Inuyasha: Sweet Dreams and a Happy Life

Chapter 10: Naraku's final defeat

The mixed group of youkai made their way down the streets of Tokyo, eyes watching as the citizens of the city got out of their way in a hurry as they realized that this gang was out to a war. Little did they know that their home would become the battleground of a lifetime.

"I want some of you acting as a rear guard to make sure that the mortals do not get harmed in the process," Kagome ordered her troops, making sure that one or two of them stayed behind the group and acted as a rear guard.

Far down the street, Eri watched as Kagome made her way to the largest park in the city. It looked like her friend, but somehow, she seemed different than she remembered, and the last time she had seen the girl was yesterday afternoon. The ears on top of her head would probably explain one thing though, including the bright electric blue streaks in her hair.

"Kami, that can't be Kagome, can it?" she asked herself, keeping a close eye on the girl who appeared to be different, yet the same to the one she knew. She followed them far behind, not wanting to get caught.

Gazing around her, Kagome decide on the best way on how to evacuate the park, filled with many innocent mortals as they talked and played. Sighing, she settled on changing to her youkai form, and headed to a secluded area of the park, watching as Kilala did the same thing and as the youkai hid in the trees and bushes of the park, well away from the prying eyes of the humans. When the two emerged from hiding, they pretended as if they were fighting ferociously. People scattered in fear, avoiding the battle ground.

"It's clear!" Inuyasha called out from his hiding spot in the trees and jumped out from the foliage.

Immediately, all the youkai emerged from hiding and joined Kagome and Kilala in the middle of the park. They stood together, watching as a purple mist gathered before them, swirling around in circles.

Kagome, having enough of this melodrama, transformed to her hanyou state and drew her bow and arrows, knocking the feathered shaft and aimed it at the center of the mist. "Naraku!" she shouted, glad when she received a response from the mist, eyeing it as it took a familiar shape. Closing her eyes, the hanyou miko called upon her ancestor, Midoriko, to help her fight Naraku and to return safely to her children. Kagome could feel as Midoriko joined her presence with her, feeling the pure, untainted power that surged inside of her soul.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome merged with her dead ancestor. He unconsciously gripped the Tetsusaiga tightly; glad to feel the rough fibers of the hilt in his hand. He felt more than ready to take on a dead foe, and destroy him for good so he wouldn't have to worry about him trying to take Kagome's soul.

Shippou looked sharply at Inuyasha when he heard the hanyou growl at the sight of Naraku. The fox demon understood what the half dog demon was feeling at that moment. He hated having to face off an opponent that they had faced over five hundred years ago or almost a year ago for the two hanyous.

"Your soul," Naraku hissed, a hand extended as if waiting to receive the prize that he had waited for so long.

"Never," Kagome growled back at him, loosing her arrow at his center mass, releasing some of her power with it.

The arrow never struck its target. Amazed the youkai watched as Naraku disappeared and appeared some where else, this time with Eri held by the throat. He grinned when he noticed Kagome's angered expression when she realized that he held one of her friends from this era.

"Let her go, Naraku, unharmed, and maybe, just maybe, you can have my soul, if you fight fair and square for it," Kagome told him, eyes hard and determined. She shook her head when Inuyasha started to protest about her course of action. "No. Eri is one of my friends from this time, and I will not let her die by the hand of a dead half demon who will die again, so soon after we last defeated him, even if it was longer for the others and not us."

"Feh," Inuyasha muttered and backed down, never letting his hand stray from the hilt of his Tetsusaiga.

Nodding in understanding, every youkai backed away, forming a ring around the two fighters. There would be no one allowed in or out of the circle as long as both were still standing and breathing. There would be no mercy for Naraku should he lose or should he win.

Eri scrambled away from the scary man, taking shelter by a large tree, unable to tear her eyes away from the scene of her best friend fighting that fiend. Silently, she hoped that Kagome would win so she could keep her soul, whatever she meant by that cryptic sentence.

Kagome discarded her bow and arrows and drew Midoriko's sword from its sheath on her waist. She felt so comfortable with the weapon in her hand, almost as if it was apart of her. Taking up a defensive stance, she allowed Naraku to start the battle, ready to slice through the tentacles that he might launch at her, or whatever he threw at her. She was determined not to lose this fight.

Kilala kept her gaze on the girl that Naraku had held captive for such a short while. She could smell the fear off of her as it came off of her in waves. "I know that you are worried for your friend, as am I, but believe me when I say that she is hard to best. She is my friend as well, and I know that she will win this match," the cat demon said, laying a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

"That's good to know," Eri replied.

Dodging the first blow that Naraku threw at her, Kagome moved in to attack her opponent. It would be a close fight, with a very close outcome. Swinging her sword, she scored a hit on one of Naraku's tentacles that swung her way. She wasn't fast enough to dodge another one of them as it ripped through her leg, sending blood flying every where. Snarling at the sudden pain, she attacked with renewed vigor, sending her miko powers into the sword. She would purify him and destroy him. A sudden sound high above them stopped the fight momentarily.

