Chapter Fifteen-Light and Dark

"I must admit that you are pretty strong for someone who doesn't have any skills at archery,"Death smiled that smile that sent chills up Kagome's spine.

It was that look that Kikyo would wear and it made Kagome angrier. She needed to get that crystal, but how? She knew that the crystal was somewhere behind her back and under her wings like on a belt or something and sometimes Kagome would catch glimpses of it but Death would move too fast and it would disapear from veiw.

"I'm sick of you and your trash so I'm gonna cut this short!" Inuyasha jumped up,"Wind scar!" The blazing wind energy was sent at Death and it was too strong for her to dodge by flight or run. Kagome had to duck from being pulled into it's mighty winds.

Death growled at him butting in and she grew angry at herself for being so careless and forgetting about the others and only focusing on Kagome. She drew an arrow at aimed at the charging attack and fired. Her arrow was warped with his wind scar and they were clashing.

Kagome gasped,"A spiritual arrow! But that's light energy! How can she master that attack!"

But no one else heard her because they too were caught by amazement as the arrow and the wind scar disentigrated. All the bones on the ground were now dust and was blowing around them and blew off the ground when they stepped up from thier crouching position. Death withdrew another arrow. She couldn't afford for Inuyasha to make another attack so large, so she would have to kill him.

Without even thinking, Kagome drew an arrow quicker than Death and let it fly towards her. Before Death even knew what happened, Kagome's arrow grazed her left hip and blood splattered everywhere. Death watched in amazement as her own blood spilled down her legs and as pain stung her like her veins were on fire and running up and down her spine. Never had anyone ever made her shed blood or feel pain, never had she known what the two were like except for her victims tears, blood shed, begs, pleads, and the delicous smell of fear. But never her own. She was created not to feel pain or even give a drop of blood, so why was her hip bleeding and why was she feeling all these emotions?

She was stuck in her trance just watching as her hip stung and bled into her fingers.Kagome drew another arrow, the arrow that would kill the beast infront of her and return Mazuki and Naori back to normal. The sound of the stretching string reached Death's ears and she took flight and narrowly missing the arrow that was aimed for her chest. Kagome reached for another arrow and positioned it again at the flying beast. This time Kagome aimed for the wings to keep her grounded and to get the crystal. Death saw what her mark was and shot an arrow faster at her. Kagome quickly shot her own arrow to block against the attack. Again the two arrows shattered against thier own forces.

"Hiraikotsu!"

The powerful boomerang was spinning towards Death at great speed that she barely had time to dodge it and she could feel the wind brush against her face, but it passed without leaving a mark.

She smiled at Sango who was bleeding from her shin and wouldn't be able to run very quickly. "Did you actually-" She stopped as she just remembered that Sango's weapon was a boomerang and boomerangs always circle back. The whistling wind pounded her ears, but before she could turn around the Hiraikotsu slashed down her back. She heard the bones on her wings and back snap and tear as the boomerang ripped her wings to shred. Her beautiful, leathery wings were now nothing but broken cartilage and torn skin that littered the floor. Sango smirked as Death fell, granted no more flight.

Thanks Sango! Kagome thought as she took a glance at her demon slayer friend. Sango was limping on her left leg since her right was injured. Kagome would have to protect them, but it was Miroku's gasp that brought her back to her senses. She looked to see that the Spirit Crystal was no longer with the demon, but was lodged between to stalagtites and out of everyone's reach.

Without her wings, Kagome knew that Death couldn't fly, but could she leap like so many other demons? She didn't want to wait to find out. She reached behind her to grab another arrow and heard as Death attempted the same.

"Iron reaver!" Inuyasha's claws striked down at her front, but she bounced back to avoid the attack and then heard the hissing of the spiritual arrow and dodged that too.

Kagome's arrow crashed the wall and shook the entire place and bits from the ceiling fell. Kagome looked up at the crystal. If she aimed carefully, she could dislodge the crystal from the rocks and perhaps get to it before Death could. She pulled back her last arrow and pointed her finger directly over the rocks. She pulled back and-

"Kagome!" Inuyasha pushed Kagome back causing them both to fall over and for Inuyasha to land on top of her.

