501: Silk and Gossamer
She was… other.
Looking as if she'd just stepped from the set of an ancient Roman film, Kagome could only stare into her bright, mirthful eyes as she stood on the pathway.
"I knew you would come."
The whispered words cut Kagome with icy daggers, chilling her down to the bone.
"How would you know something like that?" The priestess asked softly, even as Sesshomaru curled his fingers around her arm, holding her near.
Laughter chimed through the air, and the woman strolled away, silk and gossamer fluttering behind her.
"You were always meant to," she called over her shoulder.
502: Beloved
Dislike it he may, but Sesshomaru knew it was necessary.
This was a trial Kagome had to face, and he couldn't interfere.
She needed redemption.
He'd ensure she was afforded the opportunity.
"I don't understand," Kagome breathed, moving to follow after the female in flowing ivory.
"Come along then, Beloved One. I shall enlighten you."
With the wave of a delicate hand, nature parted like a curtain to reveal a well-furnished room.
Acquiring a tome, the woman thumbed a few pages before gracefully dropping to a chaise lounge.
"We have much to discuss. Sit. You may as well get comfortable."
503: Deceitful Snakes
Silence loomed over the odd tableau featuring the priestess, the daiyoukai, and the mysterious woman.
"What do you know?" Kagome inquired suddenly, and their eyes met.
For one breathless moment Kagome felt the sins of the world falling upon her shoulders.
"I will tell you a story," the woman said wistfully. "Nearly as old as time itself; a tale of betrayal… and gifts. The Gods know only deceit. Like snakes, they writhe in pleasure as their prey suffers." She hummed, glancing away coyly. "Ah, but I am getting ahead of myself. The beginning - this tale begins with a gift."
504: The Curse
"There was a time when humanity knew only darkness. Prometheus, sweet Prometheus… he pitied mankind, so he gave them fire. This empowered them, thus angering the gods, who sought to bring man back beneath their heel from which they had strayed."
The woman held Kagome's eyes, and she could feel the gravity in them.
"Deceitfully, they offered humanity a second gift – one they crafted. The gift of beauty, femininity. Woman."
Kagome perked up, déjà vu overcoming her.
I know this story…
"They also bestowed me with a gift. A gift which though seemed valuable in appearance, was in truth, a curse."
505: Calamity
Kagome wasn't well-versed in Greek mythology, but she was familiar with the tale of Pandora and her jar of calamity.
The curious woman, hand-crafted by the gods, opened the jar they'd gifted her with, thereby releasing all of the nefarious things upon the Earth and its inhabitants.
Illness, famine, war. Devastation. Death.
It spread like wildfire, and as Pandora panicked, she sealed the jar once more – confining within it its final content.
Hope.
"As the horrors spread, the gods gazed upon the world gleefully. All but one – the goddess of Earth, Pandora. The goddess for whom I was fashioned after."
506: Divine
"Pandora, like Prometheus, pitied mankind. With her power, she gave man a fighting chance. A purity so divine, it could not be tarnished. She gave them you, so that you may be their hope."
The woman slumped slightly, losing some of her luster.
"Meanwhile, the gods punished me two-fold, cursing me to an eternal existence within this jar, where hope remains… just out of reach."
Lifting her head, she once again met Kagome's eyes.
"Alas, you have come. Just as she said you would."
"Who are you?" Kagome wondered aloud, her confusion obvious.
Exasperation and uncertainty warred within the priestess.
507: The First
"I am the first woman; created to punish mankind. Crafted in Pandora's image, the loveliest of the goddesses. I am Anesidora."
Sesshomaru stood stiffly beside Kagome, and a question built in her mind; built in her throat, desperate to be asked, though the answer terrified her.
She gave voice to her curiosity, her words but a whisper. "Who am I?"
Anesidora blinked before her lips pulled into a soft smile. She tipped her head, regarding the priestess.
"You are the chosen, the Beloved One. Where I am punishment, you are hope. Though, to me… you are simply known as sister."
508: Parallel
Anesidora stood suddenly, stepping toward Kagome, and Sesshomaru reacted, placing himself between the two women.
Pausing, the woman eyed the daiyoukai as if she hadn't realized he was there until that moment. Finally, they settled on Kagome again.
"Your truth… indeed, your very name has been forgotten, lost to time, and space. But I remember your purpose, as it ran parallel to my own."
Kagome felt numb, wanting to deny it. An emptiness spread through her, but she knew, knew that what she was hearing was truth. Still…
"I don't understand," Kagome breathed, shaking her head. "This isn't making sense."
509: Anesidora's Gift
The universe worked through mystery and wonder. Kagome had learned to accept this.
That didn't mean she had to like it…
"A great burden was forced upon me, through which I carry the weight of tribulation. But there must be balance. Pandora knew this, and your soul was forged to be the light that maintained the balance.
"But, hope was not lost for me, either. You see, I have suffered my punishment sufficiently, and Pandora told me you would be my light, as well.
"You were always meant to find me, sister. This was the gift Pandora gave to me."
510: The Heart of the Matter
"Our presence here has a purpose greater than freeing you from your confinement," Sesshomaru intoned, speaking for the first time.
Kagome glanced at him.
"Oh?" Anesidora's head canted curiously. "Pray tell."
"I was under the belief that were I to find these particular artifacts, I could somehow go back and change a choice I made. Fix my mistake… as though it never happened."
A silence filled the space, blue eyes holding a pair far more ancient than could be believed.
"Do not waste your time looking back, sister. You are not going that way."
"I have to go that way!"