The Last Battle
A scarred field lay under the sweltering sun, devoid of vegetation and waterlogged with blood. Dust still drifted in the wind, settling down from where it had blown in a series of explosions mere minutes ago. Eerily, the land was barren, not only of vegetation but also of traces of the combatants who had battled here. Even victors were nowhere to be found.
Naraku was dead. Kohaku was saved. Kikyo had her vengeance. Though this should have been a time of great celebration, instead it was only a time of grieving. Those whom had triumphed in the field of combat today had retreated as soon as possible from this place for it had denied them of someone whom they loved.
The battle had been long and hard. Heaving breaths between fractured ribs, Inuyasha had dragged himself from the muddy earth, cradling his sword arm. Sango rose up tenderly, her Hiraikotsu hovering over her and Kohaku protectively until there was some signal signifying their safety. Kilala stumbled upright and wobbled on her feet, mewing softly. Miroku staggered against his staff, dragging his wooden sandals across loam gingerly. Shippo moaned in relief and removed his hands from over his eyes. Kikyo unwrapped herself from her shikigami servants and released the bounds which held hell to the earth. She fainted.
Inuyasha ran forward to the long-dead priestess, catching her and cradling her after her plummet. Lovingly, he laid her down and wheeled around.
"Kagome?" he said expectantly. He anticipated seeing her running forward, bow over her arm, hair blowing in the wind. He looked upwards to meet her chocolate brown eyes, spilling over in pools of love and concern.
But she never came.
"Kagome?" asked Inuyasha nervously. He blinked and began to look frantically around the rubble-strewn field. He looked into the faces of his companions.
"Where is Kagome?" he said, his voice breaking in anxiety. He leapt off ignoring his wounds and sniffing the air around him, seeking her. He had thought her to be safe. He had left her hiding by the side of Shippo. Yet, now the kitsune stared blankly at the empty space beside him, an impression in the dirt. Where had Kagome gone?
"Kagome?" screeched out Inuyasha again, petrified. After a moment of ice-chilled sluggishness, his body burst into frantic action as he began to heave aside the rubble. The sound of his claws scraping in a frenzied scrabble cut into the consciousness of his companions and cut into his own ears with its sharp mocking impression of a break in emptiness. But the air was only, empty. The stir of rubble, and the clatter of boulders as they rolled across the earth to slowly come to a halt did nothing to diminish that. It did nothing to quell the fear that was building within his heart.
The sharp sting of coppery blood met his nostrils, harsh and intensified. Inuyasha stopped shifting the rock for a moment and stood there, dazed, as an all-too familiar odor wend itself into his hair and clothes, permeating him with a scent which he had always feared above all things, far beyond a fear of death for himself. "Kagome," Inuyasha said disbelievingly as he wrenched a boulder away.
There she was. Hair lain out angelically, strewn over her shoulder and cascading out behind her. A single, large tendril from Naraku was borne through her. The death must have been instantaneous, or near to it. Inuyasha was grateful for that.
"K..kk..Kagome!" Shippo screamed out from behind his pant leg. Inuyasha could smell the sharp sting of tears that he knew must be pouring out from the kitsune's eyes like a watery fountain. He wished, earnestly, that he could do the same but his throat felt very dry.
A little hand grasped onto the hanyou's pant leg and tugged on it earnestly. "I tried to protect her, I tried," said the child wailing. "But it got really scary and she pushed me on the ground to protect me. I thought she was okay, I thought she had only gotten up, I thought she was still with me." The tears never ebbed, only became more furious. Inuyasha himself had to blink a few away which seemed to creep up at him then disappear in the face of shock. No. For now, as much as he faced it, he refused to believe it was true, in his heart. He would wade through it as if it were a dream, yes only a dream. A nightmare.
"It's all right, Shippo," the hanyou murmured picking up the distraught kitsune child. For a moment, he closed his eyes and let his imagination wander. He saw, clearly, as if he was there for the first time, what Kagome had done. He could see the young priestess lay down on top of Shippo and hug him tightly to her chest, in face of the incoming tendrils. He could see her squeeze her eyes eyes shut and her body clench tightly for the action, the impact that would take her life.
