Jewels of Our Hearts
Chapter Two
The day was turning out to be far more eventful than she had first anticipated. Not the good type of eventful either. It was awkward enough having to transfer in the middle of her final year of high school (damn absences!), but somehow the attention of one Shuichi Minamio had not gone unnoticed by the general female populace. Oddly, that had turned her into public enemy number one in their eyes. In her opinion she thought the jealousy was a little premature - the guy had literally only been doing what was expected of his status. It also wasn't like she had any particular interest in pursuing him either; though her reasons were a bit jaded in all fairness. It wasn't often she ran into a...whatever he was at school. 'Demon-human hybrid? Like a hanyou...but not? I just don't get it'.
She also didn't understand how her newly assigned desk had vanished from her next class. 'This is going to be a long half year...'
"Miss Higurashi, where is your seat?"
She flushed when the class giggled loudly at the teacher's question.
The teacher sighed, set his whiteboard marker down, then proceeded to the back of the class. "I thought we were past this type of immature behaviour." He opened a back closet, and Kagome could see an empty desk had been shoved inside. He began pulling it out before hastily setting it down in front of her. "Here." Then he eyed his students dangerously. "This better be the last time that happens."
Without another word he brushed past her and took his place at the front of the class. She dipped her head in silent thanks before quickly sitting, cheeks burning. The students all eyed her with triumphant glee. 'Yup, a very long half year...'
The torture didn't end there either. All throughout class random spit-balls were hurled in her direction, as well as crumpled up paper. Notes were chucked at her, all saying the same general things: 'you're an ugly cow!' and ' stay away from Minamio-san!'. The teacher, previously so perceptive of the harassment towards her, oddly was rather ignorant of it now. Perhaps all he truly cared about was if he could continue his class or not. Since the paper was disturbing no one else but her, he seemed to hardly mind the abrasive actions.
Her mind drifted back to the source of her torment. 'Shuichi huh?' She glanced at one of her death threats and raised an eyebrow. 'What makes him so special?' Admittedly, the boy was handsome enough. Long crimson locks, intense forest-green eyes, and soft yet masculine features were indeed quite a killer combination. Add a body to match and she could understand how a girl might pause to take a second look. The obsession though, was one she couldn't comprehend. They idolized the guy like some sort of God, and it wasn't entirely just the females either - even the men seemed to place him on some higher ground. 'I wonder if it has something to do with the odd energy he has?'.
So odd his energy was in fact, that when she touched him for the first time she couldn't control the surprised jolt of power that escaped her. His energy had confused her senses, and since they were still sorely lacking in training, the response was an instinctual warning. He seemed to feel it too, though he acted as if nothing happened. Normal people wouldn't have even noticed the flare. That boy was far from normal, and she would have to tread carefully around him.
'Be cautious Kagome'. She had been reminding herself to do that a lot lately. Tokyo was becoming an oddly dangerous place for her. She didn't even understand how it was possible, but more importantly she wondered why? Why was it all changing? Demons were starting to make more frequent appearances in her life; just this week she had killed three. Granted they were all rather weak lower class demons, but the fact that were even here unnerved her. After all, she finally understood why there had never been any demons in her time.
She felt the weight of the jewel, hidden from view under her blouse.
The presence from the jewel was hard to mask, but she did her best. It seemed only strong enough to call to weaker creatures. The good and evil in the jewel were constantly in flux, throwing her off balance. She never truly appreciated the burden Kikyo undertook until it was thrust upon her.
Sudden, unbidden images flashed in her mind. Quickly she forced them away. 'You live in the present.'
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. With a tired sigh she brushed off the crumpled papers from her desk and set her bag down before packing her books.
Finally it was lunch time.
/.../
Kurama noticed as soon as she entered the cafeteria. The girl just had a...presence he couldn't ignore. He still wasn't quite sure what it was either. The world just seemed to become more lively wherever she walked; as if the very air was charged with electricity. It was an interesting observation and he was positive it had something to do with that brief spurt of power he felt from her earlier.
If he was honest with himself he knew he should be focusing more on his current mission than the passing mystery that was Kagome Higurashi. It wasn't like his current task set out by the little Spirit Ruler was a bland one either; he was very interested in who had the fabled Shikon no Tama. In fact the jewel had been quite the plague on his mind in the wee hours of night, and was even the first thing he puzzled upon rising.
