Chapter 36

End in Sight

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Miroku snapped up to stare at Sango's irate expression and he'd never been more-happy to see her face in his life.

"You two are supposed to be at the battle-front, aren't you?" Sango demanded, however, the fierce stare in her gaze widened to sheer terror as it shifted to Koga's limp form half-lying across Miroku's shoulders. "What happened?"

"He over-exerted," Miroku informed, grunting as he struggled to keep the ookami upright.

Sango immediately looped the Alpha's other arm across her own shoulders. "Where's Kagome?"

Miroku debated waiting to tell her. He needed to get Koga to his tribes-mate but….

"She's still there," Miroku grudgingly admitted, jerking backwards when Sango froze mid-step.

"WHAT?!" she demanded, fire flaring in her dark eyes. "You-you left her out there alone?"

"My dear Sango, we can argue or you can help me," Miroku scolded. "The faster we get Koga to Hakkaku, the faster we can return to help her."

"I'm here!" came a call to their left as Hakkaku pushed his way through the crowd.

Miroku wondered how he was going to re-explain the situation. However, one look and the ookami warrior seemed to know exactly what had happened.

"He used it again, didn't he?" Hakkaku asked, taking Koga from both of them.

Miroku nodded, grudgingly.

"I got him," Hakkaku announced. "You go on. Help Sister Kagome."

Sango didn't wait to be told twice. Like a shot from a bow, she raced from the village and to where the beginning glow of reiki flared in the distance.

Miroku gave the warning look Hakkaku leveled at him no mind as he also turned on his heel and ran after the female warrior.

By the time they reached the boundary, Kagome was deep in meditative concentration, and the reiki barrier she'd erected was being strained to its limit by the crowding clay soldiers.

"Sango," Miroku called in warning.

"I see it," Sango answered, tossing her Hiraikotsu with all her might.

With a cringe-worthy crack, the bone boomerang spun through the barrier and dashed the first few rows of clay soldiers to pieces.

Miroku released a relieved sigh as Kagome gasped awake to her surroundings.

"Kagome, you okay?" Sango called as she caught her returning boomerang.

"Sango?" the priestess breathed as she tried to take a good lungful.

"I suggest you get up, my lady," Miroku replied as he pulled some sutras from his robe.

Already, more of the soldiers pushed against the barrier, straining the reiki to its limit of power.

"How can there still be so many?" Sango shouted, causing both of the others to sigh in irritation.

"By all means, you got any new ideas, I'm listening," Kagome countered, lifting her bow to nock in preparation.

"They're widening out again," Miroku informed as he threw his sutras, shattering more of the approaching soldiers. "Kagome, can you keep the barrier stable?"

"I'm trying," Kagome gritted out as she released an arrow, cutting a path through the ranks. "It's hard to concentrate and shoot at the same time."

A quick glance showed Sango's eyes were darting in growing panic. Undoubtedly, she was realizing how over-whelmed they could be. However, Miroku quickly reached over, clasping her forearm and causing her head to jerk in shock at him.

"What are you thinking?" Miroku inquired, focusing his full attention on her.

When Sango delayed in her response, Miroku sharpened his gaze, forcing her to see the unquestioning calm she needed.

"Tell me," he pressed. "Something is clamoring in your head, what is it?"

"We…." She stuttered, eyes darting all about as she watched Kagome shoot another arrow through the approaching soldiers. "We can't hold here. But, we can march our way back."

Miroku's brow furrowed in confusion. "March?"

"Inch by inch," Sango informed, her breathing calming as her own eyes sharpened. "If Kagome needs time to erect a barrier each time, we can give her a step back. Then when it's up, we can wipe out the front lines. They'll push us back but they'll lose with every step."

Miroku turned the idea in his head. It made sense. They couldn't hold back the wave that was even now pushing against the barrier. But, they could break it down. The village will have to fight but that didn't mean they had to take it all.

"Did you hear that?" Miroku called to Kagome as he took out more of his sutras.

"You think it will work?" Kagome asked, releasing another arrow as her breathing grew labored.

Miroku locked on Sango's eyes as they set with hard determination. She wasn't budging in this.

He nodded. "Let's do this," he replied. "Your lead, Sango."

Shoulders set, the fierce woman lifted Hiraikotsu as she took a step backward, Miroku following.

"Drop it when I say, Kagome," she ordered. "Ready? Now!"

SSS

"I hate bugs! I hate bugs! I hate bugs!"

Kaede sighed in frustration. She wasn't enjoying this disgusting fight either but did the ookami hunter have to shout so?

The saimyosho make-shift nest inside the witch's hovel was a shocking discovery but they were making progress…somewhat.

"I never want to see another bug again!" Ginta shouted as he stepped on another insect, smooshing it loudly.

