A/N: Hello, everyone. And welcome to my new foray into writing. This fic is intended to be a novelization and dramatic retelling of the story. While the main plot, scenes, and even some dialogue may follow the original quite closely. I do intend to add plenty of new scenes and spice up some of the originals. I recently finished the entire Inuyasha anime after XX years (finally, I know I'm so late to the game and this fandom seems to have died). I watched it on Netflix in Japan (which only provides Japanese voices with Japanese subtitles), and I was pleased to realize I could understand most of it with little trouble (with the exception of Inuyasha who seems to avoid grammar like the plague). I thought I would challenge myself by reading the manga as well, which is what prompted this idea. If I'm going to go through the trouble of reading it all, I may as well be able to flesh out the scenes as I please. Therefore, sit back and enjoy this lengthy ode to my youth.
Disclaimer: This applies to this and all future chapters of this story. I do not own Inuyasha.
Inuyasha: The Novel
Prologue
"Hehehe… I'm taking the Shikon no Tama. Too bad for you guys."
Scattered shouts of the both angry and fearful villagers filled his ears. Their arrows and spears aimed at but missed him entirely. He was too fast for these puny humans.
"With this," he thought bitterly, "I'll be able to become a full demo-"
"Inuyasha!"
A familiar shout made him hesitate, and for a moment he froze not sure if he should continue running or address the source of his current muddled feelings. The moment was too long. A sudden whoosh of air headed towards him, and he found himself falling backwards, pierced in the heart by a faintly glowing arrow. He tried to move forward, but found himself stuck to the large, holy tree on the outskirts of the village.
"Kikyo…"
He wanted to be angrier. He wanted to pry himself off the tree and hurt her the same way she hurt him. Had he not promised to become a human for her? Had he not fought at her side these last few months against the demons that came for the Shikon no Tama?
Staring at the miko standing before him, he found his eyes becoming heavier and his mind becoming foggier.
Kikyo, how could you?
Kikyo watched with both sadness and satisfaction as the half-demon she had become friendly with these last few months slowly slipped into the binding curse she had placed upon him. He would not be able to terrorize this world again unless she removed the arrow. And looking down at her blood-soaked shoulder, she did not think she would be of this world much longer.
Blood loss caused her vision to swim, and she stumbled slightly as she reached down to pick up her sacred duty: The Jewel of Four Souls. Unable to find the energy to stand again, she settled for kneeling before the tree, staring at the blood-covered jewel in her hand.
"For the sake of this jewel…"
Her thoughts were interrupted by the thudding of the villagers as they ran to see what had become of the half-demon that had hung around their village for far too long in their opinion. Her younger sibling and protégé, Kaede, knelt before her, tears pooling in her one remaining eye.
"Sister… let's go back to have this looked at…"
She could hear the murmuring of the viallagers around her.
"That is a terrible wound."
"I knew that half-demon would be trouble."
"Who will protect the village now?"
Kikyo shook he head slightly to try and clear her mind. Spots were forming before her eyes. She looked down at her little sister, touching her small shoulder gently.
"I can't be saved now. It is too late. So, listen carefully, Kaede. I'm sorry to ask this of you…"
Kikyo extended her hand, offering the jewel that had caused so much trouble and taken away her hopes at a normal life.
"This… burn it with my body. I will not allow it to fall into evil hands. I shall take it with me to the world beyond…"
A sudden shake wracked her body, causing her to fall forward onto the ground. As her breath left her, she wondered where it had all gone wrong.
Inuyasha, how could you?
Chapter 1
"Shikon no Tama?"
"Yes," the old man sighed, his patience waning. "With this, the home is protected from danger and business ventures will be prosperous."
"We're selling this… glass ball?"
"Kagome, you must listen…"
The old man, the caretaker of the Higurashi shrine for many years, stared at his granddaughter with narrowed eyes. She would be the heir of this shrine and the job it entailed when he passed, so she needed to understand the history of this place. Unfortunately, she did not seem to take much interest in his words, dismissing most of his stories as myths or completely made up tales.
"The history of the Shikon no Tama begins wi-"
"More importantly," the girl identified as Kagome interrupted, holding the trinket for her cat to play with, "do you remember what day it is tomorrow?" She crawled up next to her grandfather, innocently staring up at him with wide eyes.
"Hmph. As if I would forget my cute granddaughter's birthday." He reached into a cupboard and procured a nicely wrapped gift.
"A present!?"
"It's a day early, but Happy Birthday, Kagome."
Kagome ripped into the present with gusto, tearing off the paper and lifting the lid in record time. When she reached inside, however, her enthusiasm quickly shifted to annoyance.
"It's a mummified kappa hand," her grandfather explained with pride. "It's history starts whe-"
"Here, Buyo," Kagome said, offering the item to her cat.
Grandfather Higurashi balked. "That's a waste…"
I live in a very old shrine with my mother, little brother, and grandfather. There is A LOT of history attached to this shrine and the items here. There is a huge tree called the Goshinboku that is well over 500 years old and some old well that has its own story, but no matter how often Grandpa tells me, I just can't seem to remember. Not that it matters anyway. What does the past matter now?
"I'm leaving!"
Kagome slipped on her loafers and dashed out the door, intending to get to school early for once in her life. It was the start of her last year of junior high school, and soon she would be taking the exams that decided her whole future.
Rushing toward the steps that led out of the shrine and down to the street below, she saw her brother standing just inside the wellhouse situated in front of the main shrine building. It was usually off limits.
"Huh? Souta? What are you doing in there?"
"Sister…"
"You know you're not supposed to play around in here, yeah?"
"But Buyo somehow got the door open and…"
Kagome and her brother peered into the darkness of the wellhouse, trying to make out the shape of the family cat.
"Buyo!" Souta called, inching a little farther into the unused building. The presence of his sister made him feel a little braver. "I think he's down there," he said, motioning to the well itself. It stood unobtrusively at the center of the building, a small herb and charm upon it to act as a sealing spell.
Kagome, for her part, was a little annoyed. She had wanted to get to school early, after all. Sighing, she knelt down beside her little brother. "Why don't you got get him?" she asked. "You aren't scared, are you? Aren't you a boy?"
"But it feels funny."
Kagome rolled her eyes as Souta jumped at a sound and cowered behind her.
"Did you hear that sound!? Something is down there!"
"…like the cat?"
Finding her brother's belief in the supernatural rather amusing, Kagome set her school bag down and sauntered down the steps in apparent confidence, although she would be lying if she said the wellhouse didn't give her the creeps too. Every time she passed it she felt a tingling sensation at the base of her neck but chalked it up to the fact that she spent almost no time in there. They weren't allowed.
Kagome stepped to the side of the well and peered around the back, looking for the elusive cat. Suddenly, something brushed against her leg.
"Ahhhhh- oh."
Souta screamed too in sympathy. Kagome looked up and gave him an unamused glare.
"Sorry," he said, trying to regain some composure and pride, "your scream scared me."
Kagome reached down and picked up the thing that had scared them both.
"Buyo, you naughty cat. What were you doing in her-"
"Sister!"
Her brother's shout came a moment too late. A large crack sounded behind her, and, peering over her shoulder, she could see a number of thin arms reaching out towards her. Shocked, she relaxed her grip, allowing the cat to leap from her arms and run to safety. The foreign appendages wrapped around her waist, arms, and neck, dragging her into the well.
"Sister!"
Kagome could hear the shout of her brother following her as she descended deeper and deeper into the depths of the well. As the darkness grew around her, her brother's voice faded, replaced be the deep chuckles of whatever the heck had attacked her.
"What the- What's going on?" Kagome asked, mostly to herself. She could still feel that they were falling, even though her logical mind told her there was no way the well could be so deep.
"I'm so happy. I can feel my strength returning, my body healing."
Kagome looked at the thing – Was it a woman? It certainly looked like a woman, minus the extra arms. – as the missing parts of its body began to flesh out.
Suddenly it was looking right at her, licking its lips.
"You have it, don't you?"
Weirded out beyond all belief, Kagome pushed away, trying to escape the grip that held her in place. "Let go of me! You're giving me the creeps!" Pushing against the creature with all the strength she could muster, Kagome felt something from deep within her well up and spill out through her extended palm. A bright light enveloped her, blinding her momentarily. When it subsided, a disembodied arm remained attached to her sleeve, but the rest of the thing began to fade out of sight. The voice, however, was clear as day.
"I won't let you or the Shikon no Tama get away. I've waited too long…"
Kagome jolted to attention as she landed on her hands and knees at the bottom of the well.
Was that a dream?
The arm that lay twitching on the floor beside her made her grimace and scoot back.
Maybe not…
Looking up, Kagome frowned. How the heck was she going to get out of here?
"Souta, you're still there, right? Go get grandpa!" And a ladder…
No reply forthcoming, Kagome gripped a dangling vine and attempted to haul herself up.
Probably got scared and ran away.
Kagome gripped the edge of the well and pulled herself over with an unladylike grunt. Annoyed about falling into the well and probably being late for school now, it took the girl a few moments to register that she was standing in the middle of a grassy field.
"Huh?"
Looking around, all Kagome could see were trees, overgrown vines, and the occasional flower.
The shrine is gone?
"Grandpa! Mama!" Kagome shouted, beginning to walk toward what she thought was the house. Suddenly, she caught sight of the large tree before her.
The Goshinboku! The shrine must be close!
Picking her way as quickly as she could through the lush foliage, Kagome was practically at the foot of the tree when she noticed something was strange about it. Namely, that someone was there. A strange, otherworldly breeze blew around her, gently teasing the hair around her shoulders and that of the being before her.
A boy…?
"Um… excuse me?" Kagome said, climbing over some roots to get a closer look. He was covered in them too, she noticed. "What are you doin-?"
Upon closer inspection, the boy did not appear to be awake or aware of her. Her eyes rose from the peaceful expression on his sleeping face to the two triangular ears that sat upon his head.
Those aren't human. But they look so soft…
Kagome willed herself to get a little closer and, hesitantly, reached out to stroke the fuzzy, animal-like ears.
"This really isn't the time for this," she told herself, but found it difficult to release the appendages in her grasp. The decision was made for her though, when a flurry of arrows embedded themselves around her.