He personally had no memories of the item, but Yoko was quick to flux his influence and fill in the gap almost greedily. The fox had sought the object in the past, but had never found it. As Koenma had indicated, the powerful item was lost to the world around five hundred years ago. Yoko hadn't believed the rumors and searched for nearly one hundred years before he was forced to give up. Almost dying had that affect. He still wondered how something so powerful could vanish from existence, or how it was possible that no one knew what happened? Even the Spirit World.
It was almost laughable that finally, after all this time and in the human world no less, the rumors of the jewel would start anew and they would be at the head of it. 'The Gods have an odd sense of humor. When I can no longer enjoy the jewel, is when I'll be the closest to obtaining it.'
Kurama didn't feel too sympathetic. If Yoko's memories of the jewel's power were accurate, he thought the world a better place if it remained free from demon hands. Or any hands for that matter. It was probably the most dangerous relic he had ever heard of, and he was almost hoping Koenma's assumptions about its reappearance was wrong. 'You live too cautiously boy.' Yoko chided, but he ignored the quip and refocused his attention on the girl. 'What do you think she is?'
Yoko remained silent as he tried to puzzle out his answer. 'It's been so long, but I know I've felt a power like that once before. In a time when there was no demon world or human world, but instead simply a world where we co-existed under one sky.'
Kurama found himself trying to imagine such a time, and it gave him chills. The slaughters that must of occurred, the chaos and confusion. He was positive that without the barrier, there was a very real possibility that humanity would never have made it. No wonder someone made a wish to separate them all. His exposure and very personal insight into demon minds gave him a great sense of the murderous violence they all craved.
'It wasn't like that though, at least not always. There was an established order to things. Demon kings kept their villagers safe, and in some cases even love between human and demon was found.'
'I suppose you're right. You were there after all.'
They watched as Kagome took a seat at an empty table. He wondered idly how she was doing, adjusting to life around school as the new girl. It seemed she had yet to make any friends, but that wasn't surprising since it was her first day. Still, he felt she was a very social girl who probably made friends easily.
Then he watched as a student dumped a glass of water onto her head.
/.../
The water was cold. Very cold. It snaked down her spine in a liquid torrent of torture only to pool on the rear of her skirt. Her bangs hung like withered fingers before her eyes and a terrible chill caused her to shiver. Angrily she stood to face her offender who was currently laughing so hard they were clutching their stomach.
The perpetrator, a female with short black hair, finally stopped to sneer at her. "What? I tripped."
Blue eyes narrowed into ice, but Kagome refused to satisfy them with a curt remark. Instead she silently grabbed her glass of orange juice before proceeding to splash the liquid onto the girl's face and blouse.
"So did I."
The girl stared at her in open-mouthed shock. She simply shrugged and walked away. The entire lunch room burst into uncontrollable laughter. With a slight smirk, she opened the door and walked outside.
Bright sunshine welcomed her, and she inhaled the pleasant smells of nature. The air was cool, but that was because of her soaked backside. It was nice to finally be alone. Except she wasn't. Or at least she was pretty sure she wasn't...
She eyed the tree at the far end of the school yard, up against the gate by the entrance. The branches were thick, casting mysterious shadows that kept her from viewing anything beyond. It was odd, but she was positive there was something there...'Or rather someone?'. She walked towards it curiously, albeit cautiously. Whoever was there was obviously trying very hard to hide.
"Higurashi-san?"
Her steps froze as her shoulders tensed. Plastering on the biggest smile she turned to greet the last person she wanted to be left alone with. "Minamio-san? To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"
He quirked an eye at her odd response, but seemed to brush it off. "I was concerned. You're outside with wet clothes and there is a bit of a breeze today." He then frowned. "And where are you going? Are you leaving school?"
She blinked, before turning her head to the open gate behind her. 'I suppose it does look like I'm sneaking off.' Her eyes then moved to the looming tree just off to the side. 'I guess you're off the hook this time.' She looked back at Shuichi with a disarming smile. "Yeah just thought I'd head home for a change of clothes. I don't live very far from here and I have a spare uniform I could slip into. Better than staying in these wet things all day."
"You know, the office does carry extra uniforms for just such an occasion."
