Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Life's Prison: A Thief's Goal ❯ The Festival of Kibou ( Chapter 8 )

Translations:

 

Wakizashi- traditional Japanese sword with a shoto blade between 12 and 24 inches

Ya- arrow

Hami-Yumi- sacred longbow

Hamaya- purity arrows

Okinawa- fruit bat

Kibou- Hope, Wish

 

 

 

The Festival of Kibou

 

 

 

“Talking”

 

`Thinking'

 

Memories

 

Stressed

 

 

 

Kagome gazed into her mirror longingly before she looked out her window to see villagers running in different directions. Turning her blue eyes to the mirror she stared at her outfit. She wore the traditional kimono that she had not adorned for years. Looking down at her table she nimbly picked up the Shikon no Tama. Fastening it around her neck she wondered if she was fated to end up trapped in it again. Granted she was still trapped, but she had a freedom.

 

Shippo asked for little because he feared the consequences of a wish. When he first asked for something big he had gotten just that. Shippo had mumbled that he wished he had some real training that would challenge him. The next thing that happened was the village was under attack and Shippo was dealing with a spider youkai. After it was destroyed Kagome had pulled Shippo aside and explained to him what had happened.

 

“Why am I dreading this day?” Kagome whispered to her reflection.

 

“Because your going with a youkai as perverted as Miroku,” Shippo suggested as he walked into her room. Kagome smiled with him and nodded in agreement to the idea that Kuronue had been acting a little more open.

 

“He may be a pervert, but he only comments,” Kagome defended with a blush.

 

“He a bat youkai, his kind doesn't thrive mere touch like Kitsune's do,” Shippo explained.

 

“My baby's a natural pervert,” Kagome teased as he frowned.

 

“Anyways, bat youkai are the type that do more mental bonding then physical,” Shippo, explained.

 

“What have I done to warrant a lecture on the bat youkai libido?” Kagome mocked.

 

`I don't want you hurt again. I can still hear you cry in your sleep,' Shippo thought.

 

“I'm concerned,” Shippo said.

 

“I'm a Miko, and a grown woman. I can take care of myself,” Kagome assured with a smile.

 

“Still…” Shippo trailed.

 

“Shippo, I'm grateful for your concern…but I will be able to take care of him if he tries anything,” Kagome sternly said.

 

She was beginning to feel irritated with his concern. She was overjoyed that he cared, but she was a woman that was a powerful Miko. She was also the woman that wielded the Shikon no Tama, granted she didn't need a master to wield it. She needed someone to release her, but if she used the power for personal gain or evil there would be dire consequences. Kagome involuntarily shuddered at the thoughts that dark thoughts that came.

 

“I didn't mean to imply that you're weak,” Shippo quickly apologized, remembering all the insults he easily offered to Kagome.

 

“I know Shippo, it's just best if we let these `worries' lie until something happens,” Kagome offered with a comforting smile.

 

“Fine, I got to go get ready,” Shippo, sighed before he left the room.

 

Kagome smiled at her reflection before she brought her hand up to the metal headband. This was only sign that she was bound to the Shikon no Tama. Upon its center were the same Sakura blossom petals Midoriko had upon her forehead. She had only seen Midoriko in dreams and knew that the same Sakura blossom petals were upon her skin underneath the metal headband. Drifting from her thoughts she heard footsteps softly coming down the hall.

 

Kagome rolled her eyes with a smile when she sensed the youki. Deciding to be a bit of a pest she threw up a weak barrier in her door. Hearing a curse and a satisfying zap she turned her blue gaze to the bat youkai. His eyebrows were furrowed in annoyances as he looked at her. Kagome couldn't help but chuckle at him as he set a glare at her. Dropping her barrier she allowed him to pass. He walked over to her and gave her a scolding look as she smirked.

 

“Your guard was down if you didn't sense the ki,” Kagome stated, knowing that he was becoming comfortable in the village and in her presence.

 

“I didn't exactly expect a barrier,” Kuronue snapped.

 

“You're becoming lazy,” Kagome sang.

 

“Barriers were never my forte,” Kuronue pointed out.

 

“What is your forte?” Kagome questioned. He stepped closer to and placed his index finger under her chin as he gently brought her gaze to his.

 

“That is for me to know…and for you to find out,” Kuronue softly said. Kagome lightly blushed before they both caught a snort.

 

“Famous last words…” Shippo muttered as he walked past the room. Kagome quickly jumped up and away from him as she began to turn red from embarrassment.

 

“I think we should get going,” Kagome muttered as she pulled him by the elbow to the door. He stopped and she lost her balance, but quickly regained it. He the offered her his arm. Knowing he wouldn't budge she hooked her arm with his.

