Forget-Me-Not

True/Dedicated Love

(¯`·._ (¯`·._ _.·´¯)_.·´¯) ✾ (¯`·._ (¯`·._ _.·´¯)_.·´¯)

"We only realize how much someone means to us, when they are no longer with us."

His new appearance was only known to a select few. Along with being able to summon cloth to keep his modesty, they discovered that same night that he could recall his old form but only for a short period of time.

Only the village children, who treated it like a huge secret, knew about it along with a select few elders, who gossiped amongst themselves but never spread rumors.

His new body came with a wide variety of things he had to adjust to. For one, he no longer felt other's emotions as powerfully as before. His new body had its own emotional center so while he could feel and adapt to those around him if he focused, he no longer had too as his own emotional center came first. Kagome believed he was "empathic", instead of reflective now.

Learning emotions from his own body was difficult too. He had to learn fear and why he feared certain things. He had to learn that sometimes, the same event happening but for different reasons caused other emotions. Emotions are also able to combine and mix, creating a whirlwind within him that he didn't understand at times.

Kagome touching a strange dog? Fear. Kagome tripping and scraping her palms? Fear. Kagome petting a strange dog that trips her and makes her damage her hands? Anger. The children picking flowers with him and trying to communicate with their wordless sounds? Patience. Kagome playing with them and doing the same? Adoration.

For a spirit who isn't certain he was human before, it was a large change.

There was one emotion that he experienced but unlike the others before, he could not satisfy it. He could not understand this emotion and what it wanted of his body, even though his body did reaction to the emotion. Lust. This emotion haunted him since the first night he gained a human body and he was lost on what to do.

Kaonashi had no way to communicate his confusing thoughts. Grunts, moans and whimpers had brought him far in his existence and he had never needed words until now. Unable to speak and seek advice, Kaonashi had no choice but to do the next thing he was good at, and that was observe.

He followed the men of the village around whenever they were feeling adoration, which was often accompanied by a tiny tendril of lust. He noticed the sweet touches they gave their wives. The kisses exchanged privately with their smaller mouths. Kaonashi knew that a kiss between him and his miko would never work. His mouth was made to consume and swallow, not the press gently against her soft mouth. Kisses seemed to be the most common way to exchange feelings of adoration, along with soft touches and the man's presence when the woman needed it.

Kaonashi already did as many of those as possible for her.

So he trailed after the more primitive sources of lust that he felt from the village men. For this one, Kaonashi often found that he had to be invisible as humans were afraid to act on their lustful emotions if they thought others were watching. It was strange to him that sometimes, mortals just felt lust and other times, their love and adoration turned to lust.

He learned that lust fueled different actions. Kisses were no longer sweet and simple. Their lips stayed locked together and while he couldn't be sure, he suspected that tongues did not stay in their own mouths. Their hands no longer lingered on the hips, arms or back but rather moved in a gliding motion. They stroked, they tugged and they caress everything in their path. Kaonashi only grew more confused when the man's hands would touch areas he did not think was proper. Was a man allowed to touch a woman's breast, hips, neck and between their legs when fueled by lust? Why did women not allow it any other time?

Despite his observations, Kaonashi did respect their privacy, so while he was curious of what happened when the mortals disappeared into the privacy of their huts with lust running rampage through their veins, he never followed them.

"What's on your mind?" Kagome's sweet voice drew him out of his thoughts.

The two of them were alone in their hut again. Night had fallen but it was still uncomfortably warm, even with the cool breeze. Kagome was crouched by the fire pit in the center of the room, warming their meal for the night. Kaonashi didn't require food as often as humans but whenever Kagome served him a bowl, he was reluctant to refuse her, leaving him in indulging in his miko's cooking.

The faceless spirit stayed silent, keeping his thoughts to himself.

Kagome shrugged off his quiet mood and served up two bowls. Rice was the main ingredient with some meat and vegetables on top. Kaonashi gracefully accept his small bowl while Kagome sat by his side with her own. She started to eat before him, her chopsticks picking through her food to reveal the bits she wanted.

One of Kaonashi's hands struck without warning. Clank! Crash! Both of their bowls were sent to the floor, shattering upon impact and spilling their food everywhere.

"What was that for?" Kagome directed an icy glare at him.

From the mountain of meat, vegetables and rice, it stared up at him. Its long slender body with its tiny legs and thin tail. Kaonashi glared back at the innocent creature, hating it and the fact it had been so close to his miko.

He hated dragons. Dragons were thieves and the last dragon he knew had taken the other girl from him, never to be seen again. He didn't want any dragons near him or his own. He didn't want his miko to even look at a dragon.

Kagome followed his glare to the source and sighed. "I guess you don't like lizard."

(¯`·._ (¯`·._ _.·´¯)_.·´¯)

Kaonashi observed a few more days before he decided to fully understand lust, he would need to follow the emotion and let it unravel inside him like most emotions. So he mimicked the actions of those he observed.

It started slowly. Kaonashi was in his human form in the fields with his miko. He guarded her as she plucked her plants, his larger form towering over her crouched one. When Kagome went to straighten out of her crouch, Kaonashi extended his hands to grip her elbow and hip, helping her to her feet. His fingers glided gently over her skin, stroking the areas he could reach. Kagome froze in his grasp, her own hands tightened around her herbs but the spirit didn't sense anger or distress in her aura. Her own emotions were mixed, and too tangled for him to make sense of. Confounded, Kaonashi released her and her body relaxed once more.

