Chapter 12-Dead Man Walking
Several hours had passed as Sesshomorru while on AhUn and Sango on Kilala raced to the fallen compound where Inuyasha lay buried after his unknowingly lost battle with Kane. "Over there Sesshomorru," said Sango as she and Kilala nearly went into a dive downward towards the rubble filled entrance to the once grand complex that was inside of it.
"I see it," said Sesshomorru as he went into a dive with AhUn almost as steep as Kilala's, but with more control then the demon slayer's feline friend.
When Sango and Kilala touched down rather...hard for the lack of a better word the two female warriors raced to the rubble and started moving the rocks with all the strength. Both knew that if they stopped even for a second Inuyasha's life could possibly end in this now tomb of a place. By the time Sesshomorru had landed Sango and Kilala had already in a very impressive display of resolve as well as fortitude managed to remove a great deal of rocks from the cave entrance. "Sesshomorru help me!" said Sango as she had used her demon slaying weapon to move the rocks easier to help save Inuyasha when ironically that same weapon was used to kill demons like Inuyasha.
Sesshomorru was their mere seconds after she spoke and moved both her and Kilala aside with his hand as he then used it to pull Tokijin from his waist and pointed it as the still caved in entrance. 'You better be away from the cave entrance little brother or you may not survive regardless,' thought Sesshomorru as the power of Tokijin was shot out from the blade and into the rocks destroying them with ease creating the necessary hole needed to enter the cave to find Inuyasha.
Sango and Kilala wasted little time entering the cave while Sesshomorru stayed outside to guard the entrance from any possible attackers. After all if the two that went inside truly needed his help he would hear them with his demonic hearing and then com to their aid, but not at the moment. To Sesshomorru guarding the entrance to secure his brother's release was now his main priority while getting Inuyasha out of the tomb of a place alive was Sango's and Kilala's. 'Please be alive Inuyasha,' thought Sango and Kilala at the exact same time.
However, they came upon a started realization after carefully going ever single spot of the complex from hours of constant digging. Inuyasha was not their and if there was all that remained of him being trapped in the caved complex was a small, but still significant amount of blood. After sniffing the blood Kilala had confirmed that it was Inuyasha's, but brought up another question for the two and eventually Sesshomorru when he heard the news. 'If that's Inuyasha's blood then where is Inuyasha now and is he even alive?' thought the two as they found nothing else that was Inuyasha's.
(Castle of the Western Lands-That Night)
Nobody that remained were taking the news very well about Inuyasha possibly being dead as Rin and Kanna had told everyone what they had heard from Sesshomorru to Sango, and then what the two girls and seen in the magic mirror Kanna possessed. Kikyo was distraught to say the least at what she felt inside her clay body as it ached with what was left a human spirit for Inuyasha. Kikyo had for the first time tried to cry herself into sleeping as she didn't need any new souls for awhile thanks to Voodoo's cooking, which extended her period of not taking the souls of dead maidens and increased her spiritual power as well. Normally she wouldn't sleep at all, but being depressed after losing your former love after all e had done to end things easily and give so much back to her she couldn't really help it. Slowly, but eventually she drifted off to the place of her mind that dreams are made of even for on such as her. "Inuyasha," whispered Kikyo right before her dream filled mind took her to another place where she hoped she would see Inuyasha alive again.
Kikyo found herself awakening into her dream in a empty yet well up kept room as their was not one speck of dust in the room and not one wooden floor board was misshaped or damaged in anyway. Kikyo slowly got up from the ground and saw the door to her right and she walked to it and opened it to see where it would lead her. Though she secretly thought it might lead her to seeing Inuyasha if only alive in a dream, but that was all she needed and wanted at that point. "Kikyo," said a whispery voice like a spirit barely living in the world.
"Whose their? Show yourself!" said Kikyo wishing she had her bow and arrows in her dream so she could defend herself despite it being for the moment a dream and not a potential nightmare.
"Kikyo," said the whispery voice again only slightly louder and closer to a door she had not noticed being their before.
"I'm warning you," said Kikyo with anger in her voice though she could understand why she was getting so worked up over a voice that kept speaking her name as she cautiously went to the door, opened it, and entered the room beyond it.
"Your getting warmer Kikyo," said the whispery voice and Kikyo could almost sense the voice would have a smile on it face if it had one much less a body though if it did she would make sure it didn't last as she was becoming very angry and annoyed.
