Chapter 6: Zen Priestess
Inuyasha stood with Kiyoshi outside the gates of the village of Zen. Akari, Kagome and the others stood back, watching the two with admiration, jealousy, anger or pride, depending who you asked.
"So this is it." Inuyasha sighed, looking up at the massive white gates of Zen. He could just see the mountain of Fuji over the top of the turrets, always guarding the village that stood for its safety.
"It is time." Kiyoshi said, handing Inuyasha a long red priest's cloak, complete with hood. "Akari?" She continued pointedly. Similar cloaks were produced by the young priestess, as well as ones for the High Priestess and her.
Inuyasha looked at her questioningly. "What are these for?"
"Being gone so long, many of the people will be doubtful of the truth of your identity." Kiyoshi said serenely, "We will use the rite of caste ceremony as proof of your authenticity."
Inuyasha blinked. "So I can't just beat it into them?"
The company looked at him in floored amazement. He never ceased to amaze them with his stupidity at certain aspects of human emotion.
"No my Lord!" Akari cried out in despair, rushing forward to cling to his leg. "The people will be mad if you beat them!"
Kagome laughed outright at the child telling Inuyasha how to act. Miroku and Sango tried vainly to hide their trying patience. Shippou howled aloud with malicious joy.
Yasashiku rushed forward, pulling the child off his Lord.
"My Lord! Are you alright!? Did she hurt you!? Shall I call a healer!?"
Inuyasha turned to face Yasashiku, face dead strait. "Yasashiku, go to the healer."
"Yes my Lord! Right away my Lord!" Yasashiku cried, tripping over his own feet in his haste.
"Tell her to find a cure for your obsessive tendencies." Inuyasha finished.
Yasashiku stared up at him. "My Lord?"
Inuyasha twitched.
Kagome looked at him eyebrows raised.
He burst into laughter. Face alight with joy, sunlight shining off his hair, casting a halo around his head.
Yasashiku rolled his eyes. The company of Inuyasha stared and couldn't help but laugh as well. Joy was contagious.
Akari and Kiyoshi looked at each other, smiling between them, happy to see their Lord laughing at the gate of that which he had fled from. They turned to the gate, placing their hoods over their heads.
"My Lords and Ladies, we must enter before the guard returns." Kiyoshi said, sobering the atmosphere immediately.
"Of course, lead on." Inuyasha said calmly, a sharp contrast to his previous mirth.
The others spun at his serious voice, even as his face betrayed his hesitation. Kagome threw her hood up and walked to Inuyasha's side, squeezing his lean arm in comfort. Inuyasha smiled tightly at her before walking forward into Zen.
'So this'll end everything....'
"Because they fear outsiders." He answered tersely.
"Why?" Sango cut in, Miroku and Shippou listening in as well.
"Because without their Lord they cannot win were someone to attack. If Zen was attacked without the holy power the Lord possesses, the village would fall and the holy Mt. Fuji would be open to those who seek to use its power." Kiyoshi said bluntly as they arrived at the palace gates.
The palace was made entirely of red marble, closed by a gold gate. The latch was finely carved of silver, sporting a dogs head in the foreground of Mt Fuji crossed by twin arrow and sword.
"That's.." Miroku breathed, "the holy mark!"
"The what?" Sango and Kagome asked in unison.
"The holy mark of the line of the Purity." Miroku said in awe. Turning to Inuyasha, "are you?" He began. Inuyasha looked at him, eyes demanding silence. "Yes."
Miroku's eyes widened, a certain reverence entering his gaze.
"Come my Lord, to the heart of the Zen palace." Kiyoshi said happily as she opened the gates, revealing the interior to all.
Light flooded out, casting the company into relief. The red marble was offset by silver and gold draperies and tables, elaborate designs all cast of silver and gold snaking together on the royal red background. Chairs, tables and elaborate couches lined the halls, giving the place an overpowering sense of finery and wealth.
Without giving them time to look around, Kiyoshi and Akari stood before a large gate cast of a strange purple metal, giving off a warping glow. In unison, they cried, "We, priestesses of Zen, call out to the spirits of the ancient lines! Open the gates of destiny to us so that we may return your son to your embrace! Metal of the Purity that protects our land, open the gates to those who serve your god!"
A crash and a blinding flash of light followed to incantation as the priestesses stood, arms raised to the heavens. Slowly, the gates opened, revealing the inside.
