Oh my God , people. This is it. Not the end of the story, mind, just the start of the first half of the single biggest chapter of the story. After this and the next chappie, alllll I have left is the epilogue, which will tie up loose ends, be funny and fluffalicious. Omg, I can't believe that's all I have left for this story.
Alright, I will gush and weep and thank you all from the bottom of my heart in the epilogue author's note, but here you go, and damn it all this was hard to write...
I'm submitting this chapter in two parts for two reasons. One, I find it's easier for people to digest and focus on if the chapter stay at around sixteen pages. Two, I have hugely important exams coming up that I have to study for, and those do come first, which is why this half is so late. This way, you guys get something and the pressure comes off me a little. I'm sooo sorry, but please don' t be mad. Think of it this way, it'll be like a 30 page chapter altogether, and you know how much we love those!
Here goes nothing, sweeties:
Chapter 21: Armageddon I
The night surrounded the lone hanyou like a shroud of mystery and deceit, the hills rising and falling around him, seemingly swallowing him in their dark depths. Stars twinkled in the night sky above, the brightness of the full moon highlighting the silver streaks in the hanyou's hair. Above the noise of the crickets and the rustle of the leaves blowing in the warm breeze, a low masculine voice murmured into a radio.
"Sorry, Inuyasha, did you say something?" Sesshoumaru said, his own low voice crackling over the weak radio connection.
"I know where she is. Locate my Jeep using the GPS in yours. Contact everyone else, there's enough space for us all to park and arm up here." Inuyasha replied quietly, his gaze darting around alertly as he peered at the mansion.
"How's it looking?" Sesshoumaru asked as he picked up his other walkie talkie and tossed it to Rin, who nodded and smiled at him.
"Like Belmarsh Prison, or something," Inuyasha said, looking intently for a way into the intensely secure building. "Bars fucking everywhere, and lasers." He growled.
"You realize that's not good, right? You might be uber prepared, otouto, but you forgot to bring your key." Sesshoumaru quipped gruffly, teasing Inuyasha the only way he knew how.
"Shut the fuck up, would you?" Inuyasha replied indignantly. "This building is fucking demon proof. We need Miroku to pull down the barriers, and even then, there're wards all over the windows." Inuyasha, opened the door and jumped out, jogging carefully around the perimeter of the house, avoiding the flashing, razor sharp red lasers on the floor.
"Are they all around the house?" Sesshoumaru asked as he kept one eye on the GPS as he drove.
"Told you she wasn't stupid." Inuyasha groaned, slamming a frustrated fist into the nearest wall.
His breath caught in his throat as an earsplitting siren rang out and a blue light revolved and flashed on the windowsill above Inuyasha's head as his fist made impact with the wall sensors.
"Shit." Inuyasha cursed lowly, drowned out by the deafening noise, as his ears flattened against his head instinctively. He quickly rummaged in his pockets for the small pistol he'd shoved in there prior to leaving, and shot what he hoped was the sensor he'd impacted against. The powerful recoil jolted Inuyasha's shoulder back as in his haste he shot carelessly, and he grunted in discomfort as the bullet shattered the sensor.
"What did you do, Inuyasha? I could hear that from over by the H in the hills." Sesshoumaru asked incredulously.
"Set off a fucking alarm. Fuck, Sesshoumaru, get your ass in gear. Odds are, Kikyou knows we're here now. Not that she didn't anyway, but I'm sure she's sure. Or maybe I'm just sure that she's sure that we're sure we're here, or that I'm sure that– " Inuyasha began to ponder.
"Inuyasha, I'm not driving at eighty miles an hour through hilly, dangerous, possibly life-threatening terrain in the pitch black of night just to listen to your immature psychobabble. Shut up and put on your weapons already. I have the bulletproof vests." Sesshoumaru interrupted, banging his head on the steering wheel, as he followed Inuyasha's tire tracks to the clearing on the GPS.
"Well, fuck you, I'm a little wired. There's only a wall separating me and Kagome." Inuyasha defended.
"Oh yeah, a wall, some heavy duty iron bars, a few zillion incinerating lasers, a trip wire or two and the odd bazooka. Just a wall, you know..." Sesshoumaru snapped sarcastically as he pulled into the clearing behind Inuyasha's Jeep.
"How do you know all that, smartass?" Inuyasha asked, oblivious to the car behind him.
