Mother Nature's Handmaidens and Guardians

Michiru watched the direction of the big sandbox where he knew the ritual his mother, aunt, and grandmother were going to perform was to be held. He had already inflated the two wading pools with air and placed them on the sandbox where his grandmother had instructed he had now idea what the symbols etched in the sand surrounding tho pools meant, but if they could save his daughters, he didn't care. Now his grandmother was in the kitchen mixing some strange herbs in a pot of boiling vinegar with a bit of salt added over the stove.

"Oh, Earth...great motherly womb from which all life is child to..." Michiru's grandmother began. "You, whose earthy flesh grows the vegetation that all animals need to survive so that the ecosystem of life lives on. You, whose bosom flows the water necessary for all life to suckle upon to grow strong and healthy. You, who embrace your children with the protective arms of your atmosphere to protect us from the destructive heat of the relentless sun."

Michiru listened intently as his grandmother continued her incantation. "I ask of you to help these children in their plight. I take from you these sacred plants that virtually all mankind would use for selfish power if known of existance, not for myself, but to help two younglings cursed with an abomination outside of the knowledge of Nature."

Then Michiru noticed the herbs that his grandmother was holding were glowing with a warm and comforting light as his grandmother finished. "Earth, Mother of all life, I am your humble servant. I have served you as your loyal handmaiden since I was little, and have raised my own daughters to be the same. As one of Nature's Handmaidens, I am allowed to call on you when I have need of your power, so I ask, nay, I beg of thee great mother of life. Lend me your power as I drop the herbs into this pot."

With that, the herbs fell from her hand into the pot and she gave a few stirs. Michiru watched the inside of the pot as the liquid turned jade green and seemed to gently glow. Then after a minute of stirring, his grandmother stopped stirring, closed her eyes, and began to sing. It wasn't a song that had lyrics to it, it wasn't a hum either. It was just a pure, deep, peaceful, and resonating melody flowing from her mouth. Then she reached the epic conclusion as her voice reached the deepest and most peaceful sound Michiru had ever heard in his life. She held that single beautiful note for about fifteen seconds, then stopped singing altogether. As she stopped, the liquid in the pot stopped glowing and turned from jade green back into a clear colorless fluid.

As Michiru looked at the pot in disbelief, his grandmother smiled and turned off the stove. She then turned to Michiru and said, "Sweetie, grab a pair of pot holders and take this pot off the burner. This medicine needs to be warm, not piping hot when we perform this ritual."

Nodding, Michiru grabbed some pot holders and took the pot off the stove and onto a heat-proof section of the kitchen counter. After the big pot was placed back, he turned to his grandmother and spoke, "Grandma, what are Nature's Handmaidens? And why do you need to do that big speech and song in order to make this medicine?"

Looking at her beloved grandson, Grandmother smiled and answered, "Nature's Handmaidens are a group of women that directly care for Mother Earth. They travel to a special mountain island where Mother Earth takes on a human form and teaches these maidens the mystical ways of nature. It's the responsibility of Nature's Handmaidens to take care of Mother Earth when she has need of humanity's help. In return, these Handmaidens are allowed to tap into her power and use it in any way."

"Wow!" Michiru admired. "And you're one of those maidens Grandma?"

"I was." Grandma nodded. "When I was young, I used to travel to Mother Earth island to tend to Mother Earth herself. But now that I am old, while I still have all the powers of one of Nature's Handmaidens, my time to serve Mother Earth directly is over. My daughters now travel to Mother Earth Island now and care for her just I did."

"What's Mother Earth Island like Grandma?" Kaname asked coming in out of nowhere.

"Oh, it's beautiful children!" Grandma sighed. "There are so many beautiful flowers, trees, beaches, gardens, friendly animals, valleys, rivers, clean air, sunshine, all the basic pleasures of nature exist on that single island!"

"It sounds absolutely wonderful Grandma!" Kaname sighed. "Can we go sometime?"

"Someday perhaps." Mrs. Kururugi piped up. "But you two are not ready yet."

"Why not Mother?" Kaname asked.

"Well for one thing, you still have Naraku to deal with." Mrs. Kururugi spoke. "Secondly, you are not one of Nature's Handmaidens. And you never will be for that matter."

"Why not?" Kaname asked. "I know my brother could never be one of Nature's Handmaidens because he's a boy, but why not me?"

"You've already chosen your path Kaname." Mr. Kururugi spoke. "You chose to follow the path of Shikigami like your brother, and Shikigami Users fight for Mother Earth, they don't tend to her."

"Dad, have you been to Mother Earth Island?" Kaname asked.

"Yes, but I am not free to go when I wish like your mother, I only go when I am called upon Mother Earth to fight for her." Mr. Kururugi replied. "You see children, you mother is one of Nature's Handmaidens, but I am one of Nature's Guardians."

"Nature's Guardians?" Michiru asked. "What are those?"

"Nature's Guardians are a group of mystic warriors that control various powers over nature." Mrs. Kururugi explained. "It is their job to protect the Earth, and they use their power to do so. They are allowed to enter Mother Earth Island, but only when Mother Earth summons them. With one exception."

"What exception is that Mother?" Kaname asked.

"Only Nature's Champion is allowed to visit Mother Earth Island whenever he/she pleases." Mr. Kururugi explained.

"Are you Nature's Champion father?" Michiru asked.

