Once again, thank you to turtlequeen2 for all of your help with this chapter. This one took a while, but I hope that this one was worth the wait. Please remember to leave a review letting us know what you think!
The shinidaimachuu clustered around Kikyou in their ever-twisting dance, but this time they practically wrapped themselves around her for comfort. 'Is she strong?' They asked.
Kikyou thought to herself for a few minutes before nodding her head in response to her soul collectors' questioning.
'She is pure. A true priestess. Her energy tells us much.' The one twined about her arm said. 'May we meet her?'
"In due time," the undead woman murmured as they continued to walk forward.
They danced in happiness around the miko. 'Will you try learning from her? Or will you teach her?'
"If there is ever free time, both could be an option," Kikyou admitted, finding interest in Lynnette's powers.
They were silent for several minutes. 'What do you think of her? Will she fall to Naraku?'
A small, cold smirk crossed Kikyou's lips at such a question. "Naraku will have a very hard challenge on his hands. She doesn't seem very easily able to be tricked..."
'Do you think she will die? Is there no way to save her?'
At this, the miko's eyes grew soft. "...Though she had a very strong light within her, it continues to fade at an even pace..." she answered in a quiet tone.
The one twined around her right arm touched the packet of letters that Kikyou was carrying. 'We must free her Mistress, we must! She cannot die there in that darkness!'
The miko resisted the urge to sigh at the insistence of her shinidaimachuu. 'How does this 'Lynnette' manage to connect so well with youkai?' she pondered to herself. "It seems that Lynnette was already set on death before she even came to this world..."
They tightened around her. 'Talk to your younger self.' One of them said. 'Use her teacher as the bridge.'
"Kagome...?" Kikyou questioned, looking over at the shinidaimachuu with a curious gaze.
'She knows her teacher best. Learn what you can. Your younger self was her student as well as yours. Her teacher is your equal if not more. You said yourself that Naraku never does anything without a purpose, What if she sings to his soul the way you once sang to his body?' It asked.
The miko frowned at the words. "...That would not bode well for anyone," she remarked. The undead woman thought over what her "pets" were saying. If Naraku fell in love with Lynnette then what did it mean for her? Wouldn't that put her at risk for getting killed by him since his only excuse to spare her was because of Onigumo's heart?
Meanwhile, Kagome soaked her aching feet in the cold water with a sigh. She finally washed up and let everyone rest early for a change. Her feet were starting to heal again, though they still hurt a great deal. 'Will Kikyou keep her word?' She wondered.
Soon after, almost as if to answer Kagome's thoughts, Kikyou appeared in the forest clearing, staring directly at Kagome as she began to pace forward. Without so much as a greeting, the older woman stopped in front of the younger miko and announced, "I have a few messages to give you."
Kagome jumped up, ignoring the fact that her feet were still in the water and held out her hand. "Thank you."
Kikyou reached her hand into her haori and pulled out several letters that Lynnette had given her. She gave a simple nod in response to her words before handing the messages into Kagome's waiting hand.
Taking the letters the young miko took a deep breath and resumed her seat on the ground, ignoring Kikyou completely as she started to read the letters Lynnette had written her. With every minute, Kagome's aura grew brighter and stronger as her faith in her friend was renewed and deepened.
The older miko sensed Kagome's aura growing as she looked over the letter. She didn't seem to mind that the younger woman was ignoring her as she waited for her to finish reading.
Finally, Kagome put the packet down. "Thank you for bringing this."
Kikyou nodded her head again. "I did not do this for just you, however," she admitted. It wasn't usual for the woman to do anything for her reincarnation out of pure kindness.
"I knew that already." Kagome replied, pulling her feet out of the cold water and pulling on her socks and shoes.
The undead miko paused, allowing for her shinidaimachuu to fly away from her. Once she looked around, she noticed that Kagome was by herself. "Where are the others?" she asked.
"Sleeping by now. They are near by." She replied, standing as though to leave.
Kikyou let out a small "ah" as a sign of understanding. For once, she had no business with Inuyasha so there was no reason for her to bother him. The woman glanced down at Kagome's damaged feet before looking back into her reincarnation's eyes. "You knew the risks involved with bringing Lynnette here, did you not?" she questioned, not meaning to sound as harsh as she did. "You could have easily found some type of treatment and took it back to her instead of risking her life even more than what was already done to her in terms of that illness. What made you so determined to bring her here? Loyalty? Love?"
