DON'T HURT MEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anonymous (DV; here ya go!! QFF; The kiss thing was my idea!!! DV; no it wasn't! QFF; But I can pretend it was.)
angelkitty77 (DV; hehehe... QFF; *Rolls eyes* riiiight. And don't worry about Botan she'll get something better than a mallet soon enough. DV; QUEENIE!!! QFF; oops. DV; *in a monotone voice that sound eerily like her ninth grade math teacher* I want to feed the raptors now. I want to chill Enrique and feed a lot of raptors... QFF; maybe you should try hypnotism with someone who isn't clinically insane... DV; I will let Kikyou live... Everyone; NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
star's dreams (DV; Hehe... read ahead!!! QFF; *glares at DV* I'll apologize on my cousin's behalf for that unearthly cruel cliffie DV; It wasn't THAT bad!!!)
Fluffy sama 13 (DV; here ya go!!! QFF; *cocks head* Are you on sugar or something?)
Little-neko-angel (DV; *mutters under breath* was not... QFF; Really? I'll have to watch it! AND I'll force DV to watch it with me. DV; WHAT?!?! You know I hate scary movies!!! QFF; Exactly.)
inuyasha92689 (DV; You're not alone. QFF; but something really, REALLY good happens this chapter! DV; *smacking QFF around* QUIT GIVING AWAY MY PLOT SECRETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
inudemoness247 (QFF; Hey, I could stop her, okay?! DV; MWAHAHAHAHA!!! ^-^ here's chapter 18. Thanks! I guess...)
Luscious (DV; as do I... QFF; Oh, don't worry, we've already 'talked' about the kiss thing... *glares evilly at DV* DV; It's not like I was considering it!!! I was just SAYING a friend suggested it! If you wanna hurt anybody, it should be her!!!)
starangel4899 (DV; Ahh... o_o;;; QFF; I thought ALL cliffies are evil...)
badgerwolf (Both; Agreed. DV; Me too. My friend thinks I'm as close to insane as a girl could get but... QFF; You ARE insane. DV; and your point? QFF; -_-;;;)
fallen-666-angel (DV; AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! QFF; *laughing hysterically* Oh, man, you're my hero!!!! Right so is she neko, wolf, dog and coyote? *turns to see DV now has her staff.* Uh-oh...)
blazingsunstar (DV; Thanks! QFF; head's inflating again... DV; shut up before I lock you in a room with Miroku!!! QFF; O.O;;;;;;;;;)
maria-galix (DV; Hehe... Thanks!!! QFF; After last chapter, I stood over her desk to make sure she updated. DV; and trust me, she's being serious. -_-)
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
DV- Really, you people didn't have to get so cranky about a little cliffie. I could do worse. *evil grin* wanna see?
Everyone- NO!!!!!!!!!!
DV- Hmph!
QFF- Oh, and I have an announcement for everyone. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I lost my old e-mail address and had to change my name. Now I'm Queenofanfiction13!!!
DV- Mmhm... BIG change... -_-;
QFF- shut up, fox!!!
DV- make me, my little pony!!!!!!!
Yusuke- wow... a catfight between a fox and a horse... that's a first.
Kagome- DreamVixen and Queenoffanfiction13 don't and never will own us, thank Kami-sama. Now let's get on with the story!!! *Looks back to DV, who is using her staff to block QFF's katana.* and you'll have to wait and see if our authoresses live.
\\.........\\ Youko\Kurama talk -.........- beast talk *.........* telepathy '.........' thoughts
**********************When Clay Crumbles (Mwahaha!!!)********************
My eyes widened as Kagome screamed and barely dodged the sharp arrow, a cut on her shoulder that allowed Kikyou's dark miko powers to leek into Kagome's body, where they'd be combated with Kagome's own youkai and pure miko powers.
"KAGOME!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sango yelled, running over to the injured miko youkai. I glared at the impure clay body that released the arrow, barely resisting the urge to cover my nose and block out the putrid scent of death, earth and decay that rolled off of her. Hiei growled at the undead priestess.
"My concern isn't with any of you. I simply wish for my soul's return, and I'll be on my way." I narrowed my eyes at her, taking out one of my seeds.
"I'm afraid that's not possible," I said, calmly.
\\We're going to kill this bitch, right?\\ Youko asked, eyeing her distastefully.
*If you don't, then I will,* Sango promised as she tore a strip of her kimono sleeve off to tie Kagome's wound, keeping one eye on Kikyou.
*hn,* Hiei said in agreement, steeping to block the girls from the dead miko's view and drawing his katana. (AN; Aww... Somebody's feeling protective ^-^)
"Make it possible," Kikyou hissed, narrowing her eyes to meet Hiei's glare, "Unless you wish for me to purify you," Hiei smirked.
"I'd like to see you try, Wench," Kikyou clenched her teeth together and shot her ready arrow at Hiei, who sliced through it easily, and used his speed to try to take her head off.
"Unfortunately, Kikyou put up another barrier, sending a purification wave through the Jiganshi when he touched it.
"HIEI!!!" Sango yelled, starting forward. Kagome swiftly shot one of her own arrows at the barrier, causing it to fall. My friend fell to the earth with a 'thump.'
As Sango helped him up, we stepped back and watched as Kagome entered another stare down with her former incarnation. They slowly circled each other, arrows against their bows, but not aiming at each other just yet. They seemed to be in a battle of wills over their shared soul at the moment.
"Tell me, Kikyou," Kagome called out to her, "Tell me one good, completely selfless thing you did in life, and I'll willingly give our soul to you," Kikyou glared at her.
