A/N: I'm sorry this update took so long! I had trouble finding a place to stop since the end is so near. I'm going to be working on the next installment ASAP! Enjoy this next installment!
Kohaku slumped over the counter at his sister's flower shop as he idly stared out the large window that gave him the view of the world outside. He had promised to watch over the shop for Sango while she went out to check on a vacant building for sale. She had said that she wanted to expand. He supposed he thought it wouldn't be so soon.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, Kohaku thought with a slight sigh, Sister's shop is practically floating on air, thanks to Sesshomaru's money. Rin's always in here buying new bouquets to place on her family's graves. The thought of Rin made Kohaku grimace slightly as he laid his chin on his left palm. If only he had walked her all the way home that day. If only he had insisted. Maybe then she wouldn't have gone missing.
The guilt that ate away at his gut made Kohaku feel even worse as he rested his forehead on the counter with another sigh. Why couldn't he have seen how dangerous it was to leave Rin alone? Why couldn't he have protected her?
"E-hem!" an elderly woman cleared her throat, suddenly bringing Kohaku to attention. He hastily got to his feet before he awkwardly smoothed out the work vest buttoned over his T-shirt.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" Kohaku asked the woman kindly. Her wrinkled face pulled back into a smile before her dark eyes shimmered slightly.
"You don't need to be so formal with me, child. I merely wanted to tell you that there's a little girl outside who's been waving at you for some time now," she informed him. Kohaku blinked at the woman in surprise before he turned his head towards the window, and jolted back in shock.
Standing out front, while sporting a cheeky grin, was Rin. Her big brown eyes sparkled when she caught him looking at her as her waving motion grew more excited.
"Rin?" Kohaku breathed in amazement before he signaled for her to enter the store. She glanced at him, confused, before she shook her head and motioned for him to come to her.
"Isn't that precious? Is that girl your girlfriend?" the woman asked with a knowing smile. Kohaku's cheeks flushed slightly before he shook his head.
"She's just a friend," he informed the woman, and glanced back at Rin helplessly as she continued to motion him over. The old woman cooed softly to herself before she looked between Kohaku and Rin happily.
"Why don't you go out to her? I'm still browsing, so I won't need help for awhile," the woman offered kindly. Kohaku perked up at the chance before he nodded his head curtly. He'd only be out for a minute or two at most. He'd make sure Rin came back in with him, and called her father before he let her out of his sight again.
The old woman cooed happily again as Kohaku hurried around the counter and rushed outside to Rin. The little girl's face brightened when he came into her line of vision, and she let out a slight gasp of surprise when Kohaku took her into his arms and embraced her tightly.
"Thank heavens you're alright," he murmured hoarsely into her ear as he forced his body to stop shaking while he held her, "I thought something horrible had happened to you. Were you hurt? Does Sesshomaru know you're alright?" he hounded her.
Rin didn't immediately answer, but gently pushed their bodies apart so she could give him another one of her cheeky grins.
"I'm just fine, and Sesshomaru knows where I am," Rin replied surely, "I just wanted to see you again," she added timidly with a slight blush. Kohaku blinked in surprise at her embarrassment, but smiled softly in return before he placed a hand atop her head.
"I'm happy to see you, too," he murmured gently as Rin giggled bashfully, "why don't you come inside? I'll let you pick out a bouquet of flowers – on the house. I'm sure Sango won't mind, she'll be just as happy to know you're alright as I am. If Shippo hadn't asked for vacation time, I bet he'd be tackling you down too," Kohaku added with a light laugh.
Rin paused at his offer before she mildly shook her head, "Papa will be expecting me home. Would you walk with me, Kohaku?"
"Couldn't you just make a call to your father to come pick you up? After that last scare, I doubt Sesshomaru would want you to walk home alone again," Kohaku asked. Rin took another pause before she shook her head once again.
"I told him that you'd be willing to walk me home. I don't want him to come get me, I want to spend time with you," she stressed, and Kohaku blushed slightly at her forwardness.
"I would love to walk you home, Rin, but I'm in charge of the store until Sango gets back. She won't be gone for much longer. When she does come back, we can leave. How does that sound?"
"But I want to leave now!" Rin insisted with the stomp of her left foot. Kohaku paused at her tone, finding it odd coming from the girl he had never heard demand a thing from him since he had first met her.
"Rin, I already told you, I can't – "
"C'mon, it won't be a long walk!" Rin interrupted as she took hold of his hand and pulled him along with surprising strength.
