Author's Note: I DO NOT own any of the Inuyasha characters. This is just a oneshot fanfic.
To them I was nothing more than a helpful companion. I can't deny that they cared for and loved me, and I might have even been Sango's best friend. That mattered a lot to me, but I was just a nekomata. Whether in my cute or my ferocious form, I was simply Kirara the demon cat.
The time we spent hunting for Naraku gained me, dare I say, friends. They cared for me when I was injured, worried about me if I disappeared, and loved me as if I were able to talk to them. A small, sinful part of my heart, however, wished for something more.
I would keep watch over Sango while the monk courted her. Every word of love he muttered I could hear, every encouragement and romantic gesture I could understand. Though he was a lecherous man, he cared for Sango as much as his mortal heart would let him.
When it came to Inuyasha and Kagome the situation was much more tense. The miko and the half-demon would quarrel for hours, their fights mostly ending with a sitting from Kagome. I would sometimes listen to Kagome complain about those fights, my only responses meows and little squeaks. However, even then I could tell that Kagome and Inuyasha loved each other, no matter how much they might want to avoid admitting it.
Love seemed like such a wonderful thing, and I admit that I longed for it. I would sometimes stargaze with Sango, my mind wandering far from where we were. Was it sinful for me to sometimes wish I was a human-like youkai instead of a nekomata?
Reflecting on my thoughts, I suppose it wasn't right for me to want more. I didn't think of sin at that time, as my mind was too busy fantasizing what it would be like to love and be loved. The closest thing I possibly had to the love I sought was Shippou.
Shippou, the little fox demon, would always talk to me. He worried about me almost as much as Sango did, which was saying a lot. It was almost as if he was offering me a childish love, even if I had no human features. People seemed to assume that I was a cat demon inside and out. Appearances can be deceiving; though I was indeed a nekomata, inside I carried a very human-like heart.
Yes, I admit that I had strong affection for Shippou. Even if he was no more than a child, his love was equal to that of any adult's. Though it did not show, I was envious of the little girls Shippou developed small feelings for. I would watch from the shadows sometimes as Shippou talked with those human girls, making them laugh and offering them flowers and other cute trinkets.
The time Sango and I joined the hunt for Naraku to the time our battle ended flew by. Before I knew it I was off with Kohaku while Sango and Miroku began raising a family. I aided Kohaku during his demon-slayer training, watching over him as I had watched over Sango. It was amazing to see his progress, his skill increasing day by day.
Before I knew it Kohaku was a full-fledged demon slayer. He took me with him to his slays, using me as an ally just as Sango had. Sometimes, when I was alone, I would remember my time with Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou. I wondered what had happened to each of them during the years that had passed. Part of me longed to see all of them one more time. This was granted on one of Kohaku's demon-slaying missions.
Kohaku slayed a demon as he always did, but didn't escape without injuries that needed treatment. A kind man showed us the way to the nearest village, which happened to be Kaede's. I did not know that we were in the village that was Kaede's when we arrived. However, from the moment we entered the village I had the strangest feeling that I had been there before.
Kohaku was led into the miko's hut for wound examination while I waited outside. I didn't want to get in the way while Kohaku was being treated. He needed to be healed as soon as possible; if needed, I would personally see to that. Imagine my surprise when two young children suddenly dashed toward me, calling me 'kitty' and things of that nature. It was as if they were familiar to me, even though I was sure I had never seen them before.
When the children's mother turned the corner I knew why. Sango herself appeared, carrying a baby in her arms. I admit I was a bit jealous; Sango used to carry me like that before she married Miroku. Her eyes scanned over me at first, straight to her two young girls. She gasped silently when her gaze finally rested on me. Miroku himself approached from the other direction, his two daughters running towards him.
I heard Sango ask Miroku to watch the baby for a moment, handing off her precious bundle to her husband. Carefully she approached me, bending down to look me in the eye. Sango only said one word, but it was filled with so much love that I was knocked over. "Kirara?"
I rushed as fast as I could toward Sango, mewing in delight. At that moment I realized she would want to see Kohaku, so I ran back toward Kaede's hut. "Is…Kohaku there?" Sango glanced down at me just in time to see me nod. After offering me a smile she slowly went into the hut. A joyful feeling erupted in my heart as I heard Kohaku and Sango's happy voices.
