Disclaimer: No I do not own Inuyasha so there:P
Sorry for the long wait. I know you guys were like yay, vacation now she'll write alot more and then I didn't. Would you forgive me if I said I had a good reason? I went to my dad's house and he doesn't have internet so I was left stewing for ten days with no one to write to. I'm sorry :D!! But I am now back and here is the next chapter. BTW, how was everyone's holidays?
Chapter 9: Singers
Kagome stared with open eyes at the proof of a fact that she had known for longer than she could really understand it.
Three singers, three, were at the bow of the ship singing in weakened but still earily beautiful voices. A man who had his arm around a women and a child held prtectivly in front of them. Clearly a family. The father was the most battered with half of his face puffed up and dried blood on his face and arms with still fresh wounds not hidden by the tattered rags he wore. The mother too looked like she had gone through the meat grinder but the most sickening thing was the child who was in just as bad shape as his parents.
They were singing a tune to intice the wind in favor of the ships course, but that wasn't all. Another, smaller melody was weaving throughout the song. The Song of Life.
A growl broke Kagome's horrified thoughts. Inuyasha stood next to her his claws digging into the wood of the railing.
"Captain?" Kagome asked wondering at his furious expression.
"It's disgusting." He said his growl lowering in anger.
"He hates it." Miroku said coming up on her other side. "Singers being totured." He clarified.
Kagome looked in shock between Inuyasha and the small family bot believing what Miroku said.
"If you think they can be treated like trash you can get off my ship right now." Inuyasha snarled grabbing the front of her dress and pulling her face close to his.
Kagome's entire field of vision was filled with a furios demon making her very afraid. But beneath that fear was a knowladge that Inuyasha was just as sickened by the acts against the Singer's as she was. And as she turned her head to gaze at the crew who were looking at her with hard expressions waiting for her response, she found out the crew felt the same way.
"No, Captain." Kagome answered looking back at him her eyes serious. "They are people, not tools."
"Even tools get treated better." Inuyasha said releasing her. "Get them off there! I want them rescued and getting immediat medical attention..."
"It's too late." Kagome's quiet voice interupted his yelled comands. But he heard her.
"What?" he asked turning to her.
"Those people," She turned to look at the family just in time for the little boy's knees to crumple and his mother to hold him tighter. "their already dead." Kagome closed her eyes sadly.
"They are not." Inuyasha said. "Have you ever seen dead people sing?" he pointed out obviously.
"No that's not what I meant." Kagome said looking back at the family. "A part of that song, is the Song of Life."
"How do you..." Inuyasha tried to inturupt but Kagome kept talking.
"That Song is keeping their souls tied to their bodies." Kagome started crying. "Their afraid of dieing and leaving their son to face those men by themselves. But he's ready to die too. Their deaths is the only thing we can do."
"Bullshit!" Inuyasha said. "And how would you know anyway?"
"I trust you, Captain." Kagome said changing the subject abruptly. "Don't let me down."
"Huh?" He said confused again. But Kagome had stepped up on the rail and grabbed of of the taught ropes to steady her balance. Before anyone could run forward to get her off she sang out a simple small song of recognition to tell them what she was.
She heard the crew gasp but didn't look at them. Her eyes were on the family who all looked at her. The mother and son had stopped singing but the father's lips were still moving.
The mother called back to her, but her call was more like a plea than anything.
(AN: Okay new rule. When text is like "this." It means whoever it is is singing in the ancient language unless otherwise specified because I don't feel like writing make believe lyrics. And if it doesn't ryme then too bad. )
Kagome called out again, "Let me save you from this fate. Let me join your soul to the ocean to rome free once again." She could practicly feel the stares of Inuyasha and the crew as she sang fluently in an ancient powerful language.
She got no response except for the father to stop Singing and for them to look at her with hope.
The crews were in range to shoot each other but were too busy watching the exchange to do anything about it.
Kagome's next song was as eary as it was beautiful and intricate. It sounded as if her voice came from the bottom of a deep well yet it rang with a power everyone could feel.
Tear's rolled silently down her cheek as she sang a song her mother had not wanted to teach her, one she hoped never to sing. The Song of Death.
It would be painful, not for the family but for her. They would not feel anything but she would feel the joined pain of their bodies and the ripping away of their souls.
When it happened the pain hit her with all the force of a brick wall makering her gasp in pain but it was gone just as quickly.
And the family fell as one onto the deck of the ship.
The other captain yelled in fury at the loss but when Kagome released the souls into the water one refused to go.
Kagome jumped off the railing breathing hard as the spirit traveled across the piece of water seperating the ships and stopping in front of her. It meterialized into the father but he looked healthy and full of life for all that he was insubstantial.
"Alow me to join you." it sang to her holding out his hand.
Kagome was breathing hard but smiled at the honor he was bestowing upon the captain.
"It is your choice." She replied taking his hand as they started weaving another complicated song.
Inuyasha and the crew watched amazed as Kagome's hair blew around her face in a nonexsistant wind and her eyes glowed with power. Inuyasha didn't think she knew how powerful and beautiful she looked.
The spirit of the man started glowing, pulsing with a bright inner light that made others look away as it grew until it finally blinded everyone with its intensity.
When Inuyasha could finally open his eyes he saw Kagome's hands holding empty air.
But before Inuyasha could run to her the ship buckled forcing everyone abored to their dark old stained wood started glowing beneath them and the sky darkened with heavy black clouds that came from seemingly nowhere. Kagome's body started writhing as she started glowing too and lightning split the sky.
No rain fell but blue streaks of light streamed across the sky erraticly and the waves started thrashing dangerously. Inuyasha watched as the force of the waves started breaking apart the other ship and waited for the same to happen to his.
It never did.
The wood of his precious ship started doing wierd things though. Every cut and bump started disapearing. Stains faded and Inuyasha felt the wood hardening and strengthening, the paint long faded by salty sea air became strong and vibrant again. The mast of the other ship disapeared beneath the waves but his seemed to float higher become sturdier.
The lightning struck one last powerful time and the clouds vanished.
Inuyasha and the rest of the crew stood up and found themselves alone in a calm ocean with what could only be described as a new ship beneath their feet.
They all turned to Kagome whose glow faded and her hair calmed down and she opened her eyes.
Before anyone could do anything she dropped to the deck in exhaustion.
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What do you think of that? Been planning this chapter since I started writing this fic. What do you think?