Climbing up the back of the mountain, Kagome had tunnel vision, but knew she had to show up unseen. It hadn't taken long for the general to get her her requested weapons, but it did take a little longer to convince him she needed to get back to the mountain since he was given expressed orders to keep her away from it.
Once she told him about the dream, he relented, but only after saying it was under duress because he knew Sesshoumaru was going to have his ass.
Once they reached the top, Kagome crept between the rocks, staying low and out of sight until she got a good view of what was going on on the cliff. When she reached the edge, she pulled an arrow from her back and notched it in place, eyes locked on Kouga while he dodged the wind attacks from Kagura, and Sesshoumaru as he danced with with brother.
Down below, Kouga was really started to get tired. It wasn't easy to keep up with wind, and as far as anyone else knew, he was in possession of the final shards. It was difficult to figure out he was going to face worse than he had before because everyone else present wanted what he had. However, he also had two very good reasons to come out on top, and he was going to.
Landing hard on a knee, he decided it was time to go on offense, and between waves of her fan, Kouga put all the power he had into his legs and shot forward. He hardly ever used the shards in a fight because it took a lot of out him, but this time, he knew he didn't really have a choice. He had to be faster than the wind if it was going survive.
He landed a solid hit on Kagura, but she wasn't the only person present that wanted his shards. He barely had the time to dodge the arrow aimed for his head, but the incarnation didn't. The explosion of holy energy when the arrow hit the wind witch sent Kouga flying, and he landed his hard on his back. Breathing hard, Kouga laid there, his skin on fire. It was so much worse than when he was shot in the back a year ago. It almost felt like his flesh was melting.
A snarl caressed his ears and a growl shook the ground, prompting him to slit his eyes open, and immediately wishing he hadn't.
Above him, standing tall with her legs straddling his waist, was his mate; who he was expressly told was being kept away from the den. Her form was sublime as she stood with her bow before her and arrow drawn back. But, it wasn't that she was there, or that she had somehow gotten her claws on a weapon. It was that she was clearly different than she was that stilled the wolf's tongue as he tried to come back to himself after that rather ungraceful landing.
Kagome stood proud, her purple eyes narrowed and fangs bared. She had her sights set on the incarnations that stood between her and Naraku since Sesshoumaru was between her and the others. She heard gasps of her name, but ignored them as she narrowed her eyes further. There was still a growl in her throat as she pulled her bow string tighter.
In her mind, she begged for everything she was told to be true, that she had the power needed to win. Letting her breath out, she released her arrow, causing a round of choked cried and a scream to sound out at the sight of the dark pink trail the arrow made as it cut through Kagura's remaining winds and hit it's mark of Kanna's mirror, taking the Void Child out of the equation. Pulling another arrow and notching it in place, Kagome came face to face with her soul's predecessor.
Kikyo got between Naraku and Kagome, her eyes burning with hatred as she looked at her reincarnation. "How is this? What trickery do you use, Demon?"
Kagome smirked wide, her fangs flashing in the light of the full moon. "Trickery isn't really my thing, Bitch." Releasing her arrow, Kagome darted away from Kouga since he was getting to his feet. It wasn't hard to know that Kikyo would dodge the arrow, but she didn't dodge the bow as Kagome swung it like a sword, knocking Kikyo off her feet.
Though Inuyasha tried to go to Kikyo's aid, Sesshoumaru cut him off. Kouga took up defence of Kagome's other side against another of Naraku's incarnations, while Sango and Miroku continued to keep the lower level demons at bay, since they were a risk to everyone.
Sango, though, couldn't stop looking in the direction of Kagome. It was clearly her face, but the eyes and markings she had said that was not her best friend. Besides, Kagome died a year ago... according to Kikyo. The slayer knew something was up when a living, breathing Kikyo showed up two days after Kagome disappeared. But, she couldn't dispute the fact the only way Kikyo would have Kagome's power was if the miko from the future was gone.
So... how was she not only alive, but a demon? Kouga wouldn't have had the power to change her species, even if they were mated like the bite to Kagome's shoulder said they were. Glancing at Miroku, she saw him nod, telling her they were on the same page. Lips pressing together, Sango threw her boomerang again, but in the opposite direction, calling to Kouga to duck.
Clearly, the wolf prince was now the most important person to Kagome, and that made him important to her. Jumping off Kirara, Sango sent her to aid the wolf until the low level demons were gone. Behind her mask, Sango spoke in a normal voice, knowing Kagome's demonic hearing would pick it up. "I'm with you, Kagome."
A small smile graced Kagome's lips at the statement, but it was gone in the next moment. Ducking down to dodge the return of Sango's weapon, while she was crouched, she swung her leg out, tripping Kikyo as she got back to her feet.
Faster than anyone could follow, Kagome knocked another arrow, and let it fly. All eye followed it as it sliced through the air, taking out a massive amount of low level demons. Having another arrow ready and returning her eyes to Kikyo, Kagome's smirk only grew at the look in her eyes being on the business end of the projectile. "You've been a very naughty miko, Kikyo. The Kami aren't your biggest fans, and I am here to stop you, at every turn. You have a choice, but you only have one chance to get it right. Give me your shards, or I'll take them from your withered, rotten corpse."
Kikyo sneered at her. "I don't have any."
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "You're lying. I can see them."
Screeching, Kikyo lunged at her, hitting the ground when Kagome dodge with no effort. "You LIE! I took your powers and with them, your sight."
