InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The MIKO of the Three Galaxies ❯ What do you mean I’m at the Center? The Center of what? ( Chapter 1 )

The MIKO of the Three Galaxies

 

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing in this story.

 

Notes: I have no plan on reusing Yohko Mano in the next chapters. Or maybe a dimensional double of her with a few differences. Or perhaps since RIFTS Earth is supposed to be the future of the Earth of “Beyond the Supernatural” I could make Kagome coming back to a traumatic sight as she would understand where and when she was.

 

You will remark that contrary to Palladium, I do not blend the power of Ki and Psionics like they do because I consider that a being is composed of three elements working (or attempting to work) in harmony: The Body (physical capacity and Ki powers), the Mind (intelligence and Psionic powers) and the Soul (willpower and Magic Powers).

 

 

Chap 1: “What do you mean I'm at the Center? The Center of what?”

 

 

The Rifts levels of Center are the most dangerous ones of the entire structure. Only people who have nowhere else to go, and a few madmen who want to be there, dwell among their dark corridors. The original purposes of those levels are unknown.

 

Hundreds of unfortunates find themselves Rifted into these levels from other dimensions. Rifts open and close randomly in different places. Another strange thing about the two levels is that they are crisscrossed with Ley Lines.

 

The city is filled with thousands of those unwilling dimensional travellers. This is one of thousands of depositories of the Bermuda Triangle and places like it throughout the Megaverse. The most fortunate can eventually earn enough money to find their way back home. Others join the galactic community as space adventurers, mercenaries and labourers. Still others make their home in the dimensional slums of Center. Half don't survive a week.

 

Excerpt from “Phase World” by space explorer C.J. Carella.

 

 

Kagome found herself falling into a well of light, a maelstrom of blue-white energy that reminded her of the American series “Sliders”. Unfortunately, she wasn't alone.

 

The Boschala was also captured in the dimensional currents and its small brain was still locked on its last target: It was trying to reach for the young Miko and managed to grab her arm with one of its six limbs.

 

Although she felt still shocked by her ultimate tentative to protect those she loved by conducting through her body the full might of the Go-Shinboku of the Higurashi Shrine, Kagome was far from defenceless. She focused on her Inner Strength and willed her purifying aura through her hands: Her palm erupted in white-pink light and the tainted flesh holding her rotted and was dissolved into dust on contact.

 

As she saw the Boschala screaming in pain and rapidly disappearing deeper into the tunnel of polychromatic light, she took care of the serious of her situation. “What the hell is happening?”

 

The transit abruptly ended and Kagome materialized…somewhere. Instantly the first sensation she noted was the raw power around and inside her. Her internal reserves of PPE, Inner Strength and Ki, usually firmly under her control, surged and bubbled as if she was suddenly connected to a nuclear plant. This caused a feeling much akin to the severe experience she had felt when conveying the energies of the God-Tree: A hot, painful feeling in the centre of her being which seemed to pulse and threatened to engulf the rest of her body and submerged her conscious mind in crimson pain.

 

From the exterior, the young girl was standing up, fists and eyes closed tightly, paralysed with a painful expression and a raging white-pink aura surged around her.

 

Kagome slowly managed to regain her balance. Working with her willpower, she slowly brought the flood back under her control. She breathed a slow sigh, as she was able to relax, somewhat amazed that her internal reservoirs could contain such levels of energy. She knew she would have to leash her power very carefully until she grew used to the sheer magnitude she had just received. No longer glowing and crackling with constrained power she turned her attention to the world around her.

 

She blinked. She was in a muck-covered narrow street in a poorly lighted area of a…underground city? The ceiling of a dark unknown material was a mere 20 foot, conducting a mild feeling of claustrophobia to the city-girl she was.

 

The smell then hit her rather hard: Garbage was piled in heaps in the alley.

 

Her eyes widened: Was that a human arm protruding from one of the piles? She gasped and squealed in fright because whatever it was, something that looked like a big rat with feathered wings was dining on it.

 

She quickly backed off from the feasting animal and looked around. Sections of the walls around her seemed to shift their appearances every few minutes as she walked away: First they looked like seamless plastic, then they acquired the shape of mossy castle walls then they changed to highly polished wooden surfaces and back to plastic.

 

She sighed in relief when she arrived at an intersection and saw people moving in front of her. She stopped and openly gaped at the spectacle before her.

 

Arranged like a little market place, a relatively cleaned area was populated by…aliens. It was the sentiment of Kagome as she looked bewildered at the people speaking a plethora of strange-sounding and unknown languages and abhorring the most various appearances she had ever seen outside an anime or a sci-fi film.

 

The only common factor was a slum-like way of clothing…when they wore clothes. She had never seen such styles or races. She could see humans like her but most wore outlandish clothes and wielded futuristic-looking weapons and pieces of armour. Some had ancient melee weapons but other showed guns like those she saw in the Star Wars films.

 

And the Aliens… There were tall, thin and spindly humanoids with oversized black eyes and six long slender fingers, their heads sported bony spikes of varying length that looked perfectly natural on them. There were large canine humanoids that she almost took for werewolves but they didn't register as Supernatural Predators on her Miko senses.

 

She saw a few red-skinned humanoids with metallic-coloured gold or bronze hair that were given rather a large berth by all the others. She also saw a humanoid…Dinosaur! A walking behemoth of 10 feet with a tail that didn't look very friendly.

 

She shook her head. There was too many species to really have a good look: She just had to turn her gaze to see another type of alien: Like this jet-black humanoid with solid-white eyes, svelte build and delicate features sharpening a knife. Or this giant bipedal termite of 7 feet with four arms that was apparently attempting to repair… a Hovercycle?

