InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Home for Kagome ❯ Battle ( Chapter 8 )

DISCLAIMER: Rumiko Takahashi, now and forever, owns 'Inuyasha' and all characters involved. I, now and forever, own nothing but my own twisted plot and any original characters I might add. Hope this settles any confusion. Please don't sue me, I'm broke.

 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Now beta tested, with thanks to Chanda.

 

WARNING, this chapter contains graphic violence. If you are offended by or do not wish to read such material, please leave now. You have been warned.

 

Chapter 8 - Battle

 

It was eerily quiet, as the gang cautiously approached the village. Under normal circumstances the group would have likely gone rushing into battle. However, there was something in the air that made the group want to be especially careful. Even Inuyasha, well known for his reckless behaviour was now vigilant, his concern for Kagome overpowering his desire for Naraku's head.

 

Naraku was definitely in the area, his scent permeated the entire village, and Kagome said she could feel the presence of an almost completed Shikon-Jewel nearby.

 

Though the sun was barely setting, the dark clouds above insured that it appeared to be much later than it actually was. As the group grew closer to the village, they started to notice what appeared to be piles of dying plants scattered throughout the village, and wondered what on earth they were. As they got closer to one of the piles of plants, they noticed something very disturbing about it.

 

“It, it almost looks like a person.” Shippo said from his perch on Miroku's shoulder, his voice noticeably trembling.

 

The pile of dying plants did indeed look like a person, and one in pain at that! Covered in thorny vines that grew directly out of the ground, in the centre was what appeared to be another strange, greyish-green plant that had the distinct shape of a person, who seemed to be in a great deal of pain and struggling to get away. However, there was no movement visible, and Inuyasha claimed there was no scent of human flesh, although there was a slight smell of human blood.

 

“I wonder,” Sango said softly, clearly worried. “Could this be the work of an Ikioizassou?”

 

“A, what…?” Miroku asked, confused. He'd never heard of such a thing, and from the looks on Inuyasha and Shippo's faces, neither had they.

 

“An Ikioizassou.” Sango repeated. “I've heard of such things from my father, but I've never actually encountered one before. They're meant to be very rare.”

 

“Well, so what the fuck are they?” Inuyasha demanded, impatiently. He hated feeling like he was stupid, but he was starting to feel that way now.

 

“Ikioizassou's are plant demons that suck the life right out of their victims; leaving behind the remains of dead plant-like material, in the form of their prey.” Sango said, not taking her eyes off the pile in front of her. “But like I said, they're very rare; in fact they've almost been hunted to extinction!”

 

“Well, this certainly looks like the work of one of those.” Miroku said.

 

Sango nodded, but her eyes still held concern. “Something's wrong here though,” she said. “From what my father told me, Ikioizassou are weak. Father always talked about them catching livestock and the like. As far as I know, there's never been a case of one being strong enough to capture a human, let alone an entire village. Plus they are meant to only have the most basic form of intelligence, rather like the Venus Fly Trap. They just know to grab prey that comes close enough. One wouldn't try to actually chase they're prey, which is what appears to have happened with some of these people.” Sure enough, quite a few of the piles looked like they'd been caught while trying to escape.

 

“Perhaps one has somehow gotten hold of a Jewel-Shard?” Miroku speculated. “That might account for this one's obvious strength increase.”

 

Kagome however, shook her head. “I don't think so, Miroku.” She said, somewhat nervously. “It feels to me like all the shards are in piece, besides the ones we have I mean. I'd sense it otherwise.”

 

“Maybe Naraku absorbed one?” Shippo offered.

 

“Feh!” Inuyasha snapped. “This is getting us nowhere. I'll just sever these damn roots, and set these people free, and then we can go find Naraku!” With that said, Inuyasha drew the Tetsusaiga.

 

“No Inuyasha!” Sango cried, stepping between Inuyasha and the nearby victim.

 

“Huh…? Why?” Inuyasha asked shocked, and confused by Sango's actions.

