Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or Loki. I own Yuniko as my own character.
Well, here's the sixth chapter! I'm really sorry it's so late. I really meant to finish typing this before my summer vacation started (Friday, June 9th this year!) But it's finally here, and the next chapter will be the last!
Oops: I just realized I've been misspelling 'haori' this entire time, so from now on it will be spelled correctly. I also misspelled 'Hiraikotsu'. I may change the spelling in the earlier chapters, when I have time. Oh, and I changed the thoughts a bit, too, by putting them in single quotations, but they're still italicized. Hope all of these changes won't hinder you reading.
Also, I wonder if Kanna really has the ability to do what she does… I just added it to explain how it happens. Read on…
Chapter Six: Two Hearts, One Soul
As the three offspring of InuTaishou slept and dreamed, Naraku watched them from a shadowy corner of the room. He had slipped in a little earlier, ready to kill Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, but hadn't been able to. His mind was still connected to Yuniko's, and her memories overwhelmed his thoughts, rendering him unable to do anything but relive her pain with her, albeit more impassively. But now the dreams were over. She could no longer distract him from his task.
"Wouldn't it be amusing if I destroyed your family and friends with your own sword?" he chuckled, kneeling and stroking the slumbering girl's black hair. Then he reached down and grasped Kiba's hilt, drawing it from its sheath.
He never knew what hit him. The instant the sword was free, something tore into his mind. Unbearable sensations filled his head. Naraku fell to his knees, dropping the blade onto the tatami mat with a dull thud. Surprisingly, neither of the hanyou stirred.
'Wh-what just happened?' he wondered to himself. Then he looked to the blade, Yuniko and the sheath she grasped, and back again to Kiba. Realization dawned on him. 'The sword attacked me through my mind. She has a very strong will, strong enough to resist me…and the blade. It must be her fang.' He frowned. "Damn," he cursed softly, "I shall have to use my Saimyosho to destroy them. An effective, if less pleasing way, to rid myself of these troublesome fools."
He left them sleeping, unaware that Sesshomaru was now the one hiding silently in the shadows, watching him.
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"Wake up, you two!"
Yuniko mumbled sleepily, wondering why Sesshomaru was shaking her so roughly. Her internal clock told her she hadn't slept long at all. And the darkness was so warm…
'Wait a minute,' she thought with surprise. 'Why am I not dead? I saw Mother and Loki. She looked really mad. But Father wasn't there. Then something ripped me from them.'
"Sesshy-sama?"
"Get up, baka! Naraku is here, and he has brought reinforcements with him. We have to leave now."
She was instantly awake. "He's here?" Then she saw Kiba lying on the floor, Naraku's scent still clinging to it. "So, the bastard tried using my sword, did he?" She sheathed it, then went into the next room. "I'll be right out, as soon as I've changed into some battle-worthy clothes."
Inuyasha, who was awake by this time, twitched his ear with annoyance as the door closed behind her. "What's wrong with fighting in a haori?"
Yuniko shouted back, "I can't fight in it. Call me a spoiled brat if you will, but it's just too much loose cloth to fight in." She stepped out, tying her hair into a low village-style ponytail. She was now dressed from head to toe in a black ninja outfit, minus the mask, her sword on her back.
Sango, Miroku, and Kagome stepped out of a back room, ready for battle. Kirara raced outside, transforming herself. Everyone else followed, weapons at the ready. Shippo joined them after a moment, realizing that he wasn't exactly safe inside the hut.
"Uh oh," Kagome gasped.
They were utterly surrounded by thousands upon thousands of Naraku's poisonous insects.
Yuniko chuckled in an exact imitation of her brother as she cracked her knuckles. "Let's take 'em down." And so their attack began.
"Hiraikotsu!"
"Backlash Wave!"
"Dragon's Cry!"
Hundreds of Saimyosho lives ended that night. But there were still so many… None of the attacks seemed to decrease the horde. Kagome's arrows could only take out a dozen or so at a time, and she was quickly running out. Miroku couldn't risk using his Wind Tunnel. If he fell, his friends would have a harder time leaving, because they would have to drag him along too. The others would simply run out of energy and collapse. They couldn't fight forever, and the insects sensed this, attacking in earnest. The fighters only had one choice left to them…they ran, charging straight ahead, dodging insects when they could or slashing at those in their path. They had almost reached the end of the insects when Yuniko tripped. Inuyasha turned back and back to her.
