Fight For Life
As if on cue there came the sound of a bone chilling growl and into view came two large dog demons in their true forms with Wufei close behind them. Her eyes lighting up with hope Sango yelled out Sesshoumaru's name and to hurry with the sword. Meters away the two demons were surrounded by smoke and Sesshoumaru became visible as he appeared from the smoke to slash his life giving sword into his son. Dropping the sword and falling to his knees both of them stared down at the still form of Ronin while Ronin's older brother hung over his father's shoulder with a close to terrified look. Slowly they watched Ronin's face start to fill out and reshape to its normal state. Calling Kohaku over with the request to use the sword on the girls Kohaku reluctantly left his brother and picking up the sword moved over to Ren's side and drawing back his father's sword sent it into his pale but alive cousin then hurried over to do the same to Hotaru before moving back to his brother who looked like himself only sleeping and not moving. "Ronin, Ronin open your eyes." Sesshoumaru commanded, his usually strong and cold voice breaking slightly as his son continued to lay limply in Sango's arms. "Son..wake up."
"Come on, you can do it, baby." Sango said as she stroked his hair, cuddling him close as her tears slid down her cheeks and onto his face. It was her little brother all over again only this time it was her son and it was so much worse. Her baby, her precious little boy. "I can't lose you like this, I won't lose you too."
"Come on little brother, you can do it. Just open your eyes." Kohaku said as he set a clawed hand on his father's shoulder, leaning over with his eyes fixed on his brother's closed lids. Blinking Kohaku could have sworn he say the lashes twitch then felt a grin cross his features as they did it again. "He's waking up."
Propping him up against her better Sango began to smile through her tears as the boy's lashes rose slowly to mere slits but she could hear him breathing now, hear his heart begin to beat against hers. "Welcome back, sweetie."
"Good..be..back." Came the hoarse answer before the eyes closed again though he continued to breath easier and his heart began to beat with its former strong and steady beat. He was slowly coming back into himself and wondered if he should tell his mother that he'd seen a boy dressed in demon hunter's garbs standing in light waiting for him along with several other people, one of the women looking exactly like his mother only slightly older. He'd tell her later, Ronin thought as he slipped into tired exhaustion. Now he had plenty of time.
Meanwhile
"He..okay?" Was the first thing Mika asked when she was done coughing out all the poison she could that had been eating her alive. Looking up into Ren's face she couldn't recall ever being so happy to see the ugly son of a bitch. Trying to turn her head to see her cousin she found that she couldn't see anything as her aunt and uncle appeared to have formed a Ronin sandwich with her cousin squished between them with Kohaku watching over them with a stupid grin on his face.
"He's okay, thanks to you and Hotaru." Ren agreed as he watched them both and felt a twinge of envy. Would his father do that? Hug him so fiercely where everyone could see him, would his mother weep the way Sango was weeping now in joy that he was alive. The fact that he didn't know was a sad thing as he turned his eyes away to look down at Mika who lay with her back resting against his chest, his arm around her waist to hold her there as she used him as a chair while she recovered. What would Mika have done had it been him instead of Ronin? Would she have been willing to give up her life the way she'd been willing to do it for her cousin. Yes..she would have, Ren thought as he looked down at her, watching her grin with delight at her family. She would have helped him despite all their fighting and arguing, would have risked her life for him even if only for their godfather's sake. "That was a brave thing you did, wench."
"You saved my life..didn't you, Ren?" Mika said as she tipped her head up to meet his gaze, her golden eyes holding his dark ones. "Help me up." Mika added as she moved away and shakily got to her feet, Ren's hands holding her upper arms for support as she weaved there for a moment before letting her go when she seemed steady. "And you know what else you did, Ren." Mika added as a fiery light came into her eyes. "You broke a couple of my ribs with your god damn punches." Mika snarled as she drew back a fist and putting all of her strength into it sent her fist into his own stomach sending him flying into the air and into a heap several feet away. "Stupid wolf." Mika said nearly affectionately as she dropped to her knees to catch her breath after using most of her strength in the punch.
"Mika! Go help him up this instant!" Kagome called over to her youngest daughter with disapproval as well as relief in her voice as she cradled Hotaru in her arms, her oldest fine and just a little too exhausted to get up at the moment.
Sending her mother a do I have to Mika easily read that she had to on her mother's face and getting shakily back to her feet made her way over to the stupid wolf demon to help the idiot up with a great deal of pouting and dark looks. Behind her came her father who came to a start by his mate and daughter, getting on his knees to cuddle his daughter as well while Kagome explained what had happened.
