Disclaimer : I still don't own Inuyasha.
Author's Note : Heh, this update came by quicker, don't you think? I had this chappie started, then I kinda didn't work on it. Then I worked on it and hated it, so I rewrote it! And it's still coming out sooner than the other chapter did! This is good, right:) Thanks:
Prietess kurumi inu's sister - You shall have to wait and see... cliffies:)
Yusuke brat - Yeah! I'm happy it looks cool!
Kikyo-the-Walnut - I would love to write another Inuyasha story. Problem: Inspiration. :)
Jamie - Meh, okay then. Evil-ness? Aw, sorry about that. Everything's gotta end sometime though! Thank you:)
InuKag Fan - You shall see . . . now! Not much of a long wait was it now?
I give all reviewers cookies! n . . . n
Note: This chapter does have slightly more cursing than all the others - just so you know!
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BLOODY LIES
Part XIII
But In The End
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. . . No Matter The Cost . . .
. . . The Hurt - The Pain . . .
. . . No One Should Get Hurt On My Behalf . . .
. . . Only Me . . .
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Kikyo nodded. It was barely perceptible, Inuyasha had barely time to move his eyes to meet Kikyo's, before the miko had launched another arrow. The arrow was released, aimed straight towards the hanyou. A cry escaped into the night, as the arrow pieced through skin, a bright red liquid starting to run through the clothing at the stomach of the arrow's receiver.
The rest of the group made a move to catch the falling figure. The thing was though . . .
. . . that the one now laying unconscious was not Inuyasha.
"Sango!" Was the name shouted in unison as the taijiya's body could be seen through the parting clouds of dust. An arrow was protruding from her stomach, the feathers attached to the end faintly swaying with the cool air.
Kagome rushed to her fallen friends' side, examining the wound with haste. The arrow, as far as she could tell, did not go completely through the body, the tip was buried somewhere still within Sango's body. The demon exterminator's face was laced with pain, and it was a pale color, almost white.
Miroku approached the other side of their friend, and gently snaked a hand under her back and where her legs bent at the knees. He took her up bridal style and carried her from the battle field to the sidelines. Kagome stood up and swept her eyes over the two people before her. Inuyasha's face was unreadable, but his amber eyes were what gave his true emotions away. They were burning, alight with an anger that melted neatly with the desire to destroy the un-dead miko opposing him. Kikyo's face was contorted slightly with surprise that someone had actually sacrificed themselves for the hanyou, but her eyes maintained a look of indifference and cold.
Kagome took in the two one last time before turning around to tend to Sango, who was still alive.
"Well Inuyasha, it seems like you got lucky."
"Luck ain't1 got nothin' to do with it." Inuyasha sneered right back at Kikyo, "At least I have friends."
"Of course you do. You're in this whole mess all because you had friends in the first place. Are you positive it's all worth it now - in the end?"
"Damn right it is! One death is better than multiple ones!"
"Ah, how very noble of you to die for your friends, Inuyasha. Putting up one last show?"
"No way in hell am I gonna be the one dyin' today, Kikyo."
"Really now?"
"Hell yeah2!"
"Fine, come on Inuyasha. Let's see just who's going to be the one dying today."
Inuyasha didn't respond verbally. He looked at Kikyo, his eyes were still burning with a fierce determined light. After all that had happened he really didn't feel like losing now. He would defiantly defeat Kikyo, but it might have been slightly easier if he hadn't been so tired . . .
His legs, as well as the rest of his body, took on a defensive stance. He placed the Tessaiga behind his body held out horizontally with his free hand in front of him, fingers curled slightly. The claws embedded naturally in his fingers had elongated and were poised and sharpened, ready to get a taste of Kikyo's 'blood,' which was really his own blood.
Kikyo had too taken on a fighting stance, setting one foot in front of the other, both legs bent slightly. She had already strung another arrow into her bow during their previous 'chat' and was now slowly pulling back the bow, making in taunt and stiff. The arrow was sharp and deadly, yet it still was lacking the blue coating around it. Kikyo wasn't trying to purify Inuyasha, she was trying to kill him.
With a grunt from Inuyasha the battle began to commence once again. This time without the verbally thrown insults towards one another. Inuyasha darted forward, while Kikyo stood stock still, eyes narrowing with concentration and the want to get exact aim this time.
Inuyasha was still coming at her at a fast pace when Kikyo released the arrow, it flew onward true towards the hanyou and would have struck Inuyasha had he not flung the Tessaiga out to bat the arrow off towards the trees nearby. There was a light 'thud' sound as the arrow impacted a random tree and became stuck in the bark and wood.
