Bffimagine: Ending this one off… another one bites the dust.
"They share a soul. That means Miroku and I…" Inuyasha's eyes met Miroku's.
"If I am to die, Inuyasha, let it be in your arms." Miroku whispered close to Inuyasha's ear, so Naraku would not hear.
Inuyasha drew Miroku to him.
"I won't let you die."
"DO NOT MAKE PROMISES YOU CANNOT KEEP, INUYASHA." Naraku's voice made Miroku freeze and become rigid. He felt white-hot poison rush through his veins, an artificial adrenaline rush. His throat seized and he could not breathe; unseen hands were strangling him as he sank to his knees.
'Plink.' 'Plink.'
Shards were materializing out of Miroku's chest and they gently clattered onto the ground. The angry crimson shone brightly in protest, but dulled just as Miroku's eyes went unfocused and glassy.
"Miroku! Wake up!" Inuyasha shook Miroku, yet Miroku's head lolled to the side. Inuyasha felt tears sting his eyes and make his skin prickle.
Naraku laughed sadistically.
"He's dead, Inuyasha. You can't bring him back."
The last shard hit the ground with a resounding 'plink'. Somehow the world went silent as it hit the hard earth, making it seem unusually too loud. With that shard Miroku's life fell from his body.
"His soul is in these shards, Inuyasha. Therefore… so is yours." Naraku picked the shards up. They had begun to re-knit together, becoming one, full, beautiful, crimson crystal of the finest garnet. Its very center was missing, yet one could not see it from the outside.
"The last shard," Naraku smirked, "I shall find, and all the power in the world will be MINE!"
Miroku was bleeding badly. Every wound and ailment he had suffered returned more than ten-fold, and he was still clasping Inuyasha's hand in his.
'I remember… how he would reach for my hand as he slept, and if I didn't give it to him he would wake, but not know why he had awoken. So in order to keep him asleep I gave him my hand to hold, and he held it like it was the most important thing to him in the world. But… I didn't realize how much I loved him then. How Kagome was just a friend to me, nothing more. How Kikyo was the first person that ever showed me compassion, how I thought it was her I loved. Then Kagome, the second person to show me true compasseion, but Miroku, the only person besides my own mother that ever showed me love. True love.' Inuyasha clasped Miroku's life-less hand tighter in his own.
Squeezing the jewel, Naraku enjoyed the look of surprised pain on Inuyasha's face.
'My… soul hurts…?' Inuyasha glared at Naraku through squinting eyes, 'He's hurting Miroku as well…'
'Damn, I can't do any real damage without the last shard. But WHERE IS IT?' Naraku's eyes darted frantically from side to side, in a frenzy to cause agony and suffering, to find the last shard and hurt Miroku and Inuyasha more than they had ever felt before.
"So, you're still in need of the last shard, are you Naraku? It's a shame you'll never find it." Inuyasha cradled Miroku's body in his arms, tenderly caressing the soft skin of Miroku's hands.
"What would YOU know, Inuyasha? You're just a little doggy that can't sniff out the last shard anyhow." Naraku sneered, baring incredibly sharp teeth.
"By the way, doggy, I've gotten a new power with these shards." Naraku regained his composure and stalked toward Inuyasha.
Instinctively, Inuyasha tightened his hold on Miroku and shielded him best he could. He was protective of Miroku's body, since something within him was telling him Miroku could be revived. He could be brought back with the last shard of his heart.
Easily slipping past Inuyasha, Naraku bit Miroku's neck. Inuyasha watched in disgust and Naraku lapped up the blood and yanked Miroku away from Naraku's reach.
As soon as Naraku's bloodied tongue slipped back behind his lips he began to change. His hair became shorter and straighter, much shinier and silkier. It became jet-black as opposed to the dark, dirty brown it had been before.
Red eyes became beautiful purple, and the you-kai's skin paled. The claws were shed and the fangs dulled; Naraku looked exactly like Miroku.
"Disgraceful," Inuyasha spat hotly, "If you wish to shame Miroku then do so elsewhere."
"Inuyasha… I am Miroku? Can't you see?" 'Miroku' looked deeply hurt.
