A/N: I do not own Inuyasha OR Rurouni Kenshin. I do however own a big DVD collection of each and horrendous amounts of merchandise, so please don't sue I'm a loyal customer.
Chapter 3. A New Apprentice
"Yahiko get back here!" Kagome could hear Kaoru yelling from down the street. It felt weird this past week setting up shop up the street from the dojo in the old temple that would one day be her home. She had been about to drop the priestess guise and quietly find a place to stay outside the dojo, but apparently Saitoh had mentioned something about a traveling priestess to his superiors.
Now Kagome was staying at the temple at the request of the local politicians who thought that finally having a priestess in the temple was a grand idea. She just hoped that she wasn't somehow one of her own ancestors. That would be too creepy. She had just completed a shiver imagining herself bouncing her baby grandfather on her knee when the aforementioned target of Kaoru's wrath came barreling onto the temple grounds. "Quick Ms. Kagome, please hide me!"
Kagome thought about it for a moment. "Why? What have you been up to?" Kagome said seriously.
"Nothing, I swear! I'm just trying to skip sword practice this morning is all!" Yahiko said plaintively.
"Oh, alright. Hide in there." Kagome directed pointing at one of the buildings. Yahiko was off like a light and had just gotten inside when Kaoru showed up.
Kaoru was out of breath and stood there huffing for a moment before she could talk. "Ms. Kagome, do you know where Yahiko went?" She said between pants.
"He ran by here just a moment ago. If you hurry, you might just catch him." Kagome said as she continued to sweep the steps of the temple.
Kaoru grinned and took of down the street with renewed vigor. Kagome waited until she was gone before she went back toward the temple. "She's gone, so you can come out now." Kagome said to the hiding young man.
"Thank you Ms. Kagome. I've got to go. I'll be late for work." Yahiko said as he started to rush off.
"Work?" Kagome said skeptically. "I thought Kaoru allowed you to work at the Akabeko all the time?"
"I'm not working there. I got a job working in one of the warehouses." Yahiko said happily.
"Still, I don't see Kaoru being too upset over you actually starting to pay for your room and board at the dojo." Kagome said.
Yahiko went white and Kagome was starting to get even more suspicious. "Please don't tell her where I've been going. If she finds out she might actually start expecting me to do just that."
"Then why are you working, Yahiko?" Kagome asked seriously.
"I can't tell you. I gotta go now, bye!" Yahiko said as he bolted off towards the warehouse district.
Kagome watched the young man go and shook her head. Growing up always did have a way of changing people's priorities. She leaned on the broom and thought about it for a moment, and then went back to thinking about her grandfather in diapers.
In front of the Akabeko, Tsubame busied herself sweeping the front of the restaurant. It wasn't very busy today so she had time to entertain her favorite pastime. Sweeping while she was daydreaming of Yahiko. He was standing in front of her with sword out promising to protect her. What was it Tae had called him? Oh yes, her samurai in a shining gi.
Tsubame had to admit this didn't sound much like Yahiko, and she had NO idea how a gi was supposed to shine. Tsubame dropped the thought and went back to imagining Yahiko wrapping his arms around her.
Tsubame was so lost in thought that it took a few minutes for her to realize that Yahiko was indeed standing in front of her and seemed to be saying something.
"Huh?" She managed.
"I said good afternoon, Tsubame." Yahiko said again.
"Oh, hello Yahiko. Is everyone else with you?" Tsubame said while she was thinking 'Please say no. Please say no. Please say no.'
"Naw. Kenshin's cooking." Yahiko started while Tsubame was thinking. 'Thank you.' "I just stopped by to see you. Are you nearly done working?" Yahiko asked anxiously.
"Yes, I'm going to go home soon. If you like you can wait out back for me." Tsubame said shyly.
Yahiko nodded and ran through the back door as fast as he could. Tsubame sighed as she watched him go. He always made it a point to walk her home, even though he hadn't been around the restaurant much of late.
Tsubame sighed and went back to her work. The day had flown by so far, but it seemed like time stood still for the few minutes she had to wait before it was time for her to go home. Finally, Tae nodded to Tsubame who apparently had a look of longing on her face.
Tsubame took off her apron and started towards the back of the restaurant looking for Yahiko. She finally found him in the alley outside.
Tsubame came walking up behind and noticed he was apparently preoccupied with something in his lap. As she approached she could just hear him saying, "Oh, Tsubame."
Confused, Tsubame approached cautiously. Yahiko was obviously preoccupied with whatever he had in his lap and she didn't want to startle him. She was nearly upon him before he heard her and she was surprised as he suddenly hunched over as if to conceal something.
"What are you looking at Yahiko?" Tsubame asked trying to look over his shoulder.
Yahiko tried to turn away from her and looked as if he was trying desperately to shove something down into his pants. "NOTHING! IT'S NOTHING!"
Tsubame finally managed to maneuver around Yahiko until she could see that something long and hard was sticking up underneath his pants. The last thing she remembered was Yahiko leaping up to grab her as everything went black.
Kagome hated sweeping this place. It was amazing that there were places here that would remain unchanged until her native time. Places she'd been assigned to clean for punishment as a child by her grandfather. Now that it was her duty to clean them herself she realized why it had been such a popular punishment and why her grandfather had been so strict as to be able to punish her often. Well, time to scrub the floors.
Kagome had just put her broom away and gotten out the bucket when Yahiko came running up the front stairs of the temple. She had to admit apparently Kaoru was at the very least a pretty good physical fitness coach, because he had some girl on his back while he was running.
"Ms. Kagome! Please help, I can't find Megumi!" Yahiko cried as he came running straight to her. He was out of breath and was obviously frantic. The girl on his back didn't move. "Please save her, I think she's dead!" Yahiko said nearly in tears.
Kagome quickly checked the young girl and realized she'd probably fainted.
