InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Seal ❯ Story time ( Chapter 4 )

Aloha!! (Yes I know I don't speak Hawaiian)

This chapter is quite literally a story, but if you use your heads a light-bulb should… ehm… light up? (Looking around sheepish- 'Did that sound as corny as I think it did??)

Anyway, this might clear up some questions about Kagome, but if I did my job right MORE questions should arise after reading this.

However, I would appreciate it really, really, REALLY much, if some of you would be so kind as to point out what I'm doing right, and what I'm doing wrong when writing this story. The whole point of writing this is to improve my puny skills as an author, and without any feedback, it's hard to improve. So please review, and tell me so that I can learn to entertain you better. (Boy, this looks formal.)

And now on with the show!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story (if I did I'd be rich, filthy stinkin rich. I'd be off to the Bahamas and… and… and I better come back down to earth as they aren't mine) ; Inuyasha and co all belong to Miss Rumiko Takahashi. Just having plain fun writing about them. ;-P

The Seal

Part 4: Story time…

"Miko-sama! Miko-sama! Can you tell us a story?" The village children came running up to Kagome as she neared the village, swamping her. 'A story?' "Sure. Why not," she smiled down at them. "Kaede-sama always tells her stories under the goshinbuki! Next to the sleeping demon!" a young girl volunteered. "Alright. Lead the way!" And off she was led by the gang of children. 'And I was just supposed to fetch the cat…' she thought wistfully.

The sound of laughter woke Inuyasha up. He'd been thinking about his earlier conversation with the girl, but had fallen asleep among the branches of the goshinbuki. Glancing down, the clearing showed a circle full of chattering children, and that wench in the middle of them. 'Keh. What's she up to now?' Edging closer, he eavesdropped.

When they had all settled, the children fell silent. It was kinda unnerving. So many children, and not a sound. It wasn't natural. "So what story do you want me to tell?" Kagome glanced around the semicircle. When it became apparent that Kagome wasn't starting any time soon, without prompting, the children broke out into small bickerings of which story to tell. As most children, they couldn't agree on a single story, leaving Kagome to make the choice. Raising her hand for silence, Kagome made her proposal. "Have any of you ever heard of the seal?" It was unanimous. None of them had heard the tale, not that *that* was expected. Smiling gently at the children, she began her tale. "Once, in the old days…"

***

Once, in the olden days, the people of earth believed that there were two kinds of beings: the divine and the mortal. This, as it turned out, was true. The people of the earth also believed that everything was in balance, and the fates were the ones that kept watch of that balance. This was also true.

The divine beings, were divine both in spirit and body, and they were called the gods. They were immortal, and their bodies were strong with unlimited power. But to balance them out and make things fair, the fates gave them weak and narrow minds. Their views were limited. That is why we have gods of war, gods of love, gods of anything you could think of. They can only see things one way, and focus on one thing, and thus they are fickle beings.

The mortal beings however, were not so powerful. Their bodies were weak, and they broke easily. They died… So to even the score, and make it balanced, the fates gave the mortals a strong free spirit. Free will. That's why humans and other mortal beings can be both good and evil, they are free to be anything they wish. They can choose.

Now, every now and then, a god would fall in love with a mortal. As their children would inherit traits from both parents, they were neither pure mortal nor pure divine. Most of these halflings were born with a divine spirit and a mortal body. They had weak and frail bodies, and only a narrow minds. In short they got both the down sides. To even things out, the fates made them hero's, for who else was more suited than those who could not be swayed off their path…

***

Kagome paused, from telling her story. "Do you want to hear more?" "Yes! Yes!!" "Are all hero's halflings?" "What about the seal?!" "Yeah! What's a seal?! What's it for?!" Kagome heaved a sigh, the young ones were a bit more eager to hear the story than she'd hoped. Even Inuyasha had inched closer to listen. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you about the seal. Now… eh, where was I? Ah, yes! The halflings…" Flashing a grin up at the hanyou, she continued…

***

The halflings were mostly born hero's, but there *was* another option. The genie…

Only once was a genie born, and never again. The genie was a little girl, born from a god and a mortal woman. They loved her dearly… But the rest of the world grew uneasy, because *this* halfling was born not with a mortal body and divine spirit like other halflings before her, but with a free will and divine body. Born with a mortal spirit and divine power, she would be the most powerful of them all. The balance of the world would be broken were she to be set loose on the world.

