*Here you go! Another successful chapter! Or at least I hope so! I think
it's gets better as it goes, and I really like the ending! But I can't tell
it to you, or I'll spoil it ^ . ~ !*
Disclaimer: If you don't know already, then just go back to the other disclaimers for reference!
Chapter 32
Inuyasha's battle wasn't going as well as he thought it should have.
Sure he was doing a pretty well job with his claws...his only problem was that he couldn't hit Naraku...
The mixed Hanyou constantly jumped from his way...and laughed when Inuyasha hit a target other than him.
After the fifth insult on his attacks, something along the lines of "Why Inuyasha...I thought you were better at this! How were you capable of fighting those other demons with this skill" Inuyasha pulled out the Tetsusaiga and began to fight with that.
Readers that know Inuyasha well enough, know that he does not remain calm when insulted like his brother Sesshomaru. On the contrary, he get's angrier and more vicious with every insult.
This time was no exception.
Unfortunately, no matter how much angrier he got, he still could not get at Naraku.
The spider would jump in, only close enough to sneer in Inuyasha's face, before jumping out happily and laughing at how Inuyasha swatted at him madly.
Then, when Inuyasha performed his Kaze no Kizu on him, Naraku chuckled and presented a technique of his own.
By the time Inuyasha was able to catch this move through the thickening miasma, he was stuck with fighting over a dozen Naraku's...eleven mere dummies that he used and only one the original.
To say the least...Inuyasha was none to pleased.
"Get your ass back over here!" He shouted, as he tried to slice on in half and missed.
Another one stepped in behind him and poked his back, disappearing in the miasma when he turned around.
Inuyasha again turned around trying to slice it, but found nothing there.
This setting of twelve different Naraku's was not helping Inuyasha whatsoever...and he kind of felt angry that he could not find the real.
Were Kagome here she could probably spot him out by the Shikon shards, but considering that Kagome was supposed to be safe at home (if she listened), he had no other choice but to try and take care of the small army himself.
Then, there was the miasma shrouding them so that it made it nearly impossible to find them with his nose.
Inuyasha growled in anger and swiped at another Naraku, hoping to lighten his rage on the dummies unless he found the real one.
If he only it wasn't only him fighting...If only he had his friends there to help.
He hated to admit it...but it was good to have help...
It was great to have a group of powerful fighters on his side for once, and to have Kagome to go to with his wounds...to have such powerful allies...
It was good to have a demon exterminator and a houshi to give him laughs...and good to have his best friend in Kagome instead of Kikyo...
It's hard to explain how difficult it is to live your entire life fighting against deception and lies, trying to stay away from others from fear of being betrayed...to live a life of little love and emotion.
He hoped...that should Naraku kill him, he would at least have the chance to tell them good bye...and he was sorry for the fact that he may never see Kagome again.
Inuyasha clenched his teeth as he attacked another puppet, this time striking and killing it.
Well...there was no time at the moment to feel sorry for himself...so now he had to concentrate on killing...
But now...he had another goal besides avenging Kikyo and getting her off of his back...He had another purpose...
He had to survive...to see Sango...and Miroku...Shippo...and Kirara...Kouga...Kaede...
And Kagome...He had to see Kagome again...
He had to...
This gave him a new strength...a power he never knew he had...
He began to move faster...swung harder...became stronger and more agile and smarter all in that moment...
You could say that the love he felt for his friends was strong in this moment...and that like wood to a fire...this love was his fuel...
It burned strong...and made him strong...and gave him a reason to fight an win...
He struck down another puppet...and then only two minutes later...another...
Soon...he had annihilated all of the fake Naraku's, until he was left down to the last...
The miasma grew thicker... but it didn't seem to overwhelm him anymore...
Naraku was his opponent...and nothing could stand in Inuyasha's way of victory but him...
Naraku had to die...
Inuyasha jumped up and slashed at him...causing the ground to erupt like a tremor had struck...but Naraku had gotten out of the way by then.
'What just happened here?' he thought, landing on the fallen branch of a tree. 'He wasn't this powerful when we started...If I don't do something quickly...he could possibly kill me.'
Naraku snickered and pulled the small glass ball from his baboon pelt...a wide smile on his face...
"The Shikon no Tama!" Inuyasha whispered to himself...wondering how he could get it from Naraku's hands without the spider hanyou hitting him.
"This is over now Inuyasha...you cannot win...but I will compliment you on getting this far...most would be killed..."
"Enough of this garbage! Let's finish this!" Inuyasha shouted back, clenching his sword tighter in his grip.
"Very well." Naraku chided, thrusting the large piece of Shikon into his chest. "Let's end this."
Naraku's body swelled up and burst into many different tendrils of roots...
Giant red flowers sprang out of each tendril and bloomed...presenting many poisonous barbs...
Some of the roots stretched out and balanced Naraku's body...causing him to stand like a spider...
His upper chest and head remained the same...except that his eyes became completely red and his mouth widened to reveal sharp oozing fangs.
