Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Higurashi	By : WillowCarlisle Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 21294 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 27
- 28
- 29
"Stand back!"
Poteto cringed inwardly and slunk backwards into the milling crowd. She wasn't accustomed to the booming tone Shenzu's voice had taken. It scared her, somehow, to hear a sound so loud and penetrating come from a being so calm and reserved. Leaning forward, she peeked from behind her sister, Maka's, shoulder to try and get a better view of the scene.
It would seem as though the great white demon, Sesshoumaru, truly had come.
She�d flown alongside her elder brother in their race to this very place. They�d passed through forest and glen, over water and underground. Lush green fields led into a dark and desolate wasteland. Jagged rocks rose up from the blackened earth to stab skyward, disappearing into even darker clouds above. Broken bones, with bits of petrified flesh still clinging to them, were strewn about in various piles. The smell of decay was strongest here. It was here in the bone yard that demon souls found their final rest; here that the most powerful of jyaki still throbbed with un-life, seeking to consume all it could find. Despite their speedy pace, nearly all of her siblings had made it to this very spot before her. Looking onward, now, there was no questioning what had brought them here.
The demon lord�s soul lay, motionless and gleaming, amidst a pile of bleached bones at the base of stony outcrop. She nearly cried out in shock at the sight before her, blinking and looking about in confusion.
"Is it supposed to look like this?" she asked to everyone and no one in particular.
He lay, a bare duplicate of Sesshoumaru, glowing brighter than any soul she'd ever seen before. Hair and skin radiated with awesome power that both enticed and frightened her. She found herself taking a few unsteady steps forward, only hesitating when another of her siblings broke free from the crowd and rushed toward the demon's ethereal form. She had barely heard Shenzu's call of warning before the light fluttered and the soul began to stir, and she could see clearly now the thin strand of pink light leading from the center of its back along the ground to disappear into thin air.
"What's there to be afraid of?" the young woman demanded, slinking forward greedily. "He's defenseless in our world."
"Tokiko..." Poteto murmured, reaching toward the girl.
Quick as lightning, the demon lord had risen, diaphanous eyes flashing a crimson glow as it withdrew along the length of its tether. The light surrounding its form glowed brilliantly, and where it went, a boiling heat began to follow. Poteto could do little more than stare as the wisps of light amplified and burst outward, engulfing her sister where she stood.
"It's warm..."
Those awe-stricken words were the last to be heard before the woman suddenly burst into flames. Not even a scream passed her lips in that instant, and in the instant that followed, she lay dead at the demon lord's feet. A tremor of horror flowed through her as those burning crimson eyes came to rest on her now.
"B-brother...?" she gasped, finding herself unable to move her limbs.
"Pi-chan," Shenzu's tone was urgent as he flew to her side, shielding her and lifting her out of harm's way.
She nearly screamed as the arm he held before her suddenly caught fire, his beautiful features twisting in pain even as he pulled her away from the fray. They rose higher and higher into the air; up into the sky and beyond the demon's reach. She struggled to look past her brother's shoulder as they flew; desperate to see what had become of her dear siblings.
Fresh corpses were strewn among the petrified bones of the demon graveyard now. The corpses of her brothers. The corpses of her sisters. Twenty if not thirty and more lay charred or smoldering; numerous others who'd barely escaped the inferno had left with limbs partly singed, faces half engulfed in raging flames. The smell of burnt hair and flesh rose even to their height, and she could feel the fear climbing through her veins. This was not the way things were meant to be. This was not the plan!
Gritting her teeth, she dragged her eyes away from the massacre and looked up into the troubled expression of her dear elder brother.
"This power," he murmured, delicate brow furrowed in concentration, "is not the demon lord's own power."
Poteto's eyes widened. "What? How can that be?"
"This is no ordinary flame," Shenzu replied. "The light is imbued with the miko's life force... Our brothers. Our sisters. Purified with no chance of return. Their gates are now unmanned. New guardians must now be awakened."
"New... guardians..."

The thought alone nearly brought tears to her eyes, and Poteto rested her head against the sturdy shoulder now lent to her. New guardians. She hadn't heard those words in nearly three thousand years. All the while, she'd thought there to be only one way to find freedom from this wretched place. Now she'd come to understand that death was now an option even for a guardian of the dead...
