This story is my twist on the one from here on Dokuga who took the concept from a fiction on FF.net. I aboslutly loved it and it really really inspired me. I am not trying to steal anything. I will try my hardest to not copy either stories from the point on in which happens to Kagome. Some similarities will be there, yes, but I will try to keep it as original as possible. I just loved the idea so much I wanted to try it. If either authors would like to complain, or warn me when my story is coming to close to their own, I welcome it. Though, please read the story through first and see if its any good. I don't mean any offence. Thank you.
Disclaimer: I do not own the world of InuYasha. Though Sessho is yummy, I still do not own him.
Chapter One: Transformations of a spell
Golden rays slowly crept across the plains of Feudal Japan as the dawn of a new day approached the sleeping villages, towns, and the travelers that roamed free. Song burst from the trees as birds awoke and called to each other. Bushes rustled as animals began their days and hunted for food and the creatures of the night returned to their homes to settle down until night fell once again.
These sounds woke the raven haired girl from her slumber. Wrapped in her green sleeping bag, she slowly blinked her blurry azure eyes as they came into focus. A silent yawn broke free from the girl's lips as she lifted a small hand to press to her mouth to try to smother it. Kagome Higurashi, now 19 had spent the last four years traveling through this period of time. Though originally from the future, she was pulled back through an ancient dry well by a female demon centipede. This demon had ripped a supposedly powerful wish granting jewel from her lower stomach. In the battle she released the sleeping half demon InuYasha who had been pinned to the God Tree fifty years previous by the jewels protector and his first love Kikyou. After the battle, and Kagome putting beads of subjection around the half demons neck, a crow demon stole the jewel. When shooting it with an arrow, Kagome accidentally shattered the relic into thousands of jewel shards.
Now, with the help of friends they found along the way, Kagome and InuYasha spent the last four years searching down the shards and hunting the foul half demon Naraku. Naraku was a bandit who had fallen in love with the Shinto Maiden Kikyou and let demons devour his flesh so that he could be with her. He tricked the priestess and InuYasha into killing each other for the jewel. Kagome, the assumed reincarnation of Kikyou was the only one who could completely purify the jewel, as the reanimated clay corpse of Kikyou could sense them, but not remove the taint fully. This had begun her and InuYasha's search. But Naraku had also found a way to some how curse, harm or trick the rest of their companions; so their rag tag group of hunters set off to find and destroy this hanyou before he gathered the entire jewel.
Shaking her head softly Kagome pulled herself out of her sleeping bag and stretched. Half way through the third year of shard hunting she had given up on her green school sailor outfit and had changed her apparel into something more of the time period and easier to fight in. This made it easier for her to somewhat blend in to the surrounding villages. Pulling out the kimono she sighed as she looked at it. She had had her mother find her something that would aid her, and her mother had come up with something from the main land. She had said it would ease the way for her, since though she knew the Japanese customs well, it was a different era, and if they believe she was from the main land, they wouldn't question where she came from much. But the kimono in her hand was beautiful, and Kagome felt shamed that she would most likely dirty and rip it on her journey.
It had a high neck, and short capped sleeves and fell to just above her knees. Trimmed in black, it was held together by knotted buttons and loops across the tops of the breast and up the collar, as well as smaller buttons and loops down the side. The soft moss green helped her camouflage into the surroundings, and the dark emerald green patterns of leaves scattered across the fabric also helped. To slits up either side of the kimonos left room for her legs maneuver. Under it was a skin tight bodysuit of tough but soft black fabric. This had no sleeves and came down to Kagome's knees to allow her modesty as well as more protection. Having given up her brown loafers as well, she now had sturdy knee high black boots to protect her feet from the elements. They also had a slight heel giving the short 5 foot 3 girl a little bit of added height, though not enough to cause problems walking for long distances, or in a fight. Smiling at what her mother had got her; she pulled on her boots and slipped behind a tree to slide from her short, pink silk nightgown into her clothing. Having bathed the night before with her close friend and sister of the heart, Sango, she felt she didn't need to go in search of the hot spring this morning.
