Disclaimer: So, Inuyasha doesn't belong to me…!
Author's Notes:
Welcome to chapter 4!
Thank you to all of you who reviewed so far! I appreciate it greatly! ;D
So, this chapter will be more eventful than the past 3 chapters. Yay! This is good! I can't tell you how good that is for both you and me… o.O
Anyway, there isn't much to say about this chapter. You'll just hafta read it yourself! ;p
Happy reading!
Music Pieces:
Chapter 4: White Guide – "Macalania Forest" – Noriko Matsueda – Final Fantasy X-2
– "Bevelle's Secret" – Noriko Matsueda – Final Fantasy X-2
One week passed by quickly, and still the ghost continued to guide me east. Gradually, I began to notice that I was treading on a familiar route, one that should never have been forgotten, yet it was, all the same. Not once did Jaken or Rin comment on the sight of the apparition, and I began to wonder if it truly was a figment of my imagination. Insanity didn't seem to be unlikely at this point, yet it didn't seem plausible either.
Rin and Jaken chattered behind me, but I paid no heed to their words. The further east we traveled, the less I began to see the white glow of the phantom. I wondered if she had figured that I knew where she was leading me, but the truth was that I did not know. She did remain faithful in her role as a guide, however. Whenever I would stop, wondering where to turn to continue, I would see her and her directing finger point along my path before she would disappear once more.
However, when she did not point in the correct direction, I was forced to stop for the night. Tonight, her arm remained still at a small clearing just big enough for Rin, Jaken, Ah-Un, and I and a small fire, perhaps. That fire was absolutely necessary every night. Without it, Rin and Jaken—being such fragile and small creatures as they were—would become much too chilled. Only Ah-Un and I took the cooling air lightly.
I watched as Jaken huddled against between Ah-Un and the small fire. These nights, Rin would seek to me for warmth, and I would willingly and gladly allow her to do so. Tonight, she slept early, her petite form lax in my lap as I cradled her like a small child, holding her against me and using my pelt to keep her warm.
"My lord, may I ask once more where we are going?" Jaken asked, breaking the solemn silence around the fire. My eyes stared into the warm flame, seeking an answer which I was so close, yet so far away from. I didn't reply to the toad demon, and he chose not to pester, yet I could see in his eyes the worry he held. He knew that I was keeping something hidden, whether it be our destination or something closer…
The glimmer of white light caught my eyes and I raised my head to stare over the flames. Hidden away, the white ghost watched us, her unseen eyes staring in our direction. Where was she taking us and to what purpose? My suspicions of this apparition had yet to quell, yet I was so compelled to follow her.
I felt Jaken curl up against Ah-Un and I, seeking warmth as he began to drift into sleep. My eyes never left that white shimmer for a moment as she spied upon us, drinking in our movements. It wasn't until I saw her stand and turn around, disappearing into the forest, glow and all. I allowed my body to relax as my eyes began to feel heavier and heavier until the crackles of the fire faded and I slipped into slumber.
His eyes snapped open as he gasped, his finger gripping the sphere before him in a death vice as the sweat on his brow glimmered in the blue torchlight. With difficulty, he pried his hands away from the sphere and turned his palms towards him, his exhausted and wide eyes boring into them as if they held the very essence of power itself.
"It has been set in motion." he hissed to himself with exhaustion. "He is close now. So close that I can feel his presence." His exhaustion clearing, he turned towards the single, intricate door behind him, taking the steps needed before he used his weight to push it open as he turned the round knob in the center. With tired yet triumphant steps he stalked into the warm-tinted room, the light radiating from the walls themselves. Taking a moment, he stood still and let his eyes study the room, taking in the new appearance.
"I see. The walls are waking." he sighed as his eyes befell the former goddess's floating form. "My spell no longer has effect on you. That is the price for its continual using, I suppose." His lips formed a slight smirk as he saw her fingers curl slightly and relax once more. The echo of his boots bounced off the glowing stone walls as he approached her, stopping before her slumbering form.
"You are beginning to wake, goddess." he said. "It is disappointing, however, that I cannot allow that to happen. Waken as you may, there are still tricks up my sleeve to keep you at bay and in the state that you reside in now. Rest assured that you will not move from here as long as I have you."
He took a moment to chuckle and grin at her still form before he continued, his voice low and menacing to reveal his very thoughts.
"You can feel him, can't you." he more stated than asked. "You can feel his aura pulsating with his love for you as he draws near. Yet he will never reach you, for you are hidden from the world. He doesn't even know that you are alive once more and right under his very feet. Come what may, sweet goddess. He will never find you."
With that he turned with a strong grin, exiting the room of tinted light and pulling the door shut loudly behind him. The chamber sang with his steps against the smooth stone floor, polished and colored the darkest green as he made his way to the pedestal once again. His eyes pierced the orb before him with triumphant madness as his broad grin yielded a small chuckle.
"Rest assured that he will not find you."
The day was warmer than expected. Even Rin was able to remove her slippers for a good part of the day. She pampered Ah-Un as I continued to follow the ghost, Jaken slumbering aboard Ah-Un's back. I was perfectly content with the weather, but it was our guide that still worried me.
This day, when the sun was sliding into the afternoon, I began to get a strongly familiar feeling of my bearings. There was something strange about this direction and if felt strangely familiar, yet I had no idea why. But as time went by and my surroundings grew increasingly recognizable, my mind began to wander, wondering where I had seen this place before. Could it be a memory of one of the wars I had fought? Could it be something long lost and forgotten? Or perhaps it could be…
Her.
Even the thought of her melted that icy barrier around me. Yet still I fought to keep it strong as we trudged on. Rin's and Jaken's conversations and arguments grew ever more silent as I became increasingly lost in concentration and thought. Now that the memory of her caught me, I couldn't stop thinking about her…
Standing outside of the screens marking the entrance to Tomo's chambers, I debated whether I should enter uninvited. In my hand, I carried a bowl filled with cold water for either refreshing or drinking, assuming she would want either of these when she awoke. As I rose my hand and placed it reluctantly on the screen, her voice reached my ears.
"Come in, Sesshomaru. I know you're there." she called lightly. I hesitated a moment longer before I pushed open the screen and entered, shutting it quietly behind me. I lost me breath for a moment as my eyes befell the woman before me. She stood on the balcony, her hands together, feet bare, and her expression that of gentleness and joy. Her lavender hair shone brilliantly in the moonlight, sparkling like the ocean waves amidst a full moon.
Her beauty was intoxicating, and my body ached for her. I longed to see that sweet expression once again, to see her day and night once again…
"You're awake." was all I could say.
"Yes. I feel much better now." she answered softly as I approached her with the bowl of water. As I neared her, I offered her the bowl and she took it gratefully, her hands softly brushing over mine as she accepted the bowl. I watched quietly as she downed the water, her throat flashing with each swallow and causing my heart to beat quicker than normal. When she was finished, she lowered the bowl and took a deep breath, her lips shining with the moisture of the water.
"Thank you." she said as she set the bowl on the thick balcony rail. There was an awkward silence between us as she turned towards the moon rising over the faint eastern mountains. A whispering breeze teased her lavender hair causing it to sway majestically around her being. She closed her eyes and sighed as she put her weight on her forearms on the wooden rail.
How hard I had fallen for her. I never thought myself capable of such love, nor of such pain. I could see now how completely in love with her I had been…
"You know," she began with a hesitant pause. "You didn't have to save me." I took a step towards her, my face expressionless.
"If you wish so badly to die, then why are you here? Why did you follow me?" I pointed out in a cold tone, for I sincerely doubted she followed me only to attempt to torment me. Her eyes snapped open and she turned calmly to me with an appearance of great wisdom.
"Why didn't you stop me?" she retorted quietly. My eyes widened slightly as I realized that I had no answer to this question. Why didn't I stop her? Why did I save her? I could have left her to die, but my conscious wouldn't allow it. Her beauty captivated me then just as it has done now. The ability her eyes had to leave me speechless, the graceful and petite form she held, the way she smoothly danced and clearly sang ... everything about her enticed me.
Her words were witty and never empty. She held strong to her beliefs, yet was always yielding to new ones. I would not have chosen anyone else over her…
I could not give her a verbal answer ... my pride wouldn't allow it, nor would my body. With disappointment, she sighed and stood, turning to leave. As she swept past me, I caught her hand gently, holding her back. Pausing in her step, she turned to face me with eyes filled with emotion. Taking a step closer to her, I cupped one of my hands under her chin. I lowered my head, each of us closing our eyes as I did so. In one slow motion, I brushed my lips against hers before I fully captured them in a lock that I took pleasure in.
But her fate … She didn't deserve the pain of memory and death. It should have been me who had died, not her. I was so foolish. Had it not been for my decision to fight Naraku myself, I could have saved her…
Pulling away slowly, we opened our eyes and stared into one another, both of us wearing an expression of a certain softness.
"I couldn't." I answered softly, resting my forehead against hers. I dragged my hand from her chin and followed her jawline and rested my hand on the back of her neck, her hand wrapping around my waist as I raised our joined hands and interlaced our fingers. We stood there in the moonlight for some time until the nightly meal was ready and we heard Jaken calling for us from down the hall.
And suddenly I knew.
The scent of fresh water flooded my nostrils as we entered a familiar scene. At once Rin and Jaken were immediately quiet, both knowing the significance of this location. Even nature itself seemed to silence its song. Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un never moved as I slowly made my way to the shores of the lake. I knelt on one knee, as my eyes stared unbelievingly into the shining waters.
It was her lake…
Well, now! This is where it starts to get interesting! ;p
So … this white ghost led Sesshomaru to Tomo's lake. Hmm. Something doesn't seem right here…!
Note that Moon's Blossom will have the same format as Twilight Lavender! This means that every 5 chapters will be Tomo's point of view!
Yep! ;D
The Next Chapter Will Be Posted Thursday (May 31, 2007)!