EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 91: Thicker than water

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Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief as Hisui's breathing evened out at last.

The little squirt had been a pain in his ass all morning. He took after Miroku in that regard. If he'd known that letting the boy sit in his lap would send him to sleep, he would have suggested it hours ago. Kagome had dragged Kin'u and Gyokuto out to search for herbs, so there was nothing to startle him awake. Miroku had apologised for dumping the trio on them without warning, but since Sango had been called away to assist a nearby town with its youkai problem, and Shippo still hadn't returned from his travels, they were the only ones he could turn to.

Inuyasha's ears twitched, alerting him to the pitter-patter of paws on the path leading to his and Kagome's hut. "Don't you dare wake him," he said. "I'm warning you, Hachi."

The tanuki smiled and rubbed his head bashfully. "I wouldn't dream of it. Miroku asked me to check in on you. How is everyone?"

"Tch. We're fine. Tell him to quit worrying so much."

"I know, I know. I think he's a little on edge, is all."

"I guess . . ." Inuyasha raked his claws through Hisui's loose, silky hair. "How's the old geezer doing, by the way? Has he woken up yet?"

"He hasn't. He hit his head pretty hard, though."

"So I heard. What happened, anyway?"

The tanuki had turned up out of the blue along with Miroku's former guardian, Mushin. The latter had allegedly lost consciousness after a wooden beam had landed on his head, but that was all Inuyasha knew. The elderly monk was currently being monitored by Kaede. Despite her claims that the wound was nothing serious, Miroku hadn't left his mentor's side once.

"It's hard to explain," Hachiemon muttered. "You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

"Okay, fine. It was monsters."

"What kind of monsters?"

"The kind that comes out of blue disc thingies."

Inuyasha's brow furrowed. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Who's being loud now?"

"Just answer the damn question."

The tanuki's eyes shone with pure, unbridled fear. "Mushin-sama and I were enjoying a bottle of sake, until this strange glowing circle appeared out of thin air and started trashing the place. It reminded me a little of the Kazaana, except it was big and blue, and instead of pulling everything in, it was pushing everything away. Whatever it was, it weakened the temple's foundations and nearly sent the whole place crashing down on top of us."

"That doesn't sound like a monster."

"That's because it wasn't. They didn't come through right away. After the temple had collapsed, the disc grew larger and larger, engulfing what remained of the building. And then they came—these shadowy creatures without faces. They burst out of the hole in the disc like a horde of deadly insects. I'd never seen anything like them in my life. They were like . . . Like . . ."

"Nightmares?"

Inuyasha and Hachiemon both gasped when they saw Hisui peering up at them intently.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha groaned. "You were supposed to be asleep!"

"What do you mean by that, young master?" asked Hachiemon.

"You're talking about the shadow people, right?" the boy replied. "We see them all the time."

"Who's we?"

"Me and my sisters. We don't sleep so good when Mommy's not here. Ask them if you don't believe me."

"You've actually seen these things?" Inuyasha questioned.

Hisui nodded once.

"Ever talked to 'em?"

A second nod.

"What'd they say?"

"They said they were bad dreams."

"Weren't you scared?" Hachiemon whispered.

"A little. But they've never hurt us. They're looking for something."

"What makes you say that?"

Hisui turned to Inuyasha and said, "They asked us about your big brother. They said he stole something from them. They sounded angry."

Inuyasha's heart rate increased drastically. "Did they tell you what it was?"

The boy shook his head.

"Are they here now?"

"I don't think so. The lights make them disappear."

"Lights? What lights?"

"From those cracks. If they get too close, the light takes them away."

Inuyasha and Hachiemon shared a look. Whatever these creatures were, they were seemingly using the cracks to travel through time and space. But why?

What sort of trouble had Sesshoumaru landed himself in this time?

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Sango returned later that afternoon and came to take the children off their hands. Shrieking happily, the trio launched themselves at their mother and hugged her tightly. Her taijiya outfit was soaked from top to bottom in blood and guts, but none of them seemed to care.

