Well, how's this for a first foray into the Inuyasha section? As typical of me, a somewhat introspective one-shot. Inuyasha's mother muses to her son about his 'time of the month.'
There's a bit of I Corinthians 13:4-7 used [love is patient, love is kind.... Love... is a lot of things Inuyasha is not (at least in great quantities)], but I blame that on something other than me. I think it's because Inuyasha reminds me of Emrys Merlin from a series of books, and Inu's mother reminds me of his mother, Elen... and she would go into a long love rant that sounds just like this fic...
You know, this sounded a lot more clever while I was writing it at midnight...
(cries) It's so short... I'd think of it as brief, concise, and to the point, but I actually had to ramble to make it as long as it is...
Disclaimer: I own the first volume of Inuyasha manga! But as his mother isn't there, I can't claim to own this fully. Yet. (smirk)
...
Japanese:
tsuki- moon
kuro- black [I think this is the right word... correct me if I'm wrong, please!]
chichiue- father [I think it's more of an archaic version]
kami-sama- god
owari- end
...
I can see your scowl— you are afraid of losing your father's blood right. You feel your demon heritage abandons you on this weakest of nights. But it is not so.
From you father comes strength, from yourself comes goodness of heart. And I, I offer humanity's redeeming. This I can only give to you fully on the night of the new moon.
Being human involves making mistakes. In seeking for forgiveness, it also invokes learning from them. In this way you are always starting anew, as is the nature of humans to change.
The moon grows full and then fades, like a flower or withering fruit. And for a single night, it disappears— the night of the new moon. But why not the night of no moon, or the last of the old moon? Surely the moon begins again with the tiniest of the slender crescents of pure silver, clean and fresh.
When the moon is away, the world is half lost, with only the stars to guide it. It is the same when you are weary of the toils of life and your mistakes. Then you must go all alone to seek wisdom and forgiveness. It is through this act of seeking that you are renewed; when the moon reappears, it is already become new, and it was the night of no moon that made it.
But sometimes when you are searching for your answers, you won't find them on your own. Lost and confused, never believe you are truly forsaken. As the stars still shine when the moon is vanished, so I will be with you always, as will chichiue— you have his strong heart.
To admit you are wrong and to ask for aid and guidance is not a shame of weakness; indeed, it takes great faith to trust another and depend on them. Correcting mistakes is not easy, nor is changing for the better.
These nights are precious to you, as precious as you are to me. This gift is stronger than you could ever imagine, more important than you could ever believe. I am happy to have given it, for it is one and the same as the gift of life I bestowed on you at your birth.
The moon has not abandoned you, it has given you a treasure— a chance. A chance to learn, to grow, to be wise, to make errors and to correct them, to find the many forms of love, to change; to embrace all things fully human. The gift may hide in your blood, unseen, but it never leaves you forsaken.
This whole night, and all it enfolds, is a form of most pure and simple love.
Love is patient, kind, not jealous or rude, it holds no grudges, it is not happy with evil, it never gives up. I know you are not all of these things yet; you are still young. But this night grants you to remember that you are patient, kind, truthful, forgiving.
This night is for you to use. Your hair turns as ebony as moonless twilight, but come morning, it is once again as pure a silver as the newest crescent of light. Kami-sama makes a symbol so that when you forget this, you may remember once more.
Truly, this time is not about 'human' or 'demon'. It is about a heart, a mind, a soul, the essence that is Inuyasha. And while it always changes, I recognize it as the same thing, for your love is unfailing as the phases of a moon, waxing and waning, yet ever faithful to their true form.
Once a month the moon is gone at night to create a new start, and with it, you will become human to wash away your failings so that instead of being dark, you shine like silver....
Owari
...-Windswift Shinju