Hidden Behind the Scenes by Decente Renko

Failed Attempt

Souta found her.

"Kagome!" He knocked loudly on her door. "Mom told me to come and get you for dinner. Kagome!" No answer came. Was she not here? She had never snuck out before, to his knowledge. And his mother would not have sent him to retrieve Kagome to dinner if his mother knew Kagome was not at home. He shifted, slightly worried.

He reached out a hand to open the door. His hearted pounded in his chest. He tried to tell it that it was being unreasonable. He opened it slowly. What he found had him running down the stairs crying hysterically for his mother.

~ ~ ~ ~

She was never good enough. Especially when compared to her cousin, Kikyo. Everyone thought so.

Kikyo was the stronger priestess. She was the better archer. Ever since they were little. Kagome used to try to keep up with, even surpass, her older cousin, but to no avail. Finally, Kagome had resigned herself to second best, if that.

Nevertheless, Kagome had always loved her cousin dearly. Kagome thought of Kikyo as more of a sister than a cousin. Kagome supported Kikyo in everything she did. And Kikyo did a lot, so she was always the center of attention, and therefore used Kagome's help to her advantage. Kagome always worked backstage to, unbeknownst to Kagome, secure Kikyo's popularity in the eyes of their peers and relatives.

As a result, Kagome was given little attention, and even less praise. As months became years of denied appreciation, Kagome inwardly became more and more depressed. Outwardly, though, she appeared to remain her cheerful self.

Today had begun poorly, and only continued to decline.

She had stayed awake late into the night, finishing a costume for Kikyo's role in the newest school play. Kikyo had given her the order at lunch the previous day and told her to have it completed by the following morning. Kagome still had her own homework to do. As a result, Kagome had gotten less than an hour of sleep.

When she delivered the dress before school, Kikyo looked it over with a critical eye before nodding. "It's decent enough."

Kagome forced a smile. "I'm glad it'll do." She then left for class as the first bell rang.

During lunch, she overheard Yura laughing amongst her friends at how Kagome was like a dog trying to please its master. She did not stay to find out if Kikyo, who was with the group, contradicted the statement. Perhaps Kagome knew she did not want to know.

Throughout the day, Kagome had trouble staying focused due to her lack of sleep. Consequently, she was chided by her teachers and laughed at by her classmates. When her friends, Sango, Rin and Miroku, asked if she was feeling all right, Kagome simply smiled and reassured them that she was only tired.

The thought of her friends made Kagome pause. The four of them were in a band together along with Inuyasha, Kouga, Kagura, Sesshomaru and Kikyo. Kikyo was lead singer. Or so everyone thought.

Kagome was unaware of the wistful smile that formed on her face as she thought of the times the band had spent together. She could picture Inuyasha banging on his drum set, the ears atop his white hair twitching. She could envision Sango, Rin and Kagura singing backup harmoniously into their shared microphone. A demon slayer, human and demon tolerating each other was an odd sight. She could see Kouga and Sesshomaru, both demons as well, playing their basses, their fingers moving expertly across the strings. Kikyo, of course, stood in the brightest spotlight at the front of the stage, her lips forming the words. For a moment, Kagome was lost in remembrance of the feeling of her fingers nimbly gliding across the white and black keys.

Kagome shook her head at herself. She only played keyboard. They could easily replace her. She knew for a fact that Miroku could play piano, and three bassists were not necessary. But even if Miroku chose to continue to play bass, the group could easily find a new member. Who would not want to be in a band with some of the most popular students, both human and demon, at school? How she managed to become a part of the group and remain so completely eluded her.

Kagome looked at her reflection in the shiny grey metal, but quickly averted her gaze. In looks, too, Kikyo had always outshone her.

Kagome did not think of who might miss her. She did not think of how her family would feel. She did not think of how much she would ruin Kikyo. She did not think of Souta discovering her. She thought of nothing except escaping all that had brought such misery to her life.

Beneath her milky skin she could see the blue veins running down her arms. She brought the blade down, slicing neatly through skin and muscle in long, vertical strokes. She knew only that she would have to cut deep and quick, or else her powers would heal her before she could escape.

~ ~ ~ ~

Mrs. Higurashi was up the stairs in seconds, but not fast enough in her eyes. Her daughter lay unconscious in an ever-spreading pool of her own blood. Her miko powers worked to heal her body, but the healing slowed as Kagome's life slipped away.

"Kagome!" she cried desperately. She barely noted her father pulling a sobbing Souta away from the doorway.

Mrs. Higurashi kneed by her daughter's head, ignoring that her skirt became soaked with the crimson blood that continued to flow from Kagome's arms. Tears poured down Mrs. Higurashi's face. Her own powers could not save her daughter if Kagome's own could not. "I had not wanted to do this," she whispered to Kagome, who, if not for the bloodstains and sallow skin, looked to be peacefully resting.

Mrs. Higurashi placed her hands on her daughter's chest, and they began to glow white.

Kagome's wounds began to heal more quickly, and Mrs. Higurashi knew that blood was being produced more rapidly. Kagome's skin returned from cold and sallow in color to a warm, pale cream. But her hair had gained a sapphire shine. The right half of a sun, colored a violet so dark it was almost black, faded into appearance on her forehead. Her wrists each gained three diagonal emerald stripes, barely visible beneath the blood. Her nails grew and sharpened, and Mrs. Higurashi guessed that her daughter had gained fangs as well.

The wounds finally ceased to bleed. When Kagome returned to consciousness, she opened lavender eyes to meet the familiar soft brown of her mother's.

A/N: Sorry for the shortness! I'll try to make future chapters longer.