Blue sky took forever
The green grass blows in the wind, dancing
It would be much better a sight with you, with me
If you hadn't met me I'd be fine on my own, baby
I never felt so lonely, then you came along

The fire crackles in front of me, Kikyou laying beside me in an eternal sleep. Seventeen years. Seventeen years passed since the day my world fell apart, fell into darkness. Nothing helped chase away the pain I feel, nothing. No amount of drinking, of drugs, could keep away those feelings. The brief idea of using the jewel to better myself has crossed my mind, but I couldn't do it. Kikyou would know what to do with the jewel when she wakes up. Time has passed like a snail, days becoming unimportant, the journey means nothing when looking towards the end result.

The horse was becoming more annoyed with each passing moment; thirst nipping at him, like was at me. I'm poking at the fire before, staring into the distance with certain distaste. The wind whipped by me, and I shrank into place, staring at the darkening sky with puzzlement. I couldn't feel much of anything anymore; I had become colder then before meeting Kikyou. My emotions are scattered and never lasted long. I would only feel sudden rushes of anger or hate, of sadness but never happiness.

When the rushes of emotions came, they completely took over me. I would wither on the floor, clutching my gut while trying to block out the emotions. They were stronger than any pain I could face, they were more demanding and cruel than master I could serve under. You were your own jailer, your own torturer.

I couldn't stay angry, it was beyond me now. I wanted to be angry at whoever killed Kikyou, but it's seemed irrelevant. I tried hard to hate whoever killed her, whoever hurt her, but I could only think of why I should hate him or her. No emotions bubbled in me when I thought of it, my stomach would twist a little at the idea, but I couldn't summon emotion anymore.

So now what should I do, I'm strung out, addicted to you
My body it aches now that you're gone
My supply fell through

A village comes into view, and though I try, my horse is in such need of water that he cannot run. I reach the village some minutes later, bringing water and food for my horse immediately. I notice then that the whole village is rather large and rich. Every hut is huge, and a castle sits perched on the top of the hill. I rushed to the nearest stand, ordering some rice balls and tea with water. The man working at the stand is too scared to deny me the food, and shaking he brings it. As I bite down on the rice ball in my hand, I cannot help but notice everyone is looking at Kikyou more strangely then they are looking at me.

I tilt my ears up, trying to pick up whatever they are muttering to themselves, but they are speaking in hushed voices and I cannot hear them no matter how hard I try. Suddenly my gut drops, my eyes become unfocused and I'm unable to move. "Doesn't she look A LOT like princess Asuko-san?" I hear a mutter, was it from a woman? A child? No, a man? I can't tell, the second the words came out I actually felt sick with emotions.

I stand up and suddenly grab the source of the sound, a man with a sword hanging limply on his waist. "Is that the woman living in the castle up there?" I ask, my hair covering my face and sticking to places here and there with sweat. I'm surprised as the man closes his eyes and sighs, pulling out his sword with a speed I thought unreachable by humans. I let go just in time to only have my hand slightly cut. "I will not tell you were Lady Asuko lives, but I can tell you lives not in that castle" He snaps, staring straight at me.

I can't help it, I'm a little impressed by his ability to stand up to me so. I think he is lying; maybe I just want him to be. I dart to the right, then left, rushing towards him, trying to confuse him, but he can see my movies before I do them. He raises his sword, hitting me firmly in the ribs and cutting me deeply. This is embarrassing; Kikyou is the only human who should get a hit in on me. I can't take my time with this man; I have to check the castle. I dart and grab Kikyou, holding her under my arm and rushing for the castle. I hear a faint "Warn Lady Asuko!" as I run, and a smile graces my face like it hasn't done in years.

I jump over a tree and land in front of the castle, trying to think of a way in. I nearly jump out of my skin as Kikyou makes the faintest, smallest movement. Its like a sudden small jolt. She lifts her head lightly, and I think she is trying to look at me. She moves slowly and rests her hand on my neck, staring at me. Her eyes are so bare and empty it scares me, and I don't know what to do. It was almost like her hand was gripping my neck, but she is weaker then a new born, and it almost feels like its not there.

