The Sacred Wishing Jewel Ch. 19

[mrs-koki.livejournal.com]

Title: The Sacred Wishing Jewel
Author: Mrs_Koki ( me)
Pairing: KoKi Tanaka/ Inu-Kame
Disclaimer: Owning people is illegal...common though, historically
Genre: AU, fantasy, demons, fantasy violence, human and half demon sex
Rating: PG ( NC-17 for later chapters as Koki and Inu-Kame get closer)
Length: Multi-chapter.
Summary:
Koki is a 22 year old human guy, living a normal but unsatisfied and restless life, gets pulled into Japan's feudal past by an otherworldly
creature, where he crosses paths with a dog like half-demon named Inu-Kame. There he discovers his past and future and that not all
legends are the work of the imagination. Can ancient history give Koki the answers he's looking for and settle his restless heart? Will price
be too high to pay for such answers and will he be able to bare the cost? 
A/N: Later chapters Koki and only Koki, will start calling "Inu-Kame" just Kame, everyone else will still refer to him as
'Inu-Kame'.



Miroku and Sango make their way into the inner sanctum of the castle. They see a mysterious figure watching them from behind a bamboo door. Sango uses her Boomerang Bone to destroy the door only to find....Naraku.

“ Naraku!”

“ Heh,heh,heh..so you have come..Sango..and her monk”

“ Why did you kill the wolf demon clansmen?” The monk demands.

“ Just their bad luck..heh heh heh. I suppose you could say their greed was their undoing. I scattered rumors on the wind that the lord of this castle possessed a trove of wishing shards. Greedy fools, they came. Although..it did take a bit of effort to lure their young Chieftain out of his lair..”

“ His target his Koga...or rather, the shards embedded in his legs.” Miroku thinks angrily.

“ He is quite loyal to his people, for a demon..heh heh heh..and so he will settle another minor problem for me...InuKame.”

“ Somehow I always forget what a monster you are,Naraku.”

“ You make the rage in me burn..”

“ Heh heh heh...until all the fuss in the yard is finished...I’ll keep you busy.” Naraku says then makes these tree like things come from under his body, along with more venom wasps.

“ A golem!” Miroku and Sango say in unison.

While Miroku and Sango are fighting Naraku’s golem, InuKame is having a time with Koga out in the yard. InuKame half sits, half stands glaring at Koga.

“ What’s the matter,little puppy? Did you lose your will to fight?” Koga taunts getting closer, “ It’s about time....I avenge the comrades you slew.” he cracks his knuckles on the hand with shard in his arm.

“ K-Koki! InuKame’s going to be killed!” Shippo says frantically. ‘ The Tetsusaiga...I-I got to get it to him!’ Koki thinks as Koga attacks InuKame.

“ Prepare to die!”

“ Exorcising Claws of Steel!” InuKame shouts.

Their blows make contact with Koga stopping on InuKame’s other side. Immediately, InuKame realizes that something’s wrong with his wrist.

“ This is NOT good..the bones of my wrist...they’ve been pulverized.” InuKame thinks, holding his shoulder.

“ Heh...were you trying to scratch me just now?” Koga asks taunting.

Koga charges again, “ I won’t let you get away!”

InuKame dodges another punch, only to be kicked in the face...hard. He goes flying backwards, landing on his back. Koga doesn’t let up.

“ Heh! THIS IS THE END!” Koga shouts, leaping into the air and landing punch on the half demon so hard,InuKame’s pushed into the ground...making a crater around his body. He’s unconscious. Koga stands, InuKame’s blood dripping from his hand.

“ I-INUKAME!” Koki shouts, despite his own injury, he runs over and tries to wake him up. He was a mix of emotions, most notably...fear and anger.

“ So...at last. Its finished.” Koga thinks watching Koki trying to wake up InuKame.

“ Feel better? You have splendidly avenged you fallen kin.” A woman’s voice says.

Koki and Koga look to see who’s talking....It was Kagura! Koki recognizes her, ‘That’s..’ he thinks.

“ What are you?” Koga asks.

“ I am Kagura. I shall allow you one last dance as well.” She says and as she opens her fan, the corpses of Koga’s clansmen come back to life around her.

“ What...?!” Koga was caught off guard.

“ You see. The dead dance so prettily.”

Koga was now enraged...” It was YOU! I’m going to butcher you!” he charges Kagura.

Using her fan, she causes the dead to attack Koga instead.

“ MONSTER!” Koga shouts, then feels a sharp throbbing pain in his arm, he drops to his knees, ‘I...I can’t move?!’ he thinks in horror.

“ Heh heh heh...The venom in the shard in your arm has begun its special work. Now..let the dance begin.” She raises her arm, fan aloft in the air and as she brings it down...“ The Wind Blades’ Dance!” sending razor like wind at Koga...cutting deeply into his body.

“ InuKame...wake up. Kame!” Koki says desperately, he pulls the half demon’s upper body into his lap. Wincing as it causes his fractured ribs to hurt more.

“ You cannot move,can you? The ‘Wishing Shard’ that you embedded in your arm, is a clever counterfeit. A crystallized concretion of venom and poisonous vapors. Now....I shall take the true shards that you carry...by slicing off your legs.” She says raising her fan like you would a knife.

