nervous. She could smell it. The West had not been in a war this large since the days of Sesshoumaru's ancestors.
In the far distance, she could see the curling of smoke. The enemy was burning every village they came in contact with, human or demon. They were getting closer by the minute. Soon they would be pouring over the hills, covering them in a black mass of bodies. Silently, she mourned the loss of so many lives and the destruction of the Japanese countryside.
"Three hundred and fifty thousand demons," murmured a rich voice beside her. "And yet I fear it is not enough."
The hanyou turned to look at Makoto and nodded. "Me too. I wish that Sesshoumaru had had the time to bring the remaining four hundred thousand back." She noticed the celestial youkai appeared very tired, far different than his usual jovial demeanor. "Are you alright, Makoto-sama?"
"Of course, my dear," he answered quickly, waving aside her question. "I am simply concerned. The enemy has half a million soldiers, possibly more. Our scout didn't live long enough to explain what he had seen."
"Oh my," muttered Kagome. She plastered a smile on her face. "But we don't have to worry, do we? I mean, we have you and Sesshoumaru. Right?"
Makoto nodded solemnly. "And we have you, my girl. We cannot forget your talent."
She looked over at him with a sad smile. In two nights, her talent wouldn't amount to a hill of beans. "Yeah. I'll have Tetsusaiga of course," she said with a soft sigh.
The celestial never looked so old to her at that moment, as he rested his hands upon the outer wall and peered out over the fields. She had forgotten how ancient he really was. Sesshoumaru had told her about the plot to kill him in his own home. It was terrifying to consider that such a venerable youkai could be helpless to stop his own death except by fleeing his territory. The idea that Sesshoumaru could one day be the same scared her more than words could express.
"We'll survive," Kagome said, more to herself than Makoto.
He straightened up and looked her in the eye. "Of course. I only hope that our kingdoms will survive as well."
The hanyou frowned slightly. "I don't really care for this serious side of you, Makoto-sama. It rather depresses me."
He gave her an indulgent smile. "I apologize, my dear. I simply cannot shake these dark feelings about this battle. I would have preferred to fight far from the city, in the location that Sesshoumaru and I had chosen."
"I don't think Amatsu wants us to be comfortable," replied the hanyou darkly. "He wants us to suffer."
"He is succeeding in his endeavor."
Kagome shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs in her brain. "I just wish I could remember something, anything, that would help us. I spent two days connected to a god and I can't recall anything except in snips and bits. And those just raise more questions."
Makoto nodded once with a contemplative frown. "We're so rarely in the dark in such times. Each side has so many spies that the word 'friend' is almost laughable. No one is trusted completely and yet by the time the battle begins, everyone knows everything. In this case, we can only be sure that Amatsu knows all about us."
"But we know nothing about him," Kagome finished for him, sighing heavily.
"We will," murmured Makoto. "War reveals every secret."
His tone made her raise an eyebrow. "Sesshoumaru still is keeping secrets from me, isn't he?" she asked passively.
"We all have secrets," the celestial answered with a shrug.
The hanyou wrapped her arms around her abdomen. "I don't care," she stated after a moment. "He could tell me that he's slaughtered entire villages. In fact, he probably has. I would still love him. I know he sees humans as inferior, but he cares for Rin and for me. And I always believed that he cared for his brother more than he says."
Makoto nodded solemnly. "I do not doubt that, my girl. I have known the boy for centuries and yet I believe that you have a clearer picture of his mind and heart than I could ever have."
"He'll protect me with his life," Kagome said, sadness seeping into her voice.
"Of course. A male will do anything for his mate," the celestial answered. He gave her a wry smile as her eyes widened. "He told me a short time ago. I will congratulate you when we live through this battle. Until then, it would be bad luck."
"I wouldn't think of you as the type to believe in luck, Makoto-sama," she said, smiling.
He shook his great head. "Normally, I'm not. However, I do not wish to tempt the gods into proving me wrong, Lady Kagome."
Her smile broadened. "Lady Kagome. Hmm, I could get used to that."
"Your child will be a prince or a princess," Makoto pointed out. He seemed thankful to speak about easier, lighter subjects.
She raised an eyebrow. "Prince? But Sesshoumaru is only a lord."
The celestial shrugged. "Tradition. The clans who formed the Four Lands were lords because before them, the territories were too small to be considered true kingdoms. They kept their titles of lords when they ascended to their thrones, but technically they, and their descendents, are kings. You are a queen, Kagome-sama. Didn't Sesshoumaru tell you?"
Kagome began to laugh, causing the celestial raise in eyebrow in surprise. As tears filled her eyes, the hanyou finally straightened up. "I'm sorry," she said, her laughter finally subsiding. "I just find it extremely amusing that Sesshoumaru was modest about his true position. Him being modest… wow."
