InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ She Who the Prophecy Foretold ❯ Keeping Confidences and the Prophecy Revealed ( Chapter 21 )

Chapter 21 - Keeping Confidences and Prophecy Revealed

 

 

The battle had begun. Unable to restrain himself, Sesshoumaru had lunged at the hanyou, his claws glowing green with poison. He was serious. There would be no playing around. He would have answers or the insolent fool would die! Miroku had been thoughtfully taking in the situation from his perch on Kirara. He had known something odd had occurred with Kagome, but from the reactions of Sesshoumaru and who he assumed were his pups who had somehow survived the curse placed on them by Kikyo and Naraku, he now had a new theory. He decided he had to intervene. Inuyasha would never deal with this situation rationally. He would end up dead, because it was obvious the demon lord was not in the mood for games.

 

Miroku yelled for Kirara to land and he dove off as soon as she was close to the ground. He ran to the side of the fighting brothers. Inuyasha had been thrown to the ground and Sesshoumaru was perched above him, poison claws raised and ready to be thrust into his chest. “Lord Sesshoumaru, please. I would be happy to explain to you whatever it is you need to know. Please, let him go and I will do my best to answer any questions you have.”

 

Sesshoumaru paused in his attack ignoring Inuyasha's yells to tell him nothing and looked at the houshi. “What has happened to your miko?” His voice was more of a growl then words but his question still surprised the humans of the group, who had not overhead the explanation he had given his pups in inu. Inuyasha was getting ready to run his mouth when Miroku started talking instead, doing his best to save his stubborn friend's life.

 

“Nothing has happened to Kagome, Lord Sesshoumaru. She has simply gone home for a few days. She will return safely. If I may ask, why is it…”

 

The monk was cut off by a snarl that almost made him wet his robes right where he stood. “No, you may not ask. Where is the miko's home?”

 

“Ah, well…” His knees were knocking as he looked from the still pinned Inuyasha to Sango and back to the pissed off taiyoukai.

 

“Do not lie to me, monk. She jumped into the well but then her presence disappeared. Explain!”

 

“Wait a minute! How the fuck do you know that? How do you know what she did and why in the hell would you be missing her presence? What the fuck does Kagome have to do with you?” Inuyasha apparently had been oblivious to his near death experience and was looking for an instant replay. Sesshoumaru merely lifted him off the ground by his throat and threw him towards the tree line. The hanyou flew through several trees, breaking the trunks into nothing but splinters, before finally hitting one that refused to break. Instead it knocked him unconscious as he slid into a pile of limp hanyou at the bottom at the tree.

 

“Please Lord Sesshoumaru, forgive him. It is just that, well, it is Kagome's secret and it is not our place to tell.” Miroku took a moment to look over the seven inu still in their true forms standing around the clearing, taking in their appearance.

 

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and breathed. The miko was alright, not injured, not dead, just gone somehow, through an old dry well. When he reopened his eyes they were once again golden and his stoic mask was firmly in place. “How is it that the miko will return from this secret place?”

 

Miroku was still looking from inu to inu, also taking in the appearance of Kazue. Sango answered for him since he was apparently no longer paying attention. “She will come back through the well, my Lord.” Sango bowed low. She did not want to die today.

 

He figured it out! He had found the reason for the strange feeling of familiarity. The pups had one of the same markings as Kazue! The pink teardrop! They all had it! But what does it mean?

 

Shippo jumped from his shoulder to stand in front of Sesshoumaru, looking much braver than he felt. “Lord Sesshoumaru? You felt it cut off, right? Don't worry. Mama is just fine. She is just somewhere where it can't reach I guess. She goes back and forth all the time. She will come back and we will all know the second she does.” Sesshoumaru gave a small nod to the kit before turning and sitting on the edge of the well.

 

“Shippo?” Miroku was confused. What did Shippo mean? What did he know? Shippo turned to look at the monk and that's when he saw it. Shippo had the mark too!

 

“Do not question him monk. Just as you keep a secret, we do as well. We will not betray confidences. We will wait here for her return. If you wish for the half-breed to live I suggest you keep him away from this Sesshoumaru.” The taiyoukai did not even look at the monk as he spoke.

