You have Returned to me

'Thought'
"Speaking"
(Actions/sounds)
Italics - flashbacks
Italic & bold - writings
Baka - Stupid/Fool
Jii-chan – Grandpa
Gomennasai - I beg your pardon (id), excuse me
Ningen - human
Youkai - Demon
Kijo - demoness, witch, ogress, she-devil
Koishii – Beloved
Ayatsuri - Doll/Puppet
Onna - Women
Haori - Shirt
Hanyou - half demon
Hentai – pervert/lecher
0ooo0 - Scene Change or POV Switch


Chapter 6
My Missing Piece of Soul

The night was cool and a southern breeze wafted through the camp. Sango and Kagome had just returned from their bath and where sending looks towards each other ever since. The other occupants of the clearing had no idea what was going on between the two of them, they were acting strangely. All of them thought one thing 'Maybe something happened in the springs.' they had no idea how right they were. No one there, not even the females knew that their bath had been spied on and the only person to know what had happened was not currently within the clearing.


The camp was filled with light talk and the quiet snoring of the children and Jaken. The adults of the group used this time to discuss the coming problems between themselves.

"Inuyasha what else did Lady Kikyo say when she asked you to protect Kagome?" the houshi Miroku asked while looking at the hanyou in the tree.

The said hanyou jumped to the ground from his perch in the tree to walk towards them. He sat besides Kagome by the fire to take part in the discussion. "I told you all already what she said houshi! She said the final battle grows near, that I must protect Kagome. The complete jewel cannot fall into Naraku's hands and neither can Kagome. When Naraku attacked her he told her that he wished to take Kagome, Naraku had learned that in order to unlock the jewel's true potential he would need her to do it." replied Inuyasha while taking side glances at Kagome. He knew she did not like the topic of Kikyo but it could not be helped.


"This had proved to be the truth when he last attacked. He tried to take her." responded Miroku while looking at Sesshomaru entering the camp across from where he was seated.


His actions caused the others to turn and see him walking towards them. This was nothing big, no one had gotten overtly tense upon his entrance, they just turned and continued their discussion. Kagome however was still looking at him.

When his eyes met hers she spoke "Sesshomaru-sama would you care to sit? We are discussing what we know about Naraku and his plots. It may be beneficial to all to sit and exchange information." she said while forgetting about the command.


(CRASH) "waf da fok kogofe" The sound of Inuyasha hitting the ground caught all their attention. The sound of his mumbling could be heard.


Nervously laughing Kagome apologized "Opps!…Inuyasha I am so sorry I forgot!" she told him while waving a hand in front of her face to take there attention off her burning face. 'I need to remember that I can not say that word.' she thought while smiling sweetly at Inuyasha.


"WHAT THE FUCK KAGOME! What was that for?" an irate Inuyasha yelled after he got up of his hanyou shaped hole in the ground. 'Shit that hurt!' he thought while fuming, you could almost see the steam coming from his ears.


"I said I am sorry Inuyasha, don't blow a gasket!" she exclaimed while glaring at the rude hanyou "And watch your mouth around the children!" she said with a warning tone. Turning to regard her friends she saw all their questioning faces. "What?" she asked while looking at them all one by one.


"Gasket?" Sango asked curiously she wanted to know what Inuyasha would blow if he lost his temper. She had never heard of a gasket before.


"He he he, a Gasket is generally something used to prevent leakage between the two objects while under compression." she informed them with a nervous laugh. Sometimes she forgot where she was and people of this time did not know of what she spoke. She inwardly laughed 'At least they don't look at me like I'm crazy anymore.' she thought before glancing out the corner of her eye to see Sesshomaru sitting not far away 'I take that back, everyone but Sesshomaru does not look at me like I am crazy anymore.' she thought shaking her head to clear her unneeded thoughts. "Now where were we?" she asked her friends looking to change the subject before she died of embarrassment.


"Ah yes, were speaking of Naraku and his want to have you." the houshi stated giving a reprieve to his embarrassed friend.


