InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Seven Feudal Fairy Tales ❯ Longing ( Chapter 47 )

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and other associated companies.

 

 

Chapter Forty-Seven: Longing

 

 

Marbled with the muffled rumble of crashing waves, the lazy calls of distant seagulls drifted on the cool breeze. Their echoing cries heralded the creaking wagon's arrival as it trudged up the final, grassy hillside. An abrupt cliff overlooking a small cove greeted the dusty travelers, the cool shimmer of brilliant, cobalt waters reflecting in their tired sight. The way familiar to its hooves, the unaided, burly pony turned to trace the narrow trail etched into the face of the crumbling precipice. Spellbound by the cresting ribbons of waves and their lacy trails of foam, Kagome's sepia gaze was lost to the still strangely familiar ocean.

 

“I never tire of it,” the monk remarked, his eyes seemingly hypnotized like hers.

 

“Huh,” she murmured softly, barely hearing his words.

 

“The sea and the thunder of its surf meeting the sand. I believe that I will never tire of it as it always soothes my heart and reminds me of the home I lost.”

 

“Your home? Did you live near the port when you worked in the libraries?”

 

“Alas, no. The years have been too plenty and now I remember nothing of my life before the scroll. My home was that lonely island. Even as it pierced me with its solitude, I loved it all the same. There is a comfort that comes with all that is familiar and it indeed became so after such a length of time.”

 

“But, your story. You told me about how you were trapped by the magic. About meeting Shiro-sama for the first time and failing the Dragon King? You don't remember any of that?”

 

“I was a caretaker of the past, my lord,” he reminded her with a gentle smile. “What would be said of a librarian who did not inscribe their own history? Who did not repeat their own tale so that it would not be lost to the ages?”

 

“Is that why you told me? So that it wouldn't be forgotten?”

 

“Perhaps,” he replied thoughtfully. “Fairy tales live on through their telling. Without anyone to speak them, they would fade like forgotten prose and crumble away like neglected parchment.”

 

“I suppose you're right,” the school girl agreed quietly.

 

“And your story? Will you tell it, so that it will be remembered?”

 

“Mine?” she answered quizzically, her eyes which had once lingered on the rippling silk of the sea, rose to meet his darker sight. “Do I have a story?”

 

“Indeed, you do,” he nearly chuckled before gesturing with thin arms and gnarled hands at the world around them. “This is your story. Your fairy tale.”

 

“I don't know what you mean.”

 

“We all have a story to tell, Momotaro-sama and each has a beginning, middle and end. Like a deep pool overflowing with adventure and love, it holds every trial and every lesson learned for as long as it is remembered. When you meet the end of this poetic prison, never forget what this place has taught you. It is through your memories and actions that we are truly able to exist beyond these impossible walls of ink and paper.”

 

“I think I understand. Never forget, right?”

 

“Hmm,” he snorted lightly at her rather concise summary before smiling slyly. “Yes, my lord. And perhaps, if you allow your thoughts to loiter on who you have become, you will find the answer to your companion's struggle.”

 

“Really?”

 

“It is all there before you,” he assured, tapping his temple lightly, “You must only think back on what you've learned.”

 

Pouting at yet another mysterious answer and knowing all too well that he would never elaborate on it, Kagome's sight returned to the outlying bay. Catching her eye, a dark blemish tarnished the even plane of its surface. Like a maroon teardrop lost in an ever-reaching sea of blue, its nature became clear as they drew nearer in their meandering descent. Carved elegantly to resemble a koi fish with crimson sails fanning above it like fins, the boat rocked gently on the current beside a lonely dock.

 

The deep sand muffling the beat of its hooves and the grind of its wheels, the produce cart ended its journey beside the worn planks of sun-bleached wood that bound the swaying ship to shore. The school girl slowly rose to her feet, steadily balancing herself on the dilapidated wagon as she looked over the ornate vessel in awe.

