Shattered Soul
Summary: “You see?” he whispered softly, sending ripple down her spine. “He left you for her. He left you alone to the beasts of the night.” Though her heart did not what to accept what he said, she knew that it was true. He had left her… in the tangled web of the spider.
NC: Got this idea after reading Episode 14 of the Fushigi Yugi manga! I do not own Inuyasha or any of the songs in this fic! Enjoy!
“Speech”
‘Thoughts’
Alter and Demonic Egos
(Notes)
Chapter 1: Fragments of a Shattered Soul
Day slowly faded away to night, allowing one world to fall into the realms of slumber and another to rise to plane of life. The light of the sun silently faded over the snow-kissed mountains as the light of the silvery moon caused the valleys below to glow with a soft light. Creatures of the day laid in their dens while the beasts of the night took to the earth and skies. Hundreds of fireflies began to emerge from wherever they slept while the light’s relic was high in the heavens to dance in the light of the pale moon. A gentle breeze played across the forests, causing their limbs to dance and their leaves to sing with radiant joy. Everything was blissfully peaceful and serene, which caused Kagome Higarashi’s troubled mind to settle in a more calm state.
After what had seemed like an endless amount of hours, Kagome and the others had finally convinced their arrogant “leader” to stop and rest for the night. The group had been traveling since daybreak with very little rest or time to stop. The only reason why the Inu hanyou was this aggressive in the march was the fact that Naraku was getting further and further away from his sword and the fact that they had very little time to complete the Shikon no Tama before the evil hanyou could complete it himself and wish for immortality. But, as any great leader should know, he could not command a group that was exhausted from traveling such long distances. After much debate, the group had finally convinced him that they should stop and rest for the night.
Miroku, the cursed monk, had created a fire to keep them warm and safe from insects while Sango, the youkai slayer, went into the nearby wood to find fresh, easy game to cook. Shippo, the kitsune cubs sat in front of the fire and practiced his Fox Fire magic in hopes to protect his nearly found mother, Kagome the miko. And as for their leader, Inuyasha sat in a high tree, his golden eyes scanning the area, ever watchful for any sign of danger. As for Kagome herself, she had managed to sneak off onto a nearby hill that sat under the glittering heavens. She laid there in the soft grass, arms under head and one leg onto of another, her sapphire eyes glowing with the light of the stars as her mind wandered over her life.
Nearly three years had passed since that fateful day that was called her sixteenth birthday. On that very day, what had started out as a normal day of ceremonial worship in her family temple had turned into a nightmare that shattered her view of life forever. It all began when a demonic creature emerged from her family’s sacred well and dragged her down into its dark depths. It was then did she find herself tossed into a world where demon’s reigned, in a time that was not her own. There, she met a rather rude and arrogant boy by the name of Inuyasha, a man with the blood of a human and Inu youkai running through his veins. He had been pinned to a tree by his human lover more than fifty years ago when the two were betrayed by one another over the possession of the most sacred and powerful relic of all time.
The Shikon no Tama, a beautiful gem no larger than a marble. A gem that held such infinite power that it could grant the wielder a single wish. A gem that had been hidden away in Kagome’s body until the demon that kidnapped her from her own time ripped it from her flesh to claim it as its own. It was then did she discover the holy powers locked within her soul. The powers of the miko whose spirit she held in her own body. The woman who had pinned the hanyou Inuyasha to a tree. However, the unlocking of her powers proved disastrous. When a crow youkai swallowed the Shikon no Tama, she had used her powers to strike an arrow into the beast’s body, effectively causing the youkai to die and the Shikon to shatter into a hundred pieces which were scattered across the land.
Now, three years later, she finds herself traveling with the man that once tried to kill her as well as newly discovered friends, each one with the same goals in mind. The reclaim the Shikon no Kakkera and make the sacred gem whole once more. But ever adventure has its dangers.
Such a danger was Naraku, a hanyou born from the greed and lust of a bandit who fell in love with Inuyasha dead lover fifty years ago. A hanyou of such cruelty that he would curse an innocent man to a life of fear and raise the dead body of a woman’s little brother to torment her aching soul.
