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Awkward Relationship
"That's a nice start, Kaede" Said brown haired girl brightened immediately, "Only two hundred more!" And deflated afterwards with a loud grunt. She chuckled to herself. "Remember to be careful with the more fragile sides." Kaede nodded reluctantly at first but ended the gesture with a determined nod, returning to her task. The experienced miko observed closely the way Kaede handled the various herb's in front of her smaller figure, mumbling to herself on its ingredients from what she could faintly hear a meter or so away. They were at least—Kikyo raised her head, light azure eyes following the leisurely moving white clouds, obscuring almost half of the blue sky from her vision. It had to be about maybe less than mid-day by now. Though she could be wrong, she never was one for paying attention to time heh.
They stayed a minor distance away from the familiar visible village in the distance, near one of the tiny clear rivers that connected towards it. As they have been doing for the past three years, right before arriving they would take a break again and she would continue on with the last of what she was teaching. Though she did take many break's just for the sake of teaching Kaede most of what she learned on her tor—cough , Learning time. Huh…..maybe those elder's affected me more than I thought, she glanced at a hard-working nonstop Kaede, Eh, she'll live. She nodded proudly at her own conclusion before sighing softly while staring at the animated view her now blue eyes were taking in. Under the shade of the middle sized tree, the light shined in various different shaped spots across her face and calmly-leaning-side-ways on the trunk of the tree.
The sun's heat took form in transparent yellow ray's across the miniature greenery they were sitting on, the glittering reflection in the water reflecting light back in fast shifting gleam's as even the wind decided to take part in the portrait-like-scenery. How haughty. She mused while appreciating the abrupt invigorating breeze. The mellow resonance from the leaves right atop her gave her a sluggish feel of laziness, white warm spots from under the shadow of the tree shifting with the gale.
She huffed in amusement, slowly grabbing the flowing locks that were encasing her in its darkness. I wonder how in the world it stays so soft….Her hair never looked to be in bad need, even after puberty. Hot Springs. The blue in her eyes glinted. Definitely hot springs. Orr…if I think realistically, those herbs might be what is resulting in such….she took a flowing strand and tucked it back, letting it flow swiftly from her fingertips….'fabulous' hair. Hey wait a minute…she blinked abrupt stunned eyes at her epiphany of the day. Everyone in the god damn anime has fabulous hair! And they even live in the freaking Ancient of Japan! How the hell is that even possible?!—You know what…never mind. Anime never has common sense. She snorted.
"Onee-sama! We need more of these!" Right, back to ancient Japanese anime earth with actual plots. She lowered her head and blinked. Hoo. "Your right, let us get as much of those green leaves as possible." She proudly nodded at her younger beaming sister who instantly went up to the steadily flowing river, gently beginning to clean the leaves of its dirt. Her eyes turned back to the half-finished bundle a meter a way, then she raised her head back to the sky, noting that the lovely colors mixed wonderfully into a soft fading glow of yellow and blueish lavender. She blinked slowly. When the hell did I get so poetic? Chuckling at her own thoughts, she shook her head and gracefully stood up from her lazily leaned position, steadily grabbing her weapon's in her hand and shrugging the quiver over her shoulder.
Yawning behind one long white sleeve, she peeked one eye open at her younger sister who was now almost finished cleaning the whole bundle in both her smaller hands. "That is a good amount, Kaede. You have finished much today as well." She smiled warmly. Kaede blushed but nodded, evidently a bit proud at her own progress with herbs. "That is because of Kikyo-onee-sama's Spartan training." She paused in her walking footsteps, giving a deadpanned Kaede a very amused look. "Yes, onee-sama. It is you who has taught me this….these words." Kikyo hummed lightly to herself, resuming her walk while sending a grumbling Kaede an approving look. "Now, now, remember, tough love." She chanted good naturedly, patting a still blushing Kaede on the head. "What 'tough love', your just secretly a sadist." In response to her younger sisters grumble, Kikyo could only laugh and laugh because somehow even she herself knew that Kaede's grumbling face was just too adorable in those tough training times.
