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Want To Be Your Slave	By : LordYouko Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 70996 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 10
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 33
- 34
- 35
___________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 34 � A Mirror�s
Flaw

�If I win, I'm a prodigy. If I
lose, then I'm crazy. That's the way history is written.�
― Eoin
Colfer, Artemis Fowl
___________________________________________________________________________
It had gotten darker. Inuyasha could barely make out vague
silhouettes that were Sesshoumaru and Naraku. The earth on which he�d been
kneeling for so long had grown cold. He could feel it seep through his clothes
and into his bones.
Beside him, Kanna, in her white yukata and white hair stood
luminous. Her bare feet didn�t seem affected by the cold.
�It's in Naraku's hands; both life, and death." �Kanna said in her bell-like voice. �Now, the
battle is decided��
Inuyasha felt cold pour in his chest.
�No�� he whispered, glancing desperately up at her.
Kanna glanced down at him then returned her gaze to the
battle.
�He has tried his hardest to hold fast to his youki against Master Naraku�s attacks. Now, his strength is
exhausted and Naraku is stronger than ever.�
A little distance away, Kagura watched from the shadows with
pity in her eyes. Ruby red eyes followed the battle clearly. Kagura knew first-hand
how ruthless and indestructible those tentacles were. Weaponless
and bound, the demon prince had never stood a chance. And now that Kanna had
foreseen his end, there was nothing left to hope for.
She pitied the little hanyou who clearly wished so
desperately for his master to survive.
A bitter smile stretched her lips.
I wonder what it would
be like to have a master one didn�t despise�
But no, she could not think like that. The boy was born a
slave and she was born to be free.
I am the wind; I will
have my freedom.
Whether she wished it to be so or not, that was the way it
was. It was a hard learned lesson but the wind could have no master.
Even so, I wish�I
could have belonged to him.
But Kanna was never wrong.
��Poison in your heart, poison in your veins,� Kanna
had said, many years ago, before Naraku came to these cursed Western Lands,
when Naraku had asked the mirror girl to read her fortune. �You will have your heart and the pain that comes with it. The day you
have your dearest wish, is the day you will die.�
Kagura clutched at the
empty space in her chest, eyes wide. In front of her, Naraku seemed amused.
�Well, Kagura,� he
drawled. �Do you still want your heart?�
Kagura glared at him
through venomous eyes. �You bastard,� she whispered. �You told her to say those words. That is a threat, not a prophesy.�
�It seems you do not
yet understand the nature of the Void,� Naraku mused. �Kanna, like yourself, is
an independent being, free to contradict me � � Naraku
smiled mockingly. �- and betray me. I do not ask her
to lie, nor would she even if I should I ask.�
�Fate is like a
mirror,� Kanna said, staring impassively at Kagura. �It is what it is. It will
do you no good to deny it.�
Kagura stared,
entranced, at the swirling white shadows in the mirror.
�A cruel fate,� she
breathed. �So cruel��
�You are not meant for
happiness,� Kanna told her, and the shadows in the mirror solidified into
shapes.
Kagura saw herself,
kneeling in a valley of flowers, with a smoking, bloody wound on her chest.
The wind demoness�s breath hitched.
�No,� she gasped,
voice choking. �No, that is not me.�
�It will be,� Kanna
predicted. �Not now, not today, but it will be. Prepare yourself for your fate,
Kagura.�
�Freedom,� Kagura
whispered, �Is there no way-?�
�It does no good to
fight against mirrors and fate,� Kanna replied.
_________________________________________________________________________
The man she had pinned her hopes on�he had lost. A fitting end to a foolish hope. Things were never that
simple, after all. She, of all people should have learned that by now. How many
times had Naraku dangled that same false hope before her eyes?
The hole in her chest where her heart should have been�that
was the reminder that fate was not in her own hands.
�Life and death in Naraku�s hands� and who are you to say
that?� Inuyasha demanded, voice choking with tears that wouldn�t reach his
eyes.
�I am a mirror,� Kanna told him. �I reflect what is.�
Fists shaking at his side, Inuyasha�s head snapped up to
glare at her. �Stop saying that! It�s not true. Sesshoumaru-sama
won�t lose. He won�t.�
�For him who has fought so valiantly, victory is not to be.�
�Why not!� Inuyasha shouted.
