Just a heads-up that you will see some familiar names in this chapter but I have changed certain aspects about them.
Ahh, just two chapters left after this one!
This is rather short and is more of a connecting chapter before we reach the final battle.
Shout-out to Sid (shinidamachu) for her great advice against my very intense writer's block during this chapter *smiles sheepishly*
I'm also irritated because I accidentally posted an unedited version of this chapter originally so I had to reupload it with the correct one, so the correct version was put up on 9/3/2020.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter 21: Call to War
Kagome stared up at the night sky, her mind racing with thoughts of the battle to come.
Inuyasha was sound asleep next to her, his hand resting on her arm as he slumbered. Kagome smiled at his sleeping form before turning her attention back up to the stars.
They would be meeting up with Sesshomaru in a mere two days. As a larger team, they would make a full plan for how to take down Naraku.
Kagome just wondered what he was planning.
He took part of my soul, she pondered. But why? What could he need that for?
She figured it was for some sort of magic or enchantment, but when she mentioned it to the others, none of them could come up with any ideas of what kind of enchantment it could be.
Kagome had a really bad feeling about the whole thing; whatever Naraku's plan was, it was coming up quickly.
Then there was the new moon…
The new moon was coming in only three days, and Kagome hoped they'd be able to defeat Naraku before then. If they were fighting Naraku when Inuyasha turned human…
Kagome closed her eyes. She didn't even want to think about that.
It almost made her laugh; she remembered asking Inuyasha if he thought they'd be able to defeat Naraku before his next human night. Neither of them thought they could, but with the battle looming over them, she knew they would either be fortunately correct or dangerously wrong.
If Kagome were to lose Inuyasha...if he died in the battle…
She rolled onto her side to curl up next to the hanyo.
I can't think like that, she scolded herself. I don't even want to consider that.
O.o.O.o.O
Kagura silently kept alert for the auras of the group for which they were searching.
Kanna sat next to her on the feather in mirrored silence as they flew through the sky over a large forest.
"Naraku just said to find them," Kagura said. "Does that mean we shouldn't attack them?"
Kanna kept her gaze on the ground, her mirror clutched in her hands.
"We must see where they are," she murmured. "Naraku wants to know how much time he has to prepare."
Kagura frowned. Prepare what? I still don't even know what he's planning to do with Urasue.
"I suppose you're still not going to explain, huh?" Kagura goaded. "No one ever tells me anything."
Kanna turned her head toward Kagura in a sharp movement.
The wind sorceress' eyes widened at the unexpected action.
"What's your problem?" Kagura asked. "Don't look at me like that. It's creepy."
Kanna kept her black eyes trained on Kagura.
"Naraku is distracted," she droned. "He is focused on Urasue. He keeps your heart hidden somewhere else now, away from him."
Kagura froze. "Really? Where is it?"
Kanna looked away from her and fell back into silence.
"You're gonna tell me that," Kagura began, "and then not elaborate? Where's my heart, Kanna? Tell me!"
Silence.
Kagura groaned and was half-tempted to throw Kanna off the feather.
"Whatever," Kagura conceded, crossing her arms across her chest. "At least I know I don't have to worry about him squeezing the life out of me anytime soon."
Then it hit her.
Naraku can't control me right now, she realized. He needs my heart to manipulate me...to threaten me. Without it, I could leave…
"Kanna, don't you hate Naraku?" Kagura asked. "He created us, but for what purpose? To treat us like his own little puppets so he doesn't have to do any dirty work?"
Kanna shifted the mirror in her lap but didn't speak.
Kagura scoffed. "I want to escape. I want to get as far away from here as possible and at least be free for a little while before he crushes my heart after his secret plan is finished."
In an act of desperation, Kagura reached out her hand and set it on Kanna's arm.
"Don't you want to escape, too?" Kagura asked, her voice quieter.
Black eyes once again focused on her.
"Destruction precedes," Kanna murmured before setting her gaze back on the ground below them.
