Well chapter eighteen is up now. Don't worry I won't be killing off Inu-Yasha, it would ruin the ending ;). So relax and enjoy. You get to see what Naraku's plan was in this one.
Disclaimer: …
"Is that all of them?" asked Inu-Yasha throwing the last bit of dirt on the grave he had been filling in.
"It is" said Miroku as he put up the marker for the grave.
"Good" grunted Inu-Yasha, "let's get going".
"Its about time" said Kouga.
"You know you don't have to hang around fleabag" snipped Inu-Yasha half-heartedly.
"Don't be so mean Inu-Yasha," said Shippo still sitting on Ginta's shoulder. "Though I am curious, why are you guy's still here?"
"No where else to go right now I suppose" said Ginta shrugging indifferently. Neither him nor Hakkaku cared whether they stayed with Inu-Yasha's group or not. It was Kouga that always seemed to have a problem with Inu-Yasha after all, not them.
Inu-Yasha gave a half-hearted "keh" and headed off down the road.
"I'm not going anywhere," said Kouga, "someone has to track down Kagome. Can't expect you to do it with the way you've been sulking around". Kouga regretted those words the second they left his mouth because in the same instant he found himself on the ground with a very sore jaw. Inu-Yasha pulled his arm back for another punch but everyone else grabbed a hold of him to hold him back.
"Calm down Inu-Yasha" said Sango, "we're all a little tense right now".
Inu-Yasha snorted and shrugged everyone off. "He's not worth it anyway" he muttered before heading down the road.
Kouga stood up with a smug look, which rapidly evaporated, and everyone else, even Ginta and Hakkaku gave him angry glares before following Inu-Yasha.
Kouga blinked stupidly before following as well. "What? What did I say?" he asked totally at a loss.
"Inu-Yasha's right" muttered Sango, "you are an idiot"
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"Good" said Naraku observing Inu-Yasha's group through Kanna's mirror, "they are going exactly where I thought they would". Now I need only to wait for the right moment he thought.
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Kagome walked along to where she was supposed to go idly sharpening a stick with her claws. The 'scratch scratch scratch' sound of it was getting on Kagura's nerves. "Why are you doing that?" asked Kagura, "it's very annoying"
Kagome paused in her sharpening of the stick and grinned at Kagura. "Because I feel like it" she said.
"Well stop" said Kagura, "it's irritating". Kagome did stop and kept staring at Kagura. "What is it?" grumbled Kagura.
"You don't seem very happy" observed Kagome.
"What do you mean?" said Kagura raising an eyebrow.
"Exactly what I said" said Kagome, "every time I've seen you for an extended period of time since going to Naraku's castle you've spent some of the time brooding".
Kagura made an irritated noise and looked away. The girl was perceptive, Kagura had to give her that at least. She could have no idea though, that monster held Kagura's heart in his hand after all. But she could be of help thought Kagura. At length she turned back to Kagome. "What do you think of Naraku?" she asked.
Kagome wrinkled her nose. "He disgusts me to be honest" she admitted.
"Then why did you come?" asked Kagura.
"He planted that stupid voice in my head" explained Kagome, "so I didn't have much choice really. That and he has most of the jewel".
"And you plan on taking it" said Kagura. It was more of a statement then a question.
Kagome grinned wickedly showing her fangs. "Now Kagura" she said in a fake sounding insulted voice, "that would be betrayal". Kagura chuckled at Kagome. She just couldn't decide what she thought of the other demoness. One minute she drove her up the wall and the next she was the most likeable person Kagura had ever met.
"Why do you listen to Naraku?" asked Kagome after a few more minutes of walking.
Kagura looked at the ground for a second not really sure what she would say. Eventually she settled on "I have no choice".
"Really" said Kagome, "well that won't do will it?"
"What do you mean?" asked Kagura looking back up at Kagome. The other demoness just grinned and went back to perpetually sharpening her stick.
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Inu-Yasha sulked for the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon as the group travelled in silence. Some had attempted to cheer him up but everything they did just made Inu-Yasha grouchy on top of the sulking so they gave up and left him alone.
Inu-Yasha snapped out of it, at least temporarily anyway, when he smelled something. "What is it Inu-Yasha?" asked Miroku.
"Someone is coming" he said, "and he's wounded".
"I smell it too" said Kouga.
The group ran off down the road and after about a minute met a man stumbling the other way clutching at a wicked gash across his right arm. "What happened?" asked Sango.
"Demons" gasped the man, "two of them. Attacked my village, please, will you help?"
Inu-Yasha walked up to the man and sniffed at his wound. His face grew dark when he did. "Yah" he said, "we'll go. You wait here".
Without saying another word Inu-Yasha took off at top speed.
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A half hour earlier
Kagome and Kagura crouched in the bushes and surveyed the village. "When did you say we were supposed to attack?" asked Kagura.
"When this thing glows" said Kagome holding up a small glass bead. As if on cue the bead began to glow a dull blue color. "Now" said Kagome dropping the ball and leaping out of the bushes. She charged the nearest villager. He screamed and tried to fend her off but dropped to the ground shredded to pieces.
Kagura was calmer about it. She just walked out of the bushed and launched a wave of energy blades at one of the houses causing it to collapse.
Kagome pounced on one of the villagers slashing his right arm open in the process. "Why don't you run?" she purred, "It will be more entertaining that way". She hopped off the man and started to circle him. He ran and she herded him toward the road in the process. Once he was gone Kagome pretended to get bored with him and chased another villager instead.
