"Sesshoumaru when we camp for the evening could we find a place with water deep enough to be able to bathe please." He continued walking not even saying anything.
During the evening the night before while everyone was asleep. A strange feeling coursed through his body. The strange feeling still coursed through his body as the feeling of warmth pooled at the end of the stub of his arm. He raised his hand and reached over to the left side.
"What is it master? Another enemy?" Jaken asked. Sesshoumaru returned his right hand back to his side as he continued through the forest.
Rin and Kagome walked along talking and laughing. Sesshoumaru tried to walk along trying to figure out what was going on when Rin ran past him laughing as she was being chased by Kagome. They went quiet when they came upon the ruins of a temple. Sesshoumaru continued walking passed the temple ruins. Kagome looked from the ruins to Sesshoumaru then walked towards the ruins. Going to the ruins she carefully entered it.
"What is Kagome looking for?" Rin touched Kagome's back. Kagome jumped upon Rin touching her back.
"I'm just looking. Please remain here and don't follow in case there is danger." Kagome slowly walked through the ruins.
The main area had beams that had fallen from the ceiling but other than that the main area was in good shape. She walked through a doorway leading to another part of the temple not knowing Rin was slowly and quietly following. Kagome turned and went into another big room. Rin moved a bit away from the entrance of the room and watched Kagome walk around some fallen beams and other things.
Kagome watched where she placed her foot as she walked around the beams and holes in the floor heading towards a area of the room. When she went to gently push something out of the way an object fell and landed at her feet. She looked down and saw a decayed body of a priest. She screamed and jumped back and bumped into a beam that was holding another beam that was larger then the one she bumped into. The ceiling within that part of the room began to crack and fall causing the rest of the larger beam to fall towards Kagome.
"KAGOME!" Rin turned and looked another way as the ceiling fell causing dust to rise up into the room covering the area where Kagome was.
"I should have been crushed to death by that beam. What happened?" Kagome turned her body slowly and looked above her to see a pair of white clad legs. Following the white up she saw yellow then black armor. Continuing up she saw that Sesshoumaru was holding the beam up.
"Miko remove yourself and Rin from this room." Kagome quickly got to her feet and made her way over to Rin and grabbed her hand then pulled her out of the room and felt the floor tremble.
"Kagome are you alright?" A small orange ball came running towards her and jumped onto her shoulder.
"Yes Shippou both Rin and I are alright thanks to Sesshoumaru." Kagome hugged Shippou. They walked out of the ruins and since it was evening she knew that it would be growing dark soon so they remained on the grounds of the ruins. Shippou ventured back into the ruins bringing wood to build a fire. Kagome placed her backpack down and opened it. She grabbed her pot then her bow and quiver. "There has got to be a water source here. Shippou stay here and take care of Rin. If any danger comes take Rin and leave on the dragon."
Kagome walked back towards the ruins but instead of walking into the ruins she walked around the right side. On her way to look for water she ran across an over grown garden. She noticed some vegetables so she looked around picking vegetables that were still good and not rotten. Placing what she could in her pot she headed back to Rin and Shippou.
"Did you find water?" Shippou asked.
"I've found these." She knelt down and dumped out the vegetables. "Go ahead and eat these while I look for the water." Standing up again she left. This time she headed to the left. Kagome could hear crickets singing as she pushed forward to find water.
The moon's coolness shown down upon her as she reached the back part of the ruins. The wind started to blow and she heard the sound of chimes. Deciding to follow the sound she came walking out from some bushes and came upon Sesshoumaru bringing the silk fabric back up. She caught sight of something different about him but was not sure what it was. When he turned around she caught just a glimpse of movement within the left sleeve of his outfit as he reached for his armor that lay on the ground.
"I'm sorry Sesshoumaru about interrupting you. I was just looking for some water to be able to cook for the children." She walked slowly towards the water. "Where are you wounded? Would you permit me to look? After all it would not of happened if I was more careful within the ruins." She watched as he lowered his armor back to the ground. She looked him over and saw that without his armor he did not look as threatening as he did with it on. She reached out and took hold of his right hand and pushed up the sleeve and saw nothing.
"Miko I seek answers."
"Kagome. My name is Kagome. If your going to be training me, you could at least say my name. Since we will be together for I don't know how long."
"Miko Kagome explain how this came about." He used his right hand to remove the silk of his outfit from his left shoulder but instead of stopping at a stub the sleeve kept going down to reveal a whole arm. "Explain the outcome of your glowing hand touching my skin the prior night."
"I'm not sure. I've never done anything like that before. I don't know how it happened or where to begin. You know you look really different without your armor on."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You don't look as threatening without your armor. Among other things."
"What other things?" He eyed her.
"Oh nothing. Look I need to get the water and get back." She picked up her pot and went over and got some water then headed back to Shippou and Rin.
"What took you so long Kagome?" Shippou asked as Kagome put the pot over the fire to boil. As she did so he smelt a slight smell of Sesshoumaru but he paid no mind to it.
With the water over the fire to boil Kagome pulled out three cups of noodles and got them ready for the water. After the water began to boil she removed the pot and poured the water into the noodles then handed one to Rin and Shippou. Sesshoumaru used this time to return to the small camp and sat by a tree.
"The cave that you were in that contains the stoned body of this warrior priestess, explain all that you know of her."
"You went into the cave that holds Midoriko. Remember the first time Sango lead us to that cave and Inuyasha was thrown from the cave by some force because he said what he was going to use the jewel for."
"Yes. That was funny. He was reluctant to return to that cave. Myouga explained that he swore he saw Midoriko come to life when he brought the jewel pieces inside the cave, but then the image changed when a blue light flashed and he then saw Inuyasha."
