A/N: Well, after that wonderful cliffie, I think this story's finally getting to where I wanted it from the beginning. Writing it made me think of the good ol' days…I missed writing about youkai Inuyasha.
Because I wrote about him so much, I actually now really, REALLY like him as a character. I hope he shows up again in the manga before the series ends…
Chapter 23: The Youkai Returns
The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon when Kikyou was suddenly jolted from her thoughts, a terrible feeling coming over her. The miko glanced around, but saw nothing that would cause alarm. She closed her eyes, reaching out with her miko powers, trying to discern the source of this feeling. Why? she asked the heavens, Why do I get the feeling that…
Kikyou's eyes snapped open, her face set in horror. No…it can't be…it can't…
But nothing could ease the pounding miko's heart. Her eyes wide in terror, Kikyou looked towards the sky, in the direction where Naraku's castle lay. Inuyasha…
Sesshoumaru, who had been walking without any thoughts towards his younger brother, suddenly stopped in his tracks. A terrible feeling filled him up, unlike anything he had ever felt before. What is this? The youkai lord asked himself.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked, her small face looking up at him, puzzled. "Is something wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"Baka!" Jaken the imp shot back, giving the girl a glare. "Nothing could ever upset the great Sesshoumaru-sama! Not when his loyal servant, Jaken, is here to serve him—"
The small green youkai was cut off suddenly when he found the bottom of his master's foot come in contact with his face.
This feeling from inside me…Sesshoumaru pondered, It's like something terrible has happened…once more. His golden eyes opened wider, coming to a realization. It is not possible…that my little brother's youkai spirit could have been released once more, could it?
And if that's true… Without another word towards his companions, the daiyoukai took off in a different direction at breakneck speed, not wanting to waste any time. Behind him, he heard Jaken and Rin cry, "Sesshoumaru-sama?" until at last, their cries were silenced by distance.
Running through the woods, his face set in determination, Sesshoumaru thought, If its true, then it is enough to alarm this Sesshoumaru once more.
Everyone in the camp woke up instantly, each feeling that terrible, sinking feeling in their hearts. "What…what's going on?" Sango gasped, after having jerked awake in Miroku's arms as they slept leaning against a tree. "Hou—Miroku, do you feel—?"
"I do, Sango." He replied, his indigo eyes cast downward in thought. "But…I don't understand…"
Shippou piped up, looking fearful, "Did something happen?"
In a small voice, Kohaku said, "Ane-ue…" Everyone turned to him. Closing his eyes, and reaching back and touching where the shikon fragment lay, he whispered, "Naraku…he's happy…"
"What?" Sango asked, tearing herself away from Miroku's arms and coming over to her brother. "How do you…?"
"I can feel it, with the shikon shard." Kohaku told her, with heavy eyes. "He's really happy, Ane-ue…Something he wanted has happened…"
She gasped, only able to guess at what horror could have happened now, while Miroku came beside her, for comfort. "What could have possibly…" she whispered, unable to continue.
"Hey," Kouga asked, glancing around their camp. "Where's Kagome and the mutt?" That caused everyone's guesses to pause for a moment, another, more frightning thought coming into their minds.
"M-Miroku…" Sango asked, looking up at the monk in horror. "You don't think…?"
Standing up quickly, Miroku ordered, "We need to find them. Now."
"Kagome…" Inuyasha murmured, taking her in his arms and running his fingers through her hair. "I love you…"
She couldn't bear to pull away as they gazed at one another, lost in each other's eyes. "Inuyasha…"
"I love you, Kagome." He whispered once more, his voice full of purpose, before he captured her lips with his own, in a kiss meant to last all of time.
But fire suddenly sprang up unnoticed around them…it enveloped their image of happiness, burning it until it was no more than ashes…
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, letting loose an arrow at him. The hanyou turned to see it fly, right before it pierced his chest. With a cry of surprise, it nailed him to a tree, his golden eyes wide as he saw her.
