A MIKO MOTHER
Prologue: An Interesting Proposition
Centuries before the coming of the modern age, it was once prophesized that a being of great power would appear during the country's darkest era. That being would conquer a creature of great malice that had oozed its evil all across the land, destroying everything in its path to obtain the highest level of power. And once that evil had been vanquished, the being would disappear. It was a mythical tale that was passed from generation to generation, its legacy fading with every pass, until it existed as a mere fairytale told to the young children before their bedtimes. No one believed in it, no one thought of it as more than a wives' folktale - until it came to life with a wrathful rush.
Tearing through the land was the demon known as Naraku, the pitiful but vengeful half-breed born out of Onigumo's despicable desire for the priestess known as Kikyo. He shredded her body, destroyed her life, turned her against her most beloved - and yet, he would be unable to completely eradicate her, for her soul rose up against all the odds and led her broken body into its final dance. Her lover Inuyasha was pinned to a tree, where he would sleep undisturbed for half a century before being accidentally rescued by a clumsy human female from a modern age 500 years into the future. As they progressed through their journey together, joined by the fox child Shippou, the lecherous monk Miroku, and the demon slayer Sango along with her faithful two-tailed cat Kirara, they sought to defeat the great evil that had done them all some sort of injustice.
Three years passed in a blur and they were at last beginning to corner their prey. They went their separate ways to train and hone their powers, vowing together that they would bring him down. Naraku would not escape this time.
And unbeknownst to eighteen-year old Higurashi Kagome, her life would change unpredictably very, very soon.
Not many knew, but there was an island hidden beyond the clouds in the sky, simply floating there, buoyed by the rush of energy constantly flowing through its rich soil. Population: the famed Ice Maidens, or koorime, whose tears were known to crystallize into rare jewels that sold for millions of human dollars. Currently, there appears to be crisis occurring on the island thanks to the birth of a demonic baby boy.
That's right, it was forbidden to produce male offspring; for, like their name suggests, the Ice Maiden population was composed entirely of females.
And yet, with the celebratory birth of another Ice Maiden to join the ranks of the females on the island, so came with her a red-hot, loathsome demonic baby boy with wide, almond-shaped eyes filled with endless depths of malice. He was, in fact, so troublesome that they had to wrap him in a baby blanket and bind him with seals to prevent themselves from being burned.
His mother named him Hiei, and his sister became known as Yukina.
Here we see the crisis unfold before our very eyes...
A horrid, despairing shriek split the air, screaming and screaming for her baby. The distraught Ice Maiden fought violently against her struggling captors, yelling herself hoarse as she attempted to reach the lone Ice Maiden standing at the very edge of the island, cradling the little bundle of evil that she was so desperate to take back. Hina, the new mother, and Rui, the criminal who stole her baby, though friends at first and enemies now, were trapped as marionettes dancing to the tune of the Elder. Rui had been burdened with the task of ridding the island of the demon boy, but Hina had found out. A valiant struggle thus begun, and now it would end.
Rui bowed her head, the remorse clear within her eyes. "When you come back to this island," she whispered to the baby Hiei, "please, kill me first, for I must right this wrong I am fulfilling." She handed the baby a tear-crystal on a necklace (his mother's tear from birth) to remember them; to remember this place and his past with it. She then let the bundle fall, watching it with eyes she hoped appeared dispassionate, though she was overflowing with guilt.
"Hiei!" screamed the mother.
She fell mysteriously silent as she watched the bundle disappear out of sight. The blank look she wore at the moment was extremely unnerving to the Ice Maidens who had kept her from snatching her child back. There were no tears. There was no weeping. There was no sobbing. Not even a single hiccup. Just blank, cold, soulless eyes staring listlessly at the snow at their feet, the mother shattered in mind and in soul.
Just then a brilliant blaze of blinding golden light burst out from in front of them, bringing the baby back up to the island. The present Ice Maidens watched in unconcealed awe as a beautiful mystical being solidified from the light, long tendrils of flowing platinum blond hair whipping around her lithe figure, clad in layers of complex white robes. The demon baby gently came to rest in the cradle of her arms, his eyes falling shut as her aura soothed his warrior's spirit. She then directed an ice-cold gaze towards the awestruck Ice Maidens standing at the edge of the island, gliding forward effortlessly, weightlessly, to deposit the slumbering babe into the arms of his mother. Hina held him close, tears of relief leaking out from her eyes as she whispered over and over "thank goodness, thank goodness my little Hiei is safe."
"Please explain the meaning of this," said the irate maiden curtly. "Why have you voluntarily tossed away one of your brethren?"
"He is not an Ice Maiden," replied Rui as bravely as she could, directing her shamed gaze to the snow below their feet.
The mythical being regarded her carefully. "You did not want to do this," she stated.
"No," answered Rui softly, scuffing at the snow like a child who was being punished for a naughty action. "I was directed by the Elder to carry out this order."