�Sesshoumaru-sama will win. He always wins.�
�Strength equals strength. Power equals power. The eagle
that soars the heavens caught in a spider�s carefully
woven web. Strength equals strength; the spider was better prepared.�
�The sacred jewel will set him free!� Inuyasha announced.
Kanna looked down at him then and Inuyasha thought he saw
sadness in her impassive eyes. �Wishing never set anybody free. Wishing is the
trap.�
Inuyasha didn�t notice the tears that flowed down his own cheeks
as he watched the cocoon that imprisoned his master. Blunt human nails dug into
the earth as Inuyasha clenched fists full of dirt.
It felt like the cold had spread through his body. Every
part of him ached for his Master�s touch. Inuyasha felt his heart beat faster,
louder, painfully.
When he closed his eyes, he remembered being enclosed in his
master�s embrace, remembered the warm, reassuring weight on top of him, remembered soft kisses and pitiless fingers around his neck.
Inuyasha resolutely kept his eyes open to keep the memories
at bay.
My destiny is to
watch, he thought dazedly. The world
will end now and I can only watch.
�The eagle thrashes, entangling itself in the web even
further,� Kanna murmured. �There is no escape. Wishing�makes everything worse.�
___________________________________________________________________________
�What do you want?�
Through the haze of pain and dizziness, of loss of vital youki, Sesshoumaru heard the voice echo all around him. The
barriers he had tried to erect around himself, to keep his youki
from seeping out of his body, were crumbling. Erecting barriers by his own
power was not something he had been trained for so far and the crude barriers
he did manage to put up had at best, slowed the youki
trickling away. Now, even those were almost gone and death was coming on its
slow sure feet.
Once indefatigable limbs tugged weakly at
the bonds.
A few seconds ago, all he�d wanted was to get out, to get
away from the decaying, rotting flesh that imprisoned him, threatened to
consume him. Like a swimmer drowning in the sea, he wanted�needed to get out, to be able to breathe. But like a swimmer gone
too deep in the ocean, he could no longer tell which way was up.
And then came the Shikon no Tama. This was the chance to get
anything, anything at all. Sesshoumaru tried to think, of what he should do, of
what he could do but the lack of air and loss of youki
clouded his mind and his judgement.
Before him, Naraku watched, already glowing with the energy
he had gained. The ruby red irises watched him intently.
Sesshoumaru wanted to tear those eyes out of that hateful
face.
The anger came, and the hatred but the thoughts wouldn�t
form, the words wouldn�t form. If he could think, he would have wondered why
someone like Naraku would give him the jewel, would give him the chance to win.
Naraku was insane but he wasn�t stupid.
But his brain seemed lethargic, drugged and the only thing
that passed through his head was that Naraku needed to die, needed to not exist
anymore. But something at the back of his mind niggled, told him it wasn�t
enough, it wasn�t the most important thing, wasn�t the only important thing.
What else did he want?
He wanted tessaiga� - he wanted the sword made out of his
father�s fang, the most powerful sword in the world.
-memories-
Of blows struck, the strikes he wasn�t fast enough, strong
enough to evade. The people he wasn�t strong enough to defeat. Future stretched
out, long and arduous and interminable. How many years would it be when he was
strong enough to defeat the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands? With the jewel,
he could have the strength, the power to defeat them right now, in this
instance.
- a
bowed head with snow white hair and flickering puppy ears; trusting golden eyes
looking up at him shyly-
In the back of his mind, doubt raised its head.
Something�something was not right here...why-why would Naraku give him-
The pink jewel sparkled brilliantly, reflected in
Sesshoumaru�s dazed golden eyes.
That wasn�t important, his brain told him. Thinking wasn�t
important, only the knowledge that this here was the most powerful object in
the world. It could give him whatever he wanted.
And for the first time, he realized,
that power could be his just by wishing for it. There would be no endless
training, exhausting lessons repeated hundreds of times, over and over again,
no boring lectures on the right method, the correct way to strike, evade,
block, cut, parry, deflect-
Sesshoumaru had never been one for wishing; it just wasn�t
something that came naturally to him. But this was the Shikon no tama � the
sacred jewel of the four souls that could grant him the world, if he wished for
it. He just had to know what he wanted most.
He could be more powerful than Tsukiko and Inu no Taisho
combined; he could extend the boundaries of his kingdom to all
the world. He could ask for immortality, invincibility�
Sesshoumaru felt the cold, bright jewel, saw it sparkling
brilliantly through the wall of flesh that wanted to swallow him whole, looked
at the man he had come to fight, the hanyou he had come to fight, the little
hanyou he had come to fight for, the
fight he was losing. From the corner of his eyes he could see his parents above,
waiting for a chance to rescue him.
