Chapter 18:
Authors Note: Read and Review
"Sango, are you awake?"
"Hai Houshi-sama, what do you need?"
"Kagome-sama has been missing along time hasn't she?"
Sango seemed to pause as if mulling it over, "Most likely Inuyasha has returned, it be best if we let them settle this alone"
"You seemed so poised to help earlier Sango-chan" Miroku said calmly with mild curiosity, "Why not now?"
Sango seemed to pause softly gazing up towards the dark sky, there wasn't a star in sight. "I suppose…it was the look in his eyes."
"What?"
Sango seemed somewhat quiet for a bit, looking down to the ground solemnly. The wind blew and she watched the grass rustle, her eyes slowing meeting Miroku's. "I don't know how to explain it. When Kagome-sama left…from Sesshomaru's land and we followed…I turned around and…" Sango could only sigh, staring back up towards the lifeless sky as if it were speaking to her. "There was that look in his eyes. I've never seen that look in his eyes, never to me and I don't even think to Kagome-chan"
The look of complete and utter helplessness.
"I see"
Sango stared slightly, her eyes widening a bit in surprised. "Houshi-sama this shouki…"
Miroku's eyes widened a bit in surprise rising to an abrupt stand, "its Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha and Kagome are…"
"Kirara lets go!"
Kagome's POV+
I don't understand, what's going on? Sesshomaru's eyes there… I watched as the swords clanked again, but Inuyasha's grip seems to be slipping on the sword. It's like he isn't even trying, he's barely holding on to Tetsusaiga, and Sesshomaru's fighting with almost all his force, just prolonging Inuyasha's killing. Sesshomaru looks so ruthless, his eyes flash red periodically.
My hands held on to the bow and I shot the arrow, hitting Tokijin and making it spark fiercely. Sesshomaru through it to the side without hesitation, growling and plunging himself towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha slipped backwards and collided to the ground with a brutal impact.
"K-Kagome!" My eyes widened as I approached towards him, Sesshomaru had pried Inuyasha's
Tetsusaiga away with a twist of his whip of light, and flung the great sword causing it to stick firmly into the ground at least 5 yards away. It was like he was helpless. I had drawn another arrow and as Inuyasha held Sesshomaru away from him with his trembling arms, he looked towards me, blood trickling down the side of his head.
"Kagome don't help me"
"Inuyasha but!"
"Trust me…I deserved this"
"No you don't deserve anything Inuyasha!"
His blood squirted in a sea over the ground, Sesshomaru's hand making a perfect whole in Inuyasha's abdominal slowly pulling his bloody hand out of him. He looked over towards me then a smile coming off his lips that seemed to make my blood run cold.
"I will make you understand what it feels like to have one you love defiled"
Inuyasha's eyes widened and my heart felt like a drum in my chest. What did Sesshomaru want to do with me? What could Inuyasha have possibly done that was so terrible?
Sesshomaru lunged towards me then, and I ran to the side letting off a loud scream as his talons ripped through my uniform and sliced three diagonal lines down my back. I could feel the blood stain through my uniform and I knew it wouldn't scar, but the wound was so painful. I lay on the ground twitching the nerve ending in my backs seemed to be having a melt down because all I could do was twitch.
My hands trembled as I tried to pull myself to a sit but I collapsed back on the ground. I shut my eyes in crucial pain, and I felt tears brim my dirt stained cheeks. I won't cry, I won't cry, but the tears still came.
"Wait Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha cried out rising to a pained sit. "I don't love Kagome! If you want to hurt me as I hurt you it has to be Kikyou!"
My heart stopped. Inuyasha…still loved Kikyou. I knew that. I had said some noble things before the fight broke out and…I meant it but…to hear it, to hear it like that…like I wasn't even here…it burned.
Sesshomaru looked towards Inuyasha and he seemed surprisingly in control. "Then I suppose your soul will rest free of knowing you caused a loved one such pain"
Inuyasha looked a bit surprised by this and strangely, I was too. Sesshomaru would easily hurt me, he had planned on killing me, or injuring me permanently or something to horrible to imagine. But he wouldn't hurt Kikyou? Why? Did Sesshomaru…?
I forced myself to a sit as he lunged towards Inuyasha, I rose my voice as loud as I could staring towards him despite the pain I felt just sitting up.
"Do you love Kikyou?"
He stopped in his run and flinched. But he wasn't denying it. What I had said bothered him, but he wasn't denying it. He was NOT denying anything. He looked to the side then the blood of mine and Inuyasha's dripped from his claws in large sickening drops. I felt faint.
"Hirakotsu!"
Sango's large boomerang swept in front of Sesshomaru hitting his stomach hard enough to knock the air straight out of him. Sesshomaru rebounded backwards not seeing this because he was being distracted by what I had said. He stared towards Sango in a tight evil glare as she hopped off Kirara as Miroku ran towards Inuyasha. Shippo was still asleep on Kirara.
