"A Heart's Immaculence"
Disclaimer: Under no circumstances do I own Inuyasha, people! Everyone should already know that by now!
Author's Note: I AM EXTREMELY SORRY FOR TAKING FORVER TO UPDATE! FORGIVE ME, MY BEAUTIFUL READERS! My mother has been sick and my laptop broke for those of you who don't know. Oh, and I had some important exams I had to take too that count towards graduation and stuff. I was very busy helping my mom, getting the internet hooked up on my computer again, studying. I am so irritated because I have never in my life taken so long to update a chapter. But I am very happy about one thing. Chapter 26 received the most reviews out of all the other chapters I've written. How in the world did that happen? I can't believe I got so many reviews for that. You all amaze me so much. It would be great if with each chapter I submitted the reviews would come in droves, but I am satisfied that there are faithful reviewers who will always let me know what they think. Okay, so I'll shut up and let you read. Hope you like it. I struggled to write this chapter too.
Chapter 27
Darkness. A luminous light.
Darkness. Trees.
Darkness. The Bone Eater's Well.
Darkness. Purple robes.
Darkness. Breathing.
Darkness. Silence.
Darkness. Sesshomaru and ….
"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, pressing Tetsusaiga close to him, grinding his teeth within his closed mouth as his dream continued to reveal to him patches of images inside his unconscious mind.
The images he saw in his sleep were different than what he had seen before. They were less menacing and more tranquil, but Inuyasha was still as uncomfortable as ever when Sesshomaru and Kagome were shown together inside the confines of his head. Although they were not in a position of intimacy this time, they were still shown in an interlocking manner, separate but united by that one emotion powerful enough to bind anyone together. Or so it seemed...
Even as he dreamed, Inuyasha reminisced of the past, memories floating inside him like bubbles, clear and circular, small and large, each one containing a fragment of his heart, revealing to him precious moments that had not been erased by the ages of time. And with each beat of his heart, with each breath he took, a single bubbled memory would evaporate, one following the other in perfect succession. As the chain of his memories came to its end, the last remaining bubble was the most cherished but most fragile of all.
He had no conception of why he was seeing what he was, but he understood the feeling those memories emanated in him. It was caused by his dream, yet he did not fathom the connection as the bubbled memory floated towards him and settled between his heart and soul. The last memory was of both Kikyo and Kagome, the bubble flipping in turns, one side of its transparent surface revealing the priestess' face and the other the reincarnated version of her. Inuyasha had fallen in love with Kikyo and that in itself was a memory to be treasured for eternity. However, he was now in love with Kagome, and the image of the day this epiphany occurred to him was just as sacred but even more so, for she had altered him in a way Kikyo did not have the opportunity to do when she was alive. Both women were a part of him, and they would never be vanquished from his life, their memories forever lingering within him.
It was this love for them that made him conscious now, the image of Sesshomaru and Kagome fading into nothingness. He was still disturbed by the fact that he remained unsuccessful in finding Kagome and in rescuing her if she desperately needed his help. It was torturous for him that he was unable to be by her side, and he could not repress the thought that perhaps the interference of fate was responsible for preventing him from finding her. The entire situation did not make any sense to him, and every dream he had about her and Sesshomaru only made him more perturbed. The pairing of the two was entirely illogical, unreasonable, ludicrous and absurd. There was no intelligent explanation for it. Sesshomaru and Kagome in love with each other? A doubtless impossibility.
But something more acute was irking Inuyasha, a tirade his heart was giving him since the day Kagome disappeared. His discomfort in just conceiving the thought about the sensitivity of the matter made his face flush. He was not one to bear sentimental situations with a high degree of maturity or calmness. It was not in his nature to express himself openly about his emotions, yet Kagome's absence suddenly evoked an impatience to find her and reveal his true feelings for her. His sanity was on the verge of erupting, the pressure he felt from the many feelings which had built up in his soul scorching him like hot molten lead.
