I'm super sorry for the long wait, but you know, Christmas Break and all that stuff. Busy, busy, busy. Well, I'm sorry to say that this is the second or third-to-last chapter to completion. Needless to say I'm experiencing a mixture of sadness, relief, and excitement. Of course, you authors probably know how I feel if you've finished a story of your own that got good reviews and great support right through.
Thanks to ya'll!
Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Inuyasha or he'd have a tail and Sesshomaru would have doggy ears. XD
Chapter the Sixteenth
Blood of the Innocent
Sango had seen it coming. She didn't know how, but she'd seen it coming. Sango had known that Kagome was betrothed to a moron, and she knew that he'd figure out where Kagome had been.
She also knew that – moron or not – he'd come to 'avenge' her, even though she was not dead or injured…just distraught.
She and Miroku had seen her look when they'd told her. She had that teary-eyed look of utter confusion, bewilderment, terror, sadness, and most of all betrayal. Even with all those feelings in her eyes, Kagome hadn't blamed anyone. She'd understood.
For that, Sango had only felt gratefulness. If Kagome had been bitter, Sango would've been completely hurt. She didn't want Kagome to see them as monsters or bad people…not when Kagome had just learned to trust not even a month prior.
She'd been sitting in Kagome's bedroom, sipping a hot cup of tea and staring out the open window – the boards lying on the floor, dented and broken and clawed from her hacking them off with a thick branch.
It was then that she saw them. She saw the mob of angry and able-bodied men stomping meaningfully towards the castle in all of their fury.
Of course, Sango had dashed down to the main level to meet Miroku and the others and warn Inuyasha. Inuyasha had not answered when she yelled her horrified message through the closed door.
She knew he'd heard him. She also knew that – at this point – he couldn't care less if he died or not.
Miroku and Koga had tried to barricade the door as best as they could, but they could hear the men pounding at it with a log. She could hear the cries of determination from them as they worked to break the barricaded door open. Ayame had turned to mush and just cried her heart out, screaming that the blood of the innocent would be on her hands even before she turned rabid.
Koga had given her a pained expression and turned away, unable to reply to that revelation. Miroku had tried to calm Ayame down and in the end had resorted to telling Koga that he needed to comfort his woman.
Koga had punched Miroku in the face.
Sango jumped up when Koga did that and stood between the two, both glaring and both itching for a fight. She'd scolded them and said that they didn't need to squabble at this time. They could wait until later to rip each other's guts out.
It was that moment when Ayame had allowed herself a tiny, but ever-so intelligent moment to supply a possible way to solve their predicament.
She said that they could disappear. They'd deliberated. It wouldn't work. Ayame went back to tears.
Of course, Shippo took this moment to show up and suggest pranks. Leave it to Shippo to suggest pranks.
Koga had then put in his words. He said that just 'playing' with them would prevent the chances of success, and they had to do this for Kagome. She wouldn't want them dying by her messed up fiancée's sword. He knew it for a fact. They had to fight. It was the only chance they had. They were stronger, faster, and probably more intelligent than most of the men, so they could win.
That was, unless they'd far underestimated the men and their numbers.
Miroku had admitted that it was a chance they'd have to take. Koga had pointed out that they had nothing more to lose, so why not just go along with Shippo's plan and ignore the ever-rising chances of death.
So they'd waited.
They could hear them outside, and Sango could practically see the tenseness of every person…or, rather, demon in the hall.
"You've almost done it men! It's time to end this…for Kagome!"
"That idiot," Koga spat, "He doesn't realize that Kagome wants us alive and safe."
"He's a moron in love, what do you expect?" Sango asked harshly, gulping when there was a loud bang of the first barricade being destroyed.
The leader's voice rang clear once more: "We've almost done it! Don't stop now, we can do it!"
"I'll give him points for consistency." Miroku admitted, "But I can't get over the fact of how this moron could possibly even think he had a chance with Kagome."
