~Forest and Sky~
by Paw85
Ch 24 – On my mind
Day – 17
'It's not working! My power isn't enough! What do I do!?' Kagome thought wildly as the monstrous parasite screeched at her from across the snowy field, 'I don't have anything left...I'm so tired...'
Shrrieeeeeeek! She looked up just as the monster charged through her, screeching as it went!
She lay there in the melted snow, body burning like fire, air crackling from the clashing of their auras. Her stomach lurched violently as she barely turned over just in time to vomit from the monster's putrid stench. Everything hurt. Desperate tears began to fall down her dirt smeared face.
Pant...pant... "Hng...guh..." she struggled to rise up onto her elbows.
'Get up!...I gotta get up!' she kept internally yelling at her body to move but every inch came with jolts of stinging pain coupled with searing burns!
Large parts of her clothes had brunt away from the monster's touch. Her skin was littered with blotches of varying, angry hues of red, pink and brown and numerous small rivers of blood. Her hair was singed all over and smoking. How coming into such direct contact with the parasite didn't leave worse injuries was a complete mystery to her yet the pain was still overwhelming. Maybe her reiki power decreased the severity a bit somehow?
"Kagome! Stay behind me!" Inuyasha suddenly appeared in front of her, "I'll distract it, you run!"
Before she could answer, he tore off headlong at the giant pile of sludge!
Kagome struggled to reach out after him to object but he was already gone. She tried to yell but words wouldn't come out. She looked around for her bow but it was on the other side of the clearing.
In the next beat, a snarling Hayate dashed past her in the same direction after the hanyou!
'No! Inuyasha! Hayate! Don't go near it!' she mentally screamed as more tears cascaded down her face!
'Move!...Come on, move!' she kept trying in vain to go help her friends!
The snow was beginning to stain scarlet underneath her injured body when she heard Inuyasha scream in terror, followed by sharp lupine whines mixed in with shrieks of the monster!
All the priestess could do was lay there helpless in the snow as she choked out in a hoarse, labored whisper, "Hay...ch..n...Inu...".
She sobbed harder as their cries died out one after the other while the beast's voice continued to pierce the air!
'No...no...Hay-chan...Inuyasha...' the miko dropped her head in despair, 'It's all my fault...it's all my fault! I challenged it and now they're dead! I wasn't strong enough!'
The surrounding wood began to echo many other voices that she recognized from Jun and his family, Hakkaku, Ginta, Granny Mio, Nami and the kids...everyone she cared about all yelling in a horrid cacophony of terror and pain!
She strained to cover her ears from the gruesome auditory assault, heart breaking over and over at losing those she held dear to this thing!
"Eyuck...what the hell is that!?" Kouga suddenly appeared next to her, "What kind of trouble did you get yourself into now?" he looked down at her bloody, burnt state.
Kagome's teary eyes widened in surprise, 'K-Kouga? Where did he come from?'
"K-Kou...don't..." she tried to warn him as the noxious pile of sludge turned in their direction.
"Never mind, that thing obviously has to go," he turned to meet the thing's gaze.
Kagome coughed in vain, trying to find the strength to utter more than a few broken syllables, 'Kouga, don't attack it! You don't know what you're up against!'
As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared into battle with the gooey horror! Kagome barely saw his back before losing sight of him but she could still hear the sounds of the fight. She could hear him struggling against the beast, cursing that his attacks weren't working, roars from the monster as it pursued its target and an ear-splitting howl of pain!
'Kouga!' she gasped, 'I have to help him...I have to...' she managed to pull her body forward half an inch in the blood stained snow, 'That thing will kill him! I have to...get to him...'
She exhaled a grunt of intense effort from trying to move. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to reach him!
A few moments later, all signs of a battle subsided and the miko's head snapped up to see who emerged victorious. Dread filled her being as the parasite came into view and made its way to her.
'No...no...Kouga, he...you didn't...' new tears began to form, heart shattering all over again.
"Kouga!" she suddenly found her voice, "KOUGA!"
The huge pile of muck stopped and loomed over her, slime bubbling and dripping down its disgusting body.
She looked up at its face, broken. This had to be it. She couldn't do a damn thing to fight back and it killed everyone that tried to face it. All she could do now was succumb to this monstrosity. As it stared down unflinching at her while opening its massive maw, she shut her eyes in preparation for the end.
'I'm so sorry, everyone...' one more tear fell down her cheek, 'Kouga...'
"Kagome! Kagome!" Inuyasha whispered hurriedly, shaking her shoulders, "Wake up! You're having a nightmare!"
Gasp! Kagome sat bolt upright, beads of sweat dotting her forehead and tracks of tears running down her face!
"Wha? What?" she looked around wildly, short of breath, expecting to still be in the snowy woods but realizing she was in a home next to a delightfully warm hearth.
Inuyasha was right next to her, completely alive and unharmed. Hayate was also next to her snuffling her face and giving a comforting lick.
"Oi! Nobody's hurt; we're all safe," the hanyou tried to help the panicked miko calm down.
"What's happenin'?!" Jun rushed into the room with an axe at the ready, "Are we under attack!?"
"Lady Kagome! Lady Kagome!" Midori pushed past him to reach the weeping girl, "Are you alright!?"
"Hmmm, it appears there is no enemy," Ken helped peel his son off the wall that Midori had pushed him into in her worry, "How many times I gotta tell you, boy? Always be aware of your surroundings...and watch out for your mother when she's worried or upset."
