In the Beholders Eye

Written By Sarga

May/June 2006

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters, I'm just taking a theme and running with it...

Chapter 2: A Battle Lost

Kagome emerged from the trees, her bright blue aura fading out of view as she moved closer to her allies, her friends, her family.

As she reached Inuyasha she collapsed in the grass, her energy having been expended in her final attack against their most powerful foe.

As she sank into unconsciousness, Inuyasha heard three little words he never thought he would hear from her: "It's finally over."

Awaking from her much needed slumber, Kagome lay still for a moment taking in the sounds of the night. She listened as a night owl hooted off in the distance. She heard as Miroku murmured in his pain, his wind tunnel having disappeared and taking enough of the poison to keep him alive. Kagome took a deep breath before opening her eyes. She sat up and surveyed her surroundings. Next to Miroku sat Sango who had fallen asleep hunched over her stricken friend. Kilala and Shippo lay next to the embers of a fire, Kilala's tail curled protectively around Shippo's tiny form.

The only ones missing were Inuyasha and...Kikyo! 'She's going to take him to the afterlife!' Kagome bolted up, trying to figure out where they could be. 'The God Tree! They can only be there!' Kagome ran towards the tree, their battle and campsite having been close enough to the tree for her to know where to go.

Kagome stopped dead as she saw a familiarly blood-chilling sight. Standing next to the God Tree were Kikyo and Inuyasha, Kikyo's arms encircling Inuyasha as she had the first year of their journey.

With an inaudible gasp, Kagome clutched her chest and tears began to form. She could feel her heart break as Kikyo brought Inuyasha closer, the hanyou responding by bringing his arms around her. After these past four years, she had grown to love her half-demon companion. Then she had fallen in love with him.

Now, as she looked to her heart's desire in the arms of another, she knew he would never see her as she saw him. She was too tainted. She was tainted by the soul of Kikyo, his former love with whom she could not hope to compete. She was tainted by the call of another time, one that had no place for demons, half or full. She was tainted and there was nothing she could do to cleanse herself.

Kagome ran back to the campsite and buried her head in her sweater to keep her grief from waking her sleeping comrades.

Inuyasha stood opposite his former love, her arms drawing him near.

"Join me in the afterlife, Inuyasha. There is nothing life can offer you any more." She drew him closer and he wrapped his arms around her in response. Holding her for what seemed like an eternity, Inuyasha sighed and focused on what he had come to do.

"Goodbye Kikyo," he whispered in her ear, still locked in an embrace. He gave her a tight squeeze then pushed her back, her body crashing up against the God Tree.

In barely a whisper, he spoke the words that had been taught to him. "Kikyo, I free you." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a vial of powder. Throwing some powder at her, he called more forcefully. "Kikyo, I free you." He threw more powder, his voice finding more strength. "I free you from this unnatural body." Yet more powder. "I free you from your ties to this earth." Yet more strength. "I free you from your anger and rage."

As Inuyasha spoke the last of the incantation, Kikyo looked in shock at her once faithful companion. He had done it. He had done the only thing that could break their bond. He had released her from this earth without a promise to follow. She would be going to the afterlife again, and she would be going alone. With her last ounce of strength, she whispered to her former love. "I...lost you...to her."

The shell of Kikyo collapsed, her clay body shattering into the dust it had been created from.

Shaken, Inuyasha sat hard on the ground.

"It's finally over," he repeated the words Kagome had spoken earlier, knowing that they were true at last.

Kagome gasped as she felt a part of her fill up, 'Kikyo's dead!' Her soul fully restored, Kagome shook with silent sobs. 'She's finally gone!' confused she looked up to see Inuyasha walk slowly from behind a tree. He held a distant, contemplative look on his face as he approached.

'She saw us,' he thought as he brought his hand to wipe away her tears. 'Why do I have to keep hurting her?' He felt a pang of sadness as he realized what it must have looked like to Kagome. 'And maybe she wasn't wrong,' he thought with a larger swell of self doubt.

Reaching into his cloak, he brought out the remaining pieces of the Shikon jewel, the last ones Kikyo had held in her possession.

In a gruff voice, not revealing any of his emotion, Inuyasha took one of Kagome's hands tenderly and laid the pieces in her palm. "Fix it. It's more dangerous in pieces."

Turning before she could respond, Inuyasha jumped to a tree and settled down for the night. She placed the additional pieces in the vial around her neck and lay down, her back to him.

'Kikyo's gone, but he's still here. Why?' Confused, Kagome closed her eyes, an unnamed desire burning through newly reunited soul.

End of Chapter

Reviews are always welcome. Please Review!

- Sarga