InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bottled Genius ❯ The Rat Bag ( Chapter 21 )

Author's Notes: Ok, I know last chapter I kept doing the ^_^ divider thing… I've used it so long that it's reflex now and old habits die hard. But I'm really trying to change it to ~*~, but I may make the odd slip.

And this is a slightly longer chapter to make up for the slight delay updating.

Bottled Genius

Chapter 21

The Rat Bag

The smells only got worse the further they moved. All Kagome could really do was cling close to Inuyasha and rely on his ability to guide them through the darkness safely… without stepping on anything nasty.

"What do you see?" she whispered. She felt like she was in a library or a temple… it felt wrong to raise her voice. Not when Naraku could be around to hear them either. The quiet drip of water was the only background noise present.

"It's a network of tunnels…" Inuyasha whispered back, one arm stretched before him, one behind him. Kagome was firmly latched onto that arm and the other was employed in making sure he didn't bump into any dark shapes he didn't see. Dark shapes were either shadows or pillars of rock or stalagmites… or other things.

Kagome's foot brushed against something soft and she stumbled. Before her, Inuyasha stopped. "You ok?"

"Fine." She muttered back, really praying and hoping that this would all come to an end soon. "There's just… there's things in here with us, isn't there?"

Inuyasha started off again. "Yeah…"

"What-"

"I don't know." He replied shortly, leading her through a narrow opening into another tunnel with a fork in it. He stopped for a moment, before deciding to take the path that led upwards… chances were it would lead closer to the surface if nothing else. Kagome kept up diligently.

"They're bodies aren't they…?" Kagome muttered. "You don't have to pretend not to know."

"They're not bodies." He told her quietly. "I thought they were… but I can see them now and… they're not bodies."

"Then what are they?" Another 'corpse' brushed against her ankles as she passed. It felt slimy.

"I told you, I don't know." He moved his arm around, forcing Kagome to move with it to avoid her bumping into a pillar. "They look like lumps of fat… some of them are moving."

"Probably cut up bodies." Kagome said grimly.

"Stop trying to scare yourself."

"I'm already scared - I don't need my help to make it any worse!" she snapped.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know!"

They continued in silence for a few minutes.

"Where do you suppose Naraku is?" Kagome said eventually, her voice lowered again.

"Somewhere else." He was close by… but Inuyasha didn't want her to go having any more panic attacks. But considering the circumstances, Kagome was handling everything pretty well. He'd known girls who had been in much less scary situations and would have been wetting themselves by now.

"He said he was using something in this mountain to separate himself from Onigumo." Kagome informed him, feeling as though it were important. Well… it was.

"Probably." he agreed. "There's something odd about this place…"

"Other than the fact that it's filled with blood and corpses?" Kagome gripped his arm a little harder. "This must have something to do with his plan to get rid of Onigumo… We have to stop him."

"Really?" Inuyasha sounded surprised. Or sarcastic. She couldn't really tell without seeing his face. "I thought you wanted to get out of here as fast as possible."

"Well… I do… after we deal with that rat-faced asshole who's been screwing us over for the last few weeks of our lives." She said, a little venom touching her tone. "We have to put a stop to all this… once and for all."

"Wow…" Inuyasha sounded even more surprised. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"What? You didn't think I'd have the courage to stand up for what's right?" she raised an eyebrow at his back, even though it didn't have much affect seeing how dark it was.

"No. I didn't think you had the word 'asshole' in your vocabulary. You're a potty mouth." He chuckled quietly but stopped when she poked him in the ribs.

"This isn't the time to be making jokes. This is serious." She warned him. Perhaps she would have been in a more playful mood if she hadn't in a few life-and-death situations recently. "We have to find Naraku and teach him a lesson."

"And how, do you propose, that we teach Naraku anything?" Inuyasha replied smoothly.

"Well, we'll make a wish, won't we?" she said. "We'll tell him to drop dead."

"You can't wish harm on another master." He reminded her.

"Then… then I'll wish that he never bother us again."

"Nope. That's too unreliable. It would only be a matter of time before he found a loophole in that wish and started bothering us again."

"Then…" Kagome was running out of ideas. "Then I'll wish he walked off a cliff and broke both his legs and arms and could never move from where he fell again."

"That's still physical harm - you can't wish for that either." He shot down yet another plan.

"Alright then, you think of something then!" she huffed. "If you think you know everything."

"I do know everything." He sounded amused.

"Well then use all your cosmic knowledge, and help us out here!" she snapped.

