InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Every Soul ❯ Kikyo's Soul And Kagome's Life ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter 6

 

 

Kikyo's Soul And Kagome's Life

 

 

 

At the same time that Inuyasha and his friends were interrogating Kagura, Kikyo was still in the temple just as we left her. Well, almost. She was no longer sitting in the lap of the serene statue of Buddha but kneeling in front of it. As before, there was no look of peace on the tragic priestess' face, but this time she wore no look of despair either. Her eyes were squinted shut in concentration and her hands were resting palms up on her lap. The only part of her that moved was her mouth as she silently chanted. The air was thick and heavy with several types of incense burning together in the hands of the benign Buddha. Smoke rose in thick tendrils above her head and permeated the room with the sickly sweet stench of burning herbs and other less attractive ingredients that were mixed and curdling in a chalice before her. Also inside the chalice, glowing so brightly that no other light in the temple was needed, lay Naraku's too large portion of the Shikon Jewel.

Beside Kikyo, a small wooden statue, which looked very much like a snake, lay broken and crushed. She paid no attention to it. She knew Nanoransu had been defeated but this did not upset her. In fact she had been counting on it. Inuyasha was a far more formidable foe than the monk of years past who had only been able to seal the beast. Her spell of control had been used for one purpose only and that end had been achieved without a problem. She knew that Naraku and Kanna were on their way now with that which she most desperately desired. She also knew that Inuyasha and his friends were one their way as well. Kikyo smiled maliciously at the thought. Everything was happening according to her plan.

She knew Inuyasha would kill Nanoransu. She also knew that Inuyasha had been made aware of her part in the seeming death of his `beloved'. She had told Nanoransu to tell him. She wanted to make sure that he was full of fury and pain when he reached her sanctuary. Angry and grieving, Inuyasha would become reckless. That just how she wanted him. Once her soul was complete once more, he would be that much easier to deal with if he was not thinking clearly. Then that would leave Naraku. Naraku was sure that even with her spiritual powers complete, that she could not defeat him. Kikyo knew better. She was one of the most powerful priestesses in the world. Her power would be more than a match for that worthless half demon. But until that time, she would let Naraku think that everything was going to play out his way.

For now, she would prepare. The ritual to take back her soul and make it complete was as ancient as the Buddhist practice itself. It was so rarely done that Kikyo was at first concerned that she did not have the experience to handle it. But after consulting some very dusty books hidden in a back corner of the temple, she was confident she could pull it off. But it required a large amount of preparation and she wanted it done before Naraku returned. She knew he had no intention of returning her soul to her. She knew that he wanted to hold it back from her, watching her suffer and thereby making the Shikon Jewel burn ever brighter. Heh, did Naraku really think she was that dumb and desperate to follow him so blindly? She knew that she would have both Naraku and Inuyasha to contend with when the time came to make the merge complete. She knew she would have a very small window in which to complete the spell. So many factors against her and such a large treasure at stake.

“It is mine Inuyasha.” She practically spat out even though there was no one there but Buddha to hear her. “It is my soul and I want it back.” She gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the rage that threatened to engulf her and break her concentration. It would be no good to lose control now. Not when she was so close. Her heretofore-passive hands clenched into hard fists and right where her heart should have been, her chest glowed a dark black. She took no notice of this and was finally able to slow her nerves. Everything would be all right. She was almost through with the preparation. Naraku would be here soon, with any luck, before Inuyasha. Her revenge would be complete.

Just then as if on cue, she heard a rush of wind just outside the temple's door. She did not need to turn to see who it was. Her senses never lied. Naraku had returned. The time was upon her. She would have to make the merge just as Naraku and Kanna entered the door, just when the soul was within the right distance, but before they could discover what she was up to. She grinned thinly, returning to her intense concentration and whispered chanting, pausing only for a moment to say one word into the ever-thickening gloom.

“Soon.”

Inuyasha raced through the forests and over the fields, stopping only to make sure that Kirara was keeping up with him. He had wanted to carry Kagome with him, but he knew that he was running right into a fight. He knew that Kagome would be safer on Kirara with Sango and Shippo. His heart was beating triple time and in his chest it felt aflame. His injuries from battling Nanoransu had stopped bleeding but there was still a good deal of pain. He did not dare slow down however; he knew he was running for Kagome's life. There was not a second to waste. As he passed through another copse of trees and suddenly Lake Motosu came into view on the horizon, he growled one word.

“Soon.”

 

Naraku had indeed arrived before Inuyasha. He and Kanna stood in the front of the sleepy little temple, Kanna with her mirror holding a most precious cargo. As Naraku looked, he could see smoke emanating from the many cracks and holes in the run down buildings exterior. He grinned widely. “So Kikyo is busy preparing is she?” He thought to himself. “I know the ritual is supposed to be very difficult and hard on the one performing it. It's a good thing she'll never have to put herself through it.” He chuckled to himself then and said to his ghostly incarnation, “Come Kanna. We have business.” He walked towards the temple and Kanna followed obediently. As he reached the door and the stench of incense reached his nose, he chuckled and spoke one word into the harshly changing air.

“Now.”

 

Inuyasha arrived at the outskirts of Lake Motosu just in time to see Naraku and Kanna land in front of a seriously beaten up little temple that seemed almost to hide on the shore of the lake. He stopped in his tracks and watched as they walked towards and then through the door. He heard Miroku coming up behind him, panting hard. He looked back at Sango and Shippo riding Kirara and just coming up on them. He didn't need to say a word. The look on all of their faces was enough. He had a split second to admire their spirit and then he took off running again.

He reached within a few leaps of the temple and was about to withdraw his sword, when out of nowhere, a blinding light shot out through the numerous cracks of the temple and then seemed to withdraw back on itself. Everything was quiet for about three seconds and then the fragile walls of the building blew outward and into the air with such force that they were blown to pieces and those pieces were then slammed into the ground, piercing the hard soil.

Inuyasha had to stop and put his arms up over his face to protect it from the rain of decrepit wood. He lowered his arms and his heart nearly stopped at what he saw. Naraku and Kanna had been knocked to the ground and Kanna's mirror had been shattered. They were looking up in disbelief at Kikyo who was hovering several feet above the ground. Her eyes were closed and her chest was glowing an intense black. Inuyasha could not hear her but he could see that she was chanting something. Then, as he watched in horror, an immensely bright, white orb was released from Kanna's broken mirror. It hovered for a few seconds in front of the suspended Kikyo and then shot into her.

At first nothing happened. Kikyo continued to chant and then on her fifth word, her entire body was covered in a light so intense that Inuyasha had to look away. When the light finally dissipated and he was able to look again, Kikyo was lying unconscious on the ground.

Inuyasha was at first too stunned to move. He knew what that white light was that shot into Kikyo. It had been Kagome's soul. His first thought was, “I've lost her. I've lost her forever.” That would usually have been enough to send Inuyasha into an incoherent rampage. Fortunately for him, as well as Kagome, everything he'd been through in the last week had done more for his soul than even he'd realized. He knew right away that flailing around like a chicken with it's head cut off would not get Kagome's soul back. As much as the grief and pain wanted to engulf his mind and body, he would not let it. There was a time and place for his fury, but it was not here. Not at this important moment. So he shoved the last thought away and it was almost immediately replaced by something more rational than he ever thought possible of himself. “If she could get the soul to come to her, then there should be a way of putting it back into Kagome's body.” This thought produced a small flickering hope in him and grasping firm his sword, Inuyasha leapt towards the remains of the temple, his friends close behind him.

Upon reaching the huge mess of the ruined shack, Inuyasha saw that Naraku and Kanna had regained their footing. Naraku was staring with utter disgust and hatred at the unconscious Kikyo just a few feet away from him.

“That arrogant cur.” He snarled. “How dare she? How dare she trick me?” His fists clenched in anger and he walked past the still passive Kanna standing beside him, utterly free of any emotion whatsoever. He reached the centre of the devastation and plucked from a pile of burned and rotting wood his large portion of the Shikon Jewel. “Kanna.” Naraku said without turning his head. “Go to the castle. There, repair the mirror and make sure your younger sister doesn't go anywhere.” Kanna bowed in understanding and dissolved into thin air. Naraku reached within three steps of Kikyo, the woman he detested and loved, fully intending to remove her filthy head from her cocky shoulders, when his sharp demon senses picked up the sound of movement behind him. “Inuyasha.” He spit out the word as if it was something disgusting he had eaten by mistake. “So you're still alive. How very…interesting.”

“Alive and kicking you bastard!” Inuyasha jumped into the air with his foot aimed right for Naraku's head. He swung with all the force he could muster but his foot hit nothing but air. Naraku had leapt out of the way an instant before. Inuyasha landed on the ground, sword ready and glowered at Naraku. “Naraku. I won't forgive you for this. Not even if you tell me how to get Kagome's soul back, which you are going to do anyway!” On the last word, Inuyasha leapt towards Naraku with the Tetsusaiga upraised. He brought it down directly on Naraku's head but it didn't even touch him. Naraku's aura was such that the Tetsusaiga was simply thrust back towards Inuyasha, who narrowly escaped being hit by it himself. Inuyasha landed on the ground and Naraku just laughed.

“Foolish half breed. Do you honestly think you can threaten me? You haven't the power to defeat me.” He laughed and looked towards the still unconscious Kikyo. Sango had left Kagome in Shippo's care and run over to check on Kikyo but Naraku took no notice of this. His fuming rage at Kikyo's deception slackened. It seemed he still had a chance to create the kind of damage he was hoping for to make the Shikon Jewel which he clenched in his hands glow brightly. Smiling, he turned back to Inuyasha. “Let me get this straight. You wanted me to tell you how to get your wench's half of Kikyo's soul back?” He laughed raucously. “What makes you think I know how to get it back? I did not devise the incantation to merge the two souls. Your former beloved did. And she did it so she could hurt you.”

Inuyasha could feel his hair standing on end. The rage bubbled so intensely just under his skin, he was having a really hard time keeping it contained. But he had to. For Kagome's sake if for no other reason. “Grrrrr Naraku. You will tell me!” Inuyasha raised his sword again and jumped at Naraku who let loose a throng of stinger sharp tendrils from his body to stop him.

As those two battled, Sango had run over to see if Kikyo was all right. She rolled Kikyo over onto her back and saw the dark glow in her chest had grown larger. It now covered most of her torso and arms. Sango wasn't sure what she could do to help her but she knew she had to find some way to wake Kikyo up. If she died, Kagome's soul would die with her. She looked back to where Inuyasha was battling Naraku. She could see Shippo still with Kagome's lifeless body and Miroku was running towards the battle to help Inuyasha. It was up to her. She looked back at Kikyo lying on the ground, simultaneously feeling pity and anger at the priestess for all the trouble she had caused. “I'm sorry to say that I will feel no remorse for this Kikyo.” She said and she raised her right hand, paused, and then brought it down to give Kikyo a fierce slap across the face that would have rivalled any she had ever given Miroku. It worked. Kikyo stirred and a few seconds later opened her eyes. Instead of the black glow disappearing however, it just spread more quickly. It covered her legs and as Kikyo began screaming, it covered her face. Sango backed away in horror at this scene and the fighting stopped as Inuyasha, Miroku and even Naraku paused to watch in complete shock what was happening.

Kikyo still screamed as her body rose into the air. The black glow engulfed her completely and if possible became even darker. It pulsed like a heart beat and rippled over her body like water. Sango tried to back away but she was too terrified to move.

Kikyo fell silent, as the glow surrounding her seemed to harden, almost into a cocoon like substance. Then without warning, it suddenly shattered into a thousand pieces, spraying everyone with sharp fragments that cut like glass. Kikyo opened her eyes and floated effortlessly to the ground. Sango, who had sustained several small cuts from the fragments of…whatever it was, made to move backwards. Kikyo caught the movement out of the corner of her eye, looked at Sango, and with an expression of extreme calm, raised her hands behind her back and grabbed an arrow seemingly out of nowhere. It was pitch black, as was the bow, which also appeared in front of her. She grasped the bow and arrow taught, and before Sango could so much as twitch, Kikyo shot the arrow straight into her chest.

Miroku, who had until this moment, been as paralysed with shock as the rest, saw Sango reel back from the impact of the arrow and felt his paralysis break. “Sango!” He yelled and ran over to her. Sango lay on the ground; eyes wide open, not moving. “Sango no.” Miroku practically slid to her side and cradled her in his arms. “Sango please no. Don't be dead.” He stared into her empty eyes and felt tears begin to run in his own. He looked up to Kikyo with surprise and then fury. He stood up and grasped his right hand in his left. “Kikyo.” He said with a surprisingly calm voice, “I don't know what you've done to yourself and I don't care. What your doing goes against everything your teachings stand for. I cannot permit this to continue any longer.” Kikyo did not move or make any response. She just stared at Miroku with that aggravating look of complete calmness. Miroku growled and with his left hand, began to remove the sacred rosary beads from his right. He got “air” out of his mouth before being bowled over by something large and red.

“Miroku what the hell do you think you're doing?” Inuyasha asked incredulously. “If you suck Kikyo into your air void, Kagome's soul will be lost forever!”

“Get off me Inuyasha!” Miroku struggled beneath him. “She's killed Sango. And for no reason. No reason whatsoever. She just looked at her and shot her!” He then shot a look at Inuyasha full of venom. “Are you still trying to protect Kikyo Inuyasha? Because if you are then I'll suck you into my air void right along with her I swear this to you.”

Inuyasha almost retorted by giving the monk one more reason to feel pain but one look in his eyes and Inuyasha saw his own pain at losing Kagome reflected back at him. Inuyasha's grip remained firm but his eyes softened.

“No Miroku. I'm not trying to protect Kikyo. Not anymore.” He saw the dangerous look go out of Miroku's eyes and they both sat up. “The Kikyo I knew would never have done this. The Kikyo I knew is dead. All that matters now is getting Kagome and Sango back. I promise.”

“But Sango's…”

“No she's not.” Inuyasha pointed to where Sango lay. The arrow had disappeared from her chest leaving a dark black mark and Sango's eyes remained open, but as Miroku watched, he could see a slight rise and fall in her chest. She was breathing! She was alive!

“Sango…”

“Later Miroku. First we have to take care of Kikyo and Naraku.” They both stood up and with expressions of pure determination and anger on their faces, they looked to where Kikyo and Naraku were now having a conversation of their own.

After Kikyo had shot Sango and succeeded in distracting Inuyasha and the monk, she turned her attention to Naraku. She had felt the wench's soul returning to her body. She had felt the souls merge and become one. She hadn't been counting on the cocoon of black power, but it had actually helped her. It infused and let loose within her the black, raw hatred she had been trying to keep in control all this time. It flowed through her veins like a poison, but one she could draw on. She felt pure power and pure vengeance and as she looked at Naraku, standing before her, trying to look confident but obviously no longer feeling that way, she smiled. Her time had come at last.

Things had definitely not gone Naraku's way. For the first time in his existence (for what he has had up until now cannot really be called a life) he did not know what was going to happen and he felt…unsure of himself. Kikyo couldn't possibly have the power to destroy him and yet…what he saw in her face unnerved him. She looked so damned calm. Naraku decided to try and buy himself some time.

“Kikyo. I'm impressed. You managed to deceive even me. I had no idea you were so…devious.”

“What I am Naraku, you have made me.” Kikyo replied in a flat tone.

“Am I to feel remorse for that Kikyo? After all, if it weren't for me, you would not be as strong as you are now.”

Kikyo seemed to consider this for a moment and then said, “This is true. It is ironic that you should have helped to create my power and yet you shall be destroyed by it.” Kikyo's face suddenly contorted into a snarl and she produced yet another black arrow and aimed it right for Naraku's heart. Naraku froze, frightened for the first time ever.

“Now Kikyo. You don't honestly think that you can destroy me with your black arrow can you?” Naraku said unsteadily.

“This arrow may be black but as you well know Naraku, the power of the darkness is quite immense. More than enough, I think to deal with you. You're days of tormenting this world are over…ONIGUMO!” With that last word, Kikyo let go her arrow and it shot straight and true towards its target. Naraku yelled as the arrow impacted him just between his ribs. A black light surrounded him and his screams were lost in it.

Inuyasha couldn't believe it. Had Kikyo really killed Naraku? It sure looked that way. He chanced a look over at Kikyo and saw that she was staring right at him. He tried to say her name but nothing came out of his mouth. She smiled grimly at him and said, “Do not worry Inuyasha. You are next.”

“Kikyo wait…” Inuyasha began but was cut off by a sudden burst of laughter. Kikyo, Miroku, and Inuyasha turned to the sound of the laughter. It was coming from the black hole created by Kikyo's arrow! And as they watched, the darkness dissipated and there stood Naraku! Whole and unharmed and laughing his head off.

“No.” Kikyo stammered out. “This isn't possible. My powers are unsurpassed. You should have been completely destroyed.”

Naraku continued to laugh like he had heard the funniest joke in the world. When he finally stopped, he smiled at Kikyo. “Foolish priestess! To think that your dark arrow could defeat me!” He laughed raucously once more. Several feet away Inuyasha was on edge. He didn't care if Kikyo's arrow had killed Naraku or not, but Naraku didn't stop laughing soon, he was going to at least put a hole in his gullet.

