Chapter 55: Twilight’s Last Breath

Shippo sat quietly on the dark cloud Naraku was being carried on in the sky. He fiddled with his fingers. He was surprised Naraku hadn’t noticed his disguise but he was more thankful that he hadn’t.

Up in the distance where the miasma seemed to thin out, there was a castle. It looked like a normal castle, but Shippo sensed the tainted demonic energy coming from it. Once they got closer, they passed through a barrier and landed on the hard floor.

Naraku faced Shippo and smirked then grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards one of the doors leading into the castle. They passed by several doors until they reached the last one at the end of the hall. Naraku slid open the paper walled door and threw Shippo in the room, “I’ll be back in a while.” Naraku laughed then shut the door.

Shippo took a deep breath; the miasma wasn’t as strong inside than out. He focused on trying not to transform, he never was good at keeping his shape shift form for long. But this time it was a matter for life or death. Good thing his tail was hidden beneath the clothing he was wearing.

It was weird that Shippo transformed into Kagome, especially since she was pregnant. He didn’t know how to imitate a pregnant woman. All he knew by experience from watching Kagome was that they were moody and tired all the time, so that’s what he had to act as, tired and moody.

‘I hope they hurry. I don’t want Naraku to find out. I don’t think I can hold out much longer…’ Shippo thought to himself as he waited nervously.

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Inuyasha held Kagome’s hand while they were riding on Kirara. Kagome was lying back on Inuyasha with her head on his shoulder. He missed the smell of her hair and the softness of her skin. Though she was covered in the smell of blood and sweet, Inuyasha was happy to know that he was with her again.

Miroku ran on land and Sango rode on Kirara in the front.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked with her eyes still closed.

“Hmm?” he replied back.

“Where did you go? Was it me?” Her body was tense.

Inuyasha turned her head to look at her, “It wasn’t you, no. I went to gain strength and power. I’m stronger than I ever was before, and I know for a fact, I’m going to take down Naraku tonight. Make sure he doesn’t get the jewel shards.”

Kagome kissed him then looked down at the small bottle that hung around her neck, “What will you do with the jewel once it’s whole? Are you still going to use it to become a full demon?”

Sango and Miroku looked at each other and continued on listening to their conversation. Inuyasha signed and looked up, “No I don’t think I am. You made me realize that even though I’m a half demon, I’m still strong.”

Kagome smiled, “So what are we going to do with it then?”

“We’ll figure it out when the time comes.”

Up ahead they saw the castle, Inuyasha got off of Kirara and stood next to Miroku, “Looks like a strong barrier…” Miroku said and tapped his staff on the bubble object.

“Feh, a barrier is a barrier. I can take it down like it was made of paper,” Inuyasha smirked and pulled out his sword. With one slice he managed to break through the barrier. He threw his sword over his shoulder then turned around to face his friends, waiting for a compliment.

“Wow,” Sango said as if it wasn’t anything new to her and Kagome laughed at Sango’s response.

“Shut up!” Inuyasha shouted then pouted.

Miroku began to walk forward, “Well lets go, we can’t waste any more time.”

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Naraku opened the paper walled door leading himself into the room where he left Shippo. “Finally, I have waited for this day to come for so long.” He snickered as he got closer to Shippo.

Shippo remained on the ground, stiff as a board, not knowing what to do. But as if Naraku hadn’t even moved an inch, his face was close to his, staring into his eyes.

Shippo pulled back and tried to make a quick get-away. But Naraku cornered him in the room, “Why are you in a hurry, Kagome?” He said darkly.

At this point, Shippo let his fear take over him and couldn’t hold up his appearance any longer, and so he changed back into the fox demon that Naraku quickly recognized. Naraku gritted his teeth, “You idiot! How did I fail to see this?” He flared with rage.

Just ask Naraku was about to stab Shippo, who was hunched over in the corner of the room, Inuyasha kicked down the door and swiped his sword causing the Wind Scar to fly over Naraku.

Naraku’s left side of him was cut off but he laughed and reshaped himself out of other demon parts. “Inuyasha, you know better not to test with my patience…” Naraku said slyly.

“Feh. I’m not about to let you do any more of your damn nonsense to this world,” Inuyasha put his sword in from of him ready for battle. But before Naraku could respond to him, Inuyasha was behind him and stabbed Naraku in the back then his whole body turned into stone.

“Wow, Inuyasha where did you learn that?” Miroku awed.

“Heh. This is one of the new techniques I gained from when I was in training.” He walked over to where Kagome was standing. She stood there still as if she was frozen, unable to move.

‘No… Please, just a little while longer. I need to finish my business. Please oh Kami, please…’

With a gasp of air, Kagome looked around to find everyone looking at her as if she grew a leg in the middle of her forehead. “Kagome?” Inuyasha asked.

“Yes?” she replied the walked over to look at the stoned Naraku.

“It was as if you blacked out for a moment,” Sango said.

Kagome continued to look at Naraku. Something about him looked like he wasn’t dead yet. The right wasn’t over. She reached over to touch his chest. She sensed the remaining Jewel shards where his heart was supposed to be and she put her hand and the area around his chest began to melt as she reached in and grabbed the jewel shards.

As she pulled it out she turned around to face her friends, then she pulled out the small bottle hanging from her neck and poured the jewel into her palm. Then finally, after all the suffering, and all the waiting, she forged the shards into the jewel. And the jewel was now complete.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha who was a few feet away from her. Then she looked up at Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. And she smiled with the brightest look in her eye and then a blood shot scream broke her smile.

“KAGOME!” Inuyasha yelled as he leapt forward at her.

Kagome turned around abruptly and before she can move out of the way Naraku stabbed her in the stomach. She dropped to the floor and dropped the jewel.

Inuyasha used every ounce of this strength to slice Naraku in half. His body burst into dust and scattered on the floor and all around them.

Inuyasha ran over to Kagome’s side and listed her to have her sit up, “Kagome! Can you hear me?”

Kagome opened her eyes, to Inuyasha’s surprise, there was no wound and there was no blood, “The jewel!” Kagome said and got to her hands and knees to look for it. “I can’t even sense it!”

“What?” Sango said, “Kagome… You just got stabbed…”

Kagome looked up, “He missed…” She lied.

“But we saw his stab you,” Miroku cut in. But before he said anything else he looked at his right hand. The wind tunnel was gone. Naraku was officially dead. “My wind tunnel. It’s disappeared!” Miroku smiled.

Inuyasha didn’t listen to Miroku’s remark; he just sat there watching Kagome. Something was wrong with her, he could smell it. It was almost as if she was dead, but she was alive.

“I can’t find it! I can’t sense it!” Kagome yelled as she scrambled on the floor. Kagome began to cry she dug her fingers into the floorboards, her fingernails bleeding.

Inuyasha grabbed her wrists then pulled her to look at him, “Kagome, what are you doing?” He asked strictly, worry written all over her face.

“I can’t find the jewel!” she shouted, the tears swelling up in her eyes.

Inuyasha looked at Sango and Miroku, “Can you guys stay here and look for the jewel? She needs to go back and rest. I’m glad we were able to defeat that bastard, but right now…” He looked at Kagome, “I need to take care of her.” He then scooped her up and walked out of the room.

Sango and Miroku looked at each other puzzled. “What just happened?” Sango asked confused.

Miroku shrugged his shoulders then began looking on the floor.

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Inuyasha ran with Kagome in his arms. She wept the whole way to the village. He was glad that Naraku is now dead and that he took him out easily, but he was more worried about Kagome. He couldn’t figure out why she was acting so strange.

Kagome buried her face deeper into his robe. She didn’t want to say anything that would make Inuyasha worry even more. She knew tonight was the last night to be with Inuyasha, her friends, her son… She made a deal with Kami, and there was no way out of it now. The Jewel was gone for good, there will be no more evil coming from it again.

Kagome planned to search franticly for the Jewel, to distract her friends and Inuyasha from the attack Naraku made. The Jewel is now back where it belongs. Back inside of Kagome. And it will stay there, until her body is burned, just like Kikiyou.

They reached Kaede’s hut and went inside. Kagome first san over to her baby, picked him up, and held him close to her chest. Then she looked at Inuyasha. “Inuyasha… I need to talk to you, outside.

Inuyasha nodded and followed Kagome outside. She walked up to where Emi was buried and sat down, still holding Shikaku, letting him suck on her finger. He sat down next to her and smiled, but when Kagome didn’t smile back, he frowned and put a hand on her shoulder. “Inuyasha,” she said with no emotion. “I want you to burry my ashes next to Emi…”

This caught Inuyasha way off guard. What was she talking about? They were supposed to live happily ever after with their son, their friends, worry free from Naraku. When he opened his mouth to say something, Kagome quickly put her finger against his lips. “Inuyasha… I’m going to die… I prayed to Kami to see you again, and he let me, and I gave my life to see you one last time—“

“Kagome, what are you talking about?” Inuyasha said angrily.

Kagome coughed and took in a deep breath, “The jewel is gone, it will be gone once I am gone,” she took another breath in. “Inuyasha… I’m already supposed to be dead…” She began to cry, “I wish it wasn’t so but… but… it was to provide life to our son…” She handed the small infant to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha took the child and held him the pulled Kagome into a deep embrace. “Kagome… I don’t understand. Why? Don’t leave, please?” He began to cry. The first he’s even cried in front of Kagome.

Kagome kissed his neck while still hugging him, “Inuyasha… I… I… Love you…” She said as the last tear dropped from her eye. She took one more breath for air before the light in her eyes slowly died out. And on the twilight’s dim light, Kagome’s body fell limp.

“WHAA WHAA WHAA!” Shikaku cried into Inuyasha’s robe.

Inuyasha still held on to Kagome not wanting to be bothered, to be talked to. The love of his life fell under the same fate as his mother did…

THE END

Author’s Note: Sooo yeah, I officially suck at writing. I just want this freaking story to be over with! Haha I finished though, YES! But there’s going to be one more chapter that I’m going to write. It’s just going to be the Epilogue. But the next story I’m going to write will be SO MUCH BETTER. You’ll see. Well if you read it…

-Katai