She was in one word… beautiful
Her skin was soft to the touch her breasts voluptuous and pliable in his rough hands as her curvy body just nestled perfectly against his. Her gentle fingers traced an old wound and he hissed in pleasure falling back onto the hard pallet of his futon. Her body rose up and fell with his movement as she panted quietly against the sound of distant thunder and light rain as he filled every inch of her with himself. The feel of her skin was so real, the touch of her hands, the smell, the softness of her hair, the taste of her lips… it was too real.
She cried out his name, a songlike aria into the night as they joined as one. His hands traced her jaw then her lips before brushing aside her long ebony hair. Her eyes slowly opened as she lovingly looked down upon him, his mouth opened to a silent gasp looking into intense violet eyes that almost glowed in the night. He reached up and brushed her cheek with his hand as she leaned into his caress staring at him with those lovely eyes.
Kikyou's were the color of earth after the rain, Kagome's eyes were the color of the ocean and skies, Luna had her father's eyes yet they were so intense he swore she was demonic… yet she was the weakest of them all.
"This is wrong." He muttered.
She shook her head a few times. He opened his mouth to say something but she pressed her finger onto his lips as she whispered something soft, almost inaudible to him. He had never coupled like this before, his experiences in the past had been… rough to say the least laced with insecurity and desperation. But for now he was breathless and tired. Wrapping his arm around her form he held her close to himself whispering words goodnight to a dream he'd never dare to share with anyone but himself.
To Wash it All Away
Seven.
The light rain beating on his roof jarred him from slumber.
He woke up tired, his body spent.
Lazily he raised an arm reaching out for something beside him and blinked open his eyes realizing nothing was there. "Just a dream, go to bed dumbass." He muttered to himself as he yawned loudly scratching his head tossing his raven hair.
He felt old, and tired. He didn't even know how old he was he was seventy something or other counting the years he spent in slumber when he became mortal so years just meant nothing to him when he was hanyou.
Inuyasha reached up and rubbed his eyes with his hands before he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. He sniffed lightly at the smell of fresh cut grass before his eyes slowly opened. He lightly reached over and pressed his hand against the indent on his futon and the light warmth that came about from the absence of someone that had been there and the few drops of blood that was present.
His mind screamed, ' !'
What the hell… how the hell… when the hell? He sat up kicking the covers off himself dressing in black haori and hakamas pulling a cloak over his shoulder walking out in the rain around the estate running up the steps leading to her meager hut.
"Luna you'd better have a damn good explanation…." Inuyasha barged into the hut not bothering to knock when he stilled. Luna kept relatively few things, small odd trinkets that had no value, empty bottles of sake she would confiscate from him and line up on the wall to piss him off, left shoes for some reason, and a stack of scrolls.
Yet they were all gone.
The only thing left was a small bowl with rice and incense burning.
"She's gone Inuyasha."
Inuyasha looked over his shoulder to Miroku who was standing behind him at the door of the hut. "I can tell."
Miroku walked inside the small house of his daughter looking around the place that was ridiculously small and unkept to be considered inhabitable. "Ariake didn't want for much did she?" She wanted little in life, she stopped seeing Sango altogether and stopped seeing him as father but more of spiritual mentor. The girl kept him on his toes just so he could be a worthy teacher. He didn't argue with her, only abided by her wishes to make her happy.
"She would have been happy under the stairs."
"I did try Inuyasha, but she did not want to move into the house."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and folded his arms. Yea Miroku was an IDEAL parent. Letting the girl have sake, taking her to very eligible warlords, the practice of swindling had to be passed on from father to heir.
"I know what you must think Inuyasha but she wanted to go."
"You mean Sango wanted her to go."
"No, Sango cannot speak to Luna. I'm sure the girl doesn't even see her or hear her anymore and why would I want to get rid of Luna when she and I had a business." Miroku saw Inuyasha's eyes blink realizing that he was right. "This choice was hers to make, she proposed it and she followed through. My daughter is old enough to make her choices in life now and she chose to not be around her family anymore." Miroku sat down on a small stool, "I'm sure one day she will be a revered priestess."
