Author's Notes: Well I'm one happy bunny. I got my copy of the fifth harry potter book and I've been busily working my way through it – hence the reason why I was too busy reading the book to update a few hours ago (a few hours – who's that picky?)
Oh… and that bitter part I was talking about? Yeah… you'll find it in this chapter. So sorry… It kinda explains why this chapter is about two pages longer than normal (in micro. word that is)
But that also means that the next chapter is going to be the last chapter! It's finally coming to an end!
Life Exchange
Chapter 22
The Final Deal
"You don't believe me do you?" Naraku groaned. "But we've been through this like a million times already…"
"Sorry, but somehow I find it hard to believe you'd tell me something like this – you're a nasty person and you tell me nasty things – so you're just saying he loves me so that it will upset me more because he doesn't love me!" Kagome reasoned (in Kagome logic, which is very illogical logic).
"That's stupid. You're stupid." He told her bluntly. "Inuyasha has made no secret of the fact he sees you as a friend – and that he also feels attracted to you. By his own definition, that is what he calls love. So he would be a hypocrite or a liar if he didn't love you." Naraku flicked some lint off his sleeve. "Neither of which I find him to be."
Kagome stared at the floor, speechless again. "But…" she faltered, before trying again a few moments later. "Why are you telling me this?"
"To spoil the surprise when he tells you himself." Naraku shrugged. "Or maybe I find you so wretchedly pathetic, that even I can't help but pity you… I don't know. I just felt like saying it."
Kagome sighed and pulled her arms tightly around her knees. "I don't know why you bothered either… it's not like I can do anything about it now…" she still half believed he was lying to her. It all sounded too good to be true. It was too good to be true. She was dead… she'd never see Inuyasha again no matter what… right? Unless…
"That deal you talked about?" she lifted her chin to look at him. "What were your terms, again?"
He blinked at her before smiling slowly. "I think they're rather fair. I have no need or desire to cheat you now, I just want to get rid of you, and I reckon you feel the same so, if you want, I can restore you to your former life, free your soul back to you, heal all your physical injuries and give you a bash at fighting the bad guys."
That sounded good… but there was always the catch. "And in return?" she raised an eyebrow.
"You give me back your immortal life." He said smoothly.
Kagome froze. "But… if I do that… I won't live half as long as Inuyasha would…"
Naraku shrugged. "You take it or leave it. Do you want to stay dead forever, or do you at least want a chance to live a normal human life, regardless of how short it would seem."
She shook her head firmly. "No way… I promised to stay with Inuyasha no matter what – I want be beside him for the rest of his life – not just mine!"
Naraku shrugged again. "Your loss. I won't set you free in that case."
Kagome bit her lip and glared at the floor… this couldn't be the only way… there had to be some happy medium she could settle for. "Maybe… you can take my immortal life – but leave enough so that I'd live as long as Inuyasha should."
"Unfair." He snipped at her abruptly. "For the things I'm giving you, I want all your immortal life, not just half of it."
She tried again. "Ok… then how about you don't heal all my injuries, and I get to keep another hundred or so years?"
He narrowed his eyes. "I could do that… Inuyasha should only live for about another century and a half I suppose… unless he really does develop a heart condition in forty years, which could knock twenty or so years off his life…" he fell into a meditative quietness. "Ok. I'll let you keep a century and a half of life… but I won't heal your injuries, and you'll have to fight Tsubaki on your own. Once the deal is done I'm out of here, you won't be getting any help from me. And without me healing your injuries you could just die after five minutes."
Kagome accepted it all with a firm nod. "Fine."
"Fine."
"Deal?" she cocked an eyebrow.
"It's a deal." He nodded. He began to stand up. "Enjoy what little life you have left… Baby…"
He disappeared from view and Kagome heaved a sigh of relief. "Good riddance to bad rubbish." She said loudly to the silent expanse around her.
Then she waited.
There was no wind, no sound, no people, no sights and no smells. She turned painfully to look behind her… still nothing there either. Well… did Naraku expect her to find her own way out?
