Inuyasha

Coming of Age

((Author Note: I would like to say thank you to everyone for the reviews...have I gotten any lately for this? Hehe, I don't know I get confused with the Fruits Basket one. Also to the comment that talked about chapter 4. I can't say much on that chapter since I get mixed comments about it. I've had people saying it's the best chapter to the most confusing. All I can say it's a chapter that introduced Tora. Also I don't mind people pointing out things in chapters just as long as it's constructive. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Now I'm not going to be happy if you start making fun of the errors in the story. A special preview for the next chapter is at the end. The preview is just a whole bunch of different things people are saying in the chapter. I didn't say who is saying what so you'll either have to guess or look for them in the next chapter.))

Chapter 21

Fog as thick as milk rolled through the dark forest. Kisho was slowly making his way around tree's and over rocks, "Damn fog...damn Naraku. I'm about to say screw everyone, any second now..." Kisho grumbled to himself.

He was frustrated with himself once more. In his rush to save his mother he had done exactly what Naraku wanted. When they neared the village the fog rolled in and Kisho had gotten separated from his friends. Now he was alone and very venerable in the night fog.

"Naraku must have known I would rush here like that. I could kick myself right now," Kisho continued to talk to himself, "Ow! What the?"

Kisho slapped his wrist when he felt something bite him. He turned his hand over to see the squished little creature in the palm of his hand when he realized it was only Myoga, "You?!"

"Ah, ha-ha, I couldn't resist a bite."

"Not that," Kisho growled at the little flea, "Where have you been?"

"Collecting information, I heard rumors about the shard being here," Myoga said as he hopped up to Kisho's head.

"Humph, everyone knows about that."

"Well I didn't!"

Kisho sighed lightly as he glanced around the fog again, "In any case at lest I'm not alone, but I sure am lost."

"I am surprised. You should know where you are."

"Hey, I'm not some super human or demon."

"I don't mean that. This forest is where your father was sealed. I figured you would have sensed that...but seeing you only have very little demon blood in you and-"

"Oh! The God Tree, right. Well that's a good place to start looking for everyone. I think I can sniff it out in this fog too," Kisho began to jog at a slow pace through the forest.

"I'm glad to have helped Milord's son."

"Not to bad for a little blood sucker. Now what were you saying about me and my demon blood?" Kisho said in an angry tone while Myoga hid under his hair.

It didn't take Kisho long to find the large tree. He stepped towards the large tree trunk and pressed his hand against hard wood, "Still here and standing strong."

"I hear something...' Myoga whispered as he jumped near Kisho's ear.

Kisho stood still as he listened. The forest moaned with the sounds of old trees swaying back and forth in the fog. Animals were chattering their calls while bird's wings slapped against the winds. Kisho wasn't sure what Myoga heard, but he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps walking lightly against the dirt ground. He slid his hand off the tree as he spun around to meet his stalker. His eyes were met with a pair similar to his own, "Iluska..." Kisho whispered.

Iluska stepped out of the shadows that the fog cast around her. Her long white hair flowed behind her until she stopped before Kisho. She wore an unusual set of armor that looked like it was made out of demon bones. Her sword rested at her side, but the blade was still broken from one of her earlier battles. "I'd figured you'd be here."

Kisho snorted lightly as he stared at her, "Is Naraku making this fog?"

Iluska smirked to him as she flexed one of her hands, "Of course. This fog was created from his demonic energy, which is why you got so disoriented. Naraku is simply waiting for whoever finds him first at the old well."

"The Bone Eaters Well? Why the hell there? Ah, who cares. I'm going to be the first one there."

"Unlikely. You have to go through me first," Iluska said as she raised one of the claws.

Kisho stared at her as he kept his hands lowered. He really didn't want to fight her, but she didn't give him much of a choice. "Hey, Myoga you better get out of here," Kisho whispered to the little flea, "Err...Myoga?"

Kisho glanced over his shoulder just in time to see the little flea jump off his shoulder "Didn't have to tell him twice. Little coward."

"Stop wasting time!" Iluska yelled to Kisho who remained standing in front of the large tree.

"I'm not going to attack you."

"Fine," she hissed, "Then I'll attack you."

She swung her claws across the air to create small little disk that spun in the air. The little demonic energy spun right towards Kisho at high speeds, but Kisho remained standing with a calm and collected stance. As her attacks neared him, he raised his hands and swung his claws at each and every one of the attacks. His claws canceled out the demonic energy as soon as he touched them. He blocked every single attack until there was none left.

Iluska narrowed her eyes to him as she began to walk towards him, "How did you block those?"

Kisho smiled to her as he held up his clawed hand, "Purifying energy."

"I see. Though I believed it cost you more then you expected."

