Chapter 34 – Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. I'm just borrowing them for a short while.
Inuyasha fingered the Shikon no Tama gently in his hands, feeling the cool weight of the crystal within. It had taken him some effort, but he had managed to retrieve the jewel from within his body. Such a small trinket, and yet it affected the lives of those it touched profoundly. Soon, Kikyou would come. He had left a message to request for a meeting and he knew Kikyou would come. And he would tell her the truth then. If his gamble pay off, he could go back home.
"Kagome, what would you do if you were me?" Inuyasha whispered. He missed her so much now, her hair, her smile and her scent. Everything was so near, yet so far. If he closed his eyes now, he could almost imagine her standing in front of him, hands on her waist, with a look of annoyance which could not hide the love in her eyes. She was almost there, almost.
What a tragic story they led. Bound by fate for two lifetimes, and yet they are still separated by a chasm so deep that neither can cross. And though love was great, it was not enough.
A soft noise caught his attention. It was Kikyou. The time has come.
Kikyou was not sure what she expected when she stepped into the clearing. But some part of her knew that Inuyasha was here. The jewel hummed and thrummed beneath her collarbone, gentle and foreboding.
He did not turn but she knew he was aware of his presence. His face was turned towards the moon, its soft light bathing him in a ethereal glow. Half human, and half youkai. Too mortal for the world of unworldly, and too unworldly for the world of mortals.
"Inuyasha", she whispered, allowing his name to roll over her tongue easily. Like a single pearl dropping onto glass. Inuyasha turned towards her, his eyes half shadowed by his bangs.
"I once had a girl," Inuyasha whispered. "Or should I say, she once had me." He turned and smile, a secretive smile. It was almost as if a private joke was said, but the pun was lost on her. The silence of the night made the whole scene seems surreal.
"She was from a faraway land. So far away, that you probably would not have heard of it. For some reason, we had to go on an adventure together." His expression was nostalgic, gentle and yet sad.
"We didn't start on the right footing. She reminded me of someone who hurt me a lot. But she had a kind and warm heart. And we fell in love eventually. We had lots of good times, and bad times. But they were mostly good."
Kikyou was silent. She knew who the girl was. At least, she knew her name.
"And the quest finally came to an end." Inuyasha continued. "But she has gone to somewhere faraway. Somewhere I could not follow."
"Why not?" Kikyou asked, curiosity lighting her words. Inuyasha raise his one of his hand, opening to reveal a small orb.
"Because she died," Inuyasha replied. "And I made a wish to save her. And that is the price of the wish. We can never be together again."
Kikyou drew a breath. The small orb sitting on Inuyasha's palm was the exact same one she had.
"How can this be?" Kikyou whispered. The orb was as familiar to her as her own body. Her mind was trying to wrap itself about the implications of Inuyasha's story. "You….?"
Inuyasha remained silent, but beckon her to come closer. As she approached, the Shikon no Tama that she was holding onto began to glow and pull her closer.
"I purified the jewel with that wish," Inuyasha continued. "And now, the jewel will fulfill its own wish."
Kikyou took out the necklace that held the Shikon no Tama. Something like understanding came over her. Inuyasha's cryptic words, his past behavior, his ability to seemingly foresee certain events. It all made sense now.
Inuyasha, as if sensing the understanding that came over her, smiled. It was just a small upturn of his lips, but it lent a kind of serene beauty that one seldom sees on his face. As in on cue, the orb in his hand float towards her necklace, and she witnessed both orbs began to merge, melting into each other, at a speed that was both slow and fast at the same time. Inuyasha was staring intently at the two orbs, as if willing something to happen. The two orbs began glowing extremely bright, and the light became so blinding for an instance that both had to look away. When the light subsided, they stared at the Shikon no Tama.
The only Shikon no Tama resting on her palm.
Was it purified?
Kikyou could not tell. There were too much spiritual energies coursing around the clearing. Something defining had happened, and the dust had yet to settle.
Inuyasha stared at the jewel intently. It had to work. He had given up everything he had to ensure this opportunity would come. So intense was his concentration on the jewel that he failed to detect other presences in the wood.
The release of such powerful energies would not grew undetected. Kikyou's eyes widened as several youkai, drawn by the power of the merging of the two jewels, appeared at the clearing. The light has faded to a light glow, but it was still enough for the youkai to see. And their intent was clear.
Was the jewel purified now? She could not tell. Not when her senses are overwhelmed by the youki emanating from the mass of youkai around here. She tucked the necklace into her bosom, and gathered her spiritual energies to prepare for battle.
Inuyasha seemed annoyed. Apparently he did not count on the mass of youkai appearing out of nowhere. With a flash of Tetsusaiga, he quickly jumped into the fray, and started dispatching of the enemies.
