"You think you can slip my hold that easy, boy? Think again!"
His eyes shot open. It was dark; a red glow coming from what looked like red cords providing little light. He looked around. This had to be a hallucination. Suki must have screwed up making the Dying Tea. Red cords stretched everywhere, forming a giant spiderweb. He hung off to the side, thick cords wrapped around him.
"Seriously don't need the memories of that time to come back." Inuyasha muttered. That time. Shippo and Kagome had discovered his secret weakness, his human form. Next was that spider demon, getting bit, the agony of the venom, Kagome's sweet scent, the warmth of her lap, Kagome's tears. "If this is Hell, you've got the wrong guy. I'm not afraid of spiders!"
"This is not Hell. This is the Between World! You tried to escape me!"
"I was not escaping! I was ensuring you would die, Chaos! That's right, I know! I know Suki is the Arrow of Light! I know what the final line means! You are dead this time, Chaos!" Inuyasha yelled, "Why don't you show yourself?"
The ropes shifted. What sort of resembled a giant spider revealed itself. It looked wrong. Much like Naraku, it was a mismatch of parts that surrounded a large face. The mouth was too large, and a swollen purple tongue hung out of it, dripping black blood. Large rummy red eyes leaked pus ladened tears that ran down the white face. It had no nose, only an empty hole resembling Miroku's wind tunnel. Wild green hair completed it's head. It's body was made up of parts from multiple demons. Green arms from a dragon demon were it's back set of legs. One leg was a human demon arm that was very eerily similar to the arm Sesshomaru had lost. Inuyasha was pretty sure that it was Sesshomaru's arm. Two legs were spider legs. One leg belonged to a cat demon. The front two legs were a pair of curved blades. Various skin types covered it's hide. "This form is my favorite form!"
"Those teeth, they are So'unga, correct?" Inuyasha asked.
"Correct, boy! I shall devour you and add your power to mine! I will use your form and trick your friends! They will die thinking you killed them!"
"Sorry, but they will see right through you!"
"Chaos! Leave my youngest son alone!" A white blur body slammed Chaos, knocking it clear off it's feet. The dog demon turned and nipped the ropes, freeing Inuyasha. Before Inuyasha could protest, he was up on the demons back. "Your fight is with me, Chaos!"
Inuyasha clung to the dog demon tightly. The giant dog felt familiar to him, like he knew him. He smelled like both him and Sesshomaru. Who was this guy, and why did he feel so safe?
"You escaped my trap, Inutaisho!"
That name. It sounded so familiar. Wait. That was his father's name. Could it be?
"Dad."
"That's right, my son." Inutaisho bit down on Chaos's human demon arm, and ripped it off the spider, "Inuyasha, I'm going to give you the short version. Chaos is a multiple world demon. Usagi, Suki's mother, is fighting Chaos in the Upper World. Your uncle, Dark Lord Yasha, is fighting Chaos in the Below World. Kikyō is fighting Chaos in the Afterlife. I am fighting Chaos here in the Between World. Chaos is spread out, which has weakened it considerably. Your friends are going to fight Chaos in the Living World, where Usa will awaken as the Arrow and call the Full Moon Bow to her."
"Usa?" Inuyasha asked.
"That's Suki's real name. I changed it to protect her." Inutaisho tore into Chaos's back. "Her mother is Usagi, the Lady of the Light. Her father is Yasha. I will keep you safe here." He ripped into Chaos with his claws, sending chunks of body and blood flying. Inuyasha burrowed deep into his father's thick coat and held on.
Suki watched from the door. Inuyasha's chest was still rising and falling. He occasionally jerked and coughed up a thick slurry of black blood. He was still alive. The Dying Tea should have put him to rest forever. Why wasn't it working? Had she made it too weak? She knew Inuyasha was very stubborn. She stifled a giggle. It seemed he was so stubborn that his body was refusing to die. Just maybe he might pull through.
Suki walked into the other room with a smile. Everyone looked at her.
"He's still with us." She took a breath, "I decided to give him an out. I made a cup of the Dying Tea, and he drank it. Well, it doesn't seem to be having any effect. I'm not sure why."
"You made it strong enough to send humans to the afterlife." Sesshomaru stated.
"Oh crap. Yokai aren't humans! I made it too weak!" Suki groaned, "Even for a Hanyo!"
"That means he still has a chance!" Kagome sobbed out, standing.
"Where do you think you are going?" Sesshomaru asked.
"To Inuyasha." Kagome started toward the door.
"No. He is very contagious. I won't let you get infected!" Sesshomaru growled.
"I don't care if I get sick!" Kagome glared at the Lord of the Western Lands.
