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Infatuation
By Lizzie Welling
Rated M/R for strong language and violence
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AU InuYasha fan fiction
Disclaimer: Don't own InuYasha. Never have, never will. All other quoted songs, excerpts, etc. are cited and attributed to their respective owners.
A/N: Happy New Year! Hope this chapter finds you all in good spirits and good health. My laptop essentially died over the holidays, but thankfully I had backed up everything I needed. So there was a smooth transition from my Toshiba to my new Mac.
Here is the long-awaited epic battle. I was listening to "Weight of the World" by Evanescence, "Inside the Fire" by Disturbed, and "The Little Things" by Danny Elfman when I wrote this, so feel free to find the songs and listen along to get you in the mood. Lol. ;-D
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Recap:
Just then, an explosion sounded from upstairs, shaking the whole building.
Their chanting was interrupted.
"Go you morons! Find out what that was!" Naraku shouted at Hiten, Bankotsu and Jakotsu.
Just as Bankotsu moved to open the door, the door was blasted off its hinges and knocked all three of them to the floor.
In stepped InuYasha, followed by Sesshomaru, Rin and Ayame.
"Remember me, you fucking bastards?" InuYasha growled.
Bankotsu instantly lunged at InuYasha, and the fighting began. Sesshomaru engaged Jakotsu, while Ayame and Rin took on Hiten.
"Keep chanting!" Naraku bellowed at the remaining circle.
No one, aside from Kagura, noticed Kagome arch in the metal tub and open her eyes.
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Chapter 22: Powerhouse
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InuYasha slammed the butt of his sword into Bankotsu's head. Bankotsu fell sprawling backwards into the wall, but managed to twist his body so that he could push off. He used the momentum to ram into the inu-hanyou and knocked them both onto the laboratory floor.
Growling, InuYasha gained the upper hand, rolling the pair and thrusting his sword's blade against Bankotsu's throat. Bankotsu knocked Tessaiga out of InuYasha's grasp and twisted the pair so that he was on top. Bankotsu wrapped his hands around InuYasha's throat and began to squeeze.
InuYasha head-butted Bankotsu, doing a backwards roll to throw him off. He dove for his sword, rolling again and jabbing the blade into Bankotsu's gut. The Band of Seven leader fell backwards, gasping. InuYasha didn't have time to drag this fight out.
'I have to get to Kagome!'
He quickly swung the blade back around in a practiced arc, decapitating Bankotsu. His headless body crashed to the ground, turning into ashes. InuYasha stepped over the pile, glancing at his comrades. Rin and Ayame were fine holding their own against Hiten, and of course his asshole brother didn't need any help. At that moment, Sango and Kouga crashed through the door, diverting attention away from himself. Ayame joined them, and together the three took on Kikyo, Kanna and Urasuae. Tsubaki ran to hide, having no powers left to fight with. He was free to rescue Kagome.
As InuYasha dashed his way over to the metal tub, Naraku stepped in his path. The megalomaniac smiled malevolently.
"You think I would let you have her before the ritual is complete?"
InuYasha growled low and threateningly. "I don't give a shit what you will or won't do. I'm taking her back."
Naraku laughed darkly. "We'll see about that."
He raised his hands, a black glow seeping out of them. The black substance floated over to the tub, dropping down and into Kagome's every pore. The wires and electrodes were all magically ripped from the miko. Her broken body raised itself from the tub and stepped out, as if on puppet strings.
InuYasha couldn't believe this was his Kagome. She had so many bruises and cuts, it was hard to find a patch of her recognizably smooth skin. Her arms and legs were hanging at odd angles. InuYasha growled in anger.
'What the hell did they do to you?'
The thing that bothered him the most were her eyes. They lacked their usual luster of warmth and sparkle. These pools now seemed endless, in a bad way, very blank and lost.
Naraku cackled, stepping forward to curl his arm around Kagome's waist. She didn't move. Not even a flinch.
