"Which way now?" Sango asked.
Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango had been looking for Kagome for hours. Inuyasha had been trailing her scent, but now it split off into two directions.
"Kagome's scent is going both ways," Inuyasha replied, growling in frustration. "Damn it!"
"I guess our only option is to split up," Miroku complied.
"Right." Inuyasha went to the left, while Miroku and Sango took the right path.
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What's going on? Kagome thought. Where am I?
Kagome was in pitch blackness, there was nothing she could see. She was freezing, and she looked down at her side.
Oh no!
Her side was bleeding yet... not. There was blood , but where some of her skin should have been, was nothing. It was like she was being slowly eaten away.
"This is your fate," A voice echoed.
Kagome scowled. "Hurukai."
Kagome reached for her bow and arrows on her back, but they weren't there.
What? Where are my bow and arrows?
Hurukai laughed. "You're just a soul, stupid girl. Floating here in darkness, slowly being eaten by my soul."
Kagome gasped. "No, you're wrong!"
"Am I? Because that... hmm...
injury of yours is proof enough."
Kagome looked down at her side again. It slowly moved about an inch, then stopped.
"When my darkness completely consumes your soul, you shall become one with me. Then you will have no hope of awakening. You will be trapped here, for all eternity, while I use your body to destroy and wreck havock on the world."
Kagome started to tear up. "I don't believe you! Inuyasha and everyone else will save me! And I plan to fight!"
"Do you honestly think you can?"
Kagome flinched.
"Yes, I know you can tell. I know you feel it. Your soul feels like its slowly being sucked away, like you're being erased from time and earth."
He's right, Kagome thought. I...
"Even when you die, you will stay trapped here. And I will show you some images of the people I will command you to kill, to make you suffer."
Kagome shook her head defiantly. "No.."
"Welcome to darkness," Hurukai stated. "My darkness."
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"Sango! Do you sense anything?" Miroku yelled over to her, running beside Kilala.
"No, not at all." She replied.
"We need to find Kagome; she doesn't have much time!"
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Inuyasha ran as fast as he could. He could smell her scent; it was getting stronger.
"Wait for me Kagome, wait for me! Hang it there!" Inuyasha flinched suddenly.
Sesshoumaru's scent?
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"Lord Sesshoumaru, where are we going, exactly?" Jaken asked nervously.
Sesshoumaru didn't answer, just kept walking. This is the girl's scent; Kagome.
"My Lord, please explain?" Jaken asked again.
Lord Sesshoumaru stayed silent.
Jaken sighed. He won't answer me! Jaken stopped right before he ran into Sesshoumaru.
"My Lord, what is it?" Jaken looked past Sesshoumaru.
Kagome was standing in front of them, not moving. She was staring straight at Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru stared right back. She is not herself, He thought. He narrowed his eyes.
Kagome didn't move, but her eyes flashed a dark red.
This scent...
Kagome charged at Sesshoumaru, her hands turning into razor sharp claws.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, but that was the only surprise he showed. He jumped back, dodging her blow.
Even for a human, her attacks are extremely fast,
"My Lord! Something is not right with the girl!" Jaken yelled.
Sesshoumaru shoved Kagome away easily, and jumped back. Kagome did not charge again, she just stood there, staring with her blood-red eyes.
I see, Sesshoumaru lifted a hand, and it turned green with poison. She is being controlled by the demon Hurukai.
A voice laughed histerically. "Sesshoumaru. How nice to see you again,"
"Hurukai. Why must you take the body of a mere human? A girl no other. Are you really that much of a coward?" Sesshoumaru taunted, with no emotion in his voice.
"Heh. Well then, kill the girl. She doesn't mean anything to you, does she?"
He charged at Kagome, and swiped a poison claw at her. Kagome dodged quickly, and summoned the red whips. She wrapped them around Sesshoumaru's body.
"What?" Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in surprise.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, no!" Jaken yelled.