Makoto smiled and began to chuckle. "I admit it's quite out of character. Perhaps he has forgotten. Most of us have, although it causes considerable confusion when you mix up the true lords of the individual clans with the lords of the territories."
She placed her hands upon her abdomen yet again. "A prince. Or a princess. That sounds so romantic. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a princess. I guess I skipped that step though."
"A queen is considerably more regal. A queen puts others ahead of herself. Princesses can afford to be a bit more selfish." The celestial's wings rustled. "You will be an excellent queen, my lady, and you will raise any princess to be an excellent queen after you."
"You're just a big flatterer, aren't you?" laughed the hanyou.
"Probably, yes," agreed Makoto. "You disliked it when I was serious."
Kagome sighed and leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms. "It's alright. I probably don't conceive of how crucial this whole thing is. I know nothing of politics or land control." She smiled weakly at him. "It's pretty much boiled down to 'Sesshoumaru good, Amatsu bad'."
"It's a good starting point," observed the youkai.
A moment of comfortable silence passed before a long, high trumpet blast began to ring in the air. Kagome's ears flattened against her head. "What was that?"
Makoto peered over the inner wall into the city. "The army is finally consolidating. They will march out soon," he said, watching thousands upon thousands of demons gather in the streets of the city. They quickly fell into line and rank, faster than any human army. "I must go, my dear. My generals don't need an old man like me, but they haven't managed to completely shake me yet." He laughed, nodded his goodbye and lifted himself into the air with a beat of his large wings.
Kagome watched as he floated like a rather round angel down to the ground. Among the throng of dark-clad soldiers, she easily spotted the silvery white form of her mate. He stalked through the rows of demons, stopping once in awhile to bark an order.
Even from her great distance, she could see when he turned his head to look up at her. His golden eyes seemed to gleam, telling her to join him. She leapt off of the wall with feline grace and landed in the street below, taking several minutes to wind through the army to reach her mate. The soldiers were silent and still all around her. They filled every inch of the streets and she was reminded of the clay warriors that Urasue had created.
She finally stood beside Sesshoumaru, who was staring down a young officer. He spared her a glance by way of greeting and quickly turned back the demon. "The archery units will release the ordered volleys and then retreat to the walls of the city. We cannot afford to leave it unprotected."
"My lord," the youkai nearly whined, "I simply was trying to explain the difficulties of gathering so many companies of archers. They will want to stay."
Kagome could feel the heat of Sesshoumaru's anger radiated off of him, although his words were calm. "You are their commanding officer. If you cannot properly restrain them, I will gladly replace you."
The officer made a strangled noise and shook his head vigorously. "No need for that, my lord, I assure you. I will instruct my men accordingly." He turned and scampered off.
"Why is it that I always find you intimidating some young, impressionable lieutenant or whatnot?" Kagome murmured as the taiyoukai finally turned to face her. "I don't imagine that your generals are so easily quailed. You hate weakness."
"He will grow stronger," said the dog demon, brushing it off. "They all do."
"And those that don't?" she asked as they began to move again through the columns of youkai.
He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "They die in battle quite early on, without the need of my interference."
"Pleasant." She looked up as the great doors to the city began to swing open. "We're going out now? So soon? Is the other army here already?"
"They will be," he said as another trumpet blast echoed through the morning air. Around them, the army began to march out as a single unit. Their simultaneous steps made the ground shake and the sounds of armor and weaponry rubbing against each other forced Kagome to put her ears flat again. Sesshoumaru looked at her for a moment. "You will become used to the noise quickly. Battle creates much more noise than this."
Kagome grimaced. "Well, I guess I expected as much."
The taiyoukai wrapped his hand around her wrist. "I will not leave your side. The armor only protects against normal weapons and attacks. Do not throw yourself in harm's way."
"Because, you know, I was really hoping to do just that," the hanyou quipped. A sharp glance from her mate wiped the smirk off of her lips. "We've talked about this. I'll be fine. I fight well. I just want you to remember that. Don't get distracted."
He released her arm slowly. "I will do what is necessary to ensure our survival."
She sighed softly. This was an argument that she could not win.
Soon they were outside the city, waiting for the army to line up and looking at the horizon for Amatsu's imminent arrival. Sesshoumaru beckoned to a cluster of officers and then turned to Kagome. "I must confer with my generals. You do not have to accompany me, if you do not wish it." He glanced over her head to the masses of soldiers congregated behind her. "Find Kagura, Ruri and the wolves."
The hanyou arched an eyebrow. "You want me to find my friends? Why?"