 

A large humanoid with straight black hair and light red skin, in fact he looked very much an Oni from Japan, was walking past her clad in…a battered suit of futurist samurai armour? She jumped back in surprise when a four feet short, furry creature with a rounded torso and thin, scrawny arms and legs scurried in front of her before disappearing in what seemed to be a bar.

 

An ugly, by human standards, alien slithered near her and blinked his black glossy eyes to her. He was a short, squat, spotted slugman with two primary arms and two secondary arms. He grimaced an approximation of her own tentative smile and continued his way as he seemed to be a street vendor holding all his merchandises on a harness.

 

She was amused when races coming from the Earth myths walked in the market place. Dwarves were arguing on something they bought or sold and Minotaurs were hulking down the streets. There were also some humanoid rodents among the crowd.

 

Kagome shook her head. It wasn't the time to make a breakdown of the population of where she was by species. She needed help: She needed to know where she was and especially how to go home. Unfortunately, nobody seemed or felt to be a Good Samaritan.

 

She suddenly sensed danger around her and winced when she saw a multi-racial group of unkempt strangers approaching her and grinning somewhat evilly. Some were clutching homemade blades of unknown metal and others were trying to not being obvious with their second-hand but functional-looking handguns. They were out for money or worse, blood.

 

Kagome turned around to flee the way she came and abruptly stopped when she saw that others had cut off her escape way. Violence was imminent and she didn't speak any languages that could help her.

 

She had, however, one trump card. There were, in the martial arts, certain powers that defy conventional explanation. They could be called supernormal, “Spirit Powers” or Kamijutsu, but Kagome mastered one aspect of those powers.

 

She reached for her centre and called on her Zenjoriki abilities. Something seemed to spread like oil on the troubled waters of the minds of the group encircling her. They all blinked and immediately stopped their approach. A few aliens, outside the zone of effect, turned surprised looks in her direction.

 

Slowly Kagome signed that she couldn't understand any of them. She then removed the only object of value she had apart from her clothes: her wristwatch and deposed it in front of the apparent leader before showing that she didn't have any other valuable possessions. Showing empty pockets was a universal gesture.

 

It worked! The group wasn't here for her blood, but rather for her money and possessions. A few seemed miffed that she hadn't anything else but still under the calming effects of the Zenjoriki they didn't want to take their price in blood.

 

Kagome sighed in relief when they all withdrew in the shadows of the market. She jerked back when she heard gunshots, the high-pitch whine of energy weapons discharged and screams of terror. She ran in the direction opposed to the panicked crowd.

 

She arrived at the place of a slaughter. The Boschala! It was the same Boschala that she had managed to trap with her into an opening rift. It seemed completely regenerated and more powerful than before. She knew that the Supernatural Predator had a Supernatural Strength, but there! She just saw the monster lifted something that should have weighed a few tonnes before throwing it a few dozen of feet.

 

It was pandemonium: Most of the people were running away. The few that have weapons and wanted to fight were handicapped by those who tried to reach cover. And of course, the Boschala was playing it to a tee by rushing where the crowd was the densest.

 

She was appealed: She had no weapons and she didn't know how her Miko powers would react in this super-charged environment. One look on a few dismembered bodies and she had her answer: The potential consequences for her didn't matter, she had to protect those innocents.

 

The Boschala turned its eyes to Kagome. Even in this environment so thick with raw power, the Miko was shining like a beacon to its supernatural senses.

 

Kagome ran as fast as she could, using the various piles of garbage to delay the monster. `Good! That monster only wants me now! If I can lead it away, everyone's going to be okay.'

 

She searched as she ran in zigzag for something that could help her. `There! Those metallic junk piles!'

 

She flinched as she glanced over her shoulder. The Boschala was almost already on her. `Damn! It's too fast!'

 

She managed to dodge the first charge by literally diving into a pile of garbage. “GROSS!”

 

The Boschala jumped and pounced on the still struggling girl. “AAAA!” It six limbs pined her down and Kagome gasped as it opened an impossibly large maw.

 

Fortunately, a few persons armed with ranged weapons opened fire on the exposed back on the monster, scoring a few hits. The Boschala roared in pain and whipped its long body like a snake to retaliate and forced the shooters to dive for cover.

 

Kagome tried to control her wildly beating heart. “I'm… I'm saved…!?” `At least temporally… But… Those weapons! The sheer power…'

 

Some of the shots had missed and she had been almost petrified by the sheer devastation the missed energy blasts had caused to the metallic junk piles around her. Thick metal parts had been obliterated and organic and plastic garbage had been vaporized instantly. She didn't want to think what would happen if one of those stray shots hit her.

 

Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized that the Boschala HAD been hit by a few shots and was still standing alive. Wounded, perhaps severely, but alive nonetheless.

 

She was a Miko: She could use Magic, Sacred Powers and the esoteric aspects of Martial Arts but she didn't have the magnitude of those weapons… Or did she…?

 

She remembered that she had also been affected by the free raw energy around her and that her own reserves of power had been magnified… Perhaps…

 

She didn't have more time to spare as the Boschala ran to her and launched a claw attack. Bothered by her bruises and the garbage, Kagome didn't completely dodge out of the way. Like a razor-sharp scalpel, the claws sliced neatly her side and red blood was spilt. The partial impact threw Kagome several meters in the air and her landing was not too gently. She managed to retain consciousness but barely. “Ungh…”

 

The Boschala captured her arm and lifted the Miko near its maw. Kagome screamed as the pressure of the fist broke her left lower arm. The fetid breath of the monster almost overpowered her nose and she saw the dripping teeth at a few inches of her face.