Inuyasha suddenly knew what he had to do, and as soon as he found Kagome, he would finally express to her, in the simplest, rawest but sincerest form, that he….
"Ouch!"
Inuyasha felt a sharp bite on his neck and he slapped the itchy area with his hand, opening his eyes and staring ahead of him in alarm, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo leaning forward to look deeply at his perspirated face.
"Why are all of you staring at me for?" Inuyasha said grouchily, his neck aching from leaning against the tree trunk for too long. "Don't you have something better to look at?"
"You dreamed about Kagome again, didn't you?" Sango said.
"What about Kagome?" said Inuyasha nervously, hoping his friends did not hear his thoughts about telling her the truth about what he felt towards her.
"I know you dreamed about Kagome again, but something's different about your expression," said Miroku, his hand on his chin. "Inuyasha, we heard you whisper Kagome's name, then you said the words 'love her.' Are you finally admitting to yourself what you truly feel for her?"
Standing up abruptly after placing Tetsusaiga at the side of his waist, Inuyasha scratched his head roughly and growled angrily. "I didn't say anything of the kind! I never said 'I love Kagome' or anything like that! Maybe I did say the word 'love' but I was referring to what Kagome felt towards my jackass older brother in my dream. That is all! Don't jump to any conclusions, monk!"
Miroku smiled suspiciously. "Don't fool yourself, Inuyasha. You were still dreaming and unconscious, so you couldn't have been aware of what you said. Anyway, it is obvious to all of us how you really feel about Kagome. We've all witnessed your insane behavior these past few days since Kagome's disappearance. You have never acted so wildly and uncontrolled before whenever she's concerned until now. Something about all this has changed you, has made you come to realize your love for her. You just never admit it to yourself. We all see it, and so do you, but the question remains whether or not you're willing to tell Kagome how you feel about her before it's too late."
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "And what exactly do you mean by that, Miroku? What do you mean 'before it's too late'? Are you saying you think something bad is going to happen to Kagome?"
"No, no, no! What I mean is that something might get in the way of you telling her. That is all."
"Something might get in the way, huh?" Inuyasha said, his temper inflating rapidly. "Are you talking about Sesshomaru?"
Miroku was taken aback, not understanding where Inuyasha came up with such a thought.
"Sesshomaru?" said Miroku. "Now why would he get in the way of anything?"
"You know very well why," Inuyasha said hot-temperedly. "There's no way I'm going to let him get in the way of anything! I can't believe you, Miroku! You actually believe that part of my dream about Sesshomaru and Kagome being together? Is that what you believe, you perverted lecher! Go ahead! Fine! Believe what you want! But there's no way I believe that they love each other! Sesshomaru loves no one but himself! He hates humans and would kill every last one of them if he had the chance! But I'll tell you what I do believe. I really believe Sesshomaru will kill Kagome if I don't find her soon. Do you get it now? So back off!"
"There you go again," said Miroku. "You're exploding! Look at you. I don't know where you got this idea that I was talking about Sesshomaru, but you are about ready to kill someone yourself. This is how you always react when Kagome is the main subject of discussion. You are in love with her, Inuyasha. Be a man and admit it."
"Shut up, Miroku!"
"You love her, Inuyasha!"
"I told you to shut up!"
"He definitely loves her," Shippo said groggily, Inuyasha's loud voice waking him up from his sleep.
"That's enough, Miroku," Sango said firmly. "Leave Inuyasha alone. He'll tell Kagome that he loves her when he's ready."
"Not you too Sango!" said Inuyasha hastily.
"Come on, Inuyasha," Shippo said, bouncing on Sango's shoulder. "Don't you think it's about time to tell Kagome how much she means to you? You're such an idiot!"
"Why you little…."
"It amazes me how patient Kagome has been with you," Miroku said to Inuyasha. "She deserves to be loved properly, and you have done a terrible job with that."
