A/N: Okay! First of all, I want to thank Sunaka, Dragon's Lover, the
Anonymous dude, Silver Myst, and CrissyKitty for reviewing me, and Silver
Myst, jack, and little demon child for putting me on their favorites list.
Thanks a bunch guys!! And I forgot to mention that if you review my story,
then I'll review yours. It's the right thing to do. (But guess what, you
have to read up to Ch. 3 to learn this important piece of information! Heh,
heh! :} ) Anyway, I have my comments about your comments on the bottom. Oh
yeah, some slight swearing is in this chapter. READ ON!! :)
Chapter 3: Beautiful Stranger
"Hey Kagome," Inuyasha yelled. He was still searching for her. "Kagome! Where are you?"
"Over here!" she answered. "On the hill, under the tree."
Inuyasha ran to catch up to her. He was slightly touched that she decided to do her work under his favorite tree; He knew that she usually preferred the river. He couldn't help but feel some of his anger fade.
"What are you doing?"
Kagome's notes where scattered around her, and her dream book was open at her feet. She looked up at him with excitement in her eyes.
"I've finally deciphered Kaede's dream!"
"That's fine and dandy, but how about some food?"
"All you think about is food, Inuyasha. If you keep up your eating spree, you'll work poor Kagome to death," a small voice said. Shippou mischievously skipped around the tree. He was filthy from playing in a nearby mud puddle, and Inuyasha picked him up by the tail.
"What was that, you little runt? Big words for a pile of mud."
"You heard me! You're not half dog, you're half pig!"
"That's it!!"
To both Kagome and Shippou's surprise, instead of beating or shaking Shippou, Inuyasha began to tickle him. Shippou squealed with delight. This was the first person to actually play with him since his parents died.
After Inuyasha had tickled Shippou until tears trickled down his face, he proceeded to throw him in the mud puddle that he was playing in earlier. Shippou threw a mud ball at Inuyasha.
"Oh no you didn't! Now you're gonna get it!" Inuyasha said to Shippou, smiling. He took off his red fire rat jacket and jumped in with Shippou.
Kagome couldn't resist. "SIT BOY!!"
Inuyasha plopped face first in the mud. He raised his head and spat out a mouthful of the brown muck, only to see Kagome bent over laughing.
"Now you really do look like a pig!" she said in between laughs. She looked up just in time to see a pile of mud hurtle right at her face. It hit her with a loud splat. As she wiped the mud away from her eyes, she could see Inuyasha and Shippou holding each other laughing.
"SIT BOY!" she yelled once again. This time, both of them fell in the mud.
For the next hour, a ferocious mud battle ensued. Miroku finally strode over the hill, bellowing their names. All three looked at him with surprise.
"Finally," he said, slightly out of breath. "I've been looking everywhere for you three. I've come to tell you that I've been generously rewarded for removing the Shou house of a pesky demon, and to save everyone the trouble of cooking, I was wanting to take us out to eat."
"Where at?" Shippou asked curiously.
"The Green Dragon."
"Wait a second," Inuyasha said while crawling out of the mud hole. "The Green Dragon? Isn't that where they have that new singer?"
Miroku said nothing.
"That new FEMALE singer?"
"Well, if you want to leave, hurry and get cleaned up," Miroku said quickly, turning a light shade of pink. "It's nearly noon."
"Horny baka," Inuyasha muttered under his breath while helping Kagome out.
******
"Well, here we are," Miroku said enthusiastically. "The Green Dragon."
"Looks kinda shabby to me," Inuyasha said annoyed. "You sure this is the right place?"
"Of course I am!" Miroku countered indignantly. "I never forget a pretty face...PLACE! I never forget a pretty PLACE!"
"Whatever," Inuyasha muttered.
They walked in together, Kagome unconsciously clinging to Inuyasha.
"I don't like it here," Kagome whispered. "Everyone looks like ruffians."
Inuyasha glanced around and noticed that several men were staring at Kagome. They were all ugly and dirty, smelling mostly of beer. He was able to stare many of them down with his deep, golden eyes, but a few still continued their rude gazing.
