InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ By The River of Shadowed Moments ❯ Victory's Dream ( Chapter 11 )

AN: Thank you to Risa for the beta job! The next chapter should be up this next week.

“This is happening for your pleasure, at your leisure
Use your evil, when you want"

"Evil" by Ladytron, 'Light and Magic'

 

--

Chapter Eleven - Victory's Dream

Naraku laughed at them, his tentacles growing and multiplying, ready to strike at their first move. He grinned, victory assured in his smile. Awaiting their response, Naraku decided to urge things along. He gripped a tentacle around Kagome's throat, and although still unconscious, she wheezed as her lungs strained for more air. She slumped against him helpless and immobile like a doll. Naraku cackled at their horrified faces, and the fear and anger rising in their auras fed fuel to his fire.

"What is it going to be, Slayer? Your brother is as good as dead anyway; give the shard to me and he will find peace," he goaded her, and Sango said nothing to him. She gripped her weapon, glaring at him and pursing her lips, ready for a fight. She stood in front of Kohaku, who looked on with terror at the desperate situation.

"Aneue," Kohaku said in a low voice, and Sango turned to him with a stern look.

"No, Kohaku," she said. "I will never give you to him. I would rather you die for peace than for evil. Is that not what Kikyou-sama wanted for you?"

Kohaku nodded, unsure if she was right. He looked to Kagome and then to everyone else, and he noticed their worry and agony at the young girl's capture.

"How noble," Naraku commented, watching their interaction. Sango turned and glared at him. "You are fighting a worthless battle, Slayer. You will die when you fight, and I will take the shard anyway."

Sango gritted her teeth, but her eyes widened when she noticed movement coming from Kagome. The others watched with interest too, and Kagome had slowly begun to wake despite the intensity of Naraku's negative power. Noticing the girl rousing, Naraku tightened his grip around her neck, and she immediately screamed.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, ready to run after her, but Sesshoumaru held him back again.

With harsh, yet calm eyes Sesshoumaru looked down at him and said, "You will put Kagome in more danger if you act rash."

"Fuck that!" Inuyasha screamed, and as he moved to charge, Sesshoumaru punched him with the hilt of his sword and sent him flying backward.

"Fool!" Sesshoumaru spat at him, and Kagome quickly roused to the scene between the brothers.

"Stop it! Don't fight each other! Remember who the real enemy is here!" Kagome yelled, struggling with her voice and barely managing to speak above a whisper.

Naraku chuckled at them, pulling Kagome back against him and watching the scene between the brothers in delight.

"You make this too easy," he said, and Inuyasha glared at Naraku while rubbing his jaw. Sesshoumaru merely stared at him, his stoic mask firmly in place. Naraku caught him glancing at the miko before focusing his full attention on him. "You idiot brothers can keep fighting each other, weakening your group. Then it will be easier to get what I want." He looked over to Kohaku, who was hiding behind his sister while protecting Rin.

"Don't give into him!" Kagome yelled again, her voice a little louder than before. Naraku's tentacle tightened even more, blocking out her voice. She whimpered, and tears squeezed out her eyes as the pain became too much to bear. Naraku laughed loudly, and suddenly his tentacles became longer and loomed above them.

Sesshoumaru glanced at Kagome, noticing her distress and wondering if she could take much more of it. He hated to see her suffer, and even though he was sure she was powerful for being an untrained miko, she was still human, and she only had enough energy to hold on before her human body would expire. That was one thing he couldn't bear to see, and while Naraku tied her against him, he choked her like a rag doll, and it made Sesshoumaru lose his patience.

 

He heard his brother swearing beside him as Naraku's shouki became denser around them, and as the hanyou was about to charge first after Naraku, Sesshoumaru shot him a dangerous look and said in a low voice, "Don't get in my way, whelp." Inuyasha glared at him, yet his jaw dropped from surprise at Sesshoumaru's boldness. He looked on dumbly as his older brother sprang to action, heading right toward Kagome's position.

