Chapter 17: Priestess Kikyo
The mountain isn't as steep as I originally thought it would be, and majority of the way up are slope-like roads that circle it. The rushing river down below can still be heard even as high as the middle of the mountain. My eyes skim across the rocky surface to find the string of smoke still rising up above.
I am close. However, the closer I manage the get the worse I feel.
Is it because I don't want to face reality? That Inuyasha's lover might be returning to this world if the witch gets what she wants? How will I handle that? How will our journey continue? Furthermore, why does it matter to me?
Sighing, I round another corner to spot the witch up ahead. She's standing next to a human sized mound with a beautiful priestess standing behind her. The priestess is as pale as snow, her black straight hair ends at her waist, but her eyes are emotionless as mine were before I received some of my soul. The mound, itself, is glowing green. Keeping close to the rocky wall, I try to keep from being spotted since I don't know what exactly is going on.
"The young lass, she differs somehow…. Most of my victims would have fallen faint by this point." The witch says to the priestess who is unresponsive.
Just then, the green light explodes into a pure white orb that surrounds the mound with a decent radius. Inside, smaller orbs burst from the mound and flutter about the larger one. The witch's eyes open wider than they are already, her red pupils glistening with surprise as her mouth gapes open.
"The soul appears to be angry! Kikyo's soul flashes with an inexplicably violent and angry light!" The witch says with excitement.
Kikyo? My eyes fall back onto the priestess behind the witch, her light brown eyes staring at the back of the elderly's head. I can see why Inuyasha has fallen for her, she is thin, tall and beautiful all in one.
"Keara!" On the other side of the mountain comes rushing, Inuyasha, Kaede and Shippo. Both of the women heard his voice and glower at the upcoming party. While they are distracted, I hesitantly make my way towards the mound, curious as to whose body must be inside and only one person can come to mind. And as I approach, I can see the familiar fabric of my old school and black hair waving up from a green liquid full of leaves and herbs.
Inside – is Kagome.
Questions circulate in my head. How did she get here? Does she have a shard? No, she can't. The shards have combined, and I have them tied around my neck. What will happen to her if the Witch wins?
"You survived the fall!" The witch screams in rage.
The group comes to a slow halt when they notice the witch and Kikyo, not at all paying much attention to what is going on with the mound. But then again, I don't think they can see who is inside from that distance.
"Kikyo…" Inuyasha mutters.
The second her name comes from his lips; the white orb explodes into a rushing flow of water that shoots up into the air. Kagome's body hovers just slightly above the mound, her eyes wide and in pain, her hands tied and uncomfortable.
"The soul is emerging!" The witch yells with a smile on her face.
The orbs that fluttered about before now rises from the green liquid below, while more orbs rip from Kagome's body.
"The instant you called her name, her heart missed a beat and Kikyo's soul sprang forth!" She yells once again. And just as she does, the orbs that have been ripped from Kagome blast into Kikyo's body, thrusting her up into the area and surrounding her with a brilliant white light. Much like how I was when pieces of my soul returned to me.
The light absorbs into her flesh, leaving just a faint glow around her body as she floats back down to earth. She touches her face to feel her flesh, her fingers wiggling across her features.
The water around the mound starts to dwindle until it is nothing, allowing Kaede, who uses her long bow as a cane to approach the mound. Kagome's body lies unconscious, floating in the green muck with the leaves and herbs floating around her. "Wake up, Kagome." Kaede says urgently.
But she doesn't budge.
"How'd she get here?" Inuyasha questions, but he can't seem to pull his eyes from Kikyo.
"I was able to find her soul through time and pull her back here, where her essence still resides!" The witch states with glee.
"Urasue, you fiend! How dare ye desecrate my sister's grave and use her remains!" Kaede hisses.
"My creation is wondrous, is it not? I used her remains and graveside soil to recreate her as living flesh and blood. As such, I am her creator, and she shall follow my every command. Now, come, and use your powers to rid us of these meddle-some…." Urasue starts, but interrupted as Kikyo approaches her. She places her pale hands onto her shoulders, and when they come into contact beams of glowing light expand from her palms and sinks into Urasue.
