Chapter two: Stories yet to be told

All Shinto stories told are true myths and do greatly connect with Shinto, Amaterasu-o-mi-kami more so.

The cold of fall came quickly but the rest of the world seemed to be trying to cling to summer by not allowing leafs to change colour or grass to become brittle. The cold air swept across the village, making people rush into their huts for a quick warm up. When people had to be outside they kept to the sunlight and away from the casting shadows. The sun seemed to come and leave quicker then it had ever before, dusk was always on everyone's mind when they stepped out. It was the time of the year when woman would sit inside and talk of marriage, love, and upcoming children. Men worked outside and harvested the last of the food to fed their families till winter pass. Children played with dolls or wooden sticks they pretended as swords inside, and teenagers helped with housework.

By the time I was halfway into my second round of the village, twilight reared its head, a slight smile on its lips. Something about tonight felt nice, welcoming. I picked up pace to escape the coming darkness. I was just about past the lake when I stopped and looked up at the tree. I was about to smile but stopped myself, the firm voice of my High Priestess teacher Kimoyoko reading rule one: no feelings, and looked around. Not one villager was out, and firelight was burning in the huts that did have windows. "Inuyasha-kun, I hadn't seen you all day! I'm sorry for not coming to the meeting place but alas a demon had been killing people in a near by village, I could not yet leave them for dead just-" just to meet with you? That was too cruel.

I sat in the tree, watching as she paced herself slowly to make sure not one demon was near. She spoke with a smile even if her lips never did. I jumped from the tree and said "Pef, whatever, I didn't wait". That was lie; I had sat for most of the afternoon in that place.

I put my long bow across my chest and my heart skipped a beat when the jewel was moved and his eyes darted to it. "Inuyasha-kun, this is my favorite and least favorite time of the long day," I said, turning to what was left of the sunlight. He seemed somewhat mad at me, but I didn't acknowledge it as he was trying to hide it.

I was happy to see she knew me enough to know I wouldn't hurt her now and put her long bow away. "How can it be both? You hate something or love it, those don't mix," I snapped and looked at her, my eyes didn't care for the ball of light. "Because it ends the day and such my turn to retreat inside, but it's beautiful, nay?" She questioned and even when her face was emotionless, her voice held so many notes of happiness, sadness, and hope. She turned to me, I saw the corners of her lips move up a little, "Will you walk me to my hut? Tomorrow at near dusk we will meet again" She asked and began to walk before I could reply, knowing full well I'd say yes.

--

I sniffed when she came into view just outside the village; the sun was weighing too much for itself and sluggishly dropping to the horizon. She held something in her hand and I uneasily shifted to the side. "Inuyasha-kun, hello" She said goddess like again, her voice nearly a whisper and floated in the air. "Kikyou-dono" I replied but with a flat voice, acknowledging her but nothing more.

I knew night was coming so after my praying I rushed to meet him and forgot completely about putting back the wooden tag that held the name of Amaterasu-o-mi-kami. Inuyasha looked at the tag with questioning eyes as I sat down near him, close enough to feel his hair if the wind blew, not close enough to intrude.

"It says Amaterasu-o-mi-kami," She said holding the wooden tag with no picture, just the name engraved and painted black on it, to my face. "Who?" I asked, having no idea on religious matters. She let a small nearly non-existed smile grace her face and covered the tag with her hands and held it to her breast, sighing deeply.

"It's the sun goddess, in Shinto she has much power" I began, glad he was interested in something I said. "Really? I don't know anything about Shinto" He said, interest unable to hide in his voice. "Would you like to know? It really fascinating" I said, slowly inching my way toward him.

I had only just saw that she was not carrying her bow, such trust. "Sure" I said, willing to hear a story if nothing else. She looked at the tag for a moment, I bet picking the words and trying to turn all her training into a story of allure.

"Let start with Amaterasu's story. She is the Sun Goddess, however one day her brother Susanoo ruined a scared building and killed one of her fairest maidens in a fit of rage. She became terrified, so she hid away in a cave, sending the world into darkness. Ama-no-Uzume did a dance to bring her outside her cave and she came out, then the save was closed behind her." I said all this while smiling on the inside; I thought the story was a good conversation starter.

