Author: Nefertili
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: PG13
Pairing(s): Sesshoumaru/Kikyou, Sesshoumaru/OC
Genre(s): Romance, Angst, Adventure, AU
Warning(s): Battle scenes, betrayal, over-anger (if there is such a word), fluff... What more can I say?
Disclaimer: None of the characters, except perhaps some, are mine. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.
Summary: Kikyou, being saved from peril by Sesshoumaru, joins him in a quest against Naraku and one of his allies, who happened to share a past one-sided relationship with the Demon Lord. SesshKik!
A/N: OK, so you REALLY want Kikumo to die, eh? -.- All right, all right, she WILL indeed die, but I'm not telling ya when. I don't wanna spoil the ending for my readers! -.o
...o0o...
"Kikumo has made this forest her domain!" Kikyou muttered as she held on to her beloved's shoulders. Sesshoumaru, with Kikyou hugging on to his back and whispering assurances into his ear, was darting through the flurry of plants as fast as his demon speed could go. But wherever they went, they met similar vines that sought to grab and crush them in their wiry hands.
"No matter, she still lies in the mercy of my powers," Sesshoumaru replied coolly, his amber eyes flashing as he fluidly maneuvered his poison whip with his index and middle finger, neatly splitting the ivy tendrils that reached out to wrap their leafy boughs around the pair.
Kikyou's lips curved up slightly, and she gently squeezed her lover's shoulders to give him the message that her trust was with him. Out of the blue, a blur of red that had numerous ivy locks wrapped around it collided with them. The force wrenched Kikyou from Sesshoumaru, and sent her flying straight into the grip of the ivies.
Sesshoumaru, himself, was drawn off his combat rhythms by the offending person, and he was forced to drop down to the ground so as not to be caught in the angry fingers of the vine. No sooner had his feet touched down when the red, bulky something fell beside him, missing him a few inches.
The taiyoukai's golden orbs narrowed to recognize that detested figure struggling to raise himself from the partly snow-frosted ground. Inuyasha, who was winded judging by the looks of his numerous bruises and scratches, was still clutching on to his sword even as he fell.
"What are you doing here?" his older brother demanded, his hand still glowing green from his Dokkasou.
"Feh, I would ask you the same question," the younger replied, breathing heavily. It wouldn't take an expert to see that Inuyasha had gone through several battles that cost him much of his strength before he encountered his brother and Kikyou.
Kikyou's shrill scream diverted the siblings' attentions, and it was only then that Sesshoumaru realized that Kikyou was no longer on his back. The Priestess was overcome by intertwined ivy tendrils, and the hostile plants had lifted her up in their iron grip beyond their reach.
Sparing numerous mental curses at Inuyasha for causing this new predicament, Sesshoumaru bounded up the air once more, determined to go after his beloved. His half-brother, wearied though he was, stood up valiantly and leaped after his brother in a race to rescue the Undead Miko.
"How can you let her be taken by these vines, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha heatedly questioned the greater demon. His fatigue was beginning to get the best of him, and he was lagging behind as Sesshoumaru stepped on the stronger vines with the sinuous grace of their clan to bring himself higher.
"Kikyou is safe in my grasp," Sesshoumaru replied coldly, keeping his eyes fixed on the struggling figure of Kikyou as he dodged and slashed, but she was still too far away. "Yet you appeared out of nowhere and foiled everything."
Inuyasha gave a low grunt. "Well, it wasn't my fault! I was battling my own share of plants, you know!"
To this, Sesshoumaru gave no answer. He was too intent on reaching Kikyou, whose muffled cries were slowly being gagged by the ivy. One powerful leap, and he shot up the forest canopy, his poison whip once more drawn from his fingers.
"Kikyou!" The beautiful Priestess immediately turned to her lover's direction, and one of her pale hands reached out to him, struggling to bridge the gap between them. But it was rather futile, as the ivy tauntingly, if not threateningly, moved Kikyou farther from Sesshoumaru, sending her into a wild and dizzying roller coaster ride among the trees and vines.
A strong rush of wind energy tore past the vines, making Sesshoumaru's platinum hair fly from his face. He looked down angrily to where Inuyasha was; his brother had fired the Kaze no Kizu at the vines holding Kikyou, at a total risk to the miko's life. To top it all up, the plants only regenerated and further tightened their hold on the woman.
"Fool!" Sesshoumaru admonished his half-brother, his amber eyes blazing with anger. "Your attacks will not have any effect on these plants; only my Dokkasou can keep them at bay!"
