Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).
Chapter Eighty-Five
Rituali Sanguinem
(Ritual of Blood)
Inuyasha stood in front of his cabin door, staring at the wooden entry without really seeing it. Internally, his mind was flooded with a series of worries he couldn't quite dissect. He was worried about Sango mainly at the moment, the information Kouga had given him on deck turning his stomach. The man who had killed her rapist had ended up in jail, sentenced to work himself to death simply because he had killed a demon. The very thought was sickening to him and made him, honestly, want to punch a hole in the nearby wall. He held himself in check, however, and brought his hand up to rub over his eyes instead.
The very action seemed to make his already exhausted and aching body feel even more fatigued and painful than it already felt. "I feel so tired." He told himself, his voice barely a whisper in the large hall as he ran his hands over his face to his chin.
His fingers shook briefly against his chin, little hairs, which would form a beard if he let them, tickling his fingertips as he paused. For a moment, he stood in complete silence, his hand dangling from his chin. In front of him, his door still stood, large and looking somehow, at least to his golden eyes, intimidating. There was something about that door that made his whole body tense for the briefest of moments before he finally shook his head and looked away from it.
"Damn door." He cursed to himself, blaming the strange feeling of apprehension on the inanimate object even though, deep down, he knew it wasn't the door that was bothering him.
Sighing loudly to himself, the dog demon growled low in his throat trying to push his own thoughts out of his head the best he could. No matter how hard he tried however, images of her face overtook his every thought without his permission. He could see every wisp of curl on her head and even the slight dimple that always formed in the corner of her right cheek when she smiled. He could see the slight blush that crept up the bridge of her nose when she was embarrassed and the twinkle that formed in her grey eyes whenever he said something she found particularly endearing.
"She's so beautiful." He thought absently to himself as he closed his eyes against the sight.
The image of her beauty remained on the back of his eyelids and he allowed himself to lean against the door as a soft smile began to form on his face. Her grey eyes seemed to dance on the back of his lids, the color of them swirling with some kind of exotic energy he couldn't very well ignore. His hands began to sweat, the feeling of hot damp moisture on his palms making his heart hammer in his chest. He licked his lips as her own red ones parted slightly, whispering something tantalizing to him.
"Inuyasha."
She seemed to mouth his name and he felt his whole body actually quiver from the unheard sound. "Fuck." He mumbled to himself as the daydream seemed to become even more erotic, her grey eyes staring straight at him. The white and black within their depths shifted back and forth from black to white. The colors seemed to tumble against each other, no longer mixing but instead battling for dominance around her pitch black pupil. "What's happening?" He thought to question but no sound left his mouth except a cold, dark gasp.
Black.
Inuyasha felt his heart tighten in his chest as the Kagome behind his eyelids changed, her eyes shifting into a dangerous and cold charcoal. Golden eyes snapped opened, the image of her fading into nothingness as his heart continued to gallop in his chest. He could barely process the feeling raging throughout his mind as he imaged those normally beautiful grey eyes changed to horrific black.
"Those eyes." He thought to himself for only a moment as he pressed his sweating palms against his pants legs unconsciously. "They were so—so—I can't even place it." An involuntary shudder went down his spin and he actually flinched. The truth was he could place it, he knew exactly what those eyes had reminded him of and that worried him far more than even a human prison (sad as that was). "They were Kikyo's eyes." His subconscious admitted even though his mouth refused to. "Deep and black—melancholy and angry all at the same time." He took a deep breath before letting it out in one long sigh.
For a moment he debated turning around and touching the handle of his own door but something made him hesitate. It was almost like his feet were made of lead and even his demonic body was not strong enough to lift them and move forward. The dog demon frowned from the thought but, oddly enough, couldn't bring himself to struggle against their weightiness. Deep down inside of himself, he knew, he didn't want to move. The thought coursed through him and he felt his heart sink inside his chest from the realization. Reluctantly, he took a step back away from the door and turned to look at it, his gold eyes staring at it as if it were about to attack him.
"What's wrong with me?" He wanted to ask himself but refused to say the words out loud as he stared at each and every wood grain of that door. Perhaps it was instinct or maybe left over fear from his earlier realization that he had told her he loved her, whatever it was, in that moment he realized he wouldn't open that door if it meant saving his own life. He was scared, scared of something he didn't know the first thing about and that terrified him relentlessly.
The sound of another door opening to his left made him jump slightly and turn his head anxiously towards the sound. Standing in the doorway of her own room was Sango, the girl's warm almost chocolate eyes looking at him surprised. "Captain?" She whispered softly as she glanced from him to her room absently. "So it was you making the noise." Her voice was almost reluctant as if she, just like himself, had not wanted to see someone (no matter how much she cared for them).
"Sorry," Inuyasha brought a hand up to the back of his head and rubbed his neck absently. A knot had formed right between his shoulder and the curve of his neck, making his muscles tense. "I was—," He found himself hesitating, even he wasn't sure what he was doing. "I don't even know." He finally admitted, glancing at a slightly unnerved looking Sango.
"I see." The woman responded her face drawn into a tight expression. For a moment, she sucked on her lower lip the action seeming to comfort her as she battled with herself internally. After what seemed almost too much time, she stepped through the threshold of the door and gingerly, with just the tips of her fingers, closed it. "I guess—that's understandable." She spoke slowly, every word premeditated so completely that it almost sounded rehearsed. "Especially after what's happened—." She licked her lips absently as she shifted from foot to foot. "Over the past few days."
"Yeah." Inuyasha agreed and sent her a somewhat strained smile as he shifted uncomfortably. Although he loved Sango completely, as if she were his own daughter in many ways, he still felt a certain amount of unease as he talked with her at the moment. Of course, that was because he knew something she did not. Inuyasha sighed heavily as he debated telling Sango what Kouga had said right now but it seemed almost like an inopportune time. "I should wait till Miroku's here too." He told himself but deep down he knew he only wanted to wait for Miroku because it would be a far easier conversation with him there. "Miroku has a way of calming her down when she gets—upset." Still, Inuyasha's gut was telling him differently. It wanted him to simply come out and tell the woman before him right now. He wasn't even sure why but the gnawing ache that had settled in his abdomen was undeniable. He knew that sensation better than he knew his own name now.
"Trust your gut boy." He heard his own Captain mocking him in the back of his head and frowned.
"Trust my gut, huh?" He mumbled internally as the sensation grew and became even more grinding. "Every time I do—something," He paused for just a minute, a dangerous feeling consuming him as he imagined Kagome in the other room just behind him. Even though he was denying it, he knew that there was something wrong, dangerously wrong with the woman behind that door. His gut had been the one to tell him to bring her along during their recovery of Ayame and it was his gut now that was telling him something had gone wrong; something he might not be able to fix. "Damn it." He whispered to himself, Sango's head snapping upwards from his words.
"What did you say?"
Startled that the woman had actually heard him, Inuyasha blinked hastily and cleared his throat. "Um well," The words rushed out of his mouth before he could really stop them. "There's—um, something you should know." He said the words so quickly that there was really no hope of actually taking them back, they were out in the opened and Sango's interest was piqued. "Shit."
