A/N: For those of my fans who objected to the Bankotsu/Kagome-ness of the early chapters...don't read this...and if you do and flame me...bite me...
"It's on," Kagome yelled as she slipped into a fighting stance.
"Kagome," Kikyo laughed, "we will not fight this like a physical fight...this is a battle of right. Do you deserve to have this body and these powers? You? With your corrupted aura and obvious unsuitability?"
Kagome sighed and stood up straight. "What makes you so much better? You're dead and you died in a violent, hate filled way. You live because your quest for vengeance has filled you with life. You aren't even real anymore."
"Let us decide who will have this body on merit...like civilized people of your time."
"Civilized? When I bitch smack you, we'll talk about civilized," Kagome said incensed.
Kikyo shushed Kagome and gestured to the darkness. Like a film from her time, Kagome's memories began to resurface.
(Flashback-The Vortex)
Kagome screamed as the tentacle wrapped around her waist dragged her from the arms of Koga and Inuyasha and into the portal. Almost like water, she slid in and was immediately let go. She floated to the ground and for precious seconds did nothing. She stared at the others who surrounded her but they too did nothing. They were all staring around as if stunned.
And they should be, Kagome realized. They were looking at modern day Japan and had no idea what to make of the speeding cars, skyscrapers, and sushi vendors on the sidewalks. Kagome took advantage of their shock to scramble to her feet and run into the crowds of people. She heard them call out but knew that they would never catch her during rush hour.
Kagome ran all the way from midtown home, on the east side. First thing she did was try to go down the well and back to Inuyasha.
Nothing happened.
In complete despair Kagome went inside her home and curled up on her bed. It was midday so no one was home. It didn't matter, however, for who could she turn to? Who would understand this catastrophe? There were demons and sorceresses and assassins from the Feudal Era running loose in her time and the only people capable of killing them were back in their time and the well was broken!
What was she going to do?
(Flashback-Two Months Later)
Kagome turned and drew the string of her bow back and let loose with three arrows. In a high arc they landed with a purifying flash and sent Bankotsu flying back into a wall. A couple yards away, Kagura began to clap in glee.
"That's it, little girl! No mercy!"
Kagome, tired of listening to the peanut gallery's comments, fired off an arrow at the sorceress. "Shut up."
Kagura dived out of the way in time but mussed her clothes, which irritated her because they were new and very expensive Gucci. "I already told you we're not here to figh-..."
"Tell that to my family! You killed them!" Kagome screamed as she drew yet another arrow to fire at the woman. Behind her, Bankotsu crept up silently; hoping that Kagura would keep Kagome occupied enough to not notice him coming.
Kagura showed the pain on her face as that accusation flew at her and struggled once again to make Kagome understand. "We hadn't known what he was planning! It was Naraku who found them and Naraku who killed them!"
"Yeah, but you're his incarnate...you're him."
Kagome hit a nerve as that little fact was said aloud and gloated for a second before becoming aware of a presence behind her. Even as Kagome turned, Bankotsu wrapped his arms around her to keep her from becoming too much of a handful.
"Listen for a minute, damn it!" He ground out as Kagome started to buck in his arms, screaming and scratching and generally knocking the hell out of him.
"We need your help!" Kagura said quietly. As her words penetrated Kagome's mind, she stopped struggling. "He's going to get us all killed. We want to join you and help you defeat him."
"After all you've done, you want to trade sides?" Kagome asked, tears in her eyes as she remembered the battles, her family's death, the hundreds of people dead in a couple months of Naraku's tyranny. He had quickly used the populace's ignorance and later unwillingness to believe in his existence to take control of Japan. With the guise of returning to the old tradition of closing borders, the outside world had no idea what had happened.
"We did not want this, Kagome. All I ever wanted was to be free of him," Kagura struggled to be serious, wanting to slip into her mask of indifference but knowing that that was not the way to gain Kagome's trust.
"I wanted to kill people, but I don't like being tortured and punished like a child, which Naraku does and you know I don't like him very much. He took my shards...I really didn't appreciate that. My partner is so weak now."
Kagome stared in awe at this man's shallowness and shrugged out of his now limp grip. "Why should I help you? You're bad people."
"Kagome, look around. You're alone and surrounded by enemies. Do you expect to survive? Do you even want to?" As Kagome's nod, Kagura continued. "Joining forces would help you too, you'd get our protection and we yours. This is the best course of-..."
"Okay. But I don't trust you. And you're not staying with me," Kagome stated, referring to her hideout that she'd had to take when Naraku had destroyed the shrine.
"Where will we go?"
"I don't know and don't care. If you're serious though, meet me here, tomorrow."
"Why tomorrow?"
"I have a plan in action and if you're serious about this, you'll help."
"What are we going to do?" Bankotsu asked.
"We're going to blow something up."
"What?"
"Naraku."
(Flashback-Three Months Later)
Kagome sat in a corner of her darkened bedroom and slowly rocked back and forth. They weren't winning and she doubted they could. With her allies (Kagura, Bankotsu, and Suikotsu) she'd scored some victories, but they were continually out done by Naraku. There was no way for them to win this war.
And she knew. And she cried for it. The others heard but had no idea how to respond. For Kagura it was the not knowing. She'd never had to deal with a crying human before...had never cared to deal with one. She didn't want to try to comfort and end up isolating Kagome, her first friend.
For Suikotsu, it was uncomfortable. Even with his new medication, his personality was fluxing. One second he was fine, but the next he was either driven to kill or heal and it was confusing. He didn't want to try to comfort her and end up slicing her. So he stayed where he was, as did Kagura.
Bankotsu, however, didn't know and didn't care that he didn't know. He climbed the stairs to Kagome's room and entered without knocking. At first he didn't see her, but then her small form started to shake and drew his attention.
"Why are you crying?"
Kagome looked up at the intrusion and her tear-streaked face made Bankotsu regret his brash question. "I don't know."
"Of course you know...you're doing it."
"It hurts," Kagome whispered. Bankotsu knelt in front of her and slowly ran his hands over her arms and body.
"Where? Did it happen in the last battle? You should have said somethin-..."
"No, here." Kagome out Bankotsu's hand over her heart and let him feel it pound. "It won't stop hurting."
Bankotsu shrugged. "I don't know what to do for you."
"Hold me...like she would if she were here." Kagome asked.
Bankotsu pulled her to her feet, and together they laid on her bed. Kagome snuggled into his shoulder and Bankotsu pulled her tighter. He didn't know why this comforted her, but he knew he was glad he was here to give it.
Gradually, her shaking stopped. They both became aware of the position they were in. Both on the bed, her barely clad in her pajamas, he only wearing his pants for his shirt had become torn and bloodied in the battle a couple hours before. Kagome pushed herself a little bit away, bringing her hand in contact with his bare chest. They both sucked in a breath and stiffened.
"Kagome..."
"Bankotsu..."
Silence, not even a noise from downstairs where Kagura and Suikotsu were now asleep. Slowly, as if by magic, their lips met. Chaste and short, was this kiss, but both reeled from it's effects and implications. They stayed like that for a while...staring...almost kissing but not...savoring...
"Look at that...consorting with a murderer...and you think yourself worthy?" Kikyo hissed in Kagome's ear.
(One Year Later)
"A truce? With that monster!" Kagome asked of her allies as they rallied around the kitchen table. "I refuse!"
Bankotsu wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist and pulled her close. "Think about this. We've been fighting that man for a year and a half and we're no closer to beating him. We cannot win this."
"Inuyasha and me fought him for years too. We just need patience!"
"Patience is getting us no where! There's a reason you and Inuyasha fought him for years and we did the same. We cannot win!" Kagura exclaimed.
"And if you can't beat them, join them?" Kagome asked, pushing Bankotsu away and storming across the kitchen.
"There would be concessions on both sides. We would win some and we would lose some. There would be a truce," Suikotsu joined the argument.
"If he's winning, why should he want a truce?" Kagome demanded.
"He's not really winning. We are beginning to gain a foot hold in the population. People want to help us and if too many join us in the fight we could win...but it will be years before that happens. He's looking to the future and so should we," Bankotsu stated. "We cannot hold this out that long. We will be destroyed before we even get the chance to overthrow him."
"How would this truce go about? How would we insure that he would stick to his side of the bargain?"
"There would be a small exchange...of souls," Kagura explained.
"Like...mating?" Kagome asked of Bankotsu, who turned away in a sudden spurt of anger.
"No...like the bond between demonic siblings. Small, but tangible. Not sexual in any way."
"I don't want to!" Kagome yelled, knowing already that the argument was lost. Naraku was killing people by the dozen and Kagome knew that she had to do anything she could to protect the populace.
"But you have to."
Kagome studied Bankotsu's profile in the light and sighed. "You too? You want me to be bound to that monster? You want a truce after all that-..."
Bankotsu whirled and grabbed her wrist, yanking her forward and close to him. "I want nothing! I want him to be wiped from the face of this earth and to never have existed! He has taken everything from me!"
Kagome pulled Bankotsu close and regretted bringing up the subject of Bankotsu's recent emasculation. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah...me, too." Bankotsu sighed. He pulled away and nodded his head. "You know you must do this."
"I know."
(End Flashback)
Kikyo hissed in satisfaction as the last memory faded. "Allowing yourself to bond with the ultimate evil? You are nowhere near worthy enough to carry this duty and privilege!"
Kagome burst out laughing. "This is your evidence? This is nothing."
"Nothing? It shows how impure you are! How unworthy of the sacred jewel."
"First of all...privilege? Privilege my ass! More like curse. Second, I'm not impure...I'm experienced. There's a difference. I did what was necessary to save the mass of people I had to. Third, your trip down memory lane reminded me of something."
Kikyo put her hands on her hips and stuck her chin out. "What?"
Kagome smiled and her eyes began to glow with pure power. "That little bit of soul you were talking about...belonging to you...never belonged to you...it was an extension of me...therefore...you're going bye-bye."
Kagome concentrated on her inner senses and slowly began to push out the Kikyo-ness that inhibited parts of it. Those parts let the corruption of Kikyo dissolve away readily, for as Kagome had said, they rightfully were her's. They were accepted back into the fold.
When she opened her eyes, Kikyo was fading and looked pissed about it. "This isn't over."
"Yeah, sorry to say, but, bitch, it is."
Kagome smiled as Kikyo was finally gone from this world and then realized that she had no idea how to get out of her mind. Damn, should've practiced this a long time ago. Kagome steadied herself and forced her consciousness to reach out to the waking world. Slowly, as if through water, she began to awaken.
Around her, the darkness began to lift and lighten. She heard voices calling out and when she opened her real eyes she saw blurry faces close to her's. Slowly, they both began to clear.
"Kagome?"
"Kagome! Are you alright? Your eyes are open but you're not speaking!" And so Rin and Shippo were going round and round in this manner. Sesshomaru said her name and that was it and she automatically focused on him.
"Is that you Kagome?"
"Who else would it be, Sesshy?"
"How can we not be sure you are Kikyo?"
"You have a birthmark on your ass...would she know that?"
"No...good morning."
"Morning?"
"You've been unconscious for a week."
"No wonder I'm so rested," Kagome smiled and started to sit up; surprised that she was so stiff but then remembering that she was asleep for a week. Yeah, that explained the cricks.
"We have news for you. Get dressed and meet in my library so I can update you," Sesshomaru swept out of the room in his usual dramatic way, taking everyone with him.
"Yeah, yeah...just let me remember how to walk first..."
royal blueKitsune: Dogs...lol...always was a cat person myself...
Lady Lenn: More psychological ass kicking than anything but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless...
Special thanks to the reviewers who didn't get a response...it's not that I don't love you...but most of you were like "Review...NOW!" and I've done that so I feel that's all there is needed to say...so thanks to...Sheenachi, Lady Aurora of the Crescent, Sesshoumaru's Miko, Blood Red Moon, Insane Sk8er Chick, Golden-Eyed-Girl, SesshiesPersonalPriestess, NekoYasha101, gurl-of-togas-older-son, SexySesshomaru52, hermonine, SubaruWings, Youkai no Hikaru, inuyashamoon (short messages are fine...in fact I'm infamous for my one word reviews...they're simply... "Now"...and that's it), jade, Sango17, and Flame Ivy Moon. Yes, to all question regarding continuing the story...this one I sense will go on for like...twenty to thirty chapters...we're rounding the final corner and heading for the finishing line people...SADDLE UP!