I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!
Chapter Eight
Rejection hurts
Wishing her sister a goodbye, Kikyo left the village on the back of her horse. It was mid-morning, the sun had only risen a few hours ago, but she had a long journey to make. Tonight was the night of one of the Twins' ceremony nights. Ever since she had met Emiko, Miyuki, and Ikkaku, once a month, on the night of the Full Moon, the three of them met up with their other sister to perform some kind of Ceremony in the Field of Sorrow. She had asked what it was for but they had never given her a straight answer to the question. She had never had the pleasure of meeting the other member of their family, either.
Well, that was all about to change.
Kikyo knew where the Field of Sorrows was and she was leaving to see the ceremony first hand tonight. Emiko and Miyuki had left last night to go see their brother beforehand, giving her enough time to get there early that afternoon and just wait for it to begin. If she moved fast and swift then she would get there just before sundown to witness it from the very beginning. It was always something that she had longed to see. She knew that they played music. Ikkaku on his Taiko, Miyuki on her harp, Emiko on her Sanshin, and she was told that the older sister, Takara, played a flute. Though Emiko had a problem with her older sister for something that Kikyo was never told, Miyuki completely adored Takara. That was all she would talk about when they were younger. She said that she always dreamed about living with her older sister and going on amazing journeys with her. Kikyo had fantasized about joining them when they were younger but in truth, it was really Ikkaku that she wanted.
She had tried to fight it for as long as she could, but in the end, her feelings had overcome her mind. She was in love with the older brother, demon or not. She tried to hide it from all three of them but she was afraid that Ikkaku was able to notice; she was afraid that that was why he left the village. She also feared that the man of her dreams didn't return her feelings and that would be something that would hurt her far worse than anything else in this world. But she kept her hopes up as she rode through the forest, her bow and arrows firmly strapped to her back. She could feel the Shikon Jewel bouncing against her chest with the movement of her horse.
Not able to leave the Jewel behind in the village, she had to take it with her incase a demon or a foolish human tried to attack the village for it; several had tried to do so before but were defeated.
She had to leave the burnt man in the care of her sister for the day. She knew that Kaede didn't like doing so, but this was something that she had to do. Something she had to see. Besides, the burnt man, Miyuki said his name was Onigumo, had turned out to be a blunt man that liked to play games but there was nothing that he could do to her younger sister; not in the shape that he was in now. Ill fate had fallen upon the man that they now knew had been a bandit. Miyuki still felt sympathy for the man. She enjoyed taking care of him, apparently. And that spider of hers, too.
She had never seen someone keep a spider as a pet, but Miyuki wasn't what was known as normal around the village. She had seen her talking to the spider on her shoulder at night a few times but she had kept silent about it. Kikyo sometimes forgot that the twins were half-breeds, not just regular humans. Of course she would find a demon somewhere to bond with. And with it being a demon that small there was no way it could possibly do anything, right?
Right?
(Oh boy, is she in for a surprise or what, guys?)
Miyuki seemed quite happy with her friend so the priestess didn't bother prying. Miyuki was a sweet girl; she wouldn't let anything happen...The journey took a little longer than the priestess had intended. Letting the horse rest a few times, she was there a bit after sunset. She heard the music instantly when the sun had gone down and so she had just followed it. The horse she had ridden seemed to have entered some kind of trance towards the edge of the field and so Kikyo had to tie it up and continue on foot the rest of the way.
The music was truly beautiful. While traveling with Kaede has had seen ballads and plays performed in the large cities but they were nothing like this. This hymn made her want to wash away all her worries of the Shikon Jewel and of being a priestess and everything else and just let a calming peace overtake her. The view of the field when she reached the edge of the trees completed the perfect scene.
And there the four of them were, just like she imagined, playing their music.
Ikkaku was who caught her eye first. How could he not? In that black attire with the white flowers, his short, black hair that spiked off to the left. Those silver eyes of his. That little smirk on the right corner of his mouth made her insides twist. It was hard to drag her eyes to the sister she hadn't met before.