"Oh, well that makes things easier. Thanks I'll head there instead." She bowed lightly to him before hastily departing. She just didn't trust his interest in her. Maybe the girls in this school were right; maybe he did have some unusual regard for her? It was strange that he followed her outside. She didn't buy his act over being concerned for her health. 'If that's not the real reason though, then what is?'.
/.../
Hiei leaped from his hiding spot in the tree to stand by Kurama's side. The fox didn't flinch in the slightest, instead his green eyes stayed trained on the odd girl practically running away from him. "Losing your touch?"
"The things of most value are gained through tough battles."
"Hn."
"Did...did she sense you Hiei?"
The fox did turn to him then, and he scowled back. "Of course not. I was hiding my energy. There's no way that mere woman could sense me." He tried not to think about how intently she had been eyeing his tree earlier. Surely she was just admiring the pretty leaves or something else as equally trivial. 'Mortals...'
"I'm not so sure..."
He quirked an eyebrow. "Paranoid now?"
Kurama shook his head. "There's something about her. Can't you sense it? That odd energy...I can't place where but I know I've sensed it before."
He looked back in the direction the girl ran. He had noticed something strange about her too, but like the fox was not able to place what was strange about her. He hated that. "Who cares, we have bigger things to worry about. Get focused Fox."
"I know I know. School will be done in another few hours. Be patient."
He eyed Kurama intently, studying his features with narrowed crimson orbs. Kurama was deep in thought, most likely with Yoko, and a familiar expression was beginning to creep upon his face. "No. We don't have time for that."
"For what?"
"Another of your obsessive puzzles. Leave the girl alone. If Spirit World hasn't gotten their claws in her life already, it's probably best left that way. She's of no concern to any of us."
"What if she is?"
He crossed his arms. "What makes you think she is, what do you know?"
Kurama was silent for a moment. "Instinct."
"Hn." He stretched his arms above his head. "I've warned you Fox, if you don't heed it then whatever trouble comes from it will be on your shoulders. I hope you don't regret it."
Kurama eyed where the girl ran off to. "I don't think that's possible."
"What isn't?"
"Regretting it."
He dropped his arms back to his sides in aggravation. "Whatever, just don't drag me into your schemes." Then he disappeared.
/.../
Yusuke was annoyed.
Not only did Keiko drag him to stupid school today, but there also happened to be a surprise pop quiz in math that he probably flunked. He also forgot his lunch at home, so he had to beat up some idiot for theirs. Then Kuwabara decided to pick a fight with him in the middle of the hallway and got them both afterschool detentions. Which means he then had to skip it and hear about it from the Principal tomorrow. If he even went. Which he most definitely would not.
Top all that off with their hopeless leads into finding that damn jewel and he was right cranky. He looked at Kuwabara impatiently. "Anything yet?" They had been searching for hours already!
The big oaf shook his head, a frustrated frown marring his brow. "Nothing. Not one thing."
He sighed loudly. "Dammit! Didn't that toddler say three demons escaped? How can there be nothing? Search harder!"
"I wouldn't suggest that detective. His head might explode from the effort."
Kuwabara stiffened and glared at the hybrid. "Whaddyeah say shorty?"
"Now now you guys. Let's keep focused on the task at hand." Kurama tried to wave away their hostility.
"Hn. A bit hypocritical Fox?"
Kuwabara eyed him curiously. "What's he mean by that?"
Kurama glared at Hiei, who was smirking in enjoyment. "Nothing."
"Who cares! If I don't find a damn demon I can kill soon I'm going back to that toddler and shooting his ass instead!"
"It is rather strange. Normally we'd hear about something in the news - some sort of tragic strain of murders or missing people." Kurama puzzled it over. They were missing something vital.
Yusuke growled. "It's like they just disappeared!"
Kurama blinked. "Maybe they did?"
"What do you mean?" Yusuke pondered it over. "What could make them vanish?"
"Hey! That's what I said yesterday and no one believed me!"
Kurama ignored Kuwabara and thought on it further. "What if they didn't just 'vanish' but were actually killed?"
Kuwabara shook his head. "No way, it would have felt different. When demons die their energy still lingers for a few minutes or hours depending on how strong they are - like some type of miasma. They don't just vanish completely."
"Unless...they're purified." Kurama looked at Hiei then, who raised an eyebrow at him.
