Author's note: I don't own any cool money making stories like Inuyasha! There are you happy? You should be. The holiday's are here and this is my gift to you! Sorry, can't wrap it.

Chapter 9: 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The relentless ocean current persisted against Kikyo's cold clay frame. It was completely dark. Having just witnessed the unholy snarfing of her last precious hope to find Naraku, Kikyo recognized the shark's all-consuming silhouette merge with the rest of the darkness. It was incredibly close to her, less than an arm's length away. This is it.

Kikyo swung her arm out to intercept the massive bulk. Her hand scraped and chinked against the rough sandpaper exterior of the ultra shark. It would have torn flesh, if she had any. The fish didn't seem the least bit interested as she latched her hand onto its pectoral fin. It planed gracefully onward following the ocean floor. Its powerful tail made impressive strides, tearing through the water. She managed to hang on, feeling as useful as a streamer.

Kikyo prayed the mammoth would continue on a steady path. This was, oddly enough, the exact course she needed to take. Then out of the murkiness of her contemplations, came a soft orange glow. It was blanketing the sea bed. The smooth black rock had split open on the floor. Out of the crevice foamed a river of molten lava. The rock was lava? Of course. No wonder it was crawling up off the sea floor. There was an underwater volcano here.

Was Naraku located at the base of some underwater volcano in the middle of the ocean? What a pathetic fool. Kikyo absentmindedly watched the lava playfully pop yellow bubbles of soapy rock into the heavy ocean. Small air bubbles flocked upwards like bats out of hell.

At that, the shark started skirting the edges of the molten area. Kikyo feared the animal would veer off course thus bringing her hitchhiking to a quick end. But, after an indecisive twist, it wound its way through the living river of lava.

Then Kikyo spotted it, lurking before them in the dusk, an enormous old ship resting on the fiery beds. The searing water blurred the definition of the graveyard-like remnant. The distortion made the yellow and orange lick at its base forming a mirage. It had one large rupture in the bottom, as though it had been impaled. Apparently the shark was intent on going there and Kikyo was positive this had to be Naraku's new base of operations. So Kikyo gripped tighter to her strange transport for the remainder of the flight.

It was just before reaching the gargantuan ship that the giant took a detour. He angled off to the left of the ship. Kikyo abandoned ship and floated slowly down into an open level of the ship. The hole in the bottom was enough to split the ship, though it didn't.

She could see the surging lava beneath her. Bubbles fluttered up beneath her and scurried like trapped rats along the ceiling of that level. As they searched for an exit, she cautiously entered the unknown domain.

The old wood was squishy under her feet, but if Naraku had made this place inhabitable it must be somewhat stable. Kikyo observed the artifacts preserved in the wreck. There was no real wealth to speak of, but beautiful paintings lined the walls and some spare ship parts rested silently by the walls. Climbing higher up some stairs, to the next exposed layer, she observed rows of beds. Some beds were toppled over, some still stood upright. Strangely, the ship seemed to have been very well kept. Perhaps Naraku had helped. The squishy wooden floors were made of thick beautiful wood. No doubt, this ship would have made a fine expedition to where ever it was headed.

It was dim up on the higher levels, but Kikyo tried to adjust to the light. The gaping hole in the floor did offer some illumination. Kikyo guessed that Naraku would be in the top or near top level. That was another four or five levels up. She focused on his aura and continued her painfully slow mission to find him.

Suddenly from out of the darkness, a globular shadow lurched at her. Its small awkward flippers propelled it toward her unsuspecting form. It crashed into her torso, sending her sailing backwards. Kikyo reeled about and tried to face her attacker. She had slammed into a fragile wall, and clutched it for support. She quickly located her attacker. It was a disgusting brown asymmetrical fish with bulging eyes, spear-like bulldog teeth, a stumpy body, and stubby fins. It stared vacantly through her. It's eyes were revolting and the emptiness that they engulfed her with was horrible.

A small circular effervescent blue orb bounced out from its behind and dangled in front of its barbarian face. The orb was attached to a long slender extension protruding from its forehead. It probed around with the blue light. Kikyo discovered two rice grain sized pupils darting sickly around its hazy grey eyeballs. They immediately stopped their frenzied dance and settled on her. The fish seemed frozen in place.

