Remember Me

--Dog Demon language--


Chapter 26

It was a long, strenuous battle. Although demons did not need much rest like humans. The battle was beginning to take a toll on their bodies. It would seem like every time they got close to the vile demon something would happen, and they ended up being thrown across the battlefield. "Wind Scar!" yelled Inuyasha, but his attack still had no effect against the dragon. A tentacle snaked out wrapping around Inuyasha's leg and slammed the hanyou face first against the ground once, twice, three times. He was about to slammed Inuyasha into the ground again when Sesshoamru sunk his fangs into the thick flesh freeing his mate from the appendage.

Inuyasha was sore and battered all over. His breathing was heavy and sweat covered his face. Sesshoamru closed his fangs onto the back of Inuyasha's haori and carried his mate out of the battle. --Stay here,-- came a gruff rumble from deep within the white dog's throat.

"No, wait. . . I can . . . still fight," Inuyasha said panting.

--You're tired. Rest first and then you can join the battle.-- Then Sesshomaru turned and rejoined the fight. Jaken scurried over with a bucket of water. Reaching the hanyou a cup of water, Inuyasha drunk the cool liquid greedily. Exhaling, he leaned over the bucket and dashed some of the water into his face. Staring at the raging battle, the hanyou released a deep breath. Inuyasha shook his head sighing heavily. "This is not good." He also glanced around at the injured being taken care of by healers.

"What was that Kumo?" asked Zaine as he and Ashanta sat next to him panting. He and his brother watched the battle. Sango was on the back of Kilala attacking Naraku with her Hiraikostu. The large boomerang cut through the tentacles with ease and returned to her hand. Miroku used his staff and sutras to destroy as many of the writhing tentacles as he could. Even little Shippo, who use to be a cry baby, was holding his own agaist Naraku's violent assault.

"We have been fighting Naraku for three days nonstop and still he has shown no weaknesses." He watched as other soldiers removed the injured from the battlefield. "We are getting tired with each passing day. The humans had started weakening on day one. Their bodies could only take so much. It's only because some of them are battle harden warriors that they are still out their. Now, as time goes on, the demons are starting to feel the fatigue of battle. I don't know how much longer we will be able to keep this up." Then he lowered his head. "Then there is father. He is gone for good this time."

“No, he isn't,” said the Dragon Father coming to settle beside them.

“What do you mean?” asked Inuyasha turning to the dragon.

“Unlike Ryuukotsusei who was in several pieces, your father was still alive and unharmed. You may still be able to save him if you can separate him from that flesh.”

“But how am I suppose to do that?” The hanyou lowered his head again. It was hopeless. He will never see his father again. The fates were indeed cruel to the young demon. He has been separated from his family for so long, and now, his father has been taken from him.

Inuyasha stared up at the battle scene again. He felt his heart sink further into despair as he watched his brother and Ngbaka cut off the tentacles. But with every limb they cut off a new one would grow back. Even Miroku, with his powerful wind tunnel could do nothing since those poisonous insects fluttered close to Naraku. Sango and the others tried to kill the insects, but it seems that more keeps appearing. In short, the wind tunnel was useless to them in this fight. What made the situation worse was the fact that in his new form, Naraku didn’t even have to put up a barrier to protect himself. It was beginning to look as though Naraku was right. He was invincible.

xxxxx

Naraku watched in amusement as his enemies tried everything in their measly powers to try and kill him. He admit that they have put up an impressive battle even though they haven't injured him in any shape, form or fashion. He could see the frustration marring their faces as his tentacles would regrow every time they hacked one off. They were beginning to tire and soon, they would be of no real threat to him. He would be able to kill them at his leisure. His army of demons had long since been dispatched. However, Naraku did not care. They were expendable. They were just low level demons he gathered. They served their purpose and now, he no longer needed such weak trash around him. To show how loyal he was to his own army, half of them were killed by Naraku himself. In his lust to destroy, he lashed out at every living thing on the battlefield. Ally or enemy, he did not care. All that mattered was that he would destroy all those who dared to oppose him.

He watched the dog demon lord carry his little brother away from the battle. The smirk became a broad smile as he stared after them. His black heart filled with glee as he remembered the look on the Hanyou’s face when he tried using his infamous Backlash Wave against him. The expression on the half breed, and everyone faces was priceless as the attack did nothing to him. It was in fact the power of the Shikon Jewel that saved him, but his enemies don’t need to know that.