"The chances of your survival are greatest when friends are there to help," he said with an impatient wave of his hand. "Normally, I do not advocate such emotion on the battlefield, but I will make an exception. I believe it will help, not hinder, your performance on the battlefield. You will be safe."
"Especially with Kagura around," said Kagome with a smile. "She's never encountered a situation that she couldn't worm her way out of."
"And you will accompany her if the need arises," commented the taiyoukai sternly.
She wanted to kiss him, loop her arms around his neck and embrace him to show how much she appreciated his concern, even if it was a bit over the top. But she knew that he wouldn't care for such a scene, and so she could only smile and brush her fingertips over the back of his hand. "I'll go find them."
The rumbling of war drums in the distance caused Sesshoumaru to lift his head and frown. "I would make haste. They are almost upon us." He turned and walked over to his officers, leaving Kagome to her own devices.
It was an easy to find Kagura. She was ignoring all protocol and wandering through the rank and file, winking seductively at the more attractive soldiers. "So, the great Sesshoumaru wants help protecting his female?" she teased when Kagome approached and told the witch of the taiyoukai's request.
"I wouldn't say that around him if you want to live a long, healthy life," countered Kagome with a smile.
Kagura glanced around with a predatory grin. "I could die quite happily after a night with some of these males."
The hanyou laughed and rolled her eyes. "You never stop, do you?"
"Naraku kept me on a very short leash," responded the wind witch with a shrug. "I am simply enjoying my freedom until I find a suitable mate. Then I will make that male very happy for a long time and provide him with many heirs."
Kagome smiled and linked elbows with the sorceress. "Well, I'm sure that he will be envied by every single male in the city. And a few mated ones too." She laughed, but stopped short as the war drums began to beat again. They were closer this time, almost loud enough to vibrate through the earth. "We have to find the others," she said, now serious, garnering a nod of agreement from the witch.
They met up again minutes later, with Ruri and the wolves in tow, just in time to see Amatsu's first line crest over the horizon. Large bulky forms of giants were intermingled with flying youkai and smaller, more agile demons on the ground. They spread across the field, covering every inch, causing Ruri to gasp. "There must be a million of them," she whispered to Kagome. "How did he get so many?"
"He's a god," the hanyou murmured back. "We're probably lucky it's only a million."
Kagura's red eyes flashed as she searched the blackened figures against the morning sky. "Three to one odds. I've had worse. We'll be okay."
The hanyou nodded, although she didn't feel near as confident as the wind witch sounded. She felt a tug on her heart and her eyes snapped to an unimpressive figure on the left side of the opposing force's line. Even against the sky, among all of the black forms, she could see the gray mistiness of his cloak and the splashes of red on either side of him. "There," she said, attracting Sesshoumaru and Makoto's attention. "I see him on the front line."
"What is he waiting for?" the celestial youkai asked, crinkling his brow. "He wouldn't want us to rest any further, I'm certain."
Kagome frowned. "No. He's taunting us. He wants us to sweat."
Makoto scowled in Amatsu's direction. "And why wouldn't we? He has the advantage in number and this terrain affords us nothing in way of trickery. We're not even that much uphill from them, just a gentle slope."
"He can't possibly think we're going to attack first," commented Ginta in an awed tone.
Sesshoumaru shook his head, a growl coming from deep within his chest. "To leave a defensive position would be suicide. I cannot imagine what he is thinking."
His unspoken question was answered quickly as a war cry sounded from the South and East armies and they began to rush forward. Swords were suddenly gleaming in the sun and the sound of thousands of bowstrings snapping filled the air, just before a thick cloud of arrows came rushing towards them. The West and North armies moved in unison to hold up strong shields, to protect themselves like a turtle shell.
Kagome held up an arm to guard her eyes from the barbed heads of the arrows and drew Tetsusaiga in one smooth motion. Beside her, Sesshoumaru called forth his own archers' volley. Unlike the archers of Amatsu's army, many of their shots hit true, mowing down much of the first line coming towards them.
Another two volleys were exchanged as more soldiers of the South and East came up the slope to meet them. Sesshoumaru ordered the archers to fall back to the city walls then and drew Tokijin. It crackled with its sinister energy, sending a shiver down the hanyou's spine.
"Ready?"
The one word drew her attention and she flashed a fast, reassuring smile at her mate. "Always," she replied, before lifting the heavy blade of Tetsusaiga. She stepped forward, apart from the entire combined Western and Northern forces and pointed the blade at the incoming demons. Quicker than she had expected the Wind Scar appeared and she sliced through it, destroying a hundred of the enemy.
