InuYasha Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Prismatic ❯ Percipience - Part 1 ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Despite the scare at Clock Look and the Dark Kingdom's less than stellar timing with the scheme, the surprise party for Usagi went off without a hitch. At the time Kagome had worried that Usagi, still drained of her energy and unsteady enough that Inuyasha carried her without complaint, would not be well enough for it.

Kagome also hadn't missed the worried glances that Luna kept sending the girl on their trek back and she didn't have the heart to tell the cat that the worst of it had already been healed. But as they'd crested the stairs leading up to the shrine Usagi rapidly seemed to improve and, as they passed under the torii, sprung back to life so suddenly that Inuyasha had nearly dropped her.

"Geeze, pigtail! You like kissin' the ground or something?"

There had been a collective sigh of relief when the blonde spun a glare on the man. Inuyasha probably didn't think anyone would have noticed the way the tension in his shoulders lessened and Kagome didn't see the point in riling him up by mentioning it. Instead, she only set a hand on his shoulder as Usagi stomped off to the house with Ami on her heels and offered him a little smile of thanks once they were alone. He gave her a brief glance before he turned from her gaze to watch the pair vanish into the house.

After a few seconds, he’d lifted a hand to squeeze hers in turn.

Barely a month earlier, Kagome knew her heart would have fluttered, but in the wake of all that had happened she only gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze before she let him go to follow the others inside. Kagome spared him one last glance over her shoulder, her invitation unspoken as she tilted her head and disappeared inside.

She entered just in time to hear Usagi's squeal and Kagome could not contain her giggle of amusement when the blonde tumbled over her own feet and onto her backside in surprise.

Once the scene had finally clicked in the girl's head, Kagome didn't think she had ever seen Usagi look happier. She leapt back to her feet with a squeal, eyes watery with a glimmer of awe and unshed tears as she flitted around the room, excitedly gushing over the food and decorations meant just for her. Kagome slipped over to stand between Ami and her mother, and the three of them exchanged a wordless look of satisfaction.

After Usagi had apparently finished taking inventory she turned and, with a dramatic wail, threw herself at the three of them.

Souta managed to duck out of the way with a yelp of surprise, narrowly avoiding getting himself and Luna dragged into it too. Kagome pretended not to notice his disgruntled look but she did shoot Luna a wink over Usagi's head when she noticed the feline's softer expression.

Inuyasha joined them eventually and, despite his attempt to appear uninterested in the festivities, couldn't resist her mother's influence when the woman urged him to come sit with them. When Ami, who had taken over portioning out slices of cake, swiveled towards the half demon to hand him a plate that he took mostly in surprise, Kagome had to hide an amused giggle behind her hand.

The rest of the night continued in much the same way, the house filled with laughter, chatter, and a pleasant rightness that juxtaposed the evening's earlier events.

Her mother and grandfather headed up to bed first and Souta, Luna at his heels, hadn't been too far behind. When Usagi took that as the go-ahead for girl talk, Inuyasha took that as the hint to promptly vanish out the window. It was just as well, because Usagi grinned impishly and loudly demanded to know if Kagome had heard back from her 'admirer'. Ami had giggled at her expense while Kagome sputtered in a mix of embarrassment and exasperation.

"Usagi-chan! He only asked about the city while we waited for the train!"

It was late when the last of them finally settled down for the night. Yet, despite the late hour, Kagome found herself one of the first to wake. She was startled to consciousness with a gasp, jerking up in alarm in the wake of a dream she no longer remembered.

Her gaze roved over the room, finding only the still sleeping forms of Ami and Usagi. The coolness of the morning air touched her cheek, and Kagome glanced over to see her window open. When she caught a glimpse of red in the branches of the god tree, a little smile touched her lips. 'Don't worry, Inuyasha…your secret’s safe with me.'

The sun was only just beginning to peek over the horizon and there was a lingering stillness of the early morning hour in the air. Neither Usagi nor Ami stirred when Kagome climbed from her bed, deciding there was little point in trying to sleep more. Instead, she opted to take advantage of the quiet within the still sleeping household and get a shower in before the rest woke.

