A Tale of Souls Swords
~I do not own Inuyasha. This story is purely fan made.
AN: Thank you everyone for the reviews. Sorry for the long wait. Ok, so there are some things that I want to address before all of you read this next chapter. So apparently Rin's appearance has caused a small commotion. So I am going to put some questions to rest. A lot of people were happy to see Rin in the story but their were some that were not so ecstatic about it and were hoping that I would get rid of Rin. If that were the case then I wouldn't have bothered putting her in here and would have only mentioned her in past tense. lol With that said, I am confirming that Rin is not going anywhere. She plays a big part in this story. Now I know her appearance seems a little out of place but please understand that there was no easy way of bringing her in for the purpose I need her for. So for those of you that are not happy about Rin being in the story, I'm sorry you feel that way... But please understand that I want her in story so she is staying. Now, I hope that those of you that are not happy about her appearance will still continue to read my story but if you don't then I respect that and will say thank you for reading and I wish you the best.
I will also mention that Rin is not a miniature Kagome... While she will be powerful, she will be no where near Kagome's strength. As I've hinted at throughout the story, Kagome is a one of a kind. She was created exactly for her purpose. Rin is still human and will stay human throughout the whole story. The reason why she is still alive is because of Kikyo's influence, which more will be explained about that in this chapter. Which brings me to my next subject... Kikyo. Some are upset that Kikyo gets some of her strength from Kagome, which I understand. But logically, of course she would, they are connected. With Kikyo having a part of Kagome's soul, this is to be expected to a certain extent. Please keep in mind though that not all of Kikyo's strength is from Kagome, she is powerful in her own right and she hasn't just been sitting around doing nothing for the last 75 years either. More of everything she has been doing will now slowly start to come to light as the story progresses, so I ask that everyone be patient, all will be revealed in time.
Anyways, now that I have gotten all that out, I will let you all carry on. lol I hope everyone enjoys the chapter and please feel free to review. Good or bad, I respect everyone's opinion and they are all much appreciated! :D
Original Characters:
Saisei- Guardian of Fire/ Trial of Courage (Phoenix)
Misuto- Guardian of Water/ Trial of Patience (Sea Serpent)
Nisshoku- Guardian of Shadows/ Trial of Loyalty (Wolf)
Yuki- Guardian of Ice/ Trial of Humility (Snow Leopard)
Hikari- Guardian of Light/ Trial of Justice (Dragon)
Inari- Guardian of Life/ Trial of Selflessness (Fox)
Kazenosasayaki- Guardian of Wind/ Trial of Truth (Eagle)
Byggvir (Pronunciation: Big-veer)- Prince of Scandinavia/ General of Europe (Lightning Dragon)
Lord Ragnvaldr (Pronunciation: Rag-val-dur)- Lord of Scandinavia/ Europe (Lightning Dragon)
Lord Durai- Lord of India/ Middle East (Bengal Tiger)
Lord Nazar- Lord of Russia (Wolf)
Lord Omari- Lord of Africa (Lion)
Lord Acahuana- Lord of South America (Snake)
Lord Wanageeska- Lord of North America (Fox)
Lord Neptis- Lord of the 7 Seas (Water Elemental)
Lord Ryuunosuke- Japanese Lord of the North (Dragon)
Lord Shin- Japanese Lord of the East (Bear)
Lord Daichi- Japanese Lord of the South (Tiger)
Lord Jin- Chinese Ambassador (Panda)
General Slavik- General of Russia (Wolf)
General Thiago- General of South America (Jaguar/ Shadow)
General Kimoni- General of Africa (Rhino)
General Zarok- General of the 7 Seas (Octopus)
General Raj- General of Middle East (Tiger)
General Kajika- General of North America (Fox)
Umeko- Mate of General Slavik/ Kagome's handmaiden/ Member of the Western Court
Recap of Chapter 16: With the meeting concluded, Lord Ryuunosuke and Lady Inukimi have agreed to the Lord's of the World Councils terms and have accepted their help and support... But do to both Kagome and Sesshoumaru being unconscious, not everything is set in stone at the moment. Inuyasha agreed to let Kagome and the Lord's to stay at his mother's shiro for the time being after realizing some of his foolish choices. When Kagome finally awoke, she went to go check on Sesshoumaru, only to be drawn by Kikyo's aura. Rushing into the chambers, ready to confront Kikyo, Kagome realizes that it isn't actually Kikyo per say ... but Rin. Sesshoumaru wakes up abruptly when he feels his barrier go down and rushes to save the one thing he holds dear.
Chapter 17: A Soul Lost in a Dream
Umeko slowly brushed her delicate clawed fingers through her father's silver locks. Seeing him like this caused a lump to form in her throat, her father had always been so strong and now he was reduced to this... Weak and bed ridden. Never in all her years had she seen him like this, her father had been through many wars, always standing strong and demanding by Lord Touga's side before eventually earning himself a spot on the Western Council. After Lord Touga had died, he took it upon himself to help guide his best friend's son as he stepped into Lord Touga's position as the Western Lord. Sesshoumaru had always held great respect for her father and her father had considered Sesshoumaru the son he had never had. That was why Lady Inukimi had always pushed her son to mate her elder sister. The mating of the two would not only bring the two families together but the offsprings they would produce would be unmatched in both power and beauty.
