InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Self-Fulfilling Prophecy ❯ Self-Fulfilling Prophecy ( Chapter 1 )

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

By Majicman55

 

 

The hut wasn't much to look at. Two rooms: one for the old woman to sleep in and one in which to practice her art. “Urani-isha” read a roughly-painted sign by the door. The woman was a palm reader.

 

“Come on, Kagome, we don't have time for this!” shouted InuYasha. “Besides, you can always get the bouzu to read your fortune!”

 

Miroku smiled and took the miko's hand in his. “I would be happy to read your palm anytime, Kagome-sama.” The monk studied her hand momentarily. “I see you will be bearing a child soon.”

 

Kagome snatched her hand back. “No thank you, Miroku. I think I'd like my palm read by someone impartial. And the answer is still no. I'm afraid you'll have to find someone else to bear your children.”

 

“Kagome-sama, I…” Miroku noticed Kagome was looking past him so he turned around. There stood a blushing taijiya in the process of lowering her hiraikotsu. Miroku breathed a small sigh of relief and turned back to Kagome, who was now giving him one of her “smiles.”

 

“Besides, I think I'd like my palm read by someone who will keep their own hands where they belong.”

 

Miroku smiled and rolled his eyes. “I am so misunderstood.”

 

“Besides, you might not tell me things a stranger would.”

 

It looked like InuYasha was about to complain again when Sango stepped forward. “If Kagome wants to have her palm read by someone who isn't a lecher, let her have her fun.”

 

InuYasha “harrumpfed” and reached for Kagome's wrist, but the fortune teller, foreseeing the loss of her income, got to the miko first.

 

“Come with me, dear girl. Let us see what the future holds for ye.”

 

Kagome allowed herself to be led into the hut, all the while feeling InuYasha's hot glare on her back.

 

“Oi. Make it quick.”

 

 

******************

 

 

In the relative darkness inside the hut, Kagome and the palm reader sat facing each other. The woman had poured them both tea and was busily reciting her credentials.

 

“My dear, I have read the futures of both the small and great, ningen and youkai…even hanyou, like your gruff friend.”

 

Kagome giggled. “InuYasha can be a little gruff, I guess.”

 

The palm reader didn't fail to notice the dreamy look that came into the girl's eyes when she talked about the hanyou. “Ye like him, don't ye?”

 

Kagome's cheeks took on a shade of pink that was bright enough to be seen even in the relative darkness of the hut. “I…”

 

“Relax, child. I think he likes you, too.” The palm reader did not fail to notice the young girl's radiant smile. She stored that particular bit of information away for later use as she lit a couple of lamps and placed one on either side of where she would be examining the girl's palm. She noticed the quizzical look on the girl's face. “The lamps?”

 

Kagome nodded.

 

“Doing the reading in darkness with the lamps lighting your palm helps this old woman to focus.”

 

“I see.” Kagome offered her hand.

 

“Aye, child. Let us get down to business.”

 

******************

 

 

The old woman took Kagome's palm and began her examination.

 

The more she examined it, the more unusual it was. In her years of doing readings, she had learned to soft-peddle some discoveries. It wouldn't do to tell a daimyo that he had great misfortune coming his way. That could get you killed.

 

But this…

 

The old woman frowned.

 

“What…What is it?”

 

The old woman mumbled to herself. She had lost her composure in front of a client. Unforgiveable!

 

“Is something bad going to happen? Am I going to…to die?” For Kagome and her companions, this was a daily possibility.

 

The woman collected herself. “No, child.” She laughed nervously. “I see that ye must have cut yourself…here.” The palm reader indicated a line on Kagome's middle finger. “And ye must have cut yourself here, too.”

 

“I don't believe so.”

 

“This old woman will just have to try to read through your scars and…what did you say?”

 

“I have been injured many times, but I don't remember being cut there.” Kagome turned her palm. “Or here, either.”

 

The old woman was becoming agitated. “But this is impossible.” She began looking at the young girl suspiciously. Clearly, there was more to this strangely-dressed woman than met the eye.

 

“What is impossible?”

 

“Here…and here. These two lines.” The old woman found herself doing something a palm reader never does: revealing the secrets of interpretation to a layman. “This, child, is your lifeline. Do ye notice its path around your finger?”

 

“Yes.” Kagome looked at the line closely. “It seems to form a circle.”

 

“Aye, it does.”

 

“Is that a problem?”

 

“A problem? A problem, ye say?” The old woman almost choked on her laughter.

 

“What is it?”

 

The old woman took Kagome's palm and leaned towards her almost conspiratorially. “Child, only youkai have that circle.”

 

“But I'm a ningen.”

 

“It is impossible to tell how long ye shall live.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“If this be right, something will happen that will greatly extend your lifetime. I cannot tell how long.”

 

Kagome thought about it. Perhaps the old woman was picking up on the miko's time travel and it only looked to her like she lived a long time. “Don't be silly. There could be another explanation.”

 

“No, child. There is no mistake.” The old woman took up Kagome's palm again. “And what do you notice about this line?”

 

“It…It is also a circle.”

 

“It is your marriage line. According to this, you will be married to the same person for your entire life.” The old woman shook her head in wonderment. “But that would mean he would have to live as long as you, and I don't see how that could be possible.” The woman shook her head again. “My late husband was a wonderful man, but a few more years with him would have driven this old woman crazy.”

 

Kagome smiled. “Can you see who I marry?”

 

The palm reader re-examined Kagome's hand. “Someone close to you, I…”

 

“Oi!” InuYasha poked his head into the hut. “Would you hurry up? We're running out of daylight, you know.”

 

Both Kagome and the old woman glared at the hanyou; then both pointedly ignored him.

 

“Is there more?” asked Kagome, icily.

 

The palm reader smiled. “Would ye like to know about children?”

 

Kagome blushed. “Yes.”

 

“Ye shall have…oh, not again.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I cannot tell ye.”

 

“Oh, but surely…”

 

“Ye do not understand.” The old woman sighed. “It is probably better if I do not tell ye.”

 

“It…It's that bad?”

The old woman sighed again, this time in resignation. “Fine. I cannot tell ye how many children ye shall have because it is impossible to count.”

 

InuYasha, who had been hanging around in the room in the hopes of irritating Kagome enough that she'd quit and they could get going, finally spoke up. “Oi. You're always calling me a dog and it looks like you're gonna have litters.”

 

Kagome glared at the hanyou. “I am not having litters.” She turned back to the palm reader. “How can you tell how many children?”

 

“It is here,” replied the old woman. “All these lines, here.”

 

InuYasha was looming over Kagome's back to get a look at the finger in question. “Oi. I've got lines like that.”

 

“Let me see,” said the old woman as she snatched the hanyou's hand and held it next to Kagome's.

 

Perfect match.

 

The palm reader took a quick look at the hanyou's middle finger.

 

Two…perfect…circles.

 

The palm reader slammed both their hands down. “You should not make fun of an old woman!”

 

“Feh! What's she talkin' about, Kagome?”

 

“You knew very well the hanyou would be your mate!”

 

“K-Keh? Wh-What?”

 

“Get ye going!” The old woman pushed Kagome and InuYasha out of her hut; then shook her fist at them. “Do not darken my door again!”

 

 

******************

 

 

“What was that all about, Kagome?” asked Sango as the group continued on their journey, InuYasha some distance ahead. It was apparent that the hanyou was giving Kagome a wide berth.

 

“Huh? Oh, nothing, Sango,” replied the miko. What the old woman had said was sinking in. But then, you couldn't really believe everything a fortune teller told you…right? Besides, living forever was a ridiculous notion. And did she really want children with InuYasha, anyway? Kagome smiled and shook her head.

 

They could all hear shouting in the distance. “I think that old woman's calling after you, Kagome,” said Miroku.

 

Kagome looked back towards the hut.

 

“Ye did not pay me, wench! And for that affront, I shall add this other tidbit!” shouted the old woman. “Ye had better be ready, because the first one will be coming soon!”

 

The group resumed walking, but Sango was puzzled. “What was she talking about, Kagome?”

 

Kagome smiled. “I'm sure it's nothing, Sango.”

 

Sango looked at her friend again. Kagome was looking down and kicking at small stones as they walked.

 

“Do I?” she thought. “Do I really want children with InuYasha?”

 

Up ahead, InuYasha looked around nervously.

 

Why did Kagome smell so...good…all of a sudden?