Evolution of a Taiyoukai

By Danyealle

(FanFiction/MF/angst/death)

Chapter 14

Instantly, weapons were drawn and everyone was ready to fight.  Sesshomaru stood directly in front of Kagome to protect her.  Ah-Un flanked her on one side and Kouga on the other with Ginta and Hakkaku behind her.  Standing in front of the whole pack was Inuyasha, sword drawn, crouched and waiting.  “Naraku, you bastard!”  He snarled loudly.

Not saying anything, the spider locked his gaze on what he could see of the miko behind the taiyoukai.  Backing away slightly, he kept his eyes on her then said to those assembled around him, “You have your orders, carry them out.”

Almost immediately, the attack began by not only those around Naraku but by demons that poured out of the woods surrounding them.  The battle was on…

Knowing how intense this was probably going to be and that there was probably no way he would be able to stay close to her and keep watch, Sesshomaru put her on the dragon and instructed the creature to take flight.  He hoped she would be safer above the battle and figured that her arrows would be more accurate and effective from the air.  It was the best he could do to ensure her safety because he was then under full attack from those under control of the spider.  He had another thought that he hoped she would be safe and the dragon could protect her then he began to unleash everything he had on those the spider was sending at him.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Standing back, away from the fighting, Naraku watched everything with a keen interest.  Though it looked like his attention was focused on the battle and what was happening, like any good general, his attention was really focused on the little miko circling above the battle on the dragon demon.  Kagome…

What he felt for Kikyo, the love and hate, seemed to be well known by those that hunted him.  That really didn’t bother him.  In fact he rather liked it because it gave him a bit of an advantage.  If they thought his whole fixation was on the dead bitch they wouldn’t consider that it was a duel fixation.  For him it was a two-pronged fixation.  Yes, Kikyo was one of them, that was obvious.  But Kagome was one as well.  He was well aware that she was the dead ones reincarnation so as far as he was concerned she was just the same being in a different body and equally deserving of his wrath.  Every time he looked at the little bitch he wanted to rip her apart.  Yes, most of it was to do with her being Kikyo’s reincarnation and her resemblance to the dead one but she was an annoying pain in the ass unto herself.  That alone was enough to make him despise her but considering how many times she had thwarted him and what he wanted to do, not to mention the time she almost killed him, he had a deep hatred for her that surpassed what he felt for Kikyo.  To him Kikyo was a weakness but Kagome was his biggest obstacle and being that she had to go as soon as possible.

This confrontation was a prime example of one of the reasons for that deep and abiding loathing.  It was suppose to have been an ambush on them but somehow or other they had found out he was close.  He was sure the stupid little bitch was responsible for that.  But that was fine; this reworked plan would do just as well.  Unlike what the pack may have thought the only purpose of this attack was to rid himself of the little miko once and for all.  And that plan was working well from what he saw.  They had fallen straight into the trap.

Seeing both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha fighting though everything in their path, making their way towards him, he knew it was time to put the final part into play.  Moving closer to the fighting, he put his barrier up and began to shoot his tentacles out at the fighters.   As he had planned, this got everyones attention and both the hanyou and taiyoukai focused more on him.  Perfect.  That’s when he became more focused on the two.  He had to push just the right buttons or it would all be for naught.  When they both began to attack his barrier a confident smirk crossed his face and a knowing twinkle came to his eyes.  Knowing what was coming next, he laughed.  The time had finally come at long last.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Snarling in frustration, Inuyasha unleashed the Windscar on Naraku’s barrier knowing it probably wouldn’t work.  The asshole’s barrier was far too strong anymore for it or the red tetsusaiga to break it.

Standing there, he watched it impact but, as he expected, the ground was torn up from the blast but the barrier remained undamaged.  Growling, he stepped back a bit and watched as Sesshomaru unleashed his attack.  As anticipated, it didn’t work either. 

Alright, the time had come, he thought to himself.  Glaring at Naraku, he snarled at the look on his face the gripped the pommel of the fang firmly in both hands.  “get back!”  he barked at Sesshomaru.  When he saw his half-brother step back a bit he then watched the blade become coated with a crystal-like substance.  Swinging it, he screamed, “Adamant Barrage!”  Then he watched the sharp shards begin to fly towards the arachnid.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Seeing Inuyasha’s blade change, Naraku knew what was coming and let out an evil bark of laughter.  Perfect!  Just what he had been expecting.  With blinding speed, one tentacle shot out towards where the miko was circling on the dragon and grabbed a hold of her.  Dragging her off the beast, he pulled her in front of him just as Inuyasha’s shards began to pelt his barrier.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Seeing that ugly, green tentacle head towards her at almost super sonic speed, Kagome lowered her bow slightly as suddenly that nightmare revealed it’s self to her completely.  Once more her grandmother’s voice made its self known.  “Kagome, it’s time.  Just let it happen the way it needs to.  It will turn out just fine.”