"Yea won't you be proud."
Miroku looked up, "You must thing us bad parents, I won't disagree. But she wasn't an ideal child either. Sango cannot understand Luna so she doesn't have affection of her as a regular mother would."
"My mother didn't understand me but she loved me plenty."
"But your mother didn't purposefully keep you from danger Inuyasha. And Sango is no hime she comes from a line of taijiya that demand their children to be strong and even you that used to be a demon could see the logic in that. You must be strong to survive."
"But Luna ain't, and I saw that."
Miroku looked down to the ground, "There are some things that I regret greatly. Her violent outbursts, the destruction of her power… the way she acts and reacts… all I can do is just give her the space she wanted."
"The girl isn't stupid no matter what you and Sango think."
Miroku glared at Inuyasha, "Maybe we rushed having children, maybe we should have settled into a normal life instead of one that had us running about… I'm ashamed of myself."
"So… coercing her to leave fixes the mistake? Or I bet you didn't even argue with her, it wasn't going to make her happy or safe and we both know that." He shook his head, "Send her away so you can't see your fuck up."
Miroku gave him a smile, "I screwed up what else can I say."
"How about 'I'm sorry' to her."
"I know it seems so easy a fix. But I'm a coward and I have to stop being one. When I'm ready I'll go to Kaede's village and bring her back."
Inuyasha shook his head, "So she wanted to leave, idiot."
"She isn't stupid Inuyasha, wasn't that what you just told me?"
"Yea but everyone makes stupid decisions."
"Coming from you my friend I will take what you said to heart."
"Yea whatever what are you doing here anyway Monk don't you have some village to raid of ominous clouds?"
Miroku stood up and ran his fingers through his hair, "That would mean going home first." He saw Inuyasha's inquiring look, "Boy found out his sister is gone and has been a screaming nightmare… and he's not the only one."
"I take it Shippou found a corner of his lands and stayed there." When Miroku nodded Inuyasha shook his head. "Figures."
"He's not the only one sulking for her loss."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "She's just a runt I looked after."
"You took her safety rather to heart."
"Well no one else did."
"Inuyasha whatever happened between you and Kagome I know you've atoned for it years and years ago. But don't deny yourself happiness when she wouldn't have let you done so and don't deny Luna's happiness either." Miroku then gave him a violet stare that would stop a demon in their tracks, "Because if you do may Buddha have mercy on your soul."
Inuyasha's eyes widened, "Miroku you've got to be joking… I'm about seventy human years old and Sango would destroy me where I stood if I even *thought* that road."
Miroku threw his head back and started laughing out loud, "I was just joking you should have seen your face." He patted Inuyasha on the back rather hard as they walked into the rain.
"Miroku don't you dare joke like that!"
"On this day in the spring 2200, a great evil by the name of Naraku was defeated by the uniting of humans and demons. And by this may we one day live in harmony." Her fingers lightly brushed off the dust as she touched the names etched in stone. The smile faded from her lips as her fingers stroked the name of Inuyasha. Violet eyes stood transfixed for a moment before looking away.
She picked up the forgotten basket of flora she set down for a moment while she reminisced and headed towards the village. Her mind was not on the flowers she carried and the lesson Kaede was teaching her to distinguish different foliage for different remedies… her mind was fixed on that name…. on him… on Inuyasha.
'Foolish child.'
Her lips turned down into a frown at the harsh whisper in her mind. "At least I'm still alive." She muttered to no one. This time the lineage and soul of Kikyou took a different direction than her two previous incarnations.
It was she who left him.
Luna wanted to smile but not even that thought comforted her that she did what two other women who technically she was could not do. The fates really did have it out for one ex half demon. She wanted to feel bad for him but he really was paying the price for two massive failures.
