A Father's Embrace
Chapter Ten
Changes
Sango and Miroku remained frozen in place as Maiki's crimson eyes stared at them. Both sides waited to see who would make the next move. Miroku took his chances. Ever so slowly, he moved his right arm up to his chest, reaching into his robes to pull out a few ofudas. Maiki caught the movement, however, and released a warning growl.
Feeling intimidated, the teenager hopped to her feet, in a crouching position, so that she may better defend herself. Sango took the action as a threat, and lifted Hiraikotsu over her shoulder. As she did so, Maiki leapt at the slayer. Instinct told the girl-turned-yokai to either attack or be attacked. Without thinking, she rushed towards Sango in a blur, slashing out with her clawed hands.
The exterminator had no desire to injure the daughter of the woman she still considered as a sister. She could not counterattack her aggressor without bringing her harm. She was left with little choice but to defend herself, using Hiraikotsu to block the wild and frantic blows. Unfortunately, Sango knew she couldn't stay on the defense for very long. The force of Maiki's blows had already begun to push the older woman back. She was using all her strength to defend herself.
With Maiki's full attention on Sango, Miroku had the opportunity to get around and behind the teenager. He lifted the ofudas to his forehead, closed his eyes, and quietly recited an incantation, binding a spell into the papers. Spell complete, he opened his eyes and took aim. The ofudas shot through the air towards the unsuspecting girl. All three landed on their target, pasting themselves to Maiki's back.
Upon making contact, ripples of electric energy surrounded Maiki. The energy burned and bit into the girl, causing her to immediately halt her attack. She cried out in pain, her whimpered voice suddenly void of its previous yokai characteristics. As the girl lost consciousness, the electricity crackling around her faded and ceased. With the girl now incapacitated, Sango relaxed. Miroku approached the two, wielding another spirit ward. He chanted another incantation, then placed it on the girl's torso.
"To suppress her yoki… at least, for a while," he answered his wife's unspoken question. He stared forlornly at the unconscious girl. "I really hated doing that to her…"
"I know, but you had no choice. I'm sure she won't remember it when she wakes up."
The twilight of the night was beginning to fade, the sky welcoming the pinks and purples of the impending sunrise. With the growing light, Miroku and Sango were better able to take in Maiki's changed features.
"I think we should get her back inside before dawn breaks," the monk replied. Sango nodded her agreement. Once the sun came up, the villagers would be emerging from their huts, intent on starting the day's tasks. The monk and exterminator wished to get the girl inside before the villagers could see the transformed girl and create a wave of panic through the village.
'Mama!'
'Maiki?'
'Mama! It hurts! Please, mama! It hurts so bad! Please make it stop!'
Kagome bolted out of sleep. She was sitting at the kitchen table. During the night, she had gone to her room, tried going to asleep, but couldn't. So she had returned to the kitchen for some tea. The soothing effects of the warm liquid must have helped since she apparently fell asleep at the table.
She stretched out, her body was sore, stiff. She glanced out the window, noticing the sun starting to peak over the horizon. Suddenly, the sound of her daughter's desperate words reformed in her head. Her memories of the previous day came flooding back to her, and panic instantly rose in her. 'Oh gods… Maiki… She's probably in trouble!'
"Good morning, Kagome," Nana replied cheerfully as she entered the kitchen behind her daughter.
"I'm going back," the younger woman stated quietly, but firmly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I have to. I think… I think Maiki is in trouble." Kagome stood abruptly and headed towards the front door.
"Kagome?"
"Yes, mama?"
"Don't you think you're forgetting something?"
"What, mama?" she asked with a bit of annoyance at her mother's riddled interruption. Nana gestured to Kagome's outfit, a bathrobe over flannel pajamas. "Oh," Kagome mumbled, slightly embarrassed. 'What am I thinking anyway? I forgot about the jewel shards! I can't cross over without them.'
"I've got something for you, Kagome," nana stated as she went into the family room.
Kagome followed and watched as her mother pulled a box from a closet. The elder woman handed the package to her daughter. Kagome brushed off the layer of dust from the white lid before pulling it off the box. She stared at the outfit snuggly resting within layers of tissue inside. The younger woman sat down, resting the box on her lap as she pulled the garments out of the package. Kagome stared in wonder at the knee-length, dark-green skirt and the long-sleeved, white sweater with matching green trim around the collar and sleeves.
"Shortly after Maiki was born, I saw those and bought them for you. They looked so close to your old school uniform. It had become so much a part of who you were back then. I thought, that if you should ever choose to go back, that it would be only be proper that you wear something similar to the outfit you preferred to wear whenever you traveled to the Feudal Era."
Kagome lowered the clothing and stared at her mother. Tears pooled in the corners of the younger woman's eyes. "Mama, I... Thank you."
While Kagome went upstairs to change her clothes and retrieve the jewel shards, Nana busied herself by pulling some snacks out of the pantry. She packed them into an old backpack. Moving to the cupboards, she pulled out several types of instant food stuffs and packed those into the bag as well. After adding first aid kit and a few bottles of water, she zipped up the bag. Kagome returned downstairs just as Nana was finishing up.
"Oh, mama! You didn't have to do that!"
"Nonsense, Kagome. I was more than happy to. And there's no way I'm sending my daughter off without any supplies," she stated with a grin. Kagome sweat-dropped. How quickly and happily her mother reverted back into old habits from over seventeen years ago.
Kagome flung the bag onto her shoulders, grateful that it was barely heavy. She gave her mother a reassuring hug and headed out. As she crossed the shine grounds towards the well-house, her eyes fell onto a storage shed. An idea in mind, she took a detour and headed towards the shed. Inside, various types of artifacts had been housed.