In his hand, the sacred jewel continued to sparkle
innocently.
___________________________________________________________________________
High in the sky, Tsukiko watched her son�s fist close slowly
over the sacred jewel of the four souls.
It was an impossible choice to ask a boy to make. Priests
and priestesses had lost their lives and worse in trying to do this nigh
impossible task that was almost a paradox in itself � to wish for something
selfless. How could any wish be selfless? The mere fact that you wished for it
made it something you wanted, something you desired, be it for whatever reason
� the good of the world, the good of humanity � and therefore something
selfish. It was not fair to ask a mere youth, a spoiled prince at that, one
fighting for his life and sanity, to make a choice like that.
For the first time in her life, Tsukiko looked away from the
battle.
Once this was over, she would tear Naraku limb from limb and
feed his entrails to the dogs but that would not bring her son�s life back, her
son who would either die or be cursed for the rest of his life. And he would
carry the weight of the choice he made, forever wondering if he could have
chosen different, if he could have done it better. Naraku�that despicable
monster was making her son choose the way he would ruin his own life.
There was no right answer here. Whatever he wished for, it
would be wrong because even if in some corner of the world there was a demon
capable of being selfless and weak, Sesshoumaru was not it. Tsukiko had made
sure of that.
The Lady of the West had no illusions about herself. As sure
as the thin blade she carried at her hip and the matchless poison running
through her veins, Tsukiko knew she wasn�t a kind or nice person. She hadn�t
done kind and nice things in her life; for failing in her task, the priestess
would die. Strength and nerves like steel got you through life. Kindness and
niceness got you dead.
I thought I had seen
everything, Tsukiko thought. But this
is too cruel. Even for one such as me.
___________________________________________________________________________
�Well, what will it be?� Naraku asked gleefully, �What is it
that you wish for, Sesshoumaru?�
The demon Lord closed his eyes and his fist tightened over
the glowing jewel. The power of the priestess warrior Midoriko,
waging the eternal battle against evil in the heart of the jewel, melded with
Sesshoumaru�s own remaining youki, permeating his
being, feeling for the desire deepest in his heart. The jewel pulsed in
conjunction with the demon�s heartbeat.
Make a wish to win the
battle I am losing, Sesshoumaru thought bitterly. A wish to win, a wish to have the strength to win, a wish for my
opponent to lose, a wish for my opponent to die �
�-the sacred jewel,
coveted through the centuries for its power to grant wishes.
�What do you want?�
The wind picked up. Naraku�s robes fluttered in the slight
breeze.
�What do you want?�
-Tessaiga, glinting
majestically in the sunlight, held triumphantly aloft by his father-
-the ocean at the
borders of the Western Lands and the faint outline of lands beyond the horizon
-the most potent
poison in the world unfurling as a glowing whip around him and his mother�s
flashing eyes
-Ryukotsusei
pinned with a large fang through his heart
- �A weapon is only as
strong as the person who wields it,�
-Full
moon on the sea; Taisho�s blade poised above Inuyasha�s head.
-"I
will be yours even if you release me, Master."
- Run
away when you are losing�do you know who does that? Thieves and whores!�
- knee crashing to the
ground, absorbing the impact of Inu no Taisho�s blow
- dark
hair and clawless fingers; blood and sweat and tears
-�If you allow
tiredness and pain to rule you, you are nothing better than the foot-soldiers
who fight other people�s battles for a few coins!�
- weakness,
in his limbs and mind; swirling thoughts, muddied and sluggish
- blood,
flowing through gashes on his body
- Naraku; glowing red
eyes and ironic smile
The wind seemed to come from the ground, whirling swiftly,
cutting circles around the prince. Sesshoumaru�s eyes flashed red in tempo with
his heartbeat.
-�If you are a
conqueror� act like one!�
The sacred jewel glowed brighter. Sesshoumaru bowed his
head.
�Nothing,� he whispered, every fibre of his being rebelling
against what was being asked of him, making the arm clutching the jewel
tremble. �I. don�t. want. anything!�
There was a pulse of brilliant pink light that shook the
earth. Naraku, Kanna and Inuyasha all stumbled from the force emitting from
Sesshoumaru�s hand.