 

Once they reached the outside world he could see men and woman rushing towards the stage that had been set up. Kagome smiled at the thought of how they wanted to remember such an event. She stopped walking when they both saw Sango and Miroku approaching with Kichi in arms. Kichi jumped from Miroku's hold and attached herself to Kagome's right leg. Kagome shook the girl loose and then gave her a proper hug. Kichi then gasped and darted off towards the stage.

 

“Why is she in a rush?” Kagome asked as she watched the girl vanish behind the stage.

 

“She has to give the fake arrows to the woman playing you,” Miroku said with a smirk.

 

“Youkai,” Sango said as she looked at Kuronue. Miroku sighed and Kagome covered her frown with her hand.

 

“Taijiya,” Kuronue responded. He would treat her as she treated him, it seemed childish, but to a youkai it was a matter of pride. If someone referred to you by a title then you did too.

 

“Lets be on our way,” Miroku suggested as he nodded a greeting to Kuronue who returned the action.

 

Kaede was already sitting in font on a log that. Shippo had sat next to her while waiting for Kagome. Kagome then sat next to him with Kuronue on her right hand side. Kirara had jumped in between Miroku and Kuronue so Sango wouldn't object as she sat on Miroku's right hand side. Kagome knew that most of the villagers were still weary of Kuronue's presence. Kaede had been at ease around the youkai and the villagers trusted her and Kagome's decision. That didn't mean they had to talk to him.

 

Kagome closed her eyes and sighed as she heard the whispers behind her from the villagers. The whispers only seemed to depress her; they had never acted like this before. But she reminded herself that those times were in the past and things would not be the same. Kagome was certain that Kuronue could hear each word, but he didn't act like he did. She leaned her head against his shoulder as she closed her eyes. The whispers started back up again.

 

“That youkai's evil.”

 

“That isn't very proper of a Miko.”

 

“He should have been killed.”

 

“What if he's after the jewel?”

 

“Maybe she's falling…again.”

 

Kagome squeezed her eyes tighter as they continued. Shippo had begun to growl when he smelt Kagome's sorrow. They villagers then kept quiet after the warning growl from Shippo. Kaede slowly leaned towards Kagome and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

“Ignore them, remember that there is only peace and serenity within you,” Kaede whispered.

 

“Yes Kaede-sensei,” Kagome replied, adding the sensei to show she is a proper Miko. Kuronue reached down and squeezed her hand in comfort.

 

`So he did hear them,' Kagome sadly thought.

 

The curtain on the stage pulled apart to separate sides. Kagome's eyes widened in recognition as she saw a boy pinned to a tree. He wore a wig of silver hair and had white dog-ears upon his head. Her eyes took note of the red outfit he wore and the arrow above his heart. A man's voice was heard from the side of the stage. That's when Kagome noticed the Miko holding the bow with arrow. It was implied that she had already fired.

 

“Fifty-six years ago there was one a hanyou known as Inuyasha. He was an Inu hanyou that came to Edo seeking the Shikon no Tama. This is the tragic tale of the Hanyou and the Mikos that were involved. The Miko Kikyo was the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, she had been prepared all her life to guard the Tama. She had slain many youkai who sought out the Tama. Then one morning the hanyou Inuyasha came after the Tama. She had pinned him to the tree by his clothing.

After many attempts to steal the Tama the Miko intrigued the hanyou. He had begun to follow her. Soon they became friends, still mistrusting each other. Out of loneliness a bond of friendship was formed. Whenever the Miko was summoned to villages he would follow and protect her. They soon fell in love and he agreed to use the Tama to turn human for her. On the day she arrived at the agreed meeting place he had attacked her and had taken the jewel.

The hanyou was on his way to meet the Miko when an arrow was fired at him. He met the eyes of the Miko and both were betrayed on a fateful day. He raced to the temple and stole the jewel. As he was about to run off deeper into the forest the Miko had released a Hamaya that sealed him to the Goshinboku. The Miko was fatally wounded on her right shoulder blade. Giving the Shikon no Tama to her sister she ordered her to burn the Tama with her body,” The man finished.

Kagome's eyes slightly watered as he told the tale. The curtains closed and soon enough there was a well on the stage and the boy was still pined to the tree. The only difference was there was a girl looking out of the well. Kagome noted that the girl playing Kikyo was off in the shadows, but still on stage.

 

`Where we first met,' Kagome thought.

 

A woman's voice began to speak, bringing Kagome from her musings.

 

“Fifty years later a girl from the future fell down the well. Mukadejourou pulled her down the well. By sure luck the girl unlocked her dormant Miko ki and injured the youkai. Upon climbing up from the well she noticed that she was no longer in her time. The first thing that came into her sight was the boy pined to the tree. The villagers of Edo, thinking that she was a Kitsune or a witch, captured her. The same youkai came back to retrieve her and she took off running back into the forest.

