"I was wrong. You don't look like her!"
"Look like who?"
"You're not even remotely similar!"
"Remotely similar to who?"
The screaming startles Andy out of sleep, as Kagome and Inuyasha normally fight during the day, and for a minute she thinks that maybe they've been attacked or something else has gone horribly wrong but when she looks over at her friends she finds Kagome sitting up in her sleeping bag while Inuyasha sits a few feet away sporting a vivid red hand print across the side of his face. Groaning softly, Andy rubs her fingers against the corner of her eyes to get the grit out and resigns herself to stepping in should the argument escalate further.
It doesn't get a chance.
Wind picks up around them despite the fact that there hadn't even been a breeze earlier when they all settled in for the night. There's a dark blotch on the moon that's vaguely human shaped but from the distance and her grogginess Andy can't tell for certain if the blotch is a demon or not. It could just been an unfortunately shaped cloud.
"What is that?" Inuyasha asks.
"Don't know. A demon?"
Inuyasha stares at the blotch as it disappears into the night, his face tense, but it isn't until some time has passed that he tells everyone to gather their things and follow him. Andy doesn't complain as Inuyasha has always been so careful to make sure they've all slept and ate at regular intervals that this sudden urgency to continue on makes her a little bit nervous. She ends up on Inuyasha's back, clinging to him as he leaps from one spot to the other while Kagome and Shippo get a more leisurely ride on the bike. Kagome asks Inuyasha what's gotten into him, why they left camp, what's going on, all sorts of things that he blatantly refuses to answer as they continue on. Even after the sun has risen into the sky and Kagome has begun begging for hints the half-demon still refuses to answer. He barely shows any sort of emotion until Kaede's village comes into view and even then the only thing he does is pick up his pace, forcing Kagome to do the same.
Andy understands Inuyasha's urgency the minute she spots Kaede stumbling out of her home.
The priestess is injured. There's a swath of white fabric wrapped around her head and a sling keeping her arm stationary in front of her, a soon-to-be impossible task considering she has her bow and a quiver slung across her back. Andy waits for Inuyasha to stop before rushing toward the older woman, followed closely by Kagome.
"What happened to you?" Kagome asks while Andy goes to stand by the priestess' side so she can carefully unwind the bandage around her head.
"You still alive?" is Inuyasha's scathing question.
She ignores all of them in favor of running fire-laced fingers over the cut on Kaede's head. As her fire dances over the bloody cut it goes from violent red and purple to a scabbed up red-brown before turning to a small, shiny pink scar that's barely visible on her head. Once she's satisfied Andy goes to look at her arm. Healing, she's come to realize over the course of time between first learning about her powers and now, is easier than attacking someone. Theory number one is that Andy might be scrappy, she might be mean, but she doesn't like seeing people suffer. Seeing people struggle and hurt isn't something that brings Andy joy or comfort. Healing is easy because Andy's a fighter but she's also a lover, and there's no glory to be had in allowing people to suffer when you can do something about it. So she heals Kaede's wounds fairly easily despite the dull ache it leaves behind her eyes. Once she's healed Kaede bows her head to Andy and thanks her before she tells them to follow her and as they walk Inuyasha makes an off handed comment about how she's still alive. Despite the flippancy of the comment Andy thinks he's genuinely pleased to find her all in one piece.
It doesn't take long for Kaede to usher them toward a set of perfectly crafted stone steps that lead up to the burial grounds of the village. Andy doesn't know much about Japanese burial rights and traditions of that nature as she's never been all that interested in looking it up (a misstep on her part, yes, one she is going to fix) as well as having never had any reason to do so. Sticking to the back of the small group, Andy allows herself to be lead up the stairs, past the gate which she thinks is called a torii, and promptly freezes. It's pretty common knowledge that you don't dig up dead people without a damn good reason and apparently someone either didn't get that memo or doesn't give a shit about basic human decency because the grave site Kikyo's remains were laid to rest at is nothing more than a mess of upturned dirt and debris.
"What happened?" Andy asks, voice quiet and respectful but filled with rage.
The story is not a pleasant one. Kaede does not know the name of the woman who took her sister's remains and doesn't know where she would have gone with them. For all Kaede knows her sister's ashes have been scattered to the wind for no other reason than for a pitiful thief to be able to say she decimated Kikyo's grave site. It's sick.
