INUYASHA: SEALED FATES UNLEASHED
By: Lady JenDragon
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Author Notes: Sorry, just incredibly busy. Little time to edit so there might be mistakes. Let me know if there are gross mistakes. Thanks!
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Breaking Façade
Sango stood with Jaken and Rin staring at what remained of the main entry of the castle. Jaken's mouth hung open at the damage.
The archway was cracked in seven places and titled shockingly too much to the right. It would not stay standing for long. Both doors were missing and probably off in the distance somewhere. The hinges were intact though, Sango mused. The walls were literally splintered across the floor from the left to the right.
Herykotsu secured to her back, she folded her arms.
"Looks like Inuyasha was here for a little remodeling." Sango commented. "They probably went off in search of Kagome deeper into the castle."
Rin nodded.
"Miroku and Shippo should be with him." Rin said hopefully.
Her hands were pressed together. A bit nervous about the eerie castle, she only followed because Jaken was coming after his master. And she did not want to be left behind with Ah-Une in camp. Still, something compelled her to accompany Inuyasha and the others on this journey. But she did not understand why she felt she needed to be here.
"Deep in the castle." Jaken added, his hands gripped the Two Headed Staff tightly. "The enemy is undoubtedly waiting for us."
"Come on." Sango rolled her eyes. 'Of course she's waiting for us. This Atokiyada person knows we're coming.'
Sango began walking down the main hallway leading farther into the darkened castle. What light there had been was now extinguished. Every wall sconce was destroyed in the aftermath of Inuyasha's Backlash Wave. She could still feel the lasting effects of the wave everywhere.
"Do you feel that?" Jaken asked suddenly.
"Yes." Sango nodded. "It's everywhere. Like a miasma…"
"A strong one indeed." Jaken agreed, carrying the Staff of Two Heads with both hands at the ready. "Master Sesshomaru must be truly restrained by the enemy to keep him imprisoned this long. I'll be greatly rewarded for coming to his aid."
Sango rolled her eyes as they walked into the castle, carefully avoiding the devastation. Would they find Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo before finding their enemy? Would Kagome be in any state to fight? What about Sesshomaru? They could really use a powerful demon like him right now. If his father was involved in defeating her the first time, the son of the Dog General could be real handy in this fight.
And KiRaRa still had not made an appearance yet since this journey began. This was certainly strange and not like her to avoid a battle. She knew she was needed and would be sorely missed. Was she up to something?
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It felt like hours since they found any door that led to a room, or seemed like it would lead to a room. Hell, he would take getting out of the hall as a sign of achievement at this point. It seemed the halls went on forever. Inuyasha was eager to find where Kagome was hidden he forgot to pay attention to which direction he took before.
Nothing made sense to him and he was all turned around. Not that he would admit that to anyone. This celestial-demon girl certainly pissed him off. Where the hell was she hiding?
They came upon an intersection. There were three ways to chose from; left, right or straight. Inuyasha pondered the possibilities annoyed he was given no indication as to which path he should choose. The halls all looked alike to him.
"Which way now?" Inuyasha growled, Tetsusaiga gripped tightly in both hands out in front of him.
Miroku followed close behind with Shippo on his shoulder.
"This place is designed to keep us from finding what we seek." Miroku closed his eyes. "I feel nothing from either direction."
"They all look the same to me." Shippo commented. "I bet it's a trap no matter what."
Inuyasha frowned at that. A trap? No matter where they went, it would lead nowhere again? Maybe the little brat had a point. If they could not go any of the three ways before them, what other choices were there? He looked up at the ceiling then down at the shiny floor.
In the floor he could see his reflection. The hall was dimly lit but there appeared to be more light reflected on the floor that did not come from the wall sconces. Strange he had not noticed it before until now. Was that the trick of this place?
Asaia appeared then holding beads out towards him.
"Inuyasha." She spoke softly. "Wrap this around Tetsusaiga's handle. Only then will you break through and find what you seek."
Inuyasha paused for a moment.
"What the hell are they?" He only glanced at the white beads.
He took the strand of beads from her, quickly looping the necklace around the hilt of Tetsusaiga carefully. The necklace would stretch so far and he did not want to break it. She seemed pretty confident that these old help him break through this…miasma they were walking through. He just wanted an end to the labyrinth. Finished, he pushed the beads up the hilt so his hands could grip tightly.
"Pearls of Truth." Asia smiled. "They can break most spells instantly."
"Where'd you get them?" Miroku questioned quite intrigued.