A soft sigh escaped Kagome’s chest as she felt a small headache begin to form in the back of her skull. She shifted herself to that her arms propped herself upwards as she glanced down at the camp below. Sango had returned with three freshly killed rabbits and was currently cleaning them from their hides and innards. With a small grunt, Kagome lifted herself up from the ground and dusted off any dirk and grass that had collected onto her skirt. Then, with one last look at the stars, began to walk down the hill and back into the camp. As her footsteps echoed in the grass, she could feel Inuyasha’s cold gaze upon her. As of late, he had been treating her as if she were a mere tool at his disposal. She knew that Kikyo was behind it. As she neared the small fire pit, Shippo looked up at her with bright, innocent eyes.
“Okka-san!” he shouted with joy, hugging her leg. Kagome smiled softly and ran her hand through his orange hair affectionately. She then bent down and scooped him into her arms. As she cradled the small youkai against her chest, she could feel Inuyasha’s piercing gaze as well as his growing irritation.
“Where the hell have you been?” he growled darkly. Kagome turned her head so that she glanced at him.
“Sorry, Inuyasha.” Her voice held sarcasm. “Didn’t know that you needed me so much.”
“Feh! Like I would need you!” he growled darkly as he leaned against the bark of the tree, his arms cross over his chest. “I’m just saying that if a youkai had decided to make a meal out of you, we would all be screwed since you are the only that can sense the Kakkera.”
This caused a small frown to cross over her face. ‘You don’t have to make it out as if that was all I was good for, Inuyasha…’ Her gaze moved to the cold ground below. ‘Then again… Maybe that’s all I’m good for.’
“What’s wrong, okka?” Kagome looked down into the sad eyes of her concerned pup.
“Nothing, Shippo.” She smiled softly. “It’s nothing. Would you like to help me prepare dinner?” Shippo’s eyes instantly brightened as he began to nod his head with vigor. She sat him back down onto the ground. “Shippo, I’m going to make a special stew but I’m going to need some fish. Now… who is brave enough to venture to the river and get me some fish?” Shippo puffed out his chest in an attempt to show Kagome that he was “worthy” enough for such a quest. Kagome smiled and ran her hand though his hair again. She then turned to Miroku. “Miroku?”
“Yes, Kagome-sama?”
“Will you take Shippo to the river and watch over him as he fishes?”
“Of course, my lady.” He smiled at Shippo who was still puffing out his chest. “Let’s go, Shippo-sama. Our quest awaits.” He gave Kagome a wink and then began to lead Shippo towards the nearby river. Kagome gave a soft chuckle before walked over to Sango, who had finished skinning and cleaning the three hares that she had caught earlier. As she neared, Sango looked up at Kagome with a bright smile.
“That was a cute display, Kagome.” Her smile turned to a slight smirk. “A grand quest huh?”
“Oh, huh.” She gave Sango a playful shove. “They enjoyed it.” Sango smiled softly and then began to cut the cleaned meat into even chunks. As she did so, Kagome pulled a small pot out of her bag and several bottles of water. As placed the pot on a small rack that had been placed over the fire and began to empty the water into it. Once this was done, she began to dig out several spices from her bag as well as some mushrooms she had plucked a few hours before. She placed the spices and the mushrooms into the slowly bubbling water and began to stir it until it became creamy. As the aroma began to waft across the campsite, Sango lifted her nose and gave a deep breath.
“Wow, Kagome! It smells so good.” Kagome blushed lightly at the slayers praise.
“Thanks, Sango. It’s a recipe that my mother taught me a few years ago. I wanted to try it out.” Kagome continued to stir the creamy broth, sprinkling a few more spices when necessary. Several minutes later, Shippo and Miroku returned. Shippo was completely drenched with water as he carried three nice sized fish, two in each hand and one larger fish clamped in his teeth. Miroku looked down at Shippo with obvious pride in his eyes. With a pleased smile, Kagome took the fish and praised him deeply on his success. She then began to clean and filet the fish into small even cubes.
