InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Every Heart ❯ Chapter 23
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: LuxKen27 
The battle for the House of the Moon rages on, with unexpected consequences and unlikely alliances.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.12.2008 | Updated On: 10.23.2008 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.6K | Visits: 889 | Status: Work In Progress
The battle for the House of the Moon rages on, with unexpected consequences and unlikely alliances.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.12.2008 | Updated On: 10.23.2008 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.6K | Visits: 889 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.
The characters Snegura and Ryûtatsu are original to this story.
The title “House of the Moon” is original to Resmiranda’s Tales from the House of the Moon. It is used here in homage to said fantastic story.
This is merely one girl’s dream of life after “The End.”
Sesshoumaru shot a glare down the length of Bakusaiga. “I’m disappointed, Ryûtatsu,” he finally said. “Did you think I had forgotten?” He tightened his grip on the sword, his eyes steady on his enemy. He could see the indecision on Ryûtatsu’s face, debating whether or not to rise to the bait. Ultimately, the dragon’s curiosity got the better of him.
“Forgotten what?” Ryûtatsu asked, closing the talons of his claw around the now-unconscious Rin.
Sesshoumaru smiled. “Did you think I had forgotten that I’d already cut off that ugly arm of yours?” In the blink of an eye, he was off, sword poised, leaving after-images as he made a hard turn for the sea-soaked dragon taiyoukai.
At that, all hell broke loose.
Sesshoumaru made a clean cut, severing the arm from the body in much the same way as he had months earlier. He arched gracefully against the sky, descending once again, his left arm outstretched to grab Rin from the dragon’s claw before it fell into the ocean.
Ryûtatsu growled, reigniting his landed warriors, who once again lay siege to the House of the Moon. Waves of the dragon sentinels emerged from the sea at an even greater rate than before.
At the same moment, Snegura jabbed with her right elbow, twisting her upper body enough to knock the sword away from her back. She immediately contorted the opposite way, unsheathing her dagger. The hand on her left arm tightened; she again wrenched around to gain momentum before stabbing that sentinel in the shoulder with her blade. He gave a cry of pain and released her; the second dragon made a swipe with his sword, catching her just below the ribcage before she moved away.
Sesshoumaru held the unconscious Rin close to his body, determined to protect her at any cost. He could feel the wrath of Ryûtatsu at his back, but paid little attention; instead, he shot up and away, a thin sheen of sweat across his forehead the only visible betrayal of his worry for his young ward.
Ryûtatsu’s anger only grew as he stared after Sesshoumaru; the heat of his surprise and hatred made his youki glow in fierce red tones. “You will not get away,” he vowed, moving forward, reaching out with his still-intact arm.
Kohaku screamed as he was thrown into the air at the sudden movement. His grip on the chain slipped, and he was sent hurtling through the air over the vast ocean.
As she watched this with horror, Sango finally broke out of her husband’s protective embrace. She sank into a crouch, gathering every shred of her battle skill. Go for his heart, she told herself. He won’t get away with this. She shot up, releasing Hiraikotsu with a fearsome wail.
Kirara took off, eyeing Kohaku’s form as the boy’s arc began to fall. The demon-cat was there in time, catching the rattled boy on his back.
Sesshoumaru felt the approach of youki as he held Rin; his head shot up, his eyes growing dark, his fangs elongating. Dimly, he recognized the form heading for him, weapon primed. He growled low in his throat, pressing the girl against his mokomoko and raising his other arm, talons ready. Don’t, he thought savagely as it approached. I will not hesitate!
Snegura deftly avoided the burst of poison Sesshoumaru shot her way, swinging her dagger sharply over the plane of his back, burying it deep into something just beyond his being. She groaned as she pulled on it, dragging it through with great effort. Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder, stunned to see Ryûtatsu mere inches away, a bloody gash widening across his chest and neck.
Snegura turned back, her shoulders heaving under the strain, the tip of her youki-extended blade covered in black blood. She stared at her betrothed for a moment, her grip on the dagger becoming slick. “Get away,” she finally said, her voice devoid of emotion. “Protect the girl.”
Rin stirred against him, her eyes fluttering open. As the familiar texture of the luxurious pelt came to her, she reached up, throwing her arms around her savior’s neck, clinging to him. “My lord!” she cried, pressing herself against him, as if trying to become part of him.
Ryûtatsu recovered from the blow, turning his focus again to Sesshoumaru and Snegura. “Give me the girl,” he moaned, his voice dropping several octaves as the harsh sea air hit his exposed vocal cords.
“Move!” Snegura snapped to Sesshoumaru, turning her back to him, taking up a defensive stance in front of them. “I can handle Ryûtatsu.”
“Don’t make me laugh, you conniving bitch!” Ryûtatsu roared, bringing his arm high in the air, summoning his power over the wind. “Your grandfather couldn’t overcome my power, and you are destined to follow in his footsteps!” He swiped the air between them, laughing as the trio was pushed back by a cyclone-strength gale.
Snegura held firm, calling upon her own innate abilities. Her stance grew more martyr-like as she concentrated, a blue barrier projecting around her body. “Stay close,” she said in a low voice, moving back to keep Sesshoumaru’s youki within her reach. Her eyes closed, but she refused to give her back to her enemy.
Sesshoumaru watched with something close to awe as her icy barrier encompassed him. He would never admit to being impressed by another’s abilities – much less gawk openly – but even he couldn’t deny the risk she took to protect him – and Rin – in the face of such danger.
“Who is she?” Rin whispered as she clung to him, her eyes growing in wonder. She shivered, burrowing further into his mokomoko.
My match, Sesshoumaru thought as he felt the force of her youki compete head-on with Ryûtatsu.
It was there that he spotted her, and his fear was realized. She stood in the doorway of the courtyard, gazing out grimly, holding her right arm gingerly. The smell of her blood reached his nose, and for a moment, he was afraid, really afraid – of her injury, of the stark danger of the situation, of the fact that she could die so easily…
His feet couldn’t carry him fast enough.
“Kagome,” he breathed as he reached her side. “What happened?”
“I’m fine,” she reassured him. “Let’s just say, I didn’t find Rin in time.” She grimaced as he examined her injury. There was a long laceration across the muscle, as if she had been grazed by a sword.
“Inuyasha!” she cried as he enveloped her and pushed her back inside the castle. “What are you doing?!”
“We have to fix this,” he said, touching her arm again. “We have to stop the bleeding.”
She could only stare at him. “I’ll be fine,” she reassured him, touching his face with her free hand. “We have bigger problems right now!”
He leaned into her soft caress, but growled all the same. “Humor me,” he muttered, ripping the sleeve of the haori into strips, which he carefully tied around the injury. Kagome watched him in silence, opting not to argue. The faster they did this, the faster they could return to the fray…
“Kagome! Are you okay?” Tiny feet galloped across the floor from behind her moments before Shippo jumped up to her left shoulder.
“Shippo!” she cried in surprise. “You’re okay! I thought – after they knocked you out back there…” She shuddered at the memory: she had only reached the room where Shippo and Jaken were holding Rin moments before the dragons, and never had a chance to defend her friends. Shippo received a blow to the head in the initial struggle, which knocked him out instantly.
Shippo’s chest puffed up a bit. “I’m made of sterner stuff than that,” he declared. He looked at the hasty bandaging on her arm with bewilderment. “And you? That was a nasty hit you took!”
Inuyasha shot her a dark look, but thankfully kept his mouth shut. “It’s fine,” she said again, attempting to convince them.
It was enough for Shippo; his questions were coming a mile a minute. “Where are the others? Is Kohaku okay? What about Sango and Miroku?”
