InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fly Away ❯ Fly Away ( Chapter 1 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: King Baka 
A short tribute to Kikyou's "final death" scene, and my first songfic.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Angst | Type: Songfic | Uploaded On: 03.24.2013 | Updated On: 03.24.2013 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 922 | Status: Completed
A short tribute to Kikyou's "final death" scene, and my first songfic.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Angst | Type: Songfic | Uploaded On: 03.24.2013 | Updated On: 03.24.2013 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 922 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
A/N – This is a short tribute to Kikyou’s “final death” scene in the manga/anime, which in my opinion is one of the best scenes in the entire series. This is also my first songfic. I chose one of my favorite songs for this: “Blackbird” by Alter Bridge.
Fly Away
The wind whispers through his silver mane, the raven locks of the woman in his arms swaying with the current. He clutches her tightly, a nameless fear inspiring a dreadful chill, deep inside. She does not have long now. Soon, her body will dissolve, to be borne ceaselessly away upon the unrelenting breeze.
The willow it weeps today
A breeze from the distance is calling your name
Unfurl your black wings and wait
Across the horizon it's coming to sweep you away
It's coming to sweep you away
She does not have long now. Nevertheless, she remains silent, passively lingering as the sands of her existence ebb inexorably away. Or perhaps she is reminiscing, summoning her buried and forgotten memories at the moment of her demise. How short and forlorn a life has she lived? He can see her now, just a slip of a girl, running through the fields, frolicking with her agemates as all young children are wont to do. Then later, after the discovery of something special inside, studying and training to become more than just a normal woman. He watches, as the light within her eyes fades over the years of toil and loneliness. Former friends find love and start families, settling into simple lives of quiet contentment. Still she strives with every fiber of her being, surpassing peers and teachers alike. And finally, when she has surpassed all, the most abominable, crushing responsibility is thrust upon her, in a perverse reward for her sacrifice.
Only then, when it is far, far too late, does she realize that what she wants most, the thing she desires in this world above all others, is to be normal.
Let the wind carry you home
Blackbird fly away
May you never be broken again
Her eyes harden then, intended to remain that way for the remainder of her days. She buries her emotions, banishes her hopes and dreams, simply to make existence bearable. And so she endures, resigned to her fate, until one day…
“Back then,” she rasps, her voice startling him from his dismal musings.
“Kikyou?” he answers, shocked by the weakness of his own voice
“Do you remember, Inuyasha?” she asks, her tone wistful. “Before we were split apart by Naraku?”
The fragile cannot endure
The wrecked and the jaded a place so impure
The static of this cruel world
Cause some birds to fly long before they've seen their day
Long before they've seen their day
He remembers. The stoic miko who showed him mercy, the lonely woman who became his companion, and the scarred, tragic soul who at last bared to him the deepest desires of her heart. She became his entire world, before tragedy…
“How could I forget?” he replies, the corners of his lips upturning with the memory. “Back then, I intended to become human and live with you.”
Let the wind carry you home
Blackbird fly away
May you never be broken again
She closes her eyes, and smiles contentedly. “I have finally…become an ordinary woman.”
He tenses at those words, clutching her broken form more closely to his chest. The finality of her statement weighs heavily upon him, even as he tries to deny what sense is telling him. He is running out of time. She does not have long now.
Beyond the suffering you've known
I hope you find your way
May you never be broken again
“Kikyou,” he begins, willing himself not to choke on the words. “Since the day I was born, you were the first woman I ever loved.” But even so…I wasn’t able to save you.
He squeezes his eyes shut against the tidal wave of emotion, the sheer magnitude of his failure threatening to crash down upon him.
Ascend may you find no resistance
Know that you made such a difference
All you leave behind will live to the end
“This is the first time I’ve seen it,” she murmurs, a hint of surprise in her tone. “Inuyasha…I’ve never seen you make such a face and cry like that.”
He blinks once, confirming the truth of her words. But he cares not, and as his tears continue to flow freely, he grits his teeth to cut back a sob, if only so he can speak the words he needs to say.
