Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The following story is for entertainment and not profit.
Chapter 27: Flame of Vengeance
"Good. You learn quickly. Now, again!"
Sesshomaru was impressed by the discipline the young kitsune displayed. His brother's wench was proving a good mother for the orphaned youkia. 'One day perhaps, she shall have a chance to prove herself with hanyou pups,' he mused, a little disturbed that such a thought would cross his mind.
Shippo flew along the make-shift training course Sesshomaru had marked out, tossing out small but powerful orbs of blue foxfire. He had completed the course twice already, increasing his speed and accuracy with every pass. The goal that had been laid out for him was to swipe a small stone from the youkia lord's hand after hitting every mark along the path. As he was about to make his final leap for the stone an unexpected scent on the shifting breeze stopped him in his tracks. Turning sharply, Shippo took off in the direction of the camp, not sure what he would find only that there was trouble and Kagome may need him.
Sesshomaru had been wondering when the undead priestess would make her move. He had become aware of her presence not long after Naosu's abduction, the gentle rustling of her garment and carefully placed footfalls being far less silent to his full-demon ears than she would have wanted. Following in the tracks of his hasty pupil, Sesshomaru also started back toward the encampment, but at a much more leisurely pace. 'The child must learn to take care of these things on his own or he shall never grow up.'
Kagome wiped the blood from her lower lip with a pained grimace as she attempted to climb back to her feet, ignoring the throbbing ache in her quickly bruising thigh. Her face stung from the sharp backhand that had caused her fall, while her cheeks became damp from more of the unwelcome tears that had won her the harsh slap and hurtful words from the other woman.
"My poor Inu Yasha, your heart still grieves for me, does it not? For us and all the things that we lost because of Naraku's deceptions. Tell me, does being with that…" she paused to direct his gaze to the weeping girl she had struck, "that pathetic weakling, even come close to what you and I shared?"
Inu Yasha stood silent, his eyes still gazing toward Kagome but no longer seeing her. His heart beat quickened as he remembered the months, years ago, that he and Kikyo had spent together. For the first time since his mother had died he had found someone he enjoyed being around, someone that made him feel contented and happy. He had been willing to become human for her, to live and die with her, to rid the world of the Shikon jewel so she could be free of her sacred duty. But then she had betrayed him, tricked by Naraku and pinned him to a tree where he was to sleep forever. She had been his first love at a time when he had been intent on not loving anyone. He knew then, as the memories faded and his gaze connected to Kagome's once again, the truth. "She's right, Kagome. I'll never be able to love you the way I loved Kikyo. We will never share that kind of relationship."
Kagome felt like her heart was going to stop beating at his words. His eyes had focused on her for only a moment before returning to some distant place. As hard as she fought them, a fresh wash of tears spilt forth to wet her cheeks. How could this be happening?
The alarming smell of Kagome's blood was quickly being over powered by the salty scent of tears. Shippo felt a wave of relief. 'So she isn't injured badly,' he thought, 'but something still isn't right.'
As he arrived at the edge of the small clearing, he spied the reason for Kagome's distress. The familiar frame of the woman who had taken him in sat before him shuddering with sadness. Beyond her stood a nearly identical figure dressed in the red and white garb of a temple priestess, a subtle smile full of hatred and triumph on her lips. The scene before him caused his hair to bristle and an inaudible rumble to start in his chest. 'How dare she,' his internal voice repeated with every breath. 'How dare you touch her,' he thought as his eyes narrowed on his target. 'How dare you hit her. How dare you make her bleed. How dare you make her cry. How dare you. How dare you!'
"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY MOMMY!"
A blinding blue ball of foxfire raced across the campsite to engulf the undead woman before she had a chance to counter the attack. The girl and his brother his brother looked on in amazement as the burning miko's face contorted in rage. The kitsune, his chest still heaving from the exertion, watched as his victim's clothing turned to ash exposing her blistering skin to the still raging fire. Sesshomaru was again surprised, but also pleased to see that the child contained enough strength to defend himself.
As the flames dissipated, the body they had been consuming collapsed onto its knees and fell forward onto badly charred hands. "I…cannot…be killed…by one…so weak…as YOU!" She struggled to force the words from her painfully blistered throat.
With the slow deliberate movements of a wounded creature the injured priestess pushed herself to her feet. As the scorched skin of her limbs tore open it was pulled taught over her straining muscles and began to ooze forth a thick cream-like pus. Inu Yasha stared at the struggling miko before him and wrinkled his nose at the overpowering stench of her burnt flesh. Rivulets of clear fluid leaked out from the cracks in her blackened skin. Her long flowing locks had be replaced by a grotesque, twisted crown of melted hair. Kikyo staggered forward, stumbling as the nearly cooked muscles of her legs fought to obey. Her hands reached out to grasp the bright red fabric of Inu Yasha's robes, the flesh pulling open revealing the gleaming white of bone in her determination.
"Avenge me!" The raspy words cut through the silence followed by a fit of coughs that gurgled with blood, "Your love for me compels you to avenge me."
"Feh. Go to hell." Was his only response as he tore loose from the death grip of his former love and moved out of her desperate reach.
Sesshomaru remained motionless as he stood at the edge of the clearing, his arms crossed loosely in front of his body, one hand resting lightly on the grip of his sword. He watched as the wretched creature before him began to shudder with waves of hatred, readying what strength she had left for a final attack. His fingers slipped more tightly around the fabric wrapped handle. 'Not more than a month ago,' he thought, 'I would not have considered such an action.' 'They all must arrive intact if the plan is to succeed, my Lord. Remember it is your survival that demands it, not just theirs.' Naosu's last words came back to him. A thinly veiled plea from a masterfully manipulative woman.
When Kikyo began to raise a blackened hand to release her attack, Sesshomaru drew his sword for the pre-emptive strike. As the energy wave from his Tenseiga sliced through the doomed miko a myriad of freed souls flooded the small clearing with their ethereal glow, before dispersing into the surrounding ether.