InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Memories of you ❯ Chapter 18

Kagome was surprised to wake up with her head in Sango's lap. Blinking her eyes against the unexpected brightness of the sun, Kagome struggled to focus her mind. The last thing she remembered was arguing with Sango about how everything was her fault. As those last angry thoughts came crashing back into her consciousness, Kagome quickly sat up. She was rewarded for her haste with a powerful wave of dizziness.

 

“Kagome, lie back.” Sango's voice gently chided.

 

Lying back down, Kagome kept her eyes closed until the wave of dizziness passed. Cracking her lids open gingerly, Kagome found herself staring into Sango's concerned brown eyes.

 

“How do you feel, Kagome?”

 

This time, Kagome slowly sat up. Her head thumped but she was relieved to no longer be dizzy.

 

“I feel like I got hit in the head with a brick.”

 

Kagome looked around. She, Sango and Miroku sat in a shaded clearing. Chikako stood off to the side. Kagome frowned at her presence but said nothing. Right now, Kagome wanted answers and she knew that Chikako was the only one who could provide them. Scooting away from Sango until she was sitting between Sango and Miroku, Kagome could still feel the underlying tension between her and Sango. Kagome was still pissed about the argument with Sango. Kagome had started to remember the rage that filled her as she argued with Sango. She was disturbed about how good she felt pouring all of that anger out of her body. What bothered Kagome even more was the fact that, at some point, she had blacked out. The most she could remember was seeing Miroku and Sango sitting huddled against the wall and Sesshomaru restraining Inuyasha.

 

`What in the hell happened?'

 

Miroku approached Kagome.

 

“Do you remember anything?”

 

Kagome shook her head. “Other than being really angry, no. What happened why did I blackout?”

 

Miroku glanced at Sango. “Yuji possessed you again. This time he was able to speak through you. It was as if he fed off your anger.”

 

Kagome looked at her two friends. “Is that why the anger felt so good?”

 

Sango looked worriedly at Kagome. “What do you mean, felt good?”

 

Kagome pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.

 

“I felt so strong, so powerful. I could just feel it all flowing through me. Suddenly, everything was black.”

 

Kagome was interrupted by the watching demonness. Until this moment, Chikako quietly listened to Kagome discuss how she felt.

 

“Then things are worse than I feared.”

 

Kagome watched as Chikako approached the trio. No one spoke until she sat down. Miroku started with the questions.

 

“Are we back in to feudal era. Chikako?”

 

Chikako nodded “Yes, we are in Inuyasha's Forest. It's time for Kagome to get in touch with ALL of her memories and this is the best place to do it.”

 

Kagome looked startled. Sango gasped as Miroku continued questioning Chikako. Something was buried in the back of his mind and he was having a hard time dislodging it.

 

“Why couldn't we do it where we were? Was is really necessary for all three of us to come here?”

 

Chikako looked at Kagome for a moment then returned her gaze to Miroku.

 

“Actually, no, but Kagome is going to need emotional support. Part of the reason she hasn't unlocked everything yet is because she is unwilling to accept that all of this truly happened to her.”

 

Releasing the breath she'd hadn't realized she was holding Kagome interjected.

 

“First of all, can you stop talking about me like I'm not here. What do you mean not accepting? I've been living this craziness. Why wouldn't I believe it?”

 

Chikako looked at Kagome with patient eyes.

 

“You said it yourself.”

 

Everyone looked at Chikako, confusion evident in his or her faces. Chikako returned their looks, smiling.

 

“When we talked earlier, you said you wanted your life back. Your exact words were `Your perfectly normal life'. What you have to understand is that life was never your intended life. Your intended life ended that day in the battle with Naraku. You did what you were supposed to do, save the Shikon Jewel.”

 

This time Miroku interjected. “You are saying that Kagome was supposed to die that day?”

 

Looking at Kagome, Sango whispered. “And she was supposed to stay dead?”

 

Kagome was sitting with her eyes open wide, unblinking. Her mind felt frozen on only one thought.

 

`I was supposed to stay dead.'