Once this was done, she dropped both the fish and the rabbit chunks into the broth and began to stir it, adding a few more spices. For nearly ten minutes she did this, stirring it constantly to keep the stew from burning, sampling it every now and then to see if she needed to add anything else to it. Once she was pleased at its taste, she distributed the stew into three large bowls and two smaller ones for Shippo and Kirara. With a silent prayer, the group began to eat their meal in silence… well, almost quietly. Inuyasha was stuffing his face as much and fast as he could, making a rather irritated and loud slurping noise.
“Wow!” cried out Shippo with blissful joy. “This is great, okka-san!”
“Bah!” scoffed Inuyasha as he continued to scarf down the stew. “How can you like this stuff?!”
Miroku looked at him with a wearily smile. “But, Inuyasha… you’re stuffing your face.”
“Shadup!”
The remainder of the meal fell into silence with an occasional word or two. Inuyasha had the honor of finishing the stew. Partly because nobody wanted to fight with the ill-tempered hanyou but mostly because everyone else was full and couldn’t eat another bite. Soon, the only thing that could be heard was the sounds of the fire crackling. Sango, Miroku, and Kagome sat around the fire while Shippo laid curled in his mother’s lap and Inuyasha returned to his tree limb. In the sweet silence, Kagome stared deeply into the fire as she gently rubbed Shippo’s soft tail. Thoughts of the past, present, and future ran through her once more troubled mind. For the pass few years, she had been trying to find a solution to her problem. Living the life of a miko in the past and a normal school girl in the future was become increasingly difficult. Her grandfather was running out of excuses for her extended absences and her work load was beginning to get pile on her.
And the pressure of what was to happen after the Shikon was complete was become heavier with each passing day. As far as she knew she had a total of three options, if she was lucky. Option number one was to go back to her own time and continue her life there. However, this was a rather depressing thought since she did know if she could leave her second family. Number two was to live in the feudal era, but that had a major flaw too. She didn’t know if she could leave her mother, little brother, or her grandfather. The last option, and the most unlikely of the bunch, was to live a duel life. The life of a miko and a school girl, but somehow she knew that the pressure would be too great for her to handle. The thought alone made her head throb painfully. Kagome gave a small sigh. A life of normality and boredom or a life of adventure and danger.
Decisions… Decisions…
She gave another sigh and closed her eyes. Nothing seemed simple anymore.
As her mind wandered over her future, a deep shiver ran over her spine, causing her to clutch her arms. It felt as if a pair of eyes were barring into her skin. A feeling that seemed real and unforgiving.
XXXXX
Darkness consumed her entire being as the cries of her loving friends tore at her soul. She raced through the haunting trees, following the trail of crimson life that streamed across the cold earth below. She left a liquid run down the sides of her face. Whether it was sweat, tears, or blood, she did not know. All that mattered to her was reaching her friend before it was too late. As she burst from the wood and into the valley, her stomach lurched in pain. Blood was splattered everywhere as the remains of her beloved family laid scattered across the grassy vale. She raised her hand over her mouth to keep herself from vomiting and screaming. Blood pooled together crating a crimson lake as bodies laid stone across the earth like rag dolls. Sango’s body laid sliced in half as her own weapon was coated in her blood. Miroku was leaned against a large rock, his right hand sliced cleaning off and an arrow projecting from his forehead. All that remained of Kirara was completely unidentifiable. And Shippo, sweet innocent Shippo, was tossed to the ground, his body torn apart and his head missing from the rest of his body.
Tears streamed from her sapphire eyes, she let out a scream that shook the very earth and sky. As her knees gave out and she fell to the ground, the sounds of heavy footsteps echoed in the night. No more than twenty feet away from her was a silver haired demon with blood filled eyes. Directly behind him was another, more feminine figure cloaked in darkness. All she could see was the dark smirk that played across the shadow’s face as the demon tossed a large, round object in her direction. As it rolled across the ground and rested at her knees, her heart gave a single beat as her soul shattered. Her eyes screamed with fear and anger as she stared into the dead eyes of her beloved youkai son. As she looked back at the demon, he held up a large sword and lunged towards her, blood lust filling those terrifying eyes.