Sesshoumaru's grin widened as he crept up behind Inuyasha, putting a finger to his lips as he turned briefly to a confused Rin.
"I can see it all, dumbass." Sesshoumaru whispered in Inuyasha's ear as he leaned in close over his shoulder.
"AHHHH!" Inuyasha yelled as he turned around and delivered a swift kick to the solar plexus of his attacker, blindly defending himself.
"Inuyashaaaaa!" Sesshoumaru yelled as he went sailing into a nearby rosebush, limbs flailing madly as he came into contact with the thorns.
"Who the fuck are you, and how the fuck do you know my name?" Inuyasha snarled, eyes glaring daggers into the shaking bush in front of him.
"Sesshoumaru Mireshi, and I know your name because you've been the bane of my life since you were born, the list of deeds against me gets longer every day, and now one more thing I can add to that list is that whilst I'm here risking my neck on a rescue mission for you, you repay me by filling my ass with rose thorns!" Sesshoumaru raved, prying thorns from his butt as he spoke.
"Keh," Inuyasha stalled as he hauled Sesshoumaru out of the bush. "Sorry?"
"Pfft, not on your life." Sesshoumaru replied gruffly, brushing the last of the thorns from his abused backside.
"Do you not have your weapons together yet?" Rin snapped at Inuyasha, pressing a small instrument into his palm. She was unusually irritated under this kind of pressure.
"I'm sorry, your mate was just thrown ass-first into a thorny shrub, I could be dead and you're worried about him?" Sesshoumaru asked in a wounded tone.
"Sorry, baby, you are my last priority right now," Rin replied impatiently, equipping Inuyasha with any artillery she had left in the Jeep.
"Fine." Sesshoumaru said petulantly, his bottom lip sticking out as his voice wavered. "Evidently, we need to talk about our future. If..." Sesshoumaru inserted a sob for good measure. "If there is a future!"
"Yeah, yeah, koi, we'll talk about it when this is over, all right?" Rin said, strapping Inuyasha into his holster.
"I hate you," Sesshoumaru growled as he stomped off to the Jeep and slammed the door on himself.
"Drama queen," Rin whispered once Sesshoumaru had successfully locked himself into the car and put his back to Rin.
"Don't I know it," Inuyasha replied, a smirk lifting the corners of his mouth.
"All right, Inuyasha, I'm gonna run down this list, and you should be wearing everything on it. I'll hand out the rest when everyone gets here." Rin checked, unhooking a tiny clipboard from her waist.
"Got it." As Inuyasha took orders from the pretty, diminutive woman dressed in black before him, he realized he was willing to co-operate with anyone right now if it would get his Kagome back.
"Glock 9mm Sharp handgun." Rin said.
Inuyasha looked gleefully at the powerful, but compact gun in his body holster.
"Yup." Inuyasha cackled as he rubbed his hands together. Yes, boys did love their toys...
"Don't laugh, use it the wrong way and you could blow your arm off, I made sure." Rin admonished.
"You really do want me dead..." Inuyasha muttered darkly as his smile fell.
"Uh huh," Rin said distractedly, turning her head back towards the underbrush, following a whisper of a shriek.
"They're here." Inuyasha said, having noticed a minute or two before.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't second-guess me, you don't wanna know where else I could strap that gun, you know." Rin threatened, looking about as mean as a bunny baring its teeth.
"I'll bet, you're creative like that." Inuyasha quipped, as Miroku crashed through the shrubbery, closely followed by a red-faced Sango, rubbing her hand ferociously.
"Sango, sweetie, you're supposed to be in hospital!" Rin gasped, running over to her fuming friend.
"And miss this?" Sango replied incredulously, hugging Rin back. "You don't know me at all, Rin."
"What happened back there?" Rin asked, eyeing the twitching Miroku on the ground with a raised eyebrow. Funny enough, she figured she already knew...
"Groped me as we were finding our way in here, we didn't find your drive in route. Asshole scared me half to death." At Rin's sarcastic glare, Sango held up her hands and said "Honest, this was self defense!", her eyes betraying her false innocence.
Inuyasha looked everywhere else but at Sango as he saw her break through the brush, chewing his bottom lip sheepishly. He hadn't forgotten what he'd done, and neither had she.
"Inuyasha, look at me." Sango asked, her eyes locking onto his awkward form.
