Hey guys! First off to my annonymous viewer, thanks for the input. BTW the style I like to write in is called 3rd person past/ past progressive. It's kinda hard to do so if I made mistakes please point them out. I tried to work on your suggestion in this chapter!
Second PLEASE REVIEW (que sad puppy eyes) I am using these stories as a tool to improve my writting so even annonymous reviews are welcome provided they contain helpful critiques!
I do not own anything! Inuyasha and all respective characters, names, and stories belong to the owners of Inuyasha. I write this story purely for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. Neither I nor anyone connected to me makes any profit from this story.
Chapter 3: Power Understood
Kaede watched the steady breathing of the slender girl lying fast asleep on the thin straw pallet. Her strange clothing and odd mannerisms were completely foreign to everyday life in the village. Yet despite these differences the old priestess held no doubt in her heart that this child was none other than the reincarnation of her dear sister Kikyo.
Surely it must be so. No other living soul could have brought the Shikon no Tama back into this world, and only the spirit of Kikyo could have banished the spell that had held Inuyasha for fifty years. Kaede's brow furrowed in uneasiness as she thought of the reckless half demon's avid desire to possess the sacred jewel. Only the enchanted rosary had saved them all from certain disaster, but at what price?
As she gazed down at the sleeping form of Kagome, she felt deeply the full weight of the situation she had placed the child in. In granting the girl the power to subdue the powerful hanyou, the priestess had forged a bond between the two that would carry consequences far beyond what her aged eyes could see. The responsibility that now rested on the girl's shoulders was much greater than any child of her age should ever have to bear, but perhaps she would not have to bear it alone.
Dawn would soon break; she could put off the inevitable no longer. After stirring the fire to a roaring blaze, she reached down and gently nudged the young girl awake. Kagome squinted against the glare of the fire, disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. A figure stood over her, tenderly brushing the hair from her eyes. "Mom? Is that you?" A sad smile softened the old priestess' features "Nay child. It is I the lady Kaede."
Kagome quickly rolled herself onto one elbow, rubbing the stubborn sleep from her eyes.
"Oh, sorry. I guess I forgot where I was for a second."
Stretching her stiff muscles, Kagome winced as the reminders of last night's events brought fresh waves of discomfort to her already aching body. She had never imagined that someone could be this sore and still breathe. The night air whispered at the edges of the open window. Kagome looked around in confusion. It was still pitch black outside, why had Kaede woken her up before daylight?
"Um Kaede, no offence but why on earth did you wake me up so early? Is something the matter?"
Rather than answering, Kaede moved to a shelf bordering the back wall. Among the various medicines and bundles of drying herbs sat an ornately carved hardwood box with a small silver lock. Placing the chest carefully on the floor next to Kagome, the priestess retrieved a slender key from within her kimono. Kagome gasped as the Lady Kaede lifted the sacred jewel from the box, now dangling at the end of a delicately beaded necklace.
The luminescent surface of the gem caught and reflected the colors of the room in a thousand fantastical images. Did that thing really come from inside of me? She wondered. Her eyes widened in surprise as the elderly priestess leaned forward and slipped the necklace over her head and through her long black hair. "What's this for Kaede?" Returning the chest to its place on the shelf, Kaede moved to the fire and began absently stirring the growing flames.
"The jewel is yours now Kagome and I fear that because of this ye are now in grave danger."
"Danger, what do you mean Kaede? What kind of danger?"
Kaede's steely blue eye glinted harshly at the confused girl.
"Do ye not remember the attack last night that nearly killed yourself and half the village?"
Kagome blinked, stunned by the sudden hardness in the priestess' voice.
"You mean that Centipede demon? But it was destroyed, how can we be in danger now?"
"The danger is not from mistress centipede child. I speak of the half demon InuYasha. "
Flashes of the silver haired hanyou attempting to slice her in half and steal the sacred jewel flooded kagome's memory. Those fierce golden eyes sent a small shiver down her spine.
"But you put that rosary thing around his neck right? Didn't that stop him?"
Kaede stared distractedly into the flames.
"Aye, I bound the enchanted rosary to his spirit, and thereby granted ye the power to subdue him. But, InuYasha is a powerful being, and his desire for the power of the Shikon no Tama is great. I fear that he will not be so easily dissuaded from his pursuit of it."