 

Instinctively, her right hand reached for the tainted flesh of the head and the Boschala actually blinked when it felt the hand touching its face before Kagome unleashed her last tentative.

 

Kagome focused all her willpower and let her purifying aura manifested at full power. She dimly sensed that she was using her Inner Strength differently due to her massive reserve of power.

 

The Boschala suddenly burst into flame. Its deformed mouth shrilled in agony as it let go off the Miko and tried to smother the flames by trashing violently around but to no avail. It finally stopped to move and achieved to be reduced into fuming ashes.

 

Kagome sighed in relief as she lay down and fought to stay conscious. The throbbing from her side and her broken arm seemed to have reduced in intensity, but she feared it was only because she was going into shock.

 

She blinked in confusion as she saw the crowd was now circling around the site of the battle and many were pointing at her and talking about her in their alien languages. She could even see some that were arguing rather violently. She cringed when a few were agitating or, worse, pointing weapons in her direction. `Oh great! Now what…?!'

 

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Kagome was fighting to not scream in pain as she was again jolted. She was also in the most undignified position of her whole life. Being carried over the shoulder of a grey-furred canine alien wasn't very dignified to her eyes.

 

“HEY! Be careful! And you didn't have to tie me up, y'know!”

 

It was the main reason of her alarm. The aliens had tied her hands and feet, without taking care of her broken arm. Each step taken by the wolf-like alien was sending a jolt of pain through her arm. Luckily for her, it seemed that her side wound was minor as it wasn't much bleeding anymore.

 

She was also escorted by a half-a-dozen aliens with weaponry that seemed to be here to ensure she behaved. As if she had any choice in her state. She looked around her to see that they were entering a cleaner part of this strange underground city. In fact they were entering an area that was arranged like a small village.

 

There were many shacks made of plastic and cardboard and each served to house a family. Apart from the relatively cleaner aspect of this area, she could only discern some symbols as particular for this village.

 

She blinked in confusion and then amazement as she recognized several symbols from… ancient Egypt. Mainly, she saw the Ankh, the cross of Life, painted above many doors and many people around her were showing little ankhs made of various substances around their neck or what served as neck for their races.

 

The wolf-man put her down more gently than before and Kagome found herself under the scrutiny of most of the villagers who no doubt were talking about her by the way they pointed at her and her clothes and the way they whispered between them. She blinked when she recognized some English words between some of the people.

 

“English?” A hope blossomed in her chest as she turned sharply in the direction of two humans and began to speak in the language of Shakespeare. “Are you speaking English? Do you understand me?”

 

The two men stopped and many stared harder to her. She gulped. What did she do now? They continued to discuss between them but this time, Kagome could recognize most of the words. The language used seemed to be an amalgam of English and others words from various Earth languages.

 

“Hey! The chick understands Trade Four!”

 

“That's prove she's come spyin' I wager!”

 

“Or she could be the first of new batch of monsters. I fear another battle's a'brewin'.

 

“Don't you think she's one've them “succubus” demons usin' magics to look a girl?”

 

Kagome blinked as she listened to the various comments about her strange clothes, the power she used to destroy the Boschala and was puzzled by the rampant paranoia among those people. `I really wonder where I am. This looks like the Morlocks community of mutants in X-Men. I hope I can reason with them.'

 

There was some movement behind the crowd.

 

“Make way! Make way!”

 

“Lady Kaede, the Priestess is come!”

 

It was an old woman, of perhaps sixty-seventy years, clothed in a white linen dress that reminded Kagome of some illustration about Ancient Egypt, especially the gold and silver pectoral and the golden Ankh around her neck. The Priestess also lacked her left eye as she had an eye-patch over it. She held a longbow of dark wood in her left hand.

 

“Well…? Who are you? What were you doing in the middle of level nine?”

 

Kagome blinked in confusion. “Huh…?” `How can I make them understand that I don't know where I am, less how I have come here?'

 

Kaede's remaining eye widened as she saw more clearly the young girl in front of her. “Eh…?” She reached for the chin of Kagome. “Let me see your face.” Chocolate eyes plunged into ancient brown eyes. Kaede shake her head. “Impossible! And yet… Apart from the colour of your eyes, you're her image! You're exactly like my elder sister Kikyo…”

 

Kagome raised an eyebrow. “What?”

 

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Kagome sighed in relief as she found herself alone with the old priestess on a pallet. Kaede had untied her and brought her inside the modest house that she used for living and practiced her healing arts.

 

With sure and deft gestures, she had unclothed the young girl and began to treat her wounds. “Bless me, my child! You look like you were wrestling with a Seljuk!”

 

Kagome let her do as she could see that the old priestess was much more experienced than her. Kaede treated her wounds with a mix of herbal remedies, practical first aid and… magic. Her eyes had widened when Kaede had lightly touched her side wound, whispered a few words and a white glow had enveloped her hands and the wounds. Under her astonished eyes, the wound had closed without a scar.

 

Kagome had been formed as a traditional healer and she also possessed the gift of healing by focusing her Inner Strength, but she wasn't that powerful.

 

As she finished healing Kagome, Kaede spoke about her sister. “Kikyo was the village Priestess on my planet of origin. She was also the protectress of a sacred relic of the Forge.”

 

“The Forge?”

