Sango stared at the figure before her. It was somehow unreal, but it seemed solid enough.
"You died for a second time, though." She said. "You can't be back again!" Kikyo's expression could only be described as malicious, but to a lesser degree.
"And you can see my un-resting spirit. The only reason I can be seen is because Kagome is not using herself fully." Sango nodded.
"Where's the Shikon shard? I need to catch up with the rest of them." She said. Kikyo looked around slightly, then raised her pale, ghostly hand, pointing.
"There." She said simply. "That is where you must go, then." Sango nodded in agreement, snatched up Hiraikotsu, and walked. That was that.
…
InuYasha and Miroku were walking. The forest seemed a little gloomier now that they didn't have Kagome.
"Monk," Said InuYasha after a while. "Why are we following your suspicious staff around?" It was true. The staff was floating In front of them, leading them.
"Er, it is a holy staff." Said Miroku. "No demon could possess it, there for it must be something more divine. The great Buda could be helping us through it." Though the last part sounded more like it was a desperate thing to cling to. InuYasha sneered. He didn't feel quite at home with this.
Rustle, rustle…
InuYasha's hand twitched to the handle of his sword. The staff was going to the noise. They waited in a tense silence. The rustling came closer, and he heard a voice along with it, but this was all too far away for Miroku's ears. After a while he could make out what was being said.
"Well, you did say make use of it." There was a pause as if someone else was talking, but InuYasha couldn't hear it. "Of, that's real mature. So now that no one else can tell you're here you're allowed to throw insults?" yet another pause, shorter this time. "Well, that as it may." Miroku's staff dropped, and there was a very short pause, but somehow it didn't sound like the voice was listening. "Did you hear that? …Oh, right, of course you did." InuYasha's ears twitched.
"Sango?" He asked. The voice had a muffled council with whomever it had been talking to.
"InuYasha?" Asked Sango.
"Yeah…" He said cautiously. There was indignant stomping through the bushes.
"You left me behind!" Yelled Sango. After a moment she seemed to look over her shoulder and make an expression that InuYasha couldn't make out.
"I… Uh…" Her expression turned glassy as she turned back to him.
"I don't want any excuses." She said. "I know why, and I know you did. Don't cover it up, that's just compiling things that will offend me." She said. She seemed to be surprised at what she said, and she kept looking to her side nervously.
"Sango… You haven't become totally paranoid, have you?" Said InuYasha. Sango looked confused.
"Um, will you excuse me a moment?" She asked with a rather terrifying smile on her face that definitely wasn't there before. He wanted to tell her to answer the question, but he thought better of it.
"Uh… Sure." He said, feeling quite stupid. After a moment of consideration he added, "But don't take too damn long, cause I want that question answered…" After saying that he felt even dumber. Sango nodded and went just out of sight.
"How did Lady Sango manage to fine us?" Asked the Monk InuYasha shrugged.
"Hell if I know…" He said. After another moment Sango came back.
"All right… I doubt you'll believe me, but… Well, I see dead people…" She said. Before InuYasha could say anything about it she added, "Well, really just the one… Kikyo-Sama is here, and she helped me find you… She said something about Kagome not being safe, or well…" InuYasha gaped. He looked at Sango. He had to really make himself work to remember it was Sango, though. Apart from the brown hair in her traditional tight ponytail, the demon bone boomerang over her shoulder, and her armor, there was really very little about Sango that looked like he remembered. Very little left of the woman he'd let himself fall for. She was looking sheepish, and blushing, along with her poking her fingers. She didn't really look like she quite believed herself.
"Sango, I real--"
"Silence!" Said a voice out of Sango's mouth. It was not her own. Sango's blush deepened, and her hands clasped her mouth. After a moment she looked to her side, and spoke in a hushed whisper.
"Don't ever do that without warning me!"
"Wh… Was that Kikyo…?" Asked InuYasha. Sango looked back at him and nodded.
"Uh, yeah. She's done that twice now, and it's really… Odd feeling."
The staff whirled and pointed back. Miroku touched it gingerly, but it zoomed away as soon as he did.
"Well," He said. "I suppose we were suppose to find Sango, then go save Kagome…"
…
Kagome opened her eyes. There was a darkness about the place that not even a thousand torches could quell, unless the turned to burn it down. She felt a sickly, yellow, worm-like aura all around her. Still inside of her she could feel that bead of utter hopelessness, but she felt mostly all right. When she tried to sit up pain shot through her. It traveled oddly. It seemed to go down her spine, looped around her toes, went up the opposite arm, and then straight to her brain, which flared it everywhere else in her body, making it feel like frozen fire. She cried out. As soon as her head came back to the ground she felt that speck of anti-faith spread.
"So, you were that easy to catch, and we haven't wanna bikkit! Wanna bikkit! Done it before." Kagome looked around wildly for the source of the voice. There was shrill laughter. "Ahh, Kagome. You will become Potty, potty! Part of something greater than POTTY! You can imagine." Kagome stared at the infant form of her enemy.
"I will become potty?" She said. Naraku's cheeks puffed up and became even redder. If only Kagome had known enough to shield her ears…
End Chapter EighteenSOOOO sorry I didn't update day before yesterday… I have no excuses…
Yesterday my internet was down, so I couldn't update… But you'll get two chapters today!
-Hugs- I love you ALL, keep loving me, okay?
-Yawn- Sleepy time for me…
Miko-Chan.