Chapter 6 A Legend

Kurama deemed her very fast for a human. When they came to the end of the castle grounds; There was nothing but a steep cliff was in between them, but she didn't seem to care.

Kurama noticed that she was going full force despite the impending death looming ahead. Going against his better judgment he scooped her up and continued to run.

"You'll need help. Unleash your demon, and I will give you the strength necessary to survive." Her voice was distant and full of power. Her eyes remained on the rising smoke clouds.

"I can't release him at will." He saw the look of determination on her face and added, "I will try." He concentrated on giving Youko control of his body. He came to the max point of where Youko could be released, when he felt the miko place something in the center of his forehead.

Not even a second later, Youko emerged saving both the miko and his host from certain death. "What did you do?" Youko asked still making a beeline towards the smoke.

She raised her eyebrow in unamused humor, "I gave you a power boost."

Youko started to laugh. "I can see that, but how?" He had never felt this powerful in his whole existence, and didn't want this feeling to stop.

"I will tell you later, but first we have to get there." Kagome pointed towards the smoke.

"What's there?" Not slowing his pace.

"My friends are in danger."

Knowing what it felt like when a friend was in need, he sped up his pace. Youko, taking full advantage of the situation, took a whiff of her scent and locked it away so he could analyze it later.

They arrived to a massacre. Trees were littered like twigs in a forest. The miko flew out of his arms and ran to the smallest of the bunch, and the only one left alive. Youko went to check on her friends: none were living.

The one he saw before as Kagura was torn to shreds. She was so battered that he only recognized her from bits of her kimono, embedded into something that was once flesh and bone.

A young boy, or that's what it was once, was in an older woman's arms. Deep gashes were in both of their bodies. Whatever did this damage was strong enough to slice through both of them at once, killing instantly.

A monk, or pieces of what was left of one, was thrown about the place. Youko spotted an arm by a tree, a foot in the grass, but he couldn't see the head. It was a terrible way to die. He didn't spot the fire cat, but suspected something close to the monk's condition. All that remained of the feline were tuffs of hair and the sickly scent of blood.

Kagome held Shippo in her arms completely unaware of the horror surrounding her. The young kit was losing blood fast. Deep gashes kept opening when he fanned the fire with a giant fan. "It's okay Shippo, I'm here now, and everything is going to be alright." Kagome smoothed away the hair from his face. Tears were streaming down both of their faces.

"I tried so very hard. I'm sorry." Blood gurgled in his lungs when he breathed.

Youko noticed that everyone had come to investigate. Sesshomaru, Kuma, and Kouga stood in horror at the sight of such destruction. Youko sensed Hiei high up in the tree trying not to smell the scent of blood and death. For once, Kuwabara and Yusuke knew better than to speak.

Their attention was on the miko and the young demon she held in her arms. "Shippo, baby, tell me who did this, I'll make it alright." She pressed a kiss onto his bloody forehead.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't strong enough. I tried so hard to be brave, I'm so sorry..." Shippo's young body lost all of his strength. His last dying word was whispered so low only the demons caught it, "Momma."

Kagome shot her tearstained face up. "Sesshomaru save him. I know you can."

"I will not save him," His hand was set on the pulsing sword.

Kagome placed the young demon on the ground, "I can feel the sword compelling you to save him, so do it!" Her voice was full of anger, rage and desperation. She already lost the love of her life, and now her second family was being torn from her. She couldn't deal with this big of a loss the second time around. She retreated into herself.

The stoic demon lord turned to leave, and Kagome gave an enraged war cry. Youko had heard it once before; it was when a demon was cornered and fighting to live. In livid fury, she stomped her foot into the ground. He felt her power seep into the ground, but it did no physical damage.

Instead she walked up to Youko and plucked the fragment out of his forehead making Kurama reappear. She placed it back into the glass container around her neck.

