Thank you for the first two reviews so far! Anyways, this is my second chapter to my story. Enjoy!


Chapter 2: A Lost Soul


During that night in the kitchen, Kikyo and Trunks were busy preparing dinner over a fuel powered stove top. Trunks mentality was either crush or be crushed. But, generally those rules only applied to fighting. Never the less, he was always determined to learn new things. His task besides that of fighting, was to help Kikyo make a stew, a chicken stew with rice to be exact...

"Well done Trunks, you're doing very well at making a pot of rice. You see, when you rinse the rice to get rid of the excess starch, add one and a half cup of water for every cup of rice, and bring to a boil and leave uncovered at medium heat, the less of chances you'll have of a product that is sticky or gluey." Kikyo complimented Trunks, she had always liked children and became very fond of them. She looked at the children she grew fond of as if they were the younger siblings she never had.

Trunks gave her a small grin of achievement for complimenting him, "Thanks, Kikyo. With your help, it was as simple as One, Two, Three! By the way, that chicken stew is smelling great! What vegetables did you add?"

"Just your standard vegetables such as, carrots, potatoes, peas, onions, corn along with roasted sliced up chicken and rich chicken broth," she said with a smile, thinking about how much she loved to interact with children and teach them new things.

The way she described the stew made Trunks' mouth water at the seams of his lips, that he was slowly loosing focus on the task at hand.

"Trunks, I would keep an eye on the rice."

Her saying so snapped Trunks out of his insatiable love to eat, when he noticed he was still cooking rice.

"Oh! Sorry, guess I kinda dazed off there." Trunks blushed at the thought of himself being overtaken by the thought of food.

"It's alright. now Trunks, since the rice is boiling, turn down the heat to medium low and place the lid on the pot, tilted to allow the steam to escape," she instructed.

"Okay," Trunks did as he was told and turned down the heat, placing the lid on the pot on a tilted angle.

While giving the stew an occasional stir, Kikyo wondered why a boy like Trunks would even consider fighting the androids. "Trunks, why is it you and Gohan decided to fight the androids? What I do not understand is why he would let you fight in the first place," she inquired while noticing how his stare went downward.

Trunks looked down to the floor, when he replied, "Well I haven't been fighting the androids as long as Gohan has... He has been fighting them for thirteen years now. Gohan has suffered a great deal since then, first watching his father die due to a radical heart virus before the androids showed up. Then watching his close friends get easily picked off one by one, when the androids attacked a few months after his father's death."

Kikyo looked downward as well with slight melancholy, "You mean he has had to endure that for so long? And at such a young age?"

Then it came to her, how could a boy go into combat? "How is that possible though, he would have been a boy back then. How could a boy of that age go to fight the androids no less, more so yourself?"

Trunks laughed bitterly at her questions, "Well, to put this simply, me and Gohan aren't your average people."

Kikyo thought about what he said, she remembered sensing Gohan's presence, and remembered how his hair changed color. "You are right about that Trunks, I remembered how strong Gohan's presence was, when I first discovered you and him. When you were fighting, I believe that Gohan's energy gave me a lead of where to find the androids. Whenever the androids were attacking another city, I always sensed a peculiar presence."

Trunks look at her and smiled, "What you did back there when you saved us, was incredible. Me and Gohan were hardly stood a chance. But you managed to destroy one with a single arrow."

Kikyo smiled at him once more, "I am just glad that I helped who I could. But now that the rice is finished simmering, we should probably serve some meals. Here are some bowls, just put a couple scoops of rice into each bowl and I'll pour some stew on top."

"Sure, I can't wait to eat!" Trunks said as his insatiable appetite was coming back in full swing...


They made it back to the room Gohan was recuperating in, with a few bowls of stew to find Gohan was sleeping soundly. Kikyo looked towards Trunks and said. "Trunks can you wake Gohan up so he can have dinner?"

Trunks walked over to Gohan's bed and nudged him a bit, "Hey, Gohan wake up."

Gohan slowly opened his eyes to the site of Trunks' face before grunting awake, "Trunks, what is it?"

"We made some food." Trunk replied.

Kikyo put the bowls of stew on the table that was in the room and turned to see Gohan getting off the bed and trying to stretch, then he grunted in pain because he pulled a tender muscle in his torso.

"You should not be doing any kind of vigorous stretching right now, take your time," she said softly to him.

