3/15/06
I sincerly apologize that this is like two months late. I could tell you why but you probably want the end to this sucker. The climax has been split into three chapters (sorry, I really hate having long chapters) followed by an epilogue. All of it is done but I need to do one last edit and then I'll upload them all periodically over the next couple of days, promise.
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Chapter 12
The cloud of smoke started to circle the small dog as it's small form began to luminescent. They all watched as the form of the dog stretched and distorted until the blindingly bright image of a person stood within the eye of the smoke. The lighting from the barrier, which had been held at bay by the circling smoke, immediately wrapped around the form as soon as the smoke began to dissipate. The resulting energy surge caused the smoke to dissipate completely and the glowing diminished. Kagome gasped.
"Takagu!" Amidst the burning energy was Takagu, dressed in her black kimono.
The lightning tightened around the young princess and hauled her towards the barrier, her feet dragging awkwardly on the dirt ground. When Takagu was within inches of the barrier more lightning jumped out and wrapped around her.
"Let her go!" Inuyasha demanded as he charged the barrier. He didn't get far before the barrier erupted and threw him back. He righted himself and glared at Aneko-Kimi, smoke rising from his red kimono.
Kagome watched as the lighting ropes tightened around Takagu. Suddenly Kagome noticed something odd. "She's not struggling."
"What?" Miroku asked looking at Kagome and then at Takagu. "Kagome's right, she isn't struggling."
They watched as Takagu hung from the air by those tight bondages, the tips of her toes just brushing the ground. Her head was tilted back and her jaw hung loose almost like she was about to scream, but there was no sound. She was entirely silent, her red eyes wide and unfocused. Why isn't she moving? Kagome wondered.
"What no scream for mommy?" Aneko-Kimi asked with laughter in her voice.
Takagu's eyebrows snapped together as she brought her head up to look at her mother with an expression that was all Inuyasha. She sneered and then said, "How about HEEL!" The next instant Takagu was dropped from the barriers death grip as something flew down the corridor and collided with the glowing impediment. The space exploded into a series of strangled lighting bolts and flames. Dust and smoke blew up and everyone ducked for cover as Aneko-Kimi screamed in outrage. Inuyasha squinted at the bright light coming from where the object was clashing with the barrier. The object looked very familiar. It couldn't be.
Like glass, the barrier shattered exploding from within. Shards of the powerful electricity used to create the barrier flew past Inuyasha and his group mates, as well as shooting past Aneko-Kimi and ripping the sleeve of her kimono in the process. Finally the storm subsided and everyone carefully looked up. Inuyasha immediately looked to where the object that dispelled the barrier was.
"That's, that's . . ." Inuyasha stuttered in shock.
"Sou'unga." Sesshoumaru finished for him, staring in disbelief at the sword that was now embedded in the ground just inside the large cavern.
Kagome looked at Takagu and realized that during that explosion the girl had not gone for shelter. Instead she had stood next to the sword and taken a full blast of the explosion. Her black kimono that so resembled Inuyasha's was dirty but remarkably whole. Takagu's hair was equally dirty but the bun held and the two braids that hung down to frame her face where still swinging slightly. Her skin was obviously not as tough as her kimono because there was a long gash on her right check that oozed that black looking blood. Her entire left hand was bloody as well but as they watched steam started to seep from the wounds. She healed herself and shock off the blood that clung to her as they looked on. All through this she kept that smug smile.
Wow, she really looks like Inuyasha right now. I wonder why Toga and the King didn't want her going off on her own. She can obviously hold her own, Kagome thought.
Even though Sou'unga was just as tall as Takagu, she reached over, took hold of the swords hilt and pulled it from the ground. Showing an unforeseen strength, the princess leveled the blade at her mother. Everyone gasped when the sword didn't attempt to take her over.
How is she able to control that thing? Inuyasha thought wildly.
"What do you plan on doing with that toy, Takagu? Do you actually plan on attacking your own dear mother?" Aneko-Kimi returned to her full stature and walked confidently towards her youngest child.
"You've been stealing souls. It is the job of the Underworld Samurais to punish those who have interfered with the proper order of things." Takagu said as she held her ground.
