Disclaimer: I don't own anything in Inuyasha.
Hi, guys! To anyone who's read my other stories and happens to be here now, as you'll know, this is my very first Inuyasha fanfic. To any new readers: Hello and welcome! Inuyasha is one of my favorite anime/manga of all time, and I'm so excited to be finally writing about it. I've thought of doing so for years now, but have only just been able to find the time. I figured, what with the recent revitalization of Inuyasha thanks to the new (and ongoing) Yashahime sequel, what better time to write this story than now? I truly hope that I do justice to it and this beautiful couple, and I hope that you will let me know your thoughts!
As you've seen from the description, this is an InuKag romance oneshot. It is set in a world where Kagome is soon to be the Shikon Miko, and (most of it) covers one fateful night before she assumes that responsibility. So while it's a little AU, I have taken pains to ensure that it is not OOC- or, at least, as non-OOC as possible, and the characters will behave more or less as they do in the original series.
But that's all I'll say, to avoid any spoilers! Without further ado, here is my first (and hopefully not last), fanfic in the beloved Inuyasha category. Enjoy!
The Holy Escort had left mere minutes ago, the clattering of their horses' hooves still audible in their wake.
It made sense for the young miko to waver between bravery and trepidation. The dark forest she was now facing down would have made anyone want to turn back. One did not have to be a priestess to know that danger lay here. Aside from the nigh-overwhelming demonic energy flowing from the thickets, all sorts of guttural screeches, rasps and growls sounded from beyond. They were agonizing to hear. Foreboding, eerie-looking lights gleamed and blinked through the darkness. It was unmistakable even to untrained villagefolk. Yokai haunted this forest.
This was where the miko, armed with only a bow and a sole quiver of arrows, was to prove herself worthy of the duty that, following her victory here, would soon be entrusted to her.
Kagome swallowed, her grip on the longbow tightening. She was a Shrine Priestess. She had completed every level of training required to earn that title, albeit only newly. Her entire life, starting from the age of six, had been dedicated to serving the people. Her remarkable powers of purification were talked of among holy gatherings and spread wide enough to catch the attention of high-ranking monks and priests. The rumors surrounding the talented Shrine Maiden had made her a promising contender for the role of Shikon Miko. Only a handful of priestesses were being considered, and Kagome's mentor, the High Priestess Kaede, had revealed to her that she was the favorite to be selected.
A dozen years of grueling study and honing of marksmanship, spiritual potency, healing and meditation, and it had all led to this moment. This was the final test: to purify and slaughter the demons who had being laying waste to the villages surrounding this forest. They had rapidly increased in number over the course of the last year, attacking the people in hordes at least monthly, and burrowing into the trees and caves in refuge by nightfall. She was to emerge victorious all on her own. One miko against hundreds, maybe a thousand, in a similar vein as the legendary Midoriko, whose long, hard-fought battle against innumerable yokai had birthed the Shikon no Tama.
Should Kagome be chosen as the Shikon Miko, she would routinely face duties that were as dangerous as this. The Shikon no Tama, the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls, was sought after by every demon that had heard of it. It had the power to bequeath its holder with insurmountable strength and greatness. Only a human with extraordinary abilities could be tasked with purifying and guarding it so that it did not fall into the grasp of evil yokai that would abuse its gift. If Kagome triumphed tonight, there would be no questioning her skills.
The people who accompanied her were now long gone; she could no longer hear them. Kaede and a few other monks had brought her here, a journey that had taken hours on horseback, and left only with encouragement and prayers for her safety. "Ye need none other but yourself," were Kaede's parting words. "I have taught ye all I can. It is now up to ye to protect the people and claim the fate that pleases ye. I know ye will bring me pride."
It sounded just like what Kaede would say, but Kagome wondered why her old teacher had chosen to say "the fate that pleased" her. What did it matter what pleased Kagome? A priestess lived, fought and died only for her people. She thought of what she could do that pleased them. Selfish desires were frowned upon in a protector of the weak and innocent.
But I'm not weak, thought Kagome. They're thinking of picking me for a reason. I can't falter. I can't let down everyone whose hopes are riding on me.
Still, she wished they could have chosen a night with a moon. Tonight was a moonless one. Darker than any other night, and dark, moonless nights were no doubt something that yokai reveled in.
Gritting her teeth, Kagome strode into the forest and disappeared into its black depths.
The battle began. Yokai swarmed and descended upon her, writhing like eels and creeping like vines. Kagome purified ten, twenty of them at a time with her arrows. She shot bolts of spiritual energy out of her palms. Erected barriers between herself and the demons at a moments' notice, barriers which vaporized them upon contact. Though she was a full-fledged priestess, never had she undertaken a task of this magnitude on her own before. In this, she was still inexperienced. Sweat began to pour from her temples before long and it was all she could do to maintain the upper hand.
Why did it have to be so dark? She couldn't see nearly as well as she wanted to, and her only means of detecting the demons was by sensing their aura, their youki. For a priestess that possessed her high level of sensory perception, it was suffocating and overpowering, like a stench that made her want to retch. The more demons she slew, the more youki ebbed away, much to her relief. She aimed and shot her arrows far and wide, catching the tails of yokai that were fleeing. Still, more and more demons emerged out of the branches to strike her down, and Kagome showed no mercy.
Strangely enough, as she observed the demons' youki, it seemed to Kagome that it diminished much quicker in the first half of the fight, although her pace did not slow much throughout. And, she could have sworn that, around that halfway point, a great deal of the youki suddenly dissipated. Not gradually: it ceased. Had she killed an unusually vast number of them in just an instant? Even with how hard she was trying, she couldn't see how that was possible. Their onslaught and her defense was steady, so rather than scores of them being slain by her in the blink of an eye, it would have made more sense that they fled, but even then, Kagome should have been able to sense their youki growing fainter. It was very peculiar.
Regardless, she could not let herself become too distracted by these inconsequential matters. What mattered was that she wipe out this entire forest of demons by sunrise. And that was what she did. Much sooner than she had even hoped, the body of the last yokai disintegrated before her eyes in the stream of purifying energy from her final arrow. Kagome was the only one left standing.
Panting heavily as she surveyed the scene before her, she gulped in deep swigs of clean, cleared air. Not a shred of youki was detectable. She, the miko, was victorious. She had single-handedly protected the villages from the demons' tyranny. She would be the Shikon Miko, there was no doubt about that now. She paused to let the triumph wash over her. It had not been easy, not in the least bit, but though she had had to work for it, Kagome couldn't help but feel like it hadn't been as difficult as she'd spent weeks bracing herself for. She had risen to the challenge, as she believed she would, but met it better than she'd expected.
She could not go home yet; a priestess made sure that the job was finished before departing the area. Kagome made her way to a stream that flowed through the forest and bathed her face, neck and arms, cleaning them of all the battle's sweat and dirt. Getting to her feet and straightening her miko attire, she began to comb the forest of any last shreds of yokai that may have been hidden within.
