InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Blind Heart ❯ War & Sacrifice ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: War & Sacrifice

 

Kags POV:

 

Huh, A little girl? Well can't say the idea itself was new. After all Hakedoshi was a child, yet he remained one of the most our most formidable enemies. That we barely survived our final battle with him was saying something. Yet, something deep inside told me that this was not the person's ultimate form. The child was an illusion, meant to gain an advantage. But to what end? If she sought sympathy or pity, she had picked the wrong demon lord. As I gazed at her, I took notice she had black hair with big sorrowful brown eyes. She wore an orange kimono decorated tiny Sakura blossoms. Her power level was higher than any I had felt before. I couldn't put my finger on it but something was off about the whole situation. Besides the obvious fact that we were about to get into a spiritual smack down of magic and spells.

 

“Hello, my name is Keiko. Why have you sought out my presence?” All this was stated in a melodic voice as she bowed deeply. “Lord Sesshoumaru and the Miko Kagome; to what purpose was there in tracing my little spell? I was only practicing; I'll call it back if you like”. Call me nuts but when your enemy knows whom you are before you get there it's never a good sign. Not to be coy but I did not have that kind of clout and reputation. Sesshoumaru on the other hand everyone and everything (living or dead) knew him. A cute pout and giggle accompanied that one. `Okay little girl go knock on the next door, we gave at the office! Whatever you're selling we're not buying'. That's when it hit me. Yes a little slow on the uptake was I. But at three A.M the only thing sharp is a Sesshoumaru's claw. The little girl had modeled herself after Rin. Not enough to be a twin but enough to invoke a feeling of déjà vu. Not taking my eyes off of her for a minute I could feel her pulling back her spell. But the magic didn't disappear. Indeed it felt like it was contained in a bubble. It was a bubble that continued to grow exponentially.

 

I heard Sesshoumaru saying something. Between her powers and mine it was like being underwater. You were aware of sounds but they were muted. I concentrated on hearing the conversation. Hate to lose something important like “attack now” due to not paying attention! Sesshoumaru would haunt me into the next life for my slip up. Eternity with an angry Taiyoukai was not on my top ten things to do after I die. My sight narrowed down to just the two of them. Miko power was crackling against my skin painfully but in a good way. If I could feel therefore I was alive. Stupid but true. My breathing was slow and even. My body had fallen into a place where thought was a luxury this was pure motion. It would be fast and fierce. He who hesitated would lose. Although, to be sure if this came down to will alone, we were invincible. There was no way I was going down. I had my son, my friends and more importantly the fate of the world resting on my shoulders. And Sesshoumaru would destroy this entire area rather than be known as the loser. Four years later and he still hasn't lived down the lost of his arm. (Not that it made him less formidable)

 

“Liar, you would no more banish that spell than I would join Naraku. What game are you playing? Are you so afraid of this Sesshoumaru that you would cower behind the form of a child, and choose a form so near to my ward? “ `Holy shit! I thought he was cold before! His voice went from frigid to down right Artic! New goal in life never have that voice leveled at me. I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that it would be the last sound I heard before my journey to the next world'. Now if it had been me, I would have done several things, which would include fainting, dieing from a heart attack, and throwing my self down of the ground prostrate with fear but laughing out loud was not one of those choices.

 

The little girl threw her head back and laughed a rich sultry laugh that sounded like it belonged in a brothel rather than a battlefield. The image of a child wavered as the illusion was let go. `Here is comes, her true form. This will be the more dangerous version'. Call me chicken but I was in no hurry to meet Ms. Homicidal. Okay maybe that was harsh, but nothing born of or in league with Naraku ever came with a cute and cuddly sticker attached. More like a look touch and interact with at your own risk! Warning this person is dangerous to your general health and continued existence.

 

Normally at this point I Kagome Higurashi would be panicking. I have no shame I can admit this to myself. In reality present partner had to be taken into account. How can one be alarmed when in the presence of a demon whose very name means the perfect killing machine? My nerves were steadfast. One must take into account that Dog Demons were a) fierce killing machines known for speed and agility b) the older the demon the stronger and more knowledgeable they were c) this particular Dog Demon took joy in pitting his strength against a worthy adversary d) Taiyoiukai's were almost impossible to kill.

 

If I were a laser right now I would be upping the amps. I focused my power with more intent than I had ever previously tried. I was ready for any attack. I just hoped that I had enough strength to last until the end. Paying attention to the physical form and not just the magical one I saw her transformation was almost done. Long black hair, green eyes, small rosy lips were revealed. Fucking bitch! Now she was trying to look like me! I narrowed my eyes at her. There was already one too many copies running around. All of my time here in this era I had been compared to the not too late and not so great Kikyo. Damned if I needed an additional copy around. “Hey wench! Are you too ugly to take your true form? I promise we won't laugh or throw up if that's what you're afraid of”. How refreshing to be on the giving end of a wench. The look on her face was shocked beyond belief. (Never did know when to keep my mouth shut.) However right before she turned and threw an energy bolt I could have sworn I heard a snort. By process of elimination it had to be Sesshoumaru, but as far as I knew he didn't have a sense of humor.

 

I blocked it, now if you had asked me how I blocked the bolt an answer would not be forthcoming. Guess it was instinct. Kami knows it wasn't a deliberate thought. Hard to say, who was the most surprised out of the three of us? I think Sesshoumaru and I tied for 1st place. After all to Keiko I was a bit of the unknown. There was no doubt to the two of us that this was a first time event. The most surprising part was that I wasn't even straining. No sweating, no squirming was involved, just a feeling of peace. The feeling you get when you're wrapped in your favorite blanket, or wearing your lucky blouse. Blocking energy this big should have been a strain on me or at the very least been a work out. Was it another spell or simply I coming into my own as far as my powers was concerned?