He sighed and they stopped trudging along. "Alright then…" he tugged his arm free of her grasp (though she seemed a little reluctant to let go of him) and began fiddling. Kagome had to wonder what he was doing… she wished she could see…

"Cover your eyes." Inuyasha suddenly said.

"What?" No sooner had that word passed her lips than a large burst of light that turned everything white exploded in front of her. She yelped and clapped her hands over her strained eyes… feeling a strange déjà vu to when her mother turned the light on in the morning and her eyes hadn't gotten used to the light yet.

After a few moments of rapid blinking, she managed to get accustomed to the glare and found the will to raise her gaze from her hands to Inuyasha. The light had dimmed slightly, but it still lit up the cave as good as daylight… but looking around, Kagome could find no light source anywhere. "What did you do?"

"Bent some physic rules again." He said flatly. His gaze wasn't on her, but trained on the other side of the cavern like tunnel they were in. Kagome followed his eyes curiously… then stopped dead when she saw them. Her stomach did a hefty flip-flop that had her nauseous all over again.

Kagome reached for Inuyasha, her fingers curling in his sleeve as she stepped towards him. "What's…?"

"Onigumo." Inuyasha said quietly.

How on earth he knew this was beyond Kagome. All she knew that what she was looking at, looked like lumps of white blubber… some with eyes, some without. Some with mouths, some without. Some moving and wiggling… some were not.

And they were practically everywhere…

"I thought you said Onigumo was a man." Kagome whispered. Of course, he'd never said such a thing, but that was the natural impression she'd gotten.

"He was…" Inuyasha responded slowly. "That's him… I know it… but I don't understand how-"

"It's pretty simple actually."

Both Inuyasha and Kagome jerked around to the source of the new voice and the footsteps which accompanied them. At once Inuyasha stepped protectively in front of Kagome, almost as if to shield her from Naraku's eyes. Most probably because right then, Naraku had chosen to use Kagome's form as his advocate.

Naraku didn't fail to notice Inuyasha's movement and smirked lightly. "You're such a gentleman Inuyasha. It'll be your undoing."

"I don't think so." Inuyasha responded with narrowed eyes.

Kagome glanced past Inuyasha's shoulder and frowned at Naraku. She didn't really look like that… did she? Bags under the eyes, hair rumpled and in dire need of a good brush. Almost as if reading her thoughts, Naraku turned his gaze on her. "I assure you this is exactly how you look right now, you vain little bitch."

Kagome wasn't entirely offended by that… but Inuyasha was. She blinked in surprise as he literally bristled in front of her and a low growl rumbled deep in his throat. She thought perhaps he would try and take a bite out of Naraku the way he was squaring his shoulders… but he only reached back and grasped Kagome's elbow in his hand, keeping her behind him steadily. Kagome vaguely understood why he was being protective, but she half felt that it was uncalled for. She resisted Inuyasha's hand slightly and continued to glare at Naraku. "You don't have Onigumo inside you anymore… do you?"

"So you noticed." Naraku smirked nastily at her. "All that remains of that human filth," he waved a feminine hand behind the pair, "is what you see over there."

Kagome spared another glance at the strange globs of white fleshy things behind her… almost making herself sick again in the process. Inuyasha didn't look again.

"Why…" Kagome tore her gaze away, back to Naraku. "How can that be Onigumo?"

"Well I can't kill him, can I?" Naraku shrugged as though bored with the line of conversation. "He's immortal. And his humanity had infected a lot of myself… the only option was the weed out the contaminated parts of me, and force them out of my body. He'll lie here forever. Unable to move, unable to eat. His conscious scattered… but he will always be alive."

Even Kagome had to feel a little sorry for the man… though she knew that there weren't many more people who deserved such a life… but really, no one deserved that kind of suffering.

"So what do you plan to do now?" Inuyasha ground out slowly. "Now that you're a full demon." And a powerful one at that.

"Well I do have a few more wishes I could use up." Naraku tapped his chin before grinning. But do I really need them when I have such pure power at my own fingertips. My powers surpass even yours, little Hanyou Wishbringer. I have no limitations… I could kill you both now."

Kagome stiffened, and Inuyasha probably would have stiffened even more if he hadn't been so rigidly alert already.

"Now… we're going to have a little fun, the three of us." Naraku glanced back at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha… I want you to disregard and ignore all of Kagome's orders from now on, understand?"

Kagome gasped, snapping her head up to see Inuyasha who looked lost all of a sudden. "No - don't listen to him!"

"Give your priority to me." Naraku went on. "You shall obey my orders. Understand?"

