A Perpetual Tale

And as I stretch further into the chapters of Being Backstage... I start, yet, another story - Don't sue me, I'm broke.

And as I may have mentioned before, the time line of this story does not take place in the modern days... it's A/U – and simply takes place in the olden days... don't ask, I just have a thing for these kinds of stories.

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Chapter One

A Perpetual Tale

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"Aha! I'll beat you home!" Kagome yelled out to her cousin who was currently running behind Kagome in a desperate attempt to beat her.

Kagome grinned as she saw her cottage loom up in the distance, the forest behind it giving off dark lure as the sun slowly proceeded to vanish underneath the bay. Laughing with giddiness as she reached the small wooden gates of her home, she pushed them open and turned around to wait for her cousin's arrival.

She came, puffing in exhaustion, glaring at Kagome half-heartedly. "No fair, you had a lighter basket, and my dress is longer!" she said and sat pushed open the gates to stand in front of Kagome who was fiddling with her basket.

"Oh no... I think there was a rip or something but half of the berries I picked have disappeared." Kagome sighed as she looked into her basket in which she had put tons of blueberries that her mother had asked her to pick so she could make a pie.

"Don't worry; at least I have a whole bucket full... which gave you the advantage in the race!" Her cousin, who was profusely named Sango, pointed out.

Kagome nodded with a sly smile and both girls made their way into the cottage, where they quietly took off their slippers at the doorstep and tiptoed to the kitchen where Kagome's mum, was apparently making some kind of dish.

"Mother, is father sleeping?" Kagome asked quietly, noticing the quietness of the cottage.

"As a matter of fact, he isn't, it's just your little brother and Sango's little brother which have fallen asleep in their bedrooms, they're taking a nap – so don't make too much noise..." Kagome's mother smiled and walked up to Sango and Kagome to take their basket of blueberries. "Kagome, you didn't pick much..."

Sango stifled a laugh as Kagome pouted. "My basket ripped and half of them fell out!"

Shaking her head, Mrs. Higurashi, (Kagome's mom) made her way back to the counter, where she put aside the candle so it wouldn't burn the baskets. Turning back to Kagome, she smirked at them. "If you change into your night gowns and make your beds, I'll make some scones for you and put out some blueberry jam!"

Kagome laughed, ignoring the sparkle in Sango's eyes at her mother declaration. Pulling Sango out of the kitchen, both of the girls giggled as they slowly made their way up the wooden staircase, making their way inside Kagome's room.

Just as Kagome was making her way to the dresser where her nightgown was kept, two boys came from behind and tackled her, screeching, she fell face forward on the wooden floor.

"KOHAKU!" Sango yelled as she noticed one of the boys was her little brother, meaning that the other one was definitely Souta.

"Close the door or this lady will be in trouble!" Souta yelled out and grabbed Kagome's wrists from the back, making the most comical, though rather pirate-like expression ever.

Sango rolled her eyes. "Ha ha... joke's over, get off of her right now!" She yelled out but Kohaku jumped off of Kagome and stood in front of her.

"Listen to him missy!" He said in a strained voice and Sango shook her head before giving in, walking to the door and closing it lightly.

"NOW get off of me!" Kagome yelled out in a muffled voice and struggled to throw her overweight little brother off of her.

"Only if you make a deal with us!" Souta said and looked between his sister and his cousin. Sango shook her head in frustration and then lunged forward to grab Kohaku, who successfully ran away before she made contact with him.

Kagome groaned as Sango started chasing her little brother around the room, yelling out unimaginable curses, making Souta cringe as Sango picked up a pot from a table and threw it at Kohaku, who yelled and dived under the bed for cover.

Taking it upon herself to push her brother off. She forced all her energy to her arms, and pushed herself off of the ground, making Souta yell as he stumbled off of her, landing with a thump on the floor.

"What the heck do you two boys think your doing?" Kagome yelled out and grabbed her little brother by the arm so he wouldn't run away.

"Exactly, and by the way, weren't you both taking a nap?!" Sango yelled out and fished her brother out from under the bed where he struggled and yelled as she held him by the collar.

"Have mercy on us, we're just here to ask a rather embarrassing question!" Souta yelled out, seeing that his comrade was in danger as Sango punched Kohaku harshly on the arm.

That made both of the girls let go of them immediately... embarrassing question? That only meant one thing... girls... and that only meant one other thing... secret crushes.

Kohaku ran to Souta's side as Sango let go of him, and both of them sat on the floor in front of the unlit fireplace. Walking to Kagome's side, Sango had to stifle a laugh as Kohaku and Souta had the lightest of blushes on their cheeks.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the flushed boys. "So what's the question?"

Souta cleared his throat and Kohaku had a sudden cough attack. Just as Sango was about to yell out at them to get to the point, Souta spoke up. "Seeing that it's out fourteenth birthday tomorrow, could we at least ask why every kid gets a fire lit candle on this special day?"

Kagome burst out laughing. "THAT'S what you had to ask?"

Kohaku shrugged. "It was nagging our minds for a long time anyway..."

They nodded, Sango being the one who had a stupid grin on her face. "So Kagome, let's show them how the tale goes the old fashioned way!"

Kagome clasped her hands together. "Oh this will be fun!" Walking towards the stand where Kagome's own fire lit candle was placed, she smiled at the boys. "So I'll start... you see, once upon a time – there was a fire fairy... who loved to play pranks and jokes, and loved to get into trouble!"

"...and there was one thing she never believed in... and that was love!" Sango picked up from Kagome and grinned as Kagome picked up her fire lit candle and did a little dance with it.

