The surrounding area was now clear of trees and the bodies of dead demons littered the ground. In the midst of it all, stood Sesshomaru. Naraku had indeed sent his lackeys to patrol, not realizing they'd end up dead, he was unaware that the demon lord was even around. Sesshomaru scowled and used his poison whip on the dead demons, disintegrating their dead bodies. He stood once more observing the clearing and walked off further away from the castle. At this time he didn't need to do anything, Kagome's body was inside, he had to get her body back yes, but he also needed her soul, waiting until morning for his idiotic brother and his group was all he could do, this way he could kill two birds with one stone.
Even though it was already night, Inuyasha refused to stop moving forward, Kikyo was ahead of the group, Sango and Miroku keeping an eye on her as they followed her to where Naraku's castle was. Everyone except Kikyo shared the same thoughts, they had to save Kagome. Though before long, the group had decided to take a rest, knowing they'd need their strength in the morning.
It was around noon the next day when the group finally made it to Naraku's castle, Naraku himself stood outside to greet them from behind the barrier. "Kikyo, so nice to see you, have you come to steal your reincarnation's body from me?" he chuckled darkly.
Kikyo narrowed her eyes at him, "No, I've come to kill you," she stated, getting her bow and arrow ready.
"Tsk, tsk, you know better than that, you can't kill me in your condition, especially seeing as you were unable to handle Sesshomaru back in the forest," he smirked.
Inuyasha looked over at Kikyo now in shock, "What? Naraku stop your damn lies, its time you die!" he shouted, focusing on Naraku once more. He withdrew Tetsusaiga and aimed it at Naraku, only for the sword to be in its rusty state.
The evil half demon laughed, "you intend to kill me with that rusty old sword of yours Inuyasha? You have indeed lost your power...I wonder...if perhaps Kagome was much more important to you than you let on to your beloved...after all, it seems without her, you are just a weak foolish half breed," he grinned.
"That's it! I've had enough of you!" he shouted. Looking at the Tetsusaiga, he tossed it aside seeing as it was useless at the moment. He ran ahead towards Naraku only to be hit by the barrier and thrown backwards.
Kikyo watched him go flying and sent an arrow towards the barrier to break it, only for her arrow to be deflected.
Naraku laughed at their failed attempt to break through and removed the barrier himself, "such a shame you have all gotten so weak...though it'll make killing you all the easier," he laughed as he sent forth Kohaku to attack his sister. Having her distracted he sent a hoard of demons at Inuyasha and Miroku before signaling Kagura to bring out his secret weapon. "I'm going to enjoy watching you die by her hands," he smirked.
Kagome stepped forward, her eyes narrowed at Kikyo as she sent 10 arrows towards the dead female, all of which pierced her body.
Kikyo fell to her knees in pain and glared up at Kagome, "What is this?" she asked, not understanding why her body was feeling numb and in pain.
"Don't you recognize it Kikyo? You truly are weak...how pathetic, unable to realize that each of my arrows were laced with miasma, a poison that nearly did you in long ago," Kagome laughed darkly, enjoying the dead woman's pain and suffering.
"Go Kagome...have your fun, kill them all. But start with Inuyasha," the half demon ordered.
"Yes Master Naraku," Kagome obeyed and leaped into the air, firing arrows that trapped Inuyasha in a circle. The half dog demon looked up in shock and almost lost his balance when a demon flew straight towards him. He shook it off as he managed to dodge and use his iron reaver soul stealer attack on them. Stopping now he looked at Kagome. "Kagome stop, what are you doing?" he asked her.
She landed on the ground a few feet from him. "Inuyasha you fool, you believed her lies and for that, I'll send you to hell with her!" she shouted and ran towards him a sword appearing in her hands.
At that moment Sesshomaru ran by his poison whip flew past Naraku and to Kagura, slicing her fan to pieces while at the same time grabbing Kagome as her body went limp from the fan being destroyed. He stopped now in the middle of it all and looked at Naraku with a rather bored expression, "pathetic as ever, sending a puppet to do your dirty work. I'll deal with you later," he stated as a ball of light surrounded himself and Kagome and he vanished.
Naraku growled out and cursed, the demon lord had foiled his plans. How could he have been so stupid not to even realize he was in the vicinity?
Inuyasha was in utter shock at what he just saw but before he could even stop his brother, demons swarmed him.
