The End...
...Of Kikyo-Related Problems
The silver-haired hanyou stopped, scenting the air. "Kikyo," he murmured. He glanced at his companions over his shoulder before taking off.
"Kikyo," the kitsune stated angrily, carefully watching the aforementioned's reincarnation.
She stood staring thoughtfully in the direction Inuyasha had gone. Turning to Sango as she laid down her bow to remove her backpack and quiver she asked, "Sango-chan, may I borrow Kirara-chan?"
At her mistress's consent, Kirara transformed and took off to follow Inuyasha with Kagome on her back. They traveled a short distance, well, short for a youkai, before coming to a clearing.
The young miko dismounted and Kirara changed back to her smaller form, then leapt into her arms.
There, in the clearing, stood the dead miko in the arms of her former lover. He was trying to make her listen to him, but her attention had shifted to the new arrivals, who were hesitantly coming forward. It seemed that her reincarnation, in her haste to follow, had neglected to bring her bow and arrows for protection. Not that it mattered, it just made killing the young woman easier.
Inuyasha finally realized Kikyo wasn't listening to him; she wasn't even looking at him. He turned to follow her gaze, only for his surroundings to suddenly become crystal clear. He heard the slow footsteps, smelled the calming, gentle scent carried on the breeze, saw two of his companions coming forth, eyes locked on Kikyo.
She stopped a meter or so from the couple, fingers moving minutely in a repetitive motion through the two-tailed neko's fur for comfort and strength. Kagome stood quiet for a few moments, gathering her thoughts before speaking.
"Kikyo, may I speak with you, alone?"
Wary of a trick, but knowing the girl to be too honest, or maybe it was naivety, to try anything, she nodded; both mikos ignored the sputtering hanyou. When he made to stop them from leaving, Kikyo simply placed the same spell on him she had once used on Kagome, effectively freezing him in his tracks.
A soft breeze sifted through the trees. The silence was only broken by the occasional bird's call and two sets of footfalls, rustling through the grass. They walked a distance far enough away to be out of Inuyasha's hearing range, but close enough to still be seen.
"I want to make a bargain with you," Kagome's voice filling the tense silence. "I want you to stop trying to kill me."
"And what is it you think to give me that I want," the dead miko's voice was void of emotion. "You can't kill Naraku, you're too weak. You could give me your shards, but it has been just as easy to take them from you in the past. You could relinquish any claim on Inuyasha, but he has already promised to protect me, avenge me... love me. What could you possibly give me?"
"I can give you and Inuyasha a second chance at a life together," she said calmly, startling Kikyo.
"A second chance," the dark-eyed miko murmured to herself. "Why would you do this? How would you do this?"
"When the Shikon no Tama is whole again I can wish for you to live again."
"Why?"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The sun sank lower in the sky, marking the passage of time as the two who shared a soul spoke. As the sun began to set, they returned to the spellbound hanyou.
After releasing him, Kikyo turned to Kagome, extending her hand to her. When she mirrored her actions, the miko in white and red dropped a shard into her hand then walked away.
Kirara again transformed and carried Kagome back to their friends, followed by a mystified hanyou. They arrived to see the others had set up camp. Kagome went to her bag, gathered her bath stuff and guitar, and saying she wanted to be alone, walked to the hot spring they had passed a little ways back before the Kikyo incident. Poor Inuyasha was left alone to fend of the verbal abuse of Sango, Miroku, and Shippo and the physical abuse of said kitsune, trying not to lose his temper.
The shard hunters settled down eventually to make dinner, the calm was only disturbed once by the taijiya... helping the houshi fall asleep.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Kagome bathed slowly in the hot spring. The first quarter moon's light vaguely lit the clearing; the silver light reflected off the water, further illuminating the area. She eventually rose from the water to get out and dry off, the moonlight glistening across her pale, wet flesh. Standing on the shore, she toweled herself dry then her hair before dressing into pajama shirt and pants with cats dancing across the fabric.
When she was finished, Kagome packed away the bathing materials and unpacked her guitar. After swiftly tuning the strings with the ease of years of practice, she began to play. The haunting melody of the Moonlight Sonata filled the air.
She sat gazing up at the stars, fingers moving across the strings by memory, leaving her mind free.
As she played, she slowly became aware of another presence in the clearing.
