InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In the Dark ❯ A Miko's Pain ( Chapter 5 )

AN - The beginning of this chapter happens a few seconds before Souta pops into Kagome's room and gets blown across the room; this is what she was dreaming of… Just to avoid confusion. And the mystery starts to unravel! xD Thanks to my Beta for slaving over this section xD It was a really hard chapter to get just right, you totally rock! Sorry if this took so long to get out *hides*

WARNING: Get your Kleenex box out :*(

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and that makes me sad :*(

"Speaking"

'Thought'

: Telepathy :

* Kikyo's speech*

Chapter 5

In The Dark:

A Miko's pain.

Alone…

I was alone in the dark where nothing could find me and I was struggling. Struggling to live, struggling to breath, and struggling to believe that I was alive. I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't see in the thick darkness and I was still trying to push out the thought of Inuyasha's long canines piercing the skin of my neck… no not my neck but her neck. I felt my skin crawl with the memory of his frightful snarls and heart broken howl. A whisper in the darkness caught my attention,

I saw a woman, scarcely my age, she neither looked older or younger than me but I could tell there was something important about her. Maybe it was the way she walked, holding her hands to her throat, the far off look she had in her eyes and the constant sound she made with her voice. Her story floated before me in a rushed whisper, the sounds harsh and pained like it had been told a million times in need of repentance.

"Kikyo?" I wasn't completely sure that it was her but I felt a tug in the back of my mind, like a door was creeping open and it was about to let something out that would change me forever. She turned her head towards my voice and for the first time since her death, she paused in her speech.

Her hands reached out to my arms, her fingers squeezed down on my flesh and I felt her nails cut my skin. I tried to shake her off but she only held me harder. I looked into her eyes and they were frantic, searching my own, trying to confirm who I was. Her gray eyes looked devoid of most normal emotions. It gave her a crazed and desperate look. Her lips were moving, her robes were bloody and her breathing erratic. I stopped moving, she continued her tortured stare and her lips trembled, her eyes glazing with a memory she could not let go to let her rest in peace.

*The claws ripped through me, tearing my skin, bleeding my life out of my heart and I watched him struggle with his darker half, battling for dominance and he was losing.*

Her fingers loosen around my arms a little, the pain turned into a throb and I was in shocked silence. I was surprised to hear her voice and something in it made me believe she would not harm me, but wanted me to listen. So I reached around her, linking my arms around her shoulders, pressing her to me in an effort to silently tell her I wasn't leaving. I felt her stiffen for a moment, pausing in her speech and then she wrapped her own arms around me and her body seemed relaxed. I pressed my own cheek to hers and I felt her tears; I closed my eyes and I silently watched her nightmare. Her whispered tale came back in a rush, her voice quivering from the pain of the memory. She needed warmth and forgiveness; I could sense it from her.

*I hated him for one simple second, I blamed him for betraying me in the haste of death, and I struggled to believe in him, and for one moment I disregarded all of his promises. Instead I willingly believed her, ignored my own instincts. When had I begun to lose faith in him? When did I let my trust falter to the point that I would willingly betray him?* She spat, angry at herself. I felt a trickle of memories pour into my mind and I frowned. Was Kikyo my past life?

*I found myself losing my own battle to the darkness of my heart. I was betraying him and I felt no regret when I looked at him in fear and in disgust when he was struggling to live. I was unfair, I know, he could not control what she was making him do and I could hear his pleas inside my head due to new soul-mating link, his tortured wails pouring like waves into my mind and still I would not forgive him for that one simple second. I nearly lost my heart. The darkness was still there, lingering, a mark to remind me of my betrayal to my mate when he most needed it and I paid the price.*

She let out a whimper and I sensed her heartbreak invade my soul, tears pricked my eyes when her broken voice whispered in my ear *I died.* and I let a single tear fall from my closed eyes as her emotions rushed through me.

*I died with such sadness in my heart when I looked at him, his eyes flat, his spirit broken and the sound that came from his mouth shook me to the core. But still, I could not find it in my heart to completely forgive him.*

I began to rock her, side to side, like a mother to a child, trying to soothe her; she was still staring behind me, trapped in that memory. She needed to tell me, to make me understand what she had done and I wasn't really sure why.

