~*~*~*~* Kagome's Point of view *~*~*~*~
While fighting for air, Kagome was mentally hitting herself for not
thinking about running into demons on the way. Last time they had been
tagging around unseen behind Yuske and Kuwabara too so... how could she
have been ignorant enough not to look for demons first! Giving herself one
last mental kick, Kagome tried to find a solution to her current problem.
She had a momentary lapse of judgment when she realized she would be dead
quickly, but turned her mind once again to finding something --- anything,
that could help.
Kagome may of been more experienced and practiced in her miko skills,
but she was in no way good enough to beet a demon like Hei with them. And
for some reason she was reluctant to show him her skills by trying. So she
had to rely on tricks.
She wasn't willing to bet her life on the fact that Yuske, being
human would help. She didn't know what else she could rely on though.
Maybe nothing if she could get on the street and in a crowd pretty quickly
after this. But first there was the little matter of getting the rock
solid hand off of her wind pipe!!! Kagome decided that, reluctant as she
may be, she had to use at least some of her skills if she wanted to get out
of this alive.
Putting aside the pain and feelings of the situation she was in,
Kagome reached inside herself, searching for the familiar light of her miko
power. It was almost like a small fire at the base of her neck that when
she tended it, could become hotter. But she had to be careful because if
she let the small flame get out of control, she was likely to get burned,
literally. If Keada hadn't been there the first time she had tried this,
she would have gotten out of there with more then just a light burn on both
arms.
Pushing the fire to the pit of her stomach, Kagome felt the warmth of
the flame spreading. But instead of pushing it to her arms as she had last
time, she just guarded the rest of her body, allowing it to flow only into
her arms.
Opening her eyes once more, Kagome still focused on controlling the
flow of her power. She didn't know if he'd be prepared for her now, but
since he was still holding her neck, she tried not to think about that
depressing possibility. Kagome watched as the realization of what she was
doing sunk into Hei's eyes, this was about the time that Kagome saw Yuske
enter the forest through the side of her eye. But she tried to ignore that
and instead watched Hei's eyes to see why he hadn't let go.
A thin haze of smoke floated from Hei's wrist. Kagome began to
wonder if she had somehow killed all the nerve cells in his arm last time,
but then the look in Hei's eyes began to show her the truth. She had
pissed him off to much last time by catching him off guard, and just pain
wasn't going to get him to let go of her. She had a feeling that Hei
didn't so much hate everything as much as he wanted to prove himself to it.
Meaning she had made a bad choice in humiliated him two years before.
But, despite the fact that he was strangling her, she had the
realization that she didn't want to kill him. That for some reason she
wanted him to live past now. Not that it would be safe even trying to kill
him considering she didn't have any control over the more powerful of her
gifts. Kagome was angry with herself because she must be some sort of
coward to not be willing to risk it. I'm probably not even as powerful as
Kikyo would be anyway... Kagome thought sourly.
A brief flash of when Kagome had been hiding in the forest came to
mind. Inu Yasha holding Kikyo, not even thinking about how she may feel.
He had insulted her... he called her weak... She would not be weak! She
wouldn't let what that, that jack-ass said be true! She wouldn't let that
jerk have the satisfaction of seeing her fall the first time she was in
danger without him!
The same green eyes that Kagome had seen looking at hers years before
come to mind, contrasting with the mocking amber ones behind them. But the
amber color began to fade, and she was left with the bright green eyes of a
Kitsune who seemed to be peering into her soul.
Kagome's eyes glazed over, and she had the feeling that for some
reason they were glowing. Her nails dug into Hei's skin. Her raven hair
cackled with electricity. She saw the confusion in his eyes, and only
slightly realized that he had dropped her. But her hands still gripped his
wrist. A small part of Kagome wanted him to die. To burn so that she
wouldn't be weak. She wanted to kill a person for her own satisfaction...
and it scared her.
The power stopped flowing, her eyes and hair returned to normal, and
she quickly let go of Hei's wrist. She gazed up at him in horror. What
was I about to do?
Kagome was suddenly very aware of the two pairs of eyes looking at
her in bewilderment.
Kagome wasn't sure when she jumped up and began to run. She ran hard
and fast. She didn't want to see the effects of her loosing control.
She may haven't given Inu Yasha the satisfaction of seeing her fail,
but she had just pulled a part of herself to the surface that Kagome had
never imagined was there. A part with a power that far surpassed anything
she had ever seen executed through a miko. She was in a different mind
almost. A cool and collected mind that was merely playing with Hei when
she had burned his wrist. But the strangest part was that this
transformation was almost like some sort of drug, dulling her nervous
system and making her suddenly in a more enticing (for her lifestyle) form.
And even as she ran, Kagome felt the cool and anxious desire for more
flood her system.
Kagome threw excuses in the mix. Hei is just a demon, no different
from Yura or Manten and Heten. But that was off subject. He was a demon,
but in that split moment, it was almost as if she had become the demon,
hunting him with no worthy cause. Each time Kagome had been hiding, trying
to keep from being found out. And in Kagome's mind, she was now the
stalker, the killer wishing for blood.
