InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Avoidance ❯ Chapter 17 ( Chapter 17 )

I do not own Inuyasha & Co.

 

 

It has certainly been quite a while since I've actually began working on a new chapter for anything, really. I really apologize for the wait, but this chapter unfortunately will bring us closer to the inevitable end of this story. I certainly hope that the chapters from this point on will be action packed and enjoyable for you all. Thanks again for your support, as well as your patience.

 

Chapter 17

 

 

Kagome panted; the demon towering over both her and Kouga overwhelmed the room with an immense negative presence. The demon's aura alone caused the air to feel heavy. After a few moments of breathing in the corrupted air, Kagome knelt down coughing. Kouga knelt down beside her and held her shoulders in his hands. “Kagome, are you all right?”

 

“N-no…Kouga…I…can't breathe.” She choked out between coughs.

 

“It's this terrible aura you're emitting that's affecting her.” Kouga turned his gaze to the intruder, and stood up. “What is it you want anyways? I don't even have a clue who you are.”

 

“It's obvious what I'm here for, Kouga. I am here for the jewel of course.” The unwelcome demon stated with a straight face.

 

“And what makes you think you will get it from us?”

 

“Oh, seeing the girl cower on the floor behind you gives me an indication of how strong my aura is compared to the priestess. Taking the jewel from her should be easier than you could imagine.”

 

“Really…” Kouga trailed off. “Kagome, you know what you can do.”

 

“Kouga…Mm.” Kagome grasped the jewel through her shirt and projected a barrier around her and the jewel.

 

“Humph…Clever indeed. But that won't stop me from killing you to get to her, Kouga of the dying wolf tribe.” The demon lifted his right hand, signaling to his underlings to leave the room. Shimarayama stepped to the side to gain some space. He raised his sinewy arms and intensified his aura.

 

Kouga raised his arm to cover his face to counter the blast of aura streaming towards him. The stench was overwhelming and it threatened to erode Kouga's aura. Kouga glanced to see that Kagome remained unharmed from the energy. `I'm glad she's okay. As long as that barrier continues to strengthen, she'll be safe.'

 

At that conclusion, Kouga leaped toward the beast and caught him off guard. Shimarayama stumbled a bit and Kouga took the cheap shot to punch him in the face. The demon read his move, lifted his hands at the last second and knocked his hand away, causing Kouga's hand and shoulder to fly against the wall.

 

Shimarayama reached for Kouga, turned him around, grabbed him by the neck and squeezed as he lifted him from the floor. Kouga kicked with his legs and his hands tried to work the demon's hand from his neck to free himself from the grip. At the second shot with his left leg, Kouga knocked his assailant back and then crumbled to the ground coughing and inhaled the air.

 

@*@

 

 

(Inuyasha's POV)

 

 

Once I arrived at the mansion, I saw some unfamiliar demons surrounding the grounds. I emerged from the trees punching and growling. I took care of them all quickly and made my way to Kagome. I could smell the stench from a mile away. The scent reeked of only one enemy- Naraku.

 

I ran down the hall and caught a glimpse of the offender. I stopped abruptly only to see him fly past me- obviously Kouga kicked him away. I ran around the corner to see Kouga choking on his knees and Kagome back in the corner surrounded by the aura of the jewel. I stood panting as a smile of thanks spread across my face. I was glad to know she was smart enough to use the jewel that way. If I couldn't touch her now then neither could he.

 

I turned to see the intruder standing at the doorway panting, with a bruise forming on his flawless face. “Who are you? Where the hell did you come from, and why the fuck do you smell like Naraku?”

 

“I am Shimarayama, the last and final incarnation of Naraku.”

 

“I thought Kikyo and I destroyed all his kin.” I recollected.

 

Kouga shook his head and said, “Apparently you didn't.”

 

“Well then, answer my second question.” I commanded of the incarnation.

 

“I was sealed back in the mountain overshadowed by Mt. Fuji. I wanted to regain my father's reputation from you at the time of my creation, but he sealed me against my will before he was cast away himself. I'm his last hope of defeating you if the jewel ever resurfaced again.”

 

“And how the hell do you plan to do that? Do you need the jewel to do it?”