"The information miko, explain it to me." Sesshoumaru spoke again.
"You should know something about her. She has been sealed in stone way before Inuyasha would have been born. You being the eldest son and lord of your domain. I'm sure your father would have known something and wrote the information down being as Midoriko was a warrior priestess who killed youkai, but I'll tell you what I know that has been told to me." She paused. "Midoriko's spiritual powers was considered as powerful as 100 samurai and her spiritual powers also could purify and destroy ten youkai's at once. Her final adversary and the one that claimed her life was created by many youkai's joined and anchored within the evil heart of a human who secretly lusted for her, much similar to how Onigumo loved Kikyou and created Naraku.
Midoriko fought for seven days and seven nights and realized that she would be unable to fight off the youkai. She was drawn into the massive jaws. Seizing the spirit of the youkai, she bound it within her own and with the last of her power, killed both of them by incasing them in stone and forcing their souls out of her body creating the Shikon Jewel. That is why she had a hole in her chest.
Myouga and Sango said that within the jewel, her soul and the souls of the youkai she bound still battle on and this is why the state of the jewel depends on who possesses it. It is influenced by the person who possesses the jewel.
Miroku says that a person who contains the four souls as Aramitama which is courage, Nigimitama which is friendship, Kushimitama which is wisdom and Sakimitama which is love, such as Midoriko did, they unite to form a powerful balance within the soul and it can be used for good or evil." Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru. Though he did not show anything she knew he was thinking over the information that she had told him. That is all that I know about her. Maybe there are scrolls at your domain that were written about her from your father."
"I bet if Midoriko was alive Naraku would not even have a chance against her." Shippou said. "Heck there were things you did that surprised our enemies Kagome. There was when Kanna tried to suck your soul within her mirror and she couldn't. Both she and Naraku said your soul was too big to suck in and contain within the mirror. There was the time when Sango took Tetsusaiga to Naraku and he betrayed her and filled the area around us with his miasma to where we could not move, but yet you were able to move in his poison and shoot a arrow at him blowing him apart and purifying the air from his miasma. There was also that old witch who made that clay body of Kikyou and used herbs, water and a spell to draw your soul from your body. Your soul was sucked out because Inuyasha saw Kikyou and called her name. Your body called your soul back." Sesshoumaru listened to Shippou as he spoke of things that Kagome had done.
"What are you trying to say Shippou?" Kagome asked.
"Remember how everyone has been saying your miko abilities are untrained and you've been using raw power and how you were able to do those things not to mention every time we battle Naraku's puppets or other youkai that wants the shards they are drawn to you to take you out first. Just think how much more powerful you would be if your miko abilities were trained and mastered. You could be like Midoriko in power." Shippou said.
"The Kitsune is right." Came a male's voice. "I've tasted your blood a few times." Shippou looked over to his left shoulder.
"Kagome its Myouga."
"Why are you here Myouga? If your here and not with Inuyasha, then that means they are in danger and you ran away to keep safe."
"Lord Inuyasha and your friends are not in danger. I over heard the monk talking to the exterminator about you traveling with and will be trained by lord Sesshoumaru."
"You heard right." Kagome said as Myouga turned around and saw Sesshoumaru.
"Greetings lord Sesshoumaru." Myouga gave a bow.
"What do you mean you're with Shippou?" Kagome said.
"Midoriko was an exceptional warrior and a very powerful miko. I knew her when she was alive. All of the lords both human and youkai knew her and her abilities, even your father lord Sesshoumaru. Your blood Kagome holds power within it as Midoriko did. The only difference is you are untrained. You could be as powerful as she if you were properly trained in the miko abilities. Those who see you as their enemy will seek you out to try and kill you because you will be a threat to them, much like those who were the great priestess's enemies." Myouga then caught the scent of something and went over to her neck and moved the fabric then did the same on the other side of her neck. "You have no mating mark, but I smell the scent of youkai about you."
"Kouga and I shared blood. He took me to be his sister by blood. Sesshoumaru was there as well as my friends."
"Has anything changed about you since then that you have noticed?" The flea asked.
"No. Not that I know of. Why is something supposed to happen?"
"You might not have that much of the wolf's blood coursing through your own blood to do anything, but then again... Well got to go." Myouga quickly left. All of the information that Myouga said left Kagome thinking as well as confused. When Rin and Shippou fell asleep she picked up her bow and quiver then walked away from the camp. She walked over and entered the main room of the ruins. She walked over and knelt down and laid her bow on her knees as she closed her eyes and drew her hands together in front of her chest. The moon's light shown through the ceiling and shown down upon her as she knelt there. As she knelt there time seemed to of slipped passed her.
"Why are you within this place?" The voice came from behind her.
"I came here to think. You do understand the need to be alone to think don't you? Well that is why I'm here." Kagome opened her eyes and turned her head sideways and looked at Sesshoumaru before she grabbed her bow and stood up.
"The need to do so is understood very well. We return to the camp." He turned and headed to the entrance with her following.
"Tell me Sesshoumaru, why you truly offer to train me? Is it to see if you should or have to kill me because I'd be a threat to you or do you plain to use me for my abilities for your own personal gain?"
"I desire power yes, though not the motive for training you. The wolf desires you to be trained by someone who is not afraid of a miko let alone an untrained one at that. His wish is to you learn and know youkai fighting skills as well as human skills. We leave early so rest." He went over and sat by a tree as she returned to lay by Rin and Shippou.
Aramitama Courage
Nigimitama Friendship
Kushimitama Wisdom
Sakimitama Love
The names above are the names of the "FOUR SOULS"