As Kagome crested the steep granite steps, sunlight gleamed from the shrine’s gilded eaves, haloed the silvery stone lanterns in ethereal radiance. She drew strength from the shrine’s holy presence as she walked around it, following the paved path to the wooded temple that lay beyond. Constructed only a year ago, the multi-tiered building still smelled of fresh-cut pine as Kagome ascended the sweeping stair.
Outside the main hall, Miroku’s apprentices were assembled. As one, they bowed to her. Inclining her head to them in turn, Kagome crossed the courtyard and entered. Before a towering statue of the Buddha, Miroku was seated, slightly off to the right, the three visitors arrayed before him. Taking up the central, leading cushion beside him, Kagome met the slate grey eyes of the mystic Seiryuu.
“May I present the High Priestess of Edo,” Miroku said with clipped formality, taking another sip of his tea.
“Kagome-sama,” Seiryuu greeted without preamble, a hungry glint in his eyes as he and his followers bowed to her. “The Shikon Miko…truly it is an honor to be in your presence.”
“Likewise, Seiryuu-sama,” Kagome returned, her gaze flicking to Kaede as the elder priestess took up the seat to her right. “What brings you down to Edo?”
It was rare that the Senjou mystics condescended to leave their lofty realm. The pointed question in Miroku’s glance mirrored Kagome’s own. Seiryuu smiled, the expression not quite reaching his eyes.
“A pilgrimage long overdue,” he responded smoothly. “Alas, we make it under such ominous skies.”
Kagome’s eyes narrowed slightly at his caginess. With all the mental energy she was forced to expend on Sesshoumaru, she had little patience for anything else that was cryptic or obscure.
“‘Ominous’, Houshi-sama?” Kaede asked ahead of her.
“Surely you yourselves have sensed it,” the mystic replied, his hawkish gaze sharpening further. “The stirrings of demons, dark forces mustering at the boundaries of the blessed East.”
Kagome’s brow furrowed. Over the past few weeks, there had been an escalation in demonic activity in the region. Like changes in the weather, such things tended to come and go, and so she hadn’t really read into them, but at the mystic’s dire pronouncement, unease rippled through her. Tamping down her misgivings, the head priestess fixed Seiryuu with a piercing glare.
“Is that why you’ve come all this way?—because of ‘stirrings’?”
“From the vantage of our sacred mountain, we have kept a watchful eye,” Seiryuu said, parrying her look. “We do not abandon it lightly.”
“Abandon?” Kagome echoed, unable to keep the surprise from her voice.
“In the past,” the mystic continued, as though he hadn’t been interrupted, “we would have defended our holy temple against far worse odds than these. Yet our greatest weapon has been taken from us.”
Kaede stiffened as he pinned her suddenly with his gaze. “My sister Kikyou’s decree,” she realized gruffly aloud.
Looking between them, Kagome shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
Seiryuu’s lip curled at the elder priestess before he returned his attention to Kagome. “We come to Edo, Kagome-sama, because we have heard the rumors of your vast power—a power which belies your youth and mortal experience.” Directly, he stared at her, his eyes seeming to bore into her very soul. “You are a transcendent, are you not?”
Kagome’s eyes widened at the question. As Kaede frowned, Miroku went rigid.
“You are able to access your past lives—the knowledge, skill and power of all your previous incarnations is at your ready disposal,” the mystic pressed with manic zeal as he leaned in toward her. “You are able to do this because your soul has been severed from your body, because you have died and yet returned to life.”
Miroku leapt to his feet, his face white with fury. “How dare you make such outrageous presumptions. Leave here at once.”
As Seiryuu recoiled, Kagome placed a bracing hand on Miroku’s clenched fist. His overreaction was startling.
“It’s all right, Miroku-san. Seiryuu-sama isn’t wrong.” Not relaxing in the slightest, the monk regarded her in stony, breathless dread. Pushing her own misgivings aside, Kagome rose herself, peering down at their silenced visitors. “It’s true that my soul has been severed from my body. But not by death. A youkai witch named Urasue extracted a portion of it in order to revive my predecessor, the priestess Kikyou.”
As Miroku calmed, Seiryuu regarded her dubiously. “‘A portion’, you say. So your soul was never fully separated from you?”
“Not fully, no,” Kagome admitted. “But it was enough. It wasn’t long after Kikyou was destroyed and the rest of my soul returned to me that I began to discover the kinds of powers that you mentioned.”
