InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Feudal Weather Witch ❯ Sandstorm Part 3 ( Chapter 17 )

last time on FWW...

"It seems as though we are too late," Sesshomaru growled, "Prepare yourself, little brother, this promises to be a hard battle."
"No shit," InuYasha muttered.
"This can't be happening," Kagome whispered, having given up on gaining the jewel at this point, "How could we lose?"
"We haven't lost yet, kid," Wolverine spoke, "We just have another battle now."

Sandstorm Part 3

The door finishes its descent, settling with an echo. Mesmero immediately turns to Rogue, pointing the scepter at her while he fixates his power over her mind. Rogue struggles and the Professor tries to help her fight off Mesmero's hold, but the power of the tainted jewel proves to be more than enough to make Mesmero far more powerful than Xavier. InuYasha rushes at Mesmero, fully intent on ripping the mutant to shreds for all he's done. However, he is stopped by power of the jewel that has created a dark shield around Mesmero and Rogue.

"Rogue! You have to fight this!" Kagome calls out, "Don't let him take control of you like Naraku did!"
Rogue, however, continues into the passageway.
"She may not have absorbed the powers of these mutants, but I know she absorbed Naraku's power. And that will be enough to replenish Lord Apocalypse," Mesmero thinks.
Rogue's boots click against the stone floor as she walks toward the sarcophagus, oblivious to her friends and team mates calling her. Her blank eyes face forward, eerily. Even as she draws closer to the sleeping Apocalypse, Sesshomaru uses Tokijin against the barrier. Cyclops aids him with optic blasts as Storm and Kagome pool their electrical energies against it. At last, Rogue stands at the side of the sleeping mutant.

Apocalypse's eyes snap open and immediately lock onto Rogue. He takes her hand in his and pulls the powers of Naraku and Miroku from her. Renewed, the ancient Egyptian mutant leaves Rogue unconscious as he floats out from whence she came. Everyone settles down as he floats forth. Mesmero bows low before him.
"Lord Apocalypse...," he says, reverently.
Apocalypse extends his hand and Mesmero hands him the scepter. Apocalypse raises his hand and curls it into a fist. Mesmero's eyes widen in shock and surprise as he seemingly disintegrates in a burst of light.

All but Sesshomaru, InuYasha, and Wolverine gasp at this action.
"X-Men, pull back," Xavier commands, "We must retreat."
The X-Men, Sesshomaru, InuYasha, and Kagome all begin to retreat. Apocalypse turns toward them, his face set as if to say 'Do you really think I'll let you get away?'. Xavier wheels himself before his "children".
"Go, now!" he commands.
"But Professor," Jean begins.
"Don't argue with me, Jean! Get Rogue and go!" Xavier commands once again, using his powers against Apocalypse.
Sesshomaru favors Xavier with a look of respect before rushing around Apocalypse to retrieve Rogue with his demon speed. He then leaves with the younger X-Men. Storm lingers at the entry to see Xavier trying to battle Apocalypse mind-to-mind.

Suddenly, Xavier screams and lights start to swirl around him as they did with Mesmero.
"No!" Storm screams, immediately attacking Apocalypse to prevent him from harming Xavier.
Sesshomaru turns at her voice, rushing back into the cavern. InuYasha and Wolverine follow him. Kagome and Jean keep the others from doing the same. The two women usher them all into their respective aircraft. Storm hails Apocalypse with electrical energies in her desperation to save Xavier. She feels true fear in the instant that her own energy is thrown back at her, then pain as both she and Xavier begin to glow and then disappear.

Sesshomaru feels his heart tighten dramatically at the death of his intended mate. He howls in agony and anger, his eyes bleeding red. Before he can attack, he finds himself being pulled back by InuYasha and Wolverine. He struggles against their hold, but the two put all of their strength into holding him back and pulling him away toward the waiting aircraft. Soon, however, Wolverine is left with no choice. He punches Sesshomaru in the temple, rendering the demon lord unconscious.
"Let's go, kid," he says to InuYasha, holding Sesshomaru piggy back.
InuYasha nods grimly, glad that Kagome and the others are safe at least. InuYasha smells the salt of tears and tang of fear as he enters the Blackbird. Kagome comforts Jean as best as she can. Both young women shed tears, Jean more than Kagome. The Velocity lifts off just seconds after Wolverine enters with Sesshomaru.

In the Velocity, Cyclops' knuckles are impossibly white from his death grip on the controls. His visor glows red in his rage against Apocalypse. He saw that InuYasha and Wolverine had only brought back Sesshomaru. And that could only mean they had lost Xavier and Storm. This did not bode well for them at all. Apocalypse was far too powerful for them. He wondered how they would ever defeat him. In the back of the Velocity, Rogue hugs her knees to her chest. Tears shed from her eyes.
"Why can't they just leave me alone?" she thinks, "Every bad guy just wants to use me for my power. I can't take this anymore."
She looks up as a hand comes to rest on her shoulder. Her green eyes meet the deep brown of Logan's. He sits next to her, offering silent support. She smiles through her tears and Logan can't help but wipe her cheeks dry with his leather covered thumbs. He pulls her into a warm embrace at his side and she sighs, falling into a troubled slumber.