"I gave the life I could have had to protect the jewel," Kikyou answered.
"And the whole time, you planned on ways to rid yourself of the burden, instead of concentrating on you duties, didn't you?" Kagome shot back. Kikyou's glare intensified.
"I didn't use the jewel to heal myself."
"Because you knew that all impure wishes made on the jewel resulted in a cursed life." Kagome countered yet again, "I know you thoughts, Kikyou, I can hear them. Hear the true motives behind your every move. You never put all your effort into protecting the jewel, half hoping a powerful demon would rid you of it, you knew if you healed Onigumo, he would try to steal the Shikon, and you could pretend you were only doing the right thing. You never even loved InuYasha. Even he was just a ploy to gain a life forbidden to you." Now the dead miko's face twisted in rage.
"ENOUGH!!!" Kikyou yelled, "Are you saying you've never done things for your own benefit? You've always happily lived a sacrificial life?!?!" Kagome met her furious look with one of pity.
"No, Kikyou, I won't lie to you and say I did. I've made choices that only directly affected myself as well. As a matter of fact, I'm making one as we speak. But the main difference between us is that I'm alive, Kikyou, and you're not. You died fifty years ago. You don't belong here anymore. It's long past your time, while my time on earth has just begun. This is where I make a selfish choice, Kikyou, I refuse to give up all my friends and family have worked for just so you can live a life you're not meant for. Go back to Hell, Kikyou, before I send you there myself," The dead miko raised her bow, losing the battle of wills.
"NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She yelled, pulling her arrow back, "I REFUSE TO LOSE MY LIFE TO A WEAK COPY!!!!!!!!!!!!" In a flash, Kagome had split Kikyou's arrow with her own (AN; that would be SOOOO cool!!! QFF; DV!!!!!!!!! DV; I'll shut up now,) both halves fell harmlessly to the side, and Kagome and Kikyou glared at each other in the post-firing positions.
"You one to call anyone a weak copy, Kikyou. You know the true legend of the Jewel as well as I do. You know what we are. What I am." Kagome said softly. A look passed over Kikyou's face, something almost like fear, "The jewel has come to the earth four times. Once through Hajime, the first miko. She created the Shikon no tama to protect the ningens. When demons came after the jewel, she sent it through time, into the body of her incarnation, Midoriko. She knew when she obtained the jewel, what it meant. Four souls for four incarnations, and she was the second. When Midoriko died, the jewel was ejected from her body, yet it still found it's way to you, Kikyou, the third incarnation. And when you failed to protect the jewel, it was passed to me, the fourth and final incarnation, the same way it was to Midoriko. It is my duty to see the jewel destroyed before it does anymore damage. So you see, Kikyou, you're just as much a 'copy' as I, only you never truly accomplished more than passing the jewel to me."
(AN; Whew!!! That's one hell of a speech!!!! QFF; Didn't you promise to shut up?!?!?!)
"Lair," Kikyou hissed, taking a step back, "Besides, what have you accomplished? And the earlier two incarnates?" Kagome looked at her in ill hidden disgust.
"Honestly, Kikyou, and you say I'M the idiot incarnate? Hajime created the jewel and trained the earliest mikos, sending them to different villages across Japan. Midoriko created the tajiya, and died sacrificing herself for the people she swore to protect. As for me... All I can honestly calm to have accomplished right now is having fully obtained the jewel with the help of my friends and destroying an evil, psycho hanyou bent on world domination.. I hope to do more, but right now, my main concern is my most selfish earlier incarnate." Now Kikyou's ki started to flare around her, and she reached for another arrow, but now we were onto her.
With a flick of my hand, I transformed the seed in my palm into a rose, then whip in one smooth, fluid motion, wrapping it around Kikyou's bow and pulling it out of her hands. Sango's eyes glowed momentarily and all of the dead miko's arrows turned to ash. Kagome had an arrow ready by the time Kikyou had taken an involuntary step back.
\\She finally understands what she's gotten herself into,\\ Youko said in a smug tone. Kagome's eyes flickered with emotion for a second, but stayed trained on her incarnation.
*Kagome can hear you now,* Sango said conversationally as she and Hiei cautiously made their way towards me, keeping one eye one the undead bitch at all times.
\\Figures.\\ Youko grumbled about the unfairness of not being able to talk to Kagome now that just when she could hear him.
*You're other half going to end up driving the miko away, fox,* Hiei told me privately, amusement clear in his voice.
\\I happen to be one of the most sought after demons in the to ever grace Makai!!!\\
\\Since when have you, let me forget?\\
Kagome kept her bow fixed on Kikyou, but her lips jerked slightly in a smile.
*Do you mind saving your conversations with yourself until after we get rid of the bitter miko out to steal my soul and drag one of my best friends to Hell?* I mentally flinched.
\\Sorry,\\ both Youko and I said at once. Kagome's face got serious again.
"Kikyou, I'm going to give you one more chance to leave us in peace." The clay woman's eyes trailed over me, Hiei, Sango and Kagome, then went to the group gathered just on the other side of the barrier. You could almost hear her thinking about how she couldn't succeed, forget getting out of here alive.
"I accept your terms," Kikyou said, with as much dignity as she could muster. "I will leave and never harass you again, reincarnate." Kagome gave her a hard glare before slipping the arrow back into the quiver and turning to face Sango, Hiei and myself. The barrier flickered and dropped, and the rest of the group made their way into the clearing.