Koga can do nothing as the poison makes it impossible for him to move. He’s only saved by Koki’s arrow, that just manages to miss the woman by mere inches.

“ D-Don’t move!!” Koki shouts his breathing becoming shallow again, “ Next time I will hit you!”

“ Next time? But weren’t you trying to hit that time?” Kagura asks mockingly, “ Try again then. Aim carefully...if you can in your condition.” She sends the same razor like winds in Koki’s direction.

“ Run Koki!” Koga shouts.

But the winds are blocked and Koki falls to the ground, he looks up. Surprising everyone, InuKame's on his feet again.

“ InuKame...Koga’s shard...its a fake.” Koki says.

InuKame says “ Koki...you stay here.” While glaring at Kagura.

‘He stopped my wind blades...with his sword!’ Kagura thinks to herself. “ So..not dead,I see. Silly wolf, your death blow missed.”

“ Feh! You think I’m so weak that an emaciated hound like that could kill me?!” InuKame retorts.

“ Koki!” Shippo says popping up out of nowhere.

“ Shippo! You gave him the Tetsusaiga,didn’t you?” Koki asks.

“ Yeah, but...InuKame’s right arm’s been broken.” Shippo tells him.

“ Hmph. Do you want to fight me so maimed?” Kagura asks InuKame.

“ Hear this. I don’t like the way you framed me and caused Koki to get injured. I don’t like the way you set that idiot on me. But of all the things I don’t like about you, the worst is...that your whole body..has the same stench as Naraku!” InuKame shouts charging at Kagura.

‘Na...raku..?’ Koga thinks glaring.

“ Yes. A fine nose the doggy has.” Kagura says, blocking Tetsusaiga with her wind.

‘ How can she repel the Tetsusaiga with that little wind?’ InuKame asks himself.

“ Oh no..InuKame’s only half as strong as usual..” Shippo was alarmed now.

“ That-that was part of her plan too..” Koki breaths out with some difficulty.

“ Heh, I am a Wind Witch. All of the air of this castle is mine to command. Dragon Serpent’s Dance!” Kagura says and says a swirling wind at InuKame.

He dodges fine but Koga, being unable to move, isn’t so lucky as the winds hit him. Koki disobeys InuKame’s orders and braves the twisters to rescue Koga.

“ Come on Koga!” Koki grunts and manages to pull the severely injured wolf demon into the crater with him and Shippo. The pain from his side is evident in his breathing and voice.

“ Heh..you sure you want this,Koki? I nearly killed InuKame,you know.” Koga asks.

“ Just shut up for once, flea bag. What good is fighting him if you two can’t fight on a fair playing field. Besides, your clan will die without you. He knows I can’t allow someone in trouble to die without trying to help them. We need to get that fake shard out of your arm anyway.” Koki says with a grimace, his side flared up.

“ Its no use. He is beyond rescue. From the false shard he embedded in his own arm..the venom and vapors have circulated all through his body. When they reach his heart, he will be dead.” Kagura explains.

Koki tries to take the shard from Koga’s arm, but the demonic energy is too strong...he can’t touch it. He watches InuKame and Kagura.

“ Now. Let us have our dance!” Kagura says attacking InuKame again.

As InuKame moves out of the way, Shippo asks “ Why isn’t he using the ‘Wind Scar’?!”

InuKame growls and looking for the fissure, he thinks ‘ Where is it? The fissure in the wind that forms where two demon powers collide...the path that draws out the Tetsusaiga’s greatest power. Why can’t I see it?! Why can’t I see the scar of the wind around Kagura at all?!’

“ You I shall slice into pieces!” Kagura says as InuKame dodges her attack again.

‘ If Kagura really controls all of the wind in this castle...then that means we’re inside the cloud of this woman’s huge demonic power!’ InuKame notes, moving back again. Then it hits him, ‘ In that case...there is a way! He’s suffered enough in this battle, but I have no choice.’

Turning to Koki, InuKame shouts “ Koki! SHOOT ME WITH YOUR ARROW!!”

“ What..?” Koki asks stunned, ‘ But you’re not...that will kill you. What are you...?' Koki thinks, realizing what the half demon is doing.

“ I know you’re injured and your side hurts, Koki...But shoot me NOW!” InuKame shouts as Koki raises his bow and arrow.

“ Let us end this, shall we? Dragon Serpent’s Dance!” Kagura shouts sending twisters at the half demon.

“ KOKI!” InuKame calls....Koki lets his arrow fly, trusting that InuKame knows what he’s doing. He falls to his knees, shippo runs over concerned.

‘ Kagura is of the same kind as Naraku. The same demon power...the same poison vapors..and that means..She needs unbroken control of the wind!’ InuKame thinks as Koki’s arrow slices through the winds Kagura created.

‘ The arrow-slicing through my power?!’ Kagura thinks then says, “ You’re a fool! The wind will flow back in a moment!”

“ I want it too....WIND SCAR!!” InuKame yells seeing the fissure he was searching for. The attack hits a surprised Kagur head on, but with InuKame only at half strength...he didn’t kill her.

Back inside the castle Miroku and Sango defeat Naraku’s golem. They head back outside to check on the others. Just as Miroku and Sango get closer, Kagura uses a feather and escapes on the large feather back to Naraku...beaten and badly injured. Then InuKame sees her back...that same spider.

