Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the original characters; everything else belongs to some other lucky bastards. Anyway enjoy and please let me know what you think. Thanks and have a great day.
For Family, For Love
"Komono-komono blood?" Mika said weakly as she looked from Ren's serious face to her cousin and back again. She knew of the blood only through what she'd heard but that was more then enough to give her an idea of the gruesome fate that awaiting Ronin. Some demon slayers used the deadly poison on their weapons against the tougher demons but most didn't because any accidental exposure of the blood to themselves and they were dead. There was no known cure for the poison and it was always fatal. "Oh shit."
"No-no damn it, not like this, he's not dying like that." Wufei snarled as he refused to believe that he was about to lose his cousin so easily and that there was nothing he could do about it. "Mika, take him, if I find Uncle Sesshoumaru fast enough there's a chance, there has to be a chance."
"Gotcha." Mika said as she hurried over and took her brother's place supporting her cousin who's skin seemed to be becoming tighter along his cheekbones, not a good sign and she could already feel the difference in her cousin's weight. "Hurry, Wufei."
"You better believe it." Wufei said as he turned on his heels and began running full speed in the direction of the village where he assumed his uncle was liable to be, resurrecting the villagers who had been slaughtered in the attack before the others had had the chance to intervene. Moving swiftly he ignored the branches and such that sliced into his skin as his mind focused only on saving Ronin's life.
"What's the big deal, can't your uncle's great healing sword bring him back?" Ren asked as they stood there, helpless to do anything but keep Ronin supported and doing their best to ignore his slight whimpers and the fact that he was becoming lighter and lighter as the seconds passed. "That's what he did with that human of his, Rin right?"
"Normally he could but in order for that to work there has to be flesh still on the bones of the corpse, there won't be in this case now will there?" Mika growled in frustration, supporting her cousin with one hand and using the other hand to rub Ronin's back, hoping it provided some comfort. "The reason why no one's ever found something that can even slow it down is because usually the victim is consumed nearly bones and all in ten minutes. We don't have anything like that in my mother's world either though we do have something called a komodo dragon who's a bad guy to mess with too but not like this. And of course snakes venom and such but then again usually-snakes-venom..That's it!" Mika said, halting her rambling.
"What's it?" Ren asked, confused as to why the idiot dog demon looked happy about something and the fact that she was smiling..at him. She never smiled at him.
"Support his weight, I have an idea." Mika said then moved away giving the wolf demon no choice but to take all the weight which wasn't as bad as it would be considering the demon was already losing quite a bit of his body weight. Moving over to the injured area Mika quickly ripped the cloth so that basically his entire side was visible, the slight scar dribbling black liquid from it against the white skin of her cousin's usually bronzed side. "Treat it like a snake bite." Mika said with a smirk before leaning forward to place her lips on the wound, beginning to suck the poison out of it even as the liquid burned her throat as she drew as much into her mouth as she could before spitting it out, knowing that some of the poison was finding its way down her throat as she did it.
In the Hall
"Oh my God." Kagome as she pressed her hands to her mouth in horror as she watched her daughter struggle to remove the poison from her cousin's body as Ronin continued to look more and more like a starved and dying demon. "Inu yasha."
"Ronin." Sora whispered, tears brewing in her eyes as she watched her brother's pale and tortured face as he struggled not to make a sound, not to betray his heritage as he would see it.
"Those bloody bastard, lacing those shards with Komono blood." Inu yasha growled as he cradled Kagome in his arms, the girl overcome with grief for the nephew she had yet to meet. Inu yasha watched Ren yell at Mika about exposing herself to the poison but his daughter paid the comments no heed, continuing to do her best to suck as much of the toxic poison as she could. "Damn it." was all Inu yasha could say.
"Cowardly bastard scum." Kouga said, in perfect agreement with Inu yasha for once. The boy had fought bravely and well, to be taken down, over a flesh wound was wrong. Anyone who would use such a weapon deserved to be impaled upon it.
Watching this all in silence Sesshoumaru showed no signs of even being aware of what he was watching-except if you looked at his hands where blood was dripping from them, his claws digging into his palms so deeply that most would be screaming in agony.
Meanwhile
"RONIN!" Ren looked over to see a huge dog demon in its true form coming bounding towards them, Hotaru, the one who had yelled on the demon's back. She was hopping off as soon as they drew close and instantly the smoke appeared around the demon to reveal it was Dare as the two hurried over to them. "What happened?"
"Ronin?" Dare said with a worried look as he noticed how his brother looked like death and his cousin looked as though she intended to follow him, her color gone and her skin looking a lot tighter on her bones then he could recall. Moving to the side Mika had been on Dare helped support his brother while Hotaru looked over her sister's shoulder worryingly.
