Kagome turned and stared at Maieku. Though she smiled it held no
warmth and it was a surprise to feel see the cruel malicia
burning in Kikyou's eyes and portrayed by a mouth so like her
own. Could she do this? Kagome took a breath a stepped forward.
"We're leaving Maieku. Let us go." Kagome's voice was soft.
Maieku laughed sharply. "You have to be kidding. After all the work I did getting him? He slaughtered a whole village in his youth." Maieku glared her eyes snapping. "In that village was a little girl, with green eyes. As green as emeralds. She was my daughter. AND THAT WORTHLESS DOG MURDERED HER!" She smiled again. "And for that..I'm going to murder his soul. Like he did mine!"
Kagome tried to appeal to Maieku's host. "Kikyou don't let her do this! I know you love Inuyasha. Even after all that's happen to you !"
Maieku smirked. "You dare appear to this poor child's heart? When you, Kagome, were the one just embracing her former lover." She grinned when Kagome blushed.
Kagome sighed. She had tried. There was only one other way now, Inuyasha would never fight Kikyou. She saw it in his ridged, worried stance. "Then you leave me no choice." Kagome unwrapped the sword. Gold runes decorated up and down the blade. The hilt was gold and black with diamond filigree. "This was given to me by your sister. Taisrika."
"So..Taisrika sent a mortal girl after me with Keeper magic. Come then Kagome." Maieku drew her own sword. "Fight me."
Kagome didn't move, simply held the blade across her palms. "I can't fight you Maieku. Not while you're in Kikyou's body." She chanced a glance at Inuyasha and her heart soared when she discovered he was watching her not Kikyou. She turned back. "Besides. The sword is for you to wield. You sister questioned if you would be strong enough to wield it. For if you can't then you will be destroyed. If you can then we forfeit all and you win."
Maieku smirked. "Any sword that allows a mortal to touch it can be wielded by me. Come. Bring me the sword girl."
"No! Kagome!" Inuyasha called and growled. "She'll kill you if you get near."
Kagome shook her head. "You must come take it Maieku."
Maieku shrugged a shoulder lightly then walked to Kagome bristly and gripped the hilt. Her hand lingered on it for a long moment then it lifted. She laughed. "AND THERE! It's mine girl. Now..die!" Maieku lifted the sword but then the runes on it started to dance and hum. Kikyou's head tilted up and the gold light the runes gave of swirled then disappeared into Kikyou's eyes.
A horrible wail rose from Kikyou's lips and a silver wisp swirled with gold shot forth from Kikyou's mouth. Kikyou fell back onto the floor unconscious. The wisp snarled. "FOOLS!" Suddenly Inuyasha started to groan and dropped to his knees. "Did you forget I controlled your collar!? You will suffer in pain forever Inuyasha!" Kagome lifted the bell to banish and rang it soundly and loud. Gold rose from the bell and swirled to join the other gold tangling the wisp. Finally the gold consumed the wisp and it was gone. Inuyasha continued to scream.
Kagome ran to him and touched the night stone band around his throat. He started to scream then and tears welled in Kagome's eyes. What could she do!? She went to her bell to sleep. "Sleep then Inuyasha. Till the pain subsides." She rang it and the soft lavender sound surrounded Inuyasha and he dropped gently of to sleep. At that same moment the ceiling of the cave started to rumble and rocks rained from the ceiling. Kikyou stirred the gently, her body faded then disappeared. Kagome was to scared to be shocked. Now what!?
A soft voice spoke into her thoughts. "Do you really think I'd leave you to fall Kagome?" Kagome felt a light tickle in the back of her mind then suddenly it felt as it someone had embraced her then dived backwards of a cliff. She opened her mouth to scream, then her body jerked and her mouth snapped shut. She was in the forest again. Not the clearing she had been in but another part of the forest. Kagome blinked in shock.
"Where..where am I? How...Inuyasha!?" Kagome spun in a complete circle. Inuyasha was gone! Had he been left behind?
"He's fine." Kagome started and turned in surprise. Taisrika stood under a tree. But this time..she looked different. Her short hair was shaped softly into a pixie like style. Her silver eyes were happy and worried at the same time. She wore a long gown of white and gold with an in woven belt glittering with gems. On her head was a crown of twisted wooden vines holding a shimmering gold orb. She gave of a soft platinum glow.