A cry of gratitude sounded behind her and Kagome smiled to herself, once again finding the Scar and using it to cut through another section of soldiers. She heard Sesshoumaru call her name and she fell back again.
"Now, we fight together."
She nodded and waited for his general call to attack, which came only seconds later. Suddenly, thousands of Western soldiers and their celestial allies were rushing down the slope, slashing with swords and claws at the opposite army. It was overwhelming and she quickly became lost in the fray, slicing at any creature that didn't wear the colors of the West or North.
"Kagome!" Kagura was beside her, making grand sweeps with her fan and sending waves of blades towards the enemy. "I can't do this for long. Ours are getting mixed with their males so quickly!" she yelled over the clamor of battle.
The hanyou only nodded, remaining back to back with the wind witch and disintegrating any demon that came within a few feet of her. She could see Sesshoumaru's white hair moving through the mob, an arc of light continuously appearing above his head like a halo. She knew that it was Tokijin slaughtering dozens of youkai at a time, but she still thought he looked like an angel among what was quickly becoming carnage.
It wasn't difficult at first. Kagome had uninteresting conflicts with several minor youkai. Their blows, the few that they landed, glanced off of her armor and she would slice them in half as they gazed at her with surprise. Fifteen minutes into the bloody battle, she thought she had killed an officer, but even that was uneventful. It was as if the god wasn't trying. The blood of the enemy was running down the hill in rivulets of red. It should have been more difficult than this, she thought, as she killed another insipid youkai with a single blow from Tetsusaiga. This wasn't the true battle. She couldn't even feel Amatsu within the fight. He was only observing with no personal involvement. She knew that Inuyasha and Kikyo were standing quietly beside him, no weapons drawn.
Another tug on her heart made Kagome lose her breath. Now the god was involved.
"Sesshoumaru!" she called. A flash of light sprang out from the crowd as the taiyoukai cut through to get to her side.
He appeared annoyed that she wasn't in danger. "What is it?"
"They're coming." She moaned and clutched at her chest, almost letting Tetsusaiga slip from her fingers.
The dog demon impatiently swatted aside a few more youkai with his poison claws, not even bothering to lift Tokijin. "Who?" His voice had concern in it with the second question.
She swallowed hard, trying not to throw up as a wave of ice slid up her back and into her mind. "The shadows. The ghosts. Whatever the hell they are," she choked out, looking up to his face. The taiyoukai was visibly paling. He remembered the last time they had encountered the shadow creatures, when not even Tokijin could affect them and when he became so weakened. "This is just a distraction."
They looked up in unison in time to see a dark cloud wash in from the forest to their far right. So many shadows that Kagome couldn't even differentiate one from another. The frigid cold began to make her shake. Next to her, both Kagura and Sesshoumaru let out small sighs, as if they'd been hit in the stomach.
Laughing filled her head and Kagome flattened her ears against her skull. "Get out of my mind!" she screamed, startling the youkai on either side of her.
Kagura gave Sesshoumaru a pained look, but he could only shake his head. "We have to see how the army fares against the shadows. We cannot give up yet."
The hanyou looked up at him in terror, but said nothing. She couldn't trust herself to open her mouth without throwing up from the nausea that churned her stomach. Instead she lifted the blade of Tetsusaiga once more and strode forward into the battle, intending to meet the shadow creatures head on, despite the continuing laughter in her mind. Kagura and Sesshoumaru followed, reluctant to leave the hanyou alone.
The shadows had seeped into the battle and now the air was beginning to fill with the screams of the dying and the weakened. Demons even untouched by the creatures began to fall to their knees, unable to continue fighting in their presence.
Kagome felt another chill and suddenly a large creature was before her, its translucent, smoky body belying its deadliness. She held Tetsusaiga tightly in her hands, trying to find the Wind Scar, but none appeared.
The shadow laughed its dripping, syrupy laugh. "You think you can beat me, half-breed?" it snarled. It was the same voice as the one that had cut her hand and stolen her blood so long before. It seemed as if that had been another life.
"You think that I'm afraid of you?" she countered.
It laughed again. "Of course. I am fear. I am hatred and anger. I am immortal."
Kagome scowled and slashed forward with Tetsusaiga, coming into contact with nothing but air. She felt like crying in anguish, but she tried again and failed. Another shiver went down her spine as the creature moved closer. She lifted one hand from her Fang and tried to slash at it with her claws, but with no effect.
It closed its icy fingers around her throat and chuckled as she tried to grab at the flesh that wasn't there. "Suffer, half-breed," it snarled, tightening the pressure on her windpipe.
She began to lose consciousness, even as she heard the cries of Kagura and Ruri behind her. One of the wolves seemed to be calling for Sesshoumaru again, as the other called for Makoto. Her vision was beginning to darken and fade when the pressure was released and she fell to the ground.