"Inuyasha! What the hell!" Something warm dripped onto her blouse and she saw dark blood covering her that didn't belong to her.Then she saw Inuyasha grip his left shoulder as blood pooled from between his fingers. On the ground were the scratches of a claw attack. Kagome peiced them together and knew that Death had attacked her and Inuyasha had saved her like so many other times."Inuyasha. . ."

"Get out of here! I'll take care of her!" He shoved himself off and pulled her up,"Stay with Sango and Miroku and don't do anything. I can't afford to lose you." He took his blade which was already transformed and walked away from her and towards the demon.

His last comment rang in her head, I can't afford to lose you. Kagome nodded and ran toward her other companions who guarded the girls' bodies.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Miroku asked as he sat her down next to Sango. Kagome didn't answer, she was too busy watching the two in the center of the room. Inuyasha and Death glared at eachother as they positioned themselves to attack.

"Think you can take me on, half breed?" Death gave him an evil smirk.

"I'm gonna tear you in half!" He hissed at her.

Death snorted and shot at him with her claws out. He blocked her attacks with his sword as the clinks of her claws against his steel echoed through the cave. Inuyasha backed off and slashed at her with Tetsaiga. Death leapt away and Inuyasha charged at her with his sword raised and thrusted towards her gut. She kicked the sword up away from her and kneed him in the chest. He caught her leg and threw her across the room, but she caught herself and slashed at him with her claws. He blocked the attack and scratched at her. She dodged and began to run up the wall and flipped over him. He slashed at her while she ran towards him and she jumped to avoid the blade.

I've got to hurry this up, but she blocks all my attacks! How can I get the crystal without her getting it! Inuyasha thought as he blocked all her claw attacks sent at him. The same thought was on Kagome's and the other's minds, How can we get the crystal?

"Tetsaiga!" Inuyasha slashed downward and Death jumped back and the sword caused a huge crater where it struck the ground. Death's foot collided with Inuyasha's jaw, sending him back."Damn!" He rubbed his jaw and bounced back on his feet,"Lucky shot." He charged at her again and slashed down the middle. She did a back flip to avoid it and clawed at him. He ducked to avoid the blow and slashed at her feet, but did another back flip to avoid it.

"Is that the best you can do?" She said when she landed a few feet infront of him.

"You wish," he hissed as he faced her and they had a staredown.

Death's right hand twitched which caused Inuyasha's eyes to dart to it. Death saw that his attention was at her hand and she swung at him. Inuyasha narrowly blocked it as her claws swung over his head. He gripped his fist and punched at her and she caught it. He then swung down with his sword and she jumped back to avoid it. She charged at him and clawed him down the middle. He gripped his bleeding chest that was clawed by her attack,"Dammit!" He kicked at her, but she grabbed his foot and threw him across the room. He caught himself and thrusted the Tetsaiga at her gut but she dodged it.

She's too quick, Inuyasha doesn't stand a chance! Kagome watched as Inuyasha was having a losing battle. She had to do something and she searched for something frantically in the rubble. Then she spotted it. She never shot her last arrow and it was sticking out of the ground a few feet away. She got up and started to run towards it. She heard the others call after her, but she ignored them and ran to the arrow, thier last hope. She grabbed it and steadied it on her bow and aimed at the stalagtites that the crystal was trapped. She pointed her finger and fired.

Her sacred arrow soared across the ceiling and finally striking the rock and blowing it to bits.

Inuyasha and Death paused thier battle to see what had happened. Thier eyes grew wide as they saw the rock crumble to the ground along with the crystal.

Death slammed Inuyasha into the wall and charged at the falling crystal. "No!" Inuyashe called out.

Kagome dropped her bow and ran towards it. She had to get there before Death did. She jumped into the air and saw that Death had attempted the same. The crystal was falling between them and they reached out to it. Thier finger tips gripped it as they both caught it.

"Give it up, Priestess!" Death hissed at her.

"Fuck you!" Kagome cursed. The blinding white light surrounded them and Kagome gripped the crystal harder to make sure she didn't lose it. She felt Death's finger tips slide off and Kagome held the crystal to her chest as the light took them all away.

A/N: Okay, I know, I give Kagome way too much credit, but I really thought she would be a great Priestess in the future and I guess she starts out now. Also, in the Japanese version Kagome fights a demon and yells "Fuck off!" at it so think of this as the Japanese way. I think Kagome will be a great Priestess after Naori is born. Hmmm, should I make a fic of Naori's birth? Hmmm...