A/N: I forgot to add this to the first two chapters. I DO NOT OWN ANYBODY IN THIS... except who you are about to meet.. I hope you enjoy the third installment of this story, it's going to start picking up in the next few chapters..

Chapter 3:
And So She Rises

The sound of chirping birds was the first thing to register in her mind as she slowly grew more aware of her surroundings. The second thing she noticed was that she was lying on something soft and she was very comfortable; last but not least her leg wasn't hurting anymore though she knew it should have been

Deciding that she might as well open her eyes to see where she was at, she was not prepared for the startling green eyes that were starring right at her. Screaming, she tried to get up, but a soothing hand held her down and a calming smile eased her fear.

"I'm sorry my dear, I did not mean to startle you so badly. My name is Omnimaru and I found you hurt pretty badly last night. Do you remember what happened?"

Closing her eyes she caught bits and pieces of what had happened, but all she really remembered was that she had got separated from her friends and she was looking for them and she told as much to Omnimaru.

She watched Omnimaru nod her head with an expression on her face as though she knew that's what had happened; it was really disconcerting to her.

"Omnimaru, may I ask where am I?"

"Why Kagome, you are in my hut."

Fear flooded her as the thought that this strange woman knew her name and yet she had not given it nor been asked to. Thoughts that this could be another offspring of Naraku chilled her blood as she looked back to the kindly smiling woman.

"How do you know my name?" She asked, trying to hide the fear in her voice but failing when it trembled.

"Do not fear Kagome, I know many things about you; I am a healer as well as what people call a Seer. I have been with you for a while now in my 'visions' if you would like to call them that. I have traveled with you and I have seen your joys as well as your sorrows and in turn have learned about your companions through you. Do not fear me for I will not bring you harm or any of your group harm either."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief at the statement made by the old woman; as Kagome looked closer though, she noticed that something seemed slightly off about her. As she took the time to study her it dawned on her with a clarity that startled her.

"You're a demon!" She blurted out before she knew what she had done and her face turned an amazing shade of red.

Laughing, Omnimaru set down the poultice she had been working on and looked at the embarrassed girl causing her to laugh more. She watched through her laughter induced tears as Kagome turned a brighter red and tried to hide it under the blanket.

"Do not be embarrassed young one, you are not the first to react like that nor will you be the last. "

"I'm sorry to seem so amazed, but, I have never heard of a demon treating a human before."

"It's not as rare as you think; some of us have learned that in order to survive we must help each other. Others have not, unfortunately, learned this lesson." Kagome saw her face cloud with anger and disappointment before it was gone and she was left to wonder who she could have been talking about.

Using the woman's distraction, she took the time to study her and noticed that her hair was snow white, but instead of it being caused by age it seemed to be her natural hair color. Her ears were slightly pointed and now that she looked, she noticed two faint silvery lines high on her cheek bones. Her eyes were a startling green that she had never seen before and all in all she decided that Omnimaru had a kind face.

"Do you know where my friends are?" She asked hoping that they were near.

"Unfortunately, I do not know, but…" suddenly she stopped talking as her eyes took on a faraway look and her body became stiff and ridged.

Watching, her curiosity mounted as the minutes passed and as Omnimaru turned her head to look straight at where the jewel shards rested. Uncomfortable at the stare that she was receiving her hand unconsciously covered the small bottle as she waited for Omnimaru to snap out of it.

With a gasp, Omnimaru's eyes cleared and she shook her head clearing the vision from it.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked slightly worried about the older woman's quicker breathing.

"Yes dear, I'm fine, thank you for asking." Still the perturbed look did not leave as she tried to busy herself with her medicines.

"Are you sure Omnimaru? If it's anything I can help you with, let me know okay?"

Sighing deeply in indecision she turned to the caring face of Kagome and seemed to reach some sort of agreement with herself.

"This 'vision' I have seen is the most disturbing; it's one of the clearest and most confusing one's I have ever had. It all revolves around you Kagome and the biggest trial that has yet to come." Stopping for a moment, she turned to put some water to boil so that they would have tea for the discussion ahead.

Struggling to get up into a sitting position, the old healer noticed her plight and moved over to help her, leaning her on a few pillows.

"Thank you."

"No thanks are necessary dear." She poured the tea into two cups and gave one to Kagome while she cautiously sipped hers.

"May I ask what you saw Omnimaru?"

Sighing once more, she gathered her thoughts together and tried to determine the best way to go about it.

