Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.
Author's Note: In previous chapters, I realize that I had said that Kagome's eyes were violet. It has been brought to my attention that I was mistaken and from now on, Kagome's eyes are normally brown as they should be.
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Kagome woke in layers. She became aware of the warmth that surrounded her first, whimpering and burrowing deeper when the bright sunlight assaulted her vision. It took a few moments for her mind to connect the warmth with its owner. But when it finally hit her, she sat up immediately. Turning her vision so she could stare straight at Inuyasha's sleeping face. She could feel a blush making its way over her face as she whirled quickly. Her eyes widened even more when Inuyasha mumbled her name in his sleep, arms coming around her to tuck her even further in his embrace.
She sighed, closing her eyes once again, leaning back against him and slipped back into the tranquil peace of sleep.
Or maybe not . . .
'Kagome . . . !!!'
Kagome jumped at the voice. She found herself suddenly in the flux zone. She sat cross-legged, folding her arms across her chest, bristling at the annoyed tone that the voice had taken, "What?"
'Did you absolutely have to get her all pissed off like that?'
"Who are you talking about?"
'Midoriko. She is angry that you do not listen to her when she tries to help and even more angry that you keep loosing.'
"Oh. Midoriko is the one in my sword right?"
'Yes. I'm glad that you paid attention to that at least. There's much that you must learn before you can fully master the true power of the sword. You swing that beautiful weapon around like a club. Learn how to use it correctly.'
"How?"
'Midoriko will teach you after you defeat her.'
"NANI?!?!" Kagome stood immediately, her hand going to her side to grope for the nonexistent sword.
'She is irritated and convinced that you are too weak to be her master. It will be a battle. Miko against miko. No weapons.'
"But . . . But . . . I don't know how to use my powers!"
'It will come to you.'
The voice disappeared. Kagome's face was terrified as she watched the air in front of her twist and pull, much like the time when her sword had first been gifted to her. But this time, it was a woman who came. She landed, crouched on the ground. She turned to Kagome, straightening.
"You do not look like mush of an opponent. You believe that you are worthy of my power? Then show me what you are made of little girl," Midoriko scoffed at her, lifting her nose arrogantly in the air.
Kagome twitched, her expression outraged as Midoriko's words berated her over and over in her mind. She could not win against Kikyo without Midoriko at her side. She drew in a deep breath, "Then come on, Midoriko."
***
Inuyasha opened his eyes, waking with a strangely relaxed feeling running through him. He yawned, stretching his arms over his head as he glanced down at the girl in his lap, seeming to be sleeping peacefully. He stood carefully, Kagome still in his arms while he laid her back down onto the mat that she had slept on previously. He shook her gently, "Oi Kagome! Wake up!"
His brows lowered in confusion when she did not so much as stir. He tried a different approach, reaching out with his mind to hers, 'Kagome?'
He began to panic when his voice merely echoed back to him. Her mind wasn't there at all. He shoved his mind at the barrier that he could clearly sense blocking him from wherever Kagome was but it was too strong. He opened his eyes panting as he began to shout through her mind, 'Kagome!?!'
'Oh do shut up Inuyasha,' Inuyasha sighed in relief when the familiar voice sounded in his mind.
"Where have you taken Kagome?" He asked, frustration leaking into his voice.
'No where special. She's in the flux zone right now but don't worry about her. She's fine. Midoriko is testing her at the moment.'
"What the fuck do you mean by 'testing'?"
'They are having a miko to miko battle. Kagome must prove to Midoriko that she is strong enough to control her power. Do not fret Inuyasha. No harm will come to Kagome.'
The voice left.
"Kuso!" Inuyasha swore.
***
Kagome glared at the other miko, where she was standing calmly.
"I do not have the time to waste on weaklings," Midoriko said, raising an eyebrow at her. She lifted her hand slowly, pointing the palm straight at Kagome, "You are not worth my time."
A thick rope of bright blue energy burst from her palm, wrapping Kagome tightly in its coils. Kagome snarled, focusing her mind within herself to nudge at the little balls of power that were stored within her. She held them both within her mind. She willed the power to appear, one in each hand as she held them out in front of her. She closed her eyes, praying that what she was about to attempt was allowed. She lifted her hands above her head, shouting, "Please work!" She took the two powers and joined them, cringing at the sparks that flew where they met and pushing them together, watching the power mingle and creating a swirling pall of pure energy.
