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Chapter Twenty: Hana's Secret and Kikyo's Betrayal
"Hana, what happened?" Kagome asked.
Hana sighed, turning to the girl.
"Firstly, there are some things you need to understand..." Hana began. "Kikyo was guarding the Shikon no Tama. Many mikos all around wanted the job. But there was a terrible rivalry. Most mikos hated Kikyo. They tried to take the jewel for themselves, but had failed because of her great power. I was mildly disappointed I hadn't received the jewel, but I understood. I was one of the few remaining loyal mikos. Kikyo and I were young, and very good friends at the time. Tsubaki, she desired the jewel more than anyone. Tsubaki tried to use me as bait so she could lure Kikyo to her and combine her power with mine so she could take the jewel from Kikyo. But of course, I resisted. Kikyo had saved me, and then, later, when a few months had passed, I went to another village, there, I found Mei Lhi. Right after I had sealed Mei Lhi so she could rest for those forty-seven years, who shows up, none other than Kikyo herself. But this Kikyo had changed. She sealed me as well, and so I lay sleeping for forty five years, my miko power finally breaking the seal upon me. Mei Lhi was still sealed, and so it was then in those two years, that I found Kikyo once again, and I sought my revenge. By then, she had died...much to my dismay and happiness. But also, I stumbled upon Inuyasha forest, which gave me hope for Mei Lhi. I continued on to the village, I went to visit the shrine that had been made for Kikyo, I found that they burned her body with the Shikon no Tama, for her reincarnation to protect. So, I left, returning to the village, and looked after Mei Lhi since I let her go on her search to find Inuyasha...and now she's found him, I take care of her still." Hana finished.
Inuyasha became lost in thought as he pieced the puzzle together.
"It sounds like one of Naraku's tricks. He did the same thing to Kikyo and I." He said finally.
"I agree." Sango and Miroku chimed in.
"Me too." Mei Lhi added.
"I do too!" Shippo said.
Everyone glanced at Kagome for her answer.
She nodded her head in reply.
"Yes, I agree..." She said.
"I believe there was a certain time after I was brought back, you attempted to kill me..." Kikyo said quietly.
"That's a lie! The day you claim I attacked you, Mei Lhi had been attacked by a youkai and I had given her a remedy for the miasama!" Hana yelled furiously.
Mei Lhi nodded vigorously.
"Yes! It was a boar youkai with two Shikon shards and I had defeated it, but not before I had inhaled a great amount of the boar's miasama. Hana- chan had made an herbal tea that tasted really horrible, but it cured me." She added.
Kikyo smiled slightly.
"You're so much like Inuyasha...a good soul..." She said.
"Uh...thanks?" Mei Lhi replied uncertaintly.
Kikyo reached out a hand towards Mei Lhi, the soul snatchers surrounding them. Suddenly some words she and Miroku had said came floating back to her.
~*~Flash Back~*~
'"What about those weird flying youkai?" Mei Lhi asked.
"They're soul snatchers. They carry souls of the dead and bring them to Kikyo to keep her alive." Miroku replied.'
~*~End Flash Back~*~
She noticed the soul snatchers surrounding her, and a bright light glowing from inside herself. Her gold eyes flashed, realizing what Kikyo was trying to do. She stepped backwards until she walked right into Inuyasha, then reaching behind her, she drew Tetsusaiga, holding it defensively.
"Mei Lhi! What the hell are you-" Inuyasha yelled.
"Shut up! She's trying to take my soul, baka!!!" Mei Lhi screamed at him.
"NANI?!!!!!"
Kikyo continued to approach. Mei Lhi glanced at the sword, seeing that it was still a rusty blade. She tossed it aside.
"Oh that thing is completely useless! How you manage to use it, Onii-san is beyond me..." She said.
She reached behind her back, drawing Tetsusage.
Inuyasha huffed at Mei Lhi's comment, glaring at her angrily for a few seconds before he went to pick up his sword, resheathing it.
Mei Lhi swung the sword at the soul snatchers, all of them dissappating. Kikyo looked furious.
"Onii-san, are you going to just stand there or help me? That goes for everyone too! Either stand there and look stupid or do something!" Mei Lhi yelled.
