Inuyasha

Coming of Age

Chapter 23

"The shard is mine!"

Kisho felt like his inner soul was ripped away from his body. His cloudy eyes cleared as the Shikon Jewel shard twirled before his vision. The shard had bathed in Kisho's good nature heart for so long that it had such a warm feeling to it. Kisho watched the very being of his existence be taken away from him by the devil himself. The thing that made him strong and unique was gone as his soul past into the darkness of hell.

Naraku lifted the small jewel shard in his hand observing the unusual glow to it, "This one is resistant to my powers. No matter, it will falter."

The little shard's bright glow began to fade more and more as it remained in Naraku's hand. As Naraku stood there he suddenly leaped back as Tetsusaiga came crashing down against the ground. Inuyasha's face was twisted in anger as his claws gripped around Tetsusaiga tightly. The debris blew all around his white hair as his eyes searched the shadows for Naraku, "You'll pay, Naraku! I swear I will destroy you today!"

"Ho, ho. Inuyasha, you have said that before and yet here I am."

"This is different now," Inuyasha said with a growl as his eyes countuned to search for Naraku. Deep in the shadows something moved that caught Inuyasha's attention and he swung Tetsusaiga down, "Wind Scar!"

The attack twirled with the Wind Scar attack until it finally straightened out and leveled down the entire section of the forest. Inuyasha snorted lightly when he didn't see Naraku there. His nose could hardly pick up his scent since the air was filled with blood. Inuyasha glanced down to his fallen comrades who laid motionless against the ground. Most were unconscious from Naraku's attack, but others were unconscious from the amount of wounds they had received.

Naraku stepped out on the plains where everyone laid unconscious. His dark eyes stared at each and every one of them. His eyes then lifted to look back at Inuyasha with a faint grin spread across his face, "Inuyasha. You have come so far...yet in the end you will loose everything you have gained. Friends, family, and then your life."

Inuyasha growled as he raised his sword again to attack, but in a single breath Naraku was face to face with him. His speed was mind boggling and Inuyasha didn't even see Naraku move. Naraku grabbed him by the throat and held him down against the ground, "Hanyou...disgusting."

"You should talk," Inuyasha said between gasps.

Naraku tightened his grip around the hanyou's neck as his eyes shifted to Kagome holding onto Kisho's body, "I was going to give you the pleasure of dying first, but now you must watch your women parish."

"Kag..ome.." Inuyasha tried to yell, but his voice was stuck in his throat.

Naraku's hand shot forward to claim Kagome's life next. She was unaware of the danger she was in until her eyes caught the sight of something speeding towards her. Her head lifted to meet her doom, but her life wasn't taken. Before Naraku grabbed her, his hand was stopped by another individual. Someone who Inuyasha would have never expected to help. Holding back Naraku's hand was Iluska. She was still relatively weak from her fight with Kisho, but she was able to hold Naraku back for a moment, "Get out of here!" She barked at Kagome. Kagome quickly got to her feet, carrying Kisho and ran further down the meadow.

"Iluska...I thought you would have died by now," Naraku said as he thrusted his hand forward to strike her across the chest.

Iluska moved to the side so the attack would side glance off her body, "Sorry to disappoint you Naraku. Things have changed."

"Indeed," Naraku looked down to Inuyasha and released him. Naraku then leaped back into the air when another unknown attack flew down from the sky.

The attack had originated from Sesshomaru who had finally gotten free from Naraku's little creature. The entire time he had been building enough power to crush the creature, which he did in the end.

Naraku laughed as his demonic energy began to surge, "Fools you are too late. I'm about to become a full demon before your eyes!"

Sesshomaru landed near Inuyasha and he glanced slightly to his younger brother who was rubbing his neck, "Inuyasha..."

"Don't expect a thanks!" Inuyasha snapped as he got up.

"I don't," Sesshomaru sneered as he turned back to Naraku, "You should get your women and pups out of here."

"Kagome will leave," Inuyasha said as he held Tetsusaiga out, "I have business to finish here."

Sesshomaru didn't say a word though he nodded to him lightly. As Naraku began to build more energy up the others who were knocked out woke up. The surge of energy had sparked something in their minds, alerting them of the danger.

Keiji rubbed the back of his head as he used his sword to help himself up, "Ouch, damn that hurt a lot."

Miroku and Sango were limping off to the side slowly, but Miroku stopped as he turned to face Naraku, "Sango I'm staying."

"Then I will too. I have to save Kohaku."

Miroku opened his mouth to argue with her, but Sango stared back at him with a determine look to her eyes. Miroku knew she wouldn't leave even if he made her and it would be best if he had some backup, "Alright..."

"Kisho..." Tora said lightly as he slowly got up, "What happened to him?"

Shippo stared out towards the well where Kagome had fled to, "He's...dead."

"Impossible," Tora growled, "How could he?"

"The shard is what keeps him alive," Koga said as he slowly got to his feet, "It must be where his powers come from too."

"How the hell did you know that?" Shippo said with a snort, "You don't know anything."

"Shut up!"

"Now isn't the time to argue you two," Miroku said with his arm raised. His head turned towards the transforming Naraku, "We have much bigger problems now."

By the well, Kagome still held onto Kisho's body tightly. Kyoko had been following Kagome to make sure she was safe, but she too couldn't believe Kisho was really gone. His body no longer represented his true happy nature. What was left was a mangled mess representing their fate.

"Kisho...why?" Kyoko mumbled as she leaned against the well.

"If we win this fight we can save him," Iluska said as she limped towards them, "He needs the Shikon shard to live."

"The longer Naraku has that Jewel the shorter our chances are in saving Kisho," Kagome said as she held Kisho close, "If we can hear us Kisho. Please wait just a little longer."

"Help me!" Kisho cried out while he was being pulled down to hell. Chains made out of fire wrapped around his neck, ankles and wrist pulling the young soul down. All around, there were little demons guarding Kisho. Their devilish eyes stared at him while they hissed and laughed. Kisho felt like he was loosing touch with himself. Things seemed to get darker and fainter. His senses were dulling slowly and he almost felt like he had completely faded away when something unusual happened. Kisho saw one of the little demons explode and soon another exploded. All around him the little creatures were destroyed. The last thing Kisho remembered was someone catching him within the deepest parts of hell.

"Kisho..."

Kisho's mind felt like a blank slate, but when he heard a voice echo inside his dark mind he slowly began to feel things again. His senses returned to him and even his feeling of life seemed to fill his mind even though it was just an illusion.

"Kisho..."

The voice repeated its call again. This time Kisho recognized the voice. He had heard it sometime before in his head. The voice was filled with compassion yet; Kisho could also sense immense power behind it. "I can here you, but I can never see you. Where are you?"

"Open your eyes, Kisho."

Kisho felt like his eyes had been open, but to his surprise they had been closed the entire time. His body was resting in a large open field full of flowers. The sky was crystal clear, not a single cloud in the sky. Kisho slowly sat up as he gazed at his beautiful surroundings, "Am I still in hell?"

"No, but I wouldn't call this heaven either. This is a place where a soul can rest for all eternity if it wishes or it can reject this place and be reborn. Does your soul wish to rest?"

Kisho blinked lightly as he glanced to the person who was speaking to him. The man was a tall young look man. His face seemed young at first, but with a closer look Kisho realized he was older then he first thought. He wore an usual set of armor, something Kisho had never seen before. His white hair was kept tied behind his back with a simple tie. His eyes stared right at Kisho, studying his every movement. Kisho felt uneasy and calm at the same time in his presents. His face seemed to show no emotion, yet deep down Kisho could sense this mans feelings. Kisho was dead silent as the man stared down at him. Deep down Kisho knew who this man was, but he dared not speak his name.

"Well?"

Kisho opened his mouth to answer, but the answer just didn't seem to come out. The man nodded his head lightly as he slowly began to walk through the field of flowers. With each step he took the flowers blew into the air all around him. His white hair flowed in the twirling wind, "I see. You are still unsure even after all you've been through."

"You think the answer is that easy?" Kisho barked as he sat their in the field of flowers, "I'm tired...my senses are fading. My body screams to rest and live here to the end of time."

"But-?" the man asked as his eyes stared back to Kisho who was gripping his chest now where his heart would be.

"I can hear them," Kisho shut his eyes lightly; "I can hear their voices crying out in pain. Even in death I can smell the blood in the air. They continue on fighting, even when I have past. Why don't they run away!?"

"Because of you."

"Me?"

"You died fighting for their sake. You died to save the world. They don't want to be one of those people who die as they just standby as the world falls into darkness. Kisho, you can't fully returned to life unless you are sure of what you want to do. You always do what the people around expect you to do. For once in your life Kisho, think of what you want to do with your heart instead of your brain."

Kisho kept his eyes shut as he thought to himself. 'How can I return to life? The shard is what made me who I was, without it I can't return. No...I can't think about anything like that. I'm who I always was. I'm Kisho, the son of Inuyasha and Kagome. I come from a powerful dog demon line. I have to prove to my grandfather, that stands before me that I'm worthy of inheriting my own power. I remember fearing the power, but now I have to embrace it. I will return!'

