Sweet Song of Death
One Shot
The canopy. The tip of the highest leaf on the tallest branch. This is what she sought. This would help complete her remedy. She clutched helplessly to a thick branch far from the tip of the canopy. Her short green kimono was torn from branches slashing at her during her climb. Thin red scratches burned and itched her where a stray branch had caught her pale skin. Her long wavy hair was limply falling in front of her shoulders because of the pull of gravity.
"It's hopeless." She uttered. "I will have to ask a bird for assistance."
As if listening for its cue, a blue raven landed gracefully on the thick branch the girl gripped. The girl smiled at it and looked up towards the green leaves that blocked the light of the sun.
The raven cawed and took flight. It irrupted into the open sky with mighty fury, before diving towards the tip of the trees again. Before it re-entered the forest it clipped, in an instant, a single leaf from the very top of the tree.
The girl smiled wider as she saw the raven return. "Thank you, my friend." She said. She began to shimmy down the branch until she could grab onto another that allowed her to drop to the brown earth below her. She landed, with much grace, on her feet without so much as bending her knees. The branch was a good three meters above her head and she revealed in her ability to land the way she did.
The raven called to her in his shrill voice before peacefully landing on her shoulder. The leaf rested limply in his beak. She reached up and took it from him. The leaf was a bright almost yellow green and the veins were visible in even the faintest of light.
"Thank you, my winged friend, this is exactly what I was seeking." She gently kissed the bird on its head.
He replied with a loud shrill scream before pushing off her shoulder and taking flight into the air.
"Now," The girl stared at the leaf with much concentration. "I can find Kikyo's reincarnation and save them both."
"Inuyasha, I'm fine, really I am." Kagome tried to push his face away from hers. She was leaning against a tree near the well. She had just returned from three days of studying and was both mentally and physically exhausted. Inuyasha stepped away from her and looked into the bright blue sky. It was perfectly clear; not a single puffy cloud painted it.
"You just seem tired, and there is no time for rest." He said in his normal ignorant tone. He shot a quick angry glance in her direction before turning his back to her. "We better get going, Sango and Miroku are waiting."
Kagome nodded and pushed herself off the tree. She took one step forward on the crunchy grass and froze. She turned towards the well. She felt a strange power forming in the trees behind it. Almost like a jewel shard, but it seemed more powerful. Almost like it were thousands of whole jewels combined into one being.
It didn't feel evil, nor did Kagome imagine it was good. Her eyes dilated and her breathing became more rapid from just feeling the presence of such an awesome power. She tried to focus on the spot where all the energy was concentrated, but the bushes and leaves prevented her from seeing deeper into the forest.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha was directly in front of her, shaking her slightly. Kagome's eyes returned to normal and she sighed in relief.
"Someone's here." Kagome pointed in the direction the strange shard like power was located.
Inuyasha didn't even respond or give any indication of what he would do; he only took off in the direction Kagome had pointed. He leapt over several trees and landed in a small clearing where a large tree had rotted and fallen on top of another. He looked around with narrow eyes and open ears and could only hear the growing of the trees.
The only thing that told him someone had been here moments before was the lingering smell of lunar flowers. A scent that invaded his nostrils and entered his lungs: filling him with great peace and tranquility. Inuyasha relished in the smell for a few moments before returning to the worried Kagome.
As soon as he was out of sight the woman with the short green kimono entered the small clearing and stared into the direction Inuyasha had rushed off. She gently held the nearly transparent leaf in front of her in her open palm. The tip of the leaf was pointing in direction she was staring.
"I see." She looked down at the leaf that seemed to twitch in her palm. "And I had thought he was trapped in an endless sleep. This will make things more difficult." The girl looked up and crumpled the leaf in her fist. "Or…perhaps easier." She smiled and turned to enter the forest deeper.
"Inuyasha…it has been an entire week since I sensed that thing by the well, can you please calm down?" Kagome nearly yelled. Inuyasha was pacing in frustration outside of Kaede's hut. Kagome was standing near the entrance scolding him.
"Relax, Kagome, it's not Inuyasha's fault he's worried about you." Miroku exited the hut and put a caring hand on Kagome's shoulder.
"I am not worried about her!" Inuyasha pointed at Kagome. "She said it felt like a jewel shard. And that is what I am worried about."
"Inuyasha does have a point." Sango put in her two bits. She was nearby doing laundry with Shippo as her assistant.
"Kaede does not seem to be worried about it." Kagome retorted. But Inuyasha just huffed and continued his pacing.
"Inuyasha, your such a-" Kagome stopped in mid sentence and stared up at the darkening sky. A line of bright light ran across the sky and dove into the forest. Several others appeared and followed the first. "Isn't it mid-day?"
