InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Way Ice Can Turn Into Sun ❯ Naraku's Soul; Midoriko's Awakening ( Chapter 16 )

N/A:

The final confrontation is about to begin so grab on to your chibi plushies and don't forget to breathe! I don't need any more dead readers! :)

 

 

 

 

Chapter 16: Naraku's Soul, Midoriko's Awakening

 

 

 

Naraku entered the room of the sleeping girl. He had intended to wake her up instantly, but instead he found himself approaching her in silence.

She was so...still and peaceful. Her pale naked shoulder came out of the blanket and soft golden hair enframed her beautiful face. Not knowing why, he leaned closer to her face and felt her warm breath on his skin. His long dark hair touched her neck and she opened dark sleepy eyes.

“Nara...ku” She whispered, half-asleep.

His hand gently stroked her face as she looked with surprise into his eyes.

He suddenly snapped back to reality, it was like he had been hypnotized. This woman was dangerous to him and still...he wanted her badly.

Kumiko felt strange, it was like she was still asleep and she felt another presence within her. She didn't hate Naraku, she knew that now. She didn't hate anyone. Naraku was a tortured soul, she felt compassion for him.

Wait just a minute, WHAT? Compassion for him?

Yes, another voice inside her released a soft, relaxing wave of peace into her whole body.

Let me handle him, the voice whispered.

She didn't know who the voice was, but she knew it meant her no harm so she backed up in a small corner of her mind, letting the other presence take over.

Naraku's hand extended to rip the blanket off of the girl's body but she quickly placed her small hand over his and asked in a soft, low voice:

“Why?”

“Because...I want you.” He answered, a part of him wanting to tear the blanket apart with his claws, the other not wanting to remove his hand from under hers. He felt her heartbeat and somehow he realized it wasn't only her body that he wanted. In his little cat and mouse game he had made the greatest mistake, he had fallen in love with her.

But how was that even possible, how could he feel pure love? He asked himself, not removing his eyes from her face. The girl sat perfectly still, holding her soft little hand on his. And suddenly he realized and pulled away from her. Even unable to control it and not knowing how to use it, she had Midoriko's power. All this time of being so close to her...and he realized only now. His soul was beginning to be purified.

He ignored his feelings and approached her again, grabbing her fragile neck.

“Call the shards. Now.” He spat, fighting with himself.

He reached and pulled something from around his neck. It was the almost complete Shikon no Tama and its corrupted dark color had started to fade away.

It started to float to her and regained its light purple color.

Kumiko felt strange when she saw the jewel. Like it was a part of her.

“It shouldn't be shattered; it has to be whole again.” Said the soft voice.

Suddenly a bright light surrounded her and she rose into the air.

“Midoriko has awoken.” Naraku was expecting that and he quickly erected a barrier to protect himself from the purifying energy.

 

Kagome's shards started to glow brighter and tremble inside the little bottle around her neck. She almost got cut as the thin glass broke and the shards flew out with incredible speed.

“What the fuck was that?” Inuyasha's voice broke the silence.

“Something's calling the shards.” Kagome said slowly. “I think it's Kumiko.”

“Let's go, Kagome-sama!” Miroku said jumping on Kirara, behind Sango.

Kagome got on Inuyasha's back and they followed the shards as fast as they could.

 

 

“Aaarghhh!” The prince of the wolf youkai tribe growled in pain as the Shikon shards in his legs tried to brake free. They shot out of his bleeding flesh and flew away into the night.

“Kouga? Are you all right?” His tribesmen gathered around him looking dumbstruck after the run-away shards.

 

 

More shards were now spinning around Kumiko, who's figure was now barely visible in the orb of light. Her golden hair was flying around her and her eyes were closed as she held both her hands on her chest.

Naraku watched her with widened eyes. She looked like a goddess, with light coming out of her body and surrounded by tiny purple glowing shards.

