I thought I was never going to finish this chapter; it's been the most difficult one yet! As far as I can tell, ch.9 will finish every thing up, but I could be wrong.

Somewhere in the Tennessee Hills…

The former Swami Fitzgibbon wandered dreamily through the dense mountain forests as he'd been doing for many hours now. He paid no attention to the path or the direction he was taking, didn't really think of anything at all; he just needed to clear his mind. Walking seemed the only thing to do after all that had happened recently: he no longer had a flock to lead or a spirit guide to follow. He had nothing left to loose, and so he pressed on.

Presently, the bedraggled man came to a creek where he stopped and drank copiously. After he'd finished he collapsed onto the bank, unable to take another step, and wearily assumed a meditative position. The sun blazed overhead in the mid afternoon sky, gradually baking his already leathery Irish skin a deep brick color.

For at least an hour he remained motionless, refusing to move before he had an answer. Everything around him, all his senses, quietly faded into white.

Enlightenment struck like a bolt of lightning. Fitzgibbon could not have said how long he'd been beside the creek – to him it might have been four minutes or twenty four hours. The only thing he knew afterward was that he'd experienced a vivid dream – not a dream, a vision – which had disclosed everything to him.

Suddenly, he knew exactly where he needed to be, and what he must do. The simple rustic was completely certain his entire life had prepared him for this moment; he'd never been surer of anything. Like sunlight filling a dungeon, Fitzgibbon was overwhelmed by destiny's radiance.

Bolting back up on legs shaky with adrenaline, the guru lurched back the way he'd come. He didn't yet know how he would reach his destination, however he trusted the hand of fate would guide him.

Somewhere on the Island of Okinawa…

Another balmy tropical morning dawned on a deserted beach in the midst of the mountainous Ryukyu archipelago. Disregarding the modern architecture or occasional resort that sporadically dotted the hilly countryside – the little haven seemed almost to exist outside of time. The fragile illusion was instantly shattered when an unlikely trio abruptly materialized onto the scene in Star Trek–ish fashion.

"Here," inquired the masked, weapon-bedecked figure. The gilded female to his right nodded in assent as the third (a white-haired boy with dog ears) dropped down on all fours and began sniffing the sand.

"Huh, my teleportation device does have further range than before," marveled Wade. "Weasel actually did something right; now I kind of feel bad about anchoring all those water mines to the bottom of his swimming pool."

"Wilson, who needs enemies with a friend like you," asked Gina.

The two hurried to catch up with Inuyasha who was making his way quickly down the beach.

The Guardian promptly took the lead, scanning the nearby buildings as they passed. She could feel how close they were; the powerful force was almost unbearable.

"Up there," she gasped suddenly, pointing in the direction of a tall hill set back among a cluster of shops and other public buildings. Energy radiated from one structure in particular – what was apparently a dilapidated inn– like the heat from an inferno.

She saw that her assumption had been correct; the young woman was the perfect candidate for Suzuki's vile purposes. The evil spirit was no fool for choosing such a massive soul to draw sustenance from, but Gina could sense the girl's overtaxed life force faltering. She guessed that something quite traumatic must have happened to Kagome beforehand for Suzuki to be so forcefully sucking out what fading vitality the child had left. She turned grimly to her male companions, "We don't have any time to loose!"

"Ka-go-meee!" yelled the harried half-demon across the empty beach. He geared up, intending to sprint the rest of the way there with Tetsusaiga drawn before a thick arm jutted across his path. Inuyasha looked up at Deadpool as if the other had just submitted a death wish to him.

The over eager merc, however, appeared not to notice any imminent danger, "Yeah, yeah, let's just skip this boring part so we can hurry up and get to the blood-bath," he offered, catching the youth by one of his side locks as Gina intuitively took Wade's other arm. Before the silver headed boy could protest, the three vanished from sight, via Deadpool's preferred travel meathod, to rematerialize on the threshold of their long awaited destination at last.

Kagome…

Kagome felt a strange ethereal sensation much like floating. In her trancelike state, she could see nothing but whiteness and hear only a soft noise like snow from a broken TV set or the sound made by the ocean. She didn't particularly feel afraid; however she wasn't entirely at ease either.

