Still Life
By: Vyle Gohana Aris Lucina Giovanni the III...or just Vyle
******* Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and owned as her rightful property. *******
Prologue summary-
It has been five years since the death of Naraku. Inuyasha and Kikyou, who was wished back when the Shikon no Tama granted all wrongs done to them with the combination of the hanyou-turned-human Inuyasha, now live as husband and wife with a blossoming small family. Miroku and Sango now live as newlyweds but still venture through Sango's reputation to help villages from youkai invasion whereas Shippou dedicates himself as a first- hand helper to Kaede in the village. Kagome is the only one who hasn't changed any...or has she? After the defeat of Naraku and the summoning wish from the sacred jewel, the time transportation in the Bone Eater's well ceased, trapping the young miko permanently in the Sengoku Jidai. That was five years ago...
Chapter I: Ghost from the Past
"There are a lot of things we can't correct in this life. Those are the bigger issues that make huge ripples in the water; it seems like no matter how hard we try, we can't correct it. But you see, those aren't the ones we're supposed to be aiming for. It's the smaller ones; the ones everyone quickly and carelessly discard that allow us those 'second chances'."--- Anonymous
Nowadays I look onto the past and try as I might, I cannot remember how or why things fell into the ways they did. Sometimes I can spend my days happily by the side of my wife and our young son when others, I dream night and day about visions from the past. It haunts me still; the cold chill of betrayal, the warm rush of acceptance even down to the brief flares of innocent affections.
The times have slowed down to me. I suppose being a human now has given me these insights. When my whole world has once been nothing but nips and swift kicks through the eyes of a damn-near immortal creature, it only seemed natural. I have learned to get used to this weak-fleshy form besides, I had tastes of it every month. It has been exactly five summers to dates since the death of that heartless, filthly bastard Naraku and the beginning--finally--the beginning to the lives as we always envisioned.
Sango and Miroku have a solid relationship now. Feh, not surprised that bouzu hasn't gotten his face painted red lately. I suppose Sango has him in check. Heh, I'm gonna tease him on that later. It's been some pretty normal years from that fateful day. Now, because I'm practically mortal and with weak flesh now, I always think about how my Kikyou and I will be when we arrive at old age. Yep, I'm not all that surprised that ironically I turned out to be exactly what I had planned fifty-five years ago with her. It's a little bothersome here and there that I really couldn't wish to become stronger, if not full youkai, but then again when I look at my young son and see something with Kikyou and him...I wouldn't change it one bit.
* The day was humid and exhausting as the people of the village worked diligently on their slouching crops and yard work. It was another summer day that called upon the talons of sunrays upon the villager's innocent back and shoulders, draining what was left of energy and vigor from their bent forms rapidly. Only the few younger and stronger ones could withstand the windless afternoon of the scorching day as the sky bled pure blue without so much of a hint of a white cloud in the sky anywhere. But as merciless as it was, work had to be done. Hut roofs had to be repaired from the last bad rainstorm and walls had to be refurnished from the markings of long recorded past youkai attacks.
Dragonflies zipped to and fro around the hot afternoon air, buzzing lightly in puts before landing swiftly in tall stalks of weeds and grass to rest. Other that that, the village day was just the same.
Inuyasha was taking a casual walk around the village, not minding any of the villagers or their work. The older ones stumbled from their heavy loads as younger ones sprinted toward them quickly in rescue as he just tucked his hands in his long, red fire rat haori sleeves. Sango and Miroku would probably be coming by to visit in just a few more hours, if they decided too today, and if all went in that way then they could maybe find something interesting to do for the rest of the day. 'Man what a shitty day. It's hot as hell and all these people can think about is damn near breaking their backs at this hour? Feh, figures.' The black-haired figure smirked half-heartedly as he suddenly stopped to come up to the place his wandering, and not to mention bare, feet tracked him upon. It was...Kagome's small hut.
