To cave in to love (Hekomu Horeru)

By: Reincarnation of Kagome

Chapter 2: Demon Released

She ran off into the snowy forest. Running through the thick foliage, Kagome looked back to see if Kikyo was following her. Inuyasha hadn't seen her, hiding behind a tree to the left of the battle between Naraku's new two incarnations and Inuyasha.

She had known if Inuyasha saw Kikyo, more than likely he was die. So Kagome was trying to draw Kikyo away from Inuyasha. Kikyo was following her, deeper and deeper into the forest.

Kagome slipped on ice hidden in the snow. Sprawled on the snowy forest floor, she looked at the path she had run down. Whoa, Kagome saw the path where she had been sprinting. It led to a cliff; crawling over to it she saw that the ledge was very steep, probably leading to a two hundred meter drop.

"Kagome," Kikyo's voice was cold and calm. "You can't run from me anymore. There's no one to protect you now."

"What do you want, Kikyo?" the twenty-year old Kagome snapped at the girl she so much resembled five-years ago. Both girls at different sides of the clearing staring intently on whom would make the first move. Incarnation versus reincarnation. Old lover and future lover.

A cold smile crept along Kikyo's face.

"Well, it should be obvious. First of all…to kill you. You're quite a nuisance and must be dealt with. Then, take your shards of the shikon jewel." Kikyo said. "You're nothing but an imitation, a fake! And once you're gone, Inuyasha will follow me to hell. There is nothing you can do to stop me."

"Like I'd want to imitate a dead woman! Your body is made of graveyard soil and bone; you need the souls of deceased women to even mobilize that pile of filth!"

"QUIET!" Kikyo yelled, raising her bow and arrow at Kagome. Kagome stood up from where she was on the ground.

The arrow flew at high speed towards Kagome. She dodged the arrow that was aimed at her heart. Picking up her own bow and arrows that had fallen to the ground, Kagome notched an arrow in the bow. Pointing it at Kikyo, she let the arrow fly. At the same time Kikyo shot another arrow.

Kagome's purifying arrow hit Kikyo's shoulder. Gasping, Kikyo looked at the wound and called to her shinidamachu, for Kagome's arrow was focusing the souls she had collected to depart. And she wished to live. Then she was gone.

Kagome didn't see the arrow hit her, but she sure felt it. Pain like she never knew coursed through her shoulder; it felt like a dagger was being turned slowly in her shoulder. She surely thought she would die, then suddenly a bright white light surrounded her.

Inuyasha was busy fighting Naraku's new incarnation Nariko, long red hair that fall to her feet with black eyes that turned white when she used her thunder attack, and her brother Raodon, who's long black hair reached to his back with white eyes that turned black when using his darkness attack.

As Inuyasha forced Nariko back with her own attack, a brilliant light shown somewhere deep in the forest, in the direction Kagome had ran. Kagome was in trouble, So, I need to finish up now. Inuyasha decided to use bakuryuha (backlash wave).

"It seems like Kikyo caught her reincarnation." Raodon said, smirking.

Kikyo. She was nearby. Inuyasha kept looking at where the light had been. Kikyo had Kagome, and was probable hurting her. "That's it, BAKURYUHA!" Inuyasha yelled, releasing Tetsusaiga's powerful attack. Nariko and Raodon screamed as they died side by side.

"Now that, that's over with." Inuyasha turned and sped into the slowly darkening forest. It would be night in an hour, he had to find Kagome and find shelter, for it would be too cold to sleep outside.

He followed the sweet scent of Kagome and the other scent of dirt and bone, the one he knew to be Kikyo's. Soon there was the scent of blood; the air was thick with it. Suddenly he stopped running.

After a long time Inuyasha moved to the edge of the cliff and to Kagome's body. She was covered in a light blanket of crimson snow and her clothes were torn, practically shredded.

Inuyasha kneed by her body. She's dead. Killed by Kikyo. I'll find her and make her pay for what she did to Kagome.

"Inuyasha," Kikyo's cold dead voice rang in his ears. She had returned after regaining control of the souls.

Inuyasha turned and faced Kikyo, his head down. "You should have never touched Kagome. You'll pay for it." And Inuyasha released his grip on Tetsusaiga, and let it fall to the ground beside Kagome's body.

Inuyasha's eyes glowed blood red, Kikyo could see the blood lust and hatred for her. Never had Kikyo felt such terror. Inuyasha's face now had the marks of a demon. Nothing was going to stop him from killing her.

In the few minutes demon-Inuyasha had control, Kikyo was lying on the ground weaken. Inuyasha was about to kill her when he heard a soft heartbeat and rasping breathing. He turned towards Kagome's body, she was trying to move.

He turned back to Kikyo but she was gone. Inuyasha slowly moved towards Kagome. His eyes still were red.