Kagura frowned, but said nothing more.
What does she mean? Kagura wondered. I wish she wouldn't be so cryptic all the time.
"I don't know what Naraku thinks they're gonna do when we find them," Kagura said, changing the subject. "Obviously they're gonna attack. I don't know how he expects us to go unnoticed. We're probably in for a fight regardless of what he wants."
The flight was silent until Kagura began to pick up on several familiar auras.
"I think I feel them," she announced quietly as she flew the feather lower to the ground. "Can you tell?"
Kanna nodded, so Kagura landed the feather and transformed it back to its smaller size before pinning it in her hair.
"Here goes nothing," Kagura grumbled as she and Kanna walked through the trees. They walked as silently as possible, but Kagura knew it was only a matter of time before the captain and the hanyo picked up on their presence.
Sure enough, a loud voice called for them from the trees.
"Oi! Show yourselves!"
Kagura rolled her eyes. She knew it was the hanyo from the voice and aura now that he'd come after them, so she quickly went to grab the feather from her hair.
Before she could, a blinding light and blast of power came toward herself and Kanna, knocking down trees and lighting up the forest.
Kagura yanked Kanna out of the way, pulling them both to the ground and narrowly missing the attack.
"What was that?" Kagura asked out loud as she and Kanna got up. "That thing nearly killed us!"
The hanyo, Inuyasha, appeared in front of them with his sword aimed at them.
"You here for another fight?" he asked menacingly. The captain and the two other adults joined him, identical glares painted on their faces.
"What was that thing you just shot at us?" Kagura asked. "Was that from your sword?"
Inuyasha frowned. "Yeah, you want a taste of it?"
Kagura suddenly got an idea.
A dangerous one.
"How powerful is that attack?" she asked. "Would it have killed us?" Inuyasha glanced at his comrades before looking back at Kagura, his grip on the sword never faltering.
"It kills evil," he replied. "So given the fact that you're from Naraku, I'm guessing yeah, you would die."
The captain, Kagome, came up beside the hanyo and set her hand on his shoulder.
"What do you want?" she asked Kagura, her voice firm but not hateful. "Why aren't you attacking us?"
Going based on pure desperation, Kagura folded her fans and dropped them on the ground beside her.
"I want out," she blurted. "Naraku needs to die. That attack you just did...that could kill him."
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "How could you possibly expect us to believe you? This is probably some sort of ploy from Naraku."
Kagome walked toward them, shaking off Inuyasha's hand when he tried to stop her.
"Why do you want Naraku to die?" she asked.
Kagura looked away. "Naraku has control of my heart. I am the wind, but he holds me down. Right now, he's distracted and doesn't have my heart with him like usual. I want to take advantage of that. Help us...please."
Kagome grimaced. "I believe you. I can see it in your eyes."
Kagome nodded toward Kanna. "And you? What does Naraku have on you?"
Kanna was silent. Kagome frowned, but she didn't push her for an answer.
"What is Naraku planning?" the captain asked instead. "What's his goal? Why did he have Byakuya take part of my soul?"
Kagura shook her head. "He doesn't tell me that kind of stuff. He doesn't trust me. Don't bother asking Kanna either. She won't-"
"Urasue."
Kanna's small voice cut off Kagura. The wind sorceress glanced at her in surprise.
"What about Urasue?" Inuyasha demanded. "We already know Naraku was searching for her. Does that mean he found her?"
"He has her," Kanna droned. Kagura frowned.
"Yeah, he has her chained up," she added. "Byakuya brought back part of the captain's soul. Apparently he gave it to Urasue."
"But why?" Kagome asked. "Does he want to control me through Urasue?"
"Resurrection."
Five pairs of eyes shot to Kanna.
"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked. "That's just a rumor. Urasue can't resurrect people...right?"
Kanna shook her head. "With a soul powerful enough, it is possible."
Kagome gasped.
"I know who he's trying to bring back from the dead," she said, her voice filled with horror.