"Get the fuck away from her, you bastard!" InuYasha snarled.
Naraku's mouth split into an evil little smile. "My presence does not seem to bother her."
InuYasha took another step forward, grasping her shoulders. There was no movement, no sign of recognition on her part.
"Nor does yours seem to either," the evil hanyou snarked. "Kagome," his smirk widened at the dismayed look on the inu-hanyou's face as the miko turned her head toward him.
"Kill him."
Kagome obediently stepped forward, taking the long dagger Naraku had offered.
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"Ooo, the big bad taiyoukai has come to punish me!" Jakotsu squealed, jumping out of the way of Sesshomaru's poisonous claws. "I like the sound of that!"
"Do not speak to me, you fool," Sesshomaru growled. "Prepare for your demise."
Jakotsu released a high-pitched cackle, spinning out of Tokijin's reach and blowing the taiyoukai a raspberry. He jumped on top of a lab table and whipped out his own sword, flicking the handle so that the curved blade began to replicate. Sesshomaru blocked it with an upswing of Tokijin, forcing Jakotsu's sword back. The force of the blow caused Jakotsu to lose his balance and topple backwards off the table.
Meanwhile, Rin was pinned against the side of a tall, metal machine by Hiten. He was using his electrical shocks to keep her paralyzed in pain. Mustering all her strength and willpower, Rin kneed him in the groin, causing Hiten to buckle. She used the momentary distraction to kick him away from her as she made a dive for her dropped gun.
Rolling on the floor, Rin aimed and shot a poison bullet right into his heart. Hiten dropped to the floor, twitching and screaming as the poison ate away his heart.
Rin turned her head to search out her partner. She took two shots, lodging a poison bullet in each of Jakotsu's kneecaps as he scrambled to stand. The last remaining member of the Band of Seven cried out as his legs gave way. Sesshomaru took no time in beheading him, his body turning into a pile of ashes. The taiyoukai walked over to Rin, offering his hand. He pulled her up and into his embrace, holding her to him tightly.
"I'm okay, Sesshomaru," Rin whispered, stroking his bicep comfortingly. She quickly pecked him on the lips, then turned to find her other comrades.
She spotted Sango, Ayame and Kouga in a spot of trouble with Kanna, Urasuae and Kikyo. Nodding to each other, Rin and Sesshomaru stepped in swinging and firing.
"Stand still, you obnoxious bitch!" Ayame yelled, struggling to keep Kikyo ensnared in her chain.
Kikyo shoved Ayame off, sending her crashing into a glass cabinet containing many suspicious look vials and beakers. The dark miko then sent a wave of purification through the metal, sending Ayame flying backwards into Rin. The smallest Slayer helped her up, and they both squared off against Kikyo.
Ayame executed a flawless front tuck over Kikyo's head, landing elegantly behind her. The ookami Slayer swung her chain out again, wrapping it around Kikyo's torso, pinning her arms to the side. Rin used a high kick to try and knock Kikyo unconscious. The miko smiled coldly. Kikyo bent backwards and threw Ayame over her shoulder and into Rin.
Sango had her katana pressed against Kanna's throat. The void youkai made no move to struggle. Sango decided she would push her luck while she could.
"Where's Kohaku?" Sango demanded.
If they could rescue both Kagome and her brother, Sango believed it was worth a shot.
"I will take you to him if you spare me," Kanna answered in her eerie and quiet voice.
Sango pushed her over to the control booth, where Kagura sat hiding behind it. Sango pulled some dead wires off the side of the booth, tying the two youkai together.
"Stay with your sister. Either of you make a move against us, I'll kill you myself."
Sango ran over toward Rin and Ayame, sending her Hiraikotsu flying. The giant boomerang knocked Kikyo to the floor. The three Slayers dove on her, struggling to keep her pinned down. Kikyo flared her powers and kicked out, sending them flying away.
