The Tainted Angel by zodiak023
Prologue
Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru had just defeated the evil hanyou Naraku. Sesshomaru had landed the last blow as did Inuyasha. They had combined their attacks at the same time hitting Naraku in a loud explosion. Inuyasha grabbed up the missing half of the jewel.
“We did it! Now Kagome can…” Inuyasha being interrupted by an ear piercing scream.
“No, no, NO! This isn’t supposed to happen! Kagome!?!” Sango screaming, slowly and carefully getting half of Kagome’s body up against her chest, cradling her and rocking back and forth. Inuyasha looked around, he found a pile of broken pottery and ashes.
“Kikyo.” Inuyasha whispered. Sesshomaru moved slowly toward Kagome.
“Please, please Lord Sesshomaru, use your sword.” Sango begged. Normally his sword was vibrating out of its sheath to save a person but it wasn’t now. Sesshomaru knew he had to try, for one, the jewel needed to be whole again and purified back to its original state since it was tainted and two he was indebt to the miko for saving and healing Rin each and every time he couldn’t.
He removed Tenseiga and still did not see the imps who chained souls to be taken to the afterlife. Sango gently laid Kagome down and stepped away. Sesshomaru sliced through the air above Kagome but nothing happened.
“She is gone slayer.” Sesshomaru’s eyes widen a little as he stared down at the lifeless body of the truly selfless miko. She had been a sort of ally to Sesshomaru that was all. He suddenly had Inuyasha pinned against a tree.
“If you had protected the Shikon No Tama priestess we would not be stuck with the jewel. Hell will descend on these lands and we will never know peace.” Sesshomaru growled low.
“Please Lord Sesshomaru, what do you speak of?” Miroku confused.
“Only the jewel’s true protector may wish the jewel from these lands. Only she can untainted the jewel and piece it back together.” Sesshomaru lowly. Everyone was quiet, except for Sango’s sniffles.
“We have to burn her body. She will take the jewel to the afterlife with her just as Kikyo had done.” Sango quietly but in a low strong voice. Sesshomaru dropped Inuyasha,
“But don’t you know what that means?” Miroku gasped a little.
“History will repeat itself anew. Another young unknown, untrained miko will be born with the jewel inside her.” Sango whispered.
“The jewel is tainted. You may risk turning the new protector into a dark miko and these land will be lost.” Sesshomaru strongly. Sango was furious, this had been her best friend, her sister.
“Its not her fault she is dead! She was trying to better herself, we didn’t have the time to teach her. If we hadn’t started collecting the jewel when we did, Naraku and his minions would have caused more death and destruction. It is the only choice that is present, unless you know of a way to put the jewel together again and untainted it, Lord Sesshomaru.” Sango shouted at him.
“Dry your eyes slayer, those tears are making you temporarily blind or have you lost your mind along with your miko friend?” Sesshomaru lowly growling a warning.
“Maybe if you would have stepped up and protected her when your half brother would not we would not be standing here in this mess, she would have been okay and well enough to fix the damn jewel and I would not have lost my sister.” Sango coming nose to nose with Sesshomaru with her own impressive growl.
Sesshomaru stood there, wanting to rip her throat out but he couldn’t. She was right, once he knew very well that the half breed would not protect her he should have stepped in. None of them thought of what would happen if the Shikon No Tama priestess was killed.
Sesshomaru had been the most powerful one fighting in their group, Sango and Miroku were only human, they were barely able to keep the hoards of low level youkai off of them in the fight so he couldn’t throw blame on them.
“We need to move away from the battlefield. The jewel and the blood spilt will attack unwanted attention.” Sesshomaru coldly as he walked over and lift the broken body of the miko into both of his arms. Kagome had given him his arm back a few day ago and then Naraku sprung his attack, Kagome had not fully recovered her energy, he should have protected her as payment. He turned and started to walk toward Edo.
“This is not all the jewel. Kohaku and Koga still have pieces.” Sango quietly.
“What do you suggest slayer?” Sesshomaru abruptly stopping and turning his head to the side to look out the corner of his eyes at her.
“We find a cave, make camp, and bandage our wounds, then half of us go find Koga and my brother and the other half stays with Kagome.” Sango seriously.
“We can easily do that from Kaede’s hut!” Inuyasha shouted.
“The jewel will be left with Kagome’s body as we search for Koga and Kohaku. Youkai, I am sure, will try attacking while the other half of us are searching. I am not risking the village getting attacked. No one else is going to die because of this damn jewel.” Sango strongly. So they walked around in the forest,
“The wolf approaches.” Sesshomaru alerting everyone. Koga’s whirlwind came in like a tornado.
“Kagome.” Koga softly,
“Tell me she is alright.” Koga strongly, his sense of smell was telling him she was dead.
“She is gone Koga.” Sango letting a few tears slip free. Koga’s fist tightened at his side as a snarl erupted from his throat,
“You, you were supposed to protect her you fuckin’ mutt!” Koga charging Inuyasha.
“Where the fuck were you?” Inuyasha choked out.
“I had no idea it was going on! I just smelt the blood, that’s why I was on my way to you guys. How could you protect that piece of trash?” Koga snarled.
“You weren’t no better, you only wanted her as your woman because she could see the jewel shards!” Inuyasha barked out. Sesshomaru was surprised Koga knew Inuyasha would protect Kikyo.
“If you knew the half breed would protect the dead miko why did you not come and protect her during their travels?” Sesshomaru raising a brow.
“I was busy with my own stuff. You were there for the fight, you are an honorable inu, do you hate humans so much your honor couldn’t protect her when even your own flesh and blood wouldn’t? that makes you just as bad as the mutt.” Koga growled as he removed Kagome from Sesshomaru’s arms.
“You don’t deserve the right to hold my woman. Even after she helped your human child you should have helped her in return. I see you magically got your arm back as well. You owed her. You still do in my opinion.” Koga huffed.
Sesshomaru’s eyes were bleeding red. He held his temper in check, because even though Koga was talking like that to him, he was right. There would be no way to pay the miko back for everything she had done for Rin.
“Where are you guys headed?” Koga asked.
“To the nearest empty cave. I have to collect the rest of the jewels, it means I need the ones you have Koga.” Sango explained.
“Sure but what happens now? The jewel cant repair itself and its tainted and in still in pieces.” Koga softly.
“We have no choice but to burn it with her body.” Sango explained.
“What about Kohaku’s shard. It’s the only thing that sustains his life.” Koga seriously.
“I have no choice.” Sango explained as she followed Koga into the cave. Sesshomaru followed them into the cave.
“What the hell are you doing? Why are you following us like a puppy?” Inuyasha bit out. Sesshomaru sat down and leaned up against the wall of the cave and closed his eyes.
~Perhaps I can save the slayers brother from death.~ Sesshomaru thought to himself.
“I get it. You owe Kagome so you are protecting us till we can get her in the ground because we are all tied to Kagome.” Inuyasha spat out.
“Don’t be stupid mutt face. He is only here ensuring the jewel disappears and then he is gone.” Koga seriously. Sesshomaru would let them come up with their own theories.
“I’ll go gather firewood.” Koga glancing between the mutt face and…the bigger mutt face then leaving. Sango ran her hand over Kagome’s yellow bag.
“Someone has to tell her mother.” Sango explained softly.
“I will go.” Inuyasha softly. Sango knew her mother would blame Inuyasha for her daughter’s death as so she needed to. He made his choice, it was the wrong choice and now he must suffer the consequences.