Night came.
Kagome was restless from Miroku's warning and her own uneasiness. She sat up and looked around. Miroku and Sango were sleeping soundly. She stood up and stretched.
"Kagome?" InuYasha called from his perch atop his tree.
"It's all right," she said, looking up into the black canopy. "I just couldn't sleep."
InuYasha jumped down from his tree and stepped towards Kagome. "It's what that monk said, isn't it?"
Kagome looked down at her feet. "I know I shouldn't worry."
"You wanna.ah.walk or something?"
Kagome gave a small smile. "All right."
They made their way down the edge of the forest, staying close together and walking quietly until InuYasha broke the silence.
"What are we going to do.when this is all over I mean?"
Kagome stopped and looked at him quizzically.
"We almost have the whole shard, Kagome."
Kagome bit her lip. "I haven't really thought about it.what do you want to do?"
"I'm not sure anymore," InuYasha said slowly.
"I guess," Kagome said quietly, stepping closer towards him. "I just want to be happy now."
InuYasha nodded. An awkward pause filled the silence, and suddenly he sniffed and pulled away from her.
"We should go back."
Kagome shook her head. "I just want to go a little farther. Not too much," she added when she saw InuYasha's less-than enthusiastic face. He grudgingly agreed.
They walked close together as they made their way further down the forest's edge. Keeping to the shadows, they walked silently, until suddenly InuYasha stood alert.
"Someone's here," he whispered, sniffing the air. He drew Tetsusaiga and leapt back.
"What is it?" cried Kagome, staying behind him.
InuYasha's eyes stared coldly into the night.
"Sesshoumaru!" he cried, looking around him for movement. "Show yourself! You can't hide!"
"I would never resent to hiding," Sesshoumaru said as he emerged from the wood, his gaze directed at InuYasha. "Least of all from you."
InuYasha gripped his sword tightly and moved to block Kagome. "Stay behind me. Don't try and fight."
Kagome nodded, moving further back.
"Still protecting that worthless human, are you?" Sesshoumaru said, turning his mouth up in disgust.
"You're all talk," spat InuYasha. "Where's Rin? Gotten rid of her already?"
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and glared. He snarled and lunged forward, taking InuYasha by surprise and knocking the wind of him. Kagome gasped and drew back, reaching for her bow. Sesshoumaru was too quick for her, he grabbed her hand quickly and threw her down to the ground. She lay still. He turned back to InuYasha.
InuYasha gasped for air and clutched at his stomach, struggling to stand. Tetsusaiga was still gripped tightly in his hand. "Leave her out of this!" he cried, flinging himself forward with renewed energy. He swung down blindly with the sword, hitting the dirt as Sesshoumaru ducked. Sesshoumaru struck out with his hand, knocking InuYasha across the face.
Kagome stirred and looked up. She sat up, gripping her bow and groping for the arrows. She grabbed one and knocked it in her bow, aiming it at Sesshoumaru.
"Kagome!" cried InuYasha, noticing her and sprinting forward. "Stop! Don't fight him!"
Sesshoumaru was already there. He grabbed Kagome by the throat and brought her up to his face, her feet dangling off the ground.
InuYasha skidded to a stop, clenching his fists and growling. "Let her go, Sesshoumaru."
Sesshoumaru's gaze flickered toward InuYasha.
"And what if I don't?"
InuYasha winced and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came.
Kagome whimpered.
"Give me the sword, InuYasha." Sesshoumaru said, bringing his claws up to her neck.
InuYasha glared. "Let her go."
"Give me the sword!" cried Sesshoumaru, raising his claws in the air, prepared to strike.
"Sesshoumaru!" cried InuYasha.
"InuYasha." whispered Kagome, her eyes pleading with him. "Please."
InuYasha squinted, looking at her terrified face. He looked down at the Tetsusaiga. His father's sword. He slowly released his grip on the hilt.
Sesshoumaru smiled cruelly. "Put it down, and I'll release her."
InuYasha stared intently at the sword, suddenly tightening his grip and looking up. "You're bluffing!" he cried, bringing Tetsusaiga up and getting ready to fight.
"You will not give it to me then?" Sesshoumaru said, his smile slowly fading.
InuYasha looked towards Kagome. Sesshoumaru didn't have the guts. He could never do it, he thought to himself. "Never!" he cried, spitting on the ground in front of his brother.
Kagome choked back, tears running down her face. "InuYasha." she sobbed.
"Pity," Sesshoumaru said, trailing his finger down Kagome's face. "Such a waste."
