Chapter 10

I dont own Inuyasha! ,)

Something just isn't right. Naraku has done something horrible to Kagome. I can feel her pain.

Inuyasha had run all night and continued to head in Kagome's direction long into the morning. His legs were becoming heavier by the minute and Tetsusaiga dug into his hip bone leaving a dull ache in its place, but he refused to slow his pace because of his own ailments. There was somebody very important to him that needed his help and she needed his help hours ago.

Kagome's pain pulsed through his body and his pain tore at his heart. He had promised her long ago that he would protect her and he quietly cursed under his breath at allowing her to be in Naraku's hands. That asshole must have done something unimaginable and Inuyasha was determined to kill him for it. There would be nothing to keep him from her, except his own death, and in death he would spend eternity trying to get to her once again.

Inuyasha didn't even slow to let his friends catch up; he knew that they would get there as soon as they could. He just didn't have the time to waste waiting for them.

Sango headed straight after him riding on Kirara the second he secured Tetutsaigia and bounded into the woods. Sanorai carried Gigi into the sky and Seshoumaru lifted himself into the clouds. All were very close to being on Inuyasha's heels, he just couldn't afford the time to check, but he could feel them close behind. They would be in time to clean up Inuyasha's mess if they were lucky.

The closer Inuyasha got to Kagome, the more he noticed that the land around him became less green and the tree's bare branches reached toward the sky begging for rain. The grass cracked and crumbled under his weight and tree branches broke easily at his touch. It was a sure sign that Naraku and his minions had been in this area for awhile. Nothing could stay alive long with the amount of evil that radiated from that group. It sucked everything good from the atmosphere.

The air smelled vile and stagnant, leaving everything acrid lingering in the air. Inuyasha's nose was extremely sensitive to smells since he was a dog hanyou and even a slight odor lingered in his nostrils, leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

His heart continued to pound in his chest uncontrollably, giving him the extra adrenaline he needed to keep at the hard pace he set for himself. Without that, his legs would surely give out from under him and he would end up face first in the dirt and Kagome still in pain.

"I have to find her." He whispered. "She must live."

Sliding to a sudden stop, Inuyasha's claws dug into the dirt, kicking up cracked earth and stones. Pointing his nose into the air, his nostrils flared at the smell of fresh blood. Kagome's fresh blood. He was close to her.

He had a feeling that she was going to be injured, but the amount of blood he smelled angered him past the point of sanity. As the rage coursed through his veins his eyes turned to fire red and all he could taste was the violence that would soon escape his being. His claws yearned to rip Naraku from naval to neck and pull his insides out of his stomach.

Naraku had made a huge mistake and Inuyasha was determined to be his punisher.

Inuyasha barely suppressed a rumble that tried to escape loudly from his throat. Treading softly in the direction of Kagome's smell, he was conscious of the noise he made walking over the ground. He wanted to find her before Naraku had a chance to whisk her away again. It seemed that every time he got close to her, she would disappear and inevitably be found in a situation that was worse than the previous.

The air became more stagnant and Kagome's blood overwhelmed Inuyasha's senses. He was inching closer and closer to where she should be. In the distance he could here the rush of water down a stream, but other than that the forest was quiet. Oddly quiet, especially when birds should be singing and creatures skittering across the ground searching for their next meal. There was nothing in its place.

Pushing through a thicket of dry branches and dead bushes, Inuyasha froze at what lay before him. Fiery gold feathers trickled with blood littered the ground around a limp, half naked Kagome. She was lying on her stomach with her head resting on the palm of one of her hands. Raven black hair draped over her body and onto the ground. Pieces of it were dried and caked with blood stuck to her shoulders and back that was now missing wings. To Inuyasha's relief, he noticed that her back moved slowly up and down, meaning that she was at least breathing and alive.

Rage filled Inuyasha anew at the image before him and he couldn't decide whether stomp in and rescue her haphazardly or wait and see where Naraku and his minions were hiding. They surely wouldn't leave Kagome alone, not without someone around to watch her. Naraku wasn't stupid; he should know that Inuyasha would be close on his heels.

Searching the area around him, he didn't see Naraku or anybody else for that matter around. He could smell and sense Naraku's presence but he was not by Kagome at the moment. She looks like he abused her and then discarded her like a rotten piece of fruit.

That bastard! I need to get to her. Ill at least try to get her to safety and then I will come back and give Naraku what is owed.

Crawling to Kagome, Inuyasha kneeled by her bleeding body. There were two gashes, one under each shoulder blade where her wings used to be so delicately placed. The wounds were scabbed and she had trails of dried blood running down her sides where there was nothing to catch her bleeding. The dirt around her body was dark brown where the blood stained the ground. It was enough to cause Inuyasha's heart to slam into his throat.

