Disclaimer: Inu-Yasha does not, will not, and never has belonged to me.
Boring author's life blurb: I'm in a play in fourteen hours. -_- Eep! Wish me luck! It was written about in the paper and it'll be performed at UNC (University of North Carolina). Acting is getting less and less fun. Hence this chapter. I need to write to expel this nervous energy and the frightening amounts of caffeine I've just ingested. And what better way to quell my fears than Inuyasha fandom? ^_-
A warning? I am HORRENDOUS at battle scenes. I love fluff. But look at the show!
---
Kagome's mind was reeling with the horrifying "what-ifs" that dominated her mind. What had really happened to Kouga. And what could happen to Miroku, Sango, hell even Hakkaku. Her thin, strong arms were around Inuyasha, who was running swiftly with her on his back. She only got her way because of her stubborn ways and their lack of time. Had there been more time, they would have been at it for hours.
'We're here,' Inuyasha thought bitterly. He could smell her. Naraku's scent simply reeked, and Kagura carried the scent. He felt Kagome tense on his back. She was a miko after all, and could probably sense her aura.
"Just in time to join the party, hanyou, wench." Kagura grinned maliciously at the pair who had stumbled onto the scene, addressing them as they deserved. Her chest was huffed out in pride. They surveyed the scene.
Blood everywhere. Miroku and Sango were still standing, but both were very close to collapse and each had several variations of wounds as a result of Kagura's unrelenting attacks. Miroku sported a very large gash on his cheek much like the one he recieved from Sango the night she and other village women were possesed.* Other various cuts about his shoulder, chest, back, and arms, but nothing terribly serious. The only way he'd die from them if they were left untreated for a long time.
Sango was not as lucky. She was still up on two feet, clutching her weapon, but she was clutching her stomach with her free hand. Little rivers of crimson blood flowed around her fingers, indicating a wind blade had lodged a deep cut in her gut. Her face was hard set and determined. Very much like Sango to ignore her wounds and try to continue battle.
Kagome's heart raced. 'Let them be okay, please..'
"Who to kill first?" Kagura asked in a disgustingly amused and condescending voice. "The young miko." She grinned happily at Kagome.
"Like fucking hell you will," Inuyasha snarled. "Lay a finger on her and I'll tear your sorry behind to shreds."
She cackled. "What fun this will be! Your death, miko, will be long and slow. You didn't die when you were supposed to." Her tone hardened and was instantly serious. "You will watch her die, Inuyasha, before your own. You interferred. This shall be your punishment. Two women you supposedly loved. Yet you cannot manage to protect either one. Hanyou or not, you should be able to save a mere mortal, can you not? You have learned nothing."
Inuyasha placed himself in front of Kagome. "You won't lay a finger on her, Kagura, you or your evil wind. I promise you I'll kill you, you and the others, too." He, of course, meant Kanna and Naraku. Naraku Kagura didn't give a damn about, but Kanna was strange. She was not evil. But she also did carry another trait that seemed impossible to Kagura: she lacked a soul. Kagura and Goshinki carried one. Naraku as well. But not Kanna.
Which made her feelings towards Kanna even more perplexing. The girl was a souless creature. And so death would not affect her. But she seemed real to Kagura, the closest to anyone she had to a form of affection. It was slight, but there. And as stated, she was not evil. If death did have some consequence, she would not have deserved it.
This was NOT the time. She had to kill the group, the whole lot of them. Miroku and Sango would be easy. Inuyasha and Kagome were still alive and well, but Kagome was a mortal wench. Inuyasha would prove to be difficult, as would Kirara..
Kirara.
Where was Kirara?
Her question was suddenly answered with a deafening growl, much closer than Kagura wanted to hear. Why hadn't she sensed it? It was probably when she was deep in thought about Kanna. Damn these human emotions, they did no good. They led to situations such as these. Kagura turned to face Kirara. Inuyasha and Kagome could wait.
"Kagome, now!" Inuyasha whispered to Kagome. Kagome, fully understanding, placed her arrow to her bow. Retrieving them was one fluid motion, and Inuyasha was silently impressed. The arrow glowed pink with Kagome's power and even hissed softly.
Kagura was no fool, and her return of the heightened senses of a hanyou** allowed her to detect the slightly audible sound of Kagome preparing her arrow. She swiveled around, figuring Kirara was the lesser of two evils.
The arrow in her chest was unimaginable. The pain was a searing hot flash of blinding white light. She wanted to scream and rip herself apart. Throwing her head back she did holler, never letting the intensity of her voice waver. Kami, kill her now. Kill her now and release her into death or oblivion or even Hell. All that existed was the all-encompassing agony.
