WINDS OF FURY

by Sarah Pearson

*

My version of how this story ends. I'm not sure if it'll go longer than a simple ending, I don't seem to do well with finishing long fics. I've had this going through my mind for a while now though, and just needed to get it out. It took longer than I'd anticipated though, not sure why as I had it exactly how it would go...*shrug*


*1*

"Inuyasha, to your right!"

The dog demon whirled around and leaped backwards, barely being missed by a discolored tentacle connected to the being known as Naraku. To the hanyou's right Sango let loose her boomerang, severing the tentacle so it would cause Inuyasha no more trouble: it dissolved upon separation from the main demon but another two tentacles appeared to take its place.

Inuyasha roared out a curse as he sent the Cutting Wind rushing at Naraku, but once again Tetsusaiga's attack proved ineffective, bouncing off of Naraku's barrier. The youkai just laughed and sent another spray of miasma at his attackers, who were barely able to leap clear.

"Kagome, can you make out any of the fragments?" Inuyasha shouted, cutting several tentacles rushing his way while in midair, barely missing another that came from behind him.

High above them all atop Kirara, Kagome yelled back, "Naraku's fragments aren't in physical form anymore, but a part of him." She could see the faint glow of the fragments' energy emanating from every part of Naraku's body, proof that the power of the shards had been assimilated into the demon's whole body. Well, she thought, at least we know for sure this is the real Naraku we're dealing with this time.

She heard a short cry and saw Kaede's horse, spitted through the ribcage with one of the tentacles, get launched up and over the battle scene. Kaede leapt off too late and her initial momentum had her hurtling through the air behind the horse at breakneck speed, sure to be dashed on the side of the mountain.

"Kirara," Kagome cried, spurring the giant cat demon forward like a horse. The youkai didn't need any encouragement, however, and Kagome barely kept ahold as the cat raced towards the older woman, deftly catching ahold of Kaede's kimono in midair with her teeth and stopping her. The three were still sprayed with blood however as the horse was dashed to pieces on impact with the mountain mere feet from them.

Kagome pulled the older woman across Kirara's back as they turned to watch the fight still raging below them. Inuyasha wasn't giving up with Tetsusaiga's attacks, but Naraku was batting them aside, often towards the hanyou's own teammates, his barrier protecting him from harm. None of the attackers on the field looked good; Sango was swaying where she stood, looking as though she could barely stay on her feet let alone dodge the next attack whenever it would come. Miroku was leaning heavily on his staff and poor Shippou, grossly out of his league, was trying desperately to simply dodge any attacks that came his way. Even Sesshoumaru, who had joined the fight for his own personal reasons, looked more torn up than Kagome had ever seen him be.

Naraku let loose another stream of miasma directed at Inuyasha, and as the hanyou sailed through the air several tentacles spread through the air directly at him. Most were cut before they even came within reach of the physical blade of the Tetsusaiga by the Cutting Wind, but one snaked around the attack and pierced Inuyasha's side. The hanyou grunted in pain and let his guard down for a mere instant, but it was enough for a dozen more tentacles to whip past and pierce him through the torso.

The hanyou let out a muffled sound, as if more surprised than anything else that something had pierced his defenses. He brought a hand up to touch the tentacles as blood began to pool out of his mouth.

"INU-YASHA!!" Kagome's scream rent the air and she nearly threw herself from Kirara's back; only Kaede's quick hand kept her from falling to her death but then the old woman had a struggling girl on her hands. "Inuyasha, no! No~o~o~oo!!"

The hanyou hung in the air supported only by Naraku's tentacles for what seemed like an eternity. The stiffness slowly drained out of him, and between one sob and the next Kagome watched as Inu-Yasha went limp, all his inner organs undoubtedly pierced through with far more damage than even he could ever hope to cure. An instant later, Naraku slid around and launched the hanyou in the direction of the forest, Inuyasha a red shape hurtling through space and out of sight. The sound of snapping wood could be heard from the forest miles away.

Without being told Kirara turned in the direction of the impact but Naraku turned his attack on them next and the cat youkai had to dodge or be impaled herself. Kaede held a tight grip on the limp Kagome, who seemed in complete shock over what had just occurred.

