I wasn't exactly relieved to be back when we got to the hut. This is going to be one hell of a day. I sat next to Sango and Kirara and scratched behind the neko's ear. I sighed silently as Kagome distributed the goods she brought back from her time. I watched as the group spoke about their next set of plans before they turned their attention to me. Kirara rubbed her head against my hand as I turned my attention from the adorable cat to the group.
"It's been a while since we've seen each other without Sesshomaru nearby." Kagome stated
"I'm glad to have some space between us. If I stayed with him any longer, I would have ended up as either a slave or InuYasha's sister-in-law."
He snorted. "Sesshomaru wouldn't even think about marrying a human, much less you."
"InuYasha!" Kagome chided.
"It's fine. I just wish it was that simple." I replied, waving off his insult.
"What do you mean by 'wish it was that simple?' It is."
"It doesn't do justice to anyone when you talk about something you don't understand."
"What's there to not understand?"
"This is Sesshomaru we're talking about."
"You're point?"
"I've spent more time with him in the past couple of weeks than you have your entire life."
"He's a stubborn idiot."
"And you're no better."
"Let's calm down. It is rare that we get chance to actually sit without worry." Miroku stated with a smile.
"I would say that you've jinxed yourself, but it would happen even if you didn't say anything." I said as I returned my attention to the meowing cat.
"Maybe you're better off with that heartless bastard." InuYasha muttered.
I watched Kagome shoot a silent glare at InuYasha, daring him to say another word. I wasn't there for their comfort. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to help, but I'm no fortune teller, and I'm certainly no dog trainer. I was already pissed that I dragged myself into the episode; InuYasha's mouth didn't make me feel any better.
"You know what, maybe I am. At least he not an inconsiderate and ignorant brat that barks at walls." I replied, ignoring the monk's words.
"If you're going to be here, the least you could do is wash off Sesshomaru's stench."
With that, my mind decided to take a much more physical approach since speaking wasn't going to work. I moved the neko from my lap, ignoring her soft mews, and walked over to him. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and reared my hand back, ready to let all of my frustration sink into his face. I would have smacked the crap out of him too if the sound of shattering glass hadn't filled my ears as my entire body locked up. An uncomfortable heat coursed through my body, searing up my back before my sight bleached itself before going black.
The jar containing the jewel shards shattered as the jewel shards leapt Kagome's neck. As she fell backward, Kazumi's grip on InuYasha's shirt faded as she fell forward with her arm locked in place. Kagome was caught by Miroku in a trust fall manner, while Kazumi fell into InuYasha's arms. Both looked like they had the life drained out of them, both paling as their short cries of pain were destroyed before they could be raised, leaving an empty and unsettling silence behind.
"What the hell?" InuYasha wondered aloud.
"Quickly, set them down." Kaede instructed as she woke her weary bones and became animate.
When the two girls were set down on mats, the old woman felt their foreheads and immediately requested for water. "They have fevered frames, they must be cooled posthaste."
InuYasha left to fetch some water, as Sango and Kaede adjusted to two girls into more comfortable positions. Sweat kissed their brows as strained expressions came to their faces. It was odd. Though they seemed to be in pain, they made no movement outside of the scrunching of brows. Once the girls were set down, they did not move from their spot. Luckily, Kaede was able to find some medicine she'd prepared earlier and administered it to the two girls. It wasn't until later in the night that their fevers lowered significantly. All they would need was constant attention through the night, but no action further than cleaning the sweat from their faces.
Some hours later, the water reserves dwindled, prompting InuYasha and the able members of his crew to retrieve enough for the remainder of the night. Kaede was left alone to care for Kagome and Kazumi.
As she stoked the fire with logs, the girls' eyes opened slowly as they both sat up, in a type of synchronization that would be unattainable on any normal day. The sound of weak footsteps stole the old woman's attention, forcing her to turn around. Stiff and lifeless eyes that gored at nothing met with hers. One set was familiar, but the other was new and gave a dull shine. Those foreign eyes showed no mercy as they attempted to strike the aged woman down, but the claws attached to those eyes cut into a piece of firewood that had once been behind the old woman. After dodging the blow, Kaede managed to get out of the hut, just as InuYasha entered. The two dazed women started at him, unmoving as he stared at the new face with disbelief.
