InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Power II: Running ❯ A Heart Tainted Gold ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter 12: Heart Tainted Gold

"Kanna, come to me, now." He was seething restlessly inside, although to the outward eye he was calm and cold. His long black hair swirled around his waist, wild and untamed.

"Yes, milord?" The girl, she was actually a girl now because of what that… that woman, hanyou, miko, whatever she was, had done to poor Kanna. All of Kanna's powers were stripped from her, she was mortal. She did, however, still have all of her memories.

"I never asked you how Onigumo came to be. I wish to know, before that dratted woman and her band get here." He stared at Kanna, realizing that with her mortality came the normal human doubts. She was asking herself whether she should tell him, something she never would have done before Kagome had changed her. Finally her old training, or maybe it was habit, made her tell him.

"Your predecessor, the original Naraku, wanted to be able to dispose of Kikyou, but he could not while Onigumo's heart beat within him. He forced Onigumo out, making him a child like the rest of us. Me, Kagura, Goshinki, Kageroumaru, Jouroumaru, we were all his children. There were others as well. But he had to give his children some sort of power while forcing them out. Onigumo received Naraku's ability to transform. Naraku did not mind too much, he was comfortable with the body he was occupying, it was doing nicely. That was how Onigumo came to be." She finished.

Her explanation was acceptable.

"How is it that you, Kagura, and Onigumo lived after Naraku was killed?" he asked then. It was still hard to get used to seeing Kanna show any kind of emotion, and now she looked slightly confused.

"I do not know, milord. We should have died with him, perhaps it had something to do with that girl."

"I agree, Kanna. You are dismissed. Oh, and Kanna?" he added. She turned back to him. "Let me know the moment they come." She nodded, understanding what he meant perfectly.

Naraku incarnated sat back against his seat, laced his fingers, and prepared to wait. He knew he was not up to strength as his great predecessor had been, but he had something more. He had a foolproof plan. He couldn't wait to see what would happen. He chuckled and then perceived them, in the castle, on the basement floor. They were here.

He sent out orders to his youkai to attack them.

~**~

`They will be upon us any moment!' Kagome sent out that warning to all of them, She saw Riasha nod, Jax grin in anticipation, Shippou frown in concentration, and Sesshoumaru's eyes narrow slightly more.

The next second they appeared from the doorway above, pouring down the steps quickly.

It was that second that Kagome realized she had no weapons on her. She sighed, how could she have forgotten to grab weapons before she had left the castle last? Oh well, it was no big deal. She closed her eyes and concentrated, sending out blasts just strong enough to paralyze the energies coming at her. She dropped ten, fifteen, twenty. She knew around her, the others were being as equally effective in the small space. Riasha was blasting them the same way she was. Jax was shocking them with his lightening sword. Shippou had multiplied and was blasting one after another with some power they had not told her about. Sesshoumaru had his energy whip out and was taking them out in swipes, ten or so at a time.

Kagome was getting annoyed. They just kept coming! It was time to end this. She concentrated hard, sneaking into their minds, only to find them closed off. They had no minds; they were drones with no thoughts except to obey what their master told them. Shit. They were as good as dead the way they were now.

She drew back from their minds and kept blasting. She wasn't about to kill them all, no way. She might be able to save them. She didn't know how, but she would figure out a way.

There was a temporary break in the lines and she gathered herself. Slowly, ever so carefully so it wasn't too much, she gathered her energy to her. Then she sent it out in a blast, directing it at every one of them. They fell unconscious where they stood.

Silence descended around her and she opened her eyes slowly. The others were staring at her, perplexed. She gave them a small smile.

"I stunned them all." She was disgruntled to realize that they were slightly awed by her. Dammit, now was NOT the time to go all stupid and reverent on her. "Come on, we need to get to whoever was controlling those guys. I don't know how long they will stay out." She moved toward the stairwell and was relieved when they followed her quickly. She couldn't help but notice that Sesshoumaru had shut his mind to her.

At the top of the stairwell she took a right and silently went down the hall. It wasn't until she had reached the next flight of stairs that she realized Jerry had disappeared. She stopped dead and sent her mind out, probing gently. Dammit, she couldn't find him anywhere. Where the hell was he? Even if he couldn't be trusted, she aught to be able to find him!