Sesshomaru stood watching as if unable to move. Kagome took out the time device and pressed the button. "Leave now or you will not live to see the next sunrise." She was beyond pissed, and a pissed miko was never a good sign.

Her eyes started to glow an eerie white. Her powers were exceeding even the most powerful miko's. She walked up to where the small boy was laying and plucked something out of the ground and placed it too in the small container.

"Hey we need something to report back to Koenma." Yusuke said walking towards the portal.

"You will tell him it's safe, and there is no need to worry." Kagome said too calmly for them to be reassured.

Once again, Hiei pushed Kuwabara into the portal, and seemingly disappointed again that he wasn't incinerated, he too stepped into the portal.

Yusuke kindly thanked her for getting them out of the hellhole they were stuck in and left. "Miko, what was that you placed on my forehead?" Kurama gently prodded.

"You don't even know what you were searching for, that's a shame. Otherwise you would have known, and would not be asking stupid questions. Now leave you are interrupting age old business." Her tone was dark and threatening.

Kurama was walking back towards the portal when he saw a weird looking sword land not even five feet away from the miko. Curiosity wanted him to stay and watch, but Youko was telling him to run, run like the demons of hell on his heels and never run into her in a bad mood again.

He was half way into the portal when he looked back. He could see the fear written in Sesshomaru's normally ice-cold demeanor. Now he really wanted to stay, but knew he couldn't. He made a mental note to ask Koenma about it later.

Kagome set up a barrier the moment the last of the time travelers were gone. She didn't need anyone else getting hurt. "Kouga, take my pack and go back to the den. I will meet you there." She commanded and handed him her backpack.

Kouga grew brains in a short few seconds and did what she asked of him with no complaints. When Kouga left the scene, Kagome took a step towards the sword.

"Miko, you will not touch my father's sword." His was tone venomous and foreboding.

"It does not call to you demon. You are not worthy of possessing such a sword, but if you insist, pick it up." The white swirl of power made the miko's tone much more threatening. She was teasing the demon lord, and daring him to do just that.

Sesshomaru walked towards the sword. The barrier dispersed once Kouga had left. The whole area had been purified of any remains. He placed his hand upon it and immediately he was thrown back by it. This was the second sword that was his birthright that refused him.

His head snapped to the miko when he heard her chuckle. "You don't get it Sesshomaru. You were never intended to have a sword of power. Your father was ashamed of you, ashamed of what you have become. You are nothing more than a puppy trying to be a dog. He gave you the sword of healing to give you back your humanity, and what have you done with it? You've discarded it like yesterday's old newspaper. I should take said newspaper and whack you over the muzzle for being so disobedient."

Sesshomaru started to growl, he didn't know what a newspaper was but he had an idea. Kagome disregarded his snarl and picked up the sword. She embraced the darkness, and took it out of its sheath. A bright light flooded the area and when their eyes adjusted Inu no Taisho stood before them.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened in fear and surprise because he saw his father's ghost, however he could not hear him speak, "Miko, why do you claim the sword meant for none?"

"There is nothing left but their memory. Your poor excuse of a son allowed what is mine to die. It is only fair I take something away from him too. Justice will be served, an eye for an eye." Kagome kept her firm grip on the sword.

"Miko, how fall will you go?" The spirit said taking a step towards her.

The two demon lords could only watch and listen to the one-sided conversation as Kagome smirked and pulled out Inuyasha's rosary. She stuck the blade into the ground. "I give my past," She placed the rosary overtop of the sword and watched it slide to the ground. "My present," Using the blade to cut the inside of her hand she allowed her blood to run the sword's blade. "And I give my destiny," She ripped off the Shikon no Tama from her neck and threw it to the ground.

The ground shook as the sword accepted Kagome's offerings. Inu no Taisho nodded. "The sword of destruction is no longer. The sacred sword of hell is now the sword of justice. You would have done well as a daughter of mine. There is still time for you to change my son and settle down with some children."

