Review Replies: (Chapter Twelve)
SesshyBabie: Cyber-cookie for you! Yes, I cannot get enough of the Kukuku…for some reason the derangement of it makes me want to write it over and over and over again…I have no idea why I find it so funny. Do not worry…all shall be right for Sango in the end.
(Chapter Thirteen)
Nobody: Seeing as nobody has reviewed it yet. Oh, well. I'm happy, and this chappie is good, so I'm gonna post anyways! Cyber cookie for me!
Chapter Fourteen. The Power of Four Souls
Tetsuka smiled. She had known that this was coming. Now was the time for her to do her part. She channeled her energy to the exterior of Kagome's mind. For the last time, she would gain a form.
:-
"What
the hell did you call me for?" Kouga demanded. "A bit late,
aren't you?" Sango snapped. He shrugged. "Whatever. What's
up?" Sango smiled grimly. "You've got to give up the shards
now, Kouga." She gripped the two shikon shards in her hand. "Hand
them over." He scoffed. "Why the hell would I do that?
"For
Kagome. I have a feeling that the shikon jewel must be completed
before the end, and Kagome has to make it through this." Kouga
frowned. "Fine," he agreed reluctantly. "Here." He yanked out
the shards, feeling an immediate decrease in his strength, though not
too bad, and handed them to her. Sango nodded. "These are the last
shards of the jewel. Now we just get Naraku's and join them with
Kagome's." Miroku sighed. "You make it sound so simple."
:-
Kagome fell to her knees, panicking. What was happening? Suddenly she knew. "Tetsuka," she murmured. The ancestral miko slowly transferred from her mind, and into a human form. She smiled serenely. "It is time."
Kirara leapt into view, carrying Sango, Miroku, and Kouga. Shippou scrambled over to the firecat as the passengers jumped from her back. Tetsuka approached Sango. "Give Kagome the shards." Sango looked at the stranger, then at Kagome. Kagome outstretched her hand, and Sango dropped five shards into it. Kagome nodded determinedly. "Naraku's going down." Tetsuka blocked her with a hand. "Kagome, hand me all of your shards." Kagome nodded obligingly, and dropped all of them into Tetsuka's hand. Inuyasha eyed both miko warily. Tetsuka muttered a few words, and Kagome's shards melded together, assembling most of the jewel. She concentrated, focusing all of her energy on the task at hand. She began to murmur in Japanese, "Four souls of the jewel, though you are not completed, you must contribute your power. Four souls, awaken and help to reform the jewel, saving it from evil." The semi-assembled jewel glowed brilliantly, and Naraku's shards tore themselves from his body, joining the rest of the shikon no tama. Tetsuka handed the jewel to Kagome. "You have the power of the four souls within you. Now, do as I instructed you." Kagome nodded, and turned to Naraku, who had angrily risen, ready to reclaim the jewel from her. She set an arrow in her bow. "Ready, Inuyasha?" The hanyou nodded. She stared at the target. "Ready, Sesshoumaru?" The taiyoukai nodded as well, preparing himself. She let an arrow fly. Then, she remembered, and glanced quickly to the sky. "Oh, no…" The world had finally cloaked itself in night's darkness, and no moon graced the sky. "Kagome…The tetsusaiga!" Kagome nodded in resignation. "Three…two…one." There was a slight pulse, and Inuyasha's hair blackened. His ears humanized, and he cursed. "It's not gonna work." Kagome shook her head. "It has to work…it has to…" Sango stepped forward. "We can hold him off until morning. It's early, but we can do it. She called to the shadows. "Kagura! Come out and fight for yourself!"
The wind witch heard the taiji. What the… She heard Sango call again. "You heard me! Naraku's next to powerless without the shards. Get out here and help!" Kagura glanced at Kohaku. "Stay with Kanna." She mounted her feather.