She was trying to use Kiba, but the Saimyosho swarmed around it, eventually dragging it away. She was too exhausted to fight anymore, too tired to even move. Her arms and legs felt like lead.
"Keep going, guys. I've got to get Yuni!" He didn't see some of the insects closing in on him from behind… He only saw Yuniko, with Naraku coming towards her out of nowhere. He sped up as much as he could, feeling his aching muscles burn with the effort. Suddenly, he felt fiery pain sear through his spine.
'I've been stung,' he realized as he hit the ground. More stings. More poison in his bloodstream. But the stubborn hanyou continued, dragging himself, towards his terrified sister.
He and Naraku reached her at the same time. Inuyasha collapsed on top of the female hanyou, putting himself between her and the evil demon.
"Get out of the way, half-breed," Naraku growled.
"…Never… If you're gonna…take anybody…you'd better take me. 'Cause…I won't let you hurt…any more…of my friends or family."
Yuniko grabbed his arm. "Nii-chan…" He fainted, overcome by the poison. "Inu-chan?" she cried, shaking his limp form.
"Very well. He has chosen his own fate by protecting you. I shall honor his request."
His tone made a shiver run down Yuniko's spine. She didn't trust Naraku, especially not with her brother.
"No, take me. Please, take me! Don't do this!" she cried as he ripped her brother away from her.
He vanished, but not without first telling the remaining Saimyosho: "Kill them all."
"N-no. NO!" Yuniko screamed, her voice ripping through the forest, effectively deafening many of her allies (and the Saimyosho, if they could hear at all). Her faint demonic aura suddenly tripled, drowning out all traces of her human half.
Miroku reared back from the aura. "She's far more powerful than Inuyasha! What happened?"
Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose, also wincing at the blast of power. "She has suppressed her demon half far more than Inuyasha ever could have. This has caused her hidden demonic power to increase, making her far stronger when she actually releases it. This will also make her far more difficult to return to normal, and it is far more dangerous to approach her. Her soul may even be destroyed faster than Inuyasha's would were he to remain a full demon."
Sango and Miroku blinked. "And you are so calm about this…" Miroku started.
"…Why?" Sango finished.
"We have to stop her, now, before it's too late!" Kagome lunged forward, ready to do whatever it was she needed to do. Sesshomaru held out his hand to stop her.
"If we approach her in this state, she may very well kill us all," he stated, watching as his younger sister, red-eyed and snarling, tore the ranks of poisonous insects to shreds. "Our only option at this point may be to kill her."
"Never!" A red-brown blur raced from behind them straight towards the inu hanyou. "Yuniko! Snap out of it!"
"…" The others just stared at each other.
"…Uh, what was that?" Shippo asked.
Their question was soon answered as the blur solidified into a blue-eyed, red-headed wolf demon. "Yuniko, don't you remember me? Asaka?" He dodged and ducked under her various claw attacks, trying to change her back. At last, he grabbed her upper arms…and kissed her.
Sesshomaru's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Very angry dinner plates. "I thought Father and I told him to stay away from her," he rumbled venomously.
Either way, it didn't matter as Yuniko punched Asaka in the stomach, sending him flying. Sesshomaru took advantage of her distraction to dart up and punch her solidly in the forehead. She collapsed.
Asaka darted out of the bushes, leaves clinging to his hair, and pushed the other demon out of the way. "Yuni!" he yelled, shaking her.
Her eyes opened and focused. "Asaka? Is that you?"
The entire group gathered around and sighed with relief. Her eyes were dark amber again, and the blue stripes on her cheeks were gone.
Asaka groaned in reply. "I can't breathe, Yuni."
Yuniko gasped, her hand covering her mouth guiltily. "Ohh, did I do that? I am so sorry. Oh dear, oh dear…"
Sesshomaru grabbed Asaka's shoulder. "I thank you for returning my sister. Now go."