Yusuke frowned. "How can a demon be purified? I've never heard of that."
"You mean like when I obliterate them with my Spirit Sword?"
Kurama shook his head. "No, nothing like that. This is something different, something once thought extinct in this era." He searched for words to explain it. "When you use your spirit energy...you defeat demons by the strength in your soul. Your human energy in other words. Just like demons have demon energy and use that to hurt you. When demons are defeated with your human energy, their demonic energy doesn't change, and neither do humans when defeated by a demon. The energy stays good or bad or both."
Kuwabara scratched his head. "What does purifying a demon mean then?" He glanced at Yusuke who shrugged, just as confused as him.
"It means the demon's soul was converted . All the corruption, the darkness, the evil purged by heaven itself."
Kuwabara looked amazed. "So if they are purified, their energy is purified too?"
Kurama nodded. "Precisely."
Yusuke crossed his arms. "Are you saying that we're dealing with some sorta God then?"
"Not a God Yusuke, but a miko."
"What? A shrine maiden?"
Kurama laughed. "I suppose that's what they are now, but once, long ago they were something more. Women gifted with holy powers capable of banishing entire fleets of demons with nothing more than their hands."
"It explains why I couldn't feel the demon so suddenly. The miko musta purified it! She probably did that to all of them."
Yusuke didn't like where this conversation was going. Demons were one thing, but this was something else entirely. This type of power could harm him in ways he didn't think were possible. Besides, he could take his anger out on demons, not shrine maidens, which made this idea infinitely less appealing. "So now we gotta find some freaky miko that's actually the legit thing? Do you know how many damn shrines there are in Tokyo?!"
Kurama smirked at Hiei. "Yes, but I have a feeling we don't need to waste our time searching them."
Hiei scowled, suddenly picking up on where the Fox's thoughts were going. "You can't be serious. Her?"
Yusuke looked impatiently between them. "C'mon, tell me! Who is 'her'?"
"His latest puzzle."
"Passing curiosity. Now," He turned to face Yusuke, expression serious "I had a rather interesting day with a new transfer student. Her name is Kagome Higurashi, and I have a strange suspicion that she's our miko."
/.../
Kagome suddenly sneezed, head lifting from her pillow briefly. She sniffled miserably before laying back down. What an awful first day. The remainder of her classes were filled with more threats and random pins being left on her chair. 'I thought I was out of elementary...honestly how is it possible these kids are so immature?'
Beside her Buyo purred in contentment. She eyed the cat in jealousy. 'It must be nice, not having a care in the world.' She looked out her window then, barely able to make out the God Tree in the distance. A sudden pang of sadness hit her heart, and she squelched it down angrily. 'You live in the present.'
She rolled onto her side, back facing the window. 'Forever in the present.'
Tomorrow would be a better day. Right?
...
Whoa! What an amazing response so far! I'm glad to see so many people interested in this story and urging me on to continue. This quick up-date was for you guys! I hope this chapter impressed as much as the last one did! On that note I love hearing from you so don't be shy to let me know what you think - good or bad! I reply to all my reviews so be sure to log in so I can PM you I tend to reply when I'm going to post another chapter soon, so please don't think I missed sending you a message if you don't hear back from me right away.
For those of you who did not long in, my reply to you will be here:
alice: I google translated your review because I unfortunately don't know French very well. I'm a little confused by what you were trying to say with that phrase but I appreciate that you took the time to say anything to me, so thank-you for your comment! I hope you continue to enjoy the story
natalia: I'm very happy that you are excited for my future up-dates! I hope this lived up to your expectation and the wait wasn't too long ;) Please keep enjoying my work!
Guest: You know who you are. That was a very odd review, but thank you for sending it anyway. It was an enjoyable read if anything else. I hope you continue to read my work!
erica: I hope I didn't disappoint you too much with this chapter. You're idea was good too, but don't worry there's going to be more fun to come. Just because Kurama thinks he has his miko, doesn't mean she's willing to play his game. I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story!
Kagome pairing: Thanks for your review and your input! The pairings are still undecided, but a few other people mentioned Hiei as an idea so maybe I'll go that way, who knows ;) You'll have to read to find out which one I decide! Mwuahahaha!
Well that's all. Thanks again to everyone reading and reviewing, or even following this story. I hope to be back soon with another up-date.
Bye for now!