>Of Kyuuketsuki & Eikou by Lady Symone

Shinkou (Faith)

If you haven't read Part One (Of Kyuuketsuki & Dekigokoro), then STOP READING THIS!!! Read that first and then come back! :D Thank you! If you have already Part One, then by all means, continue and enjoy!

Disclaimer (for the whole thing, 'cause I'm lazy like that and don't want to write it out every chapter): Characters - besides OC, who obviously belong to me - are in the possession of Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just using them for my twisted purposes. >:3

Chapter One: SHINKOU (Faith)

***

"And so faith is closing your eyes and following the breath of your soul down to the bottom of life, where existence and nonexistence have merged into irrelevance. All that matters is the little part you play in the vast drama."

         -Anonymous author of RealLivePreacher.com

***

She gasped.

The woman shrouded in darkness ran a hand through her wavy black hair as she sat up from her pillow. Just another nightmare. Her sapphire-blue eyes shifted to see the figure across from her, deep asleep. It wouldn't do to wake Sango just yet...the clock read 3:15 in the morning. There was well over an hour before they all had to get up and ready the jet. Where had Sango said they were going? Russia, wasn't it? Right, now she remembered what was going on.

She was a vampire.

Kagome released a soft groan into her hands. She pushed the light comforter from her body, pausing briefly to see how deathly pale the skin over her thigh was. And why shouldn't it be? After all, she had been shot, killed, brought back to life via vampire bite, and had almost succeeded in starving herself to death. You could say it looked like she had been dragged through hell and back. At least she had finally taken a shower earlier that evening.

She thought back to her nightmare as she left the bedroom and wandered down the long, dark hallway. It was the same dream every night, for the past few nights: those evil red, that fanged smirk. Looking down the barrel of that combat rifle.

She stopped to look out a window. The moon was waning and it sent shivers down her spine. It so reminded her of that night, the night she had died. Rouren had killed her. Scratch that, she thought angrily, Naraku manipulated her into killing me. Naraku...even that evil vampire's name made her feel sick to her stomach. He had not only sheltered the vampress that had murdered her father and nearly her mother and younger brother, but he had also played a huge role in her death and current situation - i.e. her vampire-ness. And he had done it all in full knowledge and masochistic amusement. It still frustrated her to no end that his mere presence had paralyzed her so thoroughly that night that she had literally waltzed right into his malicious clutches.

Her feet began moving again, absently taking her around the winding stairways and dark crevices of the mansion.

The train of thought took to her to Sesshoumaru as usual, the man who had brought her back from death. Sesshoumaru was a distinguished vampire lord whose presence oozed aristocracy and sophistication. He possessed the typical good looks - "good looks" was a bit of an understatement, really - commonly associated with the vampire elite: long silvery hair, high cheekbones, chiseled jaw, flawless skin, perfect lips, and the most striking golden eyes. When he turned those eyes on her, she sometimes secretly felt like he was trying to see into her soul. She might have even been tempted to say he was perfect, were his personality not so off-putting. She conveniently ignored the fact that he often reminded her a lot of herself. He was condescending, emotionally shut down, cruel, and rather intolerant, much like she was - before her Transformation, at least. She wasn't quite sure who she was anymore. He had saved her on more than one occasion, which Kagome accepted only grudgingly. She didn't like being in debt to anyone, especially when it came to owing her life. Made her feel weak.

She had once been the most feared vampire slayer of her time.

Kagome's mind cleared and she glanced around, realizing she had absolutely no idea were she was. Great, she thought sarcastically, this perfect. Just my luck. Looking to her left, she saw a hallway that looked promising.

***

Kagome followed the long corridor. She noticed it was dark and barely wide enough for a person. Smoke suddenly filled her sensitive nostrils, as well as the distinct scent of incense and burning candles.  Off in the distance, she could hear the faint chanting that was unique to churches.

