Dry Your Eyes [4/? | R]

[Leia Avenrose]

<center>Disclaimer: I don?t own Inuyasha. Although, we all know which characters I own. Oh yeah, that?s right. I own the evil, creepy?And now a word from our sponsor?
Dedication: Solely to Mellie and Ice Princess; lyrics from Linkin Park - From the Inside, how I bow to their angsty music..

{Chapter One}
{Chapter Two}
{Chapter Three}



Dry Your Eyes
By: Leia Avenrose
Rating: Pg-13/R



Chapter Four
Take everything from the inside,
And throw it all away,
?Cause I swear for the last time;
I won?t trust myself with you</center>

?Get up, please. Hurry, before they return!? She tugged weakly at his arm, gritting her teeth against the pain that numbed her lower torso. His clothing had been torn in many places, the red and white cloth hanging off his broad shoulders by mere threads. ?Get up!? her voice rose frantically to a whine, her fingers biting into his arm.

Blood marred his features, making them almost unrecognizable. His skin was deathly pale, cut up and covered in deep gashes. The crimson that had pooled out around his corpse was now caked into the soil, the once grassy fields now a wasteland of overturned rock and mangled debris. Inches from his outstretched fingers, the lower halve of a thin blade lay. The edges had been worn down, jagged and crusted over with dried entrails and more blood.

It was everywhere, it touched everything.

?This isn?t happening,? she whimpered pitifully, tears leaving wet trails through the soot coating her cheeks. The side of her face was smeared in blood, grit embedded in the wound at her hairline. Dried trails of crimson clung to the sides of her neck, trailing down from her ears. Her bottom lip had been split apart, and the pain stung something fierce the more she tried to form words, the more she begged his unmoving form.

The young woman closed her eyes, inhaling sharply. Her wrist had been fractured, while her left side was tender?bruised or broken ribs? As she shifted along the ground, pushing the pain away as best as she could, she tried to drag herself closer to him. Her fingers dug into his shoulder. His skin was cold beneath her palm. She shook her head, not wanting to believe that it had come to this, and began to desperately shake him, trying to rouse him from his ?rest?.

?You?ve slept long enough,? she gasped through the lump of tears lodged in her throat, through the pain that filled her senses, nearly blinding her, nearly causing her to go deaf. She longed to scream out, to find a dark corner and curl into a ball. She longed for the world to disappear, that this was a mere nightmare created from her childhood.

She longed to wake up.

Tilting her head back, she stared up at the dark sky. Her brown listlessly searched the clouds looming above, threatening to bring storms. The rain will wash away the blood, the rain will wash away his sins, she thought unconsciously, and brought her head back forward.

For a brief moment, she swore she saw his eyelids twitch.

Sango quickly leaned over him, peering closely into his face. Her dear friend wore a long, thin gash up the side of his visage, starting from his jaw line, traveling straight up to his temple. He sported a black eye, followed by more ghastly bruises along and across the other side of his face. His left cheek was also swollen; many tiny, round puncture wounds were crusted over and an angry red, the color going in contrast with the rest of his pale features. She swallowed thickly, groaning at her own pain, and reached up, stroking trembling fingers over his cheek. Her wrist stung sharply from the movement, but she ignored it.

He was finally getting the eternal rest he deserved; now he was at peace, seven years later.

Reaching over she pulled his arm towards her with great effort. Fresh tears trickled down her cheeks as bright pain blossomed in her chest. She pulled his arm over his torso, and then took the other, crossing it over the other. Sango closed her eyes, trying to steady her heavy breathing. A gust of wind rushed past her, nearly knocking her over onto the corpse, but she managed to catch herself, and winced. Her long ebony hair had come loose during the battle, and now flew in her face, matting itself to the tears and blood that clung to her. The chilling breeze felt good against her burning injuries, cooling the hot tears staining her cheeks?

?The priestess awaits your arrival, but you?re not going to live through the night to make that trip, half-breed,? the tall demon hissed menacingly. ?We cannot allow you to pass through the well. We cannot allow you to interfere.?

