Mistaken Miko by KorruptdWun

Chapter One: Trial

Mistaken Miko

Dark. Not Kikyou friendly, at all.

Summary: Youkai are extinct and the world is divided into two ruling parties, the Miko and the Houshi. In an attempt for the Miko to reign supreme, the elders devise a plan to breed an ultimate power. They require the most powerful youkai and the most powerful miko that ever lived. But deception and betrayal run strong in the Miko House, mistakes can happen.

AU: The Miko House is divided into Five Circles in ascending order, First Circle being the highest. Council of elders rule above the First Circle. Characters from Sengoku Jidai and Moden Japan are incorporated into the fic. Miko House can be looked on as a giant bording school or training camp. Feel free to ask questions if something isn't explained.

Other Warnings: OOCness. The characters are OOC just to make it work. This is how I think they would behave if they were in this situation, except for Kikyou. I'm just being mean to her.

Chapter One: Trial

The darkness shifted as a small figure made her way through the hallway. She knew she shouldn't be down there, but something was calling her. It had woken her up from her twilight meditation with such a strong pull, she could not fall back into the sanctuary of meditation. She was hoping, that if she went to go see what was calling her, it would quiet down and she could finish her meditation. Her sisters would be upset with her if she did not complete her meditation by sunrise, and she was behind schedule already.

Tiptoeing to the lowest level, she silently entered the chamber at the very end of the unlit hallway. She was met with the largest doors she had ever seen. The doors shone with an eerie luminescence, almost metallic. Sprawling, spiraling characters of an ancient tongue slithered all across the doors, hiding the seam that would divide the doors and allow her entry.

Her breath taken away by the majesty of the doors alone, the little miko crept up to them carefully, afraid of wards that might have been placed around them for protection or sealing. She didn't see any of the standard wards, the only kind she had been taught to recognize so far. Her cerulean eyes slid closer to the doors, her face peering innocently at the sheen. The markings were silver swirls, reminiscent of chains. They flowed all about the doors and seemed to focus in the very center, around a large crescent shaped marking. She reached out with a pale hand and gently traced the crescent.

Suddenly, the crescent glowed a brilliant blue, so bright it was a blinding white. The girl recoiled in fear, afraid of what she had done. But the light was warming, soothing, it called to her. Carefully, she approached the doors again, surprised to see them part before her. She took a few tentative steps toward the dark stripe between the opened doors. The blackness within beckoned to her.

As soon as the little miko set foot past the doors, they suddenly swung shut behind her. Now thoroughly frightened, the timid creature shook in fear where she stood. Tiny, crystalline drops slithered down her cheeks. She should never have disobeyed the order of her sisters. But the pull was so strong. She couldn't help herself. Now she was trapped in a dark room, all alone. How was she supposed to explain herself to them now? She would be severely reprimanded and would probably have to undergo penance. It would most likely be severe, lashings and fasting. But she had been bad, she deserved it. Just as she was about to flare her aura in a beacon calling for help, another aura entwined with her own, pulling her towards it.

Kagome stumbled forward. Her bare feet slapping against the cold tile as she was pulled toward an unknown destination. The ten year old trembled. She had never felt such a powerful aura before, not even from the elder sisters. The aura was viciously hot, but she was cushioned from the heat by a bubble of comforting warmth. However, she knew that if she fell out of that bubble, she would be burned, so she stayed within the bubble as it pulled her. The tugging became more insistent the further she went, causing her to run. A thin sheen of sweat began to develop. She panted, trying to keep up with the bubble, but it was tiring. It seemed no matter how far she was running, she made no headway. The room was incredibly long.

Her lungs burned, her legs strained. For a ten year old miko, her body was not at the peak of perfection. Her muscles were princess soft from hours of meditation and other forms of physical inactivity. Only her arms had any form of development. Archery was the only form of physical exercise that the mikos of the fourth level were given. To be seen running was looked down upon by the elder mikos.

Still, as the strength of her body waned, Kagome refused to be scorched by the burning aura. She kept up with the bubble. Suddenly, she was jerked forward and pulled into a full out sprint. Lungs screaming, muscles aching, Kagome pumped her legs mindlessly. Kagome could not give up. She would not be defeated by a foreign aura. She wasn't weak. She had to prove it to herself. It always seemed she was at the bottom of her class. With all of the other mikos in her level, the elders were always around her. The elder mikos were always correcting her posture in archery, giving her longer hours of meditation, and even increasing her workload of the herbal garden maintenance. She never seemed good enough.

Meanwhile, the top of the class, and also the oldest in her level, Kikyou seemed perfect. She would never require correction. She was the perfect lady, always ladylike and formal in everything she did. None of the other mikos ever berated her or punished her for her lack of grace, unlike Kagome. Kikyou had been passed over in the trial preliminaries into the advancement of the third level, so she had spent the longest in Kagome's level, but that did not stop her from thinking she was the best. She possessed an extraordinary amount of miko energy, and was always doted upon by the elders. Kagome wasn't jealous, but she just wished, that once, she could do something right for a change.