 

“Yes. I am to send that priestess to him, down to hell where he resides, as that is his wish; to have Kikyo once and for all!”

 

“I won't let him have Kagome!” I glanced at the woman surrounded by the pure energy of the jewel. “You can try to touch that pure energy, but I guarantee that you will be harmed quite badly if you did. I may be a lesser half-demon, but I'll survive, where you'll die!”

 

“I won't be touching her like you would.” Shimarayama lifted one arm and the shield containing Kagome rose from the ground. I turned with a gasp to see she had risen to my height. The demon beckoned with his hands and the energy ball floated past me to stop before him.

 

“Kagome!” I shouted when I saw ribbons of black spindle around the ball of energy. The ribbons began to connect and spread `till they completely surrounded Kagome and the jewel in a sheath of negative energy. I leaped at the floating ball of energy and grabbed a hold of it, only to be shot back across the room from the nasty jolt.

 

“What are you doing to her?” I growled.

 

“I am taking over the jewel; corrupting the energy. In a few moments, she will be mine to control.”

 

“Not on my watch!” I shouted. I jumped over the black ball and hit him with a right hook. He fell to the floor with a grunt. I turned to try to reach Kagome. I put my hands on the ball and screamed out. “Kagome! Fight the darkness! Don't let it take you!”

 

“You fool she's already half-gone. Can't you feel her purity fail?”

 

“No…She's still got hope. I have faith in her purity. You can't win!” I grunted.

 

I put everything I could into my strength and knew it would be my undoing. Before I knew it, my hair darkened, and my claws turned to fingernail nails. “Yes! I knew it! Her purity still reaches me!” A bright light exploded into the room.

 

“What's happened?” Shimarayama asked.

 

I opened my eyes to see her, and noticed the two of us both surrounded by the purple and pink auras. I reached to embrace her and we worked hard to overcome the darkness surrounding us. “Kagome…”

 

“Inuyasha?” her eyes opened to find me right there with her. She embraced me back and her energy pulsed. The aura of the jewel intensified and purified the dark completely. “You came back, Inuyasha.”

 

“I couldn't leave you for long. Actually, I'm sorry I left you.”

 

Kagome reached out and ran her hand through my long black tresses. “You sacrificed your strength for me?”

 

“Anything to keep you from his clutches.” Just then, the aura changed again. He was trying to do it again. The dark ribbons began to spread quickly. We fought hard to purify whatever energy he tried to feed the jewel. “Kagome, you need to do it.”

 

“Do what?”

 

“You need to make a wish, Kagome. Wish something innocent!”

 

“But I have nothing to wish for!”

 

“Here, connect with me. We'll do it together; otherwise you and I will be sacrificed by the jewel.” I placed my forehead to hers and our minds intertwined. We felt each other's souls and looked for something we wanted most.

 

It seemed she was content with me alone; however, there was one thing I wanted more than any thing. `Kagome, wish this with me. I wish to be with you as a human.'

 

`Inuyasha, no! You'll die!'

 

`Not right away, but eventually, as will you.'

 

`But why?'

 

`It's what I wanted with Kikyo, and never achieved. It's the only way, Kagome. I have to become human.'

 

`But, what if you become human and it remains?'

 

`I don't know what will happen, but we need to do something pure.'

 

`Can't we just send this monster where he belongs?'

 

`No. That's what the jewel wants you to do. Kagome, if we wish for that, your pure energy and soul will be the catalyst to send him there, and I will be left behind once again. I can't bare that to happen again, Kagome.'

 

I held her cheek in my hand and begged her with my eyes as she closed hers and a tear fell. `I can't, Inuyasha. As soon as the jewel is used, he'll kill you. Don't you see? You're my protector! How could I wish you to be vulnerable?'

 

`I don't care about my life, Kagome! I want to save yours!'

 

`I'll be fine.' Her eyes opened and I suddenly found myself ejected from the ball of energy and on my butt on the floor.

 

“Lover's spat?” the offender quipped, as I stood tall and seethed.

 

“Shut up!” I shouted. I lunged at him, and slapped the ball of energy away from his reach. I knocked him off his block effortlessly as my demon aura flared with my transformation.

 

“You're back to your original form.”

 

“Yes, now that Kagome's not purifying my energy.”