Kikyo cursed and stood, making an attempt to follow after him, sending her only soul collector she had left to possibly catch up to him.
No one else had been able to notice Kikyo leave, except for Naraku and seeing how the battle was going now he growled in anger. Turning around he walked back into the castle, Kohaku being told to retreat in his mind, had fled back inside as well. Sango stood ready to chase after him but Kagura blocked her path as Naraku's castle disappeared once more, Kagura ordered to distract the group.
By the time Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango finished slaughtering all the demons that surrounded them; the wind demoness was gone as well. Sighing, Inuyasha went and picked up the Tetsusaiga and looked at his friends, "are you guys okay?" he asked.
"We're fine Inuyasha...but where is Lady Kikyo?" Miroku asked.
It was that moment when Inuyasha began to look around only to pick up her scent going towards the west. "Damn it, she left, why would she..." he trailed off, not understanding why she left.
"I know it's hard to believe Inuyasha but she wants Kagome's body so she can live, you know damn well that's wrong and I'm guessing she went after Sesshomaru to get her body," Sango explained.
"Damn it! Kikyo!" he shouted and without warning, ran off towards the west to get Kikyo.
Sesshomaru had made it back to the castle within a few hours and landed outside the doors. As the double doors opened, Jaken was pacing back and forth, worried and mumbling to himself, not even realizing that Sesshomaru was standing right there.
"What will I do? Lord Sesshomaru will kill me for losing the girl's body...I don't know why he's so concerned with her anyway, she's a worthless human, I bet he wouldn't be so concerned over me-Erk!" Sesshomaru kicked him into the hallway to interrupt him. As he walked in, he stepped on Jaken and headed towards his room. "Jaken, you failed me, you will be punished later," he stated.
Jaken looked up and peeled himself off the floor, coughing a bit before tears ran down his face, "Oh my Lord I am so sorry, you know then that I lost her body? I apologize, it won't happen again," he said trying to save himself from being punished.
The demon lord said nothing more and slammed his bedroom door in the toad demon's face, ignoring his senseless and irritating crying.
Walking over to her bedroom, he placed her gently in the bed. Her body was much colder than when he left, she seemed to be slipping further and further into death and Naraku's little escapade only served to kill more precious time that she had left. Tonight he'd get her soul back, no matter what he had to do, he knew the dead woman was following him, all he had to do was get to her before Inuyasha did and he'd have it.
That thought in mind, he walked towards his room and went to the dresser, pulling open one of the drawers, he took out a navy blue box with intricate silver designs all over it. Taking out a key from the draw as well, he placed the key in the crescent moon shaped lock on the small box and opened it. Inside was a hair comb, it had a design of two silver crescent moons facing opposite directions, small diamond gems went all along the top line of the comb. This was the one he needed. Taking it from the box, he placed the box and key back into his dresser drawer, closing it and walking back to Kagome, he sat on the bed beside her, gently lifting her up to a sitting position, he reached behind her and placed the comb in her hair securely. Once he was certain it was adjusted properly, he lay her back down and stood, moving away a certain distance from the bed.
The demon lord then chanted a few words in another language and a silver barrier went up around the bed, protecting Kagome from any further kidnappers. Now that, that was done, he immediately left the room, walked passed a panicking Jaken and out the doors.
Once the soul collector knew where Sesshomaru had gone, it came back to get Kikyo, wrapping itself around her, it was harder for it to lift her and carry her on its own towards the castle, but managed to do so without complaint. It took a little bit longer than normal as well but once it was somewhat close enough, it set her back down and floated around her as she began to walk the rest of the distance. She cared enough about her last soul collector to let it relax; after all, she was close enough to the castle anyway.
Just as the castle came into view, she stopped in her tracks, her road blocked from her desired target.
Sesshomaru stood a few feet away from the dead priestess, his clawed hand raised and dripping with poison, "it's time to end this, I hope you said your goodbyes to my brother," he said.
Kikyo glared at him and notched her bow, "I will not go down so easily, I already told you, I can get you what you desire, just release her body to me," she tried to bargain once again.
"I need nothing from you, priestess, I gave you your chance."
She knew she had no choice and so with that, sent arrows flying at the demon lord, one after the next as fast as she could, she sent them at him, charged with her priestess powers.
