"I see Naraku, well I agree to help you. I have been wanting my revenge against Kikyo for fifty years. This is my time." A woman with white long hair explained to the demon covered in ape fur. Her eye was covered in scales like the very snake around her shoulders.
"I am glad you're seeing things my way," Naraku chuckled evilly, and handed the dark priestess the fragments of the sacred jewel in which he had collected, "make it painful."
"It will be my pleasure," she said looking down at the bright glowing jewel, "with this I will have enough power to make even the dog demon beg."
Back with the others who were waiting for Kagome to get back, Sheumaru and InuYasha kept giving each other sideways glances and then quickly looking away.
"I'm done, I've had enough of you not looking me in the eye since my heat! Seven days and six nights InuYasha, it is a completely natural thing." Sheumaru suddenly snapped.
"I've looked you in the eyes since you came back," he tried to bargain.
"Oh no no, InuYasha. You give me one glance and when I catch you, you look away! Honestly.." She huffed, irate with her brother.
"Honestly what?" He challenged.
"I wish it happened to males! That's what, so that way it could be me not looking you in the eye." She bit back.
She saw the look of horror in her brother's eyes, he must have been imagining what she had to go through, hiding in a cave for two weeks, denying every female to come near him. However he would have a much more difficult time controlling himself.
"That's what I thought," she nodded hard with a smug smile, "you know that was Kagome's first concern when I told her about it: whether or not if males had to do it." And with that she left him to go to the Well, still with the horrified look across his features.
"Kagome! You're back!" Exclaimed a happy Shippo.
"Yep, I've caught up with all my school work over the past few days," Kagome said, swinging her legs over the Well.
"Ow!" She suddenly exclaimed, reaching for her ankle.
"What? What's wrong?" InuYasha was brought out of his horrified trance rather abruptly, running to the human girl's side.
"Nothing.. I just think something bit me," she said, rubbing on the spot where it stung.
"We better go to Kaede's just to be sure it's nothing poisonous," Miroku said, noticing Kagome's arrival.
"That's a good idea," Sheumaru agreed her voice grave.
"Guys I'm fine," Kagome rolled her eyes.
"It's five against one, six including Kirara, you're going," InuYasha said, a note of finality in his voice.
"Fine," the human girl huffed, "but I feel you're overreacting."
"You say that until you die from poison," InuYasha said, lifting her on his back and running toward the village.
XxXx
"Aye, she has been bewitched by the Shikigami, and the only person I know who is capable of such things is known as the Dark Priestess." Kaede explained, looking at Kagome's ankle bite.
"Dark Priestess?" InuYasha asked.
"Yes, I figured as much, this is what she would do.." Muttered Sheumaru under her breath.
"Excuse me?" Kaede asked, her old human ears not picking up what the half demon just said.
"I know this Dark Priestess you speak of, her real name is Tsubaki. She knew of my.. well I wouldn't call it hatred but I wouldn't call it likeness either, toward Kikyo. She tried to use me against her so she could get the jewel and stay young forever," she felt her claws dig deep into her palms, "obviously I turned her down, I wasn't going to use a priestess's help to take down another priestess. It wasn't long after that I was shot with Kikyo's arrow."
"Is there anyway to stop the curse?" InuYasha asked urgently.
"Aye, there is. You have to distroy her, and her Shikigami as well. Until then, Kagome will stay here and I will try to heal her as best as I can. There seems to be something more that the Dark Priestess has planned." As soon as the final sentence had left Kaede's mouth, the jewels in the jar around Kagome's neck began to darken.
The jar quickly shattered and the jewel fragments lodged themselves in Kagome's neck. The human girl gave a startled whimper as everyone gasped and then she closed her eyes.
"Miroku and I will go scout, see if we could find anything," Sango said getting up.
"I will go with you, I have to talk to an old friend." Sheumaru growled seeing Kagome grimace in her sleep.
How dare that foul hag! She can't have enough going after Kikyo so she goes after Kagome too?!
They nodded, seeing the determined look in Sheumaru's gold eyes.
"Shippo, come with me, I will need your help. I'm afraid to admit it, but these old bones can't carry as much as they used to," Kaede said getting up, Shippo nodded and followed her out.
XxXx
Kagome layed motionless as InuYasha watched over her. The only sound in the small hut was their mingled breathing.
The silence however didn't last long, as Kagome slowly got up, as if she were a puppet and the strings around her arms and legs were being pulled.