"Put her in here Yahiko." Kagome said as she ushered the young boy into her sleeping chamber. Yahiko quickly put the girl down on the futon and moved away so Kagome could look more closely. She had a nasty bump on the head, probably from the fall, but was otherwise unharmed.
Kagome looked up at the worried Yahiko and sighed. "She'll be alright Yahiko, just come into the next room will you?"
Yahiko looked ready to argue, but complied. Kagome shook her head in disgust as she followed him out. Males! They come dragging in half dead and laugh about it as if it's nothing and then fall apart the second the women they care about gets a scratch. Kagome smiled. She had to admit; it was still a rather endearing quality in the gender.
Kagome closed the door and pulled Yahiko away. The boy looked absolutely miserable. "Well, tell me what happened."
Yahiko couldn't bring his gaze up from the floor while he spoke. "It's all my fault. She's so shy, I should have never have done that to her."
"Did what Yahiko?" Kagome said sounding more concerned by the moment.
"I've been working for the past few weeks at a warehouse so I could save up enough money to buy Tsubame this." Yahiko said pulling a long slender case out of his pants. "It's a necklace I saw in the marketplace and I thought she would like it. It was very expensive. I had just bought it today and was going to give it to her for her birthday." Yahiko said miserably.
"What's this got to do with her fainting?" Kagome asked perplexed.
"Well, I was waiting for Tsubame to get off work so I could walk her home so I had it out looking at it. She came walking up on me and I didn't realize it. I stuffed it back in my pocket as fast as I could, but I think I might have yelled at her." Yahiko looked heartbroken. "She passed out after that."
Kagome shook her head for a moment and tried to suppress her smile. Young love could be so cute sometimes. "OK, well she's going to be alright. You wait outside and I'll bring her out to you."
Kagome left Yahiko and went get her herb pouches. She'd concocted her own special brand of smelling salts some time ago and they seemed to be just what the doctor ordered.
Kagome got her pouch and went back in to sit next to Tsubame. She pulled out some of the odiferous herbs and waved them under the girl's nose until she started to stir.
Tsubame opened her eyes and looked around the room. She didn't know where she was for a moment before she felt a reassuring hand touch her shoulder. "Take it easy child. You had a bit of a scare apparently."
The memories came flooding back to her as she lay there for a moment. Yahiko! Tsubame started blushing furiously. She hadn't been able to look at Yahiko the same way since she and Tae had discussed IT.
"Where's Yahiko, and who are you?" Tsubame asked in her sweet, innocent, please-don't-kill-me voice. The young girl wasn't much older than she was.
"My name is Kagome, and this is my home. Yahiko brought you here after you fainted. He's waiting outside. He's feeling awfully embarrassed and guilty for the whole incident. I hope you won't be too angry with him." Kagome said smiling down at her.
Tsubame laid her head back and tried to clear the cobwebs. She remembered looking over his shoulder. Tae had told her that young men sometimes touched themselves there when they were thinking about the girls they liked, one of the many topics that she'd been informed of when Tae had told her about IT. Tsubame had never even imagined that of Yahiko though.
"I could never be angry with Yahiko." Tsubame said sighing. "I was just a little surprised is all."
"I take it you saw what he was hiding then." Kagome said seriously.
Tsubame looked up shocked. "He told you about it?"
Kagome smiled and nodded. "Yes, he told me the whole story. Like I said he feels pretty guilty for the whole affair. Really you should feel flattered."
Tsubame looked at the older girl completely stupefied. "Flattered?"
"Yes. He showed it to me when he brought you here. Boys don't give something like that to just anybody you know." Kagome said happily.
Tsubame changed her mind about being able to be mad at Yahiko. He actually showed IT to this woman? Kagome was looking at her strangely, apparently the hurt registered on her face.
"What's wrong Tsubame? You do want it don't you?" Kagome asked.
Tsubame tried not to cry. "Yes, it's just that I didn't really get to be the first one to see it. He covered it up before I could see."
Kagome nodded knowingly. "That's alright dear. I'm sure you'll enjoy it when he gives it to you. It's beautiful and quite large, I'm sure any girl would be proud to have one like it."
Tsubame was still a little shaken, but her curiosity was slowly getting the better of her. "Was it really that long?" Tsubame asked shyly putting her hands to her cheeks and trying not to blush.
Kagome smiled. "I'm sure it'll make you proud. You're a lucky girl to have a young man able to give you something that nice."
Tsubame couldn't help but blush now. She tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach.
Kagome stood up and put her pouch away in a small cupboard nearby. "Here, I'll tell you what. Yahiko wanted to wait to give it to you, but how about I tell him to go ahead and give it to you now since you've already seen it."
Tsubame nearly fainted dead away again. "Now? Here?" She said unconsciously looking around the room.
"Yeah, might as well since the surprise is gone, you might as well start enjoying it now." Kagome said heading over to the door.
Tsubame tried to remain calm as she started to stammer. "But… I don't… How do you go about 'accepting' something like that?" Tsubame said desperately.
Kagome gave her a confused look and shook her head in exasperation. "Just smile and take it girl. Trust me, if you don't somebody else will."
Kagome left the room for a moment as Tsubame sat up into a kneeling position and folded her hands into her lap. She tried desperately to straighten her kimono as Kagome brought Yahiko back into the room. Tsubame looked up as Yahiko came over to her shyly.
"I'm sorry I yelled like that Tsubame." Yahiko said sadly.
"That's OK, Yahiko." Tsubame said as she tried to keep the tremble out of her voice. Tsubame closed her eyes and tried to keep her heart from racing, but then why was Kagome still in the room?
"I wanted to wait until your birthday, but since you already saw it I hope you won't mind me giving it to you now." Yahiko said as he went to pull something from his pants.
