a/n: Hey yall! I got up 2 chappies in one day! Yay for me!!! ^-^ I've actually spent like literally all day on these two chappies so be happy people! . ...like I'm mad, ya right... Neways, no more retarded talking... ON TO THE CHAPPIE!!!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha...........(*note boring disclaimer*).... -.- ... It's boring isn't it?!
Chapter 22- The Bloodbath
Sesshomaru appeared by his mate's side in an instant. Her body had collapsed to the ground only seconds after she had entered his sight as she fell into unconsciousness. Checking her body to be sure that she was not injured anywhere else, he was satisfied to see that Takusi had not landed a single hit on her before Shippo had arrived upon the scene.
Scooping her into his arms he disappeared from his previous spot to appear inside the house in front of the barrier that Rin had erected. His daughter, upon sensing his aura outside her barrier, dropped it and allowed him to enter the room. Sesshomaru quickly entered and lay Sango's unconscious form down on the futon before instructing Rin to raise the barrier back up behind him and leaving the room with a flash. Rin did as her father said and raised the barrier before sending her mother a worried look and heading over to examine her.
Reappearing outside Sesshomaru did not pause in his stride; instead he merely flew towards the battle and slashed his poison laced claws at Takusi who was having difficulty blocking Shippo's sword attacks. Smirking as he felt his poison claws tear through the soft flesh of Takusi's shoulder, he made sure that he injected just enough of his sickly green poison to burn and eat away at the surrounding flesh but not enough to kill him; killing him with a single blow would be to merciful and painless, Sesshomaru wanted him to suffer the way he'd made Sango suffer.
Takusi screamed in pain as he fell backwards from Sesshomaru's powerful and painful blow. He stumbled but managed to remain on his feet while clutching his shoulder that was bleeding and oozing green poison. Shippo, who had moved away before Sesshomaru's first attack, chose to return to Rin to check on Sango and make sure that she was ok; after all, he was no longer needed here. Leaving the clearing he hoped that Sesshomaru would torture that bastard to within an inch of his life before he took his poison from him.
Sesshomaru, himself, didn't even acknowledge his son-in-law's departure; his blazing eyes were focused slowly on the demon that he'd been aching to dig his claws into since he found his mate near death in his burning mansion. His inner demon was growling and clawing at the edges of it's cage, demanding that he slaughter the demon before him, a demand that he was all to willing to succumb to.
Narrowing his golden eyes he flew forward and attacked Takusi in a flurry of blindingly fast strikes that he was sure to make shallow enough that they would not be fatal but deep enough that his poison was able to seep deeply into the muscles and cause the maximum amount of pain possible. It didn't take long for Takusi's body to be covered completely in bloody, oozing gashes and the fox demon was barely able to stand.
"Ba…stard…" Takusi coughed out as he used his sword to keep him on his feet.
"You are the bastard you pathetic fox demon. You attacked my mate and pup when they had done nothing. And you thought I would let you leave with your life?" Sesshomaru spat as he growled and pulled his poison covered hand up beside his face, "Now you shall die a slow and painful death for your actions."
Disappearing from Takusi's sight, Sesshomaru reappeared right in front of him and, slicing his claws upward, removed his right arm from his body. Takusi screamed in pain and fell backwards as his blood flew and covered the ground around him. Sesshomaru walked forward and crouched down over Takusi's bloodied form.
"Now, I want you to release every single bit of your poison onto the ground and I will end your life without any more pain," Sesshomaru hissed as he dug his claws deeply into the bloody place where his shoulder had been and released his poison slowly into the wound, causing the fox demon the scream in pain.
Panting from the effects of the poison Takusi looked up at the demon lord and smirked despite his current situation.
"Heh… You may have gotten rid of me Sesshomaru but the mark I've left on your mate will last long after I've gone," Takusi hissed causing Sesshomaru to narrow his eyes and tighten his hold, "Ahh… Her memories… Her memories are why you want my poison. You think that you can retrieve her memories without pain if you use my poison but it's too bad that that will never happen."
Sesshomaru glared in suspicion at the half dead fox demon.
"What makes you say that fox? Is it possible that you think that I cannot make you give me your poison?"
"That's not it at all Lord Sesshomaru. I have one last thing up my sleeve. I wonder though, how do you think your pathetic human mate will handle the pain of all of her memories returning at once?" Takusi said lowly as his hand glowed yellow with poison again, "I don't think she'll survive, do you?"
Sesshomaru's eyes widened before narrowing dangerously and he swiftly slammed his claws into the demon's heart.
"Too late…" Takusi whispered as the life left his eyes and he slowly died.
Sesshomaru, however, was not interested in the lifeless body of the fox demon he'd just slain. His mind was flying back towards his mate as he stood and turned to head back towards the room that Sango was currently lying in unconscious.
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
His fear was realized as his mate's scream of pain echoed through the house and into the clearing. He used his speed to reach the room in a matter of seconds and rushed inside as soon as Rin released her barrier. At her side in an instant, Sesshomaru worried watched as she clutched her head tightly and screamed.
"Daddy! Something's happening to mommy and I don't know what to do!" Rin cried as Shippo pulled her to his chest comfortingly.
Ignoring his daughter and son-in-law, Sesshomaru focused solely on his mate who was curled into a fetal position on the futon that he'd lain her on earlier. The only other noise in the room that he registered at all was Kohaku's tiny cry from Rin's arms as he once again felt his mother's pain. Knowing that the babe would be fine, Sesshomaru focused completely on his mate once again.
"Sango! I'm here. Just hang on. You can overcome this," Sesshomaru said into her ear to ensure that she heard him over the sound of her own screams.