"Okay Inuyasha..." his voice boomed...not like the stern manly voice he had before...but now the heavy echoing giant voice... "Let's finish this!"
Kojika was beginning to feel the effects of the fake shikon as she and Mikoto came to the climax of their little fight. Like the poison she knew it was, she felt the cold chills in her flesh that seemed as if it were underneath it...the warm sweaty forehead showing she had a fever...and movements she made becoming sluggish...
She couldn't help but breath heavily with every attack she threw off at the dragon elder...and nearly tripped here and there when she jumped out of the way...
Then there was the pain in her stomach where the poisonous crystal had been imbedded in her body.
Kojika was in bad shape...and it was getting worse with every moment...
That and Mikoto didn't give her the time to remove the poison so that she could try to heal herself...he wasn't stupid...
He knew that she had a small ability to heal...and to heal herself...and if he gave her the chance...she'd be even worse than he had seen her before...
"You know...if you were to be my queen...then I could remove the crystal for you." Mikoto mocked...laughing heavily afterwards...
"Perhaps...but then you would kill me then and steal the throne completely for yourself...and then who would stand in your way."
"Clever girl Kojika...I knew you wouldn't accept that." Mikoto replied, sitting in a perch in the tree.
"Mikoto...you know I have little time left for these jokes...So I've made a decision..."
"Oh...and what's that." Replied Mikoto, flexing his sharp claws...the dragon eye gleaming brightly at his neck.
"I've decided...that either I kill you and survive...or we both die and neither of us live...Either way Mikoto...you're not going to survive this battle."
"We shall see little dragoness, we shall see..." he laughed, before jumping down to slash at Kojika.
She jumped out of the way with a wheeze and a cough, and then returned to glaring at him.
'I have very little time left...this poison is working faster than I suspected it would...I have no other choice...I'm going to have to take my full form...' Kojika thought desperately...wheezing deeply... 'I have no other choice...'
Kojika nodded slightly and stood up, using much of her energy in the process.
"Mikoto! This ends now...I will kill you!" she shouted, jumping at him in hopes of hitting him.
Mikoto was prepared however, and jumped out of her way...landing a little off.
"Hah! You're too weak now! You can't even touch me!" snickered Mikoto. He was quiet a minute later when a thick slash appeared on his chest, leaking blood on his rich clothing. "What?" he asked in surprise, but then smiled and laughed a moment after that.
"You're pretty good Kojika... you even confused me with that super speed of yours...but you won't win...you can't...I'm too far ahead of you now! Hahahahah!"
"You fool...You don't realize do you." Kojika snickered softly, holding her stomach with pain.
"What's that?" Mikoto asked with a smile.
"You're blood is on my claws...and so is the Dragon Eye!"
"What!?" He shouted back, searching his clothing. The Dragon Eye was indeed missing.
Kojika stood up and held it out for him to see. It's dark green color glinted beautifully in the sunlight. "My father's stone is returned to me now...and with it... I can destroy you Mikoto! You did a pretty good job of poisoning me...and forcing me to use up my energy...but now..." she whispered, pulling the poisonous jewel from her stomach in a movement Mikoto couldn't catch... "I have my jewel...and you're life."
Before Mikoto could move she managed to toss the bloody jewel into his chest and right next to his heart. "Now you too are poison...and my blood on it will prevent you from pulling it out of your flesh... But just to be fair...I will not heal myself of my poison...so we both will fight close to death!"
Mikoto's hands scrambled clumsily over his small wound, trying to pull the fake shikon out, but to no success.
Then, he laughed like a mad man, his hands on his hips and his head held up high.
"So Kojika! You're more resourceful than I thought. Fine...but my blood is also in the Dragon Eye in your hands...so I can call it back anytime I want!" He returned, beckoning the Eye back to him.
It flew from Kojika's hands with such speed that it nearly broke her fingers and landed gracefully in his palm, and then around his neck.
"Now...I will kill you!" He yelled...calling on the power of the Eye to give him a true dragon form.
Kojika smiled as well as he...She had retrieved enough energy from her father's stone to take her own true form.
She reached into the back of her mind...finding her small ball of energy and added her father's green magic to it...causing it to swell...
Using the magic, she sent a message through her body to reveal itself...and a moment later she was transforming...becoming the true dragon she was.
First her eyes glowed red...and then her arms stretched out and her claws grew...Then her legs stretched and grew kinking to look like the hind legs of a cat...Her chest and belly enlarged, hidden behind many glimmering black scales...
Her claws sprouted out as sharp as daggers and finally her head enlarged to the size of a village hut...her fangs growing long and deadly and her eyes finally taking their true color...silver...
Kojika's long black hair retracted and became a long row of spikes running down her spine to her long tail, ending in a sharp dagger like tip that looked quite deadly. Her body was engulfed in the tight graceful black scales, and along her sides a red kanji appeared, as if painted in blood. It represented the heir of the ancient dragons...the power of the true elders...as their blood did flow through her veins...
