InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Eyes of Kikyo ❯ One-Shot

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Eyes of Kikyo

by Sephira jo

Inu Yasha is owned by Rumiko Takashi and Viz Communications, no copy write infringement is intended in this work of fiction. All characters represented here belong to their original creators and not to me. The content of this story has a PG 13 rating for violence and some minor situations. I hope you enjoy!

I can be reached via email at sephirajo@aol.com feel free to contact me and let me know what you think! I always love to hear from people about what they think about my stuff! Various things of mine can also be found on Kazaa and on various websites.

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"Inu Yasha!" Kagome shouted her voice came out tight as she choked on a pain that radiated through her shoulder down her back and in her lung. She looked down the shaft of an arrow and in anger and pain Kagome let part of her spirit flow into the arrow, even as her life flowed from her body she breathed life into a seal attached to the arrow. She took aim, and after a trembling breath leashed the arrow into flight. It flew fast, almost before she could blink, Kagome's arrow struck its mark, pinning the beast to an old tree, stopping him in mid flight.

From the tree Inu Yasha looked up and reached out with his hand, almost as if to reach out and grasp at something one last time. His lips moved but from the distance at which she stood Kagome could not make out what words he spoke, but in her heart she knew what it was he said. With his last breath he had cursed her, as he did so many times in life, before they had come to know each other better. Between ragged breaths and chocked sobs she remembered the first time she had pinned him to a tree with arrows, simply shooting through the fabric of his clothing, leaving him pinned there.

Despondent and forlorn Kagome's bow slipped from her hands to clatter upon the ground. Blood now flowed faster then before, and with it her short life was going to end. She walked toward the tree with faltering steps, the villagers now gathered around almost coming out of no where. The world spun around her as she kneeled and picked up the sacred jewel with hands that shook. She held the jewel out in front of her, toward Kadae who looked up at her worry, fear and a jumble of other emotions showing in her one good eye.

"Kadae, I want you to take this and burn it with my body," then that which caused so much suffering, so much betrayal, would be gone from the mortal world where even youkai could not get their hands upon it. She would take it with her across the river Sanzu and where ever she would go after that, the jewel would always be out of reach of those who would be wiling to do anything to get it.

Kadae yelled something at her. But Kagome was beyond hearing as the pain mixed with the loss of blood finally overcame her. The world before her eyes went black and she fell into oblivion she clutched the glowing jewel to her breast. To Kagome it seemed that she kept falling even after her body hit the ground, falling into pitch black nothingness.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes to a world of nothingness. Shaking her head she pushed her self up to her hands and knees, until she sat up. Looking around Kagome quite literally saw nothing. She stood up looked all around her to only to be greeted by the same sight in each direction she looked. Kagome took a steep forward, then another. She couldn't remember how she had gotten here, or where she was for that matter.

"Inu Yasha?" Kagome called out, "Shippo? Myoga. . .?" Kagome's calls went unanswered, Inu Yasha wasn't there neither was little Shippo, or Myoga the flea. Where ever she was she, Kagome was alone. She stopped walking and for a moment just stood there, reflective. She didn't remember anything before she woke up. She didn't remember going home, so she wasn't in the well. As she stood, reflective she heard footsteps in the distance, coming up quickly behind her.

Kagome spun around, and in the distance glowing as if lit from within, a figure approached, walking slowly as if in great pain.

"Who. . ." Kagome started to ask, then she could make out the figure walking toward her. The person stepped out of the perpetual darkness and into a bizarre light. The clothes she wore were stained with blood; she walked stiffly as if each step pained her. Each step she took left blood behind her, flowing like a river from her wounds onto the ground. Her face was downcast and her long black hair lay limp on her shoulders not moving with her steps. She raised her face and stared at Kagome with eyes full of malice and tinged with sorrow.

"Kikyo?" Kagome's voice came out choked as Kikyo walked up to her, each of her obviously pain filled steps bringing her closer and closer to Kagome. Kikyo's hand reached out and grabbed Kagome's neck. Her hand was ice cold but the blood running down her hands was warm and alive and sticking to Kagome's neck.

"Kikyo. . .?" Kagome's voice trailed off as Kikyo's hand squeezed around her throat with an oddly gentle grip that was still like being held by a vice.

