Chapter Two: The Seekers of the Sacred Jewel
"Ye are the reincarnation of my late sister Kikyo."...
The old miko, Kaede's, words echoed in Sesshomaru's mind as he watched the younger miko's expressions change from astonishment, to fear, to disgruntlement, before inevitably settling on exhaustion. Such a strange creature this young human woman was. He never understood just how one could cycle through an array of emotions as quickly as the human race could. To him the whole thing was troublesome. In his world, such emotions as fear or love only got one killed.
Or sealed away. He thought bitterly. It had been fear for the erasure of his bloodline and a love for his brother that had landed him here, standing amongst a large group of humans with two mikos. His father would surely be laughing at his eldest son. Sesshomaru had sworn off associating with mere humans when his father chose to take a human princess as his mate. The young lord had been so angry with the old dog at the time. Even now he did not understand how a youkai as powerful as his father would fall in love with the human when he had already mated Sesshomaru's mother. He remembered the Inukimi's bitterness and hatred over the whole affair. How her already cold disposition calcified into something much worse. She had turned apathetic, uncaring of anything and everything around her; even her own son.
With a grunt, Sesshomaru pushed the memories back down into the cage he had locked them in long ago within the confines of his mind. The old Miko had taken them back to her small hut within the tiny human village. He was none too happy to be there himself, but he was now bound to the girl that had awoken him from his slumber. What was the blasted girl's name again? Kagome? A scoff escaped his lips. He most definitely would not be calling the creature by her name; she had not earned the respect for him to address her as such. If he were not bound by his word to the miko, he would have killed every human in that clearing for what their kind had done to him.
"You alright, Sesshomaru?" Her voice wrenched him from his thoughts and he did his best to ignore her, gracing her with a pensive glare.
Kagome felt her ire rise once more. The least the guy could do was speak to her! She had half a mind to give this guy a piece of her mind. However, her ire quickly deflated, turning into fatigue. Her body hurt and she wanted nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare of a reality. She supposed Sesshomaru was rather weary from everything as well.
I mean the guy did just wake up from a spell just to be nearly killed by monster. Kagome mused, wincing as Kaede spread a green paste on her wound. She saw how his expression had become drawn, a frown stretching his lips, for a long moment before he noticed her looking up at him. He had been somewhere else completely in that moment, and whatever he had been thinking about seemed to have been painful. So she relented, a sigh escaping her lip as she turned back to Kaede to continue their conversation.
"You were saying, Kaede?" She apologized, pinching the bridge of her nose. She winced once more as Kaede worked to patch her up. She tried to look everywhere but at the gory mess that the hole in her side presented. Outside the men made repairs to the huts, while the women did their best to clean up the debris left from the attack the night before. She looked over to Sesshomaru, who sat quietly against the wall across the hearth, his eyes closed and his hands tucked into the sleeves of his kimono. She winced again, gasping when she felt Kaede spread something thick on her wound, making the area burn.
"Hold still, child. I need to put this paste I made from medicinal herbs to help heal the wound." She said as she spread more of the putrid smelling paste onto the injury. Throwing a quick glance over toward Sesshomaru, she began to speak once again as she worked.
"It has been many years that ye have been sealed to the sacred tree, Lord Sesshomaru." She said. "Fifty years, in fact." The Youkai Lord opened his eyes at that, his expression deadpan.
"I see." Was all he said in response before closing his eyes once more. Kaede grunted before launching back into her explanation.
"For the jewel to be back in this age will prove to be troublesome. Evil beings will come hunting for it." She mused as she pressed a large plaster to Kagome's side, careful not to press on the wound too hard.
" Um… You mean like Youkai?" Kagome asked, moving to fully face Kaede, sighing when she notices the villagers listening in on them from the doorway.
Kaede nodded. "Aye. But Youkai are not the only ones that will be trying to get the shikon no tama. Humans that hold evil within their hearts seek the power of the jewel as well." Kagome swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.
"But why would they wanted the jewel?" She stammered, looking down at the little pink jewel in her palm. Kaede gave the thing a sidelong glance as she scrubbed her hands clean of the blood.
