The Legend
Higurashi Jijo looked out the window and sighed. A small mewing sound came from behind her and she turned, hoping that the book she held would calm the child in the crib. Jijo was as her name suggested the second daughter in her family. She was the youngest of four and had grown pretty much on her own, seeing as her siblings where at the moment, 35, 31, and 29. Jijo was just 20 and she still lived at home with her parents, Hiko and Kagome. She lived there with her equally young husband, the twenty-two year-old Higurashi Suteki.
The young couple had recently had their first child, Kagome. The name was a family name and was given to every other girl daughter. There were currently twelve Kagome's in the family, but Jijo had a feeling that her daughter would be the one.
There was a story in her family, more like a legend, about a girl named Kagome who help their family in some great way. The way wasn't mentioned and every woman liked to boast that it was her daughter was the Kagome, but all the claims so far had been false. Jijo picked up her infant daughter and took her over to the rocking chair, the storybook sitting on the chair already.
"Shush; let me tell you a story. It's a very famous legend," Jijo cooed. Her infant looked at her, eyes wide. She opened the book and a soft voice started talking.
"Once upon a time, there was a young woman and a young man. The two were deeply in love, but, there was one problem. The woman was a human, and the man was a demon. Everyone, including the man's own son, disapproved of them. But, they were so deeply in love that they didn't hear the comments and soon, the woman had a child. It was a little boy who looked like his mother. The child looked completely human, but as soon as the sun rose the next morning, his hair lightened to silver and his eyes brightened and became an amber color. Since the young man was well off, the three, plus the young baby's half brother, lived happily.
"Unfortunately, a dragon demon came along and challenged the baby's father. It took all his father's energy to seal the dragon. But, it meant that his father died. The young woman died just a few years later, when the little half demon was seven. After his mother's death, the young half demon, Inu Yasha, disappeared until he was seventeen. It was then that he found Kikyo, the priestess that guarded the Sacred jewel, the Shikon no Tama."
Joji stopped to take a breath and looked down at her daughter, who stared at her, not blinking. She smiled and continued.
"Inu Yasha wanted the jewel to become a full demon, like his father and brother were. When his mother had died, it made him think that all humans were weak and he didn't want to be half of one. So, when he found Kikyo, he expected to get the jewel easily. But, the young woman, who was only a year older than Inu Yasha, had trained her whole life and was very, dedicated to her duty. But, unlike the other demons who sought her jewel, she did not kill Inu Yasha. The two became very close and Kikyo had told the enraptured half demon that while he was half demon, he was also half human and that if he used the jewel to become a human, the jewel would become pure and her duty over. She promised him that they would be together, just a normal man and a normal woman, free to raise a family of their own. Inu Yasha agreed with this plan and on the day that they agreed he would make the wish, tragedy struck.
"Kikyo felt claws rip through her and she heard Inu Yasha's cocky voice tell her the news she did not want to hear. That he was never planning on using the jewel to become a human. A little later, Inu Yasha terrorized the village and Kikyo shot two arrows at him before yelling "Die, Inu Yasha!" And releasing her last arrow, pinning him to the tree. He dropped the jewel, a surprised look on his face. Kikyo picked up the jewel and ordered it to be cremated with her remains. Just a little bit later, the young priestess died and the village cried."
Jijo stopped and looked her daughter, a smile on her face as she said, "now, this little one is why I named you. I didn't do it to follow family tradition, but it is said that we are descended from two of the people in this story.
"Fifty years later, a young girl, about fifteen, was pulled down a well and met Inu Yasha, who was still pinned to a tree. She thought him to be peaceful looking but the villagers of Kikyo's village thought her to be a demon in disguise. You see, the young girl looked quite a bit like the dead Kikyo. The village priestess, Kaede, who happened to be Kikyo's younger sister, took care of the young girl. But, a demon came after Kagome for some reason and Kagome ran. She was later squeezed against Inu Yasha as the demon caught up with her. He awoke from his slumber and to save herself, she pulled the arrow that pinned him to the tree out and he slaughtered the demon. But, he wanted the jewel that the demon had bitten out of her side. It was the Shikon no Tama. Kaede saved the girl by putting an enchanted necklace of beads around the half demon's neck and told the girl to say a word. She said sit, for the half demon's ears reminded her of a dog's."
Jijo stopped and put the book down as the doorbell rang. She carried the young girl down the stairs and opened the door. A man looked up and she squealed. It was her oldest brother, her parents' first child. But, soon, the man was gone and Jijo was back in her daughter's room.
"Okay, now where were we? Oh, yes, the spell. The half demon crashed onto the ground and the girl giggled. Soon, though, in an attempt to get the jewel back after it was stolen, the girl accidentally shattered the jewel. Kagome and that was the girl's name, and Inu Yasha had to look for the shards. Soon, a fox cub named Shippo that took to Kagome joined them and found her to be a good surrogate mother for his own had died, along with the kit's father. Later on in their quest, a monk named Miroku with questionable morals joined them. It was then that Kagome and Inu Yasha learned that it was a demon named Naraku who had set up Kikyo and Inu Yasha. It was his fault that Kikyo had died. But, when the demon slayer, Sango joined them, they were able to learn more about Naraku. Within months, Naraku was defeated and the travelers free.
"Miroku and Sango had one child, a girl they named Kagome in honor of their friend, who, had disappeared as soon as she picked up Naraku's jewel shards. Miroku was soon killed by a demon after his daughter's birth. But, it was Kagome, who most the women in our family are named after. Sango had three other children, but she always held her oldest daughter, her Kagome, closest to her heart. Kagome went on and had two children of her own and her daughter had five children until you get our family that we have today and it's many members. So, the legend could really be true.
"And, as for Inu Yasha, he was rumored to have loved Kagome, and spent the rest of time waiting for her."
Joji closed the book and looked at her daughter who stared at her with giant chocolate eyes. Joji laughed and laid the girl down in her crib while a shadow outside moved away, a tear slipping down the half demon's face.
"Of course, it's just a silly legend," Joji proclaimed, setting the book back in its spot on the bookshelf. She sighed and looked out the window, catching a small patch of red and silver. "It looks like she's got Inu Yasha's protection." She stated a very common phrase for any one named Kagome.
Fifteen years later, Joji got out the box that held the Legend of the Shikon no Tama. She dusted off the book and sighed; ready for when it would be time. Over the years, she saw many more flashes of red and silver and was now convinced her daughter was Kagome of the legend. Anytime now, it would happen and history would be set into motion. And, sure enough, it was.
A/N: This is just something I have wanted to type for a while now and I finally got the time to today. I hoe you like it and that you thought it was good. I do not own anything in this fan fiction.
