Twice Lost, Once Found

An Inu-yasha fanfic

A story of a special someone who did not exist in their lives long enough to mention.

Chapter Four: How She Lived

The group was all very confused. A minute ago this priestess had been standing inside a circle of light, glowing brightly, a spirit that had lingered in a shrine for 60 years. Now she was strolling out of the shrine and down the path they had come down to free her.

They all ran to catch up with her, not that she was walking very fast. They all looked extremely confused and were all about to say something, but then she looked as if she was going to say something, but then she was interrupted by a feeble shout. "Priestess Koemi!"

They all looked up to see the old man had hobbled over to meet them. The priestess looked at him for a moment and then smiled brightly at him. "Good Sir Rojika? I dare say you've gotten old!"

The old man smiled, laughing a little old man laugh. "I have grand-children your age now."

"Oh," the priestess smiled. "I'm glad that you married. You sound like you've lived well."

The old man chuckled at her, his squinting eyes smiling more than they ever had. "Everyone fled the village after you disappeared and left behind all their good farmland."

The priestess laughed, a gentle, happy laugh. One that Kikyo never had the chance to laugh. "So then you moved in, eh? That's so like you, Rojika."

The old man was chortling and began to lead her back to the little village. "I knew you weren't dead, but no one believed me. Your sister left the village and everyone followed her."

The priestess nodded, not looking sad in the least bit. "That's what I expected. I would not have wanted her to remain here forever."

The old man looked up at her, smiling hopefully. "You'll stay a minute longer, won't you? I'll prepare a fine meal for you!"

She laughed again. "I would love a home-cooked meal, good Rojika. Thank you."

They were all invited to the meal. It was a small feast of climactic proportions. Their great protector had risen from the dead.

There was much talking between the natives and their newborn priestess. There was much questioning and reminiscing and laughter. It was truly strange to see some one who looked so much like Kikyo laugh so much.

The group didn't get to say much to her until the meal was coming to an end. She was scratching behind Kilala's ears when she turned to Kagome. "You, young miss with the sacred arrows, who are you?"

Kagome almost jumped at being suddenly addressed. "Uh, Kagome Higurashi."

"Hmm..." The priestess Koemi leaned back slightly with her tea. She shifted her sights to Inu-yasha. "My rescuer, you mentioned Kikyo, correct?"

Inu-yasha was a bit flustered being talked at by a woman that looked so much like his beloved Kikyo. He decided to respond in his angry tone to cover his blush. "Yeah, what of it?"

"How did you know her?"

Inu-yasha was about to shout something, but nothing came out. What could he say? That he wanted to kill her, but ended up falling in love with her? Could he skip that part and say she had betrayed him and pinned him to a tree for 50 years, which he knew was not entirely true. No. He couldn't talk about Kikyo like that. He couldn't blame her. He never truly could.

Kagome saved him. "She used to live in a village not far from here."

"Used to?" Lady Koemi's gaze was shifted back to Kagome, her face curious.

Inu-yasha took up the response. "She died 50 years ago."

Koemi's face locked up, waiting for Inu-yasha to finish. She knew there was more to this story and Inu-yasha couldn't seem to keep himself to hide it from her. "Her body was reincarnated by a demon witch. But now that's dead too."

Kagome wasn't sure how to comfort him and Koemi's smile became painful again, as if there was something she couldn't bring herself to tell him. Inu-yasha was easy enough for someone like her to read. She didn't need him to tell her anything else to guess some important parts Inu-yasha had not expressed in his words.

"What about Kaede?" Lady Koemi asked.

"She's still living at that village." Kagome responded.

Koemi's tray was taken away and Koemi picked up her staff/walking stick and stood. "Good. Take me there."

Koemi was outside with her sandals back on before anyone knew what to do. Koemi thanked Rojika and his family, promising that she'd visit, and was already walking to the path when the group caught up with her. They were all walking together back to Kaede's village when Inu-yasha, now angry with this Kikyo look-a-like (but not really), demanded some answers. "How the heck do you know Kikyo or Kaede?"

Priestess Koemi, strolling along the path pleasantly, said, "Kaede, and Kikyo for that matter, are my younger sisters."

No one knew what to do with Koemi after that. They were all confused, baffled and more confused. Questions followed. Koemi could already guess what they'd ask and she answered them in a casual, expectant manner, though her voice had faded into a somber, almost regretful tone.

"When Kikyo was a child and Kaede could barely sit up, a powerful demon attacked our village. Our parents were very powerful. We use to travel from town to town assisting others, but when Kaede was to be born we settled in that village we just left. There was a short time of peace, but then, most likely lured by our spiritual power, we were attacked and our parents were killed."

The others blinked. This was the first time they had ever thought about Kikyo having a family.

Koemi continued. "In my youth and in my anger I vowed to avenge them and to seal the evil away." A remnant of a sigh that she had never gotten to express slid up from her lungs. "I told Kikyo that she had to be strong for me and protect everyone for me. My duty was now hers to uphold."

She glanced at the faded path she now walked. "I sealed the demon away in that shrine that was my parents'. I placed myself into an ageless sleep and there I remained as demons and warrior came and perished until you came to free me."

There was a silence, but it lingered only a moment, for Kagome brought it upon herself to share the story of Kikyo and the sacred jewel, even of Inu-yasha. She told Koemi of Kikyo's commitment to her duty and to her people. Kikyo, Kagome realized, must've taken all of Koemi's last request to heart.

"I've always regretted it," Koemi whispered, her voice fading away with her sister's memory. "Almost the instant after I said it I regretted it. I should've known that it would have such an effect on my precious Kikyo. How terrible it was of me to ask something so great of someone who had been so young."

Koemi's eyes were beginning to steady again on the path ahead of her. "So many regrets. I've had times of regretting my vow of vengeance, for I know mother and father would never have wanted me to live my life like I did, or leave my sisters behind, but I would never go back on a vow, even if it was one made in angry and sorrow."

Koemi's eyes were beginning to shine and tear, something they had never seen of Kikyo. Perhaps Koemi would've shed all her grief at that very instant, everything that had built up inside her over the last 60 years, everything that had tormented her in her never ending dream, but she was interrupted. A villager, one from Kaede's village, dropped his basket upon seeing them and immediately drops to his knees and bow to Koemi, thinking it was Lady Kikyo returned again from the dead.

Koemi smiled, her tears fading as she approached the villager and requested him to stand. The elderly man stood, him knees shaking before he turned and stumbled off, shouting that their dear Kikyo has returned once again to them.

Koemi had barely properly stood when the villager ran off announcing her arrival. When she had stood, Koemi watched the elderly man as he ran. "For such a reaction fifty years after her death, I'd have to say that these villagers cared very much for my sister, Kikyo."

Inu-yasha's voice never chocked up, but it sounded as if it as about to. "Kikyo did very much for this village when she was still alive. Her ashes continued to bring them hope when they were there."

"It's alright," Koemi said, turning to Inu-yasha with a smile, saving him before his voice broke. "You don't have to say anymore. I understand..."

She smiled at Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kilala, and the bike before turning back to the path, picking up the basket that the elderly villager had abandoned. "Shall we go?"

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Who guessed it? Raise your hand if you guessed it! Now review and tell me if you raised your hand. I made up a sister! YEAH! This actually has an interesting story, but I'll save that for the last chapter, which should be the next one.

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Unfortunately, Inu-yasha is not mine. I'm sorry. I truly am. If it were mine I would've made Kikyo less of a jerk. I don't hate her, but she can be very annoying.

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Thank you once again, Damki, for being my only reviewer. You're so sweet. This is just a mini story with a strange, cliché-sounding summary so I suppose I can't expect too many people to read and review me. Is there a record somewhere of how many people have read a story?

Perhaps I should look into that.

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THANK YOU! COME AGAIN!