InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness Fades to Dawn ❯ Moving On ( Chapter 26 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A/N: I'm back! This chapter is a 'tiny bit' shorter but I have a treat for all my wonderful readers. I made a slideshow after a few request on a visual of Misery and Cernonnus. You can check it out on my YouTube page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5uhv__WUFE

Thanks again for all the great reviews and to my wonderful beta!


“Strange to be leaving like this isn't it? Reminds me of old times.” Miroku pondered out loud as he watched his taijiya packing her own duffel bag.

“I wonder where we are going?” Sango asked as she stuffed the last item in and zipped up the bag.

“We must gain the upper ground on Cernonnus. It would help if we knew where the gates he wishes to open are located. At least then we would be able to avoid that territory.”

“I agree. I have an unsettled feeling knowing the jewel will be accompanying us.” She reached down to pet the neko that had perched beside her on the bed.

“I too have a bad feeling about the Shikon no Tama accompanying us. We must be on high alert as soon as the barrier around the manor is dissolved.”

“You packed Miroku?” The taijiya smiled at her lover.

“Finished my dear. Shall we head down?” He offered her his arm after taking both bags. Kirara jumped up onto Sango's shoulder after she hoisted Hiraikotsu over the opposite one. Arm in arm they navigated the many hallways until they were at the foyer.

Upon arriving at an empty entrance the pair was lured outside by a strange noises and a large commotion. Misery was outside directing a small group of loyal employees as boxes were hauled up from her laboratory. The girl waved at them briefly before motioning to an employee to escort them over to her.

“What is going on?” Miroku asked the short elderly man who escorted them through the maze of crates towards Misery.

“We are preparing your weapons and ammunition. The chopper should be arriving within minutes.” He replied.

“Chopper?”

“You'll see!” The old man grinned as he left them with the new lady of the manor.

“Do you have any idea where we are going?” Sango asked her friend.

“A remote island off the coast of Africa. It's been used as a military training ground for a few years. Only known to the elite special forces that train there.” Misery explained as she tallied the crates and marked them off her report paper.

“If they are the only ones who know about it, then how is Lord Sesshoumaru privy to the information?”

“It's all about who you know. I haven't met the guy but Sesh informed me that you are well acquainted with him. Another youkai prince is the leader of this elite force. His name is Kouga.”

“Kouga!” Sango looked over at Miroku who was looking just as stunned as she.

“I guess if Lord Sesshoumaru still lives it is highly likely that some of the other youkai that we knew then are still alive.” Miroku recovered. A loud noise was beginning to approach and he looked to the sky to see. The trees around them moved as the wind picked up.

“Take cover.” Misery shouted above the noise and crouched behind one of the massive crates.

Miroku and Sango followed suit and their faces dawned an expression of realization when they recognized what was approaching.

“Chopper. Must mean helicopter!” Miroku yelled over to Sango obviously proud that he remembered the vehicle from his studies.

“It's loud!” Sango shouted back as the helicopter began its descent but her companions could only cover their ears and duck their heads as the dust swirled around them. The engine was cut off and the dust began to settle as the massive blades slowed.

“What were you saying?” Misery asked when she could hear a response.

“I said it's loud.”

Misery smiled and nodded her head in acceptance of the statement before standing fully and brushing herself off. The three watched as the twin propellers slowed to a stop and the rear of the transport helicopter was opened. A few soldiers emerged followed by the youkai from the past. Miroku noted that the features of the wolf prince remained nearly the same but the attire was foreign to the formerly fur clad warrior. Dressed in camo and leather Kouga looked very much like someone he had seen before.

“Misery-sama, he looks like that man in the movie we watched. The one in the jungle.” Miroku offered trying to remember the name of the character.

Misery looked perplexed as she tried to figure it out. She stared momentarily at the youkai she had never met before it came to her.

“Rambo!” She laughed.

“Correct! Rambo!” Miroku smiled back finally he made his way forward to great a former companion.

Misery and Sango watched as the two men were reunited. The pair stood talking for quite some time before making their way over to the girls.

“Sango! Looking as fine as ever.” Kouga bowed and gave her a wink as he stood. His grin widened when he noticed her blush.

“It's good to see you again Kouga-sama.” She bowed before she was suddenly engulfed in what only could be described as a massive bear hug. He released her and stepped back to examine her more closely.

“Seems you two have finally gotten past all those blushes and words. Miroku why did you not tell me you finally landed this vixen?” Kouga merely laughed when the couple looked rather bashfully at one another. Turning his attention to the tall red head he dropped the hands of the taijiya and advanced upon the newest member of the group. Slowly he grasped her hand and brought it to his lips for a chaste kiss. “Who might you be?”