"Don't even try it, Naraku. Your heart is as black as ever, and Miroku's is obviously nothing of the sort." Inuyasha yawned deliberately, acting bored to annoy Naraku.
"Fine then." Naraku changed into his normal self.
"Go away, Naraku. Otherwise I'll kill you." Inuyasha somberly picked Miroku up and felt a rogue tear streak down his face.
"You'll kill me? You forget, Inuyasha, that I hold your heart and soul in my hand." Naraku gave the Kokoro no Tama a hard squeeze.
The pain failed to faze Inuyasha. Something was making a barrier around him, blocking out the pain he would have suffered. He opened his eyes, at that moment realizing his eyes were closed in anticipation. A bright blue-purple aura surrounded him.
'Miroku…'
'Inuyasha… Remember I died in your arms, but more than that, remember I love you.' Miroku's voice echoed in Inuyasha's head, and it seemed effervescent and far away.
The last, shining shard of Miroku's heart materialized in front of Inuyasha's face. Unlike the other shards, this shard was the core of the jewel. It was an iridescent blue-purple, and it shone with the brightness of Miroku and Inuyasha's star.
Naraku cursed as the Kokoro no Tama was torn out of his hands, and it slowly broke into one hundred and ninety-nine separate shards. They danced into place, forming the jewel around the core. Complete, the jewel seemed to melt as it became a heart shape.
Killing Naraku instantly, the jewel shone incredibly crimson as Naraku's evil heart dissolved into nothing and his body burst into black flames. The ash fell away, blowing into the wind.
After Naraku died, the Kokoro no Tama's sharp, pointed tip penetrated Miroku and it shone brighter than ever before. It sparkled beautifully, and it became part of Miroku once more.
Pulsing. Inuyasha felt pulsing through his arms. At first they were irregular and far apart, but they soon fell into regulation and a sequence was ordained. Miroku's eyes opened.
"Inuyasha, aishiteru."
"I love you too, Miroku."
The quest for the 'Heart Shards' had finally concluded. A light feeling of elation had set upon the Inu-tachi, diverting their attention from the tasks at hand.
First of these tasks was dealing with the one-and-only Kikyo, and telling her Naraku died out of the blue was definitely NOT something Inuyasha was looking forward to.
'How will it sound, anyhow?' Inuyasha closed his eyes and thought, 'It will most likely go like this…
"Do you think I am a fool, Inuyasha? I may not be able to feel his evil, but I know you are lying. There is no way you could have killed Naraku." Kikyo spat hotly. She was angry that Inuyasha would lie like that to her…
"Actually, I didn't kill him. Miroku did." Inuyasha's gaze fell to the floor. It fell so heavily Kikyo almost heard a 'thump'.
"And you lie again! That monk wouldn't be able to kill Naraku! If he sucked him into that wretched hole he would die! And sutras and ofudas don't work on a demon like Naraku!"
"If you don't believe me, fine." Inuyasha sighed.
But how will I break it to her?
"Kikyo, Naraku's dead. So are you so you can go rest in peace now, and I never loved you or Kagome by the way. I love Miroku. Bye!"
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT. That would only earn me another arrow in the heart…'
Inuyasha ran his fingers through his hair. Miroku quietly walked over to him and sat in his lap.
"Nani? Daijoubu ka, koishi?" Miroku turned to look into Inuyasha's eyes.
"How are we supposed to tell Kikyo Naraku's dead?" Inuyasha heaved another sigh.
"No matter how we manage, we'll do it together." Miroku nuzzled Inuyasha's neck and the hanyo put his arms around the houshi.
"Go to sleep. We'll worry about it in the morning," Miroku mumbled. Inuyasha obliged obediently, closing his eyes and allowing himself to be carried away on Dream's wings.
bffimagine: OWARITA DESU! Finally finished.
Inny: Feh. You could've gone without this story.
Bffimagine: -.- GRRRRRR…. Osuwari.
(CRASH)
Inny: Ow… itai! Fine. All of you READERS out there had better review. Then she won't have to write about us anymore…