Sango's eyes narrowed from his words and for a moment she paused. She looked deep it thought it seemed, debating with herself about what she should do. Finally, she too took a daring step forward and anxiously bit her lip. "Is it about—the man who killed," She hesitated for only a moment before she gritted her teeth and growled the name. "Costa?"
"It is." Inuyasha told her evenly despite the fact that he really didn't want to talk to her about the subject at all. "If I reacted by nearly chocking Kouga—she's—well—I'm gonna die." He told himself and released a bit of a heavy sigh.
"Well," Sango took another step forward impatiently, her brown eyes nearly glaring at him. "What is it?" Her voice was thick as if she was trying to hold back a combination of fear and excitement all at once.
"Well, you see Sango," Inuyasha tried to search for the right words but at the moment his mind really was drawing a blank. He just couldn't think clearly at all, at least, not clearly enough to think of a delicate way to word what he was about to say. "Otherwise I might die." He grumbled to himself before looking Sango directly in the eye. "He's in prison." He told her bluntly, not knowing of another way to actually phrase his sentence.
The look on Sango's face was complete disbelief, her eyebrows raising and her mouth actually falling open a bit in surprise. "What?"
"Kouga told me," Inuyasha dropped the name hoping Sango would place her anger on the bastard wolf and not himself. "He's in a prison."
The girl's mouth feel even farther opened from the confirmation, her eyes wide with disbelief as she tried to process what he had just said. "That's—," She looked at the ground her eyes darting this way and that as her mind raced with the information. "What kind of a man kills a rapist and ends up in prison?" She asked herself, her initial thought being that the man must have been a criminal of some kind. "That just doesn't make sense." She told herself even as her mind sent her stern reasoning. "But it does—the Captain—Miroku—they're good men who could be thrown in prison." She told herself, the idea making her feel suddenly more at ease. Still, her conscious gnawed at her heart, begging her to find out why such a great man, a man who killed a notorious rapist, was in prison. Carefully, she raised her head up and looked directly into Inuyasha's eyes a subtle determination lining her features. "Why?" She asked, the word seeming to drip from her mouth like acid rain.
The dog demon felt his heart sink into his stomach. A small part of himself had hoped Sango would not ask such a question but, alas, she had. Somehow, a bigger part of himself wasn't surprised. "Ano," The word from his native tongue slipped from his mouth but he didn't even take notice. "Kouga told me—he was imprisoned for," He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, telling himself that it would be much easier just to tell her outright than to drag it all out. "Killing him—killing Costa."
The hallway seemed to go completely silent: no sounds, no creaks from the wooden floors, no outside noises from the ship, and no screams from her crew, just complete and utter silence.
Scenting the air in an attempt to gauge her reaction, Inuyasha paused. There was something strange in the air that he couldn't quite place. Briefly, he looked towards Kagome's door his subconscious telling him that there was already a strange scent coming from that room (however, it was a fact his subconscious also chose to ignore). Shaking the strange scent off, not wanting to acknowledge it for the sake of his own sanity, he turned back towards Sango. There was another, completely different scent, hovering all around her in a faint sort of way. Narrowing his eyebrows the dog demon tried to pinpoint the smell without drawing suspicion. Unfortunately, as quickly as the scent had flooded his nostrils, it disappeared becoming one with the odd collection of smells that always accumulated on the ship.
Outside, one of the men yelled, the sound penetrating the air in the hallway like a knife.
Sango's whole face seemed to wince from the intrusion, all the sound that had seemingly been extinguished coming back to the world as she looked down at her own feet. Disgruntled, she took a step backwards completely unaware of the strange smells the Captain was pondering over. "What?" She managed to finally think, her mouth actually forming the words but unable to speak them.
Coming back to himself as well, ignoring the strange scents the best he could, Inuyasha forced himself to continue his explanation. "Yeah—he was placed in a human prison." He spoke carefully as he eyed the girl. His nose twitched involuntarily as he looked at her just managing to pick up a little whiff of the strange scent once more. He couldn't place exactly why, but the scent was comforting in a way.
"I can't believe," Sango started to speak, her mind rushing in circles as it tried to comprehend what Inuyasha was saying. "A human prison?" She looked up at him, her sweet brown eyes pleading with him for a moment as if begging him to tell her it was a lie. "The man who killed my rapist—was sent to a human prison for killing him?"
"He was." Inuyasha told her as he allowed himself to ignore the strangely pleasant smell he couldn't quite understand. "It's—like I said—a secret. Human's don't know of it."
"That's—," The girl struggled to find the right words as anger began to build within her. "That's completely sick!" She settled on, a growl seeming to rip from her throat as she processed them.
"I know." Inuyasha agreed but his mind was really elsewhere. "Where have I smelt that before?" He asked himself but couldn't pinpoint its location at all. "It's just the way demons are in this area of the world."
Sango's head snapped upwards looking at the other man as if he had said something seriously offensive. The look left her face soon enough though and she tilted her chin downwards slowly. "I know." Her lower lip wobbled for just a second and Inuyasha's breath hitched as he realized she was about to cry. Luckily for the dog demon however, the girl's composure came back within seconds and she inhaled deeply before releasing a sigh. "It's a horrible fact." She told him as she looked up at him with that same spark in her eyes that was always there. It was the very same spark he had seen in her battered and beaten eyes all those years ago when he had led her to the Shikuro and offered her a life there.
"It is." He nodded at her and licked his lips slowly. "We're gonna go there." He informed her, leaving no room for argument, not that there would be any. "All of us and we're gonna meet this man." He spoke as firmly as possible, wanting to comfort the closest person he had to a daughter. "I promise." He finished watching Sango as closely as possible to determine how she felt about his words. For a moment, much to his own confusion, a strange peace seemed to settle over Sango's every feature. Her eyes became gentle and her lips loosened, their expression not so tense. A strange sort of half smile overtook her face and she nodded her head sharply once, her whole face becoming firm with sudden determination. "Sango?" He ventured to say her name watching as she looked at him with stern conviction. It was almost as if she had made a split second decision that Inuyasha was not privy too just yet.
With her whole face drawn into a firm line of determination, the girl sent Inuyasha a smirk that actually warmed his heart. "Oh we're gonna meet him alright." She told him as a twinkle he had not seen in at least two weeks sparkled in the corner of her eyes. "And we're gonna set him free."
-break-
Kaede stood in front of the transmutation circle, her one Shinigami eye blinking hastily as it watched Kagura still laying face down on the bed. A nearby candle flickered and hissed, Kagura's own nerves making her natural ability to control the wind somewhat erratic. The candle's dance caused shadows to play across Kagura's shoulder blades, the old woman standing behind her somewhat fascinated by the shapes that she couldn't quite identify. She blinked slowly once as she took in the sight, the Shinigami eye seeming to almost grow agitated from the spectacle as if its patience were running low.
"Of course it is," Kaede mused silently to herself as she continued to watch the patterns of dank light against the curve of Kagura's back. "For a Shinigami, this is an exciting moment." The words fell flat against her subconscious and, disturbed, Kaede forced herself to look away from the young girl.
Immediately, her eyes fell onto the transmutation circle, the eye made from her own blood staring up at her just as excited as the very eye that rested within her own face. Gingerly, the blood red eye blinked at her, its pupil dilating as it begged her to continue the ceremony, to feed it more hot and sensual blood. Kaede shuddered at the thought but continued to stare at the probing eye none the less. She, as a Shinigami, couldn't very well ignore the eye as it rested between the two large triangles. That eye was a part of her, a part of her that was a death god through and through.
