10 Years Later

"What is this herb, Kikyou-sama?" asked brown-haired girl.

Young priestess eyed at the plant for a moment. "It is called Shilaji, young Reika," Kikyou answered.

"What about this?" asked the other girl.

"Now, girls. I promised to your mothers to bring you back home by dinner."

"Not yet, please!" three girls said in unison. Kikyou smiled.

After a while they walked along the path which lead to village. The girls chattered avidly to Kikyou.

"And my mama said that you are the most powerful priestess ever in our village!"

"And papa told how you my uncle five years ago!"

"That is my responsibility," Kikyou said. "I am glad to help whenever I can."

"I want to be priestess when I'm big," said the girl with bright hair.

"Me too! Can you teach us?"

"Of course," Kikyou smiled at the them. Girls cried happily and ran ahead, she following them.

It was an ordinary day. Everyone had their chores and responsibilities. Life was peaceful in their home and Kikyou was glad for that.

All people in the village knew her, since she was their great priestess who could heal any illness and sorrow. Villagers greeted her as she passed by and Kikyou gave them a friendly nod while she was looking around for a one, particular person.

Where is she again? She was supposed to help Daiki-san with his vegetables, she thought as she saw the old man carrying his baskets alone. "Daiki-san?"

The man turned around. "Oh, Kikyou-sama! Was the weather as pleasing around the meadow?" he asked kindly and ruffled his grey hair.

"Indeed it was. But do you know where my sister is? Was she even here to begin with?"

"Of course Kagome-san was here! And she helped me very much, full of strength and youth unlike me," he said and glanced at Kikyou with amused eyes. "But isn't se impatient. I do not mean it to say anything ill about her but she did act like she had something else to do. Therefore I let her go. I told her I could manage to carry rest of these on my own. She refused at first but I convinced her to believe that I am not as old as I look."

"Where did she head to?"

"I believe towards the forest."

Kikyou let out an annoyed sigh. Why can not she listen to me? "Thank you for your help, Daiki-san."

"Kikyou-sama," the man said as Kikyou was about to go after her sister. "I know that you are worried for her but... ever since that horrible fire years ago everything has been peaceful and quiet. Those, creatures, would have come back by now if they were to be somewhere near us."

"I know," she replied. "But I can not take a risk that something would happen to her again."


Sixteen years old girl raised her bow and narrowed her brown eyes intently, her black hair and blue kimono swaying in the wind. For a moment she stared at the tree and then released her arrow.

It flew right on the ground.

"Ah!" she cried out, vexed. Then she sighed and walked to arrow, lifting it from the ground. "Why can't you hit?" she asked from it and put it back to her bag, full of more arrows. She had drawn a little sign with her knife on the bark of the tree where she had targeted the arrow.

Kikyou was the one who knew how to handle the bow. No, not just handle; she was excellent. When Kagome had been little, she had often watched, mesmerized as her sister in such a young age had learnt to use bow, almost never missing the target. Kaede-sama had praised her as a natural talented.

But Kagome was Kagome and she wasn't going to give up.

After a while, when sun was going down and sky turned red, Kagome knew she had to get back to village. Daiki-san is such a nice man, she thought with a tired smile. I hope he didn't hurt his back with those baskets.

When she arrieved to village, it was pretty quiet. Only few men were sitting on the bench, talking and drinking. Everyone else were in their huts, probably having dinner, getting ready to sleep. Kagome yawned and continued to walk home. Kikyou and her hut was quite small and neither of them usually whiled away in it but it was comfortable enough to eat and sleep.

Kikyou was sitting near the fire inside the hut. There was stew and two bowls near her. She raised her head when she heard mat door's rustle and their brown eyes locked.

"Hey," Kagome greeted carefully.

Kikyou's face was blank. "Come to eat."

She obeyed and sat near her, taking her bowl. There was silence for a moment and Kagome almost thought that Kikyou wouldn't say anything about her 'escape'.

"You do know I prefer not for you to go far away from the village," Kikyou said. Her voice was firm but didn't seem angry. Kagome knew her sister though.

"I wanted to practice with the bow," she answered quietly, suddenly not very hungry anymore.

"Practice? You do not have to go that far because of that."

"I wanted to be alone," Kagome said firmly and placed the bowl back to floor.

"This is not about your wants. It is dangerous."

"But I am sixteen years old, onee-san," Kagome said and stood up, her eyes begging Kikyou to understand. "Other women go to forest too and they are younger than me!"

"Kagome, it is not the same."

"But how isn't it?" she took Kikyou's hand in her own. "Please. I know you are worried about me, I do. But I need to practice somewhere alone so I can concentrate and forest is the perfect place. Everything is so calm and quiet in there, I don't think anything could happen. Also if I learn to use bow I can defend myself better. You would want that for me too, right?"

Kikyou watched her sister's face. I'm sorry, Kagome. I can't. I can't let anything happen to you again. But it's better for you to not remember either. You will have to understand.

"No. I have told you that you can not go to forest and I am not changing my mind."

Hope in Kagome's eyes disappeared and she let go of her sister's hand.

"This was already the second time you went there," Kikyou said calmly, avoiding her sister's eyes. Kagome's gaze was on the floor. "Therefore if you go there again, forbid you to leave the village at all."

Kagome's head rose quickly and she looked at Kikyou's determined eyes. To her they looked cold, just like her powerful voice and way to speak. She could feel tears form into her eyes before she made her way outside.

"Kagome!" Kikyou cried.

"Do not worry, onee-san," she answered. "I am not going to the forest! I will stay here and where ever you want me to stay!"

With that she was gone.

Kikyou felt her heart break as Kagome's unhappy face burned into her mind. She knew her sister very well; Kagome was passionate and free soul, and now she felt cruelly chained. Kikyou was using her state as Kagome's only family to order her though she knew herself that she didn't have the right. But she had to because she would protect her sister, no matter what.


Kagome sniffed. Heavy, wet tears ran down her pale cheeks. She had run out of the village which had begun to feel like coalhole, not to the forest like she had promised, but to meadow. The air was slightly cool and wind swayed her hair and sky was almost dark.

Why? she thought as she sat there. Why does she want to make me unhappy so easily?

Since she had been six years old Kikyou had always worried too much for her, tried to keep her safe. But she wasn't the only one back then. Kagome had heard about the one night when warriors had attacked to village, killing many people, and destroyed almost every hut. That was the reason why parent didn't dare to let their children out of their sight for many, many months. As everyone were sure that danger had passed, Kagome had to watch how other children ran to meadow to play while she stayed home under her sister's gaze. Kikyou didn't know what it felt like. To be like a prisoner, to be the great Kikyou-sama's sister. She couldn't use a bow, she couldn't heal people or recognize herbs. She could only cook and so she was nothing compared to Kikyou. Basically Kikyou was priestess already as she was fourteen. Kagome knew she could never be priestess, she possibly didn't even want to be.

She had at least been sure she could learn to use bow decently and show her sister that she could take care of herself if something were to happen. All of if seemed to be in vain also.

Kagome could never hate her, especially when she knew that it was all for her safety. She was only sad, so very sad.

Kagome looked at the sky silently. Is this really my fate?


AN:

Reviews are warmly welcomed ^^

- kirr1001