Author's Note: Sorry for any confusion. Her name is Ameki, not Akemi. I edited the document. I guess my docs manager kept correcting Ameki to Akemi. I have edited and re uploaded the document. Sorry if there was any misunderstandings.
Chapter 2: Twin Despair
~Ameki~
Ameki couldn't find the strength to move from her position on the floor. The pain and utter shock of what she had witnessed had numbed her limbs. She felt as if she herself had been crushed by the beams that lay just a few feet from her. An orange glow from the outside now blanketed the room. The smell of smoke and something more vulgar entered her senses. The rubble before her began to shudder, and a low growl broke through to the surface. Ameki made no attempt to flee as she watched the large ogre tear back the rubble as it stood. She closed her eyes for just a moment. The previous scene she had witnessed replayed over and over again. Her mother's frantic eyes were what she remembered the most.
Among all of the other noises that now filled the destroyed room, she could make out the small screech of the green imp, trying to remove something that had pinned him down. For a moment this gave her hope. The little imp, Jaken, had survived the collapse. She knew he was a demon, but maybe, just maybe her mother could have survived as well. She watched the still disoriented ogre fumble around with the debris that surrounded him. She took her chance and darted forward to the area where she had last seen her mother. She tried for a few moments to remove the rubble, eventually the effort wore on her as no progress was made, and she began calling out to her mother.
"Mother, please! Say something!" Her tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she struggled with all her might to push a wooden beam ten times her size off of the rubble that contained her mother. She felt the vibration from all around as the ogre turned its attention back to her. She looked back over her shoulder and slightly shuddered at the terror that gazed at her. The ogre's flesh, though already grotesque, was now burned severely in places, and even seemed to hang from its body. The sight made Ameki's already unsettled stomach churn even more. Her hand found her mouth as she masked an involuntary scream.
Ameki wanted nothing more than to run, but in the process of trying to clear the debris away, she had managed to pin herself into a small space where escape would not be easy. She heard the screech of the little imp once more as he crawled from beneath the rubble. The ogre's attention turned to him for a moment. Jaken brought the staff up again, and slammed it against a few wooden boards that he had clambered atop.
"How dare you!" The imp screamed with tear filled eyes. He scanned the room, obviously looking for something. Jaken turned his attention back to the ogre.
"Lord Sesshomaru will have both of our lives. You have sealed our fate." The ogre didn't seem to be listening to the small emotional imp. Jaken released the flames once more, but was too late. The ogre backhanded the small imp through the hole he had made in the wall upon his entrance. The ogre's attention was now back on Ameki, who had managed to wiggle from her position in the rubble, and now sat atop the debris.
The ogre lunged quickly, but Ameki threw her weight, sending her body into a roll down the pile of debris. Ameki could feel where her body rolled over the uneven obstructions on the way down. Her breath caught for a moment when she reached the bottom, and a sharp intake of breath sent pain like daggers through her side. She looked down, and noticed that the light blue yukata she wore was now stained with red and a small splinter of wood about the size of two fingers was protruding from her obi.
Ameki quickly turned, trying not to irritate her side anymore than it already was. The pain slightly caused her to wince as she took in the sight she had escaped. The ogre turned toward her after landing a blow to where she had once been. Ameki didn't have time to retrieve her mother, and in the current situation, if she were still alive then hidden in the debris would be for her safety. Ameki needed to draw this ogre away from the room. Having an ogre stomping around on the debris her mother lay under would definitely not aid the situation.
Ameki grabbed the wood that protruded from her side and halted her breath. With one quick motion she pulled. As the impalement was released so did her voice with a small whimper. She threw the debris down, and rose to her feet quickly as the ogre stumbled toward her losing his balance on the obstructions before it. She raced toward the door where the other women who had previously accompanied her in the room had escaped. There was no sign of them now, and Ameki could only pray that they made it safely out of the castle. She took one last glance back at the towering beast that tore its way through the debris towards her. She bolted down the hall with all the stamina she could muster.
~Sesshomaru~
Sesshomaru could smell it. Something he had not smelled in decades. Rin's blood. It was an overpowering scent that he could recognize anywhere. He turned his gaze toward the castle which was now in flames. Jaken had been ordered to get Rin out of there, and his failure would be met with death. Sesshomaru elegantly sidestepped a swing from his nemesis, even while distracted.
"What's wrong Sesshomaru?" Yakunan sneered.
