Echoes
...OOO...
Every trace of an expression evaporated from Kikyo's face as she took in the scene in front of her. Noiselessly, she spun around and walked away, forcing her feet to tread as lightly as they could. But once she thought she was out of earshot, she did something she had never done before- she ran. She ran blindly through the confusion of greenery now darkened with the loss of the sun, not caring where she ended up so long as it was far away.
...ooo...
The almost inaudible rustle of fabric brushing against shrubbery caught Sesshomaru's attention, and readily his keen senses stood to attention, automatically searching his environment for a sign of the intruder. His nose distinguished her smell, previously muted by Kagura's- the smell of earth and bones.
Kikyo.
The sudden distraction broke him from his dumbfounded trance and finally realizing his situation, he forcefully shoved Kagura away. Tearing his lips away from hers, his hand flying to his face as if to protect it should she try again.
She staggered back, but rather than look hurt or insulted, she only smiled bitterly.
"Good-bye, Sesshomaru," she said softly before disappearing in a whirlwind of feathers, giving him no time to respond or interrogate. Whether or not Naraku kept his end of the bargain, she knew it was over between them- Sesshomaru would never forgive her for her betrayal.
He stared after her, frowning, his lips still burning from her fervent kiss. Leaving his lips, his hand reached to the back of his neck where he had felt her fingernails dig into his skin, and drawing it back, he was surprised she had not drawn blood.
What was she up to? he wondered in disconcertment.
Good-bye?
What did she mean? And how had she found him the first place? Had Naraku-
The name brought his attention back to focus on another-
Kikyo.
Sniffing the air for her scent, he followed it, apprehension rising inside of him when he found she was no longer in the garden.
...ooo...
Kagome looked up, surprised to see Kikyo as she barged through a mesh of flowering vines to stumble back into the courtyard. But upon seeing the dazed look on her face, her surprise was replaced with concern.
"Kikyo, are you alright?" she called.
Her eyes focused on Kagome, and she asked, "Girl, where is Inuyasha?"
"Inside..." Kagome answered, a little unnerved by her strange behavior. "Is something wrong?"
"No..." Kikyo regained her composure, but remained even more distant than she usually was. Turning to Kagome she asked, "Might I ask you a favor?"
"Uh, what is it?" Kagome asked reluctantly, afraid that she might make a snide remark.
But instead Kikyo merely petitioned, "Will you keep Inuyasha here with you? Do not allow him to follow me. Understand?"
Shocked, Kagome stammered, "W-what? Where are you going?"
"I must leave," Kikyo answered hurriedly and without waiting any further, she gathered her soul collectors and they spirited her away into the night.
Kagome gazed after her in horror and perplexity.
What should I do, what should I do, what should I do?
Should she get Inuyasha, she wondered. Should they follow her? But she had ordered her not to. Overwhelmed, she instead just stood rooted to the spot.
...ooo...
I'm such a fool! How could I have trusted him? All along he was in league with her- with Naraku!
Or was it simply him and Kagura? Had he been playing her to his own advantage all along?
Why else would he have troubled himself with me all this time? she wondered.
But more than anyone else, she was angry with herself.
How could I have been so stupid as to not see it? How could I have fallen for such a deception?
Or was she simply angered because of the kiss?
Shaking her head vehemently, she answered, no. Why would she be? He was free to do as he pleased- it did not concern her. Not except that it was Kagura- one of Naraku's underlings.
It was a mistake, she decided. Once again, I let my weakness overcome me and allowed my dependency on another to blind myself to the truth.
She looked back over her shoulder at the mountain on the other side of which was the castle.
No. It's better that I do this on my own...
At least when you were alone, you never had doubts about trusting others...
...ooo...
Kagome was still mulling over what to do with Kikyo's sudden departure when Sesshomaru stumbled through the same opening Kikyo had earlier made and scared her from her concentration.
He had followed her scent through the winding trails of the garden, but upon exiting into the courtyard, he found only a dumbfounded Kagome gaping at him.
"Girl," he said hurriedly, "Where is she? Where is the priestess?"
