A/N: This is one of those stories where I just can't wait to write it! I've actually written several chapters in advance, waiting until the day of update to edit them (I hate editing, so I put it off as long as possible.)
But anyway, it seems that you guys like where this is going, so I usually can't wait to write this. Hopefully,you guys will like it to the end.
Chapter 3: The Shikon no Tama
It took the rest of the day for Kagome and Kaede to get back to the village. Kagome didn't really know the way back; she was almost following Kaede as they took the path near the river. Of course, she wasn't completely lost; Kagome sometimes recognized landmarks from her travels with Inuyasha, but it seemed that fifty years could shift your perspective on landscape, especially if you were seeing it through someone else's eyes.
She was fully relieved when, at dusk, she and Kaede were finally greeted with the sight of the wooden huts she was familiar with. The village didn't seem all that different then what she had known it to be, just so many different faces.
As she and Kaede approached the village, thoughts focused on rest after the long day, the village people greeted her. "Welcome back, Kikyou-sama!" the said enthusiastically.
Kikyou is well liked in the village, it seems. Kagome thought. Well, after all, she was their miko.
An older village man approached her. "Kikyou-sama, this morning some youkai exterminators came asking about you."
That took Kagome by surprise, her eyes widening slightly. Youkai exterminators? Sango-chan's people! They're alive now, aren't they? But, what would they want with me—Kikyou? she corrected herself.
"Since we said you were away, they'll come again tonight." he finished, not knowing that the woman in front of them couldn't wait until they came.
I can finally see what they all looked like, together as a group…I bet it was a sight to see…
Remembering she was in front of all these villagers, Kagome put aside her surprise and put the Kikyou mask of her emotions. "Youkai exterminators? For what reason, I wonder?" Kagome internally winced. Trying to make herself sound like Kikyou was harder than it looked.
After more greetings, soon the village people left her as Kagome and Kaede walked to their hut, the same hut that Kaede had fifty years ago. Kaede ran in without a second thought, but Kagome took greater care in pushing past the bamboo curtain, seeing what was inside. It looked about the same, the only exceptions were a few things moved around and the two mattresses on the floor, instead of one.
Kaede immediately set down the small pack she had been carrying since they left the other village that morning, and smiled up at her. "Isn't this great, Onee-sama? Exterminators are asking about you now!"
Kneeling down on the floor and putting her bow down, Kagome sighed, "Yes, I suppose it is interesting."
Kaede followed suit by also sitting down. Blinking, Kaede looked up at her. "You aren't at all excited, Onee-sama?"
Yes, but Kikyou wouldn't tell you that… Sighing, Kagome replied, "It is interesting, I suppose. After all, the exterminators are supposed to be the elite in slaying youkai."
"But why do you think they want to talk to you?" The young girl asked.
She does ask so many questions! Kagome thought, remembering how her own brother was like this. But, she couldn't help but like it. She had always wanted a sister, only to have Souta as a sibling. And now Kaede looked up to her as if she was her older sister…except she wasn't. Nonetheless, Kagome couldn't help but like it a little bit. "I do not know, Kaede, but I suppose we shall soon find out."
"Onee-sama, can I wait outside to see when they come?" Kaede asked, her eyes pleading.
"Are you sure you aren't tired?" she asked, worried about her as if she was her own sister.
Kaede shook her head. "No, I'm still wide awake."
"Then you can wait for them, just as long as it doesn't get too late." Kagome agreed, the girl running out of the hut with glee.
While Kaede waited for them, Kagome lit a candle and waited for this force of exterminators that was too come. In the nighttime silence of the hut, Kagome began to think about her situation. I still don't understand why I was brought here. Was it an accident, or am I supposed to walk the path that Kikyou walked?
She absent-mindedly looked at the roof of the hut, lost in thought. I don't understand…how am I supposed to know what to do? Will I be able to save her from dying? Or will it be like it with her…that she never saw it coming…
No, that's not possible. Kagome corrected herself. I know about Naraku and how Inuyasha didn't betray her, but still…
Will I be stuck here forever?
And if I am...will I always have to pretend to be Kikyou?
Suddenly, from the village, she heard someone call, "Kikyou-sama!"
The younger Kaede burst into the hut, a wide smile on her face. "Onee-sama! Hurry up and get out of the house! They're here!"
Standing up, Kagome couldn't help but have a smile on her face, despite how un-Kikyou she thought it was. "All right, but you go to bed now, Kaede. You need your rest."
Obedient to her older sister, Kaede nodded and came back in the hut, taking one last look outside. Kagome stood up and , pushed past the bamboo curtain to see about ten men, all dressed in the exterminator's uniforms and carrying weapons almost certainly made from parts of youkai. There appearance was no less than what Kagome had expected, looking like a fierce opponent to any youkai.
So, these were Sango's kinsman, in the prime of their existence…
As she stepped out, she felt raindrops upon her, and realized she had completely missed the light rainstorm in her fascination.
A burly man, dressed in a green exterminator's outfit, approached her, bowing first. When he came up, Kagome could see his hair was tied back into a small pony tail, almost a bit like what Miroku had. His face seemed to be cut rather roughly, his face square and tan. "Miko-sama, we come before you with a task we wish of you." His voice was deep, and he seemed to be somewhere in his thirties.
She gave a bow in return, curious. "Yes, what is it that you wish of me?" Kikyou's polite voice asked.
"You have great power, miko-sama." the exterminator started. "And we know your powers of purification must be equally powerful. We have an object for you, miko-sama, that we would ask you to purify, removing its tainted aura and the harm it can inflict on the world."