?I doubt you could ever stop me; look what happened to Naraku!? Silver glinted sharply in the light of the moon that lit the fields. The wind blew past them. Red cloth rippled hastily, caught in the strong breeze. ?If you want to join him, then so be it. But don?t say I didn?t warn you!?

The long reptile torso shifted swiftly to the side, unexpectedly dodging the oncoming blow. A screech filled the night as the blade struck scales. As the demon abruptly changed its? course, it ducked its head down, fangs bared. The nauseating scent of venom filled the air, flooding the hanyou?s senses. He was knocked back at least a foot by the mere scent of it. In retaliation, he bared his own fangs, letting an enraged cry rip from his throat as he charged.

The Tetsusaiga rose up in an arc above his head.

Long trails of silken white rode the air. The blade whistled as it was brought down, the piercing sound turning into another ear-splitting screech as it struck along the scaly back of the demon before him. They both fought hard and long, neither relenting. Inuyasha kept his brow furrowed in deep concentration, the Tetsusaiga screeching each time it struck the demon. What puzzled him the most was each time the Tetsusaiga succeeded in striking his opponent, not a mark was left. No blood was shed.

?You will die, half-breed! I will make you beg for your life!? Snakes lashed out quickly from his left, catching him off-guard. Inuyasha felt the blinding pain flare to life along the side of his cheek. He felt the warmth trail down his cheek, trickling down the length of his throat.

?You bastard,? he roared, leaping back a good four feet to safety. He brought a hand to his cheek, touching the twin wounds. They were beginning to swell. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach, and felt it pitch.

?You can?t win. Naraku was a weak-minded fool. He let you defeat him!? The snake demon slithered closer at a leisured pace, stretching up to its full height of over seven feet.

Inuyasha turned his face to the side. He spat out the blood that filled his mouth from the wound, as well as the venom that had begun to coat the inside of his cheek and underside of his tongue. He straightened slowly and, whilst doing so, twisted Tetsusaiga in his palm with practiced ease as he broke into a headstrong charge. ?You?re going to have to try harder then that to defeat me, you freak!? he screamed out, bringing up Tetsusaiga above his head in one hand. With a wild gleam in his amber eyes, he let rip the power hidden away within the sword, releasing it just before the blade struck along the soil. ?Backlash wave!?

The earth broke apart around them. The grass came up sharply into the air, shredded. Strong torrents came to life, tearing through the soil and meadow further, and lifting them higher around the two beings. The snake demon roared out in rage, growing highly annoyed at the hanyou. The multiple snakes in his hair hissed out their indignation as their master moved forward in blinding speed. He dodged from side to side, and unexpectedly let out a vicious snarl as the power from the sudden attack struck him along the left arm. Crimson sprayed along the night air, illuminated a bright red in the moonlight. Deep jade scales ripped apart, sailing through the fluid still in the air. The enticing scent of blood mingled with the venom, and Inuyasha used it as his chance.

He leapt to the right, then the left, the sleeves of his robes whipping wildly at his sides, caught in the flight of his actions. The left side of his face had grown semi-numb. Then his ears twitched.

Inuyasha narrowly missed the extended snakes as they flew past his face. His upper lip burst, pain flaring up his face. His eyes watered, and he squinted against the blinding sting. Tetsusaiga was knocked from his fingers. He felt his feet leave the ground, the wind roaring past his ears. As he was thrown upwards into the sky, tears escaping from the corners of his eyes and floating along the air, one name came to him, whispered along the edge of his mind like a seductive prayer?


<center>* * *</center>


Nabeshima gestured sharply to the left with a hand. Souta nodded once, acknowledging her orders, and hoisted the unconscious form higher up onto his shoulder. The rain had lessened to that of a damp drizzle, while the thunder had headed off towards the East. The dark skies still lit from time to time, dimly, enough to show them the way through the back allies. As he made his way over the damp pavement, his shape reverted back to its original form; he hopped over the strewn garbage littering the ground.

Dawn was just four hours away.

They had to hurry and be quick with the remainder of the mission.