 

“Ikioizassou kill slowly,” Sango explained, relieved that Inuyasha looked as if he was actually planning on listening to her for once, instead of just going ahead and severing the root like the stubborn hanyou he was. “Once caught, it can take hours or even days for the victim to die. If the host Ikioizassou can be killed before that happens, the victim's life-force returns and they'll revive. However, if the connection is severed while the host is still alive, the victim dies instantly. These people might still be able to be saved, but only if they stay connected until we kill the Ikioizassou.”

 

“Oh.” Inuyasha said, instantly backing off. “Why didn't you say that from the beginning?”

 

“Come on guys, let's get going.” Kagome said, turning away and looking towards the village centre. “I sense the Jewel… this way!”

 

Kagome started to lead the way, but she had only gone five steps before Inuyasha grabbed her quickly pulling her behind him- instead he led the way himself. Kagome didn't get upset with him; he was just trying to protect her after all. Besides, she was scared. This was going to be the first battle she'd been in since she'd been in since being raped, and despite her insistence that she be allowed to come along, Kagome worried if she would be able to handle it or if she would fall apart once the fight began?

 

But despite her fears, she continued at a slow tedious pace behind Inuyasha. She would never really recover and once again become the girl she had been, if she ran away whenever she encountered something that scared her. She had survived her rape and all the trials that had come after it to get to this point. She had handled her nightmares and fears of her own unworthiness. She had carried on through a false pregnancy scare and hearing her attackers praised on the news. He had even dealt with her childhood friends' prejudice, and while yes, Koga's attempted abduction of her did cause her to have a temporary relapse she got over that too in the end. She had suffered through so much, and yet had not given up. She was not about to start now! She would face Naraku now, just like everything else fate had thrown her way so far, and in the end she truly believed she would become stronger for it.

 

“It's not too late for you to go and hide somewhere, Kagome.” Inuyasha said over his shoulder softly. He knew there was no way Shippo and Kirara's demon hearing would miss what he said, but he also knew that Miroku and Sango wouldn't hear him. “You could just tell us where the Jewel is and then leave the battle to us.” He could smell the fear emitting from the miko. For her sake, and for the sake of his own piece of mind, he wanted her away from the now inevitable battle, even though he was also certain he already knew what her answer was going to be.

 

“I'm staying with you!” Kagome answered her voice so soft even his demonic senses had trouble hearing it, but her determined tone was unmistakeable.

 

Inuyasha sighed softly to himself. He had known she was going to say that, but he had felt he had to try anyway. A moment later, he stopped worrying so much about Kagome's stubborn streak, and focused instead on the demon standing in front of him.

 

It was Naraku, in all his ugly glory. However, it was clear he had reformed his body at least once since the last time the group had seen him. While his upper half looked the same as it had last time they had seen him, his lower half now resembled a giant, hairy, black spider; only with ten legs. He also had what appeared to be a thorny plant of some kind growing out of his back, which was sprouting out twin vines, which had buried themselves in the ground on either side of him.

 

Naraku for once looked surprised to see them, at first. However he quickly got over it as his trademark smirk returned.

 

“Hee, hee.” Naraku chuckled. “Well, well, Inuyasha how are you? And, I see the monk, slayer, kitsune, and Kikyo's reincarnation all still follow you? Well this is a surprise. You had all been gone so long I had begun to wonder if you had decided to hide from me in fear forever.”

 

“Keh, we would never hide from you Naraku!” Inuyasha snapped as he drew the Tetsusaiga. “I hope you enjoyed your reprieve, because today's the day we finally kill you!”

 

“I'm sorry to disappoint you, Inuyasha.” Naraku said calmly. “But I'm afraid you are mistaken. Today is the day you die!”

 

As Naraku spoke, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara's enhanced demon senses heard a slight grumbling coming from underground and felt the sightliest vibrations from beneath their feet. Using the spilt second warning this gave them, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and Shippo while Kirara did the same for Miroku and Sango. The two of them jumped into the air just in time to avoid the vines that suddenly burst out of the ground right where they were standing.

