Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything having to do with that
series. Darn. I do, however, own the character(s) I made up for this
story, so no touchy.
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New Lilies
By Alexa Gray
Ch. 2
Nothing happened. The clearing was just as green, just as bright, just as fresh as it had been a few seconds ago. Sayuri sniffed, and the air smelled exactly the same--forest and some faint traces of people, but nothing else.
Her heart sank into her feet. Was it all some sort of huge joke someone decided to play on her? Get her hopes up and then laugh as she dissolves into tears?
"No," she growled, flexing her claws. "I'm gonna find that bird and rip it into nothing." It was probably watching her right now, she was sure. With an angry roar, she took off without a thought for her already worn out body.
She had no idea where her burning legs carried her. All her broken hope served to fuel the fire of her anger, which she lent as strength to run. She tried to sniff out the bird, but she had not been paying attention to its scent when she first saw it, so she didn't know what to look for. Before she knew it, the moon was again grinning brilliantly overhead while Sayuri panted and heaved, hoping that her tears came only from exhaustion.
She hugged her bag against her chest, closing her eyes against the balmy night.
* * * * *
Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp.
"Hm?"
Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp.
Sayuri opened her eyes to the sound of crickets all around. She had forgotten about these noisy insects. They used to sing her lullabies back home. The sound wafted through her now like an old friend, comforting her in her lost dream.
She sighed and got up again, glad that she rose so early. She should probably get moving so that she could again make progress, at least with distance. She had been in Inuyasha's Forest many times before, so she knew she would find no answers here. 'Again with no specific goals,' she thought unhappily.
She found a path soon after that, and followed it after making sure that her bandages were again covering her hands. The crickets seemed to follow her, and for once she was glad of company. Soon she heard footsteps nearing her. She tensed for a moment, then relaxed. The smell denoted that it was human. Walking the opposite direction Sayuri was, the human's footsteps were small and scuffed the ground frequently-an old person. As she ascended the small hill, she finally saw the person she already knew something about. It was indeed an old woman, a very old woman. Her hair was long and completely gray, tied neatly in a low ponytail. She held a large basket full of plants in front of her that smelled sort of funny (Sayuri guessed that they were herbs). A black patch concealed one eye, and she dressed in miko's garb. She had a hard face, but Sayuri was inclined to believe she was very kind at heart.
The woman didn't react to her much, just kept on walking past the young girl. But Sayuri could tell she was trying to conceal the difficulty with which she carried those plants. "May I help you with that, madam?" she asked in as polite a voice she could.
The woman stopped where she stood and turned to consider Sayuri- -or Katsu, as it looked to her. "Ay, if ye think ye can handle it." She held her burden out to her and the demi-demon swayed under the weight.
'She's stronger than she looks,' Sayuri observed as she followed the old woman down the road toward the village. Her voice sounded sort of familiar, but she brushed the feeling aside quickly. She didn't know anyone around here, other than Miroku, Sango, and their children.
She barely had to enter the village at all to reach to old woman's home. It was a small hut, but more than enough for someone living alone. Sayuri felt a little sorry for her; the other people didn't look at her as a friend or grandmother; more like a superior. 'It must be very lonely,' she thought.
"Lay them over there," the woman pointed to a far corner, and she obeyed. "Thank ye for your help, lad, but I'm afraid I have nothing for you."
Sayuri blinked. "That's fine, madam." Funny- -she hadn't even been thinking of profit when she offered to help.
"Just allow me to ask ye one thing," she said. "What does a youkai such as yourself want here?"
She nearly lost her balance trying to bolt and wanting to stay and find out about this old miko who saw through her disguise, but curiosity won. "H- how did you know?" she stammered.
"I know what to look for," she replied simply. "Are ye going to answer my question?"
Sayuri sighed and answered resignedly, "To find my parents."
"Have ye any idea where they are?"
"Yeah. Dead."
"Then that is a battle you will never win, my child."
Staring at the ground, Sayuri began a new question. "Can you answer mine now? What is your name, madam?"
"I am Kaede."
The girl looked up, pain written clearly on her face as she said, "Farewell, Madam Kaede."
And she walked out again. As soon as she was out on the path again, she realized something. Kaede's voice was familiar! She had definitely heard it before. And the name, as well-had Sayuri ever known a Kaede? Kaede, Kaede . . .
Sayuri froze. Yes, she did know a Kaede, when she was very small. She had indeed been kind, despite her toughened appearance. Yet that miko Kaede died when she was two years old . . .
She gasped and clapped her hands to her face. The hairs on the back of her neck rose high and her heart again soared with anticipation. She found the amulet still around her neck and kissed it loudly.
Sayuri had finally found the past. Jumping and skipping down the road for a long time, she whooped and screamed in delight, not caring who heard. Her goal was reached, her journey was done. Or was it, she thought suddenly, putting a damper on her joy. Sure, time travel was half the battle, but so was actually finding these people. Her heart gave a leap just thinking that her parents were alive. Alive! But that also meant they were traveling, as they usually were. Sango often told Sayuri stories of their adventures (the edited version, she was sure), and so she knew much of their habits. 'Where are they now?' she wondered, looking around as if expecting to see them.
"I'm going to end up doing the same thing I was, just in a different time. Just wandering around with barely any purpose." She mused. "Oh, well. Best get started wandering!" she finished cheerfully.