Shippo was the first at Mei Lhi's side.
"I'll help Mei-chan!" The kitsune said.
Mei Lhi smiled, her fangs showing. Kikyo reached for an arrow and fit it into the bow.
Miroku and Sango joined Mei Lhi, followed by Hana and Kagome.
Mei Lhi turned around to see Inuyasha standing alone, then sighed, shaking her head.
"Love-struck baka..." She muttered angrily.
* * *
Inuyasha's ears perked up.
"I heard that..." He said angrily, an eye twitching.
"What're you going to do about it?" Mei Lhi asked.
Kikyo released her arrow, shining with miko light, Mei Lhi easily knocking it away with the sword's blade.
"Is that it, Kikyo?" Mei Lhi taunted.
"Mei Lhi...don't." Hana whispered.
"Don't what?" Mei Lhi asked.
"Taunt her." Hana replied.
"Why?"
A great force of miko energy hit her, and Mei Lhi went soaring backwards.
She landed on the ground. Hard. She gasped with pain, her almost closed wounds reopening, blood spilling forth.
Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga.
"I'm sorry...Kikyo..." He whispered.
Kikyo had dropped her bow and arrows, now focusing all her miko energy on her hands where miko power flowed, a eerie glowing purple. She had her hands facing the hanyou girl, pouring negative miko energy into the girl.
Inuyasha ran forward, raising his sword, jumping between Mei Lhi and Kikyo, using Tetsusaiga to block the attack.
The purple miko light bounced off of the sword and rebounded upon its originator. Kikyo staggered and fell, several souls escaping through her body. The soul snatchers lifted her body and carried her into the sky, then together disappearing.
Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga, then without a word, pulled Mei Lhi to her feet, handing her Tetsusage.
"Thanks..." She said.
"Can you stand?" Inuyasha asked.
"I think, yeah..."
"Good."
"That damn bitch, Kikyo..." Mei Lhi muttered.
Inuyasha looked away, trying to conceal the look of hurt and shame on his face.
Chapter Twenty: Hana's Secret and Kikyo's Betrayal
"Hana, what happened?" Kagome asked.
Hana sighed, turning to the girl.
"Firstly, there are some things you need to understand..." Hana began. "Kikyo was guarding the Shikon no Tama. Many mikos all around wanted the job. But there was a terrible rivalry. Most mikos hated Kikyo. They tried to take the jewel for themselves, but had failed because of her great power. I was mildly disappointed I hadn't received the jewel, but I understood. I was one of the few remaining loyal mikos. Kikyo and I were young, and very good friends at the time. Tsubaki, she desired the jewel more than anyone. Tsubaki tried to use me as bait so she could lure Kikyo to her and combine her power with mine so she could take the jewel from Kikyo. But of course, I resisted. Kikyo had saved me, and then, later, when a few months had passed, I went to another village, there, I found Mei Lhi. Right after I had sealed Mei Lhi so she could rest for those forty-seven years, who shows up, none other than Kikyo herself. But this Kikyo had changed. She sealed me as well, and so I lay sleeping for forty five years, my miko power finally breaking the seal upon me. Mei Lhi was still sealed, and so it was then in those two years, that I found Kikyo once again, and I sought my revenge. By then, she had died...much to my dismay and happiness. But also, I stumbled upon Inuyasha forest, which gave me hope for Mei Lhi. I continued on to the village, I went to visit the shrine that had been made for Kikyo, I found that they burned her body with the Shikon no Tama, for her reincarnation to protect. So, I left, returning to the village, and looked after Mei Lhi since I let her go on her search to find Inuyasha...and now she's found him, I take care of her still." Hana finished.
Inuyasha became lost in thought as he pieced the puzzle together.
"It sounds like one of Naraku's tricks. He did the same thing to Kikyo and I." He said finally.
"I agree." Sango and Miroku chimed in.
"Me too." Mei Lhi added.
"I do too!" Shippo said.
Everyone glanced at Kagome for her answer.
She nodded her head in reply.
"Yes, I agree..." She said.
