InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Every Soul ❯ Kikyo's Desperation ( Chapter 1 )

Every Soul

 

 

Author's Note: This first chapter is not meant as a bad mouth on Kikyo as others who have read this have thought. I wanted to show (as I started to in Every Heart) just how tired and pained her soul had become and the toll it is taking on her mind. So for anyone who likes Kikyo don't freak out. ^_^ I do not own Inuyasha or any characters associated with it. I just like to take them and make them do weird things is all.

 

 

Chapter 1

 

Kikyo's Desperation

 

 

 

If one were to pass idly by the temple nestled in a clearing about 1 km from Lake Motosu, one of the five lakes of Mount Fuji, they would not likely give it a second thought, perhaps not even a first. From the outside, the temple looked like any other of it's kind scattered throughout the land. It was small with a shingled roof and wooden slat walls that looked in severe disrepair. Some of the shingles were missing from the roof and the wooden walls had several small holes in them giving to the idea that they had been victim to a termite infestation. It successfully gave off the look of neglect and abandonment. Not the type of place any self-respecting person would be seen. That's exactly how Kikyo liked it.

She had been using the derelict temple for months now, ever since a few weeks after her resurrection. She had come across the empty building during her wanderings and when she wasn't travelling the land with her soul collectors or trying to kill Inuyasha, she would sit in the lap of the gigantic statue of Buddha on the far wall of the temple and revel in the fury and hatred she felt towards Inuyasha and nearly all living things. She was there now, sitting with her knees pulled to her chest under the ever watchful and peaceful gaze of Buddha. But Kikyo felt no peace. She felt not the slightest tinge of happiness, hope, or good will. The undead priestess Kikyo felt nothing but the all consuming hatred and lust for vengeance that had haunted her since she had been brought back to life by the demented witch Urasue.

A scowl marred the once pretty face of the priestess as she thought about her latest failed attempt to kill Inuyasha and bring him to hell with her. It had gone exactly as she had planned. She had brought the demon to distract Inuyasha's annoying friends (actually she was quite hoping the demon would succeed in killing the monk and demon slayer) while she worked her magic on Inuyasha, to bring him completely under her control. She had nearly succeeded, she could feel him relaxing, his mind ungluing and losing resistance. But then SHE had come and broken the spell. That horrible girl. Her so called reincarnation. Kikyo scoffed at the thought.

“That stupid little girl.” She muttered to herself angrily. “She isn't worthy to be called my reincarnation. She doesn't have half the spiritual power that I do.”

“And yet she managed to break your spell over Inuyasha did she not?”

The voice came out of nowhere but Kikyo was not surprised. She did not even look up or move from her position on the statue.

“Naraku. I was expecting you quite some time ago. Have you come to gloat? Or is it perhaps the jewel shard you've come for?”

She did look up then to the wall where Naraku had appeared seemingly from nowhere. He sat against the wall, not draped in the baboon pelt in which he was most often seen, but in his guise to the world, that of the young Lord Kagawaki. He sat quite casually and unsmiling but at the mention of the jewel shard the left corner of his mouth twitched.

“Jewel shard? I don't believe I know what you are talking about Kikyo.”

“Oh please.” The tone of Kikyo's voice was hard but the look on her face was passive. The look of one who was having a pleasant conversation. “You have seen my power Naraku, do not insult my intelligence for I assure you, it is just as strong.” When Naraku said nothing Kikyo smiled just slightly and continued. “To come across a jewel shard lying in the middle of a field only a mile away from this sanctuary, a shard not claimed by any demon or human, just lying there waiting for someone to take it. It is an extremely fortunate coincidence don't you think?”

“Very fortunate indeed.” He just stared at her unblinking for several seconds.

Kikyo shook her head and made a sound that should have been laughter but had absolutely no humour in it. When she looked up again she still had the same passive look on her face but her eyes were shining. “You won't admit to leaving the shard where I would be sure to find it? Fine. But I think you would be quite curious to know what I did with it, why else would you be here?”

“Oh I know what you did with it Kikyo. I know everything.”

Kikyo's brow furrowed once again at the demon that had caused her premature death. “You know? I see. So you've been spying on me again have you? Onigumo's heart still beats strongly within you I see.” She laughed again. A shrill sound that sent gooseflesh up Naraku's not quite human but not quite demon arms. “Following me around like some lost puppy dog. You just can't seem to let me be. Very well. If you know everything then you also know what happened to the jewel fragment you `didn't' leave me. It's gone. My obnoxious reincarnation got to it. It is now in the possession of your most bitter enemies Naraku. That must make you very angry; perhaps even nervous.” The last was not a question.

Naraku's eyes narrowed maliciously but his voice remained steady. “I will admit that I had expected you to succeed with the jewel shard that you `found'. But even using the powerful beast with it's jewel enhanced speed and strength at your disposal to do away with the monk and the demon slayer, you were still unable to bring Inuyasha under your control isn't that right?” It's was Naraku's turn to smile while Kikyo's eyes almost shut closed she was squinting with such hatred at the memory.

“So you did come here to gloat after all.” There was no trace of control left in Kikyo's voice. The passive look on her face was gone. She practically snarled her frustration. “I was close…so close. I had him in my arms. Another few seconds and he would have been mine to destroy and the monk and slayer would have been slaughtered by my demon. Under my control, Inuyasha would have watched it happen with pleasure. But…” She was so close to losing control herself now that she could not continue.

“Kagome.” Naraku said the name simply.

“That GIRL!” Kikyo practically shouted. “That damned girl showed up. My supposed reincarnation. She came and broke the spell I had on Inuyasha. Just like she did before. I don't understand it. She hasn't half the spiritual power that I do. How could some silly little human girl be able to break my spells?” Kikyo said this last with a voice of fury but also of despair. She would never admit it to the likes of Naraku, but she was tired. Since being resurrected several months ago, she had been filled with an insatiable need for revenge and believed, even though she knew the whole story now, that the only way for her to have peace would be to end Inuyasha's life. She could not rest, the hate filled her soul and made every step she took on this earth painful like walking on the burning coals of hell.

Naraku saw the look of despair on her face and chuckled quietly to himself. “Soon.” He thought. “Just a little longer Kikyo and I will have you right where I want you.”

Aloud he said, “It is strange isn't it? That a simple girl could have that much power. Enough to break your spell on Inuyasha and even to destroy my old body.” He spoke this last in an undertone so Kikyo wouldn't hear the bitterness in his voice. Kagome was a nuisance all right. She had almost succeeded in killing him with a sacred arrow just a few months earlier. It had been close. Too damn close. But if his scheme worked, he would be able to put that worry behind him forever.

“Why does she have this power?” Kikyo asked herself more than anything. “I know she's supposed to be my reincarnation but she isn't me. My soul was retrieved from her the day that demented witch Urasue resurrected me. My power comes from the pure soul I possessed as a priestess. When I was brought back from the land of the dead, the girl should have been stripped of any powers.”

“Ah but there's the catch.” Naraku stood up and started pacing the creaking floor of the derelict temple. He was getting excited now. He always did at the thought of his brilliant schemes bringing destruction and chaos into the lives of his enemies. Everything was going according to plan. Kikyo was playing right into his hands. Now was the time to bring down the blow. “Quite a predicament actually. I'm surprised that someone as clever and powerful as you didn't realize it Kikyo.”

Kikyo suddenly tensed as if ready to spring herself at Naraku. “Are you just going to insult me Naraku or are you going to finally tell me what the hell you are doing here? If it is to gloat at my failure then I submit that you have overstayed your welcome.”

Naraku stopped his pacing and raised both hands in a calm down gesture. “Ease yourself Kikyo. I did not come here to mock you nor did I come looking for the jewel shard.” He lowered his hands and grinned. “In fact, I came here to help you.”

Naraku's smile sent shivers of revulsion down Kikyo's spine. “You, help me? How could an evil half-demon like you possibly help me?”

Naraku's grin widened. “Oh but I think I can help you a great deal Kikyo. You see, I have come across some information that I think will be very useful to you. And I'm quite willing to share this information with you, expecting nothing in return.”

Kikyo's face showed her scepticism. “You are going to share invaluable information with me, without expecting anything in return? Somehow, I doubt your motives Naraku. There must be something in it for you.”

“Kikyo I'm hurt.” Naraku put a hand over the spot where a heart should have been. Then he simply shrugged and began pacing the floor again. “You are right of course. Proper use of the information I have acquired could finally mean the end of my most bitter enemies as you have called them. It would be quite a boon to me.”

“This information you speak of. Where exactly did you get it?”

“From an old friend of yours actually. The wise but of course insane witch Urasue.”

“Urasue? Heh, I can't believe she would tell you anything. All she wanted was to have my power under her control. She wouldn't just give you information for no reason.”

“Oh I gave her a reason.” Naraku chuckled cruelly under his breath. “You'll find that I can be quite persuasive when I want to be. She was more than willing to tell me what I wanted to know, after a while.”

“I see.” Kikyo wore a look of revulsion but no pity. “It matters not to me. What matters is the truth, if any, of your claims.”

“I must say it hurts me to know that you can't trust me. Especially when the information I have could finally lead to the peace you so desperately pursue.”

Kikyo leaned in closer in spite of herself. There was no way she could trust Naraku, but she could hear him out. Her burning hatred and desire for rest superseded her caution. “Very well Naraku. Tell your tale. If it is the truth, then perhaps I will consider letting you leave here alive.”

Naraku did laugh then; an evil, merciless sound that caused several crows on the roof of the temple to fly off with fright. “Is that a threat Kikyo? If so an empty one. You cannot kill me. You haven't the power.”

“My power….”

“Is not complete.” Naraku finished the sentence noting the unsurprised look on Kikyo's face. “I see, so some part of you knew that as well. You may not be as blind as I was beginning to think. Have you also realized why your power is not what it was?”

“It is not because I was dead.” Kikyo muttered. “The soul does not lose its powers just because the body dies. It will remain as strong as ever until finding a new body within which to reside. Then the soul sleeps; enriching but not interfering with the reincarnation's own soul and life.”

