InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Nightwalker ❯ Struggle ( Chapter 37 )

A/N: READ THE ENDING AGAIN, PLEASE, IT HAS BEEN EXTENDED!

 

I've wanted to write this chapter for ages! I've also been dreading writing this chapter. One: because I have a tough time writing action scenes. I always feel that they are not dramatic or climactic enough. Two: this chapter is getting closer and closer to the final battle, and it's hard building up for that. Three: I've been struggling a lot with writer's block. I just want to finish this story SO bad, at least before school starts, so I had to force myself and turn on the juice in my creativity.

 

Just to be sure, are there any questions about the story, the characters, what happened? Are they any loopholes that I'm missing. Please ask if you have one so that I can be sure to answer them in the next few chapters.

 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and review. How's this for a fast update?

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, nor will I take credit for Romiko Takahashi's genius. I mean come on, I don't think I have THAT many fans.

 

 

 

 

Part Thirty-seven: Struggle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before he could jump to stop Narek from attacking her, Inuyasha saw Kageromaru come at him from the corner of his vision. A claw flashed inches in front of his eyes just as he had leaned backward to avoid the punch. He grabbed the arm, twisted it, and forced it down but didn't see Kageromaru's leg hit him hard beneath the knees. The attack made him crouch for a moment and then he felt a sudden pounding on his back as though a thousand heavy bricks were falling on him. Kageromaru's blows forced him down onto the ground. Gritting his teeth from the assault, each blow making his eyes blur and forcing him closer to the floor, he noticed Kageromaru's ankle inches away from his hands. Fighting against the weight of Kageromaru's blows as they pinned him down, he slashed Kageromaru's ankle. Blood began to spill on the ground in front of him. Kageromaru yelped and stumbled back; Inuyasha grabbed hold of his foot and pulled.

 

As Kageromaru fell, Inuyasha flipped back onto his feet and barely had time to step away as Kageromaru began to slash at him mercilessly. He ducked and side stepped backwards from the flurry of claws that Kageromaru was throwing at him and then grabbed Kageromaru's wrists, but Kageromaru hit him in the stomach with his knee. Inuyasha breath flew out of him as though it were sucked out, his lungs blazing; Kageromaru leaned back and kicked Inuyasha hard in the chest. Letting go of Kareromaru's hands, Inuyasha fell on his back, his chest hurting with each gasp he took. In an instant Kageromaru was standing over him and Inuyasha acted on impulse. He leaned his weight on his shoulders, pushed up with his arms and kicked Kageromaru in the chin with booth feet.

 

Kageromaru flew back and then flipped back up on his feet, glaring at Inuyasha just as Lilliana let out a shriek. Inuyasha turned his head in time to see that Narek had Rukiya in a headlock. Then suddenly, he doubled over. Pain spread through his body like boiling water bubbling under his skin. He screamed and snarled at Kageromaru.

 

“Didn't anyone ever tell you not to look away from a fight?” Inuyasha grunted as the pain held him immobile, the feeling of burns stung his insides and he couldn't even crawl back up on his legs. His vexation only increased when he heard Lilliana and Kagome let out a wail.

 

The cry was followed by a growl from Sesshoumaru. Jeromaru knocked him to the ground in his single moment of distraction and he and Sesshoumaru began wrestling to keep one another from regaining their balance. Jeromaru slammed Sesshoumaru against the floor; blood leaked from Sessoumaru's temple and red began to cloud his vision as he saw Jeromaru's claws flash toward his chest. He kicked Jeromaru in the shin and the silent nightwalker flinched for a moment, which gave him the chance to grip Jeromaru's claws. His entire strength focused on keeping Jeromaru from stabbing him in the chest as the enemy nightwalker pushed his fist forward. The weight pushed Sesshoumaru deeper into the soil and he couldn't even hear his brother or his family wailing from the other attackers.

 

“Move and she loses her head.” Narek warned Kagome and Lilliana, placing a claw underneath Rukiya's chin.