Large graceful bat like wings sprouted from her shoulder blades and flapped softly, stretching from their long kept hiding place.
Kojika gave off a low growl, stretching her long graceful neck with poise.
The true dragon elder, had arrived.
Mikoto's form also changed...his body grew out out to the same shape of a dragon...only his scales were green and his eyes were red...his hair became a tiny line of dagger like scales along his spine and his tail tipped off in a fan like shape. His fangs and claws were just as sharp, just as deadly, and his wings were just as big as Kojika's, only his body was smaller and not so graceful.
So...now I shall kill you... Kojika said with telepathy, considering that Dragon's can only talk in chirps and clicks.
Contraire Kojika, it is you whose death is near...for I have the Dragon Eye. Mikoto replied, shaking his neck to loosen it. Soon I will be the true Ruler of Dragons!
Kouga was happy to have defeated Kagura with out having to kill her. For some reason...he didn't want to kill her...He wanted her to live...
Maybe it was the fact that she too suffered because of Naraku's wrath...and that she too would benefit from Naraku's death...or maybe it was because she was forced to kill because of the spider hanyou's orders.
In any case, he was finished with that battle and was now on his way to kill Naraku and find Kagome.
He was surprised though when he felt the wind pick up and the miasma thicken the closer he came to Kaede's village. The miasma he understood...the wind he didn't.
It wasn't like it was a cold wind...it was warm...soothing...as if it was a loving wind...
He knew it wasn't natural...but he also wondered who was causing it...
He became even more astonished when the two shards he kept in his legs jumped out on their own and flew off...as if they had never been with him.
Kouga stood up and began to chase the shards down, not even minding the pain in his legs.
Shippo was now in the deepest part of the miasma, and the deeper he got, the more of Naraku he sensed. He also sensed Inuyasha...and Kouga wasn't too far off from them either...
Shippo trudged on...hoping to come upon some one he knew and cared for.
Inuyasha had had enough of fighting with this new more powerful Naraku. He couldn't even kill him. Every time Inuyasha hit the hanyou's body, it revived itself like one of it's puppets and then would hit him, causing a small scratch or in one case, an actual puncture through his arm.
He was sure that his bone was crushed.
All of Tetsusaiga attacks had no use on him as well...Not a single one seemed to harm him.
Finally with all the frustration and anger welling inside of him, Inuyasha leapt up and slashed at Naraku's head, nearly slicing it off.
Naraku in turn, threw out a tentacle that Inuyasha wasn't expecting, and stabbed him right through the chest, causing some of his ribs to crack.
Then he threw Inuyasha off.
He hit his head on a tree...causing his head to seethe with pain.
"Damn...I can't even get close!" Inuyasha whispered furiously. The pain was increasing, and it was becoming harder to hide it with in.
"So Inuyasha." Naraku smiled, coming in closer. "I'm curious. How does true pain feel?"
"Go f&%# yourself you bastard!" Inuyasha shouted, clutching his bleeding chest.
"Interesting words for some one who's going to die very soon." Naraku snickered happily. "So, what else should we say?"
"Go to HELL!" Inuyasha shouted, stabbing out with the Tetsusaiga unexpectedly.
Naraku tried to jump out of the way, but the sword struck him, stabbing him deeply through the stomach.
He glared at the dog hanyou sitting before him, and snarled. "That was foul...even for you." Naraku told him.
"I'm sure it is Naraku! But I'm playing by your rules now...not mine." Inuyasha returned, gasping in pain.
Naraku laughed softly, before jumping off of the sword.
A minute later, he was completely healed.
Inuyasha wasn't too astonished at that, considering he'd been healing himself the entire match. But he had been sure that he had hit him in the spot where the shikon jewel was. Apparently not.
"You can't beat me Inuyasha. Never. Not as long as I have the jewel. You see, in this form, I can move the jewel around through my body where ever I choose. You can't find it. And plus you don't have that wench Kagome to show you where it is, so you're with out hope."
"What do you mean? You knew I sent Kagome home?"
"Oh yes...I did. But I also know she returned hoping to find you, and was met by a hoard of my insects, by my servant Kanna, and by the real Kikyo. She's most likely dead right now...lifeless in her own blood. Isn't that just a beautiful scene Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha stared at the ground, his mind racing.
How was it possible...he hadn't even sensed her return...or smelled her nearby... How could she have come back with out him knowing...
Unless...
The miasma!
It was the miasma...he couldn't smell her because of it.
This entire time, Naraku had been keeping him busy so that his minions could kill Kagome...and by now it was probably too late...Kagome was probably dead by now...
He didn't even think about the possibility of her having another shard hidden at home...or the fact that she would disobey him and return.
Now...she was most likely dead and he could do nothing about it!
Inuyasha could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, the hot sticky sensation of them coming down his cheeks.
It only made him angrier.
He sat up and punched the ground, nearly crushing his hand in the process.
Kagome...
He imagined her beautiful face lying in a pool of her own blood...
