Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Kanna's Mirror
March 2nd
Crossing the wasteland had been tough. Kagome knew that there would have been no way that they would have made it had they been a group of normal travelers. Luckily she and Shippo had ridden on Inuyasha's back as he raced through the land, and Sango and Miroku flew with Kirara.
Four times during the journey they had to stop and rest. Inuyasha would complain about the delay and insist that he could go on, but Kagome didn't want to risk her friend's health, or life, so they would walk for a time after resting. Sango and Miroku would take turns holding Kirara so she could rest up, and Shippo would cuddle up with Kagome or sit on Inuyasha's shoulder. Since her illness, the young kit did not like to be out of arms reach of his surrogate mother.
Kagome looked over at the sleeping hanyou. Regardless of what he said, the trip had taken a lot out of him. He had been sleeping for hours. He would need to wake up soon if they were to continue on before nightfall. Kagome smiled an evil smile as she waded in the cool water of the river they had found at the base of the mountain.
Sango and Miroku, who were sitting on the edge of the bank with their feet cooling off in the water, wondered at that smile. Their eyes opened wide when they realized who she was smiling at. They watched in silence as she left the river, walked silently to their camping supplies, scooped up water with their cooking pot and quietly tiptoed over to the snoozing demon.
Moments later the shouting and snarling could be heard throughout the mountain, followed by the shrieks of a giggling girl. A thoroughly drenched Inuyasha growled and chased Kagome.
"I'm gonna get you, wench!"
Kagome would have responded with something witty if she wasn't so breathless from running and laughing. Her sides began to ache from the laughter. She squealed when she was caught and screamed as she felt herself dropping. She barely had time to catch and hold a breath before she plunged feet first into the river.
The water was icy cold, a much needed relief from the sweltering heat they had just endured. Kagome felt her feet touch the sandy bottom and pushed herself back upwards towards the surface, opening up her arms and turning slowly in a circle on the way back up. She felt like a weightless ballet dancer. It felt very nice.
When she broke the surface she saw that Sango and Miroku were also soaked to the bone, with their feet still in the water, and Shippo was racing from shoulder to shoulder to escape Inuyasha's grasp. But what made Kagome smile was the laughter.
This is what we needed she sighed, We needed a break. We needed a little laughter.
While Shippo was tossed into the water Kagome floated on her back and watched the sunlight twinkle between the leaves of the trees. The feeling of cool water against her skin was heavenly. Of course, she would have preferred a swimsuit to swimming in her clothes, but one wasn't available and skinny dipping was out of the question with the guys around. She was glad that she had an extra set of dry clothes in her bag. The ones she had on were in desperate need of washing anyhow.
Something made Kagome stop swimming. She felt a pull coming from up the river. It wasn't anything she could put her finger on, it was just an odd feeling. Looking at her friends, who were now all in the water splashing each other and having fun, she grinned. No sense bugging them when it's probably nothing.
Slowly she paddled against the slight current into the shallower waters of the river. The pull was getting stronger. She wouldn't be able to explain the feeling if anyone had asked her. It was as if something was waiting for her. Calling to her. Kagome's body began moving on its own, she kicked her feet and swam.
She swam for over fifty yards when something surrounded her ankle and pulled her backwards. Kagome gasped and turned with frightened eyes.
"It's no use trying to escape," he chuckled sinisterly. "I will have my revenge."
Kagome was so surprised that she quit swimming and quickly began to sink. The water had just closed over her head when she was roughly yanked back up to the surface.
"Are you stupid, girl? What are you trying to do, drown?" The amused golden eyes followed her movements as she shakily stood in the waist deep water.
It's just Inuyasha. It's just Inuyasha. Kagome chanted to herself as she tried to slow her heartbeat back down to normal. Relief made her knees weak and she sank back into the water again. No demons were attacking her. She blew out a breath, blowing bubbles.