 

“Hum.” Naraku said, clearly annoyed. “So you heard and dodged my first attack. Impressive. But that will not save you for long. A very interesting demon, the Ikioizassou can be. By itself it is weak, but combined with my power, and the power of the Sacred Jewel, it is allowing me to gather even more strength than I've dreamed. What you've seen here in this village was just a test. With the ability to gather the very life-force of so many at once, there is no limit to the power I can obtain. Already, my strength has almost doubled what it was a mere hour ago, and these were just weak humans. Imagine the kind of power I can obtain by draining the life-force of demons! No one will be able to stand in my way!”

 

“Keep dreaming Naraku, `cos' it's never gonna' happen!” Inuyasha snapped, landing on top of a nearby hut. “Stay on the roof tops, those damn vines travel underground. If you stay on the ground you'll be caught for sure!” He called out to the others. Sango and Miroku both nodded, still on Kirara who was currently midair. Kagome gave a slight nod of her own as she slid off Inuyasha's back to stand on the roof next to him.

 

Kagome was busy studying Naraku closely with her Miko powers, and was somewhat surprised by what she saw.

 

“Inuyasha, I think he's storing all the life-force he collects in one location, just below his heart!” She said loud enough for the others to hear. “If we can hit that, I think he'll loose all the extra power he's got right now. He's also keeping the Sacred Jewel directly above that. It's almost complete!”

 

“Hee, hee, hee,” Naraku chuckled. “Very clever Miko! Yes, the Jewel is almost complete. In fact, aside from the few shards you currently carry, the entire Jewel is right here!”

 

“All of it?” Sango gasped. “But that would mean…”

 

Naraku chuckled again. “Very clever, slayer! Yes, I have taken the shard imbedded in your dear brother. The fool regained his memory and thought to slay me. I had to make it clear that such disloyalty, would be cause for punishment!”

 

“Damn you Naraku!” Sango cried as she threw her Hiraikotsu at him with all her might. Naraku however, easily deflected the Hiraikotsu with his barrier, causing it to crash into a nearby hut.

 

“Hee, hee… You should know by now slayer, your weapon cannot penetrate my barrier.”

 

“No, but this can,” Inuyasha yelled as his Tetsusaiga turned red. He lunged off the roof with his sword raised poised to strike. Naraku tried to dodge the blast, but wasn't fast enough as Red Tetsusaiga cut through his barrier and destroyed it.

 

“Damn you hanyou!” Naraku growled. At this moment he realised a major downside to incorporating an Ikioizassou into his new body. Naraku was unable to flee, like he would've had this occurred in a previous battle. The roots held him fast, and he couldn't release his victims and retract the said roots, until they were all dead. He was therefore forced to stay and fight. However, with all the power he had accumulated by this stage, he didn't feel that retreating was necessary anyway.

 

“I case you've forgotten Naraku, you're a hanyou too!” Inuyasha said as he prepared to attack once more with the Tetsusaiga.

 

“Not for long.” Naraku said, as he swiped at the hanyou with his front four legs. “As soon as I have the completed Sacred Jewel in my possession, I will be unstoppable full demon! Speaking of which…”

 

Suddenly, Inuyasha's attention was drawn away from Naraku as he heard a sound that made him blood run cold - Kagome and Shippo's horrified screams.

 

Inuyasha spun around to see what was wrong, and was horrified to see that some of the Ikioizassou roots had managed to grow so long they had burst right through the rooftop Kagome and Shippo were still standing on, and were currently reaching for them. Kagome - Shippo clinging frantically to her shoulder while unsuccessfully trying to ward off the roots with his Fox-Fire - just barely managed to avoid being caught, and in the process ended up falling off the roof, knocking the breath out of her, as she landed on the ground. Shippo landed half next to her and half of his body was under her, obviously stunned.

