Luna: 32!
Veron: YAY!
Jareth: Make them stop...
Veron: Make what stop?
Jareth: The Pikachu's wearing radioactive pants that are dancing on my stomach...
Veron: ((sweatdrop))
Disclaimer: MY STORY! Not my characters...
Chapter 32: Because...
Kagome stared up at the woman and Kikyo's pale lips curved into a cruel smile once more. Her gray eyes steely and glowing with hate for the young woman kneeling before her. Kikyo gestured with her hand to all the people being tortured by their memories and fears, the tentacles that oozed bright green poison that continuously worsened their wounds.
"This is all your fault. Had you not mistrusted your beloved Inuyasha-kun the way you did, none of this would have happened. All of this pain that they must experience again is your fault."
The feudal miko let her gaze drop to the floor, her tears pooling and falling into the gray floor. Her shoulders quivered with her silent sobs as she fisted her hands, letting the nails cut into the flesh of her palms, relishing in the feel of her blood running down her hands. Drops of salt water and blood collected at the ground before her anguished face. Kagome's shoulders slumped in defeat, this pain that constricted her heart; it hurt so much...
Kikyo laughed, her sick humor echoing off the red muscled walls that writhed sickeningly in the dim light of her surroundings. She flicked her long ebony tresses behind her shoulders and cupped Inuyasha's face with her pale hand. Her thumb ran delicately over his lips and over the planes of his tanned features. Her gray eyes didn't soften as she pressed her lips coldly against his own before throwing his head back with a crack.
"Poor Inuyasha. All defenseless and sad. It's moments like these that I'm glad you made him taste your blood. Or I would've had such a weak husband." The miko ran her fingers through her bangs and made her way over to Kagome, wrenching her chin up to face her.
"Tell me. Why exactly haven't you just died already? Like you wanted?"
Kagome's eyes widened.
"You think I didn't know about that little stint? Or how you cheated those kind owners of the Pachinko Parlor? Do us all a favor. And just die!" With that said, Kikyo slapped Kagome full across the face and kicked her onto her back, digging her high-heeled boot into her chest.
"How does it feel?"
Kikyo gasped as she felt something connect with the back of her head, knocking her to the ground. Groaning, she felt the back of her head, as she pulled her hand away the distinct color of her blood made her gasp.
"Onigumo!"
The man let his red eyes slide over to her and his lips curled into a snarl. He stepped over to the wounded woman as she struggled to stand. Taking her chin, he wrenched her head to face him. Her gray eyes were glimmering with fear as she strained in his grasp. His other hand raised up and backhanded her full across the face, causing her neck to crack and her body to fly across the room and onto the floor.
"You were not to touch her or harm her in anyway."
Kikyo slowly sat up, her pale hand clutching the side of her abused face. She glared at the man, betrayal and hurt glowing in her eyes. Tears of pain swirled in the murky gray depths and she sat up, her hands slowly glowing with her spiritual power.
"Stupid woman. Do you truly think I held any affection for you? You don't hold a candle to my miko's beauty, her radiance, her purity that I so crave." Onigumo knelt gingerly before Kagome, and gently took her face into his hands. Her stormy eyes were wide with fear and disgust, her heart thudding in her chest as the familiar pain between her legs appeared.
"I was using you to counter my lust for my one true desire. My one true love. Kagome." He smirked at the stricken woman behind him before pressing Kagome lips to his mouth.
And Kagome screamed.
" K-Kageromaru-San..." Rin whimpered as he held her to his chest, his long pink hair creating a curtain around them both as he nuzzled her bare neck.
"Even after everything I have done, you still hold me in your heart do you not?"
"I..."
He smirked in her skin as he pressed emotionless kisses down the flesh of her throat. His hands curving about her hips and bringing her close, whispering in her ear. Making Rin stuck between horror and the school girl crush she still harbored for the man.
A scream echoed in her consciousness and her brown eyes snapped open. This was...just an image. A cruel fantasy. Kageromaru was dead. Because of her. And she would do it again.
Turning in his embrace, she smiled and pressed her lips to his, her hands clutching his shoulders. His tongue slid between her lips and slid along her own, before he felt flames of crackling energy engulf his body. His green eyes widened in shock at Rin's outstretched palms and at his disintegrating body.
"Rin, why do you run from this?"
Rin looked sadly at the fading image of her sensei.
"Because..."
Sesshomaru roared as he pulled Rin's dead and bloodied body close to his chest. He buried his face in her dirtied brown hair and inhaled the last of her scent. This was how Rin died the first time, in the feudal era during the battle with Naraku. And he couldn't save her, he had failed Rin. His mate at the time, so Naraku cursed him. Since he couldn't save his own mate, he could never have her as a lover again. Only as a daughter.
Rin smiled up at him one last time, her hands cupping his face before she fell limp in his arms. His name still on her lips, her mouth in a slight smile, even in death.
