The mysterious, glowing and levitating old lady Taiitsukun continues to stare Akimoto down, waiting for an answer in the dead of night.
"Well? What is your answer? I don't intend on waiting for you forever," Taiitsukun said.
Akimoto looked down and away, still unsure about what to do.
Taiitsukun was becoming impatient. "Did you hear me, child? I said I don't intend—"
"This whole thing is crazy," Akimoto told her. "I…I'll accept that all of this is real, but…I just…it's a lot to expect of me…to just trust you…"
"I suppose that's true," Taiitsukun agreed. "I could be quite evil, and you might be falling into a trap. I could have a gruesome death waiting for you and you'd be none the wiser."
Akimoto grimaced.
"But even if that were the case, aren't you the least bit curious as to why a seemingly magical being has any interest in you at all? Why would I take time out of my life to approach you of all people?"
Akimoto remained silent and continued to look at the ground.
"You might not see the value of your own life, Akimoto, but I do."
Upon hearing that, Akimoto gasped and looked up at the old woman.
"You are capable of great things—things you would never have imagined for yourself all because of the cards you were dealt in life. Do not use such things as an excuse! In every situation, you are given options on how to act, and your actions lead to consequences. If you desire a happily every after, then you must make the right choices in order to get there.
You want answers? I have them. You want your dream to come true? I will guide you. But this is your moment right here. Either do as I say or stay here and die in a pool of your own misery."
Taiitsukun snaps her fingers. In an instant, a ball of golden light manifests into reality behind her. It begins to grow and expand until it is a few feet taller than Akimoto and a little bit wider—almost like a door. Akimoto's eyes widen and her mouth slightly agape, but no words come out as she stares at the spectacle.
"You have ten seconds to make your decision." Taiitsukun floats backwards and disappears into the light.
Akimoto looks around and searches through her thoughts as quickly as she could. She then shuts her eyes hard and clenches her teeth.
Before the door could close on her, Akimoto ran into the light without looking back.
The old lady looked at Akimoto and gave an approving grin. "Wise decision."
Akimoto opens her eyes and gasps. She found herself in a bright world with golden skies and multiple cylindrical golden pillars of light rising from the golden fog-like energy resting below her feet. She couldn't see the ground, but somehow the plane beneath her was solid enough to walk on. Throughout the entire realm, millions of spheres of golden light, ranging from the size of snowflakes to the size of volleyballs, floated upwards into infinity. Some of these tiny balls of light phase through Akimoto's skin, creating a pleasant, tingly feeling. Once they phased through her, Akimoto would immediately put her hand over that part of her skin, making contact, and then looking at the palm of her hand. More orbs of light phased through all over her. Akimoto spun around watching them, continuing to also experience their pleasant sensation. Akimoto even began to crack a smile the longer she was exposed to these things.
What is this feeling? She wondered. Why do I feel so…nice all of a sudden? So…at peace… Her eyelids became heavy as she felt her body relax in such a short amount of time.
A stern voice shouted out, "Stay focused Akimoto!"
Akimoto's eyes snapped open as she caught herself before falling over. "What just happened to me?"
"This space is practically made up of positive energy. It's easy to lose yourself and become complacent. Just be aware of that."
"This space…" Akimoto looked around. "Where are we? And what is all of this golden…energy? Is this where you live?"
"In a sense, yes. But the full answer…is a bit complicated. Too complicated to explain to you at this time. You need not be concerned about it."
Akimoto gave her a disappointed look. "But…I thought you said you'd give me answers…"
"And I shall. However, you will learn what you need to learn in the proper order. Or else things won't make sense. What is it that they say…? You must learn to walk before you can run."
"Okay…?" Akimoto searched for what to say. "So…what do I need to do here?"
"For now? Only listen." Taiitsukun waves her arm outwards in a swiping motion. Suddenly, a plethora of rectangular screens made up of golden energy appear all around them. Once all lined up, the screens, almost like TV monitors, begin to display different places along with various people living their lives.
With widened eyes, Akimoto walked around looking into the screens, one by one.
"What you are seeing are real-time images of life's happenings across the universe," Taiitsukun told her.
"Like…on different planets?" Akimoto asked, still in amazement.
Taiitsukun shook her head. "Not exactly. The universe is much vaster that you were taught. Your Earth is not the only one in existence." She gestures to the monitors. "There are hundreds, maybe thousands of Earths—it may not even be called Earth in some places. But they all exist in different dimensions—in different folds in space and at different times and at different speeds. These aren't parallel dimensions where different versions of you exist. These are all separate with different people altogether. Some may be similar to others, but all unique in their own right."
Seeing all of these different dimensions makes me seem…so small in the grand scheme of things…Akimoto thought to herself.
"So…what exactly do all of these places have to do with me?" She asked.
Taiitsukun snapped her fingers. All the monitors disappeared except for one. With a wave of her hands, it floats over to them. "This is where you will be going." The rectangle expanded until it was the size of a door that an adult could fit through. On the other side of the door was a grassy field surrounded by trees and blue skies.
Akimoto looked confused. "You're sending me there? Why? How come I can't choose? Didn't you say earlier that my choices mattered?"
"Yes, and I also said that I would guide you. Besides, you don't know where you want to go."
I guess that's true… "Okay…so then, why send me? What makes me more qualified than others to do…whatever it is you want me to do?"
"You weren't the first…not by a long shot…" Taiitsukun plainly said.
Akimoto blinked. "What? Who else—" She then noticed Taiitsukun reaching into the long sleeve of her robe. "What are you doing?"
When Taiitsukun pulled out her hand, it was covered by a silver light, fitting her like a glove. She then abruptly extended her glowing hand to Akimoto's chest.
"Wha—?!" The young woman took a cautionary step backwards, but not a second later, there was an immediate stirring from within Akimoto's core. Her eyes widened as a weird sensation began to gyrate within her. Her whole body vibrated. A spot in her chest began to glow with the same silver light.
Suddenly, a mysterious wind begins to blow out of nowhere, swirling around the two of them. Peculiar circular marks begin to glow with a silvery light all over Akimoto's body. Her pupils also begin to glow with the silver light accompanied by a separated silver ring surrounding them. Taiitsukun keeps her hand extended as a stream of silver energy begins to seep out of the glowing spot on her chest, inching its way towards Taiitsukun's hand. Once about a foot of energy was expelled from her body, Taiitsukun pulled her hand back quickly, bringing that foot of energy along with it. As that energy left Akimoto's body, the wind ceased to blow and everything that was glowing on her dimmed down and disappeared. The circular marks were gone as well. Akimoto's eyes returned to normal.
The young woman then dropped to her knees, panting. "What did…what did you do to me?" She pulled up her sleeves to see if the marks were still there. Then she looked down at her chest and then up at Taiitsukun. Those marks…they glowed on my skin just like her marks…but…the pattern was different and so was the color… What's going on?
