Hymn of Time

Chapter One

Down the Well

Picture, if you will a forest. A thick dense forest with tall green trees stretching towards the sky and a crunchy undergrowth of yellowing leaves tainted with hot orange and deep brown curling beneath the roots of trees and the twigs. Above the forest there is a clear sapphire coloured sky with a bright golden sun. The wind breathes through the trees disturbing the leaves and swaying the thinner branches, the air is crisp and chilly.

On the outskirts of this particular forest there is a village. Thatched houses, long wells, stalls selling various foods and silks, a shrine rose above the other buildings on a knoll like a pedestal. Let us move away from the village since it holds no further excitement towards the forest once more towards one special tree. This tree is thicker and stouter than the others. Its bark is more knarred and worn than the others and it spreads tall and strong proudly amongst its fellows as if it almost knew that it will surpass them through the generations and ages.

This tree is called the Goshinboku or the Tree of Ages.

And right now under its solemn branches it shelters the future.

"Naru-chan! Settle down and stop pulling my sisters hair," Hissed a teenager bending down to scold a younger girl of seven. The girl pouted sheepishly but released her painful grasp on the other girl's hair. Satisfied no other violence would be carried out on her youngest sibling the teenager rose and eyed the scene around her cautiously. Four other youths were spaced out in a protective circle around a gaggle of about twenty children. She sighed; brushing back some of her long wavy black hair which was bound into two high pigtails by emerald silk ribbons matching the green of her gauntlets and shoulder guards.

It was too quiet. One individual in particular found the silence around them unnerving and unnatural. A forest should be filled with noise – birds, insects and animals but it was as if they had all fled sensing the onslaught of a greater predator. There was a restless stillness in the air causing the snapping of each twig to echo. She strained further and could hear the faint sounds of battle cries and roars which did nothing to sooth her frantic emotions which pounded as the odour of blood reached to her through the earthy smell of the wood. Her hand twitching trembling slightly fighting to keep a grip on the bow and a good aim on the arrow tensed ready to fire.

"Do you smell anything?" Hissed another teenage girl of about eighteen dressed in shady colours of black and navy. Bronze hair shone in the light of the sun wound into a high ponytail. There were no obvious weapons on her persona other than the shuriken poised in her hands but hidden throughout her clothing were other multiple weapons ranging from blades to poison darts. The younger girl glared grinding her teeth together. Questions like that always irritated her. She was on edge enough without people bugging her for answers like she were some sort of machine.

"What do you think?" Retorted the girl exasperatedly, "I smell blood. Human and Youkai. Please don't ask me to start identifying." If she concentrated hard enough she could tell who was bleeding and who wasn't but she didn't want to know. So long as it wasn't her parents she was happy to remain ignorant. It was bad enough knowing that somebody was hurt let alone who. If she knew she would envision it in her mind and she didn't need that graphic image right now.

"Cho-chan let her be," the ribbon girl said warningly shooting a sympathetic glance in her best friend's direction. Cho merely sighed impatiently but let the subject drop. The slayer had balanced in her arms a deadly double bladed naginata which seemed to contrast the gentle quality of her face and her motherly brown eyes which lingered with anxiety on each figure.

"Cho had a point Tomiko," the oldest youth stated distastefully to his little sister, "If we can identify how many youkai are left we know how grave the situation is." Tomiko frowned at her older brothers words. He was taller than most in their village and was past manhood at nineteen. His long dark hair was in a topknot and he wore solely black – a black gi, hakama, gauntlets. At his side were two kodachi linked together by a thin black chain. He was visibly the most frustrated not even bothering to mask his anger.

"You know how unpleasant it is for her Keitaro," Lectured Tomiko who was two years his junior, "Just because you're upset that Otousan ordered you to go here doesn't give you the right to take it out on us." Her words sliced through the air causing a muscle to twitch in Keitaro's jaw.