"In this time of war, anyone who gains the full spiritual power of the jewel will have the power to make all of their desires come true." The old miko stood and carried the small wooden bucket to the door to dump the blood tainted water outside. Kagome looked back down at the jewel her mind beginning to race.
So this thing has that much power? She thought back to what had happened to the Mistress Centipede when she had ingested the jewel, a shudder running down her spine at the memory. And this thing...Was inside of me? Why had it been there to begin with? Was it because she was the reincarnation of this Kikyo? Speaking of….
"Kaede. Who is this Kikyo person, anyway?" She asked, looking back up as Kaede stepped back into the hut. She watched a pained expression come over the older woman's wrinkled face. She let out a weary sigh, moving to sit beside the hearth.
"She was my older sister. She protected this village and the jewel from those who would try and take it and use it for their own selfish desires." As she spoke, she stoked the embers in the hearth, her good eye shining like glass with unshed tears. Kagome felt sympathy for the old woman. She wiped a tear threatening to fall from her eye.
"How did she die?" She asked, jumping when Sesshomaru stood up abruptly and walked out of the hut. What was his problem? Did he really hate Kikyo so much? But why? She vaguely remembered him mentioning Kikyo earlier when he was still pinned to the tree. She had been the one to put the spell on him.
"She was fatally injured by Inuyasha, Sesshomaru's younger brother. She tried pinning the hanyou to the Goshinboku, but Lord Sesshomaru pushed him out of the way and took the arrow." Kaede chimed in, breaking her from her thoughts. Kagome could not help but feel bad for both parties. This Inuyasha seemed like he was a bad character.
"How terrible…." She whispered, looking over to the doorway. No wonder Sesshomaru had walked out. He was probably still angry with the whole thing. Excusing herself, she stood and walked out of the hut, intent on finding the youkai lord. She walked through small streets of the village, taking in the peculiar scene. The villagers all eyed her, whispering amongst each other as she passed.
"I hear she is the reincarnation of Lady Kikyo…" One young woman whispered to a small group. They turned to her and immediately bowed in respect to her. Kagome felt her face flush at their gesture. She picked up the pace, praying she found Sesshomaru soon.
Sesshomaru sat perched up in a tall tree along the rice fields, far enough to get a little privacy, while still being within ear shot in case any stray youkai decide to try their hand at getting the Shikon Jewel. He kept his golden gaze up at the clear blue sky, watching small wisps of clouds move across the sea of blue as he let his mind drift. He had been pinned to that damnable tree for fifty years. Such amount of time was meager for a youkai such as himself, but it was still enough time for things to change drastically around him. He had lost so much time in this war torn land thanks to that wretched miko. He could only hope that his lands were still in order and had not fallen victim to one of his numerous enemies in his absence.
Hopefully Jaken was able to handle things. The little kappa was an eccentric character, but loyal to a fault when it came to Sesshomaru. He would often leave him in charge of the castle when he would go off to patrol the Western Lands. The youkai lord absently wondered if the Jaken had looked for him at all in the fifty years that he slept. He would have to ensure that the miko was safe so that he could go on a patrol soon. This little hamlet was at the very border of his lands, so it was definitely a start.
Speaking of the little miko. What was it about her that made him want to pledge his protection to her before? Had he not sworn off such interactions with the weaker species? There was something about her that he found fascinating for sure; from her strange clothes to the unbiased way that she addresses him despite him being youkai. He didn't find her scent all that unpleasant either. He could tell that she bathed when he first scented her. Was she from a noble family to have access to such luxuries? No. Her mannerisms suggested otherwise: She lacked the etiquette of a Lady of the Court. He was pulled out of his musings as the scent of soaps and apples approached his perch. Truly peculiar indeed. He looked down at her approaching form, a bag of various vegetables slung over her shoulder, no doubt an offering from the villagers. He supposed it was fitting; she being the reincarnation of the miko Kikyo.
"Why do you bother me, miko?" He drawled, schooling his expression as best as he could into an apathetic mask. Fascinating or not, he was her protector and he could not show her any weakness that certain emotions brought with them. Kagome stopped below his branch, a fruit, he deduced was a kaki by the sweet citrine scent coming off of it in her free hand. She shot him a bright smile before throwing the fruit up to him. He caught it, bringing the fruit up to inspect it further.
