Eclipsing Grace by Hairann [ Oneshot # 38 ]
Title: Eclipsing Grace
Author: Hairann
Theme: Rainbow
Genre: Drama, Action, Angst
AU/CU: Cannon
Rating: T
Warnings: Character death.
Word Count: 1684
Prompt Summary: Just how far will Kagome go to save her enemy?
Story Summary: There once was a priestess who found binding a demon to be the hardest thing she ever had to do. 50 years later another priestess found releasing him to be the easiest. History repeats itself, only this time binding the demon was easy, it was releasing him that proved to be difficult.
Link: http://www.dokuga.com/fanfiction/story/3217/1
AN: Part 8 of Voluntary Obligation.
Feeling a small drop of moisture land on her cheek, Kagome sleepily wiped it away with her fingers, her umber eyes remaining closed as she willed herself back into dreamland. Another drop landed on the tip of her nose and she grumbled as she hurried to remove the cold drop. Feeling no more interruptions, Kagome felt herself beginning to drift back off only to screech in surprise a moment later as the dark skies opened up, pouring its freezing rain onto her.
Now completely awake, Kagome shook her fist at the uncaring sky before jumping to her feet and throwing her already wet sleeping bag over her head to try and ward off the rain. Glaring around the clearing, as she searched for a better place to seek shelter while she waited out the storm, her eyes fell upon Sesshoumaru. Finally remembering his presence, Kagome quickly made her way over to where he remained, throwing the sleeping bag over his head and cuddling up as close to him as she dared.
As a booming clash of thunder streaked across the sky, Kagome jumped in surprise, pressing herself unknowingly closer to him, unconsciously seeking comfort from the fright. It wasn't until she heard the low growl vibrating from him, that she realized what she was doing. “Oh stuff it,” she growled back as she scooted over a few inches, just far enough that they were no longer touching, though both remained sheltered by the sleeping bag.
“You know, it's not like I want to be this close to you either, but I'm not entirely sure if you can catch a cold or not and don't dare chance it. Just think about how much more I would have to tend to you if you did. Suffering through a little close contact during this storm doesn't seem so bad when you compare them, does it?” she questioned rhetorically as a flash of lightning split the sky, illuminating their small clearing, giving his golden eyes an eerie red glow. Dismissing the thought that he was beginning to transform into his massive, demon form, Kagome ignored the chill his glowing eyes had sent to her core.
“You know, you could at least pretend to be thankful for all I have gone through for you this past week. I realize you never asked for my help, but I have never heard you growl when I am trying to remove the arrow. I know you can at least understand what is going on around you, how else would you have been able to stop Rin when she tried to touch it? So I am positive you know what I have been trying to do, and what I have had to suffer in my attempts, yet you have never stopped me. Is it really all that much to ask for a little comfort when I am scared after all of the pain I have endured trying to help you?” Kagome spat at him before turning away to glare angerly at the rain soaked clearing.
Kagome held onto her anger for a few moments, allowing her temper to flair within her, the heat it caused helping her warm her slightly. But all too soon it disappeared with a gasp as another clash of thunder echoed across the sky, startling her, forcing her to lose her concentration. “Look I get it, okay? You don't want some pathetic human helping you, but I owe you my life and whether that means anything to you or not, it does to me. So just suffer through my presence and help a little while longer, will you?”
Not expecting a reply from the silent demon lord, Kagome didn't bother waiting for one as she once again turned her attention back to the heavily falling rain. She sighed out loud to herself, quickly becoming bored by the scenery and unknowingly began speaking out loud to him. “I guess I can't really consider storms to be all bad, even if I am easily startled by the thunder. I know the storm will pass, leaving behind a beautiful rainbow, just as they always do,” Kagome said with a smile before turning toward her demon 'companion' and fully speaking to him.
“You know about karma right?” she inquired and continued without waiting for his reply, “For every negative there is a positive. For every darkness there is a light. For every evil there is a good. The same can be said about this storm. Even though it is dark and cold, the clouds block out the light of the moon leaving only the ocasional strikes of lightning to light our way and the clashes of thunder frighten me, it too will pass. And all that will remain will be a rainbow. Have you ever seen one? I know dogs are colorblind but never asked Inuyasha if dog demons were as well.
