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In a New Light	By : Sylean Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Naraku/Kagome Views: 17606 -:- Recommendations : 5 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor do I make any profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 39
- 40
- 41
In a New Light

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor do I make any profit from this story.

Warning: There will be lemons in this story, some non-con as well.

Chapter 39: Divide and Conquer?

'Soon, Kagome. Soon we'll be rid on them and I'll be able to spend much time covering your body,' Naraku promised himself as he returned to the maze's core. It had been quite some time since he last got to enjoy his little vixen, his schemes took up copious amounts of his time and he was looking forward to having her with him constantly once her friends were out of the picture.

Entering the clearing, he saw the Demon of the Maze weaving his threaded vines, continuing his deceptive dance with the intruders. They were all just walking along peacefully; nothing was happening, no screaming or terror, "Why are you taking so long, Meiro?"

"The nightmare has to feel real, which includes creating a vision of pleasant happenings before it turns sour," the far more experienced demon explained. Naraku always had been a bit rushed in his manipulations, turning their days into dreadful hallucinations the second he arrived. "A person's "worst nightmare," is not often the one that will give the strongest reaction," the demon continued to explain as he worked. "They have thought about it too many times, and it has lost its bite. What makes this forest so inescapable, is it uses nightmares rarely thought on, ones that are either too terrifying to think about, or ones the victim doesn't even know they have. It takes them by complete surprise." His summary was not surprising, seeing as Naraku had already traversed its terrors. "You however, did not seem affected by any of your horrors; I assume you have thought on all of them greatly, yes?"

Naraku merely hummed an affirmative, "You are correct." 'Which one shall I eliminate first?' he asked himself.

A short while after Naraku's departure, Kagome seemed to suddenly realized that not only was she alone with Kagura, lacking the protection of her friends, but Kagura wanted to betray Naraku, so her "protection" command was not a guarantee. It had her quite on edge, even to the point of worrying Kagura would try to kill her just to get at Naraku. What was he thinking leaving the two of them together?

"Relax, would you," the wind sorceress got tired of the girl's jumpy antics, "you and I both know Naraku did not order you harmed, and besides, I have my own personal reason for making sure you survive." This seemed to do the trick and the priestess calmed down, curiosity shining in her eyes. "Kanna told me, that you are the only one who can save us, and she is never wrong. Your unique proximity to Naraku affords you the perfect opportunity to slay him."

She gasped, appalled by the suggestion, "But, I could never-"

"If you don't, he will surely kill you instead," Kagura declared, then lowered her tone, "when he's done using you. That's how he works, you know. You would not be the first." 'He used me, and will probably try to kill me one day too,' Kagura kept this humiliating piece to herself.

"Its not true," Kagome denied, trying desperately to ignore someone who had been around Naraku much longer than she. "No, he wouldn't, not to me."

"What makes you think you are so special as to change the way he's done things for the past 50 years?" Kagura was nearly yelling, startling Kagome. "Think about what I've said, if you value your life," she snapped out coldly before walking ahead, signaling the end to this conversation. Silence reigned between the two.

A sudden cold shiver ran down Kagome's back and she froze in her trek. Lifting her gaze, she looked towards an unknown direction, seeing nothing but a wall, but knowing somehow, that something more lay beyond. Reaching out to touch it, the vines recoiled from her and formed a path, "Something's wrong; this way." Kagome walked off without even verifying if Kagura was following. The walls shifted all around her, opening in the direction she walked and closed behind her, forcing Kagura to stick close.

'It's her holy aura, it is controlling this place,' Kagura tapped her fan on her shoulder, wondering just what the girl sensed and why she turned so suddenly. 'I guess I'll find out soon enough.'

Walking in uneasy silence Miroku gripped his cursed fist tighter, the hand just didn't feel right, like it was itchy, or something was moving under his skin. He had been subjected to a variety of abnormal sensations from the accursed thing over the years, a paralyzing pain from the Siamyosho poison, to the dry, parched feeling when he would hold it open too long, and the variety of minor feelings, such as this tickly feeling. Inspecting it, he didn't see anything wrong with the wrapping or beads that kept the curse at bay, but the wind sounded, stronger, 'Close, too close.'

