A Tragic Lovesong Divine

“Grandma Kaede? I’m here.” Kagome had hurriedly put her things down at her house then rushed to her grandma’s house. After the crazy day she had today, she was itching for a good story.

“Oh, Kagome. Glad you’re here. How was your day?”

“Oh well, it was interesting.”

“Interesting huh? By interesting you mean…”

“Well, Koga was his usually self. That annoyed me, but between all of the annoyances, I met a new guy…friend…I guess…I’m not really sure.” Kaede raised an eyebrow. “Well, grandma, I can’t explain it. He’s a new transfer student and his name is Haku.”

“Well, how do like him?”

“I’m not sure if I do. He’s very arrogant and quick tongued. There’s also a mysterious air about him. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

“Well, the way you talk about him, it seems as though he has gotten your attention.”

“What?! No way. He’s just…there. And anyway I don’t want to talk about it. I want to know more about this Inuyasha guy.”

“Ha ha ha. Okay then. Let’s go back to the porch.” Kaede led Kagome out to the porch with some green tea and a tray of cookies. “Okay. So yesterday I told you that I saw my sister and Inuyasha share a moment. Well after that…”
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Inuyasha stood up immediately as Kikyo came out to the porch. She met his gaze but immediately looked down at the ground. “Inuyasha, I was planning to walk you back to the fields, but only if you wanted the company. It’s just courteous to see the guest off.”

“Uh…sure. Let’s get going. It’s dark out here and you really shouldn’t be out so late.”

“It’s fine. Really Inuyasha, I can look after myself, though I may appear to be helpless at times.”

Inuyasha kept quiet and walked beside her. The night air was crisp and fresh, not to mention the stars were shining brighter than ever. It was not quite so dark yet and the light from the crescent shaped moon made Kikyo’s hair shine. Kikyo did not say anything about what happened between them after dinner, but Inuyasha couldn’t shake the image of the two. He was only trying to get the hair out of her face, even though he liked it. He wanted to look into her eyes once more, but instead he ended up brushing her cheek. It was soft, nothing like he’d ever felt before and even though he only touched her for a moment, the feeling was burned in his flesh. Kikyo coughed a little interrupting his thoughts.

“Are you ok? The night air is chilly and you should get back so that you don’t catch a cold.”

“No, it’s ok. We are almost there and I don’t want to lea… I don’t want to be rude.”

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks for a moment. Was it possible that she was starting to feel the same as he? He walked briskly to catch up with her. So she didn’t want to leave me. I think that’s what she meant but I can’t be sure. Inuyasha shook his head and brushed the thoughts. Soon they both came to a halt at a familiar oak tree near the fields. Inuyasha turned and looked at Kikyo. Their eyes met but only for a mere second.

“I guess I should thank you for walking me back.” Inuyasha’s tone was a bit softer than usual. “So thank you for supper and thanks for walking with me.” She looked up at him with those soulful eyes.

“You’re welcome. Good night Inuyasha.”

“Wait, Kikyo.”

“Yes?”

“Uh…so do you want to…you know, hang out or something tomorrow? I mean, you don’t have to. It’s not like I need you too so don’t kid yourself, but…” He wasn’t able to finish his argument before Kikyo cut him off.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Inuyasha.” And with that she left. Inuyasha watched her walk off and he even followed her back to make sure she made it back safely. Afterwards, he made his way back the familiar oak and fell asleep with a smile on his face.

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Inuyasha awoke suddenly the next morning. Kikyo? He could smell her scent but he did not see her. “Inuyasha.”

“Kikyo?” Her voice was very faint and he could barely make out what she was saying.

“I’m down the hill in the field of daisies.”

“What are you doing down there?” Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and made his way down the hill. He found Kikyo sitting Indian styled looking out at the dancing daisies.

“Well, you were sleeping and I didn’t want to wake you.” Inuyasha sat down beside her.

“Oh, well your scent woke me up anyway. I have a very sensitive nose.”

“I see. It’s the dog in you.”

