Anything but Mortal by Kylwyn

A prologue… of sorts

Part One: From Miko,

Chapter 1: A prologue... of sorts

*(Welcome to my third fic. Don't worry I won't abandon Daughter of Ryuukotsusei and I will eventually get back to work on Chase Throughout Time. Remember your three R's!

P.S. All sketchy details and bouncing from thought to thought in the first part of this chapter are done because I think that Kagome is easily distracted when she is upset.)*

~*~*~*Chapter 1*~*~*~

I'm getting off topic though. Yes, I know why I have been given this parchment and told to write. They intend to make an example of me and have unruly young miko's like I was read this after my death to scare them into obedience, and they will kill me I have no doubts of that. It has been over a month since the accident, a month of being tortured so badly I couldn't breath, a month of being a stranger in my own home and having no one and no where to turn to.

It happened on my 15th birthday. I was 15 and feeling as though I was on top of the world. I woke up; I got dressed; and hurried about my training and chores like every other day. At sunset though was when I got my treat, when I got what I wanted everyday. I got to talk with my mother. Not my sensei, not the high priestess of the temple but my mother. After sunset on my birthday was the only time when she became my mother again, hugging me, loving me and proud of me.

So at sunset it was natural wasn't it that I ran to find her? I ended up bumping into old Obaa-chan Kaede in the courtyard and asked if she knew where my mother was. Kaede had smiled softly and pointed toward the Kuramiya's house. She told me in that sweet gentle voice of her's to wait until after the sun had fully set though, before entering.

I'd foolishly laughed and run off, I didn't suspect anything was wrong; my mother was always visiting the Kuramiya to see if the old woman was all right. I ran up, a little curious when I felt the tickle of running through a barrier but I forgot it almost instantly in my excitement.

When I ran through the door of that little hut set so far from all the others I was smiling and panting from my run. In fact I had had to bend over to wait for my breath to catch up with me. My breath didn't catch me though; no instead there were screams and what felt like a stone struck me hard in the chest.

Being mikos you know what struck me don't you? Yes, I interrupted the changing of the Kuramiya. Instead of the Shikon no Tama transferring into to the new Kuramiya, some miko in her twenties who had trained and stayed in solitude for years, it decided I was a better candidate. Of course I was. The reason a miko trains so long to become Kuramiya is to learn to suppress the jewel. To learn how to control it so it can't take you over and use your body like a puppet for it's own means. We mikos of the Shikon all know this; this is why it is such an honor to be hand chosen by the high priestess.

But I had no training for such a task. As soon as the jewel struck and seeped into my chest I could feel the ripples of it's power go through me as we absorbed each other and became one. So you see, although they say the jewel possesses your body and is as easily swayed to evil. It is not. If you allow it, it becomes part of you, a warm and cold feeling all at once and is only as easily swayed as the person it has become.

My mother and the girl that was to be the new Kuramiya ran away, though while the girl was screaming, my mother ran to get help leaving me with my senses tingling to sit by the old dieing woman.

"So it was you who got the jewel young Kagome. Good. I never liked that other girl Miki, I knew it would never go into her without a fight, you just made things easier."

"What are you talking about Obaa-chan?" She'd given a bitter little laugh that turned in to a wracking cough. I'd looked around and found the herbs they seemed to have been using to calm the cough and began to rub some onto her chest. "Ye are a good child. Demo...Kagome listen to me and listen well as ye need to remember my words for the rest of your life!"

Gee do you think she put enough pressure on me? "The jewel contains three different souls, only three regardless of it's name. They have merged with you to complete the jewel and themselves. Ye shall be fine child so long as you resist the temper two of them have as it is fierier than even your own. Go with your gifts now child, fear neither your instincts nor what ye will become as you will rise to be something the world has never seen. And ... Kagome?" "Yes Obaa-chan?" "Tell my family I love them and will be waiting for them..." and then she died. Old and weak from suppressing a jewel I now believe did not need to be suppressed.

I nodded vigorously though she could not see it, then all I remember for what turned out to be the next few days was blackness and pain. When I finally awoke I was in this very cell used to contain demons, purifying their youki as soon as they touch the bars. Though I can touch them and they do not hurt me at all I stay; I cannot twist the metal or any other such thing, as I do not have any supernatural strength.

Ha I'm beginning to lose track again. Anyway the first to see me after I awoke screamed, her screams are still ringing in my ears, as my hearing seems to have been enhanced. When they finally got over seeing me – why they had a problem in the first place I still don't understand- they began to demand the return of the jewel like I was some lowly thief. I tried to find it and force it out, I truly did! But I couldn't, I couldn't find it in my flesh anywhere. I told them it was gone, but they didn't believe me and instead began to chant exorcisms and finally when that did not work they began to cut.

They first cut places that wouldn't kill me, like my arms and legs but when they found I healed unnaturally fast they began to cut open my chest and stomach. My mother could never stomach being there and as such the vengeful fools soon stopped stitching me back up. I don't remember screaming while they slit open my stomach and began pushing things around to try and find the jewel. No I remember screaming as my blood turned to fire and cauterized and seared the flesh back into one healthy piece, and just to piss off those hate filled miko's that tortured me; I healed without a single scar or mark to show what they had done. They treated me as though I were a thief. And in a way I am aren't I?