"That has nothing to do with it!" He snapped defensively, "I was merely being practical. It would be nice to know where we stand since we were all dumped out here!"

"We have to protect the children. That's what Otousan wanted us to do. Just swallow your pride for once and be quiet!" Tomiko lashed out her brown eyes blazing to match his lighter lavender ones. Some of the children had hushed to listen in on the sibling argument. The other youngest figure, a boy of about fourteen with a solitary yari in his possession and a slayer outfit with blue gauntlets cleared his throat trying to prevent his older siblings from brawling at a crisis. The other girl with the bow teetered before raising her head slightly and inhaling as a cool breeze penetrated the forest. She stood up on her tip-toes trying to sniff out the familiar scent carried by the wind.

"Izayoi-chan? What is it?" Tomiko asked urgently.

The sixteen year old fell back on to the balls of her feet lowering her bow slightly with a smile on her face as she opened her eyes to reveal irises of amber. Unlike everyone else she was perhaps the most strangest of the company. Her clothing stood out against the black and navy of her fellow guardians. A rich red hakama and a white gi the traditional garb of a miko. On her back was quiver of arrows to match the bow but these did not make her unique. A miko was not an uncommon thing but perhaps the way her hair seemed to gleam silver in the sunlight unnaturally or how instead of human ears she had a pair of small dog ones. Or maybe it was how her finger nails curves slightly longer than average, or how her canine teeth seemed a little too elongated to be entirely normal.

"The twins," Izayoi said feverishly as she titled her head skyward, "They're coming back!" All at once a delighted smile lit up on Tomiko's face at the prospect of seeing her elder sisters. Everyone abandoned the duty of guarding to look upwards expectantly. The children chattered excitedly – especially one child in a bright pink kimono with dark brown hair – quickly a large thing moved into view dancing like a flame across the horizon until it morphed into the shape of a large black feline-like creature. A neokomata youkai with two young women atop it. The children cried and shrieked eagerly.

"Emiko! Etsuko!" Cheered Tomiko racing forwards to greet her sisters. The women in question could be no older than twenty-one and wore the same typical slaying outfit as their sister. Both had identical impish faces with soft lavender eyes and dark hair braided down their backs. Each one had a katana carved bone white and the only difference between them was the colouring of their gauntlets – one had sky blue, the other leaf green.

"Good to see you!" Emiko (the one with blue gauntlets) greeted enthusiastically as a small whirlwind of pink nearly knocked her off her feet. Ruffling her baby sister's hair she cooed, "Hi Sayuri-chan! Oneesan came to see you." Another boy of about eleven bowed respectfully with similar dark brown hair and Tomiko's brown eyes. The siblings crowded around each other exchanging welcomes.

"Knock it off Eiji," Etsuko pestered giving her youngest brother a short bow, "We're not royalty. Wow, Hideki! You've grown so much!" She yelped running up to her other brother knocking aside his yari carelessly.

"Hi Izayoi-chan! Thought you might give us away nosy," Teased Emiko giving Izayoi's ears a friendly pinch. Izayoi wriggled away hating people touching her sensitive ears but laughing slightly nonetheless. The twins had an infectious ability to create laughter and smiles even in the most strained circumstances. Keitaro however was not buying into the festivities of reuniting with his sisters who he hadn't seen in three months. Instead he cut right to the point.

"What's going on?" He demanded cutting into Etsuko's and Cho's pleasantries. Both twins looked up and rolled their eyes.

"Nice to see you too little brother," Emiko huffed, "If you must know we happened to arrive back early only to pick up a youkai aura. We've just flew over the village. Out of the pack of youkai only ten remain and there aren't any heavy casualties but now is probably not the best time to discuss it," She added eyeing the younger children who looked up from fussing the nekomata Naoki.

