Summer dragged on at a slow, grueling pace. Then the cool breeze of autumn came in, telling the villagers that the harvest was drawing near. The hut was becoming somewhat blocked from view on the left side by a fair-sized pile of firewood. Kikyou was beginning to work on winter robes for herself and Kaede while watching the smaller children in the village. Kaede was watching her sister in order to learn how she must be when she grows up.
"Sister Kikyou, may I begin making our garbs? I have watched you for so long and I feel that I am able to do it," Kaede asked softly.
Kikyou stopped what she was doing and looked at her sister. She gave her sister a gentle smile then nodded, handing Kaede the materials.
"Lady Kikyou, watch what I can do!" a child yelled, waving his arms frantically.
Kikyou looked to her sister, then looked at the children as they played. All was peaceful and Kikyou, having shared her knowledge of the Shikon no Tama with the villagers, did not have to carry the jewel everywhere she went. The jewel had been placed upon a special altar at the very center of the shrine. Kikyou was slightly free of worry but she knew that a demon could rise and attempt to take the jewel.
"Lady Kikyou!!" A woman dashed from one of the houses "My daughter…she is burning with fever! Please, help!"
Kikyou stood up quickly.
"Take me to her. Kaede," Kikyou turned to her sister, "take care of the children while I am away."
Kaede gave a nod and Kikyou dashed after the woman. Passing three houses, they finally made it into the woman's home. Inside, lying still and heaving for breath beneath multiple layers of quilts was a girl of around twelve years of age. Kikyou sat beside the girl and placed one hand over the child's forehead. She shook her head then slid her hand to the child's neck. There was a silence, the mother was silently whimpering. Kikyou moved the quilts down and pressed her ear to the child's chest.
"I shall return shortly with some herbs." Kikyou stood up and stepped out the door, the mother grabbed Kikyou's hand quickly.
"Will she be all right, Lady Kikyou? What ails her?"
Kikyou looked at the woman but kept her face gentle and her voice soft.
"I know not the origin of her illness. A chill is all it is." Kikyou's hand was slowly released, "Fret not over your child, I shall retrieve the herbs necessary for her recovery."
Kikyou hurried back to the shrine, passing Kaede in silence, to grab her bow, quiver of arrows, and a small basket to hold the herbs. Without hesitating, Kikyou rushed through the streets and out toward the grassy path that lead to a field beyond the woods. The air was chilled; each breath sent sharp pains through Kikyou's chest. The arrows rattled and jumped as Kikyou made her way through the forest, cross the river, and out into the meadow.
For the moment, Kikyou was at ease, knowing that her chances of an encounter with the silver-haired demon were somewhat small. She made haste to a set of bushes and began to hand pick in several different places, stopping every now and then to closely examine the plants.
A few minutes passed and Kikyou stood up quickly, turning toward the village. A muffled thud came from behind. Kikyou stood still, the sound of cloth rubbing against itself lead her to a minor conclusion.
"Is that you, demon?" Kikyou asked, turning her head to her left shoulder but keeping her back to whatever was behind her.
"Listen up, priestess," the voice spoke sternly, "stay out of my forest."
Kikyou turned, her left side now in the demon's direction.
"I am afraid to state that the forest belongs to no one. I shall be taking my leave of you, demon, I have much to take care of and no time to waste on you."
"Foolish human. Do you know who you're talking to?" Kikyou turned her back on him, ignoring his last statement, and preceded to walk away. "Hey!" He charged, once again becoming a red blur. Kikyou quickly slid her hands together and said something under her breath. A white light enveloped her, forcing the demon back several feet, uprooting the earth as he slid along the ground.
Kikyou took off, leaving the demon phased yet, again, unharmed to hurry to the child. The demon sat up and spit to his right in distaste.
"I will have the jewel! Even if I must destroy you and every villager for it!" he shouted at the top of his lungs as he stood up. "Do you hear me, priestess!? The Shikon no Tama will be mine!!"
