InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Spellbound Destiny ❯ Chapter 6: Her Body and Blood ( Chapter 6 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Elviria 
Revised. Spelling and grammatical errors fixed and some sentences tweaked.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.05.2011 | Updated On: 12.17.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 572 | Status: Work In Progress
Revised. Spelling and grammatical errors fixed and some sentences tweaked.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.05.2011 | Updated On: 12.17.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 572 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Inuyasha, sadly. Takahashi Rumiko is the master mind. ^_^
Author's Note: Thanks once again for all the reviews. A few of the comments about Naraku made me want to explain a bit more about his motives. I wrote him the last chapter molesting Kagome for two reasons: 1) he sees her as a replacement for Kikyou?her pure soul, her looks, her connection to the Shikon no Tama?and 2) he wanted to mess with Inuyasha's head, show him that he could take another girl of “his” and hurt them both. Just a little insight into my thinking. ^_^ Now enjoy chapter 6!
Definitions:
Tendo no Mai – is roughly translated to Dance of Divine Justice; it's a name I designed myself for miko katana arts.
Spellbound Destiny
Chapter 6: Her Body and Blood
Naraku pounded down the outer deck of the palace. He was angry. Beyond angry. The Shikon no Tama was no longer a jewel. He could not possess it at all. This was unfair. He waited fifty years for the jewel only to find out it was in the damn chit's blood?it literally was her body! How the hell was he suppose to get it?
He couldn't mind control the girl forever. That particular power was useless. It left his body vulnerable while he inhabited the other person's mind. It also took too much time. He had to know his subjects mind inside and out in order to slip through without being noticed?know their inner sanctum like he knew ever contour and shape of his mind and body.
There was only one instance where that power had been used to its full extend, on Kikyou, and that had turned out disastrously. She was a lot easier than Kagome would be. At least then the Shikon no Tama was separated from Kikyou and did not lend her it's strength. Kagome on her own was already too powerful?he had sensed that through the blood link. With the Shikon no Tama flowing through her veins, her power knew no limits. He only hoped she never learned how to properly harness it.
Naraku slammed open a shoji door, tearing it out of it's fastenings and destroying it. He didn't care. He needed to think of something else he could do. He paced back and forth in his room for half an hour but nothing came to him. In a fit of rage, Naraku turned one of his arms into a tentacle and hit everything he could?the pure destruction oddly satisfying.
O o O o O o O o O
Kagome floated on a cloud. At least if felt like a cloud. It was soft and airy and contoured to her body perfectly. She felt relaxed, her body utterly content.
A soft voice whispered to her. She didn't want to wake up. Ignoring the voice, Kagome shifted, shaking her head slowly to get rid of the buzzing. The voice only grew louder. It grew until she was forced to sit up and find out who was calling to her.
Blackness greeted her. She shrieked, panic setting in. Her hands flew to her eyes. She ran her finger tips lightly over them, feeling her eyelashes whisper softly against them when she blinked rapidly. Her eyes were open. Then why couldn't she see? Where was she?
The voice came back to her; this time she could understand it. “Kagome,” the voice echoed around her. “Kagome, focus on my voice. You do not need to be afraid.” She looked around but still could not see who was talking to her. “Kagome, do not look with your eyes. Look with your inner sight.”
Inner sight? What the hell is that? Kagome didn't understand. How could you see without using eyes? Then, a small spark of instinct took root inside her. She decided to follow where it led.
Kagome closed her eyes, breathed deeply and focused on her “inner self.” She felt it then?a truly wondrous feeling like joy mixed with happiness and strength. A small flare of power that was not her own. She grabbed on to it and followed the thread.
Kagome opened her eyes and was blinded by light. She blinked rapidly then focused on her surroundings. The sun was setting, casting all known shades of pink and red across the landscape. Sitting on a hill, a small ancient hut was the only building. Next to it ran a small stream and blooming sakura trees blew in the wind?petals dancing along the currents. A lone figure stood in front of her dressed in battle miko attire?the armor ancient, her raven tresses unbound and a symbol in the middle of her forehead. Standing next to the figure was a giant cream colored, two tailed neko youkai.
The figure smiled at her. “You found me,” she said. It was the same voice that had spoken to her on her cloud?soft kindness with a hint of authority and power.
Kagome moved closer to her, noticing that her eyes were a deep endless pool of honey. She held out her hand to Kagome. Kagome accepted it and was pulled across the stream to land next to the neko youkai.
“Please,” the woman said with a wave of her hand to the small deck around the hut. “Take a seat.”
Kagome accepted the offer, gently bowing down and sitting on the deck. The atmosphere was peaceful and lovely. She could fall in love with this place. Kagome looked to her companion as she sat next to her.
“My name is Midoriko. You must be wondering where we are.”
“Hai. I've never seen anything like this before.”
Midoriko smiled at her. “No, I don't suppose you would have. This place is from my memories, from a long, long time ago. It's a mental projection I'm showing to your inner self.”
