InuYasha Fan Fiction / Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Miko ❯ Free To Believe ( Chapter 12 )

MIKO

By L.O. a.k.a. azn_otaku

Crossover: Trigun and InuYasha

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A/N: I know it's been awhile. I mean, longer than my usual updates. But I really had no motivation at all! Plus, this chapter was really hard to right since it was focused on a few short moments. Almost the end now, I really hope the bad time I had isn't reflected in the story. I stared at the screen for a while before managing to get something sort of good out. Can you believe it? Two more chapters to go!

I have to warn you though; this chapter is slightly shorter than the others mainly because not so much is said. Sorry!

Reader Responses:

Moon Mage Goddess: Thank you very much! Glad you've stuck with me all these weeks.

Raditz: What, not talking in third person anymore? *cheeky grin* Legato Bluesummers is a really cool character, I've read some interesting fanfiction with him in it. I'm sorry to keep you waiting, I hope you don't murderize me!

Night Hunter: Happy, are you? That's great!

midnight frost: The fight begins, but I'm not good with fights. So I hope the writing doesn't sound to cut off!

kitty-jinxx: I've never been hit with peanuts before...

Niku: I do remember you in fact, I remember most of my reviewers' names. Heh. Must be because I thrive on your great comments! Hope your computer is better. Give it a kiss for me.

Bleak Decemberangel: Glad to have you on board! New readers are always amazing, I love hearing their first reactions to the series. And you couldn't stop reading? That's wonderful. I wouldn't say I'm amazing, it makes me sound conceited doesn't it? Heh. Hope you enjoy this chapter though.

Mi-chan: The Wings of an Angel: Another new reader! I adore you guys. Three hours to read? Wow, that's quite some time. My dad gets pissed if I stay online for more than two hours.

skne: Glad you enjoyed the update, I missed the Inu-tachi too!

Miko: I'm sorry for the long wait, it took so long for this chapter because it was so hard to write!

Kaida Celeborn: Yeah, sadly enough `Miko' will be ending in approximately two more chapters. I'm tying up loose ends soon enough. I wonder if there are other Kikyou/Knives fics out there though, I wonder if I created a new fad? Eh? Eh? Wouldn't that be sweet! In a lot of recent stories Kikyou was portrayed as a bitch, but I kinda think she's cool. I mean she can be evil and rude to Kagome in the series, but you do have to look at her point of view. Glad you're interested!

a-o: Some people said this story is a little confusing, I guess it's my lack of details in the beginning. But I'm glad you still like the fic, nonetheless.

moonlightwolf goddess: Thanks for the compliments!

zing: Wow, a 10 out of 10. I'm flattered. It's so cool to get good comments from people like you who've read a lot of fanfics and have seen almost every situation played out ten times over. I guess this really is unique, huh?

MidNight-Kitsune: Lol

ao: You wouldn't have any relation to a-o, now, would you? I'm sorry you've been waiting for a long time, it's just so hard to write this chapter! O__O Vash comes in a little in this chapter, I wanted him to have a bigger part but my fingers just wrote what came out. Sorry!

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"...." Dialogue

[.....] Thoughts

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Chapter Twelve: Free To Believe

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He couldn't reach her. She seemed not to hear his angry cries as she screamed in terror, her body bursting light. In his hand was the worn feel of the Tetsusaiga, his inheritance. The sounds of battle resonated within his chest as a child ran shrieking past his legs in fear of being killed. The little girl's forest green eyes were wide and unseeing as another disgusting Naraku follower slashed at her legs. There was too much blood filling his nose with its awful metallic stench.

[Kagome!]

[KAGOME!]

"Kaze no Kizu!"

He could feel the heat of many youkai swarming from underground, from Naraku's lair. They seemed to have anticipated this fight as many of them were armed and well trained. But it did not matter to the Tetsusaiga how powerful its opponent was, the Kaze no Kizu would destroy all enemies in its path regardless of strength. His body retained its litheness as if he had never been asleep; he almost gave his trademark smirk as he whirled around destroying youkai by the hundred. Sango flew high in the air upon Kirara, using the hiraikotsu in the way she had always done. Miroku had fallen into the fray, battling his way towards InuYasha with his staff and kazaana.

"KAZE NO KIZU!!!"

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Do you want me to believe?

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[It hurts. Onegai...it hurts...]

"Filthy whore."

