InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lavender and Roses ❯ The Death of a Guardian and the Rise of a Demon ( Chapter 8 )

The Past Unresolved and Promises Made! Part 2! Enjoy! Note: I am going away in 9 days and I'll be gone for a week so I won't update for a little while. I also have volleyball conditioning and a clinic coming up so I'll be kinda tied up. I'll review as much as possible. Read and Review!

Lavender and Roses

By: Rini

Chapter 8: The Death of a Guardian and the Rise of a Demon

Arioch took a deep breath before continuing her story.

"Kira returned the next night to the demon, whose name she learned was Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru was cold and uncaring at first, but Kira's persistance and warm nature got him to loosen up. They spent many nights together out in the glen where they first met. Sesshomaru, though he would never admit it, was fond of the girl. And Kira, well, she just fell deeper in love. "

Flashback

Kira laid down on the grass with her hands behind her head.

"Don't you ever wonder Sesshomaru?" Kira said softly.

"Wonder what?" Sesshomaru asked from his normal spot away from her against a tree.

"What lies out there, beyond this place."

"I have seen the world. It is no great treasure."

"I don't mean this world," Kira said as she stood up.

She walked over to Sesshomaru and sat down on his lap. She took his hand in her own and held it out, pointing it towards the moon and the stars. Sesshomaru looked at her oddly and pulled his hand back to rest at his side.

"I wouldn't mind to see the moon. I could look at it forever," Kira said dreamily.

"I wouldn't. I'm much content to stay here in this forest."

Kira turned around and looked at him. Her eyes softened and she rested her head against his soft chest. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her petite waist and held her tighter to him. Kira sighed contentedly on his lap and Sesshomaru lightly rested his head on top of her hair.

"Will you return here tomorrow night Sesshomaru?"

"That is a useless question. I always return here."

Kira sighed and shifted in his arms.

"But sometimes," then she stopped herself.

Sesshomaru turned her to face him, "What?"

"Sometimes I worry that one day you'll stop coming to this forest and grow tired of a worthless human, as you say. I worry that one day I'll be forced to stare at the moon alone and cold and wonder whatever happened to the demon that-," she stopped herself before she said anything further.

Sesshomaru grabbed her chin and turned her head up. He was frightened when he saw tears pooling in her eyes and the look of deep pain mar her features.

"Say it," he said.

"I'll wonder to what happened to the demon that forever has my heart."

Sesshomaru pulled Kira closer on his lap and kissed her lips softly. Kira pulled away and Sesshomaru smelled the scent of salt from her tears.

Sesshomaru held her tightly against his chest as her tears wet his kimono.

"And should that ever happen, this Sesshomaru, will forever be in torment over the human that holds his heart in the palm of her hand."

Kira shot her head up, but Sesshomaru kissed her lightly again.

End Flashback

"It was with those declarations that neither of them stayed out of each other's arms. Whenever they sat together, Kira was always in his lap or at his side. Sesshomaru grew protective of her and would sometimes watch her during the day when she left to fight other demons in the forest. Those two fell into a deep love, a love bound to each other for all time.

Yet, if things stayed as simple as long nights watching the moon in each other's arms, this story wouldn't be told. "

Flashback

Terra, Flora, and Aqua stayed in their shrine as they heard Kira sneak off into the night again. It had been 7 months already since she first started to sneak off. The guardians knew of Sesshomaru in their forest, and they also knew of the love between the young guardian and demon.

"It is a shame that it must come down to this," Flora said sadly.

"It was a fate they both chose. We could not have stopped it," Terra said firmly.

"Still, I wish we could have done something," Aqua sighed.

"You know our laws. Though Kira is our sister, she is still mortal. We are not allowed to directly interfere with her decisions."

"Terra, we could have done something. Perhaps we could have slain Sesshomaru."

"Flora! We would have brought down the entire western lands upon us, besides a fierce war over territories!" Terra shouted.

"She would have been spared at least," Aqua said.

"Do not mistake me sisters. I love Kira as much as you do, but we can not weigh our selfish desires over those of the world. We are bound to our Fate. As she is bound to the one she makes," Terra said solemnly.

Aqua just sighed as Flora stood up and walked out of the shrine into the forest.

