Shikon High For the Performing Arts
Chapter 28: Sisters Forever
Disclaimer: Inuyasha. I don't own it. Get over it.
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Jazz: And we are back!
Layla: I can't believe how sad I'm getting! This story is nearing its end! As in, like, 12 or less chapters! And to me, that's not a big number! Or at least, not a big enough number.
Aqua: Depressing, right? But, for now, lets smile because this story is still going on! Oh, and about half of last chapter being in bold…yeah, we don't know why either.
Kelsey: Hope you guys can live with us, because our little thing with Kikyo just changed the whole direction of this story and its sequel. But, hope you still love us!
Jazz: And now, for your reading pleasure, chapter 28!
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Slowly, Kikyo's eyes flittered open. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the bright lights hanging over her. Once her eyes fully adjusted, her eyes darted from left to right, taking in her surroundings. The sound of machines whirring and the white painted walls told her she was laying in a hospital bed. Before she could register anything else, two arms wrapped around her and held her close.
"Kikyo! Oh, Kikyo, I'm so glad your okay!" The voice shouted. Kikyo immediately recognized it. It was Kokoa, her mother.
"M-mom…? You waited…for me?" She asked. The mere fact was unbelievable. Especially after the argument the two had, the one that made Kikyo run away. After her father died, in Kikyo's eyes, the relationship between her and her mother had also died. Even after the night with Midoriko and Tanjiro hadn't changed that thought.
"Don't forget, Kikyo, she's your mother. She loves you no matter what." Midoriko's voice echoed inside of her head. Kikyo's eyes darted around the room, looking for the woman. But she wasn't there.
"We're here, Kikyo. We will always be with you. As long as you remember us, we will always be in your heart." Tanjiro's voice whispered. Kikyo nodded once in understanding. They were dead, never to come back. But they still lived within her, with her. Tears pooled in Kikyo's eyes and spilled over, leaving traces down her cheeks as they ran. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around her mother and held her close. A small hiccup escaped her lips.
"Mom…Mom, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She cried into her mom's shoulder, leaving a damp mark on Kokoa's tan shirt. She felt her mother stiffen under her, and waited for her to respond.
"Oh Kikyo…I'm just so happy that you're alright. But…Kagome…" Kokoa's voice trailed off and she held Kikyo tighter. Kikyo bit her lower lip between her teeth. Her mom didn't know she was fully aware of her sister's condition.
"And she doesn't need to know. Keep our little adventure a secret." Midoriko whispered. Kikyo nodded and sighed. She was certain that even if she couldn't see them, Midoriko and Tanjiro could see her. And they'd never leave her again.
"That's right, Princess. We'll always be there for you. Even when you feel like the world is against you, we'll still be there, on your side." Tanjiro's voice was right beside her, as if he was comforting both her and her mother.
"Mom…how's Kagome?" Kikyo asked, letting go of her mother and holding her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes. Last she'd seen of her sister, her heart monitor had been going wild, and doctors had rushed to her bed. Before her mother could reply, the door opened and a nurse walked in. She was a beautiful young woman with shoulder length black hair. The front of it framed her face while the back was up in a high bun. She had brown eyes, and a clipboard in hand. She looked up and smiled at the two women.
"Hello, Kikyo, I'm Nurse Airi, and I've worked with your mother for quite some time and its nice to see you again. Quite a shame its under such bad circumstances. I'm glad you're awake. How are you feeling?" Airi smiled pleasantly, and stood next to Kikyo's bed, looking at a file of her condition on a nearby desk. Kikyo licked her lips for a moment and placed her hands in her lap.
"I'm…okay. Tell me, how long have I been unconscious?" Kikyo asked. She honestly needed to know, the time with Midoriko and Tanjiro felt like a dream that was a world away.
"Hmm. Well, it seems you were brought here yesterday by a Lady Kanade and Mr. Inuyasha Takahashi around 3:20 in the afternoon. There was a Ms. Kaguya, but she left when you were put into your room." Airi replied, looking up at her and smiling.
"Inuyasha brought me here?" Kikyo arched an eyebrow. It was a shock to discover her ex-boyfriend had brought her here.
"Yes, he did. He stayed by your bedside until about 6:40 this morning, when your sister Kagome seemed to experience a sort of seizure. He and your younger sister Rin have stayed close to her ever since then." Nurse Airi explained. But Kikyo hardly heard her last sentence.
"Kagome…she had a seizure? Well is she all right?" Kikyo tried to crawl out of bed but her mother and Nurse Airi pushed her back down.
"Yes she is. And don't worry, its not serious enough that she'll have another or contract epilepsy. Her body was still in shock I suppose so it went into its own setting. But she's fine now, just resting." Airi assured. Kikyo's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Can I at least get up and go see her?" Kikyo's asked, sitting up and looking between Airi and her mother. Kokoa looked to Airi who's nose was in Kikyo's file, her eyes rapidly scanning the page. After a moment of silence, Airi looked up and nodded, a broad smile on her face.
"You are free to see her, just you may want to use a wheelchair." Airi suggested. Kikyo's eye brow shot up in a silent question, and Nurse Airi gestured to her legs. That's when Kikyo noticed. Even when she hugged her mother, she didn't feel nor see or pay any attention to the cast on her right arm. It was white, and just wrapped around her fore arm. Her left leg was heavily bandaged.
"So…I can't walk?" Kikyo stammered out, gingerly running a hand across her cast. She bit her lower lip.
