Disclaimer: :whispers: Alright my faithful minions, those of you who brought crowbars, head for the windows and doors, but don't move in yet. Those that brought the rope, get to the roof. Those of you who brought the pizza, get over here because I'm starving!

Next chapter, we take over! Mwahahahahah!

Chapter 42 :The Battle

InuYasha sniffed the air. Suoh was out there, somewhere close, hiding. He turned in the general direction of the smell and growled. A few moments later the youkai stepped out from behind the trees. "Suoh." InuYasha spoke in a deep, angered voice. The dragon-youkai before him just smirked at his threat, which only angered InuYasha more. His stare became fierce.

"InuYasha, isn't it? Ah. Doesn't really matter now does it? I see you have regained your half-breed form. Sad, I should say. I was looking forward to battling the dog that thought he could defeat me, but it seems I'll have to settle for the mutt instead." Suoh was taunting him. Angering him.

"This 'mutt' killed you once. This 'mutt' wants to see you dead." InuYasha gave a sideways glance to Sesshomaru. His brother was standing back out of the way. He would only fight if he found he was needed. That was fine with InuYasha. In fact, that's exactly how he wanted it to be. If he wasn't able to defeat Suoh, Sesshomaru would be able to still protect Kagome.

"Let's get this over with half-breed. The sooner you are dead the sooner your miko will be mine!" the youkai leapt forward, his talon-like claws extended before him aiming straight for InuYasha. InuYasha in turn drew Tetsusaiga, the fang transforming and meeting with the youkai's claws. He pressed the sword forward, willing it down on Suoh, but he wasn't that quick to give in. "Give it up, hanyou! Your miko is as good as gone already!" he in turn drew on his own sword from it's place at his side. InuYasha remembered that sword. It was the same one that Suoh had used on him on his human night so many months ago.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Replied InuYasha in a husky voice.

Suoh slashed out with his sword, cutting open the front of InuYasha's fire-rat haori. The flap of cloth dangled across the hanyou's chest, beating against the wind along with his silvery hair. A thin line of blood appeared against his skin, a small drop dripped down his front. InuYasha grabbed hold of Tetsusaiga, ignoring the small sting, and lunging toward the dragon-youkai. He watched his every move. A slight twitch in Suoh's sword hand and InuYasha veered to the left, narrowly missing the edge of the sword. He landed a few feet from the youkai, holding Tetsusaiga over his head ready to strike. As he brought the sword down, Suoh whipped his tail around, knocking InuYasha to the ground and sending Tetsusaiga flying, landing yards out of the hanyou's reach. Suoh looked increasingly pleased with himself, a smirk gradually turning up the corners of his mouth. InuYasha stood, wiping away a trace amount of blood from his lips, and drawing his claws in front of him. His ears were flattened against his head, his eyes were blazing more violently than the sun, and his nose was wrinkled in anger.

"You must know by now you are not strong enough to defeat me. Give up now and I'll end your suffering. Prolong this battle, and I'll prolong your pain." Suoh taunted. He walked a circle around the hanyou, as a predator circled its prey.

"Shut up." InuYasha growled though his bared fangs. Suoh's words went straight through him. He knew Suoh was stronger, but as long as he went down it didn't matter. He raised his claws against the youkai, taking aim and making his mark. Suoh's sword was flung from his grasp, his forearm dripping with blood. This time InuYasha was more careful not to get any of the blood on him. "Blades of Blood!" InuYasha shouted. The red blades raced toward Suoh, who in turn raised his uninjured arm as a shield. InuYasha's attack collided with the youkai's garb, slashing the sleeve of the purple cloth into pieces. Suoh looked angrily to InuYasha. He used his tail to swipe the hanyou off his feet and his talon-claws dug into his sides. InuYasha kicked upward with his feet and grabbed the collar of the youkai's shirt. The swift movement ended with InuYasha pinning Suoh to the ground, his forearm against the youkai's throat.

An evil laughter escaped the youkai's throat. "I will not be as easily defeated as last time half-breed." Suoh dug his talon-claws deeper into InuYasha's side, causing him to loosen his grasp ever so slightly. It was enough for Suoh to roll from underneath the hanyou and rise once again to his feet. InuYasha was slower to rise, stumbling to his knees before being able to stand on his own. He was having trouble breathing; one of Suoh's talon-claws had punctured one side of his lung. InuYasha had the familiar metallic taste of blood on his tongue as he coughed. "It's too late if you were thinking about taking my offer, hanyou. Now I shall enjoy watching you suffer."

Despite his injuries InuYasha managed to cock a grin across his face. "Who said anything about that?" he reached down and picked up Tetsusaiga on the ground at his feet. "I thought we were just getting started."

Suoh looked to InuYasha, then back to his sword. Had the half-breed really been clever enough to use his injuries as a deliberate attempt to get the sword back in his possession? Maybe he had been all wrong about his intelligence the whole time. No matter, he would see the hanyou, the miko, and his half brother dead before the day was through. Suoh didn't need a sword to destroy the likes of the foul mutt, anyway. He'd use the miko's own powers to destroy her lover. It would be an ironic twist of fate for the pair. Suoh positioned his claws in the air above him, a dark blue aura surrounding the tips. InuYasha hesitated, backing off a few steps.

"What's wrong? Do you remember how it feels? Do you remember this energy flowing through you before? I'm sure you do. Nishi's curse helped that out a bit, didn't it? Being hit with miko powers once is enough for any youkai. But you, you were foolish enough to nearly be killed twice by the powers of a miko. Once, the other, Kikyou wasn't it? Yes, I believe so." He grinned as InuYasha's glare grew angrier with the mention of Kikyou's name. "Then, of course, was the new miko. The reincarnation of your former lover." Suoh cackled. "I would think someone would learn their lesson the first time over, but it seems you are a stubborn mutt who needs more than one beating to learn how to behave."

"That's enough!" in his rage, InuYasha lunged forward with Tetsusaiga hovering over him. As he lowered the sword, it made instant contact with the energy around Suoh's claws. The energy was effectively warding off his sword with a considerable amount of force. Sweat poured from the hanyou's forehead as he added even more of his strength to back up his attack. For a moment it seemed that Suoh would falter, but at the last second he side stepped out of the hanyou's way and grazed his glowing claws ever so slightly against InuYasha's back. He screamed out as the tainted miko-energy ripped at his flesh and tore his haori completely from him.

The energy didn't only open fresh wounds across the length of his back, but flowed through him like an electric shock. InuYasha had to admit: it hurt, and it hurt badly, but not as bad as the visions that passed before him. He was seven, wondering through a village, attacked; beaten, kicked, tortured. Thirteen; he met his half-brother for the first time only to be shunned by him and sent away. What…is this…! InuYasha kept asking himself as more images passed through his head. Fifteen; first encounter with other members of his 'family'. Seventeen; a human night, all alone deep in the forest. Suoh was attacking him from the inside out, showing him his weakest moments in order to weaken him now; he was tearing away his strength, his hope, his will to live as emotions long dormant returned to him in a giant wave of pain. It had to be an effect of the tainted miko energy. InuYasha wasn't aware when he fell to his knees, nor that he was shouting as loudly as his lungs would allow. The pain, the memories, the fell of complete loneliness washed over him, drowning him. Then her saw her, Kagome. It was a bad memory, she was having a nightmare and woke up purifying him. Suddenly, he didn't care. The rush of emotions subsided. Kagome. He wasn't alone. She loved him. He would never be alone, never again. Kagome would never let him be alone, she had promised him, even came all the way out here just to be sure he wasn't alone on his human night. He wasn't alone, InuYasha WAS. NOT. ALONE.

Cut, bruised, beaten, bleeding, barely able to breath; InuYasha wasn't about to give in. He couldn't. Kagome… He thought. If I go down I'm taking Suoh with me. He glanced back over his shoulder. I'm sorry Kagome. I'm sorry I won't be able to be with you, but if I have to die in order to protect you, then I'll do it. The miko stared back at him from behind her hiding place in the trees. She must have known exactly what he was planning, because her face was flowing with emotions: anger, sadness, loneliness. InuYasha wasn't worried about Kagome being alone. She was beautiful, smart, pure. She would have no problems finding someone else to love her. He growled at his own thoughts of another male taking his mate, but shook it off. If it made Kagome happy, if it eased her pain, then so be it.

InuYasha turned back to the battle. It was time to finish it.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kagome watched horrified from her hiding place behind InuYasha as Suoh stepped into view. His body was completely formed, as she had expected. His gray scales coving his body, his long reptilian tail grazing the dirt behind him. "InuYasha, isn't it? Ah. Doesn't really matter now does it? I see you have regained your half-breed form. Sad, I should say. I was looking forward to battling the dog that thought he could defeat me, but it seems I'll have to settle for the mutt instead." Suoh was taunting him. Angering him. Kagome glanced over to look at her mate. His back was turned to her, but she could still tell the youkai was already about to tick him off.

"This 'mutt' killed you once. This 'mutt' wants to see you dead." Kagome saw InuYasha glance to the side, as did she. Sesshomaru was standing off to the side. Why wasn't he helping InuYasha? Wasn't that why InuYasha had gone to his castle in the first place? To get his brother to help him?

"Let's get this over with half-breed. The sooner you are dead the sooner your miko will be mine!" Kagome watched as Suoh leaped forward at InuYasha with his claws. InuYasha blocked the attack with the transformed Tetsusaiga. "Give it up, hanyou! Your miko is as good as gone already!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Replied InuYasha in a husky voice.

Suoh slashed out with his sword, cutting open the front of InuYasha's fire-rat haori. The flap of cloth dangled across the hanyou's chest, beating against the wind along with his silvery hair. Kagome gasped. InuYasha had been turned around enough for Kagome to get a good glimpse of him from the side. Standing there, in the dim light of the forest, his hair and clothes flapping against his bare chest; she could barely bring herself around to notice the thin line of blood that appeared against his smooth skin. InuYasha grabbed hold of Tetsusaiga and lunged toward the dragon-youkai. In mid-air he veered to the side narrowly missing the edge of Suoh's upraised sword. He landed a few feet from the youkai, holding Tetsusaiga over his head ready to strike. As he brought the sword down, Suoh whipped his tail around, knocking InuYasha to the ground and sending Tetsusaiga flying, landing yards out of the hanyou's reach. The battle continued, blow after blow landing their marks on both hanyou and youkai. The only thing Kagome could do was watch. She wanted nothing more than to turn her head away from her hurt hanyou. She couldn't stand seeing him like that, even though the injures he had sustained so far weren't enough to keep him down for very long. The more Kagome looked on, the more she had to watch.

"You must know by now you are not strong enough to defeat me. Give up now and I'll end your suffering. Prolong this battle, and I'll prolong your pain." Suoh taunted.

"Shut up." InuYasha growled though his bared fangs. Moments later, Suoh's sword was flying from his hand. "Blades of Blood!" InuYasha shouted. The red blades raced toward Suoh, who in turn raised his uninjured arm as a shield. InuYasha's attack collided with the youkai's garb, slashing the sleeve of the purple cloth into pieces. Suoh looked angrily to InuYasha. He used his tail to swipe the hanyou off his feet and his talon-claws dug into his sides. Before Kagome knew it, the youkai was pinned down at the throat by InuYasha. She smiled happily from her hiding place, her hope fully restored at the moment that InuYasha was going to win.

Kagome was watching intently now, waiting for the battle to finally end where she and her hanyou could go back home. But, as an evil laughter escaped the youkai's throat, she felt her own hopes drift a little further away. "I will not be as easily defeated as last time half-breed." Suoh dug his talon-claws deeper into InuYasha's side, causing him to loosen his grasp ever so slightly. As Suoh and InuYasha stood back to their feet, tears started streaming down Kagome's face. InuYasha was having trouble breathing. She could hear terrible sounds and he took a breath in and out, raspy labored breaths. "It's too late if you were thinking about taking my offer, hanyou. Now I shall enjoy watching you suffer."

"Who said anything about that?" he reached down and picked up Tetsusaiga on the ground at his feet. "I thought we were just getting started." Suoh positioned his claws in the air above him, a dark blue aura surrounding the tips. Kagome gasped. That aura, it was hers, tainted and twisted into something dark. He was going to try to purify InuYasha! How could that be! How could a youkai purify? It was impossible. Only someone pure like a miko had the power to purify. InuYasha hesitated, backing off a few steps.

"What's wrong? Do you remember how it feels? Do you remember this energy flowing through you before? I'm sure you do. Nishi's curse helped that out a bit, didn't it? Being hit with miko powers once is enough for any youkai. But you, you were foolish enough to nearly be killed twice by the powers of a miko. Once, the other, Kikyou wasn't it? Yes, I believe so. Then, of course, was the new miko. The reincarnation of your former lover." Suoh cackled. "I would think someone would learn their lesson the first time over, but it seems you are a stubborn mutt who needs more than one beating to learn how to behave."

"That's enough!" Kagome watched as the battle continued. Both youkai and hanyou managed to get in a few good hits. Then Suoh grazed his glowing claws ever so slightly against InuYasha's back. He screamed out as the tainted miko-energy ripped at his flesh and tore his haori completely from him. Kagome cringed as InuYasha screamed out in pain. He fell to his knees, holding his hands against his head. What was happening to him? What did Suoh do? It… wasn't like when she purified him, it was…different. If he had been hit with purifying energy, he would have been lying on the ground by now. She watched helplessly as he fell, bracing himself with his elbows. Then, his facial expression softened slightly, and he slowly stood as his features retuned to normal. Kagome released a sigh of relief, which in itself was short lived. InuYasha turned and looked directly at her, his big golden eyes betraying him. She gasped, shaking her head to her hanyou's unstated words. With that one sad gaze, Kagome knew what he was planning. Her gaze pleaded with his, begging him not to leave her, begging him to come back to her.

He turned back to face Suoh once again. She could only watch as he received blow after blow from the youkai, still fighting with everything he had left. He managed to carve deep gauges across Suoh's face using his claws, but the youkai still came, his talon-claws still beaming with energy. Kagome turned her head as another blow found her hanyou and left him piled in a heap on the blood stained ground. "Nooooo!" she screamed out. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted off her feet. Her arms were stretched out to her sides, hands in a tight fist, her kimono blowing freely around her in a swirl of strong winds. Energy crackled in the air around her. Was she doing this? Was it even possible? She didn't care. She welcomed her sudden increase in power. Her fists were glowing bright with unused energy waiting to be released. She slowly raised her head, her lips a straight line across her face, just in time to see Suoh hovering over InuYasha, claws swiftly moving down upon him…

A/N:

: ducks from random flying objects: Ooo… bad cliffie. Maybe now we'll see just how strong this miko's powers have gotten… but you'll just have to wait and see.

Alright, enough begging. Here's more awards!

Award for a 'Muahaha!' in their last review: PurrJaedeAngel6582MoonKitiiwisebunny

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Award just because I enjoyed the review very much: agent-doo (and I guess this chapter kinda proves your point…) Emiri teh Strange (I grant ye in charge of the Floridian forces ' )