InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Incomplete ❯ Chapter 24 ( Chapter 24 )

She'd expected to find him in his quarters, lounging in a chair or against the window. But Sesshomaru never liked to be predictable and so he was in neither place. Kagome took her time looking around his empty room. It was impeccably clean and organized. Everything had a place and a purpose.

 

Where do I fit?

 

The question came on so suddenly that it surprised her. Since when did she care about where and how she fit into Sesshomaru's life? But she did care and as ridiculous as it was, now that she did she couldn't stop.

 

Her squared shoulders drooped and the fight slowly drained out of her body.

 

Was he trying to avoid her?

 

He seemed to be developing a habit out of doing just that whenever he indulged in one of his momentary lapses in judgement. It was hard not to take it personally. Actually, it was damn near impossible. She deserved an explanation though, or at the very least an apology, for the way he'd been jerking her around but she wasn't optimistic of hearing either from him.

 

Still, she was determined to have some sort of resolution today. Knowing of only one other place where she might find him, Kagome made her way out to the garden.

 

He was seated exactly where she thought he'd be - beneath the large willow tree. It was his particular favourite. She had to wonder why he chose that tree out of all the others. In her eyes there was nothing remarkable about it. It was old but certainly not the oldest around and it wasn't particularly beautiful or remarkable in any way. Not like the man sitting beneath its branches.

 

"What are you doing here human? Causing trouble again?"

 

The all-too familiar reprimand came from Sesshomaru's ever faithful retainer, Jaken. Despite warnings from his Lord, he made no secret of his dislike for her. Rolling her eyes she fixed him with a tolerant smile.

 

"Jaken."

 

The green imp sniffed haughtily at her.

 

"What are you doing here? Spying on Sesshomaru again?"

 

It was beyond amusing to watch him blanch, stutter, stamp his feet and wave his staff around.

 

"How dare you insinuate that I, Jaken, would ever be so unscrupulous! I was merely enjoying the sunset and the evening air…"

 

The wary glance he sent over his shoulder in his Lord's direction didn't escape her notice. With a nod, she slowly crossed her arms.

 

"Sure you were. I won't mention your spying to Sesshomaru if…"

 

Scowling, the imp leaned forward expectantly.

 

"…you give me some information about Sesshomaru."

 

Jaken's response was predictable. Stepping back he preened himself while wearing a self-important smile.

 

"Well of course you should come to me for information. As Lord Sesshomaru's ever faithful retainer I, Jaken, have spent many decades at his side. I know all there is to know about my great Lord and Master."

 

"Naturally," Kagome indulged him. Crouching down so they were at eye level she settled her gaze on Sesshomaru and whispered, "Tell me about that tree."

 

"The tree?"

 

Jaken was incredulous. Surely when he knew everything there was to know about the battles Lord Sesshomaru had fought, the details of his weapons and his lineage to the Great Dog Demon, surely with all that information she couldn't possible want to know about a mere tree.

 

He gaped at her until he saw her nod with certainty.

 

What could possibly be said about a tree?

 

"I have not been here from the beginning, but I do know that tree is very important to Lord Sesshomaru," the imp explained with a nod.

 

"I figured out that much on my own. What else do you know?"

 

After a quick, covert glance over his shoulder, Jaken leaned in and lowered his voice even further, "Well I have heard rumours that after his mate died, Lord Sesshomaru ordered the ashes of her and the child to be buried beneath its branches."

 

Kagome watched Sesshomaru with renewed interest. She envisioned the two of them, him and Minako, talking beneath the cool shade of the willow's branches on a warm spring afternoon. She could picture him kissing her against the rough bark of the trunk just like he'd kissed her once upon a time.

 

And she saw him now, sitting alone beneath its weeping branches. Jaken's story, even if it was only rumours, explained a lot.

 

Standing upright, she thanked the imp for his help and reaffirmed her promise not to mention his spying to Sesshomaru. He shuffled off toward the castle with a glare and a string of muttered insults trailing behind him.

 

It's now or never, she thought.

 

Sucking in a breath for courage, she followed the well groomed path into the garden. Confronting him beneath the tree seemed less intimidating to her in some ways. In others it felt like she was preparing to walk across hot coals.

 

"If you expect answers, I have none to give," he warned once she was within hearing range. She stopped a few paces away and waited.

 

He didn't sound much in the mood for a chat. Given the circumstances she couldn't really blame him. Ignoring his warning, she took a seat next to him and curled her feet under her legs to keep them warm.

 

"Funny you should say that when you don't know what I'm going to ask."