"Hng...right, Pop..." Jun shook his head to get his senses straight, "Looks like nobody broke in or anythin'..." he mused, surveying the living room.
"Lady Kagome, thank the gods you have revived," Midori gave the priestess a hug, relief evident all over her face, "You have been unconscious for hours and you were so pale...we were all terribly worried about you."
"Huh...Midori-san..?" Kagome seemed to come back to reality, "Jun-kun...Ken-san...Inuyasha...and Hay-chan too..?" she looked all over, taking in everyone and everything, "When did we get here? What happened?" she asked, confused.
'Oh, this poor child..' Midori fretted as Jun put down his axe against a wall and came to join the group along with his father.
"The monster!" Kagome suddenly exclaimed as memory began catching up with her, "What happened to the monster?"
"Whoah, slow down, Kagome," Inuyasha replied, "Catch your breath first."
Kagome did just that while everyone else waited for her to regain composure.
"Alright," Inuyasha began once he saw her calming, "now, what do you remember?"
"I remember...we went to Johto...then, we sensed something terrible...which was the monster...and..." the girl replayed the scenes in her head, "...and...I...I lost. I lost badly...I couldn't beat it. I threw everything I had at it and..." she trailed off as new tears began to form, voice breaking.
"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened," her hanyou companion confirmed with an expression of sympathy, "That last attack you made was crazy powerful too but I have a hunch it still wasn't enough."
"I have never felt such power like that before," Kagome placed a hand over her heart in thought, "It was...wild...intense...and then it just exploded without warning...Wait...it still wasn't enough? What do you mean?" she asked, worry mounting again.
"I just...didn't get a good feeling that we had won," the hanyou answered, "I still kept getting really bad vibes from where you blasted it."
"We have been thinkin' that ya' may have lost control over your reiki," Jun spoke up, "The same thin' happens when Pop or I lost control of our forge's fire. It goes 'boom' in your face."
"More-so ta' you than it does ta' me but who's countin'?" Ken added as a side note to Jun's chagrin.
"A-a-anyway!" Jun moved to shift the conversation away from his failings, "How are ya' feelin' Lady Kagome? Are ya' hurtin' anywhere?"
Kagome blinked a moment as if she had forgotten the injured state that led her here lying on this mat in Jun's house.
"Hm...well, I still feel really tired like I have been running non-stop for miles. I think I may have some bruises or scratches here or there from fighting the monster but I don't think anything's broken," she finished her internal body scan.
"Thank goodness," Midori smiled, breathing a sigh of solace, "Perhaps you ought to get some more rest, Lady Kagome. It is the middle of the night after all and you have been through so much."
"Oh! I'm sorry..." Kagome immediately felt ashamed.
How jarring it must have been for everyone to wake up to her screaming in the night.
"No, dear, you don't have to apologize," Midori took her hands into her own with a motherly gaze, "You have been through a lot. It sounded horrifying so it's only natural that there be some kind of reaction."
"Now, lay down and try to get some more sleep," the middle-aged woman gently pushed on the young girl's shoulders until Kagome was laying on the reed mat again, "You need to rest so you can heal," she added as she tucked Kagome in.
"Come on," she looked around the room at everyone else, "Let's all go back to bed, okay? See you all in the morning."
"G'night, Lady Kagome," Jun waved to the priestess as he returned to his room.
"Give a holler if you need somethin'," Ken helped his wife up and they both exited as well.
Kagome laid there on her mat, anxiety beginning to invade her mind, 'It was so strong...I had no chance against it. That thing could hurt so many people...and it's still alive...What am I going to do?'
"Hey," Inuyasha called softly to her, "I see you thinking. Whatever it is; leave it for another day," he made himself comfortable against a nearby wall.
'I suppose he's right,' the miko admitted.
This problem wasn't going to get solved tonight and she was exhausted. She let out a deep sigh and began to close her eyes.
"Hey, Kagome?" Inuyasha began.
Kagome turned over on her side to acknowledge him, "Yes?"
"Who's 'Kouga'?" he asked.
He recalled hearing that name only once back at Kaede's grave. Kagome had not mentioned it since then.
"Uh...um...well..." Kagome stammered as her mind just now realized that she must've yelled his name into the real world during her nightmare, "He's..."
"Is he another fleabag like him over there?" he glared at a sleeping Hayate lying next to her.
"Well, I wouldn't put it that way exactly..." the priestess hedged, wracking her brain on how to answer his question.
She had already decided that it was a bad idea to let Inuyasha in on her dealings with the alpha of the eastern wolf demon tribe. That deal she had in place with Kouga was the only thing protecting human settlements. Telling the hanyou about it could ruin everything! All of her hard work could evaporate in a matter of hours and humankind would be under threat from the wolves again!
"Oh, wait a moment..." a look of smiling mischief suddenly donned on his face as he leaned closer, speaking lower, "Maybe he's your lover? You did sound really worried about him in that dream..."
"It's nothing like that!" Kagome turned away, frustrated and angry at herself for blushing a little before turning back to meet her companion's gaze, features successfully schooled, "And like I keep telling you; Hayate doesn't have fleas! Kouga was another wolf that traveled with me for awhile but he went his own way after a bit."
"Tch, I can barely stand one of them," Inuyasha folded his arms into the sleeves of his suikan, "Can't imagine dealing with two."
"They weren't exactly the same," Kagome shook her head, "Hay-chan has become a very dear friend and traveling companion to me...but he wasn't always this way. He used to be very standoff-ish and scary. Then, one time, I shared a kill with him and we gradually got closer after that."
