Kikyo V.S. Kagome Over 1 Soul

“Where’s Kagome?”
Shippo crossed his arms and waited for a slight movement from the hanyou.
“Grrr, okay fine! If that’s what you want, runt!”
Then he pounced behind the trees. Shippo stomped.
“STOP CALLING ME RUNT!!!”

The half-demon left the bushes and found a figure lying on the hill. He impatiently stepped up and poked the girl’s head. Kagome’s book hid her face, but not for long. She woke up, alarmed and the book flew and landed on the head across her.
“Oh, sorry, InuYasha”
She wandered sleepily to him and snatched the book off.
“Great, you lost my page! It was such good story!”
InuYasha just stood there.
“Oh right, we’re going to hunt for shards today.”
She yawned and followed InuYasha back to the group.
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Miroku felt the slap on his cheek and sighed. Sango was furious; she didn’t want him to touch her butt again. But it was so hard for him to resist. It was just so much fun! Miroku smiled despite the pain in his cheek.
Shippo, on the other hand, was cheerful from the start of Kagome back in the camp. The gang was strolling through the forest, alert to any demons to attack. InuYasha turned his head and saw Kagome dozing off again. He put her down and knocked her head.
“Wake up, Idiot!”
Kagome let out a breathe.
“Sit”
InuYasha crashed to the ground and the group (including Kagome) just walked off without him. Kagome rubbed the spot where he hit her. She was exhausted, and she hated the way he treated her just then. She heard footsteps behind her and crossed her arms. Let’s say that she wanted to ignore the hanyou for now.
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Rin hid quietly behind the rock as Sesshomaru accepted a small bottle of dark purple liquid from the priestess. Jaken just snickered and tried again to stop his lord, but soon failed.
“Put a drop of this potion into the Suko Lake, and I will find you a human arm, deal?”
Sesshomaru nodded slightly.
“Deal.”
Rin’s heart pounded heavily inside of her little chest. What are they talking about? And why was Lord Sesshomaru agreeing with that mysterious girl?
“Rin” She peeked behind the rock. Then she ran after her master, and took a quick glance at the girl. She turned her head back around and reviewed her observations. Long, black hair tied up with a white piece of cloth. A pale kimono top and an extended red skirt. She was also carrying a bow and arrow. The girl interested Rin, and made her curious to know more. But she had to keep up with Lord Seshomaru; she could check the girl out later.
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“Anyone else?”
Shippo scanned the group for hands. Kagome had her’s up.
“Yes?”
“Very intelligent”
InuYasha stopped walking and blushed from ear to ear.
“Ha! I’ve gotten a complement for the first time this game!”
“He’s so intelligent, that he fights with his brother just because of a sword”
InuYasha growled.
“THAT’S BECAUSE SESSHOMARU STARTED IT, OKAY? GEEZE!”
She narrowed her eyes. Sango held tightly to Kilala’s neck fur as she soured violently into the sky.
“Kilala? Stop! What’s the matter?”
Then she turned straight ahead. Far away in the trees, there was a boy with green/black armor.
“Kohaku!”
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Naraku leaned against the wall as the shadow came closer.
“Come in”
The screen door opened and Kikyo walked in. She then bowed lowly, and got up.
“I have made the deal with Sesshomaru. But I am curious about what will happen when he does with that potion.”
Naraku smiled.
“Good question. When a full demon (unlike me) places one drop into the Suko Lake, he would be pulled in by a force that then controls him.”
“And that force is you is that correct?”
“Indeed. We will use him to kill his brother and his dirty group.”
Kikyo lifted her eyebrows.
“I apologize, but I do not understand why you have to do this when he is already against his brother.”
Naraku’s eyes turned to her.
“He only does so because he wants his tessaiga. But we want him to do so that we can get the girl. If we do, we would kill her and return your soul to your body. That way, you will continue to work for us.”
Kikyo grinned slightly.
“Seems good, but I do not agree with this plan.”
“Why is that?”
“InuYasha deserves to live with me. How about we change the plan a bit and leave him out of this? You could distract InuYasha, and I will kill her.”
Naraku seemed to like her idea.
“As you wish.”
“What about Sesshomaru?”
“I will get Kohaku to deal with him.”
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Sango approached her long lost brother and tears streamed from her face. But the boy, on the other hand, didn’t notice her.
“Kohaku…it’s me, Sango!”
The boy turned his eyes to her direction and flung his chain ax at her. But Sango was clever and ducked down just in time.
“Kohaku, please!”
The boy was irritated.
“Who are you? Why are you crying? I don’t even know you!”
He flung his chain ax again.
“Sango, no! He’ll hurt you!” Miroku shouted.
But Sango shook her head and let the sharp edge slice a cut onto her left arm. She fell off Kilala, but kept smiling. Miroku reached out and caught her.
“Sango!”
She lifted her eyelids.
“Heh, I saw my brother. He’s not dead after all.”
And she fainted in pain.
“SANGO!!!” Miroku yelled.
InuYasha faced Kohaku and tried to punch him.
“You ‘lil twerp!”
But he missed and the boy just leaped and disappeared. InuYasha landed on his feet and turned to his group.
“Let’s get her into Kaede’s hut now. We can deal with her brother later.”
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Rin snuggled on Ay Un and fell asleep. Jaken was on the opposite side blowing nose bubbles as he snored. And as for their master, he was wide awake at the tree trunk near the fire. The white, ghostly moon showed above in the starry night sky, listening to the soft breeze. Sesshomaru looked at the container in his hand, then at his empty arm. Was this a good deal to start with? Suddenly, he heard small footsteps running towards him. He soon saw Kohaku and stood up with his claws ready.
“Please don’t fight; I have come to take back the potion.”
Sesshomaru held the bottle tighter, unwilling to trust the boy.
“If you don’t believe me, my master had ordered Kikyo to deliver it to you, but soon figured that it was not part of his plan. He was mistaken.”
“And my arm?”
“The deal is broken; you will not receive an arm.”
Sesshomaru hesitated, and then threw the bottle at Kohaku’s feet.
“Tell Naraku that if he makes a deal, it should stay a deal. Now leave me alone”
The boy picked up the bottle and vanished.
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Sango’s cry rung in everyone’s ears, which eventually lured them in to see what’s wrong.
“Her wound’s severe; to her, it hurts every time I touch it.”
Kaede pinched up some herbs from a wooden bowl.
“You’re crazy! You saw your brother, even though he didn’t know you and let him hurt you? Just a waste of time, I say! Just a waste of time!”
Kagome shushed him.
“She did so because she cared more about her brother than herself. Right, Sango?”
Sango didn’t hear her.
“That’s just plain stupid!” insulted InuYasha.
Kagome’s patients drained.
“IT’S NOT! SIT BOY!”
He got his treatment. Kagome got up.
“One: She cares for her bother no matter what (unlike you)…sit…Two: Sango’s really hurt right now, so you’d better be gentle around her…sit…Three…”
“STOP!!! OKAY OKAY! JUST STOP!!!”
Under a snap of a finger, Kagome’s mood went happy again. She then continued to help Kaede and ignored InuYasha. Miroku leaned his head to InuYasha.
“Typical girl, isn’t she?” He whispered.
“Shut up, monk,” the hanyou mumbled.
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Kikyo and the soul collectors walked into a dark cave. She understood that only living humans would suffocate in this cave. She turned around and saw Naraku disguised as Kagome.
“Be cheerful and happy, and he will never find out,” She suggested. Then Naraku left. Kikyo turned to the cave and created a barrier that only allowed the real Kagome to come in. She sat on a rock and waited.
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When Sango’s wounds were dressed with herbs, the gang set out to collect more shards. Kaede had told them that a village was attacked by 5 demons that seemed to be in a group.
“5 demons. Keh, that’s us, not counting that little moron.”
Shippo was angry by now.
“THERE ARE 6 OF US! Or should we say 5, because not counting that dog-demon?”
InuYasha kicked him in the air and fiddled with him like a soccer ball. Kagome ran between them and held a halt.
“Will you two quit arguing? I already have a headache!”
Shippo jumped onto her shoulder.
“Yeah! What she said!”
Unexpectedly, a small flea did the same to InuYasha.
“InuYasha-sama! Good to see you again!”
He sucked up some blood from InuYasha’s nose. InuYasha crossed his eyes to look at him, then took him off with his four-finger and thumb.
“You want me to send you to the clouds, Hyoga?”
Hyoga started sweating because he was scared.
“N-no!”
InuYasha smiled evilly.
“Well too bad!”
And he snapped the flea away.
