Disclaimer: Kikyo and Kagome are the creations of Rumiko Takahashi.

Release

She didn't hate Kikyo. Even before she had forgotten to feel, she hadn't hated the undead woman. It wasn't her fault a witch had halfway resurrected her for the power she held, not realizing Kikyo's soul now belonged to another.

"Have you ever had training in weaponry beyond that of a bow, copy?"

Did kitchen knives count?

"No."

Kikyo's cool face showed nothing of her thoughts.

"A staff works best, since it is not commonly seen as a weapon, merely as a tool for walking."

Miroku-sama used a staff. She could still hear him bopping Inu-Yasha on the head with it, and lecturing him on the ways of treating women. She doubted either knew she could hear them. She could faintly hear the sounds of the rings on Miroku's staff clinking together.

Oh, Miroku. We were too late to save you. Did you ever manage to talk a woman into bearing your child before we met you? I know we always kept you from it afterwards.

{ Slap. 'Hentai!' }

How she missed them. Why hadn't she seen the pain in Miroku's eyes as he looked at his cursed hand? He had known, even if they didn't, that he had run out of time.

"I won't let you be killed by human bandits just because you know nothing about defending yourself."

Defending herself. Yes, she got captured often, didn't she? No one had bothered her since Inu-Yasha's death, except for Kikyo. Maybe it was the priestess robes the undead miko made her wear. People were less likely to bother a priestess than a girl running around in a short skirt.

{ 'That is a very immodest kimono, Kagome-sama. Do all the girls in your time wear such? Could you bring one back for Sango-san? And convince her to wear it?' Smack. 'Hentai houshi!' Soft giggles from Kagome. }

"I appreciate the concern, Kikyo-sensei."

"I will be the one who kills you, copy. You will not get killed before then."

Had Kikyo's need to drag Inu-Yasha to hell transferred to her? Perhaps it was that hate which kept Kikyo alive. And since Inu-Yasha was dead, she had to hate whoever had killed him.

She had killed him. No, it hadn't been her hands that had stopped the beating of the hanyou's heart, but she had been too weak to stop it. Had she even understood half of what she knew now of her powers, she could have saved him. Instead, he had died in her arms.

"It does not matter to me. Dead is dead."

Perhaps not for Kikyo, but for Kagome, it would be. She never wanted to return to this world, once she had fulfilled her promise to Kikyo to help slay Naraku, the source of all their pains.

"Death, copy, can be cheated."

What were they talking about? She thought backwards. Death, bandits, defense, staff. Her eyes moved to the two staffs resting beside Kikyo. Was that Miroku's? She choked back on a sob. Kikyo noticed the sound and her eyes followed Kagome's to the staff.

Kikyo's face did not change as she ignored the girl's sorrowful face. "Ready to begin training, copy?" She tossed the staff to Kagome. She instinctively grabbed it. The rings clinked against each other mournfully.

She held it out from her as if it were a poisonous snake. It was another sign of her failure. They hadn't killed Naraku before his curse swallowed Miroku.

Memories of Miroku continued to flash through her mind. Pain shot through her head, and it took a moment to realize it wasn't just the pain of recalling Miroku and his untimely death.

Had Kikyo just bopped her on the head with the other staff?

"Pay attention to me when I'm speaking, copy." Kikyo's voice betrayed no emotions.

Miroku, bopping Inu-Yasha on the head as she raced off crying after he had yet again unfavorably compared her to Kikyo.

She hurled the staff from her and sank to her knees, sobbing.

Kikyo found the thrown weapon and returned to the rock she had been sitting on. She waited patiently for the broken girl to stop crying. It wasn't enough to remember only the pain. You had to remember the good as well. The crying was the child's acceptance that the monk was gone, released from his curse.

It was unfortunate that the outlet was tears, but the crying girl in front of her was a far cry from the unemotional girl who had promised to help defeat Naraku in exchange for death. Better sadness than emptiness.

Throughout the whole thing, Kikyo's face had remained as impassive as always.