Disclaimer: I don't even own my muse! She's rented! -cries-
Hello again folks! My muse is back from her convention in Greece, and she brought a whole bunch of ideas with her! Please enjoy, even though it is a bit short. I'm getting there, I'm getting there...
We are straight in the path of Hurricane Wilma, so I'm not sure when I'll be updating again. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
YuniX-2: I love cliffhangers! I will take that as a compliment. :)
inu'sdarkangel89:Still, keep yourself safe, and I'll try to keep you entertained!
darkangelprincess24: Yeah, they kissed once. It was short and sweet.
Raithya: Yoda! You seek Yoda! Yeah, okay, maybe I am combining too many things here, but damnit, I'm having fun doing it. Heh, Kallos's creator is also begging me to keep him alive, but I haven't decided yet. I'm sure he'd love to know that someone else is cheering for him. :) Ryfen is the fox demon who's rooming with Ezekiel. She's one of my OCs. We'll see about getting some more Sesshy action in here, but it really doesn't seem like something Inu would think of on his own. Thanks again for reading!
Chapter Seventeen – To Live is to Die
Night had closed in some hours ago, and Caligo again felt herself drifting off into dreams. Kagome and Inuyasha had gone back to their room after speaking with Kaede, and Cali had been left alone with Kallos for the night, though the old miko was just a room away. She shook her head and stood, arching her back and rising to her toes to stretch in a very catlike way. Yawning, she turned and strode over to the only window, sitting on the windowsill and staring down at the surrounding grounds.
The full moon was out, and the sky was clear, giving the trees she gazed upon a sharp contrast to each other. The little shrine stood a bit to the left, its time aged appearance suddenly more noticeable. Cali blinked and rubbed at her eyes before staring back out into the night. Everything was somehow too clear, too real, and she pinched herself to be certain she wasn't actually dreaming.
A figure moved slowly along the lawn below her, her steps almost exaggerated. Her shoulders were rigid and her head high, long black hair laying flat against the traditional miko outfit she wore. Cali slowly slid down the windowsill and knelt on the floor, crimson eyes wide as she recognized the figure to be Kikyo.
Kikyo stopped in front of the shrine and glanced around, obviously waiting on something. She didn't have to wait long however, before Kagura appeared, with the girl in white from earlier. Kikyo turned toward them fully as the girl stepped forward and held up something round the reflected the moon's light. Cali eased open the window and dropped below the windowsill, her ears trained on the three outside.
"Can we get this over with soon? I'd like to sleep sometime tonight." Cali smirked slightly, guessing the tapping she heard to be the fan that Kagura always carried, further confirming the voice and the agitation that it carried. The dance teacher was clearly annoyed.
"Look into my mirror, Kikyo." The soft voice of the white girl sent shivers down her spine, along with the unpleasant memory of that afternoon. Cali leaned up again, peering down at the little gathering, but she soon clapped a hand over her mouth and dropped out of sight again. Another voice had filled the air, and it didn't belong to any of the women present.
"You have failed me again, Kikyo." The Headmaster's voice filtered through the mirror, sounding grainy and distant, but losing none of its commanding quality. "Your sister should be long dead by now, and the Jewel should be in our possession. Remember, Kikyo, your mother's life hangs on your decision. Choose well, my dear, or you'll lose them both." His voice had taken on an icy tone, and Cali had to fight to keep her emotions in check. Jumping down there and kicking butt would only show the Headmaster that she had been listening, and running away might cost her a vital piece of information. She clapped her hands over her mouth and bit back tears as she strained again to listen.
"You promised that no others would be harmed, Naraku." Kikyo's voice was hard and clipped but held an undertone of fear. "While I honestly don't care what happens to the cat demon, you did promise."
"You have not yet fulfilled your end of the bargain, and you are certainly not in any place to order me around, Kikyo. You have taken much too long to complete such a simple task. There will be more casualties before this is over, and you would do well to remember that."
The silence was thick after that statement, and Cali turned frightened eyes to Kallos's prone from. Casualties? She shook her head, fighting back the fear that arose from those words. Sure, his wounds weren't closing, but his heart monitor was steady and his chest was rising and falling gently with each breath. He'd be fine…right? Voices from outside caught her attention again.
"Very well, Naraku. Kagome…she won't be a bother much longer." Kikyo's voice was hard and emotionless. "Give me a little more time and she'll be out of your hair forever…and I will have more control over the Jewel." She faltered slightly near the end, and Cali's eyes widened further. Did she know then? Did she realize that she didn't possess the Jewel, and was somehow trying to protect Kagome? Or was she just unsure of herself and her abilities?
"One week, Kikyo. One week for your twin to die by your hands, or your mother shall die by mine." The voice faded away then, and Kagura gave a snort of annoyance.
"You have your orders, girl. See that you follow them. Come, Kanna." The teacher was apparently bored with the whole thing, and her voice also began fading away. Cali knelt up again to see her leave around the corner of the building, the white girl following silently, her mirror clutched to her chest. She watched them disappear from sight before turning back to Kikyo.
The girl's hard exterior had crumbled, leaving her shoulders slumped and her chin on her chest. Her arms came up to hug herself as her body shook in repressed tears, and for a moment, Cali's heart went out to the girl. But the moment faded quickly, and soon Kikyo was striding back towards the school, head high and shoulders squared, a picture to all of confidence and strength.
Cali waited until she passed from sight before slowly closing the window again and going back to Kallos's side. She lifted his hand and began stroking it gently, trying to calm her nerves. The clock on the wall read 2:56 AM, and Cali again shook her head. Her last tie to her old life and her first friend in her new one were both supposed to be dead. More people would die…
I'll have to tell Kagome. I hate bringing bad news, but she must know what Kikyo and Naraku are planning. Poor girl…either die yourself or let your mother die…no one should be forced to make that decision. Bu the Jewel is in Kagome, and she said that it rejected Kikyo…
With a heavy sigh, she laid her face down on the blanket that covered Kallos…and there she finally let her tears flow.