InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Story of Two Sisters ❯ Finding your path... ( Chapter 21 )

Meanwhile … Akira was drifting closer to a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel. She heard an old familiar voice calling out to her. Soon she reached the end of her journey and the light became so bright she had to take a minute to allow her eyes to adjust. There standing before her was her father.

“Akira.” Her father's voice was full of surprise and shock. He walked closer to her and hugged her tightly.

“Father,” Akira managed through her silent tears. “Where are we? What is this place?”

Her father smiled warmly at her and took her by the hand walking her through a green field towards a small stream trickling down over huge boulders embedded in the side of a small hill. Here flowers of every color and every fragrance bloomed everywhere around them. Willow trees stood sadly upon the banks as if they were weeping. Akira sat beside her father on the bank watching the water as it gently rolled by them.

“This is the afterlife my youngest daughter.” Her father said. “This is where we come when our journey on earth is done…but I fear you may have left too early.”

“Left too soon?” Akira asked confused.

“We all have a journey in life that we must take, lessons we must learn, goals we must accomplish, and you have yet to finish what has been laid before you.” He replied still gazing into the stream. “As much as I would love for you to stay here, you cannot. You must return to the land of the living to continue the path lay before you.”

Tears filled Akira's eyes, “But father I am tired of fighting…I am tired of the struggles that tear my heart apart daily.”

Her father looked at her and smiled warmly, “I know it's hard my, but those struggles, those battles are what make you stronger. Those experiences are going to be what makes you more powerful.”

Her father stood up and offered her his hand. She took it and rose up onto her feet. The two of them walked along the stream in a comfortable silence for what seemed to be quite some time. Finally they reached a cave that tunneled deep into the earth. Akira knew exactly what this cave was and what she had to do. She turned staring at her father.

“This is the passageway that will lead you back to the land of the living. Do not hesitate and do not stray from the pathway. Travel as fast as you can, for every moment that you spend…it will make your journey back more difficult.” Her father paused a moment and then hugged her tightly. “Now go…quickly.” He warned as he released her.

Akira looked at her father for a moment and then began walking into the cave. It was dark and there was nothing to show her the way through. She looked back at her father and as she did she noticed that he seemed to be getting farther away. The entrance to the cave began to close and everything outside it began to fade. She called out to her father but there was no response.

Akira awoke gasping for air but there was none. She felt the damp cool earth all around her body. She struggled to move but she could not. She felt the hilt of her sword with her left hand. `Father lend me your strength.' She said to herself and then gripped the sword with her left hand. She grit her teeth and then began to feel her sword power up and then release like a spring. The cool damp earth exploded above her and flew through the air releasing her from her grave. Taking fresh air into her lungs was difficult at first and she coughed several minutes. She pulled herself up the sides of the grave sluggishly. Her strength had been almost completely drained. She heard the quick beat of footsteps approaching from behind. She turned to see Kiade standing there wide eyed in amazement.

“You…you were dead!” She managed to say. She then rushed over to the girl helping her out of the grave.

“I won't die so easily.” She smiled at Kiade.

“How did you…?” Kiade was still in shock.

“I had a little help getting back.” Akira replied. “Where is everyone?”

“They left yesterday to search for Naraku. InuYasha was determined to find him and make him pay for your death.” Kiade replied.

Her words gave Akira some comfort, yet she was worried that he had made his move too hastily and it would cost him dearly. “What direction?!” Akira asked alarmed by the news.

Kiade pointed in the direction they had walked away in. From the side of the hill they could see a bright flicker of lights coming from the forbidden forest miles away. “Are those…could that be?” Akira started to say. Realizing she was wasting precious time she darted off.

“Wait you need to rest…you are not at your full strength yet!” Kiade warned.

But it was no use, Akira was determined she would find InuYasha and the others as quickly as she could. And she would have her revenge. As Akira sailed through the air she felt energy unlike anything she had felt before flowing freely through her body. It was almost as if she was being carried. It took her a while before she reached her destination.

 

Upon her arrival she found that Sesshoumaru and her older sister, Elandra, had joined the battle against Naraku. Sango and Miroku battled with Kohaku trying to overpower him without injuring him. And InuYasha stood protecting Kagome from Kagura and Kanna. And although this was a discouraging sight for her she still watched on.

Elandra stood by Sesshoumaru as he squared off with Naraku who was as always making his usual over confident remarks. Elandra began questioning InuYasha and Kagome on the where her sister was. InuYasha however would not answer her and Elandra's patience began to wear very thin with the hanyou. Seeing that Sesshoumaru had things well under control she leaped over to InuYasha and stared him down blocking Kagura from view.

“I'll ask you again…” she said with her eyes flashing green. “Where is my sister?!”

InuYasha only stared back at her angered by her interference in his battle. Kagome peered over his shoulder and answered for him, “She...she died.”

“What!?” Elandra's eyes became a constant green. She drew out her sword. “You allowed my sister to die?!”