"Hmm…" Taiitsukun ignored Akimoto's question as she looked at the ball of energy in her hand that had come from her. "I didn't expect that to be quite so dramatic. Though it makes sense I suppose…"
That came…from inside of me? Akimoto thought to herself as she gazed at the energy.
Taiitsukun held out the energy in her hand and offered it to Akimoto. "Take it."
Giving the old woman a concerned expression, Akimoto slowly reached for the ball of silver light. Before she could make contact with it, the light began to take shape. Once the light died down, what was left was…
"A microphone?"
In Akimoto's hand was a wireless handheld microphone with a silver head and a sleek black handle. It just looked like a regular microphone.
Akimoto stared at it for a few moments before saying, "…I'm…confused."
Placing her glowing glove back into her sleeve, Taiitsukun said, "That is your wand."
"It's a microphone."
"I don't care what you consider it to be in your world I'm telling you what its function is. What I took from your core was a part of your personal reserves of elemental energy. With that, you were able to create this."
Akimoto continued to look puzzled.
Taiitsukun sighed. "You've never actively used your abilities before, so just expecting you to have complete control is unrealistic. For the time being, you need a means of harnessing your power—a way that makes sense to you. Put simply in way you can understand: your wand takes the shape of the thing or concept you find the most magical."
Akimoto gasped and looked down at the microphone. "Wait…magic? I can use…magic?"
"Ugh…" Taiitsukun groaned. "I hate using that term. It is so inaccurate and too simplified. However, if it helps you to conceptualize what is happening in this moment, then fine. What is it that you find the most magical?"
Akimoto felt the microphone in her hands. Her face began to heat up as she sheepishly avoided eye contact with Taiitsukun. "Music…I guess…singing…"
Taiitsukun nodded nonjudgmentally.
After the previous words finally settle into Akimoto's mind, she looked up at the old woman in disbelief. "Wait…no. I can't do magic. It isn't…" She went silent as she searched through her brain. Finally, there was a significant thought. "Is that…what I've been doing this whole time?" Images of people crying and being hurt flashed in her mind. "All these years? To people…? Have I…?"
Taiitsukun interrupted her string of thoughts. "Wind. Your element is wind."
Akimoto blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"
"Just as I said: you are wind."
Although those words had been said, Akimoto continued to refuse this revelation. "That…doesn't make any sense." It felt like all this new information was racing around in her head; a chaotic mess that consisted of the new information violently clashing with what she thought she knew. Her heart began to race as her voice began to raise. "The things that happen to people when I'm around…that has nothing to do with the wind! It's not a breeze forcing them down to the ground and it's not a gust making them feel miserable—it's something else. Something—"
Taiitsukun abruptly approached Akimoto and glared at her with authoritarian intent. Akimoto winced. "The different elements are partially distinguished by their colors. Water energy is blue, fire energy is red and so on. The energy I pulled out of you was silver. Silver is wind. You. Are. Wind. You know nothing of what you speak, girl, so don't waste your breath arguing about something you don't yet understand."
The sudden rant and seriousness in Taiitsukun's voice had shocked Akimoto into submission, but only for a small moment. The frustration building up inside of the young woman was just about ready to burst. She glared right back at Taiitsukun and began to push back. "Then help me understand! If I've secretly had the power to control the wind, then why have all of those terrible things been happening to the people around me for all these years?"
Taiitsukun's eye twitched.
Akimoto continued to rant. "If people were being blown away or backwards or if a tornado came out of nowhere, then maybe I'd believe you—but this? I can't stand it!"
The old woman could feel a great force all around her attempting to drive her to the ground. She could see what looked like a misty black cloud encircling Akimoto pushing outwards trying to spread. An incredible sense of dread tried to weasel its way into Taiitsukun's heart.
"This darkness…" Taiitsukun began to say.
Akimoto gasped. "Wait…oh no…" She placed her hands over the sides of her head and applied pressure. She took a deep breath. "I've got to calm down…." Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. After a few moments, Akimoto seemed to have regained her composure and placed back onto her face her expression of apathy. She attempted to speak as calmly as possible. "I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have reacted that way."
However…
Taiitsukun could still see the black fog emanating from Akimoto. Fortunately, in this space, the black fog couldn't make it more than a couple few feet before burning away in the shine of the golden light.
Taiitsukun sighed. She then used her own power that made the symbols on her body glow an even more intense golden light. Akimoto shielded her eyes. And in a flash, the dark cloud had settled back to Akimoto as what looked like a thin ring of smoke.
When the light dissipated, Akimoto opened her eyes again. "Why did you—"
"Well, that was informative," Taiitsukun said nonchalantly.
"What was?" Akimoto thought for a moment before having a hint of a guilty expression seeping through her poker face. "Did you…feel anything?"
"Yes. And I saw it too. Very interesting indeed to experience it up close."
"You…saw it?"
"Hmm…I suppose your eyes aren't trained for that yet."
"What did you see?" Tried as she might, Akimoto had a difficult time hiding her impatience.
"Don't worry about it."
Akimoto clenched her fists. "I'm…trying to stay calm. I'm just…concerned about…everything really. You want to send me to a new world and…you know there is something up with me. Are you sure that's wise? To expose new people to me. It'll just be like before…" She still wore the poker face, but there was a hint of sadness.
"Do you wish for me to send you back then? That is, if you think all of this will just be a waste of time?"
Akimoto took a deep breath and then exhaled. "No." She looked away. "I…don't know what I'm going to do. If these bad things keep happening—"
Taiitsukun took hold of Akimoto's hands in a gentle, reassuring way and held them up. She positioned them in such a way that Akimoto was holding onto the microphone as if she were about to perform. She smiled at Akimoto.
"Just be yourself."
Akimoto's eyes widened at this sudden act of compassion.
It was at this moment that she realized that Taiitsukun's hands were glowing with waves of red, blue, green, and a sand-like energy. While Taiitsukun's hands rested on Akimoto's as well as the microphone, the energies moved away from Taiitsukun and absorbed themselves into Akimoto. After a few seconds, Akimoto's chest glowed in the same spot as before: once red, once blue, and once green. The sand-like particles shimmered for a few seconds before settling down to nothing.
Akimoto yelped and quickly stepped away. "What did you put into me?"
"I equipped you with the other elements. Unlike wind, which you naturally have, I had to give them to you. Consider it a loan." Just as Akimoto parted her lips to speak, Taiitsukun cut her off. "The beginning of your training will consist of taming water, fire, earth, and wind with your wand."
Akimoto's face was mixed with slight confusion and panic after quickly glancing at the microphone. "But how do I make those things come out of a mic—"
Taiitsukun places a small object into Akimoto's hand. "Your training starts now." She then pushes Akimoto into the portal without so much as a warning.
