Death

She could end him now, he thought, watching the scene with ill-disguised contempt. That disgusting spider had his arms wrapped around her, her own arms now pinned behind her back because of the movement. A feral rage inside Sesshoumaru itched to be let lose, but he could do nothing as long as the miko had the barrier held. But there was a part of him that knew if the girl could bring herself to do it, the spider would die tonight for his boldness.

Next to Sesshoumaru, Kouga took careful note of that same fact, and held his tongue. He wanted nothing more than to yell at her to lower the barrier, to let all the youkai in the courtyard fight for her, as they itched to. But there was a strength in her he had not seen since they had been children, and he was loath to steal that from her.

o.O.o

A hiss of pain and Kagome had to keep herself from struggling as his one little action changed the play of power. He could certainly over power her, at least in terms of physical strength, but he wasn't. "You're not taking me anywhere, Jirōbō." She let more purity flow through her skin to punctuate the statement.

"Fucking the dog gave you more courage than it should have, my dear." Tauntingly, he leaned closer and flicked his tongue out across her cheek. "I'm beginning to think you want to be here, with me."

o.O.o

Fuiasu was lost to them all. Her eyes were on the same scene as the rest of them, but not. Her skin had paled, and her eyes had dilated. She was there, but not there, Touga noted. And vulnerable. So, so vulnerable in this state. She was having a vision, and there was nothing he could do but watch almost helplessly as the color leeched from her skin, as her body started to sway, and tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

Cursing, he set a hand gently between her shoulder blades, but did nothing more than try to support her. He knew better than to try and bring her back before she was ready, if he knew nothing else about it. Whatever it was she was seeing, it had something to do with the jewel, he was sure of it. He cursed the spider demon, both past and present.

o.O.o

"The last thing I want from you," she started carefully, anger building in every word, "is to be any closer to you than I have to."

He smirked, and wrapped his arms firmly around her back, trapping her arms even more between her own body and his arms. "Then why haven't you lowered the barrier?"

o.O.o

Nodoka was helpless to do anything but watch as her ex-son-in-law threatened her daughter. Again. And again there was nothing she could do to help. Not for the first time, she wished for the same spiritual powers the rest of her family held. Anger boiled inside of her, but the only sign of it on her serene face was the darkening of her brown eyes and the small hands fisted at her sides.

She couldn't hear what was being said, as she was only human and her senses were not as strong as the rest of those in the court yard, but she was a mother, and she knew her daughter well. "Do it, Kagome," she murmured, watching with angry, worried eyes.

o.O.o

She didn't struggle as he pulled her closer, and it had been very, very difficult not to react when he ran his tongue along her cheek. Kagome wanted to be near to him, wanted to be touching skin, he was right about that, but not about the 'why.' And Oh, the why of things were so, so important. He had never understand that. And now he would never have the chance. "Because I'm going to kill you." A memory flashed through her mind, and while it would have made her hesitate before, it only strengthened her resolve now.

That determination was clear in her eyes, as clear as day to Jirōbō. That tingle of fear he had felt only moments before grew into an itch at the look in those eyes. "You can't kill me," he muttered. He couldn't mask the sudden lack of confidence in his voice. He hadn't signed up for this, he thought warily.

"I loved you once." It was all she said, all she would ever say to him again, before she crushed her lips to his and unleashed a torrent of purity. She didn't question how she knew to use the power, didn't question where it had come from, she simply used it without a qualm.

The kiss was to confuse him, he would think later, in the afterlife. He would use it to console himself that she wasn't stronger than him, that she had merely distracted him. The last thing he really remembers though, is the ripping, searing pain of purity flooding through his body, tearing his body asunder, burning his soul into thousands and thousands of tiny, unrecognizable pieces.

o.O.o

Word count - 851