 

“Is that what we're taking to Oni Island?” she asked, still marveling at the detailed patterns of scales and fins that shaped the hull.

 

“Indeed, my lord,” he answered before leaning back to spy on his cargo. “Mon-Ki! Fe-San! You would leave that Do-Gu be if you were wise.”

 

“But, we're not wise, wa-ah,” the monkey piped up cleverly, disinclined about leaving his warm spot next to the pheasant.

 

“Go now, you two,” he scolded sternly and the pair quickly grumbled their displeasure at his order, reluctantly leaving their neatly groomed bed of silky, silver hair. “And stop grousing.”

 

“I'm not grousing,” Fe-San disagreed petulantly.

 

“Then what are you doing?”

 

“I'm pheasanting.”

 

“I see,” the old man smiled, “Then go pheasant over there, Fe-San.” After a derisive squawk was leveled in his direction, he watched the disgruntled animals make their way to the tethered ship.

 

“They're a bit stubborn right now, aren't they?” Kagome observed, casting an eye down to catch the monk's shrug.

 

“If you know the tale, then you understand that the dog, the monkey and the pheasant were not always allies. Yet here, through years of repetition and forced camaraderie, they have become nothing but. The friendship is not without struggle as they once began every reiteration separate. With the dog under the first tree, the monkey upon the hill and finally the pheasant in the furthest tree, they were always alone waiting for when Momotaro would arrive to acquire his army. That is until someone gave them the idea to wait together.”

 

“You?”

 

“It was a simple suggestion,” he added humbly, “But, that was what they needed. With every beginning, Mon-Ki and Fe-San find each other and when Momotaro eventually arrives, he brings their final comrade, Do-Gu. In their eyes, Do-Gu is one of them, whether he acknowledges it or not. For better or worse, they will never abandon him as they will never abandon you.”

 

“It's hard not to admire that sort of devotion.”

 

“It can be trying at times,” he sighed, before nodding slightly towards the still slumbering demon. “Gather the last of your army, Momotaro-sama.”

 

“Oh, yeah,” she murmured, her sight leaving the old man beside her to find the placid face of the youkai lord at her back. “Sesshoumaru-sama. Sesshoumaru-sama!”

 

The burgundy shade of his eyelids still troublingly absent and the charcoal beneath his eyes still troublingly present, his eyes of gold severed by the slit of his pupil opened to find her upside-down and worried stare. Scarcely a moment passed before his gaze silently left hers and the demon gradually moved to stand amid the fruit. A faint frown of perplexity graced his lips next as he examined the texture of his particularly plush pelt and perfectly combed hair. Shrugging away the inexplicable fortune, he leapt over the rear gate of the cart to land softly on the dimpled rises and falls of the sandy beach.

 

Without remark or concern, the slowly ambling tai youkai left the watching monk and miko to step onto the narrow dock. Dipping rhythmically with each weighted stride, the splintered wood swayed as he walked and then less so once his boots found the sturdy gangplank. Up the incline he went, disappearing aboard the beautiful vessel.

 

“Think back on what I've become and I'll know why, right?” Kagome asked with determination brimming in her soft voice. Her focused stare lingered on the emptiness of waxed wood and scarlet sail where the silver of the youkai lord was last seen, before her sight fell to the monk at her side. “And I'll know why he's hurting?”

 

“Yes, you will, Momotaro-sama. But, before you depart, there is something I believe you and Mon-Ki will need before long.” Leaning back as far as his stiff joints would allow, he pointed to a large, woven box hidden beneath a littering of oranges and persimmons. Brushing the fruit aside with a few careful sweeps of her hand, she lifted the lid. Packed within and wrapped protectively with silk, a bevy of polished weapons glinted before her eyes. Grinning while she sorted through them, she spied a dagger whose lacquered sheath was engraved with a battling dog, monkey and pheasant. At their victorious feet lay the horrible, slain figures of the unfortunate ogres that had crossed their path.