The girl hopelessly struggled to rouse herself. Simply remembering the events that lead to her present state was a great effort – she'd been with Inuyasha, but somehow they'd been separated. Now she found herself sinking numbly into a colorless oblivion.

She could sense her own death approaching. For some reason, though, Kagome didn't feel as distressed as she would have expected at the prospect. Most likely her disjointed mind was just unable to come to grips with the hideous idea, but she knew it was more than that: at the same time, she still held out hope that her beloved hanyou would show up to save her in the end as he always did.

The city girl had to smile inwardly at her own naivety as a new, if obvious, thought occurred to her. Barely civilized Inuyasha might be completely in his element when it came to slashing away at demons and other monsters, but (lacking as he was in any knowledge of modern technology) it would take more than instincts and brute strength for him to track her in this era. Furthermore, he didn't have any of their usual friends with him to bounce ideas off of.

Kagome, who'd always lead a charmed life, logically understood how doubtful her prospects of rescue were, nevertheless, her faith in Inuyasha was proven and strong – and the only thing she had left. She clung stubbornly to hope even as she clung to her lingering existence.

'Just maybe…'

Suzuki…

The feeling was as frightening as it was exhilarating: he could gage the rate at which his power increased even as he felt his victim weaken. Suzuki had first feared she'd die before the transformation was complete, but it appeared her spirit was almost boundless. He knew the point of the bead's full capacity would soon be reached, and then he'd be unstoppable.

Something, however, didn't quite sit well with him; he felt as if he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. The uneasiness had sat like a brick in his stomach since he'd first donned his enchanted necklace, however, he'd been so occupied in the last twelve hours or so that he hadn't had a chance to reflect. Suzuki now stood at the greatest threshold of his life, but something held him back.

He looked again at the teenage girl whose life he was rapidly draining, then down at the faintly glowing stones around his neck. What would happen, he wondered, if instead of finishing his metamorphosis he simply stopped, took the rosary off and walked away? Was such a thing possible at this point? The older man hesitated slightly.

No sooner had Taro contemplated the prospect than the decision was swiftly snatched from his grasp. Suzuki felt his body seize with intense pain. The once dimly glowing beads now burned through his shirt, searing his flesh. His muscles locked in place; he could do nothing but cry out in shock and agony.

Aren't stopping now are you? asked a dreadful voice.

In an instant, the little man fully grasped how far in over his head he really was. Why did he ever think he could harness the power of such a malevolent creation, when it was obvious these beads had no master? Manipulate them – the notion suddenly seemed madness.

"N-no," he stammered as, obediently, he resumed pulling out Kagome's soul. He dared ask no questions, though he desperately wanted to know what would become of him once he finished his grim task. Was he doomed to be a slave to a hunk of jewelry just like that ugly little monster from The Lord of the Rings – or would he even have any use to his captor after this final transfer?

Suzuki shuddered as he felt the last of the young girl's life departing – painfully aware of the rosary enclosing his throat like a millstone. Strange (he thought warily) he hadn't expected omni potency to feel so suffocating.

Absorbed in such thoughts, he didn't immediately notice the door blow off its hinges – for moments later, his mind became a quickly digested morsel for a being higher up on the psychic food chain.

Inuyasha and Deadpool…

"Oh Su-zeee, you got some 'splainin' ta doo!"

A massive silhouette filled the entryway, blocking most of the morning light attempting to stream into the sunless establishment. Suddenly a loud "cha-chunk" echoed through the dimness, and the barrel of a large gun materialized toward the older man. A shot intended to take Suzuki's head off bust forth, immediately followed by an angry interjection from behind.

"Hey, be careful, you maniac!"

Deadpool found himself shoved forcefully aside, almost crashing through the adjacent wall. The white head of the incoming Inuyasha stood out strikingly in the pale light as he glanced around sharply.

