DISCLAIMER: As always, I don't own the original story of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the characters and I don't own the Chinese fairytale that I'm basing this story on. But as far as I'm concerned I do own the idea of mixing these two things together :).
'...Italic...': thoughts
"...": spoken words
-.-.-.-.-: time gap
--capslocked words--: noises
-by Kittymui-
Unconditional forgiveness
AN: By the way, you might be wondering why it was possible for Kikyou's arrow to pin down the demon lord while the same arrow got repelled before. It's because Kagome's purifying power that got transferred into Tenseiga is gone. When Sesshoumaru used Tenseiga to defeat Naraku, he used up all of the holy powers that resided in the fang. It also explains why the hole in Sesshoumaru's stomach isn't recovering at a normal pace: Naraku's miasma is slowing the healing process since nothing is purifying it.
"Run Kagome!! Run away!!" Sesshoumaru's voice echoed in her ears.
But Kagome couldn't. She didn't know whether it's because her body that wouldn't listen to her or her mind that doesn't want to leave the demon lord behind.
"Don't panic Sesshoumaru...I didn't come to collect her soul only." Kikyou smirked as she drew another arrow. "I came for yours as well."
Kagome widened her eyes. 'She's going to kill Sesshoumaru too??'
Without further thinking, she ran towards Sesshoumaru and stood protectively in front of him with her arms spread out.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. "Step aside."
"I...I won't let you die..." she responded determinedly.
"This Sesshoumaru won't die that easily! Now go!! Use the Shikon no Tama and go!!" he ordered, never sounding so discomposed before.
'Go home...?' Kagome thought sadly as she slowly dropped her arms and took out the jewel from her sleeve. 'But I...'
Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned around to the demon lord.
"Use it and go ho..." Sesshoumaru repeated but his voice trailed off when he saw a teardrop traveling down her pink cheek.
"I never said I wanted to..." Kagome finally said with a trembling voice as she balled her hands, pressing the jewel against the center of her palm. "Why are you pushing me away like that? Do you hate me that much?" she sobbed as she kept staring into his gold-amber orbs with her navy-blue ones.
Sesshoumaru's eyes hardened. He wanted to answer her but he couldn't find the words. 'Kagome...I...'
"It doesn't matter anymore..." Kagome smiled awkwardly through her tears and turned around again.
The demon lord stretched out his arm to stop her from turning away from him. But he realized painfully that he couldn't do it because of the distance between them. Just when his lips parted to speak, the voice of Kikyou caught their attention again.
"How sweet..." the miko said wryly. "I'll just send the both of you to the other world with one arrow, now isn't that nice of me?"
She raised her bow and pulled the string backwards with all her might, making sure the arrow would be fast enough to pierce through Kagome's body and kill the demon lord as well.
Not wavering for even a second, Kikyou released her arrow.
-- FWISSHHHHHH --
Horror and fear filled Sesshoumaru's heart as the sound of the arrow soaring through the air approached them with great speed.
Using all his strength, or what was left of it since he was still recovering; he tried to pull out the arrow that pinned him to the tree behind him. But unfortunately, every time he touched the arrow, an electric current ran through his hand to his entire body, rendering him paralyzed for several seconds. 'C-chikusho!!' he cursed inwardly as he looked at his burned claw.
He quickly looked up at Kagome, who was still standing protectively in front of him. 'No...Kagome...Kagome!!!' his mind screamed desperately.
Suddenly the sound of another arrow caught his sensitive ears.
-- FFFWWIIISSHHHHH --
A shimmering arrow suddenly flew out from behind the trees and hit the arrowhead that was meant to pierce through Kagome's heart.
-- CLASH --
Both arrows changed direction after the collision and stabbed the earth near Kagome's feet.
Kagome widened her eyes as she looked down at the long, thin artifact that was reflecting the moonlight perfectly. 'A silver arrow...? I-it couldn't be...'
Before she could finish her thought, a voice suddenly called out to her.
"Kagome!!!"
Shortly after that, nine shadows jumped into the clearing and positioned themselves around Kagome, with their backs turned to Kikyou.
Sesshoumaru, Kikyou and even Kagome were surprised to see the group consisting of five unknown individuals dressed in long robes of different colors, each with their hood covering their identity, accompanied by four young men in gold-coated armor.
AN: There were 12 of them when they arrived, but there are no battles without losses, so three of them died protecting the rest.
Kagome's eyes then caught another glimpse of silver. The one in the brown robe was holding a silver bow. That was probably the one who released the arrow that saved her life.
One of the four knights knelt down to Kagome's feet.
"We beg for your forgiveness for arriving this late Kagome-sama," he apologized politely.
