The Sacred Priestess by Jasmine
The Beginnings
The gentle twinkling of a wind chime was the only sound to travel along with the soft whisper of wind on the engawa. Attached to a light pink colored glass orb were an array of different sized metal rods, each giving off their own vibration of gentle noise as the wind moved between them. Rays of sunshine fluttered through the trees as wind rustled their leaves, casting ever changing shadows in the courtyard and on the engawa. Quietly and regally nestled on the wooden deck, bathed in the fluttering sunlight, knelt the statue of a woman.
She sat on her knees, her back straight up and rigid, yet no stiffness was detected in her body. She seemed content, demure. Fine robes colored in red, white and pink draped her body in heavy folds and a white hood delicately hung around her head, hiding her hair and eyes. A sudden gust of wind caused the wind chime to grow louder, almost distraught in sound. The sudden change caught the priestess’ attention and she looked up, revealing blue eyes to the changing sunlight and shadows. In the sun they were as bright and shining as the ocean on a summer day. An occurrence she had only ever seen once in her young life. However, when bathed in the shadows, her eyes were as dark as the twilight sky. A delicate circlet of silver sat around the crown of her head, distinguished greatly from her raven black hair. In the center of the circlet, encased in the same silver, was a jewel. A dainty and dusty pink orb that was translucent and glimmered in the sunlight; it sat gently on the center of her forehead.
The priestess eyed her windchime with a small frown and looked at and over the walls that surrounded her. In the distance of the sky, dark thick clouds were beginning to roll over the horizon toward her quaint compound that sat on the top of a hill. She knew what- who- was coming. These details didn’t please her in the slightest, but her own pleasure had been long forgotten the moment she was designated the Priestess of the Sacred Jewel. With a heavy sigh, she stood from her perch and dusted off her robes, enough meditating had been done for the day, it was time to prepare.
Heavy and quick footfalls came from deep inside the building, causing the walls and sliding doors to rattle a little. It was uncustomary for someone to be running through the house with such fervor, but if she had any guess on who it could be… She knew she could pin exactly who it was by the slight out of breath gasping that soon escaped from behind her closed fusama and the small figure approaching it.
“Sou-,” she began, a reprimand ready on her lips, but as quick as his name was beginning to slip out her mouth, faster did her sliding door slam open. A disheveled younger brother stood on the threshold, slightly bent over and heaving to catch his breath. He looked up at his sister and held up one hand with a finger outstretched. One moment please. She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Souta, what have I, along with Father and Mother, told you about running through the home unless it was an emergency?” She crossed her arms over her chest then, staring and waiting for her brother to catch his breath, cheeks a slight red from the heat of running.
Her brother took one final deep inhalation of air and stood up straight to stare his sister in the eyes. “But Kagome, it is an emergency!” Souta stepped closer to her and grabbed her arms, making them come undone from their crossed position. His large brown eyes stared deep into hers with a tinge of worry; he pulled gently on her robes that hung loosely from her arms and she knelt in front of him.
“What’s up? You’re not normally this high strung about something. Especially if it’s about me.” Kagome pushed out a small smile and brushed her brother’s hair out his eyes. It was her best attempt at comforting him in the moment. She took this moment to look over her brother. Although still short for his age she knew he would hit a growth spurt soon. It was common for twelve year olds in their family.
Souta pushed aside his sister’s administrations and stared her down. “A messenger from the Lord Naraku has just delivered a letter asking for his marriage to you and he sends along a dowry. Before dad could refuse the messenger stated that his Lord would be arriving for dinner by the end of the day. He won’t be accepting ‘no’ for an answer this time.”
Kagome pursed her lips together. She knew he was coming, the winds had told her, but she didn’t think that he was that close. She stood up from her crouched position and opened her arms to Souta, a silent ask for a hug. Souta looked at her and then at her outstretched arms, a second later he was squishing his face into her torso. “Don’t worry little brother,” she began, “I know Naraku’s scary… Because, well, he is scary. Papa won’t let anyone marry me, something along the lines of remaining pure for the jewel, but he especially won’t let me marry a demon.” Kagome gave a quick squeeze of her arms around her brother and let him go. “Now, how about we go find papa and mama and see what the plan of action is. Last one there is an old hen?” A quick wink and a mischievous smile a second later had Kagome running through her door and down the hallway towards where she thought her parents would be.