"Kagome," said Inuyasha gently, lovingly, reverently. He cast his one word of love, one word of praise to the winds for her to find and allowed his spirit to go with it. His eyes dimmed so that when he turned his face back to the earth again, they were dullen, absent of the will to live. He shook off the little kitsune, approached her, and kneeled.
"Kagome," he muttered reaching out to stroke her hair tenderly. He gathered her to his chest and in his grief doing what he never had the courage to do in life, he dropped a kiss to her bruised forehead. His remaining friends watched his actions mesmerized, tears building behind their own eyes until they threatened to overspill and at last the silence was broken as grief took the place of doubt.
A fireside crackled that night. Cheerlessly, it cast unwanted red on the cheeks of a red-cloaked figure. Someone whose shaggy mane of hair broke the beams of moonlight to claim them as its color. He shifted about agitatedly, shielding the flickering light from his eyes, its sprightly dancing far too free-spirited, too light-hearted for him to witness. Not now, he thought to himself. Perhaps never again would a fireside be inviting.
Nothing could warm him. Nothing could warm his lady either. She lay, tucked inside her sleeping bag as if this was merely another night. As if her sleep were transient and after a night of wanting and suppressed sighs from his part, the hanyou would see her happy smiles, hear her angry sit commands, taste the sweet freshness of her scent as it drifted upon the wind. But now, all he was consumed by was the darkness of a veiled pain, and his fixation on the absence beat of her once warm heart.
He would not leave her side. No, tonight he would not leave her to sleep in some tree. He knew instinctively, he never would again. He leaned back against a tree that shrouded them in the clearing and seemed to drift off into the soothing unconsciousness of a deep slumber. He was oblivious to the curious, guarded stares his companions were giving him or their presence all together.
The morning dawn broke, relentless and streaming in with a brilliant glare. It flashed upon the features of motionless hanyou. Silhouettes flitted about the clearing followed by their shadows as everything was prepared for departure.
"Inuyasha," said Miroku cautiously tapping his friend's knee with his staff. "We let you sleep because we knew you needed it but it's time to leave. Inuyasha," he said sternly a touch of worry concealed in his voice.
"Inuyasha," the monk restated dropping to his knees. He bent his head down and promptly his eyes began to tremble as they observed the pool of blood trickling out from the hanyou's mouth.
"SANGO!" Miroku shouted causing the demonslayer to stumble. She raced over and knelt by her fiance.
"What's the matter Miroku? What happened to Inuyasha... oh no!" Sango lifted up a hand to her mouth and tears filled up her eyes.
"It happened," she murmured blearily. "It really happened."
"What happened!" said Miroku nearly shaking her. Sango only shook her head for an answer. Bringing out a handkerchief and burying her teeth in it, she sobbed,
"So that girl really did mean the world to him," came a solemn, feminine voice. Kikyo knelt beside Inuyasha and lay a cool, lifeless hand upon his cheek. Her eyes simmered murkily yet she did not let a tear fall. She knew she had no right to cry.
"He has perished of heartbreak," said Kikyo softly. Her murmur was so gentle Miroku thought he hadn't heard, but after a second, he stuttered out.
"Heartbreak?" he prompted.
"Yes!" Sango sobbed out beside him. The knowledge she had obtained as a demonslayer swirled about her head. Seeing it played out before her was too horrible.
"As a demonslayer, I was informed of this. Sometimes, a demon whom has bonded deeply with his mate follows her into the afterlife. It isn't chosen as with humans, but rather it just happens naturally as if it were breathing. The demon just loses its will and dies. I never really thought it would happen to Inuyasha!"
"He was half demon after all," Miroku murmured, "and he was deeply in love with Kagome."
"Yes," Sango shuttered out. "He was." She pulled a sobbing kit into her arms.
The dead priestess said nothing. Instead, she lay her palm upon his chest and felt delicate parts of his neck. She found no trace of the living.
"Inuyasha has no heartbeat," said Kikyo almost tenderly. "His breath has ceased as well. However, there remains a chance for him."
"A chance?" said Miroku uncertainly.