Gohan walked to the table slowly along with Trunks, and took their chairs and began to eat. Kikyo was very astonished at how fast they could eat, it was like they didn't even take time to breathe. By the time she was at her third spoon full, they had already finished their portion.

"That was very good! The rice was nice and fluffy this time, best meal I had in a while! Trunks did you make the rice?" Gohan asked.

"Yeah, I did thanks to Kikyo's help. She's really good at cooking!" Trunks said happily, while having his mouth stuffed with food.

Kikyo gave them an astonished look and said to herself. "I suppose you were very hungry indeed..."

A moment later, Kikyo began to laugh and clueless as Gohan always was, could not grasp why she was laughing. Was there something on their faces?

"What's so funny?" Gohan asked with a clueless face.

"Just the way you eat, I find amusing. You would think someone thought you came from a pack of wolves." Kikyo replied.

Gohan blushed for a second nut then looked at her with a smug expression, "Hey, I resent that you know."

Trunks turned to Gohan with a sly smile on his face. "You have to admit Gohan, the way we eat is rather atrocious to some people. At least Kikyo finds it more amusing."

Gohan just scratched the back of his head out of embarrassment, "Well, I guess most people would find that not as proper etiquette for decent table manners."

Kikyo got up of the chair she was sitting on and smiled, "However, do not expect me to find it amusing all the time. I think once is enough. I will be back to prepare your bed Trunks, so you can sleep for the night," she stated as began to walk off towards the kitchen with the few empty bowls in her hands.

Shortly after Trunks looked down to his hands that were clasped together, "She really did save our necks out there. We should be very grateful that she stumbled upon us."

"I know, what happened earlier today, was that of one in a million. We were lucky." Gohan said in all honesty. Then he gave Trunks a curious look, "So, how did the cooking session go?"

Trunks looked up to his mentor and smiled, "It went great. She is really good at instructing first-timers. We also talked a bit too..."

"Hmm... What about?" Gohan asked.

"Well, maybe I told her too much. You see, she was wondering why we were fighting the androids and she was wondering why you were allowing me to fight alongside you." Trunks replied earnestly.

"Well, what did you tell her?"

"I told her how we aren't normal people and I told her about how your dad died because of that damned heart virus. I also told her about how those androids killed all of our friends back then... Maybe I shouldn't have said anything." Trunks said with a down-cast face, remembering Kikyo's expression.

Gohan put his hand on Trunks' shoulder and sincerely smiled, "Trunks, I don't want to burden her with my past, she has already done enough as it is. We have only known her for a day, and I don't want to force my life's story upon her. She doesn't deserve that. Besides people all around the world have suffered just like us, we're no different."

Trunks nodded, "Alright, I promise not to say that much."

"I sure hope I was not keeping you waiting long," Kikyo said as came into the room with a bed sheet, a small bed foam, a quilt and a pillow.

Gohan gave her a toothy grin, "No, not at all."

She placed the bed foam on the floor near Gohan's temporary bed and began to tuck in the bed sheet, spreading a quilt on top with a pillow.

"Alright Trunks, your bed is made, so you can go to sleep if you like. I'll leave you now, so you both can to get some sleep," she got up and walked to the Shoji door to the hallway, placing her hand on it while giving a small smile to them, "Have a good night."

"Goodnight!" Gohan and Trunks said in unison. She left down the hallway with a very serious expression on her face...


Later that night, in a small old shrine, with lit torches around her. Kikyo was meditating. She had been sensing a rather dark aura for the past couple of days.

"I have to ascertain the whereabouts of this impure aura that has been presenting itself off and on lately. It has remained as elusive as before," she said to herself, with her eyes closed and began concentrating. "How can this being hide an impure aura of such magnitude?"

Then she sensed another aura approaching her from the outside of the small shrine.

"This aura... It's Gohan's, what has compelled him to not rest? What's this great sadness? This great sadness that permeates his aura? I have sensed that his aura has not changed since I have first met him," she thought, while still trying to locate the other unknown aura.

Gohan walked up the few brick steps to the temple and lightly touched the wooden gate of the temple shrine, peeking though one of the holes. There he saw Kikyo, she appeared to be in a trance sitting on her knees with her hands together.

'What is Kikyo doing in there? She seems to be in a state of deep meditation, maybe it would be wise that I don't disturb her,' he thought as head began to head back the way he came.

Just as Gohan was about to turn around and leave, Kikyo opened her eyes, "If you would like to talk to me, feel free to," she said, while getting off the floor and coming to the shrine gates to open them.