But death, oblivion, and Hell never came. Instead, the pain slowly subsided, confusing them all.
Thump. Thump. Th-thump. She placed a hand tentatively to her chest. The arrow perished. In it's place was the steady drumming of her heart.
Her heart.
Why had it returned? Kagura couldn't figure it out, or understand why she hadn't been killed. Naraku would never grant her her heart for anything, so there must be some other reason. It had to be connected to Kagome's arrow. Somehow.
"What the hell has happened?" she screamed more violently than she felt. She was confused and a little frightened that she didn't understand.
"I-I don't know, Kagura," Kagome said meekly, trying to conceive the instance herself.
Kagura raised her fan. "You have left yourself defenseless in your stalling. Dance of the wind!" Kagome's mind went blank with fear. She fliunched, closing her eyes in preperation for her doom. It never came.
Kagura threw about her fan as she had before, but to no avail.
"You're purity arrows." Miroku's calming voice caught their attention. "Your purity arrows, Kagome, returned her heart."
"Good going, genius! What a revelation!" Inuyasha spat sarcastically.
"Let me finish." His tone did not change despite Inuyasha's rudeness. Inuyasha's face continued to be sour, but he was silent. "They purified Kagura. If she was completely evil, she would have simply perished."
"She IS evil, houshi-sama," Sango whispered, wincing. This brought instant attention. All eyes turned to her, momentarily forgetting the current question. Kagome ran over to her friend, tearing at her school uniform for a makeshift bandage for her stomach wound. She covered it tightly, though blood appeared and soaked it almost instantly. They weren't too far from the village, thankfully.
"Kirara, take Sango to Kaede. It doesn't seem as though Kagura will be much of an enemy for now," Kagome ordered. Kirara instantly compied, gently moving down to take the weakened woman on her back. They were gone quickly for Kaede's treatment.
"AHEM." Everyone turned back to Miroku. "As I was saying, Kagura would have had to be totally evil to simply disappear. But she didn't. There is a part of her soul that is good."
"What's that have to do with anything?" Inuyasha demanded impatiently.
"I'm getting to that, Inuyasha. Not only does Kagura's soul contain some sort of innocence, she was born from a hanyou. This makes Kagura a hanyou herself. The innocence and humanity must have gone hand in hand, for when she was purified she was made to be completely human. Naraku had his hold on the hanyou form, and when she changed, her heart was hers again."
No one could make themselves say anything for a while. Kagura lifted her hands and inspected them. They were a normal woman's hands, all right. She inspected her regular human fingernails. The fan in her right hand that was now useless. She controlled the wind no longer and merely exsisted as it did to other humans.
"This means nothing to me," Inuyasha stated, continuing to glare at Kagura. "I will kill you anyhow--"
"No, Inuyasha!" Kagome cried pleadingly.
"Why?"
"Because, she may have been cruel, but she is a simple human. She could not help it if she was born of Naraku! She can do us no harm any longer! She's been purified!"
"I don't give a da--"
"OSUWARI!" Inuyasha instantly met with the soil and sticks surrounding him. He sputtered, being a tad close to the metallic taste of blood covering almost every inch of the ground for his liking. He glared at Kagome. 'Stupid wench.'
"What now?" Kagura's voice was empty and frightened. She mentally kicked herself. Show vulnerability to these jerks? What have they done to her!? Humans were weak and stupid and practically useless. She had been purified, but it did not mean she was perfect. She contained many of her old characteristics.
"Let me see your back." Miroku's face was dead serious, but it was often dead serious when asking a young woman to bear him a child.
"HENTAI!" Kagome screamed and slapped him harshly on his good cheek. "Is this anytime for questions like that? When will you ever get your mind out of the gutter?"
"That isn't what I mean, Lady Kagome." He walked over to Kagura and with a swift motion of his staff, etched a clean cut of Kagura's kimono along her back. It was bare.
"You have two seconds to explain yourself," she hissed.
"Your heart has returned and your back is free of any markings. Including that of Naraku." Her eyes were empty. "Have you really no idea of what this means?"
She shook her head in an aggravated manner.
"It means that you are free."
---
Author's notes: *Reference to episode 132. **I have no idea what Kagura is. I'm merely going off what Naraku is.
Author's Babbling: "Dream time." Mission Hill, sorry, I don't even like the show. But it's on. Which is some indication of the time (not late), but considering I need rest and relaxation for performing tomorrow. Or, well, today. *WAH!* Save me from the life of a high school actress who no longer likes acting?