Ahead of them lay a new set of choices to make while, behind them, the soul of the demon lord had fallen once again into a restful slumber.
*~~~
Groaning loudly, her back arched in a languid stretch, Tsuyako began to rise from her sleep. She didn't need the clock on the bedside table to tell her she'd been knocked out cold for an hour at least. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she reached for the lamp at her side and turned it on. She also didn't need the light to tell her that her husband was nowhere to be found.
She'd grown accustomed to the soft tugging feeling their bond left in its wake whenever Shippou wandered out of her mind's reach. That little pull was all she needed, after all, to find him no matter where he'd gone. The strength of that pull was a reliable measure of the distance he was away from her. Rubbing at her neck sullenly, she guessed he must have left the city.
Whatever his reason, Tsuyako reassured herself, he'll most likely be back in time to at least pick up an armful of cotton candy before we have to go home.
Her husband's sweet tooth was yet another thing she'd easily grown accustomed to over the long and adventure-filled years.
Shrugging out of her clothing, she began to prepare for a shower. She'd at least get ready for the fair, even if Shippou wasn't there to take her. Sesshoumaru and Kagome were likely to already be on their way to pick her up in her mate's place. Snickering to herself, she wondered if she should give them a little more time. The newly mated couple had had more than enough interruptions as it was.
The twinkling light of her cell phone glowed from the bathroom counter where she'd left it to charge, and she turned on the overhead lights before picking up the device. Forgetful as he was, her mate was at least good for a message or two when he needed to rush off at a moment's notice. She smiled at the memories of hasty "I'll be backs" and "See you Mondays" from the past few decades, pressing the button and lifting the phone to her ear.
"Something's come up. I'll catch up with you when I can. Sesshoumaru says he can take you to the fair. I promise I'll be there when I'm done."
Hand tightening around the little device, Tsuyako stared with blind eyes at her reflection in the mirror above the counter.
"Shippou."
As though giving way under the weight of that single word, the glass splintered and shattered soundlessly, shards drifting light as feathers to land in perfect little diamond clusters across the bathroom counter. Each little piece glowed faintly, and the vision began to grow clear in her mind's eye. Upon the face of each tiny shard was the image of not her husband, but the young miko now making her way through the hotel hallways to Tsuyako's very door.
Blinking rapidly, the older woman took a steadying breath, her eyes rising to the mirror now whole and unscathed in its place on the wall.
Something's coming, the thought raced through her mind. Something terrible...
Reigning in her fear, she stepped into the shower and turned the cold water on full blast.
Something was indeed coming, but what could she do at a time like this? Her powers were barely what they would have been if not for the ritual. She would be lucky if should could manifest an orb of purification at this point. Shaking the tension from her hands, and forced herself to breathe deeply and calmly. If something were to happen, she would need to find the power to somehow protect them all until Shippou's return. There was no way she could fight alone, and Sesshoumaru was in no condition to battle. Kagome... Kagome's powers weren't like her own. The young miko had probably lost all ability to purify once she'd been to the demon lord's bed. Tsuyako had been lucky to find the spell to contain her power outside of her and her mate's ritual. She could freely use the purity of a miko despite being mated and baring the children of a demon.
Biting down on her tongue, she used the pain as a catalyst to try and summon a smaller orb. It was a defense mechanism she'd learned early in her human life. When her life was in danger, her powers grew tenfold. She'd practiced alongside her mother and sisters many years before to amplify that power at her own will. Over the centuries, she'd never needed the gift. Shippou was always there to protect her, and as the years passed, the youkai colonies had grown more organized and less prone to producing feral beings bent on destroying all life. Feeling only a faint prickle at her fingertips, she realized that she should have practiced summoning her reserves a bit more frequently.
"Let's hope it won't come to that," Tsuyako groaned, turning her face up toward the frigid stream of water. "Hurry home, Shippou. I can't do this by myself..."
*~~~
Her clothes were all dirty now.
Patting her cheeks roughly to keep the sleep at bay, Kimi pouted down at the dirt clinging to her shoes and her calves. Mommy had bought these sneakers for her on her last birthday, and now she'd gotten them all messy. She looked up at the tall buildings all around her. It was night time now. The sky was almost black in between the big skyscrapers.
