Chapter 1: The Ark Came to Rest
...and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
— Genesis 8:4
. . .
Somewhere in Feudal Era Japan
"I won't make a wish."
The Shikon jewel pulsed at her declaration, whether it was surprised or warning her, she did not care to know. Maybe Kagome should have been heedful of it, but she was resolute and in love.
"I believe Inuyasha will come for me." Kagome stated firmly with a smile. He always came for her. But the Shikon, even with an arrow stuck in itself, refused to let this be the end; it had a plan.
Inuyasha saw a pink light appear, sparkling, it formed a long thin crescent, and it called to the Meido Tetsusaiga. That light, he just knew it had to be Kagome, if not he still had to take that chance, his sword had not led him astray before after all.
"MEIDO ZANGETSUHA!" With a swing of his mighty sword, the crescent portal opened, and the deed was done. Inuyasha flew through the portal only to find himself crashing straight into the lip of the Bone-Eaters Well. Quickly he turned back confused only to see a flash of light, and then nothing. He had been fooled; the Shikon had thrown him off the chessboard and was after the Queen.
"KAGOME!"
Kagome swore she heard the faintest whispers of Inuyasha calling for her. Looking around, she called to him frantic for an answer. Desperate for his arms to hold her and chase the darkness around her away, she was petrified.
"INUYASHA! I'M HERE!" There was no answer from the cold abyss, Kagome was starting to grow more scared by the minute. She tried again, calling to him, and still to no avail. There was no wind to carry her calls, no light besides the Shikon's villainous shine, there was nothing but her and that dreaded jewel. The silence when she stopped shouting was so thick and heavy, she could only hear her heartbeat, it was fast yet deafening; she whimpered.
"Do you not wish to return to where you truly belong?" Two voices asked her, the jewel's two voices were unsettling, and made a shiver go up her spine.
"And where would that be?" Kagome asked, she once believed her place to be by Inuyasha's side, but she knew the Shikon had other ideas. The jewel was not responding, leaving her to ponder, surely if it wanted her to make a wish it would want to persuade her? Feed her desires and ease her fears, she really wanted the twisted bauble to do the latter. Any comfort in this empty void was better than nothing.
"You're to replace Midoriko within us, to let those souls rest and for you to continue her battle but against Naraku." She felt bile rise in her throat, she would rather be dead than have her soul stuck with him for the next millennial. But if the jewel had told her the truth, then Kagome knew the Shikon wanted her to replace them with a wish. She knew any wish she made there was going to be a catch that would lead to the same outcome, the thought of a selfless wish was simply impossible.
"There is no true selfless wish is there?" The jewel pulsed at that, confirming her thoughts.
"If I wished for you to disappear or to cease your existence, would it be selfish and what would happen?" It was the only thing she could think of, no jewel means no more problems. Yet, the wish itself would be based on three years of travelling, suffering, and irreparable trauma to her and her friends. It was going to be selfish, no matter how she looked at it.
"If you wish us gone, you would be returned to your own time." Her breath hitched in hope.
"You would not be able to return to the feudal era. Our existence would not cease we would be gone in your lifetime, but we would resurface or be revived in the next five hundred years, this is not something we control." Kagome shuddered at that. "Your soul's existence five-hundred years in the future would likely trigger our resurgence." Ah, there it was, the catch to the wish. Yet Kagome did not know that piece of information, this supposed honesty from the Shikon was starting to disturb her.
"How do I know you aren't lying?"
"You do not. Our existence is not a choice, but one half of us does desire peace. Still, the only way for there to be peace is for you to replace Midoriko, whether that be now or in the next five hundred years. The balance must be continued." There was a subtle sincerity to their words that had Kagome questioning her preconceived notions of the jewel.
"Even in the case of your untimely death, your soul would replace Midoriko's. It is your fate." But it also hurt to know that not even in death she could escape, there was sympathy for Midoriko's souls. Kagome came to a conclusion, there was a way to ensure the safety of everyone.
"I want to make a wish." She affirmed, and the jewel pulsed, waves of magic flowed through her ready to grant her greatest desires for a price, their price.
