A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in the past few days! I was at an amusement park, so I was quite incapable of updating. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be though. (Note from experience: NEVER eat fried chicken, Dippin' Dots, and a soda and then go on the ride that shoots you straight up at 100 or so mph…not fun…ugh…) On the bright side, it gave me some great ideas, and also some insight into the behavior of young kids, in study for Kuro. (In the Epilogue, Kuro is going to be two or something. Whee!) So, with that, here is thy chapter:
Chapter 22: I'll Come For You
Kagome groaned as she suddenly came to. The first thing she noticed was she was lying on her side on a hard floor. Check that…a hard, cold floor. As she curled her fingers against it, she discovered it was stone. Her body was cold, and wherever she was also was chilling. Her side that she was lying on felt numb and almost hurt, as if she had landed hard on them. She had a pulsing headache that wouldn't go away. She moaned as she opened her eyes.
She was in some sort of cave, and from the looks of it, there had been a great fire. The inside of it was scorched. As she looked around, she could feel a faint presence of Jyaki. She squinted, tapping into her miko senses, and then she saw it—A barrier. It was only two feet away from where she was.
A barrier…why…? And then she remembered the events just before she fell unconscious. That shadow youkai! He must have taken me! Wait…what about Kuro and everyone else?
She put her palms on the floor and tried to hoist herself up. But all she could do was lift her head off the floor, since she felt as if her strength had been drained. Looking around, she saw Sango lying nearby also unconscious, while Kuro and Suki were awake, and seemed to have crawled to each other in comfort.
Kagome looked around. The barrier covered them completely, making sure there was no way out. She slowly lifted her hand and with one finger, touched the barrier. The pain that surged through her hand was like being shocked with electricity. She jerked it away so fast, and it was a wonder why she didn't cry out. She knew she couldn't break it with her miko powers, not in this state. Damn…we're trapped…
Trying to get up again, she succeeded in lifting the upper half of her body off the ground, crawling over towards Kuro and Suki. Kuro was sort of holding her for her comfort. Like he was trying to reassure her everything would be okay. It was amazing that a six month old baby was already acting like a certain who-knows-how old hanyou. Just like Inuyasha does when ever I'm afraid…But thinking of the hanyou made her heart sink.
Inuyasha…If only I hadn't been deceived by the false dreams…if only we could have maintained our trust! If only…this would have never happened…
She heard Sango stirring. "Kagome-chan?"
Kagome looked over at her. "Sango-chan." She replied.
Sango tried to lift herself up. Like Kagome, she also seemed to be suffering a temporary lapse in strength. "Where are we?"
"No idea." She replied.
"Kagome," Sango said sternly. "What's going on? Why did that youkai come last night, and for the last time, what is going on between you and Inuyasha?"
Kagome hesitated. She didn't want to reveal the truth behind what her friend had asked, but she knew Sango had to know, considering that she had been thrown into this mess.
She sighed. "Sango...I have to say first…sorry for bringing you into this…"
And Kagome told her everything. The day she saw the mysterious youkai in the woods, the horrible nightmares, how Inuyasha was hurt when he found out, how it started drawing them apart, and how her fear and distrust of his youkai side had led them into this mess.
Sango didn't say anything through the whole narrative. She was shocked that a thing like this had happened and she didn't even know about it. When Kagome finished, she was trembling. "Kagome…" Sango said.
Kagome looked up, with tears in her eyes. "That's why I'm sorry, Sango-chan! I feel so bad for not being able to t-trust Inuyasha like I should have! I shouldn't have doubted him at all! But I did! I did because of those horrible d-dreams! A-and now, w-we're both stuck h-here in this mess, and i-it's all m-my fault! I-I'm so s-s-sorry Sango-chan! S-so sorry! A-And now Inuyasha will c-come here and be killed and…IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"
Because she worked herself up so much when she was already feeling nauseated from being so weak, she couldn't help what happened next. She got sick.
Sango crawled over to her, "Kagome-chan, are you all right?"
Kagome wiped her mouth. "I'm fine…But it's been quite a while since that happened, eh? Almost a year now…" She gave a shaky laugh. "Heh…what a time that was! I'm never having children again…"
It occurred to Sango that Kagome was not quite herself. "Kagome-chan…calm down. It'll be fine."
"It won't be fine!" Kagome said, starting to cry again. "And it's all my f-fault!"
"Kagome!" Sango said, shaking her. "Calm down! It's not your fault! Do you know what? I used to think that! I used to think that about my father…and everything that happened with my village, and then everything with Kohaku…But do you know what I learned? You can't go blaming yourself for things you can't control! Kagome, anyone would have been deceived by that youkai. Anyone! You are not to blame. Inuyasha is coming to save you, like he always does. And like he always does, he'll see that we get out. You were always the hopeful one in the group. Are you going to back down now?"
The tears did not recede. "But…Sango-chan…"
Sango pointed to Kuro and Suki. "Think of the children, Kagome! Do you want them to think this is hopeless? Do you want them to know we're losing heart? No! We have to be strong, if not for ourselves, at least for them. You have to be strong for them!"