Before I could move, or even make a sound, the clay incarnation had a dagger pulled out of her haori sleeve and poised to be driven into Kagome's back, right where her heart was. (AN; And don't tell me that's not possible. You could hide a semi up those sleeves and no one would be the wiser. QFF; DAMN IT, DV, IF YOU INTERRUPT THIS CHAPTER ONE MORE TIME, I'LL TELL THE REVIEWERS YOUR ADDRESS SO THEY CAN HUNT YOU DOWN NEXT CLIFFIE!!!!!!!!!!! DV; O.O;;;)
Hiei reached for his katana to slice her head off as I started forward, when suddenly, the dagger stopped. Kikoyu had frozen, her eyes wide in shock and pain. Kagome now got to sense that something was amiss and stepped away from Kikoyu, giving us a full view of the bloody hole where her stomach should have been.
And the hanyou watching the undead priestess in a mix of pity, regret and stubborn protectiveness, one claw covered in the animated corpse's blood.
"I-I-InuYasha..." Kikyou stuttered, her voice filled with pain and hatred, "You betrayed me again." The inu frowned at her.
"I lost all loyalties to you when you tried to kill Kagome. I'm sorry it had to end like this, Kikyou, but Kagome's right. You stopped existing in the living realm fifty years ago when you sealed me to that tree." Kikyou coughed up blood as she doubled over and after another silent second, stopped moving all together. A glowing shapeless silvery mist rose from her body, and settled into the shadow vixen's. Kagome started towards the hanyou, worry in her eyes.
"InuYasha..."
"You okay?" Kagome nodded, glancing at where the dagger had fallen after Kikyou had her inner organs rudely removed from her body. (AN; Okay, I-! QFF; ADDRESS!!! DV; *sulks in silence*)
"InuYasha, you shouldn't have- why did you-?"
"I'm going for a walk." InuYasha said, stepping away from the miko, "Go and have Kaede check out those wounds." Kagome blinked at him before recalling the scratch on her arm from when she'd entered the clearing. "...She might have slipped poison onto the arrowhead." And with that, InuYasha was gone.
"Kagome!!!" Keiko rushed to help the vixen, along with Botan, Yukina and Yakuso, worried looks on their faces. Kagome turned to Botan, worry in her eyes.
"Botan, please go talk to InuYasha. I remind him too much of Kikyou to be any comfort." The rei guide nodded and left in the direction the hanyou had taken.
"We should take you back to the hut. InuYasha might have been right about the poison thing..."
"No. The only poison on that arrow was Kikyou's tainted powers." Ganko looked from the fallen corpse, to Kagome, to the general direction of InuYasha and Botan.
"Somebody mind filling me in?" I smiled slightly at the utter confusion in the Shadow fox's tone.
"That was Kikyou, an earlier incarnation of Kagome and InuYasha's first love. Long story short, she and InuYasha got tricked into betraying each other and she died after pinning InuYasha to a tree. Fifty years later a witch stole Kagome's soul and used it to bring Kikyou back to life. Kagome got most of it back, but Kikyou still had enough to live." Shippo explained from his perch on Souta's shoulder.
"Ahhh..." Ganko said, nodding. Sango raised an eyebrow at him.
"You actually get that?"
"No." everyone either anime fell or sweat dropped. Then Kagome started to laugh.
"That's just like you. I'm guessing you tuned out after 'long story,' hm?" Ganko glared at her.
"No!" he protested, "... it was closer to 'earlier incarnation.'" We all laughed at that, as Yakuso slapped Ganko across the head and scolded him for his short attention span.
"We'd better go back to Kaede's now. She probably needs help preparing dinner."
"I don't see why you girls should have to help" Yusuke snorted, "OW!!!" he rubbed his head where Keiko slapped him.
"Yusuke you jerk! Is our making dinner too much for her to ask? It's bad enough that we're staying there, eating her food and taking up space without any sort of payment. Not everyone LIKES being a freeloader, you know."
\\When do you think she'll learn that all she's doing is starting more argument and Yusuke won't listen?\\ Youko asked with mild curiosity.
\\Hopefuly soon. Her yelling is starting to give me a migraine.\\ Ganko smirked.
\\Can he hear us?\\
\\Probably.\\ If Hiei, Sango and Kagome could, why not the newest addition to their group?
\\This is starting to get boring. Isn't there anything we can DO?!?!\\ I mentally sighed.
\\Youko...\\
\\What? You CAN'T tell me you're not bored. I am you so you must be.\\
\\The only thing I am right now is annoyed with you.\\
\\HEY!!!! You spend all day around an idiot with an ego the size of Russia and no real power other than spiritual awareness, and you call ME annoying?!?!?!\\
\\At least Kuwabara doesn't state the obvious out of the blue like you just did.\\
"Hey! Yusuke and Kieko are fighting again!!!"
\\... never mind.\\ Kagome and Sango started to giggle Ganko snickered and Hiei smirked. \\I'm glad you four find my mental turmoil amusing.\\
*Cheer up. He's nowhere near as bad as Reikoku.* Ganko said, smirking.
\\I find it hard to believe anyone can be as bad as a whining 300- year-old pervert.\\
\\I RESENT THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!\\
*Are you done fighting with yourself, because we're going ahead with or without you.* both Youko and I started at the miko's voice before following her back to the old miko's hut, leaving the bickering human couple and the idiot that had yet to realize we were gone to catch up later.
"It must get frustrating,"
I looked at Kagome curiously. It was after dinner, and the kits had all fallen asleep early. Hiei and Sango went to train more, but considering the change in Hiei's scent, I couldn't help but wonder if that was all they'd do.