Kouga finally gained the upper hand against Urasuae, cornering her with his katana. Sesshomaru had grabbed Tsubaki, spying her trying to sneak up on a recovering Rin with a dagger.
"Let me go!" Tsubaki demanded, trying to stab him.
She caught him in the face, dragging the blade through his cheek. A shot went off, and Tsubaki slumped in his grip, passing out from the pain. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at Rin.
"What?" she asked innocently. "No one hurts my Fluffy!"
Sesshomaru's eyebrow went even higher. He placed the unconscious Tsubaki in a corner, ducking out of the way of Urasuae's flying head. Sesshomaru glared disdainfully at the blood spattered on his white button-up Oxford. He leveled a glare at Kouga.
"Eh, sorry?" the ookami said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
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InuYasha's eyes widened in horror as Kagome took another step forward, raising the wicked-looking dagger higher and higher.
"Please, Kagome! Don't do this!" InuYasha pleaded. He glanced again into her eyes, praying to the kami for a change.
'What was that--?'
Suddenly, she spun toward Naraku, plunging the blade into his jugular. Naraku screamed, falling back on the floor. Kagome collapsed, the extra bit of Naraku's magic that had been holding her up evaporating.
"InuYasha?" she gasped, struggling for air. The pain from those broken ribs was a bitch right now.
"I'm here," he said, dropping to his knees beside her. "Funny, you looked like you were gonna stab me for a moment."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Try fighting off mind control magics after you've been practically beaten to death. Let's see how you do."
"Keh," was InuYasha's eloquent response.
Kagome struggled to stand, clutching something in her right hand. InuYasha grabbed her by the waist to steady her. He pulled her so that she could rest her weight against his body, tucking her head under his chin.
"Which of those bastards did this to you?" he asked quietly, gently handling her broken arms. "I'm gonna slowly disembowel them and feed them their own guts!"
"Ew," Kagome said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Morbid much? Besides, does it really matter? We have more important things to take care of."
She opened her hand.
"The Shikon no Tama!" InuYasha breathed. Kagome nodded.
"You can control it?"
"My mother told me I can."
"Your mother?" InuYasha looked perplexed.
Kagome smiled gently. "Another story for another time. Right now, I need your help," she said, breathing heavily. "I can't do it alone."
InuYasha nodded determinedly. "What do you need me to do?"
"Just hold me up," she gasped through ragged breaths, raising her arms out before them.
Kagome and the Shikon no Tama began to glow.
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"Oh my word," Rin whispered in awe as she observed Kagome beginning to glow.
A pink bubble of glowing light had formed around the Shikon no Tama and began to expand, slowly swallowing Kagome, and then InuYasha, and began absorbing the room, inch by inch. They watched in awe as some of Kagome's more serious breaks on her arms and legs were healed.
Then they heard a cackling. Rin dug her fingers into her partner's sleeve in fear as she saw Naraku rise up off the floor. Kikyo had rejoined his side.
"Foolish miko!" Naraku snarled, his black aura snapping electrically around him. "You can't stop the inevitable! The Shikon no Tama is mine!"
"No," said an eerie disembodied voice. It was almost musical in its intonation. And it was coming from Kagome's lips. Her eyes opened, revealing completely silver orbs. "The Shikon is mine. You are a thief and a murderer. Your crimes number in the thousands. Your soul is tainted with every atrocious deed you have ever done."
The Slayers and Hunters stared in disbelief at Kagome. They knew Kagome was powerful, but the new levels she was currently radiating was close to 50 times her normal power! The demons in the room where flinching in pain that the proximity to her pure aura. InuYasha, however, seemed unaffected. It was if her power recognized him for who he was to Kagome.
"The Shikon can never be yours," the lyrical voice continued. "I am it's Keeper. I am the descendent of Midoriko. I am Balance, I am Power. You are the foolish one for ever thinking I or the Shikon could be controlled!"
"Uh-oh," Ayame muttered.
"Kags is pissed," Sango chimed in.