"Where is he!?"
"He's at the Watchtower. I can't translocate mortals there so we'll have to go the long way." Taisrika stepped back and the forest shimmered and suddenly in the distance, instead of trees, was a wide lake of water that shimmered between blue and green as if it couldn't decide what color it wanted to be. In the middle of a lake a huge watchtower made of bronze shaped to look like stone. At a tiny dock floated a smooth rosewood rowboat. Taisrika walked towards it. "Come Kagome."
Kagome started then followed after her. She let out a light yelp when the boat rocked under her then sat with a thump as the boat pushed of by itself and headed towards the watchtower. Kagome looked up at Taisrika who continued to stand. "Why'd you take him? And what's that collar around his neck?"
"A curse." Taisrika's eyes were on the huge bronze structure. "Maieku used it to control him. Unless it's taken of he'll die."
"You..you can take it of can't you." Taisrika said not a word for a long while and the boat bumped gently into the tower. She ran her hands against the metal then as if she found something that gave it away, clicked something up, and a door swung open. She lifted her skirts and stepped through. Kagome followed hastily. Glass balls filled with glowing blue crystal lit the inside of the tower. A staircase spiraled upwards. Taisrika started up.
"You see. The collar is kept on by Inuyasha himself. What she did to him before you came very nearly broke his spirit. It's cracked now and the collar is feeding of that. So to heal him I have to fix that crack first...and there lies the problem." Taisrika stopped walking and turned towards a bronze wall. She brushed a hand over it and another door swung open. Kagome stared.
The door opened into what looked like paradise. A warm field bathed in gold bordered by a soft forest that looked as if it were in the middle of Autumn. A wall of almost gold tinted ivory stone bordered the other side of the wall and in it were 5 doors. Taisrika walked towards these doors.
"Problem? What problem?" Kagome followed after her.
"Well." She waved her hand over the third door from the left and it opened. Inside the room was a high padded table. Inuyasha lay on this, his breathing slow and labored. He looks sallow and sick. "The healing process is accompanied by a great deal of pain. The collar would feed even more of that and even under the sleep of my bells he wouldn't be able to stand the pain of both collar and healing. It would kill him. Or worse, shatter his brain. Make him half dead. If he isn't healed..he dies anyway."
"Then what choice is there left!?" Kagome's eyes were clouding with tears. It can't be right. For her to go through so much to save him, to have him die on her.
"There is one option." Taisrika turned to Kagome and looked into her eyes. "You can take the pain of the healing onto yourself."
"Done!"
"Wait." Taisrika held up a slender hand. "Listen before you decide. The pain is great. Worse than you'll ever know. His healing will take 7 days. Each day with a 3 hour healing period. 3 hours of agony which will seem like years to you Kagome." She turned and lifted a candle from under the table and handed it to Kagome. "Hold this." She pulled out a knife and a small glass. She made a light cut on Inuyasha's arm and caught about a forth of a cup of it then sealed the wound up again.
Taisrika turned. "I will give you a chance to experience the pain for a moment. So you may make your decision with knowledge." she poured the blood slowly over the candle then handed Kagome a flint and steel. "Light it."
Kagome set the candle down on a small table near the door then lit it. The flame flickered its normal color for a moment then flared for a second. When it calmed to normal size one more it was pale gold; the same color as Inuyasha's eyes. Taisrika nodded then walked to Inuyasha's body and settled her hand on his heart then shut her eyes.
Kagome let out a scream at once. It felt like someone had dived a rusty hook into her heart and torn open. She had to be bleeding! She had to. Kagome crumbled to the floor and writhed in agony. The skin was being torn slowly from her stomach. From her chest. She was sure of it! White-hot knives were being dragged across her body. She writhed and twisted and screamed and wept. Would it ever stop!? Would it ever end!? Why wouldn't it stop!? Finally the feeling broke of abruptly. Kagome lay on the ground panting and sweating.
Taisrika looked down at Kagome with soft pity. "That was only 30 seconds." She frowned sadly.
"3 hours of that." Kagome's voice was cracked and despairing. "7 times."
Taisrika nodded. "7 times. I saw you thoughts Kagome. You were willing to die for him. Willing to carry sorrows for him. Now...are you ready to suffer for him?" Taisrika stood up straight and her whole form hummed with power. "Guardian. What is your choice?"
