HELLO! Updates have been mighty scarce...final exams will do that to you. EVIL EXAMS! Anyway. I was writing this most recent chapter, and writing and writing and writing, and then I realized it was too long for one chapter. So I split it into two. EDIT Since FanFiction.Net has very graciously now allowed me to delete the junk chapters in my story, I have no need to put up two chapters in one slot. So I put them both into their own separate chapter thingies./EDIT
Finals are really killing me, and not to mention I had to bring home not one but TWO tubas yesterday...in a four-seater Saturn. See, I needed a concert tuba to play in this Tubafest thing (where tubas come in from all over to play Christmas carols – from elementary school to professionals, everyone's invited) and I needed a sousaphone, because my mother had this bright idea that when we go caroling this year, I could accompany them on the tuba. Oh well. Loading them and unloading them was a bitch, but they're all here.
As I spin off in random directions...argh. I always think I've forgotten to say something here, but I never know what it is. Then, three days later, I remember. "Ah!" I think to myself. "I will put it in when I get home!" But I forget. I have the attention span of a jar of honey. HONEY! Damn, that stuff is good. You ever make hot lemonade with honey? Best sore throat remedy in the world. Where was I?
Oh, now I remember. REVIEWS!
Kai19: About Kikyo being convinced...you have a good point. So I address that in this chapter. Look for it. * Well...then this is an EXTRA-SPECIAL snake demon, then. I don't know, I'm just writing this. Maybe the General and the witch bred it... * Yeah, you're pretty much on-track about the demon. I mean, what do you THINK he's gonna do? * Well, there's a few problems with that distance-weapon theory. First, Kazaana is gone. Remember? Naraku's dead and all? Second, as far as the General thought, Inuyasha was alone. Sango and Miroku weren't with him. Inuyasha, by himself, has no distance weapons. * Is my story that transparent that you can just tell what's gonna happen, or are you always this good at predicting things? It's gotta be one of the two...
Breshcandra: Well, he didn't want to kill him YET...he could have so much more fun later when it's more of an even fight.
Cerulean: No! I have a morbid fear of pitchforks and fire! Fire bad! Graagh! Me Frankenstein's monster! ... Whatever.
Catkyn: You're not supposed to feel SORRY for the General! Geez...I mean, yeah, he was really put-upon, but does that excuse all the killings and such?
Ryguy5387: I say 'fangirls' because I think fangirls constitute the vast majority of my readers. You (I mean, look at your name!) are an exception, but...If you (or anyone) is willing to tell me your gender, then by all means. I need to know my audience to know how to write to them.
slvrstarlight: That's definitely a big choice, isn't it. Well, you can try to choose again at the end. I think it'll be made easier.
Silver Warrior: Tybalt's blades? Marcus's blade? ... I'm not saying anything, just yet.
RUSHYUO: The General's real name? That would be telling, wouldn't it? Also, try to keep it down with the death threats. With all the work I have to do, I usually update about once a week. Four days is exceptionally fast for me.
draca8u: I am a guy. And yes, tuba rules, except when it shatters your spine under its weight. My email is a sack of crap, so I can't email you back...just keep reading.
Madeline Gott: Yes. Yes I did.
hersheykiss1012: I'll be disappointed too. But all things must come to an end.
AssassinReiX: Your wish is the General's command. *evil smile*
lunarinuyasha: There won't be as much suspense anymore. Not this chapter, anyway.
Whoo. Busy, busy, busy. And guess what? NO CLIFFHANGER THIS TIME! I SWEAR IT! STORY!
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Chapter 46: Kikyo's Second Mighty Downfall
Kagome tried again to cry out, but the demon's hand roughly pressed down on her mouth. She struggled and thrashed, but he was far stronger than her. Fuck! she screamed in her head. If I could just get a hand free... Her right hand began to glow white.