"My sister had unusually strong powers, even for a priestess, if her ashes get into the hands of some demon who knows for what evil purpose they will be used." Kaede remarks gravely before calling out to the red clad half-demon currently making for the stairs, "Inuyasha!"
"Forget it! Kikyo and I were enemies. Have you forgotten who shot an arrow in my chest?" He asks before continuing on.
Andy doesn't hesitate as she turns to go after him, taking the steps two at a time until she manages to catch up to her friend. They don't say anything until they've gotten a far enough distance from Kaede and Kagome to not be overheard by either of them and Inuyasha is quick to stalk over to a large tree to sit on its roots beneath the shade offered by the leaves overhead. Andy licks her bottom lip and slowly moves to kneel at his side. Is it really any of her business? This animosity between Inuyasha and Kikyo is born of something Andy doesn't understand. What good would her advice be when she hasn't felt heartbreak and betrayal to such degrees as Inuyasha? Sighing, Andy reaches out and places her hand on his knee.
"I think... I think you should go after those ashes." She says to him.
"Why? Kikyo means nothing to me."
"That's not true and you know it. The feelings you have for Kikyo are messy and they're painful but there was a point in time when the two of you were happy... Maybe getting those ashes, and putting them back where they belong, will help you put to rest all the resentment and hate."
"She tried to kill me."
Andy shakes her head slowly and says, "I think she was trying to stop you but I doubt she wanted you dead. Killing you? It wouldn't have been hard for her from what I've heard... I think that in her own way Kikyo was trying to do right by you."
"Right by me?" Inuyasha scoffs. "Right."
"It doesn't make what she did to you right, it doesn't make what you did to her right either, but I think that love makes people act in ways they wouldn't have before..." Andy rubs her thumb against his kneecap and sighs, "I want to tell you that getting those ashes back will help you dull some of the hurt but it won't. What it will do is give you something to put to rest and I honestly think that's something you need to do."
Before Inuyasha can say anything more Andy stands up, plants a kiss on Inuyasha's head between his ears, and walks off in the direction of Kaede's home. She passes Kagome on the way and smiles politely at the other girl as she goes. Whatever Kagome has to say to Inuyasha isn't her business seeing as she's already imparted her own bits of wisdom to Inuyasha. Kagome's a softer being, a balm to the wound Andy has no doubt inflicted upon their other friend, and what she has to say to Inuyasha likely needs to be heard. So Andy makes her way to Kaede's and finds the woman preparing her weapons.
Andy isn't surprised that Kaede would want to go after the person that desecrated her sister's grave. It's expected really. Had Kaede been willing to stay behind Andy might have been perturbed. As she's going, however, the fact that the village will be left without proper protection becomes glaringly obvious. Andy bites her lip as she makes for her own bag. Kaede's village isn't exactly unsafe but it's been attacked quite a bit since she and Kagome arrived. Andy doesn't doubt the efficiency of the men protecting the village but there comes a point human steel simply won't keep every monstrous being out of the village. Yura of the Hair is a perfect example of this. The more Andy thinks about it the less comfortable she is leaving.
Someone should stay to protect the village and the people living here and who better than her? Kaede is Kikyo's sister so it makes sense for her to go, Inuyasha is her old lover and has a hatchet very much in need of burying, and Kagome is Kikyo's reincarnation. All of them have a right and to a certain extent and obligation to get those ashes back, but what about Andy? She's no sister, no ex-lover, no reincarnation, she's nothing to Kikyo and has no reason to be going on this quest outside of offering questionable magical support should it be needed.
No, she's better off staying in the village where she can protect the people.
Inuyasha doesn't take it too well when Andy tells him that she's staying but after a long argument about how a) Andy doesn't have that much control over her powers and b) she's needed by the village more than she is by Inuyasha, the half-demon backs off and tells her that should anything happen she might as well just burn the village to the ground and run like hell. Apparently, the fact that people could die at the very worst and be left homeless at the very least doesn't bother Inuyasha all that much. With a roll of her eyes Andy watches as her friends and Kaede disappear into the forest and wonders if maybe she should have gone along with them.
"Is everything well, Lady Andromeda?"
