Suikotsu

Kikyou stumbles upon Suikotsu and automatically notices that he has a shard of the Shikon no Tama in his neck. She realizes that he must be like her in that they are both living when they really should not be. Suikotsu really troubles Kikyou, and she spends a large amount of time thinking about him. She does not sense any ill intent from him, and knows that he is a kind and pure man. The jewel shard in his neck is even purified. She does not, however, understand why a man like that would still be living in the world and not moved on. It troubles her greatly, so she decides to stay near him and observe his actions.

Suikotsu is a doctor who takes care of a large group of orphaned children. All of the children appear to love him very much, and are willing to stay near him even in dangerous situations. Kikyou helps him take care of the children as she stays to watch him. Of course, this is not out of the ordinary for her, because she loves children and normally would spend time with the children in any village she was staying at. The two are a lot alike, and I believe that Kikyou forms a strange bond of sorts with him. Even though he puzzles her, she knows that he is somewhat like her, and that is enough to form a bond. Likewise, Suikotsu has high respect for Kikyou and seems to enjoy having her around.

One day while Suikotsu is out gathering herbs, Kikyou stays with the remaining children. A man comes asking for him, and she treats his wrist in Suikotsu’s place. He tells her that there are rumors that Suikotsu is the Suikotsu from the Shichinitai, and Kikyou remembers her encounter with Bankotsu. In the mean time, the village that is near by explodes, and Kikyou rushes to the scene to evacuate as many villagers as possible. The Shichinitai come in order to fetch Suikotsu, who eventually arrives at the scene as well. He tells them that he has no idea what they are talking about, and Kikyou can sense that he is not lying. Jakotsu goes to attack Suikotsu in order to get him to remember, and Kikyou gets in the way to protect him. Kikyou ends up getting blasted away, and Suikotsu runs to her to see if she is all right. Unfortunately, Suikotsu ends up regaining his memories and his other personality comes out, tainting the jewel shard. Kikyou then realizes why he still existed in the world, and the duality of the human heart. Death is alive, and alive is death. Good is bad, and bad is good. Clean is dirty and dirty is clean. That is the existence of herself and the rest of the Shichinitai.

Sometime later, Kikyou rescues Rin from an incident of death by shooting the violent killing personality of Suikotsu in the neck. He falls, and Kikyou makes her way over there, weak because her shinidamachuu cannot reach the area where they are. Suikotsu is back to normal, since her arrow purified the jewel shard within his neck. He begs her to kill him by removing the shard, and she hesitates greatly. She tells him of the duality of the human heart, but he does not care. He wants to be free, and continues to beg her to take it out. Kikyou reaches for his neck, but still hesitates to take it out. Jakotsu attacks Suikotsu’s neck, and runs off with the shard. Suikotsu reverts to bones, and Kikyou, obviously slightly upset, tells him to rest.

I think that Kikyou hesitates so much to kill Suikotsu because she can see herself in him. No, she does not have two egos, but she is also amongst the living when she is supposed to be dead. She kept remembering her encounter with Bankotsu where he tells her that they all have the same end. To some extent, that may bother her, because she knows she cannot live a normal life. Obviously she has always known that, but I think she forces herself to forget sometimes because it is too depressing. Other than that, I also believe in the bond the two of them established as friends who could understand each other. Suikotsu did not know at first, but after Kikyou shot him in the neck, I think he understood. Kikyou could sense that understanding, and that is probably what added to her hesitation to kill him. She wanted him to live so she could see someone in her position happy. Killing him would be like killing part of herself… Sesshoumaru does not fail to point that out either, as he remarks that she has experienced her own end on someone else. Suikotsu forces Kikyou to think about herself and who she really is. She is not the shrine maiden that she once used to be.

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