Love beyond the Western Lands

Chapter 8: Glimmers of Hope

Kanna winced from the wound of Kikyou's katana. "Naraku won't be pleased!" Kanna thought sadly. Suddenly, she got a mental image of her getting sucked back into Naraku's body and shuddered at that thought.

She slowly walked through the doors, looking for Naraku, though not putting much effort to it. "Where have you been, Kanna!" Naraku's angry voice rang out from the dark corner of the room. Kanna jumped and bowed. "M-milord!" Kanna said, frightened, "Miko Kikyou held me back!"

Naraku growled. "HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO GET INVOLVED IN COMBAT WITH HER!" Naraku screamed across the room. Then, something caught his eye; a red shimmer of blood on Kanna's right arm.

"How did you get that wound?" Naraku asked. "From Miko Kikyou's katana," Kanna said. Naraku narrowed his eyes. "You shall join Kagura in the dungeons as well," Naraku said. He got up, grabbed Kanna's hair and dragged her down below.

Naraku shackled Kanna next to Kagura with chains. "Kanna!" Kagura exclaimed. "What did you do get down here!" "I was engaged in battle with Kikyou…" "Oh…" Kagura said.

Naraku slapped both of them across the face. "You both are NOT to speak for the time you are down here! Kanna, you have failed me more than Kagura has! In a week, I shall decide your fate." With that, he veered out of the dank, gloomy dungeon.

As soon has he was out of sight, Kagura said, "Kanna, you will not get drawn back into his body, I guarantee it! If it is someone who shall get absorbed back into his body, it shall be ME!" Kanna simply nodded. "I must hope and pray for that," Kanna thought. "Even if that DOES happen, I must have at least a glimmer of hope."

Kikyou crouched low over Sesshoumaru's lifeless body. She took his pulse and it was still beating. "Thank god," She thought with relief. She picked Sesshoumaru up and brought him back to camp.

"Well, lookie lookie!" Kayorei said in a mock baby voice. "The love birds are back!"

Kikyou set Sesshoumaru down on his sleeping bag and covered him up. "AwwwWWWww!" Kayorei said. "She's tucking him in now!" She made a grotesque cutesy voice.

"Control yourself!" Kikyou said to herself. "AW, ADMIT IT!" Kayorei screamed. "YOU HAVE FEELINGS FOR HIM, JUST ADMIT IT, YOU SUCK UP!" Kikyou exploded at that point.

Kikyou released the binds that held Kayorei and grasped her by the throat. "You would want to watch what your saying, shoujo (Girl/woman)," Kikyou hissed, "Or you will be sorry."

Kayorei's eyes spilled tears from lack of air. "I…I…" She was able to choke out. "Yes?" Kikyou said, gritting her teeth. Kayorei fainted. Kikyou remembered something. "Her shards!" Kikyou thought, and walked back to Kayorei and ripped out the shards out from her hair and placed them in her pouch. Then, she carried Kayorei back to the tree and chained her there once more. While making a potion, Sesshoumaru awoke.

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes. He felt light-headed and dizzy. His sight was blurry. "Oogh…" he groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "That baka shoujo, Kanna!" he thought angrily. As he regained his sight, he saw Kayorei lying on the floor, chained and emitted a ghostly gray aura. "Ah, good," Kikyou's voice said, sitting on a tree stump, grinding herbs with a pestle and mortar. "You're awake!"

Sesshoumaru smiled. "What happened to Kayorei?" Sesshoumaru asked. "Oh, you needn't worry," Kikyou said. "We had a small conflict." He nodded. "What's that you're making?" "It's a potion to revive those whose souls have been drained partially." Kikyou added a few drops of water and a purple cloud puffed up. She poured it in a vial and handed it to Sesshoumaru. "Drink it," Kikyou said. Sesshoumaru drank the potion. To his surprise, it did not taste like raw suet. It tasted like the extract of strawberries. As he gulped the entire potion down, he no longer felt light headed.

"Her remedies are always so useful," he thought. He got up. "Do you need anything, Sesshoumaru?" Kikyou asked. "No," he said. "No, I'm just going for a walk." "Oh," Kikyou said. "May I join you?" "Um, I'd really prefer to be alone," Sesshoumaru said uneasily, scratching the back of his head. "I'll be back in about 20 minutes." "Ok," Kikyou said with a smile. Sesshoumaru's stomach made butterflies.

He walked off. He wandered around the bushes, until he came to a clearing. He gasped. There was a HUGE lake in the middle of it, just beckoning. Sesshoumaru jumped in. SLPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! A huge wave roared over.

He swam deeper and deeper, and he came to a cave. "Whoa…" Sesshoumaru thought. He swam up to the surface and caught his breath. He swam to the surface. "If that cave does not have much air pockets, I'll need another set of clothes for freedom of movement," he thought. Then with a wave of his finger, his kimono and swords disappeared and then he was wearing white swimming trunks. He strapped a 16 inch katana to his calf and dove in.

He swam into the cave. To his surprise, the cave was lit by branches of everlasting fire. He continued on. Suddenly, the tunnel led up. He swam up to the surface and got up. He walked about for a few minutes, until he felt something slimy slide across his feet. "EEEUGH!" Sesshoumaru groaned. He kept walking. Suddenly, he felt the same slimy feeling grasp his ankles and his wrists. "TENTACLES!" He shouted. "HOLY CRAP, THEY'RE COMING OUTTA THE WALLS!"

Sesshoumaru was suddenly plunged down into the water again, but the tentacles did not let go. "They want to suffocate me!" he thought. "Dear Kikyou, please come!"

To be continued….