InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Prophecy ❯ Chapter 19

19

“Kaede…something’s wrong.”

Kagome could feel it. Her body felt like lead, her muscles sluggish and when she did manage to move, it felt as if she were wading through quicksand. She had never feared death before. She hadn’t had a reason to. Now, it terrified her. There were so many things she hadn’t accomplished, she realized. So many things she hadn’t experienced. Oh God, she didn’t want to die. The worst part was that she knew something was wrong. Sesshomaru nor Inuyasha had the Power in their grasps. How she knew that, she wasn’t sure. But she knew.

She stared into the darkness behind her closed eyelids, wanting to warn Kaede but the more she tried to speak, the more she wanted to let her body ease—to sleep.  But what she could feel coming had her senses on alert, her mind screaming a warning.

‘You’re mine. Everything.’ The voice entered her mind like black sludge.

“I know, child.”

Kagome managed to open her eyes, forcing up the heaviness. “Wh…what did you say?” She wanted to listen to Kaede, to bathe in the goodness of her voice but she couldn’t concentrate. Her skin itched, her insides ached and something moved inside her. Her body seized but not one muscle twitched. Nothing to show the brutal silent attack that had her heart pounding. Her muscles contracted and her fingers twitched. She could feel the dark stain on her soul and whimpered in fear.

She could feel the darkness in her body, the darkness in her mind. And that, she wanted away from more than anything. The thoughts in her mind were anything but innocent. They were cruel and disdain. Her fingers twitched and she opened her mouth but no words came out. She turned her head and stared at Kaedes bent form as she prayed over her. She tried again even as her hand moved, as the insidious voice whispered in her mind. Pleasure swamped her, hard and cold. Oh God, she tried to stop her hand as it moved, her fingers curling around the hilt of the blade resting against the wall. She tried to warn Kaede but no words would form in her throat.

She HAD to do this. One act, one mark of darkness on her soul.

She flinched at her own thoughts but she knew they weren’t her thoughts. Her mind, her very actions was being controlled. She couldn’t conceive of someone so powerful, so filled with hatred that they could achieve this. Her mind screamed a warning as she rolled onto her side and staggered to her knees. The sword felt heavy in her weak hands but she moved it easily. The blade clattered along the floor and Kaede lifted her head but it was too late. Kagome cried out, finally, her heart twisting in painful agony as she stabbed the blade through Kaedes chest with a strength she shouldn’t have possessed. She could hear the sickening sound of steel cutting through flesh.

“Oh God, forgive me, Kaede.” Kagome whispered raggedly, begging for the older woman to understand. She could see the shock in the older woman’s eyes. And pain. Kagome realized then why her cheeks felt so hot, so wet. She was crying. She silently begged for Kaede to understand and she hoped what she saw in her eyes was acceptance and forgiveness. She would know that Kagome would never do something horrible, wouldn’t she? She had to! The blade clattered to the ground and she watched as Kaede began to fall. She cried out and rushed forward but her body was still too weak. She crashed down beneath the weight of Kaede’s body, the blood soaking through her clothing.

“Please, please forgive me.” Kagome whispered through ragged tears as she blindly searched for a pulse but she already knew. The blade had killed Kaede in one stroke, slicing through the center of her heart.

“Oh my God.”

Kagome realized then that she was covered in blood. Her expression changed to one of horror and she started pushing at Kaede’s body. She pulled out from beneath her prone body and rolled over onto her stomach and started crawling towards the doorway. She didn’t want to look back, to see Kaede lying there in a pool of her own blood but she had to. She couldn’t stop herself. A sob rose up when she did. The only woman she had ever known as mother lie there—dead. She’d killed her.

Her whole body seized again and then her muscles went slack and she collapsed onto the hard floor, her cheek pressed against it. Just as suddenly her strength returned, the muscles in her body flexing from the lack of use. She sucked in a sharp breath. She could move again—she could breathe without difficulty. Her stomach plummeted as she realized that the Jewel was near, the Power within reach…She lifted her head and stared up into Naraku’s pleased, handsome face.

How could someone so evil be so beautiful?

Kagome did the only thing she could think of. She screamed for the one person that she wanted—needed—the most. The only person that could save her.

“Inuyasha!”

~*~

“Inuyasha!”

Inuyasha ignored the roar of his father, ignored the hard body slamming against his side that efficiently knocked him to the left and away from the blast of miasma that spewed into their path. If Naraku thought cleverly placed traps of miasma was going to stop him, then he was out of his fucking mind.

Inuyasha didn’t give a damn if he turned full demon. If he killed his Father and Sesshomaru in the process, so be it. As long as he reached Kagome before it was too late.

“Watch where you’re going, Inuyasha.”

Through the haze in his mind Inuyasha faintly heard his Father again and while he knew each time the miasma engulfed him, it threatened to turn him into a murderous, enraged demon again, he couldn’t stop himself. His only thought was to reach Kagome. He knew he should have more care but he couldn’t afford to slow down.

“I’m watching, old man.” Inuyasha snarled, fighting the need rising inside him. They just didn’t understand. He’d die if he lost Kagome. Naraku didn’t understand he would kill Kagome. Sure, he would corrupt the power of the Jewel but once that was finished and Kagome died, the Jewel would be useless. Either way, Naraku had to die. First, he had pissed him off. Second, as long as Naraku was alive he would want Kagome no matter if she belonged to another man or not.

His demon side had never fully retreated. It was still there on the surface, threatening to push him over the edge. The danger in the air, the vile demonic aura surrounding them all called to it. The demon markings on his cheek were vague but clear enough to be seen. He was almost there. Just hold on, he whispered to himself grimily.

“Inuyasha!”

Oh God. Inuyasha was not prone to fear but he couldn’t stop it from coursing through him then. He could only imagine that he was too late, that Naraku had tainted the Jewel and she was dying—

Inuyasha skidded to a halt as he came into the clearing. Blood assaulted his senses. He saw Naraku leaning up from the ground from where he had been crouched. Kagome lay before him, the look in her eyes slack. A large bowl of light was entering her body through her chest, being absorbed into her flesh. Inuyasha roared and launched himself at them. He didn’t know how he made it, how he reached Naraku so fast but he was there, slamming the bastard back towards Sesshomaru.

“No.” Inuyasha snarled, turning to Kagome. “You will not die.” He had to stop the ball of energy from being absorbed into her body. He didn’t even stop to think. He threw himself on top of her, pressing his body flush against hers, his chest against hers. Hot energy crackled between them and he heard Inutaisho roar out his name again. His chest burned and he could see what was happening in his very mind—his soul. His body was absorbing the dark energy from hers; the bowl energy that hadn’t yet entered her body was reacting to his—flowing into his.

His whole body charged with dark energy and he convulsed above her body, his body tensing as the dark energy absorbed into his body. A dark, filtering rage covered his vision. He growled, the sound vicious as he heard others calling out as his name. Red hazed over his vision and then—he couldn’t think. The dark energy was pulsing inside his body, reacting to something inside him. Something inside him snapped and he looked up. He roared up, attacking the first person he saw, his mood intent on killing. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Kagome wasn’t sure what happened but as her vision came back into focus, the numbness leaving her body, she saw Inuyasha. But it wasn’t him. She tried to call his name but couldn’t form the words in her raw throat yet. She didn’t understand why he was so viciously attacking Sesshoamru—very easily pushing the other demon back. Through his long hair she caught glimpses of his face, his crimson eyes, and the demon markings on his cheeks…

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