The Scent of Despair
Written by Catrina Winner
Author's Note: The update was so delayed because my creative writing class sucked out all my interest in any other kind of writing for a time. Also, I wanted to post the end chapter and the epilogue together, to make every reader twice as happy. Anyway, here's the happy ending as promised!
Public Service Announcement: It's been so much fun writing this story and getting all the feedback from you readers. I want to say thank you to anyone who ever read this story, and give a huge hug to anyone who actually stuck with me, from start to finish. Anyone who reviewed can have a million bucks, as soon as I'm rich. My interest in anime has waned and gone away, but the readers kept encouraging me to finish this story because they loved it so much. So, here is the ending, and, yes, it is happy. Because you fans make me happy! Please enjoy it, and any feedback at all is welcome.
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Chapter Twenty-Seven
Tree branches bit into her skin as they ran. Kagome could hardly feel her little brother's hand clinging onto her own. She couldn't see ahead of them, the tears marring her eyesight. Sota urged her ahead as quickly as he could, ignoring her stumbling gait, focused on bringing her somewhere. I hope it's somewhere I can die, Kagome thought. Her emotions were raging within her, tearing open the fresh wounds she had tried so hard to hide, to let heal. Now, Inuyasha was gone. Again. It was not enough that she had to lose him once?
Her head scraped past a branch, leaving a long scratch across her forehead. The Jewel, which had been lighting Sota's way, so brilliant was its color, shimmered momentarily, and Kagome's injury was gone. What is this horrible feeling? she wondered. And, yet, there was only a small part of her that cared that the evil was beginning to bubble up from the Jewel. Only a tiny portion of her whispered about the coming of demons. She had to purify the Jewel to save this world. But, she couldn't. There was nothing left in her to care about purification. She wasn't pure herself, now. She was sick of everything. All she wanted was Inuyasha and he was gone. And it wasn't simply once. She had lost him twice, with no time to mourn either of his deaths. She struggled against Sota's grip, trying to pull them both to a stop.
Sota felt Kagome's hand slip from his own as she tumbled to the ground. Her arm was bleeding for a moment, but the Jewel devoured the wound and left her healed. He shivered. Walking slowly towards Kagome, Sota was aware of the hurt emanating from her. She was too upset to go on. She probably didn't even care that he was still here. She was afraid of life.
Sota reached out and touched her cheek. His skin burned painfully. He almost jerked away, but forced himself to go closer and wrap his arms around his sister.
"Kagome, don't be sad. It's okay – we'll make the Jewel better. If you really love him, if you really do, we'll just wish again and jump through the well. We can live there with him and the others and not have to worry about living here, ever again! It will be so happy, there, but we have to keep going. It's not very far. Just a little bit. You only have to walk over there, jump in the well, then you can have him again, okay?" He knew he sounded like a little boy, he knew begging her wasn't going to work, but he only wanted to save her from whatever evilness was eating through her soul.
Kagome pulled away from him, shaking her head. "He's dead, Sota. Dead. You can't stop that, you can't change it; he's gone… he's gone forever! You can jump down the damn well again if you want. I'm staying here. I'm staying here until I die."
Sota had to lift his hands away from her now. His skin was red and sore from holding her and his eyes were watering from the pain. "You can't just leave him over there like this Kagome. He needs you as much as you need him. Inuyasha needs you."
She winced when he used the hanyou's name, but seemed to relent slightly. The painful aura surrounding her lessened and Sota inched as close as he could without being burned. He leaned forward and bumped their noses together.
"C'mon, sis, I want to see Inuyasha again. I wanna see my big brother and you're the only person who can take me there."
Kagome moaned, the light of the Jewel lightening. He should be wearing this thing… It's taking his purity and making itself pure. If I can at least purify the Jewel… If I can just give my life to this thing and destroy it forever, I won't have failed. Then he could… Inuyasha could be proud of me.
She stood up shakily and Sota smiled at her. Kagome refused to return the smile and instead staggered forward. She suddenly felt achingly tired, like the entire forest was lying across her shoulders. She wandered in the general direction of the well, thinking only his name, over and over again. Each beat of her heart whisper Inuyasha, Inuyasha, Inuyasha and she longed to be the one to speak that name to him again.
Sota grabbed her hand, thankful the burning had gone away. He urged Kagome forward, showing her where to walk. When she ran into a bush and cut her arm, the wound didn't vanish. The Jewel was humming now, a light, quiet buzz that kept its monotone pitch soft. Sota didn't believe Kagome heard it until she touched the necklace and muttered to it. He didn't bother trying to hear what she said, concentrating only on keeping her heading towards the well.
Each time he pulled her to go faster, she would lean backwards and make as if it sit down. They had to keep the same plodding pace up for her or she would refuse to go on. Something inside her was driving her to continue, though Sota had no clue what it might be. She was still unable to see, but now it was because her eyes were closed in prayer. She had to rely wholly on Sota to lead her to the well.
The well-house peeked from between the trees. As the siblings left the woods, the wind lifted up their hair and tossed it around. It kissed Kagome's cheeks, delicately drying off the tears that had fallen. Sota doggedly continued onward, pulling Kagome up each step until they were both inside.
She looked down into the well. The toys that were scattered below – Sota's Legos and her backpack – didn't register. She stepped backwards, bumping into Sota.
"I can't do it… I can't!" she moaned and stumbled. Sota held her up, refusing to allow her to fall over, refusing to let her give up.
"You can do it, Kagome. You have to! You have to for Inuyasha."
Kagome choked on another sob, the thought of leaping down the well ripping into her heart. Sota glanced up at her and she nodded, vaguely aware that she was going to do it. Nothing she thought or did would stop it.
She grabbed the Shikon Jewel around her neck and squeezed her eyes shut. "I just want us all to be happy," she whispered. Sota reached for her hand and they both stepped to the edge of the well. "Happy…" she said again, tilting forward.
The ground beneath them vanished in an array of color. The sickening sensation of falling into nothing stole Sota's breath away and he tried to grab hold of Kagome, latching onto her leg. Kagome, in turn, was staring at the Jewel.
It had broken away from her neck and was shimmering in the air, floating before her. She gasped when the ground leveled under her feet, but she was no longer within the well. Kikyou walked towards her from the darkness, shaking her head.
"Well, you're going to purify it, I see. Congratulations."
Kagome stared. "Kikyou…?" Does this mean I really did die? Is all this just a dream?
"Yes, you idiot, it's me. I've come to see the Shikon Jewel purified. If you can do it. What did you wish for?"
She was curious about the Jewel, then. Kagome had done it – done something that even the great Kikyou couldn't have done.
The Jewel slowly turned white before them as Kagome whispered, "I wished everyone could be happy… and I meant it." The Shikon Jewel lit up, shining with a strange light; clear and bright, then vanished, sparkling into a million different pieces, dissolved into nothing. Kikyou smiled, a smile that was frighteningly vindictive, yet sweetly unlike her.
"Wonderful job, then. You did it when I couldn't. How ironic," her smirk melted as the body she was in shook, falling apart. Dirt clods fell onto the white ground, scattering onto Kagome's bare feet. "Take this body, take this soul, and love Inuyasha with it."
Upon those words, Kagome felt a pain at her side and could hardly stay standing. When the pain was gone and she could see again, Kikyou had vanished. Her words still lingered in the air and Kagome felt somehow… complete. She had her full soul back. That which had been stolen from her was finally return and Kikyou – Kikyou could finally be happy at rest. At peace.
Kagome was returned to her plummet through the well. She lifted Sota upwards and into her arms, gently landing on the soft dirt of the Sengoku Jidai. She looked upwards, smiling gently at the sun. Something in her was crying out for Inuyasha, but she knew it would be okay.
"I can't find the flower, Sango, is that okay?" said a young boy's voice. Kagome's mouth formed an "O". Buyo leapt up to Sota's head. Kagome blinked, wanting to ask how he had come here, but Sota was too busy staring at the lip of the well. Kagome's eyes followed his stare.
"Sango…!" she heard the voice say and saw Kohaku's frantic eyes staring down at them. Sota leapt up into Sango's arms as soon as she appeared. Kagome stared at her good friend as she was toppled backwards by her little brother. Kohaku snatched the Legos from below and dumped them on the ground outside the well, preparing to query Sota about their use. A red blur knocked him on his backside.
Kagome, struggling over the side of the well, was suddenly pulled upwards into a tight, warm embrace. She immediately knew who it was, didn't have to ask, didn't have to look. She hugged him tightly and whimpered.
"Inuyasha."