Koinonayami (Love Troubles)
Chapter Ten: Time is a valuable thing
One thing
I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind I designed this rhyme
To remind myself how
I tried so hard
Despite of the way to were mocking me
Acting like I was part of your property
Remembering all the times you fought with me
I'm surprised it got so far
Things aren't the way they were before
You wouldn't even recognize me any more
Not that you knew me back then but it all comes back to me
In the end
"You will be fine brother, won't you?" Mangetsu whispered as he placed his hands on either side of his brother's head and trace the red and blue stripes.
Slowly, two golden orbs flickered open and the brother's gazes meet in a spark of power, but Engetsus eyes were dull. Mangetsu shattered inside and he felt as if his brother was looking right through him.
"Big brother," Mangetsu choked out, his voice thick and heavy, sounding nothing like his own. "Speak to me brother," he coaxed, running a soothing hand over Engetsus stripes. When his brother still did not respond, Mangetsu fell against his chest and embraced him, sobbing into his brother's limp shoulder. "Why, why won't you talk to me," Mangetsu called rocking softly.
Kagome felt tears well in her eyes, and she quickly turned into Sesshomaru's chest to hide her pain. Why indeed, she had to ask herself.
"Mang," Engetsu suddenly choked out, surprising everyone in the room.
Looking up, Mangetsu saw emotion flash through his brother's eyes, notice the golden fire burning to be set free. It took him a moment to realize what it was his eyes' were telling him. "Let it out," Mangetsu soothed as he stepped back slowly.
Engetsu curled around himself as a deep growl filled the air. "Kumo," he snarled as saliva dripped from his lengthening fangs. Bones snapped and rearranged themselves as Engetsu's body grew and his silver hair grew into thick fur across his back. Sparks of blue power danced enchanting patterns over his body as his finger molded together and his nails became deadly claws.
"Sesshomaru," Kagome called in worry as she noticed Mangetsu's own stripes becoming jagged as red filled his eyes.
"Twins are very rare, I can't say I know what is going on, but a believe they are blending powers," Sesshomaru commented as he pulled her back and away from the transforming youkai.
"What?" Kagome squeaked as she watched her sons develop long muzzles and thick fur.
"Engetsu wants blood for what happened to him, Mangetsu's going to help," Sesshomaru elaborated as he watched the dark magic collar on Engetsu's enlarging neck snap and clatter to the ground in a pile of ash. Soon the twins had become what their blood intended, true killing machines with sinew muscles built for strength and speed and thick fur for protection with poisonous saliva that corroded the marble beneath their mighty claws.
"Come it is time for the hunt, mate," Sesshomaru growled, his own instincts coming to the surface as he watched the two silver hunters disappear into the night.
Toru watched in mild surprise as a jaki ball formed around Sesshomaru and Kagome and sped off after the twins. "I do hope this turns out well in the end," he commented to himself as a fanged grin overcame his visage. "Good luck," he purred.
Engetsu felt truly free as the last of Kumo's restraints broke away. It was an amazing rush to feel his twin's pure energy surging through his true form. He felt invincible. He felt pissed. Kumo was going to die for his transgressions, and he was going to die now. It was easy for him to scent Kumo's bloody smell. The spider hadn't gone far just wandering on the outskirts of the castle's boundaries, as if he expected them to come.
'Careful, there are demons closing in,' Mangetsu growled as he rushed ahead of the other, his silky pelt glinting in the moonlight as he leapt. A warning howl filled the air before brilliant blue shafts of light came from his body and mouth. The dark shadows of lurking demons were eradicated from the blast. His miko power's crackled in the air, hissed their warning to the more demons Kumo had sent for them.
The demons were hideous blobs of flesh, slithering masses that smelled of rotting flesh, but innocent little Mangetsu lashed out with fang and claw. He ripped the fouled tasting flesh between his jaws and crushed bone with his mighty claws. His whole body hummed with purifying energy as he scattered the ranks, clearing an easy path for his twin.
'Kill, kill, kill, almost there,' Engetsu chanted, licking poisonous saliva from his lips as he spotted Kumo. The unearthly beauty of the man had been twisted into something wholly disgusting. His legs had merged and formed a wriggling army a slick tentacles that flew with amazing speed towards Engetsu.
