Last chapter was so short! UGH! Well, let's hope this one is longer!
Hey, I know there's a lot of you reading this. I get around a hundred hits for the later chapters, and I think 21 people watch this story and 14 people have favorited it (at the time I'm writing this). How come only about 10 of you review (and about 5 of those ten every chapter, and 2-3 of those have reviewed every chapter)? I would really appreciate it if you reviewed more...
A Change in Our Future
Chapter Eighteen: Naraku's Battle! Part II
We were all doing badly, and the only ones who weren't on the verge of death were Koga and InuYasha... and possibly Miroku. I tripped over a rock as Kagura slowly walked towards me, her fan raised for attack. I stood up slowly and looked down at my bow, getting an idea.
Kagura got dangerously close, but I didn't show any fear. I hid my bow a little bit and poured my priestess energy into the bow, like when I fought against Tsubaki.
Suddenly, when Kagura was within arm's reach, I swung my bow towards her face; Kagura put up an arm to stop it, but was shocked to find that it burned her arm.
"AHHHH!" Kagura's scream hurt my ears, but I poured more of my priestess energy into the bow, and she backed off, falling to the ground as she clutched her burning arm.
I ran back and got an arrow, knowing I couldn't kill her just with my bow, and I shot it at Kagura, straight through her heart. Kagura screamed in agony when she was hit, but before she turned into dust, she quieted down and seemed... peaceful. She looked over at me and smirked, before disappearing in the sudden wind.
Clutching the bow, I breathed heavily, surprised at what I just did. I was never much of a fighter, but just then I showed my true strength... This place changes you. I was the youngest of the group, and yet, I had just defeated a demon on my own... I hardly ever did that.
Suddenly I realized that I was in the middle of a battle, and I looked around... Closest to where I was standing was Naraku, and InuYasha and Koga working so hard to defeat him.
So that's where I went. To fight Naraku.
- - -
Kohaku threw his chain sickle down at Sango, who was still on the ground. Sango raised her arm quickly, revealing a blade under her demon slayer's outfit.
Kohaku pushed his chain sickle against Sango, and proved to be an even match with her. Sango started to push herself off the ground, but pretty slowly.
Unexpectedly, someone threw themselves at Kohaku, knocking him down and keeping him to the ground.
"Miroku?" Sango asked, standing up. It was indeed Miroku struggling to keep Kohaku to the ground. Kohaku tried to attack Miroku, but was stopped every time. "How did you defeat Kanna?" Sango asked.
"Kikyo-sama," Miroku said, turning his head to his left. Sango looked in the same direction and saw the clay priestess walking towards Kohaku and Miroku.
"Kikyo?" Sango said, her eyes wide with surprise.
Kikyo walked over to Kohaku and said, "He is under Naraku's control, correct?" Kikyo looked over to Sango and Sango nodded.
"He's forgotten all about me," Sango answered.
Kikyo shook her head. "No. His memories are just suppressed. I can release him from Naraku's hold, but he will have to choose if he wants his memories back himself... It may take a while for him to get his memories back," Kikyo explained.
If I were there, I would be wondering why Kikyo was here, and how she knew to come.
Kikyo knelt next to Kohaku and held her hands over Kohaku's face. She started muttering something that couldn't be heard and soon Kohaku was unconscious. Kikyo stood up and looked at Sango. "He will stay unconscious for a while. He's out of Naraku's hold, so I will take him away from here so he doesn't get any injuries." Sango nodded and Kikyo somehow managed to carry Kohaku away from the battle.
Sango watched as she left, but was brought back to her senses by Miroku and Kirara. They flew over towards Naraku on Kirara's back, ready to fight to the finish.
- - -
I glanced towards Kirara when she flew nearby, knowing that Sango and Miroku were here now. I jumped out of the way of Naraku's attack and strung another arrow. Koga jumped next to me and got rid of some attacking tentacles as I shot my arrow towards Naraku's head.
We were getting no where! We all attacked, but nothing worked. I tried to think of a plan while I dodged attacks from Naraku. Suddenly I felt the presence of the tainted jewel.
That's it! The jewel! I needed to purify it, otherwise, Naraku will keep getting stronger.
"InuYasha!" I shouted, and he jumped over to me. I started speaking, hardly loud enough for him to hear, "I need to get to the sacred jewel. He's keeping it where his heart should be. If I touch it, I think I can purify it, and then we can defeat him."
InuYasha smirked and said, "You've gotten smarter. I'll try and cut through. You follow behind me."
Almost instantly, InuYasha started to cut through the tentacles and I followed right behind him. I used my bow to knock away smaller tentacles that filled the spots behind and in front of me. InuYasha gradually made his way towards Naraku, looking back towards me every so often to make sure I was there.