Inuyasha felt a jab of sadness at the loss of her wings. He had only seen her once with them, but he felt like it was a part of her that he never fully had the chance to know. Inuyasha wanted so much to know every part of Kagome and this was one thing that he would never know, except for the pain that was caused when Naraku ripped them off.

Kagome would never do this to herself. Naraku had to have been the one who did this.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered in her ear. "Kagome, I'm here now. I'm going to take you away from here. Please don't die on me."

Reaching down near her face, Inuyasha carefully pulled her hair away so that he could see her more clearly. Her eyes were swollen shut and she had a gash down the side of her cheek that was having a hard time closing up. Lifting her chin up with his thumb and forefinger, he studied the side of her face that had been hidden in her hand. The tattoo that had curled around her cheek was no longer there except for a small portion that swirled around one of her bruised eyes.

Kagome made no acknowledgment of Inuyasha being there, intensifying his need to embrace her. Carefully lifting her off of the ground, he tilted her over in the crook of his arms. Her bare chest stared up at him and he barely noticed because his attention was on the whelps that covered her body. On a normal day, he would have been extremely embarrassed to see her shirtless, but his concern for her well-being kept him from loosing his cool. But it didn't keep his eye from wondering every so often.

Gently he placed his head between her breasts to make him believe that her heart did in fact beat.

BUMP bum bum bum bum…..BUMP bum bum bum bum……….

Sighing with relief, he pressed her into his chest, giving her limp body the best hug he could manage through his nervousness at her skin caressing his cheek.

She's alive. Thank everything that is good! She's alive!

"Did you think you would be able to walk away with her? Without a fight?" Naraku's voice rasped behind Inuyasha. "Ha! You are nothing but an ignorant dog!"

Slowly turning his head to meet Naraku's glare, Inuyasha curled his lip back revealing his fangs in displeasure. He was hoping that he could get Kagome away before he dealt with Naraku. It seems that time had run away from him, he might have been away with her already if he had not had been transfixed by her. He couldn't bring himself to loosen his grasp on her body, she was too dear to him and he could only watch her closely if she was touching him. But he might not have choice and that irritated him.

He had just found her again and already he might have to give up her warmth to the ground. He was beginning to become very bitter with the world and how it spun and left his life in rambles in its wake. He needed things to just slow down for a second, give him a small breather. Two or three minutes tops! Is that too much to ask?

Inuyasha sighed. "I plan on doing exactly that. Don't think that I won't kill you again for what you have done to Kagome. I will come back for you."

Inuyasha gave Naraku a dangerous look and flexed his claws tighter around Kagome's hurt body. She was in need of desperate attention.

"You fool! You will not take another step with that witch. She is mine now. Don't fret over her too much Inuyasha, she will live long yet, maybe in pain, but live none the less. She cannot die yet; I still need her to accomplish my goals in this great pattern I weave. I have cut into her bond with Sanorai and soon I will sever it completely. But until then, her body can receive excruciating punishment and continuously heal from it without letting her meet her death. It's interesting to see how much she can take until she passes out from the agony." Satisfied with his rebuttal, Naraku arched his lip into a smirk. Pushing Inuyasha to his limits was entertaining to Naraku. It had been a long time since the last time they faced each other and he was still bitter that it had ended with his bodily death.

"You really are an idiot. Things apparently don't change even in death. Every word you speak against Kagome brings your next death nearer by the minute!"

Twitching his dog ears, Inuyasha heard soft thuds land on the ground a distance behind him. The others have arrived and just in time for him to get to dance with Naraku. His claws yearned to sink into his flesh and rip out every shred of being that they touched. Although it wouldn't do Naraku justice, he deserved much worse.

"Ah, I see your friends have arrived. They must be idiots as well. I might as well destroy you all right here and now. This is better than having to hunt you all." Naraku's dark wings spread away from his back, arching into the sky. They seemed like massive shadows ready to swallow him and any one around him whole.

"Inuyasha!" Sango shouted. "Is that Kagome!? Give her to me and I will take her some where safe." Running to Inuyasha, Sango and Kirara grabbed for Kagome. "ahhhh….where is her shirt!?" Blushing, Sango turned her eyes to the ground. What had been done to Kagome? That bastard.

"Hahaha! Demon slayer! That is the least of her troubles! When I am through with you all, she will wear no clothes at all. That way I can see every bruise and mark that I leave on her body. I will parade her around my minions wearing a crown of daggers representing the demise of all that is good. What do you think about that Inuyasha!?" Naraku hissed.