"Who goes there?"
"Are you a foreigner?"
"It is forbidden to enter this area!"
Kagome froze and looked behind her, suddenly aware of shadows moving in between the trees.
What's going on?
"In Inuyasha's forest…?" repeated an old voice with concern.
"Yes, a young girl in strange clothing."
The old woman, the village priestess, picked up the bow and quiver resting near the entrance to the hut.
"Take me to her."
"Hey! You didn't have to tie me up!"
Kagome struggled futilely against the ropes that bound her hands and feet, attempting to free herself while not exposing anything at the same time.
Looking around her, she could hear the murmured conversation of the villagers. Something about spies, kitsune, and war. It was difficult to understand what they were saying, not that she was paying much attention.
Everyone is in kimono. Some of the men even have top knots! Where are the buildings? Is this a joke?
Stilling a moment as she saw the villagers turning to look behind them, Kagome got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Why did she suddenly get the feeling she was in a Warring States Period film?
The crowd parted, revealing an old woman in the garb of a miko.
"Kaede-sama has arrived," someone announced.
The old woman walked up to her and looked her up and down slowly, eyes narrowing around the area of her skirt. Kagome shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.
"Who are you? Why were you in Inuyasha's forest?"
Jeez, another weirdo asking strange questions…
Kagome was about to reply that everyone had had their fun and they could put the costumes away, but upon lifting her eyes to the old miko's, the elder became startled and drew closer.
"Show me your face, girl."
Kagome wanted to shrink away, but it was no good. The ropes that bound her would not let her move far or quickly. She remained still under the old woman's gaze.
"Try to look a little more aware."
Wha-! What the heck is that supposed to mean?
Seeming to find whatever she was looking for, the old woman sat back on her haunches and regarded the young girl before her. Her next words seemed to hold both awe and sadness, though Kagome could not for the life of her fathom why.
"She has the look of Kikyo about her."
"Huh?"
Some of the older villagers began to talk amongst themselves, clearly disturbed by this revelation. The younger ones, however, still seemed wary of the newcomer.
"Release her," the miko ordered. "She will stay with me this night."
A couple older men did as the old priestess asked, cutting loose the ropes that tied Kagome's hands and more or less gently setting her on her feet.
Dusting off her skirt and attempting to reclaim some of her wounded pride, Kagome hmphed and followed behind the retreating back of the miko. Whatever was going on, this woman seemed to have it under control.
Kagome looked down at her wrist and then up at the sun in the sky. She had forgotten her watch this morning, but judging by how high the sun was in the sky, it must have been past noon. How was she going to explain this to her teachers? To her mother?
Kagome frowned, thinking back on everything that had happened so far. Maybe she hit her head when she fell in the old well. Was this a coma dream? How did people wake themselves up? Her mind raced even as she tried to keep up with the priestess. Perhaps she only had to return to where it started – to the well. Kagome made up her mind to ask for directions back as soon as she could.
However, as soon as she came to this conclusion, she found herself standing outside a simple hut.
Pushing the curtain aside, Kagome entered what she assumed to be the priestess' abode.
"Pardon my intrusion…" she said softly, not forgetting her manners.
"Please, rest here," the miko said, motioning to a futon in the corner. It had just been set out along with a cup of water.
Kagome took off her shoes and stepped up onto the raised floor. She wanted to protest that she didn't need to rest. She just needed to get back to the well. But her body betrayed her, forcing her lay down and slip under the cool, clean blanket.
"Just a short rest…" she murmured, her over-worked brain succumbing to sleep in a matter of moments.
"I'll be back soon with something to eat," the priestess said, casting a critical eye over the sleeping form of her unexpected guest.
Kikyo, have you returned?
Kagome awoke sometime later, roused by the scent of something delicious. Her sleep numb mind realized that she had not eaten anything during the day, and the rumbling in her stomach agreed. However, as she woke a bit more, her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the… hut?
It all came rushing back to her in a wave of memories and emotions. Buyo. The well. The Goshinboku. The strange boy. The villagers. The miko.
"Ah, you're awake."
Kagome snapped out of the string of memories with a jolt, eyes coming to rest on the miko sitting before the fire pit. She seemed to be stirring something in a large cauldron.
Before she could utter a reply, Kagome's stomach let out another loud protest.
The old miko chuckled in response and picked up a bowl, filling it to the brim with stew. She offered this to the girl in a gesture of friendship, which Kagome quickly scooted over to accept.
"My sister was a miko by the name of Kikyo. She protected this village and the surrounding forest. It has been 50 years since she passed on…" the miko, who had now introduced herself as Kaede, tried to explain why she had brought Kagome to her hut, but was finding it slightly difficult to recount this old tale. So much sadness was associated with that day. "I was only a child at the time. But it seems she has come back to us in the form of you, Kagome."
Kagome lifted a vegetable to her mouth in quiet thoughtfulness. This was an interesting story, not that she believed a word of it. Looking at the window, she could see a few stars dotting the near black sky. This was not the sky of her native Tokyo. Suddenly, she felt that unsettling feeling in her stomach again. Gripping the bowl a little harder than necessary, Kagome tried to force down the growing panic. Surely this whole situation would be cleared up when she got some directions.