Tears of fear filled her eyes but she lowered her bow and shut her eyes.  Saying a short prayer that it would be fine just as she had been told, she didn’t fight as that slimy, disgusting appendage yanked her off the dragon and pulled her in front of the barrier just as the adamant shards began to pelt it.  Automatically, her arms flew in front of her face as her body was assaulted with the sharp, jagged projectiles.  Unable to help it or stop herself, she creamed in agony as they hit her body and felt like they were ripping it to shreds.  But, the more that hit her the less it seemed to hurt.  All the color in the world seemed to fade out and things grew a bit fuzzy around the edges.  She could hear all her friends screaming her name and a bellow of it coming from Sesshomaru.  In her now fuzzy thought process she thought that was strange because he never raised his voice.  But now things all seemed to be muffled and coming from far away, like she was hearing their voices from another room through the walls.

When the whole world no longer seemed to have any color left in it, everything was black and white like an old, fuzzy photograph, she felt exhausted, like she hadn’t slept in days.  It was becoming an actual effort to fight to keep her eyes open. She felt the tentacle that held her let loose.  Unable to do anything, her body felt like a limp rag that wouldn’t respond to her commands, she crumpled to the ground. 

Hitting the grass, she felt the blades prickle against her skin.  As she laid there it felt like a soft cushioning quilt with a wonderful smell that molded to her body and seemed to hold her as a gentle breeze blew across her, bringing with it a riot of smells her sluggish and now confused brain couldn’t interpret.  As a heavy, overwhelming exhaustion drug her down she could feel something heavy drop down beside her then something warm wrap around her that made deep snuffling sounds and hot puffs of air ruffle her hair.  Suddenly her exhaustion was so overwhelming that she could fight it off no more.  A small part of her brain screamed at her that she couldn’t do that, that she had to fight it off but she just didn’t have the energy.  She would figure out all these confusing things when she woke up she assured herself.  The last things she heard as the velvety blackness surrounded her and held her tightly was Naraku’s maniacal laugh.  Then she slid into the darkness’ embrace.

~~~~~@~~~~~

When he saw that tentacle grab hold of Kagome, Inuyasha felt his heart in his mouth and his bowels seemed to turn to water.  All he could do was watch helplessly as the arachnid held Kagome in front of him while she was torn apart by the strike he had unleashed.  Desperately, he tried to get to her but the spider’s minions made sure he couldn’t, attacking him with a ferocity they had never shown in the past. 

When the shower of jagged adamant died he screamed her name as loud as he could as he watched the hated spider drop her limp, bloody body and laugh.  A rage so powerful that he was sure it would unleash his demonic side enveloped him and he went on an attack of such ferocity no one, including himself had ever seen before.  He saw the dragon drop from the sky beside her and curl around her body to protect her but all he could now focus on was getting to the miko before something worse happened to her.

She had to be alright, he assured himself.  There was no way she would leave them.  Nor could any being as vile and evil as Naraku kill someone that was so good and pure as Kagome.  No way the dark could ever overcome the little miko’s light!  No way in hell!  Kagome just needed help was all, he assured himself as he went through everything in front of him trying desperately to get to her.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Like Inuyasha, the other members of his pack and Kouga’s tribe could do no more than watch as the little priestess was yanked in front of Naraku then become a human pincushion courtesy of Inuyasha’s strike.  In various places on the battlefield, they all did their damndest to get to her but it seemed that those they were fighting were doing everything in their power to make sure that wasn’t going to happen.  Yes, they were out for blood and would kill them if the opportunity presented its self but their mission seemed to be to keep everyone as far away from where the little miko was as possible. 

For each of her friends, their denial button flipped and they tried to convince themselves that everything was going to be fine and the little priestess would be OK.  Yes, she might be hurt but she would recover.  Sure, she might require a trip home to heal but, in the end, their miko would be just fine.  They just had to get to her is all.  Once that happened the tide would turn and it would all work out.

~~~~~@~~~~~

The only one on the field that didn’t have the luxury of denial was Sesshomaru.  Because of his mating bond with her he knew his little mate was far from alright.

Like Kagome, when Naraku’s appendage shot towards her all those nightmares he had came flooding back to him like some long lost horror from his past.  Snarling, he was about to unleash every attack he knew on Naraku until the spider pulled her in front of him then he stopped short.  Standing there, all he could do was watch as the only female he had ever loved be repeatedly hit by Inuyasha’s barrier breakers, screaming her name as loud as he could.  Unlike the rest, he could feel as every one of the adamant shards pierced her tender flesh.  When the assault was over and Naraku let her drop like a piece of trash it almost brought the mighty taiyoukai to his knees.  Of all the beings on the field, he was the one that knew she wasn’t OK, he could feel her slipping slowly away as her life drained out on the grass around her.