 

As this was happening, Kirara was diving at the pair, Miroku and Sango still on her back, in an attempt to snatch the pair out of harm's way. However, a second grouping of roots suddenly grew under them as they flew. While the roots were unable to successfully grab hold of the trio, they did knock them out of the air and leave them somewhat stunned as well.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha cried. He tried to go to her to help her, but just then Naraku managed to take advantage of his inattention to hit the Inu-Hanyou with a blow that threw him off his feet, and back several feet and into the side of a nearby hut. By the time Inuyasha was able to sit up and look back towards his Intended Mate, there was already a new cluster of roots sprouting out of the ground right next to the young miko about to grab her and Shippo.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha cried again as he struggled to get to his feet and get to her, knowing all the while in his heart that he was already too late.

 

However, when the roots were mere inches away from the pair, there was a sudden flare of pinkish-purple light, and the roots disappeared to a purifying light. Though shocked, Inuyasha didn't even pause in his rush to get to Kagome's side.

 

“What?” Naraku cried, also clearly shocked. “A Purifying Arrow? That can only mean…” He turned to look in the direction in which the arrow had been shot, and sure enough there standing in the middle of the street was Kikyo.

 

“Kikyo!” Naraku growled. “It's so nice of you to finally join us!”

 

However, Kikyo was ignoring Naraku for the moment. Her focus was instead of the Inu-Hanyou currently kneeling at her reincarnation's side.

 

“Inuyasha, you fool!” Kikyo snapped. “What did I tell you? Why did you bring her here? You'll only get yourself killed, protecting that useless whore who's not even strong enough to stop herself from being raped! Then how do you intend to avenge me and kill Naraku?”

 

“You should not have turned your attention away, Kikyo.” Naraku said menacingly. A moment later, Kikyo was somewhat surprised to find herself encased within demonic roots that had suddenly sprouted out of the ground at her feet, but she did not panic.

 

“You can not drain my life-force Naraku.” Kikyo said calmly.

 

“True, true,” Naraku said, seeming to think it over. “I can not drain your life-force, as you clearly have none. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to kill you instead.”

 

Kikyo's eyes widened, as Naraku's roots suddenly burst through her chest with so much force they immerged through her back. As the roots once more retreated underground, Kikyo fell to the dirt, as the souls she had stolen escaped through the holes in her torso. She could no longer move, and knew it would not take long until she was once more truly dead.

 

“Damn you, Naraku!” Inuyasha growled, as he saw his former love fall, though he did not move from his current love's side. Naraku ignored Inuyasha, his attention now focused on Kagome.

 

Naraku chuckled again, “So, miko is what she said true?” He asked, smirking at the look on her face. “It is, isn't it? You have become a whore? You're so weak you could not even defend your own honour? How do you expect to defeat me, if you are no longer pure enough to have powers? Tsk, tsk, tsk, are you ready to surrender and die yet?”

 

Kagome had heard the same things several times over the last six and a half months. These were the exact same sentiments, only in different words. Kano, Eri, Kikyo, even in her own mind. Now, Naraku. In the past, it had caused her to feel shame, fear. It had made her feel unworthy of Inuyasha's love, made her feel like she could no longer show her face in public. It had even at times made her at times want to just curl up and die.

 

Now, it just made her angry. “Naraku, you bastard!” Kagome screamed, jumping to her feet, her bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. “You know nothing about me! I'm not a whore! I'm not weak! I did not lose me powers! And the only one, who's going to die today, is YOU!”

 

That said, Kagome put her arrow up to her bowstring, aimed and fired almost immediately. Her aim was perfect and her intense anger made her power stronger than ever.

 

Naraku's eyes widened in shock and fear as he felt the arrow's power reach directly into his storage of power. The purifying power raced through him, not only instantly stripping him all the stolen life-force he had accumulated; but shooting through all parts of his body taken from the Ikioizassou as well. The plant on his back exploded in a shower of pinkish-purple light, as all over the village the roots crumbled to dust as the victims were freed. Suddenly the air was filled with screams of terror as the former victims realising they were free either ran for cover or, just ran.

 

“He's weaker than ever now, hurry up and get him!” Kagome yelled over the screaming.

 

“Gladly.” Inuyasha said banishing Tetsusaiga.

