"A Feudal Fairytale :: Retold"
Chapter Two :: "The Shikon no Tama"
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Author's Note: Hellllo! The Shikon no Tama makes its fated appearance!! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. ::hugs:: They're all very appreciated.
Warnings: Nothing really, a few curse words here and there… but nothing serious.
Sango was silent on the short trip back to the village. She didn't know what exactly was about to happen in the next hour or so but she had a bad feeling about it. Kagome should never had made such a deal with a monster like Inuyasha, but as she watched the two ahead of her, she had a small feeling rise in the pit of her stomach, as if soon enough the three of them would soon become to depend on each other in life or death situations. How Sango knew this, she wasn't sure. She just did.
Inuyasha was still carrying her weapon, which bothered Sango because now all she had was a small sword at her side and the two hidden in her armor, a couple smoke bombs, and that was it. What if Inuyasha was to betray his word once Kagome got him the Shikon no Tama? How would she protect herself, the village, and Kagome from him?
"Come Sango-chan," Kagome called over her shoulder, a small smile on her pretty features. The young miko seemed pretty easy with her decision.
Inuyasha snorted as he glanced over his shoulder, "I hope you're not always so boring, taijiya, because with the oath that I just took, we're going to be seeing a lot of each other from now on."
Sango let the disgust on her face show, "Something to expect, hmm hanyou?"
"Of course." Inuyasha said just as sarcastically.
"You two relax." Kagome scolded them. The entered the village through the back way, where they would more than likely be unnoticed. Kagome led them to the shrine, passing a burial pyre on the way. Inuyasha stopped for a moment, and sniffed the air.
"Kikyo… is this were her body is buried?" Inuyasha asked rather softly. Kagome nodded.
"Her ashes, anyway." She said quietly, and bowed her head. Inuyasha continued to walk towards the hut, but stopped at the entrance as he saw Sango turn back around and grab some wild flowers from the ground. The taijiya then jogged back to the pyre and placed them at the bottom, her eyes clouded over with a distance memory. A painful one, Inuyasha imagined for no apparent reason.
Kagome had a sad look on her face, as she and Inuyasha waited for Sango to return. "Why'd you do that?" asked Inuyasha, but the taijiya walked past him without a word. "Answer me!"
"There is no reason for me to explain myself, hanyou… about anything that I do." She said curtly and went silent again.
Once inside, Kagome lit a few incenses and turned to face her two companions. "Alright… I'm about to show you the Shikon no Tama."
"Its here?? Hah! I could have found it without your help…" Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms.
"You think so?" Kagome asked, and smiled slightly before turning around. With her back facing them, neither could see what she was reaching for until she turned around again.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the dagger in her hand, "Don't tell me you've been leading me here to kill me, because that's not going to do the job."
Kagome shook her head, "Of course not, Inuyasha-sama. You two might want to sit down, and you must promise me not to get up at any moment whatsoever! Do I have your words?"
"Yes." Inuyasha said and nodded his head.
"Before I agree to anything, tell me what you're going to do!" Sango said a little angry. Kagome had bound her to some foolish, arrogant hanyou and now she was asking her to remain on the ground without giving details. Just what was the girl planning?
"Please, Sango-chan, you must do this for me." Kagome pleaded, her eyes and voice sincere, "I promise you that I know what I am doing."
Sango sighed, feeling a little defeated. She didn't like not being in complete control of what was going on around her. But she didn't really have much of choice, because both Inuyasha and Kagome were staring at her intently. Inuyasha's gaze coming from the floor where he had sat himself crossed-legged. Sango sighed again, before joining him.
"Alright." Kagome said softly, and then she closed her eyes and began to chant something under her breath, that Sango could not decipher. From the puzzled expression on Inuyasha's face, he couldn't either even with his hanyou hearing.
And then suddenly Kagome drove the dagger into her side. Both Inuyasha and Sango gasped in surprise, and Sango almost jumped to her feet, had Inuyasha not grabbed her shoulder and shoved her back down.
"Let me go! Look at what she's done!" Sango cried, watching the blood spill from the wound in the girl's side. Kagome still did not stop her chant.
"She knows what she's doing, taijiya, I can feel it in the air. She's completely confident."
Kagome then dropped the dagger and her hand went to the wound, where she pushed one finger inside… inside of it and slowly moved it around until she seemed to touch something. Then she placed her second finger into the wound until she grasped it.
Inuyasha was a little unnerved, but he didn't show it. He wasn't lying when he had said that Kagome was completely confident, but it still bothered him that she was digging her fingers into her own flesh.