Kagome shook Inuyasha's shoulder as if that would somehow break a spell. "No! Say no!"

Inuyasha cast her a pained look before looking at the rocky ground of the cavern. "Yes… I understand."

"Good." Naraku seemed pleased. "Now. Turn around. Slowly."

Kagome backed away a step or two as Inuyasha turned to face her, eyes still downcast. "I-Inuyasha…"

"Now wrap your hands around her throat and squeeze." Naraku folded his arms and watched at a distance.

Kagome attempted to bolt. To run away and save herself, but Inuyasha caught her by her sleeve and pulled her back to him. "No!" she stuttered as she tried to fend off his hands, fighting him while he fought himself as well. The tussle was weak and as Kagome tried to shove his hands away from nearing her neck, she thought for a while that she might actually win the wrestling match.

Naraku sighed impatiently. "Stop fucking around and strangle her!"

Inuyasha, eyes trained on his hands rather than Kagome's face, clenched his jaw and knocked Kagome's defence aside. He securely wrapped two hands around her slim throat and squeezed. Very, very gently.

Kagome's hands locked onto his wrists, attempting to pull them away… but really there was no need. He was in no way inhibiting her breathing.

"Harder than that!" Naraku marched up to the pair until he was stood beside them. "Harder!"

Inuyasha's hands tightened fractionally. Kagome began to panic.

"Cut off her breathing - kill her!"

"Don't - Inuyasha stop!" Kagome pleaded.

"Don't stop!" Naraku snapped. "Crush her throat!"

His hands were now squeezing too hard, too painfully. Kagome's vision was blurring, but she fought back against him with fervour, desperate to break away. Her knees were beginning to fail and she began to sag. Perhaps her weight would break his grip.

She slumped towards the ground, rigidly trying to push his arms away, he only followed her down, dropping to his knees as her own feet began slipping out beneath her. A dim roaring noise entered her ears and she continued prying at Inuyasha's hands, digging her nails into his flesh to try and bring him pain… even though she knew it wouldn't do much good. One word from Naraku and Inuyasha was helpless against servitude…

But even though that far off roaring noise consumed most of her hearing, she could still faintly hear snatches of words going over her head.

"I'm sorry." Inuyasha was quiet. "I'm so sorry."

Somehow she'd ended up with her back pressed against the hard rock ground. Small chips of pebbles and rock ground into her spine as she twisted this way and that. She tried using her feet to brace against his stomach and push away, the result was only to put from strain on her neck. So Kagome tried to open her mouth to speak, to tell Inuyasha that she'd forgive him… but she'd appreciate it a lot if he'd just stop trying to kill her. But she couldn't seem to find the air to squeeze past his hands to talk.

But then suddenly his fingers loosened and although they still gripped her throat firmly, she suddenly found air rushing back into her aching lungs. It was enough to give her the strength to open her eyes and look up at Inuyasha who looked the most conflicted she'd ever seen him. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Naraku standing close by, possibly looking smug she wasn't sure, she was too busy focusing on Inuyasha's lips. Too busy trying to see what he was mouthing to her.

Wish. Make a wish.

He'd given her the air to do it.

Kagome didn't waste any time. She dragged in a lungful of air. "I wish-"

"Shut her up!"

Inuyasha's hand flew from her throat to clap over her mouth, effectively silencing the rest of her statement. It was a welcome relief to her poor sore throat.

"I can't have you messing everything up with a wish now, Kagome." Naraku leaned down, cocking his head so he made level eye-contact with her. "How does that feel? To be brought to the brink of death by the man you love. I wonder… is that how Kikyo felt? Do you remember? You are her after all."

Inuyasha snorted disparagingly. "I don't care what you say. You're just as obsessed with a dead woman as Onigumo." Kagome noted the certain degree of relief visible in his face as he looked down at her. It was enough to reassure her that Inuyasha was just as keen for her well-being as she was. And despite the fact that his hand was still clamped tightly over her mouth, she was grateful for his concern…

"I was just feeling a little nostalgic, that's all." Naraku straightened and took a few steps away from them before turning back. "Inuyasha. Go now and bring me your bottle. I'm getting tired of these games. I think we need to call it a day."

Inuyasha didn't move. His eyes locked with Kagome's and her hands instinctively tightened around his wrists.

"You heard what I said, Inuyasha." Naraku said coolly. "Bring me your bottle. Now."