“Sango,” Kagome breathed, pushing away from Inuyasha, moving to the door of the castle again, searching out her friend.
Sango was tracking Ryûtatsu like a panther. She’d thrown her heavy weapon at him a few times, managing to further the gaping wound her brother had started. Where’s his weakness? she asked herself as she followed his movements. Why aren’t the blows hurting him?
Miroku didn’t have a chance to follow her when she broke away from him; he was immediately inundated with the clay dragon warriors. He fought them off as best he could, throwing sacred sutras, wielding his staff, and using the armor his wife had designed for him. She was currently beyond his reach, off on a plane of her own existence, a true taijiya warrior. “Please be careful,” he pleaded in a low voice as she moved further and further away from him in pursuit of her prey.
Kagome fearfully watched it all unfold around her. “Ryûtatsu is still going after Rin,” she worried. “He won’t stop until he gets the jewel!” Her left hand curled around the object of so much desire, which was glowing warmly against her chest. “Inuyasha, we have to do something!”
Koga noticed Kagome emerging from the castle, Inuyasha and Shippo hot on her heels. He was still in the tree, using his strategic positioning to call out commands to his wolf youkai. As he watched Ryûtatsu pursue Sesshoumaru, it slowly began to dawn on him. The water, he thought. The water is healing his injuries.
“Get him out of the sea!” he shouted, turning to Kagome. “Get that overgrown lizard out of the water and his powers will diminish!”
Inuyasha glared at the wolf, but Kagome grabbed his hand. “Koga’s right! We have to distract him,” she said. “If we can get his attention away from Rin, we can defeat him!”
“What are you saying?” Inuyasha asked her, pulling her back into the safety of the castle as the fighting between the wolves and the dragons edged ever closer.
“We’ve done this before,” she said. “You’ve done this before. You’re the one who killed his father, remember?”
Inuyasha nodded slowly, not completely following. “Yeah, so? I had no choice! Even after stabbing Ryûkotsusei in the heart, he kept coming at me!”
“You did it with the backlash wave,” she said, jogging his memory. “You turned his own power against him, and that was the only thing that was strong enough to kill him.”
Inuyasha narrowed his gaze at her, almost afraid to ask. “What are you suggesting, Kagome? I can’t use the backlash wave unless he attacks me. What can we do to get his attention?”
Kagome held up the pouch. “He wants the jewel, right?” She nodded grimly as his eyes widened, his mouth already open to protest. “Then let’s give it to him.”
As much as he was loath to admit it, he was steadily weakening. There was no break in the fighting; as soon as he laid one warrior bare, there were two more in its place. The heat of the battle was also working on him; his armor began to scrape against the special bodysuit, which in turn chafed against his skin. He was running out of sutras; his arms were growing heavy as he brandished his staff against any and all comers.
What I wouldn’t give for that damn wind tunnel, he thought grimly, kicking the legs out from under one of his attackers.
“Monk, watch your back!”
Miroku couldn’t help it; his attention snapped up in the direction of the sharp command. He eyed Koga with a bit of disgust, internally grousing at the needless distraction. He jabbed another warrior with his elbow, unfolding his arm to bury the sharp points of bone at his wrists in its side.
The cry also caught Sango’s attention; she looked back to see her husband fighting valiantly against the onslaught of dragons. For a moment, her heart clenched; she fought back the strong desire to return to him and fight at his side. She looked over her shoulder, eyeing Ryûtatsu steadily.
Who to choose, who to choose?
Her hand tightened around the strap of Hiraikotsu. I have to trust you, Miroku, she thought as she braced herself for another pitch of the giant boomerang. I have to trust you can defend yourself. She circled around, launching her weapon at the dragon taiyoukai once again. It managed to cuff him, scuffing the gashes already made by Snegura’s blade and Kohaku’s sickle.
Sesshoumaru studied Snegura with a steady gaze. She won’t last much longer, he thought to himself. He could feel her youki weakening, even though the strength of her barrier never wavered. He carefully rearranged his arms around Rin, who was still clinging to him with all her might, reaching down to grip his sword.
Could he fight one-handed? It had been a long time, but he’d certainly had his share of practice…
“Hey, Ryûtatsu! Is this what you’re after?”
Sesshoumaru was stunned silent for the second time that day when he spotted his idiot half-brother and his miko flying at them, full-force. Perhaps the only sight more surprising than the duo was the pure light radiating from Kagome’s chest, a beacon of hope against the dismal black sky.
Kagome held herself as steady as possible; her knees were digging into Inuyasha’s shoulder blades as she sat up on his back, arms open in an inverted V, the jewel glowing hot against her chest. She had removed the protective pouch in order to attract the dragon taiyoukai’s attention, but even through the double-layers of the haori, her chest burned where the heavy jewel lay.
Ryûtatsu turned his head at the sound of his name, his eyes growing greedy as the glow of the jewel filled his vision. He completed a total about-face, his attention focused on the duo heading straight for him.
Snegura’s barrier broke then, and she fell back as the wave of weakness overwhelmed her. Sesshoumaru caught her, noticing for the first time that she was also bleeding. Casting a short glance up, seeing Ryûtatsu distracted for the moment, he pulled away from the battle.
“Lord Sesshoumaru,” came the quiet voice, almost directly behind him. Sesshoumaru turned, spotting the flying demon-cat and his occupant. Kohaku’s eyes were calm, the brace of his body determined as they approached.
The boy met his gaze plainly. “Let me take Rin to safety,” he said.
Sesshoumaru sized him up before giving a sharp nod. He gently pried at Rin’s waist. “Go with Kohaku,” he commanded.
Rin’s grasp only tightened. “Let me stay with you, my lord!” she cried. “I don’t want to leave you!”
“Do as I say, Rin,” Sesshoumaru said firmly, moving close enough to Kirara to deposit the hysterical girl in Kohaku’s arms. Rin fell forward, burying her face in the cat’s soft fur, her tears still falling at be parted from him once again.
Kohaku put a soothing hand on her back but kept his attention on his former protector. “And her?” he asked quietly, indicating Snegura.
Sesshoumaru’s eyes fell to her weakened form. Her could feel her youki struggling, even as she gazed steadily back at him. She did not curl herself close to him, seeking comfort; indeed, it seemed she couldn’t move much at all.
That means she can’t protest, Sesshoumaru thought wryly as he focused again on Kohaku. He gave another short nod, shifting his free arm under her legs and lifting her onto Kirara’s back. Kohaku shifted forward slightly to allow the snow maiden room.
Snegura’s expression was dark as she was placed there, too exhausted to object. Resentment bubbled up in her as she watched him turn away, going off to fight what she so desperately wanted to be her battle. She did want revenge for her grandfather’s slaying, and now she would be denied that chance.
Sesshoumaru made to leave, but turned back suddenly, eyeing her with new regard. Silently, he lifted the mokomoko from his shoulder, wrapping it around Snegura’s body as she lay prone on Kirara’s back. Wordlessly, he turned around again, pushing off from an invisible point, heading back into the fray.
Kagome’s heart thudded against her ribcage and she swallowed convulsively as she gained Ryûtatsu’s full attention. The dragon roared, swiping at them with his claw, bringing forth a gale of wind and a wave of choppy sea water.
“Now!” she shouted, letting her legs slip down around Inuyasha’s ribs. She continued to slide down his back as he suddenly straightened up, Tessaiga in hand. He didn’t move until he felt Kagome’s hands latch around his neck, her knees bumping against his hips as she held fast to him. Secure that she had completed the acrobatic move successfully, he prepared his first attack.
