Disclaimers Notice: Maybe...yes...n-n-no...um...possibly???

Authors Beginning Note: I am soooooo incredibly sorry! My computer was down and on the fritz, so I couldn't type! Ugh! I feel like such a terrible authoress-even if I had no control over the situation. I'll try to make it up to you! Truly! I'll even let you flame me if it will make you feel better!

Shout it outs!

Orion Kohaishu- Sorry I updated so late. So here, to end your deepening anticipation, I bring forth this chapter.

Rayme325-Yah,peeping toms are such a bother, but they make for lightening the mood! I'm glad you liked my short, off track chapter too.

Shinna- Glad you approve!

INU'S GIRL- Thanks for the encouragement!

Animefreak808- Um...quick and painless...When the world is yours...well, if you kill me too soon, you'll never find out what happens! In which case, to extend my life and that of others, I will say I won't write anymore if you kill me or them...no matter how quick and painless! Or I'll just make sure the world stays mine. :) LOL!

Chapter 38

Today, we move out

"Kagome! Kagome, wake up!" Kagome jerked forward suddenly, awake from her deep slumber.

"What is it Sango?"

"The head Mikos, Monks, and some of the stronger Demons are making a speech. Come. Hurry before we miss what it's all about." She said hurridly as she quickly bound up the lacing on her boot. Kagome jumped up off of her sleeping mat and quickly dressed in a set of her old school clothes. Quickly she slung her bow and arrows over her shoulder. Shippo began to stir.

"Shhh. Sleep Shippo." She lulled and tucked him in deeper into her sleeping bag.

"Hurry." Sango ushered as she held open the woven bamboo matted doorway open for the both of them to exit. There was a huge crowd gathered that squished the both of them.

"Sango, is there anyway Kirara can take us in the air?"

"I'm sorry Kagome, but it's too crowded. We might hurt someone." They elbowed their way to the middle of the crowd, disturbing quite a lot of people, and they stood together listening to what was being said.

"...Naraku's reign of evil must be stopped before it fully descends upon us in our sleep and crushed us." A dark red demon roared above the noise of the crowd. The Priestess from the far north stepped forward.

"We must go forth and meet him in battle! Now, before it is too late. This is what we have been preparing for. Miko's, Monks, demons, mortal men and woman, and all the likes. Many a battle we have faught against each other, demon against demon, Priests against Priestess, and many battles similar to those very same situations! But now, let us put forth our differences aside! Let us fight together, brother with brother, sister with sister. Together! We will over come this great evil!" A great roar succumbed the crowd as everyone shouted and jeered in agreement.

A village leader of sorts now stepped forward. One dressed in a fine yukata spun of a light material. He raised his hand and waited for the crowd to calm.

"The time has come." He began in a deep honest voice. "We must go forth and meet Naraku and his army before they come to meet us. We must go forth. For Honor. For Glory. For Peace. No more will our children live in fear of his great reign of agony. No longer will we fear for our lives. No longer will our villages be pillaged by his followers. We will win!" His arm raised up, and as he did so, the crowd yelled a word of agreement, their arms also raised in the air.

"We will be triumphant!" Grumbled the red demon who had spoken earlier. The crowd gave another whoop.

"And we will fight! Over coming all odds. Victory is in our grasp! Today...We move out!" The Northern Miko raised her bow high in the air as her words echoed, filled with strength and assurance. At the last words spoken The whole crowd roared in anticipation. As quickly as the three stepped down from the podium, ranks were being pulled together.

Troops were being organized. Warriors alike dressed up in their weaponry. Villagers that opted to stay behind were quickly cooking, readying supplies, making last minute weaponry, and saying their farewells to both loved ones and strangers alike.

"Sango! Sango!" A voice came above the crowd that was pushing. Sango turned around and stopped, with Kagome latched on to her elbow, trying not to be dragged away by the crowd. Soon a rather familiar monk came into view.

"Miroku! I was wondering where you were!" Sango cried and quickly gave him a kiss. Kagome looked away blushing.

"Ahem. Um...you guys...um...don't you think..." She squeeked feeling both uncomfortable, but glad for the two's joyous reunion. Miroku pulled away.