Well, to be exacty, it wasn't really small. Smaller than her future home had been yes, but overall, no. Besides, for one person how much room could you really need anyway? Inuyasha's face firmed in a light serious expression as he slowly walked to the door of the hut. Ever since Kikyou had resigned being a miko in the pledge of marriage, Kagome had decided to become the new village miko. Besides, Kaede needed the extra help nowadays and she was always off somewhere being a midwife in her free time not to mention for the record. It always felt kind of funny coming to Kagome's small, lonely hut at times. Like it was almost...wrong. To state, after Kikyou had been resurrected and everything was finally complete, the group still hung around each other but Inuyasha could tell now that Kagome felt slowly left out.
He had told her long ago and he knew she understood how his relationship to the older miko was. In fact, he was even surprised when Kagome wouldn't even say much of it anymore when he went to find Kikyou after that. Before they had permanently decided to settle in the village, he and Kikyou would meet at the God Tree and sometimes he would look for her. While the bouzu lech would tease how 'frequent' Inuyasha was becomng, he would always sneak a look at Kagome as if to see if she would say anything. Impossible. She had made the wish in the first place, known it would solidify everything that had ever been said between himself and the older miko and plus....plus...finally make the indecisive Inuyasha's choice now confirmed.
It had hurt. Watching Kagome's face as he would walk off to meet with Kikyou and then when he would come back to see the young girl sitting up in her sleeping bag with her arms hugging around her knees drawn tight to her chest and her head plastered face down on them. He knew she cared. He knew how she felt too. As much as the taijiya and the bouzu barked about his two- timing, Inuyasha wasn't an idiot. He knew that those late nights when the full moon adorned the crisp, cool dark, starry sky and he would be walking back to the camp, upon seeing the young girl looking up longing at the tree he would have been resting near, he knew she had cried. Kagome cried alot but he knew how she forced herself to keep them to herself because of her morals. She solely believed that pushing personal feelings around for everyone else to have to deal with was selfish and wrong. Hell, one time he could even clearly recall on one visit back, just as he made his way through some of the stubborn foliage, he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard her faint sniffling. A pained expression crossed his face at the memory because he knew exactly why she cried looser than usual that night.
Half of him didn't understand why. As much as the other half was selfishly proud that the young miko still held affections him, the 'hanyou' half, the human side cursed why the girl waited for him. Even when she knew the predictable ending to this story, she waited like a lost lover for the other every night for his return from Kikyou and his meeting. It made his stomach queaze at how she was still so loyal..so damn hopeful...to wait for something not even he could make happen. The other thing that gnawed heavy on his mind was the fact that now since the well was sealed, Kagome didn't have the flexibility to feel at home. Sango desperately would try to comfort the girl with the similar understanding of one's lost family but no matter what, the girl of the once future would just smile weakly and fake before thanking Sango and Miroku (who would stand on the outskirts but murmur heartfelt consolations to the weeping girl) for their caring and help. He had seen it too many times. But as much as he wanted to promise something to her, Inuyasha would just pray he would figure it out or be told of it straight from her before it could turn her sickly.
The past experiences of his efforts shone greatly. There had been times when he would stalk up and talk quietly to Kagome (or try to) and try as he might, all she would do was smile with a hint of something he couldn't pinpoint and shake her head quickly. Again with those damn fake expressions. "Nothing's the matter Inuyasha. Really, I'm okay. Just a little homesick." Yeah, homesick. Right. And he supposed all those damn nights of crying were just due to missing her grandfather, mother and brother. Maybe even her cat Buyo? Right. But he wasn't one to pry. It just wasn't him and besides, if Kagome said nothing was wrong then, well, he just had to take it as that. Besides, many encounters in the past showed that Kagome really didn't frolic with the idea of being doubted. So he took her word completely and if she had indeed wanted to say anything, he would be the first to know. That was just the system they always had.
Because even if he was now with Kikyou...Kagome would always matter to him before anything. She was his best friend and always stuck by her word. And this was one he would stick by too.
"Hello, Kagome? You home?" A raven haired head turned to the mat door of the small, neat hut as Kagome's face lit up with a bright smile. "Inuyasha, come on in. You know you don't have to knock." The male ningen entered with a solid breeze as he still had his hands tucked in his sleeves. He smirked a twitch as he watched Kagome from behind as she fixed a fire in the pit in the center of the room. "Keh, yeah right. And when you dressing that one other time I suppose it was okay then?" He shifted his weight to one hip as the respose from the smaller girl was waited upon. A small grunt was heard as Kagome peeked from over her shoulder with a light, false scolding glance. "Now come on, you now what I mean. Besides I wasn't dressing, I was just changing my wraps."