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he placed Rin's cold body down upon the earth. He clenched his hands, before gazing over at the blood-covered blade of Tokijin, it's evil aura resonating still. The demon lord stood, his understanding slowly coming full circle.
Even if he couldn't have Rin as a lover any longer. He still had her by his side, and being in her presence was enough. Even if it would cause him pain in the long run, if he saw her happy. Then the pain in his heart could be appeased. He would live with this mistake. As long as Rin was happy.
As long as she was happy.
Then he was happy.
"Why is it you cannot accept defeat Sesshomaru-Sama?" He heard Rin speak hoarsely from behind. She was dead and yet she still spoke to him? Haunting him with her voice even in death?
"Because..."
Sango's tears fell down her cheeks as she gripped her fallen handle of Hiraikotsu. The numerous sickle cuts that covered her weary body making her blood meld with the rest of the dead. She struggled to stand only to feel the razor edge of the blade cut across her chest, leaving another opening to reveal her breasts.
The taijya stood, and shouldered Hiraikotsu, her magenta eyes glowing with her excruciating physical and mental pain as she gazed upon the murky red of the stormy sky. Feeling the edge cut across her skin again and again merely made her stand taller. She would not bow down to this image of her brother.
She was the strongest demon exterminator of her clan.
Sango had a reputation to uphold.
"Why do you not obey me Sister? We have to avenge our clan."
Another swipe at her flesh, another flash of blood, another pool of liquid to show for all the death.
"Because..."
Miroku stared at his staff that lie innocently beside him. He ignored the cold stare of his dying father as he slowly curled his hand over the aged wood. Standing, he let his bangs shadow his eyes, before raising the staff of above his head.
"I will avenge her."
"What can you do? You will forget all this like I will in a short time, my stupid son."
"Because..."
Inuyasha looked on helplessly as Kagome let herself be held by his incarnation. Her stormy eyes bright with happiness that glimmered with love. She cupped Inuyasha-kun's face and traced his features delicately, lingering innocently over his lips.
His incarnation looked over at his reincarnation, his gold eyes demanding.
"Why don't you just give her to me? Let your suffering end?"
Kagome looked up at her lover, her eyes wide with innocent confusion.
"Because..."
Kagome pulled away from Onigumo's mouth, but he pushed her to the ground, one hand gripping her breast and his other hand worming his hand underneath the hem of her hakama pants, his tongue ever intruding in her mouth.
Kikyo's eyes narrowed as she stalked up behind her second betrayal. Kagome's eyes were wide with disgust and fear as he gripped her harder; his nails making drops of blood encrust her blouse, her scream silence by his kisses.
"Shinai." Kikyo pressed her palms against Naraku's back, her purification energy crackling through his body, making him turn and lash back, his hand forming into a tentacle and pushing through Kikyo's stomach.
Kagome screamed as he pulled his hand away, unaware of how deep his claws had entered the flesh of her bosom. She screamed in pain as blood oozed from her wounds, tears of pain and guilt streaming down her dirtied cheeks. Her throat hoarse and raw, her mouth filled with another person's sick saliva.
And she kept screaming and weeping. Each sound of her voice and tear for each moment of everyone's pain. Everyone's sorrow. Whether it was caused by her or not. Everyone's pain.
Including Kikyo's.
Including her own.
"Because..." Rin spoke again as she stood, her brown eyes swirling with spiritual energy.
"Because..." Sesshomaru's hand gripped the hilt of Tokijin, the blade slowly glowing with a blade power.
"Because..." Sango whispered, looking at her brother sadly, her magenta orbs reflecting the pools of blood at her feet.
"Because..." Miroku cried, his staff slamming into his father's chest, rupturing his heart. Causing the man to spasm and fall into his starch white sheet, dead and gray as his surroundings.
"Because..." Inuyasha gazed longingly at Kagome's innocent stormy pools that shimmered with tears.
"THIS ISN'T REAL!"
Kagome's eyes snapped open as she looked at the bright light emitting from her comrade's tentacles. Bodies flew from the tendrils grasp, her friends slowly bringing themselves up, their grasp on their weapons ever tightening.
Tears of relief sprung into Kagome's eyes and fell down her grimy face. She stood up, retrieving her bow and quiver as their surroundings slowly melted away.
Inuyasha ran over to Kagome, his amber eyes worried and relieved at once. He grasped her face and looked her over.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes..." Kagome smiled through her tears as the darkness dissipated.
As she gazed into the tired determined faces of everyone around here, she smiled.
"As long as everyone is with me. I'll be fine."
Her stormy eyes hardened.
"Enough talk. Let's find Onigumo."
Luna: Finish!
Veron: The final battle is next!
Jareth: ((sits back with some popcorn))
Veron: ((sweatdrop))
Luna: REVIEW! Miroku's part of the torture is a NIGHTMARE not a memory. Just to clear that up.