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Beta: Cstorm86

The Miko's Choice

A young woman, frail and delicate, walked beside her mother across the shrine grounds. They just finished their prayers and were going to have a little walk through the area. The girl's mother seemed happy to see her daughter outside of the house and looking more healthy than in previous months. A part of the girl wondered what had happened to the young man that had went up the mountain the previous evening.

The girl's rusty-brown eyes swept across the small shrine, modest buildings and the lush green of the forest surrounding the place like a soft cushion of nature. Somehow she felt better in this place than anywhere else. It felt almost as if this place had an aura of serenity and healing.

Suddenly the girl stopped, looking at a man sweeping the far side of the yard. His red traditional robe seemed to almost glow in the low rays of the morning sun. Or maybe it was because his hair was the most unusual shade of silvery white.

The girl found herself wanting to reach her hand and comb her fingers down that waterfall of hair. He wore a rice straw hat on his head, completing the look that made her immediately feel like she'd stepped back in time to long passed ages.

The man moved with efficiency and effortless grace, step after step, his broom moving in an almost hypnotic motion.

As if feeling her gaze on him, he lifted his head and the girl gasped.

From under the rim of his hat, she could see a pair of stunning fiery golden eyes looking straight at her from a young, handsome face.

The girl gaped at him. She didn't know him, yet she felt as if she knew those intense yellow eyes. She'd never spoken to him, yet she somehow knew his voice was cool and indifferent, strong and full of authority. She didn't know his name, but somehow she was sure that he loved to watch storms rolling over the forests and mountains. He looked so exotic, yet at the same time his looks didn't startle her as much as the fact that she felt... familiarity with this man she'd never seen before. And yet... there was something that didn't look right in how he looked. There was something different, she knew it. These eyes were too expressive, too innocent. The hair was too unruly. The clothing was too plain.

And, no matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn't come up with any idea why she felt this way.

"Kaguraya?" asked her mother, worried. The girl glanced to her mother to soothe her concerns. When she turned back to look at the man, he was already gone, his work finished.

.

The forest felt ancient and otherworldly. After visiting the other world it was hard not to compare the forests in both places. Yes, the forest of the youkai world had been shrouded in darkness, with danger lurking in every shadow, but she could remember the tall, ancient trees, so similar to those surrounding her as she walked under their swaying limbs, dappled light filling the air with spots of gold and yellow, and rich brown. She was pretty sure that both forests shared the ethereal beauty and hoped one day she could have a walk through the other forest without worrying about spider youkai, poor Hojo and Inuyasha.

When they'd jumped in the well, her shrine guardian had held her tightly to himself, as if he'd been expecting her to try and struggle to get free. She'd been caught off guard by his reveal that it had been his brother approaching. Thanks to this, she'd cried out in surprise only when he'd landed on the dry floor of the well, just to leap out, the air rushing past them, free pf the heavy weight of the approaching youki. She'd wanted to ask about that, but there hadn't been enough time.

The miko had had to deal with putting the unconscious Hojo in bed, with Inuyasha's help. She'd had to explain everything to her grandfather, who had been worried for them and had been up for the better part of the night. And finally, she'd had to find a place for Sango and Kirara to stay. The other woman had been stunned with the shrine, but had tried to contain her curiosity and wonder for the time being. After performing the shrine duties for the morning, finally, Kagome had collapsed onto her bed for a much needed nap, Inuyasha demanding that he could deal with the visitors and call her if needed.

After waking up a few hours later, feeling much better, Kagome had prepared a simple, quick meal for everyone, It had been nice to have everyone at the table for lunch... well, almost everyone.

Inuyasha, the benevolent shrine guardian who had made sure they could catch a few hours of shuteye, had been missing. So now,, certain that the others could take care of themselves for a while, with a haphazardly made bento box, Kagome walked in the shadows of the forest, headed towards a very specific tree.

Since her awakening her mind had been drifting back to the events of the night, to the dark forest, the fight and escape, to the spider youkai sneaking on them in the gray light of predawn. Her mind had been lingering on the shattered memories that she had glimpsed in Inuyasha's feverish thoughts. Even now, as she was walking through the forest she came to know and love, she was deep in thought, thinking about all the terrible commands, all the pain and prejudice Inuyasha had suffered in his years as a shrine guardian. The deity that had once offered him a roof to stay under surely wouldn't approve of the continuation of this abuse. She remembered how her grandfather told her about the kotodama, how he made it clear she knew it was a last resort thing and not just a lever to keep the inu hanyou controlled. She totally agreed with him, using spells to make others do your biding was not the right thing to do. Now she was perfectly aware how much her ancestors had abused the kotodama of the one who should be their partner, not a living tool.

It was no wonder Inuyasha was so antisocial, unwilling to trust and had attitude issues. He was like a dog that was chained to a fence post instead of being taught trust and companionship.

She wasn't sure what kind of miko she was going to be, but she was sure that she was going to make some changes around the shrine. Starting with the most noble and powerful komainu. From what she had gathered from Lady Kaede's words, Inuyasha was of noble blood - not that it mattered to her - and had a good heart - something she already knew well - and Kagome wanted to make him show that side of him, lose some of his hostility and step into the light beside her instead of lurking in the shadows.

Kagome had no doubt in her heart that together they could brave any rampant youkai. The decision solidified in her mind and she lifted her head, smiling and taking in the ambiance of the forest, relaxing her shoulders and walking a bit faster.

