Chapter 37: The Beginning
Kagome could only stare in horror as she was pulled down the well by the yōkai. In another time, she would have panicked in the face of this strange woman touching her, and released a blast of untrained and bound magic to gain her freedom. This time she was not so lucky, and neither was the centipede yōkai. This time Kagome knew very well what held her captive, and she knew 4 different ways to fight back, but she couldn't because of one small thing, or to be more precise, many small things. The woman was talking, not that Kagome was registering what she was saying, only one thing pressed in on her mind… legs, thousands of creeping crawling legs. Legs, the legs were all over her, holding her captive. She needed them to let go so she could take a scalding hot bath now.
In the end, the centipede yōkai is forced to release the miko bearing the Shikon no tama in her side, not because of the ocean of power at her disposal, but puke. Yes, that's right, puke. It was a good thing that Deku-neesan wasn't there to see, she would have been so disappointed that I projectile vomited in a yōkai's face after all the time she spent training me.
Kagome cleaned herself up with the water bottle and handkerchief she kept in her back pack, before sitting up in the well. It appeared that it was time to end the Shikon, Deku-neesan warned us that we would have to eventually, but I kind of thought that it would wait for me to finish school first at least. Using some conveniently placed vines growing up the side of the well, she climbs out, staring at the beauty of the grounds that would one day become the shrine. The Shrine… Otousan! Otousan is in The Sacred Tree! I can see him again!
She moves through the forest towards The Sacred Tree, its canopy visible above the other trees. She stumbles into the clearing, and dragged into the beginning. Kiyoshi no kami waives his hand, casting the spell that he was asked to perform on the half-yōkai pinned to his tree, and a miko that would arrive through The Well of Time. He didn't really understand why they had changed their plans so drastically last minute, but many of the other kami were much further along in time than he was. It was rather annoying. After this mess was finished he was going to The Assembly to get some answers.
Kagome is taken captive by the spell. As if in a trance she approaches the tree, climbing up its roots and grasping the arrow sealing her soul mate to the tree. He remains in a deep slumber even as the arrow is pulled from his chest. Light's flash, and the wind blows, alerting the villagers in the valley below. They arrive to see a woman in an indecently short foreign kimono giving a man medical attention. She looks up at them and calls the local miko, Kaede over to her. They are all hesitant at first, but eventually decide to take the woman and the half-yōkai turned human, into the village. The first is questioned, and the second is grudgingly given medical attention.
In the depths of the well a skittering of multiple legs is heard.
"How many times do I have to tell you. My clothing is weird to you because I'm from the future! Secondly, I am a miko not a yōkai! Not that there's anything wrong with being a yōkai, Neesan says that most of the problems humans have with them is just cultural differences that wind up really hard to explain when everyone jumps to conclusions and starts fighting." Kagome inwardly face palms as the crowd of feudal era peasants continues their conversation/accusation session. I'm starting to get really worried that someone is going to do something rash while their miko tends to that boy, I don't even want to know how he managed to survive an arrow through the heart.
"I say that if the sorceress-yōkai can turn hanyō into humans then she can turn humans into yōkai and I won't stand for it! I say we kill her!" As a one the group turns to the miko from the future who gulps at the hostile expression on their faces. A man with a battered sword steps forward and raises the blade above his head. No… no way. Were they really going to kill her? Just like that?
She is spared, not by any feelings in the gathered crowd but by the massive body of the centipede yōkai as she attacks the village in her attempt to claim the Shikon no Tama. Kagome is swept from the hut, gripped tightly in her mouth. The villagers that had threatened her, would trouble her no more, crushed underneath the collapsing hut, and the centipedes many legs. Kagome struggles against the ropes they had used to tie her up, but is halted by the searing pain of the centipedes bite. Please merciful kami of The Sacred Tree don't let her be one of the poisonous kinds!
Kagome is stunned as the yōkai halts her retreat from the village, only to slam Kagome's tender human body into the ground. Kagome grunts in pain, and lays there motionless for a moment. At least the ropes are gone. She sits up slowly and a hand comes up to grip her side and the gaping wound left in it. The Shikon! Her head whips around to look at the yōkai that had attacked her. Her vision blurs and she nearly faints but determination keeps her conscious, but only barely. Kagome carefully keeps her eyes on the upper portion of the woman, focusing on her eerily human features, and not the many legs. No need for a repeat of earlier… Though, it would be a lot easier if her boobs weren't completely uncovered and jiggling all over the place. Didn't she have any modesty?