"Mommy!" Hisui squealed.

"You're home!" Kin'u cried happily.

"We missed you, Mother," Gyokuto murmured against her stomach.

Sango's eyes softened. "Oh, sweetheart. I missed you, too."

Kagome flashed her friend a warm smile. "You look tired. We can keep an eye on them for another hour or two if you want to freshen up and rest."

Sango returned the smile. "I appreciate the offer, but I'll be fine." She glanced around the garden curiously. "Where's Miroku? He said he was going to look after the kids until I got back. How did you two get saddled with them?"

"He's with Kaede-sama. Something happened whilst you were away."

"What?"

"Another portal appeared," Inuyasha said. "Except this one opened right in the middle of ol' Mushin's temple. Apparently, it made the entire place collapse in on itself. The poor geezer hit his head whilst he was escaping. If it weren't for Hachi, he'd probably be dead."

Sango's eyes were big and luminous as she asked, "Is he going to be all right?"

"Kaede-sama seems to think so," Kagome answered. "But he's still unconscious."

She gnawed on her bottom lip. "Miroku must be beside himself with worry."

"We should go to him, Mother," Kin'u suggested brightly. "Seeing you always cheers him up when he's feeling down."

Sango smiled faintly. "You're right. Let's do our best, you three."

Kagome waved as they took their leave, then turned to look at Hachiemon, who was dozing blissfully in the vegetable patch. "I don't want to wake him, but he's crushing my sweet potatoes."

"They probably weren't edible, anyway," Inuyasha mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that."

He chuckled as she rolled up her hakama and waded through the vegetation towards the sleeping tanuki.

His amusement was quickly replaced by a powerful sense of unease as the temperature took an unexpected nosedive. His ears bristled and his youki became restless, as if sensing some unseen threat. Remembering what Hisui had said about the shadow people, his hand inched towards the Tessaiga's hilt. He opened his mouth to warn Kagome that something was wrong, but the words were replaced by a sharp intake of breath as a loud snap echoed from behind him.

Turning slowly, he saw what could only be described as the air splintering before his very eyes. It began with a single fracture that multiplied into more, reminding him of a baby bird breaking its way out of an egg.

"What the fu—"

The air cracked open fully and released a blast of blinding blue light. Tearing the Tessaiga out of its scabbard, Inuyasha unleashed the Bakuryuha and reversed the wind's direction. The portal pulsed incessantly in response, like the rhythm of a heartbeat. He could hear Kagome and Hachiemon shouting his name, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the glowing rupture. Despite the obvious threat it posed, this one felt different to the others somehow.

"Holy shit. I can smell Sesshoumaru in there."

Kagome gasped. "Are you sure?"

"I'd recognise his stench anywhere." Inuyasha's stomach sank when he realised what was accompanying the Daiyoukai's natural scent. "There's blood, too. His blood. He's injured."

He peered over his shoulder at his wife – who was clutching the tanuki's shoulder tightly – and hoped that his eyes would convey his thoughts. "No way," she said, shaking her head. "Forget what I said before. It's too dangerous."

"That's never stopped me before."

"This is different! There's no guarantee it's the Sesshoumaru we know and tolerate. Even if he is hurt, he might not want your help. What if he tries to kill you for real this time?"

"I'll worry about that after I've saved his sorry ass from being murdered by a human."

"Inuyasha, please! He's not worth it!"

She was right. He wasn't thinking clearly. And yet his thoughts kept drifting back to his future self's face when he'd informed him of Sesshoumaru's demise. He didn't just miss the bastard—he blamed himself for what had happened. But what if he could undo all of that for him?

Whoever you are, if you find a way to save my brother, do it.

He shook his head. "I can't just let him die."

Kagome's eyes blazed with resolve as Hachiemon glanced between them nervously. Inuyasha felt his own anxiety heighten when she turned and stormed towards their hut. Clenching his jaw, he turned and focused his attention on the portal.

