Inuyasha: which option is better—drowning or burning? –holds pencil and paper-
A1969: eh...what's that for? Is that a list of agony and torment that you plan to unleash on Houjo?
Inuyasha: hell, yeah!
Kagome: Inuyasha!
A1969: cool! Hey, listen—don't you think it's better to drown him in hydrochloric acid? Burn and drown, you know? –grins-
Kagome: what the heck...? Maybe you're more Naraku-like than we thought you were...
Inuyasha: what's this...hydrothingy?
A1969: leave it to me, my fine, dog-eared friend. Anyway, thanks a lot to those who read and to those who reviewed!
Kagome: you aren't serious about the whole HCl thing, are you?
A1969: oh, and this chapter? This is the longest I have typed in my life—to make up for always being so tardy. Enjoy!
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-Chapter Thirty-
Mt. Tenku
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,.Hakudoshi.,
"If I were you, I'd give up—it's useless to fight us."
Kagura and I stared at the girl, whose back was pressed against the hard trunk of a tree. There was no fear in her eyes—only determination and anger. Of course—any demon would be hard pressed to find fear in the eyes of a priestess. Especially a priestess who resided at Mt. Tenku.
The priestess in front of us was young—the same age as Midoriko's reincarnation. Her brown eyes were narrowed menacingly at us as she threateningly held a sutra in her hand.
"This is no place for demons!" she hissed, her eyes narrowing into little slits.
She spoke the truth. Kagura and I had travelled all the way to Mt. Tenku, but—as with all holy mountains—we could not come within even a mile of the mountain without feeling the weakening effects of Midoriko's barrier.
Fortunately for us, we didn't have to go near the blasted mountain to find this particular priestess, the priestess whom Naraku had told us about. This should be interesting.
"And no place for a priestess like you," I sneered. She cringed. "Tell us, Yuki"—her eyes widened in surprise at the mention of her name—"why did you choose to leave the mountain when your mistress told you otherwise?"
She gritted her teeth at us. "That's none of your business, demon!" she shrieked as she threw the sutra at me.
I quickly put up a barrier and watched, amused, as the sutra made contact with it. The barrier sizzled, as though lightning danced on its surface, and then the piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Heh, I have to hand it to these Mt. Tenku priestesses—they were powerful.
"No need to hide your grievances, Yuki," I purred. From the peripheral of my vision, I could see Kagura hovering beside me, smirking at the girl. "We know...You've trained under your master for eight years, ever since you were seven summers...We also know why you take pleasure in leaving the mountain occasionally."
"And how would a vile demon know of the inner workings of Mt. Tenku?" Yuki snapped. Oh, she tried to look brave, but I could easily see the first sign of distress in her eyes.
"We know," I whispered. I flew closer to her, hovering close to the ground. She did not cringe—she glared. "I know what you desire—something that will never be yours, something that will make you the greatest priestess in the land...That is your hidden desire, is not? To be great. Greater than even Midoriko's reincarnation." Not that the girl, Clara, was so great to begin with.
Her eyes widened in surprise at the mention of her deepest and most esoteric desire. "Silence!" she hissed. A faint, subtle red light suddenly surrounded her. Oh, she was angry now.
I smirked. "Yuki, Yuki," I said persuasively. "It's not a crime to want to be the best, to desire to esteem yourself above others, after leading such a pathetic life. And it's certainly no crime for you to desire Midoriko's mirror."
She looked surprised. "How did you...know about...?" Her aura vanished.
"Join us," I purred. "Disregard your mistress's words...We both know how powerful you truly are...more powerful than Midoriko's reincarnation, are you not? We give you the mirror, and you destroy Midoriko's reincarnation for us."
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.:Clara:.
It's been a while, now...
It had been around two weeks since Takeshi's death, but I was still bothered by it. It had been ages since I had last seen Inuyasha and the others. It had practically been eons since I had last seen my mother...
We had resumed travelling to Mt. Tenku now, and—according to Jaken—in two more weeks, we would be there. Jaken had pointed out that Sesshoumaru could so easily have reached Mt. Tenku within a day, flying. But, as Jaken was so kind to point out, because of Rin and me—he didn't include himself—Sesshoumaru had to resort to walking.
I sighed as I walked beside Rin. In two more weeks, we would be at Mt. Tenku...
That would be where I would part ways with them.
I sighed again. "Is anything wrong, Clara-san?" Rin, riding on Ah-Un, asked me. She tilted her head. "You know, if you keep sighing, you'll sigh all your happiness away!"
I blinked. "Where'd you get that idea?" She looked sweetly up at me, her chocolate eyes wide.
She only grinned. "I just noticed that people sigh a lot when they're sad—like Master Jaken!" She paused, looking thoughtful. "Are you sad?"
"No...I mean...I guess..." I looked ahead, at Sesshoumaru's back. "No. I don't think so..." I looked back at Rin, who was grinning at me. Jaken, who was walking in front of us, between me and Sesshoumaru, only scoffed. Oh, he knew, toad that he was.
Rin narrowed her eyes at me. Then they widened in surprise and realization. "You love—!"
Shoot! Quick as a flash, I covered her mouth with my hand. "To eat!" I interjected, grinning at the little girl frantically. She seemed to get the message, and nodded. I pulled my hand away. "I think I'm hungry!" I said, grinning.
Jaken rolled his eyes. "Idiot human," he muttered.
I stuck my tongue out at him. I felt a pair of cold eyes on me. I glanced at Sesshoumaru's direction. He was looking at us from over his shoulder, bored.
"Fend for yourselves," he said, as he looked away.
"Yes, my lord!" Rin said, hopping off Ah-Un. She grabbed my hand excitedly. "C'mon, Clara-san! Let's go look for something to eat...and then you have to tell me why you love eating!"
I inwardly groaned. Great, just great.
The stars twinkled above us.