"So, this isn't Tokyo, is it?" Kagome asked, trying to keep her cool. It wouldn't be wise to show just how agitated she was.
"Tokyo? Is that the province you come from? I'm afraid I've never heard of it."
The old miko glanced pointedly at Kagome's apparel, her thoughts clearly visible on her weather-beaten face.
It must be VERY far away.
Placing her now empty bowl and chopsticks on the floor beside her, Kagome pulled the edges of skirt down a little further. "I'd really like to be getting back there about now…"
But how? I don't even know how I got here?
A crash and the frantic neighing of a horse startled the two women to their feet.
More collected than the younger woman, Kaede made her way to the entrance first, pushing the screen aside slightly to peer into the darkness. Kagome stood right behind her, looking over her shoulder but seeing nothing out of the ordinary until – Crash!
The horse that belonged to the cry suddenly appeared from out of no where in front of the hut, flung there by an unknown but powerful force.
Kagome screamed and stumbled back, becoming even more shocked when Kaede grabbed a bow and rushed outside. Against her better judgement, Kagome followed.
It was mayhem.
A destroyed hut and the bodies of a few unlucky chicken littered the ground outside the miko's hut. A few limping villagers made their way away from the chaos, while a few braver souls took up spears and garden tools. From the rubble of the collapsed building, a large mass rose drawing cries of fear from those unlucky enough to see it.
"Demon!"
Demon...?
Kagome looked up and instantly recognized the creature that had pulled her into the well. Seeming to sense her presence as well, the creature turned and locked eyes with the young girl.
"You…"
Kagome froze.
"The Shikon no Tama will be mine!"
The old miko appeared beside her, breathing heavily. "The Shikon no Tama, do you have it?"
Kagome shook her head. "I don't know. I don't think so."
A frantic villager came up, waving his hands to get the priestess' attention. "Neither spears nor arrows are working. What should we do."
Kagome's mind worked quickly. Clearly this demon was after her. If she waited around here, these poor innocent people could be hurt or killed. She turned purposely to Kaede, but the miko was still in conversation with the villager.
"We must get it to the old well then," the miko replied, clearly worried.
The well!
"Where is the well?" Kagome asked, surprising the miko with her fervor.
"In Inuyasha's forest… to the east," she said indicating the direction vaguely with her hand.
"Oh! Where that bright light is coming from? Got it!"
Kagome bolted down the slight incline, intending to run along the path through the middle of the rice fields and straight into the forest toward the brightly glowing light.
"What did she just say?" Kaede asked herself, shocked and unsure whether she had heard correctly or not. She trained her eyes on what she herself perceived as a faint glow. Normal people could not see the demonic presence that hung like a curtain over the forest.
But she just said it was a bright light!
In the forest, at the base of the God Tree, an awakening was taking place.
Inuyasha's stiff muscles twitched as his blood began to quicken. A familiar scent had woken him from his slumber.
"That scent. I know it well… I can smell the woman who killed me. She's coming closer…"
He cracked his knuckles, glowering into the darkness around him.
Kagome ran as fast as she could through the darkness, eyes trying to use the dim light of the moon to find a way through the trees. She cursed under her breath as a twig caught on her sleeve, ripping the fabric.
As she came to a bit of a hill, Kagome began to pant. She forced her tired legs to push forward, glancing behind her into the eerie silence of the forest.
"Someone is going to save me, right?"
Without warning, a tree groaned, cracked, and crashed to the ground behind her, revealing the presence of the demon who had apparently kept up with all her running all along.
"Give me the Shikon no Tama," the deep, almost sultry voice demanded.
Kagome tripped over an exposed root and tumbled into a clearing. The apparent source of the light must have been near as things were slightly brighter here. She groaned as she got to her knees, sure that there would now be scrapes and bruises.
The Shikon no Tama? But I don't have anything like tha-
Suddenly, a whoosh of air came from behind, and Kagome ducked out of instinct. The creature that had been chasing her flew overhead.
"What are you doing playing around with that wimpy centipede?"
Kagome's thoughts abruptly came to a halt as she realized where she was. She was back at the Goshinboku, where that strange sleeping boy was pinned to the tree. Only this time he did not seem to be sleeping. Gold met grey as their eyes connected, neither able to look away.
"Huh?" she replied intelligently.
He talked?
"Take care of it with one arrow, Kikyo. Just like you killed me." As he spoke, his voice became lower and more rage-filled. He glared at her with a deep, unsettling anger that Kagome did not understand.
She stood up and marched up to the boy, confused, sore, and more than a little peeved.
"Kikyo? What are you talking about? My name is-"
"It's coming," the strange boy stated matter of factly.
"Wha-"
From above, the demon dove down, knocking Kagome off balance. She fell and rolled down the roots of the tree to the ground below. The demon was about to strike again, when some well-timed spears dug into its back, distracting it.
Kagome let out a sign of relief. She was saved.
"Wow, Kikyo," the boy continued from his perch, "I'm disappointed. Have you become so weak that you need the villagers to save you?"
"Hey, mister!" Kagome, now fully roused and thoroughly angry, climbed back over the roots to look the rude boy in the eyes. "You're mistaking me for someone else. I'm not whoever this Kikyo person is, ok?"
