Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.
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Inuyasha and Kagome sat frozen in disbelief as the implications of what Hikari had just said clicked in their minds.
'Immortal.'
The word rang over and over in Kagome's mind. Her mind whirled but she managed to grasp a question to throw back at Hikari, 'Nani?!'
Hikari snorted and Kagome could almost see the irritation and slight regret that filled the voice in her head. 'Just as I said before. You have made yourself immortal. There's no way to reverse it and the only way that your body can be destroyed is if you loose the final Event. And even then, your soul will retain your immortality and you will be forced to watch when the Dark controls all. For eternity.'
Kagome's eyes widened. 'B-But how?' she stammered out.
'You took the part of you that was the power of the Child of Light and your miko power and combined them, joining both the power and making them inseparable. Then you absorbed it into yourself and latched onto it as a lifeline, knitting it through every fiber of your existence. You how will forever have both the abilities of a miko and the Child of Light, including the healing that is from your miko powers. But the effect is increased and echoed through your entire being,' Hikari sighed, 'I apologize. I was unaware that your skills were strong enough to draw the power from yourself and combine it with another. I should have known and I would have warned you of the consequences.'
Inuyasha had not moved, listening to their conversation but not contributing anything to it. Hikari could sense the confusion and panic that was overwhelming Kagome, her mind was in a whirl and the first stages of denial were appearing in flashes.
Hikari shifted and Kagome felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, She grasped at the hand, only to find nothing but a shadowed outline of an arm.
'Look in the mirror Kagome,' Hikari whispered to her.
Kagome moved, sliding to where her pack rested, not more than three feet away. She groped around slowly, pulling out the small compact and opening it slowly, almost as if she was afraid of what she would see. She lifted the small mirror to her face, staring into it but not really seeing what was there. She blinked, bringing a finger up to the corner of her eye, watching the swirling silver curl in with the brown.
She also saw that the scar on her neck was fading slowly, shrinking until no mark remained. She opened her shirt, watching the healed lines that hadn't disappeared, vanish. She lifted a shaking hand, turning the mirror so that she could see her face. The mark left by Kikyo's blade on her cheek had not left, instead pulsing faintly and turning a dark shade with every throb. It stopped once the mark was black.
Kagome raised a hand to her face, tracing the line slowly as if not believing that it was actually there.
'Ah . . . that was from the blade of Dark was it not? It will remain so long as the Dark remains,' Hikari answered the question quickly, before her dazed mind could ask it.
Kagome stiffened when she felt herself being moved, being to distracted to have noticed any movement around her.
'Relax Kagome,' Inuyasha's familiar voice soothed in her mind, comforting her enough to loosen her muscles and settle comfortably next to him, his arm replacing Hikari's shadowed one. He pulled Kagome up to him, enough so that she had her head against his shoulder.
Kagome inhaled deeply, clearing her eyes and mind enough so that her thoughts could catch up with her current state of mind. A dark blush flooded her cheeks when she glanced up at Inuyasha's face. His eyes were closed and he seemed not to have noticed how closely she was tucked up to his side. She ducked her head, burying her nose into the fabric on his chest and closing her eyes.
'So now I'm immortal,' she thought, urging her mind to hurry up with its shock about the new information.
'Yes. The only thing that can wound or destroy you now is the power of Dark,' Hikari put in.
'Are you all right Kagome?' Inuyasha asked slowly, sensing everything that Hikari had said click into place.
'I'm fine Inuyasha,' she assured him. She hissed at part of her mind to shut up, the parts that were telling her how bad this was and how she would see everyone die, not to mention the part that kept telling her that this was a good thing and that she could stay with Inuyasha forever now. 'But if he chooses Kikyo, my entire soul will be hers and my mind will be around forever. Can I bear that?' she asked herself, only to shake her head and remind her, 'I can and I will, I have no other choice.'
Kagome frowned when a familiar presence reached her, her eyes opening slowly. She sighed in regret at having to leave the comfortable position that she was in but sat up, "There's a Shikon shard coming.' An image appeared in her mind and she added on impulse, "It's a weak youkai and the shard is in its tail."
