Hiya, folks! I have some big news, but you'll have to wait to the end of the chappy to find out. Next chapter ahoy!
Chapter 22: Kikyo's Mighty Downfall
Tears streamed down Kagome's face as she struggled to remain conscious through the pain of her burns. Kikyo stood in front of her, clutching the dragon head, with a triumphant smirk plastered on her face.
"You're not being very cooperative, Kagome," she hissed. "Now tell me. Where is Inuyasha?" She gripped the neck of the dragon head. A burst of flames shot out and singed Kagome. Kagome let out a fresh wail and tried to form words.
"I...I don't know. He was...fighting Sesshomaru when I..." She twisted violently as Kikyo burned her again. "I don't know!" she shrieked.
"Hmm...all right. Where is the other?"
"T-Tobias?" Kagome whimpered. "He was...he was hurt in battle and...went to a lake..." She dissolved into sobs. Kikyo sneered.
"Useless, pathetic, weak, trash. You're not even worthy of being my reincarnation. As soon as Inuyasha gets here, I'll finish you off and we'll finally be in hell together."
Kagome seemed to rally her strength for another outburst. "He loves me!" she shouted. "He loves me and he hates you! Even if he won't kill you, Tobias will!" She howled in pain as yet more fire scorched across her burned body.
"Who's Tobias?" Miroku said. Kikyo heard him.
"He is another who travels with her and Inuyasha," she snapped. "He wields a massive sword and seems to be resistant to my magic and my arrows. Even so...he hardly got a taste of my true power last time. If he shows up again, he will die." Flames shot over Miroku, who yelled and twisted violently. "And that is for speaking out of turn."
"Inuyasha..." whispered Kagome, softly enough that Kikyo couldn't hear. "Where are you?"
"KAGOME! WHERE ARE YOU?!" shouted Inuyasha. They had been searching for hours with no success. Frantically, Inuyasha sniffed the ground again to maybe get another fragment of her scent. He smelled it, and raced in the direction it indicated.
"At this rate, we'll get there by nightfall," snarled Tobias. "Can't you go any faster? Or don't you want to interfere with your dead ex-girlfriend?" Inuyasha whirled and planted himself in front of Tobias.
"I love Kagome!" he shouted at him. "I love her with all of my heart! I've loved her ever since we met! Do you think for a second that I'm not trying EVERYTHING I can think of to find her?" Tobias looked at him, long and hard. "Let's go," Inuyasha said shortly. They took off again.
Wait... Inuyasha sniffed around. Her scent was there. Not a dying, feeble track, but a strong smell. Kagome was here. He ran and ran, and soon the two of them came upon a cave. A hazy green barrier covered the entrance.
"Do you know what that is?" Inuyasha asked. Tobias shook his head. "I've seen those before. You even touch that thing and-"
"I don't have time for games. Kagome's in there. My sword's magic is stronger than any she could conjure up." Tobias stormed over to the cave entrance.
Kagome turned her head painfully. Tobias was in front of the entrance, and Inuyasha was right behind him! Joy surged through her heart like a tidal wave – they were saved.
Kikyo noticed too. "Them?" she said derisively. "I'm not worried. That magic is more than enough to keep them out." But even so, she tightened her grip on the dragon head just a little.
They stood at the barrier. Tobias went to touch it, but Inuyasha caught Tobias's hand, and shook his head. They both looked at Kikyo, who raised the dragon head and squeezed it. A jet of flame came roaring towards them and crashed into the barrier. Inuyasha flinched, but Tobias seemed impassive.
"So that's her little trick, is it?" muttered Tobias. "Not hard to get around..." He unsheathed his sword. It was glowing red. "This is it, Kikyo!" he roared. "I'm coming in!" He took his sword and thrust it into the barrier.
It stopped about halfway through. Green lightning arced up the blade and streamed over Tobias, but his grip did not slacken. The sword glowed brighter, and it began to penetrate further. Kikyo raised a hand, which glowed green. The barrier intensified. This was clearly a battle of wills.
Droplets of blood were coming out of Tobias's skin wherever the lightning touched. His teeth were gritted, his eyes were closed, he took one small step forward, then another. Kikyo dropped the dragon's head and brought both hands up to reinforce the barrier.
"Come on, Tobias," murmured Kagome. "You can do it."
