Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shikon no Megami ❯ Chapter II ( Chapter 2 )

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

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yuyu Hakusho.

Author: Chrystal-Hearts (Chrystaline)

Summary: The day the world was broken.

“Money isn’t a problem momma, just tell us exactly what you want.” Shippo tried to reason with his beautiful mother as she argued that what she wanted would be too expensive.

“How about this,” Yoshiro suddenly suggested. “You tell us what you want, then we all discuss how much money we have and if it’s in a manageable price range.” When he was done, he shared a smirk with his brother who seemed to be trying not to snicker.

“I suppose that sounds fair.” The woman agreed with a slight frown. “Well I suppose I’ll tell you then.” She caved with a soft sigh. “I want to extend the house and make it have several bedrooms. I think nine would do. That way we can have guests over, and I’d like two or three floors.”

“Sounds doable.” Shippo said smoothly. “And now I suppose we should take you to the bank so that you may see our funds and we can show you that that’s not out of our price range.”

“We did agree to do that.” Yoshiro said with a nod as they began leading their mother out to the car in the driveway before driving off to somewhere in Tokyo.

When they reached the bank, Shippo smirked and pulled the woman along behind him up to the front desk. “Satoshi account please.” The kitsune said softly to the woman at the front desk.

When she looked up, she froze and her eyes widened before nodding. Quickly she pulled up the account and turned the screen around to face them. “This is your account’s balance sir.”

All the boys’ mother could do was gawk as she saw the figures on the screen. Shippo smirked once more before turning back to the woman at the desk. “I’d like to make a change to the account and have a third card ordered.”

“What change do you desire sir?”

“I want Kagome Kage Satoshi added onto the account.”

“Yes sir.” The woman replied as she turned the screen back to face her as she began filling information in. “Would you be needing any paperwork for her as well?”

“Actually yes, as we are changing her last name.”

“I will get someone right on that sir.”

When the group finally left the bank, Kagome turned to them all with her still surprised and amazed look. “What exactly have you boys been up to while I’ve been away?”

“Nothing momma!” Both chimed at the same time before smirking and taking off. The woman just smiled as she looked at the two teenage looking boys running playfully from her. With a smile of her own, she chased after them.

It was that feeling again, and it was stronger this time. Closing her eyes, she decided that she wanted to know exactly what was causing this odd feeling to occur. A demon? Slowly she made her way out into the courtyard of her unfinished home and she looked up into the branches of Goshinboku, her eyes searching for something that normally would not be there. That’s when she saw him. It was a man that slept within the boughs of the tree. His eyes were closed as it looked like his expression was peaceful. He’s so… handsome. She thought to herself as her eyes roamed his lithe form.

His frame and build screamed of his masculinity and Kagome could manage to tell that he couldn’t be much taller than her. He looked no where near as tall as most demons that she’d seen, but he was still as handsome as most were. He had dark strands of ebony hair that spiked up and was tipped in blue, his bangs held a white star-burst that seemed fitting. His skin was tanned, probably from being in the sun for long hours. The blade at his belt suggested that he was a swordsman.

Cocking her head to the side, Kagome decided that she needed a closer look at him. With a slight smile touching her lips because of her own foolish actions and desires, she moved toward the base of the tree and began making her way up into the tall branches. It wasn’t long before she reached the spot where he rested. His scent washed over her and she felt herself becoming calm and peaceful, even as his aura seemed to envelope her.

So she was startled when his eyes slowly opened. A crimson color that would put rubies to shame, and they held slight curiosity and surprise at seeing her there. She giggled sheepishly as she looked around. “Umm… hello youkai-sama.”

His ruby eyes widened exponentially at that, not having expected her to know what he was. “Who are you?”

“Satoshi, Kagome.” She said as she attempted to give him a low bow. “May I have your name?”

“Why should I give it?”

“I asked nicely, and you’re sleeping in my tree.” The girl replied with a slight pout.

