"The Shikon jewel possesses great power," Kikyo said quietly, "and for that reason no demon can be allowed to have it. A demon would use the jewel's power to grow its own, magnifying its destructive potential."
The priestess held the shimmering, over-sized pearl in the palm of one hand. She regarded it in an emotionally-neutral way, not lusting after it as did I, but not quite hating it either.
"Heh." I glared into the distance. "See, that's where your logic fails. I'm a demon, aren't I? Well--half-demon, same difference. And you don't see me running around, tearing villagers apart. What makes you think the Shikon would be unsafe in my hands?"
Her hold on the jewel tightened, but her expression was detached.
"Its power would overwhelm you and corrupt you," she said. Matter-of-factly; with conviction. "You wouldn't recognize yourself. You'd be so crazed you wouldn't know yourself, or your doings."
I scoffed.
"Are you just making this up?"
"Besides. What need do you have of more power, if not to use it toward destruction?" Her gaze was penetrating, and even though I didn't meet her eyes, I felt uncomfortable. I let my mind drift toward memories of my childhood, and of the relationship dynamics in my family.
I thought of my older brother, Sesshomaru, himself a full-demon.
I remembered, with bitterness, the way in which he had always lorded that fact of nature above me, as though that was the ultimate proof of his indisputable superiority, and my inevitable inferiority.
God, how I hated that.
"It's personal," I muttered at last. "I've got something to prove." I shifted my position. "All you need to know is that I must have that Shikon jewel, and that I'm not giving up until I get my hands on it. I won't kill you, or your pathetic village, and hey--at long last, you'll get to enjoy some peace and quiet around here."
The monsters won't be coming after you anymore.
She stood up, and I watched her, warily. The bow and quiver slung from her back, she reached inside her chest to return the Shikon to its hidden position. I rolled my eyes.
"There's no use, you know. Hiding it in your bosom. The Shikon no Tama has a presence of its own, a demon magnet. You're only putting yourself in more danger this way--instead of targeting the temple, they're all going to target you."
She laughed derisively, which I guess I deserved.
"You think I don't know that? I'm prepared to die to protect this jewel, and to protect my people. The best way to do that is to carry it with me wherever I go." And with that, she walked off, as though if to say this conversation is over.
I sat immobile for a few seconds, the cold wind biting at my bare feet, before standing suddenly and rushing after her.
"Hey, wait up!"
My words were childlike in their delivery, and she paused for a moment to let me catch up. Then we continued on together, making our way into the shadows of the forest.
"How is someone like you supposed to protect something as powerful as that?" I demanded, gesturing toward her chest. She gave me a disapproving look.
"Don't underestimate me, InuYasha."
"You're only human, after all."
She laughed.
"Well, with such a negative opinion of our kind no wonder you can't stand being half human yourself!"
I ran my tongue over my teeth.
"No, seriously, I mean it. Sure, maybe your powers allow you to sense when demons are close. A useful gift, if they give you enough time to pull out your bow and arrows. And sure, your powers are transferred through them, destroying their darkness with your light. But what's to stop someone close to you--someone like me--" I darted in front of her suddenly, encircling her neck with my right hand while the other reached for the exposed necklace chain, "from doing this the moment your guard is down?"
My claws dug into her skin, though not strongly enough to cause pain. My left hand pulled on the chain as I slowly, almost playfully, removed the necklace. The air around my hands began to shimmer as the jewel grew closer to my eager, open palms.
Whereas I was playing some type of game, Lady Kikyo had something else in mind. In one swift movement, her cold hands were upon mine, and a blast of unexpected light shone forth, burning my skin.
"Gahh!" I yelped, jumping backward and shielding my eyes. The heat was still upon me, and I couldn't see, the white light snaking up my forearm from where she had touched me. "Damn you!" I didn't mean it. And she didn't seem to take it personally. My forearm was on fire, an excruciating sensation, and it wasn't until I was on the ground, gripping my arm in agony, that the blast subsided.
"What the hell was that!" I opened my eyes slightly, my vision momentarily blurred. She stood before me in the relative coldness of the night, her livid expression having now faded into something of amusement.
"That ought to teach you."
"No kidding!" I quickly picked myself up, giving my arm a once-over. The left sleeve of my red robe was in tatters, and charred. Gingerly, I rolled my sleeve up to examine the affected area--namely, my entire left arm up to the elbow. My skin was and red and tender, such that even the gentlest kiss of wind hurt like sand in an open wound.
What the fuck!
"Geez. Remind me not to cross you again." But even so, I couldn't stay angry. Not when, for the first time in all my knowing her, I had finally managed to make her smile. "So, that's it, huh?" I shot her a smile that I hoped was charming. "The secret to making you happy is my suffering--is that it?"
She shook her head, bemused, and strode forward almost as though nothing had taken place.
"Come with me, half-demon. Let me take you to my "pathetic village" and see if I can't do something for that wound of yours."
"You could've chosen not to inflict it in the first place," I said sarcastically, but followed anyway. "And what about these robes? They're fire-resistant, but what the hell was that? You burned me somehow!"
"Not with fire. With purity." She gave me a sly look. "Something I guess you wouldn't know much about?"
"What's that supposed to mean!" I crossed my arms over my chest, embarrassed. "Whatever, Kikyo. But for the record, the only reason I didn't slip the jewel past you this time was because I wasn't really trying."
"I know," she said. I gave her a sideways glance.
"Huh?"
"And that's the real reason I let you get so close. As long as the jewel's on my body, the only way you're getting it is through me. You'd have to hurt me to do that, and now I know you won't."
I scoffed, attempting a careless demeanor again.
"Don't be so sure."
"Mm. No, actually, I am." She waited for me to look at her before adding, a sparkle in her eyes, "in fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have feelings for me."
"What!?" I yelled.
And it was in this manner--in the form of warm and friendly banter--that Lady Kikyo and I passed through the cold woods and made it to the familiar village.