"No, you can't walk. But…as I said before, you can use a wheelchair." Airi pointed out. Kikyo looked up and stared at her. A small smile broke across her face and she reached her arms out to Kokoa. Kokoa gingerly picked her up and carried her over to the open wheelchair near the door. She gently sat Kikyo down.
"I'll wheel you around, honey." Kokoa said, opening the door to Kikyo's hospital room. Airi waved goodbye as Kokoa wheeled Kikyo into a long, light blue hall. It wasn't very busy, just a few nurses walking up and down the hall. There was even a doctor or two. Kikyo looked around as her mother wheeled her down the hall. The lighting wasn't nearly as bright and blinding as the one in her hospital room had been. After a few turns through what seemed like an endless hallway, they arrived at hospital room 360.
"Are you sure about this, Kikyo?" Kokoa asked. The girl tensed at the sound of her voice. It had never crossed her mind about Kagome's condition. Last she'd seen of her sister, doctors and nurses had been rushing to her bed side. Inuyasha and Rin were more than likely still in there with her, but was she awake? How would she feel about her sister visiting her? Would she believe Kikyo's inner transformation? Kikyo slowly realized she wouldn't get the answer to her questions just by sitting out here.
"I'm sure, Mom. I want to see Kagome." She replied, her voice sounded much stronger than she actually felt. Kokoa slowly opened Kagome's hospital room and both women had to hold back gasps of surprised and tears.
The girl's comatose body was sickly pale. Her once rich raven locks were deprived of life and their color dulled. Her hair was lumped together, and beads of sweat ran down her forehead. The tangled mess of hair was thrown across her shoulders and pillow. Her normally salmon pink lips were the shade of pink lemonade, deprived of sunlight, water, and life. Her chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm, barely moving much at all. She seemed small, frail and fragile. Upon their entrance, Rin and Inuyasha looked up towards them.
"How…what…how long has she been here?" Kikyo whispered, her eyes fixed on her ailing sister.
"As long as you, but something seems to be draining her from the inside." A voice from behind Kikyo asked. She turned as Nurse Airi slipped inside of the room.
"What do you mean?" Kokoa asked, wheeling Kikyo further into the room.
"Well, we've taken blood samples and are currently waiting for the results. She's only been here a day, but for some reason, her health is far too low. Her blood has been polluted by something." Airi explained.
"By what? You're doctors, you should know!" Kikyo shouted. She couldn't help it. She was finally ready to make amends with her sister, and she was diagnosed with a disease doctors weren't doing anything about.
"We're trying to diagnose her, but as of now, we don't even know what the disease might be." Airi replied, her brown eyes full of sympathy.
"And what about you, you've been silent this whole entire time! What, you've got nothing to say?" Kikyo shouted at the silent Inuyasha. He brought his eyes up to meet hers and Kikyo's breath caught in her throat. The amber orbs were full of sorrow. A tense silence fell on the room.
"Rin, Airi, I think we should give Inuyasha and Kikyo a moment." Kokoa suggested, gesturing to the door. Rin silently exited, followed by Airi and Kokoa. Again came the silence, neither seeming eager to break it.
"I'm so sorry." Kikyo whispered. She truly meant it, she felt responsible for Inuyasha's pain. He locked gazes with her.
"Why her?" He silently asked. The question didn't seem direct at her, so she stayed silent.
"Why would someone attack Kagome? She's never done anything before." He went on.
"I know." Kikyo murmured, looking over at her unmoving sister.
"Do you?" He asked. Kikyo looked him in his eyes.
"What do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head.
"You don't know. You've never been there for your sister. You never liked her, never cared. You've tried to ruin Shikon Arts for her, and she loves it here. You've tried to ruin her friendships and her life. You even tried to ruin our relationship." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her, and she could feel the anger directed at her with each word.
"I know I have. I'm so sorry I did. But Inuyasha, please, believe me, I've changed." She insisted. He scoffed.
"Changed? How? You're gonna sleep with less than twelve different guys a month?" He asked.
"No, I didn't mean it like-" She began, but he interrupted her.
"Of course you didn't. You never meant to do anything like that, did you? You never meant to hit your sister. You never meant to break your mother's heart. You never meant to try and ruin the relationship between me and Kagome."
"And I'm trying to say I'm sorry!"
" Yeah right, Kikyo! You and I both know you've never been sorry. You weren't even sorry when I found out you'd been cheating on me for a better part of our relationship!"
"I wasn't then, but I am now. Inuyasha, please, I want to apologize, I want to fix this! I don't want to fight anymore!"
"How can I possibly believe you? After all you've done, how can I possible trust you?" Inuyasha demanded. And Kikyo had no response.
Truth was, she couldn't. She couldn't force him to believe her. She couldn't force him to forgive her. She wasn't even sure how to convince him too. She'd hurt him and Kagome so much, how could she possibly think she could just say she was sorry, and all would be forgiven? She'd lost that opportunity long ago. She'd committed too many wrongs against them, and it would take a lot more than an apology to gain their forgiveness…and their love.
"Don't worry, Princess. He'll come around. He just needs time, he needs to see you prove that you've changed." Tanjiro's voice whispered in her head. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Inuyasha, please, can you roll me over to my sister?" Kikyo asked, her voice calm. Inuyasha blinked in surprise from not only her change in mood, but at her request.
