Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the characters that are with it. They come from the wonderful imagination of Rumiko Takahashi. I do own Nidoriko and other characters that are not a part of that wonderful anime and manga. I am just a penniless fan fiction writer borrowing Ms. Takahashi's characters and putting them within my own twisted little world. All I own is a stick of gum and a nickel. Please don't sue. You can have the nickel though. Thank you.

Eternity's Passing: Kaede's Tale

Chapter Two: Old Friends, New Faces

Sunlight reflected off her long dark hair as she stood outside the small hut. She could hear the hustle and bustle from within as the occupant was preparing herbs, for anything might happen today. The young beautiful woman smiled as she herd a small explicative from behind the door covering, and tried not to laugh. Finally the hut's owner stepped out and gave a surprised gasp before realizing who was standing on her porch.

"Nidoriko, don't startle me like that! At least announce your arrival whenever you visit me."

The tall and willowy woman that stood there was chuckling, her face lit up with mirth.

"It's nice to see you as well, Kaede. Other than nearly dying with fright, I sense that you are doing very well."

Kaede turned around with a "Humph!" before turning to go back inside her hut.

"Come on in, Nidori. I shall pour you some tea."

The young priestess waited as the taller woman carefully entered the hut. Once inside, Kaede had taken her hand to guide her to a spot in the floor.

"Sit right here." She then sat right across from Nidoriko and poured her a cup of tea made from special herbs, which gave it a purplish hue. Nidoriko had taken a sip and smiled.

"Wonderful job once again, Kaede. It took the pain right away. Though, dare I ask what it is that you added?"

"Now Nidori, you know if I reveal the secret ingredient it won't be as appealing." Kaede said in an 'as a matter of fact' manner. Nidoriko nodded,

"That is true. I'm glad that I can't see what color it is. I doubt that I would have even sniffed it."

"I guess being blind can have a few quirks, but I for one am glad that I can see at least through one eye."

Nidori smiled, but the look in her sightless eyes gave away her inner pain. Kaede sighed then reached over to pat her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I let my mouth out run my brain it seems." The woman across from her shook her head, her disposition illuminating once again.

"Oh don't worry about that, Kaede. Your ability to speak your mind is what I like about you. You are very much like Kikyo in that aspect. She was such a dear friend of mine; I miss her a great deal."

It was Kaede's turn to smile sadly. Kikyo…

Nine years had passed since her sister's untimely death. Not a single day went by that Kaede did not think about Kikyo. While the pain she felt every time she thought about her failed to change, she had. At twenty years of age, she had grown from a girl and into a young woman. While she wasn't the blossomed beauty that Kikyo was, she was considered an attractive woman. She did not have that graceful figure that her sister possessed, but a curvier one which most of the village men found desirable. What made her all the more appealing was the white eye patch that she wore on the right side of her face. It had loaned her a mysterious and forbidden quality, which the male population wanted to explore. But the young woman had remained true to her calling and trained to become a very capable priestess. Now she was widely respected as was her sister before her, even though she did not consider herself a replacement. No one could ever replace Kikyo. Not even the deceased priestess' sister.

Kaede looked up at Nidoriko and noticed the unwavering and sightless gaze that she was leveling towards her. For a moment she almost thought that her friend had regained her sight, until she spoke.

"I can sense your loneliness, Kaede. Don't forget that I make up for my lost sight two-fold."

The priestess smiled. Nidoriko was Kikyo's childhood friend who had moved away to another village to be married. She had been widowed two years later, but remained in the village visiting Kikyo whenever she could. After news of Kikyo's death reached her village, she rushed to be with Kaede immediately. Ever since then, she had stayed to help Kaede with her training as she strived to take her sister's place. Because of Nidoriko, Kaede never felt lonely. It was almost like having another older sister there. But, she still couldn't replace Kikyo.

"What is the real reason for your visit, Nidori? I can sense that there is another reason for your being here." Kaede took the other woman's hand and pressed a cloth of sorts into it. Nidori smiled her thanks as she wiped the corners of her mouth. When she wasn't immediately responding to the question, Kaede's suspicion grew.

"Kaede, can't I just visit an old friend?"

"Nidoriko, tell me."