It hurt to think that Inuyasha's reincarnation betrayed them. If Inuyasha knew…

Well, who knew what Inuyasha would think? He probably would hate the guy. He'd try to kill him, remembering how someone had impersonated him to betray Kikyou…

Impersonated him… to betray…

Oh shit. Thoughts zoomed in her mind. Oh shit, she couldn't be right, there was no way… Naraku was dead!

But what if she was right?

~**~

She suspected him. She was figuring it out. He had to give her this; she was a smart, resourceful girl. And dammit if she didn't have to go the quick route and push him for time. He hurried up the steps, bursting into the room and changing as soon as he got there.

"Reporting, milord Naraku."

The man sitting behind the desk never moved. He was reclined back, his fingers laced, his eyes contemplative. Murder was written all over his face and he felt a twist in his heart. His lord was going to murder her, all of them. She had trusted him…

She meant nothing. She had killed his original lord…

And set him free…

NO! She had tried to murder them all! She was a disgusting, assassinating, beautiful, smart, kind bitch. Why the hell had Naraku had to give him this fucking heart?

"You don't want her to die." The statement from behind the desk was simple and true and there was no use denying it.

"It isn't my fault I was bestowed with this weak heart." He retorted. The man behind the desk gave him a look that plainly told him to shut up if he wanted to live. He subsided angrily. There was nothing else he could do. She would die whether he did or not. He may as well live and kill.

He would not let this bothersome gift control him.

~**~

They raced up the stairs; they were following her closely, trusting her to lead them the right way. She knew each one of them kept their senses open, but little was to be felt. They burst into the main hall and stopped. She was unsure of where to go next.

`Well, love, shall we split up?' Sesshoumaru asked her. She shook her head; that was exactly what he wanted. Strength came from numbers, and they might be cut down if they separated.

"Give me a second to think." She mumbled out loud. `The best place to hide was right in the most obvious place. For there was where no one would look.' She turned a slow circle, studying each of the staircases. The sparring dome? No… that would be too simple. The bedrooms? No… it would be somewhere that they wouldn't want him, somewhere obvious…

She started up the left wing stairs and was about to tell them to come with her, but it wasn't necessary. They were right behind her, stealthy and quiet as a whisper of wind. She closed her eyes and let her mind guide her, putting logic and reasoning and guesswork together to figure out where she thought he would be. She just hoped she was right.

She concentrated on the third door on the right, the one that lead to Sesshoumaru's study. She sent her senses in there and found she was blocked. A barrier. Damn, she knew it. This was it. She informed the others, trying to figure a way to get in. she had no power over barriers unless they were her own.

Sesshoumaru stepped back from the door and unsheathed Tetsusaiga, motioning unnecessarily for them to step back. Ah, of course, the barrier breaking Tetsusaiga. Tetsusaiga blazed to life, glowing red. It hummed gently, pulsing its power. She watched in admiration as Sesshoumaru raised it up and gave it a deft flick of the wrist, pointing it as the door.

Explosive light erupted from the sword, charged at the door, smashed it open, and barreled into the room. Kagome immediately sent out her senses and found a very familiar scent in there, not exactly the same, but so similar…

Naraku! But she had killed him! But… this wasn't him, he smelled slightly different. She smelled human… Kanna's new -and improved- scent. Another scent that resembled Naraku's but was once again slightly different. Something flickered in her memory, a memory that wasn't hers… she knew this smell.

It couldn't be, she had never smelled Onigumo! How would she know…? She slowly walked into the room, sure that they knew who was there by now, hoping they were dead from Sesshoumaru's blast.

She was much dismayed and surprised to see Kanna standing in the corner, looking dirty in her torn off-white dress. Her hair was a mess. To her left stood Sesshoumaru's desk, swept clean, empty. What she saw seated behind it almost made her blanch.

Naraku… but he didn't smell exactly like Naraku…

"You are Naraku's incarnate?" She muttered uncertainly. Her brow creased in consternation to see a slow smile furl his lips.

"Very nice, very nice indeed. But, since Naraku no longer exists, you may call me by that name." He unlaced his fingers and tapped them together. She noticed his eyes had left hers to sweep over the others swiftly. He smirked.

"Funny, and here I thought you'd try to save your friends from dying by keeping them out of it. But I guess you're not as smart as I thought." He smiled and fire lit her eyes. The purple in them brightened until the light flooded her eyes completely.

"Ah, you healed fast, Shippou. It was only yesterday I was watching you be beaten… Perhaps I shall keep you for more entertainment." His smile just about drove her over the edge.

"Over my dead body." She snarled. His laugh echoed daringly in her head.

"Exactly, my dear Kagome. Thought I must admit it would be quite the punishment. Imagine, your sitting there, tied, gagged, on your knees, trying to beg me to stop, that you will do whatever I ask, if you'll just let him go… what a wonderful thought."

She almost attacked him on spot. His next comment stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that if you plan to keep your friends alive." She stopped just as she was about to spring.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Her eyes fell on something she had not noticed before, since it had been sitting on his lap. He picked it up now, holding it for her to see. He pressed a button and she felt the other behind her start in surprise. She turned to look over her shoulder and was shocked.

They were all visibly weakening, and she saw little streams trying to escape from their mouths. Their souls? She saw Shippou's drift out and toward her, she did not move, unsure of what was happening. A terrible pain filled her as the soul touched her, and then slid inside her. She was absorbing their souls!

"What the hell are you doing?" She screamed at him, her temper flaring, and with it, her power. She heard a scream behind her and whirled in time to see Riasha drop to the floor before the soul hit her full force, almost knocking her over. Pain wretched through her body.

"Might want to calm down, my dear Kagome. I have the mirror programmed so that now that it is on, it sucks up souls every time your powers flare." His smug grinned outraged her.

"What mirror? What the hell are you talking about?" Her teeth grit against the pain, her body heaved as she felt the souls of her friends spilling slowly into her.

"Have you not figured it out yet? The new mirror Kanna had, before you changed her, the power that spilled into you? It unleashed your own power, but it has lain dormant inside of you. I had the energy programmed to activate at the simple push of a button. Once the mirror's powers were turned on, you became a version of it, except much more powerful and your storage space is endless. You can suck up all the souls in this area, Kagome, if you keep using your power."

Kagome was shocked. Was he bluffing? But if he wasn't… She forced herself to calm, taking a firm hold of her power, forcing it back. The intense pain eased and she noticed her friends were no longer being sucked of their souls. Shippou was unconscious, and Riasha was so weak she could hardly move. Sesshoumaru and Jax looked strained and weak. Kagome turned back to the despicable vermin who sat not more then 5 yards from her.

"How?" She whispered. Despite the low tone, he heard her clearly.

"Well, since we have some time now, I suppose we can reacquaint each other, all around. I know you, I've heard all about the great Lord of the Western lands, and I have heard all about that kitsune. I have been given a vague description of the Lord of the North, our Alaskan Wolf demon here, but I know very little of the Lady Riasha." He directed this at the weak hanyou dragon demon on the floor. Even in her weak state she managed a murderous look back at him.

"I have heard all about your predecessor, and if your anything like him, I will tell you nothing." She forced herself to sit up with her back braced against the wall behind her, her chin held defiantly. Naraku stood and Kagome bristled without thinking, and her energy flared. She heard a grunt behind her and then remembered. She went wide-eyed as she pulled her energy back to her, swearing Naraku and his reincarnate with every word she knew. She heard a thud behind her and saw that Jax had slid down the wall and was sitting with his back to his, his eyes shut. Sesshoumaru had his hand on the wall for balance, but he would not fall. Not yet, anyway. He eyes held a fury that would have scared her had she not known who it was projected for. His eyes were barely tinted red.

"Haven't you learned yet, Kagome? Now you have weakened them more. Tsk tsk." He came toward her slowly, shaking his finger at her. She ground her teeth together and kept a careful check on her power. If she could get that devise from Naraku without using any of her power, and turn it off, she could send her friends souls back to them. It was the only plan she could think of. Almost as if she could read her mind, Naraku shook his head.

"No, no, Kagome. If you make a single move toward me I'll release the powers of the mirror to suck in whatever it likes. And if you do not push the right button, you could do the same to yourself. That is no plan at all." He chuckled at her shocked look. She refrained from asking how. It didn't matter.

"Well, since Lady Riasha is now unconscious," Kagome sent a look around her shoulder to be sure, "I shall introduce you to the rest of us. I think you might like to hear our story." Riasha was lying on the floor, slumped to the side. Kagome forced her eyes back to Naraku's.

Oh god, Kagome thought. Perhaps she could stall him long enough to think of a plan. He seemed perfectly happy to dally with time. But before she could talk, ask him some questions, he started the monologue all by himself.

"I was born about eighty years ago. Because of some preternatural traits that I showed, I was brought to a laboratory for careful watch and experimentation. I was ten when my friends found me and got me out. They informed me of who and what I was. After realizing what an anomaly I was, I easily accepted this explanation. They helped me find and use my powers again, and soon they were calling me by their old master's name, Naraku. I was told everything, how he was killed, who, and why. I decided that I would be the one to get even. After careful searching, I found you. It didn't take us long to figure out that you were crossing time to go and do what you were going to. I did not stop you, changing the future is dangerous business. I might not exist if I stopped you from killing Naraku."

Kagome listened to this, it whipped through and around her brain so fast and hard that she couldn't breathe.

"So, I waited and watched. Then, one day I saw you come back and could feel the jewels full power in you. And still I waited, knowing that Lord Sesshoumaru would come to you. And he did. I sent the drug lords out to your castle and killed your mother and brother. You managed to save your grandfather, which I applaud to you for. But it does not matter now, for he is no more now."

Kagome did not move, holding herself firmly together. He was bluffing, he was bluffing, he was bluffing…

She would not rise to it. He wanted her to unleash her powers once again, and she would not do it. He was bluffing, he was bluffing, he was bluffing.

"Ah, so you are becoming wiser? Smart, smart girl. Very nice. But you are wrong on one account, I am not bluffing." She stiffened but kept up her mental chant, ignoring the pain that ripped through her heart.

She was all alone.

NO! He was bluffing! He was bluffing! He was bluffing!

"Very strong, aren't you? Well, yes, back to my story, I suppose. My two friends, Kanna, and your newest betrayer Kagura,"

"Liar! She wanted to be free of Naraku! She wouldn't have helped you!" She was quaking as she stood there, still keeping a check on her power, still keeping a check on her heart.

"Kagura! Report!" Ordered Naraku.

Kagome saw movement to the left of the desk, in the shadows. A form melted out of them, stepping forward, her lower face hidden from view by a spread out fan. She was wearing the same bright clothing, the heavily done make-up, her hair up high on her head.

"Yes, milord?" her deep, sultry voice almost fooled her. It was then that everything came together. Inuyasha's reincarnate… Kagura…

"Who is that?" she demanded. Kagura gave her a menacing smile.

"What do you mean? I am Kagura!" She announced. Kagome shook her head.

"You're not fooling me. Did you give up your powers of transformation, Naraku? What is the name of the one you gave them to? Tell them to transform to their true form." Naraku did not look surprised, nor angry. No, he seemed to be gleeful with her discovery.

"Yes, Onigumo, show her your true form." He commanded, his deep, snide smile never wavering. `Kagura' squirmed as if in horrid agony, her face contorting, and her body. She bowed her head and then her clothes shimmered and changed, turning black. She now wore a long sleeved kimono that swirled around her ankles. Then the hair, it shortened, swirled, and laid itself down in an unruly but short cut. The face came up to reveal a man, not as beautiful as Naraku was, but handsome all the same, with mischievous, cold eyes and a twisted smile. ue form." He commanded, his deep, snide smile never wavering. `Kagura' squirmed as if in horrid agony, her face contorting, and her body. She bowed her head and then her clothes shimmered and changed, turning black. She now wore a long sleeved kimono that swirled around her ankles. Then the hair, it shortened, swirled, and laid itself down in an unruly but short cut. The face came up to reveal a man, not as beautiful as Naraku was, but handsome all the same, with mischievous, cold eyes and a twisted smile. ue form." He commanded, his deep, snide smile never wavering. `Kagura' squirmed as if in horrid agony, her face contorting, and her body. She bowed her head and then her clothes shimmered and changed, turning black. She now wore a long sleeved kimono that swirled around her ankles. Then the hair, it shortened, swirled, and laid itself down in an unruly but short cut. The face came up to reveal a man, not as beautiful as Naraku was, but handsome all the same, with mischievous eyes.

Kagome was having a hard time understanding all of this. It was so much to take at once. Naraku, alive, his children under his power again.

"So… you were Jerry that whole time? Inuyasha does not have a reincarnate?" She asked, her voice icy. She was sorry now that she had ever trusted him.

"Aye, you are correct." Onigumo stepped toward her, his eyes scary, magnetic, and lustful. He stopped short and his expression closed. "I played a reincarnation to win your trust. I was surprised you did not notice that I was maybe too similar to your dear Inuyasha." Her dead hanyou friend's name came out a sneer. "Perhaps you were blinded by your own heart." He added.

Kagome opened her mouth to deny it, but then closed it. He was right. She had hoped so much that it was, she wanted it to be so badly. She wanted a connection to Inuyasha, a sure connection.

"Why didn't you and Kanna die when Naraku did?" She whispered. All three of the evildoers did not have an answer on their faces as they regarded her.

"I was hoping you could tell us that." Onigumo said softly. Her eyes met his sharply, and she saw the unwillingness in them. He didn't want to be apart of this at all. He didn't care about Naraku, and he hated the fact that he was drawn to her.

"I don't know… Wait. That day… when I first really dived into my powers…" She thought hard trying to remember that day. She remembered how Sesshoumaru was stabbed through; her intense hatred of the creature that would hurt her Sesshoumaru. She remembered how Inuyasha had taken him away, at her orders, and how the feeling of great, wonderful POWER had surrounded her. It had soared through her, singing in her veins. She remembered how many things had become apparent in this time, how her conscious had heightened, how she had blasted Naraku apart. She remembered seeing Naraku below her and thinking as she let the blast flow from her body of the hundreds she would save by killing him, of the beings she would free.

"I think… I think I accidentally set you and Kanna and Kagura free. I thought of all the people that would live with him gone, and of the ones who would no longer be enslaved to him. I think I allowed them to live." She finished, a small smile on her face. She expected to see anger on Naraku's face, or surprise, or something. But not the utter glee.

"That was exactly as I thought. I will have to thank you for that, for the servants of Naraku are the ones who saved me. You helped me, however indirectly. And it is that same deed that will be your undoing, if you had killed Kanna on spot, the mirror would have never transferred its powers to you and you would not be in this position."

Kagome heart dropped to her feet. She had caused this? By letting Naraku's minions free? No! Of course not! Naraku was trying to make her think that! He was trying to manipulate her mind! She wouldn't allow it. Never. She had done a good thing, it wasn't her fault if they had not taken that second chance and done something better with it. It was their loss, and she was not about to give up the situation she was in. She would get herself and her friends out of it! All she needed was a little help. She wondered if Onigumo… he hated Naraku, she knew it. He had some kind of uncontrollable feelings for her, if she could get him on her side.

But how?

She couldn't use her powers to communicate with him, and she couldn't' outright ask him to help her. Could she?

"Now that you know all, Kagome, I think it is time for your demise. Yours and all of the others. Shall I activate the mirror so it will suck in all the souls including yours and then implode inside of you? It's almost like a self-destruct option. How fun." He chuckled and she realized she was running out of time. Rapidly. Shit! What to do?

"Onigumo…" She started in a low voice, but he shook his head, turning from her. He knew what she was going to ask him? She was quickly losing herself, panic was taking over. Her control of her own power was quickly becoming weaker and weaker. If she tried to get the mechanism from Naraku, she would have to use a huge burst of power, and the mirror might implode inside her before she could hit the button, and then there was the chance she would hit the wrong button. Even from here she could see it was a complex gadget. Yet if she just stood here, she would just die more slowly, and almost guaranteed to be more painful. What was she going to do?

"Here is to revenge, Kagome!" he lifted the mechanism toward her as if in a toast and then she saw him touch several buttons. Excruciating pain filled her, and her control on her power slipped totally. She could feel the souls of her friends hitting her full force, knocking her around, and she was powerless to do anything.

The only thing she could do was try for the control. She forced herself to concentrate despite the pain and lunged in the direction of Naraku, not thinking clearly. She cried out when the pain intensified even more.

"At at ah! You may not play with the toy. Its mine to manipulate!" She saw through her haze of pain that he was pressing more buttons. Just as she thought she could take no more, could be in no more agony, a fresh wave of intense pain like no other seemed to try and take her body apart. She screamed, trying to make it go away. Even in it all, she could hear Naraku, his hateful voice.

"Ah, what a sweet, sweet sound. How I have longed to hear it." She curled herself into a ball, just to tense up and have her whole body writhe as another wave of pain flounced through her. She couldn't think, she couldn't move. But she had to! She had to do something…

Numbness stole over her, her mind was blocking out the pain. She sighed in relief. Her mind floated above it all, and then she was zooming through beautiful countryside, flowers bloomed in valleys below her. Then she raced straight down a waterfall, but she never hit the water, and righted her flight just before she would have hit the water. It was wonderful, this flying. She felt free, like she was part of the wind itself.

Was this death? If so, she wanted to stay here forever. She wanted to stay dead. This wonderful place… its smells and color.

She jerked as she felt another person watching her. She spun around and saw her mother, standing there, in the field. But then she disappeared. Kagome smiled, it was her imagination.

She watched as everything suddenly changed and then she was standing in a cozy wooden house. It was huge, beautiful. She saw pictures, pictures of her and Sesshoumaru. There were other pictures, of a child, a beautiful child. She had purple, innocent eyes, and silvery hair. Her incisors were longer then they were supposed to be, and the hand running through her hair had elongated nails. Next to her was a picture of a boy, who clearly resembled her, with his black hair and Purple eyes. But looking closer at the picture, she noticed that the eyes had amber specks in them. He was older then the girl, and his smile was charming. One last picture sat on the mantle of the fireplace, a very young child, a girl. At first, Kagome saw nothing of herself in the girl. Her hair was shiny and silver, her eyes bright gold, amber flecks dotting them. She looked like a young, female version of Sesshoumaru, until she stood back from the picture. Suddenly she noticed how her face was shaped, her long her legs were. That was exactly how Kagome had been at about age 7, thin as a rail and flat as one too.

Kagome stared at the pictures. After her eyes had feasted on them so long that she knew every detail of them, she slowly drew her eyes from it and instead focused on another picture. It was of her and Sesshoumaru. She was standing with her back to him smiling up at him from over her shoulder. Someone must have taken the picture with them knowing, for his arms were wrapped around her and he had a look that was soft enough to be melted butter. When she saw the next picture, she laughed out loud. The next was one of her blushing and Sesshoumaru looking murderous, and the picture was tilted funny, as if the camera had fallen to the ground. At the edge of it, Jax was running away, laughing. Riasha was standing in the background with her hand clapped over her mouth.

Kagome shook her head as she studied the picture. Apparently, Jax had taken that other picture and then the camera had gone off as he ran away. She smiled softly and looked around to see if there were anymore, but there weren't, at least not in here. She sighed and walked toward what seemed to be the front door. She opened it to bright sunlight. She shaded her eyes and smiled.

Beautiful.

Rolling hills, the sun just touching them with its first light, burning it gold. A sparkling stream, running at the base of the mountains. She turned left and was surprised to see Sesshoumaru sitting there, watching her silently. A smile broke over her face and she went to sit with him.

"What is this place?" She whispered to him, afraid the slightest noise would disturb the beauty. He gave her a look.

"This is your home, Kagome, you know that. Are you experiencing amnesia again?"

She stared at him. What was he talking about? Amnesia?

"No… I just found myself here. I… I don't think its real. I was in a room, we were all dying…"

"Kagome, it was a nightmare. That's all. You get amnesia and you forget that you have lived here for twenty years now."

Kagome got up and backed away from him. This wasn't right. It didn't feel right. She didn't suffer from Amnesia; it wasn't a nightmare; that was real. It was, she knew it. He was lying to her. Or, perhaps this was something her mind was trying to make up, to get her away from reality. Well, she didn't want to live in a pretend world. She wanted to live in reality! This was not her reality!

Blackness stole over her and then the pain came back. Wave after wave of terrible, mind-blowing pain. But it was just pain. She could take it! She would have to! She slowly came to grips with it, and instead of fighting the pain, she welcomed it, let it ravage her body. And then she controlled it. It was her pain, she could deal with it. She put it in the back of her mind, placing it there with care.

Then she opened her eyes and stood, slowly, but she got up. She swayed a little and carefully controlled herself, strengthening her will. She could deal with it, it was only pain. She wasn't dead. This was reality.

"How, how are you still moving? You should be paralyzed by now!" it was the first time she had heard surprise in Naraku's voice. She smiled, turning to see the expression on his face. Ha, great. She was getting to him now! Oh look at the expression on his face! Ha ha! He was afraid of her! Her smile grew.

Wonderful.

She turned her eyes to Onigumo, hoping to see the same on his face, but instead she saw a deep, almost secret joy. He was glad she was stronger? He would help her! She told him with her eyes, hoe grateful she would be, that she would be his friend, if only he would help her save her friends. And somehow, he seemed to understand. Sadness filled his eyes. She didn't understand. Was he refusing to?

Then, he moved. He changed forms so swiftly she hardly saw it. He was in Kagura's form. A strong wind blew and she watched as Kagura/Onigumo's wind blades cut off Naraku's hands. She saw the devise fly through the wind and land in Kagura/Onigumo's hand. She watched as he rapidly changed back.