He saw her eyes lifeless and clouded...staring off into the ground...her body mangled and dead...
There would most likely be an arrow or two in her back dealt by Kikyo, and she would have died poisoned.
And then Naraku would have her soul at his disposal...or Kikyo would have it complete.
Well then...that was it...
She was everything he had in the world...his existence...everything...
Now he had to kill Naraku...there was no other choice...his rage wouldn't let him leave...
He would kill Naraku and avenge Kikyo...and Kagome if she was indeed dead...
Then...when he found Kagome...he would bury her lifeless body...and then commit suicide...
He had lost Kikyo before...and his family before that...but he wouldn't let himself lose another love and then just live on like nothing had happened.
He would not...!
Inuyasha used his sword as support, and lifted himself off the ground with a lot of effort.
Naraku snickered at his weakness and then reached out, trying to stab Inuyasha in the head this time.
He was surprised when one clawed hand reached out and caught the root in mid air, squeezing it until in fell in half.
"What?" Naraku inquired.
"Die Naraku!" Inuyasha replied, jabbing out and striking Naraku right in the heart with his claws...causing it to burst.
Naraku jumped away, holding his chest as it bled thickly.
He didn't have long, just like Inuyasha...so he figured he would poison Inuyasha and kill him slowly...for there was no cure to his poison.
Naraku sent out one of his poisonous flowers and it stuck Inuyasha in the neck, injecting him with it's poison before he reached up and crushed it.
"Hah! You're dead Inu—"but he did not finish the sentence.
A strange feeling took over his body, like something was leaving him...and when he looked down, he found his tentacles disappearing and his human like legs returning. His fangs shrunk into his jaw and his body returned to normal.
"What...!" He shouted.
Inuyasha snickered.
"You're ball of shikon left you..." he whispered, watching the tiny glass orb fly away from Naraku.
"No!" Naraku shouted, chasing the ball with a bleeding heart.
Inuyasha laughed softly and fell to the ground as he felt his life quickly leaving him. He didn't know where shards were going, but at the moment he didn't care. As long as they weren't in Naraku's hands...then he was happy...
He was surprised when a small hand touched his shoulder effectionately.
"Inuyasha...are you alright?" came Shippo, jumping out in front of Inuyasha.
"What's it look like fox!" He shouted with a groan.
"You need a doctor bad!" Kouga told him stepping in from the trees to the right of where Naraku ran. "Where's Naraku?"
"Chasing his ball of shikon."
"What...?" asked a confused Shippo looking around. "His shikon shards ran away?"
"Flew off is more like it." Inuyasha answered, gasping as he felt the poison spread.
"Some one is taking he shards." Kouga informed. "What ever it is took mine as well."
"Inuyasha...are you alright." Came a feminine voice from behind him. The boy Kohaku ran out, with Sango behind him, carrying a dead houshi on her back.
Kohaku gasped as he stared at the pool of blood developing around the hanyou.
He tore of his shirt and bent down, wiping up and clogging what he could.
Sango came up to him and set the lifeless monk on the ground, his skin white and cold.
"What happened to Miroku?!" Inuyasha asked in surprise.
"I killed him." Kohaku replied, casting his eyes to the ground. "But I didn't mean to. Naraku was controlling me."
Inuyasha glared at him and stood up, pushing everyone away that was trying to keep him sitting.
"Naraku is going to die!" He shouted, using his Tetsusaiga and a tree for support.
"Please Inuyasha...calm down...you need to sit." Sango whispered in hopes of helping him. "Sit or you'll hurt yourself worse."
"Yeah...sit mutt. Besides...you'll only be slowing me down when I go in to kill Naraku." He whispered angrily.
"I'm coming. No matter what! I'm going to kill Naraku and that's just that!" Shouted Inuyasha, thrusting everyone away from him.
"Why is it that you're after him?" asked Kouga, watching the hanyou struggle to stand.
Inuyasha didn't look him in the eyes just yet...not until he was walking past him with his sword as his walking stick.
"First...he killed my first love Kikyo. Now...I think he's killed Kagome..."
Kouga's eyes widened at that, and the rage in them became evident.
"Killed...killed Kagome...how...when..." Kouga began to ask, his questions becoming muddled up with the others he was trying to ask.
Fear was with his voice...Not because Naraku had killed her...not because he might not beat the spider hanyou...because he was afraid that Kagome could possibly be dead.
He cared for her just as much as Inuyasha did...but strangely not as a lover...as his best and only real friend.
"Naraku's going to pay!" Kouga shouted, running past Inuyasha and after the spider hanyou.
"Wait up!" Inuyasha shouted back, trying to run.
"Here...I'll help you." Sango told him, taking his arm and resting it behind her neck.
"Me too." Kohaku said, taking his other hand.
Together, with Shippo doing his best to stop Inuyasha's bleeding...they followed Kouga and Naraku to the battle between Kikyo and Kagome. *Yes I know, these chapters are getting longer...but I just couldn't get away from the computer long enough! Plus, I didn't want to separate them any more than they already were. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you think of Dragon Demon with a review!*
Disclaimer: If you don't know already, then just go back to the other disclaimers for reference!