“ Since it seems that you are barely able to stand either...shall we call it a draw for today?” She says as she leaves them in peace.

“ The castle’s disappearing!” Shippo says.

“ It was an illusion,shippo.” Koki replies then says, “ InuKame...”

“ The spider on Kagura’s back...I’ve seen it before. Its the same as the one on Naraku..” The half demon says walking back to Koki who was in the crater with Shippo and the dying Koga.

“ Didn’t you say that she and N-Naraku have the same scent?” Koki asks.

“ What does this mean?!” Sango asks.

“ Perhaps the wind witch is a form of Naraku?” The monk asks in turn.

“ Maybe. But she acted as if she was fighting us for the first time.” Shippo replies.

“ Her plan, it would seem was to make InuKame and Koga battle until one of them was killed....and the survivor was wounded and weak. Her goal,surely, were the Wishing Shards in Koga’s legs.” Miroku says.

“ His skin is changing color. The poison in the fake shard in his arm is spreading.” Shippo says watching over Koga.

“ He’ll die if we don’t do something.” Koki says quietly.

“ Feh. Like I care. Then we can pull the real shards out of his legs and we won’t have to worry about the scrawny wolf causing any more trouble.” InuKame growls, its bad enough Koki got his ribs broken by Kagura playing with the dead...Koki having to rescue the cur made his injury worse.

“ InuKame...I don’t have the energy to fight with you about this. We can’t abandon him, he was caught in that woman’s trap like we were. He’s not entirely at fault here..” Koki says, every word caused his side hurt more.

InuKame stands, a bit wobbly, and unsheaths his sword. “ If that’s what you want...there is a way. I’ll chop off his arm, fake shard and all!” InuKame says raising Tetsusaiga over his head.

“ He’s right,Koki. If the poisonous vapors are too strong for us to pull out the shard, then...” Shippo argues.

‘ Poisonous vapors? There is another way!’ Koki thinks then shouts “ InuKame! Stop!” Arrow in hand he crawls over to Koga, “ My arrows can slice through Naraku’s poisonous vapors...like Ren’s can. Which means...”

Koki jabs his arrow into Koga’s arm where the false shard was and...it popped out! The poison vanishes from Koga’s body as Koki finally passes out from all the pain he’s in. InuKame stands next to Koki to keep Koga from taking off with him again. Sango gets the bandages from Koki’s back pack and wraps his side up so his ribs heal properly.

“ He got it out!” Shippo says from InuKame’s good shoulder.

“ Heh...too bad, insolent puppy. You missed your chance to kill me..” Koga taunts.

“ Feeling better already, are we? Then I won’t hold back! I’ll finish you right now!” InuKame growls.

Koga leaps from the fissure, leaving Koki’s unconscious body alone. He sneers, “ Pah. It’d be no fun winning against a wounded little pup! I’ll overlook it for today!”

“ Oh yeah?! That’s my line!” InuKame responds as Koga makes a fast getaway.

“ He does make a quick getaway,doesn’t he?” Miroku chuckles.

InuKame and the others find a storage room to bed down in for the night. Kirara carrying Koki on her back as they walk through the door. Sango lays Koki next to InuKame, while Mirkou bandages the wound that Koga inflicted on him.

“ Naraku!!” Kagura shouts walking up to him.

“Ah,Kagura. You look as though you’ve paid a visit to death.” Naraku says.

“ This is no joke! You used me to test him, didn’t you?! Why didn’t you tell me about InuKame’s blade?!” She shouts angrily.

“ Ah I see...and so you ran home, without even the wishing shards to show for it..” He looks at his hand as a heart forms in it, “ and you told me you were so powerful.”

He squeezes the heart in his hand,causing Kagura to clutch her chest in pain...dropping to her knees.

“ Don’t forget,Kagura..that I always hold your heart in my hands. That to reduce you again to a formless pool of flesh, would be no effort at all. Lest you forget, that you were originally born of me and nothing more than an extention of my flesh.” Naraku reminds her then says, “ My dear, thanks to you facing InuKame’s Tetsusaiga...I have seen through the blade’s secret. Go. Go once more. I have already send ahead you elder sister...Kanna.”


Back at the store room, Miroku brings up Kagura. Koki is now awake as well, but InuKame refuses to allow Koki to move around more than he should.

“ What do you mean that Kagura could’ve been ‘born’ from Naraku?!” Koki asks, his breathing is much better now that he’s not pushing things.

“ It is only a possibility.” Miroku says.

“ But...how’s anybody ‘born’ from a man?” Sango asks.

“ Naraku himself, remember, is a conglomeration of many demons. If one considers that members of that perverse union might be split apart.” Miroku replies.

“ True...and if she doesn’t share his mind, that could be why she didn’t know much about us.” Koki says.

“ I certainly hope its the case....with the thoughts I was having about her..I’d hate to think she was Naraku himself.” Miroku sighs.

“ Its not like she’s going to call you for a date..” Koki snorts.

“ I don’t buy it. This Kagura is skilled and powerful, if he can produce a creature like that...” InuKame says.

“ Yes. Why didn’t he do it before?” Sango asks.

“ That’s the point. Its not that he chose not to do it before...” Miroku starts..

“ But that he couldn’t until now?” Sango asks.