She would work hard. She would prove that she couldn't be beaten by the fiery aura. She wasn't weak! Using a technique she had learned to block out the pain, she focused on only her goal, to make it to wherever she was going. Hopefully, she would reach her destination before her body gave out.

Finally, after endless hours of only the sound of her feet slapping cold tile and the sizzling of the aura as it singed her when she stumbled or faltered, the bubble began to slow. Breathing heavily, and hardly aware of where she was anymore, Kagome collapsed onto the tile as soon as the bubble released her. She welcomed the feel of the icy smoothness beneath her, cooling her aching muscles. She lay on her back, chest heaving as she tried to regain herself. When her breathing evened out once more, she rolled to her side and attempted to sit up. Her limbs felt like they were made of lead. Her progress was slow.

She made it to her knees and sat with her legs splayed on the tile in a very unladylike fashion. Kagome's eyes peered into the darkness, trying to regain her bearings. Everything was pitch black, impenetrable by her feeble vision. She groped around blindly on her hands and knees. There was a presence just on the fringe of her other senses, another aura tickling at her own. It was different from the one that had dragged her here, less volatile, but no less powerful. This one seemed almost sedate, as if it were sleeping.

Her hand came in contact with something. She gingerly ran her fingers across it. The object was long, and cold. Her fingers poked through holes. It was a chain! Oh, but the thing was HEAVY! As her fingers traced upward, she noticed that it would clang lightly on the tile floor beneath it. Her fingers finally closed around a metal loop at the end. Kagome stared upward, straining her eyes to catch a glimpse of what would be bound so deep in the heart of the miko compound.

Curious yet careful, she slid her fingers further forward from the shackle. Her fingers enclosed a soft fabric, warm from body heat. A PERSON?! Kagome's eyes widened. Why would the mikos imprison someone down here? It seemed too cruel. Bound, helpless, in the dark, alone. She reached forward with both hands. She found herself tracing up a leg, toward the chest. Crawling, she could reach the neck, and finally the face. Her small warm hands framed the cheeks of whomever was chained there.

"Hello?" Her feeble voice pierced the darkness. "Are you alright?"

A growl was her only response. Two golden orbs glittered in the darkness as the person's eyes opened. Kagome gasped. They were the most intense eyes she'd ever seen in her life. They were so deep, so mesmerizing. She felt like she was drowning. Before she knew it, she had leaned in so close, she hovered just a few millimeters from the person's face. She could feel his breath washing over her. Startled, she jumped backward, landing ungainly on her behind. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get so close. I just didn't know what I was doing." She babbled, blushing wildly. Staring down at a floor she couldn't see seemed much more interesting. Gah! She was invading the person's personal space! How rude of her!

The eyes simply gazed at her. He growled once more, a sound both warning and commanding. Her eyes snapped back up to meet it's, and she was once again shocked by the emotion in those golden pools. They stared at her as if trying to drink her in. They were ravenous golden pools. She shivered as an unknown emotion raced through her. It was akin to fear, sending chills down her spine, yet those eyes called to her. She wanted to be near someone, no matter who it was. The darkness was stifling. Here was another person, alone in the dark. He seemed lonely, if not a more than a little intimidating though. He was another warm body, someone to be with in the darkness. Tentatively, she inched forward.

The golden eyes narrowed. He snarled once, ivory fangs glistening in the pseudo-light. Kagome whimpered. He was telling her something, but she didn't understand. He sounded like he wanted her closer. Oh Kami, was he going to eat her? Hesitantly, she reached out once more, laying her hands on either side of his face. His eyes closed. He inhaled deeply and a contented growl escaped his throat. She was sorely tempted to lay her forehead on his, and she bent forward to do so. He eyes opened as she approached, and he made an approving noise in the back of his throat. When her head made contact with his, there seemed like an explosion in her mind. A blinding light burst in front of her eyes. Then she was floating, away from the darkness, away from it's comforting warmth, away from everything...

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A few days later, Kagome awoke. She found herself laying in her room, sunlight streaming in from her window, casting her room into a glaring brightness. She blinked blearily. What was going on? Foggy images clouded her brain, and she couldn't remember anything since her failed twilight meditation. Oh Kami! What if she fell asleep during meditation and slept for days! Noises from outside alerted her to the festivities taking place in the main courtyard. Quickly she changed into her miko day-clothes and scrambled out her room, curious as to what was happening.

Outside, she ran into her friends, Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri. The three turned to her, startled. "Kagome! They called. We're so glad to see that you're better! We were so worried about you. You've been asleep for four days!"

Her eyes bugged out. "Four days?!" Kagome screeched.

Her friends nodded. "Yeah. No one could wake you. The miko superiors didn't know what was wrong, only that your aura was unstable. They blamed exhaustion because of all your extra meditation, but nevermind. You're just in time for the celebration!"