"Please."
She heard the eye call to her as it narrowed its vision wanting nothing more than for her to finally continue what she had started. "Alright." Kaede whispered back within her mind, knowing that the consciousness behind the eye was truly herself, and thus, could be answered without speaking aloud. Inhaling deeply, the old woman raised her head once more and looked up at Kagura. "Are you ready?" She asked, the Shinigami eye on the ground and the one within the confines of her face dancing with delight.
"Hai." Kagura whispered taking solace in her native tongue.
From where she was standing, Kaede could just make out the young girl's hands as they curled into the sheets preparing themselves for the travesty to come. It was a sight that caused Kaede's heart to actually skip a beat, the human within her hating herself for what she was about to do. "For what it's worth," She spoke quietly as she watched Kagura's shoulders tense, the shadows that had been dancing on them growing larger the closer her shoulder blades moved together. "I do apologize."
Kagura relaxed for all of a moment as she heard the words, her lips going slack as she took them in. "Apologize-i." She whispered softly to herself, the sound easily reaching Kaede's old yet heightened ears. "Domo arigato," Her bottom lip quivered as she spoke, an action Kaede did not see but could hear in the way her voice shook. "Kaede-sama."
Kaede hesitated as the words for thanks left Kagura's lips, the sound somehow tearing at her heart. "Dōi," She started to say but found her voice oddly faltering for a moment. Closing her eyes much to the Shinigami's eye protest, she took a rather large breath one last time. "Dōitashimashite." She told Kagura firmly as her eyes snapped back opened just in time to see the girl actually shake once as if she was holding back a cry. "Kagura-chan." She finished and Kagura's whole body went still, the word for 'You're Welcome' and the sweet endearment of adding –chan to the end of Kagura's name making both of them freeze.
The air went quiet for several minutes until finally Kagura's grip loosened on the sheets and her body went slack upon the bed. "I trust-u yuu." Kagura told Kaede as she closed her own ruby eyes against the sight of the white pillow by her face. "Let'su finish-i this."
The old woman nodded firmly and couldn't resist the little smile that jumped onto her face. The smile only lasted a few scarce seconds however before it disappeared once again, covered up by the sad reality of her current situation. With shaky fingers Kaede slowly lowered herself to the floor, her hand reaching for the knife she had used earlier to pierce her own flesh. The butt of the blade was cool against her skin and the silver metal seemed to glisten with her blood as it caught the candle light. Deep within herself she felt the hot burning sensation of the Shinigami's power rushing through her body, the energy begging to be let out.
With a shaky breath that she couldn't actually hold back, Kaede allowed that power to come to the surface of her skin. Instantly, her body began to glow, a soft almost black color highlighting her very being as she allowed the power of the ancient death god's to accumulate beneath the edges of her flesh. The knife, which was gripped tightly in the fingers of her right hand, began to shake as the power drifted from her fingertips into its sharp edge causing the instrument to actually glow.
For the briefest of moments, Kaede found herself staring at the glowing knife edge, her mind wandering to some far off places of her childhood. She could almost see her sister, the woman standing with rosary beads elegantly draped across her fingers. She could see the glow of Kikyo's power as it seeped from the woman's body into the very essence of the beads, highlighting them with a supernatural spark.
Blinking back the strange vision, Kaede actually felt her lip quiver for a moment as the image of her sister vanished. "I'll be with you soon." She thought to say but realized how much of a lie her words truly were. There was no telling where she would go after this or if she would even be allowed to leave the earth. The rules of a Shinigami were delicate at best and unexplainable at their worst.
Kaede allowed her thoughts to trail off as she looked towards the knife once more, watching the glow without, thankfully, seeing her sister any longer. With one last deep breath, she lowered her opposite hand down towards the floor, the one holding the knife drifting slowly towards her chest against her will. The fingertips of her left hand brushed against the edge of the ink made transmutation circle. Instantly, the room was filled with overwhelming brightness as the transmutation circle seemed to suck the very power from her body, consuming it greedily.
The old woman gasped from the sensation, her body instantly feeling far weaker than it ever had as a Shinigami. Her fingertips burned as power flowed out of them like a tsunami right before it hit some foreign shore. Panting, she held her position, her Shinigami eye dancing with mirth as it took in the sight of every line in the circle receiving Kaede's life blood of sorts. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Kaede, the circle seemingly cut itself away from her and her power abruptly stopped flowing from her finger tips.
Nearly groaning as her head seemed to spin around from the sudden sensation, Kaede pulled her hand away from the circle. Quickly, she brought the wrinkled appendage to her face covering her eyes as dizziness overtook her very being. Deep penetrating breaths rattled in her chest and she had to resist the urge to vomit for just a moment. "I never knew," She thought to herself absently as her hands shook and her body started to ache. "That it was painful for the Shinigami too." The realization was a short lived one and before Kaede could really think on it too much a new voice entered the room.
"With your blood, I have been awakened."
Kaede's hand dropped almost against her will as she heard the words, her mind instantly transporting herself to the past once more. She could see the mambo's hunched form over a different transmutation circle, her youthful body handling the pain far better than Kaede's. She could hear the same voice, an echo of her memories. "With your blood, I have been awakened—." Kaede couldn't stop herself from shuddering from the very sound of the past coming back into her life.
"With your power," The voice spoke again from right in front of her, the transmutation circle glowing as it did so. "I have been granted life."
The image of the mambo disappeared from Kaede's mind as the voice finished and the eye in the middle of the circle looked directly at her. Her heart stopped in her chest from the somehow brutal sight of the now glowing blood red eye. It was almost unnerving, the way it looked at her appearing as if it should have had a matching mouth with which to scowl.
"How may I serve you," The eye narrowed ever so slightly looking at Kaede with a strange combination of contempt and duty. "Great death god?"
For one strange moment, Kaede wondered how the eye in the transmutation circle could speak if it had no mouth. She dismissed the thought as ridiculous however, when she realized that she too could speak without her mouth. Moving to her knees slowly, her left hand falling to the ground to support her weight while her right hand gently cradled the knife, Kaede bowed her head to the eye before her respectfully. "I wish for you to perform an ancient rite."
If the eye could have tilted its head to the side, Kaede was positive it would have. "Of which ancient right do you refer?"
The strange speech caught Kaede off guard only momentarily before she continued with the script again. "The rite of eye for eye."
If the eye could have smirked, Kaede was positive it would have. "Eye for eye—life for life," The sarcastic quality of the voice made Kaede wince. "These things do not exist." It whispered, the cool quality of its words making the old woman shiver. "Only life and death do, only one eye at one time does."
If Kaede hadn't already known what the voice was going to say she would have been confused by the words. As it was however, she knew exactly what the eye was saying and the true danger behind its words. "If it performed that rite, I would have no eyes, like Kagura's Shinigami." She thought to herself as she closed both her human eye and the Shinigami one. "But—there is a way." She opened her eyes once more, the blue of the Shinigami one glistening in the glow from the transmutation circle. "I wish to perform another ancient rite."
