Chapter 6-Though this be madness, yet there is method in't
Inuyasha isn't mine, nor are any related characters. Ichiro, Akiyoshi, Sanae and Rinao are.
Morning. Two women readied for their meeting, and worried. Neither ate, for the same reason. Food would be a distraction and their stomachs were upset. In the past, Kaede took the young Miko to purify herself first, just as an experienced Priestess did five centuries in the future. Kaede tried to be supportive and upbeat, but worried as they finished and returned to the well where Miroku waited. The Monk and Priestess would protect the girl and set wards at this end, and they assumed the other Kagome would take care of the rest.
One woman in silk robes picked her moment, and slipped into the wellhouse as one on a uniform jumped into one in the woods. Carefully, the Priestess again wedged the door shut and set her wards. She took a deep breath, and prayed before she slipped over the side, clearing her mind and trying to shake off a case of jitters. Five centuries in the past, Kagome sensed the pair above her do-something. It felt oddly like she was inside a box. One that was closed.
Both sat in the dirt at the bottom of the well, and began to go into trance.
Inutaisho Kagome saw it again as she went within and without. The netting, the Shard-and something new. A diffuse, pure nimbus of silver white hovering just out of reach past the net, untrained, strong, so very familiar...her. At the other end, Higurashi Kagome saw the familiar blue light, green flashes...and a glittering silver sphere with traceries of ruby beyond. She didn't know it, but she did, she was drawn to it...like a call.
The older woman threaded the net as delicately as a surgeon, sending a tendril through the gaps, careful not to touch it as she reached with a filament of power. The young girl tried to see better, and there was a hand in front of her! 'Trust me and hang on tight...it's about to get weird,' was it a spoken word...or a thought? Kagome didn't know. She reached out and 'clasped' it, she trusted-and suddenly all was clear as power poured into her! The girl hung on grimly as everything swirled with a vague, sickening sensation, and snapped into clear vision when her perspective changed.
The vague blue light she knew was now a swirling vortex of power with delicate motes dancing through it. A sort of tunnel, with a fine net of emerald fire stretching across the way home. A net with a glittering Shard hovering in the center. But her attention was completely caught by who was on the other side of the netting. A woman was sitting-or floating rather-directly across from her, a hand thrust through a gap in the net between the pair and holding hers. It felt like a hand, anyways.
Kagome looked at the woman and she returned the favor, both frankly staring. Odd robes, short hair, thinner face-but she recognized her. From every mirror she'd ever looked in. But not like Kikyo. No, she was alive, for one thing. It felt more like an older sister, maybe. So powerful!
As for her older counterpart...it was the past. Longer hair, the old uniform, so very earnest and eager. Softer face, innocent eyes...had she ever been this innocent? Kami. It wasn't like seeing that pottery trash bitch. More like a younger sister she cared for. Strong as hell too! It felt almost limitless as their powers linked flawlessly and merged under the guidance of her trained will.
"Hello, Kagome. It's been a long time," the older one said, and smiled.
"Hello...Kagome. I guess it would be, huh," the girl answered shyly and the woman's smile widened at the answer.
"My, this is something, I forgot how strong everyone says I am when I work with them. What do you see?"
"The net-there's...a Shard in it! Maybe-"
"Don't touch it, Kagome. She'll throw you out. You're seeing with my spiritual sight now because you aren't trained enough to see things clearly just yet. I bridged and made the link, you'll power our chat with her. Just let me do the work."
"Midoriko, she's really in there, isn't she?"
"She is, and we're going to meet her. I'm going to summon her out. I couldn't explain to Inuyasha, he'd have stopped us because there's a little risk to it, but you need to know. We're technically outside of time here, Kagome, beyond where the normal rules apply. I think we can give her a voice and ask her to help. But even combined this will cost us power, and it might get rough if she's not willing to be friendly. You can still back out."
"No way. We can handle it. I-trust you. Who else could I trust if not you...Kagome? Like you said, anything can be done if you have the will, and I think we can do it."
"That's the way. You'll feel something draining, I'll be pulling power from you to do this, so try to relax and don't panic, no matter what you see or hear. I've got your back, promise." Both smiled, and Inutaisho Kagome drew power from her.
