The After
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters.
A/N: Here's some more dark, depressing goodness for you all. Not so rape-y, but still pretty intense. You have been warned, so don't blame me if this stuff upsets you.
Nobody made you read it.
Inuyasha
Inuyasha looked around him in disgust.
The sounds of loud, lust-filled moans, slapping flesh and screams of protest filled his ears. The stench of sex and sweat wrapped around his head so thickly he though he might suffocate. He lowered his eyes in embarrassment when a woman walked past him, her top torn to pieces, leaving her bruised breasts bare for him and those with him to see. He wanted to leave.
This was his first time in a pleasure house. He had managed to avoid them since The Takeover, but the bastards in his squad had insisted on stopping by. If he wanted to keep Hojo safe, he had to make sure not to piss off his squad captain.
He growled to himself at the thought.
He hated how the humans were being treated after The Takeover. He hated the demons that had come into power by destroying the barrier the spiritualists had created. He hated the demon blood that ran through his veins that kept him safe when The Takeover happened, but was used against him to keep him in line. He hated that the only way to keep his only friend safe was to be a part of the same army that had destroyed his life...
Inuyasha's eyes slowly blinked open, brows furrowing when the sunlight from his open window shined brightly into his eyes. He groaned, looking around in confusion for whatever could have woken him.
He found his cell phone lighting up and vibrating insistently on his nightstand. He reached out for it, holding it up over his head and squinting a bit at the ID. The first thing he noticed was that it was his girlfriend, Kikyou that was calling him. The second was that it was only 9 AM, and he had only been asleep for a little over three hours. He frowned. Kikyou knew he was working the night shift at the watch tower tonight, so why would she call when she knew he was asleep?
He swiped his thumb over the bottom of the screen and put the phone on speaker, rubbing at his eyes with his free hand.
"Hello?" he said groggily, still a bit muddled from sleep.
"Inuyasha, something's wrong."
Inuyasha's senses went on high alert the minute he heard her voice. Kikyou was always serious, it was one of the intimidating things that he had come to love about her, but something in her voice hinted at fear and that didn't sit well with him. Kikyou was a spiritualist- she'd battled demons along the border when she was still a child- it took a lot to make her scared.
"What is it?" he asked, sitting up and throwing his blankets off, shivering a bit when the cold air of his apartment struck his bare chest.
"We lost connection with our men behind enemy lines," Kikyou said quickly, and Inuyasha could hear the wind rushing where she was. What was she doing outside? "And there's something wrong with the barrier."
"Wait, what?" Inuyasha was darting around his bedroom then, searching for clothes he could throw on so that he could get to Kikyou.
"It's getting weaker, Inuyasha."
His blood ran cold. The barrier was impenetrable. It had been for years. They had enough spiritualists posted at the borders to keep it that way. The only way it could possibly be weakening would be if-
"The spiritualists are dying."
Inuyasha felt a growl work its way up his throat and his heart was racing in panic. He slipped on some shoes quickly, forgoing socks, and rushed out of his apartment, not even bothering to lock the door behind him. He still held his phone before him as he leapt down the stairs, not stepping on a single one, and landing soundlessly at the foot of them. Instantly he was darting out the building's doors and rushing out into the city, not giving a damn about the people staring at him.
"Kikyou, I'm coming," he told her fiercely as he leapt over cars, his demon speed and strength making him practically fly over the city.
"Inuyasha, I think it might be too late for me..."
"Don't talk like that, Kikyou!"
"Inuyasha..." her voice was soft and he barely heard it, even with his demon hearing. "It's taking all I have to keep the barrier up where I am... I can feel them coming, Inuyasha. So many demons-"
"Dammit, Kikyou!" Inuyasha snarled, pushing himself to rush faster. "Don't you dare give up on me!"
Inuyasha had never been so afraid in his life. He knew that the post that she worked at was close. He just had to make it in time. He didn't have a clue what he could do against an army of full-blooded demons, but he didn't care. All he knew was that he had to save her. Kikyou, the only woman that he had ever loved- he had to get to her before it was too late. He was broken out of his thoughts by the sound of her broken laugh. Tears burned at his eyes and he had to blink rapidly to force them back.
"I love you so much, you silly hanyou," she whispered. "Don't ever forget that."
