Chapter 16: A Break for Freedom
As more time went by, Sango sat quietly in her cell, coming up with a plan to get the dagger away from Naraku. If it was in the same place as before, she'd find it in the corner of what she assumed was Naraku's bedroom. She needed to get to that room. Once she did, she'd take Kagome and get out of here. Now that she understood how to break the blade, she was confident that she could get Kagome back to normal. There was only one problem: Kagome's body was broken. She had to wait for the priest to heal her. It had been a couple of days and the priest had all the materials gathered.
When they came and took Kagome from the cell, the priest made it very clear that this was going to take time, so Sango waited patiently. Every day, Kanna brought her food and water. There was a time she was brought a wet cloth to clean up with, a gesture she assumed the priest had asked Naraku to show. With nothing more to do, Sango began daily exercises to stay in shape. She had begun to weaken and that would do Kagome no good.
Eight days went by since Kagome was taken. Sango could sense holy power above her constantly humming through the castle walls. On this eighth day, however, there was a change. Sango could not sense Naraku. He left or was hidden somehow, but his miasma had lessened enough for her to feel a breath of fresh air. As she sat in her cell, she heard the cellar door open and moved over to the gate. The priest made his appearance, quickly rushing down the wooden steps and over to her. He unlocked the cell and opened the door, helping Sango to her feet.
"Listen carefully, my child. Naraku has left, but will be back in a few hours." The Priest began explaining things quickly. "This feels too convenient. He's left the blade here in the open. The young woman, Kagome, is practically fully healed. He's sent Kagura and the young demon off."
"What's his game?" Sango asked.
"I do not know, but there is no better time than now." The Priest said and led Sango up the stairs as quickly as he could. "The blade is sitting on an altar next to your friend. Once I stop the ritual, she will wake, but her mind will still be a blank slate. Do you have a way of traveling from here quickly?"
"No, I don't." Sango said, shaking her head.
The two hurried into the next room. Kagome was laying in a large stone bath, surrounded by herbs, crystals, and water so pure that Sango dared not touch it. Her body was as Sango remembered it normally being, allowing Sango a moment of joyful relief.
"You did it." Sango said, wiping a tear from her eye.
"I do try to keep my word. Now," The Priest grabbed the strange cursed blade and handed it to Sango while it was in its sheath. "Take this. Take my horse. You need to get as far away from here as possible. When you want her memories to return, break the blade using the demonic energy of a powerful demon and the holy energy of a powerful priestess. They must each hold an end and send their power into the blade. It will hurt, but the blade will break and every memory, every soul that has been sheered away and into this blade will move on to its rightful place."
"Why did you keep such a thing?" Sango asked, looking disgusted at the blade in her hand.
"It was never meant for things like this." The Priest said in sadness. "It was meant to allow those who experienced terrible traumas or were truly repentant for past sins to gain second chances, to move on, and to start more peaceful lives. It wasn't meant to be a curse."
"I see." Sango said and tied the blade into the sash on her hip. "Alright. Can we go now?"
"Yes." The Priest nodded and went to stand at the altar. He took the steps to stop the ritual. The light that was shining from the water around Kagome slowly faded. Sango went over to the bath and dragged Kagome out. The priest helped her and they both quickly carried Kagome's unconscious body outside. The Priest ran to grab his horse. Once he returned, he helped Sango and onto it and then Kagome. They used a rope to tie Kagome to Sango's back so she wouldn't fall off. The Priest also suddenly appeared with a small pack and handed it to Sango. "Good luck."
"What about you?" Sango asked as she took the pack and tied it to the horse's saddle.
"I will try to escape, but without the horse, I fear I may not be able to." The Priest said, smiling.
"But… Naraku will kill you." Sango said sadly.
"And that is just fine. I'm old and after all of this, my time in this world is over." The Priest reassured Sango.
Sango felt guilty just leaving, but she was not going to risk Kagome's life when this Priest was willing to sacrifice himself for her. The two said their goodbyes as dark clouds began forming overhead. In fear of it being Naraku, Sango left the Priest behind and rushed off on horseback. She charged down a dirt path, Kagome tightly bound to her own back so she wouldn't fall. She didn't take a moment to look back and kept heading west.
"That was much easier than I thought." Naraku's voice echoed out from behind the Priest.