Kagura had been watching with a grin on her face. She then attacked all three of them at once trying to kill off all three of them with one attack. Sesshoumaru's keen senses picked up the attack and he rushed to defend Elandra from her blades of wind leaving Naraku unattended. Elandra turned and watched as Sesshoumaru deflected the blades of wind saving her life.

“Deal with him later!” Sesshoumaru ordered her. “We have more pressing issues right now.”

Kagura's guard was down as all her attention was placed on her opponents standing before her. She failed to see or feel the purple serge of power that cut through the trees behind her until it was too late. She tried to dodge the attack but was not able to escape it all. The very edges of the serge of energy caught her before she was able to make it off the ground. She screamed in pain as the light cut its way across her body shredding part of her kimono and leaving deep wounds on her right side.

InuYasha, Kagome, Elandra, and Sesshoumaru stared in anticipation. As the energy from the attack subsided and the dust cleared they saw Akira walking through the haze. Her wounds had healed themselves, though her clothes were still torn and tattered in places. She walked confidently with eyes glowing blue and her sword in her left hand.

Kagura lay on the ground fear in her eyes. “I killed you. You were dead!”

Akira walked up to Kagura and placed her sword to her neck. “I will not die so easily.” Her sword began to spark with energy again as it drew power to finish the job.

Naraku had watched the whole thing. Although at times he despised Kagura she was still a valuable asset to him. He began to move towards the scene when Sesshoumaru and InuYasha intercepted him. He narrowed his eyes annoyed by their obstruction of his plan to assist Kagura.

Kagome and Elandra stood in amazement as Kanna approached with her mirror. Elandra felt an eerie feeling, one that she had felt before and turned to see Kanna standing with her mirror aimed towards them.

“Look out!” Elandra warned and then took Kagome by the arm pulling her out of harms way.

Kagome in turn drew and arrow from her quiver and took aim at the mirror. She pulled back and released the arrow destroying the mirror. Elandra, still having her sword drawn released a bright green serge of energy at the albino girl. Kanna began to fade into the mist but the attack reached her and she could not escape. The green energy shredded her until she disappeared into a bright white dust. With the immediate danger over the two turned their attention to Akira who was still holding Kagura hostage.

Her sword was swirling with a bright purple force and she raised it high into the air and brought it down as hard as she could on Kagura releasing the pent up energy. Kagura screamed and struggled to get away but soon she two was nothing more than a pile of dust lying on the ground. Akira looked over to her sister who was smiling proudly at her.

“Come on!” Akira called to her sister. “Let's help the others.”

Kagome stood in amazement. She noticed that the Akira's demonic aura was much stronger than before. She seemed to be just as powerful as her sister whom was a full blooded demon. She stood and watched as the two darted off towards the battle that was already taking place with Naraku. She rushed over to help Sango and Miroku.

When the two sisters arrived Sesshoumaru and InuYasha were repeatedly slicing away at long squid-like appendages that Naraku was sending forth from inside his barrier. The two sisters soon joined in.

“It's useless!” InuYasha yelled. “We have to get through his barrier.”

“Can't you use your Tetsuaiga?” Elandra asked.

“He's grown too powerful. My sword can't break his barrier anymore.” InuYasha answered. “Where's Kagome?”

“She went to help Miroku and Sango.” Akira informed him. She then noticed some level of worry and confusion on InuYasha's face. The comment was enough to allow Naraku to catch him off guard and send him flying back.

In the distance Kagome heard his yell as he flew through the air and rushed to check on him. Akira held her ground and kept Naraku from reaching him again.

“Are you alright?” Kagome asked frantically.

“I'll be fine.” InuYasha said standing up and dusting himself off. “Kagome I need you to help break his barrier.” She nodded in agreement and followed him back to the battle scene.

Kagome drew and arrow and aimed for Naraku. InuYasha held out his sword as the wind scar began to swirl around the blade. Noticing what was happening everyone took a step back to stay clear. Kagome released her arrow and a few seconds later InuYasha released a wind scar towards Naraku. Sesshoumaru noticed what they were doing and called to Elandra to attack with all the power she could manage. Akira followed her older sister's lead.

Kagome's arrow struck Naraku's barrier disarming it. InuYasha's wind scar plowed across the earth right behind it. Although it wasn't enough to kill Naraku it was enough to buy enough time for Sesshoumaru and the others to attack. All at once the light blue power of Tokijin joined by the bright green and purple power from the two sisters struck Naraku. He fought to hold his body together but it was no use. With his body torn into thousands of different pieces Kagome pointed out the sacred jewel. InuYasha was quick to take hold of it and then hand it to Kagome. In an instant the clouded jewel became clear once again.

As Sango and Miroku battled Kohaku they noticed a change in him. He stopped attacking them and then as if by some strange force he fell to the ground unconscious. Sango rushed over to him and then looked back to see Kagome holding the jewel in her hand. They placed Kohaku onto Kirara's back and joined up with the others.