What Kagome Knows
Koenma decided that maybe "everything" was too strong of a word. Perhaps he better explain things better.
He pointed at the globe floating in the air. "It is a piece of the essence of the Earth itself. Because of that, its nature is that it contains memories of the world and the things that happened in it. It takes the users signature energy and can replay the events that happened around that person." He saw Kagome gulp and shrink miserably back away from the orb. "Uh, don't worry...You can control what pieces of your life that you want to show and the order that they appear to us. You just can't alter or distort the actual events. Care to give it a try?"
Kagome thought about this while everyone waited in silence for her to choose. It was asking much of her to share her life with them. They hardly knew her and she them. But, as they found out, Kagome wasn't going to let things like that get in the way of fulfilling her mission. Fixing the Jewel had become her life. And the only compensation for the difficult things she had gone through was her experiences and her friends. These people seem to be friendly enough...for the most part. She glanced at the glacial Hiei. Hmmm...but even he helped me when that Youkai attacked me. I don't think they are bad people...I guess...I trust them. I will trust them.
Kagome gingerly reached out to touch the floating ball with her fingertips. She expected its weight to be immense but was pleasantly surprised to find its smooth surface to be both light and airy in her hands. "It's so light!"
Koenma released a breath he had not realized he had been holding. I'm glad she chose to do this...I was not looking forward to using a more forceful way of interrogation. But this situation could be way too important to leave unattended.
"It's only heavy for those who have no memories of the living world," he explained. "Just concentrate on the events you want to show us."
"O-okay..."
As soon as Kagome's fingers made firmer contact with the ball, a picture of herself appeared on the large screen at the end of the room. She was watching the image of herself on her fifteenth birthday. She watched and listened as her grandfather gifted her with the mummified hand. She in turn gave it to the cat.
The picture jumped forward to her looking for the same obese cat and teasing her brother. It showed her first trip into the well and Kagome felt silly when she realized how young and scared she looked and sounded. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed with everyone watching these details of her life. The globe was merciless in showing everything the way it happened. Even when she was screaming like a fool...She closed her eyes and decided to just bare with it.
She listened as Inuyasha first mistook her for Kikyo, as she mastered the prayer beads, as the Shikon no Tama was shattered, as the quest began. She remembered the first shards they collected, and tried to forget the demons who had them.
Koenma suddenly stopped her. She opened her cloudy blue eyes and released the floating orb. The screen went blank and the room was silent.
Everyone was turned to look at her with expressions ranging from amazement to disbelief written on their faces.
"Lunch! Take a break...we have a long time yet."
"Lunch? Already?" Kagome tilted her head to the side.
"We have been here half the day." Shuuichi informed her. "And you never had breakfast, if I remember correctly. You need to eat to replenish your strength."
"..." It felt like mere moments had passed, but Kagome found she was indeen hungry. She was asked few questions through out the meal, of which Koenma ate the most. It seemed that everyone was occupied with thoughts of their own. Then, it was time to resume her story.
Kagome picked up with the entrance of Sesshoumaru and his search for the sword fangs of the InuTaiYoukai. The earth's memory of him was just as impressive as the actual lord of the west himself.
"Ohhh!" Youko regarded the Dog Demon with intensified interest. Kurama ignored that.
So did Koenma. "The Great Lord of the Western Lands...He is in legends and stories as being one of the kindest and strongest demons to have ever lived in the living world. He only stayed in the Demon Realm a short time. It was said that he was given the ability to cross the barrier at will, even in its strongest days. No one knows what became of him."
Kagome looked at him as if he had grown horns. Sesshoumaru? Kind? She shook her head and returned to her story. Hiei interrupted. He was interested in the swords. "The fangs...what became of them?"
"As far as I know, they each still have them. I have no idea what happens to them." Kagome answered.
Kagome started again and introduced Shippo.
Kurama was surprised to see her smile as the little fox entered the scene. Her little fox..he recalled. It made sense now.
A fitting mother for the cub...Youko whispered in his mind. Shuuichi silently agreed. The kitsune kit had obviously realized it too.
Suddenly, the images became darker and full of malice. Boton watched in horror as Kikyo was resurrected and Kagome's soul was stolen. "How horrible..." she whispered.
The relationship between the hanyou and Kagome never seemed to recover after that, though they could see Kagome cared for the idiot.
"Why do you stay with him?!" Boton finally exploded as she watched Inuyasha run after the corpse Kikyo again.
"Because under all that anger and pain, he has a good heart," Kagome answered.
Boton's look was respectful, but she said, "I couldn't handle that. His shard detector, indeed!"
Kagome smiled wearily.
"You deserve better."
"If I deserved better, I would have better," Kagome answered looking at the screen.
Miroku joined them. Naraku was revealed. Sango stepped in. Battle after battle went by. It grew dark as Kagome showed them her life. Scene by scene. Betrayal by betrayal. Until all was silent around her. The story was not over, but Kagome did not yet know what was to come.