Nidoriko gave a resigned sigh, before finally acquiescing,

"Fine, I shall tell you." Her tone grew serious as she stated, "I had a vision."

"And…?" Kaede prompted.

"It was about you."

"Don't tell me then. I have no wish to know what's in store for me. Remember, I have my own way of sensing things that will happen."

Nidoriko shook her head.

"Actually this was not very clear. My feelings are telling me to reveal it to you as I saw it. I know how you feel about this, but trust me."

Kaede shrugged, giving into her curiosity.

"Go ahead then. This is the only time I'll hear of any visions concerning me."

Nidoriko smiled, pleased that her friend was finally giving in.

"What I see is that you will have to remain strong and steady, for you will become…" she trailed as if searching for the word. "…lost."

Kaede's good eye focused its gaze on Nidoriko.

"Lost? Where on Earth will I go to get lost? I've been pretty much everywhere, and I do manage to find my way back if I do get lost."

Nidoriko shook her head.

"I only meant that figuratively. As I said, my vision is not very clear." She said in an almost apologetic manner.

The younger woman shook her head.

"Never mind, maybe you'll be at peace now that you told me. At least until another vision comes up."

Kaede gathered the cups and set them on the small tray and stood to put them away. Nidoriko stood as well and waited for Kaede to assist the woman on her way out. The older woman brushed the wrinkles from her light blue kimono and straightened the bow of her yellow obi that had orange flowers embroidered all over it. Nidoriko was slightly more beautiful than both Kikyo and Kaede. What made her stand out the most was her warm smile and kind persona. She would always go out of her way to help anyone who needed it, despite her own disability. When she was younger, Nidoriko suffered severe headaches and had collapsed. When she came to, she found that she had lost her sight completely and would never regain it back. She would have given up hope if it wasn't for the visions she had been receiving. Then there was the fact that her body made up for one lost sense by enhancing another, which was to be able to feel the world around her. She had helped Kaede to perfect this a little, to be a bit more accurate in what she sensed.

"Lady Kaede!" a distressed voice rang out from the distance. Kaede looked in the direction it came from and saw a young man running as fast as he can towards her. The young man, a farmer's son named Hiroshi, collapsed at her feet trying to catch his breath.

"Hiroshi! What in the world is the matter?"

"Lady Kaede, the men that were patrolling outside the gates had found a man. He was seriously wounded, so they sent me to fetch you."

The priestess turned to look at Nidoriko apologetically.

"I must go tend to this urgent matter."

The older woman nodded in understanding.

"Of course, Kaede; go collect what you need and hurry to the injured man. I'll tend to poor little Hiroshi here." With that said, Nidoriko helped Hiroshi to his feet. "Now Hiroshi, would you mind escorting me home. You can have some water when we get there." She offered while bestowing one of her sweetest smiles on him.

"Y…yes, Miss Nidoriko. I…it would b…be my pleasure." He stammered as the beautiful widow had put her arm through his. Hiroshi was a very flighty fourteen year old… especially when it came to pretty ladies like Nidoriko.

Kaede shook her head as she immediately went to fetch all that she'll need for when she gets there. Quickly checking to make sure she had all that she needed, she threw it all inside a bag and hurried out the door. On her way she had met a man named Tanosuke, who normally stood watch at the gate. He bowed formally before gesturing outside the open gate.

"Lady Kaede, I will lead you to the wounded man. He's not very far from here and the other men will be there, just in case something happens."

Kaede waved off his concerns.

"Tanosuke, I will be fine. I am very skilled with a bow and arrow despite my 'defect'. I also have very effective spiritual powers at my use. Of course, I trust the men to do their duty just as effectively."

The guard held on to whatever argument he had, but allowed a disapproving grunt instead. They finally made it to where the men had found the young man and the sight of him lying in the road made her almost dread arriving.

Blood was everywhere. The man was in a pool of it with what was left of his clothing soaked with it. His hair was wet with the sticky substance and it kept pouring out of the wounds that were all over his body. It was a miracle that he was still alive. The man looked so out of shape, she was afraid to move him lest she made things worse. But she had to see where else he was injured. He was on his stomach, his face turned to the side which was a good thing. Otherwise he would have drowned in his own blood. She instructed that the men turn him over, and gasped at what she saw. He had a large hole in his stomach and huge gashes on his chest and legs. Finally learning where all the blood was coming from, she wondered how it was that he survived. Setting all questions aside, she commanded that the men move him to a cleaner area so she could set to work immediately. She mostly cleaned around the wounds, bandaging them up snuggly to staunch any blood flow. From the looks of it he couldn't afford to lose much more.