Inuyasha began to whistle as he turned the other way, twiddling his thumbs behind his back.
"Come on, don't ignore me." Sango cooed, turning his chin towards her, making a huge show of stepping over Miroku's prone body.
"Sango, I – " Inuyasha began, apology creasing his handsome features.
"Don't." Sango said quietly, placing a finger over his lips. "Don't. I know you didn't mean it. Listen, save Kagome, and let that be your apology, okay?"
Inuyasha ran a thumb sadly over the immense bruise marring half of Sango's usually peachy complexion, his shoulders sagging in shame, as Sango winced a little beneath his touch.
"I'm sor-" Inuyasha tried again.
"I said, no." Sango insisted, shaking her head.
"Okay." Inuyasha mumbled from under her finger. "But would giving you lots of threatening, dangerous, and most likely illegal weaponry make you feel any better?" Inuyasha asked, a smile gracing his face.
"Where? Gimme!" Sango asked excitedly, jumping up and down and clapping her hands happily.
"Sweetie, if we wait for – " Rin started, mollifying Sango's uber happy attitude gently.
"We're here, we're here!" A baritone voice rang in the clearing as Kouga stepped through, dragging Ayame behind him, who was picking leaves out of her flowing red mane, which was now done in two long pigtails.
"What if I meant I was waiting for... Sesshoumaru ?" Rin challenged, unhappy at being interrupted.
Ayame raised an eyebrow at Rin's argumentative, all-business attitude, whilst Kouga snorted dismissively.
"Rin, you and I both know he's not coming out until he's good and ready." Kouga said, shaking his head at the sulking demon in the Jeep.
"True, true," Rin agreed, nodding. "But I guess he'll just have to miss the handing out of the deadly, dangerous and illegal weaponry then! I'll just have to give INUYASHA his share!" Rin called pointedly, pulling out her miniature clipboard.
True to form, Sesshoumaru opened the door subtly and slithered out, standing on the outskirts of the circle of people standing around Rin.
"That's my baby," Rin grinned, kissing Sesshoumaru's cheek lightly.
Sesshoumaru growled. Bitch had him wrapped around her little finger. He really was whipped...
"Alright guys, firstly, I need to let you know, this will not be easy. Kikyou has the building firmly locked against demons, but as we have a monk in our presence, no matter how far the generations go back, he should be able to break the demon wards to let four of you in. Once that's happened, I ran out of ideas and you have to take it from there. And seeing as I ran out of pep talk so far for you, I'm just gonna get to your favorite part and hand out the weapons." Rin said, leaping to the Jeeps in anticipation.
"Who died and made her Hitler?" Inuyasha leaned over and whispered to Miroku.
"I heard that, and so you get the crappiest bazooka." Rin sniped, carrying an armful of pistols toward the group.
"Whatever..." Inuyasha muttered childishly.
"Ignoring that..." Rin said pointedly. "Here's everyone's pistols. These are Crystal Colt 6mm, very fast, tiny recoil, but the bullets don't travel too far, so save them for close range only. Honestly, it's a girly gun, but it was too cute to resist!" Rin finished chirpily, throwing one to everyone in the group.
"Do I have to use a chick gun?" Sesshoumaru asked, his nose wrinkled in disdain as he turned the gun over in his hands.
"Use it or lose it, asshole, you're still not forgiven." Rin snipped out, seizing her next handouts from behind her.
"Throwing stars, everyone knows how these work. They're not actually as lethal as I would've liked, the edges are only serrated, not electrically charged, but that's all they could get me on such short notice..." Rin groused, throwing a small sack of the stars to each person, ignoring the looks of confusion and shock on their faces.
"Alright, I felt like even those of you who haven't shot before would like these," Rin chirped, struggling under the weight of the guns in her arms. "Stick these in the other side of your holsters next to the Crystal Colt and be very careful. You jam that trigger, and you can kiss your ass goodbye. These are state-of-the-art Buki Fifty-Shot Laser Bazookas. Think of it like an uber huge machine gun!" Rin said excitedly, her eyes flashing with glee at the powerful weapons. "Bullets that are the equivalent of small atom bombs come out of the end of this baby, so be very very very careful." Rin warned, handing them out slowly.
"Nice..." Inuyasha whistled, stroking his bazooka tenderly.