Kagome watches in horror as the bright shining light of the Shikon moves down the yōkai's throat. The woman's body changes colors, pale creamy flesh changing to dark purple with phosphorescent patches. It would have been interesting to watch if it didn't mean that her fight got a whole lot harder. Deku-neesan said that the more human a yōkai looks the stronger it is in comparison to other yōkai of the same type… Too bad I don't remember how difficult centipedes were in relation to everything else... Kagome rises shakily to her feet, and with a calm determination, holds out her hand. The yōkai laughs "Oh? You still think you can fight me? You are nothing against my might! I, Mukade no kimi, who have reigned over these lands as the greatest of all! At least, until that damned miko Kikyō and her disgusting half-breed lover got in my way…"
Mukade lowers herself so that she can pat the human girl, who so kindly brought her the Shikon, on the head with one of her many human arms. The incident in the well could easily be forgiven, not many people had the ability to appreciate a nice set of legs. "I hear I have you to thank for rendering him human, his blood will be so delicious as he screams in agony. I suggest you flee for your life now, while I am feeling generous."
Kagome lifts her head up high, brushing off the woman's hands, ignoring the threat, "I won't run, and you won't hurt that boy either, I won't let you." In the shrubbery to the side of the clearing where Kagome stood against the yōkai, a boy with steel grey eyes and long black hair blushes. No one had ever stood up for him like that before. Just who was this girl? If what she had said to those murderous villagers was true, then why had she made him human? Was it just show? He shakes his head rapidly to clear his thoughts, carefully he readies himself. His shoulder was still hurt from where Kikyō had pinned him to the tree 50 years ago. It was so annoying being human, he had enough of this pathetic sappy weakness on the nights of the new moon, he didn't need it the rest of the time too!
He rushes into the clearing, the blade he had stolen from a villager raised high above his head. "Raaah! Die wench!" The human blade is ineffectual against the chitin of her exoskeleton and Mukade laughs insultingly before lunging for him. Fortunately for the former inu-hanyō, it is at that point in time that the bow Kagome summoned from the village below reaches her, along with a quiver of arrows. Yatta!
Inuyasha shouts, "But out of my fight wench! This is between me and this ugly has-been!" Sensing the power inherent in the miko flair to life, so much stronger than even the miko who felled her before, the woman pauses, considering her options as she dodges the first arrow. There was so much power in the arrow that even brushing by left scorch marks on her Shikon enhanced skin. It would be a few weeks before she managed to fully harness the Shikon's immense power. Time she would not have if she remained here to fight.
Inuyasha attempts to harm the yōkai again, frustrated when his efforts prove futile he heckles Kagome. "Ya missed! Some miko you are!" With a hiss of irritation, the centipede flees. Inuyasha chases after her for a few dozen feet before collapsing to his knee, out of breath and hand gripped tightly to his bleeding shoulder. "Dammit! Get back here!" Mukade ignores him as she seethes. I will be back you wretched miko! You could have just walked away and I would have let you though your kind is my enemy! Now… now you will suffer in ways your feeble mind can't even comprehend!
Dekuyume reaches the top of the well just in time to feel the jewel moving rapidly over the hills away from the village. She grits her teeth and adjusting the bow and quiver slung over her shoulder, moves quickly through the forest to where she can sense Kagome. The centipede would pay the piper later, for now imouto desperately needs healing. As she brushes past the disturbingly human Inuyasha, she uses the sense hurt spell, just in case. The kami have been known to royally fuckup before, it wouldn't surprise me if they managed to kill Imouto's soul mate in the attempt to fulfill the wish. Interestingly enough, she could sense the residue of her father's magic, so much stronger than it had ever been before. But that isn't much of a surprise considering he has yet to lose all of his territory to other kami. She is still healing Kagome when the villagers finally make their way to the small clearing.
With cautious steps Kaede walks towards the two miko. The youngest in the strange clothes was certainly a miko, but the other… such a dark spirit for such a bright calling. She picks up her bow and quiver from where Kagome had dropped it. "Come, Ye all are welcome to rest in my hut for the night. There be much to speak on in the morning light." Kagome looks uncertain, but Dekuyume clears up her worries. "I left Kaasan my journal… there are some family matters we will have to discuss in private later, but everything can wait until morning."
With a sigh of relaxation Kagome leans into her sister's arms, and drifts off to sleep. With a sigh and an exasperated smile, Dekuyume scoops her sister up, much to the surprise of the feudal era denizens. They would never know that regardless of what ailment she was currently "learning" from she had done weight training every day, just so that she would be strong enough to carry her sister home at the end of the journey.
Dekuyume raises one eyebrow at the peasants when she catches them staring. "If you would lead the way, my Imouto needs her rest." The procession into the village is quiet, even Inuyasha is silenced under Dekuyume's gaze.