Souta came to a halt at the edge of the alleyway. He pressed himself into the wall, straining his ears to hear for anything unusual. Nabeshima came up at his side, her eyes shifting from crimson to dark brown. Headlights came to life abruptly from the right of the building. Souta side glanced, his grip tightening on the back of Kagome?s hanging legs. He made to spring out and charge their intruders, but a rough hand grasping the front of his shirt put a halt to his movements.

?Do anything to jeopardize our mission?I will kill you,? Nabeshima hissed hotly. ?Remember that our lives are on the line; our lives depend of the completion and succession of this mission.? She released his shirt with a shove, scowling. ?If I have to remind you once again before this night is through, you will not only answer to me, but to him as well. Do not forget that.?

Souta slowly bared his fangs, his expression one of fury. How dare she scold him as such! He would make sure that her death was a slow and painful one; he would enjoy watching her eyes bulge out as she choked on nothing, choked to breathe. The thought of her dying beneath his fangs sent a shiver of delight down his back and the scowl transformed into a wicked grin. Nabeshima peeked around him for a better view. The headlights had been snapped off, sending them all back in the shrouded darkness.

Gradually moving past him, Nabeshima stalked to the very edge. ?Ryorokuro has done well!? She glanced to him briefly. ?Come, Souta.? She looked back out past the edge of the wall, then back to him, nearly beaming. ?Once we pay him with the girl, he will be pleased beyond anything??

?The half-breed is dead!? Souta burst out unexpectedly. ?We only have the halve of the whole. Don?t speak of how pleased he will be. In order for him to succee??

Nabeshima whirled on him. The skin on her arm fell away in thick clumps as she brought it up in the blink of an eye against his throat. Deadly, long talons pressed into his flesh. ?Need I remind you who it was? Need I, perhaps, dig that worthless brain of yours out from your nose with my claws just to make you understand who it was that ruined that part of the plan?" Her upper lip curled in disgust as she spat the words. "Hm?? Her claws pierced his neck, gently sliding along the tender skin.

Souta sneered down at her, speaking in a low voice full of malice. ?Mistress,? he hissed. ?Does her name strike fear in your heart??

?Who do you speak of, you fool??

Souta thoughtfully looked out over her head for a moment, then back to her. He absently stroked a hand over the back of Kagome?s thighs, the skin on his fingers shifting, the snakes beneath eager to be freed to taste her flesh once again. ?The half-breed spoke a name before he fell under my fang.?

?Who!? Nabeshima exploded furiously.

?Kikyou,? Souta breathed, looking down straight into her eyes.

Nabeshima froze under his stare; and at the name. Gradually she retracted the claws, her faux skin trembling as it reformed itself to the original shape of her hand and forearm. She tore her eyes from his, glancing out past the edge once again, swallowing thickly. She knew the name; that name haunted her, no matter where she went.

?Do you know of this ?Kikyou?, Mistress?? Souta cooed, breaking through her train of thought.

?I do not,? she lied, gritting her teeth. ?It does not matter; this Kikyou is of no importance to us at the moment. As long as we have the reincarnation of her, she matters not to our plan.? Before Souta could mock her, she moved away from him and out into the open. ?Let?s go. We have to meet up with Ryorokuro before we are to speak with?? the words died on her lips the further she climbed the hill.

Souta came up behind her, stopping as well. His eyes narrowed, and his lips quickly pulled back as he began to growl dangerously low in his throat. He moved quick, grabbing Nabeshima and thrusting her behind him. His form ripped down the center as he pushed out of the skin, grew to his original height and size. The dark-clad forms were fast, moving in a blur towards them. Had they been betrayed? Had they been set up? A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, but at that moment, none of them matter?only survival.

Nabeshima let out roar of rage, throwing her arms to her sides. The skin burst apart, and she came out of her shell, not bothering to wipe at the blood and torn tissue still clinging to her slick, dark body.

She pushed past Souta, charging forward to meet their foe.

