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Miko no Makimono	By : cakeiton Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 4431 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own or make money off of anything Inuyasha.

Chapter List
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madbob- Thank you for the review! I hope to keep entertaining you!

ChelseaPlume- I can say don't expect too many human Inuyasha characters to show up.

lara5170- Thank you thank you! I'm posting this one up for you, but they will be updated weekly than biweekly. Hope to keep you hooked!

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Hana, The Cold Miko

I don't own anything Inuyasha

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Back in the Past

In all his years of training mikos, she scared him.

Early morning light was starting to seep through the chill of the Mino night. Years after years of waking up at dawn to prepare the day for those seeking his counsel made it impossible for him to sleep in, even on days that allowed it. Groaning, he got off his futon and promptly put it away, even if his old joints protested the motions. He dressed in his shrine priest garb, noticing his eyes took longer to adjust then yesterday; subtle signs of old age slowly taking over him until he would join his wife in the land after. A sweet, wrinkled smile graced his kind face. Soon.

With a content sigh he slipped on his sandals and headed out of the hut, greeted with the sight of both his daughters already at work. Clothed in their traditional white haoris and red hakamas they looked almost indistinguishable from each other, save for his youngest daughter’s shoulder length hair and bubbly voice.

“Otosama!” Her young voice rang cheerfully, as if she hasn’t seen him in years. He nodded in response as he watched her chestnut hair swing and shine in the dawn light.

“Kannushi-sama.” He turned towards the serious tone of his eldest. The basket at her hip half full of flowers and herbs swayed as she walked gently towards her father. He loved his daughters equally, but he bonded with her more. She was bright, determined, and capable of anything she set her mind to. He had learned a lot from his eldest and hoped he had returned the favor during their lives.

“Nanako-miko,” he teased, “you shall leave me with no work to do.”

“You should be resting,” she countered. “I will have your tea to you soon.”

He shook his head, looking out to the faded green of his surroundings. Fall would be here soon. “Not now, where is Hana-chan?”

Nanako tensed. They had taken in the girl a year ago, but she had never relaxed around the child. She cleared her throat and hung her head slightly. “She had dreams again.”

The priest glanced over his shoulder to the clearing at the end of the shrine steps. She’s probably been there for hours already. Some nights, when she slept with eyes opened and mouthed words unspoken, little Hana would awake to sit on the shrine steps, as if waiting for something to beckon her. He sighed in response then gave his daughter a quiet smile.

“Let’s have tea for two… and on the steps.” She nodded in obedience, though her tension didn’t ease up. Turning to prepare a modest breakfast for the sleepless young miko and her aging father, the tall grass resisting her hakamas movement were not the only thing dragging her down. Her father stressed too much over the small miko and focused too much on training her abilities. Hana was still a child, but… then again, after what happened, she doubted any childhood innocence might be left. Not many survived tragedies gracefully and with Hana’s, none but her survived at all.

The priest smiled at his daughter now walking away from him. Nanako is the hope of our shrine. She is strong and knowledgeable and the villagers respect her as a leader already. I know you are proud, tsuma, my wife.

With a deep breath of cool air, the old priest headed towards the shrine entrance slowly, allowing the young girl to feel his approach, though it would take him time to reach the bottom.

The child has had a year to recover, and though powerful and skilled during training, she has not seemed to heal at all. She was found by villagers traveling from Owari. They came across a small town completely destroyed; the buildings burned and crushed, bodies everywhere, and the stench made their whole party vomit. Moving through the decimated town, trying to miss the remains of the dead as to not dishonor them, it was quickly deduced that it was the work of youkai. They worked throughout the day, quickly giving up on the attempt to piece together bodies for their burial, when a light shone through the smoke and dust. Two men approached it quickly and saw a miko barrier, surrounded by the demons they assumed destroyed the town and covered in ash from their purified brothers.

The barrier was still holding strong, though the battle seemed to have been days ago. Screaming for the rest of their party to help, the two men started pushing heavy demon bodies aside, quickly getting closer to the barrier.

Inside, lying face-up on ground, was a thin girl in peasant’s clothes no older than 10. Her brown hair covered her face, exposing only her small upturned nose, childish chin and one rounded eye. Her pupil was a pinprick lost in the green sea of her iris, lacking the light of life, and only reflecting the pink glow from her barrier. She seemed as still and cold as the dead, but the barrier was still intact, so there was hope for her.

One man finally summoned the courage and touched the barrier. With a sharp ting that rang in their ears it dropped and the girl’s body relaxed. Scooping her up tight in his arms, the man lifted her, only to be shocked to see that where her body lay was a patch of tiny, purple flowers, as if undisturbed. They took a moment to stare at the tiny frame in the traveler’s arms, shocked by the display of her spiritual powers. Her now deceased village-kin had to know, but why wasn’t she in miko clothing? They quickly decided to bring her to the shrine of a well talked about priest, whose family has been famous for years.

The priest, still making his descent towards that same small girl, remembered that day well. The travelers had so much hatred for youkai and were quick to claim this little girl is not only a testament to their wrongdoings, but is now a valuable weapon as well.

Recalling the man’s rant the priest’s eyes narrowed. A weapon… All either race could think about was destroying each other… and themselves. They were blinded by their ignorant hate if they felt it wrong she should be attacked, but not wrong to use her as an instrument of war.

The child turned her head regarding the priest approaching as he reached the bottom. Brown locks still hung in her face and her eyes seemed to never reflect anything. Nodding slightly, respectfully acknowledging his presence, she turned back to the far off distance where the sun was rising. On the ground, surrounding her feet, were blooming purple flowers.

Hana. We named her Hana for her flowers.