After that one pulse, the clearing was as calm as before but
the pink light had been blinding. To the demons, hanyou and humans watching, it
took some moments to be able to see again in the almost nonexistant
light. When their eyes were adjusted to the darkness once more, they saw Naraku
stood frozen in his spot. Kanna and Inuyasha were near the edges of the
clearing. Sesshoumaru was still bound head to toe by the fleshy tentacles and
the ground was littered with the pieces of flesh that Sesshoumaru had hacked
with Tokijin.
Nothing had changed except for one thing; Sesshoumaru�s palm
was empty.
�Y-you � it�s destroyed,� Naraku whispered. �The sacred
jewel is gone.�
He looked, stunned, into Sesshoumaru�s eyes. A moment ago,
those furious golden eyes had been flashing red, but now they were tranquil.
Naraku smiled.
�Very valiant, Lord Sesshoumaru,� the hanyou applauded.� �You knew the jewel was cursed and choose
death over a cursed life. You are more knowledgeable in these matters than I
would have anticipated. But that only means you will succumb to the fate I had
chosen for you before your mother decided to pull out this magnificent ace in
the hole.�
The flesh surrounding Sesshoumaru wiggled to life and
enclosed all of him, except the face.�
�Youki of a pureblood,� Naraku
said breathed, red eyes beginning to become glazed again. �It is truly intoxicating.
And this is hardly half your power, Sesshoumaru. I wonder how it will feel�to
have all of it inside of me��
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, feeling his heart beat slowly,
evenly. The wind had almost died down again till it was little more than a slight
waft. The ground was hard, cool under his feet. The darkness of the night
weighed heavily in the clearing trapped inside the barrier. Some distance away,
he could feel Inuyasha and the Void and another presence � the servant girl
from before. And beneath it all, an almost imperceptible scent, a strange,
almost familiar fragrance.
When he opened his eyes again, they were placid, no longer
tumultuous.
Naraku�s smile widened. With the jewel gone, the voices in
his head were returning. But Power was close now, and the demons were happy.
�Accepting your death stoically, like a true nobleman,� the
hanyou bowed his head slightly. �Your parents must be very proud. But I am
afraid your time is up. That body, that strength, that power�in a second, it
will all belong to me.�
Sesshoumaru watched him calmly.
�Yes, it will,� Sesshoumaru replied, slowly allowing his
eyes to fall shut.
��What is gone can
never be gained back,� Kanna whispered. �And what you have wished for, you must
accept.�
The wind died down completely. Sesshoumaru�s breathing grew
even slower, fainter.
�Goodbye, Lord Sesshoumaru,� Naraku said solemnly, �It was
an honour knowing you.�
The layer of flesh surrounding him got thicker and tighter.
Sesshoumaru�s closed eyes were the last to be devoured.
Everything stood motionless and silent for a moment as
Sesshoumaru finally stopped struggling. The cocoon of flesh became still and
Naraku threw his head back and basked in the glorious power that he had longed
for ever since his meeting with Tsukiko.
This�this was his victory. This was his revenge.
The fleshy cocoon pulsed rhythmically and power pumped into
him in thicker torrents now, faster than before. Soon, the demon prince�s body
would be exhausted, reduced to skin and bones. It wouldn�t be long before his
strength was sapped now but Naraku intended to wring every drop of youki out of him.
��Sesshoumaru-sama,� Inuyasha whispered, as though the name itself would
be enough to keep the man back in this world.
___________________________________________________________________________
No more air, light, movement.
He was losing youki swiftly,
systematically. It wouldn�t be long now, before it was all gone.
Pouring all his strength and will into it, Sesshoumaru made
one last ditch attempt to re-erect his barriers.
The last remnants of his power flickered and went out.
Exhaustion hit him like a blow; if it hadn�t been for the flesh imprisoning
him, the demon Lord would have fallen over.
A final thought floated through his mind as his eyelids grew
heavy: Is this all there is?
Sesshoumaru felt cold.
___________________________________________________________________________
�The battle lost,� Kanna said, the mirror in her hand
shaking. �He is not strong enough.�
�The battle lost,� Kagura repeated, turning away. Delicate
fingers clenched lightly around the fan in her hand. Kagura thought that she
would have shed tears that day, if she had had a heart.
___________________________________________________________________________
Life, ebbing away.