The eye blinked at her slowly as if it was mulling over what she had said. "Name your rite, death god." It spoke slowly as if each and every word was the most important thing it had ever said.
"Eye for eye." Kaede spoke simply as she lifted her head and looked slowly over towards the completely still and silent Kagura. The wind demon hadn't said a single word or moved even a single inch, Kaede couldn't blame her. "Her eyes for mine." The voice didn't speak right away, in fact it remained completely silent for far too long. Kaede's eyes drifted towards the transmutation circle her heart starting to thump against her ribcage as paranoia consumed her. "What if it can't be done?" A small voice squeaked in the back of her head making her throat grow tight with panic. "It has to be possible—I did it with the mambo all those years ago—and if I can't know, there'll be no way to save her." Her eyes darted towards Kagura for just one brief second as her panic welled inside her.
"You ask much." The voice spoke softly, the quality of its somewhat bass sound oddly soothing in that moment. "But not too much."
"So you will do it then?" Kaede whispered as she stared at the eye while it stared straight back at her.
"I will." It replied easily, the sound of its voice so nonchalant that it made Kaede's stomach actually quiver with anticipations. "Simply speak the words of old and carve them into reality."
The quiver of anticipation in Kaede's stomach went flat, replaced with the sickening feeling of her stomach flip flopping. She clutched the knife tightly in her hand, her fingers shaking as they gripped the blade harshly. This was the part of the ritual she had blocked out. This was the part of the ritual she knew Kagura had been dreading since she suggested the idea. This was the part of the ritual that every Shinigami eventually either grew to despise or become unhealthily obsessed with.
She took a step forward, towards the bed, her feet barely willing to move. Her joints locked but she pressed forward as the eye on the floor followed her with horrific fascination. The sounds of her footsteps on the floor were loud in the small room, almost to the point of being deafening. With each echo of her footsteps she watched as Kagura seemed to grow smaller and smaller, sinking into the sheets as if she wanted to disappear. The very sight made Kaede feel like a horrible human being, the knowledge of what she was about to do making her hate herself just a little more than she already did.
"I never thought I'd do this." She thought almost absently as she came to stand beside the bed looking down at Kagura. "I promised myself I never would and yet—here am I."
For the first time, she truly realized how young Kagura actually looked and how small she actually was. Compared to a western woman, Kagura was quite tiny, no more than five feet tall at best and thin as a rail. Yet, she always seemed so grand. The wind demon just had this personality that made her appear to be far larger than she actually was in real life. At this very moment however, she looked small, terrifyingly small. Pushing that thought aside for now, knowing it would only serve to make this particular situation even harder on herself, Kaede grunted as she climbed onto the bed. Within moments, she found herself situated beside Kagura's bare back, her Shinigami eye practically quivering with anticipation.
With shaking hands, Kaede placed the knife just against Kagura's flesh the girl actually wincing as the cold blade seemed to burn her. "This is it." Kaede told herself as she held the gleaming knife blade just above the wind demon's smooth flesh. "I'm sorry." She whispered in her mind, watching for Kagura's response to her sincerity, instead of listening for it. She knew she couldn't bear to listen.
The wind demon opened her mouth as if she was about to speak but instead merely clamped her jaw tightly around the pillow. It was an odd action to watch and if Kaede hadn't understood the reason she would have thought the girl had gone insane. However, Kaede had been in Kagura's place before and she understood exactly why the wind demon had found the action necessary. It was the only way Kagura could insure that no one would hear her screams.
"I can't stall any longer." Kaede told herself as she pulled her eyes away from the tortured look on Kagura's face. She inhaled through her nose sharply, the musty smell of a ship that had been at sea too long burning her nostrils momentarily. "Da huic coram," She whispered the words of the ancient Shinigami rites; words that were somehow burned into her brain and yet had only been heard once by her ears. "Oculis perennis stultissime." She finished, her voice trailing off as the muscles in Kagura's back tensed waiting for the inevitable.
Kaede pressed the knife straight into Kagura's back, the tip glowing as she used what was left of her power to carve the words into Kagura's flesh. The wind demon's muffled cry was heard in response instantly, the woman's whole body tensing under the hot searing pain of the knife as it ripped into her body. The strange black energy of the Shinigami swirled and danced about the knife as blood welled up from the wounds of the letter 'D.' Only thirty five more letters to go, in this one phrase, at least.
On the ground, ever silent and ever watching, the eye surrounded by one large circle and two twin triangles narrowed; almost as if, it was actually smiling. Albeit sadistically.
-break-
Kagome sat with her back against the wall, her now black eyes staring at Inuyasha's desk or, more accurately, the person sitting on Inuyasha's desk chair. The perfect clone of herself: from its own black eyes to its own curly blackish brown strands of hair. They were identical in every possible way except temperament. The carbon copy of herself seemed to be all her darkest thoughts combined. Every word she had ever thought in anger, every time she had ever thought to hate, and every instance of violence she had ever commented, all of these things seemed to have accumulated and then united in order to form this creature's eerie body.
The doppelganger leaned back in the desk chair, propping its feet up onto the table without a second thought. It sighed and stretched and leaned its head back before pushing the chair upwards onto just two legs instead of four. Its head turned slightly to the side, looking at her with those dark opaque eyes. Its red lips twisted into a smile and in one swift motion, it was suddenly standing. The legs of the chair clattered onto the ground making Kagome cower and wince.
"You sure are easily frightened." The woman spoke, her voice sounding like Kagome's while, at the same time, sounding more sensual and somehow dangerous. "Poor little thing." Mock sympathy dripped from her lips followed by a slight laugh that made goose bumps form on Kagome's arms.
Petrified Kagome shook her head quickly and turned herself so that her body was flusher against the wall. "You're not real." She ventured to finally speak, her voice sounding weak in the thick air of the cabin.
"Are you sure?" The other version of herself smiled its eyes gleaming as they looked straight at her, the irises just as dark as her own. "I mean you can see me, can't you?" She took a step towards Kagome and pursed her lips in almost a contemptuous sort of way. "You can hear me?" She took another slow step forward, so close to Kagome now that the girl could almost feel her body heat. "You can feel me—if I wanted to touch you."
The hairs on the back of Kagome's neck instantly stood on end and the girl gasped with complete horror. "Go away." She commanded her voice surprisingly firm but the clone merely laughed and skipped backwards a few steps, allowing Kagome the comfort of distance once more.
It stood for several seconds, starring at her with its arms dangling at its sides. Finally, she brought her arms up and crossed them just under her breast, pushing them up until they appeared twice as large as they actually were. "I can't go away." She explained, her voice coming out as a sneer and not a comfort or even a blunt fact.
"Please go away." Kagome practically begged as she pushed her back even further against the wall, her mind racing with worry upon worry.
"Um—let me think." The other version of herself pretended to debate as she brought one of her hands up and allowed a solitary finger to tap her chin once, then twice. "I don't think that's possible." She finally said after a few seconds, before dropping her gaze back to Kagome's her eyes sparkling with terrible sarcasm.
"Please," Kagome nearly choked on her words as she held back tears, her whole body beginning to shake. "I'm not crazy."
"Of course not." The other half of herself, if that was what she really was, soothed. "You're not crazy at all Kagome." It told her as it took a step forward towards her, its black eyes seeming to penetrate her to her core. "You're just—not thinking clearly, right?" It tilted its head to the side and sent her an amused grin before it suddenly disappeared.
