Chapter 10: Nigimitama…Friendship.
)(This chapter gets a little into, the jewel, and the friendship part of it….)(
Kisa, jumped through the well, and waited on the other side for Kagome. The air around Kisa was different, something seemed peculiar. She twirled around looking in all directions, for anything strange; nothing. She sighed, and swung her bag lazily back, and forth. –What's taking Kagome so long- She thought.
Little did Kisa know Kagome was stuck on the other side. She jumped frantically at the bottom of the well trying to get through. Kagome, tried calling out to Kisa, but it evidently wasn't working. She cupped her hands nervously, and sighed. -What's going on? Why can't I get through-
Kisa sat on the paling of the well, and rocked her feet back and forth. She sighed, throwing her hands up in impatience, and started off toward the village. She walked back slowly, and cautiously, as bushes that she passed rustled suspiciously. Trees wavered apprehensively and leaves fell from the trees all in one motion, as if someone or something were following her. Kisa stopped for a minute before walking onward. However, before she did, the ground pulsated making Kisa wobble recklessly.
The pulsating stopped, and Kisa regained her balance. It was then that it hit her. –I don't have the spear! I have no protection for whatever that was- She looked around worriedly, and clenched her fists. The area around Kisa shook, and then stopped abruptly. A large shadow could be seen over the tops of the large trees. Kisa's heart pounded, as the figure inched closer. She stepped back, and broke out into a run. –Kagome, why aren't you back yet!-
The figure chased Kisa, who was running with all her might. Kisa tripped over a large root, and fell into the dirt. She lay there, as she felt the presence of the thing come closer. Kisa scrunched the dirt with her hands, and whimpered. She felt a hand grab her up by the hair, and yank her toward it. Kisa grunted, and opened her eyes to face the monster.
The figure was that of a man, with glowing blue eyes, he had short spiked black hair, and sharp fangs and claws. He was dressed in a rather large black and blue kimono, with an outsized sword in its sheath tied around his back. The man reared his head, and smirked.
"What a lovely woman you are." He said chuckling.
Kisa gritted her teeth, trying to pull away from his grasp. The more she struggled the more his grip tightened. His eyes looked to Kisa's shard of the jewel. He put a hand to his chin.
"Oh, and you have a rather large piece of the sacred jewel too."
Kisa covered the jewel with her hand. "Let me go, you jerk. Who are you, and what do you want?" she snapped.
The man chortled, and let go of Kisa. "My name is Ichiro, but you need not to remember."
Kisa scrambled to her feet, and formed a solid fist angrily, gritting her teeth. For some odd reason, the air was chilling, his presence as making her dizzy. She breathed out, and saw her breathe, -Is it really that cold-. "What do you want! Answer me!"
Ichiro walked closer to Kisa, grabbing her hands before she could sock him. "That jewel." He whispered in her ear.
Kisa felt a freezing sensation take over, and fell to the ground on her knees. It was as if the area around her had completely frozen over, Kisa felt herself blacking out, and fell to the ground. She was completely paralyzed, oblivious of what was going to happen to her.
-
InuYasha grew impatient of waiting for Kagome, and set of toward the well. "Damn her, she takes forever!"
He reached the well, sniffing around it for awhile. He scoffed, and jumped into the well, passing over to the future. H e stood in front of Kagome, who was trying frantically to get to the past. InuYasha shook his head, and turned her around. Kagome blinked, and clasped her hands together.
"InuYasha! I couldn't get to other side. Someone was blocking the well. Where's Kisa?" she asked, picking up her bag.
InuYasha shrugged. "I don't know, she didn't go back to village yet." He said scornfully.
Kagome sighed, and pushed InuYasha a little. "Let's go, we need to find her before something else happens to her!"
InuYasha staggered, but before he could argue, Kagome was already on his back ready to take off. He sighed, and jumped slightly, passing over to the past. The two climbed out of the well, and stood staring around for awhile. Kagome shivered, and walked closer to InuYasha.
"Feel that?" she asked, "Something's wrong."
He nodded, and began to sniff around. His ears tweaked as he picked up on Kisa's scent….but then, a scent of another. "Oh no." he muttered.
Kagome went wide-eyed. "Oh no what!"
InuYasha shook his head. "Looks like Kisa wasn't alone…someone else must have taken her." He said calmly.
Kagome gasped, and dropped her bag by her feet. "We need to find her."
InuYasha shrugged rolling his eyes. "Why?"
"Why! Are you insane? She's already almost been killed by Naraku. Who's to say he won't try it again, to get his hands on the jewel!" Kagome retorted.
InuYasha twitched his shoulder, and sighed. "Fine, let's go get the others, then."