 

“What are you waiting for? Kill her!” Kageromaru demanded as he raised his fist and closed it, causing Inuyasha to writhe on the ground as more pain engulfed him.

 

“I could say the same to you.” Narek glanced at Kageromaru. “Will you hurry up and kill him so that I can enjoy myself and watch. It looks like I'm not the only one who likes to play with his prey before killing it.”

 

“Don't…you dare-” Inuyasha screamed again and rolled on the floor as Kageromaru increased his power over him. “Shut up and die, you disgusting dog! I've had enough!”

 

“So have I.” Narek raised his hand but suddenly froze.

 

Kageromaru stopped attacking Inuyasha and began to shudder. The pain began to fade and Inuyasha slowly got to his feet. Jeromaru suddenly jumped away from Sesshoumaru on the floor, holding his head and letting out a silent cry. Sesshoumaru came to a stand, panting to regain his breath and understand Jeromaru's sudden retreat. Then he heard it: the shrill song that kept the twins from attacking. It warmed him and he charged at Jeromaru. Jeromaru jumped to the side, gritting his teeth from the headache that engulfed him as he struggled to dodge Sesshoumaru's attacks.

 

Narek let go to Rukiya and stumbled backward, covering his ears. “Damn it!” He looked at Lilliana. “You…ugh!”

 

“Shut her up!” Kageromaru cried. Narek took a step forward and then took the same step back, falling to his knees. Kageromaru charged toward Lilliana. He came at her, rushing with both his hands outstretched before him as though he were ready to pull out her windpipe. Kagome knocked him to the side, hitting him in the chest with her shoulder. They landed on the floor. Pinned down by Lilliana's voice and his breath pulled out of him because of Kagome's weight, Kageromaru was barely gathering his senses, his sight alternating between light and dark until Kagome appeared in his vision and her hand flashed. The next thing he knew, the feeling of burns seared him from his cheek to his neck, to his chest and then his abdomen. His strength amplified by pain, he blindly aimed a punch at Kagome's cheek.

 

His punch flashed over her shoulder as she leaned to the side. She grabbed his arms and pulled it as she came to a stand. Then he was on his stomach, his arm restrained behind him and Kagome's foot on his lower back. Kageromaru tried to get up, but Lilliana's singing became louder and he wriggled on the floor, trying to get her voice out of his head.

 

Kagome watched him wriggle, gasping and trying to keep him from standing as he bucked and kicked in an attempt to throw her off. Then Inuyasha was in front of Kageromaru. He pulled the demon's hair till he looked at him. Kageromaru's struggles became worse and Kagome pulled his arms back farther to keep him still.

 

Inuyasha glared straight into Kageromaru's face. “Why don't you just listen? It's a nice song, doesn't it just warm your heart. Of course…you don't have one, you fucker.” Inuyasha yanked Kageromaru's hair, pulling his upper body far enough for him to place his hands on Kageromaru's temples. Before he could even move, Inuyasha jerked Kageromaru's head to the side. The sound of snapping was heard before Kageromaru's head fell back on the floor, his neck bent like a straw.

 

“Inuyasha, behind you!”

 

Seeing the surprise on Kagome's face, Inuyasha turned and saw Jeromaru charging at him. His eyes were wide, his claws outstretched, his feet thundering on the floor as he rushed toward them with blind anger. Inuyasha braced himself. Jeromaru stopped. Behind him, Sesshoumaru closed his fist, and Jeromaru crumbled to the floor. He stepped closer to Jeromaru, watching as Jeromaru flailed his arms and legs. Without even blinking, Sesshoumaru plunged his hand into Jeromaru's back. A crack of bone, followed by the sloshing sound of blood and Jeromaru was dead, the remains of his heart in Sesshoumaru's palm.

