You lucky people, this is one the longer chapters. Somewhat sad, but I don't think I made it so sad that anyone'll be in tears at the end. This takes up most of what I have, which could be a bad thing, but since Spring Break starts this Friday for me, I'll be able to write a little more. Don't expect an update every day, but I'll try and have one for the weekend.
&&
It didn't take long for her to get bored. When the occasional demon came too close, she scared it away, but other than that she had nothing to do. Cloud-watching quickly grew old, and she couldn't sleep to alleviate her boredom. Still, when someone finally did stumble upon her body, she wished that she had remained bored.
Kagome, Piers' daughter, pushed back the branches that shielded Kagome's body from view. Kagome saw her niece's eyes widen and the color vanish from her cheeks, leaving them a papery white. The young woman rushed to her aunt's body and screamed, mentally as well as physically. The spirit felt both screams rip through her, leaving her feeling disoriented. I guess Jupiter Adepts' power goes through the spiritual plane, she thought dizzily, trying to regain her sense of up and down.
Everyone came running towards Kagome and her aunt's body. A cold shiver ran up spirit Kagome's nonexistent spine. This isn't something for children to see. Get them away from here. Get them out!
Either the Jupiter Adepts didn't hear her or they didn't bother to heed her advice. Everyone came, and everyone saw at exactly the same moment why young Kagome had shouted for them. Not a sound fell upon any ears. The spirit could see the disbelief in all eyes. Then Jenna broke the silence, letting out a strangled sound and throwing herself upon the deserted body. The other women followed a millisecond behind her while the men stayed where they were.
From her position, Kagome could see Felix. He looked…shocked. Not sad, not angry, just shocked. He didn't changed expression when Piers put an arm around his shoulder and started speaking in a low voice. Piers frowned, then powered up his Psynergy. "Ivan, can you help me?" he called to the shorter man.
After Piers whispered what he wanted him to do, Ivan nodded and used his Psynergy as well. Felix didn't have a chance; his eyes rolled up, and he collapsed onto Piers. "He was going into shock," he said to Ivan. "I had to stop him before he could go too far for me to bring back. To lose Kagome…" His own voice choked, and he swallowed. "He'll need someone to stay with him."
"I doubt he'll be lacking in company," Ivan murmured, tears forming in his eyes despite his efforts to keep them back. "No one thought she would be the first to leave."
"No one thought she would ever leave."
Garet and Isaac stumbled over to them. "We'll have to take her body back," Isaac said. Garet nodded; he couldn't speak.
"Someone will have to tell Kikyo about this," Piers said, shifting Felix over his shoulder. "I'll take him back to my place."
"I will tell Kikyo," Ivan mumbled, making his way slowly into the trees.
Isaac and Garet were going to take Kagome's body back, but the women refused to let her go, which touched spirit Kagome. That left the two men to round up the younger children, who were too young to know why their parents were crying. As much as Kagome wanted to stay, if she didn't follow her body, then her tie to it might be severed, and she didn't want to take that risk.
They took her body to the Goshinboku. "We'll have to bury her today," Jenna said, her voice cracking. "We can't wait like we usually do. We can't let Felix see her body; he'll go mad."
"What if she was attacked by one of those monsters?" Mia sobbed. "She'll come back as one of those things if she's buried. Maybe we should cremate her."
"We'll wait and see what the others think."
They didn't have very long to wait. Ivan came back, followed by what looked like all of Vale. "They wish to pay their respects," he said.
Wow, I didn't know they would be this quick about burying me, Kagome thought. Maybe it just seems quick because I'm the one they're burying.
When Piers arrived a few seconds later, he disapproved of what he saw. "Felix will need to be present for this," he said, "but he's in no condition right now."
"It has to be now," insisted Jenna. "He'll end up like Jeremy if we put it off."
Piers sighed. "I'll go get him. Hamma, can you come with me?" He and his still crying wife left to get Felix.
Busy watching them, Kagome didn't look at her body, so she was surprised to feel a weight on herself. Turning herself around, she saw Kikyo and Kaede had thrown their arms around her middle, sobbing hysterically. Her heart wrenched, but she could do nothing to comfort them. "Kikyo, Kaede, I'm sorry," she whispered out loud.