Takara was as beautiful as Miyuki had told her; and even more so. It almost made the Priestess jealous. Her long hair was darker than hers, her white skin seemed to shine in the moonlight even more than her sister's did. Her silver eyes seemed to sparkle as she stared up at the stars above them. What had happened to make Emiko hate her older sister like she did?
She got her answer sooner than she would have liked. The moment her feet stepped out into the grass of the field, the music seemed to stop. Half of it, anyway. Emiko and Miyuki continued to play but Ikkaku and Takara had stopped. Takara had dropped her hands and Ikkaku had stopped pounding on his drum. A look of anger and fear passed over their faces as they shared a glance with the other.
That's when the priestess saw it. Those silver eyes the brother and sister possessed changed. They were now horrid, red slits as their fangs grew over their bottom lips, their claws growing longer, sharper.
Both heads turned and glanced at the young woman at the edge of the trees. Kikyo felt her heart skip a beat.
This was something that she never wanted to see again. Takara and Ikkaku were full bred demons so of course they would have a transformation. She had seen it before. They were strong enough to hold those human forms. Emiko and Miyuki were only half breeds so their power wasn't as strong; they just got lucky that they were given human-like forms instead of some of the other forms that she had seen given to other half-breed children.
Having lived with the twins for so long, she had seen their strength. Miyuki said that Takara nearly tripled that; Ikkaku quadrupled it. If their demon sides broke out now then she knew that she didn't have a chance; she was going to die. She did the only thing she knew how to do in an event like this; she ran.
She had witnessed something that wasn't supposed to be seen; that's why she had never been invited to watch it. She was in serious trouble if she was caught, wasn't she? She hopped right back on her horse and back towards the village she hurried. That looming power that she had felt from the elder siblings died and the sweet music returned, calling her back to it, but she refused to look back until she was far enough from it to feel safe once again. She had to stop and let the horse rest but there was no way that she was going to sleep that night.
Every time she closed her eyes she saw those fierce, red eyes, those sharp claws and teeth. She never wanted to see that again. But…
Kikyo ended up falling asleep despite the fear she felt. In her dream she felt warm arms holding her, carrying her somewhere. She imagined that it was Ikkaku, carrying her through the trees, whispering sweet nothings to her as the music from the Ceremony played around them.
"Thank you, Takara," Ikkaku's voice brought the priestess from her sleep. Peeking at the man before her, she saw that Ikkaku stood there with Takara, silently talking. It was a bright day out, shining light on the siblings through the leaves.
Takara truly shined here, it seemed.
"Just be sure that the girls don't need anything before you leave again," Takara told her brother. "And take care of…your ordeals now if you plan to do what I think you are. You don't want it following you around the rest of your life."
"Coming from the one that gave her heart to a mutt, right?"
Takara smirked and turned from her brother. "A mutt he may be, but protects it he still does."
"Get out of here with your poem crap!" Takara turned and walked away with a laugh. Ikkaku gave a sigh and then turned to stare at the woman that had stood up from the tree base she had been placed on. His eyes narrowed again. "You…"
"Ikkaku," Kikyo tried to apologize but her words were lost as the demon roared her name and grabbed her by her arms angrily.
"What were you trying to do? What spell were you casting on us!? Do you know what you almost did!?"
Never before had he and Takara transformed together. If they had…the destruction would have been worse than what had happened with their parents. No one would still be alive…
"None, I swear!" Kikyo cried, fear in her voice. Ikkaku's eyes had gone back to their silver color, but those dark red ones were still burned into Kikyo's mind. "I just...I just wanted to watch your Ceremony! I just wanted to see you again, Ikkaku!"
The anger drained from his face but was replaced by a look of sorrow as the grip on her arms softened. "Do you carry the Jewel with you?"
"Y-yes," Kikyo reached down and revealed the purple stone. She watched as several emotions traveled through the man's eyes. "What...what is it?"
"If you wish to watch, then next time don't bring the jewel. Its impurity almost cost you your life last night. If you had stayed longer..."
~At least, that's what I hope that it was…~ He just didn't know anymore.
