InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Incomplete ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

The morning air in the sengoku jidai was light and fresh, with just a hint of the night's chill lingering on it. The sun had just risen over the horizon when the group departed with cheerful farewells from the quaint roadside village they'd imposed upon for the night.

They made their way down the well worn dirt road in uncharacteristic silence, with the exception of Inuyasha who stretched his arms over his head and let out several exaggerated yawns. The unspoken consensus seemed to be that it was far too early in the morning to dwell on anything more complicated than breakfast.

Sango, Miroku and Kagome took their time nibbling away at the fresh rice balls that'd been kindly made for them by the innkeeper's wife while Inuyasha and Shippo walked on ahead, stubborn in their assertions that they didn't need to eat as often as their weaker human companions.

This was how the group travelled for the better part of the morning. The sun was high in the mid-morning sky by the time they entered the cool shade of a dense forest, drawn there by Kagome's tingling acknowledgement of a jewel shard.

They'd only travelled a hundred paces or so into the wood when Inuyasha stopped abruptly in his tracks. The rest of the group drew to a halt behind him and watched with apprehension as he warily turned his head from side to side. His canine ears twisted atop his head, searching for sounds to indicate the enemy's presence, while his nose twitched and sniffed at the air to detect their scent.

With a sudden jerk his head snapped to the right and he let out an animalistic growl.

"I thought I smelled something foul," he commented and pointedly grabbed the hilt of Tetsusaiga at his hip.

"Yes, I sense it also," Miroku joined in, looking through the trees for signs of Naraku and his minions.

The group remained in taut stasis on the forest path, their hands gripped in preparation around their weapons. Only the wind dared to stir around them as they waited for Naraku to emerge from shadows. Always the rash one, Inuyasha drew his fang impatiently and pointed it at a cluster of trees.

"Come on out Naraku! We know you're there. Or are you too afraid to take us on all at once?" he added, attempting to goad the villainous demon into action. Inuyasha was thirsty for some payback. The last time they'd met in battle Naraku had nearly taken Kagome from him and he had every intention of making him pay dearly for it.

Naraku's wicked laughter floated down to them through the leaves yet also seemed to come from all around them. Everyone's heads turned this way and that in an effort to pinpoint where he was going to attack from, but it was impossible to tell. Inuyasha grit his teeth in annoyance and his body shifted in nervous anticipation of a sneak attack. Without warning the baboon-skinned villain suddenly appeared ahead of them on the narrow path and bowed to them in mock formality.

"So we meet again. I trust your wounds have healed priestess?" Even with his face hidden it was possible to hear the snicker behind his words. Kagome glared at the blue baboon face and Inuyasha immediately put himself between them with a growl of annoyance.

"How dare you talk to her you bastard! Your fight is with me. Leave Kagome out of it!" he demanded and levelled his fang at Naraku's chest.

Naraku laughed out loud at his forceful words, apparently not the least bit intimidated by them. Inuyasha cursed him silently under his breath and hazarded a quick glance to his right. There was a disturbing amount of movement through the trees there, indicating that Naraku was most definitely not alone. Knowing that Miroku, Sango and Kirara were more than capable of handling whatever was coming their way, he kept his attention on Naraku. The bastard would not be allowed another chance to target Kagome.

Inuyasha felt his guilt over her previous injuries resting heavily and squarely on his shoulders. He'd been too caught up in his own battle to watch after her and it'd nearly cost Kagome her life. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. Nearly losing her once was enough and he sure as hell didn't have the strength to go through that again. She still had no idea how close she'd come to dying or how close he'd come to nearly being destroyed by it and he intended to do everything possible to keep it that way.

With a slight rustle of branches Naraku's incarnations stealthily emerged from the trees one by one. Sango gasped as she took in the sheer number of them, all descending at once upon their small group. They were outnumbered and outmatched. With the odds that far against them they didn't stand a chance! Sometimes it took all of them to take down just one incarnation, but to fend off more than one each was suicide.

Miroku's lips pressed into a thin line as he too realized that their chances of coming out unscathed were rather slim. Pulling Sango in close he looked down into her eyes with a sincere expression and nodded reassuringly. She blushed with embarrassment at the closeness of their embrace but nodded back nonetheless. No longer bothering to hide the blush that'd risen to her cheeks, she offered him a small, tentative smile.

It was in the midst of that last heartfelt exchange that Naraku and his army attacked en masse. What occurred after that was instantaneous pandemonium, a familiar sight on any battlefield. Amidst the fray the young fox kit was forced into battle with only his fox fire to defend himself; a weapon that was little help against the eerie child-like Kanna, who was trying her damndest to steal his soul from his body. With his tail shaking uncontrollably in fear he decided that battles like this one were far too dangerous for little kids like him and ran to hide. Kanna stared after him curiously but decided against following him.

For the others the battle continued and the final outcome did not look promising. The moment Miroku attempted to use his wind tunnel to suck in a few minions, Naraku's poisonous insects appeared and he was forced to close it up once more.