Two men had finally arrived with a stretcher made of bamboo and sturdy cloth to carry the wounded man back to village. Kaede had instructed them to carry him to her hut.

"But Lady Kaede…" Tanosuke objected along with the other men.

"I don't know what you are objecting about." She stated with a tinge of annoyance in her tone.

"We don't know what manner of man he is, my lady. What if he is a bandit that had intentions to do us harm. He was very near the village."

The other men seemed to agree with him. A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. She could not believe what she was hearing.

"We do not have time for this. What harm could this man possibly do? He's near death, unless he's very lucky, it's doubtful that he will make the night. Now carry him to my hut at once!" she said rather forcibly. It was the first time in years since they had found a wounded stranger outside the gate. The last person they had found was the bandit, Onigumo. Ever since his mysterious disappearance, the people were a little wary. Kaede would assure herself that a hungry demon must have discovered him. As time passed, Onigumo was just another faded memory.

"Yes, Lady Kaede." The men finally resigned and did as she bade them to do. Of course they were not above assigning men outside her hut once they had him inside. At least they are out of my way, she had thought while immediately tending to her patient. She had the help of a village woman to remove the man's ragged and bloody clothes and to help clean his wounds.

"Amika, when you finish cleaning those gashes on his legs, put this herbal paste on them before bandaging him up."

She inspected the major wound after cleaning it. It was of the likes of which she never seen before. A red line had formed around it, which was a sign of infection. She had cleaned it up the best she could as well as applying the best herbal medicine to it. After applying cloths to stop further blood flow, she finally bandaged him up. Amika had assisting in washing him while Kaede rinsed the blood from his face and hair. He was a very handsome man with prominent features. From what she could guess, he had black hair and was proven right once she rinsed out the blood. The most striking thing about his appearance was the white jagged streak in his hair. It was unusual for a human to have strange nuances like that, and she did not sense any demonic auras around him.

"Is there anything else that you wish for me to help you with, my lady?" Amika's soft voice had broken through her musings. Kaede looked up and saw that the woman had dressed him in some white pants. She was anxiously awaiting further orders, but the priestess saw the fatigue that was settled in her eyes. The priestess smiled.

"I will be fine, Amika. You go on and return to your family. I'm sure that Tanosuke is awaiting you."

"Are you sure, Lady Kaede?"

"Yes, I can handle things from here. If anything changes I know where you live, or I could fetch someone else. Go on and get your rest."

Amika smiled in silent gratitude. Kaede watched her leave then looked to her new and unconscious patient.

"You get your rest too. I can't have you dying on me now after surviving this long. I'm surprised that you have with that wound of yours."

She wasn't sure if anyone can reach a person when they are unconscious, but she was willing to try. From her experiences, it usually caused a positive reaction whenever she spoke to someone who was out of it for a few days.

Kaede walked over to where her white yukata hung and began to undress. She released her long hair from the tie that held it back and shook it loose. The feel of it as it graced her skin sent a delicious shiver down her spine. To her it was her best feature and the most beautiful part about her. Kikyo used to comb it every night when she was little, for it was the only time that Kaede would have her sister all to herself. They would talk about what they did whenever they weren't together and would tell each other stories. It was their time to bond. The young priestess remembered the men outside her hut and quickly dressed. She did not wish for them to burst in on her like poor Hiroshi did once.

It was a year ago when the boy had rushed in announcing "Miyaka is having her baby!" It was then that he saw a very nude Kaede in the middle of changing her clothes. He was so shocked, he did not move. So Kaede's mortification turned to anger as she began to shout various explicitives at the boy and throwing random objects at him. It took poor Hiroshi days to get over the shock before he managed to block the memory from his mind. That was probably the cause of his extreme nervousness around women.

The priestess dressed in her yukata swiftly and checked on her patient. She frowned as she felt his hot skin, a sign of infection. Normally fevered patients suffer an extreme case of delirium and would wake in the middle of the night with no idea of who or where they are. In the worse case scenario, this one might not last the night. He barely had any strength in him due to the extreme loss of blood. She didn't know if he would be strong enough to fight the inner demons that resided in fevered minds.

