InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shards of Destiny ❯ Chapter Nine ( Chapter 10 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, etc., of Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and not for profit.

SHARDS OF DESTINY

Summary: Naraku has crossed over to the modern era, and our heroes must band together to try and stop him. But what troubles arise as old relationships are torn apart by new, and the dark spider sits spinning new webs of deceit?

A/N: Wow, it’s been awhile! This chapter is a little choppy, with many POV’s. I tried to streamline it, but liked the different angles, so left it as is. Warning of character death and some…ah…violent imagery. (Fate)

Chapter Nine

The darkness was absolute. Shivering, Sango buried a hand in Kirara’s fur. The nekomata made a low noise, bumping her thigh lightly in comfort. She knew how hard this was.

But harnessing fear only made one stronger. Sango firmly believed that. Besides, this was just a rocky cavern, not choked with roots and dirt. That would have been worse. Much worse.

But the deeper they went, the further she felt. She didn’t know how they found their way---Kurama and Yusuke and Hiei. Kuwabara admitted he couldn’t remember, it’d been so long ago. He hung back, ostensibly to keep an eye on the girls. His attitude might have been condescending, but he was so sincere, Sango couldn’t take offense as she normally would.

Kagome and Botan both rode Kirara with a snoozing Shippou. It’d already been a long day for the miko, and Botan used a lot of her spirit energy healing Sango. Kagome was all but stumbling when Sango finally coaxed the miko to climb on. Too keyed up to relax, Sango felt better walking.

The Hiraikotsu was a comforting weight against her back, and she felt more herself in armor. Miroku’s and Kuwabara’s flashlights bobbed, making watery circles against the darkness that ate everything else. Kirara’s eyes glowed faintly in reaction, like red rush-lights. She, like most demons, could see perfectly well in the dark.

The other demons---Hiei, Yusuke, Kurama and Inuyasha---were up ahead, where the flashlights wouldn’t obscure their vision. Kuwabara claimed he didn’t need light, either, that he could use his psychic senses to “see” clear as day. But he kept his flashlight on, muttering defensively that it was easier.

“Hey!” The big man suddenly straightened. “I think we’re halfway there. I remember this place.” He shined his flashlight across the wide chamber. “This is where we faced that kid, Amanuma.”

He didn’t elaborate, as the others were waiting for them.

“Sheesh, you guys are slow.”

“Shut up, Urameshi.”

“What’s going on?” Kagome asked. She sounded tired.

“Thought we might take a breather.” Yusuke’s voice sounded closer. It was hard to tell with the echoing effect of the caves. Kuwabara politely turned his flashlight aside, so it wouldn’t blind him.

“An excellent idea,” Botan pronounced, entirely too chipper. Maybe it was her strange accent. British, Kagome called it. (Whatever that was.)

“I could use a quick bite,” Kagome said, sliding off Kirara. Botan’s flashlight, more powerful than the others, flickered on as Kagome unzipped her backpack. She passed out sodas and snacks, making some comment about being prepared.

Sango accepted a drink of water when Kagome handed over the plastic bottle, but stood looking back the way they came. The murmuring voices behind her were comforting, as was Shippou’s light snores and Inuyasha’s familiar fussing about it.

Maybe setting a rear guard was unnecessary, but Sango felt better doing something. There was something spooky about the hollow emptiness of these caves. Something ominous.


At least one of them had the sense to keep watch. Even if it was in the wrong direction.

Humans. It was a wonder their species ever climbed down from the trees.

“Hn.” Folding his arms, Hiei eyed the tall fox leaning against the wall beside him. Kurama’s gaze kept straying to the third tunnel on the right, as if he could pull its secrets out of the darkness. So Kurama felt it too; that odd awareness that something lay there waiting.

Waiting for them? Hiei couldn’t tell, even with the Jagan. It was just an odd feeling, one edged in seething menace.

Hiei smiled.


It was hard to say which was more menacing---the awareness of evil, or Hiei’s reaction to it.

Kurama shook his head. Trust Hiei to savor the darkness that shrouded these caves in ancient evil. It lay like a thick blanket, obscuring even his keen senses. From what, he couldn’t guess.

