A/N: I have changed the plot around a bit, only because I want the ending to happen differently.
Chapter 5: Kinetsuri Town – The Elder
"Finally, we're that much closer to getting you off our backs," InuYasha taunted as they drew near to the town called "Kinetsuri."
"InuYasha. . .You're the only one who has a problem with her," said Kagome as they walked through the entrance of the somewhat desolate town.
"Whatever," he mumbled, folding his arms. Janis out of her eagerness, didn't bother to listen to InuYasha's childish taunting, she was far too elated to finally be going home. A few people that strolled around the town paused to stare at the strange approaching group of friends, some even took cautious steps back towards their homes, probably fearing the worse from the odd group of strangers.
"I guess they aren't used to visitors," said Sango as she glanced around she noted that many of the townspeople where whispering and pointing at them, with hard glares.
I wonder where this man is. . . Janis pondered as her eyes darted here and there. Then like a flash of lighting a firm hand grabbed her wrist and quickly pulled her along, drawing her away from InuYasha and the others. "Hey! Let go!" she screamed, struggling desparately to pull away from the stranger, but succeeded to no avail. She heard InuYasha growl behind her, then just as quickly as the stranger had grabbed her, InuYasha dashed towards them and snatched her away.
"What the hell are you doing?" InuYasha snarled, squaring up to the man, who surprisingly growled with the same ferocity as the half-dog demon.
"I was delivering the Sacred Spirit from the likes of you, you of all beasts have no right by her side!" the young man said icily, standing his ground against InuYasha, despite the threatening look the dog-demon was giving him. The others approached on the scene, quite confused at the sight of this stranger and InuYasha protecting Janis.
"Feh, what are you talking about! I ain't got time for you, bub, so just get out of the way!" InuYasha stood in front of Janis, his arms shielding her from the unknown man, protecting her as a challenge.
"For someone who makes a point in hating her, he sure is protective," said Shippou, who was perched on top of Miroku's head, and Sango nodded in her head in agreement.
InuYasha turned and scowled at him, "I am not, so shuddup!"
"InuYasha!" said Kagome impatiently, tapping her foot beside Sango and the others.
"What?" he turned abruptly, slightly shifting the weight of his body and Janis so that he was still shielding her from the unknown adversary. She pointed at the man, looking at InuYasha with a 'what are you dumb?' expression. He turned back steadily, his ears twitching, and in one swift movement dodged an attack from the man.
InuYasha forced Janis towards the ground as he in a graceful movement unsheathed his prized weapon Tetsusaiga, pressing the tip to the man's throat slightly piercing the skin, "heh! Are you sure you want to go down that path with me, buddy?" he said acidly , his golden eyes shimmering.
"Stop this immediately!," said a slightly cracked voice, they turned to look upon the newcomer to see an old man, walking with a limp in his left foot and a hobbled back, "such a being as yourself shouldn't be bother with this man!" his tone was much more demanding and louder than expected for a man of his age, it surprised them all.
"He started it!" InuYasha growled, his fang remained fixated where it was. Kagome shook her head impatiently, completely shamed by InuYasha's behavior.
"Let him go." She said.
"This man over here said that she was the sacred spirit, is that why he tried to kidnap her?" she asked, in a strangely calm voice.
"Elder, I was rescuing her. I first glimpsed her upon their entry into our town, and then I saw her with. . ." his eyes slowly rolled to InuYasha, "this demon, and so I had to do something!" InuYasha threw the young man a hard glare, one that said 'you looking to die?'
"How do you know you weren't wrong?" asked Kagome.
"I, like quite a few others in this town can easily see the sacred aura that engulfs her body, we've been trained to do so since childhood, as is our village's tradition. The Spirit resided here in the comfort of our town, we depended on her here and we were her family." He answered.
"But wasn't she young?" stated Sango.
The young man was about to answer but the Elder interjected, "She was very skilled, despite her very tender age. Now if I'm not mistaken, you're here to see me. Is that correct?" he looked to Janis, who was a little dumbfounded by all the action that zipped before her eyes.
She nodded uncertainly, she didn't exactly know if he was in fact that man she was searching for, but he fit the profile to a t.