He dodged easily in his large body, but one nimble tentacle lodged into his shoulder before his blood destroyed it with a hiss. "Die," Engetsu howled as vicious poison leaked from his maw, purifying Kumo's miasma while eating away at his dangerous limbs.
"Aim for the heart," Kagome yelled as Sesshomaru landed in the middle of the fray. In an instant she had her bow drawn. Her flaming arrows launched one after the other, searing howling paths through the youkai as Sesshomaru hacked away at any tentacles that dared to get to close.
The battleground quickly became a mess of ash and chunks of wriggle flesh that sizzled and popped before it dissolved. Only one mass of flesh avoided detection as it slithered along the ground. Hidden by trees and brush the tentacle went undetected until it sprang from the ground as sharp as a knife. Kagome screamed as she helplessly watched the deadly projectile head straight for Engetsu's heart.
"Brother," Mangetsu cried his howl of agony echoing across the land as he leapt forth and blocked the mass with his own beating heart. The tentacle easily tore into his flesh and wriggle its sickening way through his breast plate before wrapping around his precious heart and squeezing the life giving organ. His heart pumped two more times before it was crushed completely, Mangetsu never stood a chance.
Sesshomaru watched as his youngest son fell to the earth in his true form, ivory fur flowing majestically in the wind before he crashed into the dirt. His body convulsed even as Engetsu tore the tentacle out of his body and ripped it to shreds. For years to come Sesshomaru would never be able to put words to the intense sorrow that filled his heart and mind at the sight before him. He could never explain the rage that burned through his chest and ate away at his insides as Mangetsu's flesh melted away into ash and left only a skeleton of a once mighty dog.
The family of the crescent took up a mournful howl as one entity of pure rage. Sesshomaru had never transformed so fast as that day. Kagome, who was in the greatest state of shock, did not place together what had happened until she spotted a single perfect orb roll from her son's remains and felt the power it filled the land with. "No," she cried as she rushed forward, her limbs stretching themselves to the limit to reach the one object that would decide this battle.
"The Shikon no Tama," Kumo chuckled malevolently as he struck out his putrid limbs and scooped up the mighty orb. In an instant its pink surface was corrupted with black.
"NO you don't," Engetsu snarled as he leapt forth, his eyes burning red until blood leaked from his sockets and his entire body was lit aflame with life energy. "DIE, Murderer!" he howled as he fixed his jaws around the disgusting body of Kumo and locked his poisoned fangs around him.
Kumo lashed out with all he had to remove the beast, he released miasma into his own blood to fill Engetsu's body but still he would not let go. His fangs never loosened even as tentacles ravaged his flesh and poison corrupted his marrow, not even when the last of his purity destroyed the sickening flesh and his own body melted away, he never let go. For the end of time their skeletons stayed as one, just like the body of the great priestess that bore the Shikon no Tama.
Sesshomaru's great form crashed to a halt as his own body melted away into his humanoid form. "MY son," he whispered, voice shaking. Even the might taiyoukai of the western lands could not comprehend, or did not want to comprehend, what had just happened. In the space of a single, short battle he had lost everything he had ever truly wanted.
Do you have something to protect, his father's voice echoed through his mind, not any more Sesshomaru answered as he clenched his fists until blood ran from his palms. He heard a broken sob and turned to face the sound. Kagome was curled up on the ground her body shaking while her once vibrant blue eyes starred lifelessly ahead. "Perhaps, I still do," he commented out loud as something clunked against his shoe. He looked down to find the black Shikon at his feet. "Perhaps I do," he repeated as he reached down and took the stone into his hands. He paid not heed to fact that it instantly returned to its vibrant pink hue at his touch or the warm glow it filled him with.
Sesshomaru, son of Lord Inutashio and Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, did not pay heed to anything as he lifted the powerful orb to his lips and whispered the most unselfish wish that could ever be spoken to the orb, and as the world itself melted away and Kagome's shivering body was pulled further and further away from him he whispered three more words," Aishiteru my mate."
----
"Higurashi, Higurashi," a voice called sternly.
Kagome shot up in a flash, her mind muddled, as she adjusted to the light that flooded her vision. "Wha," she mumbled, vaguely aware of the snickers in the background.
