A Myth Come True by Aphera

Prologue: Creation

The wind howled when it passed through the thin paths of a mountain as a battle raged at its feet. Forked lightning struck the ground with anger, separating the opposing forces. Clouds so think no light shown through covered the sky. Blood ran in rivers where the Holy fought the Youkai, leaving a coppery sent that would forever stain the land. Eldest, oldest of the Holy watched from afar. Clutched in his hand was a pink jewel the size of a thumbnail. The jewel was known as the Shikon Jewel, created when the world was young. Only two knew of the Jewel's true power; Eldest, most powerful holy monk and his Brother, first of the Youkai. My dear brother, Eldest closed his eyes against the war and chanted.

"Brother, my brother, tell me this: what are we fighting for?" He opened his white eyes, "We've got to stop this war."

He opened the hand in which the Shikon Jewel rested. I shall end it with the creation of the Miko, the Jewel floated up until it levitated five feet above the ground, Take the form of the goddess of wisdom, Benten, Shikon Jewel, and give her your power. The light it gave off took the form of which he asked. A woman-child started to appear, much to Eldest's pleasure. The figure started to solidify as the old monk took a deep breath and concentrated.

But before her body could become fully solid, a cat with a glowing red eyes leaped through the translucent form. It snatched the Shikon Jewel and landed gracefully, a dark shadow hiding its small form. When the shadow lifted, a man stood in the place of the cat. He was an average looking man; medium in height, lean but not well muscled. His skin was as pail as the full-moonlight and his hair was as dark as the sky above. His oval face held only the thrill of victory as he faced Eldest.

"Well, brother," the newcomer's dark eyes shown with triumph, "It seems I win yet again."

"No, Brother," Eldest whispered into the wind, "the game is still on and I have every intention of winning."

"Eldest, if you expect to win because of," Brother waved his hand absently at the still woman, "this thing you created, think again."

Before Eldest could reply, before anyone could do anything, Brother left in the dark shadow that covered him before. Directing his attention to the field once more, he was overcome with grief. The Holy were being pushed back against the Shikon Mountains. Retreat, he spoke to his generals through mind contact, Head into the mountains and hide. They have the Shikon Jewel. He turned his back to the fighting and headed into the mountains. The woman-child he had created stayed to watch the people run.

Eldest was never seen again...

The ten years that followed the Battle of Shikon was lived in fear. No one left the mountain's cave system out of fear for the Youkai. Though none have been seen for many years, the descendents of the Holy still worried for their safety. They stayed within the caves, stuck together like a pack of wolves. Only one, a foolish man just come of age, dared enter the ancient paths of the Outside Mountain.

He left with a bow in hand, sword on hip, and head held high. Many tried to stop him, telling him it was dangerous, but nothing they said could pierce his thick head of jet black hair. He walked for miles and saw nothing; no birds sung in the trees and no animals scurried along the ground. How are we supposed to survive when we run out of livestock? He broke off a branch from a nearby tree in anger, This is ridiculous! We are the citizens of Carnvans, not a bunch of wolves!

He threw the branch as far as it would go, not caring if it hit something, but indeed it did. The young man heard a soft thump and a cry, just as soft, of a woman. Quickly running to see if the woman he heard was okay, he was stopped by a creature with black spots and tan fur. It stood ten feet above the ground and had a fearsome roar.

Its canines were a thick as his forearm and as long as his hand, dripping with what seemed to be acid as the mountain path melted where the green liquid dropped. Suddenly, leaving the caves was not such a grand idea. The man started to step back away from the creature but remembered the woman whom he hit. He lifted his bow, knocked an arrow, and took aim. The beast growled and the arrow took flight.

The arrow struck the beast in the neck, the fletching disappearing into the beast itself. But the beast did not die, if fact, it barely flinched. It continued to run at the lone man. At least the woman I heard is safe the man thought as he closed his deep reddish-brown eyes, if a poisoned arrow did not kill it than his sword wouldn't either. I accept death as my punishment for my stupidity. He waited patiently for the monster to strike. When it didn't, he opened his eyes to a most surprising sight.

A woman, whose head was slightly bruised, stood where the beast once was. Her hand was palm down and parallel to the ground and a pile of dust lay near her feet. The Youkai was nowhere to be seen.

"The branch, did you throw it?" the woman turned her gaze of brown earth to him.

"Uh...yeah," he nodded his head, still in shock about the missing Youkai, who he assumed to be the pile of dust.

"Hmm..." She looked around then, without a signal, she hurled the branch he threw at him.

"What in the Next World," he rubbed his shoulder where the branch hit him, "was that for!?"

"You hit me with it! It was only fair that I hit you," The woman crossed her arms.

"I, Onigumo, did no such thing. I threw it at the wall. It just happened to bounce off and hit you."

"Hn!" the woman turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" he reached out as if he was going to grab her but thought better of it, "What's your name?"

"Midoriko," was all she said as she continued to walk, her dark hair swaying in the gentle breeze.

"Midoriko..." h watched her walk away, "'Twas nice meeting you."