"Yes." Miroku answered and stepped away from the hut to get a better look at the strange night sky. "That's strange." He remarked.
"Yes, can you feel it?" Sango stopped scrubbing and stood to stare at the sky with Miroku. Inuyasha even stopped his pacing to stare in awe.
Then he saw the streaks of light that were emerging from the clouds and falling into the forest. His mouth opened slightly and his eyes widened.
"Aren't those soul collectors?" Shippo asked.
"That means Kikyo-" Sango stopped mid-sentence when Inuyasha bolted past her towards the destination of the flying snakes. "Hey! Inuyasha!" She yelled but received no reply.
Kagome walked forward several feet and stared at the ever-darkening sky. "It's her." She muttered.
"Yes, we know it is Kikyo." Miroku said.
"No." Kagome said, almost in a daze. "It's her."
Miroku walked slowly towards Kagome. "Her, who?" he tried to pry the answer out of her.
"The priestess." Kagome's eyes had glazed over and her voice was hardly a whisper. Miroku was directly behind her with in a few steps. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
"Her, who?"
"The creator of the jewel." Kagome said before beginning to walk towards the forest. "She is calling me…what a beautiful song she is singing."
"Kagome!" Sango ran up to the girl and stood in front of her but Kagome merely walked around her. Sango reached forward and grabbed Kagome's shoulder only to receive a sharp electrical shock from the touch. Sango pulled her hand away imidiantly and held it to her chest. "Kagome…" Sango muttered.
"She is under a spell." Miroku said. Shippo watched Kagome walk past him and made no attempt to stop her.
"We should protect her." Sango said. "Shippo stay here."
Sango walked towards the young one and noticed his eyes were glazed over just as Kagome's had been. "Shippo?" she questioned. Then something clicked in her mind. "Kirara!" She called the small cat and it made no attempt to jump off the roof to obey its master.
"Sango, it seems the song only effects demons." Miroku said.
"Song?" Sango asked. "What song."
"It's barely audible, but it's there." Miroku pointed to the forest. "We should go, Kagome's already past the fields."
"Yes." Sango picked up her giant weapon.
The sight before Inuyasha caused him to trip and fall on his face when he entered the small area around the bone eaters well. He pulled his face off the ground and stared with surprise at the beautiful women that was standing just in front of the well.
She was wearing a plain green kimono. Her long black wavy hair seemed to float around her as if gravity did not apply. Her pale hands were cupped in front of her and her eyes were closed. The soul collectors were flying around her trying to break an invisible barrier that surrounded the strange woman. Every time they would touch its edges a bright light would appear where they touched and they would screech in pain before pulling away to continue their menacing circling.
That is when her voice reached his ears. Her soft, succulent almost calming voice. It was not words that came from her mouth but sounds that could ease even the most rabid of souls. There was also something deeper in her voice, something that made Inuyasha long to hold her and rip every last breath from her body. And something told him, that if he did this, he would be strong. Not just stronger, but he would be the most powerful demon to ever roam.
He could just picture sinking his claws into her soft, silky skin. The hot blood that would flow over his fingers and on his arm made his entire body shake with anticipation of the kill. He stood up as if only blood thirst was driving him. He walked forward and his mouth began to water with the thought of so much power belonging to him. He would be full demon. No more new moon. No more.
She opened her eyes and Inuyasha froze where he stood. Which was not much farther from where he had landed. Her eyes were kind and forgiving, their deep emerald color made Inuyasha even crazier for the kill. But before he took a step forward he saw what was deeper in her eyes, the thing she hid unless she wanted you to see it, the piece of her soul she would not even show her lover.
It was not just one thing, but a mix. Strength, death, fury, sadness and blood thirst. Blood thirst is the thing that caused Inuyasha to slowly fall into a sitting position. The fact that this lovely, innocent woman had once wanted to kill made him stop his own pursuit of her life.
She stopped singing but the feeling of wanting power still lingered around, and would until she was miles away. She smiled at him, a sweet smile.
"Inuyasha." Kikyo appeared beside him looking battered and extremely angry. Her soul collectors paid her no attention and continued their own pursuit of the strange woman. "I see not even you could resist her song."
"You…" Inuyasha was unable to put together a sensible sentence.
"I did not come because of the song, but because she called my soul collectors and left me helpless. I had no choice." Kikyo walked forward till she was just in front of the woman. The barrier seemed to have no effect on her.
"You have come." The woman said. Her voice caused Inuyasha's blood thirst to over pile and he lunged at her. She easily lifted her hand towards him and a pulse escaped it. Suddenly golden chains clasped onto his wrists, each one was attached to the ground on either side of his body. He was forced into a sitting position. He struggled against the chains but was hardly able to even lift the bracelet part off the ground.
