InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Twisting the Ropes of Fate ❯ Mortality ( Chapter 1 )

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

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.


Twisting the Ropes of Fate


Chapter 1: Mortality


It was deserted, the forest of the dead. Yes, it usually was deserted, but only of the living and right now it was empty of both the living and the dead. She could only wonder why as the undead miko kept walking; not knowing where she was going, but hoping to find her destination.
Nearly tripping over a hidden root from one of the many dead trees, she felt it. The pull of a strong arua. She smirked at the thought of finally finding who she was looking for. Because of the fog, she could not see where the witch was and decided to simply stay put and hope that the witch would come to her instead of the other way around.
With the demonic arua getting stronger, Kikyo knew that her hopes were granted.
Suddenly, she heard a laugh. It was an evil wicked laugh that would have made the hair on the back of her neck stand and goose bumps run down body if it had not been for the fact that she was just a walking lump of bones and graveyard soil.
She blinked. The was something in the shadows a small distance from her, but then there was another shadow and another next to that one. They kept appearing until she made a full turn. The dark shadows around her all spoke at once "State your business for trespassing on my land." The voices were firm and deadly.
The miko would have swallowed hard if she was capable of doing so, "My name is Kikyo. As you should have already noticed, I am dead. I walk in this body of clay. The reason I am here is to propose a deal too good to refuse."
Laughing mockingly the witch replied "And what exactly would that be, my pretty? What could you, a walking corpse, have to offer me, Asuka, who has everything?"
Kikyo was starting to question herself, thinking that she might not even walk away from this undead. Before panick arose she stuck to her plan. "Everything you say? Even the powers of a miko?"
Asuka laughed "I am a youki! What could I possibly want with miko powers?"
That put a smile on Kikyo’s face “You can become the greatest youki who ever lived. Being the first and only oni to be able to purify another youki. Simply think of the power and fear your name would cause."
Asuka raised an eyebrow at this “And how would I be able to get these miko powers you speak of?”
“That is simple,” Kikyo said. “I give you my miko powers and all you have to give me in return is life.” She looked around herself, the figures were vanishing two at a time.
Then one was left and it walked forward to where Kikyo was standing. She was just a bit taller than Kikyo and had long red wavy hair and her skin was the color of cream, almost white. She was young, if she were human people would think she was somewhere in her mid-twenties. She wore a gold halo in her hair, around the top of her head. Her  robes went all the way down to her feet and her sleeves were nothing more than a string that had thin fabric sowed to it and was let down to flow with the wind.  She spoke, “You have miko powers? A walking body of dirt, with not even a quarter of her original soul? And if you do have miko powers, why am I unable to feel their presence?” Her voice was much softer now, but still sounded as if it was ready to kill you any instant.
Kikyo was hurt by her words, but made no sign to show it. Instead with a steady face she let her miko powers overflow her body and let it's blue arua surround her person.
Asuka, who was utterly shocked to not being able to feel her powers before stated with slight anger and amusement “I am not one to be tested in patience, so answer me now or you have no hope to be one of the living again.”
“As you can see I do have miko powers. And I do not need to explain my coming to this earth with only a small part of my soul because that is nothing that needs to be explained at this precise moment.” Kikyo looked Asuka in the eyes to see if she should regret what she just said. A nod from Asuka and she continued “The reason you were unable to sense my powers is because of this body. The bones and graveyard soil are unholy things which cover up its presence unless I make its presence shown.”
Asuka was looking at Kikyo with a toothy smile and said “Hm, that is a very good technique. I might just use it when I get my miko powers.”
Kikyo raised an eyebrow at that “Are you stating that we have an agreement?”
“Yes, and a very lovely one at that.” Asuka turned to start walking and without looking back said “If you wish to become mortal follow me to my domain.”
She was out of it. Kikyo was in complete shock, never did she think that the very thing that was keeping her from becoming a normal woman would be what let her become just that. When she came back to herself, she could only see a black figure walking away. Quickly, she walked toward the figure trying not to lose Asuka.
Once they got to a place where a huge tree was growing, Kikyo was surprised to feel Asuka taking her hand. Asuka turned around just in time to see her shock expression and said “Do not be fooled, I am merely taking your hand because if I do not you will get lost in my underground maze.” Kikyo looked puzzled so Asuka only continued “If someone were to follow me into my home and kill me then they will have my powers and become the one to judge the dead. So just in case there is anyone stupid enough to follow me they will be brutally murdered in this very maze.”
With that said Kikyo walked closer to Asuka, not wanting to die completely when she was so close to living once again. When they walked under one of the many roots of the trees, Kikyo started to blink repeatedly, trying to adjust to the darkness, but simply couldn't.