"Why you…"
"You do need to be a little more open with Kagome, Inuyasha," said Sango. "She needs that from you, and I don't think you've been giving it to her lately."
"Oh….you….you…."
"Well, Inuyasha," said Miroku. "What are you going to do?"
"Yeah, Inuyasha," said Shippo. "Kagome has waited long enough for you already."
"Inuyasha," said Sango. "Maybe you should consider talking to Kagome about how you feel. I'm sure she'll respond with happiness and excitement."
Clenching his fists tightly, Inuyasha shook his head wildly and screamed, "Damn it! All of you just butt out and get off my back about Kagome! Stick your noses somewhere else! I told you! I don't love her! Got that! Now leave me alone!"
Miroku, Sango, and Shippo stared as Inuyasha turned around so that his back was facing them. He was now in a foul mood, and he despised the fact that his friends were meddling in his own private business. It was his duty alone to figure out a way to tell Kagome how he felt about her, but his friends were making it difficult for him to think straight. He would do it his own way, and he knew he had a treacherous task ahead of him to try and develop a coherent plan, to arrange the time and place he would tell Kagome about his feelings for her.
Suddenly Inuyasha felt a small bite on his neck again, but this time the itch was on the other side. He slapped his neck without a second thought and began to walk away from his friends when Sango's voice stopped him.
"Wait, Inuyasha," she said. "What about your dream? Was Sesshomaru in your dream again this time?"
The hanyou's anger was more fiery now that Sango mentioned his youkai brother's name.
"Of course he was in it!" Inuyasha said moodily. "He's always in it!"
He had briefly forgotten about his dream until Sango reminded him about it, his thoughts centered on Kagome and his deep affection for her, his friends distracting his mind from it all as well.
Focusing on the dream again as he gazed into the burning fire, his voice less irritable, he said, "I just don't understand any of it at all. This dream I'm having is mine, so why can't I control what I see? Why can't I just appear and kill Sesshomaru right then and there? I would never let him lay a hand on Kagome! I hate this dream! I hate myself for not being able to find Kagome yet! And I hate that all of you always ask me about my stupid dream! You already know what it's about, so I'd appreciate it if you all would just quit asking me about it!"
"Don't be so angry, Inuyasha," Miroku said. "Sango is just concerned about you. We all are. Yes, we already know what your dream is about, that Sesshomaru kills Kagome, that she and your brother are intimately entwined and—"
Miroku fell backward after Inuyasha had punched him across the face, not too roughly but enough to make the monk whimper in pain. Sango helped Miroku up but shook her head at him, disappointed that he had not yet learned that it was improper for him to mention both Sesshomaru and Kagome in such intimacy in front of Inuyasha.
"I'll have you know, Miroku, that my dream about Sesshomaru and Kagome was not like that this time," said Inuyasha, flexing his fingers from the hand he used to punch his friend. "It was not so disturbing, but it was still hard to look at anyway."
Feeling something land on his nose, Inuyasha pinched the area there which tickled him, and he held a tiny insect in between his fingers. He removed his hand from his nose, squeezing his fingers more tightly together to crush what was sandwiched in the middle of them. After a few moments, Inuyasha opened his fingers and blew at the insect as its squashed body fell to the ground.
"What are you doing here, Myoga?" Inuyasha said. "I'm not in the mood to be pestered by you today. My friends have already pestered me enough."
Laying on the ground until his body was back to its original shape, Myoga stood up and flew up to Inuyasha's shoulder near enough for the hanyou to hear what he had to say.
'Master Inuyasha," Myoga said energetically, bouncing up and down. "I came to remind you about today. You do remember what day it is, don't you?"
Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. "How can I forget? You always bug me about it!"
"Well?" said Myoga. "Don't tell me you're not going to pay your respects to your father again."
"Why should I?" said Inuyasha indifferently. "My old man wasn't around when I was growing up, so why should I pay my respects to someone I don't even know? Anyway he died years ago. The death of my father means nothing to me, so go on and leave me alone."
