Of Dreams and Wishes
Hi! Thanks for wanting to read this fanfic. I hope you like this story.
Of Dreams and Wishes takes place after the Inuyasha series, with changes to its ending and certain details. Also, most of the characters from Inuyasha and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles would not appear as often as the xxxHolic main cast and Kagome.
This fanfic would also mainly follow xxxHolic anime with some addition from the , I would be changing the order of the episodes around and wouldn't include all the cases, so don't complain if you find that my fanfic doesn't follow the same chronological order as in the anime and manga.
I find that the whole mess with Kimihiro, Li Syaoran, Li Sakura, Li Tsubasa, and Princess Tsubasa is just way too complicated to put into Of Dreams and Wishes in detail. So, I'm going to heavily gloss over it, and would only be adding the bare necessities where able.
Sorry about the wait. I got put off from xxxHolic because of the manga chapters posted online. Many of those websites had repeating chapters, wrongly numbered the chapters, and/or ordered the chapters incorrectly. Yeah, basically, it all just put me off of xxxHolic due to frustration.
If any of you know any good sites to read xxxHolic manga, please tell me. I was trying to find certain events which are only shown in the manga, but the above situation made me really frustrated and I kinda gave up on it. At the moment. (EDIT: there has been a large update for one of the manga sites, and four volumes had been corrected, though the rest had yet to be.)
Instead, I got back into the groove by rewatching xxxHolic anime, which took some time since I had other things I needed to do as well.
I hope the lengthier chapter would make up for the wait.
(EDIT: I've added another event at the end. Ending this chapter with Kagome's dark thoughts seemed too dark for this chapter. Besides, I originally wanted the chapter to end on a happier/lighter note. Kagome's nightmare was not originally in my plan. It just wrote itself into here.)
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Vocabulary
Hitsuzen — inevitable, fated
Sengoku Jidai — Feudal Era
Shikon no Tama — Jewel of Four Souls
Miko — priestess, shrine maiden
Miko ki – priestess energy
Hanyou — half demon
Youkai — demon
Youki — demon energy
Daiyoukai — great demon
Inu — dog
Kitsune — fox
Kitsune bi — foxfire
Ame-warashi — rain sprite
Zashiki-warashi — vestal sprite; supposed to bring fortune when staying with a household, but fortune declines when zashiki-warashi leaves
Inu no Taishou – Dog General; Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's father
Okaa / Okaa-chan / Kaa-chan / Okaa-san / Kaa-san / Okaa-sama / Kaa-sama / Hahaue / Mama — mother, in different forms of endearment and respect
Sempai — upperclassmen
Kouhai — underclassmen
Doko da yo — where are you?
Kawaii — cute
Ofuda — protective wards on parchment / paper wards
Chapter 10 Dreams of Seers
Darkness.
Perpetual darkness as far as she could see.
There was nothing in this space except for herself and the Shikon no Tama — which hovered before her, pulsing with pink energy, and with an arrow, her arrow, piercing through it.
She called for her friends, screaming her throat raw, but there was no reply. She was alone, all alone in this darkness with the cursed object that should've never existed. Her breath quickened by the second, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to get out. She had to get out.
Please! Inuyasha! Sango-chan! Miroku-sama! Somebody! Anybody! Help!
Tears flowed down her cheeks in rivers and her whole body trembled.
Please.
"Are you scared?" a voice purred. It wasn't anything she had ever heard before. It was as if thousands of voices were saying the same thing at the same time at the same volume. "Do you want to see your friends?"
Her eyes fixed upon the Shikon no Tama. There was no doubt in mind that it was the thing speaking.
"Make a wish. Make a wish to see your friends again."
She reached out with a hand. Could she really?
"Yessss… just one little wish and you would be able to get out of this darkness. Just one little wish," it cooed.
No! She retracted her hand, holding it close to her chest, shaking her head. She mustn't. She mustn't. The jewel never granted what one desired. Just look at all the people who had fallen victim to its allure. Nothing good would come from making any wishes other than the correct wish. But what was the correct wish?
"Do you really want to stay here in the darkness forever? You won't be able to see any of your friends or family again. With one wish, and you would be able to see the sun again. Say it," the voice hissed. "Say, I wish to see my friends again. Otherwise, you would stay here forever until the day you die, all alone, in this void."
All alone…
XxXxXxXxX
"So, what were you dreaming about this morning?" Kagome asked, propping her head up with her hands, watching her friend cook breakfast. Unlike Yuuko was involved, they tended to take turns making meals. "Your arms were flailing all over the place." She pouted, rubbing her cheek. "And you've even hit me in the face, waking me up."
But, it had been a blessing of sorts. She would rather not know how that nightmare ended. Kagome knew she had an active imagination due to her experiences. For all she knew, that dream could've ended with her succumbing to her weakness, leading to her friends' death while she watched on, unable to help.