With a new spring in her step, she continued forward, searching for the people that just waited to be found.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note: Sorry for the shortness, but I felt that this was a good ending to the chapter. Writing this is so much fun! I can't wait till I finish the next chapter-guess who's in it! YES! Everybody's favorite dog- demon! Must touch cute ears . . . ^_^ Till the next chapter!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Lilies
By Alexa Gray
Ch. 2
Nothing happened. The clearing was just as green, just as bright, just as fresh as it had been a few seconds ago. Sayuri sniffed, and the air smelled exactly the same--forest and some faint traces of people, but nothing else.
Her heart sank into her feet. Was it all some sort of huge joke someone decided to play on her? Get her hopes up and then laugh as she dissolves into tears?
"No," she growled, flexing her claws. "I'm gonna find that bird and rip it into nothing." It was probably watching her right now, she was sure. With an angry roar, she took off without a thought for her already worn out body.
She had no idea where her burning legs carried her. All her broken hope served to fuel the fire of her anger, which she lent as strength to run. She tried to sniff out the bird, but she had not been paying attention to its scent when she first saw it, so she didn't know what to look for. Before she knew it, the moon was again grinning brilliantly overhead while Sayuri panted and heaved, hoping that her tears came only from exhaustion.
She hugged her bag against her chest, closing her eyes against the balmy night.
* * * * *
Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp.
"Hm?"
Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp.
Sayuri opened her eyes to the sound of crickets all around. She had forgotten about these noisy insects. They used to sing her lullabies back home. The sound wafted through her now like an old friend, comforting her in her lost dream.
She sighed and got up again, glad that she rose so early. She should probably get moving so that she could again make progress, at least with distance. She had been in Inuyasha's Forest many times before, so she knew she would find no answers here. 'Again with no specific goals,' she thought unhappily.
She found a path soon after that, and followed it after making sure that her bandages were again covering her hands. The crickets seemed to follow her, and for once she was glad of company. Soon she heard footsteps nearing her. She tensed for a moment, then relaxed. The smell denoted that it was human. Walking the opposite direction Sayuri was, the human's footsteps were small and scuffed the ground frequently-an old person. As she ascended the small hill, she finally saw the person she already knew something about. It was indeed an old woman, a very old woman. Her hair was long and completely gray, tied neatly in a low ponytail. She held a large basket full of plants in front of her that smelled sort of funny (Sayuri guessed that they were herbs). A black patch concealed one eye, and she dressed in miko's garb. She had a hard face, but Sayuri was inclined to believe she was very kind at heart.
The woman didn't react to her much, just kept on walking past the young girl. But Sayuri could tell she was trying to conceal the difficulty with which she carried those plants. "May I help you with that, madam?" she asked in as polite a voice she could.
The woman stopped where she stood and turned to consider Sayuri- -or Katsu, as it looked to her. "Ay, if ye think ye can handle it." She held her burden out to her and the demi-demon swayed under the weight.
'She's stronger than she looks,' Sayuri observed as she followed the old woman down the road toward the village. Her voice sounded sort of familiar, but she brushed the feeling aside quickly. She didn't know anyone around here, other than Miroku, Sango, and their children.
She barely had to enter the village at all to reach to old woman's home. It was a small hut, but more than enough for someone living alone. Sayuri felt a little sorry for her; the other people didn't look at her as a friend or grandmother; more like a superior. 'It must be very lonely,' she thought.
"Lay them over there," the woman pointed to a far corner, and she obeyed. "Thank ye for your help, lad, but I'm afraid I have nothing for you."
Sayuri blinked. "That's fine, madam." Funny- -she hadn't even been thinking of profit when she offered to help.
"Just allow me to ask ye one thing," she said. "What does a youkai such as yourself want here?"
She nearly lost her balance trying to bolt and wanting to stay and find out about this old miko who saw through her disguise, but curiosity won. "H- how did you know?" she stammered.
"I know what to look for," she replied simply. "Are ye going to answer my question?"
Sayuri sighed and answered resignedly, "To find my parents."
"Have ye any idea where they are?"
"Yeah. Dead."
"Then that is a battle you will never win, my child."
Staring at the ground, Sayuri began a new question. "Can you answer mine now? What is your name, madam?"
"I am Kaede."
The girl looked up, pain written clearly on her face as she said, "Farewell, Madam Kaede."
And she walked out again. As soon as she was out on the path again, she realized something. Kaede's voice was familiar! She had definitely heard it before. And the name, as well-had Sayuri ever known a Kaede? Kaede, Kaede . . .
Sayuri froze. Yes, she did know a Kaede, when she was very small. She had indeed been kind, despite her toughened appearance. Yet that miko Kaede died when she was two years old . . .
She gasped and clapped her hands to her face. The hairs on the back of her neck rose high and her heart again soared with anticipation. She found the amulet still around her neck and kissed it loudly.
Sayuri had finally found the past. Jumping and skipping down the road for a long time, she whooped and screamed in delight, not caring who heard. Her goal was reached, her journey was done. Or was it, she thought suddenly, putting a damper on her joy. Sure, time travel was half the battle, but so was actually finding these people. Her heart gave a leap just thinking that her parents were alive. Alive! But that also meant they were traveling, as they usually were. Sango often told Sayuri stories of their adventures (the edited version, she was sure), and so she knew much of their habits. 'Where are they now?' she wondered, looking around as if expecting to see them.
"I'm going to end up doing the same thing I was, just in a different time. Just wandering around with barely any purpose." She mused. "Oh, well. Best get started wandering!" she finished cheerfully.
With a new spring in her step, she continued forward, searching for the people that just waited to be found.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note: Sorry for the shortness, but I felt that this was a good ending to the chapter. Writing this is so much fun! I can't wait till I finish the next chapter-guess who's in it! YES! Everybody's favorite dog- demon! Must touch cute ears . . . ^_^ Till the next chapter!