A funnel of miasma came right at them, and Kirara turned toward the ground in order to avoid it. She was tired from all the fighting and dodging, however, and landed harder than intended, dislodging her passengers. They all hit the ground running, with Kaede still dragging Kagome as the girl didn't seem to be responding to anything at the moment. Sango and Miroku still managed to keep most of Naraku's attention, with Sesshoumaru mostly standing to the side, protecting himself if anything came his way.

The group stopped over by the Bone-Eating well, out of breath. Kaede let go of Kagome, who fell to her knees staring into nothing. "We're not going to beat him, are we?" Kaede muttered breathlessly to Shippou, who looked like he was valiantly trying not to wet himself in fear.

"That would be a valid assumption," a voice stated from directly behind them as Sesshoumaru stepped around them, giving Kaede, Shippou, and Kirara a fright. He ignored them, instead stopping beside Kagome's side and staring down at her.

"Why aren't you fighting, my brother's mate?" That line got surprised reactions from the others but Kagome barely moved a muscle. "Do you not wish to destroy Naraku for his murder?"

"Murder..." Kagome whispered, then her eyes pooled with tears. "Oh Inuyasha!"

Before anyone could react Sesshoumaru leaned down and planted a slap directly across Kagome's cheek. The girl fell sideways with the force, a surprised look and a red handprint on her face. There was stunned silence for an instant then Shippou angrily launched himself at Sesshoumaru, intent only on hurting him. Sesshoumaru merely batted the young kitsune nearly a hundred feet aside before kneeling beside a very still Kagome. Aside from now having a hand to her reddened cheek the miko still had not moved. Contempt flashed across Sesshoumaru's face as he muttered, "I cannot see what my brother saw in a sniveling babe such as yourself. To have the power to avenge him and yet do nothing with it."

"Kagome! Behind you," Kaede's voice cried out as Naraku focussed his attention onto them again. They scattered as the large boulder next to the well was shattered and the ground plowed up where they'd stood. Before they could retract the extensions of Naraku's youkai dissolved as Sango's boomerang severed them off at the base, and Miroku constructed a protective barrier around the well and its present inhabitants.

When the dust cleared Sesshoumaru, who had grabbed Kagome as they'd been attacked, dropped the girl back to the ground. Her expression had changed - instead of the dead look her face was now filled with sadness, a shattered look that broke the heart of almost anyone who looked at it.

Almost. "How pathetic you humans are," Sesshoumaru stated, his face the normal expressionless mask. "How stupid. You have the Shikon fragment at your disposal, and yet do nothing with it. You who have the power, yet choose to lay aside and watch as your friends die protecting you and your mate lies dead protecting you."

"Mate?" Shippou whispered to Kaede, but the old woman only shook her head. It was news to her as well, if at all true.

"Yes," Naraku's voice wafted their way. "Use the Shikon no Tama to defeat me, there is no other way." All eyes, Kagome's included, turned his way as he swept Miroku aside, disrupting the shield protecting them from Naraku's magic. "Use it to avenge his death."

"No! Kagome, don't contaminate the jewel such! It must be purified, it can't be--"

"Silence old woman," Sesshoumaru bit out, his face still showing no emotion. "To use the SHikon no Tama is the only way beat Naraku."

"We can't allow that! To use the Shikon shards for vengeance will undo all that Kagome and my oneesama sought to achieve in purifying the jewel..." Her voice trailed off as Kagome rose to her feet, her gaze still on the ground, and picked up her bow. "Kagome," Kaede breathed out, fear warring with disappointment at how Kagome had been so easily swayed. So much work went into purifying the jewel, and now... now...

Kagome's outline began to faintly glow as she raised her gaze up to face Naraku. The youkai, his human form almost completely obliterated by his real form, somehow managed to stretch his face into a parody of a smile, the obscenely huge teeth ruining any humor or happiness it might have wished to express. "Yes, do it. Use the fragment to destroy me, or your friends, and countless others, will be destroyed. This I promise you."

"Kagome, don't do it. Kagome!" Kaede cried out as the girl began to walk towards around the well towards Naraku.