Glancing down at the Flea demon currently resting on her shoulder doesn't make her feel any better about not going with her friends. Myoga doesn't like going into dangerous situations and if he suspected the journey would be dangerous... Andy swallows hard and forces a smile.
"I hope so... Come on, if you're here you can help." She tells the demon.
"Help with what, might I ask?"
"This village was attacked which means there are people here who need to be healed. If nothing else you can help me remove bandages and check for infection before I try and heal anyone."
Myoga nods slowly, hands disappearing into his sleeves, and Andy knows that he'll gladly help her attend to the injured instead of going off after Inuyasha and Kagome. It's not comforting in the least but she'll have someone to vent her worries to so that's somewhat of a relief to Andy. Sighing, Andy ventures off in search of someone who can direct her to the first of many who have likely been injured in last evening's attack. She finds a young girl named Ai, who stares at her through wide brown eyes before hesitantly guiding her to the home of one of the village men. The man's wife seems less hesitant to allow Andy into her home, in part thanks to Myoga's assurances that Andy will b able to heal her husband, and soon she finds herself kneeling beside a middle-aged man who's sporting a fair bit of bruising around his temple and a bandage wrapped tightly around his shoulder and chest- to keep the arm from moving? To keep him from doing more damage to healing ribs? Andy doesn't know.
"Can you help him?" The man's wife asks from where she's settled on the opposite side of her husband's still form.
Andy bites her lip before saying, "I'm still new to healing so I can't promise that he'll improve but... he won't end up any worse than he is."
For as pathetic as the admission is it seems to reassure the woman because she gives Andy a thin smile before clasping both hands in her lap. Andy thinks it's an attempt to stay out of the way unless Andy needs assistance. Hesitantly, Andy reaches out and places one hand at the man's shoulder and the other over his heart. She can't feel anything so she thinks that all the books she's read about people feeling other people's hearts beating beneath their palms is either trash or the person probably ran a mile. But just to be safe Andy closes her eyes and really focuses on the man's breathing, the imagined beating of his heart beneath her palm, the steady inhale-exhale of his breath as he takes it. Nervousness leaves her and a sort of peacefulness takes its place as Andy allows her mind to wonder, and soon enough warmth begins to flood through her.
This is not the burning sensation of rage, the fire that consumes and consumes until there's nothing left of Andy so it turns its sights on other things in search of more to consume and destroy. No, this is something softer, like lying in the sunlight so that it warms you to your bones. A gentle, nurturing sort of warmth that starts in her chest and sweeps through her veins, racing to her hands where it pools in her palms before seeping into the tender flesh of the man laying before her. The man has a broken clavicle - a clean break but painful all the same - and a mild concussion from what Andy can tell. She's not an expert on head trauma but it's kind of hard to doubt the clavicle is broken when it's in two separate pieces. Still, Andy thinks she can fix him up. Focusing on the broken bone that she somehow knows is broken causes the heat that had been idling near his chest to migrate toward the break. Bone shifts beneath the gentle guidance of Andy's power, sliding into place and sealing back together in a matter of minutes, and it leaves behind nothing but a calcium buildup that no one but her will ever notice. With the man's clavicle healed Andy turns her attention to the head wound, which takes a bit more focus to heal but heals all the same. Once Andy's certain there's nothing else wrong with the man she opens her eyes and pulls away so that she can behind removing the bandages with help from the man's wife, who jumps into action the second she realizes what Andy's doing. All signs of the man's injury are gone. There are no cuts, there's no swelling, not even a yellow-brown bruise to show that the man had been hurt. Andy smiles a bit despite the dull throb behind her eyes.
"Thank you!" The man's wife says, eyes drifting from her husband to where Andy is still kneeling.
"You're welcome," Andy smiles brightly before continuing, "Make sure he drinks lots of water and keep him resting for the next day or so. If anything strange starts happening or he starts feeling any pain please come find me."
"Yes, of course." The woman says but her eyes have returned to her husband, who seems a bit more at ease despite his slumbering state.