Tsubame closed her eyes and held out her hand as Yahiko placed something into it. She opened her eyes to look down at the black little case he had given her. Confused she opened it to see one of the biggest most beautiful necklaces she'd ever seen. Tsubame could hardly contain her relief as she grabbed Yahiko around the neck.
"Yahiko I'm so glad that this is what you were going to give me!" Tsubame cried in delight. She looked over to Kagome. The older girl's eyes were about the size of saucers and Tsubame thought she could hear an audible 'click' coming from the vicinity of her brain. She was suddenly blushing furiously herself.
"What do you mean? Of course this is what I was going to give you Tsubame. You do like it don't you?" Yahiko had a look of trepidation combined with blissful ignorance that almost broke her heart.
"I think what she means is that she saw this necklace in the marketplace and was dreaming of some dashing young samurai getting it for her Yahiko." Kagome supplied quickly. Tsubame just smiled at Yahiko as he tried desperately to puff himself up three times larger than he actually was.
"Thank you Kagome-sama!" Yahiko chimed in. "I don't know what I would have done without your help. If there's ever anything you need, just let me know."
Kagome smiled blandly until her eyes fell on the bucket and the dingy floors of the old temple. Suddenly her eyes narrowed and Yahiko began to look uncomfortable as her grin broadened. "Now that you mention it Yahiko there is something I need some help with. Could you please clean the floors of the temple for me? I invited Kaoru and Megumi over for tea later, and I need to get started making the snacks we'll be eating."
Yahiko squirmed, but Kagome had him dead to rights. A samurai never breaks his word, and if Yahiko fancied himself a samurai he'd never renege on an offer of help. The fact he was in front of Tsubame helped matters too. "I kind of meant that if you needed any help fighting some faceless demon swordsman I could come to your aid." Yahiko said miserably. He was in debt and he knew it. Kagome wasn't about to pass up free labor.
"No Yahiko, the floors will do nicely." Kagome said smiling. She almost felt guilty, but it would at the very least teach the boy not to mouth off and promise what he didn't want to deliver too quickly.
Yahiko finally grumbled but set to work scrubbing the temple floors. Kagome turned to the young girl and smiled. "Would you like to stay for tea Tsubame? Kaoru and Megumi will be here soon."
The sun had set by the time Kaoru arrived with this Megumi woman that Kagome had heard so much about. She was tall and older and had a very sophisticated look about her. Kaoru had mentioned she was a doctor, and Kagome had urged them to please not spread the secret of her powers around. Kaoru had insisted however that they could trust Megumi and that she was very suspicious about the wounds Sano had suffered.
Yahiko was hanging around the front of the temple when the two women arrived. Kagome could hear the argument already in full swing by the time she entered her sitting room with the tea and cake.
"I'm not going back to the dojo, ugly! I'm going to escort Tsubame home!" Yahiko was shouting at the kenjutsu instructor.
"I can't believe you're being this disrespectful to your sensei, Yahiko." Kaoru was shouting back.
Kagome decided to diffuse the situation. "Yahiko, Tsubame won't be ready to go until after tea so find something else to do while the ladies and I are talking. You skipped practice today did you not? Go practice in the yard."
"Yeah, three hundred swings right here!" Kaoru cried triumphantly.
Yahiko stalked off to go do his practice swings while Kagome and the other three young women settled down. Kagome looked over at Tsubame who was apparently enthralled by Yahiko doing his practice drills. At least that would keep her from having to include the girl too much in conversation.
"Thank you for having us over Ms. Kagome." Kaoru said happily.
"That's fine dear, I just wanted to have you over and to talk about how things are between you and Kenshin now. I've been a bit worried about my meddling from before and wanted to make sure everything was alright." Kagome said courteously.
Kaoru seemed to sadden somewhat. "Everything is back to normal, I'm afraid."
Megumi sat looking impassive. "I think you should drug him personally. Some men wouldn't know how to show affection if it were a body part and they were buck naked."
Kagome smirked. "Not really a good solution. It's a novelty every now and again but it's more enjoyable when the man is actually awake for it." Kagome said laughing slightly.
The raised eyebrow she got from Megumi reminded her that she was supposed to be a priestess, not some harlot from the red light district. Thankfully Tsubame showed no sign of hearing any of them.
"It's not like that." Kaoru said finally. "Kenshin acts as if nothing happened. I know he has to remember what he and I talked about. He hasn't said anything about it though."
"What talk was this?" Megumi asked seriously.
"It's a bit hard to explain, Ms. Megumi. Kagome helped me see a side of Kenshin I've never seen before. Two sides even." Kaoru said as she sipped her tea.
"Is this what you were going on about? I'm here because I want to know why Sanosuke is still alive. That wound was mortal, and no amount of convincing is going to make it otherwise." Megumi crossed her arms and looked at Kagome. "I'd like to know exactly what's going on."
Kagome sighed. There really was no help for it. The woman had seen too much, and she had no choice but to explain the whole affair to her like she had Kaoru and the others. With luck she'd think she was insane.
Megumi sat quietly and listened as Kagome told her about her past and the jewel. She explained about her abnormally long lifespan and the powers she was able to wield. All things considered Megumi took it quite well.
"That is the most ridiculous story I've ever heard! Did the rooster head put you up to this Kaoru? Where is he? When I get my hands on him, I'll teach him to set me up for a prank." Megumi said ready to rise and go beat sense into Sano until he was senseless.
"It's no prank Megumi. Sit Down." Kagome said tiredly.
"So you've been alive for nearly five hundred years?" Tsubame asked.
Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin when the girl spoke. She had intended to send the girl away before revealing her secrets like that, but the girl was as quiet as a mouse and was able to blend into the background so well as to be nearly unnoticeable.
Kagome nodded and turned back toward Megumi. "Maybe a demonstration is in order."
"What kind of demonstration?" Megumi asked with a mixture of trepidation and skepticism.