"Last but not least, before your individuals, I have a knife collection for you all!" Rin squeaked happily, handing everyone a leather belt filled with every variety of knife under the sun. "You've got straight ones, carving ones, bread ones, stab ones, serrated ones, athame ones and a cleaver or two, which should cover you should things get really messy."
"Cooooool..." Sango gushed, after practically falling over when the bazookas were handed out from sheer excitement.
"Last but not least," Rin began in a cagey voice, "Fluffy, I need you for this..."
"Whatever, bitch." Sesshoumaru grunted as he jogged to the Jeep and hauled out a massive black sack.
In this is a specific weapon for each of you, one that I took forever over choosing from the directory, so enjoy and love them and all that, okay?" Rin warned, delving into the sack.
"For Ayame, we have a motorized nine-tails whip." Rin said, pulling the immense whip from the bag and holding it out to Ayame.
"And no Kouga, no sex games are involved with it." Rin said, watching Kouga's lecherous grin fall. "This is accurate, and fast. It's pretty damn well guaranteed to wrap itself around anything it comes into contact with. I didn't figure you needed any help killing anything, sweetie, so I just gave you this helping hand." Rin said merrily, rummaging around for Miroku's weapon.
"Thanks Rin, and Kouga, sweetie, don't worry, you will have plenty of time to enjoy this little gizmo…" Ayame raised her eyebrows suggestively as a slow grin spread across her face.
"Pay attention!" Rin snapped, turning an ice glare on Ayame. The wolf youkai froze and stroked her nine-tails protectively as Rin took a step towards her.
"Sorry." Ayame whispered sheepishly, wilting under Rin's stare.
"No really, when did Hitler reincarnate in her ass?" Inuyasha whispered to Miroku, who elbowed him in the stomach as Rin turned on them.
"Not only did you score yourself the crappiest bazooka, Inuyasha, you just scored to be the last one to get the sword you've been searching for so long!" Rin yelled, throwing a staff at Miroku without even looking at him.
"What, I don't get a nice How To speech?" Miroku asked, crestfallen.
"It's a stick. Use it. Keep it away from Sango's ass. What else is there?" Rin sniped, pissed now.
"Fine…Give me the shitty pole…Expect me to use rusty houshi powers and karate skills in a battle of life and death…" Miroku muttered darkly, kicking the dirt as he cursed under his breath.
"Kouga, you get the electro sneakers." Rin said, a little happier now she'd successfully pissed Miroku off. Life was good when you were the boss…
"Say what?" Kouga asked, confused as he gripped the hefty sneakers in his hands.
"Shikon VoltTrainers. They're built for superspeed, and I'm told you were a track star in college, so I figured these'd be appropriate. As a youkai, I didn't figure you needed actual killing crap other than what I gave you." Rin quipped. "Run as usual, you should be able to hit speeds nearing the 100mph mark; try not to go any faster, cause then your balls might turn blue and shrivel up from the wind pressure, and we don't want that now, do we?" Rin finished sweetly.
Ignoring Kouga's look of shock, Rin moved on to a large, polished wooden boomerang leaned up against Sesshoumaru's chest.
"Thanks sweetie," Rin cooed pointedly.
"Hmph." Sesshoumaru grunted stubbornly.
"Is that mine, is that mine, is that mine? Huh, huh, huh?" Sango asked excitedly, vibrating on the spot from the excitement.
"Yes Sango, this is Hiraikotsu." Rin sighed, smiling at the excited girl holding her hands out for her gift.
"What's it do, huh?" Sango asked, pupils huge at the boomerang as she stroked it in wonder.
"Sango, sweetie, you know." Rin said blankly. "You have a small version in your car trunk. Like your version of pepper spray, so you told me…" Rin continued.
"Oh," Sango said sheepishly, blushing as she hugged the boomerang. "I knew that. Just…just this one's a lot bigger, is all… I like weapons…" she finished dopily.
"You really did hit her hard, Inuyasha…" Rin said in amazement. "Anyways sweetie, you know how to use it okay?"
"Uh huh…" Sango said distractedly, fingering the bends of the Hiraikotsu.
"Alrighty, and now for our last two." Rin said reverently, delving in the sack slowly.
"Rin, we haven't got all day. Kikyou's probably booby-trapping the place even more as we speak." Inuyasha reminded urgently.
"I know. A good general is always on time!" Rin said merrily, sticking her tongue out at Inuyasha merrily.
"General?" Miroku asked in astonishment.
"Let her. She's so short, she's not often in a place of power." Sango pointed out, happy for her little Hitler.
"Rin, come on, hand out the swords and let's go." Sesshoumaru said, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Shut up, you! Inuyasha deserves to know the history behind them, at least! You can tell him the attacks." Rin snapped.
"Do tell." Inuyasha said quickly.
"When you were born, your father realized there could come a time when you, as a pair, would need to defend yourselves against a threat that couldn't be controlled by modern times. As you two live so long, he couldn't tell whether or not there was like, a world war in the near future. So, he took his two front fangs and crafted two swords for you with them. Each has its own special abilities and each is different to the other. Together, they're an unbeatable force, according to the lore of old."
"Right, gimme mine." Inuyasha snapped, completely uninterested in the story.
"Men…Just for that, Sesshoumaru gets his first." Rin admonished.
"What's with the punishments?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.
"Quit talking and you won't need to find out!" Rin retorted.
Inuyasha growled in irritation.
"Sesshoumaru, yours is called Tenseiga…Why am I telling you this? You already know. Sesshoumaru had these all along, by the way, Inuyasha." Rin added, ignoring Inuyasha's dark glare towards his aniki. "
"Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru's sword heals, and can bring one hundred humans back to life. He'll only use it in emergencies, and he has his own katana, Tokijin, for battle. Yours however, is a little more…violent."
"Hell yeah…" Inuyasha smirked slyly, yet with reverence of the sword shining in his golden orbs.
"Yours can slay a hundred demons in one stroke, but I recommend you don't do that, or else you'll kill the majority of us. There's a few attacks, that Sesshoumaru'll teach you about if I ask him very nicely." Rin said, shooting a bright smile at her sulky mate.
"Whatever." Sesshoumaru muttered.
"And I do believe that's it!" Rin finished. "Oh and Miroku, sweetie, I didn't mean it with the stick."
Miroku's eyes widened hopefully.
"You can actually channel your houshi through it, and put up a shield around you and those close to you if need be. And I have another little funky treat for you!" Rin riffled at the very bottom of the bag, pulling out a small round black container, about the size of a peanut butter jar.
"This is what?" Miroku asked curiously, beginning to unscrew the lid, peering into the depths.
He began to yelp as a gale whipped up around him, threatening to suck his nose into the abyss of the jar. He closed it quickly as he regained his composure.
"That is a Kazaana, Miroku. A black hole in a jar. Open it, and you suck in everything within a mile radius. Once again, only when the coast is clear and for emergencies."
"Why does he get two things?" Sango pouted.
"He's only human." Rin defended lightly.
"I resent that!" Miroku protested.
"Resent all you like, it's true." Rin reasoned
"Where's yours?" Ayame piped up suddenly.
"Hey, I don't need anything, I'll be working the situation from the outside. Remember, I'm only human too!" Rin chirped.
"Anything else, Lieutenant?" Kouga asked sarcastically.
"Lieutenant, I like that…" Rin grinned cheekily. "I really do…Okay soldiers, let me just wire you all to radios and earpieces and we'll be ready to fly!"
As the people bustled and chatted and kept the mood light around him, Inuyasha stroked the shining fang in his hand lovingly as he thought of what he was about to undertake. A sense of foreboding smothered his happy thoughts, and Inuyasha realized that someone would be hurt tonight. And he'd be damned if it wasn't him…
8888
Kikyou spun around in her chair as she switched off the CCTV monitor trained on the front of the house. Inuyasha had successfully turned up, set off an alarm, and she was waiting for him.
Kikyou's satisfied expression fell as she heard Kagome's moans of pain from the floor above, and sank further as she recalled the image of her lost love from so long ago.
He'd looked so different. Not just ten years older. Inuyasha was stronger, happier more secure. That constant look of guilt plaguing his still-beautiful eyes had now disappeared. Kikyou hadn't seen that glimmer since she'd put it there ten years ago. And now, she was about to take all that away from him. Kagome had been right. He was happy. Happier than she ever remembered him being. In every sense of the word, Inuyasha was now a man.
And could she hurt this unknown, extraordinary man? One who she knew so well, and yet was still a complete stranger?