 

Miroku continued pushing Chikako. He could feel there was more to the story than she was letting on.

 

“I have to disagree with you. If that was the case, Midoriko would have never granted that wish.”

 

The group sat silently for a moment. Suddenly, the something finally clicked for Miroku.

 

“She knew. Midoriko knew.”

 

Sango turned to look at him. “What did she know? Tell us!”

 

Miroku stood up and began pacing.

 

“Midoriko knew by granting this wish that something from our past would follow into the future. Inuyasha said that Midoriko told him that one day Kagome would have to remember. That it would be necessary for her to remember in order to survive. In his grief, I don't think Inuyasha realized what she meant. Hell, it just hit me what Midoriko meant.”

 

Kagome, still slightly dazed, stood up with Miroku.

 

“So by sending me back, Midoriko knew the past would still come to me?”

 

Chikako agreed. “Both you and Miroku-sama are exactly right. Midoriko knew by changing your life path that eventually something from your previous life would come back. The issue becomes you being able to deal with it.”

 

Sango joined in the conversation. “In other words, she can't simply live as if the previous life never happened?”

 

Chikako walked around the three of them. “What you have the understand is that all of our experiences are imprinted on our spirits, our psyche. When Kagome was given another chance at life, Midoriko could not erase what had already happened with Kagome, all the experiences she had, including her death. It was her destiny and she lived her destiny out.”

 

Chikako stopped in front of Kagome. “Your nightmares have been telling you for years. Your mind has locked itself against any of the memories. They come out when you are sleeping because that's when your mind is it's most relaxed. Your SPIRIT remembers all the good things and the bad. “

 

Laying a clawed hand gently on Kagome's forehead, she softly continued.

 

“It's all there, every good and bad time. Your true strength is also there. Yuji can possess you because he knows you cannot access your powers.”

 

Kagome stared into Chikako swirling eyes. She could feel herself becoming mesmerized by the colorful depths.

 

“But how could he know? I don't even know.”

 

Miroku interrupted. “Because he is from the feudal era. He knows what your powers are because he has seen them.”

 

Sango then interjected. “And he has been in your head. When Yuji did that spell in the nightclub, you were missing for over forty-five minutes. He had plenty of time to explore.”

 

Still resting her hand on Kagome, Chikako took over the explanation.

 

“Yuji's intentions have changed. He always coveted your power. Now he intends to have your power and you. Yuji knows Lord Inuyasha will not let you go unless Lord Inuyasha is dead. If Yuji can figure out how to unlock your powers before you do, he will kill Lord Inuyasha and Lord Sesshomaru. Yuji will destroy the world as we know it.”

 

Kagome was stunned. Never in her wildest nightmare had she even thought of Yuji wanting to possess her. Suddenly, a thought hit her.

 

`He said that he would have me. Me and my miko powers.'

 

Returning her focus to Chikako's eyes, Kagome could once again feel herself slowing becoming entranced by the swirling colors. Faintly she could hear Miroku talking to Chikako.

 

“What do you intend to do to help Kagome?”

 

Never taking her gaze away from Kagome, Chikako told him.

 

“Hopefully, Kagome-sama will let herself relax enough for me to direct her to the locked part of her mind. This is where the most painful memories reside, including her own personal memory of her `death'. She will have to feel it all over again and her subconscious has been blocking this. Yuji is using her anger to drive her. Instead of owning up to the fear, she has been channeling it into rage. Did you hear how Kagome-sama described it?”

 

Miroku nodded. “She said she felt strong and powerful.”

 

Chikako continued. “That was Yuji's power flowing through her, feeding off her anger. Now just imagine how much more powerful she would be with his power and her own?”

 

Sango gasped. “They would be unstoppable.”

 

Chikako agreed. “Exactly, they could destroy anything they wanted and none of us would be able to stop them. Yuji has to be close because he felt so confidant possessing her.” Chikako paused, then exclaimed.

 

“Ah! Finally, she's relaxed enough. Miroku-sama, come help me. I need you to lay her down and hold her down. Sango, I need you to hold her hand. You'll act as an anchor. This is going to be hard for everyone. She has to relive her death, only then will the barrier to her powers be broken.”

 

Before Sango moved, she had to know something.

 

“Chicako-sama, you said Kagome has to relive her `death'. But she has, in the nightmares.”

 

 

 

Chicako looked intently at Miroku and Sango. “Those are the parts that her conscious allows her to see. She has never relived the entire experience. She may have felt some of it but her subconscious always cut it off before. No matter what happens, no matter what you see, do not break the connection to her, do you understand?”

 

Both Miroku and Sango nodded, a thread of fear coursing through their bodies. Miroku could understand now why Chicako couldn't do this near Inuyasha: he wouldn't have allowed it to happen. He would have stopped Chicako at the first sign of any distress from Kagome.

 

Chicako began to call out to Kagome. Miroku and Sango listened as Chikako guided Kagome back. There was no outward sign that Kagome could even hear her. But internally was another matter.

 

It was cool for late spring. Rumors had led them to this part of the forest. Kagome didn't have a clue where they were but she could feel the pull of the jewel. Miroku said something about the northern mountains but this was the first time Naraku had ever led them so far out. Everyone was exhausted from traveling such a long way, even Inuyasha. She knew he wouldn't admit it but Kagome could tell he was glad when they stopped to rest.

 

Kagome had never felt the pull of the jewel so strong before. She couldn't help but wonder if it was because it was nearly complete. Kagome's thoughts were interrupted when Miroku and Inuyasha suddenly jumped up. Miroku had grabbed sutras from his robes and Inuyasha had drawn his sword. Kagome could feel the dark aura of the tainted jewel shards approach through the trees. Sango and Kilala had taken to the air to get a better view.

 

Kagome was shocked to see how Naraku looked as the trees fell before him. He was transformed into a black, inky jewel. She could see the evil miasma swirling within the confines of the jewel. She knew in order to stop him, the jewel had to be purified. She was even more surprised when Naraku's voice came pouring out of the dark void.

 

“So, you have finally arrived to face your death. How fitting that you all are here together.”

 

Kagome felt herself cringe at the glee in Naraku's voice. She was ready to get this over with. Deep in her heart, she knew this was it, the last battle. Staring up at the dark jewel, Kagome wondered who would really be left standing. Gathering all of her courage and summoning every ounce of her spiritual powers, Kagome notched an arrow and prepared to fire at Naraku.

 

“If any one is going to die today, Naraku, it's going to be you!” Inuyasha yelled back.

 

Naraku merely laughed again and replied. “We shall see. We shall see.”

 

Everyone scattered as tentacles came swirling out of the jewel. Saimyosho flying around prevented Miroku from using his kazaana. Sango's Hiraikotsu was cutting through many tenticles along with Inuyasha's windscar. Kagome was able to get off a few arrows before Naraku realized he had a serious problem. He knew the if Kagome purifed the jewel, he would be defenseless against Inuyahsa's attack. Taking advangtage of having absorbed several of Tetsusaiga's defenses, Naraku shot out more tenticles to distract the fighters. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome as a tenticle came flying towards her. She was trying to line up a shot that would have directly hit the jewel.

 

As Inuyasha carried her out of harm's way, Kagome told him she thought she had a shot.

 

“Just give me cover, Inuyasha. I can hit the jewel. Naraku knows I can. That's why he is coming after me directly.”

 

Kagome could see in the fight in Inuyasha's eyes. He didn't want her to do this.

 

“Look, you have to let me try. Purifiying the jewel is the only way to stop him. Get me a shot!”

 

She could see the fight in Inuyasha's eyes. Kagome knew he wanted to protect her but unless the jewel was purified, they all were going to die. Inuyasha closed his eyes and nodded his head. Pulling Kagome close, Inuyasha did something that surpised her. He kissed her. It was hard and brutal but it was their first kiss. Releasing her, Inuyasha powered up the red Tetsusaiga.

 

“Let's go.”