“Hey! Just what of it?” Kikyo laughed.

“Inuyasha, I was only kidding. You shouldn’t be ashamed of what you are. You are unique and that makes you special in my eyes.” Kikyo did not look at him but only kept gazing at the field of daisies. “Inuyasha, I am going away for a couple of days.”

“Huh? Why are you leaving,” Inuyasha asked grudgingly. “Not that it’s any of my business so if you don’t want to tell me…”

“I got word of a heard of demons attacking nearby villages in the area. It is my job to get rid of them. Kaede and I are leaving tonight.”

Inuyasha felt a surge of anger erupt. He did not wish for her to leave. He wanted to spend as much time with her as he possibly could. There was no telling how long she’d be gone and what was he going to do while she was away? Most of his days now consisted of watching her when he should be making plans to steal the sacred jewel. Kikyo stretched her legs out in the grass, folded her arms back, and lay down on the grassy prairie. Inuyasha watched her, for it became a habit now. He could tell by the expression she wore that she was not very excited about this trip. Inuyasha lie down on the ground next to her and looked up at the sky.

“I’m going with you.” Kikyo turned her head slightly and their eyes met briefly.

“Inuyasha, you don’t have to go. I was just telling you so that you wouldn’t worry.” Then she added softly, “If you’d even worry at all.” Inuyasha turned to his side and propped his head on his hand so that he could look at Kikyo better.

“Why wouldn’t I worry?” His voice was soft and soothing, which made Kikyo’s head turn. Her eyes met his caring gaze.

“I don’t know. Why should you?” Kikyo said in almost a whisper. She had turned the question back at him but her eyes never left his. Inuyasha continued to gaze at her, trying to find a response. The wind had blown a piece of hair in her face and he was longing to move it.

“Like I said, why shouldn’t I care?”

Kikyo turned away and started back gazing up at the sky. The wind started to blow a little harder and that piece of hair was starting to annoy him. Kikyo closed her eyes and after a while, she had drifted off to sleep. She’s so beautiful when she’s asleep. The wind started to blow harder and the clouds grew dark and dreary. Kikyo’s body began to shudder a little in her sleep. Inuyasha decided that he best get her home. A storm was approaching and she didn’t need to get sick right before a big trip. Inuyasha stood up and very gently, scooped Kikyo into his arms. She wiggled a little against his chest but she did not wake. Slowly, Inuyasha carried her home.

He could have ran but he was enjoying carrying Kikyo in his arms. She was so vulnerable right now. Her soft body was nestled against his. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was needed. If he had not been with her, she would have been caught in a bad storm. When he reached the cabin, Kaede was asleep as well. The door was slightly ajar so he opened and silently entered. There was a blanket on the floor in one corner of the room. Kaede was asleep on it already but there was a spot in view where Kikyo’s limber body could fit. Inuyasha quietly laid Kikyo down next to her sister.

The rain had begun to pour. It was storming too bad for him to leave. He looked back down at Kikyo. That annoying piece of hair was still in her face. He moved the hair out of her face and once again his hands brushed up against her skin. It was as soft as he remembered. He continued to stroke her cheek, but she suddenly turned to her side. She did not fully wake, nor did she see him. He looked up out the window. Even though it was pouring rain, some light from the moon was now visible. The light was radiating off of Kikyo’s cheek. Without thinking, Inuyasha leaned over and kissed her cheek. Then he hopped across the room to the other corner and fell asleep.

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Kikyo awoke the next morning to the sound of laughter. Kaede was extremely tickled about something. Kikyo yawned and then smiled.

“Kaede, what has you tickled so…” Kikyo stopped midway in her sentence. Her answer was staring her in the face. Inuyasha was sitting across the room from her, Kaede at his side.

“Um…Morning Kikyo…Um…I know you weren’t expecting me here but…”

“But it was storming too bad for him to leave big sis.” Kaede had cut him off eager to speak. “Inuyasha stayed the night. After you fell asleep in the fields, he carried you all the way home. It’s a good thing he was with you or you would have been caught in a terrible storm! Sorry to have waken you big sis but I just noticed this morning that Inuyasha had funny looking ears and he wouldn’t let me touch them…so…so I kept picking at him about it.”

“Inuyasha, is this true?” Kikyo asked. She was not aware that she had fallen asleep while with Inuyasha yesterday. She had remembered talking to him and looking at clouds. If she fell asleep then she was truly sorry. It was rude, but…she felt so safe around him that it’s a wonder she fell asleep.

“Yeah, well for the most part.”

“Did I…did I really fall asleep yesterday?” Inuyasha nodded without even looking up. “I am sorry. I don’t know what came over me…I…”

“It’s no big deal. I am just relieved that I didn’t have to endure that damn storm last night. It was awful.” Kikyo didn’t say anything more. She got up and started to prepare for her trip.

“I am going outside to get some herbs. Kaede stay with Inuyasha. I won’t be long.” Kikyo left the cabin and headed towards the fields. In truth, she was extremely happy that Inuyasha was there. Before Kikyo reached the jasmine fields she sensed another presence. “Tsubaki. What are you doing here?” she asked in a soft, yet chilling voice.

“What took you so long to realize that I was here? Spiritual powers aren’t what they once were, are they not?” Tsubaki asked, with a smirk on her face. Those bushy eyebrows and deep-red eyes made her look slightly more devious than what she already was. Not to mention the evil aura that she had always given off around Kikyo.

“I have no idea what you mean. Last time I checked my powers were working just fine.”

“Still seeing that half-demon aren’t we Lady Kikyo? You know, remember what I said about falling in love. You WILL die, and very soon in such a horrible way.”

“I think you should go now. I am not seeing Inuyasha nor are we in love. And for the record, I can do as I please.”

These words seemed to piss Tsubaki off. In the next second, Tsubaki had drew her weapon. “DIE LADY KIKYO! THAT JEWEL BELONGS TO ME NOW!” But Tsubaki was not fast enough. In the instant that she had drawn her sword, Kikyo had reached for an arrow and fired it straight at Tsubaki’s heart. She disintegrated instantly and the eastern current blew away her stagnant ashes. That was a close call. Although Kikyo’s spiritual powers were still working, she couldn’t deny that she had not picked up on Tsubaki’s presence. Kikyo let out a huge breath. She knew she needed to get it together before going on her journey; otherwise she’d be putting Kaede in danger. Before long, Kikyo had made it back to the cabin. Kaede was waiting inside along with Inuyasha.

“Kaede, get your things. We will be leaving shortly. We can eat on the way.” Kikyo could feel Inuyasha’s piercing gaze as she started to pack. She was not sure whether or not he was coming along but she dared not ask. When she was done packing she proceeded to walk out of the cabin. Inuyasha followed close behind. “Are you still coming along?” Kikyo asked abruptly.

“Of course I am. I told you I was and I meant it.” Inuyasha sounded a little pissed but Kikyo was used to Inuyasha’s mood swings by now. Soon all three were on their way to slay some demons.

For the next six days Kikyo, Kaede, and Inuyasha traveled down Damascus Path from village to village slaying nearby demons. Some of the demons proved to be tough. For some strange reason the demons seemed restless; some would even rejuvenate from time to time trying desperately to get the sacred jewel. Kikyo had never had this problem before. Sure it happened once or twice, but as they continued to travel, the demons seemed to get much worse. She wasn’t sure whether or not Inuyasha had noticed but her spiritual powers seemed to be weakening a little. On more than one occasion, Inuyasha saved her from a rear attack. She was not able to detect the demon’s presence and that was not good. It could prove to be fatal. Kikyo’s worst fears came to light on the last day of their journey. They were on their way home when they were ambushed by a pack of lizard demons. Kikyo and Inuyasha were steadily fighting demons. All of a sudden Kaede was hit in the eye.

“KAEDE! INUYASHA PROTECT MY SISTER WILL YOU?”