He did continue his actions throughout the day. His touches would linger on her skin and he would find the smallest reasons to touch her. Her soft skin and the cute, confused sound she made at his random touches, never failed to shoot a bolt of lust through him.

At noon the sun beat down mercilessly upon them. Kagome was inside the hut, mixing herbs and plants together in a complex way that never failed to confused the spirit. He watched her hands move with confidence, her focus entirely on the medical remedy she was making. With her distracted Kaonashi let some of the shadows that encased his body fade.

He had seen village men do the same thing, finding some excuse to show off their bodies. Most just let their shirts hang open while some of the bolder one took their shirts off. Kaonashi even had vague memories of the future, where men would shamelessly try to attract women by being as naked as possible.

Kaonashi chose to wore just enough to cover the mouth on his chest, his hips and the top half of his legs. He never even considered removing his mask, thinking it to be impossible as it was his face.

"Kaonashi, can you pass me that purple flower?" Her eyes flitted up for just a second and then froze on him.

When her cheeks turned pink and her hands faltered in their mixing, Kaonashi felt pride. From her own aura he caught the trace of lust worming itself way forward like a live thread. It was now stronger than this morning, A happy "ah" escaped him at the new feeling and her blush grew darker. She opened her mouth, twice, but no words escaped her. Instead she gave a strangled sound and reached for the plants herself, almost tipping over her mixture.

"Never mind," she squeaked out.

The chuffing sound Kaonashi made was new to them both but it was similar to laughter.

He didn't see the need to cover himself again. He was planning on staying in the hut anyways, away from prying eyes and watching Kagome blush and falter whenever she looked at him was something he enjoyed. Sometimes he would even move around so as to surprise her when she attempted to look in a new direction. What started as a way to learn about lust soon turned into a game for them both. Kagome would attempt to look in a new area of the hut when she looked up, to avoid his almost-naked state, and Kaonashi would attempt to move to that area beforehand, trying to guess where her eyes would travel to next.

This continued throughout the day. Even after Kagome finished her remedies and moved to cook dinner, their game adapted to her new distraction. The blush never faded from her cheeks and it seemed unlikely to at this rate.

Kaonashi refused his serving of food as he was not hungry. Kagome had gotten a spring in her step as she filled her bowl with stew, probably thinking that the game had been on hold. Unknown to her, Kaonashi had stopped the game and was now in favor of continuing his research. He had found it curious that throughout their game, her lust had increased and now he wanted to figure out why. The faceless spirit reclined on the floor, his back pressed to the wall and his legs spread out in front him.

Instead of letting her sit by his side like usual, he used his human arms to tug her into his lap. He gave a pleased hum, pleased that she fit so well against him. Her back was flushed against his chest and he could feel the lips of his mouth moving slightly against the new pressure. Her hips fit perfectly between his legs, with his own limbs caging hers on both sides. She was tiny when compared to him and the fact that he could comfortably rest his new chin on top of her head just made it more obvious.

Kagome wiggled against him, voicing protests that he did not fully understand. Annoyed with her refusal to sit still and the feeling of her lust diminishing with each movement, Kaonashi wrapped his arms around her abdomen, both of his palms coming to rest on the opposite hip. She stilled at the gentle contact, waiting for Kaonashi to make another move but he was now content with how they both were.

She soon figured out that she was not going to get free and she accepted her fate. Kaonashi felt her melt against his chest as she continued to eat her dinner. Kagome was even trying her best to ignore Kaonashi's wandering hands, which were incessantly stroking the sensitive places he had found earlier in the day.

Once she was done eating, and had set aside her empty bowl, Kaonashi could feel more than just a small tendril of lust in her aura. Her fingers had been flexing unconsciously through her whole meal and her skin displayed an array of goosebumps. Whenever Kaonashi stroked a particularly sensitive spot, normally on her neck, small whimpers could tumble from her lips.

Encouraged by her emotions, Kaonashi felt his fingers growing bolder.

His bare hand soon found itself resting under her shirt, splayed across her stomach. He could feel the muscles beneath tensing and relaxing under his palm. He could hear her breath quicken and he liked the way she leaned back against him, melting against his firm chest. He couldn't resist the temptation to move his other hand until it too rested under her shirt. Softly his fingers stroked, feeling her strong muscles react to his touch.

A needy murmur escaped her pink lips, her body wiggling as if to direct his hands. Curious, and slightly lost, Kaonashi directed one hand up, his bare fingertips leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. Her skin was so soft beneath his touch, like smooth silk. He could feel the mouth on his chest moving, its lips caressing the cloth that covered them as he wondered if she tasted the same way. Finally, his hand moved to a place it had never been before. His fingertips moved over the swell of her chest and boldly cupped one breast. A wanton, keening sound escaped her lips as she arched her back, pressing more of herself into his palm.

'Was this why women protected these sacred places?' Kaonashi tried to voice his curiosity but his miko was not paying attention to the sounds he was making. That was fine because when the bolt of lust from her hit him, he didn't care why these sacred places were protected either.

He was acting on instinct and responding to the noises she made. He kneaded one breast and then moved to the other, pleased at how sensitive her body was. She was making little sounds, sometimes murmurs, sometimes whimpers, which only encouraged him. His other hand was stroking her belly, enjoying how the muscles reacted to his touch. After some time, her own hand moved to cover the hand still on her belly and directed him down. Kaonashi knew this movement was changing something between them. There was a moment of breathlessness as she hesitated, his other hand falling still at her emotions, before they both took the plunge.

She guided his second hand down, over a small patch of hair and even further down, following the curve of her body. Moisture and heat greeted his palm and his fingers twitched in surprise, feeling a small slit between her legs.

A wordless cry escaped her lips and a new bolt of lust speared him. She liked whatever he did and he loved her reactions. There was a second pause as Kaonashi debated what exactly he had done to gain that reaction, and what he should do to have it repeated. Kagome, his patient miko, decided to guide him. With her hand still resting over his own, her fingers flexed, dragging his longer fingers over her center.

Slowly, she taught him and from her emotions and sounds, Kaonashi learned quite a bit himself. Long, smooth strokes had her whimpering and her body begging for more. Small, tight circles over the top of her slit, where a small bud could be felt, drove her mad. Her head would fling back, her lips parted in a wordless cry and her hips would twitch. Short strokes had her wiggling, begging for more and different speeds brought her different amounts of joy.

Soon, she was so overcome by pleasure and lust, that her hand fell still while his continued to move. He tried his own experiments, using varying pressures, sometimes circling, sometimes stroking. He kept his movements random, leaving her guessing. She was reduced to a wordless puddle in his lap and he loved it. He was gaining pleasure from her and together they made a wordless harmony of primal noises.

Time ceased to exist for them. Kaonashi only knew groans, moans, pleasure, whimpers and lust. He teased her and as time passed, he noticed her pleasure-filled body was growing tense. Anticipation was building in her very being, her muscles tensing one by one and both of her hands reached back to grasp desperately to Kaonashi's arms. He didn't mind the bite of her nails, too lost in his miko's pleasure.

Her hips bucked wildly, taking the spirit by surprise. The hand on her breast squeezed tight in surprise, her nipple caught between his fingers, while his other hand twitched. His index finger jerked across that hard little bud while his middle finger slipped inside the source of the warmth and wetness.

Her back arched and Kaonashi felt the growing tension in her snap. Waves upon waves of pleasure washed over her and together, they both gave a drawn out moan. His hands had ceased to move but her own hips were bucking against his hands, seeking and taking more and more pleasure as her body twitched and curled. Kaoanshi could feel muscles around his middle fingers twitching and moving, as if begging for more. More, more, more. Some deep masculine pride filled the spirit as he looked at his miko, lost in a pleasurable haze that he gave her.

Fearlessly he thrust that finger in deeper and a quiet murmur escaped the miko's lips. Kaonashi had not dared to go inside his miko before but feeling a rush of liquid now covering his palm, along with the tight muscles still grasping around his finger, he couldn't resist. He thrust again while his thumb reached up to swipe against that sensitive bud. Kagome had started to come back to herself, the haze of pleasure residing, only for Kaonashi to restart his attention.

From her primitive sounds, a language that Kaonashi spoke fluently, and her swell of trusting emotions, his miko had no objections. The faceless spirit moaned as he started to use what he had learned the first time. He experienced all the emotions within her and for him, this was just as pleasurable. He could imagine nothing better than bringing his miko pleasure.

All through the night, Kaonashi brought his miko pleasure. He showed her that he would not leave her. That she was not alone.

It wasn't until sunrise that Kaonashi reflected on what he felt through the night. He looked down at the naked, sleeping miko in his arms. He didn't know when she had become naked but he enjoyed the feeling of her bare skin against his own. He reached up to brush her sweat soaked hair out of her hair. She looked so peaceful in slumber and she looked perfect resting in his arms.

Kaonashi knew the feeling of lust now. He had felt it many times, before from mortals from a distance and last night from his miko. He had truly experienced lust last night but even stronger than that, he had experienced pride and love. He knew Kagome had felt the same, the torrent of lust calming to trusting love when her body grew too tired of the pleasure he inflicted on her.

Kaonashi had wanted to learn what lust felt like last night but instead, he had just confirmed thoughts that he, himself, chose not to dwell on. He, a faceless spirit, was hopelessly bound by love to this forgotten, mortal miko.

He couldn't find it in himself to care otherwise.

(¯`·._ (¯`·._ _.·´¯)_.·´¯)

Kaonashi had heard a lot about the end of the world. Spirits were as obsessed about it as the mortals were. In all his travels he had heard a lot about how it would end. Some claimed it would end in fire, some of ice. Other claim it would be instantaneous while some argued it would take time. Kaonashi never paid much attention to the tales, knowing that if the world was going to end there would be nothing the spirits or the mortals could do to prevent it.

Seeing the fires licking at the sky though, the faceless spirit wandered if he should have paid attention.

Destruction was all around him. Flames and embers burst into a consuming fire, dancing in the air and consuming all it touched. Animals, mainly the horses, were screaming in fear and their cries drowned out the pitiful wails from the mortals. Blood was puddled on the floor, permanently staining the dirt burgundy.

Kaonashi wasn't sure when it started. He had been in the fields with his miko when they heard the sound of shouting and angry horses. Kagome had disappeared from his side before he could stop her, leaving Kaonashi to helplessly race after her. She was too quick though and the people in the village were chaotic, causing more confusion for the faceless spirit. He soon lost sight of Kagome's signature red and white outfit in the stampede.

