Choking on a Snake Bone

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Memories

Stressed

The sun was still in the sky. It was slowly turning the clouds shades of dusty pink and purple. A few hours ago Endoh had been taken for her punishment or death sentence. Kagome couldn't help but feel numb over the whole situation. So, she chose to wander outside of the village, past the spot she met Bankotsu a few times. She just wanted to wander away from it all until she could get a grip. Kagome glanced around at her surroundings and noted that there were trees, flowers, and grass. A dry scoff escaped her lips as she came to a sudden stop. There was a crystal blue river flowing in front of her. Kagome walked toward it and gazed into it.

"Still no answer," Kagome mumbled to herself.

Kagome sighed sat beside the river in an attempt to find her answer. She still didn't know the question she was supposed to answer, all she knew was that there was an answer. She sighed; life was confusing at times. Kagome dropped her hand into the cold water and embraced the cool caress as it flowed. Her fingertips eventually became numb and she withdrew her hand. Kagome raised her head and stared at the forest ahead of her. The air chilled and she shivered from the sudden temperature drop. The crunching of leaves traveled to her ears and she sensed it. A Shikon shard was running towards her at full speed.

Kagome sat there and pulled her beads from the pouch she kept them in. Her left eyebrow slightly rose when the person with shard ran out of the bushes. There was no denying that it was the least person she wanted to see, or expected to see. As he ran, the left side of the hiked up kimono hiked even further. His sandals made a flopping noise as he continued his pace. Black hair slightly messed up from the twigs stuck in his hair and wind. His black eyes were narrowed with determination. He jumped across the river and landed in front of her with a scowl.

"What are you doing here?" His feminine voice demanded.

"Sitting," Kagome answered as he scowled. That's when she noticed the claw marks across his chest. Strips of the pink kimono hung off him coated in blood.

"Obliviously you stupid wench," he responded as he winced at the chest pain.

"Where are you off to Jakotsu?" Kagome asked with no interest.

"None of your business!" Jakotsu snapped as he unsheathed his Jakotsusou.

Kagome raised her other eyebrow obviously not believing him. A loud wail erupted from the forest behind him and Kagome smirked. Jakotsu growled as he turned away from Kagome to face the other thing. Kagome peeked around Jakotsu's leg and watched what he was running from come out from the forest. No legs, it was floating in a white Kimono, long black hair, and continuous clenching of the fists. Jakotsu had managed to attract an Onryou. To make matters worse it was a male Onryou. Not only were they rare, nevertheless, they were more volatile. Kagome sighed at her luck; she didn't want to perform an exorcism today.

"Where did you find an Onryou?" Kagome questioned.

"So that's what it is," Jakotsu muttered.

"Where you'd find it?" Kagome asked again.

"Stay out of my fight…woman!" Jakotsu warned as it floated towards them.

Kagome rolled her eyes; he had said woman like it was an insult. She was beginning to believe the hairpins in his hair might have damaged his brain. Jakotsu had released his attack and Kagome watched as the blades of his sword go through the spirit.Jakotsu pulled at the sword and the blades came back and went through the spirit again. Kagome watched as the spirit slowly twitched its way over to them. She could see Jakotsu beginning to sweat. This type of spirit wasn't one to be eased with offerings or condolences. Onryou went around killing everything they see. They only came to exist when a person is cruelly murdered. Kagome glared at Jakotsu not doubting his methods of murder.

"Why the hell won't you die?" Jakotsu demanded as he jumped away from it.

"Would you like some help?" Kagome questioned.

"Never!" Jakotsu hissed at her.

Kagome pulled out an Ofuda from her haori and decided to wait until she was needed. The ghost phased out sight before it phased back in front of Jakotsu. He released a squeal and the ghost brought its hands down his body. Kagome winced as more wounds appeared on his body. He fell to his knees and she stood up, she couldn't let him die…again. It would hurt Bankotsu, Kagome scoffed at the thought. She wasn't doing this for him. Her eyes turned back to Jakotsu and she wondered if it'd be better if he died. He is a murderer and people's lives would be saved because of his death. Kagome growled as she thought about the boy she let die.

Kagome began to chant a prayer and the kanji on the ofuda blazed with a powder blue flame. She tossed the ofuda and watched as hit the ghost on the back. It's body exploded in light blue flames as it screeched. Kagome pulled out one final ofuda and chanted again, before she tossed it to the spirit. This ofuda hit in the same spot before the spirit simply vanished. Kagome walked over to the spot and said a prayer for the soul. Her gaze then turned to Jakotsu. His eyes were half lidded and Kagome could see the shard in his throat. One reach and he would be gone.

"Woman," he managed to growl before he passed out.

"Jerk," Kagome muttered, as she didn't bother to catch his falling body.

Kagome stared at his worn body as the wounds leaked blood. She softly tapped him with her toe before sighing. If he were awake, she would have left him to fend for himself. Since he wasn't awake, he would be defenseless and she knew guilt would eat away at her. Kagome smirked as she ripped off his kimono sleeve and used it wipe up the blood. Blood would never come out of her white material. She snickered at her pettiness and knew it wasn't right since she was a Miko.

'He's lucky I even help him since he's technically dead,' Kagome reasoned.

When she finished tending to his wounds she sat beside his unconscious form. She had found the question to the answer she still didn't have. It struck her as odd that she had so many doubts about life, emotions, and the nature of things. She was a Miko and shouldn't have doubts like that.

'Just because I am a Miko, doesn't mean I'm not human,' Kagome thought. 'I still wish to know if it is better to feel then to not feel.'

A soft groan broke her of her thoughts as Jakotsu's black eyes appeared in her vision. The orbs were still hazed with confusion and some pain. An Onryou was something that did physical and spiritual damage. Kagome could already feel what energy he had was weak beyond instant repair. The damage the spirit did would take time to repair. The confusion cleared from his eyes and he glared at her.

"What are you doing?" Jakotsu roughly sneered through a dry voice.

"Breathing," Kagome mocked.

"Leave me alone," Jakotsu ordered as he tried to sit up, the keyword being tried.

"I would have, but certain people would miss you," Kagome sighed. Jakotsu still glared at her, but her words had caught him off guard. He wondered if she was the reason that his brother would disappear at night.

"I would have rather died then be helped by a woman," Jakotsu taunted.

"Think of me as a man that got castrated if it comforts you," Kagome calmly suggested.

"You're a bitch," Jakotsu stated as he tried to sit up. He failed.

"Really? You prefer to comfort yourself by thinking I'm a dog? Whatever floats your boat," Kagome mumbled. Jakotsu remained silent and turned his gaze from her.

"Why'd you help?" Jakotsu quickly asked as his gaze turned to her.

"I'm a Miko," Kagome answered.

"Your also human, you didn't have to knowing my history!" Jakotsu growled. "So tell me why."

"Because…someone would be upset if you were gone," Kagome simply said as her gaze turned to the river.

'I couldn't save two lovers…yet I save a murderer?' Kagome thought.

"You didn't have to," Jakotsu said without a sneer or disgust. His voice was calm and his eyes were trained on her features.

"I did…I had to save you," Kagome spoke.

"So now I'm your way of finding redemption?" Jakotsu softly laughed as he coughed.

"In a way," Kagome whispered.

"What did you do that merited you to save a killer?" Jakotsu asked with a bit of curiosity.

Kagome scowled before her features saddened with a soft reply. "I let two innocents be put to death."

Jakotsu raised an eyebrow at this before he said, "You're a Miko. Aren't you supposed to save lives?"

"Igit! You wouldn't understand, you only know death," Kagome spat.

"That may be so, but do I not breath?" Jakotsu questioned.

"Even so, I don't have to explain my ways to you," Kagome calmly replied.

"Hm," Jakotsu sighed. Kagome glanced at him for a moment. "It seems to me that even though you breath, you are dying."

"Wouldn't that be a treat," Kagome dryly laughed, "my incarnation dead and living and me living while slowly dying."

Jakotsu watched her expression saddened and return to a calm mask. Her gaze traveled to the shard in his neck and she smirked. A tainted shard would slow his healing. She reached out to his neck and let her hand hover there. His eyes narrowed with fear as she let her hand float above his only lifeline. She then reached to his neck and barely touched the shard with a fingertip. Jakotsu tensed before a warm sensation filled his body. It was the first time in a while that he had felt alive. He still knew he was dead but in that moment, he felt alive.

Kagome pulled her hand back as she stood up. Her eyes traveled to the wounds and found them healing faster. A nod of her head and she left him to go back into the dusk of the forest. Jakotsu sat up and grasped his neck in moment of shock. The Miko had saved him and given him a moment of true life. His wounds were healed and he was able to fully stand up. He watched her vanishing figure with a look of wonder.

"She isn't that bad," Jakotsu muttered before he left to go back to camp.

Author's Note:
I have not forgotten about Sesshoumaru-sama, he'll make be reffered to in chapter 13 and make minor appearanc in 14. I think his role will be larger in the later chapters.
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