"You're too late. The girl is gone." The Priest smirked at the evil half-demon.
"If I wanted to catch them, I could. They couldn't outrun me on a mere horse." Naraku said, chuckling menacingly.
"So, I was right. This was too convenient." The Priest said, glaring at Naraku.
"Of course. Do you really believe I'd leave the blade out in the open so carelessly without it being part of my plan?" Naraku said as he stepped up to the Priest, his tall stature towering over the poor old man. "Sango will tell them how to break the blade. Kagome will return to normal and this will begin again. I may not have the blade to wipe Kagome's memory away, but I've recently found something better."
"What… are you planning?" The Priest asked fearfully.
"Nothing you need to know. Kagura." Naraku called out and Kagura stepped up behind him. "Lock the Priest in his own room and make sure he is taken care of just like Sango was. We need him comfortable for what is coming."
"Of course, Naraku." Kagura said and motioned for the Priest to follow.
The old man hesitated, but followed Kagura anyway. He was led to a regular bedroom with everything a single person would need. The Priest looked around the room and then sat on the bed. Tears fell down his cheeks as guilt over took him.
"What have I done…"
.
.
Sango didn't stop for six hours. She pushed the horse too long and too far. Suddenly, the horse collapsed beneath her and she and Kagome went flying over top of him. Sango did her best to be the one to land on the ground, preventing Kagome from getting hurt. She quickly untied the rope that bound them and grabbed the sack that the Priest gave her. The horse was out of breath and laying on the ground, barely moving. It wasn't dead, thankfully. Horses, especially trained ones, had a lot of endurance, but this horse must not have been trained like the war horses she was used to.
"Just rest…" Sango said. "Hopefully we've made it far enough."
Sango took this time to lay Kagome down comfortably when she realized Kagome's eyes were open. Looking at Kagome was terrifying. She looked like a living doll. There was no real emotion on her face and her eyes looked lifeless. The only thing that made her seem alive was the fact that she was breathing. She didn't just remind Sango of Kanna like this, but was actually worse than that. Kanna spoke. Kanna moved on her own. Kanna walked. Kagome was just a doll. Still, she powered through that uncomfortableness and made sure Kagome laid down normally.
Sango opened up the bag and realized the Priest had packed her and Kagome some food and water. She ate and drank a bit. Then, she tried to get Kagome to eat, but that didn't take. Sango did get her to drink though. The rest went to the horse. After some time, the horse finally began moving and stood up. It took about twenty minutes for Sango to get Kagome up on the horse. Either the horse would move or Kagome's rag dolling threw Sango off balance and they would fall. When she finally got her up there, she gave up on the idea of getting on the horse too. Instead, she used the rope to tie Kagome onto the horse's saddle. It wasn't comfortable, but Sango could not carry Kagome and didn't want to risk another fall.
Taking the reins in her hand, Sango led the horse along a dirt road, hoping to come to a village sometime soon. After a while of the hot afternoon sun beating down on her, Sango heard someone call out her name. She was hungry and thirsty. She was tired, sweaty, and felt weak. She couldn't figure out how much time had gone by, but it must have been a while since it was dawn when she escaped Naraku's castle. Again, she heard someone call out her name, but didn't have the strength to look up. She realized that even though she kept in shape, she was still not at one hundred percent because of her time in Naraku's cell. Once more, someone called out her name and Sango finally stopped walking. She raised her head and focused.
"Inuyasha… Miroku…" Sango muttered.
"Sango!" Miroku shouted and ran up to the woman he loved, but stopped about five feet away. "Sango, are you alright?"
Everyone appeared before her. Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, Rin, and Sesshomaru. For the first time in a little too long, Sango felt safe. She looked between them, obviously weak from the journey. As Miroku went to step to her, Sango's eyes rolled to the back of her head, her legs gave out, and she fell forward. Miroku and Inuyasha both moved to catch her and laid her down in the grass on the side of the dirt road. Sesshomaru took this time to untie Kagome from the horse and carry her over next to Sango. Kagome's eyes opened as her head hit the grass.
"Kagome." Sesshomaru said, but got no response.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha came over and repeated.
"Stop." Sango begged. She woke up and looked over to them. "She doesn't remember anything."
"We know th-…" Miroku started.