-
Kisa lay motionless on a wooden paneling. She could feel it, but couldn't move. She could hear, but could not speak. Her eyes were closed, and those too, she could not open. Footsteps passed her, across the creaking floor, and stopped a short ways from her.
"I've brought the girl." said the first voice…the demon Ichiro.
A chuckle was suppressed around the room, and Kisa shivered. "Good job. Now that we have the girl, and the jewel, all we need is the prey. InuYasha will come for the jewel, if not the girl. You do what you wish with her."
Kisa's mind clicked. –Naraku.-
Ichiro bowed, and walked closer over to Kisa. "Naraku, this child looks much like the last guardian released from the jewel, does she not?"
Naraku nodded. "That she is though. That child there is in the line of generations of sacred demons that possessed the jewel, until it was entrusted to the priestess Kikyo. The demons were not able to control its power; however, they protected the priestess until her dying day. They were powerful indeed. After Kikyo died, the spirits in the jewel split once again to the remaining keepers of the jewel. This child is no ordinary mortal."
Kisa choked. Was this true, or just a deception? Kisa still couldn't move, yet was able to open her eyes; she squirmed, and tilted her head, trying to catch of glimpse of the evil, despicable demon Naraku. It was no use though. Ichiro smirked, and bent down on his knees.
"Well, looks like she's trying move. Did you hear that girl? Your not an ordinary mortal…feel brave?" he said mockingly.
Naraku waved his hand in one motion in the air. Kisa felt her body unbind, and lifted her head slowly. However, she swiftly grabbed around the neck, by Ichiro. He lifted her to her feet, and threw her in front of Naraku. Kisa fell on her hands, and knees, and looked up at a young man before her, with his feet crossed. –Is this Naraku- The man sneered, and looked to the jewel around Kisa's neck.
"Hello again. I'm glad to be meeting you again in person." Naraku scoffed.
Kisa gasped. Ichiro bowed one last time, and made his way out of the room. "They're coming." He murmured. Kisa narrowed her eyes at Naraku, unable to speak.
Naraku shot a green tentacle again from behind his back. Kisa, however, felt the presence before it could hit her. She dodged it, ramming into the wall. Naraku grabbed Kisa by the throat with his bare hands. He pushed her up against the wall, and constricted his hand firmer around her throat. She gagged, and tried pushing his hand off, but to no avail…he was too strong.
"Fool. You'll be dead soon. I will have the jewel, and soon…my vengeance on InuYasha will be fulfilled as well." He hissed.
Kisa coughed her vision going blurry, and her body turning limp. She grabbed hold of his hand, and dug her nails into his skin. She dug them deeper and deeper, her fingers penetrating with some sort of heat. Naraku tried pulling his hand from Kisa's neck, but could not move it. Kisa watched, as Naraku's arm began to burn.
Naraku finally let go, dropping Kisa to the floor. "You infuriating bitch!"
Kisa rubbed her hands along her neck, feeling the deep mark Naraku left. She coughed, and stared down at the floor. "I'm no ordinary mortal, remember?" she said gravely.
-
Meanwhile, Kagome, InuYasha and the others were closing in on Naraku's scent. They stopped seeing a large barrier surrounding an infinite area of the forest. InuYasha put Kagome down, and unsheathed his Tetsusaiga. InuYasha swung it high into the air.
"Sorry, but this is a private party." Came a voice.
InuYasha scoffed, and swung his Tetsusaiga. "Sorry, but we're crashing this party." The barrier shot electricity outward, and then disappeared. The other's ran inside spreading out, to try and find Naraku.
Kagome turned around feeling a fast oncoming force. She saw a cyclone heading in their way. She sighed, and ran toward InuYasha. "Kouga." She said.
InuYasha gritted his teeth. "He must have followed Naraku's scent as well."
Kouga stopped in front of Kagome, almost knocking InuYasha down. He looked to forest before them. "So he's in there?" he asked Kagome, bluntly.
Kagome nodded. "Yes, not to mention he has Kisa, and the other part of the jewel."
Kouga turned his hand into a fist, and nodded. "Let's go then. Come on mutt, I ain't wasting any time!" Kouga broke out into a run toward the lush forest.
InuYasha grimaced, and began muttering under his breath. He ran toward the forest, with Kagome on his back. They ran until they reached large castle. Kouga, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were all just standing there bewildered. InuYasha let Kagome down, who ran up to the entrance. Once again there was a barrier; however Kagome seemed to just run right through.
"Kagome!" InuYasha and Kouga yelled in unison.
The two rushed forward, but were thrown back by the Barrier. Miroku stepped forward to examine the barrier more closely. "InuYasha, can you use the Tetsusaiga on it?" he questioned.
