InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Longest Journey ❯ A Ghost from the Past ( Chapter 2 )

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

Chapter 2: A Ghost from the Past

Sugimi stared hard at the young woman before him... she seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't place her.

Do I know you, my Lady?"

She shook her head dazedly. "No, my Lord, you don't know me, but I used to travel with your youngest son. I was there when you spoke to both your sons after they defeated Sou'unga."

Sugimi's eyes widened slightly. He remembered her now. His youngest had been protecting her when he'd fought the hell-blade. When he'd seen her, she'd been peeking out from behind his son, staring at him, wide-eyed with wonder, and he'd stopped to wonder then who she was - she was a very attractive young woman - but there had been something else, a purity, to her, something that reminded him of someone else. Midoriko...

"I remember you, young miko. He was your protector - he fought the blade to save you. Is he your mate?"

She started in surprise. "No! No... we were - just traveling companions, and yes, he protected me." She looked away for a moment, then back.

His eyes narrowed. He was sure that there was quite a story behind that look... now if he could just get it out of her. "Tell me, young miko, where is he now? Why do you not travel together any longer?"

Kajiko turned her head away and said flatly, "Because he chose to protect another instead. I travel alone now."

Sugimi stared at her for a moment. "You carry pieces of the Shikon jewel, priestess," watching with interest as she flinched with surprise. "Why do you have dealings with that accursed bauble?"

She chuckled. "Now you sound like your other son, Lord Sesshoumaru. You are the only two youkai I have ever known that do not care for the power it can bestow." With a weary sigh, her shoulders slumped slightly, her injuries reasserting their grasp on her as droplets of blood began to splatter against the ground.

"I deal with it because I must, my Lord. I am the Shikon Miko. I was born with the jewel inside my body." She ignored the gasps from the villagers and kept her eyes trained on him.

Sugimi's eyes widened and his breath caught. If she speaks the truth...! He was pulled from his thoughts as she swayed, her face going pale. Shaking himself, he moved forward and swept her up in his arms, not caring about the blood staining his haori.

"Come, miko. You are injured, and in need of a healer. I will take you to my home, and when you have been tended, we will speak more." Turning his head, he addressed the headman of the village as her eyes fluttered closed with a sigh. "I will send some men from another village to help with repairs, and make arrangements to attain more livestock for you."

The elders and headman bowed. "Hai, my Lord, we thank you, but please, hold a moment." One of the elders shuffled forward, holding a leather satchel. "This belongs to the miko-sama, my Lord." The man held it out to the daiyoukai.

Sugimi took ahold of the bag, nodding his thanks to the man, then looked down bemusedly at the young woman in his arms as he formed his youki cloud under himself and lifted into the air. She was very beautiful - he'd never seen eyes that exact shade of blue before, not even in a female youkai, and he wondered where she'd come by them. They were definitely out of the norm for a ningen native of these lands. The inky long lashes laying softly against her cheeks didn't hurt the beauty of those eyes any, either.

Her skin was pale but perfect, not a blemish or wrinkle on any part of her face, and her lips flushed a pretty pink. Her hair was simply glorious. Blacker than the sky at midnight, and deep blue highlights that were just as rare as her eyes, it was long, and instead of the traditional dead straight of most female ningens, it waved down her back like a living banner, silky and with the most intoxicating scent. She was truly a goddess in human form.

If she really was born with the Tama inside her body, then she is... mine. He chuckled. Or, she will be, at some point. If I'd been told I was destined for a certain female when I was younger, I'd have fought it with everything in me. But I've learned that it's useless to fight fate or the kami - they don't let anything get in their way, not even death.

A smile crossed his face at that thought, since he would know better than anyone about that. He found it amusing just how the kami could manipulate anything in pursuit of their goals - of course, he thought with amusement, that's why they are gods. He remembered what Midoriko had told him the last time he'd seen her:

"Neither your first woman, nor your second, Sugimi, were meant by fate for you. They were necessary, for they bring your sons into the world, and those two will be needed. But the one soul meant for you is one that must travel farther than any other has ever needed to, to find you. She will traverse not only a great distance, but time as well... and you will find her after you, also, have concluded a long journey, a journey back from death itself. The kami will not allow anything to get in their way, have no fear. One day, you will find her.

