A/N: Yeah, I know, I'm mean, as a lot of you pointed out. I guess I like cliffhangers too much. Call it a bad habit of mine. I think this story has about three chapters left, including the epilogue, maybe less. It depends on the whole final battle goes and whether I make the wedding an epilogue or the final chapter. But don't despair, cause Naraku's finally going to get what's coming to him, and that's just fun. Happy New Year and enjoy the last chapter of 2011, everyone.
Chapter 26: The Beginning of the End
Even after Sesshoumaru discovered that Kagome's information about Naraku was right, things moved agonizingly slowly. Weapons were polished and sharpened, armour was donned, and back-up was called. Seiko called her parents, who arrived within the hour with dozens of highly trained taijiya in tow, and both Kouga and Sesshoumaru summoned numerous employees to help bring down the evil hanyou. Kagome was in the middle of it all as she pulled on an outfit that had been given to her by Rin just an hour or so beforehand. It consisted of sturdy black pants, a long-sleeved black shirt, fingerless black gloves, and light boots that wouldn't hinder her movement, all of which were made out of a material similar to that of Inuyasha's fire-rat robes. She tied her hair back with a black ribbon and glanced at herself in the mirror, realizing that she looked like a warrior.
"How creepy," she said under her breath, reaching for her bow and arrows and donning them. Much to her dismay, there had never been time for the kind of lessons from Inuyasha that would have been extremely helpful just about then, but she did have the daggers and wrist sheaths that she'd "borrowed" from Hayato. Kagome strapped them on and slid the daggers into place, pleased by the fact that the sleeves of the shirt were long enough to cover her additional weapons. Perhaps it would give her a bit of an edge.
"Mama, you will be careful, right? And you'll make Papa be careful as well?" Shippou asked fearfully. He was sitting on her bed, watching her get dressed with an anxious look in his beautiful blue eyes. Kagome had already made it clear that he would not be joining them; she couldn't fight and watch over Shippou at the same time. It was one of the few instances when he knew not to challenge her, but that didn't stop him from worrying. War had already taken one set of parents from him, and he didn't think he would be able to bear losing Kagome or Inuyasha.
"Shippou-chan..." Turning, Kagome walked over to the bed and picked her son up, cradling him in her arms. He clung to the front of her shirt, making a small sound that was not unlike a whimper. "Don't worry, baby. I promise that your father and I will do our best to come back to you," she told him, wishing that she could promise that she and Inuyasha would definitely come back. But she couldn't. This was a war with Naraku, and that meant anyone had the possibility of dying. Naraku would no doubt try to take down as many people as he could, and she had to face the fact that she and Inuyasha might be one of them. If she had to, Kagome knew that she would be willing to give up her life to stop Naraku for good, she suspected that her baby knew that.
Shippou just cried quietly, his face pushed up against her shirt. Kagome stroked his hair and made soothing noises, wishing desperately that he hadn't been caught up in the whole mess. He was really too young to face this kind of thing, but what other alternative was there? She sighed to herself and walked out the door, hoping that the sight of the others might help. Rin had agreed to stay behind to watch over the mansion and the children, and Kagome was grateful for that. She would be heavily guarded by numerous youkai and the taijiya who weren't coming with them. Since Rin was a human with little physical or spiritual training, there was nothing she could do in the fight against Naraku, and Naraku would no doubt use her against Sesshoumaru if he got the chance. It was much safer for her to remain behind, and although Rin understood that, it didn't mean she liked it.
The rooms of the first floor were full of youkai and humans alike, all of them eyeing each other distrustfully. Kagome ignored most of them and found her way to Inuyasha, who was standing beside the front door with Seiko and Matsu, clearly making sure that no one left before Sesshoumaru gave the word. Inuyasha sighed when he saw the state of Shippou and, much to Kagome's surprise, stepped forward to pluck the kit out of her grasp. He turned away and began speaking to the upset boy in a low tone that prevented Kagome from overhearing their conversation due to the noise in the room. Whatever he was saying seemed to help a lot, though, because Shippou's tears gradually slowed and he looked up at Inuyasha with nothing short of hero worship in his eyes before he grabbed the hanyou in a fierce hug.
"Aww," Seiko said under her breath, just loud enough for Kagome to hear. Kagome knew how she felt. After years of scolding Inuyasha for treating the kit poorly, it was nothing short of heart-warming to see the two of them sharing a tender moment. Unfortunately, Inuyasha must have heard her as well, because his cheeks darkened in a blush and he quickly released Shippou.
