Inuyasha, "The Unquiet Winds" chapter 28: Ghost of a Chance, rated T

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Fandom: Inuyasha
Title: The Unquiet Winds
Chapter Title: Ghost of a Chance 
Characters: Sesshoumaru, Kagura's reincarnation (inevitable Kagura/Sesshoumaru), Shippou
Genre: Romance/Supernatural/Suspense
Rating: PG-13 (overall)
Universe: Canon AU/divergence, Modern
Notes: This serial has been completed for wipbigbang  2020. You can find all the previous chapters HERE and HERE. I recommend you look for the previous chapters at AO3 and FFnet, as those chapters have also been updated with fixes for typos and grammar.
Additional Notes: Thank you to danceswithgary for the beautiful banner HERE.

Story Summary: Natsumi dreams of another woman's past, a woman who desperately wants to reunite with the man she loves, even if Natsumi has to suffer in the end.

Links: (RECOMMENDED) FFNet | AO3

As Sesshoumaru and Natsumi exited the car in front of Achika’s shrine, Shippou and the miko were already waiting to greet them at the gates.

“Great, you’re here!” Shippou said, coming over to welcome them. “Achika-chan has everything set up in one of the meditation wings.”

Natsumi looked over at the priestess in her official garbed and both women bowed to each other respectfully. 

“I can’t thank you enough for helping me,” Natsumi said to her, bowing again.

“It is my honor,” Achika said. 

“You have my thanks as well, Satoshi-dono,” Sesshoumaru said, who bowed as well. 

“Oh, don’t worry, Sesshoumaru-sama,” Achika said, winking at him. “We both know this is a mutual agreement and that we both get something out of it.”

Natsumi turned to Sesshoumaru and asked softly, “What does she mean?”

“For services rendered, I owe her a big wedding with the fox,” Sesshoumaru said through a thin smile. 

“A big, glamorous and grandiose wedding, to be exact,” Achika said with a giggle. Sesshoumaru only sighed. Natsumi couldn’t help but smile.

“Everyone will be happy so long as the fox makes it to the altar at the appropriate place and time,” Sesshoumaru said, sending a knowing glare in Shippou’s direction. The kitsune only chuckled nervously.

“Shall we begin?” Achika said, turning the conversation back to the task at hand. Everyone nodded and fell in step behind the miko as she led them farther into the shrine, back to the spartan room where Natsumi would be guided in her meditation.

Before Achika could give instructions, Sesshoumaru rested his hands on Natsumi’s shoulder before he stepped out to join Shippou in another room. He looked into her eyes and treated her gently. 

“I must go and I will leave you two to your privacy. My youki would interfere with the ritual and we want you to be able to meet with Kagura without adversity,” he told her, and Natsumi nodded with understanding. However, she could admit that she was nervous. A lot was riding on her to convince Kagura to be at peace. More than anything, she wanted her life back so she could help out Sesshoumaru, as the thought of him disappearing terrified her. “Be strong, Natsumi, and know this… once Kagura is at peace, you will be free and you will no longer be alone. I will be waiting for you.”

She nodded again. “I understand.”

He dropped his hands and turned to leave, but Natsumi jumped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. She felt Sesshoumaru go still for a second before returning her hug, wrapping his arms around her and leaning down to kiss the top of her head. Natsumi felt her face go warm again, and though she treasured the kiss, she almost wished it had been more.

She watched as Shippou and Sesshoumaru strode off to another part of the shrine, and behind her Achika was stoking a large fire and lighting incense. The strong, potent smell of the incense lulled her senses, and she took Achika’s direction by kneeling into a meditative stance in the center of the room. Achika knelt opposite of her in front of the fire and began her instruction.

“We will begin the meditation but we have one thing to clear up before we do. That is your intention, Natsumi-san,” Achika asked. Natsumi stared at her, waiting for her to continue. “Do you want to exorcise Kagura’s spirit or do you want peace with her? Exorcising her would be far easier, however, it will be harmful for the spirit and your next incarnation may feel the brunt of that karma.”

“No, no, I want to make peace with her,” Natsumi said immediately. “If I harm her, Sesshoumaru-san will not be happy. He cared about her, and well, I do believe Kagura became a good person at the end of her life.”

Achika smiled at her. “Good. That is noble of you; however, I must warn you. Kagura will not find peace lightly. She will not see it your way, and she will make this exchange difficult. Your spirit may be wounded, which will in turn, wound your body and mind as well. Do you understand?”

Natsumi nodded. 

“Now then, let us begin the meditation with deep breaths. Clear your mind. Release all of your thoughts and worries, breathe in the incense, and when you feel a lull, you should find yourself in a place of clear white mist…”

Natsumi closed her eyes and began to concentrate on her breaths. The scent of strong incense assaulted her senses and she could feel it seap into her bones. An uncomfortable feeling came over her, but she continued to breathe, welcoming the scent and releasing her thoughts. Every breath she took, she felt closer to the white mist in her mind. 

