Disclaimer: Those of you who think I own Inuyasha say "Aye!" … ::silence::
A/N: Fast update, ne? It's only been 12 days! LOL. Anyway, I have a very ODD request. I need ideas on how I should get rid of Kikyou in the end. Feel free to email me! The only thing is that she CAN'T be killed. That's my only limitation. I like Kikyou bashing, but not to the extreme. Thanks! By the way, this is an extremely short chapter and I'm soooooooo sorry!
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Ch. 9: Curse Day~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The atmosphere was so tense that it was practically tangible. It was the day. It had finally come. And Lady Higurashi's fingernails were no longer as long as they once were.
Everything had been planned out. Kikyou would be hidden in a secret room in the east wing, for if she were to be taken somewhere else, it could endanger others, while Kagome would be sitting in the dining room at the head of the table as if celebrating 'her' 16th birthday. Over two hundred guards would be stationed secretly around the castle to apprehend Naraku when the time came. The other occupants of the castle had been escorted to the town nearby.
Inuyasha, however, refused to leave. He was in his room along with Miroku and Sango. He had been pacing nervously for the past two hours and the other two had given up trying to stop him. He couldn't stop thinking about Kagome. What would happen to her? Was Naraku going to be fooled? He clenched his fists tightly and resisted the urge to punch the wall.
Suddenly, his ears perked up. He thought he had heard footsteps.
"What is it?" Miroku asked.
Inuyasha shushed him and listened attentively.
Tap. Tap.
There it was again! He was sure they were footsteps. Carefully, he inched open his door. He peered into the hall and slipped out noiselessly. Miroku and Sango followed him. Outside the hall was the room usually used for parties and balls. Across the room was Kikyou's room, where she was hidden. In the middle of the large room, stood a young woman. Her pointed ears and blood red eyes left no doubt that she was a demon. She wore a red and white striped kimono and her short, black hair was piled in a small bun at the top of her head. In her hand was a single, black, battle fan. She looked around the room, first looking at the open door leading to the dining room before glancing at the other corridors around her.
Inuyasha's mind raced. It wasn't Naraku.
As if coming to a decision, she headed for the dining room. Inuyasha drew in a sharp breath.
Abruptly, she stopped and Inuyasha feared she had heard him. Suddenly, she turned in the direction of Kikyou's room and walked resolutely toward the single door down that hall. Miroku's eyes widened. She knew!
Unbidden, a shout rose in his throat. "No!" No matter how much he disliked the princess, he couldn't let an innocent get hurt, especially if that woman wasn't going after Kagome.
The youkai woman turned to look at him and smirked. She continued down the hall.
Miroku tugged Inuyasha's kimono sleeve, "She already knows we're here! We might as well save her!" He rushed in the direction of the woman.
Inuyasha and Sango followed him. At the last second before they reached her, she turned around.
"Ha!" She flashed a triumphant smile and countered Inuyasha's clawed swipe with her steel fan. "You fell for it! Just like Naraku said!"
Inuyasha stared at her, an uncomfortable feeling slowly pooling in the pit of his stomach.
"Now, you'll be too late!" She crowed.
Inuyasha's eyes bulged as the words registered in his mind. He whipped around. "KAGOME!!" In a flash, he was gone, racing down the hall and to the dining room.
Miroku faced the woman, fisting his hands tightly. "Who are you?!" He demanded.
The woman smirked again. "I am Kagura, the Wind User." With that, she whipped out her fan and hacked it against a nearby pillar. White dust exploded from the fancy column and when the dust cleared, she was gone.
*
Kagome stared the man in a strange baboon suit twently feet in front of her.
"Who are you?" She asked, standing up.
"Why I'm Naraku, of course. And you're Kagome, I presume?" The man stated more than asked.
"How do you know who I am?" Kagome asked carefully.
"Why everyone knows you," Naraku said breezily, "The Android who had been created to replace the cursed Princess Kikyou and the one to trick Naraku… me."
Kagome stiffened.
"In the beginning, it was Kikyou I was after to get back at my buddy Inutaisho, but since you are so insistent on replacing her, I might as well take you down anyway."
From under the baboon cloak, he pulled out a bow and arrow and aimed it straight at her heart, pulling the string taut. There was no way he was going to miss.
Just as the man released the arrow, she heard a shout explode from outside the room. It sounded distinctly like Inuyasha's voice.
A sudden pain exploded in her left breast and then she knew no more.
*
Without thinking at all, Inuyasha tackled the man down, his hands wrapped around his throat.
When he finally looked up, he froze.
He couldn't move.
He couldn't talk.
He couldn't breath.
He could only stare.
From the force of the arrow, Kagome had been flung back and pinned to the pillar behind her. The arrow was lodged in her chest and her eyes were closed.
"Ka…" Inuyasha choked out. He released Naraku's neck and walked, as if in a trance, toward Kagome.
Naraku stood up and cleared his throat. "I see that my work here is done." In a swirl of dark billowing clouds, he was gone.
Inuyasha gently touched Kagome's face. The skin was chilled and he winced.
At that moment, Sango and Miroku rushed into the room. Sango came to an abrupt stop and the ever-graceful Miroku crashed into her back. They fell to the floor from his momentum, but Sango quickly untangled their limbs and leapt up. Miroku stopped her from rushing forward.
"Why are you stopping me?" She asked furiously. Kagome had become quite a good friend to her over the period of time they were together and she was incredibly worried.
Miroku was staring forward, jaw tightly clenched. "He deserves time to be with her first."
Sango turned away from him and the two of them watched the scene unfold.
-
"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered softly. "Please wake up. Open your eyes." He pleaded quietly. "I want to see your eyes again. Please… I want to see you smile. I want to hear you laugh. Please don't do this and just open your eyes…"
Kagome gave no reaction.