I could see Sango and Miroku sending attacks at Naraku, and Koga trying to get to Naraku's main body like InuYasha and myself were doing. I turned back to InuYasha, and saw how close we were! I was so surprised that I almost let myself get hit by another one of Naraku's attacks. Though, I was wondering why he wasn't sending more attacks at us! Yeah, we were in the middle of a forest of gross tentacles, but he wasn't really attacking us much. It made absolutely no sense!
Soon we were right next to Naraku's body. My eyes widened as I saw what was before me. A slimy mess. Yup, Naraku had stooped so low as to become mud. Well, more like muddy organs, or whatever Naraku had inside of him. I looked around, and soon I saw the sacred jewel.
"I'm going in!" I shouted, sticking my hand in the mess of whatever it was. I cringed at the nasty stuff that covered my hand and tried to grab at the sacred jewel. I was just too far away! Suddenly the goop that I was reaching into started to slowly reach around me. I screamed and tried to break it, but it wouldn't budge. "InuYasha!" I shouted, looking to the hanyou who was trying to kill the tentacles that were coming at him.
He looked over at me and started to run over to me. "Kagome!" he shouted trying to cut through the black goop that was covering me up. I tried to grab an arrow, but my left arm (the one not reaching for the sacred jewel) was starting to get surrounded by the stuff too.
"InuYasha, hand me an arrow!" I said, and he obeyed (for once).
I took the arrow and turned it towards the mud-organy-thing and sent my priestess energy into the arrow. My arrow glowed a light pink and I shoved it into Naraku's body. I could hear him yelp a little in pain from Naraku, but soon most of the sounds were muffled. I heard a muffled holler of my name, and I knew it was InuYasha. But I couldn't go to him. I needed to do this myself! I pushed the arrow in front of me, making it cut through the muddy mess that was Naraku. The priestess energy that I sent also kept the mud at bay, so it would grow back slowly. But, whatever mud stuff touched me seemed to burn me, especially the farther in I got.
I pushed my arrow at a particularly tough spot, and suddenly I fell through a wall. I looked around and it was like a small room... inside Naraku. HOW GROSS IS THAT? Ew...
Then I saw it. The almost completed sacred jewel, floating in the middle of the room. It emitted an eerie dark purple light; that was the only light in the room. I walked towards it, my right hand outstretched. I was only inches away from it when I hit a painful barrier. I screamed out in pain and sucked on my hand. I glared at the Shikon Jewel.
Determined, I tried again, but this time I was ready for the barrier. I pushed against it, no matter how much pain it put me in. I could feel my hand burning, and then it started to bleed. I pushed my priestess powers through my hand, more determined than ever.
I touched it.
Suddenly the barrier around the Shikon Jewel disappeared and I was holding it firmly in my hand.
I looked around and I could see straight through Naraku's body, like it was water. I heard his scream, the loudest scream I've heard ever. The pink light of the sacred jewel escaped in the gaps of my grip around it and the light shone through everything.
I couldn't believe that I was standing there. I was purifying the jewel, and Naraku at the same time. I glared and let my priestess aura flow around the jewel, speeding up the purification process.
Soon my whole body was covered with pink light, and I added my own energy to it.
I looked at InuYasha and shouted, "NOW! ATTACK!"
Though he probably only heard a muffled yell, he nodded. I could tell he was worried, but I could take it.
InuYasha ran towards Naraku and then sent his Wind Scar. I bet he shouted out 'Wind Scar', but I couldn't hear it. I was trying to stand my ground. I gripped the Shikon Jewel tight in my hand as the wind scar came straight towards me.
Naraku's now transparent body was destroyed as InuYasha's attack, his scream and body sent away into the sky.
I stood there, panting as he was sort of washed away on top of me, the now watery flesh washing over me and soaking my clothes and making my hair cling to my body. I looked around and saw InuYasha standing there, sniffing the air a little bit. Continuing to look around, I saw that Naraku's dark fortress was disappearing in the wind, and the sky was clearing up.
It was over. Naraku was dead.
I jumped a little bit when I heard a sudden clang, and turned to see InuYasha standing there, his sword on the ground and transforming into it's "old rusty" state.
Miroku took the beads on his hand and pulled them off, surprised to see only a small wind going in his hand, and soon enough it was gone. His smile was bright and he seemed to shake with excitement.
Ignoring everything that was happening (Miroku going over to Sango and twirling her around, but then getting slapped for a reason that should be obvious), I ran over to InuYasha and jumped up, locking my arms around his neck. I cried into his shoulder, and laughed a little bit two.
I looked up into InuYasha's face and he was smiling too.
"We did it," InuYasha said. He looked down at me and hugged me like I was hugging him. "We actually did it!"
Naraku is dead! Yay!
Next Chapter: Obviously everyone will be happy. Back in Kaede's village everyone is celebrating, but parties usually go haywire.