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Here comes another chapter!

Chapter 3: Confrontation

Inuyasha came at an early hour to wake Kagome and myself. Kagome proceeded to make us all breakfast and I decided to lay in the water a few moments, to make sure my powers were restoring themselves. I knew I was weakened from fifty years of unused abilities. Kagome brought some food for me and I would have refused had I not needed all the energy I could get at the moment.

"Thank you, Kagome." I stayed in a kneeling position in the water but ate my food nonetheless.

"Is the water cold?" Kagome asked, dipping a bare toe into the water.

"Do you want me to make it warm?" I could if I wanted, it just takes a change in my spiritual temperature and it affects the entire body of water.

"That's okay! Do you like being in cold water?"

"I prefer frigid cold over scalding hot. "

"That's strange, I'm the exact opposite." Kagome laughed.

"I told you we were nothing alike." I smiled at her, she was an interesting girl.

In the short time I'd known my doppelganger, I'd learned so much about her. When she was but fifteen years old, she was dragged down the bone eaters well by Mistress Centipede. Now she's sixteen and has gone through such life changing experiences. I had learned that, just as I, she was born with the Shikon in her body. That meant that she would be the Shikon Miko when I passed away... again.

I wondered what adventures I'd have with my relative lost in time. I knew she could travel to the future, but the question was could anyone other than Inuyasha travel with her? I was quite curious about her endeavors five hundred years into the future. What all had changed? Would I ever see the brighter light that was the future? So many questions, but no answers would come from my mind.

"Let's go." Inuyasha called fro the fire pit the group had started a bit away from the stream I resided in.

Kagome helped me out of the stream and we made our back to the group. Inuyasha told us the plan. He would sniff out Kikyo while we went and Kagome and I were to let everyone know f we sensed any shards. We started off into the forest after packing up everyone's belongings.

"We have to find her before sundown, I think that would be our best bet to keep this all friendly." Sango stated.

"She's probably right. We know how Lady Kikyo is when it comes to Kagome, and the group in general." Miroku added.

"Yeah.. let's go." Inuyasha led the way.

It took about an hour before I sensed a jewel coming from a long ways away. Kagome stared at me in shock.

"How could you sense that but I cannot?"

"I am the current Shikon Miko, when I die you will be able to sense them as well as I." I took off in the direction of the jewel.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Inuyasha yelled out.

"KEEP GOING! I'LL BE BACK!"

I sped away to find the demon that possessed the jewel shard. It took me only a moment to find a bird demon with three red eyes.

"Hey, birdieeeeee!" I called to the bird.

"SQWUACK!" The bird reared its ugly head at me and I quickly decapitated it with my bare hand.

"I'll take that." I said as I pierced through it's overgrown belly and removed the jewel fragment.

The jewel began glowing a vibrant pink color at my touch and I smiled, "Hello, mother. Miss me?"

I decided to walk back to the group rather than run. My thoughts resided in the jewel. I wanted so badly to wish on the Shikon but I knew it was an idiotic idea. The jewel is my other half, I know it's thoughts and how it works. It twists all wishes into something distorted and unpleasant. If I could without it backfiring on me, I'd wish for my mother to rot in hell for all eternity because that's the fate she deserved. Alas, no such wish would be made on the jewel by me.

It took me fifteen minutes to regroup with Kagome and the others.

"What took you so long?" Inuyasha barked at me.

"Inuyasha, be nice! Are you okay, miss Kyoko?" The little fox boy named Shippo asked.

"I apologize, my thoughts were elsewhere. I am quite alright, thank you for your concern, young one. "

I could that Shippo and Inuyasha often had it out with each other. They were always teasing one another and making snide remarks. It reminded me of my younger sisters, Botan and Momiji (yes they are the botan and momiji from the show!). A sad smile formed on my lips. I couldn't help but remember how they passed away.

When the villagers came to my village to slaughter us they nailed my hands and feet to a board and made me witness their murders. Botan and Momiji were burned to death in our hut, slowly. My poor sisters. I hoped they found peace in the afterlife with each other, but something in my gut told me that wasn't happening.

We had settled down for a break when Sango puled me aside.