"Offerings from the villagers! That's your share. Why don't you come down and eat with me?" She called up and Sesshomaru found himself obliging, jumping down and landing gracefully in front of her. Without a word, he reached over and gently pulled the tied cloth sack from her shoulder and set it down among the roots at the base of the tree. Her smile widened and her eyes twinkled like stars in the night sky as she thanked him and sat down beside the bag.
"They gave up a whole bunch of fruits and vegetables to eat, and I haven't seen you eat at all yet since you were freed from the tree, so I figured you would like some." She grunted and she rummaged through the bag, giving a short cry when she fished out another kaki from the burlap. Sesshomaru watched as she plopped herself down, her legs stretched out in front of her before taking a seat beside her, his form well but dwarfing her own. He drew his legs to him, folding them akimbo before taking a bite out of his fruit. It was sweeter than he remembered, but he supposed that everything would have a pronounced flavor to his neglected taste buds. He looked over to his companion as she munched happily at her own fruit, careful to avoid the pit within. She merely watched the village below from their spot on the high hill, those stars in her eyes from before dancing in delight.
"What do you intend to do about the Shikon no Tama?" He decided to sate his growing curiosity. Kagome merely swallowed the bite that she was chewing before looking up at the sky, delight turning to a wistful expression.
"I really don't know, honestly. I guess as Kikyo's reincarnation I have to protect the jewel now, right? I'm not really sure how I intend to do that though…" Her voice dropped with her eyes and she brought her knees up to her chest and tucked them under her softly rounded chin. He could smell the scent of smoke accompanied with the somber change in her mood.
Why sadness? Should she not be feeling fear? She was by no means defenseless, but from his understanding she could not control her reiki very well. But here she sat unsure of herself. Why?
Kagome could do nothing more than let the self doubt consume her as she sat. Here she was, a human girl, 500 years away from her own time in a time where youkai run amok. How in the world was she supposed to protect a jewel so sought after by humans and youkai alike? She did not know how to use any weapons to defend herself and she had to depend on the youkai beside her for protection. She shifted her gaze to the being in question, looking at him from the corner of her eye. Would he keep his promise to her and protect her as he said he would? She was doing a lot by putting her trust in this complete stranger. But oddly she was not afraid. His larger form sitting beside her did not intimidate her as it should have. It made her feel oddly secure in the idea of him being by her side with the task entrusted to her. But something still ate at her at the very back of her mind….
"Hey, Sesshomaru?" She turned her head to him, waiting for him to turn his gaze to her, continuing when he did so. "Do you hate humans?"
She watched as he seemed to contemplate his answer for a moment, those beautiful golden eyes of his going up to the sky.
"I do not hate humans. I do not like them. But I tolerate them, a lord must tolerate all of his subjects." He spoken, his voice so surprisingly gentle that Kagome felt her cheeks heat up a bit. She took a breathe before she spoke again, readying herself for potential backlash.
"Kaede told me what happened…" She began hesitantly, watching his expressions as she continues. "She told me about your younger brother, how he wounded Kikyo….And how you took the arrow for him." His expression had become drawn again and she immediately found herself scrambling for an apology.
"S-sorry! I didn't mean to pry or anything! I just… I'm sorry." She stammered out, her cheeks turning a darker shade of red. She heard a sigh from him before his deep bass rumbled beside her.
"Why do you apologize for something that was not your fault, miko?" He said, his gaze drifting to her as he spoke. Something about the way he said miko made her chest clinch.
"I don't know. I just don't want anything bad between us. You're the first person I technically met in this time and I want us to be friendly toward each other…." She fiddled with her fingers as she spoke, "So….Don't call me miko. Please. I'm not Kikyo. I'm Kagome." She watched him from her peripherals as he watched her for a moment, his eyes unreadable, before giving her a curt nod. She felt her shoulders sag in relief. It was definitely one less thing she had to worry about….
