Chapter two: There was once a miko...
Sesshoumaru was having a hard time trying to sleep. Her damned scent! He sighed. She didn't smell bad, like other humans. Even InuYasha's Kikyo had a dirtied scent to her, but this girl was cleaner than others. She smelled of fruits and waterfalls. A wonderful mix that reminded him of Spring. Was she in heat or something? Her scent was intoxicating. He wanted to touch her but knew if he did his brother would go on laughing at him. She turned and crawled a little higher up his thigh. He blushed and thanked whatever gods he could think of at the time for his armor being in the way so she couldn't touch...he stopped at that thought. How dare he fall from his grace thinking of this human in such a way! Sure, she may be the savior of the world, the all powerful woman thats haunted not only his but InuYasha's dreams as well, but she was still human. He would not make the same mistake as father, but he still would see to her welfare and care for her until she vanquished the evil.
InuYasha watched the two with intrest. Sesshoumaru was never kind to humans so this girl, this wench, must be special. Really special. Could Sesshoumaru be telling the truth? He shook his head as he thought he saw Sesshoumaru blush, but when he looked again Sesshoumaru held his usual angered expression, glaring at the human on his thigh. InuYasha laughed and dropped Sesshoumaru's shoulder armor on the floor with a loud clank. He walked up to old Kaede. He sat down with her and his ears drooped.
"Kikyo's dead now isn't she?" He asked quietly and Kaede nodded.
"Aye, she's been dead since the day you were pinned to the tree, InuYasha, fifty long years ago." Kaede said and poured InuYasha a bowl of stew, which he readily accepted. He ate slowly, remembering how bloody she had been that day.
"Why...why was she so bloody when she shot me? Who attacked her?" InuYasha asked, shoving another piece of meat in his mouth. He ate sloppily, like some child, with his mouth open and covered with the stew. Sesshoumaru scowled at his brother's lack of cleanliness and he gently moved Kagome into a more comfortable position, on the OUTSIDE of his thigh. His right hand rested on her shoulder and his left hand went into his sleeve, retreiving a cloth. He threw it at InuYasha in disgust.
"Wipe you're mouth boy." He commanded and looked to Kaede, interested in what she would say. Kagome woke slowly, yawning and blinking her eyes, looking up at the hanyou who was cleaning his face, the old woman, and a demon who gently rubbed her shoulder as if to either comfort her, or himself, she was not sure which, truthfully. She sat up and leaned on his side, watching the old woman Sesshoumaru had taken an interest in.
Kaede was looking at InuYasha as if she were in shock. "Was it not ye, InuYasha? Kikyo claimed you had attacked her! She was wounded when she returned and placed the jewel in the shrine, then left to go clean her wounds she said. However, you returned while she was away and stole the jewel and ran."
InuYasha looked shocked, than angry. He threw the empty bowl at Kaede and growled. "I didn't attack her! She attacked me! I didn't lay a fuckin' hand on her! I was running from her arrows! She told me to meet her in the meadow for the jewel, I was going to..." He looked to the ground, with a hurt expression on his face as he calmed down. "I was going to wish to be human so I could stay there with her, and so she would no longer be burdened by the responsibility of the jewel..." InuYasha murmured and Kagome had to strain to hear him. She blinked. A jewel that grants wishes?
"What kind of jewel are you talking about? A magic jewel that grants wishes?" She asked, scratching her head.
"The Shikon no Tama. A jewel that is neither good nor evil. If it is in the hands of evil, it becomes tainted with greed and powerlust, and that evil will bring terror across the lands. In the hands of good, it becomes pure and will bring happiness to all around it. But everything has a price. Those who wish for the jewel and actually get it, but dont have the power to control it, will become consumed by its power. For the jewel to vanish forever, one must make a completely selfless wish. And to get the jewel, the jewel must leave you're body, miko. Demons feel its power and seek that power. Mistress Centipede was one who knew the power for she was revived by it. Other demons will think it is merely you and will seek you to mate with them for strong offspring." Sesshoumaru said and his clawed hand tightened slightly on her shoulder. "You will not fall into another's claws, Kagome. You will stay in the west until you have completed you're training and able to take care of yourself."
