Chapter 2
Kagome woke swiftly several hours later, sitting up in her sleeping bag with a lurch and sending Shippo flying across the clearing. The commotion caused Sango and Miroku to wake just in time to see her sprinting faster than they'd ever seen out of camp and into the woods.
"Kagome!" Sango called frantically just as her friend disappeared into the thicket as she, too, pulled herself from the ground and made to go after her. Everyone mounted Ki-la-la who roared to hurry them, minus a certain hanyou who was still missing, as they made off into the forest behind the young, futuristic miko.
Kagome's heart thundered in her chest as every inch of her being urged her towards her destination. It was instinct-no, it was an impulse, but that didn't quite describe it, either. All her senses were screaming at her to run, there wasn't much time, help. She was more terrified than she ever remembered being but that's all she could really get other than the strong sense of direction that sent her sprinting through the woods, weaving through branches, jumping across river beds and stomping mercilessly through briers up to her waist, heedless of the thorns that tore at her skin or her now bloody legs and arms as everything urged her forward.
Her uniform was ripped in several places, her shoes were wet and muddy. She was covered in multiple scratches and had fallen twice, resulting in a bruised jaw and elbow. The last impact had caused her to bite her tongue and she could taste the copper flavor filling her mouth as the muscle throbbed, protesting every movement against her teeth. Her lungs burned with the effort of running so fast and she pulled in sweet, deep gulps of oxygen but would not allow herself to slow, so great was this compelling sensation. Sweat began to drip from her brow as her muscles protested her every activity but still she ran on as if the devil was at her heels.
Finally, she crashed into a clearing, her feet skidding to a halt as her eyes frantically scanned the area, looking for something. There, in a mesh of red and white, was Inuyasha and Kikyo embracing under the stars. He had changed into his human form, his black hair mixing with her's as they remained frozen in a passionate kiss. But it was not this sight that held her attention for even a second before the masked demonic aura residing in the forest behind them made itself known and Kagome suddenly knew why she had felt so afraid. She knew what had been pulling her here. Outrage and fury rose up inside her as she witnessed the would be attack on her friends.
As Ki-la-la burst into the clearing overhead her, Kagome felt time slow down to a trickle. Sapphire eyes looked around, noting the slow movement of the fire-cat above her and Miroku and Sango, who had jumped from the neko youkai to stand at her side. She looked down at her hands and noticed as she wiggled her fingers that she was moving at a regular pace.
Focusing her attention back to the scene, she could now make out a blackish purple blur making its way to the embracing pair. She could sense the aura, just barely masked as it was, of the Shikon within that black blur and knew that Naraku planned to attack his two biggest rivals at their most vulnerable time. Maybe half a second had passed, she estimated, as the jewel still felt far away having only recently emerged from a barrier.
Horror struck as she realized that were time not slowed down as it was, she would not be physically capable of stopping his actions, they were so inhumanly fast. Thanking whatever Kami was at her aid and deciding not to waste anymore time thinking about it, she drew her bow. Taking careful aim so as not to hit the Jewel, she charged the arrow with as much miko power as she could. The shaft lined with smoky wisps of purity that slowly simmered across the wood, gaining momentum with her burning concentration as she glared a hole through her opponent.
When she felt she knew the arrow would hit, she screamed "GO!" as she released and with a loud 'thung', her arrow erupted into a massive spear of light that sped to its target.
Sesshomaru stepped into the clearing right as Naraku dropped his barrier and made a move for the oblivious pair. Movement out of the corner of his eye stole his gaze in another direction until he found himself watching the living miko draw her bow and release the most powerful display of spiritual power he'd ever witnessed. Even more surprising was the speed with which not only she drew her weapon but the velocity of the arrow itself. He felt deep magic at work and the wave of purification that rolled across his skin confirmed his earlier precaution. He found he could not regret his current distance and couldn't help but feel relief that he wasn't closer when she decided to unleash such a powerful, completely spontaneous attack.
The blinding, purifying light sped past the embracing couple, causing them to finally pull apart, just as the shaft embedded itself in Naraku's chest so deeply the glint of the arrowhead could be seen from the other side. He wore an expression of intense surprise and fear before Kagome's power created an orb that shielded him from view as her purity made to finish the job.
