A/N: I know I haven't been giving you much lately so I hope you enjoy. I don't own Inuyasha, yadda yadda yadda....
Chapter 6- The Spell Is Cast
The sun slowly rose over the hills. Sprinkling the dew covered grass with it's warmth. Everyone was still asleep, everyone with the exception of Inuyasha. He sat cross-legged beside Kagome, looking down at her soft face. After only a few hours of seemingly peaceful sleep he noticed her fingers slowly flexing the cloth blanket that covered her. Then her face began to wince and her fingers clung tighter.
Not knowing that to do he placed a hand on hers, trying to calm her in someway and to let her know that he was there. She calmed for a moment, then got more restless, turning her head from side to side, sweating, and whimpering incoherently.
"Kagome." He whispered taking her hands fully in his clawed grasp. "I'm here Kagome, please relax." Her fit got steadily worse. He removed one hand from her clutching grasp and brushed the sweat soaked hairs from her face. The movement seemed to calm her. She still clutched his right hand as his left brushed against her face again. He gently stroked her trying to calm her feverish outburst.
(At Akihito's castle)
Mai and Rai stood at the door of the Dark priestess' room and watched her prepare the alter. They both had matching violet eyes and royal blue hair. While Rai seemed his usual stone faced self, Mai was watching the sight in awe. She desperately wanted to gain the power of a priestess, but her life as an assassin came first. It is what she and Rai sold their souls for.
Rai had contacted Akihito first. He had taken over father's post as warlord, but Rai wanted more. He craved the power of the demons and he found that power through Akihito. Then he recruited. He recruited by the hundreds. When Mai had tried to enlist he refused to allow her, but for some reason Akihito had insisted she join his ranks as Rai's number 2.
Mai glanced over to her brother, he wore the same black leotard that she did, the same armor, the same red and black sash at his waist holding his sword and the same red and black feathers in his hair. They were alike and different in so many ways. Feeling her stare he turned slowly to her and arched an eyebrow. He silently questioned her motives. She smiled and shook her head, letting him know it was nothing of importance, before turning back to watch the priestess named Kikyo.
It was then that she finally spoke to them after an hour of alter preparations. "The reason I asked you to come was not because I enjoy spectators." She plainly said. "When I begin this spell I cannot be interrupted."
Mai spoke up, "Our master let us know that we are to protect you at all costs."
Kikyo glanced at the girl, who was probably only a few years older then Kagome. Rai silently wished he could roll his eyes and smack his sister as he did when they were younger and she spoke out of turn. He watched Kikyo glare at her before continuing, hoping she wouldn't lunge at his sister.
Kikyo let the silence hang in the air for a moment longer before continuing. "When I release my soul these soul eaters will probably mistake it for one they can take. You must destroy them if they attack my soul or I will have no chance of survival. Is that understood?"
Mai and Rai both nodded. Kikyo began to kneel then stood and walked over to Mai. When she came within inches of her face she spoke her next words carefully. "Great power must be used for great reasons." When Kikyo turned and went back to the alter, the twin assassins turned to each other with a confused look.
Kikyo knew her power was being used for a great reason. Wasn't love the greatest reason of all? With a resigned sigh she knelt at her prepared alter. Her eyes closed in concentration. She knew if she messed this up her soul would be lost wandering the Earth for all eternity.
On the alter was the rag stained with Kagome's blood, a piece of the clay that made up her own body and a jewel shard. She held out her hands palms down over the alter. She stayed praying like that for almost an hour before the items on the alter began to glow. The soul eaters swarmed around her. Kikyo too began to glow a faint blue.
Mai and Rai noticed the anxiety of the soul eaters and prepared their weapons They each stepped closer to the praying priestess but stayed clear of the area she had sanctified. The blue light surrounding Kikyo grew stronger as did the one around the items on the alter. A soft humming arouse in the air as a ball of blue light escaped from Kikyo's body and joined the light from the alter.
The soul eater attacked the light as Mai and Rai saw this they jumped in the air and sliced the soul eater's down. The kneeling body of Kikyo collapsed and turned to clay before the alter as the white and blue orb took off out the window.
(Inside Kaede's hut)
The gang gathered their belongings together. Sesshoumaru stood just by the door way waiting for Rin to finish her breakfast. Inuyasha ate very little but still sat beside Kagome. Sango came in and had changed into her demon slayer uniform and walked over to her boomerang which leaned on the far wall.
"Ok is everybody ready? Can we go now?" Inuyasha asked impatiently as he stood up. He felt a little light headed from being awake all night and not eating, but how could he sleep or eat at a time like this?
Just then a ball of blue and white light blew into the door knocking Sesshoumaru out of the way. It shot across the room and directly into Kagome. Seconds later she sat up with her eyes open but dull. Her arms dangled behind her as if someone was lifting her into the air.
Everyone watched in horror as her face went from expressionless to twisted in pain.
"In..u... yasha..." she managed to say before collapsing back onto the mat.