I looked up at them. Rin and I were leaning against a tree, the warmth of the campfire bathing us. Sesshoumaru had, once again, left. I already knew that it was pointless to ask where he went, so I decided not to ask.
Rin was still smug about my feelings for said demon lord. "Why don't you tell him?" she had asked, as we hunted for berries hours earlier.
"No!" I had shouted, my eyes widening like saucers. "No, that would be suicidal. No. And you're not to say anything...okay?"
She had agreed, but I had a feeling that she would be doing her mischief, somehow.
I sighed as I looked at the fire, letting my thoughts wander...
"Kikyou...what are you doing here?"
There was nothing but bright light all around. In front of me stood Kikyou. She was smiling serenely at me. Her hair fell around her face and shoulders.
"Find it, Clara," she said, smiling. "Someone intends to use it for evil...you mustn't let that happen."
"Find what?" I asked, mystified. What now?
"Find Midoriko's mirror."
I opened my eyes.
The campfire was slowly dying, it's dim light spilling around the glen we were camped in. Rin had fallen asleep beside me, her head against my shoulder. Jaken was snoring atop his favorite spot—Ah-Un.
I glanced around. There was no sign of Sesshoumaru. For a moment, I wondered what time it was. Around one or three in the morning? I couldn't be so sure.
Gently, I pulled away from Rin, propping her against the tree. I watched her for a moment, and then I stood up. I made my way through the trees. I wouldn't go far—I just wanted to go somewhere I could think...
What was that dream about? It was about Kikyou. And what about a mirror? Midoriko's mirror...?
I stopped. I was several yards into the woods by now. Sighing, I leaned against a tree, and stared up at its leafy canopy. This was so confusing. It wasn't troubling enough that I had to look for the Sacred Jewel, but now, I have to find some mirror, too? I had enough to deal with, at the moment.
I bit my lip. I shouldn't be feeling so...flustered about it. Maybe it was because I hadn't seen my mother or Kagome in a while, maybe it was because Takeshi's death was still vivid, maybe it was the thought of being parted from Rin and Sesshoumaru soon...in any case, I was confused...
What was Midoriko's mirror? Why did I have to find it...?
"I'm only human, after all," I muttered, looking at the ground and frowning at a pair of boots in front of me.
Huh?
I looked up. Sesshoumaru was standing in front of me, golden eyes narrowed at me. I gasped—both surprised and awed. The moonlight filtering through the leaves of the tree framed him in a soft glow, making him look more like a god than a demon.
I blinked. "You really shouldn't do that to people, you know," I muttered, looking down. I could feel my cheeks burning when I realized that he was just an arm's length away from me.
"Do what?" I was surprised when he asked.
I composed my face as I looked up at him. "Sneak up on people—it's...not exactly frightening, more surprising." I shrugged, realizing that I was babbling like an idiot.
"Hn," was all he said as he turned away.
"Wait!" I called out, as he began walking away.
He stopped, and glanced at me from over his shoulder. "Sesshoumaru...do you know something about...Midoriko's mirror?"
"No." Without further ado, he turned away.
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-,-Kagome-,-
"You pervert!" Sango's voice blared throughout the air.
The others and I watched, amused, as Sango's palm landed on Miroku's cheek with a resounding slap. We were camped out for the afternoon, eating the remnants of the snacks I'd brought over from the Modern Era.
"Sango, for once, it was not my intention to touch you up there!" the monk said, as he leapt to his feet. Sango did the same, raising a bag of potato chips menacingly at him. Miroku held out both his hands, taking a step back from the enraged demon slayer.
"You pervert!" Sango screeched as she whacked the bag against Miroku's head.
"Ow!" Miroku whined. "I only wanted the potato chips that you had the misfortune to be holding against your chest...!"
"Pervert!" Whack!
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Miroku exclaimed, shielding his head with arms. Suddenly, there was a sound of foil splitting and, a second later, the monk was bathed in a shower of potato chips.
"What a waste," Inuyasha muttered beside me.
"Pervert!" Sango screeched once more, before she turned on her heel and tramped off, towards the forest.
"Now, you've done it," I said, sighing, as I looked after Sango.
"I didn't mean to!" Miroku said, turning to us. "You know it was an accident! I mean, it was not my intention to touch those glorious mounds of—!" Before he could finish his sentence, a stone hurtled from the forest and whacked him on the head. Miroku fell face first to the ground, his eyes swirling. "Oww..."
"You deserved that," Shippou said, giggling as he jumped from my lap to land beside Miroku. He gently nudged Miroku's cheek with his foot. "You should stop groping Sango, you know—it makes her feel as though she's your toy."
"I agree," Inuyasha said. He suddenly slung his arms across my shoulders. I could feel my eyes widen and my cheeks flush. "I mean, look at me—did I treat Kagome like that? No, never did."
"If you want to win Sango, Miroku, start treating her like a woman," I said, sighing, and pulling away from Inuyasha. This monk could be hopeless, sometimes.
"But I do treat her like a woman," he muttered, sitting up and rubbing the spot on his head where the stone had hit him.
"You know what we mean!" Inuyasha, Shippou and I snapped.
"Fine, fine, fine," he said, standing. He sighed, and stared at the direction through which Sango had left. "I'll go after her, then." Without further ado, the monk vanished into the forest.
"Hurry back on, ya hear?" Inuyasha hollered. "We have to get a move on!"
I smiled quietly at Inuyasha. We had gone north in our search for Naraku, and we had stayed in this area for the second time this day, due to the new moon last night.
Shippou was sighing and staring at the potato chips on the ground. "What a waste," he muttered, nudging a chip with his foot.
I reassured him that the last bag would be his. As I was picking up the chips, I felt it, then—a dull, pleasant pull, coming from the forest. My eyes widened in surprise and shock. "Inuyasha...I can sense a Sacred Jewel shard," I said, standing up.