After they were seated, Inuyasha bent over and whispered in Miroku's ear.
"Miroku, this isn't a restaurant, it's a damn smelly assed bar! How dare you take us to a place like this!" When he said us, he mainly meant Kagome and Shippou.
"It'll be worth it," Miroku whispered back. "Wait 'till you here this girl sing. She has the most enchanting voice I've ever heard! And the mysterious thing is, she never shows her FACE!"
"Shhhhh...Keep it down!" Inuyasha whispered angrily. "People are staring!"
"Sorry," Miroku muttered sheepishly. "I get excited when I talk about her."
A waitress interrupted them. She was dirty and filthy herself, and she was staring blankly at Kagome. "What do ya'll wanna eat?" she asked disinterested. "Well?"
"Sushi and water for me!" Miroku replied.
"And the rest of ya?"
"Nothing for me, thanks," Kagome said coldly.
"Same here," said Shippou.
"I want beef stew, sushi, rice, fried fish, noodles, soup, rice balls, egg rolls, and LOTS of sake," Inuyasha said. " I also want-"
"Whoa! Hold on, hun. Gotta let me write all this down," the waitress said. After she slowly copied everything down, she winked at Inuyasha and walked away, swinging her hips seductively. A few minutes later, their food arrived.
"Miroku, your sushi looks as if it would love to do nothing more than crawl off of its plate and bite you," Kagome said half joking, half serious.
Miroku took a large bite. "It's better than it looks," he said.
Inuyasha, meanwhile, was digging in. He was using both hands, and the chopsticks lay forgotten beside his plate. He would pick one up every now and then to use as a toothpick, but that was it.
Kagome put a hand on her growling stomach to try and keep it at bay. Inuyasha saw her out of the corner of his eye and nonchalantly pushed his plate of fish over to her. She looked at him with surprise and gratitude.
"Can't eat it all," he murmured.
Suddenly, the curtains on a stage opened. The stage looked terribly run down. It had gaping holes and was slanted to one side. It also looked as if it had been horribly charred. A fat, pudgy man walked out on to it. His greasy head was balding, and as he moved, he took loud, annoying breaths.
"I don't like that guy," Shippou said.
"Nor do I," Kagome agreed. "He looks despicable."
"That's the manager," Miroku commented. "He introduces the singer. He never tells her real name, though."
"What ARE you doing, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked curiously. He had his chopsticks running it through his soup, and he slowly brought them out studying it.
"That guy's hair's gone, and I'm trying to figure out where it went."
Kagome turned green and suddenly lost her appetite.
"Ladies and gentleman, I would now like to present to you our lovely singer, Fire Mystique! Allow her to enchant you with her passionate singing and mysterious ways. Here she is folks! FIRE MYSTIQUE!!"
A loud uproar began, Miroku joining in. Kagome and Shippou clapped weakly, while Inuyasha was still entranced with his food.
After the applause had died down, a young woman gracefully walked across the stage. She was wearing a long black cloak that billowed around her as she walked, and swished at her ankles as she stopped. Her hood covered all of her face except for a pair of luscious pink lips.
Everyone was quiet. Even Inuyasha had stopped scraping his bowl to listen. For several moments it was silent. Then the girl parted her lips and her golden voice filled the room.
"Winds carry me away, to a place, which only I know. Majestic breeze, help me please, to be free!
I am trapped. Not physically, but spiritually, kind sweet breeze. Make me a wind dancer, wild and free.
I'll dance away, to that place, which only exists in my soul. That's where I'm free, of this world...at last.
Listen well, children of the world, to my shallow song, and the beauty it holds!
One day, I shall be free, and then you'll see the true me... lonely benshi."
The song had ended, and the room was silent. Her voice had permeated every particle of the room. Miroku had a face of eternal bliss, and Inuyasha was gaping, his soup forgotten. Kagome had tears welling in her eyes, as did Shippou.
"It's not really the words," Kagome said quietly. "It's the way she sings it. It's so....sad...."
As quickly as the woman came on, she was gone. While everyone was soundless, she had bowed and quickly walked off stage. After an episode of earth shattering applause, conversation turned back to normal.
