Disclaimer: blah blah blah... Inuyasha's not mine. Blah blah blah...
-whimper- you don't like me anymore... you really don't like me anymore... -sob- only three reviews for chapter 7?
Well, thanks to you three, inu-kag-4evr, deppfan1016, and escawing...
Everyone else... Well, I'm sorry for anything I've ever done to offend you, disappoint you, or... you get the picture.
And for those still reading... I think I'll just treat you to some explanations and more Inuyasha and Kagome fun...
Forever
Chapter 8: Preparations
Naraku's castle
Naraku sat on his throne, a dark expression on his face. A sinister smile darkened his expression more as shadows surrounded his throne.
"Come, Grief. What have you for me?"
The shadows twisted about, forming the shape of a man. A dark man, but a silhouette, a shadow. His eyes were the only distinct features of this demon. They burned a bright blue, a sorrowful blue, a grieving blue.
He spoke with the saddest voice, tears slinking through his words.
"I have for you five shards, milord."
Naraku nodded and extended his hand expectantly, nodding again in approval as five shards of the Shikon Jewel dropped into his hand. He dismissed the demon with a short nod.
Five more shards he owned... He needed but two more. He was two shards away from complete power. The fool humans were two shards away from destruction.
Placing the five shards he'd just obtained into the rest of his jewel, Naraku gazed into his blood mirror once again.
Inuyasha had been revived, as he'd expected.
And he would die, as he'd planned.
Kagome POV
I didn't know who'd spoken those words. It hadn't been me. It just... hadn't. And yet I'd felt no disturbance in my control over myself, no change in the way I shaped my lips or chose my words.
It was that dream. It was hose dreams. They'd returned every night, haunting me to no end.
They returned in different forms each night. One dream brought me to the sea, another to the forest. A third showed me the mountains.
But the meaning was the same.
Inuyasha would die.
Those three words hindered my existence. They were my shadows, following me no matter where I chose to stray. And the killed me. Slowly, torturing me, they crawled through my skin. They stabbed at my heart, my mind, my soul... and came to haunt me to such an extent that sanity had almost completely vanished from my midst.
I just had to say those words to him. Just had to warn him. I couldn't lose him... Inuyasha was life to me. No... he was more than life. He was everything.
And I needed everything to survive. I needed him.
Inuyasha
He would die... what had Kagome meant by those words? Did she hate him now, for a reason he could not think of? He hadn't done anything... In fact, he'd not said a word against her from his revival. Inuyasha had been on the best of his behaviour these days.
But still she spoke those words.
Thos painful words, those stabbing words. Those killing words. Those torturing words.
That binding smile, those ripping tears.
That blessed face.
Kagome
He entered her hut slowly, almost afraid of her presence.
She couldn't blame him. She'd done nothing to deserve his pity, his respect, his love...
Kagome was curled up on her bed, looking at him, tired, weary. Inuyasha approached her slowly, and, when she didn't complain, wrapped his arms about her.
"I'm sorry..." she whispered into his ear, embracing him warmly in return.
Inuyasha drew back and held her shoulders. He gazed into the depths of her eyes, looking through her, venturing the depths of her mind.
He drew back suddenly, a pained expression on his face. Kagome held his cheeks with both hands gently.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly, noting Inuyasha's sudden avoidance of her gaze. He replied with great reluctance.
"He's inside you. He haunts you. He frightens you."
Naraku...
So it had been that cursed demon that had stolen her shards, stolen her control, stolen her heart...
And destroyed her Inuyasha.
He would pay.
"He will die. I shall-"
Kagome silenced him by pressing her lips to his, kissing him gently.
When she pulled away, Kagome said, "Don't kill him."
Inuyasha stared at her, dumbfounded and utterly confused by Kagome's sudden change.
"W-why?"
"Because he doesn't deserve death. Naraku has done so many horrible deeds in his life, so many terrors... He has not earned the right to die."
Inuyasha gazed at her awhile, then nodded solemnly.
"I shall torture him." Said he.
Kagome smiled again, happy at last that Inuyasha understood her.
He was rewarded with another kiss.
Kagura
Cursing the gods for having to serve Naraku, Kagura flew swiftly across the gray skies.
Clouds gathered, preparing their armies for war. Massive war. War that would likely destroy most of what remained of man and beast upon this side of the earth.
And what had she to do?
Gather the remaining two shards for Naraku.
What was she, his dog? His hound, that did all his bidding and was rewarded with but a pat on the back and a bone? Kagura growled again, before diving to where the first shard was located.
It was an old forest, elderly trees groaning with weariness, almost falling with age. It was a thick forest; no demons resided here.
Only Age. Only she had complied with Naraku's rule, only she was happy living in her given place.
And Age held the next shard.
Kagura only hoped Age would give her treasure away willingly.
She didn't want anymore blood on her hands.
Kagome
Inuyasha was outside, practicing his sword techniques with Miroku and Sesshomaru, who had agreed to help us defeat Naraku. He'd agreed to death.
What a strange demon...
He'd brought Rin and Jakken along. Rin and Shippo were busy belittling Jakken. The poor fellow... he had no mercy on him from those two. Whether he deserved his torture or not was another matter.
Kagome and Sango were to create their strategy to defeat Naraku, or at least put up a worthy fight.
But as always, the girls strayed off topic. "What happened?" A very anxious Sango asked Kagome.
"What do you mean?" replied the latter.
"In the hut? When Inuyasha was revived?"
Kagome felt herself blushing slightly.
"I... he... we... err..."
Sango nodded in understanding.
"It took you long enough."
Naraku
A swift landing before him signaled the arrival of Kagura. She bowed before him, noticeably despising the action. She hated him, and wasted no time in showing it. But Kagura had no choice. She simply had to serve her master, Naraku. He relished having her serve him. The more she hated him, the more amused he became of her struggle to escape.
"Have you the shards?"
The demon nodded curtly, and handed Naraku the two final shards. Naraku felt the tension around Kagura grow, felt her hate boiling. And chuckled at her, amused.
His expression then became solemn, as Naraku placed the remaining shards into the jewel. And he stood.
It was complete.
Yeah, I know I'm evil. I hope you enjoy that cliffy.
And I hope you review.
Not getting many of those lately.
As for the fluff, I can assure you there's going to be lots of that in later chapters. Once again, I apologize for this crappy one, and hope you can forgive me.