‘Meaning Naraku’s gained new powers...but how?’ Koki thinks, then looks briefly at InuKame before falling asleep.

A week and a half go by and Koki’s feeling better, his ribs are all healed. They set off looking for more shards. Sango stops at a nearby river to get more water, where they meet up with a young master his two guards.

“ Little wench..where’d she run to?!”

“ Rebelling against the young master...”

“ If you find her...cut off her hands and feet!” The young master orders his men.

“ Y-yes, young master.” One says, as the person they’re searching for hides in the tall grasses near the young master and his men. Then they see Sango some distance away mistaking her for the girl they’re searching for, they attack her.

“ There! There she is!”

“ Its Koharu!” the one with a pole shouts,taking a swing at Sango...he just misses. In turn she hits him over the head with the bamboo tube she stored water in.

“ OW! what...?!” The guy asks surprised as Sango stands up to face him. The real Koharu watches from the reeds.

“ Who...Who are you?!” The young master demands from Sango.

“ No. Who are you? You look human, but after all I’ve seen...” Sango says.

“ Sh-she ain’t Koharu!” a guard says surprised.

“ She’s beautiful. Bring her to me.” The young master orders.

“ Yes,sir!” They chorus and turn to face Sango as Koharu makes a move to show herself.

Only they don’t get very far, when InuKame leaps over Sango and attacks the men who tried to kidnap her. He knocks the guards down and goes for the young master.

“ Wha...” the young master says shocked.

“ So you’re the ring leader,are you?!” InuKame shouts and punches the young leader square in the face. His horse gets spooked and takes off with him on it, his men run after him.

“ Um...” Koharu starts.

“ They were chasing you? Well, you’re safe now.” Sango says.

“ Sango!” Koki calls.

“ What happened?” Miroku asks as him,Koki and shippo run over.

“ Oh...” Koharu then sees Miroku and runs over to him, “ Lord Miroku! Oh, how I’ve longed to see you again!” she shouts happily,latching on to the monk. Everyone else is momentarily speechless.

Letting Miroku go, Koharu says “ Its me, Koharu!”

“ Koharu? Oh! You don’t mean...” Miroku says, his memory catching up with him.

“ Its been three years.” Koharu says.

“ My, my...I didn’t recognize you at all!” Miroku hugs her, she was a child when they first met after all.

“ Friend of his?” InuKame mutters to Koki.

“ Something tells me they’re more than just friends.” Koki replies,Sango says nothing.

Koharu explains, “ I lost my family in the wars...I was taken in by a rich oil merchant, but he made me slave from dawn to midnight. It was so hard and I was hungry all the time...I cried everyday. Then one day, Lord Miroku came to the village to do an exorcism and he was nice to me. He gave me something to eat and asked my age. I told him I was only 11 and he said that if I was just a few years older...”

Miroku then senses the angry glares coming from Koki and Sango, he looks over asking “ Hmm..is something wrong?

“ You...are really disgusting at times!” Koki shouts.

“ You animal!” Sango counters.

“ He made me so happy!” Koharu says dreamily, seeming to ignore Miroku’s verbal bashing.

“ You’d better take responsibility for this!” Koki shouts.

“ Now wait! I haven’t laid a finger on her...yet.”

“ That had better be true!”

“ She WAS only a child...”

“ Then Lord Miroku left the village, but he swore he’d come back for me some day. Then,just recently, my master’s son started lookin at me. It scared me...the way he looked at me. So last night, I finally got up the courage to do it...”

“ You ran away?” Koki asks.

“ Yeah..I clobbered him with a piece o’ firewood over and over again until he wasn’t movin no more..and then I ran.”

“ I see.” Koki says with sympathy.

“ Lord Miroku! Please take me with you!” Koharu begs the monk.

“ Koharu...” Miroku says softly.

“ I got nowhere to go. And I’m older now, we can be together!” She begs.

“ But...she’s younger than me and Sango!" Koki thinks.

While Koki was off talking to Koharu, the other three sit down nearby while InuKame and Sango talk to Miroku.

“ Miroku. I want this clear. We can’t take that girl with us.” InuKame says.

“ Of course not.” The monk says.

“ But...we can’t just leave her either,can we?” Sango asks.

“ We’ll have to stay close by her, help her find some place safe.” Miroku says.

“ Indeed. Especially since you seem to have made her some promises.” Sango dead pans.

“ Well-Nothing I haven’t promised to every other woman I’ve met.”

“ You never promised me anything.”

“ Oh Sango, forgive me!” Mirkou says aghast, grabbing her hands.

“ I wasn’t asking you to!” Sango shouts, InuKame just rolls his eyes.

“ So...Lord Miroku is your first love?” Koki asks.

“ Yes. Not a day goes by without I think of him, sometimes the only thing that kept me goin’..was hopin’ that I’d see him again somehow. I’m so happy now...I could die peaceful. Right here.” Koharu answers, while Kanna watches the girl with her mirror...from the trees.

After resting for a while, they get to another village where Miroku talked to the leader of the village about taking Koharu in.

“ Aye. Indeed. Such a tragic tale.”

“ Then will you keep her in this village,Lord Mayor?” The monk asks.

“ Of course.” The man agrees. InuKame and company were telling Koharu what’s going to happen. She begs and pleads with them anyway.

“ I swear I won’t get in your way! Please...!” Koharu begs again.

