It was decided that I'd still try the well anyway. I wasn't born yet and I had no family in Japan so what could it hurt? I was against it, but Kagome was determined. Inuyasha carried us both on his back to the well, where Kagome instructed me to jump in. I refused to do so, for the knowledge that if it didn't work I was going to end up with some severely sprained ankles, and instead cautiously climbed down the vines.
When I was a few feet away I let go of the vines and jumped.
My feet touched the ground.
Nothing happened. I was mildly disappointed, but at the same time I knew it wouldn't have worked. Why would it? I wasn't from 1996. I was almost two decades ahead of Kagome's time period. Not bothering to call up to Inuyasha and Kagome I walked over and grabbed the vines, pulling on them a little to make sure they wouldn't tear apart. A small sigh left my lips as I climbed, and though I didn't look up to see them I could hear their voices as they called out to me.
"It didn't work!?" Kagome exclaimed, frustrated.
"Of course it didn't work!" Inuyasha snapped. "She didn't come here through the well, so the well is useless!"
"Sorry if I was being hopeful!" She retorted, angry. "You can never know with these things! In a world full of demons it feels like anything can happen! I wanted to be sure!"
"Whatever. It still just goes to show that we need to go to Akebi Village. She arrived near there, right? We might find a way home for her there."
Okay, that's it. I thought, heaving myself up over the ledge and rolling onto the ground with a pained grunt. I pushed myself onto my feet, wobbling a little, before catching my balance and looking at them. "I'm not going anywhere without Maria! The well was okay s-since, you know, it… goes back-and-forth, but since it doesn't work I'm not risking any other… other…" What was a good word? "Pass...Path...Passage?" That works. "Until we have her."
Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms, hands in his sleeves. "Fine. Let's just go already."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, glaring at him. "Don't be so insensitive!"
"What? How am I being insensitive!?"
"She's clearly worried! God, can't you even think a little about how she feels!?"
The half-demon spun on his heels to face the girl, glaring her down. "What- you think I haven't already had this conversation!? You forget; I'm half demon! All I care about is getting the jewel shards as quickly as possible! If she can find her sister and a way home? Good for her. I don't care."
"Urgh-!" Kagome stomped her foot on the ground. Inuyasha flinched, horror dawning on his face as he took a fearful step back. He held his hands up defensively. "Inuyasha!"
"N-No, wait, Kagome, don't! Not-"
"Sit!"
I yelped and jumped back, nearly falling into the well, when Inuyasha's necklace suddenly lit up and dragged him into the ground with incredible force. He slammed hard into the earth, leaving an indent in the ground. As he lifted his face up, I was amazed by how his nose wasn't broken or bleeding. "Damn it… why…?"
My mouth was agape in shock. Just how did Kagome…? Why was Inuyasha face-planting by the word "sit"? I looked between them, blinking expectantly and waiting for an explanation as I pointed at him. "H-How did- what just- explain!?"
Kagome grinned, almost triumphantly. She stood up straight, one hand on her hip and the other in the air, an index finger raised knowingly. "The enchanted beads around his neck! Whenever I say the word Inuyasha has no choice but to listen!"
The half-demon leapt up onto his feet, pulling at the necklace angrily. "Which is bullshit! I don't need 'em, but she refuses to take 'em off! It's not like I'm going anywhere! Only you can see the shards!"
"Sit."
I flinched, wincing at the sound of how hard he was hitting the ground. How badly does that hurt? I held a hand up, turning to Kagome nervously and stammering, "I-I don't think that one was really necessary…"
"It's fine." She responded, before grabbing the sleeve of the kimono I was wearing and pulling me with her as she walked off towards the village. "Now let's go! Kaede's finished mending the clothes you wore when you showed up, so you can change into those after a nice bath. You can even borrow my shampoo and conditioner!"
"O-Oh, uh, th-thank you…"
Kagome just smiled at me. Inuyasha was left behind, shouting at Kagome for being a terrible person and making him "sit" all the time.
…
Now that I was properly looking at the clothes I was amazed by how good they looked. It was as if they've never been torn in the first place. I gave Kaede an awkward hug and thanked her, and changed into them after a cold bath in the lake. Kagome and Kaede both suggested buying some supplies before we headed out for the village, but I had no money to buy anything. It wasn't like I brought my wallet to the restaurant, since Maria had insisted on paying for our meals. I arrived in this era without it.
When I informed the young teen of this she spoke of how this could indeed be a problem, and bought some antidotes for poison herself. Kagome said they always had a bad habit of running into poisonous insects, as well as some pretty powerful miasma, so it would be good to be prepared. "So… how long is it gonna take to get there?" I asked, watching as Kagome readied her bright pink, out-of-place bicycle.
"Oh, about a day at most if we walk." She answered, climbing on and setting Shippō in the basket. The young fox demon was still munching on some of the left-over candy. "But since we're running there we should get there in just a few hours- give or take a few breaks in between to rest."
I stared at her blankly, re-situation the blue backpack on my back that held the nebulizer and portable outlet. "You're… kidding, right?" We weren't going to ride on the back of a hay wagon or something? What about all the demons? "What if we're attacked?"
"Inuyasha will take care of them." She responded, smiling a little, equipping a short bow and a quiver full of arrows. "I'm not too shabby as an archer, either, I think. We'll protect you."
"Yeah!" Shippō pitched in, grinning at me. "I'll even use my fox fire! You just stay behind me, and you'll be safe! You can't fight, after all, so a weak human like you should hide behind strong demons like me and Inuyasha!"
"I thought Inuyasha was half demon?"
"He is," The fox confirmed, crossing his arms, "but even though he doesn't have brains he does have plenty of brawn. It's his only good trait."
I blinked, watching as a familiar teen in a red kimono walked up behind the bike, staring down at the boy with fuming amber eyes. "What was that?" Shippō wasn't given any time to prepare for the onslaught of punches that hit his head, the small child crying out in pain and wailing to Kagome about how Inuyasha was hurting him. Kagome turned towards the half-demon, expression contorting into anger. The half-demon started to panic, raising his hands up. "W-Wait, Kagome! He actually deserved it that-"
"Sit, boy!"
A loud THWACK made it known to everyone who couldn't see that Inuyasha had received another daily dose of punishment. As I watched him push himself off the ground, I came to the conclusion that Kagome might not be as angelic as I previously thought she was. "Damn it all…" Inuyasha spat out some dirt that had gotten into his mouth, wrinkling his nose. "One of these days I'm gonna get you back for this!"
"Hmph!" Kagome sat down on her bike, yellow bag strapped to her back. "Just hurry up and grab Irene. The faster we get to Akebi Village the better. Didn't you guys mention that Myoga said there was a demon there?"
The flea demon made himself known from a spot on my shoulder, speaking up and startling me as I did not know he was there. "That's right! A demon kidnapping and eating villagers! We'll have to explain that sweet little Irene here isn't a demon, but that should be no trouble!"
"Sweet?" I echoed, dumbfounded. I squinted at Myoga, making a face. I've been told several times that I was too nice or empathetic back in my time, but for someone I just met to call me "sweet" was a little… weird. "Define what you mean by that, please."
"Well," Myoga chuckled, jumping off my shoulder and into one of my hands, "by your blood, of course! Also, from what I've seen you're of a rather timid sort aren't you?"
I opened my mouth to argue, only to pause and close it. "I… I think I'm more awkward than timid…?" I scratched the back of my head, ruffling my already messy hair in thought. "I guess you're not wrong, though…"
Inuyasha snorted at the conversation and pushed himself up, stretching and popping his back. "She's as meek as a mouse! It's a wonder how she even had the guts to snap at me when she's too scared to leave Kaede's house without an escort!"
"Hey!" I argued, turning to face him, "It's you guys who won't let me leave by myself! I fully volunteered to wander into the forest by myself, but… but you all won't let me 'cause of the demons…" My voice and retort lost its momentum, knowing with each word I spoke that if I did go by myself I would definitely get eaten alive. I had no means to protect myself, after all, despite what Inuyasha's claims were of me being able to wield a red light.
"Whatever. You already know I'm right." He scoffed, walking over to me. I pouted a little, glaring up at him in stubborn frustration. I didn't want to admit defeat, but he was correct. I watched as he turned around, and I stepped back in surprise when he squatted down with hands held out behind him. Inuyasha looked expectantly over his shoulder, staring at me. "Well? Hurry up and get on! We'd have you riding Kagome's bike, but she said that would probably hurt your lungs again."
I turned to Kagome in shock, stunned to see that she'd have thought so far ahead in consideration of my health. She really was far too kind. Although she did seem to have some sort of grudge against Inuyasha… what with making him face-plant all the time. The young girl nodded at me, smiling encouragingly, and with that I hesitantly stepped forward and climbed onto the half-demon's back. Inuyasha grabbed my legs and hoisted me up as he stood, my arms wrapping around his shoulders instinctively in an attempt to not fall.
Okay, this is weird. I'm not too sure I like this. I know he carried me before, but I was too tired and half-dead to care. And, yeah, he did carry me around the village sometimes when my leg hurt too much to walk on, but this was different. I could breathe and walk now, and though my shoulder still stung it didn't hurt to move as much anymore. I didn't have to lean on anyone now. But this was for travelling to another village; there was no need for him to have to lug me around. He acts mean, but he's still kinda nice…?
Doesn't make this any less awkward.
Pushing his hair out of my face, I held onto his shoulders only to let out a sudden yelp when he started running, leaping into the air without any warning. I flinched and ducked down, terrified we were going to be hit by some tree branches, and watched as his feet touched ground only to continue dashing at an incredibly fast pace. Kagome was even managing to keep up, too, standing on her bike and pedalling away with a determined shout.
Shippō clung to the basket, biting off what was left of his lollipop. The small child was so calm, acting as if he were completely used to this kind of travel. "Hey, guys," I called out, curious about something, "how do you know we're going the right way!?"
"We've travelled by here several times!" Kagome answered, determined to keep the speed of the bike at a pace matching Inuyasha's run. The half-demon leapt into the air again and I ducked when I caught sight of a nearby branch, but soon noticed that even though he jumped at such incredible height he always remained low enough to avoid being hit. Impressive. "Akebi is a neighboring village, after all! It's not like it's our first time passing by it!"
"And at this pace," Inuyasha interrupted, continuing the conversation, "we should get there before sundown!"
Oh. Well then. That works. Huh. I leaned back down, watching as the ground passed by below us, and closed my eyes.
Is this really what my life is now? I thought, biting down on my bottom lip. If this was how my side of the story was going, what would be going on with Maria? I hoped she was okay. I got lucky on my end, but what about her? Was she safe? Surviving? I'll find you… I promise.
I just hope she's in one piece.
…
Demons were terrifying. If I hadn't known that already I would have learned it now after we encountered more than a handful of them. It was as if we had targets painted on our backs, monsters varying from bugs to ogres appearing and trying to eat us alive. With each encounter I had to hold on to Inuyasha for dear life, praying he wouldn't drop me as he slashed at the demons with his bare hands, his long sharp nails raking through their flesh with ease. Occasionally, if a stronger than average demon appeared, he would unsheathe his sword- which would then transform into a much larger blade that was curved like a fang, and was adorned with a fur handle.
Despite its size he managed to wield it with one hand, keeping a firm hold of me with only his singular arm, and sliced the demons to bit. Kagome would even sometimes pitch it, hitting the demons with surprising accuracy as she shot arrows at them. I felt totally useless as they protected me, and could only watch from my spot on the half-demon's back as they cleared horde after horde of demons. When things got particularly gory and I got scared of the blood and guts, or was terrified of getting hit as Inuyasha rushed into battle, I buried my face in his shoulder and hair.
Landing on the ground after about the twentieth battle Inuyasha sheathed his sword and flexed his arm, cracking his neck. He looked back at me. "You okay? You're shaking."
"I-I'm fine." I stammered, voice cracking a little as I looked at the corpse on the ground. "Th-Thanks."
He raised an eyebrow, not believing me. Kagome rode up in her bike, concern in her gaze. "Maybe we should take a break? We've been running for a while now."
"You serious, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, turning to look at her. "It's only been a few hours! We can still move."
"Maybe, but Irene isn't used to this way of life yet." Shippō nodded in agreement at her words. I refused to look at any of them, feeling a little ashamed of myself. "I think she could use a rest."
"Ugh. Alright. Here." The half-demon knelt down, trying to set me on my feet. I jolted, alarmed, and shook my head vehemently.
"N-No, it's fine! It's fine! W-We can keep going."
"Just shut up and get off of me, already! You're trembling like a leaf!" Urk. Okay. Fingers tightening their hold on his kimono for a moment, I reluctantly let go and set my feet on the ground. My legs almost gave out on me and I yelped, grabbing onto the half-demon's arm to catch myself. "Seriously? You can't even walk!"
"I-I'm sorry!" I flinched. "I'm sorry."
"Will you stop apologizing!? I told you how annoying that is!"
Shippō bounded forward, calling out to Inuyasha. "Quit yelling at her! Haven't you figured out she's shy?"
Inuyasha scoffed at that. "Bullshit. She's a wimp, but she isn't shy. Once we figure out how to get her to use that weird power of hers she'll toughen up."
"I don't have any powers." I grumbled, letting go of his arm and sitting down on the ground. My leg ached, and I shifted a little so that I could place a hand gingerly over the bandage. I said that line so many times, and yet Kaede's words still nagged at me. The summoning spell needed someone with a power similar to that of the summoner in order for it to work, but as far as I can remember I was the only one who touched the pentagram. I was also a rebound, so the burn on my leg is the only explanation as to why I can even understand what anyone is saying to me and why I'm able to talk back to them.
I was left so conflicted by everything.
A hand on my shoulder snapped me out of my thoughts and I jumped, looking up at Kagome in alarm. She gave an apologetic look and said, "I'm going to go look for some herbs. Stay here with Shippō, okay? He'll keep you safe if anymore demons show up." The young teen glanced at the corpse across from us, a disgusted look forming on her pretty features. "Inuyasha! Can you get rid of that!? I don't want to eat next to a dead body."
"What?" The half-demon had already sat down against a tree, hands in his sleeves and legs crossed. "We ate in the middle of several battlegrounds before! What's wrong with one little demon?"
"Little? That thing's huge! I'm sorry, but Irene and I are not as immune to these things as you are!" It was a little weird having Kagome speak for me when she didn't know me that well, but I had to agree with her. I don't think I could eat anything with that demon and its entrails just lying there.
The half-demon rolled his eyes, grouchily standing back up. "Jeez, alright already! I'm going. You're such a pain."
"Oh, I am, am I?" Kagome placed her hands on her hips, leaning over and glaring at me. "Well, I'm sorry if I'm a lady of good taste!" Inuyasha snorted at that. "What's so funny!? It's true!"
"You wish." He walked over, picking up the top half of the demon he killed. I cringed and quickly looked away, unable to watch as more of its insides started to spill out. Kagome looked away as well, covering her eyes with her hands. "Oh, grow up! It's just a corpse!"
"I'm a demon," Shippō began, scrunching his nose up, "but even I think that's gross. You're really something special, you know that, Inuyasha?"
"I am so done with you all."
Gods, the sounds of the demon's body being moved was near vomit-inducing. I can hear its guts sloshing around, and Inuyasha stepping in all the blood. Whatever appetite I had was totally gone now. Several minutes past and Kagome was nowhere to be seen, having left to wander the forest for plants. Shippō sat in my lap, talking to me about all the good foods Kagome brings with them on their adventures, and how he really liked the ramen they normally ate.
"We sometimes eat fish, too, but since there's no river or stream nearby I think we're gonna have to hunt something. Kagome or Inuyasha normally do that, but Kagome hates skinning it." Oh gods, we're eating game? They're not gonna make me skin it are they? I don't know the first thing about it and I really don't think I could stomach gutting the poor creature. Ew. "Are you okay? You look a little pale… you're not sick, are you?"
