Disclaimer: I don't own Kagura, Sesshoumaru and the rest of the Inuyasha characters mentioned here. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. But I do own Kagura's new identity.
Koeshi prepared herself next morning for her journey to obtain the Amulet of Negation. Yosaku had given her some rice cakes as provisions on her quest. Chiba, on the other hand, was deeply saddened when he found out that Koeshi was leaving. Yosaku called the two of them to have breakfast first before doing anything else. The three of them sat down to eat, just like last night, but the atmosphere was different. The air seemed sad compared to last night's happy one.
"So, are you prepared to go?" Yosaku asked Koeshi, pausing a bit from eating. Koeshi didn't speak for a short while. She felt sad that she's about to leave these people behind. A part of her wanted to stay, but a part of her also reminded her constantly that she has a mission to finish.
"Yes." Koeshi affirmed simply. "After I get this amulet, what will happen if I wear it? Will the essence leave my body for good?"
"Ah, yes. The effects. I forgot to tell you." Yosaku said to Koeshi. Chiba just continued to eat, not caring what the two grown-ups were talking about. "No, the essence will not depart your body. It will be merely alleviated temporarily."
"So does that mean that I won't be able to escape the scent?" Koeshi continued to ask, shoving a small cluster of rice in her mouth.
"As long as you wear the amulet, the evil aura will be annulled." Yosaku continued. "But the only way to get rid of the essence permanently is to destroy its source." Koeshi felt a bit better after hearing what the amulet does.
"…So, when I wear the Amulet of Negation…does that mean my fighting abilities would go, too?" Koeshi asked some more. "After all, my skills came from that bastard as well."
"No. All the amulet negates is the essence of evil from a being." Yosaku explained. Koeshi was relived to hear that. "It won't remove the abilities you have in combat."
"Whew, glad to hear that." Koeshi said happily. Chiba then looked at her with inquisitive eyes.
"Where exactly are you going? Why can't you stay?" Chiba asked Koeshi sadly. Koeshi then remembered what Yosaku told her about Chiba's parents.
"I…I'm going to make an evil man cry, that's what!" Koeshi invented, grinning behind the face mask. Chiba's sad face suddenly lit up with laughter. "I'm gonna make him cry so hard, that he'll go running to his mommy!"
"Cool! Ahahaha!" Chiba laughed gleefully. Koeshi was delighted to see Chiba smiling again. Yosaku laughed along as well.
-o-o-o-o-
After the three of them have finished eating, it was time for Koeshi to leave. Yosaku and Chiba were standing by the doorway of their house, as Koeshi was already outside. Koeshi was savoring her last few moments in the village, looking at the fields and other scenery. She looked at Yosaku and Chiba. The little boy was close to tears, while Yosaku was deeply saddened. Koeshi didn't want to see them cry. She has grown so fond of the two people that a part of her was begging to stay.
"Well…I…I guess this is goodbye." Koeshi said to them, her eyes started to brim with tears. Koeshi quickly rubbed the tears out of her eyes. "Sorry…must be the dirt in the air." She joked. Chiba couldn't control his tears anymore, and ran to Koeshi. The small boy hugged her tight, crying on Koeshi's suit.
"No! Don't go, ninja-girl! Wh-Who'll make funny shadow puppets when you're gone?" Chiba sniveled, still crying. Koeshi found bent down and cleared the boy's face of his tears.
"Don't worry. When I beat that bad guy, I'll return here. Promise." Koeshi said to a very sad Chiba. She felt awful, leaving the little boy whom she grew fond of in just a short time.
"(sniff) Really?" Chiba asked in sniffles.
"Yeah." Koeshi said. She then took out one shuriken from her belt. "Okay, as a sign of promise, hold on to this. Just don't throw it around, okay?" Koeshi then gave Chiba the shuriken. Chiba nodded and promised that he won't throw it around. Koeshi then straightened herself up and bade goodbye to the two of them. She started walking away from them, tears continue to swell from her eyes. She went out the path that led out of the village, with a heavy heart and a sad feeling.
Path west of Rindoh Village,
"Okaaay…Yosaku said there should be a forest west of Rindoh Village…" Koeshi spoke to herself, as she followed the dirt trail. "Ah, I see it!" She said, spotting a wall of trees just ahead. The trail she was on led inside of it. Koeshi hurried along the path until she reached the entrance to the forest. It was dark…and gloomy…and scary…
"Well, no use standing out here!" Koeshi said as if the forest was posing no threat of any danger. Koeshi went into the forest and continued walking down the path. From time to time, she would encounter a barrier of plants and some dead trees blocking her path. It was obvious that someone doesn't want people going in the forest. Koeshi just hacked the plants away with her sword and continued along. After a while of walking, she reached yet another wall of dead branches and plants. It was enormous, and it was obvious that it was trying to block an entrance.
