Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ River of Crystals ❯ Week 1, Day 6 ( Chapter 14 )

Week 1, Day 6

 

 

 

 

“Talking”

 

`Thinking'

 

Memories

 

Stressed

 

 

 

 

Kagome sighed as she helped Kaede up the shrine stairs. The old woman was strong willed, but the will didn't always go with the body. Her eyebrows furrowed in worried as the old woman coughed and stopped fifteen steps away. Kagome looked from the ground to where they were at and smiled. Kaede had come a long way from when she was a child, those steps symbolized a lot in Kagome's mind.

 

“You're almost there,” Kagome encouraged.

 

The old woman smiled despite her age and nodded. Kagome turned her attention to Youko and saw him laying about the Torii. She thanked every Kami that Kaede was in no mood to look up. The made it to the last step and Kagome smiled. Kaede turned to the younger Miko and her eye held some sadness. They walked into the temple and Kaede walked towards the edge of the temple corner.

 

Kagome watched as she kneeled down and wiped the dust away from a wooden box. Staying where she was she sat on one of temple cushions and watched in curiosity. She heard the older Miko sigh and listened to small clinks. She closed the lid to the box again and pushed herself up. Her hands were holding something hidden from Kagome's dark blue eyes. Kaede smiled and sat in front of Kagome.

 

“You have taken the responsibilities as Miko with great care,” Kaede began.

 

“I'm not that good of a Miko,” Kagome whisper.

 

“Don't be so modest. You have guarded the Tama, tamed Inuyasha, helped a Houshi with a curse, laid a Taijiya's fears to rest, and became a mother to an orphan,” Kaede explained.

 

“It sounds like a lot,” Kagome thought out loud.

 

“While doing this you took it upon yourself to learn the ways of the Miko and help the villagers. I feel that it is only right to past down the sacred village item to you,” Kaede announced with pride.

 

“But--”

 

“It would only be right to pass such an item to the village the Miko,” Kaede whispered as she opened her hands.

 

“Thank you, they're beautiful,” Kagome whispered as she took the offered item.

 

The beads clinked together as they poured into her waiting hands. They were Buddhist prayer beads, much like the ones Miroku wore. Twenty-seven red beads appeared newly polished on their link of string. Kagome's eyes watered as she stared down at them. She looked up at Kaede and embraced the woman as she let a few tears out.

 

“You are the only one I would trust these to,” Kaede whispered as she hugged her.

 

“This means so much to mean,” Kagome honestly said as she pulled away.

 

“They say that the true Miko's rein ends when the beads come undone,” Kaede whispered as her eye misted. “I restrung them the day Kikyo died.”

 

“What about you?” Kagome asked.

 

“I took over the role of Miko, but I have no powers such as you or my sister,” Kaede explained.

 

“You were a wonderful Miko,” Kagome firmly stated as she wrapped the beads around her wrist.

 

“I must go an lay down,” Kaede announced as she stood up and left the temple.

 

Kagome walked her out of the temple and Kaede left down the stairs as she struggled to keep her balance. The woman would never allow Kagome to carry her down the stairs; it would hurt her pride. Kagome reached down and played with the beads on her wrist as she thought about some things.

 

“Pathetic, why do you coddle the weak?” Youko asked from his place above.

 

“Strength is not always physical, it can be spiritual and mental,” Kagome answered.

 

“Mental strength will not save you when you are but a shriveled old thing,” Youko taunted.

 

“Humans have a will to survive that is what makes us strong…that and our bonds with others,” Kagome explained as she smiled. Youko seemed to drift into thought before he rolled off the Torii and stood in front of her.

 

“Others are nothing but a weakness,” Youko firmly said as his eyebrow furrowed. Kagome studied him for a few seconds before her countenance changed to something solemn.

 

“Who have you lost in your life that left such a scar on your soul?” Kagome softly asked. His eyes widened in shock before they narrowed in anger.

 

“You know nothing,” Youko growled.

 

“I may not know you or your feelings, but I do know loss and sorrow,” Kagome calmly said before she walked down the first few steps and stopped. “If you need someone to talk to…I'll listen.”

 

His golden eyes watched as she continued down the stairs. He wondered how she could know anything of sorrow. Tilting his head to the side in thought, he wondered if she was older then she appeared. Her tail wrapped around her waist as she continued.

 

 

 

 

Inuyasha growled as he stared at Kagome. He had caught sight of the prayer beads and immediately began to wonder why she had them. She had explained that Kaede told her that she was the only one she trusted them with. Inuyasha sighed in annoyance as he smirked.

 

“What is it?” Kagome suspiciously asked as she raised an eyebrow.

 

“Are you sure you won't shatter them?” Inuyasha teased.

 

“Inuyasha,” Kagome sighed as she lunged forward to smack him. Inuyasha laughed and dodged her attack.

 

“Your age is catching up with you,” Inuyasha decided to tease.

 

“That's it! You're dead,” Kagome growled as she went to smack him.

 

“Missed again,” Inuyasha taunted. Kagome stopped her attacks and smirked as her expression turned mischievous.

 

“Osuwari,” Kagome whispered as she laughed evilly.

 

Bam

 

“Damn it!” Inuyasha mumbled as he struggled to push himself up. Kagome went to step on his head but stopped when she heard her name called.

 

“Lady Kagome,” a young woman called.

 

“Yes,” Kagome spoke as she turned to the young woman. The young woman blushed and Kagome began to wonder.