"W-Wait!" The portal immediately shut behind her, leaving Taiitsukun all alone in her golden world.
The old woman closes her eyes and sighs. "She'll be fine."
Akimoto fell forward, dropping onto her knees and hands. When she looked backwards, the portal was already gone.
And so was Taiitsukun.
Being by herself, Akimoto released her poker face, revealing her concerned expression. She pushed her weight backwards to sit up on her bottom. Remembering the microphone, she looked down at it. "Magic powers…elements…training…" She then felt something unfamiliar in her other hand. Opening her palm, she saw a small, pretty, and smooth spherical white jewel. It looked like it could have been made of some opaque diamond type of material. "What is this?" It's very pretty. She held it up towards the sunlight. And then, remembering her current situation, she looked up and all around her. "Where…am I?"
She sat in the middle of a small grassy field surrounded by what looked like a forest. The sky was a peaceful blue with clouds slowly crossing.
Well, this place…doesn't look all that different. It just looks like a normal field. Then again, she did say that many worlds look similar to the other. She continued to scan the area. This is still so crazy. Am I really in a different world? Or is it possible that I'm dreaming?
In the middle of observing her surroundings, Akimoto gasped as she faced a large tree. Pinned several feet up the tree by a single arrow was what looked like a sleeping young man wearing red traditional Japanese robes of some sort. He had long silvery-white hair and…
Wait…
Akimoto noticed something on the top of his head. She placed the small jewel into her pocket and stood up. Remaining cautious, she took a step closer to him.
Are those…cat ears? Dog ears?
She wanted to get closer, but she didn't know what to expect, so she stayed back and looked down at her wand.
Am I supposed to do something about this? Taiitsukun dropped me here, so…
She looked up at him in silence.
Is he…okay? Staring at his face, Akimoto noted how peaceful he looked. Was he still alive?
Akimoto took a careful step towards him.
From the forest came the sound of rustling. And then there were men's voices, shouting.
"Stop where you are, woman!"
"Take another step forward, and we'll shoot!"
Akimoto gasped in shock as she slowly turned around to face the voices.
Before her were a dozen men wearing feudal country Japanese clothing. Each of them glared at Akimoto as they pulled their arrows back in their bows, aiming right for her. Akimoto froze once the realization of the danger she was in hit her. Clutching her microphone, she stood there, stunned.
From the forest an old woman with a hunch wearing a traditional Japanese shrine maiden outfit and an eye-patch over her right eye calmly walked past the armed young men and up to Akimoto. She too was armed with a bow and arrow. She was considerably shorter than Akimoto, but she had an air of authority about her.
"Who are you? What business do you have here?"
Still stunned, Akimoto continued to stare at the men threatening her with arrows.
"Well?"
"…"
The old woman sighed and closed her eye. "You all are so brash; you scared her into silence." She then opened her eye and took Akimoto's microphone right out of her hand.
"H-Hey!" Akimoto said, finally snapping out of her trance.
The old woman placed her finger up to her lips, gesturing for Akimoto to stop talking. Akimoto complied.
Turning to the men, the old woman held up Akimoto's wand. "There, I've disarmed her. Would you all please lower your weapons and let the child breathe?"
All the men looked at each other with uncertain glances. They then finally relaxed enough to lower their bows.
The old woman looked back to Akimoto. "You're no longer in any danger as long as you cooperate with us. Now I shall ask you again: Who are you and what business do you have here?"
Akimoto grimaced before taking a deep breath and then sighing.
After a little while, Akimoto, whose arms were tied up, was walking in the forest with the old woman. The train of men with their weapons followed closely behind. The old woman's name was Kaede and she was the priestess of the local village. Akimoto had explained everything that had happened to her from when she met Taiitsukun up until that point, leaving out the specific detail about her wish.
"So, you come from a different world…" Said Kaede, thinking.
"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true." Akimoto felt a little weird telling this stranger all this information, but at this point, she knew she didn't have much of a choice. She was still reeling from everything that had happened to her in the last hour or so.
"Hmm…I could believe you're from somewhere quite different. Your garments are like none I have ever seen. However…" Kaede gave her a side glance. "I sense a sinister energy surrounding you…
Akimoto's eyes widen momentarily before looking down with a sorrowful expression. She then shook it off and donned her poker face once more.
"There's also something else within you that I can't accurately identify. It seems very…familiar to me…"
Akimoto tried to hide her puzzlement.
"Are you a human girl?" Kaede asked bluntly.
The unexpected question caused Akimoto stop in her steps. "What?"
Kaede stopped along with her. "I asked if you were human."
Still confused, and slightly offended, Akimoto responded, "Yes, I'm human." What else would I be?
"Well, Akimoto, please excuse our caution, but someone with your potential next to a sealed Inuyasha creates a bit of unease within us."
"…" Akimoto blinked in confusion. "Next to…what?"
"That young half-demon man pinned to the tree. His name is Inuyasha."
"…did you just say…'demon?'" There's no way that's what she said.
Kaede nodded. "He's a half dog demon that terrorized our village 50 years ago all for the power that my dearly departed sister possessed. It was thanks to my sister, Kikyo, that he was stopped…just before she met her own end."
"I'm sorry…I'm still stuck on the word 'demon.' Are you telling me that there are demons in this world?"
Kaede looked her right in the eye. "Yes. They are quite common in our world and range from passive to malevolent. They can take almost any form."
Hearing that made Akimoto feel a bit nervous and did not ease her tension at all.
"Is that what you thought I was? A demon?"
"…no. Something tells me that you aren't a demon. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you are a human either."
Akimoto wanted to argue the point but didn't feel like it was the right time to cause a stir when there were way too many people in that moment ready to shoot her with sharp arrows.
Kaede gestured for Akimoto and her to continue walking.
"My sister was a powerful priestess, so it would take a lot to be able to remove her sacred arrow from his chest. However, it is better to be safe than sorry in order to maintain the few minutes of peace that we are given."
Akimoto gave her a concerned glance.
"Times are tough for us as demons see us humans as weak. We must fight for our lives. It's such a shame when the young children have to witness such terror."
"Is there a way to fight back against them?"
"It's all about power. The stronger you are, the better chance you have at survival. I take it that you don't have to face these monsters in your world?"
Akimoto shook her head. "No. Nothing like that happens. In fact, if you asked most people, they'd say that such creatures only exist in fairy tales. That isn't to say that we don't have our own dangers just…not that."
"I see…"
"Anyway, I don't want to remove the arrow from…what did you say his name was? Inuyasha? I don't even know why I'm here."
Kaede looked on. "Hopefully, we can find that out as well."
The group arrived at a small village. Villagers that were out and about stopped what they were doing to stare at Akimoto who was obviously an outsider.
Akimoto, upon seeing the people stops walking and stands still, her heart beginning to beat faster.