"This must be the place." Koeshi said to herself, drawing her katana. She attempted to scythe the big barricade of plants, but it deflected her attack. "What the? What gives?" A voice then spoke to Koeshi.
"I won't let just anyone enter this cave." The voice thundered. Koeshi folded her arms in impatience.
"Look, I'm kind of in a hurry…" Koeshi said intolerantly. "I still have an lord of all evil to kill."
"I sense the essence of great malevolence within you!" The voice roared. "Why should I let a tainted being like you obtain the Amulet of Negation?"
"Because I'd go so far as to forget who I was, and all the things I've done!" Koeshi screamed with irritation. "I'd go so far as to betray the evil being who created me! I want to live a new life, free from his evil." Koeshi finished. The voice was silent for a while. But then it spoke again.
"Hmm…a great deal of determination burns inside of you…" The voice said. "You may enter the cave, but you have to survive the Three Trials of Strength to obtain the Amulet of Negation."
"Okay. Bring it!" Koeshi posed in her combat stance, as the wall of plants re-arranged itself to reveal the entrance of the cave. The ninja entered the newly-exposed entryway. Koeshi expected the cave to be dark, but the wall was lined with a series of torches. It was evident that someone made the cave. The cave seemed to not end, for Koeshi has been walking and walking for quite some time now. And to make things stranger, there seemed to be no "trial" at all. Everything was passive.
"Great! Did that spirit guy lied to me?" Koeshi said to herself. But suddenly, there came a loud noise. It was a loud, crumbling noise…like something rolling. Koeshi turned to see what was causing the noise and saw a giant boulder rolling fast behind her.
"WHOAAA!" Koeshi yelled in fright of the gigantic boulder. She ran away as fast as she could. "AAAAHHHH!" Koeshi cried as the boulder continued to chase her. As she was running for her life, Koeshi spotted a pit in the middle of her trail. First a boulder, now a pit! This is so annoying! Koeshi noticed that the pit was too large to jump over of, and that the stupid boulder was still on her tail. She thought quickly of a way to escape the boulder, and to avoid falling into the pit as well.
"…Right! My belt!" Koeshi thought of the sash around her waist. She undid the knot on her belt and removed it. She got one of her darts and threaded the belt-sash through the hole at the end of its handle. "Ugh!" Koeshi then threw the dart up on the cave ceiling, just above the pit. The dart punctured deep into the cave ceiling, creating what looks like a rope hanging from the top. Koeshi readied herself for a big jump…and then leapt, hoping that she would grab the dangling sash. And she did. Koeshi clung tight on the sash, as she watched the boulder roll straight into the pit.
"Huh…that was close!" Koeshi sighed in relief, holding on to her sash. Luckily, the dart shoved into the part of the ceiling near the other edge of the pit. Koeshi swung herself to the other side, then pulled on the sash to loosen it from the dart on the ceiling. "Wow, I make a pretty good ninja!" She laughed. The voice she heard earlier suddenly spoke.
"You have successfully passed the Trial of Physical Strength." The voice said. Koeshi said nothing. "But keep sharp. You don't know what might happen." And then the voice faded. Koeshi tied the sash back around her waist and continued walking. Two more challenges to go… She thought.
-o-o-o-o-
"I wonder…what would Sesshoumaru's reaction be?" Koeshi thought to herself. "Humph. Maybe it'll be something snooty like, 'That's your problem' or, 'I'm way too superior to help the likes of you', or something like that." Koeshi glared at the thought. She continued walking, until she heard the sound of a small bell. Someone appeared in front of her.
"Halt! You must pass this trial in order to continue." The person said. Actually, he's not human. He was just an empty suit of armor, animated by magic. Koeshi remained quiet. The armor spirit then began to multiply. He made copies of himself, surrounding Koeshi.
Damn… Koeshi thought, as the armor spirits encircled her. She put a hand on the hilt of her katana. When the armor spirits stopped multiplying, they each drew their swords and prepared to attack.
"Make your choice! Who is the real one?" Then, they began to charge at her. Koeshi blocked some of their slashes, while she kicked the others away from her. She jumped back to avoid their attacks and deflected them with her sword. But none of them seemed to even grow tired or give up. I have to find the real one…but how…? Koeshi thought. What was the trait that set the real armor spirit apart from the copies? She then recalled the sound of the small bell.
"That's right!" Koeshi exclaimed. She immediately looked for the armor spirit that had a small bell with him. She looked around…and saw the one she's looking for right in the back. The armor spirit had a small gold bell tied to his waist. Koeshi dashed through all the others, and slashed the real enemy. The attacked armor spirit was cut in half and disappeared into a plume of smoke. Koeshi put her katana back in its scabbard and wiped some sweat off her forehead.
"Phew…that was fairly easy." She said. The voice the thundered in the cave again.
"Well done, ninja. You have passed the Trial of Mental Strength." The voice said.