"Uh, sure." He replied, nervously scratching the back of his head. He went behind Kikyo's wheelchair and slowly pushed her forward until she was directly beside her sister's bedside. Kikyo gently took her hand and caressed Kagome's cheek. It felt chilled. Her sister didn't even flinch, and Kikyo felt her throat go dry.
It made her want to vomit. How could someone be so sick to hurt such an innocent person like Kagome? Her sister had never been in such a weak condition, so whoever it was somehow brought on this strange sickness that made her so frail.
"Why?" She whispered, bringing back their earlier conversation.
"The sick bastard will pay." Inuyasha growled, crossing his arms and looking down at Kagome. Kikyo looked up at him, and her eyes met with his. For the first time, she saw something more than just a pretty face. She saw something deeper, a wounded soul.
It was obvious that he had been deeply hurt by Kagome's incident. Especially since that it had taken place not that far from him back at the school, during a competition Kagome had poured her heart and soul into. It just didn't seem right, things didn't seem to add up correctly.
"It was someone who didn't participate." Kikyo said suddenly, her head shooting up. Inuyasha arched a brow.
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, genuinely interested. Kikyo turn to him as best she could in her wheelchair to elaborate.
"I mean, that whoever did it, wasn't participating in the events. The Shikon boys were on the rock climbing wall, which rules out any of them-"
"There's no way any of the guys did it!" Inuyasha protested. Kikyo ignored his interruption.
"And just about everyone was at the rock wall, watching us. But then, there were some people up at the concessions."
"What are you trying to say?" Inuyasha crossed his arms, looking down at Kikyo.
"I'm trying to say that it had to be someone up at the concessions. Or, since the Hakurei boys/Shikon girls volleyball game was over, that leaves…" Kikyo waited for Inuyasha to finish her sentence. His eyes slowly widened as realization dawned on him.
"A guy from the Hakurei team tried to rape Kagome."
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A very tense and unusually silent Ayame attempted to, ineffectively, comfort a distraught Kilala.
"I…I shouldn't have left her." Kilala whispered.
"It's not you're fault, Lala. It's not. She left us, we couldn't have stopped her. It's Kagome, you can't change her mind once it's set." Ayame replied, trying to laugh, but it came out forced and shaky.
"But…it's…I should've been watching her." Kilala sighed, covering her eyes with her hand. Her shoulder slumped, and she silently sobbed.
"It's not your fault!" Kanna insisted, jumping to her feet. They were at Kanna and Kagura's house, in Kanna's bedroom. The young girl's eyes narrowed as she sat in front of Kilala and placed her hands on her shoulders, shaking the girl and forcing her to look in her eyes.
"Listen to me, Kilala! It's not your fault, and it's none of our faults! It doesn't matter whose fault it is, and Kagome won't be getting any better if we just sit here moping!" Kanna shouted, and Kilala's eyes widened.
"Kanna's right," Kagura chipped up. "It doesn't matter anymore whose fault it was. Now all that matters is finding out who did it, and making them pay hell."
Before Kilala could open her mouth to respond, the sound of a door slamming was heard downstairs. All heads snapped in the direction of the sound, while Kanna slowly crept to the side of her bed, and reached below it. She pulled out a metal baseball bat and held it high. They could hear someone stomping up the steps, and loudly approaching the room. Everyone tensed as the footsteps stopped. The door was yanked open, and the light silhouetted the figure.
Kanna slowly lowered her bat and sighed with relief. It was just Sango. She looked most unaffected by the incident. Her brown hair had its same lush color and volume, there were still little bags under her eyes, and her eyes their normal brown. In comparison to the others, she looked fantastic. Kanna's light blonde hair was more pale than usual, her eyes red and puffy from a lot of crying. Everyone's eyes were red from crying.
"So, you got the call to?" Kanna asked, sliding the bat back under her bed. Kanna's room was painted black, with wood floors that shined. Her comforter was black with gray floral patterns, and small, round, rugs were laid across the floor. Sango didn't reply, she just silently closed the door behind her and sat down on the edge of Kanna's bed. A tense silence fell on the room, and Sango impatiently tapped her foot on the floor, arms crossed. The silence stretched on. The brunette shot up.
"What the hell is wrong with you guys? Just because Kagome is gone, doesn't mean we have to act like a bunch of depressed llamas!" She shouted. She sat down, eyes narrowed, glaring at each person in the room in turn. Ayame awkwardly cleared her throat.
"Sango, we know it hurts, but, being angry won't help Kagome…" Ayame whispered. Sango's head snapped in her direction, and Ayame shied away from her gaze. Sango silently stood and closed her eyes. She exhaled sharply.
"Ayame, hallway, now." Sango growled. Ayame slowly rose and walked out in the hallway. Sango followed closely behind, and slammed the door behind her. Ayame stood there silently as Sango glared at her, her eyes filled with anger. The hallway stayed silent for what felt like hours, but in reality, Ayame knew it was only about three minutes. Sango walked forward until she stood directly in front of Ayame, and glared into the girls emerald green puffy eyes. Then, Sango cracked.
She threw her arms around Ayame and held the girl close. A sob wracked Sango's body, and she slowly sank to her knees, dragging Ayame with her to the floor. She cried into the girls shoulder as Ayame silently comforted her. The redhead embraced the weeping girl and rubbed her hand across Sango's back in a comforting, circular motion. She felt Sango's fingers dig into her shoulders and stab her skin, but she ignored the pain. Her friend needed her.
