Jackie: AS PROMISED. A Bonus chapter for 10 reviews! I can't respond to each of you in this one, but I hope you'll forgive me because it's a bonus chapter. I just got a scanner and I'm thinking of rewarding those of you who reviewed 70 of chapters or better by emailing the pictures of Miyoiki I have drawn. Currently, there are 30 chapters and still going. Enjoy!

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Chapter 21;

Sesshomaru's placid face was graced only with the cold smile he always wore when he was about to kill someone he especially despised. He swung his sword, hurling demon energy at Naraku and knocking him from the sky. When Naraku landed, Naraku chuckled cruelly. He smiled up at Sesshomaru and said, "You'll not stop me this time."

Sesshomaru said, "Oh? We shall see."

Sesshomaru slashed downward and felt his force hit something hard and unyielding. The energy of his strike swirled around Naraku and the recoil hurled Sesshomaru back. Sesshomaru landed gracefully on his feet and growled, "A barrier."

Naraku smiled and stood, dusting himself off as if he had tripped on a pebble instead of being struck from the sky. He gave a slight bow and said, "My lord Sesshomaru, I am afraid to inform you that you will die today, and your precious Miyoiki will be enslaved."

"You are over confident as usual, half-breed," Sesshomaru shot back at him.

"Am I?" Naraku asked with a cruel smile as he watched Rootousi running away with Miyoiki.

"You don't even have any of your incarnations with you," Sesshomaru said lifting his blade for another strike, "You must be completely mad."

Naraku's lips curved into a cruel, knowing smile. Naraku always had a defiant manipulative smile on his lips, but this smile made Sesshomaru's skin crawl. Naraku laughed as he said, "They are busy with other things. I am only here to keep you busy a while."

Sesshomaru's face showed no hint of the panic that overwhelmed his heart. His eyes made a practiced and casual glance to where Miyoiki and Rootousi had been, and he found them gone. Miyoiki… Old man, you had better protect her. Sesshomaru's laughed, "Huh, normally I would fight you in this form just for the sport and to humiliate you. I think however, your death is long past due."

Sesshomaru sheathed Tokijin and his eyes turned blood red. His chi became visible, radiating around him in gold and red flames as he started to transform. His k-9's sharpened and grew, white hair lined his body, and his magenta stripes became wild and jagged. He grew enormous, and his features gradually changed until Naraku was face to face with the white, red-eyed, demon dog of legend. Poison dripped from Sesshomaru's hungry, fanged, jaws, and within mere moments the area was surrounded in a thick poisonous cloud. Naraku only watched with the same sick grin on his face.

Sesshomaru leapt at Naraku, hurling the weight of his demon aura at Naraku's barrier. The barrier hissed and fizzled, and it felt for the briefest of seconds that it might collapse. Sesshomaru bore down into it, but it snapped back at him strongly and hurled him backward into the east wing of the castle. Sesshomaru got up and shook off the dust. Naraku laughed and said, "Even transformed you cannot break my barrier. How humiliating it must be for you to know just how far Inuyasha has surpassed you. He is ten times the threat you are."

A guttural growl rumbled within Sesshomaru's chest, and he hurled himself at the barrier again. Again he was flung back against the walls of his castle. He stood up and shook himself again. Think! That obviously doesn't work; don't just keep hurling yourself at it like your stupid half-breed, half-brother. Think!

Sesshomaru noticed that a few of Naraku's tentacles were shriveling away from the edges of his barrier where Sesshomaru's poison cloud was leaking in. Naraku was only half-demon, his poison was no where near as deadly as Sesshomaru's; Therefore, Naraku had no real immunity from Sesshomaru's poison. Naraku simply was not getting enough to make a difference. Sesshomaru would fix that.

Sesshomaru stood over Naraku and worked up ever ounce of toxic dog drool he could hack up. It was hardly a dignified way of fighting an enemy, but if it would help him get to Miyoiki faster…. He hacked up the biggest loogie in history, even Naraku's face twisted in disgust. The slime hit Naraku's barrier and oozed over it, concentrating the poison around the barrier. It began to leak through and Naraku's eyes widened. Sesshomaru smiled as best a dog can.

Naraku cursed and leapt into the air coughing and hacking as bits of him shriveled and fell off in dry clumps. He growled down at Sesshomaru and yelled, "How dare you! It doesn't matter. You will not reach Miyoiki in time."

With that Naraku disappeared into the night sky. Sesshomaru howled with frustration. Naraku had managed to escape again. But Sesshomaru had other things to worry about. He sniffed the wind for Miyoiki and headed in the direction of her scent.

Rootousi held the young metamorph in his arms as he ran. Someone is trying to re-bind her. Once a metamorph has been bound it is damaging and often fatal to be re-bound by another sorcerer. Rootousi looked at the Miyoiki's sternum, she was reacting like a metamorph being rebound, but where was the original stone? Who was the original sorcerer? Who is the new one? A gust of wind stopped Rootousi mid stride and pushed him back.

Before him was a beautiful red-eyed demoness. He smirked and said, "I don't suppose you'd get out of my way peacefully?"

"If I could," She said sourly, "I would, but I am bound to obey, and my orders are to stop you. I don't suppose you'd make it easy on me by surrendering the girl peacefully?"

Rootousi leaned Miyoiki against a building and squared himself off to the beautiful demoness, "Nope, sorry. It really is too bad that you won't cooperate. You're far too beautiful; we should be out on a date, not fighting."

"If you were man enough to free me," Kagura drawled, "I'd marry you on the spot."

"OOooo," Rootousi purred, "Been a while since I had a wife. Unfortunately…"

Rootousi powered up his demon aura and suddenly they were surrounded in a disorienting forest. Kagura could no longer see either of her targets, but she heard him say, "Unfortunately, I doubt your master is going to show himself and beg me to kill him."

Kagura held her fan ready, trying to zero in on what direction Rootousi's attack would come from. Rootousi enjoyed the view for a while. She really was quite beautiful, and she reminded him of his first wife. Her proud and dangerous posture, her flashing eyes, and sarcastic wit, were quite fetching. He liked women full of pride and life. Hmmm, maybe I should hold her to that little declaration. Where might this master be?

He brought his mind back to the fight and appeared behind her, giving her butt a little tap before disappearing again. Kagura yelped, "DANCE OF BLADES."

But she hit nothing. Rootousi laughed and said, "I'm never washing that hand again."

Kagura growled, "HOW DARE YOU! Fight me like a man you coward and I'll cut your filthy paw off!"

"Is that supposed to encourage me to show myself?" Rootousi teased, "I'm rather fond of this hand."

In spite of herself Kagura laughed. She listened to the shifting of the wind for him as she said, "I'll give you this…"

"You are entertaining!" She swooped her fan to the side delivering a strong blast of wind that threw Rootousi back against the castle. He hit with a dull thud and his illusion disappeared.

He roared with laughter and rubbed the back of his head. He looked up at her with his flashing green eyes and dashing smile, and her heartbeat quickened. Yes, it really is too bad that we're enemies. She thought drawing her fan for another attack.

"It's been 500 years since anyone actually hit me," Rootousi said as he stood.

"Well, it's about to happen twice," Kagura said with a smirk, "DANCE OF THE DRAGON!"

Rootousi leapt back and dodged the swirling winds that would have ripped him apart. He smiled and said, "Tri-split."

He seemed to break into three pieces and each lump created a miniature version of him. Kagura smiled and said, "Three times the pleasure? This could be interesting."

"Oh, my little vixen," Rootousi flirted, "I think I could develop quite a crush on you."

"Then give me what I want," Kagura purred, "Hand over the girl."

Kagura knew she didn't really need him to hand the girl over. She just had to stall long enough for the old sorcerer to cast his bind spell. She almost felt bad for the fool, she kind of liked him.

His three miniatures rushed her and she swung at the forward most one, missing it. Her back swing contacted, but she hadn't the time to strike the left. The other two disappeared and the third that reached her grew to full size. He grabbed both her arms and held her there. He smiled and looked down into her large red eyes.

She looked up into his smoldering green eyes. Up close she could see the manly square set of his jaws and the depth of his bright green eyes. Before she could react he planted a kiss on her ruby-red lips.

Dazed and confused Kagura only froze. Just before she could react to the kiss He side stepped and let her fall forward. As she stumbled forward he swatted her again on the behind, causing her to fall flat on her face. She rolled over and glared at him, shouting, "You will pay for that!"

"For just a moment," He started, "You were not decided. You were frozen in my embrace. A few more moments and you might have responded in kind. Developing a crush of your own, my dear?"

Kagura growled, "Don't flatter yourself, I was just-"

A deep growling rumble signaled the arrival of Lord Sesshomaru. He nuzzled Miyoiki's unconscious from. Kagura's eyes stared with disbelief. She had never seen the menacing shape of Sesshomaru's true form. Sesshomaru transformed back to his humanoid form and knelt beside Miyoiki. Miyoiki whimpered and writhed in pain. She was covered in sweat, and gripping her chest in her unnatural sleep. All over her purple spots rose to the surface. He recognized this. She was bleeding internally. Something was ripping her apart from the inside. Sesshomaru looked up from her to Rootousi, whose face suddenly showed immense panic.

"Get her out of here!" Rootousi yelled.

A blinding flash of white light filled the area and a white stone shot through the sky.

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Jackie: I bet when you saw an extra chapter this week you thought you wouldn't get another cliffy! MUHAHAHAHAHA.