Walking through the trees, she found nothing. But she needed to be thorough. She spotted a cave on a hill some distance away. It would have made an ideal shelter for yokai that sought to conceal themselves. Kagome was out of arrows, but that didn't matter. She had other weapons. Bravely, she walked towards the hill.
Stepping up to the mouth of the cave, Kagome peered in. It didn't seem like there was anything there. She ventured inside just to be sure, and, suddenly, she saw a rustling movement. Her breath catching in her throat, Kagome squinted hard at where it came from. There, huddled against the corner of the cave, was a figure cloaked in shadows. It was too dark to make out, and Kagome inwardly cursed the moonless night.
She could discern that the figure was crouched over. It was most assuredly not a demon- with its size, she would have sensed its youki from a li away. An animal, perhaps? As she drew closer, a fresh, metallic smell hit her nostrils. She knew all too well what that was: blood. Whatever the thing was, it was injured. She decided to take a chance.
"Whoever you are," she said, "if you're peaceful, you needn't fear me."
A few seconds passed. Then-
"Stay away from me." A man's voice! As she suspected, it was no yokai. She quickly tapped into her spiritual energy to pick up his aura, just to be certain. Sure enough, it was wholly human.
"Don't worry," Kagome said. "I can tell you're hurt. The demons are gone. I can help you."
The man was silent as he seemed to consider this. "How do I know I can trust you?"
His tone was harsh, his voice had a rough quality to it. It was clear that he was attempting to mask pain.
"You'll just have to take my word for it," answered Kagome. "I'm a-"
"A priestess," he said. "I know."
Kagome was surprised, but didn't show it. "Did you see me fighting down there?" She tried not to allow too much pride into her voice. It seemed like someone had witnessed her prowess, after all. "Well, in that case, you know I wouldn't harm you. Miko exist to serve others."
The man stayed quiet. Taking this as assent, Kagome approached him carefully. It was still far too dark in the cave to make out much, but she could tell, by the measured breaths he drew in, that he was likely more injured he was letting on. She knelt down and gently reached for him, touching an elbow. He pulled back as though stung, and then winced. No doubt the movement had aggravated his wounds.
"I'll be fine soon enough," he said shortly. "I don't need any help. You oughta just leave."
Kagome sighed. "Please give me a chance," she said. "I can't consider my duties tonight fulfilled unless I help you. Let me heal you. I promise it won't take a minute. I'll leave after that."
The man scoffed. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she sensed him turning his face to the side. When he made no answer, she slowly reached for him again, and he didn't shirk away this time. Using her light, expert touch, she quickly discovered where he was injured. The worst of them was a gash running diagonally across his side. That was where she would begin.
"I'll need you to be still," she said. "And do your best to relax. It won't hurt as long as you do."
Summoning up her reiki, Kagome raised both her palms over the wound and murmured an incantation. At once, the soft pink glow of her spiritual aura emanated from her hands and illuminated his body, bathing the both of them in dim light.
As she healed him, Kagome raised her eyes to the man's face, and her mouth dropped open. He was looking at her too. And she was stunned to see that he was far more attractive than she'd been prepared for.
His thick, black hair was unusually long. Kagome's own blue-black waves reached her waist, but this man's looked like it fell well past his. His skin was a light caramel tan; she absently wondered if he let it become sun-bronzed. And his eyes, his eyes were the most startling of all. They were large and deep grey, the light from her reiki painting them a dark violet. By his expression, she could tell that he was wary of her. His jaw seemed set and his features were contorted in a frown. Though he seemed to be bearing the pain without complaint, the beads of sweat on his brow betrayed his effort. She could see now that he was a young man; likely older than herself, but barely.
Suddenly conscious, Kagome tore her eyes away from his face and concentrated on the wound. Under her direction, the bleeding slowed, coming to a stop. The gash began narrowing, the flesh seemingly stitching itself closed, the skin renewing and stretching over the old, reminding her of a butterfly shedding its cocoon. Kagome loved to see it. As much as she had done this in the past, she never tired of marveling at the miraculous nature of a miko's healing powers.
"Does that feel better?" she asked by-and-by.
She had a feeling he wouldn't respond, but he surprised her by saying, "Yeah." His voice seemed to have calmed, loosened.
"I'm glad," she said brightly. She worked on the gash for a little while longer. It wasn't actually too deep; but she reckoned if he hadn't gotten it tended to for more than few days, it would have proven lethal. When finished, she said, "Now, let's see the others." To her relief, he offered no resistance as she healed the rest of his body. The only other injuries were on his arms.
"Were you attacked by the forest yokai?" she asked.
"I was."
"Strange that you were so close to them," she wondered aloud. "Everyone knew this was a demonic dwelling for a while now. People have been careful to avoid these woods."
"I don't live around here, and I stumbled upon this place before they'd come back," he muttered. "It was too late to leave the forest by the time I found out, so I hid out in here."
"I see." She could sense him still watching her. It made her feel strangely alert. She didn't look up. As she healed him, she noticed his wounds were rather interesting. They were placed on his wrists and forearms, which made it seem like he wasn't just being attacked, but like he had fought back. Oddly enough, his fingertips and nails, rather than worn down or caked with dirt or blood, looked perfectly even and smooth.
"It was brave of you to try to hold your own against them," Kagome said quietly. "You might not have survived it."
"Keh." She sensed the man turn his head away, and so, she chanced a glance at him again. His face was toward the wall, and he was still frowning slightly. "Brave. There's nothin' brave about me. All I am's a lowly human."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Humans are weak."
Kagome was taken aback. "Well, I'm a human," she said. "Am I weak? You saw what I did down there."
The man scoffed. "Easy for you to say. You're a priestess. You're supposed to be strong. I'm just an ordinary man. Those small fry shouldn't have stood a chance against me, and yet..." his voice trailed off into inaudible mutters.
Her interest piqued, Kagome said, "Is there anything wrong with being ordinary? Sometimes, that's what makes you special."
"What're you getting at?"
"Well," she began, then stopped, embarrassed. What she'd almost said was how, while he may be human, there was certainly nothing ordinary about him. She didn't trust herself to look at him for too long. She wanted to maintain absolute composure. "Well, sometimes it's wiser to be content with yourself as you are," she said instead.
"Then are you content with yourself as you are?"
Kagome did a double-take. She hadn't been expecting to be asked that, least of all by a stranger.
"Of course I am," she said slowly, not quite sure why she was even answering. "I wouldn't want to be any other way. I've just succeeded in my most important mission yet. Everyone will be proud of me. Tomorrow, I'll be entrusted with something that no single miko's ever been before." She stopped, fearful she had said too much. She hoped the stranger wouldn't ask what it was. Curiously, he didn't.
"And that's all you want out of life? Nothing more?"
"A miko isn't meant to want anything more."
He let out a harsh bark of laughter that caught her off-guard. "So you're tellin' me you never even thought about it? Because you're not supposed to want anything, it's that easy for you not to?"