Inuyasha tensed. "I think...it's just Kohaku, though," I muttered, narrowing my eyes. There was another powerful pull, coming from a larger shard...Clara's? "I think Sesshoumaru and Clara are nearby." It had been ages since I had last seen her and, truth be told, I missed her.
"All the more reason for us to get going," Inuyasha said darkly, as he stood up. "Where're Miroku and Sa—" He was cut off when a loud, piercing shriek filled the air. A familiar scream...
"Clara!" I said, surprised.
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.:Clara:.
It was one of those rare days when Sesshoumaru just vanished for several hours at a time to collect his thoughts. It was also one of those rare days when I was capable of persuading Jaken to let me go to the hot spring we had passed by earlier.
"C'mon, Jaken!" I groaned, standing over the toad, who was sitting underneath a tree in a very Sesshoumaru-like manner. He stared at me, annoyed. "It's been...a while since I've had a bath..." I blushed violently at that.
"You don't smell at all!" the toad snapped. "And Lord Sesshoumaru said not to go anywhere!"
"But it's just a few yards away," I pleaded. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes flat!"
"No!" Jaken huffed. "What if something happens to you, hm? Lord Sesshoumaru will surely slaughter me!"
I blushed again at that. "Ten minutes?" I bargained. He looked unmoved. "Five?" From the peripheral of my vision, I could see Kohaku blinking at Jaken, trying to hide a chuckle that threatened to come out.
"Aw, please, Master Jaken?" Rin said, jumping in between us. "I'll go with Clara-san!" She unleashed the full power of her pout at him.
Jaken's eye twitched. "If you're not back by the time Lord Sesshoumaru gets here, it's not my fault, got it?" he snapped as Rin and I ran into the forest.
I let out a contented sigh as I leaned back against the rock in the hot springs. I stared up at the afternoon sky, just as a lone sparrow darted across the vast blue expanse above me.
I suddenly heard a loud splash, and turned to where Rin was swimming towards me, a large grin on her face. "I haven't swum like this in a long time!" the little girl giggled as she playfully splashed water at me.
"Hey!" I said, splashing her back. She giggled, splashing more water at me. "Take this!" I said, splashing more at her.
She laughed, then she suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stared behind me. I quickly spun around, waist deep in the water, to see what she had seen.
A familiar figure was standing on the bank of the hot spring. His eyes were wide with surprise when he saw me. It was Miroku. My eyes widened in surprise, shock, and mortification. I screamed as I ducked into the water, so only my head was visible.
What the hell was he doing here?
"Lady Clara?" the perverted monk asked, surprised. I heard a splash as Rin dove behind the rocks.
My face reddened even further. I screamed again. "I'm sorry!" the monk said, raising both his hands and taking a step away from the hot spring. "I didn't mean to intrude on you—!"
Miroku was cut off. His eyes widened in surprise and, to my astonishment, he began to rise off the ground. My eyes landed on a figure behind the lecherous monk, a figure who held him resolutely by the neck with his clawed hands.
"Sesshoumaru!" I said, surprised. I blushed and retreated further into the water.
Sesshoumaru glared at the back of Miroku's head, his eyes narrowing. "It seems that you intend to break your vow of chastity, monk," the demon lord said, his tone ice cold and deadly.
Vow of chastity? Yeah, right. I snorted. Did Miroku even take that kind of vow? If he did, I'm sure he phrased it so there'd be a loophole.
"I didn't mean to intrude on her!" Miroku explained, struggling in Sesshoumaru's grip. Sesshoumaru's grip wasn't strong enough to harm Miroku—only restrain him, I noted.
"Your actions speak otherwise."
Sesshoumaru suddenly glanced towards the trees. A girl was leaning against the trunk of a tree, her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. "Sango!" I said, happy to see her. She scowled, glaring at the monk in Sesshoumaru's grip. She didn't seem to be worried about him.
"Go ahead, Sesshoumaru," Sango said, her voice flat. "Kill him, if you want."
Miroku's eyes bugged out. "Sango? What are you saying?" he asked, panicked. Sango glared, and he cringed. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and then he dropped Miroku to the ground. Miroku landed on his rear, a muffled 'Ow' escaping from his lips.
Sesshoumaru turned to me, and I felt the red rising in my cheeks. I retreated into the water until only my nose and eyes were visible. "Get dressed," he ordered.
At that moment, Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou burst through the trees. Inuyasha had Tessaiga out. He was alert for any sign of danger. Kagome, likewise, had her bow at the ready. They suddenly blinked, taking in the scene before them—me, mouth-deep in the water; Rin, sticking her head out from behind the rocks to see what was going on; Sesshoumaru, still looking down at Miroku with a murderous look; and Sango, also glaring at Miroku with a look that screamed death.
"What the hell...?" Inuyasha mumbled, stowing Tessaiga away.
There was suddenly a very awkward silence.
"Oh, hey, Clara!" Kagome said cheerfully, catching sight of me. "Long time no see." She grinned.
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-,-Kagome-,-
"Another towel, Rin?" I offered.
The little girl politely shook her head, and pointed to her towel-wrapped hair. "One is enough, Lady Kagome," she said, grinning.
I smiled before I turned my attention to the group in front of me. Clara was sitting in front of me, clothed in her miko garb, her chocolate brown hair dripping wet over her shoulders. Sango and Miroku were sitting on either side of her, the latter looking repentant, while the former looked forbidding with her arms crossed, and her lips pouting. Inuyasha was sitting beside me, an annoyed look on his face. Sesshoumaru had wandered off somewhere.
I was surprised that he had allowed Rin and Clara to stay with us for a while. But then again, maybe it was because both girls were likely to get a cold if they didn't dry off properly before they started walking again.
"So, what brings you guys here?" I asked Clara.
She blinked. "We're headed towards Mt. Tenku," she explained, sighing. I could sense a faint trace of reluctance in her voice.
