Eternal Shikon Miko by Katelin

Chapter 1

Rumors had reached the Lord of the West. He didn’t usually pay attention to such things but this one had stirred something in him. A traveling miko had been seen in a town not far from his shiro. She was also suspected to be the Shikon Miko. Her abilities were more powerful than anyone had seen in recent years.

Sesshomaru followed his instincts and allowed curiosity to lead him to the last known place she had been spotted. Sure enough, her faded scent still lingered in the air. She was no longer in the town but he could easily follow her trail. He was curious. Curious enough to track her.

The miko he knew as Kagome sat with her legs dangling off the edge of a rocky cliff. Below her was a river that had cut a path through the earth. She didn’t move or acknowledge him when he approached, even though he did nothing to hide his aura. His yoki brushed against her but he felt nothing. There was no responding slash of her reiki.

“Miko,” he finally said, irritated that she dared to ignore him.

“Sesshomaru,” Kagome responded without turning to face him.

Silence.

Sesshomaru often used silence for intimidation. He also enjoyed silence. He found no discomfort in it and never found the need to fill it with unnecessary words. This time, however, he was unnerved. The girl he remembered often filled silenced with empty, banal, and often nervous chattering. Had she really changed that much over these past years? She had obviously gained a tremendous amount of control over her reiki. If he didn’t know any better, he would believe she had no spiritual powers whatsoever.

“Where is Inuyasha?” he finally asked.

“Dead,” she said in a flat tone. “He died protecting a village on a moonless night.”

So, Inuyasha had succumbed to the weakness of being hanyou. How had he not known? Why had the news not filtered back to him? He had informants scattered across Nippon and he had people tracking his wayward brother. Someone would suffer for their failure to inform him of this news.

“Tessaiga?”

“Buried with him in his grave next to Kikyo. You may retrieve it if you’d like. He has no use for it now.”

Sesshomaru had no need for his father’s old fang. It wasn’t even his father’s original sword anymore. Totasai had used Inuyasha’s fang to repair it. Besides, Bakusaiga was much more suited for his person.

“Why are you traveling alone?”

A small, sad chuckle escaped Kagome. “So many questions today. Alright, Sesshomaru, I will quench your curiosity.”

She stood and faced him. All he felt when first seeing her face was shock. She had not aged a day since he’d last seen her after dropping off a kimono for Rin in the old village. Her scent told him she was human. How could she manage such a feat?

“Are you mated to a yokai?” That was the only explanation he could come up with though he found that hard to believe. She had been in love with his brother after all.

“No. But I am the Shikon Miko. My fate is to protect it until the end of time.”

“This Sesshomaru does not detect the Shikon no Tama about you. It was said to be destroyed by you and Inuyasha.”

“You cannot detect that which I hide. The Shikon no Tama cannot be destroyed, only transformed.”

Without warning, reiki washed over the Western Lord. It was like standing within a blazing fire made of purity. His nostrils burned and his yoki flared up instantly to protect him. He was surprised at the amount of yoki necessary to keep the purity at bay. He could scent the Shikon no Tama now. It oozed over of Kagome’s body, seductive, enticing, begging to be taken and used. He had never been tempted by the power of the jewel but he was now. Sesshomaru used his enormous willpower to resist. Nothing but tragedy would come to him if he gave in to temptation.

In another blink, the brilliant reiki vanished and the powerhouse before him disappeared from his yoki awareness. Only a pathetic human remained. He didn’t know how, but the girl seemed to have become the physical manifestation of the jewel.

“You’ve merged with the jewel.”

Bitter laughter escaped her.

“Down to the last cell. I am the living embodiment of the Shikon no Tama. I do not dare get close to another living creature. Misfortune will come to any who care for me.  Inuyasha is proof of that. So now I am alone in this world.” A tear fell from her eye but she quickly wiped it away, obviously irritated that she was showing any such weakness. “And I thought Kikyo was cursed.”

Kagome sat back down, her legs dangling over the edge once more. Her hair, the color of a raven’s wing, remained untied and free to dance in the wind. The scene before him was beautiful enough to be capture in paint.

 Saddness drifted to his nose. No, not sadness. Grief. Despair. Anguish. Rage. The emotions swirled through the currents. She could hide her power but not her feelings.

“Do you require shelter?”

If she accepted, his shiro would likely fall into chaos. He didn’t mind. In fact, he would welcome some change at the moment. His life had become surprisingly dull after Naraku’s death. Chaos brought challenges and challenges made him stronger.

“No, though I appreciate the offer. I will not risk you or your subjects.”

“Do you think this One cannot defend himself or his people? Do you think this Sesshomaru would be tempted by a simple miko’s abilities?” he asked arrogantly.

“No, but I will not bring misfortune to those under your protection. I will not tempt those who do not have the strength to resist. I will continue to travel. One day in the not so distant future, mikos will no longer be respected. I will disappear then.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “Do not worry about me, Sesshomaru-sama. Just survive. Survive so that when I reappear, you are alive and well. I’m counting on seeing a friendly face in 500 years.”

Her words and tone made it clear she was done speaking. He would respect her wishes. Instead of responding, Sesshomaru turned and began walking away. He made a silent promise to her and to himself that he would survive. He would do whatever it took to make sure he saw the future she spoke of.

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1088 words