"I think somebody has feelings for someone else." Miroku found himself running for his life with Sesshomaru hot on his heels. He caught up and sent Miroku flying into a inconveniently placed wall.
"You are blushing!" Jaken called out in a sing song voice, "You have feelings for Kagome!" The Imp found himself airborne, and crashed into the same wall Miroku did.
"Come on, spit it out!" Suki said.
"Fine! It's true, but it's only brotherly!" Sesshomaru yelled.
"Yeah sure." Suki jeered.
"If you weren't my sister and weren't a woman, I would kill you on the spot!"
"Well, Kagome, you have a full demon and a half demon in love with you." Sango grinned.
"Rin, do you mind?" Kagome asked.
Rin gave a wicked grin, "SIT BOY!"
There came a thud followed by a yelp of surprise. "I forgot I was wearing this thing!"
"How about this. I'll let you look in on him. You will not go into the room." Suki decided, "How is that?"
"Okay." Kagome followed Suki to the door of the other room. She could see Inuyasha's chest rising and falling slowly. He gave a harsh jerk, bringing up another thick slurry of black blood. His face twisted in agony. Kagome wanted to run to his side. "Oh Suki! He's in pain!"
"I wish I could dull his pain. Come." They returned to the other room, "Miroku, why don't you fill us in on what you've learned from Naraku?"
Miroku filled everyone in, "I don't trust him, but I think he may be working on our side."
"That Hanyo can't be trusted. I know how his and his ilk think. He sees Chaos as a challenge to be overcome, and absorbed!" Sesshomaru spat.
"But I killed Naraku when I wished the jewel gone!" Kagome cried out.
"Even Naraku is not sure of who revived him." Miroku said, "He believes Suki is the Arrow of Light. He called her a daughter of light. There's also the Full Moon Bow." Miroku swallowed, "Whomever wields it will not survive."
"I will wield it. I do not want anyone to talk me out of this!" Kagome stared at her friends. "Tell Inuyasha to hurry up. I will wait for him in the afterlife. We'll be together. That's all I want. I want to be with Inuyasha."
"No way!" Shippo cried out, "Stop being so selfish, Kagome! Remember what Inuyasha asked! He told you to live for him! I'm losing one friend! I'm not losing another!"
"Do you know anyone else who can handle a bow?" Kagome asked.
"No." the words were barely out of Shippo's mouth when a loud roar split the air. Wind screamed through the windows. The temple lurched, walls groaning, and the roof vanished. Screams rang out. Overhead, what resembled the inside of a tornado spun. Flashes of red light revealed what looked like softly glowing cords dropping from the darkness above. A weird conglomeration of demon parts in the form of a spider dropped down the ropes followed by a large white Daiyokai. The two tangled with each other tooth and claw. They hit the ground and broke apart. The red cords vanished.
Sesshomaru gasped as he recognized the Daiyokai. It couldn't be the Inu No Taisho. There was no way! Both the spider demon and Daiyokai shifted to human form. They both growled at each other, teeth bared and claws out.
"It ends here, Chaos. You know this as well as I do. You are too spread out. It has left you very weak. Today, you vanish forever." Inutaisho growled deep in his throat.
"Your plan was very clever. Make me fight in all worlds at once, very clever. We both know the girl will choose to save your pup over destroying me." Chaos grinned, "She loves the pup too much to forfeit his life."
"That's what you think!" Inutaisho hissed. "My son is dying. He is beyond the healing reach of the Arrow now. Suki, you must awaken as the Arrow. Don't worry about the Full Moon Bow. It is already here. Tenseiga, I thank you for keeping it safe. Go ahead and do your part."
In his room, Inuyasha came to. He blinked the fog away quickly. Rolling onto his stomach, he crawled toward the others. He collapsed after a few feet, only to get back up. Sango saw him and rushed to his side. She held him, completely unaware of the fact some of Inuyasha's infected blood was seeping into a cut on her arm.
Chaos grabbed and pulled Suki into its arms, "You are mine now! Inutaisho, your move!"
"Let my daughter go!" Inutaisho snapped. Chaos only raised So'unga so the blade was pressed against Suki's neck.
"How about I kill her here and now?"
"Don't even dare!"
Suki felt the blade starting to cut into her neck. She whimpered, her mind clouded with fear. Beyond them, Sesshomaru gradually closed the distance. He lashed out, driving Bakusagia into Chaos's back. Chaos jerked, and Suki cried out, So'unga cutting deeper into her neck. Her mind went blank. She began to scream, her moon mark blazing white. Chaos dove away from the angry light. Tenseiga began to flash white and gold as it responded to the urgent call of the awakening Arrow of Light. It streaked into the light. Before long, a great white bow and a shining silver arrow had appeared.