"This is a simple exercise that is the basis of learning to manipulate a sorceress' powers." Kagome said setting down her tea.
"I thought you were a priestess." Megumi said uneasily.
"I was, a long time ago. Then with me being married and all, 'sorceress' sounded like a better description. Now stop changing the subject." Kagome said leaning forward and touching Megumi's forehead.
What appeared above their small table was small, multicolored orb about the size of a softball. It swirled chaotically with a mixture of different colors, but was predominantly brown.
"What's that thing?" Megumi said drawing away. The orb began to change its color from brown to gray.
"It's what's commonly referred to as a 'thought bubble'. It's a teaching tool that I learned a few years back. It reflects your thoughts and emotions. Right now it is glowing gray, which indicates that you are uneasy or afraid. A few moments ago it was glowing brown, which generally indicates skepticism. Everything about the orb, from its size, color, and shape indicates something about the mental state of the person. By learning to control your mind you can manipulate the orb and learn to control your powers." Kagome said in her best professional tone.
The orb hovered in front of them and slowly changed to the same multicolor swirl pattern without any real color becoming dominant. Megumi stared at the thing and but finally shook her head. "I can't do anything with it."
"Like I said, it isn't easy to control the orb. For most people it simply serves as an indicator of what your experiencing at the time. You should be proud however; most people don't have an orb of that size. I've noticed that typically trained professionals have slightly larger mental orbs due to their training, and this is definitely not one to be ashamed of." Kagome said happily.
"Can we try?" Kaoru said looking at the strange orb.
"Certainly." Kagome said. This was relatively simple and unobtrusive magic. While being a little showy, it actually had little meaning to a mundane person than being a sort of cosmic mood ring.
Kaoru's orb was much smaller than Megumi's, a fact that both disappointed Kaoru and had Megumi beaming. However it was much less chaotic. There were fewer colors in her orb, most of them changing much more slowly than Megumi's.
"Does this mean I'm not as smart as Megumi?" Kaoru said sadly.
"It means Megumi is more educated than you are." Kagome corrected softly. "Besides Kaoru, while I'm not going to say 'size doesn't matter', I will say that it isn't everything. For instance notice how your colors change much more slowly, and are less turbulent than Megumi's? That indicates that your emotions run much deeper than hers do. It also indicates that your heart is more focused than hers."
This seemed to please Kaoru while drawing a grimace from Megumi. It wasn't really that such things were a big surprise to people. Sometimes, however, it was fun to hear someone else notice. Finally, Kagome turned to Tsubame. "Would you like to try?"
Tsubame didn't speak; she just quietly and meekly nodded her head. Kagome sighed. This girl was going to be sought after. Most men fell all over themselves for a woman who was so gentle… and meek.
Kagome touched Tsubame's forehead and nearly gasped at the result. The bubble that hovered in front of them was nearly the size of a volleyball. Its shape wobbled uncertainly sometimes elongating into an egg shape and seemed to have a life of its own as it expanded and contracted in different places. Like Kaoru's orb, the colors moved slowly. Parts of the orb were nearly all pink.
Apparently the significance of the orb wasn't entirely lost on the two other women. "What does it mean, Lady Kagome?" Kaoru asked awestruck.
"Potential. Raw… potential." Kagome said staring at the orb in front of her. "She has massive strength of mind and spirit, uncontrolled, but still present. She feels, and more importantly, loves deeply. I could teach this one…" Kagome said breathlessly. In four hundred years she'd never seen a child with this much potential. She didn't know if her own powers would be as impressive were it not for the jewel.
All the floating lights had apparently attracted some attention. Yahiko walked up to the table having finished his exercises. The three women looked up at him, but Kagome watched the orbs. Indifference and slight annoyance from Megumi for being interrupted, sisterly affection from Kaoru, but Tsubame's bubble blazed to life and was nearly entirely pink with small, random flashes of red. It also seemed to grow slightly and wobble even more.
"What are you guys doing? I'm done with my practice swings now." Yahiko said eyeing the orbs over the table.
Kagome looked up at Yahiko with distant eyes. She guessed that she must look like she was peering straight through his soul the way Yahiko suddenly seemed to be getting uncomfortable. "Yahiko, could you please bring us the tray of snacks I left in the kitchen?" Kagome said putting a restraining hand on Tsubame as she tried to jump up. "You stay here child."
Yahiko darted off for the kitchen, seemingly thankful to have everyone not staring at him. Kagome sat looking at the orbs that had returned to normal.
"Lady Kagome?" Megumi asked. "I believe you told us pink was the color of love, which we certainly weren't surprised to see, but what were the red flashes?"
Kagome and Megumi looked over to Tsubame, who promptly started to blush and hide her face. "Need you ask?" Kagome said dryly.
"I guess not." Megumi said with a smirk.
"She's a little young for such thoughts, don't you think?" Kaoru said parentally.
"I think I was about that age when I started looking at boys that way." Megumi said nostalgically.
The conversation stalled as Yahiko came walking back with the tray of rice balls and another visitor. Sano walked behind Yahiko mesmerized by the tray of goodies he was obviously preoccupied with. Kagome watched the orbs again; this was getting amusing. This time there was indifference from Tsubame, sisterly affection from Kaoru, but Megumi's orb began to pulsate and flash a deep red with streaks of pink.
"Hey, you guys aren't messing with all that magic stuff are you?" Sano said with a look of apprehension.
His apprehension was nearly nonexistent compared to Megumi's however, who seeing her orb, jumped up from the table. "No actually I was just getting ready to leave." She said in a rush. Kagome politely dispelled her sphere.
"Aw, why don't you and Sano stay?" Kaoru said with an almost fox-like glint in her eyes, bright amusement and mischief running through her orb.
"I would like some rice balls if you don't mind Kagome, but if the fox-lady's ready then I guess I'll walk you home." Sano said oblivious to the female fencing match being played between Kaoru and Megumi with their stares.