Sesshomaru flash stepped to their positions, more than curious as to the state of the vile hanyou once the attack receded and silently joined the others in watching the light in the strange orb flash dangerously, looking very much like a purified Shikon Jewel, as the purity within fought to overcome the demonic aura.
Inside the barrier, Naraku was assaulted by waves of light and warmth that threatened to overtake him. If he gave into the wonderful sensation, he knew he would be purified but he couldn't quite resist the comfort, the accepting, the kindness of Kagome's energy as it insisted to wrap around his entire body. It was...emotion at its rawest form. He was not burning alive or in pain, he was not screaming out his promises of vengeance to the world. Suddenly, none of that seemed very important anymore.
His body began to break apart and disappear. His last words, softly spoken and etched with a calm resolve, were "So this is what it feels like to be at peace. It's so...warm."
With a suddenly loud, resounding crack and looking for all the world as though the ground where Naraku stood had just been struck by lightening, the orb shattered into dust that took to the lightly blowing breeze. There was no sign of Naraku but where his body had been the purified Shikon magically hovered in the air, supported by a cloud of pink miko power that sparkled with flashes of purity. It seemed to overpower the light of the sun, casting the clearing and all its occupants in a bright, dazzling, pink light.
A single moment of incredulous, shocked silence followed where everyone stared, eyes wide, from Kagome to the jewel, then back to Kagome, who stood watching the jewel warily but otherwise seemed relieved. Before anyone could react, the bauble acted of its own accord to fly at her and impact itself right between her breasts. It sunk straight through her clothing and into her as the light followed, settling around her, clinging to her skin until all that remained withdrew into her body.
With a clatter, her bow and quiver fell to the ground as both her hands immediately rushed to the affected area, finding no hole. No wounds. No dent, even. But most especially, no jewel. There was no pain but warmth as she felt as though something had linked with her soul, linked into place. Anxiety spiked momentarily at the realization that she was absorbing the jewel but these concerns were immediately wiped away with a new, comforting wave of warmth. She fell to her knees as overwhelming relief flooded through her body, her limbs immediately accommodating the comforting sensation as the jewel hushed her worries in silent whispers only she could hear.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha called and attempted to dive at her only to be immediately halted by a wooden staff across his chest.
"Stay back, Inuyasha, it is not safe for you yet," Miroku warned his friend knowingly, his brow furrowed with openly serious concern. The space around Kagome was building energy and it was unknown whether this type of energy would tolerate a demonic aura.
Kikyo and Sango exchanged worried glances while Sesshomaru's gaze continued to lay unflinching on Kagome, his interests piqued.
It felt as though apart of her soul had been in agony and she hadn't noticed until it had been replaced. Joy, love, warmth, security- she couldn't think of a word that described what she was feeling. Something was happening though, she knew, because this was definitely different from before. But it felt...right.
Tears of happiness tracked down her cheeks as her body began to glow a light pink and suddenly the sun seemed to be blazing through the clouds in a solid ring around her so bright, everyone had to turn away. The heat in that one second was so great that everyone nearby could still feel the warmth on their cheeks and the now cold sweat on their skin from exposure. The light was only there for an instant but it left everyone momentarily blind once it faded.
Sesshomaru was the first to recover, having turned away in the critical instant and possessing demonic vision. He couldn't quite deny the potent mixture of curiosity and anticipation he was feeling at the time as to what, exactly, had just occurred. He was upon her body in an instant, his nose immediately taking in her new scent of honeysuckle and thunderstorms, oozing with raw power. She was now marked, he noted, as a Fate. The dainty, 6-pointed, black star on her forehead could not be denied for what it was.
While glad to have one of his questions answered, her race asked several more. Fates were one of the most elusive and powerful races on the earth, not to mention mysterious. Almost little to nothing was known about them. It was frustrating to admit that his curiosity about the creature simply elevated the more he uncovered. It seemed for every answer he gained, another question was asked. As his gaze moved down her body, his eyes widened at the sight. The heat he had felt must have been great enough to incinerate her clothing and had even left behind a golden, sun-kissed complexion on the usually pale miko.
His mental efforts were not enough to stop himself from drinking in the sight of her round, perky breasts as they rose and fell with her soft breathing, the pert, pink nipples crowning a pair of full, rounded bronzed skin. One of his hands twitched involuntarily at his side as his gaze slid further, down the expanse of her toned belly to the tiny peak of womanly curls housed between her legs.
She bore no wounds, though he was sure she had been injured before. Her muscles looked more toned than possible for her given amount of activity, suggesting some added strength abilities. His mind was already itching at testing this creature for what she was worth, his curiosity demanding sedition. The gears of his head turned, formulating a plan to anger her enough to draw out said abilities when she recovered. Her hair had become unbound at some point but seemed to the daiyoukai to be much longer and fuller from what he remembered. It fanned around her body in ebony waves so black they almost looked blue. Had the jewel altered her body in other ways than just marking her?
Inuyasha was the second to make it to her side, having sprinted the moment he saw Sesshomaru flash step to stand over her imposingly with Miroku and Sango following close behind. Kikyo lagged in the back a bit, waiting politely for her friends to get there, first.
Sesshomaru watched with interest as his brother immediately realized her state of undress. Blushing uncontrollably, he instantly spun on his heel to face the incoming group. He marched purposefully to the monk first and roughly turned him around by the shoulders before he could get a glimpse and ignoring Miroku's protests, motioned for Kikyo and Sango to approach first.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes on his brother at this sudden revelation. Inuyasha's gaze had not lingered a moment on her nude form, speaking volumes about his feelings for her. Not only had he 'chosen' Kikyo to be his mate but it seemed he harbored almost no sexual attraction to the woman at all. He found this odd if not a bit dishonorable, given the nature of what he knew her feelings must be for him.
The Slayer and undead miko shared a look of understanding before silently approaching their friend together. Realizing the state of her friend's undress, Sango fixed Sesshomaru with an icy look that spoke volumes and he silently took his place next to his brother and the monk, staring fixedly in the opposite direction.
Kikyo gasped as she saw her new marks. "She's a Fate! That's why I no longer sense the jewel, only the pure power it contained!" she exclaimed, her almond eyes wide with the admission.
Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Miroku all stood respectfully facing the opposite direction until she said this and turned around at the twist in conversation, only to be immediately scolded for the reaction by the two conscious females.
"Stay facing that direction until we get her dressed no matter what I say!" Kikyo chastised them harshly, her words spoken gently and yet sharp as a knife. "Even these extraordinary circumstances do not excuse a single one of you from acting your station and respecting a woman's right to modesty."
"Miroku! Turn around right now, or so help me," Sango threatened, fingering the the ties to Hiraikotsu lightly for emphasis when all but the monk turned around obediently.
At Sango's threat, both brothers' heads snapped in the direction of the monk between them, a look of outrage crossing their features. Sesshomaru grabbed him by the back of the neck before Inuyasha could react with such force, Miroku would have cried out had he not been so surprised. Even the slightest touch from a demon of his caliber was enough to make any mortal flinch in fear of their life. Thinking his was at an end, he was surprised when he was shoved forcibly forward instead, not so hard that he fell but enough to make him stumble and enough for him to get the message loud and clear.
Seeing the look of horror plastered all over Miroku's face, Inuyasha couldn't help it. He broke down into peals of laughter, giving everyone a moment of pause to stare fixedly on the sight of Sesshomaru shooting death glares at an obviously-terrified Miroku.
Inuyasha's laughter died and Sesshomaru's attention shifted to the voice of the slayer. "I have nothing to dress her with; I brought no extra clothes," she admonished anxiously. "She sped out of camp so fast, we all had to tackle Ki-la-la to keep up with her. There was no time-" she began, a hint of panic to her voice.
"Everything is fine, my dear," Miroku interjected reassuringly, remaining faced in the opposite direction. "If it comes down to it, Kagome can wear my monk's robes and I will simply walk back to camp dressed only in my hakamas."
Sango blushed prettily at that as she struggled to find the coherent words to form a response, but failed, choosing to scowl reproachfully to hide her amusement.