Right when Kaede was about to give the hunter a piece of her mind, her eye widened in chilled terror as the winged shadows rose behind him from the trees.

"Ginta, watch out!" she shouted, causing the hunter to snap his gaze behind him.

However, before he had a chance to fend off the approaching stingers, a shrill cry cut the air.

"Hibakudan!"

Bright blue fire burst about the saimyosho, shredding and burning them to a crisp before they fell lifelessly to the grass.

Kaede and Ginta stared in confused shock before a familiar tiny body suddenly burst into the clearing, fire-crackers clenched in each little fist.

"Shipo?" Kaede asked.

Bright green eyes glared in angry concentration before the little kit suddenly lit both of his make-shift bombs and threw them at the witch's hovel, engulfing the structure and remaining insects in blue flames.

Kaede watched as the ram-shackle house was consumed, a heavy numbness filling her chest.

That was….rash. But, she couldn't deny the kit had saved them both from a possibly endless struggle. But, if there was nothing left…..

Shipo stood before his handiwork, tiny shoulders heaving with rushed exertion before he turned to face the others.

"You two alright?" he asked, eyes wide with hopeful concern.

Kaede sighed with a nod. "Aye, child," she informed. "Thank ye."

The sudden cracking of wood had the three snapping their gaze back to the blazing structure just as the roof caved entirely inward. The kit shuffled his tiny pawed feet nervously.

"There….wasn't anything you wanted inside," he ventured cautiously. "Was there?"

Kaede and Ginta shared a helpless look as the tiny boy stared up in worried guilt. They hadn't even bothered to tell the kit about her sister ashes but, considering everything was quite burning before their eyes…..perhaps there was no point in adding the poor child's guilt.

He had saved them, afterall.

"Nay, child," Kaede replied with an accepting shake of her head. "It is done. We best hurry back to the others. They may need our help."

Ginta shrugged in acceptance before turning on his heel back the way they came.

Kaede supposed she couldn't blame the hunter's frustration. She'd dragged them both up the mountain to get something they were giving up on. But, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing to save. And, if she'd learned anything in her long life, it was not to cling to anything already gone.

Casting one final look at the burning remains, Kaede prayed a final farewell to her sister. Hopefully, she could finally be left in peace.

'Forgive me, Kikyo.'

An insistent tug at her wrinkled hand was all it took to snap Kaede from her thoughts. Shipo's eyes met her own, worried persistence causing the green depths to shine in barely restrained tears.

Kaede gave the child a rueful smile as she pat his head. "Come, let's save the others."

With a sure nod of agreement, the two rushed to catch up with Ginta's retreating form.

SSS

"Koga, come on," Hakkaku urged as he gave his Alpha another insistent shake. "Come on, you gotta wake up."

He couldn't believe this was taking so long. Koga had snapped out of this rather quickly when he'd over-done it with Goraishi before. Even when he used it that first time, he'd bounced back. Then, what was the problem?!

"Koga, this isn't the time to sleep," Hakkaku muttered as he gave his leader an experimental smack across the face. "The humans here need you. Kagome needs you. Come on, wake up. Wake up!"

Nothing.

Hakkaku started to feel his frustration rise with nervous panic as he wracked his brain with what could snap his friend out of this. What had worked back at the Den?

He hadn't even been there the last time but surely it couldn't be that difficult to wake him up. And, if the ever-nearing blue light was any indication, they didn't have forever.

"Koga, come on," Hakkaku huffed as he looked his friend over. "I don't know where you are right now but you're not finished here. The fight's still going. Kagome doing all she can to stop it. But, she can't do it alone. Sango and Miroku went after her and, I think they're helping but….it's not gonna last."

Still, nothing. Anger burned in Hakkaku's belly as the villagers started to scramble to prepare for the battle heading their way.

"We need you, Koga!" Hakkaku snarled. "You hear me? If you think you can just lie here while we fight, you got another thing coming! Get off your ass and fight! You've never run from a fight before. Well….not one you can win anyway. And, you can win this one."

Breath panting in barely controlled fury, Hakkaku grabbed Koga's chest-plate and gave it a hard shake.

"You think you need your stupid weapon to fight a bunch of clay pots?" he demanded as he gave a sharp crack across his jaw. "You can handle this with your bare hands! Come on! Wake up, you lazy bastard! Come on!"

The again flaring light of reiki had Hakkaku's blows starting to become more frantic as he continue to pound against Koga's face.

"You think an Alpha sleeps through a fight?" he taunted, raising his fists again. "Does a male leave his mate to fight for him? Wake up, Koga! Wake up! WAKE UP!"

Suddenly, a clawed hand gripped his fist, glowing blue eyes snapping open as they stared up at Hakkaku's stunned gaze.

Never in Hakkaku's life was he so happy to hear his Alpha's gravelly voice than when Koga spat out a bloodied tooth and muttered, "I'm up."