Prologue
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Disclaimer: Inu-Yasha and the associated characters aren't mine. I only wish they were.
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No sound disturbed the haunting quiet of the night, except for the slow steady breathing of the five traveling companions. Four of them now lay around the campfire, finally asleep after a long day's journey, while the fifth lay awake and wished that dreams would come to distract her from her thoughts. When none came Kagome sighed, and turned over to face the flickering light of the fire. As the shadows danced across her still form, she allowed her mind to take her back to the last time that she had seen Kaede at the village; back to the moment when her already unusual, unstable, and confusing life had been shaken up, knocked around, and completely turned over.
---Flashback---
"I am sorry that I have no good news to give ye," Kaede began, "but mayhap ye can make use of this information before it is too late."
"What's going on, Old Lady," Inu-Yasha asked. "Somethin' wrong?"
Kaede nodded her head gravely. "Indeed, something is amiss. Trouble is brewing in the east. The Lord of those lands is a demon, just as is the Lord of the Western Lands." Inu-Yasha growled at the mention of his half-brother. "He wishes, I believe, to expand the land he rules over. Should this be the case, we may become ensnared in a war."
Her words were met by a silence filled with disbelief, and five sets of eyes watched the old woman carefully, waiting for more information. It was Kagome who spoke first.
"You said…you said that we could use this information. How? What can we possibly do," she questioned, shocked by the severity of the news.
"I only see few ways in which we can save the village—"
"Wait, Lady Kaede," Miroku said, cutting her off. "What do you mean by that? Surely the war would not involve the village?"
"Ah," Kaede shook her head sadly. "If only it were so. I fear that an insignificant human village would not be spared, unless you five are able to find a way to help us."
"Can you offer us your council, Lady Kaede," Sango asked. "Your advice may help greatly."
"Oh, aye, " the old priestess replied. "However, I fear that even with my guidance you shall face many difficulties. Listen to me, my children. The only chances that I can see for us are these: the first of which cannot ever be successful, and is to fight the soldiers that may come. With numbers in an army's favor, we stand not a chance, but there is one other way…it shall be exceeding trying, I warn you now. Will you hear me out?"
Five nods indicated that the companions would stay, and listen to Kaede's plan despite the hardships ahead should they choose to follow her advice.
"Very well," she told them. "Our only other option, as far as I can see it, is to befriend someone in the army with a high enough rank to give the command to ignore the human villages. If it be not possible to obtain friendship, then we must choose someone to join the army. Through hard work, they must convince the commanders that they are truly worthy of trust and power."
"I think," Kagome said after a moment, "that we need to talk about exactly what is going on here. I know that the Lord of the Eastern Lands might want more land, but really, are you certain that there will be a war? Don't demons usually just fight amongst themselves? I mean, if they have a conflict, don't they just try to kill each other? That's what Inu-Yasha's dad did, right? And he was the Lord of the Western Lands! He fought Ryokotsei, and a bunch of other strong demons, didn't he?"
"True that may be, my child," Kaede replied, "but this is different."
"How," Kagome asked.
"This would be a battle between the two most powerful lords in Japan. Two lords cannot settle their differences in a simple fight. No, they have too many followers for that…there shall be a war, mark my words. I have heard such evidence as to lead me to the conclusion that armies may already be assembling."
"I'm sorry," Kagome said, her tone apologetic, "but I still don't understand. Do you mean that the Lord of the Northern Lands is going to fight…Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Precisely, my child."
"Lady Kaede," Miroku said quietly, "You said that you received warning of the impending battles from a reliable source…but are you sure that the things you heard were the truth?"
"Aye. Organized parties of demons have already destroyed villages north of our own. Only one man escaped, and he began to search for a new village. He is here now." Kaede exhaled slowly and looked at them each in turn. "He described to me the things he saw, and it appears to me that your half-brother," she said, nodding towards Inu-Yasha, "is already gathering an army."
"Wow," Kagome breathed. "I had no idea that Lord Sesshomaru actually had any allies…how surprising. I can't believe that he has other demons behind him that will follow him in war. He just doesn't seem much like the leader type."
"He'll never be able to lead an army," Inu-Yasha scoffed. "He's too selfish and stuck-up, the jerk."
"I don't know, Inu-Yasha," Miroku said thoughtfully. "He is truly powerful, and would make a strong leader, if not a compassionate one."
"Feh."
"Lady Kaede," Sango said, trying to capture the older woman's attention. "Assuming that there is a war brewing in the east, how are we to join an army of demons? Surely you are remembering that the Lord of the Western Lands is a full-blooded dog demon? He will smell a human from miles away."
"Aye, Lady Sango. That be true, but I can concoct a potion to disguise a human's scent. Are ye all willing…to try?"
"Of course, Lady Kaede," Kagome whispered. "Naraku and the jewel will have to wait. The safety the human villages is our main concern from this moment forward. I promise you that we'll look after this village."
"Wha—what are you talking about," Inu-Yasha spluttered. "We can't, we aren't…er, never mind." He had been quickly silenced by a glare from Kagome.
"Thank you, my children," Kaede said gratefully, bowing. "I'll get the scent-disguising mixture together now."
