-Missunderstood-
This will be the super long chapter where I'm going to end this story! Its finally over! Actually, maybe I'll have a prologue or something...or maybe I won't?
Aww nobody reviewed for the last chapter -tear- ohh well.. I'll just update this chapter when someone does...
But.. Wowwww! I'm nearly at 1 000 hits! Thats kinda cool... only I wish people would review for me! -glare-
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Chapter 25
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After a few hours of regenerating his legs, Naraku was finally able to stand up again. He smiled triumphantly, proud that he had fixed another minor problem.
"My legs think they can stop me eh? Well, they can think again!"
And then, Naraku stepped through the door and out into the halls. His white baboon pelt trailing out behind him. Turning a corner, he realized something was horribly wrong. Something that he never thought of...
"How...How could I let this happen?"
That's right. Naraku was lost. In his very own mansion. Backing up, he decided that, that was just something that happens once in 10 years. He walked back and turned down another hall. Dead end.
"I know there was a door here that connects to the outside of this damned house."
He then heard Kanna walking down yet another hall, passing him without noticing he was there. She knew where she was going. She was headed straight for the exit. Naraku was about to call her over but she just kept walking, so he shuffled, as fast as he could, over to her.
"You did this didn't you."
Kanna looked at him, what was he talking about now?
"You're the one who took out all the exits! You knew that I would need to get out of this place sometime and so erased all the doors in this mansion so I can't escape. Is that it?"
While Naraku was blabbering about, Kanna was already heading straight for the door. Naraku stopped to take a breath and Kanna made it to her destination.
"Where did you find the power to-to erase...the..."
Naraku stopped mid sentence to find that he had absent-mindedly followed his incarnation right out to the front of the castle. Kanna heard Naraku 'hmpf' with satisfaction. He then took his first step down the stairs, then he took another, and another. He was ready to make his dramatic appearance but then something most unexpected happened... He fell flat on his face.
Kanna, who was standing behind him only moments ago was now gone.
Naraku looked back, what could have made him suddenly fall over like that?It was string. And it was transparent string. The only reason Naraku could see it was because of the telltale way the string shone against the light.
"That thread is not from this world." Naraku concluded smartly. "I can use it to toy with new prey."
He was about to go over to cut it off when the familiar smell of a certain hanyou reached his nose. Perfecting his stance and resuming his dramatic appearance Naraku walked forward. Ego inflated so that he knew there was no way he could lose.
"Had a nice trip there Naraku?"
Naraku snarled, he knew that voice from anywhere. Miroku. The silly monk who just wouldn't get killed by the hellhole in his hand. It didn't matter if he sucks in saimyousho, or the fact that it keeps widening, there was nothing that could really kill him.
"I need to put a stronger poison in the saimyousho..." Naraku murmured to himself. Too bad Inuyasha heard him mumbling.
"What? Are you going insane or something now, Naraku?" Inuyasha especially spat out the 'Naraku' part.
"Shut up, I don't need anymore criticism from you." Naraku was starting to feel evil. He is currently planning up something sneaky. Just like they did with that demonic string, as he liked to call it.
"You had your chance to make a flashy entrance Naraku, now you should be prepared to fight."
"Fools. You think you can defeat me just because you have me outnumbered? Think again."
Even though it wasn't a golem fighting them, Naraku's legs still somehow managed to turn into monstrous brown root-like tentacles that poked out in every direction.
"Quit talking Naraku! And prepare to DIE!"
Inuyasha swung down his Tetsuiaga on the last word to accent that fact that he wasn't kidding about the 'die' part.
"WINDSCAR!"
That attacked managed to successfully slice off a rather large amount of the roots and half of Naraku's body too. Inuyasha took a step back, this fight couldn't be over already. Naraku was made of stronger stuff than that. And of course, Inuyasha was right. First the mass of Naraku glowed then it began to attach itself all back together again.
"You can't kill me. I'll just come back together again." Naraku told them., "In fact the only thing that can kill me are enchanted arrows, and I don't think you two are priestesses."
Miroku smiled, Naraku obviously couldn't see past them. The miasma he created was too thick. Speaking of miasma...
Miroku had been breathing in too much of the stuff, everything around him was getting just a little fuzzy...
"We have to kill him fast Inuyasha, I don't know how long I can last in here."
"I'm the one with the sensitive nose! You don't see me complaining!"
Miroku frowned at him. This was not the best time to start an argument. He gripped his staff tighter. He always has the wind tunnel as a trump card... Let Naraku have a taste of what he cursed his family with.
