InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Consciousness ❯ Prolouge to Darkness ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The Battle.

Kagome’s body trembled with effort. She gripped her bow tightly in her hand, the string pulled taut with the other one. Aiming toward a faint dark glow she knew to be Onigumo’s heart.

“Kagome! Watch out!” screamed Inuyasha.

Kagura swooped down and jerked Kagome up roughly by her arm. Spindly arms of Naraku’s true form snaked out everywhere. Inuyasha watched horrified as one of the tentacles barely missed Kagome, only to realize that Kagura had snatched Kagome up into the air.

Smoke was everywhere; ashes flew into the air as her companions continued to obliterate the demons on the battlefield. She could see the spidery form of Naraku below her in the field. Tentacles snaked toward Sesshomaru and Inuyasha where they stood directing continuous barrages of energy at Naraku. Sango was flinging Hiraikotsu toward an army of advancing demons; Miroku was swinging his staff at demons as they crept upon Sango. Koga and Ayame were battling demons that had slipped passed the line behind Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. Kikyo could be seen off to the side. It was difficult to tell where she was pointing her arrow. Kagome could only hope that it was not pointed at the heart of the hanyou.

“Kagura, bring me the Miko,” Naraku’s voice rung out across the battlefield.

“KAGOME! NO!” yelled Inuyasha as he raised Tetsusaiga above his head the blade began to glow darker, the color fading from the clean white to a darker blue, wisps of black and red swirling into the wind around the blade.

“NOW, Kagura!” Naraku bellowed, squeezing tight to the object in his possession.
Naraku felt the tremors of Kagura; she was somewhere behind him. He knew this from the agonized whimper of pain he could hear in the breeze. Refusing to take his eyes off of his opponents, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stood in front of him. Naraku prepared himself for the blast he could feel coming his way.

Behind Naraku in a cloud of smoke floated Kagura; she held Kagome out in front of her. Sweat beaded her brow, and her form trembled from the intense pain. Naraku was squeezing her heart. Jerking roughly on the hair of the Miko, Kagura yanked her head back toward her body.
“Miko, do you see the darkness?” Kagura whispered as another tremor wracked her body. She could feel darkness closing in on her. The pain was beginning to overwhelm her.

“KAGURA!” The voice of the spider below her bellowed out, “NOW, bring me the Miko! NOW!” Once again, he squeezed the object in his hand. His eyes shifted from Sesshomaru to Inuyasha again, watching with fascination as the power building around Inuyasha began to darken. Something more sinister and evil began to appear in the winds building around Inuyasha. Sesshomaru’s glowing whip was snapping off tentacles as they moved in on the brothers. Tokijin was firmly gripped in his other hand. The hand that damned Miko had given back to him. He knew a harsh blow was coming; he could see it in the winds around the brothers. The Miko would be his shield, he smirked; they would pull back when she landed in his arms.

Behind Naraku, the winds began to build, and he knew Kagura was coming toward him. He squeezed again, encouraging her to hurry, knowing she would just to release some of the pressure on her heart. Kagura almost dropped Kagome as she doubled up in pain.

“Answer me, Miko,” hissed Kagura, teeth clenched as her grip on Kagome tightened more.
“Yes, I see the darkness,” Kagome ground out as Kagura’s arms tightened around her middle. “It’s his heart,” she whimpered as the grip tightened more.
“Good, steady your bow, Miko; draw your arrow,” Kagura whispered. Feeling the air shift around her form, she felt the heat and darkness in the oncoming wave. The air was thick and choking to Kagura; she could barely breathe as the waves crashed around her as she tried to take control of the wind directly around her. The darkness of the oncoming waves smashed against her own tide of winds blowing away from her.

“When he swings, shoot your arrow at the darkness,” was the faint whisper behind Kagome.

Darkness was claiming the hanyou, pain and frustration welling up inside and threatening to spill over. Kagome was trapped in the smoke somewhere behind Naraku; he could see the faint outline of Kagura, above and behind Naraku. He knew he had to end Naraku now. He could feel the energy of his brother’s sword next to him. Inuyasha knew in his desperation he was drawing energy from the sword next to him. He could feel Tetsusaiga lapping up the bloody energy of Tokijin that his brother held. He could feel the winds fighting back against him. Kagura! Damn that wind witch; she would forever be an obstacle for his sword! Relying on the winds to carry his attack forward, he knew that Kagura would slow his attack. He could feel the winds screaming back at him. Inuyasha had to move forward, move this attack forward, toward Naraku. He had to destroy Naraku. His only hope was the winds would push Kagura away. He had never been able to destroy her with his own winds. He knew Kagura held Kagome, and he prayed out to Kami to keep Kagome safe.

Sesshomaru, Sango, and Miroku shifted their gazes from the Miko behind Naraku to Inuyasha. Realization hit them all at the same moment. Inuyasha was going to unleash the blast from the Tetsusaiga onto the awaiting form of Naraku. Kagome was behind and above the evil form in front of them. Sesshomaru pointed Tokijin toward Inuyasha, already aware of the feeding frenzy going on between the two swords. He slipped his whip out, flicking off the appendage that was heading toward his brother. Sesshomaru felt a brief moment of admiration for the strength of the half breed in front of him. His half-brother was, for once, putting his duty above his childish need for human adoration.

The sword swung forward with a mighty surge of power, ruts flashing into the ground, dirt, rocks, and trees spraying up in a glorious explosion of fire and darkness. The power of the attack headed straight for Naraku, Inuyasha held onto the attack until it firmly contacted the ground, his single last attempt to spare Kagome. The attack moved across the ground with building ferocity, tearing apart everything in its path, and moving swiftly towards Naraku’s form. His barrier began to snap and crackle as it started to dissolve with the movement of the oncoming attack.

In the distance, an arrow was let loose.

Naraku shifted his power forward, preparing to take the onslaught of motion in the attack. He felt the winds of Kagura behind him and smirked as he knew she would wrap her winds around the oncoming attack and soften the blow. He surged his powers forward leaving his back exposed.

Kagura shifted her weight backwards, arms wrapped tightly around Kagome; she ceased all movements. Allowing the oncoming air to wash over her, she used her winds only enough to steady the form of the Miko in front of her. Her own winds dying down around the battlefield, she felt the power of the oncoming attack.
Kagome felt the movement behind her and felt Kagura’s winds shift and quiet around them; she steadied her shot and aimed for the slightly darker glow below in the mass known as Naraku. In the back of her mind, she could hear her age old mantra beating in her head: Hit the mark, hit the mark, hit the mark.

An arrow moved closer to it’s target.

Kagome let her arrow fly.

Naraku felt the wind behind him die down.

Inuyasha felt the last bit of wind resistance against his attack die. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.
Sesshomaru felt the winds of the witch die off. He felt the oncoming attack.
Miroku, Sango, Koga, and Ayame watched as the last bit of resistance against Inuyasha’s attack slowed, and his wave of power surged forward.

Sesshomaru shifted, bringing Tokijin forward, just a moment to late. The movement shifted the hanyou’s attention; he twisted to look at his half-brother. Pain exploded in his shoulder. Darkness started to consume him. “Kagome!” This was the last sound he heard as he started to fall forward. Sesshomaru slipped a hand out and gently lowered him to the ground. Black hair spilled out on the ground, a stark contrast against the bright crimson fire rat clothing.

In front of the companions, a bright white light surged toward them.

Kagura shifted her weight, spun Kagome up, and turned her away from the oncoming attack. Kagura felt the winds closing in on her and the intense pain as the darkness of the flames licked at her back. Below her, Naraku exploded in a bright white light.

Sesshomaru moved forward, noting the movement of the wind witch. As Kagura surged up over the air flow below her, wind and fire ripped at her skin as her body shifted to shield Kagome from the brunt of the onslaught of winds. The only warning he received was Kagura’s eye movement, and on the winds floated the words, “NOT TODAY BITCH!” She once again shifted her weight. Sesshomaru moved his attention to where the wind witch had flicked her eyes. Kikyo stood with an arrow drawn taut, aimed at the wind witch and the Miko. Without hesitation, Sesshomaru flipped his whip in the direction of the Dead Miko. Her attention was focused on Kagome. She felt the momentary pain explode in her head, then she slipped into nothingness. The clay and dirt form that had been Kikyo melted into the bloody battlefield.

“Sesshomaru!” The call came from above, rasping and desperate. Kagura was loosing her grip on consciousness. Sesshomaru shifted his attention, again to see the falling forms of his brother’s Miko and the wind witch.
Moving upward in a flash, he snatched both bodies and dropped them gently on the ground. Surveying the damage around him, he noted the remains of Naraku and his hoard of demons. Behind the ashes, he saw the little void moving toward them.
Turning his attention toward the remainder of the group, he nodded toward the Exterminator and the Monk. “Care for them,” the edict came. He reached out, picked up his brother’s form, and looked it up and down. Then, he let him drop back to the ground.

Forming his energy around him, he disappeared into the setting sun.

Kagome leaned forward and crawled toward a dark haired Inuyasha.
Sango and Miroku moved forward to help her.
Kanna came forward toward her sister. Several items held in her small hands.
Kagura rolled toward the sound of her sister.
Koga and Ayame slipped to the forest floor.

It was over.
Naraku was dead.

OK: They tell me that a disclaimer is necessary.
I don’t own Inuyasha, its characters, or its story line. That is the joyous right of Rumiko Takahashi.
I’ll let you know which characters I own as we go!

Edits and updates are coming! Thanks to my fabulous new editing machine! Lou’s wonderful! She’s the reason the reading gets easier! She is an editing fiend! Thanks Lou!