I could feel that dark miko grasping my soul through the venom of the snake that bit me. I wanted to speak, to stop my body's movement, but I couldn't. I already attempted to take Kaede's life, as though the fact that I couldn't control myself didn't scare me enough. I couldn't stop myself as I walked past InuYasha's surprised form, leaving Kagome to fight him. I didn't know where I was going, but I did know that I wouldn't like it. I watched silently as my body walked through the forest mindlessly.
Demons seemed to go out of their way to attack me, but I somehow swatted every single one out my way. It unnerved me. I'm a human with no weapon, yet here I was clearing my way of demons as though they were flies without wings. I continued to walk, slowly leaving the territory known to me as the moon started to illuminate my way. I had a bad feeling in my gut. If there's one thing I know about Naraku and Tsubaki, it's that they enjoy turning companions against each other. I was positive that I'd run into Sesshomaru along the way. Thankfully, it's impossible for me to pose a threat to Sesshomaru, and I'm pretty sure he's not going to kill me.
The light of a campfire stuck out like a sore thumb, even with the forest swallowing the light of the flame. I don't know why I thought the problem would be resolved so easily. Yes, the campfire was the base of Sesshomaru's camp for the night, but it was just my luck that said daiyokai was missing. The only two occupants of the fire were Rin and Jaken. I watched in horror as the two looked up at me. Rin was confused; Jaken stepped in front of her. I continued to walk toward the two, disregarding the warning Jaken sent as he readied his staff. Rin tried to pull his staff away, saying that he was going to hurt me, only to be shooed away from the staff by Jaken's protective hand.
My mind was blank for a moment as I waited for Sesshomaru to appear out of nowhere, like he usually did. When that didn't happen, my stomach tightened. What was I supposed to do? The situation seemed surreal, as though I could turn around, count to ten, and wake up before my nightmare become any grimmer than it already was. But I knew better. My luck has been horrible all day, it wouldn't change now. My mind scattered as I looked for ways to get out of this situation, but stumbled over my thoughts. No matter how much I tried to focus on getting myself to stop, Rin's questions and commands to stop would break my concentration and give me less time to find a way to handle the situation. When I was less than ten feet away, Jaken's staff blew fire at me, only to be smacked out of my way.
I was as surprised as Jaken and Rin, but I'm pretty sure my face didn't show that. My body pressed forward, raising a hand that threatened to swipe down without a moment's hesitation. I gave up on thinking and tried to apply the brakes to everything in my body. Rin was asking me what I was doing, and why I looked so scary. Of all the people in the world, Tsubaki decided to send me after these two? That makes a lot more sense than going straight after Sesshomaru. My stomach hurt from how tightly it was compressing. Attacking the weaker links seemed to be a universal concept here. I refused to stoop so low. I had nothing against hurting the toad, but I sure wasn't in the mood to kill it. Heck, I can barely handle the thought of killing a cockroach. He may be a detestable as one, but he deserves to live as much as I do. Who knows when I'll become the cockroach in someone else's eyes?
Hurting Rin was not an option for me. She'd wormed her way into my heart with that smile of hers and her clinginess. She latched onto me, and would squeeze the life out of me before I harmed her. Her widening eyes stung. My chest clenched tight as my instinct, the lock in my mind, closed shut, demanding that I stopped what I was doing, drop on the floor, and keep myself there until the intent I knew the witch had was gone. However, because of my callous actions earlier, I had no control over what I could or would do.
The two quaked in where they stood as my footsteps refused to heed my mind's call. I was franticly looking around my head, searching for something, anything. I could see tears forming in Rin's eyes. This was not what I wanted. I would not be seen in her eyes as a murderer, as HER murderer. She is a kid; life had screwed her over once already! She shed her tears as my hand came down.
