InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remembering You ❯ Forever Waiting, Forever Chasing ( Chapter 22 )

Author Notes: It's been nine unforgivable months since the last chapter update, and this is the last chapter of `Remembering You.' The only thing left after this is a bit of a lengthy epilogue. I'm writing that quickly after this, because I have wanted to write the epilogue more than the last chapter... I don't think I have ever had more trouble writing a chapter than I have this one. I was stuck on one seen for months and it took forever to wrap everything up. I also felt like I left out a lot of potentially good description and the chapter reads a bit rushed (but that might be just because I've reread it a billion times by now). And as much as Inuyasha had been tiring me, `Remembering You' was still hard (if not impossible) to let go of. This has been four years in the making (that's 20% of my life if you think about it). I knew what I was going to write for the ending long before I even had the third chapter written. I know this fanfic has been a long wait for all those reading but I hope you can forgive me. With the last years of high school and first two years of college being bridged by this fanfic, I know that it will be a very big turning point for me. I am not sure if I will continue on with fanfics after this, but it has been a trip. I learned so much from all this. I hated a lot of it (especially writers block) and loved most of it. I hope to hear from all the readers again someday, maybe when I'm writing another fanfic. But until then I had a blast. So, like usual: enjoy the chapter!

 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and the gang do not belong to me, and I make no monetary profit from writing about them.

 

Forever Waiting, Forever Chasing

By Hoshi-ni-Onegai

 

“Where are you going Inuyasha?!” The monk yelled after the hanyou as he raced out of the ballroom.

 

“Back to the house! I'll meet you there!” With that Inuyasha raced away into the buildings of downtown Tokyo.

 

“We're never going to be able to catch up with him. Come on, let's go get the car.” Hearing Sango's words Miroku nodded only to see Kouga rushing past them and heading in the same direction as Inuyasha.

 

“Do you think they know something we don't?”

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

 

God knows it wasn't the first time she had gotten kidnapped. Back in the feudal era there were four things that were predictable: Inuyasha was hungry for ramen; Miroku was trying to cop a feel; Sango was hitting Miroku; and Kagome was getting kidnapped. It had gotten ridiculous after a while. Her most frequent kidnapper had been Naraku, and she really had no idea that he would be reincarnated only to pick up on the habit again.

 

When queried about a voice that was apparently talking to Inuyasha in his head, the arch nemesis of countless years just smirked and turned away. After a failed attempt at blasting him with some good old-fashioned miko energy, Kagome was left in the room as he disappeared into the shadows. She had forgotten that he was human. . . well, as far as she could tell. He had a good stock of impressive powers, but human nonetheless. And that was the moot point. Her miko energy could harm no human, only protect them, and she was in no hurry to protect Matsuhito. . . er, Naraku.

 

Sitting against the tall marble columns in the large darkened room she sighed. The heels that she had worn to the ball had been an inch too high for comfortable long-term use and she prompted to take them off. The cool marble of the floor soothed the aching balls of her feet but also sent a shiver that went straight to her core. This was not exactly how her nightmares pictured it when Naraku captured her yet again. There were no bleeding bodies strewn about as decoration. There was no torture. There were no lewd comments and promises of ripping off Inuyasha ears. There was only the large marble room and the impending doom of what was to happen.

 

Kagome had felt around the room for a way out, when she finally came upon a pair of large doors she was disappointed to find that it would be impossible to open. With a demonic ofuda placed upon the door she had been sealed in. Nothing would leave this room. Not her body, aura, nor sent. Her sent. . . her hope of Inuyasha finding her was through her sent and that had been taken away far too easily.

 

Lying down against the cold floor she took in deep breaths as she contemplated an escape route. The question was if she did escape where would it lead her? Was she in Tokyo anymore? Or was she in a different dimension? It was hard to tell with the lack of windows, but judging by the architecture she could only guess she was still in modern times. What country? That was really up to question.

 

Closing her eyes and formulating a plan she allowed the humming of the room soak in. Wait. Humming?

 

Snapping her eyes open she turn her head to press her ear against the floor. There was a definite humming of an air conditioner. Each wall and ceiling had been tacked with an ofuda, but the floor hadn't been. It was the only thing that was not immune to her powers and it was the only thing she could see as potential escape.

 

Sitting upon her knees she fumbled for the clutch that she now thanked the lord she had decided at last minute to take to the ball. Taking out the red lipstick she had brought for touch-ups through the night she grinned. This could work. She could escape. And this time, she wasn't the damsel in distress waiting to be rescued.