"The almighty god does not wish your death," the shadow hissed, annoyance obvious in its tone. "You will suffer in other ways then."
Kagome rubbed at her throat, trying to massage away the pain. Grabbing Tetsusaiga, she stood up unsteadily and looked around, trying to find where the creature had gone, but it was impossible. So many creatures surrounded her, many apparently feeding on the fallen demons. It reminded her of the vampire movies she had liked so much in her own era with the crouching predators over their helpless prey.
A strangled yelp brought her out of her slightly dazed state and she turned to see Kagura clawing at her own tormentor. It was the same shadow creature, she realized instinctively, as she rushed to the fruitless aid of her friend.
It was crushing the wind witch's throat, just as it had done with her, and laughing. Kagome looked to her right to see Sesshoumaru down on one knee, his matted, bloody hair hanging limply around his face. Several shadows prowled around him, weakening him with just their presence. On the other side, the wolves, Keitaro and Ruri were trying to defend themselves from another cluster of creatures and failing. Hakkaku already appeared weak, his skin pale and clammy.
"Who will you save?" mocked the Shadow, which she automatically named with a capital 'S'. "You can't save them all. Your friends? Your loyal servant? Your lover?"
Kagome let out a tearless sob. "Stop it! Please!"
The Shadow laughed yet again and squeezed Kagura's neck tighter, nodding to its compatriots to close in on her other friends.
Rage began to fill her chest. Her emotional walls were breaking down and she refused to lie back and accept this fate for her friends and mate. "Stop it!" she called out again, stretching out her hand.
A jagged ray of light sprang from her palm and struck the Shadow in the chest. It cried out and dropped Kagura, who crumpled under her own weight. Kagome stared at the Shadow for a moment and at her hand before turning to her mate. The creatures surrounding him had stopped in their tracks, staring at her with eyes that didn't exist. She reached out again, summoning the rage she felt against these unbeatable creatures and another bolt of lightening shot out and struck them, scattering them. A shock of electricity seemed to go down her spine as tiny bolts of light crackled over her hands.
She turned to the final group, but the creatures had already fallen back in surprise so she ran over to her mate. "Sesshoumaru!" she called, falling to her knees and wrapping a supporting arm around his shoulders.
The taiyoukai looked up at her with a pained expression. "Their… presence weakens me," he murmured.
"Shh, I know." Looking up, she saw that the shadows were beginning to regroup. Her lightening bolts had done little more than surprised them. "Kagura!" she called out.
The wind witch lifted herself to her feet and although she was rather pale, she lifted her chin. "What do you need?" she answered.
"Distract them," Kagome answered, pointing towards the angry creatures. "We have to go back to the city! Sesshoumaru is sick!"
Kagura nodded and brought out her fan. "Dance of the dead!" she yelled, lifting the red and white fan as dozens of surrounding bodies rose from the ground, taking care to only raise the enemies' corpses. She sent them flying towards the shadows and turned her head to look at Kagome. "Hurry! I feel my power diminishing! Grab the bodies you can and retreat. Tenseiga will heal everything."
The hanyou turned back to the taiyoukai. "Okay, you hear that? You have to get up, my love."
Sesshoumaru lifted his head, greatly annoyed at his weakness. "Carry as many bodies as you can," he answered as he got to his feet. He tried not to appear tired, but his muscles were quivering with fatigue. He gave her a determined gaze, however, and turned away to do his part.
Kagome raced off, quickly finding her friends and distressed to see that Hakkaku had fallen and Ruri was sporting a mortal wound. Keitaro was helping both as Ginta grabbed two more bodies of dead Western soldiers.
She collected three corpses and leapt above the heads of still fighting soldiers. "West! North! Retreat to the city!" she called out to them. "Bring the bodies of the dead!" They looked up at her in gratitude and landed final blows upon their corporeal opponents before turning to complete their orders.
The shadows did not follow her and when she turned her head, she was disturbed to see that they were congregating back at the bottom of the sloping hill, where Amatsu had quietly been watching the battle unfold. What are you up to, she asked silently, sure that the god would hear her.
Laughter filled her head once again. Do you think that this is the final word? The voice seemed to be right next to her ear. It was Inuyasha's dark tones. Be reasonable, my love. This was only a test. You know that. You had to have known that or you have lost some of your intelligence since you became a half-demon.
Kagome ran through the disintegrating ranks of the Western soldiers towards the gates of the city, calling out Sesshoumaru's orders again and again as she maintained the telepathic link to Inuyasha. She could now hear her own voice in her head, as if she were doing something as simple as talking on the telephone. You could have killed us, she pointed out. What are you trying to accomplish by 'testing' us? What are those shadow creatures really?
