A/N: It took forever because of the endless AP homework…and the fact that I bought INUYASHA MOVIE 3! But still….I gotta work harder on getting this in quickly.
Chapter 23: Facing Fears
Tessaiga was shaking in Inuyasha's grip. Before, he would not have hesitated to hit the youkai with any attack but he couldn't now. It was using Kagome and Kuro as a shield.
It snickered. "Come at me then, Inuyasha. If you so want me dead."
He tightened the grip on his sword, sweat forming on his brow. Damnit…what am I going to do?
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, trying to free herself from the bonds as Kuro wailed.
Miroku jumped forward, pulling out an ofuda. "Inuyasha! I have this!" He threw the paper sutra and it hit Kagome. With a flash of energy, Kagome and Kuro were blasted free from the spell. They landed on the ground.
"Kagome! Kuro!" Inuyasha yelled, running over to them while Miroku tried to free Sango and Suki from their barrier. Kuro was crying, and Kagome sat up and held him to her breast to calm him down. "Are you all right?" Inuyasha asked.
"Y-Yeah…" She said. "And I think Kuro's fine too."
"That's a relief." Inuyasha said. He handed her Tessaiga's sheath. "Here. It'll protect you."
She gripped the sheath, knowing its power would be enough to keep them safe. "Thanks Inuyasha but…" She looked up at him, with tears in her eyes. In that moment, she wanted to tell him how sorry she was. How much she wished she hadn't hurt him. "Inuyasha…I'm sorry…" She said.
"Don't worry about it." He replied.
"But…Inuyasha…" she said.
"I mean it, Kagome. Forget it." He said, more pleading than demanding.
"How touching." The Manipulator of the Shadows. "But how can you make up so easily?"
"Stay back." Inuyasha ordered to Kagome. She obliged, getting behind him. "What's it to you?" Inuyasha asked. "It's none of your business, that's what!"
He laughed. "I'm afraid, it is my business, hanyou. I am the one who created such distance between you, after all." He paused, snickering. "Allow me to distance you more!"
With that, he reached out with the smoke he was made from and reached towards Kagome and Kuro.
"Kagome, get down!" Inuyasha roared, darting forward while holding Tessaiga in the air. As Kagome did what he said, while covering Kuro, she heard him yell, "KONGOUSHOUHA!" There was an explosion from behind them.
Kagome opened her eyes. Did he do it? She turned around. She saw a grayish mist floating in the air, before it merged again. What?
Once it merged, it formed a humanoid shape. "I told you." The youkai said. "I am not made of the same things you are made of. I cannot be harmed!"
Inuyasha growled. Damnit…how can I kill him? "So what? That's not going to stop me from taking you down!"
The youkai laughed. "You really are a foolish hanyou. Can you not see when I have clearly won?"
"Keh. Won, you say? If you haven't noticed, I'm still fighting here!" He raised Tessaiga again. "And I'll keep on fighting!"
Miroku ran in front of them, after freeing Sango and Suki. "Inuyasha! He is made of shadow and smoke! Tessaiga won't work on him!" He threw paper ofudas at him, but they had no effect.
The youkai turned to him, and said in a mocking tone. "Monk, weren't you the one with the kazaana in your right hand." He scoffed, "Bet you want that now, don't you?"
Miroku growled. The youkai had said exactly what he was thinking.
"Get back, Miroku, you're no use in this fight." Inuyasha said.
"Inuyasha, I can fight him as well!" He looked at his right hand. "I may not have my kazaana, but I'll still be able to fight you! I WON'T GIVE UP!"
"M-Miroku…" Sango gasped. She glanced at Suki. If she had her Hiraikotsu, she wouldn't be standing on the sidelines.
"I'll fight too!" Shippou said, jumping up, appearing to have more courage then he felt. "Kitsunebi!"
Of course, the fire did nothing to the youkai. "Oh, the kitsune child. Aren't you a little young to be in this fight?"
Shippou glared at him. "Don't underestimate me!"