"We came to see how everyone was holding up, we're going back but it would probably be advisable to move the children. The youkai will probably scarper pretty soon and head in this direction to use the forest as cover. Eiji can take the younger children on Naoki-chan while Hideki can lead the rest over towards the river. Some archers are there, its quite safe. The rest can stay here to pick off the remains," Etsuko said taking charge of the situation.

"I'm going back to the village," Keitaro said instantly.

"I'm going with you," Cho said quickly shooting him a glance with her hazel eyes.

"Looks like Izayoi and I will be staying then," Tomiko said. Izayoi nodded although looked less enthusiastic than Cho and Keitaro who wasted no time with farewells disappearing into the shadows. It was typical of them though, Izayoi knew that. Recently Keitaro had been striving to prove himself being at loggerheads with his father and even upon occasion her own father. Cho would probably follow Keitaro anywhere seeking the silent ambush the shadows provided. Both were deadly, both enjoyed fighting. Izayoi moved her hand up the bow adjusting her grip feeling her heart drum a pace faster than everyone else's. Soon Eiji and a gaggle of young children departed in a whirl of fur and flames on Naoki while Hideki guided the other children. With cheery goodbyes the twins left too leaving only Tomiko, Izayoi and the eerie stillness of the forest.

"Iza-chan?"

"Yeah?" Izayoi murmured shifting her stance feeling anxiety and trepidation consume her like a disease. She really needed to get a grip sometimes, she wasn't a coward. She was a miko, a hanyou and more importantly she would not and could not disgrace her bloodline in such a way. She wasn't human; if she wanted to she could switch off these emotions easily…but then why? Why did she feel the urge to vomit and scream? It wasn't like she hadn't seen youkai before. It wasn't like she was a defenceless idiot. But she had never done it alone like this…there had always been a pack. Always back-up, always her family. She gulped trying to swallow her feelings jumping slightly as she felt a hand rest itself on her shoulder.

"Relax," Instructed Tomiko with a gentle smile, "You worry too much over everything. We can take out some dumb-ass youkai together. It's alright to be nervous but we're in this together and I'm not going anywhere." Izayoi smiled in return feeling gratitude for Tomiko's kind words. Although not biologically related Tomiko's family were like her own siblings. Cho although related no neither clans in anyway was family and had been every since they'd found her near death five years ago. Her parents had practically adopted her.

"I know…it's just…why do you think Haha made me come here? I mean…I'm not that bad am I?" Izayoi asked jokingly but with an undertone of desperation. Normally she always fought with her mother – the two miko's of the village together. Sending Izayoi away was a bit odd…even if it was to guard the children it still hurt her ego a little.

"Probably the same reason Otousan sent Keitaro here," Shrugged Tomiko, "We need to learn teamwork. Slayers are supposed to work together like that. Keitaro just wants to play hero to prove a point." Izayoi nodded, the answer was acceptable but still…she wasn't a slayer. Although she was suppose to fight as a pack being segregated from the community she was training to protect seemed a bit strange. Gritting her teeth she shoved the cloud of worry aside concentrating her other senses. The youkai auras were growing stronger – she could sense their approach and smell their putrid stench. A stench of blood, sweat and grunge. Shuddering she felt resumed a stoic stance – sometimes having a sensitive sense of smell was a curse.

"They're coming," Tomiko said sensing the auras too as she swung her naginata into a stance. They stood back to back together, "How many?"

"About six…eww they reek badly," Gagged Izayoi. They both did the calculations necessary. Three each. That wasn't a bad number; Izayoi listened as heavy footsteps crunched carelessly through the undergrowth. The branches rustled and twigs snapped. Her heart leaped until finally the monsters appeared snaking through the trees into the outskirts of the forest.

As youkai went they were unpleasant in every aspect with no redeeming features. Towering over them with the shortest a good two heads taller they were built broadly. Fangs bit back into amused leers while angry blazing red eyes took in the sight. Thick hides in shades of poisonous green and acidic yellow looked tough. They bellowed and cackled. Izayoi could smell human blood on them and could feel their tainted auras. They lived to hunt smaller prey but they were cowards running now with their tails between their legs. The tallest of the bunch was a giant and his horned head brushed high tree branches.

"I'm not being beaten by some girl and some half-bred scumbag," Snarled one who was built leaner but with razor sharp claws. Izayoi growled feeling the name bring back old wounds.

"Ready Iza-chan?" Tomiko asked paying the youkai no heed as she smirked slightly.

"Always To-chan," Replied Izayoi exposing some of her own canines. She thought proudly of her lineage as she always did in these situations. Half-breed? She was damn sure it was the sight of her father that had sent these creatures packing in the first place. Any youkai knew better than to go within a ten mile radius of their village, they feared it. Only the extremely stupid or extremely insane would dare to think of pitting themselves against her parents. It was practically a suicide wish. Adjusting the aim on her arrow she gazed at the orange hided one who was foaming at the lips with a slurring smirk.

Whiz. The arrow was fired and glowed a vivid blue colour as it gained momentum slamming right into his body. There was a strangled yell of pain before the youkai dissolved in a puddle of light leaving nothing behind. The laughing and jeering stopped abruptly and snarls off fury echoed. Tomiko leapt into action twirling her naginata at the nearest youkai in a deadly kata. Izayoi jumped feeling the exhilaration of using her supernatural speed pitting herself against the next opponent.

Unfortunately the humongous red skinned fiend was quicker than she had estimated despite his larger bulk. He lunged out with a massive clawed arm forcing her to do a back flip in midair landing agilely on a tree branch above his head. He bellowed and she jumped aside just as he obliterated the branch into splinters. A surge of adrenaline poured through her body like a tsunami firing up every single instinct inside her. She dove for him not bother with her arrows but instead lashing out brutally with her claws swerving them in a wide arc mimicking her father's most basic attack.

There was a screech of pain as her claws sliced through skin, muscle and flesh reducing its bulky red hair to a bloody mangled mass. She flipped and landed on the ground as it turned bearing teeth and snarling enraged bearing upon her like an angry giant. Izayoi shifted raising her arms into a defensive stance as it plummeted towards her with its other claw releasing a wave of noxious poison. Izayoi thrust out her right hand palm forwards and the poison was met with a barrier of pure energy. The force of the barrier slammed the youkai off its feet and it crashed backwards toppling over a nearby tree. When it emerged screaming and thundering it was accompanied by a blue skinned youkai with two sets of arms and strange looking black markings.

Both of them bore towards her and Izayoi decided that the best thing to do would be to end this quickly. She didn't have the patience to drag this on longer than necessary – she'd had her adrenaline rush for the day. She wanted to go home. Pressing her index and forefingers together she bowed her head and began to chant feeling the energy inside her fizz. A rush filled her, a surge like the swell before an eruption or the deep breath before the plunge embraced her. "rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai," She flexed her fingers into the appropriate gestures before raising her head feeling her power swell. The youkai were charging, good. A smirk of satisfaction graced her lips, a smirk of triumph before she cried out her attack ending the holy chant, "ZEN!" Shoving out her palm she released the force bubbling inside her.

Power burned and churned through the air crashing into the two charging youkai. They howled in agony as pure spiritual energy crackled and climbed their bodies almost like small pinpricks of lightening consumed them until finally they reared back their heads and screeched a horrible sound that wrenched through the forest before dissolving into nothing. Izayoi watched with a mixture of awe, fascination and slight abhorrence at the ghastly sound and sight of their demise. Finally turning her head away she watched as Tomiko dodged an oncoming attack from her remaining foe before diving and twirling her double-bladed naginata. With a slight fizzle of energy it sliced straight through the youkai's chest. It spluttered blood before finally hitting the ground dead. Tomiko turned around breathlessly.

"Looks like we win huh? Not bad for a days work…I think that's the lot."