"Rin, just wait a minute!" Kohaku commanded as he dug his heels into the concrete of the sidewalk to try and deter her, but to no avail.
"I don't want to wait," she growled as she tugged him further away from the shop. Kohaku pulled back as he fought to free his arm, knowing full well that this girl was not the Rin he knew. She would never be so demanding or forceful.
With another strong jerk, Kohaku was able to free his hand from her grasp. She whirled on her heels and eyed him impatiently.
"Why aren't you coming with me? Do you want me to get kidnapped again?" she spat bitterly as Kohaku flinched at the verbal attack.
"What's happened to you, Rin? This isn't you talking," Kohaku replied calmly with the shake of his head. He was oblivious to the scenery around him, or lack there of, as the two were suddenly surrounded by a dark purple abyss. The real world around them melted away as the abyss rapidly took its place. Rin glared at him as her tiny hands fisted at her sides before something akin to laughter rose from her throat.
Kohaku held his breath at the oddly familiar sound before the girl before him disappeared behind a veil of large brown tentacles. They reached for every part of him, forcefully making him their prisoner in the time that it took him to blink.
He opened his mouth to scream for help, but another tentacle wound itself painfully over his mouth, cutting off his voice completely.
"I was hoping you would have come willing," Rin's voice sighed heavily from somewhere behind the sea of tentacles, "but now I see that I'm reduced to using force," she added, and Kohaku's felt a strong wind rush past his face before his world went black.
Kagome found herself hiding amongst the trees of the dead forest as she surveyed the grounds of the castle. Since the group had broken off to take on different parts of the colossal structure, Kagome had been taking extra care in how she moved forward.
Guards were stationed at every nook and cranny of the castle, and she bit her lip angrily as she mentally counted how many arrows she would need to use to take out the ones in her current line of vision. There were three standing before a side entrance, but a few others stationed on a level above and a few yards away.
If she struck the three in front of the door, at least one of the nearby guards would hear their screams of agony as they were purified. They would surely overtake her well before she made it even remotely close to getting inside.
Save your arrows, she heard Sesshomaru's voice state within her mind a second later, use another one of your abilities instead, he recommended.
You mean the demonic abilities that you passed to me? Kagome clarified in return.
We didn't train that side of you for nothing, he replied and Kagome could practically picture the smug smirk that decorated her mate's lips.
Do you think I'm ready for that? She asked back uncertainly, even as she secured her bow and quiver across her chest.
You have my powerful blood coursing through your veins, he answered confidently, as if that alone would console her fears. Kagome rolled her eyes slightly before she smiled. She should have guessed he would have said something like that.
Kagome held her breath as she tried to call on the demonic power within her. It was surprisingly easy to access, compared to her priestess abilities. Her body tingled as the power within warmed her like an ever burning flame.
She could feel the transformation taking over her. Her gums tingled as her incisors elongated, her vision became more distinct, and she spotted strands of silver hair caress her forearms as she plastered her body against the bark of the tree to further hide her new form from view.
When she knew the process was complete, she dared herself to take another peek at the guards by the side entrance. A desire to take them down burned at the back of Kagome's mind as she licked her lips in anticipation.
She should have been terrified by the dark desire. She should have wanted it to stop, and waited for one of her comrades to come and help her. Instead, she bent her legs at the knees and readied her body to pounce.
Her fangs ground against each other as she opened her arms and held her newly formed claws at her sides. She took a moment to take a breath before she powerfully pushed off the ground and soared out towards the three guards blocking her way inside the castle.
They didn't seem to sense her at first. They were all idly standing around before the guard she had been targeting turned to glance in her direction just as her claws slashed across his face. He howled in surprise and agony before Kagome's hands clasped either side of his head and snapped his neck, effectively silencing him forever.
His body fell to the ground in a helpless heap of flesh before his comrades came at her. With a sense that Kagome didn't even know she had, she easily predicted their movements and evaded their strikes.
With a hop, Kagome landed on the back of one of the guards before she used his body to propel herself towards another that was vastly approaching the fight. The demon she had pushed off of stumbled forward, and right into another guard's sword.
Kagome grabbed hold of another guard's head while in mid-air, her claws digging into his neck as she took him with her. His body flipped unnaturally before the sound of his spine snapping cast a chorus of growls and screams in its wake.
She put the guard out of his misery before she whisked past the next group, her claws feverishly slashing and ripping through them. When she took a moment to catch her breath, the group of guards surrounding her fell to the ground at her feet.
More guards were steadily coming at her from the front, and she readied her body for the fight to come.