*The heavens answered his broken howl and a sea opened above us, washing away some of the angry betrayal in my mind, I whispered to him words that sought forgiveness from him, but he didn't understand what I was asking, he didn't know I had betrayed the soul-mating call. I was ashamed for the fleeting moment that I believed he did not love me, but it was too late. I was still afraid.*

She let out a sob, her arms tightened around me and I let my head fall to her shoulder, letting her know I was still there, willing to listen to her tale. I lifted my head and looked at her, she shifted her empty gaze towards me, her eyes beginning to show a little life, turning from a flat gray to a gray-blue. She stepped away from me, making sure that I could see her face clearly and she continued her tale. My arms were still wrapped around her, giving her comfort and warmth. Her face twisted in agony as she opened her mouth, fresh tears falling.

*I hadn't completely forgiven him before I felt my life strings being pulled from the earth, from the safety of the arms of my love, I watched as his body shook with the severance of our partial mating, Yes, partial mating since we had only begun but a week before my death and his soul hadn't decided if I was his true mate, his true love. And I think that is why I was so easily swayed by the dark miko. His uncertainty cut me deeply. He felt me leave him, my aura dissipated and I cried when I saw him slump over me and scream my name to the heavens. I reached for him, trying desperately to touch his skin, struggling to remember that one night we spent together, struggling to keep the hate from my heart * She looked to the ground.

*I needed to mark my soul with this memory so I could remember the depth of his love, not the depth of his darkness. But I failed.* She looked at me, her eyes now sparkling blue and a hint of pink surrounded her body.

*I want nothing more than his forgiveness but I am afraid… afraid of his darkness and of my own betrayal.* Her pink aura flared, pushing me out of the darkness. Her eyes suddenly glowed and she pushed me away roughly. *Run! He comes for me!* and I heard it, a voice screaming my name and loud snarl from behind Kikyo.

~ Kagome! ~

Kikyo screamed, arms reached out to the sky and I saw her live out the memory again, his teeth ripping into her throat, the dark miko taking her love, taking away her life in a cruel manner. Her robes were covered in blood and all I could hear were her gurgles as she tried to breath through the thick liquid, she was drowning.

I pressed my hands against my ears, fighting the sob that threatened to spill from my lips and I shut my eyes tightly. 'Oh Kikyo, why can't you forgive yourself?' I thought to myself before I felt it. An electric surge in my soul flared out and took over me. I felt hands shake me but I wasn't sure if they were in my dream or if they were someone else, trying to wake me. I looked up to see red eyes, and a voice similar to Inuyasha's flooded my mind.

: Forgive me, please, you must forgive me :

I felt Kikyo slip between him and I, I saw her shimmer with a pink aura, and becoming translucent as she stepped backwards, into me. That door suddenly burst opened in my mind and I felt all of her memories, her feelings and her fear of Inuyasha swallow me. I fell forward, my knees buckling from the rush of Kikyo's soul merging with mine. Strong fingers grabbed my arms, piercing my skin with his claws. 'Claws?' I looked up to see Inuyasha, eyes swirling from red to gold, his dog ears twitching frantically, Kikyo's blood was dribbling down his chin and in a panic I pushed my hands hard against his chest and screamed in horror before the light from my fingers blinded me.

* * *

Reina pulled herself from the ground and staggered up from the floor, her head felt heavy and her body was nearly useless. She tried to make it all the way to the room where Souta had disappeared into before the light knocked her out but she just couldn't walk straight. She ended up crawling to the door, whispering the siblings' names.

She reached Kagome's room and noticed the silence at first; no sobbing, no screaming and she couldn't hear Souta. 'Where is he?' She tentatively peered up and she couldn't make anything out at first, the room was in pure chaos. Souta was under the debris from Kagome's work desk, it looked like it had shattered from the sheer force of his body and he was thankfully unconscious. Kagome was sprawled across the floor, her eyes closed and her body was unmoving. 'Kami! Don't let her be. . .' Reina gathered her strength and crawled out of the room, struggling to reach the phone in the hallway. She reached for the phone and managed to dial the number for emergency services before she promptly passed out.

* * *

Inuyasha was listening carefully to what his brother was telling him, he was till having trouble swallowing what he was saying.

"Are you telling me that Kagome will be forced to live the death of Kikyo?"

"Yes, she will soul-merge with Kikyo at some point during the soul-mating. Expect her to be a little wary of you." Sesshomarou answered. Inuyasha sighed and his thoughts became somber. "I killed Kikyo when my youkai had taken over, but I was under a spell, I can't really remember what happened." There was a long pause at the end of the line as Sesshomarou considered what his brother was telling him.

"I suggest you try and figure out what exactly happened brother those 50 years you disappeared after Kikyo's death, this might have an importance in the future." Inuyasha only nodded in response. He went to answer his brother when he felt something. It felt like he was being pulled apart.

"Inuyasha?"

Nothing. Inuyasha couldn't answer; the pressure on his chest was too much to bear and all he could do was let out a painful growl to his brother. The soul-mating was pulling apart. His intended mate was suffering and his soul was calling to find her. Why was his chest feeling like it was burning?

"Inuyahsa?!" he heard Seshomarou yell in the phone, he growled once more to his brother before everything turned black.

* * *

Sango was sitting in the hospital parking lot at the crack of dawn, her hands were gripping the wheel of her car and she was trying to make out what Reina had told her last night, when she had called her.

"There was a bright light coming from her room, after she screamed something like "Get away" and when I got there, both her and Souta were unconscious. I don't know what happened!" sobbed Reina.

Sango was worried. She leaned her head against the cool leather, letting a single tear slide down her cheek. Her sister was in a sleep-induced coma and her little brother had broken ribs, a concussion and he hadn't said a word to neither Reina nor herself since he woke up. The worry for his sister seemed to be taking all of his attention and energy.

She was lost in thought and missed the first knock to her window. The second one was louder and she looked up to see Inuyasha's golden eyes stare at her, he looked worried. She motioned to him to come to the other side and she opened the door, Inuyasha slipped inside her car and he gave her a quick hug in reassurance.

"I came as soon as I could"

"I know."

"Has there been any changes?" He inquired, looking into her face.

"No" she looked down at her hands. "Kagome is still sleeping and Souta is still silent." She let out a sob and Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, hushing her sorrow. "I just don't know what happened!"

"Tell me what you know and maybe I can help figuring it out." He told her. She let out the details that she knew about, explained the way Kagome's room was left in shamble and what Reina had seen. Inuyasha merely nodded but she couldn't see his expression. He was deep in thought and realized that her soul had merged with Kikyo and she had reacted to the memory of the miko, forcing her power into life. Kagome would be a powerful miko after 500 years of wandering and she could not control her actions. This made Inuyasha worry. If her soul had merged, what could he do to soothe her troubled past?

He needed to see Kagome as soon as possible, his soul was screaming to touch her aura, to soothe both his and Kagome's troubled souls, but he was scared of what he would find. What would Kagome say or do when she woke from her sleep?

He had left Sango in her car; she mentioned something about Kagome's place and how her grandfather was returning home from a long trip. He promised he would meet her there later and see what he could do to help and strolled off to the hospital. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the little piece of paper and mentally made a note of its contents: Higurashi, Kagome - Room 563. He nodded at the nurse who greeted him when he stepped off the elevator and he stopped in front of her door. 'What's going to happen when you wake love?' he bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to think of the worst possibilities but it was hard no to when you were the cause of this.

He stepped inside her room and looked on the face of his sleeping beauty, her eyes were hidden under the lid, her mouth was partially opened, letting needed air into her body, her hands were laying across her stomach and her raven hair was spread over her pillow. He sighed. She was still mesmerizing when she was unconscious.

He sat in the chair next to her bed and grabbed a hold of her hand, the familiar tingle or his soul calling out to hers came to him but there was something odd about it. He frowned. There was a resistance from Kagome this time. His aura was impatient and it pressed hard against the barrier, making Kagome whimper in her sleep, tears formed around her closed eyes from the pressure and Inuyasha felt panic rise in him. She was frightened of his aura and his impatience was not helping matters.