Is Shippou here as well? That was my only thought as I padded over to Miroku. He looked down at me, giving me a smile similar to Sango's. "Kirara…it is good to see you again. I'm sure you'd like to see the others as well?" I mewed in response.
"Alright. Just go back the direction I came from…you'll find them." I knew he probably would have come with me if he hadn't been handling his three children. With a mew to show my thanks I headed where Miroku had told me. My paws began carrying me faster and faster until I didn't notice where I was going. I ran head-first into something extremely hard.
Upon closer examination I found that I had run into the leg of…a fox? I looked up into a surprisingly handsome face of a young man. I mewed softly, and his eyes lit up. Though the man was easily the physical age of sixteen or seventeen, I knew it was Shippou. In the seemingly short time I had been away he had changed from boy to man. However, I had remained exactly the same.
"Kirara?" His deep voice filled me with unexpected happiness. As he picked me up I felt the ancient feelings I had once had for him returning. If only I had been born a youkai, if only I could speak and tell him how I had felt, and still feel about him. Shippou gave me a soft hug then looked into my eyes. Though he was grown up, I could still see the child he had once been deep inside.
At that moment I saw something peculiar out of the corner of my eye. Immediately after spotting it I jumped out of Shippou's arms, following what I had seen. For some reason Shippou followed after me into the dark forest. Though I had lost him awhile back, I knew he was searching for me. The light I had been tracking led me to an open field. Now lost, I sat down in the soft grass for hours.
I watched as the sun slowly set and the moon rose, accompanied by beautiful stars. Sometime after the sun had gone something similar to a shooting star fell from the dark sky. Instead of causing an explosion, however, it formed into a woman. Was this some kind of demon?
"Kirara," The shimmering woman looked down at me, her voice warm. "I am here because of something deep inside your heart." My mew shaky, I let out a questioning squeak.
"No, Kirara, you are not being punished. You served Midoriko and the demon slayers for centuries, and you have never wanted anything in return. Because of your selflessness, Kirara, I have been given permission to grant you one wish." The woman bent down so we could see eye-to-eye and patted my head.
I mewed excitedly. "Yes, Kirara, anything you desire I can give to you." A few moments of silence passed before I realized what I wanted most. Looking up at the starstruck woman, I bowed my head.
"I thought that is what you would want." She smiled, standing up. "Your wish will be granted." Clapping her hands softly, the woman vanished into thin air. As her image dissolved another shooting star came down, hitting me head on. Chills ran up my small spine as my wish became true.
I could feel the unearthly magic of the heavens altering my form as my paws left the ground. It seemed forever before I was softly set on the ground again. Cautiously I opened my eyes. Had the strange woman really granted my one wish? I supported myself with my front legs...arms? My wish had really become reality!
I could feel the two tails of a nekomata brushing my legs. Shakily I stood up, my world spinning. "Thank you…" My new voice, barely a whisper, thanked the stranger who had done this for me.
"Ki…Kirara?" Another voice made me turn around in surprise. There stood Shippou, his eyes wide with confusion.
"Shippou? What…did you see?" I took a small step forward, my body still a bit wobbly.
"Everything, Kirara. Woah!" Shippou ran up to catch me as I was caught off balance. He slowly helped me up, gazing into my eyes. "Is it really you?"
I nodded, offering him a small smile. "Yes, Shippou, it is really me." It was then that I realized that Shippou was still holding my arms, even though I was somewhat steady on my feet. The expression in his eyes caught me off guard.
"Shippou…for the longest time I had sometimes wished to be a youkai. I wanted to be held…I wanted to be loved. Somehow my wish has actually been granted. Though this is hard for me to admit, Shippou, I think I'm in love with you. To tell you the truth, I always had been." I braced myself for a bad reaction, but I only received a kind smile.
"Kirara...to tell you the truth, when we were fighting Naraku, I had had a crush on you. I think I'm falling in love with you again, too." He wrapped his arms around me.
"Shippou, I-" I was interrupted by the most passionate kiss. There in that field, underneath the moonlight, I finally learned what it was like to love and have my love returned.