Misery was about to answer when a growl reverberated behind her causing the youkai before her to visibly tense.

“Someone you should not be touching.” The voice growled and Kouga obliged it by dropping his hands. A knowing grin suddenly played on his face as recognition for her dawned.

“You must be Sesshoumaru's new mate. Pleasure to meet you.” He bowed respectfully.

“I have a name! I'm not just 'Sesshoumaru's mate' you know!” She growled before spinning around and almost colliding with the hard chest of the taiyoukai. Without hesitating she poked her finger into his chest and glared up at him with all the anger she could manage.

“You pompous ass. Stop referring to me as something akin to your property! I'm not a child needing direction or your constant supervision. Who the hell made you the authority on what I do or who I talk to?” She complained heavily while jabbing her finger into his chest out of frustration.

“You did.” He bluntly said with no expression as he grabbed her offending hand and lowered it. He gently moved her aside and confronted Kouga. “Is everything going according to plan?”

“The base is ready and the rations have been stockpiled. Everything else has been taken care of. Just have to load everything up and we'll be off.” Kouga reported and after the taiyoukai nodded he shouted to his men to begin loading the transport chopper.

Miroku and Sango had watched the meeting unfold but their eyes were on the nephilim who was now literally vibrating after Sesshoumaru ignored her altogether. Her face was steadily becoming a shade close to her hair and the tension around her could have caused sparks to fly. Miroku grasped Sango's hand and began a slow and cautious retreat away from the girl. It was all too clear to them that Misery had had enough of Sesshoumaru's attitude and the 'shit was about to hit the fan'. An infuriated researcher suddenly grabbed the nearest object she could get her hands on which happened to be her shoe. Taking deadly aim she hurled it at Sesshoumaru and glared as it connected with the back of his skull.

“You JERK!” She screamed before spinning around and stomping unevenly back inside.

Miroku was having difficulty refraining form laughing at the expression on Kouga's face. He looked as if he was expecting the great Lord to disembowel the girl on the spot. Sesshoumaru just looked at the wolf and muttered a word that made the monk slap his hand over his mouth to keep the laughter in. He watched as he followed the girl with the cold aristocracy of his former self.

Kouga approached the monk and taijiya still looking as dazed as before. They watched as Sesshoumaru disappeared into the building before Miroku burst into a fit of laughter. Sango hadn't caught what the taiyoukai had said after being shamefully hit in the head with a shoe.

“What did he say to you?” She asked.

“That was weird. First he lets her poke him in the chest and reprimand him like a pup and then he doesn't kill her on the spot when she smokes him one. Instead he looks at me with that deadly cold stare and says one word that has universal meaning to all men.” Kouga began.

“So! What did he say?” Sango was anxious to know.

“Women.” Kouga suddenly grinned and laughed heartily at the statement. He was soon joined by the other two as they found great amusement in the situation.

“You need help Kagome?” Inuyasha finished with his bag and cautiously eyed his miko. She had been unusually quite and distant as she packed. Moving again would surely be hard on her but he had to think that getting away from Tokyo would allow her to move on after her jii-chan's death.

“I think I'm almost packed. Would you find Buyo please?” She grabbed the last set of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom to wash and change.

Inuyasha watched as she tiredly walked away before he set to work on catching the cat. Twenty minutes later he had the feline cornered and was trying to artfully coral the animal so he could stuff him into the crate. Pouncing on his opponent he finally managed to capture him and smirked when he locked the door on the transport crate.

“Feh! Stupid cat.” He muttered to Buyo grumpily thinking about how the cat had been taking up more of the bed lately. The cat had a great ability to wedge between Kagome and him and the end result always seemed to be him having less than a quarter of the bed to sleep on.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome accused, hearing the last comment. Emerging from the bathroom she was appalled to see the room in the state it was now. It looked like a war zone with lamps knocked over, furniture moved and plants uprooted. Rolling her eyes she imagined how he had tried to catch Buyo. The two weren't 'buddy buddy' but she hadn't expected it to be that difficult for the hanyou to catch one fat cat.

“Come on Kags! Wouldn't he be happier staying at the shrine with the new keeper?” Taking up a cross armed pose to improve his viewpoint he tried to be as persuasive as possible. He hoped that the cat wouldn't be following them every place that they went.

“I'm not abandoning Buyo! He's the only one left! How dare you think I would leave him!” She pulled the crate up and cooed to her beloved pet. “Don't mind him Buyo. He's just being an insensitive jerk!”

“You can bring my bag!” She ordered before turning and leaving the room with Buyo in tow.

“Oh come on Kagome! I didn't mean it like that. Kagome! Wait Kagome I'm sorry!” He flattened his ears and mumbled apologetically while quickly grabbing the bags and following the angered miko.