"Who?" Inuyasha prodded.
Kagome's eyes went wide.
"My mother."
O.o.O.o.O
Kagome nearly vomited when she realized what Naraku's plan was.
It had been a surprise to hear Kagura speak of wanting to betray and escape from Naraku, but finally learning what Naraku's true goal was shocked her even more.
"Why would he want to bring back your mother?" Inuyasha asked. "He's the one that killed her."
Kagome shook her head. "He was in love with her before he killed her, and now he wants her back. He finally found me and the prophecy is unraveling." Her eyes widened as she addressed Kanna. "Is this the darkness that's coming? The resurrection of my mother...the power she has...Naraku will harness it to kill me and Inuyasha?"
Kanna nodded.
It took all of Kagome's strength to not collapse onto the ground. This was too much.
"So the darkness from the prophecy was Naraku's desire," Inuyasha said. "The jewel must not have granted whatever his wish was, and now that the prophecy is in motion, he'll use Kagome's resurrected mother to kill us. It'll go beyond that, though, won't it? First us, then the world. Everything will be wrapped in darkness."
Again, Kanna nodded her confirmation.
Kagome took a deep breath. "Has he finished the resurrection?"
Kagura shook her head. "No. Urasue had just started cooperating when we left. She can't fully resurrect someone without an entire soul. Kagome's portion is strong, but Urasue said she can't rely just on that. Naraku is focused on you, Kagome."
Kagome looked away. "I know he is. How far are we from him?"
"A few hours," Kagura replied. "He has Byakuya, Goshinki, and the last Band of Seven member with him. We'll have to get through them before we can get to Naraku and Urasue."
Kagome huffed. "I forgot about Suikotsu. He's a tough one, but we can take him."
"The daiyoukai will find us sometime tomorrow," Inuyasha explained. "He's bringing reinforcements so we can attack as a larger group. I can only hope he was able to recruit more than just the wolves."
Seeing the wolf tribes would be hard, and Kagome knew it would be especially difficult for Inuyasha to have to face Koga.
Whenever Koga and the wolves came up in conversation, a flash of unrestrained guilt came across Inuyasha's face before he could school his expression again.
"We must return," Kanna said. "Naraku is growing impatient."
"What will you do?" Kagome asked. "Can we help somehow?" Kagura shook her head.
"We'll be fine," Kagura assured her. "Once you arrive, we'll help how we can."
Kagura and Kanna departed on a feather soon after, leaving the group in a surprised silence.
"Well," Sango began, "that was unexpected."
Inuyasha breathed a sigh. "At least it's something."
"Are you sure we can trust them?" Miroku spoke up. Inuyasha nodded.
"I do," he replied. "Kagome was right. There was something in their eyes...well, mostly Kagura's, but it was still there. It was pain...similar to what I think we've all felt."
His words resonated in the air, leaving them in a pensive silence until they decided to keep moving.
O.o.O.o.O
Inuyasha stared into the fire as they ate dinner. He had little appetite for the fish Kagome had caught in a nearby river.
They'd all been rather quiet as they got settled for the night. Inuyasha knew Sesshomaru would find them at some point the next day, so the hanyo was trying to prepare himself.
Kagome took his hand subtly and squeezed it, comforting him silently. Inuyasha knew she could feel his unease, and he could feel hers as well.
He knew she was a mess internally, especially after the news of what Naraku was planning.
If they didn't get to Naraku in time, Kagome would have to see an undead version of her mother.
This might be a tree night, he mused. She just needs a break from all this.
Kagome didn't seem surprised when Inuyasha tugged her up after Miroku and Sango had fallen asleep.
The captain followed him to a tall tree nearby before they easily hopped up to one of the highest branches.
The couple settled against the trunk, with Inuyasha's back against the wood and Kagome curled up in his arms.
They were quiet for a few moments as Inuyasha gently ran his claws up and down Kagome's back. Her hand came up to set on his heart, her fingers running over the fabric of his shirt.