"Komono blood, she's been trying to suck it out of him." Ren said as he listen to the concerned noises Hotaru was making as she kept looking from her sister to her younger cousin. "Tell her to stop, there's nothing she can do and it's going to kill her too."
"It's already killing her." Hotaru said with fear in her voice as she looked at them both gravely, her voice shaking ever so slightly as she tried to keep herself under control as losing it now would do no one any good. "She's ingesting it, that's much worse then simply being exposed to it through a cut of something along those lines. She's given it a direct line to her systems."
"Stop-Mika-stop." Came Ronin's weak voice, weakly trying to bat her away with his hand though it was no more then a butterfly touch as she ignored him, ignored the burning of the poison, the overwhelming pain it caused her. She couldn't stand there and do nothing, she had to give Wufei time, she had to until she couldn't anymore.
In the Hall
"Mika..Ronin." Kyou said as he watched, unable to do anything as he watched the lives of his cousin and his sister be eaten away, watched them lose all their color, their life forces being drained right out of them as they both struggled against the poison eating them alive. "NO!" Was all he could yell as he moved forward, letting Andrea drag him back against her, needing the comfort as her arms wrapped around him from behind to give him what comfort she could.
"Oh God." Was all Sango could say as she watched on with horror, looking over at Kagome out of the corner of her eyes. Seeing her friend with her head pressed into Inu yasha's neck, quietly weeping, every once in a while looking up to the images to watch her daughter die before her eyes as she fought for her cousin's life. Looking over to Sesshoumaru her eyes went huge as she saw the blood dripping from his clenched fists, his eyes never flinching or leaving the screen. That was his son dying up there, Sango realized with a flash of insight..whatever he was or had done-that was his son he was being forced to stand by and watch die. Not even thinking about it she lifted the hand that was chained to his and moving closer placed it on his arm, looking back at him courageously when he turned his head slightly to look at her before looking back at the screen, allowing her hand to stay where it was.
"Don't look, Rin." Shippou said gravely as he tried to shield the girl from what was going on in front of them but she was too quick and got around him and to her Master before Shippou could stop her. Leaning against Sesshoumaru's side Rin wrapped her arms around his leg to comfort her poor Master.
"So inhumane, only a truly inhumane being would use such a weapon against an opponent, such a cowardly act." Miroku said as he watched n, shaking his head as he watched the drama unfold he felt bad for Inu yasha and Kagome, even a little bit for Sesshoumaru which surprised him. But even someone as cold and sometimes as evil as Sesshoumaru, still didn't deserve to watch his son be slowly eaten alive, especially a son who didn't appear to deserve such a terrible, terrible fate.
Meanwhile
Mika lasted as long as she could but finally her system couldn't take it anymore. Spitting out what she could she fell backwards, unconscious as her sister caught her in her arms, dragging her slightly away before looking from her barely breathing sister to Ronin. There was nothing she could do for Mika-but there was something she could do for Ronin. Pushing thoughts of her children and her husband aside Hotaru moved forward and took Mika's place, beginning to suck out the poison and spit it out.
"Oh friggin-damn it." Ren said as he looked from Hotaru to the motionless Mika. What the Hell were they doing, the guy was already dead and should by some miracle he lived he would have their deaths on his head. Hotaru had pups and a mate for God sakes. "Take him." Ren growled and when Dare had the full weight of his basically lightweight brother Ren hurried over to Mika's still form, getting down on his knees beside her. Her lips were stained black; her eyes closed as her chest barely rose and fell which every shallow breath she took. "Damn it Mika, you're not allowed to die." Ren said as he leaned forward to shake her a little, anger and worry intertwined in his words. If he'd stopped to think about it he would have realized that he was terrified at the thought of her dying, but at the moment all thoughts were focused on getting her better-somehow. "No one is allowed to kill you but me, you know that, you brain dead dog. Now open your eyes and start showing what little demon blood you have instead of a pitiful human's."
"Oh go screw yourself, can't I even die in peace, you half wit idiot." Came a weak answer and her eyes opened to mere slits as she looked up at him, her voice no more then a whisper that just reached his sensitive ears. "You could have never beat me-anyway."
"Oh shut up, I would have too." Ren grumbled out of form though he felt awful as he watched her watch him, realizing that this could be the last time they argued, fought over their fighting and even just insulting each other. She'd never be around to bitch at and insult, to fight with over stupid things that made no sense. "I'm not losing you like this." Ren whispered as he took her nearest hand in his, not even realizing what he was doing. "Besides Uncle Kouga would kill me if I let his favorite goddaughter die."