"I'm… fine." I choked out, making a face. My stomach was really unhappy. "Just, uh… queasy."
"...Oh, I see. You're like Kagome."
Yeah, sure. Let's go with that.
After a few more minutes Inuyasha returned, a dead rabbit in his hands. "Think this will be good, you guys? It's not a lot, but the ruckus scared away most of the other animals. Kagome can probably shoot down a bird or something."
"I'm up for it!" Shippō exclaimed, leaping out of my land and bounding over to Inuyasha. "You wanna stay here with Irene while I go collect some firewood? Kagome doesn't want her to be left alone."
The half-demon looked at me skeptically, before shrugging. "I guess. Just make it quick."
"Thank you!" With that the fox demon took off. These guys… they really are used to the wild life, huh? How has Kagome been living with all this? Oh right, she can return home whenever she wants. I hoped Maria's situation was better than this one. Maybe she was found by a nice family and she was getting real meals. Inuyasha sat down and flexed his fingers, reaching towards the belly of the rabbit with his sharp nails.
No, not nails. They were… claws, weren't they?
Oh, gross. No, nope. Not doing this. Ew. Ohhh, that poor bunny. I looked away with a cringe, bringing the back of my hand up to my mouth as Inuyasha sliced its stomach open. "Y-You guys… are really used to this, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess." The half-demon responded, not really paying much attention as he gutted the poor creature. "This world is a lot different from the one you and Kagome live in. Here it's kill or be killed, and you have to do whatever is necessary to survive. You guys are lucky I'm here, otherwise you wouldn't make it past morning."
Well, he's certainly confident, isn't he? I don't think he's wrong though. "F-Fair enough."
"Aha~ there we go! Now for the fur."
Please don't narrate. I beg of you. Bushes rustled and a familiar teenager in a school uniform walked out, several plants in her hands. "I found some medicinal herbs! Now if we get any injuries I can use these and save the medicine I brought with me for something more serious. Also found some plants to help season-" Her gaze landed on Inuyasha and the dead rabbit. "-the… food…"
She spun on her heel, facing me instead. Her smile was now strained.
"What do you think? Thyme sound good? We could probably use the oregano to help with your lungs." Um, sure. Okay. "I might be able to brew it into a tea… it's been a while, but it's worth a shot!" She walked over and knelt down, grabbing her large yellow backpack from the bike and setting it on the ground. I blinked, realizing I was still wearing mine, and pulled it off my shoulders. When I looked back at Kagome she was already getting out a tea kettle and bottled waters. "Nothing like some caffeine and herbal medicine to boost the system!"
"R-Right…" I coughed a little, feeling a little wheezing in my chest. It was such a weird and painful feeling, but not one I wasn't used to. "Caffeine… would be nice."
Kagome's gaze flickered up, hearing how breathless I sounded, but didn't say anything about it. She then looked around, realizing we didn't have any wood to start a fire. "Hey, where's Shippō? I thought I told him to stay with you. Did he leave to get firewood?" I nodded, slowly raising a hand to point at Inuyasha. "Asked him to watch you?"
Wow, she's good at charades. I'm impressed. Kagome was a little violent and had a temper, but she wasn't an idiot and was really nice most of the time. She was also very good at archery and fairly skilled in the art of medicine. Compared to me, whose only talents lied in art, music, and terrible puns… I was incredibly inferior. She was also literally the reincarnation of a dead priestess, and as such had holy powers?
For someone who was only fifteen she was a very accomplished teenager.
"Guess I'll study until he gets back then." Kagome sighed. I blinked, confused by her words, and only understood when she pulled out several large textbooks from her backpack. "Just because I come here most of the time doesn't mean I can slack off! I need to graduate middle school."
Okay. Let's add to the list the fact that Kagome is an extremely studious student who doesn't care about the fact that she might possibly die the next day. Wow. If she was older she would be such a wife. I thought my best friend, Skylar, was perfect waifu material, but dang Kagome was cutting it close. Unreal.
…
By the time Shippō returned the rabbit was already gutted and skinned, and ready to be cooked. Kagome boiled tea and Inuyasha roasted the rabbit, and by the time it was seasoned and ready to be eaten my appetite had finally returned. I was a little reluctant to eat it, wondering if it was safe and if there would be any diseases caught from eating wild game like this, but everyone else was munching down without hesitation. I took my first bite.
I chewed slowly, the flavor spreading along my tongue, and found that while it tasted a lot like chicken it was also rather dry. The meat was also quite tough. "It's… It's good." I stated in surprise, stunned. Kagome smiled at me, amused by my reaction.
"What did I tell you? The process is a little nasty, but the long walks and travelling makes it taste a little better than usual." Makes sense. The Kagome added to it to increase the flavor helped a lot, too. I reached down and picked up a small cup of the tea Kagome poured me, blowing on the hot liquid and taking a sip.
"It's so good~." I love tea. Floral tea was my favorite, but this wasn't too bad either. "Thank you for the food! And… literally everything else."
Kagome giggled and Shippo shook his head with a small smile. Inuyasha acted like he didn't care. After we finished eating Kagome showed me what several of the herbs she picked were, telling about their different uses, and packed them up. After she picked up her bike and I climbed back onto Inuyasha's back, we continued on our way to Akebi Village. There weren't as many demon encounters as there were the first half of the way, but we still ran into two or three until we actually made it to the village. We barely made it before the sun set.
"If only Miroku was here," Kagome lamented, sighing as she parked her bike near a tree. "He could trick someone into letting us stay the night. A warm bath and a real bed… that would be nice." So this is why she was so okay with lying to get my medicine; Miroku is the bad influence. It all makes sense now.
Now, who exactly this Miroku was I still had no idea, but it made me a little worried to meet him. I followed closely behind Kagome as we made our way into the village, clinging onto her sleeve like a small child.
"Ya'll are weak." Inuyasha insulted as he set me down on the ground. "There's nothing wrong with sleeping on grass."
"Bugs." I pointed out ducking my head down as we made our way into the village. Hopefully no one sees me, because I do not want another arrow in the shoulder. I coughed into my sleeve. "Lots… and lots of bugs."
"Snakes." Kagome continued, making a face at Inuyasha.
"It gets cold really easily." Shippō finished.
"I repeat; you're all weaklings. Anyway, we're here to ask about the demon, right?" Inuyasha looked at us for confirmation. "We should go find the villagers who attacked Irene when she first showed up here. If they've seen her then they might've seen her sister."
"Good point." The female teenager standing next to me agreed. I wasn't too sure about heading into the village with them, still scared about how people might try to attack me again, but I didn't voice my opinion. "We can explain to them about what happened, and they can help us learn more about the demon and Maria."
Explain to them what? That I fell through space and time and wound up near their village? Like they'd believe that. We should have had at least come up with a decent story to tell for when we get confronted. This isn't going to end well at all. Shippō, seeing me still worry, spoke up. "There really isn't anything to worry about. Remember- you have Inuyasha protecting you. He'll scare anyone off with his dog ears."
"Shippō…" The male teen growled, turning to glare at the small fox that had removed himself from the bike basket and was now resting on said half-demon's shoulder. "Do you wanna get hit?"
"Eek!" The fox demon jumped, landing on my shoulder. I winced a little at the small burst of pain, but said nothing. "Irene! Kagome! Inuyasha's threatening me again!"
"Will you two stop it?" Kagome hissed, sending them both a stern glare. "We need to get information about the demon!"
"Demon?" The conversation was interrupted by a stranger's voice. "You mean the one living in the old temple?" We all turned to see who it was. It was an older man, dressed in a dirty orange kimono, his black hair tied up in a top knot. "Are you going after it?"
"And what if I was?" Inuyasha challenged, narrowing his eyes at the man. "What are you gonna do about it?"
"O-Oh, uh nothing. We've been terrorized by the demon for a while now, so I was starting to think we were all going to get killed by it…"
"How long has it been attacking this village?" Kagome questioned. She placed a hand over the one I had on her arm, a gesture that was made to comfort me. I hid behind her, leaning down some so that my face couldn't be seen. I discovered that it was a little difficult using someone as a barrier when they were the same height as you. Curse my five-two stature.
"Only very recently." The man answered grimly, eyes lowering to the ground. "Before, when I was a child, he was satisfied with eating only stray animals… but now he's been taking anyone who so much as walks into the forest and drags them off to the temple to be eaten." His fingers curled into fists, trembling in rage at his sides. "So many have already been taken…"
Why… do I get the feeling that this man was close to one or two of the people who were taken? Something tightened in my chest, my heart aching for the losses the man must have went through. Just how scared did he feel, knowing he might never see the people he cared about again? I hoped that once we get enough information on the demon we could get there in time for Inuyasha and Kagome to save them.
The man raised his head and gestured to a nearby building, voice cracking just a little. "Just yesterday, a young girl named Sachi was taken from our village. She lived in that hut over there with her parents; she was such a sweet child. Never argued, a little timid with the other children… but she loved to help with the farm work. And ever since her kidnapping her parents haven't been able to focus on anything else except finding her." He turned back to look at us, despairing over the situation. "Everyone is now too scared to even think about leaving the village! How are we supposed to make a living if we can't chop wood or hunt in order to feed our families!? If someone doesn't do something… we're all going to die like this!"
Inuyasha stepped forward at those words, a smirk spreading across his face. He pulled his hands out of his sleeves and cracked his knuckles, rolling his neck until several popping noises could be heard. "Then it's a good thing I'm here; I'll slice that pathetic demon in half."
The man's misty eyes went wide with shock, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Y-You will!? You'll kill the spider demon!?"
S-Spider? Oh no.
"Damn straight!" The half-demon declared, resting a hand on the sword strapped to his hip. "It won't stand a chance against me. And since there's the possibility that it has a shard of the Sacred Jewel I have to kill it."
Ugh, the demon isn't like… big, is it? I can't stop imagining big bulging red eyes and long hairy… legs… and mandibles… a-and… oh gods. I shivered, pulling away from Kagome and rubbing at my arms, goosebumps spreading along my skin in fright. I don't want to do this. Nope. It's bad enough I'm in the village belonging to the people who tried to kill me, but an evil demon spider that wants to eat people? I can't stand bugs; they're disgusting and creepy, and gross.
"Y-You really mean to… Oh, thank goodness! Our prayers have been answered!" The man clapped his hands together, bowing repeatedly to Inuyasha, before running off until he was in the middle of the village. "Everyone! Everyone, can you hear me!? Someone's come to slay the demon! We're going to be saved!"
Hanging doors were pushed aside as people walked out in curiosity, and multiple heads poked out of the windows of many huts. "A slayer? A demon slayer has come!?"
"The spider is going to be destroyed!?"
"Our village is being protected!?"
"What about our families!? Will they return them to us!?"
So many people walked out; I couldn't count them all. People even started showing up from the edge of the village, having heard the commotion as everyone started gathering around and asking questions. They looked so relieved and happy, many villagers started crying when they saw Inuyasha brandish his tetsusaiga and claim how he was going to kill the demon that was terrorizing them. Shippō shook his head at the drama, commenting on how all the praise was going to Inuyasha's head.
"He normally hates all this attention, but if they're complimenting his strength…"
"Come now, Shippō," Kagome laughed, "he is pretty strong. You can't deny that."
"Hey! I'm not denying anything. I'm just saying he's arrogant."
The half-demon's ear twitched upon hearing their conversation and he turned his irritable gaze onto them. "What was that, Shippō!?"
"Eek!" The fox demon squealed and did a flip from on my shoulder, dangling from the collar of my kimono with his little hindpaws pressed against my back for balance. "He's really mad now!"
I raised my eyebrows at that, staring at Shippō like he was being ridiculous. Which he was. He should know that insulting Inuyasha would make him angry; they've literally been arguing the entire time I've known them. Unless Shippō is doing it to make him angry… because that was their kind of friendship. Despite it all, they do seem to be close as whenever one of the demons we encountered went after Shippō Inuyasha wasted no time to rescue him. They acted a little like… brothers, maybe?
Maria and Darian always fought and wrestled when they were younger, and were pretty close now. I guess the dynamic is a little similar to that.
As I was watching them I stood up straight without realizing, and it was then that my eyes caught sight of a familiar kimono. Black orbs met brown and I froze, voice catching in my throat as my heart nearly stopped beating from fright. Memories of blind running and pain rushed through my mind and I stepped back, realizing at once why I recognized that person. Not looking to see what I was doing I reached out to grab Kagome, hand waving through the air until it touched a shoulder.
Kagome blinked, turning her head. "Huh?"
"Irene?" Shippō asked, frowning. "What's wrong?"
"You!" The villager was making his way over, pure and unadulterated rage directed at me forming on his face. It was just like when I first encountered him in the forest; his expression filled with complete loathing and an aura radiating with the thirst for blood. He… He wanted to kill me. Even more than the demons- they just wanted food, but this man… he wanted vengeance. He knew nothing of mercy now. "You're the demon that stole my daughter!"
And he was rushing right at me. Running. A hand raised in the air and aimed clear for my throat, murderous intent filling the air.
"Give her back, damn you!" Kagome's eyes widened and she reached out, ready to pull me out of the way to avoid the attack. Shippō let out a terrified gasp, clinging tightly to my kimono, arms wrapped around my back, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'll kill you!" The man was inches away my throat, but before he could grasp at my neck a fist rammed hard into the villager's face and sent him flying. The man toppled sideways, and would have hit the ground if Inuyasha didn't lunge forward and grab him by the front of his kimono, holding him up so that they were face-to-face. "L-Let go of me! We'll kill all you monsters! You're not our saviors, you're our murderers!"
Inuyasha ignored how the man spat in his face, and instead bared his fangs at the mortal. "Oh, so now I'm the monster!?" He snarled. "Says the guy who just about to hurt an innocent human woman!"
"I-Innocent…?" The man, through his now bruising eyes, looked at me. Shippō was shaking me, trying to get me to snap out of my daze, and Kagome had moved protectively in front of us- her arms held out to the sides. "That's not a human! Neither of you are! You're all demons!"
Inuyasha proceeded to toss the man around a bit unceremoniously, and stopped long enough for him to get another look. "Uh, yeah, she is! Take a good look." He dropped him on the ground, stepping back with a stern glare.
Kagome nodded her head firmly. "That girl isn't a demon, I promise. She's a human, just like you and me."
"Th-Then what's with that weird appearance!? Even you are dressed weirdly!"
"It's… a strange circumstance." Kagome faltered, unsure how to explain. "It's a special style where we're from. We're not from this area, you see? But I mean it when I say Irene wouldn't hurt anyone. When you attacked her she didn't fight back, right? Doesn't that go to show that she's human? Irene is just a foreigner."
The man frowned deeply, reluctantly, but for the first time truly looked at me. After a long moment his eyes widened and shame crossed his features, the man tearing his gaze away. "I… I see. You do… look pretty weak to be a demon."
"She's even injured!" Another villager pointed out, seeing my limp. I wanted to make a comment about I was here and that I didn't need to be spoken about if I was absent, but held my tongue. This wasn't the time. I feel so out of place, though… it's frustrating. I want to voice my thoughts, but I feel like something terrible will happen if I do so. Ugh. "There's no way she could have taken anyone!"
"Actually," The man stared at Kagome for a few more moments than necessary, "I remember being told about a nearby priestess in odd clothing that lives in a nearby village… you must be her!" The young girl gave an awkward smile and nodded, seeming rather flustered to be called a priestess.
Inuyasha looked quite pleased at their reactions. "Finally. Now you guys get it. About time."