 

Nodding, Sango and Miroku moved to hoist the unconscious hanyou onto the waiting fire cat. They started to walk back towards the village, but when Miroku realized Shippo wasn't with them he looked back. He was surprised to see that Shippo had sat in front of Sesshoumaru and they were talking quietly. Miroku's attention was held as he watched the smaller inus transform into mini mirror images of Sesshoumaru. He decided he would have to speak to Kaede about the marks and the strange behavior of the western lord and Shippo. Something was going on that they were not privy to.

 

 

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Kagome walked inside slowly, hesitating nearly every other step. Something odd was going on here. “Mama? Are you okay? Inuyasha was sure you would be worried sick.”

 

Hiromi merely smiled. “Yes, dear, I am fine, and no, I wasn't worried. Come sit down and we will have tea and talk.”

 

Kagome sat and watched silently as her mother made tea and sat across from her at the kitchen table. “There are some things I need to tell you, dear. You have to understand, I would have told you earlier, but certain things had to occur first, or it would all fall apart, and the world would be lost.” Kagome moved to speak, but her mother put up a finger, stopping her. “Please Kagome; let me say what I need to say. I understand that you will probably be mad at me for keeping this from you, but it was my duty to make sure things progressed in the right order. I didn't expect it to take two years, though.” He mother paused to take a sip of tea. “It seems that he is more stubborn than had been expected. Now, I have two things I have to give you. The first is a scroll. Once you read it, I will help you interpret it if you need it. The second I will give you before you leave. Here, honey.”

 

Kagome watched as her mother walked into the living room for a moment and returned with an ancient looking scroll closed with a wax seal. She handed it to her and left the room, leaving Kagome to read. Kagome decided she wanted to read it in her room, so she went upstairs and made herself comfortable on her bed, before slipping her finger under the seal, popping it off, and unrolling the ancient paper. She began to read.

 

Hundreds of years and many generations will pass before one is born

who will redeem the trapped soul of the great priestess, Midoriko.

She will come to right the wrongs of the past.

She will be the savior of the future.

The priestess will be born of two eras,

And will live for a time in two presents.

She will return against her will,

Bringing with her the cursed Jewel of Four Souls.

To undo the damage of one priestess, she will first undo the mistake of another.

She will find another to guide her in the right direction.

 

Kagome stopped reading for a moment. Was this true? Was this scroll talking about her? And if it was, why had her mother hidden this from her? If she had known ahead of time maybe she would have been slightly less traumatized by the whole thing! With a heavy sigh and a promise to have a good yell at her mother, she continued to read.

 

To release the great Midoriko, the jewel will be forcibly removed from the body

of the prophesied and be shattered, the shards spread across the land.

This will begin the journey of the new great priestess.

 

“You have got to be kidding me!” Kagome found herself talking aloud. “So I was supposed to shatter the jewel? What the hell?”

 

She will find along the way many things.

She will discover first the spirit of Aramitama, the embodiment of courage.

Kushimitama will follow, the embodiment of knowledge guiding her path.

Nagimitama will join her, the embodiment of friendship finding a special place,

yet unused in the priestess's heart.

The final spirit, Sakimitama, will be known and yet unknown.

When the embodiment of love accepts its place, the next step can occur.

When the priestess with the power over time becomes whole once more,

She will experience three things.

The true journey cannot begin until:

The seven treasures give a love before unknown,

A great power gives the gift of the night sky,

And the blue flame of Seven Treasures burns bright.

Once these events have occurred, the priestess may learn of her fate and mission.

She will be given the Arrow of Destiny to always point her in the right direction.

She must then follow where it will lead her, to find that which will

Form the bridge of powers, initiating the transformation necessary

To defeat the great evil

To redeem the great priestess.

 

Kagome sat in silence. This changed so much! But she had questions. How was she born of two eras? Who was Sakimitama, love? It was obvious that courage was Inuyasha, knowledge was Miroku, and friendship was Sango, the sister of her heart. And the three things? She was lost. And the fact that her mother had this information all along and never even hinted? `Well, that certainly explains why she let me go back through the well without a fight, even though I missed school to the point of nearly failing and I was in danger every day. This is why she allowed it all.'

 

“Kagome?” her mother knocked softly on her door and waited.

 

“Yeah, mom, come on in,” Kagome said with a heavy sigh.