The boy rolled his eyes, clearly not amused. "Stop playing around. This nose wouldn't mistake your scent for any other woman's-"
He stopped his tirade suddenly. Even though his eyes were open, he seemed to be looking right through her as he tested the air with his nose. Kagome noticed that it quivered slightly as he sniffed. Shock slowly settled onto his previously angry features.
"You're not… Kikyo…"
"You get it now, right?" She asked, bristling slightly. "My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me," she said, enunciating each syllable clearly, daring him to make the mistake of calling her a different name again.
The boy seemed to become more thoughtful, studying her. "I guess you're right," he said slowly, taking in the young girl before him. On first glance she looked like Kikyo; she had the strange light eyes and impossibly black hair as the woman he once knew, but she was clearly shorter and younger. Much younger, judging by her wide, innocent eyes. He scoffed and looked off to the side, continuing. "Kikyo was more intelligent looking… and prettier."
"Why you…"
She was about to give this rude jerk a piece of her mind when a pair of unearthly arms grabbed her from behind. Without thinking, Kagome grabbed the first thing she could to keep herself from being dragged away by the demon: two fistfuls of the strange boy's flowing white hair.
"Whhaaaaaa- let go of me!" Kagome screamed, holding onto the boy for dear life.
"Ow ow ow! You let go of me!" He shouted in pain.
The shouts of the pair drew the gaze of the older miko who had just arrived on the scene.
"Inuyasha! He's awake?" The old woman trembled slightly, not understanding how this was possible. "That seal should have held forever… How…?"
The grip on her sides was impossibly tight. Kagome groaned under the pressure, praying that she would wake up from this bad dream. She looked over her shoulder at the vaguely female form of the centipede demon. It was looking at her hungrily, chuckling softly to itself. Kagome shut her eyes tightly and willed it all to go away.
"I know the jewel is on you somewhere but looking is such a waste of time. I'll swallow you whole…"
The boy's ears perked up. "The jewel?"
As the demon's teeth inched closer towards her, some of Kagome's survival instincts kicked in. She needed to get away from here.
"Stop it!" she screamed, attempting to smack the demon square in the face. Surprisingly, however, instead of her palm connected with the demon's cheek, a pink glow erupted from her fingertips and that strange power she felt before flowed through her.
Just like at the well…
The demon screamed in agony and let go of Kagome, dropping her to the hard ground below. Kagome took this opportunity to study her hand. Where had that light come from? And where did it go? Before she had any answers to these questions, however, the demon was back for more.
"Gotcha!"
Kagome's eyes glazed over slightly as searing pain tore through her side. Not having a secure hold on the thin flesh, it ripped through the demon's teeth, causing Kagome to plummet once more. As she fell, she got a glimpse of the small pink jewel that had been hidden above her hip.
"Just as I thought," the demon howled with pleasure.
The villagers looked aghast. Kagome could hear their shocked gasps from where she lay, the pink jewel shining on the patch of grass before her.
That came from inside of me?
Kagome reached out, finding herself drawn to the faintly glowing orb.
"Give it to me!" the boy shouted suddenly.
Distracted, both by his voice and the pain in her side, Kagome allowed her eyes to travel up to where he was still held firm against the sacred tree.
"What?"
She didn't hear his repeated request because an even louder cry sounded behind her.
"Don't you dare! It's mine!"
The centipede wrapped its body around Kagome and dragged her away from the jewel towards the Goshinboku. She would crush this meddling girl and the impertinent boy against the unforgiving bark.
"I've heard of you, half-demon," the centipede demon chuckled. "Inuyasha-something, right? Came after the Shikon no Tama and failed so many years ago."
The boy known as Inuyasha glared pointedly at the demon in front of him, ignoring the gasp of the girl currently being crushed to his chest.
"Half-demon? What is she talking about?" Kagome wondered.
"Don't underestimate me, Mistress Centipede. Someone like you is nothing compared to me."
Kagome looked up at her fellow captive, trying to piece everything together.
"Wait, so, you talked big before, but… are you actually strong?"
Inuyasha looked down at the girl, not really in a position to reply. The centipede demon, however, found this all very amusing and gave away the answer for him.
"You can't move, can you? All your power has been sealed."
Unwilling to wait any longer to retrieve her prize, Mistress Centipede bent down and extended her tongue, drawing the jewel into her mouth and swallowing.
"Crap!" Inuyasha cursed his luck. The jewel was so close. In the hands of such a pitiful demon as Mistress Centipede and here he was powerless to do anything about it. Unless… He looked down at the girl, but her eyes were on the demon.
The body is reforming!
Kagome shuddered as a wave of dark energy crashed over her. When she could bear to look up again, she could see that the mildly scary looking centipede demon from before had now been replaced with a truly gruesome and terrifying creature. The gasps of shock and horror from the direction of the villagers echoed this opinion.
"How wonderful," the new being panted. "I can feel my full power returning."
The squeezing intensified, and Kagome found it increasingly difficult to breathe.
"Oi."
A strangely calm voice pulled her from her from her thoughts of impending death.
"This arrow," he said, nodding his head toward his chest, "think you can pull it out?"
