Sacrifice

-o- Prologue -o-

(Kagome's Point of View)

In only a few short hours, that had seemed endless, Kagome looked weakly out at the scene before her…How had everything gone so horribly wrong in so short a time? It wasn't supposed to end like this!

Kohaku was dead, Sango gravely wounded, and emotionally distraught over her dead brother. Miroku was unconscious due to the Naraku's poison. Kikyou was injured and lying on the ground, but I could care less about her… but what was worse was that Kilala and Shippo were both dead… Inu-Yasha was bleeding heavily and he was staring at me in horror. Or rather, he was staring at the large wound in my side, right under my rib cage, where Naraku's tentacle had impaled me. I couldn't move from the pain. My tears mixed in with the blood as he slowly removed his tentacle with a sardonic chuckle. I honestly believed we weren't going to make it out of there…

"Come to me Kagome…" he growled out. I still couldn't move from the pain, very much and I made no move to reply to him.

"Kagome! Watch it!" Inu-Yasha gasped out in horror. Weakly I turned to see the source of Inu-Yasha's distress. Naraku's tentacle was coming for me again. I flinched just as it was about to impale me a second time, but this time in the stomach. As it went into my stomach I cried out in pain, and then bit my lip to stop myself, but I bit too hard and blood slowly trickled out of my lip. The pain made me want to just die, but I wouldn't give Naraku the pleasure at seeing my emotions, so I closed my eyes. With his tentacle still in my stomach he lifted me up by it and the pain alone made me want to throw-up, and I was sure that I had turned into a ghoulish shade of green. Again I refused to give him any sort of pleasure, so I clamped my mouth shut and stared at him in pure hatred. He was going to see just how stubborn I could really be… He lifted me off the ground and held me inches away from his face, with the tentacle, as I dangled mere centimeters above his head.

In one quick and rough movement he released me from the tentacle, and grabbing me around the waist, pulled my back to his chest, making me grimace from the pain. He lowered his head to whisper in my ear…

"I can relieve this pain from you, Kagome. All you have to do is become my mate…" he hissed into her ears. His cold breath made me want to shiver, but I stubbornly suppressed it.

"I can make you mine Kagome, I can give you unbelievable power, turn you immortal. With me you wouldn't have to worry about that pathetic Inu-Yasha betraying you. He leered down at me, but I refused to lift my gaze to meet his. I closed my eyes and sighed in exhaustion.

"I'll never become yours, you bastard! Not even over my dead body!" she turned to spit in his face. His eyes burned with fury into hers, but she wasn't afraid. With him in this state the worst he could do was kill her. In a rage he flung me to land a meter away from Kikyou. She looked at me with disgust in her eyes. Inu-Yasha looked uncertainly at the both of them. Kikyou's hand slowly crawled for my hand, and I knew for a fact she didn't want a hand to hold. As her blood covered hand slithered for mine I felt repulsed, that I couldn't even move away from her. She finally clawed at my hand and I felt my soul slowly start to slip away into her body…she licked her lips in a sadistic pleasure. I felt sickened at her touch. Every inch of me screamed to throw her off, but I couldn't move, and I was already getting weaker.

"Your soul belongs to me, Kagome…you never had a destiny of your own. I will sacrifice you here, so that I can kill Naraku myself, and then I will have Inu-Yasha to myself!" she hissed in satisfaction.

"Which on will you save Inu-Yasha?" Naraku glared at the hanyou as he raised two tentacles and pointed them at Kikyou and myself. He had a second to decide and then the tentacles shot through the air. This time nothing moved in slow motion. As the tentacles went flying for the undead miko and her reincarnation, Inu-Yasha flew towards them in a last burst of strength. His claws ripped through the tentacle, successfully stopping it. Kikyou gazed back at her with a look of pity and disgust, while smirking at her ghoulishly.

This time, however, the tentacle went right through me. I screamed in pain as the tentacle forced me to my feet. I looked at Inu-Yasha out of the corner of my eye. He looked at me with a cold pitying look in his eyes.

"Sorry Kagome, but you had to have known I would choose her over you. You relied on my too much. I was always saving you. Whereas Kikyou was the one who saved me fifty years ago. Kikyou is stronger than you ever will be." He stared at her in reproach.

I was too weak to speak… ' How am I even still alive!? I am near death, and that claypot has stolen half of my soul! I should be dead!' Kagome grimaced.

Little did anyone know that the older half brother, tai-youkai Sesshoumaru had been watching the whole ordeal with an increasing disgust in his younger hanyou, fool for a brother. He so effortlessly tossed those that had been loyal to him, to the side without so much as a kind word or apology. A true blooded demon was always loyal to his loyal followers. In that instant he watched as the courageous girl refused Naraku, which was a death wish, and she had been courageous to Inu-Yasha. She was literally sacrificing her own life to try and save his, while the wench he chose, laid pathetically in the blood soaked dirt for him to save her. He had heard every word that had been spoken, and watched as a bitter smile played over the reincarnations features. She slowly and obviously painfully lifted her hand and placed it on the tentacle that was cutting through her mortal body. Her hands glowed a brilliant blue, which was different from her normal miko powers, and her power shot through the tentacle until it reached Naraku, going right through his barriers. He screamed in pain as the power slowly engulfed him. Then all at once there was an explosion of blue light and right before Kagome disappeared, Sesshoumaru heard what she said.

"I'll show you how powerful I really am, mutt."

After the explosion faded Sesshoumaru was shocked at the extent of the damage made to the battle field. Her power had both destroyed and purified anything in its path. There was no trace of Naraku, he had been completely purified, and so had Inu-Yasha, who was now lying unconscious in the dirt, as a full blooded human. Kikyou had both been purified and healed, and was now bleeding on the ground instead of crumbling like she had been earlier.

The betrayed girl had also managed to transport herself to a different location, conveniently near where Sesshoumaru was watching. He could smell the scent of her blood, and it made him grimace. She was losing so much blood that as soon as she had transported herself, the air was instantly drenched with it. As Sesshoumaru went to search for the injured girl he heard the miko yell from the battlefield.

"Kagome! Your soul will be mine you bitch!" Considering all that had happened Sesshoumaru had seen this 'Kagome's' power and she would prove to be a most incredible ally, now that she was no longer with his idiot brother…

"So he name is Kagome is it? Well Kagome, you will prove to be a most formidable ally for this Sesshoumaru…" With that he stepped into the clearing and saw the girl barely conscious, leaning against a tree, how she was still alive was a very good question, but if Sesshoumaru wanted the girl to live he had to act fast…

Ha ha, a cliff hanger…I actually hate those…they are so suspenseful…Anyways review, review, review, review!!! Let me know what you think!

~Tsuki Dream