Disclaimer: For the last time, I don't own Inuyasha! *gettired*

Chapter 5:

Seize the Day

Kikyo slowly opened her eyes. She needed much time to saw the whole thing around her. She was floating in the water, somewhere like a lake.

'Am I dreaming?' that was her first thought.

'No.' she reminded herself.

She has died, again. And it would be everlasting. No more dead souls, no more reviving.

She destroyed Naraku; Naraku killed her and she died together with Naraku. It wasn't a dream, it was afterlife. She was no longer lived.

The sun light hardly penetrated into the water. The vagueness surrounded her and she hardly saw everything. And still, she was a dead-corpse. Her body still made by clay and bones, she even couldn't feel the cold water that surrounded her. But surprisingly her body didn't melted.

Kikyo started to swim, but she just can't. Something seemed tied her foot to the bottom of the lake. She kept trying to swim and reach the surface. It worked a bit. Slowly, she could feel herself moved above.

All of sudden, she felt a presence was approaching her. She turned her head to the right-side and tried to notice that 'someone'. It was coming closer.

Kikyo could tell that it was a male and has long silver hair which was like the rays of bright light in the dark water. Kikyo couldn't see his face, the floating hair covered it.

'Inuyasha…'

Kikyo raised her brow. It was unbeliavable that Inuyasha came to her, followed her to afterlife voluntarily. And left Kagome for her?

Kikyo started to swim closer to him. But as they came closer, Kikyo realized that his appearance was quite different from Inuyasha. He has no two cute dog ears, rather it was like human's ears, but pointed at the tip. He wore a fine outfit. Color of white both his haori and hakama, but the haori has red-flower motive on its collar along to the shoulder and on the sleeves. The shining armor lay upon his chest.

At one point, they were face to face. Kikyo could see his face clearly as he swam closer to her. Her waist and his face were in a row, she must look down to observe his face. He has two beautiful amber eyes, very cold but it was like the burning fire. He placed his hands at her waist and slightly touched her slim belly with his lips.

'Sesshomaru!'

It was shocked her to find Sesshomaru here. 'Did he die too?'

No! Sesshomaru was a powerful demon, he couldn't die that easily. Morever, she remembered that she died in his arms, the most save and comfortable place she ever been. 'What did he do here?'

At least, she was happy to see his face again. How she felt sad and empty when she left him and that young girl, even the little imp and also the two-headed dragon. She understood that die means leave the world and everyone she loved. She would be alone in afterlife until then.

Sesshomaru swam above, trailing her upper torso. As he reached her, Kikyo gently touched his cheek, it felt so real. She didn't bother if it was just a dream or not. All she knew was she missed him. She was alone and now he came to her. She smiled to him, as he put a poker face to her.

Suddenly, it turned into totally blank, a perfect black, right before they kissed. Kikyo felt like swallowed into a black hole, she tried to scream and called him but her voice didn't escape her mouth. His grip loosened. Kikyo drowned deep into the dark water, she couldn't see nothing but black.

..oOo..

Kikyo once again opened her eyes slowly. This time she found herself lying at a vast meadow, still wearing her miko clothes but it was dry now. Her eyes looked the crimson sky, it must be dusk. Kikyo got up and realized it wasn't a mere meadow; it was an endless field of bellflowers, she hardly saw the end of the field. Kikyo instantly stood up, she could feel the breeze against her skin; she inhaled every aroma of bellflowers, so relaxing.

Kikyo slowly stepped forward, ahead to the sunset at the horizon which seemed so far away. 'Is it heaven?' she asked herself.

"Kikyo."

A voice called from the back of her. She never heard the voice before but she could tell it was a woman. So Kikyo turned back. "Midoriko-sama," she surprised and in a hurry she took a bow. She never met Midoriko before but as a miko she should know her predecessors. At least, Midoriko was the creator of Shikon Jewel which was protected by her long ago.

"You struggled hard. Thank you for protecting me," Midoriko stated with a smile as Kikyo just nodded slightly. "And I apologize for bore you such burden," Midoriko added. "That was my duty as a miko and the protector of the Shikon Jewel," Kikyo replied politely.

