InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Synthetic Twilight ❯ XXI ( Chapter 21 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: lesalee 
Inuyasha's guilty concious blurts something out, but he saves face with a cool, all-encompassing 'Keh!'
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.24.2007 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 599 | Status: Work In Progress
Inuyasha's guilty concious blurts something out, but he saves face with a cool, all-encompassing 'Keh!'
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.24.2007 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 599 | Status: Work In Progress
Kagome crept quietly from her room, her feet avoiding the panels of wood that she knew would creak if she put her weight on them. She had waited in her room until she could feel Inuyasha's energy moving away from her window, until she couldn't sense it anymore. She idly wondered where he could disappear to at such a time of night, images of him with Kikyo flashed in her mind. She shook her head, On second thought, I don't want to know. Okay, so she had been avoiding him, but that was understandable, wasn't it? She had been too embarassed to talk to him after asking him about Kikyo, I'm such a fool.
Kagome lifted the flap and stepped outside. Satisfied that the village looked largely deserted, she stepped into her boots and wrapped her scarf more securely around her neck. After several hot, humid days the night air was blessedly cool and crisp. She blew softly and smiled at the wisps of steam that rose from her breath, soon the leaves would be changing colors- she made a note to take Shippo for a picnic so that they could watch later in the month. The guards gave her a quizzical look as she walked past them through the gate, though neither asked her where she was going. She supposed that word had gotten around that she was 'the priestess' from the group who had destroyed Naraku, a story that was quickly evolving into myth. She remembered wanting to laugh when they had stopped in an artist's shop in Mito and saw a painting of a woman rising angelically out of a well holding lotus blossoms in her outstretched palms, the painter had explained- in all seriousness- that the painting was an "exact likeness" of the 'legendary priestess' whom he believed to be a tennyo in disguise.
"What makes you so sure she was a tennyo?" Kagome had managed to ask after choking back her laughter.
"Isn't it obvious?" the painter had countered, giving Shippo a cross look when the kit snorted, "She left after her duty was finished on this earth to return to her place amongst the Gods."
Her line of questioning had abruptly came to a halt when Miroku managed to find some paintings of naked women laying together and asked for the price- the group had followed a fuming Sango dragging her husband out into the street.
She felt anything but heavenly. The so-called 'legendary priestess' couldn't shoot arrows or even begin to control her spiritual power when she'd first arrived in this time. There was absolutely nothing divine about her, she had been a normal teenaged girl- awkward and naive. Even the 'fearless fighters' of the group each had their own worries and reasons for hunting the shards of the jewel and destroying Naraku. Still, they'd carried on despite their problems and differences, she supposed that was courageous enough.
Kagome looked around the hot spring for a rock to sit on that was close enough to feel the warmth, but far away enough not to get misted by the steam rising from the water. She settled on a slab of stone and began to clear her mind, preparing to meditate. The funny thing about meditation was that she could never clear her mind when she wanted it to, her thoughts began to drift to a conversation she had with Mitsuki earlier this afternoon.
"Hey, Kagome-san? Could I ask you something?" asked the girl, flopping over tiredly in the grass.
Kagome smiled warmly at Mitsuki, "I've been waiting for you to come out with it, your head hasn't been into practice today."
Mitsuki looked up sheepishly, "I'm sorry Kagome-san! I tried to concentrate, really I did! But everytime I'd just start thinking about... Kagome-san? Have you ever been in love?"
"Once..." her voice trailed off.
"See," Mitsuki broke in, "I have a crush on Asano-kun, do you know him?"
Kagome shrugged, "No, does it matter?"
"Ah, no, I guess not. Well, I've tried everything to get him to notice me, but nothing works!" she whined. "And today, right before practice, I saw him kissing Aki-chan. Aki-chan! She could care less about him! How does she get his attention when she follows Taro-kun everywhere and I'm always there with Asano-kun helping him with his chores and studies? I don't know what to do anymore, I'm so upset!"
Kagome remembered being at her age, so hung up on a guy... and felt the warmth leave her. She looked down at Mitsuki coldly, "Why waste your energy? Leave him alone if he's chasing after someone else."
Mitsuki wiped a tear from her cheek, "I could never do that! I care about him, and I know he cares about me too!"
Kagome laughed bitterly, she suddenly felt so old- staring at the girl that reminded her so much of herself, at a time that felt like it had been hundreds of years ago, "Yes, I'm sure he was thinking only of you while he was with Aki."
"You don't have to be so cruel, Kagome-san! I know he cares for me, when I was sick last winter, he spent a whole week at my side, feeding me hot soups and making sure I was comfortable until I felt well again! He even..."
Kagome heard a twig snap and felt a familiar aura, jerking her out of her thoughts.
"Wish for him, and he will be yours forever."
