AN: Just a little one-shot that popped into my head after watching the episode where Kikyo was revived.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha of course. That honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm only just borrowing the characters for my crazy little story!
Breaking Point
She poked her head out of the well expecting to find him waiting as he normally would. Instead she found herself greeted by two soul collectors swirling around in front of her. "What's going on? Where is Inuyasha? Why isn't he here waiting for me?" She was only met with silence as the collectors continued to swirl, almost beckoning her to follow them into the forest. Something about this didn't seem right, but what could she do but follow? Maybe they were trying to tell her Inuyasha was in trouble. If so she had to help! She threw her bag down by the side of the well and grabbed her bow and quiver. She took off running into the forest after them.
The deeper she ran the more unease she began to feel. This was definitely unusual. Why would the soul collectors be looking for her? It wasn't as though Kikyo wanted to see her, much less talk with her. If anything she was certain the woman wanted her out of the way permanently. She wouldn't go so far as to suggest that Kikyo wanted her dead, but she had to wonder if deep down the dead priestess's heart hadn't somehow been corrupted upon her revival. Up ahead she noticed the soul collectors had stopped and were now swirling around a small pool of water surrounded by an outcropping of rocks. There she found Kikyo waiting patiently, the collectors winding themselves around her body. She motioned for them to depart and they took off into the forest. "Well if it isn't my reincarnation. Welcome girl. I see you received my message that I wished to speak with you."
Kagome took in a breath and just stared at her past self. The bad feeling had returned. "Kikyo? Why did you want to see me? Aren't you here looking for Inuyasha? Trying to drag him down to Hell again?" She crossed her arms and waited for whatever Kikyo had planned. Kikyo smirked, if you could actually imagine her smirking. She raised her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming it right at Kagome's heart. "Are you frightened, little girl? Worried you won't have time to call to him to come and save you?" Kagome frowned softly and took a step back from the priestess. "Kikyo what do you want? I don't feel like playing this game with you. Why can't you just leave us alone?"
"Leave you alone? Oh little girl I would love to leave you alone. I would love to have my whole soul back in my chest and you down that well back where you belong. I've tried to be rid of you before, but for some reason you just keep coming back. You are a persistent nuisance." Kikyo drew the bowstring back slowly as her eyes narrowed at Kagome. "Just look at you. You are such a helpless little thing. Even you have admitted me to be your superior in every way. Inuyasha has told you many times that you'll never be anything like me. You will not be as good as me. As talented as me. As beautiful as me. You truly are just a poor copy." Tears pricked in Kagome's eyes as the woman berated her. She wasn't being told anything she hadn't heard before. She knew Inuyasha felt Kagome was nothing more than a shard detector. She knew he'd never begin to feel the depths of love and respect for her that he held for Kikyo. The dead priestess released the string and the arrow flew toward Kagome. She dodged as the last moment, the arrow grazing her right arm and embedding itself into a nearby tree. She let out a gasp and grabbed her arm. She felt the blood pool beneath her fingers.
"Why! Why did you do that? Why do you hate me so much, Kikyo! What have I ever done for you to despise me?" The tears were threatening to fall now. She'd tried to hold them in, but with the pain in her arm and the pain in her heart she simply couldn't do it. Kikyo noticed this and she smiled almost sadistically. Truly the priestess had become twisted and darker upon her resurrection. "Why do I hate you? Isn't it obvious, little girl? You have my soul. You have my life. The life I always dreamed of. I wanted to live out my days as a normal woman with a human Inuyasha beside me. I was denied this! I was denied this while you seem to have been given it so easily!" Kagome blinked softly and just shook her head. "Given? You believe I've been given this life? Do you have any idea Kikyo? Do you truly believe Inuyasha wants to be with me? He loves YOU! He has always loved you. It doesn't matter how I feel toward him. I'll never be more than the shard detector. You are jealous for no reason. If anything I should be jealous of you!" She was nearly screaming now, clearly channeling her fear into anger. "Kikyo you're pathetic! You sit there and you complain about how everything has been taken away from you. I get it. You're just angry you were brought back. Well guess what? NO ONE wanted you back! Not your sister, not Inuyasha, not the villagers. You were DEAD and they were accepting of this! Who you are now is just some sick joke played on them by Naraku! You want to be jealous of me? Please! Spare me!"