This was a scary place.
If there weren't so many people outside now, she would have been more scared. The sounds were nice, though. They made her think about the fun park in the city where daddy had taken her before. A nice lady had stopped to ask her if she needed help, too. Kimi didn't want to lie to the lady, but she didn't want the lady to follow her, either. She had bowed politely and told her that Uncle Amaru was waiting at the hotel and she had to hurry so she could get all cleaned up. The lady had a nice smile, too, when she said to watch out for bad people.
Kimi wasn't sure if her uncle was at the hotel. It was Uncle Amaru's favorite hotel, but she wasn't sure if he always stayed there. Mommy and daddy didn't bring her into the big city very often. Uncle Amaru might not be there at all, but this was where the pulling feeling had told her to go. It was telling her to go to the very top of the big hotel, and then she could help daddy and Uncle Amaru.
Walking slowly through the streets, she could already see the pretty tables that were near the hotel. She remembered the place where she had gotten to eat grown-up cakes with coffee in them. They weren't very tasty, but Uncle Shippou had let her try some one day because she was a big girl, he said. Daddy had gotten mad, because the cakes made her not want to sleep the whole day. Kimi laughed a little a the memory. Mrs. Angie had to give her a yummy tea to help her sleep that day.
"Mrs. Angie..." she gasped, coming to a stop two doors down from the hotel entrance. "Oh no! Mrs. Angie is going to be so mad I got my sneakers dirty!"
Balling her fists anxiously, she looked around at the shops closest to her. There was probably a bathroom in one of these places. She'd get all cleaned up, and then she'd go to the hotel. Kimi didn't want nice old Mrs. Angie to give her the "bad girl" look. It made her feel like she'd done something she wasn't supposed to do.
Ducking into the nearby cafe, she bowed to the lady at the desk and asked politely to use the washroom.
"It's there on the left," the nice restaurant lady said, smiling. "Is your mommy coming in to help you?"
"Um... I can do it, thank you," she murmured, hurrying toward the bathroom.
She was lucky that there was nobody else in there. Locking the door, she found the paper dispenser and pulled out some napkins to begin cleaning herself up. She dropped them into the sink on the opposite wall and stretched up on her tiptoes to turn on the faucet. A glance in the mirror told her that she'd need to clean up her face and hair, too.
The water was cold. Kimi couldn't help the sound of discomfort as the frigid napkins met her skin. She scrubbed quickly, checking again and again to make sure all the dirt was gone. She shook out her hair, wetting her hands and patting the tresses down into place. The cut on her arm was next to be cleaned. It stung a bit when she washed it, but it didn't hurt as much as it did when she first got cut. It would probably go away in the morning, like daddy's cuts did. Grabbing more napkins, she dried her face and arm and began to work the dirt out of her shoes.
By the time she was done, there were piles of paper towels in the little garbage bin. She'd cleaned the counter off, hoping the restaurant lady wouldn't mind how many she used, since she cleaned up her mess all by herself. As she left the cafe, the woman even offered her a candy. Thank you, but no, she said. After all, she couldn't take the candy when the lady had already given her so much.
She bowed once again and was off toward the hotel. Now she'd have to find a way up to the top of the building without Mrs. Angie, or that annoying little man Juuro, following her.
*~~~
"I have to go and find her!"
Shippou ducked out of the way of the fuming woman, unwilling to make the attempt to try and stop her as she waddled toward the awaiting car. He'd learned his lesson with Tsuyako's second pregnancy. There was just no stopping a pregnant woman bent on getting her way. Instead, he ran a little ahead of her, opening the passenger side door and waiting for her to get in as she smacked his hand away. There was no helping them either, it seemed.
"At least I still get to drive," he mumbled as he prepared to close the door.
"What was that, fox?" Misako demanded, pinning him with a pointed glare. "You want to speak a little louder so I have a better reason to strangle you?"
"Nothing, nothing!" he exclaimed, trotting around to the driver side and slipping into his seat. "I guess it's a bit much to ask you to buckle up, huh?"
There was a rigid pause. The woman stared at him, then down at her protruding belly, and back up at him again. He got the picture.