XXXXX
With a sharp gasp, Kagome shot up from the ground and into a sitting position, causing little Shippo to roll off of her lap. Hearing the soft thud of his body hitting the grass, she looked sharply down to see that the impact nether awakened or harmed the young boy. Instead, he gave a loud snort and rolled over onto his side. Kagome’s eyes then shifted from her sleeping pup over to Sango and Miroku. The two of them slept close by, Sango’s head on Miroku’s. A deep, low sigh escaped her chest as she realized that all she had seen was nothing more than a bad dream. As she forced her heart and breath back into their normal tempos, she glanced upwards to see Inuyasha standing on the highest tree branch, his eyes staring intensely into the woods, unaware of the eyes watching him. Kagome shifted her glance to see what he was seeing.
Her breath caught in her throat as she saw silvery dragon-spirits weaving across the diamond sky. Never in a hundred years would she ever forget those spirits. Those spirits that would in the end cause great harm. They were the Soul Collectors that followed in Kikyo’s wake.
“Kikyo…” Even as the word sunk into Kagome’s soul, she was not sure that he had said it at all. The word was so soft that it could have been a mere whisper in the wind. But, as the hanyou launched himself from the tree branch and sped into the woods, Kagome became fully aware that what she heard was no a figment of her imagination and her fears were confirmed. Once more, the hanyou was speeding into the arms of his dead lover’s vessel. As silent as a ghost, the young miko lifted herself up from the ground and pulled a small blanket from her backpack. After gently placing it over her son’s still snoring body. She then tiptoed past the sleeping couple and took one last look at her companions. Somehow… it felt as if it truly was the last time. She quickly shook that thought from her mind and began to walk into the wood that Kikyo awaited Inuyasha.
As quietly as she could muster, she dipped under low branches and avoided any fallen limbs and raised roots. The smell of moss and late-evening dew filled her senses as the shifting moon guided her way with its silver light. Her heart pound heavily as she wandered further and further into the forest. After several minutes of walking, she noticed that the light was blinking away.
She stopped and glanced upwards to see that the canopy had grown thicker, allowing very little light to shine down to the cold earth. Keeping one hand against the trees, Kagome stumbled her way through the dense trees, occasionally bumping into other trees or tripping over raised roots. It wasn’t until she was five minutes away from where the light began to dwindle did she fell it. A cold numbing, darkness blanketed the air around her, causing everything to feel icy to the touch. As a deep, sharp shiver ran up the length of her spine, she stopped and began to try and get the feeling back in her numb arms. She also noticed how quiet it had become. The birds of the night had ceased their melodies and insects had silenced their songs. Even the wind died down. Everything was silent.
She then felt a ho breath splay across the flesh of her neck, causing her to turn around sharply to see who was behind her. However, all she could see were the shadows of the trees and vines that hung from their branches. Her eyes widened with fright as instinctual fear rose from its dormancy. The sudden brush of fingertips though her hair caused her to turn back around, only to be once again met by darkness. The echo of a deep, amused chuckled caused her heart to stop all together. She knew that voice. It was the voice that plagued her thoughts and memories of both the day and night. A voice that promised a future of pain and death. It then hit her. The air around her grew thick and nauseating. It reminded her of a poison, one that would not kill its victim but rather torture it. But what made it worst was the fact that it held his scent. The scent of lilacs in a pond of blood. As the chuckle deepened, Kagome began to turn in a circle, trying to find the source of the voice. She stopped dead when she found herself staring into his bloody depths.
Though she had not caught sight of him for many months now, she could never forget his features. Long raven hair that cascaded down well built shoulders, setting off those wine colored eyes as they bore into a person’s very soul. He wore his traditional dark violet and black kimono, but she found it odd that he did not have that hideous baboon skull and pellet hiding his true face. But what caught and held her attention the most was the aura that whipped around his body. It was blacker than any night she had ever faced and it was tainted by the blood of innocents. But no matter how hard he tried, no puppet could share this much aura, which meant but one thing.
Standing before her was Naraku… in the flesh and blood.
Seeing her fear in her eyes, Naraku smiled warmly. “Well, well, well… Look what we have here.” His silky smooth voice washed over her skin, causing her flesh to shiver. To her, it sounded like rich, dark chocolate… if a voice could be described by a food. “A young miko out on a moonlit stroll? And all alone too? This night is just full of surprises.”
