You have Returned to me

'Thought'
"Speaking"
(Actions/sounds)
Italics - flashbacks
Italic & bold - writings
Baka - Stupid/Fool
Jii-chan – Grandpa
Gomennasai - I beg your pardon (id), excuse me
Ningen - human
Youkai - Demon
Kijo - demoness, witch, ogress, she-devil
Koishii – Beloved
Ayatsuri - Doll/Puppet
Onna - Women
Haori - Shirt
Hanyou - half demon
Hentai – pervert/lecher
0ooo0 - Scene Change or POV Switch


Chapter 7
Complete

She was floating in an endless sea of white, there was no pain, no sadness just the vast nothingness. 'Am I dead?' she thought fleetingly the idea did not haunt her as one would have thought. It was as if she could not feel remorse, she could not think of anything but the here and now. Space was a vexing thing it could be melded and shaped into anything and right now Kagome was a clean slate. Her heart so pure her, soul so strong, her spirit so bright she was in awe of herself. It was like the first time she was able to see her soul so complete and in utter happiness. The taint from the dead priestess was purified before it rejoined the rest of her soul. She could see her soul; it was almost like she was hovering over her body looking down at herself. It was not until her observation became one of detail did she notice a sliver of bright white light she assumed to be a piece of Midoriko's soul weaving into her own filling in the dimmer areas. It was then that she noticed her soul was still not yet complete, but the feeling of completeness that she now felt was a sham and she knew it.

Kagome now knew her soul was not complete, but the feeling of completeness came from the fact that she had never actually felt the presence of her complete soul. The closest she had felt to complete was before Kikyo had a piece of her soul so it sent false feelings of completion to her.

A troubling thought came to her unbidden as she once again remembered she was born with the jewel. Then the hard truth of what the jewel was in essence made her gulp audibly 'The Shikon, The Jewel of Four Souls. Could it be that I am not the reincarnation of Kikyo but of Midoriko? Could that be the reason why I was born with the jewel then sent back in time to free the rest of my soul from the jewel?' as she thought this the white vista of nothingness began to whirl with color.

Kagome was now standing in a cave filled with youkai. She now recognized the cave as the one she saw at the Taijiya village. Her gaze was soon settled within the center of the cave, there stood a beautiful woman with long dark hair. Kagome could tell by her aura that she was a priestess but who she didn't know, it was not until she saw her face closer did she realize who it was she was looking at "Midoriko" her voice sounded liked a whispered prayer. Kagome watched as the warrior priestess purified countless youkai with a plain sword charged with her miko powers. The youkai's numbers where dwindling and soon all that was left was a huge snake like youkai with several others partly connected to his body telling her it was an unnatural hanyou that she was facing 'An unnatural hanyou like Naraku.' she thought watching the scene unfold before her. Kagome watched as she next performed a spell she only heard about.


Midoriko held her two hands in front of her even with her chest. She chanted an ancient language, within her hands a small white orb began to form.

Kagome watched the miko as the orb began to appear, she knew the out come of this battle but she wanted to know how one such as the youkai she had seen was able to defeat such a powerful miko. Granted they both lost in a sense. She watched Midoriko's face contort in exhaustion she was struggling to capture the soul of the youkai but was forced to take his ningen soul as well. The youkai had wrapped itself around the tired miko and began to squeeze, attempting to kill her that way instead. Kagome watched the pained expression of the miko as well as watched the internal battle of her soul. Midoriko's expression soon turned into one of determination.

Midoriko could feel literally the life being squeezed out of her by the snake/lizard youkai. 'If I will die today then I will take you with me.' was her last thought before she used the rest of her energy to rip the remaining piece of soul from the youkai. As soon as the last piece of the youkai entered her body she died.
Kagome watched as Midoriko's eyes rolled in back of her head and the jewel burst with fury out if her chest. Kagome watched the scene with undisguised interest; she could see the piece of Midoriko's soul being harvested that was not sucked into the jewel. When they were done she could see the little sliver of soul that was left over.


Kagome now understood fully, she may have been Kikyo's reincarnation but Kikyo could have been reincarnated from Midoriko. Upon that realization the scene began to fade away being replaced once again by the vast nothingness. "So that is why I was born with the jewel? Because her soul wished to be reunited with the rest of itself." she thought as she began to feel a strange pulling sensation.

0ooo0

The group except Inuyasha and Sesshomaru looked on with concern, Kagome still had not moved or uttered a sound but she was not dead. Her heartbeat had proved as much, but she was far from alive as well. They did not know what happened, one minute she was standing and the next she fainted. They surmised that it must have been the fault of her soul returning and the addition of Midoriko's will, it must have been a bit much for her to handle.