Kagome chuckled as she stood over Kikyo, once again pointing her arrow at the enraged miko. "And Midoriko gave them back. Everything you have ever done has backfired. You tried to kill me, and here I am. You tired to get rid of me, yet again, here I am. You tried to steal my riki, and again, here I am with it intact. Give it up, Kikyo, and walk away. You have no power here. Take your stolen life and try to figure out how to save your soul."
Kikyo growled in her throat. "Our soul."
Kagome shook her head. "No, that one you did succeed in taking. It's all yours." Her eyes slanted to the side, looking at Kouga, a fang poking out from behind her grin parted lips. "I share a soul with someone else now." Returning her eyes to Kikyo, her voice flattened. "You made me a demon, remember? I have no need for a human soul. Last chance. Give me your shards then take your sorry ass away from here before I change my mind."
Kikyo shook her head. "The spell..."
Kagome cut her off. "There is no power in magic, ya dumb bitch. You used to know that. All you succeeded in doing was taking down a wall that was long overdue to be removed, and freeing something locked away for safekeeping. You've already lost. You just need to decide if you're ready to die as well."
"You don't have the fortitude to kill."
Kagome cocked a brow. "Are you positive about that? Are you willing to stake your life on it? How does it feel to bleed again, Kikyo? To feel pain? Not only am I fully willing, and able, to send you back to hell, you will be sure to feel every moment of your death. Wanna test the creature the you created? It is with the blessing and by grace of the Kami I stand before you as I am, perfectly content in the knowledge I am carrying out their wishes of sending you back to where you belong. Make your choice. Choose your side. Live with the consequences long overdue." She lowered her voice and her eyes crinkled in the corners. "Make it right, if you even know what that is anymore."
Kikyo looked hard at Kagome, nothing but contempt in her eyes and triumph in her voice. "I've seen to it you don't have the power to kill Naraku."
Smirk growing, Kagome released her arrow, lodging it in the stone next to Kikyo's head before grabbing another one. Once it was in place, Kagome winked at Kikyo when she gasped at the sight of Kagome's shards embedded in the wood. There was amusement in Kagome's voice as she turned away from her incarnation, pulling the string tight as she took her aim. "You're right about that but, it was never about me, remember? It was never my power that would accomplish that. It was always hers. Sesshoumaru! Sango! NOW!"
Completely in sync with each other, the three launched their attacks. The lighting strike from Sesshoumaru's sword attached itself to Sango's hiraikotsu as it flew through the air in front of Kagome's arrow.
Naraku, who had thought to beat a hasty retreat, was stopped by the deadly boomerang cutting off his path, and he didn't have the time to try and deflect Kagome's arrow by a barrier or tentacles.
Pivoting on her toes, Kagome darted away from where she shot her arrow, grabbing both Kouga's and Sesshoumaru's arms as she reached them. "Gotta go, boys. Get off the cliff, get off the cliff, get off the cliff!." As she and the other full demons jumped off the ledge, Kagome shot off one more arrow, this time without any charge to it, and aimed it for the soon to be purified Onigumo.
Kouga snagged Kagome around the waist and dug his free arm into the rock wall to slow their descent, stopping twenty feet down. Tucking her between him and the wall, he looked up and had to squint against the brightness of the light. It was as if he looked into the sun itself. Even being below it, he could still feel the charge in the air enough for it to make the hair on his arms and the back of his neck stand on end.
The blast, however, wasn't the only problem.
Eyes widening, he tightened his grip on Kagome and shoved them both backwards, away from the mountain, as hard he could to avoid the rockslide that followed.
Sango, who was recovering herself from being thrown back by the force of the blast, looked down and watched in slow motion as Kouga and Kagome fell towards the ground, too far from anything to slow their fall. With a gasp, she called for Kirara, who had avoided purification by going up.
The neko looked to where her master pointed and, with a roar, shot down toward the two wolves.
Sesshoumaru beat her to them.
Atop his aura cloud, he grabbed Kouga by the wrist, stopping the free fall. As a result, the action ripped Kouga's shoulder from the socket.
Not losing his grip on his mate, Kouga grunted at the shock of the pain of a dislocated shoulder. Breathing through clenched teeth, he looked up at the Western Lord. "Thanks. Owe ya one."
Sesshoumaru simply looked back down at him with a 'hn', before letting go when the neko was in place to receive them. With a glance at the rather green Kagome, Sesshoumaru shook his head. "We are even."
Kagome had a hand over her mouth, her eyes closed. Her stomach was somewhere up the mountain, and she was pretty sure she was gonna throw up when she got it back. Leaning heavily into Kouga's chest, she groaned lowed and swallowed hard, trying with everything she had to keep her dinner down.
Kouga, hearing Kagome's stomach roll, dipped his head to speak in her ear. "You okay?" It took her a moment, but when she nodded, Kouga's voice got a little more annoyed. "Then do you wanna tell me what the fuck is going on?"
With another groan, Kagome ignored his irritation and pressed herself closer to him. "Later. Did I get him?"
Kouga frowned before looking at Sesshoumaru, who shrugged. Neither lord thought it was a good idea to go anywhere near that particular cliff for the time being. Instead, Kouga shrugged. "I dunno. But even without a direct hit, I doubt even a full demon would have survived that much holy energy that close. I felt it twenty feet below the ledge. Now, how did you get your powers back?"
Kagome grunted. "Kouga, clearly there are some things we need to talk about, but do me a favor and shut the fuck up. I'm trying to focus on not puking on you right now. Our daughter apparently isn't a fan of falling to our deaths."
Blinking at the top of her head, Kouga grinned. "Daughter?"
Kagome just grunted again. "Boy's aren't meant to wield Riki. Now shush. You're loud and I'm tired."
