InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Truth's Tears ❯ Purple Haze: part three ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer~ All rights for Inu Yasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi. This fiction is only for entertainment purposes. And if any part of this fanfiction resembles another it is purely coincidental.

A/N:: No I'm not dead, if you were wondering. I simply was unable to update the fic for several good reasons. 1. I had my baby in January. 2. I fought my muse tooth and nail over this chapter. I simply did not want to write it. ::sigh:: But SHE reminded me that this was an angst fic so.... here it is.

Warning ~ character death.

Chapter Eight ~ Purple Haze

Part Three

A sudden howl of rage, eerie in sound, broke the silence as Miroku and Inu Yasha charged. Naraku pulled away from his doll's soft lips in laughter, his eyes hateful as he commanded Kagura and Kanna forward, Kagome's small form hanging subdued in his arms.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inu Yasha and Miroku were quick to respond to Kagura's wind attack, both jumped in opposite directions to avoid her. Inu Yasha leapt out of Kagura's range and diverted his attention toward Naraku while Miroku directed her wind attacks toward himself.

Sango was quick to join Miroku as she swung her giant boomerang and deflected a potentially lethal counterattack. Both dodged Kagura's endless wind attacks, barely making any ground toward the demoness. All the while keeping a close eye on Kagome's slumped form resting next to the child demon, Kanna.

Inu Yasha prowled forward, lip curled and claws clenched in anger. He was not going to repeat his mistake and risk Kagome's life again. Her life, as it was, was still hanging precariously in the balance and Inu Yasha was not going to do anything to tip the balance in Naraku's favor.

With a snarl Inu Yasha waited, his carefully measured steps slowly bringing him closer to the laughing hanyou. He would win this battle, he would rescue Kagome from whatever possessed her mind, he would kill Naraku and claim Kagome as his choice.

"Naraku! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to make you pay for every evil thing you have done! You will not live past this day, I swear to that!"

Naraku's sinister laughter rose a notch higher as he watched Inu Yasha stalk closer with baited animosity. His firm grip around Kagome's wrist loosened as she completely crumpled to the ground beside Kanna. The dark haired hanyou then turned to face Inu Yasha completely, his posture remaining placid and calm even as the air around Inu Yasha crackled in unbridled fury.

"Tsk. Tsk. I would have thought it obvious who would remain the victor in this battle, hanyou. You have been unable to beat me in the past, what makes you think you will be able too today now that I have the completed shikon jewel."

Inu Yasha growled, his answer oddly soft, "Shut up."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The deep violet miasma curled around her pale ankles as Kikyo's soft steps moved her forward. The battle had begun. Naraku now held the completed jewel within his grasp but had yet to use it. Her expressionless face tilted slightly as she listened to the battle just ahead of her, bottomless eyes stared through the dense trees before closing.

"So it has begun. Love fighting power. It will only end in grief." Kikyo spoke softly before opening her eyes. A faint smile touched her lips while she gracefully moved toward the battle.

"Wait for me Inu Yasha."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Sango, to your right!" Miroku called out while he swung his staff at a group of demons, decapitating them in one clean sweep.

Sango quickly darted out of the way as Kagura's lethal winds struck the ground beside her. Panting softly, Sango fended off more of Naraku's demons with her sword and continued to block Kagura's wind attacks with her boomerang. She quickly grew tired of dodging Kagura's non-stop wind attacks and soon her defenses would be worthless against them all.

Hoping to gain a small break, Sango swung her boomerang swiftly and cleared a path to Miroku. Using the last remnants of her strength, Sango sprinted out of the demons path and stood back to back with an exhausted monk.

"I hope Inu Yasha gets Kagome soon......I don't know how much longer I can last." Sango murmured as she raised her sword and boomerang in anticipation of the demons attack.

Miroku chuckled softly from behind her, "Dearest Sango, have you no trust in my abilities?"

Sango groaned softly to herself as she answered, "Is that a trick question, monk?"

Miroku chuckled harder, swung his staff to fend off more of the demons and responded in mock hurt, "You hurt me Lady Sango. After all of our travels, one would have thought you would have grown to trust me more."

