9. Kikyo's Sister
"Well, here you are kid. This is your stop." Kagura said, descending to the ground. The feather landed lightly and Yori stepped off and turned to face Kagura.
"Thank you so much Kagura." she said and she grabbed the woman and embraced her.
"Hey. Now, I'll be back to take you to Sesshomaru like I said. When you need me, just blow this whistle." Kagura handed Yori a small silver whistle which she slipped inside her shirt. She watched in admiration as Kagura stepped onto her feather and rose into the air. Yori smiled and waved at her as she flew away. Then she turned around and confusion washed over her. It looked like they were still in the forest, the scenery hadn't changed. And then Kagura's words struck her. Only those who have pure hearts and true intentions are allowed to enter, or else the barrier that surrounds the land will purify you. There was a barrier in the area somewhere. Yori took a step forward, and then she sensed it. She put her hand out in front of her and touched the barrier gently and the air around her hand rippled. Swallowing, Yori stepped through the barrier. Her jaw dropped open at what she saw.
She was at the door of a very large castle. It looked just like the one in the dream she had three days ago; it was huge and it gave off a soft pink glow. She looked around her; there were miles and miles of flat land, water, and trees. But everything together, it made her feel easy, her mind and soul were set at piece. Birds took flight over her head, and she walked towards the door. She couldn't get far though, for coming near her at an alarming pace were what looked like guards form the castle. They surrounded her and she immediately dropped her arrows and raised her hand in surrender.
"State your name and your business." one of them said.
"My name is Yori Anoshi and I—" But the guards suddenly dropped their weapons and bowed.
"Come Miss Yori, the High Priestess is awaiting you." Okay, this is really weird. But if I've learned anything in this world, it's just go with it. Yori nodded and picked her bow and arrow, and began to follow the guards into the castle from her dreams.
They lead her up two flights of stairs and down a large hallway made of pink tinted silver. The place was beautiful; chandeliers of crystal and gold hung high above her head and rugs of silk lay beneath her feet. She looked ahead of her and gasped at the huge doors. A guard walked in front of her and opened it while another walked into the room.
"High Priestess, Miss Yori has arrived." he said kneeling. When Yori walked into the room, she was overtaken by a powerful feeling of relief. It was as if the she could feel whatever the High Priestess was feeling.
"Are you certain this is she?" That voice! It sounds like the one from my dream.
"No ma'am, not certain. But that's who she claims to be. I've brought her to you for I knew you would know." The woman stared at the guard. She sat high on a throne, her legs crosses and her nails tapping on the wood of the arm. She had long black hair that reached her waist and square cut bangs that covered her eyebrows and almost touched her deep brown eyes which were filled with suspicion. Those eyes turned to Yori and she bowed her head instinctively.
"Come forth." she said and Yori did as she was told. The High Priestess came closer to her and ran her finger along the hem of her clothes. She then grabbed the bow and arrows and held them in her hands, weighing them and examining them closely. Then her eyes widened and she spoke, voice trembling ever so slightly.
"You, you carry my original sacred bow. And you wear my clothes." She looked at Yori then. "Tell me girl, who gave you these things?"
"Lady Kaede." Yori said, and then noticed that they were wearing the exact same thing, save for the fact that Yori's clothes still were blood soaked.
"Why have you come here?" she asked handing her back to bow and arrows.
"If I'm not mistaken ma'am, you called me here. In a dream." Yori said, realization slowly hitting her. No way.
"Then you are Yori. Oh, I'm so glad you've come." The High Priestess threw her arms around Yori.
"And you're, and you're Kikyo's sister."
The High Priestess, Lady Kiesu, ordered the servants to take Yori to a bathing room and clean her clothes. The servants did as they were told and Yori said there was no need for them to accompany her during her bath. But they insisted and when she was done, they redressed her wounds. After that, they fed her. It was so nice to have something in her stomach other than fish for a change, but she barely ate. She was too nervous to eat; afterwards, she was supposed to speak with the High Priestess alone. So she finished her food and excused herself from the table, making her way back to the room she originally had been in.
She walked in the doors and bowed. The High Priestess shook her head.
