InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The 2 Great Swords ❯ Vow of Vengeance ( Chapter 8 )

and Kagome were getting close to the throne room. Somewhere along the way, Inuyasha had decided Kagome was too slow and now she was on his back as he sprinted down the corridors. She had never felt so alive. Despite all the events of the night, she felt elated at the sense of flying.

 

Sniffing the air, Inuyasha caught the scent of even more blood from humans and some from demons. His ears told him that the battle was over and the demons had to have won. He picked up speed, not all too sure why saving the king had become so important.

 

After taking a right, the throne room door, guarded by four demons, came into view. “Hold on tight!” He yelled back to Kagome and felt her take his advice. Carefully he reached down to his side and drew his sword.

 

The demons, having won were in too good a mood to notice another demonic presence and thus weren't prepared to have the life cut from them in a matter of seconds.

 

Inuyasha stopped at the door and let Kagome drop off his shoulders. Sparing a glance to look for other threats, he found none. With a swift strike to door fell to his claws as he rushed inside, death and blood immediately coming to him.

 

The room was filled with corpses. `All dead, but the way they were killed…where have I seen that before?' His thoughts were interrupted as a scream came from behind him.

 

“FATHER!!!” Kagome ran to the throne, were the lifeless body of her father hung impaled on a spear with his crown hanging on the end of it. She fell to her knees weeping uncontrollably.

 

She turned her head to the side and her heart stopped. There lying on the ground was her mother. She was dead, but whoever had killed her hadn't been happy with just death. The corpse was mutilated and lay in a mangled heap. She fainted dead away to the ground.

 

Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat as he regarded the queen's body. Memories came flooding back to him in a torrent of pain. `That's…how mother…' He spun around to look at the other bodies. `Those wounds…they're the same as what did in my mother's servants.'

 

He shook with uncontrollable rage as understanding sank in. “Where the fuck is he?!? Who did this?!? I'll kill the bastard!!” He scanned the room looking for the person responsible. A cold laughter echoed from the corner of the room as Naraku came into view.

 

Naraku regarded Inuyasha with interest. He looked familiar, but from where… Recognition dawned on him as images of a royal lady and her half-breed son came back to him. He's still alive?

“Hahaha, interesting…so you're still alive then, whelp? I thought you had died a long time ago with that bitch.” He grinned maniacally at his anger. “Should have killed you myself instead of having fun with your mother, eh?”

 

Blinded by rage Inuyasha leaped forward sword out as he snarled with murderous intent. “BASTARD!” Naraku smirked as he threw tentacles at his attacked. Inuyasha dodged neatly downwards and brought his sword up severing the tentacles.

 

Naraku barely dodged to the side as Inuyasha reached him and brought his sword down, only to have the swords angle reversed to have it run through his abdomen. He sputtered blood, all amusement gone as rage at his injury took over.

 

His damaged hand reformed and he threw out his tentacles raking Inuyasha's chest, earning him a vicious snarl as the sword was withdrawn from his gut. As he landed he leapt forward, using both hands in an effort to entrap his enemy.

 

Inuyasha rolled under the tentacles and jumped up once again sweeping his sword down in an effort to rend Naraku's body in two. Naraku moved, but not fast enough, groaning as the sword ripped apart his right side. Bringing his hand up, he rammed it through Inuyasha's stomach, bringing it through the other side.

 

With a strangled growl, Inuyasha pushed off of Naraku only to land and dart forward taking off a leg. He growled as Naraku pulled himself back together. He could regenerate; he barely registered in his frenzy. That didn't stop him from attacking again.

 

A thought crossed Naraku's mind as another gash through his chest was dealt to him. `He won't stop! No matter what damage I inflict he just keeps coming.' He gritted his teeth as he focused his body as he released miasma through his wounds trying to stave off the enraged half-demon.

 

As Inuyasha disappeared in the fumes, Naraku grinned to himself. That vanished as Inuyasha burst through and thrust his sword through Naraku's chest, narrowly missing his heart. Naraku shoved him off into a wall as he looked for an escape. Seeing a skylight above him he leapt up going through the glass.

 

He looked back down as Inuyasha looked up at his retreating form, still enraged. “I've decided to let you live for today, half-breed. We will meet again!” He disappeared in a puff of fumes.

 

“Damn it!” Inuyasha roared as he punched the ground. `I let him get away.' He looked skyward, “Someday Naraku, I will kill you someday. You can count on that.” He bellowed at the sky.

