Disclaimer- I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter 19- Renewed Soul

They came to the clearing where Kagome and Bankotsu met. The tree Kagome had been slammed into was there with a few others. Bankotsu remembered the spot they had first kissed. He smirked at this thought.

"What are you smirking at?" Kagome asked smiling herself.

"Nothing."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Where the hell is this guy?"

"I don't know. There is no way to know how long we will have to wait. But I do know he will come here."

"Hmm, this is a strange place. It has a strange feel to it." Kikyo said touching the tree Kagome remembered very well.

"Many deaths have happened here. I can feel the souls. It used to be sacred ground, long before I came along with Narhuko. But so many tragic things happened here, what it once was has been forgotten." Sankotsu said. Her eyes were filled with a sadness that everyone could see even though she wasn't crying.

"Not only bad things have happened here." Bankotsu added in to the conversation.

"Yeah, what exactly did happen when you two met?" Miroku asked with one of his perverted looks.

"Nothing like that. I was injured I had just woken up. Then Bankotsu asked me..."

"I asked her what was she doing out here alone." He said. He knew Kagome was ashamed of what she really was doing.

"Yeah, and we got into a but of a fight."

"Yeah, now that I remember very well."

"Anyway, in our little fight I ended up opening one of my wounds. He had to carry me to nearby village to be cared for."

"And I haven't been able to get rid of her since then." He said. Everyone laughed. Even Inuyasha cracked a little smile.

Well, everyone except for Sankotsu. She had say down to listen until she heard Kagome say something about a village. All the color drained from her face and now, she jumped to her feet. Only Shippou seemed to notice.

"Sankotsu, are you okay?"

Everyone looked at her. "The viallge. He went to the village."

"I thought you didn't know where he was?"

"I think she is right. If he is the man she says he is then he will need weapons."

"Kikyo's right he would need weapons."

"He'll kill them all. We have to go now1"

"There will be no need for that." A dark voice said from behind them. He was about twenty feet away from them. In all the commotion with Sankotsu Shippou and Inuyasha hadn't even noticed him approach.

Sankotsu looked over him. He had the same clothes on the day he died. There was an old blood stain where he had stabbed himself. But that didn't bother her as much as the new blood that was all over his new sword and on his clothes.

"Narhuko! get ready to die!"

"Narhuko huh? Is that what you told them to call me? I guess it'll do fine. Ah, what's wrong Sankotsu? Not happy to see me?"

"Why did you come?"

"I thought you knew? Don't worry no one else had to die. Well only one more has to die. Hand over the priestess and no one else will be killed other than her."

"That's not going to happen!" Inuyasha and Bankotsu said at the same time.

Narhuko smirked. Then he realized how much two women of the group looked alike. He knew one of them to be Kagome. The miko he had came here for. But the other one was wearing priestess robes.

'I guess I'll be making it out of here with two mikos then.'

"Even as much as it touches me that you are both willing to risk your life for the women you love, I will kill both of you if you stand in my way!"

"Kagome get out of here."

"No, I'm staying here Bankotsu."

"You don't have anything to defend yourself with."

"I'll cover her." Sango said standing in front of Kagome.

Bankotsu gave a quick nod.

Kikyo and Inuyasha looked at each other. Inuyasha didn't say anything. He didn't think Kikyo would care if he did tell her to leave. She'd never listen.

"Your cover will be nothing once I get rid of these two. Which I am farely certain will be quite easy."

"I'd ike to see you try. There's no way I'd let you get to Kagome or Kikyo. If I did I won't be doing it alone. You'll be going too."

"Haven't you heard hanyou? You can't kill me as I am already dead."

"You're lying." Sankotsu said stepping forward.

"What?" He asked looking suprised. He had not expected her to know all of the things she knew.

"If you die again while you are here then you go straight to hell." She said stepping closer. There was no fear in her eyes. There was nothing in her eyes at all except for determination.

"Well, let's try out your little theory then shall we?"

Everything seemed to go in slow motion after that. Kagome yelled out, but it was too late. Narhuko was too quick. He ran the few feet left between the and stabbed her in the stomach. Sankotsu looked straight into his eyes. He pulled the sword out and she began falling to the ground.

Everything snapped back into reality. Kagome ran forward ignoring all the cries for her to stop. It didn't matter. Narhuko made no move to stop her or try to hurt her. Yet.

Kagome caught Sankotsu and slowly lay her back on the ground her head in Kagome's lap. No one spoke or moved not even Narhuko who had a triumphant grin on his face. They all watched and waited for sankotsu to take her last breath.

