Kikyou had changed so much. Inuyasha's heart shattered as he looked at her,
her glossy black hair tangled in dirty strips. Her eyes were ringed with
black and red, the mixture of crying and the insomnia that came with
surviving off another person's soul. She had once been so beautiful... so
kind. He had often watched her play with the children of the village,
teaching them stories and different skills. She had loved children so much,
and was always like a mother to them. Kaede had been spoiled by her, and
the two had prospered even without the help of their cruel father. Kikyou
had had such a hard life, tortured by her skills. Her father hated her
because she was a better priest than he, the villagers felt uncomfortable
around her. The only people who found her no different were the children,
lost in their young innocence.
And Inuyasha himself, of course. He had lived similarly, with people fearing him and demons hating him. He had been lost for so long, wandering aimlessly when he had found another wanderer, Kikyou. They both lived in void between human and demon, both with powers superior to others. She had just received the jewel then, the horrible thing handed to her pure fifteen year old hand. She hoped that perhaps, if she could purify it, her duties would be done and she could put away the powers that she had been cursed with.
They had sat together many a night, watching the stars and discussing their future. Both were the children of leaders, Inuyasha the son of the demon lord Taiyoukai and Kikyou the daughter of the Kiyamari village leader. He remembered the summer nights like dreams, paddling through the evening silence in a village canoe. The waters had glowed with orange from the sun sets, setting the waters aflame. She had sung for him one or twice, her voice think and sultry, as rich as the laughter of the nymphs that lined the glowing waters. She had always sat behind him in the thin log canoe, staring at his silky milk hair and envying his adorable inu ears. Often curiosity had overtaken her and she had stroked those velvety ears, gaining almost a purr from the dog hanyou. She always laughed, her companion so like the mutts that roamed the village roads. She always added that he was more handsome, under her breath as he sulked in front of her for being called a dog. Little did she know those dog-like ears were more than just decoration, and Inuyasha gloated silently at the praise Kikyou whispered.
Of course he had easily fallen in love with the woman. He practically stalked her, quietly watching from roof tops and tree branches. Kikyou knew this, of course, but she enjoyed the feeling of his gold eyes on her back, on her face. He had even caught her bathing a few times, which had curtained his face in a crimson blush when he realized why she was untying her obi at the water's edge. He wasn't a dirty demon, after all, and always left until she was finished. When he was gone Kikyou would sink into the warmth of the village's hot spring, the steam cloaking her face like a delicate lace. Sometimes she wished her hanyou wouldn't leave, that she could peek over the steam and see his shadow lurking in the jade branches above. She cursed herself for thinking so, but what was a love struck girl to do?
One day it seemed her prayers were answered. As she lounged in the hot waters she heard a crackling, and looked around to see a figure crouched in a nearby bush. He was peeping! Her face filled with a blush and her heart raced as she dipped herself lower into the pool. She considered her options: to cry out or to stay silent and gloat secretly at his peeking. She thought of the outcomes, but in the mean time he seemed to make the choice for her, and the shadow slowly creeped out of the foliage. But something was wrong. Kikyou realized too late that the figure was not clothed in a red kimono but a dirty brown tunic, and gasped as the the thing dashed into the pool with demonic speed. It had two ox horns, curved with vile, blood stained tips pointing inward. He, for it was definitely a male, had huge bloodshot eyes dwarfing the rest of his face, and a jagged scar drifting down his cheek. He looked at her hungrily with those eyes as he grasped her with one arm around her waist and hoisted her clear of the water. He slung her across his back like luggage and exited the spring just as quickly as he had entered it. Her screams shattered the surreal silence in the forest as they dashed away, leaving her clothes by the spring.
"What will screaming do, mortal?" The ox demon croaked snidely below her. "I am Xiao! Not a human in this measly world could kill me!" The forest whipped by in a blur, wind slapping thick wet strands of hair against Kikyou's face. Inuyasha... She was going to die here because of her ignorance. Because she was a human now. Because of her love.
Inuyasha...
She had sacrificed her powers, her strength to the hungry jewel so she could be with Inuyasha. With her power in the jewel he could become a human and they could live together forever, live normal lives. She was to bring him the jewel on the moonless night where he would become a human, and he would trap his demon blood away forever. That night was only weeks away. Kikyou's life, love was so close, but was this gift now going to be erased by a lowly Chinese ox?
"Inuyasha!"
And Inuyasha himself, of course. He had lived similarly, with people fearing him and demons hating him. He had been lost for so long, wandering aimlessly when he had found another wanderer, Kikyou. They both lived in void between human and demon, both with powers superior to others. She had just received the jewel then, the horrible thing handed to her pure fifteen year old hand. She hoped that perhaps, if she could purify it, her duties would be done and she could put away the powers that she had been cursed with.
They had sat together many a night, watching the stars and discussing their future. Both were the children of leaders, Inuyasha the son of the demon lord Taiyoukai and Kikyou the daughter of the Kiyamari village leader. He remembered the summer nights like dreams, paddling through the evening silence in a village canoe. The waters had glowed with orange from the sun sets, setting the waters aflame. She had sung for him one or twice, her voice think and sultry, as rich as the laughter of the nymphs that lined the glowing waters. She had always sat behind him in the thin log canoe, staring at his silky milk hair and envying his adorable inu ears. Often curiosity had overtaken her and she had stroked those velvety ears, gaining almost a purr from the dog hanyou. She always laughed, her companion so like the mutts that roamed the village roads. She always added that he was more handsome, under her breath as he sulked in front of her for being called a dog. Little did she know those dog-like ears were more than just decoration, and Inuyasha gloated silently at the praise Kikyou whispered.
Of course he had easily fallen in love with the woman. He practically stalked her, quietly watching from roof tops and tree branches. Kikyou knew this, of course, but she enjoyed the feeling of his gold eyes on her back, on her face. He had even caught her bathing a few times, which had curtained his face in a crimson blush when he realized why she was untying her obi at the water's edge. He wasn't a dirty demon, after all, and always left until she was finished. When he was gone Kikyou would sink into the warmth of the village's hot spring, the steam cloaking her face like a delicate lace. Sometimes she wished her hanyou wouldn't leave, that she could peek over the steam and see his shadow lurking in the jade branches above. She cursed herself for thinking so, but what was a love struck girl to do?
One day it seemed her prayers were answered. As she lounged in the hot waters she heard a crackling, and looked around to see a figure crouched in a nearby bush. He was peeping! Her face filled with a blush and her heart raced as she dipped herself lower into the pool. She considered her options: to cry out or to stay silent and gloat secretly at his peeking. She thought of the outcomes, but in the mean time he seemed to make the choice for her, and the shadow slowly creeped out of the foliage. But something was wrong. Kikyou realized too late that the figure was not clothed in a red kimono but a dirty brown tunic, and gasped as the the thing dashed into the pool with demonic speed. It had two ox horns, curved with vile, blood stained tips pointing inward. He, for it was definitely a male, had huge bloodshot eyes dwarfing the rest of his face, and a jagged scar drifting down his cheek. He looked at her hungrily with those eyes as he grasped her with one arm around her waist and hoisted her clear of the water. He slung her across his back like luggage and exited the spring just as quickly as he had entered it. Her screams shattered the surreal silence in the forest as they dashed away, leaving her clothes by the spring.
"What will screaming do, mortal?" The ox demon croaked snidely below her. "I am Xiao! Not a human in this measly world could kill me!" The forest whipped by in a blur, wind slapping thick wet strands of hair against Kikyou's face. Inuyasha... She was going to die here because of her ignorance. Because she was a human now. Because of her love.
Inuyasha...
She had sacrificed her powers, her strength to the hungry jewel so she could be with Inuyasha. With her power in the jewel he could become a human and they could live together forever, live normal lives. She was to bring him the jewel on the moonless night where he would become a human, and he would trap his demon blood away forever. That night was only weeks away. Kikyou's life, love was so close, but was this gift now going to be erased by a lowly Chinese ox?
"Inuyasha!"