InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Prophecy ❯ A Battle ( Chapter 10 )

Here's the tenth chapter! I'm sorry that it's so late, I've just got a terrible case of senioritis and have had no motivation. So, I hope that you like it because I haven't gone back to change anything from how I originally wrote it.

 

Still don't own Inuyasha!

 

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The Prophecy

 

Chapter 10

 

The next week went by similarly to the first day, Kagome and Inuyasha sneaking off every now and then to…satisfy their carnal desires…and they were soon at the fort, where they were readily welcomed. The soldiers set up camp around the outside of the fort, as there wasn't any room for that many of them inside.

 

Kagome followed after her mate and brother-in-law, their friends following after her, and Kouga and Ayame, as Commanders of the King's Army, following at the back as they made their way through the fort. People bowed as they passed, mostly to their King and Prince, but also to the guests. They made their way towards the Commander who was in charge of the fort's rooms.

 

Sesshomaru opened the door to reveal a portly demon sitting behind a desk, a calligraphy brush held in his hand poised over a piece of paper. The room smelt lightly of liquor that even Kagome could smell. She wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant smell.

 

“Your Majesty!” the demon greeted excitedly as he got out of the chair he was sitting in with a little difficulty as he stood to greet his monarch.

 

“This Sesshomaru is relieving you of duty,” the King spoke as he took the now unoccupied seat behind the desk and moving the Commander's papers out of the way.

 

“Of course, your Majesty,” the demon spoke stiffly.

 

“Naraku's army is on the move. This Sesshomaru trusts that you received the letter that he sent?”

 

“Yes, your Majesty. The news was most upsetting.”

 

“Then you are aware that we have no time to delay,” the King said, resting his elbows on the table and interlacing his fingers.

 

“Of course, your Majesty.”

 

“Good, you will ready the soldiers of this fort, evacuate the surrounding villages and towns and make sure that there are enough supplies ready, do you understand?”

 

“Yes, your Majesty.”

 

“Then leave, this Sesshomaru has much to do,” he spoke with finality, waving his hand in a dismissive motion. The demon frowned before turning and walking out of his former office, closing the door behind him.

 

“Why you have that guy as Commander of this fort is beyond me,” Inuyasha groused as he moved to open the window behind the desk that his brother sat at. “He's nothing but a drunk who doesn't like to take orders.”

 

“Because even though he is disgusting, this Sesshomaru is able to manipulate him very easily, and when drunk, he is a master at tactical planning,” the King answered easily, pulling out his maps.

 

“There will be scouts sent out every hour, everyday, until we find hide or hair of Naraku,” the King directed at the Commanders.

 

Kouga and Ayame agreed wholeheartedly and left the office to inform the soldiers and build a schedule. Sesshomaru turned his attention back towards the rest of the group.

 

“Be on your guard, there may be a traitor amongst us.”

 

“A traitor?” Kagome asked, shocked and concerned.

 

“How do you figure?” Inuyasha asked, pulling his mate back against his chest to comfort her.

 

“How else would Naraku have known to attack the weakest fort?” the King inquired. The others thought and silently agreed with the King. “Be prepared.”

 

They were dismissed and told to get dinner before turning in. Everyone left the study, save for Rin, who moved to stand before Sesshomaru's newly acquired desk.

 

“Are you alright, your Majesty?” she asked quietly.

 

The King quirked an eyebrow and looked up from his maps to look at her. “This Sesshomaru is quite well, Rin.”

 

She looked at him, not wholly convinced noticing that he looked exhausted, though he hid it well, but nodded anyway. “You should come eat with us. Even a mighty demon King such as yourself has a need for nourishment every now and then,” she said, moving around the desk to stand next to his chair, her hands folded in front of her.

 

Sesshomaru's ego swelled at the fact that she thought he was a mighty demon. He looked up at her, hiding his swelled ego, and saw her determined expression. He sighed inaudibly before standing and offering his arm to the young woman. She smiled brightly up at him and took his arm, allowing him to lead her out of the office and towards the mess hall.