 

It hadn't taken long for her to figure out that Sesshomaru had little tolerance for the predictable. Coming right out and demanding to know why he was toying with her and how he felt about her was going to get her nowhere fast. Better to start off in more neutral territory and work her way towards what she wanted to know.

 

Taking her time, she looked out across the small pond and watched the sun slowly setting over the mountains in the distance. Despite the cold, it was going to be a beautiful night. Finally, her gaze drifted to the branches overhead and lingered there.

 

Was this simple tree truly Sesshomaru's last connection to his dead mate?

 

"What's so special about this tree?"

 

He turned his head to look at her.

 

"You favour it over all the others," she explained carefully. "I know why Inuyasha is tied to the Goshinboku, but why are you so attached to this one?"

 

He stared at her a long while with that piercing gaze he'd perfected so well. It was just long enough to make her nervously bite her lip and wish she hadn't said anything at all.

 

"It is home," he answered finally.

 

Her fingers dug into the soft dirt at her sides and she remembered the old saying 'Home is where the heart is'. Of course.

 

It made her heart hurt for his loss while her shoulders caved under the weight of inadequacy. What did a kiss matter? Or two, or three for that matter? She couldn't compete with a love that spanned over lifetimes.

 

How did she always end up in this same position? First with Inuyasha and Kikyo, and now with Sesshomaru and Minako...

 

Do you love him?

 

The troubling question she'd been avoiding rang out in her mind. Her heart knew the truth. She'd succeeded in doing the one thing she promised herself she wouldn't do - fallen for the Lord of the West. Why did she have to be such a masochist when it came to love?

 

"Sesshomaru..."

 

She blinked at the empty spot beside her and then up at his stern expression. She hadn't noticed him stand, but there he was in front of her as though he'd been standing all along.

 

"Come," he ordered with a purposeful look at the horizon. "The scent on the wind has changed. Naraku is on the move."

 

Convenient, she thought, but got to her feet just the same. If he was right and a battle about to go down with Naraku, she had to be there.

 

"Alright," she conceded with a nod, "Let's go!"

 

oOo

 

The bitter wind that whipped across the battlefield held the promise of winter's first snow. It burned against her cheeks and brought tears to her eyes but she stubbornly blinked them away.

 

Squaring her shoulders, she turned to look at her companions. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara - they were all there, determined to defeat Naraku once and for all.

 

To her other side was Sesshomaru whose presence and drawn sword continued to surprise her. She hadn't expected him to stick around, especially not with Inuyasha tossing tempestuous glances his way every few seconds, but he didn't seem inclined to leave and she was glad for it. Whatever was going on between them, it wasn't important now. They needed his help to win this fight. If they joined forces Naraku didn't stand a chance.

 

The hanyou laughed at them now, his deep melodious chuckle wrapping around them like a serpent's tail.

 

"How nice for us all to be reunited again."

 

"Shut up Naraku! We're here for the jewel. Hand it over or things are gonna get personal with you and my Tetsusaiga."

 

Sesshomaru tsk'd quietly at his half-brother's brash words and Kagome shot him a sidelong glance. Even while fighting Naraku they didn't have the best track record of working together. Maybe just for today they'd make an exception?

 

She didn't have a chance to dwell on it for long. One minute they were aiming steely eyed glares at their mutual enemy and the next the battle had exploded to life all around them.

 

Miroku and Sango were the first to jump into action, steadily cutting through the barrage of demons and twisted extensions of Naraku's body thrust in their direction.

 

If one good thing had come out of all of this, it was them. As strange as it sounded, being united in their goal to destroy Naraku had brought them closer together. They fought as one, instinctively understanding what each other needed with little more than a passing glance.

 

Miroku opened his wind tunnel and sucked in a sizeable cloud of miasma to give Sango time to put on her protective mask. She thanked him with a nod and the monk hid his clenched fist from sight. Kagome's heart hurt as she watched him. He was willing to sacrifice everything to protect her, and Sango for him. Knowing that only strengthened her resolve. For their sake Naraku had to be defeated today. They deserved the chance to be together without evil half-demons and wind tunnels pushing them apart.

 

But it wasn't just for Sango and Miroku that they needed to win today. It was for Kohaku too. For too long he'd been Naraku's mindless pawn, killing and maiming whenever he was ordered to. Only once Naraku was dead would he finally be free from his influence. Sango needed her brother back. With their entire village gone, they were the only family each other had left.

 

Shippo, she was glad to see, had made himself scarce. Perhaps he was taking cues from Miyoga these days? She didn't mind though. As long as Shippo remained safely out of harm's way they'd all be able to breathe a little easier today. He may be small, and he certainly had his annoying moments, but he united them as a family. Without his vibrant presence none of them would ever be the same.

