"I'm just a little confused…" Shippo exclaimed out of nowhere. Kaede turned back to him, one eyebrow raised.
"About what?" She inquired curiously.
"Kiki said her leg hurt and then it was fine because of the jewel… why?" Shippo asked.
"The jewel has powers beyond what I understand. Perhaps it reacted to her spiritual powers." Kaede answered with a sigh.
"Oh, well... Yeah… Did you fix her leg?" Shippo inquired, lowering his head.
"My spiritual powers are not strong enough to fix her leg, only to numb her pain. When she awakens I'll talk her through how to do it… That is, if she awakens…" Kaede sighed.
"What?" Shippo exclaimed, almost falling over as his head jolted back up to look at the old woman. "IF she wakes up? Whaddaya mean if?"
"Well… She is obviously deeply contained within her mind… she is not sleeping, Shippo. I would understand this better if I had more information. I would also like to know where Inuyasha got off to…"
Shippo silently stared at the stewpot in front of him and then at the fire. It was high, licking at the sides of the pot in all directions. In addition, the draft in the house was almost like there were no walls; Shippo swore he had felt a strong wind just seconds before. By listening carefully, he could hear the water of the river hungrily licking at its banks. Was this Kiki's doing?
"If she doesn't wake up we might have a natural disaster on our hands!" He exclaimed. Kaede nodded, although he did not see. From the day Kaede found her, she seemed to have an odd power over the elements. Fire twisted and erupted at her hands, water smashed against its shore just to reach her, and the wind was always steadily blowing around her.
"I… Inu… Ya… Yasha… Inuya… Inuyasha…" Kiki groaned, reaching a hand out towards the ceiling. Kaede gently pushed it down and tried to comfort the girl by stroking her hair. She twitched and continued to mumble his name.
"Shh, Kiki. Shhh… It's ok. I swear I would like to know what that boy did to you, if anything. What he might have said to make you act like this…"
"I said nothing to the wench, old woman. Nothing of importance, at least." Inuyasha barked from the doorway. Both Shippo and Kaede turned sharply towards him with looks of surprise.
"Inuyasha? So you're Inuyasha! What did you do to Kiki? Why won't she wake up?" Shippo practically screeched at him, hysterical. "It must have been something!"
"I didn't do anything to the girl, runt! I would, however, like to know why she is muttering my name!" Inuyasha snapped back. Kaede stared at him with weary eyes.
"Inuyasha… What happened to you and Kiki before she collapsed? She walked out with you and was later found by a village woman."
"She said some rubbish about me killing Kikyo and I set her straight! She didn't believe me and then she began screaming stuff like, 'You betrayed me!' and 'I thought you loved me! Why, Inuyasha? Why?' It was weird, so I got away from her. She collapsed. However, I'm not completely heartless, so I watched as you moved her from hut to hut. Made sure she got back to you."
Kaede nodded and turned back to Kiki's squirming form. She was still muttering Inuyasha's name. "I fear… That you may have awakened my sister's soul from within Kiki…"
"Soul? Is Kiki… Kikyo's reincarnation?" Shippo exclaimed in surprise. He shot Inuyasha a glare and scampered over to Kiki's head. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Reincarnation? This wench is Kikyo's reincarnation? Feh! I don't believe you!" Inuyasha spat in disbelief. Kaede sighed irritably.
"You have noticed her resemblance to my late sister, have you not?" Silence was her reply. "You have noticed her great spiritual powers, yes?" Again, silence. "And, Inuyasha… have you sensed her demonic powers? The half she holds hidden from even herself?"
Shippo gagged and Inuyasha twitched jaggedly. Kaede's words surprised them greatly. "Wha… Wha... Demon?" Shippo choked out. "How can she possibly be part demon?"
"Yes, well… Kiki was not born into this world as a regular demon, half-demon, or human is born… Kiki is a product of demonic magic… I have known this from the beginning. I told Kiki she was Kikyo's reincarnation to calm her and help give an explanation to why she was able to free you." Kaede explained. "I suspect that the demon that created her stole part of my sister's soul, and merged it with his. An evil creation like that needs time to cultivate, because even the greatest of demons cannot create a living, breathing thing without time. That is why Kiki only appears sixteen years of age and ages like a human does. It has been fifty years since my sister's death. Moreover, she was not missing any part of her soul the day before she died. And her soul could not have been retrieved after she had passed on… Inuyasha! You did not kill Kikyo?"
Inuyasha nodded silently and Kaede pulled in this information, trying to work things out. Shippo just stared blankly at them as every piece of this complex puzzle fell into place.
"Then the demon that created Kiki must be my sister's true killer. Kiki is the creation of Kikyo's murderer. She is a body with two souls inside of her that have yet to merge. She draws power from Kikyo's soul and not her demonic one… And… This explains her elemental powers. The demon that made her must have those powers as well."