Sango retrieved her boomerang from a lethal toss into the demons and replied with a scathing look. She would never reveal how much she actually trusted Miroku, it would be admitting to something she wasn't ready for yet.

"Sango! Look out!"

So lost in her thoughts, Sango didn't see Kagura's attack until the last second. She took the full blow of Kagura's winds to her abdomen, Sango screamed as they tore through her and knocked her to the ground.

Miroku's cries of panic sounded far away as Sango slipped into unconsciousness, the darkness taking her away from the pain. Her last fleeting thought, `So this is how it feels to die'.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Behind eyes clouded by Naraku's magic, Kagome watched in horror as one by one her friends fell to Naraku and his minions. First had been Sango, distracted by her thoughts as Kagura's winds sliced through her body. Then had been Miroku, distraught over Sango's unresponsiveness, had opened his cursed hand and swallowed too many of the nearby poisoned bees, therefore poisoning himself. Kagome was uncertain if either one still lived and her heart ached to know if they would make it. She prayed that they would but knew it was very likely that they were already dead.

Her blank eyes drifted to Inu Yasha and Naraku and their bloody battle. Here Kagome's heart ached even worse, she knew only one of them would live, and so far it wasn't looking good for Inu Yasha. Naraku had him cornered, only allowing him to move either forward or reverse, and gaining more and more ground when Inu Yasha retreated.

"I have you now, hanyou. Are you ready to die?" Dark laughter followed Naraku's words as several branch-like tentacles rose from under his robes.

Kagome watched as Inu Yasha narrowed his eyes, his posture tensing for Naraku's attack. Panic briefly washed over her, chilling her heart as she watched the scene play out before her as if in slow motion.

"He doesn't love you, he has never loved you, I will love you, trust only in me and I will give you everything."

Kagome listened to the soft eerie voice within her mind, the words making perfect sense and yet making no sense at all. Pain and loss tore through her body as Kagome released a silent sob trying to stop the onslaught of emotions that shot through her mind. Her eyes unfocused, blurry from the tears she didn't know she had shed, turned away from the scene before her. Closed themselves from the events happening in front of her, the voice in her mind continued to speak, continued to haunt her as she once again fought against it.

"Trust me, love me..."

"Who are you! What do you want with me?"

"Give yourself to me and I will be yours..."

"I can't, I belong with..."

"Forget him, grieve not for him, I will be your only.."

Kagome's listless eyes then focused on Inu Yasha her heart beating wildly in her chest, the voice in her mind echoed over her thoughts as she watched the battle before her.

"Love me, trust me, give in to me...I am yours, you are mine...love me..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I have you now, hanyou. Are you ready to die?"

Inu Yasha glared at the being before him, hatred like he had never felt before boiling in his veins. His eyes quickly took in the situation he was in, his mind calculated the risks in front of him. He had seen his fellow teammates fall, he watched as Kagome fought against some unknown foe and he was trapped. Caged in by Naraku's demons and the creature himself, the only way he would be able to help his friends and save Kagome stood arrogantly before him.

His claws tightened in anticipation, his eyes narrowed and his body tensed just as Naraku launched his lethal tentacles. Inu Yasha dodged easily between most and sliced away the remaining without difficulty. Only then to have Naraku sprout off more and send a fresh wave of the nasty things his way once more.

Inu Yasha quickly tired from the continued onslaught, the never-ending tentacles forcing him to react faster each time. With an annoyed growl, he quickly withdrew Tetsusiga from his side, hacking Naraku's appendages and gaining ground. An arrogant smirk touched his lips as he summoned his favorite attack and forced Naraku backwards to avoid being hit.

`Don't worry Kagome, I'm coming.'

Naraku grinned, Inu Yasha was playing right into his hands. He had foolishly begun to think he was gaining the upper hand.

`Come on you foolish hanyou, show me that arrogance.'

The Tetsusiga pulsed in Inu Yasha's hands, its' power wrapped around his body in preparation for the next attack. A shallow growl rolled off of Inu Yasha's lips as he stepped forward daring Naraku to make his move.

Laughter bubbled from Naraku's throat as he darted forward simultaneously with Inu Yasha. His lethal tentacles spreading around his body prepared for Inu Yasha's attack, winding themselves before him like some sort of deadly web.