And Kurama wasn’t one to guess. Deduce, yes, and conclude, based on hard evidence and the insight gained through careful analysis. Theorize, maybe, even hypothesize, but never guess.

That was for those who believed fate a fickle creature, not something carefully manipulated to their own benefit. And there was always that odd variable, the off-chance, that never made anything certain or absolute. But by taking that infinitesimal possibility into consideration, one might come up with a plan to avoid or nullify it.

But idle philosophy held no place here, in the deep warrens beneath Mushiyori City. There was a reason Sensui built his tunnel to Demon World here, and not just its provocative name, The Devil’s Cave-Mouth. These caverns were soaked in ancient malice, reeking of old blood and terror, long soured by wretchedness and despair. One could drown in it.

Not new, this feeling. Kurama felt it before, when they’d faced Sensui and his seven psychics, although not nearly this strong. Perhaps the Game-Master’s territory had blunted it. Recalling the young boy, Amanuma, who died at his hands, Kurama’s expression tightened.

Not a good memory, that. But one he dare not---could not---regret. What was one boy’s life---no matter how misguided and foolish---when measured against millions?

Kurama was ruthless enough to make the hard choices others couldn’t. Logic, untainted by emotion, was cold and cynical, and allowed him to take onto his conscience even the necessary sacrifice of one small boy.

Even if that boy was later resurrected by Prince Koenma’s Mafuuken. A chance Kurama, in cruel logic, could never take, seeing as the drain of spiritual power had cost Prince Koenma his one defense against Sensui. Granted, it had all turned out better in the end, but they could not know that at the time.

Regret was futile. He’d settled his conscience long ago on that score. Why it bothered him now, when he’d already buried it, was baffling. Perhaps it was this place, where they’d faced young Amanuma. Perhaps it was just the ghostly whisper of despair, winning past his careful guard.

It wasn’t something easily detected by physical means, but something other-planer. Easy to ignore for most humans. The inu, though, should have picked it up. But perhaps, being a half-demon, he was head-blind.  

Kuwabara, on the other hand, was looking decidedly nervous. His shoulders hunched against an unseen weight as his black eyes swept the empty space. “Uh, guys…”


Inuyasha’s nose twitched. A faint scent tickled across his senses. He stiffened, taking a deeper whiff. Dropping his half-empty bag of potato chips, he carelessly stepped on it, drawing his sword. Tetsusaiga flared to life even as he shouted, “Miasma!”

Kagome gasped, one hand flying to her mouth as Sango whirled to face the tunnels, jerking her mask into place and clutching her Hiraikotsu. Miroku reflexively took out his sacred sutra, summoning a barrier to protect Kagome and Botan, Kirara and little Shippou. Kirara would be all right, but Shippou was too small to breathe a lot of the evil crap in.

Inuyasha wondered how Kuwabara would do, but then was too busy trying to find the source of that evil cloud to care. Claws tightening on his Tetsusaiga, he snarled, “Show yourself, Naraku!”

A scornful laugh echoed from the far tunnel, taunting him to follow.

“Damn you!” Inuyasha was off and running without thought to those left behind.


“Inuyasha!” Kagome cried, but the hanyou was already disappearing down the far tunnel, his silver hair fading into the darkness.

“Damn it!” Yusuke went after him, Kurama right beside him.

“Wait for me, Urameshi!” Kuwabara waved a fist, barreling down the tunnel.

“Fool!” the dark demon hissed, and vanished.

“Don’t worry, Kagome,” Sango said, voice muffled behind her mask. “I’ll go after him.”

Helpless behind the barrier, Kagome could only watch as the slayer followed the others into the dark. Miasma rose in her wake, a vile cloud of purple hate.


Heart thundering in her ears, Sango’s breath rasped through the mask. She willed more speed into her legs, cursing her human slowness as the echoing footsteps faded ahead of her. Darkness enclosed her on all sides. The miasma swirled with eddies of malevolent energy, adding a terrifying twist to the unsettling blackness.

Fighting rising panic, Sango ran on.  


