Beauty is only Skin Deep

By: Angelwarrior1

Chapter 5: The Light That Faithfully Follows the Water

Kagome had stayed for another month, when something started to bother her. She needed to visit the cave again. Late into the night, while everyone slept, Kagome left the comfort of her bed. She crept outside and made her way to the cave. Slipping inside, Kagome looked around the place that Inuyasha said had been her prison up until recently. She walked up to a wall and touched it. Flashbacks from her early days in the cave hit her. She remembered now, she had been thrown into the cave and trapped. She still couldn't remember why though. As if to answer her question, a bright flash of light appeared and knocked her against the far wall of the cave.

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He awoke with a start. He sensed that something was amiss.

"Something's not right..."

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She opened her eyes and looked up.

"Hello Kagome."

"Who are you?" Kagome snapped her head to peer at the one who appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"You truly don't remember?!" The woman growled in anger and flew at Kagome.

She grabbed Kagome by the hair and began dragging her out of the cave. Kagome screamed and began kicking and swiping at the woman's firm grip. Eventually she gave up in fear of having her scalp ripped off and let herself be dragged along the ground. The woman walked along the shore until they were far from the cave. She threw Kagome into the water and pushed her head under the water. Kagome attempted to scream as her mouth gulp in salt water. She had originally thought the woman meant to kill her, but soon saw flashes of another life she had long forgotten slip into her mind. This was it. Why she had been imprisoned. It was over a grudge. The woman lifted her head from the water and threw her down onto the sand viciously.

"Now you see?! See why I had to get rid of you?!"

Kagome coughed onto the sand.

"I loved Naraku! And then I find out how in love with you he is?! It made me sick to see how everyone loved you so much. You had everyone enchanted under your damn spell!! What was left for me?! I was the older more reserved sister. I was the goddess of ice, while you were the spirited goddess of water! You flowed everywhere, while I was confined to certain places. I could never hope to visit a glorious beach like this. You could visit practically any place in the world. Water knows no bounds. Naraku could go anywhere. He, as the god of darkness could travel to any place he desired. He didn't come to visit me though, he always followed after you. Only you. When you disappeared he knew you weren't dead, because the water of the earth still flows. As long as you are alive water will flow. I must kill you though. A new goddess will have to take over your place."

"Kikyo... how could you? I am your sister." Kagome's tears flowed as she looked up into the hateful eyes of her older sister.

"Was Kagome. Was your sister. I have denounced you as my sister, long ago. When you stole everything from me. All my hopes and dreams. You can always be so free spirited. I am forever doomed to stand frozen in one place for long periods of time. How can I ever hope to compete with you."

"Kikyo, I'm not in competition with you! I never cared for Naraku in the manner you are suggesting! I love another."

"Ah yes. That reincarnated god of light who adores you so. You know he gave up his title to find you? So much was his love for you. Now some new little yuppie rules over light. I must confess, Inuyasha was quite delicious when he was mine." Kikyo smirked.

"When?" Kagome asked quietly as tears continued to streak down her face.

"Before I met Naraku. I had a brief affair with the light god. Until I saw how he was obsessed with you that is. Even a man you had never met at that point was enchanted by you. When you did meet, I saw how he looked at you. It was over after that. I met Naraku not long after, but he met you as well. I never had a chance with him. Naraku was even more obsessed with you than Inuyasha was. How pathetic these powerful men became after you cast your little spell over them. I knew then that I would never gain a love of my own as long as you were around. So I made a plan to seal you away for all eternity. I couldn't kill you, for the water would stop flowing. There was no one to take your position at the time as well, so I settled for imprisonment as the next best option. I found a powerful spell caster who gave me the spell I needed. I cast that spell over the cave to trap you. Without any water to wash over you, you would slowly deteriorate and wither away to nothing. I didn't count on Inuyasha's love for you however. He gave up his powers and volunteered to become a human. With his memories erased and his powers gone, I never imagined he could ever find you. Apparently I was wrong."

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He had walked along the house and went into Kagome's room. When he opened the door only to find her bed empty, he panicked. He didn't know where she was and where she could have gone. Thinking fast, he decided to look in the one place that was a constant place of her appearances. The cave.

He raced along the beach in search of any signs from Kagome, but found nothing.

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"Kikyo, I never tried to hurt you in any way. I have always loved you dearly. Why did you not tell me of these dark feelings you carried inside of your heart?" Kagome still sat on the ground.

"Ha! Like I would ever tell you anything. You'd only work harder to turn my life into the hell it has become! Now I can fix it though. Make it all go...AWAY!!!" Kikyo created an icy spike in her hand and flew at Kagome.

Kagome screamed as she scrambled to her feet and dove into the salty water of the sea. The spike dove into the water right next to her and she swam with all that she was to get further away from her sister. She started to slow down when she felt her body start to change. It was coming back, her power. She felt it flow gently throughout her entire body as a gentle wave that would lap against a shore. The water around her began to swirl about in circular motions.

Kikyo smiled in a delirious wave of crazed ambitions as she walked over and bent down to touch the sea. It began to freeze over ever so slowly.

"I will freeze your heart as you've frozen mine..."

Kagome felt the water begin to cool slowly around her and knew what her sister's plan was. She had the water below her lift her until her body was out of the water, suspended by a thin sheet of water below her feet.

"Now Kagome! You will DIIIEEEEEE!!!!" Kikyo formed another spike made of ice and was motioning to throw it at her.