Kagome made her way to the back, where a few weapons had been stored. Her eyes landed on what she had been searching for. A bow and a quiver of arrows. She snatched them up and exited the shed. Now, completely prepared for what lie ahead, she marched to the well-house, entered the mini-shrine and climbed the steps down to the well.
Kagome paused for a moment. Memories of the past tried to force their way to the surface, but she pushed them back into the recesses of her mind. Now was no time to chicken out because of painful memories. She lifted her legs over the lip of the well, one at a time. Grasping the ladder, she looked down into the hollow, black depths below.
She clenched her hand over the small draw-string pouch that hung from a thin cord around her neck. Inside the bag, she could feel the warmth from the two tiny fragments of the Shikon jewel. Clenching her eyes, she allowed herself to fall back into the well.
The pungent smell of herbs assailed her nose. The offensive odor burned her nostrils. She tried to cover her face, to protect herself from the stench. But when she tried to move her right arm, she felt a sharp jolt stab through her body. She winced in pain, breath hissing through clenched teeth.
"Please do not move. Your wounds have not had enough time to fully heal yet," instructed the calm, soothing voice of a young woman. "I am glad to see that you are finally awake."
Maiki slowly opened her eyes. At first, everything was a fuzzy haze of misshapen colors. After a moment, the blurs focused into objects and a woman. "Wh- what happened?" Maiki's voice came out as a ragged whisper. The woman held a cup of cold water to the teenager's lips. Maiki felt a bit silly being treated like a child, but accepted the water nonetheless. When she finished, the woman set the cup aside.
"You were attacked during the middle of the night outside the village. A viper yokai injected you with its venom. Most of the toxins have left your body already, but there is still some residual poison flowing through you. You will need to rest a while longer."
Maiki watched the young woman as she turned towards the small fire in the center of the room, busying herself with some poultices. The young woman wore traditional miko clothing, a white haori tucked into a red hakama that seemed to billow out around her. She had dark-brown hair, pulled back into a simple pony-tail, except for the bangs that hung in her face. Looking at her facial features, Maiki figured that this woman was in her late twenties.
The foul odor of the herbs stung at Maiki's nose again. She didn't voice a protest or make any other indication of her misery. She didn't wish to offend the kind woman who had taken her under her care. Just as she was getting accustomed to the smell, a new sensation drove on her nerves. It sounded like a loud motor, right next to her head. But that was impossible. Machinery did not exist in this time. Maiki turned her head to the left and saw a tiny black and white cat sleeping, curled up in a ball in the corner of the room, purring contently. The irritation from the rumbling noise quickly vanished at the sight of the cute animal.
Over the sound of the purring, Maiki could hear footsteps. Outside the hut, running, quickly approaching. Feet slamming into the ground like a heard of elephants. The thunderous sound of the bamboo drape being flung to the side followed by the familiar voice of Sachiko as she called out.
"Rin-sama! Is she awake yet?"
As if to answer the young girl's question, Maiki turned her head to the right to face the child. An audible gasp from the girl filled the air. Sachiko stared in surprise, taking in the sight of Maiki's new features. However, the teenager was still unaware of those changes, and was thus confused by Sachiko's reaction. Maiki ignored the girl's surprise for the moment, and instead allowed herself some reassurance when she saw Kunkun's sleeping form in the girl's arms.
A moment later, Miroku entered the hut. "Greetings, Rin-sama. I want to thank you again for helping Maiki-san."
The young woman turned to the monk and smiled warmly. "There is no need to thank me. It is my duty as a healer, after all."
"So, Maiki-san, how are you feeling?" asked the monk.
"Like shi-- er… not too good," she answered, cutting off her initial response when she realized she was in the presence of a child. She forced herself to sit up, wincing as white-hot pain seared through her head. She clutched her forehead, willing the pain away, wishing she had a bottle of aspirin with her.
Like a typical knight-in-shining-armor, Miroku had rushed to Maiki's side at her visible signs of dismay. "Don't try to get up too fast. You might reopen your wounds."
Rin held another cup to Maiki's lips. "Drink this. It will ease the pain."
Maiki did as she was told. Whatever the liquid was, it was disgusting. Thick, chalky, and bitter. But she drank it down anyway. After a few moments, the medicine started to take effect.
"Better?" asked Rin. Maiki nodded. She heard light footsteps from outside again, followed by the bamboo door moving. It was Kazuki. The teenage girl looked over to him, and noticed the anger flowing off the boy. His glare was more spiteful now than it had been all day yesterday.
"I told you she's yokai," he spat venomously, eyes never leaving Maiki's form.
"Kazuki!" the monk scolded in a voice harsher than what Maiki had heard from him thus far.
The teenage girl was baffled. What was his problem? She had had enough of his attitude. Wobbly, she rose to her feet, bracing her right hand on the wall, left hand clenched at her side. The cat in the corner who had been dozing peacefully suddenly rose from her slumber and watched intently. Maiki clenched her teeth, returning the boy's glare.
"Now you listen here! I've done absolutely nothing to you since I got here, and all you've done is given me your crap! You even tried to kill me! Now I suggest you drop the attitude before I knock it out of you!"
"Oh really?" he countered. "You're so weak right now you can barely stand! What exactly can you do right now? Other than gouge out your own palms, that is!"
Maiki was puzzled for a moment, then realized what Kazuki was saying when she smelt the scent of blood filling her nostrils, -Blood? Since when could I smell blood?- coupled by a sting in her left palm. She opened her fist, realizing she had it clenched so tightly that her claws had drawn blood. 'Wait! Claws?' She stared at the sharp, blood-soaked nails at the end of each finger. 'How did I get claws?'
Her questioning eyes rose to meet the eyes of those around her, traveling from one person to the next. 'What the hell is going on?'