Where as Umeko had always taken after her father as far as looks, her sister had taken after their mother who had bright golden hair and apple green eyes. Convincing her sister to mate Lord Sesshoumaru had never been difficult since Hanami had always loved him since they were young adolescence. Once Umeko's thoughts turned to her mother and sister, she couldn't help but wonder where they were. Pulling her hand back, Umeko straightened her posture before looking over at Lady Inukimi and whispered her question so she wouldn't disturb her father's rest. "Lady Inukimi, may I ask where my mother and sister are?"
Sharp golden eyes had been watching Umeko from the other side of the room as the young inu watched over her father. So many questions ran rapidly through her mind but Inukimi was snapped back to reality when she heard Umeko's soft voice filter through the room. "They are safe... After our latest hunting party was attacked, my son ordered all the females and their young to be moved to the palace of the moon for protection. This one had sent orders to your mother to come back. Your mother and sister should be here by no later than tonight."
Umeko gave a slow nod, telling Inukimi that she understood. She watched silently as Inukimi made her way over to her before she slowly knelt down beside her. Both stared down at the sick inu male that was resting before them.
"How did you find the miko?" Inukimi couldn't help but ask as she studied Umeko.
Umeko was silent for a few moments before she began to speak. "She isn't just a miko, Lady Inukimi, she is the High Priestess. As for how I found out about her, I just followed the rumors..." she paused for another few moments before she realized that Lady Inukimi wanted more information. "I had over heard a merchant talking about a foreign miko that could heal us. So I had approached him to ask for more information. He told me that she live somewhere up North, on the main land across the sea. He told me that himself, along with a couple other youkai were planning on leaving in a few days to seek her out. So I ran home and told mother and father about what I had heard but they refused to believe it. They didn't want to take a chance on the rumor being just that... A rumor."
Inukimi tilted her head slightly, Minoru and Setsuko had never mentioned any of this to her and she couldn't help but wonder why. It was something that she will have to talk to them about. "Then what happened?"
Umeko gave a soft sigh as she realized that Lady Inukimi wanted to know everything. "I believed him, even though mother and father didn't. I knew that we had a miko here but she wasn't making any progress in finding a cure. We were all hurting, some even dying and no one knew how to stop it so I didn't care if it was just a rumor. I needed to find her, I needed to somehow get her here. So a couple of days later I left..." Umeko paused again and looked over at Lady Inukimi. Noticing right off the back how she seemed to study her closely. "I met the merchant outside of the village a little after dusk, their were three others with him and we waited for another hour to see if anyone else would show up but no one did. It took us about two weeks to reach Hokkaido, there we met another youkai who had a merchant boat and the six of us traveled North across the sea. I don't know how long it took but we were on that boat for awhile. Then one day we finally saw land but we didn't stop, which confused me... We just kept on sailing. We followed the coast for a few days before we eventually came upon a barrier. The youkai that owned the boat released his jyaki and let it pulse for a few moments before the barrier finally fell. It wasn't until our boat fully entered that the barrier went back up."
Umeko reached down and grabbed a small chunk of her father's long silver hair and begun to braid it, just like how she use to when she was little. It brought her a small measure of comfort as she continued to tell her story. "It was beautiful... And massive, I had never seen so many youkai in one place before. Weirdly enough, it was also warm. With being so far up North the weather had been completely frigid but inside the barrier it felt like summer. I had become so excited, but frightful at the same time. I couldn't help but wonder why a miko would choose to live in a place that was surrounded by so many of our kind, it didn't make since... Anyways, it didn't take us long before we finally docked on an island that had massive palaces on it. I followed the boat owner as he led us to a temple that was located in the middle of the island. I realized later that the youkai that owned the boat had actually worked for Lady Kagome, he would often go to Japan, China, and other places to look for other youkai that were interested in getting help from Lady Kagome. Once we reached the temple, we were stopped by one of Lady Kagome's generals. That was the first time I had met my mate."
Inukimi watched as a small smile stretched Umeko's lips. She briefly glanced over at the silent male that sat on the other side of the room, he hadn't said a single word to her but he refused to leave his mate's side, which was something she could admire. Although, Inukimi wasn't so sure how Umeko's parents were going to take their youngest daughter's mating status.
"Slavik led us to meet with Lady Kagome. I was shocked to say the least, not only was she not a rumor and standing right before me, she was also Japanese. I was amazed as she healed all four of us, to be relieved of the pain from the curse was the best feeling I have felt in such a long time. Afterwards, she gave us an option, we could either wait until the next ship out to go back home or we could stay under her protection, at the Kibo No Machi. She explained that if we decided to stay then she would help us get settled and find a place for us in her society. For all the others with me it was simple, they decided to stay but I was torn. I wanted to go back home but I needed to gain her help first." Umeko stopped for a moment to slightly adjust herself before she continued again.
"I had revealed everything to her, I told her of all our problems and how we were in desperate need of her help. I was taken by surprise when she told me that she was aware of all this. She further explained that she had people stationed in Japan to help in anyway they could but at that particular period of time she wasn't able to leave the Kibo No Machi. That was why she sent people like the boat merchant out there, so they could spread the news and bring those that wanted to be healed to her."
"Why did she refuse to leave? If she is truly wanting to help our kind then why did she wait so long? So many more could have been saved." Inukimi's eyes narrowed at Umeko as she voiced her question.