"We are so close..."she suddenly said. "So close to defeating Naraku; to fixing the Jewel. And to ending this. Though for you, its already over." She looked up, hoping that her decision to trust these people was a wise one. She smiled. "I still have to go back to finish it."
"Do you-"Koenma hesitated. "Do you have the Shikon shards with you?" Kagome pulled a vial out from around her neck. The shards twinkled lightly. Koenma sighed. "You know, we'll protect you while you are in this time."
Kagome was surprised, then great full. She rubbed her side ruefully. "Thank you. Looks like I always need looking after, doesn't it?"
They stood and let the silence envelope them. They all had separate thought on this new turn of events. She tucked the shards back under the Kimono and stretched. It was early morning and she was tired.
"I will need to go back soon. Inuyasha will probably be waiting."
No one commented. There was just so much to take in.
Hiei stopped beside her. "You have the heart of a warrior, if not the skills of one."
"Thank you?" Kagome wasn't sure if that turned out to be a compliment or not. Hiei's ruby eyes were direct and serious. Boton escorted her new friend through the halls and opened a portal to send the girl home. She waved a tired but cheery hand at them and left.
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Yusuke stood with his hands in his pockets. He stared down at the scuffed toes of his shoes.
"What are you thinking?" Koenma asked, not liking the look on the detectives face.
"Just wondering what she left out.."
"Hn," Hiei agreed from his position by the wall.
"I did notice how some scenes flashed by incredibly fast." Koenma sighed. "But then, I wouldn't want strangers to know every detail of my life either. If you let that thing have it's way, it would probably show us every time you ever used the bathroom, or give us a detailed picture of every rock you've ever stepped on. No one wants to share everything with others. And we are no more then strangers to her. I'd say she's remarkably trusting."
"Try foolish," Hiei said.
Kurama looked thoughtfully at the now blank screen. He was replaying the images in his own mind and for the first time in weeks, both his Shuuichi and Youko sides were again in complete accord. This world held stranger people and things then himself. Somehow, he was not relieved.
"Besides, another thing about the seer stone, once it has locked on to a person's energy, I can command it to show me that person at will." He pointed at the globe and the screen was plunged into a new scene with the morning light shining brightly from behind a shrine house. Kagome ran up the steps near by, when she was suddenly intercepted by Inuyasha. He picked her up even as she protested, and grabbed the overstuffed bag her mother had obviously prepared. They watched as Inuyasha dropped her over the side of the well and her reappearance in the past. The vision faded.
"That," Boton said furiously, "is disgusting!"
"Huh?"
"I must agree," Kurama supported her.
"What?"
"She has shared her life with us and you go and peep on her! That is awful, Koenma-sir." She crossed her arms and glared evilly at her employer.
"She has done nothing to warrant such treatment." Kurama added.
"I didn't do it because of her! I did it for her!" he seethed. "If she gets into any trouble, I can send you guys to help!"
"You did it because you were concerned?" Boton looked skeptical.
"Yes!"
"Hn," from the back corner.
"Got any more of these things?" Yusuke asked with a grin.
"Yusuke! What about Keiko!?" a gravelly voice demanded.
"Who did you think I was gonna give it to, stupid?" He shouted at Kuwabara.
"I don't know why you bothered." Hiei suddenly said. "It's obvious they succeed."
"What?"
"Look around you. There is no evidence of the Jewel, or Naraku, or any of those things now."
"He's right" Kuwabara scratched his head.
"No he's not." Koenma jumped into the chair at his desk. "This just proves that time doesn't move in a straight line. Things could still change. Just because they haven't yet, that we know of, doesn't mean that they can't. There are no guarantees."
"Hn."
"One other thing bothers me."
"What?" Yusuke asked.
"She said that there was a shard lost in the land of the dead. There must be a piece here in spirit world. It may still be here."
"So? We'll go find it."
"We'll have to wait for Kagome to be able to join you."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because she is linked to the jewel and can sense it. And because even if you find it, you shouldn't touch it. Kagome can purify it."
"So this is our next assignment?"
"Yeah, unless something more comes up."
"So what do we do in the mean time?"
"Stay out of trouble." Koenma said around his pacifier. He steepled his hands and turned his chair around. Koenma needed time to think. He heard the team leave and dropped his head in his hands. "Why me?" he asked the silent room.
He wasn't expecting an answer and yelped when he received a cold reply. "It's your job."
Hiei emerged from the corner of the room and stopped in front of the desk. Why doesn't my Jagon work on her?" he asked bluntly.
"It's probably her Miko powers...by the time the energy from your Jagon reaches her, she's purified it, making it useless."
Hiei obviously didn't like this answer. He left abruptly.
"She can do that to any demonic energy. Even mine...thank goodness she's not a demon hunter. None of us would stand a chance." He said to himself. "Not even me..." He dropped his head in his hands, ignoring the pile of papers that had collected on his desk. Koenma was very worried.