"I'm… I'm so sorry." The man apologized, lowering his head guiltily. "Those injuries came from my hunting party, didn't it? I… shouldn't have attacked you. We were so panicked a-and I couldn't think straight. I was so scared of my own family being taken and then yesterday… it actually happened. Please, forgive me."
Oh, no. No, no, no. Don't do this. Please don't make me feel bad for hating you. You attacked me and haunted my dreams most nights; I do not want to feel sympathy or empathy for you. You are a jerk who attacked and tried to kill me, and if it wasn't for Inuyasha I would have bled out and died. I will not accept the fact that you were scared for your family and friends, and that… that's the reason why… why you…
My lips curled back and I choked, gripping my sleeves tightly as I shook my head. "Th-There's… nothing to apologize for. I-I get it. Makes sense."
The man looked up, surprised by my response. "Truly!? You're not mad?"
Head facing the ground, I gave a weak shrug. My voice was barely above a whisper. "How could I be?" My own sister was missing. Oh, that's right! I pulled the picture out of my pocket, unfolding it and holding it out for the man to see. "H-Have you seen this woman? I-I've been looking everywhere for her, but I can't find her."
The man stood, walking up to get a good look at the photo. Though I had forgiven him I was still scared, and it took all my willpower not to back away and hide behind Inuyasha. "That's… another foreigner, right? Such a strange visage. I've never seen hair of that color- well, except on your little friend there."
Shippō, surprised the man didn't think him a demon despite his own strange features, looked away semi-nervously. "Yeah, well, I'm, uh, not from around here either. And don't let Inuyasha fool you- he's only half demon."
"Half-? Oh. I see." The man seemed to relax at that, clearly having been worried about the silver hair and dog ears. Inuyasha's eye twitched. "Hmm… yeah. I'm sorry, but I haven't seen anyone like that. She is quite the beauty; I'd definitely remember if I encountered her. What about you guys?" He turned to the rest of the village. One-by-one villagers stepped up to observe the portrait Shippō drew of Maria, and each one said they had no clue where or who she was. Disappointment washed over me, defeat beginning to settle in as I slumped over, and I stuffed the drawing in my pocket.
"Okay… thanks, anyway…" It wasn't as if I didn't expect it; it just hurts when your worst fears came true and your anxiety is proven the winner.
"Damn it!" Inuyasha cursed loudly. "We finally find the place and there's nothing on your sister. What a waste of time."
"Hey, don't say that!" Kagome scolded. "At least we've got a lead on the demon. If it's not too much trouble, could one of you tell us where it is and how to get to it?"
"Oh, of course! It's at the end of the village past the rocky expanse. Please, help my daughter… and save our village." The young girl gave a small smile at them.
"We'll do our best." She looked at us, "Should we head out now, then?"
"No, wait!" The man called out, stopping us before we could get ready to leave. "We haven't seen your sister, but an old man came by the other day and has been staying with us since. He's a traveler like you and has all sorts of helpful stories. Maybe you'll find one that can help you? If you go to the pond at the edge of our village you'll see him. His name is Kakuju."
"Kakuju?" I echoed, attempting to memorize the name. It was so different compared to all the others I've heard. The tiniest bit of hope began to build back up inside me, but I quickly quashed it as the chance of him actually knowing anything was slim. "Really?"
"Yes. If you follow this path," The man gestured to the northern road, "you'll come across a lumberjack's hut. Beyond that is the pond where Kakuju likes to spend most of his time. I'm sure if you ask about that woman he'll be willing to give you any information he has." I looked in the direction the man was pointing, heart picking up pace as I allowed myself to believe- if only for a moment- that I had a lead. That I would know where to start looking for my sister.
Maria…
If this Kakuju knows even the smallest detail about where she could be…
I needed to know.
I looked at Kagome and Inuyasha pleadingly, anxious and scared about several things. Would it be alright for us to go find Kakuju? What if they just wanted to head to the temple? Would they get annoyed at me for asking? They've already done so much to help me… I felt like such a menace. I lifted a hand up in the air, but faltered and lowered it to my chest. I need… I need to talk to that traveler. I can't back down now. I have to do this.
Social anxiety can go hurl itself off into nothingness; I have a sister to save.
"C-Can we go-"
"What're we waiting for?" Kagome asked, looking at her companions and cutting me off. She smiled, and then she turned to me. "Let's go find that old man. Come on, Irene."
Oh. Right. Of course. Kagome is kind.
A weight in my arms snapped me out of my thoughts, Shippō having jumped up onto me. "This is great! We finally have a good lead! We might finally figure out what happened to Maria!"
"Y-Yeah…" I smiled weakly, feeling rather lightheaded. All the excitement and fear has made my heart race so much my lungs struggled to keep up with it. "Let's… lets go find that, uh, Kakuju." I faced the villagers, giving them a bright grin, and hugged Shippō a little tighter. "Th-Thank you!"
One of the many women smiled back at me, and the man nodded. A few of the other villagers were whispering, wondering why there were foreigners in their land, and others were questioning if it was alright to let me and the group- who looked so very suspicious- leave. I looked at Inuyasha and Kagome, opening and closing my mouth a few times as I struggled to figure out how to say what I wanted to ask, and faltered when I saw how they were looking at me.
"Wh-What?" Kagome looked both amused and relieved, while Inuyasha was just smirking. "What is it?" The middle schooler shook her head.
"Don't worry about it. Come on- the northern road, right?"
Inuyasha laced his hands behind his head, walking past her, Shippō, and myself. "I can smell the pond water; it's not far. This way."
My feet were moving before my mind even registered what I was doing. We were so close… weren't we? If the man did know anything about her I'd know where to start looking. Where to find her. My lungs began to burn inside my chest as I quickened my pace to catch up with Inuyasha who was already so far ahead, my head throbbing as a small dizzy spell washed over me. The bag on my back felt like it weighed several more pounds than it did and pulled at my shoulders, hurting them.
I barely even noticed when Kagome walked up beside me and placed a hand on my waist, her other hand grabbing onto my arm to help me keep balance. Inuyasha came to an abrupt stop and sniffed the air for a moment, before looking around. Several huts could be seen, but only one resembled the description the man gave us. "There! Pond's in this direction!"
Maria… please… be safe.
Inuyasha charged ahead, breaking out into a run and vanishing through the foliage ahead. Kagome shouted after him, but it fell on deaf ears. "That stupid Inuyasha!" Shippō scowled, leaping out of my arms and landing on the ground. "He's always going on by himself! Get back here!"
The fox demon bounded forward, trying to catch up with his friend. "Sh-Shippō-!" I started to call out, but only wound up collapsing into a fit of coughs. Kagome caught me before I could fall and helped pull the heavy bag off my shoulders, effectively alleviating some of the pain. "G… Gone. B-Both… gone." I wheezed, coughing hard into my elbow. Kagome rubbed my back, and then turned her gaze towards the area where her friends vanished.
"I'm sure they'll be fine. We're in a village, after all. These kinds of places are normally safe." I finally managed to stop coughing, though I was still breathing heavily and struggling to regulate my oxygen levels. "The excitement must have gotten to you, huh? I'm sorry…"
"S… S'fine." I gasped, shaking my head. My head hurt so much- and my chest… it felt as though it were on fire. "Can… keep moving."
"You shouldn't push yourself." She told me, voice taking on a motherly tone. Funny, considering how much older I am then her. Although, if we go by time travel logic she is by all means older than me. It's rather ridiculous that while I am biologically an adult and she a child, she's still my elder because of our different time zones. "Rest."
No. I pulled away from her hold and forced myself up onto my knees, swaying a little. Some of my breath had returned, and even if I don't really remember anything that happens in the next few minutes because of the low O-2 levels someone can just recount what happened for me. "Need… to find…" Slowly. Not so fast. I stood cautiously, arms out to catch myself. "Need to find… M-Maria. Kakuju… knows. Sh-Should know."
What were words again? I can't think.
Kagome made a frustrated face and picked up the backpack, slinging it over her shoulders, and walked over. Instead of pushing me down and forcing me to take a minute to collect myself, she helped support my body. "I know you're scared and worried, and… so many other things, Irene. But you're a lot weaker here than in your own time. We have to be even more careful than usual."
I know. I'm sorry. But she's out there alone in a world full of demons and bandits, and people who would probably want to use and sell her for her pretty face and foreign features. I don't want anything bad to happen to her. I know she can handle herself, I know she could probably survive on her own, but my anxiety won't let me rest. I have to see her myself; to hear her voice and feel the warmth of her hugs. I want my big sister back, and so help me gods I am going to find her.
I am terrified, Kagome. But we've come this far and I'm not backing down now. My eyes flickered over to meet Kagome's own brown orbs, milk chocolate vs coffee bean brown. "We are finding her."
"...I know." She lowered her head, thinking for a moment, before nodding. "Alright. Let's go hurry and meet up with the others. I'll walk with you."
A relieved, shaky grin crossed my face. "Thank you…"
"Don't thank me. I'm still upset." Oh. Right. Sorry. I made a face, trying not to focus on the big wave of guilt trying to drown me. Moving slowly enough to not aggravate my lungs and still able to keep a decent pace, we headed in the direction the boys left off. "Where'd they go?" She looked around, a deep look of concentration on her face. "Idiots… okay. Let's try over there."
My feet moved along sluggishly as Kagome began to walk, my eyes lowered to the ground, attention focused solely on making my legs move. I had to keep moving. I can't stop. I need to be smart about how I go about this search… I have to limit my actions. When the sound of gentle waves reached my ears I raised my head, looking up to see a beautiful pond surrounded by forest foliage. Shippō and Inuyasha were arguing at the edge of it, an old man dressed in blue beside them. It resembled Kaede's own priestess attire, actually. The thing that really caught my attention was the large purple beads draped around his neck.
The man lowered his hands, clearly having been trying to calm the two children down, and turned his head ever-so-slightly in mine and Kagome's direction. "Oh my. You, girls… who are you?"
Inuyasha and Shippō stopped and turned to us, Inuyasha gripping Shippō's tail tightly in one hand and dangling him away from him, while the fox demon paused in his struggle to attack the half-demon. "How do you know they're girls? I thought you were blind!"
"I am," The man confirmed, nodding his head. He tapped the ground with his can and turned, facing us completely and… seeming to look directly at me. "But I can still sense the spiritual energy and power coming from others. For instance, though I can't see what you look like, I know you and your little friend are both of demonic heritage."
"I don't get it." Shippō stated, falling from the half-demon's grip and doing a flip in the air before landing on his hindpaws. "You can tell they're girls just from their spiritual energy?"
"It takes years of practice. Not many can tell."
"Sounds like a load of bullcrap to me." Inuyasha scoffed. He folded his hands into his kimono sleeves. "Whatever. Anyway, the wimp is Irene. The other girl is Kagome."
Kagome made a face at him. "I can introduce myself, you know! Take the wonder out of everything, why don't you?"
"Hey! I was just doin' the old man a favor by getting the introductions done and over with!"
I'm almost offended that Inuyasha kept calling me things like "pathetic" and "wimp", but at this moment it wasn't like he was wrong. He was always being forced to be my nanny and carry me around everywhere. Inuyasha even had to fight with me stuck on his back on the way here. I was pretty useless. I could barely walk by myself.
The sound of a cane and feet tapping against the ground caught my attention and I looked up, seeing the elder walking over to us. He stopped a few feet away, gaze not quite on me- as if he was looking through me, rather than just not being able to actually see me. "Such rare usage of the Shikigami…" He mused, humming. "And yet… not as active as it should be. It's been locked away."
"Wh...What?" I didn't understand any of that. Kagome stopped arguing and whipped her head up sharply, alarmed by the man's words. Inuyasha stepped ahead, wasting no time in moving in front of us protectively and hiding Kagome from view with his arm. The sudden gust of wind and Inuyasha's random appearance almost had me stumbling back.
"What are you jabbering on about, old man? Are you Kakuju?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at him, ears twitching and listening to all the sounds around us- whether it be the rustling of the tree leaves or the gentle waves from the fish in the pond. "We have some questions for you!"
"Questions?" The old man echoed, thinking over the half-demon's words. "Ah, I see. Is it about the power your friend possesses?"
"You said "Shikigami"." Kagome pointed out, looking a little scared. "It's not the same Shikigami that the dark priestess Tsubaki used, is it?"
Inuyasha's gaze turned sharply to me, realization lighting up in his amber eyes. Without warning he jumped back, pointing at me triumphantly as he loudly declared, "I knew it! I freaking knew it! I thought that red light looked familiar! It's because you have Shikigami powers like Tsubaki and those two shrine girls!"
"Wait, wait." Shippō spoke up, holding his hands in the air. "I'm confused. Aren't the two types of Shikigami different? Tsubaki used curses and the other girls… they had those little paper dolls. Wouldn't Irene be more like the red and white priestesses?"
How about you all wait a moment? Seriously. "What the heck is Shikigami?" And didn't we already have this conversation? How many times do I have to tell them I'm a normal human being? I know what Kaede said, but… I still don't accept it. It just doesn't make sense to me; it's not logical.
"It's a spiritual power that exists in all creatures of the universe, but wielded only be a rare few." Kakuju explained, smiling kindly. The fact that, despite his blindness, he was still technically looking in my direction bothered me a little. Could he only really see me because of the whole aura thing? This world is insane. "The Shikigami your friends speak about are only a few other forms of the power. It is common, yes, to share the same type, but there are those like the dark priestesses who rely on another version of it. You yourself have only just awakened your powers, unable to use them to their fullest potential."
"Wait…" My head was starting to hurt again. "So you have… curses and doll control?"
"There are Shikigami that are used for good fortune charms, protection amulets, and more. It solely depends on the user and the strength of their heart. Even rarer wielders of Shikigami can call forth animal spirits to help them."
Ah. Okay. This sounds an awful lot like Onmyōji. We're getting into Fire Emblem territory here.
"As such," The old man turned his head, looking in the direction of Shippō and Inuyasha, "we can not assume that this young woman's abilities are the same as those you've encountered before. Her talents may lie in any of what I have listed."
Actually, hold on, if this is actually similar to traditional onmyōji then… "Can't the spirits rebel?
I don't want that kind of power. I shouldn't even have that kind of power. This is ridiculous. This entire conversation is stupid. I watched as Kakuju's expression changed, the elder looking rather surprised at my question. "Why… yes. Some Shikigami resent their masters by forcing them to do their bidding, while others can grow to despise the way they are treated. As such they will try to overwhelm their caster and attack them. It's a risky practice as not only do you have to be careful with how you treat the ones you call to your aid, but maintaining their form for extended periods of time drains one's energy."
Oh, lovely. What a backstabbing power. Am I really supposed to believe all this?
If I have to maintain their form… then what was the red light I saw when I first showed up in this time? I remember a lot of pain as I was falling through the weird space/time vortex, as if everything was trying to simultaneously crush and tear me to bits, before something… wrapped around me? What was it? An animal spirit or… a protection barrier charm thing? A spirit seems more likely, but how would I have summoned it? What was the thing that destroyed the demon? This is a mess.
"When you were in danger," Kakuju began, as if sensing my confusion and inner turmoil, "what was it you called out? What did you think?" His voice was quiet, an edge to it that left me feeling quite unnerved. "You were praying desperately for your survival… perhaps even for the pain to stop… and then something happened. A creature came to your rescue. Not by order, but by choice."
My head snapped up and I looked at him with wide eyes, pulling away from Kagome just a little bit. How does this old man know anything about what happened? Which instant was he referring to? Did he know when I arrived in this place, leg burned and body aching, or was he there when the villagers and demon attacked- causing me to nearly bleed to death? I still wasn't entirely certain if I bought this old man's story, but he was sounding exactly like Kaede and the silver haired half-demon.
"H-How…?" I began, only to trail off. So many inquiries littered my tongue that none could come out. Every answer led to more questions, and the list was boundless. Who was this man? Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at Kakuju, stepping forward defensively and ready to attack.
"How would you know?" He demanded.
"I wonder…" Kakuju chuckled, unperturbed by the threat in the younger boy's voice. Inuyasha, sensing no danger from the man, cautiously lowered his hand before turning his head up with a scoff, hands in his kimono sleeves. Was that pose really all that comfortable? Then again, what do I know?
"Weird old man." Inuyasha muttered. Kagome looked at me for a long moment, before focusing her gaze on Kakuju.
"So, let me get this straight… you think Irene has the power of the Shikigami?"
"I know she has the power." Kakuju corrected, amused, and then looked back at me. "In fact, if you would like, I could teach you how to use it. Your powers are lying dormant at the moment, but awakening them is a simple task."
This is… This is not happening. This can't be happening. I don't have any abilities; if I did shouldn't I have noticed it growing up? Even if they were were dormant I would have figured out something strange was going on. This is unrealistic. Illogical. Total nonsense. Of course, so was the fact that I time travelled into a feudal Japan filled with demons… ugh. I stood there in silence, utterly trapped in the conflict of my own understanding of reality and the knowledge that I had somehow transcended time, desperate to keep the smallest piece of normality yet realizing that if there was something I could do that would be helpful I should take that chance.
I don't… I don't know what I should do. I can't make this decision. I…
"Well, what are we waiting for!?" Inuyasha's loud voice broke through the quiet. I looked up at the half-demon, eyes wide and startled. "You should accept it! This way you can protect yourself and I can say "I told you so"!"
I… I suppose… he isn't wrong.
My eyes met Kagome's hesitant ones and I lowered my head. Shikigami sounded incredibly dangerous; the gang made it sound like they encountered people who used curses and paper dolls before. Not to mention that if I treated the Shikigami spirits wrongly they would… revolt and attack me. But then- why did they protect me before? If it was actually Shikigami.
"Irene…" Shippō's eyebrows furrowed, looking up with concerned green eyes. He raised his head up to stare at Kagome. "It's okay, isn't it? She can help us fight off the demons and when we find her sister she can help protect her!"
Me protecting Maria…? It's always been the other way around.
"I-I know that." Kagome muttered, turning away. "I just… no. It's fine. Irene, you should learn from Kakuju." She took a deep breath, looked into eyes, and smiled. "I trust you. You're nothing at all like Tsubaki, so there's no reason for me to compare you two together. I'm sorry."
She doesn't think I'll lose control? She doesn't think I'll fall to darkness? We just met; why is she saying she trusts me so much? I still don't fully understand why she's helping me. But… Inuyasha was right. In this world of death and destruction I needed to be able to defend myself. If I can't physically fight then… why not befriend the spirits I'd be potentially asking to battle on my behalf?
"...O-Okay." My voice was barely loud enough to be heard. "I'll… do it. Thanks."
I don't really want to but given my current situation, I have no choice but to try and accept it. If it can help me to survive and to find my sister… I need to do this. I doubt I'll have the strength or power to protect anyone, but if I can do something to be useful… that's enough. I slowly raised my head up to look at Kakuju, despite knowing he couldn't really see me.
"How… do we awaken them?"
Kakuju stepped forward, carefully using the cane to guide him, and stopped directly in front of me and Kagome. He extended a hand out towards me, "If you're truly earnest about learning how to wield the powers of the Shikigami step forward and take my hand."
What? Oh, this sounds weird. I don't like this. I glanced at my new companions one more time, gaze resting on the fox demon I called a friend. Though he was a child and behaved as such, Shippō was a demon and that meant he was probably much older than anyone else here. His opinion would settle this.
"Take his hand, Irene!" He encouraged, eyes sparkling hopefully. "We're right here with you!"
Well frick. Okay. Yeah. Ugh, this is sounding so cheesy. Welp, magical girl time I guess. Pulling away from Kagome completely I limped over until I was completely in front of Kakuju, hesitantly taking his hand in mine. Kakuju smiled kindly and said, "Close your eyes." This only served to make me more uncomfortable, but I did as told. I felt a little silly doing all this, especially since we didn't really know the man.
I was wanting information on my sister, after all, not superpowers.
We stood there in silence for a long moment, long enough to where I was starting to wonder if the dude was a creep after all and if I should step back, when suddenly there was a warmth. It spread throughout my body, getting stronger with every passing second, and through my eyelids I could almost see the bright light surrounding me. Opening my eyes I was stunned to see that I was actually encased in a flame, but there was no pain. And because there was no pain I didn't panic. I simply watched in awe as the light flickered and danced around me before fading away.
"Your body lit up!" Shippō exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly. "Is that your version of the Shikigami!?"
"No, no, no." Kakuju chuckled, releasing my hand and taking several steps back. "We merely awakened her powers. She still needs to learn how to use them."
I did feel strangely… lighter now. I raised a hand and pressed it to my chest, right over where my heart was. The organ beat in a fast pace tempo, trying its best to keep the oxygen flow going, but every breath I took I could physically feel the wheezing in my lungs. It hurt, but something inside of me… inside of my heart… felt free. As if a bird had just been released from its cage and was able to fly around as much as it liked.
It was a weird feeling.
"Irene," The old man's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, "do you see that rock over there?"
He didn't gesture or anything, merely asking a question. I blinked a few times and looked around the area, trying to see what rock he could possibly be talking about when I saw it. A large boulder, a dark green color, sparkling in the sunlight and reflecting beautifully in the pond's clear surface.
"That is Serpentine Rock. It reacts to the power of the Shikigami; if I am correct about the nature of your power you should be able to use the Shikigami and break it. Go ahead and try it."
Wait, seriously? He isn't even going to give me any instructions as to how to do it? What the heck? I shook my head, running my fingers through my bangs exasperatedly, before awkwardly walking over to the rock and sitting down. How was I supposed to break this thing? He said something about how I had been desperately praying for survival, and that I had wanted the pain to stop… so…
Should I imagine the rock breaking?
I feel ridiculous.
Why is this happening? I rested my palm against the large sparkling rock, wondering how to go about this. Maybe… remember the warmth from the flame? It started from inside my body before gradually shifting outwards, so perhaps… if I think about it that way and try to concentrate on the image of the rock breaking, then-
"Whoa!" I jolted, recoiling back when red light sparked out of my fingertips, spreading out across the rocks surface and making it glow crimson. Slowly but surely, the large stone began to crack and crumble into several pieces. "Wh… What?"
That… That actually just happened. Did I make that happen? How? What?
"You did it!" Shippō exclaimed, bounding over to observe my handiwork. He proceeded to climb up my good arm until he was on my shoulder, a tiny hand on the top of my head. "That's awesome!"
"I told you had you powers." Inuyasha grinned, looking quite smug of himself as he placed a hand on his hip. "Should've listened to me from the beginning."
"Wow…" Kagome gasped. "You actually made it break."
Kakuju appeared amused by everyone's awe. I sat there for a few more long seconds, staring at the rock and then at my hand as I tried to figure out what exactly it was that I did. Like, I know what I was doing but at the same time it felt like I didn't? It was confusing. "So," The old man began, not quite looking at me even though he moved to face my direction, "do you think you've learned how to use the Shikigami?"
"I… I guess…?" I stammered, eyebrows knitting together as I turned my attention away from my apparently magical hand. "Maybe."
He chuckled at my uncertainty. "It's simple so long as you understand the trick, but the real test will be putting the power to actual use. Don't take any unnecessary risks."
His words made sense, especially since I had just learned how to activate it, but it was fairly obvious so I didn't care to pay much attention. I was still too busy freaking out over my new abilities and was trying to figure out how to make the flickering lights appear again. After enough concentration and internal monologue a red light appeared beneath me this time in the shape of a star, a red flame shooting out of my palm. It tried to take the shape of some kind of creature, but dissipated before it was able to finish.