"Kagome-chan…your injured?" Sango said running in front of her and glaring towards the youkai, Miroku and herself ready to take on the demon lord on their own. Sesshomaru stared towards the two in a bit of annoyance but something had taken his mind off the fight for now.
"You accuse me of doing something Inuyasha had brought upon himself. For once, I, Sesshomaru and not the one to blame." His face was calm and his eyes met with Sango out of all the others.
"Oh yeah? What possess Tetsusaiga?" Sango spat angrily "And what excuse is that to hurt Kagome-chan!"
"Inuyasha raped Rin." His voice was calm but you could tell each word made him twitch. "He destroyed our home, every servant and guard in the castle is dead except for two. Those servants weren't just servants to Rin, and he raped her in their blood. He took away her voice."
Sango stopped and a look of terror crossed her face, looking towards Inuyasha in disbelief. The look in the hanyou's eyes was enough; it told her that everything Sesshomaru had just said was true and true enough.
Kagome was frozen in disbelief, staring towards Sesshomaru angry tears in her eyes. "Inuyasha could never have done something like that! No! He never would have done something like that! Inuyasha tell him it isn't true! Inuyasha tell him it isn't!"
Miroku and Sango looked towards him hopefully, looking and begging for any lie in Sesshomaru's words. They couldn't find any and Inuyasha didn't lie.
"…I did" He said quietly his ears drooping, "But it wasn't me!" He said out of no where, rising to a weak stand, blood pouring from his stomach like water. "It wasn't me! It was Naraku he took control of my body! He's placed a curse on me! Sesshomaru knows it!"
"Your…under a curse?" Miroku said staring towards him, "But your acting perfectly normal..."
"it's like with Kohaku!" Inuyasha said staring towards Sango "When he's himself sometimes and then Naraku takes control of him! It's like that! Sango you know don't you? Tell him! Tell them all!"
Sango's hands shook. Kohaku…the remembrance his brown eyes so full of emotion one second and the next…empty with no sign of life.
"Kohaku" Sesshomaru whispered remembering the image of a 12 year old Kohaku standing over Rin, blade in hand ready to kill her, and then…his eyes. He remembered the brat's eyes…no fear and no emotion. He stared towards the slayers shaken body and slowly put the two pieces together. Kohaku was the slayers brother.
"Slayer…your name?"
Sango snapped out of it a bit shaken staring towards Sesshomaru then, "What?"
"You're Kohaku's brother?"
"…Yes…It's Sango." She muttered a bit confused and perturbed by his question.
Sesshomaru paused inhaling slowly, 'the brats scent is a long the border line of my land and Rin is with him!' He turned from them, walking slowly and then breaking out into an Inuyasha like-run, his hand firm on Tokijin (he grabbed it when he was running by) and taking off back towards his lands.
"Where could he…?" Miroku asked looking as Kagome managed to stand, it was hard to watch the priestess having such a hard time standing, Sango being her only support.
"It's very faint but I feel….the presence of a single shikon shard"
"What?" Miroku said his purple eyes rising to meet Sango, Sango only looking to the side sadly.
"There's no choice Houshi-sama we have to get Inuyasha and Kagome back to camp before anything else."
"Sango"
"The first time in four years my brother has come out again that we have been able to notice...But there's no choice, I will go after Inuyasha and Kagome are back."
Inuyasha stared towards her as he took Kagome on to his back, wincing a bit by her weight as he stared towards Sango.
"Sango-chan, please…go! You have to get Kohaku back! Miroku will take care of us while you're gone…"
Miroku nodded slowly, and Sango sighed quietly. "Kirara stay with the others, protect them"
The giant fire cat meowed, slumping down allowing the others to get on her, as they watched Sango shrink smaller and smaller away from them
With Kohaku and Rin+
"Kohaku-kun"
"Hai Rin?"
"It's been such a long time since your last visit"
"Has it?"
"Months!"
"Naraku's been keeping a close eye on me, I believe he was suspicious"
"Oh…"
The two stopped at the secret playground where Rin would play and Sesshomaru would think. It was dark now and even darker in the woods but the long shadow was only where the swing stood. Rin raced over towards it sitting down her hands caressing the rope as she looked up towards the dark lit sky. Kohaku smiled a bit childishly, a bit red walking over towards her and touching her hands on the rope.
"I'll push you" Kohaku whispered quietly, looking to the side to hide his red face. Rin giggled quietly, "Oh Kohaku you may be 16 but you still turn so red!" This only added to Kohaku's embarrassment but he nodded quietly.
"Kohaku…does your sister travel with Inuyasha?" Rin asked as she went up into the air, Kohaku's hands pushing the swing perfectly to her level.
