Friendly Persuasion
A Real Bargain
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surprised look on his face, as he turned to see who had spoken.
Having already stepped into the light of the building, Leota
stood with her feet apart, her shoulders squared, her mouth set in a thin line,
and her eyes... Kagome couldn’t look in her eyes. They were too full of emotion.
Pain, loss, trust long broken, and anger. Around Leota’s body was a soft orange glow, which was the aura
that she had kept under control whilst in the Feudal Era so as not to draw any
demons to the village.
Now, however, Leota Ookamia Usuya’s aura was free to rage and
expand as it pleased, looking like the very fire that Leota had at her
command. Her aura swirled around her,
giving her a goddess-like appearance.
Which in this building, she was.
“She looks so angry at me. What do I do?”
“Well?” Leota asked again, her voice harsh, “Have you
something to say or not? I awakened
from my slumber to face thee, Higurashi Kagome, now speak or be turned to ashes
where thou dost stand!”
Feeling suddenly warm, Kagome looked down to see that Leota
would make true her threat if pushed.
Four threads of phantom flames were swirling around Kagome’s knees.
real if she did not speak, Kagome lifted her head high and took one brave step
forward.
“I came here, Leota-san, to tell you that I was wrong.
you. It was childish of me to do that,
and I realize that! Please, Leota-san,
please forgive me?”
The flames by Kagome’s knees grew slightly warmer and started
circling her hips.
“Is that all you have to say?
thing. I knew you were wrong about
that, Kagome-san. It’s the other thing
that’s got me pissed off.”
“It was wrong of me to banish you, Leota-san.
“And?” Leota
prompted.
“And I’m sorry for taking you away from Kouga.”
“Up,” Leota commanded, needing to know if there was
something going on outside the doors, “Tora!”
“Yes, Ookami-sama?”
“I want you to go out there and find out if there’s anything
going on. Understand?”
“Yes, Ookami-sama!”
Tora said as he bowed and began running past a shocked Kagome.
“Y-Your ears...”
“Did you really think, Kagome-san, that by your apologizing
to me would allow me to use the well?”
“Well, yes...”
“It won’t. Once a
banishment spell is placed on a person, forever is that person banished.
return to the Feudal Era ever again.
Do you understand that? Can your
brain possibly comprehend that?
What you have done to me is irreversible!”
“Isn’t there some other way for you to go back?
get you back?” Kagome asked, the
phantom flames now dancing around her head.
“Feh, if I had one of those, don’t you think I’d be using
it?! Well?!”
“I suppose so...”
“You suppose so? Do
you know just how much I love Kouga-kun?
Do you? Oh well, even if
you did, that would just be one more reason to banish me from there, now wouldn’t
it? Tell me, Kagome-san, what are you
going to do now that with one word, you could be reduced to a pile of
ashes?”
Kagome had to be careful with her answer.
Leota would make true her threat to burn her alive. But she had to somehow make a bargain that would allow
them both to get what they wanted.
“If you let me live and tell me everything about yourself, I
promise I won’t get angry at anything you say, and I’ll even let you
take over my body again so that you can see Kouga again.”
“That’s all well and good, but if I then go to show him who I
am by separating myself from your body, I can’t because I’ll be thrown back
into this time.”
At a loss for what to say, Kagome exclaimed, “Can’t you just
put your body somewhere and then possess me again?!”
To Kagome’s surprise, Leota thought this over.
“I suppose I could place my body into a gem that you could
wear around your neck, this way my spirit wouldn’t be too far away from my
body. Then, once we get there, I could
possess something else and you could put the gem around my own neck.
“As long as you’re all right entrusting your body to me.”
“Don’t be stupid, Kagome,” Leota scoffed, “it was never I
having to worry about trusting you; however, the issue at hand was you
trusting me.”
“So will you tell me everything about you?”
Leota nodded, “I’m a fire demon, I’m a bitch, I’m the number
one assassin in all of Asia, and damn am I old.”
Kagome’s face adopted a confused expression, “That’s it?”
“What do you mean ‘That’s it?’ I just told you everything there is to know about me.
smirked, “you never said I had to go into detail.”
“And we never agreed on terms either.”
“Hey, when you offered putting my body somewhere, that was
your consent, and I gave mine by offering the gem idea.
about me, you’ve gotta ask your little eavesdropper.”
“My, what?”
“Your eavesdropper.
If you don’t know who that is, then you’re screwed, Woman.”
Kagome allowed herself to chuckle, “Yeah, I guess you’re
right.”
Leota held out her right hand and a small blue jewel on a
silver chain appeared, “Once I go into your body, my own body shall go within
this jewel, which you shall put around your neck. Keep in mind that, should I feel the need, I can take over your
body at any time I wish, because I am stronger than you are.
careful. I will have access to your
thoughts, dreams, and power. In turn, I
shall offer my power in case you need it. Do you understand and accept this?”
Switching the jewel from her right hand to her left, Leota
extended her right hand to Kagome.
“I have no choice.
If I don’t do this, I’ll never be able to forgive myself,” Kagome
thought, also extending her right hand and shaking Leota’s, “I accept all
terms, conditions, and consequences.”
“Good, then we have a deal?”
“Yes.”
Leota smiled, and then disappeared. Within the next second, Kagome could feel Leota’s presence within
her mind, but it was not as overpowering as it had been when she had last been
possessed. As promised, Leota’s body
went into the jewel, which soon went around Kagome’s neck.
“My, my, so many thoughts up here, Kagome-san.”
“Don’t get too comfortable, Leota,” Kagome thought, “or
else I’ll have to charge you rent.”
“It’s Ota-chan.”
“If you insist.
I’m K-chan once again.”
“That’s good to know, K-chan. Now, quickly! Off to the
well! I wanna see Kouga-kun again!
Kagome had to smile.
Turning to the guards that had released her when Leota appeared in the
room, Kagome smiled and grabbed her yellow bag from the one on her left.
“I’ll be leaving now.”
She said, a grin on her face as she almost skipped out of the doors.
Doors that soon opened, “Ookami-sama!
Feeling Leota’s presence within her body shift, Kagome’s
mouth opened and Leota’s voice came from it, “I’m over here, Tora.
“N-No, Ookami-sama.
Are you sure that’s you in there?”
“Tora! Don’t
make me tell the bikini story!”
Tora blinked, “Yep, that’s you.”
“Of course it’s me.
K-chan and I made a deal. We’re
going back to the Feudal Era now. If
you wanna come, put Taka in charge, okay?”
“Actually, I’ll wait a little while before I go.
“Suit yourself.
Bye!” Leota’s voice said, not
letting go of Kagome’s body until she’d made her body run all the way back to
the Higurashi Shrine and into the well house.
“You like to control things way too much.”
“Bad habit, K-chan.
But hey, if it saves your ass, it’s not so bad, right?”
Kagome sighed, climbing onto the well, “Yes, yes.
“If I can keep this up,” Leota thought, shielding her
own thoughts from Kagome’s mind, “the curse will have me completely released
in no time. Heheh, this is probably the
best bargain I’ve ever made.”
A/N: so sorry I didn’t update yesterday!
Computer problems, and stuff. Anyhow,
I got a couple of reviews saying that Kagome was a real bisnatch, and I’d like
to apologize a little bit on that. I
didn’t mean for her to get so out of character, but if you found out that your
best friend was an assassin, wouldn’t you be a bit PO’ed too?
I’m thinking that Chapter Eighteen is
going to be called: Wind Talk, but don’t hold me to it, okay?