She could not move, but she could think, and all Kagome could think about was Inuyasha. Would he find her? Would he realize Kikyo's scheme?
Her mind screamed "no" as she felt her soul being lifted by the soul stealers. Thankfully, there was no pain, but as soon her soul was taken, there was also no consciousness.
Kagome's body went limp.
The soul stealers made their way back to their master, who was now at the entrance to the hut, awaiting her minions' arrival.
They swarmed around her, and the light from Kagome's soul—Kikyo's original soul, enveloped her. Her body fed upon the soul with relish. How she had longed to feel real again, complete.
She wasn't afraid that the return of her soul would make her 'good' again, and that it would make her relent and free Kagome. No, her desire to avenge her death was much stronger than even the goodness in her soul—or so she thought.
Kikyo made her way back to the hut, overwhelmed by her a new sense of wholeness. Sleep overcame her within minutes.
Inuyasha stirred in his sleep. His peaceful dream of his mother had given way to a nightmare in which he was in the forest that bore his name, and all was dark. He kept on hearing a voice—Kagome's voice—calling out to him for help. But he couldn't find her, nor did Kagome say anything other than "help!"
"How can I help you if I can't see you! Where are you, Kagome?!" the dream Inuyasha cried.
Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open. He looked around wildly, hoping his nightmare was all in his head. He sighed with relief when he saw Kagome's sleeping form.
He quietly and slowly crept over to where she lay.
She looks so peaceful. I wonder what she's dreaming about...
Kikyo laughed gleefully as she shot arrows at Kagome, who was helplessly pinned to the tree by her magic. She purposefully missed, so that she could watch Kagome squirm in anticipation that one of the arrows might strike her.
"Why are you doing this!" Kagome cried. "What would Inuyasha think?"
Kikyo stirred in her sleep. Her soft, anguished moans alerted Inuyasha, who promptly began to shake her awake.
Kikyo's eyes popped open gratefully, and she gazed up at Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha," she breathed.
"Kagome, are you alright? You looked like you were having a nightmare," Inuyasha demanded, but softly so as not to wake the others.
Kagome? Kikyo thought. Ah, it must have worked, then.
She had forgotten to check herself before she fell asleep to make sure the transformation was a success. Thanks to Inuyasha, she now knew it was.
"Yes, Inuyasha, it was a terrible nightmare," Kagome said. "It was about Kikyo..."
Inuyasha frowned. He didn't like to go there with Kagome.
"Listen, Inuyasha...my nightmare—I think it was prophetic. We—we need to destroy Kikyo or else we're all doomed!"
Kagome's face was determined.
Inuyasha's was torn.
Deep in Inuyasha's forest, on that fateful tree to which he was pinned, laid the tragic priestess Kikyo. Coldly beautiful in her undead form.
"Inu...yasha," Kagome's mind whispered faintly. The soft call seem to echo in the forest, but no one that Kagome loved was to hear it.
Rin did.
Her mind screamed "no" as she felt her soul being lifted by the soul stealers. Thankfully, there was no pain, but as soon her soul was taken, there was also no consciousness.
Kagome's body went limp.
The soul stealers made their way back to their master, who was now at the entrance to the hut, awaiting her minions' arrival.
They swarmed around her, and the light from Kagome's soul—Kikyo's original soul, enveloped her. Her body fed upon the soul with relish. How she had longed to feel real again, complete.
She wasn't afraid that the return of her soul would make her 'good' again, and that it would make her relent and free Kagome. No, her desire to avenge her death was much stronger than even the goodness in her soul—or so she thought.
Kikyo made her way back to the hut, overwhelmed by her a new sense of wholeness. Sleep overcame her within minutes.
Inuyasha stirred in his sleep. His peaceful dream of his mother had given way to a nightmare in which he was in the forest that bore his name, and all was dark. He kept on hearing a voice—Kagome's voice—calling out to him for help. But he couldn't find her, nor did Kagome say anything other than "help!"
"How can I help you if I can't see you! Where are you, Kagome?!" the dream Inuyasha cried.
Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open. He looked around wildly, hoping his nightmare was all in his head. He sighed with relief when he saw Kagome's sleeping form.
He quietly and slowly crept over to where she lay.
She looks so peaceful. I wonder what she's dreaming about...
Kikyo laughed gleefully as she shot arrows at Kagome, who was helplessly pinned to the tree by her magic. She purposefully missed, so that she could watch Kagome squirm in anticipation that one of the arrows might strike her.
"Why are you doing this!" Kagome cried. "What would Inuyasha think?"
Kikyo stirred in her sleep. Her soft, anguished moans alerted Inuyasha, who promptly began to shake her awake.
Kikyo's eyes popped open gratefully, and she gazed up at Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha," she breathed.
"Kagome, are you alright? You looked like you were having a nightmare," Inuyasha demanded, but softly so as not to wake the others.
Kagome? Kikyo thought. Ah, it must have worked, then.
She had forgotten to check herself before she fell asleep to make sure the transformation was a success. Thanks to Inuyasha, she now knew it was.
"Yes, Inuyasha, it was a terrible nightmare," Kagome said. "It was about Kikyo..."
Inuyasha frowned. He didn't like to go there with Kagome.
"Listen, Inuyasha...my nightmare—I think it was prophetic. We—we need to destroy Kikyo or else we're all doomed!"
Kagome's face was determined.
Inuyasha's was torn.
Deep in Inuyasha's forest, on that fateful tree to which he was pinned, laid the tragic priestess Kikyo. Coldly beautiful in her undead form.
"Inu...yasha," Kagome's mind whispered faintly. The soft call seem to echo in the forest, but no one that Kagome loved was to hear it.
Rin did.