"Because she couldn't. Thousands we're depending on her and despite helping everyone there, their were some that refused to form to her laws, some did not like the idea of being ruled by a Miko. Things work differently there Lady Inukimi, things that I am sure the people here will have difficulties with adjusting to but it is for the best of everyone. We all must accept and conform to these ways if our kind is to survive into the future." Umeko returned Lady Inukimi's stare with a hard stare of her own.
"What do you mean by that Umeko?" Inukimi sharply asked as she searched the young Inu's eyes.
After a few moments, Umeko looked away to stare down at her father before slightly clearing her throat. "Our kind was fated to perish... Lady Kagome saw this in one of her visions. The curse is what was suppose to wipe our race out, that was until she stepped in to stop it."
"She's a Seeress." Inukimi stated more than questioned as she lost her self in thought.
"She is so much more than just a Seeress Lady Inukimi. She has been blessed by the Gods, she is known as the God's champion of light. Her true purpose is to make things right again, to make sure everything falls back into balance. Her enemies are what started this curse to begin with and Lady Kagome refuses to allow them to do this... But she can't save everyone, try as she might, she can't be everywhere at the same time. She couldn't leave the Kibo No Machi with so much unrest going on, so she had sent Lord Jin to help look over everything that was needed in Japan. He would send her reports and in return she would send in food and supplies to help everyone. When things began to settle, she focus more on Japan. It wasn't long after that when she heard about the war with the holy ones. As soon as she realized things have become dire here, she rallied all her soldiers and the Lord's of the World Council before setting off to come here."
Inukimi grimly nodded as she thought about Umeko's words. Clearly Umeko thought highly of this High Priestess but she couldn't help but worry. Umeko had always been a little naive, her parents tried their best to keep her away from the manipulating nobles of her court. The games they liked to play could be vicious and heartbreaking, every move was skillfully executed with precise movement in the hopes of a higher gain. Hanami had been taught at an early age about these harsh games but not Umeko, and now after witnessing this blind faith in the miko, Inukimi couldn't help but question her. "And you are sure that she carries no hidden agenda? Umeko, clearly Lady Kagome is a very bright and ambitious young woman but how can you be so sure that everything she is doing is due to having a kind heart? Some may show kindness to cover their more... Wicked nature. This one can not just put blind faith in a stranger. This one needs to be sure that if Lady Kagome turns against us, that we have some kind of leverage against her... For all our protection." Inukimi asked as gently as she could but she was slightly taken back as Umeko let her anger simmer openly through her aura. The glare she received from the young Inu was bold, too bold and very unlike the Umeko that she use to know. The shy and obedient girl was long gone and was now replaced by someone she didn't quite recognize. Even though Umeko was her best friend's daughter, the disrespect she displayed could not go unchecked. Her eyes turn icy cold as she glared at the young woman but before she could say anything further a deep rumble echoed throughout the room, snapping both females out of their angry thoughts as they looked over at the wolf general as he growled in warning.
Umeko immediately submitted and calmed herself before she released a soft whine. Both females listened as he spoke something in a foreign language. While Inukimi didn't understand what was said, it became apparent to her that Umeko did as she answered back to him softly.
After taking a moment to calm herself, Umeko made sure that her anger didn't effect her pup. Once both she and her mate were satisfied, she turn back to look over at Inukimi. "Lady Kagome has no hidden motives to worry about, she will do everything she can to help. But make no mistake Lady Inukimi, my lady is not someone to be trifled with. While she has a good heart, she will takes those who might be threats seriously and she will deal with them in a swift and merciless fashion. You sought me out in order to gain information, so here is a piece of information that I will give you to help you gain some useful insight about the High Priestess... She is powerful, more powerful than you can possibly imagine and she is no fool. If you try your hand in facing her, it will be the death of you. Her strength is far higher than your own, even higher than your son's. So I suggest that you express the utmost importance of this alliance with your son if you want what is best for your people."
Inukimi took a deep breath to try and calm herself. "Umeko, this one is only concerned... You can't blame me for that. You have no idea how vicious those of higher power can be and-"
"I am very well aware of how court games are played Lady Inukimi. I am not the same naive girl I use to be. So again, I am telling you that if you want to survive then do everything in your power to make this alliance work." Umeko pressed with gritted teeth as she stared Inukimi down.
Inukimi's glare intensified but before she could speak, a deep rumbling voice filled the room as general Slavik decided to speak, but this time he spoke in Inukimi's common tongue. "Enough... You will not stress my mate and our pup any further. I suggest that you take my mate's warning and advice to heart."
Inukimi was slightly taken back when the male spoke to her in fluent Japanese but that didn't stop the growl that came out of her mouth. But again, just as she was about to say something, she was stopped once more... This time it was due to the angry flux of her son's aura that caused her to pause and stiffen. Her head snapped left to look over at the door, her lips bowed in a worried frown before she swiftly stood up. Glancing at the two that were still seated in the room, she gave them a small glare before completely turning around to head out the door. She told herself that she will deal with them later, after she found out what had her son so worked up.
Kagome silently stared at the young woman lying before her. A part of her was in slight awe that little Rin was still alive. Well she supposed that Rin wasn't so little anymore, she now looked to be around the tender age of 20. Still, she was struggling to wrap her head around the 'whys' and 'hows'. Slowly Kagome sat down beside Rin's still form, lifting her gloved hand, she swept a stray piece of hair from her face as she lost herself in thought. Moving her hand, Kagome gently began to shake Rin's form to try and wake her... And when she didn't wake, Kagome realized then and there that she couldn't. She tried to think of every spell or curse that could cause this, it was clear to her that Kikyo was some how involved in this but she wasn't entirely sure how or what she had done to accomplish this. Before she could think further on this subject though, a wave of hostile jyaki swept through the shiro. Out of reflex, Kagome swiftly stood up and faced the door just as Yuki's growl echoed through the room. Without further thought, Kagome leaped over the bed to stand facing the door that stood in between her and Sesshoumaru. She knew he was coming, he would want to know who broke into his chambers and a part of her was glad for that... She had so many questions that needed to be answered.
Just as the heavy wooden door was almost ripped off it's hinges by his forceful entry, Kagome quickly threw up a barrier as Sesshoumaru lunged forward to strike her. The moment his claws connected with her barrier he was slightly repelled back by the force of the impact but he managed to stay on his feet. Kagome had held back her reiki's more destructive properties in order to keep from hurting him but still made sure that her barrier stood strong and solid around her. She couldn't stop the way her breath hitched as she looked at him, the furious anger that he displayed would have petrified anyone who was on the other side of it but not to Kagome, she couldn't help but notice how beautiful it made him. Well at least now that she knew that she was strong enough to overcome it and didn't have to worry about dying at the end of his deadly claws. Funny how things have changed, 75 years ago she would have coward before such a powerful display. She couldn't help but to slowly look him over, his eyes were blood red, his silver locks lifted slightly as his jyaki furiously whipped around him, his stripes were more bold and prominent, but what really caught her eye was his apparel. The silky black sleeping yukata he wore was slightly parted, showing off his smooth pale chest. His pectoral muscles were bulged slightly but weren't too overwhelming, which complimented his brood figure perfectly. Looking further down, she could see the very top of his sculpted abs. But before she could look further, his deep growl ripped her out of thought. With a slight shake of her head, Kagome pushed all her thoughts away. Now was not the time, although her reaction to him slightly confused her... It's not like she hadn't seen a males body before. While she refused to engage in any kind of sexual behavior, youkai were not exactly modest creatures. Eventually over time she became use to it, so use to it that even her own modesty disappeared somewhere along the way. So she couldn't help but wonder why he seem to effect her in a way that no other male ever had.
Kagome took in a deep steady breath as she regained her composure, then brought her full attention back to Sesshoumaru. Slight movement caught her eye as she glanced in Yuki's direction. Her slick white form slowly crept up from behind, heading towards Sesshoumaru. Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru's body tensed, indicating that he was preparing to strike but before he had the chance a bright white light flooded the room as Yuki transformed into her humanoid form. The light caused Sesshoumaru to pause which gave Yuki the chance to strike. Without hesitation, Yuki swiftly brought her foot up and sent a powerful kick to the back of Sesshoumaru's right leg, causing his knee to give out which forced him into a half kneeling position. A vicious growl escaped past his lips but before Sesshoumaru could turn around Yuki elegantly twirled her glaive around to bring it down horizontally in front of Sesshoumaru. Quickly Yuki reached out with her left hand to grab the staff part of her weapon and used her strength to pull the dog back against her, effectively pinning him exactly where she wanted.
Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru struggled as he brought his claws up to grasp the glaive, trying to push the weapon away from him. She watched him struggle but she knew that as strong as he is, his strength was nothing compared to a demi god's. She watched as his jyaki flared even more in order to aid him but the results were the same and the more he struggled, the more he began to tire. In a last ditch of effort, Sesshoumaru let go of the glaive before grabbing Yuki's wrists. His claws sunk into her cold flesh, rivulets of shimmering bronze like liquid began to flow from the open wounds but Yuki didn't even flinch. Sesshoumaru was still too weak to produce his poison, so instead he tore his claws downward to shred her pale blue skin. Yuki hissed but still refused to let go. Bringing her glaive up higher, Yuki pressed the staff across Sesshoumaru's neck before putting more pressure against him. She knew it would only be a small matter of time before his struggles would cease, the lack of oxygen would make sure of that.
Kagome watched in silence, waiting for him to tire himself out before she decided to approach him. Slowly she dropped the barrier that encased herself before she created a new one around the bedchamber, making sure that no one could enter or over hear anything that would be said. She still didn't trust this place enough to feel like she could be comfortably relaxed with her surroundings... There were still too many possible enemies lurking about. Slowly she walked forward, approaching the still hostile youkai Lord. Once she got close enough she slowly knelt down in front of him. Reaching out, Kagome gently laid her soft gloved hand against his chest before she called forth her powers. Blood red eyes glared down at her but Kagome refused to back down... She needed him to calm down. Her hand began to glow a soft blue as she brought forth her healing powers. She watched his eyes closely as her healing powers began to take an effect. It didn't take long before she noticed a change in his posture. Slowly his body began to relax, all of his tension seemed to vanish within minutes. Then very slowly, the red began to recede from his eyes. Kagome waited until pure golden eyes bore down into her own before she decided to speak. "If you remain calm, Yuki will let you go."