"Uh-huh. And this Kouga was...?" Inuyasha inquired further.
He didn't know why he bothered to ask...but, then again, this was another opportunity to learn some more about her. After all he has seen so far of her with Hayate; it wasn't much of a stretch to see her happily skipping about with two wolves. This may not help him get any closer to answering that nagging feeling that he should know her, but, might as well explore.
'Gods, why can't he just let this drop?' Kagome internally worried, 'What should I say?'
"I met Kouga before Hay-chan," she began, "He was probably the worst tempered creature I ever met...and he could be a real jerk...but he had his moments of showing a softer side that made me feel like I wanted to see more. He was really strong, stubborn, larger and faster than Hayate, intelligent (and handsome...but she fortunately had the awareness of mind to leave that part out)."
"I see," Inuyasha leaned back, bored with her answer, 'She had another wolf friend at some point; whoopty-do.'
'I'm sorry, Inuyasha,' the priestess thought to him sadly, 'but I can't just tell you everything. Gods forgive me for lying.'
Inuyasha made himself comfortable again on the other side of the hearth in preparation for sleep, "Well, I think that's enough chit-chat for now. We should sleep."
"Good night, Inuyasha," Kagome smiled softly before drifting off.
Kagome awoke the next morning to the alluring scent of cooking rice and vegetables. The aromas gently coaxed her from her slumber and put an automatic smile on her face.
"Well, look whose joined the land of the livin' again!" Jun called cheerily over the from where he was about to filet some fish.
"Ah, Lady Kagome!" Midori hurried over from steaming the rice and knelt next to the recovering girl, "You have more color in your cheeks today," she commented, holding the young girl's face in her hands, "Feelin' better?"
Kagome smiled back, "Good morning, Midori-san! Jun-kun! Yes, I am feeling more like my old self today. A good night's sleep did me a lot of good!"
"That's wonderful to hear," Midori stood back up to return to the kitchen, "Please, continue to make yourself comfortable until you are fully well. Breakfast will be ready very soon."
"Thank you so much for everything, Midori-san, but, we should get going," Kagome rose out of bed and set about gathering her things together for travel.
"Oh, I wouldn't hear of it!" Midori turned back to her, "You will need a few more day's rest at least."
"Um, but, I'm really much better now!" Kagome tried to politely decline.
She was deeply grateful for them taking care of her after that fight with the monster and she didn't want to put them out any longer. Plus, with her, Inuyasha and Hayate, it would take much more food to feed everyone. She wanted to avoid putting any undue stress on their resources.
"Don't you worry about a thing, dear," Midori continued to smile at her, "We're happy to have you and your friends."
As Kagome kept trying every excuse in the book to back out of inconveniencing them, the middle-aged woman glanced at the large wolf still snoozing on the floor and the hanyou that had walked in with Ken, each with some small freshly hunted game in tow.
'The wolf really doesn't seem all that wild. In fact, he's rather sweet with Lady Kagome,' Midori smiled, 'And that boy, Inuyasha...he did save her life from what we have heard. If they hadn't been with Lady Kagome yesterday...'
She could find no reason to feel suspicious of the miko's unconventional company any longer. All she could feel in her heart was gratitude for their presence.
"Give it up, Lady Kagome," Jun came into the living room with plates of food, "Ma always knows when someone's ill. Dunno how she does it...but she never let me out of bed when I was sick or kicked me out of it when I was healthy."
Midori chuckled softly as she took her son's face into her hands, squeezing his cheeks a bit, "I am your mother, Jun-chan, it's my job to know these things," she finished hugging him close, "You're my only little boy, after all!"
Being a young man coming of age into adulthood, Jun wasn't too fond of being babied like this in front of others...but he had also learned over the years that it was better to give his mother her way. He knew that she did it out of love for him. She would probably still do it when he's pushing thirty years old and beyond.
Eventually, Kagome gave in. Midori was extremely persuasive when she wanted to be, and if the miko were being honest, she truly didn't feel completely rested yet. She would find some way to repay their kindness, but, for now, she would wholeheartedly enjoy this respite.
Everyone helped finish the breakfast preparations and sat down to eat around an albeit small table for how large the group was but they made it work.
"Hm, I think those little thieves have been at it again," Ken gruffed.
"What, you got rats?" Inuyasha spoke through a bite of rice.
"We're not sure yet, but, whatever it is must be small," Jun took a sip of hot tea, "What they take isn't very much...but if they keep takin', we'll have trouble gettin' by for the winter."
"It just means that we'll need to be extra careful and hunt some more, boy," Ken responded, "We'll be alrigh'."
"Still!" Midori huffed in annoyance, "How dare they help themselves to our food."
""We'll help you catch them!" Kagome spoke up, happy to find a way to reciprocate them sharing their home while she recovered.
"If it's rats, should be easy," Inuyasha added.
"Then, it's settled! Those varmints are as good as caught!" Jun cheered!
"Thank you so much!" his mother smiled in appreciation.
"They seem to strike at nigh'" Ken put his empty rice bowl down on the table, "but it's not every nigh'"
"It is pretty often though," Jun added.
"Let's stake out your storehouse tonight," Inuyasha rose to his feet.
"I'll show 'ya where it is," Jun also rose and both boys exited the room.
A few beats after they left, Kagome caught Midori regarding her with worry.
"I can see that you're sufferin' more than you want others to know," she poured a fresh cup of tea for the miko.
"Oh, not at all!" Kagome flashed a big smile and flexed her arms, "I'm feeling much better!"