End Flashback

"The guardians knew of Sesshomaru and Kira's love. Yet, bound by laws, they could only watch. They could not interfere. It was drawing slowly closer. The night that changed everything. The night of the harvest moon. "

Flashback

"Kira, you have been with us for 3 years, almost 4. You have proven in that time that you are a brave, virtuous fighter. It is on this night that we grant you this gift," Aqua started.

"It is on this night, when our powers are at their peak," Flora continued.

"That you join us and give up your mortal life for the life as a true guardian, Celeste, the Guardian of the Moon and Stars," Terra finished.

Kira sighed in surprise. Her dream was coming true. She could be a real guardian. She would no longer be bound to mortality and could spend forever with Sesshomaru. It was his name that she realized the truth.

If she were to become a guardian, she could never leave the Sacred Forest. She would be forever bound to stay there. She could never leave with Sesshomaru like they had talked about briefly one night. She would never be able to love him, for his demonic blood would never mix with her pure blood. She would be forced to give up her love for him.

The girls watched the play of emotions cross her face and knew she had already chosen long ago. They felt it in their hearts.

Flora reached out and placed her hand on her shoulder, "He will not stay forever. It is doomed, my sister. It is dying rose in winter."

Kira backed away and looked at the girls with a new found fear and anger. They had known. They had known all along. They were going to keep her away from him now. They wanted her to become a guardian.

"No!" Kira shouted, "I will never let my love for him die! I can not forsake our bond. It is too great. He is a part of my heart and soul!"

With that Kira turned and ran, the sounds of her sisters calling out for her to return.

End Flashback

"Kira refused them and feared for Sesshomaru. She knew that it was time they left the Sacred Forest and make a home for themselves. She fled to the one place she knew she could find him, the glen where they first met. "

Flashback

Kira was tired and sore and crying. She ran through the branches and dashed into the open of the glen. She looked around for her love, but saw him no where. Her heart felt heavy and a cold chill ran down her back.

Kira slowly turned around and saw dark amber eyes stare into her very being. The figure walked out and revealed Sesshomaru. His eyes held no love and no feeling as he took slow steps towards her.

Kira shook in fear of what he had become and backed into a tree. When he came close enough, Kira drew out her sword and held it at his throat.

"Don't take another step my love," Kira choked out between tears.

Sesshomaru quickly bat away her sword, which flew to the other side, "And what will you do if I should? Kill me? You are worthless. You have no courage."

Kira ducked away from his grasp and grasped her sword. Sesshomaru drew his and attacked her fiercely. Kira tried all she could to just protect herself. She knew she could never harm him, no matter happened between them. Sesshomaru fought with a vigor she had never seen.

It only took a few minutes before Sesshomaru knocked her sword away from her again. He slammed her back into a tree and willed his energy whip to bind her to a massive oak. Kira tried to move, but only sobs erupted from her throat.

Sesshomaru walked close to her and, barely a breath away, muttered, " I defeated you. You're life had been forfeit long enough. I come to claim my prize."

Kira felt her eyes burn and stared up at him with love shining, " I shall never die by your hands, Sesshomaru. You may tear this body, but my soul will never allow you to walk away and rest. I curse you, my love. My soul shall never rest until it has spilled your blood."

Kira reached out and kissed Sesshomaru passionately and pulled away from him, hate flaring to life in her violet eyes. Sesshomaru stepped close to her and rammed his sword into her abdomen. Kira's head fell onto his shoulder as she gasped out in pain.

"My love will never die," she whispered before she died.

End Flashback

"Sesshomaru, with deep hatred, killed her and pinned her to the tree as she spoke her last words on his shoulder. He willed his whip to disappear and her body fell lifeless against him. He picked her up and laid her down on the ground and placed the bloodied sword at her side and put her hands clasped above her wound. He felt the guardians approaching and quickly fled into the night. "

Flashback

Aqua fell to her knees as she saw her fellow sister dead and pale on the ground. Flora quickly dropped down at her side and embraced her as they bought shed tears. Terra walked over to her friend and held her cold hand.

"You know what we must do," Terra said slowly.

Flora and Aqua both stood up and walked to Kira's side.

"She will never find peace bound here by so much hate."