Her actions drew the demon’s attention to her rose red lips, and he found himself wanting to taste them. Shaking his head of the thought, he focused on her eyes. They were pure silver and had him entranced for a few moments before he simply pushed those thoughts away as well. “Since when is this your tree?”

“Since my boys bought it for me.” She commented with a slight giggle. “We’re even fixing it up.”

“It’s still not your tree.”

“Sure it is.” Kagome said as her eyes closed and a soft smile appeared on her lips. The trees aura rose and wrapped around her as she relaxed against the bark of the branches. “Just ask it.”

“And how do you expect me to ask a tree?”

“Simple.” She said as she allowed her eyes to open. “Communicate with your energy. Feel its words.”

“That’s not possible.” The demon stated simply.

“Sure it is.” The girl commented as she cocked her head to the side. “You simply raise your energy around your body and allow it to tap into the feeling of life within the plants. It’s a kitsune secret that’s held in their highest clan rankings from what I’ve heard, as it comes naturally to most of them; but you can achieve the same abilities by working hard.”

“So you can speak to the plants?” The demon questioned.

“Yes.” The girl responded. “And it could be useful to you, youkai-sama.”

“How so?” He asked as he looked at her curiously.

“If you ever battle a plant master, you could easily read their moves. All you’d have to do is listen to their energy communicating with the plants.”

“Interesting.” He said as he leaned back against the tree. “How is it that you know of all this?”

“I was raised around demonic folklore and legends, thus I mastered abilities that I read about so that I could see if they were true.”

“What do you know of demonic abilities then?”

“I’d like to say everything, but I know it’s not true; though I would be lying if I didn’t say that I in fact knew quite a bit. From what I’ve read there are far too many species of demons to know everything on every single one of them.”

The demon nodded at this before looking up into the sky and growling slightly. “I’ll be leaving now.”

“Can I expect you back tomorrow?” The girl asked while cocking her head to the side. “If I can, I’ll be sure to bring some ice cream or something.”

“Hn.” And he left as the girl smiled and relaxed back into the bark of the tree once more. Slowly it appeared as if the branches were bending and shifting in order to hide her from view as she closed her eyes and fell into blissful sleep. Well, she was at least sleeping, but none of it was all that blissful.

“How’s that look momma?” Shippo asked as he stepped back from the frame he and Yoshiro had set up for the house.

“It looks wonderful.” The woman exclaimed as she walked up to them with two glasses of lemonade and some ice cream sandwiches. “I brought you a snack… somewhat.”

Yoshiro laughed as he quickly snatched two of the sandwiches. Shippo shook his head and reached for his lemonade and taking a sip before grabbing a sandwich for himself. “We were wondering if you’d like a basement as well?”

Cocking her head to the side, the woman looked at the frame and gave the structure a once over. Biting her lip, she began listing the pros and cons for having such a room before taking in all the possibilities for its use. A sudden feeling had her snapping from her thoughts as her attention moved to the God Tree and she distinctly saw red eyes looking into her own from within the green leaves. Returning her attention back to the awaiting boys, she smiled. “We could build a large basement that could be used as a practice and workout room, but it’s up to you on whether or not you’d like the idea of having an underground dojo.”

Yoshiro’s violet eyes turned to Shippo’s emerald and they both smirked. “So it’d be kinda like our play room?” The violet eyed boy asked as his eyes remained focused on Shippo’s.

“Yes.” The woman replied as her lips began curving upward.

“Sweet!” Both boys exclaimed at the same time as they jumped up and ran back to the frame where they began deciding the diameters and what would be needed for it.

Kagome merely shook her head as she gathered the two empty glasses and the ice cream wrappers before returning to inside the ‘house’, or rather what was left of it. With a smile, she grabbed a thermos and two cups, placed them in a bag, then grabbed a few more ice cream sandwiches. With these in hand, she quickly made her way to Goshinboku and began ascending into the higher branches of the tree. When she saw familiar red eyes looking at her, she smiled a little more brightly. “I thought you’d come back today.”

“Hn. I’m here for the tree.”

The girl giggled at this as she removed the little sack and balanced it on the branch. “Well I told you I’d have ice cream.”