"It is," Assured Izayoi reaching out with her spiritual senses and her youkai ones. The smell of youkai was fading from the area and the auras were growing fainter. The village had survived the rare attack; no doubt work to rebuild would begin soon. It wasn't often they were attacked…in fact this was so rare that it made Izayoi unnerved. Why? The youkai were weak…maybe thick and a few branches short of a tree but why? Surely they knew that the village was protected by famed slayers? It was suspicious…just a little too off. There was no motive.

"I think they were pawns," Tomiko said with her usual intuition as she read Izayoi's perplexed expression before pulling out a sutra from her shoulder pad. Muttering a hasty prayer she laid it over the corpses and they slowly disintegrated until they were clouds of dust swirling in the breeze, "It would be the first time a daiyoukai has used them. We should go back now; Auntie Kagome might need help tending the sick."

Izayoi nodded conceding to the newest plan as she rested her back up against the ancient Goshinboku. The forest was still too quiet; she'd expected a faint rush of wildlife now that the taint of evil was gone. She tilted her head catching sight of pale beams of sunlight peeping through the massive branches. Turning slightly she jumped on to the nearest one and crouched examining the bark. Faintly etched was each of their names. Cho, Tomiko and Higurashi Izayoi. They'd been there for a year surviving each form of weather. She smiled; maybe there was something different about this tree. Her mother had told her that in the future where she was from it was still there. It definitely had an aura…not a spiritual one but something revered…something unnameable.

"Hey, you know our names are still here? I thought they'd been long gone after all that rain and stuff. Pretty neat huh?" Izayoi called jumping back down landing in front of her friend who raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Wonder how long they'll last?" Tomiko said curiously. Izayoi shrugged idly before her heart did a funny flip. Goosebumps pricked her arms, the small hairs on the back of her neck erected on end as shivers climbed down her spine. Her stomach lurched and her heightened senses recoiled. Her instincts were thrumming with the new strange aura filling the air rapidly and invisibly. It wasn't ordinary…and it wasn't right or natural. It thrived and grew almost like the static after a storm – the same humming in the clean air after lightening. Her ears perked as she raised her head sniffing the air trying to detect any strange scents but found nothing. Just them and forest. No insects, mammals had fled almost as though they sense the oncoming of a greater predator. Tomiko looked worriedly at her old time friend seeing the change of her attitude as Izayoi crouch over the ground sniffing it – an image almost comical.

"Izayoi…why are you sniffing like a dog?" Tomiko prodded. Izayoi looked over her shoulder and growled at the implication. Couldn't she sense it? Tomiko wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination and she could detect auras just as well as she could. Why wasn't she concerned? Couldn't she feel it? Izayoi stood up looking around her restlessly – it felt like the empty forest had suddenly grown a hundred pairs of eyes.

"Can't you feel it?" Izayoi asked urgently feeling panic rise. Tomiko shook her head looking around them suspiciously before her brown gaze fell back on Izayoi.

"Izayoi…I can't feel anything. What's wrong?" Tomiko demanded with an edge of fear to her normally soft voice. Izayoi said nothing but continued to dart around them sniffing the trees dementedly. Something was wrong – badly wrong and it wasn't youkai. She knew youkai, she knew spiritual, what she didn't know was this and it was wrong…just plain horrible wrong. The sort of wrong that made her skin crawl. "Izayoi! What is it?" Snapped Tomiko again after a prolonged pause.

"Something's wrong," Izayoi answered truthfully, "I can feel an aura but its not youkai or human. It's…I dunno but I don't like it." She raised her head again moving towards the cluster of trees. The feeling thrummed and pounded more heavily like fog here – stronger. Whatever it was it was in that direction, "It's this way," She said confidently. The next moment she was toppling over as a large weight connected with her back almost knocking her to the forest floor and the bed of dirt that awaited her. Legs locked around her waist and arms gripped on to the fabric of her gi tightly while long tresses of dark hair tickled her cheeks.