"Come on rooster head, I'll buy dinner." Megumi said, grabbing up Sano by the arm and taking off like the hounds of hell were after her. All Sano could do was get out a brief exclamation of surprise before he was whisked away. The two of them made the stairs in record time and nearly bowled Kenshin over as they quickly departed.
"I would have thought Megumi to be more of a woman of the world than to be embarrassed by having such a strong physical attraction to such a strong young man as Sanosuke." Kagome said faintly.
Kaoru turned back to her from watching the duo disappear out of sight and winked at Kagome. "I think it was the streaks of pink that scared her." Kaoru said sagely.
Kagome watched as Kenshin joined them looking back over his shoulder at the retreating pair with a look of faint confusion. "Did I miss something, Ms. Kaoru?" Kenshin said.
Kagome watched as Kaoru desperately tried to hide her orb. Plenty of pink, red and several other emotions were still visible though. The thing looked as if someone had dropped it in a blender and set it to puree. 'Big surprise.' Kagome thought to herself as she dismissed Kaoru's orb.
"We were just watching some of the pretty things Lady Kagome could make with her magic." Kaoru said dismissively.
"Oh." Kenshin said nearly oblivious to the almost frantic woman before him. "I was just coming to see if you were alright. Dinner is almost ready, that it is. You are welcome to join us for dinner Lady Kagome. Tsubame can come too, we have plenty."
"Especially with Sano going to eat with Megumi." Yahiko said dryly.
Kagome smiled at Yahiko and cleared away the tea. Yahiko watched as she carried everything off towards the kitchen. She left the rice balls promising to bring them to dinner. She then retired to her room to change.
The four of them stood around waiting for her to return when Tsubame gently tugged on Yahiko's sleeve. Yahiko turned around and softened his voice when talking to her as he always did. "Yeah Tsubame?"
"Yahiko who is that?" Tsubame asked with a faintly scared tone in her voice.
Yahiko looked to where she was pointing and noticed the young woman standing at the top of the stairs. Something about her made the hair on the back of Yahiko's head rise. Apparently she had been having a similar effect on Kenshin and Kaoru.
Kaoru stepped forward to meet the visitor. "I'm sorry, the temple is closed. You'll have to come back tomorrow." Kaoru stated politely.
The young woman looked up at Kaoru and sneered. "They didn't tell me you had reincarnated yourself, Kagome. Oh well, no matter."
Yahiko's eyes widened as he suddenly realized what was happening. He grabbed Tsubame and headed for cover as the woman threw her hands forward and shouted. "SOUL BLASTER!"
Yahiko looked back as the light struck Kenshin in the back. He had jumped for Kaoru just as he had jumped to save Tsubame. Both of them had been slower than the power this woman wielded, but Kenshin had at least been able to dive in front of Kaoru. Yahiko realized that if he and Tsubame had been the targets, there was no way he could have been fast enough.
Kenshin toppled into Kaoru and both of them landed in a heap together. Yahiko watched as the two of them rippled with the energy they had been hit with.
The young woman laughed as she stepped forward. "A pity you didn't recognize me Kagome. The demons that sent me thought it might take you a moment, which was all the time I needed to use my new spell."
"TSUBAKI!" Kagome screamed as she leapt from the temple. She hadn't had time to change, and energy billowed around her priestess garments as she charged the woman.
The woman leaped back and brought a similar dark nimbus around her. "I guess it wasn't you after all. It's strange how you've managed to last all these years without aging. Well, no matter. I wanted to see if my spells could penetrate your defenses at full potency, so now I guess I get to try."
Yahiko watched as the two women lashed at each other with their powers. Crackling lightning bolts arced between the two in a furious battle. Yahiko pulled Tsubame behind him and looked over to Kaoru and Kenshin. They were both still alive, but from the look of things they were unconscious. Yahiko turned back to the battle to see the young woman and Kagome reaching a fever pitch.
"IRON REAVER – SOUL STEALER!" Kagome cried racing towards her opponent with her hands out stretched like claws.
"SOUL BLASTER!" The young woman screamed as Kagome closed the distance. The energy blasted directly into Kagome, tearing at her protective barriers and sending energy flaring out of her back. Yahiko watched in horror as a small round gem popped from her back and rolled towards him.
As Kagome collapsed to the ground she looked back and saw Yahiko. "Yahiko! Get the Jewel!"
Yahiko left Tsubame behind the cover of the old well and charged towards the jewel as fast as his young legs would carry him. He grabbed it just as black lightning danced over the spot where he had been standing. He grabbed the jewel and rolled until he came to look up at the young woman above him.
"So this is the best protector you can recruit, Kagome? A pity child, you'll never know the joy of seeing tomorrow's sun." The woman sneered as she looked down at him.
Everything seemed to slow down and happen in slow motion. Kagome was leaping to her feet trying to collect her strength as the woman raised her hand above her head summoning the dark lightning that was going to take his life.
Suddenly Yahiko heard someone scream "NO!" as Tsubame jumped on top of him and buried her tear-streaked face into his shirt, offering herself up for him. She clasped his hands in hers and waited for the end.
Yahiko pulled her close and tried to roll over so that he could take the blast instead, but he was too slow. The energy arced at the two of them. Yahiko couldn't see the woman behind him, but the energy never struck him. He opened his eyes and looked up to see some sort of glowing pink aura had surrounded both himself and Tsubame. He sighed in relief. Kagome had saved them.
Yahiko watched as the woman looked down at the two of them. "How DARE you!" She screamed.
Suddenly she was jolted to the side as a reverse blade sword connected with her ribcage. Yahiko looked for his idol and mentor, the man whose craft he sought to emulate, and instead found… Kaoru!
Kaoru had a murderous look on her face as she practically growled at the woman. "That's my student witch!"