The shards started to gather closer to her heart and a huge burst of purple light shot out as they were fusing. Time seemed to stop when they were millimeters away from each other and then started moving faster as they merged into the Shikon no Tama. The whole jewel now floated in the air in front of Kumiko. She held her arms around it and opened her dark eyes, which bared a tint of green and contrasted beautifully with the bright light she was covered in.

“What is your wish, Naraku?” She spoke with the voice of two women.

Naraku's inner struggle suddenly got stronger; he didn't know what he wanted anymore.

“Power” One side of him was whispering. The other side knew his only wish was to have her.

“No!” He yelled in his mind.

“I will not feel such a pathetic emotion, I am Naraku, my only desire is power!” But he could not bring himself to say it out loud.

Her calm voices interrupted his interior torment:

“Your soul wishes to be purified. Why do you resist it?”

“Shut up, bitch!” He growled, “You know nothing of my soul!”

His face looked tortured, as if he was about to rip himself apart and his barrier disappeared.

 

Suddenly the door to the room burst open as Sesshoumaru stormed in. He remained stone still, trying to figure out what was happening. He spotted Kumiko in the orb of light, holding the complete Shikon no Tama. He saw Naraku just at the moment his barrier disappeared and pulled out his sword, charging.

To his surprise, he was gently lifted in the air before he reached Naraku. He heard Kumiko's soft voice inside of his mind:

“No, Sesshoumaru...you must not kill him.”

Kumiko/Midoriko turned her dark eyes full of compassion to Naraku.

“You are in pain. I will help you.” She said in a low voice.

He growled and grabbed his head with both hands, falling on his knees. She extended her hands and a barrier appeared around Sesshoumaru. Then she raised the jewel above her head and closed her eyes.

An explosion of shining white light came from the jewel and filled the whole room. Sesshoumaru covered his eyes and could feel, even through the barrier, the burns from her purifying energy. Suddenly the light disappeared and so did the barrier around the taiyoukai. He fell on his feet and saw the girl crumbled on the floor in front of him.

Suddenly her body contorted and she let out a small cry as her hand clutched to her chest.

A bluish light came out of her and she started to shake uncontrollably as the figure of a woman materialized in the air. She extended her hand to the broken girl and some of the light returned to her body, making her shaking cease. Kumiko opened her eyes and tried weakly to get up on one knee. Sesshoumaru knitted his brows upon recognizing the misty figure. It was Midoriko. His golden orbs narrowed at the thought that she might want to live on, like the undead miko, and take Kumiko's soul. How do you fight a ghost? He wondered briefly. The figure covered in bluish light did not open her mouth, yet Sesshoumaru heard her words clearly:

“Thank you, Kumiko.”

The golden-haired miko looked with astonishment at her previous self.

“My soul is no longer trapped, thanks to you, I am now in peace. My presence in this world is no longer needed.”

Kumiko smiled warmly and said:

“I'll miss you.”

But then suddenly remembering something she said quickly:
”How did Naraku manage to enter my world? What if it will happen again, with other demons? We have to do something!”

“He never reached your world. It was all an illusion to get you to do his bidding. Your world is safe.”

Kumiko sighed with relief not being able to suppress a small spark of admiration for Naraku's intelligence.

“What will happen now?” She asked the misty figure.

The warrior miko's eyes seemed to fill with tears as she continued:

“You, who are pure of heart, forgive me.” Her voice was a mere whisper.

“For what?” Kumiko asked.

The light began to dissipate along with Midoriko's figure and the answer was a whisper of unspoken words. The girl crumbled to the ground again, feeling an emptiness inside her chest.

The taiyoukai rushed to Kumiko's side, not even noticing Naraku unconscious on the floor a few feet away.

Sesshoumaru took her in his lap and her body was unexpectedly warm. Feeling his touch, she opened her dark, almost lifeless eyes and whispered weakly, trying to smile:

“Morning Sesshoumaru...”

He held her to his chest tightly, but quickly released her realizing that she was breathing hard.

“What happened?” He asked, his eyes filled with concern.

“They have been purified...all the youkai souls in the Shikon no Tama...and Naraku's” She answered in a low voice.