"Silence old woman," Sesshoumaru stated. "It has to be done, do not interfere." When the older woman moved to go forward she found her way blocked very suddenly by the blade of the dog youkai's sword, turned in her direction. "Do not interfere," Sesshoumaru repeated, not even looking her way.

**

Kagome felt nothing. It was a strange sensation, being completely empty of any feelings whatsoever. Where there had only been shock and sadness before, now there was nothing.

She stared out at Naraku, still fighting Sango and Miroku but doing little else. It was as if he was toying with them, only keeping them busy - as if he had given up trying to advance forward. His attention was almost solely on Kagome; he didn't take any note of the boomerang that hit his barrier repeatedly, doing as much damage as a mere gnat could. Off to the side the priest could do little but search for weaknesses in the barrier; the air rip had progressed so far that to remove the rosary was to literally court his own death. Both he and Sango were focused on the battle; occassionally they glanced over at their friends but needed all their attention on the problem at hand to keep from being killed. They too seemed to understand that they were being toyed with but continued to fight anyway to give their friends a chance for ... whatever.

Inuyasha, she thought, her heart threatening to shatter yet again. A tentacle whipped past her vision, shaking her from thoughts that would have reduced her to an useless ball of tears. Turning her attention to their nemesis, she pulled an arrow out of the quiver and set it into the bow while her other hand snapped the Shikon no Tama from around her neck.

"Yes," Naraku fairly crowed, knocking aside yet again Sango's boomerang. "Avenge your lover's death - there is no other way to beat me."

"Kagome, it's a trap! Don't do what Naraku wants." Kaede warning was lost, however, as Kagome began to glow, power sparking around her and the arrow pointed directly at Naraku. Kaede lunged at Kagome but Sesshoumaru not-so-gently kicked her aside, away from the girl and any chance to stop her.

All this Kagome saw but ignored, her focus on Naraku alone. A single tear rolled down her face as she aimed the arrow straight at Naraku's heart. "No more," she whispered as the arrow began to glow, slowly letting the hand holding the arrow back go slack.

At the instant Kagome let loose her arrow, the field around Naraku changed dramatically. Sango let out a cry and leaped back, helped along by Kirara who grabbed her mistress and took to the air, leaping out over the trees. Miroku was too close yet too weak to move, but his own shield protected him from the sudden wavering and reinstating of a very different barrier. Time seemed to slow down as the group watched the flaming arrow pierce through the air straight at their enemy, whose face now held a decidedly sinister yet very happy look.

He's going to use the power, Miroku and Kaede realized simultaneously, looking at the barrier in horror. He's going to use the power Kagome is sending to destroy him to complete the Shikon fragment inside him. And because the power was used in vengeance for Inuyasha's death, its taint will only make Naraku that much stronger!

The arrow struck the barrier and burst anew, the power radiating off of it expanded until it was a burning ball of flame. Time slowed, almost literally, as an intricate powerplay went on between the barrier and the arrow. Off to the side Miroku watched as Naraku's mismatched face went from an evil smile to a look of shock, then one of fear. The arrow, now no more than a beam of light, slid through the dark barrier extremely slowly, then cleared it and raced straight to Naraku's heart.

"No..." The barrier collapsed, simply disappearing as a stunned Naraku raised his hand up to the arrow sticking out of his chest. "It can't be...but she, she used the power..."

"You are a fool Naraku," Sesshoumaru's voice, deep and penetrating, cut through the air. "You have misjudged the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. You believed she would use the power for her own ends, to revenge her lover's life which you took." He shook his head. "You are a fool to believe everyone would do as you would."

One of Naraku's hands reached up to his chest where the arrow still quivered ... with the Shikon no Tama tied to the end. "But now I have all the fragments," he crowed as his hand slipped over the jewel.

To those who watched it was as if an electric current had raced through Naraku's body; he froze up, every part of his youkai body going tense, then began to shake. Light shone between his fingers and travelled up his arm even as his own dark aura began to flow up from the farthest reaches of his body towards the jewel.