Sango wasn't like other girls. She lost her mother when she was four, which really hurt her. Sango had always been extremely close with her mother, they shared everything together. They were best friends, sisters even. Losing her meant Sango lost a part of herself. But she'd never let anyone else know that. Sango had vowed she'd never let anyone see her weak side, because she had to step up. During her mother's funeral, her face had remained close to stoic as she stayed close to comfort her father and brother. She never let either of them see the pain that was slowly destroying her inside. When she met Kagome, that door reopened. The girl had passed the walls Sango had put around herself, and melted the ice that had coated her heart. That was why Sango and Kagome were so close. With her mother's passing, Sango had an empty hole in her heart, a hole she thought no one could fill. But Kagome defied the odds and filled most of that whole. She knew she could never replace the strong bond that Sango had shared with her mother, but she was Sango's best friend. Sisters. Forever.
Other than Kagome, Sango didn't let many other people see this part of her. The part that she considered 'weak', the part that showed her tears. But Kagome had convinced her that Ayame was trustworthy, and wouldn't judge her. Overtime, the two had grown close, and Sango had come to trust Ayame. With Kagome out of commission, Sango felt like her world was caving in all over again. Just like when her mom died. Kokoa was like a second mother to her, Sango was at the Higurashi Shrine so much. Because Kagome's grandfather had made so much selling a real, and very expensive, charm, she even spent a lot of time at their beach house on Bone Eater's Island. Now, the one closest to her, might be gone. Forever. Just like her mom.
Sango cried even harder into Ayame's green sweater, seeping through to her purple tank top. Soon, tears slowly slid down Ayame's cheeks. Kagome had also meant a lot to her, a lot to everyone. And her incident had hurt so many. Kagome had told her friends once, long ago, that one of her dreams was to touch people's lives and help them to the best of her ability. That was just the type of person Kagome was. She had her flaws, and she let them show. She could be temperamental, bossy, even violent and snobbish. She knew about these imperfections, and she accepted them. She lived with them, tried to get people to look past them and see the good person she could be inside. The reason the girls known as her closest friends had even been brought together, was because she'd decided to bring that good person forth, show the people kindness, and take them to others they would be accepted among.
Slowly, Sango's body wracking sobs turned into soft sniffles and hiccups. She sighed deeply and Ayame placed a hand on either of her shoulders, and pulled the girl away to look at her. Sango's eyes were red and puffy from her weeping, and a small bit of mucus leaked from her nose. She wiped her right sleeve across her face and sniffed once. Ayame gave her a soft smile. It warmed her heart to know Sango had placed enough trust in her to let her see her like this, teary eyed and broken. But that's what friends were for, to fix those cracks, and put the pieces back together. And now, all of their friends would do just that for each other. But Sango would remain Sango, not showing the pain that tugged at her heart. Ayame's heart soared at the thought that only she and Kagome could share this with Sango. Only they could see her even at her weakest moments, and live to tell the tale. Ayame brushed one strand of hair behind Sango's ear, and the brunette offered a sad smile.
"You okay?" Ayame asked gently, looking straight into Sango's brown eyes. Her smile widened.
"Of course I'm fine! I'm not like you wimps, breaking down into tears!" Sango replied. Both girls were silent for a minute before breaking into fits of laughter.
"Really, though! How are you feeling?" Ayame asked seriously, a small smile decorating her features. Sango exhaled.
"You know the answer to that by now, Yame." Sango replied, turning away from Ayame. The girls smile fell, and she sat with her legs crossed, staring at the wall.
"I know it's hard, Sango. It's hard on all of us. But please, Kagome wouldn't like it if you shut down on us like this."
"It hurt, Yame. It hurt me a lot when I found her like that, I felt so…helpless. So alone." Sango lowered her head, and her hair fell about her like a curtain, shielding her from Ayame's sidelong gaze.
"You're an independent girl, Sango. You're strong, smart, attractive, and rebel sometimes. But you're a girl with a huge circle of friends that care about you and would do anything to help. I mean, look at us, we used to be the circle of five nobody messed with because they had to worry about you and Lala. And because we were sworn enemies of the populars. It hasn't been six months since we came to this school, and already, look at us! We're best friends with the populars! We're dating some of the populars! Do you know what Kagome told us before we started school that day? She said 'Girls, a lot of things are gonna change. I can feel it. And for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do we all part, we'll always be there for each other.' And you know what? She was right. A lot of things have changed. And the changes aren't just gonna stop. We have to embrace them, and live with them. And no matter what, you will always have me, Kagome, and the others to lean on and go to."
Sango lowered her head even more. She remembered clearly the morning before they walked into the school doors when Kagome had said that. Things were changing, and they weren't gonna stop.
"That's right, Sango. You've got all of us now, and no matter what, we're not leaving." Yura said. Sango's head snapped up. During Ayame's speech, the door had opened and the others had piled into the hallway. Sango smiled and stood, as did Ayame. Both girls made their way to the huge circle of friends and embraced every single last one of them. Apologies and confessions were made, tears were shed, and everyone moved forward. When the emotional moment was over, Kilala spoke up.
"Today, we came here as friends, looking for comfort. It hurts me so much to know that Kagome isn't here to see us like this, all embracing, all friends, all together. We all just apologized for every wrong we'd committed against each other, and every thing we've believed about them. We will put all this behind us. From now on, we will always be together. We will always be sisters, forever." Kilala's statement was met with wild applause from all of the girls.
"You know what? Let's all go to the hospital right now and visit 'Gome." Kanna suggested.
