Disclaimer: 戦国お伽草子ー犬夜叉 (AKA Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale) is not mine.
Slay The Music
Scene Thirty-Eight: Return the Favor
"What a crowd," Kikyô remarked as a fourth car parked itself near the bay early the next morning.
"Naraku's very popular," Bankotsu said with a sadistic smirk on his face as he stepped out.
"Kagome, are you sure you want to come? Naraku hasn't been able to get to you yet," Sango asked.
"I'm sure," Kagome held Inuyasha's hand firmly.
"So, what's the plan?" Ayame asked.
"I feel like we're being briefed for a concert or something," Kôga shook his head and crossed his arms.
"We're using those two cars," Kikyô said. "The rest is up to you guys."
"Are you serious? That's the whole plan? Kikyô, you of all people must have a bigger plan than that," Miroku said.
"Alright, here's what Kagura gave me," Kikyô said as everyone almost expected her to take out a huge manila folder and start reading off names of technicians who were going to run lights, manage sound, or do hair and makeup. "Naraku isn't working alone. He probably a hundred or so people working for him, guarding him, or killing off people for him. He's not your average guy either; he does have demon blood so he will be able to manipulate a few things. All of you know what you're good at and what you're not, so you're going to have to watch out for each other. All of you are public icons, so if anyone of you is killed, anyone of you is going to get arrested and that's the end of your career. Do yo need anything else?"
"How about good luck?" Hakkaku asked bluntly as Ayame hit him forcefully over the head.
"Save the energy, Aya," Kôga scolded her.
"If there's nothing else, then we should be going, we'll be in Yokohama by sunset," Kikyô concluded.
"Where's Kagura?" Kagome asked Inuyasha as they entered the first car.
"Sesshômaru made her stay back, he's afraid of what might happen to her and their unborn," Inuyasha replied.
"Sesshômaru's here?"
"He's already in Yokohama."
The sky had turned a deep crimson by the time they arrived in Yokohama. They stopped right outside of the city in front of a gorgeous mansion that might have been a castle at one point. There was no doubt in any mind that Naraku was here, his scent and aura haunted the place. Kagome was first to step out of the car and turned towards the setting sun.
"Reminds me of a movie I saw once," she said as her comrades stepped out as well.
"Oh yeah? How's that?"
"There was a song something like—You and me sit watching the beautiful glow of the Orange Sunset, it's sad and we're both about to cry, it's eternity's final goodbye," she sang playfully, lighting a cigarette as she did so.
Inuyasha let her be content with her memories and said nothing in reply. The lyrics held no special place in his heart, but something in Kagome's voice did. Her voice wasn't cut out for the visual kei industry probably, but it wasn't one you'd expect to find on the pop charts either.
But the cruel face of Naraku soon interrupted his thoughts. He would have done almost anything to make his mind wander to any other subject, but those glaring red eyes scarred his mind and would continue to burn into his memory—even after Naraku's death.
Kôga walked up to Inuyasha and held out his hand, which Inuyasha took. Kôga pulled Inuyasha toward him into a brotherly-like embrace, "We're finally going to get revenge now, aren't we?"
Inuyasha nodded, "For little sister, for my brother, for Bankotsu's comrades, for the hell that Naraku put everyone through."
"I'm right there with you, partner," Kôga gave a cocky smirk, which hid his true feelings of anxiety and remorse.
"You guys stay up all night training?" Sango asked, fastening a sword to her belt.
"I did," Kôga admitted, "Also spent the night writing my will."
Miroku hit him on the shoulder with a staff, "Don't talk like that, it's bad karma."
"We'll need all the good karma we can get," Hakkaku whimpered.
"If you're such a baby, why did you even come?" Kôga asked.
"We want revenge to you know," Ginta said, almost nervously popping his knuckles.
"So what's the plan?" Ayame asked.
"I think we should just go straight for Naraku and leave the minions. Or at least try to get to Naraku as fast as possible and avoid the minions as much as we can," Miroku said.
"Sounds good," Sango nodded.
"And the police?" Kagome asked.
"Won't arrest Naraku for lack of evidence," Inuyasha growled.
"What are you fools waiting for?" Sesshômaru said as he stepped out of his own car.
"Here goes nothing," Sango sighed as the group headed towards the secluded home.
"Sango wait," Miroku held her back and then kissed her gently, "I love you."
"Houshi-sama, don't worry, Naraku will be dead by morning and then you can ravish me all you want," she said teasingly.
"Oh God, don't say that now," Miroku frowned at her. "Houshi-sama! I thought we were over this!"
"But you've got the staff and you wrote the song," Kôga backed Sango up, waiting by the entrance gate.
"Not you too," Miroku's face fell.
"You don't get to ravish me though," Kôga smirked.
