InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sesshoumaru, sit! ❯ What Must Be Done ( Chapter 27 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

What Must Be Done

Hallelujah once more! So close to the END! After…what…? Three years? I'm so blasted lazy; I can't believe it took this long!

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Review replies (for the anonymous, who are sometimes simply signed out):

Awesome preson fo awesome: I expect that's “for awesome” but I just put it in the way you did. Anyway thanx! You've been waiting long huh? I'm so sorry! I'm terrible I know. Do you have another name? Did you review before? (I'm sure I'll remember you…if I don't I'll cheat and look back through the reviews. Hiiih!) Ah! You reread my fic? I'm so flattered! (this mixed with quite a bit of guilt at the lateness). Never again, I promise. Within a month, this fic will be done.

Too lazi to sign in: Lol! You're name made me laugh! (I know it's not really your name). And I loved your review, mostly because you used three different languages to ask me to update. XD

HitokiriBattossai91: XD Thank you! It's good to know you haven't given up on me. I know I've taken WAY too long. Over a year, I think. Ah! Really? My Sessy's written well? He's tough, so that would be the greatest compliment ever! I hope you like this chapter. I did, but then I'm the writer XOXOXO

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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Taiyoukai: Demon lord.

Taijiya: Demon exterminator.

Onna: Woman.

Hiraikotsu: Sango's giant boomerang.

Baka: Idiot.

Houshi: Monk.

Hanyou: Half demon.

Youkai: demon.

Miko: Priestess.

Neko: Cat.

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Recap from last chapter:

Sesshoumaru whirled around to face Naraku, his eyes a red so deep they were barely visible in the foggy light. “Naraku,” he growled, a promise of violence dripping from every syllable.

“Come and try, Sesshoumaru-sama,” Naraku mocked, looking smug and satisfied. “You and your lands will soon be history.”

Suddenly Sesshoumaru's eyes were back to their original golden yellow color, shock clear as day within them. Naraku noticed this, but by the time the reason for the stunned looks on the faces of the entire group of fighters became clear, the enemy had already gotten too close.

His armor shifted suddenly, and he turned to find himself looking into a pair of thunder-struck pink eyes.

“Oh damn!” Amaya exclaimed, staring at him in as much shock as he.

Aneko, for her part, was slapping her forehead in frustration. `Of course! Teleport to the most dangerous spot, why dontcha'!'

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CHAPTER 27:

Amaya and Naraku stared in shock at one another for all of two seconds, before the evil hanyou growled furiously and raised his arm to strike her down.

`Teleport again, fool!' Aneko hollered near her ear.

“I-bah!“ Amaya sputtered and moved just enough to the right to render his strike ineffective. She kicked him where it should have hurt, but only got a blistered foot for all her troubles. “Ah!” She cried out again as he raised both his arms this times, clearly intent on squashing her and Kagura both.

She jumped back gracefully, but forgetting Kagura was on her arm, she tripped as a result and fell on her rump. As she was so prone to doing. Finally getting a good grip on Kagura's fan she swished it open, ignoring her stinging behind. She twisted it as Kagura had taught her when Naraku tried to do her in again.

The strong gust of wind that resulted managed to slow him down, but only just. Amaya cried out as his arm descended. She tried to teleport, feeling her nose start to itch, but no way could she manage that as quickly a second time! She opened her eyes with a start as a familiar softness brushed against her face.

“Sesshoumaru!” she cried in a mixture of relief and shock, gripping his pelt. His back was flush against her and Kagura, his sword the only thing between Naraku's own and her and Kagura's death. She scrambled away immediately, pulling Kagura with her to give the dog demon enough space to maneuver. And maneuver he did.

The demon Lord shoved his jewel-empowered enemy away and swung his sword at Naraku's head, the latter easily avoiding the strike. Frighteningly easily.

“You willing to die for this scrap of human female, Sesshoumaru-sama? How unlike you,” Naraku taunted with a chuckle.

“You think you can kill me, hanyou?” Sesshoumaru taunted back with his own derisive smirk.