"There is no time for formalities. I must explain what is going on." Lady Kiesu beckoned for Yori to come sit in front of her. She did so and was surprised when Kiesu also sat on the floor. "I am indeed Kikyo's sister. My name is Kiesu and I went missing at the age of ten. A demon attacked the village and stole children from their homes to sell to other demons. He grabbed me and took me, along with so many other children, to a secluded area where I killed him with my first sacred arrow. It was nothing but a stick and a rock, but sacred none the less. The High Priestess of that time sensed it and she came to find me. And instead of returning to my village, I came here to take her place." She paused and took a deep breath.
"Many years passed and I kept a close eye on my sister; she was the sole protector of the Shikon Jewel now, the only one who possessed sacred powers such as mine. But she was foolish, giving her heart away to a half demon. She was ready to give him the Sacred Jewel to turn him human and I knew I would soon have to interfere and stop her. But in the days that followed I heard word that she'd passed on to the next life, taking the Jewel with her." Kiesu took a sip of whatever she was drinking and it was Yori's turn to take a deep breath. Perhaps Lord Sesshomaru was right, the hate between humans and demons ran too deep and maybe no one had the right to try and change that. Kiesu closed her eyes and continued.
"I thought that was the end and I was incorrect. Fifty years after my sister passed on, a young girl appeared from the Bone Eater's well. She held within her the Jewel of Four Souls, and it was she who cracked the Jewel into shards and sent them flying around our world. It became apparent that this young girl, Kagome, was my sister's reincarnation. I felt somewhat relieved at that for with her present there would be someone who could purify the tainted shards. All was well, until someone tried to bring my sister back from the grave." Another pause. "This woman was a witch, and she attempted to transfer Kagome's soul into my sister. Her attempt failed but by some way or another, my sister grabbed a hold of life once more. And it had a horrible effect on the jewel shards." Yori was listening hard.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Something is very wrong with them. They seem to repel one another when brought together, as if something is not right. The jewel shards can't decide who their true protector is. It is almost as if they refuse to be come whole for they know not who will look after them." Lady Kiesu paused again and took a long and thoughtful sip before continuing. "Kagome is the true protector of the Jewel. My sister is one of the living dead, she walks this earth in hatred pointed towards the half demon she fell in love with. She seeks revenge and she is tainted. She must be destroyed." Yori nodded.
"But Lady Kiesu, what does any of this have to do with me?" she asked slowly, respectfully.
"It is Kagome's destiny to protect the Jewel, but she cannot do this with Kikyo's soul roaming the Earth." she paused. "When Lady Sienka found me when I was a child, she told me that it was my destiny to become the High Priestess. When one assumes the position of High Priestess, their body ceases to age, and their strength remains stable. Though with all of that, we must pass on to the next life just as every one else. A High Priestess may only rule for fifty-one years and my time has almost reached its end. Yori my time as High Priestess is almost up, and it is your destiny to take my place. But before you can do so, you must vanquish Kikyo and heal the Jewel." Yori felt as if someone had slapped her across the face. She sat silently as Kiesu stared at her intently.
"You want me to, to kill Kikyo?" she stuttered a bit as she asked.
"You must! For if you do not, then the Jewel can never again be whole and demons will continue to abuse its power. Do you not understand the seriousness of the situation Yori?" Lady Kiesu sounded panicked, but not as panicked as Yori felt. She didn't want to kill Kikyo and Yori didn't think the High Priestess understood how much she was asking.
"I do, I do, but what I don't understand is; why me? Why do I have to do it, why not Kagome?" The High Priestess shook her head.
"No, it must be you. You may not understand this but in the second a High Priestess ceases to age, they die. Physically, not spiritually. Their bodies are no longer human and therefore, in a sense, they have passed on. This way, when their time comes they are able to find the piece of themselves that still walks the Earth in the body of another. I have been the most powerful High Priestess in our history and Yori, you are my reincarnation. This is the reason your arrow is blue instead of pink. It is much more powerful than Kikyo's and Kagome's combined. This is the reason why you must destroy my sister, only you have to ability to completely rid the world of her. If anyone else tries, somehow, she will always come back. Do you understand this?" Yori nodded her head yes. Lady Kiesu stood up and was still for a moment.
"Yori, tell me, have you noticed anything strange about yourself?" What? Why would she ask such an odd question. But Yori though hard about the question, and the only answer that came to mind was the wind.
