"Have the courage to live. Anyone can die."
—Robert Cody

Deadly Games

Chapter Thirty-Six: Showdown

"We're losing," Kagome whispered as she watched the fight.

Maybe it wasn't that obvious as all her friends fought, but slowly she saw them getting pushed back and none of them could reach Akio.

"Do you feel it, Yuki?" Miya asked.

Her tone… it seemed different somehow. It made Kagome tear her eyes off her friends and look at the two spirits.

"Yes," Yuki responded quietly.

"Feel what? What's happening?" Kagome inquired.

"That symbol that Kura made… to summon him. It's calling us too. It's drawing us to it. It wants us to come to it," Miya told her.

"It's pulling at me…" Yuki murmured. She would have said more but abruptly stopped when she saw what was going on behind Kagome. She careful kept her face neutral as she watched from the corner of her eye, but what she saw looked no good. Akio had his hold on the slayer, the one Yuki had been using as her vessel. And she knew what he was about to do to her. No… she had to help her somehow. It was the least Yuki could do to pay her back for using her body.

"I will go and helped them fight," the seductress said, surprising the other two with her abruptness. "God knows, I want to get my revenge anyway." Then Yuki closed her eyes and her form became that of an orb of sapphire light. With that, she was gone.

Miya began to follow, but Kagome caught her wrist. "I'm coming too," Kagome said.

"But it's not calling you, only we can go," the lady countered.

"I don't care, I'll find a way. I can't just sit and watch anymore."

Miya had a look in her eyes that said she wanted to argue further, but neither had the time so she just smiled gently and accepted her plea. Miya closed her eyes and Kagome followed suit. A sparkling green light had appeared in their place with a pink specks sparkling in its center.

The two were gone and in their haste, they had not noticed the soul of one of Kagome's friends slipping away from the surroundings as well.

Darkness.

Darkness surrounding her completely with no known way out.

But she wasn't afraid of the dark so it did not matter to her.

Why was there darkness again? And… this feeling of… emptiness.

"I've seen humans do many stupid and ignorant things, but this… you're pathetic."

She tried very hard to concentrate on the voice. She knew that voice.

It took her three tries, but she finally managed to get out, "am not."

"You just accepted it. You didn't fight…"

"I had no strength to fight!"

"It's pathetic. I always thought you were a fighter. Now I see you're a coward. A cowardly human."

He said human like it was a disgusting word.

"Stop it!" she yelled. "There was nothing I could do! I was dying anyway." She felt rage, anger. "And who are you to call me a coward? I am a fighter! I fought and fought. I knew I was dying and if I fought it would come sooner, but I fought anyway. But sometimes you just have to know when you're beaten."

She could hear the smile in his voice and then she knew he had only said it, all of what he was saying, to egg her on. He wanted her to go on. "But you're not dead yet. You can still fight."

She shook her head, or at least she thought she did. Did she still have a head, a body? "Such a bad wound… how could I get back up? I can feel myself fading. No human can survive that."

Her neck… the blood pouring down…

"Things are happening as we speak, saving you."

Confusion. "What things?"

"Hn."

Suddenly, a sapphire light surrounded the area and it was all she could see. It embraced her and allowed it to do so, though she felt his presence leave. But with this new presence, she felt it was alright because she would listen to him. She would fight with her last breath, even if that was only a few seconds away.

She couldn't have him thinking that she was a coward, now could she?

He felt the sweet sensation of metal biting into flesh as he slit the slayer's throat and smiled. He'd grown to love that feeling. And, was it just him, or did her body seem to glow just after he did it? When the blood began pouring down, he carelessly threw her body to the floor and threw her lover's sword next to her, causing it to make a clang sound as it met the ground. He retrieved his own sword before turning his back on her. One down, only a few more to go.

"You disgust me," said the female voice behind him.

His eyes widened and he turned around, unable to believe his ears or eyes for that matter.

The slayer, lying down in a pool of blood, slowly began to get up. She brushed off her pants and then turned to look at him. There was blood all over her neck and since the blood on the floor had spread, it had covered half her face as well. But as he watched… the wound on her neck that he had given to her hardly a few seconds ago re-knitted itself until the skin on her neck was perfect again, not even a scratch remaining.

"But how… I just slit your throat! That should have killed you!" Akio exclaimed. Then he noticed her eyes. Her eyes…

Her eyes, faintly but surely, were giving off sapphire mist. Now that he looked at her closely, he noticed a sapphire glow to her also.

Seeing his somewhat perplexed look, she said bitterly, "don't tell me you've forgotten me. I did serve under you for a number of years… until you killed me that is."

"Yuki," he said emotionlessly, which pissed her off. He could at least show some emotion; he had killed her and she wanted her revenge. Fear, anger, whatever, she wanted some reaction from him.

Meanwhile, Yuki continued to heal the slayer's body with her spirit. She had gotten to her in time so that her fatal wound could be healed before it killed her, but her mind was still in shock, swimming in darkness. She healed her body, but her spirit could still be lost… it was up to Sango to bring herself back, though Yuki sent apart of herself to search for her.

After a few minutes, she felt the slayer's presence return and heaved a silent sigh of relief. Akio looked like he was going to attack again, but Yuki needed more time. Then she saw it and smiled wickedly at the lord. It made him pause.

"I came a little ahead of the others," she said, jerking her head toward the symbol.

Akio turned and saw what she meant and froze in place once more.

Lights began to form above different points of the circle, just like Akio and Yuki had, though they used other points than they had used. Six of them, six points of the star to land at, each having their own. Four orbs, brown, green, blue, and black appeared, hovering for a second as though unsure what to do. Then they all sprang out to different parts of the room swiftly.

Sango fought against the foreigner in her body while Yuki tried to sooth her. Let me help you, Yuki whispered inside Sango's mind. Sango froze. It was the first time they had actually gotten to speak directly to each other.

She touched her neck to find it already healed, though warm blood still lay on her throat and face. Her strength suddenly returned as she felt Yuki purify her of the poison that was slowly killing her, until the poison was all gone. Yuki was healing her. Her stomach, the wound Hiei had given her, began to heal as well, but not only on the outside. She gasped as a warm feeling spread throughout her stomach, feeling something much deeper being repaired, though she wasn't sure what. Her broken spirit? Somehow, she didn't think that was it.

Kurama closed his eyes as he felt the now familiar blue light take over him. Would you mind for this one last time…? He heard the polite question in his head. The kitsune only nodded and opened his eyes with a start when he felt someone take his hand.

His heart jumped into his throat… but it wasn't who he thought it would be.

A spirit, Miya, surrounded by a green light with pink streaks surrounding her, had taken his hand. Her eyes saw Yasuo lingering inside Kurama and she smiled at them. How she, a spirit, was able to take his hand, he did not know, but everything in this house was strange and he didn't have time to question it now.

"I was so lost and alone for so long…" Yasuo said softly through Kurama.

Miya touched his cheek timidly. "But you're not anymore. I'm here now."

Kurama, however, looked at the Lady's spirit intensely. He could have sworn he saw… but, no, it couldn't be possible… but the impossible always seemed to happen, didn't it?

She squeezed his hand, derailing his train of thought. "Come on, let us finish this."

"Surprised?" Yuki asked Akio, her eyes filled with wrath.

"You shouldn't be," a voice said. Jiro stood near the two, surrounded by the faint brown light, looking very hard at Akio. Not a drop of sympathy lay within him. He gave a polite nod to Yuki, who, with a wry smile, nodded back in acknowledgement. It was pretty damn formal for someone she slept with multiple times, eh?

"We, after all, are your friends. We had to come see you this one last time," another male voice said coldly. Solid arms wrapped themselves around Sango from behind and rested their chin on her shoulder. "Did you miss me, love?" Ryu asked, his voice much more warm when addressing her.

Yuki leaned her head against his and murmured, "you have no idea." Then she removed his arms from him, or at least tried to. "But I can't fight with you attached to me. This body's a loaner, I can't damage it."

Ryu reluctantly let go, but stayed beside her, as the three gave Akio hateful eyes.

Akio was in too much shock to fight or move as they talked, but it was quickly fading away as the craziness came back. Spending centuries by himself and a few wanderers to serve as entertainment had made him crazy and bitter. He wanted nothing more than to be free, no matter what that took. And he was free, just as soon as he got rid of these… obstacles in his way. And besides, he needed his bloodlust to be fulfilled.

"Akio," said the soft voice.

Akio turned his crazy eyes to Miya and they did not calm as they might have long, long ago. If anything they got worse. He charged at Miya and swung his sword—but it went right through her. Yasuo/Kurama quickly took out the kitsune's rose whip, using it to skillfully grab the handle of Akio's sword. He yanked and the sword fell from his hands and to the floor by Kurama's feet. He kicked it behind him and far away from Akio.

The lord began summoning the demons in the room closer to him, but the three spirits without bodies to share countered. Miya, Ryu, and Jiro used their energy to hold the demons, controlling them and freezing them in place.

"We'll hold these demons back," Miya told them. "They'll disappear if you kill Akio or when he loses enough energy that he can't maintain them any longer."

The three spirits were absolutely still then, concentrating. The rest of the group (minus Kirara with Shippo on her back who were taking out the frozen demons) made their way over to Akio, who watched them all wearily, but it was no use. He was surrounded and completely out numbered. Still, he fought, calling his sword to him once more from where it lay behind the kitsune.

He ran after Yuki, since she was the closest and he knew she had no training in fighting, therefore thought she would be easier to kill. He would take someone down with him if he could. But Yuki only let Sango have control once more, who easily used Hiei's sword to block and quickly plunged her sword through him.

For Hiei, Sango thought as she retracted the blade.

Before he could recover, Inuyasha used his wind scar to make him go flying backward while Kurama sliced him with his rose whip, his strength doubling with Yasuo's power.

Kagome.

The house began shaking, furniture being thrown crazily around. The floor began rumbling, cracking and being spread, large enough for one of the couches to fall in it.

Miroku threw one of his wards at him that plastered itself on his skin, burning him where it touched and it stopped his healing process. Akio slowly got to his feet and tried to lift his sword, only to be viciously attacked by Kuwabara and his Spirit Sword.

Shizuru, Yukina.

Blood began to drip down from Akio's mouth, as well as from many other places all over his body. His skin seemed more red than its normal white. He stood and when he looked up the first thing he saw was Yusuke, his hand pointed like a gun toward him.

"Keiko," Yusuke whispered as he sent a blast of spirit energy at him. He went flying back until he hit the ground and still tumbled over himself backward. Akio was unmoving on the floor.

Silence filled the room, all not knowing what to say. The crumbling of the room abruptly stopped and the demons he had summoned disappeared, dissolving into the ground. It was all… over. Finally.

They were free.

Miya began walking forward, toward Akio, then stopped and looked back to Kurama. Kurama heard the small whisper of thanks inside his mind before the blue aura left him and turned into Yasuo before their eyes. He smiled warmly at his love and took her hand, the two walking toward Akio together. Jiro followed, while Ryu hung back, waiting for Yuki.

Yuki appeared in front Sango. "Thank you for all you've done."

Sango nodded. "And thanks for the healing. I'd be dead if it wasn't for you."

She gave her a lopsided smile that all but said 'I-know-something-you-do-not'. "Just repaying you."

"You're not going to tell me what that smile's about, are you?" Sango inquired, feeling a bit annoyed.

Yuki smile turned into a grin. "You'll find out in due time."

The seductress looked behind Sango to the monk staring at her figure and winked at him playfully. She laughed when he smirked at her, then turned back to Ryu.

"Got that out of your system?" he asked. She nodded and, looking at her, Ryu couldn't help but smile with her. "A seductress until your last moments. I wonder if I would've been able to break you of that habit."

His face turned somber then, his own words reminding him of how they'd never been able to live their life together. Ryu tugged on her arm then, shaking his head while telling her the others were waiting, and the two walked to circle around Akio.

Kura was the last. She slowly blinked her eyes open and stood up, cradling her wounded hand to her, only letting out a small whimper to show she was in pain. With the others, she went over to Akio and looked down at him, her face void of emotion, feeling a bit shell-shocked.

"He's free…" Kura said softly. "We're all free."

"That we are," Yasuo responded, his voice holding much built up emotion.

Then the five older spirits, minus Kura, looked upward, feeling the pull. They could finally go and rest in peace. Jiro was the first to give up his human appearance and began drifting upward in a brownish orb of light. Ryu and Yuki soon followed in their own black and sapphire lights, but Miya lingered behind, looking to Kura.

Kura gasped and clutched her arm around her stomach, feeling the change begin. She looked at Miya with shocked eyes. She… she felt it. She was beginning to become human again. After stealing Akio's humanity so long ago… and now with him gone and her able to use her powers… She was becoming human.

Miya put a hand to Kura's cheek, which calmed her down as she looked up at the woman. "Be good, Kura."

Kura smiled like the child she was. "And what makes you think I wouldn't?" she asked with mischievous eyes.

The Lady Miya gave her an ironic smile and stroked her hair fondly. She couldn't find it in herself to be angry with the little girl. Kura had only punished Akio for what he had done, never knowing what the consequences of her actions might be. No matter how old she was technically, she died as a child and her mind was still that of a child, so she made a childish decision. It wasn't her fault entirely.

Miya turned when Yasuo squeezed her hand and he gently pulled her to him. He embraced her, the first time they could do so in oh so many long years. Then the two began moving upward together, the blue and green lights mingling as they ascended.

Abruptly as the group watched them go, the destruction began again, worse than before. The whole house quaked with it, sending rubble all over the place and making their footing unstable. The house's groaning as it came apart was loud enough for it to be difficult to hear one another.

There was no question about it; the house was coming down.

Sango grabbed onto Kirara to steady herself, but the cat demon was not all too steady herself. "We need to find a way out of here!" she yelled over all the noise.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Yusuke yelled back.

The floor where Yusuke and Kuwabara were standing began cracking in two; each jumped to the side as the ground shook and split. A piece of the ceiling began tumbling downward toward Botan, but Kurama took hold of her waist, actually lifting her off the ground and moved her out of the way. She thanked him just before he started speaking.

"The door we came in from used to be down that hallway and—" Kurama began.

"Before we get in to the complicated directions, why don't we just go?" Miroku said. "If you haven't forgotten, there are a few floors above us that are above to cave in!"

As if to prove his point, they heard rattling above and when they looked up, they saw a bed trying to fall through a gap in the ceiling. Lucky for them, the hole wasn't yet big enough to do that, but it would be soon as it continued to split.

The rest nodded to Miroku's words and began to collect themselves, until Botan's exclamation of "look!" made them turn to follow the deity's pointed finger.

At first, they didn't know what she meant, all they saw was the crumbling house. Then they saw it. Slowly in the midst of all the wreckage, four bodies came into view. Their bodies were faint at first, but gradually were becoming focused. None had their eyes open, or were stirring. Were they really there?

Too stunned to react, Sango just stood there. The rest did the same. Kuwabara was the first to snap out of it, going to first Yukina's side and then Shizuru's (he seemed unable to decide which to stay beside, like a puppy who'd been offered two treats) with Yusuke only a few steps behind him. Yusuke stopped beside Keiko, a hand hesitating just above her arm.

If he touched her, would she be solid?

Botan rushed over next, Shippo clinging onto her while she did. After them was Miroku while Sango walked slowly, one arm draped over Kirara as though she needed the youkai to steady her. She knelt next to Hiei, first just peering at him closely. His face… it had been awhile since she had seen it. He just looked so peaceful lying there, something she had never seen on his face.

Her hand paused just above him, just as Yusuke had hesitated. It wasn't entirely that she didn't think he'd be solid… it was more the fact that if she touched him, she had this image of him suddenly snapping up and grabbing hold of her. Silly, but true.

Scolding herself, she finally let her fingertips brush against his cheek. Solid. And no popping up, but was that a good thing? Maybe he wasn't alive at all… just a trick… but his cheek was warm too, warmer than any human, but his body was naturally that high temperature. Just thinking it made her smile.

He was back.

Kurama stayed behind the rest, watching from afar. Though he did have his friends back, he would greet them later. He would let them have their moments, for he didn't have his. Beside him was Inuyasha, thinking much the same.

"We have to get out of here quickly," Miroku said. He turned to Kuwabara. "You take care of Yukina. I'll carry Shizuru."

Kuwabara nodded and each picked up a girl while Yusuke picked up Keiko. Sango had Kirara carry Hiei, wanting to keep her hands free in case any other surprises popped up.

Then through all the noise and crashes, she heard. The ending of a wordless song. Sango's eyes searched until they found the little girl, who had used the last of her power to bring their friends back. She was on the other side of the large room, far away from the group.

"Kura!" Sango yelled, holding her hand out her. She didn't like the girl… but she did give their loved ones back to them, loved ones they had thought they had lost.

Kura shook her head. "I'll follow soon!" she shouted, but her voice was hoarse so she wasn't sure she could hear her. There's still one thing I want to do… Kura thought. Her face turned upward, toward the crumbling ceiling.

The slayer wavered for a moment, but seeing the girl decline, followed the others as they ran as fast as they could toward the hallway that started their way out of the house. Kurama, however, lingered behind looking at the crumbling room. All the orbs of light, the last essences of the dead, were gone. Except one.

Miya's, the green light, was still lingering near the ceiling, not yet ascending all the way. The orb shuttered and separated into two, one still the same color green, but the other… pink.

"Kagome," Kurama whispered.

The green light kept ascending, but the other was moving toward the ground, until it landed next to Kura. Then suddenly, Kagome was standing there, a pink aura surrounding her, looking at him with a small, sad smile.