Within a few seconds Kagome went from Inuyasha's arms to being draped over Kirara's back with Sango holding her in place. A loud growl erupted from Inuyasha's throat as he hurled himself in Naraku's direction. He had had enough of his lip.

He will regret what he has done! I will see to it right now!

"Fool! Do not run towards him blindly!" Seshoumaru yelled at a startled Inuyasha.

Sanorai and Gigi walked up beside Seshoumaru. Sanorai and Gigi radiated violence once they saw Kagome battered and unconscious on Kirara's back. Seshoumaru glanced at her with indifference. He would have fought Naraku without a captured maiden to save; he simply just didn't appreciate Hanyou's who tried to be more powerful than himself. He was after all a Demon Lord who ruled all the lands of the west with iron fists. There was no room in his kingdom for the damned.

"Since when have you cared what I do Seshoumaru!" Inuyasha said as he dug his heels into the dirt to stop his forward motion towards Naraku. It was too late for his brother to all of a sudden act like he wanted to give brotherly advice when he had spent much of Inuyasha's life trying to kill him for being born.

"Since it pertains to my goals. Things will be done my way." Seshoumaru responded dryly.

Sanorai turned to Gigi beside him and gave her a searching look after Seshoumaru had spoken. Her large eyes glittered with deadliness and her bow was gripped tight with white knuckles. Sanorai could feel her powers seeping into the air around her sucking the evil from the air. It made their small bubble easier to stand in; it felt like a huge load was taken from his shoulders. It was hard for angels to be in the presence of such evil without it affecting their senses.

"Are you sure you are ready to fight? I know we have hardly made amends, but I could not stand if you were to get hurt. You see what he has done to Kagome." Sanorai whispered into Gigi's golden hair.

"I see what has been done to Kagome and I wish nothing more than to kill every last one of those bastards. I am willing to risk death. I have never been a coward, Sanorai, and I am sad that you didn't already know that." Sanorai was crazy if he thought she would stand down because of a fear of death. Walking the under world frightened her little; everybody died sometime and at least her death would be for a cause. She had tried and tried to forgive Sanorai for what he had done to Kagome, but every time she thought of it her hands would shake and anger swelled within her starting the whole cycle over again. She thought spending more time with him would help and it had, but she still had her doubts. He had a lot of making up to do.

"The last thing I would dare call you would be 'coward'. I see you have yet to forgive me and I can deal with that as long as you continue to give me chances to make it up to you. But don't run in here ready to lose the only life you have with me. I want to make use of the one we have together, right here, and right now. If you die, I hope its with me by your side. We will walk death's hallways together, hand in hand." Sanorai was going out on a limb with his heart on his sleeve. He hadn't been so forward in the past few days, but he figured it was time for her to know that he was dedicated to her now even if she didn't feel the same. He wanted to cling to the hope that she would eventually forgive him.

Raising her bow and forcing the flow of energy and power through her body, she gathered it around the knocked arrow. Pointing it above Sanorai's head, she loosed it into the chest of a half decomposed minion who was inching down from a tree. Gigi didn't even know how he had gotten in a tree; he was in pretty bad shape. A small yelp escaped his throat as he tumbled backwards into the ground.

Looking around the group, there were hundreds of decomposed, bacteria eaten, pus soaked, one eyed creatures inching towards their party. Every one displayed weapons held in rotten hands or strapped to their forearms because of a lack of hands. It was a disgusting sight, but there was nothing to be done about it now. There was nowhere for them to go except through the oncoming storm.

Inuyasha released Tetutsaiga from it scabbard and held it high above his head. Sanorai squared up to the oncoming enemy and Gigi's bow loosed arrows filled with her power by the second. Seshoumaru flexed his claws as his eyes turned into red pools, emanating violence. And Sango sat to the side attending Kagome's wounds with intense attention. Her wounds were healing but they needed to be cleaned to keep from infection.

Everyone stood ready to protect themselves and Kagome and most were excited about the oncoming violence. This was a battle they were born to fight, it was their destiny. If they were to perish, it wouldn't be from lack of trying. Hundreds would go down with them. Nothing could stop their resolve.

"Miroku? Where are they? We have to bring this Staff of the Worlds to Kagome." Rin asked over the sound of wind. The days had been extremely windy and Shippo had been unable to catch the scent of any of their friends.

An ominous feeling hung over Miroku, Rin, and Shippo's head. They knew their friends needed them, they could feel it. But they couldn't find them anywhere.

I have to find Seshoumaru, he better not be trying to fight Naraku without me. Ill…..Ill kill him!