The gods and mortals called down the fates, demanding that the genie be banished, while her parents pleaded on her behalf. The fates agreed that the child upset the balance of the world, but to destroy the innocent child for being born was not their way. It would be cruel murder then.

A long time the fates pondered on this dilemma, seeking fair judgement. Finally, after much time, the fates descended back down to earth, bearing news of the genies fate:

"The fates have watched this world since the dawn of time. Life and death, light and darkness, divine and mortal, all shall bow to us. The fate of all halflings has fallen in our hands and this we decree: From now on, and till the end Hero's are weak, and shall thus be hailed by all creatures of Earth long after their death, to restore order. The genie shall fall to servitude, her powers bound by the seal, and for all of her strength, she will be the weakest. So we command, so shall it be. Judgement is thus served."

Never again was a halfling born. The gods were too afraid of a new genie being born, and did no longer mix with mortals. The divine gods left the mortal plane of Earth, in the end, to escape temptation, and were seldom heard from.

The genie was sealed, as the fates had commanded. Her powers bound, and she left helpless, a slave to any who held her seal. War broke out, among the mortals, for who would not kill to control the genie and hold her power?

***

"But that's not fair!!" a small girl squealed in dismay. "Life's not fair, small one," Kagome soothed her, "The genie is a slave, because she is too powerful. They were afraid of her." "But it's still not fair. Mama says slaveholders are bad," a tiny boy pouted. "Indeed. But if you could have any wish come true, would not *you* want to hold the seal?" The child pouted, insulted. "What happened next?!" "Did a prince come?" "Was she saved?" "What happened?!" Hushing at the excited youngsters, Kagome answered, "There's nothing really left to tell…" "All fairytales have happy endings, wench. Didn't your mother teach you that?" The kids momentarily scattered at the gruff voice. Inuyasha had crept down the tree during the story, and was now hanging on the lowest limb only meters above the group. "Inuyasha? You were listening?" "Feh!" Kagome flashed a smile at the white-haired boy, who refused to meet her eyes. "I suppose I have to continue then… though there really isn't much more to say…"

***

For years the genie served her masters, her seal shifting ownership many a time…

Chaos ruled the earth, as mortals went mad with power. She was forced to slay so many lives, by her master's command. So many that she lost count after a while. She was soaked in blood, and it would not end… And no more tears would fall…

The fates took pity in the end. The divine gods had fled, and the mortals abused their decree, going mad with lust for power. But they were the fates, they could not undo their sentence. So once again they descended down to earth, this time to bring comfort and a promise:

"Take comfort, child. No creature is enslaved forever. That is not the way of the fates. When your equal is born you shall be freed. Wait for him, and he will come…"

***

"And so… the genie waited," Kagome ended her tale. "Did he come?" the kids chorused. "She's still waiting," Kagome gazed wistfully into the distance, "Still waiting…" "But that's not a happy ending!!" the children whined. "There is hope," she chided, "And some day, he will be born and come save her, just as a prince would. But only if we wait and hope."

Inuyasha eyed the girl. Something wasn't adding up. That story… Bah, it was only a stupid fairytale! And a bad one, too, to boot. 'Hope indeed…' he scoffed. Though the little runts seemed to like it. 'Keh. Kids…'

-

Praeceps:

The story was kind of stiff during this chapter, but I couldn't really help it. Originally this was part of another chapter, but the legend took up so much space that I decided to make it into a chapter of its own. I hope you readers don't mind too much.

I'm just going to take this moment to gloat!

I'M FREE! I'M FREE!! NO MORE DEMONIC; HELLISH, BORING SCHOOL *EVER* AGAIN!!! I'M FINALLY FREE!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *wheeze* AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Thank you, I needed that!! (If you want to get technical, I'm not free until next Friday, but who cares? I'M FREE!!!)

^-^

Well that was all, for today at least, toodles!! ;-D