At the memory-sharping reminder, casually and innocently tossed out by Kagome who went back to tending the fire, Inuyasha's expression dropped a notch as he peered at her back as if to will her to turn around and face him. "Yeah. About that...uh..." his voice and throat suddenly felt tight as Kagome still went about unaware of her comment's affect on him. Inuyasha sighed lightly and crossed the wooden floor to sit across from Kagome. He was quiet for a long moment as he just observed her prepare a pot of water for the fire. His eyes glued onto the area half between her nose and forehead but never right on her eyes. After hearing a couple of 'clanks' from wooden utensils meeting the tarnished metal, his eyes unannouncedly dropped to her wrist. The one with the neat linen wrap on it. His eyes turned with a worried emotion as his eyes quickly jumped off of it when Kagome's voice and shifting body movement broke through the silence.
"So," she smiled in a light huff as she folded her legs under her and placed her hands softly over them. "What's up?" The betraying eyes shot up to meet hers from his bowed head expression. He couldn't hide the worry highlighting his pupils as he saw the shift in her own look. Kagome's eyes widenly curiously as she cocked her head to the side slightly and blinked in wonder. "--Um , Inuyasha? What's...Why are you looking like that?" His purple eyes darted away at her question as he closed them sharply, sat up straighter slowly and inhaled softly.
"Kagome...how bad is it now?" He couldn't help coating his voice the the suppressed concern he had hid for the same girl in many past occassions. Only the fire pit cracked and roused noises in the softly lit hut as the duo sat still in the essence to the time-consuming whisper. *
________________________
A/N: Well friends, that is the first chapter to this story. I have, so far, planned to make it about eight chapters give or take but I would greatly appreciate if those who read this would review. Believe me, it is appreciated out there, heh. The story is slowly unfolding so hang tight.
Thank you. ~Vyle
By: Vyle Gohana Aris Lucina Giovanni the III...or just Vyle
******* Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and owned as her rightful property. *******
Prologue summary-
It has been five years since the death of Naraku. Inuyasha and Kikyou, who was wished back when the Shikon no Tama granted all wrongs done to them with the combination of the hanyou-turned-human Inuyasha, now live as husband and wife with a blossoming small family. Miroku and Sango now live as newlyweds but still venture through Sango's reputation to help villages from youkai invasion whereas Shippou dedicates himself as a first- hand helper to Kaede in the village. Kagome is the only one who hasn't changed any...or has she? After the defeat of Naraku and the summoning wish from the sacred jewel, the time transportation in the Bone Eater's well ceased, trapping the young miko permanently in the Sengoku Jidai. That was five years ago...
Chapter I: Ghost from the Past
"There are a lot of things we can't correct in this life. Those are the bigger issues that make huge ripples in the water; it seems like no matter how hard we try, we can't correct it. But you see, those aren't the ones we're supposed to be aiming for. It's the smaller ones; the ones everyone quickly and carelessly discard that allow us those 'second chances'."--- Anonymous
Nowadays I look onto the past and try as I might, I cannot remember how or why things fell into the ways they did. Sometimes I can spend my days happily by the side of my wife and our young son when others, I dream night and day about visions from the past. It haunts me still; the cold chill of betrayal, the warm rush of acceptance even down to the brief flares of innocent affections.
The times have slowed down to me. I suppose being a human now has given me these insights. When my whole world has once been nothing but nips and swift kicks through the eyes of a damn-near immortal creature, it only seemed natural. I have learned to get used to this weak-fleshy form besides, I had tastes of it every month. It has been exactly five summers to dates since the death of that heartless, filthly bastard Naraku and the beginning--finally--the beginning to the lives as we always envisioned.