 

Twisting the lipstick out she quickly and deftly drew out an incantation circle upon the floor.

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

 

The doors slammed as he opened the closet in haste. Pulling out a large lacquered black box from the back he set it on the bed and tore off the lid. Within the box, lay dormant the armor of his past. Tugging off his tuxedo blazer and making quick work of his shirt, Inuyasha donned his companion of many years. He was soon dressed in his fire rat robes and made his way toward the door of his room. Marching down the steps he found himself in the living room with the rest of the group already gathered.

 

“How are we going to find her?”

 

Hearing the question from the small fox demon Inuyasha answered. “Her ring. I was worried that something like this might happen down the line so I had a spell cast on her engagement ring.”

 

“What kind of spell?”

 

“It will find her, and tell me where she is. . . as long as she is still in this plane of reality.”

 

“Like a tracking device? God, you're lucky Kagome didn't know about this earlier. She would have killed you.” Sango pointed out, but was grateful nonetheless for Inuyasha's possessive ways that solved the problem.

 

“I had suggested it to him. Rin's ring is under the same spell. A youkai can never be too careful on the safety of her mate.” Sesshoumaru said. “We feel a constant connection with a our mates. If someone were to cut off that tie it would leave our youki restless. The ring is more for peace of mind than anything else.”

 

“He's already used it twice.” Rin added nonchalantly.

 

Going over to a table, Inuyasha laid out a map of Tokyo. Waving for Miroku to come over he gave him a peace of carbon. “Make it work monk.”

 

Nodding Miroku went to work writing symbols across the map in what everyone else could only determine as random areas. Then he connected the lines from one character to another and the result was a web intersecting lines. There wasn't a neighbor hood in Tokyo that wasn't a point of intersection of two of these lines. Standing up he raised both arms, palms down, and started reading off the characters. As each character was said, the line between two characters would light up. By the end the map was glowing with the illumination of all the lines. Suddenly all the lights concentrated in the center, but went out in an anticlimactic dim.

 

“I'm sorry Inuaysha.” The monk sighed as he lowered his hands. “He's put her in a place where nothing can come out. . . I'm not even sure if she's in Tokyo anymore.”

 

With the stern shake of his head Inuyasha answered, “No, she's still in the city. I don't know where in the city, but I know she's still here.”

 

“Then it is up to her to escape to a place she isn't sealed so that we can find her.”

 

“It's Kagome. She'll get out.”

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

 

Bare feet slapped quickly down the corridor of cement and winding pipes. Her heels long forgotten in the marble room and her dress hiked up and tied into knot at mid-thigh, Kagome raced down the underground tunnel.

 

The incantation circle had worked and created a hole in the ground, directly to the furnaces. At a quick glance at the labeling on the equipment she knew she was at least still in Japan, if not Tokyo.

 

Finding a jarred door that led to the tunnel she was presently running down, Kagome decided that the only way was to go forward. Being as how useful the contents of her clutch had been earlier she kept that at hand, and proceeded to slip on the engagement ring she had slipped inside the clutch before the evening had started. If she had known the plan would backfire she would have brought her bow and arrows, or ofudas at least. She had expected something, but nothing to this degree.

 

Coming to a door marked stairs, she wondered if going up would be the wisest thing. Naraku was likely to be upstairs and anywhere he was, was where she preferred not to be. Then again there was little she could do by staying down in the basement. She needed to figure out where she was and get out of there. She hoped to god that Inuyasha would be able to track her sent if she stepped foot outside of the building. With that hopeful thought, she flung the metal door open and sprinted up the steps.

 

Slamming the bar to open the door labeled `ground floor' Kagome kept running blindly forward. It didn't matter what was in front of her, as long as it wasn't Naraku and it was a way out. She noticed that her feet were racing against marble again and that she was running down a long hall with multiple passages to rooms without doors. Glancing into one of the dimly illuminated room was a wall covered in ancient coins. In another room were slabs of stone from what she could only guess to be Egyptian. Room after room of ancient artifacts -Naraku had brought her to the history museum.

 

She could recall the last time she had been in this building. She had been in the sixth grade and it had been a school field trip. She remembered getting lost and receiving detention for `wandering' off from the group. Having been drawn to a display case with a sorry looking ancient scepter she had thought that the detention was unwarranted.