InuYasha and Botan had come back about ten minutes after dinner had been prepared. The hanyou complained vigorously about us not saving him a bowl, something that had Kagome near ecstatic, and Botan seemed extra cheerful, even for her.
Considering we had nothing better to do, Kagome decided to go for a walk and I offered to join her, ignoring the snickering and pointed looks of my companions. We had simply walked in silence for a while, enjoying the other's company, before Kagome broke the silence with her comment.
"What?"
"Having two people in your mind at once. It must get really, really frustrating for both of you."
\\Hell ya,\\
"You have no idea." Kagome giggled at my and Youko's instant response.
\\Especially when your other half is weak,\\
\\Youko...\\ I growled in warning. Kagome's giggles became louder.
"I take it you two argue a lot?" I shook my head.
"Youko thinks he's the kitsune equivalent of god," I stated calmly, ignoring Youko's indignant rambles and threats, "And he has problems keeping his opinions to himself." Kagome smiled.
"You guys almost sound like brothers," I raised my eyebrows at her as Youko snorted.
\\As if,\\ Kagome rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious! Tell me something, if there was a way for you two to split bodies, would you? And if you did, what would you do? Just turn your backs on one another and create new lives?" That made me stop dead and Youko fall silent. What would we do? I'd never really thought about that...
"I doesn't matter. There is not such way," Kagome cockled her head at me cutely.
"I'm talking hypothetically,"
"What ifs never do a person any good," Kagome shook her head, a strand of violet tipped hair falling across her face.
"My whole had been nothing but 'what ifs' ever since my fifteenth birthday. If I tried to stop guessing what might happen, and what others weren't telling me, I'd probably have ended up dead on more than one occasion." I smiled. The same could be said about my own life, as the feared kitsune thief Youko Kurama, the spirit detective Kurama and as dutiful son Suuichi Minamino.
"Only now, your greatest enemies are gone, and your number of friends has grown. Now, others can watch out for you as well," Kagome sighed.
"But I'm TIRED of the other having to watch out for me!!! I don't want to be the vulnerable one, the only one that can't do the group any good!!! I never would've been able to kill Naraku without InuYasha and Sessho-maru, and Ganko's been protecting me from father all this time!" She looked up into the starlit sky. "I don't want to have to rely on others anymore. I don't want to be weak." I brushed the strand of hair back where it belonged, looking into Kagome's eyes.
"You're not weak," I said firmly. She sighed and cast her eyes downward. I caught her chin in my hand, and tilted her head up to gently kiss her. Kagome's breath caught in her throat and her heart sped up before she shyly returned the kiss.
I ran my tongue along her lip, silently begging her to let me in. She complied instantly, like the last time we kissed, and I searched her mouth, playing with her tongue and wondering how anyone could taste this good.
She wrapped her arms around me, and I shifted the hand on her chin back into her hair, pressing her closer to me. My other arm went around her waist.
\\If anyone interrupts this time, we kill them no question asked,\\ Youko said firmly. I silently agreed with him, and felt Kagome's lips tweak into a smile even as we kissed.
We parted eventually, and Kagome leaned her head against my chest. I kept my arms around her, smiling down at her head as I took in her scent of roses and dew.
"We should probably get back," Kagome whispered hesitantly. I nodded and released her, only to have her grab my hand as we started back to the village silently. I noted Kagome's faint blush with amusement.
When we were outside the hut, Kagome turned and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips before releasing my hand.
"Thank you, Kurama," she said softly before going into the hut. I smiled softly at her as she settled down next to her kit and ignored Youko's private whine to me.
\\How long until we make her our mate?!?!\\
************************************************************************
Reikoku smirked at Hojo, who stood ridged before him.
"What are your orders, sir?"
"We leave at dawn. You and your men are to get the prince and princess back to the castle while I deal with the traitors." The General told his new second in command. He was especially keen on getting Ganko to suffer after that stink bomb that STILL clung stubbornly to him and is clothes, no matter how many times he washed. Probably got it from a skunk youkai...
"Yes, general! What about their companions?"
"Take any of the females that get in your way other than Yari. Leave the others to me. Dismissed." Hojo bowed before leaving. Reikoku smirked out the window.
"Sengoku Jidai, here we come,"
************************************************************************
Kikyou looked around her. It was so hot... flames shot up everywhere. Yet even with the fiery heat, it still managed to stay dark.
Also, it was only her body that felt like it was burning. Her heart felt cold, and she was getting the feeling that someone was watching her. That alone, chilled her to the bone. She tried to call forth her miko energy, but nothing happened.
"It's no use," Kikyou turned sharply at the voice that cut through the deafening silence. "Your miko energy feed off your soul. That has been taken from you." Kikyou recognized the voice now.
"Naraku," She said coldly, "Where am I?" the hanyou chuckled darkly.
"Where do you think, Kikyou?" He asked, watching her carefully, "You are where you should have been for the last fifty odd years." Kikyou's eyes widened and she stiffened. Naraku gave her a grin, void of all humor, "Yes, Kikyou, welcome to Hell,"
************************************************************************
DV- ^-^; Well, I hope that makes up for last chapter!!!
QFF- it's a start...
DV- Good, cause there might be another cliffie coming up.
QFF- WWWWWHHHHHHAAAAAAATTTTTT?!?!?!?!?!
Yusuke- Erm...
Kagome- -_-;;; those two never quit.