Abruptly, Kagome stopped chanting and yanked a small, marble looking jewel out her side. She wiped it with her kimono and said in a slightly pained voice, "Inuyasha, I present you the Shikon no Tama."
Sango and Inuyasha both stared in mutual shock. The Shikon no Tama had been inside of Kagome's body… how was that possible?
As if answering their thoughts, Kagome cracked a grin, "Kikyo burned the jewel with her ashes fifty years ago… and because of that when I was reborn with her soul it was reborn with me as well… inside of me. I didn't know this until one day Obaasan took me aside and told me. A little frightening, isn't it? That something so powerful laid dormant for fifteen years… in my own body…"
Inuyasha nodded and swallowed, "Well, give it to me so I can make my wish!"
"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped, "The jewel must first be purified of any evil whatsoever."
"Damn it…" Inuyasha mumbled, "How long will that take?"
"I'm… not sure… a day or so…" Kagome shrugged, holding her wound.
Sango cleared her throat, "Remove your hand Inuyasha, you're starting to squeeze my bones together."
Inuyasha blinked and did so. He grinned a little sheepishly, ready to make a humorous comment, but the cold and unconcerned eyes of the taijiya stopped him. What had happened to her that made such a cold look remain constant in her eyes at such a young age, Inuyasha wondered momentarily, but then he turned suddenly towards the doors, where Kaede and several warriors from the village stood.
"Dear child… ye have not done what I think ye has done… has ye?" Kaede was a little flustered, her breath coming a little short. She must have run up the temple steps when her miko powers had picked up what was going on.
Kagome nodded, "I have brought the Shikon no Tama back into this world, Obaasan… to save the lives of everyone in this village. For Inuyasha would have surely ripped our home apart now that he is awake."
In her shock, Kaede had not noticed Inuyasha until that moment, "Inu… Inuyasha has risen as well? Ye Gods…"
Inuyasha smirked and stood to his feet, "Thanks for the warm welcome, brat gone old."
"You remember?" Kaede asked slowly.
"Yeah, like it was yesterday… but its not, is it? It's been fifty years… damn you humans are so fragile… you age so quickly… what a shame." Inuyasha then snorted and pulled Sango to her feet as well. "I suppose it's a good thing though," Inuyasha said, glancing at his new burden, "You'll only be around for another half century or so."
Sango glared daggers at the hanyou but said nothing. She really didn't know what to say actually. All this was a little bit overwhelming.
One of the warriors from behind Kaede growled in fury and released his arrow he had held at bay straight for Kagome's hand, where she held the Shikon no Tama. "I will destroy the blasted thing before it ever gets a chance to harm anyone again!!"
"No you fool!" cried Kaede, but it was too late. The arrow hit its target with deadly accuracy and the jewel exploded into tiny shards, but not before destroying the entire temple with its power. Inuyasha acted quickly, snatching Sango, Kagome, and Kaede out of harms way before the roof fell on top of them. Many of the village warriors, however, were not so lucky. The ones who were, however, had ran away when the jewel shattered.
Kaede stared as the lights began to fade. She bowed her head, "The jewel is lost…"
"WHAT??" Inuyasha shrieked. He growled.
"What could have possessed the villager to do such a thing? Now the jewel is nothing but tiny shards…" Sango said quietly, holding a shard that had pierced her skin before them. Kagome stared at it for a long moment, before gasping.
"Shards of the jewel could still give any youkai power…" She ran a hand threw her hair, "We must collect ALL the shards until the jewel is in one piece… or… who knows what monsters… men and youkai alike… will do with such a thing…"
"You're right, my child." Kaede said from behind Kagome and Sango. The old woman sighed, "I would help you but I am too old for such a journey…"
"Alright, alright I know what you're about to say! I'll help but only if I get to make my wish!" Inuyasha snorted. He grinned arrogantly. Kaede shook her head but said nothing.
"We can't let him make any wishes!" Sango protested, "And who's to say once we begin our journey you won't kill us both!"
"Stop being foolish, taijiya." Inuyasha growled, "I have no intention of killing you. I gave my word to Kagome that I would not."
"One such as you could never know the meaning of honor." Sango growled. Her eyes narrowing, "I've known enough youkais in my life to know that."
Inuyasha and Sango stared each other dead in the eye all for a moment before Kaede slipped some beads around Inuyasha's neck. The startled hanyou turned suddenly on her, "What are these things??"
"Sango, say a word of submission! Hurry before he removes the beads!" Kaede ordered.
