Dark Curse
Battle Of The Priestesses
Chapter 3: Battle Of The Priestesses
A/N: Kikyo and Tsubaki have a vicious battle. Who will be left standing? Hope you enjoy the latest chapter. I still do not own Inuyasha.
Tsubaki glared icily at Kikyo as she raised her right hand to create some of her dark energy. Kikyo narrowed her brown eyes hatefully and waited for her nemesis to make the first move. The dark priestess wasted no time in letting loose a burst of red purifying energy. Kikyo swiftly held up her left hand and sent an equally large burst of light blue purifying energy toward Tsubaki. Tsubaki frowned when her energy was entirely consumed by Kikyo’s energy. “You have forgotten Tsubaki, good is always more powerful than evil.”
“You always were a pure hearted little wretch and I can see that you still are even now! No matter I shall eliminate you this time Kikyo!” Kikyo grabbed her bow and notched one of her sacred arrows. She pulled it taut and then quickly released it. Her brown eyes watched as the soft pink aura formed around the arrow as it soared through the air.
The arrow struck Tsubaki’s left shoulder and the dark priestess gave a shrcry cry of pain. “Still think you can defeat me Tsubaki?”
“I’m not going to settle on simply defeatinu Kiu Kikyo, oh no I won’t rest until I have your head!”
“Suit yourself Tsubaki, but I shall not lay down without a fight.” Kikyo then notched another arrow and let it fly. Tsubaki used her dark powers to deflect the arrow.
“It shall take more than your pathetic arrows to bring me down you wretch!”
“I plan on doing whatever it takes Tsubaki.” Kikyo held out her hand and unleashed a massive burst of her miko energy. Tsubaki could not move fast enough and was struck by Kikyo’s purifying blast. She was thrown to the ground by the strength of Kikyo’s power and her body felt as if it were on fire.
Tsubaki forced herself to her knees and glared up at Kikyo. “Do you give up Tsubaki?”
“I won’t give up until you’re dead Kikyo!”
“Then I’m afraid that this ends now.”
“What are you talking about you stupid wretch?” In the blink of an eye Kikyo aimed a purifying arrow at the box that held the tainted Shikon No Tama. Tsubaki screamed out as she released a burst of dark energy. Kikyo released her arrow just as Tsubaki’s energy blast hit her.
The purifying arrow pierced the box and destroyed the barrier that surrounded the palace. The Shikon jewel hummed with it’s magnificent power as it rolled onto the floor. Kikyo crawled from her place on the stone floor of the palace to where the jewel lay. She reached out a trembling hand and retrieved the horribly defiled jewel. Tsubaki watched as the jewel instantly returned to it’s shade of pale pink as Kikyo’s fingers closed around it. “What have you done you stupid wretch? My curse, you broke the barrier! I’ll kill you for that Kikyo!”
Tsubaki strode over to where Kikyo lay holding the jewel and drew her sword. She held the blade up high over her head and then plunged it deep into Kikyo’s chest with great force. Kikyo gave a strangled cry as the sharp blade pierced her body. Tsubaki laughed coldly as she listened to Kikyo’s struggling attempt to breathe. “Foolish wretch, you take your dying breath now! I have dreamed of this moment for over half a century and now that it has come I’m almost sad.”
Kikyo’s eyes began to glaze over as her body began to succumb to her fatal wound. “Now that you are out of the way I shall finish off your reincarnation as well!” Sesshomaru’s golden gaze swept downward until it landed on Kikyo’s dying body. He couldn’t believe that Tsubaki had defeated Kikyo. The demon lord knew that he had to do something or else the malicious dark priestess would surely kill his brother and Kagome.
Sesshomaru moved with inhuman speed as he charged Tsubaki from behind. He drew Tokijin and prepared to run her through with it. Tsubaki was so engrossed in watching Kikyo die thhe fhe failed to sense Sesshomaru’s attack. She lurched forward as the blade of Tokijin impaled her sending her own sword to the ground with a loud clang of metal hitting stone. Sesshomaru yanked Tokijin from Tsubaki’s body as she turned to face him slowly.
Dark crimson blood began to spew from the wound in her chest. Sesshomaru glared at the dark priestess as he raised Tokijin. “Die wench! Now I shall send you back to hell from where you came!” He swung Tokijin and swiftly severed Tsubaki’s head from her body. Sesshomaru watched as the dark priestess’s body began to deteriorate immediately.
His amber gaze fell back to Kikyo. He could see the soul collectors hovering over her lifeless body preparing to take her to the realm of the dead. Scowling Sesshomaru unsheathed Tenseiga. He quickly swiped at Kikyo with the reviving blade and watched as the demon soul collectors were destroyed. Kikyo’s brown eyes fluttered open and she clutched her chest where the blade of Tsubaki’s sword had penetrated her. “I’m alive? How?”
“I revived you.”
“Why?” Sesshomaru remained silent for he himself did not know why he had revived the priestess. He helped Kikyo to her feet and then grabbed the newly purified Shikon jewel.
“Can you lift the curse Tsubaki placed on Kagome?”
“I can try.”
“Will you?”
“As a miko it’s my duty to try and save the lives of others.”
“No matter that the person’s life in danger is none other than the woman you despise?” Kikyo nodded silently and followed Sesshomaru out of Naraku’s palace. Sesshomaru scooped Kikyo up in his arms earning a small cry of surprise from the priestess. Outside Naraku’s palace Miroku and Sango ran up to greet the demon lord and priestess.
“Sesshomaru, where is Naraku?”
“He has already managed to escape demon slayer.”
“Where are you taking Kikyo?”
“She has given her word that she will try to lift Tsubaki’s curse on Kagome, monk.” Then Sesshomaru took to the sky with Kikyo still securely in his arms. Sango and Miroku climbed back onto Kirara and headed back towards Kaede’s hut.
