In Which the Girl Who Did Not Overcome Time Meets the Boy Who Was Not Overcome
"So? Go on down there and find him."
"But…" whined Souta. Kagome gazed at him pointedly from where she was kneeling on the steps of the temple, her chin in her palm. She turned to appraise the dark interior and the old sealed well that it contained.
A soft scratching noise broke their stalemate. Souta squeaked and jumped behind her. "There's something down there!" he hissed.
"Yeah," she responded, rolling her eyes, "the cat." Heaving a sigh, she stood up and descended the stairs. She examined the well for a moment then turned back to her brother. "See? There's nothing he–"she cut her sentence short with a scream as she felt something brush against her calf; her brother gave a responding squeak and fell backwards. Kagome looked down to see Buyou nuzzling her leg and gave an exhalation of relief. "It's just Buyou," she said reproachfully, looking at Souta who was still cowering against the steps.
"You scared me!" he said in retort, picking himself up. He froze just as Kagome leaned down to fetch the cat. He tried to cry a warning at his sister as he pointed a shaky hand behind her, but it came out as more of a squeak. "What-" she began as she turned around. Just then whatever it was that had burst from the well grabbed at her with a multitude of hands. Startled, Kagome screamed and threw her hand out to push it away. Just then, a bright light flashed and whatever it was fell backwards with a hideous screech before righting itself, hissing. Kagome tripped forward in terror, falling just out of its grasp. When she saw what it was that had crawled out: a creature with the head and torso of a woman only four arms instead of two and the body of a centipede, she began scrambling away, fear and panic freezing her thoughts.
"Give…me….the jewel!" hissed the monster before it lunged once more at Kagome. Adrenaline running through her veins, she scrambled up the steps of the temple and out the door, the centipede creature hot on her tail.
Her breath came in gasps as she ran through the temple grounds and into the forest beyond. She had no plan or any idea of where she was going, all she could think about was getting away. Unfortunately, the monster had about ninety-eight more legs than she and therefore had quite the advantage. The only reason why it hadn't already caught up with Kagome was that it was having a hard time manoeuvring among the thick evergreens.
Kagome got a brief glimpse of a small cabin nestled among the trees, an old woman standing outside it with a bundle of herbs in hand, before she was past it and running deeper and deeper into the forest. Her chest was hurting and her legs burning and she felt that she would soon succumb to exhaustion when she caught a glimpse of something that wasn't forest. She changed her course slightly and, as she came upon it, some deep recess of her mind that wasn't preoccupied with panicking registered shock at what she saw. What was an old-fashioned Japanese mansion doing out here? And it wasn't even just a house, it was a full-blown complex with a main house surrounded by smaller buildings, all surrounded by a high wall. It was the type of thing you saw in period drama about princesses and lords, not something usually found in the middle of a forest. Kagome used her last burst of strength to run around to the front gate where she desperately pounded against the wood. Behind her she could hear the crashes and calls for a jewel that signalled the nearing beast.
"Please, let me in!" She called as she beat her fists as hard as she could. "I'm being chased by a… god, I don't even know what it is, some freaky monster! Please… help!"
A few terror-filled moments later, the gate opened a crack to reveal the sliver of a boy around her age. He eyed her sceptically. "What d'you want?" he barked. Kagome ignored his question and pried the door from his hold, rushing past him and slamming the gate shut behind her. She slumped against the wood, panting in relief.
When she'd caught her breath she looked up at the boy who stood scowling at her, his arms crossed against his chest. He wore a kimono that was a frankly alarmingly shade of red and his hair was bizarrely long and white and were those dog ears that Kagome saw twitching among his bangs? Kagome shook her head and sat hard on the ground. Maybe she hadn't slept enough last night? Or, the more likely, she was still sleeping? Really, seeing creepy centipede ladies and boys with no fashion sense with dog ears, she must have hit her head something good earlier.