Sango and Miroku have a solid relationship now. Feh, not surprised that bouzu hasn't gotten his face painted red lately. I suppose Sango has him in check. Heh, I'm gonna tease him on that later. It's been some pretty normal years from that fateful day. Now, because I'm practically mortal and with weak flesh now, I always think about how my Kikyou and I will be when we arrive at old age. Yep, I'm not all that surprised that ironically I turned out to be exactly what I had planned fifty-five years ago with her. It's a little bothersome here and there that I really couldn't wish to become stronger, if not full youkai, but then again when I look at my young son and see something with Kikyou and him...I wouldn't change it one bit.
* The day was humid and exhausting as the people of the village worked diligently on their slouching crops and yard work. It was another summer day that called upon the talons of sunrays upon the villager's innocent back and shoulders, draining what was left of energy and vigor from their bent forms rapidly. Only the few younger and stronger ones could withstand the windless afternoon of the scorching day as the sky bled pure blue without so much of a hint of a white cloud in the sky anywhere. But as merciless as it was, work had to be done. Hut roofs had to be repaired from the last bad rainstorm and walls had to be refurnished from the markings of long recorded past youkai attacks.
Dragonflies zipped to and fro around the hot afternoon air, buzzing lightly in puts before landing swiftly in tall stalks of weeds and grass to rest. Other that that, the village day was just the same.
Inuyasha was taking a casual walk around the village, not minding any of the villagers or their work. The older ones stumbled from their heavy loads as younger ones sprinted toward them quickly in rescue as he just tucked his hands in his long, red fire rat haori sleeves. Sango and Miroku would probably be coming by to visit in just a few more hours, if they decided too today, and if all went in that way then they could maybe find something interesting to do for the rest of the day. 'Man what a shitty day. It's hot as hell and all these people can think about is damn near breaking their backs at this hour? Feh, figures.' The black-haired figure smirked half-heartedly as he suddenly stopped to come up to the place his wandering, and not to mention bare, feet tracked him upon. It was...Kagome's small hut.
Well, to be exacty, it wasn't really small. Smaller than her future home had been yes, but overall, no. Besides, for one person how much room could you really need anyway? Inuyasha's face firmed in a light serious expression as he slowly walked to the door of the hut. Ever since Kikyou had resigned being a miko in the pledge of marriage, Kagome had decided to become the new village miko. Besides, Kaede needed the extra help nowadays and she was always off somewhere being a midwife in her free time not to mention for the record. It always felt kind of funny coming to Kagome's small, lonely hut at times. Like it was almost...wrong. To state, after Kikyou had been resurrected and everything was finally complete, the group still hung around each other but Inuyasha could tell now that Kagome felt slowly left out.
He had told her long ago and he knew she understood how his relationship to the older miko was. In fact, he was even surprised when Kagome wouldn't even say much of it anymore when he went to find Kikyou after that. Before they had permanently decided to settle in the village, he and Kikyou would meet at the God Tree and sometimes he would look for her. While the bouzu lech would tease how 'frequent' Inuyasha was becomng, he would always sneak a look at Kagome as if to see if she would say anything. Impossible. She had made the wish in the first place, known it would solidify everything that had ever been said between himself and the older miko and plus....plus...finally make the indecisive Inuyasha's choice now confirmed.
It had hurt. Watching Kagome's face as he would walk off to meet with Kikyou and then when he would come back to see the young girl sitting up in her sleeping bag with her arms hugging around her knees drawn tight to her chest and her head plastered face down on them. He knew she cared. He knew how she felt too. As much as the taijiya and the bouzu barked about his two- timing, Inuyasha wasn't an idiot. He knew that those late nights when the full moon adorned the crisp, cool dark, starry sky and he would be walking back to the camp, upon seeing the young girl looking up longing at the tree he would have been resting near, he knew she had cried. Kagome cried alot but he knew how she forced herself to keep them to herself because of her morals. She solely believed that pushing personal feelings around for everyone else to have to deal with was selfish and wrong. Hell, one time he could even clearly recall on one visit back, just as he made his way through some of the stubborn foliage, he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard her faint sniffling. A pained expression crossed his face at the memory because he knew exactly why she cried looser than usual that night.
