Chapter 48- A Kami's Price and Curse
"Chiyo-sama! Chiyo-sama!" screamed Machiko as she ran through the tunnel towards Chiyo's cavern.
"Machiko-chan?" said Chiyo, looking up from her scrolls. "What is it?"
"He's here, Chiyo-sama. That bastard is here."
^_^
"Who the hell are you?" asked Inuyasha, stepping in front of Kagome to block the man's view.
"I am the Kami Shuri," he replied, smiling coldly. "I am here to discuss our payment."
"Payment? What payment?"
Shuri sighed, waving his hand in the air melodramatically. "Why the soul of course. In exchange for her life," he nodded towards Kagome, "The price is a soul. The soul of your pup, to be exact."
"You're not lying your hands on my pups!" growled Inuyasha, unsheathing Tetsusaiga.
Sesshomaru tensed and reached for Tokijin. Miroku held his staff in an offensive posture and Sango slung Hiraikotsu from her back.
Inuyasha could hear Kagome whimper from her place behind him. He could smell her fear, and that only served to anger him further.
Shuri shook his head regretfully. "That is the price for The Sharing of Blood."
"We ain't paying it," argued Inuyasha, this time transforming Tetsusaiga.
Shuri eyed the blade wearily before glancing over at Sesshomaru's blade. The monk and the Taijiya posed no threat, but the Demon Swords could become a problem. "I have not come to collect today," the Kami said, raising his hands in what he assumed was a calming gesture among mortals. "I simply wish to notify you so not to catch you unawares. I will not take the payment until they are actually born."
"You'll not take them regardless," interrupted Inuyasha, growling loudly.
"What hope do you have against me, hanyou?" replied Shuri, smirking darkly. "Even the Demon Lord of the Western Lands is no threat to one such as I," he continued looking at Sesshomaru. "Consider that before you place your Pack in harm's way. I will return in four months time when the pups are born. By then you should have reconsidered and realized the idiocy of deifying me."
And in a blink of an eye, he was gone. Inuyasha sighed and slid Tetsusaiga back into its sheath. From behind, Kagome collapsed on the ground, her face resting on her knees. "Kagome?" asked Inuyasha, kneeling down to face her.
She was repeating something under her breath over and over. When Inuyasha strained his ears, he could hear 'no oh no'. "Kagome, calm down. Everything will be okay."
"How are we supposed to fight a Kami?"
"Well what do you suppose we do?" asked Inuyasha angrily.
Kagome seemed to be at a lost of words before she slumped forward and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck. The hanyou cringed inwardly when he felt hot tears on his neck.
"We will not stand by idly," said Miroku, looking down at the couple.
Inuyasha looked up Miroku gratefully. "You do realize we'll probably die, right?"
Miroku nodded before giving Inuyasha a crooked grin. "What the hell?"
Inuyasha gave a sharp snort of laughter before shaking his head. "I do believe," Sesshomaru began, "You have gotten yourself into more trouble than you are use to handling, little brother."
"So what else is new?"
"I will fight by your side," announced Sesshomaru.
All eyes turned to the Inuyoukai. "Don't look too surprise," he muttered quietly.
"Why?" asked Inuyasha.
"Hell if I know," he sighed, lifting his hand to rub his forehead. "This whole ordeal has given me the worst headache."
"So there's hope," said Kagome, looking up. Her face was blotched with tears and her eyes were red.
"Yes," agreed Sango, "There is hope."
"And there will be more," said a new voice as she stepped out of the forest and towards the group.
"Machiko-chan?" asked Miroku.
"Chiyo-sama can help you," she continued, looking at Inuyasha.
Inuyasha stood, sweeping Kagome up in his arms. He studied the human before him for a moment before making his decision. "Come inside and we can discuss it there."
^_^
Kaede watched the human child Machiko with interest. Never in her long years had she met someone such as her.
Shippou sat in Kagome's lap, purring as the miko ran her fingers through his hair. Rin sat by Sesshomaru, politely listening to the conversation. Miroku stood by the door, his back leaning against the wall. Inuyasha sat beside Kagome, every so often running his claws through her hair and whispering encouragement. Sango sat by Miroku, adding commentary when appropriate.
