A young woman lay deep in the heart of the Western Lands, rays for sunshine
caressing her ethereal face through the foliage of the forest. Slowly she
began to stir, a hand lifting to rub the residue of sleep from her cerulean
eyes.
Groggy and disoriented, Kagome sat up, stretching her limbs, sore from a night spent on the forest floor. 'Where am I?' she wondered. 'The last thing I remember was reaching for the Shikon... The Shikon! Where is it?!' Realizing that her hand was clenched, Kagome slowly moved her fingers away from her palm. Inside laid half the Shikon no Tama.
Before Kagome could continue with her musing, she felt a strong demonic presence. As quickly as it appeared, the presence disappeared, leaving Kagome to wonder whether she had grown paranoid and imagined it. Quickly fastening the half that she possessed of the Shikon around her neck, she prayed that Kikyo didn't have the other half.
Sighing with resignation, Kagome spoke to herself, striving to gain some confidence in a mysterious foreign land. "Can't sit here all day, Kag. Let's find a village first." Rising from the ground, Kagome noticed that she was wearing clothes that were strange to her. While she had long ago traded her uniform for more practical wear, she had never worn period clothing. Right now, on the other hand, she was garbed from head to toe as Kikyo had been, the only difference being that her clothing was an emerald green, allowing her to blend with the forest.
After her inspection of her new clothes, Kagome turned around, only to find an intricately designed bow with a quiver of arrows. Hesitating, Kagome reached to take hold of the weapons.
As her fingertips touched the bow, Kagome felt herself being pulled towards some unknown destination. When the attraction finally stopped, Kagome saw that she was surrounded by colours she never thought existed.
'What is this place?' she thought to herself.
"You are in the heart of the Shikon. You have long been in the shadows, Kagome, judged by your resemblance to the previous Protector. Your actions are placed next to hers and weighed time and time again by those of the Sengoku Jidai. Not only this, you have been shielded from your potential for far too long, by Inuyasha as well as Sango and Miroku, all of whom refuse to allow your to fight for yourself. The jewel chose you to protect it for a reason, one that you will never understand if you are not forced to stand on your own. It is time you discovered that reason.
"The bow and arrow are the tools of a miko. Learn to use them well. Inside your sleeve, you will also find a dagger to use where a bow and arrow will not function. Good luck, young Kagome."
With that, Kagome found herself standing in the forest once again. Shaking her head slightly, she gathered the bow and arrow, settling them upon her shoulders. Sticking her hand into her left sleeve, she found the dagger. It, too, was etched with intricate patterns, identical to those on the quiver and the bow.
Hearing the sound of rushing water, Kagome headed towards a bubbling stream. 'At least this'll lead me in one direction. I have no idea what else I'm supposed to do.' Still muttering in her mind, she trudged along the bank towards some unknown destination.
Racing through the woods at breakneck speed, an ethereal-seeming demon tried to keep his rage in check. Growling to himself, he replayed the "conversation" he had with his father. His eyes glowed with an otherworldly light as he recalled his father telling him that his human concubine would assume the title that was once his mother's. One word had come to mind: sacrilegious. The position had only been held by those female demons of the utmost power and beauty, yet here was a bitch that was neither, wearing the title as if it belonged to her.
Releasing a howl of anger, the demon's eyes flashed, the knowledge that his mother had died but three days ago and already his father had taken another bride causing his eyes to flash yet again.
As he rampaged through the woods, his thoughts were so preoccupied that he didn't notice he had stumbled upon a clearing. Stopping abruptly, he saw a young woman, seemingly human, yet smelling nothing like one, standing in a pool of sun. Her raven hair and white top reflected the sunlight, giving her a shroud of light.
He retreated quickly however, as he noticed the woman's back stiffen. 'I wonder how she could have sensed me. My sealing spell is in place.' His own muscles tensed as he realized that his mind was completely occupied by thoughts of this woman. 'NO! I will NOT fall prey to humans. I will never become my father.' Shaking the last of his thoughts from his mind, the demon noticed a village nearby. Wanting nothing more than a distraction, he headed towards said village, planning on thoroughly decimating the place.
