Running Blind
Just A Starving Writer
Disclaimer: nope, not mine.
Author's Exclamation: Um...wow. That was quite an unexpectedly great response for this little story. Um...I hope I don't disappoint anyone...ehh...I'm so screwed.
Part 3: October
October
History was a wonderful thing, she decided. The study of it prevented one from making the mistakes of her predecessors and eventually bringing peace to the world through knowledge of what had worked, however shortly, so that one might work to preserve it.
History was a wonderful thing indeed, but she could deal without the history test next week. Not to mention it was a bit disorienting studying the distant past while in the past. Perhaps if she was studying the Feudal Era, it wouldn't be so strange, but no, she was currently covering an era far earlier in time. Though she had heard that powerful demons often lived for centuries, odds were slim that she could find a cooperative one that had been alive in the Kamakura Period, though Myoga was a possibility.
The morning was beautiful and she hated to waste it studying, but it simply had to be done. She couldn't afford to let the cloudless sky above her or warm spring beside her distract her from her duty to her own time even if that duty involved reading about another time. It was quite mind boggling if she bothered to consider it, but she refused to do such a silly thing.
She had rushed through her bath just so she could have some time to read before she was called back to camp to once again start the hunt, but it was not going well. Kagome had already read about the introduction of the Zen sect, the Jokyu disturbance, and the Joei Shikimoku legal code. However, she was clueless when it came to the Mongol invasions of Japan. Despite all odds, the Mongols had retreated in defeat both times. Why?
She knew they attacked by sea at the island of Kyushu in 1274. She knew they had the ancient Japanese outnumbered. She knew they had more advanced technique and weaponry. So, why then did they retreat?
"War is so strange..." she mumbled to herself. "They get all the way there, prepared and everything, only to turn around? Stupid Mongols..."
"Yes."
The voice shocked her clear into a standing position, her history book sliding haphazardly to the dewy ground. There, lounging majestically against a tree not 15 feet from her was the taiyoukai. It being this was the first word he had spoken to her when they were alone, she was a bit surprised that it was a positive one.
"Yes what?" she asked as she calmed her racing heart and slid back to her spot against a particularly comfortable boulder that was warmed from its proximity to the small spring as well as her own body heat.
"The Mongols were fools."
Of course, she was intrigued now. Not only was the elusive and lethal taiyoukai speaking to her, he was helping her with her history homework. Interesting indeed.
"But they had everything going for them. How could they have been defeated?"
"They were foolish enough to discount their greatest enemy."
"I don't understand."
His countenance most obviously took a turn for the worst. The disgust was clear as was the apparent knowledge of her stupidity. However, her confusion kept her anger in check when she swore there was a bit of fleeting disappointment mixed in his features.
"Nature. They ignored the signs offered and were forced to retreat due to the weather."
"Both times?"
"Yes."
She paused in thought, tilting her head to the side as she considered this new knowledge. Grinning slyly, she turned her eyes back to the now blank taiyoukai.
"You're right," she stated wisely, ignoring the blatant expression of indignation that crossed his face. "They were stupid."
He merely nodded in agreement.
Deciding not to take advantage of his current mood lest he lose it and decide her death was not as troublesome as it could be, she retrieved her history book and continued reading. Caught up in the other era, she barely noticed when the hanyou intruded upon her.
"So you've been wasting time again?" Inuyasha asked with irritation.
Marking her page and closing the book as she rose, she smiled brightly to the unsuspecting hanyou. Now that she was free of the burden of studying for some time, she could once again take in the beauty of nature. With one last look at the presently deserted tree that was formerly the resting spot for one strange youkai, she walked lightly back to camp, breathing in the warming air.
Kagome giggled slightly, further annoying the hanyou. She could only wonder what the taiyoukai thought about discussing a centuries old military invasion with a young human miko.
Exiting the well into the Feudal Era, she instantly was aware of the complete stillness of the clearing. Fear born of experience caused her to stiffen in expectation and ready herself for anything.
Shouts in the distance alerted her to the position of her friends whom, if she could safely assume from their frantic yells, were currently in mid-battle. Dropping her bag next to the well, she took off in their direction.
However, she forgot in her headlong rush to help that the woods were most dangerous at times such as these. Her progress was rather suddenly halted when a human-like youkai grabbed her harshly.
"Be quiet or die," he ordered viciously even as nails dug into her stomach and arm. Nodding her reluctant acceptance, she could only wait for an opportunity to present itself.
Her captor seemed content enough for present to merely hold her still and intently listen to the progress of the battle in the near distance. Quietly inching backwards, his prize against his chest, the youkai never had any warning before he died. Neither did Kagome, who only became aware of that fact when the heavy body tilted forward, and, trapped in his arms, she was dragged to the forest floor underneath the hefty demon.
For a terrifying moment, she was certain she had only been rescued to be kidnapped again. It was logical and had happened before. However, when the dead body was lifted off of her quite suddenly, she was instead greeted with a most unexpected sight.
