Summary: Humans and youkai split the world in two out of hatred, vowing to never coexist. Centuries later Kagome unwillingly finds herself at the edge of forbidden youkai territory. What's a teenage girl to do?
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
A/N: Hi again! So this is my second story and as promised, it'll be much less depressing than the first hehe. Enjoy!
A Path Preordained
Chapter 1: Her
The sun above shined brightly in the cloudless sky. Its warm rays reflected off the small pond below, causing its cool waters to sparkle brilliantly like the stars of a clear night. A couple small orange and white fish could be seen swimming within its depths while a few white and yellow water lilies floated on the surface. The long, green grass that grew around it swayed back and forth gently while the seeds of dandelions flew up in the air as a pleasant breeze swept by. Not a single tree could be seen throughout the expanse of the field that surrounded the pond. The distant chirping of birds and the occasional splash of water or rustle of the long grass were the only sounds that filled the mid-day air.
A small brown spotted rabbit suddenly appeared at the edge of the pond and dipped its head downward to take a drink. One of its long, furry ears twitched forward in alert at the sound of approaching footsteps. As they got louder, the hare discontinued drinking and scurried back in the direction from where it first appeared.
A teenage girl carrying a bucket in each hand walked through the field. The wind blew through her long, ebony tresses; frustration reflected in her oceanic eyes. When she reached the pond the girl dropped the buckets on the ground and sat down with a sigh. She pulled her dark blue robes up to her knees and began to unlace the black leather sandals she had on. Once off, the teenager laid them beside the buckets and slowly dipped both her petit feet into the cool water.
Pleased with how refreshing the water felt the girl stretched her arms toward the sky. Then, with her arms still in the air she leaned backward and laid on the ground, her hair fanning out over the grass beneath. She basked in the warming sunlight, wishing she could lay there for the rest of the day.
But unfortunately, soon she would have to return. Everyone in the village was so caught up with preparing for the festival she managed to sneak away. If someone found her here dozing off she'd be in trouble…again.
One more responsibility lecture from her grandfather would surely drive her insane.
She closed her eyes and gave a breathy laugh. She could hear him now.
'Kagome! What were you thinking? The festival is only a month away! You can't just run off like that! You still fail to understand the concept responsibility! Can't you be helpful at least this once? The high priestess is coming to our village for god sake! What will she think when she sees you? You're a disgrace!'
Kagome chuckled at the vision of her grandfather waving his arms in the air frantically as he shouted at her. Everyone was just too uptight. Couldn't they relax a little? So what if the high priestess was coming? What's so special about her?
She could only imagine the look on her grandfather's face if she asked that, he was the village priest after all. Ironic that his granddaughter was probably the only person in the village unexcited about the high priestess' arrival. Why get so worked up over one person?
It was times like these when she thanked the gods for having a younger brother. Now Souta would have to become the next village priest instead of her. She softly laughed at the thought of being a priestess. She couldn't perform even the simplest of magics. Her grandfather tried teaching her but it was a wasted effort.
Kagome stretched her arms once again and sat up. She looked at her reflection in the water.
Why was she so different from everyone else? Why couldn't anyone have the same opinion as her for once? Why wouldn't anyone take her seriously?
Maybe it was because she was a failure at everything she tried. Magic just wouldn't work. Even the forest animals wouldn't eat her cooking. The clothing she tried to make looked as if they had been chewed up. The pottery she made well…..let's not go there.
Yes, one day Kagome would surely make a marvelous wife.
Kagome yawned. She slowly laid back down on the ground as her eyes closed.
…..
Kagome's eyes opened slowly and she blinked a few times. After taking a moment to gather her thoughts she sat up frantically and looked up. To her relief, the sun was still positioned high in the sky. She exhaled slowly while she rubbed her eyes; trying to fully wake herself up.
After a few minutes, the teenager took her feet out of the pond and began putting her sandals back on. 'I didn't get caught yet so best not push my luck,' Kagome mused before she finished lacing her sandals and reluctantly stood up with a soft grunt. She adjusted her robes back into place and picked up the two buckets.
She took one step forward away from the pond but then suddenly stopped and looked back down at it. 'Well, I'm already here so….'Kagome bent down and filled the buckets with water from the pond.'Pond water, well water, what's the difference? Mother said to get water…..and this is 'water.'
As she continued walking, Kagome enjoyed the peacefulness of the sunny field; admiring the wild flowers that grew among the grass in several different colors. She sighed in dismay as a small village appeared in the horizon.
Not before long, Kagome reached the town's entrance. The tranquility of the open field contrasted sharply to the tumult of the bustling village. Everyone was running errands for the festival. Kagome walked along the narrow, congested dirt streets that winded in between the small shops and stands of the marketplace. The smell of warm, fresh bread, pastries, apples and other foods wafted in the air.