"Damn him," he muttered bitterly as he wrapped his prayer beads securely around his cursed hand.

Sango glanced at him sympathetically in between blows she was deflecting from the man with no face. Naraku had taken his time planning this onslaught. It seemed as if he and his incarnations were stronger than ever. No matter what the group did to them they continued to somehow regenerate endlessly.

Caught up in their own individual battles, Kagome used her purifying arrows to hold off Jeromaru and Kageromaru while Inuyasha took on Naraku himself with a vengeance. The baboon-faced hanyou maliciously toyed with him, barely side-stepping each one of his attacks without bothering to make any of his own. He knew the dog demon's rash temper and did everything possible to draw him in to being careless. Seemingly tired of his own little game of cat and mouse, Naraku paused suddenly and held up his hand. Confused, Inuyasha jerked his feet to a halt but kept his sword at the ready.

"Inuyasha, I grow bored of this game. Let's make things a little more interesting shall we? I'd like to re-acquaint you with an old friend..."

With a sweeping motion of his arm, he indicated towards someone located behind Inuyasha. Keeping a cautious eye trained on Naraku, Inuyasha turned slightly to see who the new addition to the fray could be. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open at the sight of Kikyo standing on a small rocky ledge behind him. His heart leapt into his throat, swelling at the thought that maybe she'd come to help them. With her spiritual powers and the rest of their fighting force combined Naraku didn't stand a chance! It took a drawn out moment for him to realize that the arrow notched in Kikyo's bow wasn't aimed at Naraku, it was aimed at him.

"Kikyo... What are you...?"

Was it possible that Kikyo had sided with Naraku? He refused to believe it but the harsh glare she sent in his direction and the way she pulled her bow string taut as she made ready to fire her purification arrow at him suggested otherwise. Inuyasha's golden eyes grew wide as Naraku's plan was suddenly illuminated before his eyes. It would be Kikyo who dealt the killing blow, just like the first time when she'd pinned him to the Goshinboku with her arrow. The horrific nightmare that'd haunted him since that day fifty years ago was about to play out once more and he was helpless to stop it.

Dropping his guard, he stared up at Kikyo imploringly, ignoring Naraku completely. His sorrowful eyes begged her to be merciful but she couldn't see past her own seething hatred. He spoke her name, a pained sound coming from a tight throat, barely audible over the sounds of battle all around them. The rest of his words, whatever they may have been, were cut off by the loud twang of an arrow being released by a taut bowstring.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl in that second before the arrow hit. His ears picked up the vivid whishing sound of the feathers as they spun end over end, cutting through the air on a direct path towards his heart. He felt betrayed and hurt but most of all angry at himself for being unable to protect Kagome like he'd promised. The next breath that entered his lungs was ragged but not loud enough to drown out the heavy, pulsing rhythm of the blood in his ears. Somewhere far off he heard Kagome scream his name in an agonizing cry. Naraku's sinister laughter echoed from somewhere behind him, and he felt the jarring impact of Kikyo's arrow throw him backwards.

In another second the world went dark and silent. As he drowned slowly to the sluggish beat of his own heart in his ears he clung desperately to the last tangible element of reality left to him - Kagome's warm, comforting scent; strong and pure and so close he could almost touch it.

oOo

Sesshomaru stopped several feet back from the gruesome scene that lay before him and stared down at the bodies scattered across his path. He recognized the group as Inuyasha's travelling companions and the demons he could only assume were the work of Naraku. The villain himself seemed to have disappeared some time ago, judging by the faint remnants of his scent left hanging on the air. Rin skipped up alongside him with Ah-Un in tow and he heard her utter a faint gasp of surprise.

"Lord Sesshomaru! What has happened to Inuyasha and his friends?"

The girl made a move to step forward but he put out his arm to hold her back.

"No Rin. Stay here with Ah-Un. I will go and survey the area first to make sure it is safe."

Her dark head bobbed obediently and she anxiously hugged the two-headed demon's scaly leg.

Appearing disinterested with the entire scene, Sesshomaru stepped forward into the makeshift battlefield and surveyed the carnage. The bodies of the monk and the demon slayer were the first ones he happened across. Scent alone told him they were both alive, though hardly unscathed. The monk appeared to be in quite a bit of pain and had his right hand clenched into a death grip at his side.

Naraku must have made use of his poison insects, he reasoned with little sympathy for the monk's condition.

The demon slayer, looking somewhat bruised and bloodied, was just beginning to stir and open her eyes as he approached but Sesshomaru had no interest in her either. His interest lay ahead of him on the path, where the bodies of the miko and Inuyasha were haphazardly sprawled atop one another. Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow at the arrow sticking crudely out of the centre of the miko's back. Beneath her lifeless body was Inuyasha, who smelled and looked distinctly more human than he ever remembered him being.

Interesting, the demon lord mused quietly as he took a moment to survey his half-brother's human form.

Kneeling down beside the pair, he touched a finger to the miko's back and narrowed his eyes when he felt no life within her body. He cast Inuyasha's unconscious form a derisive look and made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat.