"I won't," Inuyasha growled out, the tears starting to leak from the corners of his eyes, dripping off his face and flying into the air behind him. "Because you'll be here every day to remind me. I'm almost there, Kikyou, don't give up, dammit!"
He finally made it to the bridge that led outside of the city. Even from here, he could see the towers that lined the edge of the barrier, each one housing a team of spiritualists that would take shifts keeping the barrier up. And from here, he could see the dark clouds that were beating against the barrier, could see the cracks forming in the shimmering pink dome that kept all of the humans here safe. As he ran, actually feeling sweat bead on his brow from pushing himself so hard, he watched as the first parts of the shield managed to collapse and dissolve, letting the black leak through.
"They're coming, Inuyasha," Kikyou said, and her voice was strained. He heard her panting and he felt his heart twist in his chest. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't stronger-"
"Kikyou, please!"
Inuyasha wanted to vomit the minute his phone beeped to let him know the call had ended. He stared down at his phone, stumbling a bit as he ran before he shoved the device into his pocket. He snarled, angry at himself for not being able to run faster, angry at Kikyou for hanging up, angry at the demons that were causing her to strain herself so badly that she was so certain she wouldn't make it. That anger flooded his veins, and clouded his mind, and without even realizing it, he was running faster toward the tower that he knew Kikyou was at.
Getting to the building was a blur. He could hardly recall scaling the side of it to get to the top of the tower. He vaguely realized when he was jumping onto the balcony and propelling himself toward the glass walls that encircled the room that the spiritualists would meditate in to keep the barrier going. He didn't really snap out of his angry daze until the glass cut into him and the sound of it hitting the floor around him reached his ears.
"Kikyou!" he called out, looking around the rapidly darkening room.
With the cloud outside closing in, the place grew dim, with only the light a few candles at the center of the room on a small altar providing light. He looked around desperately, not seeing a sign of her anywhere. He racked his brain, trying to think of where else she could possibly be. On the phone, I could hear the wind. Maybe she's outside? He hurried to the other side of the room, not bothering to find a door and instead smashing his way through another glass wall. Standing outside the balcony closest to the barrier, he looked to either side, his nose sniffing desperately in an attempt to catch her scent.
And then he caught it. The scent of lilacs and lavender, soothing and pure, just like Kikyou was. He followed his nose to the end of the balcony, gripping the railing so hard he dented the wrought iron. He closed his eyes tightly and started to tremble before he allowed himself to look down.
"KIKYOU!"
He vaulted over the railing, tears floating past him as he fell, his eyes locked on the broken figure of the woman he loved.
She was lying spread-eagle on the grass, her solid white uniform stark against the green. Her shining black hair was spread out around her head like a halo, a few locks falling across her face, hiding her eyes from him. Her naturally pale skin was deathly white, her usually rosy lips robbed of any color and were parted as she took in slow, rasping breaths. Inuyasha stepped up to her slowly, collapsing onto his knees at her side, reaching out for her with trembling hands.
"Kikyou..."
Kikyou's head shifted just enough for her brown eyes to sparkle up at him through her midnight tresses. Inuyasha gently brushed the hair from her face, his stomach rolling at the sight of the blood-colored whites of her eyes, no doubt that way because of her fall. The woman, despite her broken body and unimaginable pain, managed a weak smile as a few tears slipped from her shining eyes.
"Yasha..." she breathed, and he could barely hear it.
Inuyasha felt a whimper work its way past the lump in his throat and he lowered his head to nuzzle her temple gently, freezing when he felt the warm liquid meet his skin. He pulled back, putting a hand to his nose, even though the scent told him what it was. His fingertips held before his face were stained with her blood. His body began to shake and a few tears of his own trailed down his cheeks.
"Kikyou, we have to get you to a hospital," he said, his voice cracking and his eyes crazed. "Come on, there's still time-"
"Inuyasha..."
He looked down, silencing immediately at her soft voice. He saw the fingers of her hand closest to him twitching as though she wanted to move but couldn't. Oh gods, she's paralyzed. He reached down to take hold of her hand that was as cold as ice, even though her heart was still beating within her chest. What would happen when it stopped? Was it possible for her to get any colder? His Kikyou had always been so warm...