"'Ya always have been the type that didn't want to worry others. 'Ya are strong, capable and not afraid to face danger," Ken affirmed.
"It's part of why 'ya are as skilled as 'ya are at being a priestess..." the older man trailed off before adding, "And it may be your downfall one day. Bein' brave is fine...but know your limits and let others help 'ya," he smiled gently at her.
"There's nothin' wrong with acceptin' a helpin' hand," Midori scooted over and placed a kind hand on the young girl's shoulder, "These are troublin' times after all. We all need to help each other however we can."
'Help each other, huh?' Kagome looked into their eyes and then down at her lap in thought.
It had been her job, her purpose, for such a long time to shield the helpless and vanquish evil. This often meant handling things alone and not feeling like she could, or should, count on somebody else to help much if bat all. Her fellow humans usually didn't have the skills or courage needed to battle evil entities. She always politely declined any of them that were brave enough to offer assistance. She knew that accepting their help would be too much of a liability and would make the chances of successfully vanquishing anything slim to none. She refused to risk their lives when they really had no chance of defending themselves. Of course, she could try to protect them but then she wouldn't be able to fully focus on their opponent...which would most likely lead to a bad result anyway. Kaede's warning from her childhood about the path of the priestess being a lonely one wasn't just talking about friends or family. When she started to age into her teen years, she learned that it was also about facing evil in a way that others could not. Thus, she learned to expect to battle alone. She always told herself that it has to be this way...but it often left her feeling isolated. Almost like watching humanity from outside a growing divide. Sometimes, she didn't feel like one of them. Being human and yet not really being apart of the group.
The realities Kaede cautioned about didn't scare Kagome back in her childhood but it was steadily haunting her mind more and more as she grew older. Although a part of her yearned for a future with a loving husband and family, another part wondered if that first part was being selfish, dreaming of something unrealistic or wonder if it would balance out with her miko duties. She wouldn't be able to travel and serve mankind as she had been doing for awhile now if she had those things. Would another person understand how important it is to her to be a miko? How fair was it to expect any future children to travel about with her as needed and not put roots down anywhere? Friends were something she had to be careful with too. She would hate herself if they got hurt because of what she must do as a miko. Inuyasha was somewhat of a unique case as he was already a practiced battler and had many gifts thanks to the part of his blood that was youkai. She wouldn't have dared to ask any of the humans she cared about to go into a fight with something as horrid as that monster in the woods. In fact, that fight had gone so wrong so fast that she was wouldn't allow anyone else to stand with her if she had to face it again. Not even Inuyasha. It was too dangerous and unpredictable. If her nightmare was any indication; it was a warning of what would come to pass if another confrontation came up. She would need to think of something to stop that creature. Gods knew how many it has hurt so far before she knew anything about it...and gods knew how many more it could hurt if left unchecked.
"I can see you worryin'," Midori spoke gently to her, "That can't be good for your recovery."
Kagome smiled back at her knowing that they were both right. She won't be of much help to anyone if she doesn't take the time to take care of herself. It was such a simple concept that she often advised to others and yet often forgot when it came to herself. Such a silly, hypocritical thing. She really should take her own advice.
"Come on, Lady Kagome," Midori invited with an extended hand, "gather those dishes and let's do some washin' up."
Kagome took her hand and set about stacking the various dishes to be brought into the kitchen to clean. She made small talk with Midori as they went along while Ken went outside to start his forge for another day of work. He had an order of traps to fill for catching small game. It was such a commonly placed order that he figured the lot would be done by late afternoon or at least by dinnertime. He often made traps of various sizes for different uses throughout the autumn and into the winter. They were especially important out here for folks living in the rolling hills and valleys, far away from large towns or cities. The families in these areas counted on them for sources of food. By this point; Ken could make a bunch with his eyes closed. If it weren't for Inuyasha plotting with his son to catch the food thieves, he would have delegated the order for Jun to fill. Oh, well, there would be other opportunities for the younger blacksmith to practice his skills.
The rest of the day passed easily and before anybody knew it, the warm sun had set once more. A chilling breeze danced in the crisp, night air. Some small, dark puffs of clouds from the north began to occlude what was the crystal clear night sky.
'I wonder if we're expecting snow soon?' Kagome looked over to the horizon from behind the hut, 'Hopefully, they'll just pass on through.'
"So, what's this plan you two have been cookin' up?" she heard Midori ask from inside.
"Pretty simple, actually," Jun answered, "We just wait in hidin' until the thief shows up. Then, we'll teach them a lesson they won't soon forget!"
"Well, that is a simple plan," Midori nodded to herself as she finished preparing the last of the family dinner, "Jun-chan, would you go get your father and let him know dinner is almost ready?"
"Sure thing, Ma!" Jun rose and exited to the workshop.
"Hey, feeling any better?" Inuyasha looked up as Kagome came back into the main room with a cheery hearth going.
"I'm getting there," the miko smiled at him in response, "Midori-san made sure I rested throughout the day in-between helping with the housework."
"Stopped fighting, eh?" a teasing gleam twinkled in the hanyou's eye.
"You could say that," Kagome took a seat at the table, "What kind of priestess am I if I don't follow my own advice that I would've given to somebody else?"
"A few more days and you'll be right as rain!" Midori chirped as she set down a fresh kettle of tea on a metal, raised plate that Ken had made over a decade ago, "Just don't push yourself too hard too soon."
"Yes, M'am!" Kagome giggled.