The story seemed a bit vague for my taste; I hoped that wasn't what turned her to Shinto. "And?"

"There is another story I like more," I stated again, maybe such a silly story wasn't to his liking. "Izanagi has a much sadder story, if you're interested". He shrugged and looked at the sun setting, already it was nearly time to go. "Izanagi had fallen in love with Izanami and they planned to have a child. However Gods do not have children like us, they dance almost in circles. However this couple did it wrong" before I could go on he butted in.

"How the hell could Gods not know what they are doing?" I snapped, and she turned to me unaffected. "Well Inuyasha-kun, this was his first wife, and you didn't let me tell you how. One walked the wrong way in the circle, the wife. They were told of the fault by his father, and they fixed it, soon a baby was born" She said, her voice delicate. It's just a stupid love story.

"Well sadly enough, the wife died giving birth," I said with an implied sadness in my voice. His ears perked up when he heard this; happy the story was taking a serious turn. "Well, the husband unable to accept this went to find his wife in the world of the Yomi(dead) to find her the next day" and again he demurred. "Why did he not go the day of? I mean if he loved her" He asked, this time his voice wasn't rough and lost was his defensive voice.

"I think he was in a state of mourning, probably socked and hurt. But nonetheless Inuyasha-kun, he let his new born stay with his sister and made way to the never world. He found before a scared rock seal, and he screeched for the better half of the day until she came to view. 'I'm sorry, I can't returned to the world of life, I have already eaten the fruit of the world and my soul is bound to it. So unable to fully accept that, he waited until nightfall and lit a torch while she slept. That's when he saw her true self" She said all this, the entire time her voice grew darker.

I was now sitting right by him, but still I couldn't close that small gap. He leaned in close to me, waiting on my words, waiting for the conclusion. It felt nice to know I could grab his attention so. "She was rotting flesh, but he could not have saw this before as the underworld is always dark. She awoke to see her lover running in fear, screaming of what horrible thing she had become, In a fit of rage she chased him, until he enter the world of the living and sealed off the world of the dead. She screamed to kill a thousand of his people a day for turning on her so he reply he would give birth too a thousand five hundred a day".

I leaned back, that story I liked. It was bleak, sad and caught you off guard. "I see, that story was pretty good" I said and sat back, my shoulders uncoiling and I waited for her to leave as the sun had already set. She looked at me, and smiled. Her eyes still remained sad, but she dared to smile at me. I had to respond to her, and I smiled back. She neared again and my shoulders tensed up, her shoulder touched mine. "What are you doing?" I asked, afraid almost. Her eyes saddened, and she backed away.

"I'm sorry if it seemed I was too close" I said, and backed away. Inuyasha turned away, and then turned back. "No no, Kikyou-dono. I just um, see you tomorrow?" He said and flashed another smile, his fangs showing brashly. I nodded, and he turned to me. I dared then to speak of my pain. "Inuyasha-kun, being a miko, its not always so impressive" I said making sure to keep my eyebrows from curling up in pain.

She was trying to hold down feelings I saw. They were trying to break that hard exterior and jail they had been contained too. She was a great Miko in my eyes, so able to talk of hard things yet never allow the pain they cause to be shown on her face, only in her eyes. Her eyes were something she could not control; the shine in them darkened or lightened depending on her mood. Sometimes, like now, when she was about to say something sad they held no shine at all. "Kikyou?" I asked, and quickly added 'dono'.

I spoke of the pain of never being able to love, or lose. I spoke of how showing feelings was not allowed. I spoke of never being a woman, and how it pained me. He sat right beside me when he listened, part of me thinking it was only due to pity yet another part said that was stupid. After I was done I couldn't stop my face to become emotional, and I lowered my head, allowing my hair to cover it. I had the nerve then to take his hand in mine, and smiled when he didn't pull it away.

When she spoke so truthfully, I couldn't help but be touched. I was about to put my hand on her shoulder when she suddenly took it in hers. After how much she had told me, I couldn't possibly yank away. Then found that I didn't want too, I wanted to hold her hand. We looked each other in the eye and she smiled again, but still those eyes stayed sad. "Will you walk me back? Night has come so fast" she said and stood, my hand slipping from hers.