At that, internally she contemplated how she was ever going to even go about 'purifying' the Shikon no Tama…when she certainly wasn't as closed minded as the miko's here appeared to be, didn't that mean she was impure or something? Not that she was close with the other miko's in training alongside her but the rare moments the elders questioned her on her thoughts of youkai, her answers would always spark a political type of argument where she would calmly and very stubbornly refuse to change her mind and opinion on how she viewed thing's.
They would have ceased her training had she not had the dangerous amount of uncontrolled spiritual essence inside her. She couldn't really blame them honestly, this world was created in the format it is shown, plus that's how generations of generations have been passed on. Being prejudice towards beings not similar to what you look like. And those don't count the youkai who just can't seem to take a warning when she flashes her spirit energy in advance every time. Thank goodness she was born in the more modern times where all that hardcore segregation and racism have at least limits. Whoa, did she just government herself? Oh my god.
"Kikyo-onee-sama, I-I do appreciate that y-you have trained me so much in…t-these years!" She blinked twice at the stumbling sentence, then chuckled when she realized that Kaede had gotten the wrong idea of her silence. Her slender pale hand petted the shorter girl's head, causing her ramble to stop in second mid-sentence. "I was just lost in my thoughts Kaede", Even got lost. I can't believe I can't even trust myself in my own thoughts, "It is nothing you have said or done. Do not worry so much." She eye smiled down at the embarrassed but relieved looking girl who nodded.
"Okay…the sky is really pretty isn't it." Kaede rapidly raised her head after, intently gazing upwards at the sharp contrast of coloring between the sky. Kikyo followed and observed the beautiful shades and sharp contrast of shades, appearing as a half sky even. One side covering of blue's and fading lavender while the other in deep orange and clear yellow downwards. "It is an unusual sight indeed….but most appreciative, nature-sama." She chuckled lightly to herself, fully intent on capturing the image with her memory. Kaede turned towards her sister, tightening her hold on her shifting bounded herbs and materials inside the green cloth around her neck and behind her back. "Onee-sama," she called out, Kikyo tilted her head in acknowledgment though gazing eyes never lost its focus, "Why do you like nature so much?" She always questioned that in rather random moments, Kikyo absentmindedly noted again. She glanced towards the approaching village. And I always give the same responses. Yet she never seems to tire of it. A small curve of her lips and Kikyo found herself with the familiar forlorn emotion. Without pause, she replied, "I couldn't appreciate it before, so am appreciating it now." She smiled, knowing that her younger sister has the same expression on her face now as each of those other times.
An expression of badly hidden confusion, determination to figure out just what the words could mean, and some worry from the natural tone that just fuses with those words. The worry she could do without though, it would just remind her of her situation, sigh, even when she expected to go to heaven (or at least just disappear; she honestly wasn't picky at the time), her easy acceptance of the circumstances in which she found herself in wasn't as bad as the realization of just what the hell she was going to do.
Cause let's admit it. She was screwed from up to down and sideways. So she did what she used to do best. Just…go with the flow. Or at least, you know, become a god damn stubborn as hell rock that will stay in that freaking place because fucking dammit if she was one thing it was stubborn. Thinking about it, how old was she now? Twenty in colledge….(all that hard work…down the drain…I doubt knowing how the square root of three would help kill a demon. Do enlighten me.) Dear kamisama, was she actually thirty-eight?! Her soul was thirty-eight… —you know, she could actually roll with it. As in, be like a sugar momma or something. A small shiver of disgust waved through her spine, causing her nose to crinkle slightly in displeasure. Augh, bad bad image. Very very bad image. Never again. That shouldn't even be a documented vision, ugh. "Let us rest once we arrive, Kaede. I will then check on any disturbances or healing to be done or looked upon." Keep the bad bad images away. "Alright, Kikyo-onee-sama." She nodded her head with a smile. Kikyo discerned that they were just almost crossing the entrance of their calm village, sighing with a small smile when the short conversation succeeded in diverting the awful picture from her head.
Concentrating on the village's aura the moment their footsteps crossed the familiar hard sand path, she almost stopped her walking; thankfully preceding in a calm way despite the fact that her younger sister was now giving her a very amused wide-eyed look due to her almost silent fall down the lovely dirt, only emitting a non-audible squeak (A tiny squeak I tell you. Very tiny.)
