Chapter 1

The Fallen Miko

Deep in the death shrine of Seikatsu temple, clad in a short, black and red kimono, sat a young woman who could not have yet seen her eighteenth year. Sitting in silence, she prayed.

As the elderly guarding miko walked passed, she noticed the young one and she bowed, asking, "I'm sorry, but how did you get in here? We emptied the temple an hour ago."

The woman would not answer so the miko asked again, "How did you get in here?"

Without a word or a moment's warning of movement, the young woman swung her arm in a half – circle behind her and the miko's head fell of her neck in a clean line. The woman walked to the decapitated corpse and stuck her finger into the exposed jugular, coating her finger in the miko's blood. Using her other hand, she reached between her breasts and pulled out a vile filled with blood. She pulled the stopper out of the bottle's neck and let one drop of the miko's blood join the others.

Turning back to the shrine, she bowed deeply, placing the vile back between her breasts and she walked out of the room stepping casually over the body of the decapitated miko.

Without a single other miko noticing her, she walked out of the mahogany double – doors and glided into the darkness of the surrounding forest.

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Inuyasha froze and sniffed the air.

"What is it?" Kagome asked.

"It's faint, but I smell fresh blood." He growled

"But there isn't anything around here for miles," Miroku pondered. "… Except for the Seikatsu temple in the west."

"Should we take a look?" Sango asked.

"What for? If someone's died, it doesn't have anything to do with us." Inuyasha retorted and walked on ahead in their original direction.

"Inuyasha, shouldn't we at least take a quick look? We're not in any hurry." Kagome said softly.

"Yeah, but I don't want to be out all day all day just to confirm something I already know." Again, he continued to walk in their original heading .

Kagome huffed. "Inuyasha… osuwari."

"GYAH!" Screamed Inuyasha as the beads still draped around his neck glowed bright white and slammed him into the ground, creating a shallow crater in the road. Pushing himself up, he growled and ran up to Kagome, getting very close to her face.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!"

Not wishing to have a fight and wear herself anymore than she already was, she quickly pressed her lips firmly to his. Pulling away a few moments later, she whispered something softly in his ear and Inuyasha also suddenly lost the desire to argue.

Once the four of them had reached the temple, the double doors were open and the scent of blood was easily detectable. They walked through the temple doors but a powerful barrier placed smartly around it stopped Inuyasha dead in his tracks.

"I hate these things." He grumbled. "Go on. I'll be out here."

They nodded and walked in. Mere seconds had passed before they were met by a young miko with ebony hair and bright green eyes.

Miroku bowed deeply to her and she returned the honor. Looking up, he asked, "I sense an aura of discontent here. Has something happened?"

"Yes, Hoshi-sama. One of our eldest mikos was killed this very early morning."

"HERE?!" Miroku screamed breathlessly.

"Yes, by the door to the shrine of the death God." A look of discomfort came over her. "I don't understand how this could have happened. The doors were sealed because we sensed a dark aura nearing and she was the only one to leave the shrine of the life shrine."

"Are you sure no one left besides the miko that was killed?" Sango asked.

"Yes. I was standing right next to the door out. I would have seen if someone else left, but know one else did."

"May we please see the miko's body?" Kagome asked, bowing deeply.

Considering the idea for some time, the miko nodded. "Very well, but I cannot take you to her, but I will take you as far as I can. Then I will direct you to where you can find her." She walked ahead of them down the east hall and pointed down the second hallway to the left.

After leaving the miko, Sango whispered, "Miroku, I've never seen a temple anywhere NEAR this large!"

"Yes. This is one of the largest, and yet, the least well known."

"How then do they get young mikos?"

"There is a small village down at the foot of the mountain and when a miko dies, a 15-year-old girl is brought here secretly to be taught the ways of the miko."

"What's the point of having a temple if no one can come for not knowing it exists?" Kagome asked confused.

"This temple is only for those who are well taught and deserve to see this place." He said knowledgably.

Passing shrine after shrine, they came to the end of the hall and saw the body of an old, plump miko, and the head was a few feet away, laying a puddle of crimson. The body seemed to be engulfed in a purple cloud.

"I can sense an evil aura, but it doesn't seem to be that of a youkai." Kagome said puzzled. She walked slowly over to the body and placed her hand on the miko's neck. She closed her eyes and the cloud dissipated from the miko's body but there still was a lingering feeling of discontent and even… malevolence, but somehow, pleasure at the same time.

Kagome stood and walked toward the door to the death shrine, but suddenly was overpowered by the level of vice that she began to fall to the ground.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango cried as she reached out and caught her before she hit the floor.

She groaned and then opened her eyes after a few seconds. "I don't like the feeling that lingers here. It seems like whoever was here, gave the miko as a sacrifice to Death."

"Okay. Let's go." Miroku helped Kagome to her feet and once Kagome had her footing, he picked up the head of the miko and carried it to the Head miko. She set it on a charger and she, Miroku and the other mikos bowed deeply to her, showing their last respects, before having her head cremated.

Inuyasha sat cross-legged on the temple steps and when he heard them coming he whipped around, asking, 'Satisfied?"

"Somewhat." Kagome moaned.

"Are you alright?" Inuyasha walked over to her and lifted her up in his arms.