 

But this was not the moment to reminisce about the days gone by. Her legs burned as she made her way through the winding halls. Finally coming upon the lobby of the museum, which ultimately was where the exit would be she sprinted toward the doors. With a firm grip on the handle she pushed at the door but was suddenly spun around by large hands. She pushed far enough to get a sent of the night air and hastily scrapped her engagement ring against the palm of her hand. With the partially blood-coated ring she threw it out the quickly closing door.

 

“Let go of me!” Struggling in the person's grasp Kagome kicked at his shins to no avail. Her freedom was so close and she was not about to give it up now.

 

“Calm down miss! I'm not going to hurt you!”

 

The voice was familiar but not Naraku's. She shot her head up to see that it was a museum guard. But the moment she noticed his face and not his uniform her eyes widened.

 

“Papa?”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

 

“She's out!”

 

Hearing Miroku yell from the living room everyone rushed over to the map. As hoped for, a small glowing dot appeared.

 

“The Edo-Tokyo Museum? Why would he take her there?” Shippou inquired looking around the crowd.

 

Inuyasha shook his head. “It doesn't matter.” He rushed out of the room and into the night with those words.

 

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and looked toward Kouga, “We'll go to make sure he doesn't get killed. The rest of you can take the car.”

 

Rin sighed and looked toward the rest of the people. “I have really bad feeling about this.”

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Pictures that decorated the house for years were the only reminder for her of what her father looked like. But here he was, looking down at her with the same gray-blue eyes that she inherited.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Hearing the guard's voice Kagome was pulled out of her stunned state and shook her head. “Sorry. . . It's just. . . you look like my father.”

 

The man raised a brow, “Does he work here?”

 

“No. . . He died when I was a little girl.”

 

“Oh, I'm sorry. But miss, I really do need you to come with me.”

 

She tugged at the arm that was held within his grasp. “Please sir, I didn't come here to steal anything. You can check me if you want.”

 

“You were in a history museum at this time of night. You're going to show up on the security camera, I can't just let you go without a report.”

 

“I have people waiting for me. They're probably really worried.” She felt his grip tighten as she attempted to free her arm again. “Please just let me-”

 

Her voice died in her throat and her eyes widened. There it was, a simple tattoo of three rings on the wrist. It was tattoo that symbolized her father's devotion to his family, each ring representing a person. Soon after being told by the doctors of his terminal brain tumor he had gotten the tattoo done. Her mother had told her that it was so that he could have his family with him in the afterlife. Kagome's arm went limp as she numbly looked up at the man. There were moments in life that changed a person -this would surely be one of them for Kagome. The familiarity of his face was not a coincidence to her, she was sure of it. He smirked down at her and shook his head, “I guess you figured it out.”

 

She raised her other hand to take the security uniform hat off of his head and threw it aside. Using the same hand she traced the contour of the man's face. “Oh my god.”

 

He rolled his eyes, “You're really that surprised to see me? I thought you would have expected these kinds of things by now.”

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

 

Coming to a stop in front of the museum Inuyasha frowned. He didn't need to run into the force-field to know that it was there. Naraku was a man of old tricks and this was his oldest. Only brief seconds past before he sensed his brother and Kouga standing behind him.

 

“You're an idiot.” The stoic voice of his brother nagged at his senses.

 

Scowling he whirled around, “Don't fucking mess wi-. . . Is that tetsusaiga?”

 

Sesshoumaru tossed the ancient sword toward his brash little brother, “You ran toward battle without your sword... Your idiocy confounds me.”

 

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes but turned back toward the massive building. Unsheathing the tetsusaiga he felt the comfort of having his old friend in his hands. There was a time when the sword had never left his side, but with the prohibition of swords being carried around a century and half ago, he had been forced to separate it from his person. Tying the scabbard to his waist like old times he drew the sword with deftness any kenjutsu practicing person would envy.

 

“Let's see if this thing still works.”

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

 

Kagome groaned. She really should have seen it coming. A person only needed to be knocked out by enemies a couple times to learn that consciousness was a key to survival. But here she was, again, trying to shake unconsciousness from her mind.

 

The guard had smirked down at her and slammed his knee into her stomach. Kagome was not a wuss to pain, especially after her escapades in feudal Japan, but every person had their limit. Hers was apparently the apparition of her dead father and quick jab in the gut. She seriously needed to work on her pain threshold.

