InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pack Law ❯ The Right Wish ( Chapter 29 )

Pack Law

 

Chapter 29: The Right Wish

 

 

Kagome reached out to grab the jewel, stopping inches away at InuYasha's furious snarl. She didn't need a translator to know he was pissed at her shoving her way around him and approaching their enemy, no matter how subdued she may be by Miroku's ofuda. With one last glance at the jewel, shivering at the intensity of the evil emanating from it, she retreated back to his side.

 

Kagome caught InuYasha's eyes with her own, gasping as she saw red begin to seep into the gold. Flinching, she trained her gaze on the floor, tilting her head as Kouga had taught her in America, hoping to appease him. His growl subsided and he reached out to grab her.

 

“Do not disobey me on this,” he hissed. Kagome huffed but drew silent, looking at Ki with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Why are you here?” Sango demanded, gun drawn and aimed at her head. Ki stared down the barrel nervously, licking her lips.

 

`That's not how she usually acts. She's nervous about something,' Kagome mused. Behind Miroku, Hitomu had a similar look on his face as he studied the youkai.

 

Ki gulped, obviously wishing she could move more than her face. “K-Kagome needs to purify the jewel. It's only missing one shard,” she said blurted out. “Like I said, Naraku's inside of it right now-”

 

Miroku interrupted, his hand held out, “What's stopping him from coming out and killing us right now?”

 

Ki winced. “He… expended a lot of energy last night.” Kagome gasped, guessing the meaning by the youkai's tone of voice. “He should be in the jewel for at least another hour. I'm not sure what time he was done last night.”

 

InuYasha shifted, crossing his arms and glaring for all her was worth at the young woman who had pretty much knocked him out just the day before. “I ain't buyin' it. Just yesterday you knocked Kagome out and ran off with her. Why should we trust you now?” He placed a hand on Tetsusaiga; he'd taken to carrying the sword again after the confrontation at the park. “In fact, I think it's time to end this shit once and for all.”

 

Kagome tugged at his arm. “Wait! Hear her out!”

 

Eyes narrowed, he turned his head to face the miko, ears still trained on Ki. “Are you fuckin' crazy? She could've killed you yesterday!”

 

“Could have, but didn't,” Miroku said, mulling over his words. “Why?”

 

“He wanted her alive. I think he wanted to force her to help him find the last shard.”

 

“We have it,” Sango said. “Looks like he missed out.” She glared at Ki, “Why bring the shards here? You seemed rather loyal to your Master until now.”

 

“He used me, I know that now,” Ki admitted in a jumble of words, still staring down the barrel of the gun. “I wasn't born a youkai; I was born a normal girl.” At InuYasha's raised eyebrow, she began speaking faster. “I-I-I know it sounds weird. But a miko warrior called Midoriko told me last night I was part of a miko called Kikyou and that sorrow lives in me. Damn it, I'm not lying! It's all really hard to explain and I'm still kind of confused myself-”

 

“Keh. Just stop it,” InuYasha said with a sneer and a flourish of the arm. “If you'd turn on the person you've been so loyal to, how can we trust you now?”

 

“InuYasha, wait!” Kagome shouted to be heard over Ki's anxious stammering; she seemed rather surprised to find a large fang-shaped sword under her nose and her green eyes darted back and forth between the gun and the sword, unsure which person was more dangerous. “Remember Kagura? And Kanna? They didn't want to be part of Naraku's plans either, but he made them! Maybe Ki's the same way!” At InuYasha's doubting look, she widened her eyes. “Please, InuYasha. I'm begging you. Let me just get the jewel from her.”

 

Arata snarled, and the group realized her hand was shaking. Shippou looked pale; he'd wandered over to the doors to the balcony and pried them open as though he were short on oxygen. Sesshomaru had stepped out of the room but each human with a talisman could feel his youki rising.

 

“The Shikon,” Miroku breathed. “InuYasha, you have to let her take it; it's tainted and it's starting to affect the full-blooded youkai here.”