"Yes. When the wind blows, I feel stronger. I feel like I can do anything. When the wind blows, everything seems to go my way." She knew Lady Kiesu was smiling, she could see it in her form.
"I had my doubts before, but now I am sure of it. You are my reincarnation. Yori, I have the ability to harness and control the power of the wind. It was something I was born with, as were you. And now you must learn how to use it. Yori," Yori looked up and all of a sudden, she flew back and hit the castle's wall, knocking the wind right out of her. She looked up at the High Priestess who was standing with her arm outstretched to the side. She'd been the one who'd attacked her. "You are here to learn how to control your abilities. Now prepare yourself, we have no time to loose! Are you ready!" Yori grabbed her bow and arrow and aimed it at the High Priestess.
"Yes." And she released her arrow as Lady Kiesu rushed towards her.
In the days that followed Yori learned many things. She learned how to sense jewel shards from wherever they were in the world, she learned how to keep a demon at bay and or destroy it with sacred sutras, and she learned how to fight with her arrow in case, for whatever reason, she could not use her bow. She learned how to detect poisons in a person, food, the air, and just in bottles and she learned how to get rid of them without the use of an antidote. She learned how to fight with her senses instead of her body and she learned how to use her body better in a fight. She was taught how to use flexibility, balance, and stamina during an intense battle. But the most amazing was, she learned how to control the wind. Lady Kiesu had spent countless hours teaching her how to see it, how to feel it. And by the end of the three weeks Yori had spent with the High Priestess, she had mastered the ability.
"Now Yori, this is where I want you to show me all that you have learned." Lady Kiesu stood directly in front of her, he bow and arrow poised to fire. "I will not hold back Yori; you must use all you've learned against me." Yori nodded her head and took one last look around. They were in the courtyard and all of the monks, priests, priestesses, and servants were seating around them, eagerly awaiting the battle between master and pupil, the current High Priestess and the priestess who would succeed her. Lady Kiesu narrowed her eyes and then released her arrow. Yori dodged it and came in close to her master, where she broke the next arrow the High Priestess was preparing in a flash of blue.
"Good Yori." she said.
"Thank you." Yori smiled and so did the High Priestess. Yori was barely able to avoid the flash of silver as it scrapped her neck and drew blood. She did a back flip and distanced herself from Lady Kiesu and her raised sword.
"Stay focused!" she yelled and came at Yori, who had just enough time to draw her own sword. A loud sounded echoed off of the walls as metal met metal in a furious clash. Yori knew that she was not physically stronger than her teacher and Lady Kiesu took a step forward, backing Yori up.
"What will you do Yori?" she asked, advancing all the more. Yori grunted a little and then tilted her sword. In a swift motion, she grabbed the hilt of Lady Kiesu's sword with the tip of hers and flipped it out of her hand. The High Priestess smiled and jumped back as Yori made a dangerously close jab at her. Lady Kiesu stood and aimed three arrows at Yori and Yori dropped her sword. There was no way she could dodge all three sacred arrows, so she would have to do something else. She stood straight, relaxing her muscles and looking with her senses. She felt the air around her and saw the energies. And as the High Priestess released her arrows, Yori called forth the wind and sent a huge gust at the oncoming arrows and her master.
Lady Kiesu flew back and hit the wall. But before she could do anything, Yori pinned her there with three of her own arrows. And in a flash, breathing hard, she had her sword to Lady Kiesu's neck. She smiled.
"You have done well." The arrows disappeared and Yori sheathed her sword.
"Because of your teachings." she said and bowed. Lady Kiesu grabbed Yori and embraced her.
"I have taught you all I can. And now you must meet your fate. You must travel to the Bone Eater's well. The events that take place there will lead you to Kikyo. And before you slay my sister, please, let her know I am indeed alive." The High Priestess let her go and Yori grabbed her bow and arrows. She was dressed in the clothes she had arrived in, minus the blood, and she turned back to the High Priestess.
"I am proud to say that you, Yori Anoshi, are worthy to carry the sacred bow. Now go, and I hope to see you soon." Yori smiled and ran out of the castle doors. And as quickly as she could, she found the barrier and crossed through it. She needed a way to the Bone Eater's well so she pulled the small silver whistle out of her shirt. She blew it as hard as she could and watched as the winds around her picked up their pace. And smiling, Kagura appeared in the midst of it.
"Hey kid, it's been awhile."