Never in my entire life will I own Inuyasha! (Unless I buy it! But I just don't have the cash)
Chapter Nineteen: Feelings Hidden Inside
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Kagome and the others stared at the spot where Sango had been pulled through. "We have to find a way…somehow…" Kagome's voice was soft and low.
Miroku's eyes suddenly lit up. "Kagome," he said. "Give me one of your arrows. If we combine my sutra with your holy powers…we might be able to break the barrier." Kagome nodded and handed the monk one of her arrows from her quiver. Miroku took out a sutra and wrapped it around the arrow. He handed it back to Kagome and prayed that it would work. After all, wasn't it his fault that Sango had been taken in the first place?
Kagome notched the arrow to her bow and released it. Blue white light lit up the arrow as it sped towards the barrier; the arrow made contact, light flashed violently and then…
"You did it!" Kaname cheered.
"I think it's best if you remain up here," Miroku said to Kaname who shook her head.
"No, Miroku," the young princess said. "It was my fault that Sango got dragged down in the first place…I want to help."
Kagome looked at the princess and admired her sense of honor. "You better not slow us down," Inuyasha warned eyeing Kaname's elaborate kimono which would prevent her from going too fast. The princess guessed what he was thinking and without hesitation, she removed her outer kimono and tied her inner kimono to the side for better manageability.
While she was removing her outer kimono, Miroku was staring at her. "Pervert," Inuyasha muttered.
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Sango slowly opened her eyes. My head feels foggy, she thought. She also felt dizzy. Once her vision sharpened and focused, she saw that she was kneeling on her knees, arms held out on either side of her. Red ribbons were tied to her arms, holding them aloft. The other end of the ribbons connected to…
Sango gasped.
The ribbons were tied to the gigantic horn of a demon. Her back was turned to the demon yet she could see its manic red eyes as it stared at her.
Sango tried to pull herself loose, but the ribbons were too tight; she also saw that her Katana was missing. "It's no use," the demon leered. "Once these ribbons absorb your soul, I will become more powerful…and your body will be mine to control!"
Sango closed her eyes. Miroku will come and save me! She thought with much hope…and love…
The demon sensed her hopeful aura. "Foolish girl," the demon said. "You think that that monk will save you? Don't make me laugh. He might have run off with princess Kaname already and forgotten all about you…"
"Th-that's not true!" Sango snarled. The demon narrowed its red eyes at her. He couldn't quickly absorb this girl's soul if she was hopeful…how he, Taiyouzu, despised that emotion.
"You think I, the great Taiyouzu lies?" the demon said fiercely. An image suddenly popped into Sango's head. Miroku holding Kaname gently in his arms while their lips drew closer…
"Stop it!" Sango shouted, hurt and despair filling her voice. "That's a lie!"
"A lie?" Taiyouzu repeated softly. "You think that the vision I showed you was a lie? Ha! I have absorbed the soul of princess Kaname's father, I have seen his memories…do you want to see something else?"
An image of Kaname kissing Miroku flashed into her mind. The young taijiya moaned in pain and despair. "Miroku…" she whispered. What Taiyouzu said was probably true. Miroku might have left with Kaname…
And left her to die…
Sango's eyes filled with unshed tears. She suddenly felt her hatred for Miroku. A hatred that she had never felt before…
Taiyouzu smirked as the ribbons that bound Sango glowed with white light. "You soul is mine…" Taiyouzu whispered.
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Kagome placed a hand on the damp walls and shuddered. What had become of Sango?
"I hope we make it in time," Kagome whispered softly.
"We will," Inuyasha assured her. Miroku had tried to persuade Inuyasha, since he was human, that he ought to remain above to keep safe. Inuyasha had then said that if he forced Kaname to stay up there, hiding, he would agree. Miroku reluctantly agreed to let Inuyasha go with them.
Kagome glanced at Miroku. The monk was walking close to Kaname. She scowled. How could he act so romantic when Sango's in danger?! Kagome thought with indignation.
Inuyasha guessed what was on her mind. "Sango's gonna be fine," Inuyasha assured.
Kagome nodded. Presently, they came to the entrance to a cave. "Can you feel it, Kagome?" Miroku asked softly. Kagome nodded. "There's a strong demonic aura in that cave," the monk continued. His eyebrows met in the middle. He prayed that Sango was safe and unharmed…
They entered the cave. Sango was standing in the middle. Her eyes were shadowed and she held Hiraikotsu in her hand.
"Sango!" Kagome said with relief.
"Something's not right…" Inuyasha muttered, clutching the untransformed Tessaiga. Sango looked up at them. Her eyes were lifeless and blank.
"Sango!" Miroku shouted. Sango looked at them and threw her Hiraikotsu. Miroku grabbed Kaname and jumped aside while Inuyasha wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist and jumped out of harm's way.
"Sango, it's us!" Miroku shouted, trying to snap her out of her stupor. A manic laughter suddenly echoed throughout the cave. Inuyasha and the others looked up. A demon suddenly appeared behind Sango. He had taken on the form of…
"Father!" Kaname shouted.
"That's not your father!" Inuyasha said as he glared at the demon. "That's the demon that sucked his soul out."
"His soul…?" Kaname said with disbelief.
"Isn't she wonderful?" the demon said. "I, Taiyouzu, have taken her soul and turned her body into a weapon…against you. And when she finishes you off, your souls are next."
"Oh yeah?!" Inuyasha snarled, he charged towards Taiyouzu with the Tessaiga but the demon parried the sword with a dagger.
"You're nothing but a worthless human!" Taiyouzu snarled.
Meanwhile, Sango had discarded Hiraikotsu and was now attacking Miroku with her hidden knife. What am I going to do? Miroku thought as he continued to parry the exterminator's blows. At this rate, Sango's soul as well as the souls of the other people will be completely absorbed!
Seeing that Inuyasha was in trouble, Kagome fired her arrows towards Taiyouzu, who merely dodged them. "He's too fast," the priestess said. Shippou was cowering on her shoulder and he had no intention of helping them out.
"Sango!" Taiyouzu called out. "Do it now!"
Sango suddenly jumped backwards from Miroku and threw a handful of powder at the ground. The powder spread easily. Kagome felt dizzy and sleepy…
"Don't inhale it!" Inuyasha shouted. "It's sleeping powder!"
At the peripheral of her vision, Kagome saw Kaname fall to the ground. "Kaname!" Miroku shouted. As he ran towards her, Miroku stopped in his tracks. He felt…sleepy. Miroku fell to the ground, a few feet away from Kaname.
Damn, Inuyasha thought as he parried Taiyouzu's blows with his Tessaiga; his sleeve was held in front of his face to help protect against the sleeping powder.
I have to help…Inuyasha, Kagome thought as she put down a sleeping Shippou. The young miko felt weak and the effects of the powder were starting to show. She tried to notch an arrow to her bow. She dropped the arrow and the bow and fell to the ground, asleep.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted. He abandoned Taiyouzu and rushed to Kagome's aid. As he ran towards Kagome, Hiraikotsu whizzed through the air and knocked Inuyasha into the cave wall, rendering him unconscious.
Taiyouzu laughed as red ribbons burst from his fingers.
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Helen looked at the palace wall that rose before her. She looked around and found a tree which she used to climb the wall. Once she was inside the palace, she looked around. There were no guards. Talk about security lax, she thought as she looked around. The place was completely deserted. There were no signs of life and the only noise came from the rustling leaves in the trees.
Helen made her way into the palace and jumped when she saw a body lying at her feet. "It's okay Helen," Helen said to herself. "Just pretend that it's a mannequin!" She walked past the body. She found a sliding door that had been ripped from its hinges.
Jackpot, Helen thought as she looked into the room. It looked as if a hurricane had torn through it. She walked in and found a hole in the floor. Helen descended the hole, not knowing what lay beneath. She found herself in an underground passage. The rocky ceiling was high above her and the walls were damp with water.
She walked the length of the passage and came to the entrance of what appeared to be a cave. The young woman looked inside. Sango was sitting at one wall of the cave, staring at nothing in particular. There was a blank look in her eyes, a very strange blank look.
Helen pulled her gaze away from Sango and found to her shock, that Kagome and the others (as well as a girl she had never seen before) was tied by red ribbons that were connected to the arms of a demon who appeared to be sleeping.
She quickly ran into the cave and hid behind a rock. Sango heard the noise and looked at the rock. Seeing nothing in particular, the young taijiya returned to gazing into space.
Helen let out a breath of relief. She looked away, the young woman thought. She frowned. But why is she acting funny? And how come she isn't tied up like everybody else?