He shook his head. "No way, jerk. I'm not leaving her."
The two demons glared daggers at each other. Yuniko cleared her throat.
"Guys, this is Asaka. He helped me out when Inu-chan—" She broke off as she realized that they didn't know about Loki. "He protected me when Inu-chan couldn't," she finished lamely. "Asaka, these are my friends. Sesshy-sama, stop that! Leave him alone!"
"No," Sesshomaru said, digging his claws into Asaka's arm. The ookami yelled in pain, lashing out. The other didn't even flinch.
"Look, Sesshy…" Yuniko trailed off
"Father said that he must keep his distance. He must be punished for disobeying."
"Why, you—! Do you think I care what Father says?" she yelled. "It's his fault Inu-chan got kidnapped in the first place!"
"It's his fault you ran away from home?" Sesshomaru retaliated.
"Yes! He's too overprotective. I would never have gone with Naraku in the first place if I hadn't wanted to get away from him so badly! He…he turned Inu-chan away from us. He made him leave!"
"And he paid the price. You killed him. Is that the freedom you desire, Yuniko?"
"No. He's not dead."
"What?" Everyone jumped in surprise.
Yuniko looked straight ahead, oddly calm. "I was dead, remember? I saw Mother, but Father wasn't there. He wasn't with the dead. Our father is still alive."
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Inuyasha woke up in an unfamiliar place. He ached all over, but otherwise he felt fine. 'Is Yuniko safe? And where is everyone?'
Naraku stepped into the room. "So you're awake, hanyou. Good. Then we should have no further reason to delay."
"Delay? Delay what?"
Naraku smiled unpleasantly as he grabbed Inuyasha's rosary, dragging him to his feet. "This. Kanna, you know what to do."
The childlike demon stepped out from behind Naraku and nodded. Inuyasha's eyed widened, and then he was trapped between his own limp body and the white demon's mirror.
"Don't pull him all the way in," Naraku cautioned.
"I won't," she replied emotionlessly.
Unbearable pain flooded through Inuyasha's soul as Naraku sent his aura through the beads, into the hanyou himself. He could see his body twitching, and felt like his soul was splitting in two. His sight doubled, and then faded into the throbbing darkness at the very edge of consciousness.
Then it was over. Inuyasha fell to the ground with a painful thump. His body pulsed, shimmering, and then divided. The hanyou was no more—he had been split into his human and demon halves. But while his consciousness remained in the human, the demon had its own thoughts, its own desires. No longer a mindless killing machine, the still dog-eared youkai was intelligent…and infinitely more dangerous than before.
Kanna removed herself from the room, her job completed.
Inuyasha groaned. "What…what happened?" he asked, not realizing what had happened. He tried to push himself up… "My claws! What happened to my claws?" He checked his ears, now rounded, his sense of smell, everything. Then it hit him. He was a human. "What's going on, Naraku? What did you do to me?" he yelled. He wasn't going to admit it, but his voice gave him away. He was scared.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into the flaming blue and red eyes of his demon half. He felt a chill run down his suddenly vulnerable spine.
"Oh, no," he gasped, scrambling backwards, looking for something—anything—to defend himself.
"You're going to die," the demon replied with an evil grin. "And I'm going to kill you." His claws gleamed as he struck…
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Miles away, Yuniko stopped dead in her tracks, causing Asaka and Sesshomaru to bump into her.
"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked.
Yuniko winced in pain. "Your armor jabbed me in the shoulder blade."
"It's your fault for stopping."
"I also sensed something." She whipped around, her eyes narrowed and her ears quivering, sniffing. "I smell blood!"
Sesshomaru sniffed delicately at the air. His nostrils flared. "It's Inuyasha."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome was running in the direction the two siblings had scented his blood. "Inuyasha!" The others raced after her.
They found Inuyasha just as Naraku vanished into a dark portal nearby. "Here," he sneered, "Take this useless filth back. I have no further use for him."
Kagome gathered up the unconscious hanyou in her arms. He had enormous claw wounds on his shoulder, and he was bleeding heavily.