Kikyo's mouth opened as if to speak, but blood dripped out instead staining her lips, and the pale white skin of her chin, small drops of the ruby liquid landing on the upper part of her Miko's kimono. Kikyo closed her mouth, her dull dead eyes flared with a new life seemingly born the hatred Kagome could literally see flowing from her vast dark waves. It was her that made this whole place pitch black Kagome knew then. Kikyo opened her mouth a second time, and although stained with blood, this time her tongue and words did not fail her.

"You," Kikyo spat, "have forgotten everything."

Kagome struggled to talk; the grip on her neck silenced her words.

"Everything! Everything about who we were and now," Kikyo's voice trailed off, the last words were trembling, cold, like a dark winters night they were also crisp.

"And now," Kikyo continued, her grip around Kagome's neck tightened considerably making breathing breathing a laborious task. Her breaths were short gasps, and she could feel her self starting to suffocate.

"You travel with him. Have you forgotten what he did do us? What his betrayal did to you? His hands, his claws they killed us on the fields that day. Where we waited for him, eyes and heart blinded by a love for one who didn't deserve love. And now you have us spend our days and nights with that traitor. To you wish it to be our fate twice now to be destroyed by the youkai we are supposed to destroy?" Kikyo's voice though made harsh by the taint of death and anger that had defiled her soul was spoken with the passion of a woman scorned and cut deep. Spoken with the passion of one who had sustained a wound that would never heal.

Kagome looked her in the eyes, and in the process found her staring herself in the eyes. Looking into a mirror that extended far into the past Kagome was able to touch that part of her that she had buried deep within her soul to keep it safe. The part she kept safe with the Shikon no Tama, the Jewel of Four Souls, the part of herself that she from necessity had hidden from all people, even her. The part of her that was in some way Kikyo had always felt the same anger. She had always known confusion traveling with her friends as if some part of her was never quite aware it was done with the long past and unable to take its wavering steps into the present it lingered there in pain.

"I remember more than you do" Kagome managed to choke out, the words coming out as short rasping whispers, "I know now it was not him that killed you . . . us. It was another someone jealous of him and of our happiness. I don't expect you to believe me, even though you are me."

Kikyo silently agreed with the last statement as she narrowed her eyes and bored her gaze into Kagome's soul, somehow looking inside herself as she did so. The feeling was so strong that Kagome was under the disorienting impression of being into places at once looking up at her self and down at Kikyo at the same time.

"I also remember," Kagome said softly, "After I died, I promised myself that I'd come back in such a way that I could be with him again. Such a way that I'd never remember the hatred you bear him. Even though we are the same, I know that I wanted to love him again. I wanted to so much that I buried you deep inside of me. Why are you bothering me again? Can't you leave me alone! I DON'T NEED YOU!" The last words were screamed at the top of Kagome's lungs. As the last word passed her lips Kikyo's body shattered and Kagome fell to the ground with a dull thud.

"To say you don't need me, is to say you have no need of your self. Remember that and remember which one of us is stronger, when he kills us again don't say that you didn't know it would happen." Kikyo's disembodied voice spoke, and it seemed to fade away slowly as if riding the wings of the fading shadows that slowly subsided as Kagome opened her eyes to the living world.

Sitting up she shook her head slightly and looked around her. The night air was still thick and the fire they had set for their camp was dimming. Shippo was curled close to the fading embers wrapped in his father's pelt softly talking to himself in his sleep. Inu Yasha held his body up against the trunk of a great tree just outside the dying fires light but Kagome could still see him there, sleeping sitting up holding the Tetsaiga to his breast his silver hair glowing in the dim light. Kagome felt her chest constrict as conflicting emotions ran through her. Already the nightmare that had startled her was fading and she couldn't quite remember what it was about the dream that had disturbed her and it was better that way she knew.

Inu Yasha looked up then, his golden eyes meeting hers. In the fire light they glowed like twin suns, their light a comforting site. He barley smiled, just like always and Kagome heard him say softly, "Back to sleep, you."

Kagome smiled and worked her way back under the covers and stared up at the sky that was looking back at her with thousands of unblinking eyes. But right before she drifted off to sleep it seemed that every star looking at her was doing so with human eyes. The eyes of Kikyo.