InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Case of Double Personality ❯ Reliving the Past ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter IV: Reliving the past

 

 

 

 

Midoriko had gone to look for food with Rin.

 

 

Sesshoumaru was sure she could protect the girl much better then Jaken could ever hope to. He had seen a few fragments of her fight before joining in. The woman was a tiger, she fought with skill and her powers were amazing. He admired her strength and had to admit that the girl was a powerful ally.

 

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama, why is this miko with us?” Jaken asked timidly.

 

 

“She is my ally now. She will help in finding the half-breed.” He answered.

 

 

“Oooo! Nothing less expected from Sesshoumaru-sama than having such a powerful miko as an ally!” Jaken said to himself, agreeing with his master.

 

 

Sesshoumaru sat down on a rock, distancing himself from Jaken and Ah-Un. He wondered what Naraku would have to say after Hakudoushi informed him about the Miko. Probably come up with a new scheme, or a new detachment. In a strange sort of way he admired Naraku's creativity. He was pretty persistent for a half-breed too, though he knew of another half-breed who could compete with Naraku in that aspect. However, they were in no way alike. As much as he disliked his half-brother, he would never go as far as to compare one who carried their father's great blood to that abomination of a hanyou.

 

He chased away the disturbing thoughts about Naraku and Inuyasha to make room for less annoying ones.

 

 

He wondered when Kumiko's personality would surface and knew that he was going to have to undertake the difficult task of explaining the situation to the girl.

 

 

Rin's cheerful laughter filled the clearing as the little girl returned with Midoriko.

 

 

“It's late Rin. You should go to sleep.” The Miko said softly.

 

 

The little girl yawned heavily and nodded approaching Ah-Un.

 

 

“Goodnight Sesshoumaru-sama, Midoriko-sama!” She chirped before drifting off into her dream world.

 

 

“Goodnight, Rin.” The Miko answered softly.

 

 

Sesshoumaru did not reply, but the little girl didn't seem to mind, as she was probably used to it.

 

 

Midoriko approached the taiyoukai.

 

 

“I will allow Kumiko to resurface. Her presence has become difficult to contain but it didn't seem like a good idea to let her out in front of the child.” She informed him.

 

 

“A wise decision.” He replied.

 

 

Midoriko closed her eyes, allowing her presence to back away gently and let the other one loose. When the girl opened her eyes again, they were different, no longer cold and determined, but surprised and startled.

 

 

“Where...how did I get here?” she asked looking at Sesshoumaru with puzzled eyes.

 

 

“It would be wise for you to sit down. I will explain.” The taiyoukai advised.

 

 

The girl did as he instructed, her dark eyes never leaving his face.

 

 

“You are sharing your body with another presence. That presence was from another time period, the time period you are currently in. She has come back to resolve the matters that she had left unfinished when she had died. The holes in your memory represent the moments that she has been in charge.” He said slowly, hoping that she wouldn't start to yell or cry.

 

 

His prayers were answered as the girl remained silent, seeming to be deep in thought.

 

Kumiko was trying to digest all the information. So she shared her body with another presence. Great...roomies...And she was in a different time period, most probably the past, judging by the clothing. Her other self had come here to take care of something. She understood so far but so many questions remained...

 

 

“Who is my other presence?” The girl wanted to know.

 

 

“She is a very powerful Miko, the most powerful to have ever lived. She created the Shikon no Tama, the sacred jewel in which she imprisoned the souls of many youkai. She had no more strength to purify them when she perished. The jewel can give immense power to youkai, it causes envy, hatred an grief.” Sesshoumaru was not sure that he had ever talked this much.

 

In fact, he had only talked this much when he was about Rin's age. The situation was somewhat difficult to explain, even for one such as himself.

 

 

“So this little shard...it comes from the jewel.” Kumiko thought, instinctively reaching to her pocket to find that she was not wearing the same clothes. She looked down at her apparel to see the customary Miko clothing and armor. She also seemed to possess a sword as well as a bow.

 

 

“This is insane...” She thought, going over all the information again. Still she could not deny that it explained her blackouts, her clothing and everything else.