Perceiving the dangerous edge to his voice, Kagome took a quick step back.
"I- I don't know."
"Don't toy with me," he berated harshly. "I know she was here. Which way did she go?"
"I don't know!" Kagome yelled and blurted. "She came out of that garden and just left- I don't know where she went, okay?"
She was angry now- somehow she knew that whatever had upset Kikyo had to do with him, and when Kagome was angry, her fear took a back seat.
"What'd you do to her anyway?" she demanded.
Sesshomaru shot her a quick glance, "What do you mean?"
"She came out here looking all upset- what'd you do?"
But instead of answering he ordered, "Where did she go?"
"I don't know!" Kagome repeated. "She said she was leaving."
And before she had a chance to say anymore- though there was nothing more to say- Sesshomaru leaped into the air, angry and worried at the same time at her sudden disappearance.
That woman- what the hell is she thinking? Leaving the palace, leaving his protection, going out by herself without telling anyone of her intentions...
'She does get under one's skin, doesn't she?' Naraku's voice echoed in his mind, causing him to land suddenly.
Scanning his surroundings for a sign of the phantom, he demanded, "Naraku- show yourself."
'If you want to see me,' he answered, 'I suggest you look inside.' And Naraku's dark visage flashed into his thoughts.
'You bastard,' Sesshomaru seethed inwardly. Now he understood Kagura's visit...
Smiling malignantly, Naraku teased, 'And did we have fun with dear Kagura? You certainly seemed to have enjoyed that kiss... or so Kikyo thinks anyway.'
Kikyo? She had seen?
'Or would you like to ask her for yourself?' the voice prodded.
And without his willing it to, Sesshomaru's body once again launched itself into the darkening sky.
Staggered, he could only watch perplexed as the land fell away from him.
'What the hell do you think you're doing?'
'You'll see,' Naraku assured him soothingly. 'You'll see...'
...ooo...
They found her in the valley on the opposite of the lee of the mountain, the strong steady winds whipping through the folds of her clothing, seemingly about to sweep her away, playing havoc with her hair.
'Ah, at last,' Naraku smiled pleasantly at her sight.
So he is after Kikyo, Sesshomaru thought. But why does he need my body?
She tensed when she sensed him land behind her.
"What do you want?" she asked coldly, turning to face him.
Only to be met with the razor edge of his sword as it tore through fabric and artificial skin.
She tottered back, her eyes growing wide with disbelief.
"Se...Sesshomaru?"
Inside, Sesshomaru grimaced at the sound of his name.
'Don't bother resisting,' Naraku told him. 'You can't save her.'
'What do you want with her?' Sesshomaru interrogated coldly, trying to maintain his calm despite his flaring anger. How dare this bastard use his body to harm her?
'The same as you,' he replied. 'I want her.'
It was a baiting question- admit or deny- but Sesshomaru refused to respond, so Naraku continued, 'We are not so different, after all, Sesshomaru. She infuriates you, doesn't she? Her and her senseless ways. And yet you can do nothing about it, because she forces you to hate her and love her all at once- making you question the validity of your own nature and character- making you weak.'
'Hm,' the condescension in his reply was clear. 'How pathetic- the great evil Naraku afraid of a mere woman. Is that why you wish to get rid of her? To rid yourself of your own weakness?'
But Naraku only laughed.
'Oh, no. At first I thought that was the solution, but now I've learned- what I want is not her life, what I want is her love- that love which she bestowed upon your worthless brother; that love which would not allow her to abandon a vile dying bandit; that love which forces her to follow a path to her own self-destruction over and over again; that all consuming love with the power to redeem the tainted soul of a saint. That is what I am after.
'You are a fool,' Sesshomaru scorned severely. 'You believe her death will obtain you this 'love'?'
'Not her death- her anguish. The anguish that will break her when she is once again betrayed by the man she thought she loved.'
The revelation jarred Sesshomaru in more ways than one- the man she loved?
'Tell me, Sesshomaru,' Naraku questioned. 'Last time she only bound Inuyasha to slumber, but do you believe she will be as merciful with you?'
He scowled but he was helpless to do anything but watch as his own arm raised his sword again and brought it down, slicing another course through her body, causing her to drop to her knees, causing the old buried emotions of fifty years ago to rise and spill in the place of the blood she could no longer shed.
"Why?" she whispered feebly, a sound almost lost to the wailing of the wind.
Inside she could feel it- the throbbing darkness loosening from its confines, trying to break free, trying to overcome her... and she was too weak to keep it back. To weak to even think to. It pulsed through her, breathing fire into her empty veins, rising to the surface.
Ignoring the wounds she sustained, she pushed herself to her feet and took several unstable steps forward.
"You...I trusted you... WHY?" she demanded, her voice fraught with anger and hatred.
Naraku held off the sword, allowing her to stumble to him as Sesshomaru watched silently, willing himself with all his might to look her straight in the eyes.
And the anger subsided into utter surprise.
It's... it's not him. The small voice gasped within her, and she understood, and it renewed her anger, but it was not the same kind.
"You bastard!" she yelled. "I'm the one you want- leave him alone!"
Her hands shot to his shoulders as a wave of her purifying energy emanated from her palms and flowed into his body, overwhelming him and engulfing his mind.
And then it fizzled.
He slumped into her arms, catching himself on the back of her torn haori, his sharp claws digging into her skin. But she didn't cry out as she caught him in her arms.
And unable to support her own weight, let alone his, she dropped to her knees still holding on to him.
"How?" he breathed into her ear. "How did you know?"
She smiled weakly as they collapsed completely on to the long grass.
"No matter how much you might hate an enemy, you would never attack one from behind... Your eyes told me so."
He had to smile back- she understood him.
"Is he gone?" he asked.
"Not completely. I couldn't destroy him without destroying you."
"Why didn't you?"
"Did you believe I would?"
It was a question which needed no answer- of course he didn't.
For several silent minutes they laid like that- him slightly on top of her, both completely paralyzed: she from the wounds he had unwittingly inflicted, him from her energy which had almost purified him.
Then he spoke, "You protected him, didn't you?"
"Naraku?" she asked, bewildered.
"Inuyasha."
"I don't understand."
"About fifty years ago, I waged war with a tribe of panther demons seeking revenge for a defeat my father handed them years earlier. Their forces were many, while mine were few. Fearing the worst, Jaken went in search of Inuyasha for his aid, but instead found him asleep and bound to a tree. He brought me this news, and after the war, I went to see for myself. Sure enough there was the little fool- an arrow protruding from his heart. But when I tried to remove the arrow, it repelled my touch. Angry that anyone who shared my blood should fall into a such a situation, I sought to end his life, but when I tried I was once again resisted by a powerful barrier. When I learned of how he came to be, I could not help but wonder why anyone who sought to slay him could also wish to preserve him."
"Because I loved him," she answered without hesitation. "When I thought he had betrayed me, my hatred for him knew no bounds, but I still could not... my love would not allow it."
They fell back into silence.
Then he asked, "Why did you love him?"
"Because he needed my love, and I needed his. We understood the loneliness in each other and succumb to the temptation... we were weak back then."
"And now?"
"Now... now he does not need me anymore- he is no longer lonely."
"And you?"
"Would it matter if I was?"
He did not answer but remarked, "He still loves you."
"Perhaps... or perhaps we were mistaken. I do not doubt we care deeply for one another, but love comes in many ways. Perhaps we simply misunderstood."
All around the, thunder rolled, heralding the storm which had been rapidly brewing since late that afternoon.
"We should move," she observed as fat drops of rain pelted them, washing away the last of her anger.
"Hm," he conceded. But if only it were that easy.
With the little strength he had, he shifted enough to see her profile, her eyes closed against the onslaught of water.
The smell of rain and wet earth infused with her own scent invaded his nostrils, and he wondered when the smell of death had ceased to repulse him before closing his eyes to surrender to sleep, the image of her dragons floating into his dreams.
...ooo...
It was Inuyasha who found them.
...OOO...