Chapter 13

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit all to hell!" Inuyasha cursed every demon he cut down. His arms were growing weak with exhaustion. Sweat and blood dripping down his face and into his eyes. The miasma filled air was irritating his lungs, making them burn with his exertion. With a mighty howl his wind scar was unleashed, cutting through demons and giving him a momentary breeze of fresh air. He'd lost Miroku in the forest, one minute his friend was running beside him and the next he was gone. He could only pray to a God he didn't believe in that his friend would make it back to them.

'There's no time to waste, I must get to her.' A lowly, slithering creature took him by surprise. Aiming for his legs and knocking him off balance. Only shoving Tesaiuga into the ground, and creating a small barrier, had stopped the demon from taking his head off his shoulders. Tired of playing defense Inuyasha was once again swinging his sword from left to right. Using brute strength rather than technique to move closer to his goal. The thick poisonous fog was clogging his senses, but he would know her scent anywhere. Even if he was blind, deaf, and dumb he could never lose her. He would always come for her.

"Hold on Kagome! Don't you dare die on me."

It had been one week since Sango had come into everyone's life. She was a nice addition to their odd group. She was strong in mind, body, and heart. Inuyasha was still wary of her, but even he could appreciate her strength. For a human wench, as he was always quick to point out. Kagome had her first taste of female companionship. Someone to gossip and bathe with. Another human to back her up when they needed to rest. Kagome had found the sister she'd never had.

Miroku now had a new object of affection. Though Sango shooed him away every chance she got, the blush on her cheeks and smile on her lips always told a different story. She'd clocked the void demon a few times for his wondering hands, and left a permanent mark on his cheek the first time he asked her to bear his children. Now the blows were pitiful at best, more for show than actual punishment. It was a sort of game, one Miroku was all too eager to play and one Sango clearly didn't mind letting him win.

They traveled as usual. Only coming into one shard they didn't have to fight for. A shrine maiden had left the shard in their possession. Fearing she could only continue to protect her village for so long, until something she couldn't handle came lurking about. It was two days after that shard was collected that Sango began to act strange. She stayed up all night, even knowing they'd leave early in the morning. She had taken to bathing alone and no longer seemed comfortable meeting the eyes of her companions.

"Is everything okay Sango?" Miroku asked her at dinner. Kagome had gone to collect more firewood and Inuyasha had gone to help, and keep her company.

"Never better." She replied unenthusiastically. The brunette girl picked at her food, hardly touching it at all before pushing it aside. Sango made herself comfortable in the corner of the room they found lodging in. They'd killed a demon plaguing a small village, and while that demon had not possessed a shard the headmaster offered them food and a room as payment.

"What crawled up her ass and died?" Inuyasha grumbled loudly. He yelped at the pinch he received in his side, and at least had the decency to look contrite at Kagome's harsh glare.

"She's lost her entire village in one night. Her brother is missing. Give the girl some credit for keeping it together this long." Kagome's words allowed a hush to fall over the group. Though her belly was full, Kagome's stomach began to grumble. There was something in the air. She could feel it.

"You sense it too?" The dark haired girl made eye contact with her inu-hanyou companion. With a quick nod in each other's direction they were off. Walking through the woods and searching for the source of that foul aura. Miroku and Sango traveled closely behind, Sango continued to grow paler.

"It's the mountain." Kagome explained. She watched as Miroku lifted Sango unto his back. The aura making her weak.

"It reeks of miasma...and blood." Closer they pushed. Kagome's spiritual powers were the only thing keeping her on her feet. She'd never faced a miasma so potent. Inside the sounds of guttural cries and gnashing teeth could be heard.

"My...mask, Miroku, I need my mask." Sango panted over his shoulder. Setting her down he ruffled through her things, until his eye found what they were looking for. He tied the mask around her face and instantly she began to breathe easier. The mask filtered out the toxins produced by the miasma.

"What is this?" Inuyasha inquired, peering over the edge watching as a handful of demons tore each other apart. Limbs and other body parts floated in the poison at the demons' feet. Blood coated the walls.

Kagome gasped, "I sense a shard, multiple shards." Her eyes scanned but she saw nothing. Only the dark sky looming above them and the fight to the death looming below.

"Shards...on you...give them to me." The demon gurgled. Before she could draw her bow the demon sent his tail into the cliffside. The rock beneath Kagome's feet crumbled and soon she was falling.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha watched as Kagome fell, nearly into the pool of miasma. He vaulted down to her, her forehead swollen and bruised from where the falling rock had collasped on her. The demon reached out a clawed hand, trying to grab Kagome and gain the shards in her possession.