Wordlessly, Kagome considered this. How much had she ever thought about it? She was sure she had, but had those thoughts ever led to anywhere that made a difference? She had trained for this life for well over a decade. Now eighteen, there were indeed times when she'd thought of her life as compared to those of other girls her age. But thinking such thoughts had never been fruitful, because she hadn't come up with many answers. Perhaps because until now, she didn't know what questions to ask.
If the man noticed she hadn't answered him, he didn't say so.
"You're all healed up," Kagome said at last. "I'll get some water."
She exited the cave and went back down to the stream, taking her empty quiver with her. She returned with it full of water. Kagome proceeded to sit by the man and trickled the water over his arms, washing away the dried-up bloodstains.
"You don't have to do that," he said curtly.
"It's no trouble. It's a miko's duty to help everyone."
"Everyone?"
"Yes."
"Even yokai?"
The water cupped in Kagome's hand slipped out and splashed on the floor.
"What kind of a question is that?" she said at last, in hushed tones. "Why should anyone do such a thing?"
She could tell, even in the absence of her healing light, that he was smirking. "Must be nice to find your duties so easy to fulfill, Priestess."
Kagome's voice caught in her throat, and she could feel redness flare up in her cheeks. He was mocking her! How could he do that after she'd helped him? She pouted, her chest swelling with trying not to respond in an affronted way. Thankfully, right at that moment, a rumbling, indicating approaching thunder, descended upon the sky.
"Sounds like rain soon," said the stranger.
Kagome gritted her teeth. That meant they would be stuck in the cave until it passed. "We'll need to make a fire."
She felt him shift forward. "I'll get the wood," he said.
"No," she said calmly, holding a hand up. "You might be healed, but it's still best to stay put for now, just to be safe. I'll go."
Twenty minutes later, the two of them were sitting by each other, waiting out the storm that was raging overhead while a fire burned near the mouth of the cave. The fire, combined with the lightning that lit up the clouds every now and then, now made it bright enough for them to be able to see each other. In spite of the moonless night.
Kagome's arms were hugging her body as her back shuddered against the cave wall. Despite the warmth of the fire, it wasn't enough.
"If you're cold, I can give ya my robe," he said gruffly.
She looked up at him in surprise. It did seem like a warm enough robe. It was also a deep red from top to bottom. Another unusual thing she hadn't noticed about him initially. Most fabric didn't look quite so fine, and bright and... alive.
"You don't have to," Kagome said shortly. "I'm fine." His words still rankled in her head. What had he expected of her? To say that she would help yokai? She'd been taught all her life to fear and protect from them. And with good reason! Why should she help one of them? Her face was pointed towards the fire, away from him, so she gave a start when she felt something warm and heavy cover her shoulders. She looked back at him in begrudging gratitude, and saw that he'd removed his outer jacket, now dressed in just a pale inner kosode.
"Thank you."
"Least I could do."
She stared at him as he looked ahead, sitting cross-legged with his arms folded. What were the odds she'd find someone like him in this cave? She couldn't figure him out. As she'd already mused earlier, there was nothing ordinary about him. Why should he think himself weak? Or lowly? His robe was clearly something that peasants didn't carry around. It warmed her well. And, though she tried not to be aware of this, it smelled... good.
"I thought about what you said," she offered. "And I really would help anyone I came across. I like doing it. It's not forced on me, and even if it was, I wouldn't mind because it's for the greater good. I like doing the right thing. But, helping demons just isn't what miko do. Not because they don't want to. But mainly because yokai don't need or want our help."
Kagome thought she saw another flicker of humor cross his face at her words. But she couldn't be sure.
"Then what if you came in here, and found a wounded yokai?" he asked. "Would you help it? Or kill it?"
Kagome swallowed again. "A... a wounded yokai wouldn't accept my help," she said at last. "Demons hate humans. They only seek to hurt them. That's why I was called here to get rid of them. If I let my guard down, I'd be the one who was killed."
"Humans hurt demons as well. Everyone hates those that are different from them. No one's above hatred of anything. Including you, Priestess."
Kagome bit her lip to keep from retorting with indignation.
"I'm not sayin' that to piss you off either," he went on. "I don't even know you. But you're probably a good woman. People just don't realize their own failings. So, lemme ask you again. If I wasn't a wounded human, but a wounded yokai, would you've killed me?"
"I... not if I knew it was you," Kagome said instinctively. "Because you mean me no harm."
The man grinned, and Kagome's heart skipped a beat to see how it transformed his face. Unlike his sardonic laughter, this one was genuine, one that indicated true feeling. "Now we're gettin' somewhere," was all he said. "We ain't there yet, but getting closer."
She was a bit rattled over how much his reaction excited her. "Why does any of this matter to you, anyway?" she asked. "Who cares about whether I'd help or hurt a yokai?" Hadn't he been hurt by them too, after all?
After a pause, he answered, "Maybe I'm just interested in what people think their place is in the world. I envy people who seem so sure of themselves. Who think this stuff's so cut and dry. So simple."
"And you," she ventured, "do you think it's simple?"
"Hell no. Everything's messy and grey. People who think otherwise are kiddin' themselves. I don't think I've ever met anyone that's completely good."
Kagome couldn't suppress a laugh. "Well, maybe you do have a point. But I still think there are some things that are cut and dry. And just like you said, maybe no one's completely good, but that means no one's completely bad, either. If even some yokai deserve help, then there's good to be found in everyone. Don't you think?"
His gaze lingered on her for a few minutes, and Kagome found herself blushing.
"Touché, Priestess," he said finally, and stretched his long legs out in front of him, arms still folded over his chest. Kagome tittered again. "Alright, say I give you that," he said, looking more interested now, "then you gotta give me that everything's messy. In that case, what do you want aside from fulfilling your duties? There's gotta be something."
"Hmmm." She pulled his robe a bit more securely around herself as she pondered her answer. Had she ever been allowed to think about this in depth before? She was always so focused on her spiritual training. Her calling as Shikon Miko. Her responsibilities to the people she served. What did other girls do? The ones who hadn't been gifted with her miko abilities? They learned to be wives and mothers, mostly. Some of them went to school, an ordinary school, for longer than she had. They learned to be pretty. They had lots of friends. Her only "friend" was her little brother, Sota. And she spent so much time at the shrine, often sleeping there nights in a row as part of her duties, that she didn't even see him all that much. At least Buyo, the shrine cat, was fun to play with whenever she had a spare moment.
A few of the girls she'd grown up with had become courtesans, a couple to high-ranking officials. Many had taken lovers. Kagome blushed to think about it. It was improper for a miko to even entertain such notions. Still, she'd see the women her childhood acquaintances had become cavort about the village, flaunting men and boys that lusted after them, and sometimes she'd wondered if, given the chance, she'd have ever been able to attract any herself.
"I guess the main thing I can't do is have a family," she chose to say at last. "That's all that comes to mind," she lied.
"Miko aren't allowed to have families?"
"It's frowned upon," she said, looking up at him with a smile. "Discouraged. The belief is, it'll interfere with our duties. That's why most priests, priestesses and houshi choose not to. Too much judgement from the rest of the villagers."
