Holy crap! I updated! oO well damn, now that the worlds gonna end, I just want to thank everyone for sending me all that gold.

Chapter 26

Inuyasha was damn tired of being stuck to trees. Frankly, he had promised that he would never again get himself into a situation that involved any kind of shrubbery.

To him, there was no way to make matters worse. He was so worried about Kagome that he thought he might grind away his teeth in anger. He took time off his thoughts to glance at his bound friends.

Miroku's hands were twitching...probably having some kind of lecherous dream, and Shippo was drooling heavily on a rather sticky looking Kelala. Inuyasha glared and turned his gaze to Naraku, who at this moment, had the nerve to show his back. The girl that had so lovingly named him "Puppy", to his outward dismay, had crawled behind his head and fallen asleep on his shoulders. Forcing him to lean a bit to the front.

But it didn't matter.

She was exhausted from such a frightening day, and this strong puppy was the one thing that was familiar and safe. Puppy would protect her.

Damn right puppy would.

Inuyasha shifted his weight awkwardly. Its difficult to find a comfortable position when half your body is being crushed by a fat vine.

Wonderful.

Another evil plant.

Sense he had cursed Naraku till his voice was raspy, and hardly intimidating, he decided to let his thoughts wander. And what else was there to think about? He thought of Kagome and her trusting smile.

He thought of Kikyo and her soft touch.

He thought about all the times Kagome had smoothed down her skirt when she was nervous, or how Kikyo had brushed away a stray strand of hair when she concentrated. And he thought about this hell they were going through. Though, one thought nagged at him. It throuraly baffled him. This vine had a curse. One irreversible rule: Only the deaths of both Kikyo and Naraku would free him.

So when, for perhaps and hour, the vine had loosened, Inuyasha knew one thing.

Naraku was very much alive.

That moment...was hell on earth. If Naraku was alive, then was Kikyo...was she...finaly at rest? For the first 5 min Inuyasha had been so shocked he hadn't even thought about loosening himself and sticking his blade in Naraku's back. His emotions had been mixed, his thoughts broken and confused. And his heart in shreds.

After the brief moment of shock, he had struggled violently against his shackle, cursed things that made no sense, and sent his young child friend into hysterics.

But then...it tightened. It tightened so hard that Inuyasha was sure his arms would fall off for lack of circulation. This meant one thing for sure.

Kikyo was alive, and more powerful then she had been even in death.

Inuyasha had held his breath and closed his eyes. Had she killed Kagome?

And through all this, Naraku had been silent. For an hour, Naraku had ignored EVERYTHING and showed no sign of ANYTHING.

He must know something.

"Your a dirty bastard, Naraku." Inuyasha whispered, apparently out of the blue.

The baboon skin seemed to shiver and come to life as he turned his head.

"Heh, there is fun to be had, Inuyasha. Soon, soon you shall see the fruits of my labor."

Kagura rolled her eyes. "His labor." Feh.

Inuyasha gnashed his teeth, and saw a glint.

"A...mirror?" He guessed.

"Correct, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's body lurched forward, startling the girl, but she soon fell back asleep.

"Your watching Kagome?!" He asked hoping.

Naraku was silent. Picking his words carefully. He laughed shortly.

"Of course Inuyasha. There is no guess work with something as important as this." He paused dramatically.

"Your wench. This Kagome, she is quite angry." He sneered. "She may just ruin everything."

Suddenly the vine crawled across Inuyasha's belly and Naraku stood up and motioned to Kagura.

"WHAT THE FU-" Inuyasha was flung onto a larger version of Kagura's feather and had to watch his footing as he fell over.

He was now sitting Indian style and the girl, who was once sleeping silently, had clawed her way to sit on the vine, throw her ands around his head and cry softly into his neck..

"Ugh, uff, damnfit." He tried muffled by both his, and her hair in his face. He shook his head but couldn't get her free, he decided to just yell this way.

"What fucking shit are you pulling now, Naraku?" He asked borrowing Naraku's sarcastic way of saying his name, and trying to regain his pride, though he was being strangled by a six year old.