All Kikyou had to do was recall the sickening image of her mother's icy body swinging slowly from the rafters of her house, two brown eyes fixed blindly on Kikyou's own, to bring the vile bubble of vengeance back within her soul.
Kikyou pushed the speed dial on her cellphone, putting it to her ear.
"Naraku?" she asked when a voice answered on the other end, a steely tang to her voice.
There was no turning back now, she though wryly as she spoke to her father. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
8888
"Miroku, quit breaking my collar bone with your ass, would you?" Inuyasha grunted as he balanced precariously on Kouga's shoulders.
"Well you're not too easy to climb up, you know!" Miroku protested as he put one foot on Inuyasha's stony shoulder, reaching up to a convenient hole in the wall.
"BOYS!" Rin called up, cupping her hands around her mouth.
"What!" Miroku yelled back as he got both feet on Inuyasha's shoulders and stood up slowly.
"This is ridiculous enough, without you fighting ten feet off the ground!" Rin called back, sending Ayame shimmying up the ladder of men.
After scouting five times around the entire building, running a metal and electricity detector over the wall, the guys came to the sad conclusion that the only way up was through a tiny window just big enough to fit Sango through would be their only safe way in.
Pretty soon the problem of how to get up there came up. The problem was solved by creating a human ladder. Up the wall. Standing on each other. Like children. Who hadn't remembered their Ritalin…
"I wouldn't fight with him if he wasn't so damned fat!" Inuyasha mumbled darkly as Sango stepped on his shoulder lightly.
"Boy, I'm wearing spike heels. Call him fat one more time, and I'll show you fat." Sango threatened quietly as she wedged her curved hips through the air vent.
"Shut up and let me in." Inuyasha grumbled as Ayame swiftly followed.
"Alright, cut the shit, guys," Kouga reasoned. "Once we're in, we'll injury check, and then we'll lock and load."
8888
"Kasha…" Kagome moaned as she swiped her soaked bangs from her face, relishing the rush of cool air over her forehead.
"Sweetie, I know, I know. You're another centimeter dilated, only two more to go." Kasha cooed soothingly as she rubbed Kagome's damp back.
"I can't do this anymore, I give up!" Kagome whined, holding back tears. "I like being pregnant, it's okay!"
"Kagome, trust me when I say that once your little bastard lays eyes on the world, you'll be glad not to be sharing with it anymore. Trust me. You never realize just how liberating being able to pee like a normal person is until you can't." Kasha warned, a smirk lifting the corner of her mouth.
"I'll take your fucking word for it," Kagome growled as the last wave of pain rolled through her abdomen, clenching and pulling on her insides. "How much longer do I have?" Kagome asked.
Kasha didn't reply, squinting out of the window into the starry night sky.
"Kasha?" Kagome asked again.
Still Kasha stared, tilting her chin curiously.
"Helloooo?" Kagome asked, waving her hand in front of Kasha's glazed eyes.
With a flicker, Kasha's eyes darted back to Kagome, and the look in her eyes was unlike anything Kagome had ever seen.
"Inuyasha's here." Kasha stated blankly.
"How do you know?" Kagome gasped as her heart leapt in joy.
"I saw shadows, people, climbing up the other side of the house. I'm sure that's them. Ask, before your next contraction turns up." Kasha insisted, a smile lighting up her face.
"Okay." Kagome agreed, closing her eyes as she tapped into her miko again.
(AN: Kagome: bold, Inuyasha: italics)
"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked curiously, finding her mate's youkai easily and strongly.
"Okay, sexy?" Inuyasha quipped back merrily.
"What have you been taking? I swear to Kami, if you're coming to rescue me stoned on crack or something, I'll – " Kagome began.
"Oh no, this is better than drugs, much better…" Inuyasha replied excitedly.
"Oh God…" Kagome said in anticipation of something odd.
"I got's a gun!" Inuyasha replied. "And I get to use it! When I'm rescuing you of course, which I'm doing. We're just working our way through the little labyrinth Kikyou has set up in her basement."
"Who in their right minds would allow you weaponry of any kind?" Kagome asked tiredly.
"Rin…" Inuyasha replied, before signing off for a split second and losing the connection.
"Lieutenant Rin, I mean…" he grumbled.
"I will ask when you get here." Kagome said knowingly.
"I figure she must know, since I was stroking my sword again…" Inuyasha replied sheepishly. "How are you holding up anyway, koi?"
