Alright this is...well, beyond an apology. I'm really sorry for the delay but I've been busy as hell. I hope this chapter makes up for it.

Please review, it really does mean a lot.

Thank you for reading.

Choices

Chapter Eleven:

Three Arrows

Kikyou gritted her teeth in frustration and she impatiently wiped away the sweat dripping from her brow with the edge of her sleeve. This sudden action pulled a small moan of pain from her mouth and leaned against the rock, staying perfectly still until the shooting pains subsided into a dull ache. There were only about five arrows left in her quiver and she didn't have enough energy to make each one count. She'd been tired after the first battle with Waru and undoing the spell on Kagome had sapped her energy even more. She sat crouched behind a rock, trying her best to avoid the tentacles and miasma all around, trying her best to stay hidden from Naraku's gaze.

Naraku in his true form was truly a potent enemy and she watched with trepidation as he single-handedly managed to hold off some of the best fighters she had ever seen: Sesshoumaru, Miroku, and Sango. With his deadly claws, immense speed, strength, a quiet self-assurance and a wealth of experience, Sesshoumaru was proving to be a tough opponent. Miroku and Sango weren't quite as tough as warriors, but their skills were polished and they were only fuelled by a deep-seated desire for revenge.

The battle was raging, just as strong as when Inuyasha and Kagome had left the scene. Kikyou knew the pair would be alright. The knowledge was a little painful, but she forced herself to concentrate on what was happening right in front of her.

Strong and skilled though he was, fighting three opponents at once, with them beginning with the element of surprise was taking its toll on him. He wasn't able to muster up the mental strength to construct a kekkai and this was proving to be a hindrance. He sent his tentacles lashing out at each of them, three more sprouting when one was lopped off. His miasma was strong and the acrid fumes filled the air. Sango and Miroku were holding out even without gas masks, to his slight irritation, but he knew they wouldn't last forever. Sesshoumaru was the most experienced fighter, the strongest of the trip and though his speed simply added to the danger of his attacks, he too failed to make a huge impact. All this frustrated Naraku because far from defeating him, they were simply keeping him here. Neither of the groups was able to defeat the other and this was proving to be a colossal waste of time for Naraku. It was time to get rid of this unworthy irritant.

Suddenly, he seemed to retract within himself, and Miroku flung out a hand to stop Sango from throwing Hiraikotsu at Naraku. "Houshi-sama" she whispered furiously, stopping it from hitting him at the very last minute. "What are you thinking?" "Sango, wait. I don't trust what he's doing...just-just back off for a minute." said Miroku as he cautiously took a step back. Sesshoumaru nodded and he too retreated, looking at Naraku suspiciously. "The monk is right. Something is not right. Halt your attack, Taijiya." He said quietly. With uncertainty written large over her face, Sango did as she was told and gasped as Naraku's body suddenly pulsed with power.

A smile appeared on his face and with another pulse of energy, dozens more of the tentacles burst forth, larger and more dangerous than the old ones. These were huge and horribly mutated, twisting and coiling everywhere. The tentacles knocked back Miroku and Sango, and they barely managed to land on their feet, while Sesshoumaru was only able to jump out of their way in the very last second. Naraku looked up and began laughing, an uncontrollable, sadistic sound that made even Sesshoumaru tense.

"Miroku," Shippou's harsh whisper only just reached the monk above Naraku's echoing laugh, and he twisted, wondering what the matter was now. What, he mouthed, looking at the kitsune who was frantically jabbing his index finger at the sky, a look of utter terror on his face.

As Miroku turned his head skyward, the confusion drained, giving way to a horror struck expression. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out instead. Finally finding his voice, he said hoarsely, "Sango," just as Sesshoumaru turned and looked up, his mouth tightening at the corners.

Coming towards them was an enormous horde of youkai, low level and otherwise. They looked like a massive black, moving cloud, about to burst upon them. They all had anticipatory grins on their faces, just waiting to rip apart their soon-to-be prey.