Naraku didn't seem to like the reference to his imperfection and swung his large, spiky sword at the inu-youkai. Amaya watched in horror as the two locked swords, and Sesshoumaru was pushed back a good five feet. That Naraku dude was getting stronger! She thought, real fear wrenching her gut.

Kikyou was still chanting not too far away, and Kagura seemed to be in a daze from her blood loss, while Kagome, Inuyasha, and really everyone else was busy fighting off the hordes of demons and writhing tentacles trying to kill them all. But mostly, those demons and tentacle like appendages were trying desperately to get at Kikyou.

Amaya just barely noticed any of that, or the fact that Kouga and Miroku were killing any demon that got too close to her, efficiently covering her back. She was focused on just one demon. She was scared out of her wits that he might die here, trying to save her. And she was fairly certain that was what he was here for.

“What if your reason for being here were to vanish?” Naraku asked Sesshoumaru ominously, reaching into his armor. “What if I crushed that girl's heart? Then you would have no reason to be here, to fight.”

“My only goal is to kill you.” Sesshoumaru snarled and lunged, swinging his sword down viciously and releasing an attack that had Naraku straining to stay on the ground. But his hand had not withdrawn from his armor. Sesshoumaru attacked again, annoyed that the arm he had severed earlier had grown back.

In the midst of watching the powerful scene, Amaya felt Kagura move in her arms and turned to see what she was doing. Kagura was reaching up as if to touch her chest, a heart beating in her hand! Amaya let out a peculiar choked sound, like she was about to throw up. But she outright squealed when Kagura slammed the beating, live thing where her own heart should be.

Sesshoumaru turned at the sound, barely registering Naraku's angry expletive. Amaya, in Kagura's body was staring sightlessly up at the sky, with human-Kagura's hand buried in her chest. He knew then. Kagura had retrieved her heart the moment she was close enough, and Naraku had just found out. But most importantly, the reason he had been careful not to kill Naraku had vanished.

Amaya opened her eyes with a gasp, and then started coughing violently, clutching her chest in agony. “Oh…Gods! What did you do…to me?” she started angrily, her voice dyeing away as realization hit her. Her school shirt was wrapped embarrassingly narrowly around her chest, which as it so happened, was bleeding nicely. “I'm back,” she said in a whisper, grinding her teeth at the pain.

“Finally,” Kagura muttered, sitting upright and staring at where Sesshoumaru and Naraku were fighting. “Although I'm not sure I can salvage my reputation after all the silly things you've done in my body.”

Amaya blushed in embarrassment and offense. “I suppose it's all right, since you helped me get my heart back,” Kagura continued, an emotion in her voice Amaya had not heard before.

“What will you do now?” Amaya asked uncertainly, looking to where Sesshoumaru was locking swords with Naraku.

Kagura looked at her aloofly, her fan pressed to her chin. “Hm. I suppose I could stick around some.”

“No! I will not allow it!” Amaya heard the evil half demon roar before he delivered a particularly violent attack, slamming Sesshoumaru into a nearby tree. Amaya cried out for him, ignoring her injury and launching herself away from Kagura.

Naraku pulled his sword back, and Amaya noticed as she ran to where Sesshoumaru lay, that the nasty hanyou looked his usual, baboon-y self.

“Sesshoumaru!” she cried, falling at said demon's side and clutching her unraveling shirt to keep it from falling off completely. She reached over to touch his face but he shoved her hand away, bounding to his feet, his eyes pulsing red.

“Go back to Kagura,” he commanded her, his voice deep. To her shock, he pulled out Tensaiga and turned to her. She knew what he was about to do, but could not help flinching as he slashed the shiny blade at her chest. “Go back. You're not safe alone.”

She watched him brandish Toukijin and blur away, appearing before a very ill-looking Naraku. She pressed her hand against her healed chest wound, eyes watering. He cared! Oh bloody hell. And she loved him, she realized, hating that it was so. Hating that after it was all over, she would have to leave forever. She knew this deep feeling of acceptance and love would never happen again with anyone else.

