Here it is. Possibly the end, more likely second-to last chapter in this impromptu fic I dreamed up. The song in this chapter is Dido's Take My Hand from her CD No Angel. Go listen to the CD. It's good.
I hope you like it. It has been a long time in coming, after all.
Down below, the forest shifted in a tense wait. The moon, luscious and golden, stared sadly down at the to-be battlefield. InuYasha couldn't help but glare at it through the thick canopy of leaves, shining so indifferently, waiting to give the bloodshed an unearthly glow under the night sky.
The inu hanyou glanced back. Kagome sat on his back, eyes closed and bow clutched in her hand. She seemed to be praying. Or maybe steeling herself against the coming insanity. Whichever, he didn't like the knot between her brows. She was too tense. "Kagome," he whispered.
Her eyes opened, revealing fear and resignation. His eyes softened, though he didn't know it, and he murmured, "We'll be fine."
"But you don't know that." Her voice said that he didn't need to baby her anymore.
He dropped her, turning to place a clawed hand on her cheek. "We have more than he ever could. We have Sesshoumaru, surprisingly enough, and Kikyo, though I don't know why. And . . . we might even have . . ."
The miko sighed. "She may not come through. You know that."
Touch my skin
He brushed a thumb over her cheekbone. "Well, whatever, but stop worrying."
"You stop worrying."
"I'm not--" He caught his tongue between his teeth, glancing down. Sheepishly, he muttered, "I can't help it. I'm worried for you, Sango, Miroku . . . even the humans and youkai here, the ones I don't know." She smiled sadly and he sighed, pulling her into a hug. "Sesshomaru . . . Kikyo . . . Shippou, though he's probably going to be fine . . . Kaede. That old hag won't let herself be beaten by a bunch of scrawny youkai." He chuckled.
And tell me what you're thinking
A whisper shivered along the ranks hidden in the undergrowth. Something's coming. InuYasha tensed, crouching as Kagome swiftly climbed onto his back. He spied the rock he was to take her to. "Kagome, I don't like to think of you alone--"
"I won't be alone, InuYasha. Kikyo will be there, and we made our peace earlier." The hanyou heard the smile in her voice. "She won't try to kill me."
He grumbled under his breath. "Yeah, well, that's not reassuring at all." He shot her a glare from the corner of his eye. "Remember, she was the one trying to drag me down to Hell."
She simply smiled and ran a hand through his locks.
Take my hand
Everyone looked up at Sango's shout. "A mere woman?!" was the distant cry. The two grinned at the outrage and indignation in their friend's voice.
"Time to move," InuYasha muttered. He leapt up, then jumped to the great stone where Kikyo sat. The miko regarded them with impassionate eyes, nodding to Kagome as she stepped down and then to InuYasha. He nodded back, then turned Kagome to him. "Be careful."
She leaned into his arms. "You too," came the muffled reply.
He stepped back and leapt away to join Sango and Miroku.
And show me where we're going
They heard the faint whir of Hiraikotsu again, then readied their arrows. Kikyo turned to the younger woman and mumrmured, "No regrets."
Kagome's eyes shone with gratitude. "No regrets," she whispered back.
A youkai dipped below the roof of the forest, inciting a few whimpers from the crowd below before Kikyo dispatched it with an arrow. Remains splattered onto tree trunks and a few hapless warriors, then the onslaught came.
Hundreds of demons burst through the treetops, ripping leaves and boughs from their steads. Battle cries whirled around the forest, fierce, bloodcurdling shouts, loud and terrorizing enough to wake the dead. Men and women alike swung axes, drew arrows, threw javelins, acted to kill. Maiming wasn't good enough; bloodlust was a must for this army. Unfortunately, that call had been answered.
As Kagome watched, people and youkai alike screamed with fury at the attackers. They charged, ambushed, and after the slaughter, smiled a killer's smile. Blood flew, in all directions, hitting men in the face and marring their sadistic grins. Fear was not evident, if it existed, in the defending warriors. Women leapt high and team-attacked hundreds of snake youkai, killing them all in an instant.
Lie down next to me
Kagome's bow was never still. The two mikos had thousands of arrows at their disposal, and did not waste a shot. Dispatching hundreds with a single arrow, Kikyo terrorized the onslaught. Picking off what appeared to be leaders, Kagome rendered them all but useless. Fearsome, as they would be called, did not begin to describe them.
As Kagome reached down for another arrow, a demon emerged from its hiding place and lunged for her. She screamed, fumbling for her arrow and praying to Kami that she would make it, but the thing was cut in two before her eyes. As its carcass dropped, Sesshoumaru stepped forward and stared down at the thing. He said, "Watch your back." When he raised his eyes to Kagome's, they were tinted red.
And look into my eyes
She nodded, tiredly grateful, and he went on his merry way, demons dropping like flies under his sword. He leapt above the canopy, and she would later find out that he transformed. His demon self launched at Naraku's air forces, slashing through them like ribbons, making short work of the first few layers and cutting a considerable chunk out of the army.
Her hand flew once more, playing her bow like never before. Kikyo had ignored the entire transaction between miko and youkai lord, and had continued slaying the offending creatures.
Sango's war cry sliced through the rank night air like a hot knife through spider skin. It echoed, bouncing back to her and thrilling her as she released Hiraikotsu again, for possibly the thousandth time that night. It came whirling back to her, covered in demon innards, and Miroku mutttered, "Now."
She ducked and he released his hand, shouting, "Wind tunnel!" As a river of doomed youkai roared above her head, she turned to look at her compatriot. His face was stony, eyes squinted and lips compressed, as he held his hand steady. The taiji'ya was saddened, wanting very much to comfort him. She opened her mouth, and a hand tugged at her arm.
And tell me, oh tell me what you see
Sango looked around, straight into the eyes of a wind demoness. "Kagura!" Her surprised squeak made the demoness smile. Sango gulped, wondering what in hells she was doing past her guard, when she glanced to the woman's hands. Her eyes grew wide. "Is that . . .?"
Kagura's smile grew wider, and she nodded, almost in glee. "Where's Kagome?"
Sango grinned and pointed. "Straight down. You can't miss her." She chuckled. "Just make sure she misses you."
The white feather diappeared beneath the treetops, taking a risk and the biggest chance at victory they had with it. Sango sent blessings with the wind demoness, hoping against hope that it would work.
So sit on top of the world and tell me how you're feeling
Miroku had closed the Kazaana long ago, and now he asked, "What was that? What did she have?"
Sango tugged his head forward, grasping his neck and holding his ear next to her mouth as she whispered a secret into it. His eyes widened, and a slow, steady smile spread across his mouth. He met her eyes. "Really?" Raw, painful hope blared out from his vocal cords, and she grinned s owide tears gathered in her eyes and nodded.
He almost laughed with joy, and she urged Kirara forward. The firecat slashed at demons underfoot while Sango threw Hiraikotsu into the heart of a squirming mass. Miroku thrust his hand towards the very center of the army, sucking in so many demons that the entire thing looked sparse. It was. Even had they not the advantage they thought, they could have killed off the army if they continued as they were.
What you feel is what I feel for you
Inuyasha slammed his claws into another demon's gut, taking the hundred or so behind it along with. He had heard Sango and Kagura's transaction, and had seen what was in her hands, and knew that there was no way they could lose. He chuckled, features growing sinister. He howled, "Save yourselves, 'cause I sure as hell ain't doin' it for you!" His voice echoed, "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" as he clawed through another group of attackers.
Sesshoumaru knew, instinctively, that Kagura held something of use, so he let her pass, and jumped on the youkai that pursued her. Blood darkened his white coat, and dripped from his long jaws, and he wondered why in hell he was helping his younger brother. His half-demon brother. And he couldn't find an answer. So, he turned and killed some more demons.
Take my hand, and if I'm lying to you
Kagome had heard shrieks of rage, and turned, bow at the ready, only to find her salvation landing behind her. The young miko sighed with relief, rushing over to embrace the wind demoness. "Kagura," she began, when the woman held it out to her.
"Take it," she muttered, "because he knows I'm here. Use it well, Kagome, because I hate him more than I hate my life, and I will not have died in vain." Her ruby eyes glittering, Kagura turned, stalked back to her feather and flew away, sneaking back into Naraku's ranks.
Kagome looked at the precious, precious thing in her hands, and promised silently to never, ever forget this. Her eyes watered, and she turned to Kikyo. "Can you hold them off for a while?"
The priestess nodded, and said, "I'll give you as long as I can." She stared at her. "Don't fail, Kagome."
I'll always be alone, if I'm lying to you
She young priestess from the future knelt, drawing a protective circle, and placed the bowl full of the substance in the center of her view. Placing her hands over it, she drew it into herself, resting it in her heart, where she was most pure. Her eyes began to water, though they were closed, and her back to ache, and her shoulders and wrists became sore, but she stayed in her position, until the bowl was empty.
Standing, Kagome broke the circle and looked over the battlefield. She called over a bird youkai, asking him to fly her up into the face of the much diminished army.
As she sat on his back, she saw Sango, Miroku and Kirara, and InuYasha, and Sesshoumaru, and saw Kikyo's arrows flying out of the forest, and knew that this was her reason for living. She, Kagome Higurashi, was destined to do this one thing, to take out this one enemy, and do it, though it might mean her death.
See my eyes, they carry your reflection
Her energy built in her chest, enough to explode it, and she felt her heart contract and pulse, erratic, at the invasive element. Kagome's eyes stared straight ahead, not seeing, as her friends gathered around her to stave off attacks. Her hands raised, pressed over her heart, and she closed her eyes, retreating to her mind.
She gave the command, twisting the alien substance. Come here.
It resisted, the myriad demonsoul creature, and she was angered. Come here. Again, a more forceful twist, and he weakened, but still resisted. Her eyes flamed under their lids, and she ripped the element apart.
Come here! He bent, broke, and came. Her friends, InuYasha most of all, were astonished to see Naraku fly toward them, looking like he was dragged by hooks in his chest. Kagome opened her eyes, shouted hoarsely, "Kill him!," and closed her eyes again.
InuYasha leapt forward, unsheathing his claws at Sango readied her bone boomerang, she threw as he slashed. Miroku sucked up what he could before--
A shrieking soulnd, like metal on rock, rippled through the air, and Miroku's hand closed, fingers curling in, and when he opened them again, his palm remained.
Watch my lips, and hear the words I'm telling you
Naraku was dead.
All of is youkai fell, shrieking, to the nearest hard surface. They writhed, clutching at their bodies and raking skin from their bones, letting blood flow as they slowly, unwittingly committed suicide. Their bodies disintegrated, smoking and hissing, and there was silence.
Give your trust to me, and look into my heart
A whoop went up, from the forest, and then a cheer, and the ground-level warriors shouted and hooted and howled their victory. They danced, men and women, and sang, and the creatures in the air drifted down to greet their comrades-in-arms.
And show me, show me what youre doing
The bird youkai who had carried her dipped, letting her off his back. She stood, moments, then her knees buckled and she fell into InuYasha's waiting arms. The youkai bowed, grinning like a fool, and flew off to join his friends.
Kagome looked up at InuYasha, and Sango at Miroku, and they grinned at once, jumping down to celebrate with the humands and demons.
Do you need an epilogue? . . . Oh, wait, I haven't explained Kagura's gift. Yeah, I'll write an epilogue. Patience, lovelies, patience.