“ No.” InuKame says flat out.

“ Its too dangerous to be with us.” Koki replies.

“ Just give up and stay here.” InuKame tells the girl.

“ Its agreed.” Miroku says coming back to the group, Koharu gets upset.

They go off....away from the others and Miroku tries to comfort Koharu. Miroku sits behind her, holding her.

“ Please understand,Koharu. When we’re next forced into battle, I don’t know if I’ll be able to protect your life. The demons pursuing us are powerful and terrible. This farewell is painful for me too.” The monk sighs.

“ Is all this really necessary?” InuKame asks.

“ It’s like he’s trying to keep his options open..” Koki says as they watch the two.

“ Draping himself over her like that...it’ll only leave her pining after him more.” Sango says with a hint of jealousy, that InuKame doesn’t fail to notice..he looks back at her.

“ What?” She asks defensively.

“ Is it my imagination...or have you been a little prickly lately?” InuKame asks.

Sango gives the half demon a glare so scary, he ducks behind Koki, “ It’s your imagination!!”

“ Uh...a-are you okay,Sango?” Koki asks seeing InuKame ducked down behind him.

Later that night InuKame and the others take their leave of the village headman....leaving Koharu behind crying that she can’t follow Miroku.

“ Well then, Lord Mayor, I leave Koharu in your care.” Miroku tells him.

“ You are leaving already? You are welcome to stay the night here.” he offers the group.

“ No, thank you. If we stay any longer, it will only be harder for Koharu.” he replies politely.

“ So she’s not coming out to say good-bye.” Koki thinks while they wait for Miroku.

Koharu was crying inside the main house...she wants to be with Miroku. She gets up, with tears in her eyes, she goes after the lecherous monk. Only to run right into Kanna and her mirror. Surprised, she just stares into Kanna’s mirror....then falls to the ground, a soul less shell.

“ Poor Koharu, I hope she finds happiness.” Koki says as they’re making their way across the fields for planting.

“ Lord Monk, you don’t regret not spending tonight with her?” Sango asks.

“ That would not have been wise. If Koharu found herself with a little memento, then the girl would never stop chasing me.”

“ Oh is THAT the problem?”

“Hm?”

“ Or maybe you could try to control yourself?”

“ Don’t bother...” InuKame sighs.

Soon the sound of murmuring and footsteps reach their ears. They look down the roadway and see the villagers coming their way...bearing torches, axes and other farm tools.

“ The people from that village?” Koki questions.

“ Yeah..there they are!” one of the men shout and InuKame sees the weapons in their hands.

‘ Damn! Koki just healed two weeks ago. What’s going on here?’ InuKame thinks as they get closer.

“ KILL ‘EM!” One of them shout and charges the group.

InuKame gets mad and punches the three that attacked first, “ What in the Hells?!” he shouts, as the men fall to the ground.

“ What is it with these people? They seem like ordinary villagers, but...” Koki says to himself as InuKame stands in front of him.

“ Don’t let them leave the village!” an old man shouts.

“ Is someone controlling them?!” Sango asks.

“ No! There’s no scent of demon here!” InuKame replies, then they see Naraku’s venom wasps.

“ Venom Wasps!” InuKame,Sango and Koki shout at the same time.

‘ I had a feeling this was Naraku’s doing.’ Koki thinks as Miroku runs off.

“ Miroku!” Koki shouts at the monk.

“ Koharu...are you all right?” Miroku mutters and goes back to the main house of the village Mayor. Where Koharu comes to and managed to crawl outside the building.

“ Koharu!” Miroku says running over to her. Koki and the others followed.

“ I....fainted...” Koharu says.

“ Koharu..are you all right?!” Koki asks as they get closer, and Miroku helps the girl to stand. The villagers followed, surrounding the them all.

“ The villagers all seem to have been possessed.” InuKame notes.

“ We’re surrounded.” Sango says.

“ Koharu, wait here.” Miroku tells her.

“ What about you?” She asks him, he doesn’t answer her.

“ Koki, you stay here.” InuKame says, placing his hand on the side that once had Koki’s broken ribs.

“ Kame...I’m fine.” Koki argues, then sees the look in InuKame’s gaze and gives in, “ Fine, I’ll stay.”

“ Sango, I leave Koharu in your hands!”

“ Look after Koki too!” InuKame and Miroku tell her before leaving them to see whose behind this attack.

‘ They’re worthy of protection, but I’m not?’ Sango thinks giving them a dry look.

“ I think you’re beautiful,Sango.” Shippo says from her shoulder.

“ Spare me the compliments,Shippo.” She sighs.

“ Umm...I saw something. Before I fainted..a demon.” Koharu tells Sango and Koki.

“ What?!” Koki replies.

“ The Mayor and everyone..they were knocked out too. It might still be in there.” Koharu says next to Koki, as Sango bursts into the room.

‘ But how? InuKame said there was no scent of demons.’ Koki thinks, waiting to see if the demon shows itself.

Soon Sango sees the gleam from Kanna’s mirror, and Kanna herself.

“ THERE! THAT’S THE ONE! BOMMERRANG BONE!” She shouts and sends her weapon flying towards Kanna.

Kanna holds out her mirror, and sends Sango’s weapon back hit, hitting her in the abdomen and knocking her to the ground.

