Disclaimer: Nothing.

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They watched in horror as Kagome fell to the ground, unmoving. The youkai had vanished as soon as Kikyo had struck out at Kagome. Sango's gaze shifted to watch the undead miko warily. Kikyo rose to her feet slowly, glancing at them once, and showing them the eerie silver burn marks that crossed her face. She walked towards them, or seemed to at least. She stopped about a foot away from them, drawing her sword from the ground. She walked slowly, every step deliberately paced, towards the unconscious miko ahead of her. Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha moved to stop her as she fit the tip of her sword to Kagome's throat. Kikyo turned to them, raising a hand and making a smooth flicking gesture. The power wove around them, despite their attempts to stop it. It wrapped around their bodies, binding them tightly and try as they did, the power would not let lessen, tightening when they tried.

Kikyo nodded, satisfied with her work, and turned back to Kagome. She removed the tip of her sword, tossing it away causally and kneeling next to the still form. She spoke so softly that Inuyasha barely heard her.

"You should not have caused me so much trouble little one. Then it would not have to be this way. But you have stood in my path for to long and if I let you live, you will continue to hinder my path. It is a pity that Inuyasha will no longer be given the opportunity to make his choice. It would have been rather satisfying to watch you when he chose me to live on. But I suppose that just knowing that you have died without having your purpose fulfilled, will have to suffice. I will have Inuyasha as mine in hell and there is nothing that you can do to stop it," a small smirk flittered across her face briefly, "But first.."

Kikyo turned Kagome so that she was lying on her back and put her first and second fingers on Kagome's temples. Kikyo's eyes closed and her aura covered them both. Kagome's transformation faded as it pulsed around them, echoing the shared heartbeat that they had within.

"Kagome-sama!" Miroku shouted as he realized what was taking place, "Kagome- sama! Wake up!"

Kikyo didn't even move. Miroku's mouth snapped shut as a thick rope of power wrapped around his head. Miroku tossed his head in an attempt to move the makeshift gag, his hand reaching for the beads that held his Kazaana closed.

Inuyasha had frozen as soon as the words had reached his ears. He could feel the instant pain in his chest when his numb mind registered the true meaning of what she had said.

"What is it Miroku?" Inuyasha asked, trying to shift his thoughts from the words that struck at him again and again.

Miroku couldn't answer. He tried to speak but the words came out mumbled and he gestured with his head to the scene that was playing out in front of them. Kagome's aura was visible, trying to draw her away from Kikyo's aura that had wrapped around them. Kagome's body began to shake. Her whole form began to glow, lifting itself off from the ground.

Her friends watched as the first ball of light escaped from her body. Kagome's body arched back as her soul erupted from the human form that held it. They watched when Kikyo's soul came out and the undead miko was lifted to the ground and laid next to Kagome. The souls shot up and wrapped with the newest addition, all merging together and forming a huge ball of light that was Kagome's full soul.

"That is . . . Kagome-chan's soul??" Sango renewed her attempts to break loose. She felt the bonds loosen as Kikyo's attention faded. Sango arched and drew her blade, slashing through the cords and landing in a crouch. She went to Miroku first, tearing the cord from his mouth and releasing him.

"What were you trying to say before houshi-sama?" She asked as she slashed Inuyasha free.

Miroku searched his robes for something, anything, that could stop this, "She is taking Kagome-sama's soul."

Inuyasha paled immediately, "How do we stop it?"

Miroku glanced up at him from his search, "The only way to stop it is to destroy the vessel that the soul is traveling to."

Sango gripped at her blade as she watched Inuyasha. The hanyou had gone completely still and he didn't look like he could move.

"Ah ha!" They all turned at Miroku's exclamation. The monk drew, what seemed to be, a small slip of paper from inside his robes. He glanced up at the still forms of the two mikos.

The soul was draining into Kikyo's body. Only half of the soul remained to be absorbed. Miroku lifted his hand, holding the paper between two fingers. As the others watched, he closed his eyes. The paper began to glow brightly and words began to appear. It wasn't until the glow became too bright to look at that Miroku spoke two mumbled words. The words blazed brightly and removed themselves from the paper, turning into beams of light and shooting straight to where Kikyo was absorbing the soul, stopping right over form. The beams shot straight through Kikyo's clothes, and as everyone watched, shrinking rapidly until nothing remained. Kikyo's eyes opened the instant the soul stopped filling her. She looked up, puzzled.

The soul had stopped going into Kikyo. Kagome's eyes opened, seeing nothing, just staring straight up as her soul began to return to her body. Kikyo looked down at her body, seeing nothing that could have stopped the transfusion, she hissed when she felt a familiar sensation over her heart. Pulling open her robes, she gazed at the kanji that now was etched deeply into her skin. Her eyes traveled over to the group, stopping when she saw the paper between the monk's fingers.

"You . . . " Kikyo's voice filled with anger and hatred caused Miroku to open his eyes. He looked over to where Kikyo was glaring at them and smirked. He tucked the paper carefully back into his robes.

Kikyo threw out her hand, her sword coming to her immediately from where she had laid it. She lashed out, dark energy attacked the monk from all directions, forming a whirlwind as they struck him. Miroku ducked instinctively, covering his head with his hands

"I'll kill you all!" Kikyo screamed, throwing out blade after blade of her energy.

Dark power streamed at them from all directions. When they managed to dodge one, another struck at them to where they had dodged. It seemed hopeless, as not even Inuyasha could manage to escape the deadly cycle, though it may have had something to do with his numb state of mind.

The attacks stopped all at once. It was so sudden that it left Inuyasha and Sango still dodging the attacks. Light streamed through the clearing and the waves of energy vanished as soon as it was touched. Kikyo turned and everyone's gaze was turned to where she looked. Kagome was still on the ground, laying on her stomach, but her head was up and her upper body braced by her arms. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth but her eyes blazed with life. She reached out with one arm, her sword coming to her instantly. She turned her attention back to Kikyo.

"Your fight is with me," she said softly, her voice coming out raspy and thin. Coughs racked her body. She brought one hand to her mouth, bringing it down when the spasm had stopped. The blood that had been drawn in her coughing smeared on the ground as she pushed against the dirt, lifting her sword to use it as a brace to help her stand. She lifted her upper body first, bringing both hands up to the hilt of the sword, dragging the rest of her body up as she braced herself and stood. Her body clearly struggled with the effort it took but still, she stood, shaking.

"If you still wish to fight Kikyo," Kagome was saying softly, "It is with me. I said I will fight you anytime and I will. But you will fight with me. Not them."

She leaned heavily on the sword and she looked like she would fall over at any minute but the tone in which she spoke made them forget that.

Kikyo scowled, throwing her hand out and binding Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango again with her power.

"We will meet again, Child of Light and I will fight you. But not now. It is not yet time to finish this," Kikyo vanished.

Kagome staggered over to where her friends were bound, she lifted one hand slowly, and made a slashing motion. An invisible force came out, cutting through all the bonds. Kagome briefly gave them a small smile, before falling forwards and collapsing on the ground.

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Author's Note: Whew. Rewrites are done. Only new chapters are next. Hope you liked it. I know I skipped some parts from before but I'll write them in later.