InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Power ❯ Dangerous Encounter ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: Dangerous Encounter

Naraku wanted those shards Kagome had. Hers and Kouga's were the only ones left. Kikyou had, a long time ago, given him hers. He was off balance about the miko, She didn't seem to like him or have an alliance with him yet she had given him the jewel shards. He looked at the almost complete Shikon No Tama. He watched in fascination as the jewel tired to glow then fade under his youki. The reincarnate miko was near.

"Kanna, show me Inuyasha." He demanded in his silky voice. The stupid hanyou was coming as fast as he could. The others were not with him. Where was Kikyou's reincarnate? He knew she was coming, was she coming by herself?

"Show me the miko reincarnated wench." He ordered. The mirror looked misty then slowly shapes could be made out. When it cleared he surprise filled him. Much closer than the Inu-tachi was the Great Lord of the Western Lands with Kagome on his back. `So the girls taste had improved and she has given up on the foolish hanyou, huh?' he thought and another occurred to him. By the gentle way he held the human girl on his back, he would have to go through Sesshoumaru to get to Kagome, thus his jewel shards. He had heard of the great Youkai's power and was a little unsure about it. He looked over to where Kikyou was on the ground too weak to move. His barrier kept her soul insects from entering. His evil chuckle of satisfaction reached the angry miko's ears. She managed to lift her head a little.

"Damn you Naraku!" She screamed before fainting.

. . . . . . .

Kagome heard the scream and there was no question Sesshou did. Rin's smell was becoming clearer with every bound. The speed at which they were going made tears run down her guilt-ridden face, and her hair whip and tangle. She could feel the Shikon No Tama calling for her and they jumped over a last hedge of trees to land in a large clearing. On the far side was a building with a still but alive form in front of it. Kikyou seemed to be in a faint Kagome knew she wasn't dead. She looked at Sesshou who was staring at the building. He told her that was where Rin was, and with her Kohaku.

"So, the reincarnate Miko likes the full bloods now?" Kagome heard Naraku's teasing remark but ignored it, Sesshou doing the same.

"Where is Rin?" Sesshou demanded, a slight growl in his throat.

"I don't think you are in such a position to make demands, though she is still alive." He smirked then added, "At least, for now." Sesshou tensed then was gone.

"Sesshoumaru, NO! There's a barrier!" She warned. Sesshou had headed off without seeing Naraku, his acute hearing telling him exactly where Naraku was. Kagome could now see to the left of the building in the clearing was Naraku inside of a barrier. She didn't know how she could see it, but she could. Sesshou heard her too late. He hit the barrier and was blown backwards. He got control of his flight through the air by flipping a few times and landed lightly on his feet.

Kagome was seething. She could feel the blood rushing through her veins far too fast. `Naraku!' He was the cause of everyone's pain, Kikyou, Sango, Miroku, IY, Sesshoumaru, and even herself. So many had died at his evil hands. With out conscious thought her hand reached for an arrow, and she expertly notched it.

"Say goodbye to your barrier, Naraku!" She pulled the bow just a bit tighter and as she released, put all of her hatred for him in that arrow. It glowed a pure purplish white color as it soared over the ground and went right through the barrier, and still kept going. It hit Naraku in the shoulder. The barrier dissipated and so did Naraku's arm.

"Yeah!" she cried in exultation. Root tentacles appeared out of nowhere and were coming at her. She never moved and the next moment Sesshou appeared in front of her, slicing them apart with toukijin. She looked at him gladly but he was giving her a curious look. Kagura appeared behind him and her eyes widened.

Before she could utter a word, he turned around and went to attack.

"Wait," Kagura said. Sesshou hesitated and Kagura took the moment to speak.

"I'm not here to fight." She said. She got closer to them and could see the Shikon No Kakera.

"I didn't call you here Kagura, what are you doing here?" Naraku demanded. Kagura ignored him and called toward the building.

"Kohaku, bring Rin out." Kohaku appeared with the little girl and Naraku scowled.

"I see you have your memory back, huh Kohaku." Naraku grinned evilly at him. Kagome watched in confusion, Sesshou remembered this boy as the one who had, while being controlled, kidnapped Rin. He narrowed his eyes, seeing the look the boy had in his eyes, full of life, not empty from the control Naraku had held.

"Kohaku, kill Rin." Naraku ordered. Kohaku raised his arm and brought his weapon it down on the little girl. Kagome closed her eyes tight, not wanting to see Rin die. She was afraid to open them but did anyway, sure she would see the little girl's still form on the ground. What she saw was Kohaku pulling the bindings off of Rin, which he had just cut. She breathed a sigh of relief and felt the relief Sesshou could not hide. Rin ran to Sesshou with tears in her eyes.

"Rin was so scared! Kohaku said Rin would die if Rin didn't do exactly as he said. He said that the bad man would kill Rin!" She sobbed on Sesshoumaru's leg as she hugged it. Kagura walked up to Kagome and Sesshoumaru's gut wrenched. If she were to try to kill Kagome now there would be nothing he could do. He would never get to her in time. Kagome took half a step back and looked at her in suspicion. Kagura simply held out the jewel shard to her.

"Here." Was all Kagura said and handed her the shards. Kagome took them in surprise, and watched as they purified at her touch. Kagura's eyes went wide and she gripped her chest in pain. She stumblingly turned around and Kagome saw over her shoulder that Naraku held something in his hand. A… a heart!

"How dare you defy me again, Kagura!" His hand squeezed and Kagura fell to her knees. "You can become apart of me again." He chuckled. Roots shot toward Kagura and kagome and Sesshoumaru diced them up. There was an utterly disgusted look on Sesshoumaru's face. Kagome was dragging Kagura as far away as she could while Naraku attacked Sesshoumaru to get at Kagura. A horrible anger filled her at the vileness of the horrible creature. A surprised voice interrupted her thoughts on Naraku.

"Why are you helping me?" Kagura asked in anger. Kagome looked at her surprised.

"Aren't you just another who has been manipulated by Naraku? Do you hate him?" At Kagura's nod she continued. "We all must work together to overcome him. It's the only way to defeat him." She smiled at the woman on the ground. As sudden as the smile came it disappeared to be replaced by a look filled with horror. She wheeled around to see a sight that would haunt her in her dreams.

"Sesshou…" She managed to whisper as fear overtook her. Naraku was holding Sesshoumaru, a tentacle stabbed through his abdomen. Miasma poured into the wound and Sesshoumaru looked so pale and so angry. The miasma was paralyzing him. Rage filled Kagome at the sight of that disgusting creature touching her Sesshoumaru. Her vision narrowed and all else turned black. She had never been so angry before. `How dare he! How dare he! How dare he!' She chanted over and over in her head. How dare he hurt her Sesshoumaru, her mate! An arrow was notched and flying before she even collected her thoughts. The miasma disappeared and the tentacle holding Sesshoumaru disintegrated.

Her angry face now was awash with worry for the Demon lying on the ground she was headed toward right that moment. She lifted Sesshou's shoulders to try to help him stand, the paralysis slowly wearing off. She helped him to his feet, light as a kitten in her arms. He was leaning heavily on her, still partially paralyzed. She didn't even notice the weight.

"Kohaku, kill Kagome! Kill them Kohaku! Now!" Naraku yelled. The Shikon No Kakera in his back glowed darkly and he fell to his knees. He would not kill them, he would not kill them! He grunted from the mental abuse Naraku was putting him through to try and get him to be the miko's assassin. He reached his handover his shoulder, stretching his arm to be able to reach the fragment in his back. Naraku shouted orders at him he managed to ignore as his hand crept closer to the jewel.

Kagome could do nothing except watch as her best friends brother attempted to kill himself rather than kill her. She felt such compassion for someone who could be so loyal as to be killed when, conscious, he was ordered to kill innocent. `Kohaku,' She whispered. Kohaku's fingers grasped the Shikon No Kakera and he yanked. The fragment descended to the ground, just before Kohaku did. Blood spattered the ground around him and poled the ground. The Shikon was the only thing keeping the young boy alive. Kagome bowed her head in pain and respect for the brave boy.

Sesshoumaru looked off into the distance and saw Inuyasha standing there with his jaw agape. Kagome noticed a second later via Sesshoumaru. In his weakened state Sesshoumaru's mental barriers were also weakened. Naraku was taking in the situation trying to grow back his tentacle. It was taking a lot longer than normal and he marveled at the power the miko reincarnate held. He saw she had just tapped into a little piece of it with her anger. Kagome suddenly realized what she had to do.

"Inuyasha! Take your brother away from here!" She ordered. Inuyasha finally shook off his momentary stupor.

"Why would we help him?" he demanded. His brother had kidnapped her and tried to kill the both of them any number of times and here she was protecting him!

"Because he saved me! Now do it!" She ordered eyes flashing. He did as she asked, taking her word for it and having been surprised at her demand. She had never been like this. The closest time was when she had blown Naraku apart along time ago. Kagome turned to face Naraku, hatred in her very soul. There was surprise in him that she would dare to do something so foolish as to face him alone, untapped miko powers or not.

"You think you can take me yourself? Your such a foolish little human bitch." He chuckled at her, trying to hit a nerve. Her smile totally threw him.

"I may be foolish but I am smart. And I know my capabilities, now. You get to test them." Her smile disappeared and she felt she would explode with the all-consuming hatred that went through her. Suddenly it occurred to her that a large part of it was Sesshou's. But she could still control herself, perfectly actually.

"Your despicable! You try to deny what you are, half human! No matter what you do you'll always be part human." Naraku's eyes and nostrils widened in anger, but Kagome wasn't finished. "Your disgusting, a coward, a lowlife who thinks they can outdo the gods. News flash, Naraku, I plan to set Onigumo's spirit free and condemn you to hell!" Naraku's face was completely outraged at her speech. During it Kagome's eyes had slowly turned a lavender color and she was glowing softly.

"Bitch!" Naraku said and sent tentacles at her, sure of his kill.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. Sesshoumaru watched as the only person he had ever felt warmth toward was about to be killed. A horror filled him at the prospect of her limp, dead form lying on the soft ground. But when the tentacles got near her they vaporized. Naraku howled in pain. Kagome was slowly rising in the air, in the middle of a purple orb, a barrier. She pointed at Naraku and mouthed words they couldn't hear. In a rage Naraku sent more tentacles at her but they bounced of her light hued barrier. Kagome's thoughts seem to flash before her eyes in the moments she was in the air.

`Naraku that bastard is going to die. Sesshoumaru is worried, don't worry Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha is worried too, oh dear god, he loves me! Not Kikyou, ME! Hmm, I wonder where Sango and Miroku are. OH! It's just as I thought, they love each other but are afraid to tell each other! Thank God they have Shippou. Rin thinks I'm an angel. Wonder why she thinks that, it's just me. I'm nothing special really. Well, I know I can kill Naraku now. Kikyou is gathering souls that were held off by the barrier that I broke. She doesn't like what I am doing right now. I wonder, am I just she? No, now I know, I'm not. She is a girl from this time whose soul was transferred to me and changed a bit to suit my character. I am different from Kikyou, which is why the soul is so easy for me to call back. I am kagome, not the reincarnation, only myself.'

This went through her mind in the blink of an eye as a purple ball formed at the end of her pointed finger. A streak, going so fast it was just visible to the demon eye, shot at the angry hanyou. It hit him in the chest and he screamed. There was a blast of purple light when it hit him, which slowly faded to reveal that Naraku was gone. Kagome floated slowly to the ground in the purple orb and it disappeared when she was lying safely on the ground, unconscious from the power that she had used. Sesshoumaru rushed to her in a blur and picked her up. He looked into her face and saw the exhaustion there.

"Get you hands off Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. Sesshou gave him an annoyed look and turned back to Kagome. Her conscious confused thoughts hit him before she opened her eyes. This frail little human had just killed Naraku! And she was awake, in his arms, where he decided suddenly she would stay.

"Kagome, you are unhurt?" he asked in a flat tone. Only his eyes showed a little bit of his worry in their depths.

"I said let go of her Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha repeated. He was outraged that Kagome had protected him and now Sesshoumaru was touching her!

"Inuyasha, it's okay." Kagome struggled to explain as she attempted to stand on her own. Sesshou let her but kept her pressed close to him knowing she couldn't stand on her own. She put a hand on his chest and smiles at him gratefully.

"Kagome you traitor!" Inuyasha was feeling very betrayed. Kagome turned angry eyes on him, eyes full of still fresh pain. He stepped back at the look of intense hurt in her eyes.

"Me, the traitor? What about you and Kikyou! She tried to kill me and still would if she could and yet you still protect her! She's not even alive! You left me and went after her!" Inuyasha looked surprised, then horribly guilty. It never occurred to him that was the reason for Kagome's mood when he went to see Kikyou.

"Then I went home and was attacked but your brother saved me. And even though I thought he was taking me to be used to get the Tetsusaiga, it soon became clear over the many days that he wasn't." She smiled up at the demon who was holding her tight against him and he growled at her. He did not like his softness aired in front of these people. He sighed, knowing it was going to happen soon anyway.

"Sesshoumaru, saved a human? I thought you hated all humans?!" Inuyasha was surprised at his brother's selflessness and horribly guilty he hadn't been the one to save her.

"I do not despise humans totally, just their dirtiness and inferiority and especially their nauseous scent. This Kagome smells very pleasant and is as cleanly as I myself am. Beside the point, do you still think she is an ordinary human after what just happened? A mere mortal? Think again little brother. She is very different, and very powerful. I believe what we just witnessed was a mere sample of the power she could have." Sesshoumaru's voice held respect for the only human he had ever seen like her. Kagome looked troubled.

"If I'm not human, definitely NOT demon, then what am I? Surely not a hanyou!" Sesshoumaru wanted to laugh at the implication. His pure little miko, a hanyou? That was power no demon ever had; no human should have been capable of.

"No," Sesshoumaru answered. "I would have been able to smell it on you."

"Then what am I?!" She ranted hysterically.

"You are a miko with extraordinary powers." A voice that was sweet and deep answered as Kikyou stepped forward out of the shadows to materialize behind her.