Legends and Memories by vanesa

Chapter 1

I was furious. There was no other way to describe how I felt at that exact moment. Betrayal, anger, shock all rolled into one as I stared into Miroku’s eyes. I gritted my teeth together and he stepped back at the murderous look I probably wore.

“What the HELL are you Doing here?”

I asked him and I was surprised at how calm I sounded despite what I felt. I sneered at him when he took another step back at my question. Nervousness flickered through his eyes, he swallowed hard as though he were trying to get past the lump in his throat. He was just a little bit scared of me. He always has been since the moment I first met him, but unlike others he pushed back that fear and became my friend. I loved him for that but it still hurt when I saw that fear in him. I blew back the stray hair that always seemed to fall into my eyes, and sighed. I felt bad for acting like that with him. I stepped back from my door and waved him inside. I realized as soon as I focused beyond him that he was not alone. Standing off the back porch and in the rain were four other men. Immediately I stiffened when the wind carried with it a scent that I knew very well, I held myself back and waved them all in. They moved past me with rain and dirt marking their way. I closed the door behind them making sure that it was locked. Still no one spoke, and the tension building was enough to make me want to scream. There was five of them, including Miroku, and one of them was hurt. Two of them held up the injured one between them and his head lolled forward.

Miroku opened his mouth finally ready to say something but I held my hand out, not wanting to hear what he had to say yet.

“Not yet Miroku, take him into the bedroom and get him out of those clothes. Dry him off as much as you can without disturbing the wound. You.”

I pointed to the one that was left behind as the others went to do as I ordered.

“Come with me.”

He trailed after me as I walked into the kitchen.

“There are pots in that cabinet; under the sink you’ll find a medical bag with my equipment in it. Boil the items inside to sterilize them. Bring everything into the room with you after you have that done.”

Giving me a nod he went to work. I left him to walk back to the room picking up some towels on the way. I walked into the bedroom and stepped by the men surrounding the bed. Sitting on the edge I pulled the covers back off of the mans upper body. The wound was still gushing blood and by the looks of it very deep. Picking up a towel I pressed it against his abdomen.

“I need to see his back, help me lift him.”

A moment later his was laying back. The bullet hadn’t gone all the way through, which means it was still inside him. I felt cold. Not from having to dig it out but because this was a mortal wound. The man would die, and slowly. I was cold because I knew why Miroku had compromised my safety. I felt the betrayal stab deep. I was bleeding inside.

How could he ask this of me?

It was the one question that kept running through my mind. I looked at him, and saw the moment that he realized that I knew, and I could see the guilt and shame that crossed his eyes. His look was pleading with me to understand, but how could I? The hurt threatened to drown me, but I beat it back. I was used to this. It’s always the same. Sucking in a breath, I gathered myself to the task that was now mine. I saw the fifth man come in carrying my supplies, I pointed to the nightstand. After he set it down I pointed to the door.

“All of you out.”

Immediately they started fighting back with their denials.

“I don’t fucking care what you want. Get the hell out. You guys came to me, if you want my help then do as I say. It’s the only way your friend will live. If you want him to die then stay. I couldn’t care less.”

I calmly stood up and made to leave when Miroku put his hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off, not wanting him to touch me. It hurt him. I could tell that much. He stepped back, and ordered them out.

“Let’s go. She’ll save him.”

He waited to be the last one and turned to me.

“I’m sorry.”

Then he walked out closing the door behind him.

Bastard.

I turned back to the stranger that lay on my bed. My sympathy for him muted by my anger.

“I hope that you don’t betray him, he must trust you to ask this of me. I wonder what will happen when you find out what the cost of this miracle was.”

Silence met me, I didn’t expect an answer. He was to far gone to be aware. I shook my head in pity for him. Then I set to work. It was slow going. I had to constantly stop because the blood would not stop flowing. After for what seem like hours I sat back and stretched, groaning when I felt my muscles pulling. I extracted the bullet and stitched the laceration, but even after doing all this work he would still die. I had seen death to many times to not know what it looks and smells like. Death rolled off of him, already infection had set in. The wound had been hours old, it was amazing that he was still alive when they got here. Shaking off my thoughts I straddled him, leaning in close to him I whispered.

“If you survive this, you will wear my mark.”

