Complete the Circle
Chapter Forty-Seven: Battle of the Souls
She pulled the arrow back, the bow bending to its maximum without breaking, the dust of the now barren world irritating her eyes. All she had to do was find one clear shot, but Naraku was no fool. Midoriko had her hands full trying to fend off the youkai as the others were trying to immobilize Naraku so that Kagome could make the final blow.
Shippou tried time and time again to burn Naraku with his fire, but with no success. They were surrounded by youkai, and whenever Shippou tried to blast Naraku, a youkai would block or deflect the shot, making any advancement on Naraku impossible.
He leapt, transformed, ran, crawled, and fought his way towards Naraku, but in the end, it was no use. He was still as far away from Naraku as he was before. Shippou looked at Inuyasha, who kept on switching between using the wound of the wind and the final stance of Tetsusaiga, trying to kill the youkai surrounding him, as well as Naraku.
Miroku, without his air void, was having a difficult time, along with Sango, whose arm was starting to shake with every throw and swing of the giant boomerang. Kagome's purifying energy was keeping the youkai from getting near her so that she could make a clean shot, but even now, she still had not fired.
Shippou's mind was overwhelmed with the amount of movement that was occurring around him, but he pulled himself together. I have to help everyone defeat Naraku. Then I can go back home with everyone, and we'll all finally be safe.
Shippou squeaked in surprise as an arrow suddenly soared above his head. He watched as the arrow started to glow, heading for Naraku. Naraku moved at the last moment, and Shippou watched in shock as the arrow continued its path, now heading for Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, trying to warn him. Inuyasha turned around just in time to see the arrow shatter against an invisible barrier.
"Don't worry, Kagome," Miroku shouted. "I've got Inuyasha covered. Just continue firing at Naraku when you have the chance."
Shippou watched Kagome nod determinedly, but noticed that there was only one arrow left in Kagome's quiver. She had to make the last arrow count. Otherwise, it was all over.
Shippou sneaked behind a group of youkai and yanked one of the youkai's tail. The youkai promptly began beating up his partner for hurting his tail, and his partner began fighting him in defense. Soon a fight ensued between the youkai, and Shippou started to move away to another target.
"Miroku!" Inuyasha shouted suddenly, rushing to the side of his fallen companion. Shippou quickly ran towards Miroku and Inuyasha.
"Fight, you moron," Miroku said through clenched teeth, blood trickling out of his mouth. He held a deep gash in his chest, and didn't even bother to try and stand up. Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga, temporarily clearing the area of youkai.
"You idiot! What did you do that for?" Inuyasha asked, angry.
"Someone had to save your sorry butt," Miroku said, trying to suppress a cough. As his body shook with the suppressed cough, more blood started to flow out of his wound. "In this battle, sacrifices must be made. You'll be more able to defeat Naraku than I will…"
"That's a stupid reason to sell your life for!" Inuyasha shouted at him, looking like he wanted to throttle the former monk.
"With wisdom, comes responsibility," Miroku said. Shippou felt a sudden chill as more of the dark army disappeared with wisdom's awakening. "I understand that the choice I made would end my life, but it will also help us win."
"Always looking at the bigger picture aren't you?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically, his voice laced with fury and hatred. Miroku tried to smile, but he didn't have the strength to anymore. Shippou felt his heart drop as Miroku slumped to the ground, his eyes closing. He heard Inuyasha's knuckles crack as he clenched his fists in an expression indiscernible, and saw Sango brutally cutting a certain youkai apart.
Miroku… Shippou looked at the unmoving body in disbelief. Why did you have to go? Why did you have to leave again? He felt alone. Why was that it was always he that escaped injury, while everyone around him died? His parents had been the first, then Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango… And now, Miroku had gone again. Was it because he was cursed to bring death to the people he cared about? Was it some deity's irony that he should symbolize life when all that he saw around him was death?
Shippou knelt near Miroku and tried to shake him awake. He still didn't move, and it didn't look like he was going to move, no matter what he did.
"Watch his body," Inuyasha commanded Shippou in a cool and emotionless voice. Inuyasha sounded so hollow that it was frightening. He was containing his emotions very well, and Shippou was afraid to find out what Inuyasha would do for revenge.
"Miroku, get up," Shippou said, poking Miroku in the ribs. He can't die again. I won't let him die again! Shippou thought as he started to cry. Miroku, you get up right NOW!
There was suddenly a strange surge of light, and Shippou saw the wounds on Miroku heal immediately, and a moment later, Miroku was standing up, as healthy as ever, without so much as a stain of blood to show for his recent injuries.
