InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kazoku ❯ The Loss of a Loved One ( Prologue )

Kazoku

By LadyJynjr

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Kagome. Miroku belongs to Sango, although I think my friend Emi is gonna give her a run for him. They were all created by Rumiko Takahashi. Not me. I do, however, own Inuroku, Takara, and Toshi.

Author's Note: MY FIRST INUYASHA FIC! *happy dance* I debated for a long time whether or not to put this up on ff.net, and I'm very insecure about it, so please review, even if you hate it. Be brutally honest, people! Flames will be used to make s'mores (yum). BEWARE THE S'MORE HIGH GIRL SCOUT! *insert evil laughter here* Right, on with the show.

Author's Second Note: By the way, this story is dedicated to my favorite otakus in the whole wide world. There are two of you-you know who you are! The title means "Family".

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"Inuyasha, watch out!"

Kagome winced as her lover was hit once again with one of Naraku's tentacles. Inuyasha was already bleeding heavily from more cuts and wounds than Kagome could count, and now he had one more to add to the collection. Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and even little Shippo had been battling Naraku and his evil detachments for hours, and the battle was beginning to turn into their favor.

Kouga and Sesshoumaru had agreed to fight by their side, and Kagura the wind sorceress had turned on her master and was now fighting by Sesshoumaru's side. She was sending her own powerful blows toward him. Kikyo, however, was on Naraku's side, more determined to kill Kagome then about the actual battle.

All of the fighters had been injured, but none as much as Inuyasha. He had rushed right into the fight in his typical fashion, taking Naraku head-on and holding his ground. Kouga and Inuyasha had also developed a habit of jumping in front of minor attacks aimed at their human friends, having realized that they, as demons, could take the attacks, but the wounds caused could easily kill the humans.

Sango and Miroku, of course, were not afraid of dying. They had rushed in alongside Inuyasha. Sango had immediately sought out Kohaku and Miroku battled various detachments of Naraku's. Kagome had stayed farther away, shooting her purifying arrows at the evil demons from a distance. She had a bit more to lose.

Kagome winced as a tentacle caught Sango across the face, throwing her backwards into Miroku. The houshi and taijiya were back up in an instant. Nocking back another arrow, she aimed at Kanna's mirror and let the arrow fly.

Her aim was perfect, and the mirror expelled the soul it was currently sucking out of Shippo. Kanna growled in frustration and pulled out a katana, rushing toward Shippo with her sword held high above her head. Shippo gave a little squeaking noise and ran, Kanna at his heels.

It would have been funny in any other situation but this one.

With Kouga and Sesshoumaru's help only occasionally, Inuyasha had managed to weaken Naraku considerably. Many of the wolves from Kouga's pack had volunteered to fight, and their corpses were strewn about the blood-slick floor.

Kagome nocked back another arrow and aimed at Kikyo, missing the undead priestess by only inches. Kagome cursed and ran as Kikyo's returning arrow whizzed past her ear. She hated to run from her incarnate, preferring to face her enemies head-on, but she couldn't get shot. Not now.

Inuyasha let out a strangled yell of triumph as Tetsusaiga severed Naraku's arm, sending a Shikon shard skittering across the floor towards Sango, who scooped it up while kicking Kohaku's feet out from under him. She was showing little mercy toward her younger brother, and he was showing none to her. It was like watching two strangers fight.

Naraku weakened from the loss of the shard. He had lost at least twenty so far; various fighters had picked them up and hid them inside their clothes, knowing that Inuyasha couldn't stop fighting to pick them up. Kagome herself had at least nine that she had to resort to tucking inside her bra.

Another shard was cut out of Naraku's leg and was snatched by Shippo, Kikyo diving for it at the same time. The miko let out a yell and aimed an arrow at the kitsune. Kagome deflected it with an arrow of her own and ducked as another flew over her head.

Kikyo had been shooting at her more than anyone……….could it be that she knew the events that had transpired been her former love and Kagome?

About a week earlier, the tension (A/N: *cough* sexual tension *cough*) between Kagome and Inuyasha had finally become too much. They had let the temptation consume them and had mated for the first time. He loved her, and she loved him; neither had any regrets. She knew he would never leave her.