"Will you wear the Robe of the Fire Rat when we face Naraku?" she asked quietly. Inuyasha nodded against her head.
"Yeah," he confirmed. "But only because you like how it looks." Kagome laughed and shook her head.
"I can't deny it," she teased. She sighed as she patted his chest.
"Everything is going to change," she murmured. "I can feel it."
"Yes," Inuyasha agreed. "But whatever happens, we'll make it out."
The thought of Kagome not making it out had crossed his mind once, but he'd immediately shut it down. He would protect her. He would sooner die himself than allow fatal harm to come to her.
"I'm scared," Kagome admitted in a quiet voice. "I'm afraid to see my mom. I know it won't really be her, but it'll look like her." Inuyasha hummed.
"I know," he replied. "But we'll get there in time. Kagura said Urasue can't revive her with just the small portion of your soul Byakuya stole, so there's no way she could even be there."
Kagome didn't respond for a moment.
"Yeah…" Her voice was hesitant, and Inuyasha knew she was running through every possible circumstance.
"Hey," he said, nudging her to sit up so he could see her. When she'd finally looked up to meet his gaze, he reached out and cupped her cheeks in his hands.
Her blue eyes were filled with a storm of uncertainty, the usual resilience waning the slightest bit.
"I trust you more than anyone I've ever trusted in my life," Inuyasha murmured. "No matter what happens, I want you to know that I'm by your side. I'll protect you with my life."
Kagome's eyes filled with tears as she nodded rather reluctantly.
Inuyasha's mouth drooped into a frown when he saw a tear escape and fall down her cheek.
Kagome was scared. Really scared.
"Don't be afraid," Inuyasha comforted quietly. "If it comes down to it, you won't have to go up against your mom if she for some reason has been resurrected. Someone else will, okay?"
Kagome shook her head. "I've lost my mom once already. It'll be hard if I have to see her, but that's not what I'm most afraid of. " Inuyasha searched her blue eyes, wondering what could possibly scare her more than that.
"What is it, Kagome?" he insisted gently. "What are you afraid of?"
There was a flash of darkness in her eyes, a display of dread appearing deep within her irises.
Kagome leaned her face into his palm.
"Do you remember when Bankotsu attacked the ship?" she asked. "And I thought he'd taken you?"
At Inuyasha's nod, Kagome closed her eyes.
"I was almost hysterical," she admitted. "The thought of losing you...it terrified me. If I lose you now, after finally getting to love you, I don't know how I'll survive. That's what I'm most afraid of."
Inuyasha's eyes widened at the way her voice shook as she spoke. He ran his thumbs over her cheeks, wiping the tears away as they came.
"Kagome, don't think like that," he soothed. "No one is gonna die." Kagome's eyes opened as she nodded and lay back down against his chest.
They stayed in the tree for the rest of the night, neither of them speaking as the night wore on.
Inuyasha had faith that they would come out of this successful, but Kagome's words were wearing on him.
What if…?
o.O.o
Inuyasha's already bad mood increased when he picked up on multiple approaching auras.
He, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango were finishing up with their lunch when Inuyasha caught the aura of Sesshomaru. The wolves were with him, as well as a few other auras he didn't recognize.
He exchanged a glance with Kagome when they picked up Koga's aura, and he further dreaded the moment they would meet again.
"They're coming," Inuyasha warned. "So...brace yourselves." He was mostly talking to Miroku and Sango, so he hoped his warning was enough for them to be prepared for the onslaught of youkai.
Sesshomaru appeared first as he began to descend to the ground from where he was flying in the sky. Inuyasha frowned as he landed, graceful as always, and began to walk over to them.
The wolves suddenly emerged from the forest to join them, along with a few other youkai.
Inuyasha cringed when he saw Koga, and he felt Kagome discreetly give his hand an encouraging squeeze before she stood up to greet them.
"Hello, my lord," she said politely to Sesshomaru as she bowed. "Thank you for meeting us. Allow me to introduce our companions."