I'd tell more of what they did but they have come for me, to take me to my very own execution to be performed by my very own mother.

The day I knelt naked in the courtyard waiting for my execution to force the jewel from my body, my stomach turned and my skin burned, though not from the hundred pairs of eyes boring into me but from something else. As the high priestess swung the katana toward my throat I felt my mother's tear fall onto my back and sizzle from the heat of my skin; though all I could think was 'I don't want to die' then the world seemed to stop for a moment, before it burst into flames. When I opened my eyes I saw that the temple in front of me was alight and everyone was running to help defeat the flames that licked the air high above, and I was left forgotten. While everyone was busy the wind that had been non-existent moments before suddenly howled and I ran.

It has been many weeks since that now and I write this and leave it in the temple as they wanted. It is the least I can do to assure them that the jewel will be safe with me. I promise I will return here when I am dieing so that they may protect it once again. /i>

*(A/N: Ok italics are supposed to stop here but they aren't and I'm clueless as to what I'm doing wrong. If you know can ya tell me? Please?)*

"Now class, what do you think of this reading?" Sensing Mr. Horu's excitement for once, no one in the university classroom wished to burst his bubble by telling him what he or she thought of it. Except maybe the ass in the back; far back in the rising seats, a boy with pitch-black hair and pale blue eyes raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Ookami."

"I think it's a load of shit." The boy – although he would argue he was a man- said rudely. "A jewel absorbing into this chick's body? Ya right, it would never happen! Just like demons have never existed."

Not many people paid attention to the albino on campus. She helped that by keeping her mouth shut most of the time and rarely putting herself in a position where she would be noticed. Unless that is, you pissed her off. "And how would you know wolf boy? Are you old enough to tell people from thousands of years of history that they were wrong? That you. In your short, little, insignificant life, know better?" Kouga Ookami turned in his seat to glare at Kagome Higurashi who sat alone a few rows back and four seats over. Instead of bending under his gaze like so many did she looked placidly back at him, which was more than enough.

In order to not draw unwanted attention to herself she dyed her silvery white hair ebony black and wore chocolate brown contacts to hide her cherry red irises, though the darker red pupil that showed through the brown was enough to terrify anyone into submission even without any anger behind it. Kouga turned back uncomfortably in his seat to face the front, uneasy at knowing her eyes still bore into his back and grumpy that he had just lost the argument and to an albino freak of a girl too!

Shocking was that Mr. Haru regularly the emotionless teacher from hell was in such a good mood while discussing this subject that he just happily went along. "Yes, yes good questions Kagome, well met. Now does any one else in the class believe that Miss Higurashi has a point behind her questions?" The rest of the class was spent debating point of views and what was real and what was not until the last five minutes when Mr. Haru called Kagome to the front of the class.

Scowling Kagome shoved her books into her bag and shouldered it before coming down the stairs, neatly missing all the feet that suddenly came out to trip her without even noticing them. Today she looked terrifying in her tight black jeans, black T-shirt and black leather trench coat. "Now class can any of you guess why Miss Higurashi holds such strong beliefs in this area?" A few shook their heads and other's looked like they couldn't care less while the majority seemed to not be listening.

Even without a proper answer Mr. Haru continued on happily. "It is because this is Miss Higurashi's history. In fact she is the last of her family line and therefore the sole owner of the island where the original copy of this text was found." He waved the papers in his hand high over his head with enthusiasm. Now that caught some attention, and Kagome grumbled unhappily about stupid teachers spilling the beans on her finical status.

"Now you all know that summer is coming up on us fast-" the students quickly cut him off with a deafening roar that the word summer. "Calm down, yes I know." Though unbeknownst to him it was Kagome's impatient glare that cut them off. "Now, any of you in search of a job over the summer or extra marks can come work on the dig site. It'll be hard work and the boat leaves at the end of next month, but we pay 970 yen an hour with food and board and the location is amazing. If any of you are interested you have the next six weeks of school to tell me." Just as he finished his speech the bell rang and everyone ran for it, most headed for the door but a few headed for Mr. Haru's desk to ask more about the job.

'Great and I haven't prepared for judgmental company. Ugh.' Out loud she sighed and bowed her head in thought. 'I could be worse. I could not know all the secret paths and hideaways and be stuck with them all the time.' That brightened her thoughts considerably as she walked to her next class.

~*~*~**~*~*~

Looking just like any other student on their cell phone red eyes followed Kagome's path. "Yes I believe I have found our target. Yes I'll have it as soon as possible. No I won't fail there is no need to send reinforcements it's just with some flimsy girl."

Glossary:

Kuramiya – Term I made up meaning sacred treasure house. Used as title of miko currently housing the Shikon no Tama in her body.

Obaa-chan – Grandmother can also be used as respectful title for an old woman

Youki – Demonic aura

10/09/05