Chapter Two – Failure
Inuyasha raced through the forest, his keen nose alert for Naraku's scent.
Kagome doesn't love me, he thought. She would rather be with that wolf. She would rather be with a full demon than a half-breed. I'm just not good enough for her. Tears blurred his vision, and he angrily swatted them away. This is no time to be crying! He scolded himself. I have to kill Naraku to avenge Kikyo! I can't be thinking about that two-timing wench! Inuyasha stopped in his flight, pausing to gain his bearings. Is this how she felt? Is this what she went through when she saw me with Kikyo? Inuyasha gazed at the ground, lost in thought and pain. Kagome… how did you forgive me? Give me that strength. Let me wait for you. I need you by my side.
"Kagome, I need you," Inuyasha whispered brokenly. "I love you." He sniffed, holding back a tear, then paused, sniffing again. It was Naraku. Inuyasha snapped upright, all senses tuned to the slightest change in surrounding. Naraku was very, very close.
"So, Inuyasha," came the silky, sickening voice. "Have you finally accepted your feelings for the little, human girl?"
"Naraku... Come out and show yourself! Fight like a real man!" Inuyasha snarled, hand on Tetsusaiga. Laughter sounded from all around.
"If you insist… Inuyasha."
Inuyasha whirled around, searching for Naraku. His putrid stench filled his nostrils, and he could feel the suffocating cloak of the demon's aura falling across him. Laughter sounded again, and Inuyasha spun to face him.
The final battle had begun.
…………………………………….
Sango and Kirara raced through the night, an unexplainable urgency driving them on. Why does this feel so wrong? Sango thought, her boomerang weighing heavily on her shoulder. Why do I have this sick feeling in my gut? …I wish Miroku were here.. Sango glanced back the way they had come, hoping beyond hope to catch a last glimpse of the monk. Kirara suddenly pulled up, almost throwing her. She looked back forward, her heart clenching at the sight.
There stood Kagura, as calm as could be, with her brother, Kohaku, ready beside her. Sango jumped down, her boomerang ready.
"What do you want, Kagura?" she called, scowling. Kohaku tensed, raising his weapon. Kagura glanced at him, snapping her fan shut decisively.
"You can stop pretending now; you're only fooling her."
Sango watched in surprise as Kohaku straightened – looking a little surprised himself – and sheathed his weapon.
"How long have you known?" he asked the wind youkai. She waved her fan at him in a vague motion.
"Long enough," she replied. "Now go see your sister; we don't have time."
With more hope than she would have dared, Sango watched as Kohaku crossed over to her. He knelt, dropping to one knee and bowing his head.
"Sister," he said in a husky voice. "Can you forgive me?"
"Kohaku!" Sango cried, sweeping him up in her arms. "It's really you," she whispered.
"Kohaku," came Kagura's voice. "We don't have time. Inuyasha could be battling him this very moment."
Sango looked up.
"He's not battling Naraku, is he?"
"He is."
Sango stiffened, torn between her reunion with her brother and a friend in need.
"Wait," she said, suddenly cautious. "Who's side are you on?"
"I am the wind," Kagura replied. "I am on no one's side. If you want Inuyasha to live, I suggest you get moving, and you'd better kill that damn Naraku."
Pulling a feather from her hair, Kagura tossed it into the air and soared away.
"Sango!"
Sango turned to see Kagome peddling madly towards them. She skidded to a stop, putting a foot down to steady herself.
"Where is Inuyasha?" she gasped. "Kohaku?" she exclaimed as she noticed him.
"Inuyasha is up ahead, and so is Naraku. Kagome, we have to wait for the others, it's too dangerous!"
"I don't care!" she yelled over her shoulder, speeding away.
"Kagome, wait!"
……………………………….
Inuyasha spun around and around, trying to keep Naraku in his sights. Blood dripped from everywhere on his body and Tetsusaiga was slowly sinking lower and lower.
"Tired Inuyasha?" purred Naraku's voice. "Don't worry, it will all end now. She's here to see you."
Inuyasha turned to see Kagome arrive on her bicycle, Sango close behind.
"Kagome, RUN!" he screamed.
………………………………..
Kagome ground to a halt and watched in horror as Inuyasha flew through the air, his last Shikon jewel shard falling into Naraku's grasp.
"Inuyashaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Inuyasha fell to the side, his mortally wounded body twitching with spasms. His amber eyes gazed in disbelief, darkening as they stared into Kagome's face. Kagome stood, shocked, her lips trembling and tears welling in her eyes.
"Narakuuuuuuu!" Sango screamed, leaping for him with Hiraikotsu ready in her hand. She threw it with all her strength, the whirling edges causing a hum to linger in the air. Naraku simply laughed. Batting it aside with a grossly distorted hand, Naraku reached for the enraged demon slayer, recoiling as she slashed him with her katana.
"Sango, move!" Kohaku cried, running up.
"No, Kohaku, stay back! He'll steal your jewel shard if you get too close!"
Oblivious to it all, Kagome wept as she dragged Inuyasha away from the battle, his bright, red blood staining her hands.
"Ka... Kagome..." he gasped, blood bubbling on his lips.
"Shhh, I-Inuyasha. D-don't try t-to talk," Kagome stammered through her tears. 'I can't let you die,' she thought. 'I must make you live!'
"Kirara!" Sango cried, looking over at the two-tail. "Get Inuyasha out of here and take Kohaku with you!"
"I'm staying!" barked the young demon slayer.
"Do as she says!" Miroku roared, suddenly arriving with robes billowing and staff ready.
"Pitiful mortals," Naraku laughed. "Nothing you do will avert your fate. As of now, you are dead."
