AN: This is the dreaded chapter 35. You know how many times I rewrote this chapter? SIX TIMES! If you don't love it, I might hide in bed and cry.
So review me lots!
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DnC4ever: Me too, honestly. But think of it this way; when I finish this story, I get to start another! Just wait to see what I have in store next ;)
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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and I make no money off this story.
November 17: 10:49PM
Sango was so full if it, it took everything in Miroku's power not to burst out in awkward laughter. Inuyasha and Kagome sent to kill Naraku? Hah. Good one. Like that had been planned at all. If that even had been raised as a possibility, Sesshomaru would have damned his little brother and Souta to hell and just locked all of them up.
But he couldn't help but be impressed with his mate, even though he wasn't exactly sure yet what her endgame was.
"That's impossible." Kikyo snarled, sounding just on the edge of panic. "Sesshomaru would never allow it. If Naraku dies, so does Kagura."
Miroku exchanged another glance with Sango, wondering what she would come up with now, before her gaze slid away from him, looking like she was in no hurry to separate Kikyo's head from her neck. "You know about Naraku and Kagura?" Miroku asked, unable to help himself.
Kikyo rolled her eyes. "Who the hell do you think came up with the idea of Naraku mating Kagura? Him? Hah. That idiot could barely plan a revolution. Do you really think he could outsmart Sesshomaru?"
"Then you must know about Tenseiga." Sango stepped in smoothly. "With your reappearance, Sesshomaru has decided to use it to resurrect Kagura. He sent Kagome and Inuyasha to kill Naraku so he can bring Kagura back before her last breath has even left her body."
Even though his heart was breaking, Miroku couldn't help but marvel at Sango. The woman was a gifted liar and a damned good strategist. If they could actually convince Kikyo that the jewel was about to become worthless, maybe she would give up.
He just hoped Inuyasha and Kagome were ok, wherever they were.
"You're lying." Kikyo accurately guessed, but lacked the conviction to really believe it. "Sesshomaru would never risk his mate. Not for anything."
"It's not a risk if it's been proven." Sango pointed out. "How else do you think Mrs. Higurashi is alive right now?"
Kikyo jerked in shock. "She's alive?"
Sango nodded once, not elaborating with further detail.
"Face it, Kikyo." Miroku broke in. "It's all over. All your plans will die with Naraku. Without him, there's no jewel. You've lost."
Kirara mewed in agreement, her tails twitching.
Kikyo's nails dug into Souta, hardly noticing when he winced. "You can't know that she'll actually manage to kill him." She shot back, her mind working rapidly. Trying to come up with back up plans and emergency plans, just in case Naraku actually did die.
Sango's cocky expression didn't change. "Didn't you manage to look at Kagome's mark at all? She's of Midoriko's and Naraku's line."
Kikyo went pale. "But...that means Midoriko was pregnant with Naraku's child. She was his real mate?"
"I have to point out to Kagura later that Kikyo realized it sooner than she did." Miroku muttered under his breath.
"And what better assassin then someone from his own line? It's the perfect ambush." Sango continued. "He'll never expect his death at the hands of his own descendant."
"No, Kagome could never kill. She's too soft." Kikyo protested, still grasping at straws.
"That's why Inuyasha followed her to ensure it." Miroku explained without hesitation. "He's got plenty of reasons to want Naraku dead. If Kagome hesitates, he won't."
"This isn't happening." Kikyo breathed, looking like she was about to hyperventilate. "This isn't happening."
"Yes it is." Sango pointed out happily. "It's happening. We've won, you lost. Give us the boy and give up now. Things will go easier for you if you do."
"I'm supposed to make my death easy for you?" Kikyo snarled.
"It would be nice." Sango agreed.
All emotion wiped suddenly from Kikyo's face. She cradled Souta to her, running a hand down his back soothingly. "Naraku's going to die today. All of my plans are ruined." She sounded strange. Much too calm about the ruination of over 500 years of work and preparation.
"Yes." Miroku said gently, trying not to spook her now. "It's all over now, Kikyo. Just surrender peacefully. For Souta's sake."
"'For Souta's sake.'" She repeated. She sighed, still stroking his back. "But what about Kaede?"
Souta finally looked up at her, letting her hand rest on his hand. "I think your sister would just want you to be happy, Dr. Saito."
A small smile touched Kikyo's lips that sent shivers down Miroku's spine. Even Sango looked a little nervous, as her hand inched back to her sword's hilt. "You're right, Souta. And do you know what would make me happy?"
Abruptly, she spun him around, shoving him hard against the jewel case. "Ruining everyone elses plans as well." She hissed, before dragging a blade down the length of his arm.
Souta's blood sprayed across the glass, sizzling in streaks that dripped down the surface of the case. Ignoring his cry, Kikyo sprang for her bag on the floor, her power already pooling in her palms.
"Miroku, get Souta!" Sango ordered, drawing her sword as Kirara morphed into her giant form, snarling next to her mistress. "You can leave Kikyo to me."
Kikyo smirked, coils of red power wrapping up around her arms, across her shoulders and her neck. "I've been waiting over 500 years for another chance at you, Sango. I won't miss this time." She drew her hands back, a red, glowing bow and arrow made from her power appearing between them.
Sango shook her head, "Still hiding behind your power. You couldn't come up with a new plan for that?" She sounded bored as she vaulted over a turned over jewel case, darting out of Kikyo's aim.
Miroku sprang for Souta, the boy still slumped across the display case. His blood ate away at the glass, huge cracks splintering the surface while symbols glowed along the bottom, pulsing brightly. He pulled Souta into the crook of his arm, the boy's head falling back, his face deathly white. Souta was hardly aware of anything around him, on the verge of passing out. Leaning him against his body, Miroku dug into his bag, ignoring the prayer beads in favor of the blood pouring out of Souta.
Kikyo let her arrow loose, four more following in quick succession. They bounced harmlessly off display cases, nowhere near Sango.
Kikyo frowned, "You're faster now." She let her bow and arrow dissipate, reaching into her bag. "I'll just have to slow you down then."
"Putting off the inevitable?" Sango taunted.
Kikyo's gaze cut to the jewel case, smoke pouring out from the top of it. Another line cracked down the glass, stretching from side to side. "Just buying time."
She threw up a barrier when Sango would have rushed her, red ripples floating through the air. She kept her other hand buried deep in her bag, fumbling around inside.
Miroku wrapped ofadu's tight around the gaping wound running down the length of Souta's arm, trying to keep an eye on Kikyo at the same time. Gone was the well prepared, in-control woman from the hospital. This Kikyo looked like she was teetering on the edge of her sanity in her high heels. A quick, whispered word and the paper spell tightened around Souta's skin, creating an unbreakable bandage that would knit his flesh back together.
"Kirara." He whispered, trying to get the big cat's attention. "Bring Souta out to the hall. He needs to be protected."
Sango's cat only huffed at him, not thinking much of his request.
"Go Kirara." Sango allowed. "I've got this." She dodged another of Kikyo's arrows, stepping close enough to Kikyo's barrier that she could have reached out and touched it.
Kirara's head dropped in disappointment, but she followed her mistress's orders and delicately took the back of Souta's shirt between her teeth.
"Wait Kirara, let me." Miroku picked Souta back up, not wanting to let the cat stress his wounds by dragging him across the ground. Kirara rumbled a bit, but let Miroku carefully lift Souta up, keeping a close eye on both of them.
Once Souta was safe, he had to come to a decision. To use the prayer beads and lose Sango. Or keep his promise, and lose her anyway.
Both were betrayals of a kind. But at least she would be alive at the end of one.
Miroku quickly set Souta down outside the jewel room, Kirara curling herself around him. The boy rested bonelessly against a column, Miroku's spell at work repairing the damage to his arm. He would be fine. Now it was time to say the same for Sango.
