Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me. What? You wanna know about Inuyasha? Tough luck, he's locked in my basement along with my muse.
A/N: I was really surprised by the lack of reviews last chapter. It made me so sad I wasn't sure if I should continue or not. (hangs head) So please review, otherwise I can't tell if you guys like it or not. Or if I should continue, for that matter.
(holds out cookies) You can have one only if you review, LOL.
Inuyasha felt himself grow very, very still. Swallowing, he forced himself to stare into Kagome's deep red eyes without blinking. They had a slight glow to them and she was seemingly staring at him as if she could see right through him and deep into his soul.
Shivering lightly, he tore his eyes away from hers cautiously and looked down at the kit in the crook of her arm. His ears strained forward and he sighed in relief when the kit's soft, shallow breathing reached his ears. He was only unconscious, thank kami.
He looked up at her again and took a step forward, outstretching his arms and giving her a silent 'Kagome?'.
He hit a sudden barrier when he was within two feet of her and was knocked to the ground with a resounding slap across his chest. Stifling back a grunt, he landed rather heavily on the ground and was stunned for a few moments.
Was it the talisman creating a barrier around her body, or was it Kagome herself?
The mist surrounded her, penetrating her view and she clumsily stepped forward through it all, waving her hands in attempts to fan it away. It did no good, in fact, the mist grew thicker the more she resisted it.
"Inuyasha?" She called out, growing fearful of the mist with each passing moment. Where the hell was she? "Inuyasha?!"
"What is it you want with him, child?" A lone voice spoke out from the mist, creakingly old and assumingly female.
"Who are you?" Kagome demanded, squinting into the haze and trying to locate the speaker.
"Does it matter?" He old voice sighed heavily, close nearby. "I have been and always will be, so long as the talisman remains."
"You-you're trapped within the talisman?" Kagome's eyes widened, and she continued searching frantically for the voice. "Does that mean that I am, as well?" She asked, fearful of the answer.
"Oh no," The voice chuckled in mild amusement. "You own the talisman now. Were you not aware of its powers when you picked it up?" The voice sounded surprised at this thought.
"No," Kagome shook her head slightly. "I knew what I was doing."
"Oh?"
The mist parted before her like doors and revealed an old woman in fancy clothing, standing before a large mirror twice as tall as Kagome herself and probably just as wide.
The old woman turned to look at Kagome with a kind smile. Her hair was arranged in such a way that Kagome knew she must have been some sort of hime, or was attempting to look like one with a regal bearing.
Her hair appeared to have long since lost its original color, and there were deep lines around her face, betraying her old age. Upon closer inspection, Kagome saw that the clothes she wore were slightly ratty looking, going on age as well.
"Hello there, Kagome," the old woman smiled in greeting.
"Y-you know my name?" Kagome blinked and stayed where she was, not wanting to get any closer to the woman and her mirror.
"Of course," the old woman laughed lightly. "I was watching you through my mirror." She turned to face it, and reached out to stroke it lovingly. "As you were undoing the barriers put around the talisman, I was able to look within your mind and soul."
"We're in the talisman, aren't we?" Kagome swallowed in slight fear.
"Yes," the older woman breathed. "But unlike you, I cannot leave this place," her mournful eyes sought out Kagome in the mirror's reflection.
"What do you mean?" Kagome frowned.
"You are here because you now possess the talisman," she explained. "From here, you can do anything your heart desires." She raised a hand and made a sweeping motion across the mirror. "You called before for Inuyasha. What is it you want of him?"
Kagome gasped as Inuyasha came into view in the reflection, lying on the ground in slight shock, staring right at her.
"Is my-," Kagome trailed off, unsure of how to word the question.
"Your body remains there," the old woman nodded. "What you see here is through your own eyes."
Kagome swallowed and took a tentative step forward towards the mirror, her eyes never leaving Inuyasha's as he continued to stare at her in surprise.
"What's going on?" She whispered, confused.
"Inuyasha is as you see before you," the old woman replied. "Sango and Miroku are currently running towards the shrine."
"What about the sorcerer?" Kagome asked frantically, worried that he'd gotten away again.
"Sorcerer?" The old woman frowned and turned to Kagome. "I sense no aura similar to that of a sorcerer." Closing her eyes, the old woman turned toward the mirror once again and the image faded out from Inuyasha, bringing up the imposter, lying prostrate on the ground.
"Youkai," The old woman spat angrily. "It took over his body."
"What?" Kagome shrieked and stepped next to the old woman. "What do you mean?"