 

“Lilliana don't stop singing!” Rukiya forced Narek down on stomach as she twisted both his arms behind his back. Narek groaned, blood dripping from his chin, and the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard humming in his mind as though it were being grinded onto his skull. Rukiya slammed his head against the floor and suddenly it wasn't just jarring noise that caused his head to throb, there was eye-blurring pain too.

 

“How I've waiting to have you under my mercy.” He heard Rukiya say. He felt her claws dig into his scalp.

 

Lilliana's singing stopped. Narek felt some strength return and he quickly pushed his upper body up, but Rukiya regained her balance and came up behind him, grabbed his arms and twisted them tightly against his back.

 

“Ow! You…ugh…sure have gotten stronger since the last time you…ahh…`disciplined' me.” Narek panted.

 

“Discipline? I should have just killed you when I had the chance instead of trying to make you change. Now there's nothing that's going to stop me from doing just that!” Rukiya placed her claws at Narek's neck, her nails digging into his skin, drawing blood.

 

“Stop!” Rukiya glared at Sesshoumaru.

 

“What?” Rukiya pressed her claws deeper into Narek's flash defiantly. “Don't deny me this, Sesshoumaru! He's made our family suffer for almost a century! What could you possibly want that should keep me from ending him!”

 

“Rukiya, you will do I say.” Sesshoumaru nodded toward his brother. Inuyasha pushed Rukiya aside and then kicked Narek down to the floor, planting his foot on Narek's spine.

 

“Where's my father, you son of a bitch?”

 

Narek didn't speak. Inuyasha leaned his weight on his leg, pressing harder against Narek's back. “Tell me, where did the fucker run off to? I know you can hear the old bastard speak to you.”

 

Again, Narek didn't reply. Inuyasha growled. Sesshoumaru kneeled down and made Narek look at him by pulling his hair. “What could you possibly have that holds you to that bastard now?”

 

“If I talk, you'll kill me. And if I don't talk, you'll kill me. Ugh…the only consolation I'll get is if I die and you can't get your father's location, I'll only be a permanent thorn in your memory.”

 

“If that's the case, then I'll just kill you.” Sesshoumaru grabbed Narek's neck.

 

“Go ahead, gah!” Sesshoumaru's hands tightened. “I s-should have died over ninety years ago.”

 

“Is that why you decided to torment our family? Suicidal tendencies? Or did you enjoy maiming and killing innocent lives?”

 

“N-not e…even…clos-”

 

Sesshoumaru howled, squeezing harder. Narek spluttered as he tried to breath; blood dripped from where Sesshoumaru's claws dug into his skin and then…Inuyasha suddenly fell on the ground.

 

Sesshoumaru found himself killing Narek one moment and then blasted away from him in the next. Before he could get on his feet, Narek had already begun sprinting away from the clearing. “Damn him! How did he…”

 

“Lucy…”

 

“What did you say?” Sesshoumaru turned to glare at Kagome.

 

Before she could answer, Rukiya grabbed Sesshoumaru's arm, a scowl on her face. “Kanna. Her family is having trouble pushing back the enemy nightwalkers.”

 

“Then we should stop wasting time and go and kill the fucker so that this can end!” Inuyasha growled impatiently.

 

“Inuyasha, you and I will-Lilliana, stop!”

 

Lilliana sprinted back to the war zone. The family chased after her and saw her skid to a stop as several enemy nightwalkers and drones barred her path. “I don't have time for you!” Lilliana began to sing, and charged at the first nightwalker that doubled over. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru caught up to her and killed two nightwalkers before they could even defend themselves. Rukiya tackled a nightwalker and ripped out its throat as Kagome snapped the necks of two drones.

 

Once all the enemies were dead, Lilliana began to charge forward as though she were driven by some powerful magnetic force.

 

“Lilliana!” Sesshoumaru called after her. “What are you doing?!”

 

They chased her back into the battle, fighting off drones and nightwalkers that threw themselves at them and struggling to keep up as Lilliana went deeper into the crowd. When several nightwalkers attacked them at once, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha lost sight of Lilliana as they tried to defend themselves.