A frustrated Kagome, walking a grand total of fifteen minutes, currently grumbling to herself, became even more irritated as her stomach started gurgling with hunger.
"Stupid Shikon. Why couldn't it choose someone else? I mean, there hasta be lots of people that are better at this than I am. I was perfectly happy not knowing my 'potential'." Growling, she never noticed that she had passed out of the woods.
Her train of thought was suddenly derailed as she came upon a village. Almost jumping up and down with glee, she half ran towards the huts. As she came into the village, she saw a young man tending to his child. Approaching him, she asked, "Excuse me. Who is in charge of this village?"
Turning to her, the young smiled. "That would be Eriko. She's our resident miko. She's old, but don't let that fool you." Winking, he got up from his position after telling the child to find her mother. "Follow me. I'll take you to her home. By the way, my name's Hikaru." Walking down the row of huts, he motioned for Kagome to follow.
Realizing that she had never introduced herself, Kagome felt a blush tainting her cheeks. "Forgive me, my name is Higurashi Kagome. I apologize for my rudeness."
Shrugging it off, Hikaru replied, "Don't let it bother you. Many wandering mikos don't even bother answering me. You're one of the good ones." Winking jovially at Kagome again, he stopped in front of the smallest hut in the village. Knocking on the door twice, he waited patiently for Eriko to answer the door.
Kagome had expected a Kaede-like miko to appear. What she saw instead was a mature woman, looking to be in her forties, open the door. She was somewhat stupefied and didn't notice as Hikaru made the introductions. Only when she felt a nudge did she snap out of her reverie.
"Kagome-san? Are you alright?"
Blushing for the second time in ten minutes, Kagome cleared her throat. "Yes. Sorry about that. I seem to have a short attention span today." Turning to Eriko, Kagome bowed. "Miko-sama, I was wondering if you could possibly spare some food and bedding this evening." Her stomach seemed to very much agree with her desire as it rumbled.
Eriko couldn't help but smile at the mortification of the young miko before her. Turning to Hikaru, she dismissed him and then led Kagome into her hut.
Kagome stood in the hut, glancing around at her surroundings. The hut was covered with herbs, a sweet smell permeating the air inside. Turning to Eriko, Kagome saw her ladle out a bowl of stew.
Coming toward her, Eriko motioned for Kagome to sit down. Handing her a spoon and the bowl, Eriko busied herself with preparing some kind of herbal mixture, chatting with Kagome in the meantime. "So Kagome. May I ask what you are wandering for? Many mikos continue to rove because their own village has been destroyed. You don't seem to have that hardness."
Wolfing down the delicious stew, Kagome replied, "This might sound strange but even I don't understand my purpose here. The Shikon no Tama sent me here. Wherever here is."
"The Shikon? You are its protector then?" Seeing Kagome's nod, Eriko continued. "Why do I not sense the power in you then?"
Finishing the food and setting it aside, Kagome looked down at her fidgeting hands as she answered. "I was never trained as a miko. I...can't control my powers."
Frowning slightly, Eriko's voice turned stern. "You mean to tell me that a Protector of the Shikon doesn't know how to use her abilities?"
Kagome couldn't bring herself to look at the older miko in the eyes and simply moved her head up and down. She was floored by what Eriko said next. "Then I guess we have to do something about that. I will not force you to do this, indeed, I couldn't even if it were my intention, but would you like me to train you? It won't be easy and I won't be lenient but I believe that it would aid you in whatever quest that the Shikon has sent you to do."
Tears of gratitude shone in Kagome's eyes, reflecting the light from the window, making her face sparkle. "Thank you so much, Eriko. I would be grateful if you would train me. OH! When is this Eriko?"
"When?" Perturbed by the young woman's strange question, Eriko brushed it aside and said, "The Ashikaga clan has just come into rule."
Thinking back to her history lessons in school, Kagome half spoke to herself. "That means I'm in the fourteenth century. I went back two hundred years..." Seeing Eriko's expression, she smiled sheepishly. "Do you mind if I explain some other time? I'm dying for some more of your stew."
At this, Eriko smiled as well. Finally, she would have a companion in this isolated village.