"Inuyasha! We...finally...caught...up to you!" A very out of breath Kagome appeared. She had sprinted the whole way here! In a flash she regained her breath, and by that time Sango was already standing behind her, ready to take on Naraku.
"So. You two are still alive, haven't even bothered to kill off these two fools and have decided to betray me as well."
"BETRAY! WE'LL SHOW YOU SOMETHING ABOUT BETRAYING!"
Sango was out control, this guy who was supposed to be dead, who was supposed to be in a coffin and not sitting around in a mansion manipulating dolls. And this guy was talking to her about BETRAYAL?
Kagome gave her friend an exasperated look, she has never seen Sango like this before. Made the poor girl think twice about ever saying 'no' to her again.
"You simple minded humans, doing whatever is asked just to be paid. Truly pathetic."
"You. You were the one who broke the rules of the contract. You are suppose to be dead! Killed - by Kagura!"
"Do you think I would fall for something as low as that? Kagura is now under my control she nothing more than a mere incarnation of mine now."
"What!"
"I had Kanna suck her soul out. And the contract. Didn't you notice anything wrong with it at first glance? It was nothing more than a smudge with my thumb. I didn't even try to write my name with it."
"You...you bastard!"
"Maybe it was because you don't know how to." Inuyasha cut in, he wanted to finish Naraku off dammit not listen to the girls argue with him!
"Shut up."
"But still..." Inuyasha turned to look at the girls, Miroku kept his eyes on Naraku incase he did something sneaky. "I thought what that 'Fluffy' guy said was all a joke to scare us. I guess he wasn't kidding around huh?"
"A-ah no...not at all... we really were.."
"Keh. As if girls like you would ever stand a chance against me n Miroku."
Inuyasha turned around to face Naraku again. "Enough talking! And Naraku... I hope you enjoyed the last moments of your life!"
Little did Inuyasha know about the fuming Kagome behind him. She hated when guys talked about how much better they were compared to girls. What was with them dammit!
"Inuyasha...SIT!"
"WAAAHH!"
BAM
"Ah, Kagome, I don't think this is a choice moment to do that..."
Even though Inuyasha's face was in the dirt, a single word could still be heard coming from his mouth... "...wench..."
"INUYASHA!"
"Now, now Kagome," Miroku put his hands in front of her and stepping in front of Inuyasha. "We are here to defeat Naraku, not have you 'sit' Inuyasha to the other side of the world..."
"Speaking of Naraku," Sango said, reminding them of the foe who they were only arguing with moments earlier.
Everyone sweat dropped when they looked at their supposedly dangerous enemy.
Naraku was playing with the transparent string. Examining it. Glaring at it. Trying to identify what its made of.
"Naraku..." Inuyasha growled, he could just kill off the hated guy right now but fights were more fun.
"What. Can't you see I'm busy?"
"Playing around with thread!"
"Keh, like you know anything."
Inuyasha snarled, he did know something!. After all, he was the one who tied it around the two trees by the exit of the mansion.
"Alright, Naraku. Just because I'm feeling extra nice today, I'll send you and that stupid piece of string to Hell! WINDSCAR!"
Unfortunately for Naraku, he was still concentrated on the piece of clear string. That was just too bad wasn't it? Giant chunks of root and pieces of flesh flew up and into the air. It scattered all over the place too.
"Eww." everybody turned to look at Kagome, who just waved them off to look somewhere else.
"Thats it?" Inuyasha wasn't satisfied. He expected something better than that.
"Something tells me he's not dead yet," Miroku said wisely, " He can regenerate, remember? If we can just find the...aha!"
Miroku pointed to somewhere in the middle of the courtyard where a pulsing piece of spider-marked flesh lay. It was pulsing. Slowly all the other scattered bits of Naraku began to fly towards it.
"Kagome! Shoot it quick! With your arrows!"
Kagome nodded and drew her arrow, she took aim and fired. Missing the piece of flesh by only a few centimeters, Kagome was determined to hit it with the next arrow. She loaded her bow once more. The last arrow had sunk into the ground, making a huge crater that was still growing, eating away at the edges of dirt. Pieces of the ground was flying into the air.
Miroku shook his head, Kagome won't have enough time to take aim properly with all this wind...wind? Up in the air was Kagura. What did she think she was doing? Was she seriously still on Naraku's side? What about all those impressive comments and speeches about how she hated him so?
"Kagura!"
Inuyasha looked up at Miroku voice and saw the giant white feather.
