Evolution of a Taiyoukai
By Danyealle
(FanFiction/MF/angst/death)
Chapter 21
There was a lot she had to think about. With a soft sigh Kikyo just let her feel lead her wherever they wanted to go. At the forefront of her mind was trying to come up with a way to get Kagome to talk to her. No, if she vehemently refused she wouldn’t change her plans but there were a few things she would like to know before she set things in motion. Stopping, she looked up at the full moon. How long had it been since she noticed how beautiful that shimmering sliver orb was? Or the night sky in general for that matter? It had been a while that’s for sure. With a deep sigh, she began to move again.
Once more she forced herself to ponder what she had to do. It was all so hard! She was used to getting what she wanted with little to no work on her part. And most things she could just use Inuyasha as an intermediary for but that didn’t work this time. After a bit of distance from earlier she would understand why Kagome had been offended by the way she had gone about things. She wouldn’t have taken well to being ‘summoned’ by her either. And she probably would have been insulted by the she audacity of such an act. Well, now she also had to find a way to make up for that as well as get her to agree to talk. She just couldn’t go about things the easy way, now could she?
She walked around Edo in ever widening circles as she tried to work out the problem. As she well knew there wasn’t much time left before Naraku would be ready to unleash his version of holy war on them so Kagome had to have herself ready and she couldn’t be if she didn’t have everything back. So, the way she saw it she had only a couple days at the outside to do what she needed to. That would give Kagome enough time to get used to everything and train to have it under control. That part was imperative, she had to have that. She was also going to have to master a new technique before then. That was one of the reasons she desperately needed to talk to her. It was a simple enough thing to master if you had the power, she had never been strong enough, and Kagome would have more than enough but she was going to have to learn to do it. It wasn’t something you could just pull out and do in the middle of battle without learning it first.
When she came to a small, trickling spring in a cove she stopped and sat down. Putting her chin in her hands, her eyes locked on the water as her mind turned the whole thing over and over. The urgency she felt the situation dictated was clouding her thinking process, making it all the harder to work with the problem.
Just as the first pink of dawn began to show on the horizon the answer, or what she hoped was the answer, finally came to her. Sighing, she started to relax a bit. Now she just had to work out what the best way to go about it would be.
~~~~~@~~~~~
By noon Kagome was officially in a pretty foul mood. She had woken up in a great deal of pain. As soon as she had eaten she had taken a pain killer. Once it had kicked things hadn’t been so bad until Jaio and Kaede began her ‘rehab’. By the time they had finished manipulating her limbs she was in agony and once more it had been bad enough that halfway through the session Sesshomaru had to leave because he couldn’t stand to watch her suffer in that way. If he hadn’t left she was sure, from what she was feeling from him, he would have gone into a rage. Now she was just waiting for her lunch to finish cooking so she could take another pain killer and get some relief from the agony she was in.
Sitting outside her little house between Sesshomaru’s legs, she tried to concentrate on Sesshomaru’s efforts to comfort her rather than the pain. She was succeeding a bit but not as enough that she wasn’t focusing on it because the pain was still at the forefront of her mind. Though when he began to rub her painful limbs with some of the muscle rub she kept in her pack it helped.
Just as he was finishing, there was a bit of a commotion at the edge of the village, just beyond where their house sat. Because there was always some kind of uproar going on somewhere in the small hamlet the two of them paid no attention until the noise increased and began to come closer to where they were. When they looked up Sesshomaru snarled and Kagome groaned. “Not today.” She said softly, shutting her eyes and dropping her head into her hands. “I can’t deal with this today.”
What they saw was Kikyo walking towards them. For once she wasn’t carrying her bow nor did she have her quiver of arrows on her back. But she had a determined look on her face and seemed to be letting nothing stand in her way, side-stepping or pulling away from those that tried stopping her. She even seemed to be ignoring Inuyasha who was walking beside her, attempting to talk to her.
When she got to their little house, she stopped and clasped her hands behind her back. Ignoring the snarling Sesshomaru, Kikyo focused on Kagome. “I’m sorry to disturb you and I’m quite sure you aren’t at all happy to see me but I would like to ask you to please talk with me. First and foremost, I would like to be allowed to apologize for all I’ve done to you. Also, I would like to impart some information I feel you’re going to need. I also want to say I’m sorry for offending you before. Would you please allow me a few minutes of your time Kagome?” She asked in a soft voice.
Almost immediately, Sesshomaru barked out an emphatic no. Though Kagome felt the same way there was something in Kikyo’s eyes and voice that seemed to tug at something inside her. It was as though something was telling her this was information she needed to do. “I have no intention of going anywhere alone with you Kikyo.” She said quietly.
“I understand that.” Kikyo replied quickly. “I’m not proposing we wander off somewhere alone. We can stay right here if you like. I just want it to be you and I talking is all, no one close, but I’ll understand if you don’t want Sesshomaru out of your line of sight.” Knowing Kagome would still be reluctant, she was at least heartened that she appeared to be considering it. She then added, “Kagome, this will be the last time I bother you in any way, you have my word on that.”
From Kagome’s end, she honestly didn’t think there was anything nefarious in the dead miko’s offer, if she tried anything foolish Sesshomaru would put a stop to it. She also sensed that she was telling the truth. Plus, she was a bit curious about what she had to say. “Alright. But Sesshomaru will be staying close by. Nor am I going to move.”
A growl from the taiyoukai let his mate know his displeasure at what she had said.
Taking his hand, Kagome gave it a squeeze. “Don’t worry, you’ll be close by. If I don’t like what’s being said I’ll give you a signal and you can step in and put a stop to it, alright?” She said to him quietly.
“I don’t like this at all but will agree if it’s what you wish. But if I sense something I don’t like I will step in and put a stop to it.” He told her, eyes locked on the dead one.
“That’s fine.” Kikyo said with a nod.
Kagome said nothing but gave his hand a squeeze, letting him know it was OK with her.
Giving her a hug, he kissed her on top of the head. Then he fixed Kikyo with a gimlet stare. “If I sense she’s getting upset in any way I will put a stop to it, understand me?” He snarled.
“I understand.”
Once he made sure that she knew how serious he was he rose and moved a short ways away, seating himself by the closest hut, eyes glued on the two mikos.
~~~~~@~~~~~~
For over two hours the women talked. After an awkward start, Kikyo started by asking about her injuries, giving some suggestions to help, then went through the battle and what happened after. Then the dead miko told Kagome about what it was like on her end during that time.
Once that was done, Kikyo bluntly apologized for all the cruel and hateful things she had done, including the whole debacle with Inuyasha. Though Kagome accepted her apology she made it clear that it would take more than just an apology for her to be forgiven. This had gone on for far too long and Kikyo was well aware of what she was doing, and just what effect it had, for forgiveness to come automatically. Though she hoped the miko’s forgiving nature would kick in, Kikyo understood why that hadn’t happened. So she didn’t press the issue.
Finally, she got to the final part of what she felt she had to do. Quiet for several minutes, Kikyo then squared her shoulders and pressed on. “Kagome, they are going to need you to defeat Naraku, not me. To do that you’re going to need all of what I hold. When were done talking I’m going to give you back the rest of your soul and move on. But before that I need to explain to you how to do something.”
Though Kagome quirked an eyebrow at the first part of the statement, she said nothing.
From where he was sitting, Kagome could hear Sesshomaru snort then say, “About damn time!”
Ignoring that, Kagome asked, “What do I need to learn?”
“It’s called the Light Bow. It’s stronger than any bow made by any human or youkai.” Then she began to explain how to do it. Basically, it was a bow and arrow created wholly from a miko’s own power. You concentrated and it appeared in your hand. Drawing back the bow string, you envision the arrow then pour all your energy into it. Then you aim in the general direction and let it fly. Unlike a normal arrow, this one you guided with your powers. Though the theory was simple sounding, learning to do it wasn’t. It would take a great deal to learn how to master it. Kaede had a scroll on the technique and she needed to practice a lot before she would be able to do it correctly.
When she finished that part, Kikyo was quiet, looking at the ground. She knew what she had to do next. But knowing what you had to do and that it was the right thing didn’t make some things any easier. Her time walking the earth was finally at an end and it was time to make her exit. With tears in her eyes, she lifted her head and looked over to where Inuyasha was standing. All the pain she had caused Kagome was just a drop in the bucket compared to what she had caused the inu-hanyou who had only cared for and loved her. While she was alive she had used him as a way to free herself from an obligation. When she had come back she had treated him even worse, being a vindictive, hateful bitch that blamed him for so many things, even after she had learned who was really responsible. Even after learning the truth that hadn’t changed her much, she had blamed him for her fall from grace and being weakened at the end of her life. She tortured him mentally and tortured Kagome because of her love for him. The way she saw things she didn’t deserve a second chance but she was being given just that and wouldn’t waste it. She wouldn’t be selfish anymore and would do what was right for everyone. In a watery voice she said, softly, “Goodbye Inuyasha.” Then she turned her attention back to Kagome.
Looking at her reincarnation, two tears slipped down her clay cheeks. “I’m very sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you. You, who have been nothing but kind and caring to everyone, were hurt by what I’ve done in so many ways. You may be my reincarnation but you are so much more than I could ever have been. I was just the outline or rough sketch, the basic promise of what you were to become. Though the possibility was there that I could become what you are I never could attain it. I wasn’t good enough.” Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around the injured miko then said, “Please forgive me,” quietly before starting to transfer the small fragment of Kagome’s soul back to her.
When Kikyo was surrounded by a soft, pink light and she could feel the tiny fragment of her soul that she held connect with hers and begin to merge, Kagome wrapped her arms around the clay body and whispered, “I forgive you Kikyo.” Though her soul she could feel the pain and remorse for what she had done and proved that she was sorry.
Within under a minute, the process was complete. For the first time since shortly after beginning her duel life she was once more in possession of her whole soul. As she held the clay body, she felt it start to crack then crumble as it became what it was once more. Leaning back, she released her hold and watched the kneeling clay sculpture slowly break apart into its base elements before her very eyes. In less than five minutes Kikyo was no more, leaving only a pile of clay and graveyard soil.
Leaning back against the side of her house, Kagome shut her eyes. Yes, she was sill in a lot of pain but she was also exhausted as well now.
~~~~~@~~~~~
Inuyasha watched the whole thing with a heavy heart. He knew this was the end, she was going to leave him. When she looked his way and he saw and smelled her tears, he felt his eyes burn and his ears flattened against his head. Then he heard the goodbye, something that broke his heart.
When he saw her wrap her arms around Kagome and the pink light form he turned around and walked into the trees. He was well aware what was happening but couldn’t watch it. For as long as he had known her he had always come to Kikyo’s rescue and protected her. This time she didn’t want him to do that. She hadn’t wanted rescued this time. This time he had to let it play out the way it had to.
Finding the God’s tree, he hopped into it and found his favorite branch. Burying his head in his knees he waited.
Out of the blue, he felt a sudden warmth burst in his chest then radiate through out his body. Somehow he knew that it was Kikyo leaving this plane for the next. “Goodbye Kikyo.” He whispered softly as his eyes burned and one lone tear slipped from his eyes and slid down his cheek.