Letting out a howl of pure rage, his eyes bled red and he began to tear into everything in his path in a desperate attempt to get to her.  Though he was heartened a bit when Ah-Un dropped next to her and curled around her so she was protected from any more damage, he knew he had to get to her as fast as he could.  Already he could feel she was slipping from this realm to the next.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Too easy was Naraku’s thought.  Way too easy.  He had laid the trap and all of them had slipped into it by acting just how he knew they would.  How wonderful it felt to have a plan come together so perfectly!

But he was gloating too much.  Yes, he had earned that right but now wasn’t the time for it.  He could do that later, when he was back in his comfortable palace.  Then he could watch it all unfold through Kanna’s mirror.  Focusing on what was before him, he looked around to see what was going on.  Once more, as he anticipated, the focus of the group had shifted.  No longer were they riveted on him but on trying to get to Kagome.  But, in doing so, they had become far more determined and vicious.  If he let it continue then he would lose all his so-called troops.

Giving the signal to those he commanded, he surrounded himself with a dark, swirling cloud of his miasma and took to the skies.  He allowed himself the indulgence of one last look at the dead Kagome then let out a peel of dark maniacal laughter before he vanished over the horizon.  Such good times, he thought as he made his way back to his palace.  Nothing could be better!

~~~~~@~~~~~

Running at tops speed, Kikyo was desperate to get to the shard hunters.  She knew the time was close now and she had to warn them before it was too late!

Suddenly, she stopped cold, eyes widening, clutching her chest.  Legs giving out, she dropped to her knees on the forest floor and buried her face in her hands.  She was too late.  Feeling the purity of Kagome’s soul trying to rejoin the small piece that she held on to, her eyes welled up with tears.  Then there was a warm explosion and her reincarnations soul settled in her chest.  Tears spilling down her face, she put on hand over where her heart should be, she could feel all those wonderful feelings she had known in life.  Most of all she could feel the love Kagome felt for her friends and Sesshomaru.  Even when she had been alive she had never felt things so pure and intense.  It was at that moment she realized how much more her reincarnation was than she had been in life and death both.  Shutting her eyes, she sobbed softly as tears spilled down her face.  Yes, she was crying for Kagome but she was also crying for all the pain she had caused the little miko.  Until she had felt it she didn’t know how much torment and anguish she had been responsible for.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Unsure what to do, Kagome looked around at the colorless walls of the room she was standing in, confused.  Where was she?  How did she get here?  Those were just two of about a million questions that seemed to be crowded in her mind.  Turning around, she looked at the four walls, puzzlement growing.  Stopping, she huffed irritably and planted her fists on her hips.  Somebody needed to explain to her what was going on!

Then, behind her, she felt a gentle breeze ruffle her hair and the beautiful scent of a riot of flowers flowing gently around her.  Spinning around, she grinned when she saw an old, weathered, arched footbridge that led to the most luscious, beautiful flowering valley she had ever seen.  Standing on the other side was her grandmother, dressed in traditional clothes of a miko.  Squealing, Kagome took off across the bridge on a dead run then threw herself into the older woman’s arms.  Holding tightly on to her, she exclaimed, Grandma!”

Arms wrapped around her, the old woman hugged her close, patting her back gently.  “Kagome… I’m so proud of you dear!”

Brow creased, Kagome couldn’t figure out what she was talking about.  Proud of her?  What did she do to earn that praise?  She really couldn’t remember doing anything.

“You did everything just how you should have.”  The older woman told her, a smile on her face.

Totally confused, Kagome was about to ask her to explain when the whole thing flooded back to her.  Pulling away, both her hands flew up to cover her mouth, eyes widening.  Staring at her grandmother, she whispered out from behind her hands, “I’m dead.  I can’t be!  That isn’t possible!”

“You are.”  The older woman told her gently.  Putting a hand on her shoulder, she turned her around and pointed.

Where the bridge she had crossed was just moments before was a panoramic view from above of the battlefield.  Kagome could clearly see her body laying crumpled on the ground where she had fallen with Ah-Un curled around her, protecting her mortal shell the best he could. 

“No!”  She screamed, tears streaming down her face then she tried to take of towards the scene.

Grabbing her, the older woman enfolded her in her arms, rubbing her back.  “You can’t go back Kagome.”  She said quietly.

“No!  Sesshomaru!  I can’t leave him!  SESSHOMARU!”  She screamed, struggling to get free.