The faceless spirit was left wondering through the hoard, making nonsensical sounds as he tried to find his miko. Humans of all kinds were pushing past him. Some of them were merely injured, while others were dying and even fewer were mounted on horses, pursuing those escaping. Some of them managed to disappear into the forest while others collapsed on the ground, dying from horrifying wounds.

Kaonashi paid no mind to any of them.

Unlike the humans around him, Kaonashi could not be harmed.

Not for lack of trying on the humans' side. The angry males tried to harm him, forcing their furious stallions to run him over or driving their weapons through his humanistic body. With his new mortal shell, he could bleed and with his new human body, his skin could tear. However, he healed. So while injuries were inflicted on him, displayed on his body, his skin would mend itself almost instantly. He ignored all the mortals, his murmuring increasing in volume the longer he was separated from his miko.

For the humans around him, the world was ending. Their homes were being burned down. Families were being split up, with children murdered and women violently raped in the open. Most were bleeding when they escaped into the forest and he knew they would die later, in agony and away from their homes.

A dapple grey stallion whinned loudly, coming to a rough stop in front of Kaonashi. The man on top of the animal sneered down at him, the reins tightly grasped in one hand while the other brandished his sword.

"I know you," the man roared down. Kaonashi looked up at him, recognizing the man too. He was one of them from the other village, the one who had asked for Kagome to go to their village. "You killed Masao!"

He tried to urge the horse forward but the large stallion stayed unmoving, unwilling to move towards the spirit. The man snarled an insult and brought his sword down, the long blade gleaming in the sunlight, intent on punishing the animal to make it move. Before the weapon could hit its mark, arrows sliced through the air.

One tip buried itself in the horse's heart while the other one found its mark in the man's eye, burying itself deeply into the brain within. Two souls fell to the ground, their bodies adding the growing pile while their crimson blood blended with what was already littering the ground. Kaonashi's attention had already turned to the source of the arrows, knowing who had spent hours carving them to perfection so they could always hit their mark.

Kagome could be seen racing through the village on top of a young, skittish stallion. Her miko garments were covered in blood, her unbound black hair streaming behind her as she raced around, releasing arrow after arrow into the invading men. The miko was had birthed so many lives the previous spring was now a deadly warrior, killing in defense of those she cared about.

In her path she left a bloody wake.

Koanashi tried to follow after her and keep her in sights but the humans were panicking creatures. Some of them crashed right into the spirit, crying out "Help me!" or "Save me!". No one thought about the person next to them or those around them. They were reduced to their most basic instincts and the one currently screaming in their auras was 'survival of the fittest'.

"Don't kill her!"

"Help me!"

"Bastard!"

"Leave no survivors."

"Killers!"

"Slay them all."

"Kill the miko!"

Kaonashi choked on a whimper as he was battered by a large amount of the hostile emotions, feeling them shift to his miko. The invaders were not stupid and they knew if they wanted their men to survive, they would have to take out Kagome. He tried to push his way through the crowd, shoving everything out of his way but Kagome, unknowing of their intentions, had already spurred her horse back into battle.

He lost her in the crowd. His only hope was to follow her unique aura as it traveled through the burning, dying village. The men were pushing past him, following their quarry with no regards of their previous prey.

No matter how many men he pushed past, Kaonashi never seem to find an end to the mortals. This was what hell was. Knowing his miko was in battle, knowing that the men were hunting her but being unable to help her. He was stuck following her aura, a spectator to the hell unfolding before him.

He caught sight of her again at the edge of the village. The men had corner her steed against one of the burning huts. The young beast was prancing in place, trying to free itself but with fire at its back and weapons whenever it turned, it was slowing losing control of his emotions.

Kaonashi was still too far away to help her. He was forced to be a spectator and watch as several mortal succeeded at impaling their weapons into the animal.

Blood spurt forth from his hindquarters, chest and neck. Kagome was still firing arrows even as the horse tilted beneath her, sending her to the ground. A roar escaped at the spirit as he watched the mortal fall upon her like rabid animals.

Rage. Fear. Panic. The world fell away in an undistinguished wave of dark emotions.

His body twisted into something between human and ghoul. Shadowy spider arms, as dark as ash and triple their usual size whipped it's way through the human mass, tearing through organs, skin and bones. Blood splashed him randomly, a dark maroon to brighten his midnight black form. His mouth was snapping close around random people who were too close, tearing and crushing but not consuming. Flesh fell apart between his teeth like the soft skin of a peach. Blood washed over his oversized tongue like a disgusting wine, but no matter how much was spilled, it didn't satisfy him.

They tried to escape but Kaonashi knew no mercy. Those who attempted to run were cut down and left to suffer and bleed out. Those who fought back at him found a tortuous death between his teeth and fingers.

Greed. For once Kaonashi understood the greed of men. He craved their deaths. He was greedy to see their blood spilling to the floor and to hear their cries of death. He was a ravenous monster filled with endless greed.

He slayed his way through the hoard until not even one man lived. Kaonashi stood alone at the edge of the village, surrounded by blood and bodies. His body was still wrapped in its new monstrous form but now, soft, comforting noises were being emitted as he looked around.

