A/N (READ IT PEOPLE)- Thanks to my muse, Forgotten Angel. Also I think, at this point, I'm only really updating for two people…and because of those two people I'm updating so soon:) Sehwa and In True Meanings…U guys have been faithful to review since day one and the rest of the story is going to be entirely dedicated to you guys. AND I'M STILL LOOKING FOR A BETA READER! (Jeeze how hard is it to find one on this site?)
Disclaimer- I own the plot, Kida and the characters of Riki, Souta and Izayoi (Inu and Kag's kids) and Mai…don't own the names of Souta and Izayoi.
Eternity Ch 10
Souta and Riki were walking hand in hand a week or so after Souta had proposed to her. The sun was shining down through the leaves and it seemed that nothing could go wrong. That was when Souta sensed it. He shoved Riki behind a bush as a huge Serpent Youkai burst into the clearing. "I'm looking for the sssson of Inuyassssha and Kagome…they sssay hissss name issss…Ssssouta." The snake hissed, his yellow eyes trained on the brave Inu-Hanyou in the clearing. "Well you found him…COME AND GET ME!" he yelled. With one hand he gestured for Riki to run but she could only sit there, in the bush frozen.
Frozen as the snake dove for her betrothed. Frozen as the snake- with seemingly impossible speed- sank his fangs deep into Souta's body. The look of shock on the Hanyou's face was obvious…he didn't think that the snake would move that fast. Riki unfroze as she watched her fiancée's body go limp in the snake's jaws. Riki shook her head, horrified as the impossibly large, electric green serpent dropped his body and turned to look…straight at her. She backed up into the tree trunk.
"You, of all people, need not fear me…you have the protection of the one I wassss sssssent from." This being said, the massive snake writhed around and slithered back into the bushes. Once she couldn't hear it anymore, she totally unfroze. Screaming at the top of her lungs for Kagome and Inuyasha, she crawled out of the bushes, towards Souta, sobbing. "Souta…Souta-Kun, look at me…" his golden eyes flickered dully as he turned his gaze on her. "Riki…" he said thickly. "He…didn't go after you…I'm glad…" here he stopped and coughed up blood. Riki brushed his black locks out if his eyes. "Souta…don't go." She said quietly. He managed a weak smile before looking her right in the eyes and say "Sorry…good bye…" his eyes closed, just as Inuyasha and Kagome bound into the clearing, Izayoi and Mai right behind them on Kilala. Kagome's hazel-green eyes took in the sight in the span of a second and collapsed to her knees. "No…my son…no…" she whispered hoarsely. Inuyasha walked up to the young girl and the body of his son, his pain written plainly across his face. "Aniki…" said Izayoi, two pearly tears tracing their way down her cheeks. "It was…a youkai…I couldn't…I couldn't…" Riki didn't hold back the tears anymore and let them silently fall.
The Snake had returned to his mistress. Reaching out a hand, the tall woman-inu youkai-killed the serpent as it approached her. The body disappeared in a puff of smoke, as though it had never been there in the first place. "Forgive me for what I've done to yours Izayoi. Why do you think I didn't want you with me while I carried out my plan?"
The only one who didn't react as quietly as the 3 Inu-Hanyou's -Izayoi had her face buried in Kilala's fur, trying not to let her parents hear her sobs-was Mai. She swung off of the demon Neko and charged straight for Riki doubled over Souta's body. Rearing back a fist, she prepared to give Riki the beating of her life. Even though they were close…the pain of losing Souta was to great for Mai…and there was now no such thing as a 'friend' or a 'almost sister', there was only the girl whose fault it was that Souta had been killed…whether or not she had done it. Mai was beyond forgiveness and blinded by absolute rage.
"IT'S YOUR FAULT!" she screamed as her fist made contact with Riki's body. "YOU'RE THE REASON…HE WAS OUT HERE…THE REASON HE'S DEAD!" she would've hit Riki again if Kagome hadn't sped over, grabbed her fist and pulled the angry girl into embrace. "It's not her fault Mai…I smell Snake youkai all over this clearing. Hush…" Mai had crumpled into Kagome's body and was muttering under her breath, oblivious to everyone else there, "Souta-Kun…why are you gone?" Inuyasha turned his attention to the demon Neko he said "Kilala…Take her back to Sango." The Neko nodded and, gently letting Izayoi off of her back, scooped up the devastated slayer-in-training to take her back to her mother.
Inuyasha stood there for a brief second before the word came to him. Sesshomaru. His brother still bore the sword of Heaven, the Tenseiga. His son wasn't lost. Breathing a sigh of relief, he place a clawed hand into his son's blood and flung it into the wind-which was, fortunately for him, that day traveling in the direction of the west.