“W-What do you w-want?” she forced herself to ask. In her heart, she knew that he was going to kill her and take the Kakkera that she held. She tried to hide the fear that was so obviously flowing from her, but she knew that she was failing miserably. She balled her fists and gave him an aggressive glare. It was times like these that she wished she had never left her bow back at the camp. “I-If you want the Kakkera, then you can forget it!” Not that he could have taken them anyway since she had left them in her bag. The murderous hanyou raised his hands as if to indicate that he meant no harm to her.
“Now, now… No need to get violent, my dear. I am not here for the Kakkera. At least, not yet. No, I’m here for something much… larger.” Kagome forced herself to relax slightly as she felt her head begin to spin. She had locked her knees which caused the blood flow to her brain to stop. She was now very mad at the fact that she was so stupid not to even consider taking her bow with her when she stepped into the dark forest. She knew that by tonight her life was most likely to be at its end. She doubted that Inuyasha would even care. Naraku’s voice brought her back to reality. “My question remains, miko. What are you doing out here all alone? Is that hanyou around? Or did he leave you for… someone else?”
His smile deepened when she flinched slightly. She shifted her gaze to the ground to try and hide her shame. “I-I don’t know…” It was the sound of footsteps that forced her to look back up. Naraku was circling her, making low, inaudible comments as if he was… inspecting her. She made sure to never leave his eyes. A glimmer of dark light shinned in the dark depths of those eyes, causing another shiver to run down her spine. They reminded her of a cat playing with its prey before finally ending its misery. He then stopped directly in front of her and raised his arm to point southwards.
“If you seek your precious hanyou… he’s that way. Though… I very much doubt you will like what you see.” Never leaving his gaze, Kagome began to inch backwards. Seeing that he was not making any movement to stop her, she spun around and began to run south as fast as her legs would go. Trees seemed to pass by like a blur as she raced through the darkness. The darkness slowly began to fade as the canopy began to break apart, revealing the fading light of the slowly falling moon. She made no attempt to shied her face from the lower branches that nicked at her frail skin. Anything that got in her legs’ way she clearly jumped over it without a thought. All that ran through her mind was Naraku’s haunting words.
‘If you seek your precious hanyou… he’s that way. Thought… I very much doubt you will like what you see.’ He had to be lying. Yet, in her heart, she knew that it was a true. As the sounds of voices began to ring in the forest, she slowed her neck breaking pace to a slow, silent walk. Words soon turn to grunts as she fell upon a clearing. She silently moved through the trees and hid behind a large Oak that looked over the clearing. What she saw made her heart stopped with a single, hard beat. There, lying on the ground was Inuyasha and below him Kikyo. Though they had their clothes on, their movements and grunts made it all to painful to Kagome what they were doing. She raised her hand to her mouth as she felt vomit rise to her throat.
“Poor little miko.” Naraku’s soothing voice did not cause her fear for once. She did not tear her eyes away from the sight of Inuyasha claiming Kikyo as his mate. She did not see the smirk or gleam in the evil hanyou’s eyes. He placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her to flinch. “You see?” he whispered softly, sending ripple down her spine. “He left you for her. He left you alone to the beasts of the night.” Though her heart did not what to accept what he said, she knew that it was true. He had left her… in the tangled web of the spider. She felt the hanyou behind her usher her away from the scene, a movement that she did not deny. He gently guided her away from the clearing and didn’t stop until they were clearly away from Inuyasha and his new mate. Once they stopped, Naraku moved in front of Kagome so that he could take in her sight. Her head was dipped low but she could clearly see her grit teeth. Her hands were balled into tight fists, causing her arms to tremble with rage. He could practically taste the anger that whipped around her. A dark smile played across his lips.
“What will you do now? Will you risk being with him, trying to deny what you saw? You know what Kikyo wants… and he will do anything for his mate.” This caused Kagome’s anger to rise. Kikyo wanted the one thing that she could not have. When she had died more than fifty years ago, her soul was reincarnated into Kagome five hundred years later. But when Kikyo was brought back to life, a part of her soul was taken from Kagome’s body. Now, Kikyo wanted the remainder of her soul… at any means necessary. She would not allow that. She would not give up what was rightfully hers to that… that… dead whore. “Or…” Naraku continued. “Are you willing to make a deal with the devil himself?” This caused Kagome to look up. She stared into those blood filled eyes with that of the ocean’s fury.