"A little now." She said lovingly as she rested her head on his shoulder.

They walked into the village and were met by Kaede. In her growing old age she had grown so feeble, she could hardly walk on her own anymore.

"Kagome! What happened?" She asked hoarsely.

"I'll tell you in the hut." Kagome replied with a smile.

They followed the, now 64-year-old, miko into her hut and Inuyasha placed Kagome lightly on the floor in front of Kaede. The sun was still hung in the sky but would soon touch the mountaintops and sink.

"Now, Child. Tell me what happened." Kaede pleaded.

As Kagome told her of their detour to the temple, Kaede never said a word. She just sat, listening patiently and took in all the information she could. Once Kagome had finished, the aging miko sat in deep thought.

"Now, you say you felt a dark presence but not that of a youkai?" Kaede looked at the 17-year-old miko before her in wonder and fear.

"Yes. It seemed that a tainted soul had been there and had been there for a very long time."

Kaede sat back and returned to silence. The stars had just began to peek out of their blanket of snowy-blue when Kaede finally spoke again.

"I fear this. I believe that we should investigate the temple."

"We? Kaede – Bachan, you're in no condition to leave this hut, much less travel for two days." Sango lovingly scolded.

"I agree. Don't worry. We'll tell you of everything that we learn." Kagome placed her arm loving around the shoulders of the woman she had come to consider her grandmother.

With a considerable amount of grumbling and groaning from Kaede, she reluctantly agreed to stay behind at the village. Wishing Kaede a good night's sleep, they all left the hut.

Walking slowly down the street, Kagome and Inuyasha watched Sango and Miroku go inside their hut. A few homes down was theirs. As they stepped in, she remembered why she had missed this place so much. It was small but was plenty of room for the two off them. The straw of the hut had a sweet and inviting scent, which seemed to cure Kagome of any fear she had of returning to the temple.

"Are you worried Ka-Chan?" whispered Inuyasha, calling her by the pet – name he had given her.

She turned quickly and gave him a cheerful smile. "Mmm-mm!" She hummed, shaking her head.

Inuyasha dawned a devilish smile. "in that case, there's something you've promised me."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Our deal in exchange for you letting us go to the temple." Kagome smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. Inuyasha pulled her close to him by her hips and loosed the obi around her waist. Kagome let her fingers glide down the seams of his yukata and slid it off of his shoulders.

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The moon was full and the trees shaded the young woman from its light. She simply stood there and the only movement by her was the swaying of her ebony hair. After much time, she threw off the moss from atop the shrine before her and dropped to her knees.

"My Lord," She said reverently, "I have collected the seven – thousand souls." She pulled the blood – filled vile from between her breasts and held it above the shrine. "Here is a single drop of blood from each of those souls."

She pulled the stopper and poured the blood over the cold stone shrine. At that moment, a low, booming voice echoed through the trees "Very well done my child. And for your constant dependability, I will grant you one more companion to call back from the nether world."

She bowed low and simply replied, "Amaikotsu."

"Very well." The voice answered. A bolt of lightning struck the ground beside her and out of the smoke walked a young woman with hair of deep black and silver eyes. It was easily recognizable that she had been about 12 when she had taken her vacation to hell.

"Quick Amai!" The woman cried pointing a tree. Amaikotsu nodded with a mischievous grin and ran behind it.

Instantaneously, seven more lightning bolts struck around her. Out of the smoke came the shichi'nintai. She felt arms glide around her waist and a chin on her shoulder.

"I'm very impressed Love." Bankotsu said slyly.

She slid her hands around behind her along the contours of his hips and found their way to his perfectly smooth ass. "Good. It seems everything came back just like I left them."

He went to kiss her neck when he halted abruptly and spun her around staring straight into her black eyes, focusing on the flecks of red that danced in them. "Where's my little sister?"

"Wow Babe. You're quick." She flicked her head in the direction of an old oak tree and he saw Amai leaning against it. Amai walked slyly over to them and stood at her sister – in – law's side. "Satisfied?"

"Not quite. Can you hand me Banryuu?" She looked at him in annoyance but held out her hand and the massive sword flew to her side. Bankotsu reached out and took it from the air. "Thanks!" He smiled as he sent the sword swiftly through his abdomen.

"Oh! Great! See the appreciation I get from this guy?" She looked over to the young girl at her side who nodded in agreement. "I kill a thousand people for this guy and what's the second thing he does once he's back? He stabs himself to test it out!"

"Just checking." He said happily as he pulled it from his stomach.

She huffed and turned her back to him.

"Hey, don't be like that." He whispered as he wrapped his arms around her waist and began to kiss her neck passionately.

"You're not forgiven." She retorted. In a flash, she spun around and threw her arms around his neck. "Not yet."

He winked and lifted her up in his arms; her wrapping her legs around his hips; and they disappeared into the shade of the trees.

"Damn it." Renkotsu grumbled. "We're gonna be here for a while."

"Speak for yourself, lame – ass." Amaikotsu chuckled. "I'm gonna get out there and enjoy myself." She smirked just like Bankotsu did and she rested her hands on the sais strapped to her belt. "Immortal – life is gonna be the highlight of my after – life!" She walked off to the west and disappeared into the shadow of the night.