InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Prelude to Tragedy ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two**

~His demon half, yearend to be full

But at his heartstrings this girl did pull

And unknowingly, he fell in love

With this angel girl fell from above~

*

~Kikyo wandered through the forest, a normal woman, until suddenly out of the foliage came hordes of demons, she tried to fight back, but found she couldn't, her blood rained down crimson, as the demons took her life and devoured her body~

Kikyo woke up in a cold sweat, panting.

"Just a dream," she told herself, "It was just a dream."

Still, the girl knew that she couldnt keep the Shikon jewel with her at all times, too many demons would endanger her life and that of those around her. So, she took the jewel, and placed it in the shrine, sealing it from demons with a powerful enchantment.

"There," she told herself, "All done, now no demon will be able to harm the purification of this jewel.

And with that she returned to the village, but when she got to her hut, something was amiss.

With fear she realized what it was, "Kaede? Kaede!?" her cries were becoming more frantic as she rushed out of her home.

"Kaede where are you?"

"What's going on?" one of the-now awake-villagers questioned.

"Kaede has gone missing," the priestess replied, "We must find her."

Search parties were formed and everyone started frantically searching for the lost little girl.

"Look!" one of the villagers shouted. Kikyo had already noticed and was running off towards the ominous black smoke that was curling up near Onigumos cave.

'Kaede!'

*

As Kikyo and a few villagers arrived at the scene, they found a small Kaede lying on the ground coughing up a lung (not literally of course). Her skin had patches of charcoal stains and she looked ghostly white.

"Kaede what were you doing? How did this happen?"

At first the small child was too shocked to speak, "I...I went to gather more medicinal herbs before dawn, and...and as I passed here on my way back, I heard someone moaning!"

"Moaning?"

"Mm hmm, so I went into the cave and it was Onigumo! So I took my candle and set it down and asked what was wrong."

"And what did he say?"

"He just laughed and grabbed my ankle and said, 'you're not Kikyo, but I bet you she'll come looking for you! And when she does, she shall be mine!' Then *I* screamed, 'let go of me!' and that's when I kicked him, but I also kicked my candle, which let the grass on fire! I couldn't lift Onigumo, and I was so scared...and...and."

Here is when the small lass broke down crying, and Kikyo comforted her and whispered, "Shh, shh, it's okay, it wasn't your fault Kaede, it wasn't your fault. What happened to Onigumo he brought upon himself, you hold no blame for his actions."

She continued to cry and Kikyo turned to the villagers, "Take her back home, get her something to drink, she needs to rest after all that has happened this morning."

They did as they were told and Kaede was whisked back to the village.

The cerulean-eyed miko turned her attention to what was left of the remaining blaze, and with the words, "Asarath metrione zinthos." The flames had dissipated.

Kikyo stepped inside the smoldered opening and went to the place where Onigumo had laid.

There was no trace of his body, not even a corpse.

"Odd," she thought to herself, "Poor man, his evil soul must have attracted the demons, may he live his life beyond in peace."

With a small prayer and a bow, Kikyo exited the cave for the last time.

*

The priestess picked up the herbs Kaede had left outside, and glided towards the forest to gather more. She found a particularly potent herb right of, chamomile.

The young woman continued picking the sage, thyme, parsley, etc.

That is until she felt something. She discreetly grabbed her bow and whirled around before shouting.

"Come out demon! I know where you are, and I won't hesitate to shoot!"

"Bravo priestess, I didn't give you enough credit, you're not as dumb as you look!"

The creature came out of the shadows; it had glistening silver hair to match sparkling white canines. His red haori looked faded, like it had been worn too much. This is when Kikyo noticed the set of dog-ears on his head, she also noticed his startling amber eyes, but that's a fact she chose to overlook.

"Oh! A half-demon, and I thought I had something to worry about!" So with a little laugh Kikyo returned to picking herbs, a smug smile on her face.

"Why you..." with a growl, the half demon lunged at her.

It was too bad for him that Kikyo whirled around at that moment and shot an arrow straight through his upper collar, pinning him to a tree.

"Look, half-breed, you're not worth my time, so you get to live today, feel privileged, normally I'd kill you."

"Why you...Get back here wench!" so that's where the miko left him as he struggled to get himself down.

And that's how it continued. For the next few months, every time Kikyo was alone, the half-dog demon would attempt to attack her, and every time he would fail, yet the priestess refused to eliminate him.

Finally, one day when she had him pinned to a tree with a swarm of arrows, she asked, "What's your name anyway?"

