AN: Chapter… eleven??? WOW! I GOT THIS FAR! Unbelievable. I'm being consistent…
CHAPTER 11: "FOR ME"
"Ki- Kikyo?" Kagome was very afraid for a second. She had spent all her arrows – and was deathly tired. She felt like dropping onto the floor and just sinking into her dream world sleep, away from everyone and away from the circumstances.
Obviously Kikyo had other plans.
Wasn't she tired too? Was she stronger and more enduring than Kagome, as well as better than her in every other aspect?
And now, surely, in that fraction of a second Kagome was sure that the whole thing was a conspiracy – Kikyo simply wanted Kagome to waste all her arrows and tire herself out so Kikyo could finish her off and claim her place in life.
But then Kikyo swivelled past her and Kagome was not only tired, delusional, and weak – but also very, very confused.
And then it hit her. Of course Kikyo didn't want to kill her. The last times she had tried to do so was simply because…. Well, she didn't know why, but she could at least tell that if it was up to Kikyo, she wouldn't have been there imprisoning Kagome and stealing the Sacred Jewel.
Why had she cooperated with Naraku then? It was all very confusing. Very. And in her state Kagome could barely think to figure it out, let alone take in what was happening around her.
So when she finally did manage to procure a semi-standing stance, and opened her eyes and mind far enough to grasp what was happening she was rudely shocked awake by the events.
Yasei – the bird and the companion they had both trusted was shrieking - shrieking so loud Kagome couldn't fall asleep now like she wanted to.
I've got to stop this! Stay awake, come ON! Pay attention! Kagome shook her head to finally clear the sleep off. She concentrated on it with all her might and she finally broke through the dense cloud that had surrounded her and shielded her from reality.
Kikyo, for some reason, had her arrow in her hand instead of in the bow – which was in her other hand, and trying to evade swooping attacks from Yasei, who had turned into a bigger, scarier and un-cute version of himself. He looked a lot like the freaky Goddess, in a pterodactyl form.
"Kagome!" Kikyo called. "Do something!"
"What?"
"Do something!!"
"I know that! I meant, do what?"
Kikyo gave her an exasperated look from among the bird-swatting, gritted her teeth and started to run across the room towards her, shielding herself with her bow above her head (which was glowing with a potent aura), and with her arrow by her side.
They were now both back to back, hair dishevelled with glowing bows in hand, and one with an arrow to boot.
"All I need to do is get him with my arrow – but he's too fast and too agile so I can't shoot at him, and at the same time I have to watch my back. Can you do that for me?" Kikyo was concentrated on deflecting Yasei, who was sweeping at them from every angle and reaching out with his sharp beak, wingtips and clawed feet.
Kagome's mind was stuck on the last two words, "for me". However her decisiveness took over, glad for some instructions in the whole muddle – which was finally looking clear for the first time, and every time Yasei got close, she gave him a smart whack with her bow, enshrouded in priestess magic, which turned him away sharply. But not for long. And Kikyo trying to scratch him as hard as she could, and the arrow – as bright as it was with purification, was just not long enough.
After a while, Kagome got into the rhythm and as her limbs took over, her mind was slightly free to do some thinking. And it told her that they weren't getting anywhere. Slowly she could feel the exhaustion creeping over again, but she forced it out with a firm push of willpower. What could they do now? Kagome focused hard, and it became clear.
"Kikyo, we have to split up!"
Kikyo's eyes narrowed, taken aback by the offer. But it was true; they weren't getting anywhere - Yasei was too fast. "What's the plan, then?'
Kagome lowered her voice to a whisper, to ensure Yasei wouldn't listen in. The said bird had stopped, circling above and trying to catch glimpses of their conversation. "We run in different directions, to the nearest wall so we have something at our backs. Then if he goes for one of us, the other traps him between the two of us."
Kikyo nodded, face set. Kagome eyed the circling bird, and when he was at the furthest point away in his orbit, she whispered, "Now!"
The two priestesses broke apart, running for the nearest wall in their direction. Yasei paused for a moment, then went straight after Kagome. Kagome had expected him to go for her; she was the least equipped, after all. And apparently the least powerful.