Kurama- Agreed. Please review. DreamVixen will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Yusuke- *smirking* Especially after a few of those threats because of the 'evil cliffie'
Kieko- Stop, Yusuke. Ja ne, everyone!!!
anonymous (DV; here ya go!! QFF; The kiss thing was my idea!!! DV; no it wasn't! QFF; But I can pretend it was.)
angelkitty77 (DV; hehehe... QFF; *Rolls eyes* riiiight. And don't worry about Botan she'll get something better than a mallet soon enough. DV; QUEENIE!!! QFF; oops. DV; *in a monotone voice that sound eerily like her ninth grade math teacher* I want to feed the raptors now. I want to chill Enrique and feed a lot of raptors... QFF; maybe you should try hypnotism with someone who isn't clinically insane... DV; I will let Kikyou live... Everyone; NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
star's dreams (DV; Hehe... read ahead!!! QFF; *glares at DV* I'll apologize on my cousin's behalf for that unearthly cruel cliffie DV; It wasn't THAT bad!!!)
Fluffy sama 13 (DV; here ya go!!! QFF; *cocks head* Are you on sugar or something?)
Little-neko-angel (DV; *mutters under breath* was not... QFF; Really? I'll have to watch it! AND I'll force DV to watch it with me. DV; WHAT?!?! You know I hate scary movies!!! QFF; Exactly.)
inuyasha92689 (DV; You're not alone. QFF; but something really, REALLY good happens this chapter! DV; *smacking QFF around* QUIT GIVING AWAY MY PLOT SECRETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
inudemoness247 (QFF; Hey, I could stop her, okay?! DV; MWAHAHAHAHA!!! ^-^ here's chapter 18. Thanks! I guess...)
Luscious (DV; as do I... QFF; Oh, don't worry, we've already 'talked' about the kiss thing... *glares evilly at DV* DV; It's not like I was considering it!!! I was just SAYING a friend suggested it! If you wanna hurt anybody, it should be her!!!)
starangel4899 (DV; Ahh... o_o;;; QFF; I thought ALL cliffies are evil...)
badgerwolf (Both; Agreed. DV; Me too. My friend thinks I'm as close to insane as a girl could get but... QFF; You ARE insane. DV; and your point? QFF; -_-;;;)
fallen-666-angel (DV; AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! QFF; *laughing hysterically* Oh, man, you're my hero!!!! Right so is she neko, wolf, dog and coyote? *turns to see DV now has her staff.* Uh-oh...)
blazingsunstar (DV; Thanks! QFF; head's inflating again... DV; shut up before I lock you in a room with Miroku!!! QFF; O.O;;;;;;;;;)
maria-galix (DV; Hehe... Thanks!!! QFF; After last chapter, I stood over her desk to make sure she updated. DV; and trust me, she's being serious. -_-)
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
DV- Really, you people didn't have to get so cranky about a little cliffie. I could do worse. *evil grin* wanna see?
Everyone- NO!!!!!!!!!!
DV- Hmph!
QFF- Oh, and I have an announcement for everyone. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I lost my old e-mail address and had to change my name. Now I'm Queenofanfiction13!!!
DV- Mmhm... BIG change... -_-;
QFF- shut up, fox!!!
DV- make me, my little pony!!!!!!!
Yusuke- wow... a catfight between a fox and a horse... that's a first.
Kagome- DreamVixen and Queenoffanfiction13 don't and never will own us, thank Kami-sama. Now let's get on with the story!!! *Looks back to DV, who is using her staff to block QFF's katana.* and you'll have to wait and see if our authoresses live.
\\.........\\ Youko\Kurama talk -.........- beast talk *.........* telepathy '.........' thoughts
**********************When Clay Crumbles (Mwahaha!!!)********************
My eyes widened as Kagome screamed and barely dodged the sharp arrow, a cut on her shoulder that allowed Kikyou's dark miko powers to leek into Kagome's body, where they'd be combated with Kagome's own youkai and pure miko powers.
"KAGOME!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sango yelled, running over to the injured miko youkai. I glared at the impure clay body that released the arrow, barely resisting the urge to cover my nose and block out the putrid scent of death, earth and decay that rolled off of her. Hiei growled at the undead priestess.
"My concern isn't with any of you. I simply wish for my soul's return, and I'll be on my way." I narrowed my eyes at her, taking out one of my seeds.
"I'm afraid that's not possible," I said, calmly.
\\We're going to kill this bitch, right?\\ Youko asked, eyeing her distastefully.
*If you don't, then I will,* Sango promised as she tore a strip of her kimono sleeve off to tie Kagome's wound, keeping one eye on Kikyou.
*hn,* Hiei said in agreement, steeping to block the girls from the dead miko's view and drawing his katana. (AN; Aww... Somebody's feeling protective ^-^)
"Make it possible," Kikyou hissed, narrowing her eyes to meet Hiei's glare, "Unless you wish for me to purify you," Hiei smirked.
"I'd like to see you try, Wench," Kikyou clenched her teeth together and shot her ready arrow at Hiei, who sliced through it easily, and used his speed to try to take her head off.
"Unfortunately, Kikyou put up another barrier, sending a purification wave through the Jiganshi when he touched it.
"HIEI!!!" Sango yelled, starting forward. Kagome swiftly shot one of her own arrows at the barrier, causing it to fall. My friend fell to the earth with a 'thump.'
As Sango helped him up, we stepped back and watched as Kagome entered another stare down with her former incarnation. They slowly circled each other, arrows against their bows, but not aiming at each other just yet. They seemed to be in a battle of wills over their shared soul at the moment.
"Tell me, Kikyou," Kagome called out to her, "Tell me one good, completely selfless thing you did in life, and I'll willingly give our soul to you," Kikyou glared at her.
"I gave the life I could have had to protect the jewel," Kikyou answered.
"And the whole time, you planned on ways to rid yourself of the burden, instead of concentrating on you duties, didn't you?" Kagome shot back. Kikyou's glare intensified.
"I didn't use the jewel to heal myself."
"Because you knew that all impure wishes made on the jewel resulted in a cursed life." Kagome countered yet again, "I know you thoughts, Kikyou, I can hear them. Hear the true motives behind your every move. You never put all your effort into protecting the jewel, half hoping a powerful demon would rid you of it, you knew if you healed Onigumo, he would try to steal the Shikon, and you could pretend you were only doing the right thing. You never even loved InuYasha. Even he was just a ploy to gain a life forbidden to you." Now the dead miko's face twisted in rage.
"ENOUGH!!!" Kikyou yelled, "Are you saying you've never done things for your own benefit? You've always happily lived a sacrificial life?!?!" Kagome met her furious look with one of pity.
"No, Kikyou, I won't lie to you and say I did. I've made choices that only directly affected myself as well. As a matter of fact, I'm making one as we speak. But the main difference between us is that I'm alive, Kikyou, and you're not. You died fifty years ago. You don't belong here anymore. It's long past your time, while my time on earth has just begun. This is where I make a selfish choice, Kikyou, I refuse to give up all my friends and family have worked for just so you can live a life you're not meant for. Go back to Hell, Kikyou, before I send you there myself," The dead miko raised her bow, losing the battle of wills.
"NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She yelled, pulling her arrow back, "I REFUSE TO LOSE MY LIFE TO A WEAK COPY!!!!!!!!!!!!" In a flash, Kagome had split Kikyou's arrow with her own (AN; that would be SOOOO cool!!! QFF; DV!!!!!!!!! DV; I'll shut up now,) both halves fell harmlessly to the side, and Kagome and Kikyou glared at each other in the post-firing positions.
"You one to call anyone a weak copy, Kikyou. You know the true legend of the Jewel as well as I do. You know what we are. What I am." Kagome said softly. A look passed over Kikyou's face, something almost like fear, "The jewel has come to the earth four times. Once through Hajime, the first miko. She created the Shikon no tama to protect the ningens. When demons came after the jewel, she sent it through time, into the body of her incarnation, Midoriko. She knew when she obtained the jewel, what it meant. Four souls for four incarnations, and she was the second. When Midoriko died, the jewel was ejected from her body, yet it still found it's way to you, Kikyou, the third incarnation. And when you failed to protect the jewel, it was passed to me, the fourth and final incarnation, the same way it was to Midoriko. It is my duty to see the jewel destroyed before it does anymore damage. So you see, Kikyou, you're just as much a 'copy' as I, only you never truly accomplished more than passing the jewel to me."
(AN; Whew!!! That's one hell of a speech!!!! QFF; Didn't you promise to shut up?!?!?!)
"Lair," Kikyou hissed, taking a step back, "Besides, what have you accomplished? And the earlier two incarnates?" Kagome looked at her in ill hidden disgust.
"Honestly, Kikyou, and you say I'M the idiot incarnate? Hajime created the jewel and trained the earliest mikos, sending them to different villages across Japan. Midoriko created the tajiya, and died sacrificing herself for the people she swore to protect. As for me... All I can honestly calm to have accomplished right now is having fully obtained the jewel with the help of my friends and destroying an evil, psycho hanyou bent on world domination.. I hope to do more, but right now, my main concern is my most selfish earlier incarnate." Now Kikyou's ki started to flare around her, and she reached for another arrow, but now we were onto her.
With a flick of my hand, I transformed the seed in my palm into a rose, then whip in one smooth, fluid motion, wrapping it around Kikyou's bow and pulling it out of her hands. Sango's eyes glowed momentarily and all of the dead miko's arrows turned to ash. Kagome had an arrow ready by the time Kikyou had taken an involuntary step back.
\\She finally understands what she's gotten herself into,\\ Youko said in a smug tone. Kagome's eyes flickered with emotion for a second, but stayed trained on her incarnation.
*Kagome can hear you now,* Sango said conversationally as she and Hiei cautiously made their way towards me, keeping one eye one the undead bitch at all times.
\\Figures.\\ Youko grumbled about the unfairness of not being able to talk to Kagome now that just when she could hear him.
*You're other half going to end up driving the miko away, fox,* Hiei told me privately, amusement clear in his voice.
\\I happen to be one of the most sought after demons in the to ever grace Makai!!!\\
\\Since when have you, let me forget?\\
Kagome kept her bow fixed on Kikyou, but her lips jerked slightly in a smile.
*Do you mind saving your conversations with yourself until after we get rid of the bitter miko out to steal my soul and drag one of my best friends to Hell?* I mentally flinched.
\\Sorry,\\ both Youko and I said at once. Kagome's face got serious again.
"Kikyou, I'm going to give you one more chance to leave us in peace." The clay woman's eyes trailed over me, Hiei, Sango and Kagome, then went to the group gathered just on the other side of the barrier. You could almost hear her thinking about how she couldn't succeed, forget getting out of here alive.
"I accept your terms," Kikyou said, with as much dignity as she could muster. "I will leave and never harass you again, reincarnate." Kagome gave her a hard glare before slipping the arrow back into the quiver and turning to face Sango, Hiei and myself. The barrier flickered and dropped, and the rest of the group made their way into the clearing.
