Wow. I sat down and wrote this in two sittings, on the same day. I decided that I wanted to give you guys an Easter gift, so I just plugged away until I finished. :) Doesn't hurt that I finally got some inspiration!
Yup! My computer is okay now. I just had to get Windows XP… stupid ME couldn't find my Ethernet card… why that is, I'll never know!
Now, for two chapters worth of review responses! Because it's 12 in the morning right now, the review responses will be a little more truncated than normal. Sorry, but I've got to get SOME sleep tonight!
Chapter Nineteen
Thanks to: shadinah, SilverWingPhoenix, Henio, KhmerGirl, and caitlyn for reviewing!!!
SaIlOr-EaRtH-001: Hey! Thanks, I love to hear that! :) That is really encouraging!
Sugar Spice Girl: I always welcome "new comers"! ;) I'm glad you like the story though!
X5-452Star: Yeah… ::hangs head:: err… I chickened out of action scenes. I just can't do it! Oh well… everyone has their strengths and their weaknesses… action scenes are my weaknesses.
iskabod: I always put school first, which is why this story suffers sometimes. But, I do the best that I can.
amanda: LoL, well, you got extra special treatment then! I was wondering if you were the same, but I didn't want to risk it. :)
StarBurst598: Uh, action… right. Umm… I kinda chickened out of writing action. You'll see what I mean.
As for the 'prayer paper' things, I actually do know that they're called ofudas, but if you notice, I never put anything in Japanese from Sailor Moon, so I felt that I shouldn't use any Japanese for Inuyasha either. I'm just trying to keep it all on the same track here.
I never actually meant for my story to be so formulaic, it's just how it ended up. I don't write out outlines when I do stories… maybe I should to avoid that.
Again, hopefully you don't hate me for backing out of the action, but I'd rather just not do it then try and horribly fail.
Chapter Twenty
Thanks to: SaIlOr-EaRtH-001, Henio, and Krystal-Jade for reviewing!
Simply a Lady: LoL… uh, did you want more of the story? ;) I'm glad you liked it though. I'm a fan of writing cliffhangers, but not reading them… how hypocritical of me! :)
chelsea c: Dead? Did I say anything about her being dead?? ;)
Ishkabod: Thank you for wishing me luck. I didn't want to make everyone wait 3 weeks for the next chapter just because of my ::plugs computer's 'ears':: stupid computer.
Mai Madness: Hey, thanks! I'm glad you like my writing, I really do try. :)
inuyashafan65: I'm glad you approve. ;)
Okay! Well, that didn't take too long, I guess. Now onto the story. Err… there will be an ending author note for those of you wishing to chop off my head. WHAT?! There is no really bad cliffhanger in this one, I promise!
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White. All she could see was white. She tried to blink her eyes, but found she had no eyes to blink with. In fact, she was nothing. No body. No heartbeat. No breath.
"I'm dead," Kagome thought, almost surprised that she still could think.
"No, Kagome, you are not dead."
Kagome was startled by the voice that reverberated around her. There was a certain strength behind the decidingly female voice that made Kagome feel insignificant and small.
"Who are you? Where am I?"
More questions spun at the back of her mind, but those two were at the forefront.
A figure began to form before Kagome. At first the person was misty, barely there. Then, ever so slowly, it began to solidify.
The person was definitely a woman - a remarkably fit woman with curves in all the right places. She wore engraved armor of silver and her cloak seemed to be of velvet and sable. Her hair fell to just below her shoulder blades. She stood straight and proud. She was regal. She was beautiful. She was
"Midoriko!"
"Yes, Kagome. I am Midoriko."
Kagome's mind went blank. What does one say to the woman who has been inhabiting a jewel for so long? Whatever it is, Kagome did not know.
"You may feel more comfortable if you solidify," Midoriko suggested, a soothing quality entering her voice.
"How?" was all Kagome could think to think.
"Think of yourself as whole. Remember what it feels like to stand on two feet, to feel your heartbeat, to breathe, to be able to close your eyes."
Kagome did as she said. She thought about feeling solid ground beneath her feet, about her heart beating steadily in her chest, about her lungs expanding and contracting and about the brush of her eyelashes against her cheek as she shut her eyes. And little by little she could actually feel and breathe and blink.
"Well done, Kagome."
"Thank you. Uhh… how do you know my name?"
Midoriko laughed. Kagome was slightly surprised that her laugh was so musical and so light.
"Oh, Kagome!" Midoriko said, a smile gracing her lips. "I have known your name and known of you long before you were born. Long before you ever arrived in this era."
Kagome absorbed this information for a moment.
"So - so Serena was right? The Shikon jewel is actually…?"
"Yours? Yes Kagome. The Shikon jewel is truly your jewel."
Kagome bowed her head, afraid to look at the other priestess.
"But - but I don't deserve it! I broke it, and now, I can't even purify it! I - I don't deserve for it to be mine." Kagome was surprised to feel tears slide down her cheeks. She had not known it was possible to cry here - wherever here is.