"Okay, okay. Whatever." Koeshi said, moving along.
-o-o-o-o-
Koeshi was pleased with herself for surviving two ordeals. Now there was only one left to be done. Koeshi kept on walking, until she saw…a light at the end of the cave. How could that be? Where's the Amulet of Negation? Did I miss a turn somewhere? Koeshi kept on asking herself. But that's impossible. The cave only had one path. Koeshi had no choice but to continue. Koeshi reached the end of the tunnel. She was now outside, in a meadow filled with flowers. It seemed greatly familiar…until she noticed that she was in the Field of Ignorance. The cave was just a shortcut…?
"What? The cave led me out here?" Koeshi asked in deep confusion. One minute she was in the cave, but now she's in the Field of Ignorance. She looked back and saw that the cave where she had gone through suddenly disappeared. In its place were bushes filled with flowers. "This is weird…"
"Why are you being so tense?" A very familiar voice said to her. No way…it can't be! Koeshi thought, as she turned around once more to see…
"Sesshoumaru…" Koeshi said softly. The ashen-haired young man approached her, and stood really close to her.
"I knew it. You are not dead." He said, putting his only hand on Koeshi's shoulder. A strange, cold feeling ran down her back. "Why didn't you tell me that you are alive, Kagura?" No…don't call me that. Koeshi closed her eyes and strangely enough, avoided Sesshoumaru. But the handsome youkai touched her with one gentle hand and made her face him again.
"Kagura…give up your theatrics as someone you are not…forget about Naraku." Sesshoumaru then held Koeshi with his one arm close to him. Koeshi felt her insides become agitated. "Stay with me…forever." Sesshoumaru neared his lips to Koeshi's…but then, she pushed him away.
"No…I have a mission…and I won't rest until I haven't finished it." Koeshi said. Sesshoumaru gaped at her in shock. "And…until I've finished it…that's the only time I'll stay with you, Sesshoumaru. It's a promise I made to myself." After hearing those words, Sesshoumaru's body began to twitch, much to Koeshi's own surprise. Sesshoumaru began screaming in pain, putting his one good hand on his head. Koeshi watched in shock as the young man slowly dispel due to pain in front of her. After seeing Sesshoumaru disappear, the surroundings slowly faded, revealing that she was still in the cave. The flowery meadows changed into the torch-lined granite walls.
"…It…was…only an illusion…" She slowly said, not believing what just happened. Just then, something glistening appeared in her hands. "Is this it?" She asked herself.
"You are one extraordinary being." The voice came thundering in. "You have survived the Three Trials of Strength: the Trial of Physical Strength, the Trial of Mental Strength and the Trial of Emotional Strength!" Koeshi listened on. "Most people are able to pass some of the trials, but often fail in completing all three. But you proved yourself different. You proved that you are strong physically, mentally and emotionally."
"Well, thanks." Koeshi said simply. "What made me pass, anyway?"
"It was your determination. Your extreme wanting to get the amulet cleared the way for you." The voice said. "Most people fail because they are overcome with fear and uncertainty. But you are resolute. And that set you apart from all the ones who attempted to get the Amulet of Negation."
"Wow…so, this is it, huh? Well, I'll be on my way now." Koeshi said, gesturing a salute to an invisible conversation partner. She took the cave trail back and out of the cave, and then continued her journey to the Field of Ignorance.
Around nightfall,
Koeshi is already near the Field of Ignorance, but decided to rest for a while. She looked at the amulet in her hands. Koeshi smiled at her accomplishments. She's finally going to go through with meeting up with Sesshoumaru. But then…a thought came to her mind. Is she really going to meet with Sesshoumaru for the sake of killing Naraku? Or something else? But she made a promise to herself. She vowed that as long as Naraku is still alive, she'll make it her number one priority to put an end to him and nothing else. But lately, her thoughts about her and Sesshoumaru's past seemed to clash with her mission. She's about to see him once again…but he won' know it' her. And how will he respond to her offer? Koeshi gripped the amulet tight.
"…" Koeshi couldn't say anything for a while. "…I'll just have to see what happens." And with that, she slipped the Amulet of Negation over her head, and felt this sort of warm air move inside of her. The gale was gentle and cozy, and Koeshi could feel Naraku's essence drift away. After a while, the gust of wind inside of her disappeared. Did it work? She asked herself. Koeshi felt no different. She started getting thoughts that this thing may have been one big joke. But then she remembered…the spider mark. She slid off her top to reveal her bare back. Koeshi looked over her shoulder and found…nothing. It was gone. Naraku's horrid indication was gone. Koeshi's happiness seemed to overflow. She knew that this would only happen if she wears the amulet, but it won't take long before the alleviation will become permanent.
"It won't be long…'till I am truly free…" She said, putting back her top on. She stood up and resumed her journey to the Field of Ignorance.