“Hey, what’s that?”
Kagome pointed to a giant green soul collector. And before anyone could stop her, she ran after it, right into Kikyo’s barrier.
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Everyone knew that there was some sort of barrier out there, so InuYasha told the group to continue to the village without him. He took 8 steps back and charged towards the barrier, but he still didn’t go through.
“Damn, it must be Naraku!”
He tried again, but it didn’t work. InuYasha leaped into the air and sniffed out Kagome’s scent. When it was getting stronger, he landed onto the shore of a river. He looked across and saw Kagome. She was skipping stones and laughing.
“And to think THEY would let me play! All this shard detecting is really tiring; I could have just killed them all with my bow and arrow!” InuYasha’s ears twitched. He couldn’t believe it! Without thinking, InuYasha took out his tessaiga and sprinted towards the school girl. Kagome turned around and aimed her arrow at him.
“Die now, InuYasha! You stink’n half-breed!”
He stopped.
“K-Kagome, y-you didn’t just say that, did you?”
Kagome smirked.
“Of course I did. You thought that I loved you? The whole time, you’ve been going after that Kikyo bitch and…”
“WHAT DID YOU CALL KIKYO?!?!?!?!?!?!?!”
He dashed at her with hatred. Kagome cackled, ran out of his way and departed.
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Kagome stumbled towards the cave. I hope InuYasha and the other’s are fine. The soul collector was odd looking, and it went in there. For some reason, she wanted to follow it. As if a spell was making her…
She tripped on a loose branch in the cave and fell through a large hole. But instead of freefalling, she floated and landed gently in front of…Kikyo!
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“FOX-FIRE!”
Shippo let out a blue flame and it hit the red snake-demon. It hissed at him, and then died. Sango threw her boomerang and killed 3 demons in one blow. Miroku successfully beat the life out one demon with his golden chain pole. The three demon slayers congratulated each other and rode Kilala to set up a nearby camp in the woods. When they finally settled down, Shippo roasted some fish for all of them to share.
“InuYasha’s been gone for a while, do you think he’s okay?” Shippo asked. Sango paused from her fish.
“I don’t know. Hey, Miroku; maybe we should go check on him, just incase it’s about you-know-who”
Miroku knew it was about Kikyo, and agreed.
“Kagome’s our best friend, we should do what we can to comfort her!” Shippo said with a big grin.
“That is, if that’s the problem. If we go there and find that it isn’t related to Kikyo at all, they would wonder why we didn’t mind our own business,” Sango added. But they quickly took some fish to eat on their way to the same place they all started.
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“Kikyo! Hi,Kikyo!”
Kagome waved as she ran towards her with joy. But half-way, she stopped and coughed deeply.
“Thought you could survive. Right, recarnation?”
Kagome coughed harder.
“What?”
Kikyo aimed her arrow at the girl.
“Kikyo?”
Her lungs urged for oxygen.
“So this is all a set-up, isn’t it? What have I done to you?”
Kagome forced herself up and faced Kikyo with her arm covering her mouth.
“You have done many things. The one I’m concerned about is your relationship with InuYasha”
Kagome’s eyes widened.
“….So that is why you are about to die, Kagome!”
And she aimed her arrow fiercely at Kagome. Kagome’s eyes were leaking tears. She couldn’t believe a word that Kikyo said. Kagome dropped to her knees, weakening. But her eyes still stuck on Kikyo.
“Be quiet! I can’t tell you how much I HATE you! Leave this world this instance…goodbye!”
And the arrow sprang towards Kagome. She turned her body, which made the arrow strike her back. She gasped, and then fell. Kikyo stood there for a moment, and then broke her barrier. She knelt beside Kagome’s body and remained silent for the soul to come out; her own soul.
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Shippo spotted InuYasha beating a giant rock. Sango signaled Kilala to land and paced over to the hanyou.
“What are you doing, InuYasha?”
He turned to her with a big scowl on his face and tried his best to explain to her what happened without beating her up too. When he was finished, he continued on with the rock. Sango returned to Miroku and Shippo and repeated the news with a shaky voice.
“That does not sound a bit like Kagome! She’s nice, and I know it,”Shippo cried.
Miroku nodded.
“It must be someone else trying to pretend to be Lady Kagome.”
It seemed as if a light bulb popped over his head.
“Maybe…let me tell InuYasha.”
She felt like a messenger, but went to him anyways.
“A fake? Are you sure?”
InuYasha stopped pounding the rock and twitched his ears.
“If you don’t believe us, then the real Kagome will probably be hurt somewhere. It’s probably some sort of trap, InuYasha. Don’t fall in it.” InuYasha rubbed his knuckles and grieved.
“I hope you guys are right”
Shippo hopped onto InuYasha’s head and screamed in his ear.
“OF COURSE WE’RE RIGHT! WE’RE YOU’RE FRIENDS!”
InuYasha prepared his fist and used it on the fox-demon’s head.
“Fine then! Let’s go save Kagome!”
The group was content and followed InuYasha to the mountains, by his scents of smell.
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Naraku’s arrival didn’t affect Kikyo at all. She was still waiting for her soul to come out from her recarnation’s mouth.
“Working for you is a pleasure, but I do not think that will happen,” Kikyo admitted. Naraku turned to his own form again.
“Why is that? Are you not satisfied?”
Kikyo lifted her head.
“She is not dead yet; my soul will only return to me if the body it’s in is dead.”
Naraku took a step closer.
“Be patient, it will come.”
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InuYasha sprang with all his might, he didn’t care if she was in danger or not, at least he could find her. Behind him, Sango was full of concerns; she didn’t want to disappoint him if Miroku’s guess was wrong.
“I smell her! She’s really close!”
Kilala seemed to listen and trailed behind him.
“I hope she’s all right, Kagome just went after that soul collector,” Shippo uttered. InuYasha stopped.
“Soul collectors…this is not what I think it is, right?”
Shippo widened his left eye at the dog-demon.
“Now you’re thinking”
“No! No! It can’t be!”
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Kikyo was becoming more impatient than ever. She took out a dagger from her sleeve and held it above Kagome’s forehead.
“Kikyo!”
She turned around and saw InuYasha and the gang.
“What are you doing with Kagome?”
Naraku fled in front of her and reached out his tentacles. InuYasha sliced them up with his tessaiga.
“I dare you to kill Kagome, Kikyo. ‘cause I found out who you really are!”
His eyes showed extreme hatred towards the priestess. Kikyo stood up facing InuYasha.
“This is our only opportunity to be together again, InuYasha,” she said calmly. InuYasha bared his teeth.
“I never said OUR, I never said ‘kill kagome’, and I never said that this was the right thing to do!”
Kikyo twinkled her eyes at him.
“I am to kill her so that my soul will be returned to me. If I do, then I’ll be alive again, to love you again.”
InuYasha paused and turned around. Miroku and Sango were wheezing from the lack of oxygen in the cave.
“WHAT ARE YOU GUYS WAITING FOR? GET OUT AND SAVE YOURSELFS!”
When the demon slayer and the monk heard this, they ran as fast as they could out the opening. Shippo approached the scene carefully.
“Stop! Let me solve this by myself! Go out with Miroku and Sango!”
Shippo obeyed. Kikyo had a sorrowful look in her eyes as she gazed at InuYasha.
“You love her more than me, don’t you? Ever since I pinned you to the tree, you hated me, didn’t you?”
With every word she spoke, she pressured InuYasha. He placed the tessaiga on Naraku’s neck.
“Leave yourself out of this, Kikyo can wait.”
Kikyo stuck her eyes on InuYasha as he left. InuYasha bent down to pick up Kagome, but Kikyo’s hand blocked him.
“Don’t touch her. Answer me first.”
InuYasha hesitated. Kikyo assumed that he loved Kagome more. She removed her block, replaced the dagger, and left the cave.
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Sango hacked and dropped on top of Miroku. Shippo ignored them and looked into the sky. Night was falling, and he could tell that tomorrow night, InuYasha will become human. Somehow, InuYasha reminded him of Kagome, which made the memory of her in the cave squeeze his heart. He heard a slap and was immediately distracted by Sango.
“Oh look, another mosquito! Feel the pain?”
She shuffled her hands together. Miroku ignored the sting in his cheek and wished he had more time to figure out why there were mosquitoes in a cold time of year like this. Then he felt another sting.
“Miroku! Good evening! How’s InuYasha-sama?”
He squinted at the flea on his nose. Shippo brightened up.
“Hey, Hyoga! I thought you’d never come back!” He let out his hand for the flea to hop on.