 

Inuyasha's battle cry caught her attention and she watched him hack through a sizeable portion of Naraku's extended body with ease. The strength with which he fought had always amazed her. He never seemed to tire or give each strike anything less than his all.

 

Tetsusaiga was living up to its name, destroying large sections of Naraku's bloated, disgusting body with each swing, but it wasn't enough. No matter how many times he swung his sword, or how much he cut away, Naraku found ways to regenerate. It was always the same, every time they fought. Just when they got close to victory he'd find some way to escape.

 

Well, there wasn't going to be any escaping today.

 

Fixing her stance, she retrieved an arrow from her quiver and knocked it in her bow. Her eyes searched furtively for the jewel, skimming over each section of Naraku's grotesque form. Finally she found it, hidden just beneath his left shoulder.

 

"Inuyasha!" she called, keeping a firm aim on her target. "The jewel shard's in his shoulder. Aim for his left shoulder!"

 

And then she released her arrow, sending it towards Naraku in a blinding streak of light. It struck home, a little left of the mark, but it'd done its job. Inuyasha turned his attention to the jewel and released an adamant barrage from Tetsusaiga, dealing a serious blow.

 

"Damn you wench! You're always meddling, just like Kikyo," Naraku seethed, turning his glare on her.

 

"I'm nothing like Kikyo," she shot back evenly.

 

And for the first time she believed her own words. There were similarities, sure, but at their core they were completely different people. Today she was going to defeat Naraku - not as Kikyo's reincarnation but as Kagome Higurashi, a junior high school student from the future.

 

Naraku smiled cruelly at her, "No, you are nothing like Kikyo. Kikyo had talent and beauty that you will never possess. She also had the wherewithal to know when she was being surrounded."

 

It was only then that she noticed the root like extensions of Naraku's body slowly lifting out of the earth all around her. She remembered those roots - how fast they travelled, the unpredictability of their movements, and the feeling of their sharp points piercing her body. She had no desire to be re-acquainted with them any time soon. The thought of any part of Naraku being inside of her made her feel sick.

 

But he had a point. Kikyo wouldn't have let herself be surrounded like this.

 

What do I do? What do I do?

 

Her heart raced as she considered the four roots she could see in front of her, knowing that there were likely four identical ones moving towards her back. With no other option, she drew another arrow from her quiver and took steady aim at the Sacred Jewel. If she could just hit it this would be all over. All it would take was one shot, one perfectly timed release of her bow, and she could save them all.

 

From out of the corner of her eye she saw one of Naraku's nefarious roots lifting off the ground in preparation to spear her. She'd expected nothing less of a coward like him. Taking a deep breath, she said a silent prayer and released her arrow hoping that it would make it in time.

 

"Kagome!"

 

She heard Inuyasha's frantic shout and then her field of vision was filled with a blur of white silk and silver. Stunned, she looked around to find Naraku's root-like extensions cut down and Sesshomaru standing guard with his sword in front of her.

 

"Are you injured?" he asked without turning his head.

 

She managed to swallow down the lump in her throat before answering, "I'm fine."

 

He nodded once before darting back into battle. She took her time gathering herself together before looking up to find Inuyasha staring at her. His expression was a mixture of emotions but the clearest were shock and pain. She wasn't sure how to respond so she avoided his gaze and took inventory of the battle playing out in front of them.

 

Naraku was weakening. With the five of them fighting against him, even he couldn't last forever. She had eight arrows left but she only needed one to destroy him. Retrieving it from her quiver she set herself up to fire.

 

This was for her friends and all the people they'd lost to Naraku's ambition. It was for all the innocent people who'd died by his hand and the lives that'd been ruined on his quest for power.

 

It was for Midoriko and Kikyo and every other miko who'd given her life to protect the world from the Sacred Jewel.

 

It was for Sango and Miroku and their happy future.

 

Shippo's father who'd never see his son grow up.

 

Kohaku who would forever be haunted by the memories of what Naraku had made him do.

 

For Miroku's father, and every other who'd come before him, who fell victim to Naraku's cursed wind tunnel.

 

For Inuyasha who'd lost the love of his life to Naraku's betrayal and Kaede who'd watched her only sister die in her arms.

 

Naraku had spent a lifetime destroying lives and futures. It was time to finally put an end to it.

 

Remembering Sesshomaru's advice, she took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and relaxed her shoulders. The sounds and distractions of the battle going on all around her died away until there was only her and the target. She focused on it with every fibre of her being until nothing else existed.