Kisho winced lightly as he looked at his arm. The attacks were filled with an acid type substance that burned his skin each time he had blocked. His hand and arm was torn up pretty bad and his healing powers had a difficult time healing the wounds, but despite that Kisho managed to keep up with his tough act.

"Well I just didn't want to miss any. You know how it is."

"Hardly," Iluska said as she stared at him, "You didn't want the attacks to hit the tree."

Kisho was silent as he stood there while Iluska smiled with satisfaction at him, "Well then. I'll just cut it down!"

She swung her claws at it, but Kisho quickly caught her by the wrist before her poison like claws could harm the tree. His teeth were clenched together as he struggled against her with his injured arm, "I don't want to hurt you, but if you do anything to this tree..."

"You'll kill me? Feh, like that would ever happen. I will make you fight me no matter what!"

Iluska used her right leg to knee Kisho right in the stomach. He instantly released his grip he had on her as he recoiled from her attack. As he backed off she quickly took advantage of his vulnerability and struck him hard across the right side of his face with her hands extend forward. Kisho was thrown back against the tree as Iluska began to close in on him. His body was limp as he laid there against the tree and Iluska thought he had fallen unconscious, but she was wrong. As she took another step towards him, his left eye suddenly opened. His eye was dark red as it stared at her. His eye startled Iluska as she stared into it. She could feel his demonic power pulse as it took over his body. His claws suddenly swung across the air at her at incredible speeds. She leaped into the air to avoid him, but she felt a sharp pain in her. As she glanced down she could see a spray of blood coming from her injured legs. She landed a few feet back from Kisho as she held her bleeding legs, "How did he get so fast all of sudden?"

She looked up just in time to see Kisho beginning to approach her now. His pure white hair blew in the wind as it covered the right side of his face. The sudden increase in the winds blew the fog far away. The forest was easier to see now even in the darkness that stretched across the plains. Kisho's eye was still blood red as he stopped in front of her. Iluska could still feel his strange demonic energy as she slowly got back up to her feet, "What...?"

"Happened?" Kisho said in a surprisingly calm voice.

"Yes..." Iluska said slowly as she stared at him.

"I only wished to save him."

Iluska raised an eyebrow as she listened to him, "You're not Kisho are you."

"No, I am not. I fear, my time is short. Iluska you believed Naraku when he told you that embracing your demon powers would make you stronger."

"I still do!" Iluska shouted.

"Kisho...he does not wield his demon power unless it's to protect. Yet, he is your equal in strength. Why is that?"

Iluska was silent as she stared at him. Kisho or whoever had control over his body only nodded his head lightly before Kisho's eye returned to its normal color. As soon as Kisho was in control again his hand instantly went to his sliced face.

"Lies..." Iluska said as her hands began to shake, "I'll show you! You hear me? I will destroy you to prove everyone wrong!" Iluska growled loudly as her hands and body began to transform.

Kisho was bent on the ground still holding his head. When Iluska struck him with her poison claws it had left a large claw mark across his right side of his face. The wound was deep and Kisho couldn't heal this wound. He was beginning to realize that acid attacks were difficult for him to heal. His right eye was kept shut since the poison had blinded him as well.

With his good eye he looked up to sky and realized that there was a blue moon out, "Oh, great."

Iluska was fully transformed now in her half dog, half human form. She barked a loud call at Kisho as she attacked him straight on. Like a wild animal she charged at him, using brute force rather then strategy to take him down. Kisho was holding back his transformation as he raised his claws defend against her. She swung her large claws at him as he used his own to block against her, but she was far stronger then he was now and his defense only resulted in breaking his arm. Kisho was having a difficult time with this as he backed up to give himself room, but as he did Iluska kept the pressure on and she swung her claws into his side knocking him into the bushes.

The night air was becoming colder now as she exhaled a small cloud of mist through her long dog like nose. Her red eyes stared at the bushes as she slowly stalked her pray. She stood up on her hind legs as her large paws pressed against the moist dirt. Her ears were flat against her head in aggression as drool rolled from her jaws. She expected Kisho to be dead after such a violent attack, but she knew the she shouldn't underestimate him. Iluska reached out with one of her claws to see if his body was still there. As she pushed aside the green bushes, Kisho suddenly leaped out and tackled her to the ground. His white fur glowed in the night as his newly transformed body lashed out at his own sister. His jaws snapped to bite her neck, but she managed to catch his jaws just before he reached her.

"I thought you didn't want to kill me," Iluska said in a mocking tone.

Kisho's yellow eyes locked with her's as his powerful jaws twisted to the side to bite down on her arm, crushing the bones like butter. 'I will not let you get in my way any longer. Naraku is mine to fight, not you or anyone else is going to stop me.' Kisho said mentally to her just as she managed to throw him off.

