Author's note: Inuyasha is not mine.
PS. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza, New Year's, Boxing Day, etc...!
Chapter 7: Journey to the center to of the earth
"Are you alright priestess?" The injured soldier inquired sincerely. Kikyo's eyes snapped open from a daze. She lifted her head and erected her posture from its slumped position.
"Yes, thank you." She reprimanded herself for such carelessness as falling into a daydream when Naraku was so close. Of all the times to muse over inconsequential matters, she could not possibly afford to let her thoughts stray. After all, Naraku was not one to pass up such a fine opportunity to disgrace and discredit her, even kill her if he felt like it.
Kikyo finished wrapping bandages around the young warrior's head. He wouldn't be able to use his right eye again. Still, she'd spared him a great deal of pain. She assimilated what lingering sense of self-satisfaction she could summon from the battle scene and the healing of the patients.
She did enjoy helping people, occasionally, but anymore she had begun to realize it was more for her own health than the mortals'. She didn't help people anymore just because it was her civic duty as a priestess, she did it to thwart the guilt. Yes, she felt guilty. Her very existence was sustained by the souls of maidens, the likes of which she once was. She was unfair and cruel to keep them. In the first few months of her rebirth, she could have cared less for the cursed women. But something had stirred inside of her, perhaps a remnant of her past self, that had slowly started eating away her well fortified and insulated shackles and armor of hate. She had tasted revenge served in small appetizers since her rebirth, Inuyasha's grief being one of them. The long awaited delicacies were not only far from sweet, but had a strange aftertaste that she found nauseating: pointlessness. Conceivably, this was why she felt so hollow beyond her physical shortcomings. However, she found dawdling on the mere thought made her insightfully sour.
Still, Kikyo couldn't discard the mask of hypocrisy that settled over her face. Obligation prompted her to help people, but she was living at the expense of their prolonged suffering. And then she had the nerve to help them, to accept their gratitude and trust. She truly despised herself at times, but she'd learned that masochism was a path that lead to only more suffering so she murdered any further ideas of self punishment. It would be a crime to continue her existence, but it would be an even greater crime to kill herself. Judgement day, it seemed, reserved a special sentence particularly for her, how deliciously exquisite. Her mouth curved in a sneer.
Again, Kikyo plucked herself from her reveries. After saying farewell to the soldiers, she continued down the worn out path to the sea. It wouldn't be far now. The demonic aura was definitely hidden somewhere beneath the waves. However, the ocean had diluted Kikyo's perception of its source. She decided to withhold executing any decisive action until she reached the salty shores.
So she took her sweet time, as she always did, her gait slow and steady, padding down the path. Her arms swayed lightly at her sides as she stared blankly at the ground. She ignored a sinking feeling in her gut. It had been sucking at her for a day now. This feeling was so familiar, it was sickening. She knew its origin. She knew what it meant. She grimaced and forced herself to trudge on. She'd already payed her dues. She convinced herself not to dwell on it. It wasn't her business. It wasn't her problem. The girl would have to handle it by herself.
Kikyo raised one hand, formed a fist, and tapped it to her chest. The sensation faded and her soul quieted. She cleared her mind. No more distractions. Her eyes cleared of the hazed expression that had previously clouded her visage. She was determined and it visibly washed over her demeanor.
She could hear the waves now. A cool breeze rolled in over the land. The ocean seemed to grip the entire horizon. She could discern white caps sprinkling the expanse of indigo. Gulls cawed and soared overhead. The vegetation was dispensing before the mighty water body.
Kikyo's feet crunched over fine powdered sand at the start of the beach. She proceeded to a position just out of reach of the clawing ocean surf. Every breaking wave seemed to hit the shore running, crawl desperately up the beach, and reach out to grasp her. But its attempts were futile, the vain urgency of the water collapsed at her feet and then was dragged back into the pool of living fluid, ripping at the innocent sand viciously as it receded. It roared in frustration.
