Chapter 14: Big Surprises Come In Little Packages

"Are you sure this is the place?" questioned Inuyasha as he stood on the shore of a giant lake. Several rock pillars jetted out of the water, some reaching almost 100 feet up. They all stood staring up at one particularly tall and wide rock tower.

"Positive!" Hoseki confirmed with a large smile. "There is a shallow, unseen path under the water. It leads right up to a cave."

Inuyasha looked back to everyone with him. The wolves, the monk, Hell Wolf, the lord and the bird of heaven, all were staring at him, waiting. Hesitantly Inuyasha stepped off the shoreline into the water. He stood in about an inch of water. Skeptically he took another step then another and another, Inuyasha was about 20 feet out and he looked like he was walking on water. He demonstrated proudly to everyone, "Look everyone, she's right."

Carefully and cautiously, everyone else took their turns and stepped onto the water bridge. They all walked along silently and in single file. A few minutes later they stood before a stone door that was carved from the same rock as the pillars. Hoseki flew forward and placed her right palm in the center of the door. She closed her eyes and concentrated, a moment later the door cracked open to admit the guest.

Inuyasha entered first, he was then followed closely by everyone else. They all entered the dark, damp cave, the only light coming from a small hole in the ceiling. All of them looked around, there was nothing.

"Looking for something?"

Everyone turned around and looked at the far wall. Footsteps were heard approaching them. A figure in dark clothes stepped into a beam of light and stared at them.

"Lady Hakai........."whispered Hoseki, who was now cowering behind a growling Inuyasha.

"So you did survive Hoseki. It's a pity you betrayed me, now I'll have to kill you too," stated Hakai nonchalantly, as she studied her nails.

Inuyasha heard Hoseki whimper behind him, succeeding in infuriating further. He then shouted, "Where's-"

"Where's Naraku?" interrupted Sesshoumaru.

Hakai started to walk back and forth as if bored by her new company. "Oh him, he went to a well to fetch me a gift."

'A well!' Inuyasha froze and stood in horror as the words played a crossed his mind.

"Inuyasha?" whispered Miroku.

"I know...Yuki and the others..." He started to grind his teeth as he continued to growl.

"Go! We'll handle her!" shouted Ayame and the others nodded.

Inuyasha and Miroku hesitated for a second then bolted for the cave opening, running straight toward the well.

Kagome and Sango were on the shrine grounds near the well house raking leaves, while Yuki slept in her basinet and Shippo made a mess of the piles of leaves they had just raked. Kagome stopped and looked at the blue sky.

"They'll be back soon." Assured Sango.

All Kagome could muster was a half smile. The unease in her heart was almost unbearable. She then had a feeling she was being watched. An instant later, Yuki woke up crying, Shiro stood up next to her, growling. The sky became dark, and then the ground began to shake. Kagome ran and picked up Yuki and looked around. A second later, the well house exploded, sending Kagome hurling away from the blast. She wrapped her arms around Yuki protectively as she flew through the air. Kagome landed hard on her back and achingly sat up. She checked Yuki, she was alright, Kagome then looked around, and there was wood and smoke everywhere. Sango was huddled over Shippo on the opposite side of the well house.

"What just happened?" shouted Sango as she turned and sat up, cradling a shacking ball of orange fur.

Kagome shook her head,"I...I don't know." She stared at the demolished well house then gasped.

Several long greenish black tentacles reached out of the well. The tentacles pulled a body out of the well and the head on top of the torso smiled and laughed manically.

"Na...Naraku?!" whispered Sango and Kagome in unison.

Naraku climbed over the debris toward Kagome and Yuki. She tried to back away and discovered her leg was badly cut and bruised, done during the explosion and toss. Two tentacles reached out and pinned Kagome to the ground while another grabbed the crying baby. "I'll be taking the child. Now that the jewel is complete this child's power will help me rule both times. MWAHAHAHAH!"

'Now that the jewel is...Complete!' Sango became rigid at what his statement implied. 'No, Kohaku.' She covered her face with her hands and started to cry.

Despite being pinned down by Naraku, Kagome was struggling to get up; she had to save her daughter. She saw the tentacle wrapped around Yuki's stomach and she was still crying loudly. "Let me go. Give me back my daughter. Now!" Shouted Kagome as she twisted and turned trying to get free.

Naraku merely laughed at her plies. "HAHAHA, ya right, since when have I listened you. HAHAHA. Now be still!" Naraku yelled as another tentacle rose above her and darted toward her chest, plunging straight through Kagome's heart. He retracted his tentacle and continued to laugh.

Shippo had been pulling on Sango's arm for a few minutes now, shouting, trying to get her attention. She was obviously sad over her brother's death but to waste all their lives because she was sad wasn't right. Shippo continued trying to get her attention but as he watched Kagome run through by Naraku, something in him snapped. He jumped up slapped her across the face then lit his fox fire under her when he landed. That worked.

"What did you do that for?" shouted Sango and glared at Shippo.

Tears were streaming down his face as she stared back her venomously. "Because of you Kagome's dead. She dead because you space out during battle! She's dead!" shouted Shippo as he continued to bawl.

Sango stared him stunned. She then looked around at the sight before her. Kagome was lying lifeless on the ground, her arms spread out, her face staring up and her eyes were still open. Yuki was currently being held by Naraku, a tentacle coiled around her. "No," whispered Sango, staring at the scene unfolding.

"HAHAHA Now all your power shall be mine. HAHAHA." Naraku laughed and brought the baby closer to him.

"I DON'T THINK SO." Came a shout and the tentacle coiled around Yuki was sliced off, letting Yuki fall. She was caught by a figure in red and held gently. "Hi Yuki, where's your mother?" He looked down at her and she stopped crying, instead she started to smile.

"Inu...yasha..." Shippo came up and tugged on his pants slightly and pointed off to the side.

He scanned over the destruction and debris for his wife. Usually he would just smell her out, but with all the smoke it was pointless. Blood on the other hand was more potent than smoke, and he followed that. A few yards away he found Kagome sprawled out, face up on the ground, a gapping bloody hole through her heart. He kneeled next to her, he couldn't hear a heartbeat, he was now in shock. Kagome was dead, his wife, partner, best friend, and soul mate was dead, it wasn't possible. "Ka...go...me." He whispered in a scratchy, broken voice. He slowly and gently laid Yuki down next to her mother. Inuyasha slowly got to his feet and turned to face Naraku. His head was downcast; shielding his eyes with his bangs. He started to walk toward Naraku slowly, almost stumbling over wood and bricks as he walked. When he finally looked up, he's eyes were red and blue, lines appeared on his face and his fangs and claws elongated

"He's gone full youkai, even with his sword in hand." Stated Miroku, from his spot next to Sango and Shippo. "He must really be pissed, for the Tetsusaiga not to be working." Sango and Shippo nodded and watched the enraged hanyou approach the disfigured hanyou.

Meanwhile, back in the feudal era...

Everyone back in the cave lined up to attack Lady Hakai.

Hakai let out a loud, annoying laugh (like Kodachi from Ranma). "You think you can beat me? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

Sesshoumaru smirked at her, "I can tell we can. You don't have much power. You must be a lower youkai like that fox that's with my brother." He smirked again and pulled out Tokijin. "I can take you on myself."

Hakai started to laugh again, uncontrollably so. Without another word, Sesshoumaru raised his sword and slashed downwards, sending a bolt of forceful power directly at her. Hakai continued to laugh as the bolt sliced through her. She stopped laughing and stared up at the youkai lord.

"How could you. I'm a youkai as well?" she questioned as all the blood was leaving her body.

Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword with a straight face and started to walk away. "I need to find Naraku."

Everyone else present in the cave simply stared at him in astonishment. They then started to whisper to each other. "One cut, one cut was all it took...WOW." They all started to follow Sesshoumaru out of the cave, leaving the now dead lady behind.

Inuyasha stared at the entanglement of tentacles then back over to Kagome and the now cooing Yuki. As slowly turned his head back to Naraku a loud growl was emitted. "You die here you bastard!" Inuyasha charged at Naraku with his sword drawn. "KONGOSOHA!" The diamond shards emitted by his sword flew and embedded themselves in Naraku. Yet Naraku continued to laugh.

'Again!' A voice echoed inside Inuyasha's head. It was child like and he looked around for the owner to it. The only children present were Shippo and Yuki, but Shippo didn't know telepathy and Yuki was still too young to talk. 'Try it again!' Inuyasha raised his sword, ready to strike again. His sword and everything around him started to glow blue. He turned and saw Yuki was a brighter shade of blue and glowing immensely, her eyes were closed and she was completely silent.

He turned back toward the still laughing Naraku with his enhanced sword raised at the ready. "KONGOSOHA!" Inuyasha shouted as he brought down his sword again and sent diamond shards flying. Each shard glowed blue like his sword, upon impact, Naraku also glowed blue and stopped laughing. Inuyasha stood watching as Naraku started screaming and disintegrating away. There was then an explosion around Naraku and the well house.

Once the dust settled there was nothing left, no wood, no bricks, no smoke, no Naraku, and no well. Relieved that Naraku was gone, he transformed to his old self then he started back toward Yuki, where she and everything was still blue. Inuyasha picked up Yuki and cradled her in his arms as he looked over his loves bloody body. "Now I'll have to raise you on my own." He held her close and started to slowly walk away, toward the main house.

Sango sat next to Miroku and Shippo in shock. She'd lost her brother, her best friend and their way home. She sat not looking, not listening and not feeling. It was all her fault they were dead, if he had been there or not o out of it, at least one of them would still be here. Sango put her hands to her face and started to cry.

Miroku tried to comfort Sango and placed his arms around her shoulders. He then looked at his right palm, there was no more hole, Naraku was definitely and finally gone. "Hey Inuyasha, where's the jewel?"

"I don't know... and I don't care." He continued to walk away still cradling a now sleeping Yuki. He felt like half of him was gone and it was. Even though it had taken him SO long to realize it but Kagome was his world. She had loved him from the start for what he was, a hanyou. He had finally been accepted and that acceptance had been stolen from him. Now all he had left to prove it was the sleeping child in his arms.

"Ehh, what a headache."

The voice that sounded behind him sounded like it was in pain and it also sounded like, "Ka...go...me?" Inuyasha had whispered her name as he very slowly turned around, afraid he had been hearing things. There Kagome was, sitting up, holding her head and still drenched in her own blood. Inuyasha's eyes became wide as he gaze upon her, "Kagome?" he spoke a little louder this time and she turned to look at him.

"Inuyasha, you came!"

Kagome speaking his name was all he needed to hear and he ran to her. He hugged her tightly and held Yuki between them. He was so glad he could hear her heartbeat again then he pushed back and held her at arms length. "What happened? I thought you were dead.'

Kagome smiled at him then took Yuki into her arms. "I'm not sure either. I know I died then I felt something go inside of me."

"It must have been the jewel. Yuki must have used the jewel to bring you back." Stated Miroku as brought Sango over to it by her, he then showed his hand to everyone. "She also helped Inuyasha defeat Naraku. We're finally free."

"But we can't go home, there's no more well." Added Shippo saddened yet happy she was alive again.

She looked over to where the well house had been and sure enough, it was gone. "Um, well...I guess you can stay with us. Unless Yuki is capable of building houses too." She looked down at the sleeping infant then giggled.

Sango lost all her resolve, she lunged at Kagome, wrapped her arms around her waist and started to bawl. Kagome patted her on the back with her free hand and looked to Miroku for answers.

"She feels its her fault you had died." Replied Miroku sadly.

"It's ok Sango, I'm ok now and we never have to worry about Naraku again." She smiled at Sango when she lifted her head to look at her. "We should probably go tell my family what happened so they can get the spare bedroom ready." She went to stand up but collapsed, having forgotten her leg was hurt. Inuyasha lifted her up as she cradled Yuki; they all started to walk back to the house when they heard a quiet whimpering noise. They turned to see Shiro was limping towards them, his leg also cut. He had been thrown away and knocked unconscious against a tree, but he was now trying to make his way painfully toward them.

"I'll get him." Stated Miroku and went over and lifted the dog in his arms, then followed behind everyone.

All were relieved to be alive and free of Naraku now. Sango was glad that her little brother was now free from being manipulated. Miroku didn't have to worry about his hand anymore. Shippo still had his surrogate parents. Inuyasha had Kagome back, along with their daughter. Kagome had her love, her daughter, and her friends. The problem now was those from the feudal era would have to get use to her time. Kagome giggled at her thought causing everyone to look at her funny, but she just ignored them.

Back on the other side of the well...

Sesshoumaru stared down what use to be the well that connected the two times. It was now filled with dirt to the rim and as tree was growing out of it along with a light blue lily. He stared at it in confusion. The others soon joined him and were just as confused.

Kaede then wondered up, surprised to see so many present. "What's going on here?"

Hoseki flew forward and told her that they were going to help Inuyasha but the well was closed off.

She listened to the Bird of Heaven then looked to the well, she then sighed heavily. "It's finally over and they wont be coming back. The well has been destroyed and Naraku is dead. The tree and flower represent peace and serenity. In other words the worlds are now at peace and we can all live in serenity now." Kaede turned and started to walk back towards the village.

"But how do you know?" asked Kouga and Ayame.

Kaede tilted her head back and looked at the sky. "I just know." She smiled and continued to walk.

The End