Stunned by their sudden appearance, Kagome hesitatingly signaled with her hand for him to stand up. "Y-you are..."
"We're the imperial guards sent by your father, king Kronos, to save you and to bring you back to Celes," the guard explained.
Kagome's eyes traveled to the five robed individuals before her. "And they are...?"
"Why Kagome! I'm shocked!" one of the robed ones cut her off with a woman's voice. It was the one with the silver bow in her hand. "You should be very aware of the fact that there exist only one person who owns this silver bow," she said as she raised the bow to the level of her eyes.
It was truly a piece of art. The crescent-shaped component of the weapon was coated with silver and beautiful carvings could be seen on its thin surface. The handle at its center was coated with a darker material, which shape fitted the curve of one's hand perfectly. And finally, the two ends of the bow, where the ends of the string were attached, were adorned with crystals.
The robed one pulled off her hood after she said that, revealing a familiar face with blue eyes, framed with long brown locks.
"Kururo!" Kagome gasped with her hand over her mouth.
The rest of the robed ones pulled off their hoods as well, revealing the rest of her older siblings except for the eldest one. "We all came to save you Kagome!" they said in harmony. "Now let's go home. Mother and father are worried sick," one of them suggested.
"B-but" Kagome began, but was cut off by the miko's voice.
"Well what do we have here? One happy family reunion?"
All of them finally turned around to the miko. They gasped.
"No! She's not our sister everyone! She resembles her a lot but she isn't the Kikyou onee-sama we know!" Kagome quickly explained.
Kururo smirked. "I thought so...our onee-sama would never draw her bow against her own sisters," she reasoned as she pulled a silver arrow from the quiver that was hidden within her brown robe on her back and put it on her silver bow. "Who are you and why did you attempt to kill Kagome?" she demanded, drawing the string and pointing the arrow at Kikyou.
The miko responded by drawing her bow as well. "That's none of your business."
"Heh! Do you really think your measly arrows can withstand my silver ones?" the princess grinned.
"Try it and we'll see," Kikyou replied coolly.
Kagome gave her sister a worried look. "Kururo..."
"Daijoubu...there's no way her arrow will win from mine," her sister assured her without turning to her.
Both archers then released their arrows at the same time.
-- FWIIISHHHHHH --
Everyone watched tensed how the arrowheads flew towards each other.
-- CRRACKK --
With widened eyes, Kikyou saw how her arrow became split in two by the silver one.
But it didn't stop after that and continued to fly towards the miko, scratching her shoulder as it went pass her.
"Ack!!" she cried in pain, backing away while covering her shoulder with her free hand.
Kururo smiled satisfied and turned to her younger sister while lowering her silver bow. "See? I told you" she said but was cut off by Kikyou's loud voice.
"Kagome! Mark my words...don't let me ever see you again...or I will definitely kill you!!" she snarled angrily before walking away from the clearing.
Kagome relaxed after watching the miko leave. 'It's over...' she though relieved and turned to Sesshoumaru, who was still pinned to the tree by Kikyou's arrow.
He was looking at her with eyes filled with fatigue.
'Sesshoumaru...he's in pain...' she realized worriedly as she saw his exhausted expression and the drops of sweat on his forehead that glistened under de pale moonlight.
She was already moving towards the demon lord until a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"Don't go closer to that demon Kagome!"
It was Kururo who spoke and she pulled Kagome to stand aside, together with the guards.
The archer turned to face Sesshoumaru and notched another silver arrow on her bow. "You must be that arrogant demon lord Kikyou onee-sama told us about."
Kagome widened her eyes. "No Kururo! He's"
"Quiet Kagome!" her sister cut her off. "I have examined your wings and verified exactly when the tragedy took place." she said, turning back to the demon lord. "You bastard!! If you had agreed to help us 3 weeks ago, Kagome's wings never would've been torn off!!"
Kagome froze. 'T-they came to Earth before...?' she thought surprised and shocked at the same time. 'Why...why didn't Sesshoumaru tell me about it? Three weeks ago...?'
Suddenly she recalled the other presence she felt when she was talking to the firefly at the pond back then. 'It was him...Sesshoumaru...he was there too...when the human saw me and approached me...!!'
All these realizations kept spinning inside her mind and numerous questions popped up one after another. 'If he was really there back then...why didn't he save me from those humans...? Why did he save me afterwards...? Why was he so kind to me...? Why did he risk his life for me...? Why?? Why???'
Sesshoumaru scowled. "You low, dishonorable beings...," he growled angrily. Not only did the winged ones intrude his land earlier than promised; they even have the nerve to take advantage of this irritating situation.
His eyes traveled towards Kagome and he realized that her expression had saddened.