"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled, but he took off to catch up with Sesshoumaru's intense speed. A dense, spindle of Naraku's tentacles wound around them, and the two of them had to dodge getting caught and squeezed to death. Sesshoumaru began launching small, consistent Meidou blasts at the tentacles, and as usual, Inuyasha waved around his sword erratically, working for survival instead of precision.

Naraku was smarter than they gave him credit for, and slowly his tentacles were driving the brothers closer together, forcing them in each other's way. When a tentacle slammed Inuyasha into Sesshoumaru's back, he flung his brother off of him and gave him a steely glare.

 

“Keep sharp,” was all he said, and Inuyasha returned his brother's glare, sure that he'd retaliate if he wasn't already fighting Naraku.

 

Inuyasha sent out a sloppy slash to an incoming tentacle, and as shouki spit out of it's severed limb, Sesshoumaru came behind him and pushed him out of the way, saving his brother from the onslaught of poison.

 

Inuyasha looked at his brother with wide eyes, and when Sesshoumaru turned, Inuyasha heard his brother huff at him under his breath. His eyes narrowing, Inuyasha knew the only reason he had been saved was that Sesshoumaru wanted him to be at his strongest, not debilitated by something as weak as shouki.

 

They seemed to be getting nowhere, and Naraku's tentacles were relentless. The tainted Shikon Jewel, although incomplete, was still fueling Naraku with enough power to regenerate. In the corner of his eye, Sesshoumaru caught the illusion master Byakuya coming after Kohaku, while the monk and slayer fended off his attacks as well as stray tentacles. Even the young fox kit tried to help, sending bursts of his immature blue flames at small tentacles and onslaught of shouki that came near Rin. Jaken and Ah and Un did their part to contribute fire power as well. But it didn't seem like enough as Naraku cackled, his miasma and monster body consuming them.

 

One slash upon another, Sesshoumaru took note of how well their groups had fought together, yet he and his brother battled separately, and something deep inside him insisted that this wasn't what his father had wanted. His uncle had taught him about sacrifice, and once he learned it, only did he become stronger.

 

But what did he have to sacrifice? Rin? Kagome? His sword? He glanced idly at Kagome, and then back to his brother. Inuyasha still obviously loved her, and Sesshoumaru knew he was fighting for the desire to win her, not only just save her from Naraku's clutches.

 

And unconsciously, maybe Sesshoumaru was fighting to win her as well. He would never admit it, not on any earthly level, but he was not an emotional being and he never would be. He expressed any emotion he had through the blade of his sword or the poison of the whip. He brought emotions from others by his prowess and the stature of the dog family.

 

But what was left of his proud dog family? There was him, his estranged uncle, and his brother. That was all, and although his and his uncle's power could have been enough to rule the lands, they really no longer did. Humans ruled. Their family was dwindling out, and the witch's curse, which he had suspected hadn't disappeared since her demise, would smear any chance of descendants from him.

 

Another large tentacle came toward him, and in his errant thoughts, it was Inuyasha who jumped up to save him. Sesshoumaru looked at his brother curiously, and there was no look of pride on his face. He did not taunt Sesshoumaru, but instead he looked at him with a dire expression. He was panting, and Sesshoumaru could tell the hanyou's energy was waning. He had several cuts and bruises all over his body, and Tessaiga was nicked and cracked in many places. The dragon-scaled pulse was beginning to fade.

 

`This can not go on forever, for we will lose,' Sesshoumaru thought to himself. And suddenly, his uncle's voice accosted his mind, and Tenseiga vibrated in his hand.

 

“You must team up with Inuyasha to defeat this foe. You know that was what your father wanted? Am I right?”

Sesshoumaru pursed his lips. He knew exactly what his father wanted. He wanted him to accept Inuyasha as his brother. He would want them to team up with him to defeat this foe, and any other enemy that came after them. They were bound by blood - with their family power surging through their veins. Their different mothers didn't matter at this point; it was their father that was the same, and he was the stronghold.

 

Sesshoumaru would have to sacrifice not only his pride, but his prejudice for his brother. It made no difference at this point which one of them Kagome was going to chose. The end result with Naraku would determine the fate of the world, and in them, they had to be the ones to prevent a most dire end.

 

Another tentacle ripped past Sesshoumaru's cheek, and as he shifted, it surged toward Inuyasha's gut. Inuyasha barely had enough time to dodge it, yet Sesshoumaru quickly combined his poison with the power of his sword to obliterate it. Inuyasha gaped with awe as his brother's poison missed him and flung elsewhere. His brother had saved him, returning the recent favor.

 

And suddenly this fight no longer seemed as difficult as they began to work together on instinct. Inuyasha took a defensive pose against Sesshoumaru's back, and the two of them began to work together, slashing at the tentacles with constant precision.

 

“It's time to step this up, dear brother,” Sesshoumaru said almost in a whimsical tone. Inuyasha chuckled behind him.

 

“First one to rescue Kagome gets her? Is that what you mean?” Inuyasha replied with some levity. His brother huffed.

 

“That is something we will determine later,” Sesshoumaru answered. “Right now, there is a greater thing we must do.” He glanced backward and caught the corner of Inuyasha's eye. His brother was listening.

 

“We must sacrifice pride for family honor,” Sesshoumaru said.

 

Inuyasha nodded. “Let's get this guy.”

 

Tessaiga and Tenseiga began to surge together, and the two brothers paused, watching as their swords pulsed and began to evolve. A blackened light was forming a sphere around them, knocking out tentacles that dare cross their way. As Tenseiga pulsed black, the power of the Meidou began to mimic in Tessaiga, and soon the dragon-scaled Tessaiga turned a hollow black, burning with reddened embers on the sides of the blade. Sesshoumaru's sword silent, the Meidou no longer pulsing in the blade as Tessaiga complete absorbed the ability. In his hands, it was just the same healing sword as it was before, completely free of the power Totosai had instilled in his blade.

 

“Huh,” he said with mild disappointment. It was obvious his father had always intended Inuyasha to have the Meidou, and though Sesshoumaru had it first, it was clear he was only there to perfect the energy.

 

Sesshoumaru's attention turned back to Inuyasha, who whined a war cry at Naraku as he heaved up his Black Blade and shot a blast of Meidou that burned through his tentacles and went for the heart of Naraku's body. Naraku appeared bewildered, not expecting such power.

 

He hadn't expected them to cooperate either.

 

Kagome's eyes widened as the energy came toward them, and Naraku clung to her desperately, trying to use her for a shield. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha both stared at the scene with fright, not expecting the energy blast to get so close to Kagome. She screamed and by some will of Inuyasha, the Meidou blast had turned coarse, ripping through Naraku's shoulder and tendrils of hair, buzzing past him and destroying a mass of tentacles that loomed behind him.

 

The blast from behind had propelled them forward, which had jarred an already weak Kagome, knocking her out again. Inuyasha gasped in shock, his face full of horror when he hurt Kagome and did not intend to. Naraku seemed to be shaken as well, and he looked down at Kagome and then back to the brothers. The wicked smile on his face showed that he well and ready for more.

 

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru glanced at each other. The others were still fighting behind them, their energy waning from exhaustion.

 

The battle was still far from over.

 

--

 

When Kagome woke up, she found herself standing in front of the Goshinboku in her time. Fall leaves whisked in front of her, and she looked to the sky noticing the haze of the shortening afternoons of the Fall Equinox. The wind blew a pile of leaves straight for her face, and she whimpered, putting her hands up in defense and closing her eyes.

 

The wind died down, and she opened her eyes to face Kikyou, who was standing in front of her, still in her traditional miko garb. She said nothing, and Kagome's lip quivered at the sight of her.

 

She was supposed to be dead, and as far as she knew, Kikyou had never ventured into the modern era.

