InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The real you ❯ The earth youkai ( Chapter 5 )

I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA. HE IS THE PROPERTY OF RUMIKO TAKAHASHI.

 

Inuyasha and the others ran inside the cave after the clay puppet that Souta made. It appeared that somehow it caught life, stole the bottle with shards from Kagomes' neck and disappeared into the cave.

-“How could a clay doll just came to life?!” Shippou asked as he was on Mirokus' shoulder.

-“I do not know, Shippou,” Miroku said then turned to Kagome. “Kagome-sama, do you really felt jyaki coming from the doll?”

-“I'm positive! I felt jyaki but only after we were close to the cave.”

Miroku thought for a minute.

-“There could be a chance that the youkai we're fighting could manipulate any type of soil and that could be the cause of the puppet coming alive.”

-“Could be…”

As they went deeper in the cave it began to get darker and darker.

-“Damnit! It's too dark! I've lost that fucking doll!” Inuyasha growled.

-“Hold on! I've got some flashlights in my bag!” Kagome said as she searched her bag in search of the flashlights. She found two of them. “Now it should be better,” she said as she turned on hers, sending light on the walls.

They continued walking on the corridor until they saw some shapes coming out of the shadows.

-“Hello? Is anybody there?” Kagome asked but the shapes remained still.

-“Is it the youkai?” Shippou said shaking with fear.

-“I don't think so, Shippou,” Sango said.

They approached the shapes with caution but as they approached the shaped became more detailed. On every side of the cave the shapes of human statues began to appear. Some of them were in normal villager clothes but others were in samurai clothes.

-“I think that these were the fighters that the daimyo sent to kill the youkai,” Miroku said.

-“How terrible,” Kagome said.

A whistle was heard from the end of the corridor. It was the puppet.

-“Get him!” Inuyasha yelled as he dashed to it.

-“Inuyasha, wait!” Kagome said and ran after him.

-“Na, na, na, na, na, na!” the doll stuck his tongue out.

-“Why you!” Inuyasha roared. As he was about to reach it, the doll vanished in the ground. “What the-!” he didn't finish because he was swallowed by the earth.

-“Inuyasha! Ahhhhh!” Kagome ran after him but she too was swallowed, only her backpack remaining.

-“Inuyasha! Kagome!” Shippou yelled as he ran to the place where the two disappeared in the ground.

-“Where are they?” Sango asked worried.

-“I don't know, Sango, but I think that we must find them quickly before anything bad happens to them!”

-“I hope they're alright, Kagome doesn't have her backpack! What if they're injured?!” Shippou worried.

-“Relax, Shippou, we will find them!” Miroku reassured him. “Let's go!”

They began running on the corridor hoping that their friends are okay.

 

~*~*~*~

 

-“Kagome! Hey, Kagome! Wake up!”

-“Wha?” Kagome said as she awaked from unconsciousness.

-“You okay?”

-“I think so…Inuyasha? Is that you?”

-“Yeah it's me,” he reassured her, embracing her.

Kagome nuzzled at his chest, hearing his heartbeat. She then got up but she couldn't see a thing. It was darker than the place they were before. Inuyasha grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He could smell her anxiety.

-“Don't worry, I'm here.”

-“I know that, but I'm still scared. It's too dark and we don't know what lurks in here. And my flashlight is broken too!”

Inuyasha kissed her brow and she blushed.

-“Don't worry, I can see in the dark. My senses are better than the human ones. We'll find a way out.”

-“Okay,” she said as a part of her fear disappeared.

He held her close as they walked in the darkness. Kagome numbered the seconds as they passed. Two minutes seemed like two hours. The only thing she could hear was the sounds of their hearts, their breathing, some water dropping and the sound of the underground. It sent shivers down her spine and she got closer to Inuyasha. She began to rub her arms.

-“Are you cold?” Inuyasha asked her.

-“A little…We are in the underground at it isn't any light…” she said before Inuyasha took her bride-style pulling her closer.

-“Better?” he asked.

-“Uh-huh,” she said as she nuzzled into the warmth of his haori.

She was grateful that Inuyasha was with her. He had higher sensed than her and he could see in the dark better than her. If it wasn't for him they would be falling in a hole.

-“Whaaaa-!!!” *bam* “Ow! What happened?!” Kagome said as she rubbed her sore ankle.

-“I think we've fallen in a hole,” Inuyasha said as he rubbed his chin after falling face-first.

-“But you said that you could see in the dark!” Kagome yelled at him.

-“Hey! I ain't a bat or a cat, wench! I can see in the dark when outside! Here I can see like a human can see in dark!”

-“Yeah, whatever…what's done it's done…” she tried to stand before she flinched. “Ow!”

-“What's wrong?” Inuyasha asked but the smell of her blood came to his nose. “Kagome, are you hurt?!”

-“I think I've strained my ankle and I think that I've cut my knee too.”

-“Here, let me see…” Inuyasha said as he began to sniff his way to her wound. It was the ankle alright. The smell of her blood was filling his senses. He really had to disinfect the wound but they haven't got Kagome's backpack. Unless… “Kagome, do you trust me?”

-“Yes, I do, but why?”

-“We need to disinfect the wound.”

-“I know that but we haven't got my backpack.”

-“I know a way but you have to trust me.”

-“Okay…”

Inuyasha nodded. Kagome waited to see what his reaction will be until she felt something wet on her knee.

-`Is he…? Is he licking my knee?!' Kagome screamed in her mind and her face became as red as she could become. A thought crossed her mind then. `Oh, yeah, Sango-chan did tell me that youkai saliva has disinfecting properties, but I didn't know that hanyou saliva did the same…'

She was touched by Inuyashas' gesture. He didn't do it directly to scare the soul out of her. He first warned her and because of that she was grateful. She was grateful but also a little scared. Feeling his tongue lapping on her knee brought some images in her head; images from some of her not so normal dreams of hers, dreams in which Inuyashas' tongue was licking across her body, on her breasts, stomach and across her most intimate part of hers. She shook her head.

-`Stop thinking of such things! This isn't the perfect spot to have these thoughts!' she screamed in her mind then sighed. `Tell it to my 18 year old teenage girl hormones and to my not so pure imagination…'

Inuyasha was taking care of her knee, unaware of her thoughts in that moment, until a very specific scent waved to his sensitive nose. He was punched right in the face and his eyes almost rolled from the intensity. Kagome's body was calling out to him and it took the last ounce of power in his body to place the thought aside.

-`It is from the close contact. It is from the close contact. It is from the close contact…' he repeated in his mind, trying to keep his instincts and his wilder part of his mind under control. He ripped a part of his haori and wrapped her wound with it. “That should do it.”

-“Thank you,” Kagome said.

Inuyasha nodded and carried her bride-style. Her ankle will heal in a couple of days. They continued walking on the corridor until some light appeared at the end. Inuyasha hurried to the light, hoping that it was the outside, but as they got closer it became more evident that it wasn't the way out. They arrived at a chamber which was composed of a platform surrounded by a chasm. Some torches were burning on the walls.

-“Damnit! A dead end!” Inuyasha growled then heard a sound from behind him. He turned around and saw the exit closing. “What the-!” he began to punch the wall but it was no use, the wall was hard, the corridor disappearing.

-“What's happening?! Did the door just sealed?!” Kagome said worried.

-Damnit! That youkai tricked us! He has us right where he wants us!'

Laughter was heard and the clay doll appeared from the middle of the platform.

-“Looks like you have fallen into my trap,” it said.

-“Why you little piece of shit!” Inuyasha growled as he cracked his knuckles. “Give us the shards back!”

-“Give the shards back?” the doll laughed. “Why should I do that when I can do this…”

Kagome gasped as she saw something shining in his chest.

-“The Shikon shards are in him!”

-“What?!” Inuyasha said.

The doll began to grow and grow, catching human form. Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga and placed Kagome behind him, protecting her from what could happen. The doll caught shape more and more, the once brown soil catching color and texture. Smooth skin covered his body; sand gathered and formed his hair and clothes. The sand became silky silver hair and his clothes were red as the fire-rat fur. What caught Kagomes' total attention were his golden eyes and the specific triangular appendages on top of his head. The figure laughed. In front of them stood an identical copy of Inuyasha.

-“What kind of trickery is this!?” Inuyasha roared.

-“This is the power of the Shikon no Tama,” the doll became Inuyasha said, with an equal Inuyasha voice.

-“But how is this possible? You were just a clay doll!” Kagome said.

-“I wasn't just a doll, wench!” the youkai said. “I was merely a part of the youkai who terrorized the village but I was asleep because in your world there isn't enough youki to energize me. Returning here, I recharged with youki and came back to life. Now, thanks to these shards and the shape your brother gave me, I will take that hanyous' place and bring chaos to this land!” the youkai laughed.

-“You ain't taking my place, you piece of shit!” Inuyasha growled as he launched at the demon. “See how you like my Tetsusaiga!”

Sand gathered in the demons' hand and an identical Tetsusaiga appeared in his hand, parrying the attack.

-“What?!”