Kagome worked her right hand free and reached up.
"No, Kagome!" Kaede's voice called from across the clearing. "That arrow is what is holding Inuyasha to that tree. He mustn't be freed!"
"Are you stupid, ya old hag? Do you have a death wish? Once that thing absorbs the Shikon no Tama there's nothing we can do about it."
He looked down at the girl again. Her hand was resting on his chest, unsure who to listen to.
"Well, girl, do you want to die today?"
He half expected her to completely freeze up. A clearly stupid girl like her would no doubt not have enough presence of mind to do anything, let alone listen to him. Inuyasha was shocked, then, when her determined eyes fixed on the arrow.
I don't understand what's happening here, but I have no intention of dying. This better work…
Kagome gripped the arrow and pulled with all her strength. It proved unnecessary, however. The arrow dissolved into a million glittering sparkles as soon as she touched it.
Kaede's voice came to her on the suddenly strong breeze. "It vanished…?"
A deep, humorless laugh sounded from above her, but Kagome had no time to question it. As quickly as it started, the laugh stopped, and an explosion of flesh and bones caused the body to slacken its hold on the young girl. She slipped down to the base of the tree as Inuyasha jumped up and toward Mistress Centipede.
"You brat…" the centipede growled, now on the defensive.
"I'm coming for ya, hag. Sankou Tessou!"
Inuyasha swiped at the demon, a powerful surge of energy coming from his claws in a way that seemed impossible to Kagome's rational mind. She felt the strange power slice through the centipede demon, leaving it in twitching shreds on the forest floor.
"In one swipe."
"I've heard tales of how powerful he was, but…"
Kagome stared at the back of the guy who had just saved her – and everyone else's – life.
Wow… he really is strong.
She was startled out of her thoughts by the sudden appearance of Kaede at her side.
"Kagome, the monster will continue to regenerate with the power of the Shikon no Tama if we do not remove it." She indicated the flesh that slowly moved over the uneven ground, and Kagome grimaced. "Do you see the glow of the jewel?"
Kagome, desperately wishing this was a joke, looked over the piles of sliced flesh in their various piles. Turning around slightly, she saw a faint pink glow coming from one particularly large chunk. "It's over here…" she mumbled, mostly to herself. The eyes of the old woman and the strange boy followed her, but neither moved. Kagome reached into the gooey flesh and tried not to throw up. Once separated from the jewel, however, the body began to crumble away into nothingness.
Kagome looked down at the jewel in her hand. It was a soft pink color that seemed to glow and sparkle in the faint moonlight. It felt warm in her hand. She then looked down the bloodstained tatters of her uniform shirt. How had it gotten inside her, especially because…
"It makes youkai stronger," she said softly. "But I have never felt such power within me before." She remembered the energy that came from the jewel after the centipede ate it. If it had been within her, surely she would have noticed it, right?
The boy interrupted her thoughts. "Now you get it. For humans, this means nothing. Unless you wanna become acquainted with my claws, you better hand it over."
Kagome looked up into his strange golden eyes. First he saved her, and now he threatened her?
"You musn't give it to him, Kagome. Not ever. It is an unholy jewel. It corrupts everything."
Kaede's voice was clear in her ears, but Kagome made no effort to move. She was frozen by the pure hatred that filled the gaze of the one called Inuyasha.
He took a step toward her, claws extended.
"I won't go easy on you. Especially because you smell that way."
He lunged, and Kagome moved with a speed she didn't know she possessed. Getting out of striking range, she looked back as the boy took aim again.
"I'll cut you in half. You mean nothing to me!"
"Hey! You're really trying to kill me, aren't you?"
If Inuyasha hadn't been so angry, he would have been taken aback by her stupidity. Instead, he readied his claws for another attack.
Behind them, the villagers gathered nervously behind their priestess.
"Kaede-sama, it really wasn't a good idea to unseal Inuyasha. Even to take care of Mistress Centipede…"
The feeling was very much one of "out of the frying pan, into the fire."
Kaede sighed and reached into her sleeve, pulling out a strand of beads and teeth. Saying a short incantation under her breath, she tossed the necklace over Inuyasha's neck as he lunged past her in an attempt to get to Kagome.
Surprised by this sudden turn of events, the half-demon on the loose halted his attacks, looking down at the jewelry.
"Kagome," called the elderly miko, "say something to subdue him!"
"What!?"
"Anything is fine!"
"You say that, but I can't think of anything while I'm trying to avoid-"
"Stop playing around, girl!"
Inuyasha lunged again, and Kagome's mouth formed an "oh" in her shock. With only moments to spare, she said the first word that came to mind.
"Osuwari!"
Suddenly, the necklace glowed and Inuyasha was pulled face first into the cruel, cold earth below.
Everyone gasped in shock.
Shaking his head and peeling himself off the ground, the irritated hanyou picked up and studied the beads.
"What the hell…" Momentarily distracted as he was, Inuyasha failed to notice the approach of the old priestess.
"It's futile to resist, Inuyasha. That rosary will subdue you the moment the word is spoken by Kagome."
Inuyasha cracked his claws and made a move toward the old woman. "Why you, old biddy…"
"Kagome?"