 

“As you know, my husband and I were just married…and we were wondering if you would bless our hut?” The woman questioned as she bowed.

 

“That would be fine,” Kagome said as Inuyasha `kehed'.

 

The young woman bowed and muttered many thanks before she led Kagome to the hut. Kagome reached the doorway and remembered what Kaede had taught her. Following all the steps with a closing prayer, she finished the blessing. The couple thanked her and offered her fresh rice balls. Kagome accepted them, knowing it would offend them not to. Kagome sighed as she stood outside the hut with the rice balls in had. Looking to her side, she caught sight of the silver fox.

 

“What will that weak blessing do? Bring peace of mind?” Youko mocked with a smirk.

 

“It will keep out any youkai or dark spirits,” Kagome stated smugly.

 

“Your powers may be strong, but not that strong,” Youko informed.

 

“Then test them,” Kagome offered as she stepped back.

 

Youko stared at her as he remembered her trick at the shrine. Shrugging he fearlessly reached out his hand and touched the house. He raised an eyebrow in confidence as a smile of victory formed. He was about to pull his hand away and froze. A blue light surrounded him and shot him of the hut. He landed feet away with a look of anger.

 

“Your power is by luck alone,” Youko growled as he reached out again and got shocked. Kagome's sweat dropped as she watched him repeat this action.

 

“That isn't good for your health,” Kagome advised.

 

Kagome shook her head in defeat and left him there. Turning her head to Sango and Miroku's hut she found Inuyasha watching Youko from the roof. He held in his laughter with a wide smirk. Rolling her eyes, she sat at the base of tree and took out a rice ball. She bit into it and began to chew, her eyes lit up at the flavor. Kagome winced as the blessing tossed him fifteen feet away and into the river. Swallowing the rest of the rice ball, she got up and ran to the river.

 

Kagome watched as Youko stood up, water dripped from him. Kagome smiled as she set the rice balls down. She held her hand out to him in an offer to help. He wrapped his hand around her wrist and smirked. Screaming he pulled her into the river. Kagome shot up from the cold water and growled. Youko squeezed his hair dry and smirked at her. Kagome got up onto the bank and glared at him. Youko smirked again and shook the water from his body onto her. Kagome picked up a rice ball and smashed it into his face. Rice fell from his face as Kagome huffed.

 

“Jerk,” Kagome declared and walked away.

 

Youko wiped the rice from his face and stuck some in his mouth. Wiping the rest away, he smirked as he watched her walk back into the village. Her white Haori was see-through and her red hakama outlined some strange undergarment. As he watched her vanish, he thought that maybe bonds with others wouldn't be so bad.

 

 

 

 

Kagome sat underneath the Goshinboku and stared at the well to her time. Her time was no longer her true home, so she couldn't say home. Her home was with the village and her children. Kagome ran her fingers through her drying hair and grinned, everyone was shocked to see a wet Miko. Wrinkling her nose, she thought she smelt like fish. A quick bath had remedied that problem. Her smirk returned as she imagined Youko smelling of the fish.

 

“He deserves it,” Kagome lowly growled as her eyes narrowed.

 

“Who deserves what?” Youko asked as he dropped from the tree.

 

Kagome huffed and turned her head away as she stared at a tree. He growled before he sighed and sat next to her. Kagome scouted away and kept looking away.

 

“What do you want?” Kagome asked.

 

“I'm sorry,” Youko mumbled. Kagome's eyes widened as she looked over at him in shock.

 

“What did you say?” Kagome whispered.

 

“I'm not repeating myself,” Youko growled.

 

“That's alright, I heard and accept,” Kagome said as she smiled.

 

Kagome looked towards the well and sighed. Youko turned his gaze from her to the well and wondered what was so special about it. It wasn't anything worth looking at. Narrowing his eyes, he focused on the well and felt a strange energy from it.

 

“What's the well for?” Youko calmly asked.

 

“We throw the bones of youkai in there,” Kagome simply answered.

 

“What's it really for?” Youko demanded.

 

“That is something that I can't tell,” Kagome unwaveringly stated.

 

“Another secret that you hold,” Youko mumbled.

 

“We all hold secrets,” Kagome whispered.

 

“You asked who lost earlier today,” Youko began.

 

“Yeah,” Kagome trailed.

 

“I lost my best friend while trying to steal the Forlorn Hope,” Youko confided.

 

“I'm sorry,” Kagome whispered.

 

“He lost his pendant and went back for it when I told him not to, that is why I considered others weak,” Youko explained.

 

“Growing close to someone is the easiest thing in world, even when you don't think or want a bond to form it does,” Kagome whispered as she thought about Inuyasha.

 

“It hurts to lose someone close to you,” Youko added.

 

“It can be the most wonderful thing in the world to have someone that understands you…and then it can be the most painful thing,” Kagome finished in a murmur.

 

“That it can be,” Youko agreed.

 

“A loss of a friend is something terrible, but its even more tragic when you choose to cut yourself off from everyone,” Kagome explained as she leaned her head against the bark.

 

“Why do you say that?” Youko curiously asked as he looked over at her. Kagome sighed and looked up into the sky as she answered.

 

“Because you slowly kill yourself that way…your heart and soul begin to fade into a cold shell,” Kagome answered as she remembered Kikyo.

 

“How do you know this…you aren't very old,” Youko queried.

 

“Wisdom comes with experience,” Kagome stated as she closed her eyes.

 

 

 

 

Author's Note: