Chapter 12: The People I Love

The rock of the mountain did not crumble beneath the awesome power of the hurricane. Not a pebble was moved, and it persistently held together as if by magic. It wouldn't be rash to guess that something had been done to keep the rock steady and firm, so that it could continue to hold up the palace on top for years and years to come. Although firm and unwavering, the ground was sickly. No plant grew within the cracks of stone; no dew appeared upon its surface, even though the air was moist with the hurricane. Life itself had fled from that place so foreboding. Almost a perfect circle with the radius of a mile surrounding Naraku's palace remained barren. How very fitting for a villain to live in such a place. It was perfect for a creature who didn't value life. Perhaps that was why there were such places in storybooks.

The strength of the hurricane didn't die even as it blew hard against the rocky mountain. In the wind's new found power, there was lust for more power. There was a need to prove that even a soft wind could become mighty enough to break stone. So far its efforts were proving to be useless, but it was blinded by greed and determination. The world would know, God help them, just how deadly the wind could be. It didn't need to be soothing or refreshing. It could be just as evil, just as cold as stone.

When the wind couldn't break the rock, something else did. For perhaps the first time, pebbles tumbled lightly off the mountain to the ground below. The sound as it broke off was much like an angry hiss. The movement stopped quickly before it could draw any attention. The air was filled with the howls of the hurricane. So much so that it was all one could hear. Yet amidst such noises, there was a small, practically unnoticeable sound of the flap of fabric. The wind blew at it so strongly it nearly maintained its position suspended in air, but the unpredictable winds changed in an instant, taking the clothing along with it. As the wind changed, out of the shadows there emerged strands of long silver hair.

Once securing his footing on the cliff, Inuyasha peered once more up at the castle where his enemy resided. The main entrance was still considerable far away, but he knew that most of Naraku's new castle was buried within the mountain. He had hoped that he could find some other less obvious entrance if he looked around enough. He grunted in frustration as the winds changed again. 'He will probably pick up my scent in an instant. So much for a surprise attack.'

Inuyasha inwardly kicked himself for not having thought of that earlier. Then again, perhaps Naraku wouldn't come to Inuyasha. Perhaps he was waiting for Inuyasha to come to him. It was of no importance to the hanyou. Either way, he promised himself he would kill him in this final battle.

He crept carefully on the edge of the cliff. It was only a foot wide, but he didn't need to fear with his claws to prevent him from falling. He walked around as quickly as the space provided would allow. The path eventually widened, and he soon came across the opening of a cave. He smiled rather arrogantly now that he had located another entrance into the palace. Taking a few moments to prepare himself, he squeezed the locket around his neck once again for the luck that love had given him time and time again. He then unsheathed Tetsusaiga and carefully descended into the mountain.

Shippou clung onto Sango's leg as the hurricane continued to roar above them. Even beneath the safety of Miroku's barrier, the kitsune felt certain that he would die at any moment. Sango noticed his fear and took him into a motherly embrace. She sat next to the well next to Miroku and covered the little one, as if to make him forget the danger than surrounded them. Shippou cried, "I'll bet it's nicer on the other side of this well. What luck that we can't go through."

Sango gave a half-hearted smile, "Yes. But even if we were on the other side of this well, someone needs to stay around to protect the link to Kagome's world."

"But we aren't doing anything. Miroku is the one holding up the barrier. We should have gone with Inuyasha," Shippou complained.

"He said we needed to keep an eye on Miroku, make sure he doesn't lose the connection or something. It takes a lot of strength to hold up these barriers, especially against this wind, and Miroku is going to need us here if he's going to be able to pull this off," Sango replied.

Shippou sighed in defeat, "I suppose."

Suddenly, the roaring of the wind stopped. Sango and Shippou looked up. There was no sound anymore, but the clouds were definitely still there. This sudden change only frightened Shippou more. "Wha… what's happening?"

"We're in the eye of the storm," a familiar voice called.

They turned again to look and gasped when they saw Kagome immerge from the well with a determined look. Shippou ran to her, "Kagome."

Kagome embraced him and looked to Sango, "Where's Inuyasha?"

Sango stood up, "He's already left."

Kagome mumbled to herself and then turned to Miroku, "Miroku, you can let go now. We're in the eye of the storm, and the wind won't pick up again for a little while."

Even in his meditative state, the monk could still hear her, and he released his hold on the barrier with a satisfied sigh. He rubbed his forehead, "Thank God. Thinking is hard stu..."

He forgot all about his headache as he realized that Kagome had returned. "Kagome? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on the other side of the well!"

Kagome replied in an annoyed voice, "So… I came back. Did you really think I would stay away?"

Miroku approached her, "No way! Inuyasha will murder me if anything happens to you. You're going back right now."

He made a move to pick her up, but a slap from the miko quickly changed his mind. As he rubbed the red on his cheek, Kagome glared at him and threatened, "Don't make me tell Inuyasha that you tried to make a move on me."

Miroku's eyes went wide, and waved his hands as if it could prove he had touched nothing. "But… but I didn't… I wasn't trying to… the well…"

Kagome smirked as she pretended to think it over, "Hm, I'm not so sure about that… Let's see what Inuyasha has to say about it."

Miroku felt sweat emerge from his skin as he thought of what Inuyasha would do to him if he believed that lie. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, wouldn't I? Now let's go!"

"What?" They all cried in unison.

"You heard me," Kagome started walking towards the north, but Miroku and Sango jumped in front of her.

Sango spoke, "You can't do that, Kagome. It's far too dangerous. And if the wind comes back, the well will be destroyed, and you would never be able to go back. Inuyasha told us to protect you and the well, and that is exactly what we are going to do."

Kagome couldn't believe Sango wasn't in this with her. "Sango, how can you be like this? We can't just wait around for Inuyasha to battle all by himself. Yeah, I know there is a possibility that the well will be destroyed and that I will never be able to go back, but that is a risk I am willing to take. I can not just let Inuyasha go to his doom, and neither should-"

"I don't want you getting hurt again!" Sango yelled quickly.

She fell silent afterward and looked at the ground. She knew she wasn't being nearly as oblivious to Kagome's needs as Inuyasha was, but she knew that her friend needed to be protected, no matter what. The miko's thoughts caught onto thoughts of the exterminator. Kagome shook her head lightly, "Wow, you sound just like Inuyasha…"

A few tears immerged from the exterminator's eyes, "He just wants to keep you away from danger, and… so do I."

"And it hasn't occurred to you that that isn't what I need?"

"I know… what you really need is Inuyasha, but is that really enough to stop your pain?"

"Yes," Kagome responded quickly.

She looked imploringly at the sky and threw her arms up, completely at a loss, "God, am I the only one who gets this?"

Sango spoke again, "I know it was wrong for Inuyasha to ignore your needs. But even I can agree with him that it's a bad idea for you to go to the castle after him. Naraku will be there. He could kill you, or even worse…"

Kagome looked to Miroku for support, but he nodded in response to Sango. Looking further, she sought the eyes of the kitsune, who was always on her side. But even he looked down in shame and nodded his head. Kagome took a step back as she slowly started to lose trust in her friends, "So what, are you just willing to let Inuyasha die? We're a team… a team doesn't split up, not when there is still a battle to be fought! No matter what the stakes are, we can't abandon him now! Even if we die, we have a responsibility as his friends to stick by him. He needs that, and we need that. We have always been there together! We help each other! Nothing is more important than that bond! Personally, I wouldn't care if I died tonight, as long as I could be with Inuyasha… as long as I could be… with the people I love!"

Silence followed her pleas. Her eyes searched their faces for some kind of answer, but what she really yearned for was the sound of their agreement. Nothing could mean more to her in that moment than to hear them say 'yes'. Doing such a task alone would never work in a million years. What Inuyasha constantly failed to recognize was the importance of sticking together, and she didn't plan on making the same mistake. Still, if they refused her, what would she do? Never would she abandon Inuyasha. She clenched her fists, wishing with all her might that they could understand.

Somehow, her wish was granted. Sango called, "Kirara."

Knowing what was coming next, the neko-youkai transformed and approached the group. Sango grabbed on and lifted herself onto Kirara. Miroku follow and jumped on behind her. Shippou crawled onto Miroku's shoulder. They all looked down at Kagome with confident smiles, and Sango stretched out her hand, "As long as I can be with the people I love."

Kagome smiled and took the exterminator's hand. She was lifted onto Kirara's back behind Miroku, and Kirara immediately took to the skies. Kagome remarked, "Go as fast as you can, Kirara. The eye of the storm will only linger for so long. Let's just hope the wind doesn't change directions again."

"I have a few more barriers on hand," Miroku remarked, "They aren't as strong as that last one, but I'll give it all I got if the hurricane comes back. Don't worry, I will keep you all safe."

Miroku's hand wandered down to Sango's ass and started caressing it, thinking he could get away with a façade of holding on tight. Naturally, he was rewarded with a good slap from Sango. Miroku rubbed the red mark on his face. "Sorry, nervous habit."

Sango just rolled her eyes. As they flew away, Kagome made one last lingering glance on the portal to future Japan. She might never be able to see her family, her friends, her world… ever again. All those people she had loved so dearly would be gone forever. The dreams she had had before she was pulled into that well, would never be realized. She knew that it wasn't certain that the well would be destroyed, but it was still a distinct possibility. However, the beating of her heart reminded her… Inuyasha was her dream now. No, not a dream, a reality. She never thought she could love someone so much that she would give up everything she had just to be with him. All the battles, the rejection, the rape, the tears, and even death seemed insignificant compared to the bond they had. A bond so strong, it could stretch over 500 years to each other's ears and heart. She smiled to herself, 'No matter what happens, if I'm with the one I love, I just know that everything will be okay.'

Miroku interrupted her thoughts, "Hey, Kagome-sama?"

"Hm?"

Although he was trying to hide his nervousness, he wasn't succeeding in the least. "You wouldn't… really tell that lie to Inuyasha, would you?"

Kagome's face became mischievous, "Just stay on my good side, keep your hands to yourself, and we'll see."