As she ran she cried out for help. The boy on the Goshinboku awakened. The girl known as Kagome released Inuyasha. The youkai then tore open her side and the Shikon no Tama appeared. Inuyasha quickly killed the youkai and then turned on the girl thinking she was the one that betrayed him. Kaede, the village Miko placed a spell on a necklace that went around the boy's neck. Kagome then yelled out a single word that bound his soul to her. He was subdued and immediately crashed to the ground.

The boy soon learned that Kikyo had died and Kagome was her reincarnation. Kagome soon shattered the Shikon no Tama with a single arrow in an attempt to retrieve the Tama from a Shibu Karasu. Kagome and Inuyasha began a quest to collect the Tama. As this quest went on Kagome and Inuyasha had faced many challenges. She had pulled the Tetsusaiga from its seal and befriended the Kitsune Shippo. (A little boy with a fake tail comes on stage)

Soon a witch that wished to resurrect Kikyo in order to search for shards kidnapped her. Her soul released from her body and Kikyo was brought back from the realm of the dead. The Miko was fueled with nothing but hate and betrayal from her last moments of life. She purified the witch and then attacked Inuyasha in a rage. Kagome then called back her soul in order to save Inuyasha from Kikyo's attack. Kikyo soon retreated and began to live off the souls of the dead.

After that event they met the Houshi, Miroku who was cursed by Naraku. The then met the last Taijiya, Sango. Her village had been killed by youkai that Naraku commanded and he used her brother Kohaku to kill her father and friends. He attempted to kill her, but the villagers shot them both down thinking they had gone crazy. This is how they all met and gathered shards for four years. They soon came to the final battle with Naraku. The same Naraku that tricked Inuyasha and Kikyo into betrayal, the same one that cursed the Houshi, and destroyed the Taijiya's life.”

 

Kagome had stiffened when they brought Kikyo back. Still the undead Miko haunted her. Kagome sighed as the curtain closed. Kagome drifted back to her thoughts of Kikyo. Her soul was still out there wandering, never finding a place to belong. If she concentrated hard enough she could feel Kikyo's emotions and find where she was. Kagome knew that she had to put the Miko to rest; Kaede had even commented that Kikyo doesn't belong in this realm anymore. The truth of those words rang true, but Kagome could not bring herself to kill the tragic Miko.

 

The curtain opened again and they had the four companion actors and actresses on stage. Kagome watched as they began to reenact the fight. She watched as the one portraying Miroku was injured first.

 

Miroku rushed to her side as Kohaku aimed his Katana for her head. Jumping in-between the attack Miroku braced himself. Sango let her tears fall as she watched Miroku become impaled. Kohaku pulled the katana out as his eyes came to life. He began to cry as he fell down dead. The shard fell out of his back and into Naraku's hand. Sango held the monk in her lap as she let the tears hit his face.

 

“No,” Kagome whispered as she watched her memories take form upon the stage. Shippo tensed as he looked at Kagome. Kuronue seemed concerned as he began to rub her hand. Her eyes were glazed over. The person performing as Inuyasha protected the Kagome that was on stage. He soon was fatally injured.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled as he hugged her from behind. Her eyes widened in realization, she had left herself unguarded. She felt Inuyasha tense before he fell to his knees. Afraid to turn around she caught him as he fell. He grunted in pain as she laid him down. He had been attacked from behind, his back was broken enough to leave him alive for a few seconds.

 

“Inuyasha,” Kagome sadly whispered as the tears began to flow. Kuronue held her tight to his side as she sobbed. Sango noticed this and turned to watch as Kagome snuggle into his side and weep. Miroku whispered something to Sango. She looked at him in disbelief before she turned away and watched the play.

 

The play soon ended and everyone left save for the youkai and Miko. Kagome had stopped crying, but she kept her face buried in Kuronue's side. He side as he rubbed her back in comforting circles. She sighed as she calmed down and let her eyes return to normal.

 

“Thank you,” Kagome whispered to Kuronue.

 

“No problem,” Kuronue whispered back.

 

“I think we should go and watch the wishing,” Kagome replied as she stood. He could easily see that she was still shaky.

 

`Strong yet fragile,' Kuronue thought as he followed her.

 

They came to the center of the village and noticed that there was a small pit in the ground. She watched as everyone tossed in a Tama rice paper ball into the pit. Kagome retrieved a Tama and handed it to Kuronue. He stared at her in confusion before he gently took it. He let his fingers brush against hers, mindful of his claws. She smiled at him and he waited until the fire was lit. He then tossed the Tama into the fire as he took Kagome's hand in his.

 

`I wish I knew what these feeling were,' Kuronue thought as he watched the Tama burn.