“But just like this storm, what we are suffering will pass too. Everything negative you are dealing with now will lead the way for positive in your life. Just as it will mine. I can't help but wonder though, if these burns are my storm, what will my rainbow be?” Kagome wondered out loud as she glanced down at her mostly dry bandages, seeing a few specks of blood had soaked through and they would need to be changed soon. “But if it's any consolation, my powers seemed to be fully recharged now. If I am right about them being the key to releasing you, you do not have much longer to wait to be rid of me.”
^^^^^
Kagome grumbled softly as she felt herself being pulled into the land of the waking, fighting with everything she had to remain in her peaceful dream for a few moments longer. But her struggle was in vain as the deep growl coming from beside her, roused her completely. Confused, Kagome sleepily wiped her eyes as she turned to find the reason he was growling so early in the morning. Sometime during the night, she had cuddled up against him, resting her head against his shoulder. “Sorry,” she mumbled half-heartedly as she pushed herself off of him and breathed in the fresh, after rain, air.
Rising to her feet, Kagome pulled the damp sleeping bag off of them and tossed it to the side to be dealt with later. Stretching her arms above her head, she let off a loud yawn as she worked out the kinks her sleeping position had caused. “See, Sesshoumaru, the storm has passed leaving us a rainbow in its wake,” she informed him as she gestured to the other side of the clearing where a rainbow could just barely be made out over the tree tops. “Well what do you say we get this over with?” she inquired rhetorically as she turned back to him with a smile.
Dropping to her knees before him, Kagome drew in a deep breath as she steeled herself for the pain she knew was to come. “Ready?” she questioned and without waiting for his response, figuring he wouldn't answer her even if he could, Kagome reached her hands up, grabbing onto the all to familiar shaft of the arrow. Instantly the bright, pink power began to shoot up from the arrow, yet again remindering her of lightning strikes, and she started screaming in pain as more burns layered themselves on top of those she had already received.
Pushing the pain to the back of her mind, as much as she could, Kagome began pulling her powers from as deep within her as she could, waging a war between hers and the priestess's who had started all of this. As she held Sesshoumaru's golden gaze with her own, the battle between the holy powers went unnoticed by her. The pain already almost to the point of being unbearable, she did her best to smile through the tears that coursed their way down her cheeks, as she gave him a quick nod and began to pull with all of her strength.
Feeling the arrow begin to move, Kagome forced every ounce of power she could muster to rise to the surface, the bright, pink light of her power circling around the arrow's shaft as it tried to drown out the other priestess's. Her screams grew louder as the waring powers flared up around them, bathing them both in a bright, pink hue, burning and healing them simultaneously. “You will not beat me this time,” she swore as she tightened her grip so hard on the arrow that her knuckles began turning white, using ever last drop of energy she had to pull the arrow.
Slowly, and ever so painfully for both of them, the shaft began to retract, finally disintegrating just as the arrow head had come in contract with the skin on his back. No longer having a force fighting against her, Kagome was thrown back by the sudden loss of something to hold onto, only to be caught as Sesshoumaru's clawed hand grabbed onto her arm. His howl of pain echoed through the clearing around them, its haunting tune chilling her to the core, though she paid it little mind as she smiled up at him. “It finally worked,” she whispered through watery eyes.
Feeling a stinging pain in her arm, afraid the burns had extended passed her hands, Kagome glanced down only to find the cause was much worse than she had originally feared. Embedded into the flesh of her arm, were Sesshoumaru's claws, each one releasing his eerie, green poison into her blood. She watched in amazement for a few moments as the green lines traced the path of her veins, visible even through her skin. Glancing back up at him, her watery smile still lighting her face, she opened her mouth as a single droplet of blood stained her chin as gravity took its course. “I guess I won't get to see my rainbow after all,” she whispered softly, her voice sounding raw and hoarse, as her umber eyes slowly closed, and her body went slack in his grip.