Finding a single human body amongst the massacre was not easy. He spotted the stallion easy enough, spears and swords still protruding from his carcass but his miko was not on the horse. He could not find his beautiful miko, no matter how many bodies he moved. She simply, was not in the slain mass.

"Ah, ah." Kaonashi called out as loudly as he could. "Ah!"

There was no verbal response but faintly, the spirit felt a familiar spark of emotion. It was soft, weak and barely there, was enough to soothe him. His body unknowingly shifted back to its human appearance as he trekked towards the forest, seeking his miko.

"Kao," a weak whimper caressed his ears.

"Ah!" Kagome.

He found her trail of blood first. It was a thick streak that laid upon the grass to tell a gruesome story. Kaonashi could not remember bleeding before tonight but he knew the amount that laid before him was not good. Humans could only contain so much blood and a hefty amount was already splashed on the floor. Did his miko have anymore to spare?

The trail lead the way to the Goshinboku tree. Kagome was there, leaning against its massive trunk, appearing like a resting angel. Kaonashi whined as he stepped forward. He could ignore the trail of blood. He could pretend to not see the way her skin was unnaturally pale and the pink hue that covered it. He turned a blind eye to the red patches that covered her white top, convincing himself it was just stray patches from her torn red pants. No matter how hard he tried though, he could not ignore the tears streaming from her beautiful eyes.

"Kaon-," blood sprayed from her lips, breaking her voice, "nashi."

Her dainty hands were cupped in front of her stomach in an attempt to staunch the flow of blood from one of the larger wounds. Her once bright blue eyes were dull despite the bright smile she tried to give him. Even her emotions were softer, slowly dimming by the second.

"Kao," Kaonashi whimpered at the shortening of his name. He knew it was because she didn't have the energy for his full name. "I think," more blood splayed from her mouth as she coughed loudly. "I'm dying."

Kaonashi kneeled by her hip and reached out his arms. He cupped her face with both of his hands, supporting her head as her neck went weak. She was still trying to smile at him but from between his palms, Kaonashi could feel her emotions draining. "Will you stay with me?"

Once upon a time, she had told him that she didn't want to die alone. It was one of those secrets she shared with him. A broken sound was escaping Kaonashi, his attempt at mimicking sobbing. He moved closer until he could push the forehead of his mask upon her own brow. "Ah," promised the faceless spirit.

"It's not how I imagined it," Kagome forced out. Kaonashi's touch on her cheeks tightened in a silent bid to conserve her energy. "Thank you for not leaving me."

In the background, Kaonashi was aware of the village ending. Everything was on fire now with the scent of death hanging like a heavy smog over the earth. There was still screams of death and torture, from the tormentors and the victims. It was a gruesome end for the village but Kaonashi didn't care. The world around him didn't matter anymore because his whole world rested between his hands, and it was ending.

"Remember me," Kagome begged. Her voice was too low to for humans to hear anymore but Kaonashi was not human. Her hand, still covered in her blood, pushed against his chest. Kaonashi slowly backed up until the spirit and miko were looking directly at each other.

Kaonashi cried out as he felt the wonderful glimmer of life in front of him flicker. Her soul was ready to leave, ready to start its next journey. More and more blood was spilling out of her stomach, leaving a bloody opening for her soul to escape from.

A single palm moved to rest on his cheek, her bloody fingers leaving red streaks on his mask. They were locked eye to eye, gazing helplessly at each other. They spoke without words, declaring their devotion to one another. The world froze as Kaonashi saw all their memories together, playing in her jewel bright eyes. Kaonashi wondered what she was seeing when she stared into his emotionless mask.

"So beautiful," Kagome leaned forward and pressed her lips against his mask, right where a mortal's mouth would be.

It was beautiful. Kaonashi could feel his mask just like he could feel his body. This was a kiss and the most fragile, glorious thing he ever received. They were one and the same, and her soft lips pressed against his mask was the greatest feeling he knew. They both sighed in unison, their auras reaching out and embracing each other.

He felt her heart stop. Her emotions and aura just died, like a flame being blown out. Her body went lax in his hands, her head lolling back and breaking their only kiss.

"Ah, ah." 'Wake up.' "Hmm, ah." 'Please wake up.'

He shook her body, feeling limp mass moving with no resistance. A sob escaped the spirit as he gazed down at his miko. Her blue eyes were still open, gazing at the sky above them and a smile still played on the corner of her lips. The emotions and aura he was so use to feeling was replaced by emptiness.

'Don't leave me.'

(¯`·._ (¯`·._ _.·´¯)_.·´¯)

The village fell quiet not long after sundown. The survivors had long disappeared, the attackers were basking in their victory and one faceless spirit cradled a dead body to his chest, ignored by all. He had not let her go since her death, keeping her close to him. He couldn't let her go. He didn't have the strength to unlock his arms or the will to leave her behind.

Kaonashi was not sure how he felt. His emotions had frozen over when his miko's heart stopped beating. He was numb to everything, unfeeling and cold like the snow he loved. He didn't even speak, unable to find the sorrow to cry out.

He knew the risk of being devoted to a mortal. It was forbidden because unlike spirits, mortals died. Their lives could never equal up and to become so devoted to one, was asking for an endless, timeless amount of misery. Kaonashi knew this but he never thought they would be separated so soon. She could have lived for several more decades, they could have created more precious memories, but instead, her own species had cut her down for their own greedy goals.