It happened like it could in a dream. One minute she was walking alone, dry leaves crunching under her shoes, the other there was a shadow walking next to her, his head on similar level to hers, white like fresh snow and just as silent. He seemed right where he belonged as he walked beside her under the ancient trees.

With the corner of her eye she observed him walk, an otherworldly canine, that carried within himself a heart and soul of a human. There was no falter in his step, his lean body flexing under his fur coat as he walked, tail low, ears alerted, red and golden eyes looking straight ahead. His youki was tightly kept to him, as if he was trying to hide his presence from her. Or just was anxious about something.

She could remember him as a human, head of dark hair tilted forwards as he labored every step, breath ragged. She remembered him as a hanyou wielding a magic sword, an image of power and anger. She remembered his hold on her, secure and warm as he jumped in the well.

The Sacred Tree meadow looked eerily calm and tiny after what had transpired in the meadow beyond the barrier between worlds. There were no scars on the ground, no big stretch of grass that led to the old well. Yet, the Tree was the same, welcoming them both, sharing its serenity.

"Inuyasha..." she started and turned to look at him. He sat on his hind legs
- a perfect replica of the komainu statues guarding the shrine. It was hard to read his furry face, but in his eyes she saw wariness and annoyance. "I wanted to talk to you."

'You can always tell me what you want,' came his mind voice, tense and low. She guessed he could sense her uncertainty and that made him tense up like this. 'We share a mind link, so you don't have to haul your ass into my forest.'

Kagome shook her head and stepped closer to the dog, her hands running from the base of his ears down his neck to where the beaded collar rested against the shaggy ruff. He looked at her for a moment, his eyes guarded and deep..

"I wanted to talk to you face to face, silly," she smiled at him, hoping to ease some of his tension. He cocked his head like a confused puppy and she found herself hard pressed not to reach and rub his cute ears. But she stopped herself before that, this talk was going to be a serious one and they didn't need a distraction. "About last night."

'Ah, yeah!' he bared his teeth at her and growled, his ears laying back. 'You didn't run to the Sacred Tree like I told you to! If not for that girl, you'd be dead by spider youkai! What were you thinking, wench?'

She didn't feel scared by the sight of his fangs and his growl. Still, she took a step back, resting her hands on her hips and glaring at him. She felt her temper rising when she looked at him, remembering him from the previous night.

"Listen, buddy, you tricked me into leaving your side! I was worried for you and..."

'Tricked!' the dog cut in with a bark. He rose to all his feet and stood in an agitated pose, tail up like a challenge. 'I gave you a legit way to get rid of the youkai before they could do me in! And you just stood there like an idiot, waiting for them to catch you!'

"No! I did not! I was going... Wait, what, so this kagura dance would've really purified them away?" she lost her focus on being angry.

The dog stared at her for a second, his tail lowering in disbelief. 'When did I give you an instruction that wouldn't work,wench? Do you trust me so little?' he added, his ears drooping ass he looked away from her.

"What? No! Of course I trust you! I was just..." she stammered, realizing how he must feel, after so many of her predecessors not trusting in him. "I just... I never did that before! And you weren't answering, so you couldn't tell me what to do! I was so scared and confused, and tired... I didn't want to abandon you... I wanted to do something to help you... And I do trust you, please, believe me... I am not like the others...""

She felt shame and guilt flood her heart at the memory of his past. She'd seen only glimpses, but it made it perfectly clear to her that things had to change. Well, they were changing with how her grandfather was already treating him better than the others, but it was too little for her. Besides, it was true - without him telling her the steps, she couldn't dance the kagura. She'd seen it done before, but had never paid much attention to which step was after which, how the hands should be and all the tiny details that for sure were important.

'Others?' his voice was uncertain and quiet. She bit her bottom lip.

"My predecessors. They were so bad to you, so cold and harsh," she blinked away tears when she remembered how they used his name to bind him so tightly with their commands. It was hard, to realize that her ancestors weren't as good as she'd like them to be.

He didn't answer for a long minute and she glanced at him. He was no longer angry at her for not following his instructions. He was sitting, stock still, looking straight at her.

'You saw.'

It wasn't a question. It was vague, but at the same time it was very clear to her, what he meant. She lowered her head and nodded, anxiously running the hem of her sleeve between her fingers.

"I did. I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry, but... It wasn't like I could stop it," she uttered. "I'm so sorry, Inuyasha. You never deserved to be treated in such a manner. I swear, I will do whatever I can to make it up to you."

Without waiting for his answer, she reached both hands towards him and grabbed the collar wrapped around his neck. The beads were tied to his kotodama, through them her reiki influenced him. Maybe it was just her imagination, but they felt oddly heavy for a string of wooden beads, as if every command of her ancestors was weighting them down. And he had endured this weight for so long, loyal to his deal with the kami. He had had no choice in the matter, the kotodama binding him. But she - she had a choice. Even if it meant he could just leave her behind, she refused to keep her friend collared like this. They were supposed to be partners and she refused to hold this kind of power over him.

Before she could yank the collar up and over his head, the hanyou in front of her shifted forms. It felt a bit weird to feel his youki wrap around him, his change instantaneous. A pair of clawed hands grabbed onto her wrists, forcing her to lower the necklace to where it rested against his shoulders His hold was firm, but didn't hurt.

Golden eyes glared straight into hers.

"What are you doing wench?"