Kisho landed on his four legs as he growled at her. Iluska shook off the blood from her arm as she growled back. She got down on her three legs now and they both circled each other like two animals fighting for dominance. Even though she was injured, she was still able to move quite quickly. The same implied with Kisho who still had an injured arm and face. Iluska suddenly charged forward towards Kisho while he did the same. The two leapt into the air with claws and fangs exposed to claim each other's life.

-----

"Sango!"

"Yes, Miroku?" Sango said just as she raised her bone boomerang to block an incoming attack.

"How are you holding up?"

"I could be better," Sango replied as she pushed back her brother's sickle and chain.

Sango and Miroku had been journeying back to meet up with everyone else, but Kohaku had ambushed them with a group of demons. So far Miroku and Sango were able to hold their ground, but it was difficult when they couldn't harm Kohaku.

Miroku swung his staff at one of the demons to knock it away. He could feel his hand with the wind tunnel begin to ache, 'Not much time left...'

"Why are we being attack all of a sudden?" Sango cried out as she continued to defend herself from her brother's attacks.

"I believe that Naraku is trying to delay us for some reason. He must have something else planned for everyone else."

"Inuyasha?"

"Perhaps, though I'm sure his sights are really on Kisho."

"Kisho?" Kohaku said as he suddenly snapped out of his trance.

Sango and Miroku both looked towards Kohaku who had suddenly stopped his attacks. His sickle rested in his hand while the long chain laid against the ground like a coiled up snake.

"Kohaku?" Sango said in a gentle voice in hopes that her brother would recognize her.

"I know that name..."

"He must have met Kisho before. What ever happened between them it must have impacted him enough that he regained control temporarily," Miroku said as he watched the young boy who seemed lost in his thoughts.

Sango opened her mouth to say something else, but Kohaku suddenly leaped back into the forest and disappeared with a trail of demons following him. "I'll save you Kohaku...somehow."

Miroku nodded his head lightly but something didn't feel quiet right. His hand gripped his wind tunnel arm as he felt it beginning to grow, "Sango, I don't have much time. You have to get out of here."

"What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere. Come on we have to join with everyone else."

"No, I don't know when it's going to open up, but it's soon."

"I'm not talking about that. We have to help defeat Naraku, right? Just hold on a bit longer."

Miroku sighed lightly, but he had a smile across his face, "You'd risk me being so close to everyone?"

"That's because I know we're going to defeat Naraku in time."

Miroku couldn't help but laugh lightly, "Ok, then let's hurry."

---

"Kagura! You'll pay with your life," Koga yelled as he lunged at Kagura with his claws pulled forward to attack.

"Weak attempt little wolf," Kagura swung her fan in the air to create a sudden gust of wind that blew him back.

"My turn!" Keiji had leaped into the air behind Kagura and he threw his large sword at her.

Kagura quickly leaped away just as his sword struck against the ground. She had to admit Koga and Keiji were keeping the pressure on her, but Keiji had made a great mistake, because he couldn't defend himself while he was in the sky. Kagura was about to swing her fan again, but an arrow suddenly struck through it, knocking it from her hands. "What?"

"Where did that come from?" Koga said to Keiji.

"Ah, I know whose arrow that is. It's sis."

"And you're right," Kyoko said as she appeared from the shadows from where she was hiding.

"I thought you were with Kisho," Keiji said as he looked to his twin sister.

"Don't tell me the mutts all got killed," Koga asked as he cocked his head to the side.

"No, something's going on down at the village. This fog rolled in and before I knew it I was here somehow."

"Something's happening down there. Well let's finish this fast. I can't let that mutt, Inuyasha have all the fun," Koga cracked his fingers as his eyes turned towards Kagura.

The three wolf demons face Kagura and as they did wolves from their tribe began to appear in the mountains behind them. Kagura wasn't sure if she could defend against them all, but she couldn't retreat. If she did Naraku who surely kill her. She stood her ground as she faced her foes, "I'll survive somehow."

---

"Ahh help me!" a young girl cried out as her soul began to leave her body.

Kanna had wandered into a village to collect souls by the order of Naraku. The girl's soul she was taking was easy to collect, but she was suddenly interrupted by a certain fox demon. Shippo grabbed the girl and leaped up to the rooftops. Luckily he had intervened just in time and her soul was only partly taken away. "Thank you..."

Shippo smiled lightly as he leaped off the rooftops, "Stay up here!" he shouted back to her. He landed against the ground in front of Kanna with his claws readied.

"I can handle you for sure."

"Naraku...wants everyone's souls," she replied in a monotone voice. Her mirror tilted in Shippo's direction. His reflection shined back to him as the mirror began to glow. Kanna was noticing that the mirror wasn't sucking his out his soul, "Something's...wrong."