She gave one final shout slamming the final creation into her chest. Kagome writhed within the coils when they wrapped her tighter, encasing her in a cocoon of blue energy. She felt the power as it streamed through her body, netting through every vein and muscle. Pain coursed through her. She forced herself to adapt to this new level of power. It smoothed out and she clenched her fists. Kagome was crouched on the ground as the energy exploded from her. Her eyes were an eerie shade, her normal brown eyes were swirled with silver lashes, writhing within her irises. The familiar mark crossed her forehead, blazing.
She turned her eyes onto Midoriko and she, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, felt fear deep within her soul from those chilling eyes. Midoriko sent out another blast, wanting to end this now, before the power that she could sense in Kagome's aura could be released. Kagome merely raised a hand when she saw the bolt coming at her, brushing her hand and slapping it away with the back of it.
"My turn," she whispered. She lifted her right arm, pointing two fingers, her index and middle at Midoriko. The pad of her thumb rested on top of the two tightly pressed together fingers. The two extra fingers pressed firmly to her palm.
She brought her hand up, over her head, arching around in a loop before bringing the now glowing tips of the fingers to point once again at Midoriko who stood unmoving. The air that her fingers had traced shimmered with silver light, matching the shade that her fingers pulsed with.
She smirked lightly, "I will not loose Midoriko. I have not yet fulfilled my purpose." Her eyes filled with something predatory. Intense promise gleamed in the silver depths, enough to make Midoriko take an instinctive step backwards.
Kagome glowed, the power pulsed around her, filling the area. A ring of light halo-ed her outstretched fingers. It shot forwards, encircling Midoriko before she had a chance to move. Midoriko gasped when the ring tightened around her ribs, making it difficult to breathe.
"Do you yield, Midoriko?" Kagome asked, standing nose to nose with her.
"Hai . . ." Midoriko managed to gasp out, coughing when she was released, "You have my respect and power, Child of Light. You have passed my test." Midoriko's wavered, fading slowly as the Sword of Light took her appearance. Kagome strode forwards, taking the hilt once again. She strapped it securely to her waist, feeling herself return to the physical world.
***
Kagome squirmed, her eyes opening slowly and she sat up.
"Inuyasha?" she questioned seeing the hanyou staring at her. She blinked when he did not reply, just standing to move over to her and crouching when he was next to her. His fingers cupped her chin, lifting her face and turning it this way and that.
"Oi bouzu! What do you think of this?" he called to the monk who had just made his appearance in the doorway.
Miroku came over, his eyes widening when his gaze fell into her eyes. Eyes that were once solid brown were now laced with silver streaks. Moving silver streaks.
"Have you done something Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked, his voice calm as always.
"I don't know what you mean . . ." she replied, confusion obvious on her face.
"Your eyes have silver in them," he told her, his and Inuyasha's confusion growing when she just laughed softly.
"I suppose you could say it was a gift," she said, laughing even more when she saw that they were bewildered, "Don't worry about it. It's nothing."
'Liar'
Kagome glanced at him when she heard his voice clearly in her mind, 'What do you mean by that?'
'You did something when you were fighting with that Midoriko person,' Inuyasha sat back, his arms crossed. He scowled at her warning her that he would tolerate nothing but the truth from her.
She sighed, 'It's really nothing Inuyasha. Really it's not. I needed help when I was fighting and I sort of . . . did something that I don't think I was supposed to do.'
'Damn right you weren't,' both jolted at the sudden arrival of Hikari's voice, 'You don't even know what you did, do you? Or the consequences of it!'
'Eh?' Kagome's voice rose in alarm, 'What consequences?'
'I knew it,' Hikari sighed, 'You joined your powers permanently with the powers of Light. There's nothing that I, or anyone else can do to reverse it.'
'What does that mean?'
'It means, little miko, that you will not be able to die,' Hikari noted the confusion in the air and continued in a more regretful tone, 'Even if you loose in the final Event, where your body will be torn to pieces, your soul will continue to live and you will be stuck in limbo forever. But if you win, you will not be able to die. You will be forced to watch the ones that you care for die and you will remember them forever. You can try to kill yourself or even cut yourself. You will not be able to. Your body will repair itself even after that. You have made yourself immortal.'
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Author's Note: The next chapter will not be posted until I get at least 20 reviews for all these chapters. *sigh* all this writing and no one reviews.