After noticing that the young woman had stopped, Kaede halted as well. "Is something wrong?"
Flashes of people crying, yelling in anger, and brawling enter her mind.
"Akimoto?"
Still stuck in her head, Akimoto repeats the mantra, just stay calm. Just stay calm.
"Akimoto!"
Finally snapping out of it, Akimoto looks over at Kaede.
"What's going on with you, child?"
Akimoto takes a deep breath and exhales, ensuring to maintain her poker face. "I…can't…"
Kaede squints her eye in concern. "You can't…what?"
"I mean…I shouldn't. I shouldn't go there."
Kaede looks over at the village. "Into the village? Why not?"
Akimoto turned away from Kaede to avoid eye contact. "Bad things can happen when I'm around too many people. Actually…bad things can happen if I'm around anyone…"
One of the armed villagers trailing them placed his hand on the handle of his sword. "Are you threatening us, woman?"
It's the same old thing.
Akimoto subtly sighed. "No, I'm just warning you."
"What sorts of bad things? Are the lives of my villagers in danger?" Kaede asked.
Akimoto thought about it for a moment. "I'm honestly not sure. It depends, I suppose. I don't usually allow myself to be around anyone long enough for it to get that serious. I just…can't be there…"
The other armed villagers began to get defensive and spoke up to Kaede.
"Priestess, this could just be a trick. She'll tell us to let her go since it would be 'too dangerous' to bring her with us. Who knows what she might do if we release her?"
"Perhaps she's frightened because we have her weakness lying somewhere in our village."
"Or what if she's telling the truth, but only doing it to get in our good graces?"
Kaede nodded in acknowledgement. "I understand your concerns, but I must verify something first." She turned towards Akimoto and held up her microphone. "Do you mean to tell us that you are a threat to us even without this?"
Akimoto guiltily nodded. "Yes. I honestly don't even know how to use that yet…"
"Why is it that being in a village triggers your dangerous abilities?"
"It isn't the village itself…it's…" Akimoto looked down and away, unaware that her expression had turned to that of shame.
"It's what?"
"It's…uh…I…" Her body began to tremble as visible discomfort could be seen on her face. She couldn't face anyone in this moment. All Akimoto wanted to do was cry.
Seeing the young woman's eyes begin to well up with tears, Kaede sighed. "If all of this bothered you so much, then how come it only became an issue just now? You've been around us this entire time without much trouble."
Akimoto did her best to maintain an apathetic demeanor. "I guess…I wasn't giving that aspect of my situation that much thought. I was so distracted by all the new experiences that I was momentarily unaware of how many people I was around. Seeing the village kind of snapped me out of my state of awe."
"What do you suppose we do with you, then? Let you go?"
Akimoto did her best to maintain an apathetic demeanor. "I'd prefer that, but—"
One of the villagers cut her off. "See, milady? She just wants to—"
"Oh, hush," Kaede told him. She then said to Akimoto, "Please continue."
"…I know I make you all very uneasy…and I understand that. So…I guess…keep me here in the forest but…keep me tied up and have some guards watch me or something…" Akimoto's words trailed off as she ended her suggestion.
"Well, priestess?"
"Hmm…" Kaede thought for a few moments. "I suppose that sounds doable." She then walked over to one of armed the villagers. "Do you have a spare piece of cloth?"
"Some cloth? Sure." He handed her the item she had asked for. "But what do you need it for?"
"You'll see." Kaede then went up to Akimoto and told her to follow.
Akimoto complied without questioning her.
Kaede led Akimoto back into the forest just to where enough trees were present to slightly block the view of the village. The old woman then told Akimoto to sit down beside a tree. Once again, Akimoto complied.
As soon as Akimoto sat down, Kaede wrapped the cloth around Akimoto's head, covering her eyes.
Alarmed, Akimoto began to ask, "Um…what're you—?"
"If the sight of the village and my people make you so anxious, then perhaps you'll be more at peace if you cannot see them. Intellectually, you may know that they are there, but perhaps the darkness will distract your senses for a bit."
I don't quite know if it works that way but… "I appreciate it…"
Akimoto then sat in silence as some of the armed villagers guarded her. Kaede had left Akimoto's presence and returned to her village duties as the hours went by.
Night had fallen and Akimoto remained seated under the tree in the forest. The guards who were watching her were initially very wary of her, but given how calm and cooperative she was, they were beginning to wonder if she was even a threat.
"I wonder if we over-reacted…she hasn't done anything…"
"Yeah, I'm starting to think we might have wasted our time."
"Maybe, but can we really trust that she came from a different world?"
"I mean, I don't know about you, but I've never seen clothes like that before—I could believe it. That doesn't necessarily mean that we can trust her…"
"I wonder what kind of world she came from…"
They had whispered all this several yards away from her. Since the blindfold was also covering her ears, and along with their lower volumes, she couldn't hear what they were talking about all that well. It wasn't like she was paying them much attention anyway. Akimoto had been stuck with her own thoughts trying to process everything that had happened to her in the past several hours.
Fear.
Confusion.
Excitement.
Anxiety.
Everything was happening so quickly. Perhaps she was still in the park. Maybe she had went to sit under a tree after leaving the bench. She felt the sturdy trunk and could feel the grass under her. There was always a chance that this was her imagination running wild.
Maybe.
Just maybe…
Eventually, Akimoto heard footsteps walking towards her.
"I have returned, Akimoto." It was Kaede. "And I have brought you something to eat.
"No thank you," Akimoto told her, calmly.
"From what you told me, you had quite a long day. A warm meal might soothe you."
"…"
Kaede sighed and reached down behind Akimoto and untied the binds around her wrists. Akimoto gave a tiny gasp.
The guards noticed. "Milady—"
"We're not letting her go anywhere," she told them. "But the child does need to eat."
Akimoto rested her hands on her lap.
"Come now, don't be stubborn." Kaede insisted.
Well…she did go out of her way to bring it all the way out here for me. It would be more of a burden on her if I refused.
Akimoto slowly lifted the blindfold up from her eyes. The moment she could see everything again, she saw that she wasn't dreaming. She was in fact in a different world.
The food that Kaede had brought out was on the ground beside her sitting in a tray. Before Akimoto partook in the meal, she thanked Kaede. The old woman nodded in acknowledgement. Not a moment later, Akimoto began to eat.
After several minutes, Kaede spoke up.
"I feel you should come stay with me in my home for the night."
Akimoto stopped eating.
"It isn't safe for anyone to be out after the sun sets. Demons and other beasts become bolder in the shadow of night."
I can almost guarantee you that having me in your village might not be any better. Ugh…but I can't ask the guards to stay out here with me. Demons might come after them all because they don't trust me to be out here on my own.
"Something tells me that you'd rather we let you off to be on your own and I understand that. But there's just something about you…I can't comfortably leave you alone until I found out what that something is."