"What the-! Give me some warning for crying out loud! Kami-sama!" Izayoi swore angrily as she managed to regain her balance banging her head into a tree.

"You said it was in that direction lets just get this over with," Tomiko instructed in the tone she usually reserved for teaching her little sister how to read. A sisterly tone full of authority. Although Tomiko stood a few inches taller than Izayoi somehow the smaller miko managed her weight with relative ease. Giving people cuddy backs was her speciality – considering how their weight usually was no strain at all. To her Tomiko was no heaver than a bag of medical herbs and a few prayer charms.

"Yeah but a little warning! Mou! I'm not some sort of dog!" Izayoi retort gathering herself. Tomiko gave a low giggle.

"That's debatable Iza-chan!"

"Shut up!" Izayoi snapped before moving into a quick sprint jumping completely off the ground giving her older friend a nasty shock causing her to shriek. Izayoi smirked as they landed and she began to quicken her pace darting in and out of trees easily with a speed that would make samurai green with envy. There was no toll on her body, just complete elation as she felt the wind soar through her long hair which was tied loosely. The forest blurred into colours of mossy green and brown while Izayoi galloped after his aura. It lead her through the trees until the density grew thinner and thinner. Finally after a few minutes they emerged from the forest into lush plains of rolling green with a clear cerulean sky above their heads.

Tomiko dismounted staggering slightly. Izayoi looked around her – she was familiar with this place. It wasn't far from the village – about a fifteen minute walk in fact – she gazed around. Everything looked normal, the long blades of grass tickled her feet and she shielded her eyes with her hands from the bright rays of golden sunlight. Something glinted on the horizon though. She squinted…dashing forwards…what was it? She flexed her claws cautiously before the object and source of her discomfort came in to view.

She gasped feeling herself crash mentally into a brick wall.

There, amongst the long blades of grass was a worn and torn up well. The bricks were rotting in some places covered with mould and moss while low ivy climbed and tangled itself around the rim. There was a smell of rotting decay as ancient stones wore away into dust and overgrown plants died. Izayoi gulped feeling her mind go blank and numb with disbelief. Her amber eyes locked with the seemingly insignificant sight but her heart pounded in her chest a quick darting rhythm. Tomiko's breathless gasps filled the air as she caught up with her friend.

"You could have waited!" Tomiko reprimanded grumpily before catching sight of her friends wide shocked eyes, "Izayoi? What's wrong…are you okay? What's wrong…Izayoi?" Tomiko shook the hanyou knocking Izayoi out of her stupor. She turned incredulously on her friend in mingled frustration and shock. Why the hell was Tomiko being so ignorant?

"Can't you see it?" Izayoi demanded.

"See what? See what…Izayoi? What is it?" Tomiko asked panicked as her brown eyes sought the empty space of grass in front of her friend. Izayoi opened her mouth gaping before her eyes flickered back to the gnarled well. Moving forwards gingerly she touched the rim and then glared back at her friend.

"The well you idiot! What do you think I'm touching?"

"T-Thin air?" Tomiko guessed nervously, "Izayoi, the well vanished didn't it? It disappeared over ten years ago…why? Do you see it? Izayoi?" Izayoi nodded weakly as her hand slid along the rough texture of the stones. She felt realisation climb up her throat like bile. This was impossible. Everyone knew the Bone Eaters Well was gone. It had vanished when she was five years old eleven years ago. One spring morning her mother hand went and returned in tears. The well between times had gone forever and nobody knew why. It had caused her mother a lot of anguish in particular. Izayoi knew it still upset her mother sometimes – never being able to see her family again. For Izayoi the stories of the elusive and amazing future never ceased to enchant her. The family caught on the other side…the people she could barely remember. The man and woman…the boy who used to play with her.