Miroku, deep in trance to keep the barrier up, couldn’t notice how little defense was left them. Kagome, all too aware that the stronger members of their group had been drawn into that tunnel after Inuyasha, grasped her bow tightly. Biting her lip, she fitted an arrow to the string and faced outward, although the blue-swirled energies of the barrier muffled sight between them.

The miasma scoured the cave floor, a roiling dark mass of seething menace. It curled and undulated, malignant purple energies twisting through its surface. Kagome glared at it, angry at the human weakness that kept them pinned while the others were off who knows where.

Stupid Inuyasha! He might be playing right into Naraku’s hands. This could be exactly what the dark spider wanted, to separate them all…


The laughter faded even as the narrow tunnel opened up before him into a giant cavern, the upper heights lost to distance, even with his hanyou-aided sight. Inuyasha snarled, brandishing his Tetsusaiga in helpless fury even as the miasma that roiled around their knees abruptly vanished, leaving only empty silence in its wake.

”Naraku, you bastard! Come out and fight!”

The silence mocked him.


Barreling after the red-robed idiot, Yusuke skidded to a halt when he reached the cave-mouth.

“What the…” He instantly recognized the cavern as the one where they’d faced Sensui three years ago. That damn lake was still there, its surface black and still without light (or the emanations from a tunnel to Demon World) to illuminate it.

“Hey, where’d all the evil cloud-stuff go?” Kuwabara demanded upon joining him.

“As usual, you tediously state the obvious,” Hiei snapped. Yusuke knew he, too, was troubled by the miasma’s abrupt disappearance. Taking his frustration out on Kuwabara was just easier.

“What, you got the answer, Shorty?” the big lug challenged.

Hiei, who didn’t, ignored him.

Yusuke turned to Kurama for his opinion. But the kitsune wasn’t even looking in their direction, but to the far right.

“Kurama?” he asked.

Ignoring him, the fox started walking towards the spot. Hiei sucked in his breath.

“Spill it, three eyes.” Yusuke folded his arms, annoyed.

“The Sinning Tree.” Hiei’s red eyes cut to his. “It’s gone.”


“Look, Kagome!” Shippou excitedly bounced to her shoulder, pointing. “The miasma---it’s receding!”

And so it was, rolling in upon itself even as an unseen wind swept through it, fully dispersing it.

“But…” Kagome lowered her bow and arrow in confusion when Miroku released the barrier. The blue energy field dissolved as Miroku tiredly wiped the sweat off his brow.

“We can now follow!” Botan gestured. “Come on, everyone!”

Kirara reowled agreement, anxious to catch up with Sango. The neko waited impatiently for Botan and Kagome to clamber aboard, Shippou still hanging off Kagome’s shoulder. Kirara leapt forward, Miroku running at her side, rings jangling on his staff.

“We’re coming, Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered, hands tightening on Kirara‘s fur.   


“The Sinning…” Yusuke’s eyes widened when he finally remembered. Kurama had grown the Sinning Tree to entrap the elder Toguro brother, a regenerative demon who could never die. The Sinning Tree fed off the evil intensions of its victim, using hallucinations against them while bleeding off their life force. Since the elder Toguro was all but immortal, he was sentenced to an eternity of torment, locked into the utter madness of his own mind. Terrible justice in its own way for all the wrongs he had done.

Where the twisted tree once stood---a grisly mimic of despair hugging itself---now there remained only a swirl of bare earth, as if the tree had been ripped out by the roots. And a small figure, lying face-down in the dirt.

“Shura?” Yusuke breathed, startled by the thought and what it might mean for Kurama, to see Yomi’s son so callously discarded. He moved up beside the fox, who now knelt on the edge of the disturbed mound, one palm flat on the earth.

“Ew! What is that?” Kuwabara eyed a dribble of white goop.

“Boiled skin,” Hiei negligently answered.

“Or boiled Toguro,” Yusuke offered grimly.

“Gross!” Kuwabara drew back with a convulsive shudder.

“What the hell are you guys doing over there?” Inuyasha, sword lowered, stalked up.

“Investigating a murder scene.” Yusuke, now crouching next to Kurama, scowled over his shoulder. He turned back to the fox. “He’s just a kid. But not Shura.”

Hiei’s lip curled. “Of course not. That nauseating stench is entirely human.”