Machiko sat by the fire as she said her mistress's proposal. "Chiyo-sama will help you defeat him," Machiko repeated, eyeing Inuyasha.
"How?" the Inuhanyou replied, looking doubtful.
"Have you given up so easily?" observed Machiko angrily.
"Not at all!" barked Inuyasha. "I'm just curious as to how your mistress is supposed to help."
Machiko gave a very good human growl before slapping her hands to her knees. "Every way that she can! That's how!"
Inuyasha muttered something under his breath before making his decision. "Fine. We'll go to the Mountain and see what she has to say."
"That's all that I ask," replied Machiko.
"When do we leave?" asked Miroku.
"Tomorrow," said Inuyasha. "Will you be coming, Sesshomaru?"
"Yes," nodded the Inuyoukai. "If I am to fight this Kami than I will have every advantage possible."
Machiko regarded Sesshomaru curiously out of the corner of her eye. His assistance had not been foreseen. Perhaps it is the human child's doing?
"There's only one thing that's bothering me," stated Inuyasha.
"What's that?" replied Machiko.
"How did you know Shuri was coming?"
The air in the room suddenly became very tense. Machiko sighed and shook her head sadly. "Let's just assume, for now, that I am more like Chiyo-sama than meets the eye."
"You mean-" Kagome began, only to be interrupted by Machiko.
"Yes. Of course I am no where near as old as Chiyo-sama."
"How old are you?" asked Miroku.
"Twenty, actually."
Inuyasha gave her a look of disbelief before standing up. "As much as I'd love to hear how that happened, we need supplies before we leave tomorrow."
Kagome took Inuyasha's offered hand and was swept to her feet. "Well be back before dawn."
"Oh, Kagome, could you bring back some chocolate?" Shippou asked excitedly.
"Of course, Shippou-chan," Kagome replied, giving the kitsune a warm smile.
The couple said their good byes before walking towards the well alone. "Do you think we can defeat him?" the miko asked quietly.
Inuyasha sighed and pulled Kagome closer. "I think we have a chance."
Kagome smiled and stopped to lean up and kiss him. "Than I think we'll win."
"Chiyo-sama! Chiyo-sama!" screamed Machiko as she ran through the tunnel towards Chiyo's cavern.
"Machiko-chan?" said Chiyo, looking up from her scrolls. "What is it?"
"He's here, Chiyo-sama. That bastard is here."
^_^
"Who the hell are you?" asked Inuyasha, stepping in front of Kagome to block the man's view.
"I am the Kami Shuri," he replied, smiling coldly. "I am here to discuss our payment."
"Payment? What payment?"
Shuri sighed, waving his hand in the air melodramatically. "Why the soul of course. In exchange for her life," he nodded towards Kagome, "The price is a soul. The soul of your pup, to be exact."
"You're not lying your hands on my pups!" growled Inuyasha, unsheathing Tetsusaiga.
Sesshomaru tensed and reached for Tokijin. Miroku held his staff in an offensive posture and Sango slung Hiraikotsu from her back.
Inuyasha could hear Kagome whimper from her place behind him. He could smell her fear, and that only served to anger him further.
Shuri shook his head regretfully. "That is the price for The Sharing of Blood."
"We ain't paying it," argued Inuyasha, this time transforming Tetsusaiga.
Shuri eyed the blade wearily before glancing over at Sesshomaru's blade. The monk and the Taijiya posed no threat, but the Demon Swords could become a problem. "I have not come to collect today," the Kami said, raising his hands in what he assumed was a calming gesture among mortals. "I simply wish to notify you so not to catch you unawares. I will not take the payment until they are actually born."
"You'll not take them regardless," interrupted Inuyasha, growling loudly.
"What hope do you have against me, hanyou?" replied Shuri, smirking darkly. "Even the Demon Lord of the Western Lands is no threat to one such as I," he continued looking at Sesshomaru. "Consider that before you place your Pack in harm's way. I will return in four months time when the pups are born. By then you should have reconsidered and realized the idiocy of deifying me."
And in a blink of an eye, he was gone. Inuyasha sighed and slid Tetsusaiga back into its sheath. From behind, Kagome collapsed on the ground, her face resting on her knees. "Kagome?" asked Inuyasha, kneeling down to face her.