"The come, we'll talk more inside," he began as he turned towards one of the numerous huts. Everyone waited on Janis to make the first move towards the Elder's house. She did hesitantly, but attempted to put her best foot forward and entered and was followed by Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou soon after. InuYasha looked over his shoulder to the man that attacked him, scowled, then crossed his arms and followed.
As they entered the room, the Elder began to speak in a comforting tone, "You might be wondering why we weren't so excited to see you upon your arrival, Janis."
She blinked then responded, "How did you know my name."
"I know a lot of things, " he said, then started from the beginning, " the reason for our calmness, is because the original Spirit wanted nothing more than to be treated like a normal mortal human woman, to be fed, housed, loved, and greeted like someone of unimportance, despite her more than sacred status," he motioned for them all to gather and sit around the tea table," please excuse my apprentice, Sen, he like the rest of us, were overjoyed to see you alive and well, and he respects you, and doesn't know any better."
"I guess not." InuYasha huffed, thrusting his nose high in the air.
"I would be more than happy to help you with your troubles, Lady Janis," he said looking at her through squinted hazy eyes.
Janis explained to him, to the best of her abilities, every detail she could of what happened only within holding the mention of whispering voices in her head. With everything that was happening she didn't need to add that pile of craziness on top of it, aside from she didn't really feel comfortable sharing it. It seemed private. She explained everything else from the short-cut, to the meeting up with Kagome, who then told her that while unconscious she called InuYasha's name, and then last but not least recited word for word, or what she could remember, of what Kaede said.
"I have to say, I've never met someone from the future, and especially two in one sitting, it is quite an event." He said with his own little private smile, "Your story is a peculiar one, but I think I do have the answer for you."
Janis looked to him and smiled, but as she did her eyes were serious and intent, the Elder turned towards InuYasha and asked, " InuYasha, the spot on the tree she touched has a very intimate meaning to you, not simply that you were pinned there correct?"
"What's it to you gramps?" he answered shortly.
"Yes, it does," Kagome said to the Elder in answer to his question, irritated once more with the hot-headed half-demon.
"Kagome. . ." he growled, but was met with nothing but a sheepish smile
"I believe you were brought here simply because. . ." he looked to each of them, "this is where he is."
"Say what?" Janis asked, eyebrows fully raised in disbelief, "what's that even mean?"
"The tree was calling out to you, no doubt, but the reason you came here is because the spot you touched on the tree connected you to him for the first time in a very, very, long separation. I believe you two will always somehow be connected this way."
"Oh, really?" InuYasha asked sarcastically, "not that this hasn't been very exciting, but you just send old shorty here home so I don't have to deal with her anymore?" Kagome shook her head, utterly frustrated with the inu-demon, while Janis turned and glared.
"I'll get to that, be patient. I have other answers as well. You spoke before about Janis waking when InuYasha entered the hut, well this because in her weakest moment, when her body and mind were most vulnerable, the familiarity of his aura set a spark inside her soul, much like an electric shock throughout her body, which brought her quickly to consciousness."
"Hmm, that actually makes sense." Kagome pondered, "So they really are connected, much like my situation?"
"Right you are, Miss Kagome. While similar in tale, yes, but Janis and InuYasha are connected by blood and magic. Her soul protected him and kept him suspended in time. It may have been an arrow that bound him to the tree, but it was Janis who preserved him."
"So, you were pretty helpless back then. Huh, InuYasha?" said Shippo, who was sitting to the right of Kagome, comfortably snug in her lap.
WHACK.
"God, InuYasha!" Kagome said, again with irritability.
"Lady Kaede was right, you are very wise," Miroku interjected, with a slight clearing of his throat.
He nodded in thanks to the young monk then looked to InuYasha, "I can sense your agitation inu-demon, but I can sense other things as well. . ."
InuYasha stared without breathing across to the group, into the dark eyes of what seemed to be an all-knowing abyss, but the Elder simply looked pleasantly back at him.
"But that is beside the point, your problem now is how to return home," the Elder said, standing then walking towards a nearby shelf, pulling something from it before joining the group once more.
"Whether you believe it or not, your powers are great, you have achieved naturally what many must learn in a lifetime. You've only used them twice, once was controlled by the Sacred tree itself, and the other in your subconscious defense, but you are far more powerful than you realize and can use your gifts openly and without the need of danger, for you possess what we call 'Shinseina jikan no mahō'. It lies dormant within you, asleep, but I can help you awaken it." He sat across from Janis and extended both hands to show her a beautifully ornate chest, it filled both of his palms, and sparkled brightly within them, "this, is your answer."
Janis began to reach for the sparkling chest, but InuYasha caught her hand, Janis looked up toward him, and he just as quickly as he caught them released them. With his eyes never leaving the locked powerful ones of the Elder he asked, "What exactly is in it?"
The Elder retaliated with the same sharpness in his tone, "What do you care? As long as it will get her home?" InuYasha could feel himself being tested, there was this lingering nagging feeling telling him – no warning him – to be careful, but he needed to know what was inside the box.
"Within this box is the Orb of Purity, all of her power was locked inside it at the time of her passing."
"How exactly did she die?" Janis questioned, she'd been wondering for a while as to what caused her own death.
The Elder's expression darkened, Janis studied his face apprehensively, but was only met with a sorrowful sighed, "We don't speak of it, but I can assure you that it was a noble cause. If you want to get home, you must focus all your attention on the Orb if you are to go home, there is no other way." He said firmly, "and remember this, 'What is done is done and cannot be undone. Move forward, not back, but go with care – you must remember what is done, to know what must be done.'"
Janis hesitated this time, but eventually unlatched the small chest. She propped open the top and a stunning light spilled out as she sat and watched a feeling of enlightenment and purity washed over her. There was tingling sensation, small and subtle, like the cold nipping at her finger tips, but soon the feeling engulfed every fiber of her body leaving her breathless.
InuYasha stared into the box, gazing deep at the Orb with hard critical golden eyes, but saw nothing more than a clouded crystal. He turned to the others and noticed the same could same could be said for Sango, Shippo, Kirara, and Miroku who peered at the Orb with expressions of confusion that matched his own; however, Kagome, much like Janis, was utterly captivated by it. InuYasha furrowed his eyebrows at their amazement, then looked to Janis, and within her eyes he could see the reflection of the light glistening, he looked to Kagome as well, and saw the same thing.
"Hold the orb," the Elder said finally, catching her complete attention. Janis glanced up at him through her heavy dark lashes and nodded. She reached in, removed the Orb from its confinement and at her touch brilliant lights swirled and twirled from inside it, creating a dazzling mixture of colors, and then suddenly those who couldn't see the light before were now intrigued by the magnificence of the lights. The Elder watched Janis, his eyes heavy with long held back tears, and swelled with a small sense of pride. She turned the Orb over, again and again, completely captivated by its power, and it was in that small moment – the briefest of flashes – when she was as he remembered her fifty years before.
She felt soft and weightless, as if she something was drawing her to the heavens. Her pupils grew wide, to the point where only thin lines of green and blue were visible, then suddenly all her senses became lost within the Orb, and then there was nothing.
It's time to wake, Janis.
Janis stirred at the echoing sound of the cool melodic voice. She slowly blinked her eyes open, the scene seemed oddly familiar. There was movement, a weird jostling and bounce that felt off. Janis blinked a few more times, attempting to shake the groggy feeling that clung to her body and realized then was once again being carried by InuYasha. She peered around, Miroku was walking to their left, Sango to his right along with Kirara, and Kagome was to their left with Shippou at her feet.
"Excellent, you've awakended," said Miroku, greeting her with a warm smile, "although, I must say you're very cute when you sleep."
"Yes Miroku, we know." Sango growled.
"Great timing, Kaede's village isn't far now," said Kagome with her usual welcoming smile.
"You passed out in the old man's place, he told us you'd be fine and to just head home, but we were still worried," said Shippou.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you." She said, she really didn't feel much different, except a slight feeling of dizziness. They all slowed to a stopped around InuYasha, gathering in a small circle to face Janis.
"Didn't worry me," said InuYasha, he began to let her go, "you're way too stubborn to go out like that."
She dropped to the ground, land sliently on her feet, "I'll take that as a compliment." She replied trying to stand straight.
Janis wobbled to the left losing her footing, InuYasha caught her shoulders before she tipped too far over and helped her climb back on his back once again, "whatever you say," he mumbled.
"So. . .I was knocked out for how long?" she asked.
"Let's just say I had to carry your short self for two days now," said InuYasha, adjusting her weight as they began to walk again.
"I'm not short!"