"Awfully big words coming from you." Aneko-Kimi's words dripped with disdain as she continued to stare down her daughter. Her eye's widened as she saw Takagu's eyes flinch ever so slightly. Ha, this is it! I'll finally get rid of this disappointment! Aneko-Kimi brought her hand up, the same lightning that had been what made up the final barrier condensed around her hand, shinning blindingly bright. "Tell me Takagu, did you pick that up from Yukio?" Without hesitation she struck out intending to take off Takagu's head.
"And so what if she did?" In the blink of an eye, Yukio was in front of Takagu. The prince's scythe took all of Aneko-Kimi's attack causing the scythe to jump and rattle in his hands. Yukio twisted and threw off his mother causing the side of Sou'unga to dig dangerously into his back.
"You need to watch what you do with that." Yukio said looking down at Takagu. She immediately dropped the tip of Sou'unga down so that it dug into the ground near Takagu's left foot.
Even before Aneko-Kimi hit the ground, Inuyasha made his move. Unfortunately, so did Sesshoumaru. The two brothers ran into each other in their haste to attack Aneko-Kimi and in that one second of confusion, she jumped out of the way, narrowly missing the Tetsusaiga followed by Toukijin. Even hindered with all those layers Aneko-Kimi moved at a speed that the two brothers had a hard time keeping up with. The evil princess's feet had barely touched the ground before she launched herself at the pair. Inuyasha was forced to jump aside and this time Toukijin took the brunt of Aneko-Kimi's lightning attack. Toukijin shock violently as Aneko-Kimi poured energy down her arm, increasing the force that was already on the sword.
"We've got to help, Yukio!" Takagu tried to run around her brother but he put a hand in front of her and forced her back.
"This is their problem to deal with, not ours." Yukio started flatly. Takagu grabbed his hand and tried to push it out of the way, but like a snake he struck out taking firm hold of her wrist. He used enough force that Takagu winced in pain. She stared wide-eyed at her brother, hardly believing that this was him. His eyes were nothing more then slits and his red eyes where blazing.
"I have strict orders to bring you back, not let you engage in a battle that could get you killed!"
"And what about the samurai code?" Takagu demanded.
"You are not a samurai." His tone was so flat, so calm, that Takagu had to swallow the lump of fear that had formed in her throat. She had never seen this side of Yukio, he was so frightening that she had serious doubts about this really being him. Gathering up her courage she glared at him.
"But you are!" She practically screamed into his face. Yukio's carefully expressionless face cracked and she saw true anger as his pupils dilated. He used his hold on her wrist to propel Takagu towards the entrance. She went skidding across the floor and stopped just short of Miroku and Sango. Takagu could not believe her brother had just attacked her. That shock was quickly replaced with an anger she hadn't even realized she possessed. She brought Sou'unga up to bear while looking to where Yukio was most likely to attack from. However, when she looked for him she didn't see him. Crap, he isn't already moving is he?
"Damn you, Yukio!" Aneko-Kimi's scream drew the spectator's attention. Yukio had jumped in between the princess and Sesshoumaru, breaking up their deadlock just in time to keep Toukijin from breaking under the power behind Aneko-Kimi's attack. Twisting his scythe he caught one of her forearms. The flesh separated under the attack and Aneko-Kimi's arm dropped with a thud to the ground. Aneko-Kimi hissed at her son, her red eyes darkening as she glared at him with a hate that could burn. Jumping away from the trio she landed behind a short pillar that held four of the glowing orbs.
"You really think you have a chance against me, children?" Her voice came out as a snarl, she reached up and took hold of one of the orbs. The moment her hand touched the glowing object a loud hissing erupted along with the red smoke that seemed to be common in the underworld. Slowly the hissing grew louder until it sounded as if a man was screaming in agony. Everyone was forced to cover their ears except for the three hell inhabitants. Yukio's eyes went wide in utter shock.
"Why you, bitch!" Yukio yelled over the sound.
"What's going on?" Sango cried.
"She's using the energy of that soul to regenerate! She's destroying that soul!" Takagu shouted in explanation. The screaming started to lower in volume but as soon as Inuyasha could hear well enough to attack, a strange buzzing sound began coming from the corridor they all had come from. As they looked to the opening the sound got louder and a murmuring mixed with the ominous sound.
