Miko to Taiyoukai no Monogatari
Ta zhi shi zui zui wu gu de di san zhe (She's just the most, most innocent third party)
Jiu suan ta xiao shi ci ke (Even if she disappears from now onwards)
Gao su wo neng de hui shen me ne? (Tell me, what can I possibly gain back?)
Ze guai ta you ping shen me ne? (What's the use of blaming her?)
Ta zhi shi wu yi chuang ru de di san zhe (She's just the third party who came between us without meaning to)
Wo men zhi jian de kun nan zai ta chu xian zhi qian jiu you le (The troubles between us were there before she came)
Sui ran wo fen nu dan shi wo ming bai de (I may be angry, but I understand)
Ba guo cuo rang ta quan bei zhe (To let all past blame fall upon her shoulders)
Na shi bu dui de. (Is wrong.)
-Di San Zhe (Third Party) by Liang Jing Ru, translation done by me. I just felt that I HAD to use this song, because it reminded me so much of how Kikyou must have felt. I mean, if you look at it from her point of view, Kagome is the third person, Of course, so many people hate her that almost everyone thinks that she's the bad one and calls her 'clay pot.' For the record, I will state once and for all that I like Kikyou. I also like Kagome. I am not prejudiced against Kikyou for anything that she has done.
This chapter is dedicated to 1kenshinlover, even though she hasn't been around for awhile, because she encouraged me in the beginning. Thank you.
Chapter 22: Di San Zhe (Third Party)
"Hey, Sesshoumaru. Did you see something just now?" Kagome frowned, turning her head and scanning the trees below them.
"No, I did not," the demon lord replied stoically, only to almost fall off his sparkling cloud when a barrage of red blades flew his way.
Kagome flung out a hand, and the usual barrier surrounded all three warriors.
"Say, wasn't that Inuyasha's Hijinkessou?" the miko blinked disbelievingly. Her confusion only deepened when she heard a tiny growl escape out of Sesshoumaru's tightly clenched jaw.
"Inuyasha is not himself." Was all the demon replied before diving out of the barrier and plummeting towards ground as his pelt streamed out behind him.
Kagome followed quickly, still not knowing what was going on until she caught sight of blood red eyes and elongated claws.
"Stop, Sesshoumaru!" she screamed, as Kirara added a loud roar to the protest. He did not reply, but continued onwards. The poison whip streamed out of his fingers, and he lashed at the growling, crazed Inuyasha on the ground.
The two demons charged at each other, Inuyasha with claws extended and golden eyes shining with rage, Sesshoumaru with his poison whip flicking dangerously through the air. They met and slashed at each other freely, before retreating and charging again.
Kagome realized that Tetsusaiga still hung at Inuyasha's hip when a blow of Sesshoumaru's fist sent the crazed beast hurtling backwards, coughing blood.
Why isn't Tetsusaiga preventing the transformation…?
---
Kagura slipped through the door, mouth and throat dry in fear and apprehension. Kariyu did not take failure easily. As her eyes darted about nervously, Kariyu emerged from the shadows, right on cue. His eyes seemed to look through her soul, in the scary way.
"Kagura. Have you brought me what I sent you for?" he asked, approaching nearer and nearer as Kagura swallowed convulsively.
"I… have not," she replied hesitantly.
"I do not like failure, Kagura," Kariyu told her softly, circling her like a shark eying its prey.
"I'm sorry… very sorry," she muttered, heartbeat speeding up to the point where it was almost painful. She was sure that his vampiric ears could pick up the drumbeat of her heart with no problem at all.
"An apology is not enough, Kagura. Follow me."
---
Obediently, she trailed behind him as he walked down a staircase that was so long, it seemed that it never ended. After minutes of walking in complete darkness, they reached the bottom, and walked along a dim passageway lit by torches.
A guard sitting in a chair talking with his partner leapt to his feet the moment he saw Kariyu striding across the dirt floor towards the cells. "Sir!" he exclaimed in shock as his partner hastily rose as well.
"Kagura is to be kept here until further notice. Do not harm her. Put her in with the mirror girl." Kariyu ordered as Kagura timidly emerged from the dimness.