Yahiko was dumbfounded as he watched Kaoru leap for the woman. Normally this would have meant suicide, but Kaoru moved faster than he had ever seen her move before. She managed to dance aside as energy crackled toward her and began to rain blow after blow against her adversary's shield with Kenshin's sword. She was using her most advanced techniques, and a few Yahiko didn't even recognize as she pummeled at the woman.
Finally, it seemed as if Kaoru were going to batter her way through the shield when the woman jumped back. "This isn't over! I'll deal with you three later!"
With a flash she was gone. Kaoru was breathing hard and had a look on her face Yahiko had never seen before. Kagome was quickly hovering over Yahiko.
"Yahiko! Do you have the jewel?" She said desperately.
"Yahiko pulled his hands from Tsubame's grip and held up the jewel. Yes, I managed to get it. Thank you for putting up this shield over us. We'd be dead without it." Yahiko said looking at the pink nimbus that still hovered over them.
"It wasn't me, Yahiko." Kagome said sadly. "Tsubame, clear your mind and the shield will go away."
Yahiko looked down stunned at Tsubame still half underneath him. She looked up timidly and closed her eyes. The shield over them wavered and finally glowed bright red a moment before it disappeared. "I don't understand Lady Kagome. You mean Tsubame saved us?"
Kagome still looked ready to cry. "Yes, Yahiko, it appears the jewel has chosen my successor."
Kaoru was standing over them looking on as if nothing were wrong in the world. Finally Kenshin seemed to come around and suddenly jumped up to come check on them. As he got close Kaoru noticed him and then deftly sheathed his sword. "Here's your sword Kenshin." She said offering him the blade like a fellow samurai. "I'm sorry I didn't ask, but I didn't have time."
Yahiko watched as Kenshin reached out with trembling hands to take the sword, but stopped midway. Yahiko couldn't believe what he was seeing. Kenshin's hands were trembling?
"Maybe you should keep it for now Ms. Kaoru." Kenshin said apologetically. "I'm still a bit shaken from what just happened."
Kenshin looked at Kaoru and Kaoru looked at Kenshin. Realization and horror seemed to be creeping across their faces simultaneously. "Oh, Kami." They said in unison.
"Our souls are WHAT?" Kaoru asked incredulously as Kagome finished her examination. The two orbs that hovered in front of her and Kenshin disappeared, and Kagome shook her head in disbelief.
"I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Part of Kenshin's soul got blasted out of his body and entered yours. If it hadn't been for Kenshin's… peculiar, nature then the blast would have probably killed him. The spell Tsubaki used was designed to dislodge someone's soul, or at least anything bonded to their soul, like the jewel. When Tsubaki tried to blast you thinking that you were me, she must have dislodged Kenshin's warrior spirit and it got transferred to you. You're in possession of his talent and ability." Kagome said quietly.
"Does that mean that Kaoru will become the Battousi?" Kenshin said worriedly.
"Not necessarily, it just means that your power and as a result the part of you that controls your actions by instinct and emotion are now housed within her. Under such a state she will be prone to reacting even more emotionally. This may also mean she will be prone to reacting more violently." Kagome said unsure of how to handle the situation. This was her fault. These people had been trying to help her and now they were caught up in her fight.
"Great, we're doomed." Yahiko said bluntly. "Kaoru's already emotional AND violent."
The movement was so swift that none of them could have moved to stop her if they had tried. Within a heartbeat, Kenshin's sword was buried next to Yahiko's head in the wall. Yahiko looked ready to faint as he took a rather close look at Kenshin's blade.
The chill in Kaoru's voice seemed to make the room grow colder. She wasn't even looking in Yahiko's direction and when she did look at him Kagome guessed that Yahiko was probably wishing that she wasn't. "Yahiko, I've tried for some time to beat some manners into you and to turn you into something less than a loud mouthed kid who didn't deserve the lessons I taught and into a man who held people in respect which is the way of our sword style. You have rejected what I've taught you at every turn and only been receptive to that which you thought would make you stronger and more powerful. Someday, I hope you realize that true strength comes from the heart, not from the sword arm. In the meantime, all you have done is sneer at my efforts and ridicule the hand that has sheltered you, fed you, and loved you like a younger brother. I would have hoped that the son of a samurai would be more grateful."
Kaoru's words seemed to slice rather than sink into Yahiko as she continued. "Despite all of this I have continued to teach you. While yes, at times my anger at you became too much and I disciplined you, have you ever known me to hurt you seriously? Has my discipline ever been too much to bear?"
"I just don't want to be thought of as little or weak." Yahiko said defensively. He looked as if he were ready to cry, though from fear or guilt Kagome couldn't tell.
Kagome nearly jumped as Kaoru pulled Yahiko into her lap and hugged him close. "You are little still, but you won't be for much longer. You are MY little one. Soon you will be grown and you'll go on to be strong. I am sure of this. Just let me enjoy what time I have to think of you as my student and as a little brother."
Then as quickly as she had pulled him close she pulled away and brought him up to stand with her. "Now go take Tsubame home. It's getting late and I don't want her around here if Tsubaki returns."
"That may not be the best of ideas Kaoru." Kagome said seriously. "Tsubaki saw what Tsubame did. She will know the girls potential and her link to the jewel. Besides myself, she probably knows more about how to use the jewel than anyone else."
"What do you propose we do then?" Kaoru said looking at the young girl.
"I think I can prepare a ritual to put you and Kenshin back the way you were. The only problem is that it will require some special herbs I don't have with me. I could go get them, but they are on the continent and I need to stay here in Japan and find out who Tsubaki is working for. I also need to protect Tsubame from Tsubaki. Tsubaki will try to kill her if she gets the chance. She knows that the jewel will not respond to her as long as Tsubame and I are alive." Kagome said desperately.
