InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Making Things Right ❯ Best Laid Plans ( Chapter 19 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

(**) a dream/vision
(~~) a note/letter
(*****) a scene/time change

A/N: A very important note. The fight scene of this chapter was written by DarkLessVasion. She did a wonderful job and helped me out greatly. I can only claim the end of the chapter as my own work.
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The door closed behind the four of them, cutting off the pounding rhythm of the music still playing inside, the structure becoming once more an anonymous building, leaving them in the quiet of the night. Distant streetlights inadequately illuminated the area, keeping the hidden nightclub's facade intact. Wind blown trash gathered against graffitied walls and unpleasant odors drifted through the alleyway.

Inuyasha wrinkled his sensitive nose and tightened his arm around Kagome's waist as they walked toward the street; pulling her closer and leaning down to inhale her much-more-pleasing scent. Her small giggle made him smile and he gave her a squeeze to get her attention, loving the way her dark eyes twinkled up at him. "Have fun?"

She smiled happily and nodded, turning towards him and wrapping both arms around him to squeeze back. "This was a good idea."

The sound of a stumbling step and a muffled hiccup behind them followed by a female voice muttering, had them turning together to watch an irritated Sango supporting a slightly tipsy Miroku, his arm draped over her shoulders and leaning heavily on her.

Kagome smothered another giggle behind her hand and InuYasha smirked, "You want me to carry that stupid bouzu, Sango?"

The dark haired woman gave him a disgusted glare. "I ought to let you… you're the one who goaded him into those extra drinks." She pushed Miroku's face away, grimacing at his alcohol-ridden breath. "Ugh… I hope you have one mother of a headache in the morning, you idiot!"

He straightened up, pulling her off balance until they were grabbing hold of each other to keep from falling to the damp pavement. "I never get hangovers, and I'm not dru-ulp..."

In their struggle to remain standing, one of his hands had strayed to Sango's ample bosom and they both froze, his wide eyes watching the blush flooding her face, visible even in the dim lighting. "Um…"

Inuyasha flinched from the loud, resounding crack of the well deserved smack dealt to his friend's cheek. He shook his head and chuckled, turning Kagome around again to continue walking. He'll never learn…

As the small group stood waiting at the curb, distant sirens wailed, echoing in the concrete canyons of the city and made the deserted street seem that much lonelier. A single car, the only one since they exited the club, rattled by, spewing fumes and backfiring. From the open windows came nasty laughter and shouted curses till the vehicle carried its passengers beyond sight and hearing.

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's wrist to check her watch again with a frown and sighed, "The damn car is late." He glanced up and down the empty street once more and made a growling noise deep in his throat. "Sesshoumaru needs to pay his people more or hire better personnel."

His ears twitched nervously and he turned. "Miroku, you got your cell on you?"

Miroku blinked at him, straightening and relinquishing Sango's support to search through his pockets. "I'm sure I have it…”

The hanyou's ears twitched again at a small scuffing sound as he waited impatiently, trying to identify it in the back of his mind, trying to figure out why it bothered him. Too heavy to be a cat or rodent… Another scrape from the opposite direction had him swiveling around to pinpoint the origin.

Kagome watched him, knowing his moods too well, "Inuyasha…?"

He put his hand up for silence, his frown deepening as something occurred to him. All the little noises of nighttime in the city, of the small scavengers scurrying about in search of food, of other creatures that hunt in the dark… were absent. "I think-"

Sango's gasp cut off what he was going to say, the hot smell of her blood assailing his senses and making his heart pound. He spun in time to see her grab at her side with a confused look on her face before her eyes rolled back and her legs gave out. In a split-second, she was on the ground… unmoving.

Miroku's jaw dropped and the hand clutching the small cell-phone went lax from his shock. The phone clattered to the ground and he was on his knees by the fallen woman, lifting her into his arms and calling her name.

Inuyasha pulled Kagome behind him, his golden eyes scanning the dark shadows surrounding them and cursing under his breath. We've been set up. He flexed his claws and his growl deepened. "Come out and face me, cowards!"

"Oh, that sounds like a challenge… don't it?" a raspy voice to his left came from the deeper shadows where the angle of the building blocked the streetlight's glow.

"Yeah." Two forms stepped out of the alley across the street, the taller and more bulkier of two was carrying a heavy club and stepping ponderously behind his lithe companion. The shorter grinned with a flash of fangs, glancing up at the gray-skinned hulk behind him with a shrug. "It definitely sounds like a challenge to us."

