Embracing Tomorrow

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Memories

Stressed
She sat there in all her sorrow just gazing into the setting sun. Her eyes were beginning to tear from staring at the dulling star. Clutching the ashes closer to her, she continued her sorrowful gaze. A villager walked passed her and slowly shook his head at the broken Miko. She knew what they were thinking about. The villager's whispers made it to her ears as she sat there. They whispered about how their Miko had died, and now the new Miko was slowly dying inside. Her hand clenched into the fabric where the ashes still rested as her anger briefly flared. Knuckles turning white from the grip she held, she released it with a defeated sob. The tears didn't flow, but her sorrow ran out of her like an invisible river.

Her eyes traveled across the village and to the Torii. Inuyasha sat upon it with his own sorrow. Kagome knew that he would be mourning Kikyo, for this time he had time to mourn. Naraku had struck her down in one brief moment. He then tossed her into the miasma. Inuyasha awoke just in time to rush to her next death. Sesshoumaru stood there and watched the scene with little concern. Inuyasha searched until he found nothing but a piece of cloth torn from her haori. Inuyasha had yelled at Sesshoumaru for not helping and he merely told Inuyasha the woman was not his to protect.

Kagome sighed and went back to staring at the sun. Her soul ached this time and it wasn't from sorrow. Her and Kikyo shared that familiar bond through the sharing of one soul. Kagome could easily tell that Kikyo was still 'living', but the fact was she was injured in some way. Her gaze traveled back to Inuyasha and she looked away in new wave of sorrow. Kikyo wanted to look like she was dead, that was why she didn't let Inuyasha rescue her. Kagome knew that he would hate her if he found out that she hid this information from him. She wondered if this was the Miko's way of releasing Inuyasha from herself.

"Kagome," Miroku called out to her. She glanced away from Inuyasha and to the monk in question.

"Yes Miroku-sama," she acknowledged him. His gaze traveled to the cloth full of ashes in her hand. She didn't try to hide it because he had already seen.

"I wonder how you're fairing." Miroku spoke as he sat next to her.

"I'm fine…just lost in my thoughts," Kagome assured with a smile.

"We're all lost in our thoughts," Miroku agreed as his gaze traveled to his hand.

"It worries me that Naraku has all but one shard," Kagome admitted as she tried to sense the Tama.

"Sango is concerned about that as well," Miroku mumbled.

"Kohaku," Kagome whispered and Miroku nodded. "He no longer has his shard."

"What?" Miroku asked in shock.

"The Tama is complete save for one shard," Kagome stressed.

"Are you sure it isn't Kohaku's shard?" Miroku asked.

"If it was Kohaku's shard, then Naraku would have taken it already," Kagome reasoned.

"True," Miroku growled.

"Don't tell Sango of this yet, not until we're sure of Kohaku's fate," Kagome seriously said.

"Doesn't she have a right to know?" Miroku questioned.

"She has every right to know…but she also has every right to have some peace of mind. I don't believe she should worry about this until we know something," Kagome softly said.

"If she questions about it then I will tell her," Miroku assured.

"Go ahead, I didn't ask you to lie," Kagome whispered.

"Ignorance is bliss," Miroku sighed.

Kagome looked to Inuyasha as she answered, "Exactly."

"What should be done until then?" Miroku asked.

"We just hunt for Naraku and search for the other shard," Kagome whispered as her grip tightened on the ashes.

It had been a few weeks since the incident with the new Naraku. Time had just kept speeding up despite Kagome's protest. Naraku had long since abandoned his usual hideout. So today, they were traveling south of Edo. Kagome sighed as she sped by the coast of the water. Kagome let her eyes travel to land and they widened in amusement. The most beautiful shrine she had ever seen lay there. She tapped Sango on the shoulder and motioned her to go closer. They stood in the air staring at the shrine in amazement. The whole layout was very elaborate compared to their shrine. They landed at the second Torii and waited for Inuyasha to catch up with Miroku.

"Why the hell are we stopping?" He demanded with a growl.

"It's close to night and I want to see the shrine," Kagome simply said.

"Keh, we don't have time to prance about!" Inuyasha stressed. Kagome sadly smiled and looked back to him.

"I lived life to the fullest!"

"I want to stop and have a look around," Kagome softly said.

"We don't have time!" Inuyasha growled.

"Finding Naraku and retrieving the Tama is my first priority…but I want to stop and enjoy life for a moment," Kagome whispered.

"There won't be a life if we're delayed another moment in our search!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Do as you wish, but I want a moment of life," Kagome calmly said as she stared toward the elevated walk path.

"Kagome-sama is right, we should rest now," Miroku agreed.

"Whatever," Inuyasha growled as he followed them.

Kagome knowingly smiled as she continued along the elevated path alone. She took in the dead trees from the frost and smiled. It would snow any day now. A clacking sound made its way to her ear and she stopped her pace. The others stood beside her as an older man rushed forward. Kagome smiled, it was that time of the month for the shrine ceremony. Kagome bowed to what appeared to be the priest.

"Welcome to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine," The priest greeted with a smile.

"I thank you for your welcome. I am the Miko of the Edo village Kagome traveling with Inuyasha, the Houshi Miroku, and the Taijiya Sango," Kagome introduced.

"I have heard about your group," the priest said with a look of thought. "You are welcome to stay the night and watch the festival."

"Which festival is going on?" Sango asked.

"We are celebrating the Gochinza festival in honor of the day our shrine was founded," the priest proudly said. Sango nodded and Inuyasha scoffed at this waste of time.

"We would be honored to stay," Miroku offered.

The priest happily nodded and led them past the second Torii. Kagome gazed at the ponds in awe. The Shrine was tranquil. Her attention was turned to the front when she noticed that four bon fires were started at the corner of the ritual dance stage. Her eyes studied the crimson wood and green roof with a smile. People were gathered around asthe priest led them to a clearing.

"I've never watched one of these before," Kagome admitted with an excited smile.

"Me either, I was always to busy training," Sango confided.

"It's just some stupid dance," Inuyasha grumbled as he got elbowed.

Kagome turned back to the stage as the priest walked onto the stage. He was dressed in the traditional white priest robes. The only difference was he wore armor much like Sesshoumaru's and had a sword sheathed at his side. The sound of drums filled the air as four Miko's came upon the stage behind the priest. They flute's music floated through the crisp air as the priest began his dance. The Mikos followed him in perfect unison as he began the dance. Miroku leaned closer to the two girls and smiled.

"This dance is none as the Nincho-mai, most priest know how to do this dance," Miroku whispered to them as he watched them.

"What about the Mikos?" Kagome asked.

"Ah, that is the Miko-mai. Most Mikos perform the dance at certain ceremonies or festivals," Miroku answered.

Kagome nodded and watched each step in awe. She couldn't help but feel the pull of the music as it lulled her into a calm. Kagome softly hummed to the music and smiled. The dance reminded her much of life. Each move complicated yet smoothly coming together. She wished that this dance could last forever. Kagome continued watching and made a note to learn this some time. It would be wonderful to perform something so traditional for her family. Kagome noticed Inuyasha step closer to her as he watched the dance.

'I wonder if Kikyo ever performed the Miko-mai,' Kagome pondered.

Her thoughts finished as she watched the last few steps of the ceremony. When the dancing finished the music continued through out the night. The flames caused the shadows of the new dancers to flicker across the floorboards. Kagome smiled as she watched another priest begin his dance. Kagome had slipped back into the crowd; she wanted to find a place a rest. She walked past the third Torii and back to where the ponds were. Crickets played their own music as she sat down on small bridge and let her feet barely touch the water.

'This is the only time when we can truly rest,' Kagome thought.

"What's on your mind?" Inuyasha asked as he approached her. Kagome offered him a small smile before she gazed into the pond.

"Fleeting moments," Kagome whispered.

"Then they shouldn't be on mind then…that is if they're truly fleeting," Inuyasha explained.

"Maybe my fleeting moments…maybe they are becoming memories," Kagome whispered to her reflection. Inuyasha sat beside her and glanced at her reflection in the water before he studied his own.

"I've been thinking," Inuyasha admitted.

"I would of never guessed," Kagome dryly teased. He growled at her and watched as she held her hand up. A lone firefly landed on her pale skin. It flickered once before it flew back over the water. Kagome sighed at this and watched more of the flickering bugs.

"I was thinking about what happened on Mount Hakurei," Inuyasha confided.

"We all think about what happened on Mount Hakurei," Kagome coldly whispered as her gaze hardened.

"I don't understand why you're so upset…you ignore us…you ignore me," Inuyasha painfully said.

"I don't mean to ignore you, but my thoughts have been many," Kagome sighed.

"Then tell me so I can help you. I'm supposed to protect you," Inuyasha stated. Kagome wistfully smiled as she stared at him.

"You have your own problems to come to terms with, mine can stay with me for the time being," Kagome assured.

"But…I want to you smile again," Inuyasha whispered. Kagome reached out and took his hand with a gentle squeeze.

"We all wish to smile again," Kagome whispered, "that will be achieved when we truly are happy."

"I know something happened at that Kamaitachi village, did you meet someone?" Inuyasha questioned. Kagome raised an eyebrow at this and softly chuckled.

"I met many at the village, but it was only for a fleeting moment," Kagome assured.

"Then which moments are becoming memories?" Inuyasha questioned.

"The ones that made me realize things," Kagome whispered to him. "We all lost something that day on Mount Hakurei."

Author's Note:

I'm glad that everybody's enjoying the chapters! Bankotsu will be brought back into the story.
Please leave a review, and have a happy Turkey Day(if you celebrate it...if you don't then just have a good day)
Bankostu-Lover-the story isn't coming to an end, at least for a while
Skitzoflame- I agree...I would hate to die...then come back...then die again...then come back again, it would get annoying.
Shadowed Rains- I do get a feeling that tells me to type, and then I just type. I never plan a story, it just comes out when I get the urge to type.