Noone had noticed, while he was doing this, that Riki had gotten up from her spot beside Souta's body and had quietly slipped off into the woods.
The Taiyoukai of the west was sitting in his study, sulking over what he had lost when he smelled across the miles, the scent of his Nephew's blood mixed with the salt of the tears of his family. Picking up his sword from the hearth where it stood in a place of honor while he was home, he sped off towards the source of the scent.
Souta blinked, temporarily blinded by the light surrounding him. "Where am I?" he asked, when he saw a tall silhouette coming towards him. "You're in the realm where souls go who have died before their time." Souta narrowed his eyes. "You mean…I wasn't supposed to…?" The Inuyoukai became visible. Long silver hair framed her pale face into which soft blue eyes were set. "If I'm not supposed to be dead, then why did the Snake youkai attack me?" he demanded angrily. The woman's blue eyes were downcast. "I told it to…" She raised her eyes and made eye contact with the young hanyou. "I had to do something, you took the wrong girl as a fiancée." Waving a spectral hand-for she was still in spirit form-she caused an image to appear before Souta's eyes. "Riki…is my son's soulmate." The picture before him was blurry…the only distinguishable feature was the face of a girl who looked incredibly like his Riki…and yet, at the same time, wasn't his Riki.
"Who is your son?" The Inu youkai turned away and said "If you cannot smell me…" Souta snorted. How could he smell a spirit? "Then you will recognize my name…my name is Kida." The name, and it's meaning immediately sunk in. "My uncle Sesshomaru's…mother?" The silver head nodded and the rest of the picture in front of him became visible. Sesshomaru holding Rin.
"Well, no offence Lady Kida but…you raised a complete pinhead. He hurt her so much, he doesn't deserve her." Kida spun around and glared at him. "I know. OK? I know how much my son screwed up. You needn't remind me." She sighed and walked over to him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she said to him "He needs the chance to correct his mistakes. And you need to find the one you were meant for. You've…known her your entire life." Kida let go of his shoulders and turned her back on him as it sunk in. The one he really loved…beyond his infatuation with Riki…was…the room he was in began to spin.
Branches tore at her kimono, face, arms and legs. Tears mingled with the blood and the salt got into her cuts and stung. Once again Riki was running away from pain. This time, while she was still the one hurting, she had caused hurt to come down onto those she cared about…was she cursed or something? While, she should have stayed at the side of her dead fiancée, and grieved, something in her gut told her that he would come…and she had no desire to be there when he got there.
His eyes opened. The first thing he saw was his mothers eyes, shining with relief. He heard a sword being sheathed and looked over to where his uncle stood. "Where is she?" Inuyasha flinched and looked from his mate to Sesshomaru and back to Souta. "Where is who son?" "Mai…Where is she?" The two hanyou's sighed in relief before Inuyasha said, "Back with her mother…she'll be delighted that you're alive." Souta smiled weakly before turning to his uncle. "Uncle Sesshie…I'm sorry. I never fully grasped how much Riki means to you…I forfeit any claim I might have placed upon her…forgive me." He looked away as Sesshomaru placed a hand on his shoulder. "Forget about it. Where is she?"
Inuyasha and Kagome noticed, as he said this, that the young girl was gone. "Never mind. I'll trace her scent." He was gone in a silver flash.
Riki didn't know the woods she was running through as well as she probably should've. She was, therefore, surprised when she abruptly left the forest and emerged onto a steep rock face. The sun was setting in the distance, creating a riot of colors in the sky. She hadn't noticed it was that late. Walking towards the edge of the rock face, she sat down to watch the sunset before she would trace her steps back to fulfill her role as grieving fiancée-while hoping that the one she truly loved didn't show up.
He tried to come out of the woods as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb her as she watched the sun set into the distance. To him, the sun was directly behind her, framing her, making her look more beautiful then he would've thought possible. He watched as she began to stand up as the light faded and moved foreword, mouth open, to apologize for everything. He watched as she turned around and caught sight of him.
A flash of silver caught her eye as she turned. Him. The fact that he was there, and less than three feet from her caught her off guard. Her center of balance completely destroyed by her surprise, caused her to teeter and, as her balance was completely lost, plummet into the chasm behind her. The light wasn't completely extinguished so she could clearly see the rocks outlined below her, waiting to pierce her body…she screamed his name as she fell backwards into nothingness. A flash of silver…and then silence.
A/N (hides behind big fuzzy pink blanket.) DON'T THROW THINGS AT ME….the only way this chapter would work is if it was a cliffy…R&R...please?