Through Blood and Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. He belongs the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi!


Chapter 18: A New Family

“So child, Kagome has told me of your past and your troubles, but I think what interests me most, is the fact that ye broke through pellpells, managed to fight off the leader of the Shinchinin Tai and do battle with Naraku and ye are still alive.”
“Um....thanks. I think,” said Nico unsure of how to respond.

InuYasha and Sesshoumaru made their entrance. Sesshoumaru walked over and sat next to Kouga where as InuYasha took a seat next to Miroku. The tension was thick. It was on everyone’s minds but only Taki would dare say anything.

“What’s up with you two?” Taki asked.
“Nothing that is any concern of yours, Taki,” said Sesshoumaru simply.
“InuYasha?” Taki questioned.
“Feh,” was the only response she got.

Kaede cleared her throat, gaining everyone’s attention.

“Please, child, tell me how exactly ye got through my spells,” asked Kaede.

Nico quickly relayed her story, trying hard not to forget a single detail. When she was finished, Kaede just starred at her, eyes wide.

“Ye know, when Kagome first came to be with us, I thought she was a demon. She gave off an incredible amount of power and an aura I had never seen. Later when we found out she was the reincarnation of my late, older sister Kikyo, I assumed that was the source of the power I felt.”

Nico listened carefully, but she couldn’t help notice InuYasha grunt and stiffen at that name. Nico recd hid him doing it before, back in the woods when Kagome, Sango, and Taki were talking about the Jewel of Four souls. I wonder who this Kikyo is? Kaede began to speak again. Nico gave her full attention.

“Now that ye are here, I feel that same power and sense that same aura from ye. Only in ye, it is more prominent. I am left to wonder, because Kikyo can only have one reincarnation, and her soul comes through Kagome’s mother, not her father, how it is that ye have this power as well. What ye described to me before, how ye broke the spells, sounds like ancient magick, that which has not been used in thousands of years.”

Everyone just sat there quiet. Taki, not much for awkward silences or silence period quickly changed the subject.

“So, Nana, I have a question for you.”
“Yes child?” asked Kaede.
“Why is it that Nico can sit InuYasha, too?”

The others had mentioned earlier to Kaede about the little incident in the woods.

“Well, when I made the prayer beads, I used that aura of Kagome’s to cast the spell. Since she and Nico have the same aura, the prayer beads work for her as well.”
“Ohhh,” said Taki.
“Well, now, moving on to the most important part of this visit, I have been told that you wish to become apart of our little pack, Nico.”
“Yes ma’am,” said Nico respectfully.
“Oh child, you don’t have to call me “ma’am”. The others don’t. For Kagome, Sango, Taki, and little Shippou I am grandmother.”
“Is that what you wish me to call you?”
“If you don’t mind, I prefer it. They are all like my grandchildren and soon you will be, too.”
“Okay, Eni~si.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“It means grandmother.”
“Oh. Well then Eni~si, I am.”

Everyone laughed and smiled. As has become customary amongst the pack, each member began telling their story, beginning with Kagome and InuYasha, of how they came to be here. They started with Kagome telling how she first came down the well, how she met InuYasha, the Jewel of Four Souls and how it became shattered and the story of Naraku. Next Shippou started with how his parents were killed by the Thunder Brothers and how Kagome had adopted him. Then Miroku piped up and began his tale starting with his curse and then how he came to meet up with Kagome and InuYasha. They told of their battles and eventually Sango chimed in when they met up with her. She told of how she was a demon slayer and her village and her family, tearing slightly at the death of her father and Naraku’s possession of Kohaku. They all began to explain how it was then they decided to make their little group a pack, appointing Kaede as the pack’s elder, who, Nico found out, was very similar to a native American medicine man. They told how they created a mark that would bind them together, forever, like a family.
Kouga began his tale here. He told of his love for Kagome the moment he first saw her. How he kidnaped her to help him find the jewel shards in thrds rds of Paradise. He spoke of the battle and how even after Kagome left, he followed them around everywhere, just to see her and fight with InuYasha. He spoke of his pack and their loyalty and how they all called Kagome “sis”. Then he told of how long the ceremony was to initiate his entire wolf clan but how they all wanted to be apart of this ever growing family. He told of his trip to the future to ask for Kagome’s hand in marriage and everyone began to talk again of the battles they had fought.
After a while, Taki popped in about how she met them one day while trying to find InuYasha. She had heard about him getting the Tetsusaiga and initially wanted to take it from him. They fought. Then when InuYasha used Tetsusaiga against Taki, and wounded her badly, Kagome came to her rescue, sat InuYasha, and tended to Taki’s wounds. She then proceeded to lecture InuYasha about family. “Of course I fell in love with Kagome. I came to think of her like a little sister,” said Taki. She also told them how she and Sango didn’t really get along all that much at first but how in the end they were pretty much inseparable. She then went on to explain that she didn’t really hate InuYasha, she was just jealous. She told Nico about how she and Sesshoumaru had the same mother, but she decided she liked humans rather than hated them, like their mother taught, and even lived in a village with them for 127 years or so. She decided to travel with the pack and help them and eventually they made her apart of the pack.
Next was Sesshoumaru’s turn. He sat there, and quietly told his story. How he did come to despise humans. How he hated his brother most of all. He told of the many times he had tried to kill InuYasha, especially when InuYasha was given the Tetsusaiga. Then he told how eventually he began to change his opinion of humans, even going so far as to revive and take care of a little girl named Rin, who now lived in a village not to far from here. “I still do go and see her,” he said. He then told about after one particularly gruesome battle with Naraku, he was badly injured and his sister, along with Kagome and Sango, took care of him and nursed him back to health. It was then that his opinion changed of humans and, even though he didn’t want to admit it, he had come to trust and rely on these his brother and sister traveled with. Eventually he began to travel with them as well and after a while and much persuading, he, too, joined the pack. “There was much persuading on both me and InuYasha’s part, especially considering our past.” “Of course they still have their disagreements,” interjected Taki, “but they have many years of hate to overcome.” Sesshoumaru nodded at Taki and looked to Nico. “My opinion of humans has changed, greatly, and now I have come to call these here family and