Fair Trade

Disclaimer: (not mine) Alright you guys, one of the coolest Anime songs I’ve heard recently is from Ghost in the Shell: Inner Universe. I just downloaded it on my iPod and you should soooo check it out.
Youkai Poison of the Summoners: II

Kagome slept exceptionally well that night. Not that it was in fact even remotely refreshing, she simply no longer had to worry about moving the wrong way and upsetting a bruise or cut. So she was able to get into more comfortable positions than she had been able to the nights previous. Unfortunately for her, no amount of rest in the world would have made up for the way she awoke.

The door slammed open, which was her initial wake up call. Naraku had paused in the door way before entering, smirking to himself.

“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty,” he said bitterly.

When she didn’t move, he thundered over to her and pulled her up by her hair.

“I said get up you incompetent bitch!”

He slapped her across the face and let her fall. She had scrambled to her knees and was once again airborne, this time pulled up by her shoulder and drug out of the chamber. He griped her hard enough to bring forth tears, but she wouldn’t actually cry out or fight back.

Kagome thought that Sesshoumaru had arrived and that would be the end of it. So, why should she put up a fight if she was about to leave? Sesshoumaru wouldn’t keep her with him for very long, and if he refused to take her then she could run. Naraku would be too distracted and it was really none of Sesshoumaru’s concern –what- she did or what happened, so she wouldn’t have to worry about him anyway.

Perhaps if she had known what was going to happen she would have put up a fight. But she didn’t, so it remained as such. All that much easier for Naraku.

Once they arrived in a very large circular room he threw her across the floor. Vines burst through the walls and floor to entangle her, so she assumed that Miss Silbera was present. What she didn’t understand was why, after she could see properly, Kikyou was there. Kikyou was trying to –kill- Naraku, right? So it didn’t make sense. But, as she was there, Kagome assumed she’d been wrong about her.

While Naraku and Miss Silbera exchanged a few words, Kagome took the opportunity to look about the room. Sesshoumaru wasn’t there. That was either really bad or a bad inconvenience, but she was leaning towards really bad so she continued to scope the room for an exit. If something got out of hand, she wanted to know where she could run if given the chance. There were multiple entrances to the room, but one was larger than all the rest and adorned with multiple carvings. She assumed that was the exit and noted its location in her mind just incase things got turned around.

When she looked back up to Naraku she noticed he was watching her. He smirked and walked towards her, his expression unchanging. This was most amusing to him; he wanted her to see it.

Once he reached her, he grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled her head back so that she had to look up at him.

“You are going to pay for the delay you’ve caused in my plans, girl. Miss Silbera has most agreeably found a suitable punishment for you; I think you’ll like it. I did.”

She just stared at him. She didn’t let him see her thoughts, but on the inside she was scared. So she was actually pulled from her cell to be –punished-. If this was important enough to be taken to what –could- have passed as a ceremonial room, it was going to be bad.

“It is called Youkai Poison of the Summoners. You are going to be poisoned. This potion will never wear off. You will be in constant pain until your death. Unless, of course, you can talk some youkai into letting you drink his blood.” He took a moment to study her and see how she reacted. “And,” he added as an afterthought, “yes, Lord Sesshoumaru is almost here. I can feel it. But I wouldn’t count on him.
Besides, because of you things have changed. You won’t be leaving any time soon.”

He yanked her head back and stood before her. He smiled at her cruelly then turned and made his way back to Miss Silbera, nodding at her signaling she was to give the poison to Kagome. As Kagome watched, she produced a small pouch from her kimono. But this one was different, not only because she knew she wasn’t going to be healed, the container itself was almost transparent and glowing neon pink.

Kikyou walked towards her as well, but stopped short of reaching her. Miss Silbera stopped in front of her and smiled.

“Here we are.” She took a hold of Kagome’s bottom jaw and forced her mouth to open.

“Open wide,” she said as she began to pour the liquid into her mouth. She tried to keep her throat
closed off but it was no use. The liquid would slowly ease through anyway, and in her struggle she ended up swallowing most of it.

Once the pouch was empty, Miss Silbera walked away and the vines released her. She gathered the remaining liquid in her mouth to be spit out, but found that she couldn’t. As if it had known what she was going to do it turned into a most uncomfortable substance that stubbornly stuck to her mouth where ever it came into contact.

Then the pain started. It didn’t ease itself into her system as was expected, but shot right through her entire body. What was left in her mouth eased itself into her flesh to reach the blood stream enabling her to voice her pain. Every part of her body felt as though it were being ripped apart, piece by piece. The pain was unimaginable; she soon lost control of all of her senses. Her brain didn’t register anything but the pain. She couldn’t even recognize her own screams.

Naraku watched on with unfazed amusement. Her screams pleased him, and he was about to appraise Miss Silbera for her work when he noticed Kagome began to glow. It was subtle at first, barely noticeable. But all to fast it became blinding. Once it dissipated and their eyes were able to function correctly, Kagome could be seen on her hands and knees, panting heavily.

Kikyou rushed up to Kagome and yanked her up so that they were face to face. Kagome didn’t register what happened and so remained limp.