Black smoke hung across the top of the jewel room's ceiling when he went back in, muffling the florescent lights. Kikyo's barrier engulfed her in a red sinister dome, one hand still in her bag while she volleyed shots at Sango with the other.
His mate snarled, her fangs dipping over her lip. "We're not getting anywhere. Come out and face me, damn it!"
"Just a little more time." Kikyo muttered, eyeing the rapidly-cracking jewel case again. She increased her barrier by the tiniest bit, inching it further towards the case.
The jewel case was half lit up by something, and half destroyed because of Souta's blood. The seal crackled away, growing so loud Miroku was half tempted to clamp his hands over his ears to block the noise. It didn't look like it would last much longer...
"500 years." Kikyo gritted, nearly scoring a hit on Sango. "I will not let 500 years of effort be wasted." She glared at the jewel case, her barrier beginning to lap over it.
Realization hit him hard.
And his decision was made.
Snatching his staff up, he mumbled a spell under his breath, not wanting to distract Sango while she leapt and dove from Kikyo's attacks. The rings on his staff jingled merrily as he drew his staff over his shoulder, and swung.
The barrier shattered, bits of red falling to the ground.
"Sango, the jewel! Get the jewel!" Miroku shouted, praying she would listen to him for once.
"No!" Kikyo screeched, finally yanking her hand out of her bag. "I'll kill them all before they can even get near Naraku."
Miroku threw himself at Kikyo, tackling her to the ground. She quickly tried to roll over, her hands hitting just above his ears sharply. His head spun, nausea hitting him hard. He kept moving though, grabbing her wrists.
"I'll kill your friends like you've just killed my last chance." Kikyo's eyes were mad and bright, her arms twisting against his grip. "Kaede!" She sobbed out. "You won't get away with letting her die again! I'll destroy the jewel first!"
And kill Kagura as well, since Sango's lie had worked a little too well. He could only imagine what Sesshomaru would do. They couldn't let Kikyo get ahold of that jewel. "Sango!"
"The jewel is still locked away." Sango snapped, hovering over his shoulder. "Get out of the way so I can kill her!"
"She'll kill Kagome and Inuyasha!" Miroku winced when Kikyo reared up and bit him, her teeth sinking deep. "Sango, get the-"
The crackling fizzed to silence, the sudden quiet stopping everyone in surprise.
Miroku jerked his gaze over to the case, the entire glass surface covered in deep cracks. The case began to shake violently, as a single drop of Souta's blood slipped through a fissure.
Then the world went white and hot and loud.
The explosion sent Miroku spinning off of Kikyo. He crashed into a display case painfully, his ears ringing and spots dancing in front of his eyes. Somehow he still clutched his staff, his bag wrapped tight around him. The lights flickered on and off above him, dimmed by fumes and dust.
On shaking hands, he propped himself up, waiting for some of the smoke to clear.
The glass surrounding the display case was gone. The pieces of jasper shone even under the dim light, untouched and undisturbed.
Midoriko's spell was broken. The jewel laid there, waiting for the person fast enough to claim it.
"Sango?" He couldn't see her. Miroku coughed, his chest strangely hurting. Like an aching throb that burned and pricked at him. He let himself rest for a moment against the case, trying to catch his breath. "Sango, the jewel-"
"Not a chance." Kikyo's voice broke through the smoke. "The jewel is mine."
"And your head is mine." Sango snarled from somewhere, Miroku still not sure where she was.
"You talk a big game, but here I am, still alive." Kikyo taunted.
"Not for long." Sango muttered, close enough now that it sounded like she was right next to him. "Miroku-"
Miroku jerked, finding Sango literally right next to him. Her forehead was bleeding, and she had a long scrape down her bare arm, but she didn't seem injured otherwise. "You alright?" she asked.
He nodded, proving that she wasn't the only good liar.
"Good. I'm going for Kikyo, you go for the jewel." She assigned jobs quickly, her eyes scanning the jewel room. "Ready?"