"What I saw was the defeat of Naraku, but you died Kagome and the jewel was not completely purified." Letting it sink in she sipped some more tea trying to calm her nerves.

"I died? I failed the quest? I failed the tachi?" her voice progressively losing its volume.

"What I see Kagome, is not always truth and that it could only be one of the outcomes. Why it is so clear is that it is possibly a more likely outcome if you and the tachi continue on the path that you are traveling on now. Do not fear dear one, I will help you all that I can to change what may be your future."

A little relieved, though still very much disconcerted, Kagome relaxed against the pillows and sipped her warm tea.

"If you don't mind my asking, why are you helping me?" Kagome asked as she eyed the demon across from her wondering what she could gain from all this.

"I can't give you all my reasons for they are my own, just know that if no one stands up to Naraku as you and your group have done then the future of the world will be lost in the madness he will unleash."

She nodded knowing that's exactly what would happen should they lose to Naraku and then another thought came into her mind.

"How are you going to help me?

"Why child, you are a miko are you not? I'm going to teach you the art of healing as well as channeling your energy and controlling it the way you want."

"I'm sorry Omnimaru, but you're a demon, how would you teach me to control my energy?"

"Please Kagome, call me Maru, I know my name can be a mouthful and to answer your question: Demon and Miko have similar pathways that their power and energy follow; we are not so different."

Taking in all that Maru was telling her she had to ask the question that rested on her lips.

"Maru, how long am I going to be here?"

"Well dear, to tell you the truth, however long it takes to heal your leg. It may take a few weeks and I know you want to get back to your tachi, but when are you going to get another chance to learn things that may save your life?"

A frown crossed the Miko's face as she thought about Maru's words and the fact that Inuyasha would be searching for her the entire time (so she hoped). She thought about her family that she had left behind in the future and was thankful that she had completed school and told her mom that she would be back when the jewel was complete. She had said her goodbyes to them before sealing the well to prevent Naraku from going through it should he learn of where she came from; she was thankful for that now that she knew it would take even longer to complete the jewel. She thought about the arguments she knew would take place once she returned and then countered that with the knowledge that she would've gained.

"All right, Maru, I'll stay here and learn all you can teach me, but how will you keep my friends from finding me?"

"Don't worry dear, I've already hidden your scent and erased what was left outside when I brought you here."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kagome sank against the pillows and let herself relax for the first time in a long while. She knew that she should be wary of the fact that Maru had already erased her scent before she knew that she would stay, but she decided the less she worried about the better off she would be.

Inuyasha was frantic searching for Kagome; he blamed himself for losing her and cursed himself more when his search turned up nothing. Guilt settled on his shoulders as he looked to the worried and stricken faces of his pack and he knew that he had failed them. A shift in the wind brought the smell of her blood to his nose and he immediately took after it.

Bursting into a slight clearing, his eyes and ears were trained to find any traces of Kagome. What led him forward though was the smell of her exhaustion and blood. Quickly, he walked to the tree she had leaned on the night before and picked up a small piece of cloth that had come from her hakama. He looked down to see the blood stain on the ground and tried to figure out where she had gone. His search proved fruitless because from the spot her blood was at was the strongest part of her scent and moving from that spot her scent disappeared and was just gone. No matter, he continued to search regardless well into the night and into the next day and the day after that.

He didn't stop his search for her and only did when Sango and Miroku forced him to because he hadn't rested or eaten in days. Eventually they did give up the search and accepted the fact that Kagome was gone and they didn't know if they would ever see her again. They continued the search for the shards though it wasn't the same without Kagome and everyone could feel the strain now that she was gone and couldn't make light of the mood anymore.

Inuyasha looked to the setting sun and prayed that Kagome was not 'gone' as they had accepted and that she would be back soon.

"Inuyasha, dinner's ready." Turning away from the sun he headed back to their small camp and tried to imagine Kagome's laughter and that everyone was happy again.

Kagome wiped the sweat from her eyes as she and Maru gathered the herbs that she needed and as they did so Kagome was taught what was used for what illness or wound. They did this for the rest of the day and the thought that maybe she should have gone back to the others all those weeks ago was wiped away because of the knowledge she had gained. She could name almost every plant as well as tell what would be good to flavor food and what would do harm; she knew that she would have never learned this if she had stayed with the others and was proud that she had gained this information.