Kikyo stood there and stared at it for awhile. It's persistence tired her. Relentless, she thought. Another ocean breeze flowed over her, catching her hair. She blinked and looked up. The sun was dying.
Kikyo once again honed in on the source of the aura. For some reason it was so subtle now. It was hiding. Where? Her eyes drew to slits as she scrutinized the water. Her head slowly scanned the distance from left to right then back again. She stopped. Her eyes widened, but then narrowed. There.
She trudged down the beach, eyes locked on one spot. Her soul collectors slithered out from no where in particular and obediently followed her. They squirmed about and skated in front of her as her sandal first grazed the remnants of a retreating wave. Small splats issued from beneath her feet as she trespassed on to the wet sand. The water recoiled a short distance below her, gathering ominously before charging forth to claim her. The white froth rushed forward to enclose her and the fluid crawled excitedly up her legs. It only ascended to her knees before reluctantly sliding back. Kikyo took little notice of her drenched extremities. She simply continued into the unabated surf.
Another, stronger, wave surged forth and slammed into her. It swept over her up to her lower chest this time. She blinked as the sea sprayed onto her face. It had lifted her up and forced her back, but quickly withdrew her forward again. Kikyo regained her stance and merely kept on walking. The foaming water welled up into an immense wall before her. She closed her eyes, paced expectantly forward, and was swallowed whole by the sea.
Her immersion drove her soul collectors into a frenzy. Some swirled about overhead and others slapped at the water. Underneath the crashing waves, Kikyo opened her eyes. She was standing on the bottom. The floor was covered in ridges that receded into the depths. Visibility was poor due to the unsettled sandy debris and the diminishing light. She could see a faint blue light flickering above her, sending shafts of light through the grainy fluid matrix.
Her garments flowed around her as she nimbly stretched one arm straight over her head and offered her pointer finger up. A brave soul collector dove into the cold water with a sucking "plunk" sound. It latched on to her finger with its short insect-like segmented legs. Kikyo delicately brought it down before her. Its eyes darted about through the water. Its tail dangled freely in the weightless environment. The soul collector's radiant iridescent light played on Kikyo's remarkably paler face, flowing robes, and dark billowing hair. It stared helplessly at her, bewildered.
The current picked up. The tide must be changing. She had to move fast. She outstretched all her fingers, on the other hand, toward the sky and drew four more collectors out of the atmosphere. She assigned each of them a place around her bow and arrows to hold on to her now pale outfit. It had lost its vibrant red in the color-consuming waves.
The soul collectors slithered forward on her command. They lifted her off the floor and glided like sea snakes out into the beyond. They really looked like snakes now. Because of the current they couldn't fly in straight lines like in the air, they actually had to slither to move forward.
Kikyo knew her soul collectors could survive under water, at least for a while. Demons such as these could go without oxygen for at least half an hour. As for the priestess, she didn't require it. She was dead. Her body was filled with nothing but human souls. They were not enough to carry her clay body and weighted down clothes to the surface.
Kikyo relaxed her body and let the water sift through her clothes and run through her hair. The water was much clearer now, because she was further out. The floor looked like a never ending ripple below her, but it was falling down. In fact it completely disappeared as an enormous drop off cut it short. Eventually, Kikyo couldn't see anything beyond a few feet in front of her. The open water made it impossible to gauge her surroundings. Even though that made little difference anyway, there were no surroundings to speak of, no plants, no fish, not even rocks.
Kikyo ordered her soul collectors to descend into the deep inky darkness. The aura was somewhere up ahead. It was luring her, calling to her out of the nothingness. It grew stronger as she slowly approached. Below her dangling feet, the sandy floor emerged. Her sandals touched down as though she were landing on the moon. Tufts of sand whirled up in her wake. Her soul collectors released their firm holds on her garments. They moved with her now.
