Fallen Souls 23/25 by Cassandra

[paxbanana]

Saigo no Yoake:



Inuyasha watched the sunrise, his back against the tree trunk where he sat several feet off the ground on a sturdy branch. The new moon. Her appearance was tonight. Which meant he would have to hide himself tonight, from the world, from Kagome. It was just one night anyway. Tomorrow, when he was back at full strength, he would resume his search for her.

Below him lay Miroku and Sango, curled up next to each other as they slept. Miroku was one to usually sleep sitting up, his staff clasped protectively, but over the passed few weeks he had been sore, healing his wounds slowly. Sang had clucked over him like a mother hen, angrily bashing him off the head when he made the wrong retort, which seemed to be often. Even now, as Inuyasha watched, Miroku?s twitching hand suddenly moved, creeping toward Sango?s rear which she mistakenly had facing him. He shook his head, already hearing the resounding slap and, sure enough, Sango awoke with a startled cry, whirling to face Miroku who pretended to sleep still.

?Hey!?

Miroku snapped awake, blinking, and he caught himself with a handful of Sango?s rear. ?Oh?my, how did that-?

Sango shrieked and smacked him a good one before he could even finish his sentence. ?You perverted monk!? she shouted at him as he instantly blocked another incoming blow.

?Is it my fault that you plague my dreams as well?? he demanded, a handprint reddening on his cheek. ?I can?t very well control myself while I sleep-?

?Don?t even think of using that as an excuse!?

?Well, I?m sure if the two of you didn?t wake up every living creature in a hundred mile radius then that slap did,? Inuyasha called down to them.

Miroku smiled and waved cheerfully with his handprint still visible.

Sango glared at the monk before quickly composing herself with a small, ?Ohayo.?

Inuyasha hopped down easily, readjusting Tetsusaiga at his side. Waiting rather impatiently, he looked about as Miroku and Sango began their daily ritual of waking up and getting ready. Kirara slept still and Sango lifted the feline into her arms as they set off to leave.

?So what is the plan today?? Miroku asked as they walked.

?The plan is for me to hide myself,? Inuyasha murmured and he motioned to the sky.

Miroku looked up and Sango elbowed him. ?The new moon,? she explained as they walked. And her expression became the slightest bit worried. Miroku stared at her for a moment, lips parting and then, silently, he bowed his head, walking on.

They spent the day that way, trudging in silence, with Inuyasha leading. He had no definite course in mind, no scent to lead him, nor had they stumbled across a place to stay the night for him to undergo his human transformation. The way the day was going, they would spend the night out in the wild and because he would lose his sense of heightened smell he would not be able to track down Kagome if she happened to let herself be sensed.

There?s a shard left. A single one. And Kohaku has it, embedded in his back. She?ll go for him, very soon, and I won?t be able to stop her from reuniting the Shikon no Tama. I won?t be able to-

And it was then that he caught the scent in the air, hanging in the forest. And he couldn?t believe it. He stiffened, coming to an immediate halt, and Sango ran into him from behind. ?Nani-?

Inuyasha sniffed once and then again, looking about, and he felt his heart freeze in place as he understood the scent, understood what it signified. ?I smell?Naraku.?

Sango?s jaw dropped open, Miroku instantly frowning. ?You smell-?

?Naraku,? Inuyasha nodded and he looked at them both.

?Which means,? Miroku trailed slowly, ?He?s going through his own period now.?

?Which means Kagome can sense him too if she couldn?t before,? Inuyasha added.

?Which means Naraku can?t protect Kohaku from her if she goes to take the last Shikon no kakera?? Sango whispered in a shaky tone. And she had paled, her hand automatically going for the bone boomerang at her back.

?We can?t fight today,? Miroku said and he sounded urgent, looking from the exterminator to the hanyou. ?We can?t,? he said again. ?If Inuyasha is human tonight, my wards won?t hold up against her, and your bone boomerang is torn apart again we?ll be easy to pick off. We can?t do this tonight-? And as Sango stared at him he broke off, his lips parted.

Inuyasha knew what she was thinking already. If it was a choice between Kohaku and herself, she?d choose Kohaku?s life, any day. She was ready to run in there blindly, throwing the bone boomerang, and she?d get herself killed in a moment against the power that was Kagome. She looked from Inuyasha to Miroku and she gave them a shaky smile, even though it was so obviously feigned that it saddened Inuyasha. ?This was my battle in the beginning anyway,? she whispered, her eyes sliding shut above her smile, her hand clutching the bone boomerang a bit too tightly. ?Kohaku is my responsibility, I never wanted this to fall on the both of you as well.?