When someone told Kikyo that a body might have attacked her, she flew into a rage. "No demonic body could have killed her!" she cried. "She still feels pure, even though…even though…" She couldn't make herself finish. "There is absolutely no darkness in or around her," she said instead. Looking down at her aunt's body, she tried to the corners of her mouth up and failed. "She will be buried next to her friends. I think she would have wanted that."
It was quick. Hamma guided Felix, who now looked dazed in addition to shocked, and Piers followed them, bearing the shakujo and Hiraikotsu. Both weapons were laid down beside her body. The Great Healer said a few words, then Isaac and a few other Venus Adepts cast Earthquake near the base of the Goshinboku, creating her grave. Even without a body, Kagome felt shivers run through her. This is it. I'm going to be buried. Why couldn't they have waited for a bit, let me get used to the idea first. I really need more considerate friends.
Piers and Garet threw in Hiraikotsu and the shakujo. A shudder rippled through Felix, but his face remained dazed. "I know it's sudden, but we need to put her to rest," the Great Healer said to Felix. "Will you put her in?"
Felix didn't even turn to him. "I'll do it," Piers said.
This whole ceremony was flying by, but Kagome understood. Ever since the bodies showed up, they had to bury or cremate their dead as they found them, or else they might come back as monsters. She was surprised that they were even having a ceremony for her. Very few had powerful or strong enough friends to ensure that they were buried properly.
Piers and Ivan lifted up her body, and she felt their hands through the link. As they approached the gaping chasm that they intended to throw her into, she started to shake. "No, don't throw me in," she whispered. The closer they got, the more she shook. "Please, don't throw me in. I'm begging you, please no. DON'T THROW ME IN!"
Right as they were about to put her to rest, Ivan stiffened. Piers noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Aside from this?" He looked down at he still form of his friend. "I thought I heard something. Sorry, let's just get this over with."
Kagome felt her body hit the weapons and the dirt as it fell on her. The Venus Adepts used Earthquake again to save time on the burying process, but that piled dirt on top of her body a lot faster than she liked. She stopped breathing, but since she didn't have a physical body anymore, it didn't matter.
The Earthquake shook Felix a little. His eyes lost its glazed look, and he stared at the rapidly filling hole. A spark of realization lit a dull glow in his mind, but he was still too buried in shock for the spark to reach all the way to his brain.
The Great Healer glanced up at the sky and raised his hands. "Now we must bid farewell to one who has been with us for longer than most of us have been alive," he said. "However, the sun has already started its downward path, and we must make our good-byes quickly."
The farewells were hasty, but Kagome didn't mind. She just wanted them away from her body so she could get it out. She felt like she was being suffocated, but she didn't need to breathe, so it must be what her body was feeling through the link. While the sun sank lower and lower, the people kept stopping by her new grave to pay their respects. Do they not know that it'll be dark soon? she thought impatiently. Hurry up already. I need to get my body out of there. This feels really uncomfortable.
Finally, the multitude of people dropped to a few. One person that Kagome hadn't expected to be there was Lina. When she stepped forward to pay her respects, Kagome floated closer, curious to hear what Lina of all people had to say to her. "I hardly know where to start," she heard Lina say softly. "You've always been here, so it's hard to believe that you're gone. I know you disapproved of me marrying Jeremy, but I love him. I didn't care how much older he was; I still don't. I think that I can help him get over his first wife, and I will do my best to try and achieve that goal. We both wanted this, but we had our different methods of doing it, and they clashed. I'm sorry it worked out that way. May your soul rest in peace, and look kindly on my family."
That was unexpected, Kagome thought as she watched Lina walk away, her twin boys in tow. Now the only people left were her friends, Kikyo, Kaede, and Jeremy. This peaked Kagome's curiosity. Why hasn't he left with Lina? Upon a closer inspection, she saw something akin to the look of a person whose last lifeline has been swept out of reach. He started to speak.
"So even you are gone," he said softly. "Just like Kikyo. You insisted that I stay here, yet you follow her. Why? People need you more than they need me; why couldn't I have taken your place?" Tears fell from his hazel eyes to mingle with the shaken earth covering Kagome's body. "Why couldn't it have been me?"
