Becca: Only you will know what I am talking about, but you have guessed not only part of this chapter, but part of the final chapter as well. (claps) I will not tell you which parts, but you will see…and of course, there are several of my little twists and turns, and a couple loose ends with a few characters that I have to tie up…both of which I hope you enjoy! Thank you for all of your reviews.
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My Only Hope
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"You have a plan?" Inuyasha repeated.
Sango nodded.
"Kagome and I have no weapons." Inuyasha sighed. "He took them. It's not like he can use them, but since we don't have them, neither can we…and that's good news to him." Inuyasha paused. "It won't matter too much, though, because when we get there, I'll rip him apart with my own claws for taking my children and killing my mate…" he vowed.
"Rin can help." Sango nodded to him. "If Kagome and Rin could combine their powers, they would be able to purify him to the point of no return…"
"Purify?" Inuyasha whispered. "That would require actual contact with him. How can we assure that they won't be killed?"
"You can't." answered Kagome. "But it's worth a shot…don't you think?"
Inuyasha blinked. "Worth a shot?"
Kagome nodded. "We can decide about that later. Right now, I want to find my children."
"They're at the opposite end of the castle. He can't break their barrier." Miroku reported.
Kagome broke into a run. The others quickly followed her. When he caught up, Jin placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Kagome…be careful. This is dangerous. You and Inuyasha are both weaponless, which also makes you more vulnerable to your demon blood. If you were to change, you may be able to kill Naraku…but you'd also more than likely kill your own children without a second thought. You will not be able to control your actions. Your lust for blood would be far too strong…"
"Well then, I had better hope that I don't get angry." Kagome answered in a serious tone.
"What are they talking about?" Yuka whispered to Sesshoumaru.
"Inuyasha and Kagome's swords were made for more than defense purposes. Their swords, when they have them, also help to keep their demon blood in check…so that it doesn't take over…" Sesshoumaru explained.
"What would happen if…" Yuka wondered.
"We wouldn't be able to run away fast enough." Kouga told her.
Kagome stopped. "The scent stops here." She frowned. "Dad, Sesshoumaru…Inutaisho!" Kagome called. "Someone with a sword…the barrier is in my way." She pointed.
Inutaisho frowned. "It's too strong…"
"And it's in my way." Kagome repeated.
Kouga cleared his throat. "But Kagome, we can't get through…" he whispered.
Kagome turned suddenly, causing him to jump back in surprise. "Maybe you missed the memo. Naraku…is going…to absorb…my children!" she growled.
"Would this help?" Kagome turned again, this time to see Rin holding a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. "I found it in Kaede's hut before we left. There was only one…" she explained.
"That's because the rest are in my quiver…and Naraku has it…" Kagome sighed.
"Will it help?" Rin asked.
Kagome nodded, and smiled. Something had occurred to her. She walked over to the little girl, and knelt down. "Yes, Rin…it will. And so will you," she whispered.
Rin blinked. "How?"
Kagome took a deep breath. "You're going to help me shoot down the barrier, okay? Now look…place your hand there, and steady the bow like this. Pull the arrow back with these fingers…aim…" Kagome guided Rin through the movements, "…and release…"
The arrow fought with the barrier for a few seconds, and finally sailed right through it and into the wall behind it. Rin smiled. "We did it!"
Sesshoumaru stepped up. "Stay close to me, Rin." He warned. "We have no clue what's behind this barrier."
"Taka and Toku are here somewhere. The scent is really strong…" Jin realized.
Kagome could feel her maternal instincts start to kick into high gear. She had to find her children. She could not let Naraku win. Not this time. Not when her family was what was at stake.
"Inuyasha…" she whispered. "They're just up ahead…"
Inuyasha nodded. "I know. Be careful…"
"Kagome…Inuyasha…" Kohaku frowned. "How do we plan on getting the twins from Naraku?"
Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. I'll know when I find them. Hopefully they'll realize that they need to keep their barriers up even when Inuyasha and I get there…"
"Damn brats!" the words echoed through the room. They were getting even closer to Naraku, Taka, and Toku. They had to be just in the next room.
Kagome ran, Inuyasha close behind her, and kicked in the door. Naraku was indeed there, as were her children. Naraku was staring at the twins, who were each surrounded by a blue barrier, and glaring at him in confusion. Naraku reached out to touch the barrier again, and Kagome growled, but Naraku's hand was practically electrocuted upon contact.