"Inu, please... hold me," she begged, her eyelids dropping to half-mast as though keeping them open was becoming a struggle.
He nodded, his vision quickly becoming blurry from the tears that were building. Despite that though, he could still notice the sky growing darker around them. As gently as he could, he gripped her shoulders and moved his arms to wrap around her so that he could pull her into his lap. He lifted her so that her head rested against his neck and he rocked gently, his nose buried in her hair. A soft, soothing growl rumbled in his chest.
"You can't leave me, Kikyou," he said brokenly, his hands gripping her body as tightly as he dared. She looked so fragile in that moment. "I just found you, you can't leave me!"
"I've always loved you..." her words ended in a strange sigh, one that had Inuyasha's blood running cold.
He looked down at her, his eyes wide as tears spilled down his cheeks without end. Her eyes were still open, but the chocolate-brown orbs were flat and unseeing. Her lips were parted slightly and her head was limp against his neck. Inuyasha's body was shaking uncontrollably and the urge to vomit was never stronger. He lifted a hand to touch her cheek, his fingers just brushing her skin. He realized with horror that her body was losing heat as she lied in his arms.
"...Kikyou..."' he choked out, shaking her gently. Her head lolled back, her pale throat exposed to him and her hair spilling down to touch the grass. "KIKYOU!"
"Quiet yourself, hanyou."
Inuyasha's head snapped up, his eyes already bleeding red at the sound of the stranger's voice. He looked around, wildly, his sorrow replaced with a blind rage at those that had caused the death of the woman in his arms. He laid her gently onto the ground, trying to sniff out the newcomer, but unable to smell anything but Kikyou's blood.
"Where are you, you coward!"
He spun around at the sound of rustling fabric in time to see a figure stepping out from beside the tower.
His eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of him, the crimson receding and clear gold taking its place. He was tall, maybe a head taller than himself. His glowing golden eyes were narrowed, stripes of magenta on each lid matching the two stripes that decorated either cheek. His silver bangs parted to reveal an indigo crescent moon that Inuyasha recognized instantly. He knew this man. No, demon. Sure, his hair was now cropped short to his head, barely a finger-length long when he had remembered it to be longer than his own, but there was no mistaking it.
"Sesshoumaru," he whispered.
"Hello, little brother."
Inuyasha wasn't sure what he felt at the moment. The last time he had seen his brother was when he was helping him and his mother sneak past the barrier when he was a child. They had little in common besides their father, but that night, after he risked his life to save Inuyasha's, a bond had been formed. Or at least he had thought so.
He never thought he would see his brother again, yet here he was, standing before him on human lands. At the very tower Kikyou had been protecting. His eyes widened and he shook his head in disbelief.
"No," he ground out, his hands clenching into tight fists. "No!"
"Calm yourself, Inuyasha."
Gods, he hated how collected this bastard sounded. Inuyasha's life was crumbling around him and Sesshoumaru had the nerve to tell him to be calm!
"You killed her!" Inuyasha snarled, knowing his eyes were bleeding red once more. "You bastard!"
"It was not I that caused her fall, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha shook his head, taking a step toward his brother. No, half-brother. How was he supposed to believe that garbage? Sesshoumaru was the only demon here, and despite the fact that the sky was nearly purple with the thickness of the demonic aura from the army approaching, another creature had yet to show itself.
"Then who did?" Inuyasha snapped. "Tell me, Sesshoumaru!"
"The woman fell on her own," Sesshoumaru said, his face blank, his voice calm. "I assume that she collapsed due to her exhaustion and was unfortunately too close to the railing. I can assure you that we had not breached the barrier until after she had fallen."
Inuyasha struggled to take in his brother's words. He was never one to stop and think, in fact he was known for being brash, but he desperately wanted Sesshoumaru's words to be true. He didn't want to believe that his childhood hero- and the only family he had left- would betray him this way. Sesshoumaru had never shown any animosity toward humans before, he had even been kind toward Inuyasha's mother when they had lived in demon territory. But if he did not hate humans like the rest of demon kind, then why was he here now, dressed in the red and gold uniform of the demon army?
"What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.
"To warn you, little brother," the older demon said, stepping toward him. "The army is not far behind me. If there is anyone, anyone else that you care about- you need to tell them to get out of the city."
"There is no one else," Inuyasha breathed, turning his head to look Kikyou's body where he had left it on the grass. "What good would getting out of the city do anyway? The spiritualists are dead. There is no hope for these humans."
"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru growled out, frustration shining in his eyes before he blinked it away. "They will rape your women. They will slaughter your children. The only reason they will keep any survivors is to keep them as slaves to serve as a punishment that they feel the humans deserve. You have no idea the horrors that they plan on unleashing-"
"You talk like you aren't on their side!" Inuyasha snapped. "I'm not blind, Sesshoumaru! I know what that uniform means. It's the same uniform that the men that killed our father were wearing! Or have you forgotten that?"
"They have my mate."
Inuyasha tensed. He looked up at his brother, just now noticing the dark circles beneath his eyes and the sickly pallor to his normally pale skin. Even his demon markings seemed dull, almost washed out.
"I never knew you had a mate," Inuyasha said softly, lowering his head.
"I did not meet her until after you had crossed the barrier," Sesshoumaru said, his voice weak. "She is... she is human."
"How-?" Inuyasha looked up in surprise.
"She was a spy," Sesshoumaru explained. "I helped her hide when the soldiers were made aware of her existence. I was injured during the run and... she saved me. I should have known mating her would do nothing but put her in danger, but I was selfish. Now she's a prisoner of war and that bastard Naraku is using her against me. If I had not joined him, he promised to kill her."
"I'm... sorry," Inuyasha said, keeping his eyes downcast.
"Rin's fate is no one's fault but my own," Sesshoumaru said angrily before he calmed himself. "But I apologize that I was not present to prevent the death of your mate."
"She...she wasn't my mate," Inuyasha whispered. "Not yet..."
Neither of them said anything for a moment. Both standing there, sharing a moment of silent grief and taking comfort in the fact that there was someone who knew their pain, however different the situations were. Both had their love stolen from them. Both wanted revenge.
"You can still escape," Sesshoumaru finally said. Inuyasha looked up suddenly, his eyes confused.
"What do you mean?"
"A lot has changed in the demon world, little brother," Sesshoumaru said, his eyes staring out to where the barrier used to be. "Half-demons have proven to be... beneficial to their takeover."
"What are you saying?" Inuyasha demanded. Sesshoumaru looked at him gravely and Inuyasha swore he saw guilt in his brother's eyes as well.
"When you escaped," Sesshoumaru said quietly. "I had been so sure no one had seen... but I was wrong. That bastard Naraku learned how you managed to cross and he concocted a scheme that unfortunately succeeded in bringing down the barrier that kept the demons and humans separated all these years."
"You're saying," Inuyasha began slowly, his eyes wide in disbelief as his heart pounded in his ears. "That he used half-demons to get past the barrier and kill the spiritualists? That this, all of this, is because of me?"
Sesshoumaru said nothing, but the look on his face was enough. Inuyasha fell to his knees as the gravity of the situation struck him. The downfall of the entire human community was on his shoulders. All because his mother had wanted him to live safely. All because his brother had figured out a way to keep him safe. All because he was saved and alive, Kikyou was dead.
"They intend on creating more," Sesshoumaru said, interrupting his thoughts. "They are taking healthy human men and women and keeping them for their production. I know of a few squads that were sent out specifically to slaughter the children and elderly in this city. They are only keeping alive those that are useful, and you, little brother, would be of great use to him. Our great father's blood runs strongly through your veins."
Inuyasha had stopped listening to Sesshoumaru after he had heard the words "slaughter" and "children." He only personally knew one child in this city, and it was his own godson. Dammit, he thought angrily, digging into his pocket for his phone. How could I have forgotten about Kagome and Hojo?
The two humans, who had recently married and now had a child together were as close to a family that Inuyasha had since his mother passed. They had been friends since he came to this city, and they had stuck together through the years. Even through all the hate and prejudice they had gotten for being associated with a half-demon, they had never turned their backs on him. It was through Hojo's family that his mother had received medical treatment when she became ill, and it was through Kagome that he had met Kikyou. He never felt he had done anything to deserve the two of them in his life, especially after they had made him Isamu's godfather, but he appreciated them more than anything. He had to save them while there was still time.
He scrolled through his contacts with shaking hands, almost crying out when he found Hojo's number. He pressed dial and held the phone before him, pressing the speaker icon and tapping his foot impatiently as the device rang in his hand.
Finally, he answered.
"Hey, Yash," he heard his life-long friend say distractedly. "This isn't a good time. There's a flood of patients pouring in, I think there's been some kind of accident somewhere-"
"Hojo!" Inuyasha interrupted, ignoring the impatient look Sesshoumaru was giving him. "Hojo, you and Kagome need to get Isamu out of the city right now! The barrier has collapsed, there's an army of demons coming-"
"Inuyasha, what the hell are you talking about?" Hojo shouted, and Inuyasha could hear the panic in his voice. "That's impossible! The barrier couldn't have collapsed unless-"
"They're all dead," Inuyasha forced out, his eyes closing and his voice breaking on the last word.
"Even...Even Kikyou?"
Inuyasha had to swallow hard past the lump in his throat before he could speak, and when he did, his voice was hoarse from the effort of holding back the tears that threatened to spill.
"All of them. I'm telling you, Hojo, get out of the city while you still can. There isn't much time."
"Kagome's at home alone," Hojo said, and Inuyasha could hear the sounds of chaos in the background. "She has Isamu. Inuyasha, you can get to her faster than I can. Please, protect my family until I can get to them."
"Of course."
With that, both males hung up. He was glad Hojo had not made this difficult, but he had expected as much. Hojo was always serious when it came to the welfare of his wife and child. It was hard to remember just how young the man actually was. Inuyasha set his lips in a determined line as he searched his phone for the next number he had to call. He was a bit calmer now. He looked over to his brother as the phone started to ring.
"I have to get to them," Inuyasha told him. "They're my best friends, and Isamu is my godson. I can't fail them like I failed Kikyou."
"Go, brother," Sesshoumaru said with a nod. "I wish you luck."
Inuyasha nodded back and pushed off the ground, sending him sailing through the air and back towards the city just as he heard Kagome's voice.
"H-hello?"
"Kagome!"
"Inuyasha? What's wrong?"
Obviously the chaos hadn't reached her yet. That was a good sign. At least there was still time to get to her. He still had a chance to save her and his godchild before it was too late...
Inuyasha shook himself at the memory. It was one that still haunted him every night. The last words Kagome had ever spoken to him still resonated in his head, and he was thankful that he had at least managed to keep that promise. By time he had made it to her home, the house was thick with the scent of blood and sex, with Kagome's body nowhere to be found. The sight of the guest bedroom, covered in her scent and decorated with her blood was forever ingrained in his memory. He knew that Hojo would never forgive him for not getting to Kagome in time, but he took a little comfort in the fact that at least he hadn't lost all of his friends that day.
"Come on, kid," he heard from behind him as a hand gripped his shoulder firmly. "Let me show you how a full-blood has fun."
"We're due for patrol soon, Kouga," Inuyasha ground out, his hands fisting at his sides as he glared down at the clawed hand that held him. "If Sesshoumaru were to find out we were here-"
"He ain't gonna find out unless you tell him," another voice said to his left. He sent a quick, scathing look toward the owner of the voice, a young thunder demon he had yet to learn the name of.
"It's two against one, kid," Kouga said with a chuckle as a woman, approached them. "Just enjoy yourself. These bitches are just doing what they were made for. Enjoy it."
Inuyasha swallowed a growl, hating himself more and more the longer he stood there. It wasn't until the woman spoke to him that he looked up. She was a petite little thing. She stood at a measly 5'4", which was mostly leg. Leg that he could see thanks to the tiny, beaded skirt she wore. There was a top that was made of the same beading that was tied behind her neck, draping to just barely cover her small, perky breasts. The turquoise beading parted to reveal her bare skin underneath as she shifted, something she seemed to be doing purposely.
"Hi, my name is Ayumi," she said, looking up at them from under her lashes and smiling in what he was sure she thought was a seductive manner. "Welcome to The Den."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. He heard Kouga chuckle beside him and felt him shove him a bit so that he stumbled forward, nearly knocking into the tiny woman. She didn't say anything though, just smiled up at him and batted her lashes.
"If you'll follow me," she said, reaching out and taking hold of Inuyasha's arm. "I'll lead you to your seats."
Inuyasha almost ripped his arm out of her hold, but felt Kouga brush against his opposite arm and stilled himself. There was however, an angry glint to his eyes as the tiny woman led them through the brothel to a secluded area in the far back corner, hidden poorly behind sheer, scarlet drapes that sparkled in the dim lighting. He wanted to sigh in frustration. It wasn't the woman he was angry at, he knew she had no choice in what she was doing- but he was having a hard time keeping the anger inside of him hidden. The woman pulled back the curtain, releasing his arm and motioning for him and the others to go inside.
"Is there anyone in particular-?" she began before Kouga cut her off.
"Bring me Blue Eyes," he said. Inuyasha noticed the sly look he sent to the thunder demon with them and the wink that said demon sent in return.
Blue Eyes? Just how often do these guys come here? He watched the woman nod her head and smile before ducking away and leaving them alone. Inuyasha sighed in defeat and settled himself against the far back corner of the area, nestling into the loveseat and trying not to shiver in disgust at the thought of what all had transpired on the very cushions he sat on. Before him, Kouga and the thunder demon sat on the futons that were lined on either side of him. In the middle of the area was a low, wooden platform with a long golden pole at its center that connected to the ceiling above them. Inuyasha had never felt so low.
"You'll like ol' Blue Eyes," Kouga assured him as he rested his palms flat out behind him and propped his feet out. "She's my personal favorite."
"We have her every time we come here," the thunder demon said, tossing his long black braid over his shoulder and moving to unbutton the red shirt of his uniform. "Always puts up a fight, but eventually tires herself out."
"The trick is to get as much out of her while she's still kicking," Kouga told him conspiratorially before he, too started to remove his shirt. "She's no fun once she's worn out."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to snarl insults at the two of the low, sickening bastards when the curtains parted and a woman was shoved toward them by two large, armed demons. He rose an eyebrow in surprise. She was so tiny, it was strange that she was being manhandled as though she was something dangerous. Her dark, black hair was falling around her head that was bowed forward in what he assumed was shame, tumbling around her in wild, unruly curls and covering her face. She was 5'2", with a lovely, curvaceous shape, complimented by the gold belly-dancer outfit she was wearing. Beneath the bells and beads of her skirt and halter, he could see she was bare and he flushed at the sight of her dark nipples and shaved womanhood through the sheer material. On her hands were cuffs that kept her wrists before her, the same for her ankles, though the chains were a bit longer so that she could walk. Her feet were bare, as she padded her way to the platform.
"There's my lovely Blue Eyes," Kouga cooed and reached out with one boot-clad foot to stroke it against her bare leg.
Like lightning the woman threw her head back and jerked herself away from him, pulling her hands into tightly clenched fists at her chest. Inuyasha felt the breath leave his lungs as though someone had kicked him. He stared up at the tiny woman who was glaring at Kouga so hard he thought the demon might melt where he sat. He took in her bright, flashing blue eyes and the tiny, slightly upturned nose. Her plump lips were pulled back into an impressive snarl and he recognized her tiny pointed chin, the same chin that he saw every day on his godson.
"Kagome?" he breathed.
She whirled to him and he saw her eyes widen first in recognition, then in fear and confusion. Both of them just stared at each other for a moment, a moment that seemed to last forever. The noise of the pleasure house faded as though he were under water, and time seemed to stand still as he absorbed the image before him. Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she parted her lips to whisper one word, one single name that only confirmed Inuyasha's fears and made his heart stop for a moment in his chest.
"Inuyasha..."
A/N: Sorry about how long it took to update. I was hoping I'd get a few more reviews before I put up this chapter, but oh well. Thank you to all those that favorited and followed!
BTW, I know Sesshy is a bit OOC in this chapter, but keep in mind that he's already fallen in love and has had time to soften up a bit thanks to his mate. Also, while I have not mentioned too much of Hojo in these two chapters, I would love it if y'all could remain patient. I don't wanna make any reassurances about his character because it's only the second chapter and I don't wanna give everything away just yet. Be sure to check out my other stories: Devoted and The One I Love!
REVIEW PLEASE!