Chapter Thirteen: Just Collecting Some Firewood

Okay, here comes the next chapter. Be sure to read it more, and review on it! Okay guys, bye!


Chapter Thirteen

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Kikyo­-sama," Kaori bowed down before the priestess after turning to her back to face her. Kikyo gave a small warm smile as to any human she would give.

"Kaori-san, may I know?" She questioned the young villager. "What brings you here?"

Kaori remained silent for a moment. Her eyes moved to one side of the room before turning back to face the brown irises of the priestess'. "It's about last night," she spoke softly, lowering her head down with her cheeks full of the color of blood in embarrassment. "Sorry about my weird behavior."

"What about last night?" Kikyo spoke, touching her head with one hand, wondering what she had done the previous night. "You were normal during the obon festival. You even asked about Inu- the person with me."

"Didn't he tell you?" She exclaimed back suddenly, giving the priestess a little shock. Kaori clasped her fists together, looking up at the priestess. "I went into a trance!"

A trance…?!? Inuyasha didn't tell me that…

"If you had a trance," Kikyo decided to hold back her emotions and remain as calm as possible. She looked back at the young villager. "What would you expect me to do? I'm only the protector of the Shikon Jewel."

"Can you seal the phenomenon away?" She questioned the priestess. Kikyo took a step back from the girl. She had never done any sealing spells before. Perhaps only her master taught such spells to Tsubaki, the prized pupil. "I beg you," she spoke as the little girl got down on her knees. Kikyo stretched her hands to help the little villager up instantly.

"Perhaps I can purify you instead," the words came out of her mouth automatically. Kikyo covered her mouth with her hands in response.

Maybe purifying her soul may help…

Kikyo took up her bow and placed her arrow on the tension of the string. The metal tip of the arrow began to glow into an azure color. Kaori looked at the bright glow of the weapon. "Touch the arrow," she ordered to the shoujo. "Perhaps it'll purify you just like that."

Kaori gave a nod and re-shifted her focus back to the glowing tip of the arrow. As her hand clasped round the glowing arrow, an aura of bluish-green color began to surround the young adult woman. She stared into space as her pupils began to dilate again until she had looked like she was in a new trance again.

"Kikyo-mikosama," the voice that came out of Kaori was a little deeper than her own. "Why do you wish to seal me away?"

"Who are you?" Kikyo stared at the trance-like Kaori. The girl simply stood there with the priestess retracing her steps back away from the latter. "Why do you possess this young shoujo?"

"I did not possess her," she replied back coldly. "She is the reincarnation of me. A soul designed to protect the Shikon no Tama." As soon as she had mentioned the precious jewel, memories came flooding into Kikyo's mind. Her eyes widened in response. So she had seen Kaori fighting with a sword against swift Tsubaki earlier the night before. All of it was true.

"Kaori-san wishes that this trance-like state be sealed away," Kikyo spoke back, standing firm on the ground with the look of an aggressive person. "Do you oblige her?"

The 'possessed' girl stared for a moment before replying, "Very well." "I make myself disperse and return as the reincarnated soul," she responded back to the priestess' requests. "But when the time comes for the Shikon Jewel to be in jeopardy, I shall make myself visible again." As soon as her words were completed, the pupils of Kaori began to contract as she regained her normal state again. The young girl collapsed to the ground instantly. Kikyo lowered down her bow and look at the wooden floor.

The Shikon Jewel in jeopardy…? A disaster will befall this village…?

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Kaori re-opened her eyes to find a Kikyo looking at the shining glow of the Shikon Jewel. Her hands were clasped in a prayer with her eyes closed too. Behind the Shikon Jewel was the golden statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy whom the village had believed in. She got up to look at the priestess who was deep in prayer.

"Kikyo-sama?"

Kikyo opened her eyes to turn back to see a well Kaori. "Thank you for sealing that phenomenon away," she gave another bow to the priestess. Kikyo continued to maintain an emotionless appearance. Kaori's face turned red as she looked up at the priestess. "About the man with you…"

"He has gone," Kikyo replied knowing that she did not want Inuyasha's identity to be revealed. Kaori looked disappointedly with her hazel eyes. "I think you should be going now. I'm going to collect more firewood now." The priestess placed a hand on the girl's shoulder before walking past her out of the shrine.

I'm so stupid…Inuyasha should not have come for the festival after all…

Kikyo walked down on the stone stairs to the village. She had a duty to collect firewood for the village since the surrounding forest was almost full of youkai. She had to get her firewood holder first before setting off. The priestess continued to make her way down as she looked at the villagers in the rice fields that waved back to her.

"Hey Kikyo!"

She heard a familiar voice as she was about to enter her hut. Inuyasha sat on the straw roof of her small hut. He still had the bandana tied around his head to conceal the dog ears that popped out from his silvery-white hair.

"Shouldn't you be doing something more meaningful?" Kikyo replied back as she entered her home to collect the firewood holder. "And you'll fall through if you continue to sit there." The priestess soon came out quickly with the firewood holder on her back.

"Don't you have to bring your bow and arrows?" Inuyasha jumped down from the roof in front of the priestess. His landing spot was so accurate that his face was just a few millimeters from the priestess'. Kikyo's face turned red for the first time.