As she thought back to the other days of training she grew more proud of herself and knew that she would be a bigger help to the others. Her training in plants was almost over, she knew, and then her training with her power would begin; that thought was what scared her the most. She knew that she was good with arrows, but the thought of just bringing it to the surface as a weapon she could wield and shaped to how she wanted it frightened her. She knew she could bring it to the surface and focus it into an object like she did with Inuyasha all that time ago, but this would be a whole new level. Shaking those thoughts away she prepared herself for what was to come.

"Kagome, time to head back," she waved to Maru and then gathered her things together before following the older demon back to the hut.

"Alright Kagome, breathe in and out slowly and let your mind clear of all thought."

Obeying what Maru told her she closed her eyes to center herself before she let her thoughts slid away from her as her breathing slowed.

"Ok, good Kagome, now I want you to let your power take shape in your mind. Everyone's power reveals itself differently, don't force it, and let it come to naturally. It may take some time to form itself so be patient and keep your breathing steady."

A small nod let Omnimaru know that her student was listening to her guidance as she kept her breathing normal letting her body relax completely. She watched intently to the small glimpses of emotion that crossed her face as she waited for her power to take the shape that it was meant to. She let a smile cross her lips as she caught a fleeting moment of frustration before that was gone and her face was blank once more.

They sat in silence for an hour or two before a sharp intake of breath caught Omnimaru's attention and she acted quickly.

"Steady Kagome, or you will lose the form that it has chosen and you'll have to begin again."

Once her breathing returned to normal she took a moment to gather her words to her.

"What form has your power chosen for itself Kagome?" She watched a smile break out across her face at that question and she knew it would be an amusing answer.

"It seems to fancy itself in the form of a black fox."

"Haha, I can see now why you would be so amused to that fact. Now, I want you to let it come to you and greet you; when this happens I want you to let yourself merge with it. It's a feeling much like spiraling downwards; when you feel like you've hit the bottom then you know that your power has merged with your consciousness."

She watched as Kagome looked confused for a moment before she breathed deeply once more before focusing on the task at hand. It was interesting to watch as she began to shake very slightly and Maru knew that she was on her way to gaining access to her power. Waiting for the sharp intake of breath she was still unprepared for the eruption of power that filled the hut. She drew a breath of her own as she looked upon Kagome and saw the vague outline of the black fox surrounding her; when she looked closer she saw the snout lift into a grin and she smiled back.

"Alright Kagome, I want you to hold onto that feeling while you open your eyes; I want you to see what has been hiding in you all these years."

Slowly her eyes cracked open and then widened in amazement as she looked around her to see the energy swirling about. Looking to her left she gasped as the face of a fox materialized and smiled at them both before forming a body and bounding around the hut. It broke apart after a moment in a shower of sparks and Kagome turned stunned eyes to Maru who just giggled for a moment before explaining.

"You're power has picked the trickster, prankster, and vixen as its embodiment. The reason it's so playful right now is that it's been locked up for all these years and has now been set free; it's going to be a little unruly for the next few days, but it should settle down soon. Don't worry if you catch a glimpse or it every now and again, it'll be that way until it sates its curiosity and finds its boundaries."

"Thank you Maru, I don't know how to tell you how much I appreciate what you have done."

Kagome relaxed against the side of Maru's hut after a day of training and focusing her power; it was a lot easier to control now than it was in the beginning. She smiled as memories darted across her mind about her training and how many mishaps she had had during it. She shook her head of those thoughts before she grew somber as she thought about her companions. Looking to the setting sun she wondered if Inuyasha and her friends were still looking for her or if they had given up. Sighing, she knew that by now Kikyou had to have joined them, but secretly hoped that she hadn't.

She prayed that all the knowledge she had gained wouldn't go to waste once she returned to her friends; she did this more for them than even herself. She wanted to be more of an asset to the group; looking to her hand she drew her power out and shaped it into an orb that she knew if tossed would purify whatever it came into contact with.

"Kagome, are you coming in, dinner's almost ready."

"Coming Maru," unhurriedly she stood up drawing her power back and limped back into the hut that had become a second home to her.

They ate their dinner in relative silence, the crackling of flames interrupting it once in a while.

She contemplated her stay with Maru and knew that soon it would come to an end and surprisingly that thought made her incredibly sad. She knew what she would be faced with when she returned to the others and that thought didn't help her one bit. She had been away for a little more than two months and wondered how her friends were doing as well as what they all would say when they knew of what she had learned and what she could now do.

"What has you so down Kagome?"

Sighing, she knew that Maru wouldn't drop it until she told her what was wrong.

"I'm not looking forward to facing my friends; also I'm sure Kikyou will be with them now."

