Hey, me again! I know you're all ecstatic to hear from me so soon. I surprised myself with this one. Had the whole thing written in one day! But it's late, and I don't feel like editing today… so be kind if you find a mistake.

Another thing, this chapter has a lot of POV changes… but I didn't really separate them because they all happen in the same area. It mostly goes from one person to another, simply because they are fighting one another… so I didn't want to put in a million different separations. You'll see what I mean when you read. So yeah, just a heads up so you don't get too confused. You shouldn't… I think I wrote it well enough that you'll know when it's gone from one to the other.

I love writing fight scenes! Yay! But I'll shut up now so I don't give too much away.

This is a biggy! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own squat…

Obsession of Sin

Springing the Trap

The clouds were low that morning, blanketing their camp in a thick layer of fog. The sun offered no solace, its warmth hidden away behind the rolling, grey mist. Through the damp, morning air, the call of a raven could be heard echoing off the cliffs; the shrill proclamation ominous against the silence of the dawn.

It was disconcerting, Kagome found herself thinking, to be traveling through such perilous ground and not be able to see more than two feet in front of you. One could walk blindly off a cliff if they weren't careful.

She pulled a hand through her damp hair, her bangs weighed down with condensation and clinging stubbornly to her brow. Her skin, too, was dappled with a thin sheen of vapor, tiny beads of water accumulating along her chin and across her forehead. Her clothing, having been moistened by the fog, was now stiff from the cold.

Against the cool flesh of her hand, her portion of the Shikon hummed with immaculate, chaste light. Beneath the smooth, crystalline surface, unimaginable power roiled, warming the dip in her palm where it lay cradled. She rolled it gingerly between her fingers, staring down into its fathomless depths and contemplating what would be done with it when all of this was over.

What could be wished for to ensure that it did not become tainted once again? Was there truly such a thing as a wholly selfless wish?

She supposed that, 'that' particular bridge could be crossed once they had reached it. No need filling her head with pointless worries over something that had yet to come about.

'I should save my concerns for the battle that lies ahead,' she surmised, her heart lurching with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. She was thrilled at the notion that this war would be ending soon, and that her duty would be complete… but what of the outcome? How many would fall in order to overcome the sordid wretch, Naraku?

Her eyes left the jewel to fall upon each member of her group, tears swelling in her cerulean depths at the thought of losing any of them.

Or perhaps she would be the one to fall. Would she ever see her family again, or would she leave them without having said a proper goodbye. Certainly they all understood the risks she took by crossing over. They knew that it was a possibility, though a terrible one, that every time she said goodbye… that it could be her final farewell.

Would she ever get the chance to explore her possibilities with Sesshomaru?

What was more, if they did win, and Naraku was destroyed for good… would he even want her to be a permanent part of his life? What were his exact feelings for her? Did he truly care, or was what he felt nothing more than a fleeting desire?

Kagome sighed. She was getting sidetracked again. 'No more worrying about anything,' she told herself firmly. For now, she would enjoy the time she had with her feudal family.

Tucking her portion of the jewel away, the young miko set her sights on the path ahead. Their latest run in with a shard wielding demon had set them back quite some time. Since their departure from the village, it had taken them just over a day to reach the mountains, and three more to get them to where they were now.

Her senses were all on high alert, her body rigid and her mind sharp. She could feel something… ominous… was about to fall upon them. Their search for jewel shards was coming to an end.

"Stop."

His voice was no louder in volume than it usually was, but due to the manor in which he had spoken, Kagome knew Sesshomaru meant business.

No sooner had she ceased movement than a slow, melodious laughter permeated the thick morning air.

"So I see you've finally made it. We've been expecting you."

"Hakudoshi… why don't you show yourself, you little coward?!" Inuyasha bellowed, drawing the Tetsusaiga with a flourish of red robes. The gigantic fang sung sweetly as it was unsheathed, it curved tip dappled with the spray that hung in the air.

"So eager to die, mutt? Well, Kagura and I will be more than happy to grant your wish."

A pregnant pause swept over the group, the tension palpable as they awaited their enemy's next move. They didn't have to wait long. In a matter of seconds, the lavender hair child appeared through the mist, his scythe twirling deftly toward Inuyasha's head.

Kagome felt her heart leap into her throat as the deadly assault just barely missed decapitating her friend. Seeing that he had come out of the attack unscathed, the priestess breathed a sigh of relief, thanking any Kami who cared to listen.

Her relief was short lived, as his hasty retreat put him directly into the path of Kagura's attack, and this time, he was not so lucky. The arced, red blades crashed into his torso with tremendous force, tearing flesh and throwing him to the ground.

Her echoing scream was deafening, and she threw caution to the wind and sprinted to her fallen friend's side. She heard Sesshomaru snarl behind her, but was too concerned for Inuyasha's wellbeing to care what it might have meant. Kneeling next to his battered body, she propped hi head up, her eyes frantic as she assessed his wounds. They were not too serious, she noted, and was grateful.

A devious chuckle was her only warning, and startled sapphire orbs turned skyward just in time to witness Hakudoshi's weapon making a beeline for her head. Balking, she lifted both arms in defense, shrieking as she prepared to feel the biting sting of metal.

But instead of the sickening, wet sound she had expected, a sharp, steely 'twang' resonated in her head. Looking up, she found Sesshomaru towering protectively over her, Toukijin drawn to ward off the demon child's scythe. A quick sweep of his claws followed, along with a cloud of acidic mist.

His attack succeeded in forcing the demon child back, and he took the opportunity to gather Kagome into his arms and hiss, "Are you mad, girl?"

"Inuyasha was hurt!" she protested, trying to justify her brash actions.

"Inuyasha is a warrior," Sesshomaru pressed, "He has seen far worse injuries than these. That does not give you the right to blindly endanger yourself."

"He's right," a gravely voice intoned, and Kagome glanced down to find Inuyasha pushing himself onto his elbows. "You shouldn't have put yourself in danger like that."

"But… you-"

"I've had worse," the hanyou interrupted, rising to his feet shakily and hoisting his fang up over one shoulder. "Have more faith in me, Kagome."

Blushing, the young miko stammered, "Oh, it's not that I don't believe in you, it's just-"

"Now is not the time for idle blather," the taiyoukai bit out as he rose to his full height, the priestess held snugly to his chest.

Nodding, Kagome slid from the inu Lord's grip, her made to grip her bow… when a thought occurred to her. While the thick fog concealed their enemy's whereabouts, Kagome could sense both of them easily enough. She could not, however, see if they were behind anything, so firing an arrow blindly and hoping it hit probably wasn't the best strategy.

Now would be as good a time as any to test her newly developed powers, she supposed. Hopefully, she could act as quickly under pressure as she could while under Sesshomaru's watchful eye.

And that was when she remembered the children. Turning to find them, Kagome had to strain her eyes to locate them. Their small silhouettes were just barely visible through the heavy mist, and she wasted no time in running to them.

All around them the inimitable sounds of battle rang out. The steady thrum of the Hiraikotsui and the tinkling rattle of Miroku's staff. Hakudoshi's soulless laughter and Inuyasha's incessant cursing. Though she only caught brief glimpses of the warriors themselves, the proof of their power came from all sides; thundering blasts and blinding lights flaring like fireworks.

Sesshomaru fought almost soundlessly, the only noise he truly made came from Toukijin as it screeched its evil, metal fury. It whistled slightly as it cut through the air, and screamed when it met the steel of another blade. She kept tabs on her allies and her foes through sense alone, and that was a difficult feat by itself. Everyone was moving so rapidly it was hard to keep up.

Sango's desperate wail of her name alerted Kagome to Kagura's sudden relocation, and she barely had a chance to lift her hand before the wind sorceress' power rained down on her.

Yelping as the witch's 'Dance of Blades' cut through the fog and sliced into the earth on either side of her, the azure eyed woman squeezed her eyes shut and forced her power outward. It spilled from her palm like warm water, flowing outward in a brilliant pink display.

After a second or so, she ventured a peek through tightly clenched lids, sighing when she discovered that she had successfully erected a barrier around herself and the children. Kagura's attack was still coming, and the force of the red arcs as they slammed into the shimmering, pink dome was wearing Kagome down. She imagined this is what it might feel like if someone were to hold a sheet of plywood while someone battered it with a baseball bat.

But, instead of focusing on how much it strained her, she concentrated instead on keeping the barrier erect and effective.

From high above, the ruby eyed demoness frowned thoughtfully, her eyebrows lifting a fraction of an inch as she sensed her attack had done no damage. She had thought Sesshomaru would abandon his fight with Hakudoshi to save the girl, but the young priestess had fared well on her own. Apparently the miko had some semblance of control of her power now… she was certain it was thanks to the powerful demon Lord.

Her frown turned into an appreciative grin. Sesshomaru truly was a miracle worker. With this new development… their chances of defeating Naraku would increase… which meant her future looked brighter.

Speaking of the bastard, she remembered his orders clearly enough, and though she wished him dead with every ounce of her being… he was still very much alive, which meant she would need to play the obedient little servant for now. At the moment, she needed to get Kagome separated from the group. That only left one question… how would she do it? She doubted the girl would relinquish her barrier without good reason to do so. That was where she came in.

Twirling gracefully to avoid the massive bone boomerang tat came slicing past her, Kagura turned her attention to the young slayer. Her painted lips pulled higher still. Perfect. The miko would be devastated if something should happen to one of her friends. A quick flick of her fan sent a ferocious assault at the large fire neko and her passenger.

Sango balked, her warm, chocolate orbs widening in horror as her vision became filled with searing red light.

Kirara snarled, trying frantically to dive out of the way. Though her effort succeeded in moving them from harms way, her rapid motion dislodged her master, sending the taijiya plummeting toward the earth.

Kagome didn't miss Sango's ear wrenching scream, and turned just in time to watch the older woman appear through the mist and land in a heap on the rocky ground. Her head made a sickening 'crack' as it connected with a protruding stone, bouncing once before falling limp.

Loosing a scream of her own, the young miko turned to her kit and Sesshomaru's young ward, shouting, "Stay here, do not come out of this barrier!"

Mustering as much concentration as she could, she fled from the dome, her mind working hard to maintain it while she was no longer inside. Shippou's pleas for her to come back did not deter her from running to Sango. As she neared she realized, with no small amount of terror, that a small pool of blood was forming beneath the taijiya's body.

Before she could reach her friend, however, a heavy gale forced her backward, its force sending her sprawling across the soil.

"You should be more concerned for your own safety, priestess!" Kagura purred as she dropped fluidly to the ground.

Quickly regaining her feet, Kagome cast a worried glance to Sango, relieved when she saw the woman shift slightly. Her eyes tore back to Kagura, alit with holy fury as the rouge eyed witch chuckled and fluttered her fan innocently.

Calling forth as much of her power as she could, Kagome recalled her lessons with Sesshomaru. He had showed her how to project her powers, but also how to separate them. It seemed she had more than one form of magic in her. Every miko possessed the power to harm and the power to heal. This moment was crucial, and she hoped beyond all things that she could manage such a wide range of tasks at the same time.

Dividing her power as efficiently as she could, Kagome sent a fraction of it into the barrier surrounding the children, strengthening their barricade and ensuring their safety. Another portion was sent to Sango, stemming the blood flow and sealing the gash at the back of her head.

The final bit she forced into her hands, making her fingertips sizzle with mystic light, small sparks of luminous fuchsia crackling between them. Her palms began to sweat with the heat of her magic, her brows drawn in extreme concentration as she prepared to launch her attack. Her arms burned, muscles straining to reign in the awesome energy she was exuding.

Deciding it was now or never, the young miko threw her hands outward, fingers splayed, and with a great, heaving cry she unleashed her power.

The color drained from Kagura's face as the full force of Kagome's attack came hurdling toward her. Never before had she witnessed such an overwhelming assault from the likes of a miko. Pink lightning rocked the earth, shooting forth from the blue-eyed female's outstretched arms. It split the earth with its force, trembling beneath the vicious barrage.

She was consumed in blinding light, heat closing in from all sides. She wailed in protest, hating that this would be her end… that she would not live to see Naraku fall… or to taste true freedom.

"You should be more cautious, Kagura."

Hakudoshi's snide little voice wrenched her from her bitter musings, and she glanced down to find the boy standing before her, his barrier surrounding them in a vibrant purple cocoon.

She had never been more thrilled to see the little twerp. Still… he was insufferable. "She's never done anything like that before… it won't happen again."

"We do not have time to let such things happen again. We must strike now. This is getting far too dangerous," the violet eyed demon murmured, frowning as he sensed Sesshomaru closing in on their location. He had left his fight with the dog when he had sensed Kagura's distress. It wasn't as though he cared for her in any sense, but she was vital to his Naraku's cause. He needed her to make this happen.

Kagome gasped in a deep draught of air, her chest heaving in exertion. She found it slightly difficult to stay righted after having exhausted so much power. Perhaps it was not the wisest course of action to put so much power into a single attack. 'Well,' she heaved to herself, 'too late for should have's'.