-“Keh! You thought that I'll fight without my Tetsusaiga?” the youkai smirked.

-“There's only one Tetsusaiga and that's mine!” Inuyasha roared and attacked again. “See how you like this!”

Kagome looked at the two fighting Inuyasha. The youkai was one of them but she didn't know which one. There has to be some way to figure which one way the real one!

-`There could be a chance…I could sit him but…if the real one does sit and the other doesn't….the real Inuyasha could be in trouble. There has to be something!' she saw one of them being cut with the claws on the chest. “Inuyasha!”

-“That's not me, Kagome!” one of them said.

-“Stay back, Kagome!” the other one said.

Kagome was in a delicate situation. The youkai was acting like Inuyasha. He was using the power of the Shikon Shards! The shards…That's right! The false Inuyasha should have the shards within him! She looked in his body, searching for a trace of them. She saw none.

-`What?! This is impossible! They were in him a few minutes ago…unless…He did say that he was a part of the youkai! Then…the shards are somewhere else! This is bad! I don't know which the real Inuyasha is!' She gasped as she saw the other one being slashed across the back. They were fighting brutally, already having wounds on their bodies.

-“Stop playing and show your real face!” Inuyasha 1 said.

-“Keh! Like I'd do that! You're the real youkai!” Inuyasha 2 yelled.

-“Kagome, don't believe him!” they both said.

Kagome didn't know what to do. She felt hopeless just watching them fight. She had to do something or her Inuyasha will be dead if they wouldn't stop.

-`Which one is he?!'

 

~*~*~*~

 

Miroku, Sango and Shippou were still searching for Inuyasha and Kagome after they disappeared in the ground.

-“I hope they're alright…” Shippou said.

-“Don't worry, Shippou, Inuyasha is with Kagome and nothing will happen to her,” Miroku reassured him.

-“I know that but…what if they ran into the youkai?! What if they're injured?! They don't have Kagomes' bag with them! Kagome always has something in her bag to help!”

-“That's another reason to find them quickly,” Sango said. “The youkai could be anywhere! He is an earth youkai! The mountain is his lair and he could appear anywhere.”

-“You mean that he could appear right here and right now?!” Shippou shake as he held Miroku tighter.

-“That could be a possibility…”

Kirara growled sensing something.

-“What is it, Kirara?” Sango asked but Kirara was already running down the corridor.

-“Kirara! Where are you going?!” Shippou yelled after her.

-“Let's go!” Miroku said as he went after the nekomata.

They ran after Kirara until they arrived into a dead end. Sango ran to her.

-“What is it, Kirara? You felt something?”

Kirara growled approvingly. Miroku looked around.

-“I understand what Kirara felt. This place is full of youki.”

-“You mean this is where the youkai is?” Shippou asked.

-“Exactly.”

-“Not bad for some mere humans,” they all heard and readied their weapons.

In that moment the exit closed and from the middle of the room the earth began taking shape of a golem. It had spikes on his back and on his shoulders, and his claws were sharp as knifes. He opened his red eyes and glanced at his opponents.

-“So, you are the ones who try to defeat me.”

-“Where are Inuyasha and Kagome?!” Shippou yelled.

-“Don't worry; the hanyou and the miko are playing with one of my puppets. I'm sure that they're having fun. They're just having a game of “Guess which one is the real hanyou”,” the youkai laughed.

-“What do you mean by that?!”

The youkai tsk-ed.

-“I thought that you all know better. The clay puppet was all along a part of my body. When it arrived back in this time, it awaked from its slumber and stole the Jewel shards from the mikos' neck. Now, thanks to all of the shards, I have grater power and I will kill you lot!”

The youkai attacked the group with a rain of earth spikes. Sango protected them with her Hiraikotsu.

-“What do we do?!” Shippou asked. “He's so big! How do we defeat him?!”

-“If Kagome-chan would be here she would have seen where the shards are,” Sango said.

Miroku grabbed some ofudas from his kimono and said a prayer.

-“Sango, watch my back! Shippou, remain here.”

-“You got it!”

Sango jumped on Kirara and flew above the youkai.

-“Take this! Hiraikotsu!”

She threw her giant boomerang. The youkai raised one of his arms and punched the boomerang, sending it back to Sango. She caught it in midair.

-“You have to do better than that, woman!” the demon said as he threw three spears from his back to her. Kirara used her agility to avoid the spears.

-“Houshi-sama! Now!” Sango yelled, catching the youkais' attention.

-“What the-?!” youkai said as he turn to the monk.

Miroku ran to him and threw the ofudas. They stuck on the demons' chest and the youkai screamed.