The woman scoffed. "Elder, ha! Shriveled old bags never know what's good for the clan," she muttered. "In any case, that child is not safe on this island, in the presence of such cold-hearted hypocrites."
"How dare you!" shouted one of the Ice Maidens who had formerly held Hina captive. "Who do you think you are?"
"Yeah!" chimed in the other Maiden. "First you insult our revered Elder, then you call us hypocrites! We have done nothing to warrant such... such claims!"
"You preach about loving and caring for all of your fellow kinsmen, and yet you immediately take action to discard a babe just because he was produced as a result of one of your members fornicating with a demon? You would tear him and his sister apart because they are different? Likely, that Ice maiden sister of his also has demon blood coursing through her veins! And yet you attempt to shield her!" roared the woman with such ferocity that the two Ice Maidens took a step backwards in fear. "Have you no shame?"
"Wait," interjected Hina quietly. "Are my children unsafe here? What are you planning to do with them?"
"I have found the perfect candidate to be the substitute mother for your children. You will be wholly satisfied with her," said the woman, waving her hand lightly.
In the sky appeared multiple pictures of a beautiful young female: long, shining black hair, steely chocolate eyes, a slender womanish figure, form-fitting warrior's clothes, and lastly, a bow and a quiver of arrows. The only problem that the Ice Maidens could see was that...
"She's a human," remarked one of the Ice Maidens incredulously.
"I assure you, she is no ordinary human," said the woman firmly. "This young lady became the guardian of the famed Shikon no Tama at age fifteen. She is now eighteen, and she and her comrades have begun to prepare for their final battle against the great evil that dominates this country."
The Ice Maidens gasped. "She's the guardian of that cursed jewel? How brave!" cried one of them.
"But if she is preparing for the final battle against this evil, as you say, wouldn't my children be in danger if she were to care for them?" inquired Hina nervously.
"Oh, rest assured that battle will not be happening for at least another six months," replied the woman in amusement. "In any case, humans seem to have a very delightful trait that will guarantee the safety of your children: when they have someone to protect, they will become stronger and surpass their own limits so they can protect those people. This girl will definitely keep your children safe. You needn't worry about them."
Hina bit her lip uncertainly, emotions warring within her with ferocity. On one hand she wanted to keep her children with her, both of them, but she did not want them to be ostracized by the other denizens for their heritage, which they had no control over. On the other hand she could voluntarily give them up to be raised by a human priestess, where - wait a moment. Her children had demonic blood. Their supposed new guardian was a miko. Wasn't their job to purify demons?
As if capable of reading her thoughts, the woman answered, "Don't fret, I am not here to send your children to their executions. Higurashi Kagome is not an ordinary priestess; she is not biased against demons she views as allies. Your children will not be purified." Hina relaxed from her tense stance at those words. She made her choice.
"I will give them to this human priestess, though in return I ask that in the future they may be allowed to return to the place of their birth so that I may see them again with my very own eyes," she said, standing up to prepare to fetch her infant daughter from her home.
"Very well," said the woman, giving her a nod of consent. "I shall inform her for you."
"Thank you," said Hina, smiling thinly even as the tears threatened to stream from her eyes. She blinked to hold them back, so as not to appear weak. She quickly ran to her home and found a waiting Ice Maiden with a wailing Yukina. The mother hurriedly took her precious baby daughter back, soothing her with a few well-placed caresses and a quick kiss to the exposed nose. The girl hiccupped once, quieting down in her mother's familiar embrace. Hina's heart clenched as she thought back to her decision, but she forced herself to move out of the house and back to the cliff where the angelic being was waiting.
"Here," she whispered, handing her baby daughter to the woman, who gently settled the bundle of blankets next to Hiei's sealed cocoon. The demonic boy gurgled quietly when he felt the familiar presence of his twin sister next to him.
The woman touched Hina on the head lightly. "You will see them again one day. I'm sure of it," she said. "Take care of yourself. May you lead a prosperous life." The woman vanished into thin air, taking the two children with her. Hina stared a while longer at the empty space. She felt a prickle behind her eyes.
Finally, she allowed her tears to fall, the spherical gems plopping and rolling on the icy ground beneath her.
The gods hated her.
That was what one Higurashi Kagome believed at this current moment in time. The day started off rather nicely, with tiny blooming buds springing forth on the thin branches of the trees, surrounded by lush green leaves that dominated the thick canopies. The sky was clear and stretched itself out above them, a vast ocean of never-ending blue. The air was warm with sunlight, abuzz with the abundance of sheer life. She had thought it could've been one of those days she could just sit back and relax. But of course, she couldn't have been more wrong.
First, some idiotic demons decided that she looked like a tasty snack. Well, they wouldn't be bothering anyone anymore. Secondly, a mischievous little boy in a nearby village ran off with her backpack. Oh, she'd given him quite the talk when she'd caught him and took her bag back. Third of all, a demon she fought pushed her into the mud. That one definitely suffered her wrath for a long time before she killed it. And lastly, she found out that she was out of matches, so if she wanted to make a campfire she would have to do it the manual way. How she'd raged after that!
