Disclaimers: InuYasha and the others do not belong to me, and I don't think they ever will. XP

A/N: Remember, I'm not the best at fight scenes. I'm doing my best here. ;;

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Three-Way Mirror
Chapter 1
The End
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Trust, like the soul, never returns once it is gone.
-- Publilius Syrus, 'Sentences'
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"Sango! Behind you!"

"Don't worry about me, block to your left!"

Sango indeed had to block behind her as a large snake youkai reared to strike. She managed to twist out of the way and strike it with hiraikotsu at the same time that Kirara sank her teeth into the neck of a human-shaped youkai covered in scales. Miroku was set upon by several other demons, the poison wasps buzzing threateningly in the air. Sesshoumaru slashed through several demons in one sweep, covering InuYasha's back as the younger made his way toward Naraku.

Kagome stayed by the tree line, aiming her arrows at Naraku. The first one missed, but just barely. Kouga was battling with Kagura, and managed to give her several major injuries that hindered her movements. She would be gone soon.

An arrow hit home in the tree behind Kagome. Kikyou stood on the hill next to Naraku, bow in hand. Kagome could see InuYasha fighting his way up the hill, Sesshoumaru at his back. He was growling, and Sesshoumaru was growling back. The demons in the clearing below were only meant to hinder, and keep the others from coming any closer. Naraku was just toying with them at the moment.

Soul stealers snaked their way around Kagome's waist and hands, making her drop her bow as they lifted her into the air. InuYasha saw this and tried to turn back. Sesshoumaru wouldn't have it. He pushed InuYasha in the other direction, towards Naraku. The soul stealers were bringing her to Kikyou.

Naraku's albino baboon pelt around his waist shifted, and large root-like appendages shot out of the ground. Kouga nearly avoided one, and Kagura took that time to strike the already injured wolf prince. His right arm was numbed from shoulder to fingertips, useless. His left ankle was broken, rendering him immobile for the most part. Kagura thought she hit both his arms, and moved in to deliver the final blow personally.

"It looks like you will succumb to the same fate as your comrades, wolf boy," she smirked. She raised her fan to strike, but Kouga moved first. His hand shot through her throat and exiting through the other side. It killed her instantly.

Sesshoumaru wouldn't allow InuYasha to turn back. He pressed forward, determined to end the battle as soon as possible. Even he couldn't go on forever and with the strain of this fight continuing for days. He was beginning to feel it in his bones. InuYasha saw Kikyou bringing Kagome closer, and grew determined to make the first strike. He was nearly within sword range when one of the root-tentacles nearly impaled him. He wasn't without injury, to be sure, and that little maneuver pulled something. Sesshoumaru pushed him on, and for once InuYasha was grateful for it. He wasn't sure if he could make it the rest of the way up the hill on his own.

Naraku had the gall to stand there and smirk, looking like he wasn't even making an effort. But in truth he was pulling off his part of the Shikon no Tama like a druggie. He was pulling all his resources to keep the monk and demon slayer at bay. He hadn't counted on Kouga or Sesshoumaru being with them. That put a strain on his powers. He barely managed to spare Kagura enough to fight the wolf boy, and now she was dead. Kanna couldn't block everything, and he'd be willing to bet his life that she would die that night.

So striking at midnight wasn't the smartest of ideas. He hadn't counted on InuYasha or Kouga being awake, or Sesshoumaru suddenly sounding the alarm from a distance. It wasn't the ambush that he was trying for. He'd been so confident in his plan that he'd even come down in person to take the jewel shards.

It was just luck that Kikyou was around when the shit hit the fan. She jumped in just as the misfit group nearly gained the advantage.

Kouga let out a cry of alarm. One of Naraku's root-tentacles had wrapped around his body, and was nearly crushing him. In another moment Naraku would have done just that if Kirara hadn't broken it. Kouga fell to the ground, twisting several injuries. He winced. He was swarmed by a hoard of youkai, but they didn't attack. They seemed to be forming... a blockade?

"Don't fight the lesser youkai!" Kouga shouted. "They're only a distraction!" For this he was glad. His muscles were protesting painfully, almost to the extent that he couldn't move.

By this time Kagome was right up next to Kikyou, and Kikyou was smirking while Kagome looked terrified. "You are no longer needed," Kikyou said coldly, snapping the chain around Kagome's neck for the second time in as many years. Kagome felt her body go cold.

Kagome tried to speak, her voice coming out strangled and shaky. "What's... happening?" she managed. Kikyou had to smile bitterly at her.

"Your life is tied to this jewel, as was mine," Kikyou explained. "You ask me why I took the jewel from you long ago. It's because when the jewel is corrupt, you are corrupt. And when it is gone, so are you."

"You really... r-really mean to... t-to kill me..." Kagome stammered. Kikyou didn't say yes. But she didn't deny it, either. And that was what was important.

InuYasha managed to take a swing at Naraku. The evil hanyou sidestepped and sent out another of his appendages. Sesshoumaru shoved his younger brother out of the way and closer to Naraku. InuYasha caught Naraku in the shoulder, and severed him from neck to hip. He also cut off his head for good measure.

Naraku's piece of the jewel rolled down the hill, right into Shippo's shaky hands. The young fox demon 'eeped' and bounded off into the trees, trying to draw away all the youkai. He succeeded. Thankfully, he was clearheaded and more agile than them.