"Both. I'm all she has left in the world Kikyou." Kagome's eyes hardened. "There is no cure for cancer; we both knew that before we came. I didn't want to continue looking for the jewel shards only to go home one day and discover that Lynnette had died."
The older miko stood in silence; taking in all of her reincarnation had to say. She knew that it was believable due to how her aura reacted every time news of Lynnette came time. Kagome had a very strong bond with Lynnette and if that woman died, the younger miko's soul would shatter.
"I made her a promise the last time she was in the hospital. I looked into her pain-glazed eyes and swore that she wouldn't die alone. There is no way I'm going to break that promise to her, and not even Naraku is going to stop me from keeping my word to her!"
Kikyou nodded her head. "I understand, Kagome," she finally murmured, her tone holding a firmness that was different than the type she usually used toward the younger woman. The firmness in her voice almost sounded familial to Kagome. "...As long as my life is not in direct danger while being around Naraku, I will not mind delivering messages for you two," she explained.
Swallowing hard, Kagome nodded. "Thank you. Did she look okay when you saw her?"
"Better than I expected," Kikyou admitted. "For such a dark place, she seems to be making the best of the environment." She thought back to how Lynnette was tending to the garden of dying flowers as she spoke. "She even managed to befriend a saimyoushou."
"Say what?" The young miko's mouth dropped open. "Lynnette hates bugs and snakes!"
The undead miko would have smirked in amusement if the situation weren't so serious. "It seems that the creature was taken to her red hair," she explained. "Apparently, it wanted to become her hair decoration..."
Kagome shook her head. "I wish I could send Kirara to her... I'd feel safer that way. That bug can kill her..."
Kikyou nearly shrugged at Kagome's reply. "I'm well aware of that, but it seems that she's easily able to gain the trust of anything related to nature," she murmured. "Even my own shinidaimachuu were taken to her spirit without even having to meet her."
"She loves to garden. Likes to grow her own food too." The younger miko admitted. "Lynnette always said it relaxed her and cleared her mind."
The undead miko nodded her head. "She was gardening when I met her," she explained. "She managed to bring dead shouki-laden flowers back to life."
"She does have a green thumb, I suck at that though, Lynnette has more patience than I do."
Kikyou stood in place, noticing how happy Kagome sounded when she spoke of Lynnette. "...However, Kagome," she began, growing more serious. "There is something you must know."
She frowned. "What is it Kikyou?"
"Lynnette is not getting any better," the older miko murmured. "Even though her light is strong, it is gradually fading." She shook her head at the thought. "Also, I suspect that Naraku is up to something cunning in order to use her powers..."
Kagome nodded, though she looked slightly upset. "I know, Lynnette told me. Are you going to visit her again soon?"
"There is something else you must know as well," Kikyou added, her gaze hardening as she spoke. "...When I spoke to her of your current condition, she grew very upset. It was enough to make her powers spike to near dangerous levels."
"Oh crap... I'm gonna get hell when I see her, I just know it. She's gonna verbally kick my ass." Kagome started to pace. "I'd better write her a long letter..."
"I will be sure to deliver it if you're able to write it within the night," the older miko promised, deciding not to comment on Kagome's comments to herself.
With a preoccupied nod, Kagome walked quickly back towards camp, her lips moving soundlessly as she started to compose her own letter in her head. Her aura was steady and strong now that she knew her friend was all right.
Kikyou felt part of her original soul calm when she realized the brightening pulse of Kagome's aura. Not wanting to deal with the others in the younger miko's group, she took to sitting on a nearby boulder, allowing her shinidaimachuu to return if they so chose.
Her two favorites perched on her arms. 'Would you lead them to the silver one?' They asked.
It took a few moments for Kikyou to conclude that her creatures were referring to Lynnette. 'The silver one?' she thought with a bemused tone. "...I will point them in the right direction, but will not lead them directly," she murmured. "If Naraku knew I were to do so, he'd move to a new location and make sure to hide himself from me as well."
Her shinidaimachuu seemed to approve of this. 'You might become good friends with the silver one. She'll be very lonely even with all the insects around mistress.' They hated Naraku's insects.
"You really believe so?" Kikyou questioned with a small smirk of amusement. The thought of her having a "friend" was one she hadn't really humored since her death.
'She is a priestess of a different sort, Naraku wanted her for a reason.' they pointed out. 'Besides, aren't you curious as to who trained her and how if there are no Priestesses in your younger self's time?'
The undead woman nodded her head. "It would be interesting to find out..." She admitted quietly.
Kagome came back an hour later carrying the heavy black bag in both hands. "I'm back Kikyou." Her arms strained as she stopped in front of the older priestess and put the bag down.
Kikyou rose to her feet, staring down at Kagome's bag with a raised eyebrow. Why did she get the feeling that with every package she'd deliver, it'd continue getting heavier?
"This has all Lynnette's things: clothes, medicines and her writing supplies. She'll need these. My letter is in there too." Kagome explained. "I think it would make her feel better if she had her own things so she wasn't relying on Naraku for everything."
The older miko glanced over at her shinidaimachuu, wondering if they would have the ability to carry such items over long distances. She didn't know if she had the ability to carry the bag to Naraku's castle since Kagome seemed to struggle by just holding it for several minutes. "Very well then," she replied, after looking back at her reincarnation.
Kagome smiled sheepishly. "It might sound stupid to you Kikyou, but my teacher is very proud and she doesn't like asking people for help more than she absolutely has to. Anything that makes her a little stronger, even if it's not by much..."
"I see..." Kikyou noted to herself, still not taking hold of the bag that was placed at her feet. Though, part of herself couldn't help but be relieved at seeing Kagome smile like Inuyasha had always described her as doing at some of the times they had spoken to each other.
"We take care of each other; her happiness is my happiness too."
The older miko took in Kagome's words with understanding, knowing that with the younger woman's bond with Lynnette being strong, the words were true.
"I separated her things into different bags, just in case your shinidaimachuu couldn't carry it all in one bag." Kagome added. "I tried to be as helpful as I could."
"It's fine," Kikyou assured the young woman. "It seems that my shinidaimachuu are comfortable with helping Lynnette."
Kagome grinned and shook her head in wonder. "Lynnette always has a way of making friends with the strangest of people..."
Back in the miasma-filled lair, Naraku stared down at the open jar he had prepared a while beforehand. The mass of flesh now thrived with life, pulsing as if it were its own heart. The evil hanyou smirked, pleased with his handiwork, moving to place his hand over the creation. "...Don't worry..." he murmured, speaking to the flesh like it had a mind of its own. "...You'll be complete soon..."
The evil man took a few minutes to re-absorb the unfinished product into his hand before walking to the steps that led to the room above the basement. He would have honestly waited until later to commence his plan if not for Kikyou's sudden interference. He wasn't willing to give the miko the chance to ruin his plans. After ascending the steps, Naraku made sure his kimono was in order before making his way down to Lynnette's chambers and waiting for the woman to open her door.
Judging from the sounds, Lynnette was busy washing her hands. "Oh? All right then." Naraku heard her say in response to something he couldn't hear. A minute later, the redhead opened the door. "Good afternoon Naraku, or is it evening now?"
"I suppose it would be 'evening' since the sun went down a while ago..." Naraku murmured in a humble tone. "I was wondering if you were like to join me for dinner since you haven't had any food since yesterday afternoon?"
Lynnette's gaze turned inward as she thought, mentally flipping through the day's events. "I must have forgotten... again. Thank you for reminding me."
Naraku gave the woman a short nod of his head. "If you feel more secure with my saimyoushou around, I won't mind them joining us," he mentioned, backing out of the way so that she could move out of the room.
For an answer, her 'pet' saimyoushou perched on the handle of her wheelchair, which made Lynnette smile briefly, as she followed Naraku. "Is there any way to tell them apart?" The redhead asked.
"Some have subtle difference from others in terms of appearance," the hanyou explained. "One may have an extra stripe or one may buzz more incessantly than another."
Lynnette nodded. "I see." She smiled at her own again. "I'll have to find you some playmates..."
Naraku glanced down at the insect, not able to help the human emotion of envy, knowing that Lynnette cared more about his creations than him.
The redhead followed Naraku. "I didn't know you had a formal dining chamber."
Once they were moving through the hallways, Naraku decided to respond. "This castle has anything you would think a formal castle would have in Japan. However, the features not used very often due to obvious reasons..."
"Understandable." She replied, rolling into the room after her 'host' opened the door.
Naraku led Lynnette to a long table that had been propped up so that the woman wouldn't have to leave the comfort of her wheelchair. On the table, a wide array of traditional Japanese food was presented as if it was a feast set for a queen. "I wasn't sure what you ate normally so I had an assortment of food prepared," he explained.
