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With that, the new and improved Inutachi set out on their new journey towards the Cloud Palace, not knowing what was lying in store for them.
Now:
Kimi walked through the path made by her own destruction back to her palace, her fangs bared in a snarl. How dare that ungrateful child of hers refuse to join her! The Hell Spawns would have let him sit on the throne as King of their new world! She lifted a long clawed finger to her chin and thought long and hard about just how she could persuade her son to come to her aid.
Within the conscious of her mind, the real Kimi struggled against the binds that locked her away. "Leave Sesshomaru alone! Leave my child be!"
The Hell spawns ignored the female inu's feeble cries as they searched her mind for some sort of plan. Black eyes snapped opened when she remembered the daiyoukai mentioned the name of a female that he told his mother that he wanted to mate, but was killed. Even if it was just said to get his mother off his back, the woman could be of some use.
Pulling the dark blue amulet away from her chest, Kimi whispered the name of the woman, "Kagura."
-0-0-0
The Hell spawns walked over to the small patch of flowers that surrounded a small grave marker. A smile tipped at her lips when she read the name scratched elegantly into the stone. "So, this is the woman who managed to steal that stoic child's heart." Removing the amulet from her neck, Kimi placed it on the grave. Closing her eyes, she began to mutter an ancient chant in an unknown language. The dark stone began to glow an eerie red color and the ground around Kagura's grave began to tremble.
Slowly the wind began to shift, swirling around the grave marker and the form of a body started to take shape. Long, shoulder length black hair, a pale slender face, a body that dipped and curved in all the right places, and long legs, everything that attracted the Western Lord to Kagura three years ago was being remade.
Kimi frowned. "That won't do for Sesshomaru to know who this is right off the bat." Dipping her finger into the orb of wind that surrounded Kagura's body and allowed some of her essence to flow. She smiled as she watched the color of the woman's hair shift from black to a powdery silver. Small red horns began to protrude from the top of Kagura's head and the red reverse crescent moon appeared on the center of her forehead. "Much better." Moving her finger back, Kimi waved away the swirling wind. "Rise, my pet! And do my bidding. Go and retrieve Sesshomaru for me!"
Bright red eyes snapped opened at the sound of her master's voice. A white fan, tipped with sharp gleaming blades, appeared in her hands as a dark blue kimono wrapped around her naked body. Kagura smiled sultrily as she bowed to her new master, the being who gave life back to the wind sorceress. "As you wish, Mistress." With that said, she pulled the red feather out of her hair, poured her youki into it and was sent soaring through the air within a matter of seconds.
"How else should I turn this world upside down." Kimi laughed to herself as she stroked her fingers through her long burgundy streaked hair. "Perhaps I need a sword myself. One that can rival Sesshomaru's Bakusaiga." The Hell spawns once again scraped at the real Kimi's mind for ideas of a weapon stronger than her child's. "Ah ha!" she cheered. "The So'unga, Sword of Hell, would be perfect for me."
The real Kimi shouted at the Hell spawns to stop. Not even her ex-mate could fully control that sword! If they got ahold of that blade, she may forever be locked inside her own body. But as usual they ignored her as they picked up the amulet and whispered the name of the Hell sword. An image of the Sounga appeared in the blue gem; it was still trapped the lowest corners of Hell from when Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga defeated it. So'unga was crying for revenge on the other two swords.
"So'unga will soon be in my possession and will gain its vengeance!" Kimi cried out as she called for the powers of Hell. She was able to open the gates long enough for her to slip through. Shielding her face from the flames that roared to life. "Mmmm." she moaned. "Feels just like home. Now to find So'unga." The Hell Spawns followed the directions the amulet had shown them until they reached a chamber. Upon opening the door, a wide smile tilted at Kimi's lips. "So'unga, there you are."
The Hell Sword's pearl lit up at the sound of the voice. "Who's there?"
Kimi walked up to the blade, her hands tucked into the sleeves of her kimono. "I am Kimi, guardian of Hell, Mother of Sesshomaru, and ex-mate to Touga, the Inu no Taisho. I have come to claim you as my own."
So'unga's pearl flashed as he spoke. "You think you can control me, woman!" he laughed as he beckoned her closer. "Than just try it. Even the Inu no Taisho had trouble containing my power!"
A wide smile spread over the Hell Spawn's face as they quickly took hold of So'unga's hilt. The sword let out a flash of purple light as it tried to take control of the woman. He was slightly surprised when she began to push back, fighting for dominance over her body. The two fought for a few minutes until it was obvious who was going to win. Kimi let out a victorious roar when So'unga bowed down to her powers of Hell.
"I own you, So'unga. You will do as I say!" She held up the gleaming blade triumphantly.
The sword flashed once more as the slowly fading voice spoke, "You already possess powers similar to mine. What do you need me for?"
Kimi stroked the blade lightly as she walked out of the chamber and back to the gate she had opened for herself. "To defeat my son and his wretched half-brother." When she said that, So'unga's blade began to glow red. It would finally get its revenge of the foolish Inu who cast him here.