"Osuwari."
Crash!
"Well now, everyone, let's return to the village," Kaede said, no longer concerned about the problems behind her. Ushering everyone back the way they came, she failed to notice – or purposely ignored – the string of curses let out behind her.
Morning had dawned, shedding light on a new day.
Kagome winced as the old priestess applied some salve and bandages to her wound. The woman was being gentle, no doubt, but the abused flesh practically burned under her ministrations.
"The demonic energy," Kaede explained, dipping the next bandage into the salve and applying it with practiced ease. "Your body is purifying the remaining traces."
Kagome nodded dumbly, trying to ignore the pain. She looked across the low-burning fire to where Inuyasha was lounging. He had turned away to avoid looking at her, whether it was because he respected her modesty or was disgusted by her she couldn't tell.
As for Inuyasha, he was trying his damnedest to figure out how he got here.
The noise from the rebuilding of the village taking place outside bothered his sensitive ears, and the murmured conversation of the villagers peeking in through the entrance screen and windows wasn't any better.
He could hear them, even though they were attempting to be quiet. The fear of having a demon – a half-demon – among them was clear in both their words and apprehensive looks. Scattered comments of "disgusting," "unnatural," and "a crime against nature" made him snort in anger.
Puny humans. Afraid of what they don't know.
He tried to stay angry, tried to glare at the figures just visible through the screen, but he couldn't help the dread that crept up his spine. Pushing the uncomfortable feeling down, he closed his eyes and focused his attention on the conversation behind him.
"With the Jewel of Four Souls reappearance, I fear our troubles have just begun," the old miko said with a slight sigh.
"You mean more demons will come?" the younger girl asked worriedly.
"Not just youkai, unfortunately. Anyone with evil in their hearts could use the jewel to make their evil desires a reality."
Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard Kagome roll the jewel back and forth on the wood floor before picking it up and studying it carefully.
"Why do you want it then? You seem plenty strong without it."
That question was directed at him, but Inuyasha refused to answer it. The old miko, expecting this, spoke up for him much to his annoyance.
"He is but a half-demon, a hanyou," she explained, fixing the gaze of her single eye upon his back.
Fed up, Inuyasha turned around and faced the pair of women, slamming his fist into the floorboards below. A few creaked and cracked, sending some small pieces of wood flying. Kagome jumped in response, shocked by his sudden violence, but the old woman seemed unfazed by his mood.
"You've been goin' on about me since earlier, ya old hag. You think you know me?"
"I guess it's not surprising that you don't recognize me after all these years," she said coolly. She picked up some of the unused herbs and returned them to their respective containers. "I'm the younger sister of Kikyo: Kaede."
"Kaede…" Inuyasha let the name roll off his tongue, slowly picturing the young girl who had once stuck to Kikyo like a shadow.
"It's been 50 years since you were sealed. Of course, I have aged."
Inuyasha snorted in amusement. "If you're this old, Kikyo must be totally ancient. Sucks being human," he said. He tried to brush this off like it was nothing to him, but he actually wasn't sure how he should feel.
"Sister Kikyo is dead. She died the day she sealed you."
Inuyasha froze perceptibly for a moment, then shook his head and lay back down.
"So that's how it happened. Sucks for her, then. Good riddance."
"I wouldn't get comfortable so soon, Inuyasha," Kaede said stirring the pot (both literally and figuratively). "It seems that young Kagome may be the reincarnation of Sister Kikyo. Of course, the resemblance and spiritual abilities already pointed in that direction, but the fact that the Shikon no Tama was inside her body…"
Sometime later that day, Kagome found herself wandering through the village, thinking back on what had happened to her in the last 24 hours. The priestess' final words hung in the back of mind like a lead weight.
You must take up the protection of the Shikon no Tama.
"She was joking, right? This is all one big misunderstanding…"
Kagome stopped as she came upon a group of villagers. They seemed to be talking amongst themselves, but suddenly they all faced her and bowed their heads in prayer.
"Gah! Are they worshipping me?"
Suddenly rather uncomfortable, Kagome tried to make her way to the outskirts of the village, but not before being surrounded by a number of the village people.
Inuyasha frowned as he stared up into the cloudless sky. His thoughts far, far away.
"That girl is Kikyo's…"
As though her scent had not been warning enough, he heard her loud footsteps as she approached the tree he perched in; she had not even attempted to mask her movement. Was she trying to make herself easy to kill? She stopped below his branch, and he was sure she was waiting for him to come down. Not interested in anything she had to say, Inuyasha continued to look at the sky.
Suddenly, something was flying up through the air towards him. Reaching behind his back, he grabbed the soft fruit and glared down at the girl below.
"That's for you," she said simply, looking up at him with those wide grey eyes.
"What's with the food?" he asked, uncomfortable under her unwavering gaze.
"Offerings from the villagers. Come down from there. We can eat these together."
Without waiting for him to reply, Kagome sat down under the tree and grabbed one of the fruit for herself. She got in a few bites before Inuyasha hopped down beside her. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she didn't let the amusement that she had succeeded in coaxing him down show on her face. The fruit was mysteriously absent as well. He seemed to pick up that something was up despite her efforts, however.