Souta snarled her name, let the girl drop to the ground off his shoulder and went after his mistress. He was bound to her; he was her guard. No matter how she acted towards him, her life was his, and if she died, he died with her. As the unconscious girl hit the pavement, she rolled down the slope, and came to a rough halt at the edge of the building where they had come from. Where she lay, in the distance, the battle took on a ferocious edge. Blood flew through the air, while limbs were mercilessly hacked apart, falling to the ground, fingers twitching and grasping absently. Cries of fury filled the night.

No one paid any heed to the figure coming out of the back alley. No one paid any heed as the girl was lifted off the ground and carried back into the darkness.

[Noko Marie]

Cruel....

[AidbiA]

Cruel indeed!!! You can't just end it there ! This story is just mysteries and cliffhangers galore, great imagery. Anxiously awaiting the next chapter.

[takisha16]

And..... what happened to kagome???
Is Inu alive??????
God....the imagery was incredible!!!!!!
I could actually see a broken version of sango and Inuyasha.
I hope kagome is going to be safe in the long run, I am suspicious of the dark figures though. Hmmm, who could they be?
so many q's, but so many angst, that's what makes you such a great writer Leia!!!!!
forever a fan, keep it up!!

[Mellie]

Um...you know, you really shouldn't do that to a girl. It might cuz sudden heart stoppage! *whimpers at the ending*

I am so glad to see another out so soon! It made my day to see it! I really love how you are portraying Nabeshima, she just rocks out loud.

That cliffy....I wanna know who it is.

And Inu -is- dead *sob*

I wanna read more...!

[Lady Casper]

*stunned* wha...

*looks around* are my eyes decieving me or did you just end it like that?

*whimper* leia, yous being evil.

It was awesome though. It really just kept getting better and better. Me wants more of this!!

...please

[Leia Avenrose]

Is Inu REALLY dead? And just WHO are those figures clad in black? Will Kagome survive through the night? Find out next time on: Dry Your Eyes Chapter 5!!~

And now that word from our beloved sponsor....

*hugs for all*

[Iron Dog]

You are the Het Angst Queen. You are not the Evil, Sick and Twisted Puppy; I am. Get that straight. You are not allowed to do evil cliffies like this. All evil cliffies must be run past me for approval (and sneak peaks bwahahahah). Very nice story. Please don't leave us hangin' for as long as you did last time. Great job.

[ice princess]

OMG.

OMG.

OMG.

*Must form coherent words. Sadly...*

OMG.

OKAY! So Inu might *not* be dead, but this chapter, while answering some questions, just opened a department store FULL of others (and I can't decide what to buy! *cries!*). Okay, so Inu said Kikyou's name the moment before he 'died', but you described it as a silent prayer, meaning, was he remembering her fondly OR thinking she could be the one to bring these snake-biotches down? Maybe both? Maybe he suddenly had a recollection of Kikyou fighting similar demons? There's more to that cryptic statement than meets the eye, methinks.

And THEN, the evil snake-ho Nabeshima (who, I must agree with Ms. Mellie, is QUITE the kick-ass, if not insanely EVIL, character!) thinks to herself that it only matters that they have her reincarnation. And interestingly, SHE was freaked out from hearing Kikyou's name, SHE knew WHY they had Kagome, whereas Souta seemed oblivious. Am I reading too much into this? And THEN, these random dark-clad commando people come out of NOWHERE and beat the living poo-poo outa the snake-freaknasties. SO! Are the commando guys 'good'? Is it Inuyasha? Is it his reincarnation? I DON'T KNOW!!! You made him sound pretty damn dead in the feudal era. ACK!!!! First off, I honestly didn't expect Inu to 'die' in the feudal era. I didn't think the snake-crack-fiends had that much reach, but apparently, you have decided to throw me for the proverbial loop. Which is what I simply and utterly and wholeHEARTEDly adore about your masterfully angsty and oh-so-conniving plot bunny breeding farm mind, Leia. You ARE MY HERO!!!!!!

And I wanna give a shout out to my FAVORITE angsty BAND, Linkin Park. Again, Leia, FABULOUS taste in music. They get me going and wanting to beat something up every time!

~ice princess

[Leia Avenrose]

*bows low to Linkin Park, then prepares to listen to more and more as she continues to write* :evil: