InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What The Future Holds ❯ Knowledge of the Past ( Chapter 23 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Kagome rode back into the small village. By this time, Inuyasha's samurais had dispersed. The villagers were surprised to see the young sorceress. "My Lady, we hope Lord Inuyasha is alright. Is there anything we can do for you?" Kagome got down off her horse. "Where is the priestess that was here earlier?", she asked. "Lady Kikyou? She is resting in the hut at the end of the road. She was gravely injured, I'm afraid, by one of those worthless bandits.", one of the older villagers commented. "Good," Kagome thought, "They don't realize what happened with Inuyasha." Kagome headed down to the hut the villagers pointed out. She quietly walked in.

She found Kikyou resting against the wall, her breathing shallow. Her soul collectors swarmed around inside the hut, dropping souls into their mistress. But she was bleeding profusely from the wounds on her back and it stained her white hitoe. "Kikyou," Kagome said, quietly. Kikyou opened her eyes and stared at Kagome. "You've returned have you? Why?" Kikyou asked in a monotone voice. "Because I can help you.", Kagome replied.

"You would help me? After I tried to kill you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because a certain half-demon we both know would be beside himself with grief if he knew what happened and learned that you died. I can't live with myself if that happened."

Kikyou allowed Kagome to come to her. Kagome took out some red ochre from her pouch that hung from her sash and rubbed it in her hands. She then placed her hands on Kikyou's back and concentrated her healing energies towards the priestess. As the wounds began to heal, Kagome felt them open up on her back. She winced as the pain shot through her body. She knew the wounds would heal within an hour but it didn't help it hurt any less.

"Speaking of Inuyasha," , Kikyou started, "What happened to him?" Kagome explained about how Inuyasha's demon side first appeared all the way up to her spell. "It appears that when his life is in danger, his demon still takes over.", Kagome finished as she moved away from the now healed priestess. "That explains to me the stripes on his cheeks,", Kikyou mused, "I was curious about that."

"You are healed, Kikyou," Kagome said, "I need to return and check on Inuyasha." Kagome got up and walked out, leaving Kikyou to her thoughts about what had happened. "Inuyasha," Kikyou thought, "This is one reason why I had wanted you human."

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Back at the house, Inuyasha woke up and asked for Kagome. Kiyoshi tried to convince him that she had the pups out picking flowers, but Inuyasha sensed he wasn't being truthful. He got up, changed into new clothes and headed out to look for Kagome, over Kiyoshi's objections. "You are a hard head, my old friend.", Kiyoshi thought.

Inuyasha followed Kagome's scent and realized she had taken her horse. "I hate it when she insists on riding that damn thing in her condition." Inuyasha muttered to himself. He looked up and saw her coming towards him. "WOMAN!," He yelled at her, "GET DOWN OFF THAT DAMN ANIMAL!". Kagome dismounted and walked up to Inuyasha. He could tell in her eyes something was up. "What's up, Kagome? Where did you go that you needed the horse?", He demanded. "I went back to the village to help any injured.", she said, trying to sound calm. She wasn’t worried that Inuyasha would want to go see Kikyou, she knew he would, she was still worried that he wasn't fully healed and she knew he always pushed himself. "Anybody seriously hurt?", he asked innocently. "Just one, but she'll be ok." Kagome replied. "Good." Inuyasha took the reins and started to go take Khan to his barn. They walked quietly together as Inuyasha placed Khan in his pen. Then they walked back to the house and sat down in the kitchen. Suki had brought the pups back and they were playing quietly. The pups excitedly got up and greeted their parents. Inuyasha held Yukio and Bunza while the twins and Yasha sat beside their papa and played.

Kagome worked on a quick dinner as Inuyasha absentmindedly looked into the fire. "You want to tell me something, don't you Koshii?', Inuyasha finally spoke. "You've become quite perceptive, Inuyasha. It doesn't suit you.", Kagome said, trying to lighten the mood. "But, yes, we do need to talk and I'll just come right to it. The injured woman was Kikyou." The fact that Inuyasha continued to stare into the fire surprised Kagome. It wasn't the reaction she had expected. "She's alive, is she?", he asked quietly, "Is she alright?". Kagome told him that Kikyou was fine and then explained how Kikyou became injured. As she did, she watched him flex his hand in and out of a fist as he looked at his claws. "Papa, you k?", Bunza asked as he watched his father's flexing fist. "Yes, my son, I'm fine.", Inuyasha comforted the worried pup as he placed a kiss on the pup's head. He sat Bunza down as Kagome handed out dishes of stew to the pups and then Kagome took a squirming Yukio to feed while Inuyasha took his bowl. After finishing two large bowls of stew and rice he started to get up. "Inuyasha," Kagome asked, "Why didn't you seem surprised when I told you Kikyou was there?". "Because, when I was at the village, I thought I caught her scent. I thought I was going crazy, but obviously I'm not.", Inuyasha replied. "I know you must go see her. Go ahead.", Kagome said as she moved Yukio to the other breast and wiped Bunza's face. Inuyasha walked out, but he only got to the edge of the town.

"Persephone.", Inuyasha greeted the woman warrior. "Inuyasha.", she greeted back, "Are you going to see Kikyou?". This stopped Inuyasha in his tracks. "Wha....? How do you ... ?" "Inuyasha, I need to tell you something before you go," Persephone said to him, leading him to a rock, "Inuyasha, you know Kikyou wants nothing more than to die with you, but, you see, the Fates do not wish for something like that to happen. First, it won't succeed. Your soul is mostly demon and would not descend to the human hell and the part of your soul that is human has been purified enough through Kagome that it wouldn't descend to hell either. If Kikyou had succeed in killing you all those years ago that is what would have happened. But the Fates intervened and you heard Kagome's voice, which saved you."

"How do you know all this?", Inuyasha asked, suspiciously. "Because, my Lord husband is the god of the underworld. In Greece he is known as Hades." Inuyasha just stared at her. "Are you saying YOU are the goddess of the underworld?". Persephone nodded. "Inuyasha, over 50 years ago you and Kikyou were fated to come together. But you were not destined to be together forever. When Kikyou decided to use the Shikon Jewel to turn you human, she sealed her fate. Nothing good can come from the Shikon Jewel. You were never destined to be human and had we not interceded, you would have become a murderous human, killing Kikyou and any children you would have had with her. So the Fates stepped in. The Fates sent the demons to Onigumo to create Naraku and kill Kikyou." This news greatly angered Inuyasha and he slammed his fist against the rock. "WHY!?", he demanded, "Why did Kikyou have to die? Why couldn't you separate us some other way?". His anger fully evident. "Because the Fates decided that Kikyou's soul needed to learn some more before it could be reincarnated again.", Persephone replied quietly. "And the fact that she was going to use the jewel for her own purposes ... she had to be stopped before she destroyed her soul. If she had destroyed her soul we don't know if we could have saved her. So the Fates did what they thought best to save her soul. What we didn't count on was Urasue. Kikyou was not supposed to be revived. The piece of Kagome's soul that remains in Kikyou MUST be returned to Kagome. Without it, Kagome will never be able to use her true spiritual powers.", Persephone grew quiet. "So you are saying that Kikyou must die again.", Inuyasha said quietly. "She is already dead, Inuyasha. She must return to the land of the dead. And you must be the one to convince her to release her soul." Inuyasha considered this for a moment before turning away from Persephone and bounding off. "You know what you must do, Inuyasha," thought Persephone as she turned and faded into a ball of light, "I hope you have the courage to do it."

Inuyasha bounded to the village and was greeted by the villagers. "Lord Inuyasha, welcome! We are glad to see you are better. We were worried.", the village elder greeted him. "Old man, where is the priestess?", Inuyasha pressed him, ignoring the greeting. "The priestess? I'm sorry to say she took her leave of us. It saddened us so. The village children adored her.", the elder replied sadly. "Gone? Which way did she go, old man?", Inuyasha said gruffly. "I don't know." he replied. "She couldn't have gone far," Inuyasha muttered to no one in particular as he followed her scent to the other side of the village, where it disappeared. "DAMN! Kikyou ... where did you go?"

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