InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Flower Girl ❯ Victory ( Chapter 70 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

---oOo---

Several days had passed, and the details of the final ambush of Naraku had been hammered out.

It had been surprisingly easy to change the konjou to appear to all the senses as the shikon itself - after Ryozen himself had made the true shikon 'disappear' behind a barrier. Once they'd reached the village, Kagome and Inuyasha had played out the deception, her proclaiming that the jewel was now his... and he stating that he needed to go think about what he wanted.

After he took off, Sesshoumaru and Kagome, along with Ryozen, Sango, Miroku and Kanna had allowed themselves to be shielded - and then they all moved quickly to the small field where the final confrontation was to take place.

Sesshoumaru himself had picked the place - a cave system hidden amongst many cracks in a cliff face that was backed onto the field - Inuyasha would have his friends at his back...

But Naraku would not know that.

It was the perfect plan...

And far, far too easy.

In the end, Naraku fell without even a sound.

When he cornered Inuyasha, he taunted the hanyou for a few moments... and then attacked, using his stolen body's powers - Kagura's wind attacks. He never landed a blow, but during a 'fall', while avoiding those wind blades, Inuyasha allowed the disguised konjou to fall from his hand...

Just as Ryozen had promised, the moment that the spider touched the tama, his soul was torn from the body of Kagura - and trapped for all eternity in a shimmeringly beautiful hell.

As the group came running from the cave, followed more slowly by Ryozen and Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha stood up and brushed himself off almost disgustedly.

"Feh. That was way too easy. I woulda liked to cut him up a whole lot more."

Sesshoumaru looked at the dragon as he picked up the konjou from where it had fallen, and handed it to him. "This is yours, I believe, Sesshoumaru-sama," he said urbanely, and the daiyoukai nodded, taking it and placing it in his sleeve.

Kagome glanced at Miroku and Sango, then at Kanna, who was staring at the body of Kagura that had fallen to the ground the instant that Naraku's soul was pulled from it.

"What do we do about her... body?" Kanna asked, an almost melancholy look crossing her face.

Ryozen glanced down, and then frowned as he looked closer at the wind witch, then, with a raised brow, he looked up at Sesshoumaru.

"I will deal with the remains, Sesshoumaru-sama."

The daiyoukai narrowed his eyes on the dragon, knowing very well that he was up to something... but he nodded nonetheless.

"Very well. She is yours."

Ryozen bowed slightly, then said, "I will return in a few days - will you all still be in that village?"

Kagome spoke up then. "Yeah... I need to go home - I've got a lot to tell my mother..." she trailed off with a wince as Sesshoumaru pinned her with a golden gaze.

He studied her for a moment, then nodded at Ryozen. "Yes, we will be here for a few days."

"Good... I'll be back then." With that, he gathered his youki around himself and the body of Kagura - and disappeared.

Everyone blinked, then looked uncertainly around at each other.

It was just beginning to sink in...

It was finally over.

All that was left was dealing with the real shikon...

Kagome noted the pained look of uncertainty in Sango's gaze, and felt sympathy well up inside.

All this time, we haven't seen anything to tell us what happened to Kohaku... we know he has to be dead, since we have all the shards...

But...

We can't say we've won 'til we've found him.

Naraku's final victim.

Kagome's heart suddenly felt as heavy as Sango's as their gazes met - her thoughts went to her backpack with the drawings of the palm leaves she'd made as a symbol of victory, and she decided to keep them hidden until Kohaku's fate was known...

We'll find him, Sango...

Somehow.

---oOo---

A/N: Bet everyone thought I'd forgotten poor Kohaku - but I haven't... he has a special fate waiting for him. And what was up with Ryozen and his sudden fascination with Kagura's remains?

Amber