"Kagome, duck!"

She did as she was told as Hiraikotsu flew over her head, decapitating the demon that had been sneaking up behind her. Kagome gave a grateful smile to Sango, who caught Hiraikotsu and turned back to her brother, ready to fling the giant boomerang again.

A crashing sound filled the hall as Naraku sent Inuyasha into a wall a few feet from Kagome. She saw the hanyou struggling to get to his feet and ran to him, helping him up.

"We'll win, Inuyasha. I can feel it."

He winced. "The only thing I can feel right now is these wounds." He looked at her seriously and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently. "Stay away from the main battle………shoot from a distance………I don't want to risk losing you."

She hesitated, and then nodded before Inuyasha threw her to the ground, Naraku's attack shooting through the spot where her head had been only a split second before.

She looked up in time to see Inuyasha thrust Tetsusaiga through the evil demon's chest. All fighting around them came to a halt immediately, the warriors looking on in awe.

Naraku seemed the most stunned out of all of them. He looked down at the giant sword impaling him, and then he did the most terrifying thing he could have done in the situation he was in.

He looked up at the inu-hanyou and smirked.

"Fool," he whispered, his tone deadly. "Do you really think that one stab alone would finish me off? Destroy me?"

He laughed. Fast as lightning, Inuyasha was dangling a few feet from the ground, his throat in Naraku's crushing grip. Inuyasha gasped and clawed Naraku's arm to no avail.

Kagome took her chance. She uttered a quick prayer that this one arrow would end it all, then took the last arrow she had and fitted it to the bow. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kikyo moving towards her, but it was too late. The arrow flew, a pink glow shining resplendently around it, and lodged in Naraku's forehead.

An unholy scream filled the air as the demon's body started dissolving rapidly. Tetsusaiga clattered to the ground and Inuyasha hit the floor a moment later.

Kohaku collapsed into Sango's arms, and Kanna shrieked as the castle started to shake. Kagome yanked an arrow out of a demon's corpse and silenced Kanna as pieces of the castle's roof started to fall. She struggled toward Inuyasha, but Miroku stepped in her way.

"He asked me to get you out; quickly, Kagome!"

"No! He………I………"

"He'll make it out. He always does!"

The castle started to crumble and Kagome saw Sango running towards the exit, with Kohaku in her arms and Shippo at her heels. Sesshoumaru had already left the battleground, and in the distance she could see Kagura flying away on her feather. White-hot fury rose in her chest as she saw Kikyo being carried away to safety by her soul-stealers, but there was no time, no time, NO TIME to deal with her now.

She started toward her fallen lover but Inuyasha struggled to his feet.

"Kagome, GO!"

The determined look in his eyes told her that there was nothing else to do. She turned and ran, Miroku knocking away falling rocks with his staff as he ran behind her.

She tripped over several boulders in her way and Kouga appeared out of nowhere, slinging her over his shoulder roughly. Kagome blinked as the air was suddenly clear of dust and rubble and she saw that Kouga had carried her outside.

Seeing Sango, Kohaku, and Shippo in the distance, and hearing Miroku's footsteps behind her, she started to struggle. Kouga loosened his grip on her instantly and she glanced around his arms for Inuyasha.

He was nowhere to be found.

Kouga and Miroku reached Sango and the others and the wolf demon set Kagome on her feet. The miko stared at the collapsing castle in horrified awe. With a roar, the whole castle crumbled apart and the dust settled. Kagome was numb with shock. Inuyasha hadn't come out.

"No………" she whispered.

The world went black as she fainted into Sango's arms.

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So? What about it? Love it? Hate it? Please review and let me know. Also, if you like Sango/Miroku and Kagome/Inuyasha pairings (as obviously you do-otherwise you wouldn't be reading this story), check out my buddy Kai-Aki Ti's stories- `Just One Night', `A Reason for Living', `Feelings Revealed' and the other one, which is my favorite but I can never seem to spell correctly. Stupid me………anyway, if Kagura/Sesshoumaru is more your thing, then check out sabrika001's `End of Sorrow'.