"Oi," said the boy, breaking Kagome from her rationalizations. "Who the hell are you…" his sentence trailed off at the end as he stared at her; some form of recognition dawning in his eyes. A moment later they widened considerably in shock. "Kikyou?" he said in an almost reverent whisper. "But… but how can that… how are you… but you'd died!"
"What are you talking about?" Said Kagome, irritated. Why was her hallucination talking to her? And talking jibberish at that.
"Kikyou… you're alive… you came back… how did you do it? Kaede told me it was impossible for you to come back! And… and what are you wearing?" He said this with a wrinkle of his nose as he eyed her school uniform in disdain.
"For your information," began Kagome haughtily, standing up and placing her hands on her hips, "this is my school uniform. Everyone wears it. And my name's not Kikyou it's Kagome. KA-GO-ME. I have absolutely no idea who this Kikyou girl is or whatever. And why didn't you let me in in the first place? I was being chased by a centipede! Also, what gives you the right to ask who I am before first introducing yourself? I should be the one asking you. Who are you? And what the heck are you doing in a mansion out in the middle of the forest? Where'd this even come from?" She looked around her, true curiosity lighting in her eyes.
She hadn't thought it possible, but contrary to her belief his scowl actually deepened after hearing her rant. "I see now," he said, his lip curling slightly, "Of course you aren't Kikyou." He then seemed to sniff her. "And now that I think about it you smell a bit different too. No, Kikyou was smart and beautiful and nice and... Yeah, you are most definitely not Kikyou."
Kagome glared at him. "Now you look here," she began, insulted, but before she could continue her reprimand there was an explosion of wood and leaves as the centipede monster came flying into the expansive yard, crushing a part of the wall with her long body. The boy turned to gaze at the monster, an expression of light surprise crossing his face.
"Hey, that's mistress centipede!" he remarked after a beat, "but she was killed ages ago…"
"The jewel! Give me the jewel!" it cried, lunging at Kagome who screamed and ran behind the strange boy.
Said boy's eyes widened. "Jewel? As in the jewel?" He turned to glare at Kagome, almost in accusation.
"Give it! The Shikon jewel is miiiine!" hissed the centipede.
"The Shikon Jewel? You have it? But that's impossible. Why would you have it?" said the boy reprovingly.
"Hey hey hey," cried Kagome, "Worry about the monster, why don't you? It's trying to eat me!"
He ignored her and turned his back to the centipede monster, facing her. "You have the Shikon jewel? Then give it here," he said, holding out his hand.
"What?" she exclaimed, "Not you too!" That moment mistress centipede lunged again and this time she hit Kagome, throwing her up into the sky and taking a bite out of her side.
As she fell, Kagome's mind was a mess of shock and confusion. What was going on? Really, what in the world was going on? The pain in her side was too real… it couldn't be a dream. But then who were these people? Or, more importantly, what were they? And what in the world was this blasted Shikon jewel thing they kept going on about? Just as she thought it, she saw something glinting in the sun. Was that it? The jewel that the boy and the centipede wanted? It was so small… and it seemed to have somehow come from inside of her…
She fell to the ground roughly, the jewel rolling to a halt a few feet away. Before she could move to get it, mistress centipede was there and the jewel was being taken up in her disgustingly long tongue.
"Woah woah woah don't let her eat it!" exclaimed the boy from somewhere behind her.
"What! What do you expect me to be able to do?" cried Kagome.
The next second the jewel was swallowed and the centipede gave a great shudder. All of a sudden, her skin seemed to just fall off, and she gave a horrible screech, her body now even more hideous than before.
"Aw, dammit! Now look what you've done!" whined the boy from besides Kagome. She gave a start: when did he get there? "Now I haveta cut her open to find the jewel." With that said, he leapt after the centipede, bearing his hand which was apparently adorned with claws. "Iron reaver soul stealer!" he cried as he made quick work of the monster. As he fought with the centipede, Kagome noticed a huffing and puffing coming from behind her. She turned around to see the old lady she'd glimpsed in the forest hobbling towards the fight.