"Man! She has very keen senses, I didn't even make a sound. Can she sense power levels?" Gohan thought while being surprised at the same time.

There, Gohan stood face to face with a smiling Kikyo, "I see you have been watching me for some time now."

He smiled brightly, rubbing the back of his head, "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I heard Trunks did a pretty good job following your instructions earlier."

She smiled sadly in response and said softly, "It's quite alright. And yes, he did very well. He talked somewhat of your past with me. I understand you have suffered terribly since you were very young. I feel sorry that you had to endure that..."

He was somewhat taken aback with her sudden response. Gohan closed his eyes and sighed, "Listen, about what Trunks said, I don't want you to feel concerned about it. It shouldn't have to be your burden, okay? Besides I've gotten over it," he smiled yet again, trying to act assuring.

She looked at him in pity. "Do not be ashamed that you yearned for a better life, it is of no cause for damnation."

"Kikyo, why are you asking me of this all of a sudden?" Gohan said warily.

She could see the pain that he held in for so long was evident in his eyes, "I wish to hear of your story. And because... I hope that you will allow me... to touch your soul," she said hesitant with all sincerity.

"I just don't understand you Kikyo, why are you so determined to look deep within my heart?" Gohan was curious about why she was persistent about finding out more about his past.

Kikyo closed her eyes again when replying, "I do not even have to try, your heart is plain for me to see. Your smile tells it all. What I see is nothing but a façade... Just from sensing your aura, I can assume you have held this pain in for a long time. But I do want you to tell me, what is it that makes you so unbearably sad?"

His eyes widened by a small fraction, and he was taken aback by her sudden statement once again, "You are saying... I'm sad?"

Kikyo came closer to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, embracing him. His eyes widened in surprise with her action, "Even though I touch your very soul, I cannot feel you have let go of anything in your past. You have kept all that pain deep within you for many years," she assumed as she embraced him more tightly, but with tenderness.

Gohan stood there, unmoving, feeling as though he had lost track of time as unshed tears began to form at the rims of his eyes before he finally found his voice, "You're... You're right, I wanted to makes amends for not being able to save my friends that day. I felt that if trained and confronted the androids as much as possible, my father wouldn't look down upon me in shame."

Still embracing him, she looked up to him, "Do you believe your father would think of you in such a way?"

Gohan chuckled bitterly as his unshed tears began to spill over, "No... I've known my father long enough to know that he was a very accepting person. Over the years, I guess, I forced those thoughts of shame on myself. Maybe if I didn't believe what I thought was true, I wouldn't have had this bitterness. I was the fool to think that..."

"How painful it must have been. You have done more than enough good in this world. Do not blame yourself or feel guilty because of something that was not within your ability to control. So please, let your soul become free... There is no need to keep that feeling inside of you anymore," she said softly.

That was all Gohan needed to hear as he started to sob silently on her shoulder, with her still embracing him gently. After some time, he had calmed down, they were both standing in the same position, he made no move to break the embrace she cocooned him in. In all honesty, he relished this moment; he felt he finally attained peace with both his body and spirit after many years of suffering. For the first time in his life, he felt free.

"Thank you, I've held that in for so long, that it just felt good to let it out. Words can't even describe how much you have helped me. My life was trapped in such chaos, that I didn't even know what to do or where to turn to... I was just lost... So I thank you," he said out of new found contentment, a feeling he had been missing for years.

She released him from her embrace, "I told you to not to worry yourself of such things," she then took hold of his hand and looked brightly at him, "Come. Let us go inside and get some rest. Tomorrow a new day shall begin. And we as people, must break away from the past if we hope to push on forward with our lives," she said wisely, whilst holding his hand with hers and walking back to the inside of the temple.


During the short walk back to the temple, Gohan had been thinking about what Kikyo had said to him. She was right, why would he carry such guilt to begin with, when everything that happened in the past was something he had hardly no control over? When they both made it back inside the hut, they came back to the room to find Trunks was sleeping soundly. Kikyo was about to leave after she bid Gohan Goodnight, but before she could, he gently grabbed her hand.

"Huh?" she said softly as she looked back to him with a questionable stare.

"Kikyo?"

"Yes, what is it?"

He looked into her eyes with sincerity and gratitude, "Even though I have known you for only so long, I have to say that you are very giving to those you wish to help, and that you have been a good friend while doing it."