Kagome's voice was soft and strained. "Do I have any choice?" A tear rolled down her cheek and she lifted her head and her voice rose. "HEAL HIM!"
"We're leaving Maieku. Let us go." Kagome's voice was soft.
Maieku laughed sharply. "You have to be kidding. After all the work I did getting him? He slaughtered a whole village in his youth." Maieku glared her eyes snapping. "In that village was a little girl, with green eyes. As green as emeralds. She was my daughter. AND THAT WORTHLESS DOG MURDERED HER!" She smiled again. "And for that..I'm going to murder his soul. Like he did mine!"
Kagome tried to appeal to Maieku's host. "Kikyou don't let her do this! I know you love Inuyasha. Even after all that's happen to you !"
Maieku smirked. "You dare appear to this poor child's heart? When you, Kagome, were the one just embracing her former lover." She grinned when Kagome blushed.
Kagome sighed. She had tried. There was only one other way now, Inuyasha would never fight Kikyou. She saw it in his ridged, worried stance. "Then you leave me no choice." Kagome unwrapped the sword. Gold runes decorated up and down the blade. The hilt was gold and black with diamond filigree. "This was given to me by your sister. Taisrika."
"So..Taisrika sent a mortal girl after me with Keeper magic. Come then Kagome." Maieku drew her own sword. "Fight me."
Kagome didn't move, simply held the blade across her palms. "I can't fight you Maieku. Not while you're in Kikyou's body." She chanced a glance at Inuyasha and her heart soared when she discovered he was watching her not Kikyou. She turned back. "Besides. The sword is for you to wield. You sister questioned if you would be strong enough to wield it. For if you can't then you will be destroyed. If you can then we forfeit all and you win."
Maieku smirked. "Any sword that allows a mortal to touch it can be wielded by me. Come. Bring me the sword girl."
"No! Kagome!" Inuyasha called and growled. "She'll kill you if you get near."
Kagome shook her head. "You must come take it Maieku."
Maieku shrugged a shoulder lightly then walked to Kagome bristly and gripped the hilt. Her hand lingered on it for a long moment then it lifted. She laughed. "AND THERE! It's mine girl. Now..die!" Maieku lifted the sword but then the runes on it started to dance and hum. Kikyou's head tilted up and the gold light the runes gave of swirled then disappeared into Kikyou's eyes.
A horrible wail rose from Kikyou's lips and a silver wisp swirled with gold shot forth from Kikyou's mouth. Kikyou fell back onto the floor unconscious. The wisp snarled. "FOOLS!" Suddenly Inuyasha started to groan and dropped to his knees. "Did you forget I controlled your collar!? You will suffer in pain forever Inuyasha!" Kagome lifted the bell to banish and rang it soundly and loud. Gold rose from the bell and swirled to join the other gold tangling the wisp. Finally the gold consumed the wisp and it was gone. Inuyasha continued to scream.
Kagome ran to him and touched the night stone band around his throat. He started to scream then and tears welled in Kagome's eyes. What could she do!? She went to her bell to sleep. "Sleep then Inuyasha. Till the pain subsides." She rang it and the soft lavender sound surrounded Inuyasha and he dropped gently of to sleep. At that same moment the ceiling of the cave started to rumble and rocks rained from the ceiling. Kikyou stirred the gently, her body faded then disappeared. Kagome was to scared to be shocked. Now what!?
A soft voice spoke into her thoughts. "Do you really think I'd leave you to fall Kagome?" Kagome felt a light tickle in the back of her mind then suddenly it felt as it someone had embraced her then dived backwards of a cliff. She opened her mouth to scream, then her body jerked and her mouth snapped shut. She was in the forest again. Not the clearing she had been in but another part of the forest. Kagome blinked in shock.
"Where..where am I? How...Inuyasha!?" Kagome spun in a complete circle. Inuyasha was gone! Had he been left behind?
"He's fine." Kagome started and turned in surprise. Taisrika stood under a tree. But this time..she looked different. Her short hair was shaped softly into a pixie like style. Her silver eyes were happy and worried at the same time. She wore a long gown of white and gold with an in woven belt glittering with gems. On her head was a crown of twisted wooden vines holding a shimmering gold orb. She gave of a soft platinum glow.
"Where is he!?"
