Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just this story.
Chapter 4
The Bone-Eater's Well
Jikansei drifted in and out of consciousness. In the brief moments of his wakefulness, a child demon paraded past him.
"A weak demon!" cried the little demon triumphantly.
"I mean no harm," he croaked. "Please…help me."
The little demon scampered off, terror flashing in his emerald eyes. Moments later, he felt a gentle hand squeezing water from a cloth into his mouth. He drank it gratefully, cracking his eyes open to see his savior.
"A priestess!" he cried, drawing away from her.
"I won't harm you," promised the priestess. "Please, let me help you."
Jikansei had no choice. The priestess fed him more water, then a dense black square. The strange concoction of herbs returned some strength to his trembling body.
"A strange priestess you are…" he murmured.
"I do not exterminate demons who mean no harm," she said solemnly. "If you are well enough, follow me to Kaede's hut so that I can treat you properly."
Jikansei stumbled to his feet and accompanied the priestess. They were soon joined by a half-demon, who darted in and yanked the priestess away.
"Kagome, you idiot! What makes you think you can trust a demon?" cried the half-demon.
"Put me down, Inuyasha!" commanded the priestess. "I know it's a demon, but his demonic aura is…different. It's pure."
The half-demon named Inuyasha released the priestess.
"If you want to be helpful, carry him," instructed the priestess.
The half-demon knelt in front of Jikansei. Jikansei climbed onto his back. How weak I am…seeking the help of a priestess and a half-demon.
The priestess led him to a small hut, where the half-demon let him down gently onto a straw mattress. The priestess returned to his side and tipped a silvery liquid down his throat.
"That'll help you relax," she said. "Now…what is your name?"
"Jikansei," he replied feebly.
"Jikansei, you can rest here in peace. For as long as you mean no harm to this village, nobody will attempt to harm you."
When Jikansei was conscious, he found that he had enough strength to move with ease. The kind priestess was tending the fire. An elderly priestess sat by her side, cooking stew.
"You're finally awake, Jikansei," said the priestess. "Would you like some stew?"
"No, Priestess."
The half-demon sat in a corner, leering at him. "Care to explain yourself?" asked the half-demon.
"Inuyasha! Be kind!" scolded the priestess.
"No, Priestess, I understand his alarm. Please do allow me to explain myself."
The elderly priestess passed around bowls of stew as Jikansei prepared to tell his story.
"I came here seeking the Bone-Eater's Well."
The half-demon's ears twitched. The priestess nearly dropped her bowl of stew.
"Does this well have any significance to you?" asked Jikansei, rather surprised.
"Yes, but I think it's best if we explain after you tell your story."
"My late Father, brother and I are protectors of the Sunadokei. My father passed away last night, after a vicious battle. The responsibility of protecting the Sunadokei was passed onto me…Jirou, my younger brother, was enraged. Jirou has always been far more powerful than I. He fully expected the Sunadokei to be passed onto him. In his rage for not inheriting the Sunadokei…and in his grief of losing Father, he attacked me and stole the Sunadokei. Father once told me that shall the Sunadokei ever go in harm's way, I must seek out the protectors of the Bone-Eater's Well and plead for their help."
"What exactly is this Sunadokei?"
"Time." Jikansei paused. "Whomever wields the Sunadokei wields time."
Jikansei peered at the curious group of people assembled around him. They seemed to be absorbing this information without much trouble.
"If you're so weak, how did your father expect you to protect something so important?" exclaimed the half-demon.
"What you see before you is the tiniest fraction of my true strength," replied Jikansei. "When the Sunadokei chooses its successor, it bonds with the new successor's soul. My strength becomes the Sunadokei's…the Sunadokei's strength becomes mine. When Jirou attacked me and stole the it from me, he stole most of my strength…most of my soul."
The priestess and half-demon shared a knowing glance.
"If you know the protectors of the Bone-Eater's Well, please lead me to him!"
"I think…I think I may be the protector."
Jikansei turned in surprise to the priestess.
"Y-you, Priestess?"
"My name is Kagome. I'm really from 500 years into the future…I passed through the Feudal Era and my own time through the Bone-Eater's Well. My family in the future…we protect the shrine that hides the well."
"I see. So you will help me recover the Sunadokei?"
The half-demon stepped protectively in front of the priestess.
"Whoa, she never said anything like that."