"Shit!" Yukio rushed the entrance just as what looked like people came into view. The strange people where glowing eerily.
"Now what?" Miroku asked.
Takagu threw a look over her shoulder to her mother before looking at her brother's back.
"Mother's freed them."
"What the heck does that mean!" Inuyasha yelled in frustration.
Yukio began twirling his scythe in order to cover as much of the entrance as possible.
"These are the souls from the pit you passed. She released the barrier so they could get out!"
"Why?" Kagome asked eyeing the oncoming hoard cautiously "Can they hurt us?"
"Oh, of course not." Takagu said dryly. "They only want to grab you, drag you to the pit, and toss you in."
"That doesn't sound good." Miroku said backing away from the corridor's opening.
"No really." Sango said sarcastically.
"Well fine, we'll just take care of them, too." Inuyasha turned to bear the Tetsusaiga at the new threat. Sesshoumaru, however, decided to focus on the original threat. He charged Aneko-Kimi, who dropped the now dull orb and evaded the demon's attack.
"No, Inuyasha! Your sword won't do anything to them, it's a sword of the world above and these souls have already moved on." Takagu ran over to Kagome, "Priestess, you have great spiritual powers, yes?"
"What? Oh, yeah, I guess." Kagome said looking down at the smaller girl.
"You can release the souls from the orbs then!"
"I can?" Kagome found herself being dragged towards the nearest wall lined with orbs. Miroku and Sango followed as Inuyasha watched with his jaw hanging. What is going on, now? Inuyasha wined.
"Get out of the way, little brother, or start making yourself useful." Inuyasha turned at the taunt from Sesshoumaru and watched as Aneko-Kimi tossed the dog demon back into a wall. Sesshoumaru grunted as several orbs rolled off and hit the ground, thankfully not breaking.
Looking over his shoulder at Yukio, Inuyasha noted that the prince's spinning scythe seemed to be forming some kind of barrier. Turning back to fight, Inuyasha jumped into the air and attempted to hack Aneko-Kimi in half. The woman turned and held up the hand of her newly regenerated arm, more of that damn red lightning and smoke jumping up and out. Inuyasha felt like he'd hit a brick wall, and then he did hit a solid rock wall. He bounced off the far wall and shook himself. Sesshoumaru was already going after Aneko-Kimi again as Inuyasha righted himself. More orbs had fallen off the wall from Inuyasha's impact with it and Kagome turned to yell at him to watch what he was doing.
"Yeah, yeah." Inuyasha muttered leaping back into the fray.
Kagome and Takagu were eye to eye with one of the glowing orbs. After a few seconds of staring Kagome glanced at the young princess.
"What do I do?" Kagome asked.
"You use your spiritual energy and release the soul trapped inside the orb. Like this," Takagu said picking up the orb. That hissing noise emanated from the contact and red smoke rose up from the places Takagu touched the glowing object. After a few seconds the light inside dimmed dramatically and then flared bright again. The light began pulsating slowly but then rapidly sped up until there was a loud cracking noise. The orb fractured and from the break the soft white glow seeped out of the orb.
"See." Takagu said holding up the now dimmed orb.
"Uh, sure." Kagome reached for an orb but the moment she touched it she jerked her hand away. Her fingertips were sizzling.
"What's wrong?" Sango asked.
"That burns!"
"Oh, yeah." Takagu spoke up looking thoughtful.
"Oh, yeah, what?" Miroku asked Takagu.
"Well, your human." She said pointing out the obvious.
"Well of course she is!" Shippo shouted while jumping up and down on the ground.
"I forgot, you can't touch them, the surfaces of the orbs are burning hot."
"But you held it." Miroku observed.
Takagu looked at him like he was stupid. "Monk, I live in Hell." She said carefully, making sure he understood every word.
Ignoring the two, Sango looked at Kagome, "Try your arrows, Kagome."
"Oh." Kagome pulled out one of her arrows. Holding it in her hand for a few seconds she stared in awe as the tip of the arrow began to glow.
"Great, now start cracking the orbs. I'll go to the other side and work over there. If we release enough of the souls, Mother's power will decrease." Without waiting for a reply, Takagu took off, running past Yukio and to the other orb-lined wall.
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By the time you read this I'll probably have the next chapter uploaded. Don't hate me, please. >