"Let's go." Miroku ignored the ache in his side, the rolling in his stomach and his inability to stand up just yet. "There she is!"
Kikyo had been blasted to the far corner of the room. She sprinted towards the jewel case, heels off, weaving in and out of smoke. Power drew glowing circles on her skin, less like decoration and more like armor. Her purse strap was wrapped around one wrist, the bag swinging as she ran.
"Got you now." Sango murmured, and was gone, disappearing into the smoke.
Miroku lightly touched the prayer beads resting in his pocket. He couldn't use them, not when there was so much on the line.
But maybe after...
Miroku stayed still against the display case, looking weaker than he claimed to be. A tiny, miniscule part of her urged to look over him, to make sure he really was alright.
The larger, smarter part made sure she got her ass up, taking her mate at his word. She had to take Kikyo down. That would be the only way to make sure he really would be alright.
And then she could scream at him some more for his stupid ideas and bad judgement in revealing revelations. Jerk.
"Where are you, Sango?" Kikyo sing-songed, "Because here I am, still alive. Despite all your promises and vows otherwise."
Kikyo had a point for once; Sango was talking too much instead of delivering. The smoke from the explosion made her eyes water, but she could see a wavery vision of Kikyo, just a few steps ahead of her.
No promises this time.
Sango drew her sword, the rasp of metal on metal jarring in the silence of the jewel room. She slung the blade over her shoulder, her focus firmly on the white line of Kikyo's neck.
Finally. It would be over. Sango braced herself, and swung.
Kikyo abruptly turned around, flinging glass shards from a broken display case at Sango's face. She jerked back, just barely saving her eyes, the glass grazing her cheek and neck instead.
"Since Kagome's not here, I'll cut up your pretty face instead." Kikyo hissed. "Everything I would have done to her, I'll do to you. Do you still want to protect her?"
Sango used her saved eyes to roll them, not impressed. "You would have bored her to death?" She tightened her grip on her sword, more worried about the crazed look on Kikyo's face than her threat. "I think she'll thank me from sparing her from this."
She darted out of the way when Kikyo tossed a bolt of power towards her, circling around her quickly. Kikyo had only one fistful of glass shards. This time, Sango would-
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Kikyo's bag shook violently, the buzzing noise only growing louder.
"I would have killed her." Kikyo explained harshly. "But I'll settle for all of you instead."
Kikyo jerked her bag open, a huge, black mass swarming out of it.
"Fuck." Sango muttered, dropping to the ground. Hell wasps. It had been a while since she'd faced them.
Their ugly black and purple bodies circled the air just under the smoke, beady red eyes watching the ground for movement. There wasn't enough room for Sango to stand. At least Kikyo would be forced to crawl too. It would slow her down just as much.
She risked a glance back at Miroku, wishing she could warn him not to let one bite him. As a demon, she might be safe from a sting or two, but a single one could kill him. He still rested against the display case, his gaze a little more alert than it had been. She lowered her eyesight to the floor, hoping he would understand. She only had one shot at this.
Sango eased to her stomach, carefully reaching into one of the pouches that lined the belt Kagura had gifted her with. She counted three hard balls, with just the slightest indent on top.
Perfect.
Sango pressed down on the button and threw the ball at the hell wasps.
The orb burst open, green mist pouring out in all directions. Hell wasps started raining down, littering the floor while their paralyzed bodies twitched.
"Don't let the stingers touch your bare skin!" Sango shouted towards Miroku, jumping to her feet. She could see Kikyo's red glow ahead, her power vaporizing the insects as they fell.
"But Sango, your shoulder-" Sango tuned out the rest of Miroku's yell, her skin already on fire from where the stingers brushed her skin. But it was fine. She had to keep Kikyo away from the jewel so Miroku had his chance.
She drew her sword again, aiming for the untouched skin between two rings of Kikyo's glowing power.