"Well at least tell me a little more about what happened before Kimi disappeared. What's this voice she heard?"
Shutting his door, he started the engine and awaited her reply.
"She told me she heard someone say they're taking a blood oath out on Sesshoumaru," Misako breathed, dropping the formalities in light of their situation. "She was just standing there, on her bed, listening out the window. I asked her what she heard. She tells me, 'The girl says the guards are calling daddy for a blood oath on uncle Amaru.' I didn't know what to think! Who would do something like that? I know they still have their disagreements, but Inuyasha would never... he wouldn't..."
"I know," Shippou assured her. "Inuyasha could never fight his brother that way, much less try to kill him. Not on his own. What's troubling me is Kimi said 'the guards' are calling the oath. I don't think she mean guards."
"What else would it be?"
Eyes shifting to the woman at his side, he frowned deeply. "I don't know for sure. I'm almost scared to say it, but I think she may have meant the 'guardians.' But that can't be right, either..."
"You're joking, right?" came the tiny response. "Guardians? Like the guardians of the gates? The same ones that almost trapped you on the other side? The ones that nearly got us both killed?! They shouldn't have anything to do with this side of the gate. Why would they even be involved?"
"Well..."
He hadn't been certain whether the woman had been told about Sesshoumaru's ritual or not. Inuyasha wouldn't be the one to tell her, and Touran hadn't gotten involved other than to keep the hanyou out of sight for as long as she could.
I guess she'd have found out one way or another.
"Sesshoumaru's been mated," Shippou explained as quickly as he could. "Actually, he's still in the process as we speak... His soul's already on the other side. Tsuyako had some trouble. The timing is bad, I know, but we have to wait it out and see if it'll come back on its own... You see-"
"Stop!!"
Eyes wide, Shippou hit the breaks, extending an arm to protect the woman as the car came to a screeching halt.
"What's wrong?" he demanded, fear racing through him at the look on her face.
Hands clenched to her midsection, Misako looked past him to the road stretching into the darkness. They'd come to a stop just before an intersection. The road they'd been on led straight back into the city, but...
"Turn there," she gasped. "Up ahead."
Could it be...? The baby had lurched so abruptly, so sharply, that she could have sworn she could sense the aura that had awoken it within her. Inuyasha. He was here. Somewhere nearby...
"Take the right," she groaned urgently. "Please."
Shippou frowned again, but hastily complied. He'd felt the baby's cry almost as he'd felt his own children's cries from their mother's womb. It could feel its father nearby, and it was reaching for him. It couldn't have been a coincidence. As he turned down the avenue, he began to go over which of his equipment he'd kept in the trunk of the car. He'd left the bulk of it at home, there being no need for weaponry on what he'd thought would be a simple visit with Sesshoumaru. Now, he was beginning to regret not keeping at least the dagger Tsuyako had enchanted for him closer at hand. There was something building in the air around them, and he was nowhere near prepared for it.
Gaze catching on the colored lights greeting them in the distance, he bit down on the inside of his cheek and silently reached into his pocket, his fingers wrapping securely around the single leaf he found there. They were being called together once again for a battle none of them knew how to fight.
There were no coincidences involved this night. Eyes flickering to the woman in the seat beside him; to the hand she held to her belly, and the gently keening soul within; Shippou began to gather tiny fragments of fox fire to his fingertips. He'd have to protect these two, when it came time for it. No innocents should be made to suffer as long as he could prevent it.
The mantra continued to replay itself in his mind, his meager powers building slowly around them, the light growing brighter along the road. He could already hear the music. They would soon be at the fair.
*~~~
"Kimi?"
The little girl froze in her tracks at the sound of her name. She'd almost made it to the elevator. Mrs. Angie was busy with a man at the front, and she thought she could slip by without being spotted.
She was wrong.
"Hi, Mrs. Angie," she turned and smiled up at the older lady.

"Kimi, sweetheart!" Angela Weston chirped as she strode up to the little girl. "What on earth are you doing here at this time of night? Where's your mother?"
Gritting her teeth against yet another lie, Kimi greeted the woman with a bow. "Mommy's not here. I got a ride to come and see Uncle Amaru."
"Oh, I see. You're going to the fair with him and that nice young lady?"