"Nice to know your arsenal obsession's over with for now." Kagome sighed with relief.
"I have some other swords I'll show you later. We did always say we wanted lots of pups…" Inuyasha joked mildly.
"Shut up! That's not happening anytime in the next hundred years or so, because this one is not coming out any faster!" Kagome yelled.
"Hold on, okay? Breathe or push or whatever, I have to go now." Inuyasha said soothingly.
"You men never know what to do in these situations, do you?" Kagome asked, put out by his reply.
"Alright, how's this? Koi, keep going, and know that there is no way we won't get out of this safe and well, and I won't let anyone touch a hair on your's or the pup's head. Promise me that you'll save yourself and the pup, if something happens to me. Promise me that. Because you won't get hurt, because I won't allow it to happen. I'd die first." Inuyasha said seriously, his heart contracting with the realization that he meant every word.
"Inuyasha, please, don't say things like that…" Kagome whimpered as tears rolled down her face. These weren't from the pain.
"Promise me, koishii." Inuyasha said firmly.
"I can't and I won't. I told you, Inuyasha, when we got married, I told you I'd die for you. I vowed I'd stand by that promise for the rest of my life. I'm going to stand by that promise, and that promise alone." Kagome replied just as firmly.
"Kagome…" Inuyasha said brokenly, amazed at her courage. He'd never believed he'd ever find someone who loved him so unconditionally, so purely. He knew now, more than ever, that he was truly blessed.
"Yeah, you're not the only one in this, koi." Kagome replied, smiling.
"Gods, I love you." Inuyasha replied.
"You know what, your ass had better love me, cause I have to go concentrate on more agonizing pain ripping through my entire reproductive system, okay?" Kagome grunted back as the now familiar ache resurfaced, promising to build up. "Might I remind you that this is all down to Jeremy."
"He's sorry, okay?" Inuyasha replied. "See you soon, koishii. Hang in there for me, baby."
"I'm trying, Gods, I'm trying…" Kagome growled as the pain intensified. "Hurry, Inuyasha…" Kagome began to cry as she lost the connection, feeling the white hot pain tear through her.
8888
"Kikyou, stand clear, I am sending puppets into the fourth sector." Naraku snapped down the phone.
"Fine, and let me just say that the oni are in place waiting for the hanyou and his merry men." Kikyou said in satisfaction.
"Keep them in there, oni do not care who they slaughter. They remain as cold blooded as you and I, Kikyou." Naraku replied.
"I know." Kikyou said, bowing her head in shame. She couldn't believe she was going through with this.
"They should be there in approximately thirty seconds according to my CCTV, Kikyou." Naraku warned. "If all goes to plan, I should not have to come down there until I need to retrieve the jewel from the miko. Correct?" Naraku threatened.
"Yes, Dad – Naraku." Kikyou corrected herself swiftly.
"Good girl." Naraku replied, hanging up abruptly.
As Kikyou sighed and turned her head around to the CCTV, the sight she beheld made her want to laugh and cry, all at the same time.
8888
Inuyasha used Tessaiga to burst through the final locked wooden door, his Wind Scar shattering the door to smithereens.
The group tentatively followed, picking their way through the debris, listening to the unerring silence.
"Something doesn't feel right," Sango whispered into the dark, voicing everyone's opinion.
"There's something waiting for us."
"OR SOMETHINGS!" A raspy, bird like voice crackled from the high wooden rafters of the drafty banquet hall they had burst into.
All hell broke loose as with a flurry of leathery wings, crow oni swooped down on the band of warriors, with nothing but fatal intent in mind.
TRANSLATIONS:
Otouto: little brother
Oh yeah, when I say CITF, (this is in reference to a question I sadly got too swamped in work to answer) I mean Caught in the Flash! Just know I'm referring to the story, okay?
Any other Japanese translations you want, let me know, since the idea of putting them in has only been suggested by my beautiful new beta! (Whom you should all love, can I just say, since she is just as busy as I am, and yet took time out to make this chappie passable for you guys!)
AN: God I'm sorry you guys. But if you didn't read the above AN, do it now, It's important as to why this chapter is ending here. But Jesus, I hope you liked it still, and please bear with me for next chapter. I promise, it will be worth your while. I love you all to shreds!
Review!
Love Inukagchick11 xxxxxxxxxxx