Miroku suppressed a groan of pain as he savagely wiped his bleeding cheek with his sleeve and his knuckles were white as they gripped the staff. Sango's gaze kept flicking between Naraku's laughing face and the oncoming horde of youkai. Kikyou struggled on her feet and using her bow as support, staggered towards the trio. Sesshoumaru swiftly turned his head in the other direction and noticed Kagura flying towards them on her feather.

When Kagura's gaze fell on Sesshoumaru, an expression of pain and regret flashed across her face for a brief second and she chased it away just as fast as it had come, her features settling back into their usual haughty lines. Only someone who had been observing her very closely would be able to tell how hard it was to chase away that sadness. She had known long before she had been summoned that sooner or later, Naraku would call her. He was still recovering from the changes he had brought about in his body during his human night and wasn't as strong as usual. He was having immense difficulty erecting a kekkai around himself and this was proving to be his greatest weakness. She had been observing the battle for long from a safe distance and had been experiencing a thrill every time one of the groups managed to land a hit on Naraku, particularly Sesshoumaru. The very hope of possibility took her a little closer to her heart.

Naraku rose in the air and threw his hands wide open, his voice silky, "Welcome! Well, the battle is just going to get more interesting from now, isn't it? Can the four of you handle it? It's sad that you don't have Inuyasha or Kagome. They would have been a great help, wouldn't they? Quite a loss to the group... yet you keep fighting. Admirable...Kikyou, do you feel betrayed? Houshi-sama, do you? What about you, Sango? Truly, you've all been left in the lurch by-"

"Shut up!" Sango's voice cut across Naraku's and she was shaking with rage. Her every syllable trembled with fury, "Naraku, you bastard... I know what you're trying to do. Nobody here feels betrayed, you hear me? We're just fine and nobody here thinks Inuyasha and Kagome are off for a picnic. Don't act as though any of us has forgotten why we're here right now!" Her ponytail swung from side to side as she shouted at Naraku. Finally losing what semblance of calm she was trying to hold on to when she saw a bemused smirk on his face, "You were about to rape Kagome!" she hurled at him. "So, you just shut the fuck up, because I have had it. I don't care if you bring another thousand youkai. I will keep fighting, and I will keep fighting my best! I'm just going to keep killing every last vile minion you send this way!"

Naraku chuckled quietly and said, "I wouldn't be so sure, Sango. Choose your words with care because-"

His words were cut across yet again by Sango but this time, it was a strangled cry as she clutched at Miroku's arm for support. Her gaze fell on the slight figure of a young boy in a Taijiya's garb running towards the battlefield, his weapon at the ready, his eyes lifeless and glazed over.

"Kohaku," Her voice sounded as though it were a mouthful of broken glass, and it splintered out, Miroku wincing as he heard the pain in it. Even Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed with a glimmer of pity; he respected the Taijiya, her loyalty and fighting skills. Nobody deserved a fate such as this.

Sango reached out towards the boy gingerly, but he immediately leapt back, standing respectfully at Naraku's side. Naraku's chuckle grew into a full blown laugh and in an instant he re-erected the kekkai around himself. Sango's grief and pain at seeing her brother's plight had just helped get his strength back, solidifying his attempts at gathering all his power.

"Kikyou-sama," said Miroku swiftly, but her arrow was already flying towards the half-demon in the sky, a faint pink glow about it. They all tensed, waiting for it to shatter the barrier, but it only hissed and disintegrated when it came in contact with it. Miroku stiffened with shock and Sango's face became taut with worry. Sesshoumaru's brow furrowed the slightest bit, his displeasure and disappointment evident. Kagura's eyes widened in disbelief, but Kikyou swayed where she stood, unable to believe that her arrow hadn't done what she had intended it to do. She reeled under the shock of it and dropped to the ground, her strength draining once again... Four arrows left.