It took Lynnette two tries to make her eyes go back to their normal size. "Thank you very much Naraku."
The dark hanyou let out a small chuckle, amused by the reaction he had received from the flabbergasted woman. Perhaps he should have done this a lot sooner just for the entertainment value!
An anxious sharp buzz seemed to snap her out of this shock. "Shush, shush... I'm okay." Lynnette said, letting the insect perch on her hand.
Naraku raised his eyebrow slightly, never before hearing such a sharp buzz from one of his insects. It wasn't a surprise that he could understand what the saimyoushou was trying to convey, but the fact that it was doing it at all surprised him.
The redhead patiently stroked the insect with her other and spoke quietly in a soothing voice until it quieted. Only when she was sure her 'pet' was relaxed did she allow the saimyoushou to perch on her shoulder again and return her attention to Naraku as she took her seat with a quiet dignity.
Amused, the evil hanyou eyed the young woman with a glimmer of fascination. How was it that she could quiet his own creations with ease? After he saw her make herself comfortable, or at least as comfortable as one could get in Naraku's presence, he began inwardly scheming his next move.
If Lynnette was nervous, she seemed determined not to show this to Naraku. Instead, she picked up her chopsticks and chose one of the sweet egg rolls. Taking a bite, she smiled as she chewed. "Wonderful! You have a very talented cook." She exclaimed after she swallowed and took another bite.
"I'm glad that you think so," Naraku hummed, trying to be as civil as he could be while silently plotting in his mind. It was as if the calm expression he wore now was a costume mask hiding the true evil.
Lynnette's face brightened as she continued to eat, though it should be noted that she ate like a bird, she did try a little bit of everything so the food wouldn't go to waste.
The dark hanyou observed his guest very closely, noting that when it came to expressing her enjoyment of any one thing, she was unashamed of doing so. That also seemed to have no exception to who she did it in front of. While the young woman continued to be distracted by the food, Naraku discreetly placed his "creation" into an empty bowl near to her by merely using his mind. He mentally chuckled, observing the now still piece of flesh. It was nestled on a pile of rice, looking like a cut of foreign fish.
After swallowing a mouthful, she looked at Naraku. "You aren't eating, am I that amusing?" The redhead idly took a sip of water as she spoke.
After realizing that he had invited her to have a mutual dinner, Naraku thought up an excuse quickly. "I just haven't seen you this animated in my presence," he murmured before reaching for the bowl of rice that was sat before him and taking a small bite of the food.
"With everything considered, I'm taking my small pleasures while I can. Funny how dying can make someone sit up and pay attention to the simple things that we take for granted every day." Lynnette replied, picking up her chopsticks again and contemplating the dish that contained Nakaku's 'surprise'. "Oh boy… this kind again? Let me guess, can't chew the meat right?"
Naraku shook his head as if confirming her assumption. "No, it wouldn't be best," he replied. It wouldn't serve him much use if she chewed his creation into bits. Of course, it could have reformed within her body, but it would just waste energy that it couldn't afford to waste at this initial stage of "life."
The redhead sighed, and then regarded the 'meat' again. "I was afraid you'd say that…" Still thinking, she absently chewed on some rice before taking another drink. Finally, the young woman steeled herself and picked up the meat. "Looks small enough…" Before she could talk herself out of it, she put it in her mouth and swallowed hard, choking and gagging slightly.
Gleefully the evil hanyou sharply bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from smirking as he watched the lump of meat make its way down her throat and into her body. It was too soon to enjoy his victory. Keeping up his facade, Naraku was able to make himself look a bit panicked when she began to choke. "Are you all right?" he questioned, sounding slightly worried.
For a few minutes, Lynnette did not answer, and she kept her eyes closed. She took slow deep breaths even as she raised her left hand to provide a calming perch for the anxious insect buzzing round her head. When she spoke again, she sounded slightly hoarse. "Next time I'm chewing. That did not go down well."
Naraku nodded his head, taking her words even though he wasn't paying much attention to their meaning. Her words no longer mattered to him for the rest of the night. He had won. Though, despite this, it was still too soon to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He could feel the pulsing of his creation as it tried to find something to grasp onto in order to begin maturing.
After dinner, Lynnette looked slightly ill and pale as she backed up away from the table. "Thank you for the wonderful meal. I'm going to get some air before I retire for the night." She said quietly.
The dark hanyou made no move to stop her. "Very well, then," he murmured, saying it as if to dismiss her from his sight. He saw the pale expression on her face and inwardly smirked. He knew that his "baby" was making itself known in Lynnette's body as they spoke.