"Just what are you up to, bitch?"
She frowned at his use of language but shook her head in the negative.
"Nothing in particular. It's just that you… you don't like me, do you?"
"Is it that obvious?" he asked dryly.
"Look, my name is Kagome. Not Kikyo. I don't know what happened between you two, but since I'm not her, let's be friends, ok?"
Friends? FRIENDS!? Was she nuts? Since when did humans – or anyone for that matter – want to be a half-demon's friend?
He stood up, hoping to intimidate her a little.
"Are you stupid? When it comes to the Shikon no Tama, I won't let anyone stand in my way."
"Ah, is that so? But if you get out of hand I just need to say 'osuwari' an-"
The half-demon crashed to the ground in a puddle of curses and threats.
"Oh, gosh! I'm sorry, I really didn't mean it that time…"
Inuyasha glared up at her from his position on the ground. She did look sincerely sorry, but that didn't help soothe his pride.
"Here," she said, offering him another fruit, "They really did give me a lot of food. Since you're the one who saved us, I think at least half of it is yours."
She really is dumb.
Inuyasha stared at the girl. Strange clothing aside, she was clearly not from around here. What else explained not only her ignorance of demons but her complete lack of awareness of the world around her. She should be running away from him in fear, not offering him fruit.
He looked her directly in the face and realized that that had been a mistake. She was still holding out the fruit to him, no hint of malice or worry apparent. Sighing and acting against his better judgement, he took the fruit and plopped down beside her again.
Inuyasha saw her smile out of the corner of his eye, but she made no comment, focusing instead on finishing the half-eaten fruit in her hand. He took a bite of his and did the same, not really sure what to make of his new predicament.
Kagome tossed and turned on the futon provided by Kaede. She was tired, but the hard floor of the hut was too foreign a surface for her to fall asleep on easily. That, and her troubled thoughts did not allow her much peace of mind.
"I've been here two days already… Grandpa, Mama, Souta… they must be worried… I've gotta get home somehow…"
As she drifted into an uneasy sleep, Kagome failed to detect the presence of a creature watching her. The crow-like demon sat perched on the windowsill of the hut, looking down at the girl and the treasure she guarded.
Far more aware that the young woman inside, Inuyasha sat quietly atop a fence post, watching the demon in complete silence. His eyes glowed dangerously in the night, daring the creature to take one step toward the jewel that he had claimed as his. The bird shifted slightly, and Inuyasha let one of the pebbles he had collected fly. It just missed where the crow had been sitting.
Annoyed with this development, the crow flew off. Inuyasha flicked another stone at it half-heartedly. Let it try to come back and take it…
Satisfied that nothing else would bother the jewel tonight, Inuyasha sulked off to the edge of the village. He would find a good tree to sit in and try to get a little rest for the night.
Kagome woke up multiple times during the night. The last time had been at first dawn, when the rays of the sun turned the sky a beautiful range of pinks and oranges.
Her first intention had been to just go outside and get some fresh air, but once she realized that no one else was about, Kagome realized she had a chance to escape.
Walking through the forest and crawling over fallen trees and roots, Kagome wondered how she made it through here the night before. She shook her head and tried to focus on where she was going. Without the light to guide her, making sure she was going the right direction was a little trickier.
"I just need to get back to that dried up well. Once I get there, I should be able to get home…"
"Kagome?"
"Kagome-sama?"
"It's no use, Kaede-sama. We can't find her anywhere."
The old miko frowned and looked in the direction of the forest.
"She must have gone off on her own then…"
Inuyasha looked down from the roof where he had been sitting. He had known the girl was gone some time ago, but he hadn't really cared. After all, what business of his was it if she wanted to get herself killed.
"… and it seems she took the jewel with her too…"
What?
Inuyasha glared and then took off with a sudden leap. How dare she try to sneak off with his jewel?
Gingerly crawling over a particularly large log, Kagome wondered how much farther away the well was.
She was about to continue when a pair of strong hands grabbed her from behind, one twisting her arm, the other muffling her scream.
After what seemed like hours – but in reality couldn't have been more than one – Kagome found herself pushed to the floor of what was probably once a temple. It now housed what seemed to be a group of ex-soldiers or bandits.
Whispers that pointed out her gender made her squirm uncomfortably under the weight of her captors, who were currently pressing her stomach and face into the cold, dirty flooring.
"We have captured her, just as you ordered, okashira."
"What interesting and revealing clothes she is wearing…"
Kagome struggled against their grip but found herself at a disadvantage of strength.
"What is it with you guys…" she grumbled angrily.
"The jewel."
This voice did not come from her captors but from someone deeper in the building. Peering into the dimly lit hall, Kagome could just make out the hulking figure sitting in the center.
"The jewel," he repeated, "give it to me."
Kagome frowned. He sounded dazed. Or drunk. Unable to move as she was, however, she settled for gulping loudly and trying to ignore the fear pooling in her stomach.
Inuyasha tested the air again then set off in a slightly different direction. If that girl had been heading toward the forest and the sacred tree as he suspected, she had certainly taken the longest path to get there.
"Stupid girl, just where do you think you were going with my jewel."
Picking up another, more troubling scent, however, Inuyasha quickened his pace.