"Yes, you have all the fragments you wanted," Sesshoumaru replied, his face betraying nothing. "You have ahold of the whole jewel, and it is purifying those shards you have absorbed. It is purifying you."

"He is...destroyed." Kaede's voice held a note of wonder as she watched their nemesis begin to glow, the white light of the jewel overtaking the darkness that was Naraku. The youkai began to scream as his body fragmented and various other demons, ones that he had absorbed all throughout his life, began to push against the skin wanting free of their long imprisonment.

Naraku's voice, charged now with pain, began to cry out over their heads in a language few of them knew, words of power that slowly, very slowly, began to halt the progress of the purification. "I..will not..be..defeated..by the likes..of you!" he screamed as the effects of the jewel slowed to a stop.

"Oh no, he's fighting it!" Sango exclaimed, leaping off Kirara. "Kagome, you must try to -- Kagome!" Sango lunged at the young miko but didn't make it in time as Kagome dropped to her knees, her hands clutching her own chest.

"So..cold," she whispered, her breath coming out in painful pants. "So...very cold, I can't..."

"Kagome, you've got to hold on," Sango whispered, wrapping Kagome in her own cloak. "Fight him Kagome, you're the only one who can do it."

Naraku's distinctive laugh floated through the air to them, and all eyes went his way. "It is you who is defeated," his voice burned through the air, still rife with pain yet not obliterated as they had thought would be the case by now. "There is nothing more you can do that will hurt-"

Power crackled through the air yet again, power which came from neither group. Beside Sango, Kagome stirred and sat up, her eyes going wide as she gazed towards the forest. "Inuyasha..."

A bolt of light flared through the air, crackling much like yet very different from lightening, heading straight for Naraku. The youkai, his focus purely on sustaining the energy to withstand the purifying power of the whole Shikon no Tama, didn't have enough time or simply couldn't erect a barrier to deflect this latest magical attack.

"Tetsusaiga's Ougi, the Bakuryuuha," Sesshoumaru stated matter-of-factly, although his expression was one of mild surprise (which, for this particular youkai, meant he was absolutely flabbergasted).

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, ignoring the pain and dashing past Sango towards the woods just as the Bakuryuuha reached Naraku.

The makeshift youkai screamed for real this time as he was buffeted again and again by the combined forces of the Cutting Wind at full strength, and the purifying power of the Shikon no Tama. Youkai began to separate from the whole, each dashed to pieces as it emerged from the whole by a blast of the Cutting Wind. Faster and faster Naraku came apart piece by piece, each part being obliterated as it separated from the whole. In seconds the main mass of Naraku was being pulled in all directions, and as the barrier around him failed the blasts began to take chunks out of the demon itself.

Heedless of the danger Kagome still staggered towards the forest, only to be held back by Sango and Kaede. "Inuyasha," she screamed as yet another wave of the Bakuryuuha came from the forest where the hanyou had landed, pummeling Naraku with yet another blast. Kaede and Sango both dragged Kagome back, away from the danger and towards the well.

"We have to get out of here," Kaede yelled over the wind buffeting them from the force of the Cutting Wind. Grabbing the collar of Kagome's uniform, Sango hauled the struggling girl over the side of Kirara, and the cat demon launched into the air.

"Kukuku," Naraku's laughter flowed over the land, reaching the ears of all those nearby, "this is not the end." And with that an earsplitting BOOM rocked the area, pushing up the earth in a huge crater around where the demon had stood. The air was suddenly shattered by the shockwave of the blast, and Kirara faltered, spiralling out of control towards the ground. She quickly righted herself, but in her own desperate attempt to stay on the demon Sango lost her grip on the still-struggling Kagome, who fell the last ten or so feet to the hard ground below.

The breath was knocked out of Kagome's lungs as she hit the hard ground. She immediately sat up, then stood up as she gasped for breath, using the well beside her as support. "Inuyasha," she wheezed, taking another step in his direction.

Another blast, and she was knocked off her feet. The back of her knees collided with the Bone-eaters' Well, and she toppled over backwards right into it.

"No," she whispered, then inhaled a breath finally and screamed, "No!!"

The darkness swallowed her up.

**


Author's Notes: More will be explained in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed!