Chapter 8: Tainted Heart

"This is it little brother, time for your demise." Hissed Sesshomaru, his eyes beginning to flicker different shades of blood red. He roughly pushed Inuyasha back and watched with wild amusement as his feet slipped and he feel into the mud.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked in terror, running out to his fallen figure.

Sesshomaru frowned at the approaching girl and swung out his sword in her direction with no intention of pulling it away if she grew too close. It would be her own fault if the sword in his hand pierced through her heart, killing her instantly. "Do no interfere wench! I'll deal with you later!" He shouted, still rather furious with her actions from earlier. She was the reason why this had to happen.

Kagome stopped abruptly and stared at Inuyasha. "Please get up…Please Inuyasha." She whispered, loud enough for him to hopefully hear.

Inuyasha grunted and pulled himself up onto his bottom. His ears were ringing, his eyes were burning and affecting his vision, and he couldn't quite remember where he was. Rubbing the side of his head, he quickly noticed that something was missing from his grasp. 'The Tetseiga!' He searched frantically for his beloved sword and quickly found it buried under the wet mud. He didn't even notice Sesshomaru's body standing before him or Kagome to the side of him. A sly grin appeared across his lips and he reached to take the sword back into his hands.

Sesshomaru smirked mischievously at Inuyasha's cluelessness to his surroundings and he instantly crushed Inuyasha's hand with his foot. "I don't think so Inuyasha."

Choking on air, Inuyasha blindly looked up and stared fearfully at the smiling demon above him. He tried in panic to take back his hand and the Tetseiga to no success. Sweat gathered at the back of Inuyasha's neck and he could feel his mouth drying by the second. He stared up into Sesshomaru's cold golden eyes, helpless to do anything.

Sesshomaru chuckled loudly and glared at Inuyasha's face. "Hmmm…" He lifted his finger to stroke down his chin. "This looks vaguely familiar…doesn't it Inuyasha?"

Kagome took a step forward and reached out her hand in an attempt to pull him away from danger. But she knew it would go unsuccessful. "…Inuyasha…Please. Get up!" She called out to him. Staring at his blank expression, she could feel exactly how he did…completely and utterly terrified.

Inuyasha swallowed hard. He longer had any feeling left in his body, he couldn't move at all. His mind flashed back to those nightmares of him fighting against Sesshomaru and how he was always the one to die. Could they have been prophecies? Sesshomaru's chuckle brought him back to the real world and he stared up at the sword aimed straight for his body. 'Move damnit! Come on! I can't abandon Kagome! I can't leave her vulnerable! I need to stay!' His mind shrieked, urging his body to move but no compromise came.

Sesshomaru looked down at the half-demon. "Exactly like before." He lifted his sword to the side of him and pointed the tip for Inuyasha's gut. "Farewell…little brother." With one final thrust, his sword pierced through Inuyasha's body, the tip ripping out his backside.

Inuyasha screamed in agony, gripping tightly with his hand around the blade that entered his body. His scream grew louder as Sesshomaru twisted the sword around inside of him. He shut his eyes tightly to try and outlast the pain to no prevail. Blood ran from the corner of his mouth and dripped off his chin.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed with horror, her eyes swelling with tears.

Sango smirked at his amount of anger and fastened her weapon around her shoulder and chest. It was no longer needed for they had already won. "You didn't think I'd stand here and let you kill our companion did you?" She laughed under her breath, quite aware that he still heard her.

He frowned and bared his sharp fangs in her direction as a warning. "Don't start talking like you're the ones victorious. It's far from over my dear."

"And how do you suppose that Sesshomaru? You've already lost both your arms." A dangerous and menacing chuckle was heard from below followed by the shuffling of feet.

Sesshomaru nearly choked on air and he cautiously turned around. Expecting to frown down upon the source of the voice he met the owner eye to eye, sword in hand. "You're supposed to be dead…" He gasped in almost a whisper.

Inuyasha grinned and whipped the blood from his hand onto his already blood stained haori. "Am I? Well it seems you've yet again failed to kill me." He snickered, wrapping both hands firmly around the sword's hilt. "Stay back Kagome." He called over his shoulder to the young girl. "Say Sesshomaru, do you find yourself a fair fighter?" The half-demon questioned, his fingers cracking as he gripped tighter onto the handle.

Sesshomaru narrowed his golden eyes at the man before him, a large pool of dark red blood forming on the ground around his feet. "What is this Inuyasha? Some kind of detour to buy some time before I kill you? No. If I were such a fair fighter we wouldn't be in this situation. What is the point of this?"

Inuyasha smirked and swung the Tetseiga over his shoulder. "Here's the point. Because neither am I!" He cried, slashing the sword with one giant swing through the demon's body.

The force of the blow threw Sesshomaru's body back, surrounded by a blanket of power. His mouth opened but no sound came out and his blood red eyes enlarged with pain. The youkai's body crashed into the soft grass, indenting his figure into the ground. As the cloud of dust from his fall drifted away, the demon was found lying still, his eyes now closed and blood pouring from his open wounds, including the newest edition Inuyasha created down his chest.

A long sigh escaped from Inuyasha's blood-filled mouth and he fell onto his knees, using the Tetseiga for support. He laughed slightly

"That has nothing to do with it Sesshomaru! Half-demon or not, I can still kill you! I have something you don't!" He started, then ran at full speed at the youkai. Leaping into the funnel of wind that surrounded him, he lifted the Tetseiga high into the air, preparing to take down the demon once again then strip him of the Tenseiga. His plan was set and he believed it would work. "I have friends who help destroy disgusting demons like you!" His own demonic wind surrounded the Tetseiga and with one strong swipe, blasted a large sum of power at the demon lord.

The smirk never ceased to leave Sesshomaru's pale face as Inuyasha's sword's power came hurling towards his body. Just as it was about to swallow his body up whole, he did a quick twist in the air, using the Tenseiga to slice across it and redirect it back at Inuyasha.

With not enough time to react, the large spherical ball of immense energy was thrust into his chest, forcing his body violently backwards into the nearest tree trunk. The wound in his stomach spit out blood and ran down the creases of the bark to the ground. New wounds on his body opened and soaked his haori with their ruby red colour. The hanyou remained on the tree for the blast was so strong that he had been plastered into the tree's body. His body ached more and he was overcome with sudden exhaustion. Slowly lifting his head, he stared at the blurry figure of his older brother, not being able to comprehend what he did wrong. His vision grew worse from loss of blood and with one rough cough, his head fell slowly into his chest, his silver bangs shadowing his pale face.

Kagome choked on her words and watched in horror as Inuyasha's body gave out on him. Her hazel orbs filled with crystal tears and streamed down her cheeks as the Tetseiga fell from his hand and pierced the ground below. "I-Inu…yasha…Inuyasha!" She screamed.

Kagome's chest rose and fell as her mind collected those haunting images of Inuyasha's near departure from the land of the living. She didn't want to believe he was dead but his limp body told her it had happened and this time there was no way of bringing him back to her. Dropping her quiver to the ground, a tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at his pale and lifeless face. "Oh Inuyasha." She whispered softly, her voice shaky and her lip beginning to tremble. Walking to his side, her feet dragging across the ground, she fell to her knees and touched his hand. "You're so cold." Holding his hand right in hers, she slowly lowered her head towards his and rested her cheek on his forehead. Warm tears rolled from her eyes and onto his skin. 'Why do you have to go? I don't want you to leave me.' She bit down on her quivering lip and held her breath to stop her sobbing. Even though it was so clear to her that he was gone, something in her heart told her otherwise. "Please wake up Inuyasha."

Smirking and sheathing his sword, Sesshomaru watched in more pleasure as the young woman he once longed to have hung over his dead hanyou half-brother. He chuckled lightly to himself and slipped his hands into his sleeves, satisfied that his deed of killing his brother was finally accomplished. Turning his head slightly to the side as he sensed the presence of the other demon his smirk fell when she now stood beside him. "We're done here. It's time to-"

"Damn her." Mara muttered in a wicked voice, her glare of utter hate piercing through the girl who had caused her minor harm but a tremendous failure. She cracked her knuckles as they folded into her hand and her shoulders hunched up to her ears, her spine curling into an upraised arch below her neck. "I'm going to kill that little bitch I swear it!" She hissed.

Sesshomaru peered over at the crying girl for only a second before turning his body in the other direction. He had no intention of killing Kagome. His reason was unexplainable but he just couldn't bring himself to do such a thing. Maybe all his feelings for her hadn't totally disappeared yet. "No. We're leaving now. We've done enough damage here." He sighed softly and began walking away.

Mara gasped and spun roughly to face his backside. "What!" She snapped. She couldn't believe it. Her master, the one she envied, craved to be under his wing, the one for whom she went through so much trouble to resurrect, was turning down a perfect opportunity to kill a human. She for one would not let him do such a thing. "Are you a demon or what Sesshomaru? No demon would walk away from something like this. You've disgraced us all! You're father should be rolling around in his grave right now." She spat in shear anger.

Stopping abruptly at mention of his father's name in such a crude manner, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and a frown fell upon his lips. "How dare you speak of my father that way." He growled heavily. Turning slowly on his heels his eyebrows furrowed down upon his eyes as the spot where the demon once stood was empty. His mouth opened to a full set of sharp fangs when he spotted her dashing off towards Kagome. "Stop this now!" He shouted in pure rage, disgusted at what she was going to do.

The demon sorceress ignored her master's pleas and kept her eyes on the target. 'If he won't kill her then I will. No one will be spared!'

Kagome sobbed softly and lifted her cheek from his face. Her eyes were fogged from crying but she could still see his pale face. "Inuyasha." Gently whipping away the salted water on his face, her lip began to shake uncontrollably and she threw herself into his chest. "I love you…Please don't leave me behind." Her broken voice said as she sobbed harder. She grabbed a fist full of his haori and pulled it towards her, crushing her face into the fabric. Sealing her lips, her sobbing silenced for the time being, a soft thumping noise echoed in her ears. Thinking it was only her, she hung her head above his heart and sighed. The thumping got louder and faster with every second and she began to realize it was not her own. Immediately sitting up, her glance when down to the hanyou below her and she gasped when she noticed it was him. Colour was returning to his face and his cheeks and his hands were no longer cold to the touch. "I knew you would never leave me." She whispered with a smile.

Mara grinned devilishly as she approached the mourning girl. Finally she could get revenge on behalf of herself and Sesshomaru. She'd make sure that this girl didn't make it to dawn. She quickly looked over her shoulder to the rising sun and frowned. This time she would not fail. Hoisting up her hands, energy gathering at her fingertips, she glared at her target. "Die!" She shouted, thrusting her hands forwards and letting loose the power in her palms.

Hearing a loud shout and the hiss of something unknown to her, Kagome turned on her knees and gasped at what was aimed right at her. "Inuyasha!" She choked. Just as she was about to reach for his hand, the demon's attack was pounded into her side and threw her away from the hanyou. Her body scrapped across the rough ground until she came to a complete stop. Blood surfaced on fresh scratches and licked it's way out of her skin. Kagome winced at the burning sensation of her newly acquired wounds and slowly lifted herself into a sitting position.

Somewhat displeased that the first attack went unsuccessful she kept on running. Growling in rage, she sprinted faster in an attempt to reach and kill the girl before she could fully realize what was happening. Leaping over the hanyou who she supposed to be dead, she licked her lips in satisfaction. As she soared over him and thought of the thrill she would receive from this girl's death, her blood suddenly ran cold and her mind went blank of any sort of achievement. Cautiously looking below her, all her muscles froze as a pair of angry blood red eyes glared up at her.

Without giving her any time to react, Inuyasha sprung from the ground and slashed his claws across her chest. As she fell to the ground and tried to crawl away he attacked her from behind, tearing through the skin on her back. Her screams of pain fed his intense hunger for death. Snatching her from around the neck, he drove his nails through her flesh and smirked as ruby red blood dripped down his hand. Her face begged him to stop but her wish would not ever come true. Growling in his throat he tossed her aside and watched as she slid to a stop by her master, a long trial of her blood soaking into the ground behind her.

Mara swallowed back hard the blood in her mouth and lifted a shaky hand that grasped onto the demon lord's pant leg. "M-my…lord." Red liquid seeped from her mouth as she stumbled on her words. "Please…help me." She begged, her lip quivering from the pain she was feeling.

The demon lord looked away from the transformed hanyou to glance down at his feet to the pitiful demon sorceress. He kept a still look upon his face as her teary eyes gazed up at him and begged for him to revive her. The smell of death overpowered any other scent and he looked away from her in shame. "You're just like all the rest of the fucking demons." He muttered accusingly, pulling his pant leg out of her hand and stepping to the side.

Gasping at the insult directed at her, Mara's hands fell to the sandy ground in utter shock. "S-Sesshomaru no…How can you say that? I…I'm nothing like them." Her lip began to quiver and tears cornered her eyes. "My lord." Lifting her ever-growing heavy body off the ground she dragged herself along the dirt to get closer to her master.

Sesshomaru's insides shuddered with her constant nag to cheat death and he glared down upon her again, disgust visible in his cold golden eyes. With a quick flick of his wrist, the poisonous whip appeared at his fingertips and without any second thoughts, he snapped it around the sorceress' wrist, forcing her up off the ground and closer to his face. "I have no need for you. I never did and never will." His eyes gazed over her beaten body and a small chuckle escaped his parted lips. "I'll let my dear brother finish was he started."

Mara's emerald eyes enlarged at the words spoken by her master and how he seemed to enjoy the thought of letting his inferior brother kill her. "Sesshomaru no I-" Her voice was turned into a gasp of fear as she youkai tossed her roughly into the air and in the direction of the temporary demon.

Following the limp demon's body with his eyes as his whip disappeared back in his hand, he smirked. His half brother leapt to the sky and within seconds the sorceress' scent of life was completely gone. Tucking his arms into his sleeves he watched as the demon's dead body crashed into the ground, its limbs bent in ways they weren't supposed to and its eyes wide open and empty. The half-demon landed next beside it in the rain of blood, his hands, strands of hair, and his clothing stained in the ruby coloured substance. "Did you enjoy that Inuyasha?" From a distance he heard his angry growl and chuckled to himself. "Now that everyone's out of the way, lets finish our little battle. I'm tired of waiting for you to die."

Crawling quietly across the ground towards the Tetseiga, Kagome watched the two brothers in fear. The odds were all in Sesshomaru's favour for this one. Even though Inuyasha was a full-fledged demon, for the time being, there was no way he could kill Sesshomaru. He'd only end up killing himself. Reaching Inuyasha's sword, she wrapped her hands around the hilt and pulled herself up onto her feet. Her scratches stung but it was nothing she couldn't deal with. Taking the sword from the ground, she held it nervously and watched the furious half demon. 'I've got to stop him…before something bad happens.'