Chapter Four: Of Dreams & Baths
She felt the sunlight hit her eyes, please let it have been a dream. Kami above don't let it be anything more than a dream. She opened her eyes slowly and saw the thatch roof above her head, "Baku eat my dreams." she whispered softly as a tear slipped from her eyes as she saw the old miko hovering over the little pestle on the wooden floor.
"May he shine good fortune upon you." the old priestess said softly as she stopped her motions of crushing the herbs.
"So it isn't a dream." the young girl said her voice sounding almost lifeless as she raised herself from her mat on the floor.
"I am afraid not, child." the compassion in the older woman's voice sounded so motherly that it made the younger girl emotional.
A lone tear slipped from her eyes as she thought of everything that she had left behind. "I don't want to believe that I'm actually here. It shouldn't be possible." the whisper of a voice that had escaped her sounded so broken even to herself.
"Ah. Anything is possible with the Kami. We cannot begin to comprehend why they do what they do, or the lessons they try to impart onto us." the wizened voice declared.
"I don't want to be here." she said petulantly, and then thought better of her childish attitude. "What's your name obaa-san?" Kagome asked as she watched the older woman move to the
"Kaede, and yours child?"
"Kagome." Kagome took out the pink pearlescent stone. "What is the big deal about this little stone anyway?"
"The Shikon no tama has a violent history ever since its creation by the warrior miko Midoriko."
"Midoriko… I remember something about her. My grandfather tried to tell me about the Shikon no Tama before I came here. However, I didn't want to listen to him I was more interested in what he had gotten me for my birthday."
"I can tell you regret it now. I'm sure he had just wanted someone to pass his stories on to." the elder woman said comfortingly.
"I wasn't much of a grandchild since I couldn't take the time to listen to him."
"Do not blame yourself for things that are now in the past."
Kagome managed a teary smile. "So will you tell me the story of the Shikon no Tama, obaa-san?"
"Yes, I will." Kaede said as she handed a cup of tea to her young companion. She took a deep breath, "Though I can only tell you what I know of the Shikon Jewel."
"That is fine."
"Over 50 years ago…"
The rain hit the straw roof as the young girl watched her elder sister answer the summons that had been brought by the young village boy whom was the fastest runner the village possessed.
"Come Kaede." the elder woman said as she glanced down at her young sister.
"Yes sister." the little shadow said as she eagerly got up from the pestle at her feet.
They walked towards the village's square, "Sister Kikyo, why have you been summoned."
"I do not know Kaede, but a miko must always keep her eyes and ears open for all possible threats."
"Of course, sister."
"Priestess Kikyo." the man said when they stopped before him, the village people a crowd at their backs.
"Slayer." Kikyo said as her long black hair glistened with rain drops. "You are a long way from home. What brings you here?" Her dark brown eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"This." the man said as he handed the young priestess a cloth.
Kikyo gasped at the evil she felt emanating from the cloth. "What evil did you bring here?" The villagers gasped as the words left her mouth.
"The Shikon no Tama." he said as he removed the wrapping and a black pearl fell upon her hands. Instantly the jewel was purified, and the man said, "I have chosen well for the jewel's guardian."
"It's guardian?" Kikyo asked.
"Yes, if you will have that duty?"
"Yes, I will guard the Shikon no Tama."
"It is not a duty to be taken lightly, monsters and demons will come as will the evil humans to gain the strength, that this jewel will give."
"I will stand ready, none shall come to possess the jewel, not while I still hold breath within this vessel the gods have bestowed upon me." Kikyo looked up at the slayer, "Why have you chosen me?"
"You remind me of its former guardian."
"The Jewel has a former guardian?"
"Yes, we do not know what has happened but we've only recently recovered the jewel from the body of a demon we've slain. We've spent weeks looking for her but we cannot find her."
"You insist on saying we, why?"
"The tribunal of elders and I have decided to entrust you with the care of the Shikon no Tama until we can restore the Jewel to its former guardian."
"You can be ensured that I will guard it well until her return." Kikyo said solemnly as her young sister watched the exchange.
"Then I leave it to you." the slayer said as he turned on his heel and proceeded to leave the village.
"Sister Kikyo, what has happened?" Kaede asked.
"I've been left with an extremely important duty that is all you need to now for now."
"Yes, sister Kikyo." the young girl said softly.
Kagome stared at the older woman, "That was all she would tell me at the time. She never shared her burden with me. It wasn't until some time after her death that I finally understood the great task she had undertaken." Kaede's eyes teared, "I still remember her death that memory is still freshly imprinted on my memory."
Fire consumed houses as the sound of maniacal laughter was heard cut off, "Sister Kikyo!" Kaede shouted as she ran towards where the last of the screaming had been heard. "Sister Kikyo!" she was horrified at the scene that was before her. Her sister lay bleeding from heavy wounds. "Sister, let me call the men then we can take you inside and care for you."
"I am afraid it is too late for me Kaede." Kikyo gasped as the pain from her wounds radiated throughout her body. "There is nothing that can be done to save me."
"Do not say that sister, there is always a way. There must be a way."
"This is the way that it must be done." Kikyo's eyes closed as she forced herself to control the pain she was feeling. She could feel the truth in her words, too much of her life blood had been spilt this day. There was no healing for her, the Kami had decided her end was to come today. "There is no time Kaede, take the Shikon no Tama and burn it with my body."
"Sister?"
"Are you listening to me Kaede? You must obey my wishes, burn this cursed jewel with my body only then will I be able to take it with me into the next realm and it will never reside in the land of the living again." Kikyo whispered desperately as she pushed the pink jewel into her younger sister's hands. "I love you Kaede, you can do this one last thing for me."
"Yes sister, I will." Kaede cried as she saw the light in her sister's eyes expire.
Kagome wiped a tear from her eyes as she watched Kaede return to working on the creation of an ointment. "That is what I did for my sister, I burned the Shikon no Tama with her body as she asked of me. Yet here it is once more taken from the body of one whom so closely resembles my deceased sister."
Kagome chose to ignore that last statement. "So what happened between her and InuYasha? Why does he hate her so much? Why did she seal him to the tree?"
"That is not a story that I may disclose. If anything InuYasha himself should tell you." The look on the older woman's face was serious and Kagome knew that she would get no answers in regards to her questions from her newfound friend.
"Speaking of the devil, where is he?" She hadn't seen him for quite some time, where could he have hidden himself and when would he decide to attack her next.
"Devil?" Kaede was confused at the terminology the young girl was using.
"I meant InuYasha." Kagome said by ways of an explanation
"I am unsure but if he moves to strike against you all you need is the word of command." she said as though she had no thought of concern as to where the young half-demon had hidden himself.
Kagome took a sip of her tea, "I wish I could take a bath."
"A bath?"
"I feel filthy. I haven't cleansed myself since yesterday."
"There is only the river and its waters are cold."
"For a bath I think I could handle some cold water." she sighed as she thought of the possibility of a bath even if it was with cold water. "Although I have no change of clothes."
"I can provide you with a change of clothes, if you don't mind wearing miko garments."
"Let's go to the river." Kagome said excitedly.
"No way in hell are you wearing miko clothes!" InuYasha yelled angrily as he walked into the hut.
"What the…" Kagome said softly as she looked at InuYasha's angry face. "What do you care what I wear? What is it about me that you don't like? Is it really me or is it the fact that I look so much like this Kikyo woman?"
"What?" InuYasha retorted practically choking on the word as it shot out of his mouth. "Feh… Like I care." the boy-man huffed as he turned away and walked out of the room."
"Childish… he's so childish." Kagome muttered as she stared after him and then she smiled brightly. "So how about that bath, obaa-san?" The frown on her face replaced with a smile at the thought of finally having her bath.
An:
This story was written for the prompt phrase: What the… Like I care…
Definition:
Baku- a good spirit that ate the evil in bad dreams and turned them into good fortune.