He watched the older demon returned and attacked again. This time he changed back into his human form and began to attack him with his sword. Releasing the fury of his Medusa’s Touch, the attack turned several of the tentacles to stone. Thinking they may have a chance now, everyone moved in to attack. Suddenly cracks began to run the length of the tentacles until the writhing appendages broke free of the stone casings. He felt nothing from an attack that would have killed any other demon. But not him, he was invincible. He was a god among demons. There was no one left that could stand against him. Naraku narrowed his eyes as he watched the Ethiopian Dragon speak to the hanyou. Soon he scoffed and pushed any thoughts he had that the dragon could hurt him. He had absorbed the great fire dragon Ryuukotsusei. There was nothing the Earth Dragon could do that could harm him. Once Japan was his, he would spread his evil across the globe ruling the world. Then humans and demons would worship him as the one and only god. His laughter echoed in his head at the thought.

xxxxx

"We should be doing something," said Inuyasha getting to his feet.

"What ails you brother?" asked Zaine standing next to the hanyou.

"This battle is taking too long, and everyone's getting tired." He clutched his hands into fists at his sides. Blood trickled between his fingers as his claws slashed his palms. "He's too strong. We need more power, but I just don't know what to do."

"Kumo. Your brother's sword," said Sethos scowling at the weapon. "Why does it pulse at his side?"

"It wishes to be drawn," said a crackling voice behind them. Everyone jumped with a start and turned to see the ancient sword smith, Totosai standing behind them.

"Hey, ya crazy old goat, don't sneak up on us like that," shriek Inuyasha raising his fist and striking the old man on the top of his head.

“Calm yourself Kumo,” said the Dragon Father. “Who might this be?”

“This is the sword smith Totosai.” The hanyou grumbled.

“He is the one who forged Kumo and his brother's sword from the fang of their father,” said Ashanta. Just then Rin and Shirow walked over to join them. Her left wrist was wrapped in a bandage. While Shirow's right eye was wrapped in a blood soaked bandage.

"How's your eye?" asked Inuyasha.

"I'm fine," said Shirow smiling at the young demon. "It's not like I won't get my sight back. It will just be a century or so."

"Now, you said something about his brother's sword wanting to be drawn," said Sethos returning to his question.

"I did?" the sword smith asked absentmindedly scratching the top of his head.

"Dammit Totosai, this is not the time for your foolishness," growled Inuyasha. "We have to save father and stop Naraku before we loose everyone."

"Oh yeah, as I said the sword wants to be drawn."

"Why?" asked Zaine. "According to what we were told about it, the sword can't kill."

"No, it can't, but it can free entrapped souls as well as revive the dead." The old sword smith scowled. "Wait, what do you mean save your father?"

"You crazy old coot!" snapped the hanyou. "Father was absorbed into Naraku's body."

"WHAT!" screamed the old man in horror He fell to the ground on his knees mourning his friend.

"So, that's why his presence makes my skin crawl," said Ashanta scowling and not paying any attention to the sword smith's hysterics. "He has trapped souls inside of him. Hmmmm." She was deep in thought and turned away from them.

"What's with your sister?" asked Rin staring after the demoness.

"She's the thinker in our group," said Zaine.

Inuyasha snorted. "Ha, if you call blowing up in a fit of rage thinking."

"Come on Kumo, you know that's only half true." Zaine nudged his dog brother in the side and turned back to Rin. "See, in our Pride the females are the ones that does the hunting and as you may know. You must be intelligent and cunning to catch a prey that maybe stronger or faster than you."

"I see." Zaine wasn't quite sure if the human indeed understood, but he said nothing as he turned his attention back to Inuyasha. "So Kumo, you think that attack, the Backlash Wave, would stop Naraku?”

"Actually, I’ve already tried the backlash, but it did nothing to him," said Inuyasha watching the battle. "What we need is more power." Inuyasha glanced back to see Ashanta talking with the Dragon Father. She didn't seem to be hurt to bad. She had several slashes on the sleeve of her tunic and two was across her chest. Blood stained the tunic where the cuts were, but they had long sinced healed.


The dragon's head snapped up as he stared at the demoness. “Are you sure about this? What you want to do is dangerous,” whispered the dragon lowering his head close to the feline.

“It's the only way,” said Ashanta.

"What is it?" Inuyasha turned stomping over to join them. Zaine and the others followed as well.

"Give me your sword." Ashanta walked up to him and reached for his sword.

Inuyasha place a hand on the hilt and took a step back. "Sorry sis, no demon can touch this sword. Father and I are the only ones that can touch it."

"Actually humans can touch it, but only you and your father can get the sword to work," said Totosai scratching the side of his nose forgetting his pain. At the mentioning of Inutaisho's name, the sword smith went into another fit of hysterics.

"I see. Well, hold it out."

Inuyasha did as she asked. He unsheathed tetsusaiga, and the dull ancient looking sword immediatedly transformed into a gleeming fang. The sword began to pulse with an eerie glow. Ashanta removed the crystal dagger from her pouch and touched the tip of the blade to the pulsating fang.

“What’s happening?” asked Rin scowling at the strange reaction tetsusaiga had to the crystal dagger.

“This dagger is made from a crystal that comes from the heart of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is called Adamant. It is the hardest substance in the world. It is even harder than diamonds. It is said that centuries ago the fire spirit gave this dagger to my ancestor because she saved one of its children. Suddenly tetsusaiga began to absorb the crystal dagger into itself.

"What did you do sister?" asked Zaine staring in awe. With each pulse, the blade went from silver to red.

"I’m preparing the sword for its final evolutionary change."

"What?" Everyone stared at the demoness in shock.

"Just call everyone back," said Ashanta. She raised her head and roared into the wind. Her roar reached her brother's ear. The demon scowled in irritation at his sister, but he called back the lions.

Inuyasha followed her example and released an earsplitting howl. However Sesshoamru was not going to stop. Not until Naraku was dead.

"That jackass!" snapped Inuyasha. However, he had nothing to worry about. Ngbaka grabbed the angry dog demon around his waist and forcefully pulled him away from the battlefield. He quickly ordered everyone to leave the field as well.

"Unhand me, you dirty cat," growled Sesshoamru.

Ngbaka dropped the angry dog demon ungraciously to the ground and snorted. "Your mate called for you and you ignored him. Pathetic." Then he turned to his siblings and waited to see why they called for them to retreat. Sesshoamru stood glaring at the lion demon.

"Are you two finished?" asked Zaine. "Because if you are, we can now go about defeating Naraku."

Both demon arched a brow and waited for someone to speak. Inuyasha shivered at the similarity between his Sesshoamru and Ngbaka.

"Anyway, I was telling Kumo that I maybe able to boost the power of his sword so that we can defeat this Naraku once and for all," said Ashanta. "I have a plan."

"What about our father," spoke up Sesshoamru.

"Don't worry. If what the sword smith told us about your sword is true. You will be able to save him." Ashanta looked at everyone. "Now, according to the old man, he said your sword, Tenseiga can also free trapped souls. I'm guessing that if you used that sword it will free the souls Naraku has absorbed and weaken him. Since your father was still alive and in one piece when he was absorbed. I think your father is still alive somewhere in that mound of flesh. He should be easy for you to locate once Naraku has been weakened. I'm pretty sure once he feels Naraku’s hold on him loosening, he will begin fighting his way out."

"How can you be sure?" asked Rin. She looked at Sesshoamru with apologetic eyes and continued. "It's been three days. He may have already been digested."

"Because in our travels we have come across demons that can absorb others into it gaining the strength of the other. It is instantaneous if the victim is hurt, but if the victim is still whole and alive. It usually takes a while depending on how powerful the demon is."

"So, how long?" asked Ngbaka.

"I was able to sense that your father is truly a very powerful demon," said the Dragon Father. "I estimate that you have atleast another day before he is completely absorded into Naraku."

"Then I suggest we try this plan of yours fast," said Sesshoamru.

"Wait, I heard the Dragon Father say that it is dangerous," said Inuyasha.

“Is that true sister?” asked Zaine frowning.

"Doesn't matter." She turned to stare at her mate. She sensed his anger radiating from him at her uncaring words. "I know what you are thinking, but if we don't stop him now. There will be no future for any of us."

“Dammit, you better come back to me.” Sethos pulled his mate into his arms and kissed her soft lips before letting her go.

"Get ready Kumo," she said while still looking into the beautiful amethyst colored eyes of her mate. "The rest of you stand back." She turned and leaped onto the lowered head of the Dragon Father. "Everyone here is on the verge of collapsing. It's time we ended this brother."

"Right," said Inuyasha nodding his head once in agreement.

xxxxx

Naraku watched as the demons and humans retreated and gathered around the hanyou and his friends. They were planning something. He knew he could not take the hanyou for granted or his cat allies. They were very cunning and powerful. As were the dragons. But that did not matter. He was the strongest demon in Japan. No one could stand against him. He smirked. So let them come against him with their useless plan. It will gain them nothing except a quick and painless death. Or maybe he would make it slow and painful. It was so hard to decide.