"Do you have a death wish or something?" the tanuki asked. "Those monsters I saw weren't messing around. If they are after your brother, he's pretty much done for—"

"Then it's a good thing he's got me."

Inuyasha's head whipped sideways to see his wife standing in the doorway with her bow and a fully stocked quiver of arrows.

He sighed remorsefully. "I can't let you do this, Kagome."

"Well, you're sure as hell not stopping me. And I wasn't exactly asking for permission. I'm coming whether you like it or not."

"But you just said he wasn't worth it!"

"I'm not doing this for him. I'm doing it for you." She jogged over to him and reached for his hand so that she could intertwine their fingers. "Where you go, I go."

He didn't think his heart had ever felt so full before. "I love you," he said.

A smile teased her lips. "I know. I love you, too." Without letting go of his hand, she turned to Hachiemon and shot him a pleading look. "You've been a great help to us in the past, Hachi. I know you're scared, but do you think you could possibly lend us your strength again? Please?"

"I don't know, Kagome-sama . . ."

"It's your choice. You're allowed to say no."

The tanuki's throat bobbed. Inuyasha wondered if he was thinking about Miroku. The monk had watched his father die brutally when he was just a boy. At first, Hachiemon hadn't understood the risks associated with using the Kazaana so carelessly, but that soon changed once he saw the negative effects that the curse was having on his friend and master. He knew how it felt to want to save someone who was, by all accounts, a lost cause.

When he failed to respond, Kagome shifted her focus to the portal, which was convulsing wildly. "We should get going. It might not stay open for long—"

"Wait!" Hachiemon blurted suddenly. "I'm coming, too! That is, if you still want me to."

Kagome smiled at him. "Of course. Thank you for believing in us."

He reached into his robes and withdrew a small leaf, then slapped it onto his forehead, instigating his transformation into an enormous yellow gourd. Kagome gave Inuyasha's hand a reassuring squeeze before sprinting towards Hachiemon and vaulting onto his back.

"We're right behind you, honey," she said with a wink.

Grinning, Inuyasha set his sights on the glowing disc and braced himself for whatever was on the other side.

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Octavia followed the mysterious entity out of the Radiant One's memory wordlessly. The kasbah seemed much brighter in comparison to the dank and gloomy cell they'd just walked out of, but it was hardly a happy picture. The once harmless rainfall was advancing into hurricane territory. Not only did the howling wind and periodic crashes of thunder make it impossible for her to think straight, but the rain lashed against the outer walls of the kasbah, accumulating in the countless cracks and fissures within the sandstone. Because of this, the roof provided virtually no cover from the storm, so her clothes clung to her body like a second skin.

"It's getting worse out there," the entity noted. "You have to wake up."

"I don't think I can. The last time someone used the 'sleep' mark on me, I was unconscious for ages."

"Even so, it's possible to break free from a mark's compulsion. You have to concentrate—"

Her sentence was cut short by an unexpected coughing fit that made her retch. Octavia's eyes bulged as the entity expelled a bizarre concoction of blood and flower petals from her mouth. The latter clumped together in her cupped hands, creating a slippery mound that spilled through the gaps between her fingers and onto the floor. Eventually, the coughing subsided and was replaced by manic laughter.

"Are you okay?" Octavia asked, fighting the urge to back away.

The entity stopped laughing and met her stare. There was a vaguely unhinged quality to her expression that sent shivers down Octavia's spine. "We all have our afflictions, Okteviah True Jewel," she said.

"Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes. I've grown accustomed to it."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I wish there was." Before Octavia could question her further, the entity glided closer and parted her kosode just enough to expose the upper reaches of the Mark of Erebus. "The ngea are a mighty race," she murmured, tracing the black swirls with her fingers. "But even they aren't completely invulnerable. There's a reason they hide from you. They sealed your magic because they're afraid of you. Now, let go of your inhibitions and become one with the monster."

To defeat a monster, you have to become one.

"Your power is like a rose," the entity purred seductively. "Don't be afraid to let it bloom."