"Why Kagome, it's a pleasure to see you too." He grinned widely. Kagome bobbed her head and smiled.

"We should go help Keade prepare."

"But...we're going too." Kagome shook her head.

"Maybe you two, but I have to wait for Inuyasha. I'm not leaving until he comes back." She said sullenly. Miroku and Sango exchanged looks.

"Kagome..." She shook her head stubbornly.

"Lets discuss this further as we gather our things." Miroku said trying to break the uncomfortable air that had suddenly replaced the feeling of anticipation and cheer.

"Why, It's a boy." Rin gasped looking down at the body before them. It was covered in sweat, blood, and dirt. The hair had fallen out of its high ponytail and was strewn out in a mess. His left leg turned at his side in an odd angle, as the rest of his body lay helplessly. The only thing hinting to life was the very shallow breathing that was almost too hard to hear. His eyes looked up, wide and unblinking.

"A Human boy. As if we didn't already have too many humans to bother with already." Jakan sneered in his usual arrogant manner. Rin slid off of the back of Ah and Un, to sit beside the boy. She bent over to hear his breathing.

"What are we going to do with him?" She squeeked in an innocent manner.

"Leave him, that's what." Jakan said again. Rin looked wide eyed up at Sesshoumaru.

"We aren't going to leave him are we?"

"Humph. Of course you silly girl. Do you know how much work it would take to heal such a sorry looking human? Too much. By tomorrow, I'm sure he'll be dead anyways, so why not just save our time and breath." He crossed his arms. Rin's eyes went wide with terror and began to tear up.

"Rin doesn't want anyone to die." She began to cry. Sesshoumaru lifted the boy and placed him onto the back of the two headed dragon.

"Ah. Un. Carry him." He said without word. Rin looked up with praise and delight toward Sesshoumaru.

"Rin is so happy you are so wonderful Lord Sesshoumaru."

"You silly girl. He only did it so you would shut up!"

"Jakan! That is quite enough. I will not hear another word uttered out of your mouth." Jakan paled to a sage green color.

"So, she has betrayed me, has she. I will see to it that she regrets her decision." Naraku held a glowing red marble in his hand and began to squeeze it, until finally it shattered, before bursting into flame and disappearing.

Naraku's face grimaced for a moment as four glowing balls appeared in his hands and disappeared into four new clay jars. His body seemed to faze and fissure, before four black figures oozed from his skin, each forming a separate being.

"Saiko, Mai, Katsutoshi, Shin'ichi." As he said each name, each separate being was fully formed, and his body was normal as before.

Saiko, a pale whispy woman like figure was the first to come forward and bow. Her long blond hair fell over her face. Her glass figured like body seemed to appear, even in the loose fitting garbed dress made of silk, that was tied at the waist. Her black, unearthly eyes wanderd no where.

Mai, an eerily ugly and beautiful being bowed forward. Her hair black and wild. Her eyesd blue and piercing. Her lips crimson and seemed to always be bloody. Her pale silky skin radiated with a strange light. Her chest remained bare and smooth like a womans, and her navel showed. But there ended all human likenesses to her. Long crude, black, scared, and dried bloodied wings were gracefully tucked back. Her nails were long and black. Her lower body was that completely of a huge bird that oddly stood up in a nearly human way.

Katsutoshi was a hideous being that smelled of rotting carcasses. The flesh on his face seemed to melt as if acid were thrown upon it and regrow constantly. His long greasy brown hair hung limply in tangles to his waist. Instead of hands he bore a dagger in one and eight snake like worms wiggling out of the other. His back was hunched and his body huge in size. His four feet were shaped like a wolves and he walked as so. Three long disfigured horns were protruded from his head. Seven long black tails aligned with sharp glass like rocks swayed dangerously like whisps of smoke. All that covered his body was ragged pair of pants that was old, ragged, torn, and soiled.

Shin'ichi, unlike the other three looked almost perfectly human. An attractive man of about forty bowed down. His skin pale and smooth. Cloaks of earthen color was what he was garbed with, his hood and at his right side was a long gnarled staff the same height as he. His hood was pulled back to reveal brown hair bound at the nape of his neck by a simple white tie and dark mocha eyes that shined with wisdom, power, and hidden strength. The only thing that seemed out of place was the look that most foreigners bore was about him.