-“Now, Sango! Hit him on the ofudas!”

-“Here goes!” Sango yelled as she threw her boomerang and it hit the youkai directly in the chest, breaking the youkai apart. It crashed to the ground in pieces with a loud noise and a cloud of dust. There was a moment of silence.

-“Did we get him?” Shippou asked from behind the rock he hid.

-“I don't know…” Sango said but still vigilant.

Miroku approached the youkais' remains and took one ofuda from his robes.

-“I will place this youkai spirit to peace.”

As he was about to place the ofuda on the rock, the earth beneath his feet became mud and Miroku began to sink in it.

-“Miroku!” Shippou yelled.

Laughter was heard and the remains of the demon changed as well. A blob rose from the puddle pulling Miroku with him as well.

-“Thought you can defeat me?! I'm an earth youkai. My body could take any forms from mud to sand to rock.” He moved Miroku in his hand. “Now I will crush this monk under tons of mud!” He began to pull Miroku deeper under the mud.

-“Houshi-sama!” Sango yelled. “Let him go! Hiraikotsu!”

The boomerang flew and it cut the youkais' hand in which Miroku was. The hand fell and Shippou ran to it.

-“Don't worry, Miroku. I'll get you out!” the kit said as he used his Kitsunebi to dry the mud of Miroku.

Miroku freed himself from the earthy trap.

-“Thanks, Shippou.”

-“No problem. We must help Sango now!”

Miroku looked as Sango was trying to fight with the youkai. She threw the boomerang, trying to cut yet another part of him but it stuck in the youkais' mud.

-“Want your boomerang?” the youkai laughed. “Here, I'll give it to you!” the youkai roared as he threw the boomerang to her, hitting Kirara with it.

The nekomata roared in pain as she fell to the ground. It crashed with Sango on top. Miroku and Shippou ran to her.

-“Sango! Kirara!” Shippou yelled.

Miroku grabbed Sango and shook her.

-“Sango, are you alright.”

Sango rose but a pain in her shoulder made her flinch.

-“I think that I've dislocated my shoulder.” She tried to get up but flinched again.

Shippou saw something red dropping on the ground.

-“Sango, you're bleeding!”

Miroku looked at her leg and saw a gash on her thigh. He frowned.

-“Shippou, take care of Sangos' injuries.”

-“Wait! Don't tell me that you will fight alone!” Sango yelled.

Miroku turned to her and smiled.

-“If it means protecting the one I love, I'll do anything,” he said and went before the demon.

The demon looked at him and laughed.

-“You think that you can defeat me alone? Let's see how good you are at this!” the demon turned to his rock form again and threw some spears at him. Miroku dodges some of them but one struck him in the left shoulder. He fell to the ground holding the spear.

-“Miroku! Watch out!” Shippou yelled as he saw the demon throwing another row of spears.

Miroku pushed the pain aside and dodged them. He was breathing hard. There was only one chance left but it was with a price. He had to take his chances. He ran straight to the demon pulling an ofuda from his robes.

-“Oh, no! you're not fooling me with that again!” the demon said as he turned into sand and encircled Miroku. He then turned to his rock form again and brought him to his face. Miroku was trying to set free from his grasp. “There's no use escaping. How would you like if I rip you limb from limb?”

-“Miroku!” Shippou yelled.

-“Houshi-sama!” Sango yelled.

The youkai saw Miroku smile.

-“Why are you smiling? Lost your mind already?”

-“No,” Miroku answered as he looked the demon in the eyes. “I'm just happy that you took the bait.”

-“What?”

In that moment Miroku released his cursed hand from the youkais' grasp. He brought it to his mouth and removed the beads from around the hand with his teeth.

-“Take this! Kazaana!”

As he opened the Wind tunnel, the demon began to be sucked. His arm began disappearing being pulled into the void.

-“ What's this!? I can't release myself! Arghhh!” the demon roared as he was sucked up.

A light erupted from his body and vanished in the ground. Miroku sucked up the rest of the demon and sealed his hand. He fell on his knees breathing hard.

-“Miroku, you did it! You destroyed the demon!” Shippou yelled happily.

Miroku raised and went to them. He saw that Shippou already tended to Sangos' wound and that she already took care of her shoulder and she could move it better. Sango looked at him.

-“Where are the shards?”

-“I think that the shards disappeared from the demon before he was sucked up.”

-“You mean the light we saw?”

-“Yes,” he nodded. “And I'm afraid that Inuyasha and Kagome will have a tougher time by now.”

-“We have to help them!” Shippou said.