"Un," she agreed, partially thankful for the excuse. "I better go up and see Uncle Amaru. He'll be worried if I'm late. Bye, Mrs. Angie!"
She took off running toward the elevators before the woman could say anymore, pressing the button and rushing inside as the doors opened immediately. She could see the confused expression on Mrs. Angie's face as the steel doors slid closed again. Reaching up to the panel, she pressed the button with the biggest number and waited as the box began to move. It was a horrible, horrible habit to lie to someone. It was worse to lie to somebody that cared about you. Kimi didn't like to lie. It made her feel icky inside, and made her want to cry.
"I don't like you," she whispered to the pulling feeling that still echoed inside her chest. "You're a mean thing, and I don't like you. I want you to go away... ok? After I help daddy, I want you to go away!"
She jumped as the doors slid open and a woman in a green uniform pushing a cart full of plates stepped into the elevator.
"Oh!" the lady cried. "I didn't see you there!"
"Sorry," Kimi apologized quietly.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head," the lady smiled broadly, pressing the button next to the one Kimi had pressed. "Are you by yourself? Do you need me to take you somewhere?"
"Thank you, but I'm ok. I'm going to see Uncle Amaru."
"Ah!" the lady let out a squeal that made her jump again. "That hair and eyes really run in your family! I have to admit, I thought you were his daughter or something, you look so much alike... Oh! What am I going on about? It's really none of my business. Amaru has no children... right?"
She looked up at the woman: at her short black hair and big brown eyes. She wasn't really sure if that was a question or not, but the lady had a funny look on her face, and it seemed like she was waiting for something.
"Uncle Amaru doesn't have babies," Kimi said slowly. "He needs to marry a mommy first, then he can have lots of babies like Uncle Shippou and Auntie Tsuyako."
She blinked at the woman who suddenly had a big, big smile on her bright red face.
"Oh yes," she was giggling now. "I suppose he would need to marry someone first... to have a lot of babies with..."
The bell rang and the woman stepped out, wandering down the hallway with a hand pressed against her right cheek. Kimi stared after her, wondering if the woman realized that she left her cart full of plates behind. She must have noticed, because the moment the doors began to slide closed, the woman spun back with a sharp cry and made a dash for the box. Kimi could only stare at the look of surprise on her face through the rapidly shrinking opening.
"Hey! Wait! My c-"
Shrugging to herself, she waited for the next ring of the elevator bell before she pressed the button the woman had pressed and stepped out into the hall. This way, the elevator would make it back down without any problem.
"Grown-up people are weird," she mumbled, turning and looking around.
This was the right floor. She remembered this little hall that went right to Uncle Amaru's room. At first, she thought she would have to go onto the roof, but the feeling told her that the something she needed was here. She crept slowly along the hallway, staying near the wall and listening carefully as she went. It suddenly dawned on her that Uncle Amaru might be home. If he was home, she didn't know what she would do. He'd probably try to stop her from doing what she needed to do. He'd take her back to mommy and make her go to her room.
She didn't want to run into Uncle Amaru right now...
The door was right in front of her now. All she had to do was reach out and open it...
"You there, girl! What are you doing?!"
Whirling around at the tone, Kimi tucked her hands behind her back and prepared herself for the worst.
"I said, what are you doing there?"
The figure came storming down the hallway, aimed directly at her current location. The man waved his arms as if to shoo her away, then paused to look down at her as he drew near. She recognized the toady little man right away and tried to not make a face.
"Good evening, Juuro-sama," she groaned out as he squinted down at her.
"It's you, then, Kimi," Juuro grunted, glaring down at the girl outside Mr. Kiken's door. "What are you doing up here, girl? Don't you know you're not allowed inside Mr. Kiken's rooms without proper permission first? Mr. Kiken would be furious!"
"But I got invited!" Kimi protested. "He's my Uncle Amaru, you know! What if I tell him you made late? Then he'd really get mad!"
The man's beak-like lips parted and closed sharply. "Well... go inside, then!" he squawked before opening the door and ushering her inside. "And don't go telling Mr. Kiken I made you late, girly! He'd never believe you anyway!"
She stumbled into the room's foyer, gaping back at the angry little man as he stomped in the opposite direction.
"Wouldn't be mad at me, his most loyal worker!" Juuro was saying as he trudged toward the elevator. "Stupid girl..."
Reeling from her stroke of luck, Kimi shoved the door closed and ducked into a corner near the hall closet. She was closer. She could feel it pulling stronger now that she had made it inside. Looking around the dim corridor to her right, she nodded to herself and ducked off in the direction of the big wooden doors to the left of the living room. She pushed it open slowly and peeked inside. Finding it empty, she slipped in and closed the door behind her. It even smelled different in this room. It was a very little smell. Almost too little to notice right away. It was like the smell of fire and glass and something else she didn't like.
Making her way around the room, she came up on the odd little case with the weird smell. It just sat there in the corner as though it was waiting for her.
"So you've come, little one?"
Jumping back at the sound, Kimi squinted down at the box that seemed to be whispering to her.
"Who are you?" she whispered back, squatting down so that she could hear the voice better. "Are you a bad man?"
The voice seemed to laugh and the case shuddered just a little. "Yes, little pup. I'm a terrible, terrible man. I'm a horrible demon who wishes to eat your soul!"
Sniffing at the comment, she scooted closer to the case. "You're not so tough if you have to live in a box. My daddy can beat you up, I bet."
The chuckle came again. She was close enough to touch the box now, and did so slowly, raising a hand and petting the cold surface.
"Did you call me?" she asked while tugging on the side of the case. "I can feel your voice in my tummy all the way from my house. I came all by myself, too. I don't think mommy can feel your voice like I do. "
"You... child... I called not for you. You are weak. You are nothing. I wish for a more powerful wielder than some half-breed whelp!"
"You talk too much..." Kimi muttered with a frown. "You're a mean old man, but you're supposed to help me save daddy. I know you are."
She tugged at the case again, gritting her teeth at the strain. It wouldn't budge.
"Leave me be, hanyou. You are not worthy of me. Leave this place, or I will kill you myself!"
"Shut... UP!!"
Jamming one foot into the side of the display case, and the other into the carpet beneath her, she gave the panel one final yank, squeaking as wood and metal gave way in her tiny hands. Sitting upright, she peered over at the damage she'd done. The class atop the wooden frame was still intact, but the front of the panel along with a large chunk of the metal box inside had torn away to reveal the blade resonating within. Licking her lips, she dropped the piece of metal in her hand and crawled closer to the purple glow.
"This is it," Kimi whispered in awe.
"Don't be foolish, child," the voice seemed to come directly from the sword itself. "Your feeble body will crumble beneath my will. You would barely suffice as transportation to my true wielder."
"I already told you to shut up, mister!" Kimi yelled indignantly. "I'm not weak! My daddy is the greatest youkai in the world and my mommy is the best mommy in the universe! You're gonna help me save them both, and you better not say anything mean ever again!"
Reaching through the surge of jyaki that bubbled from the blade, she took hold of the hilt and dragged the heavy blade from its casing. Bright light swirled around her, casting her hair into her eyes and forcing her to clench them shut. Closing her other hand over the first, she ducked her head down and pulled again until the tip of the sword clunked dully on the carpet in front of her.
"You... you little-"
Kimi gave the sword a shake. "Shush!"
Standing the heavy thing upright, she opened her eyes slowly and breathed a sigh of relief. The glow was gone now. So was the wind and the noise. The sword was quiet, and it even felt a little lighter now that the old man had stopped yelling at her. It was a good thing, too, or she'd really start to get mad...
Now all she needed was to find a way to carry it.
There wasn't much in this room besides books. The only thing she could think of was the cloth inside the case, and she reached for it quickly, pushing the second sword aside and taking the velvety cloth out from beneath it. She unrolled it and tied it like she'd seen mommy tie a sling for daddy's arm one time, and pushed the sword through the middle, then pulled the sling up over her head, sliding one arm through so that the blade rested diagonally across her midsection.
"Now, we're going to find daddy," Kimi declared.
When no replay came, she nodded to herself. Mrs. Angie said Uncle Amaru would go to the fair. The girl from the night before had said something about daddy and Uncle Amaru. If anyone knew where daddy was, Uncle Amaru would know.
Once she found out where this fair was, she'd talk to her uncle and then... then she'd go save daddy!
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