Tessaiga gleamed with a silver glint as he raised it high in the air, bringing it down with a rush of adrenaline. The adamant barrage of diamonds coursed forward, cutting through the air with fearsome speed. Ryûtatsu’s skin was pierced by some of the shards, which only seemed to heighten his anger. He sent another gust of wind in their direction, which Inuyasha gratefully accepted, momentarily moving up and over the dragon’s head.
“Think that did it?” he asked as he gazed down.
Kagome squeezed his shoulders. “I hope so,” she said, her stomach turning slightly. Her right arm was aching; her chest felt like it was on fire. She didn’t know how much more of the naked jewel she could handle.
Koga watched their stunt with disbelieving eyes. “What the hell do you think you’re trying to pull, dog-boy?!” he shouted as the duo drifted down to his strategic tree.
“Shut up, mutt face,” Inuyasha snarled, jumping away as Ryûtatsu landed a swipe at them. “Just trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
Koga leapt forward, catching the dragon square in the face with his Goraishi attack. “I hope so,” he muttered as he completed the sweep across the sky, falling down next to them once again.
Inuyasha jumped backward, drawing Ryûtatsu away from the sea. The dragon, in his fury and desperation, followed, falling into their trap. As he stepped forward, tail crashing against the cliff wall, his clay soldiers began to crumble before their opponents.
Miroku shoved his staff hard into one of them, withdrawing it with a groan. He was losing strength, and fast…how much longer could he stand? He looked up just in time to see Ryûtatsu’s foot come forward, aimed straight at him –
Sango’s heart – mind – her entire world crashed down around her as she watched Miroku fall in his place, crushed under the weight of Ryûtatsu’s retreating body. Her scream was torn from her throat as she threw herself forward, abandoning her battle.
“Sango!” Kohaku cried as Kirara followed Ryûtatsu’s body back to the mainland. He watched in horror and grief as his sister launched herself towards her husband, who lay motionless on the ground. Oh, God, he thought. Please…not Miroku…
Sango didn’t hear the call of her brother; her entire being was in focus now, narrowing until Miroku was the only thing in her line of vision. She fell to her knees at his side, hesitant to touch him. “Miroku,” she gasped, her fingers fluttering down to his neck.
His head lolled to one side, a trickle of blood forming at the corner of his mouth. His pulse was weak, but there.
“What have I done?” she sobbed, throwing herself across his body. His robes were bloodied and torn, his armor smashed and dented. “Please, don’t die on me, Miroku!”
He didn’t respond.
Ryûtatsu crept on unsteady legs towards Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha continued to move back, staying just out of the dragon’s reach. As they hurtled about, Kagome noticed the scar on one of the dragon’s legs, which had a sinister red glow. She furrowed her brow, trying to place why it seemed so familiar…
“Koga!” she cried. “Koga, go for his leg!”
The wolf prince looked at her in confusion; she waved and motioned and shouted again, trying to communicate her message. A look of understanding suddenly graced Koga’s features; with his customary speed, he ran parallel to Ryûtatsu’s leg, taking a gigantic swipe with his claws. The leg broke off at the scar mark, blood and mud crumbling to the ground.
Ryûtatsu fell to one side, cursing as he went down. Koga got in another swipe before feeling the dragon taiyoukai’s signature wrath – a blast of fire. The wolf prince leapt out of the way in time, escaping without incident.
“Damn you,” Ryûtatsu groaned as he righted himself once more. He reared back, gathering another blast of fire in the back of his throat.
“This is it,” Kagome cried, wrapping her legs around Inuyasha’s waist and pulling her longbow off her shoulders. Grasping it tightly in her left hand, she reached back for an arrow.
“Right,” Inuyasha said, gripping the Tessaiga and crouching forward slightly. He eyed their enemy, letting his youki flow freely, gathering and combining with the power of his sword…
Ryûtatsu launched the gigantic fireball at them. Kagome fired her arrow seconds later, falling forward as Inuyasha arched up, sending a backlash wave along the path of her sacred arrow, colliding directly with the fiery attack of the dragon.
The explosion of power blinded them all; the pitch-black world became blazingly white for a moment. Kagome felt the power of the jewel burn through her, its spiritual barrier projecting automatically around her and Inuyasha. She gasped as she clutched his shoulders tightly, hoping against hope that their plan had succeeded...
When the heat subsided, she chanced to look up. The world was dark once again, a stiff breeze blowing off the ocean. She sat up, hesitant to look across the way, afraid of what she might see –
“Shit,” Inuyasha cursed, one of his hands coming back to grasp her leg and hold her close as he hopped backward once again. “Shit!”
Kagome’s heart fell to the lower reaches of her stomach as she gazed upon Ryûtatsu, who glared up at them with absolute hatred. His chest, so cut up by the others’ attacks, still heaved with breath.
“Why didn’t it work?” she cried, once again wrapping her arms and legs around him as they travelled blindly.
Inuyasha seemed to have lost the ability to form complete sentences without cursing. “Fuck all if I know,” he growled, dodging the shorter, smaller fire attacks of the fallen dragon. “Now what?”
Kagome held back her tears, pressing her face into his shoulder, trying to bring order to her chaotic mind. What went wrong? she asked herself. Is Ryûtatsu somehow even more powerful than his father? What is it going to take to stop him?
“Give…me…the…jewel,” the dragon snarled, heaving deep breaths between each word. He lifted his arm once more, though with noticeable strain.
The arm didn’t make it beyond perpendicular; it was sliced off in another clean, yet savage stroke. Inuyasha gasped, bringing Kagome’s attention back to the fore. She spotted Sesshoumaru, sword raised, following Ryûtatsu’s every movement from the back. The gears of her brain began to turn…
“Meidou zangetsuha,” Inuyasha suggested. “Let me use the meidou blades against him! No one can fight an open path to hell.”
“No!” she immediately cried. “It’s too dangerous to open a meidou here. Not with your brother so close! Not with our friends down there!”
Inuyasha growled in frustration. “You got any other ideas? Because we’re about to become fucking lunch!”
Kagome looked around desperately, her eyes once again falling to Sesshoumaru. “Bakusaiga,” she shouted. “If we combine Sesshoumaru’s attack with my sacred arrow – !”
“What?” Inuyasha interrupted, leaping away from another blast of fire.
Kagome wanted to hit him for being so obtuse. “He’s not your enemy anymore! This is his fight, remember! Ryûtatsu is his foe!” She pressed her fingers into his shoulders. “Just trust me! Let me fire a sealing arrow, and let your brother finish him off!”
Ryûtatsu closed in on them, backing them into a corner of the castle. Inuyasha stared down at him, realizing he had no choice – he had to put his life, and Kagome’s, into Sesshoumaru’s hands.
And he doubted my familial honor, he groused silently.
“Fine,” he relented. “We’ll do things your way.”
As Ryûtatsu moved in for the kill, Inuyasha shot straight up in the air. Kagome nocked another arrow in her bow, climbing up onto Inuyasha’s back once again, balancing herself on her knees. “Sesshoumaru!” she called, hoping to gain the taiyoukai’s attention. “Lord Sesshoumaru!”
He didn’t give any indication of hearing her, focusing completely on the target he’d sought for all these months. This time, you lose, Ryûtatsu, he thought, holding Bakusaiga in front of him and communing the bulk of his youki there.
Kagome couldn’t wait another moment; she continued to shout instructions, regardless of whether or not he was actually listening to her. “My lord, please – when I fire this arrow, use your full attack!”
No response.
There was no time left –
– now or never –
She pulled the arrow back, her arm burning mercilessly with pain, the jewel beaming with pure, white light. Strike…and seal! she pleaded, releasing the arrow.
