Okay. First order of business. Go back to the last chapter.
Yes, you read right. There's an incredibly important plot point that I stupidly left out of the first version of that chapter. Go back and read it again. Also, read my celebration of breaking the 100,000 word barrier. That was fairly well written, in my opinion, and it thanks a number of people personally, so you should go on back and check it out.
For those people that don't feel like rereading the whole chapter just to catch one subtle nuance, you can start reading right when the General discovers Maria on the gallows to find the plot point I added and try and work that in. Anyway. To the current story. And reviews, too. Sorry for the excessively long wait, but I was gone from Wednesday to Sunday. Thanksgiving break + Disneyworld with favorite cousin = no time to write. Sorry.
Kai19: Yeah, the General isn't just evil because he's evil. He actually has a motivation. Whether or not it is sufficient to forgive all the heinous acts he's committed over the millennia is for you to decide. * Marcus was not a nice guy. And that's part of the new plot point I've added. Tobias envisions Marcus as the best person in the world; and when he finds out the truth, it staggers him. * It's not that the General respects her, it's that he needs her for something. Well, two things. Read ahead to find out what! * Yeah, I mainly focus on those three. I'm not really sure how to write a personality for Miroku and Sango, mainly. I haven't seen enough of the show to determine how their personalities would have developed over time. I might have forgotten about Koga, though. Whoops. Let's just say he failed to react in time. * I will tell you what those words mean eventually, but now is not the time. Sound like the General, don't I?
Ryguy5387: You can't have my blood. I'm such a fragile person (105 lb. weakling) that were I to give up any blood, I'd collapse in a dessicated husk. But, to compensate, here's a non-cliffy chapter.
cinnamin girl: Why would I be mad? Sure, you cluttered up the review page a little, but why would I get mad at such a dedicated reader? All I ask is that in the future, you lump all of your little reviews into one big review, with chapter designations. Look at CharMoonshineINU's revised review to see how it's don.e
AssassinReiX: Good. All these people asking me for blood, it's like a ravening horde of mosquitoes. (Raven, raven.)
CharMoonshineINU: Oookay. First things first. I'm impressed at your dedication, at reading the whole shebang in one sitting. And at 1:00 AM, too! Not many people have that kind of grit. It speaks for both of us.
Second things second. In the future, kindly save all of your reviews for one BIG review at the latest chapter, okay? This time, I was able to delete all your reviews (Don't cry! Keep reading!), save them in Word, put them all into one BIG review, and review the story anonymously under your name. It's a bit of work, so in the future, just one or two reviews should suffice. Just ask cinnamin girl! Thanks for reviewing!
Cerulean: Geez, I give out blood, other people die...maybe I should just end this story now. It's too violent.
(chorus of "nooooooooo..." is heard in the background)
All right, I won't end it till it's regularly scheduled end. ("yaaaaaaaay...") But NO DYING! That's strictly forbidden when reading my story. People must stay ALIVE until the story comes to a full and complete stop. Which won't be for a while yet. ("yaaaaaaaaay...") Thanks for the compliments.
STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Chapter 44: Kagome Imprisoned
Kagome landed with a hard thump on a cold stone floor. She struggled to her feet and tried to get a good view of her surroundings. She was in a small room, just slightly smaller than her room back in her time. It was bare stone. There was a small wooden table and two chairs, and a mattress in the corner. The General stood in the doorway.
"You may be wondering why I did that," he said lightly. "You have something I need. And when I need something, I get it."
"W-What is it?" squeaked Kagome. She was absolutely terrified. She had no idea where she was, and she was in the same room with the most powerful killer on the planet.
"I seem to be acquainted with duality today. There are two purposes you would serve for me. The first, and most important...your powers." The General reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of Shikon shards. "You, being the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, are the only priestess yet in the world who can reunite the shards into one whole jewel again, thus making it capable of granting wishes." He put the shards down on the table. "I did not think you capable of such a feat before, but your performance in the battle against Tybalt proves otherwise. You have developed in your powers enough that you can now do this. Get to reuniting." He stood still and stared at Kagome, waiting.