"It's here…I can see it Tomiko…it's here right in front of me," Izayoi murmured spell bound and she leaned over the edge slightly peering into the darkness below. The well simply climbed downwards…there didn't seem to be any bottom. Just a vortex of shadows and darkness maybe leading to another time. She felt the palms of her hands grow sweaty and she clench jaw. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder tugging her away carefully. Tomiko turned Izayoi to face her with worried but caring brown eyes the glinted like caramel in the sunlight.

"Izayoi," Tomiko began gently, "If the well is back then I can't see it. That isn't right…I think we should go back and let your mother know. If it is back then Auntie Kagome would like to know…Izayoi think…why would a strange aura lure you out here to this well? We need to go back…okay? Now." Izayoi nodded shakily feeling her legs go strange and jelly like as she took a few steps backwards away from the treacherous edge. Tomiko was right just as she always was. This was too weird and too obvious. It had to be a trap. Turning around slowly Tomiko smiled in relief and the pair walked away.

Or they would have.

Izayoi screamed out in shock and horror as she felt something tug at her legs which bucked allowing her to crash ungainly to the ground. Before she could regain breath she was aware of being hauled backwards at breakneck speed by something inhumanely strong. She snarled and struggled but felt her blood run cold as the rough bricks of the well scraped over her gi. She looked behind her seeing only pure blackness below and began to yell frantically as her claws scratched at the stones despairingly.

"Izayoi!"

A hand grabbed her own. Izayoi let loose a shaky gasp as she looked up into Tomiko's brown eyes. She could still feel her body gravitate towards the bottom of the well being pulled and tugged by something unseen. Tomiko was not so willing to release the miko though and matched the magnetic force with a death grip. She winced as Izayoi instinctively dug her claws in to the only available saviour.

"Hold on! Somebody will come…just hold on okay? Don't you dare let go on me!" Tomiko ordered desperately. Her face was rapidly turning red and her eyes seemed damp and watery while her long dark hair billowed around her face tangled with the beautiful emerald ribbons. Izayoi nodded feeling the urge to be sick rise along with cold panic. A mental war began in her mind. Somebody would come. Her father might have heard the scream. Maybe her mother felt the aura too. Somebody. Anybody would come. They always did.

"Ahhh!" Screeched Izayoi feeling herself drop as the grip on Tomiko's arm loosened, "Neesan! Tomiko don't let me go! Please!" Her amber eyes were wide in terror and shone like gold in the pitch darkness of the well. Tomiko nodded and groaned trying to keep a grip on her best friend. Izayoi felt her heart stop when she felt her hands slid and suddenly she was falling. Her arms flayed wildly and she looked up and saw a sight forever engraved in her mind. A pair of tearful brown eyes, flashes of black and green and a horrified scream of terror.

"IZAYOI!"

"Neesan!" Izayoi shouted.

She cringed suddenly as a blinding flash masked her friend from vision. She was walling through the air alone and a brilliant mirage of colours temporarily scarred her senses. Deep violet and stunning crimson, plumages of fuchsia, lilac and blue weaved together with the darkness. The compact walls of the well vanished until she was floating leisurely in an open space watching the intricate dance of colours. An endless lonely limbo in which she the only thing that truly existed amongst the cosmic world. Pain shot through her head red and angry while panic ceased her. She struggled fruitlessly feeling the aura burn through her. Her mind was on fire, it felt like something was pushing inside her. An aura she could not identify. Good or evil she wanted it gone. Deep rooted fears reared their heads. The aura swirled like a disease paralysing her body preventing it from moving. Alone. Vulnerable. Weak.

And when it spoke she felt her jaws ache as it used her mouth. The voice that came out was not her own. No creature in creation had a voice like that. It sounded like water, smooth, fluid but it burned like the sun piercing through the oblivion.

"Higurashi Izayoi," Her eyes darted around frantically as she tried to identify the voice.

"What are you? Where am I? Let me go!" She called out in a mixture of fear and fury.