"After what had done, I'd love to grant you one more chance."

"One more chance?" Kikyo echoed.

Midoriko nooded. "One more chance to live."

Kikyo startled. She has died and she didn't expect such chance. She just got tired of being revive; forced to back to life when she finally could rest in peace.

"No," Kikyo simply responded. "Why?" Midoriko inquired.

"I'm happy here, I could finally rest and free from pain, sadness, everything," the young miko answered. "Understandable," Midoriko silently agreed, at least she knew the story of the young miko. They had the same fate.

"But don't you want to live again and be with him?"

Kikyo surprised for her predecessor's question. Why did she mean with 'him'?

"I don't know what you mean," Kikyo said. "Don't you think I would never cross the same tragedy twice?" she insisted. "I'm tired." Her voice heard tremble.

"No if you with him," Midoriko replied. "You love him," the miko stated. "That demon."

For the first time, Kikyo lost her words and turned speechless. She wanted to be him, but she died. And since they met, she knew it would never work out.

"I'm still doubt," Kikyo confessed.

"I was once falling in love with a man, a demon," Midoriko remembered. "At first I doubt too, just like you."

Kikyo kept her attention about what the older miko was going to tell her.

"Miko and demon were just forbidden. But his love for me made me trust that we can be together someday," she sighed. "I never had a chance to tell him how much I love him, but somehow I know he knew it."

"Have you told him that you love him?"

Kikyo didn't answer.

"That's why I want you to have one more chance," Midoriko stated.

"I don't have soul anymore. It had been reincarnated," Kikyo evaded.

"The Shikon Jewel grants you a new soul using my power."

"Your power?" Kikyo asked in confusion.

"My sin for loving a demon made my soul cannot be reincarnated. So I used my power to create a new soul," Midoriko explained. "That's a price to pay."

Immediately, the pure bright light surrounded Midoriko's body as the wind softly fluttered her black hair. The light approached Kikyo and caressed her skin gently. Suddenly, Kikyo fell on her knees. She could feel her heartbeat, as the light slowly absorbed into her, it was flesh now. The blood started rush by inside her blood vessels. She breathed; she could feel the air filled up her lungs.

"Live and be happy, Kikyo."

As Midoriko finished her words with a gentle smile, her light shone prefectly bright and almost blinded Kikyo's eyes. The light illuminated the whole meadow.

And all Kikyo knew then was she fell unconscious.

..oOo..

Sesshomaru suddenly stopped walking as he felt the heartbeat from a beautiful woman whom he carried on. He looked down and saw the cheeks of Kikyo were now having peach color. Her body completely fleshes now, not clay and bones anymore. He could smell her blood that flowed through the veins. Her fragnance was sweet, like bellflower. And she breathed steady.

"Milord, what happened?" Jaken asked.

Both of his companions gave him a questioning sight.

Kikyo slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was two golden orbs that staring at her deeply.

"Kikyo-sama!" Rin cried. "She's alive!"

"What!" Jaken shocked. It was real that the miko had just passed away not long ago, right before his eyes.

Sesshomaru observed the woman in his embrace. He knew he wasn't dream, Kikyo was trully alive again. He was happy but he didn't show it. He just tightened his embrace and pulled Kikyo closer to him. He could feel the warmth of her body against him.

Kikyo lifted her head up and stared at Sesshomaru. As their eyes met, Kikyo gave him a confused sight and opened her mouth.

"Sesshomaru?"

He was the ice. She was cold.

And love was the fire.

-the end-

A/N: Yes, I ended this fanfic in this cliffhanger chapter.

But I will continue the story on my next fanfic. YES! A sequel for ICE AND COLD, if I must say.

P.S.: Grateful and respect for Avenged Sevenfold who inspired me to write this fanfic after listened their song, Seize the Day. I took the chapters' title from a bit of its song. Seize the Day is owned by Avenged Sevenfold, I'm just their fan.