"Don't you dare die on me," Kagome whispered. "Don't you dare leave me, Inuyasha!"
Sango frowned slightly as she leaned in closer. "Why is he human?"
Yuniko's eyes were flickering red in her rage as she clenched her fist, glaring at the portal which whirled open, so tantalizingly close. "Naraku did this to nii-chan. I'll kill him!"
Miroku stepped in front of her before she could leap in. "Wait, Yuniko. This feels like a trap. Do not just leap blindly into Naraku's arms. We must first take care of Inuyasha."
Yuniko ground her teeth together in frustration. "Out of my way, monk!"
"No. If you get injured, it won't help your brother. Calm yourself."
She sagged, her rage draining from her…along with her strength as a strange mist crept through the group.
Miroku leapt up onto a tree branch, above the gas, followed by Sesshomaru, but it rose to follow them. They hit the ground unconscious. Sango never had a chance to even get her mask on. The gas went after Yuniko last, paralyzing her.
"You fell into my trap so easily," declared Inuyasha. Yuniko squinted, then her eyes widened.
"He wouldn't," she muttered hoarsely. The demon smirked evilly, standing over her with his arms crossed.
"Well, well. It looks like you're the only one left, little sister…"
She couldn't even call for help anymore. Blackness threatened to overwhelm her vision. 'Why? Why, Inu-chan?' She finally gave in, joining her companions in sleep. 'It's all over…'
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"Wake up, you."
Yuniko moaned. "I'm still tired, Inuyasha. Wake me up later…"
Someone slapped her across her face, claws raking her skin.
"Now, now, Inuyasha, we wouldn't want to scar her pretty face, now would we?"
Yuniko knew that voice. She was awake instantly. "Naraku!"
Demon Inuyasha squatted next to her, smirking as he licked her blood from his fingers. "Hey there, little sister." He touched her cheek, bringing away more of the crimson liquid. "Mm," he sighed. "Hanyou blood tastes pretty good. Too bad it's tainted, like the rest of you. If you were full demon like me, you'd be so much more beautiful, and so much stronger."
Yuniko tried to leap at him, ready to kill him, but she couldn't move. She was chained.
Human Inuyasha joined his other half. "Surprised? You won't be able to break those in a million years. Not like you'll live that long anyway."
"You traitor," she hissed, straining against the iron links. But although her demon strength should have easily snapped them, she couldn't get free.
"With your brains, Yuniko, I would have thought that you would know that my miasma weakens humans and half-breeds." Naraku stood in front of her, tilting her chin up, looking into the furious amber pools of her eyes. "You're all mine."
She spat in his face. "Buzz off, buster. I don't belong to anyone."
Human Inuyasha kicked her in the ribs, causing her to curl up in pain. "Quiet, you insolent woman, or I'll punish you."
Suddenly, Yuniko remembered something. "Um, Naraku…?"
"Yes?"
"Why isn't he dead?" she asked, jerking her head towards the human. "The miasma's strong enough to kill any human who stays too long."
As if on cue, Human Inuyasha crumpled silently to the floor. Demon Inuyasha fell to his knees, gasping weakly.
"What is this?" he snarled.
Naraku shrugged slightly. He was confused, too.
"We need to get him out of here, to somewhere protected," Yuniko said, straining even harder against the chains. "Can't you see? They're still connected to each other. They're still one person. Without one, the other will…" She left the rest unspoken, lacking the strength to say any more.
"They will die," Naraku finished.
She nodded wearily. "Hai. Not like it's a new thing for you, killing someone."
"Hmph. I still need his soul. I suppose I should keep his alive, then."
"What are you talking about? What do you need his soul for?"
He smirked. "To create a new Shikon jewel."
Yuniko rolled her eyes, despite her predicament. "How original."
"I am quite aware that I am not the first to attempt creating a new Shikon. However, I wish it to be tainted. And now I have in my possession a soul that will make it even more powerful."
She shrank back, knowing whom he meant. "Stay away!"
"You don't seem to understand, girl. You have no choice." He glanced at the two Inuyashas, then sighed. "I suppose I can't use only half of a soul…"
"No!" Demon Inuyasha panicked, resisting despite his weakness. "I won't go back! I won't be a weakling again!"