Inuyasha began to lightly pat her face. "Wake up, Kagome, you have to wake up… please… I need you…"
Had it not been for the serious situation, Sango would have teased Inuyasha for the amount of times he said the word 'please', but now was definitely not the time for jokes.
The hanyou began to grow angry. "I demand you to wake up, Kagome! Now! This isn't funny anymore! Just open your goddamn eyes!"
Kagome continued to hang, still as death, by the arrow that held her to the stone column.
And as she hung motionless, Inuyasha began to feel a sensation he'd never felt in his entire life: the sting of tears in the back of his eyes… and the feeling of fear that came along with it. He closed his hand around the arrow, intending to pull it out, but immediately released it with a hiss of pain. He looked down at his open palm to find it charred nearly black. The arrow had burnt him.
But he didn't care. He needed to get Kagome down. Determinedly, he grasped the arrow again, gritting his teeth against the shooting pain that ran up his arm. Slowly, it came out inch by inch and when it finally did come loose, he was near collapse from the burning in his hand. Kagome fell into his arms.
He tossed away the arrow, not caring when the poison melted a small hole through the floor. He held his beloved gingerly, sweeping the messy bangs from her face with his uninjured hand.
Inuyasha buried his nose into her hair and deeply inhaled her scent that was still very much human, even though she was not. "Open your eyes," he mumbled again, in the hopes that with the arrow out, his command would become more affective.
Sadly, he was mistaken.
He closed his eyes tightly and swallowed hard, a single, solitary tear rolled down his face.
Then, he leaned down and pressed his lips lightly against hers for the very last time.
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-- THE END!!
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A/N: Heehee, just kidding! There are still quite a few chapters to go, so never fear! Anyway, I realize that this was a really short chapter and that I left I it off with an evil cliffie, but I promise I'll get another chapter out soon… and if I don't, feel free to pelt me with rotten oranges ^^
By the way, peeps, PLEASE read and review for my newest story Into the Darkness. It's very lonely with only 15 reviews ='( Thank you for those of you who did!
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Review Responses (13 reviews last chapter! ::sobs:: Thank you so much!!)
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kokoro: A very tough choice indeed =P I'm glad you like this story! Thank you for the review (and the comic relief ^^)! Queeny: Yes, I do realize I take a while to update, but it's been going quite well this month, wouldn't you say? I finished one story, got two chapters up for another, and started and wrote three chapters for a new story! ::looks proud of herself:: I will sincerely try to update as soon as I can for the next chapter! Kawaii-Inu-Inutaisho: LOL. Thank you! I know you'll probably hate me for this cliffie, but I'll try to get up a new chapter in the next week and a half. Any longer then that, you can bring out the rotten oranges =P Rebecca: LOL. I do believe that my writer's block is going away, which is a good thing! Hopefully I'll get in a new chapter soon! Thank you for reviewing! Each and every one of my wonderful reviewers make a difference!! AmayaSaria: Heehee, yes I do hate Kikyou, but not too much. I like the Kikyou that was Kikyou before she died, but not the walking clay pot. Thanks for the compliment!! Inutikidudez: Thank you so much! I predict lots of Inu/Kag interaction in the future, LOL. Dragon Man 180: Thanks! Although I don't completely hate Kikyou, I do enjoy a bit of Kikyou bashing now and then. And unfortunately, it wasn't Kikyou that got the arrow, but never fear, it's all planned out up here in my brain ^_^ AkuReiX: Thank you so much for understanding!!! And yes, the time is HERE! I hoped you enjoyed the chapter… even if you didn't enjoy the cliffie =P ShiKOA: I'm sorry for taking so long for the last chapter, but hey, I updated fast this time, right? Another insanely short chapter but I felt a need to torture you guys… Muahahaha! ::cough:: =3 And I also like to read really long chapters, but unfortunately I am unable to write 10+ page long chapters so I think it would be better if I did shorter chapters and faster updates. Thank you for reviewing! Anime Brat: ::sigh:: Dr. Do-Youkai again, huh? LOL, it's okay. I'm seriously flattered on how much you like it! But I'm still not sure when I'll start it up again. I'm going to try to get in more chapters of NLA before I update that. But thanks for the review! Cataluna: YAY! You reviewed for this story too! I'm a very happy camper now ^^ Heehee, thank you for the compliments! And unfortunately, I won't give you the answers to your questions just yet. That would ruin the plot so stayed tune to find out (boy do I sound like a lame tv announcer…)! Though I can say that it was Kouga who dumped her first. Other than that, my lips are sealed. And no, I don't mind you expressing your opinions. I totally agree on that and I try to do it as little as possible and it's also the reason I dislike stories that have about a million A/N's each chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for the review! Akai Kiniro: Omg, I'm glad you enjoy this story so much! -^_^- Here's the next update! And thank you for the idea, but most likely, Kikyou won't end up with Naraku U_U Yes I know they're like perfect for each other but… I have the plot all in my head. Thanks for the suggestion though! And thank you for reviewing! Yotaka: Hi, Yotaka!! We really must chat again sometime on AIM… =P Much better than talking over reviews/review responses. Heehee, I love it so much when my reviewers are really into my stories, so thank you! Hopefully you've enjoyed this chapter. Maybe we can chat this Saturday night? Hope so! Bye! KamalaKali: Heehee, yes you get the glory of being my hundredth reviewer! Hopefully I'll get another hundred reviews for this story ::crosses fingers:: Yes, I dislike saying tomatoes as well… it's too overused. So I say oranges instead! By the way… can oranges even rot…? LOL. Though I'm sure they do eventually. Here's the update! Hope you've enjoyed!
Remember to review for Into the Darkness! =P Thanks everyone!