Disclaimer: Fine! It isn't here! It's in chapter 1! I left it there by
accident! Or on purpose... look, does it really matter?!?!
Okay... I've been neglecting this again. It's one of my priority fanfics, yet it keeps getting overshadowed. But, it's doing fine even so. But poor SpaceballZ is so depressed now... And remember kids: reviews are an important nutrient to the development of a good story.
Ugh... I could feel every eye focused on me. It made me feel so awkward and alienated for all those strangers (and Miroku) watching me with such scrutiny. I felt like I would wig out at any moment and throw my cup at one of them. But, I tried to forget it and enjoy my tea. I tried to keep my thoughts occupied on other matters, even resorting to running over formulas that I needed to memorize for Science class.
It didn't help that they were all staring at my chest (per Seika's instructions) and, more than once, commenting amongst themselves about my "unusual kimono" and anything else about me that they thought was strange. A few of them actually seemed to have been observing instead of gawking, and it was one of these men, an older man with little hair and thick, grey eyebrows, who stood.
The others grew silent as he spoke, "There is a complicated embodiment of spiritual energy attached to her heart. The embodiment contains three specific parts, which each contain two polar parts: a part of despair, and a part of hope. It's using this woman as a house or a means of protection." He tilted his head a bit. "I also think that it was actually formed within you, young lass."
Some other priests and monks nodded in agreement. Miroku looked up at the old Buddhist. "Can you tell us anything else about it, like who created it, or if it has any hidden malevolence?"
The man bowed his head. "Whether the creator had any ill purpose, I cannot say. For some reason, anything concerning evil seems purified by this woman. However, I can feel the energy of the creator from it, as well as energies of three separate people in the three parts. One is identical to her. Another is quite like this woman's." He gestured to Hohoemi as he said this. "And the other...is Seika-sama's?"
Although he said this with obvious bewilderment, we weren't at all surprised. "Can you tell me where the creator is now?" I asked.
"I think that I've felt a similar energy as I passed by a small village due East from here," he answered, "A miko known as Shiraha-sama protects it. I'm sure that she'll aid you in any way possible."
I stood and grabbed his hands to shake them, which seemed to confuse him a bit. "Arigatou Gozaimasu!" And I went towards the door with Miroku.
"Wait a moment, miss!" he yelled after me.
"Uh, yes?"
"I thought you should know..." His demeanor returned to serious and sober. "... that... whatever it is that is attached to your heart... is full."
InuYasha was, as usual, in no mood to wait. As soon as we told him, he started off immediately. He said that he didn't want to take any chances, even if the old monk said that he couldn't sense any evil. It was hard to even make him drop off Hohoemi back at her farm (nothing that a few, well-placed "osuwari"s can't handle, though). When we came to the village, it didn't take but to question one man outside before we could know the whereabouts of Shiraha-sama, their guardian miko.
Entering into her hut was much like entering Kaede's. The air was wafting with the smell of embers and herbs, with that distinct scent that reminded me of moss. An elderly woman kneeled down in front of her pyre, rubbing prayer beads and chanting something. InuYasha took one step forward and a board creaked. From the back of the hut, in the shadows, a baby cried.
The woman looked up and us and stood, making an energetic gesture towards InuYasha. "What are you doing here? Do you often go into an old woman's house without permission, hanyou?!"
"You must Shiraha," he said, padding towards her, "We're looking for an oddly dressed guy with yellow hair that stands strait up. Do you know where he is?"
"J-just a moment..." she lit a lamp and brought it towards the end of the hut, where a small infant was bawling. She laid it down beside it and picked it up in her arms, cradling it and cooing to calm it down. Thankfully, InuYasha knew better than to raise any more ruckus and sat down on the floor.
I walked as quietly as I could and kneeled by her when the baby finally went to sleep. "Are you taking care of him?" I whispered.
She nodded. "You could say that..."
"What's his name?"
"Bitoku. Listen," she looked up at me, "That boy you're friend asked about... he has been here."
"He has?"
"A boy who lives here, Shoyo, brought him to me. Shoyo was orphaned a few years ago and came to this place alone. When he came here, he was bullied frequently. Ruuku, the person you seek, gave him strength. Strength so that he might not have that happen to him again."
I felt somewhat dumbfounded. "How'd you find out his name?"
"He needed me to make a wish, apparently, and I refused until he answered all of my questions."
"So... what was your wish?"
"He knew from the winds of dispair flowing from me that I wanted a child of my own." She looked back down to little Bitoku. "He needed my wish to have one, because I was the only person strong enough that could house that wish; the only one who could move such strong winds."
Everyone else came in. I sat by her. "Can you tell us everything that he said?"
"He needed my wish of birth," she began, "He said that he all ready had the 'orb of rebirth' prepared, and needed to finish the next two orbs." She pointed towards her own heart, and within, green and yellow lights began to twirl. "Two wishes are in there right now: mine and Shoyo's." Her eyes met mine again. "And you're the other house, I assume?"
"Yeah..." I found myself gazing at the baby. "So, are these orbs anything--"
"Evil? To tell you the truth, I can't tell. It seems absolutely neutral, for some reason. It's like this energy, and Ruuku, has the potential to go in either direction. Even he didn't seem to know."
"I see... do you know where he went?"
"Iie, but I can give you something that can help you find him." She pulled out what looked to be a piece of Ruuku's outfit and placed it in my palm. "It seems to pull in the direction he is. I am too old to go off questing to make sure he stays in the right path, but you and your friends look like you're eager and willing to do it yourselves. I'm sure a fellow miko like you is able to use this wisely." She placed Bitoku back in his bed. "Now off with you. You're dog-eared friend tends to upset my son. Good luck."
Shiraha = White Feather. Bitoku = Virtue. You know what's also good for the growth of a story? Actually watching the anime every once in a while. That writer's block cleared up a bit after watching 3 eps. But, it didn't help the length much. Aggghhh!!!!
Okay... I've been neglecting this again. It's one of my priority fanfics, yet it keeps getting overshadowed. But, it's doing fine even so. But poor SpaceballZ is so depressed now... And remember kids: reviews are an important nutrient to the development of a good story.
Ugh... I could feel every eye focused on me. It made me feel so awkward and alienated for all those strangers (and Miroku) watching me with such scrutiny. I felt like I would wig out at any moment and throw my cup at one of them. But, I tried to forget it and enjoy my tea. I tried to keep my thoughts occupied on other matters, even resorting to running over formulas that I needed to memorize for Science class.
It didn't help that they were all staring at my chest (per Seika's instructions) and, more than once, commenting amongst themselves about my "unusual kimono" and anything else about me that they thought was strange. A few of them actually seemed to have been observing instead of gawking, and it was one of these men, an older man with little hair and thick, grey eyebrows, who stood.
The others grew silent as he spoke, "There is a complicated embodiment of spiritual energy attached to her heart. The embodiment contains three specific parts, which each contain two polar parts: a part of despair, and a part of hope. It's using this woman as a house or a means of protection." He tilted his head a bit. "I also think that it was actually formed within you, young lass."
Some other priests and monks nodded in agreement. Miroku looked up at the old Buddhist. "Can you tell us anything else about it, like who created it, or if it has any hidden malevolence?"
The man bowed his head. "Whether the creator had any ill purpose, I cannot say. For some reason, anything concerning evil seems purified by this woman. However, I can feel the energy of the creator from it, as well as energies of three separate people in the three parts. One is identical to her. Another is quite like this woman's." He gestured to Hohoemi as he said this. "And the other...is Seika-sama's?"
Although he said this with obvious bewilderment, we weren't at all surprised. "Can you tell me where the creator is now?" I asked.
"I think that I've felt a similar energy as I passed by a small village due East from here," he answered, "A miko known as Shiraha-sama protects it. I'm sure that she'll aid you in any way possible."