A hiss announced the presence of yet another, squeezing impossibly from a storm drain under the curb to the right and quickly leaping to his feet, his scaly tail lashing with anticipation. The unshielded serpentine features held no emotion, "Yesss, it hassss chhaalanged usss, Hansssshou!"

Inuyasha half-ignored Miroku still bent over Sango and twitched his ears back, picking up Kagome's rapid heartbeat behind him, reassuring him that she was there, but not daring to lower his guard enough to look back. He flashed his attention from one stranger to the other, swiftly sizing them up and damning himself for being caught unaware… unarmed, and already one of them down.

How did they get so close without me sensing them? Their scent was unmistakably youkai; strong and pungent, easily identifying three of them as stone-oni, neko and snake. Also clear now was their youki, flaring bright and brushing against his own. The strongest was coming from the first speaker, still hidden in the shadows, a strange earthy smell accompanying it, rotting and damp. He's the one I have to beat.

A sudden flair of youki from above had him reacting instinctively, spinning to grab Kagome and leaping to the side with a shout, "Miroku! MOVE!"

Kagome cried out in fear as flames blasted down, enveloping the two humans left behind and obscuring them from view.

Inuyasha landed near the side of a building, pressing Kagome back and standing between her and the five threatening youkai. He bared his teeth furiously and watched helplessly as the hovering hagetaka-youkai laughed raucously, still pouring down the fire.

"Damn you!" The smell of Kagome's fear fueled his anger. "You fucking buzzard!" The only thing that kept him from attacking now was the trembling girl behind him. One thought was predominant; Protect Kagome!

The hagetaka dropped to the ground, still laughing at his pyre of flames dancing hungrily, and he watched them die down, wanting to see the charred remains of his victims. His avian eyes widened in disbelief as the fire flickered, trailing down the sides of a shining barrier before dying completely. His laughter turned into an ear-splitting squawk of denial and he flapped his wings angrily. Taloned hands flashed out as he leaped forward to slash at the shield protecting the humans within, his frenzied attacks thwarted again and again by the strength of Miroku's houriki.

Inuyasha felt the knot in his chest ease at the sight of the monk and taijiya safe behind the mystical barrier. Kagome's hands fisted into the back of his shirt and her head touching between his shoulder blades revealed her relief as well.

Inuyasha watched the approach of the other three demons warily, remaining peripherally aware of the frustrated buzzard-youkai mindlessly trying to break the monk's defenses. He shrugged under Kagome's hands, telling her silently that he needed to be free to fight, yet a small part of him ached as she withdrew her touch.

"Keh!" He shook his head with a feral grin. "Nothin' but a bunch of amateurs!"

The shadows seethed, rippling agitatedly as Hanshou stepped forward into the yellowed light.

"Hmm…" His human disguise shifted into the wide faced, mottled features of a Numa-youkai. The Bog-dweller's large black eyes looked angrily from his loud comrade, still uselessly attacking the monk's barrier, to the confident hanyou glaring back at him. His eyes narrowed malevolently. "You'll see how amateurish we are when we tear you to pieces, Dog, and devour the sweet flesh of your little miko."

Noxious vapors billowed about his webbed feet and he took another step, raising his moss-covered arm in command. "Kill him... Kill him now!"

Inuyasha didn't wait any longer. Claws extended, he raked them diagonally.

"Sankontessou!"

The neko dodged the bright slashes that flashed toward he and his cohorts, and the slower stone-oni took the brunt of the attack. Wide gashes tore open his huge body and chunks of gray flesh littered the ground as he staggered back. The weighty club clattered loudly on the pavement and the ponderous creature toppled, slamming hard onto the ground and cracking the concrete.

Diving forward under the deadly blades, the serpent popped up, startling the girl and hanyou, spitting venom at Inuyasha's face. A vicious backhand from the blinded hanyou sent the snake-youkai flying clear across the street, impacting into the solitary streetlight with a metallic clang and snapping the post in two, killing the light and darkening an already dim area.

"Ugh!" Inuyasha rubbed furiously at his eyes, blinking and trying to focus. Squinting, he saw a dark blur just before a body tackled him, forcing him back and down. The neko, his nose tells him. He rolled over, grappling blindly and desperately, and tried to land a solid blow. Pain bloomed across his chest and arms as the cat's claws found him again and again.

"Hah! Worthless Cur!" The neko took joy in shredding one of the Inu brothers, reveling at the way his opponent's blood covered him, spraying outward with each swipe of his razor sharp claws.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's fear and anger took over and she rushed forward, pummeling ineffectively at the neko's back and head. "Let him go! You monster!"