Inuyasha winced down at Kagome and she watched him with wide eyes as his hands lightened against her mouth. He dissipated quietly and Kagome lay, stunned, staring at the roof of the long cavern. Her breathing was still a little ragged and choppy as she tried to get over the weirdness of Inuyasha trying to suffocate her. She almost forgot Naraku's presence behind her until he stepped into her line of sight.

"You must have, what? Two wishes left now?" Naraku raised an eyebrow. He'd lost his smug conceited smirks, and even looked slightly angry. "You knew that the time would come when you would be forced to separate. The minute you used up your tenth wish you would probably never see him again. You can't be his master twice. You'd grow up, grow old and die, and he'll still be sleeping in his container, oblivious to the world and stuck in a moment in time when you made the last wish. He'll live forever. Well… he would if he hadn't royally pissed me off. You're human. He's not. You're mortal. He's immortal."

Kagome stared at him. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Why would you allow yourself to fall in love with someone you can never be with?" Naraku narrowed his eyes… narrowed Kagome's eyes. "You know that there is no way to free him from his life… so why did you let your heart run away with him."

Kagome swallowed hard, but said nothing. She owed Naraku no explanations. "It's none of your business."

"I know. I was just curious." Naraku shrugged and moved away, glancing at the wrist watch on his arm. Kagome took the opportunity to begin to sit up, rubbing her throat whilst wincing. Naraku went on. "I couldn't understand how Onigumo was willing to waste precious wishes, only to pursue a woman desired. And given half the chance you would do just the same for Inuyasha."

Was this the part where Naraku broke down crying, screaming about how he didn't understand humanity though he really wished he could? Kagome, somehow, didn't think so.

"Humans bug me." He turned back again to face Kagome with a wide smirk. Definitely the most evil smirk he'd made, Kagome decided. "So I think I'll wipe them out."

Her breath caught in her throat.

"Starting with you-"

Inuyasha suddenly appeared between them. His back blocked Kagome's view of Naraku and she trailed her eyes down to the hands clenched at his sides. The left was fisted tightly against his thigh whilst the right was clasped around the old coke bottle in a death grip.

"Ah. You took your time." Naraku folded his arms. "I thought you might have done the cowardly thing and run away to leave Kagome to me."

Wordlessly, and slightly sulkily, Inuyasha stomped forward and stuck the bottle out to Naraku. The demon regarded it through narrowed eyes. "Tell me. This is your bottle isn't it? No tricks now."

"No tricks. It's the bottle."

"The bottle which you currently inhabit?" Naraku pressed a little further. Obviously he wasn't putting anything past Inuyasha…

"Yes. The bottle which I currently inhabit."

"Good." Naraku smiled and unfolded one arm to reach out and take the bottle from Inuyasha's grasp.

Inuyasha glanced back towards Kagome, his expression unreadable… and it hit her that now was the perfect moment to make a wish that would end Naraku. There was nothing to stop her. "I…" her voice faltered… too quiet. She tried again. "I wish that Na-"

She stopped short at the sound of plastic being crushed. Her mouth remained hung open in shock as she watched Inuyasha flinch massively in pain and start tipping backwards… back onto her.

"Inuyasha!" She scrambled to catch him; and only mildly succeeded in breaking his fall with her body. His weight made her tumbled back as well, landing unceremoniously on her behind while her arms desperately clutched around his chest. With her legs trapped beneath him and his upper body braced against hers, she could barely move. "Inu…"

But he was getting lighter rather rapidly. Kagome could only watch in horror as his face contorted in agony and his shoulder began fading into nothing. "No… no!" she shot her chin up to see Naraku standing a few metres away, smiling subtly with the crushed bottle of coke in his fist. It was beyond repair… broken in several places.

"I hear that fading into nothing like this is probably the most painful way for a Wishbringer to go." Naraku said smugly. "Seems like its true."

Inuyasha was getting more insubstantial than ever. Thin wisps of scarlet most seemed to evaporate off him… taking away his body bit by bit. Kagome felt a sob well up in her chest and instantaneously tears began stinging her eyes. "Don't go… please don't leave me…"

His left hand groped for hers… curiously it was still fisted and solid despite the rest of him being nearly transparent. Kagome saw him reach for her and at once grasped his hand tightly in hers.

He deposited something into her palm.

"Don't worry." He whispered, giving a weak smile.

Kagome couldn't tear her gaze away from his to look at what he'd given her. She could see right through him to the cavern floor beneath him. "Inuyasha…"

Naraku stalked forward. "This is taking too long." With one fell kick aimed at Inuyasha, what little remained of the Hanyou's form scattered into mist and furled into the air like rising dust.