“Hey, that’s not fair! You said no running!” Souta yelled after her, a smile plastered on his face as he chased after his sister. He heard her laughter from somewhere down the hall, his own bubbling out from his chest.
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It had been well into the afternoon when Naraku had sent a messenger ahead of his caravan to the Higurashi shrine; however, the view from outside his palanquin looked exceptionally different. His miasma followed him everywhere he went, a thick and dark fog that made it look like it was forever midnight. He did not mind this. Those who were weak, lesser than him, generally could not handle the weight of the fog around them. He loved watching them suffer.
Waiting for the return of his messenger, Naraku rested his head on a gloved fist. He wondered how welcoming the Higurashi family would be towards him, considering this would be his third and final time asking for the marriage of their beloved daughter. “Fools, the lot of them,” he muttered under his breath. If there was something he truly wanted, he would surely get it. Any obstacles in his way would be dealt with promptly.
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Heavy and fast varied thumping coming down the hallway had drawn Papa Higurashi away from the current scroll he was reading. Looking at his shoji screen walls that seperated his room from the hallway he watched as two distinct shadows made haste towards his sliding door. Before either one could fling open his door he took a deep breath and, with his deep voice, bellowed, “Sit!”
Both shadows quickly sat before his door, quiet panting slipping through the barrier and to his ears. He watched them for a second longer as one shadow, his daughter he presumed as hers was the largest, cleared her throat and bowed respectively to his door.
“Papa,” she began, her voice quiet and respectful as if she had not been bolting down the halls with her brother in toe moments before, “Souta and I request a moment with you. It is about the message a certain Lord has delivered.” Kagome heard quiet snickering to her left and peering out from under her bow she saw Souta trying to hold in his laughter. She sneered at him before punching him over the head and forcing him down in a bow too. Souta muttered an ouch under his breath and glared at her.
“Children,” came the voice of their father and quickly they stopped their shenanigans. “What,” he emphasized with a sigh, “have I told you about running in the house? Kagome stop encouraging your brother, you know better. You may come in.”
“Yes papa.” Kagome apologetically murmured before rising to her knees to slide open her father’s door. She waddled in on her knees, Souta following behind her, and she stopped a little ways in front of the door. Souta slid it closed behind them. Kagome cleared her throat once more, “Papa, I’ve come with the knowledge that Lord Naraku has given word that he will be joining us for dinner tonight. With…” She trailed off, looking anywhere in the room but at her father. “The intent that he wishes to marry me.”
Papa Higurashi set his scroll down and turned his sitting position to face his children. Eyes wrinkled with age but heavy with wisdom stared at his daughter, “Kagome,” he began, voice stern, “Lord Naraku has sent a very generous dowry for your hand in marriage, it would be rude to turn down such an offer.” He watched as his daughter slumped her shoulders in slight disappointment. A quick trace of movement behind her had him catching Souta looking at her with worried eyes. He began again, “But, seeing as Lord Naraku doesn’t seem to understand the concept of no he will not be tying himself to you anytime soon. Not if I have anything to say about it.” And with that he puffed out his chest as a proud father would.
Kagome couldn’t help but squeal in excitement as the village girls did over a piece of fine jewelry. “Oh papa!” She quickly stood and ran over to her father, throwing her arms around him in a bear hug and squeezing tight. A few pops and cracks of protest came from the spine of her father and he deflated in her embrace. “I don’t want to be wed to Lord Naraku. He gives me and Souta the creeps.” She said this as she held up a long sleeve to cover her nose and mouth. “I don’t like spiders.”
“However,” Papa Higurashi readjusted himself as he pushed his daughter away gently, having her sit in front of him, “He is still a guest at our shrine and as such should still be treated with respect. He is here as a suitor Kagome. Which means you still need to present yourself as a potential bride.”
Kagome frowned but nodded knowingly. “Yes, papa,” She muttered.
“Now go find your mother and have her help you get ready.” He turned away from his children and heard Kagome get up to join her brother at the door. “And Souta, do stop running through the house, you’ll put another hole in the floors.” He heard his son give a bashful ‘yes’ followed by the closing of his door. He shook his head and set his attention back to the scroll on his desk.
Written on the parchment was an ink so brightly red it reminded him of blood from a fresh wound. He reread the message over and over again in his head, dread gripping him ever more slightly.
