Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and character in this fic
Chapter 13 – Departure
She pushed herself shakily onto her feet, a cold candle burning at the side of her leg, but she made no attempt to move away from the biting cold.
Not far, two figures stood side by side, facing each other, nether spoke nor moved for the moment, yet for some reason, Kagome felt that words were exchanged between the two, even in the silence.
A choice has just been made, and she was the chosen. Kagome knew that she should be joyous for the exit opened to her, yet it seemed that something was blocking that delight, something that she questioned and wondered.. had Inuyasha really made the right choice?
"Surely you are toying with me Inuyasha!" It was Kikyou who shattered that silence in a tone of disbelief first. "You will not leave me in this place!"
Inuyasha made no reply to the dark haired girl, the seriousness in his eyes were long engulfed by grief.
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That was not possible!
She slowly backed away from him, her head moved from side to side in a shaking motion whilst her dark eyes narrowed with mistrust.
He was lying!
"Kikyou.." she heard him murmur with the same sympathy that had shown in his eyes. "I.."
She cringed away, an enrage flush crept towards her cheek. She didn't want sympathy! She wanted to leave this cursed jewel!
From the corner of her eye, she could see that girl on her feet. She was the one who had snatched away her only chance to leave. She would be the one to escape in triumph whilst Kikyou stay trapped for eternity.
Yet it was he who made the choice to desert her. She was meant to be the chosen one, she was Inuyasha's first love and she deserved his love in return. Kagome was merely a substitute for her absence, Kagome had only been with Inuyasha for a month, why would he choose Kagome over her?!
She watched Kagome make her way unsteadily across the room toward them, seeming oblivious to the situation between her and Inuyasha. She watched her pause in front of him to raised her green eyes until they level with his golden ones. If it hadn't been Inuyasha's choice, she would be observing the outside world with those eyes now.
"Are you sure you have made the right choice?" Kikyou heard the girl ask Inuyasha, in her mind, Kagome's voice was slick with fakery and triumph.
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Why does she ask? Inuyasha pondered. Why would she be troubled by his decision, even though she was the chosen one? Yet even as he wondered, he knew it was a question that he had tried to avoid.
It was a question that he could not yet answer.
"What's with that question?" Inuyasha found himself snapping. "Aren't you suppose to at least act happy? Or would you rather be stuck here whilst I walk out with Kikyou?!"
"Would you rather walk out with Kikyou?"
It wasn't a tone of contravene, yet one of uncertainty. Inuyasha glared at her unfaltering gaze until he found himself unable to continue. "Why.. do you ask?" he questioned.
He watched her lowered her head until her eyes were hidden beneath her dark bangs. "There was so much regret when I looked into the jewel," she voiced almost in a distant whisper. "I.. didn't want you to regret.. anymore.."
Inuyasha sighed, his hand rose and brushed against her neck, before lifting her chin so that she looked right at him. "There was no mistake in my choice," he said. "I chose you, and I will not regret it.."
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Rage blazed, unstoppably searing down every nerve of her body until it rose, igniting her black eyes and turning them a dark crimson.
She refuse to loose, if she were no winner, no one would be.
Kikyou drew herself up to her full height, her head raised like a serpent on the verge of striking.
If she were not the one leaving, Kagome must also stay.
Her hand slithered beneath the folds of her dark robe and grasped onto the cold hilt of a dagger, the same blade that had slice through her life that night she performed the ritual, marking her destiny of imprisonment inside the Shikon no Tama.
Bare feet made no noise as she made her approach toward Kagome's turned back, long sleeves of her robe glided down her wrist until the hand that held the dagger became hidden under the silky fabric.
It was Kagome's turn now.
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She stood gazing into the pools of ember, watched until his attention flickered away towards the spaced behind her and felt another brush as his hand left her chin.
"Kikyou?" She heard him say, "what..?"
Kagome turned before he finished his sentence, a streak of cold silver flashed across her eyes as she was pulled back roughly by Inuyasha. As she struggled to regain her balance, Kagome saw the hand that held the fully exposed dagger was Kikyou's.
The attack had missed her throat by a mere inch.
"It's your fault.." Kikyou spat back as she made a lung with the blade extended to Kagome's exposed throat. Flickers of red now dominated her black eyes and the calmness was no longer there, replaced by a frightening wildness. "It's your fault that I have to be stuck here for eternity! It's your fault that Inuyasha didn't chose me!"
It was too late to move, Kagome flung her hands in front of her in a last attempt of defense, yet even as she made the move, she was waiting for the pain of the blow.
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"Stop!" His mind screamed as he watched the blade come down toward Kagome. Watched as she prepared herself for the fate..
Was this the result of his choice?
Was this his fate? To live forever in the nightmare of Kikyou's death?
Would he allow himself to be guided by this fate?
…..
no
..Never
He felt his feet move beneath him almost unconsciously as he stepped forward to Kagome's side. One hand pushing her back and the other grabbing onto Kikyou's left wrist that held the dagger. He felt Kikyou's resistance and rage as she struggled to break free. "That's enough!" He ordered in a voice that he never knew he could use against Kikyou.
"No!" She hissed back, her right hand raised and he saw that hand, too had held a blade. Behind him, Kagome cried her warning, forming a chorus with Kikyou's scream of triumph.
He pushed her away then with the hand that still held the Shikon in a desperate attempt to stop her attack. His grip loosened on the jewel as his hand connected with Kikyou's robe. As though in slow motion, the Shikon sailed through the air in a graceful scarlet arc and fell, hitting the ground with a soft clink..
The Shikon no Tama shattered.. into a million pieces.
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Nothing had happened at first, time itself seemed to freeze for a moment, there where no sound, no movement, even the candles ceased to flicker. Then without warning, the world began to unravel, fragments of the walls, ceiling and floor of the room shifted as the particles that held them together broke apart and spiraled towards the shards of the broken Shikon.
Kagome felt his arms enclose around her shoulders protectively, her own eyes watching with wonder at the flakes of the world swirled about them like fragments of snow. She heard the lone figure who had seemed almost mad almost a moment ago sigh from the center of the room. Like the space around them, she too, was fading. Her pale skin seemed to become even paler and almost transparent as Kagome watched.
"Kikyou.." She said quietly to the fading figure.
"Go ahead and say it," Kikyou replied, making no attempts to hide the bitterness in her voice. "Goad all you want, you won, after all."
Kagome shook her head, she could feel Inuyasha's eyes on Kikyou too, "I just want to know.." she said, "what did you mean when you told me I was the curse?"
"Because," Kikyou replied, looking at her almost see through hand with distaste. "You were the only one who could open the door in the Jewel of the four souls. If Inuyasha had not meet you, non of this would have happened.." she sighed turned to Kagome, smiling with sadness. "It was better this way.. I guess. I.. really didn't want to stay here, in the darkness.. anymore."
"I'm sorry.." Kagome murmured as Kikyou's form vanished before her eyes.
"Let's go Kagome.." Inuyasha said
She nodded reply..
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End of chapter 13 – Departure
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AN: Yay!! Almost done! That was actually the last chapter you could ask any more questions in, so if you have any more questions, I'll have to answer it at the end of the story.
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