"Then we shall free her soul and let her find peace on this earth."

Each girl held their hands together in a circle around Kira's body. Suddenly, bright white lights appeared above her body and floated above in the air. It whirled around each girl before resting above Kira's body once more.

Aqua reached out and grasped the lights in her hands.

"We must hurry. Her soul won't stay in this world much longer before it makes its trip to the other side."

The sisters all raced back to the shrine. When they arrived there, Aqua waded out into the pond by the shrine and placed the soul in the center. She backed away by her sisters at the edge, holding hands forming a line together.

"On this night," Aqua began.

"With the harvest moon as our witness, "Flora continued,

"We give our lives to save one of the innocents," Terra finished.

"Spirit of Water!"

A ring of water formed around the soul.

"Spirit of Life!"

A ring of flower petals formed around the soul.

"Spirit of Earth!"

A ring of dirt and stone formed a circle with the other two.

"We give our lives to give life to another!" the girls said together.

The three circles glowed bright and enveloped the soul, bursting into a bright silver light. The soul drifted down to Aqua and she held it gently in her hands. The girls, losing the light they always held, slowly walked back to the shore and collaspsed on the ground.

From the forest, a beautiful reddish fox demon and light ivory cat demon ran to the aide of the 3 girls.

Terra reached out and pet the fox and cat, " Our friends, Yue and Megumi. You have come in time I see."

"Terra," the fox, Yue, said softly.

"You two must watch over the forest now. You must protect her life and guide her in love and war, "Terra said.

"She must know what it feels to have a family and something to fight for," Aqua replied.

"Then, on her 21st birthday, her memories will return and she will complete her quest for death and peace," Flora finished.

"We will protect her as our own daughter," Megumi purred.

"Tell her to come here on her 21st birthday. She will find out last gift to our sister," Terra spoke.

Suddenly, the girls glowed red, green, and blue and turned into orbs of light.

"Take care," the soft whisper from them said.

The three lights faded away and the shrine disappeared around the two demons. All that remained of the scene, was a bright silver orb of light. The light flowed for a few seconds, but then drifted off to Megumi and entered her body. She laid down on the ground and her husband went to her aid.

"I can feel it my love," Megumi said, "I feel our daughter inside."

End Flashback

"Kira was betrayed and killed by her true love, Sesshomaru. The sisters saw her Fate before she had even chosen. Kira cursed Sesshomaru with her last breath and died with anger and malice in her heart, forbidding her to ever rest.

The Guardians went to her side and preserved her soul before they gave their powers to her at the shrine so she may live again. The sisters gave their powers to Kira and she was given a new soul, added with her old one, and was granted a new life. The sisters gave it to their trusted demon friends who had watched and protected the forest with them.

It was this last act that gave birth to a new demon. This demon was born to Yue and Megumi. It was a daughter named Arioch. I was the demon born from the soul of a human and the powers of the Guardians of the Sacred Forest.

I grew up happy and peaceful with my family. I knew not of war and lost. Once my 21st birthday came, along with the harvest moon, I had Kira's memories return to me. I learned of the hate and love and loss experienced by her. I returned to the place where the shrine once stood. It appeared before me again.

I walked inside and saw there a beautiful kimono decorated with stars and colored with the shades of the night sky and the moon, the one I wear today. I also found my whip, The Jewel of the Moon, and took it in my hands. I felt the spirit of my sisters in it and knew it was the last gift they would give me. It was all I needed.

I vowed as I bid farewell to that forest. I vowed I would never die until I had killed Sesshomaru and made him pay for his sins. I knew I had to make him repent. Kira's soul will not rest until I have slain him. Therefore, my body will not die nor my soul depart until I have. Kira's soul refuses it to.

I am left here now as a wanderer. I have slain the innocent and murdered the wicked in my search for Sesshomaru. I have become known as Shadow Moon, for it is the moon that gives me strength. It has been 47 years since Kira died and Arioch was born. I have looked for 26 years to find him. And it seemed he slipped my grasp once again, like 47 years ago."

Arioch tilted her head back.

< But he shall not slip by for long. He has found me once again, and his love for me won't allow him to ignore me for long. I wait for you, my love, Sesshomaru. >