An aura-like smoke surrounds her body as she yells out in pain, her body turns and twists before ultimately falling to the ground and burning black.
Kikyo falls to her knees, her head bowed, her body quivering. "Inuyasha, why are you still alive? I bound you to a tree with a sacred arrow." Kikyo hisses.
"Yeah, you sure did, and I stayed there for fifty years, but as you can see I'm alive and ready to take you on again!" Inuyasha leans forward, ready to bolt but there is something on his face that gives away that he really doesn't want to fight.
"Vile beast," she replies with distaste. She comes to her feet. Amongst her shoulder a red light bursts from her flesh, cutting open her white haori, and blood dripping down from all sides. She grasps her shoulder, and then looks down at her hand that is covered in blood. "I despise you, you loathsome half-man! Why did you betray me? Inuyasha!" She screams.
"Look closer, Inuyasha, is that not the fatal wound ye inflicted on Kikyo?" Kaede asks.
"I inflicted? What're you saying? That I was the one who killed Kikyo?" He genuinely looks confused, even straightening out his stance from the ready to fight one he had before.
"Yes! It was your wounds that sealed her fate and ensured her demise!" Kaede replies.
"I didn't kill her! I don't even remember wounding her!"
"Can ye be certain! These wounds did not come from your hand?" When he doesn't reply, she continues, "If, if not you, then who slew my sister?"
"You, you're even more vile than I thought. Inventing such feeble excuses. Please, Inuyasha. Stop it. Inuyasha, do you not remember when you told me that you wished to be human?" Kikyo says with a darkness behind her eyes and a sly smile.
This doesn't make sense to me. I believe Inuyasha. He looks genuinely confused and uncertain of what she is saying, even hurt that he would be accused of it. But human? When I first met Inuyasha, he wanted to be a demon – full-fledged – and that's why he tried to kill us. And the sudden turn of emotions? Is it because her soul hasn't been completely returned?
"I believed your words. That day, I carried the Shikon Jewel and went to you. But you attacked me, cutting me with your claws. I fell to the ground, and you stomped on my hand as you stole the jewel! You left me to die there!" She screams, rage now filling her voice.
"Are you suggesting that I was the one who betrayed you?" He argues.
"That is why I summoned up the last of my strength and bound you to that tree. "
Slowly, with a bit of a shuffle, she approaches him, her hands outstretched for his shoulders much like when she reached for the witch. Before I could scream for him to run away, her fingers grip at the sides of his shoulder, crumpling up the red haori underneath her delicate fingers. My heart begins to throb painfully again. Something about the way they look at each other, just…. hurts me.
I want to scream, but for some reason – my words are caught up in my throat. I can't help but stare at how their looks, so gentle and soft for one another.
"You and I were fated to never to meet again." As she speaks, purplish spouts of electricity shoot out of her hands and surrounds Inuyasha. The attack throws him back and away from her, skidding him back first across the ground at a distance away.
Kaede rounds the mound where Kagome still lies and rushes up to her sister. Her hands tugging at her white haori as she begs, "Stop this assault, Kikyo!"
"Who are you?" Kikyo questions confused.
Kaede looks distraught at her sister's very question, "I am your younger sister, Kaede! My looks have altered because fifty years have passed since your demise!"
"Yet you'd speak on Inuyasha's behalf." Kikyo says with disgust. She tears the bow from Kaede's hand, and rips an arrow from her pouch, and strings it, aiming it for Inuyasha.
"No!" I yell, halting her for a brief second. It gives me just enough time to get in between them, throwing up my arms to better shield his sides.
"And who are you?" Her eyes narrow, "Your aura…."
"Ye must stop this madness, Inuyasha is not your enemy!" Kaede interrupts, getting in her sister's line of path as well.
"I meant every word back then, Kikyo!" Inuyasha says coming to my side.
"I was a fool beyond compare for believing your farfetched tales and wished to live together with you." She replies.
Kaede rushes away from her sister, probably feeling the threat that she may cause. Along with Shippo, they both round the mound to Kagome. "Inuyasha, you must destroy her body. This rebirth is nothing but a deceit of magic. Destroy her body and release the soul from within!" Kaede commands; her hands resting on the edge of the mound. She looks down at Shippo, "Help me get her out. Her soul will return to her once Kikyo is defeated."
"I shall not return to that body until I have carried out my revenge on that traitorous beast!" She pulls the string back further and releases the arrow. It comes straight for us with a purple beam of light surrounding it.
"Shit!" Inuyasha hisses. He steps in front of me and pulls out Tetsaiga. It immediately turns into its stronger form as he lifts it up to deflect the arrow, however, the arrow forces the blade back to its original, weakened form, and blasts passed the sword into Inuyasha's chest; throwing him back first into me.
The force sends us both flying back, landing on our backs and sliding across the dirt ground painfully. A groan rolls out my throat as I lie there staring up at the blue sky, Inuyasha at my side and unmoving. My eyes narrow, and red begins to outline the clouds. Anger jolts through me, slowly I roll to my side and glare up at Kikyo.
But, instead of attacking us again. An orb rips out from her very core and flies back into Kagome, and then a few more, tearing from her flesh and colliding with her reincarnations form.
"It is Kagome. She is trying to call back the soul to her own body." Kaede declares.
When I look back to Kikyo, she's rounding the mountains edge in escape. Getting away in just enough time for the rest of her soul to reside inside her.
Beside me, Inuyasha uses the Tetsaiga to get back up onto his knees. He only glances my way for a brief second, but seeing I am not too horribly damaged, he looks away and for his main concern.
"Kikyo!" He yells, finally getting to his feet, he runs off after her leaving us all in silence.
Watching him go burns me agonizingly inside, my heart beats and as it does, a pain within me gets worse and worse. Shambling to my feet, I let out a very painful sigh and shuffle my way to Kagome and Kaede.
Kagome's eyes are slightly open, they look up at me with a shy and broken smile. "Hey…" She whispers.
"Hey," I reply with a weak smile, though, a small part of me still dislikes at her being here. "How'd you get here?"
She closes her eyes, and shakes her head slowly. "Just remember sleeping and waking up here."
The pain in my chest gets worse while the seconds pass by, my gaze falters over to the area Inuyasha and Kikyo disappeared in. The smile I had worked up for Kagome falls and breaks, and before I know it, so does my body. Falling to my knees, my hands grasp at my chest where I can feel each beat of my heart.
"What's wrong, Keara?" Shippo asks, he approaches my right side with a worried look.
"I don't know…" Is all I can say.
Kagome, Inuyasha, and I all stand next to the bone eaters well, looking down at the dark cavern below where piles of demon bones crawl up the wall along with foliage. Even during this time period, the well doesn't look used, or even touched, in centuries.
"Well, I can't wait to get home. Hopefully no other witches pull me through time again." Kagome smiles weakly. It took us a couple of days to get back to the village with both Kaede and Kagome injured. Both of them had to ride the horse while Inuyasha, Shippo, and I walked not too far behind. But it was the uncomfortable silence that made the trip feel longer than it actually was. When Inuyasha returned, he seemed distraught and lost. He wasn't his usual self, and still isn't. Something must have happened while he was chasing down Kikyo – but I am glad he came out of it okay.
Tugging the shikon jewel necklace from around my neck, I hand it over to Inuyasha. "Any supplies would be nice."
"Of course, I can see the trouble you guys have been in." As she is speaking, her eyes drag along my bruised form, her smile dwindling the longer she stares. "Anyways, see ya!"
Inuyasha wraps his right arm around his skinny waist and picks up the yellow backup with his left hand. He leaps them both on top of the well, but before making the trip through time, he glimpses down at me.
"Don't worry, I will be back soon."
How he says it has me left confused. Instead of it sounding like he'll be returning back from the present, it seemed as if he meant of himself.
Smiling, I give in a slight nod, and they jump down the well and through time.