"Oh, right!" I said.
"You're almost there, then," Sango said, her iciness melting. "It's two more weeks away from here."
Clara was silent for a while. "What's it like?" she asked.
"Damn pure," Inuyasha interjected. We all stared at him. "Pure as Mt. Hakurei." He frowned. "It's so pure, a weak demon can be purified from far away."
Clara was silent. "Oh." She looked thoughtful. I wondered what she was thinking...I think it might have had something to do with Sesshoumaru, because she looked down at the ground, with a slight blush on her cheeks.
She suddenly looked up at, at Miroku this time. "Miroku, I was wondering," she said slowly. "Have you ever heard of something called...Midoriko's mirror?"
The atmosphere was suddenly charged with curiosity. Even Rin blinked at Clara, sensing that something was up. We looked towards Miroku. He looked surprised at her question.
He frowned, and a familiar look came into his eyes—a look I knew well. It was a look he always wore when he was weighing how much he should reveal. "Midoriko's mirror..." the monk began. "It was a part of Midoriko's armor—a small, circular mirror she wore at her waist, like a belt buckle." He paused, frowning. "It was rumored that, during her final battle with the demon, Midoriko sealed a good part of her spiritual powers within the mirror, in hopes that, should the demon reawaken, someone would be able to use the mirror to defeat the demon."
Clara's eyes were wide as saucers. "But there's no proof of such a mirror existing," Miroku went on. "It was just a legend."
"You're wrong." We turned, surprised, to Sango. She was looking intently at Clara. "Midoriko's mirror is real. I know this, because I've seen it myself."
Miroku looked awed. "You've seen Midoriko's mirror?" he asked conciliatorily.
She ignored him, a sign that she was still mad at him. "I know this because I've seen it before," she said quietly. "Years ago, when I was just a child, a powerful priestess came to the village. She was old—her skin was like paper, and the lines on her face were deep. She asked to speak to my father, and together they went to Midoriko's grave."
Clara tensed at the mention of Midoriko's grave. "When they came out of the cave, the priestess was carrying a small, round mirror in her hands," Sango went on. "She then bade farewell to our village and left. My father explained to me that the mirror the priestess took was Midoriko's mirror. He also said"—she looked hard at Clara—"that the priestess, Lady Otohime, took the mirror to Mt. Tenku, to enable her to protect both the sacred mountain and the mirror."
Sango was silent again, her eyes never leaving Clara's. "Miroku's right—the mirror does contain Midoriko's spiritual power—but not all of it. The only ability it has is to create very powerful barriers—holy barriers that cannot be broken."
Clara was silent again. "Kikyou told me to get the mirror," she suddenly said, after a pause.
We stared at her, surprised. From the peripheral of my vision, I could see Inuyasha tense, like he always did at the mention of Kikyou.
"But..." Miroku mumbled. "Lady Kikyou is..."
"I had a dream," Clara said quietly. Her eyes were a muted blue color. "She told me to find the mirror, because someone would use it for evil."
Miroku bit his lip. "The mirror is safe, Clara," he said. "On Mt. Tenku, the mirror is probably protected by that powerful priestess, Lady Otohime"—he glanced at Sango, hoping that she would acquiesce, but she didn't—"But...truth be told, Clara...you wouldn't be able to use it, even if you were Midoriko's reincarnation."
She looked surprised, as did all of us. "Why?" I asked.
Miroku bit his lip. It looked as though he didn't want to tell her, but he had no choice. I was sure, whatever it was, it was something that Clara needed to know.
"Clara," he said slowly, gently. "Midoriko's mirror is something that can only be used by a pure soul..."
"But," Shippou interjected, dumbfounded. "Clara's soul is pure, right?"
Miroku closed his eyes. "Clara's soul is incomplete."
The silence that followed his words was deafening. The silence was broken by Clara. "I know that," she whispered, her eyes fixed on her lap. She sounded defeated.
Miroku looked surprised. "You knew...?"
She nodded. "Takeshi told me...that when he reincarnated Midoriko's soul, my soul, he was only able to take a part of that soul—the other half remained within the jewel." She shrugged. "I can't use Midoriko's mirror—no big deal."
She tried to look nonchalant about it, but I could tell that the idea of having an incomplete soul bothered her. "That means you're spiritual powers are not what they're supposed to be," Miroku went on. "I suppose if you complete the jewel, you can somehow complete your soul."
Clara sighed then she stood up. "Thanks for telling me," she said, smiling—but I could sense that she was distressed. "Rin and I really need to get back, though. Sesshoumaru hates it when we waste his time. Sango...do you want me to give your regards to Kohaku?" Sango nodded, smiling thankfully at her.
"Thanks for the towel, Lady Kagome!" Rin said, taking off the towel. Her damp hair cascaded past her shoulder as she handed me the towel.
I watched as Clara and Rin left. "D'you think she's going to be alright?" I asked, worried.
"She will," Inuyasha reassured. "Clara's a strong girl—she won't let this get to her."
But remembering the way Clara's eyes had turned to a dreary blue, I only hoped that he was right.
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.:Clara:.
"This pure aura is abominable!" Jaken screeched for the tenth time. The toad was sprawled out on the ground, his arms spread, and his eyes a-swirl.
I glanced at Sesshoumaru, who was standing near the edge of a cliff that overlooked a valley shrouded in mist. In the distance, I could make out the lone shape of Mt. Tenku...
It had been two weeks since we had last seen Kagome and the others, since Miroku had told me about my soul. The part about my soul didn't bother me—I'd lived with an incomplete soul for fifteen years, and I was fine. However, that we were almost at Mt. Tenku—that part bothered me.
I sighed as I pulled my gaze away from Sesshoumaru and looked down at Jaken. "It doesn't bother me," I pointed out. From the corner of my eye, I could see Rin whistling cheerfully as she sat on Ah-Un, watching Kohaku draw shapes on the ground. "And it doesn't seem to bother Ah-Un, either."
