In the Southern edge of the Western Lands, there lives a dark miko. She had always lived a low profile life. She was careful not to alarm other mikos, monks, or even the lords of the lands. No, she wasn't afraid of them, but it was trouble unwanted. Besides, she wasn't your average dark miko. She always had a soft spot for humans and youkai who couldn't defend themselves from tyrant lords, human and youkai alike.
For the past few years, humans and youkai wanted her aid because of this new Lord of the Southern Lands. They wanted to evade his wrath. She had tried to get them to talk about it, but they were too frighten to speak of their troubles with the new lord. It was getting tiresome. She would enlist the help of the lord of the land who currently resides, but they weren't really on good terms, because of what happened to her best friend. However, if he wasn't her best friend's brother. Nothing would spare him from her wrath. He should consider himself fortunate because she would made his life a living hell.
Suddenly, she felt a familiar aura coming toward her hut.
"Hmm, who would that be?"
She decided to meet the person. She quickly walked to where she felt the aura coming from. She wondered who would it be. She hoped it was her best friend, but that would seemed doubtful. When she finally had gotten close to the familiar aura. She gasped.
"Gina, is that you?"
Gina was startled when she heard her name being called.
"Yes, who are you? How do you know my name?"
"I am insulted that you don't remember my voice, Gina. After all, I did learned from under you and Midoriko."
Gina gasped.
"Zokushi*? Is that you?"
Zokushi rolled her eyes. "Yes, Gina, it's me. Who else would it be?"
With that said, she walked out from the moonlight shadows. She had a black cloak over her strange looking attire. It wasn't a kimono, but it resembled more like modern clothing...sort of.
"Can we talk in your hut?"
She nodded.
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Meanwhile in the Western Palace, Inukimi was in her bedroom asleep. She was dreaming...or having a nightmare.
Inukimi: (hugging her daughter) Oh, my sweet Inuki, I am so glad that you are alright. They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Inuhime looked at her as if she was a stranger.
Inukimi: Inuki? Inuki? Please answer me.
Inuhime didn't say a word. In fact, she looked like Sesshomaru when he had his usual stoic mask in place. Inukimi looked in her eyes. Her eyes looked as if there was no soul; no life. Whatever was standing before her was only a shell of her daughter.
Inukimi: What happened to you, my daughter? What did they do to you?"
Still no answer.
Inukimi: Damn it, Inuhime! Answer me!
In that instant, Inuhime grab her throat and slammed her against the wall. By doing so, Inukimi screamed in pain as blood spat out of her mouth. She was grasping for air. Every time she tried to move to push her away, Inuhime applied a little more pressure.
Inukimi: Inuhime, please, stop. I know that you do not want to do this. Snap out of it, Inuhime!
Suddenly, Inukimi saw a gleam a life inside of her eyes. She not only heard her daughter, but also her beast combined voices.
Inuhime/Beast: Mother, please forgive m-me. I could not control it. I could not fight it. Without my full powers, I am unable to resist this curse. Please, mother, help m-me.
Inukimi: How Inuhime?
Inuhime: You must unseal my powers or I won't be able to resist the curse or any other spell he will use against me. Mother, please hurry I am running out of time.
As she said that, Inukimi saw the pain in her eyes. She knew that whatever this evil being was up to what he was planning. Then, afterwards, those blank and soulless eyes returned in full force. Just when Inukimi thought, she was dieing. She woke up panting and breathing heavily. She knew that this wasn't just a nightmare, but a warning. She was not about to loose her daughter to some psychopathic bastard. She could feel her beast ragging inside. It was snarling and growling ferociously. It was demanding to help and protect their daughter whatever it took to do so. Even if, it would sacrificed her life then so be it.
She got off her futon and put on her robe. The inner beast was making an appearance. It was making all sorts of snarling and growling noises. It was so loud that it woke everyone up from their slumber. She left her rooms and made her way to the room of records, which stored all official documents.
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Inside the hut of the Semi-dark miko, she and her guest sat down on a couple of zabuton* as an orphaned girl served them tea.
"Thank you, child. You may go play outside, but DO NOT go too far," the miko said with a stern voice.
"You're welcome, Zoku. I promise that I won't go too far. I will be where you can sense my aura."
The miko nodded her head as if to let the girl know that she heard what she'd said.
"Um, Zokushi?"
"Yes?"
"I don't think she should go outside since it is about midnight."
"Oh, she likes to play outside in the dark because there are fireflies. She loves catching them. Of course, she lets them go after she was done with them. Oh, what brings you here?"
"I must apologize for not giving you notice of my arrival, but it's urgent."
"I could see that. So, what's the urgency?"
"It's about Inuhime."
Once she heard her best friend's name, she dropped and broke her tea cup.
"Damn it!"
Gina gave her an 'are you ok' face expression.
"Damn that was one of my mother's tea cups. I inherited them after my mother died. Anyways, what has happened to Inuki? Is she alright?"
"I guess I should start from the beginning."
Gina told her of what she known about the situation with Inuhime.
"I see. So, this evil bastard has abducted my best friend. Do you know who this person is?"
"Unfortunately, no, we have no clue whatsoever."
"I see. What do you want me to do to help?"
"We were hoping that you could somehow reverse the curse?"
"What? You forgot to mention a curse."
