NewAbilities
Kagome looked around in shock. Miroku helped Sango to her feet. A teenage girl knelt in the center of the room with a smaller girl in her arms. The older girl had straight, shoulder length auburn hair while the younger one had waist long black hair. The younger girl wore a small white dress for the girl was no more than three feet tall. The older one loosened her grip of the little girl then dropped her black-gloved hands to her sides and stood up. The little girl ran outside the building with the older one following close behind. Kirara and Koinu ran to the embrace of this older girl.
Kagome, Miroku, and Sango sat in a circle while Inu-Yasha brought them tea. Inu-Yasha sat next to Kagome for her comfort before sipping tea with them. The elder girl sat near Sango placing Koinu and Kirara on the floor beside her. Kirara ran to Kagome to show that she had no hard feelings. Koinu visited Inu-Yasha who was a bit dissatisfied with the whole situation. The younger child returned dragging Shippo behind by the hand. The one feature that attracted Kagome's attention was that this child had eyes of Jade. "Can anyone explain to me what just happened?" Shippo remarked as he entered rubbing his forehead. Sipping his tea, Miroku remarked. "Kagome is becoming stronger. Whatever it was scared her scared her well enough to force her retaliation against it. Kagome's powers as a miko are growing to what we use to know them as. Kagome will learn to control her powers just as we must learn to live with them for now." Kagome stared down at the floor. She hadn't meant to bring this upon the group and had no idea how long it would last. Kagome couldn't shake the feeling of how bad she felt. She felt dirty, unclean.
"Sango, where's the bath?" Kagome asked as politely as possible getting up to find out on her own. "Kohaku would you show Kagome where the bath is? I'll get you some clean clothes." Sango spoke quite nicely. The older girl stood up. "This way." She said politely then began to giggle. "I feel like I need one as well. I forgot how dirty I feel as a human." Inu-Yasha smiled at Kohaku's comment. He knew how she felt. "Wait up!" A little voice called out. Kagome and Kohaku both turned to see the younger girl running after them. "Tora, we're going to take a bath. I thought you didn't like the water." Kohaku taunted the child. "I do too." She answered. "Cats don't like water." Kohaku laughed. "I thought tigers like to swim." Kagome said a bit confused. Kohaku turned to Kagome with a smile then said "They do; they just don't like bathes." Kagome giggled as the young one joined them. The three pranced down to the river.
Kagome and Kohaku glided into the water. Tora jumped in sending a wave over Kagome, Kohaku, and the rocks behind them. Tora splashed for a little while then swam underwater chasing the fish. Kagome stared off into space. Kohaku reasoned with herself. "Tora must really like you, Kagome." Kagome's thoughts were interrupted. "Huh?" Kagome sounded. "Tora…doesn't like water. Every now and then she jumps in, but not for long. Her pride was full of great swimmers; except, most of her pride was killed from below the waterline. Therefore all the children that were left became afraid of what lies under the surface. When the rest of her pride was slaughtered in our last battle, Tora also became afraid of humans, so being a hanyou was no picnic. Shippo saved her life so she clung to him for months after that. Eventually she was not afraid of our group, but she still fears outsiders. I am surprised she has taken to you, being the outsider that you are." Kohaku giggled a bit before continuing. "She has yet to take to Inu-Yasha and he never changes." The bushes rumbled. "Who's there?" Kagome asked in a panic. "Relax…" came a familiar voice "It's just me… Sango. I've brought you clean clothes." "Thank you." Kagome replied embarrassed. Kirara lay in Sango's arms when Sango appeared from the bushes. Sango lay down the clothes then sat on the rocks near them. "Did Tora come with you?" Sango asked. "I couldn't find her anywhere." "Yes" Kohaku answered. "She's…" Kohaku froze. She actually had no idea where Tora went. "I'll get her." Kagome responded diving under the water.
Shippo, Miroku, Inu-Yasha, and Koinu had yet to move from their places on the floor sipping tea. They knew better than to mess with the girls when they got an idea in their heads. So the guys just sipped their tea.
Meanwhile, Kagome swam through an underwater maze. Rocks seemed to close in on her. She couldn't find Tora anywhere. Kagome eventually ran out air and surfaced in an underwater cave. "Hello…" She cried. There was no answer. Kagome was tired so she wandered up onto the rocks. "TORA!" She called out. Something moved behind the rocks. "Tora… It's Kagome. Come on out Tora. It's time to go back." Hundreds of demons surrounded Kagome. Kagome screamed then began to cry. The demons were extremely interested in the fact that Kagome was human. They circled around her. Kagome had nowhere to run. She looked back to the small pool from which she entered. While glancing down at the pool, one of the demons tackled Kagome. She tumbled over the rocks hitting her head on one of them, landing her in the water. She sank.