"Yes, sir," the guard saluted as Kariyu pivoted on his heel and left, walking quickly. The second guard took Kagura by the forearm and pulled her away, his companion picking up the heavy iron ring of keys from the hook beside the iron gate.
Mirror girl?
"Rather a pretty one, isn't she?" the first guard observed as he passed his partner the keys to secure Kagura's chains.
"Don't be so hopeful, Rai! She's the lord's mate, can't you see?" the second guard indicated the mate mark on Kagura's exposed neck.
"So she is… what's she doing down here, then?" Rai wondered out loud as Kagura kept silent.
"Who cares? Come on, let's go." The unnamed guard stood up and walked out, locking the jail door behind him carefully. The two pairs of footsteps echoed up the tiny corridor before fading entirely.
Kagura's head swiveled when she saw a glimpse of pristine white at the other end of the cell.
"…Kagura?" came the muted whisper, as she began to move.
"…Kanna!" Kagura was horrified.
"Kagura… why did you call me here, if you were just going to lock me up?" Kanna crawled towards her younger sister slowly, the chains binding her clanking loudly. The mirror lay in shards near the wall, broken. Kanna would need time and materials to repair the weapon she wielded with exquisite deadliness.
"Kanna… I'm sorry, so sorry," Kagura waited until her sibling was within reach, then grabbed Kanna in a tight hug, tears pouring unchecked down her cheeks.
Kanna stroked her sister's back tentatively. "It's okay, Kagura… tell me what happened…" the pale, ghostly girl whispered.
Kagura only sniffled, trying to choke back the flood of tears before beginning to talk hoarsely.
---
Kagome caught sight of the dark purple beads and white fangs of Inuyasha's infamous rosary, and wondered if it still worked. Immediately, she put it to the test.
"Osuwari!" she screamed as forcefully as possible. The enraged demon slammed into the ground with a furious cry, creating his own crater. Sesshoumaru stumbled and almost fell as his target disappeared.
Sparks of cerise purification power gathered at her fingertips, and she sent them out in a continuous stream, flowing towards the downed Inuyasha with lightning speed. The energy quickly encased Inuyasha in a cage of magic, threatening to purify him if he touched the threads.
"What's wrong with Tetsusaiga's sealing power?" Sesshoumaru asked, a most unusual thing for him to do.
"I don't know, but I intend to find out." With that grim statement, Kagome got off Kirara and approached Inuyasha cautiously.
When he raised his head, his eyes were still ruby red, and he bared his fangs at her threateningly.
Kagome reached out spiritual fingers of energy, and spotted the youki flowing around him in spurts, a dangerous crimson color. Tightening her grip around it, she yanked it away, shaping it into an orb that shifted colors every so often. The red left Inuyasha's eyes instantly, and she breathed a sigh of relief as the youki swirled in her hands.
"Long time no see, Inuyasha," she said neutrally. The emotions within her roiled uneasily.
"Ka…gome…" he called her name hesitantly, almost as though he felt strange doing so.
"What happened to Tetsusaiga's sealing power?" Kagome got straight to the point. She had never been the sort to beat around the bush.
"I don't know… Tetsusaiga lost its power to transform, too…" Inuyasha answered, touching the hilt of the battered sword lovingly.
"Why didn't you go to Toutousai?" Kagome demanded.
"That old fart's still alive?" Inuyasha blinked. "How old is that guy anyway?"
"Don't try and change the topic. Then, how come you didn't pillage villages and stuff? I would have been called sooner or later," Kagome wondered.
"I requested the miko and monk of a village to seal me away in a barrier," Inuyasha replied.
"What happened to the barrier?" Kagome frowned.
"Someone broke it. I'm not too sure who it was, but it smelled like Naraku's offspring… probably Kagura, if my nose wasn't wrong. I was under the blood influence then, so I'm not too clear about it." Inuyasha said slowly.
Kagome cursed bitterly.
"What's up with Kagura?" Inuyasha asked, seeing Kagome's expression. It was a cocktail of emotions, containing annoyance, anger and sadness.
"She's been controlled… apparently, Naraku was innocent and controlled by someone else." Kagome told him absent mindedly, thinking of something else.
Inuyasha's eyes bugged out. "Naraku was INNOCENT!" he yelled as Sesshoumaru glared at him for his loudness.
