" 'You've been wrong!' cried Tweedledum. The first thing in a visit is to say "How d'ye do?" and shake hands!' And here the two brothers gave each other a hug"
The first people she'd seen on this path had been her father and grandmother. Somehow that had felt right because they were the newest pain she could remember. But the second person...funny that it would be Kaori.
Kagome had only seen he half sister in pictures and old family portraits and yet...there was no mistaking that this girl before her was Kaori. From the sharp, angry almost eyes, to the stubborn chin, to the hair. And despite the fact that Kagome hadn't even been born when Kaori had died in the instant facing the girl Kagome felt she knew her sister's whole identity, her whole personality...and she was terrified.
"Kaori." Her voice cracked on the name and she shook her head. The other girl grinned, slowly, wickedly.
"Yea. That's my name. Don't wear it out. How's mommy dearest?"
"Are you here to kill me?"
Kaori shrugged. "Maybe."
"I'm sorry." Kagome murmured softly.
Kaori's eyes flared with fury. "Sorry!? You're sorry!? You were born with more people surrounding you in that instant then I've ever known in my life and mean while I died slowly alone and you're sorry." She laughed. "I'd dead now. Wanna see?" She stepped nearer.
Kagome saw her clearly enough; the shadows robbed her of nothing. There were times when you saw something-and Kagome knew this was it-and it became the only thing in the world. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move, could barely think.
Kagome knew all about how her sister had died. Kaori was the result of a rape in Kagome's mother's past. Because her mother was so young and couldn't bear the memory of what happened Kaori was sent to live with the great uncle of the man who was her father. Kagome didn't know if her mother ever saw Kaori between the time that her half sister was born and the time she was. However she did know that by the time Kaori was 17 she'd had cancer for almost a year and was dying so a letter was written to Kagome's mother, a letter with a request that she come to see Kaori. Unfortunately the day that she intended to leave she went into labor and a little over a day later gave birth to Kagome no more then 15 minutes after Kaori died.
And for this, Kaori burned with hatred.
Kagome watched her now. Kaori. Wild and dark, Kaori. With hair and eyes like shadow, voice like fire, and a freedom that seemed like power. She looked it now, powerful, thin and unbowed, her lip dimpled by some old knife fights between one of the gangs she'd heard Kaori was involved with. It wasn't the only one. The arms and neck of her half sister were marred with thin, silvered scars and that told Kagome almost as much as the scythe did.
Kagome felt a tightening on her arm and looked down to see a clawed hand curled around her elbow. Inuyasha! She'd almost forgotten all about Inuyasha. And how he needed her to guide him. And yet his presence reminded her of the life Kaori could never see again. But she wouldn't back down. For him she'd be strong as she knew how to be.
"Yea." Kaori said slowly. "I think I wanna kill you." When Kagome didn't back away Kaori raised a dark brow. "You and me in a fight. Think you could win."
Kagome shook her head. "May...maybe not but I...I have Inuyasha here! Here to support me."
Kaori spat. "That pretty boy?"
"Yes well. He's mean anyway."
"And he's hanging around with you? Not to bright then."
"Would you please get this over with!"
Kaori laughed. "Nah. I'll keep you guessing. You have to walk past me sooner or later. And you can't call the pretty boy because he can't see me."
Kagome blinked in surprise and looked up at Inuyasha whose mouth was set in an angry scowl. "Inuyasha." He looked down at her. "Please tell me I'm not talking to myself."
"Not only will I not tell you that." He replied. "but I will also warn you that I'm not sure whether or not the memories we encounter here can hurt us in ways other then drawing us of the path."
Kagome sighed. "Great." She lifted her face determinedly and took a step forward, felt Inuyasha's grip tighten then heard her grandmother murmur something and abruptly he released her. Kagome took another tentive step forward, eyes on Kaori.
"Yea, I guess. But be careful. Hate me enough and I won't be able to kill you. Hate me too much and you won't be able to stop me."
"What does that mean?"
Kaori grinned darkly "Lets try a quiz shall we? Question one...Where are we?"
Kagome frowned with confusion but answered carefully. "The sacred jewel. We're inside the Shikon no Tama."
"And what are you?"
"I am...I am the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyou."
"Good. And what am I?"
"You're...you're a memory."
"Eh! Wrong!" And she pulled the scythe back and whipped it around so carefully that Kagome only had time to bleed. She felt herself falling, slowly as if through molasses.
Kaori's laughter rang in her ear tauntingly and the world went dark slowly. But though Kagome could no long see the other girl she could hear the smile on her lips, the wicked amusement and could picture her leaning over, hands on her hips, the blade of the scythe dripping red with Kagome's blood.
"Wrong." Kaori's voice echoed. "Memories can't hurt you. But me? Me? I'm something you forgot. And things your forget about...are the most dangerous." And then Kagome slipped into nothingness.