Feeling mothered and being apart of family meals filled the young girl's heart with a welcome warmth that she didn't know how much she missed until now. There had been so much going on, physically, mentally and emotionally that Kagome had not had an opportunity to really think about it. When she would return from her travels about the countryside, she looked forward most to sharing meals and stories with Kaede. She would be gone sometimes for moons at a time so they would have much to talk about once they reunited. Kagome used to come home wondering how Kaede always had tea ready when she came back from her journey. Granny Mio whispered to her one day that Kaede always kept the hearth warm and a steaming tea kettle ready everyday in case her daughter came home. It was such a fond memory that it almost brought a few tears forth. How long ago those days felt. Everything was much simpler back then.
Everyone gathered around the table to eat and the room became lively again like it did earlier in the morning. It was so refreshing and soothing to her troubled soul.
'I have to find a way to protect this...' she thought to herself as she enjoyed her dinner, 'This warmth, this love and safety, family...I must find a way to get rid of that monster.'
Awhile later, Kagome found herself sitting near the hearth with Hayate and Midori, making small talk over tea. Ken was outside closing down the forge and Jun and Inuyasha were setting up their stakeout to catch the food thief.
"Jun-kun really has grown since I last saw him!" said the priestess as she sipped her tea.
"Oh, he is growin' like a weed," Midori chuckled in return.
"Did you know that he's got his eye on a girl in town?" Kagome leaned in to quietly share in secret.
Gasp! "Ya' don't say!" Midori lit up with a big smile, "Who's the lucky girl?"
"Hana, the seamstress's daughter," the girl answered with a giggle.
"Aw, my little boy!" Midori exclaimed before quieting herself back down, "They will make such a lovely pair. Oh, I can hardly wait! And how about you, Lady Kagome?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm not really thinking about that right now, eh-heh-heh," Kagome began to squirm with embarrassment.
"I can't think of any young man that wouldn't be happy to have you at their side," Midori poured the priestess another cup of tea, "Everyone's gotta settle down sometime."
"Yeah...well...I'm sure...," Kagome kept looking down at her lap, hating to lie to yet another person that cared about her.
The truth is that she thought about it a lot but didn't really have any solution for it. How was she meant to have something like that with how complicated her life had become?
"Dont'cha worry too much about it," the middle-aged woman smiled at her warmly, "It will happen in due time, you'll see. And 'ya got your mother up there in heaven lookin' out for 'ya! She'll make sure you find the right man to share a lifetime of love and family with!"
"Heh," Kagome half-heartedly laughed, "Jun-kun said something similar before."
Sigh "I think it's time for me to get to sleep and so should you," Midori rose to her feet, "The boys will probably stay up all night. Hopefully, they'll catch somethin'."
"Good night, Midori-san," Kagome smiled at her as she left the living room.
'She would make sure I find a good man and have a family, huh...' Kagome mused as she stared into the hearth's pleasant fire.
She looked around a few moments to find her satchel still tied to Hayate's body. He watched her intently as she looked through it before finding Kaede's journal.
'If I keep reading this,' Kagome looked down at the leather tome, 'I wonder if she'll explain more about my past or why she kept secrets from me?'
She looked up and rubbed the wolf's head with a small smile, "Let's find out, shall we?"
The young priestess took a quick deep breath and opened Kaede's journal to the next entry.
"I suppose I never told ye about my sister outside of this journal. She is...a very painful topic for me but I shall try to paint ye a picture. Her name was Kikyo and she was several years older than me. Very beautiful, graceful and powerful as a priestess. She was everything I wanted to be. I am a priestess too, as ye know, but she was a lot stronger than me. She had a true gift for the practice, just like ye. Every movement of hers was fluid and controlled. Her skill with a longbow was unparalleled and it seemed there wasn't an ailment she could not cure aside from when I lost my eye. She wasn't able to completely heal it but she did take my pain away and I will be forever grateful to her for that. I wish ye two had had a chance to meet. I think both of ye would have gotten on well with each other.
Every request she was called upon to help with, she completed expertly. She was fearless and dedicated to her miko duties. I usually went with her so I could learn from her and come into my own as a miko. Every once in awhile, she would leave me behind in Edo if she worried that the mission was too dangerous for me. Oh, how I would pace and fret from sunup to sundown, waiting for her to return on her horse. She always came back...until she didn't.
I was...maybe 10 years old or so? I can't quite remember...but I remember clearly having a terrible feeling one day while my sister was away. I kept trying to play it off as me just worrying about my sister like I always do but it wouldn't leave me be. Days stretched into weeks and then into months. She had never left me alone for this long. I was sure something must've happened and packed to go search for her. It was your Granny Mio that stopped me from going...well, she wasn't "Granny" at the time. She was around my age as a young girl and we were dear friends. She said that a traveling mercenary had been contracted to find her and bring her home. The whole village came together to pay his fee. She would say that, until we hear more, we have to stay put so that I would be there to welcome my sister home, as per always. I initially refused but ye know how Mio can be...Even as a girl, she was strong and stubborn as a mule. So I stayed at our hut and looked after things. I kept up my miko studies as my sister would've wished and I practiced with my bow everyday. I wanted to show her how much I had learned when she came home.
Eventually, that mercenary came back with the news that I feared most. He had located an area in some remote wood where a great battle had taken place. The trees for miles around were withered, black and dead. The ground was bare of grasses and scorched as if burned. He told of many patches of dried human blood. There was so much destruction that he doubted anybody survived whatever happened there. Of course, I refused to believe him. I called him a liar and yelled at him that nobody could defeat my sister! Then, he pulled out a broken longbow from his pack. I recognized it instantly as my sister's. I grabbed it from him and looked it all over. It was "cold" to the touch. I couldn't sense my sister at all in it. All I could do was fall to my knees and cry. Mio crouched down with me and held me to her. I didn't hear anything else that the mercenary said before he left the hut. I couldn't hear what anybody said. All I could focus on is that I would never see my dear sister again...would never have another lesson from her...share stories...drink tea together...Our parents were already dead years ago and now I had no family left."