"He's at the Watchtower. I can't translocate mortals there so we'll have to go the long way." Taisrika stepped back and the forest shimmered and suddenly in the distance, instead of trees, was a wide lake of water that shimmered between blue and green as if it couldn't decide what color it wanted to be. In the middle of a lake a huge watchtower made of bronze shaped to look like stone. At a tiny dock floated a smooth rosewood rowboat. Taisrika walked towards it. "Come Kagome."
Kagome started then followed after her. She let out a light yelp when the boat rocked under her then sat with a thump as the boat pushed of by itself and headed towards the watchtower. Kagome looked up at Taisrika who continued to stand. "Why'd you take him? And what's that collar around his neck?"
"A curse." Taisrika's eyes were on the huge bronze structure. "Maieku used it to control him. Unless it's taken of he'll die."
"You..you can take it of can't you." Taisrika said not a word for a long while and the boat bumped gently into the tower. She ran her hands against the metal then as if she found something that gave it away, clicked something up, and a door swung open. She lifted her skirts and stepped through. Kagome followed hastily. Glass balls filled with glowing blue crystal lit the inside of the tower. A staircase spiraled upwards. Taisrika started up.
"You see. The collar is kept on by Inuyasha himself. What she did to him before you came very nearly broke his spirit. It's cracked now and the collar is feeding of that. So to heal him I have to fix that crack first...and there lies the problem." Taisrika stopped walking and turned towards a bronze wall. She brushed a hand over it and another door swung open. Kagome stared.
The door opened into what looked like paradise. A warm field bathed in gold bordered by a soft forest that looked as if it were in the middle of Autumn. A wall of almost gold tinted ivory stone bordered the other side of the wall and in it were 5 doors. Taisrika walked towards these doors.
"Problem? What problem?" Kagome followed after her.
"Well." She waved her hand over the third door from the left and it opened. Inside the room was a high padded table. Inuyasha lay on this, his breathing slow and labored. He looks sallow and sick. "The healing process is accompanied by a great deal of pain. The collar would feed even more of that and even under the sleep of my bells he wouldn't be able to stand the pain of both collar and healing. It would kill him. Or worse, shatter his brain. Make him half dead. If he isn't healed..he dies anyway."
"Then what choice is there left!?" Kagome's eyes were clouding with tears. It can't be right. For her to go through so much to save him, to have him die on her.
"There is one option." Taisrika turned to Kagome and looked into her eyes. "You can take the pain of the healing onto yourself."
"Done!"
"Wait." Taisrika held up a slender hand. "Listen before you decide. The pain is great. Worse than you'll ever know. His healing will take 7 days. Each day with a 3 hour healing period. 3 hours of agony which will seem like years to you Kagome." She turned and lifted a candle from under the table and handed it to Kagome. "Hold this." She pulled out a knife and a small glass. She made a light cut on Inuyasha's arm and caught about a forth of a cup of it then sealed the wound up again.
Taisrika turned. "I will give you a chance to experience the pain for a moment. So you may make your decision with knowledge." she poured the blood slowly over the candle then handed Kagome a flint and steel. "Light it."
Kagome set the candle down on a small table near the door then lit it. The flame flickered its normal color for a moment then flared for a second. When it calmed to normal size one more it was pale gold; the same color as Inuyasha's eyes. Taisrika nodded then walked to Inuyasha's body and settled her hand on his heart then shut her eyes.
Kagome let out a scream at once. It felt like someone had dived a rusty hook into her heart and torn open. She had to be bleeding! She had to. Kagome crumbled to the floor and writhed in agony. The skin was being torn slowly from her stomach. From her chest. She was sure of it! White-hot knives were being dragged across her body. She writhed and twisted and screamed and wept. Would it ever stop!? Would it ever end!? Why wouldn't it stop!? Finally the feeling broke of abruptly. Kagome lay on the ground panting and sweating.
Taisrika looked down at Kagome with soft pity. "That was only 30 seconds." She frowned sadly.
"3 hours of that." Kagome's voice was cracked and despairing. "7 times."
Taisrika nodded. "7 times. I saw you thoughts Kagome. You were willing to die for him. Willing to carry sorrows for him. Now...are you ready to suffer for him?" Taisrika stood up straight and her whole form hummed with power. "Guardian. What is your choice?"
Kagome's voice was soft and strained. "Do I have any choice?" A tear rolled down her cheek and she lifted her head and her voice rose. "HEAL HIM!"