The wind whipped Kagome's raven hair about her bruised and bloodied face as she saw Sango and Miroku laying lifeless on the ground before her.
Her grip tightened on the small round jewel in her palm and she pursed her lips, fighting the pain that emanated from every part of her body. Her ribs felt bruised; her wrist was definitely broken, and the wound across her abdomen oozed blood.
Lifting her uninjured arm in front of her she glared at the mass of pure evil that stood across the expanse of the forest clearing. She watched as the youkai before her drove one of his massive tentacles forward. There was a sickening thwack as the tentacle forced its way through flesh and bone, piercing Inuyasha through the heart. His golden eyes sought hers as he fell helplessly. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Kagome screamed in anguish. Her heart felt crushed in her chest. How could she go on without him?
Kagome!
She heard a woman's voice echo in her ears.
You must awaken your power! True evil will soon darken the world once again! Awake!
Kagome felt a surge of energy burst forth from her chest. It was like drowning in a river of electricity. The power violently pushed and pulled at her, searching for the easiest route outward. She screamed, but whether it was out of pain or terror she did not know.
000
Kagome woke to the sound of her own screaming. The bulb in her lamp burst with a sharp crack, sending small shards of glass and sparks through the air. The sound of it echoed in her ears, mirroring her unstable sense of reality. Her nightmare had been so intense and realistic, she still felt the anguish of watching Inuyasha being murdered in front of her. His golden eyes haunted her, and she shuddered. Every inch of her skin prickled, and her muscles ached as if she'd fallen down a flight of stairs.
She was surprised once more when Miroku and Sango came bursting into the room. Miroku brandished a baseball bat in his hands, franticly searching the room for the threat. Both he and Sango stopped in their tracks, staring at her in disbelief. Kagome's body was aglow, lighting every corner of the room with a soft blue light.
"Kagome!" Sango gasped, jumping toward the bed.
"Sango, don't!" Miroku yelled, quickly dropping the bat to grab Sango. "Don't touch her!"
Kagome studied her hands in disbelief. Her entire body was surrounded by a layer of pure spiritual energy. She could see it crackling angrily with every movement she made.
"Let me go! We have to help her!" Sango yelled, hitting at Miroku's arms around her middle, but he refused to let go.
"You'll be killed by her barrier!" Miroku answered through gritted teeth. It wasn't easy holding back one hundred and thirty pounds of pure muscle, but he was determined. "Kagome, you need to calm down and lower your barrier." He coached gently.
"I don't know how!" She cried, feeling herself begin to hyperventilate.
"Listen to me, you can do this. Just close your eyes and breath for a moment." Miroku instructed.
Kagome closed her eyes tightly, and took a few deep breaths. She imagined pushing her fear away, separating it from herself, and felt it dissipate.
"Alright, now focus. Picture your barrier dissapearing. Let it fall away."
He watched as the glowing energy that surrounded Kagome faded to nothing, and she slumped to the bed from exhaustion.
Miroku loosened his grip on Sango, and she ran to the bed like a shot. "Kagome, are you okay?" She asked, but Kagome had passed out. "Miroku, what's happening?" She pleaded, taking hold of Kagome's limp hand in her own. "We need to call an ambulance!"
"They won't be able to help." Miroku answered calmly. He stood there, crossing his arms over his bare chest. Sango felt anger bloom in her gut. She felt like clocking Miroku in the face for not acting with more urgency.
"I've never seen such a strong show of spiritual energy." Miroku said to himself. He had detected the small amounts of spiritual energy emanating from Kagome's person since their first meeting, and recognized her inherent talent as miko. He'd been tempted to ask her about it, but then he realized that she herself might not be aware of her powers, and so he decided to keep his suspicions to himself. Now he was wishing that he hadn't.
"What do you mean spiritual energy?" Sango demanded, still kneeling over Kagome's bed.
"She just created a barrier of energy around herself as protection. I've seen it done before, but it usually takes a great deal of spiritual discipline. How she was able to conjur one as powerful as that I do not know." Miroku answered.
"What!?"
"Sango my love, Kagome is a miko. And a powerful one at that." Miroku stepped over the shards of broken glass to Kagome's bed. He put his fingers on her neck to check her pulse, but felt a sharp sting and yanked his hand away with a yowl of pain.
"You mean like a shrine maid?" Sango asked.
"Well, yes in a way, I suppose. She's obviously capable of far more than your typical shrine maid." Miroku answered. "Damn that was strong!" He snapped, shaking his injured hand to dissipate the discomfort. He leaned forward to study Kagome more closely. There, just barely visible under the collar of Kagome's shirt he noticed the intricate mark about the size of a coin. Emblazoned on her skin was the image of four crescent moons surrounding Polaris. He recognized the mark instantly. It was a yokai mark, used to connect a mated pair. Miroku held up his right hand, his first two fingers held high as he concentrated on determining the nature of the bond. He could not detect a soul bond, so the mark was not permanent, but it did mean that she had agreed to begin the courtship ritual of mate bonding.