“YOU GOT IT.”

When all the demons had been diminished, Kikyo ran to check on her sister. Her eye looked really bad and it looked as though it hurt a lot. Kikyo grabbed Kaede and started to cry on her shoulder. “Kaede…Kaede I am so sorry. Does it hurt really bad?”

“No…no it just stings a little. It’s ok sis. It’s not your fault. I should not have been in the way.” Inuyasha watched as Kikyo continued to cry. He didn’t know what to say or do. He picked up Kaede and carried her on his back all the way back to the village.

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Kaede let a tear drop fall from her right eye. Every time she thought about this part of her life, it made her sad. Kagome must have noticed it too for she sat silently without any questions. “I’m sorry Kagome. It’s just that when I think of how hurt my sister was it makes me sad.”

“It’s ok, but you know, how did you feel? I know your eye must have hurt.”

“True it hurt, but the pain wasn’t nearly as bad as the pain my sister felt on the inside. For the rest of our lives together she continued to blame herself for my injury. It wasn’t entirely her fault. That demon came out of nowhere and neither she nor Inuyasha were anywhere close to me at the time of the accident.” Kaede sighed. Her sister suffered so much and for nothing. Every time she was the least bit happy, something would happen and steal her happiness away.

“Yes, well now you are probably thinking that everything had changed. Yes, everything changed including my relationship with my sister. If you can believe it, somehow we became closer than ever before. And then…well, then there was Inuyasha. Interesting things happened after we returned back to the village…”

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When they finally arrived back to the cabin, Kikyo rushed in to nurse Kaede’s eye some more. After applying different medicines to it, Kikyo made Kaede lie down and get some rest. “Okay sister. I am really tired and my feet are hurting.”

“Do you need anything else? Food? Water?”

“No, I’m fine sister. Please, don’t worry so much. I promise I am okay, but for now, I think you should go be with Inuyasha. He worries about you just as you worry about me.”

Kikyo was a little shocked. How did Kaede know what Inuyasha was feeling? Were they…but Kaede seemed to have read Kikyo’s mind. Kaede took Kikyo by the hand and they walked off to the far end of the cabin, where Inuyasha could not hear.

“Kikyo, the reason I know Inuyasha worries about you is because he’s always asking questions about you. While you were gathering herbs in the Gavestone Village, Inuyasha asked many questions about you. I also caught him following you once when you were out gathering fire wood. He seems like a good guy, even though he’s part demon. I think you should spend more time with him. He’s a friend now.” Kikyo smiled at her sister. For someone so young she sure was observant. Kaede turned down the lamp and then crossed the room to lie down. Seconds later she was drifting off to sleep.

Kikyo left the cabin and went towards the forest where Inuyasha was staying. After he brought Kaede home, he decided to give them some alone time. A few minutes later Kikyo was nearing the dark forest. Before she could enter, Inuyasha had appeared out of one of the nearby shrubs.

“Kikyo, it’s dark. What are you doing out so late? You should be resting.”

“Well, I…I wanted to spend some time with you if that’s…if that’s alright with you.” Kikyo did not look up at Inuyasha, for she didn’t want to see the look on his face. Moments later he had taken her by the hand.

“I want you to stay. Come with me," he whispered softly.

Kikyo took his hand and they walked off into the forest. They walked for minutes at a time in silence listening to the sounds of the forest. The moon was shining bright so it was not as dark as she figured it would be. After a while, they stopped in front of a huge oak tree. It was lit nicely by the light reflecting on it from the moon and stars. The leaves seemed to sparkle from the moisture in the air in combination with the moonlight.

“It’s so beautiful out here tonight. I have never really wandered into the forest late at night. I have to look out for Kaede…” Kikyo stopped short for her throat was all knotted up. Just the thought of Kaede made her want to cry. Before she knew it, Inuyasha had pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace.

