Chapter Eight

Our Faces of Our Past

Sorry this chapter took so long, people. This is one of the most delicate chapters in the story and it's mainly diolouge which has to be led carefully so it took me forever. Enjoy it!

"How's the fire, sister Kikyo?" asked the small girl.

"It is fine, Kaede. Thank you." replied Kikyo nodding softly to her.

Kaede was a small girl, probably no older than 13. She was Kikyo's younger sister. She was quiet, but was quick to please her older sister. Kikyo had taken Kagome back to a small house at the bottom of large stone steps, at the top of which was where Kikyo's ashes would have one day been and where the shrine of the Shikon no Tama now stood.

Kikyo and Kagome kneeled on opposite sides of the fire and Kaede looked back and forth at them. Sensing Kagome's slight uneasiness at Kaede's starring and her own desire for privacy, Kikyo spoke up. "Kaede, perhaps it would be best for you to stay with the children tonight."

"Yes, sister Kikyo." bowed Kaede.

When Kaede had left, Kagome looked up at Kikyo, slightly confused. Kikyo caught the look and started to explain as she rummaged through a large basket. "In some villages, especially smaller ones like this, the children have their own hut to sleep in. This allows the parents more privacy in their one-room huts and it allows the children to be together. Kaede's more the type to keep to herself and since she holds such high respects for me, Kaede often stays with me here."

Kikyo had crossed the room and placed a pair of sandals by the door. "You shall use these." Crossing back across the room, Kikyo placed a small bundle of white and red next to Kagome and then walked back over to her side of the fire and faced the wall. Kagome took the hint that she was now suppose to change and quickly began to strip off her soaked blouse. She could not hide the blush as she caught Kaede still looking in through the door. Kikyo shooed her quickly, also noticing her.

"She can be somewhat stubborn sometimes, but she does whatever she can to please me. She lives her life maturely and honorably, despite her age." Kagome sensed a small smile in Kikyo's voice. "May she live to be old and not force herself to follow in my footsteps."

Kagome was readjusting the kimono when she responded. "Yes, well, I have a little brother back home. He acts tough, but he's just a softy underneath. He helps me allot by keeping me informed when I return home."

Kagome sat down when she had finished changing and Kikyo turned around and started to gather her strange clothes.

Kikyo nodded and walked out of the hut to hang up the cloths. Kagome smiled slightly to herself. She scanned the hut slowly. She had never really looked that closely at the hut in the feudal era she was use to, but it didn't look too different from what she remembered. Some things where in different places and it seemed a bit smaller, but besides that, it seemed the same and yet felt so different.

Kikyo returned quickly and quietly and returned to her spot on the opposite side of the hot coals. "Those cloths suit you nicely." stated Kikyo simply now setting up a tea set that seemed to have come out of nowhere.

Kagome watched with slight interest as Kikyo's delicate hands worked the plain brown tea set. The small pot was filled with hot water, which Kikyo carefully poured into a small cylinder cup. Picking up a small hooked shaped piece of bamboo, she scooped out a tiny mound of green powder and dropped it into the cup with the water and mixing it with a small whisk. Kikyo then picked up the cup delicately with both hands and handed it to Kagome.

Kagome had learned how the tea ceremony worked long ago, but she never felt such a seriousness from it till now. Hesitantly, Kagome took the cup and returned the bow. Thinking slowly, she rotated the cup to admire the earthiness of it. She then took 3 sips, the 3rd one being loud as a compliment to the tea. Lower the cup again, shaking slightly from nervousness, she handed it back to Kikyo. Kikyo laughed slightly as she accepted the cup back, but instead of pouring out the cup, she simply refilled it again and handed it back to Kagome. Confused, Kagome accepted the cup again and merely starred at it.

Kikyo laughed again. "You have proven your knowledge of the ceremony. The cup is yours now to enjoy."

"Uh, thank you," said Kagome, quickly, readjusting the cup and sipping the tea again to keep herself from talking.