"Wait, Kagome," a familiar voice commanded suddenly as she whirled around to spot Kagura standing a few paces behind her. Her golden eyes widened slightly before she growled angrily at her, cracking her claws as her blood began to boil.
"You can stand down. I'm not going to attack you," Kagura assured her with the slight roll of her scarlet eyes, seemingly unimpressed by Kagome's transformation.
"Why should I trust you?" Kagome spat back, her rage over the woman's unscrupulous ways steadily returning within her, further fueling her accelerated bloodlust.
"Because I want you to defeat Naraku," Kagura replied as she opened a fan and held it up above her head, "you better move, unless you want me to cut you down, too?" she added as Kagome growled again.
"Why would you want to help me?" Kagome asked back suspiciously as Kagura let out an impatient sigh before she glared hotly at her.
"I'm not doing this for you," she scowled bitterly before her face softened slightly, "I'm doing it for him," she added as she turned her head towards the front of the castle. Though he was out of sight, Kagome already knew who she was referring to.
"He wouldn't want his mate to die before the real battle began," Kagura stated surely before she inclined her head towards the side entrance, "you better go now, I'll hold off the guards as long as I can,"
"But what about you?" Kagome asked, her anger quickly replaced by fear for the wind sorceress, "wouldn't helping me put your life in jeopardy?" Kagura merely snorted sarcastically in response,
"You call what I have a life? I'd rather risk it for the chance at true freedom," Kagura replied before she sent a dark glare Kagome's way, "are you going to leave or not?"
"How will you handle all of these guards? If we team up, I can at least help you," Kagome offered worriedly. Kagura's expression cleared for a moment as she stared at Kagome in surprise before a small smirk spread across her face.
"After all I've done to you...you'd still be willing to help me?" she asked softly, almost wistfully, "It's no wonder he chose you over me. Heh. Perhaps if I had been nicer...no. It was fated that you two would meet again. Hurry now, Kagome. Finish what should have been over and done with five hundred years ago,"
Kagome faltered at the sincerity in her voice. Perhaps Kagura was telling the truth. Kagome relaxed her stance before she nodded towards the wind sorceress and hurried out of her way. She paused at the door to glance back at her former rival.
Her crimson eyes narrowed in concentration before she swiped her fan forward, "Dance of Blades!" she called as bright crescent forms of light shot towards the upcoming guards. The attack took down the wave of demons, and with another sweep of her fan came another command: "Dance of the Dead!" she voiced as all of the bodies, hers and Kagome's kills combined, rose from the ground.
"Go and kill any guard you see. Leave anyone else who isn't a guard alone," Kagura commanded the mini army of puppet men as they slowly turned their bodies around and walked back towards the front of the castle. Kagura cast a glance in Kagome's direction before she pointedly glared at her.
"What are you still doing here? You should have made it half way to Naraku by now!" she hissed angrily as Kagome hastily replied with a quick apology before she disappeared into the castle.
The inside of the castle wasn't much different than the outside. The corridors that greeted her as Kagome ran past were just as dark and void of life as the scenery surrounding it. She was amazed to find that there were no guards patrolling the halls of the castle. Had Naraku sent all of his lines of defense to protect the outside of the castle, rather than the corridors within it?
Don't let your guard down just yet, mate, she heard Sesshomaru's voice warn her,there are a lot of demons out in front, but not enough that we're struggling with them. It all seems far too easy.
Perhaps we overestimated Naraku? Kagome offered in return.
I made the mistake of underestimating Naraku's power once, and I paid dearly for it. I won't do it again, Sesshomaru answered back gravely. Kagome grimaced slightly at that, but silently agreed with him. It would be best if she kept a keen eye out for trouble, no matter how slight it might be.
"You think taking back my other half from Naraku will be easy?" Hakudoshi asked Rin angrily, his tone suggesting that her offer had offended him. Rin gulped uneasily before she shook her head.
"I didn't say that it would be easy," she replied meekly before she glanced away from his intense violet stare, "I just thought we might be able to do it if we work together," she added while timidly pushing her index fingers together, unsure of his response.
When he didn't immediate reply, Rin glanced back up at him curiously. His eyes had glazed over as he idly stared at something above her head, as if lost in thought. Perhaps he was thinking over what she could do for him, or of ways to kill her for even suggesting such an idea.
"I cannot attack Naraku directly," he admitted, suddenly breaking out of his daze, "because he'll be able to sense me, but he won't be able to sense a human's aura. You'll have to be quick though, he'll still be able to see and smell you if you stay close to him long enough," he warned, and Rin felt giddy excitement rise within her. It was quickly accompanied by fear, but she tried her hardest to ignore that aspect of it.
