Ch. 45- Kikyo Resurrected


Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi


The sunset had turned the sky into a deep crimson color...almost giving it the appearance of blood had it not been for the bright yellow clouds. Soon, there would be no daylight to follow the trail. Despite this, Kaede pushed her steed onward while Kagome pedaled along behind her on her bike with Shippo riding shotgun in the basket, and up above, Inuyasha leaped across the rocky cliffs, leading the group whilst he followed the scent of Kikyo's bones.

As Inuyasha stood atop a rocky outcrop, Kagome looked up at him...and noticed this melancholy expression on his face. She had actually noticed it before...several times, in fact. The very first time she saw it, though, it was when he first heard about Kikyo's demise. He tried to be subtle about it, but Kagome could just barely make out just a hint of sadness in his eyes...just as he had, now.

'Earlier...Inuyasha wasn't looking at me...he was looking straight through me...to Kikyo...part of him still thinks that I'm her.'

That night, the group had set up camp and had gathered around a bonfire. Kagome decided to lend Kaede her sleeping bag for the night, not wanting the elderly priestess to face the chill of the night alone. Shippo had already fallen asleep during the journey, so Kagome just put him down next to Kaede. Even though the girl had so many questions she wanted to ask, she didn't want to put any more strain on Kaede than there already was.

"...Kaede's finally asleep, Inuyasha," said Kagome, softly.

"...Then we should get to sleep, ourselves," Inuyasha replied. "We got us a big battle coming up, come morning."

"Wait, what?" Kagome asked in surprise. "You mean we're almost there, already?"

"Yep," Inuyasha nodded. "I can smell Kikyo's remains...they're not too far off." He then lied down on his side with his arm propped up to hold his head.

"...Hey, Inuyasha?" asked Kagome, but he didn't answer, meaning he was either asleep or he was just pretending to sleep. Either way, Kagome decided not to bother him.

If she didn't know better, Kagome would say that Inuyasha looked the same as he did when she first saw him when he was pinned to the Sacred Tree in a 50-year sleep: a peaceful, almost death-like state with roots wrapped around his body. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like. Everything around him had changed with age...but time lost its effect on him while he was sealed by that arrow.

What happened 50 years ago must have felt like just yesterday to him.

...50 years ago...

'I still don't understand,' thought Kagome. 'Why is Inuyasha going through all this trouble for someone who pinned him to a tree with an arrow? I thought he hated Kikyo...but...earlier...when I looked into his eyes, I didn't see any trace of anger or hatred for her.' She then placed her hand on her chest, where she could still feel her heart beating, overtime. '...My heart is still pounding from what happened, earlier today...I can't believe Inuyasha tried to kiss me!'

She then gasped silently as she looked up at the half-demon, who was still lying on his side.

'Wait...could it be...? Was Inuyasha...in love with Kikyo, all along?!'

The campfire flickered, burning away until the morning light.

XXX

The next day, after Shippo had gotten through washing his face and taking care of any other...business, the group continued on the path to Urasue's lair, way up in the mountains.

"Time is of the essence," said Kaede. "We must make haste and recover Kikyo's remains, lest Urasue use them to some evil end. I sense trouble on the path ahead. Dreadful trouble!"

"Oh, that's just what we need to hear!" Inuyasha said, sarcastically as he stood atop the backside of Kaede's steed. "If you were so damn worried about Kikyo's remains, why didn't you just scatter her ashes in the river in the first place?! We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for your humans and your stupid sentimentality!"

"Inuyasha," Kaede chided. "Have ye no regard for man's gravesites and tombstones?"

"...Well...a little," Inuyasha muttered.

"A grave is not just a place to bury a body or ashes," said Kaede. "It is a place of refuge...a shelter for the hearts of those loved ones left behind."

"...A shelter..." Kagome repeated.

"Loved ones...left behind...?" Inuyasha whispered.

"Wow," Shippo spoke up. "I never thought of it, that way."

"Aye," Kaede said. "My sister, Kikyo, was born a priestess...she and I lost our parents when we were still quite young. I barely remember them, nowadays, mostly because Kikyo was left to raise me on her own. Over time, she used her spiritual powers to protect myself and the village. She warded away specters and evil demons and battled famine and illness, countless times. Ever since her demise, Kikyo's spirit continues to encourage the villagers to overcome any hardships they may face."

