Chapter 11: Wish Upon a Nightmare
"Do you think she'll be waking soon lady Keade?" Sango asked quietly, wringing the cloth and folding it over the edge of the wooden basin. She didn't remove her eyes from her friend as she spoke to the old priestess. There were times she thought Kagome would open her eyes and others when she didn't think she'd wake at all. At different intervals of time, Kagome's eyes would tighten, she'd shift around, move her head slightly or grip onto the futon then fall asleep again, consumed by the darkness of death. She took hold of Kagome's hand and held it tightly.
Keade looked up from Kagome to Sango, then back down again. "It's hard to say. There's nothing we can do here but wait. She has to pull through this on her own now." She spoke solemnly and clasped her hands together to stop herself from fidgeting. She wanted Kagome awake just as much as anyone else.
Nodding in agreement, Miroku's eyes fell to the pale face of the sleeping girl whose life was held in her own hands and sealed to the wishes of the Shikon no Tama. "She'll pull through. Kagome, despite her looks, is a very strong girl and will not let herself die so easily." He said to comfort the demon slayer who prayed for their friend's recovery.
Only moments later, a middle aged man stepped into the hut and bowed his head slightly towards the three people to excuse himself for barging in on them so suddenly. "My apologies to you both." He said, glancing from Sango and Miroku then fixing his eyes on Keade. "Priestess Keade, we have a visitor from a village west of here that would like to have a few words with you." He finished and waited for her to rise before leaving.
The old woman nodded her head and rose to her feet. "I'll be right there." She replied to the man who bowed again and left the room ahead of her. Keade looked down to Sango and Miroku. "I am sorry but I must leave you for now."
Miroku looked up at her and smiled slightly. "It's not a problem at all lady Keade. We'll stay behind and look after Kagome. You have nothing to worry about." Standing to his feet, he walked her to the doorway and sent her off. Sighing lightly, he turned back around to see Sango reapply the damp cloth on Kagome's forehead. "Is she alright?" He didn't need an answer when he saw Kagome's body twist underneath the blankets and he quickly rushed to her other side. "Is she waking?" He asked in a concerned voice.
Sango shook her head and dabbed the tip of the cloth against the sides of Kagome's face. "I don't know but it seems like it." She said, struggling to keep the girl cool because she kept moving every time she went to put the cloth on her face. Beads of sweat soaked into her hairline and made her dark hair stick to her face. Her lips began to tremble and her body shivered violently under the covers.
Taking another blanket from his side, Miroku lay it across her to keep her warm. "This is much worse than any time before." He stated and took Kagome's hand into his own. 'You can do it Kagome. Don't give up on us.' Her hand tightened, her veins embossing her skin and he could start to feel his fingers going numb. He heard her whimper slightly and looked up to see a painful expression upon her pale face as she grit her teeth.
Dropping the cloth into the basin of cool water, Sango felt her friend's forehead and nearly gasped. "She's burning up." She said in a low, panicky voice. "What do we do?" All her fears were justified as Kagome thrashed around between them. It seemed as though she was in a haunting nightmare trying to escape death's tight grip. 'Please Kagome. Don't leave us.' She begged.
Miroku shook his head quickly side to side and didn't lift his gaze as he spoke. "Nothing. We've done all we can. We can only wait and see what happens. Just try to keep her cool to keep her temperature from rising any higher." He listened as the woman moistened the cloth and then tried her best and put it on the girl's face who moved practically every time she was touched.
Kagome furrowed her eyebrows down upon her eyes till deep creases formed on her forehead. Sweat danced along her warm skin and dripped down her neck and into her hair. She squeezed her lips together till practically all circulation was lost and they turned as pale as her face. She could hear only a sharp piercing noise that pounded and struck her eardrum like needles.
Kagome ran blindly through the dark forest, the cool breeze brushing past her burning cheeks. Her hands were clenched into fists as if she was trying to hold herself back from turning around. Cautiously looking over her shoulder, she gasped and lost her footing when she saw the lighted outline of her enemy chasing after her. Looking forward again, she regained her balance and pushed herself to run harder. Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes and threatened to fall if she blinked. Kagome refused to close them in fear of blurring her vision even more and running into a tree. She heard her enemy growing closer and she trembled in fear for her life. The forest suddenly ended and she slid to a stop, falling to her knees and staring down the gap over a cliff in disappointment. It was much too far to jump to the other side and not nearly rocky enough to even climb down. Heavy footsteps arrived behind her and she found herself frozen in her spot. The tears in her eyes fell on their own accord and ran slowly down her flustered cheeks. Looking out the corner of her eye she spotted him, the terrible demon whose only desire now was to have her dead.
The youkai looked down at her, his golden eyes and silver hair glistening in the moon's misty rays. "I no longer want you alive. You are an interference to everything I try to do." He muttered, his voice hardly heard at all. Slowly unsheathing his sword, its sharp blade reflecting the light he stood there and twisted the hilt till it was comfortable in his hand.