Gripping one hand around the gasping hanyou beneath him, the neko half-turned toward the annoying distraction and almost casually pushed her away. He watched her stumble, tripping over her own feet and falling back onto the ground, her head just missing the brick wall behind her. "Wait your turn, Bitch!"

Inuyasha's eyes flew open, an enraged snarl crossing his face, "How dare you touch my mate!"

Reaching up with both hands, he grabbed the neko's arm and brutally ripped it from the shoulder, tossing the limb aside as the cat-youkai yowled and leaped away, holding the bloody wound with his other hand. Inuyasha lurched up, still trying to focus and used his other senses to pursue the neko.


The precious weight lying lax in the curve of his arm bolstered Miroku's determination to maintain the shield. The flames returned again as the buzzard-youkai got tired of wasting his time trying to claw his way through the barrier, and Miroku flinched under the renewed assault. Sweating and panting under the strain of casting and holding the barrier without the stored energies in his staff, Miroku's raised arm trembled.

His sober gaze had watched the vicious attack on his friends until he had to look away. Heart pounding and grinding his teeth in frustration, he prayed that Inuyasha's strength and experience would be enough to keep himself and Kagome safe.

…I cannot leave Sango.

His arm tightened about the limp woman and he redoubled his concentration, using all of his training to reinforce the shield, willing it thicker and stronger, closing his ears to the sounds of the fight and turning his focus inward.

Hurry, Inuyasha… I… don't know how long… I can keep this up.


In spite of the loss of an arm, the furious neko took advantage of the hanyou's handicap, harrying him by dashing in close to draw blood before leaping away again. The area was liberally splattered with blood and his luck finally ran out. On one such foray, he slipped and lost his balance, slamming bodily into the hanyou

Inuyasha wasted no time in grabbing his tormentor, twisting them both as they fell and landing on top to wrap an arm around the youkai's neck in a headlock. Growling deep in his throat, he squeezed… there was the audible snap of bone breaking and the neko went limp.

Inuyasha dropped the dead youkai and stood, his disgusted snarl echoing between the buildings. Where is-

Kagome's yelp of fear had him spinning about, his ears swiveling madly, trying to pinpoint her direction. Fucking son of a bitch! I still can't see! His heart pounded and panic flooded his soul.

"Kagome!"

The flickering of flames at the edge of his blurred vision and the youkai's loud squawking was interfering with his search, and Inuyasha turned, whipping his blood-encrusted claws in the hagetaka's direction.

"Hijinkessou!"


Kagome watched Inuyasha fight the neko with her heart in her throat. The blood was everywhere and belonged to both of them. The screeching hagetaka-youkai still stubbornly trying to break the Monk's barrier distracted her for but a moment. She bit her lip, hoping that Sango was not dead. She… went down so fast! I've never… she's always been so strong.

A loud snap drew her eyes back towards Inuyasha, her breath catching painfully until he stood. Relief made her shoulders slump, she sighed. Thank goodness…

She took a hesitant step and stopped, her eyes growing wide and shivers ran down her spine as the evil presence behind her made itself known. Before she could move, a hard, moss-covered arm shot around her, wrapping tightly about her middle and lifting her off of her feet. She involuntarily 'eeped' and kicked at her captor, pushing against the strong arm and in the process lost her shoes.

"Kagome!"

Her head jerked up at Inuyasha's voice and she opened her mouth, only to gasp as all the air is forced from her lungs by the pressure of the tightening arm. Her struggles grew more frantic as her need for air increased. A low, rumbling laugh vibrated through her body and she stilled.

The arm eased up a tiny bit and he leaned closer. "That's right, little miko… I have you now."

His putrid breath made her gag and she turned her head away, her eyes straining to keep her silver-haired mate in view.

"Hijinkessou!"

The arm about her tightened again as the blades of blood slammed into the bird-brained youkai, slicing the hagetaka to shreds, it's shrill death-cry slowly fading as it's body disintegrated.

"Damn him…"

Her eyes flicked upward at the hushed words, seeing fear on the bog-dweller's face. Her mouth opened to call out but she just could not draw enough breath. Inuyasha's searching movements were strange, and more than once he seemed to look right at her before turning away again. No… he still can't see! The pain across her chest could not compete with her aching heart. He can't- she frowned and glanced at the barrier still protecting her friends.

Come on, Kagome . . . you have to save yourself this time! She closed her eyes to concentrate trying to remember what Miroku had tried to teach her. Her hands rested on the arm holding her, she ignored her constricted breathing and delved deep inside herself… reaching…


There! Now that it was quiet, Inuyasha could finally hear what he'd been looking for, and he dashed forward, all his senses straining to lead him to his target: Kagome and Hanshou!