The twins began to cry. They weren't yet old enough to sit up on their own, so the only view they had was either that of the ceiling above their heads, or Naraku's angry face staring in at them. They could smell their parents presence in the room, but neither of the twins could see where mommy or daddy was.
Kagome didn't speak at first, for fear of giving the twins a false sense of security.
"I thought I got rid of you…" growled Naraku.
"I don't go down that easily…" Kagome smirked. "Step the hell away from my children…right now…" she added threateningly.
"Or you'll what?" he smiled.
Inuyasha was relieved to see that the twins somehow knew not to put their barrier down. He took a step forward. "Naraku…you're barking up the wrong tree. You aren't going to have them. I'm going to kill you…but if step away from them now, I promise it won't hurt as bad…"
"Inuyasha…" his father whispered. "Calm down…"
Naraku laughed. "Oh? You want them to calm down? Would it be because they don't have those lovely swords of theirs?" he smiled. "And what will happen if they don't…calm down?" he asked, daring to take a step forward.
Inutaisho growled, pulling out his sword. Naraku raised his hand, waved, and Inutaisho was thrown into the wall behind him. He growled as Jin and Sesshoumaru helped him to his feet, and he charged back into the room…but hit another barrier.
"Damn it!" he growled. "I can see them, but we can't get to them!"
"He wants it that way…" Sango whispered. "He likes to play with people's minds…" Sango blinked back an obviously horrible memory and frowned. "We'll have to wait and see what happens. Rin can't purify the barrier on her own…"
"See what happens?" Kouga gasped. "He's going to push them over the edge! That's what will happen!"
"If he kills them in there, there's no way for me to get in and help them…" Sesshoumaru realized. "This is not good either way that you look at it…"
Jin nodded. "Well, if it happens, we need to get as far away as quickly as possible…" He sighed. "I'm not in the mood to take down my own daughter. Akira would hate me…"
Inutaisho nodded. "I know." He sighed.
Kagome took a step forward, and growled. "I'm going to kill you for what you did." She threatened, cracking her claws in a very Inuyasha-like fashion. "Don't presume to think I'm defenseless just because you took away my bow…"
The twins began to quiet themselves. They could hear their mother's voice now. She was close…
"Oh, this will be interesting," Naraku smirked, taking a step back, and getting dangerously close to the twins.
Kagome's hand dropped. "Get away from them! Your fight is with us!" Kagome looked more scared than angry that Naraku was so close to her pups.
Inuyasha jumped forward, and Naraku shoved him back roughly. "Sit down, Inuyasha. Watch the show…" he said in an amused voice. "While you can, anyway…"
"What show? What are you talking about?" Inuyasha snarled.
Naraku laughed. "I've figured out how to do it, you see…" He explained.
"Do what?" demanded Kagome.
"This." Naraku transformed. One of his tentacles reached out and wrapped itself snugly around Inuyasha's body. Another wrapped itself around Kagome's neck. He rose Inuyasha into the air, and then brought him crashing back down to the earth several times. Inuyasha was unconscious, but Naraku repeated his actions several times before finally tossing him to the opposite side of the room.
Kagome coughed and clawed at the tentacle that was wrapped around her throat, but the evil appendage was practically unaffected. Naraku pulled her close to him and smiled.
"I've figured it out, Kagome…" he whispered again. Kagome could only cough, but Naraku continued anyway.
Meanwhile, the absence of their mother's voice was causing the twins to become upset again.
Naraku smiled. "It's you. You are going to hand them over all by yourself. I won't have to worry about that damn barrier. It's so simple…I should have thought of it before I went and killed you the first time…but I didn't realize the bond would be so strong…"
He released his grip on her neck somewhat so that she could breathe. "What…are you…talking about?" she whispered in ragged breaths. "I won't do that…"
"Are you sure about that?" Naraku waved his hand as he had done earlier to dispel Inutaisho from the room, only this time a purple barrier appeared around Inuyasha's unconscious body.
"What are you doing?" Kagome demanded, her voice gaining in strength.
"Insurance, remember?" he chuckled.
Kagome blinked. "What are you going to do?"
"Nothing special. It's what you're going to do that's so special. You see, I'm going to put you down, and you're going to walk over there, pick up those brat pups of yours, and hand them to me…"
Kagome's eyes widened. "What? There's no way in hell I would hand my pups over to you!"
