Heart Broken Arrows Ch. 8
Disclaimer: Not mine; it belongs to Rumiko Takahashi …I don't make a profit from it.
Rating: M for language, gore, adult themes, and violence.
Special thanks to: sailor-saturn550…I am overjoyed that you thought so, and I hope I can keep it that way.
Warning: Definite angst below...and sorry for any oddly spaced words. My choice of browser and programs dooms me to them...
ENJOY and please review!
Last time:
Suddenly, from outside there came a cry of "YOUKAI!"
Miroku and Sango leapt up, reaching for their respective weapons. Kirara, who had been sleeping in the sun outside, uttered a great yowl of fury. Inuyasha scented the air,
"Kagura," he growled.
Present:
Kagome was lost in a memory not her own.
From eyes that were hers and yet not hers, she saw Inuyasha, arms outstretched, moving to embrace her. She watched in surprise as the not-her let the clothes slide from her body. She felt her lips moving and breath passing through them. She was speaking, but she could hear no sounds, as if the words did not belong to her…
She was and yet was not enfolded into Inuyasha's arms.
With a bolt of cold pain, Kagome suddenly knew why this memory felt so wrong.This was Kikyo's memory...
Kagome felt as if she would shatter under the rememberance,but when Inuyasha's warm body pressed itself against her, she let herself be contained by its solidness, its strength...no matter that it was not truly for her, for Kagome. It just felt so perfect.
Kagome felt lips kiss skin that was not hers and yet, it still sent shivers down her spine…
The not-her rested her head upon Inuyasha's shoulder, and her eyes moved beyond, and Kagome saw a face looking back at her.
It was her true self, the Kagome of Kikyo's memory. It was her same face but with different eyes, eyes that were watching this body she was in, and they were filled with such incredible hate, such coldness…
She watched her true self reach down for a bow and one arrow, set the arrow into the bow, and draw the string back. Kagome opened the mouth that was not hers to cry out in warning, but again no sound emerged from her lips. She looked wildly into Inuyasha's eyes, trying to somehow communicate to him the danger he was in.
The not-Kagome uttered a silent scream as empty black eyes stared back at her, pulling at her soul.
The arrow left the bow spinning towards her, on its tip, a midnight purple shard of the sacred jewel. It pierced the not-her and Inuyasha, and its pain was as real as any reality could ever hope itself to be.
Kagome woke up to the sound of screams.
"Kagome" cried Shippo happily, pressing his arms around her body.Kagome sat up unsteadily, gently easing the young kit's grip so that he didn't suffocate her. The terror of her dream was still very much present, but Kaede and Inuyasha were both staring at her, and she suddenly felt very stupid.
"What happened?" Another scream from outside interrupted her,"What is happening?" she asked. Kaede moved with surprising quickness to her side; her old hands helping the girl to sit up better. Inuyasha looked intently at her before answering.
"You fainted, that's what happened. And Kagura just showed. That's what is happening." Kagome glanced at Kaede for confirmation. Did she know what was wrong with her? The old woman shook her head, before going over to retrieve a bow and arrows from the corner of the hut.
"There is no time to explain. Kagome, ye must stay here, for ye strength will not be what it once was. Inuyasha and I must go to defend the village from Naraku's vile incarnation, the wind demoness Kagura. Shippo, will ye remain with Kagome?"
Shippo nodded his assent.
"Come Inuyasha, we can not defeat Kagura without ye." The old miko pulled impatiently at the hanyou's sleeve. Inuyasha shook her off, still staring intently at Kagome, who squirmed uneasily under his gaze.
"Stay here," he growled, his eyes taking on a red tinge. Normally, Kagome would have been inclined to argue, but the tone of his voice and the color of eyes cautioned her into at least temporary obedience.
"Alright," she replied shakily. With that word, both Inuyasha and the old priestess were out of the hut in a silver flash. Kagome crept up to the doorway, peeking out from behind the screen. Shippo peered out with her, clutching a small top in his hands...just in case something came too close.
There were people running every which way. Women carrying wailing children were headed towards the hills behind the village. Grim faced men carrying whatever farm implements they had were headed towards the south end of the fields. There, Kagome could make out a jeering Kagura high up in the air; around her there were hundreds upon hundreds of lesser demons. Kagome gasped as Kagura made a downward slicing gesture and several villagers were sent flying backwards in a bloody mist.
"Where's Miroku and Sango?" Shippoasked nervously.
Ina flash of light, Kagome watched Hiraikotsu demolish at least a dozen demons.
"There they are," she gestured in relief, seeing the giant boomerang return to its wielder. Sango was on Kirara, and they were flying in tight circles above Miroku. Kagome suspected that the reason the monk needed this extra protection was that he was unable to use his wind tunnel again. Sango threw her weapon, this time aiming at Kagura, who deflected it with an almost lazy swipe of her fan. Though Kagome was not close enough, she knew Sango must have shouted in frustration; the demon slayer hated to have her attacks thrust aside like that.
From the ground, a red blur jumped upwards, hitting the underside of Kagura's feather. It shot about haphazardly in the air, causing Kagura to slide off the back. Kagome let out a cheer that Shippo echoed. The wind demoness would hopefully be no match for Inuyasha, not with the new techniques he had been practicing. Kagome took her eyes off the fight for a moment to see if she could locate Kaede. Several yards to the left of the main battle, she spotted the wisepriestesstrying to help a group of women who must have been in the fields where the demons first appeared. They were crouched down behind an already damaged shack, frantically huddled together. Kaede was shooting arrows with faint pink tips at the demons that approached to closely, but Kagome saw that it wasn't going to be enough. Kaede did not have the necessary power to defend against so many at once.
Without a second thought, Kagome had grabbed her bow and arrows, and was already out the door of the shack, running as fast as she could towards Kaede. Behind her, she could hear Shippo calling out frantically, but she couldn't stop to ask him what he wanted. She needed to get to Kaede fast.
Dodging through the panicked villagers, Kagome stopped behind a hut closest to where Kaede and the women were. She was separated from them by about twenty five feet of open field with no cover.
"Kaede!" she shouted. The old woman turned worried eyes towards her.
"Kagome," the old woman admonished, "ye should not be out here!" Kagome rolled her eyes.
"I'm here now! Send them over one at a time, and I can shoot arrows to cover their escape."
Kaede hesitated before replying, "Ye must not shoot your sacred arrows Kagome!"
"Fine! Just hurry!" Kagome notched an arrow, aiming it an approaching beetle-like youkai, hissing furiously. If she wasn't able to use her miko powers, she was going to have to be deadly accurate with each shot. Kaede pushed out one frightened young woman who began scuttling towards Kagome with her hands over her head in utter terror. Kagome let fly her arrow and watched in satisfaction as it punctured the demon's right eye. It wheeled back in pain, unable to stop the first woman from successfully reaching Kagome, and then Kaede sent out another woman. This one was much older, and Kagome had to shoot twice before the woman was across the expanse of grass.
The system worked well, until the last woman and Kaede were about to cross.
A hit from Hiraikotsu caused the body of a giant bear youkai to crash into the shack behind which they were hiding, causing the portion of the structure still left standing to go tumbling forwards. Kagome screamed in warning, but both Kaede and hapless woman moved too slowly. The structure and the body of the demon fell onto them, completely engulfing the nameless woman. Kagome raced across the field, once again so intently focused on her destination that she was oblivious to the dangers around her. Up ahead, she could that Kaede was still alive, but half her body was stuck under a particularly large piece of wood. Blood was pouring out of a large gash on the old woman's head.
Kagome was a heartbeat away from reaching her, when the bear youkai stumbled upright, turned, and with one swipe, removed the old woman's head.
Kagome froze where she was. Unable to recognize the crimson substance that was now staining the grass in front of her, she stared stupidly at the body of her mentor and loved friend.