Then he seemed to become liquid, zooming into the human half's chest. His body spasmed as his soul healed, and a terrible scream rose from his throat. Then Inuyasha was whole again. Not all demon, but not all human either. And thankfully, not dead.
Unfortunately for Yuniko, he was still under Naraku's control. She stiffened as he put his clawed hand around her throat.
"Don't think you can escape," he growled.
Tears that she had been holding back finally flowed freely. "Big brother," she whispered.
Inuyasha blinked as the salty droplets landed on his wrist. But he was not strong enough to fend off Naraku.
"Well, there's one consolation," she sniffed. Her eyes locked with her brother's. "Better you kill me than Naraku. I know you'll make it as quick as possible, no matter if you were being controlled." She closed her eyes. "Go ahead, Inu-chan. Go on!" With that, she broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably.
He snapped her chains, and she didn't even attempt to escape. Drawing Tetsusaiga, he briefly noted that it didn't transform. No matter. She would only die more slowly if it didn't.
To Naraku and Inuyasha, it may have seemed like Yuniko was defeated, but in reality, her mind was racing, forming a plan to free her brother and herself. Panic flashed through her when she saw him draw his blade.
"Wait!"
Inuyasha looked down. "What? Are you coming to your senses?" he growled.
Naraku swallowed a triumphant grin. She was his now!
"Inu-chan, please…kill me with my own sword. I'd rather die like Loki, as a sister, not an enemy."
The hanyou wavered for a moment between blind obedience and guilt, then he gave in. "All right. If that's how you want it." He sheathed Tetsusaiga and grasped Kiba instead.
Too late, Naraku realized what Yuniko had been planning all along. "No!" he cried, as Kiba slipped from its sheath.
For the second time in as many minutes, Inuyasha screamed. The sword clattered to the ground, and Yuniko dove for her blade, rolling into a battle position.
"Inu-chan, are you all right?" she asked worriedly.
"Yuni…that hurt…" Inuyasha passed out, exhausted from his ordeal. He was free.
'This isn't good,' she thought, as the room started to spin around her. 'I'm in no condition to fight. But if I don't, we'll both…'
She fell, overcome by the miasma. Everything seemed to slow down, shimmering slightly before her eyes. Even breathing seemed to be an effort.
'Should I stop? Not breathing would be so much easier. Yes, it would. I'm so tired…' Her respiration slowed, then stopped altogether. The last thing she saw was Asaka, bending over her, screaming her name. Telling her not to give up. 'Why are you yelling? What's wrong? Asaka, wait!' She spun off into darkness, realizing that it was very likely that she'd just died, and Inuyasha along with her.
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"Yuniko! Wake up!" Asaka yelled. It was no use. She was cold and unresponsive beneath his touch. "Don't you dare die on me!"
A few hours ago, he had struck out on his own to look for Yuniko. He had caught InuTaishou's scent, and after he had caught up, he'd filled the older youkai in on the whole story—what he knew, anyway. And InuTaishou had informed him that Yuniko had left a trail, perfectly visible to her father. Inuyasha, apparently, couldn't form portals, and so was forced to take the long route to Naraku's castle. They had burst through Naraku's shield (InuTaishou may have been old, but he certainly wasn't weak) and found the siblings just in time to see them fall.
"Asaka!" InuTaishou's voice snapped him out of his daze. "We have to get out of here!"
Naraku was beginning to transform, one of his tentacles curling around Yuniko's wrist. "You will never escape!" he hissed. "Not when I'm so close!" His head came down until he was eye to eye with Asaka. "Not when I have souls filled with knowledge and love for me to take. I only need one more." He cackled evilly, twining more tentacles around the younger demon's ankles, trapping him.
InuTaishou managed to evade them, leaping out of the way. He needed to save them, before they all lost their souls. But how?
KatyaChekov: That was pretty long…
Naraku: Not long enough. Can I kill someone? Please? Pretty please?
Katya: No.
Naraku: TT-TT Wahh! Meanie!
Katya: Ok, you can kill…a frog.
Naraku: - Yay!