Now she was strolling down this lovely dirt road and gazing around in awe at the beautiful scenery, while simultaneously waiting for another horrible thing to strike her and make her day even worse. In fact, she could feel it coming. It was going to happen right about… now -
A bright golden light flared to life above her just as she finished her mental countdown, leaving her to yell in her head about having to be right. She dipped into a fighting stance as she prepared to face a horrible evil demon that would burst forth from the golden light. But she was surprised when an angelic woman with long, flowing blond hair descended from the bright light. She was holding two bundles.
"Higurashi Kagome," spoke the woman, her voice seeming to echo in their very surroundings. The very air vibrated with the intensity of the power and magic that the woman radiated from her being. Kagome shivered. "You are hereby ordered by the Lord of Heaven to adopt these two hybrids as your foster children. The Lord believes you are the best choice as a guardian."
Kagome blinked, stupefied. Her brain had not yet returned from the world where it had run off to not many seconds before. "I… what? C-children?" she stammered.
The woman nodded, a solemn look on her face. "I have taken the liberty to remove these two from their former home, seeing as their clansmen are a group of biased individuals who promote tradition and shun abnormality," she explained. "The Lord felt it would be unfair for them to grow up in such hostile environments, and thus has delegated the task of transferring their guardianship to a more suitable person to me. Will you take on these poor children, Higurashi Kagome?"
Kagome took a moment to weigh the pros and cons. She would absolutely love to take the children, especially after hearing a shortened version of their sob story, but on the other hand, she didn't want to expose them to death and violence so soon. After all, the final battle with Naraku was going to happen soon. If she died, they would once again be motherless, and she couldn't bear that thought. Well then, Kagome told herself, you just better not die. Easier said than done, she sniped. What about Shippou? He is also a child who has been forced to survive on his own at a young age. But these two are infants; mere babes compared to the child Shippou was. Oh, what to do!
"I will take them," she decided firmly. "And even though I believe myself unfit, I will do my best to raise them in this war-torn world."
"Excellent. I bestow upon you the guardianship of these children," said the woman. "However, their true mother wishes that one day she will be able to see them again. She loved them very much, and regretted deeply that she would be unable to raise them."
"I will ensure that their true mother will be able to see them once more," replied Kagome.
The woman gave her a bright smile, and gently held out the two bundles. Kagome noticed with suspicion that one of the bundles had seals plastered all over the blanket, but once she had the bundle in her arms she realized why. This baby was a hybrid fire demon. But if he was half fire-demon - why didn't the other bundle have seals on it? The woman gave her the second roll of blankets, and Kagome was taken aback by the cool, icy demonic aura that washed briefly over her. This baby… it couldn't be!
She knelt to the ground, carefully setting the hybrid fire-demon down, before sliding away the white covers that hid the unsealed baby's face. A round head with fuzzy teal-blue hair greeted her eyes. The baby girl sleepily opened her eyes a bit, exposing their foggy color to the world, before she closed them again. Kagome was shocked. Her eyes were red; deep, demonic red. She laid the cover back over the baby's face.
These children were hybrids between a fire demon and a koorime. How on Earth had that happened? As far as she knew, the hidden island of the Ice Maidens existed far beyond the limits of this realm. For a demon to reach that far, and fornicate with a sacred maiden in the process… it was nearly unthinkable. Yet, here was the proof in front of her. The sealed baby had felt warm and demonic. The other one had cold energy emanating from her being. They were twins born to an Ice Maiden and a fire demon. She didn't know how, but it had produced two living, breathing, fully functional children. The woman's words now made sense, about not wanting them to grow up in a prejudiced place. The sealed baby (she'd go out on a whim and say it was a boy) would likely have been brutally murdered or tossed off the island itself. How cruel!
"What are their names?" she heard herself ask the woman.
"The boy's name is Hiei. The girl is Yukina," replied the mysterious woman. "Take care of them, Higurashi Kagome. Thank you…" And with those last parting words she vanished in a burst of golden light, leaving behind a determined eighteen-year old girl holding two demonic infants close to her. She would definitely care for them. She promised.
What's this? A rewrite? You bet! This story of mine has a ton of reviews, but I feel so bad for not writing it anymore because I ran out of ideas. Yeah, I'm trying to juggle multiple things. Yeah, I'm like three, almost four years older than when I first wrote this story, holy fucking crap. Well… it's a start. I'll see if I can get some revising done this weekend, but I also have to finish writing the next chapter for MAtU. Man oh man. But I'm just so happy right now - I got accepted into a college! Hooray!
Prologue - revised on March 9, 2012
Dear readers, please stay tuned for (hopefully) the next revised installment of A Miko Mother. Thank you.
MangaFreak15