Chapter 16
The part of his body fused with his torso ripped off falling to the ground. The adamant dissolved from his arm and the adamant dissolved from his arm and the adamant demon stood tall without arms. Kagome hopped off of Kirara as the cat demon darted forward and swept down to pick up Rin. Sango and Miroku rode on Kirara as the two unconscious bodies known as Rin and Kouga, laid limp on the demon's back while she soared towards the village.
Kagome ran towards InuYasha with her only two arrows in her quiver and her bow. InuYasha glimpsed at her amount saying, "We have to make this count!" Then he stood in a fighting stance towards Goyasanku. The adamant demon had an aggressive expression as his chest lit up; InuYasha's tetsuiga was starting to encase itself in adamant as Kagome readied her bow. The demonic auras started to whirl around as Kagome's powers enflamed her sacred arrow. Suddenly, Goyasanku shot out his beam of demonic power from his chest. Both Kagome and InuYasha were surprised when a powerful shot of demonic power came from Sesshomaru's sword, Hojkin. They both took that as their queue and fired their attacks. Kagome released her sacred arrow as InuYasha watched the demonic auras collide before he cried "BACKLASH WAVE" and the three powers attacks entwined together. A large beam of pure energy with tetsuiga's power swirling around it and hojkin's power combined with the priestess's arrow soared through the arrow towards the area where Goyasanku shot off his demonic power. The energy engulfed him as he screamed "No!" while the power of Kagome's arrow, InuYasha's tetsuiga, and Sesshomaru's hojkin tore away at his exterior. All that was left was a hand sized piece of glowing adamant that was falling towards the ground but it was soon vanquished with one shot of Kagome's last arrow which made it completely dissolve form sight. All other adamant created by the adamant demon completely disintegrated as the last piece of adamant shattered from Kagome's arrow. After the clearing that was once a evil tavern of adamant disappeared, Sesshomaru sheathed his hojkin and ran off in the direction of the village.
"Hey Sesshomaru, where are you going?" InuYasha yelled but the dog demon ignored his younger half-brother's question as he dashed off to his destination.
"He's probably going to go get Rin from Sango and Miroku. We better go after him and case nobody wants to hand her over." InuYasha made a firm grip on her thighs as she climbed on her back and they both leapt after the demon.
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Sango and Miroku were just outside the village digging graves for the departed. After a while, Miroku would look up from his so called "back-breaking labor" and gazed at Sango as she watch her dug the shovel into the ground and haul it to the side. The demon slayer would get the feeling that Miroku was watching her and secretly glimpsed at him every once in a whild until she finally asked him with a blush plastered on her cheeks, "Miroku, why are you looking at me that way?" He would smile not ever blushing then reply, "I was just admiring your beauty from a far. Any closer and you would probably smack me even if I wasn't touching you." Letting the shovel fall to the ground, the monk strolled towards her Sango exclaiming, "But I'm willing to take that chance, can I ask you a question?" The demon slayer covered in dirt and sweat while her body ached from digging, rubbing her hands, her eyes widened as he asked his question. She was going to retort with the oh-so annoying answer of "you already asked me a question" but decide not to because it just didn't seem like a joking situation.
"Sango, do you remember the time when you were possessed by Goyasanku and you fought me?"
"Yes but…?"
"Well, that time was very important to your mind." Sango looked puzzled, as though she had no idea what he was talking about but then it hit her literally. Miroku leaned down and gently pressed his mouth on top of hers. Without using force, just pure deja vu, he leaned back, starring into her eyes, "Myoga told me that only the man that you loved could break you from being possessed. Fortunately for me, I was able to do so and I wanted to tell you something…" He paused for her blushing to calm down a bit as her face turned a darker red after he continued to stare at her, "I love you, Sango!" Cupping her hands firmly within his own, the monk held them above her chest as her eyes were full of raw emotion, "You don't know what you're saying and you're so lecherous. There's no way you would be able to stay to one woman." Sango pulled her hands away from his then stepped back but Miroku merely sighed. Replying softly the monk responded with, "Sango think about it, well you're probably right. You always were very cunning with your perspective. I will soon die from the cruel death of my wind tunnel. I would not want to risk your life if our baby had this wretched curse and almost sucked you in too. That would be provided we don't destroy Naraku but we must stay optimistic about our situation and make the best of it. Just forget what I said, I'm sorry I was so head-on." He gloomily walked away with his head hung low, back towards the ditch that he, himself, was digging.