His face flushed pink and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah… Sorry about that. I dreamt about being chased by a huge shadow." There was a pause. "It turned out to be a gigantic Mokona."
Laughter bubbled up from her throat, filling their little apartment.
"It's not funny, Kagome-chan!" he whined, waving the spatula around. "Dreams are supposed to have some sort of meaning, right? Well, this means that I'm being overworked at the shop!" Kimihiro passed her a plate of pancakes. "How about you? Did you have any dreams last night?"
"Yeah… I dreamt about my final confrontation with the Shikon no Tama." She stared down at her breakfast, absentmindedly pouring syrup onto it. "It was so dark, and I was all alone. The Shikon kept urging me to make to wish, to wish for my friends. It kept telling me that if I don't, I'd stay all alone in that darkness forever." Her lips tugged into a small smile and she looked up, gazing into heterochromatic eyes — one a hazel so light, it seemed gold (a result of absorbing half of Doumeki-kun's eyesight), and the other, a bright blue. "And then I woke up because you accidentally hit me."
He asked, "How did you stand it? If it was me, I probably would've made that wish to see my friends."
Taking a bite of the pancake (it was delicious! So soft and fluffy and warm!), she replied, "I told you, didn't I? In that darkness, just as I was about to give in to my fear, I heard my friends' voices, calling for me. The Shikon probably thought hearing them would tempt me into making that wish, but it actually strengthened my resolve. My friends are very precious to me. They had already suffered enough due to the jewel. And then, the thought came to me. If the jewel disappeared, no one would have to suffer from it anymore. And so I told it my wish. I wished for the Shikon no Tama to disappear forever."
At that time, even though she feared being alone, she had been prepared to live on in the endless darkness if it meant her friends would no longer be troubled by the cursed jewel. There were countless tragedies and bloodshed due to the Shikon no Tama, whether directly or indirectly.
Just what was Midoriko thinking, combining her soul with countless demons' and creating such a powerful object? What drove her to make such a desperate measure? Midoriko definitely hadn't been afraid of death; otherwise, she would've never torn her own soul out. Did she even have any idea what horrors she had condemned millions of innocent lives to?
Regardless, the past couldn't be changed, so there was no point in questioning the dead. She should focus more on the present, especially since she would most likely live to attend their funerals.
Kagome smiled. "Besides, Kimihiro-kun, you are much stronger than you think." And much more self-sacrificing as well. "I'm sure you would've made the same wish I did if you were in that situation."
XxXxXxXxX
Yuuko sipped at her sake. Both of her dear employees were growing up so fast; she was almost touched. Having gained more precious people, Watanuki was maturing mentally while his own innate powers were slowly growing from greater exposures to the supernatural. And Kagome was also becoming more comfortable with the abilities the Shikon no Tama had left behind within her.
The Shikon no Tama, huh? She leaned back against her lounge chair and blew out a long trail of tobacco smoke. Even she hadn't been able to completely predict what she had unleashed upon the world when she had first granted Midoriko's wish.
Her original wish was the death of her foes. But, naturally, Yuuko absolutely refused to kill, regardless of the payment offered. So, she gave the miko the original form of the Shikon no Tama, in which Midoriko could her enemies' souls into, at the price of her soul's imprisonment and the continuation of their eternal battle.
Yuuko had originally wanted to keep the jewel in her shop, away from everyone who wanted to use the souls' powers for their own gain. But, a soundless voice, the same one which she associated with hitsuzen, told her not to.
As such, the bloodied reputation of this world's Sengoku Jidai grew to new heights.
She, having moved the shop to another dimension, hadn't bothered to follow the consequences of the jewel's existence except for a glimpse now and then. After all, there really was no taming human and youkai greed. What they did with the Shikon no Tama, and the proceeding costs, was their own fault. She had absolutely no right to strip them of their ability to choose.
Then, hundreds of years later, she came back to this world to prepare for the children sharing the same souls as that spiteful four-eye's cute descendants (Seriously, how could someone related to that bastard be such darlings? It was just unfair).
Then came along Watanuki Kimihiro, a boy she had technically helped give birth to. She didn't bother to watch over him, knowing that hitsuzen would bring him to her shop, where she would prepare him for future events that bastard's annoying relative would undoubtedly force upon their doorsteps.
And so he did.
Yuuko used the excuse of granting his wish (the payment didn't have to be part-time work) in order to keep him by her side. And she also pushed him to solve cases on his own (with the help of his friends, and occasionally her), the simpler ones, of course, even though they may be potentially life-threatening. (She never gave him ones completely beyond his scoop; those she did while he was away.) They helped slowly to hone his abilities and provided him with connections to the other world, a necessity if he chose to stay after the business with that slimy bastard.
She had never thought how much he would change her. It had been a very pleasant surprise. Watanuki brought life and vigour back into her stagnant and consistent shop. Not to mention, he was a good caretaker and playmate for Maru, Moro, and Mokona. She could wake up from this dream without a worry, knowing that he was there by their side. And that Watanuki himself would also have loyal friends accompanying him.
