Author's Notes: And amazingly I still get people telling me I'm spelling 'realise' wrong. Should be with a Z, not an S. And yes, they checked the dictionary so they know I'm wrong, and they're right. ¬_¬ I won't say it… I won't say it… I will not repeat myself again… _
Life Exchange
Chapter 21
What it Means
"No."
"But you haven't even heard the deal yet, baby, how can you be sure you don't want to-"
"No."
"If you'd just-"
"No."
"It's really not that bad when you weigh up-"
"I said no and no means no so, NO!"
Naraku drew back slightly and folded his arms. "Well if you're going to be a bitch about it…"
^_^
Someone was chanting something in some foreign dialect he didn't recognise when he started to come around. He cringed and grimaced as pain lanced through his chest when he inhaled deeply, causing him to try and curl in on the sensation. His cheek scraped the dusty, rock ground and he began to realise something was not quite right about his bedroom.
Slowly he opened his eyes and began to sit up before he even got anything into focus. The first person he saw was Bankotsu and his lip curled behind the bastard's back. Silently he began to push himself to his feet… if he could just sneak up behind the asshole and snap his neck-!
He'd momentarily glanced at the second person in the clearing with them… Kagome.
Inuyasha's hands came up slowly and touched the singed fabric of his shirt… beneath, his chest was nearly burnt black… not pretty. But what shocked him most was that it had come from Kagome. Besides the fact that this was the girl he'd made love to only that morning, this kind of power only emanated from someone like Kikyo. Spiritual powers of cleansing. Kagome's powers had always been down to earth and subtle… but what had surged from her fingers a few minutes ago had been a rather strong bolt of energy that had probably intended on killing him.
Whatever had gone on while he'd been 'away' was beyond him… but he needed to fix it.
"I figured you wouldn't be out for too long."
Inuyasha snapped a glare up to Bankotsu who had turned and was regarding him with folded arms and a cocked head. An arrogant smile was playing on the human's face… making Inuyasha just want to run up and smack it off.
Though Bankotsu's skills with that oversized sword were not to be laughed at or underestimated. One look told Inuyasha that Tessaiga was too far away… lying beside Kagome – and between him and Kagome was Bankotsu the barrier.
"You bastard… you betrayed us all!" Inuyasha snarled as he straightened shakily. Was it just him, or was it a little hard to breathe? Probably just him…
Bankotsu swept a lazy gaze over him. "Oh just sit this one out, Inuyasha. You're practically dead on your feet."
That was nothing compared to the injuries Kagome had. But Kagome didn't seem to notice her wounds… instead she was knelt down beside the water of the canyon with her fingertips dipped in the reservoir, drawing energy from nature to channel it into the incantation she seemed to be laying.
"What are you doing?" Inuyasha called over to her.
Kagome's chants faltered and she slowly slanted him a long glare. It nearly froze him to the bone… what the hell was that about?
"Keep going." Bankotsu barked at her, tightening a hand around the hilt of Banryuu which rested against his shoulder. She darted him an uncertain look before closing her eyes and concentrating on her work again.
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. He snapped a thunderous look back onto Bankotsu. "What the fuck did you do to her?!" he yelled. "You've done something!"
"I admit I may have had to do a little persuading… but now she's jumping at the chance to help, aren't you dear?" Bankotsu didn't wait for Kagome's answer. "And you I don't need. You're presence here is unwanted and your life is expendable to me… so…"
In a flash Banryuu was swung from his shoulder in a wide arc before him. The ground between them suddenly started ripping up and Inuyasha barely had time to dive out of the way as the invisible force slammed into the cliff where he'd been standing moments before… showering Inuyasha with dirt and rocks.
It was over in a matter of seconds and Inuyasha coughed as the dust settled around them. He looked back across at Bankotsu who was looking as arrogantly smug as ever. "Bet you didn't know I could do that, did you?"
Inuyasha panted as he looked at the damage that blade had inflicted… the cutting wind?
"It's not the cutting wind, if that's what you're thinking." Bankotsu continued, like some kind of mind reader. "Obviously I don't have the youki to produce something like that… I doubt your limited brain capacity could comprehend how a human forged blade could do that."
Inuyasha darted a glance to Tessaiga… if only he had the speed to run past Bankotsu and grab it… maybe Sesshomaru would have the speed. It was so not fair that he hadn't inherited that kind of speed from his father… damn Sesshomaru! Hogging all the good genes!
His mind was wondering – not a good thing to do in that kind of situation. He wasn't going to beat that blade alone… that was for sure… so instead he tried to turn his attention back to Kagome. "Why are you helping him? Why did you attack me?! Kagome, dammit, answer me!"
"Shh!" Bankotsu hissed. "You'll distract her – she's busy!"
"Fuck you." Inuyasha muttered half-heartedly as he looked around desperately more some kind of help… he needed to get to Tessaiga – preferably without being chopped up by the big sword in Bankotsu's hand on the way. "Oh my god – what the hell is that?!" Inuyasha pointed to the sky.
"Do you think I'm really going to fall for that?" Bankotsu smirked. "I'm not stupid."
"Don't brag."
"You're awfully rude for a King you know."
"I'm not King. You are."
"Oh yes, the throne's mine, not yours." Bankotsu looked briefly at Kagome whose brow was furrowed in concentration. "And she's my wife, not yours."
Maybe that had been one step too far for Inuyasha's fragile patience and tolerance. "Well she's about to be a widow!" He shot forward, aiming for Bankotsu who sighed almost lazily and prepared to swing Banryuu.
But everything ground to a sudden halt…
Inuyasha slowed down until he stopped, a few metres away from Bankotsu… the Shichinin-tai leader dropped Banryuu and was bending double, clutching at his stomach as though in some terrible kind of agony. After a few breathless moments, Bankotsu collapsed onto the ground, still grimacing and trembling in pain. Inuyasha barely caught the muttered, "Bitch…"
He quickly glanced at Kagome who had pulled her hands from the water and was glaring across at Bankotsu in total disdain. "You have no stomach for pain." She told him coldly. "A typical man."
For a moment it looked like everything was going to be ok. Bankotsu was dying, Kagome was alive… mad at him, but still, she was alive. Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak to her… when he noticed that Bankotsu's aura wasn't weakening… it was getting stronger.
A lot stronger.
Maybe he'd counted his chickens too soon? "Fuck!" Inuyasha swore as he dived past the human man who was quickly getting to his feet again, despite having had what looked like a seizure. Within seconds, Inuyasha snatched up Tessaiga and whirled on Bankotsu who had mirrored his action in grabbing Banryuu.
Inuyasha's lip curled in anger and he shot a glare at Kagome. "Kagome – why did you do this?!"
He got no answer. She simply got to her feet shakily and began to stagger away. Was she just going to leave?!
"Stay right where you are, missy!" Bankotsu shouted warningly. Kagome froze and looked back at him stormily.
"You said I could leave."
"I changed my mind." He retorted.
Inuyasha was lost. What the hell was going on here? Why was Kagome helping this bastard…? Was she insane?!
Storm clouds were beginning to roll into the stark blue sky above them, almost as if they came from nowhere. Inuyasha darted an uncertain look upwards as a few splatters of raindrops showered down into the Canyon, hitting his cheek and beading on the shiny surface of Tessaiga.
"Ah…" Bankotsu looked pleased. "And here comes the rest of the cavalry…"
^_^
"So do you plan to sit there for all eternity and mope?"
Kagome brought a narrowed glare up to Naraku. Her body was too broken to move much. "I can't seem to do much else right now."
A long tense silence stretched out, during which Kagome made little bunny faces on the white road surface with her own blood and Naraku picked at something between his teeth.
"Do you want to play Eye Spy?" he offered eventually.
"No."
"Only asking." He rolled his eyes and went back to twiddling his thumbs.
Another long pause stretched… Kagome stared blankly at the ground. Maybe if she just ignored him, he'd go away.
"Can we discuss the deal again?"
"No."
He sighed irritably and folded his arms gruffly. "You know, just because you killed me, doesn't mean you are free from our first deal. Your soul is still mine, the same way my gift of long life is still yours. Our deals can't be broken in death."
Kagome lifted her head to stare at him in dawning horror. "What…?"
"That's right, I still own your soul. And so now that its been freed from it's mortal restraints of a body… I can do whatever the hell I want with you."
"You dirty, rotten-"
"Save the loving entreaties for someone who cares." He interrupted heartlessly. "Like Inuyasha maybe?"
Kagome lowered her head again, this time trembling from sheer anger towards him. Naraku sighed and paced a little, slowly. "It's all going to end in tears you know?"
"What?" Kagome mumbled awkwardly.
"The little Hanyou King can fight all he wants. But from here I can see fate… I can read the future they're all heading for. He'll die, your body will die, Tsubaki will die… a lot of people will die – and not just those who are fighting – but those in the palace… Lady Inu, Sango, Miroku… Fushi – even Shippo."
It was unnerving how he knew all their names…
"The Shichinin-tai will wipe them out."
"So they're going to be resurrected after all?" Kagome sighed.
"They already have been…"
Kagome looked up at him with determination. "I want to help – I could stop them if I went back."
He laughed at her. "You?! Look at the state of you, Baby! You can barely even stand – not only is your human body a wreck – but your own soul is in even worse condition!"
She looked down at herself.
"You think those are injuries sustained by Bankotsu?" he smirked. "Physical injuries cannot inflict damage on a soul… usually. Those injuries you see there can only be inflicted by those who're close to you." He slowly sat down on the ground a few feet away. "Black eyes on your soul from the family who turned its back on you. Broken ribs from a wolf fiancé who abandoned you to me. And numerous cuts, bruises and lesions from a Hanyou who has continually been turning away from you again and again… hurting you little by little. You've been hit in the heart so many times you can't even stand in this place."
Kagome glared at him. "You make less and less sense the longer I know you!"
He sighed and looked away. "Poor, dear Baby Kagome. You have a strong will… I'll give you that… it's surprising you haven't already committed suicide by now. You've taken all this damage into the heart, but I'm sure you would endure a life time more if given the chance."
"Don't pretend you know me." She snapped angrily. "You know nothing about me."
"I own your soul, I know you inside out." He smirked and looked back at her. "I always wondered how you did it… how you survived for so long alone, with so many fears and troubles, but always came out smiling in the end. But I know you can suss out your problems inside you… you deal with your fears until they don't bother you anymore. You can identify your feelings, and deal with them realistically. You're not afraid of yourself… and so you can keep going despite all the bad things that happen to you. Although… you don't always get away without a few… scratches." He eyed her injuries sceptically. "You're quite the opposite of Inuyasha in that respect."
"Meaning?" she narrowed her eyes.
"Meaning, like a typical male, he will misunderstand how he feels – or worse – he will ignore how he feels in favour of running from his problems, and so never have a chance of understanding them. He's not emotionally wise like you. He'd leave fears to fester within him, and eventually corrupt him… why do you think it was so easy for an average monk, with average skills, to make him insane? With all the lost feelings inside him floating around, all that chaos, he didn't stand a chance at sanity."
Kagome stared at him… a little unsure of what she was hearing. Inuyasha wasn't… ignorant… was he? "You know all this… how?"
"I know all, I see all." He said that like he'd said it a million times before.
"And I see you're still as arrogant as ever…"
"I shall forgive your rudeness and sarcasm. You've had a very rough day… lost your virginity and your life in all of six hours in two totally unrelated incidents. That has to be some kind of record." He tutted sympathetically. "Poor Baby. Life is so cruel to you."
"Death is crueller."
^_^
All seven of them were standing in the valley. The whirlwind of dust had died down and the clouds rumbled ominously overhead in the background as Inuyasha took in each one of them.
He'd never seen such a motley crew of warriors in his life…
He recognised Jakotsu at once – and promptly blanked him as the rather feminine man made kissy noises at him and waved happily upon arrival amidst the dust cloud. Renkotsu was the monk… probably the most sinister of all of them… the others he didn't recognise… he didn't see Suikotsu among them – only a human guy who had passed out promptly upon seeing the ghastly wounds on Kagome.
As the warriors grouped together and got reacquainted cheerfully enough, showing off their newly acquired strength and skills… Inuyasha slid a look across to Kagome. She was slumped against a boulder close to the water's edge. She looked dull and bored… uninterested in what was going on. He didn't understand what had happened to her.
Perhaps he would have gone and asked her if the Shichinin-tai hadn't finally gotten over the thrill of being alive again and had turned their direction towards him.
"I guess our first order of business would be him then." Renkotsu shot a withering glare towards the Hanyou who resolutely gripped Tessaiga tightly in his hands. One against six inhumanly strong warriors who had already been legendarily strong to begin with… poor sods, he'd wipe the floor with them.
"Oh, oh!" Jakotsu waved his hand towards Bankotsu. "Let me have him – we were having so much fun together me and my Inuyasha – but then he spoiled it by killing me – let me have another go!"
Inuyasha bristled in disgust and indignation. "I was human when I killed you – you're only small fry."
Jakotsu huffed and balled a fist against his hip. "So rude…" but then he grinned. "He's so sweet looking when he's mad."
"Enough of that." Bankotsu waved Jakotsu off. "We don't have time for games. Ginkotsu!"
The part man, part steel member of the band lumbered forward. "What?"
"Kill him." Bankotsu glanced between Inuyasha and Kagome. "Jakotsu you can kill the girl."
Ginkotsu lumbered forward to do his bidding while Jakotsu looked cheated. "How come he gets to kill the interesting one and I get a woman of all-"
"She's my wife. Kill her for me." Bankotsu interrupted breezily, well aware of the effect of this news.
Jakotsu snapped a ferocious glare on Tsubaki, who seemed oblivious to what was going on around her… "My pleasure." He hissed out and stomped forward.
It was quickly turning from a bad situation into a worse situation for Inuyasha. How the hell was he supposed to protect himself as well as Kagome? He clenched his jaw and decided to do what he did best. Just kick ass and hope it went well! "Don't underestimate me you bastards!" he yelled as he drew back Tessaiga, confidently.
Jakotsu was approaching Kagome too soon – Inuyasha wasn't going to have time to cut down Ginkotsu before he got to her… so instead of wasting precious energy on the lumbering metal man, he feigned to the side and in the blink of an eye, blocked Jakotsu's path, his sword braced and ready to do some serious damage.
"Oh you came to me!" Jakotsu promptly forgot about Kagome/Tsubaki and swiftly unsheathed his own strangely twisted sword. "I guess that means it's only polite to accept your challenge."
Bankotsu was shaking his head with slight disbelief. He glanced at the others. "Help him out, I'll deal with the girl later."
Between dodging Jakotsu's blade, Ginkotsu's cannon blasts and Renkotsu's fire net… Inuyasha was having a bit of trouble on his own… and yet Kagome still went on glaring at him.
It was slightly disheartening.
^_^
"I don't understand… why did I die?" Kagome muttered wearily. "If she only possessed me then why did I die…?"
"Well technically I don't think you did die – but the results are the same." Naraku informed her in an absentminded explanation. "She channelled her own soul through the link you made to the past with your vision. She attempted to possess you… but you have a very large soul, did you know that? Anyway, your body has only room for one soul and unfortunately… you being the weaker, battered soul, you lost the fight and was forced out to allow room for the miko."
"Oh…"
"Mm." He rubbed his chin. "And so now I can drag your soul to hell with me, seeing as you are my property after all… Oh don't look at me like that, I don't plan to." He rolled his eyes at her expression. "It was a good threat when we were both alive, but it's a bit empty and pointless now that we're both actually dead. What am I supposed to do with you in hell? Play Eye Spy until the cows come home? You'll badger me to death. No pun intended there…"
"I'm not that annoying." She replied irritably.
"Keep telling yourself that." He said in a patronising tone.
Kagome sighed and screwed her eyes shut for a moment as though thinking hard. She opened them again and fixed him with a serious look. "I need to go back down there – I can't just sit here and let them all die."
"If you do you won't be so lonely up here." He pointed out. "But then again you always have me for company."
She shuddered. "I can't stay up here… I can't let them down."
"Yes you can." Naraku pointed out, as though it were a reasonable point. "Don't you want to see Inuyasha hurt for the damage he's inflicted on your heart and soul?"
"No!"
"I guess that's the power of love then." He snorted. "What a load of rubbish that is…"
Kagome looked down at her bruised, scratched knees. "That's what Inuyasha says…"
Another one of those uncomfortable pauses stretched out again. Kagome carried on staring at her knees while Naraku fidgeted and rapped his fingers against his arm. "It seems ironic…" he began. "That no matter how much damage he has inflicted on you… he still has the power to heal it all. And you'd let him because you love him more than you love yourself."
"I thought you said love was garbage." She pointed out dryly.
"It is. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's one of the most powerful forces in the world, love. Mothers would sacrifice themselves for the life of their child, all for love. Kikyo would have destroyed an entire palace for betrayal of love. I would have killed Inuyasha for jealousy caused by love. Love is strong… and depending on the person, you can give a little, or you can give a lot. It's not all smiles and mushy feelings though… it can spark deadlier emotions like anger, jealousy, violence. Some of the greatest wars ever fought were founded by love of something or other. So yes, I think love is very real, and it rules us all."
Kagome snorted and looked away from him. "Maybe you should preach that to Inuyasha. He doesn't believe in it at all."
"Oh but he does."
Kagome blinked back at him. "Oh but he doesn't."
"You're so blind." Naraku said shortly. "He told you himself his own philosophies on love – remember the cage?"
"He said love didn't exist – I remember perfectly! He stepped on my feelings and made me look a fool!" Kagome snapped out.
"And you believe the word of an insane Hanyou. He was laughing at your blindness. He knew you wouldn't understand what he was really telling you at that time… but you will understand eventually… even if he didn't, or still doesn't."
A rather strange feeling of déjà vu passed over Kagome. "What did you say?"
"What did it mean?"
Kagome stared at him, feeling cold and numb.
"Hmm… what did it mean when he told you love is something you can only feel when you like someone in the friendship way and romantic way?" Naraku tapped his chin thoughtfully. "He's right of course. That is all that love is at the end of the day. True love that is. Meaning you can lust after an enemy, but it won't be love because you hate them. The same way you can have a friend, but you won't be in love with them because you don't want to marry them."
Kagome couldn't tear her gaze off the man before her.
"Really love is the happy medium between lust and friendship in their truest forms…"
She carried on staring at him.
"Your dreams concern two things… the Shichinin-tai and Inuyasha. He asked you what it meant… showed you a message you didn't understand and laughed because he knew you wouldn't anyway. But you understand what it meant now… don't you…?"
"I sorta wish I didn't…"
"He told you he loved you, in that cage, in his own definition. And you thought he was saying he hated you. You really are blind and naïve, Baby." Naraku snorted. "Of course, only the chaotic mind of a crazy man, when all emotions are in turmoil and surfacing at any given moment, would the love surface and be recognised for what it was. Whilst sane, he pushes his feelings down, ignores them all, because they confuse him… poor simple minded boy… can't deal with pain, love, betrayal and trust all at once… so he hasn't quite registered what he feels for you. But one day… it'll hit him. Just like that."
Kagome blinked up at him, tears beginning to glaze her eyes. "Then… why would he lie…? Why would he say he didn't… if he did…?"
"Because he's just as blind as you are on a normal day. He doesn't identify his feelings or his fears the way you do. You can hold it against him, it is his stupidity after all." Naraku rolled his eyes. "He's a fool… but he's in love with you. Do you understand now?"
Kagome didn't know…
"It meant he loves you."
^_^
It was all just becoming a blur of motion, and automatic reflexes without much thought as to what was going on. If he saw a blade coming, he dodged it, not caring what he dodged into. If a net of fire coiled around his body he would slash it away as quickly as he could, regardless of what else was about to hit him, regardless of the swords that hammered against his back as he tried to break out…
It was annoying actually… how in stories the bad guys always waited patiently in a ring around the good guy and attacked one by one in order of weakest first, strongest last. But in real life they all converged on him simultaneously, the strongest and the weakest. They weren't planning to give him any chances of survival.
"You're strong to last as long as this." He was vaguely aware of Bankotsu calling out from the sidelines as the other warriors attacked him. He cut away the last tether of Renkotsu's netting and threw himself to the side just in time to avoid getting squished by Kyoukotsu's enormous fist. "But the curse has been revoked and reversed… we're stronger than ever. You can't win."
What curse? What the hell was he babbling about? Inuyasha fell to the ground as he felt Jakotsu's blade wrap around his legs, biting into his flesh and tripping him… sending Tessaiga skittering from his grip. More flaming net pinned him down and he cringed away from the heat… it was all made worse when Mukotsu sent some poison gas his way, igniting the flames higher and making the heat almost unbearable. He couldn't see or smell anything other than flame and smoke… though he could just about hear Ginkotsu aiming a cannon at him and Kyoukotsu bracing above him, ready to flatten him in an instant.
Hopeless… he was as good as dead…
"Goodbye Inuyasha." Bankotsu said, almost drowned out by the sound of crackling flames around him.
Maybe if he had been the only one in danger he would have just decided enough was enough and given up… and died right there. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, he was paralysed with the poisonous smoke and Tessaiga was too far away. He wasn't going to be getting up again…
But he wasn't the only one whose life was on the line.
Kagome.
Her life was priceless and irreplaceable. And on no terms would he ever give up on her…
So it wasn't a hard thing to do… to surrender to that inner strength that was pulsing away beneath his consciousness, trying to claw its way to the surface. The strength which thought survival was everything and life was as simple as that. Nothing else was relevant.
He slowly sank into himself, all thoughts and worries grinding to a halt until he was only… vaguely aware that he was there at all. Only vaguely aware that his vision bled red and his claws lengthened and toughened enough to gouge into the ground like it was nothing but sponge cake, instead of solid rock.
It was so much easier to accomplish things when you had only one thing in mind.
Kill. And enjoy it.
AN: Next Chapter 'The Final Deal'