"Talking"
'Thinking'
Stressed'Is love supposed to hurt this much?' Bankotsu thought as he fell through the white void.
Everything became dark as he softly hit the cool ground. He could feel the blood pooling around the weapon in his back. His cerulean eyes were slowly dulling and he could feel the warmth vanishing from his body. Bare feet appeared in his line of vision. He could barely make out their shape in the dark. Everything was dark and he wondered if he had died. The feet stopped in front of his face and he screamed. The weapon was pulled out of his back and he let it be known. His scream echoed through the darkness.
"You are not the one I sent for," the feminine voice made it to his ears.
"You're the one who made the bet," Bankotsu weakly said from his sprawled position on the ground.
"Yes…it appears as if you have won the bet," Izanami pointed out with a small frown.
"Then…why am I dying?" Bankotsu coughed out.
"You did what no other human tends to do. You were truly willing to sacrifice your life for another. It was not done out of obligation, but out of a pure heart," Izanami spoke as she rolled him over with her foot.
He grunted and stared up at her through blurred vision. Izanami rolled him again and his hand touched water. Fear filled him as he wondered if he would drown. She rolled him again and he felt the water consume his form. Izanami watched as he sunk into the river.
Kagome raced through the halls with renewed vigor. Her mind whispered for the blood of the one that killed Bankotsu. She deeply laughed as pulled the door off the hinges. The wood holding it closed snapped in half. Dust blurred her vision as she made out the outline of those in the room. Kagome laughed again as she pulled her beads from her pouch. They pulsed black as she prepared to attack. The dust cleared and she gazed at the youkai in the room. Kagome threw the beads into the air and laughed.
"Restrain!" Kagome shouted as they shot off.
"Kagome!" Kouga shouted at her.
Kagome glanced at him with a grin. She didn't want his blood yet. She heard shouts of protest as they were all bound. Helpless, now they would know how she felt. Kagome stalked the room with her black eyes as she searched for the Lady Mai. Everyone was bound except for her. She heard Tachi call out to her and she ignored his voice. Her eyes pulsed black as she searched for something to kill that crow youkai with. Kagome frowned when she couldn't find anything.
"Lady Mai…time to play," Kagome sang as she ran towards the woman.
Lady Mai growled as she dodged Kagome's melee attack. Kagome landed on the floor crouched. She shot her leg out and broke the youkai's leg. A scream tore through the air and she relished in it. The youkai fell to the ground and Kagome gazed at the white bone that stuck out from the side.
"Miko," Sesshoumaru called out. "You will stop this at once."
"Shut up," Kagome growled.
Sesshoumaru broke his bounds and charged at her. Kagome laughed as his hand tightened around her throat. The acid burned at skin as she continued to laugh. The youkai in the room screamed as a black aura consumed them. Their eyes turned black and gave Kagome the chance she needed. She brought her foot up and kicked the Taiyoukai. He released her and she jumped a good distance away. Mikaboshi stepped through the doors and grinned at her work. The youkai were being overcome by the evil she produced. Mikaboshi turned his eyes to Lady Mai and growled.
"Kill her!" He growled as he pointed at the crow youkai.
"With pleasure," Kagome purred as she swayed over to the youkai.
"Please," Mai pleaded.
"Manners won't save you now," Kagomepulled the feathered pelt off.
"My pelt!" Mai cried as she scrambled to get it.
Kagome grabbed her by the hair and swung her to the edged of the room where the hole was. Mai screamed and grasped onto the floorboards as she slid toward the hole. Kagome laughed as she heard her claws screech against the floorboards.
"The pelt was your wings," Kagome stated with smirk.
"By killing me you'll start a war!" Mai hissed as she slid to the opening.
Mai held onto the broken floorboards and struggled to raise herself up. Kagome walked over and wrapped her hand around the Bankotsu's sword. She hissed as it burned at her skin.
"Damn," Kagome growled.
Kagome growled as she felt herself smacked away from her victim. Her eyes landed on Maro. He held his fan in a position ready to attack. His eyes landed to the figure still at the doors. Kagome noticed the sharpness of the beak on his helmet and grinned. Maro brought his fan down and Kagome was thrown against the wall by the wind. Sesshoumaru growled as he unsheathed the Tenseiga. He held it against her neck and prepared to send her to her death. Kagome gritted her teeth as she felt the attack rise in the Tenseiga.
"I will not die without killing her first," Kagome swore.
Her tainted Miko ki exploded from her body. Maro was hurtled against the wall and Sesshoumaru jumped away in order to avoid the blast. Kouga and the others were pushed back. Kagome raced toward Mai and picked up Kouga's fallen Katana. She threw the sheath down and grabbed the falling woman by her hair. The katana slid smoothly against her pale throat. Kagome grinned as the blood hit her face.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi smirked as he felt the life returning to his body. He could smell thesweet scent of death and feel the despair in the room. His eyes turned to the rejoicing Betsushimiko. She had released the youkai's dying body and allowed it to fall into the crater. Kagome's beads fell to the floor useless as the youkai's eyes glowed back. She turned to Mikaboshi and found him grinning.
"Kill her," Mikaboshi ordered.