She paused as she came to the end of the hall. Hundreds of white tea candles lit the small chapel, emitting a sweet, melting wax smell. There was Marzia, kneeling in front of an old wooden pew. Before her was an intricate Byzantine effigy of Jesus Christ, crucified on the cross. His stone face bespoke of sorrow and pain.

Marzia's hands were tightly clasped together, a rosary made of shining red stones entwined between her fingers. Her lips moved slowly and methodically. As Kagome approached the vampress, the whispered words became clearer. She was praying.

"Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae." When Kagome sat down on the pew next to her, Marzia's words suddenly stopped. She did not open her eyes, or in any other way acknowledge her observer. She took a deep breath before whispering, "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen." Marzia lightly touched her forehead before bringing her fingers in between her breasts and then her two shoulders. She finished with a tender kiss to her rosary. Kagome shifted, slightly uncomfortable in the overwhelming presence of spirituality. Marzia lifted herself from her knees and sat back in the seat, simultaneously opening her dark eyes. Kagome gave her a look.

"You pray? Since when did vampires become so pious?"

"You will find I am a unique vampire unto myself, miei cari."

"So whom were you praying to?" Kagome asked casually. She understood Latin well enough, but she had a feeling something more had been left unsaid.

"You do not pray to saints," Marzia gently chided. Kagome was unfazed. "You ask them to pray with you. As for your question that is between me and a certain saint." Kagome huffed. The elder vampress chuckled lightly. "If you must know so badly, I first spoke to Mary Magdalene, as I consider her my patron saint. Then I made a special request to Saint Raphael, the archangel, for good traveling. I have a feeling you're going to need it." Kagome remained silent and looked up at the mural ceiling. "Ah," Marzia said softly. "A non-believer, giusto?"

"I suppose you could say that," Kagome replied, dryly. "I find it hard to comprehend all the genuflection and rituals that are directly related to religion. Quite frankly, I think they're antiquated and merely another system designed to keep the general public in line with expected social norms and values. It's obvious that if people define a situation as real, then it is real in its consequences for them. People tell themselves there must be something out there, because they want to believe that there is life after death or that there's something bigger than all of us, that way they can justify the act of submissiveness in the face of blatant malversation in today's society. They think they don't have to do anything because the 'Almighty' will take care of it in the end, but he won't because he doesn't exist! If there was a God, he wouldn't let the events that occur every day out of evil happen in the first place, therefore leading me to the conclusion that there is no God, or that he simply enjoys watching people suffer." Marzia took a moment, processing all the new information. She placed a cold hand over Kagome's.

"Is it your suffering you speak of?" Kagome turned her head away, ashamed of her sudden surge of emotion.

"My father is dead," she ground out, forcing the lump in her throat down. "He was slaughtered like some kind of animal. My mother thinks I'm dead as well." She clenched her jaw tightly. "I can't even speak to my little brother. My own brother!" Her cracked voice rose, echoing eerily in the silent chapel. "God is supposed to be merciful. He is supposed to defend the weak. If there is a God," she said more quietly, "then He must have left me long ago."

"Are you sure it was He that left you?" Marzia asked sagely. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Kagome's head and shoulders. "Hush, il mio uccellino piccolo," she said when she felt the young woman tense up. Marzia ran her long fingers soothingly through Kagome's dark hair. She rocked her back and forth, calmly breathing in and out. "My heart weeps for you, child. The terrors in you past..." A frigid tear ran down her mocha-colored skin. "I know it's hard to believe in an all-benevolent Lord and Master after the life you've lead. My son used to be like you," Marzia said shakily. "I used to scold him for not going to Church every Sunday. It's seems so trite now. Unfortunately, it was only until after his death I realized that God isn't just some being sitting up among the stars, watching us. He is us." Kagome shifted in Marzia's embrace to study the vampress' face. "He is not even a man. He's not a woman. He is the earth, the sky, the moon, the water. He is hate, and kindness, and depression, and happiness; but most importantly, I realized He is love. And I didn't love my son enough - I didn't treasure him as a good mother should treasure her children." Marzia stroked her thumb along Kagome's cheekbone. Her voice took a pleading tone. "Don't end up like me, child. Don't become so focused on what you believe isn't there, that you forget what is. Don't turn your back on love. We lose the ones we care the most about - it's a fact of life. It's how we treat them when they're with us that really matters. Kagome..." Kagome bit her lip roughly. "Please...don't end up like me. Don't take for granted...hate will consume you. You're too good for that. I know that under all your pain, you are an astounding young woman. I care for you, and I don't want to see you hurt any more. You're like the daughter I always wanted."

