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Ness
Chapter 7 Come To Terms
Out of there popped out a pretty girl. She wore a familiar skirt and shirt that resembled a uniform. Her hair was loose and black, flowing freely down her back down to her waist with bangs framing her face. K-Kikyo…?
Was she me?
Kikyo had absorbed all the poison from Kagome's body, purifying it through her own body. She felt relieved but also pained from the effects of the poison, although, she kept the latter quiet so that no one would worry. She'd keep her discomfort to herself and continue to display that she remained unaffected by it.
Kagome seemed to be having trouble internally as if she were in a bad dream at the moment. Kikyo felt that during the purification process but didn't know what it was. That's when she realized that Kagome wouldn't wake up until she was ready, even with the purification.
"How is she?" Inuyasha asked sitting beside her, his eyes flickering from one woman to the other.
"I removed the poison from her body. The herbs Sango applied to her should heal her wound without scarring." She avoided eye contact with him, fearing that burning desire to hold him would resurface again. She willed it to subside so she wouldn't lose her concentration.
"Will she wake up?"
"Whenever she's ready to allow herself to." Was the priestess' only response as she wrung the towel and placed it over the girl's head.
Inuyasha usually felt uncomfortable by the two women being within the same area but his attention had been so focused on Kagome that he had no time to even question his feelings for Kikyo. He didn't know how he felt about that but all he knew was that he wanted Kagome to wake up. He wanted her to yell at him and get mad and tell him to sit a million times, but most of all he wanted her to live.
Kikyo's twinkling eyes caught sight of me and a kind smile decorated her petite features, enhancing her beauty. I can see why Inuyasha fell in love with her. Her smile was surely something to look at.
"Kagome,"
"What do you want?" My voice sounded sharper and colder than intended to and I saw Kikyo flinch in response. If things were as they seemed to be then she wasn't the cold woman she portrayed to be. She was probably kinder and softer in her tone and gestures. She sat down in front of me, propped on her heels, with her head tilted slightly to the side.
"Inuyasha's been looking for you." Her eyes were filled with sadness as she lowered them to the ground beneath us.
I scoffed. "I doubt it."
"He really does care about you, Kagome." Her voice was firm and it felt as though she were telling the actual me this for reassurance. My eyes flickered to hers, widening slightly.
"I…"
"Kikyo!" I heard Inuyasha call loudly past the bushes. "Where is that stupid girl?" Kikyo's face seemed to brighten at the sound of his voice while my heart lurched from behind my chest. She stood up and ran off, waving to me before she went. I looked over and saw she left her bag.
"Sorry Inuyasha." The two of them embraced in a hug and I felt that gut-wrenching pain in my stomach tearing me in two. I watched as the man I loved, love someone else and I…accepted it…letting him go…
Is that how Kikyo felt then? She knew she wasn't a live woman anymore and was giving up her own happiness for his. She could never walk amongst us as a live being again and that's why she accepted her fate but she also felt bitterness in her heart, bitterness that she was damned to a fate she did not want. However, she still loved him and whenever she watched him and me she must've felt sorrow knowing that it was her in his embrace before. She watched the person she loved fall in love with someone else…and there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even fight for him, it'd be pointless. So she settled for his happiness at the cost of her own.
I felt tears streaming down my eyes as I clutched my shirt and broken bow against me. I understand now more than ever. Kikyo ran back, her hair flying wildly behind her. She bent down and grabbed her bag placing her dainty hand, delicately, on my shoulder giving it a small shake.
"Hey," She said in a soft voice. "You're stopping yourself from going back. Don't be fooled." Before I could ask her what that meant she was on her feet, giggling back to an annoyed Inuyasha's side.
"Oh stop your moping!"
"I ain't moping!" He argued back huffing as usual while Kikyo happily followed behind him. They both disappeared from my line of sight and something in me cracked. I was suddenly more alone than I felt two minutes ago with Kikyo sitting before me. The tears seemed endless and my grip on the bow tightened as my despair grew. Following Kikyo's life, I seem to understand her more than before…but I'm not Kikyo, I'm Kagome. I have my very own life to live.