“Greetings Mr. Higurashi, father of the Sacred Priestess Higurashi,
I, Lord Naraku, am informing you of my arrival later this evening for dinner hosted by you and your family. I intend to ask for your blessing as well as permission to ask your daughter for her hand in marriage. Enclosed along with the letter is a very generous dowry I’m sure even you can’t refuse.
Should I be refused her hand in marriage I will have no choice but to take her from you. By force if need be. I truly hope it does not come to this… Outcome. Your darling little family would be missed.
Your Lord,
Onigumo Naraku”
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Kagome had changed out of her modest daily robes into a display garment. Despite her father’s wish to keep her unwed and “pure” being the priestess of a renowned object meant displaying all of the beauty the vessel had to offer. This meant for Kagome that almost all her clothes were revealing in some way. She did not mind this, when she had been told at the ripe young age of twelve that the Sacred Jewel had chosen her as its housing, it meant that a great amount of blessings had been bestowed upon her, including beauty. And a little after she had turned twelve, after the announcement to the world that she was the new Sacred Priestess, did she have a growth spurt and did she start growing into her body.
After slipping on her dress of white cloth, sheer white lace, and silver trimmings Kagome looked at herself in the mirror. The dress adorned was worn for viewings with potential suitors, even though her father did not want her to marry, there was nothing in the rule books that said she couldn’t. Besides, the great Sacred Priestess from generations before, Midoriko, had settled down after her endeavors and had married a nice farmer. But, she certainly did not want to marry Lord Naraku. There was something there about him that did not sit right with her, something along the lines of… Greed. But wasn’t that almost always the case for every single one of her suitors who had come to claim her as their own? Kagome shook her head, doubtful she would find true love.
A knock on her door had her turning her attention away from the mirror. Before she could say anything her mother had slid open the door and walked in.
“Kagome, dear, don’t you look absolutely wonderful?” Mama Higurashi was a gentle soul. Caring and ever loving to her children, spouse and visitors of the shrine. As she smiled at her daughter, crows feet appeared at the corner of her eyes. A streak of grey began to form as well just above her right ear. She walked over and began adjusting her daughter’s dress.
“Mama,” Kagome rolled her eyes, “this isn’t the first time you’ve seen me in this. It probably won’t be the last either.” She allowed her mother to fuss over her and let her finish painting on her makeup. All that included was dusting her nose and brushing on rouge on her lips. “I don’t understand why Lord Naraku persists.” Kagome says this as her mother tries to paint on the rouge, causing the elder to slip a bit and pinch Kagome for making her mess up. “Sorry,” Kagome whispers.
Mama Higurashi wipes the excess rouge with her weathered old sleeve and sits back to admire her daughter. “You are a woman of power Kagome. Men will try to control that power. You’ve been blessed with a good father as well. He won’t allow anyone to take advantage of you. But, at some point in your life you will have to fight for yourself as well.” She got up once more to stand behind Kagome, pulling her thick black hair into an ornate hairstyle. Once done she lays the silver circlet gently on her daughter’s head. Peeking over Kagome’s shoulder into the mirror she looks at her daughter, “Much better.”
Kagome huffs, not preferring her heavy hair to be up, but tolerates it. This is protocol for her. “I am more than capable of fighting for myself. I’ve been training archery since I was small.” She looks over her shoulder then, at her mother, and gives a smug smile. “You didn’t raise a quitter, mama.”
Mama Higurashi laughed then and patted her daughter on the back. “I didn’t, did I? I am very proud of you Kagome. But be careful, your thick headedness can get you into trouble.” At that, she watched as Kagome slouched, not favoring the slight insult. “But it is also your thickheadedness that will take you far. You do not know when to give up a fight and that will aid you when you need it most.”
Kagome turns to face her mother fully and wraps her arms around her slightly shorter mother. “I love you, mama. You and papa are all I ever need in life.”
Mama Higurashi smiles and hugs her daughter back. They stay like that for a moment before mama pulls away. “Come on,” she begins to guide her and her daughter towards the door, “Let’s go get this over with.” She gives one more reassuring smile to Kagome before reaching for the door. Kagome smiles back and looks forward, ready to confront what was out there for her.
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(A/N) Hello! This is my first fanfic I've written in a really long time. Please, don't be shy and give constructive feedback! I'll work my hardest to update this as much as I can but school comes first :^) Hopefully I can get the next chapter our by the end of next week. Also, hope this first chapter isn't too boring or drawn out >.