The demon noticed. "Don't even try, bitch," he snarled. He leaned his full weight on her to keep her down while he smashed his fist down on her hand. Kagome gave a muffled shriek as she felt the bones splinter under the powerful impact. "You can't do anything, now. You're mine." He ripped off her shirt and flung the tattered pieces into a corner. "Maybe, when I'm done, I'll-" He abruptly stopped speaking as he stared at her shoulder.
Inuyasha's mating mark lay bare for all to see. The demon's mood took a turn for the worse as he let out a full-body growl.
"Mated, huh? To that worthless hanyou? When I'm done with you, maybe I'll do him a favor." He leaned his head close to her ear. "I'll give him your body," he whispered. "He'll just love that, won't he?"
Kagome, seized by a sudden idea, jerked her head upwards. The demon snarled as the back of her head smashed into his sensitive nose. The hand over her mouth slackened for an instant, and Kagome got her mouth free.
"HELP!!" she shrieked, as loudly as she could. Somewhere, in her head, a mocking thought ran through. Who are you calling for help? The General? You're calling the General for help?!
The demon slashed his claws across her face before quickly covering up her mouth again. "Goddammit, bitch, don't do that," he growled. "You need to learn to be more submissive." He pummeled her body with his free hand, eliciting yelps and wails of pain from the captive girl beneath him. "Besides, it's not like anyone's gonna save you now." With his free hand, he tore off his hakama and tossed it aside.
The General sat in his room, deep in thought. A demon in armor walked into the room.
"My lord," he said slavishly. "Inuyasha was not found anywhere in the vicinity. Our scouts are still searching, but we can find no trace of him." The General looked up.
"There will be no use for that. He is obviously not here. We must have miscalculated. Call back the troops." The demon bowed deeply and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. The General stood up and began to pace.
There is very obviously something going on here, he pondered. But what is it? What possible connection could all of these clues have? He pondered over all of the strange occurrences over the last few weeks.
"She's only a human. I mean, they're inferior. She's not nearly as important as me."
"I really think it was him. I mean, did you see the way he looked at me? It looked like he wanted to kill me!"
"My lord, Inuyasha is back."
"Where is Kikyo?" "I...I don't know. She kind of...vanished."
The General paced around some more. And now, it is revealed that Inuyasha was indeed not here, he thought. If he were, he would surely have revealed himself by now. All of these clues come together... He stopped and looked at the door. And add up to-
"HELP!!" came a scream from Kagome's room.
That. The General barreled out of the room and dashed down the hallway. Approaching Kagome's door, he swung a fist towards it.
Inside the room, both Kagome and the demon were shocked as the door burst off of its hinges, flew across the room, and shattered to splinters on the far wall. The demon leapt off of Kagome and turned to face the General, but the General was already moving in.
A powerful backhand sent the demon spiraling away, and he had not yet regained his footing when the General hit him with a fierce uppercut. He flew into the ceiling and cracked the stone under the impact. As he fell, the General caught him and rammed him into the floor. A veritable crater appeared in the ground and dust flew as the General's attack hit home. The General stood up.
Kagome uncurled herself from the fetal position she had adopted when the General had burst in. Eyes watering with pain, she looked at the demon embedded in the floor. She could have sworn he was dead, but she saw him twitch and groan faintly. Kagome glanced at the General and noticed he was staring at her intently. Realizing that her clothes had been torn off, she desperately tried to cover herself with her unbroken hand. Tears of pain and shame dripped from her eyes. The General said and did nothing. He only thought.
I have slain entire cities, just to brighten up a dreary afternoon, he thought. I have killed many a child while its mother still holds it to her breast. I have felt not a twinge of regret from killing, torturing, raping. And yet... He looked at Kagome's face, or what of it he could see. She is utterly defeated, completely broken. I could take her with almost no effort. And yet... He looked at the ground, where the demon still lay. Is this...do I feel...pity?
The General blinked, and shook his head slightly. I must be confused. No matter. As long as nobody knows of this lapse of judgement, all shall be well. Besides, he thought, she is far too damaged for any sort of strenuous activity. Were I to take her now, it would undoubtedly kill her.