 

I was feeling kind of cocky, and I made a rookie mistake. “IS that all you got? Bring it on”. So she brought it. The illusion was dropped. Short hair up to her shoulders, with the color of roasted chestnuts contained in it. Saying it was chestnut was misleading though; it was like every color of brown was in her hair. In Japan she would have paid an enormous amount of money to look like that. In my era you just didn't see hair like that naturally. She had eyes so black that if she had irises you could not see them for getting lost in the dark. Funny she was the same height as I was. At 5'4 inches your not really tall when standing next to a 6' 2 inches youkai. We weren't here to compare statistics though. If I thought her power was immense before, it was like a trickle of water compared to a tsunami. Great this is where the strain comes in. Kami where was this ability of hers coming from?

 

“The dark Miko priestess is not completely human, human enough and yet she is more. Kagome Higurashi you must choose. Do you yield to the Kami's and Fate? Will you charge into battle blindly, or do you ask for help?'” Shit! Now I'm hearing voices in my head? This was not the time for a nervous breakdown or a complete mental breakdown. Why me? Was there a cosmic sign that had written on it "pick on the Miko" and stuck on my back? “We are glad that you have not lost your sense of humor Miko. We are aware of the sacrifices that you have made. Do not sorrow little Miko, for the heavens have a purpose for you. Follow the red string of fate to your destined mate. The power to defeat this Miko and eventually Naraku can be yours Kagome. But the power is not without a price. You must give up the future era. You will be allowed to go through the well to say your goodbyes and return, after that it will close”.

 

`Why didn't they just kill while they were at it? Say goodbye to my era? Leave my mother, brother and grandfather alone? Never knowing what would become of them. It wasn't fair! I had sacrificed so much. No college, non-existent friends since they had moved on without me. No love, no boyfriend. My last link to the future and it would be gone. A large part of me wanted to scream no! But the larger part of me, the part that my mother raised to be responsible mourned. It knew before I was ready to admit it to myself that I would be leaving my world behind. The grief nearly drove me to my knees. They say a heart has the capacity to love unequivocally without boundaries. What they don't tell you, a heart can mourn so deeply that the pain is physical. When all you can see, hear, feel, touch, and taste is grief. So thick, that you can literally choke on it struggling to breathe'. So I made my deal with the Kami's.

 

I know many would like to know why I made a deal with someone I never saw. Shouldn't I have checked the horses' teeth so to speak? Simple! A vision of the future that would come to pass if Sesshoumaru and I were defeated, a barren wasteland laid before me. The thought that we could have prevented it kept running through my mind. See, I'd rather have my family alive in the future trying to deal with never seeing me again then to know they died and I could have prevented it. Love meant sacrifices for those you loved. So I made the only choice I could.

 

Pure undiluted power flowed through me. This was the power of Legends. I could hear and feel within my soul all the Miko's throughout time who had guarded the Shikon Jewel. Spells and knowledge that I did not have came to my mind. It was like downloading data files onto a really fast hard drive. Suddenly I knew the fundamental of sword play and war strategy. I swayed with all that was going through me. It felt like forever, the sensation of being overwhelmed and trying not to lose my sense of self. Suddenly it was over, and I knew that time had stood still. Sesshoumaru was giving me a strange look, as if trying to decipher what had changed.

 

On the battlefront Keiko and I were struggling to break each other's force fields. Even with the tremendous wattage boost this was not going to be an easy job. Then the other shoe dropped. Ten youkai's of various races surrounded Sesshoumaru. Guess he should be flattered. Wow, nothing but the best for our very own Taiyoukai. My focus however was my opponent. Enemy mine, I guess I was getting up there in the world. Wicked, two mortal enemies and counting, and not even 20 years old.

 

If I live to be a million the sensation of her hitting my shields, the smell of the miasma as it disappeared, the sound of the battle would stay with me forever. Sesshoumaru was in his element. Using Tokijin and sometimes his poisonous claws he cut through the youkai's without much effort. Fuck ten youkai's and he wasn't even out of breath. So not fair! Yes that demon lived up to his name. He seemed to be waiting for me to finish up. `No really any time you'd like please jump in Lord of the Kill'! I kept up my field and I started shooting sacred arrows at her. Okay the bitch sidestepped it and flicked an energy ball my way. There had to be some youkai in her. Nothing human moved at that speed, even with the extra miko mojo juice. The stakes just got raised. I felt something building up inside of me. You'd think that because this was my power that it would feel gentle.

 

It wasn't gentle at all. It was as if I was a fissure and the power kept pouring into me. The fissure wasn't bottomless or infinite. Overstuffed and nowhere to go, the power let me know it was there. When I thought I would pass out from the pain, I threw my head back and screamed “now”. The wave of purifying energy streamed from me. When it hit her she staggered, at that moment a clawed hand appeared thru the front of her chest.

 

“Impossible, you weren't suppose to have that much power. Your defeat was guaranteed. No matter Naraku will avenge me”. The light faded from her eye. Withdrawing his hand from her chest Sesshoumaru proceeded to let his poison dissolve her remains. My eyes rolled back and I could feel my knees buckling. Yep I was going down for the count. Sesshoumaru caught me in his arm. Another wave of energy was released the moment he touched me. This time I screamed the pain of my energy and his youkino fighting was excruciating. We fell to the floor. My body bounced, and before the world faded to black I witnessed him catch his body with both hands. A view with a picture perfect sunset served as the background.

 

Wait a minute! Hands, as in plural?

 

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Next chapter ~ The Art of War ~ Maru POV