Kagome put the book down in shock. A different kind of shock from when Kaede told her that they weren't biologically mother and daughter.
'...and now I had no family left...' echoed solemnly in the young girl's mind. It cut to the very depths of her soul with a heavy blade that was as sharp as it was frigid.
Having no family left...she could relate to that so much. After reading that first entry in the journal, she had felt the same piercing razor slice. Water clouded her vision as silent teardrops fell down her face. Kaede had gone through the same thing...granted somewhat different circumstances, but the same thing. The same heartbreak. Having their world turned upside-down. Feeling a profound loneliness. Kagome cried quietly as she closed the book and hugged it to her chest. Was this why Kaede never told her about her origins? As a means to protect her from feeling like she didn't have any family or anywhere to belong? To surround her with parental love as much as she could before the proverbial bubble popped?
'How horrible...' the priestess thought as she quietly sobbed, 'I can't believe she went through the same thing...'.
Hayate laid his big, furry head down in her lap with a low whine.
'Why do such horrible things have to happen? It's not fair for families to be torn apart like that!' Kagome continued to weep into her hands.
She looked down on the journal again, a maelstrom of raging emotions. Bitterness from Kaede's secrecy railed against heartache and despair over shared pain, anxiety about her future and frustration about feeling powerless to protect others. The young girl wrapped herself in a tight self hug, feeling everything at once as tears continued to fall. The life she had built with confidence, hard work and purpose felt like it was unraveling with great speed! Where is her life headed? What kind of future can she look forward to? What good was she if she couldn't shield the innocent from evil so that such tragic loss doesn't have to happen? How can she call herself a priestess if she can't defeat that parasite? A pounding heart hammered throughout her body as breaths came in short and fast! If she can't figure out what to do about that monster, then she would be a failure...a disgrace to all mikos that came before her! Her reputation was already getting sullied back in her old village. How long until it spreads to other towns? Or cities? What man is going to want her if she were known to be damaged goods? Would she have to become a hermit living in the back country somewhere to avoid the scorn and guilt form the rest of humankind?
The wolf next to her began to grow antsy and whimper as the air began to crackle with energy! He didn't understand what was happening but he knew he didn't like it!
Crash!
Kagome's head snapped up at the sudden racket as something whizzed quickly by her head!
"Stop, you little-!" Jun rushed in a moment later, followed by Inuyasha!
"Whoah, Lady Kagome!" he screeched to a stop, Inuyasha crashing into his back!
"S-sorry!" he looked around wildly, "Didj'a see 'im? Where'd he go?"
"Where did who go?" Kagome quickly dried her eyes of any remaining tears so as to avoid suspicion.
"Well, what d'ya know, the flea bag's good for something after all," Inuyasha smirked.
The young miko looked over to her lupine companion to see something small and struggling in his mouth.
"What do you have there, Hay-chan?" Kagome peered closely.
"Hey! Rrghh! Let me go! Let me go!" the little bundle yelled in protest, "Let me go right now or you'll be sorry!"
To her ears, this little creature sounded like a little boy but she soon saw the iconic pointy ears of a youkai. He had auburn hair tied back with a teal ribbon, a matching teal kimono with a leaf pattern on it, navy hakama pants and a furry vest. His hands looked human-ish, albeit with claws but his legs looked canine. Somewhere behind him was a large, poofy tail that was almost as big as he was. Hayate had him completely contained by simply holding onto the fluffy tail with his mouth.
"Not 'til I'm through with 'ya!" Jun glared angrily down at him, "'Ya have been stealin' from my family and 'ya will answer for it!"
"I only took what I needed and it's not even that much!" the thief yelled back!
"Everyone, please, calm down!" Kagome interjected, "We won't learn the whole truth of the matter if we don't settle down and work this out!"
Jun took a breath and decided that she was right. Now was the time to learn the facts before doling out any deserved punishment. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and followed the teen as they took seats near Kagome.
"So," Kagome began calmly as she addressed the little youkai, "you are the one that has been taking food?"
"Yeah, so what?" he quipped back, annoyed and embarrassed at his circumstances.
The miko smiled at his childish petulance, "What's your name?"
He refused to make eye contact with her, or respond, and folded his tiny arms for extra defiance.
"It's only because of Lady Kagome that I haven't bopped your noggin but that can still be arranged," Jun threatened, feeling extra miffed at the runt's disrespect to the priestess, "Now, are 'ya gonna cooperate?"
The boy growled a bit before begrudgingly responding, "Shippo. My name is Shippo."
"You're youkai, right?" Kagome continued, "What type of youkai are you?"
"The big, bad scary kind if you piss me off too much!" he pointed a tiny clawed finger angrily at her!
"He's a kitsune kit," Inuyasha supplied, "A fox demon."
"Uh...uh," Shippo blinked at being outed, "N-no! I'm far more scarier than that and I'm older than I look!"
"Naw, you're just a baby with your one tail," the hanyou jeered at the little demon.
"Inuyasha, that's not helping," Kagome whispered hurriedly with a glare.