"Yeah, I'd like to see how our old girl is kicking through this thing." Kagura replied, with her hands on her hips and a smile on her face.
"Let's call Jai and the guys. I think they'd want to be here." Ayame spoke up.
"Hey, speaking of the guys, where's Kohaku?" Yura asked, turning to Sango.
"At the hospital already. I dropped him off there. He wanted to make sure Rin was alright." Sango replied, shrugging it off. An awkward silence fell across the other girls.
"Are you…I mean…him and Rin…will Kohaku…will he be okay?" Kanna asked awkwardly.
"I think he'll be fine. Rin could use all her friends right now, and that includes Kohaku." Sango pointed out. She wasn't like the others. Rin and Sesshomaru had fixed their problems, and she had faith in her brother. He wouldn't try and make it any more awkward for the girl.
"Okay, if you say so." Kanna shrugged.
"I'll call Bankotsu. He can bring over Jai and Hakudoshi." Yura said. She took out her cell phone to call said boyfriend.
"I'll see if Koga can bring over Miroku and Shippo." Ayame suggested, also pulling out her cell phone.
"I call riding with Sango and Ayame!" Kilala announced, raising her hand.
"Well, Banks is bringing Jai and Hakudoshi. Kagura, I'm riding with you." Yura said, putting her cell phone back in her pocket.
"And since Koga is gonna take Miroku and Shippo, I'm still with Sango and Lala." Ayame announced, also placing her cell phone in her pocket.
"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go!" Kanna announced, running down the steps. Kilala followed with Ayame close on her tail. Sango and the others followed at a slower pace.
Once outside, Sango stared up at the sky. The sun glared down at her, bathing her in its warmth. There were no clouds to block the cerulean sky, and the slight breeze that danced with her hair made smile. It was as if the sun was all she needed. A laugh escaped her lips and she sighed in contentment. With her eyes closed, it was as if Kagome was standing right beside her. And her mother.
"The sky is pretty, isn't it?" Kagome's voice whispered to her left. The sun's warmth felt as though it was directly where Kagome's voice emerged from.
"The sun's warmth is different to all. The warmer it feels to you, the more people love you. Whenever the sun is cold, take time to remember those you've lost, and you'll feel it warm your skin." Her mother's voice whispered. Sango felt her throat tighten, but didn't stop the tears from silently flowing from her eyes and down her cheeks. It felt like the sun was threatening to bake her from its warmth.
"Mom…" She murmured, her lips in a tight line, but even through that, she smiled. She smiled because she knew that even though she didn't let people show how she always felt, she was loved. Through her mind, she saw pictures of the people closest to her. Kohaku, her father, Ayame, Kilala, Rin, Kanna, Kagura, Yura, Miroku, Kagome, her mother…all of them. Even all of the guys, she realized she held them all close to her heart. And that they were all suffering from Kagome's condition.
It had been only a day since Kagome was attacked behind the bleachers, but it had felt like an eternity for those close to her. But now was everyone's time to come together and help heal each other until she was healed.
"Hey, Sango! You comin' or what?" Kanna called to her. Sango's eyes shot open and she looked at her closest friends, standing around the cars. They were all looking at her expectedly. Sango smiled at them and nodded, running over.
Yes, it had only been a day, but there was going to be a lot more pain to go through. But they all had each other. It would be hard, but they'd all get through it. Together.
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Hands loomed over me, roaming my body, tearing away at my clothes. I was wearing sweaters, jackets, layers and layers of clothing. But it wasn't enough. With every layer that was added to my body, it seemed his hands just dragged more and more away. They touched my body, leaving invisible marks on me. It made my skin crawl.
I tried to move, to crawl away from his disgusting touch. Every attempt seemed futile. He hit me, dragged me back, held me in place…the pain surged through my body and my throat choked up, tears rushing down my cheeks. No…I couldn't make him stop. I couldn't fight it. I tried to thrash and fight him, to escape, to get away. His hands slapped me over and over, as they hungrily ran across my body. I felt him kiss my neck…then bite it. I cried out in pain and he slapped me even harder. I couldn't see him at all…just his hands roaming over me. As hard as I tried to look away, I couldn't bring myself to. His red eyes glared at me through the darkness, and I heard his chuckle ring through the empty space. He mocked me, called me names. While moving quickly and roughly, he'd had yet to remove my panties. It was as if this wasn't enough…taking what I valued most wasn't enough, he had to torture me through it. And I could tell he loved watching me suffer.
The only words I could understand was his threat. It rang through the air, and I knew he would live up to it if I defied him. And I couldn't take that chance. Then, the hands were gone, and the darkness slowly faded away. The red eyes narrowed at me, then widened in shock before disappearing completely. The light that was revealed was blinding, and I squinted through it. The silhouette of two figures emerged, and I struggled to see who it was. They came closer, and I curled into myself, trying to hide the revealed part of my body from them. Soon, I could tell from their build that one was a man and the other a woman. Within moments, they stood towering over me, and I gasped in surprise. It was my father and grandmother, Tanjiro and Midoriko. Tanjiro smiled down at me.
"Hey, Cupcake." He whispered. My mouth opened, but no words came out. I couldn't think of what to say. My father, who'd been dead for seven years, and my grandmother, who'd been dead for five years, were kneeling before me, running their hands through my hair, comforting me…but it all seemed so unreal. I was afraid to blink, because when I opened my eyes, they might be gone.
