Take Two
Chapter 8
“No!”
Screaming in denial, Kagome threw up a hand to block the worst of the
glare while trying to see what was happening. The spectral
Shinidamachuu exploded at the touch of the hama no ya, and the arrow
continued on its path, straight into the heart of the Jewel that had
been clutched in its skeletal limbs
Distraught, she dropped to her knees, watching as Shikon no kakera
scattered far and wide.
“No,” she repeated, voice breaking. Her words changed nothing,
however. The Shikon no Tama was shattered once again by her hand.
“Why did you do that?”
Kagome looked up to see a ghostly figure gliding through the trees
toward her.
“You little fool. Do you know what you’ve done? Naraku will
stop at nothing now to gather those shards and become more powerful.”
Kagome wearily pushed herself up, crushing the Vines of Illusion under
her feet. “Better that than have you give it to him whole.
Go away, Kikyou. Go and tell Naraku you failed. It should
be an interesting conversation.”
“You think I would do this? I, who was the Jewel’s
protector?” Kikyou shook her head. “You are a very foolish
little girl, I think.”
“I know what you thought,” Kagome shot back, hand tightening on her
bow. “I know you hated the responsibility. I know you
convinced Inuyasha to use it just to have a normal life. You
would have used Inuyasha’s desperation to be loved for your own selfish
purposes. You’re disgusting.”
Quicker than the eye could follow, an arrow slashed past Kagome’s face,
and a second later, a thin line of blood appeared on her cheek.
It stung like hell, and Kagome pressed her fingers to the cut.
“Nice to know there are still some real feelings in that porcelain body
of yours. I have never trusted you, Kikyou, and I never
will.” The hairs on the back of her neck lifted as Inuyasha’s
presence touched her, growing stronger by the second. “Inuyasha’s
coming. You should probably leave before he starts clawing first
and asking questions later.” She shook her hand, tiny droplets of
blood falling on nearby leaves.
They had hardly pattered to the ground when Inuyasha’s voice rang out
from somewhere in the twisted trees. “Kagome!”
“You did that deliberately,” Kikyou hissed, her eyes narrowed
slits. Kagome merely stared at her, silent and stony-faced.
They exchanged glares for a long minute, listening to the rising sounds
of Inuyasha’s hurried footsteps, then Kikyou broke, turning and
slipping silently back through the trees.
Kagome’s hand was halfway to her quiver before she realized it, and for
a long moment, she fingered the end of an arrow, half hoping the undead
miko would turn and give her a reason to draw and shoot. Kikyou
continued on her way, however, and was soon lost in the gloom.
“Kagome!” Inuyasha crashed through the last of the underbrush to
land crouched at Kagome’s feet. He stood quickly, hand reaching
out automatically to touch her wounded cheek. “What happened?”
She caught his hand in hers, shaking her head a little. “It’s
nothing. Inuyasha, I’m sorry,” she said quietly, chin dropping.
“Keh. What have you got to be sorry for? Looks like you did
better with those damned vines than the brat or the bouzu.” His hand
wound through her hair and he pulled her close, her injured cheek
stinging a little as it came in contact with his fire-rat fur. “I
should have kept you from getting hurt.”
“Inuyasha, that’s not exactly-” she began, but a pattering from the
leaves near their feet cut her off. Curious, Inuyasha stepped
away from her and bent down to examine the forest floor, coming back up
with a horrified expression on his face and something clenched in his
hand.
“What happened here, Kagome?” he asked, voice flat.
“I… The Jewel…” She took a deep breath. “Kikyou used one of
her insects to steal the Jewel, and I shot it to stop her.” She
bit down hard on her lower lip, then added, “I broke it,
Inuyasha. I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
He stared at her for a long minute, until Kagome was sure a blow-up of
epic proportion was coming, and braced herself, eyes clenched shut.
“Shit! Shit, shit, shit! I don’t need this fucking
shit!” He stormed around the clearing, cursing and shouting at
the top of his lungs. “What happened?” he repeated. “Tell
me everything.”
“I… I was looking for her. I thought I was ready, this
time. I knew she’d try to trap me. I thought if I stayed
back, I’d be safe. The Shinidamachuu were everywhere. One
of them grabbed the Jewel, and I just… I shot it. I thought it
would be better in pieces than in Naraku’s hands.”
His hand went around the back of her neck, finding and soothing the
abraded place where her necklace had been torn free. “It’s okay,”
he said, voice uncharacteristically soft. “It’s not you’re
fault. I didn’t protect you. It’s my-”
“Don’t say it,” she interrupted. “Don’t say it’s your
fault. I’m the one who broke it, but I didn’t have any other
choice.” She leaned against him a moment longer, letting his
touch fill her with strength. “Okay,” she said, pushing
away slightly. “Let’s go.”
He looked down at her, puzzled. “Go where? What on Earth
are you thinking now?”
“We’re going to get Sango,” she said quietly as Miroku emerged from the
brush, a tired Shippou in his arms. “Miroku-sama, daijoubu ka?”
“Hai, Kagome-sama. Are you two done talking, then?”
Kagome felt her cheeks color, but ignored it. “Yes. We need
to get moving. The Jewel has been shattered, and we’re going to
have to collect as many pieces of it as we can, to keep them away from
Naraku.”
Miroku’s expression darkened. “That’s a very dangerous
proposition, Kagome-sama. Any demon who gains possession of a
Shard will undoubtedly become much more powerful.”
“I know.” She held out her hand to Inuyasha, who only stared at
her blankly. “Ahem, Inuyasha.”
“What?”
“The Shard, Inuyasha. Certainly a powerful demon like you doesn’t
need a Shikon Shard to be strong.”
He grumbled under his breath and his fist tightened around the shard,
until her lips started to form ‘the word’ and he quickly handed the
faintly pink crystal over.
“Thank you, Inuyasha.” Kagome bent a retrieved her bag from the
ground. “Let’s go,” she repeated, trying to project a confidence
she knew she did not feel.
---
Chapter 7
Chapter 9
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