A news chopper circled the park, filming the event for the news channel. The powerful engine of the aircraft sent downdrafts down onto the field of battle, whipping around clothes and hair alike.

"Below me is an incredible sight. As you can see, actual youkai are battling. I really don't know what they are fighting about, but everyone who had been in the park a little earlier are being held back by a line of police officers, who are trying to keep them away from the circle of youkai," he babbled on, mostly about the two combatants, and, soon enough the fight went on, every pair of eyes fixated on the battle that was unfolding before them.

Kagome sliced through hundreds of tentacles, trying to cut Naraku's head off. Many cuts showed through her clothes, a few of them bleeding heavily, staining her clothes. She let loose one wild yell, swinging her sword in a circle, and using the same technique that she had used against Nianniai, she danced, her sword leading as she speared directly to Naraku, intending to cut off his head

Naraku's eyes opened wide. The hanyou miko's sword was heading straight for him, and he wouldn't be able to avoid it. He felt a slight sting on his neck, and everything went black.

Kagome stood in the middle of the circle, chest heaving as she watched Naraku disintegrate into nothing. She felt so tired; all she wanted to do was sleep for a week. Midoriko's sword slipping from her grasp, she vaguely heard Inuyasha call out to her, the voices that belonged to Eri and Kilala just a mere murmur in the distance. She wasn't even aware of her mate's strong arms picking her up and carrying her all the way to the shrine.

Midmorning came, and Kagome woke up to the sound of bird's singing and her children laughing outside. Sighing, she got out of her warm bed and slowly made her way down the stairs. As she opened the fridge door in the kitchen, a sudden sound behind made her whip her head around. Eri stood in the doorway, a small amount of fear in her eyes.

"Eri," Kagome said.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I am a hanyou miko, the reincarnate of the ancient priestess Midoriko, the creator of the Shikon no Tama. I wish that I could have told you before, it's just that I was truly afraid of what others would think of me," Kagome replied, eyes downcast. "Inuyasha and my children are half dog demons as well. My mother, my real mother, was an inu youkai, and my real father was a human. I was able to stay in a human image because of my mother's pendant that is charmed to hide a youkai or a hanyou of their true form to others."

"Sugoi," Eri whispered, allowing the information to sink in.

"Eri, please don't tell anyone about me, or Inuyasha or about our children. This can't be known to the public," Kagome pleaded with her friend, hoping to get a positive answer out of the girl.

"I won't, Kagome. Don't worry," Eri promised.

"Domo arigatou gozaimasu," Kagome said, smiling. "Gomensai for not telling you in the first place about who I really am."

"It's okay. I would do the same thing if I was in your shoes," Eri replied. "Come on outside. I think that your kids would like to see their ka-chan so they know that she is alive."

"True," Kagome agreed. Heading outside with a chocolate granola bar in her hand, she watched as her little brother played with Kyashii while Kaliya was fed by Mrs. Higurashi. Nearby, Inuyasha was fending jii-chan away as he tried to plaster old sutras on him again. "This is as ordinary as it gets around here with Inuyasha running around."

"I can see that this doesn't seem to be out of place," Eri giggled, watching as Inuyasha finally got away from the old man by jumping on one of the branches of the Goshinboku, sticking his tongue out like an adolescent.

"Inuyasha, don't make me come up there and kick your ass off that limb!" Kagome growled, picking up Kyashii as she started to fuss.

Grumbling under his breath, Inuyasha jumped down, only to be pursued by jii-chan again. "Why in hell do you let him torture me like this?" he called out.

"You and I know that those sutras can't hurt a fly, unlike Miroku's. Don't make me bring you across the well and get him to plaster one or two of them on you," Kagome threatened.

Turning to go back in the house to put Kyashii to bed, she smelt Hojo's scent. "Shimatta," she swore, turning around and heading for the main entrance to the shrine where she waited patiently for Hojo to show up.

"Kagome, where have you been?" the boy asked. "Is that your child?"

"I've been here and there, and yes, this is my child; the other one is with my husband and my ka-chan," Kagome said smoothly, breaking the ice with all the grace of an inu hanyou would.

"Nani?" Hojo cried out in disbelief, startling Kyashii. He was so upset about the sudden turn of events that he never noticed the dog ears on her head or the bright electric blue streaks in her hair. Anger quickly replaced the disbelief, and for a moment she thought that he would attack her right then and there, despite the fact that she held a child in her arms.

She growled at him, baring her fangs. Her sudden change of mood somehow calmed Kyashii, who cooed at the prospect of a fight. "You dare to even think about hurting me or mine, I will skin you alive, tear you limb from limb, castrate you and finally kill you. I will do all of that over the period of many days, causing you much pain," she hissed at him, eyes alight with fury.

Surprised at her sudden change of mood, Hojo backed down out of fear. Never had he seen this girl so violent before. Then it suddenly hit him. "You. You were one of the youkai battling the other night," he stuttered.