“WHAT DID YOU DO!? WHERE DID IT GO,” Kikyou screamed frantically. She stared into the girls face, seeing that she wasn’t going to get anywhere this way and dropped her. It was then that she remembered Naraku and Miss Silbera were still with her and would recognize her treason.

Both had known what had happened. Kikyou had altered the potion in an attempt to get her soul back. Naraku was halfway transformed and Miss Silbera was just coming over her shock. She immediately called for the vines to grab both Kikyou and Kagome, but was too late.

Kikyou had grabbed Kagome and threw down a glass phial, disappearing in a cloud of mist and taking Kagome with her.

* * * *

Sesshoumaru had stopped that night only a few hours away from Naraku’s castle. He was making better time than usual, so a nights rest and food wasn’t that bothersome.

He had hunted before dawn that morning and returned to his camp sight an hour later with meat from the deer he’d killed, then started a fire to let it cook. Raw meat didn’t bother him, but he had time to spare so why not? Besides, the state the blood is in affects the taste, and he wasn’t in the mood for free flowing and cold.

When he had finished eating he leaned against the trunk of a tree and stared into the fire. He watched as its need to control the very element that gave it life was consumed. It was so odd, to actually see something bring about its own death. The wood and dried grass gave the fire life, and the fire returned its thanks by destroying them and killing itself.

Suddenly his chest began to burn. It took him a few moments to register what was going on, but when he did he tore the necklace off of his neck and held it at arms distance. To his amazement the jewel was glowing. It began to crack shake as the glow brightened, and recognizing the threat he instinctively threw it into the air.

The jewel froze during its fall, making it eye level to the demon lord. As it remained suspended in the air its shakes became more frantic until finally it imploded upon itself. All that could be seen was a small orb of light, which remained calm for several seconds. Onlookers would later remember it as the most disturbingly beautiful thing they’d ever seen. But it was not to remain in such a state. The orb began to shoot rays of its light in every direction spastically, and as it had imploded upon itself it now exploded, sending shards in all directions within at least ten feet of its origin.

Sesshoumaru, though shocked, watched this phenomenon as though it could have been an every day occurrence. It was a sacred jewel assumed (and in a way proven) to posses a great amount of power implying that one can’t be too touchy about such things. So he skipped the bit of remaining still in surprise while pondering over the jewel and bitched to himself about how he would now have to collect all the shards and keep them together. Fucking great.

Now, not only did he simply have to –protect- the damn thing, he would have to deal with it being in pieces as well. ‘Unless...’

As stupid as the idea seemed, he didn’t really have time to find another way. Besides, there were demons that had used the jewel without tainting it right?

‘Like I would need to use it anyway,’ he snorted. So he gathered the pieces one by one and held them together in the palm of his hand. He glared daggers at them while racking his brain for anything else he could think of. Naturally there were multiple options, but none that would actually save time or make the jewel shards safe.

‘I cannot believe I am about to do this,’ he thought angrily. ‘This is absolutely ridiculous.’ He growled in defeat and held the shards up to his chest where he was burned. Slowly the shards entered his body, healing his burn leaving nothing behind.

“Temporary protection,” he said bitterly. “I am going to kill that girl.”

After taking out some anger on a near by lesser demon (who wanted the shards he now possessed), he continued his way to Naraku’s castle. In his anger he traveled faster and arrived not too late after Kikyou and Kagome’s disappearance (though he doesn’t know about that). He entered the castle and made his way easily to Naraku, who’d left a very distinct path, he assumed, for him to follow.

He entered Naraku’s chamber through a set of large doors with multiple carvings adorning them. Naraku sat opposite the door he’d entered with a witch standing next to him, looking as though she’d just been beaten.

“Ahh, Sesshoumaru. I’ve been waiting,” he said bitterly.

“I presume you were going to offer me the girl.”

Naraku smirked at him. “Well you’re a bit late for that, -Lord-“ he said sarcastically. “But I wouldn’t mind those jewel shards you have.”

“I don’t associate myself with idiot half-breeds such as you. I merely came to inform you that your time will soon be up,” he said calmly drawing his sword.

“And I assume you plan to do so with the help of the shards you’ve absorbed?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I have no desire to use them.”

“Then you have no use for them,” Miss Silbera said.

Vines shot up as massive tentacles in attempts to capture Sesshoumaru. But he had been waiting for such a trick and jumped into the air to dispose of them with one swing of his blade. Once he landed back on the ground he charged at the witch and easily cut through her neck.

“She was no longer of use to me, anyway. My thanks,” Naraku said tauntingly.

Sesshoumaru smirked at him. “You’re next.”

He jumped up and sliced through a tentacle that was aimed for his chest and used his Dragon Strike to finish him off.

Naraku’s body dissipated, leaving a small wooden doll with a hair to fall to the ground.

Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword and looked down at the doll.

“Pathetic.”

He turned and made his way back out and off the castle grounds.

‘Now I have to find that damn girl.’

* * * *

A/N: Okay you guys! YaY for chapter 8! Now I couldn’t help but notice that I have like 1000 or more hits and only 10 reviews!!! C’mon guys, share the love. I like to hear your input! Vote and Review! It makes the world go ‘round ;)