"So… This girl is a developing demonic creation that contains two souls; that of himself and that of Kikyo?" Inuyasha asked, sorting through the information. Kaede nodded.
"Most basically…Yes. She is a mere creation of the two souls." Kaede replied.
"But WHY make such a thing? Why would you do something like that? What is Kiki's purpose?" Shippo asked. Kaede shrugged in reply.
"I haven't the slightest idea…" She sighed. "And I can only imagine what Kiki is figuring out while she is trapped within her own mind…"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Girl! Girl, awaken!" Kikyo screamed. Kiki's eyes fluttered open to find the ghostly woman's face hovering above hers. "Girl, you mustn't stay here any longer or your mind will collapse upon itself! You have your answer, so leave!"
Kiki shook her head and sat up as Kikyo moved away. "I… Inu… Ya… Yasha… Inuya… Inuyasha…" She called, reaching out a hand towards Kikyo's fading figure. It was all she could think of to say. Yet… Something about those words felt real, as if she were truly saying them and not just thinking them.
"Inu... Yasha! Inuyasha! What… what about Inuyasha?" Her voice was fading. Only Inuyasha's name made it through. "How do you feel about Inuyasha?"
Kikyo turned back to her, face blank. "What should I think? I do not know who truly killed me… And I shall not be at rest until I do. Nevertheless, I shan't be at rest anyways, trapped within your body. Girl, let me point this out to you. The part of your soul that is your own is amazingly small. If I were to exit you, you would most likely die. Because you have sorted this out for me, I will not leave you until you die. I owe you that much…"
"I… Uh…Thank you… but you said something about another soul before?" Kiki cautiously inquired. Kikyo sighed and sat down in front of her.
"Your body also contains a fairly large demonic soul. It holds the power to bend the elements to its will… You only draw upon it sometimes... And you draw upon it mostly when you use the element of fire."
"Wait! So I'm a half-breed? Like Inuyasha? I'm like Inuyasha?" Kiki exclaimed.
"In a way… I suppose you are a half-breed. That's not how most people would think of you, though. I do not know how to explain it." Kikyo said with a shrug. "Now, if you would, please return to reality. Like I said before, your mind will collapse on itself if you stay in here much longer."
"I… Don't know if I can. I feel as if… I cannot get out without somebody's help… I need to be called out…" Kiki sighed. Kikyo tilted her head in interest.
"Perhaps you need Inuyasha to say your name? It would make sense… This is all his fault."
"But he only calls me wench! Inuyasha never says my name." Kiki grumbled. Kikyo shrugged in reply.
"I cannot help you. Although… If you do get out, I may be able to offer you advice sometimes. I could infiltrate your mind and speak to you again. You would need to awaken me, somehow, though. I promise not to cause you to collapse in on yourself again."
"That'd be… Interesting. I'll keep that in mind. I'll keep that here!" Kiki said and laughed at her own stupid joke. Kikyo just stared at her. "Uh… because… I'm stuck in my mind. Get it?"
Kikyo rolled her eyes at the giggling girl and Kiki stopped. They stared each other for one long moment, and then a muffled cracking sound echoed around them.
"Augh!" Kikyo cried suddenly, falling to her knees. Kiki rushed forward to help her but black fog began to settle in around them and she lost visual contact. Frantically rushing from side to side, she listened to the dead priestess scream in pain repeatedly.
"Kikyo! Kikyo, where are you?" Kiki shrieked, quickly deciding to just run in one direction. The fog was getting thicker and little wisps of demonic energy sparkled through it.
"AUGH! Girl! Girl, your demonic half is trying to overrun me! Your soul may be minute, but it holds him back! Help!" Kikyo cried. Kiki stood stalk still, eyes sharply examining the fog in front of her. She swatted at it and it pulled away from her, not wanting to be touched. Kiki jumped at it, but it parted so she fell back onto the ground… whatever the ground was.
"I… I don't know how! Help! Somebody help!"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Stew's ready." Inuyasha called to Kaede and Shippo. Kiki had begun to thrash wildly in her unconsciousness and they were trying to calm her. Shippo was patting the sweat off her face with a cloth as Kaede soothingly stroked her hair.
"Well then spoon some into a bowl and bring it over here!" Kaede growled at him. Inuyasha grumbled something about not being a servant but followed the orders anyways, spooning the thick substance into two bowls and placing them beside Kaede. She paid no mind to him, even after Shippo had taken his and slurped it down quickly.
"You have to eat woman!" Inuyasha scolded.
"SIT!" Kiki screamed in her thrashings and he fell into the ground.
"What the hell was that for, wench?" he barked as he pried his head from the floor. "I thought you were unconscious!"
"She is. But she's trying to say something…" Kaede murmured.
"Kikyo, hang on! This is all your fault, Inuyasha! SIT!" Kiki screeched. Inuyasha crashed into the ground again as he was pulling himself up. Shippo and Kaede watched, dumbfounded, as she stopped thrashing and lay amazingly still.
"Dammit!" Inuyasha managed, raising his head from the floor. "What…"
"You heard the girl! We're losing her! Do something!" Kaede howled at him. He flinched harshly and stared at her for a second.
"How am I supposed to know what to do? I need more information, Kiki!"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Kiki huffed and pounded the bottom of her mind, thrashing around like a maniac. The fog pulled away from her, and she still couldn't touch it.
"What am I supposed to do?" she cried, sitting up. She heard Kikyo scream again. "Kikyo, hang on! How am I supposed to do this? This is all your fault, Inuyasha! SIT! I hope you can hear me!"
"Purify it, girl! If you can't control your soul then purify the damned stuff!" Kikyo screamed out. Kiki quickly pulled her hands into position. A very questionable spiritual bow and arrow shimmered into place with its string pulled back tightly.
"Purify!" Kiki shrieked, letting loose the arrow from the sting. It went flying through the fog but did not touch anything; the taunting stuff had pulled away from the arrow's path. Kiki felt a sharp pang in the side of her head where the arrow probably hit. The stinging sensation angered her to no extent.
"Well, Inuyasha? What am I gonna do now!" Kiki screamed. It was out of her system. She had no more ideas. Worn out, she panted and sat hauntingly still.
"Only some of that made it through…" Kikyo groaned at her from somewhere. "They probably won't figure it out until it's-"
"I need more information, Kiki!"
The demonic energy around Kiki started to swirl and cave in on her. As soon as it touched her skin, she felt all control over her mind go into complete hysterics.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Kiki's eyes shot open, aglow with a deep maroon color. Shippo backed away from her and Kaede practically gagged at the sight of it.
"No… Not again…" she said while backing away. In seconds the hut was a like a tornado. Kiki's body was aglow with red light and wind was drawing itself to her. Kaede and Shippo covered their heads and allowed themselves to be pushed back into a wall but Inuyasha stood his ground, watching her with drying eyes.
"Dammit! Look what you had me do!" He snapped, covering them with his kimono sleeve and blinking repeatedly. "What the hell is happening, woman? You're the one who told me to do something!"
"Her demonic soul is trying to overpower her body! This has happened before! Do something!" Kaede shouted. Inuyasha only heard because of his sensitive hearing; most sound was lost within the whirlwind. It didn't seem like Kaede had been replying to his question, only stating useful information. Probably no use in trying to ask questions, then.
"How did you get her to stop?" Inuyasha yelled back. No reply.
Kiki's body drifted off the ground and stood her up in the air. Then the wind suddenly stopped; Kiki fell to the ground on her knees, head clasped tightly between her hands.
"I… Refuse…To... Be stuck in my own mind… Forever!" She screamed, knocking her head against the wood floor. A fog began to engulf the cabin. "You stay out of Kikyo's part of my body!"
Inuyasha started coughing gruffly and turned around to see that Shippo and Kaede were slumped against the wall, unconscious. The demonic fog was some sort of knock-out gas.
"Why are you doing this?" Inuyasha barked at her, turning to face her once more. The girl looked up with wide, glowing eyes and a face twisted in pain. "Kiki, snap out of it!"
He… Used my name... Again… Kiki stumbled to her feet, still holding her head in one hand. Through the will of one of her souls, her free hand lifted and blasted Inuyasha into the wall with a large hunk of spiritual energy.
"I have complete control over both my souls!" She snapped angrily at him. "No... No I don't! I'm overrun by a demon yet using Kikyo's spiritual powers! Stop making me do things!"
Inuyasha winced and opened one eye. He was hunched next to Shippo, and Kiki was twisting around in agony and confusion in front of him. He slowly began to stand and she didn't notice.
"I don't want to kill my friends!" Kiki shrieked and the fog began to wisp away. "I don't want to kill my village or Kikyo's soul within me! I don't want to kill my mother, or my cousin!" It was almost completely lifted at this point, but the demonic sparks of energy still remained. "And most of all…"
Inuyasha lifted his right hand and rested it on Kiki's left shoulder. She had been looking at the ground, right hand clutched around her head, very close to tears. Now her head shot up and water began rolling down her cheeks.
"Most of all… I don't want to kill Inuyasha! Not yet!" With that the sparks flickered out of existence and her eyes returned to their normal, deep purple shade. Her eyelids drooped and she fell against Inuyasha. He caught her and gently laid her on the ground. To erase all worries that she had collapsed upon herself again, she let out a loud snore.
She was asleep.