"Yes," stated Kikyo. "Since he is half demon, there still remains a length of time after the heart stops till death settles in. He is not yet dead. There remains a chance to save him if his soul can be reached." Miroku looked at her purposefully. He wanted to let her know that he would support Inuyasha in his passing. He knew that was what his friend would want, what would make him happiest. But he didn't get the chance to speak.
"Please save Inuyasha!" as distraught kitsune cried. "Please save Inuyasha! I've already lost Kagome and I would be without a family again if he died! And I want to tell him I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Kikyo nodded. "I will see what I can do," she said eerily laying hand upon his neck just under the chin and emitting spiritual power from her fingertips.
"Lady Kikyo," spoke Miroku forcefully gaining her attention. He looked at her severely. "If he does not wish to, do not make him return."
Kikyo looked back at the monk. "I give you my word," she said even more cogently than Miroku had. She turned back to her work and after a moment, her body disappeared into a glimmer of lights that faded into the region of his heart.
Chasing after the traces of Inuyasha's soul, Kikyo floated out from amongst a covering of mists. She found herself drifting down towards a sunny glade. It was a bountifully green forest, much like to the one she had just left and such as those she associated him with.
"It is strange," thought Kikyo looking around herself. "If these are indeed Inuyasha's last thoughts, why are they so peaceful?"
Kikyo decided to keep walking forward and pushed through the bushes. Half a day had seemingly passed before she stumbled upon the terraced hills beyond a village. Hidden down behind the rice grass, she spotted a small boy wet and trembling. He was sobbing almost imperceptibly as well.
"Hello," said Kikyo as softly as possible. Quietly, she offered her small hand in a non-aggressive manner.
"Go away," the young boy snarled, his raven locks sodden down with water. "I don't need help from you or anybody."
Kikyo started. She sat back on her heels and stared into the adamant violet eyes.
"Would you like to tell me why you are hiding down in the grass," she said meekly to distract his anger.
The little boy merely trembled and Kikyo soon saw why. Not only was he soaking wet, but he also bore several serious looking wounds on his body, as well as a purification scroll. Something was different about this boy and almost taking a deep breath at the discovery, she took note that he was wearing red robes far too big for him.
"Go away," the young boy scolded again. Kikyo smiled.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said delicately. Her words her poised and brittle, careful in their calculation. "I'm looking for a big, strong hanyou. I need to deliver a message for him from his friends. Perhaps you could help me find him."
"A hanyou have friends?" the child in the grass muttered doubtfully. "Like that would ever happen." He nearly crossed his eyes glaring at her.
Kikyou turned her back and began walking away. She could detect without seeing that the little hanyou had risen to his feet and was sneaking after her.
"If you want to find out if I'm speaking the truth," said Kikyou coming to a standstill, her purser halting too, "then you should come with me."
The little hanyou glared. He crouched down on the ground and studied her suspiciously. Unexpectedly, the little hanyou fell forward onto his face. Kikyou ran to him.
"Inuyasha," she said turning the young child over. "You must wake up, Inuyasha."
"So," said Kikyou observing the child hanyou who would not wake. "You are a merely a memory." For moment, it looked as though Kikyo would pick up the tiny figure. With a pained face, she began to do so. However, after a moment's hesitation, she caused herself to lower him and stood up. She directed her gaze to the forest instead.
"I must keep going forward," said Kikyo thought to herself. "Somewhere in this dream state, Inuyasha's consciousness must exist."
So Kikyo continued to journey through the forest. The little hanyou child vanished from behind her, and the area was shrouded with night speckled with the angry shouts of villagers and the flares of roving torches. Kikyo pretended not to notice.
Kikyou knew, from experience, that Inuyasha liked to travel in the direction of the sun. So she cut through the forest in this direction, much as Inuyasha might have. Along her journey, she caught sight of many villages in what might otherwise have been Inuyasha's forest. At each of these, she saw a hanyou child of various ages being abused by others, or causing damage. Within the ever-shifting forest itself, she caught glimpses of fights betweens demons and a hanyou, taken place at some time long before she had ever crossed paths with the hanyou herself. Sometimes she caught sight of a young boy simply playing out in the woods, or eating, or drinking. She wondered if she would see visions of herself woven in amongst this tapestry of memories and sure enough, she glimpsed flashes of her own kimono winking throughout the tree trunks from time to time. For a moment she could hear a river. But the memories faded, twisted and turned until she came to a hillside which existed in both their memories. She continued on until she reached Goshinoboku. An adult figure, such as the one she had known whilst they were both alive, leaned back against the trunk looking at a crimson sky. A thousand cuts seemed to criss-cross his body.