Sango blinked, "Like Osawuri?"
Inuyasha hit the ground with an 'oof'. Sango's eyes widened slightly and Kaede nodded, "Yes, exactly."
Inuyasha pulled himself to his feet and growled in agitation "What the hell are these things???"
"They're spiritual beads." Kagome said and smiled, "Obaasan must have placed a spell on them. They react to only Sango's voice. When she says "Osawuri" you will go into submission. That way, you can surely never kill her." Kagome grinned, "Good idea Obaasan!"
"WHAT???"
"Really?" Sango asked, her eyes wide. She blinked once. "Osawuri."
Inuyasha hit the ground before he could say another word. Sango blinked again. And once more, before a grin spread across her face. "I like that."
Inuyasha got to his feet and crossed his arms, "You would." He grumbled to himself. Kagome laughed quietly before smiling.
"Looks like we have a mission." She stated, staring at both Inuyasha and Sango.
Sango nodded, her eyes going cold once again. "How exactly are we going to find every last shard? They're so tiny, Kagome…"
"I can sense the presence of the shards." Kagome smiled reassuringly.
Inuyasha sighed, "Well… shall we start?"
"No. First we should pack supplies." Sango stated.
"Oh yeah, whatever," Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"Don't you three worry about that. I'll do it for you." Kaede said, raising her hand and placing it on Sango's shoulder's, "Sango the Taijiya, please protect my grandchild. She's powerful, but she's young and inexperienced."
Kagome blushed and looked at her feet. Her Obaasan didn't have to say that right in front of her!
Sango nodded, "I will protect Kagome with my life."
"Thank you." Kaede said softly. Her eyes clouded over slightly, before she turned and walked away back towards the village.
Inuyasha let out a growl, "Damn it Sango, you can't go around promising that you're gonna protect people because I gotta risk my life to save you and I'd rather not have you jumpin' out and taking someone else's death blow, thank you very much."
"Osawuri." Sango snorted and walked away. Kagome giggled and followed after the taijiya.
Inuyasha picked his nose out of the dirt and sighed, "I really hate that."
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There you go, the second chapter! Shorter than the first but I really want to end it right here. =D
I'm debating whether I want Kikyo in this story or not… I'm not sure… Why don't some of you wonderful readers tell me what you think?
Chapter Two :: "The Shikon no Tama"
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Author's Note: Hellllo! The Shikon no Tama makes its fated appearance!! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. ::hugs:: They're all very appreciated.
Warnings: Nothing really, a few curse words here and there… but nothing serious.
Sango was silent on the short trip back to the village. She didn't know what exactly was about to happen in the next hour or so but she had a bad feeling about it. Kagome should never had made such a deal with a monster like Inuyasha, but as she watched the two ahead of her, she had a small feeling rise in the pit of her stomach, as if soon enough the three of them would soon become to depend on each other in life or death situations. How Sango knew this, she wasn't sure. She just did.
Inuyasha was still carrying her weapon, which bothered Sango because now all she had was a small sword at her side and the two hidden in her armor, a couple smoke bombs, and that was it. What if Inuyasha was to betray his word once Kagome got him the Shikon no Tama? How would she protect herself, the village, and Kagome from him?
"Come Sango-chan," Kagome called over her shoulder, a small smile on her pretty features. The young miko seemed pretty easy with her decision.
Inuyasha snorted as he glanced over his shoulder, "I hope you're not always so boring, taijiya, because with the oath that I just took, we're going to be seeing a lot of each other from now on."
Sango let the disgust on her face show, "Something to expect, hmm hanyou?"
"Of course." Inuyasha said just as sarcastically.
"You two relax." Kagome scolded them. The entered the village through the back way, where they would more than likely be unnoticed. Kagome led them to the shrine, passing a burial pyre on the way. Inuyasha stopped for a moment, and sniffed the air.
"Kikyo… is this were her body is buried?" Inuyasha asked rather softly. Kagome nodded.
"Her ashes, anyway." She said quietly, and bowed her head. Inuyasha continued to walk towards the hut, but stopped at the entrance as he saw Sango turn back around and grab some wild flowers from the ground. The taijiya then jogged back to the pyre and placed them at the bottom, her eyes clouded over with a distance memory. A painful one, Inuyasha imagined for no apparent reason.
Kagome had a sad look on her face, as she and Inuyasha waited for Sango to return. "Why'd you do that?" asked Inuyasha, but the taijiya walked past him without a word. "Answer me!"
