CHAPTER TWELVE
Inuyasha was stunned.
He leapt out of the way just late enough to get caught by some
of the sharp slashes of blood. His right sleeve slit open and
hung loosely. He bared his fangs. 'What can I do!?' he thought
in a panic. 'I can't hurt her, but if I don't do something...'
he jumped back as she slashed at him again. '...She may hurt
me! Those shards are making her crazy strong!' He jumped up into
the branches of a tree and looked around for an idea. "Kagome,
get the hell out of here!" he shouted.
"No! I won't leave you!"
"Don't be stupid!"
he yelled, but was cut short as he fled the trees from Houseki's
advances. She snarled and clawed at him. They faced each other
on the ground. Her eyes were narrowed and smoldered with false
hate. "Houseki, snap out of it!" Inuyasha shouted.
"You don't want to hurt us. Naraku is controlling you,"
he growled.
As if on cue, Naraku cackled
from his hiding place. "How right you are."
"Yarou! This is the
last fucking straw!" Inuyasha tried to leap over Houseki
to get to Naraku, but she caught him and gave him four deep gashes
in his abdomen. He was forced to turn his attention back to his
daughter.
"I don't wanna do this,
butcha leave me no choice!" he shouted and punched her square
in the face. Houseki leaned backwards, but stayed on her feet.
She straightened up and grinned. Blood dripped from the cut Inuyasha's knuckles had made on her cheek.
'Damnit!' he thought. 'I'm
doing damage, but those shards and his spell on her just keep
her going!' "I'm sorry, Houseki-chan. I really don't wanna
do this!" Inuyasha pushed his feelings aside and fought
with only the desire to protect his friends. He landed punch
after punch, each time praying that she would just fall down.
Houseki backed up as she took each blow. They were getting closer
to Naraku, who watched with great amusement.
"I thought you might
be a match for her, even with the shard advantage, but I took
this into consideration," he commented idly. "I could
have made her a full Youkai, but what fun would that have been...?"
Naraku reached into his white, baboon fur-disguise and removed
the Tetsusaiga. "When she could fight you with your own
sword!"
"Wha...?" Inuyasha
blinked. Houseki back-flipped away from him and gracefully took
the blade from Naraku. It transformed and hummed as she slashed
at the air with it. Houseki screamed and charged her father.
He dodged as best he could,
but she was fast. Soon, he was backing up against the tree-line.
Inuyasha pulled the scabbard out of his belt and protected himself
from a strike that surely would have killed him.
"Houseki!" Kagome
shouted. "Stop it!!" Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Miroku
gnashed his teeth in frustration. Sango and Shippou hugged each
other.
"Kagome..." a voice
to her left made Kagome jump.
"Kouga!"
He was dragging himself out
of the bushes. His face was black and blue and one of his legs
appeared to be horribly broken. He was pulling a quiver and a
bow behind him.
Kagome nodded and jogged
over to him.
Houseki reached around
with her bare foot at pulled one of Inuyasha's legs out from
under him. He crashed to the ground. Houseki pressed down with
the fang. He could hear the scabbard start to crack. "Houseki...
come on, please snap out of it! It's me! Inuyasha!"
"Inu..." she said
in a grave, unfamiliar voice. "...Tou-chan?" She blinked
her eyes. They focused. "Tou-chan help me. Kill me before
I kill everyone!" she hissed.
Inuyasha was astounded,
but he didn't relax. Houseki's eyes went milky again and she
reverted to Naraku's power. She snarled and leaned down harder
against the scabbard.
"Houseki!" Kagome
shouted again. She raised her bow and took aim. She made sure
the girl saw her before she let the arrow fly.
Houseki screamed in pain
as the arrow dislodged a Shikon shard from her spine.
"Bingo!" Kagome
cheered and readied another arrow. Houseki dropped the Tetsusaiga
and turned her attention on a new target.
"Kagome, look out!"
her friends cried from the sidelines.
"Wha..? She looked up
and saw the hanyou, bloodied and savage, charging towards her.
She froze in place. 'Oh no, I'm going to die...' Kagome thought.
"Houseki!!!" Inuyasha shouted. He grabbed his sword. It became the fang again.
'No time!' he thought, and threw the blade at his daughter.