 

 

“What's her name?” the girl asked suddenly.

 

 

“Don't say it...” Kumiko seemed to hear faint whispers inside her mind.

 

 

“Midoriko.” Sesshoumaru answered.

 

 

In that moment, it seemed something broke. All of Midoriko's memories flashed by the girl's eyes in a split second. Her training as a miko, her being asked to join the priests and youkai exterminators to save the human race, her battles, the cave she had been cornered in...

 

 

Then Kumiko closed her eyes and grabbed her chest, crying in pain. She saw it all, and felt it as if it were happening to her. The only way to save them all...

 

 

Midoriko extracted the souls of the remaining youkai and sealed them inside her heart.

 

Kumiko felt pain like she had never felt it before as she crumbled on the ground. She heard Midoriko's last thoughts.

 

 

“I must purify them!” The miko thought, fighting the enourmous pain she felt.

 

 

She had fought for days and nights, purified thousands of youkai and now she had no more strength.

 

 

With a scream, the Miko ejected her heart from her body and Kumiko screamed along with her. Then the pain stopped and she saw a bright purple light and a tiny round jewel appeared.

 

 

After that, like a brake in a film, she saw all of the recent memories and finally understood everything.

 

 

She didn't blame Midoriko for her recent actions, it was the only way her soul could achieve peace.

 

 

Sesshoumaru had watched the girl fall on the ground at the sound of Midoriko's name and the next moment he was next to her, holding her up.

 

She didn't seem to notice him as she cried and struggled in pain. Little drops of sweat had started to appear on her pale skin and she gave one final cry of pain before going numb in his arms.

 

 

Sesshoumaru held her closer, unsure of what to do, when he detected that her heartbeat was stabilizing.

 

 

After a few more moments, the girl opened her eyes and looked at him with a faint smile.

 

 

“I saw them...” she whispered.

 

 

“What?” His puzzled voice came.

 

 

“Midoriko's memories...” she replied, leaning on the soft fur that lied on his shoulder.

 

 

That explained her cries of pain. She must have been reliving Midoriko's final moments. To have one's heart cast out of one's body couldn't possibly be a pleasant experience.

 

 

“I didn't get your name.” Kumiko murmured.

 

 

He looked at her, his eyes like twin suns piercing into her own.

 

 

“Sesshoumaru.” He answered after a few moments of silence.

 

 

“Well, Sesshoumaru, thank you.” She said softly and closed her eyes.

 

 

The girl clearly had no idea about how to address a demon of his rank, he thought, noticing by her rhythmic breathing that the she had fallen asleep.

 

 

In his arms.

 

 

How...unexpected.

 

 

“Well, what's done is done.” He said to himself, pulling the girl into a more comfortable position and analyzing her face.

 

 

It was strange really how two people sharing the same body could look so different.

The thought of Midoriko waking up in his arms almost brought up a smile on his face. It would be an uncomfortable situation, but he wasn't too fond of letting her go either, why he did not know.

 

 

 

ooooOOoooo

 

 

 

Naraku had heard Sesshoumaru's explanation as well. Midoriko had returned. That was bad, the miko was a very strong opponent and now she had teamed up with a very powerful demon. His list of enemies just kept getting bigger.

 

 

But Naraku was a demon of many qualities, and one of them was turning things around in his favor.

 

He would let the Miko acquire more shards and then he would take them from her.

 

In addition, he knew exactly who to send. Demons were susceptible to her purifying energy, but humans were not, he thought with a grin as a spark lit his crimson eyes.

 

 

 

 

A/N:

I know this one's a little short, but the next ones will be longer.

Oh, well, I hope that you people that read it and didn't review liked it anyway and if you didn't I repeat: FLAME ALL YOU LIKE!!

 

 

Reviewer response:

 

 

negri87: Wow! My first review(s)! Thanks so much! I was starting to worry...seeing how I expected an even bigger response then with “The Way Ice Can Turn Into Sun”, since it was more childish and crude than this one. Thanks again, you really made me feel like such a good writer :) I hope to see more of you!