This is it guys! Last chapter for The Strength of Family! It was a short run I know, but it was my first so give me credit! I hope you all enjoyed it and will look for my next fanficcies! Do Enjoy!
Chapter Six: Family
"Miyako!" Inu no Taishou shouted and went to aid her, only to be stopped by Sesshomaru's hand. A small growl came deep from within Inu no Taishou's throat angered by his eldest son's insolence.
"She is still alive, Father. You must put the battle before saving the women. If you turn your back on the enemy and get injured, where does that leave the women?" Sesshomaru glanced down at Saya, who was also unconscious but still alive. He couldn't allow his worry to cause a loss in the battle.
Inu no Taishou watched his son proud of him. He didn't think he'd get a talking to about how he should conduct himself in battle, especially from one of his sons. Although he was slightly uncertain if Sesshomaru said it out of coldness for their women or as actual sound advice.
"You won't have to worry about them soon enough!" The blonde, who introduced himself as Philon, laughed hysterically at the two. "You'll all be dead!"
"In your dreams!" Inuyasha came charging over the side of the ravine and at Philon. Sesshomaru frowned at his brother's idiocy and also charged in, as to not let Inuyasha get all the glory for his work.
"And here comes the youngest!" Philon laughed, easily dodging Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's attacks.
Inu no Taishou stood back watching his sons work so horribly together. He could see they didn't want the other finishing their kill. It upset him his sons didn't get along, that his eldest hated his youngest for reasons Inu no Taishou didn't understand. He was beginning to regret his choice of staying hidden from them, he thought he had made the right decision enabling his sons to grow stronger and stay clear of the dangers of the title he had come to posses.
His eyes darted back and forth following as Sesshomaru attacked, Inuyasha right at his heels, then Inuyasha getting in the way of Sesshomaru's attack causing him to hesitate before attacking in another direction. He was pleased to see Sesshomaru wasn't going to intentionally harm Inuyasha, but the fact still remained the two of them were getting nowhere. They had no sense of coordination with each or just refused to cooperate; he could only assume the latter. He wasn't going to jump in there and harm either of his sons when he tried to attack. He had to think of how to proceed from here and get this battle over and done with so he could attend to his mate.
"What's this, Inu no Taishou? Letting your sons do all the fighting!? Isn't that a wee bit pathetic!?" Philon twirled, sending a wave of flame out at the two demons attacking him causing them to fall back and land beside Inu no Taishou. "Not that it will matter much longer!" Philon slowly floated into the air with his arms raised and his palms glowing red.
From within the cave Miyako and Saya had been captive a glow come forth, growing brighter until Folami emerged limp in the air floating towards the ravine. Her body slowly faded into lights that swirled into the air. They hovered a moment before jetting towards Philon and aborbed into his body. Philon grew three times in size; his eyes became yellow and snake like while his body elongated looking half snake and half human. Philon and Folami were now one in the same and double the strength.
"Now for the dessert." Philon cackled as he looked down at his little sister.
"No! Brother! Why!? I thought we were doing this as a family!" Riko pleaded as she slowly inched backwards.
"HA! This was my whole intention dear sister! I never had planned to share my glory with you two! You're so pathetic you barely were able to defeat the women!"
"But Brother!" Riko screamed as her body suddenly jolted and went limp. She dissolved into the glow and was absorbed just as her elder sister had been.
"Pathetic fool!" Philon laughed as he grew for a second time and became uglier and more deformed than before. "The weak must perish and the strong must thrive! Family means nothing in the scheme of superiority! Those two were only there for my evolvement into a stronger and fiercer demon to enable the defeat of you three - the strongest three demons in the western lands!"
"What is wrong with you?" Everyone's attention was drawn to Inu no Taishou as he spoke. "That is no way to treat or even speak of your family. It is despicable standing here watching you consume your sisters as they had been so devoted to you and your imaginary cause."
"What right do you have to lecture me!?" Philon growled down at him. "You abandoned your so called family to be with that woman!"
"No, I didn't. I left my family because I thought it would protect them. My foes would always be after me...and with a human lover and half human son they would be in constant danger. As for Sesshomaru, he was old enough to be without his father. I didn't think I would cause so much harm to my sons, but either way I didn't do it to intentionally harm them...I did it out of love."
Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stared at their father unsure of what to say and amazed he was revealing such personal feelings to an enemy.