“I don’t eat ningen food.”

Sigh. Great, another Sesshoumaru. “Have you ever tried ice cream?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know you don’t like it? And no saying that it’s because it’s a ningen’s invention.” Her words had the demon glaring her and she sighed. “It’s really good.” She tried, as she opened one for herself and began eating it.

Hesitantly at first, the demon reached for one of the offered treats and tasted it. His eyes widened slightly at the sweet taste it held, before allowing himself to slowly eat it, so as not to let her know he liked it. But apparently she could already tell as she had smiled at him. When they were finished, his eyes slowly turned to the two boys who were laughing happily as they worked on digging something beneath the new house’s frame. “Who are they?”

The woman smiled as her silver eyes brightened tremendously. “Those are my boys. The auburn haired one is Shippo, while the dark haired one is Yoshiro.”

“Your boys?” He somewhat whispered the question as he looked at them before looking at her. “They look to be between sixteen and nineteen while you only look about twenty-one.”

“Time is an enigma, always flowing in different ways around us all. I’m older than I look, just as my boys are as well.”

“How old are you?”

And that’s when she turned to him, her smile playful, making her look even younger than before. “A lady never tells, just as a gentleman never asks.”

“I am a demon, not a ‘gentleman’.”

“Ah, but even demons can be gentleman. Some of the nicest people I’ve ever met turned out to be of demonic origin.”

“And how many demons do you know?”

“A few.” The girl responded as she relaxed against the tree. When the sun began to shine onto them and sting both their eyes, the demon felt his own widen as the trees branches immediately rose and moved to block the irritating light.

“Is this your doing?” He asked as he turned to look at the girl.

“Even humans can use demonic techniques when all that is required is the manipulation and transferring of energy.” The girl responded.

“Onna, how are you doing this?”

“So you can’t seem to remember my name either?” She mused as her lips formed a wan smile that made her seem lost in memories. “Tell me, why so curious about something I’ve already explained.”

“You explained nothing about plant manipulation.”

“Ah, but I spoke of plant language. It is all one in the same. Silver kitsune are best at using plant manipulation because they are connected to energy the most. Other kitsune are connected mostly to nature, and thus must work a little harder at using it. The secret is to learn to speak with the plants and then the manipulation becomes easier. For all you do is ask for the Earth’s help, but the main reason that kitsune, silver most especially, are capable of such high levels of the manipulation is because they feed their energy into the ground continuously. That in a way helps them build their strength faster because their youki must replace itself quickly, and as they get stronger they force out even more energy to the land. This is all done without thought, and thus the Earth responds to them with such ease because it feels it owes those who help it. I have my own ki which I feed into the Earth, thus it allows me simple favors.”

“If that worked, than why does everyone not do it?”

“It is one of the most guarded secrets among the kitsune species, as they do hold most of their abilities and customs to themselves. Even their language is not all that understandable to most K-9 demons. It’s a higher form of the K-9 based language and body movement as well as their natural sounds and even their eyes are used to communicate, making it easier for them to speak to one another in secrecy. Others who learn of a few of these secrets refuse to share them in fear that the powers would be used against them.”

“Then why share this with me?”

“If you wished me dead, you would’ve killed me already.” She murmured softly.

One of his eyebrows rose at that. “You are intelligent for a ningen.”

“One must be quick witted to survive among youkai,” was her simple response.

“And when have you had to survive among youkai?”

“I’ve known a few, and therefore have had to survive my time with them.”

“You are being vague in your answers, onna.”

“Yes, but can you blame me? I have a feeling that I can trust you, my instincts scream that I can in fact; but I am not ready to share my past with a complete stranger, especially when he won’t even give me something as simple as his name.”

“Momma!” came a sudden shout, interrupting their rather pleasant conversation.

Both turned and the girl smiled as she saw Yoshiro looking for her. “I’m up in Goshinboku sweetie!” She called back as the branches moved and shielded the demon while allowing the teen to see her.

