FicWad

Mirrors

Several long, boring, and very tense days had passed since the day Kagome had confronted Kouga and Inuyasha in the forest clearing. All the while Inuyasha had been conspicuously absent, and she'd been left with nothing to do, but sit and mull her thoughts over in her head; twisting and turning them like a stone in her hands. Kagome let out a sigh, it wasn't the first, and it was sure not to be the last time she'd find herself doing this. She vaguely wondered what had possessed her to spew out her deepest feelings, and most secret desires to Inuyasha, to say the least, in front of an audience.

Thus, she found herself alone, feeling very forlorn, sitting by the river, toes trailing in the water, and staring at her reflection. Every now and then, she'd throw a stone, skipping it across the water, destroying the mocking image staring back at her.

Absorbed in her musings, she nearly failed to hear the tale-tale jingle of a staff that signified Miroku's approach. Kagome turned her head towards the sound.

"It is quite a nice evening, is it not Kagome?"

She turned to face Miroku, who was now seated beside her in the grass, "Yes it is a nice night."

Several moments passed in silence before she spoke again, "Miroku, sometimes I just don't understand Inuyasha." He was silent as she continued, "I am a fool." She laughed, it was a bleak and desolate sound, "I am the fool who is in love with the fool, who is still in love with a dead woman."

Finally, Miroku spoke, "Kagome, you must not be so hard on yourself; Inuyasha has a debt that he feels he must pay, though he must be a complete moron not to realize what he has in you." She smiled slightly,

"Thank you Miroku, but right now I need a friend not a pep talk." He fidgeted a little, "Forgive me, Kagome I am listening."

Kagome sat up straighter and kept an eye on his hands in case they started to wander.

"You know Miroku; I thought that if was patient enough, and if I loved him enough he would see me, but all he sees is her. However, I am not her. I don't want to be Kikyo, and no matter how much he wants me to be, I'll never be her."

Frowning, he replied, "I cannot believe that Inuyasha wants or sees you as Kikyo; there are too many differences between you and Lady Kikyo."

Kagome frowned and shook her head, "Think what you want Miroku, but his actions speak for themselves."

She stood, faced the water again and peered down at her reflection, "Miroku what do you see when you look into the mirror?"

His eyes widened in surprise, "I suppose that I see myself, or at least the man I would like to be. Why do you ask?"

Kagome looked at him and smiled a small grim, resigned smile, "It is nothing really, and I just wonder what one should do when they no longer see themselves in the mirror." Her face was sad and isolated; a single tear ran down her cheek.

Miroku's expression was commiserating, "I do not know Kagome, I do not know. What do you see in the mirror that makes you say such things?"

Kagome grimaced and said, "I see her Miroku, I see Kikyo in my mirror a little more each day. But what scares me is that sometimes I don't care."

Stunned, he sat there as she bade him good night; when she was gone, he spoke aloud into the night,

"I hope you realize what you have done to her, Inuyasha. There is nothing quite as tragic as a woman made bitter by love. Especially a woman like Kagome and you are a fool not to realize it. I can only pray to the Kamis that you do before it is too late, and Kagome no longer forgives your transgressions."

Miroku rose, dusted his robes, and strode into the night leaving one very despondent and disconsolate hanyou alone in the night.