InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ I Stand Below the Twilight Sky ❯ I Stand Below a Twilight Sky ( Chapter 1 )

"Well Inuyasha, which one will it be?" The cold voice of Naraku rang in his ears as he looked from Kikyo to Kagome. They had been in the middle of a huge battle, what promised to be the last battle, whoever won would be the final victor; they would hold the Shikon no Tama. Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara had been joined by Kouga and his pack that had helped greatly fighting Naraku's youkai hordes. But the greatest addition, by far, to their force had been Inuyasha's older half-brother Sesshomaru. He had joined after one of Naraku's puppets had attacked and injured Rin three days ago. Inuyasha and the band had been hesitant to let him help them at first, but it soon became clear that they would need all of the help they could get. Now Rin and Shippo were at Sesshoumaru's palace, with Jaken as their babysitter, awaiting the return of the warriors.

All had been going well, their forces had been slowly but surely defeating Naraku's youkai hordes. But suddenly the youkai pulled back and stopped fighting. Naraku had emerged from his castle, flanked by two low-class demons. Each demon holding a female, so alike and yet so different were the females, they could pass as twins and yet were the exact opposite of each other in personality and outward expressions. The females that the demons held so carelessly the miko Kagome Higarashi and her incarnation Kikyo. Naraku had gone on to explain that he intended to force Inuyasha to choose between the two girls. The one that Inuyasha chose would be the one that would live, while the other would die.

"Naraku, you bastard!" Inuyasha cursed, still glancing from one girl to the other. All he would have to do was lift one from the ground where the demons had laid them. That was the one who would live. Every eye was on him as he struggled with himself. Slowly Inuyasha walked toward Kikyo and knelt down next to her.

"Kikyo, I owe you my life." He said quietly as Kikyo stared at him through emotionless eyes, confident that he would pick her as Naraku had predicted. She had been paralyzed, but she was not unconscious. "I owe you my life," Inuyasha repeated, taking a deep breath, " but not Kagome's." Kikyo's eyes widened in surprise and Naraku let out a gasp that was barley audible, even to Inuyasha's hanyou ears.

Inuyasha rose up and walked away from Kikyo toward Kagome, and picked her up from the ground. Kagome, he could see, was unconscious. She had put up a struggle and had had to be knocked out. Behind him Inuyasha heard Kikyo scream as a column of black fire from the pits of hell itself rose up to consume her.

`Rest in peace Kikyo.' Inuyasha thought as he lay Kagome neat the foot of the large tree that Sango and Kirara were standing by, silently observing him. "Protect her." Inuyasha whispered to Sango as he brushed a strand of hair out of Kagome's face. Then he turned slowly to Naraku, their eyes met as they both glared at each other, Naraku to hide his fear and Inuyasha in righteous loathing. Slowly, Inuyasha drew his Tetsuiega from it's sheath, it transformed instantly. The fight for the fate of the world, past, present, and future , had officially begun.