"...The villagers must have really loved her, then," said Kagome.

"That, they did," said Kaede, sadly, "and so did I." She then sighed. "But the human heart is weak...and people can easily be swayed by the winds of danger and uncertainty. Kikyo's grave was like a reassurance...a haven to encourage the villagers to brace themselves against the storms of life."

"Hmph," Inuyasha scoffed. "How stupid..."

'...He's lying,' thought Kagome as she looked up. 'He can talk big all he wants, but I know that behind all that bluster, he's thinking about Kikyo again...he had feelings for her...but she shot him in the chest with an arrow.'

She then stopped pedaling on her bike as she stared at the half-demon.

"Huh?" Shippo asked as he looked up at her. "What's the matter, Kagome?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha muttered as he glanced back at Kagome, as well, and noticed the almost sad look in her eyes. "...What the...?"

'...Kikyo...she didn't love Inuyasha in return,' thought Kagome. 'She didn't love him, at all...!'

"...Okay, that's it!" Inuyasha shouted as he turned around with an irritated look on his face. "What the hell are you gawkin' at?!" He then leaped toward her, landing on the handlebars of her bike. "That's pretty bad when you can even give a half-demon the heebie jeebies."

"Uh..." Kagome muttered.

"I told you before," Inuyasha began, "I don't like it when people look at me that way because just that tells me that you're showing me pity! What's with that misty-eyed look you're giving me?!"

"Uhh...nothing!" Kagome answered. "I was just thinking about something stupid that's all!"

"Stupid?" Inuyasha replied. "Stupid like what?"

"Forget it!" Kagome answered with a sheepish.

"Out with it, already!" Inuyasha yelled, only for her to speed downhill on her bike. "Kagome! I want some answers, NOW!"

"Look! Just drop it!" Kagome shouted while Shippo sighed.

"And people say I'm a kid," he muttered.

XXX

Meanwhile, somewhere up in the mountains...something sinister takes place. Smoke billowed into the air from a stone chimney, and in front of it stood an old, haggard-looking woman with bulbous, red eyes and holding a scythe in her hands.

It was Urasue, the ogress. She chuckled sinisterly as she raised her sickle and slashed apart the rocks that blocked the opening of the hut, which fell apart to reveal some sort of casket, surrounded by fire.

"Now then," Urasue said, "let us see what magic my demon kiln has brought to the mixture of bones, ashes, and graveyard soil." She then snickered as she approached the burning casket. "Ah, yes...this could prove to be my finest creation, yet!" She pulled out the sprig from her hairband and threw it onto the casket, causing it to glow as the flames disappeared.

"Perfect," Urasue grinned as she raised her scythe. "Now, Kikyo...ARISE!"

KRAK! She slammed the tip of the sickle's blade into the head of the casket, causing it to crack in half...and soon after, something, or rather someone emerged from it. Urasue gasped in awe as she backed away...revealing a young woman, her body completely bare. The only thing covering her breasts were her hands and her long, flowing, charcoal black hair.

Urasue snickered, her sharp fangs glinting.

"Welcome back...Kikyo," she whispered.

XXX

Inuyasha gasped as he looked up at the mountaintop, causing the others to stop, as well.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" asked Kagome.

"You gotta use the bathroom?" Shippo inquired.

"...Hey, Kaede," said Inuyasha. "You sense that, right?"

"...Aye," Kaede said. "I'm beginning to fear the worst."

"...Then let's get going," Inuyasha said as he ran ahead. "We don't have a second to lose!"

"Hey, wait for us!" Kagome cried.

XXX

Kikyo sat in her casket, her eyes dull and listless as she looked up at Urasue, who cackled in delight.

"Kikyo," she said. "Back in the days you were alive, you thwarted many a demon in their attempts to steal away the Shikon Jewel from you...but now, things are different. You will gather the shards of the jewel for me, Urasue! Now rise, Kikyo...rise and fight!"

Kikyo blinked her eyes, then wordlessly tried to stand. Her legs wobbled under her weight, and when she tried to take a step, her knees buckled and she quickly fell to the floor.

