No matter how much I love the Inuyasha series, as do us all, I have no ownership of anything Inuyasha.(sigh)
Okay, here it is! The big rescue scene! Lol….enjoy
Chapter Sixteen
Riya, in full dragon demon form, lies curled up in a snow bank, perfectly content in the chill of the snow. Her immense steel gray body is coiled around itself several times, much like a snakes.
Keen, hateful eyes watch the snowstorm around her, her own doing, and she smiles slightly as she detects the demonic aura's approaching.
"They are on their way." Riya says, calling the Mitsuki. The priestess nods, folding her hands and beginning the chant to cast the barrier around her and the cage.
Riya watches, easily seeing through the barrier and into the cage. Only a small pile of snow can be seen in the cage, and despite the weather and Rin's weakness Riya knows the demoness still lives. She smiles slightly. That's good. After I slaughter the dogs I'll send her to hell after them. Her and that filthy pup.
As the dog demons appear in the snow before her, stopping clear of what they thought was her range, she uncoils herself slowly, rising up slightly to tower over them.
The mask on her forehead, identical to her father's yet blue in color, stares down at them with an evil, blood thirsty smile.
"Welcome." Riya says, reveling in the looks of the dog demon's faces.
Sesshoumaru stares up at Riya, his mind flashing back to Ryukotsusei. He studies the dragon demon critically, the rage already making his eyes bleed red. He turns to look at his father.
Inutaisho stares up at Riya with a careful mask of no emotion on his face. Through that mask Sesshoumaru can tell the direction of his thoughts.
Last time he battled a dragon, he lost his life. Not directly but if it hadn't been for the wounds inflicted by Ryukotsusei, father would have lived. He must be afraid.
Without warning Inutaisho reaches back, drawing Sounga. As the blade comes free the possessed blade instantly comes to life, the familiar immense demonic aura pouring from the sword. Sesshoumaru draws Tenseiga, feeling the blade in his hands pulse with the heartbeat of it's own.
It will be too easy for her to get a grip on us when we're in full form. Inutaisho sends to his son. Stay in this form as long as possible. Sesshoumaru doesn't react, only shifts his feet slightly, waiting.
Riya studies them, smiling.
"Didn't I say that if you fight me, Rin will die?" Sesshoumaru pauses, suddenly losing his edge. Riya smiles.
"Well, I haven't had a good fight in a while and I really didn't expect you two to go down so easily. It seems that the coward of a hanyou didn't show?" Riya asks, noticing Inuyasha's absence. She smiles. "I'll just have to go killing a few hundred humans. I'm sure he'll show then."
"Don't be in such a rush to die worm." The three turn, Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho frowning when they see Inuyasha trudging through the snow toward them, Tetsuiga drawn and ready. He stops on the other side of his father, grinning. Inutaisho glances at him questioningly and Inuyasha nods back toward the trees slightly.
A new ally just joined in. Curious, Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru spare a glance back as Inuyasha suddenly starts hurling insults at Riya, distracting her.
Sesshoumaru peers into the trees in the distance, catching sight of a large shadowy figure in the tree line.
Kagome and Shippo, in smaller form now, crouch in the trees nearly the tree line, watching the exchange and scanning the snow covered area all around, trying to spot where Rin and the miko are.
Shippo senses it first, his nose twitching slightly as he growls, grabbing Kagome and pushing her to the ground as he stands over her, ready to fight. Kagome holds her breath, staring out into the semi dark trees, nearly crying out in fear as a large hulking figure appears out of the bushes.
Seeing who it is Kagome suddenly relaxes and starts laughing, rising and launching herself at the newcomer.
"Kirara!"
The cat demon purrs slightly as Kagome wraps her arms around the two tailed cat's neck, hugging her fiercely.
"Kirara, how on earth did you survive this long? Oh never mind, how did you find us?" Kirara wrinkles her nose, sniffing slightly and Kagome laughs, hugging the cat demon again. "Thank the maker you're here. We can really use your help."
Kirara looks up as Shippo stands beside her, scratching one ear.
