Chapter Twenty-Four
The Past Revived
Disclaimer: I realize that I don't own InuYasha, manga or anime. If I did … I would make Sesshy for myself!
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"Shall I follow them, master?" A female voice asked. The leading demon looked at the woman's reflection in the glass, studying his latest and most trust worthy follower. She was average height with pure white hair and white eyes with dark blue markings on her face and neck. She wore clothes resembling a priestess' garb and a simple leather belt with a black pouch attached to it. He'd never seen her use the pouch but, as far as he could tell, she didn't have to.
She also carried some sort of flute though it curled at the end. She was currently kneeling, her head bowed and eyes closed. The woman gave him the creeps sometimes and this was one of those times. Even though she was not looking in his direction, he felt as if dozens of watchful eyes were on him at one time.
"Yes. I do not trust Kuritomo to follow orders." She nodded and stood, beginning to walk out of the room.
"Oh, Sakimu," He started.
"Yes, master?" She stopped and turned to him.
"Stir things up a bit."
"Yes, master." She nodded and headed out.
Kuritomo looked up and growled, seeing the female. "What are you doing here, Sakimu? I can handle this myself!" He snapped, not even earning a single look his way. It really gave him the creeps how she could just fly without wings or anything.
"I have been sent here on orders from our master, Kuritomo." Her voice was very monotone, never raising or falling, almost sounding like a robot.
He frowned a little but didn't say anything. He didn't quite feel like having the creepy girl turn her quite unknown, for the most part anyways, powers on him.
"Well … whatever."
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Kasei spotted Ai resting underneath a nice shady tree and he gave a sigh of relief and ran up to her. "Ai!" He called happily.
Ai looked up but looked away, as if she wasn't interested. Kasei blinked a little, confused at her very unexpected reaction. Going over to her, he knelt down.
"Ai, what's wrong? You're not still angry with me from this morning are you? I didn't mean to take the boy's sides but they thought that you would like those bugs." Ai looked to him, her eyes cool, calm and almost seeming to be giving off a very bored reaction.
"If you think that's what this is all about, you're even more stupid than you look." This nearly knocked Kasei on his back. Something was DEFINATLY wrong with her.
"A-Ai? What's wrong with you? It's me, Kasei. You know … we're suppose to be married soon."
"What's your point?" She snapped, getting up and walking away in the opposite direction of the castle. Kasei blinked but growled a little. This had gone on far too long, if she was still angry with him, that was fine but she didn't have to be so abusive! Running over, he grabbed her wrist.
"If you're still angry with me, that's fine but I don't need to hear you say such mean and spiteful things. I'm taking you back to the castle." Ai narrowed her eyes at his hand on her wrist and yanked it away.
"Stay away from me, half breed." She snapped with a growl.
Sakimu was sitting in a tree a little ways away, watching the whole thing with a hollow but evil smirk on her features; her white eyes had gone red. With a chuckle, she reached to her pouch, setting it down in her lap. "Hmm … well, Ai my dear, should I have you kill him now or let's have a little fun with his poor little heart?"
Opening her pouch, she took out a leaf, sending it flying to the ground next to Ai. "Why not a little bit of both for now anyways? Master never said anything about not being able to kill you, Kasei. After you … then it's your mother."
Ai bent down to pick up the leaf and it turned into a long sword that widened and curved at the end. Kasei looked to her and then to the sword that she seemed to have pulled from her belt and he was slowly getting this sinking feeling that whatever was wrong with Ai may just be the beginning.
"Oh, indeed it is just the beginning, my dear half puppy." Ai said with evil radiating from that sentence alone. Kasei blinked, a little confused.
"Ai? What are you – HOLY!" He jumped out of the way just in time to avoid getting sliced in half by Ai who still had the sword, though his shirt wasn't so lucky. Looking down at the chest, he gulped a little bit. If he had stood still for even half a second longer, that would've gotten him, too and not just his shirt.
"C'mon, Ai, don't be like this." Jumping out of the way again, Kasei darted and grabbed hold of her wrist, holding it away so she couldn't slice him. He grabbed her other hand so she couldn't claw him either. Her eyes had gone dark and lifeless, obviously a sign that she was being controlled, but … by who? He couldn't smell or sense any evil at all, not even on Ai.
"Ai, you've got to snap out of this, you're being controlled by someone!" Ai lifeless dark golden eyes shifted to him and her knee came up, connecting with his groin and she shoved him down, handling the sword like a pro. Kasei looked up at his soon-to-be wife and his heart slammed up against his ribs. He couldn't do anything, he could hardly breathe as it was. His mind raced, trying to think of something to do. He had to save Ai but he had to make sure that she didn't kill him first but what could he do? He knew nothing about breaking control over someone.