"It doesn't bother you, because you're a priestess, silly girl!" Jaken snapped. "Oohh." He groaned as he turned over, so he was belly-up. He looked greener than usual.
"You're not going to throw up, are you?" I asked, taking a step away from him.
He only groaned again. I decided I'd stay away from him for now. I glanced at Sesshoumaru again. He was still staring straight ahead, at the mountain in the distance. I wondered what he was thinking...
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-.-Sesshoumaru-.-
I could see it.
In the distance, loomed Mt. Tenku. It was to this mountain that I would soon abandon Clara. Hn. Somehow, I did not glean the same pleasure from the thought of abandoning her, as I did before. Very inappropriate, for one such as I.
Behind me, I could hear Jaken moaning as the mountain's holy aura nauseated him, even from this distance. I could also hear Rin whistling merrily to herself, and Clara asking Jaken about his condition.
"It doesn't bother you, does it?" Clara asked, as she approached me. She stood beside me, her sapphire eyes locked on the mountain in the distance.
"No." What did she take me for, a weakling?
From the peripheral of my vision, I could see her shrug. "It's just that"—she glanced behind her—"Jaken looks greener than usual. I think he's going to be sick."
A second later, a loud retching sound resounded from behind us. "Ew! Master Jaken!" Rin shrieked.
"I don't feel goooooood," the toad moaned.
I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Clara turned away from me and, a moment later, she was kneeling beside Jaken. I glanced at her from over my shoulder. I was amused to see her place a hand on his forehead, as though he had a fever. Hn. Silly girl.
"Sesshoumaru," she called. I turned. She was still kneeling beside Jaken. "I think...I think I can manage from here."
Hn?
"What do you mean, Clara-san?" Rin asked, eyes wide.
Clara stood up and sighed. "I think I should go alone to Mt. Tenku," she said. "I mean—Jaken and Ah-Un won't do very well, if we get closer to the mountain. So...I think I should go on alone, ne? Besides, it's not that far away. I think I'll be there by afternoon. And I don't think they're any demons there—in fact, I haven't seen any demons in the area, save for you guys, of course..."
"But, Clara-san, why?" Rin demanded. Why, indeed...
Clara smiled sadly. "I'm sorry," she said. "I've been with you guys for a while, now. But I think it's time to say goodbye."
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.:Clara:.
"Can't we come with you, Clara-san?" Rin asked.
I sighed and shook my head. "Sorry, no—do you want Jaken to get sicker?" I asked.
Rin glanced at Jaken, who was keeled over on the ground, clutching his stomach. Kohaku was kneeling over Jaken, looking as though he was about to be sick himself. Jaken was coughing, his eyes still swirling. He didn't look as though he could survive a breeze.
Rin stared at Jaken. She didn't want Jaken to suffer anymore, I could tell. She looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes.
"See?" I said. I turned to Sesshoumaru. He was regarding me with a cold eye. "So..." I did not want to go...but I had to. "I guess I should thank you, for putting up with me, I mean."
"Don't be foolish," he said, as he turned to the forest behind the cliff. We watched as he walked past us and into the forest, vanishing into the shadows. "Come along—Rin...watch after Jaken."
"Yes, milord!" Rin said, saluting the demon. She promptly turned to Jaken and Kohaku.
Huh?
"I do not relish having my time wasted, Clara," Sesshoumaru's cold voice called out from the forest.
I blinked. Wait, he was coming with me...?
"Hurry up, you idiot girl!" Jaken groaned as Rin bended over him. "Lord Sesshoumaru is being generous by going with you, yet you stand there, wasting his time as though—!" Before Jaken could finish, he threw up again.
"Master Jakeeen!" Rin shouted, worried.
I couldn't help but giggle as I followed Sesshoumaru into the forest.
It was quiet.
I let out a breath as I walked behind Sesshoumaru. We had been walking for two hours now, I think, but he never felt the need to fill in the silence. And neither did I. But there was something different about this silence. It was both comfortable and awkward...or maybe, I was just imagining things.
As we walked, I kept my eyes on Sesshoumaru, trying to see for any sign of discomfort—the purity of the forest that surrounded Mt. Tenku was unbelievable. Even I could feel it. Surely, so could he...? Well, if he was feeling nauseated—and it was hard to imagine him nauseated—he didn't show it.
I tore my eyes away from his back and glanced around me. The forest was covered in a light mist. The late afternoon sun's light filtered through the trees, making the mist glow with a faint orange light. Pretty soon, it would be dark. I bit my lip. In a few hours time, Sesshoumaru would leave me. Mt. Tenku would be the perfect time to try and get over him...
Bah! If I was being perfectly honest with myself, I wouldn't be able to get over him. It was...very difficult to do.
Night had finally fallen, transforming the forest into a perfect horror-movie scenario. Mt. Tenku was close—two more hours away, I think. We had only stopped walking for thirty minutes—and that was so I could give my aching feet a break.
But now, we had continued walking on, enveloped in the same silence as earlier. I observed the way the moonlight filtered through the leafy canopy of the trees, giving the mist a strange silvery glow that I found both scary and beautiful.
"Sesshoumaru," I called softly. He was walking just several feet in front of me. "I think this is enough."
He stopped so abruptly in his tracks that I bumped into his back. "Ow!" I mumbled, as I staggered backward. I blinked as I straightened my feet. "You really should stop doing that, too," I complained as I rubbed my forehead. Stupid armor.
He suddenly turned and smirked at me. I blinked at him. Uh-oh...a smirk coming from Sesshoumaru was usually a harbinger of demise—usually death. Or pain. Or both.
"You think I cannot tolerate it, do you not?" he asked indolently, his cold eyes boring into mine.