"Not on your life vermin!" Inuyasha drew his sword, the power of his demonic aura fueling the blade and turning it into a powerful fang. In one swipe the demon's hand was cut off and Inuyasha had officially joined the fight. A flick of the demon's tail sent Inuyasha into the wall, the demon laughed as his prey crumbled to the ground.

"Weak...I will win...you will die." Spitting out the blood from his mouth Inuyasha could only laugh.

"You're the only one dying today, wind sca-" Inuyasha could feel the power of the wind scar brewing in his hands, then it was gone. The scared arrow bounced off his sword, reverting it to nothing, and broke the seal on the mountain. Soon the mountain began to tremble. The miasma and the dismembered parts of demons floating to the sky, becoming absorbed. Miroku laid on top of Sango, holding onto whatever he could to ensure they wouldn't be sucked into the void.

"Kagome!" Miroku watched as the young priestess was taken away, her body exiting the mountain with the other demon parts. He watched as his silver haired friend tried to get to her, but it was no use. The pull from the seal was too strong and she was moving too fast.

The vortex of miasma and demon parts began to the slow, Inuyasha could see a figure at the top of the mountain. A man? Inuyasha vaulted up, needing to get closer, needing to get to Kagome. "Put her down or you're dead!"

"Oh Inuyasha, now this is a prize I must collect. Don't worry, if you're lucky, I'll leave her in one piece to give you something to bury when I'm done." Naraku chuckled darkly, as his ink black tresses waved in the wind. He felt amazing in his new body. No longer clinging to the sickly vessel of the young lord.

"Bastard! I'll kill you for touching her."

"Follow me then, I'd love to see you try." In a cloud of poisonous dust Naraku was gone, his precious cargo tucked safely under his arm. He and the young priestess had much to discuss. It would be a long while yet, before he let her die.

"Dammit!" Miroku panted. He'd gotten separated from Inuyasha and Sango. They had taken off after Naraku immediately, whith Kagome in his clutches there was no time to waste. Miroku was exhausted, his hand thrumming in pain from the overuse of his wind tunnel. It was a quiet sound. Something that even an inu youkai would have had a hard time hearing, but he was trained for this. Trained to listen to the wind, and to fear when it got too loud.

"No...it can't be." It was possible, but very rare. Only void demons who nicked their wind tunnels or sucked in too much poison could hear the wind. Miroku had done neither, and yet the howling of his void reached his ears.

He saw Sango emerge in front of him, her face relieved to finally be reunited. She ran towards him and he tried to tell her to stop, to stay away, but she heard nothing. Closer and closer she ran, then she was gone. Her joyous expression melted into terror as she was pulled in, the howling grew louder. Branches, dirt, and grass came flying at him. He could feel the undeniable pull of the void, it was sucking him in too.

"No! Please, someone help me!"

Miroku awoke gasping for air, hands on his heaving chest as he looked around wildly. He raised his cursed hand to his face, the appendage shaking steadily, but otherwise sealed.

"Get up! Quickly!" Head snapping towards the hushed voice, Miroku looked into crimson eyes. Immediately rising to his feet, the void demon was instantly on edge. "Calm down, you fool, I just saved your life." The girl snapped.

"Who are you and why do you smell of Naraku?"

"He is my master, but I am not his slave. I am Kagura of the Wind. I want Naraku dead. I'm fine to chat, though I'm sure you'd rather go save your female friend instead, right?"

Torn between saving his friend and ripping this bitch's throat out, he chose the former. Following this Kagura closely on the ground while she took to the skies. Deeper into the forest they flew until the sounds of terrified screams rang throughout the tress.

"Inuyasha! Miroku! Where are you?" Sango continued to wonder the dark woods. They made it to the castle in record time. Inuyasha following Kagome and Naraku's scent like the blood hound he was. He was practically flying through the air, a growl on his lips, and an iron like grip on his sword.

When they'd entered Naraku's barrier, they'd gotten separated. The thick miasma swallowed them up, and suddenly Sango found herself wondering alone. So busy looking for her companions, the young woman took a misstep. Her leather covered foot caught on a root and she found herself face first in the dirt.

Only the sounds of chains whipping in the air got her to her feet. She rolled to the side, her blade drawn and ready. Apparently she wasn't as alone as she thought.

"Show yourself!" Sango yelled into the night. She heard them before she saw them, chains flying through the air with a sythe attached to the end. She recognized that weapon.

"Kohaku!" She called out to him, and only received his blade flying towards her face in response. She blocked with her katana, and suddenly he was rushing her, tackling her towards the ground and dislodging her weapon from her hands. He reared back, blade in hand ready to strike, but Sango was quicker. Unleashing the concealed blade in her forearm, she blocked his weapon and sent a powerful fist into his temple. She flipped them with one fluid motion, his blade across the clearing and hers positioned at his throat.