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Kagome thought Inu-Yasha running as fast as he could, what could you be thinking? Even with Kagome turning into a demon her spiritual powers should have kept her from going insane. He only hoped he could talk some sense into the girl before she did anything else. He finally caught Kagome's scent along with the other demon the man had mentioned. He skidded to a stop and Kouga almost smacked into him from behind.
"What was that for mutt?" he snarled.
"You don't smell that?" said Inu-Yasha.
Kouga sniffed the air and growled when he caught the scent. "Kagura" he snarled.
"That makes no sense" called Sango from her perch on Kilala's back, "why would Kagome be working with Kagura?"
Inu-Yasha said nothing and started running again instead. They were close now, just one more bend. Inu-Yasha skidded to a stop again when he turned the final corner leading up to the village and began to walk very slowly. The scene was identical to the last one. Dead bodies lay in heaps on the streets and the building were all either collapsed or on fire or both.
Eventually Inu-Yasha found Kagome. She was standing next to one of the burning buildings and in her hand was one of the villagers. "Hello Inu-Yasha" she said grinning wickedly, "so nice to see you again".
"Put him down Kagome" said Inu-Yasha, "he has nothing to do with this".
Kagome sighed and let go of the man. "If I must" she said before the smile returned.
"Thank you, thank you" babbled the man as he tried to get up. Before he could though Kagome slammer her foot down on the back of his neck, snapping it and killing him instantly.
Kagome didn't stop grinning as Inu-Yasha snarled at her. "What's wrong Inu-Yasha?" said Kagome kicking the corpse aside, "cat got your tongue?"
"Why?" said Inu-Yasha at length, "Why are you doing these things Kagome? Have you gone totally insane?"
Kagome put on a fake pout as she stepped closer to Inu-Yasha. "Why Inu-Yasha I'm hurt" she said, "not even a hello for your friend?"
"Friend?" snapped Inu-Yasha, "you aren't my friend, I don't even know you. The real Kagome would never have done this".
"whatever do you mean?" purred Kagome. They were standing face to face now and Inu-Yasha could see the cruel mirth in Kagome's eyes and she the terrible hurt in his. Kagome's heart had become like ice while Inu-Yasha's had been torn in two.
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The others tried to follow Inu-Yasha but Kagura got in their way. "Move aside witch" snarled Kouga, "we aren't here for you. We came to get Kagome back".
"Sorry" said Kagura, "but she asked me to give her a little private time with Inu-Yasha. Dance of the dead". The dead villagers began to stand back up and shamble toward the group.
"Damn it" snarled Kouga suddenly realizing why they had killed the villagers, "we don't have time for this". He raised his hands to fend off a clumsy strike from one of the zombies and sent it flying with a kick of his own. It just got back up and kept coming.
"Agreed" said Miroku swinging his staff around and knocking a couple more zombies back, "we have to get to Kagome and Inu-Yasha as soon as possible".
Now where is it? thought Kagura as she looked around eventually spotting Kagome's backpack lying where it had been dropped when she sent the zombies after the group. "Dance of the dragon" she said creating a tornado. The small wind storm sucked the pack up and tossed it over to her.
"Put that down" shouted Sango as she charged Kagura. Kagura twisted her fan and sent a bunch of the zombie's flying toward the exterminator. They collided with the young woman forcing her to block.
"Now where are they" said Kagura as she rummaged through the pack, "Ah here they are". She pulled out the jar containing Kagome's jewel shards and tossed the pack aside.
"She has the shards" shouted Hakkaku.
The group tried to reach Kagura but she flew off on her feather before they could leaving them to deal with the zombie's.
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For a second Inu-Yasha thought he saw something flicker in Kagome's eyes but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. She leaned forward and kissed him again. "my offer is still open" she said, "come with me".
"No" said Inu-Yasha stubbornly, "you are going to come with me". His hand shot out and attempted to grab Kagome's wrist but she was too quick and managed to dance away.
"Too slow Inu-Yasha" she taunted. Inu-Yasha lunged and tried to grab Kagome again but she dodged and scratched Inu-Yasha on his left cheek.
Kagome made a dissaprouving noise and Inu-Yasha rubbed the scratch. "Come on Inu-Yasha you aren't even trying" said Kagome.
"I don't want to hurt you" growled Inu-Yasha lunging for Kagome again.
"You won't if you keep that up" purred Kagome, this time hopping up onto the roof of one of the few huts left standing.
Inu-Yasha followed her up and glared at her. "Having fun?" said a voice from behind him. Inu-Yasha spun around to see Kagura hovering there on her feather.
"Oh hello Kagura" said Kagome, "I'm having lots of fun, but thank you for asking. Do you have them?"
Kagura nodded and held up the bottle of jewel shards. "right here" she said, "shall we go or do you want to stay longer?"
"What's going on here?" snarled Inu-Yasha.
"it should be obvious" said Kagome hopping onto the feather with Kagura, "I'll see you soon Inu-Yasha".
"Oh no you don't" shouted Inu-Yasha leaping for it himself but a gust of wind send him crashing to the ground again and The two Demoness's flew off.
A few minutes later the others arrived having finally finished off the zombie's to find Inu-Yasha huddled against the wall of the hut. "What happened?" asked Sango, "did you see Kagome"
"Yah" muttered Inu-Yasha sullenly, "she's gone again. I doubt we will ever get her back".
Author's notes
Well that's chapter eighteen. I may or may not update tomorrow as I'm going to the water park in west ed. Well ciao!