Yep, everyone was pulling all the stops for this year's festival. After all, the high priestess was coming.
Kagome continued walking until she reached a thankfully more quiet part of the village. The dirt roads of the market place were now flat pieces of stone that were laid out forming a path on lush green grass. Many large trees grew in between the small brick houses that were spread out across the area, providing ample shade from the afternoon sun.
Kagome walked to one of the larger houses and opened its heavy wooden door. She stepped inside on the floor which was covered by a rug, its colors badly faded from several years of use. The light from the midday sun filled the house through its several windows.
A middle-aged woman with short black hair was sitting at a sturdy wood table, sewing what looked like an elaborate robe. She looked up as Kagome entered. "What took you so long? The well isn't that far away." She raised her eyebrow questionably.
"Nice to see you too mom." Kagome replied flatly, "You know how busy it is now a days. There were a lot of people at the well. It took a while to wait my turn." The teenager set the two buckets down next to the door slowly.
"I see. Anyway, I have another errand for you." Kagome's mother stopped her sewing temporarily and pointed her finger toward a pedestal that stood next to the now dormant, brick fire place across the room. "In that pouch is some money. Go to the tailor's and buy enough blue and silver silk for two robes. And make sure you try to get a decent deal." She said before she resumed sewing.
Kagome rolled her eyes as she grabbed the small brown leather pouch. "All right, I'll be back soon." She sighed. Kagome hated bargaining with shop keepers.
She walked out the door without waiting for a reply from her mother. Once outside, Kagome began to trudge back to the marketplace, a scowl on her face. The festival was beginning to seem like far more trouble than it was worth.
She was so wrapped up in her fuming that she didn't notice the skinny, brown haired boy that was currently trying to catch her attention.
"Higurashi!" The boy shouted as he waved his arms in front of her face.
"AHH!" Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Sorry Kagome, but you weren't paying attention." The boy apologized as Kagome held her hand over her heart, trying to calm herself down from the surprise.
'Oh great….Hojo. Just what I needed.' "That's ok Hojo. What is it?" Kagome said with slight annoyance.
"Well I...uhh," Hojo stumbled over his words nervously; "I wanted to give you these." He said quickly before pulling out about six white roses tied together with a piece of string.
The girl stared at the flowers in surprise. 'He's been doing this for years! Curse my conscience! I just don't have the heart to tell him to buzz off.
But is it so hard to take the time to find out a girl's favorite flower? I don't even really like roses! Now only if I could find a guy I really liked…..yeah he would give me flowers.'She sighed dreamily.'But not roses, he would get those small blue ones I found in a field once. Those were beautiful. If only…Oh gods, look at me! I'm turning into a hopeless romantic!'Kagome snapped out of her train of thought and focused her attention back on Hojo. "Thanks." She said unenthusiastically before quickly taking the flowers.
Hojo smiled as he observed Kagome's reaction. His worries that she would think the flowers were too much were cast aside as soon as that dreamy look reached her eyes. His chest swelled with pride at the accomplishment.
The dorky smile on Hojo's face worried Kagome. Maybe she was giving him the wrong idea? What if he thought she liked him?
That would not do.
"Thanks Hojo you're a really good FRIEND. I'm glad I have a FRIEND like you." Kagome said putting large emphasis on the word friend. "I gotta go now," she turned around and practically ran in the direction of the marketplace, silently hoping that Hojo finally got the picture.
But Hojo remained where he stood, the dorky smile still plastered on his face. Kagome's attempt to show him she didn't like him failed miserably.
He was a little too dense for his own good.
…
Shades of pink, orange, and red filled the sky as the sun began to sink in the horizon.
" I thought that woman would never run out of errands."Kagome muttered under her breath as she walked out of her house. She had spent almost the entire day helping her mother get ready for the festival. "Now that I have some free time, I can go visit Ayami."
Kagome walked toward a small house that was situated on the far end of the area; right before the forest began. When she reached it Kagome knocked on the door softly.
"Who is it?" said a kind feminine voice from the house.
"It's me, Kagome." A slight rustle could be heard from inside before the door opened. A petit woman with dark hair that reached her waistline stood in the doorway. She smiled when she saw Kagome.
"Hello Kagome. I haven't seen you in a while. Busy with the festival I take it?" The woman asked.
"Hi Ayami. Yeah, I spent the past few days doing nothing but running errands." Kagome grumbled.
"Yes, I've been busy too. Well, come on in." Ayami invited.
"Thanks." Kagome said before she stepped in and Ayami closed the door behind her. Kagome took in the familiar sight of Ayami's small home. The house was composed of two rooms; the bedroom and the great room. The great room held a kitchen and a sitting area; separated by a brick half-wall. Ever since she was little Kagome would always come over. She remembered when Ayami first came to the village; she was only six years old.