 

“Yes, I will explain later. The relic was called the “Spark”. Fifty years ago, she died protecting it when I was but a child.” Kaede sighed. “Before she died, she asked me to take the “Spark” and burn it with her remains so that no one could take it away again. She took the relic with her to the world beyond.” Kaede took a bowl of stew and offered it to Kagome.

 

The young girl smiled gratefully. “Thank you, I was really hungry.” She could now move her left arm without too much difficulty since Kaede had expertly bind it. “So… I… Uh… Don't s'pose I'm in Tokyo anymore…?”

 

Kaede shook her head. “I've never heard the name. Is that your planet of birth?”

 

Kagome had a very forced smile. “Hum… Well, no. My… planet is called Earth and I was just thinking… hoping that I could get going home soon…”

 

Kaede sighed. “Like thousands before you, but I'm afraid it's going to be complicated for you.”

 

Kagome gulped. “You can't send me home…?”

 

Kaede had a mirthless chuckle. “Oh, it's not that. Here, I would have no difficulty to send you home.” She looked straight into the eyes of the young girl. “The problem is finding where “Home” is.”

 

Kagome paled. It wasn't the first time that Kaede had to explain what happened to a newly Rifted person. She reached for the slightly shaking hands of the young Miko and began her tale.

 

“We are actually at the ninth level of a mile high arcology called “Center”. Center is administrated by the race living on Phase World, the name of this planet. They called themselves the Prometheans and are a rather mysterious lot wielding the secret of “Phase Technology”. The Prometheans has opened Center to be the major trading point of all the races inhabiting the Three Galaxies.”

 

Kagome gaped. “THREE GALAXIES!? I'm within a galactic culture!?”

 

Kaede nodded. “Thousands of cultures and yes. Now, Center is divided into sectors. Level one is called “The Manors” and is where the very wealthy live. Level two is where controlled gateways take in and out travellers from a thousand of other dimensions and where the spaceport is located. Level three and four are big market places. Level five to eight are residential quarters: The lower you go, the poorer you are. And finally, level nine and ten are where the desperate go and where uncontrolled Rifts open at random in different places. You have been victim of such a Rift.”

 

Kagome had lost her appetite. She felt like a little girl lost in a dark wood at night and was trembling with the effort to control her panic. Kaede waited a moment. “Do you wish me to continue?”

 

Not trusting her voice, Kagome shakily nodded.

 

“The Three Galaxies are: The Corkscrew, which is the largest with 12 trillion of recorded beings. The Thundercloud with 7 trillion. And, finally, the Anvil, which is the smallest, with 6 trillion of beings.”

 

The numbers were too much for the Earthling which felt her head spiralling. The sheer magnitude of this universe was mind-boggling.

 

“Three races have the largest percentage among the 3000+ sentient races known as today. By decreasing order, they are the Humans…” Kagome smiled a little at that. “…the Wolfen, a race of humanoid canine…” The Miko nodded as she remembered the alien who walked her here on his shoulders. “… and the Kreeghor, the dominant race of the Transgalatcic Empire, the second largest civilization in the Three Galaxies.”

 

Kagome frowned. “They don't sound like good people.”

 

“They're not. The Empire and most of the race are a warrior culture bend on conquests.”

 

“And the other civilizations?”

 

“The largest is the Consortium of Civilized Worlds with a government based on a confederacy of very various worlds and races: They are not too bad. Within the Transgalactic Empire, we have the Free World Council: A small alliance of planets fighting for their liberty against the Empire. After that, we have the United Worlds of Warlock, a civilization which use magic instead of technology. The evil Splugorth Planets which is ruled by the power of the Alien Intelligences known as the Splugorth…”

 

“ALIEN INTELLIGENCES! HERE!?”

 

Kaede raised an eyebrow at the outburst. “You know about them?”

 

Kagome was trembling in rage. “No… Not about the…” She spat the name. “…Splugorth! But I know what an Alien Intelligence is. On my world, I am a member of an agency fighting to prevent such monsters to have a foot in our reality, and here…”

 

Kaede nodded. “That explains in part your powers. Well, the last civilization with influence is the Paradise Federation, an ensemble of pleasure planets catering to all desires of their customers.”

 

Kagome made a face “All their desires? Blerk! Disgusting!”

 

Kaede took another bowl of her stew. “Be careful, young one. In Center, absolutely everything is permitted.”

 

Kagome blinked in dismay. “Everything?”

 

Kaede nodded. “As far as the Prometheans are concerned, their security deals with only four things: Damage to the city itself and threats to the planet at large, the transdimensional gate system, and the space-port. As long as those areas remain secure, the whole arcology is free to rob, abuse, murder and enslave any sentient being as much as they wish. The Prometheans turned this city into an intergalactic and interdimensional centre three thousand years ago and they leave it mostly in the hands of other races.”

 

Kagome sighed. “This universe seems so…dark.”

 

Kaede smiled. “But, there is light within. There is a last group who wield tremendous influence. Not because of their numbers, but because of the raw power that each one possess. They are the Cosmo-Knights, the Guardians of the Cosmic Forge.”

 

“The Forge again.”