"Inuyasha!" said Miroku, Sango, and Shippo in unison.
"You are such an ungrateful son," Myoga said sadly. "Your father sacrificed his life for you and this is how you show your gratitude. It's a blessing the great dog demon isn't here to see how insensitive you turned out to be."
Inuyasha was unaffected by Myoga's words, and he had spoken the truth, for his father did not even live long enough for him to remember, for there to be even a small memory of him. The only dead parent he loved was his mother, and he was more than passionate to preserve her memory inside him and to pay his respects on the day she died. But he was not remorseful about not feeling the same way about his once strong and powerful father.
"Say whatever you want," Inuyasha said. "I told you I don't care about today. As far as I'm concerned, it's just an ordinary day, the same as any other day if you ask me."
"It's a good thing your older brother isn't here to hear you say that," said Myoga. "Lord Sesshomaru may be cold and cruel, but at least he loved and highly respected his father."
"Ha!" said Inuyasha in disbelief. "Don't make me laugh, Myoga. The only thing Sesshomaru loved about my father was his power."
Myoga began to fly all around Inuyasha's head, the hanyou's words making him angry and frustrated. "That is not true, master Inuyasha! Your brother worshiped your father more than anyone I've known. He was a good son to your father when he was alive."
"Yeah, a good son to him but a lousy brother to me," Inuyasha said coldy. "Not to mention the terrible way in which he treated my mother."
"Now that you mention your mother, I doubt she would approve of your behavior if she were here now. She would be very upset that you care nothing for your father and refuse to honor him on the day he died."
Inuyasha was bothered with what Myoga said, yet he was more irate by the flea's mention of Sesshomaru and how he defended him concerning his feelings towards his dead father.
"Leave my mother out of this!" said Inuyasha. "The issue about me and my father is one thing and my mother is another. Don't combine the two! We were talking about me and my old man only, so leave it at that!"
"Actually," said Myoga, finally landing on Inuyasha's head. "We were also talking about Sesshomaru, if you recall."
Turning around, Inuyasha swung his arm, extended his fingers and claws and slashed them through the middle part of the tree which stood in front of him. The tree fell to the ground with a loud crash, the birds which were nesting in its branches flying away from it the moment it hit the earth, flocking together to seek shelter elsewhere.
"Sesshomaru this, Sesshomaru that!" Inuyasha shouted. "Why is Sesshomaru the main topic of everything today? He's been mentioned about a hundred times already! His name makes me sick!"
"Even if he does make you sick, he is still your brother," said Myoga. "You both had the same father, and your father's blood flows inside both of you as well. You cannot escape that fact."
"Maybe not, but I can choose to ignore that fact, and right now I'm going to ignore it because I have Kagome to worry about. I'm just wasting time talking about my PRECIOUS family. They are not important to me, but what IS important to me is Kagome."
"Kagome?" asked Myoga as he looked around, noticing she was not there. "That's right. I can't believe I didn't notice she was not here. Where is she?"
"We don't know," Miroku said. "She ran away from us, and now we don't know where she could have gone. We're still looking for her."
"Do you know where she is, Myoga?" Shippo asked.
"Do you have any idea of where she might be?" said Sango.
Myoga shook his head. "Although I have been traveling for a few days now and have flown a great distance through the land, I regret to say that I did not see Kagome anywhere."
"Now you know why I don't have time to think about my old man," Inuyasha said to Myoga. "Kagome's all I want to think about right now."
"Inuyasha's been having bad dreams that something terrible happens to her," said Shippo. "He dreamt that—"
"Shippo!" Inuyasha said warningly.
Despite Inuyasha's warning, Shippo completed his sentence. "Inuyasha dreamt that Sesshomaru killed Kagome."
Myoga was appalled. "Why would master Inuyasha dream something like that? It seems unlikely Lord Sesshomaru would do anything as evil as that."
"What's up with you, Myoga?" Inuyasha said. "Why are you defending Sesshomaru so much? You should know him better than I do. You know he is capable of killing Kagome if he had the chance, or any human for that matter."
"Sorry, master Inuyasha. I'm afraid you don't know your brother as well as you think. Sesshomaru would never kill a human girl. A human man? Yes. A human girl? Never."
"You see!" Miroku said, placing a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "If there is anyone who knows Sesshomaru better than any of us, it's Myoga. He was around when your father was alive, so that means he knows a lot about your family. If he says Sesshomaru would not do such a thing, then you should believe him. So you shouldn't worry anymore about your brother killing Kagome. It was just a dream. It won't come true."
Inuyasha pushed Miroku's hand away from him. "Are all of you crazy? Sesshomaru has always tried to kill Kagome. The first time he met her inside my dad's tomb, he almost killed her with his posionous claws. And what about that time he took Tetsusaiga away from me using a human arm given to him by Naraku? He almost killed Kagome with the wind scar. You remember that, don't you, Miroku? Anyway, it may be a dream, but I have a feeling in my gut that something's not right. There is something going on between Sesshomaru and Kagome, and I'm going to find out what it is. Oh, and another thing. I don't have a family. Sesshomaru and my dead father are not a part of my life. They never will be."
Exhausted by everything he was saying and hearing, Inuyasha decided to abandon his friends briefly and allow them to talk amongst themselves about whatever they desired, for he did not care anymore about any of it. He began to walk away, but before he entered the dark recesses of the forest, he brushed Myoga away from his head with his hand.
Miroku, Sango, and Shippo watched Inuyasha walk away, but no one made an effort to stop him, understanding the seriousness of his current emotional state. Myoga bade the group farewell and headed off to travel once more, realizing he had no purpose sticking around there, his only duty being to remind Inuyasha about the anniversary of his father's death and nothing more.
After walking for close to twenty minutes, Inuyasha stopped suddenly when he sensed a presence nearby. A figure was watching him from inside the trees, and he suspected it was someone who had come to make trouble with him. He unsheathed Tetsusaiga and stood in his fighting position, growling fiercely, his grumpy attitude making him in no mood to fool around with anyone.
"Alright," Inuyasha said. "Whoever you are, come out of there and show yourself! Let's get it over with! I am not in the mood to play games."
The dark figure emerged and stood under the pool of moonlight which douched its entire body with its brightness. Soon Inuyasha was able to see who this figure was, and he lowered his sword in awe, looking at the young woman who stared at him with a cold expression, her pale face and dark eyes penetrating his soul, the long black hair wavering in the gentle breeze like strings of ribbon. The color of her clothes was even more vibrant under the moon's light, white and red upon the blackness of the night.
"Inuyasha," the young woman said softly yet with a sharpness as close to that of a dagger's blade.
"Kikyo," Inuyasha whispered, sheathing his sword as he looked at her with transfixed eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Must you always ask that when we encounter each other?" said Kikyo. "You know my reasons for being here. I wander the earth for one purpose and one purpose only. To destroy Naraku."
"I know that but—"
With Kikyo standing there in front of him, Inuyasha felt uneasy as well as guilty, for the priestess never failed to make him feel pain and remorse for what had occurred between the two of them in the past. He always blamed himself for her death, and looking at her body made him tremble, knowing it was not true human flesh underneath her clothes but molded graveyard soil.
"You are just as eager to destroy Naraku as I am, are you not?" Kikyo asked. "Unfortunately, that is the only thing that binds us together."
"That is not true," Inuyasha said, walking over to her.
"Don't come any closer," Kikyo said threateningly.
Inuyasha stopped a few feet away from Kikyo and bowed his head, unable to look into her eyes, her glare penetrating his heart.
"Why do you look down at the ground, Inuyasha?" Kikyo said sadly. "Has it gotten to the point where you can no longer look at me directly? What has caused this change in you?"