Although the youkai were weak individually, they were wearing them out steadily by their sheer numbers. After what seems like a while, Kikyou was showing signs of strains. It has been a long time since she had used so much spiritual energy. Strangely, Inuyasha was also showing signs of fatigue even though his stamina was better than hers.
At this moment, Miroku, Sango and Onigumo also appeared. Miroku and Sango were drawn by the youki they sensed and Onigumo happened to tag along. With the additional help, the remaining youkai were dispatched quickly.
"What happened, Kikyou-sama?" Miroku asked. Kikyou was about to explain when Inuyasha suddenly collapsed.
Kikyou ran towards Inuaysha, catching him as he crumpled. His eyes were half-closed in pain, and Kikyou noticed to her horror that the front of his haori was stained red. She set him down gently and cradled him, as Miroku, Sango and Onigumo crowded around them. The Tetsusaiga untransformed and lay discarded at the side.
Kikyou opened his haori, eyes widening at the wound on his chest. Judging from the looks of it, it appeared to be an old wound, and quite large at that. He must have reopened the wound during the battle just now.
"He's bleeding profousely." Miroku whispered. "We need to find something to bind his wound. He was ok this morning when I saw him."
Sango quickly took out the supplies she carried with her. However, Inuyasha was losing blood swiftly and was fading soon. He opened his eyes and whispered softly, "Kikyou, the jewel…...?"
Kikyou took out the Shikon no Tama and pressed it against Inuyasha's palm. The familiar cool weight of the orb seemed to give Inuyasha some strength, as he struggled to sit up. He fingered the jewel, eyes widening slightly. Then he sighed softly, his eyes shadowed as in deep in thought.
"So that's how it was meant to be then." Inuyasha whispered. He had gambled, and lost.
Onigumo watch the scene curiously, a mixture of awe and apprehension. He had never seen so much youkai at one go and the brutality of the battle reminded him of his past. Then the hanyou collapsed and Kikyou rushed to catch him, and he struggled to squash down the jealous feelings within his heart. He inched nearer, wanting to see what would happen next.
The hanyou was wounded, and when Kikyou peeled open his haori, Onigumo sighed inwardly. He had seen such wounds before, and they always resulted in death.
The hanyou asked for the jewel, and Kikyou handed it to him. Onigumo wondered why Kikyou would give it to him so easily. Was he going to make a wish now? Perhaps, he would wish for his own recovery?
The hanyou whispered something but it was so soft that he could not hear it. Kikyou apparently heard it and to his amazement, she started crying.
Miroku and Sango shuffled uneasily and their expression told him they were as lost as he was. But he was even more surprised when another person appeared in the clearing. Someone clad in white, with snowy white hair. Someone inhuman.
Sesshoumaru knew something was wrong the moment he sensed the huge burst of spiritual energies from the direction of Musashi. Without delaying for a second, he transformed himself into a ball of light and willed himself to go as fast as possible. Suddenly, he was reminded of the night his father passed away.
He only hoped he was not too late.
Kikyou did not understand herself. But when Inuyasha whispered those fateful words, she knew something in her snapped. The weight of lifetimes lay upon her, and she felt keenly the sense of futility that he felt. In another lifetime, they could have been together.
But it was not meant to be.
And before she knew it, tears formed in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She cried for Inuyasha, for Kagome, for herself. She cried because she knew she would lose Inuyasha soon.
And Inuyasha lay in her lap, covered in a pool of his blood. He clutched the jewel, and look at Kikyou softly. "Don't cry, wench" Inuyasha whispered, "You know I never like to see you cry."
And as if she was someone else, as if someone else had taken over her body, she leaned forward and push the bangs from his forehead, pressing a gentle kiss to those brows. "Inuyasha, I love you."
Inuyasha smiled, and whispered. "We could have had a lifetime. And we already had one. But we will have another."
Kikyou's eyes widened. But before she could respond, a new presence came behind her. It was Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru did not react outwardly, but the scent of his brother's blood was driving him mad. How dare anyone hurt the heir of Western Kingdom? The need for vengeance was next to his need to see to the well-being of Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, you foolish hanyou. What have you done?" Sesshoumaru growled as the rest of the mortals scoot away, sensing the anger in his youki. Only Kikyou remained, cradling his brother tenderly.
Inuyasha coughed wetly, a fleck of blood touching his lips. With great effort, he pushed himself upwards, and reached towards Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru unsheathed the Tenseiga, preparing to do the necessary.
But Inuyasha shook his head softly, his eyes desperately wild. And Sesshoumaru could not understand his brother at that moment.
"Sesshoumaru, please…burn the jewel with my remains. If you trust what I am doing…don't revive me please…" Inuyasha whispered softly, as he felt his limbs becoming more sluggish. "The Tetsusaiga is yours now."
And before Sesshoumaru could reply, Inuyasha's eyes closed. And never open again.
Onwards to the epilogue