“We’re done with work for today. Are you coming home with us, or would you rather we go on ahead?”

“You two go and go on ahead, I’ll be there later.”

“Alright.” He agreed before pulling something from a pocket on his shirt which lay folded in his arms. Walking calmly over to the tree, he allowed the branches to lift it up to her as he smiled. “It’s a cell phone so you can call us if anything happens.”

She smiled sweetly at that. “I assume you already programmed your numbers in for me then?”

“Of course momma.” The boy said with a semi-happy smile. “Can’t give you a phone and then expect you to call a number that you don’t know.”

“Thank-you both.” She said as her hand closed around the device. “And be good!”

“We’re always good.” Shippo said with a pout as Yoshiro snickered.

“Just because you’re never caught does not mean you’re good.” The girl said as she giggled.

“If I haven’t been caught, then I have to be good.” Shippo disagreed.

“Just go home already you two.” The girl said with a laugh as she shook her head. When they were out of sight, she once again relaxed against the tree. Only this time her smile was a little less strained unlike it usually was.

“They are odd like you.” The demon commented.

“Odd?” She questioned as she allowed her silver eyes to look into his crimson. “Are they odd because they are different, or are they odd because you are?”

Her question both surprised and shocked him. Hell, it even confused him. After a moment’s thought, he responded “are you calling me odd, onna?”

“I merely asked a question. You see them as odd because they are different, and perhaps they shall see you as odd because you are different to them. Everyone is different; difference is what makes us stronger.”

“And how do differences make us stronger?” The demon questioned her.

“I was in a group once, and it consisted of both demons and humans. Some of the demons were the strongest I’ve ever met, while some of the humans had spiritual energy that could destroy the demons with a single touch because they trained and strengthened the energy. Then there was a special one within our group. His mother was ningen and his father youkai. He was hanyou and he was pretty powerful in his own right. He overcame many obstacles to prove himself to his friends, when he never needed to prove a thing.”

“What does this have to do with my question?”

“You’re getting impatient.” The girl replied with a slight smile before continuing. “The hanyou, I believe, was the strongest of us all. His human side made him stubborn so he refused to give up while his demon side pushed him farther and kept him going longer. I once spoke to someone who told me that humans are the most arrogant, greedy, selfish, and stubborn creatures on the planet, and another being told me that they were the most powerful because only they were brave enough to inherit true strength. In our group were demons and demon slayers and it was only through our differences that we survived while it was our goals that drew us together.”

“What do you mean that only humans were brave enough to inherit true strength?” The demon asked as he narrowed his eyes at her.

She smiled ruefully at that. “I asked the same question when they spoke such things to me. I was told that only a human was greedy and selfish enough to go after true strength, but they were the only ones brave enough to attain it once they knew what it was. When I questioned those words, they spoke one word to me: love. When I questioned that, I was only smiled at. Over time I came to realize the depth of the words and their meaning. My friend’s father died to save his mortal mother, a battle that he should have easily lost because of his wounds. And my friends all protected me. My best friend stood his ground against an attack that should have killed us all, simply because I was unable to get away. It was because of me that he found the strength to push back the blow and ricocheted it back at the attacker. He loved me, I was his first true friend and he loved me for that. This is what led me to discover the truth within the being’s words. Only humans are arrogant enough to believe they are not vulnerable, therefore they show their weakness, but also their strength.”

“Your words are cryptic onna.”

And she smiled softly at him this time. “Another friend of mine was a loner and cared for no one until a little orphaned girl found her way to his side. It was because he had to protect her that his power increased.” She said slowly. “When one has someone to protect, their power will grow because of their strong desire. Only humans are arrogant enough to admit their weakness of love, thus they are brave for doing so. Most demons refuse to admit to such emotions, thus they never know true strength. For it is not strength of arms that determines power, but strength of heart.”

“Rubbish.” The demon scoffed.

“My friend said the same thing once. His father asked him a question before he left to his inevitable death. He asked what it was he sought. When my friend responded ‘supreme conquest’, he asked one final question. ‘Have you someone to protect?’ The question startled my friend, but he still replied that he had no need of such. Do you agree with those words, youkai-sama?”