 

“When the universe was young, a race we called the First rose to supremacy. They built the Supreme Civilization and were masters of all the secrets of the universe. But, they wanted too much. On the farthest corner of reality, where realspace and otherspace meet, they built a Forge, a sentient artefact who can master the arts of Creation. The Cosmic Forge gave the gift of eternal life to the First which became as gods and basked in the light of the Forge. But every light casts a shadow. There was One among the First who wanted to be above them and coveted the Forge. He tricked and overpowered its guardians for just a moment. With but a wish, the Cosmic Forge spewed forth flames that cleansed of life thousands of worlds and the First were no more. The Forge was self-aware and not a slave. It obliterated the One, but then, in horror, It saw what It had done, and hid Its light in shame. The flames It spewed continues to this day to swirl across the galaxies, sometimes touching the living and gifting or slaying them. And now, through an eternity, the Cosmic Forge remains hidden, touching only those few who are worthy of Its power: The Knights of the Forge, the Cosmo-Knights.”

 

Kagome frowned. “Then, the relic that your sister guarded…”

 

“Was something that the Forge Itself creates, yes. But, even my sister didn't know its real nature and I have returned it to the one who created it first.”

 

Kagome looked closely at the Priestess. “And you? What are you doing in Center?”

 

Kaede smiled. “I am a priestess of Apis, goddess of the Pantheon of Light.”

 

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It had been now two “standard” days since Kagome Higurashi's arrival in the giant Arcology known as “Center”. The wounds inflicted by the Boschala were almost all healed, apart to her broken arm, thanks to the wonderful gift of the priestess Kaede.

 

Kagome had been very amazed that the whole Egyptian Pantheon was known across many universes or as Kaede had explained, across the Megaverse. Well, the fact that many pantheons of her original Earth were being actively followed, sometimes by billions of people was also something mind-boggling.

 

She looked at the ceiling from the futon-like bed she was using in the house of the priestess of Apis. The small community around was an attempt of Kaede to bring some much needed light to this level. The level nine and ten of Center were the most dangerous. The checkpoints guarding the ladders and the stairs in the walls of the Arcology were especially concerned with containing the horrors lurking at those levels. Life expectancy was very low and the “residents” were a mix of Supernatural creatures, newly Rifted individuals like her, victims of the various gangs of Center, slaves running away from their masters, refugees, the very poor and the unwanted.

 

Kaede had travelled across the Three Galaxies after the death of her sister and had brought light and healing wherever she could. Here, she struck a deal with a notorious gang from the level eight: the Society of the Knife. This society was a shadowy organization that ran a great deal of illegal business. In exchange of free healing services and a cut of any deals, the Society had let Kaede built a small temple of Apis and the Pantheon of light on a minor nexus of the level nine.

 

It was the Sacred Ground created by the building of the temple that had enabled a few residents to gather around the temple and created a relatively secure location. Kagome had been impressed by the super-civilization that built Center and predated even the Prometheans by a large margin. The whole Arcology was indestructible, maintained at all levels a regular climate and prevented any problems with air pressure. There were food dispensers that accepted any kind of payment and distributed prepared or raw foodstuffs. Waste products from the sewer system and the garbage bins were also teleported away.

 

Kaede had been enchanted to learn that Kagome was a Miko, although the concept of being a priestess of the Kami was a little too much for her. Having eight millions of different gods… and praying to and for all of them…

 

The fact was that Kagome had no problem of working in a different temple. As a Shinto Priestess, she accepted the faith of others and she had certainly no problem to pray alongside the old priestess for the sake of the small community.

 

The use of her own healing powers and her formation as a traditional healer had achieved to make her accepted by the community with record speed. The fact that she was a hunter of the Supernatural was just the cherry on the top.

 

Unfortunately, her broken arm meant that she was forced to stay inside the protected perimeter of the temple until she was healed and able to fight on her own. Besides, she lacked many things including common knowledge about this world to be efficient.

 

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As she heard the makeshift triangle used as the signal of another day, Kagome shook the sleep of her eyes and began her new routine. She gently awoke Kaede and helped her to steady the house. Water was the only substance easily obtained within the Arcology, although Kagome missed her hot water commodity from home as she washed herself before stepping outside. She had used a very useful spell to clean her school uniform since clothes weren't available in sufficient quantity. Kaede had even showed her one of her magical items: A Needle of Sewing, capable to sew by itself and that helped her greatly to repair her clothes. Kagome knew how to sew because of her mother, but she lacked proper materials for her uniform.

 

For today and until she was healed, Kaede had asked her to begin to learn from people a few useful skills, especially languages. Because of her knowledge of English, she could already make herself understood in the Galactic Trade Tongue Four, but she needed at the very least one other.

 

This is why, with her arm in a sling, Kagome was approaching the imposing canine-like humanoid that was occupied to maintain a small arsenal of jury-rigged, recuperated and yet perfectly operational weapons. He was the one who brought her here on his shoulders.

 

His name was Gerrath and he was a Space Wolfen. His race had the reputation to be cunning, intelligent and resourceful. Gerrath was one of the main defenders of the small community. He had been the assistant to a Wolfen Quatoria, the equivalent of a Star Marshal, in his young days. After a few twists by Fate, he had finished in Center and was simply waiting to die when he found a new strength by helping the old Priestess of Apis to protect this fledging community.

 

Kagome had been fascinated by what she could see in those eyes, so like the eyes of an old but wise wolf with still enough bite to rip off her throat. She smiled as she saw the other part of the fighting unit of the small community coming near them, wielding nonchalantly a war-club that seemed almost too heavy despite the size of the alien.

 

His name was Maarkhus, a Seljuk from the planet Gemini One. The Seljuk race evolved from a parallel evolution of Earth's dinosaurs, specifically, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, the sense of honour and the gentleness of Maarkhus made him more of a teddy bear than the dreaded predator he looked like.

