Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
A Dig to the Past
Chapter 2
Unbelievable Events
The next morning Kagome acted as if nothing had happened. She wanted to be professional and thinking of something like that would hinder it. Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Kouga, and Kagome had all gotten into a suitable sized jeep for their ride to the site.
"As we all know what we're doing is excavating a cavern from the Sengoku Jidai era. Apparently a secret temple was built under ground in Japan which we all know now as an old recreational park." Kagome began explaining. "We don't know much about it, other than rumors and a few old texts we've seen before."
"The only reason we even got permission to do this was because of your influence and the city's vote in our favor." Sango said.
"They had planned to destroy the park and use it for land development." Kagome said. "As of right now, we should be able to get into the entrance. From there we'll be able to find out what it was used for and hopefully understand what they were doing then."
Sesshomaru nodded since he'd already read the report and he'd been hands on since the beginning even if he wasn't there in person. "We shouldn't have any disruptions as we work. As it was said media is not involved not only by your influence but by ours as well."
"We have plenty of security and more can be sent on the way if you request." Kagome frowned. "I've heard a few rumors of some notorious grave robbers who've been quite interested in what we're going to be digging up..."
"If it comes to that we'll have the law on our side." Sesshomaru began. "Not only did the city vote in our favor but technically we own the land as well. It was purchased by us so we wouldn't have any problems."
"When we arrive Sango will give us a tour of the site. I've only been here a few times myself and it was brief."
"There are first aid stations, bathrooms, recreation huts, we have onsite doctors, therapists, and much more. Although I realize that you some of you are youkai I would prefer everyone take a more cautious approach in everything. We work as a team which means we care for the safety of us all." Sango explained. "We've done the best we could to make it as comfortable as we could, but some have more trouble adjusting to the amount of time away from family members than others."
"And you? Don't you have family members you worry about?" Miroku asked.
"No, my mother and father passed away years ago and my younger brother is living comfortably on his own." Sango said.
"Can you quit with the flirting around me?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "This is business, flirt on your own time."
They all climbed out of the jeep when they arrived and were given a brief tour. "This is Rin our on site Doctor. She will accompany us in and Sango will go over a few of the rules we've had to set." Kagome explained.
"This is going to be a very old temple not only is it prone to falling apart we also have to worry about cave-ins since its underground. And as we know you youkai like to play superhero but we'll have none of that while I'm here." Sango smiled. "If any of you would like to try that and get injured, Rin here will show you no mercy when she helps you."
"I'll warn you now and mention that I have no sympathy for those who hurt themselves because they didn't follow the necessary rules." Rin smiled. "Otherwise it's nice to meet you."
The guys gave each other a look at this girl's personality. "I did the same thing when I met her." Kouga said. "Watch yourself with this one. She's not joking about the no mercy thing either. Ask a few of the guys who hurt themselves on purpose just to talk to her."
"We're going to be the first ones to enter so always stay a foot behind me and go no further. Disregard the rules and you'll return to the hotel I don't care who you are or how much money you have. Nothing is a substitute for your life so don't try to negotiate with me." Sango crossed her arms.
They all followed her and she nodded her okay to open the doors. They had a tool wedged in between the opening since it wouldn't open any other way. "Remember, watch your step and stay behind me." Sango said as she caught her breath. They took a few feet inside with some flashlights that were given to them by one of the workers. Sango looked around and couldn't see anything but darkness so she looked for a nearby light source that might have been used when the city was occupied. She noticed a large round plate with some wood and oil in it and took out a match throwing it in hoping it would give them some light.
To everyone's surprise that light had been linked to more surrounding the enormous area which was now visible. The light's oil was streamed to the next and all the way around lanterns were lit with through the intricate structure. They all gasped at the sight. The walls were made of stone with carved in markings of different kinds. A lot of arrows surrounded in light some large demon dogs and various other things. There was a pair of large doors that was covered in dust but still managed to look incredible. The door was painted with a large jewel image that was surrounded by a pair of wings with an arrow through it diagonally. On the ground in front of it was the same symbol but carved into the ground instead of painted.
"This…this is..."
"Amazing." Miroku finished Sango's sentence. She was too stunned to even think of a description. No matter how many times you uncovered something new it was always an elating experience, a euphoric experience that couldn't be described.
"I'm sorry I'm late...There was..." Shippo ran to the group out of breath and before he could even finish his sentence he saw what was in front of him and gasped. "The Temple of Souls."
"You know what this place is called?" Inuyasha asked.
Shippo nodded in response. "In the feudal era it was mysteriously built, it was never explained why underground but what information I have come across has said it was built in a desperate time of need. There were at least four priestesses who remained in the temple at all times to keep it from being tainted." He explained.