Half of him didn't understand why. As much as the other half was selfishly proud that the young miko still held affections him, the 'hanyou' half, the human side cursed why the girl waited for him. Even when she knew the predictable ending to this story, she waited like a lost lover for the other every night for his return from Kikyou and his meeting. It made his stomach queaze at how she was still so loyal..so damn hopeful...to wait for something not even he could make happen. The other thing that gnawed heavy on his mind was the fact that now since the well was sealed, Kagome didn't have the flexibility to feel at home. Sango desperately would try to comfort the girl with the similar understanding of one's lost family but no matter what, the girl of the once future would just smile weakly and fake before thanking Sango and Miroku (who would stand on the outskirts but murmur heartfelt consolations to the weeping girl) for their caring and help. He had seen it too many times. But as much as he wanted to promise something to her, Inuyasha would just pray he would figure it out or be told of it straight from her before it could turn her sickly.
The past experiences of his efforts shone greatly. There had been times when he would stalk up and talk quietly to Kagome (or try to) and try as he might, all she would do was smile with a hint of something he couldn't pinpoint and shake her head quickly. Again with those damn fake expressions. "Nothing's the matter Inuyasha. Really, I'm okay. Just a little homesick." Yeah, homesick. Right. And he supposed all those damn nights of crying were just due to missing her grandfather, mother and brother. Maybe even her cat Buyo? Right. But he wasn't one to pry. It just wasn't him and besides, if Kagome said nothing was wrong then, well, he just had to take it as that. Besides, many encounters in the past showed that Kagome really didn't frolic with the idea of being doubted. So he took her word completely and if she had indeed wanted to say anything, he would be the first to know. That was just the system they always had.
Because even if he was now with Kikyou...Kagome would always matter to him before anything. She was his best friend and always stuck by her word. And this was one he would stick by too.
"Hello, Kagome? You home?" A raven haired head turned to the mat door of the small, neat hut as Kagome's face lit up with a bright smile. "Inuyasha, come on in. You know you don't have to knock." The male ningen entered with a solid breeze as he still had his hands tucked in his sleeves. He smirked a twitch as he watched Kagome from behind as she fixed a fire in the pit in the center of the room. "Keh, yeah right. And when you dressing that one other time I suppose it was okay then?" He shifted his weight to one hip as the respose from the smaller girl was waited upon. A small grunt was heard as Kagome peeked from over her shoulder with a light, false scolding glance. "Now come on, you now what I mean. Besides I wasn't dressing, I was just changing my wraps."
At the memory-sharping reminder, casually and innocently tossed out by Kagome who went back to tending the fire, Inuyasha's expression dropped a notch as he peered at her back as if to will her to turn around and face him. "Yeah. About that...uh..." his voice and throat suddenly felt tight as Kagome still went about unaware of her comment's affect on him. Inuyasha sighed lightly and crossed the wooden floor to sit across from Kagome. He was quiet for a long moment as he just observed her prepare a pot of water for the fire. His eyes glued onto the area half between her nose and forehead but never right on her eyes. After hearing a couple of 'clanks' from wooden utensils meeting the tarnished metal, his eyes unannouncedly dropped to her wrist. The one with the neat linen wrap on it. His eyes turned with a worried emotion as his eyes quickly jumped off of it when Kagome's voice and shifting body movement broke through the silence.
"So," she smiled in a light huff as she folded her legs under her and placed her hands softly over them. "What's up?" The betraying eyes shot up to meet hers from his bowed head expression. He couldn't hide the worry highlighting his pupils as he saw the shift in her own look. Kagome's eyes widenly curiously as she cocked her head to the side slightly and blinked in wonder. "--Um , Inuyasha? What's...Why are you looking like that?" His purple eyes darted away at her question as he closed them sharply, sat up straighter slowly and inhaled softly.
"Kagome...how bad is it now?" He couldn't help coating his voice the the suppressed concern he had hid for the same girl in many past occassions. Only the fire pit cracked and roused noises in the softly lit hut as the duo sat still in the essence to the time-consuming whisper. *
________________________
A/N: Well friends, that is the first chapter to this story. I have, so far, planned to make it about eight chapters give or take but I would greatly appreciate if those who read this would review. Believe me, it is appreciated out there, heh. The story is slowly unfolding so hang tight.
Thank you. ~Vyle