It flew through the air, straight and true, headed right for his heart –
It glowed with purity, the tip frosting over with the white power of the seal, and her heart leapt –
It hit the mark, burying deep in his chest. A net of white magic sprang forth, encompassing the whole of the dragon’s body. That seemed to be enough of a trigger for Sesshoumaru, who released his signature attack, again wielding his sword with muscle-shrieking force.
The eruption of power was greater than any of them had ever witnessed, even eclipsing the destruction of Naraku. The world was drowned in bright white; a sonic boom completed the effect as a mushroom cloud rose from the center of the castle courtyard.
The jewel seemed to glow just as brightly, becoming so hot that Kagome couldn’t stand it anymore; she cried out in absolute agony. She was certain she would also die in this moment, if not from the impact of all the demonic power being thrown about, then as a by-product of the jewel and its damn barriers.
Inuyasha was thrown to the ground in the blast; he landed harshly, flat on his face, Kagome’s weight only furthering his distress. Her bloodcurdling scream a moment later shattered his heart; his body went hot and cold as he realized she wasn’t moving, and for a moment, he was afraid.
Really afraid.
Sesshoumaru was the only one to survive the blast in the same place as he started; he floated in the air, his arms still raised, his sword pointing to the place Ryûtatsu used to be. The dragon’s body had been completely obliterated, nothing left but traces of blood and gobs of mud from his false limbs.
Inuyasha stirred after a moment, seriously debating whether he even wanted to know Kagome’s fate…He shifted, arching his back, letting her weight slide off of him. He sat up and turned over, fear and dread knotting in his stomach as he peered down…
Kagome lay motionless next to him, her body in a disheveled heap, her weight bearing down on her injured arm. He reached out hesitantly, almost afraid to touch her – to know if she was alive or dead –
Her eyes opened then, and Inuyasha had never experienced a wave of relief quite like the one he felt in that moment. He couldn’t help himself; tears flooded his eyes. “Kagome,” he breathed, gathering her in his arms and hugging her close.
“Inuyasha,” she croaked, dragging her suddenly-heavy arms up to encircle his neck. She couldn’t feel his grip on her at all. She winced as he brought her forward, pressing a desperate kiss to her lips.
She gazed at him with wonder as he pulled away. Never before – not even on his human nights – had she ever seen such raw, unmasked emotion on his face. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he stared back at her, his relief stark, humbling.
“I thought – ” his voiced cracked as he attempted to give his fears voice.
Kagome shifted her weight as best she could, righting herself in his lap. “I know,” she whispered, hugging him close. Her body was slowly regaining sensation; there was something delicious about the urgency with which he returned her embrace.
“You’re going to be okay?” he asked softly, tilting his head against hers. His ear flicked as it came into contact with her hair.
She nodded her head, drawing one hand back to her chest. “Yes, I – ”
No, she thought, breaking off mid-sentence. Her fingers brushed over the entire front of her chest, panic rising in the back of her mind.
Inuyasha felt her stiffen, alerting his attention. He loosened his embrace slightly, looking down into her face. “What’s wrong?”
The look in her eyes was wild and desperate. “The jewel,” she gasped. “It’s gone!”
Jaken emerged from the castle, visibly shaking as he held the Staff of Two Heads. “My lord?” he simpered as Sesshoumaru wandered close to him. He was terribly ashamed, having spent the bulk of the battle hiding in his lord’s study, watching from the window and worrying for his master’s safety.
I’m ready, he thought, bowing his head and closing his eyes as Sesshoumaru approached him. Whatever recriminations – I deserve them for my cowardice! He braced himself for the worst, sweat beading on his brow.
Huh? Jaken was shocked to feel the tide of Sesshoumaru’s youki pass straight over him. He glanced up and looked over his shoulder, eyeing his lord with naked surprise. “My lord?” he asked again, scarcely able to believe he had been spared a hit or kick or complete, torturous death.
Sesshoumaru’s head was angled toward the sky, a thoughtful expression clouding his face. “Is it finally over?” he asked, directing his question to no one in particular.
Jaken looked up as well, noticing the dark clouds breaking up, dissipating under the warm gaze of the sun. It was as if a new day was breaking, a new chapter of their lives opening. He was struck with a feeling of absolute calm, bordering on desolation.
Sesshoumaru let his question float away unanswered. He turned his attention back to practical matters, slowly picking his way across the courtyard, where Kirara was standing guard over the fallen monk and his crying wife.
Sango sobbed as she held her husband’s frail form, silently berating herself for leaving him to fight the dragons by himself as she chased after her brother. Kohaku has been trained in the art of demon-slaying, she told herself over and over. Miroku had to rely on his spiritual powers. Why? Why did you choose your lost brother over the man you love?
Kohaku still sat upon Kirara’s back, gazing down at his sister with a guarded expression. This is my fault. If I’d never brought them here…this never would’ve happened…Part of him ached to jump down and comfort Sango, but his guilty conscience held him back.
Besides…what did he know about comforting the distraught?
Rin was the first to notice Sesshoumaru’s approach; silently, she hopped down from Kirara’s back and ran to him, throwing her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his side like a shy child. Sesshoumaru’s hand settled over her shoulder as he gazed at the scene before him.
He watched with a thoughtful expression as Sango cradled Miroku. After a long moment, he extracted himself from Rin’s embrace and unsheathed his sword, approaching the couple on silent feet.
“Put him down,” he said tonelessly.
Sango gasped, startled; she looked over her shoulder fearfully. “Lord Sesshoumaru, what..?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” he commanded coldly.
Sango’s heart sped up as she realized he was holding Tenseiga. But…why? she wondered silently, gingerly laying Miroku upon the ground and inching away from him.
Snegura eyed her betrothed with suspicion, then surprise, as she witnessed his next action. Gaze narrow, concentration steady, Sesshoumaru cut their air above the fallen human. Her eyes widened as she saw the monk draw breath once again, his eyes cracking open. Human life holds value to him?! she thought, looking at him with new respect. She pulled his pelt tighter around herself, her heart beginning to thud heavily in her chest.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the monk, waiting – but not waiting – for an acknowledgment. Miroku’s head rolled forward again, his eyes moving directly to Sesshoumaru’s face as he blinked in confusion. “Thank you,” he whispered, one hand moving up from the ground to cup Sango’s bottom.
Sesshoumaru grunted, turning on his heel and replacing Tenseiga at his side as Sango yelped in surprise. He felt the spear of Snegura’s gaze and gave her a defiant stare in response, daring her to challenge his actions.
“My lord, you’re amazing!” Rin squealed, launching herself at him once more.
Sesshoumaru’s mouth quirked into a small smile at her emphatic praise. He noticed his brother and Kagome walking toward them; the hanyou appearing shocked and the miko, worried.
He didn’t deign to ask them what was wrong, merely waiting for one of them – or perhaps both – to blurt it out. He didn’t have to wait long.
“The jewel,” Kagome said, closing an empty fist against her throat. “The jewel is gone.”
Everyone stared at her, waiting for her to continue. Sango and Miroku appeared apprehensive; the others bore impassive expressions.
Kagome looked at each of them in turn. “I’m not sure, but I think it exploded after I used it to seal Ryûtatsu,” she began, biting her lips uncertainly. “But it means…I can’t go home again.”
With that, she burst into tears, her knees weakening as the full impact of the statement weighed down upon her.
The characters Snegura and Ryûtatsu are original to this story.
The title “House of the Moon” is original to Resmiranda’s Tales from the House of the Moon. It is used here in homage to said fantastic story.
This is merely one girl’s dream of life after “The End.”
Sesshoumaru shot a glare down the length of Bakusaiga. “I’m disappointed, Ryûtatsu,” he finally said. “Did you think I had forgotten?” He tightened his grip on the sword, his eyes steady on his enemy. He could see the indecision on Ryûtatsu’s face, debating whether or not to rise to the bait. Ultimately, the dragon’s curiosity got the better of him.
“Forgotten what?” Ryûtatsu asked, closing the talons of his claw around the now-unconscious Rin.
Sesshoumaru smiled. “Did you think I had forgotten that I’d already cut off that ugly arm of yours?” In the blink of an eye, he was off, sword poised, leaving after-images as he made a hard turn for the sea-soaked dragon taiyoukai.
At that, all hell broke loose.
Sesshoumaru made a clean cut, severing the arm from the body in much the same way as he had months earlier. He arched gracefully against the sky, descending once again, his left arm outstretched to grab Rin from the dragon’s claw before it fell into the ocean.
Ryûtatsu growled, reigniting his landed warriors, who once again lay siege to the House of the Moon. Waves of the dragon sentinels emerged from the sea at an even greater rate than before.
At the same moment, Snegura jabbed with her right elbow, twisting her upper body enough to knock the sword away from her back. She immediately contorted the opposite way, unsheathing her dagger. The hand on her left arm tightened; she again wrenched around to gain momentum before stabbing that sentinel in the shoulder with her blade. He gave a cry of pain and released her; the second dragon made a swipe with his sword, catching her just below the ribcage before she moved away.
Sesshoumaru held the unconscious Rin close to his body, determined to protect her at any cost. He could feel the wrath of Ryûtatsu at his back, but paid little attention; instead, he shot up and away, a thin sheen of sweat across his forehead the only visible betrayal of his worry for his young ward.
Ryûtatsu’s anger only grew as he stared after Sesshoumaru; the heat of his surprise and hatred made his youki glow in fierce red tones. “You will not get away,” he vowed, moving forward, reaching out with his still-intact arm.
Kohaku screamed as he was thrown into the air at the sudden movement. His grip on the chain slipped, and he was sent hurtling through the air over the vast ocean.
As she watched this with horror, Sango finally broke out of her husband’s protective embrace. She sank into a crouch, gathering every shred of her battle skill. Go for his heart, she told herself. He won’t get away with this. She shot up, releasing Hiraikotsu with a fearsome wail.
Kirara took off, eyeing Kohaku’s form as the boy’s arc began to fall. The demon-cat was there in time, catching the rattled boy on his back.
Sesshoumaru felt the approach of youki as he held Rin; his head shot up, his eyes growing dark, his fangs elongating. Dimly, he recognized the form heading for him, weapon primed. He growled low in his throat, pressing the girl against his mokomoko and raising his other arm, talons ready. Don’t, he thought savagely as it approached. I will not hesitate!
Snegura deftly avoided the burst of poison Sesshoumaru shot her way, swinging her dagger sharply over the plane of his back, burying it deep into something just beyond his being. She groaned as she pulled on it, dragging it through with great effort. Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder, stunned to see Ryûtatsu mere inches away, a bloody gash widening across his chest and neck.
Snegura turned back, her shoulders heaving under the strain, the tip of her youki-extended blade covered in black blood. She stared at her betrothed for a moment, her grip on the dagger becoming slick. “Get away,” she finally said, her voice devoid of emotion. “Protect the girl.”
Rin stirred against him, her eyes fluttering open. As the familiar texture of the luxurious pelt came to her, she reached up, throwing her arms around her savior’s neck, clinging to him. “My lord!” she cried, pressing herself against him, as if trying to become part of him.
Ryûtatsu recovered from the blow, turning his focus again to Sesshoumaru and Snegura. “Give me the girl,” he moaned, his voice dropping several octaves as the harsh sea air hit his exposed vocal cords.
“Move!” Snegura snapped to Sesshoumaru, turning her back to him, taking up a defensive stance in front of them. “I can handle Ryûtatsu.”
“Don’t make me laugh, you conniving bitch!” Ryûtatsu roared, bringing his arm high in the air, summoning his power over the wind. “Your grandfather couldn’t overcome my power, and you are destined to follow in his footsteps!” He swiped the air between them, laughing as the trio was pushed back by a cyclone-strength gale.
Snegura held firm, calling upon her own innate abilities. Her stance grew more martyr-like as she concentrated, a blue barrier projecting around her body. “Stay close,” she said in a low voice, moving back to keep Sesshoumaru’s youki within her reach. Her eyes closed, but she refused to give her back to her enemy.
Sesshoumaru watched with something close to awe as her icy barrier encompassed him. He would never admit to being impressed by another’s abilities – much less gawk openly – but even he couldn’t deny the risk she took to protect him – and Rin – in the face of such danger.
“Who is she?” Rin whispered as she clung to him, her eyes growing in wonder. She shivered, burrowing further into his mokomoko.
My match, Sesshoumaru thought as he felt the force of her youki compete head-on with Ryûtatsu.
~*~
The moment that Sesshoumaru separated Ryûtatsu’s arm from the rest of his body, Inuyasha took off, overcome with sudden fear for Kagome. Where is she? he thought as he desperately looked around. Where could she have gone? He paid no heed to the reignited reptiles around him, knocking them aside with ease as he forged a path back to the House of the Moon.It was there that he spotted her, and his fear was realized. She stood in the doorway of the courtyard, gazing out grimly, holding her right arm gingerly. The smell of her blood reached his nose, and for a moment, he was afraid, really afraid – of her injury, of the stark danger of the situation, of the fact that she could die so easily…
His feet couldn’t carry him fast enough.
“Kagome,” he breathed as he reached her side. “What happened?”
“I’m fine,” she reassured him. “Let’s just say, I didn’t find Rin in time.” She grimaced as he examined her injury. There was a long laceration across the muscle, as if she had been grazed by a sword.
“Inuyasha!” she cried as he enveloped her and pushed her back inside the castle. “What are you doing?!”
“We have to fix this,” he said, touching her arm again. “We have to stop the bleeding.”
She could only stare at him. “I’ll be fine,” she reassured him, touching his face with her free hand. “We have bigger problems right now!”
He leaned into her soft caress, but growled all the same. “Humor me,” he muttered, ripping the sleeve of the haori into strips, which he carefully tied around the injury. Kagome watched him in silence, opting not to argue. The faster they did this, the faster they could return to the fray…
“Kagome! Are you okay?” Tiny feet galloped across the floor from behind her moments before Shippo jumped up to her left shoulder.
“Shippo!” she cried in surprise. “You’re okay! I thought – after they knocked you out back there…” She shuddered at the memory: she had only reached the room where Shippo and Jaken were holding Rin moments before the dragons, and never had a chance to defend her friends. Shippo received a blow to the head in the initial struggle, which knocked him out instantly.
Shippo’s chest puffed up a bit. “I’m made of sterner stuff than that,” he declared. He looked at the hasty bandaging on her arm with bewilderment. “And you? That was a nasty hit you took!”
Inuyasha shot her a dark look, but thankfully kept his mouth shut. “It’s fine,” she said again, attempting to convince them.
It was enough for Shippo; his questions were coming a mile a minute. “Where are the others? Is Kohaku okay? What about Sango and Miroku?”
“Sango,” Kagome breathed, pushing away from Inuyasha, moving to the door of the castle again, searching out her friend.
Sango was tracking Ryûtatsu like a panther. She’d thrown her heavy weapon at him a few times, managing to further the gaping wound her brother had started. Where’s his weakness? she asked herself as she followed his movements. Why aren’t the blows hurting him?