I shake my head and jump up the wall, trying hard to ignore the slightly moving Kikyou. The wall opens into a courtyard with ten or so guards waiting patiently for nothing to happen. When I jump into the middle of the yard, the guards just stand for a second before springing into action. I can hear the roars of the village, the guards and Kikyou moving at a sails pace to do anything. I don't have to take much time to defeat the feeble guards who in comparison to the sword man outside are children. A few Blades of Blood and my claws do the trick, and I'm inside.

Kikyou has now become dead weight as I face harder opponents. I've followed a man who didn't know I was chasing him to the general area of the princess, but now I face two samurai. Samurai always had a way of scaring me, of making me shudder and second-guess myself. They were cold beings, trained from birth and never allowed to live.

I placed Kikyou down and took my stance; Asuko's room was no doubt just beyond them. They were working together to make things worse, they weren't just waiting for their turn, they were one. I couldn't remember how many times I was sliced, nothing I did could dodge them, not the mention the hallway was small, making it impossible to move.

I got one chance to take them down, or I might die instead. They used a form of running at me in which their ankles were a weak spot, and only their ankles. Once again they ran at me, and that's when I sent the Blades of Blood towards their ankles. They fall down with a thud, screaming in pain and gripping their heels. The blades had cut their anchilie's heel, doubling the pain then I could have. I picked up Kikyou and made for the sliding door, behind which lay a room full of gold and paintings. It was a stunning room, but didn't have time to gaze.

You gladly gave me everything you had and more, you craved my happiness,
When you make me feel joy it makes you smile

A seventeen-year-old girl looked up, eyes sadden with the news of her fate. Kikyou was suddenly struggling very hard, and she kicked loose of me, lying on the floor. "Please don't hurt me," The girl asked but she wasn't crying, it was like she had accepted the worse before it was dealt to her. She looked remarkably like Kikyou; even her hair was the same. Her eyes were the same type of sadness Kikyou's always held.

If Kikyou were to dress in expensive robes and have her hair tied back with golden pins and various other small items, she'd be the woman before me. Her kimono was silver with golden waterfalls, and was so long around the sleeves they touched the floor. She had on an under robe that was black, and under that was a white robe.

I had to stare, it was like seeing my Kikyou dressed as a lady and not sworn to the robes of a miko. She even had red lipstick on, a white powder on her face and neck, and charcoal around her eyes. She was perfect, and not because she was Asuko, but because she looked like my Kikyou. Asuko rose, the kimono falling into place and I was almost to stunned to react, she was more then perfect. "Please, I don't know why you have come her, but I will do anything I can to help you, if you'd spare me my life" She begs, taking a step forward but shivering as she dose.

I didn't know if I could kill her to release the soul, to let it go back to Kikyou. This woman was unlike any other. She was beauty, she was innocent and above all, she was just like Kikyou. Even her voice held a faint resemblance to Kikyou's, even her movements. I wanted to hug her; it was just like seeing Kikyou after all these years. I loved her.

Suddenly she let out a scream that could make blood run cold, a scream told in horror stories. She grips at her face, and falls to the ground on one knee. "Stop! Stop her! Help me!" She is yelling, reaching towards me. I look down to see Kikyou gripping her leg, black rising from her hand. I'm staring at the madness before me, the girl rolling on the ground and shrieking. Clumps of skin and flesh fall to the ground, its like she is being burned alive. "Help!" She screams again, her eyeball falling out, her hair burning up in flames. Her bones are showing, her kimono half brunt off. Blood is covering the floor along with blackened brunt flesh, bones where fingers should be claw at the floor best they can.

I have a hold of Kikyou's leg, but its like she is stuck to the ground and I can't even lift her, much less move her. The girl stops making noise and from her raises a black clump of glowing balls. They are dripping a black gooey liquid before slowly lowering themselves into Kikyou. She looks up, from under her hair with only half an eye visible, and mutters, "You… killed me".

But now I feel your stress,
Love was never meant to be such a crazy affair, no… and who has time for tears?
Never thought I'd sit around and cry for your love, 'till now…