What's happening…? My heart's beating fast…

Inuyasha's face was the same. Red blood had started flushing on his cheeks. This was the first time he had gone near such a human. If he was an aggressive enemy, he could have been dead by now. He could not draw himself away as he enjoyed the good scent of the priestess that had hit his sensitive nose.

Kikyo got control of herself. Closing her eyes, she began to walk away from the half-demon. "Please go do something more meaningful," she replied back as she walked away from him. Her face was still red from the incident. "I'm off to collect firewood."

"I'll help you collect it!" Inuyasha replied back as he suddenly grabbed the firewood holder hanging from the priestess' shoulders like a light feather. Placing on his shoulder, he walked along with the priestess. The half-demon proceeded to take off the bandana off his head, revealing the twitching white dog ears sticking out from his hair. Only he did not notice was Kikyo giving back a small warm smile.

So Inuyasha is really that sweet after all…

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The afternoon sun shone brightly on the forest. Inuyasha was watching every of Kikyo's moves. The moves were of her bending down to pick up the fallen branches of the trees as she returned to put them into the firewood holder. He continued to stare at her through his amber eyes.

Kikyo looks cute when she smiles and does simple tasks…

The priestess only continued to pick up the wooden branches that have fallen from their original positions in between the thick green leaves. Without her bow and arrow, she was just an ordinary person. Only such a menial task like that could help her feel like a free human for some time.

The hot sun had drained the priestess of much energy. She sat down on one side of the trunk, with Inuyasha sitting near her. Lying down the firewood holder, he sat on the grass like a dog. Kikyo began to do strange thing. Soon, she was flapping her clothes a little as the temperature was hot and humid. (A/N: I know this is a little ecchi, but bear with me.)

The hanyou's eyes widened as his human nature caused him to shift his focus to Kikyo's body. As Kikyo loosened her white hakui, she revealed a little of her cleavage. Inuyasha continued to stare at it before returning to his senses.

I'm a real pervert! What was I looking at her for…?

The half-demon gave himself a slap in return, leaving Kikyo perplexed at his sudden behavior. Surely, it was not normal of youkai to do such things. Perhaps the heat had reached him as well and made him a little abnormal too. Re-tightening her hakui, Kikyo got up to take the firewood holder. However, a swift hanyou arm suddenly took it and placed it on the shoulders.

"I'll take it for you!" Inuyasha screeched back as he walked ahead. The half-demon was not himself again, leaving a confused but emotionless Kikyo behind.

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"Inuyasha, it's getting dark," Kikyo called back to the half-demon. She signaled to the half-human boy as he returned to follow her. The sky had turned orange and it was probably an hour before all had turned dark.

"Inuyasha," she questioned the hanyou as he walked alongside with her. "What are you thinking about?" She looked at the red-faced person beside her. The priestess continued to walk on the path back to the village as several rows of trees passed the couple.

She's asking me what I'm thinking about…???

"Nothing," came Inuyasha's fake reply. He lowered his head while continuing to walk alongside the priestess. Kikyo continued to respond with looking ahead of the path.

"That…I see…" She spoke back softly for the first time with a warm tone in her voice. Inuyasha's ear twitched as her soft tone reached his sensitive hearing organ. "Why are you helping me?"

"No reason," came his fake response again. Kikyo turned her head to look at him this time. Inuyasha tried to maintain a calm posture but his ears were always twitching to show his fear. Kikyo shifted her eyes to see the ears that were constantly moving.

This boy is really a secretive one…

"If there is something you need to say," Kikyo gave a warm reply in her tone. Her original coldness had diminished and Inuyasha was seeing the real priestess in person. "Please feel free to tell me. We're friends, aren't we?"

Kikyo treats me as a friend…?!?

Inuyasha looked up to see the priestess. A wave of shock splashed over his face. So the priestess had no space for courtship but only for the protection of the Shikon Jewel. Soon, the sight of the village came into the scene.

"You've something to say?"

"N-nothing," Inuyasha gave himself away. He laid the firewood holder down. "I think these are all the firewood you need." He attempted to make himself scarce from the area and return to the trees to rest.

"Inuyasha!"

He stopped in his track to turn behind to see Kikyo approaching him. She walked closer to the hanyou, causing his heart to beat faster. She tiptoed up to him, closing her eyes. As she pushed her hands against the strong body of Inuyasha, he closed his eyes, fantasizing about a kiss from Kikyo. He only felt a warm kiss on his soft cheek.

Inuyasha re-opened his eyes to see a smiling Kikyo. "Thank you for accompanying me," Kikyo spoke as she looked at him with her brown eyes. For a rare time, the dog demon had flushed in his face and decided to reveal his true self. "I must go now. Farewell." She gave her goodbye address as she strolled back to the village as soon as she had carried the firewood holder on her shoulders.

Inuyasha gave a slight smile in return, with his fangs showing a little in his mouth. He had never been kissed before, but with a feeling of being showered with human concern that made him happy than before. However, in the distance, a small whisper simply echoed without the couple noticing anything.

The love curse…Kikyo's first step towards death…


Okay done. Up for the next chapter anyway. I forgot to mentioned that I own only Kaori anyway. See ya all soon!

Glossary:

Ohayou Gozaimasu : Good morning in Japanese. (A/N: Wait a minute, did I write this before?)