InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness Fades to Dawn ❯ Arrival ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Midoriko slumped into the confines of the jewel. Her task was accomplished now that the warriors had safely passed through the barrier. It was time for her to rest again. She herself had been chosen by the kami to be the guide for these four individuals. Vaguely aware of their reasons, she had complied with their wishes. After all, she was a priestess, a humble servant to the kami who held this world as their own.

The jewel had been altered during the purification. Kagome had purified the evil from it, but the jewel had retained a life force of its own. Midoriko was certain that in the wrong hands, the jewel would cause much destruction to rain down upon this fragile world. Her duties were to train Kagome to utilize the powers she had, as well as act as councilor and adviser for the group. Looking upon the miko she was to watch over, she worried about the trials to come. The miko was as fragile as the world she had been chosen to protect. Midoriko yawned wearily as she waited for the others to reach Kagome.

“Inuyasha! Wait for us.” Miroku called out , hurrying to catch up to the hanyou in his newly discovered and very unfamiliar surroundings.

Inuyasha paused in the main area of the shrine, ears twitching nervously as his senses filtered through the assault of smells and sounds. He moved to crouch beside the faintly stained earth in the middle of the courtyard. His hands fell to the ground, lightly brushing over the area.

“What is it Inuyasha?” Sango questioned, sensing the hanyou's intensity.

“Blood!” He answered coldly. “It smells like her family!”

“Do you think?” Sango's heart was racing.

Images of her father and the other villagers' last moments flashed through her mind. Freshly made graves lined the outer wall of the burnt village, each marked with wild flowers. Kagome had paid such honor to her family and the villagers through their simple burials. The attention she had paid to each had not gone unnoticed by the taijiya. Sango prayed that the same fate had not befallen her younger friend. Such a tragedy would devastate the kind hearted miko.

“We need to find her. Inuyasha can you smell where Kagome is?” Miroku question his friend.

Inuyasha's ears twitched a final time, before he turned on his heels and headed in the direction of the ancient burial site on the Shrine's property. Kagome's scent was strongly mingled with that of fresh soil and death. His heart pained him as he sped in the direction of her scent.

Midoriko waited until she heard the Inuyasha and the others approach. She could not rest until she was certain that Kagome was safely in their care. Her eyes closed; fighting her desire to sleep she cracked them open. A form clad in red rushed towards the unconscious young miko collapsed on the graves of her family. When the hanyou was holding Kagome, she finally let herself slip into a rejuvenating slumber.

“Kagome!” Inuyasha cried out when he reached her unconscious form.

“Oh no!” Sango whispered, coming to halt a few feet from Inuyasha. What she saw now confirmed her suspicions. It appeared that a similar fate had indeed transpired to the Higurashi family. Tears formed in her eyes as she watched Inuyasha cradle the broken miko in his arms. Kagome looked terrible, dirt caked her black dress and matted her lovely hair. She appeared pale and thin, no doubt having endured much in the last three months.

“Kagome! Inuyasha, we must take Kagome inside where she can rest properly.” Miroku offered, taking in the scene before him.

“Who did this to her? Why are her mother and brother buried in the ancient burial ground? Why won't she wake up?” Inuyasha mumbled into the hair of his beloved. He rocked her slight body trying to gain comfort in being reunited with her.

He had been crushed at the sight that had greeted him upon his return. Sorrow filled his soul when he realized whose graves she was laying upon. Two gentle beings had been crushed. When he found out who had caused such tragedy, they would pay. He made a silent vow to the family he had known, before lifting Kagome up.

Miroku and Sango moved off to the side to allow the hanyou to pass. They followed intently behind him, both gravely concerned for their friend. Soon they were walking through the courtyard and heading towards the Higurashi residence. Inuyasha skillfully opened the front door and headed up the stairs towards Kagome's room. Kirara took up a position of lookout at the entrance to ensure the safety of all.

As Inuyasha laid her upon the bed, he noticed her eyes fluttering. She began muttering incoherently, broken statements emerging from her lips. Covering her with a blanket, he watched as her head slowly turned from one side to the other. Thin beads of perspiration began forming on her brow adding a translucent shimmer to her pale skin.

It all seemed vaguely familiar, the sights and sounds, the feeling in her stomach. Kagome was certain that she had experienced this scenario before. She found herself sitting beneath the ancient limbs of Goshinboku, reflecting on the past she had been blessed to experience.

“Inuyasha...” she thought to herself, staring at the distant well house that was across the courtyard. The past two weeks had not been easy, but she was a survivor and she would continue on, no matter how difficult it would be.

Casually her fingers found their way to caress the dull pink jewel she still wore around her neck. It had become habit to wear the ancient necklace, purified as it was, she really didn't need to keep it with her. Still, it comforted her and reminded her of the time she had spent in the feudal era.

So deep in her thoughts, Kagome had not noticed the approach of a disturbing presence. A small and weak youkai confronted her in front of the tree. The rat youkai stood upon his hind legs, trying his best to be intimidating. A long bony finger stretched out from leathery hands to point at the young miko.

“So it is true.” His hoarse voice cracked as he slowly closed the distance between himself and the girl.

“Uhhh, are you talking?” Kagome was a little shocked to find a rat that could communicate with her in modern Japan. Had she still been in the feudal era, she would not have even batted an eyelash. His small stature did not frighten her; truly he was no more than a talking rat.

“You are a miko.” He stated 'matter of factly'.

“You mean I was a miko. I gave up that job weeks ago.” She commented.

“You lie! I can sense your powers!” He croaked, growing angry at the girl. “You are the miko who has returned the Shikon no Tama to this world.”

“The Shikon...you mean this useless thing?” Kagome still held up the jewel that was secured around her neck. “You're kidding right? The jewel has no power now. It was purified.”