Kagome nodded and looked at InuYasha, who was sitting there trying to figure out why Kikyo had lied. Who could have hurt her? Kagome looked at him sadly. He loved her and she betrayed him bad enough were he hated anything that reminded him of her apparently. She didn't blame him. Kikyo sounded as if she were a horrible person.
Kaede poured another bowl and handed it to Kagome, Sesshoumaru scowled but allowed Kagome to take the bowl and eat. She ate delicately and quietly, the complete opposite of his brother. She was staring at InuYasha with a sad look, paying little attention to her food as she ate. She was sad for him. Sesshoumaru looked away from her and towards the old woman. She also had a sad look on her face, but she was deep in thought, most likely wondering about what had truly transpired between her sister and InuYasha. InuYasha hit his fists on the ground.
"Damn it!" He said, growling. "Why would she pull that shit? She attacked me! Who would have attacked her to make her so angry with me? I don't have no friends! I ain't stupid! Kikyo did this on purpose to make me look like the bad guy! She attacked me so I went after the jewel!" He yelled and pulled at his own hair. Kagome stood, leaving the bowl on the ground, and she did something completely stupid on her part.
She hugged InuYasha and pet his ears.
His expression changed. He became calmer but still sad. "Why would she do this to me?" He asked over and over, and Kagome merely pet his hair and lay her head on top of his and he lay his forehead on her shoulder. "What's with you damn humans. Ya hate me one minute and like me the next..."
Sesshoumaru set his swords to the side and leaned back against the wall. Baka humans. Baka hanyous.
"I just...You're so sad...InuYasha...You should just be happy she's gone now and try to move on. It's not like she's ever coming back from the dead. Think of the happy times you had, and be grateful you have those at least. She betrayed you, and that's not right. Something else must have happened for her to turn on you. For now, you should rest and think about something else. I know you don't like me too much because I remind you of her...And I know you think I'll be like her in the end...but I'm not her. I'm Kagome, someone new and different. At least give me a chance to be you're friend, I don't understand what's going on, and I don't really want to. I want to find a way back home and right now you, Sesshoumaru-sama, and now Kaede are all I have. If I do something you dont like I'll do something different. If I find out something about you I don't like I'll talk to you about it, not attack you. I promise." Kagome said and stood, leaving InuYasha to think. She picked her bowl back up, walked over and sat by Kaede and smiled.
"I heard a story about this, I think. It's an old story my grandpa told me. He told me lots of stories but this was my favorite, because he said it was a long time ago, and it was our family. There was once a beautiful miko, who fell in love with a hanyou. She would see him everyday, and even though he was a little mean and tried to be tough, she would never kill him as she should have. Instead she would make it so he couldn't attack her, pinning him to trees by his clothes, or trapping him with nets. Eventually the hanyou stopped attacking and became her dearest friend. One day, something happened. They both, seperately, came home wounded and cursing each other's names. The miko, hurt and dying, sealed the hanyou to the Goshinbaku with an arrow in his heart. She did not kill him, but rather put him to sleep. She knew one day he would wake and she would be gone, and he could hurt her no more, but perhaps he could find his own happiness. The hanyou eventually was released, and made many friends along a path of good. He, with his new found friends, his brother, and even a rival, killed an evil that had reaked havok amongst the lands. This took many years to do, but he was stubbern and would not rest until the evil died. In the end, he found the truth of his love, and forever loved her for not truly betraying him, but giving him a second chance. His dead lover became an obsession to him, and he died by his friend's hands, for he had gone insane, trying to bring his love back from the dead with black magic. He was reborn later, with his love, both human and both yet again in love, this time with no evil to tear them apart. They had many children and one of those children was named Ai Higurashi, and so the Higurashi live on, protecting the tree that gave the hanyou a second chance at life. Even though he could not let go of his past love, his reincardnation didn't have to. The hanyou and the miko died together, on the anniversery of the day the hanyou was pinned to the tree, and the miko's death." Kagome said, smiling and looking at the ground. "Grandpa says that it was a true story, of course then I didn't believe in demons. I had never seen one before I was pulled through...the...well..."
InuYasha was looking at her with hopeful eyes and she blinked. "I think...maybe...What year is this?"
"It is 1503, Kagome." Sesshoumaru said and Kagome gasped loudly.
