So.
This morning, at 4 a.m. I was looking at this. And then I read Kage Hasuandgrimmich's reviews. And then I started typing.
I made a lot of changes.
And I mean A LOT
Feel free to ask me for an explanation in case you get confused.
And….You guys are the most wonderful, patient people ever…I love you all
Enjoy – R&R
Heart of the Broken One
Chapter 1: Fracture
"Mistress."
An eye twitch.
"Kagome-sama."
A slight shake of her shoulders.
"Lady Kagome."
A single tear rolled down a pale porcelain cheek.
"Kagome."
An invisible dam burst and suddenly she was sobbing, dropping the Tensaiga and crumpling to the floor, face buried in Yami's sleek black neck.
"Why won't it work Yami? Why?"
Her voice came out in big, sharp bursts as she gulped air helplessly, body shaking from the force of the sobs and for the first time in his life the shadow leopard was at a loss for words as his lady's pain enveloped him.
The sobs had subsided and now she was crying silent tears and attempting to breathe normally although her face crumpled once again from the effort and the shaking gulps came back full force.
Time passed by slowly, painfully as Yami waited for Kagome's tears to dry.
Finally she pulled away from him, face pale, the back to back blue crescents on her forehead standing out even more so than usual, eyes tinged pink, braid falling apart, yet still looking ever the picture of tragic beauty.
She sniffed once or twice more before standing and steadying herself against Yami, who watched her with worried eyes.
"It's all his fault." Her voice was a slight whisper, whipped away in the light breeze, yet Yami heard.
"InuYasha…"
The name fell from her lips almost reluctantly and instantly, the memories flooded back.
Flashback:
The battle was here. Kagura and Kanna had turned against Naraku, thus getting them killed instantly. Sango and Miroku had died by the hands of Kikyo, joining hands at the last second of their lives and whispered their love. Jaken was hiding with Ah-Un and the children
Asago was being held by Kohaku since Kanna was dead. Hakudoshi was somewhere around here… Sesshomaru was currently battling the dead clay pot of a bitch. InuYasha… Kagome wasn't sure where he was, but Kohaku was still possessed.
Kagome and Sesshomaru stood back to back, brother and sister, the final fighters.
Kagome's battle kimono was ripped all over. Harsh tears created by the claws of her love, of her best friend ran down her slender back, the mark of a betrayal so potent Kagome still didn't believe it, although she had seen InuYasha with her own eyes, turning to the other side.
Her bare legs were gushing blood at a rate that would have killed any normal human instantly. Thankfully, Kagome was not normal. A scar reached from the edge of her left eyebrow to rest on her high cheekbone, maybe the only permanent mark on her body.
But there was no time to dwell on the injuries now. She was numb, numb all over.
Turning, whirling, blocking, jabbing with all her might, eyes blank and unseeing, only her body feeling its way around the danger. She didn't notice the bubble of pink energy surrounding her slim frame.
The bubble was the only barrier between her and the two hanyous who seemed intent on finishing her. InuYasha and Naraku, united, a sight Kagome had never even entertained the idea of. Perhaps she had been naïve; she should have seen this coming.
Hadn't InuYasha been sneaking off more and more these past few months? Shouldn't she, as his so self-proclaimed "love" have noticed anything? Or had she been too wrapped up in the deceit of false proclamations of his love, the stories she had known weren't true, that everyone warned her about? She had been blinded.
And she had allowed herself to be dragged into his web of lies.
But this was most definitely not the time or the place to be cursing her own stupidity. There were two half-demons barely a foot from her and… oh god.
The barrier dropped.
Before Naraku or InuYasha had a chance to seize the opportunity, Kagome had drawn her power around her before blowing it outwards, knocking both half-demons onto the ground as the miko energy traveled outwards from Kagome's body in steadily weakening waves.
Again she drew the pink glow around her like a shawl and-
"MAMA!"
Kagome's heart stopped beating.
In an instant, blind rage had overwhelmed caution and she whirled around. Why? Why did Rin leave the shelter of the forest? No! No, Shippo. Not you too. No Shippo. Quickly Shippo, grab Rin and run back, back, back to safety, back, away from this place, no, leave. Please no.
And why was this happening to her, why did everything happen to her? Why were her children doing this? No Rin, turn around, now.
Rin stop, Rin please stop running. Mama's coming Rin, Mama's coming, stop moving Rin, please, please stop!
And why couldn't she say anything, why did she feel so numb?
"NO!"
The scream carried over the battlefield, turning the heads of the only survivors, Hachi, Yami, Sesshomaru, Shippo, Rin…
No.
No.
No.
Rin wasn't a survivor anymore. Hakudoshi stood over her, dagger in hand, eyes expressionless. And the next second, Hakudoshi was dead too. Yami had appeared from nowhere and with a deft slice of his claw, Hakudoshi's head landed neatly on the ground next to his crumpled body.
"Rin."
No.
No.
No,
Sesshomaru's whisper had barely grazed Kagome's ears before suddenly InuYasha was upon him and he was drawing the Tetusaiga and Sesshomaru's eyes locked with Kagome's and that one gaze told her he loved her, that she would have to finish this.
But no. No, this was all happening too fast, how could this be happening?
They were about to win but now her brother was crumpling to the ground, Tojikin falling from his pale, perfect hands.
No.
No.
No.
And now only Kohaku and InuYasha and Kikyo and Naraku, Naraku the one who started this massacre were the only ones standing. And no! No… why did Naraku yank Shippo to him? What was happening? What were they doing with her son?
Why was her vision blurry? No. Yami. No Yami, don't!
And suddenly Yami was being thrown off InuYasha's back and he was lying motionless and oh, Kami was he dead?
No.
No.
No.
And suddenly Kagome was crumpling to the ground and the numbness was gone and the pain was there, and a hundred daggers stabbed her repeatedly, her body was not moving and why was her vision so blurry?
And then she looked down and the arrow imbedded in her stomach was glowing black and her heart wasn't breaking because she just couldn't feel anything at all. And Naraku was approaching and she looked at Shippo and said a prayer because of course she was going to die now, it was inevitable, it had to happen.
So she whispered a spell and blew a breath towards her son's frightened, pale face and suddenly Hachi was unconscious and slung over InuYasha's broad shoulder and he was smirking down at her and Kikyo looked like she wanted to finish this once and for all and suddenly a bright red shield has sprung up around her and where is this protection coming from?
And her finger is burning and she looks down and sees the engraved ring thathegave her before leaving and suddenly she knows Shippo is going to go whereheis and nothing can harm Shippo so long as she is alive andheis alive and suddenly Kikyo is drawing back, hand burning black and falling off.
No.
No.
No.
And Kagome wants to laugh but the thought of moving jabs little needles into her and a thousand gunshots are going off in her brain and suddenly Kohaku's eyes widen and she knows that he is awake, if only for a precious minute and he stares down at her in horror.
And Shippo is trying to move forward but Naraku has slapped him and how can he dare to hurt a child? And she stares at her son and tells him silently, no.
Kagome will force herself to live and she will find her son and Shippo knows now and his face is so much older than it should be but she can't do anything now because suddenly, Naraku and everyone have vanished, a flash of light has enveloped the clearing and Kagome is alone and everyone is dead and she is fainting.
And Naraku said something before he vanished but Kagome does not have the energy to remember it and now she is sure she is gone.
And how?
How is this fair?
No.
No.
No.
End Flashback:
Kagome shuddered and Yami's tail curled around her legs comfortingly as she attempted to stay upright.
"They're gone. Aren't they, Yami?"
Kagome's voice held a note of wonderment in it, as though she hadn't noticed the bodies strewn about. A hint of childish stubbornness lingered in her face, as though she hoped Yami would deny it.
And while Yami hated denying Kagome anything and as much as he didn't want to be the one who took away that last bit of childishness, his lady needed to heal. And it would be impossible for her to heal if she continued clinging to the dead.
"Yes Kagome-sama."
"And they're not coming back, right? The Tensaiga won't work?"
"No, Kagome-sama."
His voice was gentle, resembling Miroku's so much that Kagome had to blink back tears as her worst nightmare was confirmed.
"Well then," she said briskly, "we should best get on with this."
Yami didn't ask what she meant, simply bobbed his head in agreement and rubbed his head against her stomach affectionately. Kagome smiled down at him, a grim, broken grimace and touched the back to back crescents on his jet-colored forehead before touching her matching insignia.
"I'm glad you're still here." She whispered, a hint of vulnerability showing through her tone.
Again Yami nodded in agreement and trotted towards the limp body of Sango, before seizing her arm brace gently in his mouth and dragging her towards the nearby river as Kagome cradled Rin into her arms and followed.
Ignoring her own injuries, Kagome placed both Rin and Sango in the shallowest part of the river and called the water around her, gently using it to wash away the dirt, the grime and the dried blood from their bodies with simple flicks of her hands, guiding the water around their bodies.
With a wide swishing motion, Kagome swept the water one final time over Sango's armored body and dragged her to shore to dry. She did the same procedure with Rin, gently closing the child's wide, glassy eyes with nary a tear.
The same steps were repeated for all of her friends and then she stood back and stared at the neat row of bodies. It was cruel and twisted, but she needed to see them all together, to be sure that there was nothing she could do.
Sesshomaru, Rin, Sango, Miroku, Kagura, Kanna.
She whispered their names softly, touching a hand to her lips and then the person's forehead in a symbol of immense respect and well-wishing for the dead.