Kikyo relaxed in his arms and laid her head upon his chest. Then she cried. She didn’t really know why she was crying. She was filled with so many emotions all at once. Thoughts of Kaede…the Shikon Jewel…Inuyasha. All the feelings that she had been repressing seemed to just pour out all at once. Minutes later she had stopped crying and Inuyasha rested his head upon the top of hers while caressing her back. His hands brought a chill down her spine and she liked the feeling. It was a feeling that ended almost too quickly when he pushed her away. She looked up at him and her eyes met his.

“Kikyo…”

That was all he said and that was all he could say. He was so wrapped in emotion that he didn’t quite know what he wanted to say. Kikyo leaned against the giant oak and looked towards the sky. The moon was still shinning brightly and the stars were brightening the sky as well. Inuyasha walked towards her as she turned around. Her back was now against the tree and Inuyasha continued to walk forward. He stopped a few inches in front of her and took her by the hand. She looked up at him as his free hand caressed one of her arms. Slowly he caressed her arm working his way up to her shoulder. He dropped her hand that he was holding and with his new free hand, he started to caress her other arm, working his way up to the other shoulder. Kikyo felt her knees go weak and she closed her eyes.

She was about to fall over when Inuyasha pinned her to the tree with his body. Her weakened body relaxed against his while he rested his head upon her shoulder. Her sweet scent began to play with his head. After a moment he found himself brushing the side of her neck with his mouth. Kikyo relaxed a little more and wrapped her arms around his back gently. He soon found himself brushing his lips against her cheek and finally her mouth. Her lips parted slightly and he began to lick them and when they finally parted all the way, he slipped his tongue in and kissed her upper lip softly. He kissed it again but this time she returned the kiss with fervor.

It was nothing like she had ever experienced before. Her legs grew numb as his kisses started to trail towards her ears and neck. She wanted this feeling to go on forever, but the pleasure was soon interrupted by the sound of wolves howling in the distance. Kikyo let go of Inuyasha and he backed away from her. She looked up at him but only for a moment.

“Kikyo…are you alright? I’m…I’m sorry…I didn’t…” But he was cut short.

“Inuyasha, I think I should go now.”

“Alone? Do you want me to…?”

“No, it’s…it’s fine. I’ll be alright. Good night Inuyasha.”

“G’Night.”

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What had happened? One minute she was gazing at the stars lost in thought and then the next she was wrapped in the arms of Inuyasha. She wasn’t complaining but the fact that something had happened between them bothered her. What was this feeling she was having? It felt so good and whatever Inuyasha was doing to her emotionally, she didn’t want that feeling to ever go away. But it seemed like a betrayal to Kaede among other things. She had always felt strongly about her sister. Of course it was a different type of feeling or connection since, after all, they were related. No one else had made her feel this way, but…but now it was as though she couldn’t be without him. Kikyo laughed at the thought, for in her head it sounded silly and a bit ridiculous but still… Kaede was back at home hurting from her eye injury and she, Kikyo, was out sub coming to her own selfish desires. Kikyo decided that it was best that she see a little less of Inuyasha. If she was so easily unguarded tonight then there’s no telling what might happen the next time they are alone.

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Inuyasha watched Kikyo walk away, something that he was growing accustomed to now. What an evening it had been. What started out as a friendly walk beneath the stars turned out to be an evening of mixed emotions. He was not sure how Kikyo was feeling but he knew how he felt. All tonight did was confirm what he had been fighting all alone. He was falling in love with Kikyo and he was falling hard. There wasn’t a minute that went by where he wasn’t daydreaming about how good she smelled or how beautiful she looked while sleeping. He had developed the habit of watching her-following her home at night to make sure she was safe and at this very moment he was wishing that he could go with her. He wanted her to feel vulnerable again so that he could hold her in his arms, possibly do a little more. Inuyasha shook his head trying to relieve himself of such thoughts. He did not want to come off as some perve but something happened tonight that triggered all his desires from within. When he was kissing her neck, her scent was driving him mad with desire. Her lips were so soft and sweet that it made his head swim just thinking about it. I think I love her. That was his last thought before drifting off to sleep underneath the oak tree.