"Nice try," Inuyasha snorted, "But I've got the Tessaiga to shield me."
"I," Kikyo bit out between dodging the Tessaiga which was being slung clumsily at her, "Noticed."
Inuyasha smirked and continued his attack of swinging the Tessaiga towards Kikyo with a speed that no human could achieve. However Kikyo was dodging the strikes faster than Inuyasha was sending them with a speed that also no human could achieve. Kikyo wasn't human anymore was she now?
Not at all.
After launching five more shots at the miko, Inuyasha gripped the handle of his sword with both hands, swinging both it and his body around backwards. The sword came back and hit Kikyo brutally in the side, casting her sideways a few feet before landing harshly on the ground.
Not even a whimper escaped her lips as she collided with the hard earth and hastily shoved herself back up to her feet, notching yet another arrow, pulling back the string much farther than she had before. Inuyasha was still smirking at her, bathing in his one hit on the miko, not noticing her quick but silent movements. He had no time to react as the arrow was cast away towards him with a speed that he couldn't follow with his eyes in his current physical and health state.
It was now Kikyo's turn to smile in the same manner Inuyasha had, except not her herself, at the hanyou. She, being rather healthy in all states - except slightly bruised from her more recent pow-wow with the ground, did not drop her guard, unlike her companion had.
Inuyasha, who was not expecting this attack, was sent sliding backwards on his feet as the arrow connected firmly with his shoulder. The half-dog demon gave a blink of surprise as he looked at the arrow protruding from just below where his shoulder and chest connected. He raised his hand free of the Tessaiga to cautiously touch the rough wood. It didn't hurt when he touched it lightly, so gripping it firmly Inuyasha yanked hard. The arrow slid free from his shoulder, blood clinging to it's stone tip.
"Inuyasha, you idiot! What do you think you're doing!" Came Kagome's shout from the sidelines.
The school-girl-from-the-future was finished tending to Sango with the best care she could provide, and was looking at Inuyasha with a stern look in her eyes.
"Getting rid of a nuisance. How am I supposed to kill her if I can't even move 'cause an arrow's stuck in my shoulder?"
"That is not the point, baka!" Kagome said, getting to her feet, "You should have left the arrow's tip at least still in there! Now you're just losing even more blood from the wound!"
Inuyasha looked down. Sure enough a slow trickle of his blood was making it's way to face the air of the real world. The youkai frowned, and looked back at the arrow. Should have kept the tip in, eh? Fine.
Inuyasha somehow managed to unfasten the arrow's tip from it's wooden body and plunged the sharp stone right back into his newly acquired wound.
Kagome could be seen paling, if not sweat dropping, in the background. "That's not what I meant, baka!"
Inuyasha glanced over at Kagome before shrugging, "Too bad."
Kikyo had been idly watching the conversation between the two. An odd thought suddenly struck her. Like an old couple. She snorted in disgust. How could anyone possible learn to love the hanyou?
The ever rebellious inner voice was starting to do it's job, rebel.
You did, remember?
Kikyo scowled, her brow furrowing.
That was a long time ago. What's in the past is in the past - don't start digging up old bones.
Look who's talking.
Ashes - ashes! I was burnt, I was ashes. Besides, we're here to dispose of Inuyasha. Stay on the task at hand.
If you say so, Ms. Ashes - Ashes.
She was becoming no better than the two before her when conversing with her own inner voice like that. That wasn't a comforting thought, but she shrugged it off. Inuyasha was still alive. Where ever he was, he was going to get it.
Wait - 'where ever he is?' Wasn't he right in front of her five seconds ago? Kikyo looked over towards the future-girl miko who was once again tending to the demon exterminator. The houshi was busily helping her out.
Her questions was answered with haste as a hand, complete with claws, came ripping itself through her abdomen.
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. . . Then Comes My Victory . . .
. . . After Fighting Hard - True . . .
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Author's Note : You people keep making me drag this thing out longer and longer. Darn you! I don't suppose you're complaining though, are you? Yes, there was now gonna be more than two more chapters. How else am I gonna finish this sucker? Anyways, there wasn't much action last time, but this time there is. I hope you enjoyed it. Um, oh yeah! Onto those footnote things . . .
1 - Remember, everybody! Ain't ain't not in the dictionary, even those this typing program disagrees:) I can use it now and it's correct, ha! Besides, Inuyasha's not one for 'proper grammar' now is he?
2 - I despise country music, so I despise Gretchen Wilson. I did not take that from her song. The thought only occurred to me just now . . .
Now! Review! I command you to! Muwhaha - just kiddin'! n . . . n
Eve