With everyone still in bed, she felt less guilty in taking the time to observe herself in the mirror. Her physique wasn’t quite as soft as it had been before, in a time before she’d been thrust into a world of magic and fighting, and while her complexion was still fair her skin was a bit more sun-kissed. A hand fell to the scar at her hip, and there was a phantom twinge of pain at the memory it stirred.

Despite all that had happened since, having the jewel torn from her remained one of the more terrifying memories.

It was probably silly, given the increasing severity of the battles they had seen since that first one. She had her soul wrenched from her body. She had been forced to watch as Inuyasha had nearly been dragged to hell. She had witnessed the slaughter of human life multiple times, incidents of which she was at least partially responsible for in shattering the jewel. She had been forced to face the atrocities that Naraku committed in his quest for the jewel. It shouldn’t have been the comparatively tame and short lived assault from Mistress Centipede that stayed with her to such an extent.

Perhaps, Kagome mused as she stepped into the tub, it was simply that it had been the catalyst for the rest.

The steam of the hot water, at least, concealed the burn of tears that nobody was around to see. Kagome stayed there, perhaps longer than she ought to have, until she heard the first sounds of life stirring within the house. There were only the sounds of quiet movement, an indication that it was likely only her mother and grandfather to have woken, but the others were sure to follow soon enough.

Her hair was still damp by the time she’d dressed and snuck out to the courtyard for some much needed fresh air. Unsurprisingly, as often happened when Kagome became so lost to her thoughts, she found herself at the base of the Goshinboku when more sounds of life began to filter out of the house. A glance up to the companion she knew was there, ever watchful, and she inclined her head in a wordless invite.

When Usagi’s excited squeal sounded from the open kitchen window, Kagome only shook her head, buried the nagging sensation of fear, and strode inside to join them.

---

The lively chatter that Kagome walked in on was a welcoming comfort. Breakfast had been spread out across the tables in the living room, western styled pancakes at Usagi’s request, and Usagi and Ami were happily chatting about the upcoming summer months. Contented to listen, Kagome only joined them with a wordless smile. The two talked of perfectly normal things, activities that Kagome had thought lost to her in all that had occurred. 

It felt such a long time ago that she had sat with a group of friends, the only concern in their topic of conversation being a lack of a date or what to wear to upcoming festivities. Today’s topic was just as refreshingly mundane, despite Usagi’s dramatic whine of distress when she appeared unable to decide on exactly what she wanted to do for her birthday.

Kagome shared an amused glance with Ami but her mother showed a bit more mercy as she entered with the suggestion of a festival in the city center.

It seemed to be the right idea, because Usagi perked up with a look of interest. "A festival?"

Ami looked intrigued as well, though she turned with a more restrained look of interest. "Does your shrine host festivals over the summer months too, Kagome-chan?"

"Oh, yeah. But ours won't be until later in the summer." Usagi deflated a little at that, disappointment clear on her face at the prospect of waiting the whole season, and Kagome tilted her head. "So why don't we go to this one then?"

Ami stood, gathering a few empty dishes to assist her mother as the older woman returned to clear up. "Where did you say it was, Hikawa Shrine?"

“Hikawa?” Kagome tapped a finger to her chin, then brightened. “Oh, it’s Mitama Matsuri, I bet!”

"But…Naru-chan and the others…" Usagi leaned forward over the table, conspiratorially cupping a hand to her mouth in a pointless whisper. "They say it's cursed."

Kagome couldn’t help but to giggle at that. 

"People always claim shrines are cursed. If they don't sell love charms or something…touristy…" Usagi spun a teary-eyed look on her that, while a bit more dramatic than necessary, made Kagome soften a bit. "We could always go investigate the rumors first if it makes you feel better, Usagi-chan."

Ami offered a hum of agreement as she gathered another set of dishes. "That's probably a good idea. Even if there’s no sign of the Dark Kingdom…"

"There are plenty of other artifacts that could be causing trouble." Kagome shrugged. "We had the Noh mask in storage for ages before it…woke up."

Souta walked in, typing something on the Mercury computer but looked up at the mention of that particular event. "Oh, yeah. That thing was freaky."