Sesshomaru and Inuyasha exchanged looks. "Does this have anything to do with the legendary swords?" Sesshomaru asked.
"I won't know for sure until I'm able to analyze more of the drawings and artifacts." Shippo took a step forward.
"We won't be going in very far until I've assessed the structure." Sango turned to the group. "As amazing as it is, all up close research is going to have to wait until tomorrow. Only Kouga and his team are allowed in at the moment. Rin I'll need you near just in case something happens."
"This isn't something we want to stick around for. There are a lot of technical issues they have to go through in order to confirm the site is safe enough to walk around in." Kagome smiled. "I had breakfast to be ready for us in about ten minutes so if you'd follow me we can eat and we'll go over tomorrow's agenda."
They all followed Kagome to a tent where breakfast was served and they all sat down. "What were the legendary swords you mentioned?" Kagome asked.
"They are an ancient family heirloom of the Taiyo Inu Youkai clan lost long ago during a time of war, the Tetsaiga and Tensaiga forged by the great Totosai." Shippo answered for them.
"Finding them was the purpose of starting this excavation." Sesshomaru said. "They are a priceless family heirloom."
"How are you so sure of their existence?" Kagome asked.
"Our family has been searching for it for generations so I can only assume someone found some reliable source of information confirming their existence." Sesshomaru took a sip of tea.
"They aren't mentioned often but when they are they're usually referred to as bringing great destruction or life." Shippo remembered a few articles he'd read. "But from what we could see from the outside the arrows are symbols for the Priestess's holy power. They infused power with weapons, mostly arrows, and the sphere with the wings around it and an arrow through it seems familiar. I can't place where I've seen it from, I'll have to look through my texts."
Shippo stood up without a goodbye and mumbled to himself. "He does that often, he won't stop until he's found it or remembered." Kagome laughed. "Well for tomorrow's agenda since Sango has opened the door she won't stop until she's assessed the stability of the site, even if it means working through the night."
"What will we do tomorrow then?" Miroku asked.
"Of course we'll need to log any and all information we can find out, which will mostly be up to Shippo and his team. They'll take pictures and dig up any information they can. Once that is done we can open the main doors to the temple and the same suit will follow. Sango will evaluate the area for safety and Shippo's team will analyze the data behind them." Kagome explained.
"That sounds boring." Inuyasha said.
"There's nothing more exciting than being the first to see something that's been buried for hundreds of years!" Kagome glowed with excitement.
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The next morning as promised they were able to enter the temple without having to follow Sango. "Even though we checked everything you'll still have to be careful. Movement over a certain area could change the structure's balance." Sango warned.
Everyone watched their movements carefully and began getting a closer look at what interested them the most. "Kagome, look over here." Kouga waved her over. "Doesn't this marking look like it was made a sword?"
"That's odd. They would've had better things to use to carve into the wall other than a sword not to mention the damage it did to the sword itself." Kagome kneeled down and moved her hand over the drawing. It was a small arrow with the light surrounding it. "I can't believe that someone would do all of this work."
"I wonder what it was for." Miroku said.
"It looks like it was some holy shrine built for miko's but other than that I'm not sure." Kagome shook her head. "This isn't just a normal temple there was something more to it."
"We have all the time in the world to figure it out. Don't overexert yourself Kagome." Kouga held out a hand to help her up.
Inuyasha growled at their contact. "Don't start any fights in here, wait until we're back at the hotel to start any quarrels you may have with the wolf." Sesshomaru warned.
"This is great!" Rin exclaimed. "I've never done anything like this before."
"You don't accompany people as a Doctor?" Sesshomaru asked.
"No, when the excavation started I had just moved here. Kagome and I met in a hospital when she was trying to recruit medical help for the excavation and I offered to come and work." Rin smiled. "To be honest I know nothing about archeology, I only know how to stitch people together."
"Look at this." Kagome was standing on the mirror image of the door. "They took a lot of time to carve this into the ground."
She knelt down and traced her fingers over the smooth markings. "Itai!" She had scratched her hand over something sharp.
"Kagome, are you alright?" Inuyasha jumped over to her.
"I'm fine, just a scratch."
"I'll take a look at it, with how old this place is we can't be too careful." Rin examined her hand. She sprayed it with disinfectant and wrapped it in a bandage. "It's deeper than it looks but it'll be fine. Just be careful."
"Don't touch strange stuff you'll hurt yourself." Inuyasha said.
"I can take care of mys-" Kagome began but the ground beneath them began to rumble.