She did not know how much time had passed as she counted her breaths, but soon she felt the cool mist against her skin. She opened her eyes and found herself kneeling in the place that Achika had described. 

A sense of calm fell over her, and she swept her gaze within the endless white, feeling the dampness of the mist but still smelling the potent incense.

“You!” A deep voice called out to her followed by the most terrifying laughter. “You fool! You dare come to this space to find me? Stupid girl! Do you know what you have done?”

Natsumi shuddered, looking around and still seeing no one. Suddenly, she felt a tremendous strength pull her from her position and fling her through the air. She met the ground as her face skidded across something jagged and hard, like rocks. Scratches stung on her cheeks and she smelled her own blood. She groaned and then she was tossed again in another direction, her body being thrown around like a rag doll. She cried out in pain, feeling helpless as she still could not see who was doing this to her.

Finally, Kagura showed herself, pulling a battered Natsumi off the ground by her throat. Natsumi wheezed, struggling to breathe as Kagura’s nails dug into her neck and closed air off to her lungs. 

Kagura grinned at her maliciously. “You dumb human, you played right into my hands. Now I can get rid of you once and for all and take over your human form. Sesshoumaru is mine!”

“W-w-wait, p-p-p-please…” she managed to cough out. Kagura’s grip on her neck tightened.

“There’s nothing a weakling like you can say to me,” Kagura huffed at her. “Just die already and let’s be done with this.”

Kagura flung her to the ground, and Natsumi coughed, desperate to fill her lungs with air. The soreness of her throat weakened her voice, but she still felt she should speak. Natsumi gathered her strength, remembering Sesshoumaru’s words.

“Please, I just want to talk and see if we can’t understand each other. I know how you’re feeling, but Kagura-sama, you need to be at peace!” she said and she coughed uncontrollably as her words were too much of a strain for her already bruised throat.

Kagura huffed at her. “You know how I feel? Don’t tell me you already fell in love with him? Give this up, girl. You are no match for Sesshoumaru or me.”

Then, the blades came, deadly and painful and clear as wind. They battered Natsumi like sharp icicles piercing her body. She screamed, her wounds already painting the white misty landscape with her blood. The more the wind blades struck her, the weaker she was becoming, feeling delirious and confused, unsure of what to do next. 

Kagura laughed as she continued her onslaught. She crossed her arms in victory and let her wind blades do all the work for her. Natsumi could feel blood in her throat, and once again she could barely breathe. She vomited out blood onto the ground, and she struggled to get to her feet as she lay in agony on her stomach.

The wind blades rained down on her like a storm, and she felt like Kagura was literally tearing upon her mind, body and soul. 

“I will be waiting for you.” Sesshoumaru’s voice echoed in her head. She remembered the warmth of his hand and the softness of his kiss in her hair. She wanted to be with him, and maybe Kagura was right. She was in love with him. He made it so easy for her because no one ever in her life told her she mattered as much. No one had ever depended upon her or looked to her to be their purpose in life. 

Only Sesshoumaru.

“Fine,” she said through a mouthful of blood. “Kill me, Kagura-sama. Kill my spirit and take my body.” She gagged. 

“Gladly. I’m glad you see it my way, girl,” Kagura said. “Maybe you really do know how I feel. And you know that you are weak.”

“Sure, I’m weak,” she said, and Natsumi found an ounce of strength to stand up on wobbly feet. She met Kagura’s stunned expression that she was able to stand at all. She locked eyes with her former incarnation and instead of glaring at her with defiance, Natsumi gave her a kind smile with tears streaming from her eyes. “When you kill me, I hope you’re ready for the consequences, Kagura-sama.”

“What nonsense are you talking about, girl?” she sneered at her.

“You are a youkai who has been redeemed and granted the honor of being reincarnated,” Natsumi said weakly followed by a fit of coughs. “When you kill me, you will have to live with that when you take over my body. You will have to live with Sesshoumaru’s disappointment because you killed me when he wanted only peace and rest for you. He only wanted to live and have purpose in me, but you killed me. How will he accept you then?”

Kagura just stared at her agape. The pain became too much for Natsumi and she fell to her knees, feeling weakness take her over. The white misty landscape was looking darker as her eyes felt heavy, and she smiled to herself thinking of Sesshoumaru.

“Sesshoumaru, I am glad I met you,” she said, and she began to feel if she should tell him goodbye in this space and if he would hear her. “I really wished I could have saved you.”

She spewed another mouthful of blood and felt her eyes close. It felt so good to feel the cool mist against her bruised and broken skin. She wondered what Heaven would be like. She wondered if she’d see her grandmother again and eat one of her famous omelettes. 

Suddenly, all of her thoughts faded and the pain disappeared. She was kneeling again, and instead of being in a misty white nothingness, she was sitting on a green and white field. The scent of flowers in the wind rustled Natsumi’s hair, and above her the sky was blue and painted with fluffy bulbous clouds. 

Around her, trees in the distance swayed in a mournful wind.

.