 

She attempted to blink her eyes open but only darkness met her vision. The sensation of cloth over her eyes indicated a blindfold, but her tied hands disabled any means of escape.

 

“You're outside. On the roof top of the museum.”

 

If nothing, Kagome was an expert on the art of getting kidnapped. She knew all the clichés and there was no trick too old that a cheesy villain didn't use. But hearing the voice of her dead father was something she hadn't been expecting.

 

“This isn't how I pictured my afterlife you know.”

 

She frowned. Was he being sarcastic? There were more appropriate moments for this kind of sarcasm.

 

“The last thing I remembered was being at the hospital. I was surrounded by family -your mother, brother, grandfather, and you. I said the perfect last words to your mother and grandfather. I told you-”

 

“`To live a long happy life and find a person to love with all your being.'” Kagome faced him even though she couldn't see. This body was not about to tarnish her memory of her last moments with her father.

 

There was a pause then soft footsteps toward her. The cloth around her eyes was tugged away and she scrunched her eyes even in the dimly lit area. Getting used to the light she focused her gaze to the man before her.

 

He frowned down at her. “Don't hold what I do to you against me... your father. You know how this works. I don't have control.”

 

Her answer was interrupted when a voice off to the side butted in. “Well, this is similar to the situation with Hojo isn't it?”

 

Kagome snarled at the man before her. He was her former boss and her present pain in the ass. “You don't get to talk about him.”

 

Matsuhito smirked. “Which one? Your best friend or your father?”

 

“Neither!”

 

The image of her father smiled, “So you won't hold this against me...”

 

This time she snapped at the other man. “You are not my father. He died years ago. You are a body with memories.”

 

Matsuhito frowned, “I was hoping that having him here would be more psychologically damaging.”

 

She roared at him, “I'll make sure you have psychological damage!” She attempted to lunge at the man by scrambling up on her untied legs, but failed and landed in a heap on the hard cement instead.

 

A bored look crossed his face. “This is my great nemesis? A clumsy twenty-something girl waiting for her lap dog? It's disappointing really.”

 

“Let's see how disappointed you are when I kill you!”

 

He rolled his eyes. “Isn't that what every heroine says?”

 

“You won't get away with this! You're still human! Inuyasha is a hanyou! He's stronger than you could ever hope to be!”

 

Picking up an old looking scepter from the ground he sad in a bored tone. “Again, clichés.” He rolled his eyes. “Do you actually think that I didn't consider that? Trust me, I've prepared for this my whole life... By the way, your boyfriend is already here. He's just stupid enough to think that my barriers are the same as five hundred years ago. He really needs to give me more credit. Now, let's get this over with. I really can't wait to be a youkai again.”

 

The cliché retort that she had ready died in her throat. “Youkai?”

 

“What did you think this was all about? Revenge?” He smirked, “I'm insulted that you think I'd be that petty.”

 

“Then why are you using my father?”

 

“Because you destroyed your best friend without much thought. I can't just pick any dead person. I needed someone you wouldn't hurt.”

 

Kagome seethed. “I'm going to kill you.”

 

“You are? Is that a promise?” He gestured for Kagome's father to drag her toward a ritualistic circle he had arranged with different colored gemstones.

 

She struggled against her father's grasp. “What the hell is that for?”

 

Matsuhito smirked. “All this is set up just for you. I'm going to be extracting your soul.”

 

Her eyes widened. “I'll die.”

 

“No you won't. Your body will be an empty shell like your father's there, but you won't die... physically.”

 

“If you take it out of me you'll never be able to use it. It would just go on to the next life.”

 

He clapped his hands. “Bravo. You actually did your homework.” He pointed toward the gemstones, “With the right amount of money you can buy these rocks at any jewelry store. Soul extraction isn't exactly difficult, but putting the soul where you want it -well, that's just a bit more difficult.”

“Urasue almost succeeded.” Anything that crazed old woman could do didn't seem like an ancient family secret.

 

He nodded, “Maybe if what I wanted was for your soul to go into a body made out of clay, then it would be that simple. But getting a soul into your own body? Well, that requires this.” He twirled the scepter deftly in his hand. “This thing is not only old, but Chinese. Being a older civilization and all they have the magic completely figured out.”

 

“How unpatriotic.” She replied in a deadpan voice.

 

“Oh, don't say that. I love my country. It's just... I want to be running it. And your soul is going to help me with that.”