"Hello," a voice said. Inuyasha and the others jumped and swiftly turned around. The young woman was standing behind them.
"H-h-h-h-h....," Miroku stuttered.
Kagome noticed his speechlessness and eagerly jumped in to help. "Hello, miss! My name's Kagome. That's Inuyasha, Shippou, and Miroku. It's a great pleasure to meet you!"
"I'm glad to hear it. Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all," Kagome replied. Everyone inched over, and the women took her seat beside a flustered Miroku.
"It's been such a long time since I've had an intelligent conversation with someone. You don't exactly find intelligent people here," she commented with amusement.
"So what brings you to our table, Fire Mystique?" Inuyasha asked warily. He said Fire Mystique with a slight hint of sarcasm.
She frowned faintly. "I know that it seems unusual that I always keep covered and never reveal my name," she said pride fully. "But I have a reason."
"Which is?" Inuyasha asked rudely.
The woman's frown deepened. Why had she come down here? She obviously wasn't wanted by that one, so what was her reason? Then she remembered. While she was up on stage, she had let her senses roam. When it picked up different vibrations from one particular table, she had decided to check it out. But could she trust them? She thought a moment and decided she could.
"For several reasons," she replied at last. "You see, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be. I'm actually a wanderer. I hate to stay in one place for a period of time. It was on my latest journey that I decided to stop and have a bite to eat. I was just sitting, minding my own business, when a big hairy lug walked over, wanting to have some 'fun'."
Kagome clung even tighter to Inuyasha, grateful that she had him there to help protect and watch over her. She couldn't even begin to imagine coming to such a place alone. He discreetly looked down at her with an unusual tenderness in his eyes while the woman continued her story.
"After several attempts to try to make me leave with him, he grabbed my arm, trying to force me to go. He learned very quickly not to play with fire." Her lips turned up into a wry smirk.
"I don't get it," Shippou said confused. "Why shouldn't he play with fire?"
"If you would please direct your attention to under the table, I will show you why."
Curious, they all inconspicuously glanced under the table. All were amazed at what they saw. She had her palm turned upward and a small flame, about the size of a candlewick, was flickering merrily in the center. It grew to the size of an orange, and with a puff, was gone.
"You're a demon?!" Miroku asked breathless.
The woman chuckled. "No, I can assure you I am quite human. But anyway, on with my story. I caused a great deal of damage, and severely injured the man. I am working here now to repay the debt. Which reminds me," she added to herself. "Tonight's the last night that I have to work. This should prove very interesting when I tell the manager........."
"You still haven't answered why you always wear your hood," Inuyasha said. Kagome poked him smartly in the ribs, and he looked at her frustrated.
"I was just getting to that," she replied patiently. "Although it is obvious. I keep myself concealed mainly because the man's friends are looking for revenge. Don't get me wrong, though. It's not because I'm afraid of them. I can barbecue them just as easily as I did their friend, but I don't want to cause any more damage and work here longer. Frankly, this place disgusts me." She sighed deeply and continued. "The other reason is that it draws in more customers, which means more money, which means I can get out of here quicker."
Inuyasha leaned back, satisfied.
"So, where do you originally come from?" he asked, his tone had softening considerably.
"And where did you get those powers?" Shippou added, excited.
"I hail form the village Nira, which is found near the eastern coast. As for my powers, I was born with them. Fire is the easiest for me to control, but I can also control wind, earth, and water. I'm currently experimenting with lightning."
"Why is fire easier?" asked Miroku.
"Well," the woman said slowly. "I don't really know how to explain it. I guess the reason is because fire is more adventurous. It's always active, therefore, it is the easiest to summon and control. Wind is carefree, water is docile, and earth is lethargic. I'm still trying to figure out which attribute lightning holds."
"Eastern coast," Kagome repeated quietly to herself. "That reminds me! I haven't explained Kaede's dream yet!"
"Dream?" the woman asked, leaning forward eagerly. She herself was having some strange dreams.
"Yes. A friend of ours, an elderly woman, has been having the same dream for three nights now."
