Always My Soul
By: dragonfly-rising
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters
The day began normal enough in Sango's mind. She awoke first, as always. Followed shortly thereafter by Miroku who somehow had found the most disturbing way of just knowing when Sango was stretching the kinks out of her body. She caught him looking at her with a very not nice smile on his face and threw a nearby branch at his head, resulting in a very satisfying thunk and an exclamation from Miroku. Inuyasha jumped down from his perch in the tree and complained about there being no food ready, which earned him his own tree branch to the head and another very satisfying thunk. All in all it was a pleasant way for her to start the morning.
She was kneeling down trying to start a fire right across from where Kagome was sleeping. She looked up just in time to see Kagome jerk upright and she dropped her fire starting tools out of shock. Kagome looked at her and Sango got a distinct impression that it was NOT Kagome who was behind the now light blue eyes. Sango moved slowly to stand up and found herself under the scrutiny of the stranger inside her friend.
"The youkai exterminator" said this new person who was Kagome yet not.
Sango felt more then heard Inuyasha's low growl behind her. "Kagome" looked at Inuyasha.
"The hanyou...the monk...friends"
These were statements not questions and they had the air of someone reminding them selves of something annoying and troublesome. Kagome moved to stand up and Sango took an involuntary step backwards, her eyes going to Hiraikotsu and then back to Kagome. "Kagome" seemed to have noted her unease because a small half smile had crept to her face.
"You could not reach it in time youkai exterminator" the person said with Kagome's voice.
Sango stiffened at the arrogance in the voice but stood her ground, "Kagome?"
"She is...Kagome is not ready to return at this time" said the person uncertain.
"What do you mean?" Miroku asked stepping forward enough for Sango to see him out of the corner of her eye.
The person's brow furrowed as if she had to concentrate to find the right words " Kagome...this spirit...she is in distress...she has withdrawn from life"
Sango put out a warning hand to stay Inuyasha's habit of rushing forward before knowing the dangers of a situation. She heard him growl again but he stayed where he was for the time being. She was grateful he was paying that much attention. He didn't always when it came to Kagome.
"Please who are you and what happened to Kagome?" Sango asked more concerned for her friend then she ever had been.
Again the furrowed brow, "Kagome refers to me as The Miko...but I am called Kee. As to the miko I do not understand exactly what she has done. She did not react well to my explanation of what she is."
Sango repressed the urge to strangle this Kee person; she had always hated cryptic answers to straightforward questions.
"Please try to explain Kee. Kagome is our friend and we need to know why you are here and not her," Sango explained.
Kee looked at her strangely then nodded, "Kagome is destined to seal a greater youkai lord away from this world. She was almost calm over that yet when it came to explaining the undead miko's role she became deeply disturbed and she went to sleep."
Sango could tell Kee was doing her best to help them understand what was going on but it fell short of being clear.
"The undead...Kikyo" Inuyasha whispered behind her.
Kee nodded, " Yes that one...Kagome was disturbed by the mention of her...I must say I do not understand all of you mortals and your reactions to things...there was a deep anguish in her soul such that she became deaf to logic".
"She would in anything that had to do with Kikyo" Miroku offered.
Sango turned to him; surprised that Miroku would know such a thing. Inuyasha was looking at the monk, his face full of hurt and guilt. Miroku avoided both their eyes and stared at Kee.
"What exactly did you say to her Kee?" Miroku asked his voice strained.
"The truth of it...that if Kikyo had lived it would be she and not Kagome who would've been in the fight with Ferlias...that if Kikyo had not been the victim of Onigumo she would have never been brought back to this time...that she was created for this purpose."
Sango put her hand to her mouth in horror of the words coming from Kee. If the entity had told Kagome that then no wonder Kagome had withdrawn. In one night this entity had made Kagome's existence into being only a replacement for Kikyo. Sango refrained from looking at Inuyasha; she didn't think she could bear the look on his face if he had realized what she had.
"How could you say that to her?" Inuyasha asked in a hushed voice.
Kee looked confused, "It is the truth...it is what she asked for".
"You don't understand" Sango said pained "Kagome has dealt with that for a long time but not...not to this terrible degree. She has always separated herself and Kikyo."
"She is Kikyo's reincarnation. There is no separation." Kee said with finality.
"She IS NOT Kikyo!" Inuyasha roared giving vent to his rage.
Kee only looked at him as if he were a child, "Of course she isn't hanyou...they took different routes in life...they could never be the same in that way. Her soul is Kikyo's soul which was another's before even her...it is a miko's soul"
"Don't call me that," Inuyasha growled.
"What?" the innocence in Kee's question was almost sweet.
"I am not "hanyou" my name is Inuyasha...IN.U.YA.SHA"
Kee made a face, "Is it not what you are?"
Inuyasha snorted "Yeah but it isn't WHO I am"
Kee shrugged indifferently and looked at Sango, "Am I to assume that I should address you all as who you are and not what you are?"
Sango nodded. Kee's face turned grim in an instant and she rushed forward drawing her sword from its sheath. Sango stood there stunned.