Discarding the motionless guise, it squirmed toward her at full speed. Kikyo braced her arms in front of her body. She pumped all her spiritual powers to her finger tips. She felt its white-pinky light spewing from her digits. The fish closed in and gaped its mesh like jaws at her. She let the energy rip through the atmosphere. The fish flopped back on the ancient wood near the endless light radiating pit which Kikyo had entered through. It swished its singed tail angrily and flung its blue orb about threateningly.

Kikyo considered how little affect her powers had on a plain fish. The beast was not a demon and was using only brute force against her. Kikyo could only repel it with her powers. The fish would not die from spiritual power alone because it needed a spirit to die from such an attack. That's why the attack worked on humans. Kikyo was flustered. She couldn't possibly kill the fish with her hands. This was not like gutting a little trout from a river; this was like trying to kill a Frankenstein tuna bare handed. Kikyo threw her eyes around the room for a weapon, but it was bare. She'd have to force the fish out or run away. Her arrows were the only viable answer, but they merely pointed her spiritual energy. She didn't want to waste them, but it was her only choice.

Kikyo marched toward the beckoning fish. It dangled its orb temptingly in front of its blank but hideous grey face. She prepared herself for a second attack, drawing her bow. The villain seemed to grin through its jagged teeth. Kikyo held her ground and gathered a strong field of energy to her.

The angler fish, as the brute was called, playfully whipped his blue head ornament in and out of the hellish void just behind him and the tense space separating him and Kikyo. Kikyo just stared at it with no aura of malice. Kikyo's face was blank and then a certain intensity gripped her features. Begone.

With a thunderous splintering noise something huge was born out of the cavernous hole behind the angler fish. It unceremoniously cracked the angler in its jaws as it swooped in to the small inner level of the ship. A billowing black stream of blood chased the stealthy hunter from his victorious jaws. The orb suspended aimlessly from its owners corpse, no longer exuding any luminescence.

Kikyo recoiled to the wall, pressing her back against it. It was the shark again. The mighty king eyed her. The lump in its mouth disappeared into its abyssal gut. This time the predator seemed more interested in her. It passed her twice. It's huge golden eye twitching only the slightest as it tracked her. Kikyo's stringy onyx hair levitated in the water before her nose. It had shifted forward after she slammed her back to the wall. Now she peered through the slits in it at the fish, like a prisoner behind bars eyeing a vicious guard. She hoped it would simply leave as before. She didn't need another conflict. This one might be more of a problem.

The fish slowed its pace to a relaxed motion. It paced about the level and became less and less interested with her. Kikyo wearily checked that he stayed behind her this time. She escaped up some stairs to the next level.

Kikyo was delighted to see that the monstrous hole that punctured the ship did not reach up to this level. There was more air collected on the ceiling on this level too. However, it was much darker than the lower levels. She continued upward. She was grateful no more surprises swam up to her either.

Another level and Kikyo was in the dining room. Dishes slid lightly around the half aquatic half gaseous surroundings. The water hugged her waste line. Her soaked clothes clung to her cold skin and sharply outlined her form. Since they were white, the overall affect made her feel quite naked. Her bangs stuck to her forehead and draped down into her eyes. The rest of her hair was plastered untidily down her essentially bare back, with the exception of the small white wrinkles in her clothes.

Finally she was making headway. Upon reaching the next level, there was barely any water to tread through. It was a vacant office setting. Desks cowered in the corners of the vacant grounds.

The demonic aura was centered here. It echoed from the end of the dark hall. Kikyo padded determinedly down the room. Her quiet feet made scant splashes from the soggy floor; it looked as though the bathroom had flooded. Torch light now guided her steps. Someone was home.

"Naraku"

"No" answered a mysterious voice from the darkness. "Unfortunately he's not seeing any guests, Kikyo, though I'm sure he would have died for the pleasure" the voice mocked.

"Kagura," Kikyo stated bluntly.

"Correct," answered Kagura's smooth voice. But it seemed hollow, as though deflated of most of its arrogance. Her Mercury eyes emerged form the abyss behind her.

"You are alone?" Kikyo seemed angry though bent on not showing it.

"I am always alone," Kagura responded directly. Kikyo was silent. Kagura gripped her fan firmly with one hand, slowly raising it to her mouth.

He was expecting me. He left. Kikyo's lips curled unpleasantly. A long silence drifted between the two women.

"You will not let me pass?" Kikyo stated more than asked.

"I'm afraid so," Kagura replied, opening her fan ostentatiously. Kikyo slowly drew her bow from its secure grip across her chest. Kagura's eyes followed Kikyo's every move. She didn't seem intent on fighting, though unwilling to allow her to proceed. Kikyo's lively teak eyes narrowed.