“Inner self?”
“All people, youkai or human, have an inner self. A...mental self that can protect your mind. Most people can't tap into it on their own. Only the most powerful miko can access their inner selves without trouble or aid. Some day, when you fully understand your powers, you'll be able to create your own special place.”
“And this place is yours?”
“Hai. I thought it best if we didn't try to make you create one right now. Your powers are only just showing themselves. Your world would be unstable since your powers are still unstable. I did not want to have this conversation cut short.”
Kagome nodded her understanding. “What are you, then?”
“I'm a spirit. I have knowledge I wish to impart to you about me and the Shikon no Tama.”
Kagome's mind flashed back to Naraku. His words reverberated deep within her. “Naraku said the Shikon no Tama isn't in my body. That it is my body. What does that mean?”
“I'm glad you remembered that. First, let me explain how I am connected to the Shikon no Tama. That will make you understand just how important it is.” Midoriko looking at Kagome in dead seriousness, waiting until Kagome seemed to understand the importance of her words before she began. “Many, many years ago, youkai and humans fought each other as mortal enemies. Youkai were much crueler then. They let their instincts have full reign. I was a warrior miko trained in the art of war against these beasts. When a horde decided to attack the capital of my country, what is now present day Haedai, my sisters and I stood our ground.
“We fought for hours until only I was left. In a last attempt to get rid of them all, I moved to a cave. There, I imprisoned the rest of the horde and fought them. But the youkai did something I had never seen before. They combined with each other to form one monstrous being.
“I was tired, already badly wounded and knew I could not take down the beast. I gathered all my remaining power and sucked the youkai monster into my soul. I then ejected it as a crystallized round jewel, my soul and that of all the youkai trapped within forever. That was what the Shikon no Tama was.” Midoriko paused to let Kagome absorb that much of her tale.
Kagome stared at Midoriko in amazement. No one had ever known how the jewel came about?at least no one who was willing to share the tale. It certainly wasn't common knowledge or everyone would know about the jewel and its power. It made her speechless. Then something else stirred her mind. Kaede's story. “What did the Taijiya have to do with it?”
“I was a child of the Taijiya. Naturally, I wished to have some of my own family and friends at my back to help with the fight. I lost many comrades that day—miko and Taijiya alike. Once the surviving Taijiya realized what I had done, they took it upon themselves to pass the jewel on to each leader until a worthy miko could take it and purify it.”
“And Kikyou was one of those miko.”
“Hai. She was the most power and best trained I had ever seen. Her defenses against youkai were excellent but Naraku found a single weakness and exploited it, entering her mind and destroying her. When Kikyou asked for the Shikon no Tama to be burned with her body, she didn't know what would happen. I didn't know what would happen.” Midoriko paused to take a deep breath. This next part was what truly matter to Kagome. She had to make the girl understand.
“The physical form of the jewel was destroyed in the fire, burned away along with Kikyou's body. The jewel had weathered through for so many years, untouched by time and destruction, but something Naraku had done to Kikyou weakened the jewel's outer shell. The souls that resided within stayed alive, though. I kept the youkai and myself contained in a barrier as we floated in a sea of souls, trying to find one that would be able to take us in.
?I found you, Kagome. I sought you out because you resembled Kikyou in many ways. Your soul is pure, your heart kind, your miko powers strong?maybe even stronger than Kikyou's. But at the same time, you were different from her as well?the differences making me hope you would not fall like her to Naraku's evil. So I sent my barrier into your soul and have resided in it ever since.
“When Naraku said your body is the Shikon no Tama, that's what he meant. My powers and all the powers of the Shikon no Tama are yours in addition to your own miko powers. You have the ability all youkai have sought from the Shikon no Tama without it corrupting you.”
?Where are they now?”
?Trapped within a barrier, sealed away from you. I will not let them try to take you over. I have the ability to contain them but not get rid of them. ”
“Kikyou was suppose to purify the Shikon no Tama, right?”
“She had the potential but not the know how. I was going to point her in the direction of the answer when I found it. As it is now, we cannot be purified while inside you. I do not know how a purification can be accomplished. Until it is, you will be a target for anyone who seeks the jewel once word gets out. I will try to help you connect with your miko powers and teach you but you can't rely on only me.”
Kagome nodded her head. It made sense. “Where should I look, for information on how to purify you?”
“Go to the Taijiya village. Something may have been left in their care. Over the years, between miko, I've been able to keep the youkai and myself dormant so I can't say for sure if another miko or monk has even encountered this before. If there was, my guess is that they left their knowledge there, with the Taijiya, to be passed on to the next miko.”
“Hai.” Kagome looked at Midoriko with clouded eyes. It was a lot to take in all at once. Then another thought occurred to her. “What will happen to you when I do purify you?”