"I went back in time!" She said, and then she thought about it a second. "This is SO COOL!" She said and grinned. "I'm living in 2003 Japan! Five hundred years from now! Wow! But...how do I get home...?" Her eyes were starting to water and she bowed her head.
"Wh-what are you doing?" InuYasha asked, peaking under her bangs. "Are you CRYING!" She sniffled and he jumped back. "YOU ARE CRYING! STOP IT! Come on! It's not like me and Sesshoumaru would let anything happen to you! Stop that!" He yelped, and used his rough sleeve to wipe away her tears. "Sesshoumaru! Do SOMETHING!"
Sesshoumaru sighed. InuYasha couldn't even think straight. "Kagome, you can most likely get back home the same way you got here, through the well." He said and Kagome looked up at him, eyes still a little watery.
"You-you think so?" Kagome asked, then sniffled. She smiled and InuYasha wiped the last bit of tears away while Kaede gave her a cup of tea. She looked around at them all and smiled. "Thank you all." She said and drank the tea slowly. "You think that maybe I can go and come back?" Kagome asked and Kaede nodded.
"Aye. Ye are the prophecized miko, coming from a whole 'nother world. Ye've come here to vanquish an evil of uncomprehendable power. Of course ye will be able to return." Kaede said and waved her hand. "Also I can be feelin' the power of the well from this point. Strong magic, and not demonic nor purification. 'Tis a holy magic." Kaede added, with a small smile as InuYasha glared at her.
"Yer just an old hag with stupid miko sight." He said and sat on the ground with all fours, looking like a dog more and more. Kagome giggled as he scratched behind his ear with his foot. "Hey, Lord Fluffball, where's that stupid little servant thats always with ya?"
Sesshoumaru hit InuYasha on the top of his head with the sheath of one of his swords. "Use this Sesshoumaru's proper name, or do not address this Sesshoumaru at all, which would be preferrable. This Sesshoumaru feels his braincells dying everytime you speak."
"What was that!" InuYasha snarled and cracked his knuckles.
"Hey! Come on! Don't fight!" Kagome pleaded, throwing herself in InuYasha's way, throwing her arms around his neck. Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched but he didn't say a word. Apparently InuYasha was her main object of affections. It would be better for her anyway. He's half human, after all, and it would go against Sesshoumaru's nature to truly love her the way she would want to be loved. He sighed and stood.
"Jaken is retreiving Ah-Un for Kagome. You, InuYasha, will have to keep up on you're own. This Sesshoumaru will not waist time on a hanyou. A heroine, yes, but a hanyou is not worth my time." Sesshoumaru said and Kagome was immediatly infront of him scowling.
"That's not nice! He's just woken up from a tramatic experience and you pick on him!" Kagome snapped and InuYasha growled.
"Shut up! I can take care of myself, ya stupid girl!" InuYasha snapped at her and Kagome, amazingly, growled.
"What did you say?" Kagome yelled, hurting Sesshoumaru and InuYasha's ears. Both winced and InuYasha continued.
"Ya heard me! Or are your brains broken! Must be 'cause you obviously ain't thinkin' right!" He snarled and Kagome threw her shoe at him, hitting him right in the middle of his forehead.
"Fine! I was going to try to take you and Sesshoumaru-sama with me! Now I don't wanna take you so you don't get to see the future!" Kagome said, grinning as InuYasha started pouting.
"B-but! That's not fair!" InuYasha whined and Sesshoumaru cocked an eyebrow. InuYasha was such a child. Of course he didn't have the braincells not to be a child, he was half human after all.
"Say you're sorry and maybe I'll bring you!" Kagome chirped and poked her head out of the hut, her skirt going a bit up her legs causing both brothers to blush.
Sesshoumaru pulled her back in and roughly jerked her skirt in place.
"What was that for!" She snapped and Sesshoumaru snarled.
"Your kimono is indecent. Geisha wear more than you do. You will wear something more acceptable when you return home. Anything." He snapped at her and Kagome rolled her eyes.
"If you think this is indecent you should see the things my friends wear. They show their bellies and their entire freakin' thighs!" Kagome exclaimed and ran a hand through her messy hair. She scowled at how tangled her hair was. "I need to bathe." She muttered and Kaede stood.