Stepping out from behind the tree, Kagome wasn't the awkward lanky fifteen years old she had been. Though she didn't grow any taller, her face had thinned, dropping the access baby fat it had held. Her childish, though maturing body had given way to soft curves, and wide hips. Her breasts and her hips filling out as her body graced its way into adulthood. She had also decided to let her wavy black hair grow out, because having it cut was a difficulty, so it now reached down to her thighs in thick black silken waves. It brushed against the strong muscles from years of walking Japan and fighting wound their way up her legs and through out her body. After her first year and a half of flailing around and trying to properly shoot her bow and arrows, she had decided to get training for herself in both combat, and her fledgling miko powers. Gaining these was easier said than done, for InuYasha was a hard task master and pushed their group into roaming the hillsides looking for the shards of the Shikon no Tama.
Sango though had helped tremendously by teaching Kagome some of the combat skills she needed. Sango had been trained to be a Demon Slayer, so Kagome trusted in her friend's skills. Under Sango's careful tutelage Kagome abilities were allowed to flourish and she became as good if not slightly better than her friend. Her and her companion's survival had depended multiple times on her budding training pushing her to make no compromises about her training. But that wasn't enough to the young girl. She had taken a shine to not having to run from the demons, or hide behind one of her friends. She had slowly become more of an asset to the group as she trained. After thoroughly pounding InuYasha into the ground with the beads around his neck, and her command to 'sit', she won her way to go and receive training in her time as well.
Her mother, happy that her daughter was going to be able to defend herself, sent Kagome to as many different martial art studios as she could. And Kagome's skills had once again flourished, with the base skills that Sango had taught her, she quickly was able to master what her sensei's were trying to teach her. So after months and months of training, she was finally able to completely participate in their battles for the jewel, and survival. Because not soon after she had garnered training in combat from Sango that she approached Mirkou the traveling monk of their group to help her with her miko abilities, as well as gaining help in healing and the like from the old priestess Kaede in the village not far from the dry well. Interlacing this with her combat, made her a formidable foe to most demons. She no longer had to scream for InuYasha's protection. This had in turn, made her stronger, and faster.
Humming to herself as she walked around the camp, she began her usual morning routine. Rekindling the fire, she grabbed a pot from her large, worn yellow backpack and set off to fetch water to boil from a near by stream. Though she had water filled bottles in her bag, she didn't like to use them if a stream was near by. The morning light was now more than just peaking through the trees as she knelt by the stream and collected her water. Standing slowly she turned and made her way back through the forest to her small camp.
Smiling as she saw her friends sleeping still around the fire, she set the water to boil and began preparing five bowls of instant oatmeal. Though ramen was easy, and InuYasha adored it, Kagome had started to feed them more proper, though easily made food, because one could eat instant ramen for so long. Sighing at the thought of her hanyou love, she poured the now boiling water into each bowl, stirring it. As always, she finished just in time for the camp to wake up to a hot breakfast, as the smell and sounds of it making woke them from their sleep.
Shippou, the young fox kit, yawned sleepily from beside her sleeping roll, and stumbled over to lean against her. He had grown from his small toddler like size, and now reached her hip. Pulling her hair upwards into a high pony tail, as not to make herself look like her incarnation anymore than she already did, though growing up had further distanced her from Kikyou's cold beauty, she handed the kit his breakfast before delivering it to each of her friends. Setting out a small bowl of dried meat for Sango's fire cat companion she sat back with her own meal.
"Kagome, thank you for making breakfast for everyone once again." Sango's voice lit across the fire as she ate. It wasn't unusual for Kagome to do all the cooking, but they almost always thanked her for it.
"Yes, thank you for the meal Lady Kagome, for with out you, I dear say our little band wouldn't hold together for half as long as it has." Mirkou piped in, adding his thanks and bit of advice that wasn't usually asked for. He had away of saying this randomly, and then having some part of them either happen, or be completely true as karma and fate lashed out at their little tachi. Shippou nodded in agreement, as InuYasha just slurped his down at a fast pace. Rinsing his bowl with the extra water, InuYasha tossed it back to Kagome before standing.
"Hurry up, you guys are too slow and we need to get a move on." His brash words made everyone sigh as they finished their own food and they too washed out their bowls before handing them to Kagome, who was packing away her things. Breaking camp, the tachi set out once again towards where there were rumors of the shards.
Shippou chatted away to the women as they walked, and Kagome instigated a game for them to play to keep the pack from being bored while they traveled. The sun slowly moved across the sky, and it was mid afternoon before InuYasha stopped dead. Quickly rushing to their friend, the rest of the group fanned out before confusion set in.
In the middle of the road ahead, walking towards them was Kikyou and an old crotchety woman. Kikyou's long, deep brown hair pulled back from her face, as the slightly breeze tugged at her traditional priestess garb. She looked as she always had, though she was very pale, and her brown eyes hard with malice. The old woman though was an odd figure. Plump, and gnarled, she hobbled forwards using a cane of wood pull her forwards. It almost looked like a club, as it was thick and knobbed at one end, coming down to a point with a flat bottom against the ground. Her back was hunched, and her kimono loose draping around her rounded body. Her short graying hair stood up in all directions as she looked straight at Kagome with sharp beady black eyes from her wrinkled and weathered face. One gnarled hand lifted from the cane, as one of her ancient fingers unfurled to point at Kagome as well.
"Lady Miko, is this the one you spoke of?" The woman's voice was tweedy and old, as if it had hardly been used in recent years, and it was word down. Seeing Kikyou step forwards, in his usual brash behavior, InuYasha burst forward to hug the clay priestess to him. Smirking Kikyou glared at Kagome, who had moved Shippou behind her and had stepped out protectively in front of her friends. While InuYasha might not realize it, Kagome as she had become stronger, had stepped into the role as not only the packs Alpha female, but as the mother of the group, though she was the youngest human there. The rest of the group had though, and even as InuYasha yelled and pushed at them. They followed their true leader, as Kagome followed her heart after InuYasha.
"Yes. She is the one I spoke of Uta." Kikyou's voice was harsh and cold and Shippou flinched as he heard it. Though InuYasha as tightened his grip around the zombie priestess, Kagome's eyes narrowed and she stiffened in discomfort and rage. Her heart breaking once again at the sight of the embracing couple, though it never showed on her face, her stance had become slightly more hostile. Sango sensing her friends ache placed a hand on Kagome's arm. Nodding to Kikyou, the old woman tried to straighten her creaking bones and started murmuring softly. A cold laugh passed through Kikyou's lips as Kagome's eyes slowly drifted shut. The snake like soul stealers slowly wrapped their way around Kagome's body, as Shippou, Mirkou and Sango desperately tried to rip them off. Lifting her from the ground, they sped off in the direction of the west as the old woman clapped her hand three times.
"It is done My Lady." The old woman crooned as she turned to Kikyou. InuYasha hearing the distress of his pack looked back to see Kikyou's soul stealers dart Kagome away from Sango and off into the sky. Running after her he stopped dead as he heard Kikyou laugh harder.
"Oh silly puppy, you'll never get to her in time." Turning they saw Kikyou grinning from ear to ear as she stepped away from the confused old witch. "By the time you get there, she will have aged into a crone on her death bed, and her powers of purification stripped from her. Soon her soul will be completely mine to own once more." Hearing this, the old woman gasped and looked at the shrine maiden she had helped.
"What do you mean her soul? I thought you said she was a demon who had taken over the girl's body!" Trembling the old woman turned to the group of distraught friends. "This is true is it not?" She desperately looked from one face to another. And as Sango's face turned from sadness into furry, she darted forwards fist raised at the undead woman.
"How dare you hurt Kagome!" She yelled as her fist connected with the clay woman's face. InuYasha gasped and ran towards them, pulling Sango away from his love.
"Get away from her!" He growled as he placed himself between the two, facing Sango with Kikyou protectively behind him. Once again Kikyou's dark laughter filled their ears.
"Even in anger he protects the true maiden of the Jewel." Kikyou laughed harder as Sango dropped to the ground sobbing, Mirkou rushing to her aid.
Kagome screamed and fought against the cool bodies of the soul stealers as she felt the old woman's spell try to take hold of her and drain her powers. What Kikyou didn't understand though, was that Kagome out shone her in strength. Her aura burst forth as the soul stealers dropped her in a clearing deep in the forests of the west. It was an extremely pale blue as it enveloped her body, changing and manipulating the spell that was cast upon her. It as lightened as her powers grew, and as Kagome studied she found that though the priestesses in the Warring Sates era were not all that powerful, she was. This was because though the strove for balance and acceptance, they themselves were not. They discriminated and hated demons, as well as other humans. Some thought they were above others just because their spiritual powers were slightly stronger than others. While they preached about purity, they hated and scorned or they became cold and unfeeling, locking their emotions deep within themselves.
Kagome had figured out that her powers had always fluctuated because of her emotions. While this had cause some priestesses to become cold and emotionless, she had fought to be able to control them, but not bury them. And in turn, used them to strengthen her and fuel her power. She had embraced that she wouldn't be perfect, nor would she be completely pure because she was human, and she made mistakes. She knew that while demons did some pretty gruesome things, humans had committed atrocities as well.