"Inuyasha!" she wheezed as she neared. "What are ye doin'? Is that… I was right, it is mistress centipede!" Then, seeing Kagome, "And who might ye be?"
"I-I'm Kagome," she said, feeling quite out of her depth in the whole situation.
"Hmm…" was the lady's reply. "Yer resemblance to my sister is remarkable… but that's neither here nor there. What exactly is going on here?"
I'd quite like to know that myself, thought Kagome, but what she said was, "Well… that monster came out of the well at my family's temple and chased me here saying something about some jewel, and then I ran into him (she pointed at Inuyasha), and he kept going on about some Kikyou lady and then the centipede came and then he started demanding the jewel too and then it somehow… came out of me? And now they're fighting over it."
"The jewel, you say? Ye wouldn't happen to be speaking of the Shikon jewel, would you?"
"Yeah, that's the one!" said Kagome, nodding.
"But that's impossible…" murmured the woman to herself, then, to Kagome, "Well in any case, this isn't good. We must not let Inuyasha get ahold of that jewel."
At this point, Inuyasha had cut the centipede into neat sections and was presently digging through the still twitching flesh, obviously in search for the jewel.
"Ye said it came from within you, eh? Well then perhaps… Tell me, can you see a glow in one of the pieces of flesh?"
Kagome swept her eyes over the scene, coming to rest at a piece not far from where she and the woman were standing. She could see a faint light emitting from within it. "It's there," she said, pointing.
"Fetch it, quickly!" urged the old lady. Still feeling quite bewildered, Kagome stumbled over to the piece of flesh and, wrinkling her nose at the smell and what she was about to do, stuck her hand into it and retrieved the small ball.
Up until that point, Inuyasha had been ignoring Kagome and the woman. Now, however, he turned a hungry eye to Kagome and snarled, "Give it to me if you value your life."
"Don't let him have it!" cried the old woman, just as the boy lunged at Kagome, his claws bared. She tripped backwards, falling hard, and she could feel the trail of his claws burning just over her head. He was serious! He really was trying to kill her! All for this little jewel. What was with these people? It was just a little crystal. They must have all been utterly crazy!
Kagome jumped to her feet and began running again, feeling slightly hysterical. Just then, she heard a strange murmuring come from the old lady and, from the corner of her eye, glimpsed streaks of light that signalled a many somethings sailing towards the boy. They converged around his neck in the form of a pearl necklace. He ground to a halt and grabbed at them saying, "What is this! Old lady, what've you done?"
"Quickly," called the old woman to Kagome, "The word of subjugation! Ye must say the word of subjugation!"
"Huh? What word?" responded Kagome frantically, keeping her eye on the boy who was presently attempting with all his might to remove the necklace. Every time he tried to pull it over his head it flashed and remained put.
"Any word will do!" called the old woman. "Just say it, quickly!"
Kagome desperately wracked her brain. What was a good word of subjugation? Any word? She looked him up and down, her eyes coming to rest on the dog ears that were presently twitching in irritation.
"S-sit boy!" cried Kagome on an impulse. The beads flashed and yanked Inuyasha to the ground. "Sit, sit, sit!" called Kagome and over and over he was pounded face first into the earth. He lay there immobile for a moment longer. Kagome could hear a muffled groan as she cautiously walked over to the old lady.
"He'll be alright now," she said, with what Kagome couldn't help but notice was a hint of vindictive satisfaction. "If he tries anything again ye need only say the word and he'll stop in his tracks." She turned to face Kagome and said, "Now then. My name is Kaede and that stupid mutt over there is Inuyasha. Tell me, child, who are ye and how did you come by the jewel of four souls?"
Kagome looked at the small jewel in her hand and said, hesitantly, "I'm Kagome Higurashi and I really don't know why I had the jewel. It was just… inside me. That mistress centipede…" She said it with a shudder, "came from the well at our family temple and I ran here to get away from it. I really had no idea that this mansion existed. Who are you people, anyway?" She looked up at Kaede and the still recumbent Inuyasha.