"You were right, I didn't sense it at first, but I do now," the old woman turned to Kagome. "It's the aura of a sorcerer. But overlying that is the aura of a youkai."
"It's both?" Kagome blinked. "How is that even possible?"
"It was human, a powerful sorcerer," the old woman closed her eyes meditatively, searching past the mirror behind her closed eyelids. "And then it merged with a youkai, years later."
"Hanyou," Kagome breathed. "Just like Naraku."
"Naraku?" The old woman blinked in confusion.
Kagome shook her head. "Nevermind."
"So what is it you wish of Inuyasha?" The woman pressed again, watching as the image floated back to the hanyou, who was slowly picking himself up off the ground.
"Er...." Kagome swallowed. "I don't know what you mean."
"You know very well what I mean," the old woman turned around, her eyes piercing into Kagome's in a cold glaze. "With the talisman, you can control anyone and anything. Now I ask you again," her eyebrows lowered dangerously. "What is it you wish of the dog demon?"
"Nothing!" Kagome gasped immediately, "I don't want to control him! The only reason why I picked up this talisman was so the sorcerer couldn't get to it!"
"And now it is in your possession," the woman nodded in agreement. "What do you wish of them?" She asked again.
"Nothing!" Kagome shouted, angry that the woman wasn't getting it.
"Surely there must be something you want," the woman gazed at Kagome under lowered lashes. "I can see into your desires," she breathed, causing Kagome to shiver. "You want this hanyou."
"No!" Kagome shouted in horror. "Don't do it! I don't wish it!"
"It does not matter if you say it out loud or not," the woman smiled lightly. "Whatever you desire will come true. Your control sweeps over the village now."
"No!" Kagome shrieked again as the image on the mirror was getting closer to Inuyasha, and she could see her own arms, one clutching the talisman, reach forward and wrap themselves around Inuyasha's neck.
She watched in horror as he blinked, giving her a confused look at the sudden action. The image grew closer, and the talisman began to glow brighter in her hand, controlling him. Inuyasha's dull-looking eyes suddenly dropped to half mast, and he licked his lips invitingly.
Kagome moaned and fell into a crouch, pressing one hand against her fluttering stomach. Her image leaned in and Inuyasha met her halfway, kissing her passionately.
"Oh god," Kagome swallowed.
"Now what is it you wish of them," the woman swept her hand across the mirror and the image of Miroku and Sango came up, standing perfectly still with dull, controlled eyes.
Kagome's heart leapt into her throat. "Nothing!" She shouted immediately. "You can't do anything to them because I don't have any desires toward them!" She shouted happily at her own realization.
"No," the old woman shook her head. "You do have a desire for them." She waved a hand over the mirror again and they both jerked and turned towards each other, their eyes clear once again.
"What?" Kagome frowned, glancing quickly between her and the mirror.
"You wish for them to realize how much they care for one another," the woman smiled as the couple on screen both reached forward, stroking each other's faces in a loving manner.
"No!" Kagome yelled. "I've had enough of this!"
"And the last one present," the woman changed the reflection again, back to the sorcerer this time, who was slowly picking himself up off the ground, wincing.
"Now that one, I do have a wish for," Kagome growled threateningly at the sight of it. "I wish for a spell to placed on him. One that will make him sleep until I decide to lift it."
"It is done," the woman nodded and the figure fell back to the ground, giving Kagome a satisfied gloat as its head fell and it the ground rather hard. That'll teach him for threatening to harm her friends.
"And the others?" The image changed again to encompass the entire village.
Kagome blinked. Wait a minute.... "Go back to Inuyasha," she ordered lightly.
"As you wish," the woman replied and the image changed back to the lustful hanyou, who was quickly ripping off his haori in his lust-induced state.
"Err...." Kagome paused and stared at the image, unsure if she wanted to stop him or not. No, she shook her head vigorously. This was wrong.
She glared up at the old woman, whose back was turned towards her, standing still as stone. What power did she have here? Kagome frowned again. She listened to two of her orders without question....did that mean she would listen to any others?
"Change to Miroku and Sango," she ordered in a firm voice, praying inside her head that she would be right.
The woman nodded and the image changed. Kagome felt a sense of thrill clog up in her throat and she nearly squealed in delight. There was a way out of here, yet!
"Change back to Inuyasha," she told the woman. "And remove the spell on him."
"I cannot," the woman smirked over her shoulder, already onto Kagome's game. "It is what you desire."