Ami rejoined them at the table then, her expression thoughtful as she turned to the cat perched on the boy’s shoulder. "What do you think, Luna? Have you detected anything strange recently?"

Luna frowned, her brow furrowed thoughtfully as she glanced down. "Perhaps…the signal has been erratic lately."

"Erratic?” Souta paused in his typing to look at the feline on his shoulder incredulously. “Luna, half the map lit up when we tried to run that scan before. Are you sure magic supercomputers can't get…magic viruses?"

"No. It is more likely that the enemy has learned how to interfere with us. Rumors are not the ideal source of information but given our position…" Luna sighed, an expression of weariness taking over her for a moment so brief that Kagome almost missed it. "We still haven't found any trace of the princess or the Silver Crystal so it is worth looking into."

"Who is this enemy anyway, Luna?" Usagi turned to the cat, brows furrowed. "You've never really told us. What are they? What do they want?"

A look of annoyance crossed Luna’s face, though Kagome wasn’t certain that it was simply because of Usagi’s rapid fire questioning. After a moment, Luna heaved another sigh. "Not even I know that much about them. Only that they are an evil that is not human."

"Not human?" Kagome frowned thoughtfully, lips pursed as she sat back in her seat to drum her fingers on the table. "But it can't be just that…"

Luna paused to look at her, but it was Ami who voiced the question they both clearly had. "Why do you say that, Kagome-chan?"

Furrowing her brows, Kagome tapped the surface of the table. "Jadeite was human."

Usagi crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. "I'd rather go deal with cursed shrines than see him again."

Ami giggled a bit at the retort, and Kagome felt her grin widen. "Well, I guess that means we're going on a field trip then."

---

They had barely set foot on the first of the steps leading up to the shrine when the earth shuddered beneath them. Usagi lost her footing, landed on her backside with a yelp, Ami nearly followed, and Kagome wheeled her arms to stay upright with a cry of surprise. "What in the world?!"

Perhaps, Kagome thought, sending Inuyasha back through the well with the party favors for the others had not been the best idea. That, however, would have to wait to lament on later. Another rumble shook the ground and, when a scream sounded from the top of the steps, Kagome barely caught Usagi when she and Ami turned to rush into action.

"Wait!" The two turned to Kagome at her hiss but seemed to understand when she held up the disguise pen. "Demons!"

It was an ironic sort of luck, Kagome supposed, that rumors of a curse on the shrine had the street devoid of people to see them transform. She sprinted up the stairs alongside the two soldiers but, perhaps because of her daily practice, crested the top first.

The shrine grounds were mercifully empty of tourists and a glance towards the main structure made her stomach roll. The body of a man in priest clothing, eerily similar to her own grandfather’s, lay unmoving near the entrance. The urge to check on the man, to find whether he still lived, would have to wait. Kagome didn’t need to search out the source of demonic energy, for the creature stood only feet away, holding a girl in place with an arm around her throat. 

Kagome couldn’t tell whether the demon was amused or frustrated when it snarled down at its captive. "Come on now, reveal yourself!"

The demand made Kagome pause to furrow her brows. The creature hadn’t seemed to notice her yet though, so she edged a bit closer and reached slowly into her pocket for an ofuda. ‘If I can just get a bit closer…’

The girl, wearing the traditional robes of a shrine maiden, at least faced the hostage situation with some bravado. "Let go of me, demon!"

The demon’s response was only to sneer at the girl, and Kagome’s gaze drifted back towards the entrance to the shrine when the creature spun the both of them to face the figure that appeared in the doorway.

'That's-!' Kagome heaved a sigh through her nose, her shoulders drooping only for a moment as she wondered whether to laugh or cry at the sight of the man dressed as a priest of all things. ‘Of course it is…’

Kagome didn’t hear what he said to the girl, but she did feel the alarmed flutter of her aura when he raised a hand, dark energy slithering over it threateningly. Abandoning her ofuda when the man yanked the girl up by a grip on her arm, Kagome hastily stuffed the talisman back into her pocket and grasped the pen with a command for a bow instead.

"Jadeite!" Her shot was hasty and off target, but the arrow struck the frame of the door, close enough for him to jerk back in surprise. His eyes were wide, only for a moment, as he spun to look at her and Kagome hissed angrily. "Let her go!"

