Protecting You…

By: xXKikyouXx

Inspired By: SweetTiffy's Protecting You picture on

"What the matter with you Kikyo? You can't escape my webs? Too bad." A quick jerk and the breath was ripped from me painfully, causing me to drop to my

knees weakly.

"Dam…Damn you to hell Caleb!" I spat, making another move for my bow. He thwarted me, crushing my seeking hand under his foot.

"Been there, done that. Anything else love?" He kicked my weapon away in disdain and hauled me to my feet. My vision wavered for a moment, and my brain

launched a full out riot as the blood rushed into head. I tried to regain my composure, tried to gather up some of the light I was so famous for. All that came

was a few sparks of the pinkish hue I'd grown accustomed to from my finger tips.

'Damn….' Caleb laughed cruelly.

"Is this all you have to offer me, priestess? I expected more form the revered Kikyo-sama." He back-handed me and I stumbled back, the webs burning me

with every step I took. I hated this feeling of being unable to protect myself. I swallowed the girlish lump that'd been forming in my throat painfully, my own

brown eyes boring into the red ones of my nemesis. Hard to imagine him and Naraku were one and the same. Then again… I snapped out of my thoughts

quickly.

'They are nothing alike damnit!' I saw Caleb sneer and the webs tightened their sickening grip. I gasped a little, and fell back onto my knees. I kept my eyes

down as he approached, unwilling to make eye contact.

"Don't you ever forget that my dear. We are nothing alike." He was on his knees now as well, his hand searching for my chin. I wanted to blow him to

smithereens with my light, but the webs had done their job quite well. As always, I was a nothing more then a puppet in his play. "And this is what happens

when I catch you with him…" He whispered, pulling my chin upward. I knew what came next. It was always like this. His mouth brushed mine for a moment,

and I could almost see the old Naraku come out in him. Almost. But then the demonic part came rushing back into control and soon it felt like I had no lips at

all. That's when he was ripped away and sent flying a good fifty feet away.

'Not far enough…' I thought, looking up to see the familiar back of my true soul-mate. His arm was out, his haori sleeve dangling long enough to almost hide

me. His shoulders were squared, his legs parted. I stood weakly and my sister rushed to my side.

"Kikyo…?" I smiled at her a little, but let it fade. Kagome was always such a worrier.

"I'm fine. Don't touch me." She nodded briefly and vanished, probably off to find Inuyasha and the gang. I looked up at Naraku from where I stood. His jaw

was set, and his eyes looked like molten lava. He hated Caleb more then I did. Maybe it was because he hated the idea that someday he'd be like that. I'd

probably never know. Naraku never talked about it.

"Are you okay Kikyo?" His voice was cold, aloof, his eyes still locked onto the man was trying to stand halfway across the clearing.

"I'm fine." I repeated, watching his face for a reaction. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and shook his head.

"Liar." He hissed. I glared at him for a minute but stopped. He knew me to well now. He knew if I said I was fine, or okay, especially after an ordeal like this, I

was flat out lying. Caleb had finally struggled to his feet, which meant Naraku had threw him hard enough that something had broken.

'Asshole freaking deserves it.' I thought, catching a glimpse of a smirk dance its way across Naraku's face.

"He always does, love." I allowed myself a small smile.

"Oh…So true…" I muttered, finally regaining some amount of balance that I'd lost. I moved towards my discarded bow and Naraku made a soft noise.

"No." I blinked and turned back to him.

"Excuse me?" I asked him, feeling anger begin to boil the acid in my stomach. Its not a pleasant feeling, just so you know.

"Let me deal with this. Let me protect you." I almost stumbled. It was the first time he'd ever said something like that to me. Before I had the chance to reply,

he was gone and the clash began. As I watched the two identical blurs collide and separate, I couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you."

A/U: Now, before everyone bitches about how there is no Caleb, I wanted to say one thing. He is -in my eyes- the Naraku in the Final Act. He's crueler and more devious then the original. That's just me though. So in this little one - shot, I pitted the two against each other.