Disclaimer: I DO NOT own "InuYasha" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender". InuYasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and ATLA belongs to Nickelodion.
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES CUSSING! ALSO, THIS CHAPTER IS VERY LONG, SO BRACE YOURSELVES!
Ages: Kagome: 15-16 Kaede: 76 *I'll be giving the other character's ages as they are introduced to the chapter* Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Drama, and Friendship. Rating: T(Teen)
Book One: The Jewel of Water
Chapter One: The New Avatar
"Kagome..."
Someone was calling her name in the dark void that surrounded her. She didn't know the voice, and yet, it filled her with comfort and warmth. Kagome couldn't explain it, but the voice sounded as though she had heard it a long time ago, perhaps another life maybe, but for the life of her she couldn't recognize it! "Who are you?" She found herself asking.
"The time is almost upon you, young one..." The voice continued, not acknowledging her question.
"Time? For what?!" Kagome exclaimed, desperation evident in her tone. Suddenly, a blinding light broke through the dense blackness. The young girl covered her ocean blue eyes so that she wouldn't go blind by the brilliance of the heavenly glow. When the intenseness of the light became more bearable, Kagome peered over her arm that was shielding her face, and dropped it to hang limply at her side as her eyes widened in astonishment.
There, mere feet away from her paralyzed form, was a woman. However, Kagome couldn't help but feel as though she were more heavenly than an ordinary woman, so she just made the conclusion the the entity was an angel, or perhaps even a goddess. The said goddess wore strange armor over what appeared to be nomadic Air-Temple robes underneath, complete with a sword hitched onto her left hip. Her face was soft, tattoos in the shapes of arrows adorning her forehead and hands from what Kagome could see. The woman's eyes were worn and tired, as though they had seen years upon years of war and famine and the burden of a great responsibility that the young water-bender couldn't even begin to comprehend. Even so, those same eyes still held a deep sense of comfort and understanding that instantly made Kagome feel at ease in the strange phantom's presence. Yes, phantom. The eerie blue glow that surrounded the entity encased her, making her skin, and cloths different shades of blue, and she was slightly transparent.
"Destiny is on the horizon, young child. The Elementals must come together once more, lest the world be doomed as we know it..." The spirit predicted, vanishing from sight.
"Wait! What are you talking about!? What Elementals!? Come back! Please, COME BACK!"
"KAGOME!"
"AH!" Kagome bolted awake at the sound of Kaede calling her name, effectively tumbling out of her cot of a bed and bumping her head on the matted, yet still cold and unforgiving ground. Rubbing her head for a moment, the fifteen-year-old turned to face her teacher and guardian with annoyed blue eyes. Kaede simply chuckled.
"That's what ye get for oversleeping," Kaede said, her voiced filled with mirth.
Grumbling, Kagome stood up, grabbed her day cloths and went to the shoji curtain panels where a warm bath, heated by a fire underneath the raised wood of the tub, awaited her. Once she was done getting dressed in her warm, fuzzy clothing, the teenager made her way to the center of the dwelling where breakfast was being cooked by Kaede and sat down next to her sensei.
"Not my fault I was having a freaking nightmare," Kagome said, but flinched when she realized she'd let it slip.
"Nightmare, ye say? Care to elaborate?" Kaede persisted.
"Uh, nothing. It was just a weird dream..."
"Kagome..."
"Okay, okay! It was weird, though; I was in this black abyss and I was the only one there, but then I started to hear a voice,"
"Voice?"
"Yeah, but then there was this bright light and when I looked back up, there was a woman standing there. She seemed so...so powerful, almost like a goddess, and she wore heavy armor over these nomadic robes and she had tattoos and-"
"Wait! Ye mean robes such as those that the air-benders wear, as well as the armor and tattoos?" The old healer inquired, almost urgently. Her apprentice sat, shocked at her mentor's serious tone.
"U-um..y-yes. Is...is there something wrong, Master Kaede?" She asked, uncertain.
The elderly bender took on a look of contemplation, further confusing the younger bender in the process. It was only when Kagome asked if she was alright that Kaede snapped back to the present. Shaking her head, Kaede smiled, "It is nothing, child. Do not fret. Now, what do ye say we eat breakfast and then go train. I have some new techniques to show ye that are up to the next level in water-bending that I believe ye are now of age to learn, since ye's birthday is tomorrow," she said enthusiastically. Kagome got a cheerful spark in her eyes as she clapped her hands together in excited anticipation.
Ever since Kaede began teaching her in the ways of water-bending when she was nine years of age, Kagome had taken to it like a fish out of water.(HaHa! Get it? 'Cause she's a water-bender, and the fish, and...ok. Back to the story)
Because of her age, Kaede had started Kagome out with teaching her the basics of healing, having her assist in healing the sick and injured, and even helping to deliver babes in the village. It was when Kagome was about eleven that the elderly woman began to show her the lower levels of defensive and offensive techniques. Kagome excelled quickly and became a true prodigy in the more skilled techniques by the time she was thirteen, even going as far as to have mastered some of the Mastery Levels!
Yes, the young girl had certainly come a long way, and Kaede couldn't be more proud of her adopted granddaughter and pupil. Even so, if Kaede was correct, then Kagome still had much to learn in the days and perhaps years to come, especially with her sixteenth birthday that was approaching the next day.
"Really, Kaede? Do you really think I'm ready?" The young water-bender asked eagerly.
"Kagome, I have no doubt in my mind of what ye are capable of. If there is any water-bender in the entire South Pole who can master these techniques, it is ye," Kaede praised. Needless to say, Kagome practically wolfed down her food faster than a wild Wolf-Bat. The two women strolled through the village until they made it to the training arena. It wasn't much, being an enclosed space it was just big enough to hold about three to four full-grown Tiger-Seals. If Kagome was being honest, it looked more like an old pasture with the broken down logs used as the borders. Once they entered, master and student stood at the opposite ends of each other, staring towards each other. Kaede spoke first.
"Before we begin, ye must demonstrate to me the last couple of techniques I have shown ye in the past weeks. Ye must also name each one correctly of what the move does. Understood?" Kaede commanded, her voice taking on a more authoritative tone.
Kagome nodded, furrowing her brows in concentration as she took her stance. With that, Kaede levitated her water from the bucket beside her and shot it towards her student and said, "Now, what is the cylindrical column of ice that is sharp enough to cut an opponent when they rush you, yet is easily broken with a simple flick of ye're wrists?"
As Kaede asked this, Kagome answer, "Ice Disc," as she took full control of the given liquid and proceeded to harden it into ice, connecting it with the snowy ground and proceeding to slide the palms of her hands along the smooth surface, shooting the thin ice discs back at her master, knowing fully well that the elder could make the transition from ice to water. She was right. The two continued to recap on the Lower-Leveled and Secondary-Leveled moves before Kaede deemed it time to work on the newer moves from the Mastery-Level.
"Be aware, child, that these next skills I am going to teach ye are very complex. It will take a great deal of balance between ye're stance, flexibility, stamina, and concentration. Are ye ready?"
Kagome nodded her head in determination, "I'm ready,"
"This move is called the Ice Dome. It acts as a offensive skill that cages and traps your opponent in a heavily made block of ice. It takes an abundant amount of water and the most important thing is to shift all of ye're weight from one arm to the next. Ye must also learn to use ye's recourses that are all around ye-" as she said that last part, she flicked her wrist slightly and summoned a small block of ice from the ground beside her and proceeded to have it evolve into water in the wrinkled palm of her hand, "such as the ground, or any form of ice ye can get ye're hands on," Kaede instructed.
Kaede then proceeded to demonstrate the technique herself, her movements smooth and calculated. It was as though her old years had been lifted off of her as she did the motions with such grace. Kagome watched, fascinated by how swiftly the water moved in slow, smooth motions that were in sync with it's caster. Quite suddenly, her master turned sharply in her direction and shot the once calm liquid straight at her, and she watched as the water instantly morphed into ice as soon as it touched her skin! Next thing the teenager knew, she was engulfed in a barrier of ice all around her body, yet she felt no fear. She knew the routine. Kaede always enjoyed inflicting her teachings onto her student, not that Kagome minded. She knew that Kaede would never hurt her, and the two always laughed about it after words. Besides, Kagome would always come right back at Kaede with as much vigor as her mentor.
"Hahaha...very funny Master, but you forget-" Kagome then melted the Ice Dome back into it original state, and shot right back at her mentor, mirroring the elder's movements in her stance and manipulating the pure substance to surround Kaede from all directions, like a pack of hungry wolf-bats circling it's prey. With no warning, the spiral of water charged the old healer, and once they made contact to her skin, much like Kagome, the liquid turned into a solid and encased the old woman in an icy dome-like cage. Kagome smirked as she placed her hands on her hips, "-that I too know how to water-bend,"
Kaede just chuckled from inside the dome, "Well done, my pupil, but do not forget that this isn't the only trick up my sleeve for today," with that, Kaede exited the Ice Dome by melting the surrounding ice around her body until she was able to step completely out of the huge block of ice that still remained.
"Now, let us see how ye will fair mastering the Water Spout,"
The young bender just smiled happily at her teacher's challenge and prepared her stance. For the rest of the morning, teacher and student worked tirelessly at many of the higher ranking water-bending levels, going from the Water Spout to the Water Gymbal within the span of three hours. It was around noon when Kaede heaved a tired sigh, and raised her one grey eye to Kagome, who at the moment had her whole body submerged in a water-made octopus formation, the watery tentacles moving in correspondence to the flow of her arms and feet, "Impressive form, child, but ye're arms are moving far too slow. Ye must be sure to neutralize your form with ye're movement, for the two are in balance with one another, and ye must-"
At that moment, a stone was thrown from somewhere behind the healer, and plunged itself into the Water Ocopus, hitting Kagome right on her forehead, causing her to flinch away, cutting off her formation and thus causing the ocopus to be disarmed and the water to plop to the snow-clad ground.
"Kagome!" Kaede exclaimed in shock, rushing over to the fallen girl and promptly inspecting her head for signs of blood. There was a small gash of blood above her eye where the stone had impacted, but other than that there was no injuries on the teen.
"I'm fine, Master Kaede. Really," Kagome assured the woman with a smile, before promptly standing on her feet and glaring daggers in the direction of which the rock originated and yelled, "Come out, Kaapo! I know you and your lackeys are there!"
No sooner did she announce that, did a small group of young men come out from their place behind a small glacier not too far from the arena, snickering arrogantly. The boy at the front was the leader of the little gang, the headman's son himself, Kaapo Chen. He was cute looking, Kagome would give him that much, with his thick brown hair tied back into a wolf's tail, his jawline strong and the beginnings of a beard sprouting on his chin and jaw, the young girl couldn't deny that he had good looks. His personality, however, was a different story. He was known for being a conceited, selfish, son-of-a-bitch brat that had everything handed to him by his father. No one dared to speak such words to him though, lest they get put in charge of cleaning the animal dung in the small corral outside of the village.
Kagome, however, was not in the least intimidated by the teen's higher-ranking status, and she expressed this to his face when he had the audacity to claim that if she was looking to get into bed with a man, than she should leave the 'real' bending to the men and go clean the laundry like the 'other' women. Needless to say, Kaapo learned not to underestimate her Water Whip by the end of their encounter. Ever since then, Kagome became his favorite victim to torment out of all the other kids and teens in the village. It also didn't help that the chief held a certain distaste for the water-bending girl, not that anyone really knew why.
"Aw, why the harsh words, Little girl? I would think you'd be happy to see me," Kaapo sneered mockingly, not in the least affected by the young girl's cold words.
Kagome bristled, "Well, I'm not. Now, if you don't mind, I'm training with my master," she snapped, turning her back to the group of young men.
The mocking smirk on the teenage boy's face faded to be replaced by an angered sneer, "Don't turn away from me, you little bitch! Get your ass out of the water and face your superiors like all women should! Oh, that's right; your no woman, but a slug-ottour!" the gang of boys burst into cruel laughter.
"Shut. Up," Kagome whispered in a deadly calm tone.
Kaapo just scoffed, "Aw, is the little water-bender's feelings hurt? Face it, bitch. The reason why you always throw yourself in your water-bending crap and chores is because you know that everyone whispers about you! How you'r so foolish and ignorant not to know your place in the village is beyond me, bu-!"
Kaapo never finished his tirade, because the next thing he knew, a blast of icy cold water shot straight in his face, taking him and two of his companions down with him, startled gasps from the rest of his posie coming from all around him. It took a moment for the world to stop spinning, but once it did, the teen looked back up to see Kagome in a bending stance, her usually soft features hardened with determination as she held his gaze unwaveringly, Kaede a short distance behind her, observing the situation with her good eye. Yanking the hands of his friends away from him when they offered to help him to his feet, Kaapo glared daggers at the petite water-bender with so much hate and resentment, it sent a shiver down the other boys's spines and they stepped back from their leader in apprehension.
"So, that's how it's gonna be, eh, bitch?" He mocked.
Kagome did not waver in her resolve, however, holding strong as she faced off against the boy who has given her so much grief in the past few years, ready to show him that he was not her superior. Of course, Kagome did not think herself above anyone else whatsoever, but that didn't mean she couldn't demonstrate a little of her skill in the art of water-bending when it counted, especially to low lives such as these boys. Water-bending was her passion, apart of who she was, and she'd be damned to be told that she couldn't practice it just because she was a girl.
It was at that moment that Kaapo charged her, chunks of the ice beneath his feet rising with his command and forming into a hand-held Ice Spear. He cried out as if in battle as he came upon her, ready to strike. His opponent was having none of it, however, and quickly conjured an Ice Sheild just as Kaapo's weapon came down on her.
"Kagome!" Kaede cried.
"Let me handle this, Master! I've got th-Ark!" Kagome stumbled back as a small, yet sharp Ice Shard cut a shallow gash on her cheek, close to her eye. Kaapo and his gang laughed tauntingly.
"You should know by now not to be distracted in the middle of a fight, whore!" Kaapo exclaimed.
Kagome snapped all of her attention back to the task at hand, just in time to see a Water Whip coming straight at her, until it was too late to dodge. The whip slapped against her cheek, whipping her head to the side and causing her to fall backwards till she hit the ground, sliding across the ice as she went. Roaring laughter was heard as she struggled her way to her feet, the water in her hair and cloths already getting icy, numbing her to the skin.
"Ya know, bitch, I was expecting more of a challenge, but I guess I was wrong. You are nothing but a water-bending wannabe after all! You should really just stick with cooking and cleaning!"
As he proclaimed this, Kaapo launched an Ice-Blade at Kagome's back, but she was ready. Whirling around with the grace of a swan-turtle, the teenage girl caught the ice-infused weapon with one hand that was mere centimeters from her face, her expression deadpan and unblinking, yet calculating all the same. Everyone froze for a split second, not understanding the unresponsive water-bender's abrupt change in demeanor until it was too late.
With a crack, Kagome split the blade in half with her white-knuckled fist, then she charged, water coming up to incase her arms as she pounced in the air, a new fire kindling in her stormy-blue eyes! Unprepared for the sudden burst of stamina from such a petite body, Kaapo scrambled to erect a barrior, but Kagome saw this coming and pointed her left leg, her heel down, and came crashing through the protective barrior that Kaapo managed to just barely put up and, in the process, kicked the boy's face with the bottom of her boot, his head snapping back by the force and even a spew of crimson blood coming out of his nose from where her heel made contact with it.
Before Kaapo could clapse to the unforgiving ground in a heap, cold water enclosed around his entire body, save for his head, and tossed him in the air, leaving him suspended by the water's grip. The water froze, starting from the base at the bottom and creeping upward until it stopped at his shoulders. Kagome had delivered an Ice-Dome, and Kaapo was the unfortunate receiver.
Kagome relaxed her muscles as she stood to her full height, looking up at her defeated opponent with a satisfied gleam in her eyes, Kagome nodded her head in a slight bow.
"I hope now we can put this feud behind us, Kaapo. I'll respect you, as long as you respect me," was all she said.
With that, Kagome moved her left palm until it was flat and facing the ground, and lowered it closer downward. The ice keeping the whimpering Kaapo captive dissolved back into water, and began to move downward just as it's mistress's palm commanded it, gently placing it's former prisoner on the icy surface of which they stood until he sat on his bottom, heaving for breath as he stared off into nothing for a moment.
"I was...defeated? Defeated by a...woman?" kept running through his head.
It was only when a lightly tanned, small hand reached out to offer him help up that the defeated teen came back to reality. Glancing upward, he saw Kagome looking down at him, the sun behind her bathing her in golden light, and for a split second, Kaapo thought he saw her transform into another woman. The woman was clothed in nomadic Air-Temple attire, including heavy armor with a sword strapped to her hip, long, luscious black hair, and arrow tattoos adorning the back of her hands and the top of her forehead. The way the woman looked at him gave off the impression that she was wise and powerful, a person capable of great strength and destruction if shown disrespect, yet her eyes were soft and tired, as though she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders for longer than a single person could bear. Perhaps she did. Kaapo blinked and the image of the strange woman was broken, Kagome once again in her place, her hand still extended out to him, but her face showed wariness and confusion at his prolonged staring.
"Uh...Is there buffalo snot covering my face, or are you still disoriented?" the young girl questioned, wondering if she kicked him a little too hard with her boot.
Snapping out of his stupor at her voice, Kaapo swatted her hand away as if it would burn him if he touched it, and struggled to his feet, his broken nose still bleeding profusely, going as far as running over his mouth and chin. Glaring accusingly at the girl before him, Kaapo sneered, ignoring the pain in his face as he leered at Kagome.
"Don't think this is over, you little bitch, 'cause when my father hears about this, he'll have you regretting the day you were born! And don't think your little illusions will scare me, witch! I'll make sure that you pay for what you've done to me, and not even your 'esteemed' mentor will be able to save you this time!"
Even though it was clear that his bloody nose stuffed up much of his threat, Kagome could hear him loud and clear, and as her rival and his gang scuttled away until they were out of view, Kagome was left feeling exhausted, outraged, and confused.
"Come, child. Let's clean up that wound on ye're forehead. I suspect ye are done with training today," Kaede, who had witnessed the full exchange, urged, gently grabbing her student's arm and leading her away from the now peaceful arena.
Kagome didn't respond back, but did follow obediently after her master as she was herded away from the sight of her victory, her mind elsewhere.
"Illusion...? What did Kaapo mean by an illusion...?" was all the young bender thought, forgetting about her victory and the stinging pain from her forehead all together.
Amongst her jumbled thoughts, a small voice in the back of Kagome's head told her that she should know exactly what Kaapo was talking about.
She didn't.
"OW!" Kagome exclaimed, the cool cloth pressing into her wound, causing a wave of stinging pain to shoot through her already aching head.
"Calm thyself, child. Ye must hold still until I can clean ye're wound properly," Kaede calmly chided, dunking the wet cloth back into the bucket of water to cleanse the remnants of blood off of it, before bringing it back to the teen's forehead once more. The gash from where Kaapo hit it with the rock wasn't anything serious, but it still hurt like hell whenever pressure was applied to it, no matter how minimal.
Kagome winced at the touch of the cloth, but complied to her master's gentle command, holding still and uttering a small whimper at the sting that coursed through her head. This continued for a few more minutes before the blood no longer leaked sluggishly from the gash and Kaede wrapped a bandage around her forehead.
"There. Now, maybe next time, ye will know not to engage that boy into a fight," Kaede said, a bit of anger leaking from her tone.
Kagome turned to her guardian, not understanding the underlining anger in her voice.
"What do you mean I shouldn't have engaged him? He was the one who threw a rock at me and then started harassing me on how I shouldn't bend because of my gender!" the girl defended, her own outrage from earlier and from her mentor's own advise bubbling back up to the surface. Kagome was thrown for a loop when the elder spun around and pinned her with an angered, yet concerned glare that would have made Hell freeze over.
"The problem, Kagome, was that ye lost ye're temper and allowed ye're resentment towards Kaapo cloud ye're judgment, even though ye knew of the consequences!" by the end of her tirade, Kaede was almost yelling.
"Oh, so your saying I should have just sat there and let him degrade me and tell me that I'm only good for cleaning his nasty socks like the 'obedient' little girl I'm supposed to be? That I should have just let him call me a bitch and a whore without any kind of fight? That I should have just let him and his gang claim that I shouldn't be allowed to water-bend, something that's apart of who I am, all because I happen to be born a girl!? Is that what your telling me, Kaede?!" Kagome exclaimed, pacing around the healing hut, her voice in hysterics, her pent up frustration reaching a boiling point.
Kaede watched her student with abashed shock at the young woman's pacing form, not even sure if Kagome was addressing her anymore. She supposed that the fifteen-year-old was letting out all of the suppressed emotions from recent months and even years due to Kaapo's constant bullying, as well as the whispers that the younger bender had heard from the rest of the village about herself being 'an oddity' or a 'strange girl that was best to keep away from'. Kaede had heard of the whispers, and had done all she could to shield her adoptive-granddaughter from them, but she supposed it was useless; Kagome had always been an observant child from a young age, wanting to learn new things and always tuned into her surroundings, so it was only natural that Kagome find out about the talk and gossip that goes on around the tribe, if not sooner, then definitely later.
"Kagome..." Kaede said.
"That I'm not good enough to learn the higher-leveled bending skills because it's 'not proper' for a girl to learn how to fight, or-"
"Kagome!"
"What!?"
Silence followed, only broken by the crackling of the nearby fire as the two women, master and student, glared at each other, waiting for the other to crack under the pressure, yet neither of them were willing to back down. This stretched on for minutes, the two water-benders stubbornly staring each other down, until finally, Kaede sighed and slumped, her old bones sagging in weariness. Sensing that the thick atmosphere was cooling down, Kagome too began to slump, hanging her head down in shame for not only losing her temper and going into hysterics, but for also yelling and disrespecting her master, the woman who raised her from birth and who treated her like a granddaughter.
"I-I'm sorry, Master...I-I didn't mean-"
"No, Kagome. It is I who should be sorry. I understand why ye did what ye did to Kaapo, and if I'm being honest, I would prefer ye to stand up for ye're self rather than take it laying down, it's just that..." Kaede trailed off.
"Just what, Master Kaede?" Kagome urged gently.
"It's just that Kaapo has a lot of ground to stand on, him being the chieftain's son, and the way ye used ye're bending to not only defeat him, but also to break his nose, can call for severe punishment, and I don't know if I'll be able to get ye out of trouble for it,"
Kagome plopped onto her cot, her hands over her mouth, crystal-blue eyes tearing up. Kaede went over and sat next to Kagome, her wrinkled hand moving a lock of black hair away from the girl's face, giving her a clear view of the tears pooling down her soft cheeks.
"O-oh m-my God...y-your right," Kagome stuttered.
"I wish I wasn't," Kaede answered.
Kagome sucked in a deep breath and shakily stood to her feet, clenching and unclenching her hands into fists, until finally, Kagome's posture sagged defeatedly, "I...I'm gonna go and...take Buyo out for a ride. I'll be back by dinner..." with that, Kagome ran out of the dwelling, her tears falling behind her due to her speed, leaving the hut and Kaede behind.
A few bystander's stopped momentarily in their daily chores to watch as the young water-bender sprinted pass them, some looking on in concern and sympathy, others looking on in distaste and wariness. That's when she heard the whispers.
"Look at her forehead, you think she's alright?"
"Did you hear about what happened this morning? I heard that she and Kaapo got into a water-bending fight!"
"Yeah, I heard she broke his nose,"
"I reckon she'll be banished by tomorrow afternoon,"
"Mamma, isn't that the girl that broke that boy's nose?"
"Yes, and I don't want you anywhere near her, Tomoe. Who knows what else a strange girl like her is capable of,"
Kagome choked back a sob as the whispers reached her ears, and it was all she could do to not break down right then and there. She didn't stop or falter, even when she was well out of the village and could no longer hear the whispers, sprinting her way to the animal stockades that were a little ways from the training arena. Flinging the wooden door open and rushing over to Buyo's section, Kagome flung herself into her animal friend's fury coat, the large three-tailed feline not even flinching from his mistress's sudden appearance.
"S-sorry, pal. I-I just need a friend, right now," Kagome explained, knowing that her companion would understand even if he couldn't respond back. As she knew he would, Buyo hummed and meowed, licking away Kagome's tears with his large tongue, bringing forth a small giggle from the teenager.
Buyo was a Three-Tailed Ice-Cat demon whose kind could only be found in the North and South Poles, yet were hard to come across and even harder to tame. Usually, Ice-Cats were pure white like Polar-Bear-Dogs, but instead of having such a plain coat, Buyo had different patterns in colors of black, light brown, and reddish-brown as well, making him look like a calico cat. Kagome had discovered him in the midst of a blizzard. The poor thing was nothing more but a kitten at the time and was unfortunate enough to get caught right in the worst of the storm, hungry, cold, and barely alive. Predictably, the three-tailed kitten couldn't withstand the strain in his little body and he collapsed to the snowy ground in a heap, meowing weakly, desperate for somebody to rescue him. He was already half-way buried in the snow when a ten-year-old Kagome happened upon him. She had heard the meowed pleas and unwilling to leave an animal so weak and desperate to die by Death's icy hands, sneaked out of the hut while Kaede slept with her hood up and a small lantern in hand. Kagome had walked for about a mile before she literally stumbled into a lump in the snow. A weak meow had sounded from underneath the lump and Kagome was immediately put into action, digging and pawing through the thick blanket of white snow until she found the half-dead Ice-Cat on the ground. The little girl had gasped and scooped up the kitten and rushed back to the hut, bursting into the dwelling and demanding Kaede to wake up and save the little creature nestled in her arms, his limbs frozen. Kaede was shocked, but immediately set to work by warming the hut with a fire and a blanket for the kitten, in which Kagome hastily used to wrap around the frozen cat and placed him in front of the roaring flames.
Kagome had continued to stay up that night, keeping the fire going, wrapping her own blanket around the feline for an extra layer for him, and rubbing the cat demon's sides and back in order to create friction to warm him. When it was morning, Kagome and Kaede were able to get the kitten to eat some food and water, and by the afternoon, he was back to normal. Kagome begged and pleaded with her mentor to allow her to keep the cat. Said cat seemed to be just as persistent in staying with the human that saved his life, perching himself onto his savior's shoulder and giving the elder the biggest puppy-dog, or in that case, kitty-cat eyes he could muster. Kagome mirrored his action with the addition of a pouty lip, and eventually, Kaede relented. From that point on, the two were best friends, Kagome naming the kitten Buyo.
Coming back to the present, Kagome felt Buyo shift and moved away to give him room to stand up on all fours. The demon cat hummed expectantly, and Kagome chuckled a little, knowing exactly what her best friend wanted.
"Alright, alright, boy, here ya go," as she said this, Kagome pulled out a dead fish the size of her palm out of her pocket and tossed it to the three-tailed demon, Buyo catching the slimy treat in his mouth, his large tusks and sharpened teeth chomping on the fish in satisfaction, his pink tongue coming out to lick the residue off of his fury lips. The cat burped, unashamed even as his female companion grimaced and covered her nose as she waved her hand side-to-side in a shooing manner.
"Ugh, Buyo! That's disgusting!" she exclaimed.
Buyo looked as unapologetic as ever and if Kagome wasn't mistaking, she could have sworn that she saw a self-satisfied smirk across the cat's lips. Rolling her eyes at the obvious show of mischief from her over-sized cat, Kagome grabbed the black and blue loose bridal from it's hanger and approached her friend, placing the bit in his mouth and swinging her leg over his back. Kagome knew how much Buyo hated the saddles they'd seen men from the village use on their animals and didn't want to restrict her cat's movements by the leathery-padding. Not to mention the fact that Kagome found the seating highly uncomfortable to sit in and preferred the free feeling she got when she rode bear-back; it made her feel more attuned with Buyo's movements.
"Come on, pal. Let's go for a run; I need to get away for a bit,"
No more words were needed as Buyo bolted out of his stall, kicking up specks of snow as his claws scrapped up against the ground when his large paws lifted up in front and behind him. The freezing wind sped past them in a familiar, yet exhilarating sensation that never failed to leave Kagome breathless. The fifteen-year-old closed her eyes as they rode on, savoring the chill that swept through her hair for what she felt like was the last time, at least for a long time. The human and ice-demon continued to trek through the open areas of the South Pole, leaving behind their troubles if only for the afternoon as they became one with the high glaciers and the majestic, yet dangerous land they have come to call home.
Hours later, Kagome and Buyo sat facing a small watering pool, a waddle of four-flippered penguins amongst them. The sun was getting ready to set, yet Kagome was in no rush to head back to the village. Buyo, in his smaller form, rested in her lap, pawing at the three feathers that laid upon the girl's chest by her fuzzy winter coat. Kagome absentminded scratched the small cat's chubby belly, initiating a low purring sound from her demon companion. The young water-bender gazed unseeingly around the vicinity, trying to memorize the tranquil view to memory, considering that it might be the last peaceful visage of her homeland that she would see. The truth of that reality brought forth the bitter feelings from earlier once again to the forefront of her mind. A sad chuckle made it's way pass the teen's lips.
"I've really have done it now, huh, Buyo?" Kagome rhetorically asked, not really speaking to her cat, or anyone for that matter.
"Meow!" was her answer, as if the miniature demon in her lap was agreeing with her.
"I just-I couldn't take it anymore, ya know? Kaapo has always been a jerk, even before we started bending, and I just had to show him that I was strong. That I wasn't just some submissive little girl that was going to be pushed around!"
"Meow!"
"And it's not just him! I know that the villagers talk about me when they don't think I can hear, saying on how I'm strange and improper for doing bending that isn't just healing, but the type that the so-called 'men' can only do!"
By that point, Kagome had lifted the feline up from under his front legs until he was eye level with the girl. Kagome sighed tiredly.
"Is there something wrong with me, Buyo?" Kagome asked, a sad glint in her blue eyes as she looked at her friend.
"Meow," was all Buyo could say, leaning forward and nuzzling his mistress's nose with his own, licking the tip of it as the only act of comfort he could give at the moment. Luckily, it was all Kagome needed, as she then snuggled the small Ice-Cat to her chest in a warm hug, Kagome rubbing her cheek against the soft fur of Buyo's neck.
"Hm, thanks, pal. At least I know I'll always have you whenever I need a friend," Kagome concluded affectionately, to which Buyo hummed contently in his friend's arms. the two sat like that for a few peaceful seconds, basking in the heartwarming moment that promised everlasting loyalty and companionship to girl and demon for years to come.
It was at that moment, that something peculiar appeared into Kagome's line of vision. Looking across the pond, the water-bender spotted a hole protruding from the large glacier across from where she sat. That wasn't the weird part; the weird part was the small, shining light from within the cave. The light was pure, with a hint of pink shining along with the white of it. Now, normally, Kagome would just assume that the light was a reflection from the sun or something, but the sun was already half-way set by that point, and something felt...off with the light in the cave.
"Follow the light..." came a voice.
"W-what?" Kagome thought, not expecting the sudden feminine voice.
"Follow the light..." the voice repeated, more clearly this time.
It was only then that Kagome realized that the voice was not in her head at all, but was originating from the cave, or more accurately, the light that still shined from inside it. Kagome knew she needed to heed the voice's call. Breaking away from the hug with her companion, Kagome looked into Buyo's green eyes with resolve.
"Buyo, I don't know what's going on, but I need you to transform and help me get over to that cave over there, see?" Kagome pointed in the direction across the pond, Buyo following the direction of her finger, understanding immediately, "You think you can do that, pal?" Kagome asked. Buyo turned his head back to Kagome and nodded. With that, the young woman placed her best friend on his paws and the Three-Tailed Ice-Cat changed in a flurry of ice and snow back into his more intimidating form, Kagome hastily attaching his bridal around his snout and climbing on.
"Follow the light..."
"Come on, pal, let's go!" Kagome commanded, not even having to move the bridal before Buyo was off. When they got to the edge of the water, the Ice-Cat didn't even falter, continuing onward. As his paws made contact with the clear surface, the water instantly hardened beneath him into solid ice that was thick enough to support his weight, even with the precious cargo riding on his back. One of an Ice-Cat's special skills were being able to turn any surface they wished into clear, solid, and strong ice.
The two continued onward as they made their way across the pond, getting closer to the other side with each step. All the while, Kagome focused on the soft voice that only got louder the closer they approached.
"Follow the light..."
"I am,"
was her subconscious answer.
At last, they landed securely on the other side, the light from the cave more pronounced now that the two companions were closer. Kagome hopped off of Buyo's broad back, her left hand remaining flat against his side, as she stared at the light in the cave.
"Follow the light..."
The young water-bender gulped, but trekked into the entrance of the cave, her feline friend following faithfully behind her. Upon entering, Kagome and Buyo followed the path through a wide, rounded space, their steps echoing off the walls. Looking up, Kagome found that there were spiked icicles hanging directly over them, only adding to the eerily quiet cave. Demon and girl continued through the path for about twenty minutes, following the pure light just as the voice instructed. Kagome was just about ready to turn back, when an opening was finally made, the source of the strange light so close in their grasp. What they saw when they reached the mouth of the opening, stopped Kagome dead in her tracks.
What Kagome originally assumed to be a dead end, was instead a large, spacious cavern, ice forming the walls just like the pathway that led them to the strange new area. By this time, the sky had given way to night, yet the cavern was lit up by the moonlight that was able to sneak it's way through the clear icy walls, as well as a few holes within the ice that acted as windows. However, that was not what left the teenager in awe of the place.
It was the thousands upon thousands of crystalized statues that lined the walls and platforms of the icy walls, reaching all the way up to the ceiling of the cavern, which in and of itself was massive. Each statue was entirely made of ice and carved completely smooth with distinct proportions and features that seemed impossible to engrave into such a solid, yet breakable substance. Kagome walked forward as she scoured the room, taking in the impressive sculptures of both men and women, old and young, with an almost child-like curiosity. The soon-to-be sixteen-year-old found it odd on how many of the statues were wearing cloths that were not native to either of the North or South Poles, but were instead cloths from four of the five nations. Some were from the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, and the Air Nomads, but none of them were from the Demon Empire, where most demons resided. Having Kaede as a mentor resulted in many over-night lessons not only about the culture of the Water Tribes, but also about the cultures of the other countries and their people. When the seven-year-old Kagome had asked why she needed to learn about the other nations, the old women simply responded with,
"Learning of the world we share with others shall grant us better understandings of it's secret treasures. It is when we turn a blind eye from this world that we truly wallow in our ignorance," was Kaede's reply.
Looking at a row of statues, Kagome began to notice a pattern that the statues seemed to replicate continuously; water, earth, fire, and air. This cycle repeated onward in the same way.
"That's strange..." Kagome mumbled to herself.
A nearby meow broke the teen out of her musings, and she looked in the direction of where she heard Buyo's call only to freeze as stiff and still as the statues she was observing. There, right where Buyo was facing, was the light, although it seemed much less profound. However, it wasn't the light that caught the girl's eye; it was the statue of which the light originated from. The statue was a woman.
"I-impossible...!" was her silent thought.
The ice statue was of a woman wearing nomadic Air-Temple garb, with ancient armor and a sword slung at her left hip. Arrow tattoos were engraved onto her forehead and hands, and even though the whole thing was entirely made of ice, Kagome could tell that the woman had long hair flowing down her icy back. Kagome wouldn't have thought anything of the statue, if it weren't for the fact that it depicted the image of the woman from her dream, perfectly.
"H-how is t-that possible? I had never seen t-that woman until my d-dream from l-last night! How...?"
"Touch the light..." came the voice once more.
Not even realizing it, Kagome began making her way towards Buyo and the statue, which was in the very center of the room, as well as the last statue out of the others. Before she knew it, the teenager was standing right in front of the woman's statue. Because it was standing atop a platform, Kagome had to look up slightly to see the woman's face, and as she looked into the statues iced-glazed eyes, she got the inkling feeling that those eyes were staring right back at her. Then, the voice came back.
"Touch the light..."
Kagome felt her gaze being drawn downward, and as her blue eyes went down, they made contact with the light that had led her on her path to begin with. Except it wasn't a light at all! Instead it was a white, slightly pink, jewel. Half of it was missing, yet it still shone with reflected light, though not nearly as bright as it once was. It was attached by a simple string that hung from the statues neck to the breast plate of the sculpted armor. Along with the jewel were small teeth that were also connected to the the string. Kagome's hand slowly started raising to the jewel.
"Touch it..."
Her hand was so close to it now, only three inches away.
"Touch it..."
Kagome was in a trance. She didn't notice when a unexplainable wind started picking up, or when the eyes of the statues began to flicker with spiritual blue lights, or even when soft chanting echoed within the cavern.
"Touch it..."
Buyo started fidgeting, panic taking over him, his instincts screaming at him to grab his mistress and bolt out of there. The feeling only grew when he started seeing the same glowing blue from the statues flicker in his companion's own eyes.
"Touch it..."
Finally, Kagome's hand made contact with the broken jewel, and as it did, it was as though an explosion of intense energy shot through her system, as her eyes burst into a blue glow, her ebony hair shooting back and flowing in a nonexistent gust of wind! At the same time this happened, all the eyes of the statues exploded in an array of light as well, startling Buyo and illuminating the entire cavern in a rich, vibrant display so brilliant, it made the cavern look as though it were in broad daylight. The Ice-Cat yowled to his friend in a panic, trying to reach her and snap her out of her trance, but it was like his paws were glued to the floor; Buyo could not move. The chaos around them continued, unhindered.
"Hello? Anybody there!?"
Kagome had no idea where she was; one moment she was in the cavern with Buyo, and now she was in a white void of nothingness. The young water-bender walked on, confused and even a little scared, not knowing where she was going or who she was calling out too. All she knew was that despite the seemingly empty abyss around her, she was not alone. The presence was not foreboding or menacing, but the prospect of being alone with an unseen entity was unsettling nonetheless. Kagome called again.
"Hello! Is there anybody else here with me!?"
Again, there was no response.
Kagome sighed in resignation, "Great, I must be going crazy..."
"You are not going crazy, young one..." spoke a voice.
Kagome jumped at the sudden voice, causing it to laugh softly at her reaction. the teen immediately recognized the voice as the one from earlier.
"So I'm not alone...Who are you? Show yourself!" Kagome demanded. Another moment of silence occurred, until...
"Very well..."
Not a second later, a figure manifested a few feet in front of the girl, her form transparent at first, but became more solid as she approached the dumbfounded teen. By the time the woman was fully solid, she stood right in front of Kagome. Said teen was paralyzed in place, her mind running a mile a minute as she took in the appearance of the woman before her. The figure was clad in Air-Temple robes with armor, arrow tattoos, long, black hair, and eyes so tired and wise, just like the woman from her...from her...
"Your the same woman from my dream! A-and t-that statue...!"
The older woman chuckled, amused, "Yes, child. It was I who sought you out in your slumbers, just as it was I who was immortalized in that ice statue..."
"Who are you? And how did I get here?"
"I am known as Avatar Midoriko, and you were brought here because of that jewel in the palm of your hand..." Midoriko pointed to Kagome's closed fist, where a soft glow leaked from the openings between the girl's closed fingers.
Confused, Kagome raised her fist, finally taking notice of the slight weight on the inside of her hand. Sure enough, once she opened her fist, there laid the broken jewel, it's light glow shining innocently on her palm. Kagome sputtered, unsettled at the idea that the jewel brought her to such a strange place.
"B-but...How?" she asked.
"When you touched it, the jewel summoned you to this place in order for you to learn the truth...The truth about your destiny!"
Kagome stared at Midoriko for a long moment, taking in the words she had just spoken to her. Midoriko was the Avatar? Destiny? What destiny? And why, if what the woman said was true, would an Avatar come seeking her out of all people? She wasn't anything special! Sure, she might know a few High-Level bending tricks here and there, but that was nothing compared to what an Avatar was capable of! And why the heck would a jewel summon her anyway? This had to be a dream. It was the only logical explanation!
"I-I'm dreaming...I-I fell asleep while out with Buyo, and now the cold and stress is affecting my mind..." Kagome spoke to herself softly, pinching herself and shaking her head rapidly in order to wake up from her supposed 'dream'.
However, two soft hands cupped her face, halting her head from it's vigorous movements. Looking at Midoriko, she watched as a serious and concerned frown marred the Avatar's face, a grim look in her eyes.
"This is no dream, Kagome. It is important for you to believe in what I am about to tell you. Do you understand?"
Kagome simply nodded. Midoriko retracted her hands as she stood straight with an air of authority.
"As I just said, this is not a dream. Physically, you are still in the cavern that you and your companion ventured into, but your spirit has temporarily left your body in order for you to be brought here,"
Kagome nodded in understanding, "Okay, so uh...Where exactly is here?"
The Avatar smiled kindly, "It is customary for the previous Avatar to meet their successor within the Avatar State on the night before their sixteenth birthday,"
There was nothing but silence after that as Kagome stared at the Avatar before her, her mouth agape and her disbelieving eyes as big as saucers. Her brain tried to process the words just spoken. She...was the new Avatar? Her? Kagome Higurashi? The village oddity and outcast was the...Avatar? She wanted to believe this was a dream. A trick that someone was pulling on her, but somewhere in her heart, Kagome knew that it was the truth. How she knew she couldn't say, but there was something deep within her that felt a sense of familiarity as she looked at Midoriko and the jewel. Still, that didn't mean she had to buy into it...yet.
"How do I know this isn't a trick? What if this a prank or something one of Kaapo's lackeys decided to pull for revenge?"
Modoriko frowned, but remained patient.
"You do not believe me? That you are not who I claim?"
Kagome shook her head, sadly, "I-I don't know...I just don't know, if this is real, if I'm even worthy of something like that. Sure, I'm good at water-bending, but I'm not even sure if I could be that good..."
A hand took hold of the jewel in Kagome's hand and raised it by the string until it was at eye-level with the girl.
"Do you see this jewel, Kagome?" Midoriko asked. Kagome nodded.
"When you heard my voice and saw the light that shines from this jewel, that was all the confirmation you needed to knowing who you are...who you have always been,"
The teen still didn't understand.
"But...How? How can a jewel determine who I am?"
"The jewel's light is invisible to all but one...The one who has the power of the four elements. Only an Avatar can see this invisible glow and seek it out. It is only an Avatar who can hear my voice and have the courage to listen..."
Suddenly, the whiteness of their surroundings evaporated away, and Kagome and Midoriko were standing in the cavern once more. Kagome was shell-shocked when she saw...herself, but with blue light streaming out of her eyes with the wind around her swirling uncontrollably. Hearing a panicked yowl from beside her, Kagome turned her head to see Buyo, frozen in place and unable to move, trying his best to get to Kagome's body. Kagome felt a pang in her chest at the sight of her beloved cat, and reached out to touch him...only for her hand to go straight through him. It was only then that the young girl realized that her arm, including her skin, was all blue and transparent. Looking down at herself, Kagome found that her entire body was indeed a transparent blue as well. The water-bender turned to Midoriko.
"What's happened to me!?" she asked, panicked.
"This is what is going on as we speak...in the physical world. Right now, your body is in the Avatar State, allowing your spirit to communicate with me, and also why the eyes of all the statues are glowing as well..."
"So...your telling me...that all of these people...are Avatars...?"
"Yes. They were once who you were...in previous lives,"
At that point, it all finally started to sink in. The proof was right in front of her, and Kagome could no longer deny it, "This is all real...isn't it?" Kagome asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, and it is imperative that you begin learning the remaining three elements as soon as dawn breaks through the horizon. Or else the future of bending could be jeopardized for eternity..."
That did not sound good. Not one bit.
"What do you mean?"
The deceased Avatar raised up the jewel once more, indicating it's purpose.
"This jewel is known as the Jewel of Water, but as you can see, it has been split in half,"
"What happened to it?"
"When I was alive, a darkness swept over the land in a way I could never have foreseen. No one knows where the darkness came from, or who summoned it. All anybody knew was that not long after it spread, the Elementals began to split apart and break away from each other."
Kagome's mind flashed back to her dream when Midoriko mentioned Elementals for the first time.
"You mentioned something about the Elementals from my dream. What are they?" she asked, urgently.
"According to legend, even before the time of the Avatar, the Elementals were the objects that kept the balance of all four elements. It is said that the moon and ocean spirits combined their forces to create this jewel," Midoriko pointed to the jewel, "and brought it down to earth to help manipulate the water, snow, and ice, thus making this the Jewel of Water. As for the other Elementals, those were thought to be the sources where the dragons, badger-moles, and sky-bison learned to bend. I was only able to find the shards of this jewel before the darkness disposed of me as well..." Kagome gulped at that last part.
"That darkness is still spreading, and it will not rest before it finds and takes control of all the Elementals, and if it succeeds, God help us all..." Midoriko fixed Kagome with a deadly serious stare, and Kagome could feel her nerves spike tenfold, "We are in need of you, Avatar Kagome..."
To be Continued...