Kaoru had apparently reached a decision. "Very well, you stay here and watch Yahiko and Tsubame. I'll take Kenshin and Sanosuke with me and I'll go to the mainland to see if I can find this herb you need. Tsubaki probably won't bother us since she seems more concerned with you and Tsubame. I'll bring her head back to you if she does."
Kagome almost wanted to chuckle at the thought, but realized Kaoru was probably being serious. She didn't really want to test her hypothesis either. "Then it's settled."
Kaoru turned to Kenshin. "You stay here and get some rest. It's your soul that got blasted after all. Get some sleep, and I'll be back with Sanosuke. We'll set out first thing in the morning. We'll see if we can't get some sort of passage across to the mainland."
Kagome pulled a small pouch from her belt. It was her fault they had to go on this mission after all. "Here, take this money. You should be able to pay most of your way with this."
Kaoru nodded and accepted the purse without comment. She then went to pull Kenshin's sword out of he wall and leave. Before leaving though she took the sword and propped it in a corner. "This might draw too much notice."
Kagome turned to Kenshin after she had left. She was surprised the man was still alive after having part of his soul ripped out. "Kenshin, I need to see your dreams tonight."
Kenshin nodded obediently. Kagome sat back to think about the situation she had found herself in while Kenshin busied himself around the dojo packing the things that they would need for their journey. Tsubame was looking at her expectantly, and it was getting late. "You and I are going to stay here tonight child. Will anyone worry if you do not return?"
"Only Ms. Tae." Tsubame said meekly. "Will she be in any danger?"
"Only if you go back tonight. Tsubaki had no idea about you before tonight, because I know I sure didn't either. We'll send word to her that you're staying here tonight with Ms. Kaoru."
Tsubame nodded obediently. "Lady Kagome?"
"Yes, child."
"What did you mean when you said that the jewel had chosen your successor?" Tsubame asked seriously.
"It means that the jewel has bonded to your soul just as it has or rather did to mine. Fortunately, I think my powers are still at full strength. However it may be that I will now begin to age and my powers diminish since you have been selected as its guardian." Kagome said sadly. She had always dreamed of one day finding someone to take over the charge, but not like this. This little girl was going to stay a little girl for a very long time, while Yahiko aged and became a man. She would have to watch the one she loved die just as Kagome had done, three times now.
"Does that mean I can't work at the Akabeko anymore? Does this mean I can't go home?" Tsubame said as she began to cry. Yahiko moved over to comfort her and she cried onto his shoulder.
"It will be alright, Tsubame." Kagome said trying to reassure the girl. "You'll still be able to go back there, you just won't be able to stay and work there. I'm sure Ms. Tae will be very proud of you. You'll be a priestess and it will be a good profession for you. You'll have to stay with me at the temple too, at least for a while. It will be dangerous for you until you learn to control your powers."
"Don't worry Tsubame, I'll be with you." Yahiko whispered softly to her. "It sounded like Kaoru wanted me to stay with you as well." He said looking up to Kagome.
Kagome nodded. "Try to get some sleep Yahiko. Tsubame can stay in the spare room with me tonight."
Yahiko nodded and led Tsubame to the spare room before turning in for the night. It left Kagome time to be alone with her thoughts before Kenshin went to bed. She felt sorry for the hardships that Tsubame would soon have to face, but there was little she could do.
Kagome's mind drifted back to her own problems. Someone would have to be fairly familiar with her past to know enough to enlist Tsubaki. They would have to have found her reincarnation and completed a reawakening ceremony. Tsubaki was the only enemy she had they could have done this with too. Demons didn't reincarnate, only humans. She was also fairly certain that Tsubaki could have never come up with a technique that powerful on her own. She already had an idea on how to block it, but Tsubaki lacked the power or training to accomplish it alone.
This left Kagome puzzled. She had outlived nearly all her old enemies from the past, and the ones that were still alive were pretty much retired. She was also fairly certain that no one from the current era could possibly have known enough about her to have known about Tsubaki, much less reawaken her. Kagome puzzled this for a while and before she realized it, she was asleep.
Kagome squeezed the water out of the cloth and tried to make her patient comfortable. She had the equivalent of a doctor's training and could heal things that most physicians of this time period thought were incurable, except this. Her patient groaned and rolled his head in her direction.
"I'm not going to make it out of this alive, am I?" He said between the pains that wracked his body.
"Lay still and try not to move, you'll only make it worse." Kagome said as she replaced the damp cloth on his forehead.
"You never could hide anything from me Kagome. I guess there are some things that even the Tensaiga can't cure." He said coughing.
Kagome put a soft hand on his cheek until he closed his eyes. She then moved over to the door to look out into the cold night of winter. It was nearly midnight, and he had pneumonia. The Bakumatsu was nearly over, that at least was good news, but it would be a hollow victory if she lost him.
Instead of growing old together, he had grown old and she had remained the same age. At first, they had traveled together as spouses, then as the years had passed they slowly started posing as father and daughter, and finally as grandfather and granddaughter. Now he lay dying, as she stayed the same age.
She had known this day would come but the circumstances were the worst she could have imagined. They had been delivering some medicines she had prepared to some friends when the soldiers ambushed them. He had fought bravely, but his age had finally caught up with him. She was standing out of the way when she saw one of the men was carrying a musket. He had fired at her. The bullet had been meant for her, but he had gotten in the way of it.
It should have killed him. She remembered him falling into her arms after he turned and rent the soldier in half with his claws. She had healed his gunshot wound, but the pneumonia had set in. Now they were here in this abandoned cabin and he was dying.
His gentle cough pulled her out of her sorrow long enough to move back to his side. It suddenly occurred to Kagome that something was very wrong. He wasn't old he was young again. He was also staring up at her. "The cat got your tongue, love?"
Kagome scrambled back from him as her eyes opened wide. "Shippou, what is this? You're dead."
