Enchanted Orbs
WARNING: This chapter may contain some spoilers. I am staying true to the location of the last shard...so, if you don't know where it is, and don't wanna...you may want to skip this chapter. But I will take my own twist to everything because well, its hard to explain everything that actually happens in 1-2 chapters. Plus, using the exact original storyline just isn't very creative is it? (Thanx Shikai-sama!! You're the BEST!)
Chapter 9 The Last Shard
"S-Somebody!!" Kagome yelled as she was hanging by one hand off the side of a cliff. Thick miasma bubbled and gurgled beneath her. Rocks sipped down the rock surface and dissolved in the black pool below her.
'Dissolved?' Kagome shivered.
She heard footsteps as Kikyou appeared above her. Soul bearers wrapped themselves around Kagome and lifted her to face level with Kikyou.
'She's saving me?'
"You are an obstruction." Kikyou stated with a bored expression. She reached out and took the jewel fragment from around Kagome's neck.
"Hey, what do you..." then Kagome found herself plummeting towards the stagnant miasma.
She awoke with a start. 'Gods, I hate that memory. But why did she take the fragment only to give it to Naraku?' Kagome thought as she recalled the haunting, mocking voice of Naraku saying, 'with her own hand, Kikyou gave me the fragment'
Because of her, they had precious few shards now. That's why they had to find this last shard. The fewer Naraku could use to magnify his power the easier it would be to vanquish him, but this last shard was elusive. She felt as if it was so far away, but it felt so near, too.
'Ah, that can't be right. What's going on with that piece? How can it be far and near at the same time? I don't understand!!'
"Wench! Geeze, are you deaf?" Inuyasha brought Kagome out of her thoughts. She was still laying on her sleeping bag trying to figure out how the last shard's possessor is tricking her into believing its in two places at once when he practically shouted her 'name' to get her attention. "Huh? Oh, morning Inuyasha. What do you want?" She looked up at him. He was still standing, leaning over her and giving her an irritated look.
"What do I want? I want you to get up and get moving. We're wasting time waiting for you to wake up." He kept talking, but to Kagome turned into 'blah blah blah and more blah'
She sat there listening to his gibberish for a bit then shook herself out of her state. "You know, now you're the one wasting time. If you would let me up to get dressed then we could leave.
He gave her a glare then walked away.
"Well, we have a surprising turn of events, now, don't we? The little miko has become quite powerful. This could be a problem, but it could also be amusing."
Ever since he felt her power surge on the night of the new moon, Naraku had been using Kanna's mirror to spy on her. He had seen her landmine attack and was now prepared for it.
But perhaps most importantly, he had heard her conversation with the group on how her attacks could be used against any one, even her.
"Wouldn't it be lovely to she her broken expression when she realized her attack killed her friends? Yes, I would enjoy that immensely."
Naraku had his trap set; now he just needed to wait for them to retrieve the last remaining shard. He would have his infinite power. He would have his tainted jewel, and he would take much pleasure from the pain and anguish he cause upon others to taint it.
Around the corner, Kagura listened to his monologue. 'I can't let him complete the jewel. I want my freedom, and that will never happen if he becomes that powerful. I'd never be able to defeat him then. I'll forever be his slave if I don't do something, or worse, he'll assimilate me into his body. Never! This must not come to pass.'
Back in the room with Naraku, he quiets himself. He knows Kagura is outside. 'What are you planning, wind witch? She cannot be trusted.'
Sesshoumaru was going to rend someone limb from limb when he found out who was behind this. There were three shipments of supplies which had been late arriving. He ordered all his supplies himself. He did not trust any one so much as to put his household in other hands.
Food from vessels, weapons for his men, material for garments, tools for maintaining the fortress, everything was ordered and catalogued by him. It was a bothersome task, but he did not allow anyone this power over him.
The person who catalogued these items had power over the occupants here. Food could easily be tainted, weapons taken, expensive material replaced with low quality fabric, the possibilities increased with the amount of supplies he ordered.
Even though he personally handled these mundane tasks, some one still managed to tamper with everything.
Shipments were late. Things were missing, weapons mainly. Items rearranged. Although, nothing of great importance was tampered with, Sesshoumaru seethed.
Shipments were minor, but he was no fool. He was a general, and he recognized the beginnings of dissention among the ranks.