Kagome awoke later in Sango's small hut. She was still a little wet and wrapped in a blanket. Kagome sat up and looked herself over. Her wounds had in fact been bandaged. Inu-Yasha is probably kicking himself right now for not watching me. She thought. "You're awake!" Tora exclaimed diverting Kagome's attention to the little girl that was jumping up and down on her bed. Kagome smiled and nodded. She was glad that Tora was okay. Tora stopped jumping and looked guilty. "Kagome… I'm sorry that you were hurt. They won't say anything, but I know you were hurt because of me." "It's alright." Kagome reassured the child. Kagome thought for a bit before questioning how she was found. "But how…?" She was sure she was dead when the demons attacked her. "I pulled you from the water and Koinu used a power that you… well your other self taught him. It's called healing." "Thank you Tora." Kagome finished. Tora smiled and ran from the hut. "She's awake… She's awake… She's awake." The child announced to the world. Kagome found the clothes that Sango had brought her at the river and put them on. The white shirt was tight and short enough that it did not cover her mid-drift. It also had long baggy sleeves. The pants were the traditional style except the color was Kagome's odd school uniform green. Since her hair was still wet, Kagome pulled her hair up in a bun with chopsticks leaving a few awkward strands hanging next to ears. Kagome felt her neck to make sure her spell was working and she still had the Jewel. She did. Tired and relieved Kagome let her guard down consequently dropping her spell around the Shikon No Tama.
Everyone had gathered together outside in a clump. Kirara growled fluffing her fur. She tried to grow. Flames shot out from around her but died out quickly. Kirara growled disappointedly. "It's alright Kirara." Sango spoke up. "I know you're still weak." Koinu fluttered over Kirara's head then literally disappeared. The wind changed direction. From the trees flew a two-headed dragon creature and its rider, the same creature that Inu-Yasha was beginning to hate with a passion. The girl in tattered clothes had returned. She did not dismount her ride. Jaken, Sesshoumaru's toady creature, sat behind her; the one Miroku hated. It had been the one to make fun of him when Naraku first unleashed his poisonous bugs on him. If both of them are here it means only one thing… Sesshoumaru is close by …but where? Inu-Yasha knew this was not the prime opportunity.
The wind kicked up, lifting dirt clouds. "Inu-Yasha…" a voice spoke. "Brother." Inu-Yasha mocked. The wind settled around Sesshoumaru. "Are you my insignificant brother? Or are you a look alike. You are human now as you were the other day." "I'll rip your fucking head off" Inu-Yasha responded coldly. Sesshoumaru looked at the others. "So all of the hanyous have been forced into their human forms. How intriguing… I am curious though how this happened." "None of your damn business!" "Inu-Yasha…how rude of you… 'Sit.' SESSHOUMARU. I did it."
The sit worked. Sesshoumaru was quite interested in Kagome's change in attitude. She appeared to have grown up. She did not fear him. The outfit she wore was the same one she wore as an adult. Her hair was also in the same ragged bun. Though she was younger, she appeared to be a major threat. She may have attempted to purify Inu-Yasha in some kind of petty dispute and accidentally purified them all. There is doubt that she's growing into her old powers. Koinu was at full size standing next to her. Tora shook her hair, while the process caused her hair and herself to shorten. Strips overwhelmed her body. Fur grew remapped and her tail sprung free. She changed back into her hanyou tiger-kitten form while Kohaku took the opportunity to change into her strong demon form, a gryphon. Sesshoumaru turned back to Inu-Yasha to watch him get up from the ground. Inu-Yasha shook his hair as if trying to shake off the sit. In doing so, Inu-Yasha's silver demon mane shone through the black human hair. All that was visible was Inu-Yasha's dog hair shaking side to side. He had changed back into his hanyou form as well.
Looking up at Sesshoumaru, Inu-Yasha reached for one of his swords and took a shot at him. Sesshoumaru however, was more interested in Kagome. He bounded over to Kagome staring her dead in the face. With Koinu attempting to cut Sesshoumaru off and Inu-Yasha tailing him, Sesshoumaru had no choice but to move Kagome away from them. Kagome stood firm staring down Sesshoumaru. He swooped down, picking her up. Once he had a hold of her, she screamed and released a small blast of energy. The blast drained Sesshoumaru of his strength and he nearly dropped her. He stopped short dropping her to her feet. Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment before he realized…she has the Shikon No Tama. "So you have the Shikon Jewel." Sesshoumaru said. With that announcement, everyone stopped in his or her tracks, everyone except Inu-Yasha who took a clawed swipe at Sesshoumaru. "That took you a long time to figure out, Sesshoumaru. I expected you to have figured that out a while ago." Inu-Yasha mocked him coming to a stop between Kagome and Sesshoumaru. "Rin… Jaken… Time to leave." Sesshoumaru announced feeling beaten. The rider smiled and waved goodbye as the dragon creature took to the air.