InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Under a Crimson Sky ❯ Fated Reunion ( Chapter 15 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Fated Reunion

Her heart throbbed violently in her chest. Letting one hand off the hilt of her sword, she motioned for Kohaku to go and hide, never letting her gaze sway. In one swift movement Inu-Yasha brought Kikyou to the ground, standing behind her to watch as was instructed of him earlier. Kohaku hid himself inside the shrine, barely escaping a stray arrow as he stumbled through the entrance. He touched his right ear gingerly and gasped as he felt something warm and wet.

“This hour will be your last, filth!” screeched Kikyou as she released a rapid fire of arrows at the seemingly calm dragon hanyou. Shiroi breathed in deep and closed her eyes as her sword moved. Like an extension of her arm, she gracefully sliced it through the air, toying with the woman before her. Panic flashed in Kikyou's eyes as she watched her skilled adversary deflect every arrow in blur-like movements. Exhaling, Shiroi opened her cobalt blue eyes and advanced towards her enemy, ready to administer the fatal blow.

She knows my long range weapon is no match for her; I'm open for attack… Kikyou furiously looked side to side for a chance to escape and winced as steel met steel. She slowly opened her eyes, her back pressed tight against the bark of a tree, andgasped when she saw Inu-Yasha and Shiroi's katanas matching blow for blow.

“Your movements are ugly inu hanyou, you should retreat with your miko now before your chances worsen.” Warned Shiroi as Inu-Yasha back stepped from her attack.

Inu-Yasha said nothing, his golden lifeless eyes gazing right through the hanyou miko whose polished attacks were gaining the upper hand by the second. Sensing an opening, Shiroi sliced the muscle of his right forearm in an attempt to disable his ability to use the sword.

“I do not believe in unnecessary deaths, even amongst my enemies. Leave now while there is an opening to do so.” Her lustrous silver hair fluttered in the wind, an edifice of beauty.

Inu-Yasha closed his eyes and took stance, unaffected by the laceration to his arm he raised his sword and began mouthing those three fated words. “Kaze…” Her eyes dilated and widened in fear as she leapt backwards, feeling a change in air pressure. Aided by her spiritual power, she concentrated her eyesight and watched as swirls of blue wind collided between her and her foe.

This pressure…such power…I must… Shiroi ran towards the woods looking backward periodically, hoping that whatever was to come would be aimed for her, missing the shrine and the boy inside.

“no…Kiz….”

His attack was halted as his hands abruptly left the hilt of the tetsaiga. A massive bone boomerang whizzed overhead, returning to its user. Sango leapt off of Kirara before her paws met the earth and ran towards the fray, Miroku following close behind. Wasting no time, Inu-Yasha spotted the tetsaiga pierced in the bark of a tree and ran towards it. Sango blasted her way through the opposing foliage attempting to catch up with the retreating hanyou, Miroku flat on her heels.

Her long slender legs pumped vigorously as Shiroi fled towards the trees. She somersaulted to her left, missing another arrow, its spiritual density racking a deep trail in the earth as it passed. A second arrow followed and pierced her in the shoulder, its bloodied end sticking out of her chest. She grasped the arrow head as if trying to prove to herself that it wasn't an illusion.

I am hit, impossible! She whipped her body around face her assailant; a rush of rage flooded her eyes as she ran to attack. Sapping up the last of her strength, Kikyou summoned her spiritual power and focused it in her next arrow, unleashing it as Shiroi neared. The hanyou miko dodged the projectile and rolled to the ground, the sheer force of the arrow knocking the blade out of her hand as it streaked by, rendering her helpless. She lay on the ground, squeezing her eyes shut in agony as Kikyou, confident that she had won, stalked towards her. Still clutching the arrow protruding from her chest Shiroi attempted to rise; shock rolling through her in waves when she learned her body wouldn't answer her pleas.

“Pitiful.” Kikyou scoffed as she reached her hand into the inner folds of her shirt to retrieve a dagger and laughed when shedangled it over Shiroi's smooth forehead. Kikyou knelt beside the dragon hanyou's fallen form and with two hands, raised her arms to plunge the dagger into the woman who was once an ally. Shiroi let go of the arrow, stared into the heavens and peacefully sighed, her calm demeanor further enraging her executioner who expected her to be gripped in fear.

The dagger stopped in mid air, a hair's breadth from Shiroi's forehead. Kikyou dropped the dagger, its deadly point pierced into the earth beside Shiroi's temple. Hunched over, Kikyou slowly raised her arm to reach behind her. A scythe was embedded in her right shoulder; its user panted heavily as it was mercilessly yanked it out. Regaining control, Shiroi jerked her head to the side to see Kohaku readying himself for another attack, anger seething in his eyes.