"Hello, Kikyo," said the phantom Inuyasha smiling at her. He ran a sharp finger down his flesh so that dollops of blood dropped onto his already crimson fingers. "Come to hate me some more."
"Inuyasha," said Kikyo halting before him. She observed the creature before her.
The phantom smiled. He held out his arms before her, showing off the tattered sleeves proudly.
"You see, Kikyo. You were right. You never believed in me. I should never have believed in myself. I failed you. See what I have done. I punished myself for you."
Kikyo looked startled at the bleeding cuts. "You did all this, after I died?" Her voice became somewhat choked.
The figure looked at her confused at her and shook his head.
"No," he murmured. "I am not merely a memory as you were thinking. Instead, I reside within his heart."
"His heart?" asked Kikyo.
The figure shook his head wildly. "I am pain. I cannot forgive, he cannot forgive himself. So I exist. Do I repulse you?" Despite herself, Kikyo began to tremble.
"I knew it was painful for you, being a hanyou, but is your self hatred really that strong?"
The phantom before her shook his head. "No, Kagome has been here after all. She has healed many of the wounds. But I like to keep up the appearance of most of them. And here of course is the wound you inflicted." The phantom pointed a jagged finger to a gaping hole in his chest.
"My pride and joy," said phantom Inuyasha cheerfully. "It will never heal completely, despite what Kagome did. Aren't you proud?"
Kikyo looked on, without speech or indication of her horror.
"That's all right," said the phantom. "I'm hardly around now anyway since Kagome and his rowdy pack are here. Or actually," he said with a wide smile. "Kagome used to be here. If that idiot wasn't dying already I would have had to inflict even more pain upon him. It would have been fun." Kikyo stared at him, hatred glinting behind her eyes. The phantom chuckled as he saw her fingers strain white on her bow.
"Easy Kikyo," he swaggered. "You should know that self hatred is not such an easy thing to get rid of. It is part of the very soul itself." The phantom raised a finger and pointed it across the forested space.
"If you continue this way you may find the one you are seeking. I don't know which would be more fun, him dying knowing self hatred or him living a long, drawn-out life with it so we'll see the decision he makes. Goodbye Kikyo," said the phantom standing up. He began to walk off then simply vanished.
Kikyo began to walk off in the direction he had indicated, a thousand thoughts flying through her mind. She was beginning to agree with Miroku, that recalling Inuyasha's soul would be a selfish thing. Still, she decided she must play the part of a messenger.
Kikyo pressed past the forest of trees and entered the meadow leading to Goshinoboku. He was waiting there, just as his detrimental self said he would be. The ears flicked back and forth, an indication that he knew she was there but he did not turn. Instead, of looking at her, he continued to perch on the edge of the well, a vacant stare coating his eyes. Eventually, a gruff voice interrupted the gentle whisperings which removed stillness from the meadow to imbed it in the heart.
"I never told her that I loved her," he whispered. For a moment, Kikyo believed she was not meant to hear at all, but then he repeated in a louder tone.
"I never told her I loved her!" he continued speaking almost wrathfully. "And for that I am sorry, for that I can never forgive myself. Yes, the part of me you saw was correct. I do hate myself Kikyo, for all of it."
The figure of Inuyasha, a full grown hanyou with a sword by his side, hopped down from the well and approached her, tucking his hands in his sleeves.
"Kikyo, what brings you here?" he said timidly. "Do you still wish for me to go to Hell with you?"
"No, Inuyasha," said Kikyo tenderly. "My soul has been saved. It let go of all the hatred once Naraku was killed. My death was avenged so I can live in peace."
"Then what is it?" whispered Inuyasha almost yearning yet refusing to take her in his arms.
"You are dying," said Kikyo businesslike as usual. "Surely you are aware of this, Inuyasha. If you remain disconnected with your body any longer you will perish."
"Let it," Inuyasha stated without anger. "There is nothing in this world that is worth it."