Naraku smirked at his latest accomplishments.

"Go. I leave you to lead and organize the army. I have much more important things to tend to."

"As you wish." Three voices sounded. The woman Saiko, had remained silent, but even in her seeming defiant manner of giving notice to knowing what had been ordered of her, she had the air to her that was more loyal than the other three.

As soon as they were gone, a shadowed form appeared form the shadow. Her aura pulsated with a dark aura, darker than Naraku's, and spoke of a wild rebellious and vengeful nature.

"Ah. Kikyo. So it seems you have returned to me. You have changed I see." Naraku smirked, but other than that and his words, he gave to notion as to noticing the presence before him.

"You flatter yourself. To greatly so as to be disgusting."

"Than I am wrong in thinking that you have come to request my assistance in exacting your revenge?"

"I do not require your assistance in the least. However, this war of yours intrigues me. It presents...opportunities." Kikyo's harsh, but oddly unemotional voice sounded.

"Hmm. I see. For a while, I had come to believe you dead."

"You are a fool to think I could be killed by a meer copy of my weaker self. Not to mention a worthless Hanyou of such low being such as Inuyasha."

"Then will you enlighten me as much as to explain your current presence?" He waved his hand to the small table before him that held a pot of tea.

"Kagome. Miyako requests your presence before all the troups are fully sectioned out and move." Keade said as her, Miroku and Sango appeared in the hut.

"Huh? Kagome!" Shippo suddenly came out of his sleepy stupor and jumped into Kagome's open arms.

"Kagome! What's going on?"

"War Shippo. All of the troops are being led out to fight Naraku."

"You're not going are you!"

"Kagome, Miyako is not a patient woman, even if she is a Miko." Keade said. Kagome nodded and set Shippo down.

"We will talk when I get back." She ran out leaving a confused, worried, and sad Shippo, who was comforted by Sango and Miroku, as Keade rushed about with many of the other woman to making medicine supplies.

"Ah, Kagome." Miyako said sweetly as Kagome was lead by the man in white into Miyako's personal living space.

"Come, sit. I will have a servant bring you some tea." Kagome did as instructed and sat on the heap of cushions as indicated.

"As you know, I am Miyako, the priestess form the far Northern territories. This is my personal body guard, Keio." He nodded politely.

"I will await outside and let you two discuss in private." He said and quickly left. Kagome twiddled her hands nervously and looked around the room, which was ornamented by many racks of weaponry, rugs of bright color, tapestries of great epics and tales.

"I...um...ah...like you're...um...room." She said cheerfully. Oh, wow Kagome. That was really smooth. I'm sure you've impressed her now.

"Really? Why thank you. I usually don't travel so luxuriously, but I made an exception this time. Well now, Kagome, tell me something about yourself."

Kagome froze for a moment.

I come from 500 years in the future through a well, I fight demons, I am the reincarnation of a strong, long dead priestess, and for the most part I'm just an average high school girl.

"What would you like to know?"

"Hmm. Well, for starters, how is it that you came to bear the Shinkon Tama. It was burned with the body of the Priestess Kikyo, was it not?" A servant came in and set down a round tray holding a small pudgy pot of steaming tea, and two wooden cups. Both cups were poured and the servant left after giving a deep but haste bow.

"I am the reincarnation of Kikyo. The Shinkon No Tama was in my body. I was in a fight with a demon centipede, who tore it out of my body."

"And what became of this demon."

"Inuyasha killed her."

"And who is this Inuyasha?" Kagome blushed.

"Inuyasha is...well...he's complicated." Miyako raised an eyebrow.

"Explain."

"Um...well. At first he was really rude, arrogant, mean, and very bad tempered. He got on my nerves a lot. If it weren't for the rosary, he would have killed me because I had the Shinkon No Tama and he wished to be a full fledged Demon. But then I broke the jewel and Keade sent us on a quest of sorts to find all of the pieces and then..." Kagome began to prattle on, caught up in her story. Before long her tea became cold, and Miyako's tea was already drunk.

"Hush. Girl." She finally raised her hand to stop Kagome. A smile was on her lips as she did so. Just listening to the girl, proved that she was naive, young, mature, and wise. Maybe even too trusting and kind for someone that carries the Jewel, but strong, stubborn, and kind hearted.

"Never before had I met someone like you till now. I would like to propose to you an offer." Kagome tilted her head in surprise.

"I would like to make you my apprentice."

"Your...apprentice? You mean like a teacher?"

"Yes. I know it is shortcoming of notice, but while we travel I would teach you how to control your Miko powers to a greater ability, and if possible, even help you unlock possible hidden powers. Now, being as today is too busy to start, tomorrow morning, we will begin."

"Really! You really would! Wow!" Kagome jumped up in glee. But her expression suddenly gloomed.

"But...I can't leave today. I have to stay here." Miyako gagged in sudden surprise. She caughed and when composed she looked stunned at the girl.

"Why ever not? It's obvious that you need further teaching than what lady Keade, as strong and wise as she is, can give you, and currently I am the only one who is offering."

"Don't get me wrong. I would love to, but I can't. You see, Inuyasha left two weeks ago. He still hasn't come back, and I told him I'd wait for him." Miyako curled her lip.

"You silly snip of a girl. He is a Hanyou. You are a Miko. Why do you waste your heart, when you could become more powerful than I one day. You are a shrine Maiden. The minute you leave the purity of virginity, your powers weaken and dwindle."

"What?"

"Didn't you know? There are no powerful married or impure Miko's, because none exist. If you were to be involved with this...Hanyou! Of all things! Surely you would loose all power, and you would then have to pass the Shikon to a new bearer, for only a Miko can purify the jewel, and in this day of age, they are very rare to come by. The fate rests in your hands. If you give up your abilities to being a Miko, the very world which hangs on a delicate balance, will fall to darkness." Kagome listened in anger at the addressed statement that Inuyasha was given, almost completely ignoring everything else that was said.

"You talk of Inuyasha as if he were a monster!"

"Because he is." Kagome shook in anger and Miyako's heart skipped for a moments beat as she felt the extent of the girls power.

"Inuyasha is not a monster! He is strong and even though he doesn't show it all the time, he is gentle and kind! How dare you talk about him like that! You don't even know him!" She screamed in rage.

"How do you know he will not go back to this Kikyo?"

"Because she is dead."

"So he loves you because he has no other?"

"No! He cares about me, because I am me. Not Kikyo."

"How do you know?"

"Because he said so."

"And you trusted him?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Kagome seemed to cool off.

"Because I know his heart. I have trusted him with my life, and never once has he let me down. I have trusted him with my friendship and he never let me down. I know his heart and I trust him. That is why." Miyako seemed stunned by Kagome's heartfelt words, but didn't fail to notice that the Shikon strapped around the girls neck had become an even brighter pink.

"Than, you have earned the right to apprenticeship."

"What?"

"A heart as pure as yours is strong and worthy. Someday I have no doubt that you will become stronger than Midoriko herself, when the time comes. You are the next. You will be claimed most powerful and will be the next."

"The next what?" Instead of answering, Miyako's head turned abruptly.

"Keio." She whispered before hastily standing and leaving. Kagome followed as far as three steps out before loosing the Miko, but saw a strong light that showed even in the daylight.

"Kagome! Kagome! Come quick!" Kagome was caught off guard when Sango appeared out of nowhere and began tugging at her wrist.

"Sango, what is it?"

"It's Inuyasha."

"He's back?!"

"Hurry. He is badly injured." Kagome's breath caught in her throat tightly and nearly caused her to fall over. Sango whistled and reached up in the air, where Kirara suddenly flew by. Sango grabbed Kagome by the waist and grabbed a bunch of Kirara's side fur, pulling the both of them up and made quick work of getting to Keade's hut.

Authors Ending Note: Oh no! Is Kagome's dream coming true? Will Inuyasha die? Nad what of her sudden apprenticeship? And lady Miyako's abrupt exit? Keio? What could possably be happening? And Naraku has summoned 4 new demons at his command? Oh no, could things get any worse?