“Kikyou, I…I wasn’t able to save you!”
The cycle of suffering goes on
But memories of you stay strong
Someday I too will fly and find you again
He waits for any sign of condemnation, any trace of blame in her dark eyes, dimming and yet brighter than he could ever remember seeing them.
“You came for me,” she declares, and all he sees in her shimmering orbs is pure love. “And that’s good enough.”
Her soft smile takes his breath away, rendering him incapable of uttering anything more than a broken reprise of her name. And in that moment, unable to express in words all of his jumbled feelings, everything he wants to say to her, he does the only thing he can. He kisses her.
Her lips are warm, despite the coldness of her flesh. He pours himself into the kiss, feeling ready to melt in his desperation. His chest aches, burning with unspoken pain. His arms tighten around her, determined to never let go. But her lips are soft, comforting, and at last he knows he must pull away. He must see her eyes once more.
She favors him with a last gentle smile, soothing away some of his anguish. She is ready.
Let the wind carry you home
Blackbird fly away
May you never be broken again
She vanishes in a burst of iridescence, the souls within shining radiantly. Her servants swoop in, swirling around him and bathing him in warmth. Then they are gone, ascending as one toward the heavens. And as the tranquility of the night returns, he is left standing, gazing up at the twinkling stars.
“Kikyou…you won’t suffer anymore.”
Beyond the suffering you've known
I hope you find your way
May you never be broken again
May you never be broken again
His heart is gripped by pain, stung by his failure. But he is glad that she has finally found peace. After all, this is not a final goodbye. For when the time comes for his own life to end, whether that be tomorrow or in a thousand years, he will see her again. She holds an honored place in his heart, and he will never forget her. And when he journeys to the afterlife, she will be there waiting for him.
But for now, he will live. In the end, that was what Kikyou wished for him, the freedom to live and love, and be happy. And with the love and support of the people he holds dear, perhaps someday he too will find peace.
A/N – Whenever I think of this scene now, I’ll probably imagine that sweet guitar solo playing in the background while her spirit is ascending. Maybe I’m just weird.
For those who are wondering, I am thinking about starting another major Inuyasha story. It’s still in the very early stages of development, and I’m not sure it will ever get done. But I suppose there’s hope, at least.
A/N – This is a short tribute to Kikyou’s “final death” scene in the manga/anime, which in my opinion is one of the best scenes in the entire series. This is also my first songfic. I chose one of my favorite songs for this: “Blackbird” by Alter Bridge.
Fly Away
The wind whispers through his silver mane, the raven locks of the woman in his arms swaying with the current. He clutches her tightly, a nameless fear inspiring a dreadful chill, deep inside. She does not have long now. Soon, her body will dissolve, to be borne ceaselessly away upon the unrelenting breeze.
The willow it weeps today
A breeze from the distance is calling your name
Unfurl your black wings and wait
Across the horizon it's coming to sweep you away
It's coming to sweep you away
She does not have long now. Nevertheless, she remains silent, passively lingering as the sands of her existence ebb inexorably away. Or perhaps she is reminiscing, summoning her buried and forgotten memories at the moment of her demise. How short and forlorn a life has she lived? He can see her now, just a slip of a girl, running through the fields, frolicking with her agemates as all young children are wont to do. Then later, after the discovery of something special inside, studying and training to become more than just a normal woman. He watches, as the light within her eyes fades over the years of toil and loneliness. Former friends find love and start families, settling into simple lives of quiet contentment. Still she strives with every fiber of her being, surpassing peers and teachers alike. And finally, when she has surpassed all, the most abominable, crushing responsibility is thrust upon her, in a perverse reward for her sacrifice.
Only then, when it is far, far too late, does she realize that what she wants most, the thing she desires in this world above all others, is to be normal.
Let the wind carry you home
Blackbird fly away
May you never be broken again
Her eyes harden then, intended to remain that way for the remainder of her days. She buries her emotions, banishes her hopes and dreams, simply to make existence bearable. And so she endures, resigned to her fate, until one day…
“Back then,” she rasps, her voice startling him from his dismal musings.