Kisho opened his eyes just as he felt his grandfather place his clawed hands on both of his shoulders, "My grandson, fight your way out of here. The journey won't be easy..."

"I know," Kisho mumbled as the field of flowers began to disappear along with his grandfather, "I will fight and nothing won't stop me, even hell itself!"

The flower world shattered as the demons from hell appeared again with chains in their claws. They hissed and pointed to the young dog demon boy who stood their. Kisho clutched his hands together as he began to feel his demon energy flow again. The power flowed through his soul as his eyes turned a dark red. He would have to embrace the demon side of himself that was unleashed only when he was on the brink of death. Even though he was embracing his blood thirsty demon side he could feel that he was in complete control His hair became pure white as his fangs and claws grew sharper. On his arms, Kisho had strange markings where his grandfather had gripped him. He now barred a marking that was past through his family line. Kisho felt his new powers flow from every point of his body. While he was staring down at his new form the demons lunged to snatch his soul again. As they neared him, Kisho flashed his red eyes and growled. The demons hissed back, but to their surprised Kisho swung his claws at them and destroyed a whole line of the little demons. The remaining few shrieked in fear. No soul had ever successfully destroyed so many in one swing. The demons tried to attack again and the same result happened. Kisho destroyed even more then the last as he slowly walked forward. A huge wave of demons appeared to attack, but something strange happen.

From the hellish skies flew a large green dragon and with him was a line of demons. Kisho raised his claws to defend himself, but the dragon blew its fiery breath at the little demons. Realizing that these demons were on his side Kisho stood staring at the strange beasts. The dragon's eyes shifted slightly to look at Kisho, "Get out of here! We'll hold them of. Tell Tora that he's worthy of being the last of our tribe. Also tell him we're sorry. Destroy Naraku for us, Kisho. We trust you will succeed."

Kisho hesitated for a moment before he nodded, "I will."

The dragon along with the other beast like demons attacked the little demons. A full out war raged as Kisho ran through the fighting beast. He had to dodge and leap to avoid the fighting demons, but as he ran he could feel the pain in his chest increase more and more. The pain was almost unbearable, but Kisho extended his hand out as if he was trying to reach something, "I have to go back...come on body, wake up and heal yourself. We can win this!"

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were flung across the field like useless rag dolls. Their bodies were covered in wounds as they tried to fight the full demon Naraku. His body was now more powerful then any one of them could imagine, but the group still kept fighting. When the two dog demons were down, the other group members tried to attack Naraku. While the fighting went on Kagome and Iluska kept guard on Kisho's body.

Iluska was silently watching Naraku fight when she heard something that sounded like a thump. Her eyes glanced around to see the source of the sound, but she didn't see anything their. As she lowered her head she heard the thump again. She turned around and looked down to Kisho. His eyes hard been shut the whole time, but suddenly they snapped opened.

"Kisho!?"

Kagome was startled by Iluska yell and she jumped back slightly. Her head snapped to look down at her injured son. The hole in Kisho's chest began to heal itself along with the other wounds. His hands slowly began to move once again as the color of his skin returned back to normal. His body already shifted to his more demon like appearance as he laid there. The only exception was, his eyes remained a light bright color.

"But...how?" Kagome said as she stared down in joy.

"I thought he couldn't heal himself unless he had the shard," Iluska commented as she looked down in disbelief still.

"Have a little faith..." Kisho whispered as he slowly sat up, "I've finally found who I really am. Now is the time to fight..."

"Wait!" Kagome said as she went to his side, "I don't want to lose you again."

Kisho smiled to her as he got to his feet, "I won't lose this time. Things are different."

"So is Naraku," Iluska said with a snort.

"I know," Kisho said as he looked towards Naraku, "We are both different, yet we are the same. We want the Shikon Jewel. Trust me, I will stop him."

Kagome was silent as she stared up to Kisho. Even though she didn't want him to fight she could sense that there was something different about him. She felt her head nod, "Then destroy him...make him pay!"

Kisho nodded as he ran forward towards Naraku.

"Why did you let him go? He's just going to get hurt again," Iluska said with a concerned look as she watched her twin brother run off.

"Can't you sense it? Something's different about him. He's changed somehow. I think he really can do it."

'My grandson, your Coming of Age began at the start of your journey and it has a long road to go to its end, but you have taken your first step in understanding your power. Use it well in the fight against Naraku and one day you will become what you truly desire.'