"Huh?" Well, that part was true—I did think he was putting in a lot of effort just to keep a straight face. "Do you want me to answer frankly, or do you want me to lie?" I shrugged. "In any case, I have no doubts that you would be able to survive Mt. Tenku. But..." I walked past him, to hide the blush that was gracing my cheeks. "But you obviously have no more reason to waste your time with me, right?"
I inwardly sighed as I continued walking on. Parting would be for the best. I mean...I obviously had no chances with someone like him, so...why continue to hope, right? He was a demon and I—despite the forced immortality—was just a human...
"So, goodbye." I turned around to face him.
But he was gone.
I suddenly felt so alone.
The last two hours of walking was spent on trying to push Sesshoumaru from my mind. I already missed him, I admitted. This sounded pathetic, even to me.
"Hello."
I stopped and looked up, surprised. I had arrived at the base of the mountain. Was I that lost in my thoughts? A small part of my mind was occupied with this question—the larger part was occupied with the figure in front of me.
It was a girl. She was about the same age as me. She was very beautiful, with straight, silky black hair that fell to her back in a loose cascade. Her bangs swayed gracefully above her chocolate brown eyes, and her face was framed with tendrils of dark hair on either side of her cheeks. She wore the traditional garb of a miko.
I tensed. "Are you...the priestess of Mt. Tenku?" I asked, uncertain.
She smiled at me. "No," she said, giggling. "My name is Yuki—I'm the only apprentice of Lady Otohime, the priestess of Mt. Tenku." She paused for a bit, taking in my appearance. "Hm. You're her, aren't you? You're the great Lady Midoriko's reincarnation."
I stared at her, surprised. "How did you know?" I asked suspiciously. I tried to push aside the discomfort at the title.
She smiled. "Oh, don't get all suspicious!" she said lightly. "You're aura gave you away, you know." She suddenly turned her back to me, and headed towards a red torii gate at the base of the mountain. Like with Kagome's shrine, there were steps at the gate that led to the top of the mountain.
"C'mon," Yuki called over her shoulder. "I'll take you to Lady Otohime!"
I hesitated before following her up the stairs. The mist seemed to grow heavier the higher we climbed, and pretty soon, I was feeling my legs ache with the effort of climbing. Yuki didn't seem bothered, however.
"Where is the priestess...this Lady Otohime?" I asked curiously as we continued to climb.
"Oh, you'll see her pretty soon, Lady Midoriko," she answered, glancing at me from over her shoulder.
"My name's not Midoriko," I mumbled. "It's Clara."
"What a funny, foreign name!" Yuki said giggling.
I let it slide and focused on climbing the stairs. It seemed like hours before we finally reached the top. There was another torii gate and I sighed in relief as Yuki and I stepped through it, and into the shrine grounds.
The shrine grounds were lightly covered in mist. When Yuki and I stepped through the gate, we found ourselves in the courtyard. Across the courtyard, I could see the temple itself, its pointed eaves gracefully dipping down. Behind the temple, I could make out another set of steps that led to yet another smaller temple at the top.
"The temple behind this one is very pure," Yuki explained as we crossed the courtyard and made our way towards the first temple.
"Why is it set apart?" I asked. I followed Yuki. She opened the double wooden doors, which creaked open, and stepped into the temple.
The hallway inside was lighted by small torches on the walls. The dancing shadows on the walls reminded me very much of Naraku's tentacles.
Yuki still had not answered my question. Instead, she walked towards the end of the short hallway, towards a door. "Lady Otohime is through here," she said, stopping at the door. I hesitated, and then made my way towards her.
"She's very tired," she went on. She slid the door open. It was dark inside, and a lone wick in the corner provided the only illumination. Amidst the dimness, I could make out a figure lying on a futon, close to the wick.
"Lady Otohime?" I asked hesitantly as I stepped through the door. I knelt beside the futon and stared at the ancient face, a face whose eyes were closed. Her skin was indeed like wrinkled paper—she reminded me of Kaede. "Lady Oto...?" My eyes slowly widened in realization. Very gently, I placed both fingers to her neck.
"Yuki, Lady Otohime is...!" I stood up and spun around. "She's dead!"
Yuki was silhouetted against the dim light from the hallway. "You've come for it, haven't you?" she said softly.
What was she talking about? Now was not the time for questions! "Listen, Lady Otohime is dead!" I said, feeling panic settle in.
From the sleeve of her haori, Yuki took out an object, which I couldn't make out in the dimness. She threw the object at my feet, and I cringed as a wooden clatter echoed throughout the room. The object turned out to be a wooden cup. A drop of greenish liquid—tea?—dripped from the mouth of the cup and onto the floor.
I put one and one together. "You...didn't," I stuttered, staring at the girl.
Yuki's face was hidden in shadow. "For Midoriko's reincarnation, you are so naive," she sneered. She suddenly looked up at me. There was a manic look in her eyes.
I faltered, my eyes wide with surprise. "You...you poisoned her?" I said, still flabbergasted. "Why?"
She scowled at me. "I was once Lady Otohime's most precious apprentice," she said slowly. "She treasured me, taught me everything she knew. She told me my spiritual powers were so strong, they could equal to Lady Kikyou's herself!"—I felt a flash of anger at her presumption—"She told me I would be the greatest priestess in the land, and that people would come to me for aid! Well, all that changed months ago."
"A beautiful priestess came to this shrine—Lady Kikyou herself! She told Lady Otohime that she would consign to my mistress a most worthy pupil—the reincarnation of Lady Midoriko herself!" Her eyes flashed at me. "Lady Otohime was ebullient. She easily forgot about me, and eagerly waited for the day Lady Kikyou would return with you! But what do I see? I see nothing but a snivelling little girl! Had you been strong, I would not have minded—who was I compared to Midoriko? But you...I feel insulted to be tossed aside for worthless trash like you! You are not fit to possess Midoriko's mirror!"