"You've come to an end, you pathetic half breed." Now, the voice that was speaking to him was a mixture of Ai's and someone else's. Raising the sword, it glinted in the sun as it rose higher and higher until it was above her head. A smirk came to her features, showing her fangs, making her look more dangerous than anything else Kasei had ever seen.
Closing his eyes tightly, Ai brought the sword down.
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Kagome was picking herbs outside the castle gates by herself when Sesshomaru came out. "Kagome, do you think you should be outside the castle gates by yourself? Especially now." Kagome looked up to him and gave him her million-dollar smile.
"I'll be fine. It's not like help is far away if I need it. Besides, I'm a big girl with priestess powers." Sesshomaru looked down to his mate and sighed a little bit. He knew that he could never make her comply with most of his wishes so he bent them a little just to avoid mindless squabbles. This, was one of those times.
"Alright, if you're sure you will be fine, I will at least send someone out to check on you. I will also be in my study if you need anything." Turning, he walked towards the castle. Kagome smiled as she watched him go. He really did worry a little too much and she really could take care of herself. Going back to her picking, it wasn't until the first of the people that was sent to keep an eye on her had left that Sakimu made her appearance.
She disguised herself as a lost young woman from a nearby village, just thankful to see someone. "Oh, I beg your pardon Lady Kagome." Kagome looked up and smiled.
"Hi there. What can I do for you?" Kagome stood up and brushed herself off.
"I don't mean to disturb you but, I'm from a nearby village and I was sent to gather firewood and I took a wrong turn." Kagome smiled again, always glad to be of help to someone.
"Well, which way is your village?" Sakimu pointed in the direction and Kagome nodded.
"You don't live that far, I'll help you get back." Sakimu beamed and bowed.
"Oh, thank you Lady Kagome! You are truly kind!" Even though your kindness will be your downfall and then we shall reign over these lands while your mate, too heartbroken to defend himself, dies at our master's hands.
After they had been walking for some time, Kagome frowned a little. "Are you sure this is the way?"
"Oh, yes, Lady Kagome." Kagome smiled at her again.
"Alright then, we must be getting there really soon then." Sakimu smiled and then turned away a little, grinning evilly. Yes, Lady Kagome, I'm positive this is the way. The way to your demise, that is!
Soon, Kagome stopped, sitting down for a bit. "Whew. I guess I underestimated how long the journey actually was. Looking over, she saw the young woman had her back to her and was just standing there.
"Um, is there something wrong?" A laugh seemed to come from all directions at once.
"Something wrong? Oh no … nothing is wrong, Lady Kagome." She turned around and her illusion of villager clothes disappeared. "Everything is just fine." Kagome gasped a little and backed away, instinctively reaching for her arrows but remembering she'd left them at the castle! Looking to Sakimu her eyes widened and fear began pulsing through her body as she found herself wishing that she had listened to Sesshomaru.
Sakimu chuckled a little, she lifted her flute from her back and took a few steps towards Kagome.
"Yes, Kagome, you should have listened to your darling Sesshomaru. He was right, you know, you really should've stayed inside the castle walls. But, now, not even your Lord Sesshomaru can save you now." Taking another leaf out of her pouch, she held it in her hand as it floated a few inches above her palm and turned into the same sword that she had made Ai use on Kasei.
Kagome's eyes widened more and as Sakimu advanced on Kagome, she kept backing up until she backed up into a tree. A small gasp came from her and she saw the still wet blood on the sword, she felt her way around the tree, darting out of the way just time because when she looked up, the sword was right where her heart had been.
Picking herself up, she ran as fast as her legs and feet could carry her. Sakimu chuckled a little bit as she pulled the sword out of the tree with ease.
"Yes, Kagome. Run, make this interesting for me. You have no idea how boring it is to just kill someone when they're frozen with fear." Kagome was having a bit of a hard time running in her kimono so it was using more of her energy than usual, making her tire more easily. Stumbling over a rock, Kagome slowly picked herself up off the ground, breathing hard. Her body was saying just to stop and rest but her brain was screaming at her to push herself harder. She had to get away. Getting up, she ripped her already torn kimono and it freed up her legs more, allowing her to get away just in the nick of time.
Sakimu's sword came down on empty fabric and she chuckled, looking up in the direction of where Kagome went. Picking her sword up, she chased after Kagome, an evil grin on her face and her speed whipping her hair and clothes around though it looked like she didn't even notice.
"Legs, don't fail me now." Kagome begged as she ran up a hill, not having a clue where she was anymore. Breathing hard, she stopped on the hill and looked around. She didn't see her pursuer anywhere and part of her was a little relieved. Maybe she had lost her in the thick of the forest.
