InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Darkangel ❯ Returning ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

AN: Today, a girl at school saw me talking with my sister. What's the big deal? After my sister left, the girl came up to me and said that we (my sister and I) looked exactly alike. And it was only yesterday when a guy, who was in my Lit class, saw me and my sis at Starbucks and told me afterwards that we looked practically alike. -_- I don't get it though. I don't think I look anything like my sister. Why is everyone saying we look a like....? I know we probably have a little resemblence, but after hearing, "Wow! You and your sister look SO alike!!" 5 times a day, it's getting annoying. Grr...stupid people... *mumble mumble*

I'm still waiting for the teachers to call me my sister's name. Yeah, my middle school teachers did that...

"Pendarlon, stop him!" Kagome cried. "He has the pouch!" But then she realized that even if he heard her, he would never be able to catch him with the wounds he had.

The lyon staggered to his feet. "Kagome! Your staff!" he told her, his voice was strained and hoarse.

Realizing what he meant, Kagome scrambled to her feet, snatching up her staff as she went. She turned and saw the dark-spotted jackal springing away across the dune with the pouch in his strong jaws. She knew that if she hesitated for more than a second, he would be beyond her range.

Without pausing, Kagome recalled everything Oboro had taught her. With her flexed arm and cocked wrist, she took two running strides and threw her staff like a javelin. The staff sailed through the air, arched up. It hung there for a moment before dropping. Completely oblivious to the danger above him, the jackal sprinted ahead.

Before staff could hit its target, Kagome's wrist-flick caught up with the shaft. It snapped around so the knob of the head struck the jackal's skull with a sharp crack. The jackal flipped through the air, the pouch falling from his mouth. A small tide of sand flew up as the jackal landed and skidded a few feet. He lay there, still as stone.

"Well done, Kagome." Kagome heard the lyon say hoarsely over her heavy breathing and pounding heart. "Well done."

Kagome jogged and slid down the slope to picked up her pouch and her walking stick. The jackal was definitely dead. She didn't know how, but she could feel his spirit ebbing away. His eyes were no longer red but now clear and colorless like quartz. His spots dulled and his coat looked flat and dusty.

She picked up the pouch and dusted off the sand. She put her hand in to make sure the hoof was still inside. Her hand felt the cool, smooth substance, reassuring her the its presence. Kagome retied the broken thong and tucked it into her obi. She retrieved the staff and rose. She turned away from the dead jackal and started up the slope.

The dead brache lay near the Pendarlon. Like her mate, her eyes were colorless and her coat lost its gleam. Kagome wrinkled her nose. She approached the lyon, his fiery radiance weakened. His mane no longer glowed. His coat, the dead brache, and the sand around him were drenched with bright golden blood.

Kagome stared for a moment, in utter shock. She ran up to him and fell to her knees beside him, her eyes brimming with tears. The lyon was laying on his side, barely raising his head in effort to look at her.

"Pendarlon," she cried, stroking his soft mane. "You're hurt."

"I'm alright," Pendarlon assured her, his voice calm and deep. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked, reaching to press his wounded shoulder in hope to stop the bleeding. Immediately, she caught her hand back with a painful cry. The slash was burning hot.

"Don't touch my shoulder," said the Pendarlon. "Our bodies - lons' bodies - are different from yours. We're made of...fiercer stuff."

Charter Magic, Kagome realized. Charter Magic could heal him. Save him. But she didn't know how to use Charter Magic. She might not even have the power to use the magic. Either way, she couldn't do anything. I'm useless, she thought as tears started to fall silently down her face. "Isn't there anything I can do?"

Kagome felt him move under her hand. "There, in the distance. Do you see that stone?" he asked. Kagome turned her head to look and saw a bright stone bulging from the sand, yards away from them. Kagome nodded. "Help me get there," grunted the lyon.