"No! Not that blasted arrow again! Die, Arrow of Light!" Chaos threw So'unga at it. Kagome bolted. As she ran, she turned slightly and dove. She wasn't fast enough as So'unga cut into her shoulder. She staggered, but kept going. She crumbled to the ground next to the bow and arrow. Her consciousness flickered and began to fade. No, not now. By some miracle, she managed to crawl to the bow, and her vision faded. As she went down, her fingers brushed the bow. Bright light engulfed her.
"KAGOME!" Inuyasha screamed, choking as blood erupted from his mouth. Sango clung to him, horror on her face. Chaos's cruel laughter rang out across the ruin of the temple.
"Wake up, Kagome."
"Hmm…" Kagome opened her eyes. "I don't hurt?" She noticed her injured shoulder, and the fact the bleeding had stopped. "What is going on? Suki? Where are you?"
"I'm right here." The silver arrow floated before her, "This is my real form. Everything is clear now. Use me, Kagome."
"What will happen to you?" Kagome asked.
"I don't know. You have a choice, Kagome. I have enough power for one thing. You can use me to save Inuyasha, or you can use me to destroy Chaos forever. Look up. See that dark area? That is the Dark Hole. It is Chaos's source of power, and the reason it sleeps 500 years after being driven back. Fire me into it and I will use my power to shut it forever. Doing this will destroy Chaos as it will swallow it as it closes." Suki explained, "Or, fire me directly into Inuyasha's heart. I will use my power to remove the taint of the Black Sickness from his body. This will severely wound Chaos who will escape through the Dark Hole. The choice is yours, Kagome."
The light faded to reveal Kagome holding the bow with the arrow nocked. Blood poured from her shoulder. She stood tall. Kagome turned the arrow onto Inuyasha, and stopped.
"I want to save him." She thought. Five hundred years later would place Chaos's next awakening right in her time. It hadn't awakened. "If I save Inuyasha, am I dooming the future? Chaos could be gearing up to awaken in my time. I can't put Mom, Sota, or Grandpa in that kind of danger. I really want to save Inuyasha though. Wait. Sesshomaru did say that once a Yokai dies, any effects it has caused will end. If I destroy Chaos, would I be saving Inuyasha too? Suki, would you fully heal Inuyasha if I use you to save him?"
"I can't heal his injuries, only remove his sickness, and give his healing a jump start, bringing him out of danger. I sense the sickness emitting from Sango too. I can't save them both."
Kagome noted that Sango had gone very pale. She was sweating profusely, fever evident on her face.
"I can't hurt Miroku like that." Kagome made up her mind.
"No! Die, girl!" Chaos released a massive lightning bolt that raced toward Kagome. It struck with an earth shaking explosion. Screams rang out as thick smoke obscured everything.
Kagome dared to open her eyes. "Lord Sesshomaru!"
Sesshomaru was on his knees in front of her, Tenseiga raised. A shimmering blue dome covered everyone. Lightning lashed at the dome. Outside the dome, Inutaisho went at Chaos, So'unga in his hands. The evil blade was responding to its masters wishes. Chaos transformed its right arm into a blade in order to beat back So'unga.
"When I drop the shield, use the Arrow!" Sesshomaru grunted, his arms shaking from the effort of keeping the shield up.
Kagome nodded, raising the arrow. She knew exactly what to do. She suddenly collapsed to her knees, her vision beginning to fade. No. Not yet. Have to stand, have to end this! Gentle arms helped her stand. "Inuyasha?"
"Let me support you in Inuyasha's stead. Use my strength. Go ahead and do what needs to be done." Sesshomaru whispered in her ear.
"Yes. Let's end this." Her conscious was beginning to go. She felt Sesshomaru helping her raise the bow and pull back the string. "FULL MOON STRIKE!" The arrow began to shine brightly. It streaked forward to vanish inside the Dark Hole. At first nothing happened. Inutaisho rammed So'unga through Chaos's chest and pinning it to the ground. Above, the Dark Hole filled with light. Chaos screamed. It grew so bright everyone had to cover their eyes. The light finally faded away, and the sun began to shine. In her arms, Sango watched Inuyasha shifted back to his normal form. Kagome collapsed against Sesshomaru with a faint gasp. He waited, but her chest remained still. Sesshomaru closed his eyes in sorrow.
"Is she?" Rin asked. Sesshomaru only nodded. "Can Tenseiga bring her back?"