Miroku didn’t have a chance to follow her when she broke away from him; he was immediately inundated with the clay dragon warriors. He fought them off as best he could, throwing sacred sutras, wielding his staff, and using the armor his wife had designed for him. She was currently beyond his reach, off on a plane of her own existence, a true taijiya warrior. “Please be careful,” he pleaded in a low voice as she moved further and further away from him in pursuit of her prey.
Kagome fearfully watched it all unfold around her. “Ryûtatsu is still going after Rin,” she worried. “He won’t stop until he gets the jewel!” Her left hand curled around the object of so much desire, which was glowing warmly against her chest. “Inuyasha, we have to do something!”
Koga noticed Kagome emerging from the castle, Inuyasha and Shippo hot on her heels. He was still in the tree, using his strategic positioning to call out commands to his wolf youkai. As he watched Ryûtatsu pursue Sesshoumaru, it slowly began to dawn on him. The water, he thought. The water is healing his injuries.
“Get him out of the sea!” he shouted, turning to Kagome. “Get that overgrown lizard out of the water and his powers will diminish!”
Inuyasha glared at the wolf, but Kagome grabbed his hand. “Koga’s right! We have to distract him,” she said. “If we can get his attention away from Rin, we can defeat him!”
“What are you saying?” Inuyasha asked her, pulling her back into the safety of the castle as the fighting between the wolves and the dragons edged ever closer.
“We’ve done this before,” she said. “You’ve done this before. You’re the one who killed his father, remember?”
Inuyasha nodded slowly, not completely following. “Yeah, so? I had no choice! Even after stabbing Ryûkotsusei in the heart, he kept coming at me!”
“You did it with the backlash wave,” she said, jogging his memory. “You turned his own power against him, and that was the only thing that was strong enough to kill him.”
Inuyasha narrowed his gaze at her, almost afraid to ask. “What are you suggesting, Kagome? I can’t use the backlash wave unless he attacks me. What can we do to get his attention?”
Kagome held up the pouch. “He wants the jewel, right?” She nodded grimly as his eyes widened, his mouth already open to protest. “Then let’s give it to him.”
~*~
Miroku was losing the battle.As much as he was loath to admit it, he was steadily weakening. There was no break in the fighting; as soon as he laid one warrior bare, there were two more in its place. The heat of the battle was also working on him; his armor began to scrape against the special bodysuit, which in turn chafed against his skin. He was running out of sutras; his arms were growing heavy as he brandished his staff against any and all comers.
What I wouldn’t give for that damn wind tunnel, he thought grimly, kicking the legs out from under one of his attackers.
“Monk, watch your back!”
Miroku couldn’t help it; his attention snapped up in the direction of the sharp command. He eyed Koga with a bit of disgust, internally grousing at the needless distraction. He jabbed another warrior with his elbow, unfolding his arm to bury the sharp points of bone at his wrists in its side.
The cry also caught Sango’s attention; she looked back to see her husband fighting valiantly against the onslaught of dragons. For a moment, her heart clenched; she fought back the strong desire to return to him and fight at his side. She looked over her shoulder, eyeing Ryûtatsu steadily.
Who to choose, who to choose?
Her hand tightened around the strap of Hiraikotsu. I have to trust you, Miroku, she thought as she braced herself for another pitch of the giant boomerang. I have to trust you can defend yourself. She circled around, launching her weapon at the dragon taiyoukai once again. It managed to cuff him, scuffing the gashes already made by Snegura’s blade and Kohaku’s sickle.
Sesshoumaru studied Snegura with a steady gaze. She won’t last much longer, he thought to himself. He could feel her youki weakening, even though the strength of her barrier never wavered. He carefully rearranged his arms around Rin, who was still clinging to him with all her might, reaching down to grip his sword.
Could he fight one-handed? It had been a long time, but he’d certainly had his share of practice…
“Hey, Ryûtatsu! Is this what you’re after?”
Sesshoumaru was stunned silent for the second time that day when he spotted his idiot half-brother and his miko flying at them, full-force. Perhaps the only sight more surprising than the duo was the pure light radiating from Kagome’s chest, a beacon of hope against the dismal black sky.
Kagome held herself as steady as possible; her knees were digging into Inuyasha’s shoulder blades as she sat up on his back, arms open in an inverted V, the jewel glowing hot against her chest. She had removed the protective pouch in order to attract the dragon taiyoukai’s attention, but even through the double-layers of the haori, her chest burned where the heavy jewel lay.
Ryûtatsu turned his head at the sound of his name, his eyes growing greedy as the glow of the jewel filled his vision. He completed a total about-face, his attention focused on the duo heading straight for him.
Snegura’s barrier broke then, and she fell back as the wave of weakness overwhelmed her. Sesshoumaru caught her, noticing for the first time that she was also bleeding. Casting a short glance up, seeing Ryûtatsu distracted for the moment, he pulled away from the battle.
“Lord Sesshoumaru,” came the quiet voice, almost directly behind him. Sesshoumaru turned, spotting the flying demon-cat and his occupant. Kohaku’s eyes were calm, the brace of his body determined as they approached.
The boy met his gaze plainly. “Let me take Rin to safety,” he said.
Sesshoumaru sized him up before giving a sharp nod. He gently pried at Rin’s waist. “Go with Kohaku,” he commanded.
Rin’s grasp only tightened. “Let me stay with you, my lord!” she cried. “I don’t want to leave you!”
“Do as I say, Rin,” Sesshoumaru said firmly, moving close enough to Kirara to deposit the hysterical girl in Kohaku’s arms. Rin fell forward, burying her face in the cat’s soft fur, her tears still falling at be parted from him once again.
Kohaku put a soothing hand on her back but kept his attention on his former protector. “And her?” he asked quietly, indicating Snegura.
Sesshoumaru’s eyes fell to her weakened form. Her could feel her youki struggling, even as she gazed steadily back at him. She did not curl herself close to him, seeking comfort; indeed, it seemed she couldn’t move much at all.
That means she can’t protest, Sesshoumaru thought wryly as he focused again on Kohaku. He gave another short nod, shifting his free arm under her legs and lifting her onto Kirara’s back. Kohaku shifted forward slightly to allow the snow maiden room.
Snegura’s expression was dark as she was placed there, too exhausted to object. Resentment bubbled up in her as she watched him turn away, going off to fight what she so desperately wanted to be her battle. She did want revenge for her grandfather’s slaying, and now she would be denied that chance.
Sesshoumaru made to leave, but turned back suddenly, eyeing her with new regard. Silently, he lifted the mokomoko from his shoulder, wrapping it around Snegura’s body as she lay prone on Kirara’s back. Wordlessly, he turned around again, pushing off from an invisible point, heading back into the fray.
Kagome’s heart thudded against her ribcage and she swallowed convulsively as she gained Ryûtatsu’s full attention. The dragon roared, swiping at them with his claw, bringing forth a gale of wind and a wave of choppy sea water.
“Now!” she shouted, letting her legs slip down around Inuyasha’s ribs. She continued to slide down his back as he suddenly straightened up, Tessaiga in hand. He didn’t move until he felt Kagome’s hands latch around his neck, her knees bumping against his hips as she held fast to him. Secure that she had completed the acrobatic move successfully, he prepared his first attack.
Tessaiga gleamed with a silver glint as he raised it high in the air, bringing it down with a rush of adrenaline. The adamant barrage of diamonds coursed forward, cutting through the air with fearsome speed. Ryûtatsu’s skin was pierced by some of the shards, which only seemed to heighten his anger. He sent another gust of wind in their direction, which Inuyasha gratefully accepted, momentarily moving up and over the dragon’s head.
