this is a random fanfic, but i lately fell in love
with this poem. one-shot. btw, Inuyasha and Kagome are
close. they've done the whole 'i love you' thing. that
and i'm placing Camelot in Medieval England. you may
not see how this ties in to the story right now, but
you'll find out later. it's sorta long. enjoy!
The Lady of Shalott
"I still don't see why I have to come on this stupid
trip with you." grumbled a certain disgruntled hanyou.
"I need to go to England for a school project. I told
you already, I'm supposed to research the poem
assigned to me in anyway possible. Since the tickets
are free, I figured it's a great way to get a
vacation." Kagome said while stuffing clothes into an
already over full suitcase.
"But I still don't see why I gotta come." Inuyasha
retorted, hoping to confuse Kagome.
"Mom said I couldn't go alone. She and Grandpa have to
run the shrine, so they couldn't come. I noticed you
were a little more edgy lately, so I figured I'd take
you." She answered back, still oblivious to his
objections to going at all, but fed up with his
complaints about why and where they were going.
"Now hurry up and help me close this suitcase or we're
gonna miss our flight."
"Feh."
(England)
"That was one noisy monster. What do you call it,
again?" Inuyasha asked as they exited the airport and
hailed a cab.
"An airplane." Kagome answered, annoyed by his short
term memory. That was the thirtieth time he'd
forgotten and asked her.
(Half an hour later)
"Alright. Now that we're checked into the hotel and
all moved in, I want to go in search of that well."
Kagome said.
"What well?"
"There's a well like the one at the shrine in Japan. I
came here to use it and go back to look at the
surroundings and background of the poem. It's called
The Lady of Shalott. The poem takes place in Medieval
times, near a place called Camelot. The well was built
like the well in Japan, so I have a hunch that it'll
take us to the same era. Lets go." Kagome answered.
(500 years in the past)
(Camelot, England)
"Told ya it'd work." Kagome said when they got out of
the well.
"Yeah, whatever. Just read your silly poem."
"Okay."
"The Lady of ShalottOn either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And through the field the road run by
To many-towr'd Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below,
The island of Shalott."
"There's the island, Inuyasha. The island where the
Lady of Shalott lived. Lets go look around Camelot."
(Several hours later)
"I've had my fill of Camelot. You?" Kagome asked the
extremely bored Inuyasha.
"I thought this day would never end! Thank kami!"
"Alright, we'll go home then."
Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.
(Present England)
"Wow, Inuyasha. Look at the beautiful trees. And the
reflections in the river! Hey, there's a restaurant
looking over it. Let's eat there. That alright with
you?"
"Hell yeah! I'm starved."
"Come on." Kagome said, leading Inuyasha like a child.
'I wonder if the Lady of Shalott actually existed?'
She asked silentlly.
'With the amount of wierd things that happened in
feudal Japan, I wouldn't doubt it. She just seemed
trapped by her thoughts though. If there was a curse
involved I figure it had her doomed from the start.'
By the margin, willow veil'd,
Slide the heavy barges trail'd
By the slow horses; and unhail'd
The shallop flitteth silken-sail'd
Skimming down to Camelot:
But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or at the casement seen her stand?
Or is she known in all the land,
The Lady of Shalott?
Only reapers, reaping early,
In among the bearded barley
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly;
Down to tower'd Camelot;
And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in upland airy,
Listening, whispers, " 'Tis the fairy
The Lady of Shalott."
"Wow, that was good!" Inuyasha exclaimed, stretching
in pleasure.
"Glad you liked it!" Kagome anwered, made even more
ecstatic by the fact that her companion was in a good
mood.
"Let's take a walk."
"The water's beautiful and clear." Kagome said.
"Do you hear that?" Inuyasha asked after he'd skipped
a handful of rocks.
"That voice? Yeah. It's beautiful."
"It sounds like..." Inuyasha started to say.
"An elven voice, or a fairy." She finished for him.
"Yeah."
They were silent and listened to the singing.
And moving through a mirror clear
That hangs before her all the year,
Shadows of the world appear.
There she sees the highway near
Winding down to Camelot;
There the river eddy whirls,
And there the surly village churls,
And the red cloaks of market girls
Pass onward from Shalott.
Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,
An abbot on an ambling pad,
Sometimes a curly shepherd lad,
Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad
Goes by to tower'd Camelot;
And sometimes through the mirror blue
The knights come riding two and two.
She hath no loyal Knight and true,
The Lady of Shalott.