Such as Doumeki Shizuka, grandson of Doumeki Haruka who she had a passing acquaintanceship with before his death. He was the complete opposite of Watanuki in temperament and supernatural abilities, which really helped with balancing the feisty spirit-magnet out. His spirit-repelling aura was especially strong, though he lacked his grandfather's Sight, making him mostly reliant on Watanuki, Kagome, and his own instincts. (Well, he was getting better at using his powers, enough that he was capable of faintly seeing stronger spirits.)
He was also strong mentally. Unlike most humans, he didn't need her shop. Even back then when Doumeki had been told Watanuki's right eye couldn't be wished back, he never gave up and relentlessly searched for a way to help the other teen. Like Kagome did, regarding the Shikon no Tama.
Though neither boy would admit it, their strings of fate had around been tied and knotted so much that they could never hope to break free of their connection.
Of course, there was also the one who Watanuki had a crush on — Kunogi Himawari, someone who could never be anyone's goddess of fortune, no matter how much she wished for it. She was a brave thing, constantly wearing a bright smile despite her naturally dark tainted aura. (And naturally, Watanuki was the only one of the group yet to have discovered that fact.) Like Doumeki, her aura also repelled spirits and youkai, but in a totally different way. One day, Watanuki would definitely realize the consequences of being near her.
But until then, Himawari's aura would definitely give him many interesting experiences which he would grow up from. It was all hitsuzen.
Fate had also given her Watanuki another companion.
Higurashi Kagome, unlike Watanuki, had not been predicted, as was her connection to the Shikon no Tama. From the moment they had met, Yuuko sensed that her body's time flowed differently even though she was unquestionably human. Over time, it continued to shift until as slow as daiyoukai, or perhaps even slower (she hadn't have one handy to make better comparisons). Her time to a normal human's would be akin to droplets of water to a river. Unlike Yuuko, whose time had been frozen, Kagome still grew older, just at a different rate. (She was also starting to get a hang of her authority over the flow of time. Perhaps, one day, that girl would be able to hasten her own time back into a river, fulfilling her wish to grow old with her family.)
The young miko had survived through much more harsher experiences with the supernatural and was a legend amongst them, so she acted as a sempai for those children regarding the other world, making Yuuko even freer to go about with her private business without interruption.
And, by following the soul-eating parasitic Wings, she had found Him, just as He had found her. The clogs have started to turn again. It was only a matter of time. All four of them, especially Watanuki, had to become stronger — in body, spirit, and mind — in order to combat their incoming obstacles.
Yuuko sighed, breathing out wisps of tobacco smoke. One day, this long-lasting dream would finally end and she would wake up to find that disciple man hovering nearby. And then, maybe, she'd fall asleep again, for another long dream…
But until then, she would take as much amusement as she could from the children, watching as they build their own world.
XxXxXxXxX
Where was everyone? Weren't they having dinner together just a few seconds ago?
He whipped around, seeing only an inky blackness. It was so dark that he couldn't even see his own fingers right in front of his eyes.
"Kagome-chan!" he hollered, cupping his mouth with both hands to emphasize his voice. "Yuuko-san! Mokona! Maru! Moro! Doko da yo?"
His breath hitched. Had he been abandoned by everyone again? No! He didn't want to be alone anymore!
Suddenly pink light flashed once in his vision, leaving behind a glowing pink ball hovering before him. "It hurts, does it not? Being alone. It is like being constantly filled with ice water on the inside. But you do not have to feel this way, Watanuki Kimihiro. Come, make a wish. Say that you want to see your friends again."
He took a step back, pointing a shaking finger at the object. "Wait… You're the Shikon no Tama, aren't you? Kagome-chan said she had gotten rid of you! What are you doing here?"
A chuckle sounded. "Do you really think that human wrench would be able to get rid of me? But you do want to go back to her, do you not? As well as your other friends. Now say it. Make a wish to return to them. Say it!"
Backing up, he shook his head. "No. Kagome-chan told me that the Shikon no Tama never gives you what you really want."
"Say it! Say it!"
"No!"
"Then, so be it…"
Its pink light darkened to purple and then a glowing purple-black thing started bubbling out from the jewel, eventually enveloping the Shikon whole. The slime-like creature grew bigger and bigger until it was at least two storeys high. With a high-pitched squeal, it launched forwards, sending him running with a yelp.
He didn't know how long he had been running in this darkness, chased by the monster, but his leg tiring and it was getting closer. Suddenly, one of his knees weakened in mid-dash, causing him to falter and hit the ground. He whimpered as the creature descended upon him, slowly pulling him into its body.
Clop. Clop. Clop.
Swish! And a streak of yellow light.
Kreeeeee!
The weight on his back vanished, and he blinked blearily at his saviour — an archer with a very familiar face riding a white horse. Dou… me… ki? was his last thought as his consciousness faded away into the darkness.