Each arrow that came flying at him was destroyed with his poison claws, not a single one touching him.
Kikyo was desperate now, she began to charge her entire body with her priestess energy, sending her soul collector as well as more arrows now at him.
Sesshomaru stood there for a moment, arching an eyebrow at her weak attempt to stop him. He watched her little show for a moment and gave her a chance to try and save herself even though it was pointless, he merely did it to allow her a chance to say her goodbyes to Inuyasha as he could smell his brother getting closer.
Tired of this game and certain his brother would find the priestess before she would be fully gone, he dodged her arrows, slicing them with the poison whip, he grabbed the soul collector and disintegrated it with his poison claws and ran straight towards Kikyo, knocking the bow from her hands, his claws dripping with the poison again, he sliced her stomach clean open.
Kikyo gasped in shock, though she really shouldn't have been surprised and as she fell to the ground, she held her stomach, she tried to keep the soul inside her body but the wound was too large for her to suppress it. She gasped once more as the soul floated out of her and she lay there, dying for a second time.
Sesshomaru stood there looking at her as he reached for Kagome's soul, it stayed hovering in his hand and he walked off away from the dead priestess and back to his castle.
Inuyasha got to the scene a bit too late. He didn't see Sesshomaru anywhere around, nor did he know what happened as he got to Kikyo's side. "Kikyo, Kikyo!" he shouted as he took her into his arms.
Kikyo managed to open her eyes one more time and looked at her beloved, raising her hand to his cheek, she caressed it and wiped away a tear, "I'm sorry...Inuyasha...I deserve hell...good..bye..." she whispered and as she closed her eyes once more, he picked up her body only for it to disintegrate into dirt and bones. "No! Kikyo!" he cried out in pain at seeing her die again.
Sango, Miroku and Shippo arrived on Kirara in time to hear her words and watch her die as well. It was a sad sight, but none of them could truly be sad for her, she had killed their best friend and along with that, she didn't belong here.
Trying to console him however, Miroku got off of Kirara and walked over to Inuyasha, placing a hand on his shoulder, he looked down and said a prayer for her for Inuyasha's sake. "She didn't belong in this world any more...its best that she return to the other world, I'm sorry," he said in a sad tone.
Inuyasha remained there for some time, not moving to the point that night fell on the group. They made camp once more and Kikyo's bones and ashes that was mixed into the dirt was gathered into a cloth to take back to her burial place, a task they'd do in the morning. Inuyasha though, still continued to sulk, unable to believe she was gone yet again. He had failed her for a second time.
Sesshomaru walked into his castle and to the room he had her in again, saying the incantation to remove the barrier, he waited as it lowered and he walked towards her body, allowing her soul to flow into her. After a moment, Tensaiga pulsated and he withdrew the sword, swiping it across her body when he saw the demons of the underworld appear. Once they were destroyed, he waited once more for her to awaken.
After a few minutes, she began to breath, her chest moving up and down slowly, but her eyes remained closed. The Tensaiga once again pulsated and he looked at the sword in confusion. She was alive, why was the sword pulsating? He looked back at her and furrowed his eyebrows now, gently he shook her to wake her, nothing happened. The sword once more pulsated and he knew from that, there seemed to be another problem. Reaching for her hand, he took it in his only to find her hands were as cold as ice still.
"Tensaiga...what are you trying to tell me?" he questioned and released her hand. He placed his hand now on her chest, feeling for her heart beat. Sure enough it was there, so what was the problem? The demon lord growled in frustration and moved away from her, he said the words again for the barrier to go back up as he walked out of the room and towards his study, deciding to go back to those books once more and see what this problem could be this time.
A/N: So um...hi -waves carefully- I know you all probably want to shoot me right now, its been a year and two months since I updated this...you're gonna kill me even more for what I'm about to say but...you know how I didn't update all this time? The funny thing is...I had this chapter written up since January last year to upload and yet never did upload it for some reason. In fact, I started writing chapter 6 when I realized I already wrote it out after attempting to save the new chapter I created for it. So well...here it is, ta da! I just like to apologize for the mega super long wait. I had no intentions of letting it take this long but a lot has happened last year...things that have really put myself and my family through hell...anyway at least I realized I had this written and so have added it now, this story is coming to a close soon unfortunately but at least I am updating again and I won't vanish this time either. Sorry again about that everyone. :(