*sniffles* hey guys. I'm too sad to put into italics now. I'll just finish before I have to go away for two weeks on Sunday. I just wanna say thanks to all that have supported me, and you know who you are. And the other people *glares* can go to hell. ^_^ I'm better now, though, and I'll recover. I hope you out there who I reviewed liked my NICE comments. *smiles* Please don't send several of the same content reviews, if you're gonna flame me, please do it in one long review, not drawn out into many looong ones. I hate pain, and I'm sure you guys hate being flamed too. I wrote myself a review... actually a couple, to vent my anger. Please ignore them.
************Chapter 12: Showdown

My, my, I didn't know we were talking so loud... Grinned Naraku, obviously amused by the attention. Inu-yasha was in a tree above them, growling. He wouldn't hurt Kikyo, no, not after all that he had done for her. But Naraku, the bastard, he would tear out his lungs and squish them against a nearby tree...

Kohaku just stood there, staring nonstop at Sango. He was having more flashbacks, now that the faceless girl was replaced. Sango abandoned all pretense and rushed to him. He looked up at her.

He murmured, his eyes wide.

Sango collapsed, holding her little brother, tears streaming down her face.

Oh, I do love family reunions. Naraku drawled.

YOU BASTARD! She stood trembling.

Yes, lots of people think that about me now, don't they?

SANGO!! DUCK!! *quack!* Yelled Kagome, an arrow fitted in the bow. Sango dived out of the way, clutching Kohaku to her. Naraku had a look of surprise, and amazingly, fear. He remembered the last time the miko had shot him. It had nearly costed him his life. Kagome let the arrow fly, at once, it was surrounded by a white- gold aura. It was immense, and Naraku had just enough time to leap, strangely enough into Inu-yasha's open arms'. Naraku, sensing the hanyo, spun around, to find a hand full of sharp claws being swung at his face. He dodged, putting a hand on the branch, swinging his legs down and back into the snow.

This time it was Kikyo who responded. She had an arrow drawn and ready, her aura was lifting her hair and her eyes glowed with anger beyond imaginable. Naraku took a step back, his eyes actually widening in fear.

You caused my pain, Naraku! She pulled the arrow back farther. And you can choose a painful death by weapon, purification, slaying, or worse, being reduced to nothing by a void in the monk's hand. She jerked her head in Miroku's direction, who stiffened, standing up taller; but just received a disapproving look from Sango. Kohaku was crying silently in her arms.

Now choose!

He hid his eyes behind his bangs and grinned evilly. Sango looked up, he was feet away, and she knew what he was planning. She jumped, holding Kohaku and pushed Kikyo, causing her to fall several feet to the left.

Naraku's miasma shot at the exact spot where Kikyo used to be standing. Sango braced herself, this would be painful. But as she sat with her eyes closed, nothing happened... She opened her eyes. Naraku was pinned to a tree... by an arrow? His face was still in the maniac grin he usually wore. Sango looked next to her and saw Kikyo, her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply. Sango wore a questionable look, and watched as a single soul left her body. Inu-yasha watched in horror as she slowly turned back to dirt, several bones lying in the pile. And a single branch of a plant. Kagome fell, eyes closed as the soul drifted and pierced her body. She lay still, in the snow. Inu-yasha leapt from the branch to the pile of dirt, that was once Kikyo. He went to his hands and knees, and rested his head on the snow beside it.

Rest in peace, Kikyo... He got up, brushed the snow off, and did his best to collect the shattered bits of bone that were lying on the ground. He understood how she had died and why, but he was having trouble accepting it.

Sango asked, getting up and touching his arm. She did say something before she went...

He looked up.

She said that she would miss you and that she wishes you well...

He nodded and stuffed the bones up his sleeve. He swore himself that he would never let another woman die. But, then again, she was already dead; she wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. He tried to tell himself this, as he strode over to Kagome, Miroku was leaning over her, with two fingers on her neck.

She's still alive.

Inu-yasha's anxiety left a bit. At least he still had Kagome. He knelt down and picked her up bridal-style and trudged back to her house. He set her down on her bed, with Kaede watching. He walked back over to Kaede and handed her a handful of shards of bone.

Here, the remainders of your late sister.

Inu-yasha... Will you be all right?

He smiled. It felt like a huge weight had been taken off his chest.

Of course I'll be all right.
*****************End of Chapter 12: Showdown
That was NOT the end! what about Shesshy? Do you seriously think I'd leave him out? Oh well. This chapter kinda reflected how I felt at the moment. It'll be happy. I might just make this an ongoing thing. ^_^ I hope you liked it! I feel that I didn't diss Kikyo that much in this one, maybe you'll agree, maybe not, but there you go. please, don't flame. If there are mistakes, say them nicely, and I'll change it. If you flame I'll just leave it there just for the spite of pissing you off. YAY! I'm sorry, but Kikyo was ticking me off, and If you introduce a bad-guy, he ends up dying, right? I'm not talking about Kikyo, about Naraku. And I truly wanted her to rest in peace. I'll include the effects of Miroku and Sango in chapter 13 ^_~ YAY! M/S pairing! there you go, happy? you know who I'm talking about *glares around room* oh well, Byes for now!