"Long time no see Kirara." Kirara purrs again, her eyes closing a brief moment before she moves away, staring straight ahead. Kagome nods, taking the hint.
"All right. Let's find that barrier."
Riya stares down at Inuyasha, barely containing her rage.
"You have got to be the most foul mouthed, vile mutt I think I've ever met." Riya states flatly. Inuyasha smiles wider, waving Tetsuiga around slightly in the air.
"Thanks worm." Riya's eyes narrow and she draws her head back slightly, her mouth opening wide like a snake about to strike. Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Inutaisho tense, ready.
And then the fight began.
Kagome, Shippo, and Kirara pause, watching the battle before turning their attention back to the area before them. Kagome scans the area with her eyes as well as her miko's powers but finds nothing.
Shippo suddenly taps her shoulder, pointing higher up the mountain, past where the trees end.
"Up there." Kagome scans the land, sensing something though her powers and as she watches, she sees a slight shimmer in the air marking a barrier.
"Great job Shippo. Can you get me above it?" Shippo nods, bending down so Kagome can climb onto his back.
"Kirara, you know what to do." She says before Shippo bends down slightly, pushing off with his legs and leaping high into the air, erupting from the trees.
Four quick bounds brings them almost to the barrier and Kagome draws her bow, notching an arrow and drawing the bowstring as far back as she can. Shippo leaps high into the air so fast Kagome has to orient herself before sighting. The blurry area of the barrier is almost directly beneath her. Sighting along the arrow she inhales, holding her breath and calling upon all the miko powers she possesses before releasing.
A shock wave ripples across the ground, nearly knocking Inuyasha off his feet as he lands. Sesshoumaru is nearby, their father on the other side of Riya. All of them stop, turning in the direction of the shock wave.
"It can't be!" Riya exclaims, watching as the brilliant flash of light fades. "How did that weak little human destroy the barrier!" Inuyasha scowls, leaping up and digging Tetsuiga deep into a wound already there in Riya's neck, earning a pained growl as he cuts even deeper before leaping away.
"That's my mate your talking about." Inuyasha exclaims. "And she is far from weak!" He yells.
Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru both leap clear as Inutaisho releases Sounga, the demonic energy encasing Riya for a brief moment.
The power is suddenly extinguished and Riya laughs.
"Please. Don't think that would work. I haven't spent the last several hundred years lying dormant just to fall to a small attack like that!" She says, glaring at Inutaisho with both sets of eyes.
Suddenly a flicker of movement catches her attention and suddenly Sesshoumaru is standing on her muzzle, directly before the mask on her forehead. Her eyes widen.
"When did you..."
Mitsuki gasps as her barrier is broken, rising to her feet as her hand grabs the arrow shaft in her shoulder. Grunting, she pulls the arrow out and flings it away, raising one hand toward the demon and miko still in mid air.
"You wench! You'll die for that!" She yells.
Kagome watches from mid air as Kirara suddenly appears out of nowhere, slamming into the miko full force. The impact sends them flying through the snow, Kirara landing atop the miko.
Kagome looks away, burying her face in Shippo's shoulder as the piercing death scream of Mitsuki rends the air before she falls into silence.
Shippo lands softly near the cage and Kagome leaps off his back, running as well as she can through the snow.
"Rin!" Kagome calls out in near panic when she sees the corner of Rin's kimono through a thick layer of snow. Kagome grabs the bars of the cage, rattling them with all her strength.
"Rin!"
Riya stares up at Sesshoumaru, for the first time in a long time feeling fear. His eyes, those once expressive eyes, are now cold, dead.
"You shall pay the price for what you have done." He says coldly.
Suddenly blinding, agonizing pain spears through her as Sesshoumaru brings down Tenseiga, burying his sword up to the hilt into Riya's forehead, right between the eyes of her mask. Riya releases a scream, her body convulsing as she collapses on the ground. Sesshoumaru pulls Tenseiga free and leaps clear as Riya impacts the ground.
Inutaisho and Inuyasha join him as he stands before Riya, watching the blood stain the snow red.
Riya smiles slightly, her eyes distant.