XxXxXxXxX
Yuuko explained that he had had fulfilling dream, a dream which became the same as the reality that followed it. He had heard the contents of Kagome, Himawari, and Doumeki's dreams, and then by sharing his handmade food, he had unknowingly paid his friends for their dreams and made them his own.
The unrelenting darkness and the Shikon no Tama stemmed from Kagome's dream. Himawari's contributed the monster. And his saviour turned out to be Doumeki's grandfather, Doumeki Haruka, whom Doumeki had dreamt about the night before.
Pointing at the object he was holding, Yuuko said, "You should sell that arrow."
It was something Kaogme had found clutched in her friend's hand when she found him lying facedown in the kitchen. The arrow held lingering traces of the a hers and Kimihiro's energy and an aura very similar to Doumeki's, which should belong to his grandfather if what Yuuko said was true.
Fulfilling dreams… hadn't she read about that in a book somewhere? From what she remembered, not everyone was capable of buying raw dreams. It took power and a certain affinity for dreams. (There were those who could cultivate raw dreams and would sell the finishing products, which were often used to banish nightmares, for a right price.) Could this be Kimihiro's latent ability?
She was definitely going to do more research after this.
"Sell it to whom?" he asked.
"The Dream Merchant."
They followed Yuuko out of her shop and into the streets. She tapped her chin with a finger. "Well then, I wonder where he is right now." Looking at Kimihiro, the Dimension Witch smiled. "Let's have the arrow search for him."
She ran a finger along its shaft, making it glow and sparkle light blue. The arrow then flew up from his hand and spun around in the air like a compass needle going out of whack, eventually coming to a stop
"That way, huh?" Just as Kimihiro was about to walk ahead, Yuuko reached out and grasped the back of his collar, stopping him in his tracks. "Not that way. We're going over here," she said, gesturing at the arrow, which was pointing at the spot between a nearby lamppost and the wall, a space was barely half his body's width.
Seeing her friend's scepticism, Kagome took the incentive, turned her body sideways, and squeezed herself through. As she soon she passed the lamppost, the flow of time around her abruptly shifted, even though her surroundings seemed the same to her eyes. Time was slower here. Well, no, not exactly. It was more like the flow had calmed down, though its speed remained similar.
"Just now, I felt something weird," Kimihiro commented, glancing back at the lamppost
Yuuko smiled. "This is another world, one different from our own." The arrow ceased to glow and fell back into Kimihiro's hands. She pointed upwards. "That's why… Look. He's here."
A grey-skinned humanoid creature, which seemed to be a cross between a hippocampus and a horse, floated above them, holding onto a bunch of glowing balloons. There was no youki, so he wasn't a youkai. But he also felt different from Ame-warashi and Zashiki-warashi. Just what was he?
"What is that?" Kimihiro exclaimed, gaining the creature's attention.
Yuuko waved at him while explaining, "He's the Dream Merchant. His business is buying dreams, raising them, and reselling them."
The Dream Merchant landed in front of them, smiling. "Well, if it isn't Yuuko-han! It's been quite a while."
"How's business been?"
As they continued their small talk, Kagome took the time to observe the balloons he was holding. They all contained a similar base energy to that of Kimihiro's arrow, though they all had traces of different auras. Some also felt purer than others. Were these the dreams Yuuko had mentioned?
Suddenly, the Dream Merchant gave a cry of delight, holding out his arms and speed-walking over to a startled Kimihiro. "Mister, that… that… that… that… that… That arrow!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down on his short legs, clawing at Kimihiro's shirt, trying to reach his desired object. "Is that your dream?"
"Not exactly…" her friend said.
"Please sell it to me!"
Kagome stifled a squeal. Kawaii! The Dream Merchant looked so much like Shippou-chan when her little kitsune was pleading for more candy (or ninja food as he usually called them).
"Please sell me that piece of a dream. That's the kind of valuable dream that's so rare lately." The Dream Merchant sat down, ears twitching with agitation. "Ah… I guess you can't sell it that easily. Can't be helped!" he exclaimed, slapping a hand, paw, on his knee. The Dream Merchant bounced up and held out two of his balloons. "These are my super-specially-reserved valuable dreams, and two of them!"
Her friend just stared at the little guy. "Ah… but…" Kagome giggled. Poor Kimihiro. He probably had no clue what was going on. He and the Dream Merchant were currently running on two completely different trains of thoughts.
"Is this still not enough?" His face scrunched up. "Then three!" He seemed to be almost crying over the thought of giving out that many balloons.
"Like I'm trying to say…"
Then Yuuko cut in. "A dream buyer of your calibre should be able to recognize the worth of this dream arrow." The Dream Merchant froze. She laid a hand on his shoulder and drew circles on his snout with a finger. "If you let it go here, you might not get another chance to buy it," she cooed.
"You corrupted salesperson," Kimihiro grumbled.