"Feh, what's it to you?" he asked rudely.

"Oh, I don't know, I just generally like to know the names of my stalkers."

"St-stalker? Look witch, you're as stupid as you are vain! I'm only after the Shikon jewel!"

"The-the jewel?" Kikyo asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, did I stutter, I heard while I was passing through a kingdom that it was to come in your possession! So do you have it or not?"

"Not with me, no, so if you could please stop following me it would be much appreciated. Oh, and you still haven't given me your name."

"Feh, my name is Inu-Yasha."

"Well, Inu-Yasha you really should get out of here, you're a big waste of arrows.

As she started to walk away, she heard Inu-Yasha cry, "I don't believe I caught your name bitch!"

She turned around only to say, "I don't believe I dropped it."

"What you prefer 'bitch'?"

When she looked at it that way, she muttered, "It's Kikyo."

"What I'm sorry, couldn't hear you!"

"It's Kikyo! Now, if you'll excuse me!"

With that she marched off through the woods to the village.

"Kikyo...huh?" Inu-Yasha mumbled thoughtfully.

*
It carried on for a few more days, Inu-Yasha still didn't let up on 'stalking' her, but it seemed that somehow she didn't mind as much anymore.

Finally, one day before dawn, she found herself sitting once again on the grassy hill she last sat at three months or so ago.

Finally she spoke, "Inu-Yasha. You're there aren't you? Why don't you come down?"

Grudgingly, Inu-Yasha climbed down out of the sakura tree and sat about a foot away from the girl.

Both sat in silence, Inu-Yasha occasionally glancing at the girl next to him, a smile on her face.

"We've never stood so close together, have we?"

"What of it?" he retorted, but his question wasn't planned on being answered.

"Inu-Yasha...What do I look like to you? Do...do I look human?"

He stared at her with an odd look, "What? What garbage are you spouting now?"

"It's just, I can't show weakness...not a moments hesitation...to anyone."
Kikyo sighed sadly, "If I did, the demons would take me. I'm human, but I must not *be* human." Inu-Yasha stared more intently at her thoughtful face. She looked quite pretty, very pretty in fact.

"You and I are the same, Inu-Yasha." Here she let out a little chuckle, "You too fight your humanity. That...is why I haven't been able to kill you."

At this Inu-Yasha snapped out of his sappy mood.

"Feh! What do I care for your whining." At this he stood up, "I'm nothing like you."

Kikyo gave him a small, sad smile from where she sat, "No, I suppose...you're not."

'Her face' Inu-Yasha thought, 'It looks so utterly alone.'

And for the first time in his life, Inu-Yasha felt like he'd done something wrong, and that face she had made, it nagged him.

A week later, during the night, Kikyo went down by the river. The fireflies were blazing their lights, and shimmering like shooting stars. The light was reflected in the lake, and it made for a beautiful scene.

She let out a small sigh, when she heard a rustle behind her.

"Inu...Inu-Yasha?" she questioned.

"Kikyo."

The hanyou stepped into the light of the fireflies. He looked different, he looked solemn, and almost...sorry?

"Inu-"

"Kikyo, I'm...I'm sorry for what I said, I had no right, and...and the more I thought about it, I've realized, you were right! I'm human, but I'm *not* human. You and I, we're one in the same. Kikyo...Kikyo, you complete me.

Suddenly, she noticed how very close they had become, and suddenly, she noticed how much she didn't mind. And just as their lips were about to touch, Kikyo pushed him away.

"No! Inu-Yasha it can't be this way! We can't be together...we just can't! I'm so afraid that once I purify the jewel I won't..."

"Kikyo, if it's because I'm a demon then..."

"No, that's not it! It's just that I..."

Finally, Inu-Yasha decided to act, he grabbed her and said, "Okay, just stop this! I'm not letting you get rid of me! I love you! And I..."

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

This is when she broke down, this strong girl, just started bawling her eyes out into the half-demon Inu-Yasha.

"Kikyo, please don't cry! I don't want to see you..."

"Shut up Inu-Yasha!" Here she sniffed before saying, "You had me at hello...you had me at hello."

"Kikyo,"

The crying miko looked into his amber eyes, and the next thing she knew, his soft, tender lips were meeting hers, and she was lost in a beautiful oblivion.

'I love you Inu-Yasha'

'I love you Kikyo'

As the thoughts coincided together, neither priestess, nor hanyou noticed the man in the baboon skin who left through the foliage.

"As I told you before Kikyo, you are mine, and no one else shall have you."

"You belong to me."