Both women's faces were radiant, lighting up the small hut with their newfound friendship.
Groggy and disoriented, Kagome sat up, stretching her limbs, sore from a night spent on the forest floor. 'Where am I?' she wondered. 'The last thing I remember was reaching for the Shikon... The Shikon! Where is it?!' Realizing that her hand was clenched, Kagome slowly moved her fingers away from her palm. Inside laid half the Shikon no Tama.
Before Kagome could continue with her musing, she felt a strong demonic presence. As quickly as it appeared, the presence disappeared, leaving Kagome to wonder whether she had grown paranoid and imagined it. Quickly fastening the half that she possessed of the Shikon around her neck, she prayed that Kikyo didn't have the other half.
Sighing with resignation, Kagome spoke to herself, striving to gain some confidence in a mysterious foreign land. "Can't sit here all day, Kag. Let's find a village first." Rising from the ground, Kagome noticed that she was wearing clothes that were strange to her. While she had long ago traded her uniform for more practical wear, she had never worn period clothing. Right now, on the other hand, she was garbed from head to toe as Kikyo had been, the only difference being that her clothing was an emerald green, allowing her to blend with the forest.
After her inspection of her new clothes, Kagome turned around, only to find an intricately designed bow with a quiver of arrows. Hesitating, Kagome reached to take hold of the weapons.
As her fingertips touched the bow, Kagome felt herself being pulled towards some unknown destination. When the attraction finally stopped, Kagome saw that she was surrounded by colours she never thought existed.
'What is this place?' she thought to herself.
"You are in the heart of the Shikon. You have long been in the shadows, Kagome, judged by your resemblance to the previous Protector. Your actions are placed next to hers and weighed time and time again by those of the Sengoku Jidai. Not only this, you have been shielded from your potential for far too long, by Inuyasha as well as Sango and Miroku, all of whom refuse to allow your to fight for yourself. The jewel chose you to protect it for a reason, one that you will never understand if you are not forced to stand on your own. It is time you discovered that reason.
"The bow and arrow are the tools of a miko. Learn to use them well. Inside your sleeve, you will also find a dagger to use where a bow and arrow will not function. Good luck, young Kagome."
With that, Kagome found herself standing in the forest once again. Shaking her head slightly, she gathered the bow and arrow, settling them upon her shoulders. Sticking her hand into her left sleeve, she found the dagger. It, too, was etched with intricate patterns, identical to those on the quiver and the bow.
Hearing the sound of rushing water, Kagome headed towards a bubbling stream. 'At least this'll lead me in one direction. I have no idea what else I'm supposed to do.' Still muttering in her mind, she trudged along the bank towards some unknown destination.
Racing through the woods at breakneck speed, an ethereal-seeming demon tried to keep his rage in check. Growling to himself, he replayed the "conversation" he had with his father. His eyes glowed with an otherworldly light as he recalled his father telling him that his human concubine would assume the title that was once his mother's. One word had come to mind: sacrilegious. The position had only been held by those female demons of the utmost power and beauty, yet here was a bitch that was neither, wearing the title as if it belonged to her.
Releasing a howl of anger, the demon's eyes flashed, the knowledge that his mother had died but three days ago and already his father had taken another bride causing his eyes to flash yet again.
As he rampaged through the woods, his thoughts were so preoccupied that he didn't notice he had stumbled upon a clearing. Stopping abruptly, he saw a young woman, seemingly human, yet smelling nothing like one, standing in a pool of sun. Her raven hair and white top reflected the sunlight, giving her a shroud of light.
He retreated quickly however, as he noticed the woman's back stiffen. 'I wonder how she could have sensed me. My sealing spell is in place.' His own muscles tensed as he realized that his mind was completely occupied by thoughts of this woman. 'NO! I will NOT fall prey to humans. I will never become my father.' Shaking the last of his thoughts from his mind, the demon noticed a village nearby. Wanting nothing more than a distraction, he headed towards said village, planning on thoroughly decimating the place.
A frustrated Kagome, walking a grand total of fifteen minutes, currently grumbling to herself, became even more irritated as her stomach started gurgling with hunger.