Naraku, the one man on Kikyo's mind, was somewhere down here. How on earth could he have made such an uninhabitable world his new home. His unreachable castles boasted enough of his stealth. This was, to say the least, overkill. However, his aura was undeniable, faint as it was. Certainly, this place would offer Naraku the perfect opportunity to hide from most all his enemies. No one who needed a constant supply of oxygen would ever be able to make it down here, nonetheless actually hope to fight him. On top of that, the pressure at this depth would crush their bones. Besides, it wasn't Naraku's style to hide like this. He did disguise his presence and avoid his enemies, but this was equivalent to cowardice. What could he possibly have in store that was so secret he required an ocean to conceal it?
One of Kikyo's soul collectors squirmed and struggled. It jerked and then started ascending. It's blue light dwindled in the ocean's night sky. They must need air. She hesitated. She still required their light. She let two more anxious looking demons go. She kept two with her to guide her foot steps.
Kikyo walked on in her surreal setting. She appeared to be moving in slow motion. Her onyx hair and silhouetted hatori floated on her smoothly defined body. Her remaining soul collectors slid over the ridged ground beneath her, lighting her way.
Just ahead, Kikyo observed something winding through the ground. It was ebony and seemed to roll over the otherwise sandy turf. She stopped short of it. She inspected it with one foot. It was hard. Was it rock? Yes, it was black rock that curled over the ocean floor. She quickly proceeded, knowing that time was precious with her remaining lantern-like demons. Shortly after one of her collectors dashed upward.
Oh no... she whispered in her mind. If the last one leaves me before I reach Naraku, I'll be forced to resurface. I can't see where I'm going. She hurried her steps, even though it didn't seem to help.
Then out of the gathering darkness, a large shadow circled about her and her one companion. It glided gracefully and quickly, barely hinting at its presence. It couldn't be a demon. It produced no aura. It must be some sort of animal. It circled again, coming a bit closer and lingering a bit longer.
The ground was now entirely covered by the smooth black rock. It scuffed under Kikyo's sandals. Her eyes wearily traced the outline of the encroaching stranger. It was some sort of large fish, easily the largest one she'd ever laid eyes on. It didn't frighten her, but its curiosity was menacing.
The aura was so close now. The ground had started to slope upwards. She climbed and prayed her servant would hold out for her. She was so close to reaching her goal. No doubt Naraku would have some proper living arrangements. The soul collector could breath again there. She would be able to see. Just hold on a little longer for me.
As though her thoughts had been spoken, the faithful servant steadied itself near its master's shoulder. Just then, something cut out of the shadows. It sliced the space between Kikyo and her servant. The soul collector whipped about in circle, its light forming an "o." It regained its balance and swept over to Kikyo. The intruder swooped in again. This time it dove in toward the pair.
Kikyo took a good look. It was a monstrous fish, 18 feet long she guessed. It had a pointed snout and iridescent moon-yellow eyes with almond pupils. It's lean body glowed in the soul collector's light. It's flesh was covered in murky green scales except one streak of rust orange running down its back. It carved its way through the water with knife-like fins. It had a powerful tail that skillfully and forcefully propelled it through the water. However, most obtrusive were the ferocious set of ragged teeth that jutted out of its mandible. They looked like thin daggers strewn into its jaw.
Kikyo's eyes glimmered with fear as the shark plunged forward. It slowed to a glide and elegantly skirted them again, its eye studying them. It certainly looked like a beast of brute strength, but it had lordly majesty. Kikyo held its gaze as it planed past, merely two feet away.
The soul collector went berserk. It looped frantically about and finally swerved upwards. But as the panicked demon flew for the exit, the shark swung up from behind Kikyo and snatched the demon into its mouth. The light faded and blackness overtook the gleam from the shark's flesh. The last thing Kikyo saw was the peach sized eye glancing at her as it past.
Kikyo felt her chance dissolving. NO, she exclaimed. She was left alone and yet not, consumed by the darkness. Naraku would escape her yet again. She could even hear his malevolent and insulting laughter echo through her mind. She furrowed her brow. This is it.