Clearly dissatisfied, Seiryuu folded his hands into his sleeves, his dark gaze slanting to Kaede in veiled accusation. “Before Kikyou-sama condemned the practice as a perilous sacrilege, the mystics of Senjou sought transcendence through death and revival by drowning. My late master was the last to wield this rare power, and the details of the rite perished with him. I was hopeful, Kagome-sama, that you could teach us an alternative method for attaining transcendence, yet clearly we cannot replicate the demonic ritual you were subjected to.”
With a terse bow, Seiryuu stood, his disciples as well. As Kaede rose to see them brusquely out, the mystic Seiryuu paused at the door, his eyes meeting Kagome’s once more. “I wish you well, Shikon Miko, in the trials to come.”
Only when the heavy screen closed behind them did Miroku break his frigid stance, his sandaled foot lashing out against one of the sacks of rice stacked against the wall. Warily, Kagome approached him, her reservations momentarily subsiding as she took in the bounty of foodstuffs, crafted goods, and outright finery the mystics had gifted them with.
“Well, their manners may have been lacking, but their tribute certainly isn’t,” Kagome said, a wry grin curving her lips as she pocketed her plain cotton hair ribbon and replaced it with one of pearly silk instead.
“…True,” Miroku conceded grudgingly, his violet eyes already counting the silver coins spilling from a purse.
Unease niggled at Kagome still. Glancing sidelong at him, she said, “You seemed particularly annoyed by them though, Miroku-san.”
The monk’s steely tension returned. “They were impertinent in their assumptions.” Jaw clenched, he broke her searching gaze. “Forgive me, Kagome-san,” her friend said stiffly as he turned. “Sango is expecting me.”
“Of course,” the miko said, but Miroku was already striding from her as if he couldn’t get away fast enough.
Frowning after him, Kagome made her own way outside. The other monks had dispersed and gone about their designated tasks, but Rin and Kanako lingered near the door in wait of her. Regarding her apprentice, Kagome recalled Seiryuu’s grim omens. If what he’d said was true, she was going to need help defending against this threat—and Sesshoumaru. Fixing Rin with a level glance, the miko came to a decision.
“Come on,” she said. “We need to prepare.”
“To prepare?” Rin asked as she followed after, Kanako tagging along at her heels. “What for?”
“For battle,” Kagome answered.
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Another long one lol. Just didn’t feel like splitting it up.
<3
Finally I understand how alone is kagome, Inuyasha dead and she santifies him, as if he was unreachable when he has many mistakes.
Sango and kagome strained relationship.
* kagome has the freedom, and sango has the family
Kagome and Miroku relationship strained because he is the husband of sango or does he know more than he wants to admit maybe he already sensed the demonic energy of sesshoumaru .
Maybe that is why he feels uncomfortable with kagome since miroku always was more impartial.
Or at least the last person to judge.
Shippou I don’t know….. at least he loves kagome.
Rin and Kaede just like and respect kagome but rin will always be in favor of sesshoumaru.
And the new orphan girl has an unhealthy views on her.
Kohaku liked kagome … not anymore …. does he truly see her or want to impose his ideas on her?
Everyone likes and respect the Shikon no miko
No one knows kagome the woman.
She needs someone to lean on. She is alone.
Maybe she can leave the village and start fresh? Kirara help?
Someone that actually loves her….
Why her “friends”turn on her ??
Ahhh, thank you so much Mari for sharing your thoughts!! So much awesome insight here – absolutely love your analysis of the relationships between the various characters. It’s hard as people grow older to maintain their friendships through all the changes life brings, even when there isn’t a tragedy like the one Kagome experienced losing Inuyasha.
Good friends try to be patient and understanding, but people can’t help but become frustrated or even hopeless in the face of the kind of grief and deep depression Kagome has been living through. Not that Sango and the others haven’t experienced tragedies of their own, but Kagome comes from a different time, so her perspective is different. I would imagine it would be hard for them to relate to each other, in a scenario like this.
Kagome is under tremendous pressure – i think you summed it up well when you said “Everyone likes and respect the Shikon no miko
No one knows kagome the woman.” So true…
Lol sorry to ramble on – just can’t say enough how much I enjoyed your comments! Hope you enjoy how the story continues to unfold 🙂
<3 <3 <3