Kikyo drew forward and stood by her father's side, her tears joining her father's. His tanned arm went around her shoulders, and the two stood with every intention of becoming living tombstones for their lost aunt, the last connection they had to their wife and mother. Darkness truly fell, and the only lights were from the moon, stars, and torches held by Piers, Jenna, and Garet. Little Kaede walked to Kikyo, tear tracks still fresh on her face. "It's dark," she said, her childish voice hoarse. "Aunt Kagome would be mad if she knew we were traveling in the dark."
Sniffing, Kikyo drew her younger sister close. "I know," she whispered. "She wouldn't want us to put ourselves in danger. Will Uncle Felix be okay?" she asked the nearest person, Jenna.
"I don't know," Jenna said. "He's in shock right now, so I don't think he realizes what has happened. He should be fine tonight, though. Here, I'll take you three home."
She, along with Isaac and Sheba, walked with the three Valeans away from the Goshinboku. Piers sighed and put a hand on Felix's arm. "He went into shock again," he said. "I'll take him with me and keep an eye on him."
They all separated, and not even the children's eyes were dry. As much as Kagome hated doing this to them, she was glad that they finally left. "Now how do I get back into my body?"
"It's not time yet," the Wise One said.
If she'd been on the ground, she would've jumped. As it was, she fell a few feet before regaining her composure. "When did you get here?" she demanded.
"Just now. You will have to wait a while before it's time to rejoin your body. It won't decay," it assured her when it saw her expression. "Your helpers aren't ready yet, and I will need time to erase you from their minds."
"You don't mean completely erasing me from their minds, do you? I mean, I'm not really dead."
"It will only be a memory block. Once this is all over, they will recognize you again."
She breathed a sigh of relief. "I was wondering how that was going to work. Anyway, you're saying that I have to let my body stay under that mound of dirt until you're done? When will I know when it's time?"
"You will know. Until then, you may do whatever you desire, though I recommend staying away from the Jupiter Adepts. You are not quite dead, so they will be able to hear you if you shout. Also, the boy Kohaku's health has taken a turn for the worse. They will be here longer to let him regain his strength. If you find yourself in need of something to do, watch over the forest. As long as you remain within its boundaries, your bond with your body will be stretched, but not severed."
"Understood."
It disappeared again. "I wish it wouldn't do that," she said out loud. I have no idea how long it'll take it to do everything it needs to, and there's the whole business with helpers. Why couldn't he have just used Kokoro again? I know her, and I like her. Besides, I'm sure she'd want to see her kids again.
She looked down at her grave again and shuddered. Since it looks like my reunion with myself will have to wait, I'll look after Felix. She knew the way to Piers' home, so she flew in that direction and ran right into a tree. Or rather, through one. "Eep!" she yelped as a demon startled her off the path. The demon ignored her and continued on its way as Kagome tried to still her ghostly heart. Assured that nothing had been left behind, she looked at the tree. Can I do it again? she wondered. Floating over to it, she stuck out her right hand, pressed it against the trunk, and pushed. It slid through. After a few more experiments with different trees, Kagome smiled and charged forward, passing through trees as if they weren't there. Now this is something I can use.
It was not a happy household that she came upon. The two children were crying, and Hamma tried to comfort them while her own tears kept flowing. Piers sat next to Felix, the blue bands of Psynergy surrounding them. Only Felix had dry eyes, but his were vacant. As she looked closer, Kagome realized that she'd seen that same exact look on Jeremy right after Kikyo died. "We can't afford to wait six months," she whispered. "And he doesn't have a child to live for. Bring him back, Piers."
Even as she watched, she could see Felix slipping from Piers' grasp. "Don't you dare leave us too," she heard Piers growl. "I'm not going to give up on you. A long time ago, you wouldn't let me give up, so now I'm returning the favor."
It was then that she noticed the lines and circles around Piers' eyes, and the slight tremor in his hands. His shoulders bowed more than usual, and she berated herself for not noticing sooner that he was overworked, and now he was going to try to bring back someone on the brink of insanity. "He'll kill himself," Kagome said. "They'll both die. Piers doesn't have enough strength." Miko instinct took over, and she found herself by their side. She covered Piers' hand with her own, and switched over to miko sight to see what the problem was. It didn't turn out quite as she expected. She saw strands of light weaving their way around him, and one bright central one that led to his core, his soul. Curious, she followed it to its source.