"Miroku!" Shippou shouted happily. But he suddenly noticed that as Miroku got up, so did many of the youkai that they had destroyed earlier. All the youkai that had disappeared with the awakening of love, friendship, courage, and wisdom had all returned to the battlefield.
He had revived Miroku, but at what cost? Should he have just let Miroku die, all so that they could win a battle?
Shippou wondered what he had done, and the consequences of his action. The wave of youki hitting him was unnerving, and Shippou hoped that he hadn't made the situation worse.
Kagome saw Midoriko falter as youkai suddenly appeared all around them. The barrier that she had erected with the help of Miroku trembled under the onslaught of youki, and she wondered how long she could maintain the protective shield in order to shoot Naraku. One arrow was all it would take to end his life; one arrow to end this nightmare; one arrow to escape and start their life anew.
But the one arrow was more difficult to shoot than a thousand arrows. Kagome felt her body shaking with anxiety, afraid to fail the shot with her last arrow. Midoriko still fought valiantly, but traces of fatigue could be seen in her, and with the new wave of youki, she seemed to be fading in and out. Kagome was afraid of what that meant.
Inuyasha suddenly appeared and swung Tetsusaiga carelessly at Naraku, his face calm, but his actions revealing his inner feelings. Miroku was next to Shippou, who was keeping the youkai at bay with his fire. Kagome felt the shield around her flicker as youkai started to beat at it, trying to get in. She saw Miroku sit down on the grass as Shippou created a ring of fire to keep them both safe.
Miroku took his prayer beads and began to chant, and a strange string of light started to appear, heading towards Naraku to bind him. Sango swung Hiraikotsu, forcing Naraku to back up and fall into Miroku's trap. The light quickly surrounded and bound Naraku, who was struggling to get free. Inuyasha swung his blade, unleashing the terrible final attack of Tetsusaiga.
Amazingly enough, Naraku blocked the shot with the power of conjuring up a shied. Although the shield prevented Naraku from being ripped apart, it didn't dissipate the power of Tetsusaiga, and Naraku was left struggling between Miroku's bindings and Inuyasha's attack.
"Kagome, now!" Inuyasha shouted. She pulled the arrow back with all the energy she could muster, and fed the arrow her power, releasing the arrow to sail through the thick, black air towards Naraku. Naraku suddenly twisted his shield around, forcing Tetsusaiga's attack to meet Kagome's purifying arrow. Instead of nullifying each other, the two attacks collided in a great explosion that knocked everyone off their feet.
Kagome felt Kirara's warm body behind her, and held on to the giant cat for support. The explosion slowly subsided, Naraku still standing, when suddenly a shockwave from the explosion started to sweep through the crowds, vaporizing all that came in contact with it.
Kirara suddenly jumped off towards Sango, who was closest to the shockwave. Moments before they were both engulfed by the shockwave, a ring of billowing flames suddenly appeared around the wave of death, stopping its advancement. Kagome turned and saw that Shippou was the one who had conjured up the ghostly flames, saving all their lives. But just how long could he keep the flames alive?
The flames started to burn brighter as Inuyasha forced his youki to the fire. Soon, youkai all over were concentrating and aiming their youki towards the large bonfire, feeding the flames and helping the small kitsune. It didn't matter that they had been enemies moments before. When it came to a decision between life and death, they were all unanimous in choosing life.
The ring of fire constricted suddenly, and the one who had once embodied Onigumo was again burnt alive in the flames sent neither by Heaven nor Hell, but from the will to live.
Kagome saw the gray sky of the Shikon no Tama crack and shatter, and with one last look at Midoriko who was standing only a little distance away, she knew that they had finally won.
Midoriko smiled at her; a smile full of serenity and peace. She clasped her hands together and bowed at Kagome as she slowly started to fade.
"Thank you," she whispered, disappearing like the pieces of the Shikon no Tama as the mirror of the true world shattered. Kagome felt an unknown, but comforting presence lift her up, and she soon left the land of dreams behind her.
Author's Note: I'm sorry for not updating for, like, three weeks! Please forgive me. I just didn't have the time, and all this fighting stuff is hard for me to write. But I gave you three chapters in a single update. Isn't that nice? You didn't have to wait for the next chapters at all. I mean, waiting a long time for lots of chapters is better than waiting for a new chapter every week, right? Right?
Well, the next chapter is going to be the last in this story and will basically wrap things up. I don't know when it's going to come out, and I can't make any promises with finals coming up and everything, but if there are still any questions that you need answered about the story, now is the time to ask! Anything left unexplained, any confusion, or anything like that is going to be explained in the last chapter, so if you don't tell me what you don't understand, then I won't know to explain it, so I won't write it. Okay?
I eagerly await whatever suggestions you have for anything, so please feel free to tell me anything! Criticism, please!