"Goddammit, will you shut up?" Kagome whispered harshly and gripped the jewel hanging from her neck tightly until the voices were silenced. At first, she had thought the weird dreams she had been having after taking the jewel back into her possession was just that- simply weird dreams and nothing more. Their suggestions were always so tempting, she didn't see the danger in dreaming of being a beautiful queen or touching Inuyasha's soft ears with their voices whispering in the background... until she could hear them while awake, or having to spend large amounts of energy in purifying an increasingly corrupt jewel.
"You must end this soon, they're trying to drain you."
Ah, The Woman. She hadn't introduced herself, but Kagome supposed it wasn't necessary anymore. "I'm working on it, just give me a little more time."
"Time," a hint of amusement in The Woman's voice came through, "is the only thing I have, Kagome-chan."
Inuyasha could feel his breath hitch in his throat as he watched Kagome stare at the pink jewel. The moonlight and steam combined to give the woman an ethereal glow. Maybe the painter was right...
"Hey, what are you doing out here at this time of night by yourself? Come back to the village and go to sleep, it's not safe out here."
Kagome drew herself up and brushed past him, "I'm in no danger here, but if I were taking a bath, you would've been."
"I won't give up!" Mitsuki said defiantly.
Kagome smiled wistfully, "He probably thinks you'll always be there waiting for him. You should cut your own path, show him that you don't need him. If he cares for you in the way you say he does, he'll notice. Then... you make him work for you, do not make it easy for him to win you."
Inuyasha sputtered, Kagome's light laughter trailed behind her.
"By the way, Inuyasha, I'm heading out for Ishikawa tomorrow. If you insist on following, be quiet about running on the treetops ahead, it's distracting."
Inuyasha could feel his face grow hot as he watched Kagome walk on the path back to the village, "O-oi, wench, I wasn't spying on you!"
"Oh?" Kagome paused to look back at Inuyasha, a small smile playing on her lips, "Well, you certainly took your sweet time before you made yourself known, what were you doing then?"
Inuyasha quickly crossed his arms across his chest and looked away, "Keh!"
AN: Tennyo are pretty much heavenly maidens, I guess similar to western fairies or angels. I couldn't find find anything more descriptive on them other than they're usually depicted with musical instruments or flowers.
I'd try to draw a picture of how I see Kagome's hair at this point in the story, but there's one teensy problem about that... I can't draw. Her hair is longer than her mother's, the closest example I could give would be along the lines of Nana's (not Hachi Nana's) hair from Ai Yazawa's NANA. It's a pretty basic cut that comes to her jawline at its longest, with a little bit of layering in the back. (I'm too into hair -_-)
Funny that you should mention the thing about the pipe... I had thought about Kagome finding tabacco on the ship when Inuyasha went to meet with Emilo and making off with a bag or two but decided to leave it out.
I do not own any characters from the manga/anime Inuyasha.
Kagome lifted the flap and stepped outside. Satisfied that the village looked largely deserted, she stepped into her boots and wrapped her scarf more securely around her neck. After several hot, humid days the night air was blessedly cool and crisp. She blew softly and smiled at the wisps of steam that rose from her breath, soon the leaves would be changing colors- she made a note to take Shippo for a picnic so that they could watch later in the month. The guards gave her a quizzical look as she walked past them through the gate, though neither asked her where she was going. She supposed that word had gotten around that she was 'the priestess' from the group who had destroyed Naraku, a story that was quickly evolving into myth. She remembered wanting to laugh when they had stopped in an artist's shop in Mito and saw a painting of a woman rising angelically out of a well holding lotus blossoms in her outstretched palms, the painter had explained- in all seriousness- that the painting was an "exact likeness" of the 'legendary priestess' whom he believed to be a tennyo in disguise.
"What makes you so sure she was a tennyo?" Kagome had managed to ask after choking back her laughter.
"Isn't it obvious?" the painter had countered, giving Shippo a cross look when the kit snorted, "She left after her duty was finished on this earth to return to her place amongst the Gods."
Her line of questioning had abruptly came to a halt when Miroku managed to find some paintings of naked women laying together and asked for the price- the group had followed a fuming Sango dragging her husband out into the street.
She felt anything but heavenly. The so-called 'legendary priestess' couldn't shoot arrows or even begin to control her spiritual power when she'd first arrived in this time. There was absolutely nothing divine about her, she had been a normal teenaged girl- awkward and naive. Even the 'fearless fighters' of the group each had their own worries and reasons for hunting the shards of the jewel and destroying Naraku. Still, they'd carried on despite their problems and differences, she supposed that was courageous enough.
Kagome looked around the hot spring for a rock to sit on that was close enough to feel the warmth, but far away enough not to get misted by the steam rising from the water. She settled on a slab of stone and began to clear her mind, preparing to meditate. The funny thing about meditation was that she could never clear her mind when she wanted it to, her thoughts began to drift to a conversation she had with Mitsuki earlier this afternoon.