"Oh ho?" Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Well I desire nothing but free will for all of my friends. I always have," she added softly, remembering Inuyasha and Kikyo's meetings. A slight pang of jealously stabbed her softly, but she brushed it off immediately. Whatever made Inuyasha happy, she closed her eyes and swallowed, she would be all right with.
The old woman blinked in surprise at the sudden change in her desires, deep within her soul. "You....wish for nothing of them?" She asked, unsure of why this was. "Don't you wish for all of this to happen? Don't deny it, I can feel it buried in your heart," her eyes narrowed at Kagome.
"Yes," Kagome nodded. "I do wish for this....but only if they wish it. I strongly desire for their free will to return to them. Now."
The old woman blinked slowly.
"And I also desire to go back to my normal body, and have the talisman put back again into it's heavily protected box."
The old woman shook her head sadly and turned away from her, her shoulders sagging slightly. "As you wish."
Miroku blinked, feeling soft lips pressed upon his own and a warm, feminine body sprawled out on top of him. His hands, surprisingly, were clasped together with another pair, their fingers intertwined together.
He blinked again, his mouth going lax in the middle of a kiss. What in all the world happened?
"M-Miroku?!"
The monk blinked in surprise and stared up at the taijya, who was sprawled out on top of him. "What....happened?" He asked, blushing over their sudden nearness.
Sango blinked in confusion at the flush over his nose and swallowed carefully, trying to discreetly move from her straddled position. "I....I don't know," Sango swallowed, searching frantically left and right before remembering where they were and what had happened earlier.
Miroku noticed her uncomfortable, straddled position and wondered fleetingly how hard she would slap him if he rubbed up against her just once. Just to feel her body pressed up against his. He sighed and leaned back, keeping his fingers locked with her own. No, he thought to himself. There was no way he'd ever get to hold her like this again.
But....what about that kiss earlier? He frowned. What was that? Neither of them knew why they were doing it, or how they even began. Looking at the presence of clothing, he decided that not a whole lot was done, much to his disappointment.
"Err...." Sango blushed and rose up on her knees, now on all fours above him. "Would you mind letting my hands go?" She asked, forcing herself to stare at his chin and not into his eyes.
Miroku swallowed in disappointment. "Alright," he said in a low voice and released her hands, watching her as she quickly stood up and began looking around guiltily.
Sighing, he also stood up, standing close by her. "There's no need to stare as if we've done something wrong," he chided lightly.
"I don't even know why we did it!" Sango whispered furiously at him. "I....you...." she sputtered as Miroku reached for one of her hands, taking it in both of his and holding it lightly over his heart.
"I don't know why," he told her seriously, his piercing eyes gazing into hers. "But I'll treasure the memory of it."
Sango swallowed and felt a light blush spread across her cheeks. "You'd have felt happy with any woman," she accused. "How can you treasure it?"
"No," Miroku shook his head and began stroking his thumb over the skin on the back of her hand. "You're wrong."
"Wh-," Sango sputtered, looking up into his eyes with a slight surprised look in her eye. "You mean...." She trailed off, unsure of what to say next. Her blush had spread like wildfire across her face and she wished for both hands to cover it up.
"It was with you, and I do treasure it," Miroku sighed dramatically and closed his eyes, a first indication that Sango should be on guard. "I am looking forward to the time when we do this again," he reached forward and pulled her into his arms, stroking her back lightly.
"Uhm," Sango felt herself grow limp under his ministrations. "Miroku? Are you sure...." She stopped suddenly as her eyebrow began twitching like mad. "Get your hand off my bottom," she snapped angrily.
"Oh, my apologies," Miroku stared in surprise at his hand. "I had no idea."
"You ruined it," she muttered accusingly into his robe.
"Ruined what?" He asked her, surprised.
"Nothing," Sango pinched his hand as it began stroking her butt again. "Let's see about Inuyasha and Kagome," she hooked a finger in his robe and began dragging him along behind her.
"Sango?" Miroku asked as he was being led towards the shrine.
"Yes?" She looked over her shoulder at his serious tone. Was he going to say something important now? She felt her cheeks burn up again.
"Was it good for you, too?" He grinned.
"ARGGH!" Sango's despaired cry and a loud slap resounded throughout the oblivious village.
Hehehe! Alright...chapter 26 is up! Woohoo! NOW REVIEW! Pretty please? I might take waaaaaayyy longer on chapter 27 if you don't.....
(evil laugh) And then you shall never know who the sorcerer is! (only a couple chapters left, people!)
So REVIEW!