Later that night Kagome lie under the thick kimono on the tatami mat beside it inside the hut, the fire in the hearth crackling behind her. Kaede slept soundly on the other side, unaware of the tumultuous thoughts raging through the younger woman's head. She had been in this time for two days now. She was sure that her family was worried about her by now. As her mind sifted through everything she could feel the heavy cloud of slumber beginning to overtake her. She had to start finding a way to get home. She slowly drifted into slumber, exhaustion from all of the events finally overcoming her.
Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched. A small silhouette sat perched in the window, three burning red orbs glowing bright in the darkness. Outside, Sesshomaru stood atop the shrine gate beside the hut, glaring down at the spy. It was a Shibagarasu, a corpse dancing crow. They were vexatious creatures that mostly stayed where there were a large number of corpses. This one must have caught the scent of the Shikon no Tama and decided to try and come and take it.
Not this time. He tossed a small chip of stone in his hand and with precision and aim only a true marksman could possess, he threw it at the little youkai. It did not kill it, merely startled it from its perch. It flew up to his level, circling him, seeming to contemplate attacking him, before deciding against it and flying off into the night. Something about this did not feel right to the youkai lord. He would have to keep an eye on the matter. His eyes drifted down to the hut where Kagome slept.
"Something foul has come this way…" His words fell on deaf ears as it carried through the cool night's breeze and into the trees.
The next morning saw the villagers in a frantic scramble, Kaede among them.
"Kagome!" Their calls echoed in the morning air. "Kagome!" Their little miko was nowhere to be seen. Kaede turned to the trees bordering the forest, a heavy stone of dread settling in her belly.
"Don't tell me she left the village by herself." She groused, unaware of Sesshomaru's form on one of the rooftops, watching the whole thing.
He had been on a patrol of the area, trying to find where the Shibagarasu had made its nest. He had not seen her go, but he could smell her nearby. She was in no distress so he had not pursued her, confident in his abilities to reach her in time.
In the forest, Kagome picked her way through the trees, following the narrow path. She grunted as she pushed another branch out of her way, stepping over a tree root as she went. That dried up well in the forest- the one she had come out of- she was certain that if she could find that place that she would be able to get home. She climbed over some knee-high stones and kept walking, determination driving her legs forward, each step hopefully bringing her closer and closer to her destination. She pushed past the thick foliage of a large bush, taking note of the herbs climbing up the trunk of a nearby tree.
She only stopped momentarily to look at the vibrant green leaves, but it was a moment too long. Before she knew it, she was grabbed from behind by two sets of large, burly hands. She struggled against the strong grip on her arms, trying to break free. Sesshomaru! She had to call for Sesshomaru! She only hoped he could hear her from here. Opening her mouth, she prepared to scream, when one the hands clamped over her mouth, the rancid smell enough to make her gag against the grimy, calloused skin of his palm. She tried to scream against the hand, kicking and flailing as hard as she could as she was hauled off deeper into the trees. She had no clue as to where they were taking her, but she could only pray that Sesshomaru or someone would find her soon.
Very soon she found herself being hauled into an old, weathered looking shrine, her captors dragging her up creaky wooden steps that cracked beneath their collective weight. They threw her unceremoniously to the hard wooden floor, still holding her arms, effectively pinning her down. She swiveled her head as best as she could to take in her surroundings. There were eight men, including the two holding her down. Most of them were scrawny, well past the point of being considered malnourished. They were dressed in leather armor plates only, with shin guards and leather gauntlets. Some had scars marring the leathery skin of their already gaunt faces. But the biggest one, he towered over them all, easily able to stand at over six feet tall if he stood. The barren expression on his ugly face suggested that he was mostly brawn rather than brain.
"A girl?" Her gaze shot over to the source of the gruff voice, watching the smaller heathens smile gap-toothed grins.
"Gehehehe...This wench is wearing some really strange clothes!" Another cackled and she felt the hem of her skirt being lifted. A deep nauseating fear pierced through her belly and she began to kick as hard as she could.
"Hey! Now wait just a minute, you creeps! Let me go this instant! What's with you guys?!" She screeched out as loud as she could. She was unable to break free from their hold.