Luna shook her head reasoning with herself, it sort of hurt her too. She had adored him as a child, grew close to him then eventually fell in love with him. "Yes I am foolish!" She yelled out scaring a few of the villagers as they merely stared at her from a safer distance. But she had to think this rationally, if things ever could be as she wanted them… if by some act of a god that took pity on them put them together then what would she be?
Luna could never be second place, nor third.
So she left before it became awkward between them, before he could see her any differently than he had always seen her… as a child.
She weaved through the streets bowing to people along the way, speaking of remedies for their ailing health and answering their questions on Lady Kaede's health. She finally reached the top of the shrine steps and turned around overlooking the top of the stairs to the village below she saw the buildings and trees lining the main streets as lanterns were hung off poles giving off soft glowing light.
"Is that ye Luna lass?"
Luna looked over her shoulder to the elder miko standing at the door of the shrine, "Kaede-sama…!"
Kaede brushed off the girl's warning. "Hush child when my time comes there is nothing you or I can do about it."
"No, your shoes!"
Kaede looked down at her sandals, "Ye did not take all of my slippers lass." She smiled at the pout the girl made before turning away and just folding her arms. Kaede wondered about Miroku's missives that she was wild and rambunctious, the girl was as meek as a sheep. And the girl was not 'odd' though she did have a penchant for burning her shoes and everyone else's. Was this the massive destruction Miroku spoke of, nay she was fine. Kaede could find little evidence to support any of Miroku's claims about his daughter.
But he was right about one thing, the immense power could be felt by those without holy eyes. It was as though Luna had a flood of it and never learned control. Whereas everyone even yon Kagome learned more and grew stronger Luna was at an apex of power with little control. But she was learning to control herself, she merely needed an outlet.
"Your father has written." Kaede watched the girl for a reaction but she had none. Did she not want to see her father? "Miroku-dono will be here at the end of the fortnight."
"Miroku-dono-dama would come as soon as a moon cycle ago, and before Miroku-dono-sama would come a fortnight prior. My prior master has much work to do in the forests of Inari, he will not keep this appointment."
Kaede stared in shock at the way Luna spoke of her father. She spoke of him as though he was not her father at all, she did not even react to the word 'father'. It was a growing concern with Kaede as Luna wouldn't speak of her mother or her brother. Miroku was 'dono-sama' and Sango was 'the taijiya.' "I wonder if Inuyasha will accompany Miroku-dono." The girl rolled her eyes, now that was a reaction.
"General Inuaysha-sama would not come this far south."
"Perhaps he would if we invited him?"
"And why would we want to do that?"
Kaede smiled broadly, "Has Inuyasha been an ass to ye child?"
"How many incarnations before he isn't?"
Kaede chuckled at the girl, "His treatment of women leaves much to be desired."
"He is not desirable Lady Kaede." Luna turned, "He killed Kikyou and he probably killed Kagome, why would I want him anywhere near me looking the way I do?"
Kaede sighed understanding the point driven by the girl. Really she had a point and there was no arguing with that. "Luna, do ye still have waking dreams?"
"No." she lied.
Kaede raised an eyebrow. She watched the girl turn from her and looking out blankly to the darkened skies beyond. There were so many questions and so few answers. The answers were probably in the girl herself, that is if she would even speak of it. Luna was very silent about such things unless it involved her anger for Inuyasha. With training she would be a formidable priestess, with time she would be the splitting image of her long deceased sister.
Luna walked through the woods alone long after Kaede rested for the night deep in thought.
She had been called stupid and ill minded by the taijiya. Then one day these powers sprang fourth and they feared her. She belonged nowhere and even here they stared at her, calling her the third incarnation of a woman she knew to be evil.
And they praised the name Kikyou… not Luna.
And Inuyasha… her violet eyes opened a small fraction as she stared at the graves of the women whom he had before her. She looked like them, like these two powerful women that came before her.
The edge of her lips turned into a frown as a tiny seed of resentment was planted and the door to darkness was opened. Her hands slowly curled into fists as her eyes glowed and a light wind whirled about her form disrupting the leaves.