She did not dignify Kaede's stifled laughter with a response, instead playfully walking 'royally' now and giving a huff of amusement at herself for her random clumsiness. One of these days, it would literally end her. Anyway, back to Aura searching. The fact that there has not been any youkai didn't exactly surprise her since it wasn't like the village was known for its 'Juicy human appendages , discount sale on hut number nine' or whatever…..Huh. So she could even bring back sarcasm. Ahh, side-tracked. I really need to concentrate sigh.
What did surprise her was that she could feel unfamiliar aura's, not too fresh meaning they were gone for a while now. Her eyes narrowed, the white spirit energy inside of her zapping with what she knew by now on instinct was a warning of danger. What danger though? What have I not accounted for? It left just as quickly as it came and she was left feeling a bit cautious, none of her thoughts shifting outwards to her calm mask of concentration.
As they walked down the calm huts with dozing aura's, she reached with her aura cautiously around, feeling the familiar spirit energy of her villager's in a large amount right in front of her home. She blinked, but never ceased her figures pace even after relaxing her slightly tense figure. Why would they be in such an abundance? I did not sense anyone injured…it must be important if they have directly been waiting right at our hut however….her eyes widened in abrupt remembrance and she almost tripped again, this time verbally voicing out her annoyance at her bi polar legs, giving a this-time-laughing-out-loud-and-not-even-trying-to-hide-it Kaede a playful glare. Kaede stifled her laughter this time, glancing every second or so at her snorting-at-herself older sister.
Shit. Dammit. It's time. Siiigh. Honestly, I have no idea what I am going to do. Kikyo thought with horrifying humor. Maybe I'll just wing it? Yeah, wing it. Am going to wing it. "Kikyo-onee-sama, what are you doing?" "Am going to wing it." Oh…...that was supposed to stay as inner monologue….Kaede child, you have scary coincidences to ask the most right questions at the wrong time ."Wing..it?" Kaede tested the words herself, blinking in astonishment when even she, who was an expert at her Onee-sama's strange wording's could not understand what it meant at all, even if that was not what she was expecting as an answer to her question on why her older sister was being unusually clumsy today.
"Yes. It is an expression of freely doing an action with no thought's behind it." Did I just diss myself? Kikyo blinked in amusement. "I believe we're close, Kaede." She calmly stated, glancing down at a blinking-multiple-times Kaede. The smaller child seemed to get what Kikyo was indirectly telling her and she smoothly evaded her spirit energy from Kaede's loosely weak one, blue eyes closely regarding every detail of the pinkish aura. Kaede was improving, at a slower rate but still improving. She smiled calmly despite the now audible muffled conversations closing in as they didn't cease their pace.
You know, I wonder if I'll be forever only remembering the scene's when they happen right in the moment and not beforehand. She deadpanned mentally when she came into view of the talking villagers. That is a great disadvantage, I'll have you know. One of them caught sight of her and her younger sister, rapidly catching the attention from the group who instantly turned towards their long dark-haired still pale calm-smiling-softly miko and her younger sister that observed everything with confused blinking eyes. Kikyo bowed her head lightly once they stopped a few feet from the large group of villagers. Women with their child, men in their usual garbs, even elderly were mixed in the batch .
And they all looked like they had the same thing to convey but one of them, she observed keenly behind calm eyes; walked forward almost urgently and he appeared to be the one to give her that message. He bowed his head back hurriedly at her usual manners, "Welcome home, Kikyo-sama." Another man with the traditional topknot dark hair and tan complexion stepped in afterwards, If the message would be the same, couldn't just one person have told me? She internally mused, "Kikyo-sama….a demon slayer came looking for you this morning. When I explained that you were away…he said he would return tonight." The man hesitantly explained with confused furrowed eyebrows, small worry expressed clearly through every person there. Then again, the village's strength is as one. Her eyes softened and she nodded. "When this person arrives, I will see what they want. Please do not worry." She eye smiled at the man who relaxed at her placid reassurance and took steps back into the now slightly relaxed bunch of older people. "Thank you for telling me of such. I will at this moment be checking the shields on the home's once more before I rest in, so do not be alarmed if a sudden warm light surrounds your home for a second." She patiently clarified before lightly bowing at the now calm dispersing crowd.