Fine filaments wrapped around the Shard, not touching it as they formed a gossamer cloud. She offered...and it was taken. Both felt it, as a face formed in the cloud. One they remembered from a cavern full of youkai and a woman. Midoriko!
"You have power, sister Priestesses. Courage as well. You are both quite vulnerable here. Were I so minded, I could punish you for this daring."
"We do not fear you, why should we? We have both served you well, Midoriko. Even you must admit this," Inutaisho Kagome noted.
"So you have and have not, past and future, the second Jewelguardian! The first has changed as well, and the last. The young one cannot power this long. Why pester me?"
"Why did you meddle with things and close the well?" the priestess Kagome asked, and the woman paused.
"To be released. Why else? I have been imprisoned, and I desire to be freed. The Quest and my champion failed. Naraku failed. For centuries, trapped-no more. I will not allow it." Such pain there.
"Your champion?"
"Inuyasha, my allies. My incarnation. Surely you know this, clever Priestess? Not all of me was within this prison, but there was not enough to be reborn alone. My puzzle, I sought to complete it in a new way, as I have learned in the timelessness of my prison."
"Kami no," the elder whispered.
A lot came to mind, a lot of questions she'd had about her husband over the centuries...were just answered. Like his nature, so strange to her expert's eye. Most hanyou didn't lose control. Most hanyou had a human soul able to dominate the youkai. Most hanyou were not so powerful. Why he'd been obsessively drawn and repelled by turns to the Jewel they'd hunted so long. Why he'd been so tormented about his choice...
"Yes. He is me. You know how the wheel usually works. Female to male, and back again, and the fragment of myself is within him. His destiny was to solve the puzzle. Who would win."
"You-or the youkai!" the miko gasped.
"Yes. But he chose another path, and we now are as separate as poor Kikyo is to you. Love and true acceptance, such a setback even if truly admirable. He did at last learn the truth of the Four Souls and gain balance within, but my chosen hands were lost," Midoriko sighed, or seemed to.
"You had no right to expect him to-" The Miko glared as she was cut off.
"Child, I had every right! I would have been able to make him human! Him, and him alone."
"Because his human soul would have become complete. I sometimes wondered about that," the Priestess noted slowly, worried.
"Yes. He-we...would have ended it if not for the meddling ones. He was to use the Jewel and release me, not abandon it to nothingness and allow me to be lost!"
"Naraku. He tricked them," Kagome noted...feeling tired as power drained.
"And Kikyo's failures, little one. She failed the final test of trust. She betrayed her path for pride and loneliness. She betrayed me by giving my prison to Naraku."
"No shit," at that-the girl gulped. The elder grimaced and continued, "Kagome, we hate her. I know it, you know it, and Midoriko I'm sure gets it."
"I don't like her, but I don't...hate her."
"Hm. Whatever. So, what do you want here, Midoriko?"
"I want to be freed. You sought only to repair the fabric of the past, I want it changed."
"But...what happened to you? Surely we win," Higurashi Kagome asked.
"Mostly. Naraku is killed, but the Jewel is sucked into the Kazaana. Three Shards were unaccounted for. The Noh mask, the one here, and the one that was brought to you. Every Shard is in play again, that explains our friend's decision here," Inutaisho Kagome explained.
"Yes, I see. But-will we still be able to use the well if the Jewel's fixed?"
"I can arrange that, child. A fair price. Should you complete it and free me, I will see to it," Midoriko promised.
"You cannot have him, though. He's ours. My children will be born. I won't agree to anything that jeopardizes them, sister Priestess," Inutaisho Kagome told her flatly.
"Agreed. But you must collect all of my remaining parts, cleanse them-and the well will only permit one trip into the past until this is done. The current and future Jewelguardians and my other self must work together and find a way to release me. You must stop Kikyo, and Naraku," Midoriko replied gravely. Her ghostly expression was implacable as she spoke, an echo of her anger and regret rippling through it.
"You don't trust us?" Higurashi Kagome gasped.
"I cannot risk it. She was distracted before. You were distracted."
"How nice. My little ones-innocents are trapped, you know!"
"The last Jewelguardian must play his part as well as his twined protector." Kagome-both of them...paled at the woman's words.
"No. Not my Ichiro! You can't have him!"