On the first dive, Yasei went low, aiming for her legs. She nearly missed him, but at the last moment managed to reach down and use the bow as a bat, swinging at his head. He swerved away before it could connect.
The second time around, it was a full display of large outstretched wings, and clawed beak, with a berserker quality in the shine of his eyes, plus a loud ear-piercing shriek.
Kagome's hands flew up to her ears, momentarily forgetting everything but her throbbing eardrums. She sank down to the ground and stayed there, long after the shriek had ended. She didn't even move when Kikyo knelt down and called her name, with apparent concern in her face.
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\
Sango could see them, bickering like always from behind her tree. It was lucky that the wind was blowing to her, not from her, or else Inuyasha would definitely find her. And she wasn't ready to be found. Not just yet.
From what it looked like, Kagome still hadn't come back. The worry and panic that had festered in Sango's brain just felt more justified.
As for the actual males in her group – they were acting normal and happy, but she could see they weren't really. For one, they all looked haggard. And older. Miroku was saying something that was hard to catch – something like, "Don't worry, Shippo, I'm sure Kagome will come back."
And Shippo then started to ask indefinite questions, like the kid he was… And Inuyasha just scoffed at most of them and let Miroku do the talking; but Sango could see he was burning to ask the same questions, if only someone would answer. Miroku, for his part, was managing better than she thought he would. Sango sighed, and Kirara behind her gave a worried squeal.
Sango was about to tell her she was fine when she heard something else Shippo asked. "What about Sango? Isn't she coming back?" Sango looked hard at Miroku from the foliage, and he for a moment looked very disconcerted. It almost made her leap out of the bushes and tell them she was here, till she heard Miroku's answer. "I'm not sure."
Shippo looked ready to bawl, and Inuyasha scowled and cuffed Miroku on the head for insensitivity. How rich. However, Sango didn't find that quite as comic as it should have been. What does he MEAN, he's not sure? Sango ground her teeth together and wondered if they knew her at all. OF COURSE she would come back, just like Kagome! How was she any different? Or was she less dependable, was that it? Wasn't someone who didn't disappear more probable to return than someone who did?
By now Kirara was distressed, and nudged Sango encouragingly towards the group in front of them. Sango grimaced, and looked down at Kirara. "I've decided I need more time off. Come on, Kirara."
She led her out of the bushes, where Kirara transformed and they flew away into the coming night. As Sango could remember, she had a certain missing brainwashed brother to save. She should stop wasting time and get on with finding him.
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\
"Why'd you say that, Monk?" Inuyasha cuffed Miroku on the head.
Miroku looked as downcast as Shippo. Inuyasha sighed mentally: he had two blubbering kiddies to take care of now. Kagome, come back soon…
"Well? OF COURSE Sango's coming back, Shippo. This idiot Monk just knows that he messed up, that's all." Inuyasha growled at Miroku, daring him to object.
Miroku stayed sullen. Shippo looked up at Inuyasha. "Really?"
"Keh. And why not?"
"Oh. But why's Miroku sad?"
"Cuz he's an idiot."
"Are all idiots sad?"
"No, most are…" Inuyasha glared at Shippo. "Was that question meant to mean something?"
Shippo gave him his most exasperated look. "Well, it was a sentence, wasn't it? If it wasn't meant to mean SOMETHING, why were words invented?"
Miroku snickered, brought out of his reverie. Inuyasha glared at the two of them viciously, then as an afterthought bashed both on the head.
"Inuyasha… that is most unholy behaviour towards a Monk."
"Yeah, Inuyasha."
"SHUTUP!"
"And what are we having for dinner?"
"Keh. Go get something if you're hungry.'
"What?"
"I dunno… what's that food we ALWAYS have?"
"Umm… fish?"
"Idiot."
"HEY! I'm not an – OWW. The sooner Kagome gets back, the sooner she can sit you till your face is squashed in."
"SHADDUP!"
"Now, now, children, be calm –"
"So what's for dinner? I want some ninja food."