Kikyo didn't expect the little girl to turn angry. She had hoped to scare her and belittle her into leaving, but the strategy had clearly backfired. If anything Kagome seemed more determined than ever. "Kikyo you seem to consider yourself so superior. You with your immense powers and your righteous indignation. You are nothing but a selfish coward. You only wanted Inuyasha if he would turn himself human. You couldn't be seen with him as a half demon. No, he wasn't good enough. Where I'm from if you love someone, truly LOVE them, you accept them as they are! You don't try to change them! You don't try to turn them into something they don't wish to be! You knew he was only going to agree to be human for YOU because in his heart, deep down, he LOVED you. Loved you for who you were! Now you walk around taking souls from people pretending that once again you're so priestly! So saintly! Well give me a break! You are a horrible walking zombie! Nothing more! All you do with your resurrection is wander around trying to guilt Inuyasha into going to Hell and trying to find ways to be rid of me! Why don't you use your gifts to help! If it were me I would be helping as many people as I could. I would try to help one soul who was living for each soul I took in to live myself."
Kikyo was stunned. She had never expected such direct hatred to come from the girl. She had always seemed so pure, but perhaps even the girl had her limits. She wouldn't admit to any of what her little reincarnation said being true. She was much too good for that. If she were to admit to any of that being truth she would indeed be damning herself. Lowering her bow she gripped it tightly in her hand and turned to leave. Before disappearing into the shadows she turned, glancing back at the wounded girl. "Be careful, little girl. All that anger and hatred will lead to your downfall. You wouldn't want to turn out like me now would you?"
Kagome gasped softly. "No Kikyo I don't hate you. You mistake my anger for hatred and it isn't. I don't believe you understand me at all. Which is sort of ironic given we share the same soul. See I can't hate you because Inuyasha loves you. I can't hate you because hating you will hurt him. As his friend and someone who loves him I only want for him to be happy. If being with you makes him happy fine. I just want him to have the best. I want him to be with someone who deserves him. Obviously that isn't me. I'm not good enough. My love isn't enough. It just really makes me sad that you throw away your time by trying to get nothing but revenge. If it were me I would give anything to have Inuyasha's love. You already have that yet you don't care. All you want is to destroy him. Pathetic. That's what's pathetic, Kikyo."
She turned to head back toward the well and hopefully meet up with her friends. The soul collectors had returned for Kikyo, dropping off a few souls they'd collected while the two women met. The tears returned and she simply let them fall. Her arm was hurting and her heart was hurting even more. When would Kikyo get it? Perhaps she never would. Maybe that is why she and Inuyasha failed the first time. Kagome hoped she had opened the woman's eyes with this meeting. She could have everything Kagome wanted. Yet Kagome refused to feel hatred. Perhaps one-day things would work out for the best.
"Kagome! Kagome, what's wrong? Why were you tossing and turning so much?" She felt a hand shake her shoulder and she rolled over, her eyes meeting molten gold ones. She blinked slowly as Inuyasha came into focus. "In.. Inuyasha? What? I don't understand? What are you doing?" He smirked and just shook his head. "You were talking in your sleep, stupid. Tossing and turning about. That must have been some dream you were having. Everything okay?" She sat up slowly and glanced around. She was in her bedroom at home. The covers were thrown about and her pillow had fallen on the floor. She rubbed her eyes and looked back at him as he knelt by the side of her bed. "What are you doing here Inuyasha? It's the middle of the night? I told you I would come back with you tomorrow after my test." He shrugged and sent her a look. "I.. I guess I just missed you alright? When I came to the window I saw you tossing around and I thought you might be having a bad dream." She bit her lower lip softly as her eyes filled with tears. "You were worried about me? Really? Thank you, Inuyasha. Thank you for worrying about me." She sent him a watery smile before launching herself at him, giving him a massive hug. He froze, letting out a gulp as a blush tinged his cheeks red. "Would ya cut that out!? Come on wench you know I worry about you. You're like completely helpless without me there to look after you. Just go on back to sleep. It's late." She let him go and settled back down into her bed. He pulled the covers up around her and moved to slip back out the window. She grabbed his hand and held it softly. "Would you stay? Please? I.. I might have another nightmare." He scoffed and settled down beside her bed, tucking Tetsusaiga to his side. "Keh.. see? Told you you were helpless. Go on. Go back to sleep wench. I'll be right here." She smiled softly as she closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep. "Thank you, Inuyasha. Thank you for staying with me."