I touched his forehead with my own and placed my hand over his wound. I took a deep breath and opened my senses. I sucked in my breath as the pain assaulted me but it would be nothing compared to what I was about to feel. I pushed beyond what I was feeling taking him back to when he got hurt. His emotions from that moment became mine. I could feel the stillness in him, the well of power that he carried, just before he was struck. The shock slammed through me, then the pain. Oh god the pain was so intense I couldn’t breathe. I willed his pain to become mine, as his body trembled from the remembered feelings. He became still as I took over the experience, feeling the bullet tear through my skin and organs. A trail of fire was left in its wake. Sweat broke out on my body as I strained to ride the wave of pain that was flowing freely through me. I gripped the bed sheet as I gasped for air. Finally it started to ebb and I was able to breathe easier. The fire was dying down and my body cooled. I slumped forward in exhaustion. I felt his breathe on me, his eyes opened. I met his golden gaze and a shiver ran through me.

I knew those eyes.

 He lips parted,

“I’m Sesshomaru.”

“Kagome.”

A smile stretched his lips and then he closed his eyes and fell asleep. I pushed myself up and wobbled to my feet. I felt lethargic, drained. I wanted to sleep forever but I still had matters to attend to. I forced myself to clean up the mess and pack everything away. I turned back to my patient and stared at the skin around his wound, already the skin was knitting together, the ugly red slowly fading. In two days time, I would be able to remove the stitching, but he would still need at least a week to recover enough to travel.

It would not be soon enough.

I stared in disgust as I saw the pale blue tear drop marking his skin next to the raised skin. I wanted to cry, but instead I pulled the sheet over him and walked out closing the door behind me.

When I reached the living room they stood up, looking at me with a silent question on their lips. I took a moment to observe the men that have just utterly ruined my life. Miroku was tall, with eyes that were almost violet in color. His shoulder length black hair was tied back with a piece of leather. His features were strained and he looked tired. I forced myself away from his gaze and moved on. All the men were tall with a few inches difference between each other. As if noticing my searching gaze, Miroku introduced us.

“Guys, this is Kagome.”

Pointing from left to right he started with the one who helped me in the kitchen then to the two men that helped him with Sesshomaru.

“Kagome this is Hojo, Junis, and Inuyasha. The other one is Sesshomaru.”

I nodded to them and taking in Hojo’s obvious humanity with his brown hair and eyes, he seemed to be more brains then brawn but I knew that looks were very deceiving. Junis, was a fox demon, there was no way of mistaking that, his red hair and green eyes a complement to his sharp angular face and his mischievous features. Inuyasha was a half mortal and dog demon, he was related very closely to the injured man. His long hair a shining silver and dog ears on top of his head. I wanted to reach out and give them a tug but I restrained myself. I caught his amber gaze and saw his accessing look, there was worry in their depths but he hid it well. I turned to face Miroku taking one final glance at them. They were all wearing the same outfits. Black fatigues.

“What have you gotten me into?”

I glared at Miroku, as he stumbled to explain.

“I had no other choice Kagome. I would never involve you in this. He was hurt and we couldn’t risk him dying because we went somewhere else. He’s our strongest alliance. We tried to break into The Compound in hopes that we could find information on what was done to the genetic code of demons. Their children are dying younger and younger and some of the women can no longer conceive. Don’t you get it Kagome? We are losing, and Naraku is winning. His numbers growing and ours are falling. We had to do something.”

He was red in the face by the time he finished. I was left speechless. I had been so isolated that I hadn’t even realized that things had gotten this bad. It shamed me, it shamed the title I once carried. That time had been so long ago. True priestess no longer existed. The generations of diluted blood lines had killed the last of them left. There were women out there who held some power but they were weak and didn’t have enough control or knowledge on how to use that power. They sold themselves to the highest bidder their souls tarnished beyond repair. I was the last of my kind. My bloodline as old as time. I was here before the Dark War and I lived beyond it as well. I faded into legend, and memories. Miroku is who made me feel alive again after we met. Now I was shamed in front of him because I hide from the problems that still exist.

“I’m not that person anymore Miroku.”

I whispered to him even though I knew the others could hear me. We had their rapt attention. He shook his head at me in denial.

“You are exactly that person, your just scared.”

All at once I was angry again.

“You know nothing about me. Nothing of what I’m capable of. I’m dark inside Miroku. I have taken lives, I have blood on my hands, and I could kill again if I had to without blinking an eye. I would have left your friend to die if it wasn’t for you. You coming here has started a chain reaction, I will not be left alone. You have set things in motion that you know nothing of. We are now walking a very fine line that we could tumble to either side. You are a child who is playing with fire, and it is going to be ME that is going to get burned. I trusted you.”

I uttered the last three words in sadness. Sighing I turned my back on them.

“There are blankets and extra pillows in the guest room down the hall. Your welcome to clean yourselves up and sleep here. Your friend won’t be able to be moved for a couple of weeks, but he lives. I’ve done my part and now I’m going to sleep. I’ll be upstairs, don’t disturb me. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

I walked up the stairs and into my bedroom, locking the door behind me. I threw myself down on my bed and fell into and exhausted sleep.