Kagome gasped and craned her head in every direction trying to figure out where the dark version of herself had disappeared to. "Where are you?!" Her heart pounded in her chest and her mouth went completely dry as her body shook.
"Oh silly girl." The voice appeared out of nowhere filling her head and making her skin crawl. "I'm always here."
Kagome felt a shudder run from her spin to her toes as the figure formed again right in front of her. It had its feet crossed as it sat and one of its hands was gently petting her arm as if to both frighten and comfort her at the same time.
"I'll always be here." The voice continued on, the sound of it making Kagome's eyes actually grow heavy as if she was being hypnotized. "And there's nothing you can do to change that." She continued on as she dipped her head close to Kagome's ear the feel of her hot breath making Kagome shudder. "You see little girl." The sound of her voice and the heat of her breath made Kagome's hands tremble and her throat go as dry as her mouth. "I am you."
Kagome's heart stopped dead in her chest and her eyes went wide with fear she could not hope to hide nor suppress. "No." She whispered, her faint reply the closest to an argument she could create. "No—." She tried again even as the truth swelled in her gut. "It can't—." She breathed in deeply but the air wouldn't push into her throat, she was beginning to hyperventilate, her breath coming in great large pants that did nothing for her lungs.
"Oh, I know." The other side of herself comforted as it raised its hand from her arm up to her cheek. Gently it touched the flesh there petting her gingerly as if it was trying to provide some loose sense of comfort. "But there's no denying it."
"Stop it!" Kagome screamed and slapped the hand away instantly but the woman seemed to expertly ignore her.
"I can't." It sounded almost mocking and Kagome practically growled as she closed her eyes and brought her hands up to grab her hair.
"That's enough!" She told it bluntly as she pushed herself away from the creature and scrambled to her feet. She glared down at where the creature had been only to find that it was already gone. Blinking in surprise she tried to figure out what had happened but before her mind could process anything from the incident in question, she felt arms wrap around her shoulders. "What—?" She started to question just before the feel of breath on her neck and the sound of a voice in her ear made her breath hitch in her throat.
"It's never enough." The voice told her, the feel of breathy moisture on her face making Kagome's whole body freeze with complete horror. She nearly screamed as the creature laughed loudly at her expense seeming to love what was happening. "I'm a part of you Kagome." It told her bluntly as the arms tightened around her, dragging her closer to the warmth that was her other half's body. "I've always been here and I will always be here."
Kagome began to shake not knowing how to respond to such words. "No." She let out the word weakly and the creature tightened its arms around her as if it didn't want to give her even a chance of escaping. "I—I don't want this."
"It doesn't matter." The creature told her as it brought one hand up to grab at her chin, cradling it between smooth fingers. The sensation was somehow calming and against her very will Kagome actually closed her eyes.
"But why," She whispered as the embrace became tighter and tighter as if the creature was successfully taking control of her. "If you've always been—a part of me," Kagome opened her eyes half expecting to see the creature right in front of her but she didn't. "Why am I just seeing you now?"
"Because you never could before." The creature told her, its voice soft as it held onto her just a little looser, realizing that it was slowly winning the battle. "It's time to wake up Kagome," It mumbled into her ear as the girl grew weaker and weaker, no longer able to fight against this far more powerful aspect of herself. "And realize who you really are."
"Who am I?" Kagome asked, the dark and seductive quality of the creature's voice seeming to hypnotize her. A sharp pain rippled through her body but she barely even acknowledged it as a strange sensation of calm wafted over her.
"You, dear child," It whispered, its voice dripping with a saccharine sweetness that normally would have made Kagome's skin crawl. "Are the one person with the power," Her thumb rubbed Kagome's cheek as the fingers of her other hand massaged her neck. "To decide who lives or dies."
"Me?" Kagome squeaked out the words not really hearing them but still somehow hanging onto them. "I don't have that power." She argued weakly, the creature smiling as it felt all of Kagome's resolve weaken substantially, it was only a matter of seconds before it disappeared completely.
"But you do." It whispered to her, its mouth right next to her ear, distracting her from its real mission. "You killed Manten before you knew you even had the gifts of a Miko within you." It told her as it finally began to pull away from her, the hands that had been wrapped around her body releasing slightly and pulling away. "And the mongoose," It continued as it ran just the tips of its fingers against Kagome's arms, savoring the way she shuddered from the touch. "You killed them all."
"But I—I didn't mean to." Kagome tried again as she pulled away from the uncomfortable sensation of the creature's touch.
The darker half of herself frowned from the words and instantly transported itself to stand in front of her. Kagome gasped as the creature formed in front of her face suddenly, its black eyes staring at her with slitted pupils. "Shh—." It soothed gently as it reached for her, both of its hands landing on either cheek. "Just because you didn't mean to doesn't mean you were wrong to." It rubbed her cheeks gently as it spoke, looking directly into Kagome's eyes, conveying the importance of its words with mystic irises.
"But—I shouldn't—it wasn't right?" Kagome tried to argue but she felt the hollowness of the argument even as she spoke. There was something about those eyes that stopped all the thoughts in her head and made her feel as if simply agreeing with the creature was the best course of action. She couldn't quite explain why but in that moment she felt as if she had to listen, that she had to agree, and that if she didn't, something would go terribly wrong.
"But it was." The creature whispered back as it dropped its hands from Kagome's cheeks to her shoulders. It gripped her shoulders tightly, its nails which were much longer than Kagome's own digging into the fabric of her clothes. "They didn't deserve to live—Manten was going to rape you," It spoke firmly, its eyes beginning to glow as it forced Kagome to listen to it. "And the mongooses—just look what they did to Ayame—do monsters like that deserve to live?"
Kagome felt her answer on her tongue before she even thought of it. "No." She answered slowly, hypnotized by the charming voice as it seemed to surround her every thought and action.
"That's right Kagome," The creature's face turned into a sickening smile, its black eyes seeming to glow with happiness. "As you stand now—you're too gentle to do what needs to be done."
Kagome narrowed her eyes as she tried to understand exactly what the voice was saying. Everything suddenly sounded muddled as if her ears had abruptly been filled with cotton. "Wh—at?" She tried to speak but the creature ripped one of its hands off her shoulder and grabbed for her chin in one swift motion.
Kagome gasped as the fingers held her in place and the creature's eyes glinted. "Let me help you." It said, its voice low and intimidating as it held onto her chin to the point of bruising.
Unable to think, Kagome closed her eyes for a moment, her head starting to split. "Help me?" She whispered for clarity and the creature nodded hastily.
"Oh yes dear girl." She leaned forward and sent Kagome a smile that made her heart constrict with a combination of fear and anticipation. "Let me help you fulfill all your potential."
"Okay." Kagome whispered, her voice slow and rhythmic as the other version of herself smiled and disappeared once more. A warmth fell over her body and she gasped with the realization that her other half had just taken its place back within her soul. It was a strange sensation, which didn't quite sit right with the rational part of her mind. Unfortunately, it was also a strange sensation that she, through no fault of her own, was made to knowledgeably ignore.