“ SANGO!” Koki shouts running over,worried. He sees Kanna just staring at him.

“ K..oki..” Kanna says.

‘ This child...?’ He thinks as Koharu grabs him by the arms, she’s surprisingly strong for someone whose possessed, forcing Koki to look in Kanna’s mirror

“ Koharu..?! What are you...?!” Koki asks in shock.

Kanna then says, “ Give me...your soul..” putting her mirror in Koki’s face.

Koki feels strange...like his soul is being sucked from his body. He faints to the ground as Koharu releases him. Meanwhile, Miroku and InuKame were having a time with the villagers.

“ InuKame. Our opponents are innocent people. Don’t hurt them too much!” Miroku shouts.

“ I know! It’s not like I’m doing much damage here! There’s too many of them!” InuKame replies.

“ Ah, such sentimental lads...” A woman’s voice mocks, “ You should just kill them all...so they can rise never again!”  Kagura shows up standing in the middle of the all villagers.

“ Kagura!” Miroku is surprised and not at the same time.

“ You again!” InuKame growls.

“ Though come to think of it, I imagine you’d have done so from the start...if you could.” Kagura says.

“ So it’s you controlling them!” InuKame shouts.

“ No. It is only the dead whom I make dance.”

“ No..?!”

“ That means...” InuKame says then thinks ‘There’s another demon here?!’

“ By now, that guy Koki has most likely lost his soul as well.”

“ What?!” InuKame says, ‘Koki!’.

“ Now, draw your Tetsusaiga,InuKame! This time won’t be like before. Prepare to die,InuKame....Now you’re going to get paid back for last time!” Kagura replies.

“ Miroku! Go back to Koki and the others!”

“ But what about you?”

“ Isn’t it obvious?! I’m going to take care of this wench!” InuKame pulls Tetsusaiga from its sheath.

Kagura sends her wind blades at InuKame, who blocks her attack with Tetsusaiga. Miroku hangs around still.

“ GO MIROKU!!” InuKame orders.

“ A-All right!” Miroku then heads back to check on Sango,Koki and Koharu.

“ Its useless! By this time, your Koki will be an empty shell!” Kagura taunts.

“ He’s stronger than you think!” InuKame growls and thinks ‘ Koki....just hang on until I get there!’ as him and Kagura go head to head.

Back in the Mayor’s residence, Kanna is taking Koki’s soul only its not as easy as she thought it would be.

Kanna looks and sees Koki’s soul bulging from the mirror, “ His soul...won’t be contained. But still...you can’t move anymore, can you? I can take the Wishing Shards Koki carries.” She leans down to take the shards Koki carries in a small vial around his neck. Suddenly an angry Koki shifts and raises his bow and arrow at Kanna.

‘He’s still moving!’ Kanna thinks, just as Shippo riding on Kirara show up.

“ Y-You white witch! If you move, we’ll tear you to shreds!” Shippo threatens,Kirara growls.

Koki looks back,sweat dripping down his face, and sees the little fox demon. ‘Shippo, stay back! If she catches you in her mirror, she’ll steal your soul’ he thinks. Just as Kanna runs off hearing the door open. Miroku sees her running away.

“ Master Koki!” Miroku says running over.

“ Lord Miroku!” Koki says before collapsing to the ground, trying to keep from passing out.

Miroku sees Sango out cold from being attacked by her own weapon, “ Sango!..Master Koki?” he says confused at what’s going on. ‘ That was the other demon...who was manipulating the villagers?’

Remembering Koharu, he looks for her “ Koharu..Where’s Koharu?!” He says frantically.

“ Lord Miroku...” A voice says walking from the shadows.

“ Koharu..” Miroku sees a lone figure step forth,holding a scythe her hands.

“ Be careful,Miroku! Koharu is being controlled too!” Shippo warns coming up next to him.

“ I did such terrible things to you and your companions. I’m so sorry...I can’t go on any longer.” Bringing the scythe to her neck,ready to take her own life. She touches the thing to her neck...

“ Stop it,Koharu!” Miroku shouts running over.

Koharu attacks him, trying to kill him. Miroku blocks with his arm and receives cut in return. While Koki and Shippo watch, Miroku parries with his staff knocking the weapon from her hands. Thinking fast he punches Koharu in the solar plexes...knocking her unconscious. She collapses in his arms.

“ Her soul is still trapped in the mirror.” Shippo says.

“....Mirror?!”

“ Koki too...and at this rate...” Shippo replies worried, as Miroku puts Sango,her weapon and Koharu on Kirara’s back, while he supports Koki’s weight...helping Koki to walk.

“ Do you think that mirror demon is with Naraku?” Shippo asks.

‘ It seems likely, but if so...why didn’t we sense her? InuKame said he scented no demons and I felt no demonic power.’ Miroku thinks then answers “ Probably.”

Meanwhile, Kagura and InuKame continue to battle. InuKame trying to finish things quickly so he can get back to Koki. Only....its not going as well as he hoped it would.

“ What’s the matter,InuKame? You’re evading me, not attacking! Can it be that you can’t fight without borrowing the power of Koki’s arrow?!” She taunts the half demon.

InuKame dodges and glares at Kagura’s words, as she attacks again he thinks ‘Blast it! As long as Kagura is controlling the wind, I can’t read the line between demon powers...the Scar of the Wind....’ Then he sees it, ‘What...it’s the scar! What’s going on?! Is her control of the wind..weakening?! If so..this is my only chance!’

“ Get ready to die!” InuKame shouts charging Kagura. Only the villagers get in the way, stalling the half demon’s attack, “ GET OUT OF THE WAY!” he orders the villagers.

“ Humph! You’re a sentimental thing, aren’t you?!” Kagura attacks again.

‘ Curse the witch...using the villagers as her shield’ InuKame thinks as he dodges her winds again.

‘ It’s just as Naraku said. This InuKame slashed at the very place where I deliberately weakened my winds.’ she thinks to herself.

“ Coward! Why don’t you fight me!” InuKame yells.

“ You don’t have to hold back,you know! Just cut me down-along with this chaff!” Kagura replies shielding herself and the villagers with her winds, she thinks ‘Ah, such a simple minded lad. He’s fallen right into my trap’

“ Aren’t you going to come after me,InuKame? No? Then..dance ‘til you die!” Kagura sends her winds at InuKame again, who dodges out of the way.

‘Curse it! The villagers won’t move! If I slash at the Scar of the Wind now...they’ll die along with Kagura!’ He blocks Kagura’s Dragon’s dance technique with his Tetsusaiga.

“ Wind Blades Dance!” She attacks him again, again all he can do is block at this point...what with the villagers still serving as her human shield.

“ You Witch!” InuKame curses, then gets hit dead in the chest by one of her winds...landing face down on the ground. He was more annoyed at this point and that attack did hurt.

She looks over and says “ Oh? Tired already?” The villagers move away from her at this point, ‘ I could save myself considerable trouble and simply kill him myself but....Ah well, suppose not.’

InuKame looks up and sees that the villagers moved out of the way, whether they know it or not...they gave InuKame the opening he was looking for.

“ InuKame...I’ll let you rest you in peace! Wind Blades Dance!” She attacks again as InuKame,glaringly gets to his feet.

Miroku and Shippo hurry over as fast they could..though with Koki on his shoulder, Miroku couldn’t move that fast. Neither could Kirara who carried her master and Koharu.

“ Don’t be full of yourself!” InuKame shouts raising his blade.

“ INUKAME!” The monk and Shippo shout in unison.

“ WIND SCAR!” InuKame yells as his sword swings sending its attack at Kagura. Miroku and Kirara put Koki and the other two down for the moment.

“N-No!” Shippo sees Kanna appear behind Kagura, “ No, InuKame! Don’t do it!”

InuKame sees Kanna appear in front of Kagura, but its too late to stop the attack. Kanna reflects InuKame’s attack back at him with her mirror,  he’s thrown back landing in a large pool of his own blood. As with Sango, InuKame was done in by Kanna’s mirror...or was he?

“ Eh? Tetsusaiga’s power repelled?” The monk asks shocked.

“ Sango was done in by that mirror too!” Shippo replies, they both see the dim light to the half demon’s eyes. Then Naraku shows up behind both Kagura and Kanna.

Shippo goes to try and wake InuKame, while Miroku faces Naraku head on. He was pissed.

“ Hmph. It is over at last,InuKame.” Naraku says calmly.

“ Naraku!” Miroku goes unleash his wind tunnel but....

“ Lord Monk. Do not even think of unleashing the wind tunnel...unless you wish to suck in the souls of Koki and the villagers trapped in Kanna’s mirror as well.” Miroku re-wraps the beads around his hand and wrist. “ Now monk. You are the only one who remains.”

Koki comes to and sees Kirara next to Sango, he looks at the large cat demon.

“ Kirara...please..take me..to InuKame..” His voice was weak, having half his soul sucked from him and still being able to move around...much less talk, was no easy feat. While Miroku distracts the other three, Kirara does as she’s asked and helps Koki over to InuKame’s body...he wants to see what happened to him. Even Koki can smell that much blood on the ground and he just knew it came from InuKame.

“ Heh,heh,heh, Even more dismal that one would have thought...wouldn’t you say,InuKame?” Naraku addresses the unmoving half demon.

“ Naraku..what are those two? Your subordinates?” The monk asks.

“ And what would you do with that knowledge,monk? After all, you’re about to die.”

“ Answer me. Does the maiden Kanna...like you and that Kagura beside you, bear a spider shaped scar on her back? Answer me.”

“ Ho..I’m impressed. You guess well,monk. Indeed, Kagura and Kanna are both demons born of my body. ‘Wind’ and ‘Nothingness’.

“ ‘Nothingness’ you say? Now I see..No odor, no shadow, not even an aura of power. That’s why we did not sense her until she’d done so much harm.” Miroku says, ‘ Inside that mirror is Master Koki’s soul...What do I do? How do I reclaim it?’ he questions himself.

“ Kagura, Go take InuKame’s head.” Naraku orders.

“ We’re taking it home?” She asks.

“ What?” Miroku was confused.

“ Heh, Heh,Heh...If I showed him InuKame’s head...what sort of face do you think our Master Ren will make?” Naraku asks in general.

‘Ren? Why does he bring up Ren’s name at a time like this?!’ Miroku wonders as InuKame starts to stir at the mention of Ren’s name.

“ NNNH....” The half demon groans.