Miroku was confused, he was a wise monk and knew that when Kikyo departed her soul would return but he was not expecting the transfer of Midoriko's will. He did not know if Kagome could handle the overload her soul would surely go through from adding an alien piece, a piece that did not belong. He looked at his lovely Sango as she stroked Kagome and a lecherous smile came to his face as he imagined what it would look like if they were naked caressing each other

Shippo watched in horror as Kagome lay motionless on the ground in Sango's lap as if she was dead. 'I can't take it! I will not lose her as I lost mother and father!' he thought while struggling with his tears. He wanted to be strong for her he knew she would need it when she awoke.

Sango sat with the Kagome's head on her lap as she ran her fingers soothingly through her hair. She needed her sister to wake up; she was being to become hysterical thinking she was going to lose another she had grown to love. Sniffling to herself she thought with conviction 'Kagome is strong, if anyone can make it through this it is Kagome!' her determined belief left no room for a second guess or question.
Sango sat like that unmoving for a few hours before she heard Kagome groan. She was coming to and Sango could not be any happier.

Kagome could feel the warm fingers gliding through her hair she opened her eyes and with a groan shut them tight again. It was midday; the sun was shinning directly above them and in her face. Bringing a hand up to shield her eyes she opened them and was met with brown eyes shinning in relief. "Sango? What happened, is Inuyasha ok?" she asked not really remembering the fight too well. The only thing on her mind at the moment was what she had just learnt.


Sango gave her friend a look that told Kagome all she needed to know, Inuyasha was ok but he was not there with them. 'Most likely alone with Kikyo.' she thought forgetting that Kikyo was now dead as a sigh escaped her lips as she attempted to sit up. "Um something strange happened when I was unconscious. I am not sure if it was real but it felt so real." she said trailing off in her explanation as she tried to decide weather or not she believed it was real and true information she could use.


Miroku having heard what she said sat beside Sango to listen to what she had to say. Sesshomaru stood in the clearing watching over the miko, he did after all say he would protect her. He could hear her fine from the distance he was in. he was curious; he had seen the strange lightshow before she had fallen unconscious from the union it performed.


Sango looked at Kagome with a relieved smile "Go ahead tell us, it might be important." she coaxed, anything to get Kagome's mind off of where Inuyasha was.

Kagome first looked at Sango thoughtfully, then to Miroku and finally to Sesshomaru before turning her eyes back to Sango. "It was strange, at first I was in a white area. I could see nothing but a vast empty space of nothing but whiteness. I remember asking myself why I was 'sent' there, and then I was shown. I was there and I watched as she fought the youkai in that cave. I watched the pain in her face as she took her last breath. I watched the youkai die as she died. I watched the jewel burst forth from her chest. I watched as the remainder of her soul that was not trapped within the jewel being harvested. I saw the sliver of soul that would become what Kikyo used to perform Midoriko's will. It was then that the thought occurred to me, I may be Kikyo's reincarnation but she must have been reincarnated from Midoriko, or at least what was left of her soul. When Kikyo brought the jewel with her into the afterlife it fused with her soul following it into the next life, into me. The jewel wishes to be a part of my soul once again. That is why I have a connection with it because in a sense it is a part of me. And that was why the piece of soul Kikyo harvested from the remains of Midoriko fused with mine so easily, because it belonged there." She finished looking at the awed faces of her friends.

They knew she was special but that had no idea that she was that special. They were curious all of them wondered the same thing 'How were they going to free the soul in the jewel so it could return to were it belongs.' it was a troubling thought because they had no idea how it could be done. Sango and Miroku were at a loss for words and just stared dumbly at Kagome.

Sesshomaru on the other hand his mind was working a mile a minute. He had discovered he had a growing affection for the miko and tried to convince himself it was out of duty. Now however he acknowledged his growing feelings, he was caring for the miko because she was in essence his mate. His Mitsukai had returned to him in the form of the miko Kagome. He wanted to be with his mate again and the kami gifted him with Kagome. She was alike his koishii Mitsukai in many ways he noticed that a long time ago, the taint that was within Midoriko's soul was no longer there within Kagome's. Her soul was as pure as his Mitsukai before she was murdered. Kagome's caring nature had purified the taint present in Midoriko's soul; he just hoped she had enough strength to purify the taint in the section of her soul harbored within the Shikon. That was something he would worry over later, now however his thoughts were centered on one thing… Kagome.

He knew that if he wanted to be with his mate again he would have to seduce Kagome into loving him. Normally the idea of having to work on a woman's feelings towards him would have repulsed him, but that was before he learned the truth of what really happened the day his mate disappeared.
Sesshomaru was determined, and when he was determined he got whatever he desired 'Save Tessaiga.' he thought bitterly while looking at the miko with a new type of hunger. He would have her all of her!


~