Back at Kaede’s hut Kagome was struggling in Inuyasha’s tight almost bone shattering embrace. Inuyasha pulled the raven haired young woman flush against his muscular body pressing his hips firmly into hers. Kagome let a small whimper slip from her mouth when she felt Inuyasha’s hardness press into her. “Inuyasha, please get away from me before I hurt you!”
“No Kagome, I won’t leave you! Don’t you understand that?”
“Why must you be so foolish Inuyasha?” Inuyasha grabbed Kagome’s face with his calloused hands and held it firmly so she had no other choice but to look at him.
“Because I’m in love with you Kagome, that’s why I won’t leave you!” Tears began to spill from Kagome’s blue gray eyes quickly as Inuyasha’s sweet words rang in her eaIt fIt felt as if her heart was being ripped from her chest. The man that she loved had just declared his love for her and yet she was struggling to keep herself from trying to kill him.
Kagome whispered hoarsely to Inuyasha as her hands moved up to close tightly around the hanyou’s throat. “I’m so sorry Inuyasha, please forgive me!” She began to tighten her grasp on his neck forcing his breath to be pushed from his lungs. Inuyasha’s amber eyes began to glisten with unshed tears as he stared down at Kagome.
Kagome was crying as she involuntarily choked the life from her beloved. Sesshomaru entered the hut with Kikyo to see Kagome strangling Inuyasha. He released the priestess and raced over to Kagome. The demon lord ripped Kagome out of his half brother’s embrace and held her by the throat. Inuyasha let loose a low growl of warning. “Let her go Sesshomaru!”
“She was trying to kill you, you fool!” Kikyo padded over to them and gestured for Sesshomaru to release Kagome. Sango and Miroku entered the hut to watch the priestess work her magic as well. Inuyasha watched as Kikyo stood in front of Kagome and placed her palm against her forehead. She sent a pulse of purifying energy through Kagome’s body to cease her from struggling.
“Now. Sesshomaru?”
“Yes Kikyo?”
“Will you gather me some green tea leaves and ginger root?”
“Of course.”
“Sister Kaede?”
“Aye Kikyo?”
“Heat some water over the fire pit please?”
“Of course Kikyo.” The elderly miko set to her task at once. Sesshomaru raced through the forest using his demonic speed. He quickly came to an open field and found a small group of ginger plants. Using his razor sharp claws he dug up one plant and hacked off a large portion of the root. Then he hurried into the forest once more in search of a green tea tree.
Finding one a short distance into the forest Sesshomaru ripped off a branch covered with green tea leaves. The demon lord quickly headed back towards Kaede’s hut and gave Kikyo the items she had asked for. “Thank you Sesshomaru.”
He gave her a half smile half smirk before responding in his normal emotionless tone. “You’re welcome.” Kikyo placed the ginger ronto nto the pot of boiling water and set to stripping the tea leaves off their branch. After removing all the leaves she placed them into the water as well.
Inuyasha wrinkled his nose at the scent of the ginger root and green tea leaves. “What the hell are you doing with that stuff?”
“Kagome will drink it when it is ready.”
“I hope it tastes better than it smells, because it smells awful!” Kikyo helped Kagome to lie back on the futon. Soon the ginger root and green tea leaf mixture was readikyoikyo spooned some of the liquid into a small wooden bowl and handed it to Kagome.
“Here Kagome, drink this.” Kagome took the bowl from Kikyo and tilted it to drink from it. The liquid burned in her throat all the way down to the pit of her stomach. Suddenly Kagome dropped the bowl making it fall to the floor with a thud causing the remaining liquid to spill out. She began to gasp for air clutching her throat.
Inuyasha glared at Kikyo his amber eyes burning with suspicion. “What the fuck did you do to her Kikyo? What’s wrong with Kagome?”
“The serum is forcing the tainted shards and toxins from Kagome’s body.”
“If she dies I’ll kill you, I swear it!” Sesshomaru quickly stepped in between Kikyo and his brother.
“Stop this Inuyasha, Kikyo is trying to help Kagome, not kill her!”
“How do you know that? Kikyo hates Kagome!”
“She gave me her word as a priestess!”
Kikyo knelt down by Kagome’s side and placed a hand on her forehead. “Kagome can you hear me?”
“K-Kikyo? What’s happening?”
“I will, I lobe Kagome. I won’t let anything else hurt her.” Kikyo’s brown eyes glistened with unshed tears as she turned to Sesshomaru.
“Thank you for all you’ve done Sesshomaru. I shall take my leave now.”
“I shall accompany you.” Inuyasha watched his older brother in confusion as he headed towards the door with Kikyo.
“Sango, Miroku?”
“Yes Inuyasha?” They both replied.
“I think it’s best if I take Kagome back home to her time so Naraku can’t harm her anymore.”
“Will you be back?”
“I’ll return when Kagome’s body is free of the curse, I promise Sango.” Sango and Miroku nodded and watched the hanyou scoop Kagome up. He crept out into the night and sprinted towards the bone eater’s well.
Inuyasha jumped into the dark well and was taken five hundred years into the future to Kagome’s time. He scaled the wall of her house and slipped into her room through the unlocked window. He stripped Kagome out of her sweaty clothes and lay her in bed. Inuyasha decided that he would lay next to Kagome while she slept.
He draped an arm around her waist and curled his muscular form around her much smaller one. Placing a gentle kiss on her temple he whispered softly to her. “I love you with everything that I am Kagome, please come back to me!” Finally the hanyou allowed his tired amber eyes to close. Here they would be safe from Naraku and Kagome could heal without Inuyasha having to fear another attack.