He snorted, as though he knew all too well about judgement. "You lookin' forward to lifelong celibacy?"
"Well," she said, snickering lightly at how he'd phrased it, "would you?"
He was quiet, eyes boring into hers. It was quite discomfiting, but in the most pleasant way. She didn't know how to describe why. But she liked being gazed upon so. By him, anyway. "No," he said at last, still staring into her eyes. "No, I can't say I would."
A new, much stronger blush crept across her face. She could feel the color rise in her cheeks. Her heartbeat quickened as she looked back at him, the cocoa-brown eyes staring into the dark grey, the smooth, shiny skin, the lustrous, long hair, firelight dancing on those perfectly chiseled yet delicate features.
"You're beautiful."
The man blinked, eyebrows raised. His lips parted slightly, and, Kagome realized in alarm that she'd said those words out loud. Mortified, she tore her eyes away and looked straight at the ground. "Forgive me," she said, her face as red as the hakama she wore. "It's just that I've never seen anyone like you before. I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to be so rude." Her fingers fidgeted in her lap as she tried to fight back the giddiness in her chest. What on earth was wrong with her?
"Don't sweat it," he said in a soft voice. "I ain't bothered or nothin'."
She nodded numbly, not knowing what else to say.
"It looks like the rain's not gonna let up till sunrise," he said presently. "Where's your village? Isn't someone gonna come get you?"
"My village isn't for many li," she sighed. "And they won't come. They brought me here, but part of the task is to make it back myself, without help."
The man was silent for a few minutes. He seemed... concerned about something. "More yokai may show up in the morning," he said at last. "You're out of arrows."
"That's okay," Kagome said cheerfully. "I still have my bow. I can imbue it with my reiki and fight them off that way. I won't have the range of my arrows, but I'm not helpless without them."
"If you hadn't stopped here, you might have been able to find shelter in one of the nearby villages," he said, unperturbed by her words. "You could've left in time before the rain."
"You don't need to worry about it," Kagome said slowly, watching him. "I'm glad I helped you. I wasn't just going to let you bleed out. And at least this way, neither of us needs to be alone."
He turned his eyes on her again. "You said that sometimes, being ordinary is special," he said. "What do you like about ordinary people?"
Another question she hadn't been expecting. She was being asked quite a bit about her likes and dislikes tonight, she realized. Perhaps more tonight than she had been in the last several years of her life combined.
"Well, sometimes, seeing people enjoy the little things in life makes me want to experience them too," she said. "The girls in my village wear pretty clothes, and many of them paint their lips."
"'Paint their lips'?" he said, turning to look at her again.
She giggled. "With rouge. You know. The beni women wear."
That seemed to explain things. He raised his eyebrows in understanding. "You don't even need that."
"I don't?"
"No. Your lips are plenty rosy as they are."
This time, Kagome felt the heat spread to her ears. The back of her neck grew hot as well. It almost felt like they didn't even need the fire for warmth. Speechless, she lowered her eyes, focusing on her knees. So, the man had been looking at her lips? She probably shouldn't be so surprised. He was a man, and she was still a woman, after all. Maybe he'd even looked at the rest of her face, or her body. The idea brought her a rush. She'd already looked at and appreciated his appearance plenty. It was gratifying to know that maybe, he'd been doing the same.
She gave her head a little shake. Why did she keep thinking such thoughts tonight? It was him. There was something about him that kept drawing her in. Not for the first time this moonless night, she wondered just how ordinary he really was.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He grunted in response. Kagome couldn't fight off a smile at that. She was growing accustomed to his mannerisms as the night went on. She realized she liked this straightforward, unconventional way about him.
"So, where do you come from, then?" she said. "Where's your village?"
"Nowhere," he answered, not to her surprise. "There's nothing for me to go back to. I just keep it moving."
"You don't have a home?"
"Haven't for ages."
She felt sorry then. She'd noticed before that he was barefoot, which already gave her the feeling that he was something of a wanderer. But it must be hard to know you had nowhere to return. The rain raged on as they sat in silence together. She peered at the cave's opening again and saw it was still pitch dark outside. She sighed plaintively.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Nothing really," she said. "I just wish it wasn't so gloomy out there. I don't like nights like these."
"Why's that?"
"I don't like nights with no moon."
"There isn't no moon."
"Sure there isn't," Kagome said. "See, up in the sky. There isn't a moon."
"Not no moon. It's a new moon. Not the same thing."
Kagome looked at it him quizzically, an eyebrow raised. "What's the difference?" she asked. "Don't they look the same?"
"There's no difference in what you can see," he said, "but just in how you think of it. No moon means there's nothin' there. It's just empty. But a new moon implies a continuing cycle. Rebirth. New beginnings."
Kagome's mouth had fallen slightly agape as she listened. So much wisdom coming from this stranger. It almost sounded like something she'd expect from Kaede. He kept subverting any assumptions she may have had of him. Unconsciously, she inched closer to him so that the side of her arm grazed his. She turned toward the cave's entrance with new eyes. It was still dark out. But the fire shone light on the downpour as the individual whitish flecks cascaded down from above. She could see the clouds overhead, smoky, dark violet puffs against the indigo sky.
She turned back to the man, and he was watching her. His eyes were as silvery as ever. The fire's glow painted his skin gold, the flames' shadow dancing on his face. It was like looking into her own personal moon, she realized. There may not be one in the sky, but with his eyes upon here, it felt like the moon was right here in this cave with her.
"There's something I keep wanting to call you," she said suddenly.
"And what's that?"
She smiled sheepishly. "Tsuya. Because you remind me of the moonlight." 'Tsukiyomi' is closer to what I thought, she admitted to herself. The moon god himself couldn't have been more entrancing than this man.
He grinned, seeming to mull this name over in his head. "I like it," he said, and Kagome blushed again. "I wasn't tryin' to hurt your feelings earlier," he said. "About it being easy to fulfill your duties. I'm sorry."
Kagome shook her head, nonplussed. "I'd already forgotten about that," she said meekly.
He grinned. "We're gonna be stuck here till morning," he said. "If you'd rather not sleep with me around, I can split. Spend the night in a tree. Rain doesn't bother me much."
She shook her head again. "Not at all," she said, unable to look away from his eyes. "It's coming down too hard. We can just wait it out."
"Are you afraid to fall asleep?"
"No," she said. "I'm a Shrine Maiden. I can protect myself."
"That's why you're not afraid? Because you know you can protect yourself?"
"No," said Kagome, barely aware of her own lack of filter at this stage. "I know you won't hurt me."
His eyes seemed to soften. Slowly, he reached out, touching her face with his fingertips. As she sat still, he brushed some loose, damp strands of hair away from her cheek. Kagome was hardly breathing. Her heart began to speed up.
"You healed me, Priestess," he said, his voice low. "Any way I can repay you?"
"I..." Kagome whispered, heart pounding in her ears, "I-"
Just then, a resounding clap of thunder sounded from outside the cave and lightning lit up the sky. Kagome squealed and on impulse, she buried her face in his chest, hands clutching at his shirt.
She could sense how startled he was. After a few seconds of silence, slowly, his hands descended upon her shoulders, covering them whole as his fingers closed in around them.
"Priestess?" he said.
"I'm scared of thunderstorms, Tsuya," Kagome whispered, blinking back tears. "I've never been any good with them. They scare me so much."
"Plenty of people are," he said, with surprising gentleness. "Nothin' to be embarrassed about."
"Yes, there is. I'm a shameful excuse for a miko. How can I protect anyone if... if..."
She was cut off by a sob, and, without warning, she felt his arms, large and strong, enfold her closer to his chest.
"I'd trust you to protect me over anyone who didn't fear storms."
Trembling, Kagome looked up to face him, gratitude filling her eyes, her grip on his kosode tightening. He was looking down at her steadily, sympathy in his expression. "Is that why you said you didn't like moonless nights?"
"Yes," she confessed. "I don't like not being able to see. I don't like being trapped in darkness when there's thunder booming in my ears, and-"
Another clap of thunder, and she yelped and hid again, forehead pressed against his neck. Immediately, his hand found the back of her head and stroked. It was comforting.
"I won't leave," he said to her in low tones a minute later. "Don't worry. You won't have to wait it out alone."
Kagome could have wept at his words. While held to his body, she could smell more of the scent he'd left in his robe. He smelled of cinnamon, musk, fresh earthiness all at once. It soothed her. "Then," she said, struggling to keep her composure, "then it's almost like you're the one protecting me."
"Maybe that's okay," he said. "Maybe the point is that you don't have to be the only one protecting everyone all the time. Maybe there's nothing wrong with letting someone take care of ya."
She let this sink in. It sounded so right. Felt so right. But, she was a Shrine Priestess. What good was she if she needed anyone's help? She was supposed to be invulnerable. As though he had read her mind, he said,
"A priestess is still human. It's human to be vulnerable. And there's nothin' wrong with that. You said it yourself."
"Yes, but I'm not an ordinary human. I don't have the luxury to be afraid of things ordinary people are afraid of. Just like I can't do what other women do. Like paint my lips, wear pretty kimono, go to a normal school, have a family, or..."
"Or?"
"Take a lover," she whispered, figuring that if she was going to spill her heart out, there was no sense in keeping that a secret. She felt his body go rigid.
"You," he said carefully, "You've never had a lover?"
She shook her head against his neck.
"Does that bother you?" he said quietly.
"Bother me?"
"If you could be an ordinary woman," he said, "would you want a lover?"
"I..." Kagome said, her mouth dry. "I- no. Not just anyone. I wouldn't want a stranger. It would have to be someone I could trust."
She felt his hand reach under her face and lift her chin up to meet his eyes.
"Do you trust me?"
Kagome blinked in shock. His voice had gone eerily low. It sounded husky. Intimate. Those silvery eyes were half-lidded as they gazed her straight in the face.
"Tsuya..." she stammered.
"I never thanked you for helping me. I think I wanna do that tonight. Do you trust me, Priestess?"
Kagome swallowed, her heart pounding louder than ever before. "How... do you want to thank me?"
"By treating you as a woman," he said, sending chills down her spine. "Giving you what you want. Let me protect you from the storm as a man would."
Kagome's mouth fell open, adrenaline flooding her senses. How could she consent? Miko didn't have such relations. Miko put duty above all else. Others before themselves. On the other hand... how could she refuse? This handsome, mysterious stranger she felt an inexplicable kinship, connection with... he was looking at her with such desire. They were alone together. No one but them would know. There must have been a reason why she'd blurted out never having had a lover. Maybe, deep down, she hoped he would want to change that.
And trust? She'd answered that already, without even realizing it. Looking at him now, she believed what she'd said. Whoever he was, she knew this man wouldn't hurt her. She was safe with him.
A delicious, glowing warmth began growing in her belly, spreading throughout her body all the way to her fingertips. The feeling wasn't entirely foreign, but never had it been anywhere as palpable. Kagome was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was cuddled onto his lap. Very aware that their faces were inches apart. His warmth. His intoxicating scent. That the storm's echoes grew dimmer and dimmer. That there was no moon out there because it wasright here before her. Perhaps, just for tonight, she could allow herself to feel. Perhaps tonight, she could be more than just a priestess. Tonight, she could know what it was to be a man's woman.
As though in a dream, she lifted her arms from his chest and slipped them both around his neck. Tremulously, she gave a nod.
It was as if a flash of glee crossed his features, just like lightning. She saw a smile. He lowered his head and pressed his lips into her neck. She gasped as his mouth, hot and searching, opened up into kisses he placed on her throat, the base of her neck, up along the side, beneath her ear. Goosebumps popped along her skin, it was like every kiss opened her up like a flower a little more. He kissed his way to her face, then pausing to look into her eyes, he cupped her cheek with a hand and took her lips in his.
Desire erupted in the center of her being. No man had ever kissed her before, and no man ever could again, not like this. His lips parted hers, teaching them to move along with his, and she kissed him in return with fervor. Everything that made any sense to her before was now discarded, nothing mattered other than this man, and the fact that he was going to love her tonight like she never had been.
The passion his kisses injected into her took her breath away. Her arms wrapped themselves ever tighter around his neck, pressing her body to his as they kissed, gasps and sighs escaping her lips as she felt his hands encircle her waist, her hips; run up and down her back.
As he continued to kiss her with increasing intensity, his hands peeled back her kosode from her shoulders, lowering it till it barely clung to her chest, the cleft between her breasts on full display. He drew back momentarily.
"Say, Priestess," he panted, his eyes glittering as they took her in, "that's a nice body you've got there."
Breathing heavily herself, Kagome flushed, giddiness threatening to overtake her. "Do you... you like what you see?" she said shyly.
Grinning, he bent so that his mouth touched her ear.
"I wanna ravish you," he growled.
Kagome felt weak at the knees; they would have given way had she been upright, so it was a good thing she was gathered unto him. He feathered more kisses along her neck and the top of her chest as his hands pulled off her kosode and undid the bow of her hakama. Lust, molten and white-hot, calcified in her loins. He tugged at the white ribbon that secured her long black hair at the nape of her neck, letting it flow free. He removed both her top and bottom garments, and, his hand beneath her head, carefully lowered her onto the ground, her clothes as well as his robe providing cushioning for her now fully naked body.
A chill fell upon her exposed skin, even as the heat of the fire was cast upon her. It wasn't warm enough. It wouldn't be enough until she could feel him upon her, and as he hovered over her, making his way down her face, pressing his lips to each of her eyelids, cheeks and the bridge of her nose, Kagome could hardly wait.
His hands, strong yet so tender in their touch, glided down her side, caressing her curves, taking a gentle squeeze of her thigh or hip here and there as his lips continued their onslaught on hers. Pausing, he pulled back, leaning on hands that were planted on the ground on either side of her.