Whimpering, her powers pulsed around her as her body writhed from the spell. And slowly her body began to shrink and change. As her body grew smaller, her hair took on a soft blue sheen, and became slightly wavier. Fangs slowly started to grow in her mouth as blood dripped from it and her aura seemed to be breathed in swirling from around her clenched fists and into her lungs and body with each inhale, as her nails sharpened to claws. Her ears shifted slightly, becoming slightly pointed and her hearing increased making her whine softly. Her body contorted and popped as it shifted into that of a small infant no more than one and a half years old. A shrill childish scream pierced the air as her spine popped and lengthen as a soft black tail burst through her skin leaving her bloody and unconscious in a mass of adult clothing. Strands of sliver hair caught in her small delicately clawed hand.
Chattering of a small brown haired girl the age of eleven, crowed his ears as he walked through the dense forest of his lands. He was out patrolling for chaos while his father, whom had revived as his and his half breed brothers blood mixed against the bones inside his tome and had pulled the healing powers from Tenseiga to completely revive himself, ruled over the west. He had not told the half breed of their fathers return, for he found even being around his stench made him want to rid the earth of it, so why tell him something that he would gain pleasure from?
His toad like retainer squawked at the girl Rin to be quiet and threatened her once again with his staff of two heads. Though he was used to it, Sesshomaru became if you could called it that, slightly agitated that the two did not get along. They had been together for four years, yet the two still fought like cats and dogs. While they both idolized his form, Rin had taken to seeing him as a father figure. Usually she stayed at the palace of the moon with his father, her 'Papa' as his father insisted, but it was becoming close to the time that she had dubbed her 'birthday', for that is when he had revived her, and had wanted to journey with him as her gift. Allowing her to come had stopped her from feeling hurt, and stopped his father from lecturing him once again on how to care for his adopted 'pup'. A shiver went down his spine though as they stopped for camp. There was something wrong with in the region that they were in.
Suddenly, just as Rin had finished with her dinner, a childish scream of pain and terror ripped through the air, along with the scent of blood. Jumping in fright, Rin ran to him ducking behind him and into protection. Placing a calming hand on her head, he turned towards the sound and listened. While he heard no sounds of violence, he was sure there was someone out there in severe pain.
"My lord, you'll go save the child wont you?" Rin's soft melodic voice came as she looked up at him. Being around demons at sharpened her skills and sense, and she knew that it had been a child's scream. Looking down at his wards worried doe brown eyes he nodded once before disappearing from the small clearing that they were camped in. Rin, seeing him gone, rushed about to prepare for their newest guest. Gathering blankets together, she ripped up some cloth and glared at her toady protector until he took her to get water.
Meanwhile, Sesshomaru arrived in the tiny clearing, it really wasn't more that a large tree growing that had pushed the others away forming a small circle. Seeing a puddle of fabric, and smelling the blood coming from it, he stalked forwards. Sniffing the air, he scented his half brother, though it was slightly old, and the scent of his human wench mixed with the scent of jasmine and wild rose, along with that of the Inu Youaki. Scenting magic as well, he cautiously approached the bundle of clothing pulling them away to see a small inu pup laying in the middle of them. Blood covering her body from were her tail, fangs, and claws forced their way out, she looked to be no more than a small one year old, one and a half at the maximum. Looking at her clawed fingers, he saw strands of sliver hair in them, and the scent coming from them was his half brothers. Looking down, he realized that InuYasha's wench, had some how gotten her self not only cursed into a child's body, but transformed into a full inu youaki.
Growling softly he picked up the child's lip form in his single arm, gathering the clothing around her to keep her warm after tucking the jar of jewel shards into his haori, he turned and walked towards his camp. Once there he would have Rin tend to her, then when she awoke, question the miko of what had happened. Yes, she was still a miko, and that confused him more that ever. A demoness with the powers of a priestess, this would be interesting. After his questions were answered, he would seek out his half breed annoyance of a brother, and deposit the child with him. Nodding, he took off towards the camp, Kagome tucked safely against his chest.
Well, there is chapter one for you. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review with your thoughts and comments. Though flaming is completely unwelcome, constructive criticism is always helpful. If you don't like this story, find something else to read, don't completely tear it down, this is the first chapter. I'm not forcing you to read this.
~Angelique