After all this was her dream and she wanted it to be with Inuyasha, alive, in her arms, and dare she ask the gods this, but to grant her desire to kiss him one more time. One more time right before he was to be gone from her world completely as he was in the real world no more. "Stop playing games and show yourself!" said Kikyo as her anger was more then clear in her words as she was now in a dark room where you couldn't see anything not even the floor below you that you walked on.
"As you wish Kikyo after all...its your dream so you should get what you want. Even me," said the whispery voice that was no longer whispery and more recognizable as she gasped as she immediately knew whose voice that was that was speaking to her.
Just as she recognized whose body was in front of her that belong to that voice and her heart no matter how artificial, was beating faster then it ever did in the real world or while being actually being alive for that matter. "Inuyasha," said Kikyo as she held her hands to her mouth as the said half-demon smiled at her as he walked up to her in the grace she had seen when she first met him in that cave after the incident with Kagome and him falling off the waterfall with Rin.
"Hello Kikyo. I see even your dreams you miss me?" said Inuyasha as he was now face to face with her revealing himself in all black clothing similar to what he wore before except for a few lines of red along the legs, chest area, and arms of the clothing itself.
Daring to make sure that this was really Inuyasha in her dreams she took one of her hands from her mouth and reached for her his face touching the blood tattoos on his face. She let out a small gasp as she realized this was Inuyasha as she saw him smile as she finished touching the blood tattoo design on his face and he put his hand on hers before she could draw it back. "It really is you Inuyasha. But how can this...how can you be real if I am just dreaming all of this seeing as you are dead?" said Kikyo though she was afraid of such an answer.
Inuyasha could only smile as he knew that she was afraid to lose him again a third time in her lifetime connected to him. "Whoever said I was dead" In any case whoever said it has been exaggerating...greatly!" said Inuyasha as he then kissed her hand and then another her forehead letting her breathe in his sent to prove he was who he said he was and what she hoped he was.
"Kanna and Rin told me what they saw in that magic mirror or Kanna's and what your brother Sesshomorru said to Sango about him having a bad feeling about you being in trouble. I feared the worse," said Kikyo as she felt tears leave her eyes though she was only slightly surprised as this was her dream after all.
"For a brief moment in time what you feared nearly came to fruition Kikyo and I nearly died. Fortunately, for the both of us I'm not dead I assure you. However, it will be quite sometime till I do come back so until then I need you to keep this between us. Don't worry about the others Shippo is a tough kid as are Rin and Kanna. I'll let Sesshomorru, Sango, and Kilala know in my own way about me being alive. That includes the...others as well," said Inuyasha as he emphasized "others" with enough venom in his voice to kill a snake in one bite meaning that he meant Kagome, Miroku, and Koga as they would feel his wrath just as he felt theirs.
"I'll wait Inuyasha. I can wait as long as I know your alive," said Kikyo as she embraced Inuyasha in her arms in the form of a hug she did not want to let go of.
"Good because unfortunately, your dream is about to...end," said Inuyasha who saw her now shocked pleading face as he smiled at her as he faded away from her as she started to wake up.
(Elsewhere in the Real World-Weeks Later-Mid-day)
Kagome, Miroku, and Koga had been walking for sometime though they had been tired, hungry, and most of all SCARED out of their minds. Why scared? Because the last few weeks since they heard from Kane that Inuyasha was dead they had heard, seen, and felt signs of the said half-demons return. The signs of such a return came in many forms such as in their dreams turned nightmares, his reflection appearing in the rivers they went to get water from or wash themselves when dirty, even his face appeared multiple times in the camp fire during the night. As it stood with all three of them and Inuyasha's return to the living they couldn't take anymore signs without going slightly insane in the process. "You think one sign would have been enough for the half-breed bastard," said Koga who was near ready to keel over from exhaustion from the lack of sleep he had gotten and was starting to turn into an insomniac along with the other two.
"When we find Inuyasha I'm the one who is going to kill him and not that lousy failure of a demon mercenary that goes by the name of Kane," said Kagome in a semi-whine semi-angered state as she at that moment really wished that she was now home at the moment in her bed happy with technology and away from this time period that was filled with magic and demons.
"That is if we can lay a hand on him Kagome, but so far all he has done is sends signs of his return not when or where he would return," said Miroku trying to look for the next town on their path to stay to possibly rest for once not realizing that an image of Inuyasha was watching them on a tree with glowing red eyes and serious look on his face as he watched them go along their journey.
"You get the feeling were being watched?" said Koga after a while feeling slightly more paranoid then usual.
"You feel it too?" said Kagome worried that she was the only one who felt it, then that she wasn't, and then what such a feeling meant.
Another sign of Inuyasha's return was coming soon.
(Not far from the three)
Kane was unknowingly having similar experiences as Kagome, Miroku, and Koga only if he were told what they had experienced he could easily say he had it TEN TIMES worse then those three put together. He had all of what Kagome, Miroku, and Koga all had suffered in terms of signs and then some. Even when he blinked he saw Inuyasha's eyes blazing at him with their unholy redness that screamed vengeance upon the ones who wronged him. Unfortunately for Kane, he was one of those that had wronged the great demon Lord meaning he was going to get his ass handed to him sooner or later. 'In my case I'm hoping for later,' thought Kane only to find that such a thing filled with worry and dread would have to wait as Kagura came out of the sky on her feather in front of him.
"My my if it isn't Kane the big bad demon mercenary that 'supposedly' defeated great and powerful Inuyasha: The Silver Fanged Phenom! How have YOUR dreams been as of late?" said Kagura with sarcastic venom and amusement in her voice.
"I'm going to assume that from your happiness Kagura that you're not being plagued by the horrible signs of Inuyasha's return? IF you were then they are not bad for you, but quite the opposite due to the smile on your face and the ecstatic movement of your fan in your hand," said Kane and the look he saw in her eyes proved he was right.
"A small benefit for choosing the right side of this little...war for the lack of a better word and taken the side of the one who is going to kill my enslaver allowing me to set be free," said Kagura as she had seen the signs herself, but unlike Naraku and that voice he speaks to she wasn't afraid, but she had to make it look like she was or else he might get rather suspicious of her.
Perhaps, but I doubt..." said Kane, but was suddenly interrupted when out of nowhere a violent storm surrounded the two and the sky went nearly pitch black from the depth of the dark force that made itself known.
Kagura and Kane weren't the only ones to see, hear, and feel the power of this storm as Sango all the way to Naraku felt this storm the meaning behind its significance. "Lord Sesshomorru what does this mean?" said Rin as she walked up the full blooded demon who was in the open courtyard with the others as they saw unnatural red lightning and thunder appear within the storm clouds as the wind picked up all around them.
"I...do not...know Rin," said Sesshomorru who was more speechless then afraid of the storm because despite its furry Sesshomorru felt something within him tell him he did have to be not afraid of it.
(Naraku Castle)
"No. NO! NOOOOOOOOOO! This can't BE! YOU'RE DEAD INUYASHA! YOU HEAR ME? DEAD! DEAD DEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAD!" screamed Naraku as could not truly believe that Inuyasha was alive after all this.
"Master Naraku I sense...something...is...wrong," said Kohaku worriedly, but still with a voice of like that of a mindless puppet walking up to his master and as if on cue the storm suddenly intensified as red lightning struck all around Naraku castle destroying key parts of his home, but that wasn't the scary part for Naraku.
No it was by far not the scary part.
(Everywhere and everyone all at once)
The next thing that happened made everyone within the area of the storm freak out whether they were friend, foe, and/or neutral to Inuyasha. Rain started to fall heavily on the ground with rain drops falling that were the equivalent size of Shippo's overall height both in length and in width. However, the actual size of the rain drops falling wasn't the REALLY scary part oh no the REALLY scary part about the rain was it wasn't water like rain...it was BLOOD! Actual blood as red as Inuyasha's eye (if not more) was raining down hard, heavy, and fast upon the ground nearly rising to everyone's ankle in less then a full 2 minutes. Kagome screamed in horror as did Kanna, Rin, and Kagura (though only a little as she was screaming more in surprise then horror). 'I think I'm going to be sick!' thought Kagome as she had jumped on Koga who though normally would enjoy this did not want to be someone's carrier right now as a flood of bloody rain fell on him and was rising around his ankles while Miroku climbed up a tree despite the wind that nearly knocked him down while Koga leaped into a tree after seeing the monk trying to escape the growing flood of bloody water.