Kagome noticed that everyone except Kouga, Maro, Sesshoumaru, and Tachi were under the evil. Ayame clutched her head and began to sob as the evil ate away at her mind. Kagome rushed over to her and brought the handle of sword to Ayame's temple. She fell to the floor unconscious as hundreds of youkai began to rush at her. Kagome gripped the katana tighter as she felt the urge for blood called to her. Mikaboshi grinned at the massacre he was about to watch. The darkness within her was too great for her to control. She would have to be purified or be put to death in order to stop the darkness within her.
Bankotsu drifted through the cold depths of the water as he watched the most important things flash before his eyes. He saw the moment he first met Jakotsu to the first time they met Suikotsu. The images of his friends faded to the moment he had first seen Kagome. He softly smiled as he watched her smirk, blush, and then smile at him. The memories faded leaving him feeling the coolness of the water. The water bubbled around him as he saw a light float above him. The water continued to bubble as the light floated over the water once more.
"Your Miko is hurting herself," Izanami whispered as she appeared above the water. "She'sembracing the darkness within her."
Bankotsu's eyes snapped open as he swam for the surface. He broke through the surface and paddled to the shore. He clutched onto the rocks and inhaled the air. Izanami watched as his breathing evened out. The wound on his back fully healed and she smiled.
"Kagome…where is she?" Bankotsu asked.
"She is above us, she's killing everything," Izanami answered. His eyes traveled to Izanami and glared at her.
"She values life!" Bankotsu stressed, she wouldn't kill without purpose.
"She does value life…but my son has possessed her," Izanami sighed.
"That darkness," Bankotsu whispered.
"My son planted the darkness in her soul when Naraku failed him. He placed it in her heart and let it grow with each mishap. Mikaboshi used your death to fully bring the darkness into play. Kagome has brought him into your world using the death of the one who killed you," Izanami explained.
"Is she alive?" Bankotsu asked.
"Yes," Izanami sadly answered.
"Then I have to save her," Bankotsu replied.
"The darkness won't leave until she dies or is purified," Izanami informed with a serious look.
"Where do I find a Miko?" Bankotsu asked.
"Just look within yourself," Izanami supplied as a white light surrounded him.
"Stupid. Pathetic. Vermin!" Kagome growled as the katana bit into each youkai.
Blood coated her form as she pushed her sticky hair from her eyes. She dodged the light whip of Sesshoumaru as he attacked her. Kagome grinned at him as she slashed another youkai in half. She laughed when she saw who it was.
"Looks like the Eastern lands are leaderless," Kagome mocked as she swung the blood off the sword.
Arms wrapped around her and she growled as she tried kicking her captor. Kouga growled at her to settle and she bit into his arm. He yelped as he pulled his arm away from her. She spit out the chunk of flesh tore from the appendage and pushed away from him.
"How do we stop her?" Kouga growled as he held his hand over the wound.
"She must die," Sesshoumaru spoke as the Tenseiga pulsed.
"You can't kill her!" Kouga protested.
"It is not my decision, but it must done," Sesshoumaru said as he brought the Tenseiga down. The youki from the sword traveled at her. The light from the black arch reflected in her eyes as she waited to be struck down.
She pulled her arm over her eyes to block the exploding light of youki and purifying energy. Her eyes opened and she studied the long black braid and torn material of the man. His face turned toward her and her black eyes took in the cerulean orbs.
"Kagome," Bankotsu whispered as he took her in. Claw marks tore her Chihaya and blood coated her skin.
"You're dead," Kagome whispered.
Mikaboshi frowned at this; he was supposed to be dead. Kagome's eyes flicked between blue-gray and black. Mikaboshi saw this tightened his hold on her. The darkness returned to her and she clutched the katana in her hand.
"Do you plan to hit me?" Bankotsu teased.
"Run," Kagome forced out.
"After I died and came back, and died again to come back…you expect me to run?" Bankotsu growled.
"Run!" Kagome growled as the darkness pulsed around her.
"No," Bankotsu simply said.
Her eyes snapped open and Mikaboshi saw that he was losing. Love wasn't supposed to be this strong. It was supposed to weak and lead to death. The katana fell from her hand and she reached out to touch his face. Bankotsu gripped her chin in his hand and he stared into her eyes. They were slowly turning back to the shade he loved.
"Bankotsu," Kagome whispered as she embraced him. The Tama turned back to its pure pink color.
"Your death will seal the darkness in this world," Mikaboshi declared as he picked up a fallen katana.
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the darkness spread through out her. Mikaboshi approached them with a grin. Bankotsu pushed her behind him and held his sword in his hands. It pulsed and he prepared to attack.
'The darkness…it's getting stronger,' Kagome thought with tears in her eyes.
The tears ran down her face as she felt it consume her. She would never have the life she wanted. It didn't hurt as much to realize that was true. It hurt to know that she wouldn't be there with Bankotsu. Kagome's eyes opened and she watched at the their swords clashed. She wouldn't be there. The darkness would always be there, she knew it, but she could stop it.
"She will be evil until her death," Mikabosi hissed as he raised the katana to strike.
Bankotsu glared and prepared to attack. His pupils widened as he watched the katana come down. Mikaboshi grinned as it sunk into the soft flesh. He marveled at how the blood welled up and coated the metal. Mikaboshi pulled the sword out and listened to the soft sob.
"Her death seals the darkness," Mikaboshi repeated as she fell to her knees.
Kagome clutched the stomach wound and gazed up at their blurring images. Kagome fell forward and allowed the darkness to consume. This time she felt relaxed as it claimed her.