To Live Again
By Rurouni Star
Chapter 7 – Unprepared
As much as Kagome liked flying, she knew for sure that there were Shikon shards drawing near now. She couldn't hope it was a feeling anymore.
"Sesshoumaru," she asked. The demon made a sound to let her know he was listening. "There are Shikon shards up ahead."
This had a different effect than she'd anticipated. The demon had turned around completely to face her, his expression as close to surprise as she'd yet seen it.
"How do you know?" he asked. Kagome stared back at him.
"I can sense them. Didn't you know?" she said. His expression went blank again. Once more than damnable shell was up. If it weren't for those short bursts of emotion, she would never think him anything more than a vegetable.
"I was not aware. But it is no concern of mine. We are hunting Naraku."
Kagome's mouth fell open.
But...the shards...they're...
She wasn't used to them not being paramount. They always stopped when they felt a shard. Always.
The girl looked down at the small bottle of shards around her neck. There were only three. And each one had come at the price of many human deaths.
"More people will die..."
"NO!"
Sesshoumaru had begun to turn around again, to ignore her once more, but her desperate reply had once more surprised him.
"Why?" the word was filled with obvious annoyance.
"Because...because people will die..." The demon lord looked almost confused for a moment before understanding flickered behind his eyes.
She was human. He'd almost forgotten it. How had that happened?
"We are not stopping for such a nuisance." He could not let himself forget again. She was human. She was inferior.
She did not matter.
Jaken nodded self-righteously. "You are very wise, Sesshoumaru-sama. We can't slow our hunt of the disgusting hanyou just for some pathetic humans."
Rin simply sat beside Kagome, humming to herself.
Didn't she realize that people like her would die?
No. She was only a child, there was no way she could know. And she would always follow her Sesshoumaru-sama.
"It's okay, Kagome-nee-san," the girl said. "Sesshoumaru-sama is good. Sesshoumaru-sama won't let anything bad happen, so Kagome-nee-san can relax if Sesshoumaru-sama says she can."
Kagome stared at the girl for a moment. She turned her gaze from her, angry tears pricking at her eyes. How could he? How could he just let the shards wreak havoc while he stood by with the power to stop it?
And why wasn't she doing anything? It was her fault the jewel was broken.
I will not be subservient! I am not his servant or his child! I don't care if he cares; I'm going down there somehow. And I am NOT going to keep my head low as if he could rule me!
"Let me down," she said quietly, looking directly into his eyes.
Apparently, this was not what he had been expecting from her. The cloud began to lower as he instinctively obeyed. He realized too late that he had made a mistake. Sesshoumaru could not raise it again without making it look as if he had second-guessed himself. He sent a cold glare at her, but she simply set her lips into a determined line.
They came to the ground a ways from where she had felt the shards. Sesshoumaru snorted.
"You told me yourself that you are not a miko. Why risk your life for people you don't know?" The girl clenched her teeth and once again risked his stare, quailing inside.
"Because it's the right thing to do...if that makes me a miko then I don't care." She marched away stiffly, ignoring the three stares leveled at her retreating back. "I'm still not her," she reassured herself.
Sesshoumaru shook his head. What a foolish girl.
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Kagome ran as fast as she could toward the shards. She knew immediately that there was great carnage associated with these shards, and nearly wept with her need to get there. No one else could die because of her mistake. It was one of the reasons she'd stayed.
The scene she emerged on made her stop in her tracks. A spider demon, gorged on the strength of the Shikon shards, was ripping the small village to shreds, tearing into the men that dared to stand against it as if they were paper.
She reached for her bow and arrows, hoping that she could take it down quickly, with no more people needing to die.
But they weren't there.
Panic overwhelmed her. She couldn't do anything without them. Why had she not thought to bring them?
Kagome bit her lip and hurried toward the battle anyway. This was her mistake. If she had to pay for it... then so be it.
"Move! Get out of the way and run while I hold it off!" The villagers scattered at her authoritive voice.
"A miko!"
"Thank Kami, we're saved!"
Kagome held in another sob. She wasn't going to last long. If they relied on her too much and stayed, they would die with her.
"LEAVE NOW!" The spider demon finished its meal and sized up the new threat. Only a girl. It could eat her easily. It heaved its bulk into a crouch, getting ready to pounce on her.
Kagome stared at it hopelessly. At least the villagers had run away.
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"Kagome-nee-san left her stuff," Rin observed in a voice filled with childlike amusement. "She doesn't know that Sesshoumaru-sama is always right." Jaken nodded.
"We are well rid of that human trash." Instinctively, Sesshoumaru's hand reached out to flick the demon on the forehead, sending him off of the cloud and into the dirt.
"Mutual courtesy, Jaken," he reminded him coolly. The toad demon nodded weakly, and pulled himself to his feet, brushing himself off.
It was then that the demon realized the full impact of Rin's statement. The idiotic girl had left her bow and arrows, her only real defense. Sesshoumaru nearly let out a growl of frustration, but held himself back at the last moment.
Why did it matter?
I will be able to observe her in battle. Perhaps she will prove her odd need to save humans worth my while if she is powerful enough, he thought to himself.
Sesshoumaru wordlessly picked up the weapons and stepped from the slowly dissipating transport. Jaken stared at him.
"I would like to see this woman in battle. Take care of Rin, Jaken." An and Un nudged the little girl a bit, making her giggle and climb into their saddle once more. Jaken nodded, understanding.
"I do not think she will prove interesting. The girl will probably get herself killed." Sesshoumaru smirked once more, though there was no one to see it.
"Perhaps. Either way, I will be back soon."
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The girl took a deep breath as the thing eyed her, preparing to spring. Now that she could look at it while it was still, she saw the shards. One in its head and one in its mouth... those would be hard to get. Kagome winced. Well, it wasn't like her chances were too terrible.
She'd evaded Inu Yasha even when she was new to the era. She's survived Hiten and Manten, the miko eater, Naraku...
Oh yeah. And Sesshoumaru.
She had to smile at that, even as death was staring her in the face.
"Come on you big, ugly thing. Come get dessert."
It seemed to understand that she was insulting it. The spider leapt at her, and Kagome rolled to the side as its pincers came down where she'd been.
It wasn't over yet, though. The miko kept rolling, fully aware that she was constantly an inch from death. It had eight legs. She was the only target.
Something went clean through her leg, and she was vaguely aware of a scream. As no one else was around, she decided that it must have been hers. Kagome shook off the considerable pain and got to her feet, starting a run toward the trees. She had to hold it off. The trees would give her more cover and help her stall for time.
But she wouldn't be able to make it, and she knew it. Not only was her leg limping on every other step, not only had she already lost quite a bit of blood, but she was beginning to feel a numbness spreading through her. The Shikon shards had made all of its attacks poisonous.
She stumbled while still hundreds of feet away. Her legs would not obey her anymore. With a shiver in her spine, she turned to face her death. It came quickly and eagerly.
She nearly closed her eyes, but then decided that if she were going to die, she would face it head on. Therefore, she was very surprised when a bow and her arrows thudded down from heaven.
Well, someone was watching out for her. It probably was not Kami, though.
Kagome's arms shook as the poison began to affect them, but she lifted the bow nonetheless and pulled back the arrow. She shakily aimed for its forehead, where a shard glittered malevolently.
"I can't miss," she told herself. And she had to let the arrow go quickly or the poison would completely take control of her arms.
She let the arrow go and, appropriately she thought, began to pray. Her aim had been off from her shaking arm.
It hit the thing, not in the head, but in the throat.
Well, Kagome thought, oddly happy for someone in her situation, that's good enough for me.
Blackness claimed her.
A/N: Oh come on people, you don't expect me to let her die, do you?
Kagome: …
Okay, so maybe that is the kind of thing I would do. In fact, I'm thinking about it… so you'll have to see my decision in the next chapter. Muahahahaha!