Gasping for breath, Miroku clutched his arm in agony as he lay bleeding at the base of a maple tree, it's blood red leaves slowly sailing to the earth around him. He reached for an ofuda in vain, they were scattered about him, to far out of reach. Sango…I can help you no longer… his eyes flickered before they rolled back into his head.

“HIRAIKOTSU!” Screamed Sango, losing her breath as blood and sweat dripped into her hazel brown eyes. Inu-Yasha easily side stepped the demonic weapon and wildly swung his sword at Sango who met his blade with her own as Hiraikotsu hadn't returned yet.Bodies and metalmeshed with one another, so close that their warm breath could be felt on eachother's skin. Their katana's flashed, reflecting in the afternoon sun.

Kirara mewed mournfully as the deadly danced ensued, unable to get up. Shippou feverishly held his tiny vest to her side, trying to stop the bleeding from a wound received earlier by the tetsaiga.

Sango tore at Inu-Yasha with a vegence, angered at his betrayal to Kagome and enragedfor what he had done to Miroku and Kirara. Her eyes became cloudy with sweat and blood, her arms burning furiously with each passing moment. Inu-Yasha sneered as he gained the upper hand, before long Sango tired, her movements becoming sloppy as she strived to defend herself and her friends.

“You're leaving yourself open Sango, aren't you supposed to be this mighty demon slayer?” snickered Inu-Yasha as he circled her form, timing his next attack.

“Before this day is done, you'll be dead. Even if I have to kill you with my bare hands you self righteous bastard!” cried Sango as her step faltered and she stumbled over a root.

Finding his opportunity Inu-Yasha dropped his sword and snickered, “Bare hands? Keh!” Sango's jaw popped from a swift uppercut and she fell back leaning on a tree for support. Inu-Yasha stalked towards her, enraged by her impudence and relishing her defeat. His nose twitched as Kikyou's blood drenched the air in its unmistakable scent and rushed towards her. Watching him flee, Sango ran to Miroku's side, breathing a sigh of relief when she realized his wound wasn't fatal. Hastily, she fastened a makeshift tourniquet to his arm and left to tend to Kirara's wounds. Shippou cried in relief, tiny tears glistening down his face as Sango neared.

“Sango! You're alright!”

“Hai, I'm fine Shippou. Why don't you keep Miroku company over there while I see to Kirara?” Shippou nodded briskly in reply and dashed towards him.

Sango gently rolled Kirara over to view the damage to her underside and gasped from what she saw. There was a laceration so deep that Kirara's innards nearly gushed out. Sango raised her head and screamed till her lungs were about to burst.

Damn him! That fucking monster! I can't do this on my own, I need a healer…

Inu-Yasha's face paled at the site he beheld. Kikyou lay on the ground, a panting, freckled adolescent standing above her who was about to slash her throat with his scythe. Inu-Yasha swipped the boyout of the wayand wrapped his haori around Kikyou, gingerly scooping her into his arms.

Kikyou clutched his white undershirt weakly and whispered, “Matte Inu-Yasha, first you must get the shard. It's hidden amongst the folds of her shirt.” He knelt to the ground, still holding Kikyou in his arms and brusquely shoved his searching hand into her shirt. Shiroi made no effort to move, she knew it was lost cause to challenge him now after losing so much blood. Without a moment's glance Inu-Yasha wrapped Kikyou's hand around the small sage colored bag and leaped into the trees, intent on reaching Naraku's castle in time to save her.

Dazed, Kohaku held his head and rose to help his master. He knelt by her side to her her strained words better.

“Go to the clearing in the woods, I sense beings there more wounded than me. Bring them back to the shrine, I'll be waiting.” Shiroi raised herself to the sitting position to meditate, honing the spiritual power within her.

Kohaku ran to the storehouse and extracted a large cotton cloth and ran to the clothesline behind the shrine. He pulled the Y shaped stakes out of the ground and chopped off the ends. Aided by his scythe, he hasilty cut long strips of cotton cloth and sliced holes into the remaining sheet on the long ends. Threading the strips through the sheet, he tied them securely to the smooth poles, making a crude stretcher. He silently cursed aloud for wrecking his master's clothesline but found no other solution as he hadn't enough to time to cut two trees down and clear the branches off. He promised himself that he would replace it once everything settled down.

Mindful of the cotton sheet, he raised the stretcher over his head and rushed to the clearing, unsure of what he was about to see. Sango's gaze shifted as he neared and her eyes instantaneously filled with tears.

“Kohaku?”

A/N: What's the verdict? R & R if you please! XD

Ja ne,

everybody-loves-ramen