'It must have been tortuer, watching people live their
lives through a mirror. Never able to look through a
real window. And weaving constantly! Poor child. No
friend, or companion. Like it says, no loyal Knight.
Even I have a loyal knight...of sorts.' Kagome
thought, looking at Inuyasha. 'I love him. I've always
loved him. I couldn't live without him. And he knows
that...I think. That makes me pity the girl from the
poem all the more.' Kagome thought, sighing.
"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked, concern in his eyes.
"Nothing." She answered, leaning her head on his
shoulder.
But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often throught the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot;
Or when the Moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed,
"I'm half sick of shadows," said
The Lady of Shalott
"Let's go back to the hotel, I'm tired." Inuyasha
said. When Kagome didn't respond, he looked down at
her. She had fallen asleep, her head on his shoulder.
'I'll carry her back then. She's even prettier when
she's asleep. She's not yelling at me, or making me
sit. I hate this necklace.' He thought, glaring at the
necklace before picking Kagome up and heading back.
A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
He rode between the barley sheaves,
The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,
And flamed upon the brazen greaves
Of bold Sir Lancelot.
A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd
To a lady in his shield,
That sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside remote Shalott.
The gemmy bridle glitter'd free,
Like to some branch of stars we see
Hung in the golden Galaxy.
The bridle bells range merrily
As he rode down to Camelot:
And from his blazon'd baldric slung
A mighty silver bugle hung,
And as he rode his armor rung
Beside remote Shalott.
All in the blue unclouded weather
Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather,
The helmet and the helmet-feather
Burn'd like one burning flame together,
As he rode down to Camelot.
As often thro' the purple night,
Below the starry clusters bright,
Some bearded meteor, burning bright,
Moves over still Shalott
His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;
On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;
From underneath his helmet flow'd
His coal-black curls as on he rode,
As he rode down to Camelot.
From the bank and from the river
He flashed into the crystal mirror,
"Tirra lirra," by the river
Sang Sir Lancelot.
Kagome woke in Inuyasha's arms. She didn't inform him
of her awakening. She stared at his face, tracing
loved features often seen by her hazel eyes. His amber
ones glanced down to her's. He smiled lightly, stopped
walking, and tilted his head down to kiss her gently.
He retreated when the kiss was done, and resumed
walking.
'He doesn't need a noble stead and armor to be a
knight. He's one through existing.' Kagome thought,
smiling. She looked up, past his head, to see the
stars.
'Wow, they're beautiful tonight.'
She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces through the room,
She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume,
She look'd down to Camelot.
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror crack'd from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me," cried
The Lady of Shalott
In the stormy east-wind strainin,
The pale yellow woods were waning,
The broad stream in his banks complaining.
Heavily the low sky raining
Over tower'd Camelot;
Down she came and found a boat
BGeneath a willow left afloat,
And around about the prow the wrote
The Lady of Shalott
And down the river's dim expanse
Like some bold seer in a trance,
Seeing all his own mischance--
With a glassy countenace
Did she look to Camelot.
And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain, and down she lay;
The broad stream bore her far away,
The Lady of Shalott.
When the couple arrived at their hotel room, the
readied for bed. Kagome called her mother to check in
and let her know that all was well. The two of them
bade each other good night, and slept
Lying, robed in snowy white
That loosely flew to left and right--
The leaves upon her falling light--
Thro' the noises of the night,
She floated down to Camelot:
And as the boat-head wound along
The willowy hiss and fields among,
They heard her singing her last song,
The Lady of Shalott.
Heard a carol, mournful, holy,
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
Till her blood was frozen slowly,
And her eyes were darkened wholly,
Turn'd to tower'd Camelot.
For ere she reach'd upon the tied
The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song had died,
The Lady of Shalott.
Under tower and balcony,
By garden-wall and gallery,
A gleaming shape she floated by,
Dead-pale between the houses hight,
Silent into Camelot.
OUt upon the wharfs they came,
Knight and Burgher, Lord and Dame,
And around the prow they read her name,
The Lady of Shalott.
Who is this? And what is here?
And in the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer;
And they crossed themselves for fear,
All the Knights at Camelot;
But Lancelot mused a little space
He said, "She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott.
A misty shape gazed through the window, said quietly "You have all I ever desired. Love, happiness, life. Bless you, child." It disapated, to take eternal rest. The Lady of Shalott had observed the two, day in and out, and found a peace of mind, and rested...forever.
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