"Keh!" he huffed, thrusting the snickering kitsune back into his mother's arms. He stormed off and Kagome and Seiko broke into a flurry of giggles that helped to ease the building tension. Matsu just shook his head, grinning slightly.
"Now you've done it. He'll be in a mood," he observed.
"It's not my fault they're cute," Seiko defended herself. Kirara appeared by her ankles and she knelt, scooping the little cat into her arms. She removed the collar around Kirara's neck, changing her appearance from that of an ordinary housecat into the youkai they were all familiar with, and slipped it into her pocket. "Kagome-chan, are you ready for this?"
"As I'll ever be," Kagome replied, her heart pounding. She wanted to try to relax, but that was impossible. Every one of her nerves were on edge, and if someone had jumped out and scared her right then, she didn't know if she could be held responsible for her actions. Unconsciously, she grabbed the shards around her neck and squeezed them so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Exchanging a concerned look with Seiko, Matsu reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her forward so that the five of them formed their own little circle.
"You have to calm down," he whispered to her. "Being so wound up won't serve you well."
"I know, but I can't help it. I just want this to be over with. It's far overdue," she answered. Like five hundred years overdue. It was disgusting that Naraku was still walking around after all that time.
Seiko and Matsu exchanged another glance, and then Seiko squeezed her hand comfortingly as Shippou scrambled up onto her shoulder and patted her hair. "We all feel the same way," Seiko said quietly. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan. This ends now."
As though summoned by her words, Sesshoumaru appeared at the top of the stairs with Rin and Inuyasha on either side of him. Kagome concealed a gasp with her free hand at the sight of the great taiyoukai. He was dressed in the same clothing that he had worn over five hundred years ago, complete with the fluffy tail that was draped over his shoulders. Combined with the effect of Inuyasha in his fire-rat robes with Tetsusaiga and Rin in a lovely pink kimono, their presence was startling enough to send everyone into a stunned silence. That seemed to please Sesshoumaru, who proceeded to climb down the stairs with Rin on his arm. His movement revealed Kouga and Ayame, who wore clothing and armour similar to Kagome and the taijiya. All three of them followed Sesshoumaru down the stairs. Matsu's arm tightened around Kagome's shoulders, and then the next thing she knew, he was ushering her and Seiko over to stand beside Inuyasha. It was nothing short of nerve-wracking to have all of those eyes on her and she found herself swallowing anxiously.
"Do not be foolish," Sesshoumaru said, his words sliding over them like ice. "Naraku is a strong opponent with many tricks up his sleeve. He has killed many youkai and humans over the years. If he has the opportunity, he will kill you. Remain on your guard and trust no one. If you are wounded, move out. Follow the commands of your officer and above all, take caution."
"Officer?" she whispered, leaning back against Matsu and Seiko. Shippou crawled back down into her arms and she sighed. Their combined warmth was comforting.
"Like an army, but you don't have to worry about that part of it," Seiko replied, voice equally quiet. She slipped something into Kagome's hand. When Kagome looked down, she saw that she was holding a small white piece that looked a little like the end of an earphone, but without the wire. Confused, she arched an eyebrow.
"It's a device that will allow you to remain in contact with us," Matsu explained. "Place it in your ear. It was specially made with a filter so that the loud sounds wouldn't bother you."
Kagome did as he commanded, trying to ignore the way her ear twitched with irritating at the intrusion. The little ear bud slipped into her ear like it had been moulded for her, and she discovered that there was a tiny part to hook onto the outside of her ear to keep it in place. Matsu showed her how to switch it off and on with the touch of a small button hidden on the outside hook, and then gave her a slender bracelet that clasped loosely around her wrist. Keeping his voice low, he explained that she would speak into the bracelet to communicate with them, but that it didn't have to be near her lips. It was designed to pick up her voice even if she had her arms at her sides.
"Keep in mind that this will pick up everything," he added with a slightly amused look.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, unable to stop her cheeks from turning a light pink. He laughed and she scowled, aiming a kick at his lower leg as Seiko rolled her eyes and cuffed him across the back of the head. Shaking her head as he protested the dual attack, Kagome looked back at Inuyasha. But she was unable to deny that Matsu's teasing had lightened the atmosphere, and she no longer felt quite as nervous as she had before, which had no doubt been the man's intention.
"Are you three ready, or are you just going to stand there chatting?" Inuyasha asked, looking down at them with an undeniably amused glint in his golden eyes.
"Ready!" Kagome said with a mock salute. She looked down at Shippou and was relieved to see that the intensity of his emotions and his mother's proximity had caused the kit to slip into a deep sleep. As guilty as she felt for leaving while he was slumbering, she couldn't help but be relieved. Tears would have distracted her from their ultimate goal, and that was a distraction that none of them could afford. Stepping forward, she placed one last kiss on Shippou's forehead before she handed her beloved child to Rin. The older woman smiled sympathetically and cuddled her nephew.