“Think that did it?” he asked as he gazed down.
Kagome squeezed his shoulders. “I hope so,” she said, her stomach turning slightly. Her right arm was aching; her chest felt like it was on fire. She didn’t know how much more of the naked jewel she could handle.
Koga watched their stunt with disbelieving eyes. “What the hell do you think you’re trying to pull, dog-boy?!” he shouted as the duo drifted down to his strategic tree.
“Shut up, mutt face,” Inuyasha snarled, jumping away as Ryûtatsu landed a swipe at them. “Just trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
Koga leapt forward, catching the dragon square in the face with his Goraishi attack. “I hope so,” he muttered as he completed the sweep across the sky, falling down next to them once again.
Inuyasha jumped backward, drawing Ryûtatsu away from the sea. The dragon, in his fury and desperation, followed, falling into their trap. As he stepped forward, tail crashing against the cliff wall, his clay soldiers began to crumble before their opponents.
Miroku shoved his staff hard into one of them, withdrawing it with a groan. He was losing strength, and fast…how much longer could he stand? He looked up just in time to see Ryûtatsu’s foot come forward, aimed straight at him –
Sango’s heart – mind – her entire world crashed down around her as she watched Miroku fall in his place, crushed under the weight of Ryûtatsu’s retreating body. Her scream was torn from her throat as she threw herself forward, abandoning her battle.
“Sango!” Kohaku cried as Kirara followed Ryûtatsu’s body back to the mainland. He watched in horror and grief as his sister launched herself towards her husband, who lay motionless on the ground. Oh, God, he thought. Please…not Miroku…
Sango didn’t hear the call of her brother; her entire being was in focus now, narrowing until Miroku was the only thing in her line of vision. She fell to her knees at his side, hesitant to touch him. “Miroku,” she gasped, her fingers fluttering down to his neck.
His head lolled to one side, a trickle of blood forming at the corner of his mouth. His pulse was weak, but there.
“What have I done?” she sobbed, throwing herself across his body. His robes were bloodied and torn, his armor smashed and dented. “Please, don’t die on me, Miroku!”
He didn’t respond.
Ryûtatsu crept on unsteady legs towards Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha continued to move back, staying just out of the dragon’s reach. As they hurtled about, Kagome noticed the scar on one of the dragon’s legs, which had a sinister red glow. She furrowed her brow, trying to place why it seemed so familiar…
“Koga!” she cried. “Koga, go for his leg!”
The wolf prince looked at her in confusion; she waved and motioned and shouted again, trying to communicate her message. A look of understanding suddenly graced Koga’s features; with his customary speed, he ran parallel to Ryûtatsu’s leg, taking a gigantic swipe with his claws. The leg broke off at the scar mark, blood and mud crumbling to the ground.
Ryûtatsu fell to one side, cursing as he went down. Koga got in another swipe before feeling the dragon taiyoukai’s signature wrath – a blast of fire. The wolf prince leapt out of the way in time, escaping without incident.
“Damn you,” Ryûtatsu groaned as he righted himself once more. He reared back, gathering another blast of fire in the back of his throat.
“This is it,” Kagome cried, wrapping her legs around Inuyasha’s waist and pulling her longbow off her shoulders. Grasping it tightly in her left hand, she reached back for an arrow.
“Right,” Inuyasha said, gripping the Tessaiga and crouching forward slightly. He eyed their enemy, letting his youki flow freely, gathering and combining with the power of his sword…
Ryûtatsu launched the gigantic fireball at them. Kagome fired her arrow seconds later, falling forward as Inuyasha arched up, sending a backlash wave along the path of her sacred arrow, colliding directly with the fiery attack of the dragon.
The explosion of power blinded them all; the pitch-black world became blazingly white for a moment. Kagome felt the power of the jewel burn through her, its spiritual barrier projecting automatically around her and Inuyasha. She gasped as she clutched his shoulders tightly, hoping against hope that their plan had succeeded...
When the heat subsided, she chanced to look up. The world was dark once again, a stiff breeze blowing off the ocean. She sat up, hesitant to look across the way, afraid of what she might see –
“Shit,” Inuyasha cursed, one of his hands coming back to grasp her leg and hold her close as he hopped backward once again. “Shit!”
Kagome’s heart fell to the lower reaches of her stomach as she gazed upon Ryûtatsu, who glared up at them with absolute hatred. His chest, so cut up by the others’ attacks, still heaved with breath.
“Why didn’t it work?” she cried, once again wrapping her arms and legs around him as they travelled blindly.
Inuyasha seemed to have lost the ability to form complete sentences without cursing. “Fuck all if I know,” he growled, dodging the shorter, smaller fire attacks of the fallen dragon. “Now what?”
Kagome held back her tears, pressing her face into his shoulder, trying to bring order to her chaotic mind. What went wrong? she asked herself. Is Ryûtatsu somehow even more powerful than his father? What is it going to take to stop him?
“Give…me…the…jewel,” the dragon snarled, heaving deep breaths between each word. He lifted his arm once more, though with noticeable strain.
The arm didn’t make it beyond perpendicular; it was sliced off in another clean, yet savage stroke. Inuyasha gasped, bringing Kagome’s attention back to the fore. She spotted Sesshoumaru, sword raised, following Ryûtatsu’s every movement from the back. The gears of her brain began to turn…
“Meidou zangetsuha,” Inuyasha suggested. “Let me use the meidou blades against him! No one can fight an open path to hell.”
“No!” she immediately cried. “It’s too dangerous to open a meidou here. Not with your brother so close! Not with our friends down there!”
Inuyasha growled in frustration. “You got any other ideas? Because we’re about to become fucking lunch!”
Kagome looked around desperately, her eyes once again falling to Sesshoumaru. “Bakusaiga,” she shouted. “If we combine Sesshoumaru’s attack with my sacred arrow – !”
“What?” Inuyasha interrupted, leaping away from another blast of fire.
Kagome wanted to hit him for being so obtuse. “He’s not your enemy anymore! This is his fight, remember! Ryûtatsu is his foe!” She pressed her fingers into his shoulders. “Just trust me! Let me fire a sealing arrow, and let your brother finish him off!”
Ryûtatsu closed in on them, backing them into a corner of the castle. Inuyasha stared down at him, realizing he had no choice – he had to put his life, and Kagome’s, into Sesshoumaru’s hands.
And he doubted my familial honor, he groused silently.
“Fine,” he relented. “We’ll do things your way.”
As Ryûtatsu moved in for the kill, Inuyasha shot straight up in the air. Kagome nocked another arrow in her bow, climbing up onto Inuyasha’s back once again, balancing herself on her knees. “Sesshoumaru!” she called, hoping to gain the taiyoukai’s attention. “Lord Sesshoumaru!”
He didn’t give any indication of hearing her, focusing completely on the target he’d sought for all these months. This time, you lose, Ryûtatsu, he thought, holding Bakusaiga in front of him and communing the bulk of his youki there.
Kagome couldn’t wait another moment; she continued to shout instructions, regardless of whether or not he was actually listening to her. “My lord, please – when I fire this arrow, use your full attack!”
No response.
There was no time left –
– now or never –
She pulled the arrow back, her arm burning mercilessly with pain, the jewel beaming with pure, white light. Strike…and seal! she pleaded, releasing the arrow.