"How pathetic!" Philon laughed hard. "Such trivial things will surely get you killed! Sentiment! So pathetic!" Philon continued to laugh as Inu no Taishou growled deep within his throat. He charged at Philon for the first time since Inuyasha joined the fight and with a small swipe of Philon's hand, Inu no Taishou was thrown back against the rocky ravine having the wind knocked right out of his lungs.
Sesshomaru watched his father hit the rocks for a moment and jumped into action ready to fight along side his father. Inuyasha hesitated a little long than necessary, he was still angry with Inu no Taishou, but what he had said dulled the anger. He couldn't hated him forever and he doubted his mother would be happy to see Inuyasha not getting along with his father. The past was the past and Inuyasha had to move on from it. He watched as Inu no Taishou got off the rocks and ran at Philon claws bared. Inu no Taishou didn't have his three katana so was not as powerful as his former glory, but still powerful nonetheless. Inuyasha jumped down into the ravine along side his father and brother attacking Philon to their utmost only to have Philon swipe away the attack or take the brunt of the power against his hard scales. It seemed the three were no match against this giant beast. There had to be a weakness, they couldn't let Philon rampage across the lands.
Inu no Taishou landed on the edge of the ravine out of breath and trying to formulate a plan. Even if him and Sesshomaru were to transform into their demon forms it most likely would have the same effect. There needed to be a strategy to take down the beast before them.
"Do you have a plan, Father?" Sesshomaru landed right beside him also out of breath.
"I'm working on it."
"You may want to think faster or the idiot is going to get himself killed." Sesshomaru motioned to Inuyasha who was still attacking Philon just to have the attack bounce off the scales or to have Philon swipe at him and Inuyasha barely able to dodge.
"At least he's keeping him distracted..."
Sesshomaru's lips twitched amused by his father's response. He didn't think he meant it as a heartless comment but either way it was nice to know Inuyasha could only be considered a distraction.
"Too scared to fight Inu no Taishou and Sesshomaru!? Have you finally seen that your power is inferior to mine!?" Philon's tail rose and smashed down where the women were laying.
"Miyako!" Inu no Taishou shouted and Sesshomaru shouted, "Saya!" Inuyasha also looked in that direction, giving Philon enough time to swipe at him, sending him flying into the hard rocky surface.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Philon's laugh boomed around them, filling their already sensitive ears with the horrid sound.
"I say we just go at him all out." Sesshomaru gritted through his teeth, his worry for Saya showing across his cold hard face.
"Our teeth and claws will be no good..." Inu no Taishou grasped at everything he could to keep his calm. He had to believe Miyako was alive or he couldn't bare to think of what he would do.
"He protects his weak spot...if you notice...he doesn't bother to fend us off when we attack from the side or the back but if you watch..." Sesshomaru motioned to Inuyasha as he furiously pounced back to his feet and charged at Philon from the front only to be swiped away by a fist of flame. "His weakness is from the front...I would take a guess his neck...so if we are able to distract Philon enough for Inuyasha to just continue what he has been doing, he should be able to take him down..."
"It's worth a shot..." Inu no Taishou nodded to Sesshomaru and jumped from the edge of the ravine, smoke encircling him as slowly he grew into the great dog demon he was. He howled at his opponent as Philon laughed appearing to grow excited.
"Finally! The dog demon reveals his true self!"
Beside Inu no Taishou, Sesshomaru did the same growling at the demon before him as his transformation completed itself.
"Oh goodie!" Philon giggled like a school girl. "Both in their true form! Its unfortunate only Inuyasha does not have one!"
"Shut up!" Inuyasha shouted from below, like an ant compare to the other three.
Inu no Taishou jumped on Philon's back as Sesshomaru grappled with his tail, trying to dig their claws and teeth into the hard scales. Philon wiggled and twisted trying to lodge them free as Inuyasha ran out of the way, barely able to dodge the three gigantic beasts. He didn't know what to do, he was way out of his league here. Three gigantic beasts fighting and he was like a small mouse that would be tramped on if he got too near. It pissed him off, really. He was part of that damn family why couldn't he grow. He growled deep in his throat, the anger rising in his body. He waited a moment before quietly pouncing among the tails and paws. He drew his sword in one motion and charged at Philon's unguarded front.
"Bakuryuha!" Inuyasha shouted as he unleashed his Backlash Wave.