"He is already part of the new weave. He is the one who will be, Priestess, as you are the one who is. I sense it. As is his most remarkable sister. A youkai, born of a mortal woman. A hanyou in truth, with the soul of a powerful Monk. You call me meddler, dear one-you brought forth children who should never have been born. Children of the Jewel! Did you think I would not know them for what they are, and what you did? As soon as I merged my powers here, I read it."
"What does she-"
"Leave it, girl. We haven't time. Alright. That means we need to prepare. It may be a few more days, I'll need to get some special things together."
"I am willing to wait."
"Then, you'll come back, and we end it," the girl felt funny as she spoke, and the Priestess nodded.
"Tell him nothing of the Jewel and his supposed destiny, Kagome, not one word! Got it? Tell him I'm coming back with the gear and we'll be back in three days. Remember it, we're going to unlink and I'm sending you back." The girl nodded...and felt a push...
Everything went black.
She woke up in the hut, with a scowling hanyou leaning over her.
"I knew it! Too fucking dangerous!" Inuyasha barked.
"What...?" she tried to sit up, and he helped her tenderly, holding a bottle of sports drink.
"Drink this, small sips. I've got an energy bar too. You'll eat that."
"Kagome?" Akiyoshi looked down at her from the other side, and Ichiro was near her feet.
"I feel so tired, but I'll be ok. How did I get here?" she asked, sipping.
"You sat still for about a minute, then were lying on the well unconscious and you've been out for hours. It's afternoon," Akiyoshi told her.
"She damn near drained you, kid. This'll help."
"It was a longer time."
"No. In real time, about a minute and a half. It probably felt longer," Inuyasha answered.
"You...know a lot."
"Feh, living around Priestesses, you pick up the tricks of the trade. You need rest, and we need you better to tell us what happened."
"Right. Everyone ought to hear it." So she did a bit later. Except for about Inuyasha. Miroku nodded.
"So, she desires her freedom? She must be desperate to act so."
"Indeed. And the other-Priestess, she prepares to hunt the Jewel again and returns in three days?" Kaede asked, and she nodded.
"Yes. She mentioned special things, like maybe equipment?" Kagome said, sending a questioning look at Inuyasha.
"Ohhhh, I can think of some of it," he answered evasively.
"But, there was one more thing. Midoriko said...the current and future Jewelguardians had to help."
"Third? There is my sister, and you-this other, older Kagome?" Kaede asked.
"No, Kikyo isn't to help. Mirdoriko said so," the girl looked at Ichiro. "You and Sanae, Ichiro. She said you have a job to do."
"Me? Oh, no. Not this guy," the human said flatly.
"You can see the Shards and have the gifts, big brother. I'd say you're stuck," Aki commented with a grin.
"Oh, great," Ichiro muttered.
"Interesting, I'll grant it. What sort of job, did this Midoriko say?" Akiyoshi asked.
"Well-I'm not sure. She said Sanae was his protector." But the smiles vanished from several faces at the words and Rinao leaned forward slightly.
"No, damn it! Not happening," Inuyasha slammed his fist into his thigh.
"Big brother is who she protects," Aki said gently.
"I don't understand," Sango admitted. But it was a very thoughtful Rinao who answered, frowning faintly as she considered the matter.
"Our people are at their strongest when they guard, honored tajiya. Sanae is to guard Ichiro as she always has."
"What's so terrible?"
"Inu are psychotic on the topic. Dad protects eh-Kagome here, for example, Uncle protects little Rin and Jaken. They get nutty about it," Ichiro answered, and got three hard looks. He just smiled.
"Lord Sesshomaru, he protects the little girl? I wondered why he keeps her," Miroku asked with interest.
"That is not your concern, hoshi," Rinao answered very mildly, eyeing Ichiro as though measuring out how many strips she could flay off his hide.
"Sorry," the human told her, and there was a nod.
"So, we wait. I hate waiting," Inuyasha sighed.
But others were watching as the new weave of fate formed.
Kanna stared into her mirror, and wondered at what she saw-it didn't make much sense. So she would wait, and tell Naraku when she had more to go on...
Author's Notes- Ok! I hope this was enjoyable! Ever since the ep. 'The Secret of the Four Souls Revealed', and Myouga thinks the Priestess saved him in the cavern, I have suspected Inuyasha is possibly Midoriko's incarnation. The chapter title is from 'Hamlet'. I love Shakespeare. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, and many thanks for reading!-Namiyo