Much to her chagrin, she realized shortly after it had happened that her attack had been ineffective. Hakudoshi had appeared seemingly from nowhere and saved the demoness, halting her attack as simply as one might brush a piece of lint from their shoulder.

As much as he disliked the idea of dropping his barrier, Hakudoshi knew that on order to herd both the taiyoukai and the priestess to the desired location it was a necessary risk. "I'll deal with Sesshomaru, you handle the girl," he instructed, "Her energy level has dropped dramatically, so you shouldn't have to worry about another attack of that magnitude."

And then he was gone, the protective force field dispersing and leaving her to deal with the young miko once again. The majority of the group was busy fending off the hoards of lesser demons that accompanied them, and while Hakudoshi took on the demon Lord, that left her with the miko. Kagura huffed quietly as she eyed the panting, mortal woman, whose eyes shone with determination and unbridled anger.

"That was… unexpected," she admitted, "I must say, priestess… you have come a long way. I'm impressed."

"I'm far from finished," Kagome managed to grit out around her strained breaths.

"Is that so?" the wind witch teased while twirling her fan playfully, "It seems to me that you are rather spent."

Kagome blanched. So, she had been caught, had she? She had not expected just how drained such a large attack would leave her feeling, and doubted she could produce another attack like that if she tried. She could still, however, defend herself, and that was all that was necessary.

Kagura knew the time was nigh, and that she needed to strike while the miko was still worn down. Now… to herd the wench.

Pulling back a neatly manicured hand, she spun in a graceful circle, cherry and white silk billowing around her slender form like liquid. The attack was aimed to the girl's right, but not to the degree that it was obvious. It had the desired effect, and the priestess rolled to the left. She attacked a second time, using the same method to crowd the girl toward one of the rock faces that lined the mountainous pathway.

Kagura was pleased to see that her prey had yet to realize what was happening. She was so busy dodging attacks she failed to notice the narrow, vertical opening that gaped in the side of the cliff. The cavity was deep, a seemingly endless pit that led deep into the heart of the mountain.

Kagome sucked in a desperate breath as she rolled out of the way of yet another of Kagura's attacks. It was all happening so quickly, she barely had time to stand before she was ducking out of the way again.

Finding she had built enough power in her palms for another, much smaller attack, the young woman hurled another assault at her assailant, hoping it would hit true.

Hissing as she just managed to escape the miko's wrath for a second time, Kagura assessed the damage the girl had inflicted. Her arm was badly charred, the sleeve of her kimono burnt away under the brunt of the miko's power. Had the bitch had more time to aim properly, Kagura realized she would have been horribly injured… but not dead. No, never dead. Death wasn't a luxury she was allowed.

Her lips pursed at the thought. She was bound, in every aspect. Even her time of death would not be of her own choosing. So long as Naraku held her heart she would remain alive… a slave.

The miko and taiyoukai needed to win; needed to destroy Naraku! And the sooner she completed this task, the sooner the two of them would take the next step in their journey together. Hopefully, their bond would prove to be an unbreakable one, and in turn, be Naraku's undoing. That would be a sweet sight indeed, to see the bastard felled by his own plot! The thought alone made her tingle with delight.

She decided she had stalled long enough. With a swift snap of her weapon, the girl was sent tumbled backward, straight into the yawning pit carved into the mountainside.

Kagome shrieked as a heavy blast of wind threw her back; her sneakers scraping the earth in a desperate attempt to fight the strong winds. Suddenly, to her horror, her feet met air, and she was falling, fast. Darkness engulfed her on all sides, the light of the outside world fading. She reached up, toward the gap she had fallen through, her eyes widening as the sliver of light it created grew smaller and smaller.

Fear gripped her tightly, and she did the only thing she could think of.

"Sesshomaru!!"


His heart stilled for an instant, his blood freezing in his veins as his keen hearing picked up her cry for help. Abandoning his fight with the demon child, he fled to the sound of her distressed call, paling when he spotted the mouth of the cave nestled against the cliff face.

Without a thought he dove in after her, his senses locking in on her aura. He needed to reach her… before she reached the bottom.

There we have it! The trap hasn't been completed yet; the final touch will be added to the beginning of the next chapter… which, hopefully, I can add as quickly as I did this one.

So, hope you liked it!

Please, review…