“That is what is supposed to happen according to your priestess teachings yes.” Naraku said now stopping in front of Kikyo where she still perched on Buddha's lap. “But if the reincarnated soul is only part of the new life, then extracting it should be an easy matter. The old soul and its powers should be able to leave the new body without harming it and therefore without resistance. However, that is not what happened the day you were resurrected is it Kikyo? When Urasue took your soul back from Kagome, she nearly died and her body tried to call back the soul.”

“Yes.” Kikyo was sitting up straight now and thinking hard. “Kagome would not let my soul fly free to me. If it had, she would have certainly died. Urasue knew this as well. I overheard her saying as much to the girl when she captured her. But that shouldn't be unless…”

“Unless your soul was not `merged' with Kagome's new life but instead became it wholly. Kagome was born, not with your soul as a `part' of her own soul and heart but with your soul alone residing in her body. Along of course with the…”

“Shikon Jewel!” Kikyo's eyes and mouth opened wide in sudden understanding. Without realizing it, she stood up from Buddha's lap and took one step towards Naraku. “Of course! I had the Shikon Jewel burned with my body when I died! When you killed me.” Her face hardened once again.

“A triviality Kikyo. Every human dies eventually. A priestess such as yourself must know and accept that. The point is that the Shikon Jewel became attached to your…disgustingly pure soul (this remark provoked a thin smile from Kikyo) and for reasons even I do not understand, it prevented any merging when it was reincarnated into Kagome's body. Perhaps so the jewel itself could remain a whole and physical presence in the girl's body until it was released again soon after she came here.”

“So when Urasue tried to call my soul back, Kagome's body needed it to survive but so did mine. So a compromise, I guess you could call it, was reached. Half of the soul returned to her and half remained with me. That is why she still has my spiritual powers! That is why my power is not complete and why I have to wander the earth collecting the souls of the recently dead to remain here. My fake body cannot survive without a complete soul whereas Kagome still lives. A living body can survive without a complete soul, she is proof of that.” Kikyo smiled brightly at finally having the knowledge that eluded her for so long. As the full impact hit her though, her face dropped and she yelled, “That BITCH!”

Naraku couldn't help it. He almost jumped with glee. Kikyo did not notice. She didn't even see Naraku anymore. She felt fury now unlike any she had ever known. She clenched her fists so tightly that soon blood began to seep through her fingers where he nails dug into her palms. “That girl!” She thought angrily. “That pretentious little bitch! She's the reason. She stole my soul! Took my powers! And without them I cannot hope to have my revenge on Inuyasha and have my peace! SHE STOLE MY SOUL!”

“I want it back.” Kikyo said aloud calmly enough but her hands were still clenched. Blood dripped to the dusty floor unnoticed by the infuriated priestess. The blood, Naraku, even the peaceful statue of Buddha, all was obliterated from her mind. All that remained was her loathing of Kagome and that one phrase. “I want it back.” She said once again. “What that little girl has of my soul, I want it back. I wish to be whole once more.” She looked up, at last remembering Naraku was still there standing not four feet away from her. “And you can help me, can't you? That's why you came here. To help me retrieve my lost soul.”

“Yes Kikyo.” Naraku practically cooed. “I will help you. After all, we can't let that little impostor keep your soul. It's rightfully yours and I have a plan that I think will end all of your problems.”

“Then I can finally have my revenge on Inuyasha and have my peace.” Kikyo said in a voice with an almost dream-like quality. For the moment at least, Kikyo was so tired in her body and in what was left of her soul, she found she was anxious to hear Naraku's plan. Whether it would work or not wasn't a worry. For now, it felt good to have someone else doing the work. She'd been so strong for the world for so long. And what had it got her? Nothing but death and sorrow. As far as she was concerned, the world could go to hell and back. All she wanted was her own final peace.

“Of course. Come Kikyo, sit. You look tired.” Naraku said smiling, pointing back towards the statue lap of the smiling Buddha to which Kikyo followed. “Sit and I'll explain what I had in mind.” And while he told Kikyo of his plan, he thought to himself, “It worked. She's blinded by her consuming hatred of this world and of the girl Kagome. She'll do whatever I say.”

Naraku stopped talking momentarily and looked at Kikyo. “You do realize of course that we will be killing an innocent young girl should my plan succeed.”

“Interesting Naraku.” Kikyo looked up at him with an almost coy look on her face. “I wouldn't have though that you would care about the fate of a mere human. Especially that human.”

“Oh not me. I was thinking more of how you would feel. Killing someone goes against the very nature of your role as a priestess.”

“I care not for that any longer. If I had my complete powers, I would have killed her last time we met. Inuyasha would not have saved her. If Kagome must die for me to achieve peace, then she will die.” The determined scowl on her face said it all.

As Naraku continued recounting his plan he found himself wishing that Kikyo was once again in possession of the whole Shikon Jewel. He had an idea that, in the possession of this Kikyo, it would indeed be shining with the malicious and intense beauty he so longed to see.