Miroku and Sango were obviously in awe of the ostentatious appearance of the daiyoukai, but they remained composed, bowing lowly to him upon their introductions.
"And you already know Kirara," Kagome said as she motioned toward the neko-youkai. Sesshomaru nodded a greeting at Kirara, to which the cat replied with her feline version of a bow.
Koga walked over to them and nodded his own greetings.
"Hi, Koga," Kagome said. "Thank you for coming." Koga shrugged.
"I've got a bone to pick with Naraku," he said. "The sooner the better so I don't have to be around the mutt longer than I need to be." Inuyasha grimaced.
Alright, so there's still some hostility...at least he's being cordial enough to Kagome.
Ginta and Hakkaku smiled when they saw them, while Ayame kept her eyes on Koga.
Inuyasha nearly groaned. It's gonna be a long day.
"I did not have much success," Sesshomaru began, "in finding more youkai to aid us. I cannot force our people to fight, so this is our battle force."
Inuyasha and the others already knew the wolves, so introductions weren't necessary. There were several other youkai with them whom Sesshomaru introduced.
Hachiemon, who went by his nickname Hachi, was a tenuki with the ability to transform into a flying gourd. He seemed meek, but Inuyasha could tell he would be brave in battle.
There were Manten and Hiten, the Thunder Brothers known for their intense strength in controlling weather patterns. They were pompous and obviously powerful, and Inuyasha wondered if they could be stronger if they combined their efforts with Kagura specifically due to her control of the wind. Inuyasha made a mental note to suggest that later.
Finally, they were joined by a monkey youkai named Shigeru, who had brought three smaller monkey sprites with him. They'd introduced themselves as Kenichi, Kenji, and Kenta, their red butts shaking the entire time they were speaking.
The group got acquainted with each other before sitting down to begin their plan for the next day.
"What have you all discussed so far?" Sesshomaru asked. Inuyasha shook his head.
"Not much," he admitted. "We wanted to wait until we were all together before we started making a game plan."
Sesshomaru hummed. "I see. Tell me, who all is with Naraku now?"
Inuyasha went into detail, repeating necessary information for the new youkai that had joined them.
"Luckily, two of Naraku's reincarnations have turned on him," Inuyasha explained. "They're going to help us tomorrow." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.
"Are you quite certain they will help?" he asked skeptically. "I am not inclined to trust anyone associated with Naraku."
"We can trust them," Kagome cut in. "They'll help us. Besides...we really need it after the information we found out yesterday."
Kagome began to expand upon the newly-discovered goal of Naraku as she explained who her mother was and the previous connection she'd had to the evil hanyo, which was now resulting in her potential resurrection. Inuyasha was surprised to see Sesshomaru's typical stoic expression morph into something akin to uneasiness.
"I see," he mused. "How likely is it that we will see Kikyo tomorrow?"
"I don't know," Kagome replied. "But...I think it's a possibility. If Urasue is as powerful as we've heard, I think it's possible."
Inuyasha reached out to take her hand. "Maybe it is possible," he admitted before turning his attention on Sesshomaru. "But I think it's very unlikely."
Sesshomaru frowned. "The horror stories of Urasue are all true, Inuyasha. I believe that if the witch tries her hardest, she would be able to do it, especially with a soul as powerful as Kagome's. We need to be prepared for anything." He set his gaze on Kagome. "You need to be prepared." Kagome nodded before her eyes dropped to her lap.
"So now we gotta fight some zombie priestess?" Koga cut in. "That is not what my wolves and I signed up for! I want vengeance against Naraku, not a front row seat to all this family drama!"
Inuyasha began to stand up with his fists clenched. "You wanna repeat that or would you rather I just carve your tongue out now?"
Koga growled and began to stand up as well, bracing himself for a fight.
"Enough," Sesshomaru commanded calmly. "There will be no fighting among us. We will see enough of it tomorrow." Inuyasha glared at Koga, but sat back down next to Kagome.