"The jewel…." A deep, blundering voice croaked out, and her struggles ceased. She looked up to the giant at the head of the group. Eh? Just what did they want with the jewel? Kaede's words echoed through her mind and swallowed down the lump that began to form in her throat. Sesshomaru, please hurry!
Back in the forest, Sesshomaru rushed through the trees, weaving through them as they passed by in a blur. He had smelt the change in Kagome's scent, her natural fresh scent of apples turned rotten with her fear. He could smell the filth of the bandits mixed with her own as well. The foolish girl seemed to stay in trouble. He would definitely have to have talk with the little miko after this. A shrill cry from above drew his attention upwards, his eyes narrowing when they fell upon the crow up ahead. He had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to these bandits than it seemed. The scent of rot and death joined Kagome's own scent as he drew closer and closer to her location.
A sharp, familiar feminine shriek echoed through the air and Sesshomaru took that as his initiative to speed up. Pouring his youkai into his feet he flew at top speed, readying his claws for the slaughter.
Kagome looked up into the unfocused eyes of the leader. They had to be bandits of some sort. But was up with their leader, exactly? His eyes looked in two different directions, the sake he drank just dribbled down his face and dripped to the floor. The faint clamor of the bandits around them as they shuffled did little to distract her. Thick lips stretched into a lopsided grin, a lazy guffaw droning from the giant. The young miko was not prepared when a large hand shot out with far more speed than his size would have suggested he possessed, and grabbed her by the front of her shirt and lifting her up over his head. She grabbed at the massive fingers, trying to pry herself free as he laughed some more. No sooner was she hoisted up, did he slam her back down to the hard floor.
She grunted, pushing herself up, her eyes widening when she spotted the Shikon no Tama dangling from those beefy fingers.
"Hey!" She called out, scrambling to her feet. "Give that back!" Stomping down the fear she dove for the jewel, barely recoiling in time to avoid getting speared by the blade of a katana. Eyeing the blade, her gaze slid up the chipped steel, up to the hilt which was held in a massive hand. She felt her blood run cold when her eyes fell upon the bandit leader, who loomed over her. But those eyes- they still did not focus on her at all. Something was definitely wrong with him.
"Re….Strain….Her." The giant wheezed out to his minions, who grabbed by her arms and held her in place.
"She's definitely going to die….What a waste!" She heard one of the bandits gripe out and she could feel her legs begin to trimble. This was the second time that she felt like she was going to die. She could only watch helplessly as the sword was raised over her head, and she let out a scream as it was brought down, bracing herself. She heard the slick contact of the blade slicing through flesh and muscle, felt the bandit to her left jerk. A wet gurgle filled her ears and she looked over, gasping as the bandit slumped to the floor, blood flowing freely from the massive wound on his neck. The other bandit released her in his desperation to escape.
"B-boss?! What are ya doin'?!" Another of the bandits squawked.
"Oops...My mistake." The bastard sounded amused as he lumbered toward Kagome again. "This time I get your neck." With that he swung once more. Kagome dove out of the way, the sword's blade grazing her hair, slicing a few the strands. She scrambled back to her feet as quickly as she could and she darted across the room, looking anything that could be used to defend herself. A glint in her peripherals caught her attention and she turned, spotting a spear at her feet. Without hesitation she picked it up, brandishing it clumsily.
"Come at me! This spear has a better reach than your swo-" Her sentence, as well as whatever nerve she had built up, were cut short, as was the spear when the Bandit leader brought his sword down on the shaft. Yup. This was definitely how she was going to die. When he brought his sword up once more, all Kagome could do was brace herself, screwing her eyes shut to await the impact.
But it seemed as though the kami above were not ready for her just yet. A warm gust of wind, ruffled her skirt, and the hard clang of metal had her peeking through a squinted lid to see just what had saved her life once again. She could have cried in relief when silver and white blocked her view of the bandit. She briefly caught sight of a piece of the blade lying disregarded on the floor. Sesshomaru's back was turned to her when he spoke, his words coming out in a growl.
"You dare attack one under this Sesshomaru's protection." He brought up a hand, his knuckles popping as he flexed his claws. "Now you die."
