The Horrid Cries of the Nothing Woman

Chapter 18

     "Athema . . ." Sheya's voice quivered out of anger rather than fear, snarling the word as if it were poison as it truly was.

     Naraku stepped back, moving out of her wake as she entered the mouth of the cave . . . bowing out of the conversation entirely. . .

     "Sheya!" Inu-Yasha gaped.  "Are you nuts?  Get out of here!"

     But she refused to acknowledge him, a hint of crazed despair and hope in her eyes swirled about each other as she began to fall into shadow.  Not even glancing down to the broken bodies of Kagome and Ayame, though she knew they were there . . . her eyes were only fixed upon the Athema . . .

     "AAAAH, WE MEET AGAIN." The ominous voice mused.  "IT WAS YOUR SON I TOOK, I REMEMBER NOW . . . HE WAS VERY FILLING."

     She trembled in rage.  "You're through, Athema."

     "OH REALLY, AND WHAT IS A HUMAN WOMAN LIKE YOURSELF GOING TO DO TO A GOD LIKE ME?  NOTHING."

     A twinkle glinted in her eye as she took another bold step forward, reaching down into the darkness, her hand grabbing the wooden shaft of the spear Inu-Yasha had brought with him.  "You are going to pay for slaughtering my village . . . and my son."

     Inu-Yasha felt himself grow helpless as he watched her move, as if she were in slow motion.  A completely different creature from who had lay broken hearted upon the floor of the hut, sobbing tears of unspeakable distress . . . different from one who's soul had almost been turned into nothing or the woman he had almost consoled upon Kaede's porch . . .

     "Nice to see you again.  Has my Dalarak not changed you, woman?" Naraku's voice was nearly a whisper. 

     Sheya's eyes locked onto the black pits that were Naraku's.  Her voice was nearly as dangerous as the Athema's, a slither of breath that sent a shudder down Inu-Yasha's spine as he listened.  "No – that heathen monster who posed as my son did not fool me, beast!  I am still whole enough to stop you!"

     The baboon fell silent.

     "WHOLE ENOUGH TO STOP ME?  HA!  WHAT IS IT THAT YOU CAN DO, WOMAN, THAT CAN BEAT ME!  YOU ARE FOOLISH!" the Athema bellowed in high laughter, stone crumbled in small plumes from the roof of the cave.  "HOW CAN YOU BEAT ME?"

     "Do I sense fear?" she snarled.

     Inu-Yasha leaped to his feet, his knees shaking from his own weakness as he tried to step in between Sheya and the Athema, keeping a wary eye for Naraku.  "Sheya!" he whispered in a hoarse, strained voice.  "Get out of here!  You're crazy!"

     "No, I'm not crazy.  I am the only one who can beat this thing." She answered, defiantly stepping out from behind him.  "And in turn, save your friend and your sister."

     Inu-Yasha's blood ran cold at her chilling words. 

     The Athema continued to chuckle.  "HA, THE ONLY THING THAT CAN DEFEAT ME IS THE ONE WHO RELEASED ME!"

     The cave fell silent, Inu-Yasha turned to glare angrily at Naraku but froze, his eyes wandering towards the woman as she spoke dangerously . . .

     Sheya smirked.  "I know.  Who is the one who released you?"

     The Athema did not answer. 

     Inu-Yasha bristled, turning to snarl at Naraku . . . but he was gone . . .

     "I was the one who released you!" Sheya answered in a loud voice.  "That evil beast Naraku who runs and hides like a terrified rabbit tricked my son into following him!  It was I who tried to save him!  It was I who did what that heathen asked me to do!  It was I who threw the herbs into the abyss to release you!" there was a stunned silence, even from the Athema who seethed as if he were listening, his color dimming so slightly with anger.  Sheya clenched her fist, drops of blood dripped from her hands as her nails dug into her palms, her entire body twitched with furious rage that somehow frightened Inu-Yasha into taking a cautious step back.  "And my son died anyway . . . all because of you!"

     "LIES!"

     "Naraku didn't want to release you . . . no . . . because he knew that he would get what he wanted out of the deal anyway so he sought it in his best interest to force a common human to do it, so that when they were 'killed', he thought, no one could send you back.  And with you in his corner . . . he would be unstoppable."