"I wouldn't if you gave me a million yen," Miroku said.
"You're falling behind!" Inuyasha called to them.
"We're coming, oh fearless leader!" Kôga called.
"It's funny how you can still crack jokes while thousands of bugs with intentions of murder are flying at us," Sango said as she positioned her weapon, her treasured family heirloom the Hiraikotsu, for attack.
"What? Where?" Kôga looked into the sky and spotted the same demons Sango was speaking of.
"Up there," Sango answered more for Miroku's benefit as she skillfully launched the Hiraikotsu into flight, destroying the majority of the first wave of demons.
Meanwhile Inuyasha led the group with his own inheritance, the tessaiga, slicing down the leftover minions that had not been reached by Hiraikotsu. Kagome followed him closely as they traveled inwards—into the mansion.
"Don't do anything stupid, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered under his breath as they entered.
"Don't worry, I won't," Kagome replied.
Naraku's lair was like a maze of empty halls lined with tatami flooring and off white walls. Traveling together, following Sesshômaru by this time, they finally found the innermost section of the mansion, and behind the screen doors and within the grand hall stood Naraku, glaring at the group with red eyes and smirking at them through his evil lips.
"So, it has come down to this?" Naraku stated with his deep ominous voice.
"Naraku you bastard—"
"Inuyasha," Kôga extended his arm and stopped his comrade, "Don't rush in before you know what you're doing, you'll endanger us all."
"Oh, I know what I'm doing—I'm going to slice him open and feed him his own heart, or lack there of," Inuyasha growled low, a genuine pissed off growl towards Naraku.
Somewhere before Inuyasha's words had ended Sesshômaru had launched his own attack with his own sword, the Toukijin, Inuyasha was soon to follow, breaking Naraku's barrier with the Tessaiga and allowing Sesshômaru to slash Naraku directly. As for the rest of the group, they were being preoccupied by the roots and random youkai limbs, which were growing out of the walls and floors.
Inuyasha and Sesshômaru kept on with their direct assault on Naraku.
"Inuyasha, he's going to continue to regenerate his essential body parts," Sesshômaru said silently to him in mid-battle.
"What then?"
"He needs to be purified," Sesshômaru said.
Kagome! Inuyasha thought, glancing back towards her as Sesshômaru went in for another straight assault. "Hold him off for awhile, will ya?"
Sesshômaru gave no response but Inuyasha knew he would keep Naraku more than busy.
"Kagome, come, we need your help," Inuyasha said as he landed skillfully between her and another one of Naraku's youkai limbs.
"What do I need to do?"
"Here! Take this," Kikyô tossed Kagome a shrine maiden's bow.
Kagome caught it and looked at it uncertainly, "I don't know if I can do it—why not just let Kikyô take care of it—"
"Kikyô sees a greater power in you than she does in herself Kagome, otherwise, I would have gone to her first too. You are more pure—remember? All you have to do is aim for Naraku, even if you hit him in the arm, your shrine maiden powers should be enough to purify the majority of his being and then we can finish him off."
"I still don't know," Kagome paused.
"There's no time to hesitate, Kagome-chan, just go for it!" Sango yelled to her as she sent Hiraikotsu through the air again, slicing off many of the offending limbs.
"I—" Kagome was about to speak again when one of Naraku's limbs impaled Inuyasha and his blood spattered everywhere. She screamed.
"Don't hesitate," Inuyasha grimaced as he sliced off the arm and removed it from his stomach. "On my say—are you ready?"
Kagome nodded this time, not allowing herself to let Inuyasha be impaled like that again.
"One," Inuyasha raised the tessaiga and jumped into the air and Kagome positioned her arrow against the bow. "Two," Inuyasha jumped into the air and performed the "kaze no kizu" against Naraku's youki. "Now!" he yelled as the energy between himself, the tessaiga, and Naraku collided.
Kagome closed her eyes and fired the arrow into the middle of the youki. The next thing that occurred was a big explosion—no one quite knew what the outcome of that arrow had been... until the dust settled.
"That was for ruining our lives, you son of a—" Inuyasha scowled, clutching his open wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Closing his eyes, he fell to the ground with a loud thump.
What is a fight scene without Inuyasha getting impaled? I said Jinenji wouldhave another part in the fic before I officially stamp it "case closed" and he will, so look forward to it. Please give me your feedback, I suck at fight scenes so if there's anything you guys could tell me that might help me in that aspect, I will gladly listen... otherwise, I'll never ever writing another fight scene again. Ever. That's it. Please tell me what you think.
Oh-- PS. Someone asked about fan art? I've got one picture of Kouga up on my site, if anyone wanted to darw anything, go right on ahead no ones stopping you. :P
ever free's status: I felt like updating...