"My fox magic would make you tremble with fear and send you packing! If you know what's good for you, don't mess with me!" Shippo shot back, "And, hey, are you going to put me down anytime soon?" he glared at Hayate.
"Now, now, Shippo-chan," Kagome began sweetly as she would for any young child, "Hay-chan won't hurt you if you're good. If you promise to behave, I'll ask him to let go of your tail."
Shippo surveyed the two humans and hanyou in front of him. Both of the men still wanted to hurt him but the woman felt much more friendly as she only wanted to talk. Plus, she was the only one that could get that damn wolf to let him go. He relented and nodded his agreement to be civil. Upon seeing this, Kagome motioned to Hayate to put the kit down.
'Aw, he's so small and cute,' Kagome smiled down at him, "There now, I knew we could talk this through and resolve things without any violence. Where are you from, Shippo-chan?"
Shippo had folded his arms again and looked wary but she could tell he was slowly warming up. She figured some small talk would help him feel more comfortable and willing to share information.
"From the forest, I guess," he mumbled, "Who are you?"
"I'm Kagome," the miko gestured to herself, "Over there in red is Inuyasha and the one in blue is Jun."
Kagome was happy to answer as a 2-sided conversation would help move things along.
"Why have you been stealing food?" she asked softly to the kit.
She could see his guard going back up for a moment, but, he took a breath and responded, "I have had some...trouble...hunting...and there's really not much to forage since the snow started."
"Don't you have a family or something?" Inuyasha asked.
"That's none of your business!" Shippo snapped at him angrily!
The sharp eye of the priestess saw pain flash across his face for a fleeting moment. Something deeper was at work here but she wasn't sure if they would get to hear what it is tonight. Shippo was already on the defense and acting cornered.
"Everyone, I think this is a good place to stop for now," Kagome looked between all the boys.
Jun looked at her, then at the kit, and back to her again with hesitation in his expression, "...If 'ya say so, Lady Kagome."
He felt conflicted leaving things open like this instead of giving the thief a whooping like he had planned but he trusted the miko to know what she's doing. Jun wished her a "good night" and left for his room.
"Shippo-chan, please stay here with us tonight," she smiled softly down at the bristly kit.
Shippo looked up at her surprised at her offer, "W-why would you...?"
"Yeah, 'why?' Kagome?" Inuyasha asked with concern, wary of what the young kitsune might do while they slept.
"Inuyasha, he needs somewhere safe to sleep," Kagome turned to him, " He's so young, small and it gets really cold at night."
"I don't need your help!" Shippo bristled again, "I don't need anybody's help! I'm doing just fine on my own!"
'Ah, I see...' the hanyou silently caught on, 'Good one, Kagome.'
The kit was acting alone for some reason. The why still remained a mystery but they might learn more tomorrow.
"This isn't about sympathy," Kagome continued to smile down at him, "And I'm sure you are very capable but there's more to discuss tomorrow and we're already here together...so, might as well stay together, right? After all; it's much nicer in here than out there."
Shippo looked away again. It was obvious gears were turning in his head.
"Fine.." he agreed, "I'll stay."
Kagome had to fight not to giggle at his posturing during this whole exchange. His overly zealous insistence about handling things by himself sounded like he was overcompensating for something. If she didn't know any better, she figured his behavior could be a cover for a scared little boy in over his head. After having been a working priestess for several years, she had seen this in kids many times over. Experience taught her to be patient and warm to coax them to let her help.
Hayate let out a large yawn before he laid down next his favorite human again after all this excitement. Kagome put the journal away and followed suit, pulling the covers up to her chin. Inuyasha resumed his usual sleeping spot across the hearth but he wasn't about to let himself fall completely asleep in case the kit tried something funny. Shippo looked around carefully as he had not expected tonight to end this way. Should he actually stay here with all of these strangers? Dare he sleep and let his guard down? What if they're laying a trap and they'll pounce once he closes his eyes? The only other choice was to chance it outside where things were very cold and much more dangerous. His size allowed him to fit into many hiding places but none of them would have that warm hearth over there or the nice lady, Kagome. When he was sure everyone had fallen asleep, he quietly padded over to the girl's unoccupied side and let the world of sleep take him. He hadn't visited that world in a long time.
Day – 18
"Oh, my goodness, look at that!" Kagome awoke to hear Midori exclaiming with excitement!
"You can make fire just like that?" she peered at a small blue flame floating in Shippo's hand.
"Mm-hm!" he answered with pride, "It's easy for a powerful demon like me."
"Well, isn't that somethin'? " the middle-aged woman smiled in wonder, "Is it warm like the fire in the hearth?"
"Only when I want it to be," the kit reached out his hand towards her, "Here, see for yourself."
Midori hesitated a moment when her fingers got close to the little blue flame, wary of getting burnt but the burn never happened. She moved her fingers in and out of the flame's body and didn't feel a thing.
Gasp! "This really is magic!" she inspected her hand all over to see none of the flesh had been harmed in any way, "You're amazin', Shippo-chan! Jun-chan!," she excitedly called over her shoulder into the kitchen, "Jun-chan! Look at the magic he can do!"
Jun eyed the little kit showing off on the meal table with a suspicious glare, "In case 'ya forgot, Ma, little amazin' over there has been stealing food from us for weeks. Why are you spoilin' him when he should be apologizin' and makin' things right?"
"Because," Midori stood up to respond, "'Ya don't know the whole story. The little thing has been through a lot."
" Lady Kagome has been through a lot," Jun pressed, "All he's been doin' is stuffin' his face with our food!"