Oh, she hated him! How dared he make her feel this way! How dared she feel this way about him! The guy was a royal dickhead! She raved inwardly, glaring angrily at nothing in particular and avoiding looking Sesshoumaru's way. Meanwhile a demon headed right for her, but Kouga destroyed it before it even got close enough to be a threat.

The wolf prince was taken aback when she glared at him like he'd just killed her pet cat. “…Women,” he muttered before slashing another demon in two. He was definitely never getting a mate!

Not too far away, Inuyasha was making sure Kagome stayed safe, trusting Kikyou to Sango, Yashi and Kouga's group.

“I have it!” Kikyou informed them some time after Naraku had cried out in denial. “Do it now! He'll be at his weakest right after the jewel's left him!”

“All right. Kagome! Everyone!” Inuyasha gave his cue, and they all attacked at once. Too easily, the demons that had been so difficult to slash down, were defeated, the slimy tentacle severed and crushed. Sesshoumaru attacked with them, for the first time ever his movements in synch with his younger brother's.

“When I say, Inuyasha,” the inu-hanyou heard his brother repeat, referring to the wind scar attack.

“Yeah,” he agreed, smirking, feeling that the victory that had eluded him and his friends for so long was finally within reach.

Amaya gasped as Kagura grabbed her and carried her away to where Kagome stood shooting her arrows. The older schoolgirl watched in awe as everyone combined their attacks, and a desperate looking Naraku roared in fury, his body being blown away piece by piece with every attack it suffered. He had become so weak, after the power of the corrupt jewel had fused with his body like an impure drug. Once it had been taken away, Naraku had become very much helpless, and Amaya cheered inwardly that no one had died, and that at this point, no one was in danger of it either- except the bad guys of course.

“Now, Inuyasha!” Sesshoumaru commanded then. Inuyasha did, swinging his sword harder than he had ever done, watching as Sesshoumaru did the same. Their combined attack was devastating. Not that Amaya saw any of it. The resulting flash blinded everyone, the trees bending back precariously and some of them snapping off and hurtling over their heads.

“Noooo!” Naraku roared, gurgling sickeningly. Everyone watched as the very light from the inu brothers' attack burned and melted his skin, his once indestructible body sliding right off his bones before these very bones melted as well, drowning the evil hanyou's cry.

Everyone stood, panting in awe at the scene. And right when they suspected Naraku was no more, he raised his head from the midst of the slimy muck that was left of him and launched a miasmic attack from his mouth, even fiercer than the one he'd thrown at Sesshoumaru. And it went right for the cause of his death.

“Kikyou!” Inuyasha roared in agony, running for her.

Amaya and Kagome watched in horror, barely registering Kagura grabbing them both and flying them away from the attack as fast as her feather would allow.

“Kikyou! Let me go!” Kagome cried, struggling against Kagura's hold. But it was already too late. Neither Inuyasha nor anyone else could save the undead miko. The attack connected, lethal and violent, making the emotionless woman scream.

As soon as Kagura landed her feather, Kagome was off, running for Kikyou like her own life depended on it. Amaya followed desperately, alarmed for her friend.

The truth was Kagome could still save her. In fact, she had to, Kagome thought desperately, heartbroken at the agonized look on Inuyasha's face. It was that look that made her resolve to do this even stronger.

When she got there…Kikyou was dissolving, but still alive. The earth and clay she was made from was crumbling surely, but the undead miko was reaching out her hand for Inuyasha, and Kagome knew she was calling him. This made her decision even easier. Even Kikyou deserved a bit of happiness…And she could not achieve it without her reincarnation's help.

Leaning down Kagome took the complete jewel from her crumbling fingers. As soon as the corrupt purple orb touched her skin it cleared, as if by magic, returning to its original pink hue. Kagome sighed, watching as Inuyasha leaned by Kikyou, crying out for her to hold on. Amaya got to her then, an arm lightly touching the schoolgirl's shoulder comfortingly.

Kagome had to act quickly, before she lost her nerve. Before Kikyou asked Inuyasha to follow her in death, to the underworld.