“Of course I had to! InuYasha-sama needs me more than anything! So what brings you here at a foul location like this?”
“Kagome got injured, maybe she’s killed. I hope not,” he sniffed.
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InuYasha waited until the coast was clear then gently picked up Kagome without sticking the arrow further into her back.
“Forgive me, Kagome. Please wake up!” He shook her lightly. Footsteps came and the demon slayer placed down her boomerang and knelt beside him. She had a mask on to protect her.
“Let me check the arrow, I have a feeling that Kagome isn’t dead.”
InuYasha put Kagome down, and let Sango go onto her business of pulling out the arrow. Blood leaked from Kagome’s mouth. Sango examined the arrow head and took a small sack from her pocket. She sprinkled some sort of white powder on the arrow head and let it dissolve. To InuYasha’s surprise, the arrow head disappeared, leaving only a stick with a feather tail.
“What did you, how did you…”
“It’s not a real arrow, InuYasha. Kikyo shot it without knowing it. It’s arrowhead is just an image and feels like one. The top is actually poison.”
InuYasha swung his body away from Kagome’s body and wept silently.
“Don’t cry, InuYasha!” Shippo said when he popped up out of nowhere.
“…remember you said that no man should ever shed tears no matter what?”
He patted InuYasha’s lap instead of his head because he was too short.
“I AM NOT CRYING! LEAVE ME ALONE!” He pushed Shippo into Sango.
“InuYasha, hold your temper and listen. Kagome is not dead; she is just stabbed by poison that is too weak to cause death. She’s just uncautious.”
InuYasha remembered the last time Kagome got poisoned, and he knew who could save her…Hyoga. He scampered out the cave and went to look for the parasite.
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The next morning, Kagome stirred and opened her eyes, and the first two things she saw was Hyoga and Shippo. InuYasha was outside the hut with his arms crossed, brainstorming of what to do the next time he saw Kikyo. He was a stubborn one, always switching his mind back to her. Sango and Miroku had left to slay more demons they heard of from a villager.
Kagome tried to get up, but her back was too sore to support her. So she just laid there listing to Shippo’s sweet little voice talk.
“…And so he made Kikyo run away. That’s when Sango told him about you not being dead. She also told us what the arrowhead was…”
“Where’s InuYasha?”
Shippo closed his mouth and sat on her pillow.
“He’s thinking about Kikyo again. He wanted to apologize. That idiot.”
Kagome sighed deeply.
“I’m the one who should apologize, you see…”
Shippo jumped. A hand reached down and grabbed him by the tail.
“I heard that, Shippo. I am not an idiot!”
InuYasha flung him across the room.
“Sorry, Kagome. Forget what he said. I am never going to go after Kikyo ever again, I pro-“
“Don’t promise me that.”
“Huh?”
“I’m the one who broke you and Kikyo up when I came here.”
InuYasha felt like shouting.
“STOP IT! IT ISN’T YOUR FAULT! NARAKU DID IT! FORGET ABOUT KIKYO!”
But when he saw Kagome’s hurtful eyes, he calmed down. InuYasha took a bottle of brownish liquid and showed it to Kagome.
“You’d better drink this. Hyoga says that he sucked up the poison as well as some of your blood. You need to restore them.”
Kagome smiled and reached out to grab the bottle. Again, she tried to get up. InuYasha noticed and went to support her.  He carefully lifted her up and let her lean against him.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Kagome whispered.
She then looked at the bottle with disgust and forced it down. When she finished, Shippo volunteered to put it away. InuYasha tucked her back into the floor bed made of blankets and pillows.
“You stay here, Kagome. I’m going to go find the others and see if they need a hand. Shippo…” The fox-demon turned to him. “…take care of Kagome and make sure that she drinks at least 2 bottles of Hyoga’s medicine today before we return.”
Shippo nodded, and let Hyoga fill up another bottle.
“I’ll be back, Kagome. Don’t worry.”
And he left the hut.
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Nobody knew that InuYasha was lying. He wasn’t looking for Miroku and Sango. Instead, he was looking for the priestess to pay an apology. He hushed when he saw Kikyo alarmed at his arrival. Kikyo’s jet black hair was down and covering most of her face.
“Go away, InuYasha”
He stepped closer. Kikyo fell to her knees and cried with her back facing him.
“GO AWAY!!!”
“Kikyo…I’m sorry,” he said in a soft voice.
