AN: Kirikirikirikiriayayayayaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!

I just really wanted to do that…


CHAPTER 16: ANOTHER JEWEL??

Even with Kirara's demon speed, she still had trouble keeping up with Inuyasha. Inuyasha himself was not even aware of the speed he was going at. More probably, he wasn't aware of anything, except for the fact that Kikyo and/or Kagome might be found just ahead.

Beneath him, one could no longer see the forest floor. It was a living carpet of rushing animals, loud and thundering, all going in the opposite direction to Inuyasha's little band.

"It's lucky we have Kirara, isn't it?" Miroku ventured. "Otherwise we'd be crushed alive…"

Sango had still not said anything. Now that she was back with people – her friends, she felt welcomed and accepted; even though she never knew she missed it. Loneliness was not one of the feelings the demon-slayer felt often. She had always had someone. Her family, and after … the incident… she had quickly found this odd band of travellers.

She didn't want to be alone again. And she wasn't letting anything get between her and her friends… or were they family?

Her knuckles tightened around the straps on her Hiraikotsu. Whatever had happened to Kagome, the person responsible had a lot to answer for.

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Tsubaki had not moved. She was enraptured with the glow of the Jewel, the feeling of the power radiating from it… It was beautiful. Radiant. Even more so, when she thought of what it represented.

It was her life's dream, it was what she had longed for - even before it was made! She had always wanted the other Sacred Jewel. But this one was so much more –

"CHIRII!!"

Something small and annoying pecked her dangerously close to her eyes. She finally moved, to swat it away. It kept returning. What was it doing?? Didn't it understand that it was inconsequential? It was weak. It couldn't do ANYTHING to stop her. She diverted her gaze from the Jewel, to address little Yasei coming straight at her face. Unable to move that fast, she got a painful lengthy scratch on her cheek, which was already stinging.

Tsubaki growled. It dare mar her beauty? Her hand stretched out and blasted a gust of bright white magic at the sparrow. It hit Yasei directly, and he fluttered to the ground, unconscious.

Before Tsubaki could return her attention to the Jewel, a scratchy out-of-breath voice called out from behind her,

"Tsubaki!"

Inuyasha had arrived. He stood, panting from the effort of running so far, with his eyes narrowed to the point of invisibility, all his pent-up anger directed at the priestess.

Tsubaki simply smirked. Her snake-familiar was still hanging on round the side of the two sleeping captives, and it was it that Tsubaki motioned to with one clawed finger:

"Kill him".

The snake hissed, raised itself up, and lunged at Inuyasha, who had just then noticed Kikyo and Kagome lying on the ground.

"KIKYO! KAGOME!" Haphazardly, he ran towards them, failing to register the snake right in front of him.

"Hiraikotsu!"

Just as the snake was about to hack off a bit of Inuyasha's shoulder with its fangs, the giant boomerang hit it in the middle of its forehead, propelling it backwards with its propulsion. The boomerang then raised itself up into the air and spun back towards the waiting hands of Sango.

Shippo and Miroku jumped off Kirara, and joined Inuyasha near the prone bodies of the two priestesses. Nobody really had time to take in the revelation of them still being alive, because it seemed as though Kikyo and Kagome were halfway dead.

"Their pulse is very weak," declared Miroku, after feeling Kikyo and Kagome's wrists.

"Damn." Hissed Inuyasha. He turned to face the other priestess. "You did this."

Tsubaki was having a very, very fun time. She smirked… again. "Naturally, my dear."

"Well," began Inuyasha, "Do you know why you're still alive?"

Tsubaki didn't answer.

"Because I need to know whatever you did to them, so that I can make you undo it, after which I plan to kill you." He glared at Tsubaki from under his long fringe, his nails already digging into his palm to draw blood - and was generally poised to start tearing Tsubaki apart.

"Them?" Giggled Tsubaki. "Don't you mean her?"

"Who?" Inuaysha was running out of restraint.

"Well, whichever one you choose to save, my dear… That's if you're still alive."

"STOP CALLING ME YOUR DEAR! I'LL KILL YOU RIGHT NOW! BLADES OF BLOOD!"

As the attack neared Tsubaki, she waved one hand and conjured a barrier that deflected it.

Miroku stood, after making sure there was no immediate way to revive either Kagome or Kikyo, and stood beside an enraged Inuyasha, with Kirara and Sango in the rear.

"Don't forget to use Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha!!"

Inuyasha had actually forgotten to use his sword, which prevented him from becoming a crazed bloodthirsty demon.

"Yeah, thanks. Tetsusaiga!"

Drawing his sword, which instantly transformed from its simple katana blade to the giant demon fang, the group of friends stood ready to annihilate the evil priestess – with Shippo on guard over Kikyo and Kagome.

"Heh… Don't you know you're too late?" Chuckled Tsubaki.

A feeling somewhat akin to this had been running through the minds of each of them, but they didn't let it show.

"Listen, if you don't tell us now what you've done with Kagome and Kikyo – then we'll just fight and ask questions later." Miroku cautioned.

"Isn't it obvious? They were the main ingredients to a most delectable dish of mine."

"What dish?" Asked Miroku.

"Oh, just this one…" Tsubaki held out her hand, with a shining, small spherical object in it.

"Could that be…" Whispered Sango.

"A Sacred Jewel." Smiled Tsubaki. "With it, I could destroy your pathetic little selves in less than a second. It is infinitely more powerful than the previous one."

"What? But how?"

"It has the soul of two sensational priestesses. It needs no further magic. Now, witness its power!" Tsubaki's whole form lit up in spectacularly bright light.

"Run!" Yelled Miroku, diving to the side, with the rest of the group doing likewise... Even Inuyasha, who temporarily forgot his pride.

Behind them, in the spot where they had been just a moment ago, only a smoking crater remained from the power of the new Jewel.

"Damn! She wasn't lying." Cursed Miroku. He was next to Inuyasha in the bushes, while Sango and Kirara had flown off into the sky, and were currently doing their best to get Tsubaki off balance with the Hiraikotsu and Kirara's flames.

"But… Midoriko… and a hundred? Hmm, maybe thousand – demons made the other Sacred Jewel. And they died, right?" Asked Inuyasha, puzzled.

"Right. But her method was probably different than incarcerating a thousand demons with a priestess and then blowing a hole in the priestess' heart." Answered Miroku.

Recovering from his meditative state, Inuyasha said, "So all we have to do is get the Jewel off her! Then she has no power, and I can finish her off!"

"Inuyasha, you're not finishing anyone off. We have to find out how to revive Kagome and Kikyo, and I'm guessing Tsubaki is the only one who knows how."

"Well, right. Then I just get the Jewel." With this, Inuyasha leaped out of the bushes and headed straight for Tsubaki.

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Miroku, strangely didn't follow him. He just watched Tsubaki… There was something very odd about her. What was it??

There must be something… If I don't think of something, Kagome, Kikyo, Sango, Inuyasha – we will all die!

Suddenly – after watching Inuyasha get dumped on his behind for the tenth time – a notion occurred to Miroku – that's it! She says it's a Sacred Jewel… Why is she only holding it in her hand, instead of absorbing it into her body like everyone else with the other Sacred Jewel? There must be a reason!


AN: Sorry to leave you hanging there… But it is a very nice way to end this chapter. I think so anyway. OOH GOSH there was some ACTION earlier! Please tell me how well I did it! I shall be trying much harder for the next chapter for all of you who bother to read! Thanks anyway! please... REVIEW!! yay!