"Kikyou; isn't that the undead Miko roaming around?"

"Yes, as well as Inuyasha's first love; the only reason she's still around is that she has a part of my soul."

"Hmmm… she poses a problem as well as a threat I take it?"

"She has tried to kill me on more than one occasion and she wants to take Inuyasha to hell." She sighed.

"Hmmm… I do not believe that she has joined your group, I have a feeling that she will play a part in the near future, but not at this moment."

Kagome laughed slightly at how Maru worded her statement before calming herself and asking her a question.

"A feeling or a knowing?" she asked tapping her head with her finger and smiling widely.

"A little of both," they both laughed at that, used to the way the conversation went. They calmed themselves and finished their dinner before having some hot tea to wash it all down.

A comfortable silence passed between both of them lost in their own thoughts for the moment; Omnimaru was the first to break it.

"About returning to your companions, Kagome, I have taught you everything that I can and I believe it's time to meet up with them once more."

"Are you sure Maru?" Kagome asked in a small voice.

"Yes dear, you have learned all I have to offer and it's time to leave and continue on your journey."

"When will I be leaving?"

"Tomorrow, my dear, your friends will not be far from this location. I will take you there and then take my leave."

"So soon?" Kagome asked saddened by the thought of leaving her Maru and facing the wrath of her friends.

"I'm sorry to see you go Kagome, but do not be too sad I'm sure I will see you again. Before you go I have a gift for you and I hope that you like it." Reaching behind her she brought out a package wrapped in beautiful blue cloth.

Taking the offered package, Kagome handled it carefully; slightly afraid that if she didn't something would break. A reassuring smile from Maru chased away her hesitation as she carefully opened her gift.

Inside was a beautifully crafted necklace; it was simple in its design, but breathtaking in its beauty. The chain was of purest silver and so was the pendant that hung from it; as she looked she noticed that it was a crescent moon and the silver only outlined it. In the middle was a stone crescent the same color of her eyes: smoky blue. She fingered the chain and the pendant and was amazed at the lightness of it, but also by the strength she could feel in the chain.

Setting the necklace aside she turned to the blue cloth which raised her interest the longer that she looked at it; finally she unfolded it and was amazed at what she found. What she found were Miko clothing, but they were not the normal ones that all the other Mikos wore; the haori was the lightest of blues, almost white, and had stitching around the sleeves. Holding it closer she read the Kanji's for: Protector, Friend, Companion, Innocence, Mother, Strength, Bravery, Courage, and Love.

The Hakama were a dark blue, like a night sky, and had the same Kanji's written on the bottom hem. What amazed her the most was that the stitching was the same color as the crescent moon pendant.

"It's lovely, Maru, too lovely for me."

"Nonsense, I made them for you and I expect you to wear them with pride."

"You made these?" She asked awe evident in her voice.

"Of course Kagome, did you not think that I would not have a hobby? I'm alone most of the time and need something to do." She laughed slightly at Kagome's red face.

"I don't know what to say Maru; thank you does not seem enough for what you have done for me."

"Do not trouble yourself Kagome; I wanted to make them to show you what you represent to the world around you; so no thanks are necessary."

Kagome smiled and surprised Maru by giving her a tight hug in thanks before moving to her room to change.

As she changed into her new attire, she thought of something to give back to Maru; as she thought an idea sprang to mind and with a smile she knew what it was that she was going to do. Done with dressing she looked at herself in the small mirror that Maru had given her and admired the way they fit her as she pulled her hair into a high ponytail before walking out to show Maru.

"I love it! I'm so glad I got all the measurements right! It looks lovely on you, do you like it?" Maru asked with a wide smile on her face.

"I love it Maru! Thank you so much! No one has ever given me something like this before!" She gave Maru another hug before she reached down to grab the necklace and put it on.

"The necklace is demon made and will offer some protection when a demon sees it; it will never break, not ever dull and cannot be taken off by anyone but yourself."

"Thank you again Maru, I can't express my gratitude," Kagome said, beaming with happiness.

"No need child, I am happy to have made it for you." She smiled at the happy face of Kagome and wondered how long her happiness would last. Shaking her head she cleared the thoughts away and just enjoyed the happiness and joy that Kagome showed.

Listening to the soft breathing, Kagome silently got out of bed and made her way past Maru's door to head outside. Breathing a sigh of relief once she made it past, she took a cool drag of night air before beginning her work.