"You would be wise to leave while you have the chance." Kikyo issued her last warning. Kagura smiled.

"You certainly are arrogant for a dead woman, but then it was your arrogance that killed you wasn't it?" Kagura bit back. Kikyo's visage gave no hint of a reaction. Kagura cocked her head. "No wonder you and Naraku get along so well."

"Move aside," Kikyo ordered, "your efforts are wasted, even if they were in earnest." That wiped the self-satisfied smile off Kagura's face. "I have no time for stalling."

"Why you pompous—" Kagura sliced her words off in midstream. Her ruby eyes locked onto someone emerging from the right.

The person appeared to be rising from a seated position on the floor. She assumed it to be a man because of the garb, but he did have long, thick, loosely curled locks. He walked confidently over to Kagura, but stopped a few feet short. Kikyo's teak irises ran down the length of his body with a foreboding sense of familiarity. Then it dawned on her. His face materialized right next to her as the figure was unmasked.

"Naraku," Kikyo's voice resonated the sound. Kagura remained paralyzed with her mouth agape. The soft eyed villain smiled innocently at the women from behind his wavy bangs.

"Na...Naraku?" Kagura stammered as though trying out the name for the first time. The infamous lord thoughtfully shifted his gaze to Kagura. His face was completely calm. He said nothing.

In an instant, Kikyo knocked an arrow into place on her bow, it's strong frame bending with her pose into a refined professional stance. Naraku acknowledged her with a relaxed countenance. Kikyo's face was hard and icy. Naraku smiled gently at her.

"Kikyo," he soothed her name through his mouth, "is this all you came here for?" He searched her eyes hopefully for another alternative. "How disappointing." The smile settled down into a grin on his face. Kikyo said nothing. They just held each other's gaze for a moment. Kagura dislodged herself from her incapacitated position and stiffly stumbled backwards. She regained her composure in the darkness behind her. Kikyo and Naraku pretended not to notice her.

"You chastise me for coming to kill you when that was your exact reason for luring me here. Naraku," Kikyo's voice was steady, "you are the hypocrite, not me."

"Maybe so," he chuckled, "but it certainly was considerate of you to save me the trouble of finding you." His eyes teased her.

"You are truly pathetic," her eyes were dull. He just grinned at her in his all-knowing manner. She pulled back on the arrow a bit an let it fly. However, where his head once was, it disappeared. He was gone. Her pink arrow embedded itself in a small crater adorning the wall. Her brows furrowed. His demon force was ubiquitous, it was impossible to single him out. A creek sounded behind her and she ducked forward, rolled on the floor, and regained a crouching stance with her bow, balancing on one knee. She reloaded a quiver and aimed for him again. He laughed mockingly at her.

She was about to fire again when two demon intruders latched onto her wet glove-like clothes, restraining her. She seethed at them and with a twirl of her bow vaporized both of them. She stumbled backward a bit. Naraku's silhouette was at her left. It crept toward her, but his form hid in the darkness only to be recognized by it's light footsteps. She glared cautiously at the approaching specter. To his credit, Naraku was never dull.

The shadow dispersed at her feet, disintegrating into millions of small black centipedes. An illusion? Her face reflected fright from the sudden realization. She had left herself wide open. She spun her head to the right. And there, surging forth as a wave, a churning assembly of Naraku's countless demons rushed forward. So this is where he was hiding them, in his aura.

"What?" Kikyo grit her teeth wrathfully, "no surprises?"

"All in good time," he teased, "I'm afraid you barged in ahead of schedule."

Kikyo glanced behind her. The water's edge glimmered from the torch light above her. She stole a glance back at the stampeding herd. She clutched her bow and sprinted for the water. She could feel and smell their awful demon stench breathing on the back of her neck. One cried in victory as he was first to reach her. She dove into a somersault, splashing the water. The demon screamed furiously as it narrowly missed her. One snapped at her back with hungry fangs, but was thwarted by another jealous predator. They wrestled on the floor beside her. Kikyo struggled to her feet, dodging various flying objects. The demons were profuse now, as if her vision wasn't impaired enough.

She deflected a few with her bow, but she would never be able to combat them with any arrows. They would easily nab her should she loose her defensive posture. She was breathing heavily. She didn't need to, but she did it out of habit. Her feet sloshed forward into the black pit, away from the torch light. The water nipped at her knees. The demons were constantly dive bombing her now. She'd hear the blind ones crash down feet away from her, but the acute ones would bounce off her up held bow.

