Chapter Thirty-Two – Undelivered Love
Pure white painted the land and sky that stretched limitlessly. Only a mute silence remained in the mysterious realm. Blue eyes wandered restlessly in the confines of this white prison. Sitting down with her arms folded, she had long given up trying to escape. She did not know how long she had been here for, but she assumed two weeks or perhaps more. Kura's anger followed by an explosion was her last recall before waking up to this place. She wondered if all those suffering with coma were stuck in such a boring prison. She had always thought that people in coma were dreaming a second reality. She huffed in boredom, though the fidget of her fingers gave away her anxiety.
"Child," Kagome's attention flickered towards the direction of the voice. Standing up, she breathed out in surprise, "Midoriko?"
The distant figure neared and nodded her head in acknowledgement of her name. Her lips remained unmoving though her voice resounded, "I have chosen to use what I am left of to bring you back to your world."
"Is my condition that bad?" Kagome asked worriedly. Slowly, Midoriko nodded her head, "You had lost too much blood and would be forever confined here."
Her exhale quivered in distraught at the information. She knew a coma could risk the chance of never waking, but she somehow believed that it wouldn't happen to her. The thought of never returning to Sesshomaru's side caused her knees to tremble. The sudden weight of her upper body suddenly felt heavy.
"I will release you," Midoriko's voice echoed, "and you must deliver this."
Midoriko neared the confused Kagome and gently placed two fingers against her forehead. A glow of soft pink illuminated from Kagome's forehead. Her eyes shot wide open as a rush of emotions locked into her heart.
A burning passion.
Words could not describe the overflowing affections that streamed within her.
A tender flutter.
A cry escaped her lips at the anguish of such warmth.
A wrenching ache of longing.
Collapsing onto the ground, her heart thundered as it drank in the strong currents.
"What is this?" her voice croaked past her tightened throat. Midoriko stared down at the fallen child with a wistful glance, and simply answered, "Kura's love."
The Shikon no Tama was able to look into Kura's heart when she wished upon the Jewel. Midoriko had revealed what little she had seen to the child she planned to heal.
"Why are you…" unable to form complete sentences anymore, Kagome's words trailed off. But knowing what she wished to know, Midoriko voiced, "Her heart was left undelivered. I hope you will do me the favor in revealing these emotions to her loved one."
Ryou.
She knew Midoriko was talking about Ryou. Midoriko wanted her to transfer Kura's love to him? Why? She was certain Kura was able to do it herself. It would be intruding of her to do so without Kura's permission. But unable to reject Midoriko, Kagome replied, "I shall."
The pure white that surrounded her vision began to enclose around her. Midoriko's figure soon disappeared into the white mist. Sensing the ground she stood on cave, a falling sensation pulled her stomach. Blue eyes looked up to see her white prison growing distant as she continued to fall down.
And then, she awoke from her long slumber.
Her thick eyelashes cast downwards and hovered over her blue eyes. Her pale hands clenched tightly onto a red haori. Sceneries of nature flashed by her, yet it was the first time nothing entered her sight.
"She was rightfully burned alive with all to watch her turn into dust."
His words seared her heart each time she remembered. Hollowness dug into her and although she wished to cry for the loss, she had no right to freely express her distress because she was the cause of it all.
Kura's emotions for Ryou still hummed through her veins, embedded.
She finally understood why Midoriko asked her to deliver Kura's love. She understood why Midoriko asked with such a wistful expression. Kura's love was undelivered because…she was dead. Unable to control the unbearable burn strangling her heart, her entire body constricted in a racking pain. Sensing Inuyasha slowing down his pace, Kagome hushed, "I'm fine."
Fisting her chest, she immediately concealed the distress that slipped through her control. Kagome dodged Inuyasha's concerning look and steeled her expression to unveil nothing. Lowering her gaze, her hand around her chest tightened. She had no right to be comforted.
"We near a village, Kagome," Inuyasha notified. Past the southern boarders, they had found no clues that led to Ryou's exact location. Kagome scanned the nearing demon village and hoped to ask for his whereabouts. Her grasp on Inuyasha loosened as he allowed her to walk on her own. Praying with all her might, she asked the passing villager, "Excuse me, do you know where the 'Sho' rank leader resides?"
A rude snort immediately followed after her question. The demon villager stared at her with a mocking smirk as he said cockily, "You mean the ex-'Sho' leader? He lives a few miles away in that direction."
While the demon pointed further south, Kagome tried to keep her anger in check for the sake of his assistance. But, the oblivious demon continued, "He must have done some awful things to betray the demon society. I mean, that is why he got stripped of his rank, right? I guess he is just another dirty bastard. Are you on your way to kill him too? He should be dead by now. Many of his enemies came here asking for his head too."
"Without my rank, all the enemies I've made have every right to slaughter me!" The previous 'Gon' leader's voice echoed with hatred. A paralyzing feeling began to seep into her heart.
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT," the violent voice accused her. Her heart no longer pounded against her heart, fully paralyzed. A sinking feeling tugged on her stomach. Blue eyes hazed as dread pulled her away from reality and into its dark world.
Suddenly, a scornful laugh erupted. Almost thankful for it broke the dark spell she seemed to be under.
Snap.
Numbness replaced by burning anger. Her aura burst with a flare of purification power as she glared down the gloating demon. She snarled, "He has NOT betrayed the demon society! HE LEFT on his own FREE WILL because the LOVE OF HIS LIFE was BURNED to death before his very EYES! How DARE you inform the location of the 'Sho' leader to his enemies!? He is the most LOYAL and HONORABLE demon!"
The demon, now face planted onto the ground, shook with fear at the raw power emitting from Kagome. Inuyasha, who knew Kagome had to be stopped, grabbed her by the waist and flung her over his shoulder despite the burns her powers were inflicting on him. Struggling against Inuyasha's grasp, Kagome continued to yell furiously, "If I EVER hear any of your villagers expose his location again, I'll PURIFY YOU FIRST!"
With the village no longer visible, Kagome screamed out her frustrations into the silent forest.
She released her anger towards the villager's words.
Her anger towards Ryou's decision to leave.
Her anger towards learning of the danger he might be in.
Her anger towards the enemies that might have attacked him.
Echoes of an angered cry drifted to reach the village as all who heard felt the wrath behind the haunting sound.
It took more than a few seconds or a few minutes to calm down. Within an hour, Kagome was left with a sore throat and breathless. Panting, she slumped against Inuyasha's back. So much for her control for it snapped the moment the villager spoke rudely of Ryou. Her words muffled against his back as she mumbled, "You can let me down now."
Hearing no response, she tried to muster her sore throat to voice louder, "You can let me down, Inuyasha."
Oddly finding him unresponsive, she squirmed out of his grasp and landed on to the ground. Kagome looked up to meet his shaken expression. A loud gasp sounded from her lips, understanding the cause of Inuyasha's swirling gaze.
"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha! Your ears!" she croaked regretfully. His hand sprung up towards her and shook violently. His head shook along to help stop the ringing in his ears.
"You're much less scary when you're loud than silent. It's creepy when you're so silent, Kagome," he said shivering from the experience. A small smile tugged on her lips for the first time, but still held a hint of hollowness. His gaze shifted south before staring down at her with a determined look. Facing south, she felt the strong pulse of a demonic aura and knew whom it belonged to. Her footsteps moved automatically and paced faster and faster like a desperate person.
Alas, Kagome reached a clearing surrounded by tall trees that branched out to cover the sun's light. To her horror, deep marks wounded the grounds in all direction, which left tales of many battles. Her gaze scanned to finally meet Ryou's figure. His back was turned towards them, but she could already feel the sorrow in his slumped form.
With a stirring sound of leaves interrupting her thoughts her eyes to snap towards the trees. A group of lower ranked demons burst through the clearing and headed directly towards Ryou. Her lips widened in terror as she noted Ryou's unmoving figure.
He did not plan to avoid the incoming attack.
Realizing this, she quickly moved to erect a barrier causing the group of demons to smash right into it; an inch away from where he stood. With the injured demons scrawling away in retreat, Ryou's lowered head lifted and turned around.
Recent wounds scarred all over his body and face.
A dead expression only lightened ever so slightly at the sight of her.
His lifeless figure painted within the battlefield-like clearing, almost appearing like a warrior prepared to die.
Her heart broke at the sight.
Staring down at her fingers, she wondered if delivering Kura's remaining emotions was the right thing to do. A slight push on her back, she felt Inuyasha telling her to go. Her feet slowly walked forward onto the scarred grounds. Hesitance soon vanished and replaced with desperation. Her steps quickened until they stopped right before the frozen leader.
A silence paused between them. One not knowing what to say, the other confused at her sudden visit. Taking a deep breath, determination once again pumped through her. Slowly raising her fingers gently towards his forehead, she silently asked for his permission. Though confused, Ryou stiffly moved to nod his head; trusting her. As her fingers reached his forehead, a soft glow released.
"She loved you, Ryou. She always did, and always will," the faint tremor of her voice whispered. Unlocking the emotions Kura left behind, Kagome delivered them to the one they belonged to.
Splatter.
The dry land fed upon the first water drop to ever fall upon its scarred grounds.
Splatter.
His first tear drop.
Splatter.
There she watched the great 'Sho' leader shed trails of tears to soon flow down in streams. Shedding with him, her heart clenched at the sound of his strangled cry. With the glow slowly fading, her touch pulled away to wrap her arms around him in a tight embrace. His heart-wrenching cries did not cease even though Kura's presence was no longer felt. Sensing Ryou's knees give out, she fell to the ground with him. And there she continued to weep for him, for Kura, for their love.
"I'm sorry," she could only utter between sobs.
"I'm sorry," her heart cried with anguish.
Amber eyes looked away from the painful scene. He lowered his head and a shadow cast over his eyes while his heart grew heavy. His brother probably did not realize the guilt Kagome would go through due to Kura's execution.
Sesshomaru was right to execute Kura and pose a threat to anyone who dared to attempt the same thing. And as a Lord, this might have been the best path.
But…he did not choose to consider Kagome's feelings. And as her lover…he had chosen the worst path.
Had he been in Sesshomaru's shoes, would he have executed the villain who tried to assassinate Inari even if it meant causing Inari tears?
Clenching his eyes shut and his jaws tight, his thoughts ran wild with confusion.
He did not know.
He would not have known what to do.
The two conflicting positions his brother held…
It must have been a painful decision.
To be continued…
IMPORTANT: I planned to write an epilogue for this story (of course after a few more remaining chapters), but I will consider writing a sequel to "The Hime Tradition" if my readers wish it. I would really like to know the thoughts of my readers~
Author's Note: You can now see when the next chapters will be updated along with any upcoming stories on my Dokuga profile page!
Thank you for reading,
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