"This is Tobias?" whispered Sango. "He's amazing. I think he's going to-"
But Kikyo let out an unearthly wail and focused her energy. A beam of brilliant green energy leapt from her palms and connected with the barrier. Tobias's sword was forced out, and he was flung backwards with such force that he smashed through a tree and right into a rock wall.
He got up almost instantly. The blood seemed to be evaporating off his body, but he did not step forward. Inuyasha approached him.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"I'll be fine in a second," muttered Tobias. "There's got to be another entrance into that cave."
"Umm...no. I've been around here before, that cave is a dead end," said Inuyasha hesitantly. Tobias had a defeated expression.
"Then what do we do? We can't leave them in there," he said, unhopefully. "Are those other two Miroku and Sango?"
"Yeah. Hey...I've got an idea." Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga. "If there isn't another entrance...what do you say we make one?"
A slow smile graced Tobias's features. "I like the way you think," he said. "Let's rock."
Kagome was crying again, tears spilling weakly down her face as she saw Inuyasha and Tobias walk out of sight. Inuyasha...why did you leave me? I... Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by Kikyo.
"See?" she said silkily. "My magic is strong enough to keep them out. Both of them. And you know Inuyasha would never harm me..." She picked up the dragon head. "Now, where were we?"
"They're not gone!" screamed Kagome in a burst of irrational thought. "They'll come back. With more magic! You'll see! You'll pay!"
"My dear child!" shouted Kikyo. "You have seen as well as I can that that magic barrier is absolutely impassable. Who would help them? My little sister?" She laughed; a cold, mirthless laugh. "You can't be serious. The magic keeps them out there, and around us all are solid stone walls. There's no way-"
BOOM!!!!
The wall to which the three were chained exploded from the outside. Bits of rock and boulders were everywhere in the blast. Tobias and Inuyasha were standing in the crater.
"Solid stone walls never stopped me before," said Tobias softly. Inuyasha ran to Kagome and helped her up. Tobias advanced on Kikyo.
Kikyo raised the dragon head and gripped the neck so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Tobias raised his arm, palm outward, as if telling her to 'stop'.
A massive blast of fire came roaring towards Tobias. It hit his outstretched hand. The jet split in two around his hand, and the flames went curling harmlessly to the side. Kikyo relaxed her grip, only to find Tobias standing, unscathed.
"No," he whispered. "Try again." Before Kikyo could even process this, he was on her with his sword. Inuyasha looked up from Kagome's injuries to see Tobias rushing towards Kikyo. He picked up Tetsusaiga and hurtled towards them...
...Too late. Tobias slashed her once, and Kikyo fell to her knees. But, oddly, a few seconds later she stood up again. There was a long slash line all across her torso, but it was only deep enough to draw blood. Or, at least, some reddish-clear substance that was in her instead of blood. She glared at Tobias with a look of mixed fear and rage.
"Just a scratch," he said lightly. "I wouldn't want to end this too quickly. After all you have done, you don't even deserve the luxury of a quick death. However," he added, seeing Inuyasha running full tilt towards him, "perhaps a quick death would have been more appropriate-" Tetsusaiga crashed onto his sword with a loud clang.
"-considering the circumstances," panted Tobias. Inuyasha had hit him so hard that although he had blocked it, the sheer force of the blow slid him back until he was pressed against the cave wall.
"You said you wouldn't hurt her!" yelled Inuyasha.
Tobias fixed him with a steely gaze. "I lied." Inuyasha roared and began the attack.
"Yes, this is it, now the real fight begins!" shouted Tobias, who blocked two of Inuyasha's attacks and launched three of his own.
Kagome crawled along the floor. There was a pile in the corner with their equipment. Her backpack, Miroku's staff, Sango's Hiraikotsu...ah, this was it. She extracted her bow and an unbroken arrow from the pile.
Kikyo watched the two warriors battle with lips pulled back in a snarl. That bastard...he thinks he can just do something like this to me? She felt her wound; it was not deep, but it hurt. Him! As soon as this battle is over, I will slay the rest of those pathetic worms and finally travel to hell with Inuyasha where he belongs. I shall rid him of his feelings for my reincarnation, and we shall be together forever.
As the battle raged; while Inuyasha was tiring, Tobias actually seemed to be gaining strength. His sword's glow increased as he pressed the attack, eventually locking swords about five feet from where Kikyo was standing.