She was repeating something under her breath over and over. When Inuyasha strained his ears, he could hear 'no oh no'. "Kagome, calm down. Everything will be okay."
"How are we supposed to fight a Kami?"
"Well what do you suppose we do?" asked Inuyasha angrily.
Kagome seemed to be at a lost of words before she slumped forward and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck. The hanyou cringed inwardly when he felt hot tears on his neck.
"We will not stand by idly," said Miroku, looking down at the couple.
Inuyasha looked up Miroku gratefully. "You do realize we'll probably die, right?"
Miroku nodded before giving Inuyasha a crooked grin. "What the hell?"
Inuyasha gave a sharp snort of laughter before shaking his head. "I do believe," Sesshomaru began, "You have gotten yourself into more trouble than you are use to handling, little brother."
"So what else is new?"
"I will fight by your side," announced Sesshomaru.
All eyes turned to the Inuyoukai. "Don't look too surprise," he muttered quietly.
"Why?" asked Inuyasha.
"Hell if I know," he sighed, lifting his hand to rub his forehead. "This whole ordeal has given me the worst headache."
"So there's hope," said Kagome, looking up. Her face was blotched with tears and her eyes were red.
"Yes," agreed Sango, "There is hope."
"And there will be more," said a new voice as she stepped out of the forest and towards the group.
"Machiko-chan?" asked Miroku.
"Chiyo-sama can help you," she continued, looking at Inuyasha.
Inuyasha stood, sweeping Kagome up in his arms. He studied the human before him for a moment before making his decision. "Come inside and we can discuss it there."
^_^
Kaede watched the human child Machiko with interest. Never in her long years had she met someone such as her.
Shippou sat in Kagome's lap, purring as the miko ran her fingers through his hair. Rin sat by Sesshomaru, politely listening to the conversation. Miroku stood by the door, his back leaning against the wall. Inuyasha sat beside Kagome, every so often running his claws through her hair and whispering encouragement. Sango sat by Miroku, adding commentary when appropriate.
Machiko sat by the fire as she said her mistress's proposal. "Chiyo-sama will help you defeat him," Machiko repeated, eyeing Inuyasha.
"How?" the Inuhanyou replied, looking doubtful.
"Have you given up so easily?" observed Machiko angrily.
"Not at all!" barked Inuyasha. "I'm just curious as to how your mistress is supposed to help."
Machiko gave a very good human growl before slapping her hands to her knees. "Every way that she can! That's how!"
Inuyasha muttered something under his breath before making his decision. "Fine. We'll go to the Mountain and see what she has to say."
"That's all that I ask," replied Machiko.
"When do we leave?" asked Miroku.
"Tomorrow," said Inuyasha. "Will you be coming, Sesshomaru?"
"Yes," nodded the Inuyoukai. "If I am to fight this Kami than I will have every advantage possible."
Machiko regarded Sesshomaru curiously out of the corner of her eye. His assistance had not been foreseen. Perhaps it is the human child's doing?
"There's only one thing that's bothering me," stated Inuyasha.
"What's that?" replied Machiko.
"How did you know Shuri was coming?"
The air in the room suddenly became very tense. Machiko sighed and shook her head sadly. "Let's just assume, for now, that I am more like Chiyo-sama than meets the eye."
"You mean-" Kagome began, only to be interrupted by Machiko.
"Yes. Of course I am no where near as old as Chiyo-sama."
"How old are you?" asked Miroku.
"Twenty, actually."
Inuyasha gave her a look of disbelief before standing up. "As much as I'd love to hear how that happened, we need supplies before we leave tomorrow."
Kagome took Inuyasha's offered hand and was swept to her feet. "Well be back before dawn."
"Oh, Kagome, could you bring back some chocolate?" Shippou asked excitedly.
"Of course, Shippou-chan," Kagome replied, giving the kitsune a warm smile.
The couple said their good byes before walking towards the well alone. "Do you think we can defeat him?" the miko asked quietly.
Inuyasha sighed and pulled Kagome closer. "I think we have a chance."
Kagome smiled and stopped to lean up and kiss him. "Than I think we'll win."