The old man took his seat next to her and gazed out into the forest past the clearing. He knew what was on the girl’s mind, but never had any idea what she was thinking. She rarely slept peacefully, though he wished she could tell him her dreams. He wished she could speak at all and being the only survivor of her town one knew if she ever could before the incident.

“It is a beautiful day for your flowers, Hana-chan.” She turned to his direction, though her eyes remained distant. Slowly, she reached under her legs where he could not see then pulled out her bow and quiver. Raising her head until she caught his eyes she motioned east towards the coast then bowed her head. He knew what she meant to say, she was leaving. She was leaving today.

Hana remained still, waiting his response, but they both knew she did not need his approval. It took a minute for him to realize his breath was caught in his throat while his thoughts were being organized. This child miko was not ready to leave. She was so powerful, but had no sense; cut off and cold. She could never fully help others with a broken soul of her own. He worried for her and for any youkai, good or bad, that would cross her path.

“Hana-chan,” he started and she moved her eyes to his. “Before you journey, I want you to understand balance.”

She didn’t move, but jade eyes stayed on him, her way of saying she was listening. The breeze played with her hair, teasing to pull them away from her face, but the priest doubted she would ever allow herself to be so exposed.

With a sigh to collect himself he pushed on, “You were born to be powerful and pure. It was said that when man first came to existence their weakness was recognized. To rectify it they created mikos and monks among us, those who can fight forces that normal mortals cannot.”

Hana smiled slightly. Squaring her shoulders, she bowed her head while the green eyes slid shut and brought two index fingers together. After a moment of concentrating her eyes opened and fingers moved apart, creating an orb between them of pure light that held steady. The only time her eyes shined is when they reflected her powers. She smiled a small, empty smile again at him.

“Yes, child, but if all everything did was shine nothing would be glorious. We are not completely pure as it is unnatural for a living thing to be.”

Her head cocked to the side and the orb faded out, small hands falling into her lap like as if they were labeled useless.

He gave a reassuring smile. “Your power is good child, but I am taking about judgment. There are more than two sides to any situation and always more choices. How we discern who is judged and punished in this world is not always who is bad or evil. Evil is a relative term and it applies differently to every different soul. When we pass on we will be judged for our judgment.”

Her eyes widened noticeably through the strands invading her face, already knowing where the old priest was taking the conversation. His eyes reached out to the forest again, avoiding her stare. It was a shameful thing to admit to himself, but the priest could not stare into her eyes for long. He felt a weakness within him every time and he had to turn away. Sighing, the priest looked out towards the sleepy start of the new day. It really was going to be beautiful. Autumn was creeping in slowly to claim the hot summer and it left the morning refreshingly crisp and in a way, sharp.

Gently, he continued his last lesson. “To be a good human is different from being a good snake and that is different from being a good bear.”

She stood up slowly. He turned his eyes back to hers. They haven’t moved. Her brow was wrinkled, but her eyes stayed locked and solid.

My wife, if you were here, you could help her to understand. Please, help me now. “You cannot classify youkai and ningen together to be judged similarly. They are creatures far more ancient then ourselves and are as much a part of this world and as much different in definition as any other living thing.”

Smoothly she pulled the quiver over her shoulder and held her bow tight to show her determination.

“Understand me, just as the world cannot go on without its water or forests, it cannot go on without its’ youkai. They are essential, but not above judgment. As we kill or drive off creatures that attack our villages with our weapons, punish humans that attack their kin with our courts, and bring down the ruling class that attacks our freedom through revolution, the miko is our strongest weapon against youkai that mean to hinder the balance by enslaving or murdering humans.”

Her eyes moved towards the east again, her frame of mind not wavering. He folded his hands between his knees and looked at the ground.

“Please, Hana-kun, defend your kind, do not go looking to attack. Our teachings tell us that the soul who truly repents will be at peace as much as the one who never had the need.”

He closed his eyes and spoke with all the seriousness possible in his mind, “You need to recognize what is truly an enemy from you consider to be evil, and understand it is not you to name something as such. By recognizing this, you will spare your soul from ever needing to be saved.”

She looked at the priest hanging his head. He felt like he was failing her. She reached out maternally and touched his shoulders, reassuring him that his words were kind and thoughtful, than she looked at him with a smirk within her statue eyes. If he would have been looking at her he would have understood. It was finally her time for her to pass judgment.

Hana took back her hand, reset the bow and quiver, and started heading east. Each step was planned ahead of her; this time she would win. The priest was right; everything was a balance, and it has been tipped in the favor of youkai for far too long.

Opening his eyes when he felt her aura fade he suddenly heard the clinking bowls and cups behind him. His old eyes couldn’t focus on the disappearing miko and he couldn’t help but feel like he lost. His daughter had been looking at the steps so she would not fall, but stopped behind him when she saw Hana walking off.

“Kannushi-sama...”

He didn’t turn around, but his shoulders fell.

“Father, where is she going?” Her voice was more filled concern then question. He was a good man, had devoted his life to others, and strongly loved his family unconditionally. What about this cold 11 year old child broke him so easily?

He finally looked back at his daughter as she arranged herself to sit next to him, putting the tray of rice and tea in front of them both. Searching his eyes for the underlying meaning she knew would be present in his answer, and listened to his sad tone.

“She was forever out of my reach and could not stay here. However, I fear my failure will cause a great undoing. I hope wherever she goes if she does not find balance, then someone stops her.”

Nanako hadn’t heard her father sad since her mother passed causing her to look off timidly towards the miko now completely covered by forest. "Stop her from what?"

Tsuma, the priest pleaded internally. Please... please forgive me for not healing her.
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Miko no Makimono