Puzzled, Kagome tilted her head. "Celebration? What's going on?"

"Kikyou-senpai's being promoted to the FIRST CIRCLE!!" They squealed excitedly.

'First Circle?' As far as Kagome knew, Kikyou wasn't even ready for the Third Circle yet. "How?" She asked.

Her trio of friends exchanged glances. They hovered in conspiratorially. "Well, you know, there's a demon at the heart of this Shrine."

"A youkai?!" Kagome asked her eyes wide. They were supposed to be extinct!

"Shhh!!!" Her friends shushed her. "Not so loud, Kagome. It's supposed to be a secret!"

"Oh." Kagome nodded her head and lowered her voice. Somehow, Eri became privy to the most top secret stuff out there. She had stopped questioning her mysterious gain of privy information long ago.

They continued. "Only one youkai is kept. He's sealed away at the bottommost cavern beneath the shrine. He's said to be the son of the strongest youkai that ever lived!"

"Why is he sealed down there. Isn't that just cruel to him?" Kagome asked sympathetically.

Her friends shook their heads. "No, he's asleep. And he's sealed down there for a special reason. He's the full-blooded demon son of the Inu no Taisho, Lord of the Western Lands of Ancient Japan, and the great priestess Midoriko-sama."

Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief. How was that possible? Midoriko was the founder of this shrine! She was said to be able to purify a hundred demons with a glance. It was because of her that modern Japan was now free of the evil youkai. But she was able to give birth to a fully youkai child!

"They keep him because the strongest miko blood are borne from youkai. When a youkai and a human mate, a hanyou is born. But if a youkai and a strong miko are mated, then the miko could purify the youkai blood, and a powerful miko is born. The stronger the demon blood, the stronger the miko would have to be, or else the baby will be born a hanyou."

"But what if the baby was born a boy?" Kagome questioned, knowing that only girls were able to inherit miko powers.

"Normally he'd just be a really strong hanyou. The thing is, Midoriko-sama was strong enough to bear the Inu no Taisho a full-blooded demon son! He was to be used for breeding purposes for mikos. The really weird thing is that the elder mikos are trying to breed a male miko! One who will be more powerful than any other miko before him! But no miko is powerful enough to pass on their powers like that. Only girls are receptive. That's why they need a youkai, so that the offspring will be more inclined to accept the miko ability. The youkai was sealed away by Midoriko-sama herself. Only the miko with the true ability to bear the male miko will be able to awaken him. She'll be powerful enough and kind enough to raise the child properly. Then we'll enter a new age of prosperity and peace and be able to maintain it with our abilities!" The trio glowed as they went on with their explanation. The whole reason for becoming a miko was to help others. Kagome could see why it would make them so happy.

"Why couldn't Midoriko birth the male miko if she could birth a youkai son?"

"She wasn't strong enough. The new miko would have to be more powerful than Midoriko-sama herself."

Kagome's eyes widened again. "But what does it have to do with Kikyou-senpai?"

"Well, a few days ago, the elder mikos noticed something strange happening in the lower chamber. The seal on the demon had BROKEN! When they went down to investigate, they found Kikyou-senpai in the chamber, and the demon was AWAKE! Kikyou-senpai said that she had simply gone down there because she felt some weird aura. The doors were already opened for her, and the youkai lay in the middle of the floor staring at her! But she wasn't frightened. Oh no. She walked right up to the youkai and stared back. Not only that, but the elders said that there's supposed to be this REALLY difficult test that the person has to pass. It tests the miko's mental and physical abilities to their limits. If they fail, then the miko DIES! But Kikyou-senpai said that she felt nothing. So she passed the test so easily, she didn't even feel a thing!!

The elder mikos released the youkai, but not before placing powerful subduing spells on him, made by Midoriko-sama herself! Now he HAS to obey Kikyou-sama. She's the only one powerful enough to control him. And now is the coronation ceremony to bring her into the First Circle. She's already proven herself worthy since she's had awoken the youkai, so she has MORE than enough power. It's just now she's going to learn all the skills to go with it. Ah, I'm so jealous. The youkai is supposed to be drop dead gorgeous."

Kagome blushed. "Don't talk like that. You're only ten. Kikyou-senpai is fifteen. She's already a woman, so she can handle the demon. I hope all goes well for her." Kagome stood on her tiptoes, trying to raise herself above to crowd to see. Way in the front was a raised platform. On it, she could see a bunch of specks, the group of elder mikos, Kikyou-senpai, and the youkai. She really wanted to see the youkai. According to their textbooks, youkai were monsters, stupid, evil, and ugly. But she could only see human shaped specks in the front. She sighed. Kagome guessed that maybe she could see the youkai later. After all, she should be able to tell youkai from human, she was a miko...

:::End Chapter One:::

Confused? Puzzled? Intrigued? R&R!