Kikyo started again with the pleasant conversation. "Where is it you come from, traveler?"

Kagome started tripping over her tongue thinking of a response. "Where I live is not too far from here, but it will take you some time before you'd arrive there."

Kikyo replied with a casual hum as she poured herself tea of her own. Kagome let her breath out, thankful that Kikyo was satisfied with her answer. 'It'd take a real long time before she got there.' thought Kagome. 'Over 500 years to be more precise.' Kagome sipped the tea again to hide the expression appearing on her face. "Enough about me. Tell me about what you do here. I heard your sister call you Kikyo."

Kikyo looked up from the teacup sitting in her lap. "That is my name. I am a priestess here in this small village."

"A priestess?" Kagome tried to make it sound like this was all new to her. "That sounds like an interesting position to have in a village. What is it that you do here?" She asked, trying to lead Kikyo into talking about the Shikon Jewel.

Kikyo sighed slightly with a gentle smile. "At a glance, it might seem like a pleasant job. I heal the sick and humor the children, but it is hard many times for I have a sacred duty upon my shoulders."

"Sacred duty?" Kagome interest has genuine for she was curious of Kikyo's opinion on protecting the sacred jewel.

"Not too long ago, a strange tribe of warriors came to me and presented me with the Shikon No Tama, a jewel with the power in grant power to that which possessed it. Many demons are constantly after the jewel to increase their power and it has been my duty since that day to protect it with all I possess, though it has been strange at times."

Kagome was intrigued by the tone Kikyo spoke with when talking of the jewel. Kagome sipped her tea and wracked her brain of a way to turn the conversation toward Inu-Yasha. "Your eyes shine with a similar brightness when speaking of demons and strangeness. Do you hide a tale from me, priestess Kikyo?"

Kikyo's looked slightly surprised. She was not aware that her eyes held such a brightness. A slight smirk passed over her face as she held her cup higher and her thoughts brought her to warm places. "You have caught me, traveler. Yes, there is a tale, for there is one demon that is continuously spared from judgment. He is indeed strange."

'She must be talking about Inu-Yasha. SCORE!' Kagome hid her smile in her tea. "You're eyes do not spare you from judgment."

Kikyo looked at Kagome through her tea.

Kagome smiled to herself. "Your eyes do so inform me of yet another tale you're not telling me of, Kikyo."

Kikyo's eyes shone with surprise once more, which then sunk into an imitation of Kagome's gentle smile. "You read me well, traveler. I dare tell you that I have felt against myself to slay the man creature."

"Man creature?" Kagome asked to confirm that it was Inu-Yasha.

Kikyo's eyes began to fade into a light haze as she thought of Inu-Yasha. "He is half man, half demon. He boy has been ridiculed from both sides of his heritage and at times I think that it is because of that fact that I spare him. He does not allow himself to be known for it is dangerous for him and I do not allow myself to be known for if my weaknesses were known than my duty would be endangered and I honor my duty."

Feeling sympathy for Kikyo, but sensing the seriousness of the atmosphere, Kagome finally got to the point. Preparing the sip her tea, which was practically empty, Kagome spoke. "Do you have a lover?"

Kikyo's etiquette kept her from choking on her tea, but her eyebrows vanished into her bangs and she looked at Kagome with surprise. Kagome, of course, was sipping her tea. Looking down again, Kikyo smiled into her reflection of her tea. "A lover....? Perhaps.... It is difficult to say. I do care for the half-demon, but...."

Kagome lowered her teacup and watched as Kikyo's eyes shifted and her eyebrows lowered in concentration and thought, emotions fighting within her.

"He is still part demon and I am still the protector of a jewel that he has been seeking to make him all demon." Kikyo said in a low tone.

"But that shouldn't matter if you love each other." Kagome said, almost without thinking.

Kikyo's eyes became soft and sad as she continued to speak. "It is true, I do love him, but I have always held myself back and I see him holding himself back. Deep down we both still fear each other. I try, but there is always as fear inside me that the temptation of the power the sacred jewel offers will call out to the demon within him and turn him against me and I am bound to my duty of protecting the jewel from evil."