I nearly laughed when he suddenly stood up and took my hand again and said 'Sure!' with as much enthusiasm as a child.

--

I sat on the shore of the lake, awaiting something, awaiting nothing. The day had just begun and I had brought more food then I needed because I felt hungry this morning but when the food was ready to be eaten I lost my appetite. Now more then half of what I made was going to waste away, and sadly enough no one in the village would 'taint' a holy woman's food by putting it to their lips.

"Kikyou-dono!" I called out, waving my hand above my head as I neared. She turned and smiled at me, then she stopped, forgetting to hold back feelings. She had brought her bow this time, the early morning light bounced back at me when it hit the black and glossed longbow. A basket sat beside her, wonder what it contained.

"Inuyasha-kun, would you like some food?" I asked when he sat beside me and stirred at the basket. Before he could refuse I spoke "As a Miko no one is allowed to eat anything I make, not even Keade, its too 'holy' almost for them, so I hope you can at least eat it".

She whipped back the blanket covering the basket and I couldn't help but drool a little. Two fresh rice balls with seaweed wrap covering part of them, and I smelt fish in them. Clear soup with small bits of cucumber in them, for texture not taste. On the side in a small pot was green tea, and beside that was a strawberry.

He picked up the rice ball and sniffed it. "Why are you not eating it?" He asked and turned to me, a bit of distrust in his eyes which saddened me. I was about to lie, afraid telling him it was my leftovers but a lie was something I would not tell. "I made too much this morning," I said and he shoved a rice ball towards me. "Eat," he commanded.

She plucked it from my hand and bit down, eating slowly. So it wasn't poisoned, with that I ate the other rice ball. I made her drink some of the soup, poured some tea from some of us and she had to drink first. It was filling even if she ate some of everything; I think she detected the reason why I made her do so.

I understood his reason, but I did think I had earned more trust then that. We sat in silence for a while, and then I asked him something big, something I maybe should not have. "Inuyasha-kun, what of your past?"

I froze; did I have to answer? No I didn't HAVE to, but part of me told my mouth too. "Kikyou-dono, will you die if you don't know?"

No, but part of our relationship would.

She stared silently, wanting to know more then I would ever be willing to tell. "Fine, my mother was human. She was always crying because humans are cruel sick beings. She died while I was still a child. My brother is the lord of the Western Lands and wants me dead. My father is dead, I didn't know him" I finished quickly so if she missed anything, too bad.

A sad childhood, I then turned to myself. "I'm sorry to hear that. As for me, I was always to be the strongest Miko. My mother was a Miko, until she had fallen in love with my father. They kept their love secret, away from the eyes of the watchful villagers. However, one day when they stole away a villager saw them be more then Miko and man. My mother was stripped of her Miko duties, her holy robes, and evidently her powers. They traveled from village to village, however always kicked out. While they searched for a home I was born, and Keade born when we lived outside a village. One day I picked up a bow when I was only five and fired it. My mother saw this and from then on I was training to become a Miko. She was cruel, my mother. If I slipped the bow I'd be hit, and yelling was her form of talking".

Her eyes were blank when she talked, lost in thoughts. It was as if she was off on some other world, I bet she pretended she was to make it easier to talk.

"My mother told me everyday never to ruin my gift, my life, by falling in love… like she had. She would say this with no shame while my father stood by, and he would nod his head in agreement but I saw past that, to the heart that was braking inside him. Then one day the village came under attack by a demon tribe, and my mother was caught as the demons moved on. They… killed her and acted as if she wasn't dead, my father falling right into their trap. His neck was snapped before my eyes as me and Keade hid under the tattered remains of our once so proud hut. After that I traveled to this village, which is more then a few weeks away from my old one. I ask to live here and exchange I would become their Miko, and that's my life as of now" as I finished my story he neared.

I leaned in, almost ready to touch her lips lightly with mine when I pulled back and put my arm around her shoulders, enclosing her. "Thank you" I said and she nodded, and leaned on me. She didn't return to the village until nightfall.