Amaya watched as the younger girl held the jewel up to her face and whispered lightly. Hearing the words, she frowned in confusion. Why would Kagome wish for no one but Kikyou to be able to come near her? And for the next ten minutes? Why ten minutes, and what kind of loony wished for that kind of simple, meaningless…? But Kagome didn't do meaningless. Amaya gasped. Kagome didn't do selfish either.

She reached over to touch Kagome's shoulder inquiringly, but an invisible barrier repelled her long before she could. It had begun. Whatever Kagome was planning had been set in motion. “Kagome?” she said, fear and confusion lacing her voice.

“Tell my family I love them ok?” Kagome turned to her, tears blurring her vision. “Tell them it was something I had to do. Tell them to be happy, for my sake.”

“What!?” Amaya hissed, not understanding and feeling frightened. Her friend spoke like she was about to…about to…

As Kagome approached Kikyou, everyone else was pushed back by the invisible barrier Amaya had experienced. Inuyasha stared in shock as he was shoved back several feet. “What is this?” he snarled and looked back at the pile of bubbling Naraku. It certainly couldn't be him…

Sango gasped nearby and rushed to the young miko, but the barrier repelled her, too. “No Kagome! No!” the exterminator said decisively, like she was trying to command a 3 year-old. “Stop it! This is wrong!”

“What the hell is going on?” Inuyasha growled at Sango after a second failed attempt to reach Kagome, who was now kneeling by Kikyou and chanting much like Kikyou had been. Sango looked on the verge of hyperventilation and that scared the hell out of the hanyou. “Sango! What is it!”

“Done,” Kagome said finally, falling back to sit comfortably on the ground. “In a minute. She'll have her soul back in a minute.”

Miroku and Shippo gaped, Sango covering her face in horror. Only Amaya and Inuyasha hadn't understood.

“What are you saying? She can't have her soul back,” Inuyasha said, aggrieved. “You're doing something stupid again.” He cursed when the barrier repelled him. It wasn't a big barrier. It just barely covered both Kagome and Kikyou. But it was powerful and none of the gang could permeate it.

“Shut up, you baka! It's something I had to do. This is best, all around. When Kikyou gets my soul you'll both be-”

“What! No, you can't! No!” It was Amaya who rattled on in horror, because Inuyasha was too speechless to say anything just as yet.

“Stop,” the hanyou finally said. “Whatever you did, undo it now,” he said calmly, ending with a hiss. “This is my problem, not yours. You understand? This is none of your business!” he said cruelly and Kagome flinched, but she did not back away.

“I made it so my soul doesn't leave me for a few minutes, so I could say goodbye-”

“Stop it, Kagome! I don't want this-!”

“Because you've all been amazing. I can't imagine my life without you, and I guess I'll never have to-”

“Kagome!” Inuyasha cried in an anguish that shocked the miko into silence. “Why are you doing this? Stop it now! I never asked you for this!”

“But I want to give this to you, Inuyahsa. It's Kikyou you always wanted…You loved her and you still do. How could I let her die off like that and live knowing I did nothing about it, when I could?”

“I want you to live! I don't want you dead, you hear!” He hissed, cursing again as the barrier repelled him when he tried to lunge for her. “Get this damn barrier down!”

“No. I didn't want anyone to stop me, and it's far too late anyway.”

Everyone heard Inuyasha breath in oddly. “Kagome-sama, Inuyahsa's right. This is wrong. Kikyou is already dead, you can't bring her back,” Miroku argued, an air of desperation about him. “Listen to me, just reverse the spell and we can work this out.”

“Kagome-Chan! Inuyasha would never be happy if you do this!” Sango put in shakily.

“Kagome!' Shippo cried hysterically from the exterminator's side. “I don't want you to die!”

“I'm sorry everyone,” Kagome choked out. “Please understand.”

“I'll never forgive you if you do this to me, Kagome,” Inuyasha hissed with a tone he'd only used on Naraku and his brother. “Never!”