"Kagome is and always will be in love with Inuyasha. I can see it, it's permanent. Whether he wanted to or not, he left his mark on Kagome and she'll always feel for him stronger than she will for any other man." Sango assured them, and there was a unified agreement.
There was another bang. The last metal barricade clattered to the ground in front of the group. They all readied themselves.
The door was blown open.
"Let's go." Sango growled under her breath.
They all readied themselves, their expressions determined and cold, anger consuming them. It was their anger at these men who were lead by a jealous brat who wanted them dead for befriending and caring for Kagome where the brat could not.
Men ran in, brandishing weapons, letting out wild battle cries.
Sango gulped.
It was time to fight.
-
She passed bushes and trees, the whipping wind and pouring rain beating down on her. The storm had come quickly, and it suited the horrible mood of her ride.
She knew that she must've looked like a drowned cat, with her clothes wet and stuck to her body and her hair stuck to her face and neck, and her breath coming in ragged gasps as she attempted to breathe through her haze of stress and dread.
The poor horse was beginning to pant now, tired and falling into a jog that was nothing short of sluggish.
She'd never reach the castle in time like this. She was faster on foot. After a few minutes of prodding to no avail, she knew what had to be done.
Kagome jumped off, turned him around, and said, "Go home Kyo!"
The horse turned and began to jog back in the direction of the village.
Kyo was a smart horse, he'd make it.
She turned quickly and dashed into the brush. She knew the way back. She'd never forget the path to the castle. It was forever imprinted in her mind, her only pathway to love and sanctuary.
Not anymore. If Hojo did anything to any of her friends or Inuyasha, she'd make sure that he paid for it.
She stumbled as she ran, finding herself falling to the ground multiple times. By the time the castle was in sight, she'd acquired many stinging cuts and rapidly purpling bruises.
She saw the doors open and the light of torches and fire lighting a dim glow even from where she was. She could also hear, through the rain and hissing wind, the sounds of metal on metal, crashes and shouts.
The pounding feeling of fear rose up into her throat and prevented her from making noise. She merely ran, breathing heavily from her run, into the castle.
The scene before her was like something out of one of her books.
She could see men scrambling about, men bound and gagged, and her friends. She saw her friends fighting. She saw Shippo jumping from head to head, avoiding contact with the sharp edges of the blades. She saw Sango, a bloody gash down her arm, fighting three men at once. Miroku was battered worse than Sango. He suffered a multitude of small cuts, all bleeding, and he had a rapidly developing black eye. Ayame was literally cornered by two strong looking men, and she was probably the least injured. For what it looked like, she wouldn't be the least injured for long. Koga was no longer conscious. He was lying on the stairs, unmoving.
She saw Sango's head shoot up and spot her, and Sango's eyes went wide and terrified.
Her friend immediately bashed two men's heads together, knocking them to the ground, and jumped over the fallen bodies, running towards Kagome.
Kagome went to her friend, and Sango had to push her out of the action to speak quickly.
"Sango, what happened to Koga?" Kagome asked hoarsely, unable to think coherently.
"He was caught by surprise and knocked out, but he'll be fine. He looks dead, but he's alive, trust me." Sango winced after speaking and grabbed her injured arm, "You have to find Inuyasha!"
"Where's Hojo?" Kagome squeaked.
"He went after Inuyasha. You have to convince him to give it up. We can take these guys down here, you have to save Inuyasha." Sango pushed her friend up the stairs and past Koga's still form.
Kagome turned for a second, hoping to get some assurance from Sango, but her friend had jumped back into the fray, fighting with her hands and teeth. It was a wonder that none of the men were killed.
She had to give it to them: they were better people than any of the humans here.
She tripped slightly half way up the stairs and felt her knees hit the stone hard. Nonetheless, she ignored her aching, bleeding knees and made it the rest of the way.
It was a whirl of horror to her, because she had no clue where Hojo would be…
Where Inuyasha would be.
She heard a cry rip from a familiar throat, and knew immediately whose battle cry it was. It was Hojo's yell. Hojo had found Inuyasha, and from the sound of his confident cry, he was about to kill him.