"Whats the matter Sesshoumaru? Surprised by a simple human girl?"
Kagome raised her hand, lifting Sesshoumaru into the air. There was no emotion on Kagome's face; nothing at all. She flexed her fingers, and the whips tightened, sinking into Sesshoumaru's flesh.
Sesshoumaru cut away the whips, and pushed from the ground to swipe at Kagome with his claws. He got her cheek, and Kagome fell back, but she then quickly kicked at his heels. Sesshoumaru jumped away and charged again. Kagome raised her hands, and waited for Sesshoumaru. As he got close, Kagome blasted a jet of sacred power at him. Sesshoumaru dodged it, but it skimmed his arm and made it bleed.
Kagome ran up to him, her nails turning into razor sharp blades. She swung her hand, but Sesshoumaru caught it effortlessly.
"As if a human could defeat me," Sesshoumaru spat. His eyes widened suddenly.
Kagome used her other hand to blast a force of sacred power right into Sesshoumaru's chest. Sesshoumaru jumped back, and looked at Kagome with a hint of pain in his eyes. There was no injury, but inside Sesshoumaru Kagome's spiritual power was purifying his demonic aura. Kagome took out an arrow, and aimed her bow at Sesshoumaru. Sacred power swirled around her body, around her bow.
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Does he really think an arrow can hurt me?
"I'm insulted," Sesshoumaru replied aloud. He charged at Kagome, bringing out Tensaiga. I'll bring out Hurukai and kill him.
Kagome realeased her arrow, and the sacred aura was yards wide. Sesshoumaru dodged it, but the arrow hit Tensaiga. Tensaiga's power disappeared instantly, becoming a useless sword.
Tensaiga? Sesshoumaru thought with puzzlement. He stopped, and lifted his sword.
"I used the girl's sacred powers to disable your Tensaiga! That sword is the only thing that can force me out of her body; now it doesn't even work!" Hurukai replied through Kagome's mouth, half Hurukai's voice and half Kagome's. Kagome put the bow over her shoulder, still no emotion on her face. Her eyes were an even deeper red than before.
"You're trying to fuse with her soul," Sesshoumaru replied.
"Yes. And once I do, I will have ultimate power, and no one will stop me!" Hurukai yelled in triumph.
Kagome took attack position. Her right arm was stretched forward, with her palm facing Sesshoumaru, while her left arm was stretched out to the side of her.
"Shall we finish this?" Hurukai growled happily.
"Hmph." If I kill the girl, Hurukai will also die. I was hoping to use Tensaiga, to spare the girl. After all, she's saved Rin countless of times when Naraku was alive, Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes again. He charged, and summoned his poison claws.
"Sesshoumaru!"
Inuyasha jumped infront of Sesshoumaru, and swiped at him with his claws. Sesshoumaru jumped back, to come to a stand still.
Inuyasha flexed his claws. "What the hell is going on? Were you seriously going to..?" Inuyasha growled. "That's low even for you, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha turned back to look at Kagome, but she was gone. "Damn it," He cursed.
"Stupid Inuyasha. Don't you know what is going on?" Sesshoumaru replied.
"What?"
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and turned away, starting to walk away. "Hurukai is becoming one with her soul. Once he has completely devoured her, he will have incredible power." Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and stopped. "Jaken."
Jaken flinched but ran straight up to him. "Yes my Lord?"
Before Sesshoumaru could say anything, Inuyasha growled. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, Inuyasha, that Kagome is dying." Sesshoumaru said, deadpan.
Inuyasha froze. "W-What?"
"Kagome's soul will be absorbed by Hurukai, and there will be no hope in saving her."
"What's the deal, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha yelled at him. "What quarrel do you have with Hurukai?"
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "That, Inuyasha, is none of your buisness."
Inuyasha growled. "Stay away from Hurukai, he's mine!" Inuyasha ran, and disapeared through the trees.