Tetsusaiga brandished, the youthful half-blood instantly noticed Kagome lying pale and lifeless on a tabletop against the opposite wall; the geezer was nowhere to be seen, nonetheless, a reeking demonic presence filled the room.

Inuyasha moved toward the girl; another deafening round of bullets and a heavy light fixture (along with half the ceiling) crashing down on his head, however, stopped his progress. Knocking away debris, the dog demon felt a shaft bury itself painfully into his shoulder while his crazed cohort leapt onto the boy's back, pushing the sai further into his flesh with the weight of the other man's body.

"Don't – do – that – again," ground the mercenary into his ear.

"You ugly bastard," growled Inuyasha.

Deadpool was flung off and landed nimbly in front of the hanyou, "Hey, I may be ugly, and I may be a bastard, but…" he paused, "what was the third thing you said?"

Ignoring the idiot, the youth from the feudal era hurried over to Kagome's side, at once checking that no stray slug had harmed her. The marks on her body looked as if she'd been clawed and beaten – had he…? Inuyasha looked savagely around for the girl's abductor.

"He disappeared," said Wade, guessing the other's thoughts, then added: "and so did Gina."

The boy turned sharply, his amber eyes meeting Deadpool's hooded ones. Was the merc implying what he thought he was? The other man's expression was unreadable. With rising dread, Inuyasha looked back down at the battered priestess in his arms. Her peacefully resigned expression opposing every emotion that churned inside him at the moment.

Almost reluctantly, the half-demon pulled Kagome into his embrace, inhaling her scent. Once again, he could smell her loud perfume and odors associated with the other products she used mingling with her own natural aroma – but it was yet another smell that threatened to rip apart his innards. There was no mistaking the scent that wrapped her in its invisible shroud; Kagome was – dead.

'Dead. Dead?'

The word echoed repeatedly in his mind. No, he had to be mistaken; she might be very weak, but she was certainly alive. Kagome's soul was huge – it couldn't have been completely sucked out in such a brief time. Somewhere inside her was a tiny spark fighting for life – he was sure of it!

Gingerly scooping her up, he marched resolutely toward the exit with his fragile bundle. Deadpool stepped cautiously out of the way, but called after him.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking Kagome back to my time so Kaede can help her!"

"Um, how are you going to do that?"

Inuyasha had forgotten they were in the Ryukyus, "then you take us back," he demanded, indicating Wade's teleportation unit.

Deadpool hesitated and looked knowingly at the limp girl, he grasped about for something tactful to say to the very distraught, unsteady, superhuman 'teenager' with the big sword.

"She's" he began, and then paused as the boy watched him intensely, "…dead." Somehow the words came out all wrong, but didn't prevent Wade from plunging on, "Wouldn't it be better if we just avenged her – Suzuki could be getting away at this very minute, and we'll loose him!"

The expression on the hanyou's features alternated between rage and desperation. Wade Wilson could utterly appreciate the emotional quandary playing out before him: to cling to a futile hope or simply surrender to primal bloodlust. Visions of the murdered Mercedes and T-Ray popped unbidden into his mind. He suddenly imagined himself with Terry in the same situation – which would he now choose? The merc shuddered as the vile scenario hit home; he honestly couldn't answer that question.

But before Inuyasha could make his own dreadful decision, fate again abruptly called the shot.

A malevolent chortle filled the crumbling inn. The half-demon's arms tightened protectively around Kagome's body as Deadpool leveled his Uzi.

"You wanted to see me," sneered Suzuki's disembodied voice, "I'm more than happy to accommodate your wishes – you arrived just in time for my big debut." A loathsome figure presently materialized, grinning hellishly at them; "after a thousand years, I'm finally back among the living!"

…………

Whew, okay then! At the time that I envision this story taking place, which is some time in the late nineties (why? Well, mainly because I like and am more familiar with the DP of that time, and it also coincides closely with the time the Inuyasha manga first came out) DP remembers having been married to a woman named Mercedes, who was killed by the mercenary known as T-Ray. Where exactly all of that information currently stands, I'm not quite sure as a lot has happened in the series that I haven't kept up with. If anyone else knows, feel free to inform me.