-0-0-0
By late afternoon, the newly formed Inu-tachi had covered a great distance of land. Rin and Shippo soon asked if they could take a break for lunch. Inuyasha, being the stubborn mule that he was, had first refused. Shiori tried to reason with her hanyou lover, but it was only after a blow to the top of the head by Sesshomaru, a mischievous look from Touga, who had somehow managed to swipe Tetsusaiga from him and a few 'osuwaris' from Kagome that he gave in.
Shiori could only shake her head as she placed her hands on her hips. "I tried to tell you." She giggled at the muffled reply her boyfriend gave before she helped him back to his feet and began tending to the large swollen lump.
Sango, Kagome, and Kirara went to the nearby river to gather fish for their lunch and when they returned Miroku had already set up a fire.
A little while later, everyone was sitting around the fire, eating and chatting about nothing. Kagome and Touga sat close enough that every now and then, their legs would touch, causing a barely noticeable blush to stain Kagome's cheeks and a small smile to form on Touga's face. After lunch, they continued on there way to the Cloud Palace.
A few hours later, the group felt a vaguely familiar demonic aura. Everyone except Touga and Shiori knew this aura. However, there was something different about it that Touga did recognize and immediately hid in the bushes. They all had the same look of confusion, shock, and disbelief on their faces and were all thinking the same thing.
'What the hell!'
Suddenly, a very familiar demoness appeared on a feather.
"KAGURA?!" they all yelled. But they all noticed something was very different about the wind sorceress. Her hair was no longer black, but a chalky white, small, curved horns protruded from her head, and lastly a reserved red crescent moon was tattooed on her forehead.
It was then that they noticed what was wrong and why Touga was hiding. Her aura had traces of the Hell beasts in it. She was being controlled by Kimi and the Hell beasts. Touga did not want to risk Kimi finding out about his resurrection.
Shiori quickly pulled her ornament comb out of her bun, her silvery hair flowing down her back. Pouring her youki into the hair piece, it quickly grew into her long, gleaming scythe. Everyone else hesitantly drew their weapons. They did not want to fight Kagura, especially Sesshomaru; his golden eyes gleaming sadly as he raised Bakusaiga in preparation to destroy her.
Kagura grinned madly as she lifted her fan, the blades glowing with her newfound powers. "Sesshomaru, my mistress beckons you to join her side! Dance of Blades!" the usually white glowing blades were an angry red as they rained down on the group.
"Get behind me!" Shiori shouted as she lifted up her scythe, a large barrier forming around everyone. The blades crashed harmlessly against the barrier, lights sparking against the wall. The koumori hanyou grit her teeth as she struggled to keep her barrier up. She would not let anyone harm her friends.
"Dance of the Dragon!" the wind sorceress called out. The wind shifted to her command, forming long dark green twisters that struck the koumori's barrier.
The young hanyou nearly fell to her knees at the strength of the attack. She turned pleading lilac eyes over her shoulder. "It's too heavy."
Inuyasha growled at Kagura for causing his intended so much pain. He barked out and order for her to lower her protective wall as he called out his most powerful attack. "Backlash Wave!" The energy of the Wind Scar swirled around the base of Tetsusaiga before leaving to twirl with the energy of Kagura's Dance of the Dragon. It flew back to the wind sorceress at lightning fast speeds, but the hanyou had forgotten one crucial thing about Kagura.
"All wind is mine to command!" Kagura said as she swung her fan in a downward motion. The Backlash Wave froze for a moment before turning around and flying back towards the Inu-tachi.
Both Kagome and Sesshomaru launched their attacks. The sacred arrow purified the winds as Bakusaiga broke down the rest of the Backlash Wave. Sango threw Hiraikotsu, covered with sacred sutras provided by Miroku, with all her strength and it headed towards Kagura, who forfeited her giant floating feather.
"I've got her!" Shiori cried as she ran past Inuyasha.
The inu grabbed her wrist as she passed by, "What do you think you're doing?"
"The scythe senses that she's being controlled by someone not of her own will!" She yelled at her lover, tugging her wrist out of his grasp. "I can free her!" Shiori pleaded with her eyes for him to trust in her powers. She was not that weak, little girl who needed to be protected all the time. The koumori hanyou was a fierce warrior in her own right. She smiled and kissed him gently on the cheek when he nodded. "Thanks, Inu-kun." Turning lavender eyes on Kagura, who had risen back to her feet from the long drop out of the sky, Shiori readied her weapon, "All set, Tsukishiro?"
The scythe pulsed in her hands before glowing an ethereal blue. Shiori let out a cry as she ran towards Kagura, her blade held high at her side. "Angel's Cry!" she swung her weapon at the wind sorceress and the glow left her blade and surrounded Kagura.
There was a jolt that went down Kagome's spine. Looking down, she saw that the longbow that she had received from Kikyou was pulsating in her palms. 'Kikyou...are you trying to communicate with me?' Notching an arrow into place on her bow, Kagome pulled the string taut. She narrowed her eyes as she took aim at Kagura's forehead, singling out on the crescent. "Go!" she shouted as she released her arrow.