"Miroku, I…" she began but stopped as he turned around, "Just give me time to think." Her statement brought a hint of a smile until the quick movement of something rustling through the trees brought his attention there. Sesshomaru soon appeared but for a mere second as he whipped past the two, paying them no heed. Both the demon slayer and the monk looked in the direction he was headed into they saw InuYasha with Kagome on his back in hot pursuit right behind the demon.
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Sesshomaru ran between the trees towards the village that had Rin's scent lingering all over it. A hut was in plain view where in front of it was the little fox demon fanning the wolf-demon from before. Shippo looked up from Kouga and grimaced frightfully at the sight of the powerful dog demon's eyes that seemed to pierce through his skull. Freaking out, Shippo stopped fanning only to see Sesshomaru start to make towards him. As fast as he came, Sesshomaru appeared in front of him, his clawed hand gripping the front of the fox-demon's kimono, "Where is Rin?" He simply stated with cold glares but that was enough to get the truth out of the little one who choked, "She's in the hut with Kaede." Sesshomaru dropped Shippo on the ground then entered through the hut. There laid Rin, under some blankets with a cold rag on her forehead. Kaede sat beside her, putting down a bucket of water beside her. Looking up, she stated, "Ye must be InuYasha's older brother, Lord Sesshomaru." He calmly replied, "That I am and are you not the priestess of the village?"
"I am but ye might already know that I am Kikyo's younger sister, ah?" Sesshomaru said nothing as he approached Rin, he saw no signs of death demons crawling over her body and besides, he had stroke her with the Tensuiga; she should have been better.
"There is nothing wrong with her, she is just unconscious and will be alright." A voice spoke out of the eerie silence. A soul collector drifted in as the same familiar priestess lifting the opening with one hand. Sesshomaru didn't flinch already aware of her presence and merely picked up Rin while heading for the exit. Not uttering a word to Kikyo, the full-dog demon walked passed her into the sunlight. The rays stirred the little girl as they hit her face. Rin slowly opened her eyes saying, "Lord Sesshomaru…? It is you, my lord, you came to save me." He looked down at her as he carried her tiny body away.
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InuYasha stopped running as soon as the two had landed in front of the hut. Shippo was still sitting there, a little squirmy but was fanning Kouga as though he would get better and protect him from Sesshomaru. When Kagome stepped down from InuYasha's back, realization hit her as she noticed Kouga still unconscious from Sango's attack and she rushed to his side. InuYasha grimaced but his attention darted to the figure walking out the hut. The full dog-demon paid no attention to InuYasha's expression and strolled right past him. The half-demon growled, "Sesshomaru, you bastard, where're you going?" Sesshomaru halted then replied, "That is none of your concern, InuYasha." Shippo stopped fanning and watched what the stubborn half-demon was going to do but to his surprise InuYasha grumbled then turned away. As he shifted away from his half brother, InuYasha caught in a scent, it made him wonder; why hadn't he recognized it before? Completely ignoring his ass of a brother, InuYasha walked into the hut completely disregarding the courtesy to announce his presence. As he walked in Kikyo stood across from him as Kaede sat near the far off corner, starting to boil water. Their talking seemed to cease as the half-demon starred at the dead priestess. On the other hand, Kikyo simply glimpsed at him then turned back to Kaede stating, "I will leave now; I have told you all I wanted to and there is nothing else for me to say." Kikyo walked past InuYasha, her soul collectors following suit. When she exited the hut, Kagome looked up from Kouga only to see Kikyo walk in an opposite direction not even bothering to look at the three. InuYasha came out afterwards, looking Kikyo's incarnation that had a questioning expression plastered across her pale face. After the girl turned away, the half-demon used that chance to lunge after the direction he saw the priestess's soul collector head.
"Kagome, aren't you going to stop him?" Shippo innocently asked as he continued to fan the helpless wolf. Kagome sat back leaning against the hut's wall and brought her knees slight towards her chest. Sighing responded, "No, if InuYasha wants Kikyo then who am I to interfere in that? Let him have her!" She thought silently to herself, 'I thought things would be different after this…well, I shouldn't assume, I'm so stupid for ever thinking he felt the same way towards me as I do him.' The little fox-demon continued to fan but looked at the depressed girl in the process, "Why don't you check on them incase Kikyo tries to hurt him again?" Kagome eventually nodded to keep an eye out and got up towards the destination that both the two had headed. Shippo thought to himself, 'That InuYasha's such an idiot. He knows that if he runs after Kikyo he hurts Kagome. I really wish he would stop being so stubborn and tell Kagome how he actually feels.' His thoughts made him not notice that the wolf-demon started to stir a bit.
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InuYasha pounced after the priestess only to have her stop in a clearing blocked from view by the trees. InuYasha hesitated to walk towards her, but eventually stood a good five feet behind. Shifting towards him, Kikyo starred into his curious eyes then replied, "You have destroyed Goyasanku and you have no other reason to need my assistance." InuYasha frowned, "But why did you leave, why did you come back her? After you're been gone for so long, what made you come back her?" The dead priestess strolled back the path she came then stood only about a foot away from the half-demon. His eyes amber eyes glared down at her cold brown eyes as she replied, "I left because I felt I would merely become another pawn in Goyasanku's plan to stop you. What good would I have been without my arrows, Goyasanku would have surely destroyed my body, freeing my souls. As selfish as it may seem, I'm not ready to return to hell until Naraku is dragged with me." InuYasha listened quite intently until after she finished her statement, he interrogated her with a statement, "But that still doesn't explain why you returned to the village?"
"When I escaped from the tavern, I saw your companions; the demon slayer and the monk on the twin-tail. They were carrying the bodies of those that had their soul devoured from their bodies. I figured that I should give them my blessings and check to see if anybody else in the village made it." InuYasha stopped his intensive stare as he gazed down on her pale skin. Her form was not as energetic as Kagome would have been but then again Kikyo was the undead and barely had any strength to go off seeing as her body was made of clay, being stabilized by the souls of the dead. On impulse, the half-demon closed the distance between their bodies by embracing her. Kikyo had no expression as he laid his cheek against the top of her head,
"Please Kikyo, don't try to run away or resist me." Firmly, the undead priestess placed her hands on the back of his shoulders, laying her head against his chest. InuYasha spoke again, "I only hope that you can bring Naraku to his knees and I want to tell you that in the event that you do not succeed, I will still go after Naraku in order to put your soul to rest. I did not kill you and I don't care if you believe me or not but I really did care for you and I do now, too. Just be careful..." InuYasha was cut off by Kikyo slowly pulling her head back and placing a soft kiss on his lips. It wasn't passionate; it wasn't really anything but a memory as the half-demon stood uneasily by her actions. Without returning the kiss, InuYasha simply held her until she pulled back again. Kikyo slowly grazed his check with her hand uttering the words, "Goodbye, InuYasha. I fear this will be our last encounter," before she walked back the direction that she had started off towards the in first place. InuYasha watched as the insect-snake like soul collectors swirled in their so called "harmonic" dance around the priestess. The half-demon stood until Kikyo disappeared before deciding to check on Kagome and the mangy-wolf.
A/N: I'm SO Sorry, Fanfiction had some kind of error and it took me forever to wait for it. Okay, there's only one last chapter after this and then it's complete. Everybody clap (yay!) The people seem kind of OOC in this one and the other one but I couldn't really make it seem so they were. I have the last chapter finished, I just need to type and it and it will be ready. READ, REVIEW, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE. ONCE I GET UP THE FINAL CHAPTER, I'LL START FINISHING MY SECOND ONE; TWO CAN PLAY IT THAT WAY.