I screamed at myself continually until my body came to a stop, mid swipe. My claws were aimed for decapitation. I stared at the situation, long and hard, before tears welled up in my eyes and I regained control for the slightest moment. I fell to my knees as my tears finally ran down my cheeks. My lungs crippled from the exasperated breath I let out. I had no idea that when I was talking about being too close to someone who could decapitate another person with the flick of the wrist… I never imagined that I would be in the place of the decapitator. I stared at my trembling, bloody hands. They had claws, blood red claws. If, if I didn't stop in time, Rin's blood would have been… I… I have claws. I looked up at Rin as she stared at me from behind Jaken. She was confused. I wanted to hug her and tell her that everything was fine, but I knew that was a lie. I started to speak, but was choked by her. She was punishing me for breaking her control.
My already shriveling lungs were reduced to raisins, but the pain was more of a wakeup call than punishment. This witch, Tsubaki, scared me to the point that I forgot that I could fight it. This is my body, and I sure as hell won't sit back and let her do whatever the heck she wants. I can speak when I want to. I can break free, even if it was only for short moments. She will not use my body for her dirty work!
"Run." I forced out as my breath was cut short.
The two remained in their place as the dark priestess forced me back to my feet.
"Run… now…" I managed to get through my lips as the pain seared throughout my body from defying her. I kept my body from moving any further as the kappa and the little girl ran. Rin stopped and looked back at me ounce. She was hesitating.
"RUN!" I yelped as my throat caught on fire. Rin sped up as she and Jaken ran into the forest.
You will do as I say! The dark priestess roared in my head.
It was getting harder and harder for me to hear myself think. I crumpled over as my arms reached out to soothe my screaming throat. To make matters worse, Sesshomaru appeared. Well, didn't he take his sweet time?
He stared at me, not saying anything. What was he standing there for? The little control I had slipped out of my grip, and my body started to attack Sesshomaru. He dodged my attacks with ease. He preferred to examine me with cold and unforgiving eyes.
This isn't my fault!
KILL HIM! The witch yelled.
'SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF MY HEAD!' I yelled back at the person possessing me.
It is either kill, or be killed! Kagome has finished the hanyou, now you finish his brother!
'I couldn't, even if I wanted to! He's way out of my league.'
Hah! You underestimate yourself, Inu. If you were so easy to defeat, he would have done so by now. I am no fool, whatever connection you have to him, it proves to be an advantage. To think I was able to come upon such luck!
I, I knew that. I am a demon, and there's no more playing ignorant. That is why Kaede ran from me, why InuYasha stared at me, why I swatted those demons away. I felt myself getting more flustered and frustrated. I dreamed of being special, but not like this! I don't want it. I want a normal life, a life that wasn't filled with such stupid dramatic turns! I don't want to change. I want to keep the one thing that I had been sure I was. But sitting here and crying about it isn't going to get me anywhere but six feet under! This is my life, no matter how much stupidity and frivolity fills it.
'I may not be able to break the curse completely, but I sure as hell can disrupt it.
And that's what I did. I stopped where I stood, and dropped all defenses. I left myself completely open.
Do you think that your puny attempts will stop me?
'You're words are as meaningless as your existence.'
So the girl has a tongue.
'So the simpleton noticed.'
The witch didn't like my description of her, and she made sure I knew that. The pain was crippling. I felt like an inferno was set off in my core. Even so, I refused to let her move me. The pain would have to just about kill me before I would let her have her way, and she must have recognized this. Her shrill laugh filled my ears.
Give up, girl.
I refocused on what was in front of me in time to see Sesshomaru pulling me into his embrace. The white noise disappeared completely. My heartbeat skipped a beat, and I felt the curse's grip become something nonexistent. His chest was much warmer than his demeanor let on. His heat melted into my skin stimulating the pores and hairs on my arms. With this heat, came the pain from the day's excursions. I collapsed into him, free for the moment. I held onto him and for once, I didn't want to let go.
"Curse." I said after I composed myself as best as I could. "Find InuYasha."