So the legend was true, he smiled. There was more going on here than a simple little girl trying to help Inuyasha get Kagome back. If this was the celestial human in their presence, they had more to worry from the demons than her. Still, the stories were quite vivid in their descriptions. Yet, he felt no ill will from Asaia and would not take any steps to keep her from helping them in any way that helped them get Kagome back.
"My mother." Asaia smiled. "Now swing up and bring the blade straight down."
Asaia stepped aside for Inuyasha to use the Backlash Wave. She heard much talk of the dreaded attack from Tetsusaiga, the blade's strongest attack. There was little magic that could deflect the Backlash Wave and few knew enough of that kind if magic to go up against it.
"Where'd she come from?" Shippo whispered into Miroku's ear from his perch on the monk's shoulder.
"Shhh." Miroku urged quietly keeping his voice low. "As long as she's helping…there's not much we can do but take it."
Shippo thought about it and agreed.
"Everybody stand back!" Inuyasha warned.
Miroku and Shippo took several steps back. None knew what to expect. He glanced around finding Asaia gone. Where did she disappear off to now? Waiting for the walls to cave in around them before returning? Miroku frowned as did Shippo now looking around as well.
"She does disappear a lot, doesn't she?" Shippo asked softly.
Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga over his head. "BACKLASH WAVE!!!!"
Suddenly the walls cracked, spreading across the smooth surface like angry phantoms chasing light. Every lit burnt out as the cracks widened, debris beginning to fall to the floor as the whole building shook violently. The Backlash Wave certainly made its presence known.
Miroku found it difficult to stay standing even with his staff for support. Shippo vacated his shoulder, choosing the floor over him. For that Miroku was grateful. Added weight would throw off his balance. The castle shook violently several times before seemingly silent.
The floor began to peel apart where Miroku stood. The wood pulled away and suddenly there was light beneath him. He could feel the miasma ripping apart revealing the truth beneath the false exterior. He felt himself falling and falling.
Shippo made no effort to scream, following his senses to where the aura was coming from below. He could smell the stinkbug real close now. He bet Inuyasha could too. Quickly, he bounced off falling debris, catching Miroku's sleeve in his small hand. He guided the monk to the smooth floor of the true castle below them.
In grand fashion, Inuyasha fell head first towards the floor. Quickly, he righted himself once the stinkbug smell caught his senses. He was clearly at the threshold of the main room of the castle. The large doors beyond the falling debris of the busted miasma cloud was clearly visible to the naked eye. Kagome was close.
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Kagome lifted her head, feeling the slight vibration of the miasma dissipating from around the castle. Even Sesshomaru lifted his head long enough to understand where the energy ripping through the castle was coming from. The energy surge blew open the room doors.
She blinked.
Two whips thrust from Sesshomaru's fingers, catching the Backlash Wave as it passed through the room. She wondered what he could possibly want with that? Instantly, she heard the snap of the chains holding him down. At that moment, he stood up, the silver collar the only thing that had not broken.
'He used the Backlash Wave energy to break his own chains.' Kagome reasoned. 'He couldn't break them before. This was the only time he had more than his own power to use. Now if only he'd break us out of here!'
Sesshomaru flexed his fingers. His powers were weakened but not completely useless. Strange that even a celestial demon was gifted with such abilities when she clearly was incapable of understanding the responsibility of her power, he reasoned.
'This Sesshomaru shall make her pay for this humiliation.' He flexed his fingers again.
Something caught his attention, a shift in the demon aura he sensed his entire imprisonment. He looked up and over towards the opposite door from the swinging doors nearly covered in miasma debris. Her power was clouded by her celestial half, often making her demon traits almost undetectable to him.
It was then that a bright flash of blue lashed out from across the room hitting Sesshomaru center chest. His feet left the floor, his entire body slammed into the floor as if he was paralyzed. He could sense his being but nothing obeyed his command.
Kagome did not have time to scream as the demon fell to the floor barely conscious. At least, she thought Sesshomaru was barely conscious. Sesshomaru made no effort to get back up, his collar glowing bright silver. Was she paralyzing him again? Was he in pain?
Kagome narrowed her eyes towards Atokiyada. 'What a stupid name! Wait till Inuyasha finds her! He'll teach her a lesson or two.'
"I hope." She added for measure.
Atokiyada was more powerful than all of them. How could her friends defeat her? She was half demon half celestial. Kagome squeezed her eyes close praying for a miracle.
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Inuyasha landed softly on the floor avoiding debris still falling down around them. He hoped Miroku and Shippo were fine. He did not know where Sango and KiRaRa were let alone Rin and his brother's stupid demon servant. Not that he cared about Jaken. He glanced over his shoulder finding Asaia next to him.
"Quick!" Asaia spoke softly. "She knows we're here! There's not much time."
Inuyasha frowned. He had to jump to get out of the way of the more debris falling to the floor. Even for miasma, the destruction of such a covering should not take this long. How big was the thing over the castle?
"Wait a minute!" Inuyasha gripped her arm and yanked her around to face him. "How do I know you ain't here to settle some score?"
Asaia only frowned at him.
"Yes, I have a score to settle." Asaia replied. "I have spent nearly 20,000 years stuck in this child's form and I do not have a score to settle?"
"I came here for Kagome…" Inuyasha could not keep his anger with her.
Asaia assured him. "If I can break these beads I wear around my neck, we both get what we want. You of all people should understand my plight. You are the only one who can understand what it's like to have a sibling who's selfishness has cost you so much time, pain and frustration. You've learned more than you're fair share, lost how many battle and cleaned up how many scars? And now it's time she gets what she deserves."
"I don't like being used." Inuyasha growled.
"We've all been used." Asaia placed a small hand on Inuyasha's arm. "We are nothing to her. If you think the world deserves what she has in mind. Then step aside and let her have it."
Inuyasha stayed silent.
"I've minded my time in this body." Asaia breathed heavily then. "I've learned so many things I would never have learned other wise. For that I cannot be more grateful. But not the method for which I've been punished. My sister won't stop until she's dominated the planet."
"Yeah…" Inuyasha gripped Tetsusaiga tightly. "About that."
"There is a way to bring her down." Asaia smiled sweetly. "I need your help to get my freedom back first."
Inuyasha grumbled knowing she had a point. Often enough he got into battles with Sesshomaru just to prove he could handle a fight with a full demon. Even with his limitations he won a few battles, though not as many as he wanted. How could he not side with Asaia on this one? Damn kid!
"What do you need from me, kid?"
Asaia held out her hand. "The Pearls of Truth."
Inuyasha nearly forgot about that. He slid the necklace off Tetsusaiga's hilt and handed them to her slightly cautiously. He hoped he as doing the right thing. Miroku and Shippo appeared beside him watching them curiously. Asaia stepped away towards the main room, the doors hanging wide open.
"You know she's going to be waiting for us to just run in." Miroku said out loud.
"Suicide." Shippo folded his arms.
"What do you recommend then?" Sango's voice came from behind them.
They all turned to greet Sango holding Herykotsu standing with a rather confident Jaken and an anxious Rin standing behind them. Asaia turned to face the unlikely band of heroes standing in the middle of the debris field of Atokiyada's miasma labyrinth.
"I will throw up a barrier wall and you can toss every attack you can think of behind it." Asaia offered. "I can release the attacks simultaneously to get us into the room. Once we enter the room, she will be on her guard and the battle begins. There won't be room for error."
There was an eerie silence among them. All were tired and a bit rough around the edges. All the work just to get here and the biggest battle had not happened yet. What they needed was a larger army, Inuyasha realized. If the stronger demons did make it through the sand dragons at the base of the mountain, they were on their way. If none made, well…they were pretty much on their own.
"We need Sesshomaru on this one." Sango added. "I hate to say it but any strength we can find right now would help out against her. And he's the strongest demon here."
For once everyone was in agreement.
Jaken appeared to relish the idea and Rin cheered at the thought. Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha were apprehensive to have Sesshomaru free. But, he was not one to back down from a foe like this. If Kagome could be freed quickly, they could use her too. Sango brought Kagome's bow and arrows with her since the kidnapping. He could see them strapped to her shoulder.
"Once my beads are broken." Asaia walked back to the group. "I can offer my full power to bring her under control. I cannot kill her but we can imprison her once more."
Miroku stood thoughtfully. "I can use several seals to keep her still long enough to get Kagome and possibly Sesshomaru free. Any idea how their binded?"
"My sister chooses the same method most times." Asaia lost her smile. "Kagome will be the easiest. Use Tetsusaiga to cut the binds. Sesshomaru will be more difficult. Once Kagome is free, her abilities as a miko will be useful in freeing Sesshomaru. I believe my sister underestimates her power."
"Well…" Inuyasha growled. "…it sounds like we gotta plan."