"She…" I sniffled, wiping my eyes. "She said to not stop myself from going back."
What does that mean? I'm probably dead right now but I guess that's better than living as a person who I'm not. I closed my eyes feeling the salt water tracks that ran down my cheeks, dry.
"Inuyasha…" I mumbled when I felt a sudden acute pain in my stomach where the arrow had struck me. "Ugh…" I groaned opening my eyes to find a different scenery than the greenery and trees.
Huh? This isn't the well. It looked like a small hut; I looked around and saw Miroku against the corner cradling his staff between his arms with his head bowed as he slept—a mourned expression on his face. My eyes didn't find Inuyasha, which I found strange. He usually never leaves my side when I'm hurt.
I saw a second bow resting upon the entrance of the hut. My nose wrinkled to the side, confused. A second bow? Is Kikyo here? I didn't see her around but I knew that the bow belonged to her. When my eyes dropped to my stomach, I noticed the arrow was completely gone from my abdomen and all that was there were gauges wrapped tightly around my wound. Not only that but to my surprise, I wasn't in my uniform anymore, but rather I was in Inuyasha's robe causing me to blush slightly. It ended short on me, brushing by the tops of my thighs, when the pain shot once through my stomach. I groaned, placing my hand over it carefully.
"Kagome!" I heard Sango yell as she made her way over to me. Soon I was enveloped in her arms as she hugged me close to her. I grinned, glad that I was able to see her again.
"Sango."
"Oh Kagome, you're okay!" She cried, a huge smile on her face, while Shippo appeared beside her, beaming from ear to ear.
"Kagome!" Miroku stirred, his eyes slowly opened and saw me sitting down in Sango's embrace. He snapped up instantly and ran over to me.
"Kagome!" I laughed lightly at everyone echoing my name, content to be myself again surrounded by my friends. I never thought hearing my name would bring me this much joy. The floorboards creaked and when I looked up I saw Inuyasha standing by the doorway. His face was shocked, his eyes holding a mixture of sadness and joy.
"Kagome…" I sat up straighter with Sango's help and nodded.
"Inuyasha." He ran over to me and grabbed my hand in his.
"Are you okay?" I cupped his hand with my other one, smiling. He's concerned about me and my well-being. I felt a spark blooming in my stomach at the knowledge of that.
"You're awake." A soft voice acknowledged.
"Kikyo." She stood straight, her eyes looking towards me with no hatred or hostility in them. They looked mournful…as she watched us. I felt Inuyasha's immediate discomfort as the two of us spoke in the same room. He was worried over the reaction I would have over this. Tension suddenly filled the room with everyone's pending reactions. Sango threw Miroku a worried glance and Shippo covered his ears for precaution.
"Kikyo," Inuyasha started nervously. "She helped save you." My eyes widened in shock. I never thought I'd hear that. I was used to saving Kikyo but I always had my doubts if given the opportunity she'd save me. I was proven wrong at this moment and confirmed that she in fact is a noble, kind, yet misunderstood woman.
"You're strong to have withstood that long." She continued, remaining where she stood, making no attempts to get closer to any of us. "Anyone else would have died within minutes of the poison contact."
"She purified it." Sango's voice held obvious gratitude. "Through her own body." My head whipped to see her.
"But Kikyo that'll hurt you! It'll weaken you against Naraku's miasma!" She said nothing verbally but in her eyes I saw she knew all this from the start and was determined to do it anyways in order to save me. My heart softened towards her. "Kikyo, thank—" When everyone turned back to her, she had gripped her bow tightly and exited the little hut saying nothing else.
Inuyasha looked at her with something in his eyes that I couldn't quite decipher but in the end smiled slightly. He was thanking her for what she did for me. I could never thank her enough for what she did; it'll always be in my heart. My hand clutched over my heart. Everyone's attention was back on me, their expressions worried, and that's when they suddenly started asking me if I needed anything, which I kindly declined.
Thank you Kikyo. Thank you very much.