 

With the object of his malice gone, reality hit him hard in the form of the various wounds he had. He heard demons coming, hordes of them. He had to go. As he turned to jump out the way Naraku had exited, he stopped and looked over to Kagome. Full of unwelcome pity, he walked over to her and picked her up.

 

Staring at her face, glistening with sadness, he sighed. “She at least deserves to live, after all this.” With that he leapt out of the castle new skylight and left the castles' walls infused with death.

 

 

She awoke feeling a great ache in her chest, not to mention her body felt like she had fallen a great distance. She sat up slowly and opened her eyes slowly. She was in the most beautiful meadow she'd ever seen. The grass was glistening with dew as the bulrushes floated in the breeze softly.

 

As she admired her surroundings her eyes came to rest upon the fox child she had met when rescuing Inuyasha. He was sleeping peacefully at her side and apparently had been brought here too.

 

“Awake, eh?” The voice startled her as she spun to see Inuyasha looking down at her with three freshly caught fish in his hands. He tossed one to her, “Eat.” She scrunched up her nose at the offering.

 

“It's not even cooked. I can't eat raw meat, I'll get sick.” He quickly snatched the fish up and turned around grumbling. She smiled slightly, before turning to look at the meadow. “They're… gone… aren't they?” She asked her voice on the brink of tears again.

 

“Hey! No more crying alright? Crying isn't going to solve anything.” He was looking back at her again. “Your parents are dead, but you're still alive. That's gotta be some consolation.”

 

“I guess so… but…” She turned as her eyes misted up. `Mother is… and father too…” Without thinking, she grabbed the softest object to her as she broke into sobs. Said object woke with a start.

 

“Hey… what's going on?” Shippo awoke and tried to squirm out of Kagome's vice grip, only to be stopped by a glare from Inuyasha. Noticing she was crying, he grudgingly decided to be her pillow.

 

She cried for her lost parents and her lost life. She cried until she stopped at about midday at which point she released the now soaked kit. Standing up she turned to Inuyasha as he sat in a tree, having decided to use what little patience he had in waiting for her to calm down.

 

`They're gone but… I'm still here. I…I have to restore the kingdom… It's my responsibility…' The thoughts came to her as she wept. `First though…I need to know who…' She wailed as the thought came to her again, of her parents grisly demises. `I will kill him…I have to…' She relinquished Shippo and stood slowly.

 

“Inuyasha… Do you know… who did it?” Her voice was shaking with anger and sadness.

 

“Yeah, I know who did it. He called himself Naraku.” She stiffened at the name. She never trusted him but she never expected this!

 

“I see. Do you know where he's gone then?” Inuyasha turned to stare at her. Her voice made her intentions obvious.

 

“You're not going anywhere. I'm gonna find some village to get rid of you at. Naraku will die by my hand.” He leapt down from the tree.

 

“What? Why do you want to kill him? She gave him a confused look. “You aren't going after him because of me are you?” Her voice carried a hopeful tone but he missed it.

 

“Hardly! I've been looking for that bastard for a long time and I ain't letting some girl get him.” She opened her mouth to question him but he cut her off. “That bastard killed my mother as well.” He spoke in a growl. “I'll find him and I'll kill him.”

 

Kagome recoiled at the hatred in his voice. “I'm sorry…” Then a connection came in her mind, “Wait, did she…like mine?” She asked remembering what Naraku had done to her mother. His eyes flashed with pain for a split second before becoming angry. She took that as her answer.

 

Sensing himself out of the conversation, Shippo made himself known. “Why don't we all go together? Three's better than one!” Kagome giggled at his happy expression. “What?”

 

“No it's nothing, sorry. But you have a good idea, how about it Inuyasha?”

 

“No, I don't need you two in my way!” He growled out.

 

“Please? I won't get in the way!” Seeing the way Inuyasha glared at him, he added. “You're so mean!” He then jumped away just in case he swiped for him.

 

“Come on, you're not the only one who wants him dead.” Kagome tried her hand at changing his mind. “Besides, where would you find a place to drop me off? Every village within the north territory knows who I am.”

 

“Fine, I don't care, but you both will do whatever I say and nothing else!” His tone demanding compliance. He was met with two nodding heads. “Good.” He spun around. “You guys rest for a bit, I need to go check on something. We'll leave tomorrow.” With that he left the meadow.