When they reached to a stop Asuka turned around and said to Kikyo “If you tell anyone about this I will kill you on the very spot you are standing even before the very first word comes from your lips. Understood?” Kikyo just nodded.
And with a snap of Asuka’s fingers the whole room was lit. The room was small in width, but extremely big in height. It made Kikyo wonder just how much they really walked. The walls were black in color and full of different objects such as scrolls, potions, and baskets; each containing something different. In the middle of the room there was a wooden post with something that seemed like steps twisting around it. There were also a few different tables around the room, each seemed as if they had been recently used for some sort of experiments.
Kikyo looked around to find Asuka putting water into something that looked like a bath tub made of dirt. Asuka turned “If you wish to become mortal, disrobe yourself and get in.”
Kikyo, with no words of protest, did as she was told. When she got in the water she could tell there were many different herbs, but couldn’t quite name them all.
Asuka started adding things to the water and talking just above a whisper in a different language.
All of a sudden the water turned into a bright green and looked as if it was producing light. Kikyo was staring at it in awe when she smelled it. It was a horrible sent that made her start coughing uncontrollably, but Kikyo not caring about the smell was jumping from joy in her head ‘I can smell! I really can! I’m going to be-’ her line of thinking was soon cut off by the change of color. The water changed from green to red so fast that if Kikyo had been blinking she would have missed it. Asuka started chanting louder and just throwing items in the pool with Kikyo. ‘The water is getting… warm? The water is getting warm! I can… I can feel the water!’ Kikyo was in jaw dropped shock. She never felt better than she did in that moment. The water started bubbling then it turned bright blue. The bubbling continued and it looked as if it was about to overflow, but not one drop got out of the tub. Kikyo made a face when some water got into her mouth. ‘This tastes horrible!’ she thought ‘Wait! It tastes bad! I actually can taste!’
Then everything stopped. The water stilled and it became clear once again. Kikyo looked up to see Asuka. She looked exhausted, but somehow she got the strength to say “Now then, are you going to complete your side of the deal?”
Kikyo laughed “Of course, I may have been nothing more than a dead corpse, but I am a woman of my word.”
Asuka gave a toothy smile “Good, at least some of you pathetic humans are worth something.” She handed Kikyo a wash cloth and told her to get cleaned as much as she would like then walked away and got a few scrolls and a couple different types of herbs. She also grabbed a few bowls that had some sort of different animal and/or youki in each one. Taking her time to mix them, she let Kikyo get accustomed with her new body.
Kikyo was in complete shock as she got up from the tub. She struggled with herself, trying to learn how to walk once again. Touching her chest above her heart, she could feel it beating. Her heart beat!
Once she got cleaned and dressed Asuka went up to her and gave her a cup filled with a really thick dirty green liquid, which she argued if you could call it a liquid at all. Taking a whiff of it, she could tell it had mint and… something else. She looked up to Asuka with a questionable look and noticed that she had a cup filled with the same substance as well.
“I thought since you could taste now it would be better to add mint so you wouldn’t just throw it back out.” Kikyo nodded. Asuka continued while giving Kikyo a scroll “We must drink at the same time. Then you will start to read exactly what the scroll says. Start from the top and go one by one. After each one you will pause so I may say my line. Understood?”
Kikyo nodded once and Asuka started counting down from five. She didn’t say one, instead they each drank there cup.
Then Kikyo started “The Power of Purity.”
And Asuka continued “The Power of Strength.” Each taking their turn.
“The Moon Goes Up at Night, and Down at Day.”
“The Sun in Control of the Living and the Dead.”
“The Smell of Tomorrow is by What it’s Led.”
“The Voice of Reason is Whom I Follow.”
“To Transport the Light of Purity From One to Another.”
“I Ask the Kami to Help Me in this Journey.”
“To Understand the Reason for My Decision.”
“To Go About it Not the Wrong Way.”
“But to See the Good in What I Had to Say.”
“From Kikyo.”
“To Asuka.”
Their hair started flying everywhere, as if they were in the inside of a tornado. Kikyo started to glow bright blue and Asuka white. Then in a blink of an eye Kikyo was glowing white and Asuka was glowing bright blue. The glowing stopped and soon the wind stopped as well. Kikyo had a worried expression on her face and Asuka a toothy smile. Then Kikyo decided to end the silence and said “Did I get anything in return? I mean since you where glowing white and then myself?”
Asuka understood her worried look and said “No, since I had no powers of such sort I glowed white. Then you glowed white because now you no longer have the power of purity.” Kikyo nodded her understanding and Asuka grabbed a green bag and said “Now that the agreement is complete you may leave.”
Kikyo was about to voice her question about how, but before she could say anything Asuka got a handful of the powder that was in the bag and blew it toward Kikyo. Kikyo started coughing uncontrollably. Her lungs protesting against the infested air. When she opened her eyes she was outside, in The Forest of the Dead. She started walking Hoping that she would find her way out of there and to a village some time soon. Her stomach growled. Some time real soon.