"You don't look ok." Suddenly the golden eyes were concerned… then worried. "I didn't hurt you did I?"
Kagome shook her head.
"SAY SOMETHING Kagome!" He shook her gently.
"I was following something…"
Now that got his attention. He plucked her out of the water and sat her on the grassy bank. They could see their friends playing in the water in the distance. Shippo waved to them and they waved back. Then Inuyasha faced Kagome with a determined look, one she didn't see too often.
"Following what? Who?"
"I don't know," Kagome answered with a shrug. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. Kagome used her foot to push against his knee to unbalance him and make him fall on his rear. She knew that he let her push him over and was thankful again for his friendship. His snarling was all show. "It was just a feeling," she explained. "It was like it was pulling me towards it."
The new snarling wasn't for show, it was for real. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he scanned the area, looking for potential threats. He turned his eyes back to Kagome. He looked dangerous.
"Never," he growled angrily, "NEVER go off on you own." He wasn't yelling, and that was the scary part.
When she didn't respond with anything other than an open mouthed stare, he grabbed her shoulders and shook gently.
"Promise me, Kagome. Now!"
"Uh… okay."
He glared at her. "Okay what?"
"I won't go off on my own anymore." I have never seen him so serious before.
"Not good enough, Kagome. I want your solemn oath." He picked up her right hand and held it in the air with one hand, and he brought her other hand and put it over her heart. He had seen her make promises this way many times. Slowly he let go of her hands, knowing he couldn't force her to make the solemn oath, no matter how much he may want to.
Kagome kept one hand over her heart and her other hand raised. She looked into Inuyasha's eyes and made her oath. "I, Kagome Higurashi, swear to never go off on my own again during the quest for Kanna's mirror."
The little part she added on the end did not go unnoticed by the dog-demon. For a moment, Kagome thought he might demand she make a new oath. She sighed in relief when he finally nodded.
The two endured some good natured teasing from Sango and Miroku about going off on their own. Then they picked up their camp and started following the river in the direction that Kagome had been going. The closer they got to the mountain, the quieter the group got. The laughter had died down and the mood became more solemn.
Miroku was the next to feel the strange pull that Kagome had told them about. But Inuyasha was the first to hear the waterfall.
Silently the group went about stashing their camping supplies and getting their weapons ready. Even Shippo was uncharacteristically quiet. Occasionally one or the other of the group would pause what they were doing to stare at Kagome.
Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes, and fought off the urge to go running off into the woods like a child. She wasn't afraid of the upcoming fight. She knew that they would win. Her friends were the best. They were strong, fierce, and skilled warriors. It was her heart. It felt tight. It hurt. She wanted to call the quest off, even though the end was just in sight. The thought of leaving her friends was almost unbearable.
She picked up her quiver of arrows and secured them in place across her back. Then she picked up her bag of medical supplies and her bow. She moved slowly, giving her time to compose herself and face them with a smile.
Together the six companions walked to the waterfall.
"I'll go first," Miroku said.
They watched in silence as Miroku climbed the rocks and flattened himself up against the wall of the cliff to scoot along the edge to the waterfall. They watched as he disappeared behind the water. Then they waited. It didn't take long for him to reappear. He nodded. That simple movement told them all they needed to know. This was the cave.
Sango and Kirara went next. Shippo glanced backwards, then followed.
Kagome's grip on her bow was so tight that her knuckles were beginning to turn white. She almost jumped when Inuyasha's hand covered hers. She held her breath and watched as he slowly pried her fingers off of the bow.
"You'll break it, stupid."
Together they stared at his hands holding hers. Kagome opened her mouth to say something. She wasn't sure what it was she was going to say, but it felt important. But before she could get the words out, her friends called out to them.
"Keh!" Inuyasha dropped her hands. Just as Kagome had plucked up enough courage to try to talk again, he picked her up and jumped to the opening of the waterfall.
"It would have been faster had you carried us all that way. Then my dear Sango would not have scraped her arm on the rocks."
