Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or show of YuYu Hakusho and Inu Yasha.
Chapter 22
She made it back on the third day in the morning and fell asleep in the hut without setting a fire or getting clean, she just
dropped onto the blankets exhausted. She awoke in mid afternoon to do her rounds and spent time at both villages telling
stories to those who would or could listen. She washed up in the river not wanting to make the trip to the hotspring till later
and then started a fire and went to sleep. The moon was well past its peak and it would soon be getting lighter out.
Kagome made her way to the hotspring after eating and foraging. She relaxed and cleansed her clothes again. She had this
nagging feeling ever since woke up that something was going to happen so she made her rounds to the villages a few times
before she left to a field of yellow flowers trying to figure out what this feeling is. She got up to leave and check the villages
again when Naraku appeared. "Hello Kagome, you seem like your feeling uneasy today." He pointed out. Kagome didn't
know what to say, she just felt this weight of something bad will happen that day and she couldn't figure out what but had
a feeling she would soon find out. "Nothing to say to me. I guess you have stressed yourself out too much in the past few
days. You know where my castle is so if you want to save the girl Rin then I suggest you make haste and I will be seeing
you shortly." He left. Rin was playing hide and seek with Jaken or more like she was hiding while he was getting upset and
complaining while trying to find her. AhUn got nervous and Rin was going to check on two-headed dragon but a hand
snatched her from behind. She scream for 'Master Jaken,' as Naraku said his parting words. "This little girl Rin will be saved
only if Kagome comes to my castle in time. I will let Lord Sesshoumaru in if he comes but only after I finish business with the
woman." They disappeared and Jaken was panicking. An hour later he was still trying to find Naraku's castle with AhUn
hoping to save Rin before Lord Sesshoumaru found out but thus, he was not so lucky. "Jaken, where is Rin?" Jaken shook
and threw himself to the ground. "I'm sorry m'lord, she hid on me and that damn Naraku took her, he says only that wench
Kagome can save her, please forgive me m'lord. He said he would let you in the barrier if you arrive at the right time after he
finishes business with the woman." Jaken looked up from his ministrations to see Lord Sesshoumaru walking away. 'So
Naraku is after that woman Kagome again. What will he try this time and has she returned back to human form?' He made
his way off to Naraku's castle. Kagome arrived outside the barrier and just like she thought it would, he opened it for her to
enter. She walked to the castle beyond the dead forest. Naraku stood there with Kohaku who held Rin captive. "You didn't
need Rin to lure me here to fight you Naraku." He looked at her in amusement. "Oh, I didn't, but it seemed much funner this
way. I thought she might like to bare witness to this little gathering between us." Kagome hardened her eyes, 'Is he plotting
something again or is going in for the kill?' Naraku drew his sword as did Kagome. They both lept into battle while Kohaku
led Rin to a safer distance, 'Naraku wants her to see the death of that woman but why her and not the kit.' Rin watched the
two clash swords and Kagome's less experienced swordsmanship cause her small flesh wounds. They battled intensly for a
long time, Naraku making cutting remarks about her skills. Kagome broke from the locked swords gathering one of her
arrows. Naraku sent demons from his body after her and she made better progress with her new arrows and had planted a
few of her rose seeds into the ground. She made her white rose whip as her black rose bloomed followed by the yellow
rose. They made there attacks on the demons while she sent her miko ki into the whip being able to extend the attacks of
her whip with streams of miko ki like her arrows. She shot a few thorns of her whip that launched at the demons just like her
arrows would. She was barely scratched by them and killed the forces much faster this time. It was daytime still so her skills
were not heightened to there max. She still had a few more attacks to use on Naraku if she could lure him into the forest
shadows. Her and her plants killed off the demons and Naraku sent a pointed chunk of his flesh to her that she dodged. She
was fighting the real Naraku and as he sent a blast of red energy she jumped over it and threw a spear threw Naraku. His
shocked face was all she needed to confirm he didn't expect this. Youko and Kuronue reached the hut to find it empty, so
they checked both villages and finally stopped at the first when one of the villagers spotted them. "Demons! Lady Kagome!"
The healer ran out of her hut to spot the demons and hopefully Kagome. She recognized them, "Calm down everyone, they
are her companions!" The two of them walked to her. "Where has Kagome gone?" The healer looked around not finding her
anywhere. "She was so nervous today, she seemed so uneasy like something was weighing her down. I haven't spotted
her since she came back from making another trip to the other village. I'm sorry but I'm not sure where she has disappeared
to." A child ran up to them and tugged on the healers kimono. "I saw Kagome head west towards the field of yellow flowers.
Is Lady Kagome ill?" The healer shook her head. "No, I don't think thats what has her so upset today." Youko and Kuronue
left and found her scent again and then found Naraku's. Kagome's scent headed towards Lord Sesshoumaru's lands where
she mentioned Naraku was located in a barrier in the south western part of his lands. Kagome was battling on with Naraku
head to head with there swords at a lock. Naraku's eye on his hand widened and Naraku formed a sword like thing and
slashed Kagome in the side filling it with his miasma. She jumped away on to a branch holding her left side as blood leaked
out. She panted softly and grit her teeth purifying the miasma. She jumped at Naraku and flung her dagger into his arm but
the barrier he put up reflected her attack and shot it into her stomach. She doubled over grasping the hilt pulling it out
painfully and shook off the blood and placed it back in her sash. Naraku advanced on her with his red energy ball catching
her off guard flying into the dead trees that were destroyed in the attack. Kagome got up and notch arrow after arrow
shooting them off at the unsuspecting Naraku going through his barrier. Most of his body was destroyed and as Kagome
jumped in the air and held her hands out in front of her putting her youki and miko ki in her hands she blasted from above
but instead of destroying Naraku it reflected off and hit her with double the force. Kagome's eyes widened and she tried
block the attack with a miko shield but not quick enough. She lay there on the ground bleed profusely trying to get back up
on her feet. She got one foot as she tried get off her other knee Naraku hit her with another energy blast, Rin's screams
were heard as those outside the barrier were let in to see the attack and one of them being the ebony kitsune who had
been watching her since they met. The blast hit her square on and as it was about to let up you could see the black streak
of a kitsune rush into the sky and disperse. When everything settled there was no sign of Kagome. Rin screamed for
'Kagome' but there was nothing there to answer her, to show her proof of her existence till a lone moon flower bloomed in
the middle of the crater.