     "That's why he went after Kagome first!" Inu-Yasha gasped.  "Naraku knew that's what he would be after!  Miko!  And he knew I'd try to protect her and the then the whole night thing . . ."

     Sheya nodded.  "To keep the moonless night is to keep you mortal and vulnerable . . . he knew what he was doing!  To release you when he did . . . you played right into his hand, hell-beast!"

     The Athema boiled in glowing rage.  "YOU SPEAK LIES OF VENOM, WOMAN!"

     The smoke rushed towards Sheya, but Inu-Yasha pushed her out of the way, landing on top of her in his efforts.  She shrieked and leaped back to her feet, holding the spear before her as if she could wield it against him.

     "Sheya!  NO!" Inu-Yasha roared as the cloud neared her again.

     "No," she responded with a grin.  "No!  It has to be this way!  He has to take me!"

     The hanyou-turned-human leaped to his feet to pull her away, but the Athema was too quick, taking her up into his iridescent clutches high into the air of the cave, rolling about her until Inu-Yasha could hardly make out her shape in its midst. 

     "Sheya!" he cried, watching as she writhed in agony, sparks flickering through the body of the beast as it began to suck her life force from her.  Inu-Yasha grabbed a rock, as if it were to do any good . . . but only dropped it in shock and despair as he watched the womans life pass before him.  "Sheya . . ."

     But she was not screaming in agony as the Athema had imagined it . . . as the Athema had expected . . . she laughed.  She giggled beside herself in glee as the beast continued to feed ominously through her spirit . . .

     He didn't understand . . .

     Sheya felt her life pull from her body, but she could not help but laugh . . .

     And the closer death came to her the harder she laughed until she heard what she was waiting for . . .

     The howling scream bellowing into the cave . . .

     "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

     She's eyes could hardly open as she remained suspended, the mist glowing a sickening red around her suddenly.  "You need . . . live human life to live . . ." she gasped, her body lowering as the mist began to break up around her in a sickening fit of oozing sludge dissipating into the air.  "But . . . my soul was touched by a Change . . . not complete though, mere toxin to you . . . so you couldn't tell . . . and now you are poisoned by me . . ." a smile crossed her blanched face as her eyes glazed over into the peace of death.  "and so . . . you will die . . ."

     The creature bubbled and fizzed in a fit of screams that chilled the very earth and all who heard it.  Inu-Yasha watched in terrified horror as Sheya fell to the stone floor of the cave in a sickening crunch of a thud . . . he was half tempted to rush to her side, but Kagome stirred out of the corner of his eye . . .

     "Kagome!" he shouted in relief, rushing to her, clasping her warming hand in his.  "Kagome!"
     Her eyes flickering open as shafts of sunlight filtered through the mouth of the cave, her gaze fell upon Inu-Yasha hovering over her.  The black of his hair sheened into wisps of silver as the sun rose higher into the morning sky . . . his ears crawled back to the top of his head as he held onto her hand . . . careful of his growing claws . . .

     "Inu-yasha." She smiled sleepily. 

     "Kagome!  Don't you dare do that again!" he ordered, stroking her face with his clawed fingers, brushing a lock of stray hair from her pale face.  "You scared me . . ."

     A faint smile tickled her lips as her vision doubled and faded.  "I . . . Inu-Yasha . . ." she trembled.  "Please . . ." she clutched his bloody kimono sleeves.  "Please . . . don't leave me  . . ."

     Shocked, he wrapped his arms around her tender body, warming from an iciness that he could not describe, a scent that bordered death . . . that bordered what Kikyou smelled like . . . but it was quickly becoming Kagome again, to his utter relief . . .

     He wanted it no other way . . .

     Her fingers almost drove into his skin as she hung onto him, thrusting her face into his chest as if she had been tortured by nightmares for an eternity, tears spilling from her blurry eyes . . . not knowing where she was or what she was doing . . . only knowing that it was Inu-Yasha she was clinging to . . . and that Inu-Yasha would always be there . . .

     He was there . . . that's all that mattered . . .

     His smell . . .

     His warmth . . .