"Cheap git…" she muttered. Always skimping on the details, that guy.
Then it happened.
^_^
It was all going according to plan. Actually, Bankotsu didn't believe it could have gone any better. Inuyasha was a pesky little problem… and like all vermin, he was about to be exterminated. He was pinned, paralysed and about to be burned to a crisp under all that flaming rope… ah… life was good.
So that's why he couldn't wipe the confident little smirk off his face when Inuyasha's body was consumed in flames, or when Ginkotsu levelled his cannon arm at the young man, or when Kyoukotsu raised an elephant sized fist, ready to smash down upon the boy's remains.
"Do it." He said simply.
The explosion of the cannon hitting its target was literally devastating. A cloud of dust rose in a mushroom as rocks and stone shrapnel were thrown outwards, along with little pieces of burning rope. Jakotsu squeaked and had to duck as some debris aimed straight for his head.
Nothing human could have survived that blast… and nothing half human either.
But just to be sure, Kyoukotsu slammed down his oversized fist down on the poor Hanyou, even before the dust and rocks had settled down. The impact sent shudders through the canyon, quaking the ground beneath their feet and making the trees to either side of them shiver.
Tsubaki's eyelids flickered slightly as she lowered her chin to stare at the floor. Bankotsu sent her a short smirk… she probably knew she was next.
The eerie quiet descended on the canyon. Of course, it wasn't silent. That was impossible. Little clatters of rocks still falling around them broke into the atmosphere, the trees whispered in the breeze and the sighing ocean could be heard in the distance. But it seemed unusually calm and peaceful down there.
Kyoukotsu eventually drew back his fist and moved away. It was still a few minutes before the dust settled completely and they could see what was going on.
Bankotsu had to admit he was a little disappointed. He'd at least hoped that by now Inuyasha's head would have popped open like a melon… but he was still whole and solid. Now the Shichinin-tai's feet disturbed the peaceful quiet as he kicked his way through the rocky rubble towards Inuyasha, keeping his eyes on the boy.
His ruffled white hair was stirring slightly in the breeze, some of it was matted with blood from some wound or another. But that wasn't the only movement down in that mini crater… Inuyasha was breathing. And not only was he breathing, but he was rapping five pickaxe like claws against the ground beside his head in a slow, deliberate rhythm.
Bankotsu stopped dead and glared for a few moments, obviously not pleased that the former King had survived. He shot a pointed look to Kyoukotsu and smashed a fist against his other palm, hinting at what he wanted done. The lumbering giant nodded with a large nasty grin pasted across his face. "My pleasure." He rasped as he moved back in and scooped the prone form of the Hanyou up.
It all happened a little too quickly to make sense. Bankotsu was the only one with any warning… when he saw the rough curtain of white hair slide back as the Hanyou was lifted to reveal one of the most feral and sadistic smiles he'd ever seen. Even Bankotsu didn't think he could manage a more sinister sneer.
Kyoukotsu lifted, about to turn the young man into paste. Tsubaki noticed the same thing as Bankotsu and snorted as she looked away again. Jakotsu whistled as he went about sheathing his sword. Mukotsu was having a coughing fit in the background, having inhaled a little too much of his own poisonous smoke. Bankotsu opened his mouth, about to yell a warning.
Kyoukotsu blinked as he was ripped in half.
In a horrible wrenching, twisting and ripping action, Inuyasha both pulled himself out of the giant's grip and raked his claws upwards… shredding the large man's body efficiently and in the messiest way possible.
No one dared move… even as chunks of Kyoukotsu were beginning to rain down around them, fast turning to nothing but dust and bone before they even hit the ground. They were all in shock.
"But that's… impossible…" Jakotsu breathed.
Dark anger rolled through Bankotsu. Already they'd lost another member of their unit… it was getting beyond a joke now, that was for sure. Someone had to pay and it was going to be Inuyasha.