"Hey, Kagome-san? Could I ask you something?" asked the girl, flopping over tiredly in the grass.
Kagome smiled warmly at Mitsuki, "I've been waiting for you to come out with it, your head hasn't been into practice today."
Mitsuki looked up sheepishly, "I'm sorry Kagome-san! I tried to concentrate, really I did! But everytime I'd just start thinking about... Kagome-san? Have you ever been in love?"
"Once..." her voice trailed off.
"See," Mitsuki broke in, "I have a crush on Asano-kun, do you know him?"
Kagome shrugged, "No, does it matter?"
"Ah, no, I guess not. Well, I've tried everything to get him to notice me, but nothing works!" she whined. "And today, right before practice, I saw him kissing Aki-chan. Aki-chan! She could care less about him! How does she get his attention when she follows Taro-kun everywhere and I'm always there with Asano-kun helping him with his chores and studies? I don't know what to do anymore, I'm so upset!"
Kagome remembered being at her age, so hung up on a guy... and felt the warmth leave her. She looked down at Mitsuki coldly, "Why waste your energy? Leave him alone if he's chasing after someone else."
Mitsuki wiped a tear from her cheek, "I could never do that! I care about him, and I know he cares about me too!"
Kagome laughed bitterly, she suddenly felt so old- staring at the girl that reminded her so much of herself, at a time that felt like it had been hundreds of years ago, "Yes, I'm sure he was thinking only of you while he was with Aki."
"You don't have to be so cruel, Kagome-san! I know he cares for me, when I was sick last winter, he spent a whole week at my side, feeding me hot soups and making sure I was comfortable until I felt well again! He even..."
Kagome heard a twig snap and felt a familiar aura, jerking her out of her thoughts.
"Wish for him, and he will be yours forever."
"Goddammit, will you shut up?" Kagome whispered harshly and gripped the jewel hanging from her neck tightly until the voices were silenced. At first, she had thought the weird dreams she had been having after taking the jewel back into her possession was just that- simply weird dreams and nothing more. Their suggestions were always so tempting, she didn't see the danger in dreaming of being a beautiful queen or touching Inuyasha's soft ears with their voices whispering in the background... until she could hear them while awake, or having to spend large amounts of energy in purifying an increasingly corrupt jewel.
"You must end this soon, they're trying to drain you."
Ah, The Woman. She hadn't introduced herself, but Kagome supposed it wasn't necessary anymore. "I'm working on it, just give me a little more time."
"Time," a hint of amusement in The Woman's voice came through, "is the only thing I have, Kagome-chan."
Inuyasha could feel his breath hitch in his throat as he watched Kagome stare at the pink jewel. The moonlight and steam combined to give the woman an ethereal glow. Maybe the painter was right...
"Hey, what are you doing out here at this time of night by yourself? Come back to the village and go to sleep, it's not safe out here."
Kagome drew herself up and brushed past him, "I'm in no danger here, but if I were taking a bath, you would've been."
"I won't give up!" Mitsuki said defiantly.
Kagome smiled wistfully, "He probably thinks you'll always be there waiting for him. You should cut your own path, show him that you don't need him. If he cares for you in the way you say he does, he'll notice. Then... you make him work for you, do not make it easy for him to win you."
Inuyasha sputtered, Kagome's light laughter trailed behind her.
"By the way, Inuyasha, I'm heading out for Ishikawa tomorrow. If you insist on following, be quiet about running on the treetops ahead, it's distracting."
Inuyasha could feel his face grow hot as he watched Kagome walk on the path back to the village, "O-oi, wench, I wasn't spying on you!"
"Oh?" Kagome paused to look back at Inuyasha, a small smile playing on her lips, "Well, you certainly took your sweet time before you made yourself known, what were you doing then?"
Inuyasha quickly crossed his arms across his chest and looked away, "Keh!"
AN: Tennyo are pretty much heavenly maidens, I guess similar to western fairies or angels. I couldn't find find anything more descriptive on them other than they're usually depicted with musical instruments or flowers.
I'd try to draw a picture of how I see Kagome's hair at this point in the story, but there's one teensy problem about that... I can't draw. Her hair is longer than her mother's, the closest example I could give would be along the lines of Nana's (not Hachi Nana's) hair from Ai Yazawa's NANA. It's a pretty basic cut that comes to her jawline at its longest, with a little bit of layering in the back. (I'm too into hair -_-)
Funny that you should mention the thing about the pipe... I had thought about Kagome finding tabacco on the ship when Inuyasha went to meet with Emilo and making off with a bag or two but decided to leave it out.
I do not own any characters from the manga/anime Inuyasha.