Aloud he said, "Kagome, come with me." He beckoned slightly to her. Kagome tried to get up, but nearly collapsed with the pain it brought. The General sighed slightly, then went over to Kagome. He picked her up, bridal-style. He took Kagome's blanket, which had not been shredded, and draped it over her nearly naked body, for some semblance of modesty. He carried her from the room. His touch was amazingly gentle, considering he had such strength.
The General walked into his room. There were odd things and scrolls of paper scattered about, but Kagome was not particularly paying attention to her surroundings. He opened a door that looked like it was made of solid iron and brought Kagome inside.
There was a bed, an actual feather bed, with silk sheets and pillows. Its base was magnificently carved mahogany. The rest of the room had similarly opulent accoutrements; from an ornately carved lamp to a polished oak dresser. A window looked out onto a massive courtyard, filled with fruit trees and flowers. The General gently set her down on the bed and walked away a short distance. He turned back to her.
"I possess many powers, but healing is not among them. You are severely hurt; however, you are also a miko, and your powers are growing by the day. You can already, most likely, use your powers to heal others...why not use them to heal yourself? Otherwise, you will be bedridden for a very long time." Kagome tried to sit up, but failed.
"This room is magically sealed against anyone entering except for me and those that I choose. I will bring you your meals. Your instructor should be here in the morning. Good night." The General swept out of the room, but turned back a little.
"One last thing...that demon is still alive. I have no tolerance for those who would abuse my most powerful allies. I shall have some fun tonight." The corners of his mouth twitched as he walked out and closed the door behind him.
Kagome lay still and in great pain. But the General's words still rang in her ears. "Why not use them to heal yourself?" I've never done that before... she thought. But, it's either that, or... She shivered. Kagome tried to clear her mind, as she had done before. She began to pick up on some faint auras around the room.
Hoping that it would work, Kagome tried to focus her energies inwardly, to sense her own aura. She kept at it for two minutes straight. Nothing. Three minutes...four minutes...at exactly four minutes and fifty-seven seconds, her aura suddenly snapped into focus, like a key turning in a lock.
Kagome was a little startled, but focused on her powers. Little by little, a white glow began to creep over her body. Slowly, incredibly slowly; she could feel the pain soothing and her body mending. For five hours straight she healed herself, until finally there was nothing left to do. Her body was whole.
Kagome sat up. For some reason, she did not feel the slightest bit tired. A quick glance out the window told her that dawn had come. It was a very pretty view. The sun was peeking over the horizon, casting a dappled light on the trees. There were hummingbirds flitting about, gathering nectar from honeysuckle flowers; bumblebees buzzed around, collecting pollen; a beautiful white bird Kagome could not identify was singing in a sakura tree. Kagome was so absorbed in the scene before her, she did not notice the General coming up behind her.
"I see you have managed to heal yourself," he said quietly. Kagome jumped and quickly covered herself with the blanket. "Here are some clothes." The General put some priestess's robes on the bed next to Kagome. "Your instructor will arrive in one hour, and I expect you to be ready by then." He left.
Kagome stirred. She began to get dressed slowly. Who's this new instructor? Another miko, that's for sure. But who could it be? Kikyo's gone...hey...where IS Kikyo anyway? Has she...has she gone to Inuyasha?
Inuyasha stomped through the woods. He had had no luck in locating even a fraction of a clue of where Kagome was, and he was majorly pissed off for it. Demanding some time alone, he had stalked off from the rest of the group, but only after they made him promise to come back this time.
"Dammit!" he swore. "Where is she? Where the fuck is she?!"
"She's right here, my love," came a voice from the trees. Inuyasha nearly broke his neck, jerking his head over to where the voice came from. With a bound he was right there, but when he got into a clearing, his face fell. It was Kikyo, surrounded by her soul stealers. They swirled mystically around her as she approached Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha," she cooed, embracing him. He did not respond. "I love you." Inuyasha said nothing. "Kagome's finally out of the way, and we're far from the others...you can finally fulfill your promise."