"Oh? It seems I was mistaken." Jadeite dropped the girl and Kagome exhaled in relief as the demon darted in the opposite direction to engage Sailor Moon and Mercury as they arrived to join the fray. Then he turned towards her and the look in his eyes as his gaze fell on her ensured that relief was exceptionally short lived.

'Oh…crud.' Kagome barely ducked out of the way when he suddenly rushed her, the bow vanishing from her grasp as she lifted her hands defensively, anticipating a much closer ranged fight.

Jadeite, although clearly not expecting her narrow escape, only cast a glance over his shoulder as he sailed past her.

"Hm…your form is improving. Practicing, are we?" He landed on his feet seamlessly, his posture casual as he looked her over. Then, after apparently finding what he was looking for, a smirk curled his lips. "It still needs work, though."

Jadeite vanished from her sight all at once and Kagome faltered, her hands dropping in surprise as she looked around. His energy hadn’t disappeared, at least not in the way it usually did when he retreated back to what she presumed was the Dark Kingdom’s base.

"Ah, ah…hands up, soldier."

She sensed his approach too late and staggered when he appeared in front of her only to push her back with a casual shove to the chest. She caught her footing quickly enough not to fall but when she spun to glare at him he was gone from her sight once more.

"Elbows in." He reappeared to her left, making his presence known with a sharp jab to her ribs.

Gritting her teeth, Kagome spun to swipe at him, but the little wisps of spiritual power that danced on her fingertips only floated harmlessly into empty air. He didn't vanish this time, instead only infuriatingly side stepping her.

Anticipating him this time, Kagome pivoted just in time to raise her arm and block a strike that had been aimed at her back. Jadeite's eyes widened, allowing her a brief taste of satisfaction before the corners of his lips quirked upward once more.

"Better. But your stance is too loose." 

Jadeite wrapped his fingers around her wrist, still held up to shield her face, and he yanked her forward. Kagome stumbled towards him, her eyes widening as she fumbled to catch her balance and lurched backwards just in time to avoid colliding with him. 

"Mind your footwork, little soldier." Jadeite didn't give her the chance to catch her balance this time. He rushed her mid-step, and Kagome's world spun as he swept her legs out from under her. She landed with a grunt, the impact leaving her gasping for the breath it had knocked out of her. 

Her stomach rolled when she opened her eyes again, the weight holding her body down coming into sight in the form of the smug bastard she'd been fighting.  The hand pressing her shoulder to the ground made her knee-jerk attempt to sit up useless and the fingers of his other hand tightened around her captive wrist in warning when she thought to raise her hand next, the other trapped beneath his knee. Kagome was left staring up at him, wide eyed and winded but the only indication he'd exerted any energy in the struggle was the warmth of his breath as it wafted over her face.

A smirk curled his lips after a moment, and Kagome felt her heart skip a beat.

Jadeite must have noticed her panic, if the amused glint in his eyes was any indication, and she felt the quiet chuckle that reverberated in his chest more than she heard it. He gave her one last appraising glance before he rocked back onto his feet, pulling her to her own with the grip on her wrist. Kagome stumbled into him with a yelp and pressed her newly freed hand against his chest in a useless attempt to keep distance between them.

Her eyes narrowed and her mouth fell open but whatever protest Kagome might have intended to make only came out as a squeak when he tugged her upwards again, forcing her to stand on her toes as he dipped his head to meet her gaze.

"Lesson's over, soldier." His voice was low as he spoke, only a hair's breadth between them.

"Look out!"

Straightening at the sound of Sailor Moon's frantic cry, Kagome felt Jadeite tense. There was a burst of heat and demonic energy above them, but she barely got the chance to look up and see what had happened before he suddenly shoved her. The strength behind it was enough to send her tumbling back several feet and, as Kagome landed with a grunt, she became keenly aware of just how much he must have been holding back before.

The ground shook, the taste of dust and smoke wafting into the air, and when Kagome looked up again her eyes widened to see the burning remains of the broken torii as it lay in a blaze right where they'd been standing.