Even though being strong seemed like the last thing she wanted to do, Kagome looked over at Kuro and Suki, who were both examining the surroundings with slight fear, and nodded. "For the children." She said.
"How much farther?" Shippou wailed.
Inuyasha sniffed the air. Daybreak had just come and thankfully the return of his hanyou powers. "Not too much. We were going the right way."
"Inuyasha…are you noticing this?" Miroku asked, he was looking at something on the ground.
"What?" A rather annoyed hanyou asked. He wanted to get to the youkai's lair quickly. So he could kill the youkai and get Kagome back, no, get Kagome back, then kill that youkai. And make sure it was a very painful death too.
"Look." Miroku said, pointing to the remains of a campfire.
"So?" Inuyasha asked. "There was someone around here, big deal.
"Inuyasha, do you realize where we are?"
"Yeah. Were in a forest. Chasing that bastard of a youkai."
"Wait, Inuyasha," The kitsune said, sniffing the air. "We've been here before."
"What?" he sniffed the air. No mistaking it. It was all their scents. The final clue was a half buried box of pocky not to far from the campfire. "But…when were we?"
"Inuyasha, unless I'm mistaken, this is the same place we camped out the night before we fought Naraku."
Inuyasha stared. That's right…about a year and a half ago…He remembered that night…The night that they were all filled with gloom and dread over the anticipating fight. The night that he decided to face Naraku alone. The night that began everything for he and Kagome. Kagome…
"What does this mean, monk?" Inuyasha asked. "Does this mean that this youkai is related to Naraku?" Miroku shrugged.
"Did it smell like Naraku?" Shippou asked.
"No, but—" he stopped. And then he remembered, Naraku's scent had changed because he absorbed Moryoumaru!
"Well?" Miroku asked.
Inuyasha let out a growl. "That bastard! Why didn't I think of this before!" He sniffed the air. He knew exactly where to go. The cave they had met Naraku in. "Come on! We're going there now!"
Kagome was holding on to Kuro when she felt the Jyaki of the shadow youkai. "Awake, miko?" She turned around. Sure enough, there he was, his cloak of shadows trailing behind him.
I have to be strong…"Inuyasha's coming soon." She said. "You're going to pay."
The youkai laughed. "Miko…don't try. I can sense your fear. How you fear what will happen to your beloved hanyou…I can only wait to see his reaction. Especially to this place—"
"Huh?" Kagome asked. "What place?"
"Miko, don't you know where we are?"
Kagome felt there was something familiar. She searched with her miko senses and found a faint jyaki. It was very faint, but instantly, everything fell into place. "Wait…the cave that we fought Naraku? Then…you're…"
The Manipulator of the Shadows drew himself up to his full height. "I am the last incarnation made by Naraku. I was born the day before you, miko, sent him to the afterlife. And of all his previous incarnations, I was given the most power. I am the shadows, and I am known by no other name. Since the blood of Naraku runs through me, I thirst for his revenge. However, I do not sympathize with him. Your youkai Naraku would not have died if he had been hesitant to use the shikon no tama."
"Well, it worked out for us, didn't it?" Kagome said. "And you too, after all if he hadn't died, you wouldn't have been able to get your precious revenge."
"I do not toy with you for revenge, miko. I toy with you for my fun. And its even more fun when we throw the exterminator and the monk into the mix. I shall enjoy your tears of pain…"
"You monster!" Sango yelled. "Filth! Once we're done with you, you won't even be fit for hell!"
The shadow youkai did not reply to her comment, he said, "They're here."
Kagome felt a pang of fear. Inuyasha!
As Inuyasha ran towards the cave, anger pulsed through him. It's all his fault…he was the one doing this to Kagome…doing this to us. And now he dares to challenge us, well he won't get off easy! I'm going to make sure that he dies slowly, and painfully. His guts will be food for Tessaiga!
He looked sideways over at Miroku. He too, had a face of determination, of anger, and Inuyasha could only guess he was also plotting the youkai's demise. I haven't seen the monk so angry since…a long time. But after all, Sango and Suki got kidnapped too…
They finally found the cave. They ran towards the entrance, and then, suddenly, Miroku and Inuyasha were thrown back. As Inuyasha landed on his back, he yelled. "What the hell?"
Miroku looked at it. "Inuyasha, it's—"
"It appears to be a barrier of some sort." A voice piped up. Then Inuyasha felt a prick on his nose. He slapped it off and looked in his hand.
"Myouga! What the heck are you doing here?"
"Long time, no see, Inuyasha-sama!" He said, popping up.
"Look, this is kinda important, so if you only came to say hi, then I'm gonna—"
"Not at all! I came to check on you and your family. It seems you have been busy, eh, Inuyasha-sama?" He said, with a suggestive wink. "I always knew you'd end up just like your father…"
Inuyasha felt a bright red blush come on his face. He couldn't really discuss such things with the annoying flea youkai. He wanted dearly to squish the flea and save Kagome, but he had to know if there were any rumors about him in the youkai community. "W-WHERE did you hear about this?" he demanded.
Myouga said, "Why, from your brother of course!"
"So, Sesshoumaru is saying stuff about me behind my back!" He growled. "Next time I see him, I'm gonna make sure he'll never speak again!"
"Ahem!" Miroku said, indicating towards the barrier.
"Myouga, leave me alone, okay, we're about to go into a huge battle."
However, the flea youkai didn't budge. "Just when have I ever left your side, Inuyasha-sama?"
Inuyasha turned back towards the cave, muttering about annoying flea youkai. Miroku went up and touched the barrier, and again it shocked him.
"No matter." Inuyasha said, raising Tessaiga. "Kongoushouha!" he yelled, releasing the diamonds at the barrier.
However, the barrier, didn't budge. "Huh? KONGOUSHOUHA!" He yelled again, but his efforts were futile.
"Damnit!" He yelled, running at it and pushing all his strength against it, but nothing happened.
"Aieeeee!" Myouga said, being shocked off. Once he fell on the ground, he decided to flee for his life.
"This youkai must be able to place specific barriers." Miroku said. "If we perform a sacred rite, I could have it down in a few hours—"
"THERE'S NO TIME FOR THAT!" Inuyasha roared. "WHAT ABOUT KAGOME!"
"INUYASHA, I REALIZE WHY YOU WANT TO BE SO HASTY, BUT WHEN THE EFFORTS ARE FUTILE, THEN—"
"Hey, I don't feel anything." Shippou said, touching it. "In fact—" He put his hand through. He didn't get shocked and was able to get passed the barrier.
Inuyasha and Miroku stared. "Okay…what?" Inuyasha asked, touching it and again getting shocked.
"Let's think…" Miroku said. "Why would Shippou be able to get through it and yet we cannot?"
Inuyasha and Miroku stared at each other.
And it dawned on them.
They both looked away, slapping themselves on the forehead.
"If only this had happened before we decided to get married!" Miroku said.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Even then, you still wouldn't have been able to get it."
Miroku glared at him, but said nothing.
"Lecher." Inuyasha muttered.
"Huh?" Shippou asked. "How come you guys can't get in and I can?"
"Well…er…" The blushing inu hanyou said. "Just…go in there. Go in there and break the youkai's concentration so we can get in. Now!"
Shippou nodded, walked through the barrier and then transformed into a rat. He scampered off down the tunnel.
Miroku grinned. "So, I guess the saying is true when they say 'earthly desires are our downfall'."
"Monk…" Inuyasha warned.
"This youkai had to have been watching our every move to know that this was our weakness. I mean…he must have been watching us all the time…" Miroku muttered in an afterthought. "Wish I knew that spell."
Inuyasha growled. "That's it, you're dead!"
Kagome looked at Sango somberly. When's Inuyasha getting here? The youkai said he was close…Where is he?
The only thing that came into the room was a rat. She absent mindedly watched it as it looked around. Suddenly, the rat jumped on top of the Manipulator of the Shadows and started biting his glove.
"What the hell?" It yelled, grabbing the rodent and trying to toss it off him, but it stayed put. Suddenly, Kagome saw their barrier waver, but it held.
"Sango-chan…I think it's Shippou-chan!"
She looked at the rat. "Shippou-chan?"
But they watched as it struggled to keep its hold, to break its concentration for a little bit.
Suddenly, the barrier went down. "Let's go!" Inuyasha yelled, as he and Miroku ran through a split second before it came back up! They ran through the tunnel and came into the cavern they fought Naraku a year before. He saw the Shadow youkai fighting with rat-Shippou, and Kagome, Sango, and the two babies off in a corner of the room. "KAGOME!" he yelled, charging forward.
"Inuyasha!" she gasped.
The shadow youkai grabbed Shippou off him and tossed him across the room, where he changed before he hit the wall. "Ah, Inuyasha. You're here. I wondered how long it would take you to break through my barrier."
"Keh. That's right. And now, it's time for you to die. It's over!" Inuyasha raised Tessaiga.
"Actually, it's just the beginning." He pointed at Kagome. Invisable roped bound her and Kuro and pulled her out the barrier, in front of the shadow youkai. Kuro started crying.
She screamed, "Inuyasha!"
"Kagome…" he gasped. How can I kill him if he's using Kagome and Kuro as a shield? What am I going to do?
A/N: Do you get it now? It is NOT Naraku, but rather an INCARNATION of Naraku. You may say that's the same thing, but what about this: Do you consider Kagura to be Naraku? Didn't think so. Also, I can update tomorrow, but not so sure about Tuesday. I start school on Tuesday. (THANK YOU, SCHOOL DISTRICT! But our summer vacations start WAY late in June…) And I may be suffering from sleep deprivation since I usually wake up at 8 in the summer and I'll have to start waking up at 6 or sooner…urg…