Yakunan was a brute of a demon, but powerful nonetheless. His scaled skin resembled that of a snake, but his eyes were that of a dragon. Yakunan had taken many names over the centuries, but his favorite was Jiaolong. The spiraled horns that were erected from beneath his long dark hair represented his legacy of the Horned Dragon's from the Western continent across the vast Sea. His business here was simply domination. A game he liked to play an advantage with. Dragon's were still not seen as demon's where Yakunan was from, but Sesshomaru could see through his aura, to the real origin of Jiaolong blood. He was a Phantasm, a dark one, taking humanoid form to deceive all who followed him. However, in battle, his true form seeped through. The dark gray scales that lined his skin was brought forth to be used as his armor.
Sesshomaru ignored Yakunan's question. Realizing he simply asked to try and get under his skin. No real concern was evident by the way he grinned maliciously. Yakunan had a reason for attacking this particular castle. In every other region the war had waged Yakunan had simply destroyed villages and farms, only elements that got in his way. No, he knew coming here would cause Sesshomaru an extent of distress.
"That human pet of yours?" Yakunan feigned ignorance and settled for a mock look of curiosity.
"I thought you got rid of her, along with all of your other weaknesses?" Yakunan laughed a hearty bellow.
"Well, either way. That must mean you still have other weaknesses hidden. I'll find them." Yakunan darted forward with his sword readied to swing. Sesshomaru dodged again, but this time he didn't hesitate. Sesshomaru gained height with each step, disappearing into the fray that was taking place in the sky. Yakunan didn't pursue. Afterall, this war was just a power play, and the game was just beginning.
If the smell of Rin's blood hadn't been the foremost thought in Sesshomaru's mind, he was certain that he could have knocked Yakunan down to size. Yakunan was becoming arrogant, and this game of his was becoming tiresome. Sesshomaru made his way to the blazing castle in the distance, the village below it was completely decimated. The many buildings that lined his view were destroyed, and others were set ablaze. The main front of the battle zone was at the castle already. He could see the last of the humans trying in vain to defend what was theirs. He could see a few of his own soldiers trying to lend aid where it was needed, but the humans ended up turning on them as well.
Sesshomaru wasn't expecting any other result. These humans would never join forces, or realize the demons were trying to aid them as long as they didn't appear human. It was true that humans and demons were too different to coexist, many demons thought mortals to be below them. Sesshomaru had thought the same for many centuries. That was until he met the little mortal girl that warmed his fluff. Sure Sesshomaru still seen himself as superior, but through the years of having Rin at his side he discovered that there must have been more to the grand design of things. He was still seemingly heartless toward mortals, but the very few mortals that took the chance to get to know him, knew that he had a softer side. Not much of one, but it was progress. His father would have been proud, and Sesshomaru wasn't sure how that made him feel.
Sesshomaru turned his attention away from the skirmish below. Their quarrels didn't interest him. What did catch his attention was his servant Jaken, who was running back toward an opening in the wall on the western side of the castle, an area where the flames had not reached. He landed without sound, Jaken didn't even realize he was there. He watched as Jaken tried aimlessly to remove the rubble that was scattered in the room. The scent of Rin's blood was extremely strong in the area, causing Sesshomaru's step to falter as he caught sight of something that turned his blood to ice. A small stream of blood pooled around a pale hand that was just barely visible at the edge of the debris field.
With lightning speed Sesshomaru moved. Jaken was knocked back once again by Sesshomaru's motions. Within what seemed like a blink of the eye, the rubble was dispatched. Rin lay on the ground, her breath coming in small shallow waves. Her drooping eyes were slightly open, and the only thing she focused on was her lord.
"Lord...Sesshomaru…" She trailed off as Sesshomaru knelt down. Time seemed to stop around them as he gazed down at his precious Rin. The one mortal that could make him move mountains if she had only wished it. He had distanced himself soon after her marriage to the lord of this castle. He knew it would be for the best, and hoped that one day she would forget about him. Deep down though, there was a part of him that had been torn at the thought. Rumors of treason started in his ranks. Spies that had allied themselves with a new power in Edo spread through his ranks. He knew in the beginning what would happen, that anyone who wished to usurp him would no doubt exploit his weaknesses. Somehow though, through all of his efforts to avoid such a situation, here he was. He gazed down at the woman before him. She had aged gracefully, and still seemingly carried her youthful eyes. A trait that he had always been drawn to.
Sesshomaru's hand snaked out to grab Rin's chilled one. She managed a smile up at the great dog demon before her.
"You came for me." She let out a small sigh and closed her honed his senses in to listen to her heart, a heart that was quickly slowing. Rin opened her eyes once again, this time trying to gain a little strength in her actions and words.
"I would never ask you for anything after giving me so much…" She paused in her weakened state to gauge his reaction. Sesshomaru's face almost seemed as if it were carved from stone, his eyes though, were warm and even seemed saddened. Rin felt a slight pressure on her hand that Sesshomaru held, and his facade faltered. A frown creased his brow, and his nostrils flared as he stared down at his dying Rin. This time he could not save her. This time he was not meant to save her, because she should not have been in harm's way. She was supposed to be safe. That is why he had left her with the humans. Everything had been in vain, and the Great Lord Sesshomaru found himself in an internal struggle with his failure.
Rin had seen Sesshomaru angry, she had seen him even smile. She had seen the many devious grins he had presented to Jaken in the past, but never once had Rin witnessed such sadness cross the great dog demon's flawless face. It wasn't a look that Rin approved of. The God in her memories was perfect beyond compare, and this sad demon before her did not sit well with her dwindling conscience.
"Because of you, I've lived a life that I would do all over again." She smiled up at her lord.
"From my earliest memories, my family was perfect. I lost them, but I gained a companionship that changed my life. Lord Sesshomaru, I have no regrets. My life was made possible through your actions." Sesshomaru's pointed ear twitched as she spoke. She would groom his pride one last time.
"My lord, Thank you. For all of your sacrifices that I did not deserve." A cough escaped Rin's lips, and a shudder engulfed her body. A slight convulsion instinctively caused Sesshomaru to reach for his tenseiga, but he knew that it would not work this time. Rin had already been brought back by the sword once in her life when she had been but a small child, and a pack of wolf demons had taken her life. The sword had surprised him in those days, and had wished for the child to be brought back to life. The cold irony of the moment was the silence the sword left, and the void area where the sword did not pulse. His hand left tenseiga. This time, Lord Sesshomaru could not save her.
Rin soon recovered from her fit of coughs, but Sesshomaru could tell that she did not have much time left.
"I ask only one thing. My daughter…" She trailed off and looked to Jaken who had scurried back into the room.
"You choosing to leave me in that village gave me a chance at life. I have a daughter. My only child. She's all that I have." Rin smiled at the thought of Ameki.
"I do not wish to see her in the afterlife so soon. I want her to have a chance at life." Sesshomaru's grip on Rin's hand tightened. Rin bore a child, and Sesshomaru had never known. It had truly been a long time since Sesshomaru had made the difficult decision to cut his ties. He expected her to have duties as a wife, and he wasn't sure why he had never thought about her having a family, but the idea perplexed him. His Rin, having children of her own. It was almost too surreal for him. His memory flashed back to Rin's warm smile she often carried as a child. Rin's child had to be protected.
"I promise to protect her Rin." Jaken's eyes widened as he looked to his lord in utter shock. Lord Sesshomaru had promised, without hesitation to protect another mortal. Someone who was not Rin. The fact that Lord Sesshomaru had even voiced the promise had petrified Jaken's mental state.
With the last of her Strength, Rin lifted her arm and cupped Sesshomaru's cheek with her hand. With her last breath, she whispered…
"Always remember me?"
~Ameki~
Ameki's eyes watered as she ran through the smoke filled castle. Bursting outside of the castle had sent a small bit of relief to her struggling senses, but what she saw caused a new discomfort. The ground was littered with corpses. Humans and Demons alike. Most of their faces were twisted in anguish, displaying the pain they had felt in their final moments of life. A few dismembered body parts were strewn throughout the area. Akemi lost what little she had in her stomach. She didn't have much time to gather herself before the ogre appeared, taking out half of the wall beside what was left of the castle's front entrance. A few demon's were still fighting around the exterior of the castle. Ameki took off in the direction down toward the village. From the large steps she could see the battle raging below as well.
The ogre, though clumsy, began his pursuit in long strides. Ameki raised the bottom of her yukata to give her legs more room and took off toward the village down the long flight of twisting stone stairs. She came to the bottom, glancing back up to where the ogre tumbled and flailed as it tried to catch her. She turned back around to access the battle before her. There were no humans in sight. Only demons fought in this area. Each new demon she seen seemed to scare her a little more each time. There were humanoid creatures with features of bats, large furry varmints clad in armor, and even floating apparitions that somehow gained solidity in battle. Ameki took one more look at the burning castle with the ogre approaching in her peripheral.