Midoriko smiled?a half sad, half happy twist to her lips. “I will finally be able to rest in peace. That means I will no longer be able to talk to you or see how you are doing but I won't have to fight any longer. This battle has been going on for far to long.” She looked on Kagome with tired but adoring eyes. “Even though you didn't know I was within you until now, I have been watching over you since you were born. I feel almost like a mother with her child, facing her death without seeing her daughter grow up completely. I helped your miko powers keep you safe, helped point you in the right direction in so many things. I will miss you but the time has come. My soul shouldn't have stayed this long in the living world.”
Kagome felt touched. There was nothing she could say to Midoriko that would express her gratitude. Kagome felt that it was because of Midoriko that she had been able to feel youkai as a child, to know when danger was coming. It was her own childish mind that couldn't comprehend what Midoriko tried to warn her about that caused so many issues but she had tried her hardest. Kagome knew that when the time came, she would miss Midoriko too.
Midoriko looked up, her gaze pensive on the horizon of her created world. “It's time for us to go. Kaede has healed you and will be expecting you to wake soon.” She turned back to Kagome. “I'll show myself again when I believe the time is right to start your training. Before then, I would like you to find a good long bow, sturdy arrows and a katana. The art of Tendo no Mai has faded from miko practices but I will teach you so you can fight properly.”
“Arigatou,” Kagome said as she stood. She bowed to Midoriko, truly grateful for everything she'd done for her.
Midoriko smiled. “Follow the same path you took to come here. It will lead you out of my world and back into your own.”
Kagome nodded and did as Midoriko directed, finding herself back in the sea of black. Her mind quieted again and she began to “sleep,” waiting for when her body would wake her up.
O o O o O o O o O
Kaede guarded over her two charges like a mother hen, alone except for a brooding Inuyasha. Miroku was out on first watch, making sure Naraku didn't come back?which was highly unlikely. She looked up and pinned Inuyasha with a hard glare out of her good eye. Inuyasha fidgeted. “Did Naraku say anything?”
Inuyasha started to shake his head but stopped. He'd been so concerned about Kagome and what Naraku had done to her, he forgot Naraku had said anything. Naraku's words came back to him suddenly. “He said something about the Shikon no Tama not being in Kagome's body but is her body. I don't know what that means.”
Kaede's brows furrowed in puzzlement. It was an odd thing to say. She had no clue what it meant either. Nothing in her experience, or anything she had heard of from other miko, could explain what he meant. They would have to figure it out after Kagome woke?which hopefully would be soon.
Inuyasha sat next to Kagome, almost touching but not quite with his arms folded in his sleeves. He wanted to cradled her head in his lap, make her as comfortable as possible but he couldn't bring himself to do it with Kaede in the hut with them. It was embarrassing.
A sudden noise startled him out of the contemplation of his feelings. He looked up and noticed the strange woman he had brought back was stirring. Kaede moved closer to her and laid a hand on her shoulder to quiet her down. The woman came awake abruptly, pushing Kaede's hand off her shoulder in startlement. She was gasping for air, as if waking from a nightmare. Sweat beaded on her brow.
“It's okay, child,” Kaede spoke softly. The woman turned wide eyes to Kaede, not seeing clearly where she was. She mumbled incomprehensible words. “Take a few deep breaths and calm down,” Kaede instructed. “It's okay.”
The young woman followed Kaede's instructions, breathing in through her nose and out her mouth. She blinked rapidly a few times and finally her head began to clear. She looked around her, taking in the small hut, the sleeping girl next to a hanyou and the old woman. A young monk stood by the door of the hut, brought in no doubt by the commotion the young woman caused. Kaede noticed him for the first time. Inuyasha only wrinkled his nose at the smell the monk brought in with him?that of sweat and dirt.
“Do you remember anything?” Kaede asked. “Do you know who you are?”
The young woman swallowed. As she squinted, trying to recall the last things to happen, Kaede gave her a cup filled with fresh water. She sipped it gratefully. “My name is Sango. I come from a hidden village, the Taijiya village.”
Miroku and Kaede exchanged looks as he walked into the hut and took a seat by the young woman. Inuyasha only gazed at Sango with semi-curious eyes. He was more concerned about what Naraku said and what he did to Kagome than Sango. But it would help to have more information. So he listened to her.
“My father and our warriors were called out of the village. I had just gotten back from another job when they were about to leave and decided to go with them. It was suppose to be a normal job. But it wasn't. It was a nightmare. When we got to the palace, there was no youkai attacking like the report had said. The guards were acting funny and with no warning, they attacked us. I was knocked out from behind while I tried to protect by brother.”
Tears came to her eyes. She swallowed hard, the horror coming back to her in full force. “They're all dead. All of them. It was Kohaku's first true battle.” She paused to gather her composure again. “I remember being lifted and taken away from the battle then nothing else until I woke yesterday. My head felt clouded and the drink the man gave me was bitter.”
“Do you know who the man was?” Kaede prodded when Sango paused again.