"What is the object?" Kagome asked, having a familiar feeling that she knew what it was…
The exterminator walked forward, placing a small, round object in her palms. Kagome looked down at it, her eyes open as she stared. It was a small, pink jewel, with a slight dark purple aura encircling it. It's…It's the…
"The Shikon no Tama." the exterminator explained. "It is a jewel that has the power for good or for evil. When used by a youkai, it increases their powers of evil. But if it was purified, it can be used for good as well. The jewel can only disappear when a wish is made upon it, a pure wish when its completely purified, and selfish wish if it is soiled with hate."
Kagome continued to look down at the Shikon no Tama, fascinated. This was the object that she had broken fifty years later, that she and Inuyasha were searching for any shards of it, the object that Naraku wanted to increase his power...and what drove him to set Kikyou and Inuyasha against each other. So this is how it all began…with the exterminator's giving Kikyou the Shikon no Tama to purify. "You ask of me to purify this jewel to keep the youkai from using its power?" She glanced back at the leader of the exterminators.
"Yes, miko-sama." he replied. "If a youkai got its hands on it, the results would be disastrous."
She didn't need to hear it from him to know. Kagome glanced back at the clan of the exterminators. I don't even need to pretend to be Kikyou to know what to say..."I shall purify it."
Bowing once more, the leader of the exterminators said, "Thank you, miko-sama. We owe you our deepest gratitude." And with that, the exterminators left, their booted feet splashing in the puddles as they left swiftly in to the night.
As Kagome looked back at the jewel, wondering how she would purify it, Kaede came back out of the hut, rubbing her eyes. "Onee-sama, what's going on?" The girl suddenly gasped when she saw the glow of the jewel. "That is…"
Kagome bent her hands to show the jewel resting in her palms. "It's called the Shikon no Tama." she informed her. "I've been entrusted the task of purifying its polluted aura."
Kaede could only stare at the jewel, in wonder, before Kagome had to stifle a yawn. "It's late, Kaede. Let's go back to bed. It's been a long day."
Yes, it has been. Kagome added silently. I woke up this morning in a different body, in a different time, I was cursed by Tsubaki, and now I have been given the task of purifying the Shikon no Tama.
She slipped under the blanked of her palled, holding the Shikon no Tama to her chest, knowing that it would begin to purify it. It's been a weird day…and if this is a dream, I wish it was over!
Of course, the next morning when Kagome woke up, she was in for a surprise. As she opened her eyes, she gasped as she saw the Shikon no Tama, and also panicked about finding herself in Kikyou's body once more. But the shock wore off before Kaede had noticed anything, and she remembered the previous day.
I thought for sure that once I went to sleep, I'd wake up where I should be. Kagome thought grimly, as she looked upon the Shikon no Tama. Keeping it close to her body made it pure, as she had been told by the old Kaede fifty years later, so she knew it was the only way to begin. While Kaede was out picking herbs, Kagome searched the hut, eventually finding the unusual necklace on which to hang the jewel from, to purify it.
With her gaining the Shikon no Tama, Kagome thought that soon Inuyasha would show up, and though he wouldn't know who she was, it would at least provide her with some comfort. But that was not the case.
The Shikon no Tama was barely in her possession when the youkai began attacking. Every day it was something else, from a giant centipede, to a crow youkai, to snake and lizard-like youkai, oni, mononoke, and any other kind of monster came after the Shikon no Tama hearing of its power.
Every night, she expected in the morning to wake in her own body, back with Inuyasha. But every morning, Kagome was disappointed. The days had turned into weeks that she was in Kikyou's body, having to train herself to think and speak like Kikyou.
Fighting youkai around the clock like this became tiring, and soon, Kagome forgot about going back, even sometimes forgetting who she was, considering that in all aspects, she was Kikyou. The only thing keeping her going was the knowledge that she would see Inuyasha soon.
But how long? How long would she have to wait until he came? Days, weeks, months? Was there anyway to find him if he didn't come? But she couldn't yet give up hope. If she was living in Kikyou's life, then he would come. He had to.
The villagers also treated her different as the long month went on. She was respected by most of the villagers, especially the children that sometimes wanted to play with her, but the girls her own age weren't as nice. Most village girls Kikyou's age were getting married, but with her being a miko that renounced love (Well, Kikyou did, anyway) was something they didn't understand.
Once while walking through the village, she bend down to pet a small, white dog that reminded her of Inuyasha, when she overheard some girls talking…about her. The voices were coming from behind the temple. "You know, that miko is odd." one girl with a high pitched voice said. "The way she has no expression is creepy."
"And she doesn't flirt with the men, either." Another replied. "I heard that mikos have to give up love, but I didn't believe it until she came along."
"She just thinks she's better than us." the first replied. "She's a miko with incredible powers, and we're just common village girls. Besides, she has too much power, have you seen it? The power to kill youkai in a single shot—not just kill them, but disintegrate them—it's inhuman."
Kagome couldn'tlisten to itanymore. She gave a small glare towards where they were talking, and then walked back towards her hut. It hurt, despite that they weren't technically talking about her. I have done nothing wrong.But they are only human, I can forgive them.
Looking up at the clear blue sky, she couldn't help it, she smirked a little. Look at me, I've been in this body for so long, that I'm beginning to think like Kikyou…
But her face fell at that. How much longer, though?
Inuyasha…please come soon…
A/N: Wow. Big time jump in this chapter, but oh well. Inuyasha hasn't shown up yet, because that's the way it is in the episode. Be paitent. He'll show up soon.
(Also, for LoaH fans, did you notice Little Yasha:D)
