Day 26:
Kagome was jogging, pulled by a magnetic force that called to her very soul. Her feet thudded gently on the ground, echoed by following footsteps behind her.
"Miko?"
"Jewel shard. Oof!"
Without pause Sesshoumaru had swept her off her feet and she was tossed up against his muscular chest. The feeling was like hitting a rock wall, so could you blame a girl for getting the wind knocked out of her in a situation like that?
Jewel shard. We haven't seen one of those in forever! Eagerly she pointed in the direction she felt the pull, pleased as Sesshoumaru responded with a burst of speed. The wind pushed back her, forcing her to squint. Even though she couldn't see the jewel shard's familiar glow, it was close.
Twisting a fist of Sesshoumaru's kimono in her hand she hoisted herself up over his shoulder. "Inuyasha! There's a jewel shard just over that hill!"
He gave a fanged grin and barked out what Kagome had said to the others.
Good. Kagome grinned with pride and settled back into Sesshoumaru's grasp. Her eyes slipped close and in her mind's eye she could see its glow, growing ever closer. Not Kouga. With a small frown she recognized it wasn't Kohaku either.
Her head jerked off into the distance as she sensed another presence.
Kikyo. She must be coming for the jewel shard too. Oh dear, Inuyasha won't be able to stay focused. Should she tell him?
Her eyes slipped open and thankfully Sesshoumaru's gaze was already meeting hers. Not even in an absent thought did she worry about him running and not looking where he was going. There was no way he could crash. He was Sesshoumaru after all.
Without making a sound she moved her lips, hoping he would understand her unspoken message. Kikyo
Kagome waited, even as understanding glinted in his golden eyes.
"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru called out, his eyes focusing on the path before them. "The miko once known as Kikyo will be there. Stay alert."
Kagome reached up, once again take a fistful of Sesshoumaru's top, wanting to check on her friend but a firm arm held her still.
"Sesshoumaru," Kagome hissed.
His eyes never wavered from the path. "He will be fine."
Kagome let out a huff of air but didn't argue. There wasn't time for that. Instead the pull of the shard demanded her attention as it became stronger, calling her reiki forward but she restrained it. Not yet.
There it was, the glint of the jewel shard caught her gaze and with a blink her vision was able to encompass the scene before her.
One look had her lusting for blood.
All but leaping from Sesshoumaru's arms she burst towards the oni, hands flaring pink as she saw the human blood dripping from its grotesque fangs. The jewel flashed in response, a murky black giving off an ominous glow from where a human heart might be placed.
Bloody and torn body parts littered the ground. They were too numerous to count, but one thing was painfully clear.
"Children? You were eating children? How dare you!" Kagome raged, exploding forward.
The battle was over not long before it began.
Kagome panted, her skin sizzling, purifying the remains of the demons' blood to the point it was as though the beast and its two companions never existed. The victory left a bitter taste in her mouth though, because what had she really accomplished?
The mutilated body parts, once pleasantly chubby hands and plump little legs, taunted her. Lives that would go unlived. Smiles that would go unseen. Laughter that would go unheard. There wasn't even enough of a single body left to give a proper burial.
All because she hadn't sensed the jewel shard sooner.
"Kagome?"
Without responding to Sango, Kagome walked to the dusky glow of that tainted shard and watched dispassionately as the darkness was burned to nothing under her touch.
This was supposed to be a victory?
It was a somewhat distant feeling when a warm hand came to rest on her shoulder, prompting her to turn around and face the similarly sorrowful face of the her friend. Hardened sorrowed glinted in one pair of mourning eyes while heart-wrenching tears glistened in the other.
Both logically knew there was nothing they could have done, but their hearts refused to be unaffected.
With a cry Kagome flung herself into her friend's arms and they clung to one another. Kagome's mourning was muffled in Sango's dampened shoulder. The taijiya held tight, needing to feel the living warmth of another human, to take away the coldness death invoked.
"Kikyo."
Kagome lifted her head at Inuyasha's breathless statement, her cheeks still shiny with tear stains.
Kagome automatically examined the woman, making a list of comparisons and similarities; the response was so ingrained into her she didn't even realize she did so anymore.
Long ebony locks.
Check.
Small, upturned nose.
Check.
Large brown eyes.
Check.
The rest was more subtle, the curve of her ear, and tilt of her chin, the bow of her lips.
But one stark difference, to Kagome at least, was how pale her would-be twin was. Whether this was an effect on her undead state or her true coloring Kagome didn't know. But Kikyo was what Kagome had wished to be as a little girl.
A beautiful creature, like a porcelain doll come to life – which was sadly more true in Kikyo's case than Kagome had wanted to be as a child. But it wasn't just her appearance that Kagome had longed for, but rather the assertive way she carried herself without having to say a word. The way Kikyo was in control of her feelings, unlike Kagome who couldn't help but wear her heart on her sleeve, not to mention her control of her reiki. The way she followed her duty was worthy of Kagome's respect. There were many other comparisons so buried into Kagome's subconscious she didn't even realize they existed, but they were still undeniable.
This was the woman Inuyasha always wanted her to be.
That was enough to make Kagome both respect and resent the woman who she would endlessly be compared to.
Being so empathetic could be quite the burden.
Kagome gave a watery smile. "Hello Kikyo. We were just about to make camp for the night. Would you like to join us?"
Kikyo's carefully concealed face revealed nothing but she nodded.
Good, Kagome would make sure all of her pack was safely settled in one place – she needed the comfort of her loved ones after such a heartbreaking event – and she could figure out why Kikyo was in the area.