Chapter 8: The Perfect Jewel
Clutching the small kitsune, Kagome finally stopped to catch her breath. Her tears trickled down to fall on Shippo's soft, brown fur as he looked up at her with concern.
"Kagome-chan.." he said. "Don't cry....it makes me very sad." He reached up to wipe away her tears.
Kagome managed a small smile. "Thank you, Shippo," she responded.
"Hmf!" started Shippo. "If Inu Yasha dares to come near you anymore, I will hurt him! Yes, that's right, I will hurt him so much that he will be on his knees begging me to stop. I will use my fox fire and he'll regret it. My fox fire is more dangerous than you think, Kagome-chan. I can burn a lot...."
"Shippo-chan," said Kagome, "please don't use your fox fire at this time."
"But I'm not."
"Yes, you are. Flames are appearing as you speak....." She stopped and saw the confused look on Shippo's face. Then quickly she looked up and realized that Shippo was right that he wasn't using his fox fire.
"Shippo!" Kagome cried out. "Quickly, run-"
Before she could finish, the small fires burst into huge flames. Kagome and Shippo held onto on to each others tightly as the fire appeared to surround and consume them. With her eyes closed, Kagome fought not to release Shippo.
"Kagome-chaaaaannnn!!!" she heard him shriek.
Suddenly the flames stopped, but Kagome could feel an evil aura still lurking in the air. Carefully she opened her eyes and looked up. Shippo too slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at Kagome, and was surprised to see her face full of surprise and fear. He turned around and gasped and shrank back into Kagome's arms.
"Naraku......" whispered Kagome.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She can't be far, thought Inu Yasha as he followed her scent. I can't let anything hurt her!
He was furious with himself that he had practically allowed Naraku to trick him twice.
I'm gonna kill that bastard! Inu Yasha thought angrily. The last color you will be seeing is red....cause that's gonna be the sight of your own blood......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Good evening, Kagome-sama." said Naraku, his face hidden behind his baboon mask. "What brings you out here so late at night?"
"That you should know," replied Kagome, coldly.
"Kukuku..." chuckled Naraku. "Indeed....I was the one who planned this, ne? In order to acquire.....this......" and revealed the perfect Shikon no Tama.
Kagome gasped. "How-how did you get that? My shards are-" she reached for the shards that were usually around her neck, but found them gone. Her heart began to pound as she began to search her body, but stopped at Naraku's laughing.
"Silly girl..." Naraku said. "Do you not remember when your hanyou began to rape you? He had torn off your clothing....as well as the Shikon no Tama shards, just as I had planned. During that moment, I had taken the shards." He laughed. "It was far easier than I had expected."
"You-" Kagome started, but was stopped by a rustling in the bushes nearby. A shadow appeared, then the figure stepped out into clear view.
Kikyou!!!!
Calmly she fitted an arrow into her bow as she glanced at Kagome and then faced Naraku.
"I knew I felt the Shikon no Tama's power," she said, coolly. "Naraku....I recommend you return the jewel to its rightful master."
"Ah...." Naruku sighed. "Kikyou....my love....you have returned to me at long last."
"You have not heard my words correctly. The jewel, including I, do not belong to you."
"Kikyou, my dear. This jewel now belongs to me, as you will be as well." He fingered the Shikon no Tama tenderly. "This jewel, gives me such strength....I am its rightful owner, for I can wield its power. Kikyou....won't you join me?" He extended one arm toward her.
Kikyou stood her ground and shook her head. "I can not love anyone.....especially not you. I am here only to claim my jewel once more."
Naraku's eyes went hard. "You dare to defy me? I can give you power, and love that you wish for....love that won't cause your death as the hanyou had done to you."
"Naraku...." responded Kikyou with a bitter smile. "Do you not remember? I'm already dead."
Then quickly she sent an arrow flying straight at Naraku. He watched it come, and at the last moment counter-attacked it with a shield.