"I wish that you and I were erased from this world, set the souls of those inside you free and if I must..." Kagome hesitated, this was a life sentence she was considering.
"I will continue to battle the demons for the sake of the jewel's balance." The jewel pulsed several times, waves of pure energy and power washing over her. A bright white light filled her vision, the light then faded until only bright pinks, blues and greens were spiralling all around her.
Kagome's eyes were wide with wonder, as she was standing this wormhole of pure colour flew all around her. She was sure that this was what a psychedelic dream felt like. Looking around, she saw openings to places filled giant robots marching across deserts, another appeared to be an alien ocean with mermaid-like creatures. Quicker than she registered, Kagome was thrown through a different portal, one where she landed in a field. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, sore from the psychedelic trip.
Breathing quite hard after the visual overload, Kagome looked all around searching for anything recognisable. A sudden pink light sparkled to life in front of her face, the Shikon jewel now without an arrow stuck embedded in itself had materialised before her.
"What was that?!" Kagome sharply questioned it, still in shock and breathing raggedly.
"Your wish was granted. Midoriko and the one you knew as Magatsuhi souls have been put to rest, no longer do they fight an eternal battle." Their voice had changed; still, two voices spoke, but one was now softer, the other sounded quite boisterous. They also seemed quite proud of whatever they have done.
"We erased ourselves and you from that world. However, we still want to exist, and we need you so we picked a new world where you can fulfil your promise." Kagome froze at that, she had hoped that her wording was specific enough so that her friends and family no longer recalled her. But she did not consider the option of fighting evil in a new world.
"I thought I would replace Midoriko inside the jewel?" She questioned, utterly perplexed.
"You are replacing her. However, you need a counterpart to fight. Naraku was meant to replace Magatsuhi, but he was residing in us when you wished to set free the souls from us." She nodded, following their line of thought.
"Since there is no one to embody us." A single deeper masculine voice spoke then. "We decided that this world has sufficient enough demons, monsters and other evil beings to fulfil the balance."
"Wait so basically I will have to keep the balance by battling these monsters here with my very human body?" The jewel pulsed at that, she felt warm, but they didn't answer her. That stupid bauble just seems to glow almost mockingly at her.
"Okay then, what will happen to you if I have to fight outside of the jewel?" At that the jewel glowed and flew straight to her, stopping at the bottom of her neck. A silver chain appeared, and the jewel rested below her jugular notch.
"We will reside outside your body, being in your pure body may harm us." Kagome frowned at the bauble, tugging at the necklace she realised it barely moved. Pulling at it even more with what should be enough to break a typical chain, it still did not break; instead, it merely zapped her.
"OW! What the f-"
"We cannot be removed by any being, not even you." The two spirits mocked her, she could swear she heard snickering as well.
"Great, so I'm in a world I've never been in before. With creatures I've never fought with before. STILL in a very human body. Oh and now I have jewel around my neck that cannot be removed." To say she was peeved was an understatement, this wasn't what she intended, but this is what she gets for wishing on a vengeful pink Christmas decoration.
"Said jewel also sounded quite cranky, does the evil old paperweight need a nap?" She stood up while mocking the spirits, wiping her skirt of the grass and dirt.
However the jewel stayed silent, Kagome sighed; a small breeze cutting her thoughts off, chilling her to the bone.
"Yikes, it's bit chilly, better find a village, figure out how this world functions and a get warmer clothes." She set off to explore, bow still in hand, with a pink bauble that sat silently on her clavicle.
As quick as she set her sights to exploring, an ominous wind blew right through her. Her skirt flew up, and as she turned to the direction of its origin. It was then Kagome could smell it's familiar smokey scent and it made her stomach churn.
It was the smell of burning flesh.
1016 - Wallachia
. . .
A/N: This story starts during Episode 26 of Inuyasha: Final Act for reference. The chapters of this fic will be titled in reference to a bible quote and from the next chapter onwards will have the year of the setting. I ended this chapter with year and place so we all know where and whne she is hehe. Do ask me questions if you are confused tho!
I'VE HAD THIS FIC SINCE MAY AND I'M ONLY NOW POSTING HA