Kagome looked devastated at that, but her resolve did not falter. “As long as you're with the one you love-”

“You're the one I love!” the hanyou choked out desperately.

“-you'll forgive…What!” Kagome gasped, covering her mouth.

“You! I love you! So stop! Please!” Inuyasha begged desperately, something he'd never done before.

Kagome breathed rapidly, her eyes filling up with tears. “I can't believe you'd say such a monumental lie to stop me so you wouldn't feel guilty about my death.”

“No-”

“You know I love you and you're using it against me. How could you?” she whispered brokenly, cutting off his denial. “Well, because I love you I want you to live with her, not die with her! It's perfect this way, can't you see that?”

Amaya wanted to interfere, to run like hell and slam her body against the damn barrier until it gave. Yet she could not get herself to do so. Everyone else looked devastated but they weren't interfering anymore either; this was about Kagome and Inuyasha, and at this point nothing anyone said mattered.

Not able to stand it, she ran to Sesshoumaru, who stood farther away from the group. He looked at her silently and she looked at him. Knowing he wouldn't appreciate the gesture one bit and not caring, she approached him slowly and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest.

He made no move to push her away or comfort her, and that was just fine. She just needed him there. Maybe the nightmare going on behind her would go away if she held on to him tightly enough or long enough. “Can't you do anything? Tensaiga? If she does die, I mean?” Amaya whispered against him, nuzzling his chest and breathing him in.

“This is her choice. I have no reason to do so,” he informed her evenly, placing his hand on her back.

As for Inuyasha, he was standing stock still, disbelief and horror radiating from him. “You think I'd ever want this? If you do love me you'll stop!” he growled, his anger mixed with desperation everyone felt for their female friend. “You're a fool! Who gives their life like that!?”

“I'm giving it…for you!” Kagome gasped out, feeling the effects of the spell she'd learned from the books back home taking effect. Her soul…was leaving her body.

“I don't want it!” Inuyasha roared, watching in terror as thin wisps of bright blue appeared from Kagome's body. Oh Gods! She was dying! “No! Stop!”

Kagome stopped responding, and Inuyasha began panicking. Crying out, he hurled himself against the barrier as Amaya had imagined herself doing, not caring that it was too strong or that it was all too late. “Kagome!”

The wisps intensified into clouds of brightness that connected the young miko with the older one, the sight making everyone cry out in horror at the realization that their youthful, loving friend was dyeing away and that they could do absolutely nothing about it. Amaya gasped in an effort not to cry out as well, tightening her hold on Sesshoumaru.

“NO!” Amaya heard the hayou roar in anguish above the whistling and whipping of the single, big soul flying from one body to another.

Moments had passed, and Amaya was still crying. She barely felt it start, and the only reason she figured she was, was because Sesshoumaru reached up to wipe away some of it from her cheek. “It's over,” he informed her as evenly as before, his hand dropping to his side. She gasped, whirling to see what had become of…

“Oh!” she gasped, seeing her old friend slumped on the floor, deathly still. This time she knew her face was absolutely flooded with tears she could not possibly hold back. She ran to her immobile friend, only to realize the barrier was still in place. Will those ten damned minutes never end! She thought furiously. Her heart broke at the sight of the hanyou kneeling at the edge of the barrier.

He was moaning and gasping heartbreakingly…It was such an odd sound it took Amaya a moment to figure out…He's crying, she realized with a sob. Shippo was crying loudly, and Sango crying silently in Miroku's arms, the monk looking grief stricken himself. The wolf tribe members looked sorrowful, but only Kouga was absolutely shocked as well.

This time the prince made no attempt to blame the hanyou or beat him up…Not when the half-demon's grief easily beat his own by a thousand folds. “Kagome,” the wolf prince whispered brokenly, shutting his eyes in pain. “I really had no chance with you, did I?”

“This is terrible. Why did things end up this way?' the crow demon murmured sadly.

She was dead…and they couldn't even touch her. Take comfort in seeing her one last time, hold her before her still body had the chance to become cold and all too lifeless. It was all so cruel.