They saw that the exit opened again. The demon was the one who kept the exit closed. Sango tended to Mirokus' injures and in the mean time Kirara awakened from unconsciousness. Luckily she didn't have any important wounds. They all climbed on her and they went in search of the others.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Tears streamed on Kagomes' cheeks as she looked at the fight of the two Inuyashas. She didn't know which one was him. They looked alike, acted alike and talked alike. She couldn't resist the fact that her Inuyasha, the one that she loves more than life itself, was one of the wounded hanyous that she saw fighting and was scared that he would be killed. Both of them had horrible gashes across their bodies. They gave up fighting with the swords and chose to fight bare hands. Every time she saw one of them being slashed, her heart stopped. She knew that one of them was the demon but she couldn't help it. One of them was the true Inuyasha.

-“Still don't give up!?” one of them said.

-“Keh! I won't give up until I have your fucking head!”

They began fighting again. Their clothes were ripped into pieces and soaked in their blood.

-`What should I do?! If they will keep on fighting Inuyasha will be killed! Kami, give me a sign!'

In that moment, the room was filled by a pink light that disappeared. Kagome gasped.

-`The shards! I can feel the shards!!!' She looked around the room to see the place of the shards. She heard one of the two Inuyashas:

-“What the fuck?! What happened?!”

She turned to the one who talked and saw the pieces of the Shikon no Tama shining in him.

-“So, you're the phony!” she said as she pointed to one of them. “I can sense the Jewel shards in you!”

-“Damn!” the youkai growled.

-“Heh, looks like your act is finally over, youkai!” Inuyasha pulled Tetsusaiga out and attacked him but the demon dodged it jumping backwards.

-“You won't kill me! The shards are in me and I'm stronger than you!”

-“We'll see about that!” Kagome yelled as she ran to him, despite her sore ankle, and purified him, sending him a few meters away. As he was purified, the piece with the Shikon shards came off the youkai along with a part of his body.

-“My shards!”

-“They aren't your shards you piece of shit!” Inuyasha said as he placed the sword at the back of the youkais' neck. “Say your prayers!”

In that moment the youkai disappeared in the earth only to reappear a few feet away. He began running to Kagome who was standing close to the edge of the cliff.

-“You wench!” the demon roared as he transformed one of his arms into a sharp blade. “How dare you purify me and make me loose the shards!!!”

Kagome was terrified. She was at the edge of the cliff and couldn't co anywhere.

-“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled and began to run after the demon with a speed he didn't know he had. The fear of loosing Kagome gave him new powers. The demon raised his arm ready to cut Kagome's neck. “Get down, Kagome!!!”

Kagome didn't wait any minute and ducked. Inuyasha punched the demon with his shoulder, the power of the contact sending them both off the cliff.

-“Inuyasha!” Kagome yelled and quicker than she was in her entire life, she turned around and tightly grabbed Inuyashas' hand.

Inuyasha was waiting to fall into the endless chasm until he felt a soft hand grabbing his. The next thing he felt was the collision with the wall. He opened his eyes and saw Kagomes' fear-stricken ones.

-“Kagome?!”

-“Don't you dare give up on me!” she yelled, tears streaming on her eyes. “I won't let you die on me!”

In that moment, Inuyasha felt something heavy on his leg. He looked at it and saw the fake Inuyasha.

-“I'm going to take you to hell with me!” He began to get heavier. Kagome was having difficulties holding them both. “And I'll bring your woman with us too,” the youkai smirked.

Inuyasha snarled and turned to Kagome. He saw that she was giving all she got to pull him but the extra weight was too much to her. He could already see exhaustion on her features. There was only one choice but…

-`Kagome's life values more than mine!'

He turned to her. Kagome looked at his face and saw his sad smile. She realized what he had in mind and shook her head.

-“No, Inuyasha! Please! There has to be another way!” She flinched as the weight grew.

-“Ha, ha, ha! I'm gonna have you both!” the youkai laughed.

-“I'm sorry, Kagome…” Inuyasha said his eyes full of regret.

-“No! Please, no!”

-“I love you…” Inuyasha said and he released her hand.

Kagomes' eyes became wide as he said the three words, and tears began streaming on her face. She then felt his hand loose and the last thing she saw was him falling in the abyss.

-“Inuyasha!!!” she cried, her cry resonating on the walls.

That pain-stricken cry was the same Inuyasha heard as he fell in the darkness. He closed his eyes, a single tear dropping from them, as he waited for the inevitable.

-`I'm sorry, Kagome…'

Only a miracle could save him now…

 

~*~*~*~

 

I know! I know! I'm evil, but please don't kill me!

I'll promise I'll make up in the next chapter! ;)