"What do you mean, Kagome's out of the way?" Inuyasha said. This conversation was definitely going in a direction he did not like.
"What do you think I mean? She's dead. The General killed her." Inuyasha froze, as solid as a statue. "I saw her die, with my own eyes," Kikyo continued. "Isn't it time to move on? Besides, did you really love that pale imitation of me?"
Nothing Kikyo had said past "She's dead" had registered with Inuyasha. Every instinct in his body was going ballistic. A great scream, a cry, a howl, came ripping through his throat, to burst forth into a wail like nothing he had ever known. But even as the combined sadness, fury, frustration, and horror welled up inside of him...he knew.
She isn't dead, Inuyasha thought motionlessly. At first, he didn't really believe it; it was just a vague hope. But he began to realize. She isn't dead. I would know it. I can still feel her. The emotion was dying down, to be replaced by anger at Kikyo. I would know it, I would feel it, I would see it and smell it and hear it if she died! No, she is not dead! He turned to Kikyo.
"...had better be ready," Kikyo said. Inuyasha just now began to listen. "So let's go."
"No," said Inuyasha tonelessly.
"What?" said Kikyo sharply. She hadn't expected this at all.
"No," Inuyasha repeated. "I'm not going to hell with you, Kikyo."
"Why not?!" Kikyo snapped. "I already told you! Kagome is dead!"
"No, she isn't," said Inuyasha softly. "I would know."
"How?!" shrieked Kikyo. She was beside herself with rage and frustration. This was going all wrong.
"Because she is my mate. I am linked to her. If she was dead, I would know it, and she is still alive." Kikyo stepped back as though she had been physically struck.
"But...but I would have..." Kikyo let out a cry. The break in her aura! she thought furiously. That was it! A mating mark! She must have veiled it...hidden it from me without even knowing what she was doing. Why couldn't I see it? How could I be so blind? Kikyo readied for another outburst, but instead forced herself to calm down. There were things yet left to do.
"But Inuyasha..." she purred. "Alive or dead, Kagome is beyond your reach. The General has her, and he won't release her. You can't beat him. Kagome is gone to you. Why not go for the real person instead of just a bad imitation, my reincarnation?"
"She may be your reincarnation, Kikyo, but she isn't you," Inuyasha said. "Kagome is...well, Kagome's vibrant, and bouncy, and full of life. You...even before you died, you were always cold, and...lifeless."
"She is a mere mockery of me!" shouted Kikyo. Her anger was rapidly giving way to sorrow. This was the first time Inuyasha had ever actually pushed her away. "She's just-"
"Just Kagome. Just mine. Just perfect," Inuyasha finished. Kikyo's face twisted, but her eyes burned with unshed tears. "I love Kagome, Kikyo. That will never change," Inuyasha said softly. He began to walk away.
Tears dripped from Kikyo's eyes. "I thought you loved me..." she whispered. Inuyasha stopped at the edge of the clearing and turned his head back.
"I did," he whispered back. Then he left.
Kikyo fell to her knees, sobbing. She raised one trembling hand in front of her. Her soul stealers began to boil and writhe, flowing into an almost liquid mass, growing brighter and brighter. They all swirled around Kikyo and into her hand. A glowing ball of energy grew from her outstretched palm. With one final sob, Kikyo clasped her hand to her chest, where her heart would have been. The light was absorbed into her.
Points of light appeared; shining from her eyes, her mouth, the pads of her fingernails. Light began to pour from her, until she was engulfed in it. Then, it abruptly vanished.
Only a small pile of ashes remained where Kikyo had knelt. A light breeze came by and scattered them into the woods.
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So. Ding, dong, the witch is dead (permanently this time, I swear it). Kikyo is now officially out of the picture. But gasp! What about Kagome? Who is her mysterious new teacher...? Well, anyone who read this chapter back when I originally posted this one and the next one in one slot already knows, but who really gives a damn anyway. I'm just writing this. REVIEW!!!