She shook her head. “I asked him but he didn't answer me. He said that a hanyou named Inuyasha destroyed my village and kidnapped a girl from his palace. He wanted me to take her back. I couldn't get his voice out of my head. It kept ringing in my ears, ordering me to grab the girl he was after and bring her to him.”
Kaede nodded her understanding. “You were drugged. It made you act unlike yourself and made you move with such serious wounds. In any normal situation, you would have been in bed for a few more days recovering.”
For the first time, Sango became aware of her wounds again. Her back ached and fresh bandages were wrapped around her chest, keeping a new poultice in place on her open wound. “Did you take care of me?” Sango asked as she looked up into Kaede's kind face. Kaede nodded. “Arigatou.”
Sango looked away and down at her hands, unsure of what more she could do. Before she could think of anything else to say, one of her hands was captured between the monk's.
“I'm Miroku. Would you bear my child?” he asked intensely.
Sango sat in stunned silence, not noticing one of the monk's hands leaving her grasp and slowly making its way down her backside. It rested on the curve of her behind, rubbed and then squeezed. Sango felt instant fury course through her veins. She snatched her hand out of the monk's and slapped him across the face.
Miroku twitched and fell backwards in happy contentment, a throbbing red spot on his cheek. Sango was strong and able bodied, nothing like court women or common peasants. She was someone he could truly appreciate. He had tired not to peek while he helped Kaede bandage her but it was hard. Her body beckoned him, toned in a way that lent credulity to her warrior lifestyle. Her breasts were perfect?round and sumptuous?and the feel of her behind made him want to grab it more. He resisted the urge as a throat cleared from the other side of the room. Inuyasha stood glaring at him.
Miroku righted himself and scooted a tiny bit away from Sango?to make her more comfortable. “Anything else that you want to share with us, Sango?” he asked deadly serious. If it wasn't for the events they were talking about, Sango might have laughed at his abrupt turn around in nature.
Sango shook her head, her gaze going to the sleeping girl. “Is she the one I tried to kidnap?”
“Yes but Inuyasha found you two before Naraku had a chance to take Kagome.”
“Naraku?”
“That's the youkai who drugged you. He's exceedingly clever and has been after Kagome since she was a child. I don't know too much more than that. You would have to ask her why he seeks her out so much.”
Inuyasha's fist clenched. He looked back to Kagome with sadness and anger. “Because of the Shikon no Tama,” he chimed in.
Sango blinked in astonishment. “The Shikon no Tama should not be in this world any longer. It should have disappeared with Kikyou.”
The three other occupants turned to Sango?surprise, wariness and amazement cloaking their faces. “How do you know about the jewel and Kikyou?” Inuyasha rudely asked, miffed that someone else who hadn't know Kikyou while she was alive knew about the jewel and her involvement.
Sango only blinked up at them. “The jewel originated in my village. It's creator was born as a Taijiya who had remarkable miko powers and thus trained as a miko instead of a Taijiya warrior. Every child who is born and raised in the village learns about the jewel and the woman who created. Until Kikyou came, the jewel had been passed from each leader to await a new powerful miko.”
“She's right,” came a soft slightly cracking voice. They turned to see Kagome struggling to sit up. Inuyasha went back to his place beside her. Kagome smiled weakly up at him. She looked back to the other woman. “I'm Kagome. Higurashi Kagome.”
“It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sango. Are you related to Kikyou by any chance?”
“Hai. Kikyou was my grandfather's cousin.”
Sango nodded. It made sense. If the jewel came back in any form, it would choose someone strong and the Higurashi house was known for having strong miko bloodlines.
“What Sango is saying it true,” Kagome spoke up again, continuing their previous topic. She went into detail about her meeting with Midoriko and all the new information she had learned. She herself was amazed at everything she had been through this night. The others look just as overwhelmed. When she grew quiet, they sat in a contemplative silence.
Sango was the first to speak up. “When we have rested long enough, we should take Midoriko's advice and head to my village. The elders may know more about this than I do and I want to make sure they are alright. Naraku made it sound like my village was destroyed a week ago. I'm worried.”
“And on the way, we can pick up the weapons Midoriko requested Kagome to get,” Miroku chimed in.
Kagome nodded her assent, already yawning and feeling weak and tired again. The little exertion she had pushed her body into upon sitting up had utterly drained her?a strange feeling when she was used to being whole and hearty. Inuyasha pushed her down on her futon again gently. She smiled up at him. She couldn't seem to stop after his rescue. He looked away in embarrassment.
Sango settled down again on her futon, watching Miroku warily as he moved away with a sheepish grin. Kaede lifted an eyebrow at their antics, settling herself between the two to make doubly sure that Miroku wouldn't do anything.
Once Inuyasha was satisfied that they were all resting peacefully, he left the hut to keep watch outside for intruders. He doubted Naraku would show himself so soon but he wanted to be out there just in case. And being the hanyou he was, he didn't need as much sleep as humans did, especially not as much as wounded humans. He jumped up to his favorite tree?which had a perfect view of the whole village?and leaned against the thick branches to gaze out at the quiet night, standing vigil over everyone.