A cold lash of wind reminded Kaonashi of the blood streaks on his mask. They had long dried but the wind made the marks feel heavy. Like spring rain falling for the first time, emotions sprinkled in, one drop at a time. Her last touch unblocking the barricades to his emotions.

Misery. She had left him. Anger. The men had murdered her. Rage. Lakes of their blood could never equal to the six marks she left on him. Longing. He would give anything to get her back. Hatred. He couldn't save her. Sorrow. She did not deserve the life of misery she had been dwelt. Yearning. Why did mortals have such delicate lives?

"Who is that?" A quiet voice murmured.

Kaonashi slowly lifted his head, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him. He knew spending time in the mortal realm was bad for the spirits but could it drive him insane? Would insanity truly be so bad if he was gifted with this sight?

She was younger than he remember, an older teenager compared to fully-grown woman he knew. She was shamelessly naked, with only her long black hair falling over her breasts to preserve her modesty. In the moonlight her black hair had a blue sheen and her skin only had one scar that was illuminated in the weak light. It was a large starburst shape on her hip, the same place where a pair of jaws had originally ripped the jewel from her.

Her blue eyes were the same. Twinkling youthfully, full of merit but with the dark shadow of someone who had seen darkness and did not let it consume her.

His miko stood before him with her head tilted to the side, eying her dead body in his arms.

"She's very pretty. Did you know her?" Kagome leaned forward to have a closer look.

Kaonashi nodded.

"I'm sorry for your lost." Kagome reached forward and gently shut the dead body's eyes. "You have blood on your mask," she informed him kindly.

With the same hand she used to close her own eyes, she reached up and stroke his mask, six individual times. Five on the cheek, outlining each bloody fingerprint and one in the center, where her last bloody kiss laid. Kaonashi leaned into her touch, relishing her skin on his mask, even if it wasn't warm anymore.

"I think, I know you." He could feel the breath of her whisper on his face.

"Kah, yah." Kaonashi reached out his own hand to cup her cheek. In his arm, he still held her cold body, afraid to let her go.

Her fingers were gliding over his mask, exploring the flat surface. She was mapping his face out with touch, her thumbs taking extra time to stroke the marks on his mask. The tiny smudges under each eyes. The stripes above and below his eyes. The permanent dirt shadows from years of usage.

"Kaonashi," she yanked up his mask before he could stop her.

(¯`·._ (¯`·._ _.·´¯)_.·´¯)

The young woman didn't remember much. She remembered the moon. She was gazing up at it when she became aware. One minute there was darkness and then, she existed. She didn't know what her purpose was or why she was there. She didn't know how the moon was so bright and she didn't know what foul stench she was smelling in the air. She did see a curious red string though, tied around her pinky finger. It was tangled and dirty, some of it threaded through the branches above while at times it was puddle on the floor.

She decided she liked the color red. It was very pretty and since it was tied around her pinky, she followed it to see why it was tangled. Surely the string must belonged to her but yet, she couldn't remember anything about it.

The other end was tied around someone else. She paused in the shadows, tilting her head to the side. Two others were crouched beneath a large tree. The male was hugging the smaller female, his shoulders tense for some strange reason. The red string was tangled, threaded and wrapped around the still female in his arms before tying around his own pinky.

He didn't look like he saw the thread. He was too busy holding the other female, burying his face into the string that was pooled on her neck.

She was only curious but the man seemed surprised to see her. Was he expecting to be alone? She became sad to learn that he was grieving, that same wretched smell hanging over the body he was holding. Was she meant to cheer him up? Was that why the red string was tying them together?

"I think, I know you." Kagome whispered to herself as she traced the markings on his mask. It was a very pretty mask but something else about him made her happy. She didn't remember being happy before now. Just how did she know him?

"Kaonashi," the name slipped effortlessly off her tongue as she ripped off the mask before he could stop her. She smiled at his appearance, not sure what she was expecting but this was not it. Beneath his mask, was a very handsome man.

Warm black, pupil-less eyes gazed back at her, tracing her figure reverently. His face was thin and unblemished, the same color skin as his neck. She reached a hand up to trace his thin eyebrows, which were now furrowed together in confusion. His finger trailed down a straight nose and then delicately traced his thin lips. With his mask out of his face, thin black hair fell into eyes, the shortest strand ending below his eyes with some of the longer strands resting near his bottom lip.

Kagome smiled as she traced his final feature. Engraved in his skin, under each eye, was a vertical purple stripe. An exact replica of those on his mask.

"Kaonashi." She didn't know how but she knew that was his name. In the center of her very being she knew that he was her faceless spirit. Her friend and protector. A wide smile split across her face as she felt the need to repeat the name, just so she could taste it on her tongue again. "Kaonashi."

Kaonashi leaned forward and capture her lips with his own without warning. Both of their lips moved clumsily against each other, learning the pressure and feel of the other. She tried to pull back to take a breath but Kaonashi followed her retreat and when her lips parted in surprise, his tongue darted out to lightly lick, encouraging her to open her mouth to him. She gasped loudly, have never felt something so strange but so right before. His arms were now wrapped around her, dragging her closer and coaxing her to participate.