“What… kind of deal?” He chuckled softly as she heard the anger dripping from her voice. His eyes then grew dark as lust and hunger filled his bloody depths.
“Come with me, little one. I could make you everything that you are not. Strong, courageous, powerful.” He began to circle Kagome once more. His voice became low and hypnotic. “I could give you everything. The power to claim what is yours, the rule of a kingdom…” He stopped and gently caressed the side of her face with his cold hand. “The love that you were denied.”
His last statement caused Kagome to shove his hand away and back away from the hanyou. No matter how much she hated Inuyasha, no matter how much she wanted to see Kikyo suffer for all the trouble she had caused, she could not become this… this… thing’s plaything. He saw this in her eyes and looked up to the sky. The moon was already sinking over the trees, but he could still see its fullness. He then looked back at Kagome and began to fade into the darkness of the forest.
“You do not have to answer now.” His voice faded along with his body. “I give you will the next full moon in a month’s time. Then, I return for your answer. If yes, you shall be granted whatever you desire. If no… well… refusal is not an option. Until the full moon, my dear Kagome.”
One he faded into the night and his sickening miasma gave way to the pure, dew-ridden air, Kagome took in a deep breath. She had just escaped the devil’s clutches without so much as a scratch. Well… almost. As she wiped away the small rivers of blood flowing from her tree inflicted wounds, she began to walk in the direction that led to the camp site. It was then did the screaming begin. Her heart gave a painful beat as the cries echoed in full across the night. Never would she be able to forget the terror that she felt as the screams pierced the silent. They were the screams that filled her head at night and haunted her darkest dreams.
They were the screams of those who she held closest to her heart. They were the screams… of her friends dying. Kagome soon found herself once again taking flight through the trees of the forest. Pure, raw fear produced a drive that forced herself to go fast than she ever could. Darkness consumed her one more as the sun slowly began to rise over the panes and valley, leaving her in the shadows of the trees. Sweat, tears, and blood trickled down the sides of her face as a large, nauseating lump rose to her throat. She had to reach them before the nightmare became a soul shattering reality. As the screams died down in the fading night, Kagome felt herself letting out her own cry of distress. However, he’s was quickly consumed by another, more foreign scream… one that did not belong to her companions.
As she broke from the trees and into the valley, a terrifying scream ripped free from her throat that shook the very earth and sky. Blood stained the one green grass as the bodies of her most trusted friends laid strewn across the ground. The sight that her sapphire eyes took in was exactly the same as her dream. Sango’s torn body, Miroku with an arrow piercing his head, the bloody remains of Kirara. The only thing she did not see was her son’s dismembered body. She felt her knees turn into water, causing her to crumble to the ground. She placed a hand over her mouth and leaned forward slightly to keep her stomach from spewing. River of salty tears flowed from her eyes as she felt her very world shatter along with her heart. It wasn’t until she heard the faint sounds of footsteps did she look up.
There, standing no more then twenty feet away was Inuyasha and behind him, his mate, Kikyo. His eyes burned with crimson that rivaled the very color of her friends’ life blood and she could see the undeniable smirk on the dead miko’s lips. But what held her attention that most was that Inuyasha was holding something small in his hand. It was a child, but not Shippo. It was a little girl that could not have been no more than nine years old. She had long black hair and faded coco eyes that stared up into the sky for all eternity. She recognized the child, but she could not place where she knew her from.
A dark smirk played across Inuyasha’s lips as he held up the child’s body for her to see. “This little brat came before I could kill yours. The screams of the others led her to death’s embrace. Good riddance, I say.” He then tossed the lifeless body at Kagome. As she caught and held the child’s cold body in her arms, she could not help but staring into her cold eyes. She then looked up at Inuyasha and a single word escaped her tightly clenched throat.
“Why…?”
“It’s simple, Kagome.” His voice held no regret or mercy in it. “Now that Kikyo is my mate, I am oblige to do and give whatever she desires.”