Sesshoumaru's glare intensified but he kept his posture relaxed. He tried to fight the power coming from her but for some reason he couldn't. He was still too tired, still too weakened and he despised it... But he couldn't, for whatever reason, help but feel slightly comforted by it which made him grit his teeth together as he finally spoke for the first time. "Why are you in here girl?"
Kagome let out a soft sigh before gently bitting her bottom lip. After a moment of thought, she decided to just tell him the truth of why she oh so elegantly barged into his chambers. "I was on my way to check up on you when I felt something reaching out to me spiritually. When I reached your chambers I was shocked and enraged when I felt Kikyo's aura on the other side of the door. So I barged in..." After a moment of silence passed by, Kagome decided to add an apology. After all, how can she expect respect if she didn't give it as well. "My apologies."
Sesshoumaru just blankly stared back at her in silence for a few moments before he glanced over at Rin, scanning her over to make sure she was unharmed. Once he was satisfied he looked back down at the Miko. Thinking back on what she said, he slowly brought forth his jyaki to try and search out whatever it was that she claimed to have felt but came up with nothing. Scowling lightly, he glared back down at her. "This one doesn't feel Lady Kikyo's aura girl?! I believe this one would be aware of it if it was here..."
Scowling right back at him and even though she knew that he couldn't see it, she was very much glaring at him right now. Even though he didn't right out call her a liar, he did say it in a way that definitely told her that he believed she was... And she would be lying if she denied being a little miffed at him for speaking of Kikyo with respect but still insisting on calling her girl of all things. Here she was, HEALING HIM of the curse and the arrogant dog had the audacity to... Kagome cut herself off right there! With a firm shake of her head she took a deep breath and decided to just drop it. Fighting wasn't going to do either of them any good... But she had a feeling that there would be sooo many more fights to come with this one. "Well this one assures you Lord Sesshoumaru, Kikyo's aura is here... Well partially."
Furrowing his eyebrows, Sesshoumaru gave the Miko a small look of confusion. "Explain..."
Scowling at him harder, Kagome gave him an irritated huff. "Here I am, you know... helping you, so the least you can do is be a little more respectful! I could heal you last you know!"
"Why would this one do that when you have done nothing to deserve it. For all this one may know, you could be the one responsible for it and until you prove that you deserve my respect, this one will continue to refer to you as such...girl." Sesshoumaru slightly smirked down at her now that he found that it angered her.
Kagome gritted her teeth but otherwise held her tongue. With a small wave of her hand, Kagome signaled to Yuki to release him. It's not like he can kill her anyways. Hesitantly Yuki did so and they both watched as he took a deep breath and leaned slightly forward ... But other than that he did nothing but continue to glare at her further.
Once it became clear that he wasn't going to say anything, Kagome took a deep breath herself, she decided instead to change the subject. "What happened to Rin?"
Sesshoumaru slightly hesitated, debating whether or not to tell her. Honestly he wasn't even sure what was wrong with her himself and no one has yet to be able to help her. As he looked down at the Miko's hands that were still placed on his chest as she healed him, a thought occurred to him, perhaps the miko could... Now how to get her to do it without actually asking her? The last thing he wanted was to owe the miko... Although he had a feeling that if she was really here to help, then he would end up being indebt to her for the rest of his very long life. The thought irked him more than he wanted to admit. Giving a long sigh, he decided to take the chance... For Rin.
"This one is not sure, no one has been able to figure out what is wrong with her ...or how this has happened." Sesshoumaru paused briefly before continuing. "This one will make you an offer, miko. If you heal Rin, this one will not only agree to your alliance, this one will also abide to any terms you demand in this new arrangement that this alliance may bring."
Kagome found herself gritting her teeth again at the arrogant youkai sitting before, well at least he changed girl to miko... That was a start, but then she relaxed a moment later... a smirk soon followed. "Didn't you hear Lord Sesshoumaru? Lord Ryuunosuke and your mother already agreed to the alliance." With that said, she gave him a very small shock of her reiki to show him her ire, than stood up.
"Would it really kill you to just ask? Although, I had already planned on helping Rin before you came bursting in here like a rampaging bull on steroids." Kagome growled out as she turned around to walk towards the bed.
Sesshoumaru gave a growl of his own as he lightly rubbed his chest, where the miko had shocked him. He wasn't sure what steroids were but he was sure it was meant as an insult. He should lop her head off for the disrespect but held himself back and kept quite. He was too curious... and slightly hopeful that she might be able to help his adopted daughter.
Kagome silently walked around the bed before sitting down on the right side next to Rin. After giving her a quick look over, she then proceeded in bringing forth her reiki to scan her over.
From what she could gather, Kikyo's aura was smothering and trapping Rin's own aura down. She could see Kikyo's violet powers surrounding and pushing Rin's own orange powers into a ball that laid at Rin's core... and weirdly it almost seemed like Kikyo's reiki was feeding off it. Lightly Kagome used a tendril of her reiki to probe Kikyo's for any weak spots to see if she could reach Rin's. She knew if she could succeed in that, then she could strengthen Rin's enough to fight back and break whatever spell Kikyo had used on her... But unfortunately, Kikyo had no weak spots in her reiki and Rin's reiki was too far down for her to reach.
If Kikyo was the dark champion like she suspected, she knew it would take a massive amount of her energy to break completely through it, and normally she wouldn't hesitate to give it a try anyways but she wasn't sure how that would effect Rin if she did... It would be best if Rin did it herself. Now Rin's reiki was nowhere near as powerful as hers or Kikyo's so she wouldn't be able to break it on her own but in order for her to be able to help empower Rin's reiki, it needs to be closer to the surface.