"I don't think so!" Came a shout from above her. Kagome shrieked loudly, hearing it bounce off the trees right before she lost her balance and began tumbling down the hill, managing to hit her head on a rock which knocked her unconscious and a bit of blood seeped from her forehead wound. Sakimu chuckled as she came floating down, sword ready.
"Even though you're Kikyo and Midoriku's reincarnation, you're still a pathetic human." Just as she was about to dive her sword into Kagome's chest, her master's voice rung in her head.
SAKIMU! She winced a little and ceased what she was doing.
"Yes master?"
Change of plans, Sakimu. Kuritomo has been slain and we need to retreat for now. Take the girl with you and bring her back to the castle.
Sakimu nodded, her sword disappearing. "Yes master." She looked down at Kagome and chuckled a little bit. "You've been lucky but your luck will run out sooner or later." With that, she picked Kagome up and flew towards her master's castle, not realizing that the small amount of blood that was seeping from Kagome's forehead was leaving something of a trail to their destination.
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"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!" Jakken screeched, bursting into his lord's study. Sesshomaru growled in warning.
"This better be good, Jakken." Jakken nodded and continued on quickly.
"Lady Kagome is gone, Lord Sesshomaru!" Sesshomaru's face paled and his stomach and heart plummeted to his feet but then a second later, panic filled him and he got up so fast that he broke his desk in half and sent his chair smashing against the marble wall. Racing out of the room, he began calling her and checking random rooms and finally, he burst out of the main doors of the castle.
"KAGOME!"
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Kasei groaned a little bit, the echoing and familiar howl rousing him from near death. Ai was sobbing while holding his head to her body. A few stray tears fell onto Kasei's cheek and it woke him up enough to try and sit up which he found out was a very large mistake and he instantly regretted it, letting out an unconscious growl of displeasure.
Ai heard it and blinked a little, holding him away. "K-Kasei? You're … alright … you're … alive!" She hugged him again and Kasei winced but put his arms around her as best he could.
"Yeah. What happened?" Ai bit her lip and looked away. Kasei looked up at her and it all came back to him. How he had thought like a fool and not recognized that Ai was being controlled earlier. He tightened his grip on her, which caused her to look at him.
"It wasn't your fault. You were being controlled." Kasei's ears twitched as he heard a very familiar howl and his heart skipped a beat. "We have to get back to the castle." Ai nodded and shifted so he could pull himself onto her back. Kasei blinked a little.
"Are you sure you can hold me?" Ai nodded.
"Positive. Hurry and climb on." Kasei nodded as well and climbed on. As soon as he was securely on, Ai took off like a bullet, surprising Kasei enough that he nearly fell off but he quickly regained himself and even though his side was burning like hell, he managed to hang on.
When they arrived at the castle, Sesshomaru was rounding up his entire army, which consisted of over a thousand demons of every type. He had even sent an express message to the other lords, which had agreed to help him. Kasei's jaw dropped when they were standing over a Cliffside, looking down at the rows and rows of demons of every shape and size, he even spotted a few unicorns.
"I wonder what's wrong." Kasei wondered aloud. Ai shook her head a little bit.
"It's something serious, really serious for an army this large but then again, your father is the most powerful of the four lords." Kasei nodded a little.
"Let's get down there and hurry." Ai took off again like a bullet but this time Kasei was hanging on tight.
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Sakimu was standing over Kagome when she awoke. "Glad to see you've awaken, Lady Kagome."
Kagome groaned a little, holding her head that was currently throbbing with extreme pain. Looking up, she gave a yelp and scampered away. Sakimu chuckled her hollow chuckle, looking down at her. Just as she was going to respond, a shadowed figure appeared in the doorway and Sakimu bowed in respect.
Shaking a little, Kagome strained her eyes to see who it was and he gave a low, quiet chuckle and stepped into the light of the room. Kagome's eyes widened and she gasped, moving back even more.
"You again." He did a fancy bow, looking over at Kagome from his bowed position with a blood-chilling smirk.
"Yes, it's nice to see you again, Lady Kagome."
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A/N: Yeah! Another chapter done! Now … here's another twist for you all …
Your reviews decide Kagome's fate. Lots of reviews mean that Sesshomaru finds Kagome and kills all the bad guys.
Few reviews mean that … well … the opposite of the lots of reviews option.
I made this chapter extra long for everyone who had been so extra patient with me. Who knows … maybe chapter 25 will be ten pages, instead of six.
An Extra Special Thanks To:
sana
k4g0me
Lauryn
Amy Kachelries
teiboi
Sana gave me a few ides that I just modified a little to fit the story
ENJOY EVERYONE!