"Are you alright, miss Kyoko?" The demon slayer, Sango asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, just thinking about my sisters is all." I gave her a small smile.

"Kyoko..." Sango frowned, "I just want to apologize about what my ancestors did to you and your family. It was so dishonorable and disrespectful!" Sango cried out to me.

"Sango-chan," I placed my hand on her shoulder, "I could hear you when you visited my grave. I accept your apology. Fifty years gives you a lot of time to rethink and forgive."

"If you don't mind me asking.. What were your sisters you were thinking about like?" Sango asked shyly.

"Well they were almost fifteen when they were killed. They were twins named Botan and Momiji. They were very competitive with each other, it was ridiculous!" I laughed at the memory of them competing to see who was better for the village boys. "They showed too much respect for me, calling my Onee-sama rather than Onee-chan.. This group would have adored them."

"I'm so sorry.."

"Me too." I told her.

It was getting closer to sundown and there was still no sign of Kikyo.

"Let's just go back.." Kagome bit out sadly.

"We'll find her-" Inuyasha was cut off.

"Yeah, I'm sure. When you went off last night you probably warned her about this. " Kagome stated coldly.

"Kagome, I-"

"Kyoko, will you take me back to the well? I want to go home." I nodded in agreement and told her to get on my back because I could get us back in less than a minute that way.

Within thirty seconds we were standing before the well. Kagome sat on the lip of it and looked into its depths.

"I'll be back in three days." She told me.

"I will take care of some business with some old ties, and return here soon. See you in a few days."

Kagome jumped into the well. I had some things to attend to. I needed to find Bankotsu and discuss some things with him. He freed me when he broke the shrine and I needed to know why. Why after fifty years of confinement could he free my soul and body? I was under the impression that once I was freed my soul would pass to the netherworld, not back into my body. There was something strange going on and I was going to get to the bottom of it.

I decided to go off through the villages of Japan until I found one they had recently slaughtered. I traveled for an hour using my demon-like speed until i cam across a freshly slaughtered village. I could sense Bankotsu on some of the people. I stepped into the manor which I knew his group currently occupied.

"Bankotsu." I called out.

In one second flat the entire band of seven was running down the hall, with Bankotsu in the back.

"Who are you, Wench?" The one I knew was Jakotsu from all of Bankotsu's descriptions asked.

"I am Kyoko, I have come to speak with Bankotsu."

"How dare speak of my brother so informally!" Jakotsu was about to attack me but Bankotsu stopped him.

"Let the priestess and I speak." He said in a solid tone, "alone.." He motioned for his men to leave.

He led me to an empty hut and we sat down, "What have you come for?" He asked with squinted eyes.

"You freed me."

"And?"

"I was supposed to be able to cross to the other side, but my soul returned to my body. I need to know why. What is it about you breaking my shrine that revived me?" I was extremely curious.

"That is strange.." Bankotsu answered, rubbing his chin in thought.

"I seek answers, Bankotsu." I barely got that statement out when a blue light appeared in front of Bankotsu and myself.

"oh no!" I yelled out, but it was too late.

My mothers ghastly figure appeared in front of us, "Hello, Kyoko. Bankotsu."

"Who the fuck are you?!" Bankotsu reached for his sword but I grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Mother, what do you want from us?"

My mother began laughing. I felt something metallic on my wrists and looked down. two silver bands were now on my wrists and glowing a deep red.

"NO! MOTHER STOP THIS!" I screamed at her but it was far too late.

I knew what she had done. She had put silver bands on Bankotsu and I's wrists, necks, and ankles. We were bound together until she freed us from each other.

"What the hell?!" Bankotsu tried to pull his bands off of him, but to no avail.

"MOTHER!WHY!" I screamed out at that bastard woman, but she only laughed again.

"You two will remain bound together until I say. You will stay together and find the answers to all the questions you may have." She told us with a smirk.

"You mean that you'll free us.. when we free you." I bit out icily.

"Smart girl." With that, she was gone.

Bankotsu and I looked at each other.

"Well fuck.." We both muttered.

This was a long one!

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XOXO SYDNIE