"Surprised he hasn't already died from the shame-having you for a godson." Mika whispered hoarsely, the barest hint of a smile on her face at the familiar batter. She'd miss this, more then she'd thought she would.
"Well if having you for a goddaughter hasn't done him in I doubt having a superior full blooded wolf demon for a godson would be a disappointment." Ren said with a small smile of his own, his mind racing with possibilities. They weren't beaten yet-he just had to figure out a way to get the poison out of her system-or at least some of it. He couldn't suck it out as she had done for Ronin but maybe if she threw it up then-that was it. "Hold on, Mika. I've got an idea."
"If it's an intelligent one that'll be a first." Mika whispered as she felt his hand slip from hers, strangely missing the comfort of it. "Don't hurry back on my account, the last thing I need is your ugly face to be the last thing I see before I croak."
"Hahaha, very fun, my sides are splitting with laughter." Ren said sarcastically before getting up and yelling out to the others that he'd be right back he quickly turned into his true form, bounding off into the bush at break neck speed.
In the Hall
"My-my goddaughter?" Kouga breathed in dread as he listened to Ferio's laughter as he laughed as Mika lay on the grass, struggling to breathe as she turned her head to watch Ren, his godson apparently bound off. "You bastard." Kouga yelled out at the laughing Ferio, praying that he was the one to find Ferio here in this time so that he could massacre the thing.
"Maybe-maybe Ren or Sesshoumaru can save them." Kagome whispered into Inu yasha's neck as she leaned her head there, her face looking to the screen, unable to draw her breath away from her child as her tears soaked the front of Inu yasha's shirt.
"She's our daughter; it will take a hell of a lot more then a little poison to take her down." Inu yasha said comfortingly, his clawed hand stroking his wife's head as he watched his daughter lie there, silently pleading for her to rise and be all right. He had lost so many of the people he cared about-he didn't want to lose this daughter of his, bring her into the world knowing that he would lose her this way.
Meanwhile
Hotaru struggling to stay conscious she was barely aware when her nose caught the scent of her mother and her aunt approaching on Kirara. Turning her head away from her goal for a moment she could see a blurry image of them flying towards them before she passed out cold like her sister, her breathing shallow and low.
"Ronin, Mika Hotaru." Sango called out as she looked at the girls sprawled out on the grass and Ronin being held up only by his brother, Ronin looking like a limp corpse, his clothes hanging off of him like a child wearing its parent's clothes. Hoping off Kirara's back as soon as it was safe she was on her feet and running to Ronin who seeing her coming tried to move to her, falling into her arms when Dare let him go. Holding him close Sango stroked his hair, her eyes closing in grief as she felt all his bones and his shallow breathing against the collar of her cat suit.
"Hotaru, Mika!" Kagome cried as she hopped off Kirara, heading first to Mika who lay there so still, barely breathing as she mother brought her up against her, burying her face in her daughter's hair. Hearing her daughter faintly call her name Kagome looked into her daughter's barely open eyes. "It's going to be okay, baby, it will be all right."
"Say good bye-everyone." Mika whispered to her mother, tears forming in both their eyes as they looked at each other. "Tell-loved them..all..find Kyou and rest..know you can."
"Hush now, you're going to be just fine." Kagome said pulling her daughter back into her arms and into a tight embrace. "You're not going anywhere and that's final. I'm your mother after all, you have to listen to me, it's a rule." Feeling the earth shake under her Kagome looked to see a large wolf demon appearing from the forest, turning into Ren as he ran over to her, pulling some strange grass like plant from his belt.
"Here, take this, chew it up as finely as you can and make Hotaru swallow it." Ren demanded as he came to a stop in front of her. Not questioning him Kagome took the grasses and ran over to her eldest daughter, knowing that her youngest one would be safe with Ren. Quickly stuffing his remaining grasses into his mouth Ren began to chew vigorously, his sharp teeth un use to the vegetation but quickly it was a pasty liquid and pulling Mika against him he tilted her head back and placing his lips against hers transferred the mix into her mouth. Massaging her throat Ren made sure it went down while Kagome did the same.
Drawing on what little strength he had, basically all of it, Ronin lifted his head to look Sango in the eye. "Tell father-sorry..love you all." He managed to get out before slumping motionlessly into her arms, completely limp as he lay in her arms, all the fight seeming to be gone as the poison ran faster and faster through his dying veins.
Clutching him against her in a death hold Sango's eyes welled up with pain and grief as she held him, burying her face in his hair before twisting around to scream out a name in anguish and pain that echoed in the stillness of the valley sending shivers down the spine of all those who heard it. "SESSHOUMARU!"
Author's Note: Well that's it for now, don't worry, Ronin is far from out for the count, don't demon genes and having a live giving sword wheeler father come in handy? lol