As Kagome pushed herself to her hands and knees, she caught a glimpse of Jadeite's form on the other side, staring at her through the flames that danced between them. When the soldiers rushed up to join them, the demon's presence gone, his gaze drifted to them briefly before it returned to her. "Hm. Next time."

Kagome hunched her shoulders, her nerve returning enough to spin a scowl on him for the presumption. 

"What ‘next time’ do you think-" Of course, he didn’t allow her the chance to lay into him for it. She didn’t see him leave, but the swell of dark magic was telling enough. When she closed her eyes to steady herself enough to spread her senses over the area, she found nothing. Jadeite and his demon were gone. "Ugh. Creep."

The coolness of Mercury’s power seeped into the air after a moment, and the flames that danced around them began to fade with a quiet hiss. Kagome got to her feet with a wince and her limbs felt heavy as she headed over to rejoin the others. 

Seeing the shrine maiden from before in the uniform of a sailor soldier made her take pause and Kagome glanced down to Luna. “Looks like we need to talk, huh?”

---

Explaining such fantastical things as cursed jewels and sailor soldiers was beginning to come eerily easy. To her credit, the shrine maiden, Hino Rei, took it all quite well given her introduction to the entire affair. In fact, Kagome thought Hino seemed more bothered by her presence than the prospect of battling demons and a Dark Kingdom that they knew next to nothing about.

Luckily, Kagome was quite used to ignoring such blatant glares of suspicion and distrust and stuck easily to the topic at hand despite Hino’s stare. "Why would Jadeite attack here though?"

"I do not know…" Luna’s tail swished irritably, a gesture Kagome had noticed the feline only succumbed to when truly worried, and glanced over to Hino thoughtfully. "Perhaps he sensed the dormant energy of a soldier in Hino-chan."

At that, Kagome brightened and turned back to the other girl. "Oh! I didn't even get to see the transformation. Which soldier are you, Hino-chan?"

The friendly smile Kagome tried to offer the other girl only got a tilt of the head in response. Luna, seeming to notice the tension, opted to answer instead. "Hino-chan here is the soldier of Mars."

Hino gave a nod of the head at that, and narrowed her eyes as she spun to look at her so suddenly that Kagome jumped. "And who are you?"

"Wh- me?" Baffled, it took Kagome a moment to fully process the shift of the air around them, the probing of what felt like spiritual energy against her own, and she frowned. Straightening her shoulders, she met the other girl’s scowl with one of her own, a flicker of purity dancing around her as she pushed back against the intrusion in warning.

Hino’s eyes narrowed as she blatantly raked her gaze over Kagome once more. "You aren't like them."

Kagome frowned, not sure what to make of the accusatory tone. "You're right, but-"

"Why does that matter? Kago-chan is our friend!" Whatever attempt Kagome had thought to make to smooth things over, Usagi promptly interrupted. Visibly angry, the blonde stood and puffed out her cheeks as she scowled down at their new teammate. "She's been fighting with us from the beginning!"

Kagome tried to remain patient, she really did. After all, being attacked by demons and learning you were a magical sailor soldier was a lot to happen to a person in one day and she could forgive frayed nerves. However, when Hino spun her glare on Usagi, she could not help but bristle.

If Hino noticed the warning in Kagome’s glance, she either did not understand it or did not care as she turned to argue with the blonde instead. "Why is she even involved if she isn't a real soldier?"

“Excuse me?!” Deciding she’d had enough of being talked about as if she were not there, Kagome stood with a huff of her own. "Soldier or not, I just helped protect your shrine!"

After a moment, Hino only crossed her arms and looked away, unable to rebut that particular reminder.

Ami, caught between them, lifted a hand to her mouth with a look of concern as she watched the exchange. When neither of them seemed ready to tear into the other, Kagome was thankful that the soft-spoken member of their team took the reins to redirect the conversation and exchange contact information with the new soldier. 

Kagome didn’t resist as Usagi latched onto her arm to drag her out with a huff.

Usagi muttered under her breath the entire way back down the stairs, only stopping to turn back to Kagome with a frown when they reached the bottom. “Naru-chan was right, this shrine is cursed. With a bad attitude!”

When Ami finally rushed down the steps to join them, it would be to find Kagome was doubled over laughing and clutching the blonde’s arm to remain upright.