Mortal weakness and defeat � losing - �what he had been so afraid of for so
long. Were they truly so frightening? All the battles and victories and
defeats, fought so hard, for so long, extinguished just like that. All the
lessons and memories and oaths and promises, dissolved. Ambition, fire, anger, longing
desire, right, wrong, good, bad, evil, gone, gone, gone.
Yes, thought
Sesshoumaru, this is all there is.
___________________________________________________________________________
Inuyasha�s gently blowing black hair turned slowly silver.
The fingers digging in the dirt grew claws. Slowly, without
thought, his right hand came to rest on his chest where he could feel his heart beat. Claws scratched the skin, drew blood, went
deeper, tore flesh-
With his last conscious will, Sesshoumaru withdrew the
constraints he had placed around his youki, allowing
it to flood out of him.
___________________________________________________________________________
A
slow rhythmic beat.
Inuyasha; blood and tears and grief�for
him. His pet was grieving for him.
At the centre, a warm
burning core.
Naraku with his youki.
Defeat.
Darkness,
cool and inviting. A place without chaos and stain. Perfection�so close�
�outside, his mother and father; watching,
waiting for him to lose.
___________________________________________________________________________
The cocoon ignited.
A silvery green light beamed impossibly bright, blinding the
ones who watched.
Inuyasha closed his eyes and brought his arms up to shield
his eyes. Where it touched him, the energy left a lingering
warmth. Inuyasha gasped, suddenly able to breathe freely.
The incandescent energy from the explosion expanded
outwards, gaining brilliance as it reached out to the borders of the barrier,
till all Tsukiko and Taisho could see was the entire dome lit up like a ball of
fire.
The dragon bearing Kaede, along with the King and Queen, were
all thrown back as the barrier exploded with a deafening sound.
The dragon tumbled through the air, thrown many feet back.
Tsukiko was the first to regain her vision. Sword drawn she
peered at the grounds that had been a battlefield. The dust was still settling
and the rays of the sun highlighted the swirling dust particles. The light of
the breaking dawn bathed the clearing in a warm, soft light.
There was Inuyasha, looking around wildly.
There was Kanna, her white robes covered in dust, with the
mirror in her hand shattered.
Tsukiko�s eyes widened, the sword slipping in her grasp.
There was Sesshoumaru, standing unharmed in the spot where
the cocoon of flesh had been.
There was no sign of the fleshy bindings anywhere now, not
even a bit of it remaining on the ground that had been covered in it moments ago.
And there was Naraku, with a sword through his forehead.
Tsukiko and Taisho were beside him in the blink of an eye.
Sesshoumaru was staring intently at the unconscious body of Naraku on the
ground.
�You wanted my power,� he said. �You can have it.�
Tsukiko knelt gracefully on one knee, sword at ready, and
examined the body swiftly, along with the sword sticking out of the hanyou�s
forehead. Her heart beat wildly, with joy and relief and pride but there would
be time enough for celebration and sentimentality later, when their enemy was
destroyed.
��He is alive,� she
said sharply. �He may return to consciousness at any moment-�
�He won�t,� Sesshoumaru interrupted quietly. �His mind is
destroyed.�
�How do you know,� Taisho asked hoarsely, wide eyes staring
from the katana in Naraku�s forehead, to his son.
Sesshoumaru met his eyes steadily. �Because I felt it
shatter.�
___________________________________________________________________________
�You said he would lose!� Kagura glared accusingly at Kanna.
The mirror girl remained impassive.
�When I said that, he had lost,� Kanna said.
Kagura balled her hands into fist, barely keeping herself
from striking the other girl. �Don�t talk in riddles! You said he would die.
You said he didn�t have the strength.�
�At the time,� said Kanna, �He did not have the strength. He
would have died and then, so would they all.�
�At the time? What the hell does
that mean? It�s barely been a few minutes since-�
Then her gaze landed on the mirror in Kanna�s
hand and her eyes widened.
�Your mirror,� Kagura breathed incredulously. �The mirror that could never be broken.�
Kanna didn�t reply. Kagura thought she saw pity in the
emotionless girl�s eyes.
�My fate-� Kagura said, shakily.
�You said my fate was like the mirror. That it couldn�t be altered. And now-�
Kanna�s clear, impassive eyes
watched Kagura.