"There is no reason for me to explain myself, hanyou… about anything that I do." She said curtly and went silent again.
Once inside, Kagome lit a few incenses and turned to face her two companions. "Alright… I'm about to show you the Shikon no Tama."
"Its here?? Hah! I could have found it without your help…" Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms.
"You think so?" Kagome asked, and smiled slightly before turning around. With her back facing them, neither could see what she was reaching for until she turned around again.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the dagger in her hand, "Don't tell me you've been leading me here to kill me, because that's not going to do the job."
Kagome shook her head, "Of course not, Inuyasha-sama. You two might want to sit down, and you must promise me not to get up at any moment whatsoever! Do I have your words?"
"Yes." Inuyasha said and nodded his head.
"Before I agree to anything, tell me what you're going to do!" Sango said a little angry. Kagome had bound her to some foolish, arrogant hanyou and now she was asking her to remain on the ground without giving details. Just what was the girl planning?
"Please, Sango-chan, you must do this for me." Kagome pleaded, her eyes and voice sincere, "I promise you that I know what I am doing."
Sango sighed, feeling a little defeated. She didn't like not being in complete control of what was going on around her. But she didn't really have much of choice, because both Inuyasha and Kagome were staring at her intently. Inuyasha's gaze coming from the floor where he had sat himself crossed-legged. Sango sighed again, before joining him.
"Alright." Kagome said softly, and then she closed her eyes and began to chant something under her breath, that Sango could not decipher. From the puzzled expression on Inuyasha's face, he couldn't either even with his hanyou hearing.
And then suddenly Kagome drove the dagger into her side. Both Inuyasha and Sango gasped in surprise, and Sango almost jumped to her feet, had Inuyasha not grabbed her shoulder and shoved her back down.
"Let me go! Look at what she's done!" Sango cried, watching the blood spill from the wound in the girl's side. Kagome still did not stop her chant.
"She knows what she's doing, taijiya, I can feel it in the air. She's completely confident."
Kagome then dropped the dagger and her hand went to the wound, where she pushed one finger inside… inside of it and slowly moved it around until she seemed to touch something. Then she placed her second finger into the wound until she grasped it.
Inuyasha was a little unnerved, but he didn't show it. He wasn't lying when he had said that Kagome was completely confident, but it still bothered him that she was digging her fingers into her own flesh.
Abruptly, Kagome stopped chanting and yanked a small, marble looking jewel out her side. She wiped it with her kimono and said in a slightly pained voice, "Inuyasha, I present you the Shikon no Tama."
Sango and Inuyasha both stared in mutual shock. The Shikon no Tama had been inside of Kagome's body… how was that possible?
As if answering their thoughts, Kagome cracked a grin, "Kikyo burned the jewel with her ashes fifty years ago… and because of that when I was reborn with her soul it was reborn with me as well… inside of me. I didn't know this until one day Obaasan took me aside and told me. A little frightening, isn't it? That something so powerful laid dormant for fifteen years… in my own body…"
Inuyasha nodded and swallowed, "Well, give it to me so I can make my wish!"
"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped, "The jewel must first be purified of any evil whatsoever."
"Damn it…" Inuyasha mumbled, "How long will that take?"
"I'm… not sure… a day or so…" Kagome shrugged, holding her wound.
Sango cleared her throat, "Remove your hand Inuyasha, you're starting to squeeze my bones together."
Inuyasha blinked and did so. He grinned a little sheepishly, ready to make a humorous comment, but the cold and unconcerned eyes of the taijiya stopped him. What had happened to her that made such a cold look remain constant in her eyes at such a young age, Inuyasha wondered momentarily, but then he turned suddenly towards the doors, where Kaede and several warriors from the village stood.
"Dear child… ye have not done what I think ye has done… has ye?" Kaede was a little flustered, her breath coming a little short. She must have run up the temple steps when her miko powers had picked up what was going on.
Kagome nodded, "I have brought the Shikon no Tama back into this world, Obaasan… to save the lives of everyone in this village. For Inuyasha would have surely ripped our home apart now that he is awake."
In her shock, Kaede had not noticed Inuyasha until that moment, "Inu… Inuyasha has risen as well? Ye Gods…"
Inuyasha smirked and stood to his feet, "Thanks for the warm welcome, brat gone old."
"You remember?" Kaede asked slowly.
"Yeah, like it was yesterday… but its not, is it? It's been fifty years… damn you humans are so fragile… you age so quickly… what a shame." Inuyasha then snorted and pulled Sango to her feet as well. "I suppose it's a good thing though," Inuyasha said, glancing at his new burden, "You'll only be around for another half century or so."