Kane was speechless as he ran up a tree to prevent from being soaked and covered in blood. Sesshomorru knowing how traumatizing this could be to a child, got Rin, Kanna, and Shippo into the castle. During that time Kilala transformed and tried to pull a resisting Kikyo inside though Kikyo herself had looked as if she wanted bathe of all things in the bloody rain itself as if it would purge her clean of all her sins she had committed. Sango ran using her giant demon slaying weapon as a form of protection from the blood though she almost felt as compelled as Kikyo to stay in the bloody rain as her. Sango also noticed Kilala's struggle with such things as well and that confused her now three times over. 'What is going on? I feel like I should be out here in this rain of blood like the others. Even though I know its wrong I feel compelled to be here and to practically wash myself in the rain. Its creepy yet it is not at the same time! Is this quite possibly Naraku's doing? No if it were Naraku it would feel wrong to be out here. That means this bloody rain and the storm itself that dare I think is...soothing, mean it belongs to...to...Inuyasha?' thought Sango as she saw the storm grow even greater as by now the druids had come out to the deck outside the castle to see this impressive force of nature.
It was then that something weird within the storm happened and no one was sure if what they saw were something that there eyes played on them or not, but what that saw next was just as disturbing if not surprising to other. They saw images that appeared in the above storm like quick flashes of thunder and lighting. It showed Inuyasha with multiple expressions on his face filled with anger, hatred, and most of all vengeance in his eyes that made all who saw it feel fear in their bones. Even as far as Kaede's village saw this and Kaede herself was starting to have a bad feeling about all of this as she had suddenly remembered a certain prophecy involving a certain battle between light and dark. "One truly doesn't know fear till ye see something like this," said Kaede as she saw the images of Inuyasha flashing almost faster then her one eye could see.
It was then that people saw the message as clear as day as it was spoken in a dark voice that only Inuyasha could produce through the raging and howling storm around them:
"The Spider of Deception shall come forth and weave its evil web
The only hope for both demons and mortals is a half demon to make it ebb
Through hell, fire, blood, betrayal, and death was the chosen one truly born
He will save them all despite those in the past that liked him to be scorned
In the End blood will be spilled and bones will be break as hero and tyrant fight
Two brothers...born from the same father in blood will fight for who is truly right
They fight once more again after centuries of slumber to see who is truly wrong
The Dead Man is Walking brother prepare to leave this world and be GONE!" said Inuyasha's voice as red thunder flashed all around them in the clouds only for those very same clouds to have red eyes suddenly appear as they struck in multiple and different directions landing right in front of each group leaving a burning symbol that was of the mighty Dog Demon Lord Inuyasha that had a giant silver looking fang blazing right in front of all of them.
(Naraku's now semi-destroyed castle)
Naraku could only look on in horror as he just stared at the burning symbol of the Silver Fanged Phenom only to see burning words appear on the fang itself. The words read: "The Dead Man has risen. Prepare to take his place!"
"Master Naraku what should I do to help you with this problem?" said Kohaku as he though still a mindless puppet was slightly unnerved by this.
Naraku himself snapped out of his fear for a moment and looked at Kohaku who stood their in his demon slaying uniform awaiting instructions. "Two words my loyal servant. FIND...KANE!" said Naraku making his anger send a clear message to the boy.
"Yes master," said Kohaku as he bowed and left without another word neither unaware that a shadow was watching them with red glowing eyes and shiny white teeth covered in clear liquid drool.
"That's it my boy. Lead me to my prey so I can send him...STRAIGHT TO HELL!" said the voice in a very eerie whisper as he then vanished almost it seemed into the shadows of the storm clouds themselves.
(A/N: All right now for the Author's Note. I know I know you don't like them WELL GUESS WHAT? T S! You know how many reviews I got for my last chapter? Only 3. Yeah you heard me. Out of 15 alerts for this story I get 3. I get 1/3 or 1/5 or whatever fraction that is out of the alerts. What is a MATTER with you people? Well just so you know for those ACTUAL 3 that reviewed...Briedee, Cold Kikyo, and Angel of Wind I would like to thank you for reviewing. My hat is off to all three of you as you are true reviewers and loyal readers of my work. As for the rest of you that haven't reviewed or not thinking about it...(takes out sledgehammer) say hello to my big friend here because if you don't review I'll bust your legs and your hands. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Seriously review and make me happy...OR ELSE! Or else what? No more chapters that's what! To be honest this maybe one of the best chapters I have ever created so I think I deserve a review as such.)