 

“I believe this is probably Mon-Ki's sword.”

 

“You would be correct.”

 

“Which one is mine?” she asked next, overwhelmed by the varying blades and staffs.

 

“Whichever one you wish to have is yours.”

 

“Then, can I have this one?”

 

“Hmm?” he murmured questioningly when she carefully revealed a long and slightly curved package. Entertaining an awed reverence, she unwrapped its length to find the youthful wood of an unstrung bow within. Devoid of embellishment and exoticism, Kagome admired the simple craftsmanship that went into its making. She soon found the leather quiver, nearly overflowing with the feathered ends of its arrows.

 

“Can I have it?” she repeated her request, puzzled by the monk's ensuing silence regarding her discovery from within the box.

 

“When I failed the Dragon King,” he began, his voice coarse and wistfully sad, “I was never more ashamed in all my life. The memory of it has faded with time, but by no means has the dishonor done so whenever my thoughts drift over that chapter of my tale. Many of these weapons are ones that I have found in my travels through the scroll; however that bow you desire is my penance for the disgrace I had done to that immortal dragon.”

 

“I don't think he would ever hold you responsible like that. You had never held a bow before, let alone used one.”

 

“He did not have to. I am more than willing to accept such guilt, but I am not one to wallow in it. If this realm grants one thing, it is time. I whittled out countless bows from countless woods, searching for the right suppleness and might. I crafted them to numerous lengths, seeking the correct size. Sinews and fibers were quested for next as I learned to string my creations. Eventually, I hewed arrows and found the best feathers to fletch them with. Then I taught myself how to use it until no mark was safe from the strength of my arm and the steadiness of my hand.”

 

“Then you've done it.”

 

“What have I done?”

 

“There's no reason to feel guilt, if you've already redeemed yourself, right?”

 

“Why do you believe I am absolved now?”

 

“By carving this bow and becoming an expert marksman, you've ensured that what happened with the Centipede will never happen again. We can't change what happens in the past, but we can decide what we make of our mistakes in the future. I think the Dragon King would be proud of you for what you've accomplished, because then his children wouldn't have died in vain.”

 

“You are wise for someone so young.”

 

“Maybe one day I will be.”

 

“An inevitable event,” he remarked with a grin before gesturing with a knobby finger at his prized weapon still cradled in her hands. “It is yours if you wish to use it.”

 

“Really? It means so much to you. I couldn't take it now.”

 

“Seeing it in your hands to be used for warring against the evils of Oni Island is a better fate than to collect dust as a reminder of a failure in my past. I will carve another and it will be an endeavor of pride and not an atonement of shame.”

 

“Thank you,” she said sweetly, her eyes glossing a bit when her gratitude reminded her of all that the old man had bestowed upon her. First, he had returned a piece of her life had been robbed from her. Even now as it floated on the surface of her mind, too vast and inconceivable to truly be absorbed yet, she knew she had been afforded a perspective she could have never learned of without his aid. Lastly, he had given her a weapon so that she could fulfill her destiny as Momotaro and one that was not easy to part with. Gripping the sanded wood of the bow tightly, her purposeful stare anchored to his dark sight. “I will not forget what you've done for me and I will never forget your story. Your wish of living beyond this scroll will be fulfilled in me.”

 

“And your story?”

 

“It hasn't finished yet,” she remarked artfully, slinging the swollen quiver onto her back before swiftly stepping down the aged and broken ladder. Agilely landing on the sand below, the school girl quickly crossed the length of the dock, the planks bouncing roughly with every hurried step. “Goodbye! I hope you will always find peace with the sea and even more so inside your heart.”

 

“Farewell, Momotaro-sama and good fortune to you in the adventures and life that await you!” Smiling at her earlier promise, the monk sighed longingly in the cool, ocean air and vanished, his services in this tale having me their end and the desire to find a good switch of ash warming in the back of his mind.