The combined forces of Shiori's Angel's Cry and Kagome's Sacred Arrow, both shattered the Hell Spawn's core located within the wind sorceress's body and the strings that connected her to the Hell Spawns. Kagura screamed as she was bathed in the two glowing lights the purified her mind and soul. Her hair darkened back to black, the horns disappeared from her head, and the reversed crescent moon was wiped away from her forehead.
Sesshomaru rushed to catch Kagura as she began to fall to the ground. His eyes gained a slight tender look as he brushed the stray strands of hair from her cheek. He whispered her name as she gingerly opened her beautiful bright crimson eyes.
Kagura smiled as she gazed upon the handsome daiyoukai she had come to have deep feelings for. "Sesshomaru-sama."
Touga eased his way out of the bushes when the faint traces of Kimi's aura left the area, signalling that the woman was no longer being controlled. He congratulated Shiori for mastering her father's attack and to Kagome for purifying the evil that was within Kagura. He knew now that these two together just may be able to destroy the Hell Spawn's controlled his ex-mate.
The Inu-tachi decided to set up camp. Touga went hunting and came back with a deer slung over his shoulder. Once everyone ate, all eyes turned to Kagura. It was Inuyasha that brought up the question that was on everyone's mind.
"So, how the hell are you back, 'cause last I checked, Naraku killed you, so how?"
What they heard next shocked everyone to say the least.
"It was some woman with burgundy streaked hair and cold, black eyes." Kagura said, picking at the cold meat. "After she revived me, I overheard her saying that she was going to get a sword. So'unga."
Somehow, Kimi had gotten her hands on the most dangerous sword to ever exist that the Inu-tachi risked their lives to send back to Hell.
"WHAT! How is that possible! We sent that hunk of junk back to hell!" Inuyasha yelled.
Surprisingly, it was Sesshomaru who spoke up next. "The Meido Stone grants her the ability to open a portal to the Underworld." he said, thinking back to when he saved Rin from the darkness of the Underworld.
"I should've never given her the Meido Stone." Touga spoke up, his eyes narrowed as he remembered that it was him who gave Kimi the Stone as a gift for bearing his first born child. The memory was bittersweet because a few hundred scant years later, he had left to be with Izayoi and father Inuyasha. Kimi nearly used the Meido Stone on him in a fit of rage. "I should've known it was too dangerous."
"No shit, ya old goat." Inuyasha blurted out before Shiori could stop him.
"Osuwari! Inuyasha, you really are a brat." Kagome yelled. She sighed as she watched the koumori stand over the inu hanyou with a slight smile as she gently chastised him for his behavior. 'Shiori is good for him. At least she can put up with that bratty behavior.'
"She's right Inuyasha. I may be over a thousand years old, but in demon years I'm only 30." Touga said, resisted the urge to chuckle when his youngest son scoffed and pulled his face out of the dirt. "I'm just hitting my prime!" He failed when he saw his child's girlfriend begin to chastise him while cleaning the dust off his face. 'I think my son has found the perfect mate for him.' His eyes shifted over to the beautiful miko that was tucking a tired Shippo and Rin into her sleeping bag and a warm smile spread over his lips.
"Back to what's important. How are we going to defeat Kimi now that she has So'unga?" Kagome said as she walked back over to where the adults, minus Jaken who was ordered to keep watch over the children as they played rock-paper-scissors, were sitting. "We all almost died trying to send that thing to Hell. Now it's in the hands of the beasts of Hell. And Tenseiga has been reforged with Tetsusaiga." She shivered as she remembered the strength of that deadly blade and how she literally had to knock the sense into Inuyasha to work with his brother to defeat it.
"First, we need to go see Totosai. I need a new sword. We can figure things out later. Let's just get some rest. We head out at first light." Touga said going to lean back against a tree.
Shippo and Rin had fallen asleep, snuggling against one another within Kagome's extra sleeping bag. Eventually, all the humans were asleep. The demons were resting with their senses on high alert.
At first light everyone was up. Once they finished packing up camp, they head out towards the old swordsmith's home to get a new sword. The trip was pure torture and humiliation for Inuyasha. Each night, someone would play tricks on him, and each time, everyone, including Sesshomaru, Kagura and even Shiori, laughed so hard that it hurt. And the look on Inuyasha's face kept them laughing.
One of the funniest was when Touga took Inuyasha into the Forest and used his claws to shave Inuyasha's head. Ears and all. What Inuyasha did not know was that it would grow back in two days, but those were the most embarrassing two days of his life since he was forced to wear a bandana Kagome had brought. It would not have been that embarrassing if that cloth was not bright pink with white kittens on it.
Eventually, they made it to Totosai's home. They knew the old demon would be shocked to see his old friend, but the reaction they got was not what they were expecting.
Please vote on my poll for what pairing you want me to write next.
I will be editing chapters to add more shout-outs as i get reviews, so make sure to check for your shout-outs.
Shout-outs to my reviewers:
SakataGinkox3: glad you think so. Don't worry, there's plenty more coming :)
DarkenedRose24: I'm happy you liked it :)
LADY SILVERFOX aka charita rai: then you're going to love the rest :)
Lady Sesshomaru Sama 949: really happy you love it :)
decadenceofmysoul: Thanks so much!