Meet me tonight, when the moon is bright...

Feeling the warm summer night wind dance through the foliage of the great camphor tree, its leaves bathed moonlight, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting the tenseness of his back muscles relax.

One of his companions stood beside him, her eyes darkly focused on the approaching figures; there were two of them. And his heart both fell and started to race with anticipation when the recognition hit him.

The calm of the night was about to be broken...

Nothing like the sounds of battle in the dead of night.

He unsheathed his sword as the dark-haried miko stood at the ready, an arrow drawn and aimed directly for him. Beside him, Sango stood at the ready, even though the boy standing opposite of them had wide, gazing eyes that reflected tortured resolution.

"Ane-ue..." was all he said, just before the first warning crack of the hiraikotsu to the ground signaled the start of the battle.

Miko Smackdown!!

Perhaps it was knowing that the taijiya was so skilled in battle, or perhaps his need to spare himself the agony of striking Kikyou himself, but Inuyasha found himself calling on Sango... calling on her to bring down the woman he had once loved...

He had to tell himself that circumstances were changing, that he just had to defeat Kikyou this night. But inwardly his heart already ached with guilt.

But it had to be done. There was no other way.....

Stop calling the house! We're OVER! O-V-E-R!!

He could imagine the same emotions raging through Sango, filling her with burning, conflicted rage that was directed more at herself than towards her brother.

"If there was just some other way to end this..." he heard echoing in his mind, over and over. But he knew there was none. He had to deal with the emotions. Before they ripped him apart, he swung Tessaiga. And with bitter realization, he saw with wrenching finality, that his blow had taken Kikyou's last strength. She was defeated.

And for my next magic trick...

But knowing the fight wasn't over; he ran towards Sango.

In the space of time it took for her to swing hiraikotsu in what might have been a final blow, Kohaku had sent his own weapon flying towards her. Its thin chain wrapped around her legs and dragged her off-balance, sending her in an uncontrolled spiral through the air and into the ground. He had to help her; and it was the only thing he knew to do. Tessaiga's ougi, the Bakuryuuha. The waves of energy crashed into Kohaku...

Game. Set. Match. ^_^

...and the night was over. Looking at the fallen, there was a sense of relief, but from the somber faces, perhaps it was, in truth, a victory that neither one of them wanted to take pride in.

See? I KNEW some of these battles could play out like horribly-thought out fan fiction! That was too damn easy. HehehehEHEeheh. :D