-Flashback-
A little Kagome holding a small woven basket filled with several types of fruits skipped through the market place while humming softly. Her grandfather asked her to get some food for diner and now she was heading home.
"Someone get help! Call a doctor!" yelled a voice coming from the village's gate. Kagome stopped short. What happened? Who needed help? She turned around and walked in the direction of where the voice was coming from.
Upon arriving at the gate, Kagome saw several people crowded around in a circle. The little girl became curious and headed toward the crowd. Kagome squeezed herself through the legs of the onlookers and soon reached the center. She gasped in shock at what she saw.
A woman, probably in her mid twenties, laid unconsciously on the ground. The ensemble she wore was torn all the way up to her knees and its sleeves were completely gone. There was a tattered brown sandal on one of her feet while the other was bare. The woman's long, dark hair draped messily over her shoulders and partially covered her tear-stained face. Several gashes and cuts that were bleeding very badly marred her entire body.
"Make way!" yelled a man's voice from outside the crowd. The people immediately moved aside and let him pass through. He was a rather old man, his hair grey and his eyes sagging with many wrinkles. He carried a large brown basket that was filled with several medical supplies.
The man bent down next to the woman and began sifting through the items in his basket. He lifted his head up momentarily. "Someone get water!" He yelled before he looked back down at his basket and pulled out a large, white cloth. He turned to the unconscious women and gently pressed two of his fingers against her neck. After a few moments he lifted his fingers with a sigh of relief.
A middle aged man carrying a bucket filled with water pushes his way through the mass of people still surrounding the woman and the doctor. Once he made it through, the man set it next to the doctor. The doctor gave a slight nod in thanks and dipped the white cloth into the water. He took the now damp cloth and began to gently clean the wounds of the injured woman. After the excess blood and dirt had been removed, the doctor discarded the white cloth and began to wrap the wounds with bandages he retrieved from the basket.
Kagome almost couldn't bear to watch as the poor woman winced while her wounds were being cleansed and bandaged. She must have been in a lot of pain. The doctor had finished wrapping the wounds and wiped the sweat that had accumulated on his brow.
"She lost a lot of blood, but she should be okay." The old man said. "We need to take her inside. Can anyone help me carry her?" Two people emerged from the crowd and bent down next to the woman. "All right that'll do. Now we must be gentle, she's in a lot of pain. On three, one, two three!" The doctor said with a grunt as the three of them gently picked the woman up. The crowd separated, allowing them to pass through. They slowly stepped forward, making sure they weren't causing the woman too much pain.
Kagome watched as they walked off holding the woman. She decided that she should do something to make her feel better. Kagome smiled, the field right outside of town did have beautiful wildflowers.
-End Flashback-
It wasn't until much later that Kagome found out what happened to Ayami. Apparently, she was traveling with her husband and her son and were unfortunately attacked by youkai. Ayami was the only one who survived. After she stumbled on to the village and recovered from her wounds, Ayami decided to stay in the village. She had no other family to go to.
Kagome had never asked much about the woman's family. She was reticent in bringing up such a topic and always gotten the impression that the woman was not inclined to bring it up once again.
Kagome was thankful that Ayami stayed. She was like a mother to her. Ayami was the only one she could really talk to, or tolerate.
"Would you like to take a seat Kagome?" Ayami asked, pointing to the small table in the corner of the great room.
"Sure." Kagome nodded. Kagome went over and sat down while Ayami took a seat in the chair across from her.
"So how are you?" Ayami asked.
"I'm fine. I just can't wait until the festival is over though. There's just too much going on." Kagome complained as she rested her chin on her hand.
Ayami nodded. "It has been pretty busy around here lately."
The two talked for a while about several different topics. But not before long, Kagome had to return home for dinner.
"I'm home!" Kagome walked into the house. Her mother, who was currently setting the table for diner made no acknowledgment of Kagome besides lifting her head up for a moment.
"Hey Kagome!" said a little black-haired boy as he ran up to her.
"Hi Souta." She said as she patted her brother on the head.
He put his hands on top of his head and ducked away from her. "Don't do that!" He scowled.
Kagome chuckled. "Is grandfather back yet?"
"Nope he isn't here." Souta responded.
Kagome sighed in relief. She didn't feel like listening to her grandfathers ramblings. She broke away from her thoughts as the front door opened behind her. 'So much for avoiding him,' Kagome thought in dismay.
A short, gray haired old man walked through. "Hi Grandpa!" Souta said as their grandfather closed the door behind him.
"Hello Souta, Kagome." The grandfather said.