 

“Are we ready?” Kagome asked cheerfully of her two animal subordinates when her sandaled feet met the gangplank. Still crouched resolutely on the dock, they busily pecked and pulled at the knots binding the boat in place.

 

“Almost, wa-ah,” Mon-Ki grunted out as he stood up to yank on the thick rope of a particularly difficult tie. With white canines flashing as he pulled with all of his might, the little primate toiled with barks and squeals of effort escaping his lips. Finally it loosened, sending him toppling over the boards and nearly into the water on the other side of the dock.

 

“Are you okay, Mon-Ki?”

 

“Never been better,” he replied, brushing away the dusting of sand that coated his face and chest. After a satisfied grunt, the monkey sprinted up the gangplank with his trailing tail curling behind him. “Let's go Momotaro-sama.”

 

“Are we finished?” she asked skeptically, eyeing the still tethered rope that the pheasant was still dutifully undoing. “What about Fe-San?”

 

“Hurry up, Fe-San!” Mon-Ki shouted before leaping upon the railing to give his friend a good scowl. “What's taking you so long, wa-ah? We're gonna leave you behind.”

 

“No, you won't,” the bird piped up knowingly before gathering the tattered end of rope in his beak. Hopping into the air, he tugged at it while flapping his wings furiously. Soon, a tight loop of the knot shrank at his determination.

 

“Pull in the gangplank, Momotaro-sama.”

 

“But, Fe-San--”

 

“Fe-San knew the risks, wa-ah,” he interrupted seriously, before his honey-colored eyes locked with her concerned gaze. “Besides, he doesn't use it. He can fly.”

 

“Oh, that's right,” she replied, planting her fist into her palm in realization. Kneeling down and grabbing the raised edge that met the deck of the ship, the school girl slowly pulled in the hefty board of wood. Once it was aboard, she dropped it with a loud clap onto the floor and then hurriedly stepped toward the railing and the perched primate that resided there.

 

“We're leaving,” Mon-Ki proclaimed at the increasingly flustered pheasant who gave the length of rope one last good yank before the tie completely unraveled.

 

“I'm coming! I'm coming!” Fe-San exclaimed, beating his wings feverishly as his bulky body flew up to the slowly departing boat. Landing neatly beside his monkey comrade, the bird tipped his head to eye the primate severely from beneath his cone-shaped hat.

 

“I was only teasing you, Fe-San. You know I would never leave you behind.”

 

“Of course, you wouldn't,” the pheasant chirped before jovially nudging his friend with his broad wing. A squeal of surprise erupted from the monkey as the splashing ocean became dangerously close for a moment and he sprang backwards onto the safety of the polished deck.

 

“Do we need to sail this ship?” Kagome asked as the dour looks between the two grew increasingly severe. Watching another tussle of fur and feathers was not her idea of time well spent, especially when it could roll off into the ocean on any side.

 

“No,” Fe-San replied happily. “It will take us to Oni Island. All we have to do is wait.”

 

“Hmm,” she murmured, looking over the vessel as if for the first time. A simple design despite its elaborate details, the boat was a long ellipse of mahogany-toned wood. Three masts protruded from its deck, each bearing tall, ribbed sails that tapered over the others like a flurry of fish fins.

 

The gentle whipping of the wind catching in the lofty sails filled the quiet air with its soothing sound. The refreshing silence apart from the tranquil workings of the ship left more than the school girl at ease. Their squabble finished, the two animals found a comfortable corner to curl up and groom each other in mutual forgiveness. Kagome smiled at their doting attentions and then her eyes drifted to the demon lord seated on a bench along the bow. Silvery tendrils of his hair caught on the brisk breeze, his sight washed over the cool sapphire of the sea that faded into the pale azure of the midday sky.

 

`It was here,' she thought wordlessly, nibbling at her lip to ease her worry at the unknown she was determined to discover. `All she had to do was think.'

 

 

A/N: Next chapter will be the one you've all been waiting for. I hadn't realized it would take so long to get to :D