"Kaede, stay in the hut and please start the food?" Kikyo ended the statement as an inquire with a raised eyebrow at her sudden energized younger sister. "Understood, Kikyo-onee-sama!" Kaede blinked large beaming eyes at her before zipping straight by into the hut, Kikyo blinking at the after-image dots of her younger sister's figure which was now only the dots blinking. Turning swiftly around to begin her rounds, she put a white sleeve covered hand over her mouth, restraining her laughter only achieving to reduce it to muffled chuckles. I never tire of seeing those small anime elements.
"Ah, I apologize Himirusa-san. Please, continue on with your night." Kikyo bowed lightly at the squinting younger man, before he too just closed his eyes and re-entered his hut. She chuckled at hearing the rather noisy thud of something falling and hitting soft ground, twisting her body around and walking past the hut she just lightly touched for twenty seconds. It was a good thing that most of the villagers were used to her placing her shields around their huts for youkai protection since she was younger. Not that they all liked it, they reluctantly accepted the protection for their sakes.
This is about the eleventh person who's woken up. Her hand lit up in the warm transparent gas like white glow before directly placing the glowing appendage on the wall of wood of the hut. Am a bit relieved that these last for at least a week nevertheless. After she was sure twenty or more seconds passed, the light slowly faded out from her hand as she let it hang back to her side. Azure eyes glanced up at the pulsing transparent white energy around the hut for a second before glancing back forwards when the light pulsed out, only leaving its pure spirit energy on the hut.
And I don't even get paid for this. She pondered to herself while placing her glowing hand once more on another hut, the repetitive progress giving her dozing affects. The scenery and plotline are full advance payment though. She dryly thought after finishing with some huts. Most hut's still had a tiny amount of her spiritual power lodged inside surrounding the homes vaguely. Kikyo sighed lightly, fisting her free hand and opening it, repeating the action slowly whilst swiftly walking back to her hut. She raised her head upwards, huffing out a small pout when a drop of water from above smacked her slightly heated skin on the left cheek, running down nimbly. If a small drop of cold rain is cooling down my skin…..then I must have used my energy more than I thought without rest….I wonder if never breaking the barrier around us has something to do with that…..She blinked out the clear drops that began dripping slowly out of her dark bangs which now began to cling slightly to her forehead. Lightly jogging to her hut, her wooden geta's platted almost silently against the once-hard-sandy-now-muddy ground, red nagabakama darkening around the leg edges due to plastering clinging mixture.
The rain dropped down on light but multitudinous amount, a gloaming sky almost covered in blue clouds of various shades. Even if she was as entranced in this formation as she usually was, she couldn't have missed those aura's from length's away. As she calmly arrived, she regarded the group of men demon slayer's with hidden curiosity for their ninja-like outfits and those miniscule glances they did only with their eyes when she came into view of a few meters away, the fire light from her approaching open home highlighting her soft calm features sharply.
Holding the straw door was Kaede in a cleaner darker orange casual kimono, talking reluctantly with the man who appeared to be in charge of the group. He noticed her almost immediately, walking a few steps backwards before bowing his head and upper body at her. Good. Away from my sister. "Kaede, please go back inside." She nodded her head and bowed lightly towards the Taijiya before scurrying back inside. Kikyo briefly mused that Kaede should not be that quick to show fear…she should install that for their next tor—cough—cough—training of course.
"You must be Kikyo-sama, the priestess of this village?" He straightened up slowly, keeping the respectful distance between two different kinds of warriors. She nodded with a small smile, hoping to ease his tensions for at least a moment. He has no will ill. Nor any ill intentions towards my person nor my village. I can never be too sure…..I've already changed many things, I cannot be confident just what other circumstances have changed already sigh. Strange how none of the main events have shifted however...fucking written fate. "Yes. I am. I have heard that you have come looking specifically for me. Is there anything I can help with?" She eye smiled at him, internally brightening when she noticed the tense atmosphere around the man and his group loosening a tad. The man nodded tensely and reached into one of his many convenient pockets, Inspector Gadget, Kikyo mentally stated with humor, all the while now calmly holding the pink 'harmless' looking jewel in her hands as he took steps back and repeated the gesture, bowing his upper body in respect. "We, of the Tajiya village, entrust this important task of protecting and purifying the Shikon no Tama, to Priestess Kikyo." He then straightened, analyzing her just as she has already done to him and his people since she first laid eyes on them. After a second, he nodded more confidently; I can proudly say he liked what he saw; and bowed his head this time, Kikyo nodding with a slight bow of her head. He swiftly turned around and steadily made way with his rising group to where they arrived from, Like ninja's I swear. Don't think I didn't notice those curious glances from those Tajiya's behind you. She mentally snorted. My reputation gives me way too much credit.