"Right as usual my love, but this time only half right." Shippou said sitting up and throwing off the blanket. "You seem to dream of this place a lot."
"I try not to dream." Kagome said stunned. "It takes me back and I remember."
"I know." Shippou continued as he came over and hugged her close. "Whenever you DO dream though, you dream of this place. I must say that Kouga and Inuyasha have been quite jealous. You didn't dream about their deaths nearly as often."
"How can this be Shippou? You died ten years ago?" Kagome was valiantly trying to figure out what was going on. She could actually sense Shippou and know that his spirit was there with her in her dreams.
"Yes, love, but my spirit lives on in you. It was what allowed my consciousness to rejoin you here in your dreams." Shippou said gently holding Kagome close.
"You mean that I could have been with you in my dreams all this time? Why didn't you reveal yourself?" Kagome said with tears in her eyes.
"No, love. I didn't learn how until I reached the other side. Kouga and Inuyasha can't come because your soul was different from theirs. Since you both raised and loved me, my soul was more similar to your own. I was able to trace my way back to you while they couldn't. I've been waiting and watching for a long time for you to come here so I could speak to you. Every time I notice your presence, you awaken." Shippou said to her.
"I never want to wake up then. Let Tsubaki have the jewel and kill me in my sleep so I can be with you forever." Kagome said nuzzling into the chest of her beloved fox.
"No, love. You still have things to do. You've waited long I know, but your time isn't now. This girl you've found must bear the burden, and you must train her. This new menace though is a mystery to me as well, you might want to summon Lord Ginta during the next full moon and see what he has to say about it, but there's something else I wanted to tell you." Shippou said seriously.
"What is that my love?" Kagome said feeling the warmth of his chest under her hands again.
"You must get on with your life. You made me a promise and I don't want you to be alone." Shippou said seriously.
"I'm not alone Shippou. I have friends again and a new apprentice. That will do until we meet again." Kagome said desperately.
"No Kagome you have an entire life ahead of you. Fortunately, this time it's only one. Kouga, Inuyasha, and I want you to love again. We want to know that you are happy and cared for." Shippou pulled her close as he spoke. "We'll be waiting for you on the other side, and we'll welcome you when you come to us along with whoever it is you find. Sango and Miroku should be here by that time as well. They've been reborn again, but they should be dead by the time you make it to us. We'll all be together again."
"I'm not sure I can love like that again." Kagome said as she clasped Shippou's hand in her own. "You were kind of a tough act to follow."
"Thanks for noticing." Shippou said grinning. "Each time you feel love though it's different. You taught me that. Your love for Inuyasha was different than what you felt for Kouga or even me, but you loved us all. Please love, don't waste what time you have left by being lonely."
Kagome nodded. "Will I see you in my dreams?"
"No, love. It takes a lot of energy to come be here like this. I can't do it for much longer. It will be better for you if you find someone else to share your dreams with for now. I also won't have you coming back here either. There's nothing for you here." Shippou said as he held her tight.
Kagome listened to his breathing until she heard someone walking up to them. She heard Kaoru's voice, and when she looked Shippou was gone. Finally she felt herself shaken, and opened her eyes to see Kaoru looking down at her.
"Are you alright Lady Kagome?" Kaoru said with some concern. "You fell asleep."
"I'm fine Kaoru." Kagome said sitting up and stretching. "Did you find Sano?"
"Yes, he's sleeping in my room tonight." Kaoru said with a grin on her face.
"Where are you sleeping then?" Kagome asked confused.
Kaoru just smiled and turned to head to the back of the house. "I'm sleeping with Kenshin tonight. He needs my 'protection'."
Kagome's eyes widened and she jumped up to confront Kaoru. "Kaoru, you know you're not yourself right now right? If you rush this part of the relationship, you might end up getting you and Kenshin hurt."
Kaoru smiled for a moment before patting Kagome on the shoulder. "Don't worry Kagome, I'm not going to bed him… yet. Kenshin's fierce half doesn't find his meek half very attractive. I'm just going to make sure that Kenshin knows precisely what I want from him once he gets his soul back."
"Are you sure that's wise?" Kagome asked.
"Don't know, but right now his spirit is making me a little headstrong. I've never had the courage to tell Kenshin how I feel, but now I think this trip will serve to draw us together whether he wants to or not." Kaoru said with an even more menacing grin.
Kagome shook her head finally in exasperation. "Happy hunting then. Oh, and one other thing. I need to get into Kenshin's dreams tonight so I can see the extent of the damage. Please wait until tomorrow before you wake him for any discussions. And if you do decide that you want him tonight, remember you won't be alone."
Kaoru nodded and went into Kenshin's room. Kagome heard as few words exchanged and things got quiet. She waited a few minutes and then went to join Tsubame in the spare room.
Kagome slipped into her futon without waking Tsubame and began to concentrate. She would sleep tonight after she had checked on Shinta.
Kagome found Shinta dancing around the dream dojo. "He's gone. He's gone! He's finally gone!" Shinta cried exultantly.
"Only for a little while Shinta." Kagome said looking down at the happy boy.
"Why not forever?" Shinta asked plaintively.
"He's currently inside Kaoru." Kagome reminded him. "He needs to be back here. You don't want Kaoru to change like that do you?"
Shinta immediately looked like the guilty kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. "No, I guess not."
"Good. Then I expect you to behave and do what Kaoru tells you and no running off from her now that you're free of Kenshin. Maybe when Kenshin gets back from being with Kaoru he'll be more tolerable for you." Kagome said softly.
"Do you think so?" Shinta asked.
"Of course. He's always wanted to be with Kaoru and now there's no getting any closer. I'm sure the lessons he learns there will make him more inclined to cooperate with you from now on." Kagome said with a smile. "In the meantime however it's bedtime young man."
"Aw, do I have to?" Shinta asked as she bundled him off to bed.