InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kagome's Sacrifice ❯ Kagome's Sacrifice ( Chapter 1 )

 

 

Kagome's Sacrifice

Kirameki Izumi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kikyo was running, breathing heavily. "Naraku is after me again!" The moon shone brightly through the gaps in the leaves, casting long, eerie shadows on the forest floor. Kikyo brushed away a branch and barely missed tripping over a root as she ran desperately for her life. She stopped and rested against a tree to take in a few deep breathes which she had long denied herself. With rattling breath, she sunk to the cool, dirt and began to shake with exhaustion. "How can I escape? Naraku has thought out his plan too well this time. But I refuse to die until Naraku and the Sacred Jewel are both cast into Hell. How can I defeat this opponent?"

 

 

The sky was a forget-me-not blue and the sun was smiling with warmth as the companions journeyed down the dirt road.

" I've had it with you Inuyasha!"

" Get off my back, would ya?"

" Here we go again." Shippo said with a sigh of exasperation.

" I don't want to eat stuff that burns my tongue! Is that such a crime?"

" I'm not saying you have to eat it but you could at least say thank you!"

"Keh!"

" He's such an ingrate at times." said Miroku as he shook his head. " He just doesn't get it."

" You, you! Argh! I'm never cooking for you again!"

" Go ahead! I could care less."

" That was the wrong thing to say." Sango said warningly.

" Inuyasha sit!!!" With a flash of light, Inuyasha was forced face first into the ground by the magic rosary. After a few moments of struggle, Inuyasha lifted up his head and spat out the dirt and grass from his mouth. He then stared angrily after Kagome as she heatedly walked away.

" Damn that woman. Why is she so sensitive when it comes to her cooking?"

" You have to show woman that you appreciate them."

" Shut up! What would you know you letch?"

" I obviously know more than you."

" What! Why you…" Inuyasha stopped mid-sentence and sniffed the air.

" What do you smell Inuyasha?"

" Hmm" Inuyasha dashed off without a word.

" Hey, wait Inuyasha!" The rest of the companions hurriedly followed after Inuyasha wondering what had caused him to run off so suddenly. Kagome however already knew why Inuyasha had taken off so quickly. It was Kikyo. Why else would he run off without saying the reason why? She could feel the green-eyed monster of jealousy starting to take over her thoughts, making her wish Kikyo would just disappear and leave her and Inuyasha be. She was ashamed of the way she felt but she couldn't help it. She couldn't forget about the way she felt for him. She tried so many times just to forget about him. But she would always find herself either worried about his safety or longing for his company. Surprisingly, yet so easily, she had fallen in love with the troubled half-demon. As she pedaled her bike, she tried very hard to concentrate on following the others instead of dwelling on the fact that her heart felt like it was ripping in two. "No matter how much it hurts, I have to try and help Inuyasha and Kikyo."

Kagome looked up and gasped in shock as she saw Kikyo lying on the ground unconscious in front of them. Kagome stopped and slipped off her bike to examine Kikyo with the others. As they approached, they realized that Kikyo was not unconscious after all. Kikyo's eyes fluttered open and looked up at them in the same cold, emotionless stare she usually did.

" Kikyo what happened?" Inuyasha asked with concern in his voice.

" Inuyasha, why are you here?"

" Don't ask something so stupid!" Kagome felt a sharp pain in her chest. Why did he have to care so much about Kikyo when she, herself cared about him so much.

" I was running from a demon."

" A demon?"

" Yes. Apparently Naraku is trying to get rid of me again. He has sent a demon out to destroy me. But not just any demon; this demon drags those with spiritual powers down to Hell where they cannot use them. Therefore, leaving them defenseless. After being dragged to Hell, they are then devoured by the demon. I might have had a chance against it if this were the only power it had, but it also possesses a shard of the Sacred Jewel. Now it can put up a barrier that keeps spiritual and other demonic powers from passing in or out of the barrier. With such a barrier I can neither protect myself nor receive souls from my soul collectors. That is why I must get away as quickly as possible. I have wasted too much time already. I must leave now or I'll never make it."

"Kikyo you can't handle this alone."

"Inuyasha, leave me. There's nothing you can do for me."

"I won't leave you Kikyo! I swore that I would protect you from Naraku and I intend to keep that promise!" Kikyo stared up at Inuyasha with the saddest, most loving of eyes. Kagome couldn't watch anymore. It hurt too much. Seeing the two of them together like this. Kagome's sad thoughts were interrupted, however, by a loud crashing noise in the forest behind them. The trees were pushed aside and crushed as a large, ferocious demon appeared before them. It had glowing red eyes and two, sharp horns on its head. Its entire body was incased with flame and as it bellowed out a mighty roar of rage the earth began to shake.