 

He gained a smug look as he beckoned for Kagome once again. I made to kick him, and caused him to step out into the hallway. I did what I could to push him towards the Dojo. I heard Kouga shout something, but I couldn't make it out. After a couple minutes of punching and kicking, I plunged my claws into my arm and threw blades of blood at him, causing him to loose his sight and his footing.

 

Once into the Dojo, I leaped to grab my Tetsussaiga from the shelf on the wall. I drew the blade, and swept at his torso drawing blood. He shouted in pain, and was finally distracted from Kagome. I continued to fight without stopping, cutting the demon to ribbons; his blood covered the floor making it red and sticky.

 

A few moments later, I was knocked off my feet and thrown across the Dojo floor. I slid about a foot through the demon's blood and gained my wits to see it was Sesshomaru who knocked me away. “Why did you do that? I was winning, you ass hole!”

 

“Do you see? There's a cloud of miasma filling this room. Look, it's turning the aura around Kagome darker. You're making matters worse, you imbecile.”

 

“Fuck you! If you hadn't interfered, I would have found his weakness! Wait, how did Kagome get in here?”

 

“That's what I was trying to tell you! She was trailing behind because he called to her!” Kouga shouted at me.

 

“Can't you tell? This demon is drawn to the jewel for a reason!” My brother stared me down with a look colder than ice.

 

“And what's going through your head, Mr. Perfect?” I asked picking myself up.

 

“That he is meant to be cast away, and he's meant to take Kagome with him to hell.”

 

“I know that already, and I won't let him! There's gotta be another way!”

 

“There isn't any other way!”

 

I turned and lifted my blade to the intruder's neck and said, “There's always a weakness…Even if I have to chop off your head, I am saving Kagome.” I looked into his poker face and said, “I'll never let you take her away from me.”

 

“It's too late, Inuyasha. The jewel has already chosen her. She's already a part of the jewel, and she wants you with her. All the jewel wants is for my wish to be clear and we are to be cast back to Naraku where we belong,” Shimarayama chided.

 

“No! I'll stop you!”

 

“You can't! Naraku's wish is absolute!” Just then, energy flowed from Shimarayama's hands to embrace Kagome and the shield once again. I screamed out and cast Kaze no Kizu, obliterating him to a splatter on the floor. Once the air cleared, I sank to the floor to pant.

 

“It's over…” I whispered as I slid my blade back into the sheath.

 

“I'm not so sure…” I opened my eyes to see energy whirl into a tornado just feet away form me. I lifted my arm to protect my eyes from the wind. Then before my eyes, he stood once again as if nothing had touched him.

 

“What the fuck?” I spat in shock.

 

“You can't destroy me that easily, hanyou. Can't you sense the connection?”

 

“What connection?” I spat. I looked to him and then to Kagome.

 

“They're connected, brother. Each he surrounded Kagome with his aura, she had to fight it off. If this continues, it will be harder for Kagome to fight his aura. She will soon be consumed by his powerful energy and succumb to the jewel itself.”

 

“Not if we find a way to get her away from him!” I shouted. I tossed the sword at Sesshomaru, took Kagome into my hands once again, and left the Dojo as I struggled with pain from purification.

 

“Kouga!” I shouted as I ran. “Help me!” Once I reached the outer point of the mansion, Shimarayama's underlings had us surrounded. I began to literally kick butt to help Koga destroy the rest of the underlings.

 

“What is your plan?” Koga asked. I filled him in as we fled the mansion with Kagome in my hands.

 

“Shit! So we have to protect her and keep her away from him?”

 

“Yes. I have to find a way to get her to leave the aura of the jewel. She needs to regain her strength because he's trying to wear her down. If I don't get her out of there she will become one with the jewel.”

 

Once we felt safe, we set her down and I embraced the barrier and then entered as before to contact her. `Kagome, you're safe now, but you need to drop the barrier. Let go of the jewel and regain your energy before it consumes you.'

 

`Okay.' A moment later, the barrier dropped and she fell into my arms out cold. I embraced her tightly and Koga looked away to keep watch for any more stragglers.

 

 

@*@

 

This sounded like a god spot to end this one, but I am editing the next installment. So, no hard feelings, right? Ja!