 

“With your own soul and my soul in your body wouldn't you die from... soul overdose?”

 

He laughed, “That's why I'm using your soul and not just random Joe from the street. Your soul is different. It's a goddess' soul.”

 

Kagome glared and corrected him, “It's my soul.”

 

An amused grin split across his face. “Wakahirume's soul.” He paused a moment, “Do you know how stem cells work?”

 

With a confused look on her face she responded. “Yeah, but does that have to do with anything?”

 

“That's how your soul is. It's like stem cell, it can be made to adapt into anything a human body needs. And I, personally, want to use it to have full youkai blood.” Pointing the scepter toward he smirked. “Now, let's get started.”

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

 

“Shit!” Inuyasha glared at the building and the invisible barrier that protected it.

 

Kouga frowned and glanced at Sesshoumaru. “I thought tearing down force-fields was his specialty.”

 

The older dog demon nodded. “It is... It should be. He's obviously gotten rusty without practice.”

 

Inuyasha directed his glare toward the two. “Shut the fuck up.”

 

Kouga sighed and crossed his arms. “That's mature.”

 

“I'll show you some real immaturity if two don't shut up!”

 

Whirling back toward the building he readied his sword. Raising it he swung down. “Kongosoha!” Diamond shards shot out from the testsusaiga and pierced into the barrier.

 

Kouga's eyes widened, “Whoa.”

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

 

Matsuhito faltered in his concentration. “How- He broke the barrier?”

 

Kagome gasped for breath. The soul extraction had started and there was no incantation to slow Matsuhito down. It was a quick point of the scepter and some deep concentration.

 

She had felt her very being splitting part as her soul was being pulled out. Instead of coming out in one lump sum, it had spilled out of her in smaller portions. From what she guessed he had taken out about a quarter of her soul -if there was a way to guess such things.

 

Her breathing was struggled even during the pause. She was too weak. In her state she would not be able to defeat him on her own.

 

“Kagome!”

 

She struggled to turn her head in the direction of the voice but managed to nonetheless. A smiled spread across her face when she saw Inuyasha leaping onto the roof. Sesshoumaru and Kouga were right behind him. The two faced toward Matsuhito in fight-ready position as Inuyasha sprinted to her side. “Kagome!”

 

The girl in question laughed a bit, “You yelling my name out in desperation happens way to often.”

 

Hearing her joking he smiled, “Our entire relationship consists of us yelling our names at each.”

 

She nodded. “I'm glad you came.”

 

He shook his head, “I told you I'd always protect you.”

 

Kagome smiled at that, but then a frown appeared as she remembered something. “Why didn't you tell me about the voice.”

 

Inuyasha was startled. “How did you- oh, then it was Naraku.”

 

“You didn't tell me.”

 

He shrugged, “You had enough on your plate.”

 

She huffed, “My plate is never full. I can't believe you didn't tell- ... the nightmares! I can't believe I didn't figure it out.”

 

Inuyasha flinched slightly in response. “Surpise.”

 

“The dreams. The hallucinations... that's why you wanted the rosary off!” Seeing the guilty look on his face she continued, “You told me it was because you guys figured out it was made by Naraku and it was only a precautionary measure!”

 

He frowned and argued back in true Inuyasha form. “How the hell was I supposed to tell you that I thought my youkai blood was telling me to kill you?!”

 

She froze at his words. It wasn't something completely foreign. He had confessed the contents of his dreams, and she had learned in the few introductory psychology classes she had taken to know that a dream is someone's subconscious sorting its conscious thoughts.

 

With the worried look making its way across her face he sighed. “I'm not going to let anyone kill you... especially not me.”

 

Hearing the pained groan coming from Kouga they both looked toward where he lay.

 

“Kouga!” Inuyasha stopped her before Kagome could get closer to the wolf demon.

 

Inuyasha barked out an order, “You stay behind where it's safe!” He leapt forward to stand along side his brother. “You two said you would take care of him!”

 

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at him while Kouga got up from his position on the floor to yell at the half dog demon. “You never said he was going to be this fucking strong!”

 

Inuyasha furrowed his brows. “But he's human...”

 

Matsuhito laughed and Kagome yelled at the three demons fighting. “He's not entirely human anymore!” She took in a deep breath and continued to yell, “He's taken a forth of my soul already! He's part demon now!”

 

“Not just demon, priestess, but a demon made from the soul of a goddess.” Matsuhito smirked, “I'm stronger than all four of you combined.”