Ameki ached at the sight before her. The castle was collapsing in on itself. The top floors were the first to go, setting in motion a chain of events that tore at Ameki's heart. Her mother was still in that castle. She knew her mother would want her to flee. It's what her mother had wanted from the beginning. She had heard the night terrors many times since the rumors of a battle surfaced. Rin had wanted to leave all along. Ameki turned her attention away from the sight that was now behind her. The ogre was gaining ground on her. She cut down a path that veered away from the blazing village and ongoing slaughter. Her feet beat hard on the dirt path that trailed into the vast farming fields. Ameki didn't know where she would go, but before she could even think of forming a plan, she needed to lose this ogre demon.
The sun had already gone down, darkening the sky. It had been the alarm for battle as the many eyes had scanned the orange glow from the forests nearby. The late hours of the night were upon Ameki, and the darkened forests were no place for women at night. Especially women who were being pursued. Only when Ameki was sure that she was out of sight of the ogre, did she stop to take a rest. She could still hear the loud battle cries in the distance, the strange languages that were shouted and the animalistic sounds that echoed through the forest. Thankfully though, she did not hear the loud hulking footsteps that had chased her previously.
She sat back in the nook of a huge tree base, trying to conceal herself from anyone or anythings vision. Tears formed in her eyes once more. The horrors she had witnessed haunted her mind like the apparitions that manifested in the battle field. She could feel the weight in her chest growing. What had become of all those women? What had happened to Yuudai, and did his mistress and their children make it out? Rin knew her mother didn't. That is what crushed her the most. It had been wishful thinking to suspect that her mother could have still been alive. Though with as helpless as the situation had turned out, Ameki was relieved that her mother wouldn't have to burn alive in the collapsing castle, the place that was once her home.
Through Ameki's grief she could still feel the stabbing pain in her side. She glanced down, realizing she couldn't see well in the dim lit night. The only source of light was the pale moon's glow that shown dimly through the canopy of trees. She lightly applied pressure to the area of her yukata just above her obi. The pain intensified on contact, and Ameki's fingers were instantly warmed with thick liquid. The amount of blood was not dangerously high, but the scent would no doubt attract predators, or worse.
She could feel the fatigue pulling at her body and mind. The disaster and horrors that she had witnessed was wearing on her, but Ameki knew that falling asleep in a place like this could cost her what life she had left. Her chest hurt from breathing in so much smoke, her legs hurt from sprinting trying to gain good distance away from the ogre, and her heart hurt because of all that she had lost. She wanted nothing more than to just ball up and cry. She was nothing more than a helpless girl now. She had no one left to put on a strong front for, and so she let herself collapse inward. The guilt, the tears and heartache all came forward. She was feeling pain that she had only tasted with her father's death. This pain was unlike anything she had ever felt, and it drowned out any physical pain that she had already forgotten.
She heard the crunch of boots landing on solid dirt on the opposite side of the tree. Ameki instantly quieted her low onslaught of whimpers and sobs as a new fear gripped her body. She was no longer alone. She instantly felt as if eyes from all over the forest pierced her hiding spot. She hunkered farther down, trying to hide from anyone who might be searching for the source of the previous sounds. Whatever was with her now, had come from the sky, and no human she knew could fly. Footsteps began their rhythmic pattern as they tread around the entirety of the tree. They seemed to pace a few feet from the crevice she had crawled into. She kept her head down, and dared not peer at what stood just a few feet away from her. She heard the low baritone of a male's voice.
"There is no need to be afraid." It sounded human enough, but demon's were tricksters who could parade around in human form, and she was no fool. She stayed quiet and could only hope that the darkness would keep her concealed.
A few moments passed before the footsteps began again, only this time they were coming for her hiding spot. She expected to be grabbed and drug from the safety of the tree trunk, but all she felt was the cold sting of steel as something pierced her center. She could not take a breath as the shock hit her. Only pain bubbled in the area where she tried to expand her lungs. In her final moments she opened her eyes. Before her, knelt down, was a glowing image that etched itself into her final thoughts. A man that could have almost passed as a God, had she not known him to be a demon, knelt before her. His long dark hair seemingly swayed in the non-existent wind revealing his fiery eyes. This beautiful man withdrew his sword and whispered.
"It's nothing personal..."
