Chapter 3: A fatal mishap

Before...

She tried to punch him but missed and fell at his feet. "Much better, just like a good slave," he continued. She pushed herself up and looked directly at him. "Bastard!" she shouted. She sensed something, something similar to herself and smiled. She focused her powerful miko energy at Naraku and aimed carefully for his face; out of the corner of her eyes she saw Kikyo standing behind him aiming at his body, both would be blown to bits.

Continuation...

Kagome smiled slyly and whispered, "Sayonara bastard." She let loose all of her concentrated energy just as Kikyo released hers. Naraku seemed shocked as his body was ripped apart; still he would not give in so easily. He threw himself to the side and shot out two dangerously sharp tentacles. The first pierced through Kikyo's fragile clay and bone body and she sank to her knees slowly. Kagome—forewarned—ducked and put up a shield around herself; rapidly, she crawled to Kikyo and supported her.

"Kikyo?" she asked quietly. Kikyo's eyes flickered open and instead of the empty soulless depths she'd expected Kagome was greeted by pain filled desperately soulful eyes. "I'm sorry Kagome, I'm sorry we caused you pain. You understand now, I was cruel before, I let jealousy overcome me, but I will make amends today; I swear it!"

Naraku's tentacle had been burnt off by Kagome's glowing shield, and he panted than strangely began to laugh. "You cannot kill me, little mikos. I am Naraku, the strongest youkai of all the lands!" Kagome and Kikyo laughed, a laugh triggered by hysteria but slowly gaining real feeling. Kagome managed to gasp out, "You mean Naraku, the craftiest, trickster, half-youkai no more powerful than the weakest of all youkai!" Naraku's face twitched and he screamed madly, "That's not true, bitch!"

Kikyo smiled cruelly—mind playing time—she answered this outburst with, "Of course it is. You have always been weak, not worthy of even being in our presence. You are a joke, unfit to be even half anything." Naraku shrieked and shot out al his tentacles to whip out at them. Kagome strengthened the barrier and crushed Kikyo's hand with her concentration. "Sorry," she whispered when she saw Kikyo wince faintly.

"Kagome? This is the last straw, we're both to weak to go on, I'll just do one last thing then you run for it and Inuyasha will find you. Go with my blessings, Kagome. Oh, and here." She pulled out the other half of the missing Shikon jewel. "I trust Inuyasha, but not with something that only mikos should have to purify." She leaned over and gave Kagome a sisterly kiss on the head. She put a hand on Kagome's gaping wounds and a flash of miko energy invaded Kagome's body. She felt no pain only sweet healing release, she sighed with relief. Kikyo stood up and banished the rest of the barrier back into Kagome's body. "Go!" she ordered fiercely.

Kagome stood and sent her remaining energy to power Kikyo; the air brightened and Kikyo's ripped body stood straighter. She looked so beautiful, almost inhumanly so—which was true seeing as she wasn't quite a human anymore. That was the last she saw of Kikyo as she took of sprinting for an exit, anywhere. She heard a low murmur of voices and felt the energy fleeing Kikyo's body, she heard a dull thud and a cruel laugh and almost turned back but then she heard Kikyo shout, "Hurry up!"

Kagome pushed the heavy metal doors apart and sprinted for all she was worth as far away as possible. She was a little ways away from the looming castle when she heard the final scream. Souls flew from the castle and a small portion of one flew straight at Kagome. It was her undoing. As it collided with her she fainted with the overwhelming sense of completion. She remembered to shield the shikon as she fell to the ground.