"Though you may have killed me, I still win, in a way." Around them the snowstorm begins to die. As the sound of the howling wind ceases they can hear Kagome's voice. Sesshoumaru turns abruptly, staring at where Kagome is at the cage.
"Rin! No!" He hears her yelling. Rage bleeds his eyes red and Riya manages to nod.
"She'll be dead by nightfall at least, if she's not dead already. I actually haven't seen her move in three days." Riya chuckles slightly, shifting her body slightly, her tail curling slowly through the snow to sneak around behind the three dog demons before her.
Kagome rattles the cage bars again, tears of frustration filling her eyes. Beside her Shippo suddenly grabs the bars on either side of the lock.
"Stand back Kagome." Kagome rises, backing away as Shippo suddenly throws his entire weight back, using all this strength to pull on the cage bars. After several tries the lock finally gives, snapping with a loud pop. As the door swings open Kagome ducks into the cage, frantically dusting snow off the prone figure within.
Rin does not react to Kagome's voice or touch and Kagome gasps, withdrawing her hands from Rin's skin a brief moment. Shippo stares at her from the opening of the cage.
"What? Is she all right?" Kagome trembles as she begins to try and drag Rin as carefully as she can from the cage.
"She's still alive but she's practically frozen!" She exclaims. Shippo stares at her a moment, then as soon as he can he grabs a handful of Rin's kimono and tugs, Rin sliding from the cage. Kagome cradles the girl against her, unzipping her coat and encompassing Rin as much as she can inside her own coat to try and warm her.
"We need to get her warmed up, fast." Shippo nods, turning.
"Kirara!"
Sesshoumaru watches Riya's mask, intent on changing and crushing her right there. From what he can hear he knows that they got Rin from the cage. Knowing Rin is safe he turns his full unbridled wrath on Riya.
The transformation is so sudden that everyone around him starts. Sesshoumaru stares up at his father's chest where he stands over them. Inutaisho, in full dog form now, has Riya's face in his teeth, one of his hind legs pinning Riya's tail to the ground. It twitches slightly beneath his paw.
Sesshoumaru, go after them. Inuyasha and I will stay here to finish her off. Inutaisho sends to his son. Sesshoumaru nods once, casting a quick glance at his brother before running toward the cage, hesitating when he sees that they are already gone.
Kagome clings to Kirara's thick mane of hair, her arms around Rin and holding the younger demoness's body in place on Kirara's back. Shippo runs along side them, talking over the wind as they run.
"I remember a hot spring somewhere further down the mountain. It's a rather large one but the only time people come up here is during the fall, before it gets to cold to travel up here. If we get her there we should be able to get her warmed up faster." Kagome nods, leaning her upper body over Rin's body huddled before her.
"Hang on Rin." Kagome whispers in her ear, not even sure if the girl can hear her.
They reach the hot spring and Kagome waits until Shippo takes Rin before jumping down, sliding down the small embankment into the hot water.
After the chill of being in the snow her legs burn from the hot water but Kagome ignores it, reaching out as Shippo lowers Rin into the water.
"We have to get her core temperature up." Kagome exclaims, briskly rubbing Rin's frozen stiff arms and legs in turn. "A human would have died by now easily, but if we can get Rin warmed up as fast as we can then we might be able to save her." Shippo nods, jumping down into the water with her. Kagome submerges Rin's body in the water, holding her up so just her head and neck are out of the water as Shippo works Rin's arms and legs, gently but firmly trying to get the blood circulating again.
After several minutes with no change Kagome can feel tears burning her eyes. "The hot water does not seem to be doing any good." She says, hugging Rin's upper body to her. Despite the heat of the water Rin's body is still incredibly cold.
There is a crashing in the woods near them and both look up, Shippo preparing to fight when Sesshoumaru suddenly bursts from the trees.
Sesshoumaru stops dead in his tracks, taking in the scene before him.
Kagome stares up at him, her wide brown eyes rimmed with tears. Shippo stands beside her, relaxing from his fighting stance.