'Hate them.'
A voice whispered deep in her mind. She looked up through dark bangs to the now dark forest beyond the pathways into the forest. Luna narrowed her eyes slightly before turning away from the forest.
'Hate them.'
She stopped and looked over her shoulder into the wood as thunder crashed off in the distance. Luna turned her bare feet silent in the grass as she walked towards the darkness. As she held the arrow in her hand she realized she never really learned to use the weapon properly, no one but Kaede bothering to teach her until recent. So she held it awkwardly notching it on the bowstring.
She stopped once she reached the bone eaters well. Luna let out a sigh as she lowered her weapons walking towards the landmark she had visited before many times prior. She set aside the bow and arrows sitting down at the edge of the well shuffling the grass with her feet. Yet today something felt different about this place, she looked down into the well and furrowed her brow when she felt a pull from deep within.
Luna stood and stared into the depths of the well, wind flowed all around her being sucked down creating a vortex deep inside as a purple light began to swirl about. She stood on the edge of the well, her eyes transfixed on the abysmal portal before her.
Luna closed her eyes and took a step back suddenly feeling the need to get away from this place. She put a hand to her head at the feeling of an oncoming headache as she rushed into the deeper wood.
After awhile the wood became unfamiliar as light turned to night and the once distant thunder loomed closer. She turned wondering where she was when she realized she was lost. Using one of Inuyasha's favorite colorful metaphors she sat on the ground and began pulling at the grass.
'Hate them.'
Luna looked up into the sky, "Hate whom?" She asked. If a voice speaks one must answer lest it never speaks again or it finds someone else to talk to. And since she was all alone in the wood she was rather lonely so the voice would have to do for now.
'Hate them.'
Again it said this and she realized she already knew the answer to her own question. Luna very well knew who 'them' was. She bowed her head as she looked down at her hands. She couldn't lie to herself, although she was learning many things and most importantly the value of unselfishness she was miserable here… in this place… in 'their' place.
'Hate them.'
It whispered nothing more than that and she burst into tears covering her face with her hands crying out. She had tried so hard to fit in here, she had tried to be that which Kaede stood for, but even if she took the place of the sweet miko she would be taking the place of another… something she had left her home for. A pair of hands rested on her shoulder and began to soothe her lightly as she gave into her own sorrow as her tears trailed down her cheeks, "I want to go home!"
'Would they love you, would he?'
Luna wiped her eyes with the white loose sleeve of her haori. Everyone expected so much of her yet she was just Luna, couldn't they love just Luna?
"No, they wouldn't." She looked up to see a dark figure kneeling beside her, an arm wrapped around her shoulder as the other reached out brushing her tears. The figure was dark and transparent as though ghostly. She could see indents of features but otherwise could see no more.
"Are you real?" Her breath caught when a hand reached out and brushed lightly against her cheek, she barely felt the feathered touch of his ghostly hand as he comforted her.
'I can be.'
Her violet eyes narrowed and she asked the question that should not have been asked, "How?"
'Hate them.'
She reached out when his form disappeared to grasp nothing. Maybe her head hurt too much and she imagined the whole thing. She stood putting her hand to her head brushing past a tiny bald spot on her thick hair.
Luna frowned remembering this, she did not do her lessons correct and this was punishment. She hissed in pain when the pain increased and she held her head with both hands wishing the pain away when her stomach began to hurt and she felt sick and nauseous.
Luna stood in full mind of heading back to her hut to get rest but the pain was too great and she fell on the forest floor.
…
"Lady Kaede she wakes."
Luna opened her eyes slowly and stared up at the roof of the hut. She made a mental note that there was an unwanted spider living with her and she did not like un-welcomed guests.
"Thank the gods child ye are alive."
"Which ones?" Luna turned and looked up to see Kaede kneeing beside her, the old miko's long white braid over her shoulder. "Lady Kaede you look spent!" The miko's robes were dirty and her face was full of sweat and dirt.