"Hi," Kagome mumbled.
"Didja get any youkai today with your scrolls?" Souta said excitedly.
The old man laughed, "No Souta, youkai don't attack for any reason whatsoever."
"But why not? Nothing exciting ever happens!" the boy said, seeming disappointed.
"Well I guess they would more often if there was a jewel shard in the village." The grandfather replied.
"Huh?" Souta furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"You haven't heard about the jewel shards?" the old man asked, thoroughly surprised. Souta shook his head. "Well it's about time you did."
'Great I have to hear this one again.' Kagome sighed.
"You can tell him while we eat dinner, it's ready." Kagome and Souta's mother said as she finished setting the table. Kagome, Souta, their grandfather, and their mother all sat at their usual seats at the table.
Kagome began eating. 'Well at least the food will entertain me through his boring story.'
"Well Souta," the man began, "humans and youkai have been fighting ever since they both originated. As hundreds and hundreds of years passed by, the fighting only got worse. It came to the point where the World was split in two, one side for the youkai and the other for humans."
"Wow!" Souta exclaimed. "So does that means there was like a wall down the middle of the Earth?"
Kagome gave a breathy laugh at Souta's childishness. "No Souta," the grandfather corrected, "it was an imaginary border. The humans and youkai hated each other so much that they isolated themselves from the other."
"Oh. But what does this have to do the 'jewel shards' things?" Souta asked.
'Absolutely nothing, he just wants to make the story longer than it really is. I've never meet another person that loves to hear themselves talk as much as him.'Kagome pondered.
"Well, I'm getting to that. Just be patient." The grandfather said in a huff. Kagome leaned her cheek on her left palm and continued to eat with her other hand.
"Kagome, sit up straight." Her mother scolded. With a sigh Kagome lifted her head up and sat upright. "Thank you."
"Anyway, I was saying that they isolated themselves from one another. Aside from a few instances, this was the case for many, many years. However, several things happened that caused the humans and demons to go into war once again. One of the reasons is that demons started to become more organized. They realized that they would be stronger if they worked together against the humans. With this advantage, they thought that they could be able to defeat the humans," the grandfather explained.
"But what about the jewel shards!" Souta whined.
Kagome bit her tongue in order to stop herself from bursting out laughing at her grandfather's murderous expression. She knew he hated being interrupted. 'I guess Souta's impatience can be a good thing once in a while.' Kagome figured.
"I was just getting to that Souta. Now will you please be quiet so I can finish?" The grandfather said with steam practically coming out of his ears. Souta gulped loudly and nodded. "All right," the old man cooled down, "Another reason for the isolation to cease was the sudden appearance of several jewel shards. These shards were able to give both demons and humans amazing power ups. A single shard could probably make you ten times more powerful."
"Wow! I want one! I'll be Souta, The Youkai Exterminator!" Souta exclaimed flexing the bicep muscles he didn't have.
The grandfather pointed his finger at Souta accusingly, "No, you don't!"
"I don't?" Souta asked, confused.
"Anyone who has a jewel shard is in great danger! Do you know how many youkai would come after you? They'd kill you!" The man berated.
"Oh." Souta looked down.
"Well as I was saying, these jewel shards were scattered across the land. Both humans and youkai wanted them to become stronger. So it became a race. Whoever gained the most jewel shards would win the war with the strength of the shards," the grandfather explained, "But, you see after years of searching, the humans and youkai realized that finding the shards was much harder than previously expected. So the search died down a little, but humans and youkai still fight over the ones that were found. That brings us to where we are now. The jewel shards are still out there, waiting to be discovered."
"All that time and no one still found them all?" Souta asked in disbelief.
"It's a big world out there, and the shards are very small," the old man explained, putting his thumb and pointer finger a small distance away from each other. "But there's a secret about the shards that not many know."
"What is it? Tell me!" Souta almost jumped out of the seat from excitement.
'At least someone likes his stories.'Kagome thought.
"Well, it is said that the jewel shards actually formed one single jewel at one time. It was called the Shikon Jewel. And if you were to collect all the jewel shards to form the Shikon Jewel once again, then you could make any wish you want on it," the old man said.
"That's awesome!" Souta proclaimed.
"Well since you heard the story, now you can eat." Souta and Kagome's mother said as she pointed to Souta's plate, which hadn't been touched.
"All right." Souta sighed before he started to eat.
Soon after her grandfather had finished telling the story, Kagome had finished. "Thank you. I'm really worn out, so I'm going to go to bed early." She said before standing up and leaving the table.
Kagome walked across the great room and went upstairs, into the bedroom. Kagome laid down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. 'Another exciting day.'She thought before drifting into sleep.
A/N: So what did you guys think? Any good?
Till next time!