Kikyou paid the echo of the demon's shouts as much attention as you would the wind blowing as she dashed toward the village as fast as her legs would take her. Her chest was burning as the chilled air once again chilled her lungs, attacking them like ice shards piercing her flesh. Her bow slammed repeatedly against the back of her left shoulder with each stride, but she continued at her grueling pace until she finally reached the woman's home.
She wasted no time to talk; she sat down next to the child and went straight to work. She muttered a command to the mother to get a grinding bowl and stone and some boiled water but said no more afterward. She broke up some aloe plant and drained the gel into the bowl and began to stir, carefully adding some of the boiling water to it. She set the bowl to one side then turned to the mother and requested a cup. The woman did not argue and quickly returned with a small clay cup. Kikyou poured the mixture, which held a soft green tint, in to the cup and stirred a few more times before requesting that the mother have the child drink it while it was hot.
Kikyou wiped the bowl dry then reached into her basket and pulled out several bits of basil and began to slowly and carefully grind them into a fine powder. The mother got the child to respond and take in most of the solution, wiping what dribbled down the child's chin before returning to Kikyou's side to help.
"The cup, please," Kikyou asked softly.
The woman quickly handed Kikyou the empty cup and watched as she filled it halfway with water and carefully added the powdered basil to it. The water was somewhat cloudy and Kikyou stirred the solution a little more before handing the cup to the mother once more and nodding to the child. The mother did as she was told, apologizing to her daughter for all of the added activity. Kikyou ground the rest of the basil and placed it within a small, wooden container as the mother had her daughter finish the last of the basil solution.
"Place three pinches of this powder within a cup filled halfway with boiling water and have her drink it two times daily. Once at dawn and once at dusk, if you please," Kikyou stated calmly. "Her fever shall pass soon."
"I thank you for your aide, Lady Kikyou. Thank you so much for helping my daughter."
Kikyou walked outside, stopping quickly to let a few villagers pass, then walked back to the shrine where her sister sat alone. Kikyou took a deep breath and sighed softly before walking to her sister's side. Kaede looked up and gave her sister a big smile.
"How was it, sister?" Kaede asked softly, her eye lids slightly lowered.
"All is well, Kaede, all is well." Kikyou sat down beside Kaede and held her close.
Kaede pulled back and stared hard at her sister.
"What ails you, big sister? Are you weary? Could you have caught the illness?" Kaede placed her hands over Kikyou's cheeks and held her sister's head facing her. "Please, tell me."
Kikyou sat there for a moment and stared into the worried, brown eyes of her sister and smiled.
"Little sister," Kikyou gently took Kaede's hands and lowered them, clasping them within her own, "you need not fret over my welfare."
"But…I must…. You," Kaede smiled, "are my sister."
Kikyou stood up and lead her sister inside the shrine.
"I may be your sister, but I am your older sister which means you need not worry. I shall take care of you."
"But what if something happened to you, sister?"
Kikyou shook her head and ushered her sister inside. She took one step, moving to the top stair, the stopped. Kikyou turned around and stared into the forest, her mind racing.
"Sister?" Kaede's voice came softly from the door, shaking Kikyou from her daze.
Kikyou smiled and entered, he warmth of the shrine greeting her cold skin as the day turned to dusk. Kikyou glanced out of one of the shrine windows and looked toward the forest. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.
"What is that?" Kikyou asked herself softly, dipping her fingers in a bowl of cool water and washing her eyes with it.
Even then the strange, eerie light surrounded the forest. Her eyes narrowed and her expression turned cold as she remembered the demon's words. Something was not right about the silence of the night. What the reason was, she did not know.
Kikyou closed the window and covered herself back up with the sheets, glancing over to her sister before blowing out the small candle and falling into an uneasy slumber. Deep within the night, something large crept through the brush of the forest. It stood up; its many legs bracing it as it watched the sleeping village. It let out a hiss-like laugh and dove into the darkness. The only audible word that could be made out was 'Shikon'.