InuYasha shook his head. "I don't know."
A shadow over loomed the gang below. Ichiro watched silently, incase InuYasha tried to break the barrier. He knew all too well, the barrier was too great to penetrate, although the girl getting through was a mistake. Ichiro knew Naraku wanted no interference.
InuYasha swung the Tetsusaiga forth, using his wind scar, but it had no affect. He kept swinging, until his arms were tired. Kouga sighed, and crossed his arms.
"This is getting us nowhere." He shouted.
InuYasha twitched his eyebrow. "Listen, we can't get through. There has to be some way to make sure Kagome's safe! Besides you got any better ideas?" he said worriedly.
-
Kagome ran through the darkened hallways of the castle, searching for Kisa. If she could follow the presence of the sacred jewel shard, she knew she'd be able to find her. Kagome passed a large room draped with a bulky tapestry. Her jewel sense pulsated. She ran into the room, pushing back the drapery with her bow and arrow. Kagome stopped before Naraku, and Kisa. She narrowed her eyes in anger, and clenched her fists.
Kisa looked up to Kagome, and her heart pounded. "K-kagome." She stammered.
Kagome ran to Kisa's side, but was struck out of the way by one of Naraku's limbs. She fell to the floor against the wall. Kisa stood up, and walked in front of Kagome protectively.
"Leave her alone. It's me you want, not her." She said clutching the jewel.
Naraku chuckled evilly. "Yes, you are right. Unfortunately, the reincarnation of Kikyo, also withholds pieces of the jewel." He reached out his hand, which began to stretch in a large brown appendage grabbing Kagome by the neck.
Kisa was pinned to the floor by a pincer protruding from Naraku. She struggled to get loose but it was no use. Kagome, still with the arrow in her hands, had pierced Naraku's appendage. It fizzed and fell to the ground. She ran over to Kisa, and cut her loose from the pincer. Kagome helped her up, but was knocked down by Naraku once again.
"Foolish woman, stop interfering. For if you don't I'll have to absorb you as well, body and all." Naraku Cackled.
Kisa was grabbed by the pincers once again. They pierced her arms, and legs, then pinned her to the wall. Kisa screamed in pain, as the pincers penetrated her skin, and began to pull her into Naraku's body. Kagome got up, and reached for her bow. She pulled back the arrow in the string, and watched it fly toward Naraku's heart; it glowed with a bright pink light, as it struck Naraku just below his shoulder. The pincers let go of Kisa, and dropped her to the floor.
Naraku grimaced, and began to form a strong miasma from beneath his feet. Kagome watched in despair as he managed to escape once again, into thin air. She rushed over to Kisa, and kneeled down beside her. She touched her arm. –She's cold.- Kagome put a hand to her mouth, and gasped.
"Kisa…wake up. I know you're still alive. Please, Kisa wake up!" Kagome pleaded.
Kisa did not move. Kagome trembled; as she felt Kisa's pulse…it beat slowly, and at an edgy pace. Kagome's eyes became glassy, as tears began to well up in her eyes. She clenched her fists, and sat there helpless to do anything to save her new friend. Kagome held her fists in her eyes, and began to cry.
"Oh, Kisa, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have let this happen to you!" she shouted angrily. Please wake up. I'll do anything; take part of my life if you have to!" As Kagome said this, the jewel around Kisa's neck began to glow brightly. It shot forth a beam of energy toward Kagome's heart, and began slowly sucking out part of her soul. Kagome stunned by the event happening clutched her hands together, and went wide eyed.
The jewel shook violently, and uplifted Kisa into the air, twirling her around once, and then injecting part of Kagome's soul into her body. Kisa screamed in pain, and lifted her hand, reaching above. The jewel slowly laid Kisa onto the ground, and lost its shine, falling to Kisa's chest. It then began to grow larger in size.
Kagome gasped, and held her heart. She looked over to Kisa, who was now moving her fingers, and stretching her arms, and legs slowly. Kagome smiled weakly. Kisa turned to Face Kagome, and touched her shoulder.
"You saved me, didn't you?" She whispered.
Kagome nodded, and threw her arms around Kisa in a warm embrace.
Kisa smiled, and hugged her back. "I guess we really know what friendship is. You gave your life for me, and in return the jewel grew stronger." Kisa explained.
"I'm just glad your back." Kagome replied.
Kisa nodded. "Thanks. I owe a really big one! Meanwhile, let's get out of this castle." She muttered, pulling away form Kagome, and slowly standing up.
Kagome nodded, wiping tears from her cheeks. "Come on….Friend."