"Higurashi-san I asked, since you seem so proficient in this class, to read the next sentence," the same stern voice comment. Kagome finally recognized the voice of her English teacher, but that didn't make much since. Her head was pounding as she pulled her book to her with a shaking hand.
"Ano," she coughed scanning the neat pages of English in front of her. She felt in her mind that she was quite good at this and it would be easy but another half of her was saying she was failing this class. "Life is easier then you'd think," she started as she glanced at her teacher, "all that is necessary is to accept the impossible, do without the indispensable, and bear the intolerable."
He looked impressed for a moment before his brow scrunched together in concern and every wrinkle was brought out as he stepped forward. "Higurashi," he called as he watched his student clench her head in agony before her body tumbled out of her set and crashed to floor. His eyes widened an in an instant he was barking out orders as he scooped up her small frame and fled out the door. "Nurse," he called as he entered the stark white of the office and laid his package on one of the clean beds.
The nurse, a portly, motherly sort of woman, brushed him away and quickly checked Kagome over before handing the shaking girl two strong Advil and a cup of water. "You need to sleep child, get your rest," she soothed and Kagome listened without complaint. Her dreams where wild things of fantasy with great dogs that breathed poison and demons that wielded swords of destruction and life. She dreamt of two gorgeous little boys with sweet innocent faces, their golden eyes filling her with such sorrow it tore her heart in two. Even in her sleep hot tears burned trails down her flushed cheeks.
When Kagome woke again her headache had calmed and the overwhelming sorrow of her dreams had dulled to a simple ache in her chest. The nurse checked her over again before sending her on her way home with instructions to take two more Advil the next day and get plenty of sleep.
Kagome left with a small thank you and practically ran home. She did not head up to her room to rest or finish her homework, but instead she went to her grandfather's dusty study. As if being controlled she picked out one book out of thousands of ancient tombs. "Warring States Era, Taiyoukai," she whispered as she wildly flipped through the pages. She finally found a page with a massive white dog decoratively painted on the yellowing parchment. The script beside it was old and smudged but she worked it all out carefully.
During the Warring States Era the islands of Japan were ruled by four mighty demons called Taiyoukai. To the west ruled the greatest of the four. Lord Inutashio was the first Inuyoukai to ever rule a cardinal point.
He was renowned for even at his young age he held great wisdom and power. He was the only Taiyoukai of the four to help fight with the great priestess Midoroku against a horde of feral youkai. He was also the only creature to ever see the Shikon No Tama that escaped her body before its power became unbalanced and it shattered into thousands of pieces of useless glass.
Not long after the great priestess's death he was engaged in an alliance mating to his best friend and pack mate Sakura. The beautiful Inuyoukai gave him an equally beautiful heir of extraordinary power named Sesshomaru. Sakura was threatened once and nearly killed but her assailant did not possess enough power to kill her and was defeated in time. Some time afterward the graceful Lady Sakura stepped down from her throne for the benefit of her good friend and allowed him to mate a human princess who gave him a hanyou son later named Inuyasha. The second son and his mother would have both met a mournful end at the blade of a vengeful Lord, however, Inutashio's first son warned his father of the danger and both were saved before a grand battle against a nearby ryuu youkai.
Not much was known about the family afterwards except for rumors concerning the second son and a priestess in a village neighboring one of his father's forests. Little to nothing is known of the first son who kept greatly to himself and at a young age was rumored to have fits of madness before he grew into a fine young warrior that valiantly protected the lands that would one day belong to him.
Kagome closed her eyes as the pain in her chest blossomed and hot tears splattered the ancient pages. She new there was something important in those five paragraphs but she could not place anything. Her mind started throbbing again as she dropped the book with a clatter and ran to her bathroom. She hugged the toilet for hours before downing her mother's more potent headache medicines and falling into a fitful sleep on her pink comforter.
When her mother woke her the next day she could hardly recall any of the last day and pushed it away as hormones. Only one name stayed fresh and painfully insistent, Sesshomaru.
Owari
Gomen Ne this is so late, I know, I know, but this chapter should throw you on your heads for sure. I hoped you liked. I didn't even glance over it a second time so yes there will be errors.