Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do, however, own this complete and utter boredom of completely pointless disclaimers.
Sorry I didn't update so long... a day... wow, how long. Anyway, please keep reading and reviewing. Where did we leave our heroes? Ah yes... Inuyasha had been "killed" and Kagome found it wasn't him...
The Tensaiga is in Naraku's hands.
And half the reviewers attempted to kill me.
Here's the next chapter...
Forever
Chapter 11: Complications
(Still my POV)
He whirled about, holding Tetsaiga tightly in his hand. He saw no Sango, no Miroku, no Shippo...
No Kagome...
Inuyasha was surrounded by a strange mist that lingered about the plain.
A plain...
He had been in the village! Not a plain...
He had drawn his sword, and prepared himself for battle. He had charged, but then...
Flashback
As Inuyasha plunged his sword through Naraku, the demon vanished. Inuyasha stood, regaining his composure. He turned to face Kagome, but found there was no Kagome to turn to.
He was alone again.
The faint smell of blood caught his nose, and Inuyasha heard the distinct sound of Kagome's shout. She screamed his name...
He opened his mouth to shout back; to tell her he was all right, but found that it was useless. She couldn't hear him.
And then he appeared.
Kagome
"Be at peace."
It was a low voice, a male voice. It rang out through the village, echoing off everything in its path. The syllables were stretched, almost agonized. The voice mocked her, teased her with what she didn't know, all the while teaching her what she needed to find out.
To whom the voice belonged, Kagome did not know.
A male voice... a mocking voice...
Naraku.
No one else would dare to mock her, while giving himself away.
He'd taken Inuyasha.
Kagome stood, and gazed at the clearing sky. Naraku's carriage had disappeared with its steeds, and his demon had followed its companions.
There was a star in that sky. A single star in a sea of darkness.
It was the star of hope.
Inuyasha
His arms were cut, scratched, his face bleeding horribly.
Inuyasha was a mess to say the least.
Yet still Naraku beat him, whipped him, continued to lambaste the hanyou's strength.
But Inuyasha held.
These were the most horrid questions, the most terrifying statements that Naraku brought up. He was pushing Inuyasha to his limits; both mentally and physically.
The demon laughed, as went his style, at Inuyasha's broken courage.
The mist had subsided, and finally the hanyou took in their surroundings.
They were nowhere.
Somewhere, perhaps, but nowhere nonetheless. It was empty, this plane. Empty and silent. Despite Naraku's beatings, the whip only seemed to sear Inuyasha's flesh. Just his skin burned. The air did not feel the whip's agonizingly rapid movement. Only Inuyasha was to suffer its pain.
There was a ground. A firm, cold ground. A ground Inuyasha could not hold on to unless he still held Tetsaiga. Which he didn't.
Naraku had taken his only reliable weapon away from him, and had split it on his knee before Inuyasha's very eyes.
"Why do you surround yourself with humans, weakling?" spoke Naraku as he seared the hanyou's flesh again with his sturdy whip.
"Why do you choose this weak fate when you can live a life of power? You could have had the jewel, could have stolen it from the mangy girl, and killed the useless lass. But you didn't... you insolent dog. Now look at you! Sweating in fear, on your knees before me! Bleeding, hurt, dying... You're better than that! You've your father's blood in you! You have a chance with glory!"
Inuyasha gulped and remained silent as Naraku pounded his flesh. He knew what Naraku wanted him to do.
He wanted Inuyasha to turn full demon.
Kagura
Chains... chains, binding chains. Ropes... ropes could be cut, chains rusted. But what of ties? Bonds of no material one's hand could grasp? Bonds of hate, of malice, fear... bonds of lust, desire, and revenge... Bonds no knife could cut, yet ties so easily undone.
She was bound to Naraku by her creation. A creation she despised, and would have long undone had she not been created thus. For only Naraku had it in his grasp to kill her. Only the demon that had made her had the power to unmake his weapon.
His weapon...
Is that what she was, a mere weapon? Kagura sneered at the thought, half mocking her own insolence. Of course that was her purpose in life! She'd been made to fight, created to be a tool for Naraku's use. She was just another arm for him.
Looking at her torn fans, an idea brightened her mind. Kagura raised her head and smiled.
She had a way out.
Inuyasha
Naraku pounded him, lambasted him with words that hurt more than the whip. Much, much more. Naraku had an ability most demons didn't think they needed; he had knowledge.
Intelligence was all Naraku truly needed to beat Inuyasha down. But the heartless demon preferred to double his advantage over the hanyou. So Naraku's lambaste came from both sides of power. Mentally and physically Inuyasha was being beaten down.
But the hanyou had a string to hold on to. A string that grew as his hope rose, as he came to ignore the pain on his back, became deaf and blind to his surroundings.
It was a silver thread, a rope now, that bound him to hope, and carried him away from pain and suffering. He knew this rope. He knew this bind. It wasn't real; it was magical. Yet it was true. Very, very true.
Almost too true.
It was Kagome.
Her face shone in the heavens as Inuyasha threw his head back to gaze at the stars. And there he found her expression, her shining eyes gazing into his. Her cherry lips parted ever so slightly, and in the softest breath she uttered the three most magical words...
Kagome
The star shone brighter, filling Kagome's mind with its glow. She was on her knees now, praying to all the gods she knew for Inuyasha's salvation.
Miroku and Sango had taken Shippo and Kirara into the forest, realizing the battle had no room for them. And truly, the most use they would be to Kagome and Inuyasha was human shields, or diversions. Either way, they were not needed.
So Kagome was alone. She had been right. The villagers had evacuated their village.
Thus leaving her alone.
Sesshomaru POV
I heard screams. My brother? No... these were no male shouts, for no man would beg for salvation. Kagome? She was too proud to emit a single plea.
It was a small voice, a child's voice...
Rin.
Rin...
The girl I held to desperately, the little child I considered my own at times. The girl I acted father to. The girl that trusted me, the child I could call daughter.
She was in danger.
Danger.
The word flared up my instincts instantly. Despite my wounds I stood, and ran towards the voice.
What had happened? Naraku had slashed me, had cursed me, and left me in the woods to die. And then he'd laughed at my pitiful state, insulted my father, and taken my sword...
Tensaiga.
I needed that sword. I needed it to heal Rin, to revive Jakken, whatever state they were in when I'd arrive. But now that it was gone, I had nothing left to do but hope.
Inuyasha
Kagome smiled and stroked his burning forehead slowly, calming him. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Kagome began to disappear. Her words were muffled, and Inuyasha lost the touch of her hand.
He began to feel Naraku's whip, and hear his harsh words. Inuyasha growled at the demon, causing Naraku to hesitate in fear before resuming his lambaste of the hanyou.
And then all went red.
Kagome
She'd felt him for a moment, had stroked his forehead softly. But just as she was about to speak, Inuyasha had vanished.
Kagome stood, and gazed at the star of hope again. It shone brightly, unwavering light spilling onto the earth.
This night would be a long one.
Hey, sorry for the ooc-ness, and the shortness, and the very, very bad chapter. Anyway, thanks to all who reviewed. And yes, Sesshomaru is alive! Yaaaay! Alright then... review!
Review cause I'm running out of ideas and fast. I mean FAST! I was going to make this one of those short stories, but then I got so caught up in this, that I don't think it's gonna be so short anymore.
And I don't think they're going to kill Naraku just yet. I was thinking something more along the lines of... Kagome's time? Well, why not? It's possible...