Yuuko looked over the balloons the merchant was holding. "That one, and that one, and… that one… and that one! Six all together!" she announced, wearing a wide grin. All of the ones she had chosen felt pure to Kaogme's senses.
"Those are the super special dreams I raised so carefully!" the Dream Merchant complained.
She didn't have an ounce of remorse when she replied, "That's exactly why they are a suitable price for this arrow."
Kagome glanced at Kimihiro's arrow. Was it really that valuable?
"Take it, you robber!" the merchant shouted, voice trembling with frustration, as he exchanged six balloons with the arrow before Kimihiro knew it. He kneeled on the ground, crying. "I just can't compare to you, Yuuko-han."
"It was a good bargain, wasn't it?" she said cheerfully.
Wiping away his tears, the Dream Merchant pushed the arrow into a new balloon. When it was completely absorbed, the balloon glowed bright enough to rival a star. "It definitely was," he said, replying back to her question. "That's Yuuko-han for you. You're truly a connoisseur. It really is a great dream. I can't help but look forward to raising it."
Its aura was very pure, probably the result of the combination of hers, Kimihiro and Doumeki's grandfather's auras.
Yuuko smiled. "Since you're the one who is going to raise it, I'm sure it'd become an extremely valuable dream able to dispatch any nightmare or evil omen."
Before they left that world (from the space under a fence of all places!), Kimihiro handed the Dream Merchant a balloon, as a gift to the kitsune kit, since he was heading over to the Kitsune Oden Noodle Shop. (Some time ago, the kitsune had helped out Kimihiro and he hadn't had the chance to thank him yet.) To which, he was praised by the merchant for having both a rare valuable dream and a rare heart.
Since it was late, both of them stayed over at Yuuko's shop for the night. (Yuuko took two of the remaining five balloons for herself, while Kimihiro gave one to Kagome.)
XxXxXxXxX
A fresh breeze entered the room and Kimihiro opened his eyes, only to see a broad back. When his mind finally registered a stranger sitting right outside of his room, he quickly sat up. "Doumeki…?" The man smiled at him. No… Even though they wore the same face… "You're not him. Are you, by any chance, Doumeki's grandfather, Doumeki Haruka?" He looked like he was in his early to mid thirties or so.
"Is Shizuka hard to deal with?" the man asked in return, smoke blowing into the room from the cigarette his was holding.
He blinked. "Shizuka? Oh. Doumeki's first name," he muttered to himself. "Well, I don't know if you could call him 'hard to deal with', or if it's that I just don't understand him… He always has a terrible attitude, and even so, he always gets himself involved halfway though." Kimihiro touched his right eye. "This eye, too…"
Haruka smiled. "That's something Shizuka chose."
"Even so…" He stared down at the futon. "For someone to put himself in an unrecoverable situation for my sake…" Why was everyone trying to protect him, often at the cost of themselves? First, there were his parents. Then Kagome-chan. And now Doumeki, and even Zashiki-warashi… Why? Why would they do something like that? "I don't like it."
The man chuckled. "Shizuka is tough. After all, when he was young…" He held out a picture — a picture of a young girl in a furisode.
No way… That couldn't be… Doumeki!
"Eh!"
POP! went one of his dream balloons.
XxXxXxXxX
A familiar aura brushed over her. She turned over to the other side and snuggled into her futon. "Cut it out, Inuyasha," she mumbled. Wait. Inuyasha? Kagome jerked out from her sleep and whipped her head around to see a very familiar figure.
"Inuyasha…" she breathed out. "Inuyasha!" The miko launched herself halfway across the room and into her best friend's arms. "Inuyasha, I missed you." She said, nuzzling into his firerat coat and inhaling his very familiar scent. "I missed you sooo much!"
"Keh…" Clawed hands patted her back. "I missed you too wrench. All of us did."
Kagome looked up — light purple staring into gold. "If I could've stayed, I would have!"
He smiled. "I know." Inuyasha hardly ever smiled — frown, yes; smirk, especially during battles and after he had defeated an opponent; scowl, definitely; but smiles? — he had undoubtedly grown softer over the years.
She licked her lips. "I… the Shikon no Tama… um…"
The inu hanyou patted her head. "We know. Everyone was watching over you. They would be here too if they could. But this is our dream, yours and mines. One day, you'd be able to find the dreams they've left behind and you'd be able to talk to them as well."
That settled it. She was definitely looking through all the books she could get her hands on regarding dreams. She had to learn how to judge the value of different dreams so that she could trade them for her friends'.
"You should tell your family about what the Shikon did to you," Inuyasha said, tracing the edge of her light purple eyes, the physical proof of the jewel's lingering presence within her. "They'd understand. You know that they would. Your gramps would probably smack an ofuda or two on you, but he wouldn't shun you. And your mother would definitely be the last one to turn you away, even if she had to slowly come to terms with it first. Your kid brother would think it's very cool, though he wouldn't fully understand it until he truly compares your growth rate in the future."
