TWINS AND JEWELS rewrite
By CrystalBlueSeraph
Disclaimer: I don't own characters and settings from sailormoon and inuyasha.
Chapter 1 - SIGHT
With the rise of the waking sun and with a promise of a new beginning… but when will it end?
She sighted, blowing wisps of straight black hair away from her pale face as her sad amethyst eyes trailed on a blue butterfly lazily flapping its wings, flying across the green lush field and into the colorful cluster of sweet smelling flowers.
"Hotaru." A soft voice called from a distance.
Slowly, her eyes traveled from the small group of her namesakes twinkling within the dark shadows of the bushes, its light fading, dying, as the rays of sun filtered through the canopy of trees, to the striking woman in a faded priestess garb.
"Let us break our fast for we have a long day ahead us."
Hotaru regarded her aunt Rei, noting her freshly scrubbed face, her long flowing black hair tied back with a piece of white thin cloth, most of its mass weighed on one shoulder, and her wise all-knowing dark purple eyes.
Slowly, she untangled her twined fingers holding her knees together and placed it on her side, palms down and finger splayed in between grass stalks, she propelled herself upward. gradually lifting her lithe form off the ground.
As she stepped forward, a sudden breath of hot air passed by her form from behind, blowing her hair and billowing her purple yukata and hakama forward. Startled eyes strained on her unmoving aunt.
Heat suffused the surrounding area, making it hard to breath. The air suddenly turned dry, the mild humidity that came with the morning dew was but a memory.
From where she stood frozen, feet planted steadily on the ground, she watched her aunt transform from a soft calm and serene person to one of rigid countenance both intense and distant.
Fascinating whirlwind of dancing flame enshrouded her figure, different shades of red, yellow and orange licking her priestess garb and her pale skin.
Her aunt's eyes looked vacant, it's flashing quality dulled by the onslaught of premonition she was receiving. And even though such occurrence was not alien to her, the event always seemed to take her breath away.
One cannot help but be fascinated by the panoramic dance of the flames that seem not to harm but embrace and give nurturing warmth to a person. And one cannot help but feel special to be graced with the sight of such a holy event that only happens a few times within one's lifeline.
Being the only ones left as descendants of such gifted family of clairvoyants, concentrated amount of the ability was passed on to her aunt, a heavy burden placed on one's shoulder.
Trepidation and fear followed, for most premonitions gifted seldom of good fortune but a precipitating echo of an oncoming destruction…an omen.
She bit her lower lip that now had a shade of blue due to the drop of her blood pressure and decreased breathing capability of her lungs, allowing less and less oxygen to circulate her system.
The lightheadedness that assaulted her alarmed her of her body's suddenly declining state, forcing her to evaluate the lack of control over her system.
Fragility was her weakness. It was ironic that she who had always suffered from poor health was gifted with the power to heal.
Oblivious of time passed, Rei gradually descended from the heights of euphoria that consumed her, a state in which she usually found herself in the throws of premonition.
The knowledge that was so clear to her during the period of time it was passed on, slowly became vague as her own consciousness emerged. From past experiences such occurrences were normal. Only the most prominent or possibly most important details will be recalled in a latter time.
With eyes slightly hazed, she spied her niece who in all appearances stood solid, but her paleness betrayed her. Any minute now, her legs would collapse under her.
With great effort, she forced herself to reach her niece. Her legs felt so heavy and the path too far, and the feeling of walking through a deep muddy river was not helping one bit. Her movements felt so sluggish, but instincts bade her forward for to reach her little one was of great importance.
Backlash was to be expected as it always occurred after profound prophesies revealed.
Hotary swayed. "O God…" She uttered as she fought the nausea that suddenly assaulted her.
She felt warm arms wrap around her freezing body which proceeded to anchor her to the small hold she had on her consciousness. She buried her face on her aunt's chest, greedily drawing-in the warmth she provided.
"Hang in there." She heard through the shrill ringing in her ears that seemed to get louder and louder as seconds passed.
She whimpered, burying herself more into the warm body pressed closely around her. A lone tear escaped her closed eyes as uncontrolled spasm blossomed starting from her middle to her limbs. Her legs buckled, her weight sending both females to their knees.
A long time has passed since the event. They were still sitting on the same spot they collapsed from. Rei buried her nose in Hotaru's stresses. "I'm sorry little one. I'm sorry." She whispered.
Why had it always been these way?
Why does she have to suffer so?
But so were the life they led and the lives of the generations before them.
It was midday when Hotaru stirred. Slowly she opened her eyes which gradually focused on the concerned face hovering on top of hers. She blinked.
"Hota-chan" Rei whispered as she hugged the girl close. "I'm so happy you are awake."
"Aunt Rei" Hotaru whispered back as she mimicked her aunts hold on her, her eyes brimming with tears. "It was so horrible, Rei-chan. There was so much blood… so much… death…" she sobbed.
"Shsss… relax Hotaru… What you saw…" She could not continue. She did not know what to say. A vision? A horrible thing that did not happen yet? The future?
But what can they do? All they did is be given a chance of a glance of things to come. As far as they know, things to come were already set in motion as the design the fates weaved.
So she cried. She wept tears of anguish and sorrow. She wept for herself, for her niece, and for all the lives that will suffer in the future to come. She wept till there are no more tears to spare. And when all things were said and done, she dried her eyes and slowly lifted her niece to stand; supporting her while they walked back to their small hut.
Hotaru gazed longingly outside the window, watching the fireflies that danced within the expanse of the front yard. She was amazed at how they flourished in the dark, silhouetted by the light of the moon.
"It's time to go to bed Hota-chan. We've had a hard day and you need the rest." The small order hinted her aunt's weariness. They have not exchanged words about the events that happened in the morning. Some details about the vision started to surface with deliberate slowness. It would take a while till small clarity about its message will be understood.
With slight reluctance, she faced her aunt before gazing wistfully at the lantern hanging at a beam within her sight. The look did not go unnoticed by her aunt.
"I've been thinking… I think it is time to go to the next village for some supplies. I heard of an artist specializing in making different kinds of lanterns. I believe his name was Mushin. His creations were the talk of the villagers."
Rei lowered herself on the futon, knees folded, as she watched her niece brighten at the idea of seeing new kinds of lanterns. Her eyes danced merrily.
"What do you say Hotaru? How about on the next rise of the full moon? Let's see… five nights from now?" She inquired teasingly as she was graced with eyes filled with gratitude.
But the trip to the next village never happened.
Three nights after the prophetic event they came like locust destroying everything from the smallest plants to the largest trees, slaughtering everything and everyone from the smallest pets to the strongest man.
Except for one.
She could not remember what woke her up, whether it was the shrieks of fear and anguish or the loud banging on the door. With tired blinking eyes she roamed her surrounding just in time to see her aunt pick up her bow, arrows already placed on her back.
"Rei-chan… what?" Confused, she glanced at the open window. It was eerily bright outside even though the sun was still out. With a frown, she unsteadily walked to the window, her hand resting on the seal as she gave her aunt a questioning look before she actually watched with morbid fascination what she saw in her own vision unfold.
A black creature with wings of a bat and a long snout with long sharp teeth swooped down from the sky to a small female child of at least three years old who was currently crying while watching her mother get mauled by a what she thought looked like a snake youkai.
Up ahead, she spied more gruesome creatures some small and others larger than trees. Occasional huts were on fire, its greedy red flames spreading among the other neighboring houses untouched.
She placed a hand on her neck, unconsciously warding off the choking feeling that lodged within her throat.
From the corner of their hut she saw her aunt brought in a woman, her yukata muddied and with smears of blood dotting its fabric and face smeared with tears and smudges of smoke.
A sudden crash to the door brought a startled yelp from the woman who tightened herself into a tight ball. Their door caved with a force applied from the outside and huge horned youkai barged in, its red glowing eyes zeroed in on the huddled form, its nose flaring from the call of the blood seeping from her wounds.
Rei knocked an arrow and let it fly, her aim true. But the youkai was strong and still charged at the woman in the corner, unhindered by the arrow lodged deep within its sternum.
"Rei no!" Hotaru cried as she watched her aunt block the youkai from its goal. She knew what will happen. She tasted bile as she saw the youkai drew blood leaving a deep laceration across her aunt's shoulder to her clavicle and like a doll was tossed aside.
With a loud thud Rei hit the wall and slumped unmoving on the floor, blood pooling under her.
"Aunt Rei!" Hotaru cried as she rushed to her side and cradled her unmoving form, tears run unhindered down her cheeks. So focused was she on her aunt that the loud scream of the woman at the corner was like only a distant echo until there was no sound heard except for some crunching and slurping sounds.
She brought her ear to Rei's chest where her heart should be beating just to hear nothing. She cried.
Heavy steps were heard nearing her slight form and as she faced the monster that was responsible for her aunt's death she froze.
Her eyes were filled with suppressed anger, anguish, and fear as she stared at its glowing eyes. Desolate, she just looked at its towering form thinking her death to be at its claws. But it just stared, and with a loud snort faced away and clawed its way out the nearby wall.
It, for unknown reason, spared her, her heart squeezing painfully as warring feelings of relief and grievance for being alive assaulted her.
Throughout the night she waited, waited for her time to die as she knew all would be by the break of dawn.
But she didn't.
She was the only living left among the dead.
Why didn't it kill me? She asked herself once more and every single day she woke from her restless slumber.
"When will I finally be able to rest?" She whispered to the wind, to the quiet stillness of her grim surrounding. Graves lined up in an unending rows and columns around her.
A year has passed yet she survived… alone.
When will it end?