She did not hear Midoriko move - was not even aware she had moved - until the slender finger beneath her chin forced her to look up into azure eyes.
"Kagome, you are the holder of the Shikon jewel and you most certainly do deserve to hold it. It was destiny's plan for the jewel to be broken, for if it had not, you never would have been able to purify it." Midoriko let her hand fall to her side.
Kagome thought this over for a moment before something Midoriko had said finally clicked in her mind.
"Wait. You said I purified the jewel." Midoriko nodded. "I purified the jewel?" Kagome said in disbelief. "But - I don't remember… how did I… I don't understand!" She looked at Midoriko beseechingly, silently asking for an explanation, but the priestess said nothing.
Kagome closed her eyes and thought back to the last moments that she could remember. She had seen her friends on the hilltop and had said her silent goodbyes to them, and in those last moments there was no fear, only
"Love," Kagome voiced, opening her eyes to look at Midoriko. "I purified the jewel with love."
"Yes, Kagome, you did," Midoriko confirmed with a nod.
Kagome had to refrain herself from smacking herself on her forehead. "It's so obvious, now that I think about it." She shook her head. "It just makes so much sense now."
"Do not worry yourself about it," Midoriko advised. "You purified it when you were meant to purify it."
"Destiny?" Kagome guessed.
"Destiny," Midoriko said in agreement.
A silence fell over them for a moment before Kagome realized that she had not yet asked a very important question.
"So what now? I've been here long enough for Naraku to kill me ten times over. Am I dead now?"
"No, you are very much alive. We are between one moment and the next - suspended in time."
"So what now?" Kagome asked again. "The jewel is completed and purified. Does that mean we can beat Naraku now?"
"No."
"No?" Kagome said, unable to hid her dismay. "After all we've been through, Naraku is going to win in the end?" She could feel the tears begin to prickle at the back of her eyes.
"You misunderstand me, Kagome." Midoriko said, using her soothing tone again. "There will be no 'we'. You will be the one to defeat Naraku. It is your destiny to do so, while it is your friends' destinies to help you along the way."
"I'm going to defeat Naraku?" Kagome squeaked out. "Alone?"
"You will defeat Naraku, but you will not be alone."
Kagome looked at Midoriko, and slowly she grew determined not to let this woman down.
"How do I use the jewel?"
"You are now linked with the jewel, and it will guide you along the way. You just have to listen to what it is saying."
Kagome was confused for a moment, but then she began to understand. "Like with Serena and her crystal - how sometimes she just knows things."
"Correct."
With this cleared up the two women stood facing each other. One unsure of what to say, the other waiting for her companion to say the right thing.
"That's it then, isn't it?" Kagome said. "I know all you're going to tell me, and there's no more to say. This is goodbye."
"There is something else to say," Midoriko said. "Thank you. Thank you for letting me be at rest."
Kagome was surprised for a moment, before shaking her head. "No need to thank me. In fact, thank you. I know you had nothing to do with this all - really. I mean… you created the jewel and all, but destiny choose me," Kagome shook her head. "Sorry, I'm rambling. I… just - thank you."
Midoriko looked bemused at Kagome's rambling, but then she smiled a heartfelt smile. "I understand, but there is no need to thank me either."
Kagome returned the smile. Then, on impulse, she hugged the ancient priestess. Midoriko's eyes widened for a moment before returning the hug with a soft smile.
Kagome pulled back after several moments and sighed.
"All right, I guess I'm ready to go face my destiny."
Midoriko appraised the girl and though she seemed a little unsure, she was also determined. Yes, she was ready.
"There is one more thing, Kagome," Midoriko said. Kagome looked at her - question obvious in her eyes. "There is the matter of your wish."
"My - my wish?" Kagome stuttered, not thoroughly confused. "What wish?"
"The Shikon jewel is a jewel of power, Kagome. The holder of a jewel of power is granted a wish." Midoriko waited for this to sink in. "So, what is your wish?"
Kagome closed her eyes and went over every wish she had ever dared to hope for. Finally she settled on the perfect one.
"That is a worthy wish, Kagome. So it shall be."
Kagome's eyes snapped open in surprise. She had not spoken the wish out loud.
"It's really… really granted?" she asked.
"It is," Midoriko said, giving her a smile. A huge grin broke out on Kagome's face.
"Thank you!"
"You are welcome. Now, Kagome, it is time for you to return to time."
"I - okay," Kagome said, taking a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to come.
The two women smiled at each other one last time before Kagome's reality shifted.
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Pain. She felt pain first and foremost. Although she was ready to return to reality, she had forgotten the headache that had developed earlier, and now it was all she could feel.
"Not now, Kagome. There's more things to worry about than a headache," she thought to herself. In a matter of seconds she had pushed the pain to the back of her mind and took a moment to take in her surroundings.
