InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Black Hole ❯ Peace at Last ( Chapter 2 )

~*Disclaimer: You think Inuyasha'll be up on e-bay anytime soon? Until then, no, I don't own it.

Peace at Last

Kikyou stood at the same area where Inuyasha had left, following her soul snatcher to find Kagome. She stared silently at the spot where he had disappeared, and this time, she knew.

She knew that he was never coming back.

It was the last time she would directly meet him.

Kikyou had finally lost him to her reincarnation.

But strangely enough, this didn't fill the dead miko with hatred and jealousy like it would have in the past.

When she had died, approximately fifty years ago, her last emotions had been a terrible sadness over Inuyasha's betrayal, and a burning hatred. But the hatred wasn't directed at Inuyasha, like everybody, including herself, had first assumed. It had been thrown at Kikyou herself, for letting her emotional barriers fall in the presence of the hanyou. It had been directed at herself for falling in love with him.

For falling for his tricks.

But there had also been an underlying layer of happiness.

She had finally been set free from her duties as the protector of the Shikon no Tama. The jewel would be burned with her body, and she would be free from its confines. A small part of her had felt disgust at dropping her duties as the miko of her village so quickly.

But she hadn't chosen that life.

She had been picked for it by the previous priestess before she passed on.

She understood that now.

After Kikyou had been brought back from the spirit world, she had learned that Naraku was the one to have deceived her and Inuyasha. Incidentally enough, it had been that girl who had told her. The girl who had been slowly falling in love with Inuyasha.

At first, Kikyou had not believed her, thinking it was only a lie to get her to free the hanyou in her grasp, but then she had talked to her younger sister.

Kaede had grown so much wiser in the past fifty years. She was an old woman. And Kikyou had a body that would keep eternally young.

Kaede had confirmed what Kagome had told Kikyou, and the swirling emotions in Kikyou's heart had become even more confused.

Inuyasha had not betrayed her. They had been deceived by a hanyou named Naraku, who was the product of the dark wishes of Onigumo. She had no reason to hate the inu-hanyou, yet she did. But she also felt a deep love for him.

Love and hatred.

One cannot exist without the other.

Kikyou needed time to think.

So that was why she had kept her distance from the shard-hunting group.

She had to get her feelings sorted out.

Sometimes, the dead miko wondered how her reincarnation could be so happy, even when the man she loved was pining after another woman. She wondered why Kagome had not only helped her in several occasions, but also even saved her life after she had been knocked into the river of miasma. Even when she had made several attempts on the girl's life, she always bounced right back and kept on a happy disposition.

Ever since Kagome had healed her, there had been a warmth in her chest that just wouldn't go away. Over the months, the warmth had spread through her soul, and had calmed the miko down considerably. When the young girl had healed her, she had had no doubts about her decision, or Kikyou would not have been saved.

That had baffled the undead woman.

But she now understood how the girl could be so caring, so emotional.

She confronted her feelings, and accepted them for what they were.

She was not afraid to admit her own faults, using them to grow stronger.

She hadn't been afraid to love Inuyasha, even though she knew that in the end, all that could come out of it was a broken heart.

She had been able to trust the boy, even though he was a hanyou.

It was in that way that Kagome had always been a purer person than Kikyou could ever be.

The miko leaned up against the trees and tilted her head back. Her youkai soared around her, and one brought forth a glowing ball. Reaching out, she prepared to bring absorb the soul, but her fingers stopped centimetres away from it. Dropping her hand, Kikyou sighed and looked sadly at her body.

Her body was made of clay.

It was not meant to be alive, and was kept mobile only though using the souls of dead women.

Kikyou had died fifty some years ago.

She had passed to the afterlife, expecting to see Inuyasha, but he hadn't been there.

He hadn't died.

Instead, he had only been sealed, and was eventually freed.

He'd moved on. He was no longer hers to take.

But she was still stuck in the same position, and would forever be, until she faded from the physical world.

With a sweep of her delicate hand, Kikyou sent away all of her soul catchers. Obeying their mistress, they flew, one by one, away into the depths of the forest, never to be seen again.

The miko smiled a true smile and closed her eyes as she waited for her freedom.

Soon, the souls began to wear off, and she could feel the energy leaving the clay vessel.

It wouldn't be soon before the body would crack, and break into pieces.

Several long lines appeared over Kikyou's skin as it dried up.

There was no pain, for she could not feel it.

She opened grey eyes one last time, and kept the calm smile upon her face. She was leaving, for good this time.

The body slowly crackled into dust, and all that remained was a small white ball of light. It hovered above the dusts for a few moments before fading out of this world.

Kikyou had finally found true peace.

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[The second installment for 'Black Hole', and the third should be up, if not today, then tomorrow!]