"I'm going to have to make you do it then," he shrugged, and tossed Kagome into a wall. As soon as she made contact with the wall, he had her in his tentacles again. With one tentacle, he began to bring her closer and closer to him. With the other, he was slowly cutting off her air.
"No…" Kagome coughed. "Inuyasha…"
"Damn! Let me in there you son-of-a…" Inutaisho and Jin growled in Unison.
"What is he going to do to her?" Miroku wondered.
Sango blinked. "What do you think, you blockhead! He's going to kill her!"
"Let's see how well you resist my control…" Naraku laughed.
"Why is he making us watch this?" growled Jin, desperately hacking at the barrier, and making virtually no progress.
"Because he's going to do something really despicable." Ayame frowned.
Kagome turned her head as Naraku brought her face closer and closer to his. He smiled as Kagome screamed, and he locked lips with her, filling her with his poison as he did so.
Jin's mouth fell open in complete and utter shock. "He's kissing her?" he gasped. "Inuyasha! Wake the hell up!" he screamed.
Kagome gagged. "No!…" she yelped, jerking away. She gasped. She felt as if her insides were on fire. Naraku dropped her to the floor.
Kagome did not say a word.
Naraku laughed. "Does it hurt?" he whispered.
"What the hell did you do?" Kagome demanded. She began to glow with the power of her miko energy.
Naraku blinked in surprise. "Not a big enough dose, eh?" he nodded. "That's perfectly all right." He picked her up with another one of his tentacles again, squeezing her tightly, and with his hand, expelled Inuyasha from the room. Inuyasha flew outside of the barrier, knocking into his father and Jin as he did so.
Inuyasha stirred. "Wha….Kagome!" he yelped, shakily getting to his feet.
"Inuyasha…don't look…" Jin warned.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled. "Where is he? Bring him back here, you jerk!"
"Do not worry. He can see you perfectly fine. There just isn't anything he can do for you. You are mine…and so are your mutt children…"
"No…" Kagome whispered as Naraku began to pull her toward him once more.
"You will not be able to fight off another batch of my poison…" Naraku smirked. "And Inuyasha will get to watch as you hand over your children…Maybe I will absorb you when I am done."
"…" Kagome gasped. "Don't!" she screamed. She tried to struggle, but Naraku's grip around her only tightened.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed as Naraku closed his lips over hers.
Again, Kagome felt as if her insides were on fire. She screamed out in pain. After a moment, Naraku dropped her to the ground again, chuckling to himself as he did so.
Kagome took deep breaths, but she could not get the burning in her insides to stop. She tried to stand, but fell back in pain. "What did you do?" she groaned. It was becoming harder and harder for her to breathe. She coughed.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha slashed at the barrier with his claws.
Naraku laughed. "Oh, I bet Inuyasha loved that..." he smiled. "So then, what will he think of what you're going to do next?"
"What…are you talking about?" Kagome gagged.
"Bring me the twins, Kagome." Naraku said simply.
Kagome shook her head. "Never!"
Naraku's smile turned quickly to a frown. "Bring them to me now!" he growled again, and Kagome yelped in pain and surprise. Her legs were carrying her towards her children, despite the fact that she was trying to stay put.
"Stop!" she commanded herself. "Damn it! Stop!" Kagome cried.
She was standing in front of the pups and their barrier now. Toku and Taka, finally able to see their mother's familiar face, both smiled and let down the barrier that had been protecting them. Sobbing, Kagome picked them up as she was dragged toward Naraku.
Inuyasha's eyes bulged from his head. "Kagome! What the hell are you doing? No!" He screamed. "Don't give them to him, Kagome!"
Naraku's cynical laugh echoed through the room once more as he wrapped his tentacles around Toku and Taka. The twins began to cry, and Naraku knocked Kagome to the floor. She flew back, hitting and bouncing off of the barrier and landing on her knees. She could hear the twins crying as Naraku smiled at them. He placed a barrier around himself and the twins.
Kagome screamed. "No! Put them down! Let them go! They're only babies, Naraku! You…you can take me instead…" Kagome offered, her face falling in defeat.