"Yes I am not sure what he could possibly want with us other then the normal shard hunting, but he no longer needs me for that. The last time we faced him I had seen the dark glow of the Shikon he is only missing four shards. The one from Kohaku and the one we hold and the two from Kouga-kun." she informed them before drifting off into silence with nothing else to say.


Sesshomaru sat a good distance away from the stench of ningen; his delicate nose could only handle so much. The only ningen who did not smell too horribly was the miko; he noticed she was the only one who bathed daily. She was strange that miko, he knew something was off about her… yes she was strange. She was a contradiction to everything he thought he knew about the ningen race she was different, an enigma. Her voice did not grate his nerves 'When she was not yelling that is.' he thought as he gazed at the fire pit then to the miko in his thoughts. He noticed then that she did bare a remarkable resemblance to his dead mate; they had the same eyes, lips and walk. They way her hips swayed when she walked were something he could not help but notice. He did have certain distaste for most ningen, but that did not mean he could not appreciate the form of the opposite sex, he was a male after all. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he heard the miko speak.


"What I do not understand is why would he be interested in me? It would make more sense if he went after Kikyo; I mean it was because of her after all that the bandit Onigumo became Naraku. It was his desire to be with her that created the vile hanyou. If Kikyo was not alive I could see going after me, her reincarnation but she is still walking upon the earth." she was never able to finish because she was interrupted.


Sesshomaru was listening to her speak and when she said she was this Kikyo's reincarnation he was intrigued. 'How is it she is alive when the dead miko exists?' he thought before he voiced his question. "How are you the dead one's reincarnation? One soul cannot exist in two people at the same time." he asked watching Kagome fidget slightly.


Kagome looked at Sesshomaru and sighed 'Really how many times do I have to retell the same tale?' she thought is dismay before she began a shortened version "There was a mononoke witch named Urasue had decided to resurrect Kikyo and have her work for her to find the jewel shards. When she tried to resurrect her it did not work she was still a lifeless ayatsuri. It was when Inuyasha and I had found her hideaway that she realized that Kikyo was reincarnated into me. She later kidnapped me, to harvest my soul for the clay ayatsuri. I was able to put up a fight the best I could to stop her from taking my soul. When Inuyasha had come to rescue me he saw her and whispered Kikyo's name triggering a reaction that overpowered what energy I had left to stop it, my soul was taken and given to Kikyo. When Kikyo killed Urasue she attempted to kill Inuyasha, I then forced my soul back. However a piece of my soul still harbors within Kikyo. And that is how Kikyo now walks the earth as the living dead. Kikyo just recently gathered a piece of Midoriko's soul from her corpse statue to perform something called Midoriko's Will. It is where those using the jewel shard will cease to move." Kagome finished sullenly as she relived the event and the pain she felt while retelling the story.

0oooo0

A week after Kagome had told Sesshomaru about the resurrection of Kikyo, the group found themselves in yet another confrontation with Naraku.


"INUYASHAAAAA!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs while she watched Naraku's tentacle pierce his shoulder.


Inuyasha's attention was not focused on the hanyou Naraku; he was looking just beyond him on the ground. There was Kikyo sprawled out on the ground injured, the extent of her injuries was unknown to him at the moment but it did nothing to help his worry over her.

Inuyasha was flung across the terrain into the side of a mountain not far from the battle. They had been searching the northern mountain for signs of the hated hanyou when they had encountered him already engaged in a fight with Kikyo. She however was not looking so well, her body lay lifelessly on the ground below the cliff they were currently standing on.

*CRASH*

"Arggg." a pained moan sounded from Inuyasha as he hit the mountain.


"Naraku!" Miroku spat venomously while readying his cursed hand. Miroku wanted nothing more than to suck that vile beast into his wind tunnel and rid the world of his evil.


Sango readied her Hiraikotsu and Kirara transformed in a flash of fire to her battle form. Jumping onto Kirara's back Sango flew into battle. "Naraku!" her voice sounded with complete disgust. Sango hated no one like she hated him. Keeping at a safe distance she hurled Hiraikotsu straight at her enemy, revenge on the forefront of mind. 'He will pay for killing my family and my village' she thought with determination she steeled herself, now she was ready to take down the enemy.


Kagome watched from the cliff she took a fighting stance and readied her bow. Notching an arrow then pulling it taunt she focused her powers into the arrow tip. Her arrow glowed a fierce pink, the glow getting stronger the longer she held it taunt. She took aim and shot, she watched her arrow
fly true to its mark.

So busy the hanyou was that he did not notice Kagome's arrow until it was too late. Her arrow struck his barrier shattering it like glass. His eyes widened in shock then narrowed in annoyance when he saw the miko. 'That bitch is always getting in the way of my plans, it stops now!' Naraku thought as he sent a tentacle straight for Kagome.

Kagome saw it coming then she readied another arrow to shoot. Yet as she was notching the arrow she noticed that she would not be able to shoot in time. With a shocked gasp she fell to the ground in attempt to elude the coming tentacle.


Sesshomaru watched the battle from the background not interfering, why would he after all, they seemed to be doing just fine 'Why waste my time?' he mused while watching the battle scene unfold. He would only interfere if he had to, and right now he did not have to. He watched miko take aim and shoot at the hanyou, he watched as her arrow struck his barrier shattering it. That surprised him, he had tried to break the barrier before and had no such luck but the miko could do it with one arrow. 'She has more power than I thought.' he mused while watching Naraku send a tentacle towards the miko. He jumped into action and leapt in front of her drawing Toukijin. Slicing through the tentacle he heard the miko hit the ground hard. Turning slightly he looked out the corner of his eye to the miko all the while never taking his eyes off Naraku; he saw that she was fine.


Getting up from the ground she dusted herself off while whispering a mumbled "Thank you." Kagome picked up her bow from the ground while looking at Sesshomaru. She couldn't believe he did just save her, 'Things are starting to get strange.' she puzzled while shaking her head to dispel the thought. She walked to the cliff edge and looked down; her eyes grew wide in shock. "Kikyo!" she shouted while looking at the fallen priestess.


The battle waged around them in a never ending struggle, they were not winning. Kikyo had fallen, Inuyasha laid unconscious were he had fallen. Miroku could not use his wind tunnel because of the Saimyosho buzzing around the area. Sango, she could not deal any damage to the hanyou. The only one who was able to do anything was Kagome.


Sesshomaru took the chance he could with Naraku's barrier still down and attacked. "Die!" his cool baritone voice sounded with a deadly intent then he ripped into Naraku viciously.

"Bastard!" Naraku spat in pain as his limbs were being sliced away piece by piece until he surrounded himself in miasma and disappeared.

Kagome rushed to Inuyasha "Inuyasha please wake up!" she said shaking him lightly. She exhaled a breath of relief when she heard him groan.

"Where is Kikyo?" he asked before he jolted upright then raced towards the fallen priestess.


Kagome stood back and watched as Inuyasha held her in his arms so lovingly. She wanted to cry, to scream but she did not. She could not watch any longer and turned away from the sight a lone tear slipping down her cheeks.

An anguished howl echoed in the small area everyone turned to the source of the noise surprised to see Inuyasha holding nothing but clothes. The souls the Priestess held within her clay body broke free when her body melted due to the damage from Naraku's miasma.

Kagome stood shocked as she was surrounded with a white mist. "My soul." she whispered astounded. The mist absorbed into her body all that was left was a small orb.

Everyone watched as the orb circled Kagome moving faster and faster until it looked like a white streak. Her hair was picking up in an invisible wind flowing around her body, and then the orb smashed into her chest causing her to stumble back from the force of it.

"Kagome!" Sango screamed as Kagome fell to the ground unconscious, she did not know what was happening. "What was that?" she asked no one in particular but hoping for an answer none the less.

~