InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Calling Your Name ❯ Strangers ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Dog-boy, girl empowered youkai exterminators and - unfortunately - hunky hentai monks don't belong to me. Come to think of it, I don't get royalties for owning "At the Beginning", Donna Lewis, Richard Marz or the Anastasia soundtrack either.

Strangers

-Jasmine Fields

//We were strangers starting out on a journey//

//Never dreaming what we'd have to go through//

The blood shed finally halted and they fell on the stone and pebble road leading - some where - and embraced each other with relief flooding wary features, clinging to life as pain and darkness tricked them into believing they were meeting destiny's gloom and sorrowful ending.

Vengeance and curses were mere tickles in their souls as they closed their eyes and allowed unconsciousness its way.

Their bodies were defeated - legs and arms numb from the torture of unrelenting battle - and lungs choked on fluids unnamed.

There was no time to spare a casual glance toward each other. No perverse gestures or games here on after; they were spent and withering like wildflowers in the winter.

The enemy had finally been de-throned wasting away into nothingness while a sparkling hopeful chance at life lingered within their very bodies. Struggling with uneven breaths they hardly noticed when their hearts stopped beating.

Like the void that existed in his hand, they were floating on the brink of swirling dreams dancing in pools of scarlet as visions of life they once knew passed in their minds' eyes.

Looking…

Noticing…

They looked and noticed that they were no longer alone in their exhausted solitude.

//Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing//

//At the beginning with you//

Running…

Rushing…

They were rushing toward a snow capped mountain in the distance where the greenest of vegetation fielded open prairies and farm houses. The village was remote - a quaint quiet town at the edge of where ever reflecting serenity and peace surpassing all wisdom. Babbling brooks streamed through the village's center while

The pull of such sweet temptation shared itself within the deepest confines of their desires. Like-minded in so many accounts - though begrudgingly - they raised their heads to the piercingly bright sunlight that flicked above the mountain top.

//No one told me I was goin'tofind you//

//Unexpected what you did to my heart//

They finished their mission - without Miroku lost to the brutality forthcoming from his Kazaana winds.

Love's quest could now be pursued while turmoil brought agony to their consciousness and inner conflict flogged their reminiscing souls.

Stay or go…

Stay or leave…

Was there a choice?

Blue lights crackled in the distance above the mountains. They were fast approaching this new unknown destination.

Didn't Kagome call it the aurora borealis - or something to that affect?

It was undoubtedly peaceful and inviting in this place that resembled the home they wanted. No evil existed in the vicinity. And unperturbed, suddenly, they realized why.

They were dead.

//When I lost hope//

//You were there to remind me this is the start//

The thunder rolled nearly bellowing it's furious existence - though it was a peculiar and odd circumstance.

No snow-ploughs or snow drifts to slow their pace - or treacherous howling winds acting as a barrier from a breath's reach. It would have seemed deceptive if they hadn't been enlightened with the knowledge that they were indeed no longer among the living. There would have been indications of and menacing foreboding felt.

But that didn't exist here.

Shadows silhouetted the peak of the mountain as they turned to face each other.

"I guess this is death houshi-sama."

"It's not as bad as I feared."

"Not at all."

"At least death isn't painful; it's rather beautiful if I do say so myself."

He snorted and smiled thinking vainly why he hadn't admitted so much before.

"Not nearly as beautiful as the woman standing before me - honoring me with a last farewell."

//Life is the road and I wanna keep goin'//

//Love is the river I wanna keep flowin'//

Tears streamed down her face and she stepped forward to hug the man she loved for all time.

Youthful love was tragic and painful…a harsh reality to forget - and more so as their dammed up dreams broke through the reservoir of all their hesitations flooding each others' minds with intimate knowledge of longing.

"I don't want to leave you."

"What makes you believe that I would let you?"

"Well, you did touch me a lot when we were alive."

"Too true, Sango."

//Life is the road now and forever…//

//Wonderful journey…//

"I really did want to bare your children, Miroku, if your heart was true to me."

"That it is…I planned on following you to the high places and low places even in death."

"Why?"

"Truthfully, I tolerated living until I met you…then I knew I had a reason to live for - apart from my responsibilities as a monk, that is to say."

Fingering her hair nervously, she shyly snickered.

"Responsible - ri-i-i-ght."

Stilling, she looked solemnly into his gray-violet eyes that had shone with traces and blurs of old heartache.

"I loved you, you know. I would have done anything to do it right, but I never knew quite how to please you and turn your head."

Sighing, she knelt in the snow.

"You almost never did woo me quite right - "

" - And you still loved me."

"Yeh."

"'Bout time you confessed."

//I'll be there when the world stops turning//

//I'll be there when the storm is through//

Joining her in her kneeling position, he leaned down to cup her cheek.

"So, how many children did you want?"

"Miroku! It's not like we can have any here!"

"Ooo? And just, pray tell, how do you know?"

She swatted his arm creeping toward her inner thigh.

"Will a get a break from your perverted ways in death, at least?"

"For you? Mmmm. Nope. Can't say so."

"Dear heavens. What do we do now?"

//In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you//

"Good question…I have to admit, I never thought we'd actually end up in this strange position - on a snow covered mountain top observing this aurora borealis thing overlooking a small village. It is very curious to experience."

Her fingers fidgeted beneath his gaze. It was nice to have a true heart to heart conversation - albeit admittedly in an unanticipated setting.

"As long as you're with me, I think I can handle this."

"Really? So, would you truly bare me children - if we could, that is?"

"I already said yes, houshi-sama."

"Why do you insist on calling me that?"

"Dunno. Never really thought about it before. Is that all you wanted to know?"

//We were strangers on a crazy adventure//

//Never dreaming how our dreams would come true//

"For now, I guess. I'm starting to actually feel weird in this place."

"Like how?"

"Well, see that ominous looking cloud behind you?"

"Miroku - "

There was a crackling of blue energy that blazed across the sky with white lightning flashing and a thunderous simultaneous explosion that bombarded their senses.

"Huh? Guess you were right about feeling weird…I feel it oncoming too."

//Now here we stand unafraid of the future//

//At the beginning with you//

The fatigue was immense and the visions volleyed vehemently thrumming and drumming against their impatience. Mountain vanished while the village below crumpled into ashes.

"What's going on?"

"I dunno. Perhaps this won't take very long."

"Well, just in case - good-bye."

"Hmph. If that's the case, then lemme just - "

She smacked his left cheek thinking she ought to have known better.

//I knew there was somebody somewhere//

//Like me alone in the dark//

They heard voices.

Slowly they were coming to - but didn't know where. Was this, yet, another dream?

Opening eyes, after a vicious struggle against the weight of the unknown they looked up into familiar amber-golden eyes.

"Huh?"

"Get up."

Pride and arrogance laced the command.

"Head ache…"

"Get up. Tenseiga willed me to spare your human lives. It is ridiculous that you had such weakness."

After the words registered, they stared up at the demon lord measuring the power of being resurrected.

They didn't try to determine whether or not he wanted something of value in return, as he snapped around, backside toward them, and walked away.

//Now I know my dream will live on//

//I've been waiting so long//

//Nothin's gonna tear us apart…//

Death would never touch them again for many moons - years, more accurately. Eventually, they escaped from prying eyes to more private places and conversed - several times, in fact.

It is known that there were at least 17 such affectionate conversations amongst the small solitude village hidden at the base of an eastern mountain, of sorts. The results were impressive - 22 children altogether, which included a set of twins and a set of triplets.

Upon their second death, they lived their eternity in the peace and serenity afforded of one another's enduring love and comfort…and rejoiced when all their friends came to join them, at the end of all things.