Sango made no sign to show that she'd heard him at all, or even that she felt him at her side; she just continued to scream and clutch her head in pain.
'This is just as it was when her memories burned the first time,' Sesshomaru thought as he desperately tried to think of something to do, 'There is no poison to counter this time. Her memories are returning and there's nothing I can do to relieve the pain.'
He fearfully listened to the sound of Sango's heartbeat increasing to a dangerous level; the bastard was right, she wasn't going to be able to survive the pain of all of her memories returning at once. His mind suddenly came across a possible solution and he thought it over for only an instant before trying it. Opening their mental connection through their mating mark Sesshomaru immediately felt some of Sango's pain move to his own mind.
'I'm here Sango! Pass some of your pain into my mind through our mating mark so that I can help you!' Sesshomaru called out, hoping to get a response from his still screaming mate.
Through their connection, however, the pain was making its way to him without Sango's will and he readily took it. Also, he was able to see every one of her memories as they returned as if he were viewing them with his own eyes; something they'd never before experience through their mark.
'Sess…Sesshomaru…' Sango called out from somewhere within the flashes of memories, her voice laced with pain and anguish, 'I-I can't. It's too much. I don't… don't know what to do. It hurts so badly.'
Even as she cried out in pain Sesshomaru could hear her heartbeat returning to a normal level as his mind took over half of her pain. His nerves calmed slightly as he was sure that Sango would now survive the massive memory attack. The pain he felt was bearable knowing that his mate was now in the clear.
'I know Sango but you will be ok. Hold on for a little longer and the pain will cease.'
He received no response but the screams were now down to painful whimpering and he knew that his prediction was correct. As the flashes of memories slowed and ceased, taking the pain with them, Sesshomaru could feel that Sango was no longer conscious so he released the connection and opened his eyes to find a silently crying Rin being held by Shippo who wore an worried expression.
From Rin's arms Kohaku had stopped crying and reached his arms out towards his father, a sign that he wanted to be held. Sesshomaru stood and took his infant son from his daughter's arms after making sure that his mate was laid back into a comfortable position on the futon.
"Was that a memory attack Sesshomaru?" Shippo asked as his father in law turned to look at him.
"A last ditch effort by the worthless bastard to try to end Sango's life," Sesshomaru said as he growled at the thought of the fox demon that now lay in bloody pieces outside the house.
"You killed him I take it," Shippo stated, knowing full well that he would not have returned without slaughtering the fox demon.
Sesshomaru merely nodded and looked down into the eyes of his pup to see a look of concern in his big, golden eyes.
'Demon pups develop faster than human babies but is it possible for Kohaku to know what is happening and be concerned for the situation at only a week old?' Sesshomaru thought as he looked at his young pup with interest, 'Well he is his father's son as Sango has often pointed out.'
"Rin, if you would hold Kohaku for me I would like to take Sango back to her room for the night," Sesshomaru said as his daughter quickly whipped her tears and put on a bright smile.
"Ok daddy!"
Handing off his son, Sesshomaru bent and picked up Sango's limp form in his arms. She instinctively curled into his chest and clenched one of her small fists into his kimono top. He smiled slightly as he stood and left the room heading back towards the room that they'd been sharing before he'd left. Rin followed behind him while Shippo made his way outside, undoubtedly to clean up the bloody mess that he'd left in the clearing.
Upon arriving Rin slid the door open and allowed her father to enter in front of her. She held her little brother while her father carefully removed her mother's pink battle armor from her black slayer's suit with such precision that suggested he'd done so before. When he was sure that she would be comfortable he turned, took Kohaku from Rin, and settled down on the ground sitting cross-legged beside his mate.
"I can take care of little Kohaku tonight if you are tired daddy," Rin offered before receiving a shake of the head from her father, "Ok. Night daddy. I hope that momm-… mother gets better soon."
He fleetingly hoped that Rin would not go outside to see the bloody mess he'd made of the fox demon but stopped by reminding himself that she was an adult now and he could not protect her from everything; as a priestess and healer he was sure she'd seen her fair share of gruesome sights.
Turning back to Sango's unconscious form he sat for quite some time just watching her and his pup slumber. Sighing in relief he released the tension in his shoulders that he'd been holding since Sango had first frantically contacted him through their mating mark earlier in the day. He had been nearly to the mountains of the north tracking the fox's scent when Sango had called to him and the speed that he'd attained had shocked even him.
'This is the second time that I've reached those speeds,' Sesshomaru thought as he remembered his mad flight to the mansion just a week earlier.
"It seems that I can exceed my own limits when it comes to you, my love," Sesshomaru said out loud to the sleeping woman.
Smiling despite himself he shifted to lie down beside his mate and carefully pulled her closer to him. In her sleep Sango moved and threw her arm around his muscled chest. Sesshomaru smiled slightly and wrapped his left arm around her hip protectively. He breathed in her scent and was able to calm himself enough to relax for the rest of the night.
a/n: Well there yall go. Sango's finally got all of her memories back! Yay! ...Newayz, I'd like to take this time to thank all of my awesome reviewers who've been with me since the beginning.
A super big thanks to: Hattaru, Lerryn, emodinosaurX3, TheInuyashaKaidanWriter, OneInuLuver, LillithAltair, Animelover6000, Nightfall2525, Tigresa89, sangoscourage, NinjaSheik, SesshomaruLover4evr, igirlwholikesherstuff, and horseluver15 (All of whom are writers who have their own stories that yall should go check out!^-^)
All these people have reviewed at least three times to "A Demon's Heart" and I just wanted to recognise all their decitated reviews. I did not, however, mention anyone who has flamed my chappies since meany face's don't deserve such recognition .!!!
PLZ READ AND REVIEW!!!