"Who the fuck is this guy?!" A look sent the bandit that had so eloquently chimed in scurrying with his brethren. Sesshomaru turned his attention back toward their leader and he began to side step slowly, never taking his eyes off of him. Kagome could see his brow furrowed, silver brows drawn close over cold eyes.
He must be really angry. Kagome watched from her spot, trying to remain as out of the way as she possibly could. Was he angry with her for wandering off? She could only hope that he was not, going by the intense focus that he was giving the lumbering giant in front of him.
"You reek of rotting flesh." He said calmly, his light whip extending from his claws. With the same lightening fast movements that he had exhibited before, he pounced, slicing through the leather chest plate of the bandit leader. A collective gasp filled the air as the pieces fell to reveal a three eyed crow with a beak full of sharp teeth looking at Sesshomaru. The creature let loose several shrill shrieks directed toward the demon lord, who merely brushed a few stray strands of hair behind a pointed ear.
"So this is where you decided to make your nest, Shibagarasu." He spoke as if he had known of the creature before. His gaze momentarily shifted over to Kagome before going back to his opponent. With another shrill cry, the youkai flew from its nest through the bandit's back, something sparkling in its jaws.
The jewel! Sesshomaru let out a quiet curse as the youkai swooped around him before flying out a large hole in the ceiling. He spied a bow and quiver of arrows on the ground and grabbed them before going over to the dazed miko and pulling her small frame against his.
"We fly." Was all he said before he leaped into the air, leaving Kagome with little time to register just what he meant. She watched as a cloud formed beneath his feet and they were off, racing toward the retreating form of the illusive demon.
Kagome could not help but feel that this was all her fault. If she had simply stayed in the village this never would have happened! She had to find a way to make this right; she could not fail! She was brought out of her musings when a wooden bow was shoved into her hands. What exactly was she supposed to do with this?
"Shoot down the Shiragarasu." He spoke as if reading her thoughts. She looked up at him, his cold gaze trained forward. Kagome had absolutely no experience with a bow and arrow. Her family had never felt the need to carry on that particular tradition in her family. But she had to try. Ahead of them, the youkai swallowed the jewel.
"R-right! I'll try my best!" She proclaimed with a nod. She clumsily notched an arrow on the bow, trying her best to aim it at her target. She drew the bowstring taught, drawing in a deep breath, focusing. Kikyo had been a master archer right? She had been a very powerful miko. So she could only surmise that the woman had been a master of the bow. She sent up a prayer above, begging that Kikyo lend her power to her.
Please hit! With that she let loose the arrow, watching as it flew through the air. It seemed as though it was going to hit its mark. She felt her heart drop into her belly when the arrow lost speed and dropped flimsily from its path. Her heart dropped further when the Shibagarasu began to morph into a truly hellish creature. Plumage turned to scales as its body turned more reptilian than avian. Its beak morphed into a long set of jaws, sharp teeth that could easily slice through fresh. She watched wings grow and lose their feathers. All in all the Shibagarasu looked like a dragon from the pits of hell themselves. She heard Sesshomaru let out a growl and she wished she could just shrink in on herself.
Ahead of them a small village rested along the river, its occupants going about their daily chores and work. They were completely oblivious to the impending danger ready to impede upon their peaceful day. One of the villagers caught sight of a black mass in the distance. One asked if it was a bird, until it got closer.
"It's a youkai!" A village woman cried and the surrounding villagers scrambled to attempt to get to safety from the hellish thing. Large gossamer wings carried the large youkai through the air. Sesshomaru and Kagome caught up to it quickly as it swooped down to the village below. Sesshomaru felt a muscle tick in his jaw, his irritation rising at the asinine task of taking down the troublesome youkai. They watched as the Shibagarasu went into a sharp nose dive, going straight toward a mother and her child. The demon lord heard Kagome's sharp intake of breath as the crow youkai snatched up the small boy.
"Sesshomaru we have to save the kid!" She cried, hooking the bow on her shoulder with the quiver of arrows. She heard a distinctive hn from the demon lord and she readied herself as he swooped down, claws ready for an attack.
