Re-Emergence II: Naraku’s Revenge

Chapter 19: The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha. I own the original characters.

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Inuyasha staggered to his feet sometime after the demons had retreated. He looked around in despair. There wasn’t a living soul left in sight. He took a step forward and pain shot through his entire body. He clutched his side and felt blood oozing from fresh wounds.

“I can’t smell the blood,” he said as he raised his hand. “Ugh!” he gasped when he saw his hand was still a human hand. The young man frantically felt for his ears only to find that they were gone. The night of the new moon had yet to pass completely and his full strength hadn’t returned. ‘I have to find Kagome,’ he thought determinedly and kept on walking. Thoughts of Kagome numbed the pain a little and he was able to find the spot he had last seen her. “Kagome!” he called out hoarsely. He took a few more steps when he failed to receive a response and stepped on something that felt like cloth. The young man knelt down and picked up the cloth he had stepped on.

“Kagome’s skirt!” he exclaimed after inspecting it closely. He crawled on the ground, looking for more traces of Kagome. He stopped when he saw a bloody body lying in front of him in the dim light. He smelled Kagome’s blood all over the place as his Hanyou sense of smell was returning. He turned the body over and let out a strangled cry. He had found a friend all right, but it wasn’t Kagome. “Kurai!” he said, shocked. Her skin was pale and she was covered in blood. It smelled like a mixture of Kagome’s blood as well as her own. “Someone has to be alive! SOMEONE!” he cried.

“Inu...ya...sha,” came a quiet voice. Inuyasha placed Kurai down and looked around. He saw a shape moving towards him.

“Who’s there?” he called.

“Onii-san... Help me...please,” the person said and fell over.

“Kari!” the young man yelled and ran to where he had seen her fall. He scooped her small and broken body into his gentle embrace.

“Onii-san, thank you,” Kari murmured.

“Kari, what happened?” demanded Inuyasha.

“Hi...Hiten killed Miro...ku.” she managed to say before coughing up blood. Inuyasha smiled sympathetically at her and wiped the blood from her mouth.

“I’m really sorry Kari. I know how much you loved him... And how much he loved you,” he told her.

“Nii-chan, will you promise me something..?” Kari asked hesitantly.

“Anything for my little sister,” nodded Inuyasha.

“Don’t forget me, please?” she asked, coughing again. Inuyasha looked at her, horrified.

“No, you can’t leave me too Kari!” he cried. Kari grabbed his hand and held it as tight as she could.

“We will,” she started and coughed up more blood. “We will meet again, Nii-chan,” she managed to say and smiled.

“No, don’t talk like that. You’ll be okay if we can find you help! If you die then Naraku really has won!” cried Inuyasha.

“You still have it... I love you Inuyasha-onii-san,” Kari mumbled softly and closed her eyes. Inuyasha closed his eyes in an attempt to stop his tears from flowing as he hugged Kari’s now lifeless body close. Around his neck hung the locket she had given him. He took it off just as he turned back to a Hanyou. He set Kari down and turned around to face Sesshoumaru. Blood trickled down Inuyasha’s chest from the fresh wound he had received from his older brother.

“Make sure this gets returned to her family, Brother,” the Hanyou instructed. He forced Sesshoumaru’s sword from his body and clutched the wound.

“I will, Brother,” Sesshoumaru agreed and took the locket. Inuyasha half smirked at him before crumpling to the ground on top of Kari. Sesshoumaru looked on kind of sadly. He had finally killed his brother but his victory didn’t satisfy him. He had seen all of the people he had fought against in the Feudal Era lying dead. Miroku had been vicious dismembered, Shippou had been mauled by wolves much like Rin, Kurai and Kikyou had their souls taken, Kagome had been struck through the heart with an arrow, Sango had been strangled, Shinwa had been stabbed like Inuyasha, and Kari had bled to death. He was the lone survivor and for some odd reason he felt the need to avenge their deaths, even Inuyasha’s. “Naraku, one day you will pay for everything you have done!” he exclaimed loudly. Sesshoumaru turned and walked away from Naraku’s castle as the sun started to fully rise, sending its rays over the bodies of the fallen warriors.