She laughed. That was true…
"Your friends wouldn't reject you either. That kid you're living with… He might freak out for a bit at first, but he wouldn't care. And that other boy. He'd take it in stride like he did with everything else. That girl with the nasty aura knows the pain of being rejected for something she couldn't help. But…"
Inuyasha flexed his claws, bearing his fangs in a bloodthirsty smirk. "If any of them dare to turn you away, I'd somehow find a way to get back at them for you."
Kagome smiled, leaning against his warmth. "Thank you, Inuyasha."
POP!
XxXxXxXxX
Kohane stared up at the sakura tree where the spirit of a woman wearing a pretty furisode resided. She wasn't harming anyone; she just loved the tree and wanted to stay here. Moreover, the spirit's presence was the only thing keeping the old tree from withering. And yet, the TV crew was going to come here soon, disturbing this peace, to watch her send the spirit away.
It was such a pity. If only she hadn't come to this place, then the spirit wouldn't have to leave and the tree could be blooming forever
Two auras brushed against her senses — one a strange purity which she had never felt before, not even from a temple; and the other very similar to her own. Kohane turned around to see two teenagers. The owner of the pure aura had really pretty purple eyes which swirled with an energy which couldn't be called pure or tainted. It was more like a natural energy which existed everywhere, but Kohane just couldn't put a name on it. Her soul seemed really sad though, tainted by… blood? How could someone with such pure aura have a similar taint in her soul as a murderer's? It shouldn't be possible. She didn't understand it at all.
Her companion, on the other hand, was akin to herself in that his aura, too, called upon spirits, though he didn't seem to be able to exorcise them like she could. Instead, he was wearing a bracelet, woven from tree bark, which was filled with the girl's pure energy as a form of protection, and possible, exorcism tool.
The boy walked up to her, but before he could reach her, he was interrupted by a voice. "Don't touch her!" kaa-san exclaimed, standing between them, holding her arms out as to shield her. Kohane would have frowned if she still remembered how to express her emotions through her facial features. Kaa-san, whom she loved and hated, was once again reminding her of her detestable invisible cage.
"Don't come any closer to her!" kaa-san scowled, both hands propped up on her hips. "You saw her on TV, right? Then you must know. Her power dissipates when people touch her."
Just as Kohane was about to tell her mother to stop, the girl stepped forward, flames burning in her eyes though her voice was as cool as winter. "Ma'am, I'd appreciate it if you don't yell at my friend. Neither of us own a TV so this is the first time we've ever seen this child."
But when her mother got into an angry rant, she was hard to stop. "Goodness, I can't let my guard down for a moment. Even when I've specifically instructed that I don't want ignorant people near her," kaa-san sighed. "Since they said it was here this time, I had to go along with it."
"Kaa-san," Kohane said softly, reaching out towards her mother. However, her hand was immediately slapped away, and kaa-san turned widened eyes over to her with a gasp. It hurt, even though she should've been used to this.
Her mother smiled shakily down at her, eyebrows furrowed. "A-ah, what is it? What's wrong?"
Your behaviour… Your absentness in my life even though you are physically with me… You using my abilities to make money and obtain fame… Your obsession of what is considered impure and pure… Everything that has been purposefully kept away from me because you wanted to keep me and my powers "pure"… Your lack of understanding… My loneliness… My disapproval of you treating others this way… especially when the other person had a similar aura… Everything…
Kohane didn't voice out any of her thoughts, staring into distant green eyes instead.
"Th-that's right, we should be heading back home," her mother said when she didn't reply. Kohane sensed her hand hovering behind her, several inches away, giving an illusion of guiding her by gently pushing her back. She let her, knowing better than to protest.
As they walked past their audience, Kohane said, "It's not like you don't understand anything, right?"
They were lucky. All three of them were connected to the other world, but neither teens were put into the same restraints as she had.
It would be nice if they could meet again, without any interference…
XxXxXxXxX
"Himawari-chan can't come today because she's helping the teacher," Kimihiro moaned, sitting down on the stairs in-between Kagome and Doumeki, who was already helping himself to the bento.
Swallowing a piece of eggplant tempera, Kagome glanced over at the stoic boy. "Is something wrong? You've been staring at Kimihiro-kun for a few minutes now?"
"Yesterday, I saw a girl standing underneath a sakura tree." Doumeki pointed at him with his chopsticks. "With this eye."
Upon realizing what he meant, Kimihiro instantly covered his right eye, Doumeki's half-eye, with his hand. "No way…" he breathed out, "You can see the things I can with this eye?"
But, it did sort of make sense. After all, didn't he also see strange images back then when his eye had been taken but not yet eaten? And he also saw exactly what his right eye did when Jorougumo swallowed it — into the darkness of her mouth and sliding down her esophagus, before a warm bright pink light enveloped its world. The odd sensation he felt before Kagome's arrow pierced through the youkai still gave him the creeps when he thought about it.