The ceiling began to drop dirt and pebbles below them. Inuyasha immediately covered Kagome. "Everyone be careful and watch your head." Sango shouted.
"I found it you guys!" Shippo ran in without noticing the rumble. "I found out what it is!"
"Now's not the time Shippo." Kouga growled. "Something's going on."
"There's a light on the ground!" Rin shouted.
The engravings from the jewel started to glow and the ground shook even more. "There could be a cave in we need to get out of here!" Sango shouted.
Before any of them could make a movement the light got brighter blinding them all.
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Kagome suddenly sat up, her eyes open. "Is everyone alright?" She asked.
"We're fine." Inuyasha answered. "You're the last to wake."
She looked around and noticed she was in what looked like a jail cell. "Where are we?" She asked.
"No idea. We all woke up here." Sango said. "After that light blinded me I don't remember anything else."
"I see that everyone has recovered." An unknown voice said.
"Who the hell are you?" Kouga asked. "Where are we?"
"As if you didn't know." A young man spat. "Were you not here to terrorize our village?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about. What village?" Kagome stood up and walked over to the bars. When her hands made contact a white light appeared.
"A miko?" An elderly woman stepped forward.
"What? My name is Kagome." She introduced. "Would you mind telling us where we are?"
"I don't believe they'll bring any harm." The elderly woman told the men behind her. "You may release them."
"But Kaede-sama the youkai." One of the men said.
"We have plenty of wards if they decide to act unkindly." She said. "Release them and I will speak to them outside."
After the locks were undone they all followed the woman outside. "Where the fuck did we end up?" Inuyasha asked. They were nowhere near the dig site or the temple. In fact nothing of the place was familiar.
"This is the Goshinboku Village." The elderly woman said. "I am Kaede, what brings you here?"
Kagome looked at her surroundings confused, surprised, and a little sick to her stomach. "This looks like the feudal era. How did we end up in a place like this?" She asked.
"None of this makes any sense." Sango said.
"Your dressed very strangely have you traveled far?" Kaede asked.
"To be honest we don't know." Kagome said.
"We were out investigating some strange noises in the forest when you had fallen out of the sky." Kaede told them.
"That doesn't make any sense. We were just investigating the Temple of Souls." Shippo said.
"Did you say the Temple of Souls?" Kaede asked.
"That's what we were excavating when we arrived here." Sango said.
"No one knows the location of the Temple. The miko's who reside there are the only ones who know." Kaede explained. "It was built ten years ago to protect the land from evil and hide the Shikon no Tama."
"The Shikon no Tama?" Rin asked.
"It's the jewel from the painting on the door and etched on the ground." Shippo said. "The arrow represented the Miko's power. The jewel was fabled to be one of the greatest objects of power during the feudal era."
"The Shikon no Tama was brought to my sister Kikyo's care about five years ago and unfortunately she met her demise in watching over it." Kaede explained. "She was burned with the jewel in her hands."
"What exactly is the jewel?" Sesshomaru asked.
"It's a jewel of unimaginable powers. It could grant any wish, such as turning a hanyou into a full blooded youkai, or increasing someone's power tenfold." Kaede said. "It was in the protection of the four mikos for if someone evil were to obtain it, it would be tainted and be used for the wrong reasons. It was brought here to mislead people so if the temple was found the jewel would not."
"So we really are in the feudal era?" Sango asked.
"There's no other way to see it. The temple was built in the feudal era and apparently it's built although the location is unknown." Shippo said. "I don't understand how the temple had the power to bring us into the past."
"I can't believe this." Kagome said.
"If you are here then there must be a reason." Kaede said. "Your destinies have been written and now all you must do is fulfill them. You may stay here if you'd like there's an unoccupied hut for travelers you may use."
"What shall we do?" Miroku asked.
"It seems like all we can do is wait until we figure out what the fuck is going on." Inuyasha said.
"I have to agree with Inuyasha. Until we know what's happened there's nothing we can do." Sesshomaru stood up. "We will accept your offer so if you may show us the way."
"Of course follow me." Kaede stood up. "I will warn you that a few of the villagers are wary of the presence of youkai."
"But they won't bring any trouble." Kagome defended them. Of course in the feudal era it wasn't a time where humans and youkai got along but in the present it was completely different.
"Most of the villagers won't wait for them to do something." Kaede stopped in front of a large hut. "You may use this until you can figure out your own means."
"Thanks." Kagome answered for everyone.
Everyone sat down and silence overcame them all. It was unsettling they were thrown here without any idea why. "Hey Shippo, do you have anything about the Temple being a portal?" Rin asked finally breaking the silence.
"No."
"What else do you know?" She asked.