Seeing her like that, suddenly made him wonder if he really could have saved her from her cruel fate, had he not been so proud back then. 'Kagome...' he thought, with guilt filling his demon heart. 'Was it really my fault...? Are you blaming this Sesshoumaru as well...?'
His thoughts were interrupted when the archer began to speak again.
"There's no way I'm going to let the chance to kill you pass me by!!" she spat and released her arrow.
-- FWISSHHHHH --
The sound of the arrow leaving the tense string made Kagome snap back into reality and she watched the silver arrow with widened eyes.
The sudden thought of never being able to see Sesshoumaru again created a sharp pain in her chest and her legs began to sprint towards the demon lord.
'No matter what he has done...no matter how many things he has kept from me...I...I...' she thought with tears welling up in her eyes as she prayed she would make it in time.
She set off with her feet at the last moment and jumped towards Sesshoumaru as she squeezed her eyes shut. 'Sesshoumaru...!!'
-- TSJAK --
Kagome slowly opened her eyes. 'Did I...make it...?'
She knew her whole body was trembling as she saw her unsteady hands that were holding onto the white haori before her face.
Except for some numbness in her legs, she couldn't feel anything at all.
No burning pain, no stinging or shocking sensation...nothing.
Kagome dropped her gaze to her body. 'Y-yokatta...it didn't go through...' she thought relieved when she saw no arrowhead.
She lifted her face to look up, only to find herself gazing into a pair of wide gold-amber eyes.
She could see that he had parted his lips to speak, but she didn't get to see or hear what he wanted to say as darkness swallowed up her entire vision.
I know...it was a very sad chapter wasn't it? -grabs a tissue- I almost cried when I wrote this chapter and listened to Inuyasha&Kagome's theme at the same time. I really hope you all liked this chapter despite that it's a bit on the short side. Please look forward to the next chapter ne?
Lots of greets,
Kittymui
Next chapter: Incurable agony
-.-.-.-.-
In the next chapter, we'll concentrate on Kagome only. What will her sisters and parents think of her reckless act that almost got herself killed? Will she ever be able to see Sesshoumaru again? Eventually, Kagome falls ill...what will become of her now?
-.-.-.-.-
Vocabulary:
chikusho: damn it
onee-sama: big sister
daijoubu: it's okay
miko: priestess
yokatta: rather than 'I'm glad' or 'I'm relieved', I think you could see it more as a 'sigh in relief' in this context.
dakara: that's why.../so...
-.-.-.-.-
REPLIES TO REVIEWS:
CryingDeath: I will I will!! Don't worry :).
Angelic 0263: Thanks and you're very welcome!!
drow goddess: Hehe, sorry for the cliffhanger (again). But glad you like it! I'll try to update as soon as possible (again) hahaha.
Shiroi senshi: Haha I guess you're not the only one hating Kikyou, but there's still a nice one on the moon :)! Thanks for reviewing!
Wake-Robin: Euhm nope, Kagome hasn't used the Shikon no Tama yet hehe. Sesshoumaru went to find Kagome and found her on time so it's a coincidence :). Hey thanks! I'm glad you're still loving it!!
Kyia: Thanks for letting me know!
stoictimer: Hahaha like the drama? Thank you!! Hahaha very creative mind you have to come up with such possibilities :), no really they're great!!
Kirei Baka Kasumi: Thanks! I'm glad you're pleased with it hihihi.
Jirurianu: Thank you very much! Hahaha I guess most main characters are either meant to be beat up or meant to be 'fluffed' up don't you agree?
Guardian-of-the-night: I'm glad you loved it! I wonder if this cliffie is even more evil than the previous one...hmmm...:).
trivia: Thanks!!
writerlover101: Thanks!! I'll try!!
Mistress Koishii: Hahaha, you know what? You're totally right :). I read about it too. But I thought most readers would be more familiar with Bakuryuuha then Kongousouha (Diamond blast thing haha forgot the name too). But thanks for reminding me!
Dragon of Sesshomaru: Wah! Don't throw yourself off a cliff! Here's the update!! (with another cliffhanger...oops...)
Muki: Thanks!!
Why?What?Shutup: Hahaha I wish she was so easy to kill :).
Faile6: Haha, which anime were you thinking about then? I would really like to know, because I haven't seen one before that resembled the beginning of this story. And euhm...it's nice of you to tell me that I have typos and syntax mistakes, but it would be even better if you could tell me where and what mistake exactly. It's easier for me to prevent them in the future chapters/stories if I knew them :). Anyhow, thanks for reviewing!!
Anime Redneck: I'm glad you like it! Thank you!
INUGIRL: I'll update as soon as possible!! Thanks!
Posted: 15 September 2004
Last Edited: 15 September 2004
Spelling check: YES