Houseki stopped her pursuit
only a few feet from her target. The tip of the Tetsusaiga pierced
the front of her kimono. She fell forward. Kagome had to step
back to get out of the way. When she hit the ground, they could
see the sword shrink back to it's normal state and fall slowly
out of the oversized wound. She started to get back up, but almost
as quickly as she had gone down, a swarm of Naraku's bees were
upon her, removing the Shikon shards which were keeping her going.
Crazed, Inuyasha rushed
forward, scaring Kagome. He pulled the sword out of his daughter's
back and ran at full speed towards Naraku.
"Naraku!!!!" he
screamed and using the full power of his father's blade, leveled
half the forest. He rushed to where he had last seen Naraku.
The white, baboon disguise floated down and landed on the ground.
It was unharmed. 'No. He got away... again.' Inuyasha stood
there in disbelief for a few moments.
Kagome fell into a sitting
position and stared at Houseki. Miroku and the others rushed
over to help. Kagome couldn't speak to tell them, but they tried
to help her anyway. She saw the wounds that had opened up after
the shards were removed. She saw the huge puddle of blood that
was quickly inching towards her. She could feel the life force
fade away. Inuyasha ran back and scooped Houseki up. He urged
them to follow as soon as possible and bounded off through the
woods towards Kaede's village.
*
Sango and Miroku stood with
their arms around each other and watched the sun set. Kirara
and Myoga hung close by. Shippou helped Kagome tend to Kouga's
wounds. He was healing, albeit slowly. Kouga and Inuyasha watched
the door to Kaede's hut with unblinking eyes.
Finally, the crone emerged.
She bowed her head and shook it slowly. Inuyasha slumped his
shoulders.
"No!" Kouga leapt
up from the ground, nearly knocking Kagome over and bounded into
the room. He slowed as he saw her. Houseki's face was ashen.
Her eyes were closed and he mouth hung open a little. Kaede had
done her best to close the many lacerations their battle with
Naraku had caused. Kouga fell to his knees and gently pulled
her body into his lap. He cradled her and kissed her, whispering
a secret farewell.
Inuyasha watched from the
doorway. Miroku had guessed right. Kouga had fallen in love with
her. The wolf youkai laid her back down respectfully and left
the room. He met Inuyasha's eyes briefly. The hanyou had to
look away, the pain in them was too great.
Kouga walked out of the village
and into the coming night, alone.
Inuyasha spent only a
few moments in the house before he too emerged and walked off
in another direction.
"Inuyasha..."
Kagome whispered.
"Just... gimme a while..."
he whispered back and walked into the woods in the direction
of the God Tree.
*
The sky darkened. The humidity
increased and made everyone uncomfortable. Preparations
for the funeral were made in haste in fear of rain. Everyone
did their best to help. Kagome started to get worried as twilight
set it and headed out where she knew he would be.
A few drops fell as she neared
the God Tree. Inuyasha looked up into its branches and let the
rain that escaped its leaves cool his face.
"I hate this,"
he said at an almost imperceptible volume.
Kagome took his hand and
guided him into her embrace. Inuyasha broke down and wept against
her shoulder.
*
Kaede and Miroku said prayers
as the funeral pyre was lit. The flames soon obscured the figure
of their friend: the strange girl they hardly got to know. Kagome
threw flowers into the fire. Inuyasha stepped forward.
"I..." he began,
the smoke getting in his eyes. "I want to say I'm sorry...
that I killed Houseki..."
There was a general outcry
of his friends telling him that it wasn't his fault, blaming
Naraku and praising him for saving Kagome.
"And I'm sorry I didn't
get the bastard... AGAIN!" he shouted.
Sango hid her tears as she
wept into Miroku's robe. He stoked her hair with his shielded
hand. The group went silent. No one was looking as a strange
expression befell the young monk's face. He slid out of Sango's
arms and excused himself.
"Ningen funerals are
so sad!" Shippou sniffed and hugged Kagome.
"I know, Shippou."
Miroku walked a few paces
away and put his back to the group. 'I must be going crazy...'
he thought as he massaged his hand. It felt... different. He
quietly unwrapped the beads from the shield and cautiously peeled
back the leather.
GLOSSARY : Yarou = bastard, despicable person.
END CHAPTER TWELVE