Kikyo fell to the floor in shock. Her younger sister was…dead?
A curious emotion overcame Kikyo, something she had not felt in a long time.
Kaede was…dead?
She watched as the red substance pooled out and touched Kagome's scuffed shoes.
Kaede was…dead.
Two drops of wetness fell onto Kikyo silk kimono. She raised trembling fingers towards her cheeks, in awe of the salty water she found there. She was…crying? How was she able to cry for her sister? It made no sense. She bled yes, but only sometimes, only when she filled with souls and the wound deep enough, but tears...she had never cried since being reborn into this undead body.
Kikyo pressed her fingers to her mouth tasting of her sadness. She was truly crying. Before Kikyo could think any further on the implications of this, a terrible cry of rage drew her attention back to the images in the mirror.
Kagome screamed out her hate again as a cold fury engulfed her entire body. It filled her blood like a heavy lead, settling at the tips of fingers and toes. A painful tingling began and without knowing why, Kagome stretched out her hands. From them, there blazed a furious purple fire that swallowed up the bear. The violet flames eagerly devoured the fur, sinews, and bones. A shudder of pleasure ran down her body at the screams it made while dying and so she turned, and with a flash of her palm, the flames leapt towards a dozen or so demons speeding towards her.
There was no justice in this world. No reason. No logic. Why should someone as Kaede have to die in such a pointless fashion? Kagome poured out her hate with each step, violet fire obliterating everything it touched, and advanced towards where the main fight was. Kaede had taught her, guided her when she was at her weakest. Kagome destroyed twenty more youkai, smiling as the flesh dropped away from their bodies
It was what they deserved.
Ahead, Kagura and Inuyasha were in a fierce fight, with neither appearing to have much of an advantage over the other. The flames licked at her arms, caressing the sides of her face. They whispered to her that she would be unable to destroy Kagura without hurting Inuyasha. Suddenly, an idea came to Kagome. She went back and gathered up her bow and arrows. Notching one perfect arrow, she waited until she had a clear shot of Kagura and with a laugh, let fly her arrow. This arrow was most special to Kagome for it was to be vengeance for Kaede's death.
The shaft of the arrow was a dark crimson black, and behind it trailed a shower of amethyst drops that upon striking the ground sent up a steaming, noxious smelling gas.The head of the arrow was a brown green. It raced towards Kagura and embedded itself deep into her thigh.
The wind witch looked down in surprise at the arrow sticking out of her leg. The bitch of a miko had shot her! Kagura turned furious red eyes onto Kagome, but then a thought came to her; she should be purified by now-suddenly, Kagome answered the unvoiced question in her eyes.
"It's a poison arrow Kagura. May you die slowly and in agony." With those words, Kagome fainted for the second time.
Kagura eyes widened in alarm as the implications of the miko's words sunk in. She had to leave now, and fast, while all three of her main opponents were distracted by the miko's collapse. A searing shaft of pain raced up her leg into her head, and the wind witch bit her lip hard to keep from yelling. Calling to the wind instead, insilent plea, she floated up into the sky. She needed to get to the one person who might consider saving her life, and it certainly wasn't Naraku. Kagura pointed her feather towards the West and began riding the winds, clutching at the wound that now was oozing brown fluid.
No miko slut was going to kill her. Not when she wasn't yet free of him.
Within moments,Kagura was no longer visible to those left alive in the village.
Till next time, which should be tomorrow or in as few hours as possible as apology for killing off someone and the akward chapter ending.
Seriously though, Kaede was ready to go. But who is Kagura going to? You might be surprised as to who it REALLY is...two more characters enter in next couple of chaps,Leave an insightful review as to my errors (plot holes, character confusion, etc...)or remarks as to my splendor!
Aidyn
A/N: Okay...no update today. This next chapter is a frellin' man monster; it's definitely gonna take till Christmas Day.
Besides-It's the holidays-You should be roasting chestnuts or whatnot.