"Stupid Shikon. Why couldn't it choose someone else? I mean, there hasta be lots of people that are better at this than I am. I was perfectly happy not knowing my 'potential'." Growling, she never noticed that she had passed out of the woods.
Her train of thought was suddenly derailed as she came upon a village. Almost jumping up and down with glee, she half ran towards the huts. As she came into the village, she saw a young man tending to his child. Approaching him, she asked, "Excuse me. Who is in charge of this village?"
Turning to her, the young smiled. "That would be Eriko. She's our resident miko. She's old, but don't let that fool you." Winking, he got up from his position after telling the child to find her mother. "Follow me. I'll take you to her home. By the way, my name's Hikaru." Walking down the row of huts, he motioned for Kagome to follow.
Realizing that she had never introduced herself, Kagome felt a blush tainting her cheeks. "Forgive me, my name is Higurashi Kagome. I apologize for my rudeness."
Shrugging it off, Hikaru replied, "Don't let it bother you. Many wandering mikos don't even bother answering me. You're one of the good ones." Winking jovially at Kagome again, he stopped in front of the smallest hut in the village. Knocking on the door twice, he waited patiently for Eriko to answer the door.
Kagome had expected a Kaede-like miko to appear. What she saw instead was a mature woman, looking to be in her forties, open the door. She was somewhat stupefied and didn't notice as Hikaru made the introductions. Only when she felt a nudge did she snap out of her reverie.
"Kagome-san? Are you alright?"
Blushing for the second time in ten minutes, Kagome cleared her throat. "Yes. Sorry about that. I seem to have a short attention span today." Turning to Eriko, Kagome bowed. "Miko-sama, I was wondering if you could possibly spare some food and bedding this evening." Her stomach seemed to very much agree with her desire as it rumbled.
Eriko couldn't help but smile at the mortification of the young miko before her. Turning to Hikaru, she dismissed him and then led Kagome into her hut.
Kagome stood in the hut, glancing around at her surroundings. The hut was covered with herbs, a sweet smell permeating the air inside. Turning to Eriko, Kagome saw her ladle out a bowl of stew.
Coming toward her, Eriko motioned for Kagome to sit down. Handing her a spoon and the bowl, Eriko busied herself with preparing some kind of herbal mixture, chatting with Kagome in the meantime. "So Kagome. May I ask what you are wandering for? Many mikos continue to rove because their own village has been destroyed. You don't seem to have that hardness."
Wolfing down the delicious stew, Kagome replied, "This might sound strange but even I don't understand my purpose here. The Shikon no Tama sent me here. Wherever here is."
"The Shikon? You are its protector then?" Seeing Kagome's nod, Eriko continued. "Why do I not sense the power in you then?"
Finishing the food and setting it aside, Kagome looked down at her fidgeting hands as she answered. "I was never trained as a miko. I...can't control my powers."
Frowning slightly, Eriko's voice turned stern. "You mean to tell me that a Protector of the Shikon doesn't know how to use her abilities?"
Kagome couldn't bring herself to look at the older miko in the eyes and simply moved her head up and down. She was floored by what Eriko said next. "Then I guess we have to do something about that. I will not force you to do this, indeed, I couldn't even if it were my intention, but would you like me to train you? It won't be easy and I won't be lenient but I believe that it would aid you in whatever quest that the Shikon has sent you to do."
Tears of gratitude shone in Kagome's eyes, reflecting the light from the window, making her face sparkle. "Thank you so much, Eriko. I would be grateful if you would train me. OH! When is this Eriko?"
"When?" Perturbed by the young woman's strange question, Eriko brushed it aside and said, "The Ashikaga clan has just come into rule."
Thinking back to her history lessons in school, Kagome half spoke to herself. "That means I'm in the fourteenth century. I went back two hundred years..." Seeing Eriko's expression, she smiled sheepishly. "Do you mind if I explain some other time? I'm dying for some more of your stew."
At this, Eriko smiled as well. Finally, she would have a companion in this isolated village.
Both women's faces were radiant, lighting up the small hut with their newfound friendship.