"It seems so," the glutton replied, chewing on food. "Who was that girl?"
"She's from the paranormal program Himawari-chan was talking about." Kimihiro glanced at the other boy. "But it's not like you can always see through this eye, right?" He had only gotten flashes of images from time to time, even though his entire eye had been taken. Doumeki had only given him half of his eye, so the effect should be less, shouldn't it?
When Doumeki affirmed his question, he asked, "But you didn't see when I met your grandfather in my dream right?"
This time it was Kagome who answered. "Kimihiro-kun, that wouldn't be possible since you don't use your physical eye when dreaming. Your spirit would also have to be connected in order to do so. Well, you could also drag a person into a dream if you know how."
Kimihiro hmmed. "What about that small spirit I saw on the way home from school last week?
"Didn't see it," Doumeki replied.
He frowned, titling his head slightly to the side. "Then I don't get it…" Just what rules did his golden-hazel eye follow?
"What was it like when you saw the spirit last week?"
It had been a small thing, not even reaching his knees — two wiggling appendages which seemed like arms of sort, legless like a snail, one gigantic eye which made up half of its body, and no other facial features. There was nothing frightening about it, even without the protection of the bracelet Kagome gave him. The spirit watched him for a bit before sliding away.
And he told Doumeki so.
The taller male looked at him. "If so, then the other condition might be you. Maybe it's when your emotions fluctuate greatly that I would be able to see through your eye."
Kagome nodded. "That made sense. Our reiki is deeply tied with our emotions. If you feel surprised, scared or angry, your reiki naturally rises as a defence mechanism. The connection between your right eyes might strengthen whenever that happens, allowing Doumeki-kun to see what Kimihiro-kun sees."
XxXxXxXxX
Kimihiro sighed, staring up at the ceiling of their darkened room, thinking of the young spiritual cleanser he had met earlier this evening — Tsuyuri Kohane. He still couldn't get over what he had seen and heard. Yesterday, her mother had raved on about how Kohane's power would be disrupted if she was touched; and he had seen for himself just how that woman absolutely refused to touch her own daughter. And today, Kohane-chan had told him that it had been a long time since anyone had called her by her name — even with her own mother by her side. Hell, even Doumeki was called Shizuka by his family, as stoic as that teen was.
A hand laid on his — purple meeting gold and blue. "Don't worry, Kimihiro-kun. Yuuko-san told us, didn't she? She said that hitsuzen has tied you together, so you'd definitely be able to meet Kohane-chan again in the near future."
He smiled. "Yeah…" Though Yuuko had never claimed to have the gift of foresight, her warnings and messages about hitsuzen always came true.
XxXxXxXxX
Kohane hugged the dry umbrella as she lied in bed, waiting for the sweet call of sleep. She had sneaked out of the house a few hours ago, despite the heavy rain, to visit the spirit at the sakura tree, hoping that she would be able to meet those two again. Her wish had been fulfilled when familiar auras brushed against her own and the rain was cut off overhead by the same umbrella she was holding now.
"Watanuki… Kimihiro…" she murmured, nuzzling the umbrella he had given her. He was the first person in a very long time to say her name — his companion being the second one. Kagome was kind, just as her pure aura implied. She had washed her body with her warm pink energy, dispelling the cold she had felt from standing in the rain for so long.
As she had expected the first time they had met, both of them were like her — they could see the spirit in the sakura tree as clear as day. They understood her, something that hardly anyone could say the same..
Not even her own mother.
When she had come back from the temple where the spirit had moved to, her mother had said — "Why didn't you tell me. I'll go with you."
With me? No. Kaa-san is not with me. She is just here.
"Watanuki… Kimihiro… Higurashi… Kagome…"
She wanted to see them again.
XxXxXxXxX
The earth shook beneath thundering hoofs and war cries pierced through still air, sending the villagers running and screaming in fear. Relentless fire easily ate through the dry wooden houses and straws, lighting up the darkened sky, filling it with smoke and smog.
Night bandits had arrived…
Kagome had stayed behind in the hut to guard Shippou-chan and their host — a pregnant woman who didn't care that some of their members were youkai and had sheltered them from the earlier storm. Inuyasha, Miroku-sama, Sango-chan, and Kirara were more suited to deal with humans than she was and were out there defending against their new enemies.
The reed door sliced opened, revealing the ugly mug of a night bandit. He glanced around the hut, and upon seeing her, licked his lips. "I'll have fun with ya, little missy."
She stood up, arrow notched in her bow. "Shippou-chan! Run away! Protect Tomiko-san!"
"But Kagome!"
"Go!"
"Kitsune bi! Come, Tomiko-san, let's go!"
The night bandit didn't even spare the escaping duo a glance; his leering eyes wandering over her body, making her feel really dirty. She was soooo going to take a few hours bath after this, preferably at a hot spring.
