/I lazily open my eyes as a floral scent gently fills my senses and bright rays of sunlight warm my skin. Staring up, I admire the bright blue sky that seems to go on endlessly as fluffy clouds drift by above me. Wild flowers of every color surround my body as I continue to lie, basking in the suns glow, shielding my body from sight. I close my eyes again and take a deep breath as I hear a voice glide faintly over the field. "Miyako!" My body rises out of the flowers on its own as my lips form words in response. "Good afternoon, Reiji!" A young man with an athletic build, red hair swinging in a braid behind him, and dark green eyes sparkling with humor, runs up to me and slides, tackling me into a bear hug. Melodious laughter flows from my mouth as my arms embrace a body they recognize but I don't. "Reiji, what is it?" The handsome young man, 'Reiji', looks me in the eye and smiles so brightly the sun is paled in comparison. "I have been chosen to serve under the Lord of the Eastern Lands. I shall be his right hand." My hands clap together in glee. "Oh, Reiji, that is wonderful!" His hand comes up to caress my cheek and brush back my bangs. His voice comes out, smooth as silk. "And, because our lands are allied, you and I can spend more time together." My hand reaches up to his chest. "No more constant traveling. No more months of loneliness." He leans forward. "No more lost moments?" My lips ask as my eyes look into his, Reiji's hand moving to cradle my neck. 'He has gold flecks in his eyes…' "No more waiting." He leans in closer until our lips are only a hair's breath away. "Miyako…."\\
As the last syllable of that unfamiliar name fades to the back of my subconscious, warmth spreads across my face and my eyes blink open only to be greeted by the brightness of the morning sun shining through the window. 'What a strang dream... and that man... who was he..?' Turning my head, I see a priestess bent over a cooking fire, stirring a pot lazily, and all of the night before comes rushing back to me. 'Oh yeah, I'm in the Fuedal Era... I went... back in time through the well. Shippou's time... Shippou brought me here and introduced me to an old lady... and then I... I must have fallen asleep.' "Kaede?" She turns and smiles. "Oh, awake now, are ye?" Nodding, I get to my feet, clumsily, and walk over to her. "How long was I asleep?" Kaede returns to the monotonous task of stirring. "Quite a while, child, it is almost suppertime." At her words, I stare at the woman in disbelief. "I slept all day?" She nods, never once looking up from the cast iron stew pot. "Yes, ye did. Understandable, considering the events Shippou recounted to me last evening. But that lad, would not listen to reason, that one. Just kept panicing and pacing about hut, mumbling about all the horrible things his imagination could come up with as reasons to why ye would still be asleep. Never once thought of exhaustion or stress, the idiot." I raise an eyebrow in curiousity. "Pacing? Panicing? Are you serious?" Kaede just chuckles. "As the plague, my dear. The boy would not leave ye side, not even to eat. I only managed to get the child to go hunt meat for supper by telling him that ye would need it in order to regain ye strength." Blushing, I look down at my hands. "Really?" "Yes, child, now eat this." The old woman hands me a small piece of what looks like jerky. "What is it?" I ask. "I will tell ye after ye eat it." I raise my eyebrow again before sticking it in my mouth, chewing and swallowing. "Hmmm, not bad, what was that? Tasted like teriyaki jerky." Kaede chuckles good naturedly, handing me a cup of tea, which I gratefully sip from. "Dried Newt Skin." I spit out the tea, coughing and feeling sick to my stomach. "EW!" Kaede frowns. "Do not be so childish. it did not taste horrible and it will help relieve the shakes and make it so ye do not feel tired." Wiping my mouth on the sleeve of the borrowed hakama, I glare at Kaede. "Well, I certainly don't feel tired after THAT shock." Kaede turns back to the pot. "Shippou should be back soon. Ye should go out to meet him and reassure him that ye are alright." I nod, wanting nothing more than to get away from the woman who was starting to remind me of my great-grandfather.