"What?!" Urasue questioned as she approached her and grabbed her by the hair. "How can this be?!" She then took a closer look at her face...and noticed that her eyes lacked any shine in them. "Her body may have been brought back, but her soul has not returned to her! This body is nothing more than a useless empty husk..." She then tossed Kikyo to the floor. "Curses! My magic could not bring her soul back to her body...which means...her soul could already be reborn into another body!"

XXX

"I can't believe what I'm doing...!"

Kagome whimpered as she tried to steady herself on an old, rickety rope bridge, trying to follow Inuyasha while Kaede clung to one side and Shippo scampered along behind them.

"Inuyasha," Kagome began, "are you sure it's safe to cross this bridge?"

"Not really," Inuyasha replied, bluntly.

"What?!" Kagome questioned. "Are you kidding me?! This bridge could give out from right beneath our feet!"

"Oh, stop whining!" Inuyasha barked. "Just keep walking and don't look down!"

"Why?" Shippo asked as he looked over the edge. "What happens if you look down-" He then gasped when he saw just how high up they were...so high, that he could barely see the bottom. "AAH! TOO HIGH, TOO HIGH!" He then jumped onto Inuyasha's face, causing him to cry out as he grabbed at him, but in doing so, the bridge began to sway, which caused Kagome to shriek as she and Kaede held on tightly.

"INUYASHA, DO SOMETHING!" Kagome cried.

"SH-SHIPPO!" Inuyasha yelled as he tried to pry him off his face. "SHIPPO, GET OFF ME!" He then pulled the fox kit off his face. "Dammit, didn't you hear me say don't look down?!"

"Sorry...!" Shippo squeaked, but then he spotted something out of his peripheral vision. "Hey! What's that up ahead?!"

The group looked up to see a bunch of shadowy figures approaching, and upon getting a closer look, they saw that they were a bunch of soldiers in armor, lumbering towards them in groups of two, three, and even more than that!

"Oh, no!" cried Kagome. "Enemies!"

"Heh," Inuyasha smirked as he cracked his knuckles. "I was just thinking I could use some exercise!"

"Look out!" Shippo cried as he pointed behind Kagome and Kaede. "They're coming from behind, too!"

"Aah!" Kagome shrieked as she turned and saw the soldiers beginning to advance on them from behind, as well!

"Hang on tight, ladies!" Inuyasha called to the two females behind him. "Things are about to get bumpy!" He then charged ahead at the soldiers in front of them. "IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!"

SLASH! With a slash of his claws, Inuyasha struck down the soldiers...which shattered into bits of clay.

"Huh?" Inuyasha muttered. "They're all made of mud!"

"FOXFIRE!" Shippo shouted as he threw a ball of foxfire at the clay soldiers, but it didn't seem to do anything but slightly singe them, causing him to gulp nervously. "Uh-oh! It didn't work!"

Luckily, Kaede managed to smash them with her bow, even though it looked like she was starting to get tired, especially because the soldiers were still coming toward them!

"I wish all my enemies were this weak," Inuyasha said as he slashed down some more of the walking clay mummies. "Only problem is they just keep coming!"

At that moment, Urasue appeared, having heard all the ruckus.

"Damnation," she cursed. "Why would intruders appear at a time like this?" She then gasped silently as she spotted Kagome. "Hmm? That girl...could it be...?!"

"Inuyasha, look out!" cried Kagome, causing the half-demon to turn around and slash another soldier.

"Urrgh..." he groaned. "Dammit, there's no end to 'em!"

"AAH!" Shippo screamed as he pointed at the sky. "LOOK OUT! INCOMING!"

The group looked up, but the moment they did, the bride was suddenly sliced in half, causing Inuyasha, Kaede, and Shippo to fall toward the abyss, below...and as for Kagome, she found herself in the clutches of Urasue!

"Oh, no!" Shippo cried. "Inuyasha, she's got Kagome!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he kept falling.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed as she reached her hand out. "Kaede! Shippo!"

It was too late, for they had disappeared out of her sight while Urasue flew off, carrying the young girl off.

"Put me down, you crazy old hag!" Kagome yelled.

"Silence, girl," Urasue hissed as she put the blade of her sickle dangerously close to Kagome's neck. "Your friends' fates are sealed...and as for you, I do not plan to let you go so easily. Now that I have Kikyo's reincarnation, her revival will soon be complete!"

"...Kikyo's...revival?" Kagome asked, nervously.


Review, please!