Chapter Ten: The Festival of the Dead
I do admit that there was some fluff inside the previous chapter since both characters went a little OOC. But I guess sometimes characters do lose their minds in a while right? Hehehe…Okay, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Ten
The afternoon sun shone brightly on the dirt path as the two sisters made their way through the forest. Kikyo, with a basket held on her hand, held her little sister's hand as they walked through the forest path. It was the obon festival, and it was time to visit the resting places of the departed.
"Oneesan," Kaede questioned her elder sister as they continued to walk on the dirt path through the green forest. "Why is okaasan's grave so deep within the forest?"
Kikyo looked back at her little sister. She was wearing a striking colour of a kimono displaying red peonies. The priestess herself was wearing the colour of the grasses that represented her place in the Shinto religion. "Okaasan was also a miko too," she spoke solemnly as they continued to walk briskly on the brown dirt path. "The villagers wanted her grave hidden to ensure that the youkai did not touch it."
The priestess beckoned to her sibling to step into a small cut into the array of trees. As they stepped into the edge of the forest, a clearing came into sight with a grave stone perched on the tall grass. Apparently, they did not visit the area for a few years already. Kaede followed behind her sister's back; the area was rather eerie as crows made sounds that made it sounded like it was at night.
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The half-demon boy lied on one tall tree branch, with a twig inside his mouth. He was trying to get enough sleep to ensure he would have enough energy for this special moonless night where his 'period' came. Kikyo had earlier told him that it was the obon festival, but he did not care much about it. A presence made him awake suddenly.
The presence of jaki?!? What is it doing at a time like this…?!?
The same apparition appeared, but this time it took a real form and landed on a nearby branch from Inuyasha. She sat down on it with ease, with her sinister grin. Her body reeked of nothing but the dark jaki.
"Hello again," she spoke slowly but seemingly deadly. "Inuyasha."
Inuyasha got up from his tree branch to look at the fallen priestess. "Who are you anyway," he shouted back at her, having that she had disturbed his rest. "And why do you always come to disturb me?"
"You can take the Shikon Jewel now," she spoke as though it was an easy task.
"Are you mad, wretched priestess?" He replied back loudly. "Kikyo will subdue before the jewel can be taken…"
"Kikyo is not there," she interrupted him. "Kukukuku." Inuyasha got up on his feet to look at the dark priestess. She continued to laugh as a villain. "You can go and check," she replied back to his irritated look. "Don't worry. I have a surprise for the both of you." Soon, the priestess began to disappear again.
"Oh yes," she turned back before her body began to vanish into thin air again. "My name is Tsubaki, the dark priestess." Inuyasha looked at the place where she had vanished. Something bad within his heart began to stir up. The surprise she had planned could be something unimaginable to think about. The hanyou boy sat down again on the branch to consider his chance to take the sacred jewel.
Is this Tsubaki somehow connected to Kikyo…?
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Kikyo took out a sickle from her basket, where she had borrowed from one farmer. The grave had been not maintained for a rather long time. The priestess began her menial work of cutting the tall grass growing around the grave. Kaede, on the other hand, took the trouble of burning joss sticks in front of the gravestone. Incense from the wooden fragrant sticks filled the atmosphere around the siblings. (A/N: I have no idea why they are doing this. Just wanted to write it anyway and there is a lot of Chinese influence here.)
As soon as the tall grass around have been trimmed, Kikyo returned to the grave and knelt down. Clasping her hands in a prayer, she closed her eyes and brought her hands close to her face. Kaede followed suit, seeing that her sister had turned silent in front of the grave.
Okaasan…aid me in protecting and purifying the Shikon Jewel…
Kikyo continued to pray silently as she remained closing her eyes, while kneeling on the hard stone block in front of the grave.
Help me to let the half-demon Inuyasha be enlightened and give up on being a youkai…
She re-opened her eyes to see that Kaede was still praying. Getting up she turned to see that there was a presence in the vicinity. Looking around the priestess sensed the presence of a certain hanyou in the area.
"Inuyasha, I know you're out there," she spoke to nowhere, knowing that he could hear her no matter how soft she spoke. "What brings you here?"
The half-demon in red jumped from one of the canopies of the trees as he landed on the ground with a soft thud. Kikyo gave a cold look in return for his arrival. "What's your problem priestess?" He questioned her rudely, being irritated by her cold greeting to him. "Coming to visit your mother's grave?"
"You're stating the obvious," she gave a monotonous reply back to the dog demon. The priestess signaled to her sister, who had got up from the grave, carrying the basket in her small arms. "Come, Kaede," she turned her head to look at her sibling. "We have to return to the village."
As Kikyo passed Inuyasha, she came close to his head. Soft as she could, but audible to Inuyasha, the miko whispered a sentence.
Meet you at the obon festival tonight.
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Kikyo placed a few hairpins to keep her hair in place. Dressed in a yukata with the patterns of the cherry blossoms, she walked out of her small hut. Kaede had earlier joined the village children in helping to put up the red lanterns that now lined from one farmhouse to the next farmhouse that were supported by black lines held by several wooden sticks. The sky was orange, which showed the sun's waning light, and the darkness of the moonless night.
Meanwhile near Goshinboku in the forest, a half-demon was trying to control himself as the Sun plunged below the horizon with the new moon rising. Inuyasha could feel the pain as his fangs vanished within his gums, leaving the normal human teeth and his claws suddenly morphing into human nails instead which gave discomfort to him. The curse of the new moon was once again upon the hanyou again. He looked in the distance to see just red lanterns hanging all over the village, with the sounds of happy human villagers celebrating the festival.
I have to go…Kikyo's waiting…
Kikyo waited at the edge of the village. She stared behind as the happy cries of the villagers sounded at the centre of it. There was no youkai presence, which was highly peculiar especially on the day where the spirits of the dead returned to the world of the living for a few days. She was also surprised that Tsubaki had not come to ruin the festival through some of her unknown traps she could set for the priestess.
Inuyasha is late…
She continued to wait at the edge of the village. The half-demon was definitely late, and it was almost time for the main event of the festival where everyone had to do the obon dance. Only the crickets, other than the festival music, made sounds to complement the stillness of the moonless night. Assuming that he had not wished to come for the festival, Kikyo turned behind to return to the festival.
"Oi! Can't you be more patient, wretch?" She heard Inuyasha's cursing voice from behind. As she turned, the figure of a fine looking boy in a red kimono filled her view. Strangely enough, Inuyasha had tied his hair into a high ponytail, looking like an ancient samurai.
"You're late," came the priestess' only comment. She turned behind, while signaling to Inuyasha to the centre of the village where the festival was talking place, to walk slowly on the path as rice fields lined it.
"Hey, wait!" Inuyasha shouted back as he quickly followed behind the slow walking priestess as the wind blew across her yukata which flowed smoothly with the moving air. Little did they know that a certain someone was watching.
Tsubaki observed them from a distance in the air. She looked at the village, which was full of life and with a human Inuyasha with Kikyo walking towards it. Summoning a special mirror, and a unique fan, she laughed evilly at what was before her.
At the same time, a group of ninjas observed the celebrating village from the trees. It was the perfect time for loot since the inhabitants were not at their houses. Once again, the village was not going to spared from just one peaceful night of enjoying the festival of the dead.
Weird chapter I written, eh? This chapter is a little boring because there is no action involved in it and only drama being inside. To assure you reviewers, there will be an action essence involved in the next chapter. Until then, good bye!
Glossary:
Yukata : Japanese traditional outfit similar to a kimono, but used in summer usually for its thinner layer of fabric