 

A nightwalker came up behind Kagome and she stopped chasing Lilliana just in time to keep the nightwalker from skewering her heart. Kagome twisted the nightwalkers wrist, breaking it, and while the nightwalker drew back and cried, Kagome placed her hands on the enemy's head and began to riffle through her memories. Suddenly the nightwalker screamed and looked up at Kagome with fear in her eyes before retreating.

 

Kagome didn't have time to chase the nightwalker to finish the job, or even try to find Lilliana again, because a drone and another nightwalker had attacked her from behind, succeeding in cutting her back before she dodged. Fire seared the gash on her upper back as Kagome tried to regain her initiative while dodging the swipes from the two enemies. Something hit the nightwalker, knocking it away from her, and Kagome used the distraction and slit the drone's throat with her claws.

 

She turned, expecting to fight another enemy, but stopped. Natalia rose from off the dead nightwalker's body. “Kagome! Are you okay?”

 

“Natalia! Did you see Lilliana?”

 

“No. Why, is she in danger?”

 

“Behind you!”

 

Natalia barely turned in time and ducked. The enemy's punch flew over her head. Natalia came up, punched the drone in the stomach and then hurled it upward. Kagome jumped up, put her hands together, and smashed her fists into the drone's face. As he fell toward the floor, Natalia stabbed him threw the chest with her claws.

 

“We can't talk here!” Natalia began running through the crowd. Kagome ran after her, jumping over a drone that charged her way and ducking some nightwalkers. The three enemies chased her, but Kagome sprinted after Natalia out of the crowd and into the trees. Weaving through the trunks, Kagome turned on her enemies. She charged toward the drone, stabbing it through the chest with her momentum. Then she hurled the body toward the two nightwalkers. Before they could get their wits about them, Kagome rushed after Natalia.

 

She reached a river and saw Natalia waiting for her across the water. “Are you okay?” She asked.

 

“Yes. I think I lost them. Natalia, what's going on?”

 

“While we were attacking Jeromaru and Kageromaru, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru came back and told us they'd take care of them. They ordered us to help our allies fight the King's nightwalkers. Where is everyone now?”

 

Kagome explained about the twins' demise and then how Narek had escaped and how Lilliana had suddenly sprinted back into the battle. “Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru want to find the king to finish him, but we don't know where he went and the only person that could have told us left.”

 

“What if Lilliana is chasing Narek?”

 

Kagome felt like there was a block of ice in her stomach. “What if she runs into the King?”

 

Natalia stood straight and took a deep breath. “I can't catch her scent. There are too many to work through. We have to go back.”

 

“And then what?”

 

“We try to find Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. We can find Lilliana later, right now the best thing to do is to find-” Natalia fell to the floor suddenly.

 

“Natalia!” Kagome knelt down next to her and placed her hand on Natalia's wrist. A pulse met her fingers.

 

“I hate resorting to such dirty tactics.”

 

Kagome growled. “I'm getting real sick of you doing that to the people I care about! And stop appearing out of nowhere, it's getting fucking annoying!”

 

“So sorry.” Narek's voice said from above her. He jumped down from the tree branch, and Kagome grabbed Natalia, jumping away from where he landed. As carefully as she could, she set Natalia on the ground and turned to face Narek.

 

“So what do you want? Too scared to attack me while Lilliana is around?”

 

Narek grinned. “You're family is fighting a losing battle.”

 

“And you don't intend to help?”

 

“Depend on what kind of help is needed.”

 

“Who are you fighting for really?”

 

“If I say I'm in it for a happy ending, would you believe me?”

 

“Bullshit.”

 

“So what do I have to do to prove it to you.”

 

Kagome placed her finger on her chin. “You can die. After all the shit you've put me through, I should say it's fitting. Or you can tell me where the King is?”

 

“What makes you think I'll tell you?”

 

“You won't have a choice. I'll just read your memories again.”