 

“We'll see about that!” Inuyasha brought his sword to his side and swung forward. “Kongosoha!”

 

“Meidou-Zangetsuha.” The calm but stern voice of Sesshoumaru trailed after his brothers as a he swung tenseiga releasing a dark circle blasting its way toward Matsuhito.

 

A look of pure horror crossed Matsuhito, but quickly broke out into a sinister grin. Raising his hands he deflected both attacks without so much as a flinch.

 

Inuyasha growled. This was not how things were supposed to go. He had used his strongest attack against Matsuhito and he didn't even receive any damage, let alone die. Inuyasha glanced toward his brother, “We're going to have to go in.”

 

Sesshoumaru simply nodded and followed his half brother's lead. Inuyasha took to Matsuhito's right and Sesshoumaru his left. Swinging simultaneously Matsuhito raised his right hand toward the older brother and the scepter to the other. He parried their attacks with deftness never seen before.

 

With Kouga's help Kagome pulled herself up. “What are we going to do? Nothings working...”

 

Kouga frowned as he looked toward the action. “I should help them.”

 

She shook her head vigorously and tugged on his shirtsleeve. “You can't! You don't have a weapon like they do!”

 

Averting his eyes toward her he shrugged her weak grip off. “Watch me save the day Kagome.”

 

He dashed forward into the action with Kagome yelling after him. She shook her head and desperately tried to stay on her feet. “He's not as fast without his jewel shards.” Then it hit her, “Shikon no tama...”

 

“What about the jewel?”

 

She turned to her left to see her father standing there.

 

He frowned, “You completely forgot I was here didn't you?” Seeing the look on her face he sighed, “I knew it.”

 

“Are you going to kill me now?”

 

He glanced over to Matsuhito and the intense fight going on and shrugged. “Not until he gives me the order. Look, I know you're trying to drill into you head and everyone's around that I am not your father... but in a way, to me, I am. I have the memories of raising you, so I do love you.”

 

Suspicious of his words she stepped back physically. “If this is a way for you to get my guard down...”

 

He frowned, “I don't remember you being this paranoid.” He looked toward the battle once again. “It's because that dog demon isn't it? He's made you stronger, but also more wary.”

 

“Actually, that's from the fact that my dead father is standing before me on the enemy's side.”

 

He smirked, “I see you also picked up some sarcasm.” He looked her over, “Are you strong enough to kill me like you did Hojo?”

 

Kagome faltered at bit in her resolve but quickly composed herself. “What? Did you want me to put you out of your misery too?”

 

A sad smile crossed his face. “I wasn't hoping you would... but you need to keep your strength.” Pulling a gun out of his holster he tossed it to her.

 

She raised an eyebrow at the weapon. “A security guard with a gun?”

 

He rolled his eyes. “Forget about that for a second. You're going to use that.” Seeing the surprised look on her face he nodded, “ The only way to destroy the walking dead is not just with miko energy. Brute force will do it. And with the modern technology there is nothing more commonly brute that a M1911 Colt pistol.”

 

She trembled with the firearm in her hand now, the piece of metal having so much more significance. “You're going to make me kill you with a gun?”

 

“I can't do bodily harm to myself. That's why Hojo went to you... There was one thing that Matsuhito didn't see through in his oh-so-carefully laid out plans. He never expected the bodies he brought back to be so loyal to you.”

 

She swallowed down the knot in her throat. “I've never held a gun before.”

 

He smiled in response, “Who better to teach you than your old man?” He pointed toward the gun. “See that small lever on the side? That's the safety. Unlatch it.” Hearing the metallic click he nodded. “Good girl. Now grip the top of the barrel and cock in back.”

 

Still trembling Kagome pulled the cool metal back. The click echoed in her ears as she could physically feel something moving upward from the handle to the barrel.

 

“That was the bullet loading.”

 

She looked up at him at his description and nodded. Pointing the gun at his chest she took in a deep breath.

 

“The head.”

 

Her eyes widened. “What?”

 

“The head. Not the torso.” Not hearing a response he smiled reassuringly. “Shoot me in the head -it'll be quicker for me that way.” He stepped forward until he was only five feet away from her.

 

She took in a shaky breath and smiled nervously and tragically. “I can't believe I have to watch you die twice.”

 

He grimaced at that. “Sorry.”

 

“You're going to a better place right?”