Akimoto looked down and away, not sure what to say.
"I don't know why, but I get the feeling that you truly mean us no harm."
Upon hearing that, Akimoto looked up at Kaede in disbelief.
"However, as the protector of my village, I need to be absolutely certain."
Akimoto sighed and looked down at the ground. "Alright…I stay with you. But you have to do something for me."
One of the villagers was alarmed with the ultimatum. "Priestess—"
"Hush," the old woman told him before turning back to face Akimoto. "What must we do?"
Akimoto gave her eye contact. "I want you to knock me out."
Kaede's eye widened in surprise. "What was that?"
"I don't know what'll happen when we get there, but from what I know, I'm safe to be around when I'm asleep. So…hit me, tranquilize me, do whatever. Just make sure that I'm unconscious and then carry me to your house. I'm sorry that you have to carry my dead weight, but it's the only way I'd feel comfortable going into a village of innocents."
Everyone was silent upon hearing her request. It was such an unexpected thing to say.
Eventually, one of the villagers spoke up to Kaede who was still thinking. "What do you think we should do, milady?"
"Hmm…are you sure about this, Akimoto?"
The young woman nodded.
"Alright then. If that's the case, then I believe I know the proper blend of herbs that should put you into a deep sleep relatively quickly. Stay here and I'll return momentarily with the brew."
Akimoto returned the nod. "Thank you."
Once more, Kaede left Akimoto in the care of the guards.
Walking towards her hut, Kaede continued to think about the mysterious girl. She felt within her heart that the girl was being sincere, but…there was that dark presence around her that made her uneasy. And the girl was aware of it.
Kaede thought that maybe the girl was cursed. That would explain the well intentions but unfortunate consequences she alluded to. But something else about her felt oh so familiar…what could it have been?
Just as Kaede approached her hut, she felt an unfamiliar presence behind her. Not unpleasant, but strange, nonetheless. She could also hear the alarmed murmurs of the villagers in her vicinity.
Without turning around, Kaede spoke to the uninvited guest in a calm, but stern tone. "What business do you have here?"
The entity spoke in an old woman's voice. "I mean no harm. I come on behalf of the young Akimoto Tsubaki."
Kaede turned to face the voice and found a small levitating old woman wearing foreign garments and whose skin glowed with ribbons of golden light. The glowing patterns immediately caught Kaede's attention as they seemed to trigger a very specific memory. After mulling it over for a few moments, Kaede said, "You are the one who brought her to our world, I presume?"
The unfamiliar old woman nodded. "Indeed. My name is Taiitsukun."
The villagers in the background were visibly uneasy. Some rushed themselves and their children into their respective huts while others grabbed some tools and weapons, ready to defend themselves and their leader.
"And what is that you want with me, Taiitsukun?"
"Well, I saw that within one minute of my sending her here, you've already subjugated my ward."
"Your "ward" appeared as if she was going to release a problem that had been dealt with long ago. Not to mention that I sense a malevolent entity around her. Therefore, it was in our best interest to keep her in our custody for the time being. Perhaps you can provide some much-needed insight on this Akimoto Tsubaki?"
"If you don't trust her word, why trust mine?" Taiitsukun asked.
"It isn't so much that I trust you, but I am willing to hear you out."
The crowd around them watched on with apprehension, not knowing how to react to this stranger with their priestess.
Taiitsukun grinned. "I appreciate your cooperation. I will tell you what is necessary. But I will only tell you. No other ears may hear, nor eyes witness what I will reveal to you, Lady Kaede."
Kaede found it a bit alarming how this stranger knew her name but figured that was even more reason to see what she had to offer.
"Now, come along with me," Taiitsukun told her.
"Don't do it, priestess!" One of the villagers called out.
"You don't know what she's planning!"
Holding up a hand for them to stop talking, Kaede reassured them. "Be still, children. I'll be alright. We'll be within eyesight. That is, if that's alright with you?" She gestured to Taiitsukun who nodded in reply.
"That is fine. As long as we're at a distance to where they won't be able to discern what I show you."
"Understood."
Taiitsukun and Kaede went off far enough to still be seen, but not heard. Their backs were towards the village so that no one can see what is being shared. The only thing that could be discerned was a bright ray of light shining somewhere below the old women's eye levels.
There were murmurings in the crowd trying to determine what was happening.
In the location where Akimoto was at, the guards who were supposed to be watching her took notice of the golden light which shone past the trees. They ended up neglecting their duties to try and spy on what was happening.
Akimoto, seeing their concern and confusion, stood up behind them to see what they were seeing. She gasped.
That light…is it…? She inspected it for a few more moments. That has to be Taiitsukun! Although I suppose in a world like this, it can technically be anything…but I'm sure it's her! Akimoto frowned. Is she trying to get my attention? She looked over at the guards. Kaede trusted me enough to untie me with the faith that I'd stay. But Taiitsukun might need me for something. If I don't listen to her, she might send me back to my world!
Akimoto backed up slowly. I'm sorry Kaede… Taking the blindfold completely off, she quietly laid it on the ground and sneaked away from the area while the guards were preoccupied. It would have taken her a shorter time to get there had she just gone directly to the light, but she had to take the long way around to make sure the guards didn't notice she was missing until the very last second.
Avoiding as much of the crunchy foliage as she could, Akimoto made her way to the light. Once she was past the shade of the trees and on the border of the village, she bolted towards the familiar glow.
Finally taking notice of her, the guards shouted, "The woman's escaping! Get her!" And they began to chase after Akimoto with their weapons in hand.
Akimoto, knowing fully well that she was being pursued, continued to run. As she got closer to the light, she saw that not only was it Taiitsukun there, but Kaede as well.
What?
The light began to dim as Akimoto approached. Just before she could reach them, some of the guards intercepted her and tackled her to the ground.
"We knew you couldn't be trusted!"
"Are you alright, milady?"
By this point, the shining light, whatever it was, had gone out, and the two old women were looking down at the spectacle of Akimoto struggling under the weight of the guard.
"Let her go," Kaede told him.
"But—"
Kaede narrowed her eye. "I did not stutter. Get on up and let her go."
Hesitantly, the guard backed off and distanced himself from Akimoto. Akimoto slowly got back onto her feet while keeping an eye on the old women.
"Wh…wha...? D-Do you two know each other?"
Instead of answering, Kaede inspected Akimoto as she stood deep in thought. "Hmm…"
Akimoto, puzzled at the priestess's inspection, asked, "…what? …oh! I left the spot… I'm sorry! I just—I saw Taiitsukun's light and I couldn't ignore it. I didn't mean—"
Kaede held up her palm to signal for Akimoto to stop talking. "No need to explain. I understand everything."
Akimoto caught on to the emphasis of the last word in her sentence. What does she mean by that?
Reaching for the side of her trousers, Kaede pulled out Akimoto's microphone and held it out to her.
