Chapter 9

"Onigumo…" Kikyo gasped, staring into Inuyasha's face.

"That's right. Now you remember who I am, don't you?" he sneered, forcing her to stare straight into his eyes.

"But…how is that possible? You were dead…"

"As were you, my dear Kikyo. But we both managed to come back among the living now, didn't we?" Onigumo paused to gently touch Kikyo's face. She squirmed in his grasp, but he easily overpowered her. "Damn, you're cute. What a shame…if it weren't for that loathsome half-breed whose body I was unfortunately forced to consume, we could have been lovers."

"You wanted that?" Kikyo said, not wanting to believe that this horny demon in her lover's body was the same poor, bandaged man she had helped in the cave.

"No, I wanted more than that. You were the first woman I had ever felt so much passion for. I wanted you so bad that I sold my body to demons…they chewed at my flesh and tore me apart. Little did I know that a new, more powerful demon would form…"

"Naraku" Kikyo whispered under her breath.

"…and overpower me. That was the biggest mistake of my life, and I'll never forgive myself. For 50 years I lived inside that demon, never to see sunshine or breathe fresh air. It wasn't until that mighty vortex came along that I was completely released from him. But that is all in the past. Now I have found you, and I shall never let you go."

Kikyo's wrists were beginning to hurt, but she made no expression to let on that she was in pain. Onigumo, now swept over with a hunger for passion, pulled Kikyo into him and put his mouth over hers.

"Mmmf!" Kikyo cried out, though her voice was muffled. She attempted to struggle, but his body was pressed up so tightly against hers that she could barely move. His lips were hot, almost burning. Kikyo felt completely helpless against him. All of a sudden she felt a sharp stab of pain, and realized that Inuyasha's fangs were digging into her lips. Dark red blood dripped down Kikyo's chin and stained her white kimono. Onigumo didn't seem to notice and continued, eventually knocking the priestess backwards onto the ground. He lay on top of her, letting out all the passion he had kept bottled up inside him for so long. Kikyo's struggling ceased. The sun was suddenly blocked out, and a long dark shadow cast itself over the scene. Onigumo looked up in surprise, Kikyo's blood all over his mouth.

Sesshomaru looked from Kikyo's limp body to Onigumo. "Little brother…it's a shame you aren't dead. I thought I was through dealing with you."

Onigumo glared at the youkai. "Who are you calling little brother?" he spat, forgetting that he was in Inuyasha's skin.

"So true" Sesshomaru said, examining his claws. "It would be easier to tear you apart pretending we aren't related." With that he slashed at Onigumo, who jumped out of the way just in time.

"Oh I see what's going on here" said Onigumo, picking up the Tetsusaiga and preparing to attack. "You're after Kikyo too, aren't you!"

"On the contrary…" Sesshomaru began, easily dodging Onigumo's attempt to use the Tetsusaiga. "…I'm more interested in seeing you die."

As the two demons fought viciously, Rin ran to Kikyo's side and held her hand, tears clouding her eyes. "You'll be okay" she sobbed. "Sesshomaru is here now. He'll take care of that evil man."

"What I don't understand is that you sacrifice your life for that woman, then come back to life and suck her blood? Are you sure everything is working correctly in that hollow shell of a head you have?" Sesshomaru asked with a smirk.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Onigumo shouted angrily.

Hmm…there's something strange about him. He's not the Inuyasha I remember Sesshomaru thought. He had a hunch, however, and his hunches were almost always right. Sesshomaru thrust his hand into Onigumo's neck and lifted him off the ground. With his free hand, he grabbed Inuyasha's haori and ripped it off Onigumo's body, revealing the all familiar spider mark spread across his back. I thought so.

"So Naraku, you think you're so clever by infesting Inuyasha's body, eh?"

Onigumo scowled. "How dare you call me by that name."

"Oh, so what would you prefer? Scumbag?" Sesshomaru replied coldly, tightening his grip around Onigumo's neck. "You know, your little tricks are getting quite old."

Onigumo's eyes glittered with rage. I'll show him he thought furiously. But as he attempted to stretch out one of his demonic arms, he realized that Inuyasha's skin was restricting him. All his powers were useless in this body!

"Ha! You are such a weakling. This is a waste of my time. I'll just finish you off here and now" Sesshomaru said.

Just then, Kikyo regained consciousness. She sat up in a flash, her lips still throbbing with pain. She wiped away the blood with a sleeve of her kimono and looked up to see Sesshomaru standing with his back to her, the wind blowing waves in his long silvery hair. Never did she dream that seeing this man come to her rescue would make her feel so….loved.

"Kikyo! You're okay!" Rin cried happily, throwing herself into Kikyo's arms and hugging her tightly. "I was so scared…" she mumbled into Kikyo's robes.

"I'm sorry I made you worry" Kikyo said softly, stroking Rin's hair.

"What use is it to kill me?" Onigumo asked, trying to cheat death.

"What use is it to keep you alive?" Sesshomaru countered. He then hurled Onigumo into the nearest tree, and he crumpled at its roots.

I can't move…this hanyou's body is so weak! Onigumo cursed in his head. Goddammit!

Sesshomaru strode over to where Onigumo had fallen and drew the Tokijin. "Say goodbye!" he said, lifting the sword.

"STOP!"

Sesshomaru, taken by surprise, froze in mid-swing. Kikyo came running over, her kimono glistening with blood. She planted herself in front of Onigumo and faced Sesshomaru defiantly.

"You want me….to spare him?" Sesshomaru said in disbelief.

Onigumo was just as shocked, but that only lasted a couple seconds. Soon a smile began to creep onto his face. She can't resist me.

"You….you can't just kill him" Kikyo said hesitantly.

Sesshomaru stared at her. "Why the hell not?"

Because she loves me you idiot! Onigumo thought gleefully.

"Because that's Inuyasha's body!" Kikyo blurted out.

Onigumo's smile immediately faded. Sesshomaru looked down at his brother's limp body and frowned. "Are you serious?"

"Serious…about what?" Kikyo stammered.

"You want to keep a rotting carcass that's contaminated with Naraku's demonic soul?"

Kikyo knelt down to stroke Inuyasha's hair, just like she had done on the night of the vortex. "I want to give him a proper burial" she stated simply.

Onigumo couldn't believe this. He wasn't the object of her affection…Inuyasha still was! He had never felt this enraged in his entire life. With what strength he had left, Onigumo pulled himself to his feet and kicked off the ground into the air, making a speedy escape. "Bwahahaha! You will never get your lover's body back! Never!" he shouted, and his voice became fainter as he flew further and further away.

"You think you can run from me?" Sesshomaru growled, preparing to fly off after him. But he couldn't. He felt a pair of arms around him, holding him down, embracing him…

"Don't go after him anymore. Please" Kikyo said softly.

Sesshomaru could feel the warmth of her body against him, this mortal woman…He shoved her away forcefully, and she fell backwards onto the grass. He then dropped Kikyo's bow and arrows down next to her. "I came to give you these" he said, then turned away.