"And here the two brothers gave each other a hug"
The first people she'd seen on this path had been her father and grandmother. Somehow that had felt right because they were the newest pain she could remember. But the second person...funny that it would be Kaori.
Kagome had only seen he half sister in pictures and old family portraits and yet...there was no mistaking that this girl before her was Kaori. From the sharp, angry almost eyes, to the stubborn chin, to the hair. And despite the fact that Kagome hadn't even been born when Kaori had died in the instant facing the girl Kagome felt she knew her sister's whole identity, her whole personality...and she was terrified.
"Kaori." Her voice cracked on the name and she shook her head. The other girl grinned, slowly, wickedly.
"Yea. That's my name. Don't wear it out. How's mommy dearest?"
"Are you here to kill me?"
Kaori shrugged. "Maybe."
"I'm sorry." Kagome murmured softly.
Kaori's eyes flared with fury. "Sorry!? You're sorry!? You were born with more people surrounding you in that instant then I've ever known in my life and mean while I died slowly alone and you're sorry." She laughed. "I'd dead now. Wanna see?" She stepped nearer.
Kagome saw her clearly enough; the shadows robbed her of nothing. There were times when you saw something-and Kagome knew this was it-and it became the only thing in the world. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move, could barely think.
Kagome knew all about how her sister had died. Kaori was the result of a rape in Kagome's mother's past. Because her mother was so young and couldn't bear the memory of what happened Kaori was sent to live with the great uncle of the man who was her father. Kagome didn't know if her mother ever saw Kaori between the time that her half sister was born and the time she was. However she did know that by the time Kaori was 17 she'd had cancer for almost a year and was dying so a letter was written to Kagome's mother, a letter with a request that she come to see Kaori. Unfortunately the day that she intended to leave she went into labor and a little over a day later gave birth to Kagome no more then 15 minutes after Kaori died.
And for this, Kaori burned with hatred.
Kagome watched her now. Kaori. Wild and dark, Kaori. With hair and eyes like shadow, voice like fire, and a freedom that seemed like power. She looked it now, powerful, thin and unbowed, her lip dimpled by some old knife fights between one of the gangs she'd heard Kaori was involved with. It wasn't the only one. The arms and neck of her half sister were marred with thin, silvered scars and that told Kagome almost as much as the scythe did.
Kagome felt a tightening on her arm and looked down to see a clawed hand curled around her elbow. Inuyasha! She'd almost forgotten all about Inuyasha. And how he needed her to guide him. And yet his presence reminded her of the life Kaori could never see again. But she wouldn't back down. For him she'd be strong as she knew how to be.
"Yea." Kaori said slowly. "I think I wanna kill you." When Kagome didn't back away Kaori raised a dark brow. "You and me in a fight. Think you could win."
Kagome shook her head. "May...maybe not but I...I have Inuyasha here! Here to support me."
Kaori spat. "That pretty boy?"
"Yes well. He's mean anyway."
"And he's hanging around with you? Not to bright then."
"Would you please get this over with!"
Kaori laughed. "Nah. I'll keep you guessing. You have to walk past me sooner or later. And you can't call the pretty boy because he can't see me."
Kagome blinked in surprise and looked up at Inuyasha whose mouth was set in an angry scowl. "Inuyasha." He looked down at her. "Please tell me I'm not talking to myself."
"Not only will I not tell you that." He replied. "but I will also warn you that I'm not sure whether or not the memories we encounter here can hurt us in ways other then drawing us of the path."
Kagome sighed. "Great." She lifted her face determinedly and took a step forward, felt Inuyasha's grip tighten then heard her grandmother murmur something and abruptly he released her. Kagome took another tentive step forward, eyes on Kaori.
"Yea, I guess. But be careful. Hate me enough and I won't be able to kill you. Hate me too much and you won't be able to stop me."
"What does that mean?"
Kaori grinned darkly "Lets try a quiz shall we? Question one...Where are we?"
Kagome frowned with confusion but answered carefully. "The sacred jewel. We're inside the Shikon no Tama."
"And what are you?"
"I am...I am the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyou."
"Good. And what am I?"
"You're...you're a memory."
"Eh! Wrong!" And she pulled the scythe back and whipped it around so carefully that Kagome only had time to bleed. She felt herself falling, slowly as if through molasses.
Kaori's laughter rang in her ear tauntingly and the world went dark slowly. But though Kagome could no long see the other girl she could hear the smile on her lips, the wicked amusement and could picture her leaning over, hands on her hips, the blade of the scythe dripping red with Kagome's blood.
"Wrong." Kaori's voice echoed. "Memories can't hurt you. But me? Me? I'm something you forgot. And things your forget about...are the most dangerous." And then Kagome slipped into nothingness.
"And here the two brothers gave each other a hug"