Kagome tried to hide her disgust, but failed miserably. "It's too late now." Pink power swirled about her arm. In one motion, she picked up the sword and gave a swing. An arc of pink purifying power flew towards the castle. "An eye for an eye." Her voice was cold and full of retribution.

With that Kagome left the Western lands in search of Kouga and the two jewel shards embedded in his legs.

Inu no Taisho shook his head finally giving speech towards his last living son, "She was as vibrant as your mother. You should have known better than to piss off a powerful miko. What you brought about was no fault other than your own. When will you learn my son?" With that, the disappointed father left his son for the second time, shaking his head.

Sesshomaru could only stare as his father left him abruptly again for the second time in his life. Hearing a scream that erupted from his castle, he went to kill the culprit that dare harm what was his. After this disappointment, he was ready, able and very willing to slaughter something.

In the mountains

Kagome walked for the next three days in search of Kouga and his tribe. Many had come searching for her jewel shards, but were disappointed when they weren't on her. Somehow when she sacrificed her destiny, the shards fused with the sword. There were three small cracks where the rest of the shards were supposed to go.

Many found their death, but unknown to Kagome, the ones who were too fearful to attack started a legend of a vengeful miko that night. She had killed many demons and was leaving a trail of blood where she walked. She was injured, but the blood wasn't hers. It belonged to all the demons who thought she would be easy pickings.

The bottom of her miko uniform was caked in dried blood. The white eyes never ceased. The power rush was numbing and comforting. It allowed her to forget what had just happened to her friends. They were dead. Everyone that kept her tied to this era was dead. She had no one left in this era, for they were all taken from her. And the one person who could've helped refused.

She noticed the graveyard of the wolves and knew she wasn't that much farther away. She kept walking, despite the fact she hadn't slept in several days, and the last time she ate was when she found a piece of half rotting fruit on the tree. She was regretting giving her last packages of ramen to the boys.

She had never thought that this was going to be her future. She never wanted this. She never wanted for any of her friends to die. She never wanted to be given a sword of great power. She was a schoolgirl from the future with a big heart and a kind smile. Now she looked like nothing of what she was.

She was dressed in demon's blood that covered her miko's outfit, carrying a bow and quiver full of arrows on her back and a sword on her hip. She looked like the killer Kikyo was, all those years ago.

She wanted to be so different than Kikyo, but looking at herself now, she was the present image. Oh how she hated to be called Kikyo. Kikyo was cold, heartless, dead, and a killer. But wasn't that what she had become?

She started to climb the steep rocks that lead to the cave. She pulled her self up and over. Resting on the flat rock, she sat on the edge of the cliff and watched the sun slowly set into the valley. It was a beautiful sight, and she felt like she was watching something no longer meant for her eyes.

After regaining her breath she got up off the edge and walked towards the cave. Luckily for her, Ginta was standing on guard. Otherwise seeing Kouga could have been a problem. She didn't trust herself. She had sent a wave towards Sesshomaru's castle, she couldn't control the sword, and that scared her. She prayed to every kami there was that she hadn't hurt someone. She was scared of herself. She wanted her mother's loving and gentle embrace more then ever.

Ginta showed Kagome inside. Some of the newer wolves bared their teeth or cowered in fear as her power rolled off of her in waves. She tried to contain it, but she needed some practice. Kouga entered the main tunnel where he was calling his men cowards along the way to greet her.

Forgoing the small chat, she demanded, "Kouga my pack and your shards." She held out her hand.

Ginta took a step away from her, sensing something not right about his 'sister'. Kouga was still thick headed, "Why, when you are going to live here forever and be my mate like I had planned all along?"

Kagome raised her eyebrow, "No. I am returning to my home. Now give me what is mine." She felt like a shell of her former self. She wanted nothing more right now then to cry and have her mother tell her everything will be okay.

"Now, you are my woman, and you will not be speaking to me like that love. You should know that I'll take good care of you once you learn that I am your mate."'