“Kikyou?” he answers, shocked by the weakness of his own voice
“Do you remember, Inuyasha?” she asks, her tone wistful. “Before we were split apart by Naraku?”
The fragile cannot endure
The wrecked and the jaded a place so impure
The static of this cruel world
Cause some birds to fly long before they've seen their day
Long before they've seen their day
He remembers. The stoic miko who showed him mercy, the lonely woman who became his companion, and the scarred, tragic soul who at last bared to him the deepest desires of her heart. She became his entire world, before tragedy…
“How could I forget?” he replies, the corners of his lips upturning with the memory. “Back then, I intended to become human and live with you.”
Let the wind carry you home
Blackbird fly away
May you never be broken again
She closes her eyes, and smiles contentedly. “I have finally…become an ordinary woman.”
He tenses at those words, clutching her broken form more closely to his chest. The finality of her statement weighs heavily upon him, even as he tries to deny what sense is telling him. He is running out of time. She does not have long now.
Beyond the suffering you've known
I hope you find your way
May you never be broken again
“Kikyou,” he begins, willing himself not to choke on the words. “Since the day I was born, you were the first woman I ever loved.” But even so…I wasn’t able to save you.
He squeezes his eyes shut against the tidal wave of emotion, the sheer magnitude of his failure threatening to crash down upon him.
Ascend may you find no resistance
Know that you made such a difference
All you leave behind will live to the end
“This is the first time I’ve seen it,” she murmurs, a hint of surprise in her tone. “Inuyasha…I’ve never seen you make such a face and cry like that.”
He blinks once, confirming the truth of her words. But he cares not, and as his tears continue to flow freely, he grits his teeth to cut back a sob, if only so he can speak the words he needs to say.
“Kikyou, I…I wasn’t able to save you!”
The cycle of suffering goes on
But memories of you stay strong
Someday I too will fly and find you again
He waits for any sign of condemnation, any trace of blame in her dark eyes, dimming and yet brighter than he could ever remember seeing them.
“You came for me,” she declares, and all he sees in her shimmering orbs is pure love. “And that’s good enough.”
Her soft smile takes his breath away, rendering him incapable of uttering anything more than a broken reprise of her name. And in that moment, unable to express in words all of his jumbled feelings, everything he wants to say to her, he does the only thing he can. He kisses her.
Her lips are warm, despite the coldness of her flesh. He pours himself into the kiss, feeling ready to melt in his desperation. His chest aches, burning with unspoken pain. His arms tighten around her, determined to never let go. But her lips are soft, comforting, and at last he knows he must pull away. He must see her eyes once more.
She favors him with a last gentle smile, soothing away some of his anguish. She is ready.
Let the wind carry you home
Blackbird fly away
May you never be broken again
She vanishes in a burst of iridescence, the souls within shining radiantly. Her servants swoop in, swirling around him and bathing him in warmth. Then they are gone, ascending as one toward the heavens. And as the tranquility of the night returns, he is left standing, gazing up at the twinkling stars.
“Kikyou…you won’t suffer anymore.”
Beyond the suffering you've known
I hope you find your way
May you never be broken again
May you never be broken again
His heart is gripped by pain, stung by his failure. But he is glad that she has finally found peace. After all, this is not a final goodbye. For when the time comes for his own life to end, whether that be tomorrow or in a thousand years, he will see her again. She holds an honored place in his heart, and he will never forget her. And when he journeys to the afterlife, she will be there waiting for him.
But for now, he will live. In the end, that was what Kikyou wished for him, the freedom to live and love, and be happy. And with the love and support of the people he holds dear, perhaps someday he too will find peace.
A/N – Whenever I think of this scene now, I’ll probably imagine that sweet guitar solo playing in the background while her spirit is ascending. Maybe I’m just weird.
For those who are wondering, I am thinking about starting another major Inuyasha story. It’s still in the very early stages of development, and I’m not sure it will ever get done. But I suppose there’s hope, at least.