The Pendarlon staggered up to his feet. Kagome braced his other uninjured shoulder. She gripped her staff tightly before tying it to her waist with an extra thong. With one hand on the lyon's shoulder and the other on his back, Kagome looked ahead and concentrated on getting the limping Pendarlon to the rock. It was the least she could do considering her lack of abilities.

She was unaware of the Charter marks forming near her hands, glowing and swirling in crazed dances. From her hands, they spilled into the lyon, and slowly stopped the bleeding. The Pendarlon felt the warm, comforting power of the Charter spilt into him, strengthening him. Seeing that Kagome was oblivious of what she was doing, the lyon decided to say nothing.

Minutes later, Kagome and the lyon reached the rock and Kagome saw a Charter Mark on it. She immediately recognized it. It looked a lot like the Sacred Stone that her own village had. Only then, she did not know what it was and was never allow to be close enough to it to actually the power radiating from as she did now. She felt the strange, yet warm, power radiate from the stone. She felt a lot of the Charter focused on the rock, as if it was a conduit of the Charter.

The lyon collapsed next to the stone, his breathing heavy and labored. Kagome couldn't help but noticed how more tired and weaker he looked than before.

"Pendarlon," she whispered.

"Don't be afraid, child," said the lyon; his voice was no louder than a small whisper.

"But I am," cried Kagome, her chest tight and her throat dry. "I really am scared."

The Pendarlon smiled faintly. Deep in his throat, Kagome almost heard a purr. "Don't be," the lyon told her. "Midoriko gave her wardens power to heal themselves. With the Charter Stone, I can access the Charter easier, and heal myself faster." He closed his eyes, and lay quiet.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Kagome asked.

The Pendarlon opened his eyes again. She could see the golden fire in them were still bright. Strangely, Kagome felt her fear slowly disappearing.

"Tend to your wound," said the lyon. "Salve some of my blood on it. It'll help heal it."

Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but something in the lyon's eyes compelled her. Reluctantly, she reached over and spread her fingertips with the golden blood, then rubbed it on her wounded arm. It was warm and it tingled. She watched quietly as the faint Charter Marks glowed against her wound while the skin and tissue mended themselves together.

Finally, the lyon spoke. "I can't carry you to the plain any farther. My wounds will heal, but I need to draw strength from the Charter before I am completely healed. You must go alone."

Immediately, Kagome protested. "I won't leave you."

"You must." His tone was stern. "Soon, the vampyre will go in search for another bride. You must return and give the hoof to the duarough before that."

Kagome felt her heart go cold when the lyon mentioned the icarus. She hadn't though of the vampyre for the longest time.

"Otherwise," the lyon continued, "everything I, Myouga, and you had done will be for nothing. Do you want that to happen?"

Kagome shook her head. She felt like was being torn in two. She didn't want to leave the lyon and she was scared of returning to the vampyre. She bent her head over the lyon. "No, I don't."

She bit her lip as new tears slid quietly down her face and onto the lyon's mane.

"Shhh," shushed the lyon, his tone comforting. "You have to be brave."

Kagome shook her head. "I'm not brave."

The lyon chuckled. "So you continue to claim."

Kagome forced a small smile. Taking her staff in one hand, she wrapped her arms tightly around the lyon's neck, and rested her head on his soft mane.

"I'll go," she whispered. "Thank you so much. For everything. Good bye."

The Pendarlon purred and licked Kagome's cheek gently. "Farewell, child. And may the Charter guide and protect you."

Kagome hugged the lyon tightly one last time before she let him go and rose to her feet. The Pendarlon closed his eyes, his breathing slowed. She stood there and watched as the bright Charter Marks formed around the lyon's wounds, slowly mending them.

She turned away and started to walk away, trying not to look back. The sun was slowly slipping towards the horizon's edge. If she was lucky, she might reach the plains by dusk

Kagome walked swiftly as she padded over the soft, crusted sand. She had finally reached the borderland just as the sun touched the horizon. She could she the sand slowly breaking off to the dark soil, then to the thriving green grass of the plains.