Kagome shoved into Inuyasha's room and saw the once boarded up window smashed open. It led to a balcony. A large, cold balcony spattered with blood.
It was whose blood that was the horrible question for Kagome.
She dashed out the window – or door rather – and onto the balcony, surveying the scene before her with horror. She saw Hojo, standing triumphantly over a broken Inuyasha. Inuyasha, who just lay there, bleeding. Hojo suffered some pretty big wounds too, but Inuyasha wasn't fighting back…
"Inuyasha!" She screamed, as loud as she could, running towards them.
He seemed a mile away when his red eyes, now alight with shock and dread, met hers for a brief moment before Hojo said something. She saw the damned man's mouth move, but she did not hear the words.
She was fixated on her love. She was fixated on her Inuyasha.
She was almost there, but suddenly something hard connected with her chest and she was sent flying backwards.
It took her a second to realize that Hojo had knocked her away. He'd prevented her from touching, seeing, kissing Inuyasha. She had to tell him that she loved him.
She had to break the curse.
"Kagome, love, you mustn't interfere." Hojo said calmly, drawing his sword once more and readying it to plunge into Inuyasha's heart, "I will not tolerate disobedience from my wife."
With a cry of rage, Kagome launched herself at him without thinking. By some strange chance, she avoided being stabbed by his sword, and merely received a nick along her arm as she sent him flying to the ground.
For a moment, he did not move, and she hoped he was unconscious.
She went down beside Inuyasha, holding his face in her two hands, tears falling down her cheeks and onto his face, "Inuyasha, oh Inuyasha…I'm so sorry…s-so sorry…" She wailed.
"I must be dead…" He whispered, "Kami let me see you one last time…I wish you could be real…"
She shook her head vigorously, slamming her mouth to his, kissing him. He tensed and returned the kiss, pushing her off of him after a second.
"I'm r-real Inuyasha!" She cried, "I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay," He murmured, stroking her hair with his hand, sitting up slightly, "We're okay."
"Inuyasha," Kagome said, a tiny smile on her face, "I love y-" She was cut off when his eyes widened and he pushed her away from him, just in time for a sword to land exactly where she'd been.
Slightly dazed, Kagome looked up to see Hojo, standing, his eyes dead and…full of a rage she didn't think the idiot to be capable of.
"Kagome, I gave you the opportunity to love me," He raised his sword, turning to her, "But if you have been so tainted by these monsters, I have no choice but to send you to heaven. May you go in peace…" He went to run at her, to drive the sword through her chest, but he was slashed to the ground by a fuming demon.
"Don't you dare touch her!" Inuyasha spat, "You pathetic moron!" He readied his claws, dashing at Hojo, swiping at him.
Somehow, by some luck, Hojo managed to duck out of the way and avoid the sharp claws Inuyasha brandished. The battle resumed, and Inuyasha was winning.
When Kagome had arrived, she'd renewed his spirit. She'd renewed his promise to himself that he'd never let anything happen to her, never let her die.
Inuyasha managed to knock Hojo's sword out of the way, the sword landing near Kagome's feet. The metal shone in its bloody, horrid glory in front of her. She stared at it, mesmerized by it for a second.
Inuyasha had backed Hojo to the edge of the balcony. If Hojo fell, he would fall at least a story, and would definitely be killed. No chance of survival.
It all happened fast after that. Everything went downhill. Hojo pulled a glinting dagger out of his clothes and drove it into Inuyasha's chest.
Kagome's eyes went wide with shock. The sword in her hand, she jumped to her feet with a cry.
Hojo smirked.
Inuyasha fell.
End of Chapter
Well, that was mean of me. Hehe…I'm eeeeevil…
I hope you review this chapter! I love cliffies… Anywhoo, tell me if you liked how I portrayed Hojo. Tell me if everything didn't flow well enough, tell me the good, the bad, the sucky.
Yay!
I guess you all know what I'm going to say now:
REVIEW!