Kagome looked at the shards, then back at the General. She raised her hands helplessly. "I-I don't know how," she whimpered. "I've never done anything like that..."
No trace of emotion showed on the General's face, but there was a bite of irritation in his voice. "That figures," he said shortly. "Fortunately for both of us, I have a backup plan for just such an eventuality. You will have a teacher." Kagome looked up sharply. "She will teach you how to fuse the shards together, and also make sure you don't run off with them. She will come later.
"The second reason I have brought you here...is not nearly as essential as the first...but is still important...in its own way." The General turned away. "Despite my lack of emotion, and despite my earlier soliloquy, I am not made of stone. I am still a man. With a man's..." He seemed to search for the right word. "...desires."
That one word had more of an impact on Kagome than if he had slapped her across the face. Her face turned dead white and she began to tremble, edging backwards in the room.
"I have learned from a trusted authority that miko powers, for a miko as underdeveloped as you, will only activate when your life is in peril," said the General calmly, apparently not noticing Kagome's distress. "And I have no intention of killing you. When you could be so valuable?" He turned back toward Kagome and began to walk into the room slowly.
"It seems the ideal match," he said quietly. "You, a defenseless, 19-year-old girl; and me, the most powerful warrior in the world. Yes, I think you will serve both purposes quite nicely." Kagome hit the wall behind her, but the General continued to advance. He reached up a gloved hand to cup her cheek. He was roughly a millimeter from touching her when a demon in robes, obviously out of breath, ran into the doorway.
"My lord," it panted. "The fourth seal is broken. Your presence is required immediately on the summoning plane!" The General's expression did not flicker in the slightest. He did not turn away, but flicked his eyes in the demon's direction.
"Get out of here before I kill you," he said, a little more sharply than he'd intended. The demon, obviously flustered, took two quick steps backward and ran. The General moved away and went to the doorway. He paused.
"Do not think this is the end," he said. "This is a distraction, but one that requires my attention. Your teacher should arrive tomorrow. In the meantime...amuse yourself somehow." He swept out.
A long time had passed, Kagome didn't know how long. There was no window in her room, and she hadn't seen the outside world since she had been kidnapped. She knew that she had been kidnapped near sunset, and near as she could tell from discreet peeks down the hallway to see the window at the end, it was the next day.
Kagome lay in her mattress. Tears were coursing down her cheeks. Will I ever see Inuyasha again? Will I ever be able to tell him that I love him, one last time? Or will the General... She stifled a sob. Kagome turned over in bed, trying to fall asleep. She hadn't been able to sleep all during the night.
Her stomach growling diverted her from her sorrow, momentarily. Kagome wiped some tears from her eyes as she sat up and began to think. She hadn't eaten anything since the previous morning, and she was beginning to get hungry. After spending a few minutes composing herself, Kagome tried the door. To her surprise, it was unlocked. She walked out into the hallway.
There were three doors, each ornately carved. As her door swung shut behind her, she noticed it was much the same pattern. The hallway was bare stone, much like her room. Obviously the General was not one for aesthetics. Kagome timidly approached what she really hoped was the right door and knocked.
Very quietly. She couldn't even hear it. So, mustering her nerve, she knocked, normally. A few seconds passed. Nothing happened. I must have the wrong room, Kagome thought to herself. She was about to go to another door when the doorknob rattled.
Kagome sprang back as the door opened. She gaped, but quickly turned her eyes away.
The General was standing in the doorway, wet, and clad only in a towel from the waist down. He seemed to be in the middle of a bath when Kagome had interrupted him. Kagome couldn't help but notice that he was VERY muscular, and didn't have a scar on him. Much like Inuyasha. He held his sword in one hand; obviously, he didn't want to relinquish his power even when bathing.
"What?" he said impassively. Kagome was still too shocked to respond. "What?" he repeated. There was more of a bite to his tone now. Since any change in the General's voice meant bad news, Kagome quickly spoke up.
"Umm...I was just...I was in my room, and...I haven't..."
