Chapter 16- Segare

The child's words had been deep, and the man had obviously contemplated them for some time. Kenshin never failed to check on the young miko and hanyou, and it was always he that went and retrieved firewood for the blaze. He stoked it and cared for it. Often it was he who would volunteer to go with Kouga, Ayame and Sesshoumaru to hunt; he would find herbs and spices whilst they hunted game ranging from small birds to deer.

Inuyasha's golden eyes remained clouded. They shimmered dully in the firelight, the spicy gold muted and shadowed to dark amber. His arms never left their hold on Kagome for long; it was as if he feared letting her go, feared that she might leave him for good if he could not be there with her.

"We have to find some way to get her to Kaede's, Miroku. It's the only way!" Sango murmured one night about four days later as they stared out into the pouring rain. It hadn't let up any; the lowlands were starting to flood from the drastic amount of water. He shook his head.

"It would be good if we could get her to Kaede-sama, yes, but Kagome is much too sick to be moved. It's most definitely a fatal decision if we make the wrong move, Sango, but I don't know how long she will hold on. She could die at any time. You and I both know that the fever is increasing each day, and those herbal remedies that you've been using have lost what little effect they had. Inuyasha knows it, too; that's why he can't leave her," he responded. He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. Her hands fisted in his kimono, and he could feel her slowly nod her head. She knew he was right. Things were desperate. If they couldn't get some relief soon, there might be trouble.

Out of the entire group, it was obviously Sesshoumaru who still was keeping his head the best. He was completely unconcerned with Kagome's condition, despite his knowing that she was quite possibly going to die. And why? Because he had every intention of using his Tenseiga if such a misfortune were to happen. He hated to admit it, but he had a certain… respect for his brother's mate. Having a ningen woman be completely unafraid of him, and threaten him at that, was a complete novelty; he couldn't help but feel that it would be such a waste if she died.

So here he sat, feeling slightly guilty as he once again noted the silvery-haired hanyou's unfocused gaze, waiting to see if the Tenseiga's powers were needed. He was fairly certain that using it now would be of no effect; beyond that, Inuyasha would probably have a fit despite the knowledge of the Sword that was relayed to him by his retainer, Myoga. The stench of sickness, though… it was radiating from them both. None of the humans could really tell, but the youkai found the smell quite offensive. Inuyasha was sick as well; not nearly as bad as Kagome, but it seemed he'd caught whatever she had. The only thing lessening the intensity being his youkai blood.

Rin curled further into him, sleeping heavily under the soft sedation of fiery heat that filled the cavern. He could smell fear on her, though. She was obviously having a nightmare. The child whimpered a bit in her sleep.

"Who…? No… not… Kohaku, please!… No, stay away!" she murmured fervently in her sleep. Suddenly, she awoke with a start and turned to look him fearfully in the eye. Something had scared her desperately. "He's coming…"

"Who is coming, Rin?"

"Him. The man who keeps Kohaku and controls the evil wind-Mistress!"

She was clearly referring to Kagura, though he didn't quite understand why she said Naraku was coming. As far as he knew, she had had no contact with him whatsoever.

That's when all the underworld broke loose.

In a sudden flurry, everything was in upheaval. Miroku and Sango rushed in, pushing a dripping Kenshin ahead of them, warning everyone that Kagura had come and Naraku was following. Kohaku was seen in the trees, and Kanna was riding on the Great Feather with the Wind Sorceress. Inuyasha seemed to finally become aware of his surroundings, but still feared to leave Kagome apparently. Kenshin, Shippou and Rin were quickly warned not to leave the Caves, and the two boys were commissioned with the ningen child's safety. The youkai, plus Sango and Miroku, quickly made their ways out of the cavern into clearing outside.

The rain had completely stopped, and not even a small zephyr of wind was to be found. It was if the air was stagnant water itself, suffocating them to death as they stood in wait for their enemies' approach. The winds from Kagura's landing were almost a relief. The clouds that hung like a thick black hide from the sky were tainted with the hue of blood. It was hardly a comfort.