"Whoever possesses the Sunadokei is entitled to immense strength. Jirou was powerful before he took it…you cannot even fathom the strength he must possess now," he snapped harshly. "Father passed the Sunadokei on to me because Jirou lacks the steadfastness of mind to wield it. He will travel through time to avenge Father, I am certain of it. Using the Sunadokei for such matters will disrupt time itself-we may soon live in a shattered world." He turned to the priestess. "Now, Priestess, will you help me or not?"
"I…I suppose I will," Kagome stammered.
"She's not doin' anything until you explain everything," snarled the half-demon.
"Half-demon," boomed Jikansei, putting as much force he could muster into his voice. "My threat is no idle bluff. I am certain that Jirou will travel to the past to avenge my father, help him survive. Shall he do such a thing, time itself shall be disturbed. There will be no past…present…future. Even the slightest interruption will leave behind a broken world that even I would be incapable of fixing." He glanced at the Priestess. "Your beloved Priestess may be hurled back into her own time, never to return."
Inuyasha faltered.
"Are you so selfish, half-demon, that you will purposefully ignore the fate of the entire world so you can be alone with your priestess?" he asked harshly. "Reconsider your priorities, half-demon. Will you let your priestess languish in a shattered world, or will you take the chance to save it from chaos?"
Jikansei's words cut Inuyasha to the heart. A shattered world…the thought frightened him. Kagome, hurled back to her own time, unable to return…his body trembled at the possibility. Take the chance to save it from chaos? Inuyasha had no choice.
"Damn it," he muttered, glaring at Jikansei. "Damn it.
Jikansei's expression softened at his distress. "Forgive me for my harshness, but the situation is desperate."
"I…I won't let Kagome go alone," he stated firmly.
"I wouldn't expect you to," agreed Jikansei.
Inuyasha and Kagome slept in Kaede's hut that night, to keep an eye on the suspicious demon. Despite all that he had told them, there was something unsettling about the demon. He looked to be around 20 years of age, with flawless, marble white skin and blonde hair that nearly reached his waist. He could have passed as a gorgeous human, if not for his ancient, vividly blue eyes. Something about his eyes reminded Kagome of the blue void that she would float through in the pathway between her birth era and the Feudal Era. He didn't feel entirely complete either, and that frightened her.
Do not let anger fuel the Sunadokei…
Jikansei's eyes flew open, his father's warning echoing in his throbbing head. From his corner, he glanced at the sleeping priestess and the half-demon that sat by her side protectively. He shifted positions, and the half-demon glared at him.
"You were not sleeping," said Jikansei mildly as Inuyasha continued to glare at him.
"Keh. I don't trust you yet."
Jikansei smiled. "I take no offense."
"Why the Bone-Eater's Well? Why…Kagome?"
Jikansei could sense the vulnerability in his voice. "You sound troubled."
"Answer my question," replied Inuyasha gruffly.
"You know the capabilities of the well and the Sacred Tree better than I," replied Jikansei. "I cannot say why it is this portal, but it was my father who commanded me to seek the aid of the Bone-Eater's Well and its guardians."
"This portal? You mean…there are more?"
"Yes." Jikansei paused. "What I tell you now are the deepest secrets of my family…I beg you not to speak of this to anyone else but the priestess."
Inuyasha nodded solemnly.
"There are seven portals. The Sunadokei holds power over the seven demon spirits that preside over these portals. I suspect that my father wished for me to speak to the demon spirit of the Bone-Eater's Well…why I must begin with this particular portal, I cannot say."
"Then what are you waiting for?" retorted Inuyasha. "Go speak to the demon spirit!"
"Are you so ignorant? Demon spirits are not easily awakened…in my weakened state, I have no means of doing so."
"There must be some way…" Inuyasha muttered.
"Tell me…does the priestess have some kind of special connection to the well?"
"I…I suppose," said Inuyasha thoughtfully. "The well re-opened for her after it had closed for three years. I always wondered if there was some kind of otherworldly force that sensed our longing."
"Then perhaps…perhaps my father expected the well to respond to the priestess!" exclaimed Jikansei triumphantly.
"But how will Kagome speak to the well? It's not like they've ever communicated…"
"I suppose this is an issue we will tend to when the sun rises…"
Jikansei drifted off to sleep once more, his body still in severe disrepair from his brother's nearly fatal attack. Inuyasha watched him the entire night.
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