Sango nodded as she saw Kagura. "That's better. You want freedom? It's not coming on a silver platter." Miroku grinned in admiration at Sango. Sango nodded again to herself, then clenched her fists. "And, now, Naraku, you will pay. For my father, for my brother, and for Miroku. HIRAIKOTSU!" She whirled the boomerang at him with ease. It sliced off one of his tentacles, and returned to her. She tossed it again, and Kagura pulled out her fan. "DANCE OF BLADES!" Sesshoumaru's whip slashed at Naraku as well, and Tetsuka sent out various forms of miko power to distract him. "Kukuku, you cannot defeat me," he muttered, though there was a trace of nervousness in his voice. They were slowly making cuts and scrapes, cutting off his many, many limbs.
Kanna showed the image in her mirror, in which Kohaku watched. He frowned. In a way, he trusted Kagura, but how could he leave them to fight alone? Kiseki appeared then. "You! Why aren't you out there? Come on, I'm going, too." She dragged him out into the clearing. "Sorry we're late, all!" She yelled to Sango, "I gave your katana back, but I'm going to need it now!" She held up her empty hands as Sango's katana was hurled toward her. She caught it easily, and grinned. "Much obliged." She turned to Kohaku. "Let's distract that bastard, already."
Miroku stared up. "Sango! There're more demons headed this way! Naraku's minions!" The taiji nodded. "Use the kazaana!" Miroku nodded, and pulled back the beads sealing the air rip. The demons were sucked into it by the dozens, as escape was futile. He closed it quickly so as not to endanger his allies, and bit his lip. How were they going to hold this up until morning? He thought for a moment, then it came to him.
Miroku set sutras in a circle around them. "Kagome must preserve her strength, and should not hold up a barrier for long. These will protect you from Naraku, Kagome." Kagome frowned. She did have to save her strength, but that didn't mean she wanted to.
:-
The morning seemed to take forever to arrive, and Sango was not the only exhausted from the constant battling, but when it did, the sun peeked over the mountains, and Inuyasha transformed. "That's more like it." Kagome turned to him. "You ready?" He nodded. "I've never been more ready." She turned to Sesshoumaru. "And you?" He nodded. "My sentiments, exactly." She let the arrow fly. Inuyasha quickly drew the tetsusaiga. "WIND SCAR!" A beam of brilliant light joined Kagome's arrow, and Sesshoumaru twisted his whip around it all. Tetsuka observed for a moment, then added her own touch, a swarm of violet discs of light surrounding it all. The power quad streaked at Naraku, and pierced directly into his chest. Streams of light erupted, filling the clearing with a bright haze.
Kagura shielded Kohaku, Kanna, and Kiseki from the explosion, squinting at the flashing light.
Miroku squeezed Sango's hand. Kirara was positioned protectively in front of Shippou, and Kouga watched, awestruck.
Kagome's concentration wavered, and she bent to her knees. Inuyasha helped her up. When the light finally dissolved, they saw that Naraku had been destroyed. Kagome sighed. "It is done." She felt a sense of satisfaction, and fulfillment, but also one of warning. It wasn't over yet. The battle may have ended, but there were still things to be resolved.
Miroku stared at his hand. The black kazaana slowly diminished, leaving his palm unblemished, save for a tiny scar in the center. "It's gone," he whispered. "It's gone."
Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha." He blinked. "Huh?"
"I'm sorry. I regret what I said. Will you forgive me?" He nodded. "I'm sorry. I regret what I said, too. Are you…?" She nodded, stepping toward Sesshoumaru. "I think so. There's still some stuff to work out."
LB:
(dances around happily) NARAKU IS DEAD! He's gone…he's
gone…ladidadida! This was such an exciting chapter to write! (at
twelve-thirty in the morning, mind you.) Let me know how I did on the
battle...I've never been that good at it, I admit. Do not despair. As
Kagome
claimed, the battle is over, but the story is not. The end draws
near, but I still have quite a few chapters to write. Look forward to
the next one, Chapter Fifteen. Running from the Inevitable.