It flew through the air, straight and true, headed right for his heart –
It glowed with purity, the tip frosting over with the white power of the seal, and her heart leapt –
It hit the mark, burying deep in his chest. A net of white magic sprang forth, encompassing the whole of the dragon’s body. That seemed to be enough of a trigger for Sesshoumaru, who released his signature attack, again wielding his sword with muscle-shrieking force.
The eruption of power was greater than any of them had ever witnessed, even eclipsing the destruction of Naraku. The world was drowned in bright white; a sonic boom completed the effect as a mushroom cloud rose from the center of the castle courtyard.
The jewel seemed to glow just as brightly, becoming so hot that Kagome couldn’t stand it anymore; she cried out in absolute agony. She was certain she would also die in this moment, if not from the impact of all the demonic power being thrown about, then as a by-product of the jewel and its damn barriers.
Inuyasha was thrown to the ground in the blast; he landed harshly, flat on his face, Kagome’s weight only furthering his distress. Her bloodcurdling scream a moment later shattered his heart; his body went hot and cold as he realized she wasn’t moving, and for a moment, he was afraid.
Really afraid.
Sesshoumaru was the only one to survive the blast in the same place as he started; he floated in the air, his arms still raised, his sword pointing to the place Ryûtatsu used to be. The dragon’s body had been completely obliterated, nothing left but traces of blood and gobs of mud from his false limbs.
Inuyasha stirred after a moment, seriously debating whether he even wanted to know Kagome’s fate…He shifted, arching his back, letting her weight slide off of him. He sat up and turned over, fear and dread knotting in his stomach as he peered down…
Kagome lay motionless next to him, her body in a disheveled heap, her weight bearing down on her injured arm. He reached out hesitantly, almost afraid to touch her – to know if she was alive or dead –
Her eyes opened then, and Inuyasha had never experienced a wave of relief quite like the one he felt in that moment. He couldn’t help himself; tears flooded his eyes. “Kagome,” he breathed, gathering her in his arms and hugging her close.
“Inuyasha,” she croaked, dragging her suddenly-heavy arms up to encircle his neck. She couldn’t feel his grip on her at all. She winced as he brought her forward, pressing a desperate kiss to her lips.
She gazed at him with wonder as he pulled away. Never before – not even on his human nights – had she ever seen such raw, unmasked emotion on his face. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he stared back at her, his relief stark, humbling.
“I thought – ” his voiced cracked as he attempted to give his fears voice.
Kagome shifted her weight as best she could, righting herself in his lap. “I know,” she whispered, hugging him close. Her body was slowly regaining sensation; there was something delicious about the urgency with which he returned her embrace.
“You’re going to be okay?” he asked softly, tilting his head against hers. His ear flicked as it came into contact with her hair.
She nodded her head, drawing one hand back to her chest. “Yes, I – ”
No, she thought, breaking off mid-sentence. Her fingers brushed over the entire front of her chest, panic rising in the back of her mind.
Inuyasha felt her stiffen, alerting his attention. He loosened his embrace slightly, looking down into her face. “What’s wrong?”
The look in her eyes was wild and desperate. “The jewel,” she gasped. “It’s gone!”
~*~
Sesshoumaru surveyed his kingdom, carefully cataloging and calculating as he took in the crumbling cliff wall, the burnt-out hollow of a courtyard, the bodies of the fallen castle guard, injured wolf youkai, and dragon warriors littered about. The main building of the House of the Moon was still standing and in what appeared to be decent condition. It would take some work, but nothing was completely lost; he would be able to restore this place to its former glory.Jaken emerged from the castle, visibly shaking as he held the Staff of Two Heads. “My lord?” he simpered as Sesshoumaru wandered close to him. He was terribly ashamed, having spent the bulk of the battle hiding in his lord’s study, watching from the window and worrying for his master’s safety.
I’m ready, he thought, bowing his head and closing his eyes as Sesshoumaru approached him. Whatever recriminations – I deserve them for my cowardice! He braced himself for the worst, sweat beading on his brow.
Huh? Jaken was shocked to feel the tide of Sesshoumaru’s youki pass straight over him. He glanced up and looked over his shoulder, eyeing his lord with naked surprise. “My lord?” he asked again, scarcely able to believe he had been spared a hit or kick or complete, torturous death.
Sesshoumaru’s head was angled toward the sky, a thoughtful expression clouding his face. “Is it finally over?” he asked, directing his question to no one in particular.
Jaken looked up as well, noticing the dark clouds breaking up, dissipating under the warm gaze of the sun. It was as if a new day was breaking, a new chapter of their lives opening. He was struck with a feeling of absolute calm, bordering on desolation.
Sesshoumaru let his question float away unanswered. He turned his attention back to practical matters, slowly picking his way across the courtyard, where Kirara was standing guard over the fallen monk and his crying wife.
Sango sobbed as she held her husband’s frail form, silently berating herself for leaving him to fight the dragons by himself as she chased after her brother. Kohaku has been trained in the art of demon-slaying, she told herself over and over. Miroku had to rely on his spiritual powers. Why? Why did you choose your lost brother over the man you love?
Kohaku still sat upon Kirara’s back, gazing down at his sister with a guarded expression. This is my fault. If I’d never brought them here…this never would’ve happened…Part of him ached to jump down and comfort Sango, but his guilty conscience held him back.
Besides…what did he know about comforting the distraught?
Rin was the first to notice Sesshoumaru’s approach; silently, she hopped down from Kirara’s back and ran to him, throwing her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his side like a shy child. Sesshoumaru’s hand settled over her shoulder as he gazed at the scene before him.
He watched with a thoughtful expression as Sango cradled Miroku. After a long moment, he extracted himself from Rin’s embrace and unsheathed his sword, approaching the couple on silent feet.
“Put him down,” he said tonelessly.
Sango gasped, startled; she looked over her shoulder fearfully. “Lord Sesshoumaru, what..?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” he commanded coldly.
Sango’s heart sped up as she realized he was holding Tenseiga. But…why? she wondered silently, gingerly laying Miroku upon the ground and inching away from him.
Snegura eyed her betrothed with suspicion, then surprise, as she witnessed his next action. Gaze narrow, concentration steady, Sesshoumaru cut their air above the fallen human. Her eyes widened as she saw the monk draw breath once again, his eyes cracking open. Human life holds value to him?! she thought, looking at him with new respect. She pulled his pelt tighter around herself, her heart beginning to thud heavily in her chest.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the monk, waiting – but not waiting – for an acknowledgment. Miroku’s head rolled forward again, his eyes moving directly to Sesshoumaru’s face as he blinked in confusion. “Thank you,” he whispered, one hand moving up from the ground to cup Sango’s bottom.
Sesshoumaru grunted, turning on his heel and replacing Tenseiga at his side as Sango yelped in surprise. He felt the spear of Snegura’s gaze and gave her a defiant stare in response, daring her to challenge his actions.
“My lord, you’re amazing!” Rin squealed, launching herself at him once more.
Sesshoumaru’s mouth quirked into a small smile at her emphatic praise. He noticed his brother and Kagome walking toward them; the hanyou appearing shocked and the miko, worried.
He didn’t deign to ask them what was wrong, merely waiting for one of them – or perhaps both – to blurt it out. He didn’t have to wait long.
“The jewel,” Kagome said, closing an empty fist against her throat. “The jewel is gone.”
Everyone stared at her, waiting for her to continue. Sango and Miroku appeared apprehensive; the others bore impassive expressions.
Kagome looked at each of them in turn. “I’m not sure, but I think it exploded after I used it to seal Ryûtatsu,” she began, biting her lips uncertainly. “But it means…I can’t go home again.”
With that, she burst into tears, her knees weakening as the full impact of the statement weighed down upon her.