"It's like you were sculpted by the goddamned kami themselves," he said, his voice ragged with yearning as his eyes roved over her lithe form appreciatively. "You're dazzlingly beautiful." Kagome's blush darkened. He bent his head toward her breasts and took a nipple into his mouth.
Kagome let out a gasp of shock intermingled with pure gratification. Why did that feel so good! Before she even had time to process the pleasure from this first contact, he began to suckle, and it drove her wild. Her hands entwined themselves in his thick, silky hair of their own accord, pushing his face deeper into her breasts. She wanted him to take her right then, take her fully, make her his woman. But he wasn't finished with his mouth, not yet. He devoted equal attention to both her breasts, caressing them with his hands and moaning softly into her chest every time she twitched.
Once he was satisfied, he kissed down her body, past her navel and between her thighs; she watched his head tip lower and cried out in the next second, feeling his lips press an open-mouthed kiss into her nether region. Her voice mounted in pitch and volume as his tongue began to work miracles into her flesh.
"Do you like this, Priestess?" he murmured against her between silken strokes.
"Yes," she breathed, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she bit her lip, trying to keep from going into convulsions. I love it, she wanted to scream. "Do I," she whispered, "do I taste good?" She could feel his soft laughter; she wondered when she'd become so wanton as to ask such a thing.
"You taste delicious," he said, picking up the speed, and she squealed in ecstasy. "Juicy and sweet." His tongue probed deeper, sending her writhing as the pleasure of it all wracked her body.
"Tsuya," she whimpered, shutting her eyes as hundreds of little lights exploded across her mind; she saw stars colliding, they threatened to pull her up into the heavens. He moaned into her, enjoying her satiation, the vibrations of his timbre making her howl as they shook all the walls of her world. She clamped her thighs against his head, her hands holding his face in place; one last tremor ran through her before she fell still, head spinning, gasping for air.
He sat back on his heels, licking his lips with relish. With a shaking hand, Kagome reached out for him, finding his sleeve and holding fast.
"Tsuya," she said weakly. "Come... come back to me." He granted her request only too willingly, leaning into her arms and kissing her with renewed vigor as well as added comfort, tending to her in her state of unadulterated bliss.
"So good," he was saying amid kisses. "You did so good, Priestess."
"Was it... was I good for you, too?"
"Perfect," he murmured, opening her mouth with his. "You're perfect for me."
She wrapped her arms around him tighter, her kisses growing desperate. "More," she said, hardly able to contain herself. "Love me more. Please?"
"All night," he promised, pulling off his kosode as her fingers fumbled with undoing his sashinuki. "All night."
He shrugged away his clothing, tucking it beneath her head and body again so that she was further protected from the rough, uneven ground, and slowly lowered himself onto her. His bare chest met hers, and Kagome could have cried in delight. To feel his skin, uncovered uninhibited, against hers... tingles streamed through her senses. She traced her fingers across his pecs, flitting her hands over his body, wanting to consume him whole.
She could see their shadows dancing on the walls, cast there and magnified by the fire. He poised himself above her, his face so close to hers that his long, night-dark hair cascaded around them like a curtain so that she could see nothing but him, his beautiful, lust-filled face.
Tsukiyomi, Kagome couldn't resist thinking rapturously. He's the Moon God personified. He has to be.
"I want you, Priestess," he said, his voice divinely male to her ears. "Tell me you want this."
"Oh, yes," she whispered, her pulse speeding up again. "I want it more than I ever thought I could."
A grin flashed across his face again; that seemed to please him. He took her in his arms and cradled her body to his with such tenderness, it made Kagome's heart flutter; they were pressed together, forehead to forehead as they stared into each other's eyes.
"If you want me to stop," he said huskily, through gritted teeth, "just say the word."
She nodded, already trembling with anticipation. He kissed her deeply again, and then, without ever breaking the kiss, he started to enter her. Kagome clutched at his back, the fingers of one hand knotted in his hair; she couldn't help but tense up. But his hands at her hips, thumbs rubbing circles into her skin, helped her relax, and she spread her legs apart to receive him fully. She cried out and broke the kiss, more out of shock from the unfamiliar sensation than pain; he was being far too careful for it to truly hurt, but she couldn't help feeling the discomfort.
"Shh," he said coolly, kissing her face and the corners of her eyes where tears were forming once again. "Give it a minute, Priestess. Trust me." His teeth were still clenched, and Kagome realized with a pang that it was from the effort it took for him to keep still and hold back from ravishing her mercilessly as he'd said he would.
"I," she said weakly, overwhelmed by his selflessness, "I trust you, Tsuya."
Soon enough, as she acclimated to him, she grew to love the feeling of him being inside her. She sighed, wrapping her legs around him too, which told him it was time.
"There ya go," he whispered eagerly as he began to move within her, making her gasp and squirm in ecstasy. "You learn fast, Priestess." He paused to gaze upon her pale, flushed, beautiful body spread beneath him as it basked in the bliss of their lovemaking. "My Goddess."
The rest seemed to pass by in both an eternity and an instant. Her body thrashed, hips bucking against his in time with his thrusts, fingers lacing together, lips meeting incessantly, many glowing moons floating before her eyes as she gave herself over completely to her vigorous, passionate lover. She was no self-sacrificing miko tonight, but a woman giving in to her carnal desires, a woman being loved in the absolute way. She couldn't give this up; she had to have it forever. "Take me with you," she gasped, not even fully in control of her words, entranced by the mastery with which he fulfilled her. "I want to be yours."
"You are mine," he answered, thrusting faster and harder. "All mine."
All his... all his!
The possibilities engulfed her mind; fleeing with him come daybreak, settling together in one place so that he no longer had to wander, protecting him from yokai as he protected her from thunderstorms and the dark, she would be his woman and he her man, they would wed and she would bear his children. Perhaps he would even follow her to her own village, perhaps she could have it all, she wondered as the world spun around her. They were so close, she could sense impending climax as his grip on her tightened, and the delight almost made her black out. "Name," he said urgently. "Tell me your name."
"K-Kagome," she breathed, tears starting in her eyes again as her body rocked along his, unable to contain her joy.
"Kagome," he moaned by her ear in a low growl as though tasting her name on his tongue, making her see stars again, "Kagome."
Her heart began to sing, thrills struck her spine just as fresh sweat broke across her temples; she felt if she didn't release soon she would die. "I... I want to scream," she burst out.
"Scream," he rasped. "Scream for me, Kagome."
She screamed loud and long. Her voice overpowered any thunder that dared to still sound in the sky. They clutched each other in a flurry of Yes, Goddess, kami, Tsuya, Kagome, and came together. Kagome let one final scream rip through her body before she fell still with a shudder, collapsed beneath her lover.
Though exhausted and spent, she was still trembling from the aftermath. Both of them spent a few minutes collecting their breaths. Then, he rolled onto his side and gathered her in his arms as he lay behind her, spooning her body with his. He pulled his robe over the both of them, then covered her bare shoulder and neck with soft kisses, trailing his fingers down the length of her arm.