Pausing for a quick moment, Kagome eyed the small, almost invisible, violet reiki thread that was attached to Rin with some curiosity. Following it with her eyes, she traced it from Rin's body until she saw it lead out the window and disappear. It almost pulsed in a weird way and Kagome couldn't help but wonder... Did Kikyo attach herself spiritually to Rin? If she did, for what purpose?... That also meant that the thread led to Kikyo.
If that was the case, then she could follow it... With a small shake of her head, she tossed the idea. She would need to look into this further before exploring that option. For all she knew it was a trap. It would be best to just help Rin first, perhaps Rin could give her more details as to what is going on.
Although, Kagome could take another advantage with the thread though. That thread is a weak spot in a way, she could easily break through that and push her own reiki to latch onto Rin's... But again, Rin's reiki would need to be closer. She would only have one shot to do that before the hole would close off and disappear.
With a small sigh, Kagome finally made up her mind on how to proceed. Looking down, she quickly took off both of her gloves and placed one on each side of Rin's face before closing her eyes as she tried focused on Rin's present state of mind... She didn't open them again until she felt the all to familiar pull.
When Kagome opened her eyes again, the sight before her stole her breath away. She now stood in the middle of a sea of blue Nemophila flowers, stretching as far as her eyes could see. It was hard to distinguish where the baby blue flowers ended and the sky began.
Slowly looking around, Kagome turned and spotted a single lone tree sticking out from massive waves of blue... And under that tree sat the one she was looking for. She wore a soft pastel orange kimono, gone was her favorite checkered one. Her long chestnut brown locks played freely with the breeze, Kagome took immediate notice that she no longer wore it in a side ponytail. A soft smile touched her lips as she began her approach.
Slowly walking forward, Kagome tried to think how she was going to try to communicate with Rin... But her thought process was cut short as Rin's voice broke through it.
"Who's there?"
Pausing in step, Kagome stiffened slightly as she felt Rin's reiki touch her. That has never happened before, usually when she was using this ability no one knew she was there...How odd.
As Kagome got closer, she watched as Rin turned her head towards her direction. It wasn't until she noticed that Rin never looked up to see her face that Kagome realized that she couldn't actually see her but just feel her. Perhaps, just maybe, Rin would be able to hear her. While talking had never worked before, she figured maybe this time would be different considering this was, in a weird way, the present and not the past.
"It's Kagome, Rin... Do you remember me?"
"Kagome..." Rin slowly turned her head forward again to look over the field of baby blue eyes. "It sounds so... Familiar."
Kagome walked up beside Rin before gently sitting down next to her. "That's right, I am a..." Pausing slightly, Kagome almost scoffed as she thought about how she wanted to put this. "...An acquaintance of Lord Sesshoumaru. I use to be friends with his brother Inuyasha, do you remember him?"
"Lord Sesshoumaru?" Rin questioned softly as she tilted her head slightly to the side.
Kagome stiffened. She wouldn't have been surprised if Rin didn't remember Inuyasha, but Sesshoumaru? Rin would never have been able to forget her most beloved Lord. Something was most definitely wrong. Thinking it over quickly, the only thing Kagome could think of is that the spell Kikyo placed was effecting her, making her forget. Initially she was going to use Sesshoumaru as a way to encourage Rin to fight the spell but now... Ok new plan.
"Hey Rin, do you know how long you have been here?"
Rin let out a small, almost silent sigh. "No"
Kagome lightly bit her lip in thought. "Ok, do you know how you got here?"
"Nope..." Rin whispered wistfully.
Kagome gave a soft sigh herself as she continued to think. Perhaps she needed to dig into Rin's most recent memories in order to find out what happened. Then hopefully she could get an idea on how to help her. With that thought in mind, Kagome stood up and out of habit, brushed off the non existent dirt over her butt. "Ok Rin, I will be right back. I have to go check something real quick."
"Ok, Kagome."
Kagome hesitated slightly before she stepped away from Rin. Just when she was about the close her eyes, another thought occurred to her and with that thought came a small smile. If it worked, it would clear her... Sesshoumaru did say he wanted proof after all.
Opening her eyes, Kagome quickly looked over at the stoic Youkai to her left and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him. He looked at her with a small frown.
"What's wrong?"
"Hn..." Sesshoumaru furrowed his brows slightly before tilting his head in a curious manner. "You were speaking... Are you able to communicate to Rin?"
Kagome lifted a curious brow before looking down at Rin. She must have accidentally spoke out loud. "yes, I can talk to her... She seems to be having trouble remembering things."
"What does she not remember?" A small look of concern filtered through is normally stoney facade.
"hmmm... Everything." Kagome slightly cringed. " But I have an idea, I need you to come over here and sit by me. I'm going to try and see if I can mentally connect you two, if I can, I need you to talk to her... Hopefully it will spark some of her memory."
She watched as Sesshoumaru gave her a nod of understanding before getting up and walking over to her, deciding to sit on the lower half of the bed.
Kagome shifted uncomfortably before she held her hand out. "I'm going to need to touch your hand for this to work."
Sesshoumaru threw a small glare her way but slowly shifted his hand closer to hers, keeping it rested on the bed. "Hn."