"What do you want him for?" Kikyo asked. "Why do you bother me?" Kikyo's weariness was showing on her face. She must have been traveling for many days, following her stray soul collectors.
"Your existence is disrupting the after life." The woman spoke. "Only one 'Kikyo' can exist. And your time has come and gone."
"She does not belong here either." Kikyo said. "Who is more worthy to stay in this time? Me, who was born here, or her, who is not even born, yet!" Kikyo tried to yell but her voice was sore because she was weak from the lack of souls.
"Her." The woman said with out a second thought.
Kikyo gasped and took a step away from the woman. "You are here to take me away."
"No. That is not up to me. It is up to him." She pointed towards the struggling Inuyasha.
"You and she have the same fate." She moved her finger and pointed past Kikyo at Kagome who was emerging from the forest. Her eyes were still glazed over and she walked as if drugged.
"You." Kagome spoke.
"I may be able to control her body," The woman said. "But her mind is to strong."
"You have brought Kikyo." Kagome looked at the older woman. Kikyo laughed in a way to hide her fear of the situation.
The woman waved her hand and Kagome's eyes returned to normal. "They are near."
Kagome rubbed her face and looked at the strange woman. "I know you."
"Whose near?" Kikyo ignored the girl.
"The demons seeking the power I hold. They will be upon us soon, and I am unable to fight when I am doing so much magic at one time." The woman reached forward and pulled Kikyo into the barrier.
"You are not doing much magic." Kikyo said as she tried to struggle against the woman's grasp.
"Yet." The woman said as her eyes started to glow white. She raised her hands till they were on either side of Kikyo's head. "Before he can choose, I must release the soul." The woman's hands flexed and Kikyo screamed in pain. She tried to claw at the woman's hands but she seemed unable to move any muscle.
"Stop it!" Kagome yelled. She ran past Inuyasha and entered the barrier just as Kikyo released a truly horrifying scream. The scream seemed to cause the barrier to turn white and hide the struggle from view.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled as he entered the small area. "What is going on?"
"Uh, Miroku. I think we have worse things to worry about." Sango pointed to the west where a giant pack of demons could be seen making their way towards them.
"It seems her song attracted more than just Kagome." Miroku prepared for battle.
"Keep them at bay!" The woman emerged from the white strong hold glowing almost translucent.
"Where are, Kikyo and Kagome?" Inuyasha growled.
"Battling for the living body, Kagome inhabits." She said as she pulled two medium sized swords out of thin air.
"What have you done?"
"What have you done?" She asked Inuyasha. "Toying with the feelings of women." She shook her head. "Bad dog."
"Who are you!" Sango yelled with her weapon at arm.
"I," The woman took a fighting pose and gave Sango her beautiful smile. Just seeing it caused Inuyasha to mindlessly thrust himself towards her to attain her hidden power. But the chains held him back. "I am the creator of the sacred jewel."
Sango gasped and a small drop of sweat ran across the side of her face and down to her chin, where it paused for a moment before falling to the ground. "It, it can't be."
"Midoriko," Miroku muttered.
It felt like someone was trying to rip Kagome's skin off the top of her body with a rusty knife. And with each swipe of the blade an almost eternal scream escaped her. But when she would open her eyes and look around she could find no wound on her body. The only thing around her was Kikyo who was screaming in pain as she was, but her pain was real.
Wind was whipping around her slashing at her make shift body. And since Kikyo was already weak from the lack of souls, she was unable to avoid the attacks. She was on her knees covering her face with her hands, trying to protect herself as best as possible. It was useless. The wind was cutting deep gashes in her clay body. There was nothing she could do to prevent the event that would follow.
With one last loud scream Kikyo's body crumpled to the ground. The souls that had remained inside escaped the barrier and returned to their resting-places. Only one remained. The one she kept from Kagome. It floated over the spot the remains of the clay body laid for a moment before rushing towards the suffering Kagome and entering her body.
Kagome's head flew back and her entire body became limp, but she remained standing. For a moment her whole body glowed a brilliant blue before all her soul escaped her body and irrupted into the chilly dark air outside the barrier. It split in two when it left the barrier, one to represent Kagome, the other for Kikyo.
Kagome's body fell limply on the ground with a light thud. Her eyes were open and glazed over as if she were dead.
When the souls of Kikyo and Kagome left the barrier they came face to face with thousands and thousands of power hungry demons. The glowing blue orbs dashed around avoiding being eaten by the demons and at the same time attacking each other. They were fighting for ownership of the living body.
"Protect the souls!" Midoriko yelled and she jumped into the air, slashing several demons on her way up.