"You may have this back."
Even more confused, Akimoto just looked down at the device.
Kaede sighed. "I am not the type to give out false hope. Take it."
Slowly, Akimoto reached out and took hold of the microphone. "Thanks…?" Still wary, Akimoto gave Taiitsukun a confused glance.
In response, Taiitsukun merely gave her the usual, hardened expression.
Turning to face the onlooking villagers, Kaede proclaimed while gesturing to Akimoto, "This girl can go wherever she wishes. She is also not to be stopped from doing her tasks. I kindly ask that no one gives her any trouble."
The villagers mumble amongst themselves with disapproving comments.
"But Lady Kaede—"
"Am I understood?" Kaede gave them a stern look.
Still filled with unease, the villagers complied. "Yes, milady. We understand."
Turning to Akimoto, Kaede said while giving a slight bow, "I apologize for the misunderstanding and for treating you so poorly upon your arrival to our world."
Why is she acting like this all of a sudden? Akimoto wondered. "No, it's fine. I completely understand why you had to do that." She then glanced over at Taiitsukun. "But what did you tell—"
"Never you mind," Taiitsukun told her. "Just be grateful I was able to get you out of this situation." She then mumbled to herself in a low but understandable volume, "Honestly, young people nowadays..."
Akimoto frowns at her.
"I understand you are in possession of the Shikon Jewel," Kaede said to Akimoto.
The crowd gasped and spoke amongst themselves.
Akimoto, however, was confused. "The…what?"
"Remember that spherical jewel I left with you before sending you here?" Taiitsukun reminded.
Akimoto's eyes widened momentarily in realization. She reached into her pocket and took out the pretty pinkish-white gem and held it up for Kaede to see. "This thing?"
Upon seeing the jewel, Kaede was temporarily in awe. "So…it's true after all…"
"Of course, it is," Taiitsukun told her. "Then again, I don't see how it's possible you still had any doubt."
What are they talking about?
Kaede ignored her as she continued to stare at the jewel. "It's been so long since I had last laid my eyes upon the Sacred Jewel. I thought it was gone along with Kikyo. But here it is…after fifty long years…"
"Excuse me, Lady Kaede, but what exactly is this?" Akimoto asked.
Finally snapping out of her trance, Kaede answered, "It is known as the Shikon Jewel or the Sacred Jewel of the Four Souls; an immensely powerful but somewhat unholy artifact that can grant whoever possesses it with immense power. Human, demon, it does not matter. In the past, it was my sister who protected this jewel. Now it is for you to look after."
Taking a step back in disbelief, Akimoto raised her voice, "WHAT?"
Kaede nodded. "You must protect it from whoever desires to use its power for their own selfish needs."
In trying to keep her composure and hide the fact that she was panicking on the inside, Akimoto said, "This doesn't make any sense. You just met me. Why trust me with this? How do you know that I won't use it for my own selfish needs?"
"You won't," Taiitsukun responded matter-of-factly.
Akimoto turned to face her and whispered in an accusatory tone, "It's because of you…" She then raised her voice once more. "What did you tell her? Why does she suddenly trust me?"
One of the villagers spoke up. "I agree with the girl. I apologize, priestess, but she shouldn't even have it! I heard that the Sacred Jewel was long gone with your sister. How did it even show up here?"
Another villager chimed in. "How do we know that's even the real thing?"
Becoming slightly agitated, Kaede asked, "Are you questioning my ability to recognize the jewel? Many of you either weren't born yet or are too young to remember what it looks like, but I assure you of its authenticity. There is no doubting that this is the very jewel that Kikyo sacrificed so much of her time to protect—the very jewel that she died in order to protect."
"But you're giving it to a complete stranger!"
"Yes...and... I know it sounds crazy but..." Kaede gave Taiitsukun a knowing look. "…this is what must be done for the good of us all. Even if you do not trust them, trust in me."
Feeling a bit defeated, but still concerned, the villagers gave up in trying to convince their elder.
"Wait…don't I get a say in this?" Akimoto abruptly asked.
Everyone turned to Akimoto. It was at this point that she realized that she was in the middle of this village populated with way more than just a handful of people. Not only did she feel exceptionally worried about the kinds of effects her anxiety might bring, but just being the center of attention made her uncomfortable. Resisting the urge to cringe away into nonexistence, Akimoto continued her spiel. "With all due respect Lady Kaede, I don't want to be in charge of this. I don't want to be responsible for whatever bad thing might happen to it…" Or whatever bad thing might happen to everyone else.
Putting a hand on Akimoto's shoulder, Kaede reassured, "You'll do just fine. You may fall from time to time and you might find yourself in what seems like hopeless situations, but never doubt the inner strength that I know you possess. You just have to be convinced yourself that you have it." She and Taiitsukun exchange glances before she looks back at Akimoto. "You're going to do great things, Akimoto. But along the way you'll have to learn how to accept responsibility and do what needs to be done for the greater good."
"That's exactly what I'm trying to do," Akimoto said. And why is she so confident in me? What did Taiitsukun tell her? Or…show her?
"Akimoto!" Taiitsukun's loud authoritarian voice made Akimoto jump. "I told you before that you must do what I say to reach your goal. I am giving you the instruction of taking this jewel into your care."
"...but—"
Taiitsukun cut her off. "You are to not let anyone else have it and must not let it out of your sight. Am I clear?"
In an act of defiance, Akimoto glared at her.
"Of course, if you've decided to not agree to my terms, I can always take you back to your world—"
Akimoto's eyes widen at the thought. "No! No..." Sighing in defeat, Akimoto said, "I'll do it." With a grimace, she then put the jewel back into her shirt pocket. This is a fantastically bad idea.
"I thought so. Well…" Taiitsukun turned around and began to float away. "…it's about time I take my leave."
Seeing the old woman about to float away, Akimoto called out, "Wait! You still haven't—"
Taiitsukun, once again disregarding Akimoto, looked back at Kaede. "You're going to want to start arming yourselves. Remember what I told you. It won't be long now."
Nodding in acknowledgement, Kaede told her, "I thank you for the warning."
Taiitsukun proceeds to float away.
Still trying to get Taiitsukun's attention, Akimoto continued to call out, "Taiitsukun! What am I supposed to—"
"Everyone!" Kaede announced with alarm. "Either arm yourselves with your weapons or find secure shelter. We are about to be attacked by a demon! Go, protect your homes. She may attack us from anywhere."
The villagers had panicked expressions. "Attacked? Are you sure, priestess?"
"I have been given a prophecy of the future; she will attack in only a few moments!"
Without needing any more warning, the villagers made haste as they awoke those who were asleep and as the warriors gather their weapons of swords, spears, arrows, hoes, and various blunt objects.
Akimoto, both confused and alarmed, looked over at Kaede, unsure of what to do. "A demon?"