The wall of demons had converged until she was completely surrounded by them on all sides and above her. But they continued to keep back.
"Ah, my little priestess accomplished my task," Naraku said with a smirk that sent shivers down her spine. "Now, give me the jewel."
"Never," Kagome said, and she was proud of herself for keeping all anxiety out of her voice. In an even stronger tone of voice she continued. "The jewel is mine, Naraku. You can no longer take it. It is out of your reach."
Naraku actually seemed shocked for a moment before anger overtook his whole being. His aura flared in his anger until Kagome was completely surrounded by the evil. She felt sick at the feel of the evil, but with the jewel safely in her hands, she knew she was fine.
Naraku was about to say something when an ear piercing shriek came from the wall of demons. They both knew that her friends were outside, fighting to get to them. Kagome knew it was only a matter of moments before Naraku attacked her, so she began to listen for the jewel as Midoriko had told her to.
At first there was nothing and panic began to eat at her shield of calm. She brought her hands up and clasped the jewel to her heart. One moment passed and then another. And then she began to hear. There was no voice speaking to her directly, but rather knowledge that she had not known before was suddenly in her mind.
As if in slow motion she saw Naraku begin to move towards her, a dozen tentacles aimed at her body. She held the jewel out before her, still clasped in both hands, and let go. It stayed within the space between her hands, but it floated there, just as the crystal does for Sailor Moon. Naraku saw this and stopped in his tracks.
"What is the meaning of this?" he roared in his confusion.
"This means, Naraku, that you are going to die." Kagome's voice was so calm and so sure that it actually struck a chord of fear in him.
"I think not!" Naraku said, motioning for the demons to begin attacking her. They never got close to her though, for there was an almost invisible shield surrounding her. Naraku saw this and knew that if he stayed, he would die.
"You're not going anywhere," a voice said to his right. He turned his head and saw a strangely dressed woman standing there. How she alone had gotten past the demons he would never know. He was about to send several tentacles her way when a crystal appeared between her hands. A spark of panic was born in him when he realized he could no longer move, but he was not done yet. He reached out with his mind and called for his minions to help, sure that Kagura and Kanna would come to his aid. But moments ticked past and he began to realize he was truly going to die. He was determined to at least take the half breed's priestess with him.
Kagome was relieved to see Sailor Moon show up and was thankful when the crystal appeared. She somehow knew that Sailor Moon was holding Naraku in place, but leaving the attacking up to her. She relaxed and let the jewel take the power it needed from her to augment its own. Even as the first pulses of power were flowing towards Naraku, a wave of evil energy crashed into her. She faltered for just a moment, but then held firm. Naraku's last ditch effort to take someone down with him had failed.
By the time the rest of the group had picked off the last demons, Naraku was on his knees. Inuyasha stared at the sight in front of him almost in awe. Sailor Moon seemed to be sending a soft power towards Naraku, but the major surge of power was coming from Kagome and the Shikon jewel. As she stood there - jewel in hands, torn clothes and strain evident on her face - she had never looked more beautiful to him.
It was anticlimactic how it happened. One moment Naraku was sending weak waves of evil towards Kagome and the next he was nothing but black dust floating softly to the ground.
"Dusted!" Sailor Moon said, accurately describing the scene. "Way to go Kagome!" she then called over to her friend. Kagome smiled back weakly, but happily. Her jewel was once again clasped in her hands to her chest. She moved her eyes from Sailor Moon and searched for only a moment before finding who she was looking for. And he was at her side in a second flat.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said, looking up into the golden eyes of the half demon she loves.
"Kagome," he said back softly. He wanted to sweep her into his arms and hug her forever, but he was afraid to touch her, afraid to hurt her. She solved his dilemma for him by shyly wrapping her arms around him, her jewel still in hand. His arms were holding her immediately.
"I thought you were dead," he whispered into her hair.
"It thought I was dead too, actually," Kagome said with a little giggle.
Inuyasha remembered how he had felt watching from the hilltop. With a deep breath he moved his hands to her shoulders and pushed her back so that he could look into her eyes.
"Kagome, I - I … uhh…" he stammered ineloquently. "Oh fuck it," he muttered and a moment later his lips were covering hers in a soft kiss. Before Kagome could recover from her shock enough to kiss back, he pulled away and pulled her into a hug again. "Kagome, I love you."
When she did not respond panic clawed at his heart, until he realized that she was strangely limp in his arms. He pushed her back and lifted her up into his arms.
"Stupid wench, always falling asleep at the wrong time."
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As I said with in the story, anticlimactic. Why did I do it this way? Because 1) I can't write action scenes! (As I've told you all before) and 2) because everyone has a big battle at the end. I want to be unique, okay?
And, yes, the story is wrapping up. There's probably only 1 or 2 chapters left and then an epilogue. When I'll be able to get these out, I don't know. I've only got roughly two weeks left of school, and then I go home. When I'm at home opportunities to write are scarce. But I'll try!