Naraku smiled at this. "Oh, I will. But only when I am done with them…"
Kagome, tears streaming down her face, felt her blood began to boil…and this time, Inuyasha was not there to help her or calm her down. She had no clue where Naraku had hidden her sword. She had nothing with which she could help herself to stop the change that was coming over here. She could feel herself losing control, but at this point, she didn't care. If it meant that she could get her children back, she would gladly succumb to the demon within her heart.
A long, low growl came out of Kagome's throat and echoed through the room. Her eyes began to turn red. Her fangs and claws grew to twice their normal size…but she was not done with the transformation yet.
"Are you threatening me?" Naraku stared at her, a cocky look plastered on his face. He smirked at her as pieces of his demonic form began to devour her children. Taka and Toku began to scream, and Kagome was finally pushed over the edge.
"I said…. leave them alone!" she screamed as she was surrounded by a bright red light.
Jin and Inutaisho gasped. "We have got to get you guys out of here!" they gasped. "She'll kill you all!"
"No!" Inuyasha screamed. "This is my family! I promised Kagome I would always protect her! He has my children!" Inuyasha growled in protest.
"No, Inuyasha! You'll be killed! What can you do to help her in that state?" Jin frowned.
"I don't know!" Inuyasha frowned. "I have to do something!"
"You don't have the physical capacity to be helpful right now," Sesshoumaru scowled. "Leave it to us. Take your friends and get out of here."
"I just said no."
"I don't want to have to make you leave, Inuyasha…but your friends will not be able to fight Kagome off. You'll be lucky if she's able to recognize you in that state…much less them…and I want Rin and Yuka out of here and somewhere where they will be safe. Go." Sesshoumaru commanded.
Kagome transformed completely, as she had been when she gave birth to the pups.
Naraku only laughed. "If you kill me, they will die as well…" he said as if it was a known fact.
No, they won't. Taka…Toku…
Kagome was surprised to see she had control over her thoughts. She could feel the lust for blood…but it was only Naraku's that she desired to spill.
Naraku smiled from inside his barrier, but gasped when Kagome took a swipe at it with her large paw. After two or three swipes at it, the barrier discintegrated.
Inuyasha and the others could only stand and watch in wonder as Kagome stood her ground. Inutaisho and Jin had expected her to turn on them, but she seemed only to be interested in Naraku's death.
Naraku replaced the smug look on his face with one of pure unpleasantness. He sent several attacks at Kagome at once…all of which hit their mark. Kagome, however, did not even flinch. She was bleeding heavily now, but she continued to growl at Naraku. She could still hear the cries of her children, but they were becoming muffled and distant. She had to do something quick.
If I can still sense them, they must still be all right. I have to beat him soon, though. I can not let him absorb them like he tried to do to Sesshoumaru…there would be no getting them back…
Kagome bared her fangs, raising her giant clawed paw to Naraku. He smiled at her, even as she brought it down. He would only regenerate…and the regeneration would most certainly kill her pups. However, once again his smirk was replaced with a look of sheer surprise.
Kagome's claw was glowing with blue light. She brought it down on his head, and he screamed in agony as he was purified.
Kagome panicked. There's purifying powers in my demon body? Oh, my god! The twins! Oh please…I didn't purify them too, did I?
Kagome took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself, and she began to change back into her normal hanyou form. Naraku was gone. She could plainly see that. The small eruption of power left a layer of dust, and Kagome scanned the room worriedly for her pups.
She sighed with relief when she saw the twins lying on the floor. Once again, their powerful barriers had protected them from danger…this time, from the threat of their own mother. Kagome, however, did not relax, for ten feet away from the twins lay Onigumo.
The barrier between Kagome and the rest of the group fell, and Inuyasha rushed forward.
Sesshoumaru frowned at the now defenseless Onigumo, disposing of him and turning to pick up the twins. "Inuyasha…" he whispered.
"Kagome…" Inuyasha worried.
Kagome turned slowly. "Inu…yasha…" she gasped, collapsing in a heap on the floor. A pool of her own blood surrounded her, and the smell was nearly overwhelming. The blow that Naraku had managed to hit her with had been quite a strong one.
Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "Let's get them out of here, Inuyasha. They have been through enough as it is…" he suggested.
Inuyasha nodded, carefully picking up Kagome and turning to the group. "Let's go…" he pointed, walking slowly forward.
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A/N: Haha! The final part will come in a few days…maybe…if you update:D
Becca: See what I mean?