"My apologizes. It must slipped my mind."
"Slipped your mind? How can something like that slipped your mind?"
Gina shrugged. Zokushi sighed. "Alright. What kind of curse was it? Or you don't know?"
"Yes, I heard of the curse. It's a blood curse."
"A blood curse?" Gina nodded. "A blood curse is fatal. You know that, right?"
"Yes, I know, but it just a curse that could be reversed, right?"
Zokushi sighed. "A blood curse isn't just a curse. Yes, a minor curse could be reverse by anyone who knows what they are doing, but a curse blood...is something all together different. I need to know what kind and how was it performed before I could take any action."
"You don't think I know that! I just want to help her before something bad is going to happen!"
"Something bad? What do you mean?"
"I mean...okay, you know that the Western Court concealed her powers, right?" Zokushi nodded. "Okay, normally, the Silver Inu are very special to the earth, moon, and sun gods. They were blessed with divine blood."
"Divine blood?"
"Yes, how else can a youkai be blessed to have reiki like humans."
"But you are also a miko-youkai like me and Inuhime. Are we somehow related to them?"
Gina sighed. "I don't know, but it's possible. Anyways as I was saying, since they had divine blood. It's very unlikely like they could be tainted by dark and light reiki and their magic. Another words, they are completely immune to being purified by a miko or a monk."
"So their blood and youki are able to neutralize any reiki that could possibly harm them. Hmm...that's interesting. How do you know this?"
"My grandfather told me the legend. He said it happened many millennia ago."
"Okay, I see now how this is strange. It's strange indeed, since Inuhime and Sesshomaru are a part of the Silver Inu Lineage. It makes sense that they are immune to purification from anyone with reiki powers. Hm. I bet they won't even comprehend why the earth, moon, and sun gods has blessed any youkai so. I really want to see the faces of those goodie-two-shoes if they tried to purified any descend of the Silver Inu lineage. It would be priceless."
Gina chuckled. "Yes it would. Remember, though, it isn't just purification but spells that could do any harm to them. That's why it doesn't make any sense. If they are immune to dark and light magic, then how did Inuhime was affected. I fear that if we don't try to do anything...something, she will die of this blood curse."
"Hmm, I may have something, but it's a long shot. I will need the Gurimoa*. I don't have one here. My mother once said that all sacred books like that are at our alpha's library. The problem is: I don't know who my alpha was. I don't know because my parents died when they just started teaching me about the dark and light magical arts. They basically taught me the basics like placing a shield barrier around me to protect me from other youkai and identifying medicinal herbs. That's how far I'd gotten before I met you and Midoriko."
"Yes, I remember. Your parents were dear friends of mine. They made me your godmother when you were just a newborn pup."
"Your my godmother. Why you never told me that?"
"There was no reason, too, because we made an instant connection with each other. I treated you as if you were my own daughter."
Zokushi was touched by her admission. She had never thought how much she meant to her godmother.
"Is that why you gave me so much tough love?"
"Yes. Um, I would think that our lord has the Gurimoa in his library. There would be only way to find out if we are indeed somehow related to our lord. You see, every lord of the lands and/or his family has there own stash of sacred books that had been passed on from one generation to the next. If we are related; the better it will be for us. We should get going, then. I mean, I don't wish to hurry you, my goddaughter, but this is an emergency."
"Does his lordship really want me there? After all, we aren't on the best of terms. We hadn't been a over a century now."
"My dear, he was willing to come with my sister to come fetch me. If it was for someone else, he would had only left it to my sister. I won't lied to you, but he and his father were reluctant to let you come in their palace. They would feel better if you wear these anti-reiki cuffs."
"Gina, seriously? If I wanted to make...what? Wait a minute. Did you just say that their father was alive?"
"Yes, but that's a long story. We need to make haste. Bring what you must, but keep it light."
"I have no qualms about that, but I need to take my ward. I am the only one that she has, right now. So I need to bring her along."
"I imagine that they won't mind. Lord Sesshomaru has a young human girl and a kitsune pup living with him. Believe it or not, he mated with a human woman."
"Oh. That's shocking to say the least."
Zokushi called her ward and told her to pack the usual items when they go help someone and some change of clothes. The girl obeyed with a smile on her face.
"Zoku, we are all set and ready to go. I am so ready to leave this place. I am looking forward to our next adventure, are you?"
"Yes, I am. Now, are the horses ready?"
"Yes. Three, correct?"
"Yes, milady."
"Good. I believe we are set to go."
"Yay!"
"Horses, Zokushi?"
"They are Inuhime's horses. She'd let me borrow them. Oh, can you call Kimomo? We need to bring her, too."
"We are bringing her, too! Yay! Kimomo!"
"Kimomo? You take care of her neko*, too."
"Of course, why wouldn't I? They are mine as much as they were hers. We shared a lot of things. We are like sisters. I can't really explain it, but when I first saw her. We made an instant bond. Sometimes, I wish we were sisters."
"Ok, Zoku, we are now already set to go!"
"Well, let us go. The sooner we get there; sooner we could help Inuhime."
"Indeed. Zokushi."
"Gina, please call me Zoku. When you call me 'Zokushi', it makes me feel old."
Gina laughed. So the trio were making their way to the Western Palace.
Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi
Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari