Coming Into Power

Prompt: (unexpected) inheritance

Universe: AU

Genre: Gen, Drama

1,000 Words

The day Higurashi Kagome turned fifteen, was the day her life changed.

In hindsight, she probably should have seen it coming – tending the shrine was how the Higurashi family had made their living for generations, so she had effectively been a shrine maiden all her life.

And yet, she had never seriously entertained the possibility, because there wasn't a drop of power in her grandfather's blood.

The day started normal enough. She got up and washed her face and brushed her hair and put on the school uniform. She went down to have breakfast with her family and accepted their birthday wishes with a grin. She walked to school and met with her friends who congratulated her in turn. She even got a present from Houjou-kun.

Things took a turn around noon.

At first Kagome felt cold. She tried to ignore it and focus on the lesson, but even discreetly rubbing her arms didn't lend her any warmth. The shivers followed soon after. When the itching started, Kagome excused herself and hurried to the infirmary.

The school nurse wasn't there so Kagome collapsed onto one of the beds and burrowed under the blankets, still shivering. The itching was getting worse and it was under her skin. She had to squeeze her eyes shut because the world suddenly seemed too bright.

And then, curled into a ball under the blankets, her body spinning into chaos, Kagome felt something she had never felt before.

It was dark and slithering. It made Kagome's skin crawl.

And it was moving – coming closer, coming towards her.

She heard the door of the infirmary slide open.

The darkness flooded in and Kagome let out a small whimper. Somewhere deep inside of her, something was stirring.

Footsteps signalled someone approaching her. They circled around the bed.

When Kagome cracked her eyes open, there was a man crouching by her bedside, his intent golden gaze boring at her.

Except, Kagome knew for sure, this was not a man. Her widened eyes took in the silver-white hair cascading down, much longer than her own. The golden eyes, the magenta stripes curving on his high cheekbones. The indigo crescent moon on his brow. The hands resting on his knees, tipped with sharp claws.

"Who…?" she managed to whisper. "What…?"

She shut her eyes again.

"This is not the place for our conversation," the thing said. He hadn't looked that old, like someone in their twenties perhaps, but his voice was heavy with age.

"I am taking you home," he declared.

And before Kagome had time to protest, he had pulled off the blanket and scooped her up into his arms.

The darkness licked Kagome's skin, it clung to her and thrummed in the rhythm of the cold waves cresting inside her chest.

And then all of a sudden something burst out in a cool rush of colour.

Kagome floated in a strange calm and let her consciousness slip away.

When Kagome came to, she blinked at her bedroom ceiling for several slow seconds. She felt disoriented and it took her a moment to remember what had happened.

Her body had settled down. There was no shivering or itching or anything else. The sight of her bedroom filled with the afternoon sun didn't hurt her eyes.

But something was still going on.

There was a power thrumming somewhere on her left – she felt it, it reminded her of the hum of electricity you could hear near a powerline.

Slowly, Kagome turned her head and met a now-familiar pair of golden eyes.

"What is going on?" she asked, her voice hoarse as she sat up in her bed.

He walked over to her bedside and handed her a bottle of water.

She was still not sure who – or what – he was, but she gratefully accepted the water, and fumbled to open the bottle with shaking fingers.

"Once upon a time, there was a powerful jewel called the Shikon no Tama. A strong miko was tasked with its protection. But the jewel perished – the miko in her death throws ordered it to be burned with her body. The miko's sister took over caring for the shrine, which her descendants have done until this day."

Kagome stilled mid-gulp, and lowered the water bottle from her lips. He must have seen the question in her eyes, because he gave her a graceful nod.

"You are of their line, which is why this Sesshoumaru was assigned to watch over you in case, upon your fifteenth birthday, you would come into power. Which you have."

Kagome stared at him, her head spinning as she scrambled to process all the information in that single sentence.

This stranger was Sesshoumaru? The famed daiyoukai they called 'killing perfection'? The firstborn son of the Great General?

But somehow, even more staggering than having one of the most powerful youkai still alive by her bedside, was…

"You're telling me that I'm a miko?"

He nodded again.

"A formidable one." His face remained impassive, but his eyes softened a notch. "Perhaps even a reincarnation of the miko of the Shikon."

Kagome closed her eyes, let it all sink in. She couldn't quite believe it – not yet – and still she knew there was more. Because where there was a miko…

"Are you my assigned guardian?"

His lip curled. "Yes, I am."

"I wouldn't have thought you to be guardian material."

"It was my half-brother who was the guardian of the Shikon miko. His mistakes cost her life."

"So now it's your duty to offer protection for my line?"

He shrugged. "I have been let off easy. In all these centuries, you are only the second to have come into power."

She slanted him a look and kept her voice carefully neutral.

"It must suck. To be stuck as a glorified babysitter for a fifteen year old."

A smile touched his lips. It was fleeting, but it was a start, and Kagome breathed a little easier.

"I will endeavour to make the most of it."