"No!!" Sango drew back her arm and threw Hiraikotsu with all her might, her face dark with fury. "Die, Naraku!!!" she screamed.
Kagome looked up, fear cold in her belly, watching as Naraku, seeming as if in slow motion, gracefully extended an arm and evaded the weapon, continuing on to cleanly take off Sango's head.
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Miroku screamed, whipping off the prayer beads and extending his right hand. Blackness erupted from it, and soon everything in its path was being sucked into oblivion. Huge lumps of Naraku's grotesque mass began to shift toward it, and soon pieces of his flesh were being drawn into the Wind Tunnel, like sickening strings of cheese. A sweat broke out on Miroku's forehead and he began to shake terribly, but still he battled on.
"Miroku, stop! You'll kill yourself!" Kagome shrieked, tears blinding her.
"Kagome… where… are you? I can't… see you… anymore," a voice gasped.
Kagome looked down at Inuyasha, his body broken and bleeding.
"Inuyasha…" she whispered, her heart torn. She knelt beside him, frantic with worry. In her hurry to find him, she had left her arrows and bow behind, nor would her miko powers do him any good even if she could defeat Naraku with them. She had no way to protect him, no way to save him. "Oh, Inuyasha…" Cradling his head to her, she looked up again at the scene of battle.
Miroku still stood, absorbing Naraku into his Wind Tunnel. All that was left of the monster was his misshapen head, beady red eyes glaring maliciously out of the mess. With a final cry of triumph, Miroku pulled him in and closed his hand. Falling to his knees, he clutched his arm, trembling violently.
"Kirara…bring her here," he panted. "I can't… go to her."
Kirara nodded and limped to the still body, gently grasping it by the arm and bringing it back. Miroku gazed at it with unwilling recognition, as if he didn't want to believe it was her.
"Where is…her head?" Miroku gasped through gritted teeth, his face pained. Gently he looked upon her, grief-stricken. "My Sango…" he murmured. "My lovely Sango…" Collapsing over her, he bent his head and wept, choking sobs echoing in the still night. Kirara threw back her head and howled with him, the mournful sound tearing at Kagome's already bleeding heart.
"Sango…" she wept, kneeling over Inuyasha.
"Sango…" she heard him whisper softly. Two tears slipped down the bloodstained face, already turning pale with death.
Suddenly, there was a cry of pain from Miroku. Kagome looked up to see him clutching his arm, eyes shut tight against the hurt. Before her eyes, the arm swelled and burst, a scream issuing from Miroku.
"Miroku!" she shrieked, half standing up. Out of the wound began to pour a black substance, slowly building and forming into a dark mass. Miroku screamed again, writhing in agony. Kirara bristled at the mass, slowly circling closer to Miroku. She nudged him gently, growling at the stump. Just as suddenly as it all began, Miroku collapsed and lay still, unmoving. There was a moment of silence, and then black goo erupted from his body, tearing holes in his flesh where none should be. Kirara roared and danced back, shaking her head in pain. Her entire face and shoulders were covered in the mess, and flecks of it splattered over her hindquarters and legs. She began to scream, a sound so terrible Kagome had to cover her ears to keep them from throbbing. Tendrils of smoke began to issues from the edges of the ooze on Kirara's body, and Kagome was suddenly reminded of a movie she had seen where a man was destroyed by a vat of acid thrown on him.
"Kagome!" cried a voiced filled with concern. Kagome looked up to see Koga racing towards her, eyes worried. He knelt beside her, grabbing her hand. He glanced at Kirara, Miroku and Sango, his eyes widening with horror.
"Kagome, what happened here?" He asked, turning his desperate gaze on her.
"He's dying, Koga. He's dying, just like everyone else."
Laughter began to start up, soft and quiet, but steadily growing in power.
"Kagome, you have to get out of here. It's not safe. You'll be killed."
"But they're already dead!" she argued. "I don't care anymore!" Kagome flung herself over Inuyasha's body, sobbing. Koga looked around, his agitation increasing as the black material began to extract itself from Kirara's still fur and build into a solid form.
"Kagome, please, get out of here! You…" Koga's mind raced, trying to think of a way to get her away from Naraku. "If you don't get out of here, how will you be able to bring back medicine for Inuyasha?" he blurted. Kagome froze, her tears dissolving.
"Bring back medicine?" she murmured. Koga looked over his shoulder. With a sickening drop of his stomach, he realized that it was Naraku's body that was reconstructing itself.
"Koga!" Kagome called, pulling back his attention. She was standing, slowly pulling Inuyasha up with her. "I need you to help me carry him. We have to get back to Kaede's village. You remember her, don't you? The old priestess with one eye?"
"Yeah, I remember her…" Koga slowly replied. He did not want to leave Naraku undefeated after searching so hard for him, but he wanted Kagome out of the way. Even if she didn't love him, he wanted her safe, and she would only leave with Inuyasha.
"C'mon," he said, heaving the half-dead hanyou up.
It was only after she was madly peddling after Koga that Kagome stopped to think about how her plan would work. She had to go through the well, and get Inuyasha to a hospital. As a half-demon, he might survive long enough to get the medical attention he needed from her time, but would she be able to get him through the well without a jewel shard? She had done it before, but she was the reincarnation of Kikyo; she had come to this time with the Shikon no Tama inside her. Was that enough? Would him simply being with her suffice, or would the well require the presence of a shard to transport him too? Kagome shook her head, banishing the thoughts. There was enough to worry about before they got to the well. By the sound of it, Naraku was finished rebuilding his body, and even if they escaped him, it might still be useless if Inuyasha didn't make it.
Please, Inuyasha, Kagome prayed. Please, live.