"Ka…gome…" he whispered, reaching a hand out to her. "Why? I thought…" But he suddenly went limp, succumbing to the spell.
After seeing him fade into the never ending sleep, Kagome dropped to her knees, the wound in her shoulder paining her greatly. Clutching a hand over it, feeling the life beginning to flee her, she whispered, "It was never meant to be, Inuyasha…"
"The both of us…" she continued, grasping her bow with her last ounce of strength. "Were never meant to live like we wanted!"
Kagome's eyes snapped open as she drew a sharp breath. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was. A dream? She put a hand over her fluttering heart. It was only a dream?
It was earlier than she usually woke up, so she decided to snuggle back into her sleeping bag for an extra hour before Inuyasha woke them up like he always did—
Until she discovered a second later that she wasn't in her sleeping bag, or even in their camp.
Glancing down, Kagome realized she was wrapped in Inuyasha's red haori. His haori? But… Her eyes went wide as she remembered what had happened the night before. Unable to explain it, she suddenly had a feeling like something was wrong.
Kagome sat up instantly, still keeping the haori wrapped around her, glancing around for any sign of Inuyasha. She was near the forest's edge of a bank of the stream they were following, and he wasn't anywhere in her sight. "Inuyasha?" she asked the uncomfortable silence of the wilderness, before starting to feel worry. "Inuyasha!" called Kagome once more, but nothing answered her, making her feel even more worried.
Where could he be? she wondered, looking up at the sky pink with the light of a new day. Last night he promised me he'd hold me all night…why would he leave?
A breeze came by, rustling the leaves in the trees, and brushing through Kagome's sleep-tussled hair. The uncomfortable familiarity caused her to remember another morning she woke up alone, with Inuyasha's haori left wrapped around her…
No! she told herself sharply. No, it can't be…We didn't do anything last night! Inuyasha couldn't possibly…
Nevertheless, she knew there was something wrong. Please, someone…anyone! Kagome begged, burying her face in his haori, trying to keep herself from tears. Please, let Inuyasha be okay!
"Kagome!" she heard her name called from not far off, and it instantly caused her heart to soar.
Turning sharply towards the sound, she called, "Inuyasha!" feeling her worries fly away. He's all right…nothing's wrong, just my imagination…
Until it wasn't Inuyasha that came upon her. It was Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kohaku, and Kouga, everyone except the one she wanted. "Kagome-chan!" Sangowascoming towards her. "We were worried that something might have happened!"
Standing up to meet them, still clutching Inuyasha's haori, she asked, "Worried? Why?" But deep down, she knew it without asking. They must have also…
"Kagome-sama," Miroku explained, "This morning…we all felt that something had happened…Something dreadful. We don't know what it is, but…we know something terrible has happened, and it is in Naraku's favor."
"What?" Kagome gasped, gripping Inuyasha's haori tighter. Naraku? "I don't understand…what could have…."
The monk nodded. "We need to find out what has happened as soon as possible. Where's Inuyasha? We need to let him know right away before—" He stopped when he saw Kagome's eyes begin to sink. "Kagome-sama?"
Continuing to look down, she admitted, "I don't know where he is." Kagome held his haori to her chest, continuing, "I woke up this morning…and he was gone." With the several small gasps she heard from them, she knew what they were all thinking, and remembering. It was too much of a coincidence, but it couldn't be…it just couldn't…
"Kagome-chan," Sango asked, coming closer to her friend, with sympathetic eyes. She asked in barely a whispered, "You two didn't—"
"No, of course not!" Kagome cut her off, much louder than intended. Though, we did get close, she mentally added. But as long as we didn't…that's all that matters, right?
Miroku and Shippou crowded around her, while Kouga and Kohaku hung back, not really understanding what was going on. "Kagome-sama," Miroku asked, "Are you sure that Inuyasha was himself the last time you saw him?"
