Kagome slipped into her morning meditation, folding her legs into the lotus position and letting her eyes slide shut. Kaede had recently taught her how to hone her powers by using relaxation techniques, and Miroku had offered to supervise her in her meditation. Today, however, she had woken up a little earlier than everyone else and slipped away, determined to perfect her technique without Miroku's help. She had arrived in a gorgeous area, untamed hills as far as the eye could see.
Kagome inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her slightly parted lips. Focus on your breath, her mind echoed. Focus on the in, and out, and in, and out… Her heart pounded in her ears, getting louder and louder, until-
Power burst from her pores, illuminating her in a warm, invisible glow. She felt as if she was in a small bubble- tentatively, she pushed a little harder at the edges and the bubble expanded. An image popped into her mind. Was there a dandelion in front of her? Excited, she expanded the bubble, testing its limits. It grew, larger and larger; expanding over hills, absorbing the crisp, morning air. She could sense the grass swaying around her, tickling her arms, and the various flowers filling the air with a million fragrant aromas. Kagome could almost taste the dew on the plants; she could feel the drops as they slid off the leaves and soaked into the ground.
And now she didn't need her eyes to see. Her head tilted back to catch the warm rays of sunlight. Had the grass always been so green? Had those lily petals always looked so pure and innocent? Kagome's breath caught in her throat- she nearly wept at the sound of the plain lark's lovely song. She was entranced by the simple, overwhelming beauty of nature.
I can't open my eyes, she thought. The flowers won't smell as sweet. The sun won't shine as bright. So she sat there, in a trance, for what seemed like an eternity. An eternity filled with rolling hills, the flutter of slowly falling leaves, and the lazy chatter of animals just waking from their slumber.
Everything was pure and untouched. Everything was a part of her- the brilliant, fiery maple leaves, the soft, moist soil, even the worms, tunneling underground, blind but still able to see. She had created the earth and in turn, it had shaped her.
Don't be scared, the sparrows cried. Open your eyes.
I can't, she responded. I don't know if I can let go.
All you have to do is breathe, a breeze whispered as it swept past her face. It was cool and refreshing, like dipping into the river on a summer morning.
Let us carry you, the hills rumbled. We are one.
Kagome threw herself into the sky. The bubble popped, and her eyes opened slowly, almost apprehensive of the sight in front of her. She drew in shuddering breaths, a mist blurring her vision.
The hills were the most beautiful shade of green she had ever seen. Raising a hand to her cheek, she wasn't surprised to find it damp. Shaking, she bowed her head to smell a flower.
The scent seemed to sweep through her whole body, shaking it to the very core. Salty tears trickled down her face. One landed on a petal and she watched it as it made an agonizingly slow trail down to the tip, finally falling off. Slowly, it soaked into the ground, disappearing into the earth.
Kagome sat back up, noticing another flower in front of her. It was the dandelion. She knew that the tiniest breath would send the seeds spiraling away.
She puffed out her cheeks and blew. A feathery myriad exploded before her eyes, immediately swept away by the wind to create new life elsewhere.
"Make a wish." A gruff voice came from behind her and she whirled around, blushing at being caught during such a private moment.
"Wench- you were crying." The hanyou hunched his shoulders and looked down at Kagome, his golden eyes piercing. "Why?"
What could she tell him?
"I really like it here," she told him, avoiding the question. "It's too bad we don't have such pretty scenery in the future." Taking his hand and ignoring his look of disbelief, she pulled herself up and smiled at him. Hand in hand, they headed back to the campsite.
Kagome turned around to take one last glimpse of the ethereal landscape.
She felt nostalgic for something she'd never known.
A/N: Arrrrgh, this needs so much work. I'll probably edit it later. (Much later.) My family and I recently revisited Borneo, a place I've often frequented when I was a little kid living in M'sia. Just standing in this gigantic rain forest that is essentially untouched brought out all kinds of silly, sappy emotions in me.
I had a billion ideas I wanted to write down, but nature is something nearly impossible to describe. It's huge, constant and endless, and it's more beautiful than words can explain. I tried, though!