"It's okay if you're afraid, Kagome. Your sister Kikyo was a little…set off by our appearance as well." Midoriko said. That caught my attention.
"Kikyo? You visited…Kikyo?" My voice sounded dry and raspy. I quickly grabbed my throat in surprise. I didn't even recognize the sound that escaped my lips.
"Yes, we did. Which is why we needed to speak to you before you wake up." Tanjiro replied, running a hand through my hair idly.
"Wake up? What do you mean…wake up?" I whispered, after I cleared my throat a few times. I actually sounded a little like I remember it normally did, but I hadn't spoken before now in what felt like weeks. I desperately hoping that the hands, the darkness, and the piercing red eyes were just a terrible nightmare…and that my passed relatives were here as my guardian angels to chase the bad dreams away.
"You're asleep, Kagome. You passed out after your near rape, and are in the hospital." Midoriko explained. My heart dropped to hear it had really happened…that someone had touched my like that. It made me shiver, and I suddenly wanted a shower desperately.
"It was real…" I murmured. It was all I could think about. That he'd touched me. He'd tried to take something so close to me.
"I'm so sorry, Kagome…" Tanjiro whispered, pulling me close and holding me. I cried silently into his shoulder. I briefly remembered watching stories on TV about this happening to actual girl, and talking about how sad it was and how horrible it was that someone could to that to another person weaker than them. Now that it had…almost happened to me, I wanted nothing more than answers. To see the culprit charged for his crime…and to be with my family. My friends.
"But we needed to see you, sweetheart. Outside, Kikyo is waiting for you to wake up," Midoriko sounded slightly uncertain. I looked at her expectantly, trying to keep the surprise from the fact my sister Kikyo, the same one who'd spent much of her life trying to ruin mine, was in a room with my unconscious body. "And she needs you right now, just like you need Sango and the others. She needs you to accept her."
"Accept her?" I couldn't keep the shock from my voice. Accept her for what? As my evil twin sister, literally, who did nothing but try and make me miserable and ruin the best of things in my life? Who hated my guts for some unspeakable reason?
"Kagome, please, hear me out. Don't interrupt, but I need to talk to you about Kikyo," I stared at her for a long moment before silently nodding for her to continue. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Kikyo…is beautiful, talented, and special. But she's also very insecure. After her father died, she blamed herself. You'd always gotten the good attention…the most loyal friends. It was the lifestyle she'd wanted. She dared you to go out into the street and when Tanjiro caught you, you blamed yourself. You didn't want her to get in trouble, and even though you were only two minutes older, she looked up to you. Kikyo wanted to be like you. After the accident, she never thought anyone could just like her again, that she had to draw attention. So she tried singing, but then she found out you also had that talent. It drove the poor girl to madness. To her, everything she did, you did better."
I had to bite my lip to keep from interrupting. There was no way that was how Kikyo had been feeling. She hated me just because she hated me. Right?
"She sang, you sang better. She got a boyfriend first and kept him for years, while guy after guy pursued you, even if you didn't notice. A lot of the men she kissed and slept with behind Inuyasha's back wanted a chance at you, but settled for her. When Inuyasha wouldn't join the group of boys who slept with her, she thought something was wrong with her, She felt second best, unloved, unwanted, and unimportant. Your mother showered you with attention the moment Kikyo started coming home late at night, or not coming home at all. Of course she was worried, but Kokoa was in denial. She didn't want to believe one of her daughters was out sleeping with men as many times a normal person brushes their teeth. She felt she needed to do things extreme to get attention, even if it wasn't the type of attention she first wanted. The interest she attracted molded her into something she'd never intended to become, and changed her so much, she lost sight of who she really was. But Kagome, this is going to be the hardest part for you to believe.."
'Oh yeah? Try me..' I thought, rolling my eyes. There was nothing else Midoriko could say to me that could be more unbelievable than the other information she told me.
"Tanjiro and I talked with Kikyo. You've been unconscious, so you wouldn't know, but Inuyasha cut Kikyo's rope in the rock climbing exercise under Lady Kanade's orders. Kikyo fell to the ground and suffered a concussion and broken bones. While she was also unconscious, we talked with her, showed her what she did wrong…things like that. She listened to us, and changed her ways. When you wake up, she won't be the same Kikyo who fought with you and your friends in the locker room before yesterday's events started. She'll be the Kikyo Higurashi you remembered…the one you knew and loved before Tanjiro's death. Before she changed herself. It will be hard to accept, but she's going to start trying to be better, to get back on track."
I couldn't hold it back any longer. I burst into fits of laughter, and grabbed my abdomen as it began to hurt, and I gasped from lack of oxygen. Even the notion that Kikyo could change made me laugh. It was impossible. She'd chosen a path for her life, and there was no way for that to change. I looked around, waiting for one of them to laugh with me, tell me it was all a joke. When they both remained silent, my laughs soon ceased. I looked at them expectedly, and I tried to ignore the disappointment and sadness in their eyes. I was starting to really worry now. Unwrapping my father's arms from around me, I quickly stood up, not sure which of them deserved my
attention more. I shot my head in Midoriko's direction, before looking right back at Tanjiro. After a long time of silence, I found the strength to speak.
"You're…serious?"
"As serious as a shark attack, Cupcake." Tanjiro replied, rising to his feet. I looked to Midoriko, who looked back at me with pleading eyes.
"Please, Kagome, I know its difficult to believe. But Kikyo has just begun to make her effort for change, and she needs the most important girl to her to help her." Midoriko's voice was barely higher than a whisper, but I heard her clearly.