He looked at me for a moment before he held me by the waist, and took off to the sky.
In the distance, I saw a barrier breaking.
"Over there." I said as I tried to catch my breath. I could feel the curse rising back up. We needed to hurry.
Sesshomaru sped up, as though he could read my thoughts. I could tell now. I could hear his heartbeat, smell him, smell the pines around us, everything was different. My nose burned when the slightest gust of wind brought new scents. I rested against Sesshomaru's chest to avoid triggering my nose's newly found sensitivity. InuYasha was a liar. Sesshomaru's scent was heavenly. It was more than enough to calm my crying nose and watering eyes. The mist that enveloped him was a medley of scents that could not come to mind. There was a thick, somewhat savory scent mixed with a spice. I didn't know how to name it. It held no semblance to flowers. The scent was much more, intrusive, pervading into my pores and dancing through my nose. It was like peppermint, clearing my nose of all other scents to drown me in its own scent. If that was its goal, it was extremely successful. I was more than willing to lose myself in that scent. The smell of him alone was starting to arouse me. There was so much more to it that lit my face on fire. I could pick out the hints of lemon grass and smidges of mint leaves, but with the meat of the smell, I was going to be driven mad. Letting my mind slip now could be the end of me. I had to resist my urge to be sidetacked and rest all my energy on focusing.
We caught up to InuYasha's group quickly. I made my way out of Sesshomaru's arms and tried to catch my breath. The man's scent almost suffocated me, and breathing felt like something new altogether. I distanced myself from him, hoping to circulate some fresh air into my body. As I did so, InuYasha and Sesshomaru trained their sights on the woman who made her way out of an abandoned shrine.
"Tsubaki." Kagome called from a distance.
"So you know of me? I am honored." She said sarcastically.
"Don't flatter yourself." I replied as I straightened my posture.
"I apologize that I am not a certain daiyokai." She snapped back as her lips curved into the deceptive smile of a snake.
"Don't go there with me." I countered.
"I did not think you were in the position to speak to me so rudely." She replied.
Sesshomaru and InuYasha unsheathed their swords, but Tsubaki tightened her grip on the Shikon jewel in her hand, sending Kagome into a struggle against herself. I guess that I'm not connected to the jewel, and Sesshomaru must have inferred as much. He was about to start his attack, but Tsubaki had something for me too. She pulled out another gem, a blue topaz; my birth stone. She squeezed it, and there was a second's delay. I stared at her clenching hands, not knowing what I expected to happen. I didn't register the pain that was whelming in my chest until I felt like a desk was thrown at me followed by a chair. It was horrendous. My entire body went up in flames as my blood turned into poison. I chocked on air as my posture reverted to its crumpled over form before falling into a fetal position while I agonized, screaming as I held my neck, desperately trying to cool my skin with my hands. My screams soon became cries inaudible to my own ears as my throat enflamed shut.
"Put your swords away." Tsubaki instructed.
Both Inus hesitated, so Tsubaki squeezed both gems harder, neither giving me nor Kagome a break. Kagome's cries grew louder as mine were renewed. I don't know how she felt, but I felt like someone dumped a vat of acid on me. That's not pleasant at all. That convinced both Inus sheathe their swords rather quickly. Miroku got ready to use his Wind Tunnel, but those damn bugs showed up.
"Naraku put you up to this!" InuYasha yelled.
Tsubaki's grip loosened on the stones, letting air flow into my lungs. My hands left my throat and clenched onto my stomach. I knew laughing was a great ab exercise, but I had no idea that creaming could have a similar effect. When I attempted to sit up, I remembered that my body needed oxygen for a reason. My arms gave out, leaving me as a mess on the ground. This bitch would pay.
She released several demons from her person. All of which attacked those who could fight. They avoided me and Kagome. If they were to kill me, Sesshomaru would kill Tsubaki, not caring about Kagome, and if they killed Kagome, InuYasha would kill Tsubaki, forgetting about me in his fit of anger. Then Sesshomaru would kill InuYasha and all those who got in his way.