What?! thought Kagome, shocked. How can Naraku do that?!
Kikyou's bow went limp in her arms. "How-how can you avoid my purifying arrow?" she demanded.
Naraku laughed. "Kikyou, my dear," he stared. "As I had said before, my powers can far exceed yours now. A miko is nothing compared to me."
He lifted one arm containing the Shikon no Tama and immediately the jewel began to glow an evil dark color. At the same moment, Kagome felt a sense of naseau flow through her.
What...what's going on? she thought fearfully.
Kikyou must have felt the same, for she showed signs of swaying.
"What are you doing to me?!" she demanded.
"Please forgive me, Kikyou." Naraku smiled evilly. "If you had agreed to be with me, this would not happen to you...." He lifted his arm higher, and the jewel reflected more light. "I will take your soul into this jewel, therefore I shall forever have you with me......."
"You fool!" shouted Kikyou. "Your own soul shall be taken as well into the jewel!"
"No," he responded, calmly. "The holder of the jewel will not be harmed in anyway. In this circumstance, I shall not be harmed."
With that there was a tremendous release of energy. Kagome was taken back, but could feel a part of her leaving. Oh, no! she thought in horror. My soul will be taken as well! I can't stop it!
She then felt a squirming in her arms. Shippo!
"Shippo-chan" she cried out. "Run! Go....go find the others!"
"NO!" he shouted. "I won't leave you!"
"You must or the both of us will perish! Do not worry for me!"
"NO!"
"Shippo!!! GO!" and with her remaining strength threw the small kitsune back into the forest.
With a cry, Shippo felt himself being hurled through the air. He landed hard onto the ground and rolled into a bush. He crawled out and was compelled to run back to Kagome, but knew that he would not be any help.
"Kagome-chan," he whispered. "Just wait....I'll go get help....."
Quickly, he bounded deeper into the forest to look for Inu Yasha, Sango, and Miroku.
Behind him, Kagome prepared for a final confrontation with Naraku....
Clutching the small kitsune, Kagome finally stopped to catch her breath. Her tears trickled down to fall on Shippo's soft, brown fur as he looked up at her with concern.
"Kagome-chan.." he said. "Don't cry....it makes me very sad." He reached up to wipe away her tears.
Kagome managed a small smile. "Thank you, Shippo," she responded.
"Hmf!" started Shippo. "If Inu Yasha dares to come near you anymore, I will hurt him! Yes, that's right, I will hurt him so much that he will be on his knees begging me to stop. I will use my fox fire and he'll regret it. My fox fire is more dangerous than you think, Kagome-chan. I can burn a lot...."
"Shippo-chan," said Kagome, "please don't use your fox fire at this time."
"But I'm not."
"Yes, you are. Flames are appearing as you speak....." She stopped and saw the confused look on Shippo's face. Then quickly she looked up and realized that Shippo was right that he wasn't using his fox fire.
"Shippo!" Kagome cried out. "Quickly, run-"
Before she could finish, the small fires burst into huge flames. Kagome and Shippo held onto on to each others tightly as the fire appeared to surround and consume them. With her eyes closed, Kagome fought not to release Shippo.
"Kagome-chaaaaannnn!!!" she heard him shriek.
Suddenly the flames stopped, but Kagome could feel an evil aura still lurking in the air. Carefully she opened her eyes and looked up. Shippo too slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at Kagome, and was surprised to see her face full of surprise and fear. He turned around and gasped and shrank back into Kagome's arms.
"Naraku......" whispered Kagome.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She can't be far, thought Inu Yasha as he followed her scent. I can't let anything hurt her!
He was furious with himself that he had practically allowed Naraku to trick him twice.
I'm gonna kill that bastard! Inu Yasha thought angrily. The last color you will be seeing is red....cause that's gonna be the sight of your own blood......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Good evening, Kagome-sama." said Naraku, his face hidden behind his baboon mask. "What brings you out here so late at night?"