"Go behind, Miko; do not come in the way." Commanded Sesshoumaru quietly and watched; a frosty, pitiless look in his eyes as he watched her stagger back behind a rock, clutching her chest in shocked disbelief mingled with denial. "Take heart, Taijiya. Prepare yourself." His voice was a little kinder as he directed his words to Sango, indicating with eyes that the horde of youkai were about to attack, Naraku surveying them all from his spot in the sky, the gleam back in his eyes.

And again, the trio braced themselves, ready for their attackers. Just as the youkai closed in, their grotesque faces full of glee, Miroku and Sesshoumaru began slaying them, while Sango rushed to handle Kohaku.

It was a gruesome sight, blood and youkai guts thickening the air along with the bright flashes of Sesshoumaru's swords and sparks of Miroku's Ofuda. Kikyou managed to purify the low level youkai, her brow knitted in concentration, sitting in her safe place. Just as the numbers of youkai were dwindling, Naraku spoke to Kagura, his voice silkily dangerous, "I think it may be time for you to enter the fray, Kagura."

Kagura's face gardened with hate and flew closer to the battle with barely concealed reluctance. "Wind Blades!" she cried out, slashing her fan through the air, watching the effect of her attack knock back Miroku, attempting to kill an ugly youkai, green slime oozing from its face.

"Kagura..." Naraku drew out the syllables of her name lazily and the dangerous glint in his eyes reminded her of how her life could well be snuffed out by him, it reminded her of who had custody of her heart and she gathered her resolve as she cried out once again, "Dance of the Dragon Snakes!" releasing the attack with much more intensity than she had the first one.

This attack whipped about the field, buffeting Miroku, Sango and even Sesshoumaru, preventing them from fighting properly. Steeling herself, not allowing herself to look at Sesshoumaru, Kagura raised her fan in the air once again. Surveying the bodies of slain youkai littering the field, she declared, "Corpse Dance!" and at once, they rose with jerky movements, staggering and stumbling towards Miroku and Sango.

Grunting with frustration, unable to fend off the onslaught of the corpses, Miroku and Sango stood with their backs to each other and tried to carve out a passage. Sesshoumaru for his part brought down his vicious claws on the youkai again and again, but that too didn't help much, because what good were poisoned claws when your opponent was already dead?

Inuyasha tightened his grip on Kagome's bare thighs as he sprinted up the valley, back to the battle field. A myriad jumble of emotions were thundering through him, some amazing enough to make him want to sing, some dark enough to make him want to tear apart the World.

He revelled in the warm, familiar weight of Kagome on his back, her sweet, heady scent swirling around him, her arms looped around his neck, loose enough for him to move fast, tight enough to be intimate. He hadn't even realized how much he missed her until she was in his arms. We are in love, he thought, a deep, comfortable feeling washing over him. This feeling was also exciting; it opened up a whole world of possibilities. It held the promise of forever. Inuyasha now knew that this feeling was love, and he knew that it was real. Kagome was home, plain and simple as that. The bleak skyline of his future had brightened, Kagome bringing the warm, pink streaks of dawn that finally broke the unending darkness of the night.

But the thoughts of taking Kagome back in to the battle, to Naraku worried him immensely. She didn't even have a bow, or a quiver of arrows. She didn't even have proper clothes; she was wearing his fire-rat haori! He just didn't trust that bastard, the last thing he wanted to do was bring Kagome back in his sight. He just couldn't lose her again. He was also worried about the state of the battle. What was happening? Were the others alright? And of course, fighting for dominance was his own raging desire for revenge. His savage need to rip apart Naraku, to try and make him feel at least a sliver of the pain and humiliation Kagome went through. To try and make him pay for all that he had done.

"Kagome..."

Kagome bent her head a little, nuzzling Inuyasha. They were nearing the battlefield, and she knew he was nervous, and scared. For her, for their friends...she was too. "It's alright, Inuyasha. I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She said quietly.