"N-No." Sango said and began crying as she grabbed onto the cursed dagger. "She doesn't remember anything, Miroku. She doesn't remember her name, us, her family, her past, anything. Naraku did it again. He used this cursed dagger to rip away her memories… What he did to her." Sango began sobbing heavily, covering her face with the arm of the hand that gripped the dagger. "Her body was broken. He destroyed her. All she did was scream and cry for hours and hours. He beat her so badly that her bones felt like shattered glass. I couldn't help her. She didn't remember me, so all she did was scream."
No one else knew what to say. Miroku wanted to comfort Sango, but he couldn't figure out how. He sat down next to her and pulled her up into a tight hug. Sango leaned into him and continued to sob. It got so bad she could barely breathe. She had been so scared that she and Kagome were going to die there. The two of them were in the clutches of their worst enemy for so long that now that she was out, she felt all the fear at once. It was like she had been under the constant effects of adrenaline rushing through her veins and only now was she able to calm down.
"But… she looks okay now." Shippo questioned suddenly.
"That's because the Priest that originally took care of this dagger healed her." Sango said and wiped the tears from her eyes, forcing herself to stop crying for now. "Naraku wanted Kagome healed so he could try again. He was around every day until today. He just left the castle, left the dagger, and left Kagome and I there. If I'm being honest, I think it's a trap of some sort. I don't know what, but he's not stupid enough for us to accidentally escape so easily… However, I do know one thing." Sango looked down to the dagger with confidence. "We can break the curse. I know how to do it."
"You do?" Shippo and Rin said in unison, both excited about the news.
"I do. We'll need your Dad and Kikyo." Sango said, first looking to Sesshomaru and then to Inuyasha. "The Priest told me that we need to break the blade using the power of a full-demon and a priestess. The dagger will break and all the memories and souls it has collected will return to where they belong."
"Nice work, Sango!" Inuyasha said excitedly.
"Where do we find her?" Sesshomaru asked.
"I don't know." Inuyasha shook his head.
"How did you all find us?" Sango asked.
"Naraku's barrier weakened. His miasma is all over this valley." Sesshomaru explained.
"That's… strange." Sango said and thought to herself for a moment. "Guys, this has to be a trap. He practically brought you to us and let us walk out of there with the blade he's been using, and he did this after Kagome was fully healed. I won't be surprised if we run into Kikyo soon at this rate."
"Why do you say that?" Miroku asked.
"Because Naraku knows that Kikyo is needed to break the blade. I'm pretty sure he's also figured out that Sesshomaru is involved in all of this too." Sango explained. "That's how the curse is broken: Sesshomaru and Kikyo using their powers to break the blade."
"He's bringing us together on purpose." Sesshomaru sighed.
"He'll probably strike the moment the curse is broken." Miroku added.
"We can't leave Kagome like this though." Shippo shouted fearfully.
"We won't. Kagome isn't even Kagome right now." Sango said, looking over her shoulder at her doll-like friend. "I'd rather risk Naraku's attack than leave her incomplete. We need to find Kikyo, but first… I can't… I need to rest. I need something to eat and some water."
The group wasted no time. They took the horse to a nearby village and sold it off for some food and a place to stay for a couple of days. While Sango recovered, the group was faced with a few difficult obstacles. Firstly, getting Kagome to eat and drink was practically impossible.
"It's been two days! It's like she's not even hungry." Inuyasha said in frustration, slamming a wooden cup on the ground.
"This curse did more than just strip away memory." Sesshomaru said.
"What do you mean?" Sango asked.
"It's just a theory, but I believe someone without their memories would still move, think, and feel." Sesshomaru explained. "Kagome doesn't make a noise. She doesn't seem uncomfortable. I thought she'd act like a newborn. Instead, she's practically lifeless."
"The Priest did mention something about tearing at her soul." Sango said with a sigh. "It's possible her powers won't work right after all of this too."
Suddenly, Inuyasha shot up from his spot and looked out the door. He sniffed the air and rushed out of the hut in a hurry. Sesshomaru sniffed the air as well and realized where his younger brother had gone.
"Kikyo is close. I assume he's gone to get her." Sesshomaru said, but noticed the odd look Miroku and Sango gave each other. "What?"
"When Inuyasha normally runs off to Kikyo, it's never a good thing." Miroku said.
"Yeah, idiot can't make up his mind between being with Kagome or being with Kikyo." Sango explained further, her tone filled with annoyance. "Inuyasha runs off toward Kikyo every time he catches her scent. He never cares how it hurts Kagome and ignores all the sacrifices she has made to help him get what he wants: The Sacred Jewel. Inuyasha's a fool. If Kagome choose you, he'll deserve it."
"I think Kagome should choose Dad anyways." Rin said and then pointed at Shippo. "I'll have a brother if she does. I've always wanted a brother or sister."
"This fantasy you all seem to be having, about Kagome and I, needs to stop." Sesshomaru sighed and leaned against the hut wall. "I don't even know anything about the woman."
"What do you mean? You spent so much time with Kagome!" Rin asked, confused.
"I spent time with a woman who only knew her name because we told her." Sesshomaru explained to the young girl. "There is no telling what type of person she actually is beyond that. Besides, I have no interest in being with a human."
"You're lying!" Rin shouted and ran angrily out of the hut.
Everyone watched Rin disappear through the doorway. Sesshomaru sighed and leaned his head against the wall, crossing his arms. There was a silence between everyone, but Shippo wanted to ask more questions. The young fox walked up to Sesshomaru and tapped his leg.
"Hey…" Shippo said nervously, and Sesshomaru looked down to him, "Why does Rin think you're lying?"
"She's a child." Sesshomaru said.
"So? Just because we're young, doesn't mean we're stupid." Shippo stated adamantly. "Something tells me there is something going on between you and my Momma. Even if you don't wanna admit it, you have already shown that you care about her, at least a little bit. Once she was back with us, there was no reason for you to stick around if you didn't care. Right, Sango?"
"Um… Well, yeah." Sango nodded and looked to Sesshomaru. "He's not wrong."
"Humans." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "The child is likely connecting my ability to care for her, as a human, to my ability to possibly care for your friend. What Rin desires is a romantic and loving relationship between Kagome and myself, like my Father had with Inuyasha's mother. What Rin does not understand is that I am not my Father. While I have accepted her in my life, as someone I care very much for and have accepted the role of Father over, that does not mean I can or will accept a human woman as a lifelong mate. I would hope, that as adults in this situation, both of you can understand the situation I am in. I rule the Western Lands. I am to take a powerful demon mate and birth an heir. Even my Father knew that enough to conceive me before he fell in-love with Inuyasha's Mother."
"Wait, so you're saying that your Father had you… out of obligation?" Sango asked.
"Yes." Sesshomaru said and looked off toward an open window. "I am sure he had no care for my Mother at all and I felt little care from him as I grew as well. This is normal for demons."
"I understand the tradition. Power is more important that love." Miroku said. "Though, I must ask, as you grew up and felt this neglect from your Father, were you happy? And if not, which I have a feeling is the answer, why would you choose to put your own child through the same fate?"
"Explain?" Sesshomaru requested.
"Were you happy growing up?" Miroku asked.
"Not particularly." Sesshomaru admitted.
"If a part of your unhappiness came from the lack of compassion you felt from your parents, why would you follow that same tradition that seems to only feed unhappy people?" Miroku questioned, but was met with a stoic stare from Sesshomaru. "By following that same tradition, you create yet another demon child who is unhappy, who realizes that his Father had him out of obligation, and who grows up to do the same thing and forever perpetuate this depressing bloodline of powerful demons. Would it not be better to be the one to break tradition and teach further generations that what they feel is just as important as how much power and knowledge they obtain?"
"You're saying to do what my Father did and claim a mate out of love?" Sesshomaru asked.
"I think it would be better for you, the child, and for future generations." Miroku said and then continued on his explanation. "Imagine demons of all types, full-blooded and half-blooded, weak and powerful, choosing to change the way your mating rituals work and living happier lives. By merely being happier in life, a lot of violence could end. I've learned through my travels that when a human is unhappy, they make bad decisions, like thievery and murder, to get the things they feel are denied to them. They become horrible people that need to be stopped. If they were happier in life, this could have been prevented. Of course, this would work with many humans. I am not sure about demons."
"It's possible. Our culture is so deeply set in power and destruction that I am not sure how such a shift would impact our very nature." Sesshomaru said, and for a brief moment was sounding like he was considering Miroku's explanations as possibilities. "What the hell are you trying to do?"
"Um, what?" Miroku blinked in surprise at the sudden tone change.
"Is there a reason you're trying to convince me of this?" Sesshomaru questioned, an eyebrow raised at the two before him. "Are you also in support of this childish notion of Kagome and myself?"
"What? No." Miroku said and waved it off, but then all eyes fell on Sango.
"What? I'm not against it. Inuyasha treats her like crap." Sango crossed her arms. "Besides, I've never seen her lean on Inuyasha the way she leans on you. Well, she has, but he's such a jerk that he pushes her away and acts like a five-year-old wanting to avoid contact with a girl. I'm tired of him hurting her."
"They're here." Sesshomaru warned and the entire hut shifted focus.
"Kagome always brings me new crayons from her time." Shippo, who had become the master of subject changes for all of their sakes, held up a few older crayons to show Sesshomaru. "They're these writing things and make really pretty pictures."
"Are you seriously showing off your crayons to Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha said as he entered to the hut, Kikyo and Rin both following right behind him. "I doubt he's interested in any of that stuff."
"I can show him whatever I want!" Shippo shouted back at Inuyasha.
"Yeah, whatever." Inuyasha said.
Inuyasha pointed Kikyo toward Kagome, whose silence was unnerving to everyone. At times, they forgot she was there. She didn't really move, speak, or make any other noises. At times, her body would shift and catch the eye of those in the hut, but she'd freeze soon after.
Kikyo greeted everyone and stepped over to Kagome, kneeling by the girl to check on her. Kikyo did a quick examination and confirmed that Kagome was physically alright, but her soul was fading.
"No wonder I've felt so weak lately. We need to do this fast." Kikyo said.
"What do you mean? Why?" Sango asked.
"Remember, part of the reason I still stand is because Kagome's soul is also held within my body, acting as an energy source and a vessel for my memories. As she weakens, as her soul fades from the use of this blade that Inuyasha spoke of…" Kikyo held out her hand as Inuyasha handed it to her. "I also become weaker. If I'm being honest, I think my vessel holding part of her soul is the only reason why her heart still beats. If I were not here, the second use of this blade would have killed her and forever trapped her soul in the blade. Fortunately, you seem to have a method of destroying it?"
"Yes, the Priest who originally guarded it told me that using the power of a demon and a priestess is the only way of returning Kagome to normal." Sango explained. "You send your energy into the blade at the same time, causing some sort of backlash and the blade should break."
"Yes, I understand." Kikyo nodded. "We must find a safe place to do this. Depending on the amount of energy in that blade, breaking it may cause a lot of damage. We can't be near a village and it may be best for the children to stay behind as well."
"What? No, I wanna come!" Rin said.
"Yeah, so do I. Why can't we come?" Shippo asked.
"If the breaking of this cursed blade released the amount of energy that I believe it will release, it is not safe for anyone near it. I'd honestly recommend everyone, excluding Sesshomaru and myself, to stay back for the sake of their own lives." Kikyo said and held the blade up for them to see. "Everyone… Stay silent, close your eyes, and listen. I am surprised Sesshomaru has not picked up on it yet."
Everyone closed their eyes and stayed silent. It took a few moments, but after shushing Inuyasha once and trying again, they could hear it. There was a low whistling in the air at first, like the wind moving through buildings, but a moment later, those whistles turned into voices, screaming voices calling out and begging for help. There were dozens of different voices coming from the blade. The souls of humans and demons alike, were sheered away from their bodies and stored in there.
"That's creepy." Shippo said.
"Yeah, scary." Rin hid behind Sesshomaru.
"Those are the many souls that have been locked in here, fighting to get out for an amount of time that none of us could know." Kikyo said.
"And Kagome's soul is locked in there with them?" Inuyasha asked.
"Yes. I don't think she's in any danger, but I do think that leaving her in there for too long may cause more problems. Let's get this done. Do any of you know a place to go?" Kikyo asked.
The group needed a safe place, away from any people and where Naraku would likely not look. They had to make sure that, if Kikyo was right, the aftermath of breaking that blade wouldn't take anyone else with them. At first, no one seemed to come up with anywhere.
"I know a place." Sango said. "It's not too far either."