Incomplete by Langus

Chapter One

Dark, ominous clouds covered the skies of the feudal era, bringing with them promises of death and destruction. All creatures, but for the seven bravely squaring off against the demon Naraku and his minions, hid from sight and trembled with fear at the thought of what would become of them if he was victorious. It was a thought too troubling and grim to bear for most, and more than a few small creatures shed tears of anxiety over their impending destruction.

Naraku. His name alone invoked fear in all those wise enough to know of him. He had no regard for life of any kind, human or otherwise, and worked solely to advance his own goals and desires. Embodying the greedy unquenchable selfishness of the Id, he had no qualms with destroying anyone or anything that got in his way of his quest for power. What he enjoyed most was pitting his enemies against one another.

Unfortunate enough to have experienced no love during his wretched existence as a mortal man, as the villain Oniguomo, he callously used the love his enemies felt for their comrades against them. He exploited that emotion as their greatest weakness and it had yet to fail him. The human heart...such a weak and fragile thing...it was almost too easy to manipulate. First the priestess and her hanyou, then the demon slayer and her brother Kohaku. As the demon's eyes roamed the battlefield a wicked smile spread across his lips. Who would be next to fall?

"Hiraikotsu!"

Sango's cry filled the air as she hurled her weapon into the centre of the demon hoard heading for her. Hearing the dark chuckles of their enemy rise over the sounds of battle she focused a cold glare in his direction. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that sadistic smirk off his face. Rather than return to her waiting hands Hiraikotsu's graceful arc was brought down by one of the demons and Sango could only watch with dismay as it careened hard into the ground, wedging itself nearly half way deep in the dirt. Wagering a hasty glance over her shoulder she noted that everyone else in their group was currently preoccupied with their own battles. Surprisingly even Sesshomaru had decided to join in on this one, though he seemed just as inclined to strike down Inuyasha as Naraku.

Calling out to Kirara, the demon slayer leapt upon her broad back with a certain grace and ease that came with years of practice. They pair took to the skies in an attempt to get away from the demons and retrieve Haraikotsu. If I can get in one good hit then maybe we'll actually have a chance of destroying that bastard! she deduced as they flew in a wide arc around Naraku's position.

After deftly retrieving the weapon from the dirt in one fell swoop, Kirara soared high above the battle and positioned herself as close to Naraku as she dared. Sango hesitated when she caught sight of her brother standing dutifully at the demon's side. Kohaku. For so long Naraku had used him like a servant to kill or maim whoever happened to cross his path. She bit her lip and hastily blinked away the tears that came quickly to her eyes. He'd been such a good kid. No one deserved to be controlled the way Naraku was controlling him now.

Narrowing her eyes with resolve, the demon slayer gripped Hiraikotsu tight in her hand and said a silent prayer to the gods as she flung it towards the demon who brewed hatred within her heart. The weapon spun end over end as it drew near to him, slicing through numerous other demons on its path. Sango waited with bated breath in anticipation as it neared its final destination. At the last second before impact Naraku placed a protective barrier around himself, sending Hiraikotsu bouncing off with a loud 'TWANG!' Sango closed her eyes against the sound and tried to fight off her tears of disappointment. Balling her hand into a fist she struck it angrily against her thigh and chastised herself for underestimating her enemy. Of course he would have a barrier! How could I have been so stupid?

Noticing the demon slayer was now unarmed, the demons in her vicinity began to close in, their jeers and wicked cackles becoming louder as the neared. Within seconds they'd surrounded her and Sango suddenly realized with a tiny gasp that she had no way to escape. Kirara flailed her head back and forth and snarled viciously at the more audacious demons who dared to get too close, but even she understood that their attempts would be futile. There was just too many of them.

The throng was so thick Sango couldn't see her weapon until it emerged from the wall of leering demonic faces and knocked her clear off Kirara's back. The breath forced from her lungs, she only gape in shock at the sky as she fell fatally towards the unforgiving earth. She couldn't even find it within herself to scream as the ground came rushing at her at an incredible rate. Thinking she would soon be crushed, she said a silent prayer for her brother Kohaku, asking the gods to spare him from Hell in spite of all the things Naraku had made him do.

Sango was surprised when her body crashed not into the ground, but into Miroku's outstretched arms. Her mouth hanging ajar she looked up at the monk with awe, wondering how he'd possibly made it beneath her in time. Even more surprising was that he hadn't tried to grope her behind even though his hands were dangerously close to his favourite spot. The temptation must be killing him, the little lecher, Sango thought wryly as he set her down on the ground.