The sun slipped under the horizon and the stars appeared and twinkled brightly against the night sky. By then, the wound on her forearm was nothing more than a long pale scar. The night passed on but sleeping proved difficult for visions of the darkangel invaded her dreams.

It was early morning when Kagome first spotted the vampyre's castle. The sun's rays peeked out from behind the mountains, warming her face, pushing courage into her to keep on walking. Once she reached the cliff's foot, the gargoyles spotted her and started to shriek and screech terribly. She could tell that no one had fed them while she was gone for they sounded starved and desperate.

She found the stairs that cut into the cliff that led up to the garden. Her hand subconsciously reached into her obi for the pouch. The soft velvet was smooth under her fingertips. The gargoyles' screaming cut through her mind and she dropped her hand as she started up the stairs. The gargoyles continued to scream and she knew that the darkangel would have heard them by now.

Then she saw him.

He stood at the garden's edge at the head of the stairs, his arms folded over his chest. He stood watching her. She then noticed one of his wings stood askew. It dangled awkwardly from the rest. Kagome assumed it broke during the fight with the Pendarlon. But what struck her the most was that the corrosive smell of Free Magic did not pollute the air. Was he not a Free Magic creature? If it was there, it was too faint for her to smell.

He stood there, waiting. She was too far away to see his face. So she studied her feet, counting the stairs as she went. On her seventy-sixth step, she found herself right in front of him.

Kagome halted on the last, top step. The darkangel blocked her path into the garden. But her eyes stayed on her feet, refusing to look up at him.

"So you're back," the vampyre said after a long uncomfortable silence.

Kagome felt a dull surprise shoot through her. His voice had lost its bell-like sound and was now hollow and harsh. The vampyre broke her thoughts when he demanded. "Why?"

It took a lot of will power for Kagome to stop herself from scoffing. Even in his ungraceful state, he still maintained his arrogant tone.

Kagome struggled to find the right words to say. Words that would show that would make the vampyre think that she was still the same weak, timid servant that she was when she first stepped onto his domain. But then it came to her realization that she was no longer powerless to answer him. "I, I couldn't stay away," she managed at last.

He made a sound in his throat that she couldn't tell if it was a scoff or something else. He was silent for a moment before saying, his voice strangely tight. "I knew you'd come back. I knew it all along. That's why I didn't take you back when that damn Pendarlon fucking snatched you away." Kagome frowned. Why was he explaining himself to her? "I could've brought you back anytime I wanted to." His voice grew lighter but Kagome caught the hint of uncertainty in his voice. "But I knew you'd come back sooner or later. I knew you'd see that you would not be able to defy me."

Kagome stayed silent. She hid her hands behind her back as her fingernails dug into her palms to fight the impulse of retorting. She knew it was cowardice that made him give her up. He feared the lyon. She knew it and he couldn't hide it from her if he wanted to. She snorted softly and started at the vampyre's feet.

Silence filled the empty air again. Kagome dared not to look up but she knew the darkangel was looking at her, studying her. Suddenly she felt his cold shadow up upon her. Her knees grew weak.

Her voice trembled as she rushed. "If you kill me now--" But her words dies away when she looked up to see his face for the first time in days.

There was no power. His eyes were colorless as before but she felt no fear of them; they had no power over her. His face was no longer pleasant to look at. There were four bloodless slashes on one cheek that the Pendarlon had given him. The left shoulder of his garment was in shreds and through them, she saw unbleeding wounds on his skin.

He ignored her words and she realized that he had no intentions of harming her. His voice quieted and was even almost curious. "You've grown, wench, since the last time I saw you. You're not bony anymore." He placed his cold hands on her shoulders, numbing them. "And the sun bleached your hair and skin. I guess desert life agrees with you."

One hand slid from her shoulder and lightly touched her cheek. Even the slight touch chilled her cheek.