"That's right, because the real me to behind you!" Shippo yelled out as he swung his claws down upon her.

---

Inuyasha was still wandering around, lost in the deepest part of the woods. His ears flickered lightly as he tried to pick up any sounds, "Damn Naraku. I knew he had something planned."

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha snapped his head back to the sound of his name. As his eyes gazed into the darkness he saw who had called him, "Kagome..."

She held her arrow aimed straight for him in perfect form. Her eyes were just as dull as Kisho's were when he had been controlled.

Inuyasha wasn't going to fight her, but he had to find a way to get the creature off her neck. She didn't hesitate one bit as she let her arrow go. Inuyasha luckily leapt into the air and pushed off one of the trees's to avoid the purified arrow. As he flew high into the air he readied his claws to strike the creature on her neck. 'I can almost see it.'

"Inuyasha, sit!"

"What?!" Inuyasha yelled as he felt the beads around his neck being pulled straight towards the ground. Inuyasha crashed into the ground in front of Kagome, head first. His head rested against the dirt for a brief moment before he snapped his head back up, "What the hell was that for?"

Inuyasha was yelling things out like he did in the past out of habit, but he suddenly remembered that Kagome wasn't in control of herself now. Kagome didn't say a word as she raised an arrow straight at Inuyasha at point blank range. There was no way for Inuyasha to dodge the attack as he remained on the ground, "Kagome, you have to listen to me. Naraku is controlling you."

Kagome didn't say a thing nor did she flinch to what he was saying.

"I know you're stronger then that Kagome. Wake up already! Kisho woke up and he's just like you. We all miss you...I miss you."

Kagome's eyes blinked lightly as her arm slowly began to lower.

"We've missed a lot Kagome. Kisho and Iluska have grown a lot, they're not pups anymore. Kisho has journeyed all this way here to save us. We can't just die...and let Naraku win. Naraku is the one that wants to take them away from us! I don't know what kind of dream land you're in, but you have to face the truth!"

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered as she lowered her arrow.

---

Iluska and Kisho had been fighting it out like a pair of rabid dogs. They had slashed and bit each other at any chance they could get. Their claws and teeth dripped with fresh blood as they continued on fighting. The two were getting tired though. Kisho was breathing heavily as he stood his ground while Iluska was panting with her tongue hanging out.

"Face it, Kisho. You cannot kill me. You don't have the strength or the will to even make a scratch."

Kisho growled at her with his teeth barred. His fur on his neck stood on end as he leapt at her. He ran on his four legs at her until he was close to strike her. Kisho suddenly skidded to a stop as he stood up on two legs. Since he was standing now he swung his claws into Iluska neck, injuring her severely.

She was shocked by his sudden attack as she fell against the ground, bleeding. Her body felt like it had no energy to move. Iluska tilted her head slightly just in time to see Kisho swing his claws down. She shut her eyes in fear that Kisho would strike her down, but as she opened them slightly to see what had happen Kisho had stopped his claws from hitting her. He snorted to her lightly as he began to walk away from her on his four legs.

"Why? Why didn't you kill me? Why are you stronger then me? I've trained my entire life and you...you lived a normal life without fighting and death consuming your life."

Kisho glanced over his shoulder as he looked at her with his yellow eyes. His white and red fur blew in the wind as the moon shined down on his glossy fur, "I'm not stronger then you. I am weak, but unlike you I have friends that believe in me and I fight for a reason. What reason do you fight for? Nothing. My life has been everything but normal."

"But Naraku..."

"Gave you a reason? No he didn't. He gives you orders and tells you what to do. What's the point in life if you can't think for yourself? I told you before that I didn't want to kill you and I still don't. The injury on your neck will heal in time. I blunted my claws before I hit you," Kisho headed off into the night as Iluska watched him.

Her eyes had changed from red to blue as she weakly sat up. She had known nothing more, but to fight. What Kisho had said had made her think crucially about what she should do now. It wasn't long until she walked off into the night in a different direct that Kisho had gone off too.

"He's much stronger then I have first expected, but that doesn't matter anymore. I'm one shard away from completing the jewel and once I have it in my grip, then his life and world will fall apart before his eyes."

'Naraku...Kisho will not fall.'

'You speak highly of him, Tora, but he will fall. Just like you.'

Chapter 22 (Preview)

'Why? Why didn't I know sooner? I could have stopped it."

'Blood...there's so much blood that the very ground we stood on was tainted red.'

'Our first causality is now a reality...no one could have stopped it.'

'Our hopes lie within him.'

'This is our last march, there is no turning back. '

'Please...let there be some other way.'

'May the guardians guide your soul to safety.'

'Naraku...I will fight you to the bitter end. Even if it means by own life.'