Naraku's face twisted into a wry smirk as he easily side-stepped the arrow.
"Foolish wench. I will thoroughly enjoy killing you. If you're lucky, I might have some fun with you first." Looking Kagome up and down, Naraku's eyes began misting over with lust.
Kagome tried to prevent her body from shuddering in disgust. "I would rather die than let you touch me."
"But I have touched you, my sweet." Eyes turned to Kagome, varying degrees of shock showing. All was rectified, however, as Naraku continued. "You are, after all, nothing but a reincarnation of Kikyo. And I have had Kikyo." While the previous attention was on Kagome, all now gazed at Kikyo with disgust and anger.
Kikyo's mirthless laughter rang in the air. "You didn't think I'd really devote myself to the poor excuse of a hanyou, did you?" Looking Inuyasha straight in the eye, she taunted, "You were a reason for me to be around my reincarnation. I thought that if I got to you, I'd get to her. She would die from the inside out, wither away as it were. But sadly, she was stronger than I thought, and didn't break as she should have. Now, I don't need you anymore, Inuyasha, I have someone much stronger." Turning her back towards Inuyasha, she walked towards Naraku, taking his outstretched hand.
Inuyasha, having found his voice, spoke. "You told me he raped you. You couldn't lie to me. You wouldn't lie to me." His voice had diminished to nothing but a whisper.
Sesshoumaru looked from the sidelines of the emotional battle, for the moment forgotten. Sneering in disgust, he saw Inuyasha's lowered head, shaking in denial. The fool. He thought the undead miko was loyal to him, even though the stench of Naraku covered her body.
"Inuyasha, do not be a fool. Had Naraku raped her, his scent would not still linger on her body." Sesshoumaru's cold voice cut through the tension in the air.
His brother's words seemed to be a splash of cold water as Inuyasha seemed to shake away his misery and hurt. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he bit out, "You die today, Naraku. You've taken everything from me and today I'll take it back."
Dry amusement flashed in Naraku's crimson eyes. "You forget Inuyasha; I didn't take anything away from you. It was your own lack of trust in the one you loved that did it. I merely helped along the way." Attacking the vulnerable hanyou's emotions, he continued. "Had you trusted each other, neither of you would be here. But then again, neither would our lovely reincarnation."
Growling with pent up anger and frustration, Kagome finally snapped and snarled, "Don't call me that! I have a name, use it. Don't you dare compare me to her. I am nothing like her."
"Aren't you, Kagome? I see the same face, the same body, and, of course, the same purpose, all of which seem to be diminished in you." Chuckling harshly, Naraku persisted with his barrage of taunts. "You will always be held up to her, a constant shadow of what the original was. How does make you feel, Kagome? Special? Unique? You are neither, nothing but a copy of what once was. A sad imitation with no purpose," and turning to stare Kagome in the eyes, his gaze boring into her soul, Naraku whispered, "and with no love." Frigid laughter filled the air...
...Only to be halted as an arrow pierced Naraku's obsidian heart. Gasping for breath, Naraku turned to look at Kikyo's upheld bow, rage flooding his aura. "Bitch! You said you'd stand by me."
"Did you really think that I would sully my reputation with something like you? Don't be a fool Naraku!" Turning, Kikyo directed her lifeless eyes to Kagome. "My dear little reincarnation, give the Shikon shards to me. You have no claim over them. Not when the first protector is here."
Raising a fist to wipe her teary eyes, Kagome bit out, "Never. You are nothing, Kikyo. Clay and ashes of a long-dead woman don't make a living person. The first protector of the Shikon died long ago. I think you're the imitation." Lifting her head, Kagome looked Kikyo straight in the eyes.
Unbeknownst to all but Sesshoumaru, Naraku had taken out his portion of the Shikon, all the while creeping towards Kikyo, dragging his dying body. 'Kikyo will never have the Shikon. How dare she betray me?' With the last of his strength, Naraku propelled the Shikon towards Kagome, his action stemming from his awakened hatred for the dead miko. Unfortunately for him, Kikyo also saw the Shikon jewel moving as well.
Both women moved to grab the jewel, their auras clashing with vehemence of a thunderstorm. The tainted and the innocent, the dark and the light, the past and the present, colliding in one coalescent encounter. Auras flared, blinding all those present.
As the brightness diminished, one lone figure stood, shoulders heaving from exertion. Inuyasha's eyes brightened, the words forming on his lips.
"Kikyo, you're alive." And indeed she was. No longer was she clay and ashes, but flesh and bones. Her eyes shone with regret for her actions intermingled with new hope.
Miroku and Sango, sidelined from the somewhat anticlimactic battle, were the first to notice another detail. Sango's wavering voice called out. "Inuyasha! Where's Kagome?!"
The hanyou's euphoria disappeared in an instant and he turned back to Kikyo, his voice soft at first, then growing in volume. "Where is she? Where the hell IS she?!"
For the first time in half a century, tears formed in Kikyo's eyes. "I don't know." Throwing herself into Inuyasha's arms, she began to sob uncontrollably, muttering incoherent apologies. Miroku and Sango came towards the two, still wary of Kikyo, but understanding her sincerity.
Silently, the ignored demon lord turned and walked away, thinking of things long past. He took a deep breath and sighed, a rare occurrence indeed. He knew this would come. 'It almost seems like dusk and dawn,' he thought. Closing his eyes, he wondered how long he would have to wait.
"Foolish wench. I will thoroughly enjoy killing you. If you're lucky, I might have some fun with you first." Looking Kagome up and down, Naraku's eyes began misting over with lust.
Kagome tried to prevent her body from shuddering in disgust. "I would rather die than let you touch me."
"But I have touched you, my sweet." Eyes turned to Kagome, varying degrees of shock showing. All was rectified, however, as Naraku continued. "You are, after all, nothing but a reincarnation of Kikyo. And I have had Kikyo." While the previous attention was on Kagome, all now gazed at Kikyo with disgust and anger.
Kikyo's mirthless laughter rang in the air. "You didn't think I'd really devote myself to the poor excuse of a hanyou, did you?" Looking Inuyasha straight in the eye, she taunted, "You were a reason for me to be around my reincarnation. I thought that if I got to you, I'd get to her. She would die from the inside out, wither away as it were. But sadly, she was stronger than I thought, and didn't break as she should have. Now, I don't need you anymore, Inuyasha, I have someone much stronger." Turning her back towards Inuyasha, she walked towards Naraku, taking his outstretched hand.
Inuyasha, having found his voice, spoke. "You told me he raped you. You couldn't lie to me. You wouldn't lie to me." His voice had diminished to nothing but a whisper.
Sesshoumaru looked from the sidelines of the emotional battle, for the moment forgotten. Sneering in disgust, he saw Inuyasha's lowered head, shaking in denial. The fool. He thought the undead miko was loyal to him, even though the stench of Naraku covered her body.
"Inuyasha, do not be a fool. Had Naraku raped her, his scent would not still linger on her body." Sesshoumaru's cold voice cut through the tension in the air.
His brother's words seemed to be a splash of cold water as Inuyasha seemed to shake away his misery and hurt. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he bit out, "You die today, Naraku. You've taken everything from me and today I'll take it back."
Dry amusement flashed in Naraku's crimson eyes. "You forget Inuyasha; I didn't take anything away from you. It was your own lack of trust in the one you loved that did it. I merely helped along the way." Attacking the vulnerable hanyou's emotions, he continued. "Had you trusted each other, neither of you would be here. But then again, neither would our lovely reincarnation."
Growling with pent up anger and frustration, Kagome finally snapped and snarled, "Don't call me that! I have a name, use it. Don't you dare compare me to her. I am nothing like her."
"Aren't you, Kagome? I see the same face, the same body, and, of course, the same purpose, all of which seem to be diminished in you." Chuckling harshly, Naraku persisted with his barrage of taunts. "You will always be held up to her, a constant shadow of what the original was. How does make you feel, Kagome? Special? Unique? You are neither, nothing but a copy of what once was. A sad imitation with no purpose," and turning to stare Kagome in the eyes, his gaze boring into her soul, Naraku whispered, "and with no love." Frigid laughter filled the air...
...Only to be halted as an arrow pierced Naraku's obsidian heart. Gasping for breath, Naraku turned to look at Kikyo's upheld bow, rage flooding his aura. "Bitch! You said you'd stand by me."
"Did you really think that I would sully my reputation with something like you? Don't be a fool Naraku!" Turning, Kikyo directed her lifeless eyes to Kagome. "My dear little reincarnation, give the Shikon shards to me. You have no claim over them. Not when the first protector is here."
Raising a fist to wipe her teary eyes, Kagome bit out, "Never. You are nothing, Kikyo. Clay and ashes of a long-dead woman don't make a living person. The first protector of the Shikon died long ago. I think you're the imitation." Lifting her head, Kagome looked Kikyo straight in the eyes.
Unbeknownst to all but Sesshoumaru, Naraku had taken out his portion of the Shikon, all the while creeping towards Kikyo, dragging his dying body. 'Kikyo will never have the Shikon. How dare she betray me?' With the last of his strength, Naraku propelled the Shikon towards Kagome, his action stemming from his awakened hatred for the dead miko. Unfortunately for him, Kikyo also saw the Shikon jewel moving as well.
Both women moved to grab the jewel, their auras clashing with vehemence of a thunderstorm. The tainted and the innocent, the dark and the light, the past and the present, colliding in one coalescent encounter. Auras flared, blinding all those present.
As the brightness diminished, one lone figure stood, shoulders heaving from exertion. Inuyasha's eyes brightened, the words forming on his lips.
"Kikyo, you're alive." And indeed she was. No longer was she clay and ashes, but flesh and bones. Her eyes shone with regret for her actions intermingled with new hope.
Miroku and Sango, sidelined from the somewhat anticlimactic battle, were the first to notice another detail. Sango's wavering voice called out. "Inuyasha! Where's Kagome?!"
The hanyou's euphoria disappeared in an instant and he turned back to Kikyo, his voice soft at first, then growing in volume. "Where is she? Where the hell IS she?!"
For the first time in half a century, tears formed in Kikyo's eyes. "I don't know." Throwing herself into Inuyasha's arms, she began to sob uncontrollably, muttering incoherent apologies. Miroku and Sango came towards the two, still wary of Kikyo, but understanding her sincerity.
Silently, the ignored demon lord turned and walked away, thinking of things long past. He took a deep breath and sighed, a rare occurrence indeed. He knew this would come. 'It almost seems like dusk and dawn,' he thought. Closing his eyes, he wondered how long he would have to wait.