"Hmm… the bone eater's well, eh?" mused Kaede, "it must have resurrected when it sensed the jewel within ye. Well… I think I've a theory on the whole business, but first we'll finish introductions. Not many humans know of this house but I shall tell you as it seems ye are already thoroughly mixed up in this business." She pause, and then, "This here be the house of daiyoukai Inu no Taishou, the fearsome Lord of the Western Lands. He rules over the demons of the west and this mansion is the main house for his clan of Western yokai. This ungrateful boy," she gestured at Inuyasha who was slowly picking himself up and rubbing his nose and chin, "is the son of that great lord and the second heir, destined to take over for his father as head of the Yokai. Fortunately, the day he assumes command is still very far off."
Kagome tried to digest this information but found it quite difficult. "Wait. Yokai? As in demons? As in the ones in folktales? But they don't exist…" But, she realized slowly, they did. It was really quite a nice explanation for what had happened. Of course, mistress centipede was a demon. That made sense. So then so was that obnoxious boy… Alright, assuming the old woman spoke the truth, "Then what's the Shichon jewel or whatever? And why am I tied into this mess?"
"The Shikon jewel, or the jewel of four souls, is a powerful artefact that will grant unimaginable power to whoever possesses it. But it was destroyed, fifty years ago, when my sister died and we burnt it with her body. Which leads me to you. I believe ye to be the reincarnation of my dear sister, Kikyou. That explains yer resemblance and the shikon jewel coming from within you."
"She's Kikyou's reincarnation?" said Inuyasha from a few meters away where he'd been sulking while Kagome and Kaede talked. "I don't buy it. She's far too…" he wrinkled his nose, "ordinary. Boring. Clumsy. Obnoxious. Plus, she stinks."
Kagome twitched and rounded on him but Kaede beat her to it. "Oh shut yer trap ye miserable lump. She's Kikyou reborn whether ye like it or not and if I'm not mistaken, that means she inherited at least some of Kikyou's powers." She turned to Kagome. "Me and Kikyou come from an old Onmyouji family that's presided over this area of japan for eons. A thousand or so years ago we formed a truce with Inu no Taishou and ever since have lived in peace with the yokai under his command. Together, we have kept this region safe from evil yokai, but in the past few hundred years our clan has been weakening. Kikyou was a source of hope for us all. She was a prodigy; she had more power as a young girl than even the most learned masters. Unfortunately, she died young along with the rest of our clan fifty years ago. Now I'm the only one left and I ain't as young as I once was… In any case, it would appear that Kikyou's power has been revived in you and therefore her duties fall to your shoulders. Ye must protect the jewel, Kagome. Many unsavoury demons and humans alike will be after it. It is now be yer job to keep it pure and safe."
There was a silence as Kagome tried to round up her scattered thoughts. Putting aside all of the history… this old lady wanted her to do what exactly? "Wait… but I'm just an ordinary girl! I've only just started high school! I can't protect some jewel from crazy demons!"
"I'm afraid ye've no choice. But don't worry, it shouldn't be too difficult. All ye need do is keep it on yer person at all times, and if any demons try te get it from ye just call for me or Inuyasha. We'll take care of it."
Kagome thought for a long moment. "I guess that wouldn't be too hard… and I suppose I don't have any choice in the matter, according to you… alright, fine! I'll do it. I just need to keep it on me, right? Easy enough." She looked from Kaede to Inuyasha who had once more turned his back to them and resumed his brooding. She suddenly felt the last of her adrenaline drain away, leaving her feeling quite exhausted. "Well… if that's all settled then, can I go home now?"
Kaede nodded. "Just make ye sure to have the jewel at all times! Don't let it out of yer sight, you hear?"
"Of course, of course," said Kagome, waving a hand in dismissal and covering a yawn with the other. All she wanted was to go home and crawl back to bed. To heck with school, she thought as she trudged back through the forest. Classes and demons could wait… for now all that really mattered was sleep…