Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha
The trek to Kaede's was peaceful and gave Kagome the time she needed to collect herself before confronting the elder miko on what she may or may not know about her identity. She was resolved to confront her mother as well if Kaede held no answers and if that didn't work out for her, she didn't know what she'd do. But she had a plan so far and that quelled her anxiety a bit as she walked with purpose through the village of Edo, finally reaching her hut at the back.
She knocked on the door frame lightly, waiting until she heard Kaede call her in.
"Kagome child, I could feel your distressed aura approaching from Inuyasha's forest for a quarter of the sun's time in the sky this day. What is it that plagues ye so?" she asked worriedly, shooing her into a chair and handing her a hot cup of tea.
The warm familiarity of the hut was comforting and just what Kagome needed after a night full of questions and little sleep. She poured over everything that had happened in the last few days, leaving out the part about Sesshomaru touching her mark.
Kaede listened intently, nodding her head here and there but showing no outward surprise, even when she told her about Sesshomaru's suspicions.
"Well, what do you think?" Kagome asked her tiredly, feeling a little frustrated at her lack of reaction. "How can they sense my holy aura if I've spent so much time learning to contain it? I thought you said my barriers were perfect?"
"I stand by my word, child, they are perfect," Kaede supplied her vaguely but sincerely.
"Then what's going on?" she finally asked desperately.
Kaede sighed and closed her eyes. "I suppose it will be today, then," she muttered to herself. "Kagome child, I know what you're asking of me and aye, I believe I may have some answers to give you."
She rose at that and walked to her herb table. Her hands lifted the tabletop easily to reveal a hidden compartment underneath. Ignoring the dried herbs that fell to the ground, she carefully gathered an old wooden box sealed with a dusty sutra and handed it to Kagome significantly.
Kagome eyed the box warily, taking it when she noticed her family's crest carved into the lid, hidden in part by the sutra. It was half as long as she was but light in weight, as if the box itself was all there was.
"Kaede, what is this?" she asked wondrously, "And where did you get it?"
The old miko chuckled mysteriously. "That was given to me to hold for you until the day you asked the right questions."
Kagome's mouth fell open. "The right questions?" she asked flatly, feeling like she might faint from anticipation.
Kaede nodded wisely. "Aye, child. I was given the strictest of instructions from the giver to be sure I followed that one and only rule."
"A-and w-who?" Kagome stammered, not sure herself what she was asking.
"I believe the box may contain some enlightenment to that."
"Right."
Kagome pulled back the seal with ease, no physical resistance evident until right as the last corner was released, there came a light popping noise, signaling a barrier had been nullified.
With a gulp, Kagome unlatched the clasp and pulled back the lid. Her eyes landed on the contents widely, full of more questions as she looked back to Kaede, her mouth ajar in astonishment.
A letter fell out of the box in the rustle and settled at Kagome's feet. She sat the box down and gathered it curiously, feeling its fragility the moment her fingertips made contact. An envelope, not a scroll like in this time. A really, really old envelope from her time with her name written across the front in a handwriting she felt she recognized.
She smiled incredulously as she pulled the note out of the envelope carefully to find the blue lines of yellowed notebook paper. Her heart pounded in her ears as her fingers struggled to unfold the note with her trembling.
Finally it was there before her. She shook as she read the first line:
Dear daughter,
I know that we did not get much time together and I know, if you're reading this letter, no doubt you have several questions. I will start by answering a few.
Our race is rare; only a few well-bred demons remain that know our story and it was your mother's wish that I convey this to you before my inevitable demise.
Kagome winced, forcing herself to concentrate on not ripping the paper with her iron grip.
The most ancient of demonic records state that our line was created when an army of silver inu thought to create a new, powerful race by combining the blood lines of powerful elemental youkai. They kidnapped hundreds of women, grouped them together and drugged them with opium and hormones to kick start their heat cycles. The story goes that these women were treated luxuriously, kept in exquisite beds, fed exquisite food and were later bestowed with generous titles and land for their service.
Only the strongest of the Inu were allowed to couple with the women, who were by that time, more than eager to comply and they were held under this contract until the presence of a pup was confirmed.
Kagome scowled. What a disgusting story! This was the story of her people's creation? They were practically born from rape? And did Sesshomaru or Inuyasha know anything about it?
The offspring of the women turned out to be powerful as they had suspected and they were named Godai Inuyoukai, or 'elemental dog demon.' The Inu continued to enslave more and more female elementals until the castle could no longer hold everyone and their offspring, so the citadel grew to massive proportions to accommodate their size.
After a demoness had served her purpose and birthed five pups, her duty was done and she was released into the citadel to most likely become the wife of an esteemed soldier.
I know this seems strange to you having been raised in your time but you must understand that these women were honored in Inu society for having provided them with powerful children that would be raised in their own clan.
Once they were released into society they were given titles equivalent to a human hime and most often, the Inu that most frequented their beds would make the offer to become their husband.
Kagome rolled her eyes and scoffed. "How honorable of them," she muttered sarcastically.
Then one day, a Kami bore witness to the workings of the Citadel and grew outraged at their lust for power. He cursed the Inu by sealing the traits of the Godai, leaving their abilities dormant until maturity in the hopes that this would deter the Silver Inu clan from their primitive ways.
All of the existing Godai Inus in the Citadel that were under age at the time were transformed into humans and so despised were humans by the Silver Inu, that many of them were slaughtered by their own clan before realizing the error of their ways.