In the Future
"That's my girl." Inu yasha said with a grin, pride in his voice as he watched her stand over the wolf demon who lay on the ground on his back, his arms wrapped around his stomach with a pained look on his face. "Show him who's boss."
"They remind me of us..though I preferred sits instead of fists." Kagome said with a shaky laugh, snuggling against her mate's chest as he held her tight as they watched their daughter hold out her hand grudgingly to give him a hand up. Watching they smiled when Ren took a hold of her hand only to send her flying over his head and onto her back so that they were both on the ground wheezing for air as they stared up at the sky, grinning in delight. "Though they seem to like beating up on each other far too much."
"Interesting godchildren you have there, Kouga." Ginta said with a snicker as they watched the two get to their feet and start walking back to the others, for the moment content to remain silent and insult free. "They get along as well as you and Inu yasha."
"Well they're obviously both warriors to be proud of." Kouga said with a grin, feeling pride in the strength of his two godchildren he had yet to meet. Of course it would be nicer if they got along a little better but at least they were likely entertaining to watch. "And look at him throw a fit." Kouga added as he motioned to the screen where Ferio was screeching like a wounded animal in his anger over the fact that his minions had been defeated and not one of the people he'd been trying to kill.
"BASTARDS! STINKIN HALF BREEDS!" Ferio hissed and screamed at the screen as he watched the screens playing before him. Hurling and swearing some more there were more holes and damage done to the cave walls before he stopped then turned back to his bloody screen with insanity flashing in his eyes. "The wolves..I sent men to kill off those stupid wolves. They would have succeeded..they would have triumphed over those pathetic excuses for demons." Laughing maniacally Ferio demanded to see the destruction his men had dished out to the wolf demons. "They'll be blood everywhere, not a wolf demon left alive." Ferio said in an almost sing song voice.
"WHAT!" Kouga snarled as his blood went cold as she watched the screen and realized that the lands they were looking at were his own. "No..not again."
"Let us see the chaos and havoc my demons have caused." Ferio said as they came to view a battlefield littered with bodies. His cries of glee and happiness slowly faded though as he saw that only a few were wolves and that most were his own men. Crying and screaming out in fury Ferio demanded to see who was responsible for this slaughter of his men. Slowly the image before him faded then materialized to show two demons standing in a lake cleaning up from their battle, their armor on the rocks nearby with clothing well splattered with blood though there was no wound visible on either demon that looked even remotely serious.
Future
A tall fox demon stood stripped to the waist, his bushy tail hanging limp behind him from the water as the fox scooped up water and rubbed it into his face to get the grim off as he chattered to the other demon. His long reddish orange hair loose it was just to his shoulders and his bright eyes glittered with humor as he kicked water at the other demon with a chuckle. His narrow and well boned face alive with laughter and mischief as his friend sent him dark looks their was a decidedly foxy look to the fox demon. "Come on, Yoshi. Dogs like water..it's cats that are suppose to hate it."
"I have no problem with water." Kiyoshi said with a roll of his eyes then knowing his friend would keep after him he joined him further into the water after removing his outer garments so he entered into the water in only his black pants. Like the fox his black hair with silver streaks was down though it was slightly longer going several inches past his well muscled shoulders. Both muscular their bodies were covered with grim from battle, the fox's tanned a dark gold while the dog demon's was barely tanned at all. Diving under the water neatly Kiyoshi surfaced streaming water down his body as he shook his head sending water everywhere as his golden eyes looked around him with a detached annoyance. "We should be heading back soon, it's not safe here."
"You just don't like being checked out by the females." Shippou said with a nod of his head towards the opposite bank where several female wolf demons were washing clothing stained from battle or at least that was the excuse they were using. Most of them were unattached and eager to stare at the two warriors who'd come to warn them about the coming attack and who had fought so bravely. "There's some pretty nice looking ones too you know." Sending his older cousin a look Kiyoshi just managed not to roll his eyes as he finished washing off then waded back to shore to dry off, Shippou soon joining him to sit on the rocks to dry off as well. "So what do you think the chances are that there will be more of Ferio's bakas coming to try and lay siege?" Shippou asked as he used his shirt as a towel to dry off. "I mean we kicked their asses pretty good but they tend to keep coming back for more no matter how badly they get beaten. Sad really..like lemmings."