Chapter 32
Inuyasha's battle wasn't going as well as he thought it should have.
Sure he was doing a pretty well job with his claws...his only problem was that he couldn't hit Naraku...
The mixed Hanyou constantly jumped from his way...and laughed when Inuyasha hit a target other than him.
After the fifth insult on his attacks, something along the lines of "Why Inuyasha...I thought you were better at this! How were you capable of fighting those other demons with this skill" Inuyasha pulled out the Tetsusaiga and began to fight with that.
Readers that know Inuyasha well enough, know that he does not remain calm when insulted like his brother Sesshomaru. On the contrary, he get's angrier and more vicious with every insult.
This time was no exception.
Unfortunately, no matter how much angrier he got, he still could not get at Naraku.
The spider would jump in, only close enough to sneer in Inuyasha's face, before jumping out happily and laughing at how Inuyasha swatted at him madly.
Then, when Inuyasha performed his Kaze no Kizu on him, Naraku chuckled and presented a technique of his own.
By the time Inuyasha was able to catch this move through the thickening miasma, he was stuck with fighting over a dozen Naraku's...eleven mere dummies that he used and only one the original.
To say the least...Inuyasha was none to pleased.
"Get your ass back over here!" He shouted, as he tried to slice on in half and missed.
Another one stepped in behind him and poked his back, disappearing in the miasma when he turned around.
Inuyasha again turned around trying to slice it, but found nothing there.
This setting of twelve different Naraku's was not helping Inuyasha whatsoever...and he kind of felt angry that he could not find the real.
Were Kagome here she could probably spot him out by the Shikon shards, but considering that Kagome was supposed to be safe at home (if she listened), he had no other choice but to try and take care of the small army himself.
Then, there was the miasma shrouding them so that it made it nearly impossible to find them with his nose.
Inuyasha growled in anger and swiped at another Naraku, hoping to lighten his rage on the dummies unless he found the real one.
If he only it wasn't only him fighting...If only he had his friends there to help.
He hated to admit it...but it was good to have help...
It was great to have a group of powerful fighters on his side for once, and to have Kagome to go to with his wounds...to have such powerful allies...
It was good to have a demon exterminator and a houshi to give him laughs...and good to have his best friend in Kagome instead of Kikyo...
It's hard to explain how difficult it is to live your entire life fighting against deception and lies, trying to stay away from others from fear of being betrayed...to live a life of little love and emotion.
He hoped...that should Naraku kill him, he would at least have the chance to tell them good bye...and he was sorry for the fact that he may never see Kagome again.
Inuyasha clenched his teeth as he attacked another puppet, this time striking and killing it.
Well...there was no time at the moment to feel sorry for himself...so now he had to concentrate on killing...
But now...he had another goal besides avenging Kikyo and getting her off of his back...He had another purpose...
He had to survive...to see Sango...and Miroku...Shippo...and Kirara...Kouga...Kaede...
And Kagome...He had to see Kagome again...
He had to...
This gave him a new strength...a power he never knew he had...
He began to move faster...swung harder...became stronger and more agile and smarter all in that moment...
You could say that the love he felt for his friends was strong in this moment...and that like wood to a fire...this love was his fuel...
It burned strong...and made him strong...and gave him a reason to fight an win...
He struck down another puppet...and then only two minutes later...another...
Soon...he had annihilated all of the fake Naraku's, until he was left down to the last...
The miasma grew thicker... but it didn't seem to overwhelm him anymore...
Naraku was his opponent...and nothing could stand in Inuyasha's way of victory but him...
Naraku had to die...
Inuyasha jumped up and slashed at him...causing the ground to erupt like a tremor had struck...but Naraku had gotten out of the way by then.
'What just happened here?' he thought, landing on the fallen branch of a tree. 'He wasn't this powerful when we started...If I don't do something quickly...he could possibly kill me.'
Naraku snickered and pulled the small glass ball from his baboon pelt...a wide smile on his face...
"The Shikon no Tama!" Inuyasha whispered to himself...wondering how he could get it from Naraku's hands without the spider hanyou hitting him.
"This is over now Inuyasha...you cannot win...but I will compliment you on getting this far...most would be killed..."
"Enough of this garbage! Let's finish this!" Inuyasha shouted back, clenching his sword tighter in his grip.
"Very well." Naraku chided, thrusting the large piece of Shikon into his chest. "Let's end this."
Naraku's body swelled up and burst into many different tendrils of roots...
Giant red flowers sprang out of each tendril and bloomed...presenting many poisonous barbs...
Some of the roots stretched out and balanced Naraku's body...causing him to stand like a spider...
His upper chest and head remained the same...except that his eyes became completely red and his mouth widened to reveal sharp oozing fangs.
"Okay Inuyasha..." his voice boomed...not like the stern manly voice he had before...but now the heavy echoing giant voice... "Let's finish this!"