She thrust her tongue back, copying his own movement, as both of them stroked the other. They separated momentarily, just enough for her to gain her breath again. Their lips were still touching briefly, sharing one breath between them both as she just gazed into each other's eyes. It was Kagome was initiated the second kiss, their lips and tongue cherishing each other.

She never wanted to stop.

"Kagome," a dark, sensual whisper caught her attention.

She pulled back in surprise, her eyes wide and blinking slowly. He had spoken to her! Even Kaonashi looked surprised at himself. His fingers had reached up to caress his own lips in shock, his eyes comically wide.

Kagome. This word was precious to her. It tugged on her chest, hinting at a world she didn't know. There was something special about that word. No, it was a name, not a word.

"Is that . . . my name?"

Kaonashi nodded eagerly.

"Kagome and Kaonashi." She liked the way their names sounded together. It was original. Rememberable. There was nothing like it before and she doubted there would be anything as unique in her mind again.

A loud rumble tore her attention away from their names. It was loud, unlike anything she had ever heard before, causing her to flinch into Kaonashi's chest for protection. The male spirit's second mouth, the one located on his chest, kissed her naked flesh as the new sound continued to scared and fascinated her at the same time. "Do you hear that?" She excitedly asked Kaonashi.

Kaonashi followed her gaze into the forest but he seemed unable to hear what she heard. He shook his head, making an inquiring noise in the back of his throat. Why was that sound so familiar? Why did she feel a connection to that sound.

The word came to her from the back of her mind. "It's a train, Kaonashi! I can hear a train."

The male spirit looked excited. He moved to gently lay the dead female's body on the ground. She had forgotten that the corpse had been cradled between them this whole time. Briefly, Kagome wondered why the body looked so familiar to her before brushing it aside. Kaonashi held out his hand, helping Kagome to her feet.

"Are we going to follow it?" Kagome was nearly dancing in place at the thought.

"Ah," Kaonashi confirmed.

Would he be able to follow her if he could not hear the train himself? The very thought of being alone filled her with fear. Kagome threaded her fingers through his hand, the red string around their pinkies anchoring them together. "Will you stay with me?"

Kaonashi reached up his other hand to cup her cheek. He moved her head so they could connect their lips again. This kiss was gentle, sweet and full of promise. When they pulled apart, Kaonashi's hand gripped her's tighter. Some rumbles were rolling through his chest, his lips and tongue moving in a clumsy way.

Finally, a promise was voiced. "Forever."

(¯`·._ (¯`·._ _.·´¯)_.·´¯)

The Shikon no Miko's body would be found the next morning. The villagers who survived the attack would bury her beneath the Goshibuki's roots and hold a vigil that would last several weeks. They prayed, they remembered, they nearly worshipped her and the deeds she had done.

Word would travel. In the autumn, a large family would make the long trip to visit the grave. Miroku, Sango, their five children and Kirara will come to pay their respects. They will blame themselves for her deaths and silently, the villagers will agree with them. If they had had the monk and demon slayer with them, their miko might have survived that attack. The large family will mourn all autumn but as the season pulls to a close, they will be unable to take the silent judgement from their inner hearts and the surviving villagers. They will travel back to their own village and there, the legends of the Shikon no Miko will live on and be retold.

In the winter, the fate of the miko will finally reach all corners of the world. Wolf demons will come to pay their respects. Warriors, mothers and children will visit. Two of the most unusual creatures was a tall, auburn haired teenager with two fox tails. Shippo, the young kitsune who had traveled to make his own way in life, never failed to visit his mother every winter. Even Sesshomaru, demon lord of the west, will be sighted at least once visiting the grave.

Nobody will be able to say for sure if the hanyou visited. Some villagers claim to see him resting in the branches every new moon, the sound of his sobs carrying on the wind. Others will claim to have seen him in the winter, his snow white hair matching the surrounding snow and the bright moonlight. Some blamed the hanyou for leaving the village and the miko behind. Others say that Inuyasha was there that fateful day and he was the one to kill all the men in such a brutal fashion.

Everyone seemed to forget about the faceless spirit. They could not recall him, not even the village children who spent most of their days with him. With his presence gone, his memory decayed in the mind of mortals, making him impossible to recall.

In five hundred years, Kagome's story would have to be told one final time.

Inuyasha stood on the base of the large steps, looking up at the house he had not seen in five centuries. He blended with the humans around, with the help of the kitsune tooth Shippo had gifted him. His ears were hidden and his white hair appeared black to the mortals. He was wearing black jeans paired with a bright red top. His heart clenched in pain as he thought of his mission.

For him, it had been five hundred years. For the family above him, their daughter had only been missing for one week. He knew he was going to open fresh wounds today and he had been dreading this conversation for centuries.

His sneakers squeaked on the steps as he made his way up. Instead of going to the house first, the hanyou took a detour. He traveled the grounds until he came upon a tree untouched by age. Its branches were spread wide, the bark untouched and the roots buried deep into the ground. Inuyasha wondered if her body and soul had helped to fuel the tree's long life.

A soft, wonderful mixture tickled his sensitive nose. Inuyasha looked to the base of the tree in surprise. There, decorating the floor, was a variety of flowers. He had never seen them there before but he had always visit Kagome in the colder seasons, when the ground was bare.

"They always grow here, no matter what Momma and Grandpa do to get rid of them." Souta suddenly appeared by Inuyasha's side, looking down at the blooms. "Momma says they shouldn't grow naturally like that but they always do. Every spring."