Koga bowed apologetically to Sesshomaru before sitting down as well, obviously furious but unable to disobey the orders of the daiyoukai.
"So what?" Koga asked curtly. "We have to kill a zombie first and then I can slice and dice Naraku?"
Kagome tensed next to Inuyasha before she took a deep breath.
"I'll be facing her," she announced. "I need to do it. But, Koga, it'll be the same as last time. Inuyasha and I need to be the ones to end Naraku."
Koga scoffed. "Yeah, because that worked out so well at his castle."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, wishing he could land one solid punch on Koga just to shut him up for even one minute.
"Go for Goshinki," Inuyasha said. "He can read minds but you're probably fast enough even without jewel shards to defeat him."
Koga scowled. "There's no probably about it, mutt. I'll kill him."
Inuyasha huffed before continuing to explain. "Byakuya and Goshinki are the only two reincarnations we need to destroy. There's also Suikotsu. I think we can take them all."
Sesshomaru nodded. "You said there are reincarnations that will help us. Which are they?"
"Kagura and Kanna," Inuyasha replied. "They're the only women, so they'll be easy to distinguish. Kagura is a wind sorceress, so it might be best if the Thunder Brothers help her out. Kagura and Kanna weren't sure how, but they're going to figure out some way to help us."
They all continued to plan how they would go about fighting as they decided on who would fight which youkai as well as how to pave the way for Inuyasha and Kagome to get to Naraku.
The possibility of Kikyo being resurrected wasn't brought up again, but Inuyasha knew it was in the back of everyone's minds.
The group talked long into the night until everyone felt confident about their plan for the coming battle. When everyone dispersed to prepare for the night's rest, Inuyasha subtly tugged Kagome's hand so she would follow him off to a more private part of the forest.
The captain and the hanyo needed to make their own plan for how to destroy Naraku. It would come down to them, and they needed to be ready.
Once they were a good distance away, they sat down on the ground across from each other.
The unease in Kagome's eyes was still present from the night before, but she seemed different. There was a distance in her eyes, a dissociative type of acceptance that Inuyasha had never seen in her.
"So," Kagome finally said. "How should we do this?"
Inuyasha wasn't expecting her to want to jump in like that, but she hadn't earned her strong reputation as the feared Captain Higurashi for nothing.
It feels like that was forever ago, Inuyasha realized as he looked into Kagome's stormy blue eyes. I can't believe I spent my whole life without her…
"Let's just take a minute," Inuyasha suggested as he tugged her closer. He stretched his legs out in front of him before tugging Kagome down to lay her head on his lap.
Her eyes fluttered closed as he began running his claws through her hair. They'd all been bathing in nearby rivers during their travels, so her hair was devoid of its usual rough and salty sensations. It felt smoother and a little softer, and Inuyasha found himself missing her usual salty scent and the beachy texture of her hair.
They sat there quietly for a few moments. When Kagome's eyes finally opened, she smiled up at Inuyasha.
It was a small smile, one born from a small portion of peace amidst an overwhelming flood of chaos.
Inuyasha returned the smile and continued his slow strokes through her hair.
"Kaede used to tell me about my parents," Kagome said. "How they met...how my mother changed when she met my father. My mother was desperate to find a hanyo, just like I was. She fell in love with her hanyo, just like I fell in love with mine."
Kagome closed her eyes again and sighed. "If my fate is to be the same as my mother's, I'll have been glad you were the hanyo in my story."
Inuyasha's claws froze in her hair.
"Kagome," he said. "Don't talk like that. I already told you neither of us are gonna die, so don't even bother preparing for it."
Kagome didn't respond as she sat up. The fear that he'd seen in her eyes was now glossed over by a look of saddened determination.
"Let's just figure out what we're going to do tomorrow," she replied curtly. "How are we going to attack Naraku this time?"
Inuyasha looked at her, waiting for her to say something, anything, more, but she just stared at him expectantly.
He finally sighed in defeat. "I can use the Wind Scar. That took out the evil in Tokajin. Naraku is definitely stronger, but I think the Wind Scar will work against him, too."
Kagome nodded. "With my arrow combined with your Wind Scar, we can take him down. It's just a matter of reaching him through...everyone else."
He knew she meant her mother, so Inuyasha just moved behind her, pulling her lean back on his chest with his legs coming up around her.
He leaned forward and placed several kisses down the side of her neck before nuzzling his face in her hair.
She still smelled like Kagome, just with regular water rather than sea water. She sighed and turned her head to touch his nose to her cheek; he kissed it before wrapping his arms a little tighter around her.
"We face our destiny tomorrow," she murmured.
Inuyasha nodded against her. "We'll fulfill the prophecy. We'll destroy Naraku."
Kagome turned in his arms to face him, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck.
They both moved at the same time as their lips collided.
Kagome tangled her fingers in his hair as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
He kissed her desperately as he gently moved her to lay down on her back. The hanyo moved to rest on top of her as she tugged him down to mold his body to hers.
The feel of her pressed against him was familiar and comforting, and Inuyasha took a moment to pretend they were back on the ship in their bed with all the time in the world to hold each other.
"Inuyasha," Kagome breathed as he moved his attentions to her neck. He pressed long, lingering kisses to the sensitive skin of her throat. Kagome hooked one of her feet around his ankle and tugged him down and closer to her.
As their desperate kisses continued, Inuyasha found he couldn't tell where he ended and she began.
Her fingers scorched his skin as she moved against him more heatedly than he could ever remember her doing. He held her closer, never wanting to let her go.
Inuyasha moved his hands up and down the sides of her body, memorizing the feel of her in his hands.
He felt a wetness creep onto his cheeks and knew Kagome was crying again. She kissed him deeper, and Inuyasha knew the best way he could comfort her was to let her take what she needed.
So he kept his body on hers, meeting her every move and every kiss with his own.
She finally broke away from his lips to pull him down to lay completely over her as she buried her face in his neck.
Inuyasha placed several more lingering kisses to the top of her head before he rolled slightly to the side to cradle her against him.
He kept her tightly clutched to his chest as she steadied her breathing. He ran his claws up and down her back gently as she kept her face buried against him.
When the scent of her tears had lessened almost completely, Inuyasha pulled back to look down at her.
"I love you," he murmured.
"I love you," she murmured back.
The couple fell asleep next to each other after laying together in silence. Kagome's hand stroked his cheek a final time before her blue eyes closed after meeting his gold ones for the last time that night.
Inuyasha stayed awake a little longer, gently running his hand up and down her arm before succumbing to slumber himself.
The call to war was getting louder by the second.
O.o.O.o.O
Kagome woke up the next morning simultaneously dreading and eager for the day's events.
The day's 'events,' she repeated to herself. I say that as if it were a game or a fun family reunion. I suppose this is a reunion of sorts, but it certainly isn't a fun one.
Inuyasha stayed by her side as they all ate breakfast and made their final preparations for the day. The hanyo only parted from her to change into his Robe of the Fire Rat, at which Kgaome couldn't fight her smile.
She really did like how he looked in it.
Sesshomaru walked over to her, looking regal as ever with a determined glint in his eyes.
"Are you ready?" he asked the captain and the hanyo.
They nodded.
It was time for war.
To be continued...
Omg...friends, we have one more chapter and then an epilogue. I think I'll actually cry when this story is over. Thank you so much for all the favorites, follows, and reviews. I'm so ridiculously proud and in love with this story, and it means a lot to see that you all have enjoyed this near five-month-long journey.
I will give a short warning that it might take a little longer than a week for me to get the next chapter out. It's the final battle, so I want to make sure I write it exactly as it should be. I'm thinking maybe two weeks, so just stay with me! I'm hoping to have it out sooner, so that's just a little potential warning. If it's not up within my usual weekly window, you know why.
Much love. :)