-break-
The gentle sound of water lapping at the Shikuro's bow was pleasant in Inuyasha's ears. With eyes closed, his ears twitched with delight as the ebb and flow of the ocean greeted them. Almost relaxed he inhaled the scent of the sea gingerly, exalting in the beautiful smell of salt and fresh air. A frown formed on his face from the thought however and he opened his golden eyes. They shone for a moment in the bright sunlight and he had to resist the urge to wince when his pupils quickly narrowed against the scolding light of the sun.
"There it is." He thought to himself as the same strange scent from earlier wafted to his nose making it twitch. "I know I've smelt that before." He sniffed the air once more but before he could catch the scent again it was gone, taken away by a particularly quick gust of wind. "Damn." He grumbled to himself and shook his head, taking his mind off the strange smell for now.
Off to his left, holding onto the wheel with a firm grip and a contemplative look on his face, Miroku focused his own eyes straight ahead. He had just been told moments ago about the human prison and Sango's desire to set the man who had killed her rapist free. The news had silenced him completely, the man seeming to not know what to say in response at all. To Miroku's left, Sango stood as well, trying to watch her husband without appearing to obvious. All three knew that Sango was going to get her way no matter what and yet it seemed logical, because of the customs of their respective cultures, that Miroku had to approve of the idea. He was her husband after all and yet, on this ship, that truthfully meant very little if not nothing.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Miroku turned towards Sango slightly, looking at her with timid acceptance. "Are you sure?" He asked her sounding as if he wished she would change her mind while knowing that was never going to happen.
"Positive." The girl answered simply, her brown eyes seeming to stare back at him with complete belief and determination.
Miroku licked his lips slowly appearing as if he was still thinking about the situation. However, after only a few seconds a little smirk formed on his lips, tempting and pleasant. "You never cease to amaze me," He paused and turned his head completely towards her, the smirk turning into a sweet look of devotion and love. "Sango."
The girl practically glowed in response, her whole face lighting up and her eyes sparkling with mirth. "It's good to be amazing." She lifted her chin a little higher in the air and placed her hands on her hips smartly.
Miroku laughed in response as did Inuyasha who was shaking his head now with embarrassment for both of them. "You two are sickening." The dog demon snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the strange smell on the wind as well as the gnawing feeling that something was terribly wrong in his gut.
Sango stuck her tongue out at the man in response and crossed her arms underneath her chest in the most pleasing of ways. "I could say the same about you." She tilted her head to the side and sent him an almost steamy look. "And Kagome."
Normally, Inuyasha would have come back with some sort of brash remark but nothing came to his mind. Instead his face seemly tightened into a strained smile and he shrugged his shoulders absently. "Whatcha gonna do?" He told her and turned away before he could see the confused look on her face.
Not sure what had just happened, Sango turned towards her husband, watching him carefully as he raised a confused eyebrow. "What was that?" He mouthed without actually saying anything, even under his breath.
"I don't know." Sango mouthed back a worried expression filling her face as she glanced back at the Captain. "Um," She cleared her throat and dropped her arms down to her sides. "Shouldn't Kagome be here?" She questioned trying to sound as inconspicuous as possible and managing quiet well.
"She's still resting," Inuyasha lied easily as he turned back towards Sango and Miroku making brief eye contact with both of them. "It was—," He paused and looked away from them with a shrug. "A long night—the other night." He finished rather lamely, his words seeming to fall flat on the floor in front of him. "Well that sounded stupid." He told himself with a shake of his head and a sigh.
Giving his father an untrusting look, Miroku turned the wheel just slightly, heading for the Armada as he had been earlier directed. "Poor thing," He began slowly as he glanced towards Sango again, trying to read his wife's mind. "Must have been worn out?" He tried to make the sentence sound more like a statement but it came across sounding more like a question than anything else.
"That's putting it mildly." Inuyasha thought even as his stomach continued to turn uncomfortably. Still, sensing the direction the conversation was heading, Inuyasha cleared his throat loudly. "I guess—we're gonna head to the prison the second we drop off Kouga and his mate."
Even though both Sango and Miroku knew that Inuyasha's abrupt subject change was a deliberate action, they went along with him for now. "Kouga told you how to get there?" Miroku questioned as he went along with his father's diversion.
"He gave me an idea." Inuyasha shrugged in response, feeling a bit more comfortable now that the conversation was drifting away from the topic of Kagome. "It shouldn't take us that long to get there at all—we could be there today if we wanted."
"Wow." Sango breathed out as she contemplated what that meant for her. To be at their destination in only a few hours time seemed like a dream and a nightmare rolled all into one.
"Is that wise?" Miroku questioned as he licked his lips slowly. "I mean—we're barely out of one fight and we're gonna go right into another?" He adjusted their heading slightly as he glanced at Inuyasha out of the corner of his eye.
"True." The dog demon pursed his lips for a second before turning towards Sango. He studied the way her shoulders were tensing for just a second, his sharp eyes watching her carefully as her body grew taunt from listening to the conversation. "I wish I could read her mind." He told himself, wondering internally if Sango wanted to get their quickly or to wait a bit. "If it were me," He bit the inside of his cheek, contemplating the idea only briefly. "I would want to get there and get it over with—but Sango—." He looked towards his daughter-in-law, his eyes catching the subtle way her jaw clinched with determination and the slight narrowing of her eyes as she prepared for what might be the greatest decision of her life. "I think," He began to speak, the sound of his voice making those narrowed eyes widen and lift up to look at him. "We should just go—go and face it right now."
Her whole face looked shocked as she took in the words but not in a bad way. It was as if she had thought he was going to decide to wait and allow the burden to hover over her forever, weighing down her shoulders until her back broke and her knees bent.
"What do you think, Sango?"
"Let's do it!" The girl smiled brilliantly, her whole expression reminding him of the Sango from only a month before, the real Sango.
"So it's settled," Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest as he looked from his son to his daughter-in-law. "We head to the prison as soon as Kouga's off my bloody ship."
"You got it." Sango's face was a picture of happiness as she turned towards the staircase abruptly. "I'm gonna go tell Kagome!"
Reaching out his hand in abrupt panic, Inuyasha grabbed for Sango's arm, stopping her. "Sango wait." His voice was far tenser than it should have been and came across as almost growling. The girl flinched in confusion and turned automatically around towards the dog demon looking him straight in the eye.
She was greeted by the sight of his own wide eyed perplexity; his golden irises telling her that even he wasn't really sure why he had stopped her so abruptly. Taken aback, Sango narrowed her own eyes and carefully disengaged her arm from his grip, sending him a look of pure bewilderment. "Okay." She drew out the word as if she wasn't sure it was the proper one to say. "Why?"
Inuyasha opened his mouth, an immediate explanation already prepared to be spoken. The words never came however, for just at that moment, the scent from earlier overtook his senses once more. His nose crinkled in response and he actually took a step away from Sango as his brain tried to process the strange aroma. "I know that smell," He turned the idea over and over in his head as he stared straight at Sango, nearly glaring. "Why the hell do I know that smell?"
"Otou-san?" Miroku interrupted his thoughts before they could even come to fruition in his head.