"Do you have a reason for interrupting my shower, or are you just here to babble?" said the General, a little impatiently.
"I haven't eaten all yesterday and I was wondering if I could get some food," Kagome blurted out, very quickly. She half expected him to slam the door in her face and leave her to starve. To her surprise, again, the General remained where he was.
"You have not eaten?" he said. He sounded genuinely surprised, with what little scraps of emotion Kagome could glean from his voice. "I gave orders...give me five minutes. I will remedy this." He started to walk back into the room, but paused. "Wait here," he said. He shut the door.
Kagome slumped against the wall. Why am I so afraid of him? she asked herself. The answer came swiftly. Because he's about a million times stronger than you, he wants to rape you, he's kidnapped you with almost no chance of escape and as soon as he figures out you don't have the power to reunite the shards he'll kill you! Kagome shivered, but stayed where she was.
Four minutes and fifty-eight seconds later, the General emerged from the room, dressed once again in his traditional robes and armor. His sword sheathed, he beckoned for Kagome to follow him. She did.
They walked down a series of identical-looking hallways, turning at random directions, going into doors that simply led to more corridors. Maybe this is how he'll keep me here, Kagome thought. He didn't lock my door, but he figures I'll get lost before I ever escape. Eventually they came to an imposing stone door. It looked like it weighed a ton, but the General pushed it open with ease. Inside, several demons stood, doing miscellaneous tasks. Copying parchment, weighing out mysterious herbs and substances, that sort of thing. One of them immediately sprung to the door and sank into a bow.
"My lord," he said slavishly. "What do you require done?"
"It has come to my attention that you have not yet fed Kagome," the General said quietly. "She says she is hungry. I have come to ask why no food has been brought to her."
To Kagome's shock, the demon grinned. "You gave me my orders, my lord. I thought they were open to interpretation. When you said to feed the human wench, I thought it would be...prudent to starve her a little. You know. Make it so it's harder for her to run away. We don't want her to be comfortable..." He flashed a toothy smile right at Kagome, who stuck her tongue out in return. He let out a low growl at that sign of rebellion, then resumed his grin and talked to the General again. "She's only a human. I mean, they're inferior. She's not nearly as important as me, I'm the chief assistant to Grizelda! Wouldn't want her to live as well as us...would we?" he added, with some trepidation. The General seemed unmoved.
"My orders are often very straightforward; this time not being an exception," said the General coolly. "I told you to keep her adequately fed. That means three meals a day. And not that thin stew from the pot that you eat, either. Actual food. The kind that you would serve to me." The demon was completely shocked by this turn of events.
"Kagome is at least one hundred times as important as you. You are easily replaceable. She is not. She is the only person left in the entire world who would serve my purpose. So let me put it in a way you would understand." In an instant, the General had advanced on the demon and was gripping him tightly by the throat. "She and I will leave now. Precisely ten minutes after we leave, I will check back on Kagome to see if you have brought her sufficient food. If you have not, there will be blood, and pain." The demon was beginning to turn blue from lack of oxygen. The General did not appear to care.
"And another thing." He hurled the demon to the floor. "Although I have considerable power, please bear in mind that I am also an inferior," he pronounced that word with a touch of malice, "human. So, now would be an excellent time to cease the anti-human epithets. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
"Y-Yes, my l-lord," rasped the demon. The General turned to leave and motioned for Kagome to follow. Before she turned away, Kagome locked eyes with the demon. He gave her a look filled with utter hatred and contempt. Before she could draw another breath, the General took her back into the corridor and slammed the door behind her.
"GRRRRRRRRAAAAAAA!!!!" Inuyasha roared. He sliced down a tree with Tetsusaiga. He was absolutely insane with rage and hatred. The others had never seen him like this; indeed, Shippo feared for his life, and even Tobias backed away. Inuyasha noticed Tobias and advanced on him.
"Where the FUCK is she? He's your goddamn enemy! You tell me where he's taken her!" he bellowed. Tobias looked apprehensive, but stood his ground.
"I told you, Inuyasha," he shouted back in a tone that sounded near-insignificant next to Inuyasha's, "I don't fucking know! If I knew, I'd be there already! Don't you think I want her back as much as you do?" As soon as he said it, Tobias knew he's made a mistake. Fury blazed in Inuyasha's eyes, and he knocked Tobias to the ground with one swift punch. He bent over Tobias's prone form.
"You have no idea how much I want her back," he said, in a low growl that sounded even more dangerous than his scream. "Don't you even fucking think you know for a goddamn instant how much I want to hold her in my arms one more time. So quit screwing around and find her. Now," he hissed. He stood up and stormed away into the trees.
Tobias stood up also, but not until Inuyasha had gone. He was shocked. "I understand...he wants her back, they're mates...but I didn't know-"
"No, you didn't," Sango cut in. Tobias turned to look at her. "I know about demon mating rituals," she said. "A successful demon slayer knows about every part of demon life. They're connected by a bond that runs deeper than you or I can even imagine. Kagome might not even grasp the significance of their bond, but Inuyasha certainly does.
"When inu-demons mate, it's for life and beyond. The mate of a dog demon almost becomes an extension of the demon's heart and soul. Not even the day that you lost your family means nearly as much to you as losing Kagome does to Inuyasha. I would know. I lost my family too..." She trailed off.
Tobias stared into the distance. He could still clearly hear Inuyasha raging and screaming into the woods. "My question is, will he come back?" he murmured. "Or do we want him to?"
Kagome sat in her chair. All she could do now was wonder what was to come next. There was a knock at the door, and a few seconds later, The General walked into the room.
"Your instructor should be arriving shortly," he said. "As a matter of fact...here she comes now."
Light footsteps echoed down the hallway. The General stepped aside...
...and Kikyo walked into the room.
Her face twisted into a snarl at the sight of Kagome. She yanked her bow off her back. The General raised an eyebrow. Before the shocked Kagome could react, Kikyo fired an arrow. Kagome cringed and threw her hands up to defend herself.
But the impact never came. Kagome opened her eyes to see the General standing between her and Kikyo. He held the arrow in one hand, the point about a millimeter from her skin. "Let me see if I understand this, Kikyo," he said in his usual monotone. "I restored you to your body from the ashes in the cave. It was not an easy task, and it required great amounts of magic and diverting me from my current project. All of this was simply in return for you aiding me in my quest to make whole the Shikon no Tama. And attacking the one person who can put it right is not aiding me in that pursuit." He crushed the arrow in his fist and walked over to Kikyo.
"If," he said, so quietly that only Kikyo could hear, "if I find out that you have hurt Kagome in any way – and believe me, I will find out – then I will not only destroy you, I will take your ashes and scatter them in the ocean. Is that clear?"
"Perfectly," Kikyo sulked. The General swept out and closed the wooden door behind him. Kikyo turned to Kagome. "We may have personal issues, but we must not let them stand in the way of our goal."
"Our goal?" Kagome spluttered. She had overcome her shock by now, and it was rapidly giving way to anger. "This isn't our goal, it's his goal! You know what'll happen if he gets his hands on the full jewel? He'll kill all of us, including you!" She stabbed an accusing finger at Kikyo. The undead miko didn't seem moved.
"He swore an oath that he would not harm me. And he doesn't break his word, I can sense it about him." Kagome paused in her indignation. She could...what again?
Picking up on her puzzled look, Kikyo sighed and began to explain. "You can already sense some auras. Like those of the Shikon shards, and demons. You're coming into your powers, I can tell. One of the most important things you must do to realize your abilities is to be able to pick up auras of people and other things. It will be essential to reuniting the shards of the Shikon jewel, and it will aid you in the rest of your powers as well. You will be able to attune your powers to a person or object's specific aura, making them much more effective than if they were simply randomly disbursed." She gathered up some of the Shikon shards in her hand. "Let me explain how it's done..."
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So...Kikyo's teaching Kagome, who's been captured by the General. Inuyasha's gone off somewhere to vent about losing his mate. Tobias can't quite figure out how to cope with it all. Nobody can. Except me. *grins* REVIEW!