Disclaimer: I don't own it for Pete's sake!
***
Ch. 4 Weird Goodbyes
Nanashi sat in the small hut and savagely cut at her already short hair with a katana she had found on one of the many shelves. 'That inconsiderate BAKA!' she thought through her tears. A girl's hair is important to her, especially when it's so long; he just chopped it off like it was nothing.
"You shouldn't put that so close to your head, you know," Kikyo said from the doorway. She walked over and sat herself beside Nanashi. "Here, let me help you," she pulled a small dagger from her sleeve and proceeded to carefully and skillfully cut Nanashi's ragged hair.
"What the heck is his problem, anyway?" Nanashi choked out.
"Why don't you ask him yourself? Done!" Kikyo held up a mirror so that Nanashi could see her new haircut. It was actually kind of cute. It was cut really short and had long strands in front of the ears, like Ashitaka's.
"I will," Nanashi confidently marched out of the hut.
Ashitaka was a lot harder to find than the first time they had met. In the autumn colors of the trees, his red clothing was nearly impossible to see. Thankfully and sadly, there was no smell to follow this time. Finally, she found him in the tree that she had encountered him just a few minutes ago.
"I'm sorry," Ashitaka's voice came from the top branches. "I overreacted," the boy hopped down from his roust.
"I'm going back tomorrow," Nanashi stepped toward the boy. He stepped back. "I see the hate in your eyes, I'm sorry I caused it." Tears started to well up in her eyes but she held them back. "Goodbye, Ashitaka-sama." She turned and began to walk away but a firm hand grabbed her arm.
"This pain you see, you didn't cause!" he whirled her around to face him. "This pain was caused by the bitterness and contempt I hold for my parents, not you. Though since you came through the well and claim to be my mother's daughter, you were someone I could vent my anger on. Do you understand?" there was a small growl in his voice. His face began to turn red and he turned away from Nanashi.
"Kagome-sama never re- married, if that's what you're thinking. Kagome- sama just took me in and fed me and clothed me. She is still only your mother and she misses you dearly. She holds the same pain in her eyes that you do. The pain of losing a loved one." She touched Ashitaka's shoulder. He flinched slightly. "Your mother is alive and well and tries to get back to you every single day. That I know."
There was a long silence.
"Can you give my mother a message for me when you go back tomorrow?" Ashitaka looked her straight in the eye.
"Of course, what?"
"Could you tell her." he turned away again. ".that I'm alright and that." the slightest hint of tears shown in his eyes. ".oh, never mind!" he rubbed his face to hide his tears.
"I'll give her you message." Nanashi just smiled.
"Thanks, Nanashi." Ashitaka smiled back.
"Call me Nani. We're friends now, after all."
***
It was a sunny morning and Nani was dressed once again in her school uniform. All her new friends came to say goodbye, though she had to reassure them that she was coming back. Shippou, Miroku, Sango, Koga, Kikyo, and even Ashitaka came to give her their messages for Kagome to her. They all gave her a big hug in turn and asked when she would be coming back. Finally it was Ashitaka's turn to give her a hug. Nani could see he had no intention of doing so. A smile crossed his face.
"I'll see you later, Nani." Ashitaka laid a strong hand on Nani's head and ruffled her short hair. Out of nowhere, Nani flung her arms around the boy's neck and gave him a big hug.
"Thanks, Ashitaka-sama." She whispered in his doggie ear.
Thanks to Ashitaka's tough exterior, Nani was thrown from him and stumbled back until she tripped and fell down the bone-eater's well. Nani had expected as much, despite the sincere talk the two of them had the night before. The last everyone of the feudal era saw was a large gin falling into the darkness.
***
Weird, huh? Just when you thought Ashitaka was different from Inu-Yasha, he goes and pushes our heroine back down the well. I haven't been getting many reviews so PLEASE review!
***
Ch. 4 Weird Goodbyes
Nanashi sat in the small hut and savagely cut at her already short hair with a katana she had found on one of the many shelves. 'That inconsiderate BAKA!' she thought through her tears. A girl's hair is important to her, especially when it's so long; he just chopped it off like it was nothing.
"You shouldn't put that so close to your head, you know," Kikyo said from the doorway. She walked over and sat herself beside Nanashi. "Here, let me help you," she pulled a small dagger from her sleeve and proceeded to carefully and skillfully cut Nanashi's ragged hair.
"What the heck is his problem, anyway?" Nanashi choked out.
"Why don't you ask him yourself? Done!" Kikyo held up a mirror so that Nanashi could see her new haircut. It was actually kind of cute. It was cut really short and had long strands in front of the ears, like Ashitaka's.
"I will," Nanashi confidently marched out of the hut.
Ashitaka was a lot harder to find than the first time they had met. In the autumn colors of the trees, his red clothing was nearly impossible to see. Thankfully and sadly, there was no smell to follow this time. Finally, she found him in the tree that she had encountered him just a few minutes ago.
"I'm sorry," Ashitaka's voice came from the top branches. "I overreacted," the boy hopped down from his roust.
"I'm going back tomorrow," Nanashi stepped toward the boy. He stepped back. "I see the hate in your eyes, I'm sorry I caused it." Tears started to well up in her eyes but she held them back. "Goodbye, Ashitaka-sama." She turned and began to walk away but a firm hand grabbed her arm.
"This pain you see, you didn't cause!" he whirled her around to face him. "This pain was caused by the bitterness and contempt I hold for my parents, not you. Though since you came through the well and claim to be my mother's daughter, you were someone I could vent my anger on. Do you understand?" there was a small growl in his voice. His face began to turn red and he turned away from Nanashi.
"Kagome-sama never re- married, if that's what you're thinking. Kagome- sama just took me in and fed me and clothed me. She is still only your mother and she misses you dearly. She holds the same pain in her eyes that you do. The pain of losing a loved one." She touched Ashitaka's shoulder. He flinched slightly. "Your mother is alive and well and tries to get back to you every single day. That I know."
There was a long silence.
"Can you give my mother a message for me when you go back tomorrow?" Ashitaka looked her straight in the eye.
"Of course, what?"
"Could you tell her." he turned away again. ".that I'm alright and that." the slightest hint of tears shown in his eyes. ".oh, never mind!" he rubbed his face to hide his tears.
"I'll give her you message." Nanashi just smiled.
"Thanks, Nanashi." Ashitaka smiled back.
"Call me Nani. We're friends now, after all."
***
It was a sunny morning and Nani was dressed once again in her school uniform. All her new friends came to say goodbye, though she had to reassure them that she was coming back. Shippou, Miroku, Sango, Koga, Kikyo, and even Ashitaka came to give her their messages for Kagome to her. They all gave her a big hug in turn and asked when she would be coming back. Finally it was Ashitaka's turn to give her a hug. Nani could see he had no intention of doing so. A smile crossed his face.
"I'll see you later, Nani." Ashitaka laid a strong hand on Nani's head and ruffled her short hair. Out of nowhere, Nani flung her arms around the boy's neck and gave him a big hug.
"Thanks, Ashitaka-sama." She whispered in his doggie ear.
Thanks to Ashitaka's tough exterior, Nani was thrown from him and stumbled back until she tripped and fell down the bone-eater's well. Nani had expected as much, despite the sincere talk the two of them had the night before. The last everyone of the feudal era saw was a large gin falling into the darkness.
***
Weird, huh? Just when you thought Ashitaka was different from Inu-Yasha, he goes and pushes our heroine back down the well. I haven't been getting many reviews so PLEASE review!