(Sonata Op. 27 No. 2 'Moonlight' in C Sharp: Adagio Sostenuto, Ludwig Van Beethoven)
7/24/03
...Of Kikyo-Related Problems
The silver-haired hanyou stopped, scenting the air. "Kikyo," he murmured. He glanced at his companions over his shoulder before taking off.
"Kikyo," the kitsune stated angrily, carefully watching the aforementioned's reincarnation.
She stood staring thoughtfully in the direction Inuyasha had gone. Turning to Sango as she laid down her bow to remove her backpack and quiver she asked, "Sango-chan, may I borrow Kirara-chan?"
At her mistress's consent, Kirara transformed and took off to follow Inuyasha with Kagome on her back. They traveled a short distance, well, short for a youkai, before coming to a clearing.
The young miko dismounted and Kirara changed back to her smaller form, then leapt into her arms.
There, in the clearing, stood the dead miko in the arms of her former lover. He was trying to make her listen to him, but her attention had shifted to the new arrivals, who were hesitantly coming forward. It seemed that her reincarnation, in her haste to follow, had neglected to bring her bow and arrows for protection. Not that it mattered, it just made killing the young woman easier.
Inuyasha finally realized Kikyo wasn't listening to him; she wasn't even looking at him. He turned to follow her gaze, only for his surroundings to suddenly become crystal clear. He heard the slow footsteps, smelled the calming, gentle scent carried on the breeze, saw two of his companions coming forth, eyes locked on Kikyo.
She stopped a meter or so from the couple, fingers moving minutely in a repetitive motion through the two-tailed neko's fur for comfort and strength. Kagome stood quiet for a few moments, gathering her thoughts before speaking.
"Kikyo, may I speak with you, alone?"
Wary of a trick, but knowing the girl to be too honest, or maybe it was naivety, to try anything, she nodded; both mikos ignored the sputtering hanyou. When he made to stop them from leaving, Kikyo simply placed the same spell on him she had once used on Kagome, effectively freezing him in his tracks.
A soft breeze sifted through the trees. The silence was only broken by the occasional bird's call and two sets of footfalls, rustling through the grass. They walked a distance far enough away to be out of Inuyasha's hearing range, but close enough to still be seen.
"I want to make a bargain with you," Kagome's voice filling the tense silence. "I want you to stop trying to kill me."
"And what is it you think to give me that I want," the dead miko's voice was void of emotion. "You can't kill Naraku, you're too weak. You could give me your shards, but it has been just as easy to take them from you in the past. You could relinquish any claim on Inuyasha, but he has already promised to protect me, avenge me... love me. What could you possibly give me?"
"I can give you and Inuyasha a second chance at a life together," she said calmly, startling Kikyo.
"A second chance," the dark-eyed miko murmured to herself. "Why would you do this? How would you do this?"
"When the Shikon no Tama is whole again I can wish for you to live again."
"Why?"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The sun sank lower in the sky, marking the passage of time as the two who shared a soul spoke. As the sun began to set, they returned to the spellbound hanyou.
After releasing him, Kikyo turned to Kagome, extending her hand to her. When she mirrored her actions, the miko in white and red dropped a shard into her hand then walked away.
Kirara again transformed and carried Kagome back to their friends, followed by a mystified hanyou. They arrived to see the others had set up camp. Kagome went to her bag, gathered her bath stuff and guitar, and saying she wanted to be alone, walked to the hot spring they had passed a little ways back before the Kikyo incident. Poor Inuyasha was left alone to fend of the verbal abuse of Sango, Miroku, and Shippo and the physical abuse of said kitsune, trying not to lose his temper.
The shard hunters settled down eventually to make dinner, the calm was only disturbed once by the taijiya... helping the houshi fall asleep.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Kagome bathed slowly in the hot spring. The first quarter moon's light vaguely lit the clearing; the silver light reflected off the water, further illuminating the area. She eventually rose from the water to get out and dry off, the moonlight glistening across her pale, wet flesh. Standing on the shore, she toweled herself dry then her hair before dressing into pajama shirt and pants with cats dancing across the fabric.
When she was finished, Kagome packed away the bathing materials and unpacked her guitar. After swiftly tuning the strings with the ease of years of practice, she began to play. The haunting melody of the Moonlight Sonata filled the air.
She sat gazing up at the stars, fingers moving across the strings by memory, leaving her mind free.
As she played, she slowly became aware of another presence in the clearing.
(Sonata Op. 27 No. 2 'Moonlight' in C Sharp: Adagio Sostenuto, Ludwig Van Beethoven)
7/24/03