"Do not worry, Kagome-onee-san," she said quietly. "I will protect him with my life, I promise you that."
"I know you will, Rin-chan. I won't have to worry about him as long as he's here with you, and you have no idea how reassuring that is," Kagome answered. There had been many battles in the past where Shippou had been caught up in the middle and she'd struggled between fighting and trying to keep him safe. It really was for the best. But that didn't make it any easier to leave him behind. She ran her fingers through his hair one last time, imprinting the scent of candy and mischief on her senses. Her baby. A lump formed in her throat. "Take care of him, please, if something happens."
Rin ducked her head, worry shining in her dark brown eyes. She didn't lessen the magnitude of what they were about to do by pretending that there was no chance that Kagome, Inuyasha, and their pack would not return. Instead, she reached out with her free hand and hugged Kagome hard. Kagome relished the chance to embrace the woman who had been a complete god-send during the past few months and forced herself to let go, taking comfort and strength from Rin's small smile. Still, it was far more difficult than she could have imagined to turn her back to the two of them and walk away.
Was that what her mother had faced every time Kagome had gone down the well? She pondered that as she followed Inuyasha outside to the small, sleek car that would take them near to where Naraku was hiding. The others, including Seiko, Matsu and Kirara, would be arriving in different vehicles. If so, no wonder Kimiko hadn't wanted her going down the well so often. It was a real struggle to keep her mind from conjuring up the horrible things that could happen to Shippou and Rin and the rest of the children if Naraku got wind of the fact that they were alone. Kagome repressed a shudder and told herself to stop thinking that way. Easier said than done.
"Stop worrying," Inuyasha whispered. Strong hands caught her arms and pulled her across the seat and into a warm lap. Rather than fight, Kagome curled up into him, relishing the chance to have a moment with him before the battle would begin. Her arrows must have been digging into his side, but Inuyasha didn't complain as he wrapped his arms around her body and kissed the top of her head. "I won't let anything happen to you, Kagome. I promise."
Understanding struck. "Is that what you said to Shippou to make him stop crying?"
He nodded. "I only said what was true. Naraku will have to kill me to get to you."
She shivered, uncertain of how to tell him that that wasn't really comforting. Five hundred years ago, mere months for Kagome, Naraku had nearly succeeded in that task. If it weren't for her own intervention, Inuyasha really would be dead. "Let's hope that it will never come to that," she said finally, unconsciously twisting the ring on her hand.
He must have sensed her desire to change the subject, because he said, "You and I will be fighting together. If you lose sight of me, try to make your way to Seiko or Matsu. I don't want you to fight alone, Kagome. You're not used to that."
"I won't," she promised, resisting the urge to protest. He was right; she wasn't used to fighting at all, much less doing it by herself. She wasn't yet confident in her hanyou abilities, and the thought of physically fighting with another youkai the way she had at her school was enough to make her cringe. "But Inuyasha, promise me that you'll be careful."
His arms tightened around her and he sighed, dropping another kiss onto her forehead, exactly where she had kissed Shippou. But he said nothing, and she understood, even if she wished that it didn't have to be that way. Like her, Inuyasha would willingly sacrifice himself if it meant the end of Naraku, and she couldn't exactly get angry at him for something that she was willing to do herself. Biting her lip, Kagome stared out the tinted windows, wondering how the final battle would go and trying not to think about how much they all stood to lose. Because there was so much more to gain, and that's what she had to try to remember.
Eventually, the car began to slow, and she felt her heart beginning to speed up as Inuyasha pushed the door open and swung both of them out of the car. Kagome didn't recognize the area that they were in, but the knowledge of Naraku's whereabouts practically lit up in bright lights in her mind, and she knew that she could have found her way there with no trouble at all. Still, she fell into step behind Inuyasha without comment, silently drawing her bow and pulling out an arrow so that she wouldn't be surprised without a weapon if a youkai jumped out at them. Supposedly, Sesshoumaru's and Kouga's men had done a preliminary sweep, taking down the youkai that would be patrolling for Naraku, but that didn't mean Naraku didn't have traps lying in wait.