Saved by the girl again Inuyasha? You're a pathetic excuse for a demon.

Disliking the way the offending arrow looked sticking out of her at such an awkward angle, he gripped the smooth wood of the shaft between his fingers and dissolved it using the acid from his touch. With a hand braced against her shoulder he turned her body over so she was lying face up. In the short time since her injury, her skin had taken on the faint blue pallor of death. It wasn't the least bit appealing to the eye.

The troublesome pulse of Tenseiga at his side refused to be ignored any longer. It was what'd driven him to this spot and he'd followed, merely to assuage his own curiosity. He wasn't sure how he felt about reviving his brother's woman, but, as it'd shown him on many other occasions, his fathers fang had a will of its own. With an impatient sigh he removed the troublesome blade from its sheath. A soft blue light emanated from its tip and surrounded the blade momentarily before he sliced through the pall bearers of the Underworld and recalled the Miko's soul from the dead.

Job done, he re-sheathed the fang of life at his side. The girl groaned quietly and it was only then that he noticed her wound had not healed as expected. She continued to bleed and if it were allowed to continue there would be no reviving her a second time. He took a moment to evaluate the rest of the group. Inuyasha, though alive, was nowhere near conscious and the monk and demon slayer seemed to be having enough trouble taking care of themselves. Without taking the time to consider it further, he tossed her body over his shoulder and strode back to Ah-Un where Rin was waiting for him.

It took a bit of careful manoeuvring, but he eventually perched himself atop the beast with the miko stretched out across the saddle in front of him. A small nod was all the permission Rin needed to join him on Ah-Un's back and she quickly scampered up the beast's leg. Hands wrapped securely around the pummel of the saddle, she glanced over her shoulder at their new travelling companion and regarded her with wide curious eyes. She'd always thought of Inuyasha's miko friend as being rather nice, and pretty too, but wondered why her lord was taking her with them. It was so very unlike him to do so.

With one last look of disdain cast toward his half-brother, Sesshomaru gave Ah-Un a short command to depart. The beast took off easily with the Lord of the West, Rin and Kagome on its back and headed for home.

Sango watched helpless as Kagome was taken from them. A moan of pain from Miroku drew her attention and she pulled his head up onto her lap. Her face drew tight with worry as he thrashed about from the poison that was slowly eating him alive. There was another sound that disturbed the haunting stillness that'd fallen over the wood and Sango turned her head to watch Inuyasha sit up slowly, with a hand pressed to his head. He let out a heavy moan and stared for a long while at his hands and the dark tendrils of hair framing his face.

"Kagome... What happened?" he muttered, looking over his shoulder expecting to find her there. When he didn't see her, he sat bolt upright and looked around the clearing, his eyes frantic.

"No! Where's Kagome? Did Naraku...?" he demanded, his eyes growing wide when he saw no sign of her at all. At this point Shippo emerged from the bushes still shaking with fear and ran teary-eyed towards him.

"Inuyasha! You're alive!"

"Shippo!" For once he didn't mind the kit jumping into his arms and staining his haori with tears. He patted his head reassuringly and asked gently, "Did you see what happened to Kagome?"

The young fox demon nodded and took a step back. His expression was pained as he tried to explain everything he'd seen.

"Kikyo shot a purifying arrow at you from just over there." Inuyasha followed his finger to an outcrop of rocks just behind them and nodded his head slowly.

"Kagome jumped in the way and the arrow hit her instead," the kit continued with a pronounced sniffle. "After that, Kagome stopped breathing and you turned back into a human! I thought everyone was dead and I was all alone again!"

Shippo now wailed openly, no longer bothering to try and be brave. Inuyasha appeared unusually patient as he gave him a sympathetic look and awkwardly patted him on top of his head.

"Shippo, where is Kagome?"

A few hiccupping sobs and eye wipes later the kit was in control of his emotions enough to continue his recount, though his voice warbled on every other word.

"Sesshomaru - he came just now, a few minutes ago, and used Tenseiga to bring Kagome back to life."

"Sesshomaru did what?" Inuyasha demanded incredulously.

Shippo's head bobbed up and down and he threw his hands up helplessly.

"Then put her on his big demon and they flew away!"

Inuyasha stared at the ground with wide, unseeing eyes. He felt sick, like he could wretch at any moment. Kagome had died trying to save him from Kikyo's arrow. He could still feel the sharp sting from where the arrow's tip had just barely pierced his flesh. If Kagome hadn't jumped in the way...

She's mine to protect and I...couldn't save her!

Inuyasha looked helplessly at Shippo and then to one of Kagome's arrow that lay abandoned on the ground next to him. Picking it up in his hand he angrily snapped the thing in two.

"I swear Kagome, I will bring you back!" he promised. If it took every ounce of energy, strength and willpower, if it took weeks, months, or even years, he would find her and bring her home.

Author's Note: All reviews are welcome and encouraged. Thanks for taking the time to read this little piece of fiction. :)