     Inu-Yasha felt the same, holding her in the shadows of the terrible cave, feeling as her body relaxed in his strength . . . a tear slipped from the hanyou's eyes as he lifted Kagome into his arms, relief dancing in his heart as she drifted off into a healing sleep . . .

     It was a long time before he moved from that spot, her forehead touched his shoulder, her fingers still gripping his clothing, but slackened a bit . . .

     The sunlight was warm, inviting to him as Inu-Yasha stepped back out into the world, sniffing the clean air and brilliance of day as he had not smelled in so long . . . his ears perked to the birds . . . but the only thing that occupied him was Kagome . . .

     And how she still held onto him . . .

     Ayame struggled to right herself on aching legs, blood dripped from many wounds.  "W . . . what happened?"

     Her brother watched her sadly, hoping that she could walk on her own.  "Are you okay?"

     It was a long moment before she finally nodded.  "I'll be fine." Her amber eyes traveled down to Kagome.  "Will she be okay?"

     "I hope so . . . Kaede will know what to do for her."

     "Good." She turned towards the clearing of the forest with a friendly nod.  "Tell her I said 'hello' when she wakes up."

     "Where are you going?"

     "To find someplace to rest or something . . ." she stumbled slightly.  "I'll be fine."

     Inu-Yasha bit his lip as a wind rustled the trees into a hiss.  "Ayame." He began, he watched as she stopped to look at him, her eyes questioning.  "You're injured . . ."

     As if noticing it for the first time the open gash over her head that stained her hair and down her shoulder, she touched the blood with trembling fingers.  "Oh, no big deal."

     "Come back to the village with us." Inu-Yasha offered, too tired to argue. 

     She tensed, looking at him.  "But . . ."

     "Don't say no!   You're bleeding and injured and just gonna die alone if you stay out here!  At least if you come with us you'll be taken care of!  Plus, Naraku is gonna hunt you down too now after what you did to him," a slight, proud grin tried to shy it's way onto his face.  "Now, follow us back to the village, Kaede will take care of those wounds." Inu-Yasha yelled in a lecturing tone, turning away from her and storming through the woods on sore feet.

     It was a moment before Ayame followed, but she did.  Watching her brother cradle Kagome tightly in his arms . . .

     Leaving a trail of blood . . .

     "I . . . Inu-Yasha . . ." Kagome's voice came, weak . . . trembling . . . far away and drifting. 

     He looked down to her as they walked, the shadows of the forest playing across her beautiful face.  "W . . . what?"

     Her eyes were still closed, her hands still attached to his sleeves.  She cuddled further against him until her face was against his shoulder and chest.  "I'm . . . glad that you're okay . . ."

     Inu-Yasha felt his heart begin to race . . . tensing as he realized that she could feel it . . . "I'm glad to see that you're okay . . ." he admitted, feeling himself blush.  "I thought I was gonna lose you . . ."

     "I . . . Inu-Yasha . . ." Kagome mumbled again after a long moment as he tried to keep his breath, holding onto him even tighter.

     "Y . . . Yes . . ."

     "Sheya is with her son . . . they say . . . 'thank you'."

*** Okay sniff that was it!  That's the end!  sob NOOOO!  I can't believe it's over!  Did that make sense to ANYONE other than me?  Sheya wasn't completely human anymore so her life force was poison to the soul-sucking Athema – but still human enough to go to heaven to be with her son.  Sobbing I hope that made sense to y'all b/c I am practically in tears!  Poor Ayame was just gonna wander off into the woods by herself with all those wounds and after Naraku no doubt added her to his mental hit list! tsk tsk.  Oh, and as always – PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU ALL THINK!!!!!!!!!  ESPECIALLY NOW THAT IT'S DONE!!!!!!!!!!!  PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!  PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh – and I am asking for opinions here – I wrote a fic called "Inu-Yasha – the Secret Soul of the Demon Dog" and I wanted to add more chapters but they'd be about Ayame really, discovering the secrets of her past and yada yada yada – mushy mushy remembering IY when she was born and what she knew of her family and how she was horribly raised and so on and so forth – learning how to master her Soul Power – maybe even going past Whispers of that Nameless Fear and try to get her to talk to Sesshy after what he did – I wasn't sure if anyone was interested in that?  Yes?  No?  Let me know!  ***