INUYASHA: SEALED FATES UNLEASHED
By: Lady JenDragon
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha…yada, yada. Oh well.
Author's Notes: It never fails. You plan to get another chapter done and something happens that throws off the whole schedule! What I need is a week off to just write! I wish I got paid for vacation! For all you younger readers take heed, life only gets more complicated as you get older. Just warning you now. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter. Sorry its so short but I didn't want to get into the next bit of story line and make it terribly long. Also, please review every now and then. Positive or negative, it keeps all the juices churning.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
This Means War!
"Great! We're back to square one." Inuyasha growled.
Disappointed that Sango found not a single demon. He knew he should not have expected them to be willing to stand beside humans and him to fight off this new threat. Still, Inuyasha hoped for more intelligence on the side of demons. They needed to unite to defeat Atoki…whatever her name was. Kagome could be….
Then the pain hit him. Images flashed through his mind, the speed too fast to make anything out cohesive. But it was of…Kagome. She wore little next to nothing. In some cases, she wore nothing at all, her clothes falling off her in strips. And….and he liked it. Inuyasha sucked in a deep breath, his lungs aching from the pressure. Every emotion raged within him from a strong desire to kill to feeling the deep need to mate. Everything confused him, nothing making sense.
The images focused for mere seconds before disappearing again. Kagome ran away from him, fear dripping from her. She feared…terrified of him. Why? Then she kissed him over and over, drawing him close to her. Her body moved against his, screaming out his name in such a tone that continued to echo in his head. He wanted to revisit those images again. The more he wanted, the faster the images became, as if taunting him. His knees buckled under the stress, his hands gripping his head white knuckled.
'WHAT IS THIS NIGHTMARE?!' Inuyasha screamed in his mind.
"INUYASHA?!" Shippo bounced over, his face contorted with worry. "What is it?"
Miroku and Sango ran to Inuyasha. Jaken walked his way over from the edge of the pond where he had been sitting in silent thought, the Staff of Two Heads never out of grip. Rin noticed them on her way back from collecting firewood. A pointless effort but something to keep her occupied while the rest came up with a plan to save Kagome and Lord Sesshomaru.
"I could feel her!" Inuyasha stared at his hands, amber eyes wide. "I…I touched her."
His voice trailed off after that, his expression frozen in shock. Was it real? Or was it a game that the celestial demon played while she held Kagome captive? Inuyasha felt both confident and apprehensive. It felt all too real. He did not like what he saw happening to Kagome. But she spoke his name.
Asaia emerged from the forest to find Inuyasha on his knees surrounded by the others. Had Atokiyada attempt to connect with him this soon? She began walking towards Inuyasha solemnly.
"Asaia?" Shippo noticed the girl first.
"She has made contact with Inuyasha." Asaia smiled. "We can find her now."
"How?" Miroku
"I placed a tracer bug on Kagome when Tir arrived to take them to her." Asaia opened her palm. "The bug emits a sweet scent that will allow anyone with sensitive smell to follow. However, a destination was needed. Thus, when Atokiyada connected with Inuyasha just now from where she resides, the bug's scent will find its way to us."
"Inuyasha." Sango looked between Asaia and Inuyasha. "Can you smell this scent?"
"I…" Inuyasha blinked at Sango.
"Now's not the time to act like a total moron." Shippo crossed his arms in a pout. "Kagome is in serious trouble here."
A fist came down hard on the little fox demon's head.
"OOWWW!!!" Shippo cringed rubbing his injury. "Guess he's not completely useless."
"I heard that!" Inuyasha growled.
"Inuyasha." Miroku said calmly. "Can you locate this sweet smell from the bug Asaia mentioned?"
"No." Inuyasha shook his head.
Hell, how could he concentrate? All those images of Kagome…were they memories? All he wanted to do was sit and think about them. Decipher them. Understand them. Was it a trap from that celestial demon woman to lure him from finding Kagome?
"The scent may take some time to reach us." Asaia offered. "We should rest and gather strength before finding Atokiyada."
"I agree." Sango nodded. "Since we haven't been able to locate any demons willing to stand beside us. I guess it's up to us to go get Kagome."
All he could recall were his hands on her. Inuyasha opened both palms, staring at them blankly. Sure that they once held Kagome. Yet, he could not attach any emotion to the images. Surely he felt something. Why could he not remember? Inuyasha shook his head, finding Sango and Miroku in quiet discussion, Shippo listening attentively at their feet.
"I…" Inuyasha looked up at them confused. "I did something…to Kagome. The night of chaos. I can't remember anything. But…I did something."
The group turned to face Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku exchanged a quick glance between them. Jaken stood mildly disinterested. Rin veered her eyes to the ground. Asaia watched the group expressionless.
"Inuyasha." Miroku ordered. "Now's not the time to try to figure out the past. We must find Kagome using this tracer bug Asaia created. Can you smell a sweet scent on the air yet?"
Inuyasha shook his head 'no'.
"Such an obvious attempt to follow won't work." Jaken put in his nose upended in the air, arms folded across his chest defiantly. "Anyone would discover such an obvious ploy."
Then…
Inuyasha registered something…unusual. Kagome? But not her too. Was it the bug's scent? He looked at Asaia. The young girl only smiled at him, her eyes softening. Suddenly, he wondered if this girl was truly a friend or was she a foe in a friend's disguise.
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Kagome writhed, crying out silently. Atokiyada's hand lay over her head, the celestial demon taking care to make this attack on her mind linger. Her long fingers spread evenly across the hairline allowed for better access to all of the memories the miko possessed. Her silver and blue kimono hung loose against the young girl. Atokiyada's blue hair fanned around her shoulders, allowed to hang freely for the time being.