"Why me?" I asked. Why did Kikyo need me?
"Turn." Midoriko said simply. I stared at her for a moment, one eyebrow raised. Midoriko made a turning motion with her hand, and I did as she told me to. I gasped, bringing my right hand to cover my mouth. I was know standing on the bank of a riverbed. The river was crystal blue, reflection against rays of a sun. I looked up to the sky, but there was no sun. The sky glowed a bright blue, with what seemed to be accented colors. But definitely no sun. I looked back down at the river again, wondering if the reflection of the invisible sun was still there. It was.
"This world is different than yours, in many ways. Behold." Midoriko's voice sounded stronger, as she gestured to the river again. I looked in deeply and waited. Nothing happened, and I thought that perhaps after death, Mama Midoriko had officially lost it.
"Toss in a stone." Tanjiro ordered.
I looked around immediately and found a smooth, gray stone. It was shaped like an oval, and perfectly rounded. It fit neatly into the palm of my hand. Looking back at the river, I hesitated. The waters were calm and smooth, but I didn't want to disturb the peace. Finally, I decided it would be better if I just threw it in, and got this strange nightmare over with. I tossed it in gently, and watched as the stone quickly sank to the bottom of the river. The water rippled, and as the ripples grew wider, that small area began to glow bright yellow. As the water went still again, a scene began to play. I gasped as I saw Kikyo leaning her forehead on the trunk of a large cherry blossom tree in full bloom. Tears were running down her eyes, and her hair was slightly ruffled. She took a shaky breath and I listened as she poured her heart out into the tree.
"I wish you guys could hear me. I'm sorry Kagome for trying to separate you and Inuyasha. I'm sorry I've been mean to you and have tried to sever the bond we have as twin sisters ever since dad died. I'm sorry Rin for hurting you and neglecting you. I'm sorry Inuyasha I was never faithful to you. I'm sorry I hurt you so much and kept you away from your true love. Mom…I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry I'm such a terrible daughter and…and I just wanna come home!" Kikyo's sobs intensified.
I felt tears prick at my own eyes. I couldn't help it, I felt terrible for Kikyo. She sounded so sincere, so remorseful, I felt as though I had to believe her. It seemed hard to accuse her of faking it. She couldn't have acted so earnest in her heartfelt confession. I instantly felt a connection with my sister. I could feel her pain, and I fell to my knees from the power of it.
"K-Kikyo…" I whispered. I held my abdomen as tears rushed to my eyes. I could feel her physical and emotional pain, but this had never happened before. Through my blurry vision, I looked up at Midoriko, who looked back at me sadly. She was doing this to me.
"Don't you think this is enough?" Tanjiro asked her. I didn't look at him, but I narrowed my eyes to study Midoriko's reaction.
"No, I'm sorry. She needs to feel her sisters pain to understand her. I refuse to allow Kikyo to live in a world where, even though she's trying, she'll always be judged by her past. If nothing else, Kagome should be the one she reunites with first. Kokoa will re-accept Kikyo with open arms." Midoriko replied, looking down at me. I screamed in agony, hoping that would be enough to make her release her hold on me. It wasn't. In my mind, images of Kikyo's life passed, and I could feel her regret for everything wrong she'd done. It hurt, and I felt as though someone had stabbed my heart and was twisting the knife.
"Please, stop." Tanjiro begged her. I felt a hand on back, and knew he was there, wishing there was some way he could stop this.
Then, without warning, the pain vanished. As quickly as it had come, it just vanished. I gasped for air, trying to regain my breath. I raised my left hand to my breast and felt my rapidly beating heart slow to its normal rhythm. The throbbing in my head disappeared, as had the stabbing pain in my stomach. I looked up at Midoriko, and shakily rose to my feet. I almost fell when Tanjiro caught me, and held me steady until I felt confident enough to stand on my own.
"Kikyo…she's really changed, hasn't she?" I asked, holding one hand to my chest.
"Yes, she has. And she wants to be accepted. Will you be able to accept Kikyo, Kagome?" Midoriko asked, arching a brow. Tanjiro slowly walked away from me to stand at Midoriko's side. They both stared at me, and I could see the hope in their eyes. I lowered my gaze to the grass below my feet, which had instantly become extremely interesting to stare at.
Secretly, I was ecstatic about Kikyo's change. I missed my sister more than anything. Just the light of hope that I may get back the twin I used to know and love would be waiting for me when I woke up made my heart thud, made me eager to leave the peace and tranquility I felt in this world. It would be hard, but I know that in the end, it will all be worth it. I'll have back my sister, the one who I'd thought had died long ago in a car accident that took my father away. Knowing she was still alive, and waiting for me, make my heart soar. I wanted to be with her again, to have the fun I'd always dreamt of us having together. Being the Higurashi Trio she, Rin and I had always wanted to be. I felt as though my heart was whispering to me, telling me to take a chance and accept her, to follow the light of hope that burned like a flame within me. To accept her as I accepted Inuyasha. As I'd accepted Yura, Kanna, and Kagura. To welcome her with open arms as my sister, and my friend. My head shot up, and I stared Midoriko in the eyes.
"Yes, I'm ready. I'm ready to accept Kikyo for who she is."
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"Why did you leave?" I whispered, absentmindedly running a hand through Kagome's tangled mess of hair. I wished for her to get up and respond to me, even if it was just to slap me and tell me to get the hell away from her. I felt my throat well up when she did nothing.