"Enough of this!" Inuyasha roared. "BAKURYU—AHHHHH!" He said, as his feet were suddenly gripped in their positions. He tried to lift his foot up, be he could do nothing. "What the hell?"
He turned around. Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou were feeling the same thing! Miroku tried to break the spell with an ofuda, but he had no luck. "Why can't we move?" he asked.
The youkai laughed. "I will have no interference this time. I have toyed with you for long enough. Now for my real business." He waved his hand, and Tessaiga flew away from Inuyasha, imbedding itself in the wall.
"Hey! Give it back!" he yelled, trying to grab it.
The Manipulator of the Shadows laughed menially. "And now, it is time." He made a slashing movement with his hand.
Inuyasha yelled in pain while Kagome screamed. There was a large gash in his chest. "INUYASHA!" she cried.
"Inuyasha!" Everyone else gasped.
The youkai slashed again and again, so fast, that Kagome was not able to put a barrier around him in time. "No! INUYASHA!" she cried.
He coughed up blood as the front of his haori soaked up the blood. "Kago…me…" He said, closing his eyes and falling to the ground.
"NOOOO!" she screamed, running towards him, finally freed from the spell. Tears fell from her without stopping. "NOOO! PLEASE DON'T BE DEAD!"
The youkai laughed. "Rest assured, he is not dead…But…"
A growl came from Inuyasha. Kagome gasped. She knew what was going on. Inuyasha rose up, his eyes red as blood, purple stripes on his cheek, with long nails and long fangs. Just as he had appeared in so many of her nightmares, yet this was no nightmare. It was real. He had transformed into a youkai. "Inu…yasha?" She asked.
"Kagome! Run!" Shippou yelled.
Inuyasha growled and grabbed her by the shoulders, drawing blood. It was worse than the time the Tennyo turned him into a youkai. He was out of control, his eyes thirsting for her blood, wanting her to bleed. He wanted to see her in pain. Wench…her blood…Her blood must flow…
"No! Inuyasha!" she cried. "Please, I'm Kagome! Please, remember who I am!"
Kill…Kill human wench…Kill her! His mind screamed out. He grinned evilly and flexed his claws.
"Please, Inuyasha!" she cried, while the others also cried in protest.
He slammed her down on the stone floor, hovering over her, his scarlet eyes filled with hate while her chocolate ones filled with fear. My dreams…they're coming true…
The youkai laughed. "Miko…your fear of him…your fear is what makes him stronger. Though you never wanted to deny it, you feared this side of your beloved hanyou more than anything. That is why you didn't trust him. Your fear is what condemns you."
Kagome started shaking. No…He's…he's really going to kill me…And…I'm to afraid! I can't…He's going to kill me!
Inuyasha laughed, raising his claws above his head. Her blood…feed my claws…I will bite into her flesh…KILL! The voice screamed, ordering him to take her life. "Die, bitch." He said, cruelly.
The youkai smiled. "At last, I complete my revenge."
"No!" Kagome cried. "No! I won't believe it! I won't believe this is you, Inuyasha!"
He stopped before slashing her, looking puzzled. Why…Why do I hesitate? Kill!
"Yes, Inuyasha, KILL HER!" The Manipulator of the Shadows ordered.
"No! It's not you, Inuyasha! This isn't you! You have to fight it, you have to!"
He growled. "SHUT UP!" He raised his claws again. Damnit…Why do I keep stopping myself? Kill!
She threw her arms around him, despite the danger. "It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter at all! I don't care if you are a youkai right now! I still love you just the same!"
His eyes widened in shock. What…? Why is that wench…? His claws, still at the ready position were inches behind her back, but he did not move them.
Kagome looked at him, with her teary eyes. "And I won't care. I will always love you no matter what form your in…and…I won't be afraid!"
Inuyasha's youkai mind was puzzled. Why isn't she afraid? Why don't I sense fear?
"What?" The Manipulator of the Shadows asked. "You must be afraid! He's going to kill you!"