"That you should know," replied Kagome, coldly.
"Kukuku..." chuckled Naraku. "Indeed....I was the one who planned this, ne? In order to acquire.....this......" and revealed the perfect Shikon no Tama.
Kagome gasped. "How-how did you get that? My shards are-" she reached for the shards that were usually around her neck, but found them gone. Her heart began to pound as she began to search her body, but stopped at Naraku's laughing.
"Silly girl..." Naraku said. "Do you not remember when your hanyou began to rape you? He had torn off your clothing....as well as the Shikon no Tama shards, just as I had planned. During that moment, I had taken the shards." He laughed. "It was far easier than I had expected."
"You-" Kagome started, but was stopped by a rustling in the bushes nearby. A shadow appeared, then the figure stepped out into clear view.
Kikyou!!!!
Calmly she fitted an arrow into her bow as she glanced at Kagome and then faced Naraku.
"I knew I felt the Shikon no Tama's power," she said, coolly. "Naraku....I recommend you return the jewel to its rightful master."
"Ah...." Naruku sighed. "Kikyou....my love....you have returned to me at long last."
"You have not heard my words correctly. The jewel, including I, do not belong to you."
"Kikyou, my dear. This jewel now belongs to me, as you will be as well." He fingered the Shikon no Tama tenderly. "This jewel, gives me such strength....I am its rightful owner, for I can wield its power. Kikyou....won't you join me?" He extended one arm toward her.
Kikyou stood her ground and shook her head. "I can not love anyone.....especially not you. I am here only to claim my jewel once more."
Naraku's eyes went hard. "You dare to defy me? I can give you power, and love that you wish for....love that won't cause your death as the hanyou had done to you."
"Naraku...." responded Kikyou with a bitter smile. "Do you not remember? I'm already dead."
Then quickly she sent an arrow flying straight at Naraku. He watched it come, and at the last moment counter-attacked it with a shield.
What?! thought Kagome, shocked. How can Naraku do that?!
Kikyou's bow went limp in her arms. "How-how can you avoid my purifying arrow?" she demanded.
Naraku laughed. "Kikyou, my dear," he stared. "As I had said before, my powers can far exceed yours now. A miko is nothing compared to me."
He lifted one arm containing the Shikon no Tama and immediately the jewel began to glow an evil dark color. At the same moment, Kagome felt a sense of naseau flow through her.
What...what's going on? she thought fearfully.
Kikyou must have felt the same, for she showed signs of swaying.
"What are you doing to me?!" she demanded.
"Please forgive me, Kikyou." Naraku smiled evilly. "If you had agreed to be with me, this would not happen to you...." He lifted his arm higher, and the jewel reflected more light. "I will take your soul into this jewel, therefore I shall forever have you with me......."
"You fool!" shouted Kikyou. "Your own soul shall be taken as well into the jewel!"
"No," he responded, calmly. "The holder of the jewel will not be harmed in anyway. In this circumstance, I shall not be harmed."
With that there was a tremendous release of energy. Kagome was taken back, but could feel a part of her leaving. Oh, no! she thought in horror. My soul will be taken as well! I can't stop it!
She then felt a squirming in her arms. Shippo!
"Shippo-chan" she cried out. "Run! Go....go find the others!"
"NO!" he shouted. "I won't leave you!"
"You must or the both of us will perish! Do not worry for me!"
"NO!"
"Shippo!!! GO!" and with her remaining strength threw the small kitsune back into the forest.
With a cry, Shippo felt himself being hurled through the air. He landed hard onto the ground and rolled into a bush. He crawled out and was compelled to run back to Kagome, but knew that he would not be any help.
"Kagome-chan," he whispered. "Just wait....I'll go get help....."
Quickly, he bounded deeper into the forest to look for Inu Yasha, Sango, and Miroku.
Behind him, Kagome prepared for a final confrontation with Naraku....