She had decided that she was going to make Maru a garden from the seeds that they had collected when she was being taught herbs and flora. Under the moonlight she cleared a spot on both sides of the doorway and planted some seeds right next to the wall.

Concentrating, she sat in front of the door and planted on hand palm down on each side of her and closed her eyes. Slowly, her power leaked from her fingers into the ground and gave life to the seeds. They sprouted up the wall and grabbed onto it before blooming brightly in the dark. Next, she planted rows of flowers on one side and herbs on the other. She did the same to these plants and soon the fragrance of blooming flowers filled the air as well as that of herbs.

Satisfied with her work she relaxed and thought about what Maru would say when she saw her gift. She smiled at the image of a stunned Maru and sat in the comfortable warmth of the night; she sat in thought and smiled at all the memories she had of being here and being with her friends. She lived through them all and wondered to herself if they were doing alright, and figured that she would find out tomorrow when she met up with them.

A cry of a morning bird drew her from her musings and alerted her to the breaking dawn; sighing, she made her way to her bed to catch a few minutes of sleep. All too soon, the yell of Maru telling her breakfast was ready woke her and she yawned before getting up to go eat.

"Morning Kagome, you look tired; did you sleep well?"

"Eh…" was her only answer as she went to get her breakfast. She ignored Maru's laughter as she ate and gave her a glare that only contributed to more laughter from the demon.

All too soon they were ready to leave and find Kagome's companions and both of them were saddened by it.

"Before we go Maru, I have a surprise for you: Close your eyes and I'll lead you there okay?"

"Kagome, you didn't have to do anything for me," even while saying this she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be led.

Kagome's breath caught in her throat as she stepped through the door and into the Eden her powers had created. She got a hold of herself and turned Maru around so that when she opened her eyes she would see her home.

"Okay Maru, you can open your eyes now."

A gasp escaped her lips as she opened her eyes to the beauty before her.

The vines that had reached the roof now covered the house, but did not burrow into it for a hold but instead held it together and insulated it. The flowers were larger than normal and seemed more brightly colored as well; the herbs were tall and strong and running rampant. The trees that had been on either side of the hut had, before, been dying, but now were lush and extremely tall; their boughs met over the huts roof and would protect it from all weather.

Maru turned to Kagome with tears in her eyes and a wide smile on her face; she hugged her with all her might because she knew that her home would always be like this; it had a Miko's blessing.

"Now who can't thank someone enough?" Maru said laughing as she hugged Kagome again.

"I don't think you know what you have given me and I thank you all the more."

"I probably don't, but if it makes you happy then I am glad to have done it for you."

No more words were spoken as they looked upon the quiet beauty of Maru's home for a few moments before turning and heading away so that Kagome could be reunited with her friends.

Maru led the way as if she already knew where to go and Kagome had an inkling that she did and smiled at that thought. An hour passed in silence as they walked and Kagome wondered if she would see her friends soon or if it would take longer to get there. Out of boredom she started to repeat the uses for certain types of plants in alphabetical order and soon Maru joined in; they laughed at themselves as they continued to walk and soon fell silent once more.

Falling into her thoughts again she wondered what the others would say when she returned and if they would be angry with her or more relieved to see her than anything else. The more she thought about it the more nervous and excited she became at the thought of being reunited with everyone. She wondered how Shippou had been faring against Inuyasha and how Miroku had been treating Sango; she laughed a little at the thought that he would be trying to comfort her, but got 'distracted' by his 'cursed' hand.

"Kagome."

Startled out of her contemplation she noticed that Maru had stopped a little ahead of her and had turned her head to look at her.

"Your companions are in the clearing straight ahead."

"You're not coming with me?"

"I cannot, I am soon to be needed elsewhere, but I will see you again, I'm sure." They shared a laugh at that both knowing that their time together for now was over. Kagome moved to stand next to Maru and engulfed her in a hug that said goodbye until the next time.

"Thank you for everything you have done for me and everything that you have given me in knowledge of the healing arts and in my Miko powers. I will never forget you and I hope to see you soon, be safe and take care." Kagome whispered into Maru's ear as she hugged her tighter.

"You have given me as much as I have given you and I hope that you take the knowledge you have gained and put it to good use. Goodbye my little one, I will see you again." Kagome laughed at the nickname and gave a final squeeze before letting go and watching Maru turn and leave her to her fate.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself she steeled herself for the worst and prepared herself to walk into the clearing.

Slowly she moved toward the clearing and what she saw stopped her right inside the tree line.

A/N: There ya go, let me know whatcha think!