Kikyo looked at the purple stone. "What does the Jewel have to do with anything?"
"I...I don't know, but I'm going to find out." He let go of her and turned away.
"Let me help you," Kikyo moved towards his. "I know I can be of some use. You can't do this one your own, Ikkaku."
Ikkaku hung his head and the priestess heard a long sigh. "I know what you want, Kikyo, but I'm afraid that it can never be."
It was like a stab in the heart. So he did know, huh? "What are you talking about?"
"Playing coy will do nothing," He glanced at her. "You don't know anything about me. You don't know my past, my family. You only know what we've let you see. If you were to know the truth then you would flee."
"Never." Kikyo argued. She moved towards him again with a firm look on her face. "I could never fear you, Ikkaku. I lo-"
"Don't say it!" He shouted at her. "Please, for the love of god, don't say it!" His voice trembled and she pulled a sorrowful face. She moved forward to touch him but he brushed her away. "Do you know how that Jewel on your neck was created?"
Kikyo pulled a face. Why would he bring something like that up now?
"A priestess named Midoriko fought a large battle against demons. It went on for seven days and night and then finally a demon captured her in its jaws. In a final attempt to win, Midoriko pulled the demon's soul into her own and then expelled both hers and it's. Both of them died but their combined souls created the Jewel of Four Souls. It is said that Midoriko and the demon continue to do battle even now."
The man was silent for a moment before beginning to speak again.
"Takara and I were there," Ikkaku told her. "We fought alongside Midoriko in her strife against the demons. It was a way of proving ourselves in strength. For six nights and days we helped her. In that short amount of time I...Midoriko was very precious to me. And she died. She died because I had to leave and wasn't there to protect her on that final night. The woman I loved was cursed to battle those demons alone inside that damn jewel for the rest of eternity because I wasn't there!" He turned and faced the priestess. "What you want from me I cannot give to you, Kikyo. I will not wallow in my self-pity when another human dies! I will not face that pain again! If I were to take you, you would die on me just like the rest. It's better now that you forget these feelings of yours and just erase me from your mind, Kikyo. Find a human and settle down with him. You will be much happier with him than with me."
"But I don't want anyone else." She shoved herself into him, putting a firm grip around his waist. "I don't care if you're a demon, Ikkaku!" She tried to make him see reason but the man just steeled himself more and more.
"You say that now, but in the end, you'll change. You humans always do." He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from him. The hard, cold glare on his face now made her tears break forward. Did he really hate her that much? "Go back home, Kikyo. There is nothing for you here."
"But...Ikkaku..."
"I said go!"
Ikkaku wasn't going to give her a chance. He took off into the sky as an eagle, leaving the priestess to stare off after him.
She felt like she was breaking. Had…had that really just happened? Had he really said those things and shoved her aside? Her dreams were falling. After purifying the jewel, she dreamed of just living with Ikkaku in a simple area, away from everyone else. She didn't care that he was a demon. She still loved him…
But his heart was still bound to another. To the one inside the Jewel around her neck. How was that fair…it wasn't fair!
"Kikyo?"
Whipping around at the voice, the priest found that half-breed standing there. Ikkaku and Takara must have brought her back near the village while she had been asleep.
"Inuyasha..."
The half-breed gave her a worried look. "Kaede said you never returned home so I came looking for you," Inuyasha told her. He took a closer look at her face. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"I..." Kikyo couldn't hold it back anymore. Ikkaku's words finally settled and she let the tears fall. She buried her face into Inuyasha's shoulder.
Inuyasha was frozen for a moment before he lifted his arms and embraced the crying woman. He hadn't touched a woman like this since his mother had died. It was...nice, despite the fact that it wasn't...a happy one.
From behind them in the trees, Emiko watched in silence. Anger boiled in her stomach but she stayed silent. She had been going to call out to the two of them but had lost her voice when they had embraced. Instead she turned now, deciding to go back to the village.
Miyuki watched as her sister stormed off before turning her eyes back to Kikyo and Inuyasha, a frown set upon her face.
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