He began his descent as he approached his shiro, wrinkling his nose at the sight of it. The former Lord had been disgusting, and had leached his lands and people of almost every bit of beauty they had. Even his own home had suffered, and even though Sugimi had immediately begun putting things to order upon his assumption of the Lordship, still, it would take some time for things to reach an acceptable level. It was fortunate that the bastard had been very wealthy, hoarding a great deal of wealth - it would be needed.

He had hardly landed when the servants swarmed him, and he immediately sent for the healer, telling the servants to send her to his chambers. As he started off in the direction of his rooms, he almost fell backwards when a fully transformed fire neko suddenly landed in front of him.

Nose wrinkling, he asked, "Kisho, what is the meaning of this? She is injured - she is no threat."

The fire neko moved forward and snuffled his nose into her side, then moved off, escorting him to his quarters. Once inside, he watched as Sugimi carefully placed her on his futon, then, transforming down to his smaller size, climbed up onto it and curled up protectively against her side.

Sugimi just watched with a curious frown. What is he up to?

"Alright, Kisho, why have you invaded my home? In the weeks that I have been here, you have refused to enter, until now. And why," he asked, "are you suddenly accosting my guest in her injured state?"

'She is mine to protect, Great Lord. I have been awaiting her for many long years, and I knew that when you returned, she would not be far behind. My litter-mate, Kirara, stayed with Midoriko, and I was chosen to stay with her reincarnation. It is fate, Great Lord,' the fire neko said, amusement in his mind-voice. 'Do not attempt to send me away.'

Sugimi's eyebrows raised into his bangs at that. "Kirara - I remember her. So she was your litter-mate. Your sister. Is she still among the living?"

'Yes. She travels with a young slayer now - and they both travel with your younger son.'

"So, then Kajiko here would know Kirara. I begin to see that fate has a strong sense of irony." He caught the fire neko's gaze. "Tell me, why does Kajiko no longer travel with my son?"

'That, my Lord, is not my story to tell. You must ask her. However, know this. Kajiko is the name she has taken on, but it is not the name she was born with. She changed it to avoid her former traveling companions finding out that she was still alive. Her birth-name is Kagome.'

The door opened behind him before he could question the neko any further, and he obediantly moved aside as the healer came into the room and began checking over her new patient.

"My Lord, I must ask you to please leave the room until I am done treating her, as I will have to remove her clothing." The woman spoke firmly, but with respect, and he nodded and moved towards the doors.

"I will wait outside. When you have finished, I will return."

I hope she wakes soon - I find I have many questions for the onna that fate seems to have chosen as my soul-mate.

---zZz---

Kajiko woke slowly, feeling warm and comfortable for the first time in weeks. A faint frown touched her brow... Where am I?

She attempted to sit up, but stopped short when the sound of purring reached her ears, and she looked down, eyes widening with shock as she took in the sight of a tiny twin-tail fire neko watching her with drowsy eyes.

"Kirara?" she whispered.

"No, my dear, that is not Kirara. His name is Kisho." Kagome turned her head, and her memories came rushing back as she caught sight of the Inu no Taisho in all his glory. He has to be the most gorgeous male I've ever laid eyes on, she thought, then frowned, wondering where that came from. I'm losing it...

Closing her eyes, she put a hand to her head, a slight dizziness running through her. "Where am I, my Lord? The last thing I recall was the village."

He moved further into the room as he answered her question. "I brought you to my shiro, my Lady. You needed a healer - the wound in your back was poisoned." He raised a brow and indicated the neko with a tilt of his head. "It would seem that it was a good decision to bring you here, my Lady Miko, as Kisho has informed me that he is to be your companion from now on - it seems he has been waiting for you for several centuries."

Kajiko's eyes widened again, and her hand dropped to the coverlet with shock. "What?"

Sugimi chuckled at the expression on her face. "You, my dear, I am sure, have many questions for me, and I know I have many for you. I will have a meal brought to us both, and we can speak as we eat - will that be acceptable to you?"