Kagome rolled her eyes as she reached out and touched his hand, and rested her other on Rin's forehead. "Close your eyes and relax."
Kagome brought forth her reiki and generally latched onto Sesshomaru's yokai before she focused on Rin. It took a minute but soon she began to feel the pull and she aloud it to draw her in.
When Kagome opened her eyes again, she was greeted by the same baby blue flower field with Rin still sitting under the lone tree. Looking around, she sighed with relief when she spotted Sesshoumaru standing behind her.
"She won't be able to see you but she should be able to hear you... Don't be surprised if it takes her a little bit to remember you. Something seems to be messing with her memory." Kagome whispered and waited for his nod of understanding. When he gave it, she proceeded forward.
"You've come to visit Rin again?" Rin's voice reached their ears as they drew closer.
"Yes Rin... I brought someone here to talk to you... To help you remember." Kagome softly spoken as she sat next to Rin. Sesshomaru decided to sit on the other side of the girl he cared for as his own.
"Who?" Rin whispered but made no move to look around, continuing to stare out into the vast blue world.
"It is I, Rin... Lord Sesshoumaru. Do you recall this one?" Sesshoumaru decided to take lead, now that he was here in her presence, he wanted to try and get her back to the waking world as soon as possible. It has been far too long.
"Lord Sesshoumaru... It sounds so familiar." Rin paused as she tried to shift through the fog of her memory. "... You like the moon." She continued in an afterthought.
A confused frown crossed Sesshoumaru's lips but he nodded none the less. "Yes, you can say that. This one was born into the Clan of the Moon."
"Amber..." Rin continued like he hadn't spoken. "... And silver."
"This one's eyes and hair color." Sesshoumaru reached down and plucked a blue flower, twirling it between his fingers as he let Rin continue.
"But no dog ears..." She hummed and Sesshoumaru scowled. Kagome tried to hold back an amused snort, knowing for sure that Sesshoumaru didn't like the comparison with his brother.
"Yes, No Dog Ears..." Sesshoumaru confirmed with a frown.
Silence took over once more so Sesshoumaru decided to ask the question that had been plaguing his mind since he lost Rin to her unnatural slumber. "Rin, tell this one the last thing you remember."
Rin's eyebrows crinkled with concentration as she thought about it. Minutes passed but neither Sesshoumaru or Kagome pushed her. After about 5 minutes, they began to notice a shift in Rin's demeanor. The young woman wrapped her arms around her knees and brought them closer to her chest before she buried her face down into them. Small sniffles could be heard after that.
Sesshoumaru went rigid before leaning forward to try and figure out what was wrong but before he could, Kagome stopped him. Shooting a frigid glare her way, he lifted an eyebrow in a questioning manner.
Kagome just shook her head before she used her reiki to inspect Rin. It became clear that Rin was starting to remember and Kagome knew she needed to act now while Rin is thinking of the memory. Using her reiki, Kagome began to pull the memory out from her.
The instant she did the scenery changed. No longer were they sitting in the blue flower field, now they found themselves sitting on the floor in a hallway. Kagome and Sesshoumaru immediately recognized the location. They were seated in the Western Family Wing of Sesshoumaru's shiro. Neither moved as they looked around. Only a minute passed before they saw a second Rin walking down the hall, she walked right past them without pause. Kagome shot to her feet and looked at Sesshoumaru. "This is a memory. If you want to know what happened then we need to follow that Rin."
Sesshoumaru was torn, he didn't want to leave the Rin sitting next to him but at the same time... He knew he had to follow the other one if he wanted answers. 30 seconds past as he fought between logic and instincts, but Kagome quickly snapped him out of it.
"Sesshoumaru, come on. We need to follow her." Kagome swiftly turned and began to fast walk after the second Rin, determined to get to the bottom of this... Sesshoumaru sighed but got up and followed after her.
"Riiiiinnn... You human brat, why are you not at the library taking your lessons?" Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru paused and turned as they saw Jaken running at full speed trying to catch up to the second Rin. Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru tensed, waiting for Jaken's impact and then she smirked at his befuddlement when Jaken ran right through him.
"It's a memory, they have no solid forms." Kagome gently reminded him as he looked over at her.
"Hn..."
Turning around, they watched as Rin stopped in front of a door before addressing Jaken. "Don't worry Master Jaken, I will head to my lessons in a minute. I just have a couple of questions about my Miko training for Lady Kikyo." With that said, Rin opened the door and walked in, Jaken right behind her.
Kagome began to walk forward again but paused when she noticed a violet barrier go up... And Rin's scream soon followed.
"YOU DEAD WENCH! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?! LORD SESSHO-" Jaken's rant was cut off mid-sentence, causing both to run to the door. Just as they got within 5 feet of their destination though, Rin came running out. Running through Kagome first then Sesshoumaru, they watched in horror as Rin hit the barrier full force before being flung back. Out of instinct, Sesshoumaru tried to catch her but she went right through him and landed hard on the floor.
The swishing of silk was heard behind them and they both turned around, glaring at Kikyo's presence. They watched as she dropped Jaken's, now withered and sunken in, dead corpse to the floor. Kagome stare in horror, Jaken literally looked like the life had been sucked out of him.
The image of Kikyo approaching her before walking through her snapped Kagome out of her horrified state and she turned to watch what she would do next. She needed to pay attention, she need to figure what she did to Rin. She watched as Sesshoumaru took a defensive stance over Rin and growled but Kagome knew it would be for nothing though... She couldn't help but feel sad for him, even though it is a memory, she knew he couldn't help it... His instincts to protect were too strong.
Sadly she watched as Kikyo stepped through Sesshoumaru and reached down to grab Rin by her hair. Rin's cry caused Sesshoumaru to react and he took a step back so he could swipe his claws at Kikyo, which went right through her with no effect. They were stuck watching as Kikyo drug Rin by her hair back to the room where it all began. Rin's screams piercing their hearts as she went.
Slowly, Kagome followed as Sesshoumaru tried to collect himself. Walking through the door, Kagome watched as Kikyo hit Rin in the back of the head with an unknown object, knocking the young girl out cold. Kikyo then proceeded to open Rin's kimono and pull down her binding, leaving her chest bare. The action confused Kagome but none the less, she walked around the two so she could see exactly what Kikyo was doing.
"They say that it was curiosity that killed the cat." Kikyo whispered as she pulled out a small dagger. "It is a shame that it has come to this... I was hoping to wait until you grew stronger in your powers before having to do this."
Kagome watched as Kikyo cut her wrist with the dagger and held it over Rin's chest, allowing the blood to fall upon her. Once there was enough blood, Kikyo quickly healed herself before she took her left hand and smeared the blood all over Rin's chest. Once satisfied, she took her right index finger and drew a magic diagram in the blood.
Leaning forward, Kagome studied the diagram. She instantly recognized it, it was a binding spell mixed with a sleeping spell. Kagome smirked... She knew how to break this one, she remembered seeing it in one of the books inside the jewel. The moment Kikyo was done, the blood soaked into Rin's skin and disappeared.
Stepping back, Kagome looked over at the doorway, which now had Sesshoumaru leaning on it's frame. She took noticed how he looked away, refusing to watch. Most likely due to the fact that he didn't want to see Rin in this state and she couldn't blame him.
"Do not worry... I know how to break it." Kagome whispered and she watched his head snap back to look at her.
Sesshoumaru gave a single nod before looking away again. "But the memory will still remain."
Kagome said nothing in response, for there was nothing that could be said... And he was right. Kagome look back at Kikyo as she stood up and slowly made her way to the door. Looking down, she noticed that Kikyo fixed Rin's clothes and now she looked like she was peacefully sleeping on the floor.
Turning to follow Kikyo, Kagome took notice of another Youkai body lying on the bed... Looking just like Jaken... Just like he too had his soul sucked out. Grimacing, Kagome looked at the door and noticed that Sesshoumaru moved out of Kikyo's way and watched her intently.
Kikyo wasted no time in picking up Jaken's body before making a dark portal and walking through it. The moment she was gone her barrier dropped... Leaving nothing but silence behind.
Opening her mouth to say something, Kagome was briefly cut short as the scenery shifted again. Her and Sesshoumaru were again standing in front of Rin's crying figure but still remained in the same hallway. Looking at Rin in confusion, Kagome was about to ask what was going on when she heard footsteps.
Glancing down the hall, she saw Rin turn the corner and continue like they weren't even there. A minute later, they could hear Jaken yelling and the loud 'Twap' of his webbed feet. That was when it dawned on Kagome. The memory was repeating. Rin's fogged memory wasn't due to a spell but it was from her own subconscious defense mechanism. Rin didn't want to remember... And Kagome couldn't blame her.
She needed to end this quickly. "It's time for us to leave." She watched as Sesshoumaru gave a nod of understanding before looking at Rin.
kneeling down, Kagome whispered to her. "Hang in there Rin... It is almost over." A loud sniffle was her only answer. Reaching out with her reiki, Kagome latched onto Sesshomaru's yokai before pulling them out.
Quickly opening her eyes, Kagome got up and got to work. She had a lot to do in a short amount of time.
Humming softly, Uzume strolled through the halls with a small skip to her step. Smiling brightly, she couldn't contain the joy racing through her. It felt wonderful to not have to endure the constant throbbing pain that everyone had been plagued with for so long.
Clutching the stack of furs and pillows close to her chest, she couldn't help but feel giddy. Things were finally looking up, with the Miko here, things can start to move towards the better again.
Pausing at a closet, Uzume put the furs and pillows away. Once done she headed out of Master Inuyasha's shiro, heading back to the main one. Everything was ready, the Miko and her companions can finally move in next door.
Entering through the back garden gate, Uzume paused as a soft clinking sound grabbed her attention. Her breath hitch as her anxiety rose, which was common for her to do with her mouse tendencies. She tended to easily fall into this high alert state... Even over silly things.
But as she found out a little too late... This was not one of those silly things. Before she could react, a hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her into the shadows. Terrified, Uzume looked up only to stare into bright apple green. The clinking, she realized, were the beads dangling from the beautiful woman's hair. Uzume's eyes grew large as she watch the woman slowly smile... It looks like the snake caught it's mouse.
END OF CHAPTER 17
Side Note- The scene I described when Kagome entered Rin's mind is actually a real place in Japan. If your interested in seeing what it looks like, the place is called Hitachi Seaside Park. It is absolutely beautiful and worth a looksie! :D
-Thank you everyone for reading and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! :D
Until next time!
-Peach