Walking outside, I pull my hair into a ponytail with a shred of cloth and sigh. Walking through the small village, my bare feet gliding across warm ground. I glance around to take in the simplicity of the village. Children outside are playing with balls, sticks, and hand made dolls. Women bring laundry in for the night or begin to cook supper for their families. Men return home with gifts of firewood and meat for their homes. Wives greet their husbands with open arms and the smell of homemade love. Children return to the warmth of their parents with their toys, looking foward to a filling supper and a loving home. I stop at the gate entrance and gaze out into the darkening wilderness, leaning against the post and nudging pebbles with my toes. Closing my eyes, I listen to the bustle around me and imagine my family and how we spent our evenings together. My mom would return home hand in hand with Tombo and Akira, the three of them chatting about whatever they had seen on the way home as Mom would get ready to start dinner. Daddy would come home from the dojo our family owns, tired but happy to see his hyperactive family safe and welcoming. Kentaro and Balcari always had after school activities but would ALWAYS be home for dinner. The two of them would come through the door and Balcari would immediately jump into an elaborate story of one of his latest attemps to attract the opposite sex and Kentaro, the killjoy that he is, would jump in at just the right moment to recount how Balcari fumbled, effectively ruining Balcari's tall tale. The whole family would laugh and sit down to a delicious dinner, recounting tales from everyone's day. Sliding down to sit and wrap my arms around my knees, I bury my head in my knees and think about how much I already miss them. "...do they miss me?" I ask out loud to no one in particular.
"I'm sure they do." I jump at the voice whispering into my ear and throw up my arms in alarm, accidentally hitting the person who just spoke. Whipping around, I see Shippou spread out on the ground with a dead boar lying next to him, its limbs tied to a long branch. "Oh shoot! Shippou!" I lean over, mindful of the dead animal, and help him to sit up. "Oh jeez, oh god. I am so sorry. You shouldn't do that, you nearly scared me half to death. Man, look what I did to you. Are you alright? Does it hurt horribly?" I ramble, digging a handkerchief from one of the hidden pockets in my pants. "Let me take a look." Moving his hand from his nose, I see that my unintentional punch has left him with one heck of a bloody nose. "I am so so so so sorry, Shippou." I press the handkerchief against his nose and cring when he winces. He chuckles in a nasely, stuffed up way and scratches the back of his head. "Well, if that punch was anything to go by, I can assume you are feeling better, right?" I look up into his eyes and lock my gaze on his. Despite his words, his green eyes still shine with held back concern. I bring my free hand up to cup his cheek and smile at him. "I feel fine. Yesterday was full of terrifying and dangerous things I've never experienced. The way I handle stress is by sleeping. I'm sorry for worrying you." Shippou just sits, staring at me. I self-conciously brush a piece of hair behind my ear. "What?" He shakes his head, taking the handkerchief from me and stands, offering his hand to me. I take it and laugh at the sight he makes. A tall fox demon with a sculpted bronze chest, his tail is covered with dirt and his usually smooth red hair is sticking out all over the place and is coming out of his ponytail as he is holding a pink handkerchief to his red and bruised nose. "What?" I giggle again, as he speaks the handkerchief waves with each nasel word. "Nothing. Come on, let's get Kaede to take a look at that."
I move over to the branch lying between the boar's limbs. Shippou grabs my hand. "I got it." I place my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes at him. "No, you don't. You need to keep pressure on your nose if you want it to stop bleeding. Besides I can at least help you with the boar considering what you've done for me." Shippou shrugs in defeat and sighs. "Alright, alright, you can help but you are NOT going to lift that boar by yourself." Huffing, I accept this compromise and take one end of the branch as he grabs the other end with the hand not holding onto the handkerchief. Awkwardly, we begin the short trek across the village to Kaede's hut. I catch Shippou glancing back at me from behind the handkerchief. "What?" "Are you sure you're okay? I mean with everything that happened..." I narrow my gaze at him. "Stop it. I'm not a porceline doll that can be broken and I am certainly not a flower that can be crushed. Sure everything that has happened has been stressful but nothing that couldn't be handled. I don't need a mother hen, Shippou." I raise an eyebrow at him as he stares. "Understand?" He nods, stunned. "Good. Then how about we pick up the pace? I'm starved and dinner wont be done til this boar is in it." I adjust the branch higher on my shoulder and begin whistling as the hut comes into view.