She nodded, realizing suddenly that she was extremely hungry. He smiled at her, then went to the doors and spoke to a servant, before sliding the doors closed and returning to her side. Sitting down at the end of the futon, he made himself comfortable, then spoke.

"Tell me, my dear, about yourself. Midoriko told me I would meet you someday - but she didn't tell me anything about you, and I find myself extremely curious."

Kajiko just stared at him. Wow - why do I feel like I just entered the Twilight Zone? "Uh...Midoriko? I'm afraid you've lost me. What does she have to do with me?"

Sugimi watched her weighingly, eyes narrowed. Does she not even know who she is? "She has everything to do with you, my Lady - you are her reincarnation." He gave her a curious look. "Did you not know that?"

She shook her head numbly. "Oh great, now I'm someone elses reincarnation?" She cast a suspicious glance at him. "Tell me, my Lord - you weren't in love with Midoriko and seeing your lost love in me, are you? Because I really don't think I could stand going through that again."

He laughed. "No, Midoriko was only a friend - a good one, I'll admit, but no more than that - and she told me that you and she would have very different temperaments - I do not mistake you for her." He raised a brow questioningly. "What did you mean by 'someone elses reincarnation'?"

"Your son and his mate are quite convinced I am her reincarnation," she said, bitterly.

Sugimi frowned at that. "No, you are not anyone else's reincarnation, only Midoriko's. She assured me of that. But how would you be the reincarnation of someone who still lives?"

She laughed, suddenly feeling a lightness in herself that she hadn't felt since this whole thing had started. "You mean, Kikyou isn't a reincarnation of Midoriko, too? I really am not a copy of her?"

"I assure you you are not a 'copy' of this Kikyou. Is she the mate of my son then?"

Kajiko looked down as pained expression crossed her face. "Yes. She is Inuyasha's mate. And to answer your previous question, Kikyou was dead - then resurrected with a piece of my soul - she was of the undead, but I suppose when Inuyasha mated her, his blood gave her new life."

Sugimi sat back at that. "You were in love with him," he said softly. "It pains you to speak of it. Is his mating her what caused you to stop traveling with him?"

She raised her head proudly. "Yes. Don't make the mistake, however, of thinking I need pity. He made his choice, and as far as he and the others are concerned, I am dead. It is better that way, at least it was better that way..." she trailed off, thoughtfully. "I think the time is coming when Kagome will come back from the dead." She gave a surprised look. "Oh! I never told you my name, my Lord, I am so sorry! I go by Kajiko for now, but I was born Kagome."

He smiled, then bowed his head at her. "The pleasure is mine, Kajiko-Kagome. I must admit, I already knew your names... both of them." At her surprised look, he nodded towards Kisho. "He told me, but did not tell me anything about why you have two names. He only said that I must ask you."

"Oh." She smiled down at Kisho, and petted him. He opened one red eye and purred at her, rubbing his head against her hand before closing his eye and settling into a more comfortable position against her.

"How did he tell you that? Do you mean to say that you can speak to him?"

"Yes. The neko speaks directly to the mind - I am sure that we can train you to open yours to him, and then you will be able to speak to him as well." He broke off as a knock came at the door, and he rose to answer it, letting the servants in to serve the meal he had ordered.

Kajiko watched as he walked to the doors - he truly was the most handsome male she'd ever seen, and she felt confused as she realized she was thinking that way - again. What was it about him that had those thoughts stuck in her head? It was like she was being drawn to him - hard. As he turned back towards her, she dropped her gaze, and flushed, hoping he wouldn't notice her awkward behavior.

Unfortunately for her, he did, and he smiled inwardly. It seemed she was just as compulsively attracted to him as he was to her, but from her reaction, he could easily see that she was untried and innocent - and so, as they got to know each other, more than likely, the courtship would have to be instigated by him. She probably wouldn't even realize that her interest in him was returned in full measure.

The kami, it seemed, had chosen her to be his soul's match, and from everything he'd seen so far, they'd indeed chosen well. At this point, even this early on, he was well pleased. She was beautiful, powerful, and seemed to have a heart that never quit. And even more importantly, for an inu like him, her scent drew him like a bee to honey.

Now all he had to do was figure out how to get her to stay here with him so that they could really get to know each other - and so he could initiate the courtship.