Someone was getting a bit too greedy for their health, and they had help. Some of his servants must be involved if the shipments were being tampered with. Servants were easily replaced, but servants had little intelligence. Someone had to be behind this, and he would find out whom. They would pay for their treason.
His brain quickly calculated possible suspects. The Western Lands were peaceful now, but his fighters continued to train as scheduled to maintain their skills.
None really stayed constantly at the castle. Men would come to stay for a week every three moon cycles for fierce training then leave to return to their life. A rotation was set of which troops were present. At any time there was at lease one hundred men staying one the grounds in a separate part of the palace, but again, no one was here consistently enough to start a rebellion.
His normally stoic façade contained an evil smirk as he walked down a hallway. He already had a trap set in his mind. Now he just needed to play ignorant and wait for them to fall into the noose that was at this very moment tightening around their necks.
Servants scattered and feared for their lives as they saw the taiyoukai with his evil expression approaching them in the hallway, but he paid them no notice. He needed to prepare his trap.
Night again, one uneventful day of walking had passed. Though Kagome really wasn't sure where they were going. She had yet to solve the puzzle of the last shard, but she didn't have to tell the irritable hanyou about her quandary.
She had just begun to collect the dishes after supper when one of Kikyou's insect demons circled over head. Inuyasha snapped his head in the direction it was headed. Without a word he stood and left.
Kagome tried not to look distraught, but she knew everyone could tell. She had such a hard time trying to keep her feelings towards him at just a friendship, but that damn affection line kept turning pink when she wasn't paying attention.
Even as a friend, though, she was worried. What if Kikyou tried to drag him into hell with her again? She battled with her inner self until she reached a decision.
Standing, she looked at Sango. "I have to make sure she won't trick him into following her into hell." The expression in her eyes clearly told Sango and Miroku that she did not want to go, that she dreaded what see would see. Kagome saw pity radiating from shining eyes.
With a pained expression she turned and walked in the direction Inuyasha went.
When she was within hearing distance she stopped. She wouldn't interrupt if they were having a lover's moment, but Kagome wanted to be able to protect him as he did her.
Inuyasha's voice broke through the trees, "But why, Kikyou? Do you hate me that much?"
"Do not forget, Inuyasha, your life belongs to me. I will not allow your death at the hands of Naraku."
"But that still doesn't answer my question. Why did you give him the jewel fragment?"
"It will lead to his downfall." She replied with a bored expression. She was standing a few feet in front of him.
Silence blanketed the couple for a moment. Then Inuyasha's gaze softened and hw approached her. "Do you still care for me? Are you capable of such feeling?" He asked tenderly.
Kikyou said nothing as he wrapped his arms around her. Their eyes met and held gazes. Inuyasha closed his eyes and leaned closer to her.
Kagome could see his actions through the brush. 'Ok, that's enough. I can't watch this anymore. I feel like a peeping tom.'
She turned to leave. She felt nothing. No anger, no betrayal, no pain present at all. Numb. That's what she was; numbness overtook her.
She was walking, but it did not register to her senses. The underbrush scratched her legs, but she knew nothing of it.
About halfway to the campsite, she felt something. She stopped, unable to breathe. Suffocation, that's what she felt. No air reached her lungs; something was crushing her. Panicked she frantically looked around her, but there was nothing there. Mystical senses spread out, but she couldn't sense anything near her. Then what was attacking her?
She tried to scream, but not even a strangled cry passed parted lips. Her hands reached to her throat. She tried to overcome the compressing force. She gathered her power around her, but she couldn't control it. The power slipped through her grasp. Vaguely, she remembered a noise registering in her ears. Then there was only darkness.
Inuyasha closed his eyes and leaned forward. He claimed her lips in a timid kiss. Kikyou did not reject his approach, but she did not respond at first.
When he felt her lips move against his, the timid kiss gained passion. It became fluid, and Inuyasha moved to deepen the kiss. Kikyou's hands came to rest on his hips.
Just then, Inuyasha felt something. What he wasn't sure, but it broke through the hazy dream in which he was engulfed. He gently pulled away from her. His eyes danced with excitement over his love's returned affection, but he was worried about that feeling. His instincts were seldom wrong.
Kikyou could see worry and doubt in his eyes. She wanted to return his love, but she felt so free without its restraining chains. She wanted her freedom also. She slipped. She had let him coax her into having passion once more, but seeing his expression of doubt hardened her heart once again. Turning a bored look on him, she silently called her soul bearers to carry her away.