Without skipping a beat, Kaede turned to the young woman. "Akimoto, you must run away from here."
"But Taiitsukun—" She tried to locate the floating old woman, but she had disappeared.
"Akimoto, listen! Your teacher warned that the demon that is approaching is after the Sacred Jewel. It is your duty to protect it, so go!"
From the forest came swift ruffling and trees rustling as something rushed past them. And then suddenly, an incredibly loud shriek echoed throughout the area.
Akimoto's body began to shake as she tried to locate the source of the sound. She had never heard anything so terrifying outside of movies.
Pushing Akimoto forward and away from the source of the shriek, Kaede shouted, "GO!"
Akimoto ran away into the forest in the opposite direction of the danger as fast as she could, without looking back. As she ran, she could faintly hear the villagers shouting and screaming and some unholy creature destroying some of their structures. Akimoto's imagination was beginning to run wild as to what the demon looked like, but she tried to not think about it too much...she just kept telling herself to get away over and over again as she clutched her wand and ran.
Before too long, she found herself back in the clearing with the tree where Inuyasha, the half-demon, was pinned to a large tree by a single arrow.
Akimoto quickly looked past the tree holding Inuyasha and began to run off to the side. But suddenly, the ground started to shake. Not a moment later, a huge creature burst out of the ground.
Akimoto fell backwards from her stopping herself too quickly from running forward. Her mouth gaped open and eyes widened as she stared up at a monster with a long centipede body along with the torso and head of a black-haired humanoid woman with six arms and razor-sharp teeth. The insect part of her body ran for yards and yards—almost as if it had no end. The monster peered down at Akimoto with a lust for murder in her eyes.
Akimoto could not move. She was in shock. She had never seen anything so horrifying before. She was silently wishing that all of this was just a dream, but she couldn't forget how she had already convinced herself that this was real just recently. Her body just would not budge.
The centipede demon spoke. "I was told you were the one in possession of the Shikon Jewel."
"…"
"Give it to me, now!" The demon ordered. "Or I'll search every part of your body, tearing away each piece as I go."
Still unable to move or speak, Akimoto's body shivered with fear.
Once the demon saw that Akimoto wasn't complying, she swiftly launched herself towards her. Out of the forest, though, came a flurry of arrows being shot straight at her. The demon pulled back as she inspected their origin. Some of the village men came running out with their weapons towards the demon with a battle cry. They continued to attack the demon. She flawlessly swiped and slashes them away.
Akimoto finally blinked and realized what was going on. Seeing the villagers in danger, instinct snuck in involuntarily as she stood up and took a step towards the creature, clutching her microphone even tighter.
Still shaking, she though to herself, I need to—
"How stubborn can you be? Get away from there!"
Akimoto heard a familiar voice in her head. She looked around.
"Taiitsukun? Wh-Where are you?"
"Never mind that. Didn't the priestess tell you to run away? You cannot help them right now."
Akimoto closed her eyes tight at the sound of those painful words. The sounds of the men crying out as they were torn down ate at her. "I'm…I'm not completely helpless. I…I can push it to the ground!"
"And then what? At this point, you'll only anger it further."
"But I have to—"
"What you HAVE to do is keep that jewel safe. You wanted to be relied on, right? Well, here's the time to prove yourself. Get moving!"
Akimoto bit down on her lower lip. I do want that…but…I just can't…
Letting out an aggravated cry, Akimoto turned away from the demon and began to run away again.
The demon saw that Akimoto was trying to get away and quickly went after her, trampling some of the villagers in the process.
"You won't get away from me!" She shrieked.
Akimoto ran in an unpredictable path—going from left to right and whichever—trying to throw off the demon. When said demon seemed to get too close, she would bank in a different direction. When the situation called for it, Akimoto would also purposely fall to the ground and roll if she felt the breath of the demon on her back or would jump if she felt the ground become unstable again when the demon would burrow into the ground. Akimoto knew she couldn't get away, though. This demon was too big and too fast. Akimoto would eventually tire out or the demon would just learn her pattern and get her. Either way, Akimoto didn't have faith that she'd make it through this. But still, she'd evade as much as she could because her life and the lives of many other people depended on it. The villagers would interfere as much as they could, but the demon still bested them.
As this chaos was occurring, Taiitsukun appeared from one of her portals next to Inuyasha. She touched his shoulder and a golden light flashed. Inuyasha's closed eyes twitched and then suddenly shot open.
"Wha...?" Looking at the chaotic scene in front of him, he aggressively asked, "What the heck is goin' on?!" He tried to move, but he couldn't. That was when he noticed the arrow. His eyes fill with rage. "That's right...Kikyo...she did this to me." After giving a growl, he yelled, "Kikyo!"
"Oh hush, boy," Taiitsukun told him.
Looking over at the old woman, Inuyasha asked, "Who the heck're you? And where's Kikyo?"
"I am the one who released you from your fifty-year-long slumber."
"What?! Fifty years?! It has not been that long."
"How would you know? You've been asleep."
"Tch." He glared at Taiitsukun. "Whatever, old hag…And don't tell me you broke that spell. There's no way that someone like you could get past a seal made by Kikyo. She's the only one that could have released me."
"Well, aren't you an arrogant little puppy?"
That comment apparently struck a nerve. "Who the heck're you callin' a puppy?! Just wait until I get my hands on you!"
"Listen, regardless of what you believe, I am the only one capable of getting you down from this tree—that is, unless you like being up here?"
"I'm callin' your bluff, old hag. You can't do anything. Now tell me where Kikyo is!"
Taiitsukun ignored him and gestured to the scene unfolding before them. "See what's going on over there?" Akimoto was running for her life from the centipede demon. Taiitsukun then said, "I need you to put a stop to it by killing that demon."
"If you're so powerful, why don't you do it yourself?" Inuyasha sneered.
"It is not my place to put an end to her. It must be you."
He turned away from the old woman with a pout.
Taiitsukun continued, "That girl that the demon is chasing? She has the Shikon Jewel."
Inuyasha's ears twitched. "What?" He turned to look at Taiitsukun. "That's a lie. Kikyo has the jewel—there's no way some weak girl was able to win it off her."
"Kikyo is dead."
Eyes widening, Inuyasha whispered in disbelief "...what? You're ly—"
"Before she tracked you down and pinned you to that tree, she received a deadly wound. Shortly after she was finished with you, she fell over, and passed away."
Inuyasha frowned at her.
"If you don't believe me, you can go and investigate the truth for yourself, but first you must deal with this trial before you. It is only with the Shikon Jewel that your dream of becoming a full-fledged demon can be realized and only by saving that girl will you be closer to your goal."
Eyes widening in surprise, Inuyasha asked, "Who told you that was my dream?"
"It matters not." She turned to face him once more. "Do we have a deal?
"..."
"And if you even think about running off before killing that demon, I'll pin you back up on this tree before you even reach the forest, do I make myself clear?"
He glared at her.
"I'll take that as a yes." She placed her hand over the arrow and within a second, it glowed with a golden light and disintegrated away.
Inuyasha was free.
He dropped to the ground below onto his feet. At first, he only watched the chaos unfolding; listening to the girl struggle and scream as the demon slithered closer and closer. He then looked back up at Taiitsukun with an intense glare. She didn't entertain his gaze. After a few moments, Inuyasha watched the scene once more still deciding on what his next move was.
By this point, Akimoto was crying profusely from the fear. She tripped and fell forward onto her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and stayed there on the ground, paralyzed and completely exhausted. The demon launched her head forward and bit the lower part of Akimoto's leg.
She screamed while trying to drag herself forward.
The demon pulled her backwards.
Akimoto, still crying, bit down hard, trying to move forward. Every time she tugged the demon's teeth burrowed deeper into her skin.
Out of nowhere, the centipede demon cried out in pain. She releases her jaw and Akimoto was finally able to slip her bloodied leg away. The demon looked behind her and saw that half of her centipede side had been slashed clear off. A puddle of green-ish blue blood puddled under her severed body parts.
The demon shrieked, "Who did this to me?!"
Inuyasha stood next to the wound with his clawed hand up for all to see. Her blood spilled across his skin.
"That girl's got something that belongs to me and I ain't letting you have it," the half-demon told her.
"Why you half-breed little—"
Before she could even finish her sentence, Inuyasha jumped up at least a few stories over the demon.
"IRON REAVER, SOUL STEALER!" With his claws and with little effort, he slashed straight through the length of the demon in a flash of light right down the middle from her head down to what she had left of her centipede half.
Both halves of the now dead demon fell limp to their sides as her blood stained the grass below.
Standing over the corpse, Inuyasha scoffed. "Pathetic. Serves you right for trying to get your filthy hands on what's mine." He then sniffed the air and swiftly turned himself around. "The girl!"
While her leg was still injured, Akimoto tried to limp away from the area as quickly as she could.
"You're not gettin' away from me!"
The villagers who had finally caught sight of him began shouting, "It's Inuyasha! Kill him! Don't let him get the jewel!"
They began to swarm him, but he easily jumped over and away from the mob and dashed towards Akimoto. Before too long, he leaped in front of her, blocking her path. She stopped on her spot, struggling to stand, breathing hard while tears still ran from her eyes.
She glared at him.
He, however, smiled menacingly at her. "I see you've had a rough day, why not hand over that Sacred Jewel you're holding onto? I promise to keep it safe." He held out his hand.
Akimoto tried to turn around.
Grabbing her arm, Inuyasha shoved her to the ground.
"Aah!"
"I was trying to be nice." Inuyasha frowned at her. "Make no mistake, girl, I won't hesitate to kill you if that means I'll get that jewel."
Tears were still running down her cheeks as she remained quiet and glared him down.
"Suit yourself." Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and then quickly launched his claws at Akimoto.
Shaking with fear, Akimoto shut her eyes tight and braced for the inevitable.
Without warning, Inuyasha's whole body fell flat and face down into the ground. An invisible force pushed his body so hard downwards that the ground gave way beneath him beginning to crack.
"What the heck...?! What the heck is going on?!" The half-demon struggled to sit up, but it was no use.
Akimoto looked down at him for a few moments, stunned. Then, finally snapping out of it, she finally took a deep inhale and breathed out. She stood up as best as she could with her wounded leg, peered down at Inuyasha, and put her poker face back on. I guess it really does work on demons, she thought to herself. Regardless of this revelation, her teeth still chattered from fear, but the fact was hidden by her closed lips. She knew she had to be strong or at least…convince herself that she was strong. Or else further disaster could strike.
At that moment, the adrenaline coursing throughout her body made it so that she couldn't feel the pain in her wounded leg. But she knew if she were to look down at it or even acknowledge it, the illusion of strength would be broken.
All Akimoto could bring herself to do was to look down at this half-demon who had been caught under her power. It was a familiar sight that allowed her to stay grounded.
"You dumb brat! What are you doing to me?!" Inuyasha shouted.
The invisible force pushed down on him further to where his body created a crater in the ground under him.
"..."
Inuyasha growled and gave Akimoto a nasty glare. "I'm...gonna…" He struggled to sit up. "…kill..." Somehow, he managed to get onto his knees. "…you...!
Akimoto's eyes widen with surprise as fear started to keep back onto her face. No way…Is he actually able to…?
Before she could finish that thought, Inuyasha fell flat onto his face once more as the force intensified.
"Darn it!"
As the familiarity returned, so did Akimoto's poker face.
"AAAARGHHH!" Inuyasha's yell of frustration was loud enough to be heard throughout the area. Akimoto just watched him suffer as the force pushed him more and more.
"Darn it..." His voice became weaker and more sorrowful. "Kikyo..." A single tear escaped from his eye and ran down his cheek.
Upon seeing this, Akimoto's eyes soften as she was suddenly swept by a feeling of guilt.
The way he said her name...it didn't sound vengeful at all. It was more like...
She gave him a sympathetic frown.
Before too long, though, she put her poker face back on. "If you promise to not come after me, I'll make it stop."
He didn't respond.
"Just promise me." Akimoto almost pleaded with him.
Inuyasha continued to stay silent.
Losing her patience as the pain from her leg progressively became more pronounced, she began to raise her voice. "This isn't worth your life! It's not worth it to die for...for, what? This?" She took the Shikon Jewel out of her pocket.
Inuyasha looked up at it. "The...jewel..."
"This jewel..." Akimoto was breathing hard as she tried to endure the pain. Her body began to hunch over. "…got you in trouble to begin with—why waste your life for it? Let it go. Just…leave it alone…leave me alone…start over or something…just give it up. You've lost."
Inuyasha growled. "Who are you...to say that...to me? You don't...know anything...about me. And saying that I've lost?" He continued to struggle. "Don't make me laugh. The moment…I'm free…you're done for."
"You're right, I don't know you. But I do know that people are usually better off when I'm not around them. I assume you'd agree with that?" Her expression softened. "I want to let you go, so please just promise you won't try to kill me for this."
Still unyielding, Inuyasha only glared at her.
"Inuyasha!" Akimoto shouted out in frustration.
Biting down hard, he grumbled, "…fine…"
"Fine…what?"
He growled and spoke through clenched teeth. "…I promise…I won't hunt you down…for the jewel anymore…"
As difficult as that seemed for the half-demon to say, Akimoto was relieved. She sighed and then placed the jewel back into her pocket.
The force pushing down on Inuyasha suddenly stopped and he managed to slowly pick himself up again. Right as he did so, Akimoto fell over next to him, unconscious.