Flashes of what Inuyasha did to her brought everything back from memory. The hour it took to hunt her down, the final chase that led them to the springs. And the eventual capture where her mind would not forget Inuyasha's touch. How his lust used her body, when she allowed him to use her. The time Sesshomaru shared her with Inuyasha.
All the emotions that roared, twisted and reveled in confusion of how to feel. The wounds of her body ripped open once more, Kagome felt her heart breaking once again. Her body quivered from the memories, sweat pouring down her forehead, cheeks and neck soaking her shirt. Tears streamed from her eyes. Suddenly, she felt too weak to remain conscious.
"Your attempts to reach Inuyasha will not work." Sesshomaru spoke evenly.
Sesshomaru sat on his knees, naked from the waist up. The dragon claw attached where his own arm was severed, hung at his side. His armor, waist sash and swords were removed and stowed somewhere else.
"This coming from one Inuyasha has defeated on many occasions." Atokiyada released Kagome. "You underestimate your brother, Sesshomaru."
The miko's head fell forward, unconscious for now. Atokiyada smiled slightly at the human's stamina. Such great power this girl held within her. And yet wasted it on those she called 'friends'. 'Sad really.' However, it gave her the control over the power that could undo her newfound freedom. Tir would not be strong enough to face both Tetsusaiga and Tokijin at the same time.
Sesshomaru's voice went cold. "Inuyasha only lives because his sword protects him."
He tested the gold ribbon attaching him to the floor. He detested such a predicament. Yet, he found no solution to end his imprisonment. This silver collar around his throat was enchanted no doubt. The woman feared his power face-to-face. This Sesshomaru did not see any other valid reason for this imprisonment. Obviously, the celestial demon feared the power of Tetsusaiga and Tokijin.
"Is that what you call that?" Atokiyada smiled. "Few would see it your way."
Sesshomaru would not acknowledge such a narrow view. Atokiyada did not smile at the elder son of the Dog General. Not a handsome as the younger Inuyasha, he possessed an aristocratic refinement his younger brother lacked. Still handsome, Sesshomaru would provide her with many years of service. Whether he liked it or not. Her cursed collar was unbreakable. Just as a dog was meant to serve its master, Sesshomaru would serve her.
"Your father knew you after all." Atokiyada spoke after many moments of silence.
"What?" Sesshomaru growled.
"But neither were you favored by him." She walked towards Sesshomaru. "So cold. Unfeeling. But then, you wanted to be just like him. Didn't you? Yet, it was Inuyasha who captured his love. The one your father willingly died for. He died protecting Inuyasha and…a human."
Sesshomaru remained silent, his eyes on the floor reflections.
"Honestly, why should he have left anything to the son who wanted power?" Atokiyada folded her hands together. "When he had a son who needed the power to keep his older brother from killing him out right?"
More silence followed.
Sesshomaru would not cater to her. And she accepted that as favorable. Atokiyada wanted his breakdown and eventual surrender to last for some time. Positive she was not wrong about Sesshomaru's countenance, Atokiyada needed to test his limits. Demons like Sesshomaru were difficult to read. They gave little away unless you prodded.
"He entrusted the knowledge of his grave to Inuyasha, not you." Atokiyada continued on. "Your father made sure you could not handle Tetsusaiga. No demon for that matter. Love truly does change a man, does it not? You underestimated your father once again, Sesshomaru. No wonder he left you Tenseiga."
'Insolence!' This Sesshomaru would not take any more. In the blink of an eye, he stood against the straining gold ribbon attached to the silver collar around his throat. Rage consumed him like nothing he ever felt before. His father was not a topic of discussion!
"I see your power is indeed exemplary." Atokiyada. "Heel!"
Sesshomaru found himself on his knees, bent at the waist. His hair fell to the floor disheveled around him. The collar around his neck felt warm, just a bit tight. His true fingers pressed against the floor white-knuckled, the dragon claws remained motionless and unmoving. He resisted the collar, trying to sit up right, finding his body quivering from the exertion. An invisible force kept him in bowing position. Atokiyada cursed the collar to make him obedient.
'She WILL pay!' Sesshomaru thought angrily, rage boiled beneath his calm exterior.
The pain at his neck disrupted all thought. He closed both eyes as the gold ribbon swirled around him, pulling him to the floor face down. Sesshomaru had enough strength to look up, finding the miko limp against her restraints. Inuyasha had something similar around his neck. Beads of some kind. He witnessed the same response when the miko issued the word 'sit'. He had been reduced to…Sesshomaru made no attempt to give it a name. But anger swelled, tapping the deepest grain of his heritage. That insult would not go unpunished.
Suddenly, Sesshomaru found himself twisted through the air by the gold ribbon, slamming back into the floor on his back with a thunderous crack. He neither winced nor cried out. The wind left his lungs momentarily. Every part of his body registered pain.
Atokiyada appeared above him.
"You will obey me, Sesshomaru." She smiled.
'Death is not option. This woman intends for me to suffer at her whim.'
Sesshomaru laid still, his face expressionless, emptying his head of any violent thoughts. The fuel that triggered the cursed collar was violence on any level. His rage triggered the initial response after her command. But why had the collar waited until now to activate?
'The command.' Sesshomaru surmised.
He had not felt rage until those few seconds ago, forcing the celestial demon to utter the insulting command. To get through this, he would need to pay attention to every detail, every inner emotion. This Sesshomaru did not have the luxury of thinking.