The water tugged at her hips now. It was really difficult to move quickly. She felt the swarm closing in. She saw small glints off their bellies as they wound down in a coordinated motion at her.

Kikyo turned to face them. She let her bow fall into the water. It's light touch greeted one of her feet. She had no arrows left. They had all spilled out. She felt the imminent strike of the demons impending. She slowly clasped her hands togther before her chest. Her fingers folded delicately except her pointer fingers which aimed upward togther. A screech rang out directly overhead. Kikyo bowed her head. The demons swooped down to claim her. All came from different angles. Escape was impossible.

Kikyo let her body fall. It was almost in slow motion. Her teak irises observed the lunging demons with a hazy vacant look. The water enveloped her small figure and caught her in its safe embrace. Her face disappeared with a ripple. The demons plunged in a second after her. A piercing light shot off the surface of the water. It was a searing white. The demons cried out in anguish. All their bodies vanished into shadows that stained the old wooden walls. The force of the blast echoed through the hall.

The placid lake of water resettled. Kikyo's form emerged and stood up from one knee. Her clothes gripped her body with a new sense of urgency. Again, she was soaked through. She leaned down and collected her bow. Naraku's aura was dampened down for some reason. She strapped her only weapon to her and retraced her way back to her killer. Naraku was not in the hall where she had just left him. Kikyo stopped beside where he had talked to her. The arrow remained lodged in the wood. She plucked it out and hid it in the side of her uniform.

The tilted setting of the sunken ship made walking on the sloped dry floor unusual. She reached the upper level of the ship. There was no trace of water, not even a salty scent. A few tables and desks rested on the slanted floor. Kikyo discerned the outline of a man wading in the distance.

"The holy water was a nice touch," his maniacal voice complemented her. She just stood rooted to the floor. He emerged at the end of the room. He complacently walked over to at table with tea prepared and kneeled down. He looked expectantly up at her.

He's trying to be civil. She did not join him. He sipped his tea and paid little attention to her.

"You," she emphasized each word, "are not Naraku." When he looked up, she had her last arrow aimed straight at him. With a twang the arrow soared over and pierced his chest. It hurled him onto his back. Black blood spurt out of his new wound and oozed into the crevices of the rotting wood.

He sat up on his elbows in a pool of his own blood. The arrow jutted out of his heart like a conquering enemy flag.

"Clever girl." he smiled and revealed his blood stained teeth. His lips were black and shiny, dripping with wetness. A forlorn look drifted over his eyes. "You are most adept at recognizing a false entity. But I suppose you should be." Kikyo stood untouched by the jabbing comment. "It's too bad for you that Naraku sees me as worth more than just that."

At that, Kagura's dance of blades ripped through the wooden floor beneath Kikyo. The wind demon stood a floor below her. Kikyo managed to avoid the fall, but soon discovered Kagura's real objective. There was a lurching creaking noise as Kagura's last blade sliced through the ceiling. Kagura cried: "Dance of the dragon!" as a pillar of water hurtled down from the opening. Kagura's wind surrounded herself. She deployed her feather and escaped out of the cyclone's shaft, leaving Naraku's dying shell. The column of wind whisked up all the air out of the ship and volcanic vents from the ocean floor.

Kikyo suffered the battering of the thunderous water and felt the ship start imploding. It cracked and lurched under the extreme pressure. Everything was black. She was pinned against a wall and refused to let go, lest she be crushed by the ship. Suddenly the support behind her snapped and she was sucked out. She couldn't feel anything other than water around her. She assumed she was outside the ship.

How would she get to the surface? She didn't even know which way was up. Because she had no air in her body, she couldn't watch any bubbles guide her to the surface. It was pure void. Her water laden clothes weighed her down. Even if she did know which way to go, she would be powerless to get there.

She was suspended helpless in the water. She listened to the dying cries of the destroyed ship. It was so vacant in the darkness, like being in space on a starless night. She couldn't stay here forever, she'd run out of souls. She would simply fade away; after all of this she would be lost to the depths of the ocean.

Her desperate situation drove her to act. Kikyo developed an idea. It seemed logical enough, though it could be risky. At this point she was willing to try anything. She set her hands out in front of her and gathered her spiritual powers to them. They fizzled a white pink. He held the power steady and started slowly waving her arms. She could see small particles drifting the blank inky ocean.