Kagome's eyes grew wider. It wasn't in shock, but it was in outrage. She didn't want to stay here any longer than necessary. The pain of her loss was too much for her. She wanted to go home and have her mom smooth her tears. She didn't want to be mated to a stubborn wolf and live in... looking around, she saw some things she did not want to identify. Rather she knew what it was, but she didn't want to acknowledge.

"Kouga," Her voice lowering to the point of being threatening, "I am never going to be your mate. Now for the last time, give me what is mine, or you shall face the consequences." Kagome was starting to scare herself. She didn't want to hurt Kouga, but she couldn't stop the power that was rapidly building in her. She could feel the sword calling for blood as each moment passed.

Every wolf knew that a fight was going to happen except for Kouga. Even Ginta, Kouga's most loyal friend, was in hiding. 'Oh self-preservation at it's best. You really find out who your friends are when trouble arises.' She thought. It seemed that in the friendship department, Kouga was alone.

"Kagome, settle down," He chastised her like a toddler. "You should know that once we are mated the jewel will be mine and I will have the most powerful pack to protect you while you are bearing my pups. So cut out that nonsense."

Fury.

That was the only thing that was going through her mind. "How DARE you assume that I will give you the jewel. I have told you for the last time, I will not be your mate. I do not love you Kouga. So do not make this harder than it has to be. Give me the jewel shards so I can return to where I belong." Her tone was deadly. She had her hand placed on the hilt of her sword. She didn't want to use it, but the stubborn wolf was giving her no other choice. She could hear the sword sing in triumph.

"Never Kagome! I would rather have you take my life in a fight than become weak." Kouga saw Kagome's battle stance. He saw the white raw power consume her, and he knew there was no retraction now. Even if he could, or wanted too, she was far beyond listening.

Kouga knew it was either him or his potential mate that was going to be killed. She was human; she was going to die anyway. Now he was left with the option to find a demoness that could live forever like him. For the sake of his life and legacy, he attacked.

Kagome could not believe that this is what it came down to. She had thought that if she had raised her power level he would take the hint and back off, but instead he attacked. She had lost everyone special around her, but now she was going to personally take the life of a friend. The overwhelming grief took over and she succumbed to the power of the sword.

The battle seemed to go in slow motion. Kagome dodged an onslaught of attacks from Kouga's claws, while she took her sword out of its sheath. The sword glowed a vibrant pink. Any contact with the sword purified everything in its reach. Kouga howled in pain as his claws barely made contact with the sword and started to purify him.

Becoming enraged, he allowed his demon blood to consume him. His eyes started to bleed crimson as his human form was lost to the large wolf that stood before her. A single tear slid down her cheek as she finished what she was never intended to do.

Why couldn't he have transformed into something smaller? Going into his demon form just gave her a bigger target. As Kouga lunged forward teeth bared, Kagome lunged and plunged her sword into his chest. It was like a sharp sword through a dumb wolf. With one swing the sword was in and as she finished her lunge and the sword was out the other end. Two pieces were left of Kouga before her purifying powers destroyed all evidence he even existed.

She knew what she had done. She knew deep down that Kouga would never give up his shards willingly. She always thought Inuyasha or Naraku would be the one to kill him, never her.

She watched in horror as Kouga's blood dripped down the blade before it too was purified and evaporated. It was done. She had killed the last of her friends. She never wanted any of this. She felt the shards and couldn't possess herself to look at the massacre that was written by her hand.

She took a deep breath and gathered the two shards amongst the dust. The orb on the end of her sword glowed a bright pink as the two shards joined the rest. A tiny crack was all that was left. A single shard was remaining and was in the future.

"Where's my pack?" She was taken aback by the cold sounding tone of her voice. One of the wolves came out of hiding with her yellow backpack. She grabbed it, and watched as he pulled his hand away as if he was burned.

"What will happen to us now?" One of the older wolves asked as Kagome was leaving.