 

Gerrath and Maarkhus were partners in the defence of the temple community. Gerrath was the long-range fighter and covered Maarkhus who preferred the close-combat. They were helped by Softpaws, a Silhouette: a race known for their affinity with shadows. He was the one who scouted the land for any bad surprises. The last element of the small team was Kreet, a Termite Engineer, sub-race of the Star Hives, scourge of the Three Galaxies. Kreet had a natural affinity with anything technologic and was building, repairing and maintaining anything electronic or mechanic in the community. Or at least, what little they managed to scrounge or salvage.

 

It was with this rather exotic blend that Kagome began her apprenticeship of her, she hoped, temporary new home.

 

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As she walked on a sidewalk on the second level of the Arcology, Kagome couldn't but silently thanking her various mentors for their patience and the time they took on themselves to teach the young newly Rifted Miko a few of their tricks three months ago. She had sensed that Gerrath had been particularly attentive that she would be able to function almost anywhere in the Three Galaxies.

 

She had tried to repay their help with her own skills. She had rapidly seen that her Miko powers were a great asset, especially when technology was few in numbers or efficiency. The levels nine and ten were simply hell. She no longer counted the number of times where a supernatural menace or thugs had threatened the lives of the small community.

 

She pinched her lips. Life was extremely cheap in the Three Galaxies: The use of extremely powerful weaponry and the presence of Supernatural Beings meant instant death for anyone who was not protected by innate abilities, magic, psionic or galactic-level technology. She had herself escaped death only because of precautions that Kaede and others had enjoined her to take.

 

They had taught her Galactic Trade Tongue Three, a streamlined version of the Wolfen language, although Gerrath had taken care to instil in her a “proper classical Wolfen tone”. She had learnt how to use basic communication devices, how to salvage everything she could scrounge and how to understand the darker side of life and the scoundrels who roamed the streets. Kaede had made sure that her medical knowledge could be used not only on humans but also on the many races of this universe.

 

Gerrath had even forced her to learn how to fire with all the type of handguns that one can find in the Three Galaxies. She had hated this part of the training, but respected too deeply the grey Wolfen to disregard it. The old wolf knew what he was talking about.

 

One aspect of the precautions was the clothes she was wearing. She had managed to scrounge enough money to recuperate a few bolts of cotton on the Black Market: A bargain, since they had been damaged and not worthy enough to be sell regularly. It had enabled her to make some much needed clothes for the community and to make herself a proper Miko garb.

 

With the help of Kaede, she had blessed the garb and filled it with her own Ki in order to have clothes that looked normal but were able to stop most attacks from personal weapons. Her red Hakama and white Haori had half the armour provided by a Light Combat Armour with the mobility of normal clothes. The use of her personal Ki enabled the fabric to “heal” at the same rate as its wielder.

 

Because of the dangers of Center, she was visibly armed with a longbow of dark wood, a quiver of arrows and a straight sword made from super-hard organic resin at her left hip. The longbow, the sword and most of her arrows were unremarkable although she could charge them with her purifying aura. However some of her arrows had been modified by Kreet, the Termite Engineer, and now were fitted with various explosive heads, gases and smoke dispensers, intense magnesium flares and neural disrupters. She even managed to guide him to recreate Kabura-ya or Whistle Arrows and Hikime or Blunt Arrows with the organic resin he could secrete.

 

Of course, within the fold of her Miko garb, she hid two other weapons, gifts from Gerrath after he was satisfied of her progress. One was a “Vision” M85 Automatic, a projectile weapon with a small size but still a respectable conventional punch. The other was a “Star Fizz” Ion Blaster, an energy pistol with a good punch against modern armour, but with a shorter range than most standard energy pistols.

 

It seemed foolish to only show low-level weapons and hid the high-tech ones, but magic was a part of the galactic culture of the Three Galaxies and even a small knife could hide a mighty weapon.

 

Still Kagome was turning a few heads on her path. Her lustrous long black hair with blue highlights, her warm chocolate eyes and her classical Asian beauty highlighted by her red and white clothes were demarking her from the average human visitor or resident.

 

Her “expedition” had been seriously prepared beforehand by Kaede. The old priestess knew that her pupil wanted nothing more than go back home. She had helped the young Miko to gather enough money to pay for her short travel to the second level. And thus Kagome had passed many hours in the West half of Level two in order to check, ask and search for a way back home.

 

If she had been impressed that there were 1280 different gateways, she had been appealed by the prices. By working hard, she could have paid the price IF she had known the precise localization of her home dimension. Unfortunately, the service of the magic-users able to probe the Megaverse were simply too much.

 

She had found some sympathetic Prometheans, but the large and stone-like beings were unable or unwilling to make any exception for her. They had the means to send her back home, they could even find her dimension of origin, but they still required a substantial payment. She had held a pale smile and thanked them for their efforts.

 

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It was then that they appeared in the centre of one of those controlled Rifts. Well, that was what Kagome thought before. The sudden activity of the Prometheans and the mustering of a small armed force hinted at a problem.

 

From what she could hear around her, it was an unauthorized or an accidental Rifting in Center. It wasn't something unheard before, quite the contrary. The speed of the security force was a testament to their training and to how many time it happened in Gateland.

 

Kagome was openly gaping at what she was seeing: Five young girls, all clad in a colour-coded Sailor Fuku had just materialized and were eying the scene with big flabbergasted eyes.

 

Kagome shook her head. “It can't be…” And yet, it was. She was seeing REAL people that came right from one of her favourite manga and anime at home and apparently from the end of the first season. She suddenly remembered that those girls were kind of trigger-happy when confronted by non-humans and resolutely walked in their direction.

