Disclaimer: You don't own Inuyasha, do you? Cause if you do, are you willing to sell? I'll bargain, I promise...
A/N: I'm back people! Well, a lot of you responded that you kinda love yet hate my cliffhangers, just like CharmedAngelslayer. So, I'm going to continue with them, whether you like them or not. I will, however, tone them down a bit. So maybe this time I won't get as many people telling me I'm absolutely EVIL for that last cliffie... Hehe, sorry bout that guys... I just couldn't resist! Anyways, thanks for all the reviews. I had 182 at last check, so as soon as I hit 200, you guys are gonna get two chapters instead of one. Oh, and one more thing. I kinda made another promise about my story... Check out my bio for more info! (grins evilly)
Well, on with the story, people!
Life of a TeenagerChapter 14: The Battle Begins
Kagome stared up at the woman who was standing in front of her. She was... Gorgeous came to mind. Her raven hair tumbled loosely around her shoulders, all the way down her back. Large brown eyes stared back at her from underneath her bangs. She was dressed in red pants, a white blouse, and sandals. A bow and a sheath of arrows were slung over shoulder. She could have possibly been the most beautiful woman in the world. If it wasn't for the cold gleam in her eyes and the way she was draped over Naraku's shoulders like a rag doll. A smirk crossed her face when she looked at the pink and blue barrier that still surrounded Kagome. "Your barrier is weak, little girl." Kagome ground her teeth at the other woman's insult. Kikyo just smirked triumphantly back.
Kagome shook her head, determined to ignore her. Then she remembered something Naraku had just said. "Wait a minute. You just said that Kikyo's also a reincarnation?" Naraku nodded in satisfaction. "Of the Miko Tsubaki. She was possibly the only one who rivaled Midoriko in power. Or would have been, if she hadn't been born 100 years before her. Pity. It would have been fun pitting them against each other. I wager Midoriko would have given her a run for her money..." Naraku trailed off as a faraway look came in his eyes. Kikyo stood up abruptly, glaring at Naraku. "How dare you say that! And in front of her! Are you deliberately trying to humiliate me?" she hissed. Naraku snapped out of his daydream and glared back at Kikyo. "You may be mine, but don't ever speak to me like that again!" he said in a dangerously soft voice.
Kikyo backed off. She knew that look in Naraku's eyes. Instead, she focused her gaze back on Kagome. This girl... Is she truly the reincarnation of Midoriko? If she is, what could it mean for me? She's joined the Darks... I remember my own days as a Dark... Inuyasha was so sweet then... Wait! What am I doing?! Kikyo shook her head, as if to erase those last few thoughts. They were dangerous, and she needed to concentrate. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused on her powers. Calming, she felt Tsubaki's presence seep into her soul. There! Kikyo opened her eyes as Naraku began to speak again.
"Now that everyone's been introduced, I think we should get down to business." Kagome raised an eyebrow at this. What in the world was he talking about? Instead of explaining his last cryptic statement, he turned to Kikyo and motioned toward Kagome. "If you would?" he asked. A grin slowly spread across Kikyo's face. Reaching up, she unhooked her bow and drew an arrow. Kagome swallowed nervously. What was she gonna do with that? Her question was answered as an arrow flew right past her left shoulder, nicking her cheek. Kagome was frozen with shock. Her barrier was gone!
With the Darks...
Inuyasha was in his car, speeding down the streets of Tokyo. Occasionally he glanced at street signs, never paying attention to the speed limit or stop signs. Miroku, who was in the passenger seat, clung to the door handle for dear life. "Um, Inuyasha? Do you think you could slow down a bit?" A grunt was all Miroku got in response. He sighed and shook his head. Poor Inuyasha... This is the second time he's lost someone to Naraku... I hope Kagome's all right and that she can withstand anything Naraku puts her up to... Miroku's thoughts were cut off when Inuyasha made a sharp right turn. Braking to a slow pace, Inuyasha began looking left and right at all of the houses. Miroku sat up blinking. Then he noticed the street sign. "Milfred Avenue? God, you were in a hurry weren't you, Inuyasha? This is all the way across town!" Inuyasha growled softly, not paying attention to Miroku. He had spotted the house in Miroku's tracking spell. Cutting off the engine, Inuyasha let the car coast to a stop in front of the house.
The two climbed out of the car, then waited. A few minutes later, another car, this one an SUV, pulled up behind them just as silently. Sango, Ayame, Souten, Shippo, and Kouga all climbed out. Silently, they split up, girls to the front of the house, guys to the back. In their minds was one thought: Kagome, hold on! We're here!
To Kagome...
Kagome was still in shock. One arrow was all it took to break through her barrier! Kikyo laughed at the expression on her face. "Did you honestly think that such a puny, untrained barrier could stop a me, a powerful Miko in my own right?" She laughed again. Kagome just gritted her teeth and tried to ignore her. She turned to look out the window, like they didn't bother her. That was when she happened to notice the entire Dark Gang practically on Naraku's front porch! Oh god, what the hell does Inuyasha think he's doing?! He can't come in here and expect to rescue me just like that! Naraku will shish kabob him! So, what do I do...? Kagome frantic thoughts were halted abruptly as Kikyo came over to her and grabbed her hair, pulling her head back, HARD. "Listen to me when I'm talking to you, bitch!" she yelled into Kagome's face. Kagome just grinned, if only to aggravate Kikyo more and distract her from the window. Fortunately, Kikyo seemed to intent on insulting Kagome to notice the Darks outside. Inuyasha, I hope you've got a plan...! was Kagome's last thought before everything went dark.
Kikyo stepped back, a satisfied smirk on her face as she watched Kagome fall into unconsciousness. The bitch had had it coming. A snort behind her made her spin around. When she saw it was Naraku who had made the sound, she raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked. "Nothing..." he trailed off. "No, what! Tell me," she insisted. He gave her a look, then said, "You really shouldn't show your jealousy so openly, is all. The girl is bait for Inuyasha, nothing more. So why are you letting her get to you like that?" Kikyo looked away, as if unable to answer. An uncomfortable silence followed. Kikyo was opening her mouth to finally say something when a sound downstairs made everyone look towards the door. "What was that?" Kikyo asked stupidly. Naraku's eyes glittered dangerously before he said, "Musou, Jakotsu, Yura, and Kagura. Go check it out." The three silently obeyed, opening the door and silently running down the hallway. "Naraku, wha--" Kikyo began, but was silenced by Naraku. "It seems we have guests," he said as he slipped into the shadows behind him.
Meanwhile...
Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, and Kouga had entered the house through the back door. This led them into the kitchen, which they quickly scouted out. No one was found, so they moved onto the next room, which was the living room. Inuyasha noticed that it was equipped with a pool table, of all things, and snorted in disgust. The next room was definitely not one you would find in an ordinary household. Weapons of all sorts hung on the walls or were displayed in glass cases around the room. Inuyasha almost fell to his knees in relief when he spotted a particular pair of swords in one of the glass cases. His father, Inutaisho, had left these two swords, the Tetsaiga and the Tensaiga, to his two sons. (A/N: Okay, people, I know I probably spelled the names wrong, and I'm sorry. If you know the correct spellings, let me know, please!) Unfortunately, Naraku had managed to steal both swords and they hadn't been seen in over 50 years. Inuyasha went strait to the case, and without thinking, smashed through it with his hand to grab the swords. Miroku tried to stop him, but was too late. "Inuyasha!" he groaned. "Why don't you just announce it to the world that we're here!" Inuyasha just snorted and strapped the swords onto his belt. Drawing the Tetsaiga, he swung the huge sword through the air, checking its balance. Satisfied, he was about to sheath it when he stopped. Growling, he dropped into a fighting crouch and looked towards the door, waiting for the demons to come. Miroku, Shippo, and Kouga followed suit, ready for action.
Sango, Ayame, and Souten had entered the house through the front door. This landed them in the front hall, a room large enough for a house to fit in. Ayame looked around in amazement. Naraku may be evil, but she had to admit that he had good taste. The girls were tense, ready for anything as they explored the giant room. They had begun to relax slightly when a crash from a room next door made them stiffen. Sango put a finger to her lips and crept to a door to their right, Ayame and Souten following silently. Opening it a crack, they were surprised to see Inuyasha and the others. The girls were even more stunned, though, at the sight of Inuyasha waving the Tetsaiga around. It was rumored that the sword had been stolen from Inuyasha over 50 years ago; he must have found it a while ago. The girls saw Inuyasha drop into a crouch and face a door on the opposite side of the room. The boys quickly followed his action. Someone must be coming! Looking at each other, Sango, Ayame, and Souten nodded in agreement. They would help! Filing into the room, the girls took up positions beside the guys and prepared for battle. The wait wasn't long.
And back to Kagome...
A groan escaped Kagome's lips as she woke up. A throbbing headache accompanied her wake up, and she groaned again. It was few minutes before she noticed that she was slung over someone's shoulder. The shoulder in discussion was digging into her stomach, making her nauseous. Daring to look around her, she decided she must be in a hallway. Looking up, she noticed that they were following in single file. The little girl, Kanna, was following her. Behind her was Kikyo. For some reason, she was pouting. Kagome would have grinned, if her head weren't throbbing. And she wasn't completely sure she could keep down this afternoon's lunch... Finally, they stopped. Before she could brace herself, she was dumped on the floor. Thankfully, she didn't land on anything. Kagome could hear something happening in another room; sounds like bodies hitting walls, screams of pain, and so on, were heard. They were fighting, she realized. Fighting for me... Kagome thought. Something warm filled her. Her friends had come to save her, and she was so glad... Glad that someone actually cared enough to risk their lives for her. Kagome sat up, thankful that she was untied so she could move her legs and arms. The pins and needles sensation ran up her arms as she moved them, and she let out a small whimper. Kikyo laughed when she heard the sound. "What's the matter, little girl? Arms sore? Or are you just afraid?" Kagome ignored her and stood up on shaky legs. Praying that she had enough energy left to help, Kagome drew in her energy slowly. She didn't want anyone to notice before she was ready.
Taking a deep breath, Kagome looked around her, trying to familiarize herself to her surroundings. She seemed to be in some sort of entry hall. It was an enormous room, big enough to build a house in, she noticed faintly. Naraku was no where to be seen. Coward, she thought fiercely. It figured that he'd let his gang fight for him instead of fighting himself. The thunder demon, Bankotsu, was to her left, while Kanna was to her right. Kikyo was her only obstacle to the room where the fight was taking place. Okay, then. I can do this... Just breathe deeply... Center your energy... And when the time is right... Kagome stood tense, ready to act, only waiting for the right moment...
At the battle...
Miroku grunted as he was pushed back by Jakotsu. That damn sword of his was fast! Miroku noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye and jumped, barely dodging the sword as it whipped towards him again. Jakotsu, on the other hand, seemed delighted that he was fighting Miroku. "Well, aren't you the sexy little man! And so nimble, too!" he exclaimed. Miroku stopped in shock. Did that demon just say he was... sexy?! Too disgusted to notice it, the sword attacked again, cutting Miroku across his side. Crying out, he stumbled to the floor, where he lay still. Sango had been keeping an eye on Miroku, even while fighting Kagura. When she saw Mirku fall, she knocked the wind demon out of her way and ran to his side. "Miroku! Are you all right?" she asked breathlessly. Turning him over, she saw that he was pale. He was lying in a rapidly spreading pool of blood, and was losing more by the second. "Miroku! Wake up! Dammit, don't leave me!" Sango cried. Tears were running down her face. As much as she hated to admit it, she loved the damn pervert, and she didn't want to think of life without him. Across the room, Kouga and Ayame were back to back, Kouga fighting Musou and Ayame fighting Yura. Each were putting up a pretty good defense, but attacking was out of the question. They were blocked in by Yura's hair and Musou kept them occupied with his changing forms. Still, they managed to battle their way over to Sango and Miroku, ready to defend their friends at all costs. Shippo and Souten, who had been helping anyone as they could, ran over to help also. Inuyasha was slashing a path through the hair, trying to reach the door. Everytime he cut down a tentacle of hair, though, another one grew back to replace the cut one, making it rather impossible. When he saw Miroku fall and everyone rally around their fallen comrade, he gave up his endeavor and ran over to join them. Together, they presented a united front, ready to defend each other to the death, if needed.