"What's the matter, Miroku?" Shippo asked from atop his shoulder when the monk stopped walking. The others turned to look at him, calling his name in worry.

"It's nothing, lets keep going," he told them, but as soon as he took one more step, the bindings shattered, and the fierce wind imploded, drawing everything in around him. Shippo clung tightly to the shoulder of his robes but the figures walking in front of him had no chance to brace themselves and were drawn in, Kagura, Kagome, Inuyasha, Kirara, and… Sango. He only saw the brief glimpse of terror in their eyes before they were gone forever, killed due to his lack of control. All of them, no, not all, 'Hold on, Shippo.'

"Close it, Miroku, I'm slipping," the fox whimpered.

'I can't let go, if I do, it will fan out an get him,' Miroku thought quickly.

Directing the beam as far away from the fox as he could, he ground out, "Run for it, behind me. Get as far away as possible. RUN!" Detecting the urgency, Shippo leapt off and fled, his presence would not be able to help Miroku.

"How does it feel, Monk, knowing that your very wind tunnel just killed your friends and your beloved?" Naraku's voice boomed, louder than the whipping wind before he appeared off to the side.

"Naraku," Miroku growled out furiously, still struggling with the wind tunnel, and turned towards him, trying to draw him into it.

Laughing at the attempt, Naraku anchored himself, shooting out tentacles to bind to the nearly immoveable roots behind him, "Use it all you like, I will not be drawn in so easily, and the longer it is open, the more it will tear." Putting out his hand, Naraku caused the wind to become more intense as the black circle widened and consumed more of Miroku's flesh. The pain nearly caused him to fall, but he held his ground, he would kill Naraku, he would get revenge on him, for himself, but mostly, for Sango and the others. "Is your last stand going to be a futile attempt to kill me?"

"I have, no choice," Miroku grit out, his strength wavering.

"You should have made Sango stay with that human lord," Naraku drew on the deepest regrets and fear, "where she could have lived a long, happy life instead of letting your greed keep her with you only to be sucked into oblivion." Miroku's stance faltered, knowing that as much as he didn't want to admit it, Naraku was right. He should have made her stay. "Actually, she is still here," Naraku told truthfully, but twisted that truth.

"What?" Miroku gasped, the hope of his beloved somehow being alive enough to make him respond to Naraku's cruel goading.

"Did you know, Monk, that everything that enters your wind tunnel becomes a part of me? Every time you drew in a demon, it only served to strengthen my body," it would do no harm in telling him this now, he was about to die anyways, and Naraku wanted to see his reaction. All this time, Miroku was helping his enemy more than harming him; how ironic. "Even now, your attempts are futile."

"That can't be," he stared aghast.

"Do you want to see Sango, before you die? I can shape-shift for you," Naraku offered maliciously and before Miroku could answer, he shifted into the small female form, still anchored to the foliage behind him. Using Sango's voice, he spoke, "Miroku, what are you doing, stop, please."

'Is that really Sango?' he watched his love shield herself from the wind. 'Or is it Naraku. I don't know anymore.' The knowledge and shock of all that had happened had him totally disoriented.

"Miroku, no," a concerned female voice shouted out from behind him. "Stop it, Naraku," the same voice ordered with as much authority as she could muster.

It took Miroku a second to place the very familiar voice, but when he did, he stuttered out the name, "Ka-Kagome?"

"I won't let you do this, Naraku," she screamed determinately as she ran up behind Miroku and grabbed him from behind, placing her hand on the back of his. Shippo cowered on her shoulder while she focused her hardest to push her powers into the cursed limb.

"No, Kagome, get back or it will draw you in too," Miroku warned, so very confused about how she could even be here. Naraku shifted back to himself. Holding the disguise took too much effort as he used his power over the curse to widen it, but under the remarkable power of Kagome's purifying powers, it fluctuated chaotically.