Silence was her only answer, but she could feel Inuyasha's immense satisfaction at her frustration. She growled and leapt to the top of the wall of the city and over into the square.
Demons from their side were pouring in through the gates, many carrying dead bodies of their comrades. As she placed her own burden down, the white form of Sesshoumaru entered the city. She nearly choked on a sob as she saw he was carrying the corpse of Lord Makoto. She rushed over to him. "What happened?"
"I do not know," the taiyoukai breathed, as he found a place to set down the venerable youkai. "Celestials are difficult to kill."
She looked around, noting that many of the survivors were indeed from the ranks of the Northern Army. Healers were flying back and forth between patients, patching wounds and pronouncing deaths. When she turned back, Sesshoumaru was drawing a pulsing Tenseiga.
He swept it over the body of Makoto, a small sigh of relief escaping his lips as the celestial sucked in a breath of air and sat up. The taiyoukai nodded once to the resurrected youkai and turned away, muttering about helping his men.
"Hakkaku needs you. Ruri will soon need you," said Kagome. She turned to the now living celestial and her heart leapt with happiness. "Are you alright, Makoto-sama?" She knelt down beside him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Yes, my dear," he breathed. "Better now than right before my death. Those shadow creatures are quite the nuisance."
Kagome laughed unsteadily, relieved that the process hadn't taken away the sense of humor that she so needed to hear at that moment. She threw her arms around the Northern Lord and embraced him. "What are we going to do?" she whispered, afraid that she was going to start crying.
He sighed. "I have no idea, my dear. We will figure something out." He carefully extracted himself from her embrace and sighed again. "We should help your mate."
The hanyou nodded and they went to look for the taiyoukai, who was resurrecting demons by the hundreds. "I didn't know you could do that," she observed quietly, watching in awe as a hundred youkai rose up and moved away, slightly dazed by their brush with death.
"I have never had the opportunity to use this particular ability," he answered. He appeared extremely pale still. Even his markings seemed to take on a washed out hue.
"You should rest," Kagome said softly.
"I am the only one that can do this," Sesshoumaru responded, raising another hundred youkai from death. He looked at her with dull amber eyes. "Ruri and Hakkaku are alive once again. Kagura has returned as well."
She smiled. "I'm glad, but you need to rest as soon as possible. You look like you're going to fall over." Sighing, the hanyou looked towards the walls. "Would you like me to check upon the enemy? See what's happening?"
The taiyoukai merely gave a half shrug and moved to resurrect more of his fallen army. Kagome left his side and went to the walls once again, leaping up between two archers. "What're they doing?" she asked the archer to her left, an ice demon of the darkest blue skin. Below her, the gates were closing, but no enemy youkai was resisting that move. They seemed content to mill around the battlefield, looking for survivors among the fallen.
"They are setting up a siege of the city," replied the ice youkai with melancholy. "They can attack at any time and conquer us and even if they don't, if we don't break the siege, we will starve soon enough."
Kagome frowned down at the army, which she could now see was clearly encircling the city. "We won't starve and they won't win," she assured the archers, although even she thought her voice sounded hollow. Suddenly feeling suffocated, she left without another word and rejoined Sesshoumaru in the square, who was looking even worse. She couldn't bring herself to tell him what she had seen, although she was certain that he already knew of the siege, either by others' reports or intuition.
Finally, he was done resurrecting his army, after many long silent minutes accompanied by Kagome's concerned looks. He returned the look as the last batch was revived and set the point of Tenseiga into the ground, leaning his weight on the battered sword. "It is complete."
She rushed forward, catching him just in time to prevent the taiyoukai from collapsing onto the ground. "Makoto!" she called, bringing the celestial to her side. "We need to get him to his room. He's exhausted."
The Northern Lord nodded. "Those creatures sucked him dry of his power, both physical and magical. We're lucky it didn't suck him dry of life, like they did to me." A shudder shook his body. "It's like ice dripping down your spine."
Kagome grimaced as she supported her mate and began to walk towards the castle. "I know. It's horrible. How are we going to fight them?"
"Why did they back off, my girl?"
"They… they were shocked when I hit them with lightening. Almost as shocked as me," she said softly. "I guess I have more power from my time with Amatsu than I originally thought."
Makoto shrugged and looked at the half-conscious taiyoukai between them. "Or perhaps it's a dog demon thing. Sesshoumaru has his poison, but that was from his acid demon ancestor. Did Inuyasha have any special attacks?"
"His blood," remembered the hanyou. "And he had powerful claws. Arcs of light would come from them."