“Kikyou,” someone said from close by, the sound permeating everyone's grief. It was Yashi. “Kikyou's…dead,” she said, confused and looking intently at the once-undead miko.

The only one who didn't look up at that declaration in shock was Inuyasha. He was still staring blindly at Kagome just as the barrier dissolved, letting him through. Just about to lunge in, he froze as she twitched.

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Kagome opened her eyes slowly, feeling like she'd been flattened by a whale. She could have sworn that she'd just had an out-of-body experience if she wasn't already dead.

…Did dead people have headaches monumental enough to split rocks?

Her eyes flew open then. Oh Gods…her head was killing her and that only meant…Oh no. She would have sighed in despair if not for the headache, though it was clearing nicely. She'd been rejected. The possibility of the soul being rejected by the receiver was mentioned in the old book at her school, but Kagome never imagined Kikyou would dodge the chance to come back to life.

“Ka…Kagome?”

The choked whisper had her full attention. She blinked, trying to focus and was surprised at seeing everyone staring down at her. From her senpai to her close friends, to the wolf tribe members. And Inuyasha.

The look on his face made the breath lodge in her throat. His hand was stretched out and trembling in midair, as if he didn't believe she was real enough to touch. And his eyes! She'd never seen so much sorrow in her life! “Inuyasha?” she choked out, finding that her voice was gravely and hoarse. “I'm…so sorry. She rejected my soul.” It wasn't her fault that the miko was truly dead now, but she let out a sob. Inuyasha would never recover from this. He-

He looked so relieved she thought he was about ready to burst into tears. And the peculiar brightness in his eyes seemed to confirm it…or else he had had a good, recent cry. She yelped as he grabbed her and crushed her to him, hugging her so tightly she thought something would break. “You..you…idiot!” he hissed against her hair suddenly.

Oh…My bad. He was furious.

“You total and complete fool!” he hollered, jerking her away and glaring at her strongly enough to burn her hair off.

“Ah…I'm…I'm sorry OK? I tried!” she hollered back, feeling so hurt by his anger she could barely stand it. “She refused to take it! I wanted her to, but she-hmph!” Her eyes widened impossibly as her one adorable, frustrating, emotionally wrecking hanyou kissed her.

Inuyasha…kissing her…? That never….He'd never…She…So…

Her thoughts ceased at the feel of wetness against her cheeks. Her tears…but not just hers…and his. Kagome gasped against his mouth, and then wrapped her arms around his neck desperately. Was he crying for her?

“I thought I'd lost you,” he whispered, kissing her again. “You're an idiot-and I'll never-let you do something so stupid-again,” he told her fiercely in-between kisses.

“You're so unromantic!” Kagome laughed against him, sobbing at the same time. Kissing a girl and calling her names. Yeah. That sounded like her silly animal.

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They were completely in their own world! Amaya realized with a relieved chuckle. She wiped the remaining tears from her face and sighed, feeling more lighthearted than she had in a while. Everyone had stared at them dumbly at first, but soon averted their faces and scattered to anywhere-but-there locations. It was quite embarrassing. Amaya didn't fancy watching her best friend make out with anyone, but she was happy for her.

Yeah…making out was quite nice, she thought absentmindedly, looking back at where Sesshoumaru had been standing. And he was still there, watching her intently. She yelped mentally in embarrassment and turned away. She had to keep in mind: she hated his guts for making her love him! It made no sense, but so what!? It oddly preserved her peace of mind.

After all, she had to say goodbye very soon. It was over, and she had to go back home before she did something brainless like confess her stupid, pointless feelings or decide to stay and follow Lord Obnoxious around. Much like one frog she knew.

She shuddered at the thought. She'd rot in the fiery pits of hell before she abandoned her pride like that! But she was going to miss him. She was really going to miss him.

Crappy attitude and all.

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To Be Continued…

Next chapter may be the last…or the one before the last. It depends on where my imagination takes me. This chapter was nice and long-ish wasn't it? XD Tell me if I was too full of crap, will you?

So…Read and Review please! I'd love that!