Forcing himself to look up, Inuyasha looked into Kikyo's eyes and shook his head. "Nothing has changed, Kikyo. My feelings for you are the same as they've always been."
"Yes, I can see that. Your face is filled with guilt. Is that all you feel for me?"
"No! You know I care about you, that I want to protect you from Naraku."
"I do not need a protector. Neither do I need an explanation from you."
Kikyo moved her hand to her face and brushed away a few strands of hair which had blown over her eyes. There was a hint of lamentation in her expression, and her mouth contorted to the side, making the skin around her lips wrinkle in deep folds. She was as much troubled by Inuyasha's presence as he was of hers, but she maintained her dauntless composure in spite of the tension surrounding her.
"Kikyo," Inuyasha said, moving closer to her, embracing her in his arms. "Let me help you. I am here for you and always will be if you'd only allow me to be."
"I told you to stay away from me," Kikyo said, struggling to free herself from Inuyasha's arms. "Release me! Our encounters are always like this, and the repetition of them is becoming old and tiresome. Now let go of me!"
Kikyo pushed Inuyasha away from her and kneeled to the ground, placing a hand over her heart, her heavy breathing making her chest hurt.
"Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked, bending down and offering his hand to help lift her off the ground.
Refusing his hand, Kikyo slowly rose from the ground. "Tell me, Inuyasha. Have you found my reincarnation yet?"
Inuyasha's face became pale, and for the second time, he turned his face away from Kikyo and looked the other way.
"So she is still lost, is she?" Kikyo said. "Perhaps you should seek out your older brother and inquire about Kagome's whereabouts. I am more than certain she is with him."
Once again Sesshomaru's name was mentioned, and Inuyasha stomped his foot on the ground, his temper resurfacing, ready to be released.
"Kagome did not go with Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha said angrily. "Don't say things like that, Kikyo. I know Kagome better than that. She would never be anywhere near him. If Kagome is with him though, it is not because she went out of her own will. She was probably forced to."
Kikyo looked at Inuyasha with disappointment. "Your refuse to believe me again, do you? How generous of you to show your lack of trust in me. I saw what I saw, Inuyasha. Nevertheless, it is your dilemma and not mine."
Inuyasha's guilt intensified, Kikyo's words lacerating him from within. "Forgive me, Kikyo. I just…"
"Do not ask for my forgiveness, Inuyasha,' said Kikyo. "It is not in me to forgive. I am not the Kikyo from your memories."
For an instant, as he looked at Kikyo, Inuyasha saw Kagome's face rather than that of the priestess, and he wondered why he was replacing the image of one woman over the other. Now that Kikyo was before him, all he could think about was Kagome, and he almost laughed to himself at the thought, for in the past it had been reversed, where Kagome's presence made him think of Kikyo. He closed his eyes for a moment to clear his mind, hoping that when he opened them, he would only see Kikyo's face, but when he did, he still saw Kagome's countenance.
Kikyo was aware of Inuyasha's bewilderment, and she laughed softly to herself.
"What is it?" Inuyasha asked.
"It is not me you see when you look at me," Kikyo said amusedly. "You see her, don't you?"
"I….uh…."
"Are you in love with her?"
Kikyo's question caught Inuyasha by surprise, his throat closing shut, making him unable to speak. He moved his lips slowly, but no words came out of him.
Kikyo narrowed her eyes and smiled. "It does not matter to me if you are. I don't care if you do not love me anymore. I myself feel nothing for you."
At this, Inuyasha's voice returned automatically. "Stop it, Kikyo! You don't know what you're saying. You're taking things the wrong way."
"I think not!" Kikyo said viciously. "You are my greatest obstacle, Inuyasha! I will not allow you to interfere with my heart any longer! We shall never be as we once were. I truly and utterly despise you!"
