"Despite our efforts….the Gate's Seal is cracking" The sentence echoed throughout the halls of the palace, each echo only strengthening the last.
Kagome stared at them, wide-eyed, "What?" She whispered, astonished. How could the Gate be cracking? How was that possible? The Gate wasn't supposed to crack for centuries, long after she and Moriko had passed on and their duty was transferred to a new duo to handle. Vaguely, she felt a hand grasp her shoulder, words whispered into her ear. She ignored them, breaking free from the hand's grip and rushing forward, pressing her hands and body against the doors. Her gaze shifted seamlessly into Other Sight, where her eyes found the tiny crack, not even large enough to appear to the naked eye. She moaned aloud, despair clenching her heart. This wasn't supposed to happen! What could possibly have caused this? She and Moriko did not have the power to fix this, they couldn't. With each generation their Clan's powers were supposed to grow and only after several more generations, would they have the power to even dream of fixing this problem. Oh gods… She whispered and barely registered that she had spoken aloud. The hand fell onto her should again and she turned slightly, gratefully letting go of the door. Moriko held open her arms and Kagome fell into them. Eyes wide and still in shock, "We….we can't fix this…." She whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. The crack itself wasn't serious, indeed, had it remained a tiny crack, there would have been no problem. But something was behind this crack, something that would force the crack to grow until it was a vast gash across the surface of the doors weakening them enough that what was held behind them, would find it simple to shatter and go through. Kagome clutched at Moriko's skirts, desperate for something solid to hold onto even if it would only be for a brief moment. Moriko stroked Kagome's hair, "I know." She whispered back, golden eyes filled with sadness of the knowledge of what was to come. Kagome looked up at Moriko, eyes searching for some sort of solace, "There's no way….is there?" The last bit was the pathetic hope that they could do something to stop this, something that could at least delay what was coming from happening. Moriko closed her eyes and opened them slowly. Kagome stared into them and straightened a bit, "There is….isn't there?" She whispered. Moriko looked away from her aunt, refusing to acknowledge or deny the statement. Kagome gritted her teeth, "What is it? What do we have to do?" She demanded, letting go of her niece completely. Moriko refused to look at Kagome again, her mouth set in a determined line, though her eyes seemed strangely glassy, as if filled with tears she would not shed.
"Tell me!" shouted Kagome, glaring. There was something Moriko knew that Kagome wouldn't tell her. Moriko had gone through a different sort of training and so had been taught different things from Kagome. Kagome needed to know if she had been taught something for this very situation and she needed to know now.
Moriko gritted her teeth and looked at Kagome, "….You would die." She whispered as a breeze fluttered through the hall, wafting over them. Kagome narrowed her eyes, "So there is a way." She said simply. Who cares if she died? One measly life in exchange for everything. Moriko shook her head, "Yes—"
"Tell me how!" Kagome stepped forward, looking up at her niece, the ferocity in her gaze equal to that of any inferno. Moriko glanced away once again, her teeth gritted. "I don't care if I die, Moriko! For the love of the gods! For the love of your family, tell me what we have to do!" She knew she was acting hysterical, she knew that her actions were childish, but she couldn't help it. If the Gate broke, if it opened anymore, the world would end. What would bring about the Apocalypse lay beyond those doors, they would destroy the world and as much as Kagome resented some people, even hated, even felt that they were useless hunks of flesh, she cared about the world, she would not let it be destroyed.
Moriko looked back at her aunt, the aunt she had known all her life, the one who had helped her through so many things the one who she had always thought would be there for her. The one that would die to save them all. Moriko shook her head, "There's a ritual. Something I learned from the past Gatekeeper. It's supposed to heal and lock the gate for another millennia…at the cost of the Gate's life."
Kagome stared at her, "Then what are we waiting for?" She asked, turning from her niece and beginning to walk down the hall.
"Wait—Kagome--!"
An ear-piercing grown lanced through the hallway, carrying throughout the massive palace and causing everyone near to turn and stare at the source. The tiny, once minuscule crack on the doors surface had grown. It was a slash against the intricate carvings that adorned the surface and at least and inch deep. Moriko glanced back at Kagome, whose face was grim, "Now do you see?" She asked softly, "We don't have time. Let's go, Moriko." She stalked off toward the Gate Platform, Moriko trailing after, the sorrow in her eyes matched only by the determination in Kagome's. They would perform the ritual. Screw her own life, as soon as it could be down it would, there was no time to debate. And yet…something inside her cried out, a tiny ball of sadness wept. She would leave everything she had known, everything she cared for. Inuyasha…. Whispered a tiny voice, withering in despair.