Time seemed to stop the moment they came together as a clash of good and evil. Cold metal cutting through flesh, spear-like tentacles piercing organs splashing blood over the ground. A flash of pure light suddenly washed over them, blinding them as they sought to destroy each other.

Inu Yasha flinched, his sensitive eyes slammed shut against the intensity of the light. It was almost as if he had cut through the jewel and released the very souls within its shell. A soft gasp broke the eerie silence, Inu Yasha's eyes flew open and stared curiously into the light. He watched as it dimmed, slowly revealing a figure between him and Naraku. As the last of the light dissipated Inu Yasha's eyes grew impossibly wider, `No'.

Naraku's malicious laughter rose in volume and he threw his head back in glee,"Kikyo."

"KIKYO!"

Her dark eyes gazed into nothing, a soft smile touching her mouth while her arms that had been outstretched to protect dropped heavily to her sides. Inu Yasha stared at her broken body, his sword lodged just past her shoulder and one of Naraku's lethal tentacles protruding from her back. Her blood was everywhere. Black and lifeless just like the shell it had lived in, and it was scattered everywhere pooling at her feet and dripping from Inu Yasha's cheek.

Inu Yasha's shock fleeted away to leave horror and denial, HE had just killed Kikyo. Naraku's laughter still rang in his ears as he pulled Tetsusiga from her flesh and watched as her body fell away from the appendages in her abdomen. More blood spurting from her wounds as she fell into his arms, eyes staring up at him with a new emotion shining in their depths. Tears sprang to his eyes as the full weight of what had just happened slammed into him. Kikyo was dead. He had killed her again, only this time it WAS by his own hand.

"Kikyo..." His voice was broken with dispar as he brought her closer to his chest.

Her bottomless eyes locked onto his one last time, a serene smile touching her lips and the last breath leaving her body.

"Inu Yasha..."

And she was gone, her soul fleeing the shell that had held it captive and returning to where it belonged. Tears coursed down Inu Yasha's cheeks as he silently cried in sorrow and anger. Naraku's maniacal laughter ringing in his ears and feeding the rage that suddenly burned within him. His eyes hardened, his soul flared and his human blood was overrun by the sudden surge of fury in his youkai. Tetsusiga lied next to him while with an infinite amount of gentle care he lowered Kikyo's body to the ground beside him. Eyes hidden behind shocks of white hair, he stood and his fury flashed with the brilliant reds of his aura. And without hesitation he attacked.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Something strange flared with in Kagome's heart, a feeling of peace closed around her and the darkness that had protected her, comforted her, cleared. Naraku's hold on her mind vanished and memories that weren't her own flooded her mind. Kikyo. Kagome felt whole and a new balance was established in her soul.

Her eyes opened and for the first time Kagome saw, really saw, what was going on around her. Her friends were fighting for her, Inu Yasha was fighting for her and yet Kikyo's death had brought his youkai out. Panic swelled over peace and Kagome began to frantically search for a bow and arrow. If she didn't do something and quick Inu Yasha would only end up killing himself.

Brown eyes quickly searched the area around her before landing on a quiver of arrows and a bow rather close to where she had been standing. A small part of her smiled when she recognized the sturdy wood of the bow as she reached out and took hold of the foreign yet familiar weapon. Tossing the quiver over her shoulder and quickly notching an arrow, Kagome turned to face the battle beyond her. A wave of cold fear poured through her veins at the sight that greeted her eyes. Blood. There was blood everywhere. All of it belonged to Inu Yasha. Her heart beat faster within her chest, if she didn't do something now he was going to loose. His body was already showing its fatigue yet his youkai instinct to destroy still driving it on. He wouldn't stop until one of them was dead and the way things were looking, he would be the first one to fall.

Kagome felt her anger swell in the air around her. Naraku had played enough games with them. He had destroyed anyone unfortunate to cross his path. First with Kikyo and

Inu Yasha and their love, cursing Miroku and his family with an unavoidable death, tricking Sango and the rest of her clan and keeping Kohaku as a toy, using Ayame and Kouga just as a gain to his evil plot and causing never-ending suffering for thousands of innocents. It was going to stop and it was going to stop now.