Kagome sighed in contentment, reveling in the afterglow of their coupling, loving the feel of his chest against her back. In spite of herself, waves of slumber threatened to submerge her. It had been a long day. No, she thought, struggling to keep her eyes open as she twisted around to face him, Not yet. I don't want it to be over. She reached out and placed her hand on his face, fingers quivering on his cheek.
She gazed with half-lidded eyes as he turned his head and nuzzled her palm and wrist. She sighed plaintively again as her vision blurred, and she knew his embrace was too comfortable, too wonderful to let her stay awake. "Sleep, Priestess," he rumbled softly, and she felt herself being entwined to him, limbs draped over each other, cheek against his chest. She felt him drop a kiss on her forehead, stroking her hair. "I'll keep you safe." But I'm not ready to stop being yours yet, she wanted to resist. But the night was too perfect, the robe and fire too warm, the moons of his eyes too lulling.
"I'll find you, Kagome", came his voice as she drifted off into sleep. "I'll find you."
~.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*~
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Birds were chirping against the sunrise, the morning rays straying into the cave, brightening it. Kagome stirred gently. Stretching her legs, she yawned as she opened her eyes. At first, she didn't know where she was. Then, as she started to properly awaken, the night's memories came back to her, and a smile graced her features. She reached in front of her, and her hands met emptiness. With a jolt, she realized she was alone.
Immediately, Kagome raised herself up on an elbow. The cave was still, too still. As though she had never shared it. The fire had been put out, the burned-out logs still propped against each other at the cave's opening, not even any smoke rising from the ashes. Getting her bearings, she noticed that her body was covered with her own garments. She swallowed hard, a lump rising to her throat. Why was she the only one there?
As she made to stand, she was aware of her hand resting on something. She'd thought it was the rocky cave terrain, but it had shifted once she moved. Lifting her hand, she saw something that looked like a white, glossy shell. Curiously, she picked it up, and realized it wasn't a shell at all. Rather, it was a compact, double-sided with shells to enclose something within.
With bated breath, Kagome opened it. She was met with a small, creamy pool of brilliant red embedded in the dip of the bottom shell's indent. She let out a gasp.
"A beni," she whispered, warmth filling her bosom. She didn't need to wonder where it came from. There could only be one person who'd placed it under her hand like that. Dressing back into her clothes, she redid her hair, slung on her empty quiver and, bow in hand, walked to the cave's entrance.
It was a lovely, clear day. The air was cool and dewy, the trees shiny, green and vibrant. The rains had washed away any residual abhorrence. Just as with the cave, one never would have known what had transpired in this forest just the night prior. Kagome swallowed hard, but the lump in her throat was still there. Where was he? Why had he left without a word? She feared for a moment that he'd come in harm's way somehow. What if a handful more demons had shown upon morning, as he'd said? But it seemed clear that, given how he'd been able to put out the fire and leave without disturbing her, he'd disappeared of his own accord.
For good measure, she checked for any lingering youki in the forest. But no, the entire area was clear. She'd prepared to use her bow to fight off any new yokai. But aside from the forest's flora and fauna, she was the only living soul here. She could be on her way without worry. She could take her time walking to one of the adjoining villages. Offer to bless the house of one of the villagers in exchange for a meal and a horse or escort. She would make it back to her shrine by sundown, far, far away from here.
Her bow hung slack by her side. The corners of her eyes pricked.
He was gone.
Half a Year Later
The Shikon Miko was deserving of every bit of praise lavished upon her by her superiors as well as the commonfolk she served. Ever since she'd emerged from the demon-infested forest months ago, unscathed and successful in her mission, she had been guarding and purifying the Shikon no Tama, driving back all who attempted to wrest it from her protection. Her valiance and skill had earned her some renown. She was a force to be reckoned with, no doubt about that.
Only, now, she wondered for the first time if she'd bitten off more than she could chew.
She was at the outskirts of her village, fresh from slaying a horde of demons that had gathered there in an effort to jointly overwhelm her. She had sensed their youki well in advance and met them here to keep them from entering the village and terrorizing any of the inhabitants. She'd been able to dispatch of the yokai singlehandedly, just as she'd been doing all along, but it had taken a lot out of her. She was still on her feet, bow clutched tight in hand and with a few arrows to spare. But she doubled over with fatigue, stitches in her chest, breathing heavily with sweat trickling down the side of her head.
Why had it been so challenging? There had been scores and scores of demons this time around and it'd been a savage, coordinated attack, but the group she'd defeated in the haunted forest had been almost twice this size. Her powers could not have waned over the months, even the High Priestess Kaede had remarked upon how they seemed to be growing steadily the more her resolve to protect the Jewel strengthened. So why now? Why was she so winded tonight?
Absently, the priestess touched her lips. Everyone liked to speculate about why the Shikon Miko always coated rouge to her lips before a major battle. She had begun doing it ever since bequeathed with the Shikon no Tama. None of them was aware that she'd received it the day before. She thought back to that night of her greatest victory, the hundreds of demon corpses, the thunderstorm, the cave with the mysterious stranger. Many moons had passed since then, six to be exact. At times, she wondered if it had even actually happened, if he'd been real, or if a mononoke had impishly tricked her into fantasizing the whole thing. Or even visited her with a lucid dream. But she had only to think about the beni he left behind that she wore on her lips to be sure of the truth.
She blinked several times at the coral setting sun, struggling to stay focused. She wasn't even sure if all the demons had been slain. More could be concealed in the trees or bushes. Some of the bodies she'd slaughtered lay rotting, scattered throughout the grass and hadn't yet evaporated, so she was still picking up on their youki. But what if part of that demonic aura belonged to another demon, one she hadn't yet seen that was biding its time, waiting to spot a chink in the armor? She couldn't afford to let her guard down; she needed to stay vigilant until she could no longer detect a shred of youki.
Then, as if on cue, an enormous, sickly-green oni with bulbous black eyes came crashing through the woods. Emitting a roar, it hurtled towards her with alarming speed.
Her hand was fused to her bow; an arrow was already strung, but so startled was she by the sudden emergence that they fell out of her grasp. Cursing, blood pounding in her ears, she snatched the bow up again and restrung it, but the oni was too close; she had no time to aim and shoot, she wasn't going to make it-
Just then, a streak of red and silver flashed before her. She heard a wet, crunching, slice. Within the next second, the oni crumpled before her eyes to the ground, its body quartered and gushing blood.
Hiding how aghast she was, the priestess cast her gaze around to find what slew the beast, and at the sound of rustling leaves, her head whipped around to see something perched atop a tall, sturdy tree many yards away.
It was a figure clad in bright red garments with long, silver hair. Peering closely, she could see that its claws were what had killed the oni. They were sharp and bared, dripping with its dark, sticky blood. With a sinking feeling, she saw it was another yokai. It leapt from the tree and landed on its feet, approaching her.
In no time, the priestess now turned her bow on the newcomer, ready to let the arrow fly at a moment's notice.
