A chapter in which something actually happens. . .wow.  Anyhow, I think this might finish itself up soon.  Who'll be happy about that?

~*~

Biiru nodded.  "Yeah."

Akira glared at him.  "You're the Priest of Life!  Go get her!"

He shook his head.  "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because, Jinsei doesn't want me to."

Akira's eyes once again glowed fire.  "You mean, that if Jinsei told you to go running and frolicking naked through Central Park, would you do it?"

He looked surprised.  "That would have no purpose, and-"

"You're missing the point, you freaking lemming!"  Akira glared at him one more time, and then turned and stomped out oh the house, her robes blowing around her legs.  Miroku watched her storm out with confusion.

"Ano. . .I thought she was dead."

Biiru sighed, and looked back at the window.  "Mostly dead, friend.  Mostly dead."

~*~

"Inuyasha, where are we going?"

"What are you talking about?  To Kaede's hut.  Where else would we go?"

"Ano. . .why are you going in the opposite direction, then?"

"Nani?"  He looked around.  Sure enough, he was going the wrong direction.  He frowned to himself.  "I. . .wanted to grab a Shikon shard I forgot earlier."

Kagome sighed.  "Can't you get it later?  I mean, I know it means a lot to you and everything, but. . ." She thought for a moment.  She didn't feel like searching for a shard.  "I have Ramen!"

He nodded hungrily, and bounded away. . .and then returned a few second later, going the right way.  What's with me?  I can't concentrate. . .

"Are you okay, Inuyasha?"

"Keh!  Of course I'm fine.  Why?"

"Because that's the fifth-sixth tree you've just nearly missed.  I know you know this area, but you're getting pretty close to the trees. . ."

He sighed.  "Gomen.  I'm thinking."

"Ah."  They moved in silence for a moment before Kagome said, "About what?"

"Nothing much. . .just wondering if they've all planned on staying for a long time.  I'm sick of them."

"As you've said several times."

Neither said much for the rest of the trip.  Both of them were wondering what they'd do if their unwelcome guest didn't want to leave.  Neither exactly wanted to lose the town due to big balls of death or something like that.

~*~

Akira stomped into the clearing, glaring around.  "Ang!  Where the hell are you?"  She saw a slight movement a little bit out of the clearing.  She walked over to it, and then sighed.  "Damn.  What did you do, fall off a cliff?"  She looked Ang over.

There were a lot of cuts on her.  And enough blood resting nearby to fill Kaede's pot.  She gulped to herself, but didn't change her expression for Ang's sake.  The cuts didn't look too deep, except a few.  Akira was surprised she couldn't see bone in those.  "Must have been a steep cliff."

Ang looked blankly at her.  "Don't joke.  Get over here and help me."

Akira sighed.  "I'm a grand total of three feet away from you."

Ang blinked.  "Really?  I can't see you that well right now."

Akira knelt down next to her face.  There was blood seeping from two flashes on her cheeks.  Somehow, practically defying gravity, the blood had managed to get into her eyes.  They were only partially open, but focusing in and out of everything.  "Ne, Akira-chan. . .do me a favor, k?"

"What?"

"Give the shards back to Kagome for me."

Akira rolled her eyes.  Leave it to Ang to ask for something worthless.  "You'll have to do it yourself, buddy."

"Not with that much blood loss."

Akira didn't say anything.  So she knows she should be dead.  "Biiru will heal you."

"Don't let him."

Akira glared at her.  "I'm not letting some stupid argument you two had years ago give you an excuse to die.  You'll have to try a hell of a lot harder than that."

"Akira, you know nothing about why I hate the bastard."

Akira stood up, and resumed wondering how to move her.  If she moved her, she'd probably open up some of the lesser cuts that had closed.  But if she didn't move her, then Biiru couldn't come and heal her, and she'd die just as soon from blood loss.

"Damn it, where is that bastard hanyou when you need him?!"

Ang laughed weakly.  "At least I call people bastards for good reasons."

~*~

Inuyasha stopped dead.  He turned his head to the side, and sniffed.  Kagome watched him.  "Inuyasha. . .?"

"Blood."

She nodded.  "I'll come with you.  I have some first aid stuff with me."

He shook his head.  "Ang's blood.  If I can smell it from this far away, she's dead. I wouldn't worry about it."

Kagome stared at him incredulously.  "Don't you even care that she could be dead?"

He shook his head.  "Not really."

She glared at him.  "Come on.  We owe it to at least make sure she's dead."

He sighed.  "Fine.  I'll drop you off at Kaede's and bring back her dead body.  Enough of a compromise for you?"

She nodded.  What did she do to make him hate her so much?

He ran the last bit, almost dropping her when he skidded to a stop.  "Give me a minute."  He turned and sprinted off again, towards the blood.  As he reached the area, he had to slow down and cover his sensitive nose.  The scent of blood was thick enough for him to practically gag on.  He walked slowly into the clearing, and looked around.  Some girl wearing Priestess robes and with long brown hair was talking to what appeared to be a bloody lump on the ground.

Intriguing.