�Now, do what you must.�
For a moment, Kagura stood stock still, staring sightlessly
in the distance. Then she turned and walked back into the castle
___________________________________________________________________________
Taisho�s fingers twitched, �You felt it shatter-�
�His human heart needs to be destroyed,� Tsukiko interrupted,
placing a warning hand on her husband�s arm. �We have to find it and quickly.�
�It is here.�
They spun around.�
Kagura stood, holding two glass jars in her hand. �This is it. This is
Naraku�s heart,� she glanced at the other one. �And that one is mine.�
The Lady of the West scrutinized her from head to toe.
��Wind sorceress, you
would betray your master?� Tsukiko asked her impassively.
Kagura smiled humourlessly. �He betrayed me first.�
For a moment, she stared blankly at the heart she held in
her hand and then violently flung the jar against the ground. It shattered immediately.
A dully beating heart remained, surrounded by a pale black glow.
�A barrier,� Taisho surmised. Unsheathing tessaiga without
taking his eyes off the small glowing dome, he struck the barrier with all his
might. The blow resounded with a ringing sound but it didn�t make a dent.
Tsukiko stepped forward, prepared to add her power to her
husband�s.
�Let me,� Kaede announced, clumsily guiding the dragon to
land beside them. She dismounted awkwardly and stumbled forward, coming to
kneel beside the heart fallen on the ground.
Gnarly, trembling hands closed over the shining barrier.
Kaede closed her eyes and prayed.
I have already lost
everything I had to lose, she thought.
The old priestess knew she had no more than a few moments to
live before the demons killed her for failing in her task. She had failed the
one thing she had trained for her whole life � revenge for her sister�s death. Kikyou
would not have been proud of her. None of it mattered now.
�In her chest, she
felt a warm tingling, something she�d never felt before.
�Taking a deep breath,
she placed her hands over the barrier and concentrated all her power on that
tingling. Slowly, pure pink energy emanated from her hands.
She poured all her prayer onto the power flowing through her
hands. A few moments later, when she took her hands away, there was no trace of
the heart except for a few drops of blood.
Behind them, the unconscious body of Naraku disintegrated,
turning to dust. A gust of breeze scattered the particles of dust.
For the first time in many decades, Kaede smiled.
Taisho�s eyes were glued to the sword lying in the dust.
"What is- where did that come from-�
�Naraku wasn�t strong enough to hold on to what he had
stolen, his son replied, staring at the place where Naraku�s body had lain
moments ago.
Sesshoumaru walked over and picked up the sword that now lay
in its place.
�This,� he said, holding it up to the sun. �Is bakusaiga.�
___________________________________________________________________________
��Will you- �
Kaede looked up. The woman with the ruby red eyes, a wind demoness, stood looking down at her hesitantly.
Before attempting this insane undertaking in the company of
Taiyoukai, the priestess knew she would have seen no more than an evil creature
in a woman�s form. But now, she could see bewilderment and pain and a host of
other emotions swirling in those ruby red eyes. If she didn�t know any better,
Kaede would have sworn she seemed no different from a human.
Her fingers were clutching the remaining glass jar
nervously. Kaede understood.
�If you are willing to bear the pain,� she said quietly. �I
would be honoured to.�
Kagura held out her heart in her hands, Kanna�s
prophesy and her fate weighing heavily on her, made her hands to tremble.
�Please,� she breathed, almost inaudibly. �I am not meant
for happiness but still, even for a few moments-�
Kaede nodded sharply, gently taking Kagura�s
heart in her hands. For a moment, the wind sorceress seemed apprehensive. Then
Kaede closed her eyes and muttered the incantations, and the heart glowed pink
in her hands. Kagura gasped, stumbled backwards, feeling a warm glow in her
chest.
The pink light grew more intense till it surrounded Kagura
as well, and then slowly died down.
Kagura opened her eyes hesitantly and pressed a hand to her
chest. A steady beat, blood pumping through her veins.
Tears formed in the demoness�s
eyes and overflowed.
___________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, Inuyasha had not moved from his place beside
Kanna.
While his parents and the miko
were preoccupied with the wind sorceress, Sesshoumaru spotted his pet and
walked towards him.
Inuyasha had his head bowed, sliver bangs shielding his eyes
from view. When Sesshoumaru came to stand in front of him, Inuyasha remained
still as a statue for a moment. Neither said a word.
Then the hanyou bowed down slowly, forehead touching the
ground. When his master did not kick him away, the hanyou shuffled closer on
his knees and brought his lips to his master�s boots.