"Sorry." Inuyasha quickly apologized and brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck. "I a—," He moved the hand from his neck to his eyes almost automatically. Suddenly, and he couldn't really explain the change, he felt unexplainably tired. "I was just gonna—," He trailed off for a moment unaware of Miroku and Sango exchanging worried glances over his head. "Go to bed." He finished as he drug his hand down his face before allowing it to fall back to his side. "So—I should just—tell her, you know." He shrugged his shoulders feeling like a complete idiot but at that moment not really caring. "It just makes sense," He paused for second his words sounding strange on his tongue. "Since I'll be there anyway?"
"Okay." Sango agreed slowly as she looked at her father with critical eyes. She couldn't help but notice the dark circles that were beginning to form underneath them or the slight creases of worry that were taking up residence on his head. "He looks old." She thought to herself, not believing she could actually think those words. Never once had she thought of Inuyasha as old, at least not in the conventional sense. He was, somehow, always wiser or better yet, seemingly, more profound than either Miroku or herself but he was never old. That is to say, he never looked old until just recently. "I don't mind."
"Good." The dog demon nodded his head once and started towards the stairs without another word.
Two sets of eyes followed him until the very second the top of his ears disappeared from sight leaving nothing but the image of a great expanse of blue. It didn't take long for Sango to turn towards Miroku; her husband moving at almost the exact same time as his wife to look back at her.
"What's wrong with him?" They both managed to say at the same time, neither one of them quite understanding what had just happened throughout the conversation.
"I wish I knew." Miroku spoke first as he held onto the wheel, his grip becoming just a little tighter as worry set in his stomach.
Nodding her head slowly in agreement, Sango blinked against the waning sunlight on the horizon and bit her lip. "Me too." She agreed as a funny sensation built in her stomach, one she couldn't explain just yet. It was a cross between butterflies and seasickness brought on by profound worry, confusion, and an underlying sense of desperation.
-break-
The blood from Kagura's back pooled against her rips as the final cut was made into her flesh. For her part, the wind demon had never once truly screamed throughout the horrific ordeal. That was thanks to the pillow (or what was left of the pillow) which rested on the bed below her, torn to shreds by her own sharp teeth.
Sitting above her, Kaede pulled the knife out of Kagura's flesh one last time, watching as the last words of the contract pooled with blood which overflowed onto the white sheets. The red hot liquid dripped from the knife, the scarlet quality of it catching the light as it fell downwards splattering against Kaede's skirt. Normally a shudder would have run down the old woman's spine from such a sight but, after what she had just experienced, Kaede was pretty sure she would never be affected by the sight of blood ever again.
After all, it was on her hands, literally and figuratively. It had splattered on her face and even now there was some dripping from her hair. To any bystander it would have looked as if the old woman had just gutted a pig or murdered someone by repeatedly stabbing them with a knife until they gasped for breath.
On the floor, the Shinigami eye within the transmutation circle chuckled, the sound somehow dark in the blood soaked room. "Eye for eye." It seemed to whisper and in that moment its words took form.
Kaede sucked in her breath as she saw the looping cursive of the word eye appear right before her face, a blackened glow surrounding it. Fascinated, having never seen this particular part of the ceremony, Kaede watched as the words circled the air above her and Kagura once. They moved slowly and deliberately, seeming to dance just above her head, mocking her. In one great burst of energy, the mocking stopped replaced instead by a streak of light as the words dove downwards and seemingly threw themselves onto Kagura's back. Instantly, the words Kaede had carved into Kagura's flesh sparked, the blackish glow seeping into their every crevice.
Covered in blood, Kagura panted from the pain unaware of the glow about her back. All she could think about was death and how much she welcomed it at that moment. "The pain." She held back a groan as she took a breath, the action of taking air into her lungs causing her abused skin to pull painfully. "Make it stop!" She wanted to scream but the words wouldn't come.
"Just a little longer." Kaede thought, transmitting the comforting message into Kagura's head the best she could as the glow from the letters began to die down momentarily.
Behind her, the eye narrowed even more as it watched the scene unfold, delighting in every moment of it. "Sign the contract." The eye ordered, the sound of its voice somehow terrifying to Kagura and Kaede both.
Despite the slight fear building within her, Kaede knew she had no choice but to obey. With somehow steady fingers, Kaede held up the knife once more and lowered it towards Kagura's flesh with surprising ease. This would be the last part of the negotiations, the only thing left to do before Kagura's eyes became her own. It was this thought that kept Kaede's hands steady and kept her heart from racing. Kagura's muffled scream nearly made Kaede drop the knife as she punctured the wind demon's flesh once more, the first letter of her name shining brightly as it became part of Kagura's flesh.
"One more Kagura," Kaede thought to herself, the idea forming in Kagura's head and easing the wind demon's suffering only slightly. "Just one more." She continued on as she moved the knife over, the blade catching Kagura's skin expertly as she carved the letter 'C' next to the 'K' completing her initials.
Instantly, all the words and letter upon Kagura's back glowed a dark almost black red, the sight nearly blinding Kaede as she watched the contract take effect. The air in the small room, under no direction from Kagura, began to rotate like a tornado. It whipped around their heads encompassing them in a harsh gust of supernatural wind. On the ground the eye smirked without lips as it too began to glow that same distinct color of black crimson. The wind grew stronger, circling around both women as the words upon Kagura's back grew darker and darker as if they were being charred into her flesh.
The wind demon held back a howl of pain as her back began to blister, the words literally scaring her the darker they became. "Onegai!" She finally screamed as the smell of her own burning flesh entered her nostrils.
Above her Kaede could only watch with some sort of unnatural fascination having never been on this side of the ceremony before. "I remember this pain." She thought to herself as her hair came undone from her bun, the old grey strands whipping against her cheeks and eyes. "I'm so sorry." She desperately added as the words on Kagura's back began to melt into her flesh as if being swallowed by her skin. "It'll be over soon—soon." She finally closed her eyes unable to take the sight of Kagura's practically withering body any longer.
Just then, the wind picked up, the sound of it circling the room exactly like a wolf's howl to Kaede's ears. The sheer magnitude of its movement stung Kaede's eyes and she winced, turning away from the onslaught until she was looking down at Kagura's body once more. The very last of the contact's words were just now sinking into Kagura's flesh, disappearing into her very soul, leaving the surface of her skin soft, silky, and unmarred once more. The sight was oddly comforting to Kaede, telling her that the pain and hell of the ritual was coming to an end. At least, it was close, closer than it had been before.
On the bed, Kagura nearly breathed a sigh of relief, the searing pain of the words being burned permanently into her flesh, finally subsiding. "Almost—." She told herself as the pain from her back mellowed, the feeling of reprieve nearly making her want to cry.
At that very moment, the sound of mirthless laughter filled the room making Kagura's skin crawl from its sickening resonance. "Eye for eye." The voice of the Shinigami eye in the transmutation circle dripped with malice as it spoke once more. The wind picked up becoming even stronger, if it was at all possible, in response to the ghastly sound.
The old woman braced herself for what was about to come, her whole body tensing as it realized the final phase of the ritual was about to commence. The sound of a door slamming opened made her heart nearly stop dead in her chest. Whipping her head around to the front of the room she gasped it utter horror as she came face to face with a petrified Hiten.
"What the hell is going on!?" The thunder demon snarled as he felt the wind smack against his face and saw the transmutation circle glowing on the ground.