Rin floats in the water, everything from her shoulders down submerged in the water. Her skin appears almost blue, her lips a dark blue color.
"No." He whispers, taking a step forward.
"She's alive." Kagome assures him before looking down at Rin. "But we can't get her warm. The hot spring it's hot enough. If we don't get her body temperature up soon…."
Sesshoumaru immediately shrugs out of his shirt, tossing it to the ground. Easily slipping out of his pants he comes to the edge of the spring, sliding in easily. He stands beside Kagome in simply his boxers, reaching out to Rin. She looks up, her eyes wide at his partial nudity.
"What are you doing!" She exclaims.
"Give her to me." Kagome studies him a second then nods, carefully shifting Rin in the water so Sesshoumaru can take her. "Get out of the spring Kagome." She stays where she is, confused. Sesshoumaru slides his arms under Rin's body, lifting her from the water as he begins moving deeper into the spring.
"What?" He suddenly turns on her as he steps into the spring.
"Now Miko!" He yells, the sound echoing off the trees around them and sending birds into flight. His eyes glow completely red, his purple stripping on his face becoming larger, more jagged looking. Kagome jerks, hastily climbing out of the spring with Shippo right behind her.
The intense cold radiating from Rin's body chills him, more in his heart than his body. The only heat he can feel from her is her middle, where their child rests.
She drew all her heat to the child, to try and save it. He thinks to himself as he slowly steps into the middle of the pool. Stopping at the waist deep water he closes his eyes, tipping his head back slightly and letting go completely of his demonic powers.
He can feel the demon within him raging to be released and he allows it, keeping a tight reign on it to keep himself from transforming and channeling his demonic power into the hot water around him.
Further away, partially up the mountain Inuyasha and Inutaisho suddenly stop, shivering slightly before glancing at one another.
"That's Sesshoumaru." Inutaisho says quietly. Inuyasha nods, glancing around and at Riya's body before following Inutaisho into the woods.
Kagome nearly shivers as the demonic aura suddenly explodes through the clearing around the springs. Never in her life had she felt such a powerful aura coming from any demon, let alone Sesshoumaru.
The water in the hot springs begins to turn darker, the water tainting red. At first she is convinced it is blood but looking further she could almost see the waves of demonic power tainting the water. The heat radiating from the springs suddenly becomes searing hot, almost boiling.
Looking up at Sesshoumaru she watches as he lowers his head, staring at Rin a moment before slowly lowering both their bodies into the water.
Hearing a crashing in the woods behind her Kagome rises, swiftly notching an arrow and nearly letting it fly before she sees Inutaisho and Inuyasha come bounding out of the woods. She drops the bow and holds up her arms to them, stopping them from approaching.
"What happened?" Inutaisho asks, watching his son behind her. She explains quickly and as she finishes the demonic aura behind her suddenly diminishes, nearly gone.
She turns, the group watching as Sesshoumaru lifts Rin from the water. Her skin is no longer gray as it had been and Sesshoumaru turns to the group. Without a word he approaches them, moving slowly through the water.
"Father." Sesshoumaru's voice is quiet his arms trembling as he holds Rin. Inutaisho leans down, carefully taking Rin from Sesshoumaru. As Inutaisho backs away Sesshoumaru suddenly falters, falling back into the water a step. Inuyasha instantly leaps into the water, supporting him with his arm over his shoulder.
"Easy there big brother." Inuyasha says quietly but Sesshoumaru only watches as Kagome stands beside Inutaisho, quickly finding Rin's pulse in her neck, her other hand shifting to feel Rin's skin on her cheek. After a minute she smiles.
"Her body feels almost normal now, and her pulse is getting stronger. It looks like she's make it." Sesshoumaru smiles slightly, and then suddenly his eyes roll back into his head.
Caught off guard Inuyasha can't catch his brother in time as the demon lord suddenly goes slack, falling face first into the water.
Okay! I can honestly say that I am glad that this is finally done…at least this part. If I've disappointed anyone, let me know. (like expecting an different ending or anything.) I'm still trying to get a feel for what the general populous wants so feel free to let me know!