Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

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
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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.

(A/N: Sorry this is late. I have been sick and overwhelmed with schoolwork, again. Ugh.)

Previously:

"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.

Chapter 40: Nail in the Coffin

"You'd think we would have found something by now," Inuyasha told the others.

"Yes, it is quite odd," Miroku agreed, glancing all over the place.

"I wonder what Naraku's purpose was in bringing us h-" Kagome spoke but was interrupted by Inuyasha's stunned gasp.

"It can't be," he sniffed at the air, identifying the scent just before the figure appeared from the shadows. "Ki-Kikyo? What are you doing here?"

She laughed hollowly, "What kind of greeting is that? Are you not pleased to see me?"

"Its not that, it's just, this place is Naraku's trap. You could get hurt," he implored, wanting her to leave before she got caught up in it.

"That it is," she agreed, slowly extracting an arrow from her full quiver and drawing it into her bow. Pulling the string taut, she aimed the sharp tip towards Inuyasha.

"Kikyo, what are you doing?" he asked, taken aback by her hostility. "Not again."

"Inuyasha, we have to stop her," Sango declared.

"If we don't, she'll kill you," Kagome pleaded.

"No! Nobody touch her! She won't kill me, I just know it," he insisted. "Kikyo, listen to me. You don't want to do this."

"Yes, I do," she turned slightly and fired the arrow. Before anyone could even blink, the wooden shaft had pierced its target, and Kagome fell over in a heap.

"No, Kagome! Kagome, speak to me, say something!" Inuyasha gathered her up as the blood pulsed out of the wound in spurts, soaking the arrow's shaft and his arm around her. "Tell me to sit for all I care, please! Say anything…" His voice trailed off as the spurting blood ceased, signaling her heart was no longer beating. She was dead.

"Kikyo," he snarled, fangs showing, "why? Is this so you can have me, so I'll go to hell with you?"

Again she laughed, "No, nothing so involved."

"Then why?" he growled, standing up and clenching his fist in rage.

"He asked me to," she paused for dramatic effect, "and I can't say no to the one I love." Shock registered across Inuyasha's face as he searched his mind for who this "he" was.

"Nice work Kikyo, such a loyal little whore you are," Naraku droned as he appeared beside her. Naraku knew better than to enrage Inuyasha and confront him in his real body, no, this was an illusion of himself. This scene had been in play since the start of Miroku's nightmare, since Naraku's real presence was not needed until later.

"Anything for you, my love," Kikyo swooned as she turned her gaze onto "Naraku," placing her hand against his chest.

"Ki-Kikyo? Don't tell me you're..." Inuyasha could not finish the sentence; it was just too horrible.

"What's the matter, Inuyasha, does this sight disturb you?" the illusion of Naraku grabbed the Kikyo illusion by the waist and ground her into him, making her moan out wantonly.

"Na-ra-ku," Inuyasha ground out each syllable with utmost loathing, "I'll kill you for this!"

He unsheathed his sword and charged, but his target evaded with a cruel laugh, "Kikyo, I will let you handle him."

Naraku floated away weightlessly while Kikyo intercepted Inuyasha, bow drawn yet again and refusing to let him past. Her arrows assailed him, cutting into his flesh, but all he could make himself do was defend against her attacks. Despite her actions, he could not harm her. It was Naraku's fault, not hers, he told himself. 'Naraku must have manipulated her like he did fifty years ago or something. If I can get through to her than she will stop.' Nothing he said had any effect and her seemingly limitless arrows were beginning to take their toll. He cut down most of them or evaded, but the lacerations to his body were beginning to multiply, as he would miss an occasional shot. So distraught and distracted was he that he didn't even notice what Naraku was doing until that sick voice began laughing maniacally. Kikyo paused as well, to allow her master to speak.

"Inuyasha, I am pleased to present your failures," he directed the hanyou's attention to the bodies of his friends, all slain and staged in grotesque positions. "You did not protect them; in your grief, you let them die. It is all your fault."

"What? No!" he turned around and ran to each of their bloodied figures. "Sango, Kirara, Miroku, Shippo. This can't be…"

"You are all alone, Inuyasha. All of your precious friends are dead, and your woman has forsaken you to become the whore of a demon. There is nothing left for you," Naraku, the real Naraku, taunted, having switched places with the illusion while Inuyasha was looking for any signs of life in his friend's illusions. With Inuyasha weakened, this would be an easy victory. He could barely stand after the beating he had taken from a mere illusion; an illusion made solid by the root-like body it masked.

"There is one thing," Inuyasha spoke softly, his voice nearly broken. "I could kill you, avenge their deaths."

"Go ahead and try it. You can't hurt me," Naraku goaded, causing Inuyasha to charge in blindly. The grief and guilt hindered his focus; he didn't stand a chance in this state and was soon knocked to the ground. Tentacles pinned his limbs and negated all attempts at movement as Naraku hovered over the struggling dog. "Do not despair, for you will soon be with your friends in the afterlife. A tentacle slithered over and forced the destructive fang from Inuyasha's hand and brought it to Naraku. Untransformed as it was, if held no special powers, but it was still a sharp object and how ironic it would be to slay Inuyasha with his own weapon. Taking the blade by the hilt, he raised it up, point down and thrust it straight for Inuyasha's heart. The movement only ceased once a firm thump of metal hitting bark sounded and a breeze ruffled Naraku's hair. Looking to the side, following the sound of the impact, revealed the source. An arrow, imbued with holy powers had flown only inches from his face and planted itself into the far wall of woody vines before Naraku could skewer the one laying on the ground at his feet. His movements froze as he watched the arrow obliterate a huge section of the wall, enough power to have easily rendered him cripple, but who fired it. Turning to the priestess standing to the side, bow drawn with yet another arrow and gaze firmly fixed on his, his heart sank, Kagome. Her powers were whipping around her with a fury as tears streamed down her face. For what was she crying; was she worried about Inuyasha, crying for fear of his death? Her love for him, was the jewel right; did she really love this dog more than he? And had that love been enough to bring her to attempt to kill him, just as predicted? So many questions, and none of them pleasant; the evidence was overwhelming, and he was not one to run from the truth. Kagome had just chosen Inuyasha over himself, just as Kikyo had fifty years ago! She had betrayed him, and tried to kill him with her own hand! The bitter hatred in his gaze, coupled with the pain and sorrow he tried to hide, sent her stance to falter. She was scared, and rightly so, for she had just wronged one of the most powerful beings in the land, and she would pay dearly.

She couldn't kill him, even if Naraku did kill Inuyasha. She loved him and could never kill him. The arrow was a warning, intentionally aimed to miss, but its power obliterated the vine walls it hit. It wouldn't have hurt Naraku, but the vines that are part of another demon, held no protection from her. When she arrived, close enough to see what was playing out before her, she only had a split second to react and stop him. She didn't have time to think out any complex solution to save her friend and reacted on impulse. She was torn inside seeing her love trying so cruelly to end her friends, and she was determined to stop this violence. She knew she might lose her friends one day, but not by death, and wasn't about to allow him to kill them. All her turmoil bubbled up to the surface and spilled out her eyes, but it was nothing compared to the look he gave her. It made her blood freeze at seeing the unrestrained hatred in his eyes, stronger than ever before, aimed at her and her alone. 'No, don't look at me like that, don't hate me Naraku,' her mind pleaded as she felt her amulet goes ice cold and stop all movement. It no longer pulsed as if alive, and only emanated a dark sense of dread; a terrible feeling that gnawed at her chest and wrenched her gut into intolerable knots. 'No, something's wrong.' She watched helplessly as the sword was dropped and clattered onto the writhing floor. Naraku vanished into the shadows as quickly as Kagome had appeared, never once taking his red eyes off her. Her tongue caught in her throat as she tried to call out. 'I have to fix this,' she repeated in her mind. 'I have to see him.' Her still fatigued and burning legs finally found their life and she pushed off prepared to follow and amend whatever she had done wrong, but only a few steps later, she was snatched up into a firm embrace.

"Kagome, you're alive," Inuyasha spoke, voice timid. "I thought, I thought she killed you…"

His grip was far too firm for her to wiggle out of, and his voice so full of relief, she could only imagine what he had just been subjected to. She felt as Naraku's jewel shard moved further and further away, until she could no longer sense him. A small whimper was restrained and the ice against her breast was a constant reminder of the frozen rage he shot at her in his glower. He was too far away for her to catch him now, swallowing her worries, she turned her attention to the hanyou nearly crushing her in an embrace. "I'm fine Inuyasha, it was all an illusion," she patted his arms and tried to turn around to see his face.

"Sango, and Miroku, and-" he started slowly, asking about their well-being as well.

"They are all alive too," she answered, understanding what he was getting at. "In fact, we had better go get them, once you are ready to let me go." Upon realizing he still had her in a crushing grip, he nearly threw her away as he released her as fast as possible.

"Right," Inuyasha nodded, and turned to leave. "Lets go."

"Umm, they're this way," she pointed a thumb over her shoulder. He still wasn't all back to normal either, she could tell.

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

Also, Kagome's amulet, the trinket Naraku gave her made of his bones/blood/aura has been warm and living from the moment she got it, signifying his feelings and presence being with her. It turning cold, is a stark contrast to that. But what it means, you'll have to wait and see.)

Kagura could detect a definite change in Naraku as she arrived back at the mountainside temple. The roof of branches in the maze had opened suddenly as Naraku called her back to him; her swift reactions got her out before she could be followed. She had no idea what had happened once Kagome ran off alone, but whatever it was must have been significant. She had not felt this strong of an aura off of him for several months; his loathing was thick in the air. He was seated against the wall in his typical brooding position as Hakudoshi prattled on blindly about his own failed mission.

"Kikyo came out of hiding long enough to cast her spell, but disappeared right afterwards. She's a sneaky one," he reported, showing his frustration at the woman. Noting Kagura's arrival, he let Naraku know the other information he discovered, intentionally causing the woman unease. "Also, I'm sure you've noticed Kohaku has regained his memories. He was never this agreeable before and holds a constant scowl. He is waiting for a chance to kill you." But all throughout giving this report, Naraku didn't even bat an eye; he had other things on his mind, namely, Kagome's betrayal.

"Naraku? Did you hear me?" Hakudoshi pressed uselessly.

'How dare she!' was the reoccurring thought looping through his mind.

"She lied," the dark voice in the jewel told him.

'She said she loved me,' he argued back.

"Not as much as him," the jewel corrected.

After picking up Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara, the group continued their trek through the maze, this time, not letting the others out of their sight. They had no idea where they were going, but since Kagome managed to find and save them, they trusted her to find the way. She seemed to almost know where she was going, and this was confirmed when they found themselves in a central clearing.

"This must be the core of the maze," Miroku mused aloud.

"Yeah, and it smells of Naraku," Inuyasha informed, grabbing Tessaiga's hilt in preparation, "he was here."

"Inuyasha, look there," Sango pointed to a mass of vines that looked like a humanoid form.

"First a half-demon and now a human," a voice sounded from the mass, "I must be losing my touch."

"That must be the demon controlling this place," Kagome guessed. She was drawn here, so it must be.

"I am Meiro of the Maze, and you have made it through my labyrinth," he introduced. "You are now allotted one service in exchange for your feat."

"Where is Naraku?" Inuyasha demanded without thinking.

"He has left," the demon spoke the obvious.

"That's rather vague don't you think, where did he go?" the pup was losing his patience, what little of it there was.

"I cannot see beyond this realm, and you have already asked your question," he informed them apathetically of the rules, being that they can each only ask one thing of him.

"So we can each only ask you one question?" Sango asked, accidentally using hers on something useless.

"Yes, one service per each," he verified.

"Screw that, you will tell me everything I want to know," Inuyasha threatened, hand back on his sword.

"Inuyasha, please call down," Miroku tempered the aggravated half-demon. His short temper was understandable, seeing as all they had just been put through. "Meiro, why did Naraku call upon your assistance? What was his purpose?"

"To separate you from one another," he answered blandly.

'It is as I assumed,' Miroku realized Meiro was only acting on Naraku's orders and was not intentionally after them.

"Why would he want to do that?" Shippo inquired innocently.

"To end the lives of those he considers a hindrance," Meiro spoke, wondering if any of these simple people were going to demand anything other than a single question.

'That was the last question,' Sango counted out. 'No wait, Kagome hasn't asked one.' "Kagome, ask him..." Sango suggested.

"No, ask him..." Inuyasha spoke over her unheard suggestion with his own demand, but was in turn interrupted by Miroku.

"I think it would be best if..." the monk advised.

Instead of heeding their words, Kagome tuned it all out, not even hearing what they wanted to find out and focused in on what she needed to know, "Why did Naraku leave?"

"Because he was shown a horror even I could not fabricate," the demon answered the most in depth question thus far, causing the one who asked it to gasp in shock.

'A horror, no, it can't be,' Kagome connected the dots. 'My dream, the one where I killed him, this was far too close, far too familiar. Did he think I was actually trying to-'

"What, that's it? He got scared off?" Inuyasha asked again, skeptically.

"You have no requests left. You are free to leave," the path was formed, a straight shot to the outside, complete with a "light at the end of the tunnel."

"Who says I'm ready to leave?" Inuyasha growled.

"Inuyasha," Kagome's hardened tone had his fur standing on end, "we are done here." She had no idea if she was angry with Naraku or scared for him. She had no idea how she felt, but knew she wanted out of here; away from the memories of her love trying to kill her friends. 'Why would he do something like that, I thought he was leaving them alone, for me... Or maybe, I just misunderstood... But that look he gave me…' Kagome kept her bangs shadowed over her eyes for fear that her emotions would be plain to read. The ice against her chest, it told her something was dreadfully wrong; she had to get out of here, and find him!

(A/N: Forewarning, my goal for the rest of this story is to make you cry, and I will attack relentlessly.)
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In a New Light