Inuyasha took a casual stance, strolling down the sidewalk like he had every right to be there, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. They were in a surprisingly residential, if affluent, area, and anyone who saw them would think that Inuyasha carried a wooden sword for kendo and Kagome was holding a bag in her hands instead of a bow and arrow thanks to the concealment charms. She made an effort to seem like she wasn't as on edge as she felt, though that was easier said than done. As they grew closer and her senses began to tingle, Inuyasha caught her eye and made a half-aborted motion towards his ear. Kagome frowned for a moment, bewildered, before she caught on. Quickly, she raised her hand and, under the guise of smoothing back a few wayward strands, switched the earpiece on. It hissed with static for a split second before snapping into perfect clarity – and suddenly, she could hear Matsu's voice.
"Seiko and I are approaching from the North. Status?" he asked.
"Kagome and I are about two minutes away," Inuyasha replied. He was speaking so quietly that Kagome couldn't hear him, yet the little device allowed her to hear him perfectly. It was kind of weird.
"Kouga and I are in position and waiting," Ayame reported.
"This Sesshoumaru is waiting as well," Sesshoumaru confirmed.
Kagome listened a moment longer and realized that she could hear nothing else but the faint sound of her friends and pack-mates speaking to each other. Apparently, they were on a specialized line that no one else had access to. For some reason, that fact comforted her as she followed Inuyasha towards their destination. It was a strangely normal-looking mansion, nowhere close to the size of Sesshoumaru's, which had no sign of harbouring a psychotic hanyou. She paused and knelt like she had dropped something and was searching for it while Inuyasha alerted the others to the fact that they had arrived. Her heart was suddenly pounding harder than ever. This was it. The moment they had been waiting for, for five hundred years, was here.
"Let's go."
She wasn't really sure who had spoken the words, but it seemed to be the only signal everyone needed. Inuyasha was a blur of motion as he spun around and leapt, landing neatly on the front doorstep. A well-placed kick took the door down. Instead of stepping inside, though, he moved aside so that several of Sesshoumaru's and Kouga's youkai could head in first to take care of any guards. Only when the squad had called out for them to enter did he lead Kagome inside. From her earpiece, she could tell that Sesshoumaru and his men had entered the back, while Seiko, Matsu, Kouga and Ayame had found their own ways into the house.
Their eyes met, and Inuyasha silently tilted his head in the direction of the floor below them. Kagome swallowed hard and nodded, knowing that the house was only a front, a way for Naraku to hide in plain sight. Slipping her concealment charm off, she walked through the halls cautiously, only somewhat comforted by the fact that one of the youkai on her side met her at every corner. Eventually, she threw her senses out, searching for the tell-tale tingle of the shikon shards. There was no way that Naraku would ever give them up; the shards were like a drug to him, and he would cling to them until the very end. Find the shards, find Naraku. But nothing was happening. Either their information was wrong, or Naraku had found some way to shield the shards from her.
Scowling, Kagome folded her hands around the few shards that she had left. "Please, Midoriko-sama," she breathed, her lips barely forming the words. She cringed slightly to hear her words broadcast across the link, but she had no choice. Silently, she commanded herself to ignore the sounds and focus. "Kikyou, I need your help. Show me where Naraku is."
The palms of her hands began to tingle. She concealed a gasp as she opened her hands to reveal the shards, which were beginning to shine with a beautiful blue light. A thin beam rose from the shards and shot off down the hall. Kagome's eyes widened slightly. A pathway, she realized, leading her to Naraku. Inuyasha stepped up beside her, a frown on his face, and looked blankly in the direction that Kagome was gazing in. His unfocused eyes told her that he couldn't see the beam the way she could. That was fine, and really, not that surprising. Gently, one finger over her lips to indicate silence, she gripped his arm and pulled him along, following the beam.
"Kagome," he began, but she shushed him, never looking away from the helpful little light guiding their way. At some point, she realized that Seiko and Matsu had joined the two of them, but she paid them no attention as she led them straight to a door that had not yet been opened. One of the youkai came swiftly at Inuyasha's summons and picked the lock, revealing that the room was actually a library, though it was empty except for the shelves of books that lined every wall. The beam shot straight across the room towards the center of the opposite wall, where to all appearances, there was no door.
Frowning speculatively, Kagome entered the room without hesitation and walked straight over to the wall. The shards continued to glow even as she dropped them against her chest and placed her hands against the books. It was an outside wall, so did that mean Naraku had already escaped and was somewhere outside? But no... she knew that he was here. She could feel his presence. An illusion of some kind, then. Swiftly, she began running her hands over the books and the bottoms of the shelves around the beam of light, searching for some kind of switch. Her friends must have caught on, because Seiko and Matsu began to help her search while Inuyasha and Kirara stood back and guarded them just in case.
"I don't feel anything," Seiko whispered. "What are we looking for? Why?"