"Mmhmm. The entity who possessed him has moved on to the next container, who is a vampire named Kariyu. Strangely, he has the power to venture out in the sunlight, so we don't really have any advantage over him in that." Kagome explained.
Inuyasha blinked. "I think you need to explain this to me again, more slowly."
---Explanation commences---
"And that is everything that has happened so far." Kagome had recited the story again, sitting down casually. Sesshoumaru remained standing, enjoying the feel of the wind's chilly fingers sifting through his silky silver hair. Inuyasha was sitting cross-legged in the cage, arms folded as usual. The red fire-rat robe was still the same, displaying its magical properties to Kagome, who now knew how to appreciate them properly.
"So, basically we're facing another Naraku, this time one who drinks blood." Inuyasha stated as Kagome nodded confirmation.
"We're going to need more help, won't we?" Kagome mused.
A sad smile touched Inuyasha's lips.
"You will need more help, Kagome," he put the emphasis on the first word.
"What do you mean? Aren't you coming with us?" she asked, startled.
Inuyasha shook his head regretfully.
"I can't, Kagome… the moment you release my youki, I'll go crazy again. You can't keep it in your hands, they're already starting to get burnt…" he turned his face away slightly, white ears twitching spasmodically.
Kagome looked down. True enough, the skin on her palms was starting to redden dangerously. It only served to remind her that youki could only be truly controlled by their owners, no matter how powerful she was. Her fingers flared pink and white, producing tiny sparkles of purifying energy. She could prevent being taken over by the demonic energy only by her purity.
"Then what will happen to you?" Kagome cried, eyes shining wetly.
"You can just seal me to a time tree, and come back for me when you've defeated your enemy," Inuyasha said firmly.
Kagome gaped disbelievingly.
"You actually want to be sealed?" she demanded.
"That's the only way out, isn't it? Besides, you shouldn't unseal me unless you have Toutousai with you to fix the damned sword," Inuyasha shrugged, nose twitching.
Sesshoumaru interrupted their argument, already tired of his younger half-sibling.
"Kagome, seal Inuyasha." He ordered.
Kagome frowned, ready to protest again.
"Do it, Kagome." Inuyasha prodded.
"How can you ask me to do this after the times I almost shot you?" Kagome clenched her fists in helplessness.
Inuyasha smiled angelically, an expression that Kagome would have killed to see in the past.
"It's because of what I would do if I wasn't sealed that I'm asking this. I know you can do it. I believe in you." He said simply.
Kagome bit her lip.
"All right. I'll take the cage away, and then we'll go look for a time tree like the Goshinboku." She did as she promised, and they began to search for their objective hurriedly. The youki was burning Kagome's hands as time trickled away.
"Here." Sesshoumaru called.
Inuyasha stood flat against the tree trunk calmly. "I'm ready, Kagome." He told her.
"I hate it when you make me do things like this," she whispered.
Lifting her bow and putting an arrow to the string, power concentrated at the tip of the sharp projectile. Seconds before she released the sealing arrow, Inuyasha's tainted youki swirled out of her fingers.
Time seemed to slow down as her arrow sped through the air…
---
25/03/2006
A/N: Whoot! Another chapter done.
Tell me, do stories usually get less popular as time goes by? Because I'm VERY confused now.
Lol… yeah. Won-Won-Weirdo and I have been chatting on MSN lately and we had a lot of fun. Feel free to add me at sweetdreamz2210 remove the spaces and everything'll be okay.
Man, I know I wanted to say something, but I forgot…
I'm getting senile…
Ah, yes!
Thank you to everyone who prayed for my father. He's been released from hospital today and is recovering well from his heart bypass operation. However, due to safety reasons, he can't do much for six weeks, and the week when he has to be accompanied by someone at all times is just starting. But thank you, anyway, even if you forgot to pray : It means a lot to me.
Ehh… I can't for the life of me remember anything else… Am I THAT old/shudders/
03/04/2006
Well, the week is over – and this chapter has been rewritten way too many times. Do you know there were at least four versions? In one, Inuyasha was killed by Sesshoumaru, in another, Kagome was killed by Inuyasha… /scratches head/ This is horrifying.
Anyway, I hope you like the chapter, cause I sure don't. Gah…
Kibou Hope has disappeared again. Where, oh where...
Windborne signing off.