"I hope, for your sake, that you survive. It would be a shame to succumb so easily after fighting so hard."

Before she lay down on her futon, she made sure that all her supplies would be ready just in case something happened to the villagers or her patient. "Always be at the ready." Kikyo had once said. With that memory tucked away in her mind, she had finally lain down in her bed and fell asleep.

"Kaede, why aren't you asleep?" a young woman asked as she found the child right next to her.

"Kikyo, a bad dream woke me up and I can't go back to sleep. Can you please tell me a story?" the girl asked while gazing at her older sister pleadingly. The young woman sighed with a bit of fatigue showing in her features. Kikyo, the village priestess had just slain another demon that was after the precious pink jewel she was protecting. It had been a long night of tending to those who were injured in the fight. She also helped clean up the mess that the demon made.

"Aren't you a little too old for my stories?" she asked while yawning shortly afterwards.

"Please, Kikyo… I'll go right back to sleep and I won't bug you like this anymore. I promise."

Kikyo managed to get a good look at her little sister's face and released a tired and resigned sigh. Kaede always managed to get a story out of Kikyo by just giving her the saddest look she could muster. She knew how tired her sister was, but all she wanted was to hear the priestess' voice… just so she knew that she was there. She smiled happily when Kikyo patted a spot next to her in the small futon. Kaede slipped under the blanket and listened as her sister's voice engulfed her.

"I once heard of an enchanted village filled with people who can live forever. They are said to be ruled by the most handsome prince in the world…"

Kaede had been awakened by a masculine cry. She quickly sat up as she noticed that her patient was tossing and turning while muttering incoherent words. All the priestess was worried about was that he would reopen the wounds in his struggles. Because he was so weak, he did not have the strength to fight her off when she straddled him and placed her hands firmly on his chest to keep him from moving. But he continued to mutter things… He kept mentioning something about a demon and several men. Must be about his recent ordeal, she thought. She reached over to a bowl with cold water to grab a folded cloth that was inside, and placed it on his head after wringing out the excess water. His skin was a deathly pale, but fever blushed in his cheeks. When she was cleaning his wounds, she had noticed the defined muscled planes of his chest and abdomen. He must have been a strong man before his incident. Kaede had wondered at what he must have been. A warrior, definitely, but was he just any warrior? Was he a high ranking official, or was he just minor soldier serving under one?

The priestess briefly worried over her slight fascination with this man, until she remembered that he was new. She knew everyone in all the villages that she visited. It's been years since a new face showed up at her gates like this. He turned his head sharply, his face to her, and the quick movement made the cloth slide off his forehead. It was then that she lost control over one little action. Impulse made her reach her fingers to lightly brush the dark strands of hair from his face. Though her touch was light, her patient slightly stirred and opened his eyes. Kaede gasped in surprise and in awe. His eyes were of the most unusual color for a human. They were gray, storm gray. She finally realized that she was still straddling her patient, and her night kimono was disheveled with it riding up her legs and nearly sliding off her shoulder. Despite his current condition, her patient obviously noticed too for he smiled weakly and said, "Being dead isn't so bad after all."

If that wasn't bad enough, her 'guards' chose that moment to storm in after hearing some noises from inside the hut. The priestess and guards kept looking back and forth towards each other and to the patient. The patient however passed back out with a blissful smile on his face.

Note: I know, long chap but I like it better than my last. It's a bit rushed though. Again I was trying to get past all the little introductory stuff, but I love how I ended it. Such a nice little spot to leave Kaede in, is it not? I do plan on editing everything, such as grammar and everything us writers have to worry about.

For those of you who don't know, a yukata is a more informal kimono. It's very light so it's worn in the summer. Today it is the most commonly worn kimono during summer events. (if memory serves me right that is) In the old days it was worn for after baths and was worn loosely. But in any case Kaede wears it as a night kimono in the story, because I say she does. :0p I hope my information is right. I had read about somewhere, but don't be afraid to correct me if I'm wrong.

If you have any questions about something in my story, email me at Other than that just review. Thank you to those who already have.

Jul-chan