 

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“The King has moved, your Majesty,” Kagura spoke from her floating feather.

 

“Where are they now?” Naraku asked.

 

“They are at a fort about six days from here. The mysterious girls are there as well,” Kagura answered.

 

“The priestess?”

 

“She is there, your Majesty.”

 

“Excellent. What say we make their acquaintance? Kikyou!”

 

“Yes, Naraku?” Kikyou answered, continuing to stare off into the distance.

 

“You will gather as much information about these mysterious girls as you can and report back to me.”

“Yes, Naraku,” Kikyou answered before leaving the area to catch up with her obsession and pain in the ass.

 

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Said pain in the ass sneezed three times consecutively, her eyes watering from the force of the sneezes.

 

“Wow, Kagome,” Rin commented, “someone really must hate you.”

 

“I wonder who,” she said dryly, wiping her eyes on the backs of her hands.

 

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As Kagome and Inuyasha left their designated room at the fort for breakfast, the ruckus from the courtyard in front of the gate drew them momentarily away from their growling stomachs to see what the problem was. They approached quickly and saw, much to their displeasure, Kikyou attempting to fight off the demon guards with spells cast from her hands.

 

“What's going on here?” Inuyasha asked sternly, glaring at Kikyou, wondering how she'd gotten to the fort.

 

“Inuyasha!” Kikyou greeted cheerfully, discontinuing her attack towards the guards. The guards instantly rushed forward and seized her, placing a dampening charm on her to diffuse her powers. “What are you doing?! Let go of me you curs!” she shrieked at the guards.

 

“Be quiet, Kikyou,” Inuyasha growled, silencing the sorceress instantly. “Now, what are you going here?”

“I'm here to help, Inu,” she said sweetly.

 

“Don't call me that,” he growled at her.

 

“Sir,” one of the guards said, drawing Inuyasha's attention away from the struggling woman. “She came here demanding to see you and claiming to be your mate.”

 

“What?!” Kagome yelled, causing everyone to wince. “Who the hell do you think you are?” she demanded of Kikyou as she stalked towards her, her priestess powers flaring around her and making the demons around her fidget uneasily.

 

“I am his rightful mate you whore!” Kikyou yelled back at her.

 

“Says you! No one else here believes anything you say!”

 

“It was meant to be! The oracle said I was the one who was to be his mate!”

 

“That's where you're wrong, Kikyou,” Inuyasha said in a deadly calm voice, sounding eerily like his brother. “The oracle said that a girl that looked like you would be my mate. She never specifically said your name.”

 

Kikyou gaped and stilled, staring at Inuyasha as he moved to stand behind his mate who was still glaring at the sorceress. She slumped and Inuyasha told the guards to release her. They let her drop to the ground and took off the dampening charm as well, before going back to their posts, though, keeping an eye on the dejected priestess in case she tried anything stupid.

 

“You are not my mate, Kikyou,” Inuyasha spoke, wrapping an arm around Kagome's waist. “Kagome is. Come on, Bitch, let's go get breakfast.” Kagome nodded, glaring once more at Kikyou before allowing Inuyasha to pull her away and direct her towards the mess hall.

 

When they entered the mess hall, everyone was instantly aware of their fowl moods.  "What's wrong, my friend?" Miroku asked, spooning some stew into his mouth.

"Kikyou's here," Inuyasha grumbled in response.  Miroku blinked at that startling information.

"How'd your stalker get here?" Sango asked curiously.

"We have no idea," Kagome said with frustration in her voice.  "She says she wants to help."  Kagome all but spit out the last word.

"We should send her back to the castle so she won't cause any more harm around here," Inuyasha said.

Kagome sighed and shook her head sadly. "Though, I think that we should give her the benefit of the doubt," Kagome said, her anger fading.  "If she wants to help, then more power to her. It is a war after all, I mean, people die all the time in wars, don't they?"