The aforementioned Hanyou landed lightly on the ground with a soft thump, crouched, with one taloned hand braced against the uneven ground while the other was held out for balance, but it soon dropped to rest his forearm against his knee. He was still wearing that disturbing smile, his shoulder was bleeding badly and his chest was charred black, visible through the burnt holes in his shirt. His hair looked coarse, and his two ears looks ragged and hard… not such a cute and fuzzy look about him anymore. Especially with those angry dark stripes ripping down both cheeks and the eyes that were narrowed into little red slits… his teeth looked a little too sharp as well…
"What happened to your face?" Barked Bankotsu irritably.
He didn't get any reply. He wasn't even sure Inuyasha had understood him at all…
Well. Not that it mattered anyway. "Kill him, and don't spare him any leeway." Bankotsu told the others. "If he can kill Kyoukotsu he can kill you too. And I'll finish off this…"
He turned and lost his voice as his gaze fell on Tsubaki… Kagome… whoever she was.
She was dead.
With a cautious glance at Inuyasha who still crouched as still as stone a short distance away, he approached the fallen girl who was sprawled half in, half out of the water. He nudged her with his foot but he got no response. Well… with wounds like that it wasn't surprising she'd popped her clogs already.
It just meant he could focus his attention on Inuyasha.
There was a shout and he spun quickly in time to see Inuyasha hurtle towards the fairly large Ginkotsu. He simply knocked the very large, heavily made man to the floor and stood on his chest as he raised a fist, ready to rip out his throat. Perhaps he would have if Jakotsu hadn't whipped his sword towards the Hanyou, or if Renkotsu hadn't thrown out his flaming nets. Inuyasha dodged it all within millimetres, before instantly turning and throwing himself towards Jakotsu instead. The poor man tried to defend himself as best he could, but Inuyasha simply knocked his fancy, twisting sword away with his claws alone and wrapped a hand around his neck.
"He's too… strong!" Jakotsu rasped, grimacing as Inuyasha's grip only tightened.
"Enough!" Bankotsu yelled, throwing Banryuu at the Hanyou, aiming to hit. Inuyasha just skirted away, releasing Jakotsu in the process and came to a halt where he stilled and watched… but didn't make any offensive move again.
Jakotsu shot Bankotsu a meaningful look full of gratitude as he rubbed his abused neck. "Man… my life flashed before my eyes…" and boy did he need a life.
Bankotsu marched over and yanked Banryuu out of the ground and swung about to face Inuyasha. "You're mine, halfling." He hissed angrily. Inuyasha's smirk just widened. "You're so dead…"
^_^
It felt like her body had just been grabbed by several dozen hands at the same time. She felt them clamp onto her arms, twist around her legs and grip her around the middle while some locked round her chest. Before she even had a chance to scream and pull herself out of the grip, she was hurled backwards.
And she just didn't stop falling.
She almost felt like she'd been reined to some amazingly fast horses and was being dragged along faster than the speed of sound. Kagome just hurtled downwards, feeling the impact of the wind rip around her body – if a shining streak of light was fit to be called a body – swallowing up any screams she tried to emit. Of what little she saw, were only fleeting obscure images. Clouds billowed past above her, almost as if she was flying… but she had no control.
She managed to catch sight of what lay below her… trees… a forest… a little bit of sea… they all shot past in a blur of blue and green and sometimes dusting of brown, golden earth. It was rushing up to meet her. Kagome was terrified she wouldn't survive the impact…
The last thing she saw confused her even more. A valley, various figures standing around like statues… time seemed frozen down there. Then she saw herself, sitting on a boulder as quiet and still as everyone else. This was all a fraction of a second before her soul went slamming back into her physical body, knocking the girl clean off the boulder and half into the water nearby.
Everything went very dark, and very quiet. Kagome was still scared witless… she hadn't a clue what had just happened… though she got the vague idea when she felt some other presence pushing against her… trying to dominate and expel her. Kagome still didn't know what the hell it was… but she fought it, with every fibre of her being. She somehow knew she couldn't lose this battle.
The gentle pushing against her senses increased almost to violent levels and she almost fell away… but she gathered herself and pushed back, just as hard, if not harder. The pressure finally started to falter, and Kagome didn't waste any time pushing against the foreign presence even more forcefully. This was her body. It belonged to Kagome, not anybody else!
With one last heavy and wilful push, the presence vanished and Kagome was suddenly very alone… and thankful for it. She was tired of company by now… she just wanted some time to herself.
Physical pain began to seep into her awareness and she heard herself groan aloud. She clenched fingers she hadn't been aware she possessed until that moment and felt the coldness of the water she half lay in. She flickered her eyes open and blearily focused on the loud crashes and small shuddering quakes that was going on around her.
She remembered what Naraku had told her… and saw that he had been truthful. Inuyasha was fighting the Shichinin-tai, and even though he was holding his own quite well… he wasn't exactly winning…
But she was alive now, and she would help as best as she could…
^_^
Bankotsu laughed as he unleashed another strong gust of energy from his sword, it ripped across the canyon towards Inuyasha who only just managed to avoid it. But instead of going for Bankotsu like he should have, to put a stop to Banryuu's attacks, Inuyasha simply went for the nearest Shichinin-tai – which happened to be Renkotsu. There was no strategy to his moves – he was just attacking at random like some kind of wild animal.
He was impossible to read… but fairly easy to keep at bay at the same time.
Renkotsu deflected his blows with a great deal of effort and ultimately set the out of control Youkai on Mukotsu instead. But Renkotsu wasn't quite finished. He whipped out another coil of net and ignited it instantly as it shot towards both Mukotsu and Inuyasha.
However… Inuyasha saw it coming and once more changed direction, aiming for Jakotsu again, having lost interest in Mukotsu all too quickly. But the flaming net kept going and struck Mukotsu… who happened to be a very flammable, rather gassy kind of person.
He exploded.
Renkotsu tutted. "Damn… I missed…" he muttered, before shrugging and turning to come face to face with a rather angry Bankotsu.
"What the fuck did you do that for?!" his leader shouted in his face.
Renkotsu scowled ever so slightly. "Big deal. Mukotsu wasn't that strong, he wasn't a great loss."
"If it's not bad enough he's picking us off – but you are too!" Bankotsu yelled, waving a hand to where Jakotsu was fending off Inuyasha. "But you were always that way weren't you?"
Renkotsu shrugged. He didn't care as much about his comrades as Bankotsu seemed to. "It doesn't matter." He said simply.
"Yeah, well, neither do you." Bankotsu said quietly.
That was all the warning Renkotsu got before Bankotsu turned and marched away. Renkotsu smirked lightly as the boss helped out Jakotsu yet again and once more, Inuyasha changed tactics and aimed at someone new. Someone like Renkotsu who hadn't expected the attack.
The monk was thrown to the ground hard before being picked up and thrown down again, knocking the wind out of him. He was going to lose this one if someone didn't come to his aid. He looked up to Bankotsu, about to call for assistance… until he noticed the cold look Bankotsu was shooting him.
Oh crap…
Jakotsu looked a little stunned, and was about to move forward and help the monk, but Bankotsu put a hand out to stop him. No one else made an effort to help him.
"Figures…" Renkotsu muttered thickly as he felt cold claws thrust straight through his back and into his chest. The darkness consumed him fast… quick and painless, that was the best way to go, he decided, as he went.
"Enough games now." Bankotsu said loudly as moved forward now that Renkotsu was dead. There were only three Shichinin-tai left now… four if you counted Suikotsu, but he was still unconscious having fainted from weak nerves after seeing too much blood. Pitiful… but Bankotsu was more than enough to handle Inuyasha alone.
"But I'm having so much fun playing."
Bankotsu narrowed his eyes as Inuyasha turned towards him. That was the first time the former King had spoken in this new form he seemed to have taken on. He was still smirking with pleasure, even as Renkotsu's warm blood still flowed over his hands, while Kyoukotsu's older and darker blood stained him from head to toe.
"You talk?"
"I walk too." Inuyasha snickered. "I'm full of talent, me."
"You're just full of it, full stop." Bankotsu said evenly as he levelled his weapon towards the bloody Hanyou. "Now tell me what kind of witch craft you used to make yourself this strong."
"Don't know, don't care." Inuyasha started towards him. "Talking is wasting energy. Let's fight already."
They both lurched forward at exactly the same moment, in such a sudden violent movement that Jakotsu started and inched away from them. The two combatants clashed together furiously – Bankotsu deflected Inuyasha's claws with his sword and spun to slashed straight for the Hanyou's midsection. Inuyasha hopped back to avoid the sweeping blow before moving straight back in to aim another attack. Bankotsu was too quick and simply ducked before sending a rather devastating punch underneath Inuyasha's jaw.
"Bitch…" Inuyasha staggered back with a hand clapped over his mouth, frothy blood seeping between his fingers. "Bit ma tonk…!" he mumbled, glaring daggers at Bankotsu. "You'll pay for that!" he was about to lunge forward if Ginkotsu hadn't grabbed onto both his arms and held him aloft the ground.
For a moment Inuyasha looked slightly surprised… but that quickly turned to irritation. "No interruptions!" he yelled as he managed to flip himself up and out of Ginkotsu's grip and land on his back… as he slid off he managed to grab Ginkotsu's head and twisted it…
A sound snap and Ginkotsu was out of the running.
Bankotsu looked down at the dissolving body of dust and bones and then looked back to Inuyasha… so… at least he had his sights set on only one man now instead of randomly attacking anyone who caught his attention. It was fast deteriorating into a fight between just the two of them.
There was a soft groan behind him and Bankotsu snapped a look around to where Kagome lay. She was slowly beginning to sit up, rubbing her head and grimacing at rather painful looking injuries. Alive again? Why couldn't she just make her mind up?!
Well with wounds like that she'd die of blood loss any time now. She wasn't worth his attention, so he turned back to Inuyasha who was idly sucking his fingers the way people did after eating something tasty. Lovely… considering his hands were covered in blood of at least three different people. Bankotsu couldn't help but pull a face. "That's disgusting."
Red eyes flashed on him and Inuyasha dropped his hand. For a moment Bankotsu maybe expected to be hit with some witty comeback, but this Inuyasha was pretty much an animal. No expense was paid on fancy words to embroider this battle. In the blink of an eye the Hanyou-turned-Youkai shot forward in another attack.
For someone as strong as this… he sure left himself open a lot and his attacks were all too obvious. He drew his fist back well before he actually threw the punch, giving plenty of time for Bankotsu to dodge and swing his sword at him. It soon became a bit of a joke. They would throw punches and swings but always miss and skirt around each other. They barely made any contact at all.
Jakotsu watched it all with a wide yawn. It was only a matter of time before his boss would finish off the Hanyou King and then they could move off… maybe they would be able to salvage Suikotsu at least… but the others were dead. Who needed them anyway?
But he was getting a little itchy in the feet and bored… he craved to do something constructive… something that would help Bankotsu, but he knew if he doubled up on Inuyasha as well it might just get himself killed. Not something Jakotsu aimed for.
He kinda resented it… Bankotsu getting to fight solo with the Hanyou… especially when he was looking so wild and… well… he looked damn good when he bled. Jakotsu found himself watching Inuyasha with a dreamy kind of expression before movement elsewhere caught his eye. For a moment he thought it was one of the band getting up… but no… it was a woman.
Bankotsu's wife to be precise.
Jakotsu's dreamy expression quickly drew stormy as he watched the woman… no more than a girl really, try to drag herself to her feet precariously. But her legs wouldn't hold her weight and she crumpled to the ground again, even from here he could hear her pathetic whimpers of pain. Nothing she didn't deserve of course…
And hadn't Bankotsu told him to kill her now? Jakotsu removed the folded sword from its sheath and slowly, but deliberately made his way towards the girl whilst Bankotsu and Inuyasha continued fighting a good safe distance away.
He stopped a few feet from her and waited for her to look up. She eventually did, her gaze unfocused and slightly dazed. What a useless waste of space.
"You are… a… a Shichinin-tai?" she rasped thickly.
"Yes." Jakotsu answered.
"But…" she narrowed her gaze as though trying to see him better. "You sound like a woman to me…"
Jakotsu regarded her flatly. "Yes, I'm Shichinin-tai. And you're dead." He'd told that pun to most people he killed. It was ok to use it more than once because… well, everyone who heard it didn't live that long after.
"Oh." She whispered quietly.
This was no fun… she wasn't going to fight back was she? With a bored sigh Jakotsu reached down and dragged her to her feet. "You're actually Bankotsu's wife aren't you?"
Her expression mirrored his. "Unluckily for me."
"Damn bitch," Jakotsu snarled. "Who do you think you are?!"
"Your maker."
"My what?"
Kagome reached out with both hands and took hold of his shoulders. Jakotsu looked down at them in confusion. "W-what are you doing?"
"Taking back a little gift I gave you." Her chin dropped as the hands on his shoulder seemed to reverberate with some kind of energy.
"Stop it!" Jakotsu tried to draw Jakotsutou up to kill her… but he seemed paralysed.
Kagome didn't stop it.
The life force seemed to be flowing out of him… he could almost feel it all running to his shoulders and through the hands that connected with his bare skin. His legs started to grow weak and dark and bright spots danced in his vision. "No… no… this can't happen now… not now…" his new-found strength was seeping away… little bit, by little bit. And he could do nothing to prevent it.
His legs finally failed him and he dropped to his knees. Kagome followed, half because her hands seemed stuck to his shoulders and half because he legs couldn't hold her either. The dark spots seemed to consume his vision completely and all feeling began to leave him… he felt numb, and senseless.
"Bankotsu… is so going to kill you." Jakotsu said with his last breath before his eyes rolled back and he fell away from her. Kagome watched as his flesh turned to dust and his skeleton hit the ground. Not far away… Suikotsu ended his life in the same way… not that it made much difference.
For taking back that much life, Kagome didn't feel any the better for it. She still trembled with nerves and weakness… her insides felt cold and her entire body ached endlessly. But where was Inuyasha? She looked around and saw him, or saw his vague image battling away with Bankotsu… didn't he see her? Why wasn't he at least coming to her aid? Was he still cold and indifferent towards her after what had happened that morning? Maybe he hadn't been turned insane after all… maybe that was just how he was.
But Naraku had talked rather convincingly of love… and her dreams had been silently screaming the same thing at her…
It was safe to say Kagome understood what it all meant. But at the same time… she hadn't a clue as to what was happening…
Suddenly, however, the fight between Bankotsu and Inuyasha staggered to an abrupt halt. Bankotsu suddenly doubled up in pain… all that incredible energy and strength left him in one big gush and he felt strangely shaken at its loss. Inuyasha paid no heed to his problem and finally landed one well aimed kick against his side… sending Bankotsu tumbling sideways.
For a few dazed moments Bankotsu wondered what on earth had happened… he rolled onto his stomach and looked up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Inuyasha approaching… but most of his attention was fixed on the bedraggled looking girl by the water's edge. Before her lay the skeleton of Jakotsu…
She'd reversed the reversed curse. She'd taken away the lives she'd given and taken away the multiplied strength as well. He didn't care how, he didn't care who she was… he didn't particularly care how she died – but she was definitely going to be biting dust.
"Bitch!" he snarled and surged to his feet. Strength born of nothing but pure anger pumped through his veins, more devastating and impressive than the borrowed strength of before…
Now he was downright pissed at that girl. Inuyasha was just an obstacle now. His target was her.
"Get out of my way!" he yelled as Inuyasha launched another attack. With one swing of his sword he caught Inuyasha on the side and flung him backwards with violent speed. The Hanyou smacked against the Canyon wall for the second time that day and rolled to the ground, completely out of it.
Now there was nothing to stop him from murdering that cow. He marched towards her, all his anger welling up to dangerous levels. She didn't notice him coming. She was just staring at the hands that had inflicted so much damage in only a few seconds.
Maybe he wouldn't have been so angry if she'd killed someone like Mukotsu… or Renkotsu… or anyone else for that matter – but Jakotsu was out of bounds! He reached her in a matter of seconds and grabbed her bruised, bleeding arm roughly in his hand and wrenched her to her feet. She yelped in surprise and pain and darted a horrified look up to him. She recognised him at once. "I-I didn't know… didn't know I could do that…" That still didn't mean she was sorry for it.
"You seem so fucking useful with those hands!" he hissed and twisted her arm harder. "Green fingers! Hah! All your power flows through them – so let's see how you manage without them!"
"W-what?" Kagome stammered, but his only response was the drag her away to the boulder she'd previously been sitting upon. He forced her to her knees and stretched her hand out across the top of the large rock, exposing her arm. As soon as she realised what he intended to do as he raised Banryuu high above his head she screamed and tried to pull away with all her might. "NO!" she shrieked. "Let go of me! Please!"
"Revive them!" he yelled above her, sword still poised.
"I can't!"
"Can't or won't?!"
"I can't!" she repeated, her eyes tightly shut as she half lay sprawled against the boulder. The only thing keeping her from slumping on the ground was the fact that her arm was drawn across the top with his hand employed in pinning it down. "I don't remember the curse!"
"Get Tsubaki back!"
"I can't!" Kagome cried hoarsely. "I forced her out… she's gone!"
"All the wrong answers Kagome." He hissed. "Reverse the curse."
Kagome couldn't speak anymore. She didn't trust herself to.
"Very well. Say goodbye to your powers!"
Banryuu was brought down in a strong, powerful strike.
But at the last moment Bankotsu was tackled from the side by Inuyasha. The sword slipped its aim and missed her wrist. Kagome's eyes were wide with complete shock as she vaguely was aware of the two men moving their fight further away.
Her legs found their strength and she stood… a cold, numb sensation ran up her right arm and she didn't breathe a sound as she quickly clenched her right hand against her belly, covering it with her other hand…
Blood blossomed between her fingers and flooded down the remains of the front of her yukata.
She blinked rapidly as she took a few steps away from the boulder, but she didn't once scream… she didn't make a single sound. Even as the overwhelming pain sprang up that accompanied the light-headedness of large blood loss. She looked back at the boulder, more in curiosity than any other emotion. She saw two of her fingers laying there, in a small pool of her own blood.
"Ah…" she opened her mouth and that soft sound was all that came out.
Her knees buckled and she nearly collapsed, but she recovered and stood straight and somewhat stunned. She was trembling uncontrollably now, a deep cold settled in her bones and the bottom of her stomach had long since fallen away. She momentarily looked down at where her hands pressed against her stomach. The blood still flowed, contrasting starkly with her unnervingly pale skin, and perhaps not so starkly with her favourite yukata… after all, it was a dark shade of orange. Some of the blood had dripped onto her toes and she acutely noted how warm it was, compared to how numb her feet were.
Then she looked back up to where Bankotsu still fought Inuyasha. They weren't holding back any punches now.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called weakly. She wished he would hear her and turn to her, come running to help her. He didn't. "Inuyasha?" she called a little louder this time. "Inu… Inuyasha?…"
Her legs gave out again and she fell unceremoniously onto her behind, the dull throbbing pain in her hand gave a small acute stab. Her eyes were beginning to become a little too wet and she could only stare helplessly at the ground. "Inuyasha…" she called in barely a whisper now…
She felt like a child calling for her mother… she just wanted someone to come and wrap their arms around her and hold her tightly. But Inuyasha wasn't responding to her weak pleas for help.
AN: I've never quite written something like that… I can't help but think 'ouch'. Anyway… the next chapter is the last – aptly named 'In the End…' but I'll try and make it extra long so I can fit a sort of epilogue into it as well… or I could do the epilogue as a separate chapter… bah, I'll figure it out later.