"The more enraged I get, the stronger I get," grinned Tobias. "Convenient, huh? And right now, you are seriously pissing me off." He took a step forward and forced Inuyasha back. "Defending her, after all she did to us! How can you?"
"I made a promise," hissed Inuyasha. "I owe her my life. And I actually keep my promises," he snarled, pushing Tobias back.
"You didn't think I was serious?" said Tobias through gritted teeth. "That was just to get you to come here. And now..." He took a small step forward. "I end this." He abruptly broke the sword lock, raced around Inuyasha before he could react, and rushed towards Kagome.
"No!" howled Inuyasha, leaping after him. Tobias was five feet away...four feet...two feet, and Inuyasha could never get there in time...he couldn't even see Kikyo, Tobias was blocking her...his promise was for nothing...he –
TWANG!
THUNK!
Tobias stopped as quickly as if he had just smacked into a wall. He turned to face Inuyasha. The anger seemed to just evaporate off of him. He sheathed his sword.
"Okay," he said. "That'll work." He walked to the side, allowing Inuyasha to see the whole scene.
Kikyo with an arrow in her forehead.
Kagome holding a bow and nearly sobbing with the effort.
Tobias standing to the side, with his head bowed. Don't laugh... he thought. Don't laugh...Inuyasha will kill me...don't laugh...
"Inu...yasha..." mumbled Kikyo. She fell. As she hit the ground, she disintegrated into dust and bones until she was no more.
Inuyasha slowly approached Kagome until he was in front of her. She stood up and dropped the bow. Her face collapsed into tears. Oh gods, what is he going to do? Will he try to kill me?
"Inuyasha!" she wailed. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry! I had to! You could have hurt Tobias! She was torturing all of us! She-" Kagome was cut off by Inuyasha's lips on hers. She melted into the kiss.
Inuyasha broke away, slowly. "Kagome..." he said softly. "You freed me from my life debt. I...I have never loved you more," he said, sweeping her into his embrace (lightly, so as not to damage her burns).
"Oh, Inuyasha," said Kagome. "I love you." They kissed, a kiss of such intensity that Tobias simply coughed and walked away to where Miroku and Sango now stood.
"So you're Miroku, and you're Sango?" They nodded. "Tobias is the name. Wielder of a massive sword and a massive ego, and would-be slayer of Kikyo. I'm going with them," he jerked his thumb to indicate Inuyasha and Kagome, who had not broken their kiss. "Why don't you just get your stuff while they...finish. I'll be outside," he added, walking past Inuyasha and Kagome to the cave entrance. The magical barrier had vanished with Kikyo's death. Tobias walked outside and lit a cigarette. He took a deep drag.
"Well, that was fun," he muttered.
Hello! Unfortunately, I am sorry to inform you that this will be the last chapter...
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For a while. (Fooled you!) I'm going on vacation until next Saturday, and I won't get many opportunities to continue writing there. And the week after that, the dreaded "BAND CAMP" rears its ugly head. So, updates may be a bit sporadic. But rest assured, I will get the next chapter up within two weeks.
I currently have 63 reviews. Whoever gets the 64th will get a special extended response to their review, as 64 is a very special number to me. Why...well, it's sort of an inside joke with my friends. But if you do get the 64th review, try to make it in-depth, and not just "#64! Koolz! Later people!" Please?
To Lasako: You haven't reviewed in a while...why? I reviewed your stories. I like reading what you write in the reviews, but please try and focus them more on the story and less on your – to put it bluntly – ravings. Your ravings are very interesting to read, and I'm not saying you shouldn't do them, but the purpose of a review is to actually review the story. Oh, and I have an idea for another bit with you in the story. I'll email it to you; tell me which email addy of yours works better.
Oh, yes. It has been brought to my attention that my friend Jamie's poem on FictionPress.com has not gotten any reviews beyond the two I mentioned last chapter. I didn't want to have to do this, but he insists that I must. *Sigh*
NO MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL HE GETS AT LEAST 5 TOTAL REVIEWS!
So that's FictionPress.com, Poetry, Life, Fantasy/Supernatural, PG, "The soothing of a Savage Soul" by Jamie Sahagian. DO IT! Oh, and REVIEW!