--End Flashback—
Three weeks had passed since Kagome had last seen Lady Kaede, and although they had heard several rumors of the whereabouts of a demon encampment, they were still no closer to actually being able to carry out the old miko's request.
I made a promise, Kagome thought sadly, but I don't know if I'll be able to solve this problem. Who can we count on that could join army? I don't know. Kagome closed her eyes, wondering how she was to help the humans. Who can we trust? Who would find this important except for us? Except for me? Kagome's eyes snapped open and she stared into the fire unseeingly. Why should it not…be me? I could save everyone. I could be strong.
The more that Kagome thought about it, the more she came to realize that their search was futile, and they had already discussed who among the group might be able to carry out Kaede's plans. Inu-Yasha, who was the obvious choice, couldn't go because his brother would recognize him no matter what he did to disguise himself. Sango was a demon slayer, making her the second best choice, but when she was among a large crowd of demons her fight response tended to kick in, and it would not be ideal for her to begin slaying the beings that were on her side. Miroku relied on purifying scrolls and his wind tunnel in battle, and both techniques were overly flashy. The old sutras were quite obviously human tools, and Sesshomaru would definitely recognize the wind tunnel. It was hardly a forgettable technique.
They hadn't even suggested Kagome. Why not though, she wondered, her expression thoughtful. If it meant that she might save innocent people, then Kagome would do it very willingly, despite the danger presented to her person. Such a thing was trivial when compared to the loss of life that would almost certainly occur if she didn't do something to prevent it soon. In fact, she decided, I might be the only one in our group that can pull this off. I may not be the best melee fighter, but hey, at least I'm good with a bow! To top it off, I'm a miko. If I end up in a tight spot, I'll just purify whatever demons are giving me trouble…
…I hope.
Kagome shook herself. There was no point in being pessimistic. It wasn't going to get her very far. Now was the time for action, not hesitation. Kagome was worried, but she knew that she would do whatever was needed to save the lives of those she cared for.
Full of determination, Kagome slowly pulled herself into an upright position. Carefully, she reached out and grabbed one of the thin canvas straps on her yellow backpack. Pulling the bag closer, she unzipped it, muffling the noise of the zipper as best she could by covering it with the palm of her hand. This technique proved to be effective, and her companions were not roused from their peaceful slumber.
Kagome felt about in her pack for a few minutes before locating the small potion vials that Kaede had put together for her. She slipped one out and uncorked it. Taking a deep breath, Kagome tipped it back, allowing a few drops to trickle down into her open mouth. The strange concoction was thick like honey, but also strangely smooth and watery. At first it tasted sweet and salty simultaneously but the flavor soon faded, like smoke in the wind, leaving her tongue feeling slightly numb and fuzzy.
Now that her scent had been disguised, Kagome climbed out of the sleeping bag, and quietly rolled it, tucking the bundle under her arm. She slung her pack over one shoulder, and slipped on her shoes. Taking a deep breath, Kagome tiptoed out of the clearing, leaving all things warm, safe, and comforting far behind her.
……….
Kagome could only assume that the ointment had covered her scent since many hours had passed since she had been at camp, and she had neither heard nor seen any pursuers. Now that she'd had a chance to think about what she was doing, she had decided that she was most certainly crazy. She wasn't nearly a strong enough fighter to pass as a demon, and Sesshomaru would almost certainly recognize her if he saw her, due to the fact that she had insulted him on several occasions.
As she walked, Kagome tried to come up with a plan of how she could best disguise herself.
Face paint? No, it would probably smear…new weapon? Strange armor? Cut my hair? That one could work…but he still might recognize—
Then it hit her. I could masquerade as a guy! He will not be expecting that one! Perfect! How hard can it be? I probably won't stand out as much that way either! Maybe I can avoid an untimely death…
Feeling considerably more cheerful now that she had a plan, Kagome began to search for the nearest village. She found one in under an hour, by following the sound of people screaming once she neared the town.
Kagome entered the village at a run, and immediately spotted the tall black form of what appeared to be a gigantic cat demon. She froze for just a moment, but when the demon made a swipe at the back of an old man that was fleeing, Kagome aimed her bow, and released an arrow. In a brilliant flash of miko power, the cat demon was blown backwards to collapse upon the ground. When the creature began to drag itself away, the ground beneath it was stained with blood. Kagome left it for the time-being, and raced towards the fallen man.
"Are you alright," she gasped as she neared him.
The man grunted, and with effort pulled himself into a sitting position. He looked up at her with surprise in his eyes.
"Who stopped the demon," he asked.
"Oh," Kagome said hurriedly, "I did, but are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine, young lady." Suddenly the man smiled. "Is there anything that we can ever do to repay your kindness?"
"Well, actually," Kagome replied, embarrassed. "There is one thing if its not too much trouble…do you have any armor that I could use? Hopefully I will to return it to you someday…"
Again, a look of surprise crossed the man's face, but then he nodded. "Of course, my lady."
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Well, that's it for the first chapter, and I hope that you liked it. Need to know whether to continue or not…so please review! You'll make me happy if you do…if you've gotten this far, then the worst part (reading it) is out of the way! So…just press that little "submit review" button and at least tell me that you read it. Constructive criticism is welcome, or just a simple "I read it. Cool." will do. Anyway, thanks for reading:)