"Hey Karuku, look what my dad gave me!" The tiny white-haired boy eagerly held out his hands to show his friend. She peered at the object inside them.
"What is, Sesshomaru?" He grinned excitedly.
"Itsa ball!" he blurted. "Isn't it cool? You can bounce it off things and hit rocks with it and stuff." Karuku poked the white object.
"Why're there holes in it?" Sesshomaru shrugged. "Oh well! How do you play with it?" The two children left the long village path and retreated to an open clearing in the forest. They took turns tossing the ball into the trees and tracking it down to see who got it farther. Karuku's arm wasn't very good, and Sesshomaru delighted in winning. He ran happily back and forth and tracked the ball easily down.
"I don't get it," complained Karuku the umpteenth time Sesshomaru trampled back holding the now dirt-covered ball. "No matter where I throw it there's always a big tree in the way! You always get it in-between." Sesshomaru gave her another happy shrug and tossed her the ball. She chucked it as hard as she could into the trees.
"Karuku! Sesshomaru!" A tall, handsome man with a long white ponytail shoved aside the low tree branches to enter the clearing. "Here you are. Lord Kres says to come back and see what the Lady has discovered. It might interest you both." Sesshomaru darted into the trees one last time to fetch the ball, then joined Karuku and his father as they headed back towards the great stone village. The villagers had thrown open the doors to their granite homes to step out and see what had excited the Lady so.
"Mommy!" yelled Karuku as she came flying down the path, and quite literally. She'd take to the sky to get there before Inutaisho and Sesshomaru.
"Karuku, come look at this! It's the strangest thing I've ever seen."
"Oh wow…you're not gonna try and touch it, are you mommy?" she whispered over her mother's shoulder. Inutaisho picked up his son to keep him from touching the strange substance.
"I don't get it," said Sesshomaru. "What is it?"
"It's a mixture of common herbs and animal remains," explained Lady Kriva. "When they combine while the remains are still fresh certain minerals and nutrients that demons carry in their bodies mix with the herbs and create a highly explosive mixture."
"So how do we get rid of it?" asked Lord Kres anxiously.
"First we have to clear the area, so you, Inutaisho, and Sesshomaru can do that." Sesshomaru gave a proud nod. "Then we need to freeze the mixture so it can't heat up and explode. Even the tiniest touch could set it off; your own warmth is enough. There is a counter-mixture that Karuku can help me make, so once the area is clear guard this spot. We'll have it ready before nightfall." Everyone set to work immediately. Sesshomaru happily warned the villagers of dangerous bombs and shoed them away from the area while Karuku and her mother stayed holed up in their workshop laboring over the counter-mixture. True to her promise, they had it finished before the sun was down.
"We're ready!" announced Karuku. She and Lady Kriva held some of the freezing mixture in a jar. It sparkled in the remaining sunlight.
"Everyone stand back, now. Karuku and I will freeze it. There will be a small blast, not enough to hurt anything, but it could still be dangerous. Once the smoke clears the mixture will be frozen and I can remove it and neutralize it." Everyone followed Lady Kriva's instructions quickly, and disappeared down the path to safer places. Karuku and Kriva both sprouted beautiful wings; Karuku's were black and gold and Kriva's pure gold. They tossed out the mixture and took to the air.
BANG.
Silvery smoke surrounded the area, and once it had cleared the two priestesses touched down again.
"Oh…my…goddess…" whispered the Lady. Karuku fell over and burst out laughing. Her cries sent everyone running back, but Sesshomaru was already there. He was lying flat on his back with his kimono turned all the way around. He looked incredibly confused.
"What happened?" asked Inutaisho awkwardly.
"I bet he was curious!" cried Karuku in-between giggles. "Betcha he banged his head, too!"
"Ka…Karuku…please take Sesshomaru and his father up to the house. Check him for injuries and…uh…" stuttered the Lady Kriva.
"I can fix it," said Inutaisho. Karuku giggled harder, and Sesshomaru managed to send her an almost angry glare. He was still rather dazed.
"Hey!" cried Karuku as Inutaisho picked up his son. "This time, it was your fault!"