"Come with me, child, I'll bring you to the river. You may use some of my sister's old clothes after you're done." Kaede said and Kagome smiled, following happily. Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. She smelled as if she bathed but yesterday, and she wants to bath again? Didn't humans think it was unhealthy to bathe daily? He and InuYasha followed quietly. Kaede watched as they each hid in their one hiding places, ready to protect Kagome, as well as watch her bathe. Kagome remained blissfully unaware of them and stripped away her dirty clothes, and jumping into the water.
The water was so cold! It didn't matter, however, as long as she got clean. She scrubbed at her skin and hair until she was sure she was absolutely clean of any dirt or grim, then she saw Kaede bring out two sets of rosaries. She watched as the old woman chanted and the rosaries flew into different directions, one into the trees near by, and the other onto a cliff, where InuYasha stood staring. She gasped and sank deeper into the water.
"Kagome! Say the commanding words! They will punish these two for doing something so horrid as to spy on a helpless woman while bathing!" Kaede said, and Kagome racked her mind for some words. She said the first words that came to her head.
"SIT! DOWN!" She yelled InuYasha fell off the cliff, behind a bush, and Sesshoumaru fell out of a tree, onto a rock.
They both growled. Kaede held a blanket so neither demons could see Kagome as she left the river and dressed. Kagome tied her hair back and snarled at the two demons, but realized Sesshoumaru was on his back, with his head facing towards her, unlike InuYasha who was on his stomache facing towards her. Kaede noticed this too.
"It would seem that Sesshoumaru-sama was merely keeping watch for your safety, while InuYasha..." Kaede said and Kagome nodded looking at InuYasha.
"SIT! SIT SIT SIT!" She yelled, watching InuYasha go farther into the ground with each time she said this. Sesshoumaru growled and stood, only to take a smug satisfaction in the way InuYasha was being treated. Ah, this was worth it. He tried to pull the rosary off, and found he couldn't, so he left it there, shrugging. It didn't matter too much. He would stay on her good side either way, she would be the heroine of the world after all.
InuYasha pried himself off the ground and snarled at her. "What was that for, wench!"
Kagome hit him with her shoe. "For peeping on me! You don't look at girls while their naked!" She yelled and sniffled. "How could you peep on me! I feel so violated!" She said and ran off, only to bump into Sesshoumaru who wrapped an arm around her and stroked her hair.
"This Sesshoumaru begs you to forgive InuYasha's incompetence. InuYasha and Kikyo would bathe with their clothes on, and he found that when you did not it surprised him into a stare is all." He murmured into her hair and nuzzled her cheek, but suddenly jerked back, realizing what he was doing. "Come, you need rest."
Kaede followed Sesshoumaru and Kagome, and InuYasha grumbled as he slowly did the same.
Elsewhere
A beautiful woman sat in the midst of skulls as she stared into a small red skull's eyes. She smiled and combed the hair of the skull.
"My, my! Such pretty hair! I must have it! Oh, look at that gorgeous silvery hair, my pretties!" Yura said, and skulls came up around her as if to look into the other skull's eyes as well. "Such pretty hair shouldn't be kept by such a filthy dog! Oh! But look at the other doggy! So pretty! Not a split end in sight! Let's go get some pretty new hair, loves!" Yura said and off she went, walking on what seemed to be air, but if one would look closely they would see the carefully placed strands of hair attatched to her fingers and gliding around her.
She was soon sitting up in a tree manuvering her hair through the forest and into the village, around a certain miko's hut.
Everyone, at this point, was in the hut. Sesshoumaru was silently watching as InuYasha asked Kagome about her time, and Kaede made some tea. He could sense something was wrong, so he kept his swords and armor on, a hand on the hilt of his fighting sword.
"Whats it like? In your time?" InuYasha asked and Kagome thought for a second.
"The buildings are tall, bigger than any of the trees around here, although you can see the Goshinbaku for miles around because its up on a hill. This little village will become the largest city in Japan, Tokyo! There are millions of humans everywhere, and all of them are different. Some are buisness men and women who are so up tight it's hurt to look at them--" Kagome said and her face scrunched up.
InuYasha laughed. "So human Sesshoumarus!" Kagome giggled.
"I don't think Sesshoumaru-sama's that uptight! Are you Sesshoumaru-sama? Um...Sesshoumaru-sama? What's wrong?" Kagome said, looking at Sesshoumaru who's eyes were slightly red. He stood and looked outside. Nothing. Something was wrong. Where was everyone?
