AN: Ok I'm officially the laziest person on earth since I meant to update this story long before and did not. All I can say is that I apologize profusely and hope that I didn't lose too many potential readers. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. Which reminds me, although I have thanked previous reviewers before through replying I just want to once again thank everyone who has reviewed this or any of my other stories. You guys rock and encouraged me a lot. –grins- Alrighty then enough sentimentality and on with the show.

Disclaimer:Inuyasha is not mine and all of that jazz.

Play Dead Part II

'This,' Sesshomaru decided, 'was becoming incredibly tiresome.'

After defeating the vaguely humanoid monstrosity, the taiyoukai swiftly continued on the trail Tenseiga left for him to follow. However, the path soon became convoluted after only approximately five minutes of straightforward walking. Once again, he was caught in a honeycomb of passages and tunnels that were maddeningly long. Sesshomaru prided himself on his patience, but even his was getting worn thin. In all honesty he was quite close to just tearing loose and blasting a more direct pathway himself. Three things halted this destructive, yet appealing impulse.

One, although it would provide him a way to release his considerable frustration, the catacombs might become destabilized from his attack and collapse. Kagome would laugh herself sick if the mighty Sesshomaru fell in such an undignified manner. Two, acting in such a way would not befit a noble personage of his rank and bearing. Three, it would be disturbingly reminiscent of the half-breed imbecile known as Inuyasha. Any action such as that would never ever be committed by the great Lord of the West with absolutely no exceptions.

'Even,' Sesshomaru thought, 'if the alternative was horribly inconvenient.'

At the very least, Hell's inhabitants had greatly ceased their incessant harassment. Occasionally, another dimwitted foe would attempt to assault its superior quarry but such encounters came to a quick and messy conclusion.

Under its master's hand Tenseiga pulsed lightly. Unlike before, this pulse was not for battle. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. So, his miko was close by. It was about time.

Tenseiga took this moment to pulse once again, this time being much stronger. Shortly after, a flare of concentrated youkai, enough to rival his own, flared into existence. The taiyoukai snorted. It figured. The wench always did attract trouble wherever she happened to grace her presence. This time would be no different.

The aura was quite strange, however. It felt similar to his own, even more so than his father's had been. Like all of Hell's minions there was that sinister taint which hungered for any life that seemed even remotely available. Even now, it twined and twisted with his aura in an effort to plunder the vitality that it craved.

Suddenly, a blow struck the taiyoukai before he could even counter the attack. Cursing his distraction, Sesshomaru retaliated with a swing from Tenseiga only to clash with an alarmingly familiar blade.

'This is impossible!' he seethed.

But it was not. A dark twin of Tenseiga –and himself he realized- was blocking all of his attacks and techniques. Clothed in a wreath of umber flames, his shadow double matched every single move with maddening ease. Glowing crimson eyes taunted the taiyoukai with his trademark smirk. However, amidst the twirl of dancing blades and strings of glowing venom, Sesshomaru noticed a potential weakness. Unlike the original, the double had both arms available; making it difficult for even Sesshomaru to combat given that the double had all of his skills. The left arm had a slight reddish tint to its glow, which made Sesshomaru suspect what had happened. After the battle with Sounga, Sesshomaru had relinquished his arm once more to the depths of the underworld believing that it would no longer cause any trouble. He was right in one way. The arm would never be able to traverse the upper world again, but in Hell it had free reign to accumulate youkai and become a menace. It would be no use to strike at the dark energy the shadow Sesshomaru was made of. It would only regenerate from its surroundings and wear him down. The key was that damnable arm.

In another situation the taiyoukai would have found his plight slightly amusing. It figured that the only being that could cause him this much difficulty as an opponent would be himself. That his arm was stubborn enough to continue plaguing him would have had Kagome in fits of hysteria. His mate would have said that it was a suitable reflection on his personality; an opinion that would have earned her an icy stare for her impudence and cause her to laugh even more.