"Your eyes, they're emerald," mused the darkangel. "That's a rare color for eyes." Not fig-green? thought Kagome, remembering the last time he had commented on her eyes. The darkangel smiled with cold amusement, "I say, you're almost as pretty as my last wife. She was a pretty thing, hair like the midnight sky." Kagome closed her eyes at the mention of Renko, shuddering. He still dared to talk about Renko in front of her. When her eyes opened, she involuntarily flinched at his torn face. The slashes gapped and seamed shut as he spoke.

The darkangel shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "What are you staring at?" he snapped. He suddenly realized what he was doing and how close he was to her. He snatched his hands away and took a step away from her.

Kagome started to feel the pity that was welling up in her. The same pity that she felt when she first saw the gargoyles and the wraiths. She didn't realize she was reaching to touch his slashed cheek until she saw her hand near his cheek. "Does it hurt?" she asked. The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

The darkangel pulled away from her and put his hand over the wound. "They fucking burn," he snapped, half-turning away. "But my mother will heal them. The wing, too." He glanced sidelong at Kagome.

Kagome then remembered that nothing could heal without blood. The vampyre rustled his wings uncomfortably under her eyes, but the broken one refused to settle.

"You know," started the vampyre. His mood was darkening. "I should kill you for not listening to me. For running away and for these...little scratches."

He started to pace, showing the loss of grace and majesty that he once had; now replaced with menace and malice.

"If you kill me now," Kagome found herself saying, "who will weave you last bride's gown?"

The vampyre stopped. "Hn. That's right," he muttered. "My final bride." His cold smug smile reappeared on his face and his eyes unfocused as he started to think of what would happen afterwards the final fourteenth soul was gathered.

Kagome's jaw tightened, trying to restrain herself from knocking off the smug grin on his arrogant face with her fists. Think about the wraiths, she told herself. Think of the duarough and the gargoyles. Think about the Pendarlon. After she felt herself calmed, she bowed and said in a low voice. "Then I should go and start my work at once. If I'm to finish the gown by nightfall."

The icarus whirled, as if suddenly aware of her presence again. Kagome straightened and stood quietly, watching his tightened lips and glaring eyes without fear. "Fine, go, then," he said abruptly.

Kagome stared at him. She wasn't sure whether she should be happy or grateful. But the darkangel shredded the last happy emotions when he snapped, "You live 'til tomorrow. Then I will kill you."

Kagome said nothing, keeping her face emotionless. Not if the vampyre is dead by tomorrow morning, she told herself.

The vampyre turned away and made an impatient gesture of dismissal. "Go."

Kagome left the stairs and stepped into the fruitless garden. But as she went, she heard the rustle of wings and garments as the vampyre turned to observe her.

She heard his laugh quietly. "Even you walk's changed. You walk more like a graceful, straight-shouldered princess, not a slouching, cringing slave like before."

Kagome fought the impulse to hunch and scurry away from his eyes. But she held her pace and kept walking, afraid that he'd call her back. His sudden quietness was suspicious but puzzled her - there was something in it that she couldn't understand. She heard his sigh,

"It'll probably suck killing you."

Kagome showed no sign of hearing. Yet the softness of the words confused her even more. But she kept her posture and strode swiftly away from him across the garden and took the steps into the caves.

End of Chapter 12

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AN: Hehe. ^.^ Today's April 10th! The day I turn 15! Whoo-hoo! For the last 15 years of my life, what have I achieved? .........

.....

.....nothing.

Damn....

....But that's okay! If I die of old age, I got like..30-40 years to go to get something useful done! ^^

Hehe...okay that's just me being stupid. Well, don't forget to review!

Oh, and my question still stands: For the people who've read Garth Nix's books, do you know how the Charter Stones came to be? Like, where did they come from? I'd really appreciate if someone tells me so I don't mess up or anything. Thanks a bunch.

Oh yeah, and Miroku's now sixteen. I decided the story would work better time-wise if he was a bit younger.

Next Chapter: "I'm Not Afraid"

Until next time!