Converting /tmp/php8cjRuF to /dev/stdout
Author's Note: Thanks once again for all the reviews. A few of the comments about Naraku made me want to explain a bit more about his motives. I wrote him the last chapter molesting Kagome for two reasons: 1) he sees her as a replacement for Kikyou?her pure soul, her looks, her connection to the Shikon no Tama?and 2) he wanted to mess with Inuyasha's head, show him that he could take another girl of “his” and hurt them both. Just a little insight into my thinking. ^_^ Now enjoy chapter 6!
Definitions:
Tendo no Mai – is roughly translated to Dance of Divine Justice; it's a name I designed myself for miko katana arts.
Spellbound Destiny
Chapter 6: Her Body and Blood
Naraku pounded down the outer deck of the palace. He was angry. Beyond angry. The Shikon no Tama was no longer a jewel. He could not possess it at all. This was unfair. He waited fifty years for the jewel only to find out it was in the damn chit's blood?it literally was her body! How the hell was he suppose to get it?
He couldn't mind control the girl forever. That particular power was useless. It left his body vulnerable while he inhabited the other person's mind. It also took too much time. He had to know his subjects mind inside and out in order to slip through without being noticed?know their inner sanctum like he knew ever contour and shape of his mind and body.
There was only one instance where that power had been used to its full extend, on Kikyou, and that had turned out disastrously. She was a lot easier than Kagome would be. At least then the Shikon no Tama was separated from Kikyou and did not lend her it's strength. Kagome on her own was already too powerful?he had sensed that through the blood link. With the Shikon no Tama flowing through her veins, her power knew no limits. He only hoped she never learned how to properly harness it.
Naraku slammed open a shoji door, tearing it out of it's fastenings and destroying it. He didn't care. He needed to think of something else he could do. He paced back and forth in his room for half an hour but nothing came to him. In a fit of rage, Naraku turned one of his arms into a tentacle and hit everything he could?the pure destruction oddly satisfying.
O o O o O o O o O
Kagome floated on a cloud. At least if felt like a cloud. It was soft and airy and contoured to her body perfectly. She felt relaxed, her body utterly content.
A soft voice whispered to her. She didn't want to wake up. Ignoring the voice, Kagome shifted, shaking her head slowly to get rid of the buzzing. The voice only grew louder. It grew until she was forced to sit up and find out who was calling to her.
Blackness greeted her. She shrieked, panic setting in. Her hands flew to her eyes. She ran her finger tips lightly over them, feeling her eyelashes whisper softly against them when she blinked rapidly. Her eyes were open. Then why couldn't she see? Where was she?
The voice came back to her; this time she could understand it. “Kagome,” the voice echoed around her. “Kagome, focus on my voice. You do not need to be afraid.” She looked around but still could not see who was talking to her. “Kagome, do not look with your eyes. Look with your inner sight.”
Inner sight? What the hell is that? Kagome didn't understand. How could you see without using eyes? Then, a small spark of instinct took root inside her. She decided to follow where it led.
Kagome closed her eyes, breathed deeply and focused on her “inner self.” She felt it then?a truly wondrous feeling like joy mixed with happiness and strength. A small flare of power that was not her own. She grabbed on to it and followed the thread.
Kagome opened her eyes and was blinded by light. She blinked rapidly then focused on her surroundings. The sun was setting, casting all known shades of pink and red across the landscape. Sitting on a hill, a small ancient hut was the only building. Next to it ran a small stream and blooming sakura trees blew in the wind?petals dancing along the currents. A lone figure stood in front of her dressed in battle miko attire?the armor ancient, her raven tresses unbound and a symbol in the middle of her forehead. Standing next to the figure was a giant cream colored, two tailed neko youkai.
The figure smiled at her. “You found me,” she said. It was the same voice that had spoken to her on her cloud?soft kindness with a hint of authority and power.
Kagome moved closer to her, noticing that her eyes were a deep endless pool of honey. She held out her hand to Kagome. Kagome accepted it and was pulled across the stream to land next to the neko youkai.
“Please,” the woman said with a wave of her hand to the small deck around the hut. “Take a seat.”
Kagome accepted the offer, gently bowing down and sitting on the deck. The atmosphere was peaceful and lovely. She could fall in love with this place. Kagome looked to her companion as she sat next to her.
“My name is Midoriko. You must be wondering where we are.”
“Hai. I've never seen anything like this before.”
Midoriko smiled at her. “No, I don't suppose you would have. This place is from my memories, from a long, long time ago. It's a mental projection I'm showing to your inner self.”
“Inner self?”
“All people, youkai or human, have an inner self. A...mental self that can protect your mind. Most people can't tap into it on their own. Only the most powerful miko can access their inner selves without trouble or aid. Some day, when you fully understand your powers, you'll be able to create your own special place.”