Kikyo suddenly screamed, sounding less like a woman and more like an animal. She whirled around, her arm coming up just as Sango's sword swung down.
The blade slid harmlessly off Kikyo's glow of power, the red coils acting like a shield.
She held her hands up like she was getting ready to punch Sango. "Bring it." She hissed. "You couldn't kill me then, and you damned well can't kill me now."
Sango's brow arched, "Now you want to fight when you have nothing to gain?" She had to ask.
"Well, now I've got nothing to lose." Kikyo hissed, her fist flying, the red glow almost crimson.
Sango pivoted, the burn of Kikyo's power uncomfortably close to her face. Logic wasn't getting anywhere with this maniac. Instead of giving up, Kikyo was only trying harder.
So there was only one thing left to do.
Sango avoided another hit, her sword bouncing off Kikyo's power again. "Too bad about your plans failing miserably. You've really let Kaede down."
Kikyo let out another frustrated scream, swinging a little more wildly. "Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about."
She was right; Sango had no idea what the hell was going through Kikyo's crazy brain. "And you were so close too. Too bad none of your 'plans' had any chance of actually succeeding."
Sango ducked when Kikyo's shriek shattered one of the remaining whole display cases left. "Maybe if you had accounted for Kagome Higurashi...but you still would have failed since she's been completely, and totally out of your control since even before she was born."
Sango finally sheathed her sword, deciding to go in for the kill. "Everything you worked for. Undone by a sixteen year old girl who didn't even know she was special before you interrupted her life." Sango met Kikyo's wild eyes and took a calculated guess. "I bet Kagome could have saved Kaede."
One moment Kikyo was there...and the next she had her hands wrapped around Sango's throat, power blazing through her skin at full force. "It wasn't my fault!" Kikyo roared, shaking Sango. "I tried to save her, I did everything I could then and I'm trying even harder now!"
Sango was only half listening, less than impressed at Kikyo's sob story...and more amazed that her power was just barely burning her. It was more of a bad sunburn then any kind of strike worthy of taking a demon out.
"Kaede was an innocent." Kikyo sobbed. "She shouldn't even have been there. The jewel was supposed to help me bring her back! Or at least it would have before you, and that bitch Kagome and that fool Inuyasha and that..." Kikyo trailed off, "...that person over there." She wasn't sure what Miroku had done to her, or even what his name really was.
Sango watched Kikyo's power fade from around her ribs, the majority concentrating on her palms. Kikyo didn't seem to notice Sango's skin wasn't melting away from her neck. "I. Will. Have. My. Revenge for what you're about to take away from me." She hissed, pushing her face into Sango's.
If logic wouldn't work on Kikyo...goading her into insane stupidity might.
Her eyes were nearly crazed with hate and frustration and ignorance at her fatal mistake. With that, Sango drove her claws into her weakly protected stomach.
Kikyo jerked herself away, one hand pressing hard over her wound. Her fingers came away bloody.
"It won't be that easy." Kikyo jerked her shirt up, throwing her ruined jacket on the ground. A neat row of tiny daggers lined the waist of her skirt, glinting under the dim light.
Sango scoffed. "Not to sound like a guy, but," She slowly drew her sword out of her sheath. "-mine's bigger."
Kikyo tossed one, scoring a perfect hit on Sango's arm. She barely felt a twinge. This was what she had left? Killing her was about to become pathetically easy.
"Sango?" Miroku called out, sounding closer to them.
Sango refused to acknowledge the faint kernel of relief that popped up in her chest. "I'm good. Get the jewel."
It was time to finish this. Finally.
Moving fast, Sango shoved Kikyo to the ground, jumping on top of her. She straddled Kikyo's legs, watching her blood begin to pool in her stomach. She ignored the faint burn of Kikyo's power, growing dimmer as she watched her enemy one last time.
Sango let Kikyo grab one of her pathetic little daggers, knowing from this angle she could only score a hit on her shoulder, but leaving her neck nicely open for Sango's own attack. Miroku was up and moving, needing only a little more time.
