"Kaede, is the knife heated?"
"Yes, onee-sama." Kaede lifted a knife from the fire and handed it to Kikyo, being careful not to touch the metal. Kikyo accepted the knife and pressed the flat of the steel on the reopened wound the unconscious girl. Kikyo is aware of the frailty of humans compared to the strength and endurance of youkai. Left alone, the purified miasma from the youkai will return and kill Inutsuki overnight before she manages to regain her youki.
As the hot metal touched the opening, Inutsuki involuntarily twitched and screamed. Soon, the bleeding stopped and Kikyo hoped that the wound would not become infected. She covered Inutsuki with a blanket and laid down beside her, her presence alone purifying the poison within Inutsuki.
"Kaede, you should get some sleep. I'll be awake almost the whole night." Kaede nodded, crept to her pallet, covering herself with a blanket and fell asleep shortly.
Beside Kikyo, Inutsuki shifted uneasily in her sleep, crying out occasionally. Kikyo wasn't sure, but she thought she can make out the words "mother". She clutched the smaller girl tighter to her, smoothing her hair, trying to keep the poison in Inutsuki from destroying her mind.
-In the Morning-
Inutsuki opened her eyes as she felt her blood change and found herself looking at the ceiling of a human house. She looked around her and suddenly saw Kikyo's sleeping face. She gasped in surprise, but immediately covered her mouth. That sound, however, was enough to wake Kikyo, who always have been a light sleeper.
"Good morning, Inutsuki," Kikyo greeted as she noted Inutsuki's white hair. As she sat up, Inutsuki immediately tried to sit up too. Halfway up, Inutsuki winced, clutched her shoulder and fell back onto the bed. The poison had left her severely weakened. Kikyo stood up, feeling for her dress. Putting it on, she tied her long hair. Finally, she sat back down next to Inutsuki and hugged her. Inutsuki made no move to push her away.
"Why, did you save me? You repayed your debt last night..." Inutsuki said quietly, not looking Kikyo in the eyes.
"Even if you ask that, I can't just leave you there, can I?" Kikyo answered. The two sat in silence for a few moments. Finally, Kikyo asked Inutsuki,"Are you alone?"
Inutsuki looked at Kikyo in surprise; she had not been expecting a question like this. She waited a while before answering. "Yes... I'm a hanyou, so I'm shunned by both demons and humans. Wherever i go, I'm rejected. This is why I want the jewel... to be the strongest youkai in the land and force everyone to accept me."
Kikyo nodded, understanding. "I too, am alone. Wherever I go, demons attack, wanting to wipe my purifying power from the world. Kaede followed me every time we moved without complaint. She's a good girl." Kikyo paused in her story to look at the sleeping form of Kaede before continuing.
"At last we came to this village. For some reason, very little demons attack, probably dued to the youkai taijiya village nearby. I thought I could settle and live like a normal girl with Kaede but it will not be so."
"The Shikon no Tama was presented to me for me to purify and protect. Because of this treasure, countless youkai attacked. However, never once did the villagers asked me to leave; I'm grateful."
As Kikyo finished, Inutsuki remained silent as she thought over her words. At last, Kikyo spoke to Inutsuki again. "There is another path for you. You don't have to be a youkai."
At that, Inutsuki's ears perked up. "You mean, for me to become human?"
"Yes. Legend says that if you make the correct wish upon to Shikon no Tama, it will be destroyed. There is another way. If a person makes a selfless wish for another they care about, that wish will be granted and the Shikon no Tama will be destroyed forever."
Tears welled up in Inutsuki's eyes and she pressed her head into Kikyo's arms. "You would do that for me..?"
Kikyo smiled at the girl in her arms. "So strong on the outside, but a soft and warm heart within," she thought to herself. "Yes, Inutsuki, I will. Afterwards, you can live with me and Kaede."
Inutsuki looked up at the smiling face and uttered one sentence, her eyes full of gratitude.
"Thank you, onee-sama."