“Nay! Can't you sense the power that flows from it still?” The rat's beady eyes stared at the jewel greedily. Glancing back at the girl who held it, he noticed the confused look on her face. Realizing that she truly did not know the full potential of the jewel, he decided to use her ignorance to his advantage. His only hope of gaining the jewel was to trick her, for he would stand no chance against her spiritual powers.

“Mmm... My mistake. Perhaps my old mind was betraying me.” The rat youkai stuttered, trying to recover from his former outburst. “Tell me child, how did you come to hold such a beautiful necklace?”

“I, um, I got it from a friend.” Kagome was now wary of the rat since the sudden change in his disposition. Instincts had kicked in moments before and she finally was aware of the faint youki that flowed around him. Something wasn't right with the situation. Why had he just said that the Shikon jewel was still powerful? How had he come to find her? Had he truly sensed the jewel or was it just coincidence?

“A friend! My, what a lucky girl you are. May I look at the jewel?” The rat's eyes never once left the jewel.

“I'm not sure; I promised him that I would never take it off.” She awaited the rat's reaction, planning to base her next actions upon it.

“What!” He cried out initially before realizing the error of his ways. “I mean, surely he would not mind if you did just once.”

“I know, why don't you join me for a cup of tea? I would be glad to show you once we are inside. The wind has made it a little cold out here.” Kagome's mind was racing. A real youkai was alive and trying to get the jewel from her. Instinctively she sought out her bow. If there was one youkai, there could be more. Luckily she had been confronted with this pitiful one first. She would turn his trick around on him.

“Oh, why yes! Tea would be lovely!” The rat grinned wickedly as Kagome stood and began leading him in the direction of the house. He couldn't believe this change of events. This naive miko was actually going to give him the jewel. Had she been a miko from the past, he was sure he would have been no more than a pile of ash by now.

Kagome led the way towards the house, but paused at the door of the Shrine's antique shed. Grandfather had stashed her bow inside, reveling in the history it now contained. The rat was too caught up in his own devious plot to notice her casually step into the building and grab her bow and quiver.

“Do you want to tell me why you're really here youkai?” Kagome questioned the rat as she secured the quiver around her shoulder and notched an arrow on her bow.

“What? When did you? Damn woman! You will pay now! You should have just turned over the jewel when you had the chance!” Despite his daring words, he was making a fast retreat away from the girl.

“I don't think so!”

Kagome drew back her arrow in one fluid movement and released. A pink glow trailed the missile as it plunged into the body of the rat youkai. Sizzling, the youkai could barely get out a squeal before he was nothing more than ash in the wind. Lowering her bow, Kagome still felt uneasy. Since when did youkai exist in modern Japan? Apparently they did and this thought did not sit well with her. Neither did the youkai's knowledge of the jewel. What was this nonsense about her being the miko who returned the Shikon no Tama to modern Japan? She had purified the jewel; hadn't she? With an anxious feeling, she returned to the house, ensuring that she brought the bow with her.

“Mom, Grandfather?” Kagome called out upon entering her home. “I really need to talk to you.”

Silence was her only answer. Kicking off her shoes, she ventured further in her home in search of her family. Turning a corner, she thought she heard someone calling out to her.

“Kagome.” The voice called faintly to her.

“Mom? Grandfather? Where are you?” She called out again.

“Kagome.”

“I'm here! In the kitchen.” Where was the voice coming from? She could hear it more clearly now, but it did not belong to anyone in her family. She listened carefully, concentrating on its origin and the person it belonged to.

“Kagome!”

It sounded closer now and since it was louder than before she was able to distinguish that it was male. The deep voice was something she was familiar with. She racked her brain trying to put a face to the voice.

“Kagome! Wake up please. I'm here now.”

“Inu...Yasha?” She whispered confused by the light that was filtering through her semi opened eyes.

“Kagome? Can you hear me?”

“I... the light. It's so bright.” She fought the blinding pain and tried to allow her eyes to adjust to the light.

She struggled to sit up and soon found a strong hand assisting her to an upright position. Arms braced on her knees, she hung her head successfully shielding her sight from most of the bright light. Her eyes adjusted slightly and she raised her head, only to find herself staring into amber orbs.

“Inuyasha?” Her voice was barely audible.

“Hey, were you going to sleep forever?” He was playful with her, but she could see the deep look of concern on his face.

“Are we at Kaede's village Inuyasha?” She asked quietly, still unable to get her bearings.

“Kagome! You're awake!” Sango rose from the resting spot she had taken up on Kagome's floor.

“Sango! Is Miroku here too?” She asked, her voice raspy from her dry throat.

“Yes! We are all here! I'm so glad you are feeling better.” Sango smiled warmly at her friend.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha called softly, after regaining her attention he continued. “ We're not at the village. We're at your house.”

“My house?” Kagome was still confused. If they were at the house, then how come Miroku and Sango were there too? They couldn't pass through the well.

“Yes Kagome. Much has transpired since you fell unconscious.” Sango offered trying her best to make Kagome understand.

“Oh, well I guess I should go tell mom that you will all be spending the night.” Kagome wasn't sure why they both suddenly seemed so concerned and saddened. She was about to stand when Inuyasha reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder.

“Kagome, don't you remember?” He asked delicately, not wanting to upset her.

“What do you mean?” Kagome asked, but the hollowness was quickly returning to her. Red filled her thoughts as if triggered by his question. Screams shocked her ears as she remembered their faces. Empty eyes taunted her sanity, fading into dark holes and finally the earth. Looking down at herself, she remembered clearly. The dirt that still clung to her black dress was all the evidence she needed. It hadn't been a strange nightmare. She wasn't in Kaede's safe hut surrounded by her friends. The nightmare continued. All strength left her as she broke into violent sobs, crumbling into the arms of her savior.