"Hmmm....," the woman said interested. She leaned back and placed her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "Isn't it said that if one has the same dream over and over, that it's supposed to come true?"
Kagome didn't hear this comment. She was to busy emptying her pockets. "Oh no!" she cried in dismay. "I've left my notes. Now I can't tell you about it." She sighed deeply.
"Actually," Miroku said. " I couldn't help but overhear your conversation last night, and it sounds exactly like a story that my father would tell me when I was younger."
"Do tell," Inuyasha said sarcastically. He had his hands behind his head, and was leaned back. His eyes were closed, but he opened one and peered at Miroku.
"Well," Miroku said. "I can't remember all of it, but I shall try my best."
He closed his eyes, and lifted his hand vertically to his chest. He then began.
"It is a prophecy handed down from generation to generation. It is said that, when the time is right, the sun and the moon will come together. A beautiful eclipse will occur, and thus, out of the darkness, a star shall be born. The star, if raised with righteousness, shall be more powerful than any beast. It will bring all of the lands together, and a period of peace and prosperity shall reign. But if the star is brought up in anger and hate, then it shall divide the lands causing eternal chaos."
As he finished, none spoke. They were all busy thinking their own thoughts. Did this have anything to do with Kaede's dream? Was it only a coincidence?
The woman was thinking these thoughts when the manager motioned for her. She felt revulsion when she saw him wiggling his pudgy finger back and forth. She held back a moan and sighed.
"I'm afraid that I must leave you now, but if you would meet me at the back of the restaurant after my performance, I would like to discuss something with you." She rose, her cloak surrounding her, and began to leave. She stopped, though, and after a moment of hesitation, turned back around.
"My name is Ardenia," she whispered quietly. "But you can call me Arden for short."
She then began to walk swiftly away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Okay, to Sunaka, thank you!! I do believe that I'll keep my original title, although thanks for the suggestion. To Dragon's Lover, I respect your opinion, and I've already emailed you explaining my situation. But for the other's, I update every two weeks because my computer's crashed, so I have to type this down my dad's. The first two chapters were short because I just wanted to show that Sesshoumaru was alone now, and to foreshadow the Prophesy. To the Anonymous person, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I thank you for your defensiveness of my story. ^_^ To Silver Myst........heh heh....poor friend....and to CrissyKitty, I would be more than happy to check out your stories. PEACE OUT!!
Chapter 3: Beautiful Stranger
"Hey Kagome," Inuyasha yelled. He was still searching for her. "Kagome! Where are you?"
"Over here!" she answered. "On the hill, under the tree."
Inuyasha ran to catch up to her. He was slightly touched that she decided to do her work under his favorite tree; He knew that she usually preferred the river. He couldn't help but feel some of his anger fade.
"What are you doing?"
Kagome's notes where scattered around her, and her dream book was open at her feet. She looked up at him with excitement in her eyes.
"I've finally deciphered Kaede's dream!"
"That's fine and dandy, but how about some food?"
"All you think about is food, Inuyasha. If you keep up your eating spree, you'll work poor Kagome to death," a small voice said. Shippou mischievously skipped around the tree. He was filthy from playing in a nearby mud puddle, and Inuyasha picked him up by the tail.
"What was that, you little runt? Big words for a pile of mud."
"You heard me! You're not half dog, you're half pig!"
"That's it!!"
To both Kagome and Shippou's surprise, instead of beating or shaking Shippou, Inuyasha began to tickle him. Shippou squealed with delight. This was the first person to actually play with him since his parents died.
After Inuyasha had tickled Shippou until tears trickled down his face, he proceeded to throw him in the mud puddle that he was playing in earlier. Shippou threw a mud ball at Inuyasha.
"Oh no you didn't! Now you're gonna get it!" Inuyasha said to Shippou, smiling. He took off his red fire rat jacket and jumped in with Shippou.
Kagome couldn't resist. "SIT BOY!!"
Inuyasha plopped face first in the mud. He raised his head and spat out a mouthful of the brown muck, only to see Kagome bent over laughing.
