((Hola! Thanks you SO much for your reviews! When I type it, the people are talking on separate lines, but when I upload it, they all go one line...stupid uploading...grrr....lol, and I still don't own InuYasha.))

'Ka-Kagome...?' InuYasha whispered, moving forward. His friends began to stir... 'Where's Kagome?' Sango and Shippo murmured in unison, looking at the pale InuYasha. 'You didn't see?' he said, turning his golden gaze to them. '...no...' 'She's GONE!' he roared. 'HER BLOOD IS EVERYWHERE! I CAN'T FIND HER!' Shippo burst into frightened tears, Sango gasped, and Miroku swore under his breath. 'KAGOOOOMEEEE!' InuYasha howled to the moon...

'Urgh...' Kagome began to come to, chilled by the night air. She opened her eyes a bit to see that she was flying through the air, backwards. 'Wha?' she thought, vaguely aware that she was slumped over someone's strong shoulder. InuYasha was her first guess, so she turned to ask him why she felt so beat up. She opened her mouth, but realized that this wasn't InuYasha. 'You...' she weakly gasped, and slumped, once again unconscious.

InuYasha had left his friends behind to recover from what happened; it seemed that none of them remembered what had happened or who had attacked them. InuYasha couldn't remember ever moving as fast as this. He constantly called Her name into the night, but to no avail; his only answer was the insects of the night chirping their innocent songs. InuYasha wanted to kill something...he was very tired out by the time he realized...it was all a trap. Demons surrounded him on all sides, moving in an odd pattern, a hum going through them like an electric shock (lol Mr. Foto!). InuYasha looked around, growling exhaustedly. Suddenly, there appeared his stupid older half-brother, Sesshomaru. Ta-da, look what was slumped over his shoulder: Kagome. InuYasha snarled, his face red as he realized that he could see up her skirt. Quickly averting his gaze, he snarled out: 'Sesshomaru, let her go. You have no business with her.' Sesshomaru's only response was to smile mirthlessly. 'Well, younger brother, I needed something to lure you here with. You cannot escape...' with that, he nodded passively to the demons, and a few hidden rows from the back rose up, making a dark dome in under a second; InuYasha could not see anything, but the demons drew back to their original positions just as quickly. InuYasha growled. 'Bastard! Can't you go two days without trying to kill me!?' 'Give me the sword that is rightfully mine, and you and your wench will leave here unharmed and I shall never pursue you again...' The way that Sesshomaru spoke...InuYasha wanted to accept the offer...but suddenly, InuYasha shook his head forcefully and snarled. 'IT'S MINE! AND SO IS KAGOME! LET HER GO!' Sesshomaru only laughed, and threw Kagome to the demons. A snake demon slithered forth and caught her. The snake turned her head to InuYasha, her doll-lips curling into a smile, and she winked one unblinking eye. InuYasha merely stared back as she leaned over, the moonlight making her nude upper-half glow, and whispered something to the next demon, who whispered to the next, but instead of the hum that InuYasha expected, there was silence...he could not hear their words, and evidently neither could Sesshomaru, because he didn't even blink. Sesshomaru transformed into the giant dog and rushed InuYasha without warning. InuYasha dodged to the left, up into the air, and drew his sword, which instantly transformed. With an almighty screech, he attempted to bring it down onto Sesshomaru's giant, shaggy head. The dog snarled and whirled, it's pearly ivorns gnashing as he tried to grab InuYasha's leg. InuYasha felt his ankle clasped in Sesshomaru's jaws, and had to stop his jump of flight, lest his foot be torn away. He slammed his sword into one of Sesshomaru's teeth, one surrounding his ankle with the aid of one more, and shattered it. Sesshomaru drew back, roaring with rage as he spit out blood and shattered enamel. With a ferocious snarl, he rushed InuYasha, leaping upwards, giant paws thumping madly at the earth, ready to rip...tear...kill... InuYasha sliced at the shoulder, the back near the neck, and right foreleg. Sesshomaru clawed at InuYasha's chest, bit his forearm, and slashed his leg. InuYasha looked over, to see the demons moving so slowly apart that he didn't notice until he'd been watching for about 10 seconds, and the snake woman winked again, holding Kagome carefully in her long, slender, flexible looking arms. Her body lay coiled on the ground, flesh melting seamlessly into greenish-black scale, the end of her body ending in a wicked looking point that definitely wasn't typical of a snake. InuYasha waited, keeping in just such positions so that Sesshomaru would not notice the demons making an exit for him...at least, he hoped so. This way, they could make it look like an accident; Sesshomaru knew that, on any occasion, they could all shoot up in under a second, so they couldn't just let InuYasha jump off, as they'd all get slaughtered by Sesshomaru's merciless claw. InuYasha, out of the corner of his eye, saw the opening, wide enough for him to fit through, but not while carrying Kagome in the fastest way. He bit his lip and used Sesshomaru's off-white muzzle to leap upwards and avoid the numerous sharp appendages attempting to slash him. It was a few minutes more before he figured the opening was wide enough. He suddenly darted back to the ground; up till now, the fight had been in the air, InuYasha finding numerous ways to stay alit. He grabbed Kagome from the snake youkai, and attempted to get away, but Sesshomaru was suddenly before him. The demons cried out angrily; InuYasha could not understand for all the world why they were on his side; and tried to attack Sesshomaru. Their reward was to be mercilessly torn apart by Sesshomaru. InuYasha, though feeling somewhat guilty, took the chance to escape, and leapt away, Kagome limp in his arms. He sighed as he got far enough away to where he felt comfortable. 'Hey, Kagome...' He whispered, shaking her gently. She didn't stir. InuYasha blinked, icy cold dread creeping into his heart. 'K-Ka-Kagome...?' he whispered, shaking her a bit more roughly now. She pressed a sensitive ear against her chest, but no gentle thump greeted him. 'Kagome!' he cried. 'Wake up! Come on!' He could feel the stinging prickle of tears in his eyes. 'No...' he moaned. 'Please...no...' Why hadn't he seen it before? Her blood had been all over the campgrounds, her clothes discolored from it, a fine trickle running from her mouth to drip down her chin. He let out a dry sob, and held her close to his body for a moment, as if hoping that the warmth from his body would transfer to her cold one. After a few minutes, the low hum of the surviving demons reached his highly sensitive ears, and he knew he had to move. He quickly moved back to the campsite, not knowing how he would ever tell them...how could this ever happen? Kagome, so strong, always, she could not die...no, it just wasn't true... InuYasha howled in misery as he made his way slowly to camp, Kagome draped across his strong arms, her head tilted back to reflect the moonlight, her eyes closed and a peaceful expression on her face. InuYasha emerged into the campsite to find that the three had cleaned up nicely. Sango was sitting with Shippo and Kirara curled in her arms, and Miroku was unconscious on the ground, a lump that only hiraikotsu could produce formed on his head. It appeared that his lecherous side had kicked in full force, judging by the look on his face of mingled satisfaction and a whole lot of pain. InuYasha hated to interrupt this quiet moment; he dreaded their reactions. Slowly, he stepped into the clearing, looked at Kagome's face, looking unnatural, still in the moonlight. Before any of the others noticed, he prized her mouth very slightly open, and pressed his lips gently against her cool ones. He looked at her through blurry eyes, before walking fully into the clearing, silent but knowing that they sensed him. Sango looked at him (Shippo and Kirara were both fast asleep, so she set them very gently down) and ran towards them, gasping at the site of the limp and blood-streaked Kagome. She shrieked. 'InuYasha! What happened?' InuYasha just stared blankly at her for a moment, and down to Kagome's body. He sniffed, and suddenly yelled: 'MY BROTHER IS WHAT HAPPENED! SESSHOMARU! I'LL GET HIM!' Dumping Kagome into Sango's arms, and running back, snarling furiously. 'You'll die...Sesshomaru!'

Sesshomaru sat atop a tree, back in his humanoid form, fingers curled under his chin. He actually hadn't meant to kill the girl, but she had fought until she bled to death and the wounds killed her. He knew that his brother would be back before it was healthy. This did work out in his favor: his brother would probably be heading back right now, and he was hurt and blinded by rage. Sesshomaru would be able to dispose of him easily and take his sword. The Tetsaiga would be his! After awhile of brooding (and deciding he would not share this victory with Rin, who seemed fond of Kagome), he heard the cry of: 'DAMN YOU TO HELL SESSHOMARU! I'LL KILL YOU!' Sesshomaru smirked; his half-wit brother was near, and rapidly approaching. Sesshomaru jumped down, smoothing his white hair and watching, flexing his claws with a cold smile plastered on his face. He was going to attack as soon as he caught sight of his brother...at least until he saw the tears. No...was his brother...crying? It certainly looked that way. Sesshomaru instantly stopped his claw flexing, and blinked at his brother. He looked more furious than he expected, and tears poured down his cheeks, furious tears. InuYasha drew the Tetsaiga without bothering to notice the expression on his brother's face, only noticing that the Tetsaiga refused to transform. 'WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS! I NEED THIS FUCKING SWORD! SHIT!' InuYasha banged the rusty sword against the ground, and the furious tears that had sprung from his eyes redoubled. Sesshomaru blinked at him as he squatted down and tried to break the sword, slamming it against the ground, chewing on it, stomping on it, bending it, anything, all the while cursing terribly. Sesshomaru didn't even move. Finally, InuYasha threw the sword at his feet and clutched at his hair with his fingers, claws digging into his head. 'Take it...just take it and kill me...' InuYasha muttered listlessly as blood trickled down and onto his face. Sesshomaru still just looked at him, and slowly picked up the sword, his eyes focused on InuYasha, completely thrown off. He picked up the sword, expecting the Tetsaiga to transform...guess what, Sesshomaru? It didn't. Sesshomaru looked at the rusty katana in rage. He knew it was the Tetsaiga...so why wasn't it working. Sesshomaru threw it down, and InuYasha looked up. 'Hey, I told you to kill me, Bastard!' 'Shut up, Half-breed and show me where your campsite is.' 'Why should I? I said kill me, not my...my friends.' 'You consider those lowly humans your friends?' 'Shippo-' '-Is more of a whelp than you.' *growl* 'I still have the Tensaiga, if you've forgotten.' InuYasha's ears perked up. He wouldn't...was Sesshomaru saying what he thought he was saying? He gaped at the large youkai. 'I do it not for you, but because Rin seems fond of that human whelp that you are so protective of.' InuYasha blinked at Sesshomaru...he had to take the chance. Slowly, InuYasha let his now-blood-streaked hair go, and leapt away to the campsite. When he arrived, Shippo was curled on Kagome's chest, sobbing his little heart out. 'Wake up, Kagome!' he begged, shaking her slightly. 'Please...mommy...' Sesshomaru looked at InuYasha, who shrugged. 'Move aside, whelp.' Shippo lifted a tear-stained face and squealed at the sight of Sesshomaru. 'Go away!' he cried, his voice trembling. 'I said, move aside, or I'll make you move,' said Sesshomaru, so coldly that Shippo scrambled behind Kagome's head, and held a few locks of her dark hair. He watched in pure horror, unable to speak, as Sesshomaru gazed at her face, the small trickle of blood still running down her face. As Sesshomaru now looked closely at her, it did strike him as sad to see her lying there, and that she was pretty...for a human. Sesshomaru sighed and pulled out the Tensaiga, and with a deep breath, slashed the creatures that huddled around the girl's body. He placed his sword back in its rightful place, and watched as the girl's eyelids flickered. He could now hear, with the superior hearing of a dog youkai, the flow of her blood and the beat of her heart, picking up pace. Without another word, he was gone. InuYasha looked after his brother. '...thank you, brother...' he said softly before turning to take up Kagome in his arms, who opened her eyes after a few moments and gazed at InuYasha. Suddenly she began to scream, and it took a few seconds until InuYasha realized that she was actually speaking. 'INUYASHA! Sesshomaru came! And he said he was going to lure you into a trap! Why am I here? I remember that he slashed me! I woke up and he was taking me somewhere on his shoulder! And then...I heard your voice...' Kagome trailed off, looking expectantly at InuYasha, who seemed to have been crying very recently. He took a deep breath and looked into her warm brown eyes. 'Kagome...you were dead. I guess you bled to death or something. See?' A pink blush bloomed across Kagome's cheeks as InuYasha's finger gently rubbed the flesh between her chin and lower lip, and showed her the blood. 'That's only a small bit, too. Look, it's all over your uniform. I fought with Sesshomaru before, and took you to camp, here, and then went after Sesshomaru again. But the Tetsaiga would not transform...I guess because I wasn't actually protecting you, I was trying to avenge you. But Sesshomaru wouldn't attack me...he said he'd revive you, because Rin liked you.' '...Dead?' she whispered, looking at InuYasha with wide eyes, to see her uniform and skirt coated in her blood, not to mention the land around. 'Oh,' she sobbed, and cried into her hands and knees.

'And now...now I shall finish the job that 'the great Sesshomaru' could not keep finished,' came a faint whisper, and there stood Kikyo, her bow aimed at a still-weakened Kagome, nothing but malice, clear in her eyes.

(I just wanted to get two chapters up in one day ^_~ Please R & R!)