Elsewhere and Nowhere by Vonne

Of Butterflies and Chains

The 14 Symbol Challenge: Butterfly

It was the first day of spring today; why it mattered, Kagome didn’t exactly know. A long time ago she would’ve jumped at the occasion, making it known to all who were around her. Now, though, it seemed the days were all the more repetitive and the passing of time could only be told by the creatures around her.

A butterfly, she mused as one flew among the flowers Rin had loved so much, perhaps it’s a coincidence that one appears now… for on this exact same day thirty years ago, Rin had died. Her last words had been an exclamation of her wish to be reborn not as a flower, but as a butterfly. Butterflies can dance among the flowers, she had whispered, just like you and I had, Kagome-chan.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes shut to the beauty of what was before her. Forty-three years ago on this day, Sesshoumaru had saved her. Kagome had been reborn, so to speak. Before he had resurrected her with his Tenseiga, Kagome was a butterfly. She was free, wild, and could dance as she liked.

That part of her had died. Instead, Kagome became as she was now, a Taiyoukai lord’s mate. Now, she was trapped. Now, she was no longer free.

Had it been horrible? Had it been painful? To lose the feeling of flight as quickly as she had without a warning, of course it hadn’t. She had taken it for granted. Newly matured as she was and barely lifting off the ground, Kagome hadn’t yet been able to fully appreciate the feeling of wind beneath her wings and the knowledge of the sky being just her and her wings.

Except now, here, as she sat reminiscing, did it all come back to her and make her crave of that freedom.

All it took was a small tug from the other end of the thread to bring her back to reality and the life she now lived…

Kagome, the voice echoed, Kagome.

Her eyes shot open, hands and feet clambering to get out of her relaxed position and scurry back towards the sliding screen doors. She never noticed that another butterfly had come to join the other, starting a pas de deux.

She had her taste of freedom and had loved it, but as of the moment, Kagome reminded herself that being chained to someone for the rest of her life wasn’t all that bad… as long as it was him.

Word Count: 414