The storm raged on outside, pummelling the building with its watery fists. The more Octavia listened, the more it sounded like a ferocious battle was being waged somewhere beyond the safety of the kasbah's walls.

"Concentrate," Midoriko's voice crescendoed over the booming thunder. "Compel yourself awake."

"I'm trying—"

"Try harder!"

Scrunching her eyes shut, Octavia reached out with her mind for a tether to the waking world. She could do it. She knew she could. She just needed something to show her the way.

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Rin's tongue darted out to moisten her chapped lips as she watched the horizon obsessively. The sky was grey and overcast, but there were thin pillars of light that had managed to pierce through the cloud cover and illuminate tiny patches of earth.

The view from the roof was nothing to swoon over. Everything within a ten-mile radius of the stronghold had been permanently disfigured by Tsunayoshi's army, including the castle grounds themselves. Whilst repairs had been made during the week that it had been occupied by enemy forces, the walls were badly compromised, and the buildings were mere husks of what they'd been before. It was like staring at the bones of an animal that had once been so beautiful, but was now no more than a playground for rats and beetles.

"They shouldn't be able to find us up here," remarked Shippo.

He was perched upon the tiled ridge like a bird, whilst Rin sat in the valley between two interconnecting roofs with her knees drawn close to her chest. They were too high up to be spotted by any of the remaining soldiers, but the shadows were unlikely to be hindered by extreme heights and unforgiving winds. If they wanted to find them, they would.

"Don't worry about Jaken," the kitsune tried to reassure her. "He's tougher than he looks."

"I know, but I can't help it. Jaken-sama has always been there for me, ever since I was a little girl. But now it's my turn and I don't know what to do. I feel like I've failed him."

"You haven't. None of this is your fault, Rin." Shippo smiled warmly. "You're the reason I'm still alive. You saved me. You saved us all."

She swallowed thickly. "Not necessarily. For all we know, whatever's happened to the others is completely irreversible. There might not be anything left to save."

His lone emerald eye sparkled with determination. "There will be. There has to be."

Her mouth curved upwards ever so slightly. "How have you not given up yet?"

"Because we have something that Tsunayoshi doesn't—something to believe in."

Have faith in your lord, Rin.

"Faith isn't enough on its own," she sighed, reiterating what she'd said to Kohaku.

The piece of jewellery around her neck lurched forwards suddenly, pulling her towards the edge of the roof. Shippo leapt down from the ridge and stopped her from sliding any further. Rin shifted her gaze to the diamond on the face of the locket, which was emitting a small amount of light.

"What's it doing?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know. I've never seen it act this way before." Her heart stuttered when she heard a distant crash of thunder. It must have come from far away because the clouds were all as white as milk. "Did you hear that?" she whispered.

"Hear what?"

"It sounds like there's a storm on its way."

He frowned. "What are you talking about? The sky's the wrong colour for a storm."

"But the thunder . . ."

Her voice trailed away as the sound of falling rain invaded her ears. She glanced around the roof frantically, searching for evidence of rainfall, but the tiles were bone dry and covered in a fine layer of debris. So why could she feel streams of water rushing down her face?

It had to be the necklace's doing, but what had triggered this strange phenomenon? Was it because of what she'd said? About faith not being enough? What if this was the necklace's way of telling her that she was wrong? There was only one way to know for certain.

Rin closed her eyes and clasped her hands together in prayer. It wasn't directed at any specific gods or deities. She broadcasted her plea to both the living and the dead in the hope that someone would eventually heed her call. If she was lucky, Orihime's magpies would hear her and make her wish come true. Or maybe the mysterious God Stars would take pity on her and reveal themselves at last.

Help him, she implored anyone who might be listening. Please . . . Don't let him die.

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Sesshoumaru had met his match.

The usurper was unlike any opponent he'd ever faced. He was positively relentless. Sesshoumaru's breathing grew laboured as he parried yet another one of Tsunayoshi's attacks. Fatigue gnawed at his bones and his brow was slick with sweat. Contrastingly, the usurper was the epitome of strength, and carried on swinging. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but marvel at the effortless way in which he commanded his weapon, and how his foe's movements perfectly mirrored his own. It was as if his reflection had come to life specifically to spar with him.