Naraku sent a small fraction of his saimyoushou to collect her and they did so hastily. Kagome stirred when she felt something wet touch her cheek. She cried out expecting Naraku but found Kagura holding her close. It had been one of her tears. "Don't worry, he's coming," she mouthed. Out loud she said, "Huh, it's no use trying to escape, Naraku ordered me to wake you. You and he have unfinished business to attend to." Kagome shivered, Kagura's eyes were so hopelessly distressed.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were close, they could smell Kagome's scent fresh where they passed. Good, Inuyasha licked his lips with anticipation. He ducked as he saw a streak of lustrous blobs pass him. He recognized some of the youkai that swam with them; Kikyo's soul snatchers! "Shit!" he cried, and pounded a fist into his thigh with anger. A small apparition appeared before him. "Inuyasha? Inuyasha, the rest of Kikyo's soul has gone back to Kagome, quickly, you have to save her. Kikyo tried but failed, she sends her regrets."

Inuyasha growled low in the back of his throat, "And who are you?" A miniature version of Kikyo appeared. "I don't know, I was a woman's soul before I joined Kikyo, now I go back to my final resting." Inuyasha gulped back his angry retort as the spirit vanished. "I trust you heard that?" he demanded of his silent brother. Suddenly he smelled Kagome's blood and he howled.

Naraku strapped Kagome up himself and whispered in her ear, "Whore, I will break you. Now, do you give in without pain or do you yearn for more?" Kagome kicked out as best she could and struggled valiantly for freedom but it came to naught. She was still trapped in the hands of her most feared enemy. "I'll take that as no," he whispered tenderly. She shuddered and screamed, "You will be destroyed, I will be free and I will die before I—"

She was cut off as his tentacles gently brushed her back and down her butt to her legs. He pulled back an arm and struck them all as one. And then Kagome could only smell and taste the foul stench and flavour of blood, sweat, and bile. Naraku stopped half way thru and brushed his face against Kagome's bleeding arms. He reached around and grabbed her waist, hauling her closer to him with every twisted movement. She burnt him with a small percent of her miko powers and he hissed as he was forced to release her. She swayed feeling fain and overly dizzy. Loss of everything claimed her and she wept bitterly.

Naraku approached her again but she sent out another burst of wild energy. He back away and resumed his disgusting onslaught. He got bored and untied her, strapping her to a chair and leaving her there for a few moments. He returned with the salve and began to heal her again she held still but her disgust was written all over her face. Calmly he punched her in the face—and pulled her head up by her hair. "Revolting, am I? When I'm finished with you, Inuyasha will not want you. Do you think he wants a soiled useless, mindless miko? You are done Kagome!" He snickered, "Too bad."

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had finally reached the castle and suddenly a barrier went up. Inuyasha shook with anger and hollered, "You think this will hold me back?" Tetsusaiga pulsed and changed to a deep hypnotic red; Inuyasha held it over his head and smashed it down, wiping out the barrier in a blink of an eye. Sesshoumaru waited coolly then flew forward and blasted the door of its hinges and walked in. Inuyasha sprinted past him and followed the scent of Kagome's blood to a dark filthy room.

In the middle of the room lay an unconscious Kagome and she moaned softly, "Inuyasha—where?" Inuyasha rushed to her side and lifted her up into his arms. He brushed back her hair and stared in shock and fury at her beaten face and then he looked at her naked body. There were bloody streaks everywhere and mottled instant bruises. He covered her with his cloak and carried her out.

He passed Sesshoumaru on the way and nodded imperceptibly. "Sesshoumaru, would you like to take care of Naraku or should I?" Inuyasha was dying to fight but he couldn't leave Kagome! Sesshoumaru smiled a cold creepy smile and answered impassively, "I will do it."

Kagome stirred abruptly and sat up with a gasp of fear. She relaxed and began to weep when she saw who held her. "Oh Inuyasha!" she sobbed. "Kik—Kikyo's dead, I'm so sorry. I'm a coward, I left her and ran. Please forgive me."

She struggled to free herself from Inuyasha who gently lowered her. She looked up at him with such misery that he felt his heart clench. "It doesn't matter right now, we will mourn her," he whispered as he crushed her in a hug. Sesshoumaru was long gone and they heard Naraku's scream as he hunted him down.

Yawn I'm tired, I'll write more tomorrow. Ciao guys, for now. I'll update soon, just wait!