If she helped Hakudoshi now, he might be able to help her escape afterward. Rin knew that she could count on Sesshomaru and Kagome to save her, but having someone on the inside couldn't hurt her chances either.
"What do you want me to do?" she chirped, and Hakudoshi surveyed her suspiciously for a moment before he spoke,
"Are you really willing to help free the demon that kidnapped you?"
"We're friends, aren't we?" Rin retorted with a little laugh. His violet eyes widened slightly at her choice of words before they reverted back to their neutral stare as a small smile tugged at the edges of his thin lips.
"Friends, huh? I wouldn't know, I've never had one before," he confessed nonchalantly. Rin's eyes saddened as she observed the individual standing before her. Instead of the monster she had seen kidnap and hurt her, a lonely boy stood in its place.
Before she could hold back, Rin threw her arms around Hakudoshi's waist and hugged him. She felt his body stiffen against hers, but he didn't push her away.
"I'm sorry," she murmured against his clothing as her arms tightened around him, "you must have been so lonely," she added sadly. Hakudoshi remained tense in her embrace before he took hold of her forearms and gently held her body at arms length.
"I don't need your pity," he growled before he let her go, and she wobbled while she struggled to find her balance, "Naraku's lair is down this hallway. I can follow you until we get back into the castle. From there, you're on your own,"
"I understand," Rin whispered, trying to pretend that his tone hadn't hurt or offended her. They walked in silence for a few moments before Hakudoshi spoke again,
"I'm only able to keep Naraku out of my head for a few minutes. I can regenerate an image of you still in my custody for about ten minutes before he'll realize it's a fake. That's all the time you'll have to get there, grab the baby, and get back. Got it?" he asked as he turned to glance back at her expectedly.
"Got it," she nodded curtly. He didn't respond, but turned back around and continued walking down the dark underground tunnel. Rin followed after him in silence, taking the time to calm her fluttering heart. She had agreed to help him, and she'd be true to her word. Sesshomaru had taught her the power of loyalty, and she'd prove it to Hakudoshi.
Within the next few moments that passed, they made it through the underground path and a wooden trap door hung above them. A set of steel steps were implanted against the wall that led up to the door like a makeshift staircase. Rin looked at it cautiously while Hakudoshi explained her situation,
"That's the entrance to the living quarters, a.k.a Naraku's resting place. He is in a coma-like state right now. He's using most of his energy to control the guards outside. He won't be easily roused, but that doesn't mean you can take your time and make all kinds of noise,"
Rin nodded and turned to make her way up the steel staircase when she heard Hakudoshi whisper one last thing,
"Be careful," it was said so softly that Rin questioned if she had imagined it. She glanced back at him curiously, but his back was already turned to her and he was heading back in the direction they had come.
Alright, my ten minutes starts now, she thought nervously. Rin visibly gulped as she turned back to face the wooden door that separated her from Naraku. The thought that this could be a trap didn't leave Rin's mind for even a second as she ascended the steel steps, but another part of her trusted Hakudoshi as well. He had warned her, and she understood that what she was doing was dangerous.
When she reached the top of the stairs she rested her palm against the wooden door's surface. She held her breath before she pushed against it, and the door shot open before it crashed against the stone of the upper floor.
Rin flinched at the loud 'bang' noise the door made when it hit the ground, and waited a moment to listen for activity from above. When there was none, she conjured up the courage to pop her head out of the tunnel and take a look around. Her blood ran cold when her eyes landed on the large mass resting before her.
A collection of tentacles were slowly twisting and curling around the entire room. A form that appeared to be the bare chest of a man seemed fused to the large mass at his waist level. His pale skin sharply contrasted the dark ochre tint of the tentacles attached to his middle. Long and wavy raven locks cascaded down his thin frame as his head hung forward, his eyes gently shut in a slumbering state.
Rin stared up at him in awe before the sound of soft footfalls caught her attention. She whirled her head around to spot a young girl with long white hair calmly making her way towards her. She was cloaked in a white dress with matching sandals and a similarly colored flower perched above her right ear. Eyes as black as the night itself watched Rin somewhat warily as the phantom of a girl approached her.
She looked to be around the same age as Rin, and she felt oddly comforted by that fact. Maybe she was kidnapped and looking for a way out as well? Perhaps she'd help her take the baby back to Hakudoshi.