"Sankotsu? Please say something." Sankotsu looked at Kagome and gave a weak smile. Then she gestured her to lean forward so she could talk to her. Kagome thought it was because she couldn't talk very loud. But it was actually so Narhuko couldn't hear.

"Kagome, I need you to do one last thingfor me."

"Don't say that. You're going to be fine." Kagome said but her eyes feeling with tears all the same.

"Let's not fool ourselves here. You and I above everyone else here knows when it is the end."

"What do you want me to do?"

"There is a power that you have. You've never used it, but I know if you try you can. You have to take my soul."

"But if I take your soul there will be no way to save you at all! I know we can save you!"

"Kagome, I don't want you to save me. This is the only way for you to live. Please, do it."

"But I'll be killing you."

"No you won't. Narhuko killed me along time ago. You'll be saving my soul. Even if I did live whenever I did die my soul would go straight to hell."

"But you'll have nothing. Not a soul or anything."

"My soul will live in you. Along with your soul. The true reason you could not be brought back is because your half of your soul is in Kikyo. Moridoko gave her soul to Kikyo. Now if I give mine to you you can live. When you die both of our sould will go to Heaven."

Kagome didn't speak for a moment. "What happens after I do it? Will I feel you in me?"

"Not exactly. You'll have all of my power. Anything I can do you'll be able to do."

"What do I do?"

"Well, it's not something either of us will like. Although, I'm sure Miroku will get a real kick out of it."

"What?"

"Lean closer and I'll tell you in your ear."

Kagome did as she was told. When she pulled away she looked shocked.

"There's no other way?"

"No, I think one of the male gods might have made this the only way. Just for things like this." Sankotsu began coughing small spots of blood were on her hand which she had lifted to her mouth. When she stopped she spoke for the last time. "Kagome it's time now. Thanks or being a loyal friend and for being so forgiving."

"I'm glad we met. Even under the circumstances in which or meeting happened. You're a great person."

Everyone watched very closely. Some how they all new it was about to end for Sankotsu. Then Kagome did something no one had expected. She leaned sown and put her lips on Sankotsu's sharing what everyone thought was a gentle kiss.

Kagome knew that wasn't the case. She focused on the task at hand and ignored everyone's gasps of surprise. She put all of her miko energy into pulling out the soul. She felt the energy flowing into her.

She pulled away and looked at Sankotsu's lifeless body. She knew that Sankotsu wasn't truely gone, but still it hurt to know that she'd never talk to her again. Kagome stood up and decided that she needed to move the body out of the way from the fight that was surely about to begin.

But she didn't have to touch the body. It rose into the air just as a huge whole appeared under the tree where Bankotsu slammed Kagome. The body was place in it. And then the whole covered itself.

"Whoa, if I died right now and that kiss was the last thing I saw I'd die happily." Miroku said bringing everyone back to reality.

"You bastard how could you kill her she loved you!" Bankotsu said. It felt like he had just lost a member of his family.

"She betrayed me. And beside love doesn't exsist where I came from."

"Yes it does! I was there and I still loved and so did Sankotsu." Kagome yelled to him.

"Don't be foolish girl."

"I'm tired of all this talking. We need to get this over with once and for all." Inuyasha said getting ready.

"I couldn't agree more half-breed." Narhuko said gripping his own sword a little tighter.

Bankotsu looked at Kagome. She just stood watching. She smiled at him and he smiled back. That smile made him see that just like Miroku if he died now he's die a happy man.

Narhuko used this tender moment to is advantage. No one saw this one coming. Narhuko lunged at Bankotsu his sword going into the right side of his lower back. Kagome watched in horror as Bankotsu' smile was wiped from his face and replaced with the expression of deep pain. Narhuko laughed as Bankotsu slid from the sword.

Kagome ran forward again to catch him. Narhuko had expected her to and would have used this to his advantage too if Inuyasha hadn't moved first.

Just as Kagome sat dwon with Bankotsu the same way she had with Sankotsu, Narhuko had began to move again. This time Inuyasha was faster. In a flash he was in front of Narhuko.

He kicked Narhuko in the middle of his chest sending him flying backwards into a tree. When he slammed into the tree it knocked the sowrd from his hand. It flew far from his reach.

"Feh, I thought you'd be more of a challnge."

Narhuko smirked and stood back up without it seemed feeling any pain at all.