Without another word, she left the room and once out of his sight she fled down the hall to race outside. Only when she was safe in her garden did she take a deep breath and pet the insect that landed in her lap. "I think that the last piece of meat was bad but I'd hate to have to throw up…"
As soon as Lynnette was out of sight, the sneer that wanted to be made finally lined Naraku's lips. A dark chuckle escaped his throat when he felt the creature find a "cozy" spot nestling onto a mass of Lynnette's flesh.
"Ah, now the fun begins..." Naraku laughed.
"What are you planning to do now?" The chief of his insects asked. "Are you going to make her into your breeding queen?"
"Perhaps..." Naraku murmured, beginning to walk forward. He was being led to Lynnette's suffering body like a man being called by a siren. He knew that by this point in time, the woman would have begun to feel her body change.
In the garden, Lynnette hissed between her teeth in agony. She had left the garden to vomit twice, but it didn't seem to help any. "Damnit. I knew I shouldn't have waited…" The redhead struggled not to scream as the agony burned through her body. "What in the name of the Goddess is going on?"
Within minutes, Naraku appeared across from Lynnette, the amusement clearly shimmering in his eyes at the prospect of succeeding in his plans. "Don't worry too much, Lynnette," he purred. "The pain will only be for a few more moments..."
The redhead was shaking with agony, choking off a scream with her hand. "Why are you doing this?" She managed to get out.
To this question, Naraku's smirk grew even wider. "That's a rather stupid question to ask, don't you think?" he returned. "I'm certain that you already knew of my interest in your powers..."
"Killing me is not the way to do it…" She swayed and leaned forward, trying not to puke.
Before the young woman had the chance to stagger forward, the evil hanyou moved to block her fall with his strong arms. Holding her upright, Naraku kept his amused expression in place. "You won't die from this. I'll assure you that much," he murmured.
Her world spinning, Lynnette finally couldn't take the pain any longer and fainted in his grasp. You could almost feel her powers trying desperately to cast this thing out of her body before she died from it.
The dark man didn't bother to frown, knowing that it was to be expected from a human to pass out due to too much pain. Deciding that this was the perfect opportunity to add power to his creation, he picked her up within his arms after making sure to touch her stomach; the place where the "child" lay in waiting. Knowing that Lynnette needed to rest, he then began to carry her back to her room, eventually setting the woman onto her bed.
When the redhead regained consciousness, she discovered that her head was resting in his lap and the evil hanyou was gently stroking her hair. "Huh…" She murmured, shifting her weight.
Naraku's eyes peered down on the woman's face as she awoke. "I trust that your violent convulsions have subsided for the time being?" he questioned, knowing that by now, his creation had found a place to settle within Lynnette's body.
"Seems to, yes. But I still don't understand what your reason are for doing this." Lynnette frowned up at him.
The evil hanyou couldn't help but smirk at her innocent response. "I've already told you the reason why I did this," he replied. "Your power." His eyes glimmered with amusement as he added, "Perhaps, the question you should be asking is what I have done to you..."
"I'm sure you'll get around to telling me sooner or later." The redhead replied, starting to push herself up away from him. Her hand went to her belly. "Whatever you did, it doesn't appear to have worked."
Naraku let out a laugh at her words. "On the contrary, my dear," he murmured. "It's working perfectly..."
"What makes you think that I can't just cast it out of me?" Lynnette sounded angry as her eyes flashed in temper.
"I don't think you'd want to try something that drastic..." the older man chuckled. "That would cost you your life..."
"I don't see how, it's not a part of me." She said calmly. "It's just a matter of energies."
"I suppose you can expel your illness in the same way then?" Naraku questioned with a raised eyebrow. He knew that whatever threats she threw at him, she wouldn't win so easily.
"No, that was a different matter." She replied quietly. "Are you finished gloating now?" Lynnette sat beside him on the bed, but refused to look at him.
"No, not quite..." Naraku murmured, his smirk spreading into a sadistic grin. "I suppose a congratulations is in order for you..."
"What do you mean by that?" She snapped, looking that him in surprise.
"Hmm...." the hanyou trailed off, feigning thought. "How should I put this?" After pausing for a few seconds, he stated with his smile back into place, "You will become a mother soon."
The redhead was silent, completely stunned. However, looking into her eyes, you could almost see what Naraku had said finally hit home…
"SAY WHAT?!"