Kojika was beginning to feel the effects of the fake shikon as she and Mikoto came to the climax of their little fight. Like the poison she knew it was, she felt the cold chills in her flesh that seemed as if it were underneath it...the warm sweaty forehead showing she had a fever...and movements she made becoming sluggish...
She couldn't help but breath heavily with every attack she threw off at the dragon elder...and nearly tripped here and there when she jumped out of the way...
Then there was the pain in her stomach where the poisonous crystal had been imbedded in her body.
Kojika was in bad shape...and it was getting worse with every moment...
That and Mikoto didn't give her the time to remove the poison so that she could try to heal herself...he wasn't stupid...
He knew that she had a small ability to heal...and to heal herself...and if he gave her the chance...she'd be even worse than he had seen her before...
"You know...if you were to be my queen...then I could remove the crystal for you." Mikoto mocked...laughing heavily afterwards...
"Perhaps...but then you would kill me then and steal the throne completely for yourself...and then who would stand in your way."
"Clever girl Kojika...I knew you wouldn't accept that." Mikoto replied, sitting in a perch in the tree.
"Mikoto...you know I have little time left for these jokes...So I've made a decision..."
"Oh...and what's that." Replied Mikoto, flexing his sharp claws...the dragon eye gleaming brightly at his neck.
"I've decided...that either I kill you and survive...or we both die and neither of us live...Either way Mikoto...you're not going to survive this battle."
"We shall see little dragoness, we shall see..." he laughed, before jumping down to slash at Kojika.
She jumped out of the way with a wheeze and a cough, and then returned to glaring at him.
'I have very little time left...this poison is working faster than I suspected it would...I have no other choice...I'm going to have to take my full form...' Kojika thought desperately...wheezing deeply... 'I have no other choice...'
Kojika nodded slightly and stood up, using much of her energy in the process.
"Mikoto! This ends now...I will kill you!" she shouted, jumping at him in hopes of hitting him.
Mikoto was prepared however, and jumped out of her way...landing a little off.
"Hah! You're too weak now! You can't even touch me!" snickered Mikoto. He was quiet a minute later when a thick slash appeared on his chest, leaking blood on his rich clothing. "What?" he asked in surprise, but then smiled and laughed a moment after that.
"You're pretty good Kojika... you even confused me with that super speed of yours...but you won't win...you can't...I'm too far ahead of you now! Hahahahah!"
"You fool...You don't realize do you." Kojika snickered softly, holding her stomach with pain.
"What's that?" Mikoto asked with a smile.
"You're blood is on my claws...and so is the Dragon Eye!"
"What!?" He shouted back, searching his clothing. The Dragon Eye was indeed missing.
Kojika stood up and held it out for him to see. It's dark green color glinted beautifully in the sunlight. "My father's stone is returned to me now...and with it... I can destroy you Mikoto! You did a pretty good job of poisoning me...and forcing me to use up my energy...but now..." she whispered, pulling the poisonous jewel from her stomach in a movement Mikoto couldn't catch... "I have my jewel...and you're life."
Before Mikoto could move she managed to toss the bloody jewel into his chest and right next to his heart. "Now you too are poison...and my blood on it will prevent you from pulling it out of your flesh... But just to be fair...I will not heal myself of my poison...so we both will fight close to death!"
Mikoto's hands scrambled clumsily over his small wound, trying to pull the fake shikon out, but to no success.
Then, he laughed like a mad man, his hands on his hips and his head held up high.
"So Kojika! You're more resourceful than I thought. Fine...but my blood is also in the Dragon Eye in your hands...so I can call it back anytime I want!" He returned, beckoning the Eye back to him.
It flew from Kojika's hands with such speed that it nearly broke her fingers and landed gracefully in his palm, and then around his neck.
"Now...I will kill you!" He yelled...calling on the power of the Eye to give him a true dragon form.
Kojika smiled as well as he...She had retrieved enough energy from her father's stone to take her own true form.
She reached into the back of her mind...finding her small ball of energy and added her father's green magic to it...causing it to swell...
Using the magic, she sent a message through her body to reveal itself...and a moment later she was transforming...becoming the true dragon she was.
First her eyes glowed red...and then her arms stretched out and her claws grew...Then her legs stretched and grew kinking to look like the hind legs of a cat...Her chest and belly enlarged, hidden behind many glimmering black scales...
Her claws sprouted out as sharp as daggers and finally her head enlarged to the size of a village hut...her fangs growing long and deadly and her eyes finally taking their true color...silver...
Kojika's long black hair retracted and became a long row of spikes running down her spine to her long tail, ending in a sharp dagger like tip that looked quite deadly. Her body was engulfed in the tight graceful black scales, and along her sides a red kanji appeared, as if painted in blood. It represented the heir of the ancient dragons...the power of the true elders...as their blood did flow through her veins...
Large graceful bat like wings sprouted from her shoulder blades and flapped softly, stretching from their long kept hiding place.