Yami approached, a tiny leopard smirk playing around his mouth and Kagome stared at him, confused.
"What?"
"It seems all those craters from 'sitting' InuYasha are useful for something."
He said, the smirk fading.
Kagome frowned. "About that. Yami, why didn't it work? He went down but he jumped back so easily…"
When the shadow leopard shrugged fluidly, she dropped the issue and turned to Sango's body.
Now clothed in her favorite pink kimono, she looked like she was resting in a peaceful sleep and Kagome had to stifle a sob.
Reaching forward, Kagome unhooked the chain from Sango's wrist that held her shrunken Hiraikotsu, a result of a charm Kaede had taught Kagome long ago and clipped it around her own wrist.
With Yami's help, Kagome hefted Sango into a small crater and kissed her forehead before jumping out and sweeping dirt over her body. She did the same with Rin, Miroku, Kagura and Kanna, pausing briefly to consider taking Kanna's mirror but dismissing the idea as she remembered the feeling of her soul being sucked out of her body.
She does not need the flying feathers; however, she does take Kagura's fans, because she needs every kind of help now.
Now Sesshomaru. She turned back to her brother and swallowed thickly. Moving quickly and refusing to look into her brother's perfect, beautiful face, she gathered Tensaiga and Tojikin and set them to the side.
Touching her hand to the choker he had given her more than a year ago, the one that symbolized her Lady of the Western Lands, she fingered the blue ribbon and the silver plate engraved with the insignia of the Western Lands and remembered what he had requested for death.
"Cremation."
She and Yami said it at the same time but neither looked at the other as Kagome drew her black fire-rat cloak closer to her slim, bruised body.
Kagome reached into the enchanted bag Shippo had given her for her birthday, the first charm he had cast to expand things. It could hold infinite things and thankfully would not get heavier.
She drew out the lighter she had stored for emergencies and moved to the head of Sesshomaru's body, ignoring the pit-patter of feet as Jaken approaches with Ah-Un behind him to watch the ceremony.
Kagome kissed her brother's forehead and each of his hands before drawing his pelt over his tall, strong, dead body and slowly, slowly lighting it on fire.
She backed away and watched the fire spread quickly, fist clasped to her chest respectfully. And then it's over but she can't look and she hears Jaken moving forward and scooping the ash into a marble container to take back to the palace, where a shrine will be built for Sesshomaru and where his subjects will gather with gifts for gods and to honor the prince's memory.
"Here. Jaken, take the Tensaiga."
She does not offer the Tojikin and he does not request it, instead strapping the jar and the sword to Ah-Un and turning to Kagome, a solemn expression on his creased, toady face.
"We will wait."
"I may not come."
"We know."
And then Jaken is leaving and Kagome shrinks Tojikin and clasps it into Sango's bracelet along with her bow and arrows and the Hiraikotsu and says a final, silent goodbye to her brother.
And Kagome stands over the graves and faces the West and swears,
"I'll kill him. For all of you. I can do this, I will find Naraku and I will kill him. That's a promise."
She began the walk back to Kaede's hut, Yami walking next to her.
Kaede leaves the hut and upon seeing the defeated look in Kagome's eyes, pulls her apprentice into a hug. Kagome's face is expressionless and Kaede knows she is gone now.
The vulnerability and innocence was gone with the first swipe of a sword and now a different person stands in front of her, a girl who grew up too fast and became a woman too soon.
And then Kaede starts, because she has forgotten something and she looks at Kagome carefully, before saying, "There's something for you here."
And Kagome tilts her head in confusion and Kaede disappears into the hut, emerging with a squirming, fiery colored kitsune pup in her arms.
Instantly, the kitsune leaps out of her arms and onto Kagome's head, latching onto her braid with his claws as Kagome yelps and whirls, shaking her head wildly to remove the pup.
Yami sweatdrops and in one smooth motion has disentangled the kit and Kagome's braid, releasing the long locks. The black waves dance above her waist, the silvery-blue sheen of them standing out more than usual as she peers down at the kitsune.
He stares back, head cocked to the side before opening his mouth and making Kagome stumble back in shock.
"Hi!"
"Uh… I…I… Hi?"
Instantly, the kitsune's face splits into a huge grin and he jumps onto Kagome's foot, clawing his way up her cloak until he is resting on her shoulder, little tiny body delicately balanced on her slim shoulder.
"So…you're Kagome. Did you know that Sesshy is a big fat meanie? I just called him Fluffy, you know, cause of that thingy he has and then he gets all scary looking and starts going, 'thou shall not insult this Sesshomaru' or some crap like that. But I like you. You look nice."
He inhaled deeply.
"You smell nice too. Sort of fruity. You know, tasty smelling. And your hair is really silky. You know, hard to hang on to. Real strong. Sorry if I hurt ya."
Another deep inhale.