Inuyasha stepped from the cavern, and the breeze seemed to blow away the smell of sickness from his body to where only the slightest hint remained. His clouded eyes stared blankly at her, as though she was of no importance to him. His courageous, if not brash, comments were sorely missed by his comrades; when was the last time they had entered battle with him at their side without them? It was noted that the fog cleared from his eyes, but he still made no comments.

"What's the matter Inuyasha? No bold statements of how you're going to try and send us to our graves?" Kagura asked, sneering slightly as she unfolded her fan in a single, deft motion. His golden eyes hardened, refusing to look at her.

"What? You like hearing yourself being pronounced a death sentence? I have no business with you; it's Naraku I'm after."

His friends were shocked. He blew her off? Just like that? Simply ignoring her comment and practically sending her on her way? Now they knew he was sick! His Tetsusaiga was drawn from the sheath quietly, it hue melting and blending to become one with the red from the power of the blood-crystal. They watched as Naraku emerged from the horizon, making his way to them slowly. He was going to enjoy killing Inuyasha for as long as he could. As always, he delighted in others' suffering. It seemed like ages passed before he finally arrived, Kagura still too shocked by the hanyou's words to react. It seemed that he was a completely different person from usual. As the evil youkai came closer, they could see Kanna and Kohaku at his side, and Miroku placed a comforting hand on Sango's shoulder when he saw her wilting at the sight of her puppet brother.

"What's the matter today, Inuyasha? Your beloved Kikyou not feeling well? Or is it the young reincarnation of hers that you fear for?" he asked snidely, a sneer quirking the corners of his mouth. "Why don't you attack me like you always do? I rather miss your fool-hearty battle cry."

Inuyasha did not respond.

"Father!"

A whirring noise met his ears, and suddenly, his eyes widened in pain. A kunai had embedded itself in his back, and he stumbled forward a bit. He heard his comrades call his name as he caught himself and turned to see who had thrown the weapon. Kenshin was standing at the mouth of the cave, looking at the silvery-haired teen on horror, while his birth father readied another knife. His clouded golden eyes stared at him in disdain and shock, these mixing with hurt to shine pathetically in his eyes. Miroku ran over to him, jerking the throwing knife from his back. At last, Inuyasha seemed to find his voice.

"Stay out of this. I will protect my family, and you will not interfere," he growled dangerously, his eyes suddenly regaining their vivacity, hardening with a deep resolve that was not to be broken. He righted himself, turning to face Naraku. "I don't know what deal you've struck with this man, but I can easily tell he's dead. I assume you brought him back with a Shikon shard, but Kagome couldn't sense it. I will not allow you to harm my comrades and family any longer. Get ready to burn, Naraku!"

The regaining of his strength proved to be his most deadly weapon; it was due to the deep love for his friends that he could find the strength at all. The battle began.

And it would be the Final Battle.

When he was knocked aside, he would attack again. His comrades combined their strengths to form new ones, new attacks; Kanna, Kagura, Kohaku and Kenshin's father did their best to distract Miroku, Sango and Kirara; they could do nothing to deter the youkai of the group. Each had an axe to grind, and they weren't about to let the Wind Mistress and Daughter of the Void get in their ways. Naraku was a tough opponent; Sesshoumaru's Tokijin was quickly destroyed, due to it's being made from an incarnation of his. Kouga and Ayame were wounded several times.

Inuyasha's strength was quickly flagging.

The hanyou dropped to a knee, his red-coated hand clutching an arm drenched in blood. His hair shone deep gray in the dark light, the silver locks stained with his blood and that of his enemy's. The Tetsusaiga was gripped limply in his claws as he stared at Naraku defiantly. With a last ditch effort, he charged at the youkai head-on, bringing back the Tetsusaiga and preparing to use his Wind Scar.

With a mighty effort, he sent the wind hurling towards Naraku's very heart. The youkai stared at it as though it were of no difference to him, and with a sweep of a tentacle, he sent it crashing away in a different direction.

The direction of the cave.

The last thought before Inuyasha collapsed, was of Kenshin standing in the threshold.

Segare… my son… I'm sorry… please be safe… save your mother for me.

AN: Yup, here it is! Well, the end is in sight, folks! So I hope you've enjoyed this story. There's only a handful more chapters left~ Please R&R and then go look at my website for more stuffs and goodies!