"This Sesshomaru agrees with the priestess, this Sesshomaru would rather have the sorceress close, as to keep an eye on her," the King said.

Inuyasha grumbled, having been ganged up on.  "What were you talking about, when you mentioned an oracle?" Kagome asked her mate.

"The oracle who had foreseen the end of the war also had visions about our mates, Sesshomaru's and mine," Inuyasha answered.

"And I fit?" Kagome asked.  Inuyasha nodded and Kagome smiled before turning to the King.  "What was your mate prophesy, your Majesty?"

"A woman who was powerful and kind, fair and just, defiant when needed, but compliant as well," the King answered.  "Elegant but wild and free spirited."

"Sounds like a good prospective queen," Rin said cheerfully, though Sesshomaru could smell her slight sadness.

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"Your Majesty!" a captain said, urgently rushing into the King's office.  "Naraku's forces have been sighted about a days ride from here!"

"Hm, that didn't take long," Sesshomaru commented to himself.  "Ready the troops, we'll march out to meet him."  The captain rushed off to obey his King's orders.  Sesshomaru left his office in search of his brother and his brother's mate.

The army was ready soon, having been standing since they'd arrived at the fort.  Out on the horizon stood a massive wall of soldiers of the opposing Kingdom.  The soldiers weren't human or demon.  Some were practically falling apart, only held together by their armor.  Their eyes were bulging out of their heads, their skin was a sickly brown color that almost guaranteed a fowl smell.  Their nails were black, arms just skin and bone and there were thousands of them.  They didn't seem particularly smart, but also seemed like the type to cause a lot of damage by mobbing.  Kagome shivered from her spot behind the Western forces with the rest of the archers and sorcerers and sorceresses.  Rin stood next to her friend, looking slightly green.

 

"King Sesshomaru, I see you've come to greet me," a voice rang out over the silent soon-to-be battleground.

 

"Naraku," Sesshomaru said coldly, projecting his voice, addressing a tall and lean, black haired half-demon.  "This Sesshomaru sees that you are still as delusional as ever."

 

Naraku chuckled sinisterly.  "Come now, Sesshomaru," he said with mirth.  "You know that you cannot stand against my army!"

 

"This Sesshomaru will not fall," Sesshomaru spoke resolutely.

 

“I wouldn't be too sure about that,” a new voice rang out. Everyone spotted the female form next to Naraku.

 

“Kikyou, well, isn't this a surprise?” Sesshomaru asked dryly. Inuyasha glared at the woman that had been trying to get his attentions for the past four years.

 

“I suspect that it isn't much of a surprise, Sesshomaru,” Kikyou said with a sneer.

 

“You both shall die here today for your actions,” Sesshomaru growled.

 

"Enough chatter," Naraku growled, his red eyes flashing.  His army yelled and shrieked in excitement before charging ahead flowing around the malevolent half-demon.

 

The Western soldiers yelled and charged forward, brandishing their weapons, armor clanking as they ran.  Kagome knocked an arrow and pointed to towards the Eastern warriors.  The arrowhead glowed a pale pink white color and she loosed it.

 

It hit the ground in front of the Eastern Army and exploded, purifying the demons in a ten foot radius and severely singeing any other monster that was close to the blast.  The Western Army didn't have a chance to be stunned as the Eastern Army continued forward.  Kagome damaged their masses with her purifying arrows and the other archers hitting the occasional monster.  The few sorcerers and sorceresses caused just about as much damage with their power blasts as Kagome did with her purifying arrows.  Rin shot her orange blasts over the Western Army and further into the Eastern Army. Kikyou sent out her own attacks, burning and killing many of the Western warriors.

 

Sango drove through the ranks of soldiers with her katana and a large boomerang that had been in the weapons room; hitting a monster in the neck with her katana in her left hand and following up by whirling and cleaving a monster in two with her boomerang.  She felt a presence at her back and turned, weapons raised, to attack the new assailant, only to find Miroku with a staff, knocking in the head of the monster that had been about to attack her.