"You will find a new leader and move on. It seems as if your old leader lacked common sense." Her voice was dull and lifeless.

"Sister Kagome, I say you become our new leader. You defeated Kouga in a battle of power, so it's only natural that you lead us." Ginta croaked and couldn't meet her eyes.

"Like I told Kouga, I am going home. A leader is someone that will lead you, but I will not be here. But thank you for the offer." Kagome started to walk out of the cave. Her heart was heavy with the turmoil that plagued it.

"Sister!" One of the wolves called out to her. Kagome stopped in her tracks, but didn't look back. Knowing he had her attention he continued. "Since you will not lead us, will you protect us until we can find someone?" It came out as a plea. "We will surely be conquered and forced to separate. We would be forced to disband and our brethren would be our enemy."

Kagome knew all too well how that felt. She couldn't leave them here all alone and defenseless. She turned around and nodded her head. "Very well. I will place a protection spell over your cave."

She placed her sword back in its sheath and removed her bow from her back. "Bring me some wolf's bane." She called out and started to carve a star into the dirt. Then, a few seconds later, a demon approached and handed her the herb. She placed it in the middle of the star. She strapped her bow back onto her back, and lowered her head in prayer.

The herb started to grow and took over the mountainside. Once she was finished she looked up. "This will protect you from your enemies. If you treat the plant well it will protect you in return." Kagome lowered her head, "I'm so sorry, but that's all I can do." She watched for a few seconds as the plant created a barrier before walking away. She was glad she had Kaede teach her this protection spell.

Kagome didn't look back. She started to walk away from the wolves. She hoped and prayed that they would not come to some terrible fate because of her. That's all she needed right now, a whole clan's blood on her hands because of her actions.

She was away from the mountain and back on her path towards Kaede's village. She would have to tell the old woman the bad news. She had lived a tough life, and now this was the icing on the cake for when she departed from this world with a saddened heart.

She heard someone calling out her name, but she didn't bother stopping. She wanted to be alone for a while. She had come to a crossroad in her life. She could either keep moving forward, or she could become consumed by the grief in her heart. She didn't like either, and so decided to take the untraveled path in between.

The voice calling to her finally caught up, and Ginta started to walk beside her. "Where is your home?"

"Far away." She didn't feel like talking. She had killed his leader and here he was being civil to her. She shook her head sadly.

"Don't feel bad sister. It needed to be done, so you did it. If it wasn't you, then it would have been someone else."

"You have no idea how I feel Ginta. All of my friends are dead, and then I go and kill the last remaining friend I have here. How am I supposed to feel?" Kagome exploded. She felt better and worse at the same time. The wolf was only trying to make her feel better.

"Kouga was the one that killed my father. He was the leader of our clan before Kouga overpowered him. It's the way of nature. You kill or are killed. I accepted that long ago. I was never strong enough to defeat Kouga, so I became his friend and accepted what was meant to be, you should too."

Kagome's breath caught in her throat. "I'm so sorry Ginta. I never knew."

"It was a long time ago. I once heard that time heals all wounds, and I'm one to say that is true. You heal, but never forget. It will be hard for you sister, but I will make sure that our pack stays strong for when you are able to come back and lead us. You might be human, but to us you are family."

Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes. She never knew Kouga's clan could be so deep. She had assumed they were as stupid and ignorant as Kouga. "I'm not a leader Ginta, and I never was. I fought along side my friends because they needed me. I know how to protect, and that's what I will do for your clan. Lead, that's something for a demon to do."

Ginta nodded and both walked quietly together as their thoughts consumed. It took four days to reach the village, and not once did Ginta leave her side. It was a comforting knowledge, yet at the same time it was so very wrong.

Inuyasha, Shippo, Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, and Kirara should be the ones walking with her joking with her. But reality was a kick in the ass. They were dead and never coming back. "Thank you for keeping me company Ginta because it meant a lot to me even if I said nothing. No one from your tribe will find me for a very long time. So keep them safe; I'm counting on you."

Ginta's head was bowed low. "Thank you sister. When will you return?"

"To this time? Never. My future is just that far away in the future. That's a long enough time for many things to happen. I want you to promise me that you will fight to keep the clan alive and together. A family should never be separated no matter how turmoil the time. Remember in the end you are all you have in the world." Kagome's eyes had a far away look to them.

"Do you have a family sister?" Ginta asked curious about their new protector.

Kagome smiled sadly, "I have a mother, a baby brother, and a grandfather. All of them I haven't seen in a very long time. I've been too busy here to give them much time, but now my life is going to be for them. One day Ginta we will meet again, but heed my words family is all you have. Make sure they know they are loved before something can happen to them." Kagome felt tears trickle down her face, "I never told them how much I loved them. I never told them how much they meant to me."

Ginta pulled his sister into an embrace, "You didn't have to tell them, they already knew."

Kagome pulled away smiling through the tears, "Thank you Ginta. I needed to hear that more than you could have imagined. I need to go and tell an old woman that her family is gone before her." She gave him a sad smile before walking the rest of the way to the village in mourning.

Kaede had felt a strong power coming towards the village, and she went to meet it in case it was a malicious being. She gasped when she saw that it was Kagome. Something was not right. The child's aura was covered in sadness.

"Kagome, where are the others?" The look on Kagome's face told her all she needed to know. She led Kagome into the hut and sat the girl down. Kagome sat staring into the fire while Kaede removed her blood soaked clothing and dressed her. Kagome was too numb to move. She hadn't slept in days, and was now feeling the effects of being sleep deprived.

The old miko made sure Kagome ate stew before settling the girl down for the night. She knew the child would no longer be coming to stay with her. She had no reason to stay. It would have been selfish of her to ask to come back and visit. But she knew all too well the haunting memories of one's past.

She knew the young child would not accept any gifts from her, so instead she placed some seeds and plants in Kagome's bag so she'd be forever reminded of her miko training. Kagome had told her once that demons and some herbs were almost extinct. So she placed some of those herbs in her pack. Hopefully they would bloom nicely and she could help a dying plant find a second chance at life. The sleeping child before her had become very dear to her heart. She was the daughter she could never have. She would miss her; and her mood swings.

She knew her life was ending, she was almost happy to know that the people she loved the most would not be saddened by her death. It was a horrible concept, but it was a harsh reality she was faced with everyday.

She knew Kagome would not be there when she awoke. She knew that deep in her bones. Goodbyes were always hard, and this was the final step for the miko from the future. Kaede smiled sadly at the broken miko that was sleeping on her floor. She never deserved this fate. She should have had a happy life with loved ones around her.

She had been through so much, and now was the beginning of a new destiny. She wished Kagome the very best. Having been through so much pain and loss in her life, she couldn't cry, but she felt the remorse. "I wish you well young Kagome. May your life be better than this one." She placed the blanket over Kagome and went to sleep.

When she awoke the next morning, Kagome and her bag were gone. And so the legend of the most powerful miko to grace the feudal era started.

End chapter 6

AN: sorry about the long wait, but this is like a double chapter so enjoy. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for reviewing. The next update will be in about :thinks: a couple weeks. I have another midterm on Monday, and several projects due. -- this Technical Communication course is zapping all energy...two more weeks then I can breathe easier again...oh and not like you care, but I made it to the Dean's List. I'm :so: excited! Continuing on, I know this is an evil chapter, but it's one of my favorites ...I love to kill people off. So we have a total of :lost count: a lot :smirks: I figured out the end :evil cackle: now onto the beta reader. Oh thanks to E for reading this and correcting what I couldn't find/too lazy to correct.

B.R.: you lazy –blank-! Commas are NOT your friend. Pay attention in English will you? –thwap- And 'and' is annoying when used too often! Try some other conjunctions! Give 'for' a little love will you? Urm, loved the chappie ï‚© ï