Inuyasha alighted on a strong tree limb and glanced furiously at his brother. "Just get out of the way, Sesshoumaru!"
Kikyou, her strength failing and her vision still spinning, wrenched away the ivy tendrils that had gagged her mouth and screamed, "Look out, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha!" The brothers barely had time to hear her warning when a vine, larger than anything they had seen before with a stalk as large as an average man's waist, went crashing in their direction. Sesshoumaru, his reflexes still acute, was able to jump out of harm's way before the plant could club him, but his brother was not so lucky. The vine caught Inuyasha neatly on the waist, nearly knocking the air out of him, and held him upside down as Sesshoumaru continued to dash after Kikyou.
Inuyasha's senses went all haywire as the blood began to rush to his brain. Numerous tendrils had wrapped themselves around the blade of the Tessaiga, seeking to deprive him of his main weapon.
"Oh no, you won't!" he roared, setting up a fierce struggle as he held on desperately to the hilt of his sword to keep it from being taken. The humungous vine holding him upside down had begun to shake him violently, that the hanyou felt as though he would throw up.
Suddenly, his upside down vision made out a large ball of greenery, nearly unnoticeable because of the amount of plants and vines thrashing and growing from it. It was brownish in color, and was pulsating dully. Could it be...?
"Brace yourself, Kikyou!" Sesshoumaru warned his beloved as his whip severed the vines holding her up in the air in one stroke. Now that no plant was holding her aloft, Kikyou began to fall into the void of tangled plant stalks below.
Sesshoumaru immediately took off after her, and his hand grabbed hold of Kikyou's smaller one as it reached out to him. Holding her close to his chest, they plunged down into the forest; by some miracle, none of the plant tendrils reached out to grab them. In a swift moment, they lay sprawled on the forest floor, Sesshoumaru's furry pelt cushioning their impact.
"Target that! Target that!" Inuyasha's frantic voice made Sesshoumaru and Kikyou sit up. The half-demon was still aloft and upside down, engaging in a furious struggle with the plants as they tried to take the Tessaiga away. Inuyasha was holding on to the sword's hilt with one hand while the other pointed with frenzied fingers at a certain point among the plants.
The pair's eyes widened in recognition; the pulsating ball was the plant's heart, and if they wished to kill the plant once and for all, they ought to destroy that brown-colored plant ball.
Kikyou stood up and got hold of her bow and one of her remaining arrows. She spared a concerned look at Sesshoumaru. He had gotten up to one of his knees, but he was breathing a little heavier than usual. What Kikyou had feared was taking place; Sesshoumaru was beginning to tire after ceaselessly battling with the plants for many hours.
"Sesshoumaru!"
"I am fine, Kikyou," he assured her, and to prove his words, he stood up regally and his hand once more glowed a poisonous green. "I will clear the way for your arrow." With that, he stepped a few feet from her and sprayed out a shower of neon-colored poison at the vines that had now gathered around their mother source, apparently reading their intentions.
Kikyou stood, dumbfounded, for a few seconds, at her lover's skill, but she soon was reminded of her own task. As soon as the Dokkasou had melted away the protecting meat shield, the Priestess shot the arrow and it plunged deeply into churning mass.
Silence reigned for a moment, but a bright light shot out of the broken plant as it died, and vines went limp singly, then in large groups. Inuyasha gave a loud yelp that sounded almost like a bark as he fell headfirst down on the forest floor. Sesshoumaru, in the blink of an eye, swept Kikyou up in his one arm and his lips crashed down upon hers in a passionate kiss as the vines of Kikumo's making fell dead about them.
...o0o...
"What's that smell?" Inuyasha impatiently queried, wrinkling his nose in the process. Now that the vines were no longer troubling them, Sesshoumaru, Kikyou and Inuyasha had extracted themselves from the plants' debris and came hasting to their main camp. The sky was turning bluer with each moment, and heaven knows what had happened to their other companions.
Kikyou felt as though her body was being overtaken by sudden fatigue. A sweet smell was beginning to assail her senses, and Sesshoumaru put a hand on her shoulder to keep her back.
"Don't move any farther until I tell you to do so, and hold your breaths as long as you can," Sesshoumaru commanded as he approached the dying embers. For once, his younger brother obeyed his commands and stayed behind, obviously feeling the effects of the deadly drug. Fortunately for Sesshoumaru, he was immune to any poison, and thus Kikumo's plant did him no harm.
