To my reviewers:

Paul Powell: Glad you're lovin' it.

Holders of the Shikon Jewel: Boy, do I feel sorry for that random person you're strangling. There's no need to threaten my life, I'm updating.

Artgirl150: Sorry, hon, I've been busy. College is demanding.

Odd-12345: Hmmmm. (Raises eyebrow in speculation and grins.) I'm glad that you like it.

Chapter 17

Shippo had pretty much moved in with Sesshomaru, trying to keep him company and save him from feeling overwhelmed by his human emotions, and Sesshomaru was glad of it. The little demon had the talking box that he'd said had come from that strange girl, and that meant that they had contact with the outside world. Shippo was shouting at it at the moment, and it was with a scowl that he put it away.

"What's the matter?" Sesshomaru asked the little kit. "You look upset about something."

Shippo looked at him. "They want me to be a decoy for Tala while they take out Kimi."

Sesshomaru stared. "Could you say that again? I don't think I heard that correctly."

Shippo repeated it, and Sesshomaru kept staring. He'd heard it right. "Do you think that'll work?"

"I hope it will," Shippo said, sounding grumpy. "If not, we'll be in serious trouble."

Tacitly, Sesshomaru agreed with him. If Kimi defeated Inuyasha and his friends, then they were trapped there forever.

Space

Shippo perched on top of the wall the following evening, waiting for Tala to come outside. He liked to wander around the garden in the evenings, and Shippo knew that if he saw the little kitsune take off, he would pursue him and take him back to his mistress. Kagome had said that he had to use all of his cleverness tonight to make sure that he got Tala far enough away and kept him too busy to come to Kimi's aid.

What should I do? Shippo wondered. Should I pretend that I thought Kimi didn't like me anymore and that I had run away to make her worry? Should I pretend that a demon had scared or bullied me, and I had run away from him? Should I taunt him and then run? Use foxfire? Change my shape to look like Shippo stopped in midthought, amazed at his own genius. I'll make myself look like Inuyasha! He'll be so excited to catch him for Kimi that he won't even think that it might be a trick!

Shippo pulled out the walkie-talkie and called Kagome.

"Shippo?" he heard.

"Kagome, I've come up with a plan!" Shippo said excitedly. "I'm going to make myself look like Inuyasha and get Tala to chase me!"

A moment of silence. "Shippo, that's brilliant!" Kagome gushed. "They won't know who's chasing who!"

"Does Inuyasha still look like a child, or is he back to normal now?" Shippo asked, just to make sure.

"He's back to normal," Kagome said.

"Great," Shippo said, grinning. "I'll get ready. Good luck, you guys!"

"Thanks, Shippo. Good luck to you, too!"

Shippo put the walkie-talkie away inside his jacket and smiled. Looking around, he found the branches of a tree to hide in and slipped inside. He could hear Tala coming, so he changed his appearance. An arrogant Inuyasha stepped out once Tala was in the garden, and he was spotted instantly.

"You!" Tala said, surprised.

"Hey, Tala," Shippo said. "Long time no see! Still stickin' around here?"

"I am loyal to my mistress."

"Feh. Looks more like you're loyal to a witch."

Shippo heard Tala growl, and he took off, praying that Tala wasn't as fast as he seemed.

Space

Kagome was up on the hillside, staring at the palace through her binoculars. Seeing Shippo run off with Tala in hot pursuit, she smiled and headed back into their cave.

"Okay, we only have to give him a little more time to get Tala further away, and then we can go down there and deal with Kimi," she said, packing up her bag.

"I hope this works," Miroku said, pacing. "If not, we could have some serious trouble."

"Don't remind me," Inuyasha said, leaning against the cave wall.

"We'll do it," Sango said, finishing with her armor. "She won't win against all of us."

Kioko smiled. "I can't say that I hate her, but I don't approve of what she's doing," she said. "It's part of my responsibility to stop her."

"Don't worry, we'll stop her," Kagome said, pulling out her bow and arrows. "Shall we go?"

Space

Kimi was in her workroom, smiling at what she had learned about Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. The spell she had set up would take a while to come to any fruition, but it would work eventually, binding them both to her more surely than anything else. Once that happened, they would have no chance of breaking away from her, no matter how much time passed or what they tried. Perhaps, if Inuyasha was good, she'd give him his true age back, and if Sesshomaru behaved, perhaps she'd take away his human emotions. It seemed as if he'd learned his lesson: He'd been polite and obedient for days now. That was much better than the snarls he used to give her.

A blow rocked the palace, and she gasped, shocked that anything could or would attack her. Jumping up, she rushed outside, trying to see what it was.