"Sango, you should call Inuyasha." Miroku said, his tone serious. There were questions that needed answering, and hopefully Inuyasha would have the answers they needed. At the very least he should be made aware of Kagome's current state.
0000
Inuyasha woke to the sound of his phone buzzing on the table beside his bed. He grabbed it before it vibrated itself to the floor.
"Hello?" He answered groggily.
"Hey, it's Sango. Something has happened to Kagome. Can you come to the apartment?" Sango's voice pleaded. In an instant he was wide awake and out of bed, pulling a pair of jeans over his boxers.
"I'll be there soon." He answered. He hung up the phone, stuffed it into his pocket, threw his shirt and boots on, grabbed his keys and was out the door. His concealment charm caught on the corner of the kitchen counter in his haste. The rosary snapped, scattering the beads to the floor. He almost stopped, but making sure Kagome was safe mattered more than maintaining appearances. He slammed the door behind him, and swung himself over the side of the stairs, landing gracefully next to his car below.
The roads were clear of traffic thanks to the late hour, and Inuyasha prayed that he didn't meet any red lights or traffic cops on the way.
0000
The forest around him was dark and silent. The only light came from the small flashlight he'd dropped on the ground at his feet. Hojo felt a pang of grief at the memory of Kagome kissing that other man so passionately. He had seen the love in her eyes, and that was when knew that he'd lost her.
At first he'd felt anger. Why couldnt she love him? Hadn't he proven his love to her over and over? But after a while all he felt was despair and emptiness. Things would be so much easier if he couldn't feel at all. That was when he decided it would be best to just end it all.
Now Hojo stood precariously on the overturned bucket with one end of a rope tied to a tree branch, and the other end wrapped around his neck. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he took a breath and stepped off. Hojo felt the noose tighten around his neck, the rough cord digging into his skin cutting off his windpipe.
He instantly regretted his decision. He desperately tried to swing his feet back up onto the bucket. To his terror the mad flailing of his feet knocked it backward and out of his reach. Panic rose in his gut as the rope tightened, threatening to snap his neck. His vision began to blacken around the edges and he began to slip out of consciousness.
I don't want to die! I'll do anything to take it back! He pleaded, still swinging his legs wildly in search of any footing.
He never noticed the multitude of eyes watching him from the darkness as he struggled to stay alive. Never knew that they could grant his last wish.
Anything, you say? They hissed in his ear, wrapping themselves around his arms and legs, bending his thoughts to their will. We can save your life... for a price.
For a moment Hojo thought he might be losing his mind, until he felt something cold slither up his arms and legs.
He was unaware that in taking their offer he would lose his soul, that he was already their puppet. The yokai had hungered for a willing host for centuries; craved the power they'd had as part of the evil yokai Naraku before he'd cast them off into the depths of those rotting castle dungeons. Now that they had found a wretched soul to prey upon they weren't about to let this opportunity slip away unexploited. Naraku would be reborn again this night!
I'll pay anything! Just save me! Hojo pleaded desperately.
The silence of the forest was split with the growls and shrieks of the mob as they converged on Hojo's dangling body.
Hojo felt something hit him with such a force that it snapped the rope, toppling him in a heap on the forest floor. Before he could reclaim his breath he felt his chest burst. His entire body felt like it was aflame with an intense burning. He curled up more tightly, trying to close himself off from the pain. He glanced down at his hand and screamed. His skin was black and charred to the bone by bright blue flame.
Finally, a body! You will become one with us, and you shall attain your deepest wish!
Hojo felt himself slip into blackness. His last thought was of Kagome wrapped in another man's embrace, and the anguish he felt at losing her.
0000
Sango ran for the door when she heard a loud pounding. Swinging the door open she stared up at the silver haired man standing in the door. He wore a pair of white Inu ears on top of his head, an obvious cosplayer.
"Can I help you?" She asked impatiently.
"Where is Kagome?" He demanded, forcing himself passed her.
"Inuyasha?" She asked as she shut the door behind them. He turned, giving her an irritated look. There was no mistaking Inuyasha, even with his change in appearance. The ears on his head swiveled toward the hall, and he sniffed.
"Who else would I be?" He asked, disappearing down the hall in the blink of an eye, leaving Sango to scramble after him. She rubbed her eyes, unable to wrap her head around inhuman speed of his movement. All the stress was messing with her head she rationalized.
"Ah, Inuyasha. You're here." Miroku greeted as Inuyasha pushed him aside and took his place at Kagome's bed. He gently took her hand in his own and pressed it to his lips.
"What happened?" He asked.
"I'm not entirely certain. We heard her scream, and when we found her she'd cast a powerful barrier around herself. I managed to help her take it down so we could help, but she passed out. My guess is she overexerted herself." Miroku explained. He studied Inuyasha's appearance intently. The silver hair was definitely his first clue that Inuyasha wasn't human, but seeing the triangular ears sitting atop his head he corrected his first assumption. He was human, in part at least.
