by ElysianKiss
Depression
Kaede sat, cross legged, in her hut. She moaned
as beads of sweat rolled down her face. It was the vision again.
This time, it was clearer. She could vaguely make out the face of
the one that would bring the end of the world. He was a giant of
a man, one who had been held captive for many years. Like Kagome,
he was a mutant, but a very powerful one. She feared for Kagome's
life, seeing the great power the demon of a man held. The vision
shifted and she could see Kagome, InuYasha by her side as well as others.
Her form glowed a brilliant pink and her lips moved as if she was speaking,
but Kaede could not hear the words. Suddenly, there was a brilliant
flash of pink light, lashing winds, cracking earth, and holy energy.
When the light faded, the evil was gone, and so was Kagome.
Kaede fell to her side, drained. Never had
she had such a vivid vision. However, it affirmed her knowledge that
only Kagome was capable of ridding the world of this evil. And yet,
it seemed as if it would cost Kagome her life. She struggled to rise,
and found she lacked the energy to do so. She rolled onto her back
and waited for someone, anyone to happen upon the hut and help her.
Several hours later, Sango stepped into the hut
to check on Kaede. No one in the village had seen her all day.
She found the elderly priestess on the floor, her lips dry and cracked
from lack of water. Sango rushed immediately to her side and helped
her up.
"Kaede, what happened?!"
"I had a vision again.
It drained most of my energy," he replied, hoarsely.
"Here, let me get you some
water and call Miroku," Sango said, doing just that.
Miroku came into the hut almost immediately and sat in front of the
priestess.
"Tell us, Lady Kaede.
What was your vision of? Naraku? Kagome? The new enemy?"
"The last two," Kaede replied,
"It seems I was correct about Kagome being necessary for the battle in
the future. However, it also seems that it may cost Kagome her life."
"What?!" Sango asked, breathlessly,
"There must be a way to help her!"
"I am afraid there is not,
Sango. None of us can cross the well, save Kagome and InuYasha.
All we can do is wait and pray."
"There is a way to at least
reach Lady Kagome," Miroku said, a determined look upon his face.
"Yes?"
"If we combine our energies
and concentrate on Kagome, we can send her a vision of what is to come.
It will at least give her fair warning so that she can prepare. It
is not much, but we will at least be helping her," Miroku said.
Shippo poked his head in the hut.
"You can count me in!
I don't want Kagome to die!" he said, tearfully.
"This is very dangerous,
Miroku," Kaede said, her lips a thin line, "By using all of our energy,
we could be leaving the village defenseless for several days."
"Lady Sango and Shippo need
not worry themselves, then. I will use all my own energy and you
will provide the vision, Lady Kaede."
"But Miroku...," Sango began.
"Lady Kaede is correct,
Sango," Miroku interrupted, "We cannot leave the village defenseless.
I trust you and Shippo to protect it."
"Alright, but I don't like
this," Sango conceded.
"But I wanna help Kagome!"
Shippo whined.
"If you protect the village
with Sango while she is gone, I'm certain Kagome would appreciate it, Shippo,"
Kaede said.
Shippo puffed out his chest and stuck his chin up.
"I'll do it for Kagome!"
he proclaimed.
A few hours later, after Kaede had regained some
of her strength, she and Miroku sat in the hut. They had their hands
in praying positions and their brows were furrowed in deep concentration.
Miroku's energy flared around him like a translucent flame, becoming a
steady glow around his body. That glow extended to Kaede and they
both began to chant and concentrate on reaching Kagome.
"Kagome! Kagome!"
Kaede reached out with her mind by the power of Miroku's energy.
"Lady Kagome!" Miroku also
called out.
Thousands of miles and 500 years in the future,
Kagome was training outside the institute. She had been training
for about three months already and her use of weather and earth was coming
along at a steady pace. She and InuYasha had both been working on
their english and surprisingly enough, InuYasha caught on rather quickly.
It seemed he was more intelligent than she had originally given him credit
for. By now, both were speaking english beautifully.
InuYasha sat in the tree, keeping an eye on her
as Storm guided the young girl on how to use her powers. Without
warning, Kagome collapsed and clutched her head. She screamed out
in pain and agony. Something felt like it was pulling her mind and
calling her. Images and broken words flashed through her mind.
The pain became so unbearable that she finally gave into the darkness.
She found herself in a plane of vast whiteness.
She started to hear two familiar voices, Miroku and Kaede. She turned
toward the voices and saw them.
"Kaede? Miroku?!"
she asked.
"Lady Kagome! Good,
we've been able to reach you!" Miroku smiled.
"Kagome, we have not much
time. Miroku and I have called ye in this manner to warn ye.
The evil in the future will take all of your power to defeat. You
must find a way to intertwine your mutant and priestess powers to defeat
him. And you must prepare yourself diligently," Kaede warned.
"Yes, Kagome. If you
do not prepare, while you may still defeat the enemy, it could cost you
your life," Miroku also warned, a grim look upon his face.
"My life? Who is this
person? What do you mean it will take all of my power? Am I
the only one?" she asked.
"InuYasha will help ye as
always, Kagome. But it seems ye are destined to defend the world
of evil. See my vision Kagome and remember!" Kaede's voice vanished
as the vision replayed for Kagome.
InuYasha sat nervously in the medical bay of the
institute. Kagome had been on the bed in there for a long time.
Professor Xavier had just gone in to try to help her. He watched
as the old man opened up a link to Kagome's mind. Kagome's priestess
powers flared to try to keep him out and Xavier found himself perplexed
at that reaction. That power that she displayed was most certainly
not a mutant power. It's signature was almost mystic.
Kagome finally settled down and fell into a dreamless
sleep, images from the vision still lingering in her mind. It was
then Xavier decided to try once again. He entered her mind and only
caught small traces of the vision and it left him shocked. He also
caught faint memories as he withdrew. He was beyond shocked as he
looked to the young man who sat near her vigilantly. Both he and
Logan had discussed the young man who looked like a mutant but did not
feel or smell like one. Now, he knew why.
"You're a demon," Xavier
said more than asked, looking straight at InuYasha.
InuYasha stiffened and stood up, walking over to
him.
"You said you were helping
Kagome, not reading her mind, old man!" he snarled.
"I had to read her mind
in order to help her! Please, understand, I don't mean you or her
any harm. I know at least small parts of what's been going on.
I will wait until Kagome is better to ask her for any other information
she is willing to give me. I will keep your identity a secret from
the other students. If Kagome can trust you, I see no reason for
me not to."
"Feh! I'll tell you
whatever you wanna know right now, old man," InuYasha responded.
"Very well, InuYasha.
I'm all ears," Xavier responded.
Back in the past, Sango and Shippo were taking care
of a very drained Miroku and Kaede. They had managed to reach Kagome,
but at a very heavy price. Miroku would not be fully recovered for
a full week and Kaede had been forced to use some of her remaining energy
to finish relaying the vision to Kagome, so she would be out for a little
over a week. Sango sighed as she sponged Kaede's fevered forehead
with a cool cloth. Miroku was being aided by Shippo. Sango
could only hope that Kagome would be all right.
"Kagome, wherever you are,
please take care of yourself. And InuYasha, help her. I want
you two to come home safe and sound," she whispered into the night.
"Kagome will be back, Sango.
You'll see! InuYasha is strong and he'll take care of her," Shippo
said, a small tear slipping out of his eye.
"Yes. We'll see them
sooner than we think. Ne, Shippo-chan?" Sango smiled.
"Yeah!"