Helen left the question unanswered as she turned to look at Kagome and the others. The red ribbons were glowing and she had a sinking feeling that her friends were in danger. Her eyes strayed to Inuyasha…And her mouth hung open. He was black haired and his adorable doggy ears were gone.
I guess Sesshoumaru wasn't lying, Helen thought grudgingly. She glanced at the demon to whom the ribbons were connected. His eyes were still closed. Helen looked around for something sharp, something she could use to cut those ribbons. Her eyes strayed to a rusty sword on the ground, lying at Inuyasha's feet.
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Kagome became aware that something was tied to her wrists. Kagome slowly opened her eyes. Helen was crouched low near Tessaiga.
"He-!" Kagome was about to scream out her cousin's name in shock but Helen quickly placed a finger to her lips. Kagome nodded. The priestess glanced at the demon behind her; still sleeping. Inuyasha and the others gradually stirred awake and kept quiet the moment they glimpsed Helen.
Helen gingerly picked up the Tessaiga and advanced towards Kagome trying to be very quiet. A shadow crept over Helen. She spun around just time as Sango brought down her knife on her. Helen rolled to one side to avoid it, dropping the Tessaiga at Kagome's feet. Kagome, with much difficulty, picked up the Tessaiga and cut the ribbons that bound her. Taiyouzu stirred.
Kagome held her breath. Taiyouzu didn't wake and Kagome sighed with relief. The priestess began freeing everyone.
Helen looked at Sango. "What are you doing?" the young woman asked. "What's gotten into you, Sango?" Sango threw her Hiraikotsu and Helen ducked low to avoid it. Miroku suddenly appeared and engaged Sango in combat.
Kagome cut Inuyasha free just in time as Taiyouzu awoke. His red eyes glared at Kagome and Inuyasha. "You!!" he snarled. He lunged towards Inuyasha.
Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and jumped out of harm's way. "Inuyasha catch!" Helen shouted as she threw the Tessaiga at him. Inuyasha caught it; thought it wasn't transformed, Inuyasha felt a sense of safety as he held his sword.
Taiyouzu's gaze shifted to Helen. Guessing that she was the one who had freed them, the enraged Taiyouzu jumped into the air and landed in front of Helen.
"Gah!" Helen shouted.
"You…you've freed them!" Taiyouzu snarled. "You have ruined my plan! Only a few more souls and I would have been powerful!"
"Sorry to disappoint you!" Helen retorted. Taiyouzu brought down his sword on her and Helen closed her eyes, waiting for the blow that was sure to come…
The clash of metal on metal and the absence of the blow made Helen look up. Sesshoumaru was standing in front of her, his sword, Ryuko, parrying Taiyouzu's dagger.
"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said. "What's he doin' here?"
"He protected Helen…" Kagome's voice trailed off.
"Get back," Sesshoumaru ordered the young violinist who nodded and took a step back. Taiyouzu slashed at Sesshoumaru with his dagger but the youkai lord merely parried it with Ryuko as if he were bored.
Taiyouzu knew he was going to loose.
Taiyouzu sent a blast of energy at Sesshoumaru, who jumped into the air. Unfortunately, unknown to Sesshoumaru, Miroku was battling Sango behind him.
Miroku…
The blast of energy spiraled dangerously towards Miroku. The monk's eyes widened in shock. Everyone gasped, except for Sesshoumaru. Miroku was going to die…
…I love you…
Sango suddenly pushed Miroku aside and took the full blast of the attack. The attack knocked Sango off her feet and sent her flying against a wall with a sickening crunch.
"Sango!" Miroku shouted as he ran towards the slayer.
Sesshoumaru charged towards Taiyouzu and sliced his head off. The demon screamed as souls began to leave his body…
"Hmph," the daiyoukai said as he sheathed Ryuko.
"Sango!" Miroku shouted. Everyone, excluding Sesshoumaru, gathered around Sango. Helen knelt down next to Sango and felt for a pulse at her neck. Helen looked at Miroku and the others, her eyes were wide with shock.
"NO!!!" Miroku shouted as he embraced Sango's cold body. "Sango! Wake up! Wake up!!!"
Kagome had tears in her eyes. Inuyasha had a terrible expression on his face, Kaname looked mournful. Helen's vision was blurred by unshed tears. At the peripheral of her vision, Sesshoumaru was leaving.
Sesshoumaru felt a tug on the sleeve of his haori as just as he turned to leave. He looked behind him. Helen looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Sesshoumaru," she whispered.