But yes, it's dream time. G'night everyone.
Boring author's life blurb: I'm in a play in fourteen hours. -_- Eep! Wish me luck! It was written about in the paper and it'll be performed at UNC (University of North Carolina). Acting is getting less and less fun. Hence this chapter. I need to write to expel this nervous energy and the frightening amounts of caffeine I've just ingested. And what better way to quell my fears than Inuyasha fandom? ^_-
A warning? I am HORRENDOUS at battle scenes. I love fluff. But look at the show!
---
Kagome's mind was reeling with the horrifying "what-ifs" that dominated her mind. What had really happened to Kouga. And what could happen to Miroku, Sango, hell even Hakkaku. Her thin, strong arms were around Inuyasha, who was running swiftly with her on his back. She only got her way because of her stubborn ways and their lack of time. Had there been more time, they would have been at it for hours.
'We're here,' Inuyasha thought bitterly. He could smell her. Naraku's scent simply reeked, and Kagura carried the scent. He felt Kagome tense on his back. She was a miko after all, and could probably sense her aura.
"Just in time to join the party, hanyou, wench." Kagura grinned maliciously at the pair who had stumbled onto the scene, addressing them as they deserved. Her chest was huffed out in pride. They surveyed the scene.
Blood everywhere. Miroku and Sango were still standing, but both were very close to collapse and each had several variations of wounds as a result of Kagura's unrelenting attacks. Miroku sported a very large gash on his cheek much like the one he recieved from Sango the night she and other village women were possesed.* Other various cuts about his shoulder, chest, back, and arms, but nothing terribly serious. The only way he'd die from them if they were left untreated for a long time.
Sango was not as lucky. She was still up on two feet, clutching her weapon, but she was clutching her stomach with her free hand. Little rivers of crimson blood flowed around her fingers, indicating a wind blade had lodged a deep cut in her gut. Her face was hard set and determined. Very much like Sango to ignore her wounds and try to continue battle.
Kagome's heart raced. 'Let them be okay, please..'
"Who to kill first?" Kagura asked in a disgustingly amused and condescending voice. "The young miko." She grinned happily at Kagome.
"Like fucking hell you will," Inuyasha snarled. "Lay a finger on her and I'll tear your sorry behind to shreds."
She cackled. "What fun this will be! Your death, miko, will be long and slow. You didn't die when you were supposed to." Her tone hardened and was instantly serious. "You will watch her die, Inuyasha, before your own. You interferred. This shall be your punishment. Two women you supposedly loved. Yet you cannot manage to protect either one. Hanyou or not, you should be able to save a mere mortal, can you not? You have learned nothing."
Inuyasha placed himself in front of Kagome. "You won't lay a finger on her, Kagura, you or your evil wind. I promise you I'll kill you, you and the others, too." He, of course, meant Kanna and Naraku. Naraku Kagura didn't give a damn about, but Kanna was strange. She was not evil. But she also did carry another trait that seemed impossible to Kagura: she lacked a soul. Kagura and Goshinki carried one. Naraku as well. But not Kanna.
Which made her feelings towards Kanna even more perplexing. The girl was a souless creature. And so death would not affect her. But she seemed real to Kagura, the closest to anyone she had to a form of affection. It was slight, but there. And as stated, she was not evil. If death did have some consequence, she would not have deserved it.
This was NOT the time. She had to kill the group, the whole lot of them. Miroku and Sango would be easy. Inuyasha and Kagome were still alive and well, but Kagome was a mortal wench. Inuyasha would prove to be difficult, as would Kirara..
Kirara.
Where was Kirara?
Her question was suddenly answered with a deafening growl, much closer than Kagura wanted to hear. Why hadn't she sensed it? It was probably when she was deep in thought about Kanna. Damn these human emotions, they did no good. They led to situations such as these. Kagura turned to face Kirara. Inuyasha and Kagome could wait.
"Kagome, now!" Inuyasha whispered to Kagome. Kagome, fully understanding, placed her arrow to her bow. Retrieving them was one fluid motion, and Inuyasha was silently impressed. The arrow glowed pink with Kagome's power and even hissed softly.
Kagura was no fool, and her return of the heightened senses of a hanyou** allowed her to detect the slightly audible sound of Kagome preparing her arrow. She swiveled around, figuring Kirara was the lesser of two evils.
The arrow in her chest was unimaginable. The pain was a searing hot flash of blinding white light. She wanted to scream and rip herself apart. Throwing her head back she did holler, never letting the intensity of her voice waver. Kami, kill her now. Kill her now and release her into death or oblivion or even Hell. All that existed was the all-encompassing agony.