Miroku and Sango stood quickly.
"We'll get it Kagome-sama," Miroku said.
"Let's go houshi-sama," Sango shouted behind her, already out the door with Kirara.
A shout of 'Kirara!' was heard from outside, along with a roar that signaled that the youkai had appeared. Kagome relaxed herself, leaning further into Inuyasha's embrace. His arm tightened around her, an eye opened to watch her.
They heard a loud crash along with a few furious growls from Kirara but then all was silent. Kagome opened her eyes slowly when no footsteps were heard coming towards them.
"Inuyasha?" she whispered, turning to face him.
"What is it?" he asked back, noting the confusion and worry that shone in the depths of her eyes.
"Something has happened," she told him, her gaze turning to the ground, "Something bad."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to inquire on what was the 'something bad' that had happened but right then, as if on cue, Kirara stumbled in the room. She was battered and slashed all over and her fur was soaked in blood. She carried a small roll in her mouth. She dropped it in Kagome's lap, collapsing when the item was delivered.
Kagome scooped up the little cat up quickly, her magic making small work of all the injuries. When she was satisfied that all of Kirara's injuries had been taken care of, she picked up the item in her lap. It was a tiny scroll, she saw as she unrolled it, well aware of Inuyasha watching her carefully over her shoulder. Rin, Shippo and Jaken were all asleep in the opposite corner of the room, their previous efforts having exhausted them.
It was obvious who the scroll was from the instant she glanced at it, a kanji shadow flashing in front of her eyes for the briefest seconds, one that she knew all to well. Yami. Dark.
The writing was written in a precise and even hand, arrogance and a cruel laughter seemed to challenge her from the words.
'When she sun sets on the night of the new moon,' it read, 'the final sacrifice will be made. Prepare yourself, Child of Light.'
Kagome frowned, her eyes narrowing and filling with anger as the full meaning of the piece hit her. Her hand tightened around the paper, showing the obvious restraint that it took to hold in the force of her emotions. She knew Inuyasha understood as well, hearing the swears that he was dying to shout but in respect for the sleeping figures, only muttered them.
She stood, taking a piece of paper and a pen from her pack and scribbling a quick note. She glanced around quickly before settling to put in Shippo's hand, a small smile crossing her face when the kit clenched his small hand around it.
Kagome walked outside, knowing that Inuyasha had followed her. Her voice was filled with deadly rage, even though it was no louder than a whisper, "You should not come, Inuyasha." She said, her tone soft, not even glancing over her shoulder to watch him.
"I'm coming Kagome. You're not going to stop me," Inuyasha replied, his teeth clenched together and his eyes showed his own anger.
"Your secret is sure to be revealed if you follow me, Inuyasha," Kagome told him, feeling the familiar rush as her power flowed through her, "And Kikyo will be there. If you come, you will be forced to fight her and if you don't, you will die. If you defend her, you know what I will forced to do." Her voice broke on the last word, images of the possible scenarios appearing, none that were to her liking.
Inuyasha's hands clenched, "Kagome . . ." he began.
"I can not decide for you Inuyasha," she cut him off suddenly, "I will not tell you what to do or use the rosary. But I don't want to see you hurt, Inuyasha, that's why I warn you now. Gomen ne." Kagome frowned at the tears that flowed down her face, brushing them away angrily, this was no time for them.
Inuyasha's ears twitched, he had heard the Kagome from before all this had happened in that soft voice, the Kagome that cried for him, even now. He answered her in a voice as soft as her own, "I told you before, Kagome, I'm coming."
Kagome sighed, she had known that she wouldn't be able to convince him but that didn't mean that she couldn't try. The night of the new moon was in two days. They had to rescue Sango and Miroku before then. Before they were sacrificed to the Dark.
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Author's Note: *sigh* People still aren't reviewing, I know you can, everyone reviewed before I reposted. I don't know if anyone likes this fic if I don't get any reviews. So in retaliation, 20 reviews for the next chapter. *sigh* and I worked so hard on all the rewrites too . . .