"What are you doing here?" the girl asked in a soft murmur, her voice both soothing and unnerving at the same time. A shiver went up Rin's spine as she struggled to remain calm even as her pulse was steadily increasing.
Rin returned the girl's glance with a wary look of her own before she spotted a cluster of blankets bunched in the girl's pale arms, a tuff of white hair situated atop the fabrics. Rin knew that bundle was Hakudoshi's other half even before the baby turned to gaze at her curiously with his violet eyes.
Rin quickly climbed up out of the underground tunnel to stand at her full height. Sadly, her eyes barely lined up to the other girl's chin.
"I'm here for Hakudoshi," Rin replied curtly while glancing at the baby in the girl's arms. She held her head high even as she felt her knees buckling in fear, threatening to give out at any second. The girl tightened her hold around the baby before she slowly shook her head.
"I am responsible for him," she told Rin before she adjusted a strap on her shoulder. After a moment Rin realized that there was a mirror attached to that strap, and when she brought it fully around her shoulder she held it so Rin could see herself in its reflection.
"Look deep into my mirror," the girl instructed softly, and Rin found herself drawn to it despite the fact that her instincts were demanding that she do the exact opposite. She noted that the girl and her mirror appeared to be getting closer to her, or was she walking towards them? Either way, Rin felt her skin crawl as the distance between them continued to steadily shorten.
With every ounce of will power that she possessed, Rin dragged her eyes away from the mirror just as they were about to be within arms reach of each other.
"Please, you have to give me Hakudoshi's other half," Rin begged gently, mindful to keep her gaze down so she wouldn't be hypnotized by the mirror once more, "all he wants is his freedom," she added meekly.
"Freedom?" the girl repeated coolly, "no reincarnations of Naraku can receive that," she informed Rin dismissively.
"There has to be a way!" Rin insisted loudly before she bit her lip and cast a wary glance in Naraku's direction. Thankfully his submissive stance didn't waver at the sound of her voice.
"Maybe after Hakudoshi is free, we can help you get your freedom as well," Rin offered softly, purposefully keeping her voice down as she routinely glanced in Naraku's direction for any kind of movement. The girl paused at that, and Rin thought that she might really be considering it before her black eyes narrowed slightly.
"Impossible," she remarked before she lifted the mirror once more, "now that I know your intention, I must destroy you," she stated as spear-like objects slowly formed and stuck out from the glass of the mirror itself.
Rin's eyes widened as she leaped out of the way just in time to miss getting impaled by a fury of glass spears. They continued past her and struck a collection of tentacles instead, but still Naraku did not awaken. Rin let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding before she made a dash for the white haired phantom girl.
She merely turned the angle of her mirror and sent out more spears of glass. Rin fell onto her stomach to evade the next wave before she hopped to her feet and ran towards her again. She outstretched her hands towards the baby as she approached, and he even brought up his little hands to reach for her as well.
She was able to grab hold of one of the blankets wrapped around the baby, but the girl holding him captive was too quick. She pulled him out of Rin's grasp and swiftly placed the mirror in its place. Rin stared back at her reflection in horror before she was grabbed by the ankles and roughly dragged across the floor.
"Now, now, Kanna. There's no need for such violence," a deep male voice purred as Rin was lifted off the ground. She was then hung upside down, hovering a few feet in the air. She glanced up to spot a tentacle wound around her ankles that continued up to her knees. It held her securely in the air as her cinnamon orbs were suddenly caught in a red eyed gaze.
"You're far more courageous then I anticipated," Naraku remarked before an amused smirk quirked the edges of his lips, "I suppose I should be thanking Hakudoshi for leading you straight to me. I didn't expect to use you so soon, but Sesshomaru has nearly broken through my line of defense. So, I suppose this is as good a time as any,"
"W – What?" was all Rin could sputter out as she felt the blood in her body begin to rush to her head.
"Oh? Did you think Hakudoshi would really rebel against me? What a naïve child," he scoffed, "all of my servants are loyal to me, and if they aren't, they are punished. Much like Kagura was,"
"Kagura?" Kanna spoke up worriedly, "what happened to my sister?" she asked, and even though she sounded desperate to know the information, the volume of her voice barely rose an octave.
"She decided to aid Sesshomaru's forces. I do not accept disloyalty, so I destroyed her heart. She is no more," Naraku replied as his gaze returned to Rin's face, "now, what shall I do with you while we wait for Sesshomaru, little human?"
A/N: duh duh DUH! xD Like I said in my other author's note, I will be working on the next chapter and have it posted ASAP! Until next time!