"Are you okay?" He looked her up and down rather hastily and a look of genuine concern crossed his features.

Sango nodded and ducked her head to hide the blush that rose to her cheeks. Every time he managed to catch her gaze she couldn't stop the heat from rising to flush her face rosy pink. Sometimes she felt like he could see clearly the secrets of her heart just by peering into her eyes.

"Yes, thank you!" she managed to force out. Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt like a wad of cotton as it moved in her mouth to form words. The air was dry and dusty, but she had a feeling it had a lot more to do with the way Miroku's hand lingered on her shoulder than anything else. "It's lucky you were able to get beneath me in time." The monk nodded grimly and handed Sango the katana that'd dropped from her belt during the fall.

"Here, you'll need this. Stay close. I think it would be wise for us to watch each others' backs, don't you agree?"

The demon slayer nodded in agreement and turned her back to Miroku, daring the demons surrounding them to come at her. Feeling the solid weight of the monk's body against hers, she knew she would do anything to protect him, and he would do the same for her.

Though it was unspoken and often ignored, there was a connection between them that went far beyond being traveling companions. She would sacrifice her life to save his and knew in her heart that he would do the same. If that wasn't love, then what was? Though he was a perverted lecher, she couldn't help but be impressed by his selflessness and courage at times. Surprisingly he was actually a decent guy, as long as he kept his hands to himself.

Naraku sat back and watched with a wicked smirk as his demons attacked with relentless vigor.

"Excellent," he mused, "it won't be long now before Inuyasha is dead. Then nothing will stand in my way!" He chuckled to himself darkly and relished in his own brilliance.

Below him Inuyasha was using Tetsusaiga to destroy hundreds of demons at a time, but those that he destroyed were soon replaced by a hundred more. The supply of demons appeared never ending and with so many blasts it was obvious that he was beginning to weaken. It would only be a matter of time before he fell.

Naraku's eyes panned craftily across the battlefield in search of a way to weaken the hanyou's defences and they were inevitably drawn to the girl named Kagome. With a nod and a conniving glance at the girl, he sent Kagura the Wind Sorceress to dispose of her. She was Inuyasha's Achilles heel; with her dead, he would be easily defeated.

Kagura's eyes flashed brilliant red as she soared down on her white feather and landed gracefully in front of Kagome. Hiding her wicked smile behind her fan, she peeked two ruby red eyes over top of it and blinked gracefully at her target. She waited until the priestess had successfully batted away a nearby demon with her bow before speaking. "So, we meet again," she said with little enthusiasm.

"Kagura!" Kagome gasped, taking only a second to notch another arrow into her bow and aim it at the wind witch. The sorceress took several hops backwards to avoid the purifying arrows before releasing her Dance of Blades. Kagome avoided the attack as best she could, but without Inuyasha or Kouga's speed she was no match for the razor sharp blades that flew at her.

Dodging all but one, she gasped and fell to the ground clutching a freshly torn wound wrapped around her calf. Blood trickled out from beneath her fingers, spilling into a small red pool on the ground. With a groan she tried to force her body to stand upright, but found it nearly impossible to withstand the throbbing ache in her leg. Kagura inched forward, cautious of the priestess's arrows.

"This is the end miko," she announced while raising her fan once more. Kagome flinched and called out for Inuyasha but he couldn't hear her above the noise of battle. Looking around in a panic she soon realized she was alone for the first time since she'd entered the feudal era. There was no one to save her now. With tears in her eyes she curled into a ball and waited to be cut to pieces by Kagura's blades. After a long drawn out moment she looked up stunned, surprised that no attack had come. Poking her head out from beneath her arm she saw Kagura glaring angrily at something behind her.

"Stay out of this Sesshomaru," she hissed. "This human is none of your concern." Sesshomaru said nothing for a moment. Raising her eyebrows Kagome tilted her head back and caught a glimpse of his broad frame towering imposingly behind her. With Tokijin drawn and aimed at Kagura's chest he appeared as formidable as ever. He was never a man of many words so both the priestess and the wind witch listened intently for him to speak.

"Kagura! Do not raise your weapon to me or it will be the last thing you do." The wind sorceress 'hmphed' and raised her fan to attack, despite the warning. In a flash of white silk, Sesshomaru advanced on her and cut her down without hesitation. Kagome knew she would never forget the look in Kagura's eyes as her life faded away. Even though Sesshomaru had killed her, she looked at him with eyes that bore him no hatred. It was almost as if she were relieved it was by his hand she died and not Naraku's.