"I believe Midoriko-sama has spoken to Kagome-chan again," Matsu answered. He flicked a gaze towards the blue beam and narrowed his eyes. Kagome cast him a questioning glance, and he said, "I can see it, but just barely."
She nodded – that made sense, with his spiritual powers. Her fingers touched the spot directly below the beam of light and she jumped at the way they sank into the wall. Kagome backed away as the bookshelf began to shudder and then, slowly, disappeared, revealing a deep cave that had a crackling barrier around it. It was a conflicting sensation: the barrier wanted to purify her youkai side, but her miko side was acting like a kind of protective shield against that happening. Disoriented, she bumped to Inuyasha and would have stumbled had his arm not come out and gripped her waist supportively.
"It's a barrier," said her brother. "I think I can dispel it if you give me a few minutes."
"I'm not sure we have that long," said Inuyasha grimly. "Naraku knew that we were coming. He's waiting down there if he hasn't escaped already. Be quick, Houshi."
Matsu nodded and folded his hands together, lowering his head. He began speaking in a low voice, too soft for even the earpieces to pick up on. Inuyasha and Seiko couldn't see what he was doing, but Kagome could. The barrier appeared as a thin, almost invisible white wall that began to shimmer and pulse with a dark light. She shuddered in revulsion at the feelings rolling off it and held up her bow, drawing forth an arrow, since she knew that Matsu's spiritual powers were not strong enough to get rid of it on his own. Closing her eyes, she centered herself, waiting for the right moment to add her strength to his. His voice rose and fell with an almost lyrical quality that was soothing, and she was so caught up in listening that she nearly missed the moment when a voice that sounded suspiciously like Kikyou whispered to her.
"Now, Kagome. Shoot."
Her fingers moved unconsciously. The arrow flared with a brilliant pale pink light and exploded out of the bow, striking the barrier dead on. Inuyasha didn't have to be able to see the barrier to know what was going to happen next. He reached out and snagged the collar of Matsu's armour, dragging him and Kagome out of the way as Kirara leapt in front of Seiko and pushed the young woman back to protect her. The barrier exploded, sending a powerful gust of wind and shards of some solidified dark matter out into the room. Kagome huddled beneath Matsu, both of them protected by Inuyasha and his fire-rat robes, until the hanyou allowed them to move.
Seiko shook a fine layer of dust from her hair and drew one of her swords. "Is he still in there, Kagome-chan?"
"Yes," Kagome replied instantly, brushing the shards. The blue light had never changed direction, except that it was now pointing into the depths of the cave. She retrieved her arrow and slipped it back in with the others before the five of them cautiously entered the cave. None of them stopped to think about the fact that the explosion had not brought anyone else to the room.
The cave was deep and seemed to go on for miles. They were heading underground due to a very slight incline, and the air grew colder the further they traveled. Suppressing a shiver, Kagome inched closer to Kirara, grateful for the heat that the youkai gave off. Inuyasha was moving in front of them, Tetsusaiga in one hand and a flashlight in the other. Kagome wasn't sure where he'd gotten it from, but she was grateful that someone had the forethought to bring one along; otherwise, they would have been walking in complete darkness. Matsu was right behind him, and the two girls and Kirara brought up the rear.
Suddenly, Inuyasha stopped. He tilted his head towards the ceiling and sniffed the air, a frown settling across his face. He held out one arm to stop the others, though they had already frozen in place. "Something's not right."
"What's wrong?" Kagome asked. Without waiting for him to answer, she lifted her nose and breathed in deeply. Immediately, she could tell what Inuyasha meant. The scents that wafted to her nose weren't the normal smells that you'd expect to find in a cave. There was no musk, no dampness, not even a hint of rock or water. Instead, she smelled... darkness. And blood. Scents that were unfamiliar to her, but which made the back of her neck prickle with fear. All of a sudden, her mind jumped back to the moment when she'd saved Inuyasha's life by completing the ritual... and, both of them only half-conscious at the time, he'd said something about being able to smell darkness, and Myoga had shouted... Her heart leapt and she gasped for breath. "Inuyasha! It's – "
Something jumped them. Kagome would never be able to explain exactly what it was. Some twisted, demented form of Naraku's power, likely. It sprang up from the ground and rolled up over her head before she had a chance to fight against it. Her family yelled and screamed as the same thing attacked them. She clung to her bow and fought the urge to cry out as Kikyou's voice shouted in her mind, ordering her to keep her mouth closed no matter what. The thing yanked her legs out from underneath her and she hit the ground hard on her back, driving all of the breath from her lungs. Then she knew nothing more.
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