Sango glared daggers at the hanyou but said nothing. She really didn't know what to say actually. All this was a little bit overwhelming.
One of the warriors from behind Kaede growled in fury and released his arrow he had held at bay straight for Kagome's hand, where she held the Shikon no Tama. "I will destroy the blasted thing before it ever gets a chance to harm anyone again!!"
"No you fool!" cried Kaede, but it was too late. The arrow hit its target with deadly accuracy and the jewel exploded into tiny shards, but not before destroying the entire temple with its power. Inuyasha acted quickly, snatching Sango, Kagome, and Kaede out of harms way before the roof fell on top of them. Many of the village warriors, however, were not so lucky. The ones who were, however, had ran away when the jewel shattered.
Kaede stared as the lights began to fade. She bowed her head, "The jewel is lost…"
"WHAT??" Inuyasha shrieked. He growled.
"What could have possessed the villager to do such a thing? Now the jewel is nothing but tiny shards…" Sango said quietly, holding a shard that had pierced her skin before them. Kagome stared at it for a long moment, before gasping.
"Shards of the jewel could still give any youkai power…" She ran a hand threw her hair, "We must collect ALL the shards until the jewel is in one piece… or… who knows what monsters… men and youkai alike… will do with such a thing…"
"You're right, my child." Kaede said from behind Kagome and Sango. The old woman sighed, "I would help you but I am too old for such a journey…"
"Alright, alright I know what you're about to say! I'll help but only if I get to make my wish!" Inuyasha snorted. He grinned arrogantly. Kaede shook her head but said nothing.
"We can't let him make any wishes!" Sango protested, "And who's to say once we begin our journey you won't kill us both!"
"Stop being foolish, taijiya." Inuyasha growled, "I have no intention of killing you. I gave my word to Kagome that I would not."
"One such as you could never know the meaning of honor." Sango growled. Her eyes narrowing, "I've known enough youkais in my life to know that."
Inuyasha and Sango stared each other dead in the eye all for a moment before Kaede slipped some beads around Inuyasha's neck. The startled hanyou turned suddenly on her, "What are these things??"
"Sango, say a word of submission! Hurry before he removes the beads!" Kaede ordered.
Sango blinked, "Like Osawuri?"
Inuyasha hit the ground with an 'oof'. Sango's eyes widened slightly and Kaede nodded, "Yes, exactly."
Inuyasha pulled himself to his feet and growled in agitation "What the hell are these things???"
"They're spiritual beads." Kagome said and smiled, "Obaasan must have placed a spell on them. They react to only Sango's voice. When she says "Osawuri" you will go into submission. That way, you can surely never kill her." Kagome grinned, "Good idea Obaasan!"
"WHAT???"
"Really?" Sango asked, her eyes wide. She blinked once. "Osawuri."
Inuyasha hit the ground before he could say another word. Sango blinked again. And once more, before a grin spread across her face. "I like that."
Inuyasha got to his feet and crossed his arms, "You would." He grumbled to himself. Kagome laughed quietly before smiling.
"Looks like we have a mission." She stated, staring at both Inuyasha and Sango.
Sango nodded, her eyes going cold once again. "How exactly are we going to find every last shard? They're so tiny, Kagome…"
"I can sense the presence of the shards." Kagome smiled reassuringly.
Inuyasha sighed, "Well… shall we start?"
"No. First we should pack supplies." Sango stated.
"Oh yeah, whatever," Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"Don't you three worry about that. I'll do it for you." Kaede said, raising her hand and placing it on Sango's shoulder's, "Sango the Taijiya, please protect my grandchild. She's powerful, but she's young and inexperienced."
Kagome blushed and looked at her feet. Her Obaasan didn't have to say that right in front of her!
Sango nodded, "I will protect Kagome with my life."
"Thank you." Kaede said softly. Her eyes clouded over slightly, before she turned and walked away back towards the village.
Inuyasha let out a growl, "Damn it Sango, you can't go around promising that you're gonna protect people because I gotta risk my life to save you and I'd rather not have you jumpin' out and taking someone else's death blow, thank you very much."
"Osawuri." Sango snorted and walked away. Kagome giggled and followed after the taijiya.
Inuyasha picked his nose out of the dirt and sighed, "I really hate that."
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There you go, the second chapter! Shorter than the first but I really want to end it right here. =D
I'm debating whether I want Kikyo in this story or not… I'm not sure… Why don't some of you wonderful readers tell me what you think?