Once Kagura's body disappeared, Kagome pushed herself into a kneeling position and looked up at her unexpected protector. "Thank you...for saving me," she said as she bowed her head to him gratefully. He looked down on her with cold eyes and said nothing. Turning his back to her, he began to walk towards the battlefield once more. Sesshomaru...why did you save me? I thought you hated humans? Kagome couldn't help but ask as she watched his body retreat from her. Perhaps he's not such a bad guy after all.

Naraku clenched his hand into a fist as he felt Kagura die. "Damn that bastard Sesshomaru!" he seethed, his words dripping with hatred as he leered at the dog demon. As much as he'd despised Kagura, she was one of his best offspring. Placing his palm flat upon the ground, he sent his evil energy into the earth to make yet another attack. Kagome felt the ground tremble beneath her. With a sickening sense of dread her stomach dropped and swirled around in her gut like a tornado.

No! she thought frantically, I have to stop him! Grimacing against the pain that tore through her leg, she pushed herself to her feet and began to run towards Sesshomaru. She winced with each jolting step as her wound grew steadily wider. She could feel the blood running in hot torrents across her skin but she didn't have time to care. All she could think of was getting to the demon that'd saved her life before it was too late.

When she was close enough for her voice to be heard over the battle she called out to him. He stopped in his tracks but did not turn to face her. The jagged roots of Naraku's body burst forth from the ground and snaked towards their target at a blinding speed. Realizing that he was about to be impaled, Kagome did the only thing she could do – she threw herself in front of him and used her body as a shield.

The deadly roots pierced through the priestess's back and burst out the front of her chest. She gasped softly and her eyes rolled skyward as her body tensed against the invasion of her flesh. Mercifully she went into shock almost immediately and felt no pain, which she found to be rather odd. His work done, Naraku ripped the roots from her body and withdrew them into the earth, a satisfied smile playing across his lips. It was always a good day when he could kill another loathsome priestess.

Sesshomaru's golden eyes widened with surprise as he felt the priestess's body collapse against his. His nose twitched at the smell of blood and he felt its heat soak into his silken garments. Turning on his heel he wrapped his arm around her back and held her body upright, knowing that the moment he let go she would collapse to the ground. Does this miko honestly believe that this Sesshomaru needs the protection of a human? he wondered incredulously while staring down at her. Foolish girl.

Kagome's breaths were slow and laboured as she tilted her head back to look into the unforgiving eyes of her lover's greatest enemy. She smiled weakly once she realized that he was unharmed and had no intention of killing her. "I know you have a good heart in you Sesshomaru," she explained breathily. "A good heart shouldn't go to waste."

Sesshomaru frowned. His brows drew low over his eyes and he glared hard at the girl whose body was now limp in his arms. A low growl resounded in his throat and he glowered over his shoulder at Naraku. He was tempted to cross the battlefield and rip out the miserable half demon's throat but frowned upon realizing that he had other things to take care of at the moment. Picking up the priestess's body, he cradled it in the crook of his arm and hastily departed, transforming them both into a tiny ball of white light before disappearing into the sky.

Through the stench of demon blood all around him Inuyasha smelled another scent that made the blood run cold in his veins. Looking frantically around the battlefield for Kagome he watched with horror as she was impaled by Naraku's roots. He let out a strangled cry when her body collapsed into his brother's arms and immediately tried to discern if he could get to her in time. He was certain Sesshomaru would kill her. He despised all humans and had tried on more than one occasion to kill Kagome without hesitation. Rather than using his claws to slice her to shreds though, and to Inuyasha's complete surprise, he collected her limp body into him and disappeared to some unknown destination.

Inuyasha remained paralyzed as he stared after the spot where Kagome had last been. Unable to hold back any longer he called out to her even though he knew she could no longer hear him.

"KAGOME!"

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Author's Note: Reposted with some revisions...honestly I accidentally deleted it because I'm an idiot but I guess it all worked out in the end.

I know this chapter is a bit weak stylistically. I just haven't figured out to re-write it in a way that makes me happy and reflects how the rest of htis fic is written yet.

Give me one more chapter to sell you on this fic. If you're not happy that's cool, but what will one more chapter hurt?

All reviews are welcome and encouraged and if you want a response leave your email addy!

Until next time...

~ Langus