At that, the hanyou snorted, "Keh! You really think that'll happen?"

She smiled, shaking her head, "True enough..."

"Kagome, it's alright, you can tell me." His voice was suddenly quiet again, the mild humour giving way to a more serious tone.

She bit her lip, wondering how he knew she wasn't really telling him all that was coursing through her head. She ducked her head again, not talking.

"Kagome," he sighed. "If you keep stuff bottled up in your head, it'll screw you when you're trying to fight, Koi. You gotta understand. I know it's not easy. Hell, I know better than anybody else how difficult it is to actually talk 'bout stuff. Take it slow, Kagome, but stop evading stuff. Now, what's going on?"

"I'm scared." She said in a tiny voice. The sobs that had wracked Inuyasha's body in the valley had jolted her and not wanting to cause him any more reason to beat himself up, she had put aside her immediate feelings about the whole incident. She had assured him that she was fine, and alright and in great shape to enter the battle and she truly thought she was, but as they neared the field, the horrid images swam in front of mind, and the suffocating lump made its way back in her throat. Her skin crawled with the very thought of Naraku and she felt nauseated. She felt dirty and unclean and disgusted. She wanted to rip away all her layers of skin, she wanted to rip away every part of her that he had looked at, that hungry expression dominating his eyes.

Inuyasha had sensed this from the way her smell changed and she stiffened on his back, leaning backwards ever so slightly. Mentally kicking himself for not getting this out of her system in the valley where she had felt safer, mentally kicking himself for losing control yet again and depending on Kagome to bring him back, he tried to coax her to tell him what was bothering her now. He knew that it would give her a little closure, and that it would help, even if it was not much. She needed every ounce of her strength, mental and physical if she was going back to the battle.

He slowed down, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't say anything, he asked softly, "Do you need some more time Kagome?" With a tiny jerk of her head, she spoke again, her voice trembling. "No, we should go. They might be having a difficult time in the battle. They'll need our help."

Inuyasha made an exasperated noise and said, "They'll be fine. Sesshoumaru's also there...I think they're evenly matched, so stop your worrying and spill, Kagome. Like I said, you'll just burst if everything's inside you. Either that or the entire incident's going to coil itself up into this bitter ball and it's going to settle in your stomach. It'll come up when you least expect it and you'll never have peace of mind. It's not a good feeling, trust me."

She looked at him questioningly and he gave her a sidelong glance as he continued, "That's how I felt when you weren't there. I never even allowed myself to think about the way I felt, and I kept swallowing it all in. It sucks, frankly, so just get it over with, even though I know it's not the easiest thing to do."

Kagome sighed and finally began in a voice as tiny as before, "I'm so scared of going back there Inuyasha, because there's such a confusing mix of emotions inside me. I'm so very angry at Naraku and I really want him to pay, I want to kill him, but when he captured me and put me under that spell, I was so powerless, I couldn't do anything. I... I feel so dirty underneath, because... Oh Inuyasha," a sob choked its way out of her throat, "Inuyasha, I almost got raped! It was horrible, so horrible. He ripped away all my clothes, he hit me...it was all so physical..."

Pain tore through Inuyasha's face as he manoeuvred himself until he was actually holding Kagome close to his chest. "I'm here, Kagome... Shh..." he tried soothing her, slowly stroking her hair as she sobbed into his chest, finally letting the dam break.

"I really thought I was okay, Inuyasha. But...I'm not! I mean, what's wrong with me? First I let myself get captured, and then I can't even do anything, and now I'm blubbering here! I felt fine in the valley, you made me feel better but I'm feeling all cold and clammy now. I'm... I'm such an idiot!" she finished with a choked sob.

He looked at her incredulously; her tear stained, bruised, cheeks turned red and puffy with crying, eyes wild and self-deprecating, wringing her hands in distress. He placed his own hands over hers and said shaking his head, "Baka...how is any of this your fault? First think of what you went through and then think of what you're saying! You're one of the strongest people I know, Kagome. It's tough but we'll deal with it."