Miroku stared at her, frowning. ?What are you-?

?We?re with you,? Inuyasha cut them both off, his jaw firm. ?We go in together or we don?t go at all. And the fact of the matter is that there?s a life at stake, not to mention hundreds upon thousands. If it happens to fall tonight, then we fight tonight. In whatever form, however prepared. But if we?re going to do this, we should do this earlier rather than later. Tonight there will be no stopping my own transformation so I?d prefer to do this before it gets that late.?

Miroku stood silently but after a moment he smiled faintly and bowed his head. ?Why does it feel like we won?t survive this?? he questioned quietly and beside him Sango had tears in her eyes, Kirara purring in her embrace.

?Because you always were a pessimist, stupid monk,? Inuyasha growled and he sniffed once more, lifting his head to the sky.

?Yes, I?m sure that was the reason??

Catching the scent once more, Inuyasha quietly began to lead, feeling the Tetsusaiga at his side. And even the weapon did nothing to comfort him.








Kagome opened her eyes, gazing up through the trees at the sunlight filtering through. And upon the breeze she caught the scent. The scent of the one she needed to find. The last Shikon no kakera. She rose slowly to a sitting position.

You sense it, do you not?

?I do,? she murmured and she stood up, the haori floating around her frame. ?Today will be a good day?? she questioned the voice as she began to move out under the brilliant sun.

Today will be the best day.







Inuyasha paused, his hand lifting as he sensed it. The barrier. Naraku always barred himself in and this time it would be of no help to him. And from outside the barrier he could already sense Kagome?s scent as well. Already inside. All ready for battle. ?She?s inside?? he murmured.

Taking hold of the Tetsusaiga, he unsheathed the blade, feeling the coursing power that transformed it into the fang. And then, as he inhaled deeply into himself, the blade became burning red, crimson. Behind him Sango and Miroku backed away, Kirara dropping to the ground and growing to his lengthy size.

Afternoon, almost evening.

With a growl Inuyasha tore into the barrier, bringing it into plain view as the blade ripped it open. Electricity crackled loudly, the barrier charged with energy and Inuyasha applied more strength, forcing his way in. And with one powerful swipe of the blade the barrier disintegrated, breaking apart and vanishing into the air.

?If the barrier was still up, how did Kagome get in?? Sango asked quietly.

Miroku was not happy. ?I have a feeling that Kagome easily bypassed it as if it had not even been there. I would also be inclined to believe that Naraku does not know she?s even inside. Especially if he?s going through his own transformation.?

If that wasn?t the scariest thing, Inuyasha reflected. With his hand clenched around the hilt of the Tetsusaiga he led on, sniffing his way.

And it was not long before he came across the small castle that Naraku had reinvented for himself. He looked about, sensing evil, sensing magic everywhere, but the owners of that evil were nowhere to be seen. Winds were circulating though, angry winds, and he looked in the direction the winds came from, gazing off into the distance.

?Anyone else think Kagura is having a bit too much fun with the wind?? Inuyasha murmured and he turned in the direction of the assaulting winds, forcing his way as the winds strengthened.

?Have they started fighting already?? Sango asked, her face paling.

Inuyasha did not reply, winding around several small buildings, his feet kicking up dirt, and the wind tossed the dirt around as they trudged on. He was having a bad feeling about all of this, and he wondered again if he would be dead before the new moon even claimed his demon half. Behind him Kirara growled faintly and he understood. Nothing good would come of this.

Climbing up a hill the winds were suddenly at a peak and the group hesitated at the top, overlooking a large expanse of dead dirt and grass. Inuyasha knew then, as he gazed down upon Kagome where she floated lazily in the air, the haori billowing around her frame. He knew as his eyes shifted over to Naraku, clothed in his furs, his limbs nothing but reaching, coiling, tendrils of flesh, his eyes angry. And he knew just from the vanishing afternoon.

The battle would be held here. And it would be a long one.



To be continued...

[*romaticallysurrendered*]

i want to cry!!! i still dont see a difference...oh no! shes going to die after she finishes the shiko no tama...oh i dont see life getting ne worse wait yes it is... dont think nething of this im just a huge drama queen adn ur storie has me caught up in it!

*alora*

[takisha16]

OMG!
Inuyasha cannot battle in his human form, I am most seriously worried!
I hope Sango does not go all crazy and try to save Kohaku alone!
Kagome has to beat that evil force within her, or they are seriously doomed!