Kaede turns as we walk into the hut and set down the boar. "That boar did a number on ye, did it not, boy?" I wince as Shippou chuckles good naturedly. "That boar's kick had nothing on Kaori's quick right hook." Kaede raises an eyebrow as I groan in embaressment. "I said I was sorry, YOU snuck up on me!" Kaede pats the place next to her, gestering for Shippou to sit. "Kaori did this? Ye truly are ye father's daughter..." I roll my eyes, despite the slight pride welling in my chest at her comment. As Kaede gets to work on Shippou's nose, I untie the boar from the branch and begin the butchering process. "Uh, what are you doing?" I turn around to see Kaede and Shippou staring at me wide eyed. "Butchering the boar, what does it look like?" Shippou quirks his head to the side confused. "Yes, but why?" "Because it has to be done in order for us to eat." Shippou sighs, exasperated. "No, I mean why aren't you freaked out?" I shrug and return to the task at hand. "For as much as my dad likes the convenience of modern food, he often misses being able to hunt for his family. So every weekend my dad goes on fishing trips or hunting in the woods somewhere and brings home the animals. I'm usually the one helping Mom butcher and store them for the upcoming week. I'm used to it." Kaede chuckles. "Why, my dear, ye are a girl of many talents, are ye not?" I shrug again and finish butchering the boar offering the meat to Kaede. "Thank ye, child." Kaede takes the meat, having finished with Shippou's nose. I am glad to see it has stopped bleeding but the purple and blue bruise my knuckles had left would need at least a few days to heal. "Does it still hurt?" I ask, quietly. Shipppou rubs the back of his head awkwardly. "A little bit of throbbing but nothing I can't handle. After all I'm a man's man." He says trying to give his best smolder which only makes him look like he has a lazy eye. "Uh huh." I snort, rolling my eyes as Kaede hands us our supper in small clay bowls.
After a few long moments of silence only broken by the sounds of slurping and chewing, Kaede sets her bowl down and clears her throat. "Now, child, for as much as I enjoy ye company, we need to discuss the issue of how ye passed through the well and how ye are going to return." I set down my bowl as well, suddenly not feeling very hungry. "Well, I had assumed that I would return home the same way Shippou is able to jump back and forth." Kaede sighs as Shippou shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "What?" Shippou sighs as well, scooting closer to me. "Kaori, my presence in your time is a special circumstance, one that has very little to do with the well that brought you here." I tilt my head to the side, confused. "I don't understand." Kaede rises and takes her bowl. "I believe ye two have much to discuss, I will take my leave and allow Shippou to explain." With that, the eldery woman turns, places her bowl next to the boiling pot, and shuffles into the other room of the small hut. I turn back to Shippou and watch as he takes the last few bites of his stew and places his bowl with Kaede's. "Kaori, I haven't been able to pass through the well since you were 3. After a demonic attack, in which you and the twins were almost kidnapped, your parents decided to raise you three permanently in Kagome's time. Then they closed and sealed the well so that no being would be able to pass through the well ever again." I blink. "Wait... if that was true then how come you've been able to watch me all this time?" Shippou looks me in the eye and shrugs. "I waited." I sit, confused. Thinking about it hard, my eyes widen as I realise what he meant. "You waited 1000 years in order to be able to see me again? Why? How?" Shippou smiles, sadly, grabbing my hand with his. "That is a story for another time but let's just say demons live a long time and aren't exactly extinct in your time. For now we have to figure out how we were able to pass through the well and how we can do it again." I eye Shippou, suspiciously, but nod, silently agreeing to drop it... for now. "How were people able to go through the well before it was sealed off?" Shippou places the hand not holding mine up to his chin, pondering. "Well, usually you had to have a piece of the Shikon Jewel AND the intense need to go through in order to activate it, but when your parents made the Shikon Jewel whole again, your mother was able to use its power to allow anyone 'blessed' by her to pass through." "So, in other words, you could only pass through the well if my mother allowed you to?" Shippou nods. "That's right. But I have no idea how we were able to pass through when it was sealed OR how that demon was able to get through..." I shift slightly, pulling at the fabric of my pants. "I don't think it was a demon." Shippou glances at me. "What do you mean?" "I mean, when I first entered the shrine, I didn't smell a demon, it just smelled like death and... darkness with an intense feeling of obsession... didn't you notice?" Shippou blushes. "I was more focused on rescuing you then confirming the perp's identity..." I chuckle, sadly, as Shippou lays down, putting both of his arms under his head. "Hmmm, well that might explain how it got through the well." "Huh?" "Your mom once told me that when she first traveled throught the well she was attacked by a huge centipede demon who desperately wanted the jewel. She said that she escaped it with a strange power she managed to use through her terror. But it returned, outside the well, and attacked her again right after she met your father. InuYasha destroyed it but I have heard that if a feeling or want is strong enough and is fed enough power, it can manifest as a monster with no will, only an urge to fulfill its darkest desire." I shudder. "So, what are you thinking?" Shippou sits up, looking serious. "I believe that the centipede demon wanted the Shikon Jewel so badly that, when it was touched by Kagome's power, it was able to begin manifesting. With a limitless power source such as the Bone Eater's Well, it was only a matter of time before it became strong enough to begin its search. But its darkest desire is the Shikon Jewel and I know Kagome and InuYasha would make sure it was safe. So, why would the demon attack you?"