"And you see..." Kagome said in a whisper and crouched down in front of the boys with her candle in her hand. Taking her finger, she quickly wafted her hand through the flame, and surprisingly, her finger didn't get burnt a single bit. "One day, on her fourteenth birthday, she was running down the halls of her palace when..."

"...When she tripped, and by accident, she sent a flame of fire towards a candle." Sango said and picked up Kagome's candle from her hand. "And surprisingly, the flame wouldn't burn off, no matter what she did, and the candle wouldn't melt!" she said and then both Sango and Kagome put the one candle between them, and with all their might blew on it.

Souta watched, completely amazed. "Why won't the flame die? Or even flicker?"

Kagome smiled. "Let us finish the story..." she cleared her throat and took the candle back into her own hand. "The candle baffled everyone in the palace, I mean, what kind of flame wont die? So... they decided to put the candle in a pot, just like the one I have here..." she pointed to the pot she had taken out the candle.

"... and so they waited," Sango started off. "For days..."

"... For weeks..."

"... For months..."

"...Even years!"

"And the flame wouldn't even flicker." Kagome said and then put the candle back in the pot. "But one day... the girl, who was now nineteen years old, was walking through the village."

"And she met the most handsome man imaginable." Sango said with a laugh and ignored the blush on the two boys' cheeks. "So they became friends... and they talked a lot to each other, and even met almost every day."

"And one day, when the fire fairy was saying goodbye to the now very good friend as he left for a journey which would take years, her candle blew out."

Both of the girls stopped to watch the boys' faces which held nothing but curiosity and amazement.

"And you know what exactly happened when the candle blew out?" Sango asked her little brother and leaned down in front of him as Kagome picked up her candle once again and wafted it in front of their faces.

The both shook their heads and waited for an answer.

"The fire fairy fell in love." Kagome finished off and Souta widened his eyes.

Sango nodded and took the candle from Kagome's hand. "So let it be tale or truth," she handed the candle back to Kagome. "Or myth or legend."

Kagome smiled and once again wafted her hands through the flame. "Everyone gets a candle on their fourteenth birthday, which is lit by a fire fairy, and the candle will stay lit for a perpetual time, just until the day, the owner of the candle, falls in love."

At this, the two boys blushed. "So this is why that candle," Souta pointed to the candle Kagome was holding. "Wouldn't burn out."

Kagome nodded. "Yup, this is my candle which has been lit by a fire fairy... and supposedly, it's not supposed to burn out until I fall in love – which will be never."

Sango laughed. "That's not true, you'll fall in love someday... you just have to wait for your special someone!"

Kagome shook her head. "Have you seen the men in this village?" She stuck out her tongue. "Puh – lease, I'd rather fall in love with a pig!"

Sango shook her head. "Well, my candle hasn't burn out yet, do you see me complaining? We're only seventeen for gods sake, the fire fairy in the tale had to wait until she was nineteen... have some mercy on yourself!"

Kagome shrugged. "Oh whatever." She said placed the candle back on the pot. "Anyway, you both will be getting your candles tomorrow, have fun with them..." She said and then pushed the blushing boys out of the room.

Turning back to Sango, she saw her frown. "Oh come on Kagome, it's not like your candle will stay lit forever!"

Kagome shook her head. "How can you be so sure?"

"I have a feeling something's going to happen and very soon as well..." Sango said and then sighed at Kagome's unsure expression.

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"BURN OUT, BURN OUT, BURN OUT!" Inu-Yasha yelled and stared deeply into the flame on the top of his candle. Seeing that it had no intention of burning out, he growled and picked up the jug, pouring some water on the candle, yet, it still didn't burn out. "UGH! Why won't it burn out damnit?!!"

Miroku laughed as he sat on Inu-Yasha's bed, reading a scroll. "Because Inu-Yasha, you aren't in love."

Inu-Yasha grumbled which sounded very much like a cuss. "Yes I am!"

Miroku rolled his eyes. "For god's sake, how many times do you need to be reminded that you aren't in love with Kikyo?"

Inu-Yasha swore out loud. "Well, if I pretend I'm in love with her, at least my mother would get off of my back, I swear, she's gotten worse – every day she's coming up to me, telling me to find my 'special someone'."

Miroku laughed again. "Well because Inu-Yasha, it's natural for your mother to worry about you, you're nineteen, and you're a prince – and you're still all alone in the world."

Inu-Yasha glared at Miroku and then sent a furious stare at the candle, hoping that it would somehow make it burn out, but of course, it didn't. "But come on... falling in love is impossible!"

"No it's not." Miroku said and then rolled his eyes as Inu-Yasha tried knocking the candle out, but the flame wouldn't even flicker.

"What do I have to do to fall in love damnit!?" Inu-Yasha said out in frustration as he placed the candle furiously on its stand.

"You just let destiny have its way, and when you least expect it," Miroku snapped his fingers. "You're in love!"

Inu-Yasha shook his heads. "That all is just some crap, I won't ever fall in love, and the candle wont ever burn out and my mother won't ever leave me alone!"

Miroku sighed. "Inu-Yasha, have some patience..."

Inu-Yasha shook his head furiously and headed towards the door. "I'm going to grab some dinner, and stop with all the love crap, because I'm telling you now, I'm never going to fall in love, and the candle can just rot in hell for all it's worth!"

Miroku sighed and shook his head, oh god... some people really didn't know patience, sliding off of the bed, he followed Inu-Yasha out of his large bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Neither Kagome nor Inu-Yasha knew how wrong they were and both unaware of the journey that awaited them, that would completely change their lives, forever.

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It's short... but it's just the prologue so you can't blame me...

Review and tell me what you thought of it!!