Kikyo turned to him and held up two fingers together. A blue glow formed around her fingers, and it began to surround herself.
“You have chosen, InuYasha. I hope you are guilty.”
InuYasha tried to grab her to the surface when the glow lifted her up.
“I…KIKYO!!!”
He watched with sorrow as she floated peacefully away.
“I have chosen? Why can’t I choose both? Maybe I should ask the monk.”
and he made his way to Sango and Miroku’s location. Little does he know that behind the bushes, was Shippo.
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Shippo explained to Kagome what happened after her third bottle of medicine. When he was finished, Kagome’s back was facing him.
“Shippo, it’s okay. If he picks Kikyo, it’s up to him. I don’t want to be the boss of his life. Let him choose.”
“But Kagome!”
Kagome took her book from her backpack and made some room next to her.
“Sit here, Shippo. I’ll read this story to you, okay?”
Shippo nodded. He could tell that Kagome wanted to avoid the subject as much as possible. He cuddled up next to her and listened attentively to her story telling voice.
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“…just remember to not let them know, okay?” The monk advised.
“You sure this going to work?”
A sweat drop ran down Miroku’s forehead. Sango’s boomerang was about to target.
“Don’t listen to him; even I have experienced his plans.”
She hit him and walked off leaving Miroku with a big bump on his head.
“Eh heh heh. Yeah, what she said.”
But when he opened his squinted eyes, InuYasha had walked off too. Miroku turned both ways and sighed.
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“…the end,” Kagome concluded.
She looked down and saw Shippo snoring. Kagome left her book on the ‘bed’ and placed the blanket up to Shippo’s neck. She stretched and was satisfied because her back was better. Shippo stirred in his sleep. Kagome got out and sat on the grass at the front of the hut. She realized that the stars were out. Kagome hugged her knees and thought about what she had said to Shippo before the story. If InuYasha is going to choose Kikyo, then it will be hard for him because she hates him now. I should help her. Kagome shrugged and looked at the field below. This cliff is not big enough, maybe the one near Mount. Fuji will do. She then breathed in the fresh, night air and went ahead.
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InuYasha, sango, Miroku, and Kilala boomed into the hut and saw Shippo sleeping. InuYasha was the first to notice Kagome’s absence. He shook Shippo violently and screamed, “WAKE UP!” in his ear. Shippo yawned and sprinted out of the mattress.
“Tell me where’s Kagome! Tell me NOW!”
Shippo squeaked at the empty bed and tried to apologize.
“I didn’t! I never knew! She was reading this really good story and I fell asleep! I’m sorry!”
InuYasha tortured a plastic bottle that used to hold the medicine. Sango settled everyone down with a cup of tea.
“Shippo, I trusted you. Do you know what made her do this?”
Shippo stood there, guilty.
“I…I told her that you went to see Kikyo.”
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The wind gently blew through Kagome’s hair as she looked down at the river below. Her surroundings were a misty and foggy environment. She stepped back. Am I really ready to do this? Is it right? She gulped and kept herself warm by rubbing her arms.
“Mama, Grandpa, Souta, Sango, Shippo, Miroku, Kaede, your hearts will truly break if you find out that I’m going to do this. InuYasha…”
She bravely went to the edge of the cliff. Kagome held her breath.
“Here I go…”
A rustle of bushes froze Kagome in place. She didn’t dare to see who, or what it was.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, KAGOME?!?!?”
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Shippo admired the tiny tea leaves in his cup and jugged up the last sip. Sango was resting on Kilala’s side by the crackling fire. Miroku took Shippo’s cup and stored it near the wall. It was a silent evening for them until Shippo struck up a conversation with Miroku.
“Today’s the new moon, Miroku. I hope InuYasha is okay, don’t you think?”
“He’s worried about Kagome.”
Shippo gazed at the fire so he can forget about InuYasha’s anger.
“I think Kagome left so she can get away from InuYasha.”
Miroku tucked his hands into his sleeves and closed his eyes. Shippo was still too guilty to sleep. Besides, he already took a nap today.
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Her foot slipped off the edge and she leaned forward. InuYasha caught her right hand and was furious. Kagome was hanging at the edge.
“TELL ME, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
Kagome avoided his contact with her closed watery eyes.
“Just let me go! You’ll understand after I die!”
InuYasha reached out his other hand and grasped her left hand.
“NO I DON’T UNDERSTAND! TELL ME NOW OR ELSE I WON’T LET GO!”
Kagome’s eyes widened at his human form and something else. A white soul collector came out of nowhere and snapped their hands apart. As she dropped, a figure appeared behind InuYasha. Kagome looked below and screamed. InuYasha tried to jumped after her but the figure held him back.
“Let her do her fall, InuYasha; it was her choice.”
He sniffed out the figure’s scent of Kikyo. He fiercely pushed her aside and jumped off the edge. When he was nearly to the surface, he saw Kagome’s lifeless body lying facedown on the bank of the river. When his bare feet touched the rocky shore, a faint glow of a soul left her mouth. A soul collector snatched it right away and flew to Kikyo.
“Get back here, you filthy creature!”
He wished that tonight wasn’t the new moon. He really wanted to have sharp nails and his tegssaiga transformed again so he can slice up the soul collector. Or even worse, kill Kikyo for all her selfishness. Kikyo on the other hand, thought that he was just angry at the soul collector and not her. She caught her soul when it floated down and examined it.
“It’s been years since I was alive. This will help me escape from the line between life and death.”
She carefully inserted the white soul into her mouth.
“STOP! GIVE IT BACK!”
She placed her hand onto her cheek and smiled.
“Can’t you see that I’m revived again, InuYasha? Aren’t you happy that I’m alive again?”
She approached the edge and let her hair down. InuYasha growled. He remained next to Kagome.
“Come here, InuYasha. Kagome’s my recarnation, but now she’s dead.”
InuYasha gritted his teeth and growled louder.
“I’m not; I’m staying here with Kagome.”
Kikyo accepted and let the soul collectors carry her to InuYasha instead. When she landed, she dug into her sleeve and brought out a broken shell. She held it out to show InuYasha.
“Do you remember this gift that you gave me 50 years ago?”
She opened it, revealing the red lip-gloss inside.
“That was 50 years ago, and you were kind-hearted”
“I was, but tell me. Am I still kind-hearted now?”
InuYasha crossed his arms and looked at Kagome’s long, dark hair.
“No.”
Kikyo curled one of her front locks behind her ears.
“That’s because of Kagome. Kagome took my soul AND my kindness with her. She stole my goodness.”
InuYasha’s clenched his fist.
“NO, SHE DID NOT! SHE WAS BORN WITH IT! YOU CAN’T BLAME HER!”
He approached Kikyo that she had to back off into the shallow water.
“When I first saw Kagome, I thought she was you. But she claimed herself that she wasn’t.”
“But she is,” Kikyo added.
“No. She is NOT you. In fact, she is…”
He breathed in as he stared at the ripples of the water.
“…better than you.”
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Sango rubbed her eyes and sat up to see a shadow pass the screen doors. A voice that was so haunting, yet familiar, spoke.
“Sango, I have your brother. If you want him back, you must come out first.”
She zombied her way to the slight opening. Sango slide aside the doors and met face to face with Naraku.
“What do I have to do to get Kohaku back?”
She wasn’t afraid. Naraku turned his back toward Sango.
“You must win this battle tomorrow at my palace. You and your friends against me and my army alone.”
Sango hesitated, and then agreed with Naraku. This is crazy, she thought. But I’ll do anything to unite with Kohaku again.
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Another death occurred that night; it was Kikyo’s. The untransformed tegssaiga was dripping with blood and was wiped against the grass by it’s master. The soul was returned to Kikyo’s recarnation and it took a couple of minutes for her to be alive again. Guilt swept over the tegssaiga’s master, but he knew it was the right thing to do. The soul collectors flew away. They were free from the priestess at last.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naraku left Sango confused. She headed back into the hut and patted Kilala’s fur.
“Kohaku, be patient. I’ll be there soon.”
And she fell asleep.
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Kagome squinted her eyes and saw InuYasha’s. She sat up, alerted.
“What are you still doing here? Why am I not dead?”
Then she gasped at Kikyo’s bloody body. She pulled both of Inuyasha’s white locks and narrowed her eyes.
“You did not kill Kikyo, did you? Answer me!”
She let go and turned. Then she nested her head into her knees and sobbed.
“I hope you found out why I committed suicide.”
InuYasha’s ears twitched at her vocabulary, but then realized what she meant.
“I do.”
“Then why did you kill her?” Kagome mumbled.
InuYasha fiddled with a rock, trying to get the words out.
“I said, why did you kill her?”
“Because I don’t love her anymore, after every bad thing she’s done to you.”
Kagome forced up her head in surprise. His words repeated in her head.
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The next morning, Shippo jumped on InuYasha’s head for revenge. Or maybe just because he was exited that Kagome was back.
“You killed Ki-ki-yo, yaaaaaaaaaaaay!”
He bounced off InuYasha’s head and onto his shoulder.
“Shut up, you moron! Get off my head!”
He prepared his fist and used it on the fox-demon’s nose.
“Let’s forget about what happened last night, okay? I killed her because I wanted to, so quit bothering me.”
Shippo cried out as his nose started to bleed. Kagome dug into her backpack and got out some tissues. She plugged his nose and patted his back.
“Don’t cry, Shippo. Or it’ll get worse. On the other hand, INUYASHA…”
He turned his scared face towards Kagome.
“Ah! I-I did-didn’t me-mean to! Please don’t!”
“SIT BOY!”

The warm sunshine brightened up everyone as they made their journey to Naraku’s palace .to get some more shards. For some reason, the group walked in a different order today. Sango, Kilala, Miroku, and Shippo were leading in the front, while InuYasha stayed behind next to Kagome. Shippo noticed and awed.
“Those cute geezers. I think I know what else happened last night.”
The two turned red and looked away from each other.
“You two kissed, didn’t you?”
He smiled evilly, waiting to see if he was right.
“Shut up, Shippo. It’s none of your business!”
“I knew it! I knew it!” Shippo said in a sing-song voice.
Kagome sighed.
“When will you two stop arguing, huh? It’s getting on my nerves.”
“Hey! Lady Kagome!”
A man dressed in a blue kimono and brown hair waved ahead.
“Hojo’s ancestor? Hi!”
She waved back. InuYasha snickered.
“Oooooh! You’re jealous, InuYasha!”
InuYasha kicked Shippo into the air.
“Hold your tongue and let’s ignore him.”
Kagome noticed his words.
“InuYasha, be more respectful to others, okay? Just remember that you’re not the center of the universe.”
She snorted and walked next to Sango instead.
“Drama,” Shippo added.
The man came and held out a sack to Kagome.
“It’s for you! I found these peaches near Fuji Mountain, but tried my best to avoid this dead woman up there.”
He handed the fruits to Kagome.
“Ah? Thank you!”
She knew what he meant by ‘dead women’, but pretended not to notice. InuYasha made his way between Kagome and the man. He bared his teeth at him.
“Thank you for the peaches, now leave us alone! She can talk with you in a million years!”
The man’s neck hair stuck up, and he ran away.  Miroku stared in amazement.
“Wow, InuYasha. You are a man with deep love. I wish ladies could see that from ME,” he complemented.
Sango slapped him.
“Eh hem!”
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Epilogue
Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kilala, and Hyoga munched up their meal in Kaede's hut. InuYasha had dragged Kagome away earlier.
"What do you think they're doing, Miroku?" Shippo asked.
"Probably something that I want to do with Sango someday," Miroku answered with a grin.
Sango twitched her eyebrow and gave him a black eye.
"If you wanna be a monk, then act like one!" She added.
Outside, InuYasha and Kagome sat against the ancient tree.
"Hey, InuYasha?"
"Yeah?"
"Remember you told me that you didn't love Kikyo anymore?"
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO MENTION KIKYO ANYMORE!!!"
But then he softened his look when he realized that she didn't accept that.
"I'm sorry I asked. But I still feel guilty for..."
She hesitated; her heart pounded faster. InuYasha had taken off his top piece of his fire rat robe. He wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Uh, InuYasha...what are you doing?"
She leaned back as he leaned forward toward her. InuYasha shushed her and grabbed her hand. Kagome was really 'dieing' now. He slowly closed his eyes as his lips brushed against hers. Kagome's eyes widened. What the hec was he doing? Even worse (to Kagome), something slimy tickled her front teeth. She returned the favor by licking his fangs. They were mighty sharp...who cares. InuYasha then pulled himself  away and buried his face into her hair. It didn't smell like graveyard soil like Kikyo's. And her lips were as soft as silk.
He whispered gently into her ear, "I love you"

~The End~