She waved her arms more frantically, increasing the power intensity in them. The light crept down to her shoulders. Half of her body seemed to radiate holy energy. Nothing was happening.

She glanced around. It was entirely empty. She dropped her arms to her sides. Her uniform suspended in the fluid about her. She let go of the energy slowly. She'd only die faster if she kept it up.

Then something yanked her by her right sleeve and started dragging her straight up. It shook her violently and she felt her sleeve ripping. She groped blindly and her fingers scraped against a taught rough surface. The shark! It was attracted to light. It had eaten her soul collector and the angler fish because they produced light. She finally found it's dorsal fin and grasped on. Her sleeve had torn off and she gripped the fin with both hands.

The shark seemed both confused and upset. It had caught its prey, but lost it. It kept swimming up, jerking its head to look for Kikyo. Kikyo forced up a hand against the resistance from the water and rested it before its eyes. She lit the tips.

The shark urged forward excitedly. Kikyo smiled to herself. The powerful predator was as simple minded as some of the men in her life. The similarities made her laugh to herself. For some reason, imagining Inuyasha as a shark wasn't that hard.

Suddenly they broke the surface. Kikyo was flung off the shark's back and splashed back into the waves. Shore was no where to be found, so she attracted her subordinate again. A clouded trail streaked the sky. Kagura's wind had torn a path through the black speckled universe. How careless of her.

It was solid night. The stars twinkled down on Kikyo and her companion. Kikyo rested on his back above the surface, still offering a glowing finger or two. Her heavy soaked clothes plastered her to his back as she watched the night's sky. The star systems told Kikyo that Kagura had taken the right direction. Kikyo's lips parted, releasing some pocketed air from inside her mouth. It steamed upward as water vapor. Kikyo blinked, mildly intrigued. Her body wasn't producing heat so her breath shouldn't be visible. She smiled. The shark was radiating heat and warming her body. Funny, who would have thought the brute to be warm hearted?

Some water laced among the near ironed folds of her clothes and loosened the vice-like grip that sealed her to the shark only a little. Her body was framed by the powerful cohesion of the water. She found it curious that being bound to him was somewhat comfortable, even if she felt blaringly exposed by the wet contours pressed against her flesh. She closed her eyes, one hand still dangled before the shark's face.

Kikyo felt exhausted. Her souls were nearly used up. This time she had come close, real close to oblivion. It would not be the last time.

Kikyo didn't need to pay attention to the direction; Kagura's trail was a straight line. Kikyo also felt a strange trust for her compatriot. Somehow his association with Inuyasha and how he oddly rescued her several times had earned him her liking. She let the water soothe her stiff body. In the relaxing night, she let her dreams carry her away.

When Kikyo next awoke she was dramatically thrown onto something rough, crunchy, and dry. Her eyes popped open. It was dawn. Her eyes adjusted to the light. On the beach beside her was the shark. All eighteen feet of him was stuck on the shore, mostly in the surf. He beat angrily at the waves and his gills flapped desperately for breath. Kikyo sat up and regarded the grounded fish. His wet flesh was scaly and luminescent in the morning light that gently kissed his skin. She called her soul collectors as she stood up. She dusted the sand off her clothing. Kikyo waited as her entire ward looped about her excitedly. Some dispensed souls into her hollow being.

After a minute or two, about thirty five to forty soul collectors responded to her repeated calls. Their celestial light danced on Kikyo's wet form and the shark's yellow lime glossy skin. With a flick of her finger, Kikyo ordered her servants to haul the gigantic fish back into the ocean. All of them latched on to the disgruntled shark and lugged him back into the water. He splashed his tail flagrantly and swam off. Go be free.

She didn't understand why exactly the fish had so much significance to her, but she accepted that she survived because of him. That was enough. She had not come to take any lives, merely to abate an ominous sense of foreboding.

The black sky dissolved into a gory red sunrise. The sunburst was just beginning. All the oranges and yellows were yet to come. She stood and watched the horizon burn away the charred night. The red fabric from her leggings had bled into the pure white cloth that now clung to her chest and arms. She grinned, this was the closest she would ever come to the real affect, her veins didn't flow.

Kikyo turned to go in her tattered, ripped, and bleeding outfit. The soul collectors followed suit. She walked on determinedly. Naraku had fooled her and he wasn't going to get away with it.