What the Darkness Brings

PART I: The Consequence of Recovery
Chapter 14: The Wind Tunnel

They say that the bad times are always preceded by the good times. One could always tell when there was a catastrophe around the corner if they would just step back and look at how much fun they were having. If one was only happy slightly, then something small would happen. If one was completely joyous, then a disaster was just around the corner.

Kagome didn’t believe in that.

To her there were several concepts wrong with that thought process, one being that ‘they’ were always unnamed and therefore had no say or credit in what other people should think. But another was the concept itself. She supposed that it had some legitimacy. After all, wouldn’t an occasion before a catastrophe seem like a happy one in comparison? At least in the human mind, nothing could really compare to something horrendous happening to one’s self. However, if one was to look at it in a scientific, or emotionless position, they could see the idiocy in that thought. For example:

Kagome could remember the day her father died very clearly. It was a bright sunny day, absolutely no clouds in the sky and the temperature was moderate. She had been sick with the flu in bed crying her eyes out because she’d just thrown up her meager lunch, when the phone rang. Her mother had answered, fully expecting it to be her husband telling her he’d had a late day at work, he would be home with the medicine for his little princess soon. Instead she heard the voice of a strange man telling her that she needed to come down to the police station.

A half an hour later, a squad car brought a red eyed, widowed Higurashi home so she could tell her little family what had happened. She had gone down to the police station and identified a mauled body as her dear husband. He’d died at the hands of thieves. Her mothers announcement had just made things worse. It just made her feel like hell itself. There was nothing happy going on before she heard of her fathers death.

This day was an unordinary day, with a bright sky littered with fluffy clouds threatening to snow above them. The wind was mild and warmer than the sun would have allowed in this season, the air clear of any horrible smell. In its own right, though, it should have been just an ordinary day. What made it so unordinary was that everyone in a strange, ragtag group joined with a smaller, though equally mismatched pack were all obscenely quiet.

They were walking back home from the failed adventure to find Naraku. There had been no clue as to where the demon had hid himself, not even a whisper of a hint. So the group had decided, since a certain priestess was getting achey and weary, that they would go home and hear from Kaede if there were any rumors of Shikon shards. It would give each of them a chance to freshen up, and one teenaged miko the opportunity to stop being so cranky.

But she could feel that something was going to happen sooner rather than later. Everyone could. It was a charge in the air that couldn’t be ignored, a sort of nervousness that kept every creature in the little company from speaking. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but one of knowing and waiting. Each waited in their own way for the event to come to hand.

Kagome supposed, if she had to think about it, Sango was the one who set off the whole thing. Inadvertently of course. But if the taijiya hadn’t dropped a book borrowed from Kagome or bent down to pick it up, Miroku’s hand wouldn’t have twitched. It was such a sudden thing. One moment, the perverted monk was eyeing the young woman’s behind, imagining all sorts of naughty thing and in the next…

Miroku grunted suddenly, breaking the long silence as he grasped his wrist. Kagome’s eyes widened in panic when she saw the disturbance in the air around his cursed hand, knowing what was about to happen. All in the group seemed to freeze as they stared at the monk, knowing what was happening, not able to stop it, not knowing what to do. Not even the formidable Lord of the Western Lands moved, seemingly surprised by this happening. Only a second later did the monk himself break the spell on them.

“RUN!”

In an instant, everyone was moving, and Kagome’s vision was blocked by mass amounts of white and silver. Sesshou-Maru. He caught her up with his one arm and bolted to Ah-Un, putting her on his back with Rin and ordering the beast away. The sudden jolt of the lift off knocked Kagome back to her senses. Before the animal could get any higher she slid off his back and took in the situation, looking for the well being of her friends. She vaguely heard a muffled growl next to her and a strong arm slid around her waist, anchoring her as the cursed winds tried to pull her to oblivion.

Inu-Yasha had anchored himself in a tree, holding onto Shippou and Kirara. Shiori had erected a barrier about herself, Jaken, and Nezumi some distance away from the monk. Sango, who had been the closest to Miroku, barely had time to save herself, but she did, thrusting Hiraikotsu deep into the ground and holding on. And Miroku himself… Kagome felt her heart break at the sheer look of panic and fear on his face.

But she, along with the others, was helpless to anything but watch as the winds became more violent, threatening to take out the entire area along with the monk. Sango didn’t look like she’d mind going with him too much. Kagome minded a great deal. But there was nothing she could do. There was nothing anyone could do.

