Nothing stirred.
Except…
There was no mistaking it. In the room beyond the far wall, there was something… a hint… of energy, of power of some sort.
Youki. It has to be youki.
But there was something not quite right about the feel of the youki. It seemed odd, like…
… like it had an almost human quality to it.
Swiftly, he made his way across the room, readying himself to drop down and charge into the adjoining room, ready to confront whatever lay beyond. He didn't get the chance.
Arrows of white energy lanced through the broken wall, shattering concrete and sending debris flying everywhere. The energy smashed into the ceiling, slicing through the metal beams as like through butter, sending the hanyou crashing into the ground.
Muttering a string of feudal era curses, Inuyasha coughed, the dust and smoke clogging up his nose. He picked himself up. And found that he couldn't.
Kicking and trying her best to scream past the steely hand clamping down over her mouth, Higurashi Kagome fought like a wildcat against the firm grip that held her at bay. Her efforts, however, proved near futile - her captor, not unexpectedly, seemed inhumanly strong, shrugging off even her wildest blows with the effort one would use to swat a fly.
Inuyasha… help…
The panic within her was rising steadily, her focus entirely on writhing, squirming and somehow escaping the grasp of the one holding her captive. It took her a while to realise that her would-be captor was, in fact, speaking to her. "Kagome… hey! Stop it! It's me… Kagome! It's me"
Her eyes snapped open. Turning in disbelief, she stared back at her captor.
Bright, golden eyes met hers. He released her.
Anger quickly replaced panic. She frowned, "Inuyasha! What the hell were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that? And where did you come from? I thought you went"
I thought you went inside.
Concern flooded her again as she took a step back warily from the hanyou in front of her, frantically scrutinising every inch of him, searching for some sign that all was not right.
She froze.
"You're not Inuyasha"
The silver-haired hanyou smirked, raising an eyebrow as he looked back at her. His voice was gentle as he spoke.
"Just because there isn't a charm necklace around my neck, and no Tetsusaiga at my waist"
Kagome paused, stunned by his frankness. "Well… yeah"
And the golden-eyed hanyou laughed. Indignation crept back into her stare, "What's so funny, you… you impostor"
He still smiled at her, "An impostor, am I? Looks like I'll just have to prove you wrong"
Grabbing her arm, the hanyou dragged her close. Crouching down in front of her, he looked up, his eyes like oceans of gold. His ears twitched.
"Only two people have ever touched my ears with my consent… my mother, and you, Kagome. Well… there were those incidents with your mother and that little girl, but… that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say is… only two people can possibly know"
He smiled at her again, "Prove it to yourself, Kagome. I am Inuyasha"
The girl froze. How… could he know?
Tentatively, she reached forward, her fingers making contact with the soft, velvety fur of the hanyou's right ear, unsure of what to believe. Probing gently, she found the spot hidden deep inside his ear that would prove her right or wrong. And she looked.
His birthmark. It's there.
She leaned back, her mind awash with uncertainty, "How… how is it possible"
The one who claimed to be Inuyasha smiled. One hand reached forward, gently touching the side of her face, "It is. I am who I say I am. You have to trust me on that"
The hanyou looked into her eyes, "It's… it's been so long since I last saw that face"
Frowning, Kagome tried to make sense of his words. It's been so long? What is he…
Again, her eyes widened, as the realisation about who this Inuyasha really was struck her.
No… it can't be… can it?
She looked up at the hanyou, staring at him. His back was to her. And he was undoing the sash at his waist, shrugging off his fire-rat cloak.
Kagome sweatdropped. A t-shirt and jeans? Sneakers?
His head turned slightly, catching sight of her incredulous gaze with the periphery of his vision. He gave her a defensive look, "Well, what did you expect me to do? I don't go about dressed like that these days, but I needed to convince you, right? And it was hard enough convincing you even while wearing that old thing"
He paused momentarily, "Would you even have given me the shards four days ago if I'd come to your window dressed like Houjou about to take you on a date"
For once, the Japanese girl was speechless.
He eyed her, "Well, don't just stand there. It's not safe leaving you alone out here… something I really should've realised back then, but there's no time to waste either…
"I have to go save myself"
The force binding him to the ground was immense, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. All around, the dark creatures wailed, as though crying for his blood. But none dared move closer to him, as if they were… waiting for something.