"Onee-sama?" Kaede's questioning voice brought Kikyo back to earth, the taller woman tilting her head to where she could feel Kaede's aura now walking beside her. "They were asking about you…..something about a Shikon?" Kikyo chuckled and lightly patted a pouting Kaede's head. "Shikon no Tama, Kaede. I have been given the duty of purifying it." Sounds about the same, yeah. I wonder what will she say if I tell her when she said Shikon only, it reminded me of Takoyaki? She glanced downwards at the brown wide-eyed stare full of wonder at the Shikon no Tama gleaming its small aura in my open palms.
Kikyo's eyes sharpened. Ah, sneaky child. She tried to hide her exhaustion. I don't think so! "Come, Kaede. The trip was long and tiring, we must rest." She hid her amused smile behind one of her sleeves, the other hand holding the slow pulsing jewel when Kaede 's drooping eye's snapped open and her face flushed, a large pout on her features before she stuck her tongue out at the already amused blinking Kikyo and instantly jogged back inside their wooden steady home.
"Here you go honey, all nice and cozy." Kikyo lightly tapped the pale pink marble sized jewel softly, like one would a pet, and gently laid it over a strange jewel holder that held it like one of those modern necklace cases. Except this one was strangely perfect for the Shikon no Tama, all dark bronze metal and such. Making use of her memories from her time training with the Elder's, She made a necklace of purified shards and attached them to a strong dark string. Afterwards pulled the Shikon no Tama in, and Whoala! One Shikon A La Mode! She blinked her azure eye's when the glittering pale pink aura around the jewel begin to pulse, as if responding to her mental conversations….She bit her bottom lip in contemplation.
After a few moments, "You and I are going to have a very, very awkward relationship. I just know it." She chuckled dryly, raising an eyebrow when it pulsed again. Oh yes...very awkward. "Kikyo-onee-sama?" Ah, Kaede. "Yes?" She had to say it out land since she was in the shrine even though the wooden doors were open widely, the sun's pale rays shining down on the quiet shadowed alter. "Kasabuke-san has injured himself again." Kikyo shook her head in exasperation. "Did I not specifically order for him to rest for a week until the inflammation from his wound has healed?" She gracefully stood from her kneed form, walking back to the shrine and glancing at an equally exasperated looking Kaede a few feet away. Kikyo placed both pale palms over the now closed door, forming a transparent white shield over the large compound with her spiritual powers. She sighed while patting the door's once before walking with the easy flow of a reprimanding teacher on to her disobeying prey.
Kaede followed immediately with one last curious glance at the Shrine from where she felt the powerful energy shimmering in its aura. "We are going to have one awkward relationship, I can just tell." Kikyo sighed to herself, ignoring how Kaede's attention grew on the not stated subject. "Who, Onee-sama?" She tilted her head towards her steadily walking sister, wondering just who in the world she was talking about.
"That Shikon no Tama." She blinked down at a stunned Kaede. Her younger sister shook her head and placed both hands over her face, continuing to shake her head slowly. And she would have praised the younger girl for following correctly without even seeing where she was going but was too busy stifling her own laughter when she heard Kaede's grumbles of 'I will never understand how her mind works' or 'A big ball of mystery clocked in other mystery's that even their own holes have mystery's.' Kikyo gave her younger sister a playfully encouraging pat on the back, whispering "Gambatte." And chuckling when she received a squinted glare filled with incredulous and trying-to-hide-for-appearances-sake-humor. Ah, there he is! That stubborn old mule! "Kasabuke-san, I believe you were brought here to rest."