Kagome grasped the glowing jewel hanging around her neck. She could not explain, but the thought of anyone taking it from her was disturbing. She felt an undeniable urge to protect the gem but remembering the terrible strength of the half demon she doubted she'd be able to hold him off on her own for very long.
"What do you think InuYasha will do Kaede?"
The priestess thought for a second before answering the girl's question with another.
"How much do ye know of the nature of demons child?
"Nothing, I didn't even know they existed until yesterday. Why do you ask?
"Because, knowing the nature of Inuyasha's demon half will help you to understand the true extent of the battle that lies before you."
Kagome felt an odd sense of foreboding at the priestess' use of the word "Battle", but she saw the sense in the woman's statement.
"You see child, even though the majority of demons are constantly at odds with each other they all share one thing in common; an innate understanding of power. As a half demon InuYasha shares this understanding along with the demon's desire for power. This is why he so greatly covets the sacred jewel."
"InuYasha" the priestess continued "has lived his entire life seeking power, completely unrestrained and disdainful of the laws of human society. This has left him free to become petty, heedless of the pain his actions might cause to others. His desire for the jewel is more dangerous than even he realizes. And because of his great power no human but my sister Kikyo has ever been able to subdue him, until now."
Kaede looked up from the fire to face Kagome.
"You child are now the only person who can stop InuYasha. I fear that Inuyasha will return to the village, no doubt to demand that I remove the rosary. If his desires are not met it is likely that he will attempt to destroy not only me, but you and the rest of the village as well."
Kagome met the priestess' steely gaze, amazed at the bizarre twist her life had taken in the past 24 hours.
"What do you want me to do?"
Kaede paused in thought for a moment, a small smirk twisting the corners of her mouth.
"Well, if the hanyou insists on behaving like a wild dog, then we have no choice but to treat him like one. You kagome, must tame Inuyasha."
Kagome blinked, unsure whether to burst out laughing or sit in stunned silence.
"Tame Inuyasha! How on earth do I do that?
"As I said before Kagome, all demons understand power, and with that understanding comes respect. The enchanted rosary bonded to Inuyasha places you in a position of power over him, and while he will undoubtedly resents this fact, he can be made to respect it."
Mystified, kagome pondered what she had just been told. Her, in a position of power over someone as strong as InuYasha? She hadn't had much of a chance to think about it but last night when she had used the word of subjugation to prevent the hanyou from claiming the jewel all of her fear of him had suddenly evaporated.
"Ok, I'm with you so far, but if I have this power over Inuyasha why do I have to do anything at all, I mean he can't really hurt me if he's face down in the dirt right?
"Aye child, but in order to subdue the half demon you must speak the word of subjugation aloud and within his hearing, before any harm befalls you or another. And there will be many times when ye shall be unable to do so. It is impossible to remain vigilant forever, and as I said before InuYasha is a petty creature. If he believes he can get what he wants from either of us by attacking the innocent, he will not hesitate to do so."
Kaede shook her head
"Nay child. The only way to be sure of safety from InuYasha is to show him that with the enchanted rosary, ye are just as powerful as he, and that ye will not be frightened into giving up the sacred jewel."
A tumult of thoughts and questions filled Kagome's head, but she knew that the Priestess was right. She had no desire to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder for a crazy half demon just waiting to catch her off guard so he could slice her in half. Alright Inuyasha, she thought if you want a fight, come and get it!
Kagome's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp tumult of screams coming from outside.
"It's the half demon! He's come to kill us!"
Kagome and Kaede rushed outside to see frightened villagers racing in all directions searching for any kind of weapon to defend themselves from the menace. Suddenly, an inhuman roar thundered across the village. A streak of crimson shot through the sky, landing with a splintering crash on an overturned cart in front of Kaede and Kagome. A fanged grin lit the golden eyes with joyful anticipation.
"Miss me wench?"
OK end of Ch 3! Whaddya think? I think this story will only have one last chapter and be forewarned... it will probably contain more "sitboy's" than are good for poor inuyasha :) Please review annonymous is fine just tell me what you thought. have a great day and don't eat gum off the sidewalk! :)