 

"Thanks," she said to him, continuing with her motions, mowing through the Eastern ranks.

 

"My pleasure, my lovely Sango," Miroku replied, throwing a barrage of purifying sutras onto the monsters in front of him.

 

The blood was flowing and weapons clanging together.  Inuyasha charged forward, his sword drawn from its scabbard, his aura transforming it into a large fang.  He had explained to Kagome that his sword was named Tetsusaiga and was a gift from his father as a way to keep his demon suppressed.  He mowed down rows and rows of Eastern monsters, steadily making his way towards Naraku.  He cut down the last monster between him and Naraku.

 

"Persistent little half-demon, aren't you?" Naraku sneered, his lip curling back in a snarl as he saw the last of his soldiers go down.  The Western Army drew back from the two half-demons, each knowing that they would only be a hindrance in that battle and started on the clean-up of the battle ground, collecting their dead and wounded comrades.  "But you will not be victorious!"

 

With that declaration, Naraku's flesh started mutating.  Inuyasha watched in fascinated horror as the evil King grew large tentacles, six spider-like legs from his back, and sprouted up twenty to thirty feet.  Everyone watched as the monstrous corpses were drawn towards the evil King before being absorbed into the King's body. He looked towards Kikyou, who looked up at him with disgust, and said, “You have run out of usefulness.” He shot a tentacle towards her and, ignoring her shriek of terror, absorbed her into his body.

 

Kagome watched as her mate stood before the gigantic...thing...that used to be the Eastern King.  A massive tentacle flew towards Inuyasha and slammed into his sword, sending him flying backwards.  Kagome screamed and rushed through the Western soldiers to her mate's side.

 

"Kagome, get back!" Inuyasha growled, his body aching with fatigue.

 

"No!  I can help!" she told him, looking at him worriedly.  She placed her hand on his shoulder and transferred some of her energy to him, keeping one eye on the strangely quiet Naraku.

 

'Th-that power!' Naraku thought as he watched Kagome tend her mate.  'I've only seen its equivalent once before and that was--'

 

"The jewel," Naraku spoke aloud, drawing the attention of Inuyasha and Kagome.  "The Jewel of Four Souls!  You have it!  Give it to me, girl!"  Naraku threw a tentacle at Kagome and hoisted her up in front of him.

 

Kagome shrieked when the tentacle wrapped around her and dragged her away from Inuyasha.  "Inuyasha!" she yelled, trying to grab onto her mate.

 

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he tried to grab onto her as well, but the tentacle dragged her away too fast.  'The Jewel of Four Souls?!  But that was taken care of centuries ago!' he thought frantically.

 

"You have the jewel!  Give it to me!" Naraku demanded, fending off Inuyasha with his other tentacles.

 

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kagome insisted, cursing her luck at dropping her bow and arrows in shock and fright.

 

Naraku looked at her fluctuating aura.  The power came from her.  'Could she be the jewel?!'  "You are the jewel!" Naraku proclaimed.  A hush came over the army, everyone staring at the priestess.

 

"How can I be a jewel?!  I'm human!" Kagome yelled, attempting to wiggle out of Naraku's hold.

 

"You are a priestess, and yet mated to a half-demon.  Tainted and yet pure," Naraku mumbled.

 

"I am not tainted!  I am pure of the mind!  I don't have to have a pure body!" Kagome yelled indignantly.

 

"Either way," Naraku spoke nonchalantly, "you will make a fine addition."  He smiled evilly as he drew her towards his body, his flesh starting to warp to accept her into it.  Kagome yelled, desperately fighting the flesh that started to crawl up her waist.

 

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled again, trying to rush towards her, but was again blocked by more tentacles.

 

"Kagome!" Sango and Rin yelled as they rushed forward with Miroku, Kouga and Ayame to help Inuyasha.