Children were left vulnerable and many were killed before realizing their true potential by rogue demons who didn't know, couldn't tell that they were not mortal. Others were destroyed when they came of age suddenly and could not control their transformation or the influx of such tremendous power, having spent their entire lives as a mortal.
The Kami who cursed them took pity on their state and bestowed them with holy powers to defend themselves as their numbers began dwindling fast toward extinction.
It became impossible to tell the difference between a normal human monk or miko to that of a Godai Inu.
Many human orphans were taken into training, only to have them transform when they became of age surrounded by monks or priestesses, who of course purified them on the spot.
Those that did survive learned to keep their ability to appear human when they close, giving us the ability to blend in and with it, the ability to continue wielding their holy powers even after their transformation into adulthood, so long as they were in their human form. Parents raising families knew to inform their offspring right before their transformation to ease the transition. Understand that keeping this secret from you was crucial to your very survival. It is an ancient tradition for Godai Inuyoukai to live first as mortals before we ascend to immortality.
You will come of age soon and when you do, your transformation will force itself upon you. I have no doubt that you will survive and learn to accept who you are, that you will face the destiny set before you.
Now that you know who you are, think about your life, Kagome. You live in a shrine 500 years in the future from this spot, you were always told you came from a long line of mikos, your mother has, from the beginning, taken the fact that you travel through a well through time and into the cold world of the Feudal Era on a daily basis remarkably well for a human mother, even in the Modern Era.
Your mother and I both have made use of the well for most of our lives, as our descendants did before us. It was created by our family and it is essentially a well of power, a well of our family's magic sealed tightly on both sides like a closed cylinder. It is not the power but the seals that makes it special. The seals keeps the energy preserved, alive and contained. Without them you would simply keep falling through the time rift.
You were not the first person to fall through the well and fight demons for the good of mankind, my daughter. Everyone in this family hears the call eventually and fights for the good of the world.
For the last several decades, we have been fighting Naraku.
I must tell you now that you were not our first child but the second to last of four children. Your sister Kikyo was the first to be born, followed by Kaede.
It was a turbulent time to protect children as I'm sure by now you are aware. Your mother and I spent much of our time fighting demons outside the village in the hopes of finally retrieving the Shikon no Tama.
When it was finally done, I set the task of protecting it to Kikyo until a way of destroying it forever could be decided upon.
You may well know the rest of the story. Kikyo and Inuyasha decided on a wish that would mean the end to all of their demonic power, a sacrifice they were both willing to make to see it gone from the world forever. Kikyo did not even know she had demonic power to give and would have given up her immortality without ever realizing she had a chance at it. The wish would have either rendered them both mortal and our family would have had to watch them die thousands of years before we did or it would have rendered Inuyasha human only for Kikyo to transform barely a year later. We forbid her but she was not old enough to know why. We begged her to trust us. Inuyasha never even knew who we were, never had the chance, because the moment we refused her, she took matters into her own hands. I mourn for the outcome I am sure you have already uncovered. Even now Inuyasha remains pinned to the tree, doomed to sleep forever and Kikyo is but ashes.
They were deceived by Naraku and pit against each other.
I mourn my daughter's death and wish I could do something to free Inuyasha from his tragic resting place. I grieve for Kikyo, that she was so close to coming of age at her time of death, wonder if only it had happened a day later than it did, if I had made it in time.
I thought then that Kikyo had paid with her life to see the jewel disappear only to find 35 years later, when we decided to try for another child, you were born with the Shikon shining brightly from inside you.
We knew you were deemed the new protector, knew the kind of life it would mean for you and we were devastated. Naraku was ever on the hunt for some sign of the jewel's existence and I couldn't risk loosing you, being so young and defenseless.
So I sent your grandfather and mother through the Bone Eater's well, knowing you would be safe there in the hopes that I would defeat Naraku before such a time came that you would have to face him yourself.
In the past, your mother made frequent trips to see me. I can no longer allow her to take this risk; she is now pregnant with our fourth child, your brother Souta, and the rest daughter, I could not say, though I'm sure you already know.
I have no doubt that you are confused and even angry with your mother and I for not telling you these things sooner. Know that we had only your well being to consider when the decision was made.
I am so sorry, my daughter, that I will not be there to teach you myself, that I was unable to shield you from this destiny. It has been my burden to carry my whole life and I would not wish it on my worst enemy but it seems the fates have already claimed your destiny as they claimed my own and Kikyo's so long ago.
Kagome did not miss the hint of bitterness in her father's words.
It seems that all I have worked to protect you from has been for nothing. I am not powerful enough to perform the task set to me in this time and despite the sacrifices I have made to see it done, I cannot protect you from the life you will no doubt take up in my stead.
She choked back a sob, holding the fragile paper away from her tears should they fall and blot the precious ink.
As I write this letter now, you are just a little girl going to preschool and my time in the Sengoku Jidai draws to a close; I will not be able to complete my mission in this time but I will give my life to see to it that you are at least given a head start now that there is no other choice but to pass my fate to you.
I will deal one final blow to the abomination known as Naraku. With the last of my power, I will create a glass pocket of purity and with the cost of my life, will see it embedded in Naraku's chest.
If he tries to remove or taint it, the glass will break, condemning him to death. If you don't sense the purity, you'll know you're fighting a puppet, so change your target accordingly.
The gifts I offer you are all I have to give and I hope they aid you in your quest and serve to protect those you love.
I am sorry we will not have more time together but know that I love you and wish only for your health and happiness.
With all my love and pride,
Dad
AN: Reviews are my fuel.