 

“If you can get close enough to touch me without having me kill you in the process.” Narek took steps toward her.

 

Kagome spread her arms wide, her body shuddered from head to toe and her mind screamed at her to run, but she forced her face to remain calm. What scares him the most? “Go ahead, kill another pregnant woman the same way those Turks killed your wife and son!”

 

Narek stopped. “What?”

 

“You heard me. Are you going to kill me and Inuyasha's child?”

 

Narek's face darkened and he gave Kagome a dangerous look, his remaining eye blackening. “You're not pregnant.”

 

“Oh shut up, you stupid man. How can you tell? It's my body and I know full well when I'm pregnant.”

 

“You think that will stop me?”

 

“It stopped you from letting Jeromaru kill Ayame. Face it. You've got a soft spot for women and children. I saw it in your memory, plus you told me yourself, `they murdered my wife and unborn son.' Now all I have to do is pluck the King's location from your thoughts.”

 

Narek lunged at her. Fear ripped through Kagome with the force of a blizzard, freezing her thoughts for only a second. Search, damn you, when did Narek's wife die! Her mind roared. Suddenly, her mouth moved.

 

“Anahit.”

 

Narek fell to the floor and grunted as though he were in pain. Kagome's mind swam with the images, the sounds, the voice of Anahit and her killers, and then she saw the terrified woman's face. Her eyes filled with tears, but she forced them away as she walked to where Narek was wriggling on the floor, trying not to see the memories that Kagome saw. “That was her name wasn't it? She was really beautiful. Blond, tall, with heavenly blue eyes.”

 

Narek covered his ears. “Shut up!”

 

“You must have really loved her. But then, who wouldn't love a woman as gentle as she was.”

 

“Enough!”

 

“It must have felt terrible. To see them stab her like that and be able to do nothing but watch.” Kagome reached him. He thrashed, held his head, squeezed his eyes shut and screamed. She touched his shoulder.

 

The image of a long, winding pathway, tress, rocks leading to a mountain with a flat summit, imprinted itself in Kagome's thoughts, overriding the memory of Narek's wife. She saw the King; he was standing on a high cliff, his back turned, alone. Kagome forced the thought away from her for a moment.

 

“How can you follow a man that does the same thing to nightwalker women?” She said. Then she kicked Narek in the stomach.

 

Narek lurched on the floor. He looked at Kagome with a frightened expression and then rolled away from her and got back on his feet. Before Kagome could blink, Narek disappeared into the forest. She waiting, listening to the silence around her. The distant shouts from the fighting reached her ears, but Kagome could remember what those sounds meant, for her mind was wrapped around the memory she couldn't ignore.

 

She fell to her knees, her wail echoed in the clearing. The tears were cold as they slid down her face. Horrible. It was horrible. She never wanted to see it again, and the more Kagome tried to force the memory out of her mind, the more she focused on it.

 

Narek's beautiful wife, killed in front of his very eyes, her killers laughing as they did it, and Narek, unable to stop them as they held him down, forcing his eyes open so that he can watch. Kagome whimpered and wrapped her arms around herself. Was bluffing about being pregnant, and getting the King's location worth it if it meant that she would have to relive Narek's worst memory?

 

“My head.” Natalia's voice reached Kagome's ears, and her heart gave her chest a burning pound. Kagome whipped her face with her sleeve. This was not the time to cry over someone else's tragedies, no matter how heartbreaking they were.

 

“Kagome! What's wrong? What happened?” Natalia said as she placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

 

Kagome stood. “Natalia, I know where the king is.”

 

“What? How?”

 

“Narek told me.”

 

Venom filled Natalia's voice. “What did he do to you?”

 

“Nothing. Find Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru and meet me back here. I'll contact Rukiya and have her alert the others.”

 

“I can't leave you here. What if Narek comes back?”

 

“He won't. He wouldn't dare.”

 

Natalia blinked at Kagome's expression. A mixture of sorrow and furry covered her tired face. “What makes you so sure?”