Miroku's admonishing had several effects. The first one was it got the sad look off of Inuyasha's face and had him cursing at the monk, proclaiming that he's no beast of burden. The second was it got Sango angry, after all, demon slayers are a tough lot and do not need coddling. Little scrapes are nothing! Kagome held Shippo, who was laughing loudly and making comments to fire up tempers.
Inuyasha and Sango stomped up ahead, with Shippo trailing after, still trying to get a rise out of them.
"Thank you," Kagome whispered.
Miroku gave her a smile and a wink. "I do not know what you are talking about, lady Kagome."
"I didn't think monks were supposed to lie."
Miroku had broken the tension. Getting the others to focus on something else, even if it was on his destruction, got their minds off the upcoming battle. He was brilliant, and much more caring than people gave him credit for.
Kagome gasped. And he had his hand on her backside!
"You PERVERT!" She screamed. She scooped up some rocks and chased him down the corridor, chucking them at him.
The monk ran past Inuyasha, who began chasing him with a new purpose. After all, his keen hearing had picked up on Kagome's comment. Kagome stopped to catch her breath and laughed as he took up her chase. She hoped Inuyasha didn't hurt him… too bad… After all, Miroku had managed to take her mind off her serious thoughts too.
Once Miroku gained consciousness again, the group continued down the corridor. This time Kagome lead the way. It was a maze of tunnels, but Kagome instinctively chose which direction from the pull she felt. No one questioned her judgment.
The air had grown colder. Kagome stopped before the next corner and turned to look at her friends. This is it.
Beyond the corner they found a girl. She was pale and fragile looking with empty eyes. And she held a mirror. She stood still. Very still. And she did not move as the group approached her.
"We have guests, Kanna."
The group turned to face the voice. Out of the shadows stepped a tall man with long black hair and red eyes. Kagome shivered. No doubt about it, this man was evil.
"Naraku." Miroku hissed.
The main raised his hand.
Demons began to pour forth from his hand. Kagome couldn't even begin to count. She scurried off to the side and pulled out an arrow. Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku were already slicing up the demons. But they came in waves, almost like water. There were too many to make a dent in them. They could not move any closer to the evil man.
Shippo stood at her side and cast foxfire illusions to distract and confuse the enemies. Kagome gave him a smile. He was the smallest of the group, but no one could doubt his heart. And right now he was proving that he was just as brave.
Kagome's first arrow took down two demons, the shot managed to pierce the skull of one demon and the heart of the other. Her second arrow missed. The demon she had been aiming for laughed, but only for a moment. Inuyasha's claws made short work of him. The dog demon spared Kagome a glance, and she lowered her eyes in shame.
With renewed determination she grabbed the third arrow. She aimed and let the arrow fly. Two more demons down. Only two. But there are so many of them! What use are a few arrows?
Another arrow flew through the air, and another demon fell. Kagome continued to draw her bow and shoot her arrows behind Shippo's protection. But soon the number of arrows dwindled until Kagome grasped nothing but air when reaching into her quiver. She ripped it off her back and searched it frantically, hoping another arrow would magically appear.
Kagome fought back her tears and stood up, bow still in hand. She searched the sea of demons for her friends. Inuyasha was slicing through demon after demon. Sango's bone boomerang continued to fell dozens of demons. Miroku cast barriers to protect Sango and spells to destroy the demons that would come too close. Kirara made the cave rain fire. They were strong, but soon they would tire, and a hundred more demons would fall upon them. They were still pouring forth from Naraku's hand.
Kagome's eyes widened in fear as she saw Sango's shoulders droop slightly and Miroku's voice crack as he cast the barrier spell again. They were getting weary, and there were so many more demons to go.
Then she saw it. The second arrow. The one that had missed.