“And I want my soul.” Kikyo finished, venom dripping from her voice. As Inuyasha unsheathed the Tetsuaiga, something broke within Kagome. She stared numbly at the bodies before her. Anger meld with sorrow, creating a powerful aura around her broken being. Her eyes then focused on the hanyou and his dead lover. Some many dead… by their hands. Hatred burned in her eyes as the memories of her laughing friends echoed within her soul, causing something to awaken. A blinding light erupted around her as she let out a cry that no youkai could rival. Her blood began to burn with fire as a large blast of energy caused Inuyasha to back away and Kikyo to shield her eyes. The bodies of her fallen family were instantly destroyed in the blast, except for the child’s, which laid in Kagome’s strong arms. Her scream never stopped and neither did the energy that seemed to flow from her like a waterfall. In her mind, everything seemed to fade away. All she saw was the brightness of her own power.
Kikyo saw this and turned to Inuyasha, anger and desperation burning in her dead eyes. “That b***h unlocked the power inside of her! She could kill us!”
“Not if I kill her first!”
“No! She cannot control it and that makes her dangerous! She’ll purify any youkai within her power’s radius and kill me!” As her words sunk in, Inuyasha placed the fang back into its scabbard and began to back away into the darkness of the woods. His crimson eyes stared at Kagome with a promise of death.
“Next time…” he hissed bitterly. “I will kill you, Kagome.” The two then vanished into the depths of the woods, leaving Kagome alone as the energy continued to pool from her frail body. And then… everything became still. Her cries had stopped and everything became blissfully silent. She stared upwards into the sky as the dawning light fully revealed the devastation around her. She felt empty inside. Empty and cold. She then looked down at the child she held in her arms. The b*****d had cut cleaning through her abdomen, which had bled profusely until she had nothing left to give. Placing a single hand upon the hideous wound, Kagome closed her eyes and tilted her head up as if to look at the star blinking away. A child so young and full of promises did not deserve such a fate.
“Kami…” Her voice was a soft whisper that faded with the wind. “Whatever life is left within me… give it to this child.” She waited for several minutes, but as her heart seemed to crack at her denied request, a beautiful warmth began to pulse through her racked body. It traveled up from her chest and down her arm before spilling onto the child’s body. The soft breeze began to churn and roll across her body causing her raven hair to flow around her shoulders. Kagome watched with silent awe as the little girl’s wounds began to mend themselves and the color began to return to her skin. She then felt a small thumping that could only be called a heartbeat.
As Kagome pushed more and more life into the broken body, the girl’s eyes flared to life as a deep gasp escaped her chest. She held the child closer to her body. She was beginning to feel weak and very tired, but this did not stop her from giving the child her energy until there was nothing left. As final pulse fled from Kagome and into the girl, she gave a cry of pain. The light then faded away and Kagome’s body slumped to the cold, dew-ridden earth below, her arms still wrapped protectively around the girl. The child slowly lifted her head from Kagome’s chest to take in the sights around her. Blood stained the once beautiful meadow and she found the woman that held her to lay un-breathing.
Justas she was about to scream in fear, a rustling was heard as a large youkai stepped from the trees and into the open plane. Silver hair fell majestically over broad shoulder as deep amber eyes stared at the woman and the child in her dead arms. The small child instantly pulled herself away from the miko’s touch and launched herself at the youkai. As she attached herself to his large pants le, she allowed her tears to fall.
“Sesshomaru-sama!” she cried out with both fear and relief. “Rin was so scared!” The Inu Youkai placed a clawed hand onto of her head as if to comfort her. What had began as normal morning had quickly turned into a nightmare. Sesshomaru, his servant Jaken, and his ward Rin had left the Western Castle to patrol the borders after hearing a rumor of a strange man roaming in the east most forest. He wore a dark kimono and a strange blue pellet, features that the Taiyoukai knew all to well.