“Where is it?”

“The jewel? It's back in its rightful place...inside here.” She took his hand and placed it on her chest where her heart was beating slowly.

“Are you hurt?” He asked, checking her for injuries.

“I'm fine...just hungry.” She answered, smiling.

He smiled back and leaned to her, kissing the soft lips he had missed so much. Unfortunately, he didn't get to taste them properly as he sensed a very familiar scent.

“Inuyasha's coming...late as usual.” He said, raising his head.

Confirming his words, his brother's group burst into the room. Kagome ran to Kumiko's side and asked her in a concerned tone:
”Are you ok? Where's Naraku?”

“I'm fine...Behind you.”

Kumiko burst into laughs as Kagome jumped two feet away at the sight of the unconscious Naraku.

“He's dead already? I didn't get my revenge!” Inuyasha growled nervously.

“The reason for that is that you are slow.” Sesshoumaru stated.

Inuyasha pulled out his sword, snarling at his brother:

“Since that bastard's dead, I'll fight you instead!”

The taiyoukai got up slowly and reached for his sword with a bored expression on his beautiful face.

“Stop playing around, Naraku's not dead...” Kumiko said, bursting into laughs again at the sight of their expressions.

“I'll fix that!” Inuyasha shouted and raised the Tessaiga, aiming it at Naraku's throat.

“Stop! Don't do that!” Kumiko yelled, getting up to stop the hanyou. “Oh, no” She thought, rushing towards Inuyasha. “I'm not gonna make it in time!”

The sound of two swords clinging filled her ears. Sesshoumaru had stopped Inuyasha's sword with his own just millimeters away from Naraku's neck.

“Are you deaf?” the demon lord's icy voice came.

Inuyasha backed off, growling loudly:

“What is it with all of you? That's NARAKU you're protecting!”

“It is and it isn't” Came Kumiko's soft voice.

All eyes turned to her as she said slowly:

“Midoriko purified his soul. He is no longer Naraku, because he is human now. And he will probably remember nothing when he wakes up.”

“And that's it? We're letting the bastard go just like that?!” Inuyasha couldn't believe his ears.

“His evil, corrupted soul has been purified. It no longer exists. The Naraku who has hurt you is now gone.” She informed him.

“Kumiko-sama, please explain to us what happened.” Miroku asked her.

“I'm not really sure what happened, but I'll try to explain. First I want to get out of here. And we shouldn't be here when he wakes up.”

“But won't he be confused waking up in an empty house with no memories?” Kagome asked.

“Who the fuck cares?!” Inuyasha replied. “You wanna baby-sit Naraku now? Geez woman, you really are stupid.”

“Inuyasha...” Kagome whispered in a soft voice. “Osuwari!”

The hanyou hit the ground with a heavy sound.

“When he will find a human village, he will be told he is Kagewaki-sama, the young master of some other village's castle. At least his secret identity served for something in the end.” Kumiko said.

Sango approached Kumiko timidly:

“Is the jewel...whole again?” She managed to say in a trembling voice.

“Yes. It is gone now.” She answered.

Tears flooded Sango's eyes and Kagome patted her shoulder, saying:

“It's okay now, Sango-chan. He is free from Naraku and has joined your father.”

Sango nodded weakly and walked out of the room.

Kumiko turned questioning eyes to Kagome, who spoke slowly:
”Sango-chan's little brother, Kohaku, had a Shikon shard in his back. Naraku was controlling him that way. The shard was the only thing keeping him alive.”

“Oh...” Kumiko lowered her eyes, feeling a little guilt.

“You did the right thing.” Kagome stated firmly. “Now let's get out of here.”

Kumiko nodded and let an over-concerned Sesshoumaru carry her out of the room.

 

A/N:

Thank you, Mian for being there and reviewing every chapter, it really makes me happy and gives me the will to go on.

Thank all of you guys who reviewed my story, you're all really really wonderful and I don't know what I would have done without you.

Don't worry, the story's not over yet! I had you there, didn't I? :)