Kojika gave off a low growl, stretching her long graceful neck with poise.
The true dragon elder, had arrived.
Mikoto's form also changed...his body grew out out to the same shape of a dragon...only his scales were green and his eyes were red...his hair became a tiny line of dagger like scales along his spine and his tail tipped off in a fan like shape. His fangs and claws were just as sharp, just as deadly, and his wings were just as big as Kojika's, only his body was smaller and not so graceful.
So...now I shall kill you... Kojika said with telepathy, considering that Dragon's can only talk in chirps and clicks.
Contraire Kojika, it is you whose death is near...for I have the Dragon Eye. Mikoto replied, shaking his neck to loosen it. Soon I will be the true Ruler of Dragons!
Kouga was happy to have defeated Kagura with out having to kill her. For some reason...he didn't want to kill her...He wanted her to live...
Maybe it was the fact that she too suffered because of Naraku's wrath...and that she too would benefit from Naraku's death...or maybe it was because she was forced to kill because of the spider hanyou's orders.
In any case, he was finished with that battle and was now on his way to kill Naraku and find Kagome.
He was surprised though when he felt the wind pick up and the miasma thicken the closer he came to Kaede's village. The miasma he understood...the wind he didn't.
It wasn't like it was a cold wind...it was warm...soothing...as if it was a loving wind...
He knew it wasn't natural...but he also wondered who was causing it...
He became even more astonished when the two shards he kept in his legs jumped out on their own and flew off...as if they had never been with him.
Kouga stood up and began to chase the shards down, not even minding the pain in his legs.
Shippo was now in the deepest part of the miasma, and the deeper he got, the more of Naraku he sensed. He also sensed Inuyasha...and Kouga wasn't too far off from them either...
Shippo trudged on...hoping to come upon some one he knew and cared for.
Inuyasha had had enough of fighting with this new more powerful Naraku. He couldn't even kill him. Every time Inuyasha hit the hanyou's body, it revived itself like one of it's puppets and then would hit him, causing a small scratch or in one case, an actual puncture through his arm.
He was sure that his bone was crushed.
All of Tetsusaiga attacks had no use on him as well...Not a single one seemed to harm him.
Finally with all the frustration and anger welling inside of him, Inuyasha leapt up and slashed at Naraku's head, nearly slicing it off.
Naraku in turn, threw out a tentacle that Inuyasha wasn't expecting, and stabbed him right through the chest, causing some of his ribs to crack.
Then he threw Inuyasha off.
He hit his head on a tree...causing his head to seethe with pain.
"Damn...I can't even get close!" Inuyasha whispered furiously. The pain was increasing, and it was becoming harder to hide it with in.
"So Inuyasha." Naraku smiled, coming in closer. "I'm curious. How does true pain feel?"
"Go f&%# yourself you bastard!" Inuyasha shouted, clutching his bleeding chest.
"Interesting words for some one who's going to die very soon." Naraku snickered happily. "So, what else should we say?"
"Go to HELL!" Inuyasha shouted, stabbing out with the Tetsusaiga unexpectedly.
Naraku tried to jump out of the way, but the sword struck him, stabbing him deeply through the stomach.
He glared at the dog hanyou sitting before him, and snarled. "That was foul...even for you." Naraku told him.
"I'm sure it is Naraku! But I'm playing by your rules now...not mine." Inuyasha returned, gasping in pain.
Naraku laughed softly, before jumping off of the sword.
A minute later, he was completely healed.
Inuyasha wasn't too astonished at that, considering he'd been healing himself the entire match. But he had been sure that he had hit him in the spot where the shikon jewel was. Apparently not.
"You can't beat me Inuyasha. Never. Not as long as I have the jewel. You see, in this form, I can move the jewel around through my body where ever I choose. You can't find it. And plus you don't have that wench Kagome to show you where it is, so you're with out hope."
"What do you mean? You knew I sent Kagome home?"
"Oh yes...I did. But I also know she returned hoping to find you, and was met by a hoard of my insects, by my servant Kanna, and by the real Kikyo. She's most likely dead right now...lifeless in her own blood. Isn't that just a beautiful scene Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha stared at the ground, his mind racing.
How was it possible...he hadn't even sensed her return...or smelled her nearby... How could she have come back with out him knowing...
Unless...
The miasma!
It was the miasma...he couldn't smell her because of it.
This entire time, Naraku had been keeping him busy so that his minions could kill Kagome...and by now it was probably too late...Kagome was probably dead by now...
He didn't even think about the possibility of her having another shard hidden at home...or the fact that she would disobey him and return.
Now...she was most likely dead and he could do nothing about it!
Inuyasha could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, the hot sticky sensation of them coming down his cheeks.
It only made him angrier.
He sat up and punched the ground, nearly crushing his hand in the process.
Kagome...
He imagined her beautiful face lying in a pool of her own blood...
He saw her eyes lifeless and clouded...staring off into the ground...her body mangled and dead...
There would most likely be an arrow or two in her back dealt by Kikyo, and she would have died poisoned.
And then Naraku would have her soul at his disposal...or Kikyo would have it complete.
Well then...that was it...
She was everything he had in the world...his existence...everything...
Now he had to kill Naraku...there was no other choice...his rage wouldn't let him leave...
He would kill Naraku and avenge Kikyo...and Kagome if she was indeed dead...
Then...when he found Kagome...he would bury her lifeless body...and then commit suicide...
He had lost Kikyo before...and his family before that...but he wouldn't let himself lose another love and then just live on like nothing had happened.
He would not...!
Inuyasha used his sword as support, and lifted himself off the ground with a lot of effort.
Naraku snickered at his weakness and then reached out, trying to stab Inuyasha in the head this time.
He was surprised when one clawed hand reached out and caught the root in mid air, squeezing it until in fell in half.
"What?" Naraku inquired.
"Die Naraku!" Inuyasha replied, jabbing out and striking Naraku right in the heart with his claws...causing it to burst.
Naraku jumped away, holding his chest as it bled thickly.
He didn't have long, just like Inuyasha...so he figured he would poison Inuyasha and kill him slowly...for there was no cure to his poison.
Naraku sent out one of his poisonous flowers and it stuck Inuyasha in the neck, injecting him with it's poison before he reached up and crushed it.
"Hah! You're dead Inu—"but he did not finish the sentence.
A strange feeling took over his body, like something was leaving him...and when he looked down, he found his tentacles disappearing and his human like legs returning. His fangs shrunk into his jaw and his body returned to normal.
"What...!" He shouted.
Inuyasha snickered.
"You're ball of shikon left you..." he whispered, watching the tiny glass orb fly away from Naraku.
"No!" Naraku shouted, chasing the ball with a bleeding heart.
Inuyasha laughed softly and fell to the ground as he felt his life quickly leaving him. He didn't know where shards were going, but at the moment he didn't care. As long as they weren't in Naraku's hands...then he was happy...
He was surprised when a small hand touched his shoulder effectionately.
"Inuyasha...are you alright?" came Shippo, jumping out in front of Inuyasha.
"What's it look like fox!" He shouted with a groan.
"You need a doctor bad!" Kouga told him stepping in from the trees to the right of where Naraku ran. "Where's Naraku?"
"Chasing his ball of shikon."
"What...?" asked a confused Shippo looking around. "His shikon shards ran away?"
"Flew off is more like it." Inuyasha answered, gasping as he felt the poison spread.
"Some one is taking he shards." Kouga informed. "What ever it is took mine as well."
"Inuyasha...are you alright." Came a feminine voice from behind him. The boy Kohaku ran out, with Sango behind him, carrying a dead houshi on her back.
Kohaku gasped as he stared at the pool of blood developing around the hanyou.
He tore of his shirt and bent down, wiping up and clogging what he could.
Sango came up to him and set the lifeless monk on the ground, his skin white and cold.
"What happened to Miroku?!" Inuyasha asked in surprise.
"I killed him." Kohaku replied, casting his eyes to the ground. "But I didn't mean to. Naraku was controlling me."
Inuyasha glared at him and stood up, pushing everyone away that was trying to keep him sitting.
"Naraku is going to die!" He shouted, using his Tetsusaiga and a tree for support.
"Please Inuyasha...calm down...you need to sit." Sango whispered in hopes of helping him. "Sit or you'll hurt yourself worse."
"Yeah...sit mutt. Besides...you'll only be slowing me down when I go in to kill Naraku." He whispered angrily.
"I'm coming. No matter what! I'm going to kill Naraku and that's just that!" Shouted Inuyasha, thrusting everyone away from him.
"Why is it that you're after him?" asked Kouga, watching the hanyou struggle to stand.
Inuyasha didn't look him in the eyes just yet...not until he was walking past him with his sword as his walking stick.
"First...he killed my first love Kikyo. Now...I think he's killed Kagome..."
Kouga's eyes widened at that, and the rage in them became evident.
"Killed...killed Kagome...how...when..." Kouga began to ask, his questions becoming muddled up with the others he was trying to ask.
Fear was with his voice...Not because Naraku had killed her...not because he might not beat the spider hanyou...because he was afraid that Kagome could possibly be dead.
He cared for her just as much as Inuyasha did...but strangely not as a lover...as his best and only real friend.
"Naraku's going to pay!" Kouga shouted, running past Inuyasha and after the spider hanyou.
"Wait up!" Inuyasha shouted back, trying to run.
"Here...I'll help you." Sango told him, taking his arm and resting it behind her neck.
"Me too." Kohaku said, taking his other hand.
Together, with Shippo doing his best to stop Inuyasha's bleeding...they followed Kouga and Naraku to the battle between Kikyo and Kagome. *Yes I know, these chapters are getting longer...but I just couldn't get away from the computer long enough! Plus, I didn't want to separate them any more than they already were. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you think of Dragon Demon with a review!*
