Chapter 3:The Battle Of Hearts

Sitting on the ground in the middle of a clearing, tied in ropes was Rin. Off to the side was the creature that had taken her, sharpening it's blades, and to the other, hidden in a tree, was Kikyo. "You'll never defeat Sesshoumaru-sama! He'll come and save Rin! You'll see!" Rin was screaming at the creature. The creature simply responded with "Shut up." Before kicking her across the clearing, knocking her unconscious. In her tree, Kikyo was thinking over what would she would do. "When that reincarnation of mine arrives, I will take my soul back. Then, with no one to save him, I shall drag Inuyasha to hell where he belongs, eternal punishment for both of us." She thought, a twisted smirk coming to her lips. "Soon Inuyasha. Soon you will be mine."

Sesshoumaru landed a short distance away from where the clearing was supposed to be. Placing Kagome on the ground, he watched as she prepared her bow. He was always ready for battle, so he usually had no need to check his weapons, but for curiosity's sake, he touched the Tetsusaiga's hilt. He was unsurprised that it would once again not allow him to touch it. "Damn, I was planning to end this fight quickly." Thought Sesshoumaru, knowing that had he been able to draw it, he could end the battle with a single swipe. "I'm ready." he heard from the wench. Looking up, he was greeted with the sight of a determined looking Kagome, holding the bow in a ready position, an arrow already strung. Nodding, he turned towards the clearing and began to walk through the trees, Kagome following.

When they arrived at the clearing, they saw the creature standing, obviously waiting for them. "Where's Rin?" Kagome yelled at the creature. It simply nodded to the side of the clearing. Turning to look, they saw Rin sprawled on the ground, wrapped in ropes. Kagome began to run over before Sesshoumaru pulled her back suddenly. Where Kagome was standing was an arrow in the ground, a dark aura surrounding it. Kagome quickly looked where the arrow came from to see her worst enemy. "Kikyo…" Seeing that Kikyo had already stung another arrow, she ducked behind a tree to get her own ready. Looking at Sesshoumaru from behind the tree, she saw him clashing with the creature. "Why isn't he using the Tetsusaiga?" Pulling her head back as her power flared, an arrow thwacked where here head had been. Kagome felt an unfamiliar feeling burning in her as she started thinking. "She's shot me twice. She thinks she can kill me. She can't kill me, that stupid bitch! I'm gonna show her!" Rage beginning to fill her she spun out from behind the tree, shot an arrow, and dodged behind another tree. "Damn her! I'm not weak! " She thought as she prepared the next arrow. "I'll show them all who's stronger. I'll show them."

"Damn it! Why can't I sense his presence? How is he hiding his aura?" thought Sesshoumaru as he fought the creature, both of them evenly matched. Sesshoumaru's speed and strength were equal to the creature's agility and stealth. However, the creature was wearing down Sesshoumaru, for several blows had landed upon him. Off to the side, he could hear arrows flying in rapid fire, neither one hitting the other. Deciding to see how powerful the demon was, he used the poison from his hand. The creature simply dodged the poison. It pulled out a throwing star, and threw it at him. Unable to dodge, he prepared to block the tossed object. Suddenly, an arrow intercepted the star. Taking a quick look at Kagome, he saw her duck behind a tree an arrow flew towards her. He also noticed that she was running out of arrows. "I need to end this soon, or both Rin's and the girl's lives will be in peril." He returned to battering upon the creature with renewed strength.