"Correction, I am a hanyou, and I would not hesitate to protect my family," Kagome growled at him, staring hungrily as she thought of eating fresh flesh, her youkai side of her battling to get out and gorge itself on a prospect of a feast. "Get out of my sight."

As Hojo scrambled away in evident panic, Eri smirked. "You know, ever since the last time he saw you, he became suddenly determined to have you as his bride. He became so intolerable. I'm glad that you showed him who is boss," she said, her smile getting even wider.

"I'm glad how I did it too," Kagome smiled, trudging back up the stairs to take Kyashii to bed. "Very glad indeed, right my little warrior?"

She told Inuyasha about the incident after putting both of her children to sleep, only to have to end up trying to keep him from killing Hojo right then. She threatened him extensively, and he soon backed down, not wanting to have the wrath of a female inu hanyou especially when she was his mate. That would be a hundred times worse than a strange half dog demon.

That night, Kagome stayed up late, trying to quell the pain and fear of having to deal with her friends the next day. Eri would be there to offer support when she broke the news to the others, and she knew that she would need it. The fact that the world had watched her fighting Naraku on television was hard, causing her great fear for her future, but telling her friends that she was the winner would be even harder on her conscious, and them. How would they react to her when they found out? Would they reveal her to the world, have her captured like some wild animal and drugged and tested on for the rest of her life? Would she be hunted down like a beast that had posed too much of a threat to humanity? Asking herself these questions, Kagome fell asleep, worry blossoming deep in her heart.

Noon arrived, and Kagome's friends showed up at the door, led by Eri. Kagome let them in, her mother's amulet around her neck so that they wouldn't know about it right away. She watched closely as they settled in the living room before making her announcement.

"Guys, I want to talk to you about the battle of the youkai a couple of nights back," Kagome started.

"We know about it Kagome. They interrupted my favorite show so they could tell the world," Ayumi said.

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about," Kagome whispered and yanked off her amulet that she had inherited from her youkai mother. "I am the hanyou of the fight, and not a youkai as the news cast wants to label me as."

The girls gasped out loud as they took in the dog ears, the fangs and the blue streaks in her hair. Cautiously, one of them stood up and lightly touched the ear closest to her, her hand darting back when it flicked away on its own accord. "Sugoi," she said, putting a hand to her mouth.

"The reason why I was hardly ever at school, and why jii-chan was always making up these really strange excuses about me being sick was because I was going back in time through the well on the shrine, which is actually a time portal, back to the feudal era to help fight against Naraku, and to put the shards of the Shikon no Tama back together after I accidentally shattered it when I shot a crow demon who had stolen it. During history class, when we read in the books, I'm sure you would often notice that I would gasp or stiffen up as I read. That is because I had just learned something to do with our travels. The history of Inuyasha is real. He is my husband, my mate. The reason why I was so concerned about the history of Japan was because I was that unnamed miko in the books, and I had learned what would happen next in our travels, and I knew I had to stop the deaths of my companions from happening.

"I traveled with a taijiya, a perverted monk, an orphaned fox youkai.

"The battle was caused because Naraku's spirit had returned from the spirit world, and wanted my soul to become powerful again. I had to fight him and kill him in order to keep me and my family safe from his wrath, but even if he had won, I had placed a spell over my family to protect them. The youkai that were encircling us were the ones that Shippou had rounded up for me in the space of a day. They were to protect you from harm.

"Yesterday, Hojo stopped by the shrine. He saw Kyashii in my arms, and asked about her. When I told him that she was mine and that I was married, he became angry. In order to stop him from harming Kyashii, I threatened him with torture and death, all the while trying to quell my demon side from rising up and killing him. Kyashii calmed down as I became angry, and then he realized who I was. He ran away, and Eri told me about him since he had last seen me. I guess that I put him in his place," Kagome told them.

"That would explain why Hojo was looking over his shoulder every five seconds a couple of days ago," Ayumi explained, hiding a smile at the fact that it was Kagome who had scared the shit out of the young annoying man. "But, why didn't you ever tell us who you really were?"

"I was afraid. When I was young, I had a bad experience with some young men who were, I guess the proper term would be torturing me while I was in my youkai form. Sometimes when some hanyous are young, they are born in their youkai forms until they are old enough to start controlling who they really are. I was one of them. Anyways, I had been backed into a corner until my youkai mother saved me," Kagome replied. "It is something to face some danger when you're that young, but not being able to do something to protect yourself leads to fear, and that's what happened to me."

"I see. And your children, are they hanyous as well?"

"Hai," Kagome curtly responded. "Do you still accept me for who I really am?"

"Of course we do. We understand why you never told us about your true self. Fear is powerful. And it can rule your life. I'm glad that you came out and told us," one of Kagome's friends said.

Youkai—demons

Kami—god

Hanyou—half demon

Miko—priestess

Inu—dog

Sugoi—wow/amazing

Domo arigatou gozaimasu—thank you very much

Gomensai—I'm sorry

Ka-chan—mother

Kyashii—a name. Translates to 'Kathy"

Jii-chan—grandfather

Shimatta—damn it (informal)

Nani—what

Taijiya—demon exterminator