"Onigumo! You wretched thief! Give that back to me, or you WILL pay!" Naraku threatened. Onigumo smiled at Naraku, but then his fingers were swiftly playing with the buttons on the machine.

Kagome could feel the souls slowly gliding out of her, to their rightful owners. The pain, the once all-consuming pain lessened. It felt as if a heavy drug was being drained from her. Her eyesight steadied, her legs, and arms, her whole body strengthened. She felt weightless. Her power was completely and easily under control again.

Around her, her friends were stirring, getting up, trying to orient themselves. She could feel them growing stronger with each passing moment just as she was.

"You traitor! You would choose that woman over your master!" Naraku screamed at Onigumo.

"You are not my master, Naraku. The previous Naraku was, but I was freed of him. Besides, it is this wretched heart of mine that I cannot ignore." His look at Naraku was even and emotionless. Naraku looked ready to boil over.

"Well, Naraku, it seems your plan was not foolproof, eh?" Kagome jibed. Naraku turned his angry eyes on her.

"You… you will be punished. I will make sure you are." Kagome smirked but then miasma was filling the room turning the air thick and unpleasant, deadly even. She coughed and tried to see, but she could only just make out Naraku swirling in a cloud of black and dark navy and metallic purple before he disappeared. The miasma slowly subsided, then disappeared.

"He's gone." Sesshoumaru came up behind her.

"Aren't we going after him?" Riasha was giving them a hard look.

"Hun, he is long gone by now. We will rest, regroup and go after him at a later date, right Kagome?" Jax came up behind Riasha and wrapped his arms around her.

"But, he's getting away! We might not be able to catch up by tomorrow!" Shippou was standing between Jax and Sesshoumaru.

"You will not find him." Kagome whirled and face Onigumo. He had saved her; she and the other would be dead if it weren't for him. But he had also deceived them. He had poisoned them, though the dose was not enough to kill. And yet just now he had been their savior.

"Onigumo, I don't…" he silenced her by raising his hand.

"You have to force out the powers from the mirror, they are still inside you, and so could be used against you again."

"What?" Sesshoumaru stepped forward, untrusting still of Onigumo. She could understand why. She was more then a little wary of him.

"Sesshoumaru." She laid a hand on hid arm to restrain him. "He just saved us all. I think what he just said was logical, if you think about it. If Naraku made something before with which to control the mirrors powers, he may be able to do it again. I don't want to risk that." She stepped back from them. "But I would like you to destroy the control in your hand." She said pointedly, remembering the havoc that small gadget had caused. Onigumo did not answer, but instead tossed the gadget to her. Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru before tossing in into the air. Sesshoumaru's poison whip flicked out deftly and he annihilated it with one little flick. The whip disappeared.

"Thank you, Onigumo." She said, searching his eyes with her own. He turned away from her and waved his hand at her for her to proceed. She stepped farther back from the others and then closed her eyes, searching. Finally she found it, a strong, devouring, evil power that lay deep within her, dormant and unmoving. She touched it and it flared and then subsided. She locked her powers around it and with a mighty heave of energy she forced it out of her, keeping it pure and latent. It shot straight up out of her, and then poured down toward Onigumo. Kagome panicked, that wasn't supposed to happen! She saw that he held his arms open wide, his eyes closed, and his lips murmuring something she couldn't hear. He was drawing it into himself! But why?

The last of it poured into Onigumo, and his eyes shot open, blazing white. His body lifted into the air, and she saw his face turn towards her. His mouth formed words, white light spilling out from his lips.

"Wish me a restful peace. Goodbye, Kagome."

And then she watched as the light seemed to explode inside of him, and the light left his body with his soul. His body dropped to the floor with an ungraceful thud. His eyes were open, and blank. His limbs were at unnatural angles, and when he did not move, Kagome realized he was dead. The white light fled away into the night. His soul had taken the power to hell with him.

~**~

Wow, that was a LONG chapter! I hope you liked it, man I just spent my whole night that I should have spent SLEEPING writing this! Lol.

Okay, there will be an epilogue to this story, and then we will go into the final part of Power, called Power III: The Hunt.

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Also, if you would like en email when I update any of my other fanfics, please let me know. You can also receive an email whenever I come out with a new fanfic, too.

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RyuuAngel

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