Beast by otterbaby

Needle

Standard disclaimers apply and all credit goes to Rumiko for her characters. The Beast, however... is mine. 

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Kagome sighed, propping herself up on the edge of the well. Finding the shards had been like hunting for a needle in the haystack but she had gotten the last one a few days ago. Holding the now completed jewel up, she looked at the bauble and shook her head. Such trouble for such a tiny gem. Naraku had already been dealt with, his arrogance leading to his demise when he attempted to surprise the Inutaicho, only to deal with the Miko's legendary temper when she literally exploded and purified him, and through him the jewel he had on him as well.

A noise caught her attention and she slipped the jewel back into its holder around her neck. A light flicker in the forest, shimmering like a will of the wisp and lighting up the entire area, before vanishing. She cocked her head, curious. It wasn’t foxfire or Kirara’s flames, it was bluer, almost indigo and there wasn’t anyone she knew with blue magic. The pink-clad Miko rose, dusting off her hakama and began to stride toward the light that flickered again, entranced by the color and the words she could hear it making, but couldn’t understand. 

Great big eyes greeted her as entered the forest, huge, watery doe eyes that made her knees go weak. The only problem was that she didn’t know what the creature was, or why it was there. The figure, many-limbed and headed, held out a hand, its multitude of limbs moving to show a woman garbed in pink that looked so like her, save for the pink star on her forehead. The Miko slowed, not taking the creature’s hand, and studying the Miko and the creature before her. It was pitiful and sad looking, a mangled Frankenstein of a being and it looked to be in great pain. 

The woman, however, had an almost wicked smirk on her was as she watched the other miko approach. “Kagome.” She stated voice musical and almost choral, “It is time.” Kagome shook her head, still eyeing the beast apprehensively.

“Time for what?” She asked again, her blue eyes meeting the lavender of the other woman.

“Time for you to make your wish.” The statement was simple but had the younger woman sighing.

“I know,” she said, pulling the stone from her neck once more. “but what about… that?” She nodded to the beast.

“You will soon find out, little miko.” 

The miko sighed and took a deep breath, holding the jewel aloft, knowing the Inuyasha would be pissed at her for not waiting, despite the fact that he was with his lady, as per usual now. Letting dusky lashed fall over sapphire hues, she released the breath she was holding. “I wish for the Jewel and all it has affected to be at peace.” She murmured, then pressed a kiss to the jewel. The area pulsed and did not move, the aura beating like a heart, synching up with her own. With one last look at the beast and miko, Kagome fainted.

In the darkness, Kagome floated, aware of herself, yet unaware. There were voices yelling and screeching near her. She thrummed, soul pulsing in time with some unknown heartbeat. Everything hurt, her flesh and bones felt like they were on fire as it did when she first had the jewel taken out of her at almost 16. Her body stretched and pulled like some taffy run too long through the puller and she was starting to get tired. There was more screaming, panicked and tight, but when her eyes opened, all she saw was pink. At long last, an eternity it seemed, everything cooled down and she was able to sleep. 

It felt like a mountain had fallen on her when she woke up, body still aching. She was alone in the clearing, so where had the screaming and voice come from. Pulling herself to her feet, she felt gangly and unstable once again, as she had as a teenager. Trying to pull herself together she felt a breeze on her ankles and looked down. Her hakama were shorter than she remembered, but untorn, which meant… she grew? She was trying to puzzle that out when she heard an approach from within the forest and jumped back, landing in a crouch, a growl escaping her that sounded nigh feral.