"Kagura! Why are you helping Naraku! I thought we had a deal!"
"I know you fool, I was just doing this for effect!"
And she wasn't being sarcastic. Everyone fell over. Even the pulsing piece of Naraku in the air seemed to stop re-generating itself for a second. Getting back onto his feet, Miroku decided to take control of the situation. Inuyasha couldn't do anything except chop Naraku up into bits. But then Naraku could just reform himself. There was too much wind around for Kagome's arrows to hit their target.
They didn't need anymore giant holes in the ground. Miroku lifted his right hand, this was the only thing that could kill Naraku now...the only thing that Kagura's winds won't mess up.
Steadying his hand, Miroku pulled away the prayer beads, "WIND TUNNEL!"
The regular vortex of wind spun out from the hole in his hand. Rocks, dirt and smaller pieces of Naraku were being pulled in. Miroku walked up to the spider-marked skin and concentrated on it. He was aware that the others (including Kagura) were behind him and watching him. He couldn't fail now. They were so close to killing him.
"NARAKU! HAVE A TASTE OF WHAT YOU CURSED MY FAMILY WITH!"
Miroku took another step towards Naraku. It seemed like Naraku was resisting the pull of the wind tunnel. And then...the saimyousho came out. There were hundreds of them, all darkening the sky as they flew straight into Miroku's wind vortex. The monk winced. He wasn't going to last very long now...
But humans are a very stubborn race, and so Miroku refused to die until Naraku dies. With the final amount of energy left in him, Miroku dashed forwards, ignoring the wasps that continued to fly into his wind tunnel. The poison was seeping up his arm, at a faster rate now. Miroku was blindly running to the spider-mark... it was right there.
It all then happened so suddenly, there was no bright light or anything loud noises. Miroku collapsed. Panting hard, he turned his head so he could take a look at his arm. It was purple up to his elbow, the poison was going to get to him soon. The last thing he heard before passing out was the call of Inuyasha, Kagome and Sango. He presumed Kagura wouldn't be asking if he was ok.
((Kagura))
She was breathless, still safely sitting aloft in her feather. Was it really over? Naraku couldn't be dead right? Kagura checked the only way she knew how to. Lifting a hand the wind demon placed it against the hollow space of where her heart used to be. It wasn't actually hollow anymore; She could feel a soft beating of her heart! She actually had a pulse! Kagura wasn't too sure of what emotion to feel then.
She was in a mix of happiness and confusion. Naraku was killed by a human! Of all things.
"But then again...I always thought he was a little out of it."
Kagura's mind wandered off to the day she escaped from Naraku's castle, with the help of the boy beside her. She looked over at Kohaku to see that he was looking down at a girl on the ground..
"Hey." Kagura started, effectively getting the boy's attention, "Did you want to go down there?"
He nodded and Kagura gave him a sympathetic smirk. She was free now. And she will appreciate her freedom from now on. After having a taste of what it was like to be some sort of slave, she knew she didn't want to go back anytime soon.
Kagura landed the feather and let the boy out. Inuyasha and co. turned from Miroku to face her. Inuyasha put his hand closer to the Tetsuiaga.
"I'm not going to attack you, you silly dog. This boy just wanted to see her for a second." Kagura pointed to Sango.
"M-Me?"
Stepping aside, Kagura revealed Kohaku to everyone. That earned her quite a few gasps.
"K..-Ko..Kohaku! Is it really you!"
Kohaku's eyes were still kinds hazed, he wasn't fully back to his original self yet.
"Sango... his eyes.." Inuyasha started, warning her not to get too close to him.
It was ironic how after Inuyasha said that Kohaku's eyes un-hazed and became more life-like. It wasn't long after that he fell to his knees, clutching at his head.
"Ughh...make it all go away... no...no ..I don't want to remember it... no..."
"Kohaku! Kohaku, What's wrong? Don't remember what? Kohaku..!"
Sango ran over to her brother's side, Kohaku was obviously in great pain.
"He's simply trying not to remember." Kagura stated in a as-a-matter-of-fact voice.
Sango looked up at her, what was she talking about! Not remember what? She didn't know yet but it was certain that Sango was going to get herself some answers!
"What are you talking about Kagura? Tell me please,"
"Naraku pushed back his memories, Kohaku wanted to forget about the night."
"What..night? You mean..." Sango realized quickly that Kagura meant that night. When Kohaku had slain father and the others.
"No.." Kohaku gasped, attention refocused on him.