" Inuyasha there is nothing you can possibly do, just leave."

" I already told you I'm not leaving you! Besides, it looks like it's just big in size. I'll slice him open with my Tetsusiaga." Inuyasha unsheathed his giant demonic sword and swung it at the foul beast. But as he brought down his sword he was pushed back by the demon's barrier.

" Fine. I'll just break through the barrier then." Inuyasha lifted up his sword a second time and began to charge toward the demon. As he ran the Tetsusiaga began to glow a bright red. But before he could bring down the finishing blow that would break the barrier, the demon spit a ball of fire at the Tetsusiaga and knocked it out of Inuyasha's hand.

" You bastard!" Inuyasha ran quickly to pick up the Tetsusiaga. The demon's fire still engulfed the sword but Inuyasha ignored this and grabbed for the Tetsusiaga. As he reached for his sword however, the barrier sent an electrical shock through him and knocked him back.

"Damn! He's put a barrier around my sword." Kagome hurriedly ran to Inuyasha's side.

"Are you alright Inuyasha?"

"I'm fine." Suddenly Inuyasha and Kagome felt a sucking wind on their backs. They turned to see that the demon had created a great divide in the earth and was now pulling Kikyo towards it with a great sucking wind. Kikyo struggled to escape but the wind was draining her already diminishing strength.

"Kikyo is being dragged into Hell!" Kagome said with horror.

"No she's not!" Inuyasha hurried to Kikyo's aid but Kikyo had already been dragged into the barrier. Inuyasha lunged towards the barrier nonetheless. He tried to push his way in but it was hopeless. He couldn't get through.

"Damn!" Inuyasha hacked at the barrier with his fists in anger and frustration. He could do nothing to save Kikyo. His sword and Kikyo were both guarded by the demon's impenetrable barrier.

Kagome stood in the distance, wondering on what she should do. She was confused by her mixed feelings. Many times she had secretly wished for Kikyo to be gone and now was the perfect time to fulfill it. But Inuyasha would be devastated if he lost Kikyo yet again. She didn't want Inuyasha to suffer and deep down she knew what she had to do. She nodded to confirm her decision and began running toward the barrier. "It's the right thing to do, and it will make him happy."

"Kagome what are you doing!" Inuyasha yelled in shock.

"I've got to try and help Kikyo!"

"You fool! Come back here!" But Kagome would not listen. She sped up her pace and ran through the barrier. She then jumped down into the crevice just as it was about to close. As she fell, she could feel that it was getting warmer. She looked down to see that she was falling into a deep pit of fire. At the bottom of the pit, on a small spot of ground, lay Kikyo, with the large, fire demon standing not too far away from her. Kagome landed softly on the spot of ground in the center of the pit and ran to Kikyo's aid.

"Kikyo! Are you all right?" Kikyo opened her eyes and looked at Kagome in astonishment.

"How did you enter the barrier?"

"Huh? Was I not supposed to?" Kikyo cast her eyes down and sighed.

"It doesn't matter. You can't defeat this demon. The barrier drains all spiritual and demonic powers. We can't save ourselves." Kikyo raised her head slightly from the ground and looked up at the fire demon. It was now making its way towards them.

"Would you quit giving up so easily? We will get out of here!" Kikyo stared at Kagome with an even more astonished look than the first. "How can this girl have such strength and confidence?"

 

 

"Damn it! Kagome you fool! Why would you do something so reckless?"

"I believe she said that she did it to save Kikyo." Miroku said softly.

"Just because Kikyo was in danger doesn't mean she has to go and lose her life so foolishly!"

"You just don't get it do you? Kagome went to save Kikyo because she cares about you! She knew that you loved Kikyo so she risked her life for your happiness!"

"Kagome? You risked your life just so I could be happy? How do you expect me to be happy when you're…"

"I have to break through the barrier and get her." Inuyasha turned to the barrier and began hitting it repeatedly in panic.

"Inuyasha, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do." Miroku said with sympathy and sadness. "None of us can enter the barrier. Not even Sango can enter the barrier. Her Hiraikotsu and other weapons prevent her from doing so because they were made from demon parts."

"I don't care! I'm going to get Kagome out of there if it's the last thing I do! I'll beat the Hell out of this barrier until I get in!

"But Inuyasha, how do we know that Kikyo and Kagome aren't already…"

"There's no way in Hell Kagome's gone! She wouldn't give in that easily! Now come over here and help me!"

"Inuyasha's right Miroku, we can't give up on them yet." Sango said as she turned to Miroku. Miroku stared at Sango for a moment and smiled

" Your right. Let's go help him."

" I'll help too. Come on Kirara!" said Shippo with firmness. "We have to help Kagome." Kirara growled in agreement and followed Shippo towards the barrier with the others.

 

 

Kagome turned from Kikyo and faced the demon as she began drawing out an arrow. She placed the arrow on the bow and carefully aimed. "If I could hit the jewel shards in his chest, we might have a chance."

"It's useless. Your spiritual powers won't work in here." Kagome lowered her bow and turned to Kikyo with a frustrated look on her face.

"What did I just tell you? You're not giving up yet! As for you…" Kagome turned back towards the demon and aimed her arrow.

"Your going down!" Kagome pulled back the quiver and after a moments pause, she released the arrow. The familiar glow of the sacred arrow shot like a bullet towards the demon's heart. "Please let it hit." In answer to Kagome's prayer, the arrow stayed straight and true. The demon screamed in pain as the arrow shot into it and pushed out the sacred jewel fragments. The demon stood still for a moment before a bright light from within engulfed its whole body. Kagome shielded her eyes from the tremendous glow as the demon burst into a million pieces "She did it." Kikyo stared in shock as the formidable demon was reduced to rubble. The light died out and Kagome could feel herself rising up from the ground from where she stood. Before she could ask herself what was going on, she found herself and Kikyo in a forest. She looked around and saw that many trees had been knocked down and destroyed. "We must be on the edge of the forest that the demon came out of." Kagome turned to Kikyo.

"Are you okay Kikyo? You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine. Kikyo sat in silence for a moment and then softly said, "How did you do it? How were you not affected by the barrier?"

"Huh? Oh." Kagome paused to think. She wasn't sure herself. She just remembered that she kept thinking of Inuyasha's warm smile in order to keep up her courage.

"I'm not sure."

"You should go. Inuyasha is probably worried about you."

"Huh? What do mean? I think you've got things flipped around. Inuyasha is more concerned about your safety right now than mine."

"No. I believe I have everything flipped the correct way." Kikyo slowly got up on her feet and turned to leave.

"Perhaps you are more than just my reincarnation. I do believe you're quite different from me. I could have never gotten out of that alive. Thank you, Kagome." And with those final words, Kikyo walked further into the forest and disappeared. Kagome stared after her for a moment in surprise and turned back the opposite way. "I hope everyone is alright."

Soon the rubble of the trees began to thin out and she found herself back in the field where she had been before having jumped through the barrier. Inuyasha and the others were all staring in puzzlement at the spot where the barrier had been.

"Where in the hell did it go? It couldn't have broken that easily."

"Where did what go?" Inuyasha turned and looked at Kagome with surprise and relief, but it was soon replaced with an angry stare.

"What the hell were you thinking jumping into the barrier like that? I can't always be there to help you out of scrapes you know."

"It's alright Inuyasha. Kikyo's safe now."

"I'm not asking about Kikyo! How can you talk so calmly about this? I almost lost you! Jeez, I wish you would think first before pulling stunts like that."

"You were worried about me?" Kagome could feel her face starting burn as she blushed. Inuyasha turned away from her and began to blush himself. He always felt a little weird about saying his feelings out loud in front of Kagome.

"Well yeah. Why wouldn't I?" Inuyasha turned back and looked back at Kagome who was smiling now.

"What?"

"You've just made me very happy that's all."

"How's that?"

"By letting me know that you care." Inuyasha stared in puzzlement for a moment and decided to forget about it. He could never quite understand what she meant sometimes. But what had she meant by "By letting me know that you care." Of course he cared. He had never cared about anyone so much in his life. Did she think that he didn't care about her because of Kikyo? Because it certainly wasn't true

 

 

The companions were back on the trail now. Everyone was relieved that Kagome was safe and Kagome was feeling much better now. But Inuyasha was still bothered by the fact that Kagome acted so surprised about the fact that he was worried about her.

"Kagome?" he said quietly.

"Yes?"

"You didn't think that I didn't care about you, did you?"

"Well...no…um …I don't know. It's just…I thought you would have been more concerned about Kikyo.

"What made you think something stupid like that?"

"Well…it's just…you love Kikyo right? So, that means you would be more worried about her than me."

"What! How could you think something as silly as that would be true?"

"Well…um."

"Damn it Kagome! Don't you know that's ridiculous? That's not how I feel, and don't you dare say I care more about Kikyo than you again, and don't you dare think it either because it's not true! You got that?" Kagome stared at Inuyasha in surprise for a moment and smiled.

"Thank you Inuyasha."

"Well just so you know." With face blushing madly, Inuyasha turned, folded his arms, and walked on ahead. Kagome looked happily up at the clear blue sky. It was a beautiful day. And now she finally felt like the day looked.