"Say, I'm really sorry about what happened. Fluffy was a meanie but he gave me some really good food and this tattoo thing on my forehead while droning about the moon. Sorry to see him go. Say, do you got some food? Cause I was waiting really long for you to get here."
Kagome gaped, shocked into silence, until the kit accidentally clawed her in the neck, at which point she regained her senses and asked, choking on her own breath.
"Um. What's your name?"
The kit straightened up on her shoulder proudly, body tipping precariously.
"They call me Youko! Cause you know, th-"
Yami cut him off.
"Yes. We know."
"Say, what's your name? Blackie?"
An indignant sniff.
"Yami."
"Oh… Yaaaamiiii. I s- EEEE!"
And Youko tumbled down Kagome's shoulder, into the waiting hands of the miko.
"Yami. That wasn't nice."
"Terribly sorry Kagome-sama. My paw slipped."
Youko righted himself, stretching up into all his 4 inch height glory.
"Your paw slipped? Oh sure Blackie, I see you. This is a conspiracy, ain't it? Fluffy warned me 'bout this stuff."
"A conspiracy? Against you? Like you'd be important enough."
"What? You! Augh- you just wait till I get down there."
"Waiting…waiting…"
"Aaaagh!"
And so began a wonderful friendship
Kagome set Youko onto the ground and immediately, the kitsune pounced on Yami, who batted him away with a yawn. Kagome almost smiled, remembering InuYasha and Shippo. Suddenly swarmed with the urge to leave, to leave this place and cleanse herself to the best of her ability, Kagome turned away from the upsetting scene in front of her.
She walked to the hot springs, telling Kaede over her shoulder. Once there, she soaked herself in the water and scrubbed intently at her hair and blood-soaked body. Finishing her bath, she studied her reflection in the water.
There was a scar stretching from cheekbone to the edge of her eyebrow, the only physical evidence of the battle that had occurred only a few hours ago. Two deep blue crescents stood back to back on her forehead. Luckily, they were easily hidden. On the nape of her neck, the kanji for "moon-daughter" was imprinted.
She sighed and traced the scar on the left side of her face hesitantly, before splashing out of the water and pulling on clothes.
She fastened Shippo's enchanted bag to her slim hip and shoved Kagura's fans into the strap of the bag. She put on the Shikon chain, tucking it under her shirt. Sesshomaru's choker was still on her neck.
Kagome pulled her hair into a messy bun and turned to head back to Kaede's, a memory long held off enveloping her.
Flashback:
"Alright, just cut right there." Sesshomaru said, pointing to her palm. Kagome nodded. Taking the silver dagger, she cut a large gash into it. Sesshomaru and she both hastily emptied their blood into the goblets and drank deeply. The changes were immediate.
Sesshomaru's eyes flecked blue and a new crescent moon appeared back to back with his old one.
It was Kagome however, who was going through the most change.
Her 5'2 frame lengthened to 5'4 and she filled out some more. Her eyes flecked gold, the new insignia of the West appeared on her forehead and a kanji appeared near the nape of her neck.
"Impossible…" Sesshomaru whispered eyes wide as he stared at his new Imouto. Kagome blinked.
"Sesshy, I don't look demony-ish."
"That's because you're not a demon." His hand reached out to touch her neck. "You are a daughter of the moon."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know. The legends are few and vague. But I suppose that since the Shikon needs you to be pure, it turned you into a pure being instead of letting you become a demon. It's quite an interesting concept."
His voice was thoughtful and Kagome shrugged. They had time to deal with this later. For now, it was dinner-time and Sessho-Aniki had had the chef make oden.
End Flashback
She smiled slightly, remembering the happiness of that day. Her smile soon faded remembering she would never see her brother again. She shuddered. Now was not the time to think about that. What the hell was going to happen now?
She reached Kaede's hut and was amused to find Youko hiding in a crevice far too small for Yami to reach and the shadow leopard was attempting to claw at the kitsune.
Spying Kagome, Youko let out a yell of triumph and raced towards her, neatly landing on her arm, where her folded fire-rat cloak rested.
Yami scowled and approached Kagome, rubbing her stomach with his head affectionately.
And just as she was about to laugh, sudden, sharp pain enveloped her and the Shikon glowed a blinding white, the daggers of pain piercing through her punctuated with the appearance of the glow.
A low keening scream emerged from her mouth and suddenly Kaede was running out of the hut and her eyes were widening and she was shouting something but Kagome didn't notice because the pain was pressing in from all sides and the light was piercing her eyes and with another scream, Kagome disappeared.
fin
A/N:
Hola
Thanks to all of you amazing reviewers out there! I love you all!
And now I have been awake for more than 22 hours. So I am going to bed.
Review with favorite quotes and any suggestions ;)
Tell me about any typos.
-Ilira