 

Kagome breathed heavily, trying to calm herself down and think.  She couldn't wiggle out or hope to get out with sheer force.  Could she channel her power through him like she did with her arrows?  Purify him from inside out?

 

With a determined expression shining in her eyes, she stopped struggling and vanished into the dark abyss that was Naraku.

 

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled with anguish at seeing his mate absorbed into that fowl beast.  "No, Kagome!"  He snarled, his eyes bled red and his demon markings appeared lightly on his face, his fangs and his claws all lengthened slightly, despite his tight grip on the Tetsusaiga.  He moved faster and with more deadly force, cutting through the never ending sea of tentacles to try to get to his mate.

 

"Kagome!" Rin yelled, tears in her eyes as she blasted away the slimy things.  'No, Kagome!  You can't give up!' she thought frantically, thinking back to what Miroku had told her and Sango about the jewel.

 

"The jewel," Miroku explained, "was an extremely powerful artifact.  With purity, it can do good.  Its rumored that it could even restore life and heal the wounded.  But with evil, it could cause uncontrollable damage and bring about a hell onto our world.

 

"It was thought to have been gone from our world for many centuries, no one having seen it since Midoriko, a very powerful priestess, had taken it from this world."

 

"Kagome!" Sango yelled, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

 

Naraku cackled.  "Her power!  It's mine!  You will not defeat me now!"  His laugh was suddenly stopped and he looked down at his chest, where a small beam of light pink light shone through.  "What the--?"  He yelped as he felt something burn within his chest.  Another beam of light burst from his chest and he yelled in pain, his body going rigid from pain.

 

Inuyasha watched his nemesis, stopping halfway in a lunge, his demon blood receding.

 

"NO!" Naraku yelled.  "Th-this cannot be!  She cannot still be alive!"

 

Inuyasha's hope soared.  Was his mate still alive and fighting?  'Go Kagome!  Come on, Bitch, you can beat this bastard!'

 

In a magnificent burst of light and a horrendous scream, Naraku burst into a bright flash of light pink light, blinding anyone who looked.  Inuyasha shielded his eyes and looked away.  When the light faded to a tolerable level he looked back to see Kagome hovering right where Naraku's chest had been, her eyes closed and the light seeming to seep back into her skin.  When she stopped glowing, her eyes fluttered open slightly before she fell towards the ground.

 

With a yelled curse, Inuyasha dropped his sword and launched himself towards his mate, catching her before she hit the ground.  He cradled her in his lap and rocked her back and forth, whining and whimpering for her to wake up as he nuzzled the side of her neck and cheek.

 

Kagome moaned and cracked her eyes open, squinting at the midday sun.

 

"Kagome?" she heard a familiar voice ask.  She smiled slightly at her mate before succumbing to sleep.  Inuyasha sighed in relief as his mate went to sleep.  He was soon joined by his brother, his friend and his mate's friends.

 

"Is she okay?" Sango asked, her hand clutching Miroku's sleeve fearfully.  At Inuyasha's nod, everyone sighed in relief.  Sango sagged against Miroku's arm, tears streaming down her face.

 

Their depleted ranks slowly cleaned up and readied bodies to be taken back to families for burial.  Inuyasha slowly stood up, carefully cradling Kagome to his chest as he made his way back to the fortress.  Sango and Rin eagerly followed, leaving behind Miroku and the King to supervise the clean up.

 

"That was quite a feat," Miroku commented, looking down at the slightly scorched grass.  "I didn't know that she was the jewel!"

 

"Nor did anyone else," Sesshomaru said.

 

“Quite extraordinary,” Miroku said, watching Inuyasha nuzzle his mate as he walked away. “Inuyasha is very lucky.”

 

“Indeed,” Sesshomaru agreed absent mindedly as he watched the little sorceress follow after her friend.

 

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Again, so sorry that I haven't gotten this out sooner. I hope that you don't ream me out too much for it! Please read and review! It would make me very happy.

 

~Emi