Inuyasha peered up, surprised to see how much Souta had changed since he had first met the boy. He was starting to become a man, his voice slightly deeper and his shoulders bulking out. He was growing to be a leader, preparing to go into the world and create his own life. He looked at Inuyasha with the same eyes his sister had possessed, not fooled by the kitsune magic."Hello again, big brother."

"Hello again, Souta."

Souta grinned proudly, his eyes looking around. "Is big sister with you?"

Inuyasha's smile dropped instantly. Souta's grin dropped a second later as he looked into Inuyasha's eyes. 'He knows. He's too much like his sister at times.' Tears began to fill his own chocolate brown eyes the longer he looked into Inuyasha's golden gaze. Inuyasha didn't know if the young boy was good at reading body language or if he could sense the untold tragedy. "Is your mother home?" Inuyasha gruffed out.

"I think you should come inside," Souta's voice quivered. "Everyone's home today."

Inuyasha straightened up and followed Souta to the house. One last time, Kagome's tale needed to be told. Inuyasha knew her family needed closure as it was unfair to have them wait forever for her. Of course, the hanyou would twist her tale a little bit for her family.

He would word it so it sounded like Kagome took down an army herself. She would have died a warrior's death in battle, defending the weak and helpless. Souta's chest would swell through the tears as he listened to this part.

Inuyasha would make it an army of men and demons in his tale. He would spin the tale so Kagome had used her energy making dozens of demon protection wards to defend the elders and children. Her grandfather would laugh through his misery, claiming that it was a good thing she paid attention to him and his teachings.

Finally, Inuyasha would take a secret to his grave. He never told them that Kagome was alone that night. He made it sound like she was surrounded by friends and loved ones, who stayed with her until her death. Her mother would wail loudly the whole time but her heart would feel a sliver lighter, knowing that her daughter died bravely and not alone.

He would lie to them, unable to burden the small family with the true way she died, alone and outnumbered.

He would cry with them. Inuyasha would mourn again, secretly blaming himself for her death. The air around the house would be tainted with misery and a heavy air will fall over them. They would mourn as a family and Inuyasha would become the Higurashi protector, refusing to fail Kagome again. She had cherished her family deeply and in her memory, he would protect them like he should have protected her. He would not fail her again.

Outside, unseen by the mourning family, two spirits stood together under the Goshbuki tree. Kagome and Kaonashi, both in their human form, though Kaonashi had his mask resting on his hip, and clothed in similar black cloaks would look at the mourning family. Kagome was crying silent tears and Kaonashi, like always, prayed he could take the misery from his companion but it was like this every year.

Kagome, every spring, would visit the area she had died. Around five centuries had passed them by but her memories were still hazy, some of them forever unreachable. She remembered being alone, she remembered the feeling of a protector being nearby and she sometimes had flashes of her blood family, but Kaonashi knew she would never fully recover her memories. The dead were not meant to be burden with the memory of the living. Some nights, he was thankful she couldn't remember how she abandoned, left behind and sacrificed after all she had done.

Despite her gaps in memories, she had a strong tie to this land and the family that inhabited it. Every year she would insist on visiting, unknowingly watching her family bloodlines grow. She didn't know why she cried when she thought of the Higarushi bloodlines, but Kaonashi always held her as she unknowingly grieved. This year, she cried even harder than usual for reasons she didn't know, mourning with the mortal family within the house.

"Do you regret meeting me?" Kagome peacefully asked, despite her tears.

"Never." Kaonashi's vocabulary had increased dramatically over the years together but the former faceless spirit still preferred nonsense sounds or short answers.

"Will you stay with me?"

Kaonashi leaned down and sweetly pecked her lips. Kagome smiled despite herself and wrapped her arms around Kaonashi, hugging him close to her. Against her chest, she could feel Kaonashi's hidden, larger mouth kissing her gently through their black clothing.

"Forever," he promised.

Beneath their bare feet, white camellia, yellow zinnia and blue forget-me-not flowers bloomed together in harmony. It was a physical display of the spirits' bond and love, displayed for the world to admire and enjoy. The two of them faded together with the gentle breeze carrying their promise on the wind.

Forever.

And thus ends to tale of the miko and the faceless spirit. Sorry for the delay, I decided to completely rewrite the ending and I'm now pleased with it. (Plus I'm not confident yet in my smut writing. Shh.) This was always meant to be a short story and I purposely left questions open so that the reader could interpret them. Tell what you thought about this story and its style. Did you like how it closed? Suggestions to make my writing better? I'm all ears to any criticism and help.

I want to thank a moment and thank all the readers. Those who favorite, followed and reviewed this story. Even my silent readers, though I may never know who you are. This story was really random and originally met with a lot of hesitation, so I'm glad to see support. Remember to drop me a review, even thought this tale has ended, or even if it's been finished for a while. Every word and review my readers give me, I cherish and they push me towards writing more. Without you all, this never would have been finished.

Faithfully yours,

-Nightshade

Editing, like all my stories, was done by me. If you spot a mistake, feel free to let me know and I will fix it. Chapters may be edited later on if I need to do so. While I don't consider this chapter "raw", it certainly hasn't had as much editing as previous chapters. Editing may be done in a few days if needed.