Miroku and Sango hesitated a moment before rushing into the fight. They were not about to let Kagome die, nor would they let Inuyasha, since he was relatively helpless chained to the ground.
The way Midoriko fought was beautiful. It was almost as if she were dancing. She was graceful and sure-footed. Her bare feet gripped the ground much better than any shoe could. She would bounce into the air and leap of a demon. As soon as her foot touched the rough skin of the demon, ice flowed from the spot she touched spreading through out the demon till it was completely frozen. It fell to the ground and shattered on contact. She was nearest the spot where the two souls fought their seemingly endless battle.
"There are too many!" Sango yelled.
"I can't suck them in, I'll get the souls as well." Miroku yelled back.
"Then there is no choice." Midoriko floated down to where Kagome's body lay limply on the ground. The barrier long forgotten. She hugged herself and bowed her head. "Do not be frightened." She said before she thew her arms out in front of her. A bright light seemed to emerge from the depths of her soul it caused Miroku and Sango to shield their eyes. And Inuyasha turned his head away as it slowly grew and flew past him.
When the light vanished all the demons that had once been there where gone. Not a single one remained. Midoriko fell on one knee in front of Kagome's motionless body. She sighed and crawled past it towards Inuyasha.
"You must choose." She said. "Which one?" She motioned towards the floating balls of light that slowly floated towards the ground. When they touched the ground they combined and the one floating orb formed into Kikyo's body. She was naked but she was an eerie transparent blue.
Kikyo's soul smirked and walked towards Inuyasha. She leaned over him and put her see-through hand on his cheek. A strange warmth passed through it to Inuyasha. She leaned forward and put her lips next to the side of his head. "I own you." She whispered. "You're life is mine, and you know this." She pulled back and put her other hand on his opposite cheek. "Let me live with you and we can be in peace, once again."
Inuyasha stared at her, "Kikyo." He wanted to say he would follow her anywhere, even to the depths of hell. Where she had tried to take him before. He would go with her without so much as a glance back.
Then the soul before him contorted and Kagome was leaning over him. She was frowning and transparent blue tears ran down her glowing cheeks. She left her hands on his face and pulled him closer to her. "Inuyasha." She muttered. "I will understand if you choose Kikyo over me." She looked away from his golden eyes for a moment. "But, I just want to do one thing, before I go." She quickly turned to him and pressed her ghost lips to his. A tingle ran through Inuyasha's lips and into his nearby tissues. She pulled away before he could really feel her lips against his. She smiled slightly making Inuyasha's hear jump in his chest. "I love you." She spoke.
"Kagome…" Inuyasha muttered. She backed away from him and stood before him.
Midoriko stepped forward and waved her hand. "The choice has been made!" She pointed at Kagome, who twirled into a whirlpool of wind and shot towards the body crashing into it. It started to float and was hidden by the wind that had surrounded the soul. It was concealed from view and no one could tell who was going to emerge.
Sango and Miroku were standing nearby and couldn't believe what they had just seen. Inuyasha tried to stand up and discovered the chains that had been holding him down were gone. He did stand.
He looked at the woman who had caused him the pain of choosing, and he didn't even know whom he had chosen.
"What do you mean, 'The choice has been made?'" Inuyasha growled.
"Deep with in your tormented soul I see the one who you truly wish to be with." She walked away from him towards the swirling mass of air. It was high above her head, she raised her hands and it slowly began to float down towards her. Soon the wind subsided and a naked female body floated into her arms. Midoriko produced a white blanket form thin air and covered the body as she laid it gently on the ground.
She leaned forward till her mouth was mere inches from the woman's ear. A smile curled around her lips.
Inuyasha stared at the body and the strange woman. Was it Kikyo or Kagome? Which one did he truly love? It was true that Kikyo owned his life, but Kagome does love him. Could that overcome Kikyo's hate? Or would Inuyasha be left with a woman who hated him, but he loved? He couldn't bear to think of these things. He rushed towards Midoriko and the body and knelt down next to it on the opposite side of the woman. His eyes widened as he watched Midoriko work her magic.
Midoriko closed her eyes and whispered into the woman's ear, "Wake up…"
Inuyasha's ears widened as he waited for the name that would escape the woman's mouth. The name of the girl that he has chosen. The name not even he knows. He tried to recognize the face, but was unable to see the difference between the features. He clenched he teeth and put his hand on the woman's forehead.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The woman's eyes opened to reveal their sparkling brown color. She smiled and Inuyasha gasped. He was still unable to tell who she was, for Kikyo had once smiled like this, and Kagome smiled like this all the time.
Midoriko pulled back and grinned. "Wake up," she repeated. "Kagome."