Both of us sit in silence for a few moments, my bowl of food sitting forgotten to my side. I bring my hand up slowly to place above the hidden pendant around my neck. "Shippou?" "Hmm?" "What does the Shikon Jewel look like? And what exactly IS it?" Shippou is quiet, presumedly trying to think of how to explain. "Well, the jewel looks like... hmm... it's perfectly round and kinda... glitters? No, it... glows with immense power, the inside swirling with every color imaginable. It's about the size of a large walnut." My hand clenches around the piece of jewelry that now has so much more meaning to it. "As for what it IS, I'm not too sure. All I know is that it is very powerful and has been protected by priestesses for longer than anyone cares to remember." I don't respond, not quite sure I believe what I've discovered. Shippou looks at me, concerned. "Kaori?" I look at him and reach into my shirt, grasping the thin chain around my neck. "Shippu, does the Shikon Jewel look like THIS?" I ask, pulling the marble-sized pendant out from its hiding spot to dangle in front of his shocked face. Shippou just sits there, looking shocked and confused, speechless. He raises his fingers as though to caress the jewel but never touching it. "Yes." He breathes, as though he's afraid that talking too loud will shatter the jewel. "But I remember it being bigger than that... how did you get the Shikon Jewel?" I bring the pendant closer to myself, cradling it in my hands. "Technically, it's only a piece of the jewel. Mom and Dad gave it to me... I remember when I was about 5 or 6, my parents took me into the main shrinewhere there was a jewel under glass. They said that it was time for me to start taking responsibility for what I am. They uttered some words under their breath and removed the glass after a purple light shimmered across it. My mom placed her hand above the jewel and I remember feeling a surge of power as I watched a sphere emerge from the jewel, rising into Mom's hand. She passed it offto my father and replaced the glass with a few more uttered words." I clench the pendant, homesick from the memory of a ritual only repeated twice after that. "As a family, we walked into the house I remember being so excited because I finally got a necklace like my older brothers as my father proceeded to fasten it into a setting and chain. He placed it around my neck and told me that I was to never tell anyone what I am or what the necklace does. As the jewel fell into my skin, I remember a smaller rush of energy and when I looked into the mirror, I looked human... my ears, fangs and claws were gone, though my hair and eyes never changed color. This necklace hides my identity as a demon. My brothers all have necklaces just like this for the same reason. In order to live where we do, we mustn't ever allow a human to know what we truly are." I brave a look at Shippou who looks more curious now. "Are there any other pieces besides the five you and your brothers hold?" I nod. "One and it's on the necklace my father wears. He must hide his identity as well after all."
Shippou taps a finger to his chin in wonder. "So, that's why you were able to pass through... the Shikon Jewel allowed you to by over powering its own spell when you got close." I lay a hand on Shippou's shoulder. "There's something else." Shippou looks from my hand to my face. "What?" "By the time I had entered the well shrine, the seal had already been removed..." "WHAT?" Shippou jumps up quickly. "How?" I shrug, looking off to the side. "I think it was because of whatever attacked me, remember your theory of its manifestation?" Shippou shakes his head violently. "No matter how long it manifested in the well, it would never have been able to break a seal cast on the outside of the well from the inside." I shudder again. "So what happened to the seals?" Shippou grips his fists at his sides. "Someone had to have removed them from the outside." I look up at his paniked expression. "Who?" Shippou shakes his head. "I don't have a clue... someone wanted that monster to get loose... but why?" Shippou's ears perk up slightly. "Kaori?" "Yes." "How far is the Jewel shrine from the well shrine?" I think for a second. "Not very far. The well shrine is on the outskirts of the shrine and the Jewel shrine is the center main shrine that everyone visits. It only takes a few minutes to walk from the well shrine to the main one." Shippou snaps his fingers. "THAT'S IT!" I blink. "What's it?" Shippou grabs my shoulders and shakes me slightly. "Whoever removed the seals wanted to use the apparition as a distraction so they could steal the jewel from the jewel shrine!" A few moments of purely shocked silence span out between us. "Um, Shippou, while that's an... interesting theory, I don't think that's true." Shippou raise an eyebrow at me. "Why?" I sigh. "Because, first of all, those seals were placed by my mom, not my great-grandfather, so whoever removed them had to a pretty powerful priest or something and, second, when I said there are 6 pieces of the jewel, I meant there are ONLY 6 pieces of the jewel. The jewel on display in the jewel shrine is a fake made of opal." Shippou blinks. "Then where's the motive...?"