Burning pain bloomed across his chest but he blocked it out, never faltering his headlong rush.


Kagome, jostled, looked up as the bog-dweller made a throwing motion with his other arm. Her eyes widened and time seemed to slow as her mind took in everything she was seeing:

Inuyasha, his eyes wide and teeth bared, charging straight at them… the flash of small projectiles… the percussive thwaps as each found flesh but didn't stop the dog-eared cannonball… the tensing of muscle against her back… swaying with Hanshou's body as he delivered a great, walloping blow… the bottom dropping out of her world as her mate's body was thrown on a long arc, tumbling like a rag-doll, into the building across the way . . . the crashing impact… bricks flying and dust billowing… Inuyasha, unmoving in the rubble.

"NO!" Her voice was torn and ragged, full of anguish. "Inuyasha!"

Her hands tightened on the hateful arm keeping her from her mate and something broke inside, swelling and fighting to get out. Her body felt hot and energy burst forth, bright and pure. Inhuman screams fell on deaf ears as she hung on, her power glowing and filling her with purpose. Her bare feet touched the ground and her damp eyes calmly looked up at frantic black ones, her voice was soft, "No more…"

Hanshou shook and tried to pull back, unable to break this small human's grip on him and unable to withstand the burning touch of purification. His cries grew in volume as his life was stripped from him.

With a final, determined flash of light, the bog-dweller was no more. Small, sparkling particles of dust drifted down, landing on congealed blood and Kagome's bare feet. She shook more dust from her empty hands and turned as if in a daze. Her eyes wandered across the dark pavement, over the dismembered neko, the broken serpent, the shredded oni, and the flickering barrier as it collapsed with a strange feeling of detachment. Suddenly, the thought of golden eyes filled with love struck her like a blow and she turned, her heart pounding.

He is still there, amid the broken remains of the brick wall.

One step . . . another. Suddenly she was running, sobs choking her as she threw herself down on her knees, hands desperately tossing bricks and mortar aside to free him.

"Inuyasha?"

His eyes were closed and he was covered in blood. She shifted around to lift and cushion his head, her heart thumping hard. Kagome's trembling hand brushed his unruly hair off his face. His name fell from her lips with each hiccuping breath as she sat, her whole being focused on willing him to open his eyes… to be all right.

She didn't hear the high-pitched tones of the cell-phone buttons being pressed or the low male voice talking urgently behind her. Only when Miroku called her name near panic did she reign in her fear. She remembered herself at last.

“Kagome,” he called. “Oh Kami, you have to help her.”

She looked over in to a pair of desperate, deep blue eyes. “What's wrong?” she asked.

“Sango. She's losing too much blood,” he replied. “She's dying.”

Kagome looked down at the hanyou in her lap. His breathing was steady. She felt for a pulse and found it a little sluggish, but strong. Upon closer examination, she saw he was already beginning to heal. As much as it pained her to leave him injured as he was, she knew Sango needed her more. She didn't have demon blood to aid her healing. Kagome removed InuYasha's head from her lap and returned it, gently, to the ground.

She got up and ran over to where Miroku was sitting with Sango in his arms. His hand was pressed firmly against her side and Kagome could see the blood flowing from between his fingers.

“You'll have to help me,” she said. “I'm not sure I have enough power left after purifying that demon.”

Miorku nodded. “What do you need me to do?”

“Nothing. Just don't fight me,” she replied. She placed her hand over his and called to her power to help her save Sango.


Miroku felt Kagome drawing on his power as well as she sought to heal Sango. He relaxed and gave himself over to her. He would do anything to help Sango.

Slowly he became aware that the blood no longer poured from her body. He felt for her aura, her life's energy and found it weak, but no longer weakening, and Miroku breathed a sigh of relief.


At last, Kagome pulled her hand away. She was exhausted. Her shoulders slumped and her head fell forward, looking through darkening eyes down at her lap. She fought to stay conscious after noticing then what she had missed before in her haste to help Sango. Her lap was drenched in blood.

As she fell back unable to remain awake any longer, her mind cried out in panic. The blood could only have come from InuYasha as his head rested on her lap. He needed her.

“InuYasha...” she started.


Miroku reached out to stop Kagome's head from hitting the concrete as she fell over. He began to pray fervently that it would not take long for help to arrive. If more demons were to come, they would all surely be killed. He knew he couldn't hope to create a barrier for any length of time, let alone create on large enough to protect them all.