You baka you weren't looking for blood! You were protecting
yourself!!! He was trying to kill you Kagome!!! But, as in every case that
really matters, there's that annoying little voice that fights you on every
decision. You lost control Kagome! So Hei tried to kill you, so did Inu
Yasha when he first met you! And you STILL went and fell in love with
HIM!! Your just trying to run Kagome...
Inu Yasha had changed by the time I fell...
Oh please! Why are you defending that ass??? You know perfectly well
that Inu Yasha was willing to hurt you after you Sat him on Kikyo! He's
only changed enough not to enjoy killing the innocent! He'll still do it!
That's different! And what does Inu Yasha have to do with any of
this!
I see your thoughts stupid! I know why you almost cooked Hei! You
were trying to prove yourself strong because of him!
Does it even matter what I was thinking? He almost choked me!!!
Yeah, and, need I remind you, you handed him the right to be pissed
when you cooked his wrist three years ago! And you can't deny it was your
fault then! You were looking for a demon in the first place...
That's not the point!!!
Face it! You lost it! That's all there is to it! You let Inu Yasha
get to you and unleashed your dangerous side!. Your supposed to be trying
to get over him...
I am! And besides, didn't my little show save my life?
Uh-ha, and being killed and buried in a forest increases the
nutrients in the soil...
Stop being so sarcastic!
Then stop acting so immature! You know better then this! Face the
problem head on! You almost killed someone, keyword ALMOST, as in, you got
control of yourself and your gift! Now you have to face the CURRENT
problems.
Like???
Yuske's right behind you.
WHAT??
Kagome glanced behind her and, sure enough, Yuske was right there,
cursing about the fact that he had tripped over a log a while back. Kagome
suddenly realized that he may still want an answer from why she knew his
name, and now she would have to explain that little 'show' to him too... if
she got caught. Kagome once again had to push herself to her extremes to
even keep out of his arms reach, let alone get out of sight. She didn't
know whether to be happy or aggravated when a practically abandoned street
appeared up ahead.
She called herself saved when she saw Yuki in her mothers car just up
ahead.
"YUKI!!!" Yuki's head whirled around. She had just gotten her
drivers license and was happily driving around to... well, just to drive around.
Yuki smiled happily and jumped out, waving cheerfully at Kagome, "GET IN
THE CAR YUKI! GET IN THE CAR, NOW!!" Yuki frowned and hastily got back in
the car. Kagome ran around and jumped into the passenger side, she hadn't
even closed the door before Yuske ran out of the forest, "DRIVE" Yuki took
off down the street.
Kagome relaxed in her seat, breathing heavily. Yuki looked more then
a little confused, "Umm... Kagome... why did you just come running out of
the forest? And who was that cute guy tailing you?" Kagome shook her
head, just like Yuki to be thinking about guys even though there was
obviously something a little stranger going on.
"You'll... find out soon enough... Yuki... he's going... to our
school... now..." Kagome was still gasping for air. She didn't even doubt
that Yuki would forget about her first question now that she knew a guy was
going to their school. She smiled wryly, still gasping for breath.
"He is? OH MY GOD!!! I can't believe..." Kagome blocked out the
rest of what she was saying, only nodding or acknowledging that she was
listening between breaks in the (one sided) conversation. Instead her
thoughts drifted to what she had realized during her run through the
forest. She needed to face a lot of things...
Kagome shook her head. No, I deal with those things after I decrypt
that stupid map... Map? The book!!!
"Umm... Yuki, we need to stop by your house... er... quickly if you
don't mind," Yuki's expression was questioning for a second. Then a
bright smile came to her face and she put her foot down harder on the
accelerator.
"No problem, Kagome," and she again turned her mind back to the
useless babble she was on before. Kagome wasn't exactly as comfortable.
Her hands were latched onto her seat and the door, her knuckles were white.
Her eyes were as round as golf-balls as she stared at the road ahead. She
hadn't meant quite THIS quickly. What would be the use of getting to her
backpack before Yuske if her head was smeared on the highway? But
strangely enough, Kagome couldn't seem to work her mouth... or anything
else. Kagome found herself latched firmly to the chair as the car speed
along the street at a hundred twenty miles an hour. Yuki had better be one
hell of a driver!!!
Kagome had the fleeting thought that she'd be safer being held in the
air by her neck by Hei, but brushed the thought off and instead glanced
around the dash to see if there was any airbags. When they turned the
corner to the street Yuki lived on (almost flipping the car in the process)
Kagome finally found her voice, "YUKI!!! SLOW THE CAR DOWN!!!" Yuki
smiled another of those cheerfully inappropriate smiles and slowed down.
Kagome suddenly realized that Yuki hadn't glanced at the road once and had
instead been looking at her so she could put some expression in the
conversation. Kagome didn't know whether to hit her for being to risky or
to suggest she start riding something with more safety. A pillow with
wheels perhaps...