When he was getting close to catching Kagome a whirlwind of fiery red hair and lab coat came storming through the front entrance. Kagome startled and set Buyo's crate down in preparation of dealing with the obviously angered researcher. Inuyasha watched as Misery strode past purposefully and grabbed Kagome by the wrist as she passed.

“Take the cat out!” She growled as she dragged the miko behind her.

Inuyasha slipped back out of the way and let the women pass knowing that they would be a lethal combination and he wasn't about to push Kagome any farther than he already had. Not to mention the nephilim looked down right scary at the moment. He might not always know when to avoid confrontation but he was learning that an irate miko was far more fearsome than Naraku on his worst days. His ears twitched nervously as he watched them descend the darkened hallways in the direction of the laboratory. He found himself very glad that he wasn't the one who had angered the girl although he was curious about the cause. The answer to his question soon gracefully glided through the entrance and began his cold ascent towards him. He smirked in realization that he wasn't the only 'insensitive' male present. Sesshoumaru approached with predatory eyes fixed on the retreating forms of the girls.

“I wouldn't follow them right now. You only asking for trouble if you do.” Inuyasha casually leaned against the wall.

“Indeed.” His brother glowered but ceased his progression nonetheless. Sending another withering glare down the hallway he frowned slightly before sending his hard attention back to Inuyasha.

“They'll cool off in time. Kagome's with her so I'm sure they resurface before it's time to go.” The hanyou took another lingering look down the hallway before gathering the bags and picking up the cat crate.

“They'll cool off?” Sesshoumaru questioned realizing that the miko was angered as well.

“Feh. I'll only tell if you do.”

“Hn.” The taiyoukai replied before leading the way back outside.

Inuyasha smelt him first and rounding the corner of the building came face to face with a competitor from the past.

“Sesshoumaru said you made it through. How's it going?” Kouga offered a white flag long since maturing from the name calling youth he had once been.

“What the hell?” Inuyasha was eying not only the wolf but the now filled helicopter.

“Are you finished?” Sesshoumaru cut in.

“Yes, we'll need to leave in a few minutes. We're refueling on one of the Union Carriers in the Pacific before continuing on to the base. The chopper will be prepared for flight in five minutes. I'll see you on board.” Kouga offered up a military salute before crisply turning and making his way to the massive air vehicle.

“When were you going to tell me about that mangy, flea bitten, son of a bitch!” Inuyasha scowled at his older brother.

Sesshoumaru merely rolled his eyes and shook his head in frustration. Five hundred years had changed Kouga turning him into a skilled military man. He and the other youkai had allied centuries before and still relied on each other for certain things. Kouga was the commander of an elite group of youkai that worked under the United Nations. They were the guardians of the new world, fending off infestations of evil creatures and keeping the human population safe and ignorant of youkai. He had contacted the wolf after Cernonnus' attack on Misery to seek information. The discussion had quickly landed him a new safety net and the perfect facilities for their mission. He would owe Kouga a great deal when all was said and done. The guardians had been tracking Cernonnus and his contractors for years. The relationship between his pack and the UN's youkai militia was priceless. Two great powers converging in one location with a common goal.

“You could learn a thing or two from him Inuyasha. Starting with letting the past go. Kouga is happily mated. He is no longer a rival for Kagome's affections. He does not wish to create unwanted conflict within our ranks. We will be working closely with him from now on so I suggest you get used to the idea.” The taiyoukai turned to search out the location of the others.

“Feh!” Inuyasha grumbled before lifting the bags and Buyo's carrier. He found Miroku at the base of the helicopter.

“Inuyasha!” Miroku chirped happily.

“Hey monk.”

“Where is Kagome-sama?” Miroku eyes still were twinkling with merriment in memory of the latest lover's scrap.

“Don't go there!” Inuyasha mumbled before slumping onto one of the benches lining the inside of the military aircraft.

“Alright then.” Miroku positioned himself beside the forlorn looking hanyou.

Both their attention was drawn to the rest of the crew entering. Sango smiled happily at the pair and made her way to sit beside Miroku. Misery and Kagome entered both ignoring the hanyou and sitting on the opposite wall. Sesshoumaru soon followed speaking with Shippo who had just returned and Kirara bounded in and jumped high onto her taijiya's shoulder moments before the engines fired and the hatch began to close. The group was cramped on two short benches and completely surrounded by crates and bags. The two youkai had taken seats beside the angered girls with Shippo and Kagome acting as the buffer between the researcher and taiyoukai.

Miroku gauged the tension in the air and craftily regarded the other two couples. He leaned closer to his beloved, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Could be a long and quiet ride.”

Sango looked up at him and smiled, knowingly nodding in response.