"I was when I was younger." Mr. Kururugi sighed. "But you see, every couple of decades, sixty-four of Nature's Guardians hold a tournament pitting the greatest against each other one-on-one in an series of elimination matches. By process of elimination, eventually it comes to the four best remaining. When those four clash, the last one standing is approached by the current Champion and they fight one-on-one. If the champ wins, he carries the championship for another twenty years until the next tournament. If the challenger wins, he takes his place at Mother Earth's side as her greates warrior."

"Wow! And you were once that Champion?" Kaname asked.

"Yes, until that brat cheated and stole it from me!" Mr. Kururugi flared.

"Dear, calm down." Mrs. Kururugi spoke. "That was a long time ago."

"But that brat is STILL Champion!" Mr. Kururugi flared. "And I am too old to compete in the upcoming tournament and take it from him."

"Oh, daddy..." Kaname sobbed placing her sympathetic hand on her proud father's shoulder.

Seeing that now was a hard time for their father, Michriu and Kaname's grandmother turned to Kaname and said, "Sweetie, maybe you should call your Aunt on her cell phone to see if she's almost here."

With a nod, Kaname went to the living room to call her aunt and see when she was coming, after waiting for awhile, she had a brief conversation and learned that the plane had just now arrived. With that, Mr. Kururugi collected himself and left to the car to pick up his sister-in-law,

Meanwhile Michiru had left upstairs to check on his wife, Sango. He quietly went upstairs and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Sango's tired voice spoke.

"It's me dear." Michiru answered. "May I come in?"

"Sure," Sango spoke. "Come in."

With a nod, Michiru came in to see Sango with a tired, yet happy look on her face.

"What is it dear? You seem so happy." Michiru asked. "Is it because we're about to cure Michigo and Sanru?"

"Yes, but it's not only that." Sango asked as she suddenly wrapped her arms around her husband's shoulder.

"Wha? S-S-Sango! What's gotten into you?" Michiru cried in confusion.

Sango then smiled and pulled Michiru's ear to her mouth and said, "Michiru, I have wonderful news! We're pregnant again!"

"Wha?" Michiru gasped as he tensed up for awhile. But that lasted only a moment as he wrapped his arms around his wife as tears of joy fell from his eyes and whispered, "Oh, Sango. That's wonderful..."

After about an hour and a half of blissful tears of joy, Michiru led Sango downstairs to see his entire family waiting for them. Mr. Kururugi had brought Michiru's aunt a little while ago and as such she was there as well. Among them were InuYasha and Kagome who had come to witness this happening. Michiru then went to his aunt and hugged her.

"Aunt Jadaki." Michiru spoke holding her tightly. "I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you."

"Me too Michiru." Aunt Judaki answered. "But now is not the time for introductions. That can wait until after we're done here."

"Yes dear, you're quite right." Grandma answered. "The medicine is at the temperature it needs to be and won't last much longer, the pools are filled with enough water to replace the infected water. All we need now is to place Michigo and Sanru inside and we'll be ready."

With a nod, InuYasha went to the room where Michigo and Sanru were resting, he picked them up and carried them outside. He then gently placed them in the water face up, and then, Grandma took a small cup and dipped it into the pot of medicine and poured it into the water Michigo and Sanru now laid in. Then Mrs. Kururugi picked up her drum, Judaki her flute, and Grandma opened her mouth to sing. They colsed theor eyes and took a deep breath, then after a minute, Mrs. Kururugi began gently tapping the drum to give off a mystic beat, Judaki joined in with a strange melody came from her flute. It was very strange, but peaceful and serene. Then Grandma began singing. It wasn't the same as the tune she sang while mixing the concoction, this song was more exciting and direct.

They played their melodies for about three minutes when all of a sudden, the symbols etched in the sand turned red and glowed brighly. Then Michigo and Sanru's mouths opened letting out an eerie blackish-purple mist out of their mouths. As the mist flowed, everyone looked into the pools to see the water simutaneously being absorbed into their bodies like sponges.

All this continued until the pools ran dry and with a few coughs from Michigo and Sanru to let out the last of the mist that was once infected water in their bloodstreams, the orange colored light from the symbols then let out a brief massive flash of light that nearly blinded everyone bearing witness to this, then that light faded away along with the coloring etched in the sand.

Then, all three of Nature's Handmaidens stopped singing and playing and opened their eyes. They let out a sigh as Sango turned to them and asked, "Did it work? Is it done?"

After taking a moment to catch her breath, Mrs. Kururugi smiled and answered, "Yes dear, it's done. Naraku's curse and hold over these girls at last is dead."

"But why are they still teenagers?" InuYasha asked. "You got rid of the infection, but they aren't infants. Can you reverse that as well?"

"Piece of cake InuYasha." Mrs. Kururugi nodded. "I don't even need my mother and sister's help to reverse that."

With that, Mrs. Kururugi waved her hand over Michigo and Sanru's teenage bodies and clicked her fingers. The bodies of Michigo and Sanru glowed with a faint while light as their bodies began to shrink. About thirty minutes later, Sango looked in joy as the light faded to reveal two little baby girls crying loudly. With more tears of joy falling from her eyes, she then gently picked them up and held them to her.

"Michigo. Sanru. Oh, my sweet baby daughters..." She sobbed as she turned to her husband and smiled. "They're back dear. Just like they were when they emerged from my womb!"

"Yes." Michiru answered wrapping his arms around his family as tears of joy of his own fell from his eyes. "And soon they along with Kanna will have a new brother or sister"