"Be at peace for I shall not hurt you. Why would I want to harm my perfect prize?" It chimed and trickled into her mind gushing through her thoughts. Upon hearing the word prize her eyes narrowed into slits. If she could move she would be squirming for freedom but since she couldn't she contended with trying to gather her energy. A spiritual attack might work if a youkai one would not.

"What the hell do you want with me?" Izayoi demanded.

"You are very special. Unique even, the blood of a miko and the blood of a youkai fused together. So perfect befitting your former life. You were so clever then my dear. You know me by another name but I shall not reveal it for present. It wouldn't do to have you remembering bad things now would it?" The voice circled her like an embrace. Izayoi felt her heart falter as she digested the words.

"What do you mean? How do I know you?" Her mind whirled recalling all the youkai she had ever encountered. No of them compared to this one. If it was youkai. It didn't even sound like it had a gender. There was no tones of female or male just…just the voice.

"Right now your soul is so childish and naïve, not yet that of a warrior. Of a cold blooded killer but I can see it. You have so much potential power; I see the blood that will one day mar those hands. Your spirit is drenched it in, one day all shall fear you…huntress. The blood the stains your soul can never be washed off," Haunted the voice.

"Y-You're insane! I've killed about fourteen youkai and none of them stop me from sleeping at night! Don't expect me to go crying over murderers and monsters! When my father find out who you are he's gonna rip your head off! You've no idea who my relatives are do you? You're dead when they get you!" Izayoi yelled furiously trying to find some comfort in her family. Any moment her father would come. He could do anything. He would get this creature out of her and away. The thought of her family fuelled her with pride. This thing had absolutely no idea who it was toying with!

"I speak not of them; you are much more amusing when you're angry...but no matter. You shall not even remember this conversation...you will remember this though. Collect the souls and you will be free again. Collect the souls and you will be able to return to that family of yours and live in peace. Collect them Izayoi. That is your duty..." Izayoi's eyes hardened but then they gradually shut as she began to loose consciousness. Her back landed on a hard dirty surface although the limbo of colours had not yet faded from her vision and the voice still remained in her head like an endless drumbeat.

"Collect...the..." Her sentence was left lying emptily and there was a burst. The entire abyss of time was circling now like the winds would circle and glide before formatting into a hurricane. The colours were drawn towards it leaving in it's wake nothing but bleak emptiness. Then, the surge of power began to build up and strengthen until finally there was a crescendo and an explosion. Everything that had previously surrounded it, shot back to it's original place like shootings stars filling up the night sky leaving behind it something that was now empty and hollow. The flickering lights of many fireflies like creatures illuminated the dim, some ventured downwards towards Izayoi before fading while most remained dormant.

The walls of the well reappeared and everything vanished. Only one thing remained at it landed next to Izayoi's head. A flat smooth aqua coloured stone that glittered for a moment with it's shine lighting the darkness before dying out.

It's work was done.

Glossary

Goshinboku - Tree of Ages. The tree Inuyasha was pinned to by a sacred arrow. Still remains alive in Kagomes era of the 20th century.

Chan - affectionate honorific given to girls or young children by family or close friends.

Naginata - A glaive like weapon. A large blade on the end of a long pole usually curved but in Tomiko's case with a blad at each end.

Oneesan - big sister.

Otousan - formal way of saying father.

Haha - informal way of saying mother. Like saying Mum.

Yari - A japanese spear

Youkai - Demon

Hanyou - Half demon

Miko - Priestess

Kodachi - a blade not long enough to be a sword but not short enough to be a knife. Light and ususally good for defence.

Bone Eaters Well - the well Kagome used to use to cross from her time to the past. It used to stand on the grounds of her shrine.

Mou - Sheesh!

Kami-sama - Oh my God.

A long chapter but I like how it introduces Izayoi. I'm so pleased to have two favourites already but would of course appreciate some reviews too! I love the character of Izayoi so much and I can't wait to develop her some more. Please R&R.

Daydreamer!x