I stood and grabbed his hands to shake them, which seemed to confuse him a bit. "Arigatou Gozaimasu!" And I went towards the door with Miroku.
"Wait a moment, miss!" he yelled after me.
"Uh, yes?"
"I thought you should know..." His demeanor returned to serious and sober. "... that... whatever it is that is attached to your heart... is full."
InuYasha was, as usual, in no mood to wait. As soon as we told him, he started off immediately. He said that he didn't want to take any chances, even if the old monk said that he couldn't sense any evil. It was hard to even make him drop off Hohoemi back at her farm (nothing that a few, well-placed "osuwari"s can't handle, though). When we came to the village, it didn't take but to question one man outside before we could know the whereabouts of Shiraha-sama, their guardian miko.
Entering into her hut was much like entering Kaede's. The air was wafting with the smell of embers and herbs, with that distinct scent that reminded me of moss. An elderly woman kneeled down in front of her pyre, rubbing prayer beads and chanting something. InuYasha took one step forward and a board creaked. From the back of the hut, in the shadows, a baby cried.
The woman looked up and us and stood, making an energetic gesture towards InuYasha. "What are you doing here? Do you often go into an old woman's house without permission, hanyou?!"
"You must Shiraha," he said, padding towards her, "We're looking for an oddly dressed guy with yellow hair that stands strait up. Do you know where he is?"
"J-just a moment..." she lit a lamp and brought it towards the end of the hut, where a small infant was bawling. She laid it down beside it and picked it up in her arms, cradling it and cooing to calm it down. Thankfully, InuYasha knew better than to raise any more ruckus and sat down on the floor.
I walked as quietly as I could and kneeled by her when the baby finally went to sleep. "Are you taking care of him?" I whispered.
She nodded. "You could say that..."
"What's his name?"
"Bitoku. Listen," she looked up at me, "That boy you're friend asked about... he has been here."
"He has?"
"A boy who lives here, Shoyo, brought him to me. Shoyo was orphaned a few years ago and came to this place alone. When he came here, he was bullied frequently. Ruuku, the person you seek, gave him strength. Strength so that he might not have that happen to him again."
I felt somewhat dumbfounded. "How'd you find out his name?"
"He needed me to make a wish, apparently, and I refused until he answered all of my questions."
"So... what was your wish?"
"He knew from the winds of dispair flowing from me that I wanted a child of my own." She looked back down to little Bitoku. "He needed my wish to have one, because I was the only person strong enough that could house that wish; the only one who could move such strong winds."
Everyone else came in. I sat by her. "Can you tell us everything that he said?"
"He needed my wish of birth," she began, "He said that he all ready had the 'orb of rebirth' prepared, and needed to finish the next two orbs." She pointed towards her own heart, and within, green and yellow lights began to twirl. "Two wishes are in there right now: mine and Shoyo's." Her eyes met mine again. "And you're the other house, I assume?"
"Yeah..." I found myself gazing at the baby. "So, are these orbs anything--"
"Evil? To tell you the truth, I can't tell. It seems absolutely neutral, for some reason. It's like this energy, and Ruuku, has the potential to go in either direction. Even he didn't seem to know."
"I see... do you know where he went?"
"Iie, but I can give you something that can help you find him." She pulled out what looked to be a piece of Ruuku's outfit and placed it in my palm. "It seems to pull in the direction he is. I am too old to go off questing to make sure he stays in the right path, but you and your friends look like you're eager and willing to do it yourselves. I'm sure a fellow miko like you is able to use this wisely." She placed Bitoku back in his bed. "Now off with you. You're dog-eared friend tends to upset my son. Good luck."
Shiraha = White Feather. Bitoku = Virtue. You know what's also good for the growth of a story? Actually watching the anime every once in a while. That writer's block cleared up a bit after watching 3 eps. But, it didn't help the length much. Aggghhh!!!!