"Inuyasha will you not be patient? I assure you, I would never bring you into this...if I wasn't going to enjoy it immensely." Inuyasha kicked his legs out and try to catch Naraku unguarded. It was a weak attack, but he had to try something. Naraku simply chuckled and jumped away.

"Come Kohaku, you are invited as well." Kohaku nodded and made his way onto the feather holding the pole that held Shippo, Kelala, and Miroku. Inuyasha's eye's widened.

"Do not even think of it Inuyasha. The girl," He nodded at Inuyasha's human hat. "Is to traumatized to set your friends free." He chuckled and Inuyasha's glare.

"Lets be off, we don't want to keep Kikyo waiting."

Inuyasha sucked in his breath.

Kikyo gasped as her back hit the rough bark, demons trapping her there.

"Kagome. You cannot possibly kill me. If you do you will not have a body to return to." She laughed mockingly.

"Are you really that foolish?"

Kagome didn't miss a beat.

"Are you that foolish Kikyo? Don't you know enough about me to know that I prize others above me? I would die for innocent people, even if I have to kill myself in the process."

Kikyo smirked.

"Even Inuyasha? How is killing yourself going to save him?"

Kagome pulled, her arrow ready.

"I'm only killing my body and half myself Kikyo." She smiled. "That's all I need to kill you and your scumy boyfriend."

"YOU CAN'T DO IT." Kikyo glared, the first wave of fear washing over her.

"YOU CAN'T. I HAVE TO BE THERE WHEN..when..."

"When Naraku is dead?" Kagome loosened her arrow. "Kikyo..we came here knowing one of us would die.."

"And you did." Kikyo smirked.

"Not a good time to joke Kikyo." Kagome said pulling her arrow string playfully. Kikyo nodded, grim.

Kagome could feel herself slowly coming back. Would she have really won if she had killed Kikyo in a rage? No. She would have been just like her.

Kagome sighed and slumped onto the ground.

"I wish there was a better way.."

Kikyo was still pushed up against the tree. She laughed.

"You are a sad girl." A arrow stuck a half inch from her head.

"Shut up." Said a lazy Kagome, Kikyo obliged. Kagome stood up and took the gun from Kikyo's hilt. Kikyo looked on with rage.

"This was the will of the gods Kagome. I kill Naraku and Inuyasha and I live togather-"

"Happily ever after?" Kagome finished for her.

"Yes. You can't change what happened between us. How could you Kagome? I was first. I was-"

"YOU WERE! YOU WERE THIS AND THAT! You can't just call shotgun on a guy!"

"What-"

Kagome sighed.

"I'm going to get my body back Kikyo. I'm going to get Inuyasha back too, and sense I know you want to come...you can be my prisoner."

"Fool. I have more power then you, just because you can control my insects doesn't-"

"What are you gonna do Kikyo? Holy laser beams from your eyes? Man, I liked you better silent, sad, and dead."

Kagome, our sweet little Japanese girl was over being polite. So very over it. She motioned for the demons to carry Kikyo and a few flew close enough for her to sit as if on a magic carpet.

Kikyo was annoyed.

"Inuyasha and I will-"

"Shut up."

"Naraku will-"

"Shut up."

"DON'T YOU-"

"Shut up! Where is Naraku anyway?"

Kikyo glared.

"Go strait, we will run into him there. He's flying to us. I assume he has figured out were this way now."

Kagome closed her eyes.

"This is it Kikyo, if I set you free when we meet him, I expect you to-"

"I will fight, It has been my fight before you were born...want to trade weapons?"

"Shut up Kikyo." Kagome said shoving the gun in her belt. "Plus, your a bad shot."

"Well that's new."

I'm coming Inuyasha! Just wait for me!

Meanwhile

Sango sits frustrated with a elderly couple.

"He had ears like a DOG!"

"A frog?! Oh my, do frogs have ears?"

"No, a dog, a dog." She wiggled her hands above her head.

"Goodness me! He should get that checked out."

"No, he's a demon-"

"A what?! Your going to slay him?!"

"NO."

"No?! Then what are you looking for him for?"

"Ugh."