 

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The pony-tailed blonde girl didn't know what to do. She and her four friends had departed from the Hikawa Shrine with the firm intention to confront the leader of their enemies directly in her lair: Their teleportation seemed to have deviated… slightly and now they were surrounded by… aliens and monsters that fortunately didn't look like the youmas they generally fought against. However, too many of them seemed armed with futuristic-looking nasty weapons.

 

“Sailor Moon…?”

 

She whirled to the voice. It had been Japanese! She felt a kind of relief as she saw a young HUMAN girl of their age, passing through the crowd of bizarre-looking creatures. She looked a little like Rei with long black hair, but her eyes were chocolate. She was however clad in a Miko garb that drew a gasp from Sailor Mars.

 

The group of Sailor Senshi relaxed a little as they observed the teenager speaking with a big fellow with stone-like skin in a language that reminded her of her English lessons. She turned to Sailor Venus. “Mina…, is that English…?”

 

The long-haired blonde girl listened intently before nodding. “Yes, but not quite. They seem to use a few words that I don't understand, but most of it is English or perhaps American.”

 

Rei Hino was desperately trying to ignore the waves of pure undiluted Evil she sensed coming from a few places and was focusing on her friends to avoid shaking. She whispered. “So? What are they talking about?”

 

Minako Aino focused on the dialogue. “The young girl seems to... try to persuade the big grey guy to let us… go back to our world?”

 

Makoto Kino was also warily listening to the Senshi of Venus while maintaining her guard up. They had just departed from Rei's Temple to confront Beryl on her home turf when something happened during the Sailor Teleport and the Senshi found themselves in an incredible large way-station crowded with thousands of people with many that looked too much like Youmas for her comfort.

 

Those people entered or left though one of the hundreds of glowing magical or technological gates. A dozen exotic smells and hundreds of alien noises and sights and gigantic auras of power had threatened to overload their mundane AND mystical senses. Makoto had tried to make sense of it all when a hybrid of man and dragon, sitting behind a desk, had addressed them in an incomprehensible language. She had prepared to unleash a bolt of lightning when a human girl, thank god, had came to their help.

 

Kagome sighed in relief as she had managed to reach a compromise with the Promethean authorities. Well, she hoped she will be able to convince “them”.

 

She approached and tried awkwardly to begin a dialogue that she had only dreamed about in her childhood. “Sailor Senshi…? Hum… Well, welcome to Center.”

 

Usagi Tsukino gulped. “Huh… Thank you… So? Any good ice cream shop nearby?”

 

The whole group of Senshi face faulted. Rei recovered rapidly and whirled to their so-called leader “MEATBALL-HEAD!”

 

Kagome blinked as the group of sailor-suited warriors began to argue between them in a very familiar way and then giggled before laughing more freely than she had since she came here. The Senshi stopped as they saw the young Miko laughing with… Usagi blinked as some tears shone in those chocolate eyes. She reached for the shoulder of the teenager. “Are you all right?”

 

Kagome took a deep breath and managed to refocus herself. “Yes. I am.” Deep chocolate eyes plunged into almost luminescent blue eyes. “You are not where you should be.”

 

Usagi nodded. “Where are we?”

 

“Although it is not important for now, you are in a transdimensional nexus point called Center where thousands of dimensional travellers from all the Megaverse come for… well, for anything from trading to tourism.” She snorted. “And sate their desires.”

 

Rei didn't like what she was hearing. She had managed to control her anger or more exactly her fear for those she loved until now, but she felt on the verge of an explosion. “What do they want from us? Why would they want to prevent us to go back home?”

 

“The Prometheans, that's their name, are the administrators of Center. They maintain the Gate System and so ask for a fee if someone use it purposely or accidentally.”

 

Rei massaged her brow and muttered. “Oh, you must be joking...”

 

Ami Mizuno continued her analysis on the Mercury Computer. “It's fantastic, this…city is literally saturated by dimensional energies and… She is right, we cannot use the gate without their permission.” She shook her head. “Incredible, the potential of their weaponry is…”

 

Makoto sighed and rolled up her eyes. “With what money? I don't think they accept Yen in this world.”

 

Kagome smiled. “But barter is still the oldest way of paying and this universe is a mix of technology and magic.” She looked purposely to the broach on the bow-chest of Sailor Moon. “And you have with you the wielder of the most powerful artefact of your universe.”

 

Usagi blinked. “The Ginzuishou…”

 

Minako raised an eyebrow. “But… you still don't master it…”

 

The smile of Kagome acquired an ethereal quality. “True, at this moment, only her heart masters the power of the Imperial Silver Crystal, but right now she is surrounded by those she loves and who love her in return.”

 

Rei's eyes widened. “You…know… You know about us! About…”

 

Kagome raised her hand. “I know only SOME potential futures about what is going to happen when you'll confront Beryl.” Her eyes narrowed. “And I will help you to the best of my possibilities.” She searched in her quiver and extracted a plain arrow made of dark wood, white feathers and steel. Holding it like an offering, she approached Sailor Moon.

 

Usagi licked her dry lips. “What… What must I do?”

 

Kagome cocked her head. “First… Breathe.” This made the group giggled as Usagi blushed and the tension was broken.