 

`It has to be a dream,' Kagome mused to herself.

 

“It is no dream,” Kikyou corrected immediately, and Kagome stared in awe as the long-gone priestess had just read her thoughts.

 

Her voice was cool, her expression still stagnant as ever as she peered into Kagome's soul. Kagome swallowed an uncomfortable lump in her throat, and she gave Kikyou a curious expression.

 

“What are we doing here then? Why are we in the modern era?”

 

“We are not there either. We are inside your mind, Kagome. I can not exist anywhere else to speak with you.” Kikyou paused, and she watched Kagome's expression carefully. She cocked her head and added, “I am still dead.”

 

Kagome nodded, hesitant to trust her words too much. What if she was Naraku, and he was putting her in an elaborate trap?

 

Kikyou unexpectedly smiled. “Your senses are getting sharper, Kagome. It is smart to not trust me and suspect Naraku. I would have done the same. However, I assure you I am real. You're unconscious in Naraku's grasp as we speak, and if he destroys you completely, the jewel will never be purified. He will get what he wants and the world will fall.”

 

“But, how can I stop him? What does this have to do with me? I can't even fight him. My power -“

 

“…is sealed,” Kikyou finished for her. Kagome stared at her in shock, and the priestess continued, “Your true power is sealed, and it is entirely my doing. When I had the Shikon Jewel burn with my remains, I went into the afterlife with lost love, hatred, and revenge brimming in my soul. My next soul would not be spared the duties of the life before. So my will was to have the Shikon Jewel be dormant, as well as the strong spiritual power that would undoubtedly be passed to my next incarnation.” She paused, and she looked around Kagome's era momentarily and focused back on Kagome. “I did not foresee the kind of era the next life would be in. There is little magic here, and even less demonic aura to attract enemies to the Shikon Jewel. However, it did anyway, and you were pulled into my time.”

 

Kikyou came closer to her, and Kagome was so stunned by her story she didn't move. The miko grabbed her shoulders and spoke to her emotionally. “I was right when I told you that you did not belong in my era. You don't, and by being there, you give the evil half of the Jewel the opportunity to attract villains to increase their power and free them from the never-ending struggle of good and evil in the Jewel.” Kikyou released her grip on Kagome and gave her a hard stare. “You should have stayed in your time, but things cannot be undone. Even though you are untrained, you must release the sealed power within you to finally destroy Naraku, thus making the final wish on the Shikon Jewel.”

 

“The final wish?” Kagome felt stupid for asking such a lame question. She was barely following what Kikyou was trying to tell her. Her power was sealed? Her true power? What sort of power was that? It was all so confusing.

 

“Yes, and then you will purify the jewel once in for all. You should have enough power once unsealed to dispose of the evil in the jewel and ultimately dispel it,” Kikyou said, and she began walking down the far-reaching steps of the shrine. Kagome didn't know where she was going, but she supposed her lesson with Kikyou was almost over.

 

But what did she really learn?

 

“Kikyou, how do I unseal my power?”

 

Kikyou turned around, and the late afternoon sun casting a dark shadow on the stone in front of her. She said, “You don't.” She turned around and began to walk away again. Kagome watched her as she began to fade in the shadows of the trees down the streets. Soon, shadows were looming around her, and Kagome wondered if night was falling. When she looked around, she gasped as her environment began to blur.

 

Kagome's mind felt muzzy, and her eyes began to close beyond her will. She heard Kikyou's voice echo in her mind before she was pulled back into reality.

 

“You don't unseal your powers, Kagome. I do. And I will when the time is right.”

 

--

 

A sharp pain pierced her belly, and when she looked down, Naraku had impaled her with one of his tentacles. Wide-eyed with shock, she looked up to see him sneering down at her, retaliating as her power had flared while unconscious.

 

She coughed, and she felt the taste of blood rise from her throat. She gagged, spilling the contents of her stomach onto him. Naraku howled next to her, releasing his grip momentarily as her stomach acid had burned his flesh. Kagome noticed his burns, and when she looked down at her entire body, she realized she was completely pulsing with an intense pink aura.

 

`She's releasing my powers,' Kagome thought with Kikyou's intentions buzzing in her mind. `Is it time?'

 

Shaking the haze from her mind, Kagome looked ahead, and she saw her friends weakening. Miroku had fallen, and Sango barely managed to stand to protect the monk's wounded body as well as Kohaku and Rin. Shippou had lain beside Miroku, unconscious and full of burns on his face and hands. Inuyasha was still slashing at tentacles, his face full of gashes and his sword barely outputting energy for his attacks. Sesshoumaru was the least of the weary, and he met her gaze momentarily as she watched him fight. The moment they locked eyes, Sesshoumaru began to fight harder, as did Inuyasha when he noticed Kagome had finally roused.

 

`We are losing,' Kagome thought, and as tears formed in her eyes, she felt warmer - her own power feeling hot as she cried.

 

“It's time, Kagome. This has to end,” Kikyou said inside her mind again.

 

Kagome's lip quivered and she realized just exactly what she must do. `I might die from this,' she thought errantly.

 

`Yes,' Kikyou agreed with her and the voice soon disappeared.

 

Kagome turned her gaze to Sesshoumaru and then to Inuyasha. She loved them both but in different ways - love that she was just happy she was able to share. With one last look, she could feel that this might be the last time she could see them. And as sad as it was, Kagome didn't know if she'd like to see them in another way.

 

Fighting; they were in their element, of course, and to her, they shined beautifully. The inu youkai, princes of the House of Dogs - born with power, bred for fighting, and instilled with a destiny that transcended love.

 

“Goodbye,” she whispered aloud, and Naraku began to struggle as she held him, preventing him from running away again. She glanced over at him, giving him a pitying look and letting the dormant power flow through her body.

 

She closed her eyes, and all she could see was white. Naraku was howling in agony.

 

--

 

When the light dissipated, the forest was dark again and the screaming had ceased. A calm, peaceful melody blanketed the forest. Inuyasha pulled down his arm from shielding his eyes, and quickly, he saw Kagome still hovering in the air. A small amount of power levitated her, but as it completely disappeared, she fell with a splash into a puddle at the bottom of a large crater that formed from the blast. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha both sprung to catch her fall in time, but neither one had made it.

 

As she lay lifeless in the puddle, Naraku's partially completed Shikon Jewel fell after her. As it bobbled next to Kagome in the puddle, the entire water around her purified, as well as the jewel. It sunk to the bottom next to her chin with a faint pink glow under the water.

 

The clear pink pulse was a good indication that the jewel was purified again. And when Miroku looked down at his hands, free of the torrent winds that had cursed him, he made a cry of joy that drew the attention of the others. Soon from exhaustion, he then slumped back down on the ground next to Shippou and Jaken. Naraku was truly dead, and even though they had put up a tough fight, they would have never won without Kagome.

 

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru suddenly ran to Kagome's side. Inuyasha was the first to grab her, cradling her stilled body in his warm lap. He called to her, and he put his hand over her mouth to check if she was still breathing. As he shifted her body a little in his lap, Kagome began coughing loudly, spitting out tainted water that soon purified as it dribbled down her mouth.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled, worried for her health. Kagome didn't seem to hear him, and she turned her attention to the jewel wading in the puddle next to them. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, and put her hand over his, which was still clutching his sword.

 

“Take the jewel, Sesshoumaru,” she whispered weakly, and both he and Inuyasha gaped at her. She furrowed her brow and as much as her energy allowed, she demanded, “Take it and keep it safe. You never wanted it, so you're the best person to have it.”

 

Sesshoumaru was ready to protest, but he watched Kagome slump back into Inuyasha arms. Before she fell completely unconscious, she told him, “I trust you, Sesshoumaru.”

 

 

TBC…