"Annue…" Kohaku whispered at the remembrance, how long had it been since he muttered those words allowed? How long had it been since he had seen his elder sisters face? Years…Four years. Rin swung backwards as the swing does and Kohaku was knocked down, Rin's tiny feet skidding on the ground, stopping and running over to Kohaku.
"Gomene Kohaku-kun!" Rin said giving him a hand, her eyes gleaming with their sweet curiosity.
"No. it's my fault" He said quietly. "Yes I remember Inuyasha…Annue does travel with them. The last time I saw her…" 'Four years ago…'
"Is she a slayer like you Kohaku-kun?" 'I think I know your sister' Rin thought confidentially.
Kohaku smiled then. "Of course she was! She was the best!" He said tossing his chain sickle up into the air and swinging it towards the three trees in front of them, the sickle came down cutting a horizontal line on all three. "She could knock them all down with one swing from Hirakotsu!"
"Hirakotsu?"
Kohaku smiled now a sad smile, "Yea…it's like a boomerang, and well it is a boomerang. Annue was the best." There were tears in the corner of his eyes as he hand nonchalantly reached up and brushed them aside. "Forgive me Rin that was foolish"
"What was foolish Kohaku-kun?" she said quietly, her brown eyes filled with question.
"Crying over something like that, I'm 16 now"
"Yea but Kohaku…" She paused slightly, "I think it's a good thing you can cry, even if you are a man now Kohaku." She smiled towards him "Real men can cry."
"Rin…I'm…"
"Under control? Yes you are Kohaku. But you can feel no matter how many times Naraku has tried to take over your heart, in the end Kohaku you remembered because you love your sister."
"Rin how can you say these things?" Kohaku said in a somewhat urgent tone, his eyes brown with question. "I nearly killed you four years ago! When you were only 6 and I was only 12, I will still warped with Naraku's control! How can you not hate me? Detest me?" Kohaku's hands clamped down onto her shoulder and he fell to his knees. "How can you…?"
"The most beautiful things in the world Kohaku-kun, are deadly. Sesshomaru-sama, Kikyou-sama, Inuyasha, and I'm sure even Sango-chan is deadly but she's beautiful isn't she? Don't you think your sister is beautiful?"
He shook his head through his tears, had this been the first time he cried since four years ago, other then his restless sleeps he was sure it had been. He cried there in front of Rin, Rin only holding him close.
"I love you Kohaku-kun! You're my best friend in the entire world! Am I yours Kohaku? Is that why you always came to see me? "
He nodded softly. "Hai Rin, you're my best friend" His face was red but for once it went away quickly and he grabbed her by the waste, and swung his chain sickle. The sickle stuck into the tree and they swung up to tree branch as the two watched the rising sun.
"Are you sure Kikyou won't be looking for you?"
"Soon" Rin said thoughtfully. "Perhaps you should meet with Kikyou again Kohaku-kun, perhaps there's away to save even you"
Kohaku smiled off towards the sun as it poked into the dark sky, "No…it's to late for me as Kikyou would say, 'once the threads of fate have been tangled they can no longer be unwoven.'"
"Kohaku-kun…Kikyou-sama is alive"
"What!"
With Kikyou+
She stretched, the smell of blood was old in the house and it was more of must. It smelled like she was trapped in someone's stomach. She looked towards Rin's empty bed wondering if the girl would dare cross the hall with so much blood everywhere? She didn't think it was possible. Not even for Rin. She looked towards the window noting it was open, shutting it calmly.
'She must have gone off somewhere but into the night? There's no youkai miasma near hear at all, so it must have been her own choice…' Kikyou thought calmly, slowly opening the door to the hallway. The corpses looked more and more disgusting and then the image of all of this was done by Inuyasha. She wondered looking at her bow an arrows for a second, her hands intertwining with the bow as she stared towards it, positioning herself to fire.
"If this works I'll be even surprised at myself" She whispered calmly, the blue purification light devouring her bow and arrow, she was even more powerful since she was alive again. She fired her arrow as the arrow zoomed down the long corpses driven hallways, the bodies being taken away and the stained blood being purified. She smiled as she walked down the now clean hallways, smiling towards her bow in almost admiration.
"It's good to be back"
She looked out the window noting that the sun was up and that neither Sesshomaru nor Rin were back yet.
So she would wait…
And wait….
And wait until the sun was high in the sky and the clean hallways showed shadows of where the blood had been, connecting with that sense of knowing that it was there and that no matter how clean the walls looked the shadows would always show the truth.
But she wouldn't have to wait that long, Sesshomaru came staggering through the front door at noon, Sango behind him.
Authors note: What's this did Sango and Sesshomaru have a fight? Where are Kohaku and Rin? Or perhaps has the fight not started yet? We shall see! Read and Review.