Prelude
It was late, but she couldn't sleep. It wasn't as if she wasn't tired, oh no: her body was exhausted, and longed for a good night's rest. But her mind was in an uproar of the most powerful emotions. How could it not be? The next day was to be the most important of her life.
She turned onto one side, then onto the other, but no matter how many times she changed position, she couldn't relax. Eventually she gave in and stood up.
She paced back and forth across her room, quietly, careful to keep her footsteps light not to wake up her little sister, who was sleeping peacefully in the next room. Her face softened as Kaede's image surfaced in her mind, replacing for a few seconds a red kimono and long silver hair.
After a while, at a loss for what to do, she decided to take a stroll, hoping it would soothe her.
It was a beautiful night. It had rained in the afternoon, but now the sky was clear, allowing the moon and countless stars to shine brightly.
As she walked, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a puddle. She stopped to look at it, surprised, she looked different than usual…
She was smiling. Her face radiated joy and she hadn't even realized it.
She rarely smiled. She rarely had reason to. Her powers may have been a blessing to humanity, but they were a curse to her.
Girls her age spent their time doing… she didn't even know what they did, but she had often heard them laugh, so she guessed whatever they did was pleasant. She spent her time fighting youkai.
It had always been like that. Even as a child her spiritual training left her with barely enough time to eat and sleep, let alone to play with the other children.
Then again, somebody had to protect them. Somebody had to keep the Shikon Jewel safe. It was just unfortunate that that somebody just so happened to be her.
But starting the very next day, things would be different. With the Shikon Jewel gone, she would finally be able to live for herself, as a simple girl, together with the boy she loved from the bottom of her heart.
"So this is what it feels like to be happy", she murmured softly.
Half an hour later, back in her room, she finally fell asleep. A smile was on her lips, hope in her heart, and the image of Inu Yasha in her sweetest dreams.