We sit silently and think. I look at the ceiling, thinking. "Well, the theory of whoever it is is looking for the jewel is a plausible one. I mean I was attacked and I hold one of the pieces of the jewel." Shippou nods. "I wonder if the culprit is trying to put the jewel back together in order to use it..." I immediately stand, almost stepping on Shippou in the process. "Oh my god! My family!" Shippou begins to rise to my level, rubbing the back of his head. "What's wrong? What about your family?" I turn and grab onto his shoulders. "If the culprit is after the jewel and wasn't around the shrine when we fell through, that means they are still in my time, which means my family is still in danger!" I realise that I'm rambling but I don't care. "Kaori, slow down. Tell me what you're freaking out over." I lock eyes with him. "If whoever this is is trying to piece together the Shikon Jewel, all of my brothers and my father are in danger! My god, Akira is only five! And Tombo JUST started his training! I need to go home! I need to help them!" I then push Shippou away and run out of the hut. I can hear Shippou calling after me but I have a mission. "Kaori, wait!" Shippou calls, running after me. I run as fast as my legs can carry me into the forest. After a minute, Shippou catches up and grabs my arm. "Kaori, I said STOP!" I turn to him, feeling tears forming in my eyes. "WHAT!" I scream, feeling myself shake as I panic for my family. "Kaori, the forest is dangerous at night. Too dangerous. You could get seriously hurt in here by yourself. Let's go back to Kaede's and wait until morning. THEN we can find a way back ho-" "NO!" I pull at my arm. "That could be too late! We could ALREADY be too late!" Shippou pulls me into his chest. "Shhhh, it'll be alright. Listen I promise we will help them but for now we have to stay safe. So we will go to the well tomorrow and see what we can do, deal?" I look up at him and just stare for a few moments. "Deal?" He whispers again, loosening his grip. I bite my lip already feeling bad for what I'm about to do. I lean up gripping Shippou's forearms. "I'm sorry." I whisper before pulling away and darting off towards the well.
I brave a look behind me and see Shippou chasing after me. I turn back and just run. 'I have to help. I have to get home.' Finally, after what feels like forever I reach the clearing and make a beeline for the well. I slam into the side, looking down into the pitch black of the cold stone tunnel. I take a deep breath and swing my leg over the side straddling the wall. When I hear two things, one bad and one not-so-good. I turn around to see Shippou running towards me, yelling my name, as I hear a horrible screeching noise. Looking up, I see a huge bird-like demon with the torso and head of a person. It swoops down as I duck, just barely grazing my hair. Shippou leaps up and grabs me off the side of the well. "What is that thing?" I yell hanging onto Shippou's vest. Shippou holds me tighter and drops the two of us to a kneeling position next to the well. "A Bird of Paradise. But why is it here? They don't nest around here." I watch as the demon swings around in flight to make another pass. "Why is it attacking us?" Shippou looks at me sideways in anger. "Because it heard it's dinner yelling." I shrink back into his arms, looking away in shame. The bird swoops and grabs onto Shippou's shoulders, slamming him into me and the wall, knocking Shippou out cold. I reach forward, hurting everywhere, trying to grab onto Shippou as the bird lunges at me again. The Bird of Paradise claws and grabs me around the waist flying off with both of us. I struggle to get to Shippou ripping out the feathers of the bird's under belly. I grab ahold of his hand still frantically tearing out feathers. The bird flies low and through the upper brush of the trees, dragging Shippou and I through the tree branches. I gasp and moan as each new branch hits my arms, stomach, legs, and chest. I look up just in time to see a knarled tree branch sticking out at just the right height. "Oh no." I hit the branch HARD, snapping it in two and gaining a bunch of cuts on my face and arms. As the blood drips down my face and I feel the rest of my body go limp, I look over the darkened landscape fighting the urge to pass out, trying to memorize the path. Eventually, my eyes feel heavy and it becomes hard to hold my head up. 'I'm really getting tired of being attacked... and fainting...' I think, finally giving into my subconcious.