Disclaimers: I do not own Inu-Yasha and Co. It is the respective property of Rumiko Takahashi

What Fate Decides. Part 10

Kagome stood in an empty pasture. Her sword was firmly holstered at her hip. A nervous hand clutched the holt of the sword; anxiety and apprehensiveness began to build within her. She would wait for him to find her. She had spent too long running and hiding; she would run no more.

This would be the battlefield and whatever transpired here would change her forever; it could make her or break her.

"Kagome."

She turned to the low, but firm voice; he had arrived.

Sessho-maru stood no more than 20 feet from her. How he had longed to see her.always wondering if she was dead or alive, or if he would ever find her. He stared at Kagome. It looked as though time had left her untouched. She stilled looked like the fifteen-year-old girl he had met 8 years ago; nothing about her had, physically, changed. His memories of her, no matter how vivid, paled in comparison to having her there before him.

The way he looked at her made Kagome's flesh crawl. The wolf-hungry gaze of an obsessed man; his eye's alit with lust and intense desire. It made her nervous.

He watched as she unsheathed the sword and positioned herself in a fighting stance. "Really, Kagome, there is no need to be defensive," he purred, a sly grin tugged at his lips.

He leapt forward at a startling speed.

Kagome managed to swipe at him, but he easily dodged it. Her hair fell gently about her shoulders as she swiftly countered her last move by turning, lashing the blade at him once again; he barely avoided the tip.

He landed a few feet away from her and admired his handy work. Her soft, raven hair blew gently in the wind; she looked wild and untamed, and the sight of her made every nerve end tingle within him. "Much better," he breathed, stroking the hair ornament beneath his nose and running his tongue along his dry, parched lips.

She cast him an annoyed glare and firmly stood her ground.

"Kagome, there's no use in fighting.you know you can't possibly win," he said in a slow, silken tone. A look of utter confidence graced his features.

"My.you still have such a large ego. You really haven't changed," she replied dryly, and kept her gaze focused on him. Too much was at stake; she couldn't afford to lose.

"Having second thoughts?" he commented. A bemused look lit his eyes and a soft chuckle parted his lips; her surrender would be sweet!

"Never!" she snapped and leapt toward him with the blade handle tucked inward.

Sessho-maru laughed to himself. She was going to try and run him through with the sword! He would have the sword taken away from her before she even made it to him.

He moved his arm in quickly to grab the handle, but was startled when the blade moved up and outward; cutting through and completely shattering his demonic armor.He jumped back in shock then noticed a warm wet feeling lingering on his skin. His garments were bloodstained; his inner and outer kimono had been cut, and a gash extended from his chest cavity to his lower torso.

Sessho-maru was surprised and suddenly angered that he had let a woman get the better of him!"I'll get what I want! You just wait and see!" He snarled and in a blur of motion, was gone.

Kagome stared in amazement. She had actually won, but what had he meant? What was he planning.?
To be continued.