“And this place is yours?”
“Hai. I thought it best if we didn't try to make you create one right now. Your powers are only just showing themselves. Your world would be unstable since your powers are still unstable. I did not want to have this conversation cut short.”
Kagome nodded her understanding. “What are you, then?”
“I'm a spirit. I have knowledge I wish to impart to you about me and the Shikon no Tama.”
Kagome's mind flashed back to Naraku. His words reverberated deep within her. “Naraku said the Shikon no Tama isn't in my body. That it is my body. What does that mean?”
“I'm glad you remembered that. First, let me explain how I am connected to the Shikon no Tama. That will make you understand just how important it is.” Midoriko looking at Kagome in dead seriousness, waiting until Kagome seemed to understand the importance of her words before she began. “Many, many years ago, youkai and humans fought each other as mortal enemies. Youkai were much crueler then. They let their instincts have full reign. I was a warrior miko trained in the art of war against these beasts. When a horde decided to attack the capital of my country, what is now present day Haedai, my sisters and I stood our ground.
“We fought for hours until only I was left. In a last attempt to get rid of them all, I moved to a cave. There, I imprisoned the rest of the horde and fought them. But the youkai did something I had never seen before. They combined with each other to form one monstrous being.
“I was tired, already badly wounded and knew I could not take down the beast. I gathered all my remaining power and sucked the youkai monster into my soul. I then ejected it as a crystallized round jewel, my soul and that of all the youkai trapped within forever. That was what the Shikon no Tama was.” Midoriko paused to let Kagome absorb that much of her tale.
Kagome stared at Midoriko in amazement. No one had ever known how the jewel came about?at least no one who was willing to share the tale. It certainly wasn't common knowledge or everyone would know about the jewel and its power. It made her speechless. Then something else stirred her mind. Kaede's story. “What did the Taijiya have to do with it?”
“I was a child of the Taijiya. Naturally, I wished to have some of my own family and friends at my back to help with the fight. I lost many comrades that day—miko and Taijiya alike. Once the surviving Taijiya realized what I had done, they took it upon themselves to pass the jewel on to each leader until a worthy miko could take it and purify it.”
“And Kikyou was one of those miko.”
“Hai. She was the most power and best trained I had ever seen. Her defenses against youkai were excellent but Naraku found a single weakness and exploited it, entering her mind and destroying her. When Kikyou asked for the Shikon no Tama to be burned with her body, she didn't know what would happen. I didn't know what would happen.” Midoriko paused to take a deep breath. This next part was what truly matter to Kagome. She had to make the girl understand.
“The physical form of the jewel was destroyed in the fire, burned away along with Kikyou's body. The jewel had weathered through for so many years, untouched by time and destruction, but something Naraku had done to Kikyou weakened the jewel's outer shell. The souls that resided within stayed alive, though. I kept the youkai and myself contained in a barrier as we floated in a sea of souls, trying to find one that would be able to take us in.
?I found you, Kagome. I sought you out because you resembled Kikyou in many ways. Your soul is pure, your heart kind, your miko powers strong?maybe even stronger than Kikyou's. But at the same time, you were different from her as well?the differences making me hope you would not fall like her to Naraku's evil. So I sent my barrier into your soul and have resided in it ever since.
“When Naraku said your body is the Shikon no Tama, that's what he meant. My powers and all the powers of the Shikon no Tama are yours in addition to your own miko powers. You have the ability all youkai have sought from the Shikon no Tama without it corrupting you.”
?Where are they now?”
?Trapped within a barrier, sealed away from you. I will not let them try to take you over. I have the ability to contain them but not get rid of them. ”
“Kikyou was suppose to purify the Shikon no Tama, right?”
“She had the potential but not the know how. I was going to point her in the direction of the answer when I found it. As it is now, we cannot be purified while inside you. I do not know how a purification can be accomplished. Until it is, you will be a target for anyone who seeks the jewel once word gets out. I will try to help you connect with your miko powers and teach you but you can't rely on only me.”
Kagome nodded her head. It made sense. “Where should I look, for information on how to purify you?”
“Go to the Taijiya village. Something may have been left in their care. Over the years, between miko, I've been able to keep the youkai and myself dormant so I can't say for sure if another miko or monk has even encountered this before. If there was, my guess is that they left their knowledge there, with the Taijiya, to be passed on to the next miko.”
“Hai.” Kagome looked at Midoriko with clouded eyes. It was a lot to take in all at once. Then another thought occurred to her. “What will happen to you when I do purify you?”
Midoriko smiled?a half sad, half happy twist to her lips. “I will finally be able to rest in peace. That means I will no longer be able to talk to you or see how you are doing but I won't have to fight any longer. This battle has been going on for far to long.” She looked on Kagome with tired but adoring eyes. “Even though you didn't know I was within you until now, I have been watching over you since you were born. I feel almost like a mother with her child, facing her death without seeing her daughter grow up completely. I helped your miko powers keep you safe, helped point you in the right direction in so many things. I will miss you but the time has come. My soul shouldn't have stayed this long in the living world.”
Kagome felt touched. There was nothing she could say to Midoriko that would express her gratitude. Kagome felt that it was because of Midoriko that she had been able to feel youkai as a child, to know when danger was coming. It was her own childish mind that couldn't comprehend what Midoriko tried to warn her about that caused so many issues but she had tried her hardest. Kagome knew that when the time came, she would miss Midoriko too.
Midoriko looked up, her gaze pensive on the horizon of her created world. “It's time for us to go. Kaede has healed you and will be expecting you to wake soon.” She turned back to Kagome. “I'll show myself again when I believe the time is right to start your training. Before then, I would like you to find a good long bow, sturdy arrows and a katana. The art of Tendo no Mai has faded from miko practices but I will teach you so you can fight properly.”
“Arigatou,” Kagome said as she stood. She bowed to Midoriko, truly grateful for everything she'd done for her.
Midoriko smiled. “Follow the same path you took to come here. It will lead you out of my world and back into your own.”
Kagome nodded and did as Midoriko directed, finding herself back in the sea of black. Her mind quieted again and she began to “sleep,” waiting for when her body would wake her up.
O o O o O o O o O
Kaede guarded over her two charges like a mother hen, alone except for a brooding Inuyasha. Miroku was out on first watch, making sure Naraku didn't come back?which was highly unlikely. She looked up and pinned Inuyasha with a hard glare out of her good eye. Inuyasha fidgeted. “Did Naraku say anything?”
Inuyasha started to shake his head but stopped. He'd been so concerned about Kagome and what Naraku had done to her, he forgot Naraku had said anything. Naraku's words came back to him suddenly. “He said something about the Shikon no Tama not being in Kagome's body but is her body. I don't know what that means.”
Kaede's brows furrowed in puzzlement. It was an odd thing to say. She had no clue what it meant either. Nothing in her experience, or anything she had heard of from other miko, could explain what he meant. They would have to figure it out after Kagome woke?which hopefully would be soon.
Inuyasha sat next to Kagome, almost touching but not quite with his arms folded in his sleeves. He wanted to cradled her head in his lap, make her as comfortable as possible but he couldn't bring himself to do it with Kaede in the hut with them. It was embarrassing.
A sudden noise startled him out of the contemplation of his feelings. He looked up and noticed the strange woman he had brought back was stirring. Kaede moved closer to her and laid a hand on her shoulder to quiet her down. The woman came awake abruptly, pushing Kaede's hand off her shoulder in startlement. She was gasping for air, as if waking from a nightmare. Sweat beaded on her brow.
“It's okay, child,” Kaede spoke softly. The woman turned wide eyes to Kaede, not seeing clearly where she was. She mumbled incomprehensible words. “Take a few deep breaths and calm down,” Kaede instructed. “It's okay.”
The young woman followed Kaede's instructions, breathing in through her nose and out her mouth. She blinked rapidly a few times and finally her head began to clear. She looked around her, taking in the small hut, the sleeping girl next to a hanyou and the old woman. A young monk stood by the door of the hut, brought in no doubt by the commotion the young woman caused. Kaede noticed him for the first time. Inuyasha only wrinkled his nose at the smell the monk brought in with him?that of sweat and dirt.
“Do you remember anything?” Kaede asked. “Do you know who you are?”
The young woman swallowed. As she squinted, trying to recall the last things to happen, Kaede gave her a cup filled with fresh water. She sipped it gratefully. “My name is Sango. I come from a hidden village, the Taijiya village.”
Miroku and Kaede exchanged looks as he walked into the hut and took a seat by the young woman. Inuyasha only gazed at Sango with semi-curious eyes. He was more concerned about what Naraku said and what he did to Kagome than Sango. But it would help to have more information. So he listened to her.
“My father and our warriors were called out of the village. I had just gotten back from another job when they were about to leave and decided to go with them. It was suppose to be a normal job. But it wasn't. It was a nightmare. When we got to the palace, there was no youkai attacking like the report had said. The guards were acting funny and with no warning, they attacked us. I was knocked out from behind while I tried to protect by brother.”
Tears came to her eyes. She swallowed hard, the horror coming back to her in full force. “They're all dead. All of them. It was Kohaku's first true battle.” She paused to gather her composure again. “I remember being lifted and taken away from the battle then nothing else until I woke yesterday. My head felt clouded and the drink the man gave me was bitter.”
“Do you know who the man was?” Kaede prodded when Sango paused again.
She shook her head. “I asked him but he didn't answer me. He said that a hanyou named Inuyasha destroyed my village and kidnapped a girl from his palace. He wanted me to take her back. I couldn't get his voice out of my head. It kept ringing in my ears, ordering me to grab the girl he was after and bring her to him.”
Kaede nodded her understanding. “You were drugged. It made you act unlike yourself and made you move with such serious wounds. In any normal situation, you would have been in bed for a few more days recovering.”
For the first time, Sango became aware of her wounds again. Her back ached and fresh bandages were wrapped around her chest, keeping a new poultice in place on her open wound. “Did you take care of me?” Sango asked as she looked up into Kaede's kind face. Kaede nodded. “Arigatou.”
Sango looked away and down at her hands, unsure of what more she could do. Before she could think of anything else to say, one of her hands was captured between the monk's.
“I'm Miroku. Would you bear my child?” he asked intensely.
Sango sat in stunned silence, not noticing one of the monk's hands leaving her grasp and slowly making its way down her backside. It rested on the curve of her behind, rubbed and then squeezed. Sango felt instant fury course through her veins. She snatched her hand out of the monk's and slapped him across the face.
Miroku twitched and fell backwards in happy contentment, a throbbing red spot on his cheek. Sango was strong and able bodied, nothing like court women or common peasants. She was someone he could truly appreciate. He had tired not to peek while he helped Kaede bandage her but it was hard. Her body beckoned him, toned in a way that lent credulity to her warrior lifestyle. Her breasts were perfect?round and sumptuous?and the feel of her behind made him want to grab it more. He resisted the urge as a throat cleared from the other side of the room. Inuyasha stood glaring at him.
Miroku righted himself and scooted a tiny bit away from Sango?to make her more comfortable. “Anything else that you want to share with us, Sango?” he asked deadly serious. If it wasn't for the events they were talking about, Sango might have laughed at his abrupt turn around in nature.
Sango shook her head, her gaze going to the sleeping girl. “Is she the one I tried to kidnap?”
“Yes but Inuyasha found you two before Naraku had a chance to take Kagome.”
“Naraku?”
“That's the youkai who drugged you. He's exceedingly clever and has been after Kagome since she was a child. I don't know too much more than that. You would have to ask her why he seeks her out so much.”
Inuyasha's fist clenched. He looked back to Kagome with sadness and anger. “Because of the Shikon no Tama,” he chimed in.
Sango blinked in astonishment. “The Shikon no Tama should not be in this world any longer. It should have disappeared with Kikyou.”
The three other occupants turned to Sango?surprise, wariness and amazement cloaking their faces. “How do you know about the jewel and Kikyou?” Inuyasha rudely asked, miffed that someone else who hadn't know Kikyou while she was alive knew about the jewel and her involvement.
Sango only blinked up at them. “The jewel originated in my village. It's creator was born as a Taijiya who had remarkable miko powers and thus trained as a miko instead of a Taijiya warrior. Every child who is born and raised in the village learns about the jewel and the woman who created. Until Kikyou came, the jewel had been passed from each leader to await a new powerful miko.”
“She's right,” came a soft slightly cracking voice. They turned to see Kagome struggling to sit up. Inuyasha went back to his place beside her. Kagome smiled weakly up at him. She looked back to the other woman. “I'm Kagome. Higurashi Kagome.”
“It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sango. Are you related to Kikyou by any chance?”
“Hai. Kikyou was my grandfather's cousin.”
Sango nodded. It made sense. If the jewel came back in any form, it would choose someone strong and the Higurashi house was known for having strong miko bloodlines.
“What Sango is saying it true,” Kagome spoke up again, continuing their previous topic. She went into detail about her meeting with Midoriko and all the new information she had learned. She herself was amazed at everything she had been through this night. The others look just as overwhelmed. When she grew quiet, they sat in a contemplative silence.
Sango was the first to speak up. “When we have rested long enough, we should take Midoriko's advice and head to my village. The elders may know more about this than I do and I want to make sure they are alright. Naraku made it sound like my village was destroyed a week ago. I'm worried.”
“And on the way, we can pick up the weapons Midoriko requested Kagome to get,” Miroku chimed in.
Kagome nodded her assent, already yawning and feeling weak and tired again. The little exertion she had pushed her body into upon sitting up had utterly drained her?a strange feeling when she was used to being whole and hearty. Inuyasha pushed her down on her futon again gently. She smiled up at him. She couldn't seem to stop after his rescue. He looked away in embarrassment.
Sango settled down again on her futon, watching Miroku warily as he moved away with a sheepish grin. Kaede lifted an eyebrow at their antics, settling herself between the two to make doubly sure that Miroku wouldn't do anything.
Once Inuyasha was satisfied that they were all resting peacefully, he left the hut to keep watch outside for intruders. He doubted Naraku would show himself so soon but he wanted to be out there just in case. And being the hanyou he was, he didn't need as much sleep as humans did, especially not as much as wounded humans. He jumped up to his favorite tree?which had a perfect view of the whole village?and leaned against the thick branches to gaze out at the quiet night, standing vigil over everyone.
Converting /tmp/php8cjRuF to /dev/stdout