Miroku looked up when the low thudding sound of a helicopter reached him, growing steadily louder. He nearly cried out in relief as what he could now see was a medical chopper landed in the parking lot a short distance away. He waved urgently at the men in their white uniforms ran toward him.

He noticed one of the men sniffing the air, and Miroku could, of course, tell that this man was youkai.

The youkai ran to where Kagome had left InuYasha as the other, the human, examined Sango and Kagome.

“Get over here now,” the youkai yelled.

The human didn't hesitate and went to join his partner. After a few moments of quiet conversation, the youkai left and returned with a gurney as well as several bags of IV fluids and bandages.

The human returned to Sango and started an IV. “She'll be fine one she gets some fluids,” he said. “A ground unit is on the way, but the hanyou can't wait. We have to take him now.”

Miroku looked over and saw that the youkai had lifted InuYasha on to the gurney and that InuYasha's head was now wrapped in layers of white. As the two wheeled him past, Miroku noticed some thing dark red, hanging off the side of the gurney, blowing in the wind from the helicopter's blades. He thought he might be sick when he realized it was InuYasha's hair, soaked in blood.

The minutes ticked by slowly and Miroku cold do nothing but wait.

Finally an ambulance arrived, and behind it was a limousine. While the paramedics loaded Sango into the ambulance Miroku gave Sesshomaru a brief account of what happened. Sesshomaru carried Kagome to his car and told Miroku he would meet him at the private hospital to which InuYasha had been taken.

Kagome was set up in the room next to InuYasha's.

Miroku made sure Sango was resting comfortably and then he went to meet with Sesshomaru and give him a more detailed account of the evening’s events. Miroku also suggested that it would be best to let her recover naturally instead of giving her a restorative tea and Sesshomaru agreed. It would be better that she wasn't awake until they learned the details of InuYasha's condition.


Sesshomaru went to speak to the doctors and Miroku went into see InuYasha. He wasn't prepared for the sight that awaited him. InuYasha was still unconscious, his bangs were flat against his head, making his ears stand out more, and that effect was only amplified by the marked lack of silver hair that usually cascaded down his back. They had shaved his head, and white gauze was wrapped around it.


Miroku looked to the door when it opened. Sesshomaru stepped inside.

“I was informed that they were forced to close the wound because it was losing too much blood. There was extensive damage,” Sesshomaru told him. “It was, however, starting to heal when he arrive. I must go. I trust you will be remaining here.”

Miroku nodded and watched Sesshomaru leave.

The next several hours were perhaps the loneliest of Miroku’s life. Sango was sleeping while her body worked to replenish the blood that it had lost. Kagome lay in a similar state as her body worked to regain the energy she had expended, and InuYasha was still unconscious as his body tried to heal the damage it had sustained. He moved between their rooms at regular intervals looking for signs that one of them would be waking soon.

The sun had risen several hours ago and Miroku had hoped that the new day would bring at least one of his friends around. He left Sango's side and went to see InuYasha and was startled by several obvious changes in the hanyou's appearance.

InuYasha's hair had started to grow back and now reached nearly to his shoulders, but that was to be expected. More curious was the disappearance of the two purple slashes that had come to adorn his face since his union with Kagome. He wondered what it could mean and had the distinct feeling that it couldn't be anything good.

Miroku was so lost in thought that he failed to notice the fevered amber orbs looking at him.

“Where the hell am I?” InuYasha asked. “And what the fuck are you wearing?”

Miroku's jaw dropped. “InuYasha, you're awake.”

“Figure that out all on your own, bouzo?” InuYasha replied sarcastically. “What the hell is going on?”

“You don't remember?” Miroku questioned. “We were attacked by demons.”

“Was it Narkau?” InuYasha asked. “Where's Sango and Kagome. If that bastard hurt them...” InuYasha trailed off as he looked around the room. “Where the fuck are we? This looks like somewhere in Kagome’s time. How the hell did we get here?”

Miroku found himself at a loss. “InuYasha what is the last thing you remember?” he asked hoping he was wrong about his suspicions.

InuYasha's brow furrowed as he tried to remember.

“Kagome went home for two days to see her family,” he said. “She wanted to say goodbye since Naraku was coming.”

“Oh boy,” Miroku mumbled.

“Listen, bouzo I want to know what the fuck is going on and where the hell Kagome is!” InuYasha yelled.

“Wait here,” Miroku said and he left the room in a hurry. He had to find one of InuYasha's doctors, and then he had to call Sesshomaru.