"Sango!"
By: dragonfly-rising
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters
The day began normal enough in Sango's mind. She awoke first, as always. Followed shortly thereafter by Miroku who somehow had found the most disturbing way of just knowing when Sango was stretching the kinks out of her body. She caught him looking at her with a very not nice smile on his face and threw a nearby branch at his head, resulting in a very satisfying thunk and an exclamation from Miroku. Inuyasha jumped down from his perch in the tree and complained about there being no food ready, which earned him his own tree branch to the head and another very satisfying thunk. All in all it was a pleasant way for her to start the morning.
She was kneeling down trying to start a fire right across from where Kagome was sleeping. She looked up just in time to see Kagome jerk upright and she dropped her fire starting tools out of shock. Kagome looked at her and Sango got a distinct impression that it was NOT Kagome who was behind the now light blue eyes. Sango moved slowly to stand up and found herself under the scrutiny of the stranger inside her friend.
"The youkai exterminator" said this new person who was Kagome yet not.
Sango felt more then heard Inuyasha's low growl behind her. "Kagome" looked at Inuyasha.
"The hanyou...the monk...friends"
These were statements not questions and they had the air of someone reminding them selves of something annoying and troublesome. Kagome moved to stand up and Sango took an involuntary step backwards, her eyes going to Hiraikotsu and then back to Kagome. "Kagome" seemed to have noted her unease because a small half smile had crept to her face.
"You could not reach it in time youkai exterminator" the person said with Kagome's voice.
Sango stiffened at the arrogance in the voice but stood her ground, "Kagome?"
"She is...Kagome is not ready to return at this time" said the person uncertain.
"What do you mean?" Miroku asked stepping forward enough for Sango to see him out of the corner of her eye.
The person's brow furrowed as if she had to concentrate to find the right words " Kagome...this spirit...she is in distress...she has withdrawn from life"
Sango put out a warning hand to stay Inuyasha's habit of rushing forward before knowing the dangers of a situation. She heard him growl again but he stayed where he was for the time being. She was grateful he was paying that much attention. He didn't always when it came to Kagome.
"Please who are you and what happened to Kagome?" Sango asked more concerned for her friend then she ever had been.
Again the furrowed brow, "Kagome refers to me as The Miko...but I am called Kee. As to the miko I do not understand exactly what she has done. She did not react well to my explanation of what she is."
Sango repressed the urge to strangle this Kee person; she had always hated cryptic answers to straightforward questions.
"Please try to explain Kee. Kagome is our friend and we need to know why you are here and not her," Sango explained.
Kee looked at her strangely then nodded, "Kagome is destined to seal a greater youkai lord away from this world. She was almost calm over that yet when it came to explaining the undead miko's role she became deeply disturbed and she went to sleep."
Sango could tell Kee was doing her best to help them understand what was going on but it fell short of being clear.
"The undead...Kikyo" Inuyasha whispered behind her.
Kee nodded, " Yes that one...Kagome was disturbed by the mention of her...I must say I do not understand all of you mortals and your reactions to things...there was a deep anguish in her soul such that she became deaf to logic".
"She would in anything that had to do with Kikyo" Miroku offered.
Sango turned to him; surprised that Miroku would know such a thing. Inuyasha was looking at the monk, his face full of hurt and guilt. Miroku avoided both their eyes and stared at Kee.
"What exactly did you say to her Kee?" Miroku asked his voice strained.
"The truth of it...that if Kikyo had lived it would be she and not Kagome who would've been in the fight with Ferlias...that if Kikyo had not been the victim of Onigumo she would have never been brought back to this time...that she was created for this purpose."
Sango put her hand to her mouth in horror of the words coming from Kee. If the entity had told Kagome that then no wonder Kagome had withdrawn. In one night this entity had made Kagome's existence into being only a replacement for Kikyo. Sango refrained from looking at Inuyasha; she didn't think she could bear the look on his face if he had realized what she had.
"How could you say that to her?" Inuyasha asked in a hushed voice.
Kee looked confused, "It is the truth...it is what she asked for".
"You don't understand" Sango said pained "Kagome has dealt with that for a long time but not...not to this terrible degree. She has always separated herself and Kikyo."
"She is Kikyo's reincarnation. There is no separation." Kee said with finality.
"She IS NOT Kikyo!" Inuyasha roared giving vent to his rage.
Kee only looked at him as if he were a child, "Of course she isn't hanyou...they took different routes in life...they could never be the same in that way. Her soul is Kikyo's soul which was another's before even her...it is a miko's soul"
"Don't call me that," Inuyasha growled.
"What?" the innocence in Kee's question was almost sweet.
"I am not "hanyou" my name is Inuyasha...IN.U.YA.SHA"
Kee made a face, "Is it not what you are?"
Inuyasha snorted "Yeah but it isn't WHO I am"
Kee shrugged indifferently and looked at Sango, "Am I to assume that I should address you all as who you are and not what you are?"
Sango nodded. Kee's face turned grim in an instant and she rushed forward drawing her sword from its sheath. Sango stood there stunned.
"Sango!"