Authors note: Okay I know this isn't exactly how the jewel of the four
souls came about, but bear with me. ^_^.
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Sesshoumaru looked at Rin then back at the old man. His anger flared inside him. How dare this man insult him thus? He, the Great Lord of the Western Lands, would surely know if his ward was, or had been, a goddess. He was about to strike the man down when Kali stepped between them. "Sir," she asked respectfully, "is this girl you speak of Lady Kagome?"
The man laughed softly. "No," he said, "the miko is powerful, but surely a mother does not forget her child so quickly." The man raised his hand and a blue light flashed from his fingertips. When it faded the old man and Kali were not to be found.
Kali landed softly onto a cold cobblestone floor. In front of her the old man looked down at her and offered her his hand. As she took it the man transformed into a beautiful woman. "My lady," Kali gasped, bowing deeply.
"Kali," the woman said in a voice as soft as silk. "It is good to see you again, my dearest Kali."
"But why are you here?" Kali asked. "Why didn't you take Lord Sesshoumaru?"
"I will see my son soon," she answered, "but now I must speak to you. Bring things to light that you should have known of long ago."
"Speak, my lady," Kali urged, "I will listen to all you say."
"When your daughter Istar, the warrior, who became the goddess of the east, went to battle against the evil conjurer, Akiro, you were told that she was killed. But in truth she lives on. In her travels Istar met a powerful miko, named Midoriko, who at first wished to kill her. In the end Midoriko saw the good in Istar soul, and the two became friends. Istar convinced Midoriko that not all youkai were evil, as not all humans were good, and together they took on the job of purifying the souls of some of the evilest youkai. When Akiro heard of the pair, his heart became desirous of their power. Knowing their bond of friendship he set a huge horde of youkai after them. As they were fighting Midoriko became mortally injured by one of the youkai. Rather than lose her friend Istar gave Midoriko her youkai powers of healing. It was too late though, and rather than die, her spirit and the spirit of the youkai she fought were trapped in the Shikon Jewel. It was at this time that Akiro emerged from the shadows. For the trouble Istar had caused him, he cursed her. Transforming her body into that of a small mortal child, this one that they now call Rin. Using powerful magic he erased her memory. Damning her to a life of perpetual childhood, until the jewel rested in her breast."
"But, my lady," Kali said, "how can this be? When my lord found the girl she was dead." "This is true, but remember Kali, she was not immortal only eternally young. She is now a mortal, and I fear she will stay thus even after the jewel is returned to her body. But, she is your daughter Istar. She is the goddess of the east, the warrior before whom evil nations trembled."
"What am I to do?" Kali said looking up at the lady, her cheeks wet with tears.
"Love her. In time, perhaps her memories will come back to her. Make sure that the jewel returns to her, though. I am sure that my son will protect her and jewel," she answered calmly.
"Thank you, my lady," Kali said bowing to her once more.
"I will return you now to your group," Sesshoumaru's mother answered sweetly. "Take care, dearest Kali. I too, must see my child now."
Kali returned to the forest in a similar flash of light, and at the same time Sesshoumaru was taken from their sight. Kagome's heart raced as she ran to Kali's side. "Where did you go? Where did that man take Sesshoumaru?" she asked.
"The lord is fine," Kali said softly to her.
Rin ran up to her holding a large yellow flower. "Kali-sama," she cried as she hugged her, "Rin missed you so much."
"And I missed you, Istar," she said softly. Rin's eyes opened wide. Istar? That word sounded so familiar. She pulled back into her memory, but everything was clouded and jumbled up. All she knew was that hearing Kali say that word made her feel very safe.
Sesshoumaru looked at Rin then back at the old man. His anger flared inside him. How dare this man insult him thus? He, the Great Lord of the Western Lands, would surely know if his ward was, or had been, a goddess. He was about to strike the man down when Kali stepped between them. "Sir," she asked respectfully, "is this girl you speak of Lady Kagome?"
The man laughed softly. "No," he said, "the miko is powerful, but surely a mother does not forget her child so quickly." The man raised his hand and a blue light flashed from his fingertips. When it faded the old man and Kali were not to be found.
Kali landed softly onto a cold cobblestone floor. In front of her the old man looked down at her and offered her his hand. As she took it the man transformed into a beautiful woman. "My lady," Kali gasped, bowing deeply.
"Kali," the woman said in a voice as soft as silk. "It is good to see you again, my dearest Kali."
"But why are you here?" Kali asked. "Why didn't you take Lord Sesshoumaru?"
"I will see my son soon," she answered, "but now I must speak to you. Bring things to light that you should have known of long ago."
"Speak, my lady," Kali urged, "I will listen to all you say."
"When your daughter Istar, the warrior, who became the goddess of the east, went to battle against the evil conjurer, Akiro, you were told that she was killed. But in truth she lives on. In her travels Istar met a powerful miko, named Midoriko, who at first wished to kill her. In the end Midoriko saw the good in Istar soul, and the two became friends. Istar convinced Midoriko that not all youkai were evil, as not all humans were good, and together they took on the job of purifying the souls of some of the evilest youkai. When Akiro heard of the pair, his heart became desirous of their power. Knowing their bond of friendship he set a huge horde of youkai after them. As they were fighting Midoriko became mortally injured by one of the youkai. Rather than lose her friend Istar gave Midoriko her youkai powers of healing. It was too late though, and rather than die, her spirit and the spirit of the youkai she fought were trapped in the Shikon Jewel. It was at this time that Akiro emerged from the shadows. For the trouble Istar had caused him, he cursed her. Transforming her body into that of a small mortal child, this one that they now call Rin. Using powerful magic he erased her memory. Damning her to a life of perpetual childhood, until the jewel rested in her breast."
"But, my lady," Kali said, "how can this be? When my lord found the girl she was dead." "This is true, but remember Kali, she was not immortal only eternally young. She is now a mortal, and I fear she will stay thus even after the jewel is returned to her body. But, she is your daughter Istar. She is the goddess of the east, the warrior before whom evil nations trembled."
"What am I to do?" Kali said looking up at the lady, her cheeks wet with tears.
"Love her. In time, perhaps her memories will come back to her. Make sure that the jewel returns to her, though. I am sure that my son will protect her and jewel," she answered calmly.
"Thank you, my lady," Kali said bowing to her once more.
"I will return you now to your group," Sesshoumaru's mother answered sweetly. "Take care, dearest Kali. I too, must see my child now."
Kali returned to the forest in a similar flash of light, and at the same time Sesshoumaru was taken from their sight. Kagome's heart raced as she ran to Kali's side. "Where did you go? Where did that man take Sesshoumaru?" she asked.
"The lord is fine," Kali said softly to her.
Rin ran up to her holding a large yellow flower. "Kali-sama," she cried as she hugged her, "Rin missed you so much."
"And I missed you, Istar," she said softly. Rin's eyes opened wide. Istar? That word sounded so familiar. She pulled back into her memory, but everything was clouded and jumbled up. All she knew was that hearing Kali say that word made her feel very safe.