She smiled softly at what he said, "That makes me happy that you think of me as such. If it is one thing I have learned in life, it's that no matter how powerful or successful you may be, people depend on others. We are all part of a great wheel, whether we know it or not. So you should not feel ashamed that even you; yourself were in need of help."

He smiled back at her wise comment, "Thank you Kikyo, you are very wise to think like that. I wish I did in my younger years, but I had no one to turn to. Well, Goodnight," he then walked into the room to get some sleep.

Kikyo walked down the hallway to her room wearing a sincere, down-cast expression with her mind in thought, "There is not one person in this world, who never feels lost; who has never needed others to guide them out of the darkness. Those who try to be forever divine, those who try to be forever kind; and even those who are tainted by evil. Everyone wishes to be saved."

Just before she went to sleep, she idly said her last thought of the night aloud, "I wonder how fate shall lead us?"


The next morning, the birds were chirping their morning melody; and the sun had yet to peak over the mountains. Gohan woke to the sounds of their chirping noises, and decided that it was time do a short morning workout. He noticed Trunks was still sleeping and decided whether or not to wake him and have him tag along. He smiled at his sleeping 'younger brother'.

"Nah, I'll let him off the hook this time," he thought as he left the room, while rubbing the some of the sleep from his eyes, going down the hallway, to the outside.

When he made it outside to breath in the fresh morning dew, he caught a glimpse of Kikyo putting up laundry on a clothesline. Kikyo noticed him almost instantly and turned to smile at him.

"You're awake already, Gohan? I take it you are feeling better?" She asked curiously.

"Good Morning to you, Kikyo. I feel I have made it through a good recovery," he said with such morning enthusiasm as he grinned in the traditional Son fashion.

"Good Morning. I'm glad to hear that you are doing well, and I will be sure to help you change your bandages later," she smiled softly.

"Actually, I don't think that will be necessary. I heal pretty fast," he said with such certainty, while smirking slightly.

"Well we will just check to be sure," she replied, as Gohan grinned cheekily again, while rubbing the back of his head.

"He seems more at peace since last night. I can see it in his spirit and his face has a certain softness," she smiled at the thought.

Gohan saw that she was still putting up laundry on the clothesline and wondered if she would want his help.

"Here, let me help you," he offered.

She chuckled at his insistent behavior, "Why don't you give yourself some time to wake up? I will be done this soon."

"I insist," he said stubbornly, grabbing a shirt and snapping it up on the clothesline.

"Alright, if you insist," she replied as she continued adding clothes to the line.

"I thought about last night when we talked, I came to realize that we are quite alike, you and I." Kikyo suddenly brought up.

He looked at her somewhat confused, "Huh? What do you mean? I'm pretty sure that on a huge margin, we both lead very different lives."

"I think you are mistaken with your conjecture. What I mean to say is that we try to live without doubt, without mistake. I suppose last night reminded me of myself and of my past," she said thoughtfully.

Gohan put his fingers on his chin, his eyebrow partly raised. "Then, what about your past?" He asked.

Kikyo stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Gohan, "You see, I wondered the countryside training to become a priestess. I also was assisting those who were terribly injured by the androids. Some who managed to escape with their lives were fortunate to survive after I treated them. And others we're not, so they died while in my care because of their injuries," she confessed, then continued what she was doing.

Gohan gave her a look of understanding, "I see... So you were in the same position as me..."

She chuckled at him again, "In ways, yes. And in others, no. I accepted that people who live in such a world; such as you or myself, would face unbearable torment and fatalities. I felt such emptiness before. However, I overcame it. There are just some of those individuals who cannot be saved with such life threatening injuries. To live is to die, to die is to live. That is my resolve," she wisely said while being open with him.

Gohan was fascinated with her short, but open speech, "Kikyo, I'll say this, you are very strong-willed."

Kikyo shook her head slightly, "No. Inside I am an ordinary woman, yet I cannot reveal myself as such. With the way the world is, you cannot waver, otherwise your negative thoughts will consume you."

She had finished hanging every piece of clothing to dry and walked back towards the temple, leaving Gohan to stand there.

"Kikyo, what is it that you're hiding?" He wondered as he looked towards her retreating back. In the short time that he came to know her, she had always been a mysterious person to him...


To be concluded...


Tell me what you think!

Also, If this chapter didn't make any sense, forgive me. I have been working on this chapter here and there, generally while staying up late all night... So I might have had not enough brain power. Also, the next chapter may take longer because I'm trying to make a good plot line as I embellish a bit more. So try to bear with me!