Kagome followed and thought the same. "Um... why is there hair everywhere?" She said, reaching out to touch the hair only to get cut by it. "OW!" She yelped and suckled her injured finger. Sesshoumaru watched as her blood slid down the invisible hair.
InuYasha growled. "Yura of the Hair." He said and he flexed his claws.
"What's holding all the hair up? There is probebly a main hair that should be cut to make the rest fall... but which one?" Kagome said and stepped outside, walking under, around, and over strands of hair. Suddenly all the hair pulled and she was pulled against a tree. She screamed as the hair cut into her flesh, and watched as more hairs dropped. The hair held eight villagers, wounded or dead, but they were all unconcious.
Sesshoumaru jumped out and cut the hair away from Kagome, seeing the blood slide from her and onto them. InuYasha, however, was having trouble with the villagers who all held weapons. A knife flew at InuYasha and he grabbed it in mid air, jumping up and slashing above the villagers, trying to find the hairs. The villagers dropped but the weapons remained in the air, attacking him randomly.
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and slashed in every which direction with his poison whip. Careful to avoid hitting Kagome, but leaving InuYasha to dodge it on his own. Yura dropped down from a nearby tree and pouted.
"Why are you cutting my hairs? All I want is your pretty hair!" She said and was immediatly behind InuYasha, pulling him to a tree with more hair. "Look what you've done to this beautiful hair! Its got split ends everywhere! It's waisted on you!"
Kagome scowled. "Sesshoumaru! She's got hair tied to her fingers! Thats how she's controling them!"
Sesshoumaru quickly sliced through the witch's fingers, and Yura gasped.
"Oh no no no no! Look what you have done to my pretty fingers!" She said and InuYasha fell from the tree laughing harshly.
"You'll be missing more than just your fingers when I'm through with you!" He said and lunged and her, his claws just missing her by a few inches. She scowled and hopped away, back to her mountain of skulls. Kagome jumped on Sesshoumaru's back as he and InuYasha jumped after Yura. Sesshoumaru looked at her questioningly.
"I'm the only one who can see the hair! Hurry!" She said and Sesshoumaru did, quickly catching up to Yura as she landed in her lair. Kagome was set down and she squeaked in fear. She felt nausea hit as she saw the skulls. Thousands of them. She swallowed back bile that rose into her throat and concentraited on the battle.
"Oh, looky! The miko girl has the Shikon no Tama!" Yura squealed in delight and they watched as Yura's fingers reattatched to her body. Kagome scowled and Sesshoumaru handed her a short knife.
"If this Sesshoumaru is occupied fighting, use this to protect yourself." He said and lunged at Yura, not using his full strength seeing as she was a lower ranking demon.
"Ohh such pretty hair on Tsusaeng!" Yura squealed and skulls rose up, hair attatching them all together. She had used Sesshoumaru's nickname from his past...violent ways. Sesshoumaru growled and became a little sloppy with anger. InuYasha landed beside Kagome.
"That's not her body. We need to find out where she is. Look for something different." He said and Kagome did as Sesshoumaru became bound by hair. Yura went after InuYasha next, who dodged her attack with a haphazard jump. Sesshoumaru freed himself and Yura chased them both around with her hair. That's when Kagome saw it. The red skull. Kagome ran towards it, knowing what she had to do.
Climbing the mountain of hair and skulls, fighting down her nausea, she grabbed the red skull and pulled, freeing it from the hair. Yura gasped and fell to the ground, no longer in control of her hair.
"BITCH!" She snarled, only to see Kagome lift a rock and smash the red skull. Yura gasped and her body was literally dust in the wind, her clothes falling to the ground and her hair became still and lifeless.
InuYasha snorted. "Beginners luck. Ya still got alotta trainin' to do ya know!" He snapped and Sesshoumaru merely smirked at her, and began to walk in the direction of the village.
"Kagome, come." He said simply and she did, hopping onto his back and rubbing her face into his tail. It was just so soft! Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and he took off towards the village, followed shortly by a hanyou boy that could only think about the past and how many times Kikyo had ridden on his back.
Then his thoughts trailed back to what Kagome had said earlier.
There was once a miko...his Kikyo.