"We are leaving," he said flatly.
Helen didn't let go. "Please…use the Tenseiga…"
At her words, everyone looked hopefully at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru looked at Helen and replied, "This does not concern me."
Inuyasha looked outraged and was about to say something when Helen beat him to it. "Please…" the young woman pleaded. "Bring her back…Sesshoumaru, I'm begging you…"
Sesshoumaru looked at the tears that rolled silently down her cheek.
"Helen," Kagome whispered.
Sesshoumaru tugged the sleeve of his haori from her grip and walked towards Miroku. "Step aside, monk," he commanded. Miroku looked as if all his dreams had come true.
"Thank you, thank you," Miroku repeated as Sesshoumaru took out his Tenseiga. He held it for a moment over Sango. He saw them: the Jaken-like creatures…the emissaries of the afterlife. He cut them with his Tenseiga and everyone waited with baited breath.
Seconds passed and then…
Sango stirred. The young taijiya opened her eyes and the first person she saw was…
"M-Miroku?" Sango whispered softly. Miroku let out a cry of joy as he pulled Sango to him in a tight hug. Sango blushed but didn't mind. Helen smiled. She turned to Sesshoumaru who was leaving.
"Hey, wait for me!" The young woman shouted as she ran after Sesshoumaru.
Kagome watched them go. It looks like they've gotten along, at least. I wonder…does Helen love him…? The question was left unanswered as Kagome and the others celebrated Sango's being with them once again.
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It was still very dark by the time everyone got out of the palace. "Kaname…" Miroku began. Sango looked at him and frowned; the taijiya narrowed her eyes sadly and, stroking Kirara, turned her back. Inuyasha and Kagome also turned their backs not wanting to witness Miroku and Kaname's little love scene.
"What is it, Miroku?" Kaname asked gently.
"I…can't…"
Kaname pressed a finger to his lips. "I know," she said gently. "I know I am not the one your heart holds…"
"Kaname, I…"
Kaname silenced him. "Do not feel guilt. Father and everyone else's souls have been saved…I am grateful for that. I know that you love Sango, ne? Well…I cannot compete with her…she gave her life to save you…I cannot compete with that…besides…I…"
"You what?" Miroku prodded gently.
"I am betrothed…you needn't worry about me…" Kaname said softly. Miroku looked at her. He surprised himself when he didn't feel sad about her betrothal.
"Be happy, Kaname," Miroku said.
Kaname smiled at him. "Make sure you make Sango happy."
Miroku smiled as he walked towards Sango. The young taijiya turned to him and the moment she did, despite the fact that Inuyasha and everyone else was present, he drew her into his arms and kissed her.
Everyone, except Kaname, stared open-mouthed at the pair. Sango's eyes widened and Miroku felt her tense, but she relaxed. They broke apart and stared into each other's eyes. Sango blushed and Miroku embraced her tighter.
Kagome looked at Kaname. The young princess was smiling. She's happy for them, Kagome thought with a smile.
Kaname looked at her. "Make sure Miroku takes good care of Sango," she said as she turned and walked away. Kagome and Inuyasha looked at Miroku and Sango, who still had their arms wrapped around each other.
"Break it up, you two," Inuyasha said.
Miroku and Sango broke apart and grinned sheepishly at them. "Sorry," Miroku said with a small smile.
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Sesshoumaru sat against a tree which was near a cliff. A perfect view of the moonless sky was spread before him. His camp was only a short walk away and he wanted to be alone…
His wish was not granted. He felt Helen sit down next to him which was quite strange since he had always thought that she hated him with all her heart, mind, body and soul.
"Hey, Sesshoumaru," she began in a low voice. He glanced sideways at her. "Um…what you did for Sango and Miroku…that was pretty kind of you…" her voice trailed off.
"I did not do it for them," he said indifferently.
Helen raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you save Sango?"
"I did it for you."
Helen's eyes widened slightly as she let the meaning of the words sink in. She gave him a small smile. "Thank you…" she said as she leaned her head on his left shoulder and closed her eyes. Sesshoumaru glanced at her, surprised at her action. He thought she hated him and yet why was she…?
He wanted to shrug her off, but she was sleeping. He let her be. Besides, she did look peaceful when she was asleep. Sesshoumaru continued to stare up at the stars as Helen slept peacefully on his shoulder.
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End of Chapter.
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