Let Kikyo do her worse. She was as good at that as she was accomplishing her plans.
Kikyo hand flew up, the blade burying itself right into the spot Sango left open. Sango kept her sword to Kikyo's side, deciding to let her claws do the work for her.
Pain bloomed in Sango's shoulder, the burn quickly spreading. The rest of her body went numb, locked in place. She was hot and cold and aching and stinging. She couldn't sweep her claws down to rake Kikyo's throat, or plunge her hand into her chest to take her heart. That wasn't just a stab wound.
Kikyo smirked from under her, the mini dagger still clutched in her hand. "You might not be affected by my power, but it's nice to see you're not invincible to poison. And ego."
Roughly, she pushed Sango off her, letting her fall to her back next to her. She leaned in close, still grinning. "I told you I was going to get you this time." Kikyo placed a hand over her stomach, her power working to close the wound Sango had left.
Sango's comeback strangled in her throat, leaving her choking out noises like a dying animal. Kikyo only stood up, her grace and composure back. "Better hurry if you want to say your goodbyes." She suggested to Miroku.
"Sango!"
Sango couldn't watch Miroku run to her, her neck frozen and stiff. She could only stare up at the flickering lights, vaguely aware her body was shaking, her teeth clattering.
He fell next to her, sliding his arms around her to cradle her to his body. He pressed his palm to the stab wound, muttering words under his breath. Green light flashed, but the numbing cold heat only spread further.
"Sango, I don't know what she's used." Miroku looked frantically through his bag, tossing out ofadu's and crumbling others in his haste. "I don't know how to fix you."
He couldn't. But when she tried to tell him that, the words only came out as convoluted moans.
"You can't." Kikyo said for her, her words sounding faint. "The poison that coated that dagger is my own creation."
"Give me the antidote!" Miroku demanded.
"Who says there is one?" Kikyo asked lazily.
Miroku held her tighter, her head fitting into the crook of his shoulder. She could watch Kikyo move towards the jewel, hardly sparing them any attention.
"Because there has to be one." Miroku sounded desperate, not making any sense. "Save Sango, I'll give you anything you want, any favor you demand."
Kikyo laughed, the sound bitter and hollow. "I can never have what I really want, thanks to your precious friends. Without Naraku and the jewel I have no purpose, my plans have no meaning. But at least once I destroy the jewel, neither will any of you."
Sango's vision was going hazy. She couldn't feel Miroku's warmth on her body, the brush of his breath against her face. He clutched her to him, but she wasn't aware of his arms around her. She was dying. Thanks to her own arrogance, she had failed.
A small part of her wanted to mourn her unfinished duty, to curse Kikyo's spite and bitterness. Most of her wanted to feel shame for the deaths she couldn't prevent.
But a larger, foolish part of her just wanted to see Miroku's face one last time.
"Sango, Inuyasha and Kagome will die for this. I'm sorry I couldn't bring you back, Kaede." Kikyo's murmur carried through the jewel room.
Sango could just barely see a blurry vision of Kikyo's raising her arm above her head, red swirling above her. "I'll still have my revenge!"
"But what if you could still have Kaede?"
Sango tried to blink away some of the fuzziness from her eyes, wanting to see Kikyo's reaction to Miroku's bold statement. She could only see a blurry blob, frozen in place.
"...what did you say?" Kikyo breathed.
"If you let Sango, Kagome and Inuyasha live, I will help you get Kaede back." Miroku said calmly.
"Don't you dare mock me." Kikyo cried, "You can't just 'get her back', she's-"
"Dead." Miroku finished for her. "I know. I've studied you Kikyo, I know all about your sister and her death. But that's not all I've studied. I also know how to resurrect her."
"What are you saying?" Kikyo asked warily.
Sango was barely aware when he leaned forward, his fingers tangling into her hair. "If you save Sango and allow Kagome and Inuyasha to live...I'll die so you can get your sister back."
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