Before I could move, or even make a sound, the clay incarnation had a dagger pulled out of her haori sleeve and poised to be driven into Kagome's back, right where her heart was. (AN; And don't tell me that's not possible. You could hide a semi up those sleeves and no one would be the wiser. QFF; DAMN IT, DV, IF YOU INTERRUPT THIS CHAPTER ONE MORE TIME, I'LL TELL THE REVIEWERS YOUR ADDRESS SO THEY CAN HUNT YOU DOWN NEXT CLIFFIE!!!!!!!!!!! DV; O.O;;;)
Hiei reached for his katana to slice her head off as I started forward, when suddenly, the dagger stopped. Kikoyu had frozen, her eyes wide in shock and pain. Kagome now got to sense that something was amiss and stepped away from Kikoyu, giving us a full view of the bloody hole where her stomach should have been.
And the hanyou watching the undead priestess in a mix of pity, regret and stubborn protectiveness, one claw covered in the animated corpse's blood.
"I-I-InuYasha..." Kikyou stuttered, her voice filled with pain and hatred, "You betrayed me again." The inu frowned at her.
"I lost all loyalties to you when you tried to kill Kagome. I'm sorry it had to end like this, Kikyou, but Kagome's right. You stopped existing in the living realm fifty years ago when you sealed me to that tree." Kikyou coughed up blood as she doubled over and after another silent second, stopped moving all together. A glowing shapeless silvery mist rose from her body, and settled into the shadow vixen's. Kagome started towards the hanyou, worry in her eyes.
"InuYasha..."
"You okay?" Kagome nodded, glancing at where the dagger had fallen after Kikyou had her inner organs rudely removed from her body. (AN; Okay, I-! QFF; ADDRESS!!! DV; *sulks in silence*)
"InuYasha, you shouldn't have- why did you-?"
"I'm going for a walk." InuYasha said, stepping away from the miko, "Go and have Kaede check out those wounds." Kagome blinked at him before recalling the scratch on her arm from when she'd entered the clearing. "...She might have slipped poison onto the arrowhead." And with that, InuYasha was gone.
"Kagome!!!" Keiko rushed to help the vixen, along with Botan, Yukina and Yakuso, worried looks on their faces. Kagome turned to Botan, worry in her eyes.
"Botan, please go talk to InuYasha. I remind him too much of Kikyou to be any comfort." The rei guide nodded and left in the direction the hanyou had taken.
"We should take you back to the hut. InuYasha might have been right about the poison thing..."
"No. The only poison on that arrow was Kikyou's tainted powers." Ganko looked from the fallen corpse, to Kagome, to the general direction of InuYasha and Botan.
"Somebody mind filling me in?" I smiled slightly at the utter confusion in the Shadow fox's tone.
"That was Kikyou, an earlier incarnation of Kagome and InuYasha's first love. Long story short, she and InuYasha got tricked into betraying each other and she died after pinning InuYasha to a tree. Fifty years later a witch stole Kagome's soul and used it to bring Kikyou back to life. Kagome got most of it back, but Kikyou still had enough to live." Shippo explained from his perch on Souta's shoulder.
"Ahhh..." Ganko said, nodding. Sango raised an eyebrow at him.
"You actually get that?"
"No." everyone either anime fell or sweat dropped. Then Kagome started to laugh.
"That's just like you. I'm guessing you tuned out after 'long story,' hm?" Ganko glared at her.
"No!" he protested, "... it was closer to 'earlier incarnation.'" We all laughed at that, as Yakuso slapped Ganko across the head and scolded him for his short attention span.
"We'd better go back to Kaede's now. She probably needs help preparing dinner."
"I don't see why you girls should have to help" Yusuke snorted, "OW!!!" he rubbed his head where Keiko slapped him.
"Yusuke you jerk! Is our making dinner too much for her to ask? It's bad enough that we're staying there, eating her food and taking up space without any sort of payment. Not everyone LIKES being a freeloader, you know."
\\When do you think she'll learn that all she's doing is starting more argument and Yusuke won't listen?\\ Youko asked with mild curiosity.
\\Hopefuly soon. Her yelling is starting to give me a migraine.\\ Ganko smirked.
\\Can he hear us?\\
\\Probably.\\ If Hiei, Sango and Kagome could, why not the newest addition to their group?
\\This is starting to get boring. Isn't there anything we can DO?!?!\\ I mentally sighed.
\\Youko...\\
\\What? You CAN'T tell me you're not bored. I am you so you must be.\\
\\The only thing I am right now is annoyed with you.\\
\\HEY!!!! You spend all day around an idiot with an ego the size of Russia and no real power other than spiritual awareness, and you call ME annoying?!?!?!\\
\\At least Kuwabara doesn't state the obvious out of the blue like you just did.\\
"Hey! Yusuke and Kieko are fighting again!!!"
\\... never mind.\\ Kagome and Sango started to giggle Ganko snickered and Hiei smirked. \\I'm glad you four find my mental turmoil amusing.\\
*Cheer up. He's nowhere near as bad as Reikoku.* Ganko said, smirking.
\\I find it hard to believe anyone can be as bad as a whining 300- year-old pervert.\\
\\I RESENT THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!\\
*Are you done fighting with yourself, because we're going ahead with or without you.* both Youko and I started at the miko's voice before following her back to the old miko's hut, leaving the bickering human couple and the idiot that had yet to realize we were gone to catch up later.
"It must get frustrating,"
I looked at Kagome curiously. It was after dinner, and the kits had all fallen asleep early. Hiei and Sango went to train more, but considering the change in Hiei's scent, I couldn't help but wonder if that was all they'd do.
InuYasha and Botan had come back about ten minutes after dinner had been prepared. The hanyou complained vigorously about us not saving him a bowl, something that had Kagome near ecstatic, and Botan seemed extra cheerful, even for her.
Considering we had nothing better to do, Kagome decided to go for a walk and I offered to join her, ignoring the snickering and pointed looks of my companions. We had simply walked in silence for a while, enjoying the other's company, before Kagome broke the silence with her comment.
"What?"
"Having two people in your mind at once. It must get really, really frustrating for both of you."
\\Hell ya,\\
"You have no idea." Kagome giggled at my and Youko's instant response.
\\Especially when your other half is weak,\\
\\Youko...\\ I growled in warning. Kagome's giggles became louder.
"I take it you two argue a lot?" I shook my head.
"Youko thinks he's the kitsune equivalent of god," I stated calmly, ignoring Youko's indignant rambles and threats, "And he has problems keeping his opinions to himself." Kagome smiled.
"You guys almost sound like brothers," I raised my eyebrows at her as Youko snorted.
\\As if,\\ Kagome rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious! Tell me something, if there was a way for you two to split bodies, would you? And if you did, what would you do? Just turn your backs on one another and create new lives?" That made me stop dead and Youko fall silent. What would we do? I'd never really thought about that...
"I doesn't matter. There is not such way," Kagome cockled her head at me cutely.
"I'm talking hypothetically,"
"What ifs never do a person any good," Kagome shook her head, a strand of violet tipped hair falling across her face.
"My whole had been nothing but 'what ifs' ever since my fifteenth birthday. If I tried to stop guessing what might happen, and what others weren't telling me, I'd probably have ended up dead on more than one occasion." I smiled. The same could be said about my own life, as the feared kitsune thief Youko Kurama, the spirit detective Kurama and as dutiful son Suuichi Minamino.
"Only now, your greatest enemies are gone, and your number of friends has grown. Now, others can watch out for you as well," Kagome sighed.
"But I'm TIRED of the other having to watch out for me!!! I don't want to be the vulnerable one, the only one that can't do the group any good!!! I never would've been able to kill Naraku without InuYasha and Sessho-maru, and Ganko's been protecting me from father all this time!" She looked up into the starlit sky. "I don't want to have to rely on others anymore. I don't want to be weak." I brushed the strand of hair back where it belonged, looking into Kagome's eyes.
"You're not weak," I said firmly. She sighed and cast her eyes downward. I caught her chin in my hand, and tilted her head up to gently kiss her. Kagome's breath caught in her throat and her heart sped up before she shyly returned the kiss.
I ran my tongue along her lip, silently begging her to let me in. She complied instantly, like the last time we kissed, and I searched her mouth, playing with her tongue and wondering how anyone could taste this good.
She wrapped her arms around me, and I shifted the hand on her chin back into her hair, pressing her closer to me. My other arm went around her waist.
\\If anyone interrupts this time, we kill them no question asked,\\ Youko said firmly. I silently agreed with him, and felt Kagome's lips tweak into a smile even as we kissed.
We parted eventually, and Kagome leaned her head against my chest. I kept my arms around her, smiling down at her head as I took in her scent of roses and dew.
"We should probably get back," Kagome whispered hesitantly. I nodded and released her, only to have her grab my hand as we started back to the village silently. I noted Kagome's faint blush with amusement.
When we were outside the hut, Kagome turned and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips before releasing my hand.
"Thank you, Kurama," she said softly before going into the hut. I smiled softly at her as she settled down next to her kit and ignored Youko's private whine to me.
\\How long until we make her our mate?!?!\\
************************************************************************
Reikoku smirked at Hojo, who stood ridged before him.
"What are your orders, sir?"
"We leave at dawn. You and your men are to get the prince and princess back to the castle while I deal with the traitors." The General told his new second in command. He was especially keen on getting Ganko to suffer after that stink bomb that STILL clung stubbornly to him and is clothes, no matter how many times he washed. Probably got it from a skunk youkai...
"Yes, general! What about their companions?"
"Take any of the females that get in your way other than Yari. Leave the others to me. Dismissed." Hojo bowed before leaving. Reikoku smirked out the window.
"Sengoku Jidai, here we come,"
************************************************************************
Kikyou looked around her. It was so hot... flames shot up everywhere. Yet even with the fiery heat, it still managed to stay dark.
Also, it was only her body that felt like it was burning. Her heart felt cold, and she was getting the feeling that someone was watching her. That alone, chilled her to the bone. She tried to call forth her miko energy, but nothing happened.
"It's no use," Kikyou turned sharply at the voice that cut through the deafening silence. "Your miko energy feed off your soul. That has been taken from you." Kikyou recognized the voice now.
"Naraku," She said coldly, "Where am I?" the hanyou chuckled darkly.
"Where do you think, Kikyou?" He asked, watching her carefully, "You are where you should have been for the last fifty odd years." Kikyou's eyes widened and she stiffened. Naraku gave her a grin, void of all humor, "Yes, Kikyou, welcome to Hell,"
************************************************************************
DV- ^-^; Well, I hope that makes up for last chapter!!!
QFF- it's a start...
DV- Good, cause there might be another cliffie coming up.
QFF- WWWWWHHHHHHAAAAAAATTTTTT?!?!?!?!?!
Yusuke- Erm...
Kagome- -_-;;; those two never quit.
Kurama- Agreed. Please review. DreamVixen will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Yusuke- *smirking* Especially after a few of those threats because of the 'evil cliffie'
Kieko- Stop, Yusuke. Ja ne, everyone!!!