“Whom I desire to protect is none of your business. Only family needs protection and even there it is not needed.” The demon spoke calmly.

“Then I say you are a fool.” The woman replied. “Everyone needs protecting sometime. Even the strongest need someone.” She said as her eyes scanned him. “While you are powerful, I’ve met those of greater standing. Through my travels I have learned that power is not everything, and that everyone is weak.”

The demon snorted at that. “Not everyone is weak, onna.”

“It’s true.” Her voice was calm as she looked into his eyes, and he could see something that surprised him there. Such knowledge that her eyes made her look older than Genkai. “I’ve seen even the mightiest of people fall. Everyone has at least one weakness, even Gods. You simply need to find it in order to defeat them.”

“How is it you know so much?”

“Tell me, youkai-sama, how long have you lived in this world?”

“Too long,” was his quick reply. “But I no longer live here. I cross worlds whenever I desire.”

“Did you know that the lands were once one? That humans and demons roamed the same lands?”

The demon looked at her in surprise for that. “Yes. The barriers separating the two races were created seven centuries ago.”

“As were the barriers to separate the Reikai from the two, but I’m curious, do you know the reasoning for the barriers, or the energy source that helped create them and split the worlds?”

“It is said that the barriers and worlds were created because of a battle that was proclaimed as a blood bath.” The demon said simply.

“Yes, a blood bath.” The girl replied as her eyes closed after a slight pain flashed through them. “It was known as the final war of the feudal era and was said that the battle shook the entire country as the powers that fought clashed. Demon, hanyou, ningen, miko, and houshi all fought on one side against a dark demon who was once human and hanyou.”

“Once human and hanyou?” the demon questioned, “that’s impossible.”

“No it wasn’t.” She said ever so softly. “The thing was an amalgamation of demons and a single human man. This human man desired something and someone. Lusting after her brought about his dark desires that had him call upon demons. He offered them his body and soul in exchange for mobility, because of this he became a hanyou of sorts. He later became more powerful and cast out his human heart, thus becoming full demon.”

“How do you know all of this?” The demon questioned.

“Scrolls that my family kept,” she whispered out. “But the scrolls show Enma’s weakness as well.”

“What?” The demon asked as his eyes snapped to hers’.

“They spoke of his fears, a young woman who was said to tame the powers of those around her and capture their hearts with a single smile. She was said to be a Goddess of true beauty and the guardian of the artifact that caused the entire great battle.”

“A woman? Enma fears a woman?”

“The youkai of the world would’ve followed her without question, banding together to accomplish whatever she had desired.” The girl said as her eyes slid closed. “She awoke the passion in a cold taiyoukai, gave peace and love to an abandoned hanyou, saved countless others in her quest of giving happiness and saving the world, and she was given the power to change the world.”

“How so?”

“The jewel which she guarded gave its power to her when she freed the souls trapped within. The power she achieved was said to rival that of a God’s, thus she was given the title Shikon No Megami.”

“Four souls?” the demon questioned.

“Hai, it’s because the item she protected was the Shikon no Tama, also known as Jewel of Four Souls.”

“How is it mentioned that he feared her?”

“The truth of what transpired that day speaks of his actions and they speak louder than any words.”

“And what were these actions?”

“They were his betrayal to their group and his actions against the acclaimed goddess. When they were weak, tired, and injured he appeared before them.” She whispered softly as she allowed her eyes to close. By this time, the sun was beginning to set and the girl looked to the demon before her. “I must be going now, youkai-sama.”

He simply looked at her before nodding. “Are you returning here again tomorrow, onna?”

Smiling slightly at him, she nodded. “I will come every day until my home is built, then I will remain here.”

“Then I will see you tomorrow.” He replied before disappearing.

“I can’t wait, youkai-sama.” She whispered into the wind as she allowed the branches to help her to the ground.

Here is another chapter for your reading enjoyment, and I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed it.