"So we cannot assume that Amatsu gave these powers to you," said the celestial. "Perhaps he simply awoke them. I've always believed that half-demons are more powerful than they think they are. Demon blood is powerful and would overwhelm much of the human weaknesses."
Kagome nodded, recalling Inuyasha's struggle and triumph over Tetsusaiga. "I hope so." She brushed her hair out of her eyes and sighed under Sesshoumaru's weight. Her mate was barely walking, even with their combined assistance. He certainly wasn't aware of his surroundings. "He's a bit heavy, isn't he?"
Makoto shook his head. "Not really. Then again, I'm not a slip of a girl like you, my dear," he said with a chuckle. He gave her a look. "Would you prefer that I carry him?"
The hanyou flushed and glanced around, but everyone else was still in the square. "He'd kill us if he knew you were carrying him to his room without my help. I think he'd feel a bit less male…" She frowned thoughtfully. "I really don't know how that's possible, but whatever."
"It's a male pride thing," said the celestial, as he hoisted the taiyoukai into his arms. "But don't worry yourself. We'll go to the back of the castle so no one will see us."
Kagome followed the Northern demon, walking much faster now that they didn't have to suspend Sesshoumaru between the two of them. Makoto's enormous form appeared fatherly as he carried the thin taiyoukai. She didn't think it looked very threatening to either male's masculinity at all, although she was simultaneously aware the Sesshoumaru could never know about it.
They made quick time to the back of the palace and instead of using the garden entrance, leapt up directly onto the bridge to the third floor East wing. It was a tricky jump for Kagome and she was glad that Makoto was able to simply fly up with his burden. She didn't say anything, only opening the doors to the taiyoukai's apartments for him.
Makoto set the dog demon down on the bed, immediately moving back to allow Kagome to tend to him. "He will survive," said the celestial.
She brushed his matted locks aside. "I know. I can sense his strength rebuilding, but it will take awhile. Two days at least."
"If Amatsu attacks now, we'll be defeated easily. Even with all the soldiers we resurrected, we lost twenty five thousand in barely an hour. The shadows did the vast majority of the damage and we have no defense against them." Makoto paced along the foot of the bed.
"He's not going to attack yet," said Kagome. "That wasn't a real battle for them anyway. When they really want to kill us all, they will."
The celestial frowned deeply, crossing his large arms. "And when will they want to kill us?"
Kagome shrugged as she removed Sesshoumaru's armor and boots. "I still haven't got Amatsu figured out. My guess is that they want to starve us out, make us suffer so much that every other major demon settlement will hear about it. Then they won't encounter any resistance when they take over Japan." She scowled, tucking the covers in around the taiyoukai's shoulders. "Maybe it will be gruesome enough to scare Korean or Chinese demons."
"We shall see." He sighed and glanced one more time at the pale taiyoukai. "Take care of the boy and try to get some sleep yourself. I will come back if there's any developments. I have to get back to the troops and try to repair their confidence."
"Good luck," Kagome called dully after him as he turned and left the rooms. Sighing, she looked back down at her mate. Removing his upper kimono, she saw that he was covered in large, discolored bruises, but thankfully, no blood was spilt. His body still had white, ragged lines where she had hurt him when she was under Amatsu's control. They were fading, but they reminded her how little time had passed since then. She leaned down and kissed the crescent moon upon his forehead. "I'm so sorry, my love."
His eyes opened slowly, but they were glazed over. A soft noise came from his throat.
She pressed another kiss to the bridge of his aristocratic nose. "Hush. You need to rest." She watched as his eyes immediately slid shut again, the only sign that he had heard her. A wave of exhaustion hit her suddenly, as Sesshoumaru's breathing began to even out. Turning to his wardrobe, she pulled out one of his soft, clean kimonos and quickly changed into it. The blood splattered armor was dropped upon the floor next to her mate's.
Sitting on the opposite side of the bed, a cool draft swirling around her bare legs, Kagome placed a hand on her abdomen. She hadn't paid much attention to the baby in all the excitement, but she could feel its strong life force still growing within her. Her heart skipped a beat as she considered the possibility that she would never live to see the pup born. Never see first steps, never teach the alphabet, or tell bedtime stories.
Kagome reclined back on the pillows and rubbed the stomach that she had hoped to see swelling her baby. She felt the pup's life force shift, as if it was angry with her. Smiling, she looked down to her hands. "Sorry little one. Your mother is simply tired and depressed. I'll try to stop." She sighed and closed her eyes. "There's this one that my mother told me all the time. It was my favorite.
"There was once a princess who was beautiful beyond compare, who loved a prince very much." She yawned. "He loved her as well and gave her a ring, promising to be her husband. Then the prince's father got very sick and the prince had to leave and the princess was very sad…" Her head began to nod and Kagome pulled up the covers around her waist. "The king was dying and he asked his son to marry another girl as his last request. The prince was so distraught that he agreed and the king died. The prince became the king then and he sent a message to his new betrothed. When his first love heard about it, she was heart-broken and determined to do anything to get back her prince…" She trailed off and fell asleep.
88888888888888888888888888888
Jerking awake, Kagome looked around the dark room. The fire had died and the only light was the moonlight coming in through the windows. Sesshoumaru was still beside her, asleep but breathing raggedly.
She swung her legs out from under the covers and padded over to where she had left her armor. It was no longer bloody, but clean and glowing softly in the light. Tetsusaiga was beside it, as battered as ever, but spotless. Jaken had been there apparently, ever vigilant to Sesshoumaru's needs. Slipping back into her armor, her body began to ache with overuse. Kagome grimaced but resisted the urge to whimper. It would go away soon, she told herself. It was already fading.
"Kagome."
The hanyou turned around to see Sesshoumaru's eyes glinting at her in the dark. She went to his bedside and put her hand on his. "Hi. You're awake." She lowered her eyes as he arched an eyebrow. "Okay, that was stupid. Of course you know you're awake."
He closed his eyes and nodded. "I ask for your forgiveness, my mate."
"What do you mean?"
"I have judged you for not being able to decipher your…" he trailed off and took a few deep breaths, nodding again as Kagome told him not to rush. "Decipher your memories from Amatsu. Now I understand... You could not bear to remember them."
Kagome frowned. "Remember what?"
His cold eyes opened again. "Images… the children and you were dead. He told me that he knew where the children are." He looked away as his mate gasped softly. "He told me that he would let you live, at least until the pup was born… then he would take it."
The hanyou shook her head. "No. He'll never do that. I'll kill myself first."
"Death has not stopped him before," Sesshoumaru observed with anger behind his voice. "But I also refuse to give my heir to the god." He tried to sit up, but Kagome pushed him back down.
"What do you think you're doing? You don't have enough strength yet!"
The taiyoukai glowered at his mate. "He threatens to take my mate and my pup. I will not allow it. I will fight him."
Kagome rolled her eyes and stood up straight, with her hands on her hips. "Because your death will really help us!" she bit back. "I'm angry too, Sesshoumaru. Furious even, but I won't let you die for no reason."
"It is a reason, if it will protect my family," he argued. He was struck by a fit of wheezing and laid back onto the pillows as Kagome gave him a 'told you so' glare.
She picked up Tetsusaiga and tucked it into her sash. "If someone goes to fight him, it will be me." She turned to leave, but Sesshoumaru grabbed her wrist, pulling back with surprising strength for a youkai with little power. "What?"
He appeared appalled. "You cannot leave. I will not allow it."
"I'll be fine. He won't kill me. I'm his weapon and I'm carrying the pup he apparently wants," she shot back, as she wrested her arm from his grasp. She turned to leave once again.
"You are human, Kagome."
She spun back around, with a hand over her mouth, a hand that she just noticed had no claws on it anymore. Putting it up to her head, she found human ears instead of dog-ears and running her tongue along her teeth, she realized that they were blunt and even. "I slept for a day and a half?" she asked in awe.
"Apparently," he breathed. The argument seemed to have taken most of his energy. He was sweating slightly. "The shadows had an effect on you as well."
Kagome lowered her eyes to the wood floor. "I'm still going."
"No."
Her head snapped up. "I have to! I have to stop this, Sesshoumaru. Soon, the army is going to begin to starve and we'll all die anyway. I might as well try." She approached him again and pressed a lingering kiss on his lips. "I love you."
"You say it as if you are saying goodbye," he observed shrewdly. "I will not allow this. I can push my body further than yours, even in this state. I will stop you."
She brushed her fingers through her hair. "No you won't," she said, quickly pulling away in case he would try to keep her there. "If you have to protect me, you should respect the fact that I have to protect you too. You can't do this, so I will."
Sesshoumaru stared at her, with no emotion in his amber eyes. "Do what you will," he said, leaning back and closing his eyes.
Kagome swallowed in determination and walked out, closing the door tightly behind her.
88888888888888888888888888
A/N: There you go! Don't blame me for the cliffhanger – I was going to stop earlier, but I decided to write a bit extra. My finals are over but I start work soon, so we'll see how the remaining chapters go. The next one should be interesting though! If you want to know the name of the story Kagome was telling the baby, it was "The Twelve Huntsmen". It's in the Grimm Brothers' collection. Review people and here are the responses to the last chapter's reviews:
Review responses removed due to ban