Lost Loves
A red clad figure rushed by, eyes desperately seeking any sign of those he had scented nearby. His heart was torn, both his loves missing, possibly hurt, possibly by each other. Both scents ended at the same rock wall. He ran about franticly searching, his mind on the battle that constantly waged in his heart. If he had to choose, who would he save? Both, damn it, he answered his self, both, or my life trying to!
Inside the large stone yokai, known as the priestess killer, two women struggled on, fighting for their very lives. One was already weak, frozen on the floor, her body emptied of the souls she required to move. Still, the younger fought on, trying with all her might to save her rival, one who had broken her heart on many occasions. She fought on trying to slay the yokai that had lured them in, its large eye glaring down on them from the ceiling.
“It’s useless.” Kikyo whispered from where she lie on the floor, her mind filled with sorrow.
“It is not.” Kagome pulled her sacred jewel shards out, determined, “Neither of us will die here!”
The creature knocked the bottle from her hand. Kikyo watched in amazement as the girl fought off tentacles, retrieving the shards. “Kagome, come here please!” she asked, hope and desperation in her voice. She did not want to die again, not while Naraku still polluted the world with his presence.
Without question, the girl came to her side, her open, trusting heart allowing nothing else. In her hand, Kikyo held out the one shard that she possessed. Kagome added hers to it and wrapped her hands around the older priestesses. “Now what?” She asked, a little breathless from her fight with the nasty tentacles. A slight shutter went through her, she hated tentacles.
“Pray with me. It matters not for what, just pray with all your strength.” The woman covered their clasped hands and amid the chaos, closed their eyes and reached for their power. After a bright flash of light, they released each other, Kagome now holding one large jewel shard where there had been a few small ones. She attached it to her one remaining arrow and let it fly. She caught the great beast dead center of his eye, her sacred arrow pricing through, purifying the yokai.
Kagome sat across from Kikyo, both panting from the hours they had struggled through. “Why?” Kikyo stared at her, her cool eyes dumfounded, “Why would you risk your life for mine?”
Kagome stood, stretching. “Because he needs you, would be devastated if he lost you again.” She watched as her soul collectors gathered near.
“And you as well.” Kikyo stated, knowing it to be true. “He needs you as well.”
“I will not make him choose, Kikyo. I have watched him suffer more than I can bare to, always hurting, aching for love and acceptance for who he is, as he is, no matter how he denies it. I will not force him, causing more pain, nor will I let you die while it is in my power to save you. I love him.” She said, turning to go.
“You would do anything for him?” she questioned, thoughts whirling in her head. Perhaps there was a way to help the man they both loved, but it came with a price they both must pay.
“I would.” Kagome said without hesitation, looking back at her.
Kikyo, now able to stand, walked to her. “Would you bind your life to mine and share him with me? Understand that we could not leave each other for long, you would not be able to return permanently to your time. We would share a soul, equally.”
Kagome startled, realizing what she was asking of her. Could she share Inuyasha in all things, living together with them forever if it meant his happiness? In a heartbeat. “Yes, I would do that, so long as you take him as he is, for who and what his is.” Her voice was serious and cool, so unusual for the young woman.
“The only reason I wanted to make him human was to be rid of the jewel and the weight it placed on me. I realize that I was selfish, I would never ask such a thing from him again. I have grown in my death.” She smiled faintly.
“I never disliked you personally, Kikyo, I just didn’t like the way you treated him, but I am sorry for what happened to both of you.” She looked down, “even though I was jealous as hell.” She added, returning the smile.
“I was as well,” Kikyo held her hand out to her, much like she had in the cave. She was still overwhelmingly surprised at how easily the girl gave her trust after all she had put her through. After all, she had tried to kill Inuyasha and her on many occasions early on in her resurrection, a time she had only been filled with rage over her death.
Kagome took her hand, standing close. “We have to open to each other completely, your power into mine, mine into you. We will share a soul and a life, if either of us are wounded or die, so does the other. This takes absolute trust, Kagome.” Thought, on that aspect, Kikyo strangely worried more about herself than her.
“I understand.” Kagome said, calmly placing her hand in the older woman’s. There was finely something she could do for him, for them, to ease the pain that they carried. She met her eyes, open and honest as ever. “I am ready.” She closed her eyes and dropped her defenses, allowing her rekei to rise to swirl around them as she opened her mind like when she meditated.
Kikyo was stunned at the amount of power the girl possessed. She surpassed any priestess she had ever known or heard of. All she lacked was the training that most endured from early childhood. Which she will get now, Kikyo vowed to herself before closing her eyes and opening herself to one of the warmest beings ever created, never failing to astonish with her ability to help, to forgive, or to love with all of her might.
Blue and violet swirled together around both woman, white orbs of light escaping Kikyo's body as the soul collectors slowly disappeared as the life returned to her. Both of them gasped as a wave of heat ran through them, leaving both filled with desire. The first breath of her new body rushed into Kagome’s mouth as they kissed, brought together by a force they did not understand. When the light faded, they found each other looking into each others eyes, embarrassed.
Kikyo pulled away, shocked at her own behavior. “I….I’m sorry.” She whisper, touching her still tingling lips.
Kagome stepped closer to her, her fingers tailing over Kikyo’s cheek, finding it warm and flushed, blood flowing within her once more. Within herself, she felt their new connection. They now shared one soul, vast and powerful. Strange as it seemed, it felt right to her. In her usual excepting way, she said, “It’s alright, Kikyo.” She placed a small kiss against her mouth. “It makes sense. We love him, he loves us, should we not also care for each other?”
“But….” Kikyo was still horrified by her pull toward the other girl. Inuyasha had been the only one to inspire such a feeling with in her body. She was freaked, badly.
Kagome laughed softly. Realizing that she was from a time far more open and excepting of such things, she would not push it, thought she doubted the feeling would go away just because Kikyo wanted it to. Feelings didn’t work that way, they push you, drive you to do things that you would normally not, and sometimes consumed you until you gave into them. It would take time for the priestess to come to terms with that part of life. Kagome was just thrilled that her beloved Inuyasha would no longer have to grieve over the loss of one of them. “It’s ok, Kikyo. We can just share him, if that makes you feel better.” Kind, compassionate blue eyes met honey brown. She turned, only to have Kikyo stop her again, hand firmly on hers.
Slowly she pressed a small kiss on her lips, quickly gone. “I do not think that I can help it. The bond between us is special.” She said, still blushing furiously. She felt amazing, living, breathing, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Who was she to question the side effects of that?
“And think of all the ways we can play with Inuyasha!” Kagome laughed, mischievous light filling her eyes.
Kikyo found herself chuckling softly as she followed behind her, hands still clasped together. Kagome was a force of nature all on her own, she was discovering. With all that she had suffered through, was it so wrong to have her old love renewed, but also this new warmth burning inside her? A new determination awakened with in her, having experienced death, she now wanted to live, taking advantage of all this life would offer her, even if it meant spending the rest of her life blushing red.