"What are you doing Kohaku?" Her voice was thick with unshed tears. Even though she could end his life at any moment, her little brother showed no fear. This was the same child who cried the first time he hunted a rabbit? A child who was born into a village of warriors, yet preferred herbs and healing to blades and blood? Though his face remained as she had always known, his eyes were different. They were blank, cold, soulless. This boy, pinned beneath her, was not her brother.

"Who are you?" She screamed, tears spilling over her cheeks, "What have you done with my brother?"

Miroku found Sango ensnared in a tangle of roots. Slowly they squeezed, moving across her body and snaking their way towards her throat.

Before he could move to cut the roots, sharp blades of wind fell from above and cut Sango free. He ran to her, turning her over and barely avoided her fist as she woke up swinging.

"Sango please! You're safe, it's me!" Slowly the girl came to her bearings. Her brother, she was ready to kill him and soon after end her own life. Now she was here, she was back. Reality slowly filled her and she tried to ground herself, it was just a nightmare. Or was it?

"Miroku...what was that?" Sango's voice gave way to her terror. Her body still trembled and Miroku stepped closer to place both hands on her shoulders. Her gaze met his and he felt her relax under his touch.

"We don't have a lot of time Sango. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real. We've got to keep moving. We've got a Naraku incarnation set on betraying him to lead our way. I don't trust her as far as I can throw her, I need you with me." She nodded, the movement unscrambling her thoughts and allowing her to think clearly. Inuyasha and Kagome were still out there.

"Let's go." With Sango on his back they took to the trees, keeping Kagura in their line of sight. It was no time at all before the castle came into view. The grounds were covered in a thick cloud of miasma, the hissing and gnawing of demons could be heard as a horde of them swirled below. They watched as blasts of energy could only clear a temporary path to the castle.

"It's Inuyasha." Miroku said already making his way down. He only stopped for a fraction of a second to send a suspicious glare to the wind sorceress. It was all the thank you she was going to get. Seeming to accept it for what it was, Kagura was gone as quick as she'd come. Her feather carrying her farther and farther from them.

Sango brandished her sword as the giant boomerang she kept on her back was released. In an instant 50 demons were down and the sound of her battle cry had her newly made companion turn his dog ears her way. Topaz eyes locked on brown. She nodded her head and he watched as his long time friend sucked more and more demons into his void. Thank God, he thought.

Soon the unlikely trio were back to back, demons surrounding them on all sides.

"Where's Kagome?" Sango was the first to ask.

"Inside. I can smell her, but there's been too many of these bastards. I can't get to her!" He yelled unleashing a powerful wind scar.

"We've got your back. Keep pushing forward and we'll do the rest." Miroku said confidently. Inuyasha nodded towards his friend. Words of thanks and gratitude sat on his tongue, but refused to come forth. It was the look in his Golden eyes that had Miroku smirking and turning around to suck more demons into oblivion.

With the help of his companions it was no time at all before Inuyasha was storming the castle. He only had one goal right now, and anything that got in his way was asking for an untimely death.

When Kagome awoke she felt warm. She laid on a soft and comfortable futon. The sheets had been carefully tucked around her and her hair had been fanned around her pillow as to not disturb her. Slowly Kagome sat up. The room she was in was large and empty save for her and the bedding. Nothing decorated the walls and there was nothing distinct to clue her in to where she might be.

"I'm glad that you're awake. Seems breaking my spell took a lot out of you." Slowly as to not give away her fear, Kagome turned to the sound of a deep voice. His Crimson eyes and inky hair met her gaze. He wore the robes of a prince though Kagome knew he was anything but.

He moved from the doorway, sliding the shoji closed behind him. She should've gotten up, should've been looking for weapons the moment she awoke, but instead she continued to sit there and stare. This man, that she had only seen a handful of times, was the one she was meant to destroy. Her destiny she was literally staring her in the face, and yet...

"You chose to break my spell Kagome. Why?"

"Maybe I just wanted to see you." She replied smartly. His eyes widened a fraction, before a wicked smirk played across his face.

"My dear, if you wanted to see me you should've said so sooner. I've been waiting for you too." Soon Kagome was on her back as claws swiped the air where her head had been. Rolling into a crouch, careful not become trapped within the blankets, Kagome kneeled several feet away from her opponent. She was at a severe disadvantage without her arrows. She had talismans in her robes, but against Naraku all they could do was buy her time.

Time to do what? She wasn't exactly sure. Before she could think too much she was across the room, out the door, and into the hall.

"There is nowhere for you to run girl. Give me the shards and let me make your death as painless as possible." She'd been running for less than a minute and already her chest was heaving. Too afraid to look back, she missed the tentacle sliding closer until it was wrapped around her ankle. She tripped landing hard on her belly and loosing any wind she had in her lungs.