Briefly, he scanned the surroundings, and his amber orbs narrowed to see signs of struggle and combat littered all over the place. The demon exterminator's hiraikotsu was lying abandoned close to the dying fire, and beside it lay the monk's staff, looking considerably battered. To his right, he saw cat demon that Sango had for a pet lying down on its side. Beneath a nearby tree were the two humans and that little fox youkai, all lying in a heap.
Sesshoumaru checked them closely, and as he expected, they were all asleep.
"Are they all right, Sesshoumaru?" Kikyou called out to him from the distance, her voice slightly deadened by the sleeve she held over her nose to keep out the smell.
The Demon Lord paced around the camping area one more time, searching for something. Finally, in the little section of the ground where the stench was the strongest, Sesshoumaru made out the tiny leaves of a blood red plant. Convinced that this was the culprit, he crushed the little plant under his heel.
When the sweet odor had become but a faint tang to his nose, Sesshoumaru nodded in Kikyou's and Inuyasha's direction. It's safe for them to come closer.
Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara also began to show signs of life. Their eyes blinked for a moment or two, and they began to stretch their benumbed bodies. They saw Inuyasha with his brother and the miko looking at them nearby, and they immediately knew through their cuts and bruises that they had gone through some kind of battle as they had.
"What happened?" Sango, muttered, standing up rather shakily after she recovered her weapon where it lay discarded on the ground.
Kikyou looked at Sesshoumaru for an explanation. Even she could not understand what Kikumo had done this time.
The Demon Prince's eyes darted towards a reddish plant, crushed and trampled, nearby. "That plant grew in the Western Lands," he said rather coldly. "Its scent carries a poison that dulls the senses and sends the brain to sleep."
"Kikumo does know how to make use of plants," Miroku grumbled, massaging his sore neck and fumbling for his staff as he got up. "And speaking of...where had Kagome gone? That Demoness was after the Shikon shards!"
"Kagome!" Inuyasha exclaimed, his amber eyes widening as he recalled defending the modern girl earlier. "We have got to find her! She ran off into the forest with Sesshoumaru's little girl and his pet toad!"
"Kikumo was after the shards...?" Kikyou said, and then she looked at Sesshoumaru, alarmed. "Rin and Jaken, Sesshoumaru! They must have gotten themselves into trouble as well!"
...o0o...
A familiar voice calling out her name softly made Kagome put up an effort against her slumber. Gradually, she opened her dark eyes and beheld many faces looking down at her with concerned expressions. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou... What had happened? Her head was still aching from Kikumo's blow, and she couldn't quite sit herself up.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha called out once again, and she felt as though she was being choked in his tight hug. "What did that Demoness do to you?"
"Inuyasha...you're strangling me!" Kagome blurted out, and amber eyes went wide for a second with shock before letting her go, embarrassment coming over his face. Sango, Miroku and Shippou tittered, and she felt her face becoming hot. To get over the discomfiture, the girl said, "Kikumo...she was trying to threat me into giving the shards to her, but I refused."
"Well, thank goodness," Sango sighed in relief, but Kagome shook her head seriously.
"I gave the shards to Rin thinking that Kikumo would least likely pursue her," Kagome explained, rubbing her temples to ease the throbbing in her head. "But saimyoushou found out about my move, and she knocked me unconscious before going after Rin." Her brown eyes widened as realization dawned her. "Rin! Oh, poor girl, Kikumo must have beaten her up to get the shards!" Kagome struggled to stand up, but dizziness overcame her and she fell back down again.
"Easy, Kagome," Miroku warned as Inuyasha assisted Kagome into sitting up again, letting her rest her sore head on his shoulder. "Sesshoumaru and Kikyou are off to find Rin and Jaken, and knowing the sharp senses of those two, they are bound to find them soon."
...o0o...
"Wake up, Jaken, you know you're fine," Sesshoumaru said in a flat tone, giving the snoring figure of his retainer a light kick. His acute sense of smell had led himself and Kikyou first to where the toady demon lay in deep sleep, and Jaken's round eyes at once came into focus at the deep voice and kick that wakened him.
"L-lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken exclaimed out of pure surprise, standing up at once and bowing low to the regal shadow that had gone across his short form.
Kikyou, who stood beside Sesshoumaru, did not waste time. She questioned Jaken at once as to where Rin is.
"Where is Rin?" the miko demanded more than asked. "Did you just sleep here, not minding whether she is in danger or not?"
Jaken trembled at the sound of the Priestess' voice, and he looked up with shaking eyes at the two tall figures looming above him. Though Lord Sesshoumaru looked very calm and composed as he always was, the lesser demon noted that both his master and the miko bore numerous bruises and other scars of battle.
"Oh no, I was not being idle!" Jaken stammered, clutching tightly to the Staff of Heads, thankful that he was not parted from that weapon of his. "That girl who is your reincarnation gave Rin the shards of the Shikon Jewel, thinking that Kikumo wouldn't bother us. But alas, Kikumo overtook us and she played this koto tune that put me into an instant sleep. I do not know where Rin is, Sesshoumaru-sama! It's either she ran away or Kikumo-"
"I will make sure you are banished to hell if that Demoness managed to abduct Rin once more, especially when she is under your care," Kikyou cut Jaken off, her eyes flashing with anger and her nails digging into her palms. Sesshoumaru, however, prevented further harm from befalling his retainer by gently taking one of Kikyou's fisted hands and rubbing its back with his thumb.
"Let's not waste our words in threats," Sesshoumaru said as Kikyou calmed down once more, and affectionately returned his hold on her hand. "Rin's scent is still around this place. We can still find her."
Soon enough, after a few more moments of searching behind the trees, Kikyou spotted a small figure lying on her stomach between two leafless maples. She immediately recognized the kimono and the hair held up in a ponytail.
"Rin!" Kikyou let go of her grasp on Sesshoumaru's hand and rushed to the little girl's side, kneeling low as to observe her. The healer in her could not see any serious damage done to the child's body, but she still held her breath as she gently took Rin in her arms and ran her one of her hands soothingly over the child's forehead.
"Kikyou?" Sesshoumaru had knelt opposite his beloved, and he shared her concern, parental as it was, over Rin. Though Kikyou would come first to the Demon Prince before everyone, or everything, else, he loved Rin enough to protect her no less.
"She was probably knocked unconscious," Kikyou replied, answering his unasked question. Her mahogany pools met with his amber orbs as she added, "But above all else, she seems just fine."
She had barely been able to finish her sentence when a roaring, much like that of a wind of hurricane speeds approaching, came to their ears. Sesshoumaru instinctively threw himself over Rin and Kikyou as an extremely powerful wave of demon energy rushed across them. Kikyou clung on to her beloved to prevent herself and Rin from being swept away along with the strong gusts, and about them, trees were torn from their roots and the lands shook as sand invaded what was once a thriving forest.
They all endured this gripping cataclysm for slow agonizing minutes, and when the evil wind died down at last, all that they could see was a barren desert land that stretched as far as the eye could see.
...o0o...
"Have you brought the shards to me?" Naraku asked of the Demoness who stood before his door, a malicious yet expectant grin on his lips.
"As agreed," Kikumo said dully and without interest, as she extracted the bottle from within her robes and threw it to the half-demon from afar.
Naraku only had to open his palm, and the last of the Shikon shards lay at last in his grasp. His other hand reached inside his kimono, and took out the large chunk of the Jewel that he had in his keeping. For a long time, he simply stared at the pieces of the Jewel of the Four Souls as they resided in his hands, but when he finally moved, he clapped his hands together, a truly wicked laugh leaving his throat as he did so.
A bright flash came from the hanyou's palm that made even Kikumo's superb eyesight flinch at the intensity. The Demoness drew back slightly and held out the Hiroko Kama before her to shield herself from the powerful waves of youki racking the fortress. But when the light and wind finally stilled, she beheld the completed Shikon no Tama, the small smooth glasslike ball still emanating demon energy in the form of little lightning bolts as it nestled in the hands of its new evil master.
...o0o...
Sesshoumaru loosed his hold around Kikyou and Rin as the little girl regained her consciousness, coughing as several grains of sand got into her throat. The Priestess gently stroked Rin's back until she finally got most of the sand out of her mouth. When she raised her eyes to survey the landscape, it did not fail to shock her. All around them, not a single speck of green remained as grey sand buried the forest about them. The sky was no less in gloom, as steely grey clouds rose from the horizon and covered the sky and the rising sun with a sheet of grey until no blue remained.
"What happened?" Kikyou asked of Sesshoumaru, who stood up from the sand and narrowed his eyes to search for a possible clue as to this mysterious catastrophe. He felt a powerful demon aura coming from a very large rock formation in the distance, an area of the desert that was covered in sharp crags and rises as jagged as a set of dragon's teeth.
"Naraku is not that powerful to have done this alone," he whispered, "nor Kikumo..."
"The shards, Kikyou-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin's anxious little voice made them focus their attentions solely on the little girl, who was looking up at them with a frightened expression in her tear-ringed eyes. "The jewel shards Kagome-sama gave to Rin to keep safe...someone whacked Rin on the back and got the shards! Rin is sorry; Rin failed to keep the shards safe..."
"Hush, Rin," Kikyou soothed her, embracing the little girl who had begun to sob. "It is not your fault. I can hardly believe that Kikumo will go as far as to hurt you physically to get what she wanted. No jewel shard is worth losing you, Rin..."
At that moment, Jaken, who was lay buried under a few inches of sand, finally dug himself out of the rubble and was coughing sand out just like Rin did. Just then, a single cry of relief came up from a few feet near them, as Inuyasha with the rest of his group finally found them after the sands also overtook them. Inuyasha and Kagome walked in a faster pace and were ahead of a calmer Miroku, Sango, Shippou and a little Kirara who had returned to his little form.
"Is everyone all right?" Kagome said, walking rather unsteadily as she was still recovering from the head blow she got from Kikumo.
Hearing Kagome's voice, Rin politely eased herself from Kikyou's embrace and ran towards the figure of the reincarnated miko. When she was standing directly before Kagome, Rin bowed low in a gesture of apology, saying, "Forgive Rin, Kagome-sama, for she failed to protect the shards when you told her to do so."
"It's all right, Rin," Kagome whispered, gently raising the girl from her bowed position and looking at her with gentle eyes. "We shall get the shards back."
"There is no use getting the shards back now," Kikyou's voice echoed from across the dune. The Priestess had stood up from the sands and was looking at them with eyes as piercing as Sesshoumaru's. "Naraku had completed the Jewel, and it was the Tama that put forth its power and caused this desert to flood the land."
"Have we failed, then?" a crestfallen Sango asked. Rin had pulled Jaken towards Miroku and the rest, and lay in wait for what plans their leaders had for them.
"Hell, no!" Inuyasha's sharp, determined snap came. "As long as Naraku still breathes, our battle is on! He may complete the jewel, but we shall fight him!"
"Hence, we shall not stand long against him if we are fragmented," Kikyou spoke up. "We have to join our forces if we are to defeat Naraku and the Shikon Jewel."
At this, silence came over the two dog brothers. Them being together in one night was enough; what more to form an allegiance with one another?
Kagome tapped Inuyasha's shoulder while muttering, "Come on, Inuyasha, you know Kikyou's right."
"Hmph, I will kill Naraku all by myself! Not with the help of my brother!" Inuyasha retorted immediately.
"You think you can kill Naraku?" Sesshoumaru said in a tone that was too even to be considered a snap. "Kikyou remains to be that maggot's only anathema; only she can banish him to hell."
"His anathema, I was, but no longer," Kikyou said with a sigh. "The Shikon jewel had thoroughly clouded Onigumo's heart by now, and he will not hesitate to kill me this time." But her mahogany eyes hardened in determination as she tightened her hold on her bow. "But his own end shall come soon."
"Well, Kikyou-sama, we do are agreeable with allying ourselves to you," Miroku spoke up.
"Yes, yes!" a very eager form of Shippou was jumping up and down at Sango's heels.
"But it is out of the question if Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru are eager to cooperate," Sango added.
"Sesshoumaru-sama will never join his power with his that of lowly half-brother!" Jaken immediately said with a snort. All that it earned him, however, were numerous punches and hits as Miroku, Sango and Shippou joined hands in clubbing him.
Kikyou looked expectantly at Sesshoumaru. A wind had begun to pass over them, sending the smoky sand to make more patterns in the dunes. Her lover was in deep thought, apparently pondering about what he should do.
"Will you do this for me, Sesshoumaru?" she whispered. His blinked for a second or two before his amber oculars met with Kikyou's mahogany.
"Whatever path you choose, I will follow," the Demon Lord replied, smiling slightly as she nodded her agreement. Their eyes then roamed to Kagome and Inuyasha. The girl was putting forth her powers of persuasion to try to convince Inuyasha to follow Kikyou's suggestion.
"Please, Inuyasha, you only have to do this now!"
"No!"
"Come on, you know that in forming this unified alliance can we really defeat our enemy!"
"No!"
After a few more tries, Kagome's patience finally gave way. She spoke to the half-demon with such a furious tone that even he had to recoil back at her anger.
"Listen, you puppy! We are here out in this desert arguing while Naraku is already fooling away with the Shikon Jewel! You shall agree to work with your brother or else I will sit you in this very place, at this very time, until the end of the world!" So forbidding, Kagome looked as she loomed over him, that Inuyasha could only nod out his answer.
With a sigh at their younger counterparts' immaturity, Kikyou said, "Then I guess that settles it. I can feel Naraku's presence and the power of the Jewel nearby."
"They're in that region of the desert," Sesshoumaru calmly replied, looking at the rock formation mentioned earlier.
"Are we to march there at this very moment?" Sango said, worriedly. "Kikumo had done a marvelous job in wearying us. Should we not rest for a while?"
"Every moment we delay in our undoing," Miroku said. "We should get Naraku while we can."
"What's our battle plan this time?" Shippou queried.
Silence. Kikyou appeared to be thinking for a moment, and she seemed to take on the role of an over-all commander as she counseled them on what to do.
"Naraku's defeat lies in his banishment to hell, and of the Jewel's purification," she explained. "I would have to face him, for that reason. But for some reason, I doubt if I will be able to hold him out on my own. Kagome, you are my reincarnation; you also have my powers. Do you agree that we should join our powers to finally send Naraku to hell?"
"I shall help you," Kagome nodded, ready to take on the challenge.
Kikyou nodded in return, and she continued, "We must not forget Kikumo. She is powerful in her own way, for I have fought with her myself. Sesshoumaru, however, is more powerful than she is. Inuyasha, you shall go with your brother and take care of the Demoness to keep her from aiding Naraku while Kagome and I face Naraku."
Inuyasha gave a disappointed scowl. "I don't want to fight with him!"
"It wouldn't make a difference if you're with me or not," Sesshoumaru said in a cold tone. "The battle shall end in my side."
The other members of the company sighed. Can't those two get along for at least a moment?
"Well, if you are not compliant on that approach," Kikyou answered, "then why don't we alter it a little bit? Kagome, perhaps you can go and assist Sesshoumaru-"
"I will die before I let Kagome near him!" Inuyasha retorted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You know that I will not allow Inuyasha to be with you, Kikyou," Sesshoumaru said softly, placing his arm around Kikyou's shoulder, as though expecting his half-brother to come and snatch the Priestess from him at that very moment.
"Then what do you want, Inuyasha?" Kikyou said with a little more force this time. "I cannot leave Naraku to anyone else, but Sesshoumaru can't go with me because only he is really capable of defeating Kikumo. Nor can Kagome face Naraku or Kikumo alone, even if you are with her. And, neither would you or Sesshoumaru allow Kagome to go with him and me with you. Face it, Inuyasha. It's you with your brother and me with Kagome or nothing else."
After a moment of silence and pondering, Inuyasha finally gave a nod, though his face was still scowling in utter dissatisfaction. However, thanks to Kagome who gave him a delighted hug, the half-demon's eyes brightened up at least a bit.
Sighing in relief to see their little problem fixed, Kikyou reached out and lovingly squeezed Sesshoumaru's hand on her shoulder. She then turned her gaze on Miroku and Sango.
"The Shikon no Tama will further attract many demons to this area," she said. "We need your help to keep them at bay and so as not to give us hindrance while we fight with our respective enemies."
"We're on it!" Sango and Miroku said as one.
"Well, we expect Jaken and Shippou to also help. They are to tackle the lesser demons and as well protect Rin from any assault." The two smallest demons regarded each other for a second before turning away with disgust on their faces. Well, they should not be as stubborn as Inuyasha or else...
"Kirara will be of perfect help to her," Sango remarked.
Kikyou smiled, satisfied at their compliance. The expression on her face turned serious as she faced the rock formation Sesshoumaru had pointed out. Dark clouds were beginning to gather over that section of the desert, with occasional bursts of lightning and distant thunder.
"We shall finally be victorious over that coward," Sesshoumaru said for her ears only, taking one of her hands and holding on to it tightly.
"Indeed, we shall," Kikyou replied, and she added to herself secretly, 'And we can finally be together for eternity, my Sesshoumaru.'
...o0o...
Okay, the final battle's near! Woo-hoo! It's kinda sad that I will have to let go of this fic of mine soon, but I shall make it good, promise! ;)