Scraping her legs along the ground, Kagome turned and looked up at him in fear. 'Where's Inuyasha? Where's Sango and Miroku?' She asked herself and feared that she was in this alone, unarmed and helpless. She bit the inside of her lip and dug her fingers into the ground, taking a handful of sand into her fists. There was nothing she could do but let him kill her.
Sesshomaru kept his original cold and empty expression and slowly made his way in front of the girl who had already surrendered to him. Stopping by her hands, he lifted his sword above his head and glared down upon her as she cowered before him. "I want you dead." All the muscles in his arms tensed and he thrust the sword down towards her neck.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, leaping out of the forest and lunging at the demon, throwing him to the side. The Tokijin that fell from his brother's hands pierced the ground by his feet and he quickly clawed it away and over the edge of the cliff. The demon had put up a good fight before but he knew he was winning.
Lifting her face from the ground, Kagome felt a small smile tug at her lips when she saw the silver haired hanyou fight against the demon on her behalf. The brother's battle looked like it was going in their favour until the demon spun the hanyou around and leaned him over the edge of the cliff. "Stop!" Kagome screamed, scrambling to her feet and running to them with an outstretched hand. Just as she was about to reach and take hold of Inuyasha's hand the demon fell forward, knocking them both off the cliff. "No Inuyasha!" She shouted, falling to her knees and leaning over the edge to watch him fall and become swallowed in the darkness of the canyon. Tears swelled in her eyes as she heard them land and his painful cry echoed up the walls and past her ears. "Inuyasha!" She cried again, leaning over more, hoping that somehow she could see him and check to see if he was ok. After her scream had died out, an eerie silence surrounded her and triggered her worst fears. 'No…please don't be-' A pair of dark red eyes suddenly emerged from the black shadows and grew closer by the second. As they passed through the darkness, the moonlight painted their body and she gasped when she saw it was Inuyasha leaping up at her, his long fangs slipped over his lip and his claws outstretched, ready to rip apart her flesh. She sat their paralyzed in fear and shut her eyes, waiting for the pain to strike. Minutes passed and nothing of the sort happened. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked down the cliff. Nothing was there. Nothing could be heard.
"I no longer want you alive. You are an interference to everything I try to do." A cold voice said from behind, the sound of a sword being unsheathed following what was said.
Whipping her head over her shoulder, Kagome spotted Sesshomaru standing at the edge of the forest, his sword at hand and his eyes glaring in her direction. She rose quickly to her feet and scanned the ground where they stood. There were no traces at all to show the struggle between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru that had happened only moments ago.
After getting a good grip on his sword Sesshomaru made his way towards the girl. He kept his glare and cemented facial expression as he grew closer. "I want you dead."
Kagome shook her head, glaring right back at the demon and took a step backwards. She expected her foot to knock a few rocks off the cliff and to hear them shatter below when they hit but her heel stepped into the base of a tree, tripping her body into it. Narrowing her eyes, confused by the sudden change in scenery, she dug her nails into the bark and frowned.
Sesshomaru stepped in front of her and raised his sword above their heads. "There is no escaping. You will die no matter where you run or what you try to do." He stood tall above her, his eyes just visible behind the hump of his cheeks. Bending his elbow slightly he drove the sword down at her and just missed as she ducked away and took off into the forest. He frowned heavily and pulled the blade from the bark before taking off after her.
"That was too close." Kagome mumbled to herself, knowing that he had sliced off some of her hair. She ran and didn't look back to see if he was following. She had a gut wrenching feeling that told her he'd show up in a few or less seconds. And she was right. Passing at the same pace as her, a white blur who she knew to be Sesshomaru ran behind a line of trees that separated her to her left.
The demon had sheathed his sword, feeling he didn't need to waste a lot of energy to kill her. Lifting his two fingers to his chin, he looked over his shoulder and flicked them out to his side. The poisonous whip burnt its way through the line of trees and they all collapsed one by one. Sesshomaru moved swiftly through the gap and ran at the girl's heels. "It's time." He muttered, snapping the whip around her ankle and pulling back.
Kagome fell over into the ground, her shoulder taking most of the blow and she rolled over onto her back in pain. She held onto her arm with her hand and knew that it was bleeding from the dampness of her shirt's sleeve. The demon suddenly pounced above her and slashed his claws across her neck. She moved her head just in time so that only half the attempted injury was inflicted upon her.
Sesshomaru chuckled at the blood under his nails and grabbed a handful of her hair, forcing her to her feet. "Your life is now in my hands." He said in a sinister growl. Turned her around, he pushed her roughly forward and slashed his claws through the flesh on her back.
Whimpering but not giving up, Kagome started to run again. She heard him growl from behind and knew that he had expected her to fall over and let him end her life. Blood dripped down all over her body and bathed her in the warm liquid. 'Please keep going. Don't give up on me now.' She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. Just as she thought she'd collapse from exhaustion, a tiny light ahead made her open her eyes again. The light wasn't comforting nor was it threatening. Peering over her shoulder she saw the demon only a few feet away, a grin of sharp fangs clearly visible. She turned back towards the light and had to squint her eyes. 'Is this how he wants me to die?'
Inuyasha caught his breath and narrowed his eyes even more while he looked at the demon. He could feel the blade of the Tokijin scraping up against the side of his neck. A slow smirk had started to form on Sesshomaru's face as both of them stood like statues, waiting for the other to move. He frowned, a low growl rumbling in his chest and twisted his hand around the hilt of the Tetseiga. 'I don't know how much more of this I can take.' Closing his eyes tightly, he bared his fangs in frustration.
The demon lord laughed inside at the hanyou's faulty move. Quickly knocking away the Tetseiga before his eyes opened up again, Sesshomaru pushed the hanyou to the ground and pinned him underneath him. A full set of fangs became visible as he grinned and looked down victoriously upon his prey. "It's finally time for you to die."
The pain in her body increased tremendously and she could taste the salty blood gathering in her mouth. He was killing her. Not as how she had thought but more cowardly by chasing her towards the light that would swallow up her soul forever. She struggled to swallow the liquid in her throat and opened her mouth to keep herself breathing. 'Just a little further.' She told herself, as the light became closer with every step she took. When it was within arms reach, she reached out her hand and touched it. Her fingers didn't pass through it like she thought it would. Instead, a tiny pink marble fell onto her palm and rolled off and onto the ground. The light faded and all that was left was the object. "The Shikon no Tama." She gasped, kneeling to the ground and picking it up between her fingers.
Sesshomaru leapt into the sky above her and quickly unsheathed his sword. He scowled down below to the girl and lifted the Tokijin above his head. "Now you die!" He shouted in rage, slashing the sword through the night's air and releasing a long strip of blue energy that headed down in her direction at a fast rate of speed.
Kagome immediately looked up to the sky upon hearing the demon's voice and gasped at what was aimed at her. Having just enough time to react, she dove out of the path of Sesshomaru's released attack and rolled onto her knees. She glared up at the demon and clutched tightly to the jewel held in her hands. "Sesshomaru I wish you were the one dead!" She screamed, lowering her head into her chest as she did. The forest went silent around her and she looked up to see that the demon had completely disappeared, sword and all. The jewel rested on her palm turned to pink sand and slowly drifted away on a passing breeze. "It's over…" Her voice became slow and distant and her eyelids became heavy with exhaustion. She closed them and fell into the ground and into a deep slumber.
Kagome's body pulsed and she rose suddenly, as if she'd just been struck in her stomach by someone's fist and she coughed up what blood remained trapped in her lungs. Her hand immediately rose to her neck and the clutched the tiny jewel that dangled from the chain. "The Shikon jewel." She whispered looking down at it as it rested in her palm. She didn't even take notice of her two friends whom sat by her sides and asked questions she couldn't hear. 'I'm alive.'
Sesshomaru took hold of his sword and pressed the tip of the blade against Inuyasha's neck, leaving a dent in his skin where it touched. He chuckled as his little brother lay frozen on the ground with a fearful expression on his face. "You never thought it'd come to this did you?" He asked, though not really expecting an answer.
Still holding onto the Tetseiga, Inuyasha swallowed back the lump gathering in his throat, making a slight choking noise. He held strong to the hilt of his sword but his body wouldn't allow him to lift it in fear that any movement might make Sesshomaru's sword puncture his skin. Sesshomaru mumbled something about them being in this situation too often but he didn't feel the need to reply. Instead he watched and waited for the lights to go out.
Just as he was about to speak again, Sesshomaru suddenly gasped violently for air and stumbled backwards off the hanyou. Dropping his sword to the ground he wrapped both hands around his neck and pushed against his throat to get some air. 'What's happening!' A stale taste filled his mouth and he began to cough uncontrollably, falling to his knees and blood rolling off his bottom lip.
Inuyasha looked over his chest and frowned, confused by what had just happened. Rising to his feet he held the Tetseiga out at his side and smelt her. Kagome's scent blew past his nose and filled his body with a new hope. Looking down to Sesshomaru who was still gasping for air, he narrowed his eyebrows. "I think I've figured you out Sesshomaru." He moved his sword in front of him and glared at the demon. "When Kagome wasn't around you could fight just like a demon. But now that she's back, your weakness has surfaced."
Sesshomaru covered his mouth with his hand, the blood seeping through the cracks between his fingers and glared up at the confident hanyou, fear visible in his normally emotionless eyes.