"No way; I'm not going anywhere," she declared. "We are going to beat this!" With her scream, her powers flooded from her into the Wind tunnel. It was not enough to purify it, but Naraku felt her desire to save him and had second thoughts. She was overpowering him, but even if he did manage to rip it open, it would take her with it. Giving up, the black hole narrowed to its usual size and was sealed away by Miroku simply closing his fist. The exertion caused the two humans to collapse to their knees, looking up just in time to see Naraku letting the wall pull him in, taking him away.

"We made it in time," Kagome panted out breathlessly.

"You're, you're alive?" he was finally able to think with the wind tunnel sealed once again. He fished out a spare set of beads and after a prayer used them to bind his hand. "If you're alive, than maybe Sango..."

"Come on," Kagome urged him to get up, "Naraku is bound to go after her next." She was sure; she just knew in her gut, that Sango needed their help next.

"Right," he rose on shaky legs.

'How amusing,' Kagura noted as she watched from the sidelines. 'Kagome held off Naraku. Kanna was right.'

"So, Kagura is following you, Kagome?" Miroku asked, piecing the puzzle together.

"Yeah, she's supposed to protect me, or something," Kagome waved it off.

"Kagura, why did Naraku send you here to protect Kagome," Miroku insisted on getting answers. "What does he want with her?"

"How should I know," Kagura scoffed. "Naraku doesn't tell me those things."

"We have to hurry," Kagome effortlessly wound her way through the shifting forest, she had no conscious idea of where she was going, but her intuition guided her to Miroku when he needed help, it would do the same with Sango, she was sure. The others followed as the path was twisted shut behind them, keeping them enclosed in the safety of the vines.

"You have failed your end of the deal," Naraku growled at Meiro when he returned to the core. He was supposed to keep them separated, and that included Kagome.

"That girl is immune; my powers bend to her," the maze demon explained. "There is nothing I can do about her."

Naraku only growled in frustration before turning to leave again. This time, he would not fail to end his target's life.

"She would choose her friends over you," the jewel spoke.

'Not if they are dead,' he responded bitterly.

"What do you make of this, Miroku?" Sango asked her companion while looking around at the living walls. "Its strange in here, even for one of Naraku's traps." No response. "Miroku?" She turned, but he wasn't there. Panic gripping her, she started calling wildly, "Miroku, where did you go? Miroku!"

"He's up ahead, Sango," Inuyasha informed her with a harshness to his voice. "Just look."

She peered around her stopped friend and saw the most heartbreaking and infuriating sight ever. Miroku was naked, and doing unspeakable things to a woman. She could not see the girl's face, but when her voice rang out, the identity was recognized, Kagome!

Her heart stopped, breath frozen, the sight something beyond comprehension. Her love, the man she agreed to marry and have children with… and the girl she thought was like a sister to her… 'How could they!' The couple didn't even seem to notice they were being watched in their vile act. Had they snuck off while the rest were busy looking for Naraku; trying to slay him to save Miroku's life and collect the shards for Kagome? 'Traitors; lying, deceitful…' she hadn't the words to describe them; words that would express just how betrayed she felt. Her bangs shadowed her face and she stood still, not even flinching when a chain rattled around the clearing, the voice screaming in her head was drowning out all else. It was only when she looked up to scream at them that she realized what had just happened. The bodies of all her… friends? Ex-friends? All their bodies lay on the ground in a puddle of blood, slashes across their bodies, so very similar to… "Kohaku," she muttered the name of her brother as he stood over the slain, naked bodies of Kagome and Miroku.

"Aren't you happy now, Sango?" he grinned at her innocently, even with blood splatter across his face. "I just saved you from their deceit." Kirara growled from behind Sango, but the stunned girl wasn't contemplating what was occurring, it all happened too fast.

Clinging to the one piece of knowledge she could remember, she asked with a shaky breath, "Kohaku, why are you letting Naraku control you like this?" She looked at the bodies around her, not sure what she felt. Miroku and Kagome, naked and still… connected, they had betrayed her, but did she really want them dead? Inuyasha, Shippo, her companions, they did not deserve this. As hard as she tried, she could not feel anything, it was like the shock had not worn off and she was just watching from inside herself, waiting to crumble into a sobbing, screaming mess at a later time.

"Oh, I'm not under his control," Kohaku laughed jovially, so very similar to before his death, "I haven't been for awhile. I did this on my own, aren't you proud of me?"

It was the last straw, the indifference of his actions that finally caused her body to move on its own. She didn't even know what she was doing. Was she moving to embrace him? But no, she saw the consequences fall just as her friends had; Kohaku doubled over on her blade, the blood seeping down its length and making the hilt slick under her finger. She was finally brought to kill him in her unstable state. And this was when she finally collapsed next to their bodies, screaming out her agony and despair.

It was in this, the nightmare beyond her worst nightmares, that Naraku's voice did not infuriate her as it normally would. Its slick tone was so very mild, so common as compared to what had just happened, "Do you want death, Sango, so you can be with them again?"

Normally, if she were sane, she would slash at him with her hidden blade, but this was not sanity; she was broken by the very ones she loved. Yes, she wanted death very much, to rid herself of this unbearable pain, to erase all that just happened. She opened her mouth to beg for that very offer from the dark being standing right behind her, but the words that escaped were not her own.

"Sango! Run, Sango," that tone, deep and concerned, it snapped the haze that had been surrounding her. "Get away from her, Naraku!"

'Miroku? it couldn't be…' Sango looked up to see her love alive, breathing hard as he ran towards her. 'But, Kohaku killed him. Killed them.' Her eyes narrowed when she also saw Kagome running up beside him, the image of the two coupling so wildly forcing its presence to be known.

'Curse it,' Naraku seethed as Kagome once again arrived just in time to free her friend from the illusion. There was one more, and he would not waste any time. If any of them were to die today, he would make sure it was Inuyasha. He melted away into the wall of writhing vines and headed straight for the dog he hated. She would not leave him for that whelp, he would make sure of it.

"Sango, are you alright?" Kagome asked, kneeling beside the older female.

"How could you, Kagome?" the sharp tone caused the younger girl to fall back onto her hands.

"Sango, of what do you speak?" Miroku asked.

"Don't act like you don't know. You two were…" she turned to point at the slain bodies of her naked friends, still not completely her sane self, before realizing that all the bodies were gone. She looked around confused. "Was it real?"

"Naraku has been casting illusions, Sango," Miroku explained. "He did the same with me as well."

"It, it was just an illusion? So then, you and Kagome really aren't… together?" Sango asked tentatively, still crumpled on the ground.

"What? No!" they both exclaimed, shocked that this is what her nightmare would be.

"Listen Sango, you are the only woman for me. No one else has my heart like you do," Miroku confessed.

"I would never do something like that to you Sango, even if I did have any interest in him," she made a disgusted face at the idea. "No offense, Miroku, but you really aren't my type. Sango, you know I too have my heart set on someone else."

"I'm, not sure how, I forgot," she admitted ashamedly.

"Its okay, Sango, it wasn't your fault," they comforted her. "It was Naraku's doing."

'Why is he doing this; why is he suddenly going after them?' Kagome stood, wondering to herself. He had never tried to outright kill them before. 'Wait, he's already attempted both Sango and Miroku's life. Next could only be Inuyasha. Oh no, and I sense his jewel shard nearby too, I've got to hurry.'

Without waiting Kagome sprinted off, sensing an urgency not before felt. Inuyasha must be in a dire situation. Her flight was too swift for the others to follow, distracted as they were with a recovering Sango, and the wall closed behind her. "Kagome, wait up!" they called, but she had already been swallowed up.

(A/N: In case it is not clear, none of the characters are dead, it is only the illusion/copy of each that "dies."

There, all caught up for past weeks AND this coming weekend. I will try to keep posting weekly chapters in-between mountains of schoolwork, but please forgive me if I'm late. Only 6 more weeks and I'm free!)
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In a New Light