InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Daughter of the West ❯ Kikyo's Whip and Inu-Yasha's Forgotten Soul ( Chapter 26 )

[A/N: Okay. Quick review response today. MoonGoddess101, thank you. Same goes for aqua angelz. Kagome-the-Helfbreed, sorry I can't email you the chapters themselves, but if you'd like I can email you when they come out, and Rabid-Inu-Girl, I do too. Phew! *Takes a quick breather* Okay, hope you enjoy!]

Daughter of the West

Chapter 26: Kikyo's Whip and Inu-Yasha' Forgotten Soul

Kikyo walked through the woods, not even noticing Kagome, Miroku, and Sango. Well, it was much more like she chose not to notice. If we follow her, Kagome thought, She should lead us to Inu-Yasha! Kagome nudged Kirara with her heel, and the flaming cat started moving. "What are you doing, Kagome?" Sango asked. "If we follow Kikyo," she started, "We're bound to find Inu-Yasha!" They were about to run after Kikyo when they saw a streak of silver stop a few yards before them, kicking up dust as it skidded to a stop. Of course, it was Sesshomaru, a battered Kimi in his arm. His eyes were darting around, as if scanning every inch of space before him.

Kagome noticed the fire in his eyes. In all of the battle she had seen him fight, she had never once seen this peaceful bloodlust. It had seemed to only appear when Kimi was endangered. "W-what…happened?" she asked. Her question was answered with only a sullen growl. "That undead priestess…where is she?!" he demanded angrily.

Unbeknownst to Sesshomaru, Kimi began to stir. "Sessho…maru?" she asked. The demon immediately lost interest in tracking down Kikyo and looked down at her. "Are you alright?" he asked, nearly sounding sweet. Kimi smiled a little, placing a finger on the mark on his neck. "And you?" she asked in reply. He smirked down at her a little. After a final glance, Sesshomaru looked up at Kagome. "I would go after Inu-Yasha if I were you. That priestess told me of her plans to drag him off to hell," he said, adding a sadistic smirk as he finished. Kagome gave him a slight look of distrust, but after a moment, they went off to find Inu-Yasha.

Kimi groaned a little. "Sesshomaru…put me down," she said. Of course, he did so, and after staggering a few feet, she tripped. The dog demon walked over, slipped his arm around her, and held her up. "You can't walk worth a damn, Kimi," he said bluntly, smirking a little. She looked up at him and sighed. "I'm just achy, that's--" She was interrupted when Sesshomaru caught her lips in a kiss. She felt like she was melting against him. She gently put her arms around his neck, and a few moments later, they separated. "What was that for?" she asked. "I'm just worried about you, that's all," he said, picking her back up. "I'm not a child, you know," she said, a hint of sarcasm. Sesshomaru sighed. "Well, you certainly act like one sometimes."

Kagome began to panic. "INUYASHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!" she yelled. Once again, there was no reply. "Dammit! We lost Kikyo!" she hissed. Miroku looked back at her. "Calm down. We'll find Inu-Yasha and if he's in any danger, save him," he said, hoping to calm her. Through their conversation, Kirara let out a growl, pulling to go in a certain direction. "What is it, Kirara?" Sango asked. The flaming feline let out a sharp growl, still pulling in the other direction. "I think…she's sensing Kikyo," Kagome said. Sango smiled a little. "Then, let's go the way she wants!"

Kikyo came to the cliff's edge. Looking down, she saw Inu-Yasha, lying in a limp pile. Everything had gone according to her plan. Inu-Yasha had tried to save the golem that Lady Aya had sculpted for her, and therefore was pulled from the ledge, leading to him now lying at the bottom, barely clinging to life. Now, she could put him through even more pain and then easily send him to hell, and join him after she had returned the jewel shard and soul-stealing orb to Lady Aya. A moment later, he soul skimmers approached, and wrapped themselves around her arms and floating under her feet. She took a step off the cliff, and the soul skimmers supported her. As if she were walking on stairs, she headed downward, heading to Inu-Yasha.