"You think you can catch me off guard!?" Philon laughed, swatted Sesshomaru off his tail, sending him flying back and blocked the attack with his tail. Inuyasha's attack reflected off Philon's tail and was sent back at him. Caught unprepared Inuyasha was hit with his own attack and fell to the ground.
Inu no Taishou roared and pounced on the back of Philon's neck while he was distracted and laughing at Inuyasha's defeat. He bit deeply into the tenderness and dug his claws into the soft flesh causing deep red blood to ooze out. It burned his mouth as he tore chunk after chunk of flesh, reaching the bone. Philon screamed in agony as he tried to rip Inu no Taishou off his neck but slowly his power was leaving his body as he weakened. He slowly shrunk until he was once again the size he began with and was between the paws of a panting Inu no Taishou. After a moment of catching his breath Inu no Taishou turned back into his human resemblance and kept his eyes on the shuddering Philon.
Sesshomaru walked passed Inu no Taishou straight for Philon. He unsheathed his katana and in one easy motion sliced his head off. They stood for a moment in silence letting the victory settle in.
"Miyako!" Inu no Taishou remembered his initial hurry and ran to where Philon smashed the rock. Nothing could have survived the impact. Everything was shattered and dust. He couldn't even see a trace of one body from the women.
"Over here!" Saya shouted from the entrance of the cave. She was bruised and bloodied but looking very well considering. Sesshomaru was instantly by her side grazing his fingers over her cheek. She closed her eyes allowing his touch to be felt throughout her whole body.
"Where's Miyako?" Inu no Taishou interrupted their reunion, not patient enough for them to remember where they were.
"And Emi!" Inuyasha was beside them as well, impatiently twitching needing to know as well.
"In the cave." Saya reluctantly stepped away from Sesshomaru's touch and pointed further in. "Emi isn't looking to good. She was hit really hard, Mom is doing everything she can."
Inuyasha shoved passed the three of them before Inu no Taishou could see Miyako. He ran down the rocky incline until he came upon Miyako tending to Emi's wounds. She looked up at him with a saddened face, but tired to smile ever so slightly for him.
"Miyako." Inu no Taishou came up behind Inuyasha and her eyes were averted to him. She got up off her knees and hugged him tightly, her relief very apparent.
"Is she going to die?" Inuyasha fell to his knees beside Emi and took her hand in his.
"I believe so..." Miyako gently placed her hand on his shoulder only to have him shrug her off. "She is only human..." Miyako stepped back into Inu no Taishou's arms, giving Inuyasha his space.
"Emi...?" Inuyasha stroked her cheek. "Can you hear me...?"
"Inu...yasha?" Emi's voice was barely a whisper. "I'm...so..."
"Don't apologize." Inuyasha's voice shook with pain. He couldn't lose her. He'd just gotten her to be his.
"I...love..." Emi's voice faded, her eyes slowly closed and her breathing stilled.
"I love you too." Inuyasha's voice cracked and tears fell to his cheeks. How could he let another love die under his watch?
"Move." Sesshomaru shoved Inuyasha out of the way.
"What the fuck Sesshomaru!? Don't you have any respect!?" Inuyasha got to his feet ready for a fight with his brother.
"Inuyasha. Calm down." Inu no Taishou's lips formed a small smile as he watched his eldest son pull the Tenseiga from its sheath and save the human from death.
"There." Sesshomaru stepped back as Emi gasped for air and sat up looking around slightly confused.
"What just- oof!" Emi was cut off by Inuyasha hugging her tightly to his chest. She wrapped her arms around him tightly so happy she was getting a second chance with Inuyasha even if she didn't quite understand how it was possible.
"Why'd you do that?" Inuyasha looked up at Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru wrapped his arm around Saya and walked out the entrance of the tunnel ignoring his question.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!"
"He may pretend to hate you, Inuyasha, but you're still his brother. There is some love in there for you." Inu no Taishou chuckled as he wrapped his arm around Miyako. "Will you two be okay?"
"Yeah...we'll manage."
"We'll be around if you ever want to talk Inuyasha. There's an isle off the northern coast, that's where we will be." Inu no Taishou kept his arm tightly around Miyako as he walked to the entrance of the cave.
"I'll take you up on that offer."
"Good. I look forward to it." Inu no Taishou stepped outside with Miyako, witnessing the red and pink hue of the setting sun. "Let's go home, my love."