AN: Poem at the end of the chapter by Stephen Crane, via Stephen King's
"Four Past Midnight"
Kikyou stumbled, her eyes filling with tears of ... of what? Sorrow? Fatigue? Could the dead feel either? She had seen him again. Inuyasha.
Yes, she knew now he had not killed her. That Kagome girl had told her it was Naraku, but Kikyou herself had known far before that. And yet there was a drive against Inuyasha none the less in her, and she could not go against it.Perhaps that witch who had resurrected her had had a grudge against Inuyasha? But Kikyou couldn't think of the two even meeting. There was nothing in the past that could make her feel the way she felt now, could there? No, he had never even scratched her when "hunting" her, and had afterwards protected her just the way he did...
...Kagome.
That was it! Was jealousy still in her unbeating heart? Kikyou's panting mouth turned at its corners in a scowl. Jealousy? This the woman who had been ignored by her father whom she had idolized? Who had watched others benefit by her works while she herself had but two friends, Kaede and Inuyasha?
There he was again... Had she really been that lonely? She had had no time to pity herself while protecting the village, caring for the young children, and purifying that accursed jewel. But she had been , hadn't she? The children grew and forgot her, and her sister had still been very young when Kikyou herself was killed. But Inuyasha, she had seen something in his eyes. Had it been pity for this woman he looked at? She had mustered all of her courage and spilled her life to him, telling him how she felt so left out, perhaps how a hanyou like himself felt. And his emotions had changed and he had cared for her.
Had he even loved her?
She had, by the gods, and she would have giving her undying life for him. No, even more. She had giving him the Shikon, and though she had trusted him to turn human, he could have wished the greatest evil on the land with that power she had given him.
But she had loved him, and somehow she knew he too had loved her. And he had agreed to change, and change for her. The only gift she had ever been given, and yet Naraku saw that she could not benefit from his love.
Kikyou fell to the forest floor, her body writhing with sorrow. She curled to the fetal position, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. Damn him! Damn Naraku! He had done the worst to her that any living thing had done to another- he had killed her slowly and then resurrected her to see what she cared for most ripped away from her. And for what? The jewel, the power? Or just for pleasure?
"Pathetic Kikyou, spoiled child.." A voice whispered nearby. Her eyes still clouded from her death and wet with tears, looked over and she screamed in anger and frustration. There crouched Naraku. his baboon hood pushed back so she could see his face.
" I brought you back from the dead, Kikyou. I am your..saviour." He said quietly with a smirk. "And yet you do not do the simple things I ask you to do..."
"I gave you Inuyasha's shards, bastard!" She sobbed," I gave you what you wanted! Let me be!"
"Ahh, but you didn't listen to my last order. I remember saying, Kikyou.." He lower his head and whispered into her ear," To kill that accursed Inuyasha, Kikyou. Then together we can feast upon his blood and benefit from the power. And then the Shikon will be complete, and the world will be mine. Ours. Won't that be nice?" He pulled a shard out of his cloak. Kikyou squirmed and screamed, but he easily slid the small crystal into the nape of her neck. She fell limp and Naraku stood up, pulling her up with him. She stood on wobbly legs, her face blank and cold.
"Now you will go and kill Inuyasha, and bring back his companions and the few shards they have with them." He ordered.
"Hai, Naraku-sama."
"And when you return you shall report directly to the castle.'
"Hai, Naraku-sama."
"Now go, and get to the village by sundown. Do you understand?"
Kikyou nodded and bowed before going off, her face still damp with tears, but the sorrow she had held was gone. Naraku smiled. A line from an old story popped in his head and he quoted it aloud, walking through the foggy forest back to his home.
"In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial
Who, squatting upon the ground
Held his heart in his hands
And ate of it
And I said to him, 'Is it good friend?'
And to me he said 'It is bitter-bitter, but I like it"
"Because it is bitter'"
Kikyou stumbled, her eyes filling with tears of ... of what? Sorrow? Fatigue? Could the dead feel either? She had seen him again. Inuyasha.
Yes, she knew now he had not killed her. That Kagome girl had told her it was Naraku, but Kikyou herself had known far before that. And yet there was a drive against Inuyasha none the less in her, and she could not go against it.Perhaps that witch who had resurrected her had had a grudge against Inuyasha? But Kikyou couldn't think of the two even meeting. There was nothing in the past that could make her feel the way she felt now, could there? No, he had never even scratched her when "hunting" her, and had afterwards protected her just the way he did...
...Kagome.
That was it! Was jealousy still in her unbeating heart? Kikyou's panting mouth turned at its corners in a scowl. Jealousy? This the woman who had been ignored by her father whom she had idolized? Who had watched others benefit by her works while she herself had but two friends, Kaede and Inuyasha?
There he was again... Had she really been that lonely? She had had no time to pity herself while protecting the village, caring for the young children, and purifying that accursed jewel. But she had been , hadn't she? The children grew and forgot her, and her sister had still been very young when Kikyou herself was killed. But Inuyasha, she had seen something in his eyes. Had it been pity for this woman he looked at? She had mustered all of her courage and spilled her life to him, telling him how she felt so left out, perhaps how a hanyou like himself felt. And his emotions had changed and he had cared for her.
Had he even loved her?
She had, by the gods, and she would have giving her undying life for him. No, even more. She had giving him the Shikon, and though she had trusted him to turn human, he could have wished the greatest evil on the land with that power she had given him.
But she had loved him, and somehow she knew he too had loved her. And he had agreed to change, and change for her. The only gift she had ever been given, and yet Naraku saw that she could not benefit from his love.
Kikyou fell to the forest floor, her body writhing with sorrow. She curled to the fetal position, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. Damn him! Damn Naraku! He had done the worst to her that any living thing had done to another- he had killed her slowly and then resurrected her to see what she cared for most ripped away from her. And for what? The jewel, the power? Or just for pleasure?
"Pathetic Kikyou, spoiled child.." A voice whispered nearby. Her eyes still clouded from her death and wet with tears, looked over and she screamed in anger and frustration. There crouched Naraku. his baboon hood pushed back so she could see his face.
" I brought you back from the dead, Kikyou. I am your..saviour." He said quietly with a smirk. "And yet you do not do the simple things I ask you to do..."
"I gave you Inuyasha's shards, bastard!" She sobbed," I gave you what you wanted! Let me be!"
"Ahh, but you didn't listen to my last order. I remember saying, Kikyou.." He lower his head and whispered into her ear," To kill that accursed Inuyasha, Kikyou. Then together we can feast upon his blood and benefit from the power. And then the Shikon will be complete, and the world will be mine. Ours. Won't that be nice?" He pulled a shard out of his cloak. Kikyou squirmed and screamed, but he easily slid the small crystal into the nape of her neck. She fell limp and Naraku stood up, pulling her up with him. She stood on wobbly legs, her face blank and cold.
"Now you will go and kill Inuyasha, and bring back his companions and the few shards they have with them." He ordered.
"Hai, Naraku-sama."
"And when you return you shall report directly to the castle.'
"Hai, Naraku-sama."
"Now go, and get to the village by sundown. Do you understand?"
Kikyou nodded and bowed before going off, her face still damp with tears, but the sorrow she had held was gone. Naraku smiled. A line from an old story popped in his head and he quoted it aloud, walking through the foggy forest back to his home.
"In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial
Who, squatting upon the ground
Held his heart in his hands
And ate of it
And I said to him, 'Is it good friend?'
And to me he said 'It is bitter-bitter, but I like it"
"Because it is bitter'"