"The shrine was built to protect something in a time of terror. I can only assume it was to protect the jewel but it can't be destroyed." Shippo explained.
"Didn't Kaede-sama say that the jewel was burned with her sister's body?" Miroku asked.
"It's gone missing but that doesn't stop the jewel from coming back." Shippo said. "It's been passed through many miko's hands to mislead people of its whereabouts. Before Kikyo obtained it, someone else must have died protecting it and burned it with their body."
"Well that aside for now what are we going to do about food?" Rin asked and they all looked at Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Kouga.
"What the fuck are you looking at us for?"
"You're youkai you know how to hunt." Miroku said bluntly. "I'll gather some firewood, ladies if you wouldn't mind fetching some water and supplies."
"I'm not fucking hunting." Inuyasha crossed his arms. "I'm going with Miroku."
"I'll help carry the water." Sesshomaru said.
"Sorry Kouga that leaves you." Kagome smiled. "Do you mind?"
"Well since I can't leave you to starve." Kouga grabbed her hand. "I'll be back shortly with something to eat."
"That bastard!" Inuyasha shouted when he was alone with Miroku.
"Does he get to you that much?" Miroku asked. "Are you two dating again?"
"We haven't discussed it." Inuyasha said as he knocked down a tree.
Kagome decided to go see Kaede to borrow some supplies while Sango, Rin, and Sesshomaru went to gather water with some buckets that were in the hut. "Ah Kagome-sama what can I do for you?" Kaede asked.
"I hate to ask but do you have some extra cooking supplies?" Kagome asked.
"Of course I was going to bring some to you." Kaede said. "Along with some dishes and blankets."
"It surprises me that you believe our story." Kagome smiled.
"Well, you're wearing some strange garment and you did seem to fall out of the sky while we were gathering herbs." Kaede said. "If you stay in this village long enough you'd be surprised at what I'd believe."
"We'd like to ask more about the temple." Kagome said. "After all that's what we were originally doing before we ended up here."
"Many have searched for the temple and either didn't return or came back injured. Great harm comes to those who search its whereabouts." Kaede said sadly. "It brings nothing but misfortune to those who seek its location. We can discuss more when you've settled and decided what to do."
"What do you mean what to do?" Kagome asked. "We're going to try and go home."
"You don't think you came here for a reason?" Kaede asked. "Don't you believe your destiny brought you here for some purpose in your life?"
"I don't think there's anything that deep about our being here. Well anyway thanks for everything Kaede-sama." Kagome grabbed the things and left the hut.
By the time Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kouga got back water was already boiling and beds were set up for everyone. "What the hell are we going to do?" Sango asked. "We have strange clothing on, no one from this time is going to want to talk to us, let alone give us some information."
"We have to be extremely careful. The people here are superstitious, not to mention the youkai are dangerous. At this point they are still hostile towards humans and vice versa." Shippo explained. "We need to be careful with everything we say and do especially us youkai."
"I think the first thing we need to do is find some clothes. We'll look suspicious in these outfits." Kagome said.
"We don't have any money." Inuyasha said.
Rin couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry I just find it funny when three of the wealthiest men say they don't have any money." She explained.
"I'm sure there's something we can do around the village. Some type of odd job or something." Kagome said. "We just need to be calm and stick together until we can get back home."
Kagome began to cook with what she had. Kouga managed to catch some rabbits and thankfully he cleaned them too. "Thanks Kouga, this helps a lot." She smiled.
"Can't have us starving can we?" Kouga smiled back.
The hut was large enough to keep them comfortably. There were two rooms in the back so they separated guys in one room while the girls were in another. "You can hear them right?" Kouga asked once they were separated from the girls.
"The nearby youkai are restless." Sesshomaru said.
"What?" Miroku asked.
"The youkai outside are after something. They are restless." Shippo explained. "We should keep watch."
"I'll watch tonight." Inuyasha got up and made his way outside and jumped onto the hut keeping an ear out for anything suspicious.
Kagome was restless. When the girls were asleep she snuck out of the room and left the hut. Inuyasha saw her go off on her own and followed her. Once she got far enough away from the hut Inuyasha jumped down in front of her placing a hand over her mouth to stop her scream. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked. "You shouldn't be out here."
"I needed some fresh air." Kagome said. "All the planning I've done over the last couple years has gone completely to waste."
"You don't know that yet. We could get home in the morning and we'll still be able to investigate the temple." Inuyasha said.
"I don't know." Kagome said with worry. "There's something wrong. Something just feels off, like we're in big trouble."
Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her. Her instincts were usually right. "Everything will be fine. We'll find a way to get home." He comforted her.
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