I stared at her, understanding dawning on me. "You have it, don't you?" I whispered. "You have Midoriko's mirror."
She drew out from her sleeve, a small palm-sized circular mirror and faced it towards me so I was reflected in the glass. "You maybe Midoriko's reincarnation," Yuki said slowly. "But you are not fit to wield this!"
The glass of the mirror suddenly glowed with such a bright light, that I shielded my eyes with my sleeve. When the glare of the light receded, I lowered my sleeve—and felt shock grip me. The dark room I was in had vanished. Instead, I found myself in the misty courtyard of the shrine grounds, trapped inside a blue barrier.
Yuki stood in front of me. There was such an expression of hate in her eyes that I wondered—how could this girl, who hardly knew me, who had never even seen me until now, come to hate me so much? Was it really because I was Midoriko's reincarnation? I grew guilty at the thought.
"I am ashamed for Lady Midoriko," Yuki hissed as she approached the barrier. "You who are so weak...you cannot possibly be the reincarnation of miko Midoriko!"
The mirror she held in her palm glowed again. To my horror, the barrier that surrounded me slowly started to shrink, closing in on me. Panic gripped me when I realized that she intended to crush me to death. I held my arms out on either side of me. This barrier—it was Midoriko's, right? Would that mean that I would be able to control it?
As though she read my thoughts, Yuki's voice echoed throughout the shrine. "The barrier maybe Midoriko's, but the will is mine!" she crowed, as the barrier slowly closed in on me.
I fell on my knees, trying to make myself smaller. I closed my eyes and focused again, willing the barrier to stop, like how Kikyou showed me...but I couldn't. I could feel the barrier pressing against my head, my back, my shoulders...
"What?" Yuki exclaimed, surprised.
Huh? I opened my eyes just as a burst of blue light flashed towards Yuki. I heard her muffle a curse as she held the mirror out towards the light. Immediately, a barrier materialized around her, protecting her from the blue light, which I knew only too well.
The energy from the blue light rammed against the barrier, but, to my surprise, the barrier seemed to absorb it...Yuki laughed as her barrier slowly faded away. "Midoriko's mirror is indeed astonishing," she said, both to me and the newcomer.
"Using a power that is not yours," an all too familiar voice said. "How shameful."
My heart thudded violently in my chest as he came through the mist. "Sesshoumaru!" I breathed. I suddenly felt insanely happy to see him. His eyes met mine for a second before they settled on Yuki, Yuki who was staring at Sesshoumaru with astonishment on her face.
"But you're...impossible...the barrier...you wouldn't have been able to..." she stuttered.
She wasn't the only one is shock, though. As I stared at Sesshoumaru, I couldn't help but think...Shouldn't he be purified by now? I shook that thought from my mind.
"I see," Yuki said, glancing at me from over her shoulder. "Midoriko...you haven't changed, have you? Midoriko had a demon lover, so do you?"
I blushed violently. "He's not my lover!" I snapped. I stifled the part of my mind that wished he was.
Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks, glaring at Yuki as she laughed mockingly. "None the matter!" she said. Her hand dove into her sleeve with such speed, it was just a blur. She pulled out what appeared to be a handful of paper dolls. She threw the dolls into the air, where they fluttered against the moonlight. They glowed with a white light, slowly growing and taking on a familiar shape. The glowing, life-sized dolls fell to the ground, their shape completely humanoid as their feet touched the ground.
"No way!" I shouted, my eyes wide with fear. The light receded from the ten or so dolls, dolls in the shape of none other than Midoriko herself. They stood in front of Yuki, blocking her from Sesshoumaru. They looked exactly like Midoriko, right down to the very swords on their waist. My hand brushed lightly against Shinsei, resting at my hip, as though to make sure it was still there.
"Demon!" Yuki snarled, pointing at an unfazed Sesshoumaru. "You will pay most dearly for violating the sanctity of this shrine. Attack!"
To my horror, all the Midoriko-counterfeits rushed towards Sesshoumaru, simultaneously drawing their swords. I stifled a gasp as Sesshoumaru easily dodged their flashing blades. There was a clang of steel on steel as Sesshoumaru parried each of their attacks. Simultaneously, all the Midorikos charged towards him. He jumped into the air, and landed gracefully on his feet, a yard away from Yuki.
"Heh," Yuki said. "You put on such brave, arrogant face."
I couldn't hold back my gasp, this time. Gashes suddenly appeared on Sesshoumaru's cheek, on his neck, on his wrist...
"Sesshoumaru!" I gasped as his blood trickled to the cobblestones. Despite the calm, straight face, the holiness of the mountain was affecting him!
"I want to see you in pain," Yuki said, obviously unnerved by his stoic mien. "Kill him!"
Sesshoumaru spun around to face the Midorikos, but as he did so, I could see Yuki draw something from her haori—a dagger. "No!" I shrieked as I hurled myself at her. I suddenly felt pain grip me as I rammed hard against a barrier. I fell backwards on the ground, the front of my body sore.
"Sesshoumaru, watch out!" I shrieked.
The demon lord suddenly spun around to face the charging Yuki, but as he did so, one of the Midoriko's plunged her sword into his back. I felt my blood freeze in my veins. His eyes widened as the Midoriko pulled her sword from him, blood bathing its blade. He quickly jumped into the air, to avoid Yuki's dagger. He landed gracefully in front of me.
The wounds on his face, on his neck...I did not want to see those. Those...those would be the stuff of my nightmares for a whole year. For a moment, it was as if time stood still, as our eyes locked. The injuries on skin—I wanted to get rid of them. But then, realization hit me, and it hit me hard.
It was because of me that those wounds were there.
The moment I thought this, horror washed through me. Guilt, greater than what I felt with Kikyou, drowned me. I couldn't move...I...
But before I could finish that thought, Sesshoumaru suddenly scooped me into his arms. Before I could even gasp, he spun around, his eyes narrowed at the Midorikos and at Yuki. Faster than the eye could blink, he charged past them, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck. I could feel the wind whip past me as he ran towards the shrine steps.
"You think you can escape, demon? Ha!" Yuki called from behind us.
Sesshoumaru reached the base of the mountain in half a second flat. By then, my head was spinning from the speed, and I shut my eyes to keep the nausea at bay. I couldn't see where he was headed—I only knew it was away from the mountain. It seemed like a minute passed before he suddenly stopped.
I opened my eyes, surprised. We were inside a cave. He dumped me unceremoniously on the ground. "Ow!" I snapped, glaring up at him. My glare vanished when I saw the blood on his face. His wounds—they should be closing by now...right? I felt horrified, guilty, and worried.
"Create a barrier," he suddenly said, turning his back to me.
"What?" I said, as I stood up.
Sesshoumaru seated himself gracefully against the cave wall, closing his eyes. "A barrier to hide your aura," he clarified. He placed his arm on his bent knee, eyes still closed.
I went over to the entrance of the cave. I glanced out. My eyebrows shut up in surprise when I realized that we were still close to the mountain. That was when the full implications hit me—the holiness of the mountain had drained him. He was too weak to leave the perimeter of the mountain, despite the stoic facade.
This was all my fault.
I bit my lip as I held my hands in front of me. Kikyou had once taught me how to hide my aura behind a barrier. I did the same thing now, willing the barrier into existence. I opened my eyes to see my hands lightly glowing with white light. The light expanded, filling the mouth of the cave, and faded to reveal a white, opaque barrier. It still amazed me that I was able to do something like this—it seemed like the stuff of anime.
But I pushed that thought aside and turned to Sesshoumaru. He was still leaning against the cave wall, eyes closed. Was he...sleeping? I couldn't be sure—you could never be too sure with him. I stood still, looking at him. The wounds on his face...Was the mountain's holiness hampering his ability to heal? By now, they should have closed, should have healed. It would take hours for them to heal, at this rate...
I suddenly felt it. The guilt, the horrible guilt, washing through me. Kikyou died because of me, so did Takeshi and probably even Lady Otohime! Now, Sesshoumaru was injured! What was I? Some harbinger of doom? When would it all stop? I could feel my legs turn to jelly as I looked at Sesshoumaru. I suddenly wanted to go back out there, find Yuki and tell her to kill me...
"Clara." Sesshoumaru's cold voice snapped me out of my musings. "Sit."
Huh? I blinked before I sat down, near the cave's entrance, away from him.
"Beside me."
I was thankful for the dark—my face felt so hot, it must have been glowing red. Was he sick, or something? In any case, I hesitantly stood up, made my way to him. I bit my lip as I sat down next to him, keeping a foot of space between us.
From the peripheral of my vision, I could see him shifting. A moment later, he laid his head on my lap, his silver locks spilling across my hakama.
My eyes widened in surprise.
"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to be nonchalant despite the loud thumps of my heart. I was thankful that his eyes were closed—he couldn't see the violent red spreading through my cheeks.
"Be quiet." I immediately shut up. He needed to rest, that I could tell. I looked down at him. His eyes were still closed. The blood on his cheeks had stopped flowing, the wounds slowly closing. My eyes studied every detail of his face—from the crescent on his forehead, to the magenta stripes of his eyelids, to the stripes on his cheeks.
I wanted to trace the contours of his face with my fingers, wanted to run them lightly over the crescent on his forehead, wanted them to dance on his lips...
I shook my head violently. Get a grip, Clara! I blushed again as I looked down at him. His face was peaceful, despite the drying blood on his cheeks. He looked...asleep? Gee—I'd never seen him sleep, before...
I let out a sigh as I closed my eyes.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
-.-Sesshoumaru-.-
I opened my eyes.
Clara had fallen asleep, her head resting against the cave wall. I turned my gaze away from her, to the entrance of the cave. I focused. About half a mile away, I could make out the sound of rustling leaves as Yuki and her Midoriko puppets scoured the forest for me and Clara. Heh, what fools. If I did not wish to be found, I could not be found.
My eyes strayed back to Clara. The girl looked peaceful, her face serene. Hn? There was something glinting at her neck, hidden underneath her haori. I reached towards it with my fingers. Hn...a necklace? I tugged at the intricate gold chain without waking her, so I could inspect it.
It was a circular pendant, with an adamant stone set in the center. The stone was in the shape of a crescent. Hn. The pendant was pure gold. There were hinges on one side, indicating that it would open. I had never seen a workmanship of this kind. I flicked it open. A hauntingly sweet sound issued from the locket. I immediately snapped it shut, and let it go, where it fell against Clara's chest.
She stirred.
My eyes fell on her face, and I frowned. I narrowed my eyes—something was not right. I should not have left Rin and Jaken to accompany her to Mt. Tenku. I should not have lingered when she bade me goodbye. I should not have risked the safety of my being to come to her aid. I should not be amused and pleased at how her heart thudded when I ordered her to sit beside me. And I most definitely should not be this physically close to her.
I was no fool. The reason was very obvious. And very displeasing.
I was falling for her.
Heh.
How unexpected.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
A1969: well, that's it, for now. Urgh—I will try to update soon again. So, this means, I have to do advanced schoolwork so I can have more time on my fanfictions. Wow. Not.
Kagome: er...are you and Inuyasha going through with the HCl thing?
Inuyasha: of course! What are you siding with Houjo?
Kagome: I am not siding with him!
A1969: aw, I'm not really sure anymore—Inuyasha, if we do that, I'd have to change this fic's rating—HCl's too violent. O.o
Inuyasha: what? How could you?
A1969: why don't you and Kagome just kiss and make up, already? I'll turn away. –looks away-
Inuyasha and Kagome: what?
A1969: you guys are married for crying out loud! Anyway, thanks to those who read! Hope you guys review!