He blinked, dubious of his own eyesight, and then walked over and looked at the "bloody lump."  He recognized the braid it had.  "Ang?"

The girl looked at him, and then glared.  "You!  Hanyou!"

He looked at her with an expression of contempt.  "What?"

"I'm going to kill you!  You dropped a tree branch on my head, then you ate all of my Ramen, and then you. . .take her back to Kaede's!"

He snorted.  "Don't worry.  That's what I'm here for."

She looked surprised.  "Really?"

"Yeah.  Kagome ordered me to."

"And you listened. . ."

He didn't answer to that.  He looked down at the fallen Priestess, and picked her up, practically gagging from the blood.  Since when has blood made me feel this sick?

He half-ran, half walked back to the hut, afraid of jarring her too much.  It wouldn't be nice, after all.  And Kagome would kill him if he dropped her or something.

He walked into the hut, and ceremonially dropped her on the ground in front of Kaede, and then mock-bowed to Kagome.  "Are you pleased, my lady?" He asked sarcastically.

She stared at Ang with little less than absolute shock.  Biiru got up and slowly walked over to her, and then looked at her.  "Damn it Ang," he said quietly, "When you ignore Shi that blatantly, what do you expect?"

"Heal her already, Priest."

He glared at Akira.  "I have a name, Akira.  You can call me."

"Lemming!"

He glared at Akira, and then returned his gaze to Ang.  He put a finger on her cheek, and pulled it back, looking at all the blood with an unreadable expression.  He shook his head, and then closed his eyes.  Kaede looked at Akira.  "What is he doing?"

"He's the Priest of Life.  He has the power to give life to a dead aura."

"He can bring people back to life?"

She shook her head.  "No.  If Ang was totally dead, then she'd stay that way.  But she's not.  However, with all the blood she lost, she'd die quickly if Biiru didn't give it back to her.  So that's what he's doing."

Biiru opened his eyes, and looked at her in surprise.  He looked at Akira.  "She's channeling it."

"What do you mean?"

He shook his head.  "She's channeling all the energy I give her somewhere else.  Not to her aura.  What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Akira took a deep breath.  "Calm down, first.  You're no help if you panic.  Where is she channeling to?"

The rest of the room looked at each other in confusion, all thinking the exact same thought.  These people are weird.

"I can't tell."

"What's she channeling with?"

"She's accepting the force and then moving it."

"To where?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't have a problem!"  The two glared at each other.

Quietly, Kagome whispered, "To her hand."

The whole room looked at her.  She smiled uncertainly.  "Her hand is full of energy.  She must be transferring it all to there."

Biiru and Akira turned to look at her hand.  Biiru nodded.  "Yeah.  That's where it's going.  But I can't interfere with her spell."

"Disturb her hand.  If it's. . .I believe the phrase was 'in turmoil,' then the spell has to stop."  He nodded, and shook her hand lightly.  Akira rolled her eyes.  "Christ, Biiru!  It's not a piece of glass!"

"It could open a wound. . ."

"If you broke the spell, she'd be fine."  He sighed, and shook her whole body violently.  Nothing happened.  He glared at the still girl, who looked like she wasn't breathing anymore.

"Akira, I think she stopped breathing."

"What do you want me to do about it?!  It's your job to save the fucking people!"

"You're supposed to know what to do!"

"Well, I don't!"

"Knock it off!"  Once again, the room turned to Kagome, who looked furious.  "I honestly don't know her, but arguing isn't going to help!"

"Stay out of this!"

The two returned to their bickering, almost forgetting about Ang.  Kagome walked over, and silently picked up her hand.  "Why are you doing this?"

The result was similar to a small nova exploding in a contained area.

The spell she had been channeling with broke, sending Kagome flying backwards into Inuyasha, who happened to chose a bad vantage point.  Kaede hid behind something, morosely wondering how much damage had been caused.  Akira and Biiru continued to fight, the argument getting pretty heated.  Literally.

After a moment, Biiru stood up, and pointed outside.  Akira followed him.  Pretty soon, they heard large explosions and the smell of stuff burning.

Regardless, no one wanted to go check on them.

Ang sat up, blinking slowly.  She looked blankly at Kagome, and then back at the floor.  ". . .You can purify things?"  Kagome nodded.  She sighed.  "Then I guess I owe you my life.  I hope you'll understand if I don't thank you."

Kagome sighed to herself.  I guess a suicidal person doesn't change with one brush with death.

She looked outside.  "Akira and Biiru will finish this town off if someone doesn't stop them.  Any takers?"

Inuyasha snorted.  "Why don't you go do it, if you're so high and mighty."

"I'd need magic I don't have.  Can you do it?"

He sighed.  But if he snapped at her again, he'd have no excuse.  So he gently moved Kagome, and walked outside.  The fighting seemed to intensify.

Ang looked at where Kaede was sitting.  "Sorry about your house.  Can you help bandage me?"

"I think you look good enough to do it yourself."

"I can barely move my head.  I doubt I'll be moving for a week."

~*~

Today's Usage: 16

Record: 73