The pain and conflict within Kikyo showed clearly.

'I feel bad now.' Kagome thought to herself. 'She truly did love him so much...'

Kagome felt her determination to make everything better well up within her again. "But there must be something you can do to fix it for the both of you."

Kikyo noticed Kagome's empty cup and carefully took it and began to refill it. Kagome cursed herself for giving Kikyo an opportunity to stop talking.

"There is." Kikyo said casually.

Kagome's eyes lit up. 'If Kikyo has thought up a solution than that means that we must be really close to the time when Kikyo was going to use the jewel to make Inu-Yasha human.'

"What is it?" Kagome asked, taking the cup back.

"The sacred jewel has only been used for evil and has been darkened because if it, but if it was used for good then it would be purified and probably cease to exists. If the sacred jewel was eliminated, then my duty would vanish with it and I would be able to live as an ordinary woman." Kikyo said softly, enjoying her tea again.

"And the half demon?" asked Kagome.

Kikyo smiled pleasantly again. "If I used the jewel to make him human instead of demon, then the jewel would be purified."

Kagome's eyes sparkled with triumph. "Has this ritual already been planned?"

"It has been discussed. Upon the marrow, I shall bring the jewel to him." There was a moment of silence as Kikyo's tone shifted again into a dark, negative tone. "It will prove the be the single most dangerous moment we will face, where our hearts will be tried. Anything could happen in that moment."

Kagome smiled. Her eyes went soft as her heart told her what question to ask next. "But you'll do it no matter what the circumstances."

Kikyo's eyes opened wide again at the question, but then they went soft again. She broke eye contact shyly and lifted her shoulders to her chin. Her eyes sparkled and a gentle smile lit up her face. "yes...."

Kagome's eyes widened as Kikyo's had before. She had never seen Kikyo like that ever before. Suddenly the mighty and fearless countenance of the lady Kikyo melted away into a shy little girl, her cheeks slightly red with a blush.

Kagome felt a smile form from the feeling that was emanating from Kikyo. Kagome put down her cup and stood up. "Your tale has impassioned me, m'lady. I am skilled with a bow and I vow that I shall protect you and your lover on this most momentous of ceremonies. I am unable to stay long, but I will protect this love will all that I possess so long as you honor this new duty with the same respects as you held your last."

Kikyo, still sitting, looked up at the triumphant Kagome. "I shall, stranger. With all my heart, I shall."

Kagome nodded and sat back down. She lifted her cup to Kikyo and then drained it. Kikyo smiled and began to put away the tea stuff. "Dear stranger, you have learned much of me, so grant me one of you."

"Sure." smiled Kagome, now in the brightest of spirits.

"What is your name?"

Kagome froze up immediately. 'Shoot! I can't tell her my real name! Quick! Think of a random name!' After two seconds of panicked thought, Kagome spat out a name. "Ayumi. My name is Ayumi."

Kikyo, also in a good mood for once, let Kagome's hesitation pass as she put the tea set away. "Thank you for your company, Ayumi. Let us sleep now."

Feeling slightly awkward from being called Ayumi, Kagome was a bit slow to help Kikyo take out the futons. Laying them out on opposite sides of the embers, Kagome curled up on her futon. She turned over to see Kikyo sleeping facing the wall. Unaware to Kagome, Kikyo was still wide-awake, her thoughts racing with plans for the next day and all her worries.

Kagome was thinking too. 'I had never seen Kikyo look like that before. She really is a child. She's so filled with fear and worry. If Naraku had attacked anytime before the time that he did then things probably would've ended differently. Kikyo might've used the jewel to heal herself, not overtaking with fear and doubt. Naraku attacked at the one moment where Kikyo was most afraid of failure which is what drove her to hate so much.'

Kagome glanced at Kikyo one last time before turning over and facing her own wall. She whispered to it, "Good-luck, Kikyo."