She knew she was almost out. In fact, she was on her last arrow. "Damn. I need to make this one count." Whirling out from behind the tree, she dodged Kikyo's arrow, and took careful aim at Kikyo. "Almost…almost… got it!" she yelled the last part as she released the arrow, which impaled itself in the golem's thigh. Kikyo grasped the arrow, her eyes blazing with anger at being best by a replica. Exhausted, her rage burned out, Kagome diverted her attention when she heard the unconscious Rin awakening. She began to move towards her when she heard the sound of a bowstring stretching. Looking behind, she saw Kikyo stringing an arrow. "She's aiming to high, she'll never hit me." Trying to figure out what Kikyo was doing, she looked behind her at Rin, when it clicked. "She's not aiming at me…" Panic slowly filling her as she realized that Kikyo was aiming at Rin. Out of arrows, Kagome did the only thing she could. She began to run towards Rin when she heard the arrow firing. She swirled around, and threw herself into the arrows path. It struck her below the heart, it dark power flowing through her body. " Mother, I'm sorry…" was the last thought that drifted through her head as her lifeblood flowed out her wound.

Sesshoumaru was desperately trying to end the fight because the creature was gaining the upper hand, when he heard Rin shout. He pushed the creature back as he jumped towards a sight that froze his blood. Lying on the ground was Kagome, an arrow impaled below her heart, her blood flowing freely from the wound. "Sesshoumaru-sama, Kagome's hurt and she's not talking and Rin's scared." Said Rin, tears flowing freely. He looked at her face to her eyes still open, yet they seemed empty and dull, lifeless almost. He heard the incoming arrow, spun around, and shattered it with his hand. In the tree was the walking corpse and on the ground was the creature. As the creature walked towards him, Sesshoumaru felt a feeling in him, something unfamiliar towards him. It was some type of anger, one he had not felt before. He had experienced anger, rage, even jealousy, and he had contained them all behind his mask. This time however, the rage would not be contained. It would not be tamed by his control; it would not hide behind his cold face. The Tetsusaiga began to pulse as his protective instincts, long held within, burst from there cage. He placed his hand upon the blade, the pulse spreading through his body as he let the cold rage loose, his control over his body still present, yet he felt the fury overwhelm his mind as he drew the Tetsusaiga, it transforming into a blade of power. The creature leapt at him, it's blades all pointed at him. His head bowed towards the ground, he lifted his head, instilling the creature with its first and last experience of fear. For Sesshoumaru's face was contorted with fury, his eyes a bone chilling red, he emanated an aura of power as he held the blade at his side, bringing it up in a huge swing, power exploding from the blade when it pierced the creatures flesh, annihilating the being once known as the creature.

As the dust settled, the Dog Demon looked up, staring at the walking corpse. Kikyo gasped as she saw the look, knowing that if she didn't run, she would not last long against this monster. She began to flee when the first blast of power blew he out of the tree, directly into the path of Inuyasha, who had just arrived due to a note from a Naraku puppet. He caught Kikyo, comforting her a bit before putting her on the ground, to take on Sesshoumaru. Looking up, he saw that Sesshoumaru had already turned around, the Tetsusaiga in it's sheath walking towards a little girl and a body on the ground. Sniffing the air he realized who it was. "Let Kagome go, you Basterd!" yelled Inuyasha as he reached for a blade that he did not have. Inuyasha swore under his breath as he remembered that Sesshoumaru had the Tetsusaiga. Sesshoumaru, meanwhile, had ignored his half-brother, taking off his outer shirt, tearing off a bit to help clot the wound, and wrapped the rest around the girl for warmth, as she had started shivering. "Rin, get on my back." Said Sesshoumaru, his voice a whisper. Rin nodded, climbing on his back, his tail wrapping around her. He gently picked up Kagome, cuddling her into his arms, uncaring of the blood staining his shirt. He began to walk away when Inuyasha began his yelling again, Miroku and Sango having caught up. "What have you done to Kagome!" Sesshoumaru's back straightened, as the rage began to build, and was as quickly extinguished, as he whispered the only response he planned to give. "I, Sesshoumaru, have done nothing. It is the corpse you treat so kindly that you should ask what has been done." With that, he jumped into the air, Sesshoumaru putting as much power as possible into speed, knowing of a healer nearby that had much experience in such wounds. He left behind a stupefied Inuyasha and two humans who were staring at a living corpse that was passed out on the ground.