Tears beginning to fill her eyes, Kagome replied, "Yes, I'm sure! He was like he always was…he was a hanyou, nothing else." Her hands began to shake as she continued softly, "Inuyasha…last night, he told me he loved me…He promised to hold me, all night long…" She jerked her head back up to look at them with fierce eyes, tears beginning to leak under pressure. "So how can you think that he'd be like that again?"
Seeing her friend's pain, Sango put a hand on her shoulder. "Kagome-chan, we're sorry. We just need to make sure we can rule that out as a possibility. If you're sure that nothing happened, then he's probably okay. Maybe he decided to go after Naraku, after all, you know how impulsive he is. So, Kagome, please calm down."
Kagome didn't respond, but nodded and began wiping the tears from her eyes, pulling herself together. Once she was calmed, Miroku took charge. "Since we don't know where Inuyasha is, we need to set out immediately to find him." Looking down at the kitsune sniffing around a strange, circular shape on the ground, he asked, "Shippou, do you have his scent yet?"
Shaking his head, he replied, "No, but I—"
"The mutt went that way." Kouga told them, pointing upstream. When they stared at him, he explained, rolling his eyes, "I'd know Dog Crap's scent anywhere."
"Come on, then." Miroku told them, beginning to walk in that direction. "We haven't got much time!"
As everyone began to follow the monk Shippou hung back a moment, still sniffing the strange object that had a scent which caused his stomach to turn. But when everyone was close to leaving him behind, he scampered after them, making himself forget about it.
"Boss, look up ahead!" One of the heavily armed bandits said to his leader, as they rode through the countryside. He pointed towards what appeared to be a man, standing in the middle of the open field.
A grin broke out on the boss's face. "Does that man wish to be robbed? He isn't even moving."
Another of the bandits glanced at the man cautiously. "Boss…I don't know, there's something odd about him…" It was true, this was no ordinary man. After all, his long hair was silver, instead of normal colors, and on top of his head…were ears?
"It's a youkai!" Another said with a gasp.
"Heh." The boss laughed. "Pretty foolish youkai!" Unsheathing his katana, he led them in a charge. "Let's see how long it takes to get his head!"
As the bandits charged, the figure turned, claws bent and ready to strike, as its long fangs protruded through its grin, while a deep and malicious chuckle escaped it.
While they were following Kouga as he led them on the path, suddenly, Kagome fell to her knees, breathing deeply as her eyes opened wide in fear. "Kagome-chan!" Sango asked, coming beside her. "What is it?"
"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered, clutching his haori. "Something…something's wrong!"
"What?" Shippou asked, holding on to her arm. "What's wrong with Inuyasha?"
Trembling, she replied, "I don't know…but when I try to sense him…all I can see is blackness…"
Kagome whipped her head around to look at Miroku. "We have to find him! Hurry!"
Kirara transformed, and Miroku, Sango, and Shippou jumped on the nekomata, while Kouga offered to carry Kagome as they set off. Kagome glanced down at Inuyasha's haori, the thing she had of his all through the time when he was a youkai before.
Inuyasha…she begged. Please…be all right…
The dying cries of the bandits were heard far as life was ripped from their bodies by sharp claws. Some tried to fight back, but were helpless against an enraged youkai. The maniacal laughter of him was heard in their ears as they died.
Blood was everywhere, human blood mixed with horse's. The youkai would continue his assault until every last thing in his path was dead, driven on by an unending rage.
The last of the bandits fell on the ground, begging for mercy. "No, please!" they cried, but it was of no use. In one last swipe, claws that could shred steel sliced through them, becoming stained with their blood, their useless corpses falling in front of him, as if bowing before the great youkai.
And as it surveyed the area of destruction with its crimson eyes, its bloodstained claws held in front of it, it let loose laughter that had been contained for four months, and now finally, was free.
A/N: Mah boy is back! I just couldn't help but bring him back, I luffs him too much.
I'm in my emergency bunker, so you may throw the sharp objects if needed.