He tried to pull away from her but his soul would hear nothing of it, pushing forward. He felt a surge of power from her and he shut his eyes in anticipation of her purification but it never came. He peered at her face and saw her frown in concentration. He sensed Kagome trying to overcome the barrier, like she hadn't intended it to be there in the first place. After a few moments of struggle, he felt her relax as his aura over came the barrier and settled over her small frame. He squeezed her hand and leaned over to her face, landing a small kiss on her sleeping lips. He wasn't sure what just happened but he had a feeling Kikyo was somehow involved in the creation of this barrier, trying to keep him away from Kagome.

He frowned again, letting his fingers rest on his chin as he thought about this situation. His ears twitched nervously and he had to fight the urge to clamp his hands over them. How could he make peace with Kikyo?

* * *

"You think that Inuyasha can fix this?" Rin looked to her mate, who was sitting quietly at his desk.

"I don't know. The soul tried to separate itself last night from Inuyasha while I was speaking to him on the phone. It seems that the past life harbors more ill sentiment towards him than he had anticipated."

Seshomarou had been worried when he showed up at his brother's place, Inuyasha laid unconscious on the ground last night; his eyes were bleeding red from the near severance of the soul mating. He had come close to death and his youkai side had wanted to come out but because of his lack of consciousness, it remained dormant, much to his relief. He had grabbed his brother and brought him to his home, to let him recover from the incident. His brother had to act fast if Kagome was to be saved from the darkness hidden away in her heart from Kikyo.

Rin walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "You are worried?"

"I do not necessarily worry about the hanyou but this could kill him. It seems his soul has decided finally on its mate." Rin nodded, accepting his answer and hugged him closer. Her mate's only family was in danger of dying and she knew it bothered him, but he would never admit it.

* * *

Inuyasha stood in Kagome's room. He had agreed to help Sango clean up the mess before Souta was released from the hospital and here he was, in her room. He could feel the miko energy lingering in the space, even after three days. He had visited Kagome everyday since that morning he woke in Sesshomarou's house and he had let their souls touch each other, to heal what ever it was that was keeping her in such a state.

He had met her grandfather today and the old man had said that Kagome was a descendent of a long line of mikos so he wasn't surprised that she developed the powers, he was just surprised he never noticed it before, he was after all a powerful priest. Inuyasha had to keep from rolling his eyes and laugh at the old man, He was standing in front of a hanyou and the old man didn't even seem to notice. Miroku has more power than this man.

Sango had returned to the room with a bucket and cloths. She asked him some questions and eventually found out, quite by mistake, that Kagome and he had been out on a date. She continued to pester him about it but he was stubborn and quite embarrassed about it, so, she never got anything else out of him but "Keh!" and occasional growls, which made her laugh and she decided to nick name him puppy for the rest of the day. He was not pleased.

Miroku came along eventually, bringning Sango some flowers for Kagome, he said he would drop by later when the work was conveniently done, and somehow Inuyasha had the impression the monk did this quite often.

Reina came running through the door later that night when they had settled for super and listening to her grandfather tell some tale of the shrine.

"Inuyahsa! Sango!"

Their heads snapped towards the frantic girl "Kagome has awakened!" They scrambled to get their food down their bellies and they rushed out the door.

* * *

A groan was heard lightly in the room, the raven-haired girl was waking up and she felt like her head was stuffed with cotton balls. 'Man, this is rough!' She tried to open her eyes but they were sticky and dry, her throat was parched and she had a rotten headache. She tried to remember where she was but she didn't remember much besides going to bed. It looked like she was in the hospital. She frowned.

She reached for the buzzer of the nurse, intending to ask her a million questions when she heard a faint frightened voice in the back of her mind. 'Run! He comes for me!' She paused. That voice filled her with dread but she wasn't sure why.

A nurse strolled in, excited to see her awake and shocked her with the news that she had been sleeping for three days. She blushed ten shades of red when the nurse said that her boyfriend had been spending all day with her and that her brother was doing fine.

"My brother? What's wrong with him?" she asked, confused.

The nurse blinked at her, realizing that the girl might not know he was injured. "He was injured in the same accident as you dear; he's supposed to be discharged tomorrow." Kagome gasped. He was injured?

"Can I see him tonight?" The nurse smiled and told her to wait a few hours, he had just taken his sleeping medication and wouldn't be very good company, but she would be happy to tell her family about her recovery. Kagome nodded. She had some answers to get out of her family and a certain silver haired man before the day was out.

* * *

Review maybe? *pouts*