Looking like the outside except for one change. Every thing was set in purple now, each emanating a force of its own, warping the time and space around it. Water channels flowed through the room, gurgling casting off the marble walls.
"Inu-chan?" A voice called out from the depths of the inner palace, "Inu- chan? Is that you?"
A frantic flurrying of sandals.
Inuyasha winced.
Kagome peered into the gates.
Kiyoshi and Akari sighed.
"It is you!" A body met the voice and had a reunion in cacophony as an elderly woman rushed up to Inuyasha and crushed him to her chest.
"Oh my little Inu-chan! I've missed you so much! Where have you been! What would your mother think of this hair! Its so knotted!" She cried, running her hands through his thick mane. "Oh Inu-chan!" She wailed, "Why have you been gone so long!?!?"
"Can't....breathe....." Inuyasha gasped.
The woman cried out, instantly releasing him.
Inuyasha took a deep gasp of air, "Hello Sakura-san..."
The others of Inuyasha's group could only stare.
Yasashiku, Kiyoshi and Akari winced tolerably. "Lords and Ladies, may we present the acting regent of Zen, the Lady Sakura."
"She's no lady!" Inuyasha gasped.
"That's right! I'm nanny Sakura to you, Inu-chan!" Sakura said happily, crushing Inuyasha to her chest again.
Shippou couldn't hold it. He burst into laughter. "Inuyasha....has a....nanny!?" He gasped.
Before he could blink, Sakura was in front of his face, holding his ear in her iron grip.
"Never. Insult. My. Inu. Chan!" She said, face darkening and her voice taking on a deadly edge as she twisted Shippou's ear with malicious intent.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Shippou cried.
"That's better." Sakura stated. "Ok! Lets go get a bath!" Sakura cried happily, skipping off to the baths, Inuyasha in tow.
"Now I see where he gets those violent urges from..." Kagome said softly.
The others had to agree. Inuyasha stood in his old room, still cloaked in his childhood memories. The walls were purple lined in gold, and child's toys ringed the walls.
He stood before a mirror, 18 years of age, and remembered the past. A past he spent here happily with his family, happy before she came. Akake had stolen his happiness once, he vowed not to let her do it again.
Sango, Kagome and Shippou were in a room down the hall, this one decorated in red, as they dressed after their trips to the baths. Miroku was across the hall in a similar, though smaller, red room. The others were dressing to go out to the main hall, where Sakura would meet them for the ceremony.
Inuyasha took one last look at himself in the mirror, fully dressed as the Lord he was, before he spun out the door and glided down the ornate halls, Yasashiku shadowing him silently, fully back into his role as guardian of the prince. He burst through the golden Gates of Destiny to enter the main hall from the left. Kagome, Sango, Shippou, Kirara and Miroku stood with Sakura as they gazed awestruck around the room. They spun at the noise and whirled around to face him.
Kagome gasped, staring at the Lord who had replaced her rugged hanyou.
Inuyasha stood tall, hair brushed to the quality of fine silk, falling down his back in glimmering waves and framing his elegant face. He was dressed in a purple robe with the Holy Mark, the dogs head over Mt Fuji crossed by twin sword and arrow, emblazoned across his chest. Lines of gold and silver danced up his arms and down to the flowing lengths of the garment. His golden eyes blazed out from beneath a royal silver circlet, completing the royal image.
His friends stood awestruck at the demon that stood before them as a god descended.
Miroku looked lecherous.
Sango was floored.
Shippou looked as if he had swallowed a lemon.
Myouga, (when did HE get here?, Kagome thought startled) looked as though his heart would burst in pride.
Kagome looked lovestruck all over again and as proud as a mother.
Sakura, well, was Sakura. Tears of joys streamed down her face as the young Lord gazed out at them, ecstatic Yasashiku, clothed in the guards red, behind him. Inuyasha walked commandingly forward, nothing like the puppy slouch of before, and all parted before him.
'Why are they staring at me!?' Inuyasha screamed inwardly. 'I'm still me!'
Inuyasha walked up to the Gates of Purity that led to the outside, where the people of Zen gathered. Placing his hands on the ornate handles, he heaved out a huge sigh.
The others looked up in anticipation.
"Let's do it." Inuyasha said.
"Yes. It is time for the ceremony for the accent of the new King." Sakura said breathlessly, "The time to reinstate the Purity has come at last!"
His friends behind him, Inuyasha flung open the gates of Purity and stepped into the light of dawn.
TBC......