Her master did not let his voice rise; it meant that he was very, very angry right now. She knew what happened when he was very angry. But not very, very angry. She would be scared if the white light didn't occupy her mind as she tried to hold it back. She didn't know how to control the light. Her ears roared with the sound of a screaming animal, she fell to her knees while staining her outfit with blood from the ground. There was no spot of dirt that was not stained a dark red with a nauseating smell.

[Onegai...it hurts...]

"Filthy. Filthy."

Looking back to Golden Eyes, her master smiled, "Looks like HE finally showed up. Do you think you're safe now?" His voice was a soft whisper when he pulled out a button from his dark cloak. She knew what the button was for; it was the button that was attached to her choker.

"Uhn..." The pitiful miko coughed out as the black cloth around her neck tightened with her master's grin. Her pale white hands scrabbled against the suspended noose in a desperate attempt to live, as if her mind had become something barbaric and focused on instinct rather than intellect. She did not want to live. Why did she want to live?

[The Animal calls for me.]

[Calling me away from Golden Eyes.]

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Believe in you?

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Vash stared silently at the mass of corpses strewn about like trash. He had to push aside the white hot hurt that always scorched his heart when he saw the injured and the suffering. No matter if they were the attackers, he still believed that no one had a right to take the life of another. Not even in this kill or be killed world.

[Yet they disregard their lives in order to achieve their leader's dream.]

These...youkai...

His deep green eyes scanned the last few enemies being terrorized by a blinding flash coming from the once sleeping InuYasha.

These youkai were different from the normal rabble he faced on the rest of Gunsmoke. Those drunken men dealt with money, they were only loyal to their gang leader because the gang leader would shoot them down should they protest. But these youkai here fought with a mad passion in their eyes, waiting for the day to come in to the sun and take over the town. As if this Naraku was only leader because he was the more experienced, the better equipped to be leader and the other youkai knew it too. They all fought because they wanted to. Why did he kill beings who only wanted their dream to come true?

[Because that dream interfered with MY dream.]

That was what was sad.

If people were truly free, they would be allowed to think what they wanted to think. But when they are placed in a society with other people, they are obligated to think what they want to think ONLY if it didn't harm the thoughts of others. That was what it meant to coexist with one another. That is why enemies needed to be fought, because they did not understand the meaning of coexistence.

[That is why you are all dead.]

Turning away, Vash found Meryl at his side with multiple small derringers and a fiery gaze. Her expression was so full of spitfire, eager to save the young woman she had seen but two times before. That was what was so beautiful about the tiny woman; she fought with love in her heart and justice in her hand. He knew why he allowed her to stay by his side through thick and thin.

Those light amethyst eyes of hers looked up at him with a large grin.

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Or believe in me?

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Shrieking, she felt her insides crack under the pressure. The soul shattering light burst out high into the sky in the only direction she could dare lead it to. The choker tightened even more so that her voice rasped and her pupils dilated. If something did not happen soon...her body would be torn away. She used the last of her control to aim the immense power away from the innocent. From her saviors.

"That's right. Let it out."

[Golden...Eyes...]

His image came swimming in to her vision, as she knelt upon the ground like a fallen beast. He had done away with her master's servants, his words ringing out like noble bells worthy of a hero coming home.

[KAGOME]

He was making his way towards her now. There was no light left. She felt her master take her arm and haul her up none too gently as if she were his shield. He was coming closer than ever, his eyes still the deep gold that haunted her many dreams. They were fixated upon her.

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If I do, will you take me away?

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Sango halted in place, Kirara at her side. It was silent now; she had managed to get the tall brown-haired girl to remove all living innocent bystanders outside of the town for refuge. It was hard to communicate when you didn't speak the same language, but the tall girl was pretty sharp. Turning around, she faced the last remaining enemy.

His shadowed eyes smiled with empty mirth at InuYasha coming to greet him, as he pulled Kagome up to protect him. Kagome's face was blank but she looked into InuYasha's eyes as if they were familiar to her. Her mouth was open though no sound came out when her hand made marks into her palm and a small trickle of blood fell to the ground. A few strands of raven black hair fell to her eyes before she began to shiver again. The light that had been released earlier rose up from her body once more.

"I just spoke with Lady Meryl. It appears that Kagome will not be able to control her miko power for much longer unless we get her to remember who she is. She says that Kagome's nothing more than an empty husk right now, her memories were transferred into this locket..." Miroku had snuck up behind the taiji-ya and placed a thin chain into her palm.

"This...is Kagome?"

Miroku smiled cheerfully in the way that monks do, "I do not know, Lady Sango. She just said that Kagome needs to get her memories back or else her body won't know how to control the immense amount of energy she wields. You and I both know how strong Kagome-san is."

