InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Soul Within ❯ To Exchange ( Chapter 23 )

Something to Think About: A ship in a harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

 

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The Soul Within

Chapter 23

 

Kikyo blinked. “In exchange for your life?” she repeated in disbelief.

 

Kagome nodded firmly. “That's not a problem, is it?” It wasn't really a question and Kikyo knew that.

 

Kikyo couldn't help but give Kagome a small smile. “You're just full of surprises…”

 

“Why, thank you,” said Kagome dryly.

 

“It wasn't necessarily a compliment. Why on earth would you even consider doing such a foolish thing?”

 

“Why not?”

 

Kikyo looked annoyed. “You can't answer a simple question?”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes. “This is coming from the queen of answering questions with questions. How do you like it?”

 

Kikyo sighed and didn't say anything for a long time. She simply flicked her gaze from Kagome to Inuyasha.

 

Inuyasha didn't look as bad as he had earlier. He actually looked a lot better. His cheeks had colour in them, he wasn't sweating, and his breathing was deep and even. Kagome did a quick scan of his upper body and was shocked to find that the miasma was dissipating. Was he really going to be okay?

 

“He's much better you know,” Kikyo said quietly. “You don't have to give your life to save him from the poison. He will be fine on his own.”

 

Kagome glared at the miko in front of her. “If he is so much better, than why is he still human? That cannot be good news for him.”

 

Kikyo shook her head. “You really don't know that much about this curse, Kagome.” Ignoring the younger girl's look of offence, she continued, “This spell is not as simple as human-to-youkai and vice versa. In fact, it does not precisely have anything to do with that. What it has to do with is the transport of demonic energy.”

 

“…I don't understand.”

 

“Which is why I am explaining,” said Kikyo. “It is really quite simple.”

 

“Nothing is simple.”

 

Kikyo ignored her. “Demons have demonic auras, and humans have no demonic auras. The spell merely transports the two each day and night. Inuyasha is a hanyou, which means that he becomes a human once a month-”

 

“I didn't know that,” Kagome said interestedly.

 

Kikyo raised her eyebrows. “If you don't know anything about youkai and hanyou, how can you ever hope to defeat them when you come across them in battle?”

 

“I have never had the need to kill a hanyou, and all youkai have the same weakness to purification power,” Kagome said in a tone that she would use to explain a trivial matter to a child. “There's no great science about it.”

 

“Battle is not always black and white.”

 

“I know that now,” Kagome said softly, thinking of her battle with Naraku. “You were saying?”

 

“Where was I?”

 

“Human once a month.”

 

“That's right. Inuyasha becomes human once a month, so his aura disappears for that time. Therefore, turning human is nothing new to him and has no harmful effect on him. Turning youkai however…his has never experienced it before this curse and because of that, he cannot control the immense power that is flooded into him.”

 

“Inuyasha is still human right now because that same immense power was used to keep him alive…instead of turning youkai. That is why he is better.”

 

“So tomorrow he will turn into a youkai again,” Kagome said tiredly.

 

“Correct,” said Kikyo nodding. She paused and then added. “His time runs out in about seven days. There is truly no point in saving him.”

 

Kagome glared at the miko before her. “You're so cruel,” she whispered. “You came back to life just to inflict pain on others.”

 

Kikyo shook her head. “Back then, Inuyasha was just as cruel, if not more so.”

 

“That was then and this is now!” Kagome exclaimed.

 

Kikyo smiled sadly. “And that applies to me as well.” After a pause, she added, “In fact, I brought you here because I had hoped that you could break the curse.”

 

Kagome was astonished. “What could I ever do? Why do you even care about Inuyasha?” she asked in genuine curiosity.

 

Kikyo shook her head. “It's much more selfish than that Kagome. For years I have led young women here, but only you have stayed so long. The others were either killed by youkai Inuyasha or ran away as soon as they were possibly able to. Why did I bring these women you ask?” She sighed. “You cannot gain anything in life without sacrificing something else. When I cursed Inuyasha, I was foolish and naive…”

 

“I had the sacred jewel in my possession for a long time,” she continued. “It was my duty as a shrine maiden to protect it from anything and anyone impure. However…that day, I allowed darkness to contaminate my soul. I wished on the Shikon no Tama to live long enough to curse Inuyasha.”

 

Kagome gazed in shock at the seemingly untouchable miko, who now looked very frail and powerless. “What happened?” she asked softly.