 

Naraku felt like his insides were on fire, but he refused to go down without a fight. “Ha, even without that life-force energy, I will still defeat you!” He snapped. “I still have the Sacred Jewel, you can not defeat me.”

 

Naraku was about to charge at Inuyasha, as without the Ikioizassou roots holding him down he could now move freely, when he felt a sudden burning pain and his right legs suddenly froze on him. A quick, fearful glance told him his suspicions were right, as each leg now bore one of the Monk's Sacred Sutras.

 

“Did you forget about me Naraku?” Miroku asked grimly. He had been waiting for this day for a long time.

 

Before Naraku could answer, he felt another great pain coming from his left side, and he fell over, unable to keep his balance. In horror, he saw that the demon slayer had come up on him on that side, and cut off three his left legs with her Hiraikotsu. The remaining two were not strong enough to support his weight on their own.

 

“He's all yours, get him Inuyasha!” Sango snapped, glaring at the half-demon responsible for the deaths of her family and fellow villagers.

 

“This is the end for you Naraku!” Inuyasha said, gripping Tetsusaiga tightly. “Now, DIE!” With that Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga with all his might. Naraku could only watch in horror as he was cut in half by the demon sword. The almost complete Sacred Jewel fell out of the body and rolled to a stop at Inuyasha's feet.

 

Inuyasha slowly bent to pick up the Jewel. “Is it over? Did we actually win? Is he really dead?” He asked softly, as if he couldn't quiet believe it was finally over.

 

“There's one way to find out.” Miroku said softly, carefully unwrapping prayer beads, prepared to re-wrap his hand in an instant should the Wind Tunnel still be there. However, he was somewhat shocked, and completely delighted when all he saw was the skin of his palm. He did not even have to tell the others, the expression on his face said it all.

 

Inuyasha let out a loud whoop, realising that they'd finally done, they'd finally paid Naraku back for all that he'd done to them. However, with that thought the smile left the hanyou's face as he remembered Kikyo.

 

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said hesitantly, as he placed the nearly completed Jewel into his Intended Mate's hands. “I need to…” He couldn't finish, and glanced towards where Kikyo lay on the ground. He was unable to tell if she was still alive or not.

 

“I know.” Kagome said. Her scent was completely sincere, holding none of the fear or jealousy it had in the past when he spoke of going to see Kikyo. “It's okay. Go to her.”

 

What did she have to be afraid of now? Kagome wondered. She knew how Inuyasha felt about her and about Kikyo. He had told both of them to their faces, and she knew full well that she was the one he chose. Besides, Kikyo was truly dying now, she could sense it. This was their last chance to say goodbye.

 

Inuyasha gave Kagome a look of love and gratitude, grateful that she understood. He slowly turned away and walked towards his former lover, after quickly telling the others to keep an eye on his Intended Mate.

 

“Are you sure your okay with him going to her Kagome?” Sango asked a little worried. While the slayer had no doubts that the hanyou had chosen Kagome, she was nevertheless concerned about what her friend's reaction might be.

 

“I know Inuyasha has chosen me.” Kagome said firmly, focusing most of her energy on purifying Naraku's piece of the Jewel. It was highly tainted from his malice. “This is their last chance to say goodbye.”

 

Sango nodded, understanding.

 

After a moment, Kagome sighed with relief, having made the Jewel as pure as she could. Looking up, she saw that Sango was looking at the Jewel in her hands in sorrow. Kagome mentally kicked herself for having forgotten, even for a moment.

 

“Sango, I'm so sorry about Kohaku,” she said softly.

 

Sango looked away slightly. “It's okay Kagome,” she said, sad but resigned. “I think on some level, I knew this would happen. Even if Kohaku could have survived without the Sacred Jewel Shard, I don't think he would have wanted to. The memories were too much for him. At least now he's with our father and he's at peace.”