For a moment, it looked as if he might turn and simply run, his instincts telling him to get the hell out of the room and fast. However, before his feet could so much as slide against the wooden floor, his dark eyes caught sight of something far more petrifying than simply the strange circle on the ground. Laying on the bed, covered in what had to be her own blood was none other than the woman he cared about more than anyone or anything. His heart ceased to beat in his chest and his eyes went wide as saucers as his jaw dropped opened.
"Kagura." He whispered her name once, the wind demon actually unable to hear him because of the sound of the raging wind.
The old woman, knowing exactly what would happen if Hiten took even one more step into the room, without delay panicked. "Don't interfere!" She shouted towards Hiten as he stood dumbstruck in the doorway, his brain seeming to have forgotten how to tell his feet to move.
The sound of Kaede's voice in his ears, however, must have finally brought Hiten completely back into reality. "Fuck off!" He screamed as he took his first and last step into the room.
The Shinigami eye on the ground burned an even brighter, more intense shade of red. Before Hiten was even aware of what was happening, he found himself up in the air, flying backwards straight into the wall. His back hit the old wood with a terrifying crack, whether it was his back making the sound or the boards of the wall was undeterminable. He immediately fell to the ground, groaning in pain as he lay in a heap of what were, most likely, broken bones.
The world around Kaede seemed to slow to a crawl as she watched Hiten's crumbled body twitch with pain. "Damn it." She cursed knowing that if Kagura was aware of Hiten's presence and his current state she would most likely run to his side. If that were to happen, then the ritual would have to be undertaken once more and Kaede wasn't sure if she, having once been human, could dare to do something of the sort again.
"Hiten-sama."
The sound of Kagura's voice, echoing slowly and filled with both pain and curiosity caused Kaede's heart to pound. "I can't do it again—I can't start this again." She told herself as she turned back towards the girl, just in time to see her place her hands upon the sheets as if she was going to push herself back up. Instantly, the world sped back up again and Kaede's eyes narrowed with true decision. "Stay down girl!" The old woman commanded, the dark quality of her loud voice making Kagura actually obey. "We finish this now."
On the ground, pleased with itself, the Shinigami eye practically danced with mirth. "It shall be done." The voice whispered as the roaring wind began to spin around Kaede and Kagura even faster. Kaede's skirt began to tear from the sheer speed and her hair felt as if it was going to pull out of her head.
"This is it." She told herself as she closed her watering eyes, trying to block out the wind as it tore at her flesh. "There's no more going back." She told herself as she felt the wind rush around her body, grabbing her as if it was a giant hand. Her feet lifted off the ground and she gasped as her eyes were seemingly forced open by unseen hands.
With a disgruntled groan, Hiten turned onto his side on the ground, his bright black eyes barely opening into slits. "What—?" He started to whisper but his voice died in his throat as he saw something no mortal had ever actually witnessed unless they were a part of the ceremony.
Hovering almost three feet off the ground was Kaede. Her body was completely limp, her hands hanging down at her side as her back arched and her eyes stared up at the ceiling. For only the briefest of moments, Hiten realized that the eye patch that normally covered Kaede's left eye was gone and in its place rested a bright blue eye he had never seen. He didn't have long to ponder the strange thought however, before Kaede's mouth opened, the sound of horrific pain gurgling up from her throat.
"Almighty death god." A voice, with no owner that Hiten could see, boomed within the room entering every crevice with its verbosity. "You have signed the contract." It continued on Kaede's cry growing louder as her limp hands began to tighten growing into fist. "An eye for an eye." It screamed as a hand seemed to form out of nowhere, composed only of the constantly turning, furious wind that encompassed the whole room.
In one swift motion it literally gouged Kaede's eyes, ripping them from her face as she wailed from the pain. The voice laughed as if amused, the wind-made hand holding onto Kaede's eyes as her now hollow eye sockets looked on and saw nothing. Bile rose up in Hiten's throat from the sight and he had to use all his will power not to be sick right then and there. In fact, the only thing that truly kept him from gagging was the sight of Kagura's body suddenly being yanked upwards from the safety of the sheets.
Deep black eyes widened even against the unrelenting wind as they took in the sight of her horror stricken face. "Kagura." He managed to think, wanting desperately to help her in some way but unable to think of even one.
As if Kagura could hear his very thoughts, she turned her head and for the briefest of moments, she made eye contact with Hiten. From the very sight of him, her whole face became the perfect picture of surprise as she was lifted into the air. "Hiten-sama." The sound of her voice was lost in the howling wind but that didn't mean Hiten couldn't read his name upon her lips. He wanted to stand, to grab her, to pull her out of whatever hell he was witnessing but his legs ached and his body refused to move as he watched her long luscious length hair thrash around her body almost violently.
"Pathetic mortal." The voice began again, not caring about what was happening between the two lovers as they watched each other. "There is a contact on your soul." The words were dark, ominous, and made Kagura want to cry as she looked at Hiten with her bright red eyes one last time. "An eye for an eye." The wind-made appeared out of nowhere and hand rushed forward straight for Kagura's face. The wind demon bit her lip in response, refusing to scream as it tore her eyes right out of her face.
Against his will Hiten bent and vomited, the sight of blood and flesh and the white matter from inside her eyes making him violently sick. The fact that she hadn't screamed tore at his heart and the thunder demon shook from helplessness. Forcing himself to raise his head, for what reason he was wholehearted unsure, Hiten nearly lost it again as the wind presented both eyes before their opposite owners. The hollow faces of Kaede and Kagura both stared seemingly in his direction, the bloody openings where eyes should have gone making his stomach turn.
"This contract is done!" The voice boomed throughout the room one last time as two sets of hands abruptly rushed forward seeming to throw old eyes into new owners.
Both Kaede and Kagura automatically snapped their new eyes shut as the pain of their fresh optic nerves connecting with their brain hit them to their very cores. The transmutation circle on the ground glowed a blinding white and the wind unexpectedly stopped, dropping both Kaede and Kagura to the ground. Both women hit the ground with thunderous bangs, their bodies experiencing differing amounts of pain as the new eyes in their heads burned. A long loud shriek came from the transmutation circle as the white light grew brighter and brighter until it washed out the whole room with its intensity. The two demons in the room and Kaede all screamed as their retina's burned despite the fact that their eyes were all closed.
And then—the light vanished, leaving the room dark once more.
End of Chapter
Please Review
A/N: And so ends another chapter of Shikuro. I hope everyone is enjoying the progress of the story, we are officially headed to the prison now to meet the rapist's killer and Kaede and Kagura have officially switched eyes. Now to see how the Shinigami reacts and who the prisoner actually is! It promises to be an exciting time!
Bonus Point:
How many times do Inuyasha and Kagome kiss in the anime?
Last Chapter's Bonus Point:
Inuyasha's prayer beads broke in Movie 3 "Swords of an Honorable Ruler." Congrats to the winners!
SarahBloomSakura, pega-chan, Glon Morski, Haertz of Darkness, TachiMakoto, AriaLuvsInu, Asian Delicacy, AiydanWarrior, anime4eva222, Cagome, IkutoTsukiyomi'sGirl, kittyzwuvme1234, NurNur
Next Chapter:
A Place Made from Hate
See you then!
UNEDITTED
POSTED
9/15/2013