Naraku watched with interest as the female demon jumped onto the head of the dragon. Then it flew up into the sky.

xxxxx

The Dragon Father spread his mighty wings and took the sky. The other dragons surrounded the ancient dragon. They were like an angry black cloud spiraling in the sky.

"Everyone get back to the safety of the forest!" yelled Sesshoamru. The injured was carried quickly into the woods.

"You guys should go also," said Inuyasha.

"Not going to happen," said Miroku.

"We have been separated long enough," said Shippo coming to stand beside his friend.

"Sorry Kumo, seems you have lost this round," chuckled Zaine.

"Well, at least back off a ways," said an irritated hanyou.

"You should prepare yourself to strike Sesshoamru," said Sethos. Sesshoamru clutched the hilt of Tenseiga. He could feel its power shoot up his arm filling him with power.

Suddenly Ashanta's voice split the still as her voice rolled like thunder around everyone. They all looked up as a shimmering white aura surrounded the demon like a crystal.

"I, Ashanta, daughter to King Mugabe, descendant of the Sorceress Shayla invoke the summoning of power. I call forth the four spirits of nature to come to my aid." Then the aura changed from a shimmering white to dirt brown. Ashanta’s skin took on the color of the aura. If Inuyasha didn't know better, he would have sworn that it was just a pile of dirt sculpted in the form of his sister. "I am Chikyuu, the spirit of Earth," said the gravelly voice. Everyone was shocked at the change of voice. Raising her hand a ball of energy appeared hovering over her palm above her head. "I hold the power of strength. My power shall solidify you and make you strong in the face of your enemy."

The aura changed from brown back to white as an unnatural wind rose around the lioness making her cape and long braided hair snap in the breeze. The beads on the delicate braids broke apart, and the braids began to fall loose. Once the last braid was undone, her hair billowed out around her like a black curtain.

"I am Kaze, the spirit of wind. I hold the power of immovability. My power shall chip away at the hardness of your enemy," said the wispy whisper of her voice. The energy ball became bigger.

The aura changed again from white to a deep blue green. She opened her eyes and they were as blue as the ocean. "I am Happousuru, the spirit of Water. I hold the power of fluidity. My power shall flow and surge to overwhelm the senses of your enemy." Her voice was hollow and bubbly. Inuyasha realized that her voice sounded like his mermaid friends while underwater. Once again, the energy ball became bigger.

Suddenly the sky turned dark, and it wasn't because of the dragons. An eerie silence fell over the western land as Ashanta prepared to call forth the final spirit. Just then her entire form burst into flames. Then the energy ball in her hand swelled up until it was the size of a large boulder.

Inuyasha gasped in horror as he watched his sister burn before his eyes. What really shocked him was the fact that she wasn't burning as one might think. It was as though the flames was a natural part of her being. Inuyasha shivered at hearing her voice. With the others it was deep and gravelly for the earth, soft like a whisper for the wind, and wet and trembly for water. But the voice of fire invoked such fear in the hanyou that he could sense the destruction in the voice.

"I am Mizu, the spirit of Fire. I hold the power of destruction in my hand. My flames shall engulf and lay waste to all your enemies until nothing remains in your path."

"We are the spirits of earth, wind, water and fire." The aura around the demoness was blinding. She was like a tiny sun on the top of the Dragon Father's head.

"Kumo! Prepare yourself," said the Dragon Father.

"Prince Inuyasha we the spirits of earth, wind, water and fire have deemed you worthy and grant you our powers." Thrusting her hands towards the hanyou, the huge ball of power streaked towards him like a blazing comet to engulf Inuyasha. Inuyasha howled in pain. "We give to you prince, the Adamant Barrage!"

"Go Sesshoamru!" yelled Zaine.

Sesshomaru was torn between going to his mate and going through with the plan. The hanyou was in so much pain. He could not leave him.

"Go!" yelled Ngbaka stepping in front of the dog demon when he would have went to his mate. Sesshomaru growled in anger at the feline that was stopping him from going to his brother. "If you do not follow your part of the plan his suffering would have been for nothing."

Sesshoamru snarled showing his sharp fangs and taking a finally look at his mate. He turned to face Naraku. Drawing Tenseiga, the young dog demon lord lunged at the evil demon. Dodging the writhing tentacles that sought to stop him, Sesshomaru sliced Naraku across the chest with Tenseiga. Although the sword did not harm him physically it did do what they wanted it to do.