Then it disappeared.

The dull thud of her heart was all Kagome could hear. It throbbed in her ears as she stared into space. Naraku was laughing. She wished he would stop… she wished Inuyasha would come back… she wished none of this had happened… she wished she'd never met Inuyasha, then she would never have gone through all this turmoil, hope and despair.

She wished…

"That brings the grand total of Wishbringers down to twenty two…" Naraku tossed the bottle over his shoulder and dusted his hands together. "And that leaves only two tenth generations."

Kagome's over-bright eyes fell to her scratched up knees, slowly taking in a few of the bruises visible on her bare skin. Her gaze turned to her hand, and for the first time she uncurled her fist to take a look at what Inuyasha had given her.

At first she didn't understand… but then it all made perfect sense. Her heart swelled and she clasped her hands tightly to her chest as she smiled and let the tears fall in torrents down her cheeks.

"Now…" Naraku started towards Kagome, and as he moved his features slid and shifted across his face. Kagome looked up at him slowly as she watched his body lose its slight feminine shape and become bigger, bulkier… more masculine. The scraggy miniskirt and jersey that had been identical to her own melded into clothes better suited.

The transformation was so smooth, Kagome nearly wondered what had changed and how… she wondered what she was looking at. It looked like a full grown man… covered with spikes and blades that looked more dangerous than any creature on earth.

He continued to approach her and Kagome desperately scooted backwards to try and keep the distance. As he moved he raised one arm in a smooth gesture and she saw that instead of ending in a hand, the arm tapered off into a sharp sickle shaped blade with a wooden texture to it…

"Any last words…?" He smirked as he stood over her, blade arm raised and ready to slice her in two.

Kagome looked around her for help. To her left was empty cave… to her right was more empty cave with Onigumo blubber wiggling here and there. She swallowed hard and tightened her hand hard around the tiny object in her hand. She looked Naraku dead in the eye with quavering determination. "Yes."

"Then by all means…" he gave a mock bow of the head in a charade of politeness.

Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I wish…"

She heard him snort in laughter… but he made no move to stop her. Why should he? He didn't know…

Kagome opened her eyes, filled with new contempt and fiery courage. "I wish that you found the form to suit your nature perfectly! You are a rat! You are scum! That is what you deserve to be and what you will be from now on! A dirty, flea-bitten vermin that infects others and carried disease wherever it goes! I wish you remain that way forever!"

Naraku laughed cruelly. "I must give you points for creativity. But you're a little late. Your Wishbringer is no more, and you have forfeit your last wishes."

"No she hasn't."

Naraku turned to look slowly towards the other end of the cavern. Kagome watched his face close for his reaction… he only looked mildly disappointed. "Oh… look…"

Kagome followed his gaze, her chest aching with love and pride. She doubted there had been a time when Inuyasha had looked more heroic and handsome… She smiled broadly, her tears drying quickly. "You heard me, Inuyasha." She called in a strong voice.

"As you wish!"

Naraku didn't stand a chance. He tried to defend himself, but against the full power of a Wishbringer he was pretty much powerless.

A noxious explosion of gas and thick miasma filled the cave and Kagome scrambled to her feet, covered her mouth with a hand to keep from breathing in the fumes. Naraku didn't intend to go down without a fight. She raced towards Inuyasha.

"One petty little wish won't destroy me!" Naraku yelled, tentacles that resembled living roots erupted out of his body and shot through the miasma towards Inuyasha. For a horrible moment Kagome thought Inuyasha would be struck down… but Inuyasha simply drew back one fist and punched aside each tentacle as they neared.

"This is your end Naraku!" Inuyasha darted forward, skipping over lashing tentacles and twisting to avoid well aimed blows. Kagome watched with wide eyes as he simply plunged through the miasma and used his claws to wrench his way up Naraku, whose body seemed to be growing and expanding to fill the cavern to the roof.

Inuyasha locked one arm around his neck and proceeded to hang on for dear life as her smashed a fist against Naraku's skull. "This is for Kagome! And all your perverted thoughts about her!" He struck Naraku again. "And this one's for Mrs H! For knocking her out and pretending to be her for a whole day! This is for turning me into a dog! This is for sticking a pole through my chest! This is for flinging their car off a cliff! This is for Kikyo and all the hell you put her through! This is it!!"

Inuyasha drew his fist back one last time and planted it all the way into Naraku's back. The poisonous miasma in Naraku's body stung and burned his arm… but he didn't pull back. Naraku thrashed and threw himself around as he tried to dislodge the Wishbringer. It didn't work. Inuyasha didn't pull back.

"It's like trying to scratch an itch on your back isn't it!" Inuyasha yelled over the din of Naraku's thrashing. "You just can't reach!"

The tentacles smashed against the caverns walls and Kagome kept as far out of the way as possible, but still little bits of rock and stalactite rained down on her from above. She hoped that all this activity didn't bring the roof down on all of them. She didn't fancy coming this far to be buried under a mountain.

But the tentacles were shrinking. Naraku was growing smaller and soon Inuyasha's feet were planted on the ground, though his fist was still embedded in Naraku's back. The demon was weakening, slumping forward onto all fours… yet he was still shrinking… and sprouting fur… a tail…

With eyes wide in amazement Kagome watched as her wish unfolded before her. In was only a matter of seconds before the transformation was complete and the cavern rumbled back into peace and quiet.

Well it would have been quiet if not for the screeching little rat that Inuyasha had pinned to the ground.

The miasma had already dispersed and Kagome took a tentative look at the roof to double check it wasn't about to cave in, before straightening and taking a step towards Inuyasha and the rat…

"So…" Inuyasha straightened, hauling mini Naraku into the air by the tail, swinging him around in a circle rather cruelly. "Who gets to kill him first?"

Kagome blinked at the rat. "Is it… is he really stuck like that?"

Inuyasha grinned happily as he nodded, giving Naraku a little poke that had him contorting and screeching even louder than before. "He's about as harmless as he looks. The most he could do is bite you and give you rabies - ow! Little sod!"

Naraku seemed to have taken the advice and bitten Inuyasha.

Inuyasha promptly dropped the rat. But before it could skitter away, he dropped a boulder on top of it. Kagome flinched as the sickening crunch of a flattened rat echoed around the cavern. "Oh… I wish you didn't do that…" she grimaced as she averted her eyes and looked everywhere except at the boulder and the… red stuff coming out from under it.

She looked at Inuyasha, however, when he began laughing. Laughing rather darkly actually. Kagome's eyes narrowed in concern. Had he really gotten rabies already? "Inuyasha?"

"Of all the wishes you could have made…" he chuckled. "You turned him into a rat. Even I wouldn't have thought of something like that."

"Well… it was the first thing that came into my head." She said quietly, but slightly defensively.

"You're a smart girl." He conceded, smiling at her. Kagome stared back at him silently for a few moments before finally running forward and throwing her arms around his middle. She held him tighter in relief when she felt his solid arms lock around her in return, holding her just as closely and protectively as she did him. She felt safe and warm… and this time it was with Inuyasha, not Naraku.

"I thought you'd died. Again." Kagome mumbled against his chest. He smelt faintly of Naraku's miasma, but she didn't care. He was alive. He was Inuyasha, and he was holding her tenderly and resting a warm against the back of her head, idly stroking her hair.

"You got the message then." His eyes were closed in content as he rested his cheek against the top of her head.

Kagome pulled back slightly as she brought up her hand and held out the object that he'd given her before. It was a tiny glass tube that had once contained a small sample of perfume. According to the lettering along the side, it had been 'Dune' perfume. It was complete with a little stopper at the top… a small, but valid container.

"You knew he was going to break the bottle, didn't you?" she smiled up at him, her eyes getting a little damp again.

He nodded. "I brought that along as back-up."

"Clever boy!" she grinned teasingly and flicked his nose as she drew back to look behind them.

Naraku was dead… Onigumo was as good as dead. And both she and Inuyasha were still alive and well. It probably could have ended in a cleaner way… but they were still both in tact and that was all that mattered.

Though Naraku's words still rung in her head. She only had one wish left now… and then what? Would she be forced to forget about Inuyasha? She'd probably never see him again…

Her smiled faded slightly as she looked over the rubble of the cavern. The future beyond that tenth wish looked bleak.

"Come on." Inuyasha's hand closed over hers, gently tugging her after him as he started off in the direction they'd been heading in before. "The sooner we get out of here the better."

"Yes." Kagome mentally gave herself a shake and forced a smile onto her face as she trotted after him.

She should have been happy. But somehow… a life without Inuyasha seemed depressing all of a sudden.

Though who was to say that tenth wish would be any time soon? She might choose never to make that last wish! Kagome's resolve firmed slightly and her worry seeped away slightly. They were together now, with no one threatening their happiness, or their lives… that was all that mattered. Whatever else lay ahead, she didn't want to think about it.

She'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

AN: Still more chapters to come ^_^