A year passed with Onigumo and Midoriko meeting on that single path. They talked about their hobbies and their pasts. Midoriko was vague and let slip about a jewel, through she wouldn't elaborate. Finally, Onigumo gained enough of her trust for her to tell him.

"So, all the people returned to the cities all because of you," Onigumo took a bite of the apple he was holding.

"It was nothing with the power of the Jewel..." Midoriko closed her mouth with a snap.

"That's the second time you mentioned a jewel. Can you please tell me about it?"

"I guess I could," she paused, took a deep breath, and set her food down, "Long ago, well, at the Last Battle, The Old Holy used the Jewel of Four souls, also known as the Shikon Jewel. It was a jewel made when life was just beginning and held the power of the Earth. He used it to create someone who could defeat the Youkai."

"But the Youkai weren't defeated."

"Let me finish. Before the person could be completed, the Jewel was taken. She was completed with only some of Its power."

"What does..." his eyes widened, "You're the one he created.

She nodded and showed him her necklace. It was a thin chain of silver with a small jewel hanging off it. He started at it with an unidentifiable gleam in his eyes. It scared her. It's like when I took it from Brother. She hid it behind the fabric of her dress once again.

He took his leave soon after and headed back to the city. For some unknown reason, Midoriko decided to follow him. I love him with all my heart but I do not trust the gleam in his eyes. She was lead to a small villiage located in the hidden valley. What she found odd was all the bowing Onigumo received. He was being treated like a lord.

Midoriko had to use her power to enter the castle after Onigumo. He led her through a long corridor and up a flight of stairs, finally arriving at a bed chamber. Before she could enter, Onigumo closed the door. She leaned against it, ear pressed tightly against the wood. What she heard tore at her very soul.

"My love, what took you so long?" a woman's voice could be heard from the other side.

"My Lady, 'twas harder to get away when I know where the Jewel is," Onigumo's deep voice replied.

"Where is it?"

"I shall get it soon, my love."

Next thing she heard was the rustle of clothing as it hit the floor. She ran until she came to the gardens. There she stood on the edge of a cliff. He shall not have the Shikon Jewel. Midoriko ripped the Jewel off the necklace and held it in front of her. The Jewel split in half, each half taking the form of a baby boy. The images held for a minute before disappearing, taking the Shikon Jewel pieces.

"My sons, you shall be born when my blood touches his," she bowed her head and used a little bit of her power to create another child, "You are the one who shall continue the line of the Holy. Take my power and memories of its use," she placed two fingers on the little girl's forehead to transfer her power. When she was done, the child floated down in the city to find someone who would take care of her. "Now the end is near."

Silence hung in the air on that moonless night. No animal made a sound and no breeze danced across the land for the Erath knew. It knew Midoriko was going to die that night. She, Earth, also knew of what Midoriko had done. Nature kept quiet as the stars winked, silently telling her that they wouldn't tell a soul what happened. She waited for an hour before she heard footsteps. Come, Onigumo, let us end this now. She kept her back turned to him, trying to ignore the way her heart fluttered when he stepped near.

"What are you doing in the villiage, Midoriko?"

"Don't come near me!"

Onigumo stepped forward to stand beside her, "What's wrong, love?"

Her heart clenched painfully in her chest as she faced him, "Your lady awaits, don't let me stop you."

She turned to walk away but was forcefully turned back, "Do not turn away from me, woman! Just give me the..."

"You won't get it," She smirked, "because you won't find it"

"Woman, where is it!?"

"Twins yet not; Two yet one; Memories they forgot; their power like the sun..."

"No riddles!" he unsheathed his sword then sheathed it in Midoriko's stomach, "Who has the Jewel?"

"Kikyou...will..."the woman couldn't finish as Midoriko, the First of the Mikos, passed to the Next World.

Thousands of years passed. Stories turned to legends and the legends turned to myths. The Myth of the Shikon Jewel was the favorite of Japan. It contained battles, betrayal, and gore; three things all little boys loved in their stories. Two small boys in particularly were more enchanted by the story than most.

The two boys were born in the same year, on the same day, and at the same minute. Many called them twins but they were not of the same mother, just of the same father. Their father's concubine had become pregnant at the time his wife did. When Sesshoumaru, son of the concubine, was born, his mother passed and left him with his father's servant. Inuyasha, son of the wife, was given everything yet Sesshoumaru nothing.

The two boys both had silver hair but Inuyasha had amber colored eyes and Sesshoumaru's eyes held the color of gold. They were the best of friends until they turned ten, the time Hime Kagome was born. Their fragile relationship was broken with no reasonable answer to why. But that wouldn't be the end, for the adventure would begin much later, when the Earth and Stars finally told the secret of Midoriko the First Miko.

Center>~*~*~+>~*~*~

B>A/N: Well, another one of my stories that I'll start and probably never finish but hey, it's worth a shot.

A/N 2: Oh...by the by, I put this in General and rated it as PG-13...if you think that it should be in something else or rated as something else...let me know and I'll change it, Ok? Well...ttfn!