He watched her go. She looked immortal in the moonlight with the breeze sifting through midnight tresses. The demons silky bodies seemed to barely touch her, as if she was weightless. They appeared to caress and not carry her. That image was stained into his memory. That's how he wanted to remember his former love, a wistful look on a heavenly face surrounded by the night sky.
He sighed deeply and tuned to leave when he caught Kagome's scent. 'Oh no, not again. Why does this always happen?' His surreal experience dashed as he anticipated an argument and hurt feelings coming from the fragile girl he traveled with.
He began to walk towards her scent. 'For some reason her scent is really strong right here...' "Oomph!!" He tripped and barely saved his nose from colliding with the ground. He turned to figure out what had caused him to stumble; Kagome's limp form was sprawled across the ground.
"KAGOME!" Inuyasha crawled over to her. He listened for her heartbeat, anxiety eased when he heard the unsteady thumping in her chest.
For a second he was scared that Kikyou had taken the other part of Kagome's soul, but her life proved that assumption wrong.
He didn't smell blood. What happened? Then he noticed that she wasn't breathing.
'Kami, what do I do?' He reached for her, straightened her body to lay flat on her back. He opened her mouth to make sure nothing was stopping her air flow. Nothing.
'Then what's happening to her?'
Inky blackness surrounded her. 'What? Where am I?'
'You must fight, Kagome!' a voice called to her through the darkness. She did not recognize the voice, but it was familiar to her.
The darkness faded. Brilliant light surrounded her. Different shades of light closed in on her. The light held no comfort. She held her arms out to each side as the light came close enough to touch. Again she felt the suffocating feeling, but this time she could she the cause. She steeled herself and fought to keep the light from closing in on her. It wasn't helping the light was getting closer to her body. She could not fight it any longer, she was tired.
'No, don't give up!' the voice from earlier sounded urgent. Then more voices reached her ears.
'When are you coming back home, dear?' 'Yeah, sis...I miss you.' 'Kagome, have I ever told you about the evil shrine shadows that haunted our sister shrine in Kyoto?'
"Mom! Souta! Grandpa! Where are you?" Kagome found strength in them and began to push back the suffocating light.
'Hey, Kag! Are you feeling better?' 'I got copies of all the notes you missed this week.' 'Hojo's been asking about you nonstop.' Three feminine voices called out to her.
'Hey Higurashi! I brought you a compress for you illness.' "Hojo, Eri...I will come back! I WILL see you again."
The light receded more.
'Lady Kagome, you insult me...I was simply brushing the dirt off your backside.' 'You're like the sister I never had, Kagome.' 'Are you gonna let some stupid light kill you, feh, you're weaker than I thought.' 'Kagome, bring me some chocolate next time you go home!!'
"Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, Shippou" The light's brilliance faded a bit as it receded away from her extended arms.
"I need you Kagome, do not leave me." The familiar voice called to her again. She still didn't know his identity, but she was never one to refuse someone who needed her.
With one final burst of strength, the light faded completely leaving her in darkness again, but this darkness held her. It comforted her as a mother's embrace would.
She could breathe again. She opened her eyes and looked up into the worried face of her companions.
Her breathing was still ragged. She struggled to smile at them in attempts to reassure them. She still did not have the composure to speak.
"Are you ok, Kagome?" whined a frightened Shippou as he timidly put his hand on her shoulder. She smiled slightly and nodded.
Kagome managed to spit out "tired." It was very quiet, Miroku and Sango probably did not even notice, but Inuyasha heard it clearly.
He reached over to gather her up into his arms.
Then she felt it, that familiar twinge. Everything clicked into place: very far away, but so near she could almost touch it. It is on a different plane, but there is a shortcut. She gasped.
Inuyasha heard her gasp and gave her a curious look. Their eyes met.
"The last shard...your father's grave!" she squeaked out, then passed out from mental fatigue.
There you go, another chapter done. Man, I was so close to updating on the weekend. TWO MINUTES!! I blame the pineapple. Damn is juicy sweetness for tempting me to take a break!! Oh well. I had three finals this weekend...forgive me for not being prompt with the update, but hey...only one final left then I'll be free for two weeks. So I can prolly update more than just on the weekend for a BRIEF period. Not a whole lot of action in this chapter either, but I didn't want to break up the next sequence so I cut it out of this chapter.
As always...Reviews are welcome and responded to in a (somewhat) quick fashion.
Love to all, Syrinx