Kikyo was flabbergasted. She had been so sure. “Why?” She said more to herself than anything. “Why didn't it work? It had behind it all my anger, all my hatred, all of my most powerful emotions.”

“Ah but there's the rub.” Naraku said. “You poured all your hate, all your anger, all your bitterness into that arrow. But I am the living epitome of all those black emotions. How could you hope to kill the master of all dark emotions with nothing but your dark emotions?”

“But my power. My soul. It's complete now.”

“Yes it is. But the purity that resided in that soul has been completely destroyed by your dark, bitter feelings. You no longer have the ability to make a pure miko's arrow. As such, you cannot possibly hope to defeat me.”

“No! It's not possible!” Kikyo yelled and she reached behind herself and pulled out another black arrow. Naraku didn't even try to move out of the way. She let it go and it simply bounced off of his aura. Naraku laughed even harder.

“No.No.No.No.No!” One after the other, Kikyo sent her arrows. And one after the other, they bounced of off Naraku's aura and disintegrated.

Naraku stopped laughing and scowled at the priestess. Now that he was sure that she was no longer a threat, he should have been able to leave with no problems until next time. But there was still the matter of that fear. She had made him feel fear. And she had deceived him. Those were things he could not forgive. They were not even things he could put off until next time. He was going to take care of that little problem right now.

Inuyasha and Miroku had begun to enter the battle again, Inuyasha running towards Naraku and Kikyo with his sword raised, and Miroku running with his air void poised and ready. Naraku merely scoffed at them and sent gigantic tendrils out from underneath his baboon pelt, which grasped Inuyasha and Miroku and held them aloft, unable to move. Kikyo looked towards Inuyasha where he struggled within Naraku's grip. Inuyasha met her eyes and said, “Kikyo please! You have to run! Naraku means to kill you! And if he does, we'll never get Kagome's soul back! Run!”

Kikyo scowl turned into a snarl. “Inuyasha.” She said, fuming. “Even now that I am complete and no longer having to wander the world looking for human souls to stay alive, all you can think of is that stupid little bitch that you scorned me for?” Her hands shook and her eyes positively radiated fire. “Naraku may kill me but I will kill you first!” She screamed her rage and ran towards the helpless Inuyasha. She grabbed another black arrow and was within a breath of releasing it when she felt a sudden impact in her back and then warmth quickly spreading down her legs. She stopped and looked down. One of Naraku's tendrils was sticking out of her stomach. Blood coursed down her torso. She looked back at Naraku who stood there with a look of pure vileness. She looked down again at her wound and didn't even hear Inuyasha and Miroku's cries as she tried to release herself. Her hands grabbed at the huge thorn but all the strength had left her body. She was barely able to pat it. She looked up at Inuyasha in surprise and saw the look of horror and loss on his face. Even though she knew that he was mainly worried about retrieving her reincarnation's soul, she knew that some of that feeling of loss would be reserved for her. All at once, whether because of her impending death or because she finally realized that despite everything that had happened, Inuyasha really did care about her, all of the anger, hatred and bitterness that had haunted her for so long, evaporated like steam from a pot. She sighed and breathed the first really clean air she'd had in months. Too bad it would be her last.

Naraku chuckled. This was too perfect. Now not only was Kikyo dying, but with her death, Inuyasha would never have his wench back again. The soul was as good as gone. He let Inuyasha and Miroku go and he also withdrew his thorn from Kikyo's back. He felt no need now to keep them captive. He would sit back and watch their grief with great amusement.

With Naraku's thorn gone, Kikyo fell to the ground. She knew she had been hurt mortally but strangely enough, she felt no pain. “It's more than I deserve.” She thought to herself.

Inuyasha and Miroku ran to her side. Inuyasha propped her head up on his lap. “Kikyo. Oh God no.”

Kikyo turned her face up to Inuyasha, grabbed his hand and said, “Inuyasha. I'm sorry. I was misled. Please forgive me.”

“Kikyo please. It's not too late to do the right thing. Tell me how to get Kagome's soul back before you…before you…”

“It is too late Inuyasha.” Kikyo spoke while a bubble of blood formed at the corner of her mouth. “There is no time. The ritual. I would be dead long before you could complete it.”

“No. NO!” Inuyasha yelled and hit the ground with his fists. “How can this be? I've lost them both!”

“Inuyasha.” Kikyo whispered. “I wish things could have been different for us.” She looked up at the sky and sighed. “There is nothing left to do now but make my final wish to whatever Gods rule this world.” She closed her eyes and said no more.