---

The queen’s anger was not unexpected. Jadeite had served under the woman for long enough to know how to predict her moods. However, the abject fury that he was met with when he returned was not what he expected to walk into. When he knelt before her, ordered in to an immediate audience, he was not so certain that he would be leaving with his head still intact as she rose from her throne to stare down at him.

He dared not lift his gaze to meet hers, nor did he have to look to see the wildness to her gaze as she hissed at him. "You have allowed the soldier of Mars to awaken."

Jadeite swallowed, a lump in his throat at the eerie calmness that she spoke with. "I apologize, my queen. I did not expect-"

"I'll hear no excuses!"

The movement around the hall ceased as the queen’s furious exclamation echoed around them. A few servants drew back, and Jadeite bowed a bit lower. "Yes, my lady. Forgive me."

Her dismissal, angry as it still was, was a relief. Not for the first time, Jadeite had to restrain himself from striding too quickly from the great hall. As the door shut behind him, he was not terribly surprised when Nephrite appeared at his side, seamlessly matching his pace to join him.

"You appear to be treading a thin line, Jadeite." Nephrite glanced at him as Jadeite shoved the doors to his own chambers open. "I did warn you that-"

"The queen did not care about the shop." Jadeite dragged a hand through his hair with a sigh of frustration, the door slamming shut behind them. "Mars has been awakened."

Nephrite was silent for a long moment before his lips thinned. "I see."

"I thought I'd found them." Jadeite lifted a hand, willing the magic to his fingertips with what had become second nature. The image of Sailor Moon and the nameless soldier darting into sight flickered to life in the palm of his hand, the scene one he’d replayed endlessly since its occurrence. "Kyurene discovered them at a shrine."

Nephrite’s expression shifted to one of curiosity, though his eyes remained on the scene playing out between them. "A shrine?"

"I tracked a strange energy to this one. I was certain that girl…" Jadeite clenched his fist with a hiss of irritation, the footage vanishing as he dispelled the magic. "I was mistaken."

Nephrite, at least, was merciful enough not to comment on his admission. It was not often that one of them miscalculated so dangerously, least of all so readily admitted it between them. 

They spoke for a bit and Jadeite was reminded of why, though their tactics differed, he so respected Nephrite. In the short time that Nephrite had been granted entrance to the mortal city the man had successfully siphoned the energy from two targets, a tennis player and a gardener, completely under the soldiers’ noses while they were busy chasing him.

When Nephrite finally left, Jadeite was uncertain whether to be relieved or bothered by the solitude. Unfortunately, he was not given the chance to make such a decision.

A little giggle sounded from his now open door. “I had no idea the great master Jadeite was having such trouble with a few little girls.”

Jadeite dispelled the footage that he’d summoned back to his hand. “Thetis.”

The woman strode forward, not caring to wait for an invitation, a coy smile on her face. “I am flattered you remember me, Master Jadeite.”

“You serve directly under Queen Beryl.” Of course he would not forget one of the queen’s most trusted, but Jadeite knew she didn’t really believe he would. Exhaling through his nose and reminding himself that he was already under the queen’s scrutiny, he only grit his teeth and refrained from sneering at the woman. “What brings you here?”

“Oh? You know I adore you, Master Jadeite.” A little smile curled her lips, though Jadeite could not be certain how much of it was the fondness she claimed and how much was amusement at his predicament.

“I don’t have time for your games.” He exhaled through his nose, turning a scowl on her when she only drew closer. “Get out of here!”

“Oh, don’t say that.” The woman was wise enough to stop her approach a few feet away from him, though the smile on her face never wavered, unconcerned with his irritation. “I have come to help you save face with the queen, after all.”

Jadeite turned to look at her with a jerk, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. It was one thing to work alongside one of the other generals, his fellow kings, but the demon that was the queen’s second in command was another matter entirely.

“Ah, I have your attention now?” If Thetis caught on to his suspicion, she was entirely unbothered by it. She only strode up to him with a smile, a flick of the fingers letting his door swing shut to ensure their privacy. “Now, if you’ll hear me out, general... I may have a suggestion.”