“ InuKame!” Shippo says.

“ InuKame? You survived?!” Miroku was stunned.

Shippo looks at the sword still in the half demon’s hand and realizes that Tetsusaiga must have saved his life. The villagers start ambling towards the monk.

“ You’re up against the villagers now, monk. Fight to your heart’s content.” Naraku replies smirking.

“ InuKame! I shall gladly take your head!” Kagura laughs as she sends her winds at the half demon who can’t move to save his own neck. (unintentional pun)

Soon an arrow slices right through Kagura’s winds with ease. She looks over and sees Koki on one knee, bow raised and pissed as hell. Kirara supports his weight.

‘That guy..!’ Kagura was surprised.

“ Master Koki!” Miroku shouts fighting the villagers.

Koki crawls over to InuKame’s body, he’s relieved that the half demon’s alive...even just barely. InuKame says quietly, “ K..Ko..ki..”

Kagura turns to Kanna, “ So you fumbled it, did you Kanna? You were supposed to take his soul! He’s still moving!” she was angry and it showed.

Kanna looks down as her mirror starts making noise, while Naraku thinks ‘ His soul over flows the mirror, so she couldn’t contain it all,eh? Then the guy’s soul is even greater than I thought.’

Koki, with Kirara’s help, raises his bow and arrow once more...pointing it dead center at Kanna’s mirror.

“ Ho..You still have the strength to draw a bow,do you?” Naraku asks amused quite frankly.

“ You damn near killed InuKame! I won’t forgive your actions!” Koki replies angrily, then sees a light coming from Naraku’s body. ‘ A light? The light of the Wishing Jewel?! Its so much brighter than before. It couldn’t be..’ Koki needs answers.

“ What’s going on, Naraku?! Where did you find so many Wishing Shards?” He demands, that also got InuKame’s attention as well.

“ Ah yes...You can see it,can’t you? Do you really want to know...who gave these shards to Naraku?” He asks Koki, holding out the large chunk of jewel shard that was previously in Koki’s possession.

“ Very soon now..the Jewel will be complete once more.” Naraku replies.

Koki recognizes the jewel he had almost a month ago. He’s confused ‘ That time Ren took the jewel shard from me...did he...give it to Naraku?! If so, but why?’

“ What your thoughts may be...even I do not know. But this is true...Ren, himself, gave me these Wishing Shards.”

‘Ren?!’ InuKame thinks sharing Koki’s confusion.

“ Heh, heh,heh..InuKame. If you must curse someone, curse the man you once loved. Your present,wretched state is all thanks to the power...his gift bestowed upon this body!” Naraku taunts, its the truth though.

Koki’s really pissed now. He may not care for Ren...but he does care for the half demon. That alone makes him defend Ren at times.

“ Argh! Just listening to you...makes me want to hurl!” Koki says, his arrow still pointing at the three in front of him. Kanna moves in front of Naraku.

“ Go ahead. Try to shoot us.” Naraku laughs.

“ Koki don’t...Kanna’s mirror...” InuKame begs.

“ Th-that’s right! That mirror even bounced back the wind blast from InuKame’s blade. If your arrow is repelled too..” Shippo argues.

“ Yes, why even bother? Merely to protect InuKame?” Naraku asks as Koki stands fully upright, without Kirara’s assistance...his body radiates power. Kirara stays behind him to catch should his strength give out.

“ Yes...to protect InuKame. I’m like Ren but I’m not at the same time, as my arrows dispels your venom and poisonous vapors...they too, shall break that fucking mirror!” Koki replies, the under current of rage in his voice is low. He lets the arrow go and falls back down, Kirara catches him in time.

“ Reflect it,Kanna.” Naraku says calmly.

As the arrow hits the mirror, instead of being bounced back at Koki, as it should’ve been, the mirror swallows Koki’s arrow. The mirror swirls and Koki sees himself on the ground. He looks at the mirror. Shippo is afraid.

“ No! If your reflection is caught, the rest of your soul will be sucked out. Run Koki!” Shippo urges.

“ I’m fine.” Koki says then he thinks he may have Kanna’s mirror figured out, ‘ If she could suck out all my soul, she’d done it already. That means...’ as something comes from the mirror.

Naraku turns to Kanna and asks, “ Is this your doing?”

“ No..the mirror will not obey me.” She replies as it shakes in her hands, she hears a cracking noise coming from the mirror, ‘ If I don’t release the souls...the mirror will be destroyed.’ she holds it out and the souls of the villagers and Koki’s own come flying out.

Koki’s engulfed in a bright light as his soul is returned to his body, ‘My soul is back and the villagers as well’ he thinks then shouts to Miroku.

“ Lord Miroku! Your wind tunnel!”

“ Naraku! This is your end!! Wind Tunnel!” The monk shouts and lets loose the tunnel in his hand.

Naraku calls on Kagura and all three make a fast escape as the wind tunnel hits them.

“ Did he do it?” Shippo asks, as Koki goes over to InuKame.

“ Heh,heh,heh...You were too late..”

“ Damn! he’s fast!” Miroku mutters.

“ I will let you keep your lives just a little longer. But do not forget,InuKame, Kagura and Kanna...are merely two facets of the Wishing Jewel’s power bestowed upon the new Naraku.” He leaves them in peace for the time being.