Yes, it did reek, of blood and shit and vomit, all the discards of death.

Reaching out, Kurama carefully turned the body. The head lolled back, showing stark fear on a face none of them recognized. A gaping hole in the boy’s stomach told its own tale. Horrible way to die.

“Poor kid,” Kuwabara muttered. “Wonder who he is.”

Yusuke’s fists clenched in helpless fury. Damn it! First the old man, and now this. “That fucking demon’s toying with us.”

“What he likes to do,” Inuyasha growled, sheathing his sword as he finally reached them. He looked resigned; clearly he’d seen death before. His gold eyes swept over the body cradled in Kurama’s arms, then stilled on the boy’s face in shock.

“Kohaku,” he breathed, then whirled to face the stunned slayer.



The Hiraikotsu fell from numb fingers, clattering unheeded to the ground behind her.

“Kohaku,” she whispered, a howling sound filling her ears. No worse then the silent howl that filled her chest, clenching her heart and choking the scream that rose inside her throat. And finally came out, an animalistic shriek of utter denial. “Kohaku!”

That unearthly sound was ripped right from her heart as it lay bleeding on the uncaring earth, a gaping hole that matched the one on his poor broken body where the Jewel shard that kept her poor brother alive was torn out by Naraku.

“Keep her away,” one of them said, she didn’t know who or care.

“No!” she screamed, fighting off Inuyasha, who tried to restrain her. The tears were coming now, spilling down her cheeks and blurring her vision. “No! Let go of me! It’s my brother! I have to go---he needs me!”

“Don’t do this to yourself, Sango.” Eyes bright with pity, Inuyasha curled his arms around her narrow waist. She fought him, hard and dirty, only winning free because he didn’t want to hurt her. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered now.

She shrugged off another hand that sought to stop her, then fell to her knees in the dirt beside him. “Kohaku,” she said brokenly, shoving Kurama away to gather his poor body up, careless of the mess and the blood. Her fingers combed his pale face as she shook violently, the harsh sobs wrenched right from the depths of her soul.

“Sango---”

“No!” she screamed, not even looking up. “Leave me to my dead!”

Her head bowed into his, arms tightening around him as she rocked and sobbed a litany of pain and remorse. “Kohaku-ototo, Ko-kun, oh God, please forgive me. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. You were supposed to live! To live while I…oh God! I didn’t save you. I couldn’t save you! Oh God, Kohaku!”


They watched in grim silence as the slayer held the poor broken body to her, racked with pain and regret, her hoarse whispers baring too much pain to easily bear witness to.

“Sango!”

The gasp behind them drew their attention, even as the nekomata raised her head and rowled, a pain-filled cry that matched the inhuman one torn from the slayer’s throat. Kagome slid off the large cat, white-faced and trembling as Botan blinked back tears of realization. “Oh, no…”

“Is that…?” Kagome stared at Inuyasha, who could only nod.

Miroku’s eyes closed as sorrow tightened his features. He would have gone to Sango’s side, but Kurama blocked his way.

“Let me go,” he said harshly.

“No,” the fox said, green eyes poignant. “Your regret will only burden her.”

Miroku bowed his head, grip whitening around his shakujo.

“None of us can help her right now,” Kurama said, eyes on Yusuke, whose fists clenched and unclenched.

“Damn it,” he snarled, punching the nearest rock wall out of sheer frustration.

Knowing how right the fox was, Kagome buried her head into Inuyasha’s shoulder as his arms drew loosely around her. “Sango-chan…” she whispered, tears in her eyes as the hoarse sobs finally quieted into a silence almost more terrible.

A dark figure abruptly walked forward.

“Hiei---” Kurama said, but the fire demon ignored him.

Expression unreadable, he stared down at the slayer.

Sango looked up, her face tear-stained and dirty. She stared at him silently, eyes dark holes in her white face.

“You will avenge him,” was all he said.

It seemed enough.

But it wasn’t, for even as the slayer slowly nodded and gently laid her poor brother back to the earth, Kuwabara stiffened.

“Uh, guys…”

Overly annoyed, Yusuke snapped, “What now?”

“That evil cloud-stuff’s back.”