Not a moment too late Kagome found herself in strong arms, the tentacle meant to pierce her crashed through the floorboards and scattered the wood.

"You cannot hide from me." Naraku sneered as his body continued to morph into something grotesque. "Your destiny has always been to die by my hand. The moment Midoriko gave you that jewel your fate was sealed."

Kagome's heart pounded as she looked into the Crimson eyes of her undead lover. His strong hand covered her mouth to keep her quiet as he peered through a crack in the door to determine Naraku's whereabouts. Sealed behind a barrier of his creation, he knew that it was only a matter of time before Naraku found them.

"You saved me." Kagome panted as the boy, formally known as Hojo, dropped his hand from her mouth.

"Just a fraction of the repayment you deserve." He said lowly, "My barrier shall be keep us silent and hidden from Naraku, but not for long. Do you have a plan?"

Kagome shook her head as her cheeks flamed in embarrassment. "I woke up with no weapons, it was all I could do to run." It was a soft hand on her cheek that brought her gaze up from her feet.

"I will allow no harm to come to you." Stepping away, the young man brandished a sword from his side. Kneeling on one knee, the once human presented the blade to the woman in front of him. "Take this sword and bathe it in my blood. Allow me the honor of continuing to protect you and fight by your side."

Kagome had half the mind to step away in horror. With his head bowed Hojo could not see the petrified look on the young miko's face. What he was asking her to do was unthinkable. To once again take his life, she didn't think she could handle it.

"Hojo...you don't know what you're asking of me." Hojo raised his head, his crimson eyes shining with a familiarity Kagome realized she hadn't seen in a long while. Not even when she had been previously trapped in his illusions did the demon Akumu so closely resemble her Hojo, as he did now.

"When I awoke, I thought God had given me a second chance, given us a second chance." Slowly the demon began to stand, his free hand reaching, so he could rub his thumb across Kagome's cheek. "Then I found you and all I cared about was having you for myself, even if it meant siding with your enemy." The young girl trembled when the young demon wiped the tears from her face with his thumb. Even with his claws, he was gentle.

"You told me why it wouldn't work, how you couldn't be with me because of Naraku and the jewel and I believed you...until the day I opened the portal and the dog brought you back." Kagome cried harder. "I knew in that moment there was no place I could take you where he couldn't reach. There was no place, in heaven or on earth, where you wouldn't go when he called."

"Hojo...I'm so sor-" A single finger to her lips stopped her reply. He was smiling.

"It took me awhile to realize, but you have been granted what I wished for you at the moment of my death. Happiness, Kagome. I wanted you happy, healthy, and with people who would care about you just as much if not more than I did."

Kagome didn't think as she through her around the neck of the boy she loved. Even in this moment and all the moments before she loved him and she knew she would love him after. Their lips met and though it was sweet the taste of goodbye sat on her tongue. This was farewell, the end of their story. The story of a girl who was lonely and misunderstood and how a smart, handsome boy had become her entire world after some hand holding and a few long walks.

Hojo was the first person, besides Midoriko, to treat Kagome like a human and not an object. Hojo had seen through her, had known there was more to her than just her power. Kagome's lungs burned but she dared not pull away to breathe. She wanted to feel every thump of his heart, every swipe of his tongue, and every bite with his teeth.

Before she could register the movement, she felt the familiar give of blade cutting through flesh. Their lips fell away and Kagome used her body to lower them gently to the ground. Still she cried as Hojo continued to smile.

"This is how it was always meant to be." With every blink of his heavy eyes, Hojo's irises lightened from their deep crimson tone into the soft brown Kagome had missed so much.

"I love you Hojo. Always."

"I love you too, Kagome-san." With that, the last of his essence dissipated. The warmth Kagome had felt while holding him in her arms, slowly made its way to the blade in her hands. The sword glowed a deep red, a color most people would find demonic. Though to Kagome, the color reminded her of the single rose Hojo had given her. The rose she had kept for years after his death, even after the petals had lost their luscious hue and turned an ugly brown.

Kagome said a quick prayer and she felt the castle walls tremble around her. With Hojo dead his barrier had also disappeared and she could feel Naraku coming closer. She looked down at her weapon, the strength of their combined aura was undeniable. She could feel the waves of their power working in tandem. Miko and demon energy swirling to create an unstoppable force.

"I found you." Came Naraku's wicked voice from the hall. All Kagome could do was smile. Let him come.

She was ready.

I intended to make this longer, but I find myself at a crossroads. I feel as though there will be a lot happening in the next chapter. It may be the final chapter. Who knows? But thanks for reading nonetheless!

Until next time.