"Now you all shall see my true power. I usually like to use a sword. I like to see the blood of my victims. But since my weapon is far out of reach I shall have to use other means of finishing you. Would you like a dimistration?"

He looked at Sango. He lifted his hand opening it. A black light began glowing from his palm. it went forward and hit Sango in the face. She was levitated into the air and was screaming in anguish.

"SANGO NO!" Miroku yelled running forward.

He jumped into the air and put his arms around Sango trying to pull her down. Instead the black light engulfed both of them. The world seemed to be filled with their screams.

"STOP IT! LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Inuyasha screamed covering his ears.

"As you wish." Miroku was slammed into a tree Sango slammed into him. Both of them were unconcious.

Kagome didn't know wat to do. Bankotsu too was unconcious in her lap. He was breathing though. And that moment that was all Kagome could hope for.

"You'll pay for that you bastard." Inuyasha said as Kikyo went over to see if she could aid Sango and Miroku.

"Really? I guess you still don't understand what you've gotten yourself into. I guess you only learn form personal experiences."

Narhuko moved quickly. The black light was already hitting Inuyasha before he could move. He yelled as loud as Sango and Miroku had. His whole body felt as if it was on fire. He had never felt such pain. He was pulling on his own hair. After what seemed a lifetime it stopped.

"Had enough yet?"

"N-never." Inuyasha said. He managed to move this time when the light came. Instead it hit a tree that exploded leaving not even a stump behind.

Inuyasha then yelled out 'Wind Scar!' but it had no effect on Narhuko who had begun to laugh.

"A weak attatck will have no effect on me. I told you that you couldn't defeat me. Sankotsu was the only one with enough magical power to even scratch me."

Kagome snapped her head up from Bankotsu's face. Didn't Sankotsu say she'd have her power?

She hoped that this would work.

'Inuyasha when he tries to attack use Tetsaiga as a mirror. The attack will be shot back at him.'

Inuyasha looked at Kagome but gave a nod. Narhuko shot another attack. Inuyasha did what Kagome has said. Or thought? He didnt' know for sure.

The black light colided with the Tetsaiga. Something happened Narhuko hadn't predicted. The light engulfed him. When it faded Inuyasha saw that blood was gushing from deep wounds all over his body.

He limped over to Kikyo in his desperation. Maybe if he killed her he could use her spiritual power to find a way to stop himself from going to hell. Just when he was about to try to attack her from behind there was a flash of silver and he fell to the ground his head rolling away from him.

Kikyo looked up and saw Sesshomaru staning over her.

"Thanks Sessomaru." But it wasn't Kikyo that had said it. It was Inuyasha.

The two looked at each other and came to a ilent agreement. They would get along. For Kikyo.

Bankotsu's ye fluttered open adn he moaned in pain.

"Don't worry Bankotsu we'll get you healed. I'll heal you."

"I'm not worried. I trust you to take care of me."

Kagome kissed his forehead. She felt a warmth coming off of her lips and onto Bankotsu's forehead. Apparently, not only had she gained Sankotu's abilities she had gained a few new ones.

Bankotsu felt himself grow warm and then in an instant the feeling was gone as was the pain.

"Kags I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I." She said standing up and going over to repeat what she had done to Bankotsu only this time to Sango and Miroku.

When everyone was healed and standing they all walked over to Sankotsu's grave. Taking a small knife from Bankotsu Kagome began to carve something on the tree above the grave. When she was done it read:

Here lies Sankotsu. The one who completed my soul.

"'Completed my soul?' What the hell does that mean?" Inuyasha asked after she read it out loud to them.

Kagome smiled. Now she'd get her chance to explain that kiss.

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She opened her eyes. She shouldn't be here. How could she be. All the gods and goddesses were standing before her.

"What am I doing here? Is Kagome still alive? Shouldn't I be in her?"

They all smiled warmly.

"We wanted to thank you for all that you did."

"We let half of yourself remain in Kagome."

"Because we needed to speak with you in person."

"We have decided that after all you've been through and the many sacrifices that you made that you should be given a second chance at life."

"But we can't give you your old body."

"The what will my soul live in?"

"Well, in nine months that small half that;s inside Kagome will be transfered into someone else. I think that someone else could use another half."

"You mean that she's..?"

"Yes, she is. We decided that you can wait here with us until that day comes."

"Here with you?"

"Yes, we decided you could use some comapany."

Sankotsu smiled. Things couldn't get any better.

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Well there you have it! Only the epilouge to go. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. Thank you to all of you that reviewed I really appriciate it!