Tears that had been restrained for long broke their bounds
and flowed freely. Sobs wracked the small body as Inuyasha smothered his
Master�s boots with kisses, thin arms winding tightly around the demon Lord�s
ankles.
Sesshoumaru allowed him a few moments to cry and then
Inuyasha was picked up by his haori like the puppy he
was and brought to his Master�s eyelevel.
�Your punishment for this debacle�is not something you will
ever be able to forget,� Sesshoumaru promised, looking amused.
Inuyasha couldn�t help the watery smile that tugged on his
lips as he was dropped to the floor.
Winding his puppy�s leash around his palm, Sesshoumaru
turned his eyes on Kanna who had stood motionless so far.
�Who are you?� he asked.
Kanna met his eyes impassively. �I am the mirror.�
Sesshoumaru frowned. �Do you have a name?�
Kanna blinked. �I am called Kanna.�
�Do you grieve for your Master, Kanna?� Sesshoumaru asked,
piercing golden eyes searching impassive lavender ones.
�No,� Kanna replied without hesitation. �Naraku is dead and
the world is not the worse for it.�
�But you said he held life and death in his hands,� Inuyasha
gasped. �You had no doubt he was the strongest, that he would win.�
Kanna turned her impassive gaze on the hanyou. �A mirror can
only see what will be, not what should be or could be.�
�What will you do now?� Inuyasha asked curiously, puppy ears
flickering as the collar around his throat tightened as he was tugged closer to
his master by a tug on the leash.
�Nothing,� Kanna answered softly.
�Why is that?� asked Inuyasha.
�Because the mirror that could never be broken has
shattered,� answered Kaede, walking towards them. Lady Tsukiko and Kagura
joined her, while Taisho gave orders to assemble servants of Naraku�s
household.
Kagura glanced at the miko
sharply. �How do you know about-�
Kaede was looking at Kanna. �I little girl like you should
not have to carry a mirror. You have learned cruel truths sooner than you ought
but let go of what is broken now, and move forward.�
Kanna averted her eyes, clutching the frame of the broken
mirror tightly. �I- I do not know how.�
Snowy white puppy ears lay morosely flat on Inuyasha�s head.
Sesshoumaru glanced at them and then back at Kanna.
�You will accompany us back to the palace,� he ordered. �If
you truly hold no allegiances to the dark hanyou, you will have a home.�
Kanna glanced up at him, startled. �A�a
home-?�
Golden eyes found ruby red ones and locked on them. �Wind
sorceress.�
�Kagura,� she replied, head held high. �I am Kagura.�
�Kagura,� Sesshoumaru repeated. �You have shown great
courage, turning against your master.�
�It was not valour,� Kagura assured him bitterly. �You do
not know how long I have waited for this moment, to be free from that monster.�
Tsukiko had seen that hard, bitter look in too many eyes to
not recognize it. �You have suffered much,� Tsukiko said softly. �The Western
Lands could use one as strong as you.�
�I have been used enough,� Kagura answered laconically. �My
gratitude for your kind offer, my lady, but I must find my own way. What could
not have been has come to pass and now I must learn the world once again.�
She stole a glance at Sesshoumaru, marvelling at the blood
rising to her cheeks, then turned to gaze in the distance at the rising sun.
�My fate, likened to the mirror...the wind, bound forever.
Now my jailer is no more and I am�happy.�
Kagura held out her palms in front of her, looking at them
wonderingly. �I who is not meant for happiness, the mirror that was never mean
to be broken, the dark hanyou that could never die�I wonder��
Kanna looked up at the woman who was her sister in flesh and
blood. �Kagura��
When she looked back at them, Kagura�s
eyes were no longer full of shadows. She smiled her ironic smile at the victors.
�I cannot be a slave once more. Kill me if you must, or else
let me go. I am the wind and I will be free.�
Tsukiko inclined her head. Sesshoumaru took a few steps
towards her, noting that she did not hold Naraku�s foul, decaying scent anymore.
Kagura now held the scent of wild forests and summer.
Kagura�s proud eyes betrayed no
hint of the exhilaration in her heart that made her want to flee at his
closeness.
�Wind sorceress Kagura,� Sesshoumaru said. �I hope�that our
paths cross again someday.�
Blinking away the tears that sought to form in her eyes,
Kagura imprinted his words, his voice on her heart. That was all she would have
of him, after all.