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\
Kikyo ran apart from Kagome as they had agreed. It seemed Yasei targeted Kagome – not all that surprising. Kagome was managing, but just barely. Kikyo, for a second, forgot what to do. Then reality came back and she looked at her arrow. Time to finish what I started…
Once again, the familiar feeling of the arrow and the bowstring overtook her mind – she waited for a good shot. Now - it was perfect. Yasei had his back to her, wings outstretched, vertically suspended like a perfect target. She couldn't miss.
The Sacred Arrow flew from Kikyo's bow in an elegant arc over to Yasei, and embedded itself in his back, and both the arrow and the bird erupted into a million lilac-hued fragments of light, disappearing into the heavens.
As Kikyo suspected, the dingy room fell apart, only to reveal even stranger surroundings. Kikyo had been right to suspect Yasei – he was the one who had been controlling the room. As he died, she felt all of her newly-gotten life force coming back. For the while in the room, she had felt dead again.
But something was wrong. Kagome wasn't getting up. She had crouched down on the floor, hands over her ears, and was still not moving.
Kikyo strode over to Kagome, and sat down quickly beside her. "Kagome?" She started out with a soft voice. She shook Kagome lightly by her shoulder, but Kagome was still unresponsive.
"Kagome!" Still nothing.
"Kagome, Yasei's gone. Please wake up. For me, please, Kagome. " Kikyo was alarmed now. What had happened to do this to Kagome? She remembered there was a shriek from Yasei – but she'd ignored it. Was that it? Or what?
Kikyo was worried in a way she hadn't been for a long time. The last time she remembered feeling like this was when she had accidentally, in battle, hurt Kaede's eye. Now she felt the same way, responsibility threatening to overcome her and drag her back into that sadness she had felt when she hurt Kaede… Kikyo remembered that that time, she had been weakened too, and had been shooting a demon who was right in front of Kaede, just like this time. She hated feeling like this.
"Kikyo?" For some reason, Kagome had expected her mother to be there when she opened her eyes. Distant memories of a voice calling her name came through, and she figured from the concern it must have been her mother. But it was Kikyo.
Somehow that didn't make her feel as bad as it should have.
"Hey Kikyo." Kagome yawned. "How long was I out?"
Kikyo stood up and said, "Not long."
"Why do I always get knocked out right during the battle?"
Kikyo permitted herself a rare laugh. "I don't know."
Kagome tried to ignore the fact that Kikyo really did just laugh. It's not that strange, after all. And failed miserably. She stared at Kikyo shamelessly, open mouthed with an expression of astonishment.
"What?" Kikyo figured there must have been something behind her, from Kagome's expression. There wasn't anything. She turned back around. "What?"
"Oh nothing." Kagome was busy thinking. Isn't she meant to be dead and cold? One part of Kagome's mind said. You should know better, Kagome, another part of her mind countered. Oh fine! The other part shut up. Hah I won.
Kagome shook her head to clear the unruly conversation. At this rate she would be going schizophrenic within the week. But her mind did have a point. Kikyo was not as bad as she was made out to be. But there was still so much between them it felt like she could never like her even if she wanted to. Well, do you? Do you want to like her, or are you content to hate her like every other person in her life?
"Huh?" Kagome asked.
"Where do you think we are?" Kikyo repeated. She had grown solemn very quickly again. It must be part of her life to be dead. Well, duh, as if priestesses have a real life.
AN: Oh wow. I finished it. Chapter 11, I mean. Not the story. I reckon the story itself though shall be finishing soon… ish…
You know I do quite enjoy writing the dialogue between those three blockheads (Miroku Inuyasha and Shippo). Sorry bout the blockhead thing… though they are quite thick when they want to be.
Well, TELL ME WHATCHA THOUGHT! Yay! Reviews! Please… my inbox is lonely and dull without little review alerts for my fanfic. Plus, spill guys – the whole end-perspective-then-tell-story-again-from-different-perspective, is that working for me or not? I'm trying to improve techniques here.
PS If you're worried about Sango, you should be. I have no idea how I'm gonna solve that one… Sometimes my fingers get ahead of my brain and write stuff I have no idea how to repair.
PPS Whoa long chappie.
PPPS Ah yes – more questions than answers. To console you guys, Kags and Kikyo will have a nice long discussion in the next chappie… if I don't get ahead of myself again and create more complications, that is.