"I don't care!" Kagome yelled. "He can kill me, but I won't be afraid, and that won't keep me from loving him! Because…" She said, looking up at Inuyasha's face. "I won't ever stop loving you…" And she planted a kiss on his lips.
Inuyasha's mind was split into two at that moment. His hanyou side started coming back.
Kill her!
No, It's Kagome!
It doesn't matter, Kill!
No, I won't!
You must!
NO!
When he gave that defiance, he was set free. His eyes turned back to their amber color, and his fangs and his teeth shrank. However, the purple stripes remained on his cheek. Kagome was still kissing him, and he slowly closed his eyes and kissed her back, holding her close.
"She was able to get him back." Sango said, still stuck in their positions.
"This wouldn't be the first time." Miroku replied.
When they broke the kiss, Inuyasha held her close. "I think we've done this a few times, huh?" he said.
She nodded. "A few."
"But…Kagome…did you mean it when you said you weren't afraid."
"Uh-huh." She replied. "Inuyasha…no part of you, nothing, could make me disgusted, or afraid. I can never be scared of you."
"I don't understand it!" The youkai said, "How were you able to bring him back?"
"There's something you youkai don't understand." Inuyasha said, standing up, despite the pain in his wounded chest. "It's called 'love'!"
"But the miko was afraid of you!" He roared.
"Maybe I was!" Kagome yelled. "But I realized…It's Inuyasha. I can never be scared of him! Maybe he did try to kill me, but I don't care! I love all of him, even his youkai side! And I won't let some incarnation of Naraku get between us!"
"If you are finished making your speech," Miroku said, coming from behind them, "Then let's kill him!"
"How did you get free?" Inuyasha asked.
"He lost his concentration." Sango said. "Shippou, watch the children!" Shippou nodded and went by Kuro and Suki. "Kirara!" Sango cried.
Kirara swooped up to the top of the chamber and grabbed the hilt of Tessaiga, even though the sword repelled her, she was able to drop it. Inuyasha jumped up and caught it. "And now, it's youkai exterminating time!"
The youkai sounded enraged when he said, "The only one to be exterminated is you!" He threw a blast of energy at them. Kirara grabbed the two children while they all jumped out of the way, save one.
When the dust cleared, one lay on the ground, as if knocked out. It was Kagome.
The shadow youkai floated towards her. He laughed. "Miko…are you finally dead?"
As reached out towards her, a voice quite unlike hers said, "Gotcha."
"What?" He turned around, and everyone else was lined up at the other side of the room, including Kagome, all smirking. He looked back at the Kagome figure. "The Kitsune child?"
"Now, Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. She stepped behind him and placed her fingers on his shoulders closing her eyes. Pink light shone from her and flew into Inuyasha.
"You're combining your powers?" The youkai asked. "No matter, I am immortal!"
Inuyasha…go! Kagome mentally said, and because they were connected, Inuyasha heard her. Thanks, He replied.
"Your time is finished!" He yelled, raising Tessaiga. "GO TO HELL!" He cried, jumping at him. "BAKURYUUHA!"
There was a giant explosion as his power hit the power of the youkai. They heard a yell of pain, and then nothing. Inuyasha held a hand over his eyes as He looked at where the sound had come from.
When the dust cleared, there was nothing. Bakuryuuha combined with Kagome's powers had blown him away, literarily.
"He's gone…" Kagome said happily, even though it was tired due to the power she had given Inuyasha.
All of a sudden, a small rock crumbled, it was falling on top of where the children were. "KURO, SUKI!" Inuyasha yelled, jumping at them.
But Kuro took care of it. He thrust Suki into the background, like Inuyasha did with Kagome, and slashed at the rock, slicing it to bits with his small claws.
Everyone stared, and Inuyasha smiled. "That's my boy!"
Kagome smiled. "Yeah, he's brave, strong, and loving…just like his father."
A/N: Forgive the movie 2 reference. I thought it was a good idea. And if the end seems rushed, I had to do this quickly and then get to my AP homework. Sorry about that…