"Hai."

Sango turned the small oval around in her fingers, examining the delicate pictures inside. Miroku gave her a tiny nudge and jerked his head towards InuYasha, Kagome, and Naraku. The inu hanyou had halted in front of the other two, his clawed fingers clutching the Tetsusaiga. The taiji-ya got the hint before hurling the chain in the air and calling out through her poison mask.

"KAGOME!!"

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Far away.

To a place where I can be free.

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As if in slow motion, the chain soared through the air. The metal glinted from the sun before snapping open to land in front of the miko in question. Kagome stared down at her feet with the same blank expression.

Naraku snarled at seeing the thing, sensing something was amiss. He flung his slave aside in an attempt to get at the necklace before she would make contact with it. The locket radiated power as he managed to kick the significant piece of jewelry away and under a fallen body. That thing was dangerous; it could destroy his dream forever.

"Bastard!"

The damn lover of his slave, that InuYasha flung his sword away like the rash thing he was to raise his fist. He leapt away from the furious hanyou with a smirk. InuYasha was so spontaneous, even now. The way he simply threw away any chances of winning with the Tetsusaiga in favor of good old fashioned `slugging'. How quaint.

The dark hanyou paid no attention to his little slave who had managed to hoist herself up unsteadily, her bow stranded upon the body of one of the neko youkai. She had begun to struggle with her miko power again, though he didn't need care about that. She would succumb eventually and all would be destroyed. He would use her to bring fear in to the hearts of mortals yet again. He didn't pay attention to the fact that she was right behind him.

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I wanted the freedom.

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[It's screaming.]

As her vision began to blur once more, the shaking would not stop. Golden Eyes was battling her dancing master, his mouth set in a snarl. White hair flew about wildly and all she could see was his rosy robe-like clothing whipping in the wind created by the two hanyou. She clutched at her arms.

[Building.]

[Should I give in?]

[Stop believing?]

To stop believing in Golden Eyes would mean to give herself in. To admit that she was her master's to do what he wanted to with. Was she always like this? Was she born to do her master's bidding? Was this why she dreamt of Golden Eyes to save her because she didn't believe that she could be saved?

[I want to be...saved...]

She gave in to the light.

It consumed her.

And she let her master die.

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Free.

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Shippou watched wide eyed on top of Kirara as Kagome stopped channeling that weird white stuff out from her body and in to Naraku's. The scary hanyou had twitched only once, before looking back unbelievingly to see his slave. She didn't watch his reaction as he rasped a curse out and fell to the floor. His body turned to ashes; the many youkai that he had used as a mold for his form fell apart from each other as their souls were pierced. Like watching Midoriko's famous battles with demons, Kagome's miko power negated the youkai in Naraku, leaving each soul to vanish into the wind.

His surrogate mother stared into InuYasha's eyes. They didn't look at anyone else as Time stood still for Fate to take action. It was time for them to meet once again.

"Kagome-chan," Sango crept silently up and handed the locket that she had retrieved to her friend quietly. She slipped away just as softly to stand next to the others, and they watched as InuYasha helped her put the necklace on. His lips were set in a thin line when she turned around to look up into his face. Her voice was soft like a whisper of the breeze.

"Kagome...that's me...isn't it?"

Then she fainted into the hanyou's arms, her body torn from her master's beatings and her neck bruised from the choker. Her arm fell limply over her would-be mate's shoulder as he stared numbly down at soft black locks waving like streams of silk. The locket glowed with the miko's power.

InuYasha seemed at a loss for words.

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You saved me.

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A/N: Like I said, sorry it's kinda short. Do things seem too cut off? It's weird though, just after I finished struggling with a major chapter in `Sunshine', I get to a major chapter in `Miko'! Just my luck, ne?

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JAPANESE DICTIONARY

Kaze no Kizu - InuYasha's attack, the `Scar of the Wind'

Hiraikotsu - Sango's boomerang bone

Kazaana - Miroku's black hole in his hand

Youkai - Demon

Onegai - Please

Miko - Priestess

Taiji-ya - Demon exterminator

Hai - Yes. Right.

Inu - Dog

Hanyou - Half demon

Neko - Cat

-Chan - Suffix for someone familiar to you or someone younger than you, mostly for females.

Midoriko - Not really a definition, but just reminding you guys that Midoriko is the priestess that had created the Shikon no Tama in the first place while battling a lot of youkai.

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