 

He sighed. “My soul is already there. I'm just the memory of your father.”

 

She shook her head. “No. I mean you, not my father... are you going to a better place?”

 

He was taken aback by her comment but smiled. “Even if you're not, in my eyes, you're my little girl.” He stared at her one last time and shut his eyes. “I had no idea that you would grow up to be so beautiful... so much like your mother... I'll be at peace. I love you.”

 

A tear slipped down her face. “I love you too... Papa.” Steadying her hand she fingered the trigger. “Goodbye.”

 

She squeezed the trigger and a resounding blast sent a bullet straight between her father's eyes. His eyes snapped open with the impact and he fell backward. Her arm fell to her sides as she stared upon what she had just done. The gun slipped from her fingers and she stepped toward the unmoving corpse.

 

“Kagome!”

 

A foot away from the body she turned her head around toward the male voice that called her. It was Miroku running toward her with Sango and Shippou on Kirara's back close behind him. He came up to her side and saw the man on the ground. Eyes widening he whipped his head toward her. “What happened?! Who is that?”

 

She stare blankly at the body, “That was my father.”

 

“Your father? But I thought he was-”

 

“Dead?” She nodded, “Matsuhito brought him back.”

 

“Like Hojo...”

 

She looked up at the priest and long-time friend. “Just like Hojo... I had to kill him.” Steeling herself into strict resolve she took a deep breath. “We have to kill Matsuhito and destroy Naruku... for good this time.”

 

Sango stepped forward gives her a bow and arrow. “No better way than the best way.”

 

Taking the familiar weapon in her hands she nods. The four of them run toward the battle ready to jump in, but realizing that this was way beyond their league.

 

“I have to fight!” Shippou readied himself to jump in at any moment. He was startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Surprised, he looked toward the owner of the hand, “Kagome...”

 

“I know you've trained hard all these years but you're not ready for this.”

 

“I am-”

 

She shook her head, “None of us are, not even those three fighting right now.”

 

Watching carefully as Kouga lunged with a punch Naraku deflected the blow easily while ducking Inuyasha's sword and shooting an attack toward Sesshoumaru. The cycle in different sequences occurred continuously.

 

Sango along with the rest of them were getting restless. “This is insane. They're just getting more exhausted while he plays with them!”

 

Kagome did not divert her attention as she continued to observe the action. Then she saw the gap. Readying her bow and notching an arrow she aimed toward Naraku.

 

Miroku saw her movement, “You might hit one of them.”

 

She continued to stare at Naraku, “I won't.” She saw a moment when Naraku collected himself slightly when the three of them attacked at once, but in was only a split second. Allowing the practiced move she let the arrow fly. It barely slipped past Sesshoumaru between his right arm and rib as he turned, then it shot through Inuyasha's billowing hair then nicked Kouga's pants. It reached its final destination as it pierced Naraku's right shoulder. With the burn of the miko energy he backed away from the fatigued three. He floated above and a few feet away from the building.

 

They ran toward the three demons. Inuyasha was badly hurt with a gash running down his torso, Sesshoumaru was weakened and was noticeably breathing harshly, and Kouga was barely conscious.

 

Kagome looked at the condition of the three and furrowed her brows in worry. “We have to get them out of here.”

 

Inuyasha took in a struggled breath. “We can't just leave Naraku free.”

 

Seeing the obvious pain he was in made her nervous. There were only a few moments in the time that she knew him that he showed this much pain, he had barely survived each time. Turning her attention toward the sky she noticed it bleeding red. The trees around the building were withering. Miroku and Sango, the only full humans there could barely handle the poisonous nature of the air and the demons were starting to feel the effects.

 

She, herself, could feel the burn that seemed to resonate from her bones. This was far beyond anything any of them ever expected. Naraku was pulling the life energy from all living things around him. Kagome saw her friends struggling with the pain and then looked down at the love of all her lives as he was hanging onto conscious. She had felt this pain once before when her body had been possessed by the black miko and the infected shikon shard. Then she remembered an event that seemed so long ago now.

 

`What use do you have with the jewel? Do you wish to purify it? You can only do that if you use it to destroy a great evil. But you didn't use it did you when you killed Naraku. You did not have it complete, you did not wish to risk letting even a small shard such as this one float around in this world.'

 

Remembering her last moment with Kikyou she realized that there was only one thing left to do.

 

She looked at him with a regretful smile as she cradled his head. “I'm going to have to break that promise about never leaving you.”

 

Inuyasha blinked slowly and took in her words. “What? What are you talk-” His attention was caught by Naraku as he saw the swirls of life energy flowing around him and growing black and turning into his signature miasma. It seeped into his skin and Inuyasha could feel him growing stronger.

 

“Inuyasha.” Getting his attention back she looked at him sternly, “You have to get out of here.”

 

He narrowed his eyes, “No.”

 

“What do you mean no?”

 

Holding on determinedly to her wrist he shook his head as he sat up. “I'm not leaving here until he is gone and you're safe.”

 

The firm expression upon her face melted as she gazed at him. “The only one that can stop him is me.”

 

“What are you talking about? Sure, you're a good shot with the bow but you're no match for him alone.”

 

She rested her forehead upon his. “There is a way to end this. All of this.” She took his hand and brought it up to her heart. “This will end it.”

 

Realization struck the hanyou like a lightening bolt. “No.”

 

“It's the only way.”

 

He shook his head in denial. “It's not the only way.”

 

Stroking his cheek and gazing into his eyes she allowed tears to slip out. “The shikon no tama in my heart can stop him. It's whole now. It's not in shards like it used to be, it's more powerful than we remember it... It's also the only way to rid it from this world before it falls into the wrong hands one day.”

 

The rest of the group stared at the couple and grasped what was going on and what it would mean. They could barely escape if they tried, there was little hope left.

 

Inuyasha continued to shake his head. “But we have no idea what using it will do to you.”

 

She gave a forlorn smile. “I do.”

 

Hearing her words he pulled her into a crushing embrace. “I'm not letting you do this.”

 

Kagome wrapped her arms around him as well and whispered into his ear. “This is why I'm here. This is why we were allowed a second chance.”

 

“Exactly.” He continued on the conversation in an intimate lover's whisper. “It's our second chance no anyone else's.”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

He choked back a sob, “I didn't wait this long for you just to lose you.”

 

Pulling back but still within his arms she stroked his face and smiled sadly. “Please don't stop me.” Pressing her lips against his, she poured out her soul to him. This would be the last time. The last of many kisses they shared and could have shared. Pulling away she stared into the eyes of the only person that ever understood her completely. “I love you.”

 

Eyes widening he held onto her hand but quickly snapped it back. Staring at her glowing body he grabbed for her again as it burned his skin. “Don't do this.”

 

She allowed for her miko energy to awaken the dormant shikon no tama. Letting a tear slip down her cheek she smiled. “You were always found me... so I'll be waiting.”

 

Turning away with a force Inuyasha couldn't maintain a grip on, Kagome ran toward the edge of the building. Stopping on the ledge she glared at Naraku that smirked down at her.

 

“What? Come back to give me the rest of your soul?”

 

She wiped the tears from her eyes then smirked back at him. “Something like that.” She turned her head and locked her stormy blue eyes with his fiery golden ones and she knew this was goodbye. Giving her best smile she turned away and leaped into the miasma.

 

The miasma soaked into her body and she could feel herself dying. Her mind seeped into a haze and her heart beat slower. As Naraku cackled at his supposed success she grinned. He had no idea what was coming to him. A brief second before she felt her life end she felt the miasma finally reach her heart and shikon no tama blasting out with more pure energy than she could have mustered up her entire life.

 

Naraku let out an agonized wail as pure energy burned his skin alive and he felt his very soul ripping apart. With his last moments he glared upon the body of Kagome and disappeared from existence.

 

From three stories high the body of Kagome fell to the grass below. The sky cleared of the red, and instead the dawning sun's orange hue took over. The trees were back to normal, as if they had been untouched. The demons and humans alike in the group were breathing fine, and even their fatal wounds were healed. Standing up Inuyasha ran towards the ledge and jumped off to land next to Kagome's body.

 

Carefully cradling her body in his arms he swept back the hair that covered her now peaceful face. As he stared at her still form he felt a tingling sensation around his neck, then something falling around him. He looked down to see that the rosary had come apart. The last connection that he physically had with her was gone. There would never be an “osuwari” in his future and there will never be the voice of the woman that called it out ringing in his ears.

 

This was how she ended it. All of it.

 

This was how she brought peace back into everyone's lives.

 

This was how he lost the love of his life. Again.

 

“Wait for me, because I'll chase you forever.”

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Only an epilogue left.