Demon's Lake Orphanage

Chapter 13

     "How's your neck?" Nami asked as we stopped to rest. 

"It's fine. Just a scratch." I shrugged; barely feeling it anymore. 

"You should put this ointment on." Rin smiled; holding out a jar for me. 

"I don't need it." I mumbled; looking down at my hands and thinking about how ruthlessly I killed Kenshimo. 

"You're only human now. Take it." Sesshomaru countered; making me jump because I hadn't realized he was standing behind me. I didn't argue though. I took the jar and applied the ointment without a word of objection. 

"Mizuko?" Kirako said after a few moments of silence. 

"Huh?" I snapped out of my daze and looked up at my sister's worried face. 

"There's a hot spring not far from here, join me?" I knew that look in her eyes and I didn't have the energy to fight, so I gave her a nod and followed her into the woods. 

     "Are you okay?" Kirako asked once we reached the spring. 

"I killed someone. I'm as okay as I will be." I replied in a cold voice. 

"You're reminding me of how you were without any memories or emotions." she blurted out. 

"I know." I sighed; taking my hair down and running my fingers through it. 

     "You killed him." Kirako and I both jumped at the sound of Maya's voice behind us. "You killed him and you feel nothing from it." 

Kirako's hands lit up, and I grabbed Tenseiga as we both got ready to fight. 

"You feel nothing," she repeated, "but you will." 

     Dark red flames flew towards us, and we barely managed to dodge the attack. Kirako landed on her feet, but I landed on my stomach. I got up quickly, but Maya seized the delay and red flames blasted me in the shoulder. The force threw me against a tree, and I lost my grip on Tenseiga. 

     "When I get done with you, you will know the pain of loss." Maya's eyes were crazy, and her breathing was uneven. 

"You loved him." I breathed out as I caught my breath. 

"I did." her jaw quivered and it was obvious that she was holding back tears. "But Naraku told me how to make it even." 

"Are you really gonna listen to anything he says?" Kirako scoffed; her purple flames slamming into Maya's side. "All he's ever done is lie." 

"He didn't promise anything. Merely told me how to make her pay for killing Kenshimo." Maya said with a manic laugh. 

"Where is Naraku?" I asked; pushing myself to stand up. 

"Oh he's looking forward to seeing you soon. Don't worry." Maya said in a low voice. "But for now, you should sit down and watch me kill your sister." 

"No!" I exclaimed, but Maya's flames bound me against a tree. 

"Prepare to die, Kirako." Maya said in a cold voice as she turned to face her. 

"Kirako!" I screamed; frantically fighting against the magic. 

"Show me what you got." Kirako smirked; her hands flaring even more. 

"Kirako, run! Don't try to fight her!" I yelled, but she ignored me. 

     Kirako and Maya threw magic back and forth, but only occasionally managing to hit each other. Every time their magic collided it sent a backlash of power throughout the air, and slammed me even further into the tree. After a while, there was an indent of my body in the bark. 

     "No!" I screamed as Maya's magic over powered Kirako's and slammed into her head on. 

"That all you got?" Kirako laughed; spitting out blood as she stood. 

"Kirako, please just run!" I pleaded; fighting back tears. 

"I love you, sis." Kirako said with a smile, then charged Maya. 

"KIRAKO!" I screamed, and an odd feeling filled my stomach. It wasn't the same as my magic, but it was just as pure. 

     The power continued to build as the fight continued, and I watched as the flames binding me to the tree started to fade. 

The power grew even quicker as Maya's magic hit Kirako again. 

     "Now your sister gets to watch you die." Maya's voice was even as she spoke, and everything about her was calm as she approached Kirako. 

"Kirako! Get up and RUN!" I yealled; fighting as hard as I could, but the flames weren't fading fast enough. 

"You're too weak to save your sister. Now you have to live with her blood being on your hands." Maya laughed; her hand glowing almost black. 

"DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME, SIS!" I yelled, and the flames around me broke. 

"Too late." Maya threw the magic she was holding at Kirako, and the scream was deafening. 

"KIRAKO!!" I ran past Maya without paying her a second glance. My mind was only on getting to Kirako and saving her. 

     "I won't let you die!" tears ran down my face as I knelt beside her. She was barely alive, but she was alive still. 

"You better kill her and Naraku for me." Kirako said; coughing up blood as she spoke. 

"Shut up! You're gonna kill them with me!" I sobbed; trying to use the power that had built inside me. 

"No, I don't think I will, Mizuko." Kirako coughed; clutching me arm as I pulled her head onto my lap. 

"Don't talk like that!" my tears fell onto her face; mixing with the blood and dirt.

"I love you." she whispered. 

"I love you, too! I'm glad you're my sister." I replied; desperately grabbing at the power. 

     "This is disgusting to watch." Maya sneered, and with a sharp jerk of her wrist she snapped Kirako's neck without having to touch her. 

"NO!" I pulled Kirako to my chest, and sobbed into her hair. 

     "Mizuko!" I heard Sesshomaru's voice, but all I could manage to do was look up at him. His clothes were burnt, and I could see burn marks on his face and hands as well. 

"I see you made it through my barrier. Amazing what love can make you capable of." Maya laughed. 

"AHH!! KIRAKOOOO!!" I screamed in pure rage, and a blast of energy left my body. The sudden explosion threw everyone in the area backwards and leveled trees. The pure light that burst from me left the area almost completely purified. 

"How?" Maya said; pure shock filling her face and voice. 

"You won't leave here alive." my voice sent a chill down my spine, but I finally figured out where the power came from. 

Kikyo.....