Somewhere out in the middle of the ruined courtyard, Kagome was administering Miroku some Antidote for the wasp poison. She didn't want to give him an overdose but the prescribed amount just wasn't working.
"Hang in there Miroku..."
"Ugh.."
Miroku actually wanted Sango to give him his medicine, not Kagome. But any girl was better than having another male treat you right? At least it wasn't Inuyasha giving him his antidote...
Although it was taking a while, Kagome could see that the purple in his arm was slowly became a lighter lavender. It might take a while but at least it was working.
"If only it could work faster though..."
Inuyasha walked back to where Kagome was kneeling over Miroku's arm, checking his pulse every so often. While Miroku was here, trying to win the battle of overcoming the poison in his veins, Sango is at the other end crying about her brother's... brother's re-gained memories! Something just wasn't right about this picture.
"So is he dying yet?"
"Inuyasha! How could you say that!"
"Keh. Sango is over there crying about her brother. Miroku you wanna do something about that?"
"Inuyasha! Miroku is poisoned right now! He can't move or it'll spread!"
"I know, wench. That's why I'm offering to carry him there."
"Well- ... you are?"
"Well, then Inuyasha, I must accept." Miroku tried to sit up; he failed.
"Miroku! You really shouldn't be moving!"
"Well...men have to make some sacrifices sometimes..."
Miroku tried to sit up once more and he actually did it. Inuyasha gave him a piggy back and put him down beside Sango.
"Mi-Miroku?" Sango managed to choke out between sobs, "I'm sorry...are...are you ok?" She looked down to see the purple under his skin was starting the flare out again. "Miroku! Your...your arm!"
Miroku looked down and smiled, "I'll be fine Sango. Please don't cry anymore.."
(( Later that day - Kaede's Hut ))
They had finally sorted everything out. Miroku rode on Kirara's back, along with Sango and Kohaku. Kagura left to go and find some peace and live out the rest of her life.
Shippo greeted the group at the door with an attack of questions,
-Did you kill Naraku?
-Are you hurt?
-What happened to Naraku's incarnations?
And then his little eyes landed on Miroku, who was still limp on Kirara's back.
'Miroku!'
-What happened to you?
-Why is your arm purple?
-Are you going to die?
-Did Kagome give you your medicine?
-Do you even need medicine?
And this was where Inuyasha clubbed the kit on the head to efficiently shut him up. Inuyasha was glad they ditched the kid earlier. He would've caused too much trouble.
((Inside Kaede's hut))
"Are you sure you're ok Miroku?" Sango was genuinely concerned. She felt really bad, neglecting him earlier. He was after all, the one who defeated Naraku.
After the piece of spider-marked flesh had flown into Miroku's wind tunnel, the hole seemed to have swallowed up. Closing, never to open again. Naraku had been killed by something that he himself created.
"I'm ok Sango." Miroku repeated for what was like the umpteenth time that night. He was happy that Sango was worried about him.
Things were gradually falling in place for the two of them, Kagome was happy, not just because this whole Naraku thing was resolved but also because her friend has finally gotten together with her 'crush'. Everything was working out fine... just one last thing..
"Hey, Inuyasha?"
"Mm?"
"Come on!"
Kagome tugged at his haori sleeve. She tugged him towards the exit of the small house. Inuyasha reluctantly followed. He didn't know why Kagome wanted to go outside..
"Wow!" Kagome was looking up at the sky. Millions of stars glittered brightly above her. "They're so pretty!"
"...keh. You pulled me outside just to look at the stars?"
"..well.. You never see them this clearly in my time.."
"Oh really?" Inuyasha was beginning to show some interest in the conversation.
"Really."
Taking a daring step, Kagome pulled Inuyasha down to sit on the ground with her. Leaning against his chest, she tangled her fingers with his and they both spent the night watching the stars. Happily, in each others' company.
- The End.
And so this ficcy comes to a close. Its been an entire year already since I started this story, wow time does pass by really fast doesn't it?
And a little ending for those who are wondering about Kanna, Kagura and anyone else who seemed to have just disappeared somewhere in the storyline.
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Kanna wandered around in the meadow just a little further down from the ruins of the mansion. She didn't know what to do anymore, her sole purpose of being created was to assist Naraku...but Naraku was dead now. Kanna stood still and listened to her heart beat. She was alive now. Life existed in her.
'Was this what Kagura meant when she said free?'
Kanna continued to stand still, she stayed frozen even when a large shadow enveloped her in its darkness. The shadow didn't move from where it was. The thing creating the shadow wasn't moving. Curiously, Kanna looked up to see what could be blocking out the sunlight. It was a feather. A rather large feather.