"Now you really do look like a pig!" she said in between laughs. She looked up just in time to see a pile of mud hurtle right at her face. It hit her with a loud splat. As she wiped the mud away from her eyes, she could see Inuyasha and Shippou holding each other laughing.
"SIT BOY!" she yelled once again. This time, both of them fell in the mud.
For the next hour, a ferocious mud battle ensued. Miroku finally strode over the hill, bellowing their names. All three looked at him with surprise.
"Finally," he said, slightly out of breath. "I've been looking everywhere for you three. I've come to tell you that I've been generously rewarded for removing the Shou house of a pesky demon, and to save everyone the trouble of cooking, I was wanting to take us out to eat."
"Where at?" Shippou asked curiously.
"The Green Dragon."
"Wait a second," Inuyasha said while crawling out of the mud hole. "The Green Dragon? Isn't that where they have that new singer?"
Miroku said nothing.
"That new FEMALE singer?"
"Well, if you want to leave, hurry and get cleaned up," Miroku said quickly, turning a light shade of pink. "It's nearly noon."
"Horny baka," Inuyasha muttered under his breath while helping Kagome out.
******
"Well, here we are," Miroku said enthusiastically. "The Green Dragon."
"Looks kinda shabby to me," Inuyasha said annoyed. "You sure this is the right place?"
"Of course I am!" Miroku countered indignantly. "I never forget a pretty face...PLACE! I never forget a pretty PLACE!"
"Whatever," Inuyasha muttered.
They walked in together, Kagome unconsciously clinging to Inuyasha.
"I don't like it here," Kagome whispered. "Everyone looks like ruffians."
Inuyasha glanced around and noticed that several men were staring at Kagome. They were all ugly and dirty, smelling mostly of beer. He was able to stare many of them down with his deep, golden eyes, but a few still continued their rude gazing.
After they were seated, Inuyasha bent over and whispered in Miroku's ear.
"Miroku, this isn't a restaurant, it's a damn smelly assed bar! How dare you take us to a place like this!" When he said us, he mainly meant Kagome and Shippou.
"It'll be worth it," Miroku whispered back. "Wait 'till you here this girl sing. She has the most enchanting voice I've ever heard! And the mysterious thing is, she never shows her FACE!"
"Shhhhh...Keep it down!" Inuyasha whispered angrily. "People are staring!"
"Sorry," Miroku muttered sheepishly. "I get excited when I talk about her."
A waitress interrupted them. She was dirty and filthy herself, and she was staring blankly at Kagome. "What do ya'll wanna eat?" she asked disinterested. "Well?"
"Sushi and water for me!" Miroku replied.
"And the rest of ya?"
"Nothing for me, thanks," Kagome said coldly.
"Same here," said Shippou.
"I want beef stew, sushi, rice, fried fish, noodles, soup, rice balls, egg rolls, and LOTS of sake," Inuyasha said. " I also want-"
"Whoa! Hold on, hun. Gotta let me write all this down," the waitress said. After she slowly copied everything down, she winked at Inuyasha and walked away, swinging her hips seductively. A few minutes later, their food arrived.
"Miroku, your sushi looks as if it would love to do nothing more than crawl off of its plate and bite you," Kagome said half joking, half serious.
Miroku took a large bite. "It's better than it looks," he said.
Inuyasha, meanwhile, was digging in. He was using both hands, and the chopsticks lay forgotten beside his plate. He would pick one up every now and then to use as a toothpick, but that was it.
Kagome put a hand on her growling stomach to try and keep it at bay. Inuyasha saw her out of the corner of his eye and nonchalantly pushed his plate of fish over to her. She looked at him with surprise and gratitude.
"Can't eat it all," he murmured.
Suddenly, the curtains on a stage opened. The stage looked terribly run down. It had gaping holes and was slanted to one side. It also looked as if it had been horribly charred. A fat, pudgy man walked out on to it. His greasy head was balding, and as he moved, he took loud, annoying breaths.
"I don't like that guy," Shippou said.
"Nor do I," Kagome agreed. "He looks despicable."
"That's the manager," Miroku commented. "He introduces the singer. He never tells her real name, though."
"What ARE you doing, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked curiously. He had his chopsticks running it through his soup, and he slowly brought them out studying it.
"That guy's hair's gone, and I'm trying to figure out where it went."
Kagome turned green and suddenly lost her appetite.
"Ladies and gentleman, I would now like to present to you our lovely singer, Fire Mystique! Allow her to enchant you with her passionate singing and mysterious ways. Here she is folks! FIRE MYSTIQUE!!"
A loud uproar began, Miroku joining in. Kagome and Shippou clapped weakly, while Inuyasha was still entranced with his food.
After the applause had died down, a young woman gracefully walked across the stage. She was wearing a long black cloak that billowed around her as she walked, and swished at her ankles as she stopped. Her hood covered all of her face except for a pair of luscious pink lips.
Everyone was quiet. Even Inuyasha had stopped scraping his bowl to listen. For several moments it was silent. Then the girl parted her lips and her golden voice filled the room.
"Winds carry me away, to a place, which only I know. Majestic breeze, help me please, to be free!
I am trapped. Not physically, but spiritually, kind sweet breeze. Make me a wind dancer, wild and free.
I'll dance away, to that place, which only exists in my soul. That's where I'm free, of this world...at last.
Listen well, children of the world, to my shallow song, and the beauty it holds!
One day, I shall be free, and then you'll see the true me... lonely benshi."
The song had ended, and the room was silent. Her voice had permeated every particle of the room. Miroku had a face of eternal bliss, and Inuyasha was gaping, his soup forgotten. Kagome had tears welling in her eyes, as did Shippou.
"It's not really the words," Kagome said quietly. "It's the way she sings it. It's so....sad...."
As quickly as the woman came on, she was gone. While everyone was soundless, she had bowed and quickly walked off stage. After an episode of earth shattering applause, conversation turned back to normal.
"Hello," a voice said. Inuyasha and the others jumped and swiftly turned around. The young woman was standing behind them.
"H-h-h-h-h....," Miroku stuttered.
Kagome noticed his speechlessness and eagerly jumped in to help. "Hello, miss! My name's Kagome. That's Inuyasha, Shippou, and Miroku. It's a great pleasure to meet you!"
"I'm glad to hear it. Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all," Kagome replied. Everyone inched over, and the women took her seat beside a flustered Miroku.
"It's been such a long time since I've had an intelligent conversation with someone. You don't exactly find intelligent people here," she commented with amusement.
"So what brings you to our table, Fire Mystique?" Inuyasha asked warily. He said Fire Mystique with a slight hint of sarcasm.
She frowned faintly. "I know that it seems unusual that I always keep covered and never reveal my name," she said pride fully. "But I have a reason."
"Which is?" Inuyasha asked rudely.
The woman's frown deepened. Why had she come down here? She obviously wasn't wanted by that one, so what was her reason? Then she remembered. While she was up on stage, she had let her senses roam. When it picked up different vibrations from one particular table, she had decided to check it out. But could she trust them? She thought a moment and decided she could.
"For several reasons," she replied at last. "You see, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be. I'm actually a wanderer. I hate to stay in one place for a period of time. It was on my latest journey that I decided to stop and have a bite to eat. I was just sitting, minding my own business, when a big hairy lug walked over, wanting to have some 'fun'."
Kagome clung even tighter to Inuyasha, grateful that she had him there to help protect and watch over her. She couldn't even begin to imagine coming to such a place alone. He discreetly looked down at her with an unusual tenderness in his eyes while the woman continued her story.
"After several attempts to try to make me leave with him, he grabbed my arm, trying to force me to go. He learned very quickly not to play with fire." Her lips turned up into a wry smirk.
"I don't get it," Shippou said confused. "Why shouldn't he play with fire?"
"If you would please direct your attention to under the table, I will show you why."
Curious, they all inconspicuously glanced under the table. All were amazed at what they saw. She had her palm turned upward and a small flame, about the size of a candlewick, was flickering merrily in the center. It grew to the size of an orange, and with a puff, was gone.
"You're a demon?!" Miroku asked breathless.
