Kagome glared at the demon before her, fitting her last arrow, ready to strike at any moment. She didn't know how it would hit the seemingly untangle, liquid-like Soul Demon Akkimaru, one of Naraku's most powerful incarnations, but she knew that she had to try. If she didn't, then... She couldn't even think about it without having the tears spring to her eyes. The one she loved, his life was in danger. She couldn't let Akkimaru take him away from her!
It was probably about ten minutes previous that InuYasha and Akkimaru's battle had taken place. InuYasha had been on the offensive, Akkimaru dodging airily, showing no effort, making InuYasha's temper flare. Then, InuYasha had done the Kaze no Kizu, which had badly wounded him somehow, even though the damage wasn't visible. Akkimaru had gotten angry, and started screaming for souls. Kanna, who had been the one closest to him at that moment, suddenly fainted. A shiny silvery orb floated out from her mouth, and Akkimaru had i eaten /i it. It seemed that this thing was her soul. The very second that he had swallowed it, Kanna had died and turned to ash. InuYasha was enraged that he would kill his own kin like that, temporarily not caring that Akkimaru had just finished off one of Naraku's incarnations, and attacked particularly powerfully. That was when Akkimaru suddenly threw a strange string at InuYasha. Before anyone could realize what was happening, InuYasha was unconscious on the ground and a dull silver orb was floating in front of Akkimaru. Kagome had run to InuYasha's side, not sure what was wrong until Miroku figured it out and cried, "Akkimaru has stolen InuYasha's soul!" Akkimaru had laughed a laugh that almost beat Naraku's, and said "This soul has great potential, but it is not yet ripe. I must let it ripen first." With that, he had made a strange appendage-like sac off of his back, where the spider mark was, and put InuYasha's soul in it! Kagome had run after him, and that brought her here, with her last arrow ready to kill the demon that threatened InuYasha's life.
"Mmm...the hanyou's soul is almost ripe enough to eat! My desire for it grows just at the thought of how delicious it must taste," Akkimaru said in his low, husky, woman-like voice. Kagome's heart filled with fear as she realized it was now or never. Her arrow was already glowing a pink so bright it hurt your eyes, she had poured so much miko chi into it. She chose now, and shot it straight towards Akkimaru. It nailed him in the head, however, despite the amount of power she had put into her arrow, it was still not enough to kill Akkimaru. He seemed to be generating a large amount of power himself, ready to kill Kagome for even being so foolishly insolent as to try and kill him, but another arrow pierced his head. He howled in pain as the tips of the two arrowheads touched, sending a huge explosion of miko chi throughout his body, destroying his demonic composition. He disintegrated while collapsing to the ground. "Where did that arrow come from?" Kagome wondered. Her question was soon answered when someone came out from the bushes. However, as is often the case, the answer to one question often leads to many others. Kagome's reaction was true to form, as she said in shock, "Kikyo!"
The preincarnation of Kagome, Kikyo, looked up from where she was, picking up the arrow she had shot. "I am low on arrows, so I must salvage as many as possible," she said in her monotonous tone. "You should do the same, I see," she added, pointing to Kagome's empty quiver. Kagome blushed slightly, for some reason embarrassed. "Kikyo, why--" she started, full of so many questions she wanted to ask that she didn't know where to start. At this, Kikyo stood up and, surprisingly, smiled. Not in an evil way, but in a friendly and kind way. She said to Kagome, "I understand that you are full of questions, but those will have to wait. First, I think we should return this to it's rightful owner, don't you think?" she said, and then started towards where InuYasha was. Kagome didn't move for a minute. She was stunned. Kikyo, the woman that hated InuYasha, the one that wanted him dead because of the events she had heard off all too many times fifty years ago, the one that was born of anger and hatred, was smiling and going to save the very person she wanted to kill? This was just too weird. Despite this, Kagome couldn't help but feel like she could trust Kikyo for once. She didn't know why that this was so clear, it just was. "Are you coming?" Kikyo called back, breaking through Kagome's thoughts. "Yes, I am!" she said, running to catch and keep up with Kikyo.
Back in the clearing, with InuYasha still lying, unconscious, and Sango, Miroku, and Shippo looking over him worriedly, Kikyo and Kagome entered. Their tense looks and preparations for sudden combat to defend themselves and InuYasha didn't disappear, as they considered Kikyo an enemy. It took Kagome telling them to stand down for them to do so, and let Kikyo walk up to InuYasha and replace his soul. She prayed a moment as the soul started to be absorbed, then said, "He'll be all right. You!" she pointed at Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, "Take him somewhere where he can rest. My younger sister, Kaede's house isn't far from here." They didn't move. "What about Kagome?" Miroku asked skeptically. "We have some things to discuss. We'll be at the old shrine that's slightly west of here. That is, if you want to go," she added, turning to Kagome. Kagome nodded. "I'll go."
At the shrine, Kikyo led Kagome to a large, flat rock, where they sat down. "Ask away," she said to Kagome, who blinked and paused before she got out her first question. "What were you doing back there?" Kikyo said "I sensed the presence of Naraku, and when I arrived at the scene, I saw Akkimaru steal InuYasha's soul." Kagome nodded. "But I thought that you wanted InuYasha dead or something?" Kikyo was about to answer, but she suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Be on your guard, Kagome," she said. Kagome noted the serious tone of her voice, so she didn't leave herself time to be absolutely shocked that Kikyo had used her name. A huge white rabbit with blood red eyes and teeth the size of Kagome jumped in front of them. "I see, so this is the form Akkimaru has reverted to," Kikyo said, ready for battle. Kagome was about to ready herself for battle as well, but realized that she was out of arrows. "Go into the shrine! There should be arrows there!" Kikyo yelled, shooting the arrow she had collected straight back at Akkimaru. Kagome didn't waste a second retrieving them. She ran back out, an arrow already fitted and ready for action. "Here!" she said, handing Kikyo one of the two quivers full of arrows. The two miko got ready to fight Akkimaru and hopefully kill him for good. Akkimaru sent one of his enormous and sharp teeth flying at them. They both countered simultaneously, pinning him to the ground. "That should hold him---arrgh!" Kikyo said, crying out in pain as the tooth sliced her arm. "Kikyo!" Kagome exclaimed. "Heh," Kikyo said, "I never thought I'd die again like this...Kagome, I know the questions you wanted to ask me, and I'll try to tell you before I return to the afterlife."