With her jaw clenched in determination she ran from the safety of Shippo's illusions and ran into the middle of battle. She heard her name rise above the battle. It was Inuyasha, and he was not a happy half-demon. Her fingers barely had time to close around the arrow when she felt herself being lifted in the air.
"Are you insane?" Inuyasha screamed at her as he carried her back to Shippo's side. "I can't fight if I have to keep watching out for you!"
Kagome winced. After giving her the command to "stay", Inuyasha leapt back into the midst of battle.
"That WAS pretty stupid, Kagome."
"Yeah, thanks for pointing that out, Shippo." She held up her arrow smugly. "But I got this back, didn't I?"
Shippo looked at her as if she was crazy. "What good can one arrow do?"
Kagome smiled. "You'd be surprised at the difference one can make." She ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his head.
Taking a deep breath, Kagome drew the arrow back. This one she aimed at Naraku's chest. One CAN make a difference. It can. She closed her eyes and thought about her friends here. She thought about Kirara and how she could change from cute and cuddly kitten to ferocious demon cat. She thought about Miroku and how despite his tendency for inappropriate touching, he was a man who truly cared about his friends. She thought about Sango, and how she managed to remain a good person, a strong person, regardless of all the pain and heartache she had endured. She thought about Shippo, about his loss, and how he was too old for his age and his search for a family. Kagome looked down at him lovingly.
And she thought about Inuyasha. She closed her eyes once more and allowed herself to feel, instead of think.
She wanted to protect her friends.
"Kagome," she heard an awed whisper but didn't look back. "You're glowing pink!"
Her eyes slowly opened. She could feel the power surrounding her. It was warm and a little tingly. Pouring all the feelings and power that she felt building up in her she pulled the bow back, aiming the tip carefully. Then she let it go.
The arrow glowed pink, with sparks shooting out making the path almost too bright to look at. Demons that it touched seemed to just melt away. Naraku's eyes opened wide. Demons quit coming from his hand as most of his body was blown away. All that was left of him was his head, neck, and part of his chest.
Kagome's jaw dropped. He was actually still alive! Kanna took hold of what was left of Naraku and fled the battle. Sango managed to knock the mirror out of the girl's hands before she left.
Many of the demons fled, knowing that their chances of victory had just been cut in half. The defeat of Naraku had the rest of the group fighting even harder. Kagome grew bolder and ran back into the field to retrieve her arrows from the corpses of the demons she slew. Some of the arrows needed new tips, but several could still be used. Shippo got to work on fixing the arrows that needed the tips as Kagome started to shoot. The power she had before wasn't as strong, but it was still there. She grinned as her one arrow could take out dozens now. Anything evil in its path was destroyed.
The battle did not last for more than half an hour after Naraku and Kanna fled. Soon the friends were standing in the battlefield in victory, just before they slumped to the floor.
"I want to sleep," sighed Sango as she fell back, using her boomerang as a pillow.
"Me too," agreed Miroku. He too fell back, lying beside her. For once Sango didn't beat him unconscious for his actions. He was too tired to do anything inappropriate.
"I want a bath!"
"You always want a bath," Inuyasha grouched as he looked across at Kagome. "It borders on being obsessive."
Kagome hit him in the shoulder good-naturedly, almost giddy with the teasing mood her hanyou was in. "I'm not obsessive. I'm sitting in a pile of demon guts, I think a bath is in order." She sniffed twice…dramatically. "For all of us!"
Miroku opened and eye and raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting we bath together, Lady Kagome?"
"AAAaaaa! No! That's not what I meant!" Sango and Inuyasha were chuckling at her new shade of red. Just beyond their shoulders she saw Shippo sitting looking at the ground. Summoning up the last of her strength, Kagome stood up and went to him.
"What is it, Shippo?"
The fox kit looked up at her with unshed tears. "It's the mirror…"
Bending down, Kagome touched the mirror. Gingerly she picked it up. It was beautiful. It was made of gold and had intricate patterns carved in it.
It was also broken.