All of a sudden, the wailing ceased, and a hush fell over the room. The youki he had sensed earlier was becoming more prominent, more powerful.
Fighting the binding power of the spell that held him captive, Inuyasha craned his neck, willing himself to look ahead, to look in the direction of the raw power that was emanating from beyond. And he saw it.
Among the horde of black-clad creatures, one walked forward, a petite form cloaked in white, walking steadily through the thronging mass, headed for him. The form stopped, less than two feet away from his head.
And laughed, a soft feminine laugh. She spoke.
"Really, Inuyasha. Were you ever really this weak? My binds have never been this effective before"
The hanyou's ears twitched. A woman…
Out loud, however, he merely growled, "Who're you calling weak, bitch"
As if to prove himself, Inuyasha tensed up, his muscles flexing beneath his robes as he fought against the bindings that were now crackling menacingly. He managed to get to his knees, his body again quivering with effort. Moving forward to protect the one that was clearly their leader, five of the once-humans grabbed hold of him, only to be instantly ripped apart by the claws of an enraged half-demon who had managed to free himself from the binds of magic. Turning to the woman, the hanyou lunged forward, drawing Tetsusaiga as he swung back, ready to cleave her in two.
He never reached her. Before he could even bring his sword down, the woman in white gestured with her hand, and an arrow of white energy caught the hanyou in mid-stride, lifting him up and impaling him through the shoulder against the nearest wall.
He grimaced as the arrow seared into his flesh, gravity pulling at him even as the arrow kept him aloft. His right hand went numb. Tetsusaiga clattered to the floor, transformation undone.
The woman smiled, already having closed the distance between them. Again, she spoke, "You should've listened to your brother, Inuyasha. He was right, you know - your attacks have always been so… predictable"
She laughed again, "It's been so long since I last saw you like this. In fact, as you are now, you're so weak, I could just kill you and save myself a lot of trouble, couldn't I"
She leaned closer, her face still obscured by the hood of her cloak, "But I won't. There's no honour in that. Besides, the past five hundred years have been… fun, to say the least. "
Shivering from the pain, the hanyou grimaced as he tried to force himself to speak, "What are you… talking about… you… b.bitch? How… how do you know me"
The woman laughed again, "Of course I know you, Inuyasha. And of course, you know me. Though not quite as I am now"
She ripped her hood off. His eyes widened. It can't be…
But it was, there was no mistaking it. The aura of youki was there, surrounding her, and her hair was silver-white, like his, instead of the jet-black that he knew and loved. And her eyes were red… bright, burning red.
But it was her. Impossible as it was.
She smiled, "I've… missed you so, Inuyasha"
He stared, "K"
She reached out, her hand caressing his face now contorted both with pain and confusion, "You finally realise. That's good. For as much as I wish to stay around and relish this moment, I fear I do not have the time. Someone will be here soon to rescue you, even if he forgets one very important thing"
"… that I know what he knows. And that I don't intend to lose"
For a moment, she leaned close, her lips brushing against his. She whispered, softly.
"My dear Inuyasha… we shall meet again"
Pushing herself away, the woman floated up, tendrils of wind catching her cloak as she soared into the sky. Through eyes that were slowly becoming hazy, the hanyou watched helplessly as she soared away, as she performed a series of gestures that culminated in a bright ball of azure blue light, expanding to envelope the entire room as she disappeared into the night.
The hanyou fell to the ground, the arrow that held him to the wall disappearing with its creator. But all was not well. The wailing had resumed.
Inuyasha struggled to stand, his hand already reclaiming his lost sword.
His weakened body refused to obey, instead collapsing to the ground. All around, the wailing once-humans surrounded him. Everything was becoming hazy again.
"Hijin tessou"
The sound of his own voice, strong and clear, shocked the hanyou back into semi-consciousness.
Hijin… tessou?
There was no time for the hanyou to think, however, as claws of white energy ripped hard into the woman's slaves, obliterating them in an instant. In the distance, he could make out the vague form of two people, the shorter one now running to him, crouching over him, her entire self the epitome of concern and fear. He watched as the taller one caught up with the girl, reaching down and picking up his broken form effortlessly.
He looked off into the distance silently, looking to where the woman had disappeared.
It couldn't possibly be…
Was that really you…
K…