 

“Do you have questions for me?”

 

Kagome looked at her. Her eyes held no anger anymore, just confusion. “Yeah, mama. Why? Why didn't you ever tell me?”

 

“I couldn't, sweetheart, no matter how much I wanted to. When your father gave me this and told me what would happen I didn't believe him at first. I don't think I was ever completely convinced, until the day you fell down the well for the first time.”

 

“Daddy gave you this? Wait; in here it says I was born of two eras. What does that mean? How is that possible?” Kagome looked fairly desperate now. This was just too weird.

 

“You are the child of two eras because your father was not of this era. Your father came to us from the feudal era, through the well. We fell in love, and had you and Souta. When he told me about the prophecy, and that he had to go back I was angry, but then he gave me a gift so that I would always know he was safe. I will show it to you later.”

 

Kagome felt tears slipping down her cheeks, and saw that her mother had started to cry as well. “Are you saying…that…that daddy…is still alive?” Her mother nodded slowly, refusing to make eye contact with her daughter. “And…he's been in the feudal era all this time?”

 

“Yes,” her mother whispered. “He had to go back to protect the next item you will seek. It is essential to your mission, but it could not be kept here. The arrow will lead you to him.”

 

“No,” Kagome gasped out between sniffles. “NO! How could he leave us? And now, after all this time, I am expected to go find him? I can't, I just, I can't deal with this!” Kagome threw herself face down onto her bed and wept into her pillows. He mother sat with her for over an hour, softly rubbing her back, before Kagome cried herself to sleep.

 

 

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As the others walked away he had started to follow until Shippo heard Sesshoumaru call to him softly. He approached carefully and sat when directed to. “Kit, you and Kagome now share a mark as well?”

 

Shippo looked around nervously for a minute. “Yeah. Mama asked me. I had always wanted to but had been afraid to ask her. Lord Sesshoumaru?” Sesshoumaru simply nodded for him to go on. “Why did you mark my mama? I mean, I understand why your pups did. They already had a connection with her. What I don't get is why you would. Is something going on between you and my mama?” Shippo knew he was probably pressing his luck, but he had to ask. Every since the incident with Kouga and their breakfast he had been trying to figure it out. He had come to the guessed that Sesshoumaru had an interest in Kagome, but was sure now after seeing how fast he had come to check on her. He also knew that Sesshoumaru knew if he hurt him he would hurt Kagome and he was pretty sure that he would not do anything to upset her.

 

“Kit…(sigh) Shippo. Yes, this Sesshoumaru finds himself…” He didn't know how to say it. How could he explain to the woman's child that he was in love with his mama? He wasn't sure how Shippo would react.

 

Akihiro decided to help. He stepped up to stand beside his father. “I believe that father wants to take your mother as his mate.” They both looked at the lord who only nodded. “We want her as our mother too, and Rin's. We all love her.”

 

“Really? Wow! I never expected that. Aren't you supposed to hate humans?” Shippo froze as soon as the words had slipped out. He hadn't meant to say that out loud! “Sorry, sorry!”

 

Sesshoumaru surprised him with a chuckle, a real out loud chuckle. Shippo thought he had been killed for a moment because that had to be the only way for that to have happened! “So I believed as well but your mother…Kagome…she is not a normal human, that is to be sure.”

 

They spent the next few hours talking quietly. Shippo found himself liking the idea of his mama mating with Lord Sesshoumaru. He was strong and could protect her. He really seemed to be in love with her and Shippo knew Sesshoumaru would never hurt Kagome as Inuyasha had time and time again by going to another. He would even have siblings which didn't seem so bad once he considered it. Sure, he would have to share Kagome's attention but he would also have a father and would have eight friends to play with! All thoughts of jealousy faded out of existence in the hearts of Shippo and the seven young inus who had been having similar thoughts. When darkness found them they were discussing ideas and plans to get things rolling between the taiyoukai and the miko. It seemed that Sesshoumaru had his own private cheering section, something he had never quite experienced before, and it was a nice feeling to have others supporting him in this.

 

When night fell Shippo camped with Sesshoumaru, the pups, and Kazue by the well. Suddenly, he felt very welcome with them. After all, they were to become his new family if everything went according to plan.