 

Kagome nodded, slightly. Sango did seem to have accepted that, though Kagome made a promise to herself to keep a close eye on her friend anyway. Sango had been there for her when she needed her, if Sango needed help Kagome silently vowed she would be there in an instant. From the looks she saw on Miroku and Shippo's faces, they felt the same.

 

###

 

When Inuyasha reached Kikyo's side, he was appalled by the amount of damage and quietly amazed that Kikyo was still `alive'. He knelt down by her side and took her hand gently in his own, trying to give whatever comfort he could.

 

“Kikyo,” he said softly, his voice conveying his regret that things had to end like this. Even if he had come to realise that he and Kikyo were never meant to be, she had still been the first one to show him any kind of kindness or acceptance since his mother had died.

 

“Inuyasha,” Kikyo said softly, her eyes no longer able to focus. “Is Naraku dead?”

 

“He is.” Inuyasha said. “Kagome took away the powers he stole from the villagers, Miroku and Sango crippled him, and then I delivered the final blow. He's dead. We have the Sacred Jewel too.”

 

“Kagome,” Kikyo said, laughing softly. “It seems I was wrong about that girl. All this time, I thought she was a poor copy of me, but it turns out she is better than I ever was. You truly love her don't you, Inuyasha?”

 

“I do!” Inuyasha answered, without hesitation; though he did feel bad about any pain his words might cause Kikyo. “She's my whole reason for living.”

 

Kikyo nodded, “I'm glad. You deserve to be happy.” She paused for a minute, obviously in great pain. “I don't have much time left Inuyasha. Will you take me ashes back to my grave for me?”

 

“I will.”

 

“Tell my sister, I said goodbye, and I'm sorry for all the pain I caused since I was resurrected.”

 

“I'll tell her.”

 

“I'm sorry for you too, Inuyasha.” Kikyo said, her voice growing ever fainter. “You, Kagome, and your friends. It all seems so much clearer now at the end, everything I could not see in either of my lives. Take care of Kagome, Inuyasha. She's the one you must protect now. You need her as much as she needs you. Be happy…”

 

At her last words, Kikyo's eyes drifted shut, as she died once again. A moment later, her fake body dissolved back into ashes and graveyard soil. Without a word, Inuyasha tore off a piece of his inner shirt, and made a small bundle out of the ashes. He had every intention of fulfilling his promise and taking Kikyo's remains back to her grave. That done, he returned to where his friends were waiting for him.

 

“We need to get back home,” Inuyasha said softly. “I have a promise to keep.” The others all understood as soon as they saw the bundle Inuyasha was carrying so carefully, and did not ask.

 

“It'll be dark soon,” Miroku said. “We should probably find a place to sleep, and head out first thing in the morning. With all the people who ran away after they were freed from Naraku, it shouldn't be too hard to find an empty hut.”

 

“If I may,” a deep, unfamiliar voice said. “I own the best inn in this village; I would be honoured if you would stay there tonight.”

 

The group turned around, surprised to see that serval villagers had come out of hiding while they were talking. A middle-aged man in rather well made robes had actually approached them within a few feet. Inuyasha mentally cursed himself, what if the man had been an enemy?

 

“Free of charge of course.” The innkeeper continued, when none of them said anything. “We will even include a specially made dinner in your honour. After all, it is the least our village can do to thank you for saving us. If you had not come along when you did, we would all no doubt be dead by now.”

 

Miroku bowed his head towards the innkeeper slightly. “We are truly grateful for your hospitality, good innkeeper, and would be happy to take you up on your offer.” He said, never one to pass up free room and board. “Even without that battle, it has been a long day. I would greatly appreciate a place to stay and I believe my companions all feel the same.”

 

The innkeeper smiled happily. “If you will follow me,” he said, turning to lead the way. “We have plenty of room, especially since I believe every single person whose family has not lived in this village for at least three generations has fled.”

 

“Just a minute, please.” Kagome said taking out the Jewel Shards, she kept in a bottle around her neck. “I just want to merge the Jewel together now, before I forget.”