Miroku sighed and rubbed the portion of his face where he had been slapped, wondering how long he could hold out, "Great… just great."

Inuyasha's grimace grew stronger with each passing moment, trying to break through the terrible stench. The air was rancid with a smell he had never known before… a mixture of thousands of dead souls all combined into one. It was difficult enough for the half-demon to endure the smell, but to separate out the smell of Naraku was practically impossible. He assumed that every dead soul he smelt now inhabited a piece of Naraku, so who knew where his nose would lead him this time.

There was also something in the air that stung the fresh wounds that were aftermath of the hurricane, and although it felt like salt, there was no smell of it among the horrific odor of the dead. Even with his youkai eyes, it was hard to see into the completely blackness inside. He tripped quite a few times on the rocks. "Shit. How am I supposed to get through this cave to the castle if I can't even see?'

He thought for a minute before finding a solution. Reaching into the inside of his haori, he pulled out a small flashlight that Kagome had lent to him for such occasions as this. He flipped on the switch and was finally able to see the pathway clearly. He never ceased to fascinate him how amazing the things from the future were, including the girl who had stolen his heart away. Inuyasha had been reluctant to take the thing when he saw how girlie the thing was. It wasn't truly girlie, but when she was younger she had placed a large sticker of a heart around the handle as decoration. He was sure Sesshoumaru would have kittens if he saw his 'inferior' brother walking around with something that lame. Though Inuyasha wasn't one to love something so mushy, and his habits should have told him to cower away from it like it was acid.

Inuyasha froze in his tracks, 'That sting… it couldn't be.'

Fuelled by fear, he took off quickly down the hallway. As he continued, the rocky floor and walls around him started becoming smoother and smoother, and eventually became as straight as the walls of a house, as though the castle was in fact one with the rock. There was no specific smell to guide him to where he needed to go, but there was only one way to go: deeper and deeper into the castle. He knew he was getting closer, because the humidity of the air stung more and more the further he went. If he was right, he was already in more trouble than he was prepared for.

The long hallway eventually turned into something resembling an old dungeon. New light was provided by the flames on the wall. Inuyasha put away the flashlight, and positioned his Tetsusaiga once again to attack at anything that moved. Instead of one pathway, there were now several corridors to take, and with so many dispersed scents of Naraku, he had no way of knowing which one led to where he was now. But, his gut started to turn, this was no longer a quest to find Naraku. That feeling that was stinging his skin, it could only mean more trouble. He had felt it once before, when it had been stronger. Following the pain of his wounds, he chose his corridors accordingly.

At one point, the tunnel widened and he stepped into what appeared to be a giant ballroom. He walked into the center of the room, looking around for the source of his stinging. Sure enough, in the corner next to where he had entered was the beast Naraku had taken refuge in, the one the team had been trapped in. The one who had a jyaki so great, it caused Inuyasha to nearly transform. He saw that it had been brutally ripped apart by something, leaving a pool of acids and blood all around him. As he stepped closer and used his hanyou senses, his worry was confirmed. The extremely powerful jyaki that this demon possessed before was now gone, and it had been sucked out.

To be continued…

Just to make sure you got that, I recall that that demon had a jyaki powerful enough to corrupt the shikon shard while it was inside him, so this must be very very powerful. Fragments of the acid spilled into the air once the beast had been slaughtered, and that is what was stinging Inuyasha. If the jyaki is now gone, someone has sucked it out, which would make them more powerful. Hope that cleared it up.

Hmm… Sesshoumaru having kittens? Not quite a pun, but still… that worked out nicely.

Mikkasura: Well I guess I can expect that Brits would know a lot more about other cultures than the US. Oh no, am I being unpatriotic? Ah, uh… freedom fries, freedom fries! LOL! Yeah, I had to let Sango have her little moment, and I'm a sucker for melodrama. (hugs)
InuyashaKougaLover: Ooh, kewl. Which was the best then? (hugs)
orangepencils: Well… she's a priestess, sort of… priestess… and praying… It was staring me right in the face and I had to get her out of there. Hope it wasn't too over the top. I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for responding to all three. (hugs)
inuyasha4ever1: That's a relief. I'm really worrying about how I'm gonna find the time to write these chapters and study for finals, and I'm determined to finish before I go off to Europe. Let's hope I can make it and still provide good writing. (hugs)
Liknn: I'm glad the torture is helpful. I'm a sucker for happy endings, so I'll always have them. (hugs)
i love hojo: No, no… happy tears, happy tears. I will always continue. I won't leave you hanging. (hugs)
kawaiigirl-777: No prob. I can totally understand being busy, because I am struggling to find the time to write well and study for finals. Glad you liked them. (hugs)
InuyashaGal: You are totally sugoi! (hugs)
Black Betty: I'm glad you like it. New chapter every day. (hugs)
a100rinchhead: Yeah, I guess I can expect them to be censored more in the U.S. Well, as long as the same messages are getting through. (hugs)
mizz Tasuki: Wow, perfect timing. Just in this chapter, I have begun installing another very small separate narrative about that, but it gets funny later. You read my mind. Bravo. Glad you found the fic again. If it's at all possible, I hold back the cliffies. (hugs)