Without another thought, she aimed and fired in the direction of his leg, but he wasn't an experienced bandit for nothing. He knocked the incoming arrow away with his katana. The bandit — revealing his crocked yellow teeth — lunged at her, making her hit the wooden floors with the weight of his body, pinning her down.
She desperately tried to push him away, fending off his disgusting wandering hands. One of her flailing hands brushed against a hilt against his legs. Without thinking, she pulled out the knife and thrust it into her attacker's neck. The blade slid through soft flesh, lodging in his spine. Warmth flowed down her hands, seeping in her clothes, and splattered onto her face. But she didn't notice any of that. All she saw was the widened eyes filled with pain, staring into hers.
XxXxXxXxX
Kagome woke up with a gasp, cold sweat dotting her paled skin, heartbeat thundering in her ears. She took deep breaths to calm herself down. When her heart finally stopped pounding in her ribcage as violently, the young miko shakily got up to her feet, and using the walls as support, she made her way to the kitchen, careful not to wake her roommate up.
Sitting down on a chair, Kagome stared down at her hands, hands which were dyed red in her mind's eye. Yuuko-san had once told her that she absolutely refused to kill because it would leave an eternal stain on one's soul and payments must be made for murder. It didn't matter who the victim was, human or youkai; and Kagome had both in her mountain of corpses, though only a handful had been humans. (They all took care not to kill living humans — resurrected humans were a different story. Still, sometimes, they either somehow stood in the way of an already unleashed attack or they had been too mentally gone to ease on their assault.)
She hated killing. But, in Sengoku Jidai, it was often kill or be killed. Only the fittest survived.
Ever since coming back to this relatively more peaceful time period, only one corpse had been added to her mountain — Jorougumo. But it was alright… As long as none of her friends ever stained their body and soul with blood, she did not mind furthering her own condemnation.
Besides, all of her family, youkai or human, from Sengoku Jidai suffered the same; it wouldn't be fair to them if she stayed on the sidelines, just to keep herself pure from the taint of blood. One day, when she finally passed from this world (whether from old age or from being killed), maybe she would meet them again on the other side, at a place where all with such taint ended (Not that she actually knew what the afterlife was like, other than Inu no Taishou's grave).
Or maybe, she would instead fall into the Hell Hitomiko-sama had shown her back then, when she first discovered her unique power which stemmed from her name. Then again, her name came about because mama had seen the shape called Kagome glowing on her chest as a newborn, possibly a result of having been born with the Shikon no Tama.
In the end, her entire life was always somehow influenced by the cursed jewel — her name, her physical resemblance to Kikyou, her miko abilities in a world where it had mostly died out, her adventures in Sengoku Jidai, the friends she had made, the blood she had shed, her immunity to time.
But why?
As Yuuko-san often said — there were no coincidences in this world; everything was hitsuzen.
So, why was she given such strong ties with the Shikon no Tama? Why was she given the gift, and curse, of near immortality?
XxXxXxXxX
The clacking of mahjong tiles filled the air as they played under the blooming sakura trees, over-watched by the spirit which was originally living in the sakura tree at the park. Yuuko was in the lead, followed by Mokona, while Shizuka and the Kimihiro-Kagome pair (as both were novices, the former more so then the latter) closely battled for second-last.
(Kagome and Shizuka now called each other by their first names after the night when Kimihiro, still having conflicting thoughts over Kohane's revelation, had asked the exorcist regarding what the people close to him address him as. It was Kagome who first brought it up — how he was the only friend she still addressed by his family name — and he had agreed to it. Well, it was more like Shizuka didn't really mind either way while Kagome had to convince/bully him into using her first name.)
Alas, victory was not meant to be, and they had ended up in last place.
But, at least, the woman's spirit had been appeased by the clacking sounds of mahjong (which, as explained by Yuuko, were said to bring good fortune and tranquility and could become a farewell present to the deceased) and ascended to the heavens. Sakura petals were swept up by a brief gust of wind, whirling around them, softly brushing against their cheeks in farewell.
It was peaceful times like this that made her forget all her worries and strive, soothing her heart and soul.
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What do you think of my tenth chapter? Please Read and Review. I would love to know how good and how bad my fics are. If you want to flame me, at least make it constructive criticism.
What do you think about my take on the dreams, Kimihiro, Kagome, Yuuko, and Kohane?
Just a reminder of my earlier request at the beginning of this chapter:
"If any of you know any good sites to read xxxHolic manga, please tell me. I was trying to find certain events which are only shown in the manga, but the above situation made me really frustrated and I kinda gave up on it. At the moment."
(EDIT: messes up the links in reviews. If you have a link to send me, please include spaces or something to make it not seem like a website.)
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the xxxHolic, Inuyasha, and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles aren't mines; they belong to their respective owners. Anything else belongs to me. Please ask for permission and getting it before taking my things.
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May fantasy guide your writing through it all - Dementra