Imitation of Life
What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expected generally happens - Benjamin Disrael
Chapter Three
If the world had come crashing down around him, Inuyasha wouldn't have been more surprised. Miroku was still looking at him with that awed smile on his face. The woman was glancing between the both of them, waiting for Inuyasha's reaction.
"Holy shit." Those were the only words that seemed to come out of his mouth, concisely expressing his emotions. Miroku's smile faltered, his gaze reproachful. Inuyasha laughed skeptically.
"Do you seriously expect me to believe that she's the Shikon jewel?"
Miroku turned from Inuyasha, ignoring his words. Even if Inuyasha didn't believe, he knew it to be true. Now that he focused on her, he could sense an unmistakable aura surrounding her, something otherworldly.
"Did Kikyo do this?" He asked. She nodded her head slowly. "Yes, I was brought into existence because of Kikyo's request, but Midoriko made it happen."
Inuyasha stood in utter disbelief. Could she really be the jewel incarnate? And why would Kikyo wish to give the jewel a human form?
When I'm gone, I need you to keep the jewel safe.
"I know why she did it," he whispered more to himself than anyone else. Miroku and the woman gazed at him, the woman already knowing the reason.
"Why?" Miroku questioned. Inuyasha sighed heavily, the sound filled with immense sadness and pain. "Because she wanted me to protect the jewel as she did. With the jewel in human form, she probably believed the task would be easier."
"Oh," Miroku hung his head, suddenly depressed. Although he should be grateful that the Shikon jewel was safe and intact, the feeling was overshadowed by Kikyo's sacrifice. Her final gift to the world was bittersweet.
"As much as it pains me to say this, Kikyo did the right thing." Miroku said. "With the jewel in human form, it will be much harder for Sesshomaru and Naraku to locate it."
"If they're able to come back this time," Inuyasha stated. "I mean, if what she says is true and Kikyo really is in h…" he choked on the last word. Miroku looked away, finding it hard to look at his friend. Usually Inuyasha was such a stoic and indomitable figure, but now he seemed so vulnerable and lost, like a ship without its anchor.
"If she's really there with them," he continued, looking down at the ground. "Then it will be damn near impossible for them to escape." Miroku frowned, not sure that Inuyasha's logic held up.
"If that were true, then why would Kikyo bother to make such a request? The fact that she enlisted Midoriko's help is reason enough for us to be cautious."
Inuyasha grudgingly admitted to himself that the monk was right. Kikyo wouldn't have bothered the former priestess's spirit if her reasons hadn't been urgent. With a shrug, he asked, "So what do we do now?"
Miroku turned to face the woman. "Well, we can start with a name. We very well can't go around calling her the jewel." He placed her hand between his own. "So what would you like to be called?"
"Called?" She repeated with a puckered brow. Miroku nodded, a small smile on his boyish face. She looked down at her lap as if a name were written there. After a moment of thought, she responded quietly, "Kagome."
Inuyasha's ears flicked in response, the name stirring something deep within him. He pushed the feeling aside and growled impatiently.
"Now that that's out of the way, can we get down to business?"
>
"Amazing!"
"A miracle!"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time since they'd arrived at the temple. He watched as the wizened monks gushed over the jewel's new form…or Kagome to be exact. After a great deal of protest on Inuyasha's part, Miroku decided that the best thing to do was to take Kagome to his temple so the monks could examine her. By their almost girly exclamations, Inuyasha was reminded of why he hadn't wanted to come here in the first place.
"Look, can we get on with it?" He demanded after his ears had taken enough of their high-pitched squeals. Miroku glowered at him, exasperated by his lack of respect.
"Patience is a virtue, Inuyasha." He said through gritted teeth. Inuyasha gave him a dumbfounded look. "Huh?"
"Either sit down and keep your mouth shut or go find something to do!" There was a visible tick in the monk's jaw as he eyed the hanyou dangerously.
"Humph," Inuyasha responded, crossing his arms across his chest. He dropped to the floor and sat Indian style, scowling at the monk, but keeping his silence. He refused to leave the jewel, Kagome, alone. He'd made a promise that he intended to keep.
Miroku sighed, knowing this was the best compromise Inuyasha would give him. He turned back to the group of aged monks gathered around Kagome. They were marveling over her, amazed by the jewel's transformation. The object of their wonder was standing amidst them wide-eyed and overwhelmed.
Clearing his throat to get the elder monks' attention, Miroku said, "I hate to cut this short, but I came to speak to Hidemichi." The monks nodded their heads knowingly. "Yes," one of the monks replied, leaning heavily on a wooden cane. "Hidemichi was expecting you and instructed us to tell you to meet with him in the gardens."
Miroku smiled gratefully and bowed his head before taking Kagome by the hand and leading her down a cobbled corridor. Inuyasha jumped to his feet and hurried after them. Miroku, noticing the trailing hanyou, sighed and stopped short.
"You can't come," he said shortly. Inuyasha glared at him, not backing down. "I'm not leaving her alone." He stated simply. Miroku saw the warning glint in the hanyou's eyes and decided not to test his limits.
"Fine," Miroku relented with a resigned sigh. "But if you do anything disrespectful in Hidemichi's presence, so help me god I'll –"
Inuyasha waved away the monk's dire warning. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
They continued on down the corridor until it opened up into a beautiful stretch of landscape, the lush greenery looking like something captured from a fairy tale. The monks believed in keeping the sanctity of the earth, preserving its natural beauty. The gardens were testimony to that belief.
Miroku led them down a path that wound throughout the gardens until it came to an end at a stone bench overlooking a small pond. A man with iron gray hair and long, flowing gray robes sat on the bench, his eyes closed. Miroku waited patiently, knowing the elder man was in deep meditation.