"I must say, this look suits you my friend." He added lightly.
Inuyasha, looked over his shoulder at his long silver hair and shrugged. "My charm's anchor broke on my way out the door. I'm sorry if I startled you." He apologized.
"I expected as much actually. I noticed the mark on Kagome's shoulder when I was checking her pulse." Miroku nodded.
Sango stood in the door, completely confused by their conversation. "Would you please tell me what the hell is going on? Inuyasha, why are you dressed in cosplay?"
Miroku gave Sango a stern look of disappointment. "Inuyasha isn't in cosplay, Sango. He's a hanyo. Inu if I'm not mistaken." He explained.
Sango's mouth gaped open, unable to find the words to express her confusion. First Kagome was conjuring spiritual barriers, and now Inuyasha wasn't human? What else hadn't she known, that the government was secretly amassing an army of ninja assassins to combat the ultimate forces of evil? This was rediculous!
"You two have lost your minds." She huffed. "I'm going to call an ambulance." She threw her hands into the air as she turned to leave the room. She was certain that she'd left her phone in the living room when she'd gone to answer the door.
"She needs rest, and maybe a trained Shinto priest, not a doctor." Miroku snapped, moving quickly to block her path. He took both of her hands in his own, silently pleading for her to understand.
Sango felt her anger melt as she stared into the depths of Miroku's deep violet eyes. They pleaded with her to understand, and she sighed, relaxing into his touch and allowed him to steer her back into the room.
"This is crazy. You know that, right?" She asked dryly. Miroku chuckled lightly, nodding his head in agreement. "How do you know all of this stuff about spiritual powers and yokai?" She added watching Inuyasha closely over Miroku's shoulder.
"I might be a simple teacher now my love, but once upon a time I was a Buddhist monk in training." Miroku explained. " He won't harm her you know?" He added, noticing her trail of vision.
"But he's yokai. Aren't they supposed to be evil?" She asked in a hushed voice.
Inuyasha growled low and shot Sango a look of disgust. "That's rich!" He snapped. Sango blushed realizing that he'd heard her. Miroku sighed, brushing his hair away from his face.
"They're pair bonded, or at least partially." He tried to explain as simply as possible.
"What exactly does that mean?" Sango sputtered.
Inuyasha growled again, and Miroku decided it would be best if he explained it all in a different room so Kagome could recoup in peace.
"Let's have a cup of tea. I'll explain everything." He said, leading Sango out of the room toward the kitchen.
0000
The pain, and the darkness. That was all he knew. Who was he? He wondered.
Naraku.
Was that who he was? It seemed to fit well enough. He was so much more than that sniveling excuse for a human he had once been. The pain was his crucible, molding him into something more. He felt new power coursing through his veins.
Naraku's hands balled into fists as he struggled to open his eyes. He felt someone approaching. He stretched his new sharpened senses outward, getting a better sense of what he was dealing with. He could hear two heart beats thrumming in his now sensitive ears. He smelled human, and an animal. He sniffed again. Definitely a man and a dog.
The dog approached with a curious sniff.
"What is that? Did someone burn a bag of garbage? It stinks!"
The dog whined nervously, clearly spooked. Naraku could hear the gravel under the man's boots as he moved closer. The dog barked a warning, and then bolted. "Chewy! Come back girl!" The man yelled after her. Naraku ignored the searing pain, and pulled himself up on his hands and knees. It was excruciating, but it only pushed him onward.
"Holy shit!" The hiker yelled in surprise. "Are you alright?"
Naraku growled in frustration, peeling his eye open. The early morning light burned his eyes.
"I'm going to call the police. What's your name?" The man asked, leaning over Naraku to get a better look.
Naraku opened his mouth to speak, but all that escaped was a garbled slurry of noise. He reached upward, taking the man's throat in his hand, and smiled wickedly. The look of fear in the man's eyes was intoxicating. Tightening his grip on his prey's neck, it snapped like a twig between his fingers. He hissed in satisfaction, and let the limp body drop to the ground with a dull thud.
He stood there for a moment, committing the sensation to memory. He imagined it was Kagome's pale neck held tightly in his grasp. He could almost feel her bones crushing under his fingers. He wanted to see the life leave her eyes; he wanted to see her suffer. If he couldn't have Kagome, then he would see to it that nobody could.
0000
Red eyes. His sihouette was barely visible through the black mist that surrounded her. His laugh echoed in the blackness, making her skin crawl. She could feel his eyes on her, penetrating her very soul with hatred and vitriol. She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. He would be coming for her soon.
88
Hello my lovely readers! I am so sorry it took me so long to get this up for you. I rewrote this chapter four times until I was finally happy with it. Thank you so much for following or favoriting! Thank you so much! You're awesome!