"What about your friends, Inuyasha?" said Kikyo promptly. "Surely they would suffer if you went through with such a selfish act."
"Keh," said Inuyasha quirking a grin. "If there's anything I'm good at it's being selfish." His face fell again and the sorrow returned to haunt the depth of his eyes. "They'll have to take care of themselves from now on, Kikyo. I can't keep on covering for them forever after all. Please tell them... I'm sorry."
The hanyou turned so that his face was hidden. "And please tell the kit that... he will be a strong youkai someday. Someone I would be very proud of."
Unexpectedly, tears began to stream down the miko's cheeks. "Please Inuyasha," she choked out. "Come back to the world in which you belong."
The hanyou before her merely gave a wry smile. "The world in which I belong, Kikyo? What reason do I have to be in the land of the living? No, I have suffered enough." Perhaps out of nostalgia, and perhaps for his own comfort, Inuyasha embraced Kikyo with an unaffected expression on his face.
"No, Kikyo," he said determined. "I will stay here, beside Kagome until the end."
"I understand," said Kikyo regaining her composure, her soul collectors condensing around her. "So it's fair to expect you two in the other world?"
"Sure Kikyo," said Inuyasha softly. His eyes grew loving as he watched the priestess float off.
"Then I will see Kagome and you there," spoke Kikyou before drifting back out into the world of the living to give Sango, Miroku, Kilala, and the kitsune child one final message.
A week passed and Sango and Miroku stood beside two mounded graves set beneath Goshinoboku.
"Somehow," said Sango wiping a single tear from her eye as Miroku lit incense, "even though I lost a sister, it's not sad at all. Not really. Inuyasha and Kagome got to be together in the end, really." She buried her head in Kilala's fur anyway.
"Yes," said Miroku humbly, laying a hand on his fiance's shoulders. "And we are certain that we will have Inuyasha and Kagome's blessings upon us for all of our lives. Their spirits are sure not to forget us."
"Yes," Sango blurted out. Drying her eyes, she looked to where Kohaku was praying in a kneeled position. He was still a little worn from all his experiences, but everyone was sure that he would be okay.
"So," said Miroku dropping his voice to whisper only for Sango's ears, "shall we name our first few children after them?"
Sango started at his words and close proximity (which included a lotta rear massage) and started blushing furiously.
"Y...y...y...yes," she stammered out before giving him a good slap.
Shippo was miserable. He didn't like unhappy endings and for some reason he felt that the cosmos didn't either. So it didn't come as a surprise to him when Sesshomaru showed up on the green lawn around Goshinoboku, or more to the point the two mounds which marred it.
Inuyasha had been buried barely an hour when he found himself spitting up dirt. To his malcontent eyes he found his icy hearted brother staring at him so he tried to strike him with his claws. The first swipe missed, so Inuyasha stopped for a moment, his hand trembling in rage. He cried out in utmost anguish. "Why did you bring me back, why?"
Sesshomaru merely smiled and walked away. After all, he preferred his motives to be very mysterious especially if they involved Rin somehow. Inuyasha watched him fly off into the woods gritting his teeth vehmentantly. Then he felt a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"K...Kagome?" he uttered not believing. "Kagome!" Sure enough, when he turned around there she was.
"Kagome!" said Inuyasha. "You were dead! I thought that..."
"Oh course I was," said Kagome briskly. "But this is MY feudal faerie tale. And that means a happy ending for me. So shut up and kiss me Prince Charming."
Inuyasha had no idea what she was talking about so he merely gulped.
"Okay," he said scotching over to get closer. Too his amazement, Kagome dropped herself down in his lap.
"Err," he said blinking momentarily, his arms wrapped sneakily around her back. Kagome really gave him something to blush about when she dropped her lips to his in a soul-searching kiss. For one timeless moment or one breathless minute, Inuyasha and Kagome indulged themselves and found that they liked it. Kagome breathed happily, her heart thudding wildly in her chest. She knew deep down that finally, after all that they had been through together, they had fought the last battle that kept them from their happily ever after.
Please Review! This started out totally miserable but it got really hard to write since a certain somebody was whining and dropping sticky popsicles all over the place. Bye, bye, and thanks for reading.