"Aye Luna-sama, Inuyasha's forest has been ablaze for days. I thought ye were lost to us."
"Ablaze?" She sat up and stared at the miko, "What happened?"
"The lighting must have stricken Inuyasha's forest. A massive fire has set fire to the woods child. Tis over though." She patted the girl's cheek wondering this… they found Luna unconscious in the middle of the burned forest yet she was completely unharmed.
"Lady Kaede." Kaede turned to a few of the villagers that were staring pensively at her. "She is fine."
"That is why we are worried."
Kaede took in a deep breath.
She smiled when she felt his presence and slowly opened her eyes to see a tall imposing figure at the doorway. "Shippou." She whispered softly as she held up a hand.
Shippou walked into the dark hut lit by candles and brushed back his cape as he knelt on the floor besides her taking the hand she offered. "Kaede." He whispered to the woman he had called grandmother. Her hands were cold and weak, her uncovered eye was cloudy and her face was flushed.
"I would offer ye tea, but I'm afraid I can't get up."
"Do not worry about propriety."
"Sake then?"
Shippou laughed a bit before his smile faded, "I did not bring the children."
"They should not have to see a dying old woman." Kaede gave him a weak smile, "Where is Miroku?"
Shippou bowed his head looking down at the ground, "Miroku thinks it is better this way."
"Shippou, my dying wish is to beat Miroku."
"That lady Kaede can be arranged." He looked into her eye pensively, "I have heard things about Luna, even at Inari. They say she destroyed Inuyasha's forest, that she is becoming a demon. Kaede is this true?"
"It is true Shippou. She has no control over her powers, and she is… changed."
"Changed?"
"The girl ye knew is not there anymore, replaced by… I do not know what. Shippou I cannot protect her anymore. These villagers are simple minded and superstitious."
He was afraid that was the case. "Where is she?"
"She is where she always is, at the temple." Kaede closed her eyes. "Make her leave, take her with you."
He nodded and stood up bowing his head to her before walking out of the small hut she lived in at the bottom of the shrine steps. There were many people bowing on the ground praying for her health and mourning Kaede's inevitable loss. He stood at the bottom of the shrine steps and looked up to the top where an odd darkness stood there even at suns light. There was an eerie feeling as he climbed the steps and his senses heightened at the feeling of impending danger.
Once at the top it was as the sun was covered by thunderous clouds. Nothing felt right here. The twisted bare trees charred and broken was all that remained of the once lush forest. He walked into the shrine, a darker place with not even a candle to illuminate it. There was someone kneeling on the ground, he walked slowly towards the person and held out a hand placing it on her shoulder, "Luna?"
In an instant she stood turning around and putting a dagger against his throat. Shippou stared down at the girl in disbelief, "Luna would you do that to me?"
Her violet eyes widened. She took a step back shaking as she dropped the dagger and bowed her head in silent apology.
Shippou reached out a hand, "I came to take you home."
"Home sir?"
"Luna, come home." She took a step into the light and his hand dropped to his side staring at a nearly identical visage of the late priestess Kikyou. Her hair was the same, he face was the almost the same, she was a tiny Kikyou.
"I have no home sir." She put her hands in her sleeves and walked outside with the demon lord following.
"Luna, please your father and mother…" He watched as she turned around and stared at him. Maybe this wasn't a good idea and they both knew it, "You can't stay here."
She looked out over the city. "They are scared of me."
"They don't understand." She didn't move, just stayed looking down at the town. The time here did nothing for her, she was calmed in mind but this would be a repeat of the slayer village in the end. Kaede was dying and she could not take care of her, but where would he put this dangerous child? Perhaps a lesser lord owed him a favor he would speak to some of them before coming back for the girl, "I will find a place for you." He put a hand on her shoulder, "I will return soon."
She watched him leave, the tall elegant demon lord was out of sight and she cocked her head to the side wondering what his name was.