The ngea screamed overhead as his and Tsunayoshi's blades clashed, again and again, generating bursts of green and purple sparks. However, the creatures had yet to engage with the warring masses below and were merely spectating. Sesshoumaru wondered why that was, until one suddenly zipped through the sea of soldiers and settled atop a mound of dead bodies. Tsunayoshi followed his gaze and grinned.

Without warning, the ngea slithered into a corpse's open mouth and took control of its nervous system. The fallen soldier's eyes snapped open, revealing two inky pools of black, as he rose to his feet gracefully and began massacring those around him. Sesshoumaru shuddered.

"You are wise to fear them," Tsunayoshi crooned over the lamentations of the dying. "Our affinity for violence is nothing compared to theirs."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "If you know that, how can you guarantee that they won't turn on you?"

"Because I have something of great value to them."

"Which is?"

"The means to give them what they want."

The usurper's eyes flashed purple and he lunged forwards with his sword blazing uncontrollably. Sesshoumaru leapt out of the way and landed with his legs apart and knees bent. The ground beneath his feet was soft and sludgy, but it was of little hindrance to him.

He summoned his light whip and lashed it hard, but Tsunayoshi simply raised his free hand and caught the lasso on his first try. Instead of cringing as the acid reduced his fingers to mush, he smiled and gave the whip a sharp tug. In the end, it was Sesshoumaru who cringed as wine-coloured wicks erupted across the surface of his whip, forcing him to withdraw.

"You are justifiably angry," Sesshoumaru began cautiously, keeping his distance. "My father was single-minded and paranoid. Ryukotsusei was right to refuse his demands."

"And yet everyone still looks down on him for daring to oppose the great and honourable Inu no Taisho," Tsunayoshi countered in an icy voice. "Everyone saw him as a monster, but he wasn't the one heralding the death of an innocent woman and her unborn child."

Sesshoumaru raised his sword to block Tsunayoshi's calculated swing. The usurper's snout twisted into a snarl, and he spat at the muddy ground in front of Sesshoumaru's feet.

Tsunayoshi had lost everything. His mother, his father, even his home. Vengeance was all he had left. Sesshoumaru knew that feeling. After his own father had perished, he'd blamed Izayoi for making him weak, and by extension, the abominable monstrosity that she'd produced. With everyone else gone, Inuyasha had been the only one left for him to enact his revenge upon, but when the time came to kill the pathetic little whelp, he hadn't been able to follow through with it. Perhaps it was because his honour had prevented him from slitting the throat of a sleeping child. Perhaps it was because the boy had been too weak at the time, and would have made for a poor kill. Or perhaps it was because despising Inuyasha gave him something to live for.

If I kill him, Sesshoumaru had pondered more times than he dared to admit, then I truly will be alone.

He imagined that it was his brother's face staring at him through the gap between their blades instead of Tsunayoshi's, and wondered what he might say to him. He loathed grovelling, but in this instance, an apology seemed like a good place to start.

"I'm sorry," he said as the two hanyou's faces merged into one. Gold eyes with a hint of crimson in them, furry ears that eventually tapered into horns, and a mane of silver mixed with eggshell white. When he spoke again, Sesshoumaru addressed them simultaneously. "I'm sorry for the past. And for the part that I played in it. If I could go back and do things differently, I would."

Tsunayoshi laughed bitterly. "Are you mad! You being sorry won't bring my mother back to life. Nor will it absolve you of all the pain you caused. I'm afraid this can only end one way."

Sesshoumaru pushed against the usurper's sword more forcefully. "Very well. But the end result will be your destruction, not mine."

The usurper's red eyes flickered with amusement. "We shall see."

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Author's Corner

Those of you who are familiar with hanahaki may recognise the nameless entity's symptoms... That's the only clue you're getting, though ;)

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!