Kagome opened her mouth, and for a moment, nothing came out.

"I did it," she said suddenly. "It was me." Marzia's brows came together in a sign of confusion.

"What was-"

"I'm the one who killed your son." For some reason, Kagome had to get this off her chest. She could stand it no longer. Perhaps if Marzia knew the truth about herself, about her monstrous past, the vampress would abandon her like everyone else had. Perhaps she would go away and take all her words of love that struck Kagome's heart so deeply with her.

Marzia sat back. She looked down and a tear fell into her clasped hands.

"I know," she said.

"What?" Kagome felt numb. "How could you possibly have known?"

"I knew it was you not long after Sesshoumaru made me open up my house to you. Something about the way you carried yourself, your mannerisms," Marzia chuckled humorlessly. "Your hatred for the vampire kind. I just knew you had to be the feared Shi's Messenger. My son's killer." Kagome shook her head in disbelief.

"Why didn't you do something...why didn't you try to kill me, and avenge his death?"

"I thought about it," Marzia said, gazing softly at Kagome. "I thought about it a lot. I was thinking about it when I challenged you to that duel." Kagome remembered. She had been snooping around, for lack of a better word, and had found Marzia's dojo and seen her Ôdachi longsword. Marzia challenged her to a duel and Kagome had warily accepted. It was a long and grueling spar of weapons and skill. Ultimately, Kagome had one, barely. "I was hoping I could gain the upper hand, find a weakness and exploit it. I was hoping to kill you." Only part of Kagome was surprised at Marzia's words. She had had her suspicions originally, but hearing it come out of the vampress' lips - as well as the reason why - drilled home. "That was Alessandro's sword. I figured it was a fitting death for you - dying by his mother's hands and the tip of his blade. But then I saw you fighting. It was...beautiful. You were so full of life, determination, focus. It was almost like seeing my dear Alessandro again. He was a passionate swordsman. I just couldn't do it," she said, taking Kagome's hand into her own once more. "I knew you had murdered him, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

"Marzia," Kagome said faintly, "I don't know what to-"

"It's late," she interrupted. "You have about a half an hour to sleep before you must leave for Russia." Kagome didn't know what to say. She continued to stare. Marzia smiled and ran her thumb over Kagome cheek before hastily bringing it down to her side again. "You don't have to say anything. Now go, rest. You'll need all your strength."

Kagome stood without a word. She left as Marzia had told her too. She cast one look back over her shoulder to see the elegant vampress watching her.

"Follow the hallway back the way you came, two rights and then a left." Marzia said.

Kagome nodded and walked back up the dark hallway, listening to the fading chanting with an odd sense of finality.

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Thanks for stopping by to read the first of many installments in Part Two of the Kyuuketsuki series! (<<< sound like a salesperson, haha). This chapter is a bit of refresher for those who might have been away for a while. I'm quite happy with it actually. I'm not catholic, but the way, so sorry if I offend anyone by skewering your religion! XD

The next chapter will bring a bit more of the action back into the story *laughs evilly* (Not THAT kind of action, you pervs! Haha). But I can promise, it's going to be really good. Until then, later!

RRRREEEEEEVVVVIIEEEWWWWWW!!!!