I let out a startled yelp and almost fell back. "What the-!? Frick! D-Did you guys see that!?" I sat up quickly and whirled around, holding my hand out for the gang to see. Kagome brought a hand up to her mouth, stifling a giggle. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at me. "I-I made a flame!"
"Yeah, yeah, congrats." The half-demon said, "Just remember you're still liable to get eaten by demons."
A movement on my back brought my attention to Shippō, who was sticking his tongue out at Inuyasha, the fox demon putting most of his weight on the back of my head. "You're just jealous that you don't have the power of the Shikigami!"
"Che. You wish. I can take down any demons with my tetsusaiga." I stared at them blankly, not understanding until Inuyasha patted the sword strapped to his hip.
He… named his sword? Really? I shouldn't be surprised at this. A thought then hit me and I found myself scrambling up onto my feet, pushing all thoughts about Shikigami to the recesses of my mind, and limped over to Kakuju. "W-Wait! Question! Super important question!"
Inuyasha and Shippō stopped bickering, and Kagome looked at me. Kakuju hummed, lacing his hands together behind his back. "Yes? What is it?"
"H-Have…" Ah, frick. Now I'm the center of attention again. Urgh. I bit my lip and stammered for a few seconds, unsure of how to phrase the question. "H… Have you heard anything about a foreigner? I-I know you can't really… see… but she probably sounds a lot like me? A lower voice, but… if people were talking about her they'd probably describe her with light colored hair and green-blue eyes? Tall and pretty? Most likely would mistake her as a demon. Sh-She's my big sister."
"A… foreigner? Ah, that explains your accent." I actually sounded different from everyone else? To my ears it sounded like I was speaking their language just fine. Of course that was only a given considering I wasn't actually from here- I guess the rebound only did so much in helping me speak and understand everyone. Kakuju continued, an apologetic expression on his face. "No, I'm afraid I haven't heard anything about a young woman by that description. If I do find out anything about her I'll be sure to let you know. I'm so sorry."
"Oh…" My shoulders slumped in disappointment, and I could feel Shippō press a hand to my cheek as if to try and comfort me. The way he did it actually reminded me a little of a cat, the way they would press a paw to your face sometimes when you held them. "It's… It's fine. So you haven't even heard the name "Maria"?"
"No…"
"Irene…" Shippō sounded saddened by the news, and out of anyone else here he was really the only who understand how much I was actually hurting. Determined not to let my feelings show anymore than they already have I faked a grin and waved off Kakuju's words, laughing when I deemed it necessary.
"Okay. I was just curious, so… you know. Hehe. I'll find her eventually. Thanks for the help!" I rubbed the palm of my right hand, thumb pressing against the spot where a cyst used to be a year ago. It's become a nervous tick of mine, and one I've had trouble getting rid of. "It's appreciated!"
I could feel the stares on me from the back, and it took all my willpower not to tense up when Kagome rested a hand on my shoulder. She leaned down, voice a whisper as she asked, "Are you really sure it's okay…?"
A shrug was my only answer. The emotions building up were quickly forced down, pushed into an abyss that would not be easily accessed. "It's fine. We need to… find the spider, right?" An image of hairy legs and several beady eyes came into mind and I shivered, cringing at the thought. I've had so many nightmares in the past about being eaten alive by a giant spider; I can't stand them. "L-let's just… focus on that."
"Well, yeah, but…" Kagome trailed off, uncertain of how to speak what she was thinking. She pulled her hand away, cradling it to her chest, and frowned. "Okay. Yeah. It's… getting late, so we should find a place to stay. Get a head start on the temple tomorrow."
"Sounds like a good idea." Shippō agreed, "We won't get very far with all those demons in the way once night hits."
I looked at them, eyebrows furrowing. What they said made sense, but shouldn't we hurry now that we knew where the temple was? The more time wasted meant the more likely everyone in the temple were to be eaten.
"Please," Inuyasha huffed, "we all know I'm more than capable of killing them all."
"Maybe," She told him, "but all that fighting will wear you out! We should save our strength for the spider demon."
And so our first night was spent not looking for the temple or my sister, but inside a young family's hut. I didn't get much sleep, too busy thinking and feeling guilty, and tried to practice summoning some of the Shikigami. Shippō attempted to help me with it, showing me some of his fox fire magic, and joked about how similar our flames looked. I gave a weak smile, but found it hard to bring myself to act cheerful. I hurt so much.
But… I finally had a lead; a horrible, disastrous lead that could bring me to some very traumatizing and despairing realizations… yet a lead nonetheless. I finally managed to get a fairly decent sized flame to appear with some of Shippō's instructions- not that he was able to make a very big flame himself- and by then we decided it would be good to turn in for the night. Kagome and I were given a place separate from Shippō and Inuyasha to sleep, and as I got comfortable on the small futon I was given I looked at the teenager thoughtfully.
"Inuyasha is a half-demon… right? And Shippō and Myoga are full demons?" This was all still so confusing. "Is there, like, a reason Inuyasha's so grumpy all the time? He throws a fit every time someone brings it up."
Kagome shifted, pulling her blanket over herself and staring up at the ceiling with sad eyes. "Well… I mean, he's had a pretty rough life. He's neither human nor demon, and had to put up with a lot of terrible things in the past because of it. He doesn't really belong in either world. His mother was human, but while he hates that he still loves her. I think it's his dad that makes accepting himself as a half-demon even more difficult, to be honest…"
"Yeah?" That piqued my curiosity. I was never very good at reading people; even if a person was very expressive I still found them difficult to understand. The ones that freaked me out the most was the people who barely showed emotion; it always spiked my anxiety to a whole other level because I had no idea if my talking bothered them or not. Inuyasha was especially complicated, though, because of his hot-and-cold behavior. "Who was his dad?"
I tried to picture what the person looked like, but my knowledge of demons was still a bit… underdeveloped. I was still trying to figure out how demons and humans were able to have children together. Shouldn't the biology be completely different? What if a demon has two hearts and tries to mate with a human that has one heart? It shouldn't work; I don't think. Or is all demon anatomy the same as a human's? Could a demon shift its form enough to match the biology of that of a human to have a child? That wouldn't make much sense either; it would have to shift on a genetic level.
Unless it was only the demons that looked like humans that could have children with them. I've seen plenty of ugly-looking demons since arriving here and the only humanoid-appearing demons I've seen so far are Shippō and Myoga, and Myoga doesn't really count since he's not even a few inches tall.
Oh gods, why am I even thinking about this? My head is killing me. The logic is nowhere in this! How can a demon even have children with a human? Does it even matter how many organs they have in order to have a kid with someone that's literally a different species than you? I'm confused.
"He was this great dog demon general- or so I'm told. Inuyasha never knew him, but he's constantly trying to surpass him. It's a little heartbreaking… but I can understand it. His father was powerful and he wants to be powerful, too." Kagome yawned, stretching her legs out before settling down against her pillow. "Anyway, I'm tired… and we have a big day tomorrow. We should get some sleep. Goodnight, Irene."
"Y-Yeah…" Right. "Good night…"
Needless to say… it was not a good night. I was awake most of the time, tossing and turning, and when I finally did fall asleep I had nightmares. What they were about I didn't really remember, but they left me fearful of closing my eyes after I awoke from them. I found myself just focusing on Kagome and her sleeping face, trying to calm my frantic heart and rid the horrid thoughts from my mind. The girl looked so peaceful…
It was incredible. I can't imagine anyone being so at ease in this kind of situation, but she just… goes with it. She really was born for this kind of thing, wasn't she? Being reincarnated from a priestess… and now travelling the distant past to try and stop some evil demon. She was smart, brave, intelligent, incredible at archery, and knew a lot about medicinal herbs. Kagome was so amazing and helpful.
And then there was me. Here because of sheer dumb luck.
Even with this Shikigami ability I've been given… I doubted I would last long. If it weren't caused by demons or people that wanted me dead, it would surely done by my own illness. At least the air quality here was great. Maybe I would painlessly pass away in my sleep?
...As if I would be so lucky.
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