And Kagome...
Kagome could sense what was happening inside the room across the hall. When she felt everyone gather in one spot, she knew the time was right. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she pictured her friends, and just... let go. Her energy exploded around her, knocking everyone off their feet and giving her a chance to run for the door. Unconsciously, she used her power to push open the door and clear a path through the hair surrounding it. Running to the group in the middle of the room, she only paused to take a bow and quiver of arrows off the wall. Why she did this, she wasn't sure; she only knew she didn't want to face Kikyo or Naraku unarmed. Coming to a halt in front of the gang, she ignored the stunned looks on their faces and spun around to face the door. She didn't have to wait long before the door exploded back again, this time right off its hinges. Kikyo stood in the doorway, a pissed look on her face. "How dare you, you insignificant little bitch!" she screeched. "I'll show you Miko powers that you'll never forget!" With that threat, she drew an arrow and aimed it straight at Kagome. Instead on cowering like Kikyo expected, Kagome calmly drew her own arrow and pointed it at Kikyo. Black energy swirled around Kikyo's arrow as she prepared to fire. The same thing happened to Kagome, except it was her own pink and blue energy. As they prepared to fire, something totally unexpected happened. Naraku burst through the door, yelling, "Don't shoot, you fools! You'll--" But he was cut off as the two opposing Miko's released their arrows.
The arrows collided mid-flight, the two energies mixing. One black, the other a shimmery purple. A bight flash ensued, engulfing all of the room's inhabitants in it. The light grew brighter and brighter, until there was nothing left, only the light.
Slowly, it began to dissipate, leaving fourteen unconscious figures behind. Wind whipped through the grass around them. They were no longer in a house, nor in a city. Instead, they lay in an open field, surrounded by a forest.
One person's eyes fluttered first. Kagome sat up, looking around her. Where in the world...? Then she saw the prone figure of Miroku, lying next to Sango. He was still unconscious, but most importantly, he was still bleeding. Managing to crawl over to him, she didn't notice the rest of the Darks eyes fluttering open. She was concentrating on Miroku, and trying not to notice how the ground was dipping and swaying dangerously. Sitting next to him, Kagome placed a hand over his wound and let instinct guide her from there. A soft purple glow emanated from her hand and the wound began to heal. Still concentrating, she didn't notice Inuyasha behind her. He leaned forward and caught her when she passed out, picking her up and cradling her in his lap as he looked around. Miroku's lashes slowly lifted and he squinted at the bright light glaring into his eyes. He sat up too, and looked around. Everyone was silent as they contemplated what happened. Finally, Miroku began to chuckle, softly at first, then a little louder. Inuyasha and the rest of the gang turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised. Miroku motioned around them. "Do you know where we are?" he asked. Everyone shook their heads silently. Miroku turned to Inuyasha and pointed to Kagome, fast asleep in his arms. "Our little Miko here maybe untrained, but she's a damn powerful one. She's taken us all the way back to the Feudal Era!"
A/N: I think it's safe to leave it there, don't you think? (ducks as reviewers throw things) What? Didn't like the major cliffie? Ah, I'm sorry! I couldn't help it; it's a part of the story! And for all of those complaining that they want longer chapters, there ya go! My longest yet! Haha, don't forget to read and review! I'm almost to 200, and when I get there, you get an extra chapter! See ya next update! :P