"Kagura?" Kanna questioned. They were once sisters because of Naraku but now that Naraku ceased to exist... Did Kagura still consider them as sisters?
"What are you doing? Wandering around? Looking for some way to revive Naraku? 'Cause if you are...I'll have to stop you."
Kagura jumped down from her feather, landed on the ground, and snapped open her fan. Kanna stared blankly.
"I have no intentions of reviving him. He was scaring me anyways."
Kagura smiled, it looks like her stay at Naraku's castle had rubbed off on Kanna. The wind-sorceress was happy to see that someone else considered Naraku as 'deranged.'
"Good. Then why don't you join me now? I don't have a lot to do anyways and you can keep me company."
Kanna nodded and gripped Kagura's hand when she offered it to help Kanna get on the feather. They weren't bound as sisters anymore, but that didn't mean that they couldn't be best friends.
--
Sesshoumaru was up to his nose in paperwork again. It was just some normal busy day for them. Oh how he missed the good old days when Sango and Kagome were still around to make things easier. Where are they anyways?
"Hey.. FLUFFY!"
Sesshoumaru growled, he could recognize that voice anywhere.
"Kagome. I told you not to call me..."
Sesshoumaru trailed off when the two girls entered pulling in two guys with them. The two guys that he met before at the mansion.
"Why are they here?" Sesshoumaru asked. He was a very get-to-the-point person.
"No reason." Kagome smiled. "Wow it has been a long time since I last walked down these halls. So how has everything been? Did'ja miss us?"
"I'm busy get out."
"What a party pooper." Sango muttered.
"I heard that!"
Inuyasha and Miroku remained silent, they didn't know what was going on and they didn't want to know what was going on.
They all left though, but not before laughing at a few of the newer people being controlled by Jaken. They laughed at Jaken too who threatened to tell Sesshoumaru-sama. The girls didn't care, making Jaken even more mad.
Jaken stormed into Sesshoumaru's office, "Sesshoumaru-sama! I seriously do not know why you bothered to hire those two..girls! They- they...Sesshoumaru-sama?"
There was no one in the room. Jaken had been talking to himself. It was because Jaken couldn't see past the stacks of paper on the desk, the toad-like creature just assumed that Sesshoumaru would be there... well, he was wrong. Jaken huffed and walked over to the window. And he saw..
(( Outside in the field)
Kagome handed her employer a mug of steaming coffee. Sesshoumaru sniffed it.
"What is this."
"Its...its coffee."
"...coffee."
"Yeah. It can really wake you up! People in my time drink it in the mornings and they feel a lot better sometimes. Like...an energy drink..kinda..."
"Energy Drink?"
"Never mind. Just drink it."
Sesshoumaru held the mug up higher so he could glare at it some more. Something about this drink was giving him a weird feeling. But then again, so did a lot of things from Kagome's time.
"Just like that pen thing." Sesshoumaru reminded himself.
He was about to take a sip when a panicking Jaken sprinted out of the doors.
"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA! SESSHOUMARU-SAMA! DON'T DRINK THAT! DON'T-"
Sesshoumaru had held his hand out and Jaken had run right into it. Holding a screaming Jaken off with one hand, Sesshoumaru took a small sip of the coffee with the other. (Yes, Sesshoumaru does have both arms.)
Everyone froze. Did the inu-youkai enjoy his first taste of coffee? IS he going to go berserk? Was he going to be sick?
Sesshoumaru got up calmly. He stood for a second and looked down at the people below him.
"I will be getting back to work now." Sesshoumaru walked back into the office building. Cup of coffee in hand, Jaken trailing behind him.
"Wonder if he liked it or not?" said Sango
"Yeah, he could of said something..." Kagome added.
"Keh, I'm wondering why he had to leave so suddenly"
((Inside his office))
Sesshoumaru told Jaken to 'get lost' again. He took a deep breath, then another. And another. He looked out the window to see that Inuyasha, Miroku, Kagome and Sango were pretty far away. Thats good.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAAHAAA..."
People all around the building stopped what they were doing and listened to the maniac laughter coming from Sesshoumaru's office.
"That's better. Now then, Back to work." Sesshoumaru bent down over his desk once more. Now he was filled with energy...and a little too much coffee...
–END
Well, a little Ooc-ness for Sesshoumaru there. Caffeine does do that to some people. Makes you hyper :)
Anyways, I look forward to seeing what you have to say about this story! R&R pleaaasseee