"I believe there was a certain time after I was brought back, you attempted to kill me..." Kikyo said quietly.
"That's a lie! The day you claim I attacked you, Mei Lhi had been attacked by a youkai and I had given her a remedy for the miasama!" Hana yelled furiously.
Mei Lhi nodded vigorously.
"Yes! It was a boar youkai with two Shikon shards and I had defeated it, but not before I had inhaled a great amount of the boar's miasama. Hana- chan had made an herbal tea that tasted really horrible, but it cured me." She added.
Kikyo smiled slightly.
"You're so much like Inuyasha...a good soul..." She said.
"Uh...thanks?" Mei Lhi replied uncertaintly.
Kikyo reached out a hand towards Mei Lhi, the soul snatchers surrounding them. Suddenly some words she and Miroku had said came floating back to her.
~*~Flash Back~*~
'"What about those weird flying youkai?" Mei Lhi asked.
"They're soul snatchers. They carry souls of the dead and bring them to Kikyo to keep her alive." Miroku replied.'
~*~End Flash Back~*~
She noticed the soul snatchers surrounding her, and a bright light glowing from inside herself. Her gold eyes flashed, realizing what Kikyo was trying to do. She stepped backwards until she walked right into Inuyasha, then reaching behind her, she drew Tetsusaiga, holding it defensively.
"Mei Lhi! What the hell are you-" Inuyasha yelled.
"Shut up! She's trying to take my soul, baka!!!" Mei Lhi screamed at him.
"NANI?!!!!!"
Kikyo continued to approach. Mei Lhi glanced at the sword, seeing that it was still a rusty blade. She tossed it aside.
"Oh that thing is completely useless! How you manage to use it, Onii-san is beyond me..." She said.
She reached behind her back, drawing Tetsusage.
Inuyasha huffed at Mei Lhi's comment, glaring at her angrily for a few seconds before he went to pick up his sword, resheathing it.
Mei Lhi swung the sword at the soul snatchers, all of them dissappating. Kikyo looked furious.
"Onii-san, are you going to just stand there or help me? That goes for everyone too! Either stand there and look stupid or do something!" Mei Lhi yelled.
Shippo was the first at Mei Lhi's side.
"I'll help Mei-chan!" The kitsune said.
Mei Lhi smiled, her fangs showing. Kikyo reached for an arrow and fit it into the bow.
Miroku and Sango joined Mei Lhi, followed by Hana and Kagome.
Mei Lhi turned around to see Inuyasha standing alone, then sighed, shaking her head.
"Love-struck baka..." She muttered angrily.
* * *
Inuyasha's ears perked up.
"I heard that..." He said angrily, an eye twitching.
"What're you going to do about it?" Mei Lhi asked.
Kikyo released her arrow, shining with miko light, Mei Lhi easily knocking it away with the sword's blade.
"Is that it, Kikyo?" Mei Lhi taunted.
"Mei Lhi...don't." Hana whispered.
"Don't what?" Mei Lhi asked.
"Taunt her." Hana replied.
"Why?"
A great force of miko energy hit her, and Mei Lhi went soaring backwards.
She landed on the ground. Hard. She gasped with pain, her almost closed wounds reopening, blood spilling forth.
Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga.
"I'm sorry...Kikyo..." He whispered.
Kikyo had dropped her bow and arrows, now focusing all her miko energy on her hands where miko power flowed, a eerie glowing purple. She had her hands facing the hanyou girl, pouring negative miko energy into the girl.
Inuyasha ran forward, raising his sword, jumping between Mei Lhi and Kikyo, using Tetsusaiga to block the attack.
The purple miko light bounced off of the sword and rebounded upon its originator. Kikyo staggered and fell, several souls escaping through her body. The soul snatchers lifted her body and carried her into the sky, then together disappearing.
Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga, then without a word, pulled Mei Lhi to her feet, handing her Tetsusage.
"Thanks..." She said.
"Can you stand?" Inuyasha asked.
"I think, yeah..."
"Good."
"That damn bitch, Kikyo..." Mei Lhi muttered.
Inuyasha looked away, trying to conceal the look of hurt and shame on his face.