 

“Hold it in your hands… Feel the grain of the wood, the caress of the feathers, and the coolness of the metal… Search for its potential, for the hollow feeling where you know that something is missing… Feel the gentle waves of the warm light within your soul… Feel them moving like hair in a gentle breeze… Feel around you the beat of those hearts you have hold in your hands when everything was so dark and so cold… Feel their warmth in harmony with your own beating… Feel their arms under your arms, helping and giving you strength… Feel the power around you reaching through the lens of your mind… Feel for my spirit, my will as I guide you…”

 

The Senshi had gathered around the Princess and the Miko holding the arrow between them. The subtle silver radiance of the Ginzuishou manifested itself and began to play on the arrow. Sailor Moon began to shine as she felt the willpower of Kagome manipulating the tendrils of power she emitted into a complex pattern. The four Inner Senshi shone with the power of their planets as their energies helped their leader. Time seemed to stop for the participants.

 

The Senshi and the Miko jerked back from their trance.

 

Usagi blinked. “What happened? Oh…!” The Moon Princess stared in awe at the arrow in her hands. The rather plain arrow had been changed into a white arrow with a silver point, only the white feathers hadn't been changed. Instinctively, Usagi knew that she held a magical weapon.

 

Kagome smiled as she retrieved the magical item and admired the crafting. `Not bad for a first try.' She turned to the Promethean who was responsible of this particular Gate and held him the White Arrow. The alien looked closely at the artefact and nodded. He signalled a magic-wielder member of his squad to take it and entered the transaction in his mini-comp.

 

Smiling, Kagome returned to the anxious group. “It is okay.” They sighed in relief. “They're going to open the Gate and send you to your original destination in a few minutes.”

 

Rei shook her head. “Wait! Could you tell us WHO you are and HOW do you know about us?”

 

“I am Kagome. Higurashi Kagome, Miko of the Higurashi Shrine in Tokyo.” Rei frowned, these sounded familiar to her somehow. “I can't tell you how I know who you are. It would take too much time even for the short story.” Before Rei protested more, Kagome extracted a bunch of Ofudas from the left sleeve of her white Haori.

 

She pressed them into the hands of the surprised Senshi of Fire. “Here. It's not much, but it should help you in your battle.” She smiled and kissed her on the forehead. “As a Miko, you are the one who can and WILL use them the best.”

 

Letting the bewildered Priestess examining the Ofudas, she approached Ami. “Sailor Mercury. You are the eyes of your team and most vulnerable when you do it. Never stay immobile or isolate.” The young genius searched for something in the chocolate eyes and nodded. She blushed as Kagome also kissed her on the forehead.

 

She smiled to Sailor Venus. “You were the leader of the Senshi in your past life. As such you wielded the Crystal Sword in the name of your Princess. It is now time to protect the one you love with it.” Minako's eyes widened as the hand of Kagome seemed to reach into her. In a burst of light, the Miko extracted a crystalline longsword from the Senshi of Love. She inversed her grasps and presented the newly reawakened weapon from the Silver Millennium to its rightful owner. Beleaguered, the blonde girl admired the sword that seemed to sing in her hands and accepted with a large smile the sisterly kiss on her head.

 

She grasped the arm of Sailor Jupiter in a warrior salute. The tall girl smiled grimly to the Miko and nodded, acknowledging the silent warning in the deep eyes of the teenager when she glanced in the direction of Usagi. “You're a protector, a fighter. Attack at a distance to soften your enemy and then use surprise as the first strike in close-combat.” Makoto leaned into the embrace of the black-haired girl to receive her kiss on the forehead.

 

Finally, Kagome faced a Usagi with shining eyes due to the tears that the Princess managed to control despite the emotions of the moment. “There's not much I can do for you, Princess, except pray. I was only a guide to show you the proper path. I…” She stopped as Sailor Moon put her fingers on her lips.

 

“You have already done plenty. I can only offer my… OUR thanks and my friendship.”

 

Kagome's eyes shone with restrained emotions, but she managed to reduce it to a simple tightening of her hands. She reached for the Ginzuishou. “Then accept this as a gift from your new friend.” Focusing, Kagome transferred half of her power reserve in the gasping Moon Princess. The broach holding the Silver Crystal radiated with might before settling.

 

Kissing the forehead of Sailor Moon, Kagome Higurashi retreated from the platform as she heard the Prometheans signalling they were ready. “Remember, Sailor Moon! Your love wants you to live as strong as you wish it for him. He doesn't want you to lay dead at his feet as the enemy triumph!”

 

As the Rift began to open around the Senshi, the distressed Usagi reached for the teenager. “Wait, Kagome! You could come with us!”

 

Smiling with tears in her eyes, Kagome accomplished the last gesture she could do. She called upon the blessing of the Kami on the Senshi. “May the blessing of those who fight for Love and Justice light your Darkest Hour when you need it the most.”

 

Her waving hand fell on her side when the Rift closed on the group. A Promethean approached her. “Why? Why didn't you go with them? I know that you are searching for your home dimension, but living in a universe where you have some familiarity is better than living in a complete unknown world.”

 

Kagome slowly wiped her tears before facing him. “Because, I would have been unhappy at long term. I want to go home and do not want something which will tear my heart by its closeness to what I need.”

 

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Notes: The aliens saw by Kagome are, in order: Noro, Space Wolfen, Catyr, Seljuk, Silhouette, Termite Engineer, Oni, T'Zee, Durosk, Anvil Dwarf, Space Minotaur and Ratanoid.

 

Kaede is a high level Palladium Fantasy Priest OCC with a few magical objects.

 

The Alien Intelligences with which Kagome is the most familiar are the Vampire Intelligences.

 

Yes, the Senshi were here as guest stars. I don't think I will develop something based on them in the story.

 

In the next chapter, Kagome will meet the Three Norns on her quest to go back home.

 

Read and review, thanks.