"Hey! Hey, Kimi, you ugly witch!" she heard. It sounded like Inuyasha! Looking up to the top of the gates, she saw him standing there, brandishing a large, fang-like sword.

"Inuyasha!" she shouted. "Put that sword away and come down here!"

He laughed. "You don't order me, witch!" With that, he leapt off the gate and headed off. "Come on, witch!" she heard. "Let's see how well you can fight me!"

Furious, Kimi went after him, determined to teach him a lesson.

Space

I have to be outta my mind, Inuyasha thought as he leaped through the forest. His time as a prisoner haunted him like an unhappy spirit, and doing this only made that spirit more distinct. What if she defeated him?

She won't, he thought grimly. I refuse to be a lap dog again. She's not going to turn me into some kind of pet!

Keeping count in his head, Inuyasha reached a distance that Kioko had assured him would lessen her power considerably. Going just a touch further for good measure, he turned and attacked.

Somehow, she was ready for him. She dodged, ducked, and lashed out at him with such a blow that his breath was knocked out of his body. Every nerve within him was screaming, and he felt himself hit the ground.

"Foolish boy," she said, lighting on a tree branch. "You are no match for me. Do you wish to yield and beg forgiveness, or would you like to be punished again?"

Snarling, Inuyasha picked himself up and used the Wind Scar, not about to do anything she suggested. She dodged that as well, and another blow rocked him to the earth once more.

"My, my, you still haven't learned, have you?" she said, sounding disappointed. "I am your mistress now, and you obey me!"

"Not likely," he said, getting back up. "Now!"

She stared at him, thinking he had lost his mind, but a large boomerang from out of nowhere convinced her that he had brought friends and was not as alone as she had thought.

"What is this?" she shouted, demanding an explanation.

A monk came out from cover and attacked her, allowing her no time to regain her control of the battle. Another strike from Inuyasha caused her to shield, and most of her reserve power was gone. Furious, she called up another strike to teach these insolent fools a lesson, but a demon-cat attacked, knocking her out of the sky. Narrowly missing the boomerang as she fell, she shrieked her defiance, ready to kill. How dare they attack her like this! How dare they!

An arrow from the right lodged itself in her shoulder, causing her more pain than she had ever felt. Shrieking again, she called up bolts of power to throw at them. They would regret that they had ever attacked her!

"Not this time, sister," she heard. Looking up, she stared at Kioko, the sister she'd felt was too weak to oppose her. She felt the beginnings of a spell take hold, and then tear the illusions of beauty and power she'd wrapped around herself.

Strikes from Inuyasha, another arrow, claws from the cat, and attacks from the monk and another girl ended the spells she'd been using to maintain herself. Shrieking, cursing, and determined to hurt Inuyasha as much as possible, she lashed out with a final spell, striking him squarely in the chest and sending him across the clearing. Using one last mote of power, she flew up into the sky, disappearing moments later.

Space

Shippo collapsed a moment after Tala did, gasping for breath. For some reason, Tala had caved in on himself and was now lying on the ground in his human form. His breathing was funny, but at least he no longer was chasing him.

"Shippo!" he heard, and he looked up, seeing everyone and Kirara coming in for a landing.

"What happened?" Kagome asked, hopping off of Kirara's back.

"He just fell over," Shippo said, changing back into his usual form. "I don't know what's wrong."

An old lady that had to be the spellbreaker looked at Tala, nodded, and said, "It's backlash from Kimi's defeat. He'll be all right." She slipped off her cloak and wrapped it around Tala, smiling.

"Yay!" Shippo said, hopping up and down. "I knew you could beat her!"

Shippo was in mid-leap when something heaved and settled back, leaving everything very quiet.

"The holding spells on all of the demons are broken," Kioko explained. "That was what we felt. Look!" she said, pointing up into the sky. "They're all flying away."

She was right. The sky was filled with demons heading off in countless directions, howling and shrieking with freedom.

Rustling in the bushes startled them all, and they breathed a sigh of relief to see that it was only Sesshomaru.

"Is she dead?" he asked, walking up.

"We don't know," Kagome admitted. "She disappeared, and all of her spells are broken."

"I hope she's dead," Sesshomaru said. "The kit said that you had a spellbreaker with you. Are you she?" he asked, addressing Kioko.

"I am," Kioko said, gazing directly into Sesshomaru's eyes. "You wish me to break a spell, I take it?"

He nodded. "Please. I beg you to. She gave me human emotions, and I cannot endure them any longer."

Kioko nodded, smiled, and said, "Look into my eyes."

Sesshomaru looked, and was unable to look away.