�Goodbye, Lord Sesshoumaru.�
___________________________________________________________________________
��It is a sword made
out of pure youki,� the sword smith Totosai declared, running one finger over the blade covered
in runes. �And the most powerful youki I have ever
felt.�
He didn�t seem to notice Taisho frowning irritably behind
him.
�Where did you find such a weapon?� Totosai
demanded, rounding on the both of them.
�It�s Sesshoumaru�s,� Taisho said grudgingly. �It was forged
during battle.�
Totosai turned to look at the
younger man with newfound respect in his eyes.
�This sword can destroy thousands of demons in one strike. The perfect killer.�
Knowing eyes searched the young man�s. �A
cruel weapon, Sesshoumaru.�
Sesshoumaru held his gaze. �Can you make a sheath for it?�
Totosai smiled approvingly. �Of course.�
The old swordsmith turned his eyes
back to the blade in his hand. �It is imbued with the power of your dokkosu, Sesshoumaru. Flesh cut with this blade will never
regenerate.�
Totosai stole a sly glance at Inu
no Taisho. �You know, this blade has at least 20 times the power of tessaiga
already. At its best, Tessaiga can slay a hundred demons with a single strike.
This sword can easily vanquish two thousand.�
Taisho glared at him darkly, to the intense amusement of his
son, and Totosai wisely stepped out of reach of the
peeved demon King to put bakusaiga reverentially on a
work bench. �You may collect it in 3 days.�
Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to go. Taisho followed.
A few steps and Inu no Taisho halted, turning back to look
at the thin sword lying innocently on the rock. The Lord of the Westen Lands reached out and closed his fingers around the
hilt.
It zapped him.
He whipped around to glare at his son, cradling his sizzling
hand.
Sesshoumaru smirked over his shoulder. �It does not belong
to you.�
Totosai�s booming laughter echoed
through the small cave.
___________________________________________________________________________
�How did you know about the shikon
no tama�s curse?� Tsukiko asked him, watching Kanna
and Rin playing in the palace gardens.
�I didn�t,� Sesshoumaru told her. Below, Rin
stealthily snuck a bright crimson flower in Kanna�s
hair.
Tsukiko glanced at him sideways. �Then there is truly
nothing you want?�
Sesshoumaru smirked. �Nothing I need to ask a jewel for.�
Tsukiko laughed. �Arrogant whelp.�
Sesshoumaru turned to face her. �If father and you had not
been there with the miko, the battle might have
turned out very differently.�
Tsukiko accepted the apology with a bow of her head. �And
you are far more capable than what we gave you credit for. All�s well that ends
well.�
�Leaving alone without allies was folly,� Sesshoumaru
conceded.
�True,� Tsukiko agreed. �But you would not be such a pain in
the ass if you were that sensible and you would not have fought and won that
battle.�
For a moment, they remained silent, listening to the two
happily chattering little girls below.
Rin had been delighted to have a
new playmate, though the other girl was quiet and solemn.
�Who are you?� Rin had asked
curiously.
�I am a mirror,� Kanna had replied.
Rin had laughed. �Don�t be silly.
You aren�t a mirror. You�re a person.�
Kanna had blinked in surprise and was soon dragged off to
play.
�After just a few
minutes with the well-behaved, reserved little girl, Rin
had announced that white did not suit her at all and proceeded to drag her off
to her wardrobe.
Kanna had followed, bewildered and helpless and submitted to
her persuasive new friend�s whims. The result was, Kanna now had her hair done
up in two adorable little pony tails and was dressed in a bright ochre yellow
yukata and garlands of flowers. The girl who was once
a mirror, did not seem very displeased by the change.
Tsukiko turned back to her son. �You will continue your
training as before.�
Sesshoumaru inclined his head.
The Lady of the West cast an
amused glance in his direction. �And where is your little toy?�
Sesshoumaru carefully kept his face absolutely
expressionless. �He is�indisposed.�
Tsukiko stuck her nose in the air regally. �I would have
broken every bone in his body for the brat�s idiocy but if you insist on being
more lenient, make sure he remains�indisposed�for a long time.�
Sesshoumaru smiled slowly, fangs glinting in the morning
light.
___________________________________________________________________________
A/N: And that is
officially the end of this story!
There will be an epilogue dedicated to Inuyasha�s punishment
� the long lemon you all have been waiting for.
Any questions, inconsistencies, mistakes you may notice,
opinions, comments regarding this chapter or any part of the story, are all
welcome.
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