 

“Trust me. Go get the others.”

 

When Natalia was gone, Kagome stared at the sky. When this fight was over, she would have to make sure to find a way to remove all of Narek's memories from her mind. And if there were a way to seal her invasive power so that she'd never have to use it again, Kagome wouldn't rest until it was done. A power that penetrated others' minds, others' privacy, and birthed such suffering shouldn't exist within her if she were ever to forgive herself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blood scented the air like a smoky mist. It overwhelmed his tired senses as he leaned his weight against a tree. His head reeling with images, dizziness made him stagger and fall to the floor.

 

“It's hell.” A picture invaded his thoughts for a moment resulting in a pounding ache in his skull. Moaning, he held his crown, hoping that the coldness of his hands would somehow pull the burning heat out of his head. Though distant, he began to hear footsteps come near him, and then he heard her voice.

 

“So she has the ability to make traumatizing memories into physical pain as well. That girl's powers seem to be just as devastating as yours.”

 

Narek didn't have the strength to raise his head. Lucy kneeled next to him and placed a hand on his forehead. “Why did you save me again?”

 

“You've still got work to finish…and it seems that using your full power will be beneficial.”

 

Narek glared at her. “Something else about myself that you haven't told me?”

 

Lucy gave him an icy frown. “You're abilities will double, and so will you're burdens. Now hold still. I'm going to unseal you're powers. Try not to flail too much.”

 

A piercing pain went through his mind, like a long needle had been pushed through his skull. He felt as though his eye would pop out of its socket and he jerked his head side to side. Then Lucy pulled her hand away and all that remained of the pain was a dull throb. Soon, his body began to gather strength with every quick breath he took.

 

“Go and end this.” Lucy watched as he got to his feet.

 

“What will you gain from this when it's over?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Narek hissed at her. “Ninety years, I've lied for you, lost my eye because of you, and now I'm heading into a battle that will surely end with my death, yet still you refuse to tell me your motivation in helping me.”

 

Lucy crossed her arms. “Very well. Once this ordeal is finished, I'll let you know.”

 

“No, you will tell me now.”

 

“Win or lose, you're convinced that the outcome for you is the same. My refusal to tell you why I helped will only give you an incentive to return alive.”

 

“And for what? I had lost my reason to live over ninety years ago.”

 

“I see. So seeing your worst fear has made you a coward. You're still shackled to your past as though it were a permanent thorn wedged between the confines of your brain. Take it from an expert. The past can only hinder you for so long and now that you see your long journey coming to an end, you'll have a choice to make.”

 

“What about the others? What choice do they have?”

 

“It doesn't matter. Right now, the only way things will end the way I want them to is if you interfere one more time.”

 

“So I'm to be you're last hope then?” Narek laughed. “If that's the case, you might as well give up. I don't intend to follow you're plans completely.”

 

“And that's where you're wrong. You see, you are free to do whatever you wish.”

 

Narek felt his heart lift into his neck. Without responding to Lucy, he began racing through the trees. As he disappeared from her sight, Lucy felt another come near.

 

“So he's gone, eh?” The man behind her said. “What I wouldn't give to be there.”

 

Lucy didn't turn, staring at the empty space where Narek had been. “Why don't you?”

 

“I've got other things to do. By the way, I've brought the others. They're already where you want them to be.”

 

“Good. I'm curious Chase. When this is over, what do you intend to do?”

 

“Whatever I want.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phew, DONE! Man, I can't believe it. O_O wait…did I just spend half this chapter making Narek suffer. ^_^; I realized that this chapter is shorter then the others, but it's the best I can come up with right now. I'll probably come back and tweak this chapter too, so be ready for an update just in case.

 

Again, sorry for the typos/mistakes. I really could use a beta reader. Can anyone volunteer? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed…and again, if there are any questions concerning the story that I haven't answered, please let me know what they are so that I can answer them. Thanks. Jian out!