"Why do you care?" Inuyasha asked. I narrowed my eyes, felling my anger rise at him. He seemed to be doing everything in his power to make me feel worse.
"It was a rhetorical question!" I snapped at him without turning around. I was already becoming used to the wheelchair, knowing my limitations. I'd even tried wheeling myself around the rooms. Beads of sweat ran down Kagome's forehead, and for a moment, her whole body cringed. She began to shake, and a whimper escaped her lips. I saw her hands tighten into fists and her own nails penetrated her palms, allowing small trials of blood to run from her hands onto the hospital bed sheets. Her teeth even bit into her lower lip, and blood ran down her chin and left a red trail down her neck and onto her hospital gown.
"Kagome!" I shouted, and Inuyasha rushed to my side, whispering words of comfort to the unconscious girl.
"Call the nurses!" Inuyasha demanded. As I went to touch the button on the remote on Kagome's bedside table, she suddenly stopped moving. Her mouth open, releasing her lip. Her hands loosened so that her nails barely touched her palm. She laid still, the rise and fall of her chest slowing.
"Is she alright?" I asked Inuyasha, as he examined Kagome.
"Yeah, she seems okay for the most part." He replied, slowly pulling up a chair and sitting down. I cast him a sidelong glance.
"I'm sorry." I whispered. He turned to me.
"What?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at me. I sighed.
"I said, 'I'm sorry'. I'm sorry I lied to you for the better part of our relationship, and I'm sorry I tried to force you to sleep with me. I'm sorry I always cheated on you, and I'm sorry I wasn't the girl you needed. And…I'm sorry I kept you away from her. That I ruined your friendship with her and the others, and that I tried to sabotage your team in the Battle of the Sexes, and that I tried to destroy the love between you and Kagome and that I kissed you, and I totally deserved you barfing on me, and that I'm a terrible person and that you can't trust me or believe me when I tell you that I've changed and that I've done so much to make you guys hate which is why I don't blame you for not trusting me and that I didn't love you as much as you ended up loving me!" I let out in one breath.
It felt like someone had lifted a large weight off my shoulders, and I felt much better apologizing to him. I waited for him to say something, and when he didn't, I slowly turned to look into Inuyasha's eyes. He looked back at me, and I could tell he was thinking deeply about something.
"You done?" He asked finally, ending the silence between us. I noticed how close our faces were, and how close our lips were. My breath came out shakily and I guess Inuyasha noticed as well, because he moved a little closer.
'Is he testing me?' I wondered, looking at him. He moved even closer, our lips only inches from each other. I could feel his warmth breath on my face, and it danced on my cheeks. I resisted the urge to close the distance between our lips. I cast a sidelong glance at my sickly sister, and that was all the motivation I needed. I pulled away quickly and glared at him. He looked back at me, his eyes wide.
"You didn't try and kiss me.." Inuyasha whispered, his voice filled with shock and awe. I stared at him skeptically.
"You seriously thought I would?"
"It's proof." He replied simply, shrugging as he leaned back in his seat. I arched a brow.
"Proof of…?" I asked, waiting for him to finish my sentence. He closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head.
"That you've changed." He answered. My mouth dropped open.
He believed me? He was convinced that I'd changed? I felt my heart skip a beat and I smiled widely. I had never expected him to believe me so quickly. I thought it would take days, weeks, months, maybe even a year or so! But in those few minutes, by refusing him a kiss, something I'd never done before, he'd accepted me as a changed girl.
"Told you he'd come around, Princess." Tanjiro whispered to me. My smile widened. I looked at Inuyasha for a long moment, before reaching out as best I could and wrapped my left arm around his neck, hugging him as best I could. I felt him slightly stiffen under me, before gently putting her hands around me.
"Thank you, Inuyasha." I murmured into his ear, tears rolling down my cheeks. I felt his chest vibrate under me as he chuckled.
"Don't think I completely believe in you," He replied. I quickly released him and looked into his eyes, left hand on his shoulder. Had he lied to me? "I can tell you aren't the same as you were before you came her yesterday. But just because I can tell you've changed, don't think I'll accept you so quickly. I need to see some proof over time of your change." He explained. I nodded, that sounded fair. If our places were switched, I'd be the same way.
"But I'm ready to accept you, Kikyo." A new, weak voice said. Both my head and Inuyasha's quickly turned to Kagome's bed to see her large brown eyes staring back at us, a small smile on her lips.
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Layla: Chapter 28! Ta-daa!
Aqua: Hope you all loved this as much as we love getting reviews from you!
Kelsey: Or being added to your fave's list!
Emma: Sorry it took so long to post this chappy, but homework piling up, quizzes, tests…I despise school.
Jazz: Who doesn't? Haha, anyway…I'm going through my newest anime phase, and I officially love Sailor Moon! And even though I never watched Sailor Stars, no dubs, then I don't watch, but I love SeiyaxSerena/Usagi!
Layla: Jazz is totally off topic…but that brings us to another topic. Please, guys, do everything you can to help us out! We're looking up websites and taking surveys and joining things to bring back Sailor Moon! FUNimation may get the rights to Sailor Moon from Toei, and if they do, they'll re-dub the whole season, including the never dubbed Sailor Stars! So come on guys, help us out, go to some websites, and vote!
Jazz: But hey, that's just something that I've become obsessed with doing! Anyways, lots of love to you guys for reading, and lots more love for reviewing. Till next time, R&R!