 

Kagome darted forward, grabbing the jewel from Ki's frozen hand and ripping off the ofuda with her other hand, cringing at InuYasha's enraged shout. “Osuwari!” She bit back the waves of anger that began to flow from the ring as InuYasha slammed to the floor, focusing on the darkened jewel in her hand. She'd only seen it this black once, and she'd broken it a second time that same day.

 

Pulling her power to her fingertips, she coaxed the darkness from the jewel. But no matter how hard she pushed, there was a speck of darkness that just wouldn't disappear. `It's like the opposite of what happened after Kikyou died,' Kagome mused, staring at the Shikon with a mixture of interest and frustration.

 

“Miroku?” She held the jewel out for him to look at. “I can't purify it all the way.”

 

It hit him. “Naraku fused with the Shikon when it was whole,” he reminded her. “Perhaps you cannot eradicate his presence without reforming the whole thing.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Kagome slipped the remaining shard into the crevasse and focused her powers on her cupped hands. Then she yelped, pulling her hands back, “It burned me!”

 

The re-blackened jewel hit the round rolling, bouncing as though it were alive out the door, onto the balcony and down to the grass below. Seconds later, chaos reigned.

 

With an evil laugh, a black-skinned Naraku erupted from the jewel. Long white hair flowing over spiked shoulders, impossibly muscled; he looked just as he had 500 years ago, when they ventured into his body and fought. InuYasha, Sango, Miroku and Kagome all cringed as the memories came flooding back.

 

Miroku's kazaana widening, the sound of wind even through the sealing beads…

 

Blood on his claws… her blood, Kagome's blood… being told he'd killed her…

 

Watching InuYasha grapple with an unseen enemy while fighting Sesshomaru…

 

Knowing Sango would die, and there was nothing he could do about it…

 

Miroku screamed, clutching his hand and falling to his knees. The searing, tearing pain etched lines in his face, brought sweat to his brow… he thanked all the kami he could think of in his pain-riddled state that he'd begun wearing a glove again. Shippou darted inside, calling out something about guarding the pups.

 

Naraku chuckled. “Ah, monk. Did you really believe you were through with that curse? You cannot defeat me.” He gazed down at the jewel, lying innocently on the grass. “I am one with the Shikon no tama! At last, my body is whole again, and I shall destroy you all!”

 

“Tch!” InuYasha scoffed, stepping onto the balcony and brandishing Tetsusaiga with a flourish. “We've learned a few things in the years since then. You think we won't whip your ass back to the Sengoku Jidai?”

 

“InuYasha!” Kagome shouted, running to the edge of the balcony as InuYasha leapt off, bearing Tetsusaiga over his head. She ran back inside, grabbing her bow and a quiver of arrows from her room, thanking Shippou's friend mentally for getting them prepared.

 

Miroku and Sango slid onto a hissing Kirara's back; Miroku gripped his staff heavily in one hand while Sango readied her guns. “What about Miyuki and Hitomu?” Sango fretted, eyes on Naraku, who swung his arm and knocked InuYasha back much as a baseball player would.

 

“They'll be fine,” Miroku soothed, assisting Sango off Kirara as they hit the ground. “They've been wearing the gloves, too; they've heard far too many stories not to. I wouldn't be surprised if-” Before Miroku could finish his thought, a warm bubble encased the group, causing Naraku to lift his head and snarl.

 

“There, see? I knew they'd have a barrier up.”

 

InuYasha laughed at the anger etched on Naraku's face. “What, can't run away now if you're losing, asshole?” He wiped a trail of blood away from his slip lip, not even flinching as an arrow packed with purification power sailed right past his ear to embed in Naraku's shoulder.

 

Naraku tore the aluminum rod out of his muscle, hissing as it began to eat away at the armored shell that had once protected him. Kagome stared him down, normally expressive eyes cold, Chiaki by her side. The youkai woman waved her hand, creating a wall of vines to protect her and Kagome as Naraku sent a wave of piercing tentacles toward them.

 

“Your battle is with us,” Sango cried, shooting out three bullets filled with purification energy Miroku had blessed them with. They hissed and sputtered on contact, doing little damage but directing his ire. Miroku swung out with his staff, slicing away bits that would slink to them and capture them.

 

“Get down!” From behind Naraku, InuYasha shouted to his pack to steer clear. He released a barrage of cutting meidou, a fangy grin on his face as they ate away at the remaining shell. Naraku growled, reaching out with yet more of his body to ensnare Arata, who'd come in Sesshomaru's place. She growled a warning, swiping her blade at him and releasing drops of a potent poison onto the ground near him, herding him back toward InuYasha.

 

Cursing at her bullet's lackluster attack, Sango was about to head into the house for her sword when she heard a shout from above. “Hiraikotsu!” Tilting her head back, Sango watched her bone boomerang, unused for so long, swoosh through the air, cutting through more of Naraku's body and twisting to land in the ground in front of her. Sango made a mental note to thank InuYasha for encouraging her to teach her daughter to use the ancient weapon.

 

Miroku watched the window anxiously as Naraku's attention was diverted yet again, sighing with relief as Hitomu erected a barrier that burnt against Naraku's flesh. Naraku hissed, glaring at Ki and reaching out for her.

 

Ki was unable to react fast enough and fell back as his arms reached out, slamming her to the ground. Kagome retaliated, piercing his now-revealed flesh with another arrow. She cried out as a sharp tentacle snaked around her, ripped through her right shoulder, rendering her fairly useless with the bow. She fought back, grabbing the offending flesh and burning it with her reiki.

 

On Naraku's right, InuYasha and Arata continued to hack away at his expanding body. Arata's poison ate away at his skin but threw InuYasha into coughing fits, putting him in a delicate position and unable to defend himself. She eventually resorted to using her dual swords, spinning in a blaze of silver, snarling her challenge. InuYasha cursed up a storm, wincing as he felt Kagome's pain through her control on the ring. If only they were in a more open area, he could fire off his kaze no kizu and use more meidou attacks, but he feared pulling in his pack mates to that dark nothingness where he had searched out Kagome so long ago…

 

Shaking his head free of the horrible memory, InuYasha sunk his blade into the ground as a heavy wind tore at his body; Miroku had opened his kazaana, sucking his Naraku's miasma-coated limbs and preventing him from reattaching them or using them to absorb the nearby youkai. A smirk quirked his lips as he heard Naraku's angry bellow.

 

“What, pissed off ya' ain't got nobody to fight for ya?” InuYasha shouted over the roar of the wind, his shout turning into one of agony as a bit of Naraku's body wrapped around his chest, squeezing tightly in an attempt to escape being drawn into the void. He scrabbled at the appendage with his claws, tearing it to shreds and following their disappearance into his friend's hand…

 

Miroku cried out in pain as it lanced up his arm. `Too much shouki…' He'd felt this agony before. Apparently the poison Yakurou Dokusen had given him so many centuries ago expired after 500 years… He'd forgotten how much the evil could sting. Miroku's vision blurred, he cursed; he could barely hear Sango imploring him to wrap his hand…

 

Sango choked back a sob as Miroku hit the ground; letting her concern and sorrow slip into rage, she spun, wielding her ancestral weapon with all her might and removing Naraku's leg.

 

Naraku howled in anger and pain; the howl was echoed by InuYasha slipping into a blood-lust as he noticed Miroku unmoving on the ground, as he felt Kagome's pain bleed over to him…

 

“NO!” Kagome leaned over the railing, reaching in vain for InuYasha, feeling his youki spike. Her memory was thrust back to just half a year ago, when she'd run through stomach acid to wrap her arms around InuYasha, to keep him from losing himself… she stared at the ring as though in challenge and grabbed a snaking tendril of red, releasing just enough reiki to ease it to a manageable level…

 

InuYasha gasped, looking up at Kagome in awe and thanks. Tetsusaiga pulsed in his hands, responding to the surge in his youki without burning him or repressing the power. Purple stripes adorned his cheeks but his eyes stayed remarkably gold, though dark shadows ringed them…

 

Sango dragged Miroku away, feeling InuYasha's rise in power from the talisman and knowing anything in his way was pretty much doomed. Seeing the area behind his enemy clear, InuYasha let off a torrent of incredibly-charged diamond shards. Naraku cried out as some stuck in his body and others tore through skin and bone. Flexing painfully, a scowl on his face, Naraku expelled those diamonds that had stuck inside him. InuYasha and Arata managed to dodge the few that went their way; Sango struck down the two that threatened her and her husband. Ki managed to deflect the one that angled at her but Kagome, who was focused on keeping InuYasha sane, shrieked as a small shard embedded itself just under her ribcage.

 

Ki gasped, burned with anger. `What has Kagome ever done to anybody?' Sure, she'd been upset with the girl herself… but she knew she had been wrong. Kagome had done nothing but try to help Ki at every turn… how could her master- no, not her master. Naraku. Her captor. Her murderer. How could he want to harm such a pure soul?

 

Power flared up around Ki as Naraku, laughing viciously, swept InuYasha and Arata aside, catching them off-guard and slamming them into a tree. Another tentacle slithered around Sango and Miroku threateningly; Sango glared, unable to do much while Miroku was still unconscious.

 

Kagome cried out in pain as he grasped her, tightened around her, dared her to attack with her powers as InuYasha and Arata were held tightly as well. Naraku growled as Arata's poison began eating away at his body again; freeing InuYasha with a slash of her claws, the two again began hacking at their enemy, hoping to protect their friends.

 

Reining in her raging powers, Ki snuck a tendril to the ground, snaking to the Shikon. She'd just wrapped a vine around it when Naraku spun, slicing the vine with a downward sweep and spending the Shikon flying. With a shout, InuYasha leapt for it; grabbing it and shuddering. Red bled into his eyes several times, blinked back with a growl, before he finally got a hold of himself.

 

Kirara swooped down with a roar, slashing at Naraku and plucking the jewel from InuYasha's outstretched hand. She dropped it into Ki's palm, landing and clamping down on the tentacles that still held Kagome tightly.

 

Ki shuddered, feeling the youki in the jewel begin to eat away at her sanity. Was this how she would die? As suddenly as it began to burn, though, the sensation faded. Ki's eyes widened as her vines began to glow with a blue power much like that of Kagome's.

 

“You will understand when it is time, Chiaki. When all looks bleak, look inside for the help you need to do the right thing.”

 

“Midoriko,” Ki breathed, and in that moment, understood.

 

Naraku's gaze fell on the young woman holding the jewel and his voice took on a soft quality. “Beautiful Chiaki… do not forget your debt to me.” Glassy green eyes met his dark ones. “I made you. You would be dead right now if it weren't for me.”

 

Ki bristled. “My family… my real family is dead because of you!” Those nearby gasped as her eyes flickered to brown, and fell on InuYasha. “Live long and be happy,” she whispered, her voice not her own.

 

Naraku gripped Ki tighter as her eyes turned green once again. “You will not disobey me, Chiaki. I made you and I can break you just as easily,” he hissed menacingly.

 

Ki's gaze met Kagome's, an apology in her eyes. Kagome's eyes watered as reiki flared up around Chiaki; a contradiction of the youki that should be surrounding her and yet seeming so right…

 

“Purify him! You know you can! You have to,” Kagome shouted, wriggling against the writhing tentacles that gripped her tight and squeezed harder, as if to quiet her.

 

“Do not listen to her,” Naraku said, an oily tint to his voice. “Listen to the one who made you, loves you…”

 

Still in Naraku's loose embrace, Ki turned to face Kagome, shaking her head sadly. Kagome gasped. “Don't, Ki… don't let him win.” The plea, softly wheezed, floated on the breeze to Ki, who smiled.

 

“Thank you, Kagome… for everything. Please… do the right thing.” Ki turned to Naraku. “From the moment Midoriko created this damned jewel… from the day that witch made a false body and stole part of Kagome's soul, my life has been nothing but pain! The pain ends here!” Ki reached her arms around Naraku, eyes closed and a grimace on her face. A flash of pure, white light lit up the area, causing everybody to fall back and look away.

 

**********

 

As Kagome wound the bandage around InuYasha's upper arm where Naraku had slashed him, she realized her hands were shaking. She sniffled, setting down the gauze and wringing her hands. `Maybe I've been doing too much,' she thought wildly, then gazed out the window and choked back a sob. `Or maybe it just hasn't hit me yet.'

 

A clawed thumb ghosted over her skin, wiping away the tears she wasn't even aware she was shedding. “Why,” Kagome cried, leaning back into the safety of InuYasha's arms. “Why did she do that?”

 

Grunting softly from the movement, InuYasha wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist, pulling her face into his shoulder. “She was living a half-life,” he said quietly, running his claws through her hair soothingly. “Like Kikyou did when Urasue brought her back… Naraku did the same thing. She knew she wasn't supposed to be a youkai; Naraku made her into something she shouldn't have been.” Kagome sobbed, turning her head to the crook of his neck with a light gasp as he accidently tightened his grasp around her still-sore ribs. “It was her way of ending things. Kikyou died a normal woman; Ki died to fix the wrongs in the world.”

 

Kagome twisted, looking in the direction where she knew a statue stood… not a statue, really, but a gathering of youkai and miko souls, entombed in rock so much like a similar one she'd seen a year ago. Nobody had been able to get near the statue to remove it.

 

Rolling the new, powder-blue jewel in her hand, Kagome blinked back more tears. Ki had always been strong; she'd expect Kagome to be strong now, too.

 

“How?” Kagome muttered; InuYasha heard her anyway. “How did she do it? She was a youkai, but she had reiki. How did she trap him like that?”

 

InuYasha's ears flattened as he thought about what Ki had told them just hours ago. “She said something about Midoriko and Kikyou. Kikyou took part of Midoriko's soul from the Shikon no Tama, remember? Maybe that part of her soul reached out and started the cycle again.” He held out his hand; Kagome dropped the jewel in it.

 

“It's more powerful than the original,” Kagome mentioned. “But I guess that's not surprising, since they had the jewel when Ki pushed out their souls this time.”

 

“Will it work the same way? To get rid of it, I mean?”

 

Kagome bit her lip and wished Kaede were still alive. She was sure the old miko would know. “I guess there's only one way to find out. We can't keep this thing around. We'll be an even bigger target.”

 

InuYasha nodded, handing the jewel back to Kagome. Holding it out, palm up, Kagome stared at the jewel before whispering, “Shikon no Tama… disappear. Forever.”

 

The jewel cracked, as slowly as the original had so many ages ago, but instead of exploding, turned into a fine powder. A smattering of bright lights poured out, as they had done when Kikyou died…

 

One circled Kagome lightly, brushing against her face before taking to the sky. “Thank you, Kagome.”

 

**********

 

The bell rang and Kagome raced out of the school, Sarah, Tsukiyoshi and Hitomu at her heels.

 

“Thank God it's Friday,” Sarah sighed, blowing her bangs out of her face. “I thought this week would never end! I hate it when all the teachers team up to plan tests at the same time.”

 

Kagome nodded sympathetically, looking around for Miroku's vehicle. She realized Tsukiyoshi and Sarah had gone still and silent. Slipping her ring on, she noticed the distasteful look on the kitsune hanyou's face and the dangerous slope of her ears, tilted to the side.

 

Eri, Yuka and Ayumi stood a few yards away, talking loudly. Kagome took a few steps forward before Hitomu grabbed her arm, shaking his head. She shook off his grip, getting close enough to hear what was being said.

 

“I can't believe she's been missing for weeks now! And I overheard Suzuki-sensei say that if she hadn't mentioned something, there wouldn't even be an investigation! Nobody even told the police!” Eri gestured wildly as she shared the latest gossip. Yuka appeared to be hanging on her every word while Ayumi looked distinctly uncomfortable.

 

“Well I heard that even the police are being very hush-hush about this,” Yuka said as Eri stopped to take a breath. “What is she's a member of the Yakuza?”

 

Kagome snorted quietly at the claim, her faith in Ayumi rising as the quiet girl spoke up. “Somehow, Yuka, I doubt the Yakuza would let a school-girl join up.”

 

“Yeah, but her father was apparently really weird,” Yuka said. “Hotaru from my English class said she tried to make friends and invited her over, but she said her father wouldn't let her hang out with anybody unless he approved it first!”

 

Eri broke in again with a cackle, “Maybe she got arrested doing something illegal and that's why the police won't say anything!”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes, turning her back on the girls she had always thought of as friends. Seeing Miroku pull up, she stomped over to the SUV, letting out a sigh.

 

“Don't worry so much,” Hitomu soothed, laying a hand on her shoulder. “We know the truth, and that's what's important, right?”

 

Kagome nodded, a bit unwillingly. “It's not fair, though,” she broke out as soon as the door shut. “Why are they saying such nasty things about her? In the end, Ki did the right thing… she never wanted to be brought back for that life. She pretty much saved the world; doesn't that count for anything?

 

Sarah nodded, Tsukiyoshi mimicking the motion. “Remember, though, those girls consider themselves your champions,” Sarah mentioned. “They were really upset when Ki was… well, telling the truth about your missing school last year. I'm sure they feel they're getting justice for you.”

 

Regret filled Kagome's eyes. “But it's not justice at all. It's not fair and it's not right.”

 

Hitomu leaned his front seat back, looking at Kagome awkwardly over his shoulder. “Hey, you saved the world too, didn't you? And all you got was a school full of classmates who thought you have a horrible immune system.”

 

Miroku chuckled. “As interesting as this conversation is… Kagome, InuYasha wanted me to tell you you're staying at the den for a few days.” Seeing the look on her face in the mirror, he quickly added, “He already cleared it with your mother. The Council is coming to confirm that the Shikon is gone and that you do possess a ring.”

 

Kagome tilted her head at that. “What does the ring have to do with anything?”

 

Miroku grinned. “Well, since it's made from InuYasha's fang, like our talismans are, it's a proper substitute. That means you've actually been a pack member all along, since you got that ring before we had the talismans.” Kagome smiled as she listened to Miroku expand on the loophole they'd found.

 

“For safety's sake, we're going to have Father's hair forged into your ring,” Tsukiyoshi added quietly. “To counteract Uncle InuYasha's youki.”

 

“We don't need both of you freaking out every time he's upset,” Sarah teased.

 

Kagome leaned back, studying her ring. She'd been a pack member all along. Who knew?

 

Miroku smiled back at her. “Welcome to the pack, Kagome.”

 

 

A/N:

 

And… that's it! Minus the epilogue (which will be posted tomorrow), there's the entirety of Pack Law and the end of my very first posted chapter fic.

 

 

I love hearing what you have to say about the story! Thanks go out to -

Little Red - (And here's the last chapter [not counting the epilogue]; Out as fast as I could get it. The epilogue is finished and will be posted tomorrow.)

kokoronagomu - (Your review made me squeal aloud all happy - that's EXACTLY how I hoped people would respond to the dream. Thank you!)

Sovereignty - (Oh my gosh, I know. I'm kind of really sad to say good-bye to Pack Law. But know that there are plenty of stories waiting in the wings… I hope you stay on board to enjoy them, as well!)

Lunabell - (Ding, ding, ding! You got it… Naraku's damn devious. And I'm glad you liked the submission moment; it's amazing what can get done if they listen to each other, isn't it?)

CatLover260 - (I'm glad you didn't see it coming! I was hoping it'd be a surprise for most of my readers. Being told Kagome and InuYasha were in-character [even while changing up their arguing habits] was incredibly reassuring; I see it as one of the greatest things you can tell a fan-fiction writer, so thank you so much!)

angel-up-above-heaven - (I know! It's coming to an end and it makes me saaaad!)

Deathmvp - (It's going to be so hard to let go of this story…)

wbk - (I hope you're pleased with the way things have wrapped up! And you're exactly right on Ki - I'm glad, since I avoided spelling it out explicitly. Thank you for all your support throughout the fic!)

Ichigohime

 

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any other characters from the anime/manga. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

I do, however, own the original characters in this story. Please don't steal them! (I may let you borrow them if you ask politely.) Arata is the creation of the fabulous Phalon - I've done a bit of tweaking, but she is for all intents and purposes not mine.