Inuyasha did not understand Kikyo's change in demeanor, but he could not endure to see her suffer. He tried to comfort her again, and he attempted to hold her shoulders when Kikyo hit him across the face with her bow. The hanyou fell to the ground and touched his cheek, feeling the dampness of blood stain his hand from the open wound. He was shocked by Kikyo's sudden action, and he sat there completely stunned.
"Why, Kikyo?" Inuyasha asked.
Kikyo steadied her bow and stretched it out in front of her, grabbing an arrow and placing it on the string, pulling her arm backward as far as she could, stretching the string of the bow until it was tight enough to cut her hand.
"I should bind you to that tree behind you and put you under a spell once again," Kikyo said coldly, pointing the arrow at Inuyasha's chest, her main shooting target being his heart. "After all, you do deserve it, Inuyasha. Just as you deserved it fifty years ago."
Not knowing what to do or how to react, Inuyasha remained on the ground, hurt by Kikyo's words, his shame at having upset her consuming him internally. He was prepared for whatever Kikyo would do to him, but he was suddenly distracted by the sound of laughter, a malicious voice coming from the darkness behind him. Kikyo's attention was also drawn away from Inuyasha when she heard a female laughing in front of her.
"I know that laugh," Inuyasha said, sniffing the air. "And I know that scent."
"It is Naraku's incarnation," Kikyo said.
Emerging from the darkness, her colorful robes glowing under the moonlight, waving her fan in front of her face, Kagura walked towards Inuyasha and Kikyo slowly, looking at both of them with curious eyes.
"What is this?" Kagura said. "A lovers quarrel?"
"Kagura!" said Inuyasha, turning around and rising from the ground, unsheathing Tetsusaiga at the same time. "Where's Naraku?"
"He will reveal himself shortly," Kagura said, her crimson eyes glowing with evil delight. "But before he does, he would like to be entertained first. How would you like to have an itsy-bitsy battle with me? It won't take too long."
"Bring it on then!" Inuyasha exclaimed.
"Good," Kagura said. "Oh, and what about you, priestess? Care to join in the fun?"
Kikyo stared at Kagura and remained silent.
"Leave her out of this!" Inuyasha said.
"With pleasure," Kagura replied. "She is much too creepy to participate in the fun anyway."
Kikyo narrowed her eyes and Inuyasha shielded her with his body. "Get out of here, Kikyo. Find somewhere safe to hide."
"I will do as I wish, Inuyasha," Kikyo said. "And I hide from no one."
"I admire your attitude, priestess," Kagura said. "Sadly that is about the only thing I like about you."
"Alright, Kagura!" Inuyasha said. "Enough talk. Let's get this battle over with so that I can fight Naraku."
"I agree," said the wind sorceress as she outstretched both her arms, opening her fan in preparation for her first attack.
Both Inuyasha and Kagura interlocked their vision towards each other and stood there defiantly, waiting to see who would be the first to attack, ready for the combat that would soon commence before them.
Okay, so this is the late, late, late chapter I was finally able to write. Geez, it feels like it took millions of years for me to get a chance to write it. Once again, I am so sorry I took so long to submit this chapter. The situation and circumstances which prevented me from writing sooner were too great and important for me to ignore. But I know you all understand. Oh, and my mother is doing better. Thanks to all of you who wished her well and a fast recovery. I appreciate your concern. I really do! Sorry if Naraku didn't come out in this chapter the way I planned. I figure things out to be a certain way and they end up being something else, but I promise he will appear in the next chapter. Oh, yes! Kouga will also appear! Yay! A lot of you asked about him, and I have not forgotten about our wolf demon friend. Don't worry. Kouga and Sesshomaru will cross paths very soon!
Please, please, pretty please, pretty, pretty please! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! You all are doing a great job with that so please don't disappoint me. You know how much I adore you. Remember I am writing this story for you so please share your thoughts with me. Just like I'm dedicated to write the best story in the world, the same courtesy should be shown for you to write a simple little review. Why should I worry though, right? You all are great and I trust you will review no matter what I say.