 

As the others watched, Kagome held their Shards next to the nearly completed Jewel and concentrated. After a moment there was a flash of pinkish-purple light as the shards fused together. However, something didn't quite feel right to Kagome, and she brought the Jewel up to her eye level to get a better look at it.

 

“I don't believe this!” Kagome cried suddenly, surprising the others enough to make them jump slightly. “I don't fucking believe this!”

 

The others all stared at the Jewel trying to see what had Kagome so upset. After a moment, they saw it, and found themselves agreeing with Kagome full heartedly.

 

There was still one small piece missing. The Jewel was still incomplete.

 

 

Author's Notes:

 

You have just read my first ever attempt at a major battle scene. Hope I did okay. I chose not to use Miroku's Wind Tunnel on purpose, because I felt it is often overused in fan fiction, and I wanted to show that he does have other fighting and spiritual skills. I'd appreciate getting a review telling me what you did or didn't like about it, so I can hopefully improve on my battle scenes in the future.

 

The Ikioizassou in this chapter is entirely my creation. I chose it's name by combining the Japanese words ikioi (force, vigour, energy, spirit, life) and zassou (weed), thus making its name in my mind mean Life-weed. Please note that I don't actually speak Japanese, and in real life it probably ends up meaning nothing like that, that is if it actually means anything at all. However, I rather like the name, and I think it describes my idea for the demon pretty well, so it's staying.

 

Also, I don't know whether or not they had Venus Fly Traps in Japan in the Feudal Era.

 

Replies to reviews.

 

To all reviewers, thanks for the support. It is because of you that I am inspired to write that much faster.

 

For those of you who have congratulated me on writing a more realistic fanfic about rape and it's aftermath, thank you that is what I was aiming for. I have read several fanfics in the past where Kagome is raped and then jumps almost immediately into a sexual relationship with Inuyasha. Although some of these are very well written and have otherwise decent plots, I've always found this disturbing. I don't think rape is `sexy', nor do I think sex is a good way to recover from it. While it was always my intention to get Kagome and Inuyasha together in this story, I didn't want it to be within a couple of days of Kagome being raped. I am also trying to show that although the rape victim is the one most hurt by these attacks, others are affected too. Quiet often the other characters seem to play little to no part in these stories.

 

InuKiKie, thanks so much for your support. I'm glad you liked the scene between Inuyasha and Shippo, it was kind of a last minute addition but I really like it too and I'm glad I remembered to add it in. Shippo looks at Kagome as his mother after all, so of course someone should try to talk to him, and who better than Inuyasha? After all, if Kagome's his mother then wouldn't that make Inuyasha the closet thing he has to a father? I was actually planning on having things with Koga go slightly different in the beginning, but your earlier comment inspired me to write Reunions the way I did, with Koga trying to kidnap Kagome and making everything that much worse for her, and I really think this makes the story that much better, so thanks for that. As for your comments on Search, in peculiar Inuyasha leaving Kagome alone to go see Kikyo, well looking back on it now I find myself in agreement with you again. It was stupid of Inuyasha to leave her like that, and it seems rather out-of-character for the way I've written him in this fic. Unfortunately, as I can't go back and change that without having to completely revise a large part of that chapter, it looks like we'll all just have to deal with it, and chalk up Inuyasha's stupidity to temporary insanity brought on by Kikyo's presence.

 

Angel-up-above-heaven, thanks for being such a devoted reader and reviewer, almost a third my reviews have come from you so far. I'm so glad you like my story so much. PS, you're right, Melbourne rules!

 

Natthecat, thanks for your comments on my author's notes. I can be pretty stubborn about my ideas at times, so if I believe they're valid, I'm going to say so. Besides, as I've said before, it's my story and I'm going to write it the way I see fit.

 

LadyCash, thank you for your comments. I never liked it when fanfic writers made Inuyasha whinny or childish, or Kagome hesitant and moping either. It always seemed out of character to me. Although they both have their childish moments in the manga and anime, I've always thought they were both at heart strong characters and mature, and have always attempted to portray they that way. Neither of them would have likely survived the lives they have lived to this point if they weren't.