The trio was startled when a deep, gravelly voice said, "I'm glad you finally made it, Miroku." The man opened his eyes and motioned for them to step forward. Miroku gently led Kagome over to the sitting monk, giving him a deferential bow, while Inuyasha hung behind, his posture rigid.
"Please come forward, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha shuffled his feet, reluctant to move. He ignored the death glare Miroku was sending his way, choosing instead to look at the ground. A deep chuckle reverberated through the air.
"Do not be so uncomfortable around me, Inuyasha. No one is here to judge you."
"Feh," Inuyasha grumbled, but took a few steps forward. Hidemichi sighed. "I guess old wounds never heal, eh?" He gave Inuyasha a serious look. "But sometimes we must try to do the impossible." With a definitive nod, he turned his attention to Miroku and the young woman standing next to him.
"Ah, and this must be…Kagome." The woman gave the old man a warm smile. "Yes." She responded. He returned the gesture, patting the space next to him. She took a seat and looked at him, waiting for him to speak.
"You're having trouble…with your thoughts, am I right?"
She nodded. "I have all these thoughts and memories from Kikyo and Midoriko in my head, but I don't know from where they came or who they belong to. This world," she said, gesturing around them, "is foreign to me."
The monk gazed out at the pond, watching as faint ripples disturbed its glossy surface. "Do you recall any of the events that took place during the Fuedal Era?" Kagome closed her eyes briefly, trying to summon up the memories of which the monk spoke, but to no avail. If she did, she couldn't tell one memory from another. They all blended together into one confusing muddle.
Hidemichi noticed her dismay and put a calming hand on hers. "It's alright, child. That's what I'm here for, to help you remember." He glanced up at Miroku. "She will stay here for the time being while I help put her memories in order and acclimate her to this time."
Inuyasha was instantly opposed to the idea. "I'm not leaving her here." He said with a note of finality in his tone. Miroku opened his mouth to rebuke Inuyasha's assertions, but Hidemichi held up a hand, silencing him.
"I understand your hesitations, Inuyasha, but she will be safe here. I promise."
Inuyasha shook his head. "Yeah, well that's all well and good, but I made a promise that I don't intend to break." Hidemichi returned his gaze to the pond. "I know a thing or two about promises, Inuyasha. Once made, it is imperative that they not be broken."
Inuyasha watched the old monk warily, wondering what he was getting at. "So…" he prompted, waiting to hear what the old monk would say next. Hidemichi nodded his head, coming to a decision.
"You will stay here at the temple. I have a feeling that you will play a vital role in helping Kagome." He glanced at the hanyou, a twinkle in his eye. "Is that an agreeable resolution, Inuyasha?"
"Feh," the half-demon muttered. Hidemichi grinned and clapped his hands together. "Now that the matter is settled, would you two gentlemen mind leaving me and the young lady alone?" Miroku glanced to Inuyasha, prepared for an outburst or flat out denial, but the hanyou remained silent, satisfied that the promise he'd made would remain intact for the time being.
"We'll be in the dining hall," Miroku replied, bowing his head. Once the two were gone, Hidemichi turned his full attention to Kagome.
"This is a lot to take in, yes?"
Kagome smiled, nodding her head in agreement. The old monk pointed out at the pond. "Whenever my mind is troubled, I come out here. The peace and tranquility of nature calms me and I find I am better able to deal with taxing problems."
Following his gaze, Kagome let her eyes wander over the scenic beauty of the gardens. Even though she knew it was a different time, the rich foliage reminded her of a time long ago. It was a calming feeling.
"This reminds me of…someplace else." She stated. Hidemichi smiled, shaking his head lightly. "It's been a long time since Inuyasha and the others made their way here from the Feudal Era. Five hundred years to be exact." He squinted his eyes, remembering the day he discovered the time travelers.
"I was visiting the Higurashi Shrine; an old friend of mine owns it. The shrine is steeped in history, something that is very dear to me because I'm the keeper of history here at the temple." A slight smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Perhaps it was fate that brought me there that day. It was while I was in the old wellhouse that I encountered something strange." The old monk's eyes lit up as he told the story, his gestures becoming animated.
"The well began to glow with a blinding light! So intense was this light that I had to close my eyes. When the light began to die down, I opened my eyes, fearing the worst. What I found were seven foreigners standing in a daze; a half-demon, a priestess, a monk, a demon slayer, a small fox demon and a cat demon."
As the monk related the tale, Kagome found herself bombarded with fragmented images. Fleetingly, she glimpsed the faces of people she felt she should know. Hidemichi noticed the slight frown on her face, knowing that she was remembering bits and pieces.
"I brought the group back here to the temple, where they related the events that had brought them here to this time." He gave Kagome a sideways glance. "Do you remember what happened?"
Kagome bit her lower lip, concentrating on the images flitting through her mind. With a small shrug, she answered, "All I remember is a…great battle and then…" she trailed off. Hidemichi patted her hand reassuringly. "It's fine. I will help you remember."
"The great battle that you spoke of was between Inuyasha and his friends and two fearsome demons known as Sesshomaru and Naraku. Sesshomaru was a demon lord and also Inuyasha's older half brother. Naraku, like Inuyasha, is a half demon formed from the joining of hundreds of demons. Sesshomaru and Naraku were after the Shikon jewel, well, you," he said with a little laugh. "The jewel was in Kikyo's possession and before they could defeat the small band, Kikyo entreated Midoriko's help in binding the two demons' spirits and with Inuyasha's help, sent Sesshomaru and Naraku to hell."
Kagome looked out at the pond, twilight winking off the surface. "And is that the end of the story?" The old monk followed her gaze, his gaze guarded.
"The story is far from over, my child. There is much to be done before the end is near."
end