"Rin, we will find them, we have to. In the last town we were in I heard a group talking about people evacuating areas because of demons. I think we need to travel to the heart of the problem. I'm sure we will find them there. Where there is trouble, we always find Inuyasha and Kagome. I think they were born for trouble." Shaking his head, Miroku turned his attention to the sky.

Dusk was quickly approaching and the sky was highlighted with deep purples, oranges, and yellows. It was a wonderful thing to take in; it made Miroku sad to know that there was evil in a world that could be so beautiful. He also felt the ache in his heart at not being able to find Sango. She better be okay.

It was times like this that he wished he still had his wind tunnel. It may have been a curse, but it did help at the worst of times.

"Well, then lets head that way!" Rin exclaimed. She was tired of waiting around. She wanted to be where the battles were and right now all she could think about was Seshoumaru.

"You don't think we should stop for the night?" Miroku removed his pack from his back and gently placed it on the ground. "We can head out first thing in the morning. I know you are anxious to get to the fight, but we will last longer if we get the rest that is needed to keep our bodies going."

"What if they need us now?" Rin stomped her foot and threw her arms up in frustration.

"We would do them no good right now. We have been traveling all day and we still have a day yet to get to the villages that have been abandoned. Think, Rin, you must be smart about battle. You can't just rush in blindly and un-rested. Seshoumaru has more things to worry about than you getting into trouble."

Stubbornly shaking her head, she plopped to the ground and leaned against hr pack. She hated being wrong and rarely would she admit to mistakes. She learned and moved on.

Shippo silently sat down next to Rin and un-tied his bed roll. He was tired from their journey and he was ready to be with Kagome once again. Glancing at Rin's angry face he decided that talking with her tonight would get him no where. He didn't feel like arguing. Rolling over towards Miroku he pointed to the staff that was laid out at Mirkoku's feet.

"Are you still trying to put it together? Maybe we should wait till we find Kagome and the others."

"I just hope Myoga gave us the right piece. They don't seem to fit together. Are you seeing something I'm missing?" Picking up the pieces he tried to connect them together again with the same result. Nothing.

Shippo shrugged his shoulders and quietly watched Miroku as he continued to try and fit the pieces together and failing every time.

I don't know what's planned for us, but I hope we get there soon. Kagome is waiting.

Dusting off his father's katana, Shinoba examined it thoroughly with his hands. It hadn't been used since the death of his father; this would be the first time in years that it would have the chance to see daylight. Shinoba took a few practice swings and then secured it firmly to his belt.

Shinoba had been one of many who took the oath to fight in the final battle, the battle that would be written in history. The village miko stood before man and woman and bound them to the group that fought Hell. He had never met the so called Inuyasha or his miko, but their story was whispered through every village. It terrified him to know that such evil had escaped the under world. But it was no time to let fear over take him, he wanted to be a man his father would be proud of.

Shinoba heard of a small village pledging every person, including the children, to the group of legend. Then slowly he heard of more and more villages doing the same. When his village rose to the occasion, he was one of the first people to stand before his miko and pledge his life to protect Japan's heroes. He knew deep down that a day like this would come and now that it was here he was ready to meet the challenge.

Throwing his pack over his shoulder he walked to the center of the village to meet the group that would journey with him. It was time to do something important with his life and he hoped that he would find Inuyasha soon.

A thought ran through his head as he marched with his head held high. LIVE FOR NOTHING, OR FIGHT FOR SOMETHING! And this was his something.

Kaede pulled back the flap that covered her hut's door and looked at the sky. Purples danced around blues, oranges, and greens with small rays of sun shining on the distant fields. The sky may be clear now, but the storm was brewing and she could taste it on the air.

The ages come and pass and with them come legends born. News of the Miko and her Demon friends spread far and wide. People all over Japan pledged oaths to stand by their side during the upcoming battle and nothing except death would sever the tie that now binds them. Kaede would lead her village to the young ones who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. She would stand till the death. This could very well be the final battle; determining the world's fate, and she would be present. It was her destiny to fight beside walking legends. Maybe there would be room in history for her name as well.

Glancing around the village, Kaede watched as villagers danced around each other with swords that were seldom used and recently dusted off. Some practiced with staffs and others with knives. Women prepared enough dried food to last the pledged their entire journey and maybe more. Grandfather's kissed grand daughters who would leave with his sword in hand. Even the women and teenagers learned with their weapons of choice. All had a deadly gleam in their eye, they had chosen to be 'the chosen,' there was no room for fear. Fear would get them killed.

Okay that chapter's done! Please review and tell me what you think. Pwetty pwease!