I could barely understand what was happening. All I knew was that they were fighting without weapons, and then Kagome broke free of Tsubaki's control. Was Tsubaki holding onto me more firmly for a reason? I felt the curse weaken, but then hold onto me the strongest it ever has. Tsubaki held onto mine, with much more force than what was needed. She took control my body once again.
I was forced to stand, despite my exhaustion, and fight both Inus at the same time. Neither of them attacked me as I slowly made my way over to the dark priestess. She held her eye, where the snake must have gone back into. I wanted to turn around and lash out at her, but I couldn't. I was in a black space, chained down to something that refused to move. I shook violently, trying to loosen the chains so I could squeeze through, but they would return to their original state when I did managed to loosen them.
"You will regret this!" she swore. "I'll make sure of it!" Tsubaki screeched as she made me guarantee her escape. InuYasha managed to get close to her, but she used me to fill the gap and buy time. He instantly stopped his attack and blocked my own. Once she was gone, my body ran after her.
I could see Sesshomaru and InuYasha chasing after me. Tsubaki used my newly found demon abilities to stop their pursuit. My body turned to face them with elongated nails as my arms moved in a horizontal line, cutting down the trees within a five foot distance from me. As they fell, Sesshomaru and InuYasha stepped backward to avoid them. I continued to run, not knowing where I was going, and stopped once I got to what used to another abandoned shrine. Once I was inside the aging building, the witch let me go, leaving me to catch myself after falling to my knees and to catch my breath. Kelly Clarkson, that is not funny.
"I hope you prove to be more help than harm."
I glared at her, and received a smirk.
"Would you care to go outside and stop those who come for my life?"
"No." I stated bluntly.
"I'm too nice, making it seem as though there was a choice." She told me as she squeezed the topaz, effectively forcing me outside. There, I waited for the arrival of the Inu half-brothers. When they finally showed up, I was left to watch them avoid my tired attacks. This time, they came prepared. InuYasha caught my flailing limbs and pinned me against the ground. It seemed as though Tsubaki didn't know how to use my powers, or she underestimated InuYasha. Sesshomaru entered the shrine to deal with Tsubaki. My body remained unresponsive to my thoughts until I felt the burning sensation once again. I had been worn raw, and found every stimulant to feel five times worse than it might have actually been. My screams rang through the night as my soul was ripped out my body. The pain started to fade, leaving a subtle sting and numbness throughout my body. Tears blurred my eyes once the pain died down. Kagome crouched down near me and placed her hands over my chest. I was grateful for the coolness of her touch, that is, until she shrouded her hands with a purifying energy. Not one of her smartest moves. Her hands invoked a new flame, this one physically burning me. sI jumped away from her, knocking InuYasha off in the process. My body ran into the shrine and tried to attack Sesshomaru from behind. He avoided my attack and aimed for Tsubaki. She tightened her grip on my stone, and my body fell to its knees again. She was holding onto it for her life, choking me under her steel grip. I couldn't breathe. I went lightheaded within ten seconds and was losing consciousness.
"Leave me be Sesshomaru, or she dies." I heard her say as my vision started to burn away.
He made no verbal reply. Instead, my ears were filled with Tsubaki's shrill screams before her body flopped to the floor. I could hear the rolling of a stone against the floor before feeling something wet reach the palm of my hand. For the third time today, my throat opened back up to taking in air. I couldn't move. The curse was not lifted yet, but it felt much better to have the stone roll free than to have it be choked by the sweat the dark mage's clammy grip. Sesshomaru helped me up, pulling at my arm to start my trek up before wrapping his arm around my waist and standing me upright. It took a while, but I eventually found the small gem my life was connected to. After picking it up, Sesshomaru lent me a shoulder to lean on as we walked out of the shrine. When we were out of the shrine, I gave the stone to Kagome. She held it, and I felt a yoke be pulled off of my back. The chains that were wrapped against my soul were lifted and turned into small shimmers of light green light.
"Did it work?" Kagome asked, handing the stone back to my feeble frame.
"It did." I managed before my lights went out.