"Begone, demon," she snarled. She wasn't about to back down just because it had made quick work of the oni that threatened her life moments ago. For all she knew, it had done that to dispose of its competition for the Jewel. It wouldn't be the first time she'd witnessed such a thing.
The demon stopped in its tracks.
"Are you the miko named Kagome?" it said. A male voice.
"The Shikon Miko. I am," she responded. "No doubt that's what you've come for." It came as no surprise to her at all that demons, hungry to discover the whereabouts of the Jewel, had now learned her name.
To her surprise, slowly, he continued advancing. She caught something crossing his features- was that a smirk? She kept her arrow trained on his chest, standing her ground. "I won't let you pass," she said, a hard edge to her voice. "You won't get to the Jewel that easily."
"Go ahead." He spread out his arms. "Shoot if you're gonna shoot. I'm wide open."
He stood there, still many feet away. Kagome gritted her teeth. The arrow was poised, drawn. All she had to do was let go, and it would impale him. Pin him to one of the trees behind him. The arrow nock shook. But, unbidden, the memory of a conversation she'd had loomed in her mind. Not all demons have to be bad. Some may not want to hate or hurt humans. She didn't budge an inch. But she didn't shoot.
With dismay, she realized upon sensing the power of his youki that this demon was likely a daiyokai. The most powerful of their kind. A demon that walked on two legs and could take on a humanoid form, though there were often telltale hints at it being other. In this one's case, it lay foremost in its ears: rather than human, they were pointed, triangular and canine, the same unnatural color as his hair. His true form could very well be that of a great, demonic dog. She'd heard of such yokai. Kagome doubted she was strong enough to purify one of these, not yet, but she could damn well put up a good fight.
"You killed all these guys, huh?" he said looking around at the steaming carcasses. "Impressive."
Curiously enough, its garments were not quite so fine as daiyokai were rumored to dress. A red haori and hakama, when she'd heard demon lords liked to adorn themselves with armor and other ostentatious trappings. She was still frowning distrustfully at him. "Why are you here? It's for the Shikon no Tama, isn't it?"
He cocked his head at her, raising an eyebrow quizzically. "Sure. Why not." There was a strange sort of merriment in his face as he looked upon her. Mischief was in his voice. He seemed... triumphant for some reason. As though excited to finally be encountering her.
"You gonna kill me now?" he asked calmly.
"That must be what you want, seeing as you're still here," she shot back. "If you leave now in peace, I won't harm you."
"You would let a yokai leave with his life?"
Kagome swallowed hard. What was she doing, showing this demon mercy? Revealing her vulnerability? His claws gleamed in the setting sun. He could be upon her in an instant and tear her to pieces. She saw how quickly he'd killed that oni. But again, those words echoed in her mind. A priestess is still human. It's human to be vulnerable. And there's nothin' wrong with that. To this day, she wondered why he'd left so abruptly. Not that Kagome had actually expected him to take her with him. She'd said that in a moment of unrestraint. But to leave without even saying goodbye? Without giving her a chance? Why? She never even got to ask his real name. Every time she thought of it was like ripping off a fresh scab.
"Unless you give me a reason not to."
Something about this seemed to bring him clarity. Satisfaction. Slowly, he lowered his hands.
"Y'know, Priestess," he said. "That rouge you're wearing suits you."
Kagome's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. A few wordless seconds later, she whispered, "What did you say?"
"I'm just sayin'. I didn't know miko painted their lips, but looking at you now, I don't see why not. Does it help you fight better?"
Was he taunting her, or teasing her?
Slowly, she lowered her bow, arrow pointing to the ground. As she did so, the sun finally set, and the shadow it had cast behind him, bathing his face in semi-darkness, ebbed away. She couldn't stifle a gasp upon seeing that his eyes were a startling golden. He took a few measured steps closer. He was slightly beyond arm's reach of her now, and she could see that he was tall, and as handsome as any human man she'd seen. The orange-pink sky was becoming to him. Suddenly, unbidden, a hazy glimpse of something almost identical flashed in her mind: This same demon, standing in the mouth of a cave, the rising sun shining behind him, a wistful expression on his burnished face as he gazed within before turning and leaping out in a blur or golden and silver. She almost staggered back. Had that been imagination, or a memory?
"Who are you?" she asked, her mouth dry and her head spinning.
He flashed her a grin.
"Name's Inuyasha."
"Inu...Yasha?" Kagome repeated in wonder.
"That's right."
That name... it suited him. She cleared her throat and gave her head a little shake. "I don't do it to fight better," she answered his previous question. "I do it to... to remind myself I'm spoken for." She clamped her mouth shut right after speaking, aflush. She'd never told anyone that. What had possessed her to say it to a stranger? And how naive she was to say it, besides. How could she be spoken for, when all that'd happened was that he'd made love to her, and then left without her ever hearing from him again.
For a split second, Kagome thought she saw some softness in his face. His eyes were deep and warm; they were almost liquid-looking, golden orbs that made her think of the sun that had just disappeared.
"I see," he said, his voice different now. "Well, I'm glad I could stop that oni in time. Don't worry, it was the last of 'em. Not that I think you need help, Priestess. But you'll be seeing a lot of me from now on." He turned away, making to leave.
"Why's that?" she called, her voice catching.
He stopped, and turned his head to the side. He grinned again, his hair casting his eyes in a shadow. "Let's just say there's someone I haven't finished repaying."
He gave her a final glance, as though sizing her up from head to toe. Bizarrely, her heart skipped a beat and her cheeks flared momentarily. Then, without warning, he turned on his heel and leapt into the air with unhuman swiftness and grace. Landing on a tree, he jumped from branch to branch, giving off the illusion that he was flying. Within seconds, he had disappeared, a blurry red streak in the distance.
Kagome stood watching open-mouthed as he soared away. The bow was now limp in her hand, the arrow back in its quiver.
Inuyasha. She turned the name over and over in her head. A demon who had saved her life. She pressed a hand to her heart, feeling it racing. Had he meant it when he said she'd be seeing more of him? Foolish as it was to admit it, she certainly hoped so.
There you have it! All reviews are welcome and eagerly anticipated. Signed or not, I'd really love to know how you liked it. Let me know if you'd like a sequel, continuation, or otherwise: I may not be able to get to it, but I can definitely have it on the back burner if I'm able to revisit this at any point.
For those who have questions about this: Inuyasha was indeed fighting demons alongside Kagome for the first half of the battle at the beginning, but unbeknown to her and some distance away. He had been passing through the forest on his way to seek refuge for the night before she arrived, with the other yokai not daring to attack him. However, when he saw Kagome, he was intrigued by her and decided to help. Upon turning human, he was forced to retreat to the cave, and thanks to Kagome slaying the remaining demons, none were able to get to him in time to seriously harm him. This is why Kagome felt like the youki levels were off, and why it was harder for her to kill the demons at the end of the story. Inuyasha had also slain a few demons that had gathered by sunrise before he'd left so that she could be safe.
Thank you for reading, and Happy New Year, all! ^.^