"Nomi is watching." Kiyoshi said with a shrug as he looked up at the sky as though she would suddenly appear though of course she wasn't there. He always knew when she was nearby and he didn't sense her. As it was he'd told her to stay as far away from the wolves as possible given that more then one wolf had been stupid enough to attack Nomi despite the knowledge of what his father and family would do to anyone who harmed her. Nomi was family whether she'd been born into it or not. "She'll warn us if necessary."
"Though there is the slight fact that if Manta or any of his stooges catches sight of her he'll try to kill her regardless of what Sesshoumaru will do to them." Shippou pointed out, his hair sticking out in places from the hard rubbing he'd given it with his shirt. "Personally I can't wait till that idiot croaks and his son takes over his place as head pack leader with Kouga. Ren at least has some intelligence even if he does keep going suicidal where my sister is concerned. I mean as entertaining as the two are Ren's going to get himself killed one of these days and his younger brother is as bad as their father!"
"Mika won't kill him." Kiyoshi said with a shake of his head pretty sure that their constant bickering was more for Ren and Mika's entertainment now then to harm the other. Nomi even had it in her head that Ren had a crush on Mika and though Kiyoshi couldn't quite understand that Nomi would know more about that type of thing then he would. "Do you suppose Ren has gotten to our holdings yet?"
"Depends on how fast that guy can go. If he puts everything he has into it and doesn't make a lot of stops I'd imagine he was there given when he left. Boy is Manta pissed off about that too. Took a lot of guts for Ren to go to your dad for help given how much Manta and Sesshoumaru dislike each other. It's a good thing that Kouga is a friend of the family or your dad would likely laugh in his face and tell him to go home." Shippou said with a smirk as he shook his head to try to get that bit of hair as dry as possible. "Or get Mika to escort him home." He added with a snicker.
"That's mean." Kiyoshi said with the barest of smiles, rare to be sure which made it all the more stunning. "Shippou there's a snake about to fall out of the tree above you." Kiyoshi added as an after thought sending Shippou into curses as he looked up in time to see the thing fall and catching it hurled it back into the forest.
In the Future
"Ren..is my son!" Manta snarled, horrified by the idea that a man who could be beaten up by a quarter demon was his son. His wife was pregnant with their first born as he stood there and he'd been looking forward to the possible heir to his line. Now he felt nothing but dread and disgust with the weakling that would be his first born. "A disgrace."
"He is not a disgrace." Sora snarled at the wolf demon, rung out emotionally so that her usual icy cold mask wouldn't stay up showing instead a female dog demon who's eyes were red and her skin pale from fear. "You can't even begin to claim to have HALF his intelligence and leadership abilities."
"Quiet, bitch or I'll cut out your tongue." Manta said as he marched up to face off against the girl who'd dared insult him then wished he hadn't as Sesshoumaru appeared as if from nowhere, his clawed hand slashing across Manta's chest sending the wolf demon flying across the room in a heap with five long and deep claw marks.
"You will not speak to my daughter that way, Wolf." Sesshoumaru snarled and several of the demons backed off at the expression in the Lord of the West's eyes. Even Inu yasha was shocked at the heat and anger in his brother's eyes, the look in them more terrible then anything he'd ever seen. Breathing hard Sesshoumaru could still picture in his mind's eye his son laying in the slayer's arms as he breathed what had come so very close to his last. Seeing Manta get shakily to his feet Sesshoumaru smiled at the wolf but it was a cold and evil smile. "You should be kissing the floor Inu yasha and I walk on..apparently you owe the lives of your pack to our pups. Two of our family taking down what your whole miserable pack could not deal with on their best day, Manta "
"Yeah, pretty sad, Manta." Inu yasha sneered feeling an unexpected warmth that his brother had called him family, something he had never done so before or at least not in a positive manner. Though the idea of having Shippou called his pup was a bit disturbing it wasn't as terrible a thought as he would have thought it should be. After all he supposed there were worse choices when you thought about it. He could have a pup like Manta or Kouga..now there was a depressing thought. "When our children...our non perfect demon children need to save your ugly ass."
"Yeah, Kiyoshi and I kicked ass." Shippou piped up with pride, pretty impressed with himself and how strong he was apparently to become. He was going to be taller then Inu yasha, Shippou thought with glee and looked forward to the day when Inu yasha wouldn't be able to hit him in the head anymore. And..and Inu yasha had called him..his child? Unsure how to take that Shippou went quiet, his face thoughtful as he thought the idea through. He..he liked the idea, Shippou thought with a touch of surprise mixed in with pleasure and pride. He liked the idea of Inu yasha thinking of him as his son very much.