"Ooo, Naraku is in for it!" Rin laughed.
"You think they would learn that it's bad to try and control her. She hates that," Ayame quipped.
"Some people are too stupid to learn," Sango sighed.
Everyone shielded their eyes as Kagome and the jewel glowed brighter, pulsing with power. Suddenly, a beam shot out directly from the Shikon to Naraku, hitting him squarely in the chest, burning a hole. He howled in pain and rage, making an attempt to muster up more of his power to counter the attack. But it was no use. Naraku's power clashed with the light, but his was quickly being overpowered.
With InuYasha holding her tightly, Kagome took a deep breath and concentrated. There was a surge of pure energy that shot out of the jewel and traveled directly along the beam.
"Naraku, I banish you to the seventh level of hell!" Kagome commanded in the same musical voice.
The megalomaniac screamed and howled as the hole grew bigger and bigger, engulfing him whole.
Naraku was no more.
Kagome slumped instantly in InuYasha's arms, the light and power gone. She clutched the now dull Shikon weakly in her hand.
"You did it, wench," InuYasha whispered in her ear as he cradled her to his chest.
"Hmm, yay me," she mumbled sleepily, burrowing closer.
"ARRG!" Kikyo howled in rage.
Kagome, InuYasha and the others turned their attention to the cold miko. She was positively seething in anger.
"You," she growled, glaring at Kagome. "You will pay."
She lunged at Kagome, but was thwarted and thrown into a lab table by Sango, Ayame and Rin. Sesshomaru and Kouga were standing threateningly behind them.
"Don't even try, bitch," Ayame growled, twirling her chain.
"In fact, don't even think about it," Sango said, her katana trained on Kikyo.
"Yeah," Rin added, leveling her gun at the cold miko.
Kikyo realized she was trapped. With a sharp burst of her miko power, she knocked the three youkai aside and made a mad dash out the nearest lab door. Rin and Sango ran after her, but were thrown backwards by some mystical bomb Kikyo launched behind her. Once the smoke cleared, Rin ran to the door, glancing down the hallway.
"She's gone," Rin announced dejectedly.
"Oh well, she can't do much without Naraku now," Kagome said tiredly.
"How ya holding up?" InuYasha asked.
"I'll live. But I think I might sleep for the next two weeks."
"What should we do with them?" Kouga asked, thumbing in the direction of Tsubaki, Kagura and Kanna.
"Kanna promised me she would take me to Kohaku," Sango said, striding forward.
"We'll take Kagura and Tsubaki into custody," Rin said, training her gun on the two as Sesshomaru and Kouga grabbed each of them by their upper arms.
"We'll go with you," Kagome said.
"Kagome, you need to go to the Infirmary," InuYasha said worriedly.
"Psh, I can handle another hour or so."
Sango prodded Kanna. The void youkai nodded, walking toward an unmarked door in the back of the lab.
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Special thanks to reviewers: psycho_chick32, jin, Koigokoro_inu_kag, PrincessJaded, InuyashaCrazed908, yashkags4eva, narutoboy03, Brandy Jay, bearsammi2011, TiffanyM, AzureFlames, Yankeeluvr, beautifulyreal, FoxyLove, DesMM, BlueEyedWulf, pyscho-pyro-shrink, lovely123, and BoredGirl17.
Jin: Thanks for reviewing! Yes, Chapter 21 did go up pretty quickly, as promised. InuYasha is quite pissed, and I think he was able to get his own vengeance, don't you?
Brandy Jay: Wow, all week? That makes me blush! Thank you for such a kind and positive review! The girls are powerhouses because I absolutely hate when Kagome is made to be some weakling. Girls kick ass (says so on the T-shirt), lol.
A/N: *wipes brow* That was a huge relief to get done. Been worried about this chapter for a good long while. Only two chapters left! Anyone feeling sad yet? I know I am.
Thanks for reading! Please review! I love hearing your thoughts.
Lizzie