Andy is quick to ask for directions to the home of another injured man and once the woman tells her how to get where she needs to be Andy quietly, but quickly, leaves the home. It's not her place to linger during another person's private moments and Andy can safely assume that the woman needs a bit of a private moment to gather her thoughts and get her emotions in order. While the injuries hadn't been immediate life or death Andy can only image how nerve wracking it would have been to have a spouse go off into a fight and return badly injured. Broken bones and concussions aren't a joke, not only are they painful, they can cause some serious health complications if not treated properly. Andy presses her lips together. Are there other healers aside from Kaede? She doesn't remember whether or not there are but for some reason Andy thinks that Kaede's the only one, which means that she was tending to people in her own injured state. Sighing, Andy runs a hand through her hair as she silently applauds the older priestess' will power.
Her next patient is awake this time, introduces himself as Mitsuo and welcomes her into his home with a sunny smile. A happy fellow by the looks of it, even with the truly painful looking bruises covering the entirety of his back. Andy thinks that he's lucky. Whoever stole Kikyo's ashes had sent many of the people injured flying from what Andy gathers, considering Mitsuo landed on his back and walked away with nothing more than a few aches and some bruises? Lucky. That's all Andy has to say about that. Thankfully he's a relatively easy person to heal and Andy's gone from the house just as quickly as she arrived.
It goes on like this for several more hours. Andy goes to the home of an injured person, explains why she and Myoga are there, and then she goes about healing whoever needs it. But things don't stop there. Soon everyone's heard about her abilities and because Andy genuinely feels for the people of the village she ends up visiting whoever needs looking after. For the most part the only people Andy has to really heal are the men who were injured during the attack and a little boy who'd hurt himself when he'd fallen out of a tree. Most of the men and women she sees have minor illnesses or injuries, things Andy doesn't isn't too worried about- she still tells people how to treat their colds and flu symptoms as best she can though, because being sick sucks but she's not going to make people suffer because it's getting too difficult to call on her power. No one seems displeased with her so Andy doesn't feel too terribly bad about not being able to help everyone who asks to see her.
"Things will get easier, Andromeda-san." Myoga tells her, the sound of his voice after not having heard it in so many hours almost startling her.
"I'm sorry?"
"It's not uncommon for young demons to find themselves fatigued after pushing themselves as you have the past few days."
"You mean with my powers?"
"Aye." Myoga smiles politely, "You've yet to master them and so the more you use them-" "-the more they drain me."
The flea demon makes a low humming noise to voice his agreement and Andy huffs as she makes for Kaede's home where she intends to make herself some dinner, organize her thing, do some homework, and maybe try to do some light reading before bed. When they reach Kaede's Andy is quick to start boiling water for her ramen and takes the time it takes to boil to rearrange her items in her bag so that it's not all one big mess. She hadn't had time to pack everything away properly when Inuyasha told them to pack so all of her things are just kind of wadded up in her bag. Andy doesn't mind wrinkled clothes all that much but she's not too fond of having to fight with her bag to get it zipped up. She's got most of her things packed away when the water reaches the necessary temperature so Andy quickly pours the water into the ramen containers before setting them aside to cook so she can return to her packing. Once everything's put away to her liking Andy turns to Myoga.
"May I ask you a question, Myoga-san?" Andy asks, arms curling around her calves as she rests her chin on bent knees, at the flea demon's nod Andy continues, "What i the Shikon no Tama exactly? I knows it gives its owner power but why?"
Myoga stares at her for a long moment as if he's debating whether or not he's going to tell her, but then he sighs and says, "The Shikon Jewel is a product of great spiritual power from many demon and the priests Midoriko being condensed into one being. Within the jewel the demons and Midoriko are in endless conflict, doomed to battle for dominance for the rest of eternity."
"So the jewel is just sentient?" Andy asks, attempting to process what Myoga's just told her.
"In a way," Myoga's hands disappear into his sleeves, "I suppose that the forces within the jewel make it its own entity. It' hard to say, really."
"You know a lot about the Shikon jewel."
"I know what I know. The legend of the Shikon Jewel is an old one and I have lived many years."
"Do you know any way to destroy it?" Andy asks.
Wouldn't it be easier to destroy the shards as they go? It would make it easier to keep them out of villainous hands and then they wouldn't have to worry about anyone completing the jewel should one of their group accidentally loose the shards. Who would have thought that the jewel is a physical manifestation of a person's soul? Well, souls. Which leads to the fact that the jewel is somewhat conscious. Andy wonders if it's like an animal, dangerous but not all that threatening until threatened, or if it's like a demon? Able to reason, able to feel, but at the core of it still nothing more than a being driven by base emotions and desperate, wild hunger.
"At the moment? No."
Andy isn't quite sure she believes that but she decides not to push and turns to check on the ramen containers. Seeing that they're ready Andy passes one over to Myoga, who takes it with a sunny smile, and then goes on to pick at her own as she continues to contemplate the Shikon no Tama.
Clearly there are going to be demons all over who are going to want it, from what Andy's seen so far most demons are pretty low level and the temptation of a power-up is one too great to pass up. The only demon Andy hasn't seen go after the jewel or mention it is Sesshomaru and he's... well, he's his own sort of dangerous. Probably doesn't even need the jewel. Hell, Andy's convinced Sesshomaru could probably go toe-to-toe with someone with the power of a completed jewel and come out on top without so much as a scratch. The mental image alone is enough to make Andy want to giggle nervously, because Sesshomaru is a lot of things and while Andy doesn't like how he'd gone after Kagome there's no real hatred for him, which means she's aloud to be as flustered by the thought of him as she wants without having to feel guilt. Ok. Maybe a little guilt. Is it ok to think the guy who tried to kill you and your friends is hot? Yep, sure is, but Andy wouldn't ever do anything with him. Probably. Maybe? It's all very confusing.
There's no need to be embarrassed, that foreign entity coos in her mind, he's very powerful.
Gagging, Andy is forced to pretend she hadn't just heard that in order to eat the mouthful of noodles she'd been chewing on. The last thing she needs right now is someone else adding to her thoughts on Sesshomaru. Having someone else in her head is bad enough, but having them influence her more colorful opinions and thoughts? Not ok. Honestly, Andy thinks she's going to be die of embarrassment. Faint annoyance flits through her but it's gone just as quickly as it came and Andy's left chewing on her ramen as she tries not to think about Inuyasha's older brother... Even if he is a babe.
After dinner Myoga slips off to do who knows what while Andy cleans up the mess. She's thankful for the solitude as the pounding in her head's only gotten worse since she's settled in for the night. Having only gotten a few hours of sleep the evening before and the amount of energy she spent between travelling and healing the villagers it's understandable, doesn't make it any less annoying. And seeing a there's no one except Myoga to tell her what she should be doing Andy's resigned herself to an unpleasant evening of trying to sleep. Hopefully, Kagome and the others return by tomorrow morning with Kikyo's ashes and some semblance of closure so that this entire things can be put behind them. Kind of.
With a low sigh Andy pulls out a blank notebook from the recesses of her pack and a pen. Aunt Phoebe had suggested that Andy take a notebook with her when she returned with Kagome so that she could keep a record of her progress, dreams, and experiences in the hope that it might help her figure out a common thread that could lead to her mastering her abilities faster. Andy thinks it's mostly so that if she ever goes through this again Phoebe will have something other than the vague journals Andy's previous self had left behind. They'd been informative enough but hadn't really focused on any of her powers. They'd mostly been commentary on historical happenings, places she'd been, and people she'd interacted with, which is cool but not exactly helpful to Andy's current situation. It might take a ridiculous amount of time but Andy thinks that if she keeps up with the journal she'll figure something out later on down the road. So she curls up next to the fire, flips to the first page, and uses the last little bits of sunlight and the firelight beside her to rehash the past few days into the notebook. She writes down anything she can remember and underlines anything that stands out to her that she hadn't thought all that hard about before. By the time she's finished Andy's written four pages worth, her words barely legible due to how small she'd been forced to write but still legible enough that Andy feels satisfaction with her work. Done with her notebook, Andy tucks it back into her bag and readies herself for bed.
Curled up in her sleeping bag Andy wonders if they're ok. Surely the person who robbed Kikyo's grave isn't so powerful that she could overcome the power of Inuyasha's sword, right? Right. And even if they were powerful enough to cause some problems it's not like Inuyasha doesn't have two priestesses - one if you don't count Kagome - and a crafty little kitsune. It's fine. They're fine. Andy rubs at the inner corners of her eyes before rolling to face away from the fire to watch the shadows it casts dance on the walls. Soon enough the flickering shadows begin to fuzz as Andy grows too tired to remain focused on the patterns they make, lulled to sleep by her own body's need for rest and the soft crackling of burning wood. When she wakes the next morning - startled by the sound of people milling around outside - it's well past dawn but not quite noon, giving Andy enough time to eat a small breakfast and head for the river with her laundry and toiletries without looking like a lazy bum. A few women join her.
Once tucked away in the private area Kaede had first taken her and Kagome to bathe, Andy strips out of her clothes and wraps herself in a towel so that she can wash all of her dirty clothes, which she them hangs to dry before heading to the waters herself. There's no point in lying and saying she doesn't miss modern amenities like showers and washing machines. Andy doesn't like baths normally, doesn't like the idea of sitting in her own filthy water, but since hopping back and forth through the well she's come to... well, not like them necessarily, but maybe respect them. That being said, her baths tend to be quick ones. Wash, rinse, and dry off. That's the routine. When she's done and dried off Andy pulls on a pair of high waisted denim jeans and a loose fitting blue tank top that gets tucked in to the waist band of her pants to give her a bit of a form. Maybe a little risque for the time but Andy figures that if Kagome can prance around in her school uniform she can run around in jeans and a tank top. If she happens to startle a few unsuspecting villagers who cares? It's not like they haven't seen her and Kagome around enough to know what they tend to wear... Frankly, Andy thinks her clothing's modest compared to Kagome's. Girl shows a lot of thigh, which is fine, but maybe all that practical.
Just to be safe Andy ties a cardigan around her hips, figuring that even though she's always run on the warm side it wouldn't hurt to keep one on hand should it get a little chilly. The weather might be nice but it's still March and it's always better to be safe than sorry. Besides, Andy isn't entirely sure what she's going to be doing today. For all she knows she's going to be hanging around in the village and keeping an eye on things until Kaede returns with the others. Today's pretty much a leisure day. So Andy hangs out by the river until her clothes dry then she folds everything up, makes her way back to the village, and quickly packs all of her things away in her bag before making her way back outside.
Unsure of what she should do - because she doesn't want to get in people's way and disrupt their systems - Andy is quick to find the nearest group of children and cautiously approach. She's good with kids. She genuinely like them and if playing with children keeps them out of trouble, which might alleviate some of their parent's stress, then she's more than happy to watch the kids. Thankfully for Andy, Ai is there and when the younger girl spots Andy she's quick to pull her into the group of giggling children. All of them are quick to include her in their games, often giving her the roles they themselves don't want: like the person who's it in their game of tag. Andy doesn't mind it. In fact, she's more delighted at the fact that these children are so willing to let her into their group than offended by the fact that they passed the less favorable roles in their games on to her. If they want to run around while she chases her then great, she'll chase kids around all day if they want. But when they inevitably grow tired of chasing one another Andy's quick to teach them new games like hopscotch, jack stones, and Daisy in the Dell.
They're in the middle of a particularly intense game of hopscotch when Andy catches sight of brilliantly red fabric out of the corner of her eye. A quick, startled look reveals a startled Kaede, a nervous looking Kagome, and an irritated Inuyasha making their way towards them. Seeing as it's not her turn and the children seem fine on their own Andy separates from the group and takes off toward Kagome, who offers a thin smile when Andy gets close enough.
"What happened?" Andy demands as she pulls Kagome into a tight hug.
The younger girl shivers in her arms, small frame quaking in a way that sends panic lancing through Andy.
"Come child, tis a long tale... one best not spoken in such a place as this." Kaede says, eye roaming the street full of laughing children and unaware villagers.
Andy is quick to nod and drag Kagome in the direction of the older priestess' home. Whatever happened must have been bad. Really bad. Because none of them look happy and there's a very obvious lack of ashes being toted around by anyone in the group. Andy tries not to freak out as she nears the house but she can't help the sudden urge to tear into and destroy whoever stole from Kikyo's grave. It' a fierce emotion, one that only intensifies after she's been ushered into the house and told about what happened to Kagome. How she's still alive after having her soul fractured Andy isn't sure but she doesn't ask those sorts of questions in front of the others, instead she pulls Kagome closer and strokes her hair as the younger girl cradles Shippo in her lap.
The only thing Andy can really think about is that bad things always come in threes and whatever comes after this is going to be much, much worse.