Raw power surged through Kagome's body, all of her hatred and anger combined with her sorrow and love merging together in her soul. White light surrounded her small form enveloping her in its embrace while her eyes burned a brilliant shade of lavender. The weapon in her hands shaking with the strange power that coursed through it, straining under the building pressure as Kagome waited for the precise moment to release her attack.

Naraku felt Kagome's power burning through his clothes without touching him. Narrowing his eyes at the revenge driven youkai-hanyou before him, Naraku snarled softly as he once more plunged his tentacles into Inu Yasha's flesh. He watched for a moment as Inu Yasha tried to catch his breath before turning to face the woman demanding his attention by glaring at the back of his skull.

`There!' Kagome's moment came with Naraku in half turn leaving his back open to Inu Yasha. With one last surge of energy through the arrow Kagome sent it straight to Naraku's forehead. Blinding white light pierced his miasma and collided into its target. Kagome watched in sadistic glee as Naraku's eyes widened in shock and fear moments before the arrow reached him. His scream ringing in her ears as her energy purified every cell within his twisted body and exploded leaving nothing of Naraku but small sparks of light that rained down over the battlefield.

Exhaustion washed over Kagome and she dropped to her knees, it was over, it was finally over. But at such a horrible price, so many people had lost so much under his cruel hierarchy. Tears rolled down her cheeks and Kagome fought to still them, it was over she was suppose to be happy but somehow she didn't feel relieved she felt depressed. Spots of pain flickered from behind her closed eyes and she lifted a weary hand to her forehead, what she would do for some aspirin right now, `I hope Inu Yasha remembered to bring my bag....Inu Yasha!' Pain suddenly forgotten as her head whipped upright and eyes darted over to where she had last seen him. A new wave of icy fear struck her heart at his motionless form, exhaustion turned to panicked energy as she willed her legs to work. Stumbling slightly, she got to her feet and ran to him, her heart barely beating and a lump lodging itself in her throat.

`He can't be....Please, he's just unconscious...Inu Yasha!'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Inu Yasha..." A voice, soft and soothing, a woman's voice, a voice he hadn't heard in years.

"Mother?" Why did it hurt to speak, where was he?

"Inu Yasha everything will be alright..."

Golden eyes slowly came into focus, gazing up at the face leaning over him, his mother. He smiled and lifted a hand to caress the face above him, his thumbs smearing tears that wetted her cheeks.

"Don't cry. I'm alright, now that you're here with me..." Suddenly it didn't hurt anymore, he felt lite and strangely peaceful, everything was alright now and his golden eyes dimmed and slowly fell closed.

"Don't leave me. Inu Yasha! No! Inu Yasha don't leave me!"

`Mom I'm right here, I won't leave you. I'll never leave you again...'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome held Inu Yasha's still form closer tight against her chest, her face buried in the groove of his neck as she cried in grief. He was dead. He hadn't even seen her as he died, he'd thought she was his mother. Kagome's heart broke again as his words fleeted through her mind again. `Mother?'

Sobbing in desperation and clinging to his still warm body Kagome didn't sense the shikon jewel slowly moving away. Neither did she notice that it was now traveling with two figures, one that of a small child and the other of an adult woman. Nor did she realize that her friends stood by her side, both shedding silent tears of their own. He was gone. Inu Yasha the fabled hanyou had died fighting Naraku.

tbc...

~From within a highly secured bomb shelter on the side of nearest mountain~

::Mystic drops her head in exhaustion::

::Inca prances in door, bags in hand, funky multi-colored clothes on and glowing sun tan::

::Mystic glares:: "Where the hell have you been!?"

::Inca drops bags and lowers sunglasses:: "Who? Me?"

::Mystic groans and rests head against keyboard:: "Your suppose to be here, helping ME write OUR story."

::Inca smiles:: "I brought you pocky."

::A sound much like Inu-chan's growl breaks through the quiet neighborhood::

::Mystic now smiling waves to readers:: "Stick around for the next installment of Truths Tears, things start to make sense!"

::Inca bound and gagged excitedly nods head:: "Mup fuph!"

Thanks to everyone that has reviewed so far!