"Wait just a moment!" Kagome interjected, "Midori-san, what did he tell you?"
"Why, everythin', of course," Midori nodded with victory.
Kagome was about to inquire further when Jun barged in with annoyance into the main room, "Are you kiddin' me, Ma? He's a fox demon! All of them are tricksters! He probably told 'ya a pack of lies to get on your good side!"
"Young man, I will not be spoken to in that manner!" fists came to rest on Midori's hips.
"Yeah! Who do you think you are?" Shippo protested from behind her.
"Hush now, this doesn't concern you," Midori pinned him with glare.
Shippo shrank back into himself at her sudden flip from sweet and warm to stern.
"C'mon, Ma, 'ya can't be seriously buyin' anythin' he's sellin'!" the teen pleaded with his mother to see reason.
"Well, let's just see then," Midori turned back to Shippo, who automatically straightened up under her gaze, "Tell them everythin' you told me, Shippo-chan. Do not leave a single word out."
Shippo waited for Kagome, Inuyasha, Jun and Midori to come in closer to hear out his story. Ken joined them a few sentences in and was brought up to speed along the away.
"So, to sum it all up," Kagome began as she pieced Shippo's situation together, "Your mother is long gone, you're an only child, you don't really have a home and your father was recently killed by youkai called the Thunder Brothers. Ever since then, you have been on your own, wanting revenge for his death but you're not strong enough to get it yet...Do I have that right?"
Shippo nodded in answer with a downcast expression.
"Furthermore," she continued, "Inuyasha is correct in saying that you're very young. How old are you?"
A picture of Kyo, Sora and Kurou's youthful faces flashed in her mind for a moment. She remembered how surprised she had felt hearing that they are in actuality forty years old. Shippo is definitely smaller in size but she had learned that size really isn't a good measure of how old a youkai is.
"About 10 years old, I guess," the kit answered, "...but I'm trying to find out how to become an adult faster. I can't avenge my father as I am...I'm too small and my magic isn't strong enough."
"Oh, sweetheart," Midori looked upon him with empathy, "Don't be in such a rush to grow up."
"But they're getting away with everything!" Shippo met her tender gaze with desperate tears, "They have father's pelt...and one of them is wearing him like a belt! Father's spirit won't be able to rest so long as they have his pelt! I can't forgive them," he clenched a clawed hand as tears fell down his face, "I won't ever forgive them! I will make them pay!...But as I am now...that may not happen for decades or even hundreds of years...I can't let Father continue to suffer..."
Kagome's heart was breaking for the little kit's predicament. Yet another innocent family torn apart! Now, poor Shippo is an orphan with nobody else in the world. She wanted to help him give these Thunder Brothers whatfor but her power was severely drained from her last battle. Not to mention that she was due back at the eastern den in a few days. She didn't want to return to that nest of demons with absolutely no reiki to defend herself with if she had to. There was also her deal with Kouga to keep up and...if she were honest from deep down...she wanted to see him again. It had almost been three weeks since he sent her away before the other packs arrived but it was feeling longer than that. She couldn't allow that deal to fall apart...but, her protective nature as a miko wished to help. Is there some way to help Shippo without risking her work in the east?
"I'll think of something," Shippo declared with quiet determination, "I'll avenge my father one way or the other."
"At least for now," Midori stood up with a smile, "Let's get breakfast on the table. Shippo-chan, would you come help me in the kitchen?"
"Oh, um," Shippo stuttered a bit, "Yeah, I guess I owe you for letting me stay the night and all. Father always said to see debts swiftly and fully repaid."
He quickly hopped off the table and joined her in the kitchen to help with the cooking. Jun was still convinced that the the kit was up to no good. He walked into the kitchen too to keep an eye on things. If his mother couldn't see past the kit's young face, he would and keep vigilant. If the thief stole one more thing, he would be there to catch the brat in the act. Then, his mother will see that this has all been an elaborate lie.
"Boy..." Ken drew his son's attention to a broken and burnt trap that he was holding up.
"Oh! Um..." the young blacksmith stammered, "S-sorry, Pop...I, uh, thought we would need that to catch the food thief...eh-heh-heh.." he chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head, "I-it sorta worked!"
"No, it didn't!" Shippo piped up from holding a bowl for Midori to place fresh cut vegetables in, "It didn't catch me for a second. All it took was a little of my fox fire to break it!"
"These burn marks are your doin'?" Ken turned his attention to the kit.
"Oh, my, my, you can be a destructive little thing, hm?" Midori giggled lightly next to Shippo as she continued to chop more vegetables.
"I-It was in self-defense!" Shippo responded!
"I see," Ken nodded his head in understanding, "You," he fixed Shippo with a commanding stare, "will work with my boy to make a new trap to replace this one. I have an order to deliver later today and I am now one trap short. You two will also fix that door you broke last nigh'."
"What?! But, Pop!/ With him!?" both boys chorused together in alarm!
"You break it, you replace it," Ken answered with finality before leaving the room to put the broken trap back in the workshop.
Jun heaved a sigh of resignation. He knew that he would need to replace the busted trap...but, he had forgotten about the door...and why did he have to do it with that little twerp/thief?
Both smithy and kit looked over at each other at the same time, tension building between them.
"Fine," Jun glared down at Shippo, "Right after breakfast...you and me, in the workshop. Then we'll fix that door lickety-split so I don't have 'ta see your face for awhile."
"Fine by me!" Shippo glared right back in equal measure!
Midori continued to smile as she prepped some meat for cooking, listening to their exchange. They might as well be brothers, in her mind.