When she reached the bottom, she ruefully walked over to where Inu-Yasha lay, a smug look on her face. "Well, well, if it isn't the littlest half-breed," she said, a sadistic look about her. With all his strength, he looked up at her. "Why…are you doing this to me…Kikyo?" he asked, sounding hurt, both emotionally and physically. She kicked him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. "Don't be so naïve, Inu-Yasha," she said, pulling her sutra out of her belt. "Do you know what this is?"

He looked up. As far as he could tell, it was just an average, scroll of purification. But he knew Kikyo better then that. It was most likely something much, much more powerful. "Apparently, you don't. This sutra was written by a powerful priestess many years ago and then prayed over by one hundred Buddhist monks for one hundred days. It was made to defeat the most wicked and powerful of demons, and of course, is the only one of its kind." Inu-Yasha gaped. She was out to kill him, and to make sure that his death was long, agonizing, and painful.

Kikyo began reciting something in what sounded like an archaic language. After a few moments of this, Inu-Yasha felt a sharp twinge of pain in his chest. Then it got even more painful. After another minute of chanting, a blue light started to form around the sutra. The light began to spread, and then started to snake around the undead priestess. It was now like a whip. A whip of sacred energy. She swung it at Inu-Yasha, striking him on the back. It burnt right through his fire rat robe and white hakama, leaving a bloody wound on his back. Inu-Yasha let out a cry. "Kikyo…please…!" he pleaded. Kikyo struck him again, this time hitting his forehead. Inu-Yasha let out a pained cry, but this time, that was all.

What's…what's happening to me? Kikyo thought. Her body was moving to its own accord. She didn't, even after him betraying her, want to torture Inu-Yasha in such a cruel manner. She struck him again on the back, and his eyes turned red. Kikyo smirked, watching his fangs and claws grow. "Useless half-breed," she said, sounding as thought she were scolding him. Inu-Yasha struggled to his feet and poised his claws for her. With a growl, he leapt forward, but in his attempts to strike her, he missed desperately. However, when Kikyo spun around, she hit him directly. He let out another screech, but then looked up.

It was Kagome, Miroku, and Sango, all riding on Kirara's back. Inu-Yasha hissed up at them, like an abused animal. "He's like…a fear-trained animal or something," Kagome gasped. "We're…too late, Kagome. Inu-Yasha…he's too far gone for us to reach him," Miroku said, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. Kagome could feel tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't just let Inu-Yasha be dragged off to hell like that. At least, not without a fight. "Kikyo!" she shouted.

The priestess looked up at her. "You…? What do you want?" she demanded. Kirara flew toward the ground, and when she landed, all three of them got off, although it was Sango and Miroku's intentions to hold Kagome back. "Inu-Yasha!" Kagome called. The now rabid demon glared up at the time traveler. Inu-Yasha growled as he stood. He lunged at her, but Sango threw her boomerang at him, keeping him from getting to her. Kagome turned and glared back at Miroku and Sango. "Don't! I have to help him, not kill him!" she yelled. Reluctantly, Miroku and Sango stepped back. A small tear fell from Kagome's eye. "Inu-Yasha…please. Stop this…" she said. Kikyo smirked sinisterly, cracking her whip on him again. "He only answers to me now, foolish girl," she said sadistically. Kagome cried a little more, walking toward the ferocious half-breed. He swiped his claws at her, cutting her arm in different locations.

"Inu-Yasha…please!" she said again. There has to be some way to stop him! She thought. Then she remembered what Kikyo had said. She realized it then. To save Inu-Yasha, she had to stop Kikyo. But how? There was no way she could muster enough power. Kagome could sense jewel shards other then her own. One in Inu-Yasha's hand, one in Kikyo's bow, and another in the strange jewel that the undead woman was wearing. "Kikyo! Why are you using jewel shards?!" Kagome demanded angrily. Kikyo scoffed. "Shards? So, that Aya witch was controlling me," she growled. Kagome gaped. "Aya…wasn't she the one who was controlling Usagi?" she thought aloud. Kikyo smirked a little. "Well, all I have to do is get rid of this and then I can drag Inu-Yasha and you off to hell," she hissed, grabbing the glowing orb. She started to lift it, but by the time she had it up to her chin, she could feel her strength fading. Kikyo released the strange gem, scowling. Damn, she thought, She's got me caught up in her plans! Very well. I'll just go ahead and do as she wishes me to.

Kikyo smiled sinisterly and cracked her whip on Inu-Yasha again. Seeing him in such a state made Kagome's heart ache. But then she realized it. She could muster enough power to save him. Hse quickly reached up and grabbed the tiny jar that hung around her neck, which contained their six Shikon shards. Taking it in one hand, she smashed her hands together, almost as if she were clapping. She felt a wave of energy surge through her, and she opened her now bloody hands.

There were both fragments of glass and the Shikon jewel imbedded in her hands. I hope this works! "Kikyo!" she called angrily. The priestess in question looked up, but not before cracking Inu-Yasha with her sacred whip once again. "What? Do you give up?" she asked sarcastically. Kagome smirked. "No! I'm going to destroy YOU!!!!!!!!"

Kagome extended her hands, and in an instant, she could feel her energy rushing from her body in the form of a bright white light. As quick as lightning, Miroku and Sango found a safe-haven behind Kirara. Inu-Yasha was forced back and knocked unconscious, where he returned to his normal form. Kikyo simply scoffed. "Such a tainted power cannot break through such a sacred sutra," she muttered. Kikyo swiftly unrolled it and held it out, using as a shield. It was fairly effective for a few minutes, but then, Kikyo began to see the words on the other side shining through. "What…what is this?" she demanded. As Kagome forced more of her own energy out of her body, she weakened.

"No…I have to…defeat…Kikyo!" she gasped. With this added willpower, her power burnt the words of Kikyo's sutra straight through, breaking her shield. The tattered remnants of the sutra were gone in an instant, and as the power ate away at Kikyo's earthen body, the strange gem she worearound her neck began to glow. When Kagome's burst of power was gone, so was Kikyo, jewel shards and all.

Kagome fell weakly to her knees, and then fell on her stomach. "She's…gone," she said, sounding ashamed, "I…l-let her…get…away." Kagome looked at her wounded arm, and then, with no regard to herself, began dragging herself toward Inu-Yasha's limp form. "Inu…Yasha?" she asked as she neared him. The bloody and burnt hanyou opened his eyes a little. "Ka…go…me? Was that…you?" he asked. Kagome was finally next to him, looking down at his smiling face. "I couldn't…do it. I didn't have…enough strength…to kill Kikyo," she admitted. He smiled as best he could. "I don't…care, Kagome," he said reassuringly. Kagome smiled back at him, and her lips lazily fell on his. They shared a mild kiss for a moment, until the young time traveler blacked out.

Miles away, somewhere in a distant part of the forest, Kikyo awoke. Her earthen body was badly damaged, and there was a sharp pain in her chest from a lack of new souls. When she heard footsteps, she weakly looked up. It was Aya, in all of her green-haired glory. "You…failed…MISERABLY!!" she yelled, kicking the undead priestess in the gut. Kikyo let out a gasp. Aya bent down, first taking the jewel shard out of her bow, and then ripping the jewel off of her neck. Aya quickly slipped the free jewel shard into a pocket and melted the gem in her hand, slipping the shard that had been in its center along with the other one. Kikyo gaped as she did so. "I…I need that!" she yelled weakly. Aya smirked a little. "I don't see why. It was just a crystallized orb of a special potion that can contain souls with a jewel shard at its center. And I'm sure you'll be just fine until your soul skimmers arrive," she said sadistically.

Kikyo growled at her. The gods only knew what type of monsters could get her out here without any souls. Or that Kagome girl might even come back to finish the job! Kikyo shuddered slightly at the thought. Aya smirked a little. "What? You afraid you'll be eaten by something?" she asked sarcastically. Kikyo hissed at her. "I'm sure you're soul skimmers will return in time to save you. Anyway, I have business to tend to, so farewell for now." With that, the arrogant, green-haired woman walked off, leaving Kikyo to fend for herself.