 

She was aware of the steady heart rate in her chest and the feeling of air being drawn into her lungs. The wooden shaft of the arrow was smooth between her fingers and the feathers brushed softly against her skin. Her arm muscles burned from the exertion of drawing the bowstring taut and then, in a sudden instantaneous release, everything snapped into motion.

 

Her arrow darted towards the target and in her heart she knew it would hit home. Every part of her rejoiced in quiet celebration. All that was left for her to do was stand back and watch as the half demon that'd made their lives hell for the last two years was destroyed.

 

It was far less climactic than she'd expected it to be. The moment her arrow pierced the jewel, purification light flooded through every part of Naraku's bloated mass. With a howl of rage the once invincible half-demon was reduced to a pile of glittering ash.

 

Silence settled over the battlefield and it was a long time before she thought to move. Feeling the eyes of everyone on her, Kagome made her way to what was left of Naraku and retrieved the sacred jewel from his ashes. She held it up, examining the brilliant pink orb in the fading light.

 

No more fighting. No more death and destruction. It was finally over.

 

Smiling victoriously, she turned to everyone standing behind her and cheered, "We did it!"

 

Hesitant jubilation and disbelief washed across their faces. Miroku was the first to move, frantically un-wrapping his cursed hand. He stared at it for a long while, hardly seeming to breathe before dropping to his knees. With tear-filled eyes Sango wrapped her arms around him and laughed with relief.

 

Kagome smiled at the happy couple, glad to see that they would finally have their chance to be together.

 

Inuyasha was harder. Naraku was dead and the jewel was safe, but what exactly had he gained? Revenge? Absolution? His expression hinted at neither as he handed her the remaining shards and watched her fuse them together. When she was done he slowly sheathed Tetsusaiga at his side and cast an uncertain glance between her and Sesshomaru.

 

"You stayin'?"

 

She looked up at Sesshomaru but his stony expression gave nothing away. She could sense his impatience to be gone though. Slowly, she shook her head and offered Inuyasha an apologetic shrug.

 

"I don't think so..."

 

He scowled at her response and levelled a scathing glare at Sesshomaru, which he was more than happy to return. They were so set in their ways, nothing more than a pair of stubborn old dogs. She suppressed an eye roll and considered the orb in her hand. It weighed more than she remembered, though perhaps it was only the weight of responsibility that accompanied it that she was feeling now.

 

"What about the jewel?"

 

It was a good question. What about the jewel?

 

The others were looking at her now, their expressions curious. She felt torn. Was she supposed to take it with her and dedicate her life to protecting it as Kikyo had done? Or was she supposed to make her wish now, the one right true wish that would make it disappear forever? And what would happen then? Would she be forced then to return to the modern world, leaving everyone behind?

 

She needed time.

 

With a shake of her head she made her way to Sango and deposited the jewel in her hands. The demon slayer looked up at her baffled.

 

"Your village created the Sacred Jewel, Sango. I hope you won't mind keeping it safe until I can figure out what the right wish is?"

 

Sango's brows lifted in surprise. "Are you sure, Kagome? I don't mind, but wouldn't it be safer with you?"

 

She shook her head and cast a fleeting look in Sesshomaru's direction.

 

"Not where I'm going. There's too much opportunity for someone to steal it."

 

"Wouldn't be a problem if you stayed here where you belonged," Inuyasha interjected.

 

She ignored his jab and closed Sango's hands over the jewel.

 

"Please Sango, do this for me? I promise I won't take long to figure it out."

 

Miroku slipped his arm over the demon slayer's shoulder and held her close.

 

"Of course, Kagome. We'll protect it with our lives."

 

"I know," she smiled up at them.

 

Perhaps sensing her reluctance to stick around, Sango quickly pulled her into a warm hug.

 

"Promise you'll stay, just for tonight? I feel like it's been forever since we last saw you."

 

It was hard to say no when both she and Miroku looked at her with such eager faces. And the truth was she missed them too, far more than they probably realized. She was just as eager to catch up and get re-acquainted so she gave them both an enthusiastic, "I'd love to!" and followed them in the direction of the village.

 

She could feel Sesshomaru's glare fixated on the back of her head. He wasn't keen on spending the night within a sword's length of a human village but she didn't care. Straightening her back she pointedly ignored him and continued on ahead. He wasn't obligated to stay by her side and besides, it wouldn't kill him to socialize with people outside of his court for a change.

 

For his part, Inuyasha said nothing. Without a word, and looking a bit too satisfied with himself for her liking, he fell in step behind them.

 

She felt his gaze on her back the entire way to the village.

 

Author's Note: An entirely new chapter! What do you guys think? Feel free to let me know with a review :)