Title:
Sacrifice or Fate?
She was never allowed to be selfish. It was her job to think of the greater good even if that meant sacrificing her happiness. An underlying sadness was always present but she was happy to protect and care for her people. The sacrifices she had made never really bothered her until she was given the greatest of burdens.
Only she could purify the jewel and protect it from evil. The jewel brought her many battles and even more troubles. Slowly the burden began to eat away at her. One day a certain half-demon walked into her life, causing her world to turn upside down. Originally she sympathized with him and maybe even felt a certain amount of pity for him. Neither one had expected to fall in love.
Would she ever get a chance to be selfish and do something for herself? She stared at the jewel for the longest time. How could something so small need so much attention? The Shikon no tama, the jewel of four souls...could be used for evil but could also be used for good. Wouldn't Inuyasha becoming human be considered good? If Inuyasha were human, they could be together. They could show their love for each other openly. No more veiled lies or fear of rejection to haunt them. She would be able to live as a woman with a loving husband and hopefully many healthy children. A dream that the priestess never dared to dream before Inuyasha entered the picture.
Somewhere along the lines she filled her people with hope but she had kept none for herself. Now her burden was the only thing that could make her dreams come true. Filled with a new sense of purpose Kikyou took the jewel from its altar and headed toward her meeting with destiny.