The woman chuckled. "No, I can assure you I am quite human. But anyway, on with my story. I caused a great deal of damage, and severely injured the man. I am working here now to repay the debt. Which reminds me," she added to herself. "Tonight's the last night that I have to work. This should prove very interesting when I tell the manager........."
"You still haven't answered why you always wear your hood," Inuyasha said. Kagome poked him smartly in the ribs, and he looked at her frustrated.
"I was just getting to that," she replied patiently. "Although it is obvious. I keep myself concealed mainly because the man's friends are looking for revenge. Don't get me wrong, though. It's not because I'm afraid of them. I can barbecue them just as easily as I did their friend, but I don't want to cause any more damage and work here longer. Frankly, this place disgusts me." She sighed deeply and continued. "The other reason is that it draws in more customers, which means more money, which means I can get out of here quicker."
Inuyasha leaned back, satisfied.
"So, where do you originally come from?" he asked, his tone had softening considerably.
"And where did you get those powers?" Shippou added, excited.
"I hail form the village Nira, which is found near the eastern coast. As for my powers, I was born with them. Fire is the easiest for me to control, but I can also control wind, earth, and water. I'm currently experimenting with lightning."
"Why is fire easier?" asked Miroku.
"Well," the woman said slowly. "I don't really know how to explain it. I guess the reason is because fire is more adventurous. It's always active, therefore, it is the easiest to summon and control. Wind is carefree, water is docile, and earth is lethargic. I'm still trying to figure out which attribute lightning holds."
"Eastern coast," Kagome repeated quietly to herself. "That reminds me! I haven't explained Kaede's dream yet!"
"Dream?" the woman asked, leaning forward eagerly. She herself was having some strange dreams.
"Yes. A friend of ours, an elderly woman, has been having the same dream for three nights now."
"Hmmm....," the woman said interested. She leaned back and placed her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "Isn't it said that if one has the same dream over and over, that it's supposed to come true?"
Kagome didn't hear this comment. She was to busy emptying her pockets. "Oh no!" she cried in dismay. "I've left my notes. Now I can't tell you about it." She sighed deeply.
"Actually," Miroku said. " I couldn't help but overhear your conversation last night, and it sounds exactly like a story that my father would tell me when I was younger."
"Do tell," Inuyasha said sarcastically. He had his hands behind his head, and was leaned back. His eyes were closed, but he opened one and peered at Miroku.
"Well," Miroku said. "I can't remember all of it, but I shall try my best."
He closed his eyes, and lifted his hand vertically to his chest. He then began.
"It is a prophecy handed down from generation to generation. It is said that, when the time is right, the sun and the moon will come together. A beautiful eclipse will occur, and thus, out of the darkness, a star shall be born. The star, if raised with righteousness, shall be more powerful than any beast. It will bring all of the lands together, and a period of peace and prosperity shall reign. But if the star is brought up in anger and hate, then it shall divide the lands causing eternal chaos."
As he finished, none spoke. They were all busy thinking their own thoughts. Did this have anything to do with Kaede's dream? Was it only a coincidence?
The woman was thinking these thoughts when the manager motioned for her. She felt revulsion when she saw him wiggling his pudgy finger back and forth. She held back a moan and sighed.
"I'm afraid that I must leave you now, but if you would meet me at the back of the restaurant after my performance, I would like to discuss something with you." She rose, her cloak surrounding her, and began to leave. She stopped, though, and after a moment of hesitation, turned back around.
"My name is Ardenia," she whispered quietly. "But you can call me Arden for short."
She then began to walk swiftly away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Okay, to Sunaka, thank you!! I do believe that I'll keep my original title, although thanks for the suggestion. To Dragon's Lover, I respect your opinion, and I've already emailed you explaining my situation. But for the other's, I update every two weeks because my computer's crashed, so I have to type this down my dad's. The first two chapters were short because I just wanted to show that Sesshoumaru was alone now, and to foreshadow the Prophesy. To the Anonymous person, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I thank you for your defensiveness of my story. ^_^ To Silver Myst........heh heh....poor friend....and to CrissyKitty, I would be more than happy to check out your stories. PEACE OUT!!