But death, oblivion, and Hell never came. Instead, the pain slowly subsided, confusing them all.
Thump. Thump. Th-thump. She placed a hand tentatively to her chest. The arrow perished. In it's place was the steady drumming of her heart.
Her heart.
Why had it returned? Kagura couldn't figure it out, or understand why she hadn't been killed. Naraku would never grant her her heart for anything, so there must be some other reason. It had to be connected to Kagome's arrow. Somehow.
"What the hell has happened?" she screamed more violently than she felt. She was confused and a little frightened that she didn't understand.
"I-I don't know, Kagura," Kagome said meekly, trying to conceive the instance herself.
Kagura raised her fan. "You have left yourself defenseless in your stalling. Dance of the wind!" Kagome's mind went blank with fear. She fliunched, closing her eyes in preperation for her doom. It never came.
Kagura threw about her fan as she had before, but to no avail.
"You're purity arrows." Miroku's calming voice caught their attention. "Your purity arrows, Kagome, returned her heart."
"Good going, genius! What a revelation!" Inuyasha spat sarcastically.
"Let me finish." His tone did not change despite Inuyasha's rudeness. Inuyasha's face continued to be sour, but he was silent. "They purified Kagura. If she was completely evil, she would have simply perished."
"She IS evil, houshi-sama," Sango whispered, wincing. This brought instant attention. All eyes turned to her, momentarily forgetting the current question. Kagome ran over to her friend, tearing at her school uniform for a makeshift bandage for her stomach wound. She covered it tightly, though blood appeared and soaked it almost instantly. They weren't too far from the village, thankfully.
"Kirara, take Sango to Kaede. It doesn't seem as though Kagura will be much of an enemy for now," Kagome ordered. Kirara instantly compied, gently moving down to take the weakened woman on her back. They were gone quickly for Kaede's treatment.
"AHEM." Everyone turned back to Miroku. "As I was saying, Kagura would have had to be totally evil to simply disappear. But she didn't. There is a part of her soul that is good."
"What's that have to do with anything?" Inuyasha demanded impatiently.
"I'm getting to that, Inuyasha. Not only does Kagura's soul contain some sort of innocence, she was born from a hanyou. This makes Kagura a hanyou herself. The innocence and humanity must have gone hand in hand, for when she was purified she was made to be completely human. Naraku had his hold on the hanyou form, and when she changed, her heart was hers again."
No one could make themselves say anything for a while. Kagura lifted her hands and inspected them. They were a normal woman's hands, all right. She inspected her regular human fingernails. The fan in her right hand that was now useless. She controlled the wind no longer and merely exsisted as it did to other humans.
"This means nothing to me," Inuyasha stated, continuing to glare at Kagura. "I will kill you anyhow--"
"No, Inuyasha!" Kagome cried pleadingly.
"Why?"
"Because, she may have been cruel, but she is a simple human. She could not help it if she was born of Naraku! She can do us no harm any longer! She's been purified!"
"I don't give a da--"
"OSUWARI!" Inuyasha instantly met with the soil and sticks surrounding him. He sputtered, being a tad close to the metallic taste of blood covering almost every inch of the ground for his liking. He glared at Kagome. 'Stupid wench.'
"What now?" Kagura's voice was empty and frightened. She mentally kicked herself. Show vulnerability to these jerks? What have they done to her!? Humans were weak and stupid and practically useless. She had been purified, but it did not mean she was perfect. She contained many of her old characteristics.
"Let me see your back." Miroku's face was dead serious, but it was often dead serious when asking a young woman to bear him a child.
"HENTAI!" Kagome screamed and slapped him harshly on his good cheek. "Is this anytime for questions like that? When will you ever get your mind out of the gutter?"
"That isn't what I mean, Lady Kagome." He walked over to Kagura and with a swift motion of his staff, etched a clean cut of Kagura's kimono along her back. It was bare.
"You have two seconds to explain yourself," she hissed.
"Your heart has returned and your back is free of any markings. Including that of Naraku." Her eyes were empty. "Have you really no idea of what this means?"
She shook her head in an aggravated manner.
"It means that you are free."
---
Author's notes: *Reference to episode 132. **I have no idea what Kagura is. I'm merely going off what Naraku is.
Author's Babbling: "Dream time." Mission Hill, sorry, I don't even like the show. But it's on. Which is some indication of the time (not late), but considering I need rest and relaxation for performing tomorrow. Or, well, today. *WAH!* Save me from the life of a high school actress who no longer likes acting?
But yes, it's dream time. G'night everyone.