"W-we?" she hiccupped.

Nodding firmly, Inuyasha said, "We. I love you, Kagome. Nothing's ever gonna change that. We're going to make Naraku pay, don't worry about it. Son of a bitch has it coming." He added darkly.

He leaned forward and kissed her, gripping her shoulders. He stayed there, and Kagome allowed him to make this kiss a cherished kiss... one of strength, of confidence. A gift of life, of love. It was like he was breathing some of himself into her. He pulled back slowly, his eyes doing all the talking, all the questioning.

Smiling tremulously, she nodded and they were off once again, sprinting through the trees.

Swiftly side-stepping one of the youkai-corpses coming at him, Sesshoumaru flicked his gaze upward, at Kagura sitting the edge of her feather, her red eyes flashing in Naraku's direction, filled with loathing. Turning his attention to the battle once again, Sesshoumaru wondered how much longer this battle would go on. He would not be defeated, but he was unable to win either.

Suddenly, the corner of his mouth quirked in what might have been a smile: he could smell his brother and his Miko approaching. Perhaps this would finally give them the edge they so desperately needed for this battle to actually go somewhere. Naraku had retreated within his kekkai, surveying the carnage with a broad smile. He was even cocky enough to return Kagura's looks of hatred with sadistic smiles of his own. This, if nothing else, made Sesshoumaru's blood boil.

"Miroku, Sango! Stand back!"

Inuyasha's yell jerked Miroku and Sango's heads in the direction of the sound and realizing what he was about to do, hastily scrambled back, towards the rock where Kikyou crouched and smiled in twin relief when they heard Inuyasha shout, "Kaze no Kizu!"

The jagged streaks of light momentarily blinded them and when they looked up again, they saw all the corpses reduced to a disgusting mush of blood, guts and splintered bones.

Getting to their feet again, they saw Kagome, quickly sliding off Inuyasha' s back, her eyes set with determination and unable to bear it anymore, Sango ran forwards, crying "Kagome!" Tears blurred Sango's vision as she fell in her friend's arms after what seemed like an eternity. Just as she opened her mouth to say something to Kagome however, a flash of ivory caught the corner of her eye and she instinctively whirled, her back to Kagome. Before she could blink away her tears to see clearly, before she could comprehend what exactly the flash was, the large curved bone at the end of Kohaku's weapon struck Sango's right arm and she cried out in pain, buckling as she clutched her bleeding arm.

She pushed Kagome back even as the young Miko hastened to see what was wrong, and staggered to her feet, waving away Miroku. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru still trying to hold off Kagura and the seemingly endless waves of youkai, shot concerned look Sango's way but could not afford to go to her.

Panting, her eyes burning with a sharp pain both physical and emotional, Sango simply looked at her brother holding his now still weapon, its edge dripping with her blood and his eyes frigid in their indifferent lifelessness. "Kirara," she beckoned quietly and struggled to get on the neko youkai, still waving away the help of both Kagome and Miroku. Once on Kirara, her eyes hardened and with a squeeze of her legs on either side of Kirara, she took off after Kohaku, who began running into the woods.

Kagome shot an agonized look at Miroku who nodded briefly and then strode over to her. He clasped her hands in his and held them so tightly it hurt. "Kagome-sama," he said; his voice hoarse and roughened with sincerity, "I thank the Kami you are back with us. Never leave again." His eyes reflected all that he'd been through in the last six months and Kagome felt her own eyes well up again. Nodding fervently, she agreed, "Never."

Naraku's temper flared and he tried shooting tentacles from his kekkai to try and grab Kagome, but Miroku jumped in front and pulled her to safety. He pointed to where Kikyou still crouched, looking at the battle trepidation written large over her face, a kind of hungry expression when she watched Inuyasha and pulling her by the arm, they ran to the rock.

"Kagome-sama," he said, looking into her eyes, "Just stay here for some time; let us at least get the situation under control... we don't know what could happen at this point." Nodding, she retreated behind the rock as Miroku ran out again, a fresh stack of Ofuda in his hand.

Kagome turned to look at Kikyou, now looking at her with an unreadable expression in her face and opened her mouth, unsure of how to thank the woman in front of her. Kikyou shook her head and said, "Don't thank me, Kagome. You would have the same and more. I only wish I could have been of more help." Kagome bit her lip and then burst out, "I'm sorry, Kikyou!" As the older Miko watched tears roll down the cheeks of the younger Miko, she knew exactly what she was sorry for. "No," she said, "I've known for some time now. It wasn't meant to be between us. I've made my peace with it. I don't hate you or him." After a second of simply staring at Kikyou, Kagome threw herself forward and hugged her, trying to let that one hug do all the talking for her. Taken aback, Kikyou awkwardly and clumsily patted her back before pulling away and smiled at her.

Inuyasha had had enough. Simply fending off Kagura was getting them nowhere and he needed a distraction pretty badly. Stopping a second to try and analyze the look in her face every time she sent an attack Sesshoumaru's face, he ran up to him and said something softly and urgently in his ear. Sesshoumaru nodded for the briefest of moments and Inuyasha ran the other direction. Sesshoumaru leaped up, and Kagura, not expecting this, looked at his face in confusion, trying to figure why his eyes seemed to be conveying to her an apology, her hand which held the fan just suspended in the air and Inuyasha, who had just run a full circle around them roared, "Take this, bitch! Kaze no Kizu!" and watched the force of his attack rip through Kagura's feather. Kimono slashed through and hair dishevelled, Kagura's red eyes cast a venomous look his way before flying away into the distance.

Furious, Naraku directed his words at Inuyasha, "Oh well done, Inuyasha! Under handed tactics to defeat your enemy...most honourable..."

Looking up at Naraku, black hate darkening his eyes, Inuyasha yelled back, "You fucking bastard, don't talk to me about under-handedness! You're a coward... letting all your minions fight your battle! How dare you do something like that to Kagome! I'll fucking kill you, Naraku! Say your prayers!" Inuyasha's eyes and sword flashed dangerously and he gripped the handle, try hard to think of Kagome, trying hard to control the fire that seemed to course through him. "Peace, brother." He heard Sesshoumaru say quietly and with a deep breath, Inuyasha's grip on Tetsusaiga relaxed just a fraction. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kagome, clad in the red of his fire-rat move from behind the rock and he ran to her, by her side in an instant.

Kikyou noticed how Kagome's jaw clenched when Naraku opened his mouth and saw the muscles jumping in her jaw as she listened to him insulting Inuyasha. She knew then, that Kagome was going to get up any minute and walk out onto the battle field to face Naraku. Just as she was getting to her feet though, Kikyou grabbed her sleeve and said, "Although my bow is intact, I have but four arrows. Take them, use them well."

Nodding grimly, Kagome slipped the bow over her shoulder and gripped the arrows as she took Inuyasha's proffered arm and stood up. She pushed her hair back and walked purposefully, confidently onto the battle-scarred field, scattered with the remains of desecrated youkai.

Naraku arched an eyebrow as he saw her coming towards him so boldly and silently strengthened his kekkai. Kagome first went to Sesshoumaru and dipped her head in respectful acknowledgement, a grateful smile lighting her set features as she whispered 'Sesshoumaru,". He tipped his head in return and his eyes were as warm as they could get as he returned her gaze. She then took Inuyasha's hand in her own and when he lightly squeezed it, took a deep breath and looked Naraku full in the face. She looked into his loathsome eyes without flinching and drew an arrow.

She let it fly, hoping against all odds that it would break the kekkai, and at the same time, Kagome couldn't help but think, three arrows left.