Sesshomaru decided it was time to intervene when it became apparent that no answer was forthcoming from the slayer. He had no desire to see the monk in such a state of undress. "This Sesshomaru has acceptable apparel the miko can use."
Without warning, the great taiyoukai Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, whistled. Loudly.
Everyone conscious immediately covered their ears, Inuyasha having done so as soon as he saw his brother bring two fingers up to his lips. Kagome didn't flinch.
After a couple moments of silence, there was a resounding roar and the ground shook with the weight of something incredibly massive landing on it. After a few moments, Ah-Un, a two headed dragon, came stomping out of the forest carrying Sesshomaru's young ward Rin and his retainer, Jaken.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called happily, waving from the saddle. She grinned her usual gap-toothed grin at her Lord and savior looking almost comical with the several large flowers laced all through her wild hair. A glance at his retainer found no improvement, as the imp had flowers sticking out of his robes from several odd angles and a pile of said flowers draped across his lap. Even the staff of two heads had suffered from Rin's entertainment, the large floral pieces secured between the two faces. His green face was twisted into a nasty expression of disgust and exhaustion, his arms folded angrily across his chest.
Outwardly, the daiyoukai made no change in expression but inside, he was fighting the urge to chuckle in amusement. He approached his mount quickly, his lips curled into a frown to hide his mirth and unbuckled one of the saddle bags, immediately retrieving one of his own spare kimono baring the colors of the West and handed calmly to the Slayer. She thanked him profusely before setting to work on her friend, as Kikyo helped to pull her arms through the sleeves and lift her body to secure the ties.
Once she was dressed, the group wasted no time getting her on Ki-la-la and back to camp, with Ah-Un and Sesshomaru following closely behind.
Inuyasha and Kikyo were both left in the clearing alone to ponder on what had just happened.
"Naraku...is dead," Kikyo said with finality, looking over at her lover with shining eyes. "Naraku is dead and we have Kagome to thank for it," she gushed, feeling the sting of tears blur her vision despite her appreciation and relief. "To thank for our lives. Neither one of us saw him coming," she admitted with horrible disbelief, shaking her head back and forth. She paced in front of him, her eyes downcast as she distressed herself to the point of tears. He could smell them in the air as she turned back to face him and he was astonished to see the depth of emotion she was showing him and it hurt him to see it. "How selfish have we been, Inuyasha? How blind?" she continued quietly. "She came rushing to save us only to find us sneaking off to embrace in secret. Despite knowing this, she did not hesitate to protect us. If she had," she whispered brokenly, the tears now pouring down her cheeks, "Even if only for an instant, our souls would have passed on by now. I am ashamed of my actions," she confessed mournfully, finally meeting his eyes again. In them, he found a world of hurt he never thought her capable of expressing. "I thought...I thought I would save all of you. That it didn't matter what kind of emotional pain I caused when in the end, I would use my very life to take him and the jewel out of this world. Because then, I had no desire to live. I existed in a world without your love, denied your love. I was willing to sacrifice this life for the chance at vengeance, for all that resided in me was a world of anger and hurt.
"But then there you were, offering me that very thing and it took so long to believe in it, to trust it. I felt my heart begin to fill with things long deprived- joy, love, intimacy. Now we are together and I am complete," she smiled tearfully as her lip quivered pitifully, signaling there was more to come. "But I am ashamed that I do not possess a fraction of the heart that my reincarnation does. Your love made me want to live so much that I no longer knew how to fight against Naraku, I was so afraid of loosing you again. Still terrified of parting from you and that fault has caused her emotional pain."
"Kikyo..." he began softly, reaching out to her but stopping when she nodded her head mournfully.
"She was denied your love and she overcame it with a will to live like no other. She continued to fight Naraku despite the most unlikely circumstances and now she has defeated him for us. How could we hurt a creature like that? What kind of...person have I become?"
As the sobs finally came and racked her body, she felt warm, strong hands rest firmly on her shoulders to pull her against a muscled chest and she gave into the comfort as she felt his arms wrap tightly around her waist. "We both hurt Kagome and together, we will both make it up to her. We owe her that for all she's done. Kagome will forgive us; as you said, her heart is just that big," he assured her gently.
"I know," she whispered. "I know she will. But do we deserve it?"