The thought alone that Naraku was wandering through his lands made Sesshomaru’s inner demon growl with rage. During their time in the wood, Rin had requested to go and find some flowers. Sesshomaru had thought it to be no harm as long as she took Jaken along with her for protection. Soon after the two had departed, the wind had shifted directions and Sesshomaru noticed a fowl scent in the air. The scent of blood and a powerful hanyou unleashing its demonic powers. And it was coming from the direction and Rin had left to find flowers. Knowing that his young ward to be in danger, Sesshomaru quickly began to follow them. It wasn’t until the screaming began did he quicken his stride. There were three screams in total: a man, a woman, and then a child… a little girl. Rin. Now knowing that she was in harms destructive path, the Inu youaki tore through the woods, crashing through anything that got in his path.
As he crashed through the trees and neared the source, he felt a wave of raw energy pass through the forest, causing him to stumble backwards. Several of the weaker trees here uprooted and the stronger ones groaned in pain. He turned his head to see a bright ball of light erupt from the nearby meadow. As he neared it, he could smell three distinct scents: a hanyou in rage, a dead woman, and another woman filled win anger and power. As he passed through the remaining trees, the sight before him was undoubtedly amazing.
His half brother and the woman whom he had loved fifty years ago stood near the edge of the woods and the bodies of his companions lay strewn across the earth before they were engulfed in a light that destroyed them entirely. In the center of the chaos was a young girl kneeling to the ground and hold a small bundle tightly to her chest. Sesshomaru’s eyes widened with anger as he stared into the dead eyes of his beloved ward. And then… just like that, everything became blissfully silent. The light died away, Inuyasha and his dead lover had retreated into the faded darkness, and the young girl was staring into the sky with pain. She held little Rin close to her chest and, with a silent prayer, had given her life to the child. It was then, did Sesshomaru make his presence known.
As Rin’s sobs became quiet and her hiccups died away, Sesshomaru looked down at the woman. Sapphire eyes stared numbly at his as small rivers of blood trailed from the small cuts that were inflicted upon her pale flesh. He recognized the woman to be the strange miko that traveled with his half brother. He could not think of her name, and at the moment it didn’t matter to him. To him, her death was a relief to the earth. It was one less human to worry about and one less thorn stuck in his side.
As the Taiyoukai turned to leave, Rin tightened her hold on his pants, casing him to stop. He looked down to see her staring at the woman who had given her life.
“Sesshomaru-sama…” Her voice trembled at the death around her. “Will… the pretty lady be alright?” He shook his head. “T-Then, Sesshomaru-sama will make her better, right? Rin can help! Rin helped Jaken get over his sickness!” This caused Sesshomaru to shake his head slightly. It was one thing to be sick with a small fever… another to be dead. The child had yet to learn such a lesson. He looked down to the child clutching his leg and then to the dead girl. She had given Rin life, which in a way, he owed her. This thought caused him to sigh mentally. Being around this damn child was making him too soft for his own good. Knowing that he would regret it later, Sesshomaru pulled out his own fang and placed it near the girl.
It gave a soft pulse before the spirits around her became visible. What he saw was strange to say the least. Unlike Rin and Jaken, there were no demons trying to drag her soul to the depths of hell. Instead, it was a silver serpent coiling around her body. As it realized that something was watching it, the serpent rose up its head and gave Sesshomaru a deep hiss. With a single swipe, he tore the beast in half and watched it dissolve into nothingness with a terrible cry. He then sheathed his swords and stepped away from the girl, watching.
At first, nothing seemed to happen. But then, a small light began to form from her chest. It was not as bright as the previous light, but it shinned bright enough to cause Rin to divert her eyes. The light then faded into a different color. And then another… and then another. This continued until seven different lights had flashed. Then, her body gave a sharp lurch and seven colored spheres flew from her chest and began to weave around her.
Five of them shot off into the night and the other two smacked into Sesshomaru’s chest and Rin’s forehead. As Sesshomaru clutched his chest in pain and Rin held her head, a blinding light erupted around Kagome’s body and then died away as quickly as it appeared. As everything became still once more, the two watched in silence as her body shifted as if arousing from a deep sleep. Using her arms as support, she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. Her eyes remained empty and she looked at the two before her as if they were not even there. She gently rubbed her eyes before looking into Sesshomaru’s golden depths.
“Who… are you?”
TO BE CONTINUED...