The taiyoukai towered over her, even as he carelessly tossed the remains of her attacker to the side. With an expression borne of shock and left over terror, she met his eyes in stunned silence.
"Why?" she finally managed to choke out, amazed that she had even found her voice.
Her questioned went unanswered. The lord, still carefully blank, turned and left her to her thoughts.
When her friends found her after their battle, she was weeping with relief and confusion.
She was in a bad mood and she knew it. Of course, it was rather obvious. Already she had slapped Miroku and sat Inuyasha more than necessary. While none of the adults seemed willing to risk incurring her wrath, the fox child couldn't stand to see his Kagome unhappy.
"What's wrong, Kagome?" he asked plaintively, bright green eyes pleading for an answer.
"Nothing," she quickly quipped back. However, it was a lie and they all knew it. Unfortunately, the truth behind her sour disposition was not something they were prepared to accept.
She was confused and she hated being confused. Every encounter with the demon lord only made it worse. And she was so tired of not understanding him. And it had to be his fault. It wasn't as if she planned on finding him every time. Not to mention, she doubted Fate could be this sadistic.
O, how much easier it would be if he would allow himself to be read! But no...he was too proud for something like that. The only expressions he seemed to allow were the ones she was already familiar with: anger, irritation, indignation, disgust. More recently, he had let confusion and disappointment slip through his façade, but it was still very little to go on. Understanding a being who was content to remain blank was near impossible, so how could she be expected to comprehend his obscure motives?
She was so involved in her angry thoughts that she failed to concentrate on the less than smooth road she treaded. With a sudden jarring pain, she tripped on a rather large rock protruding from the path and landed hard on the still cool earth.
For a brief second, her anger increased as she began to blame her clumsiness on the taiyoukai. However, her usual disposition kicked in, reminding her how silly that line of reasoning was. With a sigh of resignation, she rolled over onto her back, ignoring the pain of her bruising arms.
The sky was a perfect picture of autumn: clear blue sky dotted by icy tendrils of cirrus clouds and flanked by the bold green of the conifers and colorful leaves of deciduous trees that were preparing themselves for a long winter.
She smiled softly. Her previous thoughts didn't seem as important now that the beauty of Nature had reasserted itself.
"Kagome-chan?" Sango asked hesitantly, seemingly waiting for an explosion of fury from the miko. Turning her head to catch a distorted view of her friend, the miko widened her smile.
"I'm fine, Sango," she said honestly. Turning her attention back to the sky, her eyes softened. "How can I not be fine on such a beautiful day?"
She had been aching for a run for the last few hours. Leg muscles tensing and relaxing, eyes roaming for a good path to weave through the woods, Kagome wanted nothing more than to release herself to the waning day.
When the hanyou finally called the end of the day's trek, she frantically yelled her apologies and took off, the very embodiment of a deer. Ignoring the pleas of her friends, she sought to commune with Nature.
If possible, this dying day was even more beautiful than any of the previous. The sunset slipping between the darkened boughs of the trees colored the sky in a vast array of oranges and pinks, contrasting sharply with the deep blue that was seeping onto the world from the opposite horizon.
Closing her eyes to concentrate on the feeling of the rapidly cooling air rushing by her exposed skin, she let her senses guide her feet and was slightly amazed at the excellent job they were doing. As she wove her way through the darkening woods, she was more of a specter than a real being.
However, her surreal experience was only amplified when the ground beneath her ceased to exist. Opening her eyes, she rapidly came to the conclusion she was falling, and from the appearance of it, would not survive the landing. Normally, such things would be frightening but not terrifying to such a tremendous degree. Unfortunately, she had the knowledge that no one knew where she was and therefore none would be able to safely stop her fall in time. Fiercely shutting her eyes, she waited for her end.
She must have fainted, she assumed. However, considering the air still rushing by her and the lack of ground beneath her feet, she hadn't been unconscious for nearly long enough.
As her mind cleared from its terror induced blindness, she came to realize that the air was passing by her at a different angle than before. Instead of coming from beneath her, she could distinctly feel it in front of her. In addition, she soon came to feel herself being held against someone, her back pressed hard against something cold as an obviously strong arm held her tightly across her lower ribs. The extreme warmth of the arm was welcome after the biting chill of the air and the seeping cold of the object at her back.
"Thank you, Inuyasha," she mumbled, eyes still closed, as she assumed her rescuer was the usual hanyou. The actual identity of her savior was revealed when, with a deep draw of breath she could only guess was from irritation and indignation, the arm loosened and she was once again freefalling.
Screaming in fright, she kept her eyes tightly shut, certain that death was all but guaranteed this time. However, once again, her fall was interrupted when she was rather brutally grabbed mid air and floated to the ground at a more measured pace. As soon as she hit the grass, she sobbed her relief as she kissed the very earth she loved so much.
"Uh, Kagome?" asked a more than slightly confused hanyou. Finally opening her eyes, she noticed that his attention was not focused on her, but instead some figure floating in the sky.
"Is that Sesshoumaru?" the monk asked from the tree he was leaning against to catch his breath.
Looking up, she caught the eyes of the nonchalant taiyoukai. Suddenly, whatever anger that she may have had for him dissipated into blessed nothingness. Smiling brightly, she waved her thanks to the lord whom she could see, even at this distance, was carefully blank. Without a word, he floated away into the encroaching night.
The silence was long and tense, filled with the quiet confusion of the shard hunters and the soundless joy of the miko. As the silence reached a deafening crescendo, the fox child felt the need to break it at all costs.
"Kagome? I don't understand."
Turning to the worried kitsune, a comforting smile graced her features as she held out her arms for the youth who eagerly accepted her offer.
"I don't either, Shippou. I don't either."
It was amazing how multitudes of candles could chase away the night just as well as a modern light bulb, she decided. Amazing and slightly disturbing.
The village they had approached that evening had allowed them shelter for the night without question. Within no time, they discovered the reason for their good spirits being the festival that the village was holding in honor of its founding and the good fortune of its inhabitants during the course of the year. It was one of the few locations that had largely been spared from the constant battles that signified the times.
The festival was a happy affair of dancing, singing, and general merriment. The lit lanterns shed frosted light on the best kimonos of the women while the rice wine flowed freely for the benefit of the men.
However, despite her best efforts, Kagome could not be drawn into the festivities. It was all too foreign, too false, too modern. It seemed as if they were painting over the brilliant colors of Nature to resemble something they could control and claim as their own. The knowledge that they would succeed only made her despair all the more
"Are you okay, Kagome-chan?" asked the slayer, surprising the miko from her negative thoughts.
"Yeah, just thinking. I'm going to step out for a bit and get some fresh air."
Sango only nodded before she became distracted by yet another village elder requesting her company. Kagome smiled wryly at her friend's antics before abandoning the village in favor of the quiet of nature.
The land seemed to be at peace, despite the fervor that was occurring just beyond its borders. The trees almost sighed with the expectation of a restful night. Here in the dead of Fall, she could start to feel the chill of the night air as Winter warned the world it was quickly approaching. Shivering despite her sweater, she crossed her arms and cautiously ventured forward, more afraid of disturbing the scenery than any possible danger. Taking deep cleansing breaths of the cool air, she let her body become reacquainted with the beauty of the mostly untouched land around her.
Before long a sluggish brook broke her path and she stopped, watching as the first fallen leaves drifted by on the slow current. Taking a seat on a well placed rock, she let her hand disturb the stream, the cold water causing the skin of her arm to react with the traditional goosebumps. Smiling softly, she withdrew her hand and let her mind wander down untried paths and untouched roads.
Her reverie was disturbed when she felt the familiar prick of eyes upon her. Retreating from her inner sanctum, she looked across the small brook to meet the gaze of the taiyoukai.
She was not surprised to find him there. If anything, she felt as if she had been waiting for him. After a brief time spent accepting each other's presence, she smiled.
"Good evening," she said quietly, doing her best not to disrupt the serenity that surrounded her.
His only response was the soft rustle of silk as he seated himself gracefully against a tree. With great poise even in his relaxation, he rested his only arm on a bent knee. A burning memory of the odd warmth of that arm brought a blush to her face that she hid by allowing her curiosity to take control.
"Why do you keep saving me?"
If anything, he seemed to avoid her pleading eyes, instead focusing on the stream as she was wont to do.
"You have gravely injured Naraku," he stated finally, his smooth and powerful voice blending seamlessly into the atmosphere.
Now more than ever, she realized youkai were more animals than men, more at home with the land in which they roamed than any human could ever hope to be. It humbled her.
"Yes," she finally acknowledged. "I did, once."
He met her eyes and nodded before turning his attention back to the stream.
"You have proven yourself useful."
She accepted what she supposed was the best explanation she would ever get from him with yet another soft smile.
They sat in companionable silence before she chose once again to give her curiosity voice.
"You really aren't following me, are you?"
His confusion, no matter how fleeting or hidden, was still caught by the miko who received her answer with a sigh.
"I didn't think so," she whispered with slight disappointment.
Only the music of the night kept them company as her thoughts drifted.
"I'm beginning to suspect Fate is cruel," she said softly as she once again let her fingers dance on the inky surface of the stream. Her companion wisely remained silent as who would be silly enough to insult Fate?
Swiftly standing and brushing off her skirt, she stared at the taiyoukai who seemed to glow from the opposing bank.
"Yes, Fate is cruel," she stated with confidence. "Why else would it show me what I cannot have?"
Closing her eyes, she took one last deep breath of the clean air before retreating from the brook, letting the unintentional double meaning of her statement stand in the cool air.
When Kagome returned to the festival, she threw herself into the activities. She danced with the men. She gossiped with the ladies. She smiled continually and giggled at all the appropriate times. And she tried to convince herself she was enjoying herself.
She knew it would never happen.