“Priestess…” Sesshou-Maru’s voice was muffled and nearly carried off by the winds, she wouldn’t have heard him if he hadn’t been speaking into her ear. “Can you purify his curse?”

Dismally she shook her head and shouted into the wind, “Curses can’t be purified!”

He raised an eyebrow at her, “Why not?”

And she was stumped, unable to answer him. He was right. Why couldn’t a curse be purified? She’d never tried it before and Miroku or Kaede never told her it couldn’t happen so in theory it could work. There were, of course, untold consequences, and her aim wasn’t all that great still (though yes she had improved) so she could possibly hurt Miroku. But maybe if she were off course the vortex would pull it to its center. Kagome pursed her lips and nodded to herself in determination. She could do it… hopefully… but she’d have to do it quickly.

But – her heart fell – she didn’t have a bow. In a panic she looked to the taiyoukai next to her, “I don’t have anything to channel my energy!”

He rolled his eyes in a strangely childish manner, “The cane.”

Kagome blinked as she looked down to the walking stick clutched in the hand not holding onto Sesshou-Maru. “But I’ve never-“

The inu youkai snarled slightly, “There is no difference girl! It is a bit of wood, just as an arrow is. Do it before it is too late to save the monk!”

Narrowing her eyes at his hidden slight against her intelligence, the miko’s hand clutched tighter around the cane. In a sputtering, she tried to continually force her energies into the walking stick. And after a few seconds, gave up, her eyes watering. “I can’t.”

There was a bit of a growl next to her ear. “Look at the taijiya.”

She looked up to her sister, to the tormented, yet calm look on the womans face as she waited for the winds to take her to oblivion along with her love. She could see, even through the winds and distance the fear in Sango’s eyes; the resolution. Sango had nothing else but her love and if the monk went, so she wouldn’t hesitate go with him. Sadness, protectiveness surged through Kagome’s entire being, and with those feelings rose her purifying energies. Dimly, she was aware of the taiyoukai anchoring her to the ground stiffening, and the claws resting against her hip digging in mercilessly. Determinedly, she forced away the sensations, allowing her energy to flow into the cane.

And, unable to handle the energy forced into it, the cane splintered. With a cry of horror, Kagome watched as little bits of holy charged wood flew from her hand towards the monk. She quelled her dismay though, when she saw the little pieces fly into the widening Wind Tunnel. Her breath held, her mind pray to whomever was listening to an unworthy girls prayers that it would work.

And after an agonizing moment, something welcome happened. Right before everyone’s eyes, the wind sputtered. The vortex in Miroku’s hand stopped growing, though it was the size of his entire palm. All looked on in breathless anticipation, waiting for anymore reaction.

Suddenly the monk cried out, his good hand gripping the other in pain as, amazingly, the vortex began to close right before their eyes. Kagome released her breath, her eyes wide as the winds ceased. She had done it.

All held still in disbelief, watching, waiting for the vortex to open again, to overtake the holy energies and continue its efforts to suck them all in. But, as Miroku closed his eyes, and fell to the ground in a dead faint, they knew it to be all right. The Wind Tunnel was gone.

(^_^)

Two days. Two days had passed since the Second Incident as Kagome liked to call it. Two days of traveling, of tense silence, and of falling hopes.

Miroku hadn’t woken up yet. He hadn’t really even twitched. Kirara solemnly carried him on her back, careful not to jostle the man who her master cared for, careful to not let him drop. Everyone kept a constant vigil over his questionable condition, worrying that something for the worse would happen to him. Sango was the worst, fussing over every little thing. Especially when they stopped for the night and he was placed on Kagome’s ragged sleeping bag. She made sure that the monk was comfortable, even though she could never really confirm that he was.

But his heart was strong, his breaths were steady, and Sesshou-Maru, nor Nezumi for that matter, seemed all that concerned. Well, Sesshou-Maru was never really that concerned, but for Nezumi to be calm was heartening.

Kagome still felt responsible though. Subtly, she kept her distance from Miroku’s prone form, making sure she was able to do her duties away from him. She couldn’t help but feel that it was her fault, that the monk was like this… and from the looks her taiyoukai doctor and rat caretaker sent her, she had a great reason why.

AAAAAA

A.N. Ooo… what did Kagome do? That naughty girl....

Another short chapter, but one with a huge event so I think that makes up for it… right? Love me Love me Just as I Love you Love you!

And thank you to those who reviewed. Its appreciated greatly!

Please Regard Me Kindly,
I Agree