Kagome seeks her own comfort from InuYasha. The half demon awkwardly hugs her.
"He sacrificed himself so that we could get away," she whispers.
"Yes. He has honor, Kagome," InuYasha replies.
"Where's Storm?" Jean asks, recovering from her sobs.
"She's gone," InuYasha replies, "She tried to save the Professor and Apocalypse killed her too."
Jean gasps and a new river of tears spill from her eyes to her puffy cheeks. She covers her mouth and runs to the onboard rest room to relieve herself of her earlier meal.
"How could this happen, InuYasha? We weren't strong enough..."
"Then we'll get stronger, Kagome. We'll defeat Apocalypse and avenge the Professor and Storm."
He embraces her firmly to his chest, forcing her head to rest on his shoulder. Kagome takes a shaky breath and buries her face in his neck.
"I'm scared, InuYasha."
"I'm here for you, Kagome. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

Hours later finds the whole group back at the institute. Sesshomaru groans in pain as he finally awakes in the medical bay. He sits upright slowly, taking in his surroundings. Wolverine comes into the room.
"Where am I? And why did you dare to knock me unconscious?!"
"You're at the institute. And you had to be stopped before Apocalypse could do the same to you."
Sesshomaru sits quietly, pondering about his situation.
"He dared to harm my intended mate. I cannot simply stand aside and allow him to do this. Apocalypse must pay for his transgressions," Sesshomaru declares.
Wolverine nods in agreement.
"He will. But all of us need all the help we can get Sesshomaru. And we're each other's best shot right now."
"They are weak."
"Then help them."
"You wish for I, Sesshomaru, to train this humans?"
"You love a human don't you?"
Sesshomaru frowns.
"So be it. I will train them, but they had better be willing to endure the pain."
"I'll let them know," Wolverine nods, "And Sesshomaru...for what it's worth, I'm sorry you lost Storm. I know how I would feel if...."
Sesshomaru smirks at him.
"Then we understand each other."

Kagome sits outside on a bench, Kurt comes to sit beside her.
"Kagome, what happened back there? What did Apocalypse do with the Professor and Storm? Wolverine won't tell any of us and neither will anyone else."
"They're gone. Apocalypse killed them," she whispers.
Kurt's eyes widen in shock.
"No...it can't be!" he says, standing up.
Kagome looks up at him with teary eyes.
"I'm sorry, Kurt. If I hadn't broken the jewel in the first place then none of this would have happened. It's all my fault."
"No, it's not your fault, Kagome," Kitty says from behind them, "The jewel breaking was an accident. And you didn't make Mesmero go to the past to get the jewel either. None of this is your fault."
Kitty hugs Kagome.
"I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean to make you feel responsible. Kitty is right. It's not your fault."
"Thanks, guys."

Scott knocks on Jean's door and a muffled "come in" is his reply. He opens the door and steps into the room, closing it behind him. Jean looks up at him from her sitting position at the foot of her bed. Tissues are piled up in a trash can by her side and her eyes are puffy and red. Scott covers the length of space between them in no time and comfort her in a warm embrace. Jean sobs and clutches onto him.
"Oh, Scott. I just can't believe this happened."
"It's all right, Jean. It'll be all right. I promise we'll put a stop to this."
"What if we can't, Scott? He's too powerful!"
"Don't think like that!" he snaps, then whispers, "Don't think like that...we'll become stronger. Sesshomaru is holding training sessions in the danger room. It'll help all of us, Jean. It won't be easy...but I think with his and InuYasha and Kagome's help, we can defeat Apocalypse."
Scott smoothes a stray strand of hair from her cheek and presses his forehead to hers.
"Oh, I hope you're right, Scott. I really do," she responds.
She gasps as he tilts her head up toward his and kisses her softly on the lips. He then stands up with a small smile and leaves the room. Jean touches her lips in wonder and laughs lightly.
"Of all the times to kiss me, Scott Summers. When I look my worst!"

InuYasha sits in a sturdy tree behind the institute. He turns when he hears the crunching of leaves and twigs. His nose alerts him to Kagome's arrival before his eyes do.
"InuYasha," Kagome calls, quietly.
"Kagome," he replies, holding out a hand for her.
Kagome takes the hand and he pulls her up to sit in front of him. She blushes at her place between his thighs.
"Kagome, earlier today...when Sesshomaru lost Storm.... It made me think about how I would feel if I lost you."
"InuYasha..."
"Please, let me continue. It was worse than the time you foolishly tried to fight against Sesshomaru. I was scared, Kagome. I was scared that I would lose you again. I can't stand feeling this way, so helpless. Kagome, I can't stop you from fighting against Apocalypse. I know that. Only you have the power to call upon the jewel and defeat him according to Kaede's vision. But I..."
"InuYasha," Kagome whispers, turning to look at him, "I'll be fine. I have you to protect me. And I trust you with my life."
InuYasha looks at Kagome intensely, his amber orbs clashing against her sapphire. Kagome smiles and turns around completely, straddling the branch.
"You trust me that much?"
"Yes," she replies, with no hesitation, "If I didn't trust you, how could I love you?"
InuYasha smirks.
"Because I'm so devilishly handsome?"
Kagome playfully slaps his chest and InuYasha grabs her hand, holding it there. He leans forward and kisses her soundly on the lips.
"Remember you promised to stay by my side forever, Kagome. Don't you dare break that promise."
"I won't."