 

“The jewel holds the soul of a miko and the souls of many youkai. The theory is that if one communicates a pure wish, the miko will be freed and the youkai purified. If not, the youkai will twist the desire so that the wisher is punished too.” Her eyes hardened. “I got my wish. I will live as long as Inuyasha is cursed.”

 

Kagome didn't know what to say at first. “So will you transfer the curse or won't you?” she finally asked. “If I bear the curse, you will be freed from your selfish wish.”

 

“And you will die almost immediately. Your human soul will not be able to handle the demonic aura within it and it will, literally, tear you apart.”

 

“I don't care!” Kagome exclaimed in annoyance. “I really don't! Will you do it?”

 

Kikyo looked away for a few minutes and didn't speak. Kagome tried to be patient. Finally, Kikyo said, “What about memories?”

 

“I beg your pardon?”

 

“Do you want Inuyasha to have memories of you?” she asked simply.

 

Kagome's eyes widened. She had never even considered… “No,” Kagome answered, shaking her head. “And not any of the others either. The last thing that I want is for any of them to feel any guilt. This is my decision and mine alone. I know that Sango and Miroku will take care of Shippo and Amaya, and Inuyasha can finally be free. That's what I want.”

 

Kikyo raised an eyebrow. “Such a noble act. One might even call it the purest act.”

 

Could she mean…no. This was Kikyo. Kagome laughed humourlessly. “If that were so, the curse would already be removed.”

 

“And knowing that this will not break the curse, do you still intend to go through with it?” Kikyo asked seriously.

 

“Absolutely.”

 

“Why?”

 

Kagome looked directly into Kikyo's unwavering gaze. Very slowly and clearly, she said, “Because I love him.” A peaceful smile settled on her lips. Kaede, her father…everyone had seen it before she had, but she now knew that it was true. She had fallen deeply in love with Inuyasha. He was her first love, her only love. But despite that, it was true love.

 

Unbeknownst to Kagome, a small tear trickled down Kikyo's cheek. “He wouldn't want you to, you know.”

 

“Which is why you are wiping his memories,” Kagome said, trying to be apathetic to the whole situation, and failing miserably.

 

“He loves you,” said Kikyo, regaining her composure.

 

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and looked away. “Stop,” she said in a choked-up voice. “Stop it. Don't say that.” She shook her head. “I can't bear to hear it when I know that it's not true.”

 

“But-”

 

“Stop!” Kagome yelled. At Kikyo's surprised look, she turned to look at Inuyasha and gently took his hand in hers. “I have already decided.”

 

“I really thought that you were the one,” Kikyo said, sounding disappointed. “But I will grant your wish. Simply remove the rosary and it will fly onto your neck, thereby transferring the curse to you. The moment you die, your body will vanish and Inuyasha will forget all about you.”

 

Ouch.

 

Kami, when she said it like that, it hurt so much.

 

Kagome nodded bravely. “Thank you,” she said softly. She looked at Inuyasha's peaceful face. Long eyelashes, perfect eyebrows, pale pink lips…he was perfect in everyway. Kami, she wanted to kiss him. She really, really did. But she couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to either of them. She raised her shaking hands to the collar around his neck.

 

“I love you,” she whispered to him, before lifting the rosary over his head.

 

It glowed with coal-black light with a faint grey border as it rose into the air. Nearly hypnotized, Kagome glued her eyes to it and watched as it flew over to her and set itself gently on her shoulders.

 

She was completely unprepared for the first spasm of pain.

 

It shot through her like a bolt of lightning and left her powerless to move over the course of the next couple of seconds.

 

She felt lightheaded.

 

“What…just happened?” she whispered weakly.

 

“I wasn't joking when I said you had a few minutes to live,” said Kikyo simply. “I must go now.” She vanished into a light pink mist.

 

Another ripple of pain ripped through her small body, lasting a few seconds longer than the previous.

 

She gasped harshly and her body hit the ground.

 

Pain.

 

Pain.

 

Pain.

 

Her back against the dewy grass, her raven hair spread out around her head, her chest heaving up and down in attempt to draw in more air…her end was near.

 

And Inuyasha chose that moment to finally open his eyes.

 

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A/N: Next chapter is the last one! ^_^ Unless I get descriptive and split it into two chapters. :P Hope that you enjoyed!