"Get your hands off her!" InuYasha cried.
"Drop the sword!" screamed Sesshoumaru.
"Let her go!" yelled InuYasha.
Sesshoumaru shook his hair back, pulling his hand up and staring at Kagome. His eyes searched her face before he quickly struck down.
"KAGOME!" cried InuYasha as her body fell to the ground. "Kagome!" he ran towards her, catching her and holding her tightly. She didn't move, and his senses told him the truth.
"You bastard.." He snarled, looking at Sesshoumaru. His chest heaved, he couldn't take the emotion building. He couldn't breathe, his sadness consuming him as he held Kagome's lifeless body. He laid her body down gently, his sadness turning to rage as he turned to face Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru was staring at Kagome, an unreadable look across his face.
InuYasha watched him, a madness overtaking his mind. He grabbed Tetsusaiga and lunged forward, striking Sesshoumaru. InuYasha swung madly and randomly as he blindly tried to hit his mark. Sesshoumaru put his hands over his face, trying to fend off the blows.
InuYasha screamed and knocked Sesshoumaru on his back, driving the Tetsusaiga down, inches from his throat.
"Wait!" cried Sesshoumaru, terror filling his eyes. "Wait! I can.I can.."
"You can what?" yelled InuYasha, pushing the Tetsusaiga further towards Sesshoumaru's throat.
Sesshoumaru's eyes traveled down his body to his waist, where he looked at the Tenseiga. InuYasha followed his gaze and let up on his sword.
"Do it."
Sesshoumaru breathed out, not moving.
"Do it!" cried InuYasha, threatening him with the sword again.
"Give me your sword," Sesshoumaru whispered.
InuYasha glared at him, raising the Tetsusaiga to strike him.
"You kill me and you lose all hope of ever seeing her again!" Sesshoumaru said quickly.
InuYasha paused, the Tetsusaiga in the air. He slowly brought it down, staring at the blade before him. Sesshoumaru watched him silently.
"Bring her back first."
"Give me the sword."
"Dammit, Sesshoumaru!" InuYasha cried. He sighed angrily and looked towards Kagome, then his sword. "She's worth more than this." he whispered to himself. He flung the sword down at his feet.
Sesshoumaru knelt down and picked it up, a smile spreading across his face.
"Bring her back." InuYasha growled.
Kagome was restless from Miroku's warning and her own uneasiness. She sat up and looked around. Miroku and Sango were sleeping soundly. She stood up and stretched.
"Kagome?" InuYasha called from his perch atop his tree.
"It's all right," she said, looking up into the black canopy. "I just couldn't sleep."
InuYasha jumped down from his tree and stepped towards Kagome. "It's what that monk said, isn't it?"
Kagome looked down at her feet. "I know I shouldn't worry."
"You wanna.ah.walk or something?"
Kagome gave a small smile. "All right."
They made their way down the edge of the forest, staying close together and walking quietly until InuYasha broke the silence.
"What are we going to do.when this is all over I mean?"
Kagome stopped and looked at him quizzically.
"We almost have the whole shard, Kagome."
Kagome bit her lip. "I haven't really thought about it.what do you want to do?"
"I'm not sure anymore," InuYasha said slowly.
"I guess," Kagome said quietly, stepping closer towards him. "I just want to be happy now."
InuYasha nodded. An awkward pause filled the silence, and suddenly he sniffed and pulled away from her.
"We should go back."
Kagome shook her head. "I just want to go a little farther. Not too much," she added when she saw InuYasha's less-than enthusiastic face. He grudgingly agreed.
They walked close together as they made their way further down the forest's edge. Keeping to the shadows, they walked silently, until suddenly InuYasha stood alert.
"Someone's here," he whispered, sniffing the air. He drew Tetsusaiga and leapt back.
"What is it?" cried Kagome, staying behind him.
InuYasha's eyes stared coldly into the night.
"Sesshoumaru!" he cried, looking around him for movement. "Show yourself! You can't hide!"
"I would never resent to hiding," Sesshoumaru said as he emerged from the wood, his gaze directed at InuYasha. "Least of all from you."
InuYasha gripped his sword tightly and moved to block Kagome. "Stay behind me. Don't try and fight."
Kagome nodded, moving further back.
"Still protecting that worthless human, are you?" Sesshoumaru said, turning his mouth up in disgust.
"You're all talk," spat InuYasha. "Where's Rin? Gotten rid of her already?"
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and glared. He snarled and lunged forward, taking InuYasha by surprise and knocking the wind of him. Kagome gasped and drew back, reaching for her bow. Sesshoumaru was too quick for her, he grabbed her hand quickly and threw her down to the ground. She lay still. He turned back to InuYasha.
InuYasha gasped for air and clutched at his stomach, struggling to stand. Tetsusaiga was still gripped tightly in his hand. "Leave her out of this!" he cried, flinging himself forward with renewed energy. He swung down blindly with the sword, hitting the dirt as Sesshoumaru ducked. Sesshoumaru struck out with his hand, knocking InuYasha across the face.
Kagome stirred and looked up. She sat up, gripping her bow and groping for the arrows. She grabbed one and knocked it in her bow, aiming it at Sesshoumaru.
"Kagome!" cried InuYasha, noticing her and sprinting forward. "Stop! Don't fight him!"
Sesshoumaru was already there. He grabbed Kagome by the throat and brought her up to his face, her feet dangling off the ground.
InuYasha skidded to a stop, clenching his fists and growling. "Let her go, Sesshoumaru."
Sesshoumaru's gaze flickered toward InuYasha.
"And what if I don't?"
InuYasha winced and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came.
Kagome whimpered.
"Give me the sword, InuYasha." Sesshoumaru said, bringing his claws up to her neck.
InuYasha glared. "Let her go."
"Give me the sword!" cried Sesshoumaru, raising his claws in the air, prepared to strike.
"Sesshoumaru!" cried InuYasha.
"InuYasha." whispered Kagome, her eyes pleading with him. "Please."
InuYasha squinted, looking at her terrified face. He looked down at the Tetsusaiga. His father's sword. He slowly released his grip on the hilt.
Sesshoumaru smiled cruelly. "Put it down, and I'll release her."
InuYasha stared intently at the sword, suddenly tightening his grip and looking up. "You're bluffing!" he cried, bringing Tetsusaiga up and getting ready to fight.
"You will not give it to me then?" Sesshoumaru said, his smile slowly fading.
InuYasha looked towards Kagome. Sesshoumaru didn't have the guts. He could never do it, he thought to himself. "Never!" he cried, spitting on the ground in front of his brother.
Kagome choked back, tears running down her face. "InuYasha." she sobbed.
"Pity," Sesshoumaru said, trailing his finger down Kagome's face. "Such a waste."
"Get your hands off her!" InuYasha cried.
"Drop the sword!" screamed Sesshoumaru.
"Let her go!" yelled InuYasha.
Sesshoumaru shook his hair back, pulling his hand up and staring at Kagome. His eyes searched her face before he quickly struck down.
"KAGOME!" cried InuYasha as her body fell to the ground. "Kagome!" he ran towards her, catching her and holding her tightly. She didn't move, and his senses told him the truth.
"You bastard.." He snarled, looking at Sesshoumaru. His chest heaved, he couldn't take the emotion building. He couldn't breathe, his sadness consuming him as he held Kagome's lifeless body. He laid her body down gently, his sadness turning to rage as he turned to face Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru was staring at Kagome, an unreadable look across his face.
InuYasha watched him, a madness overtaking his mind. He grabbed Tetsusaiga and lunged forward, striking Sesshoumaru. InuYasha swung madly and randomly as he blindly tried to hit his mark. Sesshoumaru put his hands over his face, trying to fend off the blows.
InuYasha screamed and knocked Sesshoumaru on his back, driving the Tetsusaiga down, inches from his throat.
"Wait!" cried Sesshoumaru, terror filling his eyes. "Wait! I can.I can.."
"You can what?" yelled InuYasha, pushing the Tetsusaiga further towards Sesshoumaru's throat.
Sesshoumaru's eyes traveled down his body to his waist, where he looked at the Tenseiga. InuYasha followed his gaze and let up on his sword.
"Do it."
Sesshoumaru breathed out, not moving.
"Do it!" cried InuYasha, threatening him with the sword again.
"Give me your sword," Sesshoumaru whispered.
InuYasha glared at him, raising the Tetsusaiga to strike him.
"You kill me and you lose all hope of ever seeing her again!" Sesshoumaru said quickly.
InuYasha paused, the Tetsusaiga in the air. He slowly brought it down, staring at the blade before him. Sesshoumaru watched him silently.
"Bring her back first."
"Give me the sword."
"Dammit, Sesshoumaru!" InuYasha cried. He sighed angrily and looked towards Kagome, then his sword. "She's worth more than this." he whispered to himself. He flung the sword down at his feet.
Sesshoumaru knelt down and picked it up, a smile spreading across his face.
"Bring her back." InuYasha growled.