Sesshomaru looked down at Kagome's words. Why save the child when they had more pressing matters to attend to? He did not understand the importance of saving one meager life. They were nearly on top of the nuisance youkai now and he had little time to think on the matter before the miko jumped from the cloud and grabbed the child in her arms. The Shibagarasu let out a reptilian hiss and it was jerked down violently by the additional weight. Seeing his opening, Sesshomaru let loose his whip, the concentrated youkai hitting the mongrel on its back, the impact leaving it in pieces.
Kagome hugged the child to her as they hit the ground, protecting the little boy's head from the impact. She pushed herself to sit as best as she could. She quickly checked to ensure the crying child was not seriously hurt.
"Are you alright?" A nod from the child sent a chill of relief through her body and she pulls herself up to her feet just as the boy's mother runs up to them, dropping to her knees in front of the terrified boy. Upon seeing the chunks of Shibagarasu scattered all over she cheered for their victory, the sound falling short when the pieces begin to shiver and gather once more just as the pieces had done before with the mistress centipede. She could not let the youkai regain it's form again, she refused to mess up any further.
Movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned to see the crow's foot twitching violently on the ground. She suddenly gets an idea, praying that it works as she snatches up the foot. Fight the repulsive chill that wracked her petite form, she quickly ties the foot to one of her arrows with the scarf of her uniform. By now the Shibagarasu was retreating, trying to get as far away from them as quickly as possible. It was gaining distance fast.
Cursing, she notched the rigged arrow, training it on the retreating bird. She could vaguely hear Sesshomaru's irritated words, but she didn't hear what he was saying. Taking in a deep breath she readied herself.
"Please!" She called up to the heavens as she released the arrow, praying that it hit its mark this time. T
Sesshomaru watched as the arrow sailed through the air, his eyes widening a fraction when he saw the foot tied to it. The little miko was clever, he would give her that. He did not expect a light to erupt from the Shibagarasu when the arrow hit its mark, however. No sooner had the arrow hit the youkai, had a bright, blinding, light begin to seep from where the arrow had penetrated its flesh. The light quickly grew brighter and brighter before it dimmed the very sky around them as it blazed as bright as the sun itself.
From the ball of light burst forth hundreds of small, glittering lights that scattered miles and miles away. Something did not sit right with Kagome; something about the lights just felt off to her. She had her arm over her eyes to shield them from the blinding rays.
Back in Kaede's village, the old miko was watching those very lights shoot across the slate blue sky. Discontent settled like a heavy stone in her belly.
"This….Isn't good." She groused.
About an hour later saw Kagome and Sesshomaru sitting in Kaede's hut, the demon lord glaring down at a very shamed looking teenager.
"Miko…?" He asked, his voice terse. "Tell me. What possessed you to shatter the Shikon Jewel…?"
Kagome's head whipped up in his direction, leveling him with her own glare, "Now listen here!" She shrieked. "It's not like I meant to do it! I was just trying to make sure that the yokai didn't get away with it!"
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "Yes, you most certainly ensured that."
Kagome's glare intensified. Perhap's she could force feed the jerk chocolate to teach him a lesson in manners. No. Bad Kagome. Sesshomaru was possibly the only person- er- yokai that could protect her from the other monsters. Reigning in her own temper, she looked away from Sesshomaru in favor of examining the tiny shard of the jewel. Kaede picked that moment to intervene, clearing her throat.
"Ye two will need to set aside whatever differences you have now. Even though the jewel is no longer whole, a single shard still has the power to grant one yokai an exponential amount of power." She said as she stoked the fire in the hearth. Kagome shifted uncomfortably in her seat
"How many do you think there are?" She asked, dreading what the old miko would say. She wanted to go home, not hunt down the shards of some jewel that could potentially get her killed! She felt her shoulders sag when the old miko shook her head.
"There could be ten or hundreds. There is no telling how many shards scattered throughout the land." Great. Lovely. Just what they wanted to hear. So she was saying it was up to them to do it? They were expected to travel across the land? Both Kagome and Sesshomaru could feel a collective headache coming on as the old miko's words sunk it….