Miroku dashed up the hill to suck up Naraku's body, to be sure that he wouldn't rise again. He was surprised to note that when he tried to unleash his wind tunnel, it didn't respond. When he examined his hand, it was just a hand. He was free of his curse, and that meant that Naraku was truly dead.

"Oi, Kouga!" InuYasha called out, facing Kikyou. "Can you move?"

"B-barely," Kouga struggled, trying to rise to his feet. The only thing that let him do so was the anger now coursing through him at the sight of Kikyou trying to kill Kagome. InuYasha cursed under his breath.

"Sesshoumaru," he growled. He could feel Sesshoumaru's attention turn to him. "Go protect Shippo."

"I do not take orders from you," Sesshoumaru protested.

"If anything happens to Shippo, you die. If he so much as cries, you cry. Got it?"

Sesshoumaru didn't reply. He took off to go fend off the youkai pursuing the kit.

InuYasha glared at Kikyou. Kikyou glared back. Miroku and Sango stood wearily flanking InuYasha, scarcely two steps behind him.

Sango stood ready, her boomerang in hand. Throughout the scuffle, she'd been smeared with dirt and blood. But still her brown eyes burned in anger, expressing that should Kikyou make any cruel gesture toward Kagome, she would kill her. Miroku wore a similar look on his face. Though he was grateful that his curse had been lifted, he sorely wished he could unleash the wind tunnel on Kikyou, just to get rid of her.

InuYasha looked almost torn. He really had to choose.

"Well, InuYasha," Kikyou said calmly, "what will you do now?" She chuckled and gripped Kagome's chin, turning the girl's face from side to side. "Such a pretty face," she commented. "But then again, I am looking at my own face, am I not?" She laughed again, mockingly. Kagome shivered and closed her eyes.

"That's low, Kikyou," Miroku glared. "Even for you."

"Good monk, do you deny me that which was promised long ago?" Kikyou raised her eyebrows, turning from Kagome to the group. "I was promised a human InuYasha. I intend to collect that promise if I must take him to hell with me." Kagome shivered again, but this time in anger.

"You... cruel..." Kagome tried to say. But she was so cold that her own shivers cut her off. She was cold, so very cold.

Kikyou smiled. "Why, thank you." She turned to InuYasha again. "Do not hold this girl in suspense any longer, InuYasha. Come with me."

InuYasha didn't' move. It wasn't until he could feel his brother's presence at his back that he moved. He fell to his knees, the tetsusaiga clattering to the ground. A look of helplessness was on his face, indescribably torn. He loved Kikyou; that was true. But he loved Kagome, too. His thoughts, as soon as he thought he was getting somewhere, crashed and derailed. Kikyou looked amused.

Kagome couldn't keep the chill from creeping into her heart. Somewhere deep inside she knew InuYasha would chose Kikyou. He'd always choose Kikyou. He'd always choose death over life.

He couldn't choose Kikyou, he loved Kagome. Kagome was the one that really accepted him, wanted to stay with him. Kagome's affections were true, just for him, as he was, as a hanyou.

Doubt reared its ugly head in Kikyou's mind. Perhaps InuYasha would choose Kagome. After all, the girl did seem to be more innocent and pure than she could ever be, ever was.

No, not Kagome. It had to be Kikyou. Kikyou shared with him the pain of loneliness, and with each other they wouldn't be lonely any more. No! He wasn't lonely any more, not with Kagome. And there was even Miroku, Sango, and Shippo to keep him from being lonely. But then Kikyou would be all alone, and he had promised her that he would become human to be with her. But no, that wasn't right, either! True he promised Kikyou that he would protect her, but he promised the same thing to Kagome. And Kikyou was already dead. How could he love a corpse? Kagome was very much alive, and vulnerable. Kagome was so pure, gentle, and carefree. Kikyou was cold and vindictive.

"Give it back," InuYasha said quietly. Even Sesshoumaru almost missed it.

"Give what back?" Kikyou replied, glaring and taking a miniscule step away from him.

"Kagome's soul, give it back!" InuYasha roared, rising to his feet.

Kikyou glared forcefully at him. "It is not her soul! It belongs to me!"

"Maybe once," InuYasha agreed. "But not any more. It belongs to Kagome, so give it back to her!"

"If I give it back, I will die," Kikyou stated, trying to stop him in his tracks. But his decision was already made.

"So be it!"

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There's the first chapter. Did you like it? I'm sorry, I'm really not that good at battle scenes, so I just kinda jumped in the middle of things and finished it. I really think it would be harder to kill Naraku just like that. .; Oh, I'm sorry!!!!! I really need to work on that!! But for now, this will just have to be it....

I don't really like this all that much. I mean, I like the concept but I don't like the way I portrayed it. Grr... I'll just have to fix it when I get better. nod

Ah, I almost forgot. This was going up on first. I'm trying to keep beginning/ending comments seperate for the two sites. And just a further note; I have chapters 1-14 finished and up on mediaminer. If you're too impatient to wait for it here, check it out there. If you want a lemon chapter, they WILL be NC-17, but posted on mediaminer and under the account name Lemon Goddess. I have none as of yet, but links will be posted on both this and mediaminer chapters. They will be in in-between chapters where nothin' major happens, but the lemon is there. If you don't read them, nothing too bad. Just some dialogue, and... heh... you know. Anyway...

Ja ne.