As it was, Sesshomaru snarled in fury at his enemy. The arm still evaded all of his efforts to destroy it permanently and put up a constant barrage of attacks to boot. With both arms the taiyoukai would have been able to defend and attack the clone far more easily, but his single arm only allowed him a limited range of creativity to surprise his foe and penetrate its defenses. Dodging a swipe that would have taken his head, Sesshomaru grimly endured the full rage of his Hell-made counterpart.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome was beyond pissed. In fact she had passed pissed long ago and was currently indulging in homicidal rage. How the hell did Naraku manage to kill her?! The cowardly bastard did it as his final act and she was unfortunate enough to be the focus of it! The irony did not miss her. She had survived all of his crap for how long and then she gets offed right at the very freaking end. If she had been a main character in a book or movie, this never would have happened damn it. Kagome gloomily decided that reality really really sucked.

As befitting someone in a homicidal rage who had just been torn away from everything and everyone she loved, Kagome went on a rampage of holy wrath courtesy of an old bow and quiver that some unlucky dead soldier had dropped and her own spiritual energy. Preferring hand-to-hand combat due to her need for outright aggression instead of an indirect sacred arrow, the furious miko continued to cut a sizeable dent into Hell's population.

So concentrated was she on her appointed punishment that Kagome almost missed the flare of startlingly familiar youkai that was near her current location.

'It couldn't be,' she thought, 'Sesshomaru here?!'

Another flare of youkai, this time distinctly Hell-tainted, registered on her senses.

'That one felt like Sesshomaru as well. Now I know I'm insane.'

Disregarding her questionable observations, the miko began to work her way through the now not so convenient minions that stood in the way of her mate.

When she at last managed to come within sight of the blazing auras Kagome stood transfixed. So she wasn't completely loopy after all; there were indeed two insufferably egotistical taiyoukais trying to tear each other apart. It seemed that her real Sesshomaru was having quite a bit of trouble with his counterpart as well. She would definitely have to tease him later about that, but for now…

Kagome notched one of the dead soldier's arrows and focused with deadly precision on the clone's scarlet arm. She had to be very cautious lest she accidentally hit her mate in the whirlwind of flashing blades and claws. When the clone retreated for a brief moment in order to power up a potentially devastating technique, Kagome seized her opportunity. The sacred arrow sliced through the air, gathering more holy power from its flight until it struck its target with a surge of purifying flames. Taking his cue, Sesshomaru added the might of his Soryuha to deal the finishing blow.

Turning away from the mound of ashes which was once his arm, Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow at his rescuer.

What took you so long?

Reading the meaning perfectly, Kagome smiled.

"There were a few lackeys that didn't want to move, but I managed to convince them," she explained.

The eyebrow returned to its original position. He would expect no less. His golden eyes appraised her form for any signs of injury to her soul. Although she had not been in the afterlife long enough for her soul to deteriorate like the others and she had a substantially strong soul at that, he was still concerned. Satisfied when his inspection revealed his concern was unfounded, Sesshomaru gave into the urge to kiss her breathless. Watching her slow flush up her neck and starry-eyed gaze, the taiyoukai graced her with his customary smirk.

Still too dazed to be truly irritated at his typical overwhelming arrogance, Kagome only let out a small huff in response.

"I must be a lunatic for loving you so much," she muttered.

Detecting the fond exasperation laced throughout her tone, Sesshomaru smirked once more as he corrected her.

"You would only be a lunatic, miko, if you did not love this Sesshomaru with everything in your being."

Ignoring his miko's increasingly vulgar comments about puffed up taiyoukais with bloated egos, Sesshomaru began to lead them home.

Glossary:

Soryuha - One of Sesshomaru's signature attacks, it translates as the Azure Dragon Wave.

Miko – priestess with spiritual powers

Taiyoukai – bad-ass demon lord

Youkai – demon or demonic energy

Tenseiga – One of Sesshomaru's swords made from his father's fang. Can deal stronger than normal damage to the dead but can't harm regular beings at all. Can revive the dead as well.

Sounga – Main enemy in Swords of an Honorable Ruler. It used Sesshomaru's cut-off arm in order to carry out its plans since only the blood of Inu no Taisho (Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's father) can wield it.

AN: Well there we are. Hope the wait was worth it and please review with your critiques! They make me happy.