"Kagome?" InuYasha asked, a confused and worried expression on his face.
The human girl grabbed an arrow from her quiver, slowly, as if she were asleep, and notched it in her bow.
Kill InuYasha! The voice screemed in her head, Kill him!
"Kagome What are you doing?" InuYasha asked more scared now, but never allowing his fear to show.
"R..Run.. Away," her voice whispered as she let the arrow fly. It had missed, hitting the wood behind him.
"Run.. Away InuYasha." Her tone was more firm now.
"I'm not leaving you." InuYasha growled.
"Run away InuYasha!" Kagome's voice was fierce and strong now, having more of a hold on the curse.
She still couldn't control her body however as her hand yet again went to her quiver to pull free another arrow.
Kill InuYasha! Kill him just as Kikyo did! Shoot him!
XxXx
"A barrier?" Sango said, looking at the bright dome that reached high into the sky.
"It appears so," Sheumaru yelled from her spot on the ground.
"Miroku, can you break it?" She asked the monk who was sitting behind her on Kirara.
"I can certainly try," though he didn't sound too confident. After muttering a few words he nodded.
"At the same time we run at it?" Sheumaru suggested.
She saw Sango nod and heard her voice a moment later:
"One... Two... Three!"
Sheumaru ran at it, only to feel an immense pain as she tried to force her way through. She jumped back away from the barrier, breathing heavily.
"It's no use!" She heard Miroku yell over her gasps of pain.
She stopped unruptly when she smelt it. Old bones and graveyard soil.
"I see like InuYasha you were also free from my spell," Kikyo's voice said from behind her, Sheumaru did not turn, for fear of loosing herself in the priestess's lifeless eyes.
"That is a pity he neglected to tell you, I'm almost heart broken." Sheumaru's voice was cold, harsh, "but no matter, what are you doing here?"
"That is none of your concern, now I suggest you move." Kikyo's voice was just as lifeless as the corpse she wore to walk in.
"This dome is miles wide Kikyo, you could have chosen any other place to interfere with the barrier," Sheumaru pointed out.
"But I chose this one. Move!" Kikyo barked suddenly, her irritation showing.
"Just because I am part dog does not mean I'll listen to you!" Her claws dug deep within her palms again, "I am not my brother Kikyo."
She felt a shove of her shoulders and she tripped into the barrier. Sheumaru saw Kikyo enter the blue glowing dome beside her, a smug smile pulled at her lips.
"You are one evil-" but she couldn't finish the thought as Sango and Miroku flew down with Kirara.
"Are you-"
"I'm fine! Let's try again." Sheumaru growled, never loosing track of the raven-haired priestess's shape in the barrier.
They gave hesitant nods and then flew back up to their original spot, to try again.
This time Sheumaru threw herself into the barrier, and still nothing different happened.
XxXx
The second arrow had missed InuYasha again but got a bit of the fabric from his hakama.
"Kagome?" He asked when she had not moved for a moment, as if she was solid stone.
In response to his voice she fell to the ground in a heap.
"Kagome!" InuYasha rushed to her side.
"I'm fine.. the voice it's gone. I can sense the jewel, take me to it!" She said urgently and the half demon nodded, placing her on his back they left.
"Where are ye going?" Kaede's voice suddenly stopped them, "she shouldn't be moving yet."
"I'm fine Kaede, thanks for the help," Kagome said, her voice stringer now.
"This is our only chance, don't worry, I won't let anything happen to her," InuYasha said before they bounded away from the small fox demon and the old priestess.
"What am I to do with them?" The old lady sighed and retreated into her hut, "Come Shippo it's best to stay out of their way."
"InuYasha I see the barrier!" Kagome said pointing to the large dome, "Sango, Miroku and Sheumaru seemed to have found it too. Get me a little closer and I can shoot it down."
"Got ya," InuYasha nodded, and jumped.
"That's it. This barrier is going down!" Kagome said, drawing her bow and arrow.
Hit the mark! She thought desperately.
With a sigh of relief, the blue hue of the barrier disappeared and Sheumaru charged into battle first, fueled by renewed anger.
A: This will also be split in two chapters, I always love it when I have to do this.. not! Anyway I wanted to give a quick thanks to GirlFish, for giving me your opinion on the last chapter. I am glad that you were not disappointed, and that you were able to read it without getting uncomfortable. Anyway don't forget to leave reviews, bye bye now!