"I wish it could, but it has reverted to a normal sword." Sesshomaru explained, "It is powerless."
"Oh gods!" Miroku choked back a sob.
"There's still a chance." Inutaisho walked toward them. "Myoga, I know you are here."
The demon flea crawled out from under Inutaisho's armor and leapt over to Kagome. "She's lost almost all of her blood. I can replace it, but I need a donor." Inutaisho offered his arm, which Myoga leapt onto. After drinking the blood, he leapt back over to Kagome, "This will have some side effects." He passed the blood into Kagome. "It's working." Myoga waited.
Kagome coughed and gave a gasp. Her breathing evened out as she opened her eyes. "I'm back? Inuyasha! Where's Inuyasha?"
"I have him. The Black Sickness has left us. He isn't looking very good. Where is Suki?" Sango asked.
"Suki? Father, did she vanish once her job was done?" Sesshomaru asked.
"She told me she didn't know what will happen to her." Kagome looked away.
"She must have. Living objects, once their job is done, cease to be." Inutaisho responded.
"No, she's over here!" Miroku ran to Suki's side, "She's alive, just unconscious!"
"Inuyasha!" Suki streaked toward the fading spirit of the Hanyo, "Inuyasha!"
"Suki?" Inuyasha turned, "Where are we?"
It was black as far as the eye could see. Ahead, Inuyasha sensed a large mass. Occasional flashes of light flickered. The mass seemed to be thrashing about. A fight was going on.
"This is the Realm of Darkness. Naraku is fighting Chaos here. We got sucked in when I collapsed the Dark Hole, our spirits that is. Chaos is trying to absorb us." Suki explained, "You need to fight hard to remain out of Its grip."
"Wait, back up here. Naraku? He's here fighting? I thought he died when Kagome wished the Jewel of Four Souls gone."
"He did die. He was revived by Usagi, Lady of the Light, to continue the fight here."
"This fight will last?"
"Not much longer. It is up to you to finish Chaos."
"How? I don't have Tessaiga!"
"You don't need Tessaiga, Inuyasha. The power is there inside you. Now go and end this nightmare!"
Inuyasha nodded, and rushed Chaos. "IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!" His claws hit what felt like hard scales. "What? My claws can't cut through?"
"Nor can mine!" Naraku joined him, "My bone blades are only leaving dents! I hate to say it, but we need to work together!"
"Like hell am I working with the likes of you!"
"I don't like it ether, but we got no choice!"
"You killed me!"
"You got brought back by Tenseiga!"
"You still killed me! It really hurt too!"
"Stop arguing and and start fighting! I can't keep the Dark Hole shut forever now!" Suki snapped.
"He killed me!" Inuyasha wailed, "You want me to work with him? Absolutely not!"
"There's no other way, Hanyo!" Naraku shot.
"Guys, cut it out! Are you both blind? You are falling right into Chaos's trap!" Suki screamed.
"Your big sister is right." Naraku grinned.
"Fine!" Inuyasha sulked.
"Good. If you can keep it busy, I think with my bone blades, I can break through it's armor."
"Fine." Inuyasha charged at Chaos again. Again, his claws only bounced off the armor like scales. Multiple times he clashed against Chaos, and the only damage done was to his claws. Inuyasha circled Chaos.
"An egg?" No, it was moving and eggs don't move. "An amoeba." Inuyasha remembered Kagome's medical science report on those tiny worms she called amoebas. He had seen one through that weird looking eye device out of pure curiosity. "It's got to have some kind of weakness, but what?" Naraku was thinking the same thing. Both Hanyo floated around Chaos. "There!" Inuyasha dove toward the faint glimmer of light, "IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!" His claws sunk deep into Chaos. It lurched about madly, it's new injury mortal. Inuyasha shoved his hand deeper into Chaos's body, his claws sinking into a quivering mass. He yanked it out, and realized he was holding Chaos's heart. A squeeze, and it was over. Chaos screamed, and it's body burst. Inuyasha felt the sludge splash over him. He dropped to his knees in exhaustion, completely unaware of the tentacle that had latched onto his back. Everything went white.
Queen Sunstar: We have one final chapter coming up. I have decided to combine the following chapter and the epilogue together. After this I am doing a sequel which will be much longer. It is called Sword of Healing. In this one, Sesshomaru works to restore Tenseiga's power while gathering the shards of Tessaiga. Also, is Chaos really gone? Find out then. The finale will be posted in December, and Sword of Healing will begin in January. The reason why Inutaisho is alive will be explained in the finale too. Plus, what side effects await Kagome after receiving blood from Inutaisho? Find out in the finale too.