"STTOOPP!!!" Inuyasha tackled a stunned Kikyo to the ground.

"Mmm, Inuyasha how long has it been darling? A few hundred years? You still look just as gorgeous as you always have." Kikyo gave him a grin that made her look like lunatic.

"I don't know who the hell you are lady, but I won't let you hurt Kagome!" He snatched the ice from her hand and threw it into the sea.

The sound of fabric whipping about in the wind alerted them as a man with flowing dark hair landed onto the beach before them. He looked at the couple on the beach, then at the woman standing on the raised platform of water.

"What have you done Kikyo? You have broken many laws. You know you aren't supposed to have contact with a former god." He motioned his head at the confused Inuyasha.

"He came here, I didn't drag him. Other than that you have no proof of any broken laws." Kikyo held her head high in honor.

"Oh no? What of your sister here? Was she not imprisoned for a very long time. I always suspected your jealousy, but I never wanted to believe you would lock away your own flesh and blood. You are in much trouble Kikyo." As if agreeing, the sky clapped with thunder and the wind picked up.

Down from the sky came the thunder brothers and Kagura. Followed by a most unexpected guest.

"Totosai?!" Kikyo gasped in shock.

"What's going on here? I leave you children to perform your duties and you start locking each other away in caves and trying to kill one another? Not to mention just giving your powers away as if they were nothing!" He gave a look to Inuyasha, who was still very confused by the scene before him.

"Totosai, I can explain my lord." Kikyo bowed before him.

"I will hear none of your lies woman! Only the truths of your dear sister. Kagome, come here child." He barked.

Kagome lowered the water and ran over to the eldest god of them all. He was the god of wisdom and was also considered their boss. She threw herself into his arms and he hugged her gently.

"I am sorry I have been away for so long my lord." Kagome apologized.

Inuyasha smiled at how she was saying she was sorry for something she wasn't responsible for.

"No need to apologize my dear. Just tell me what happened." He stroked her hair.

"I was thrown into the cave and sealed away. I don't remember much after that. I slept through most of the years after my powers left me. Inuyasha there found me as an old woman. Only until I fell into his pool by accident did I become youthful again. After that nothing special really happened for a long time until today. She came back to kill me." Kagome spoke sadly as she relayed her story.

"Kikyo, for your crimes I must punish you. You will be relieved of your duty and stripped of your memories. You will be reincarnated in the next hundred years." Totosai spoke gravely and watched as a wave of power hit Kikyo.

Kikyo screamed as she felt her powers and memories ripped from her body. She eventually faded into an orb of light and disappeared.

"Inuyasha-" He began.

"Please Totosai! Do not punish Inuyasha anymore! He saved me and only gave up his powers in the hopes of finding me here on earth." Kagome clutched at Totosai's arm desperately.

"Child please. I was not going to punish Inuyasha. I was going to return him to his rank. That little twerp that has taken over Inuyasha's place is driving me crazy! He follows me around all day! Inuyasha must be returned to his place."

"Huh? What the hell is this old man talkin' about?" Inuyasha looked over at Kagome.

"Old?!" Totosai glared at Inuyasha.

"He wants to give you a job Inuyasha. One that you had, but forgot about." She ran over to Inuyasha and hugged him, ignoring the mad elder god.

"A job I forgot about? I haven't forgotten a job yet. What is it?"

"To be the constant light again." Kagome kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Light? I guess I could do that. What will happen to you though?" He brushed a stray strand of wet hair from her face.

"I will be doing my job again. I am the goddess of water. It is my job to bring water to the world."

"So I guess we won't be seeing each other anymore then huh?" He gave her a sad look.

"Don't be silly. As long as we both live the water and light won't fade from this world. Our job is to live Inuyasha. I want to live with you." She whispered.

"I think I can manage that." He smiled as he kissed her lips softly.

"Kids these days. No regard to where they fool around. Come on you whipper snappers! Back to work! Naraku isn't it about time the darkness sets in on the other side of the world?" Totosai looked at the displeased Naraku with an expectant gaze.

"Of course Totosai. I was just leaving." He turned and flew away.

The others left as Totosai stayed, preparing to give Inuyasha his title back.

"Now, Inuyasha I hereby return all powers and memories to you. You are now the god of light once more." Power surrounded Inuyasha as all the things he had forgotten came back into his mind.

His body glowed with the power of his eternal light and his eyes glowed into an even more beautiful gold. The light around him spread and slowly the sun began to peer through the horizon of the sea. When the power died down Kagome ran over to hug him once more and he lifted her up into his arms.

Totosai quietly lifted into the air, leaving the lovers to themselves for the first time in hundreds of years.

"I have missed you my Kagome." He kissed her raven hair.

"I missed you as well Inuyasha. What will we do now? You still have to figure out how to tell Miroku and the others at the house that you are leaving."

"I'll leave them a letter."

"And what of the house?"

"I'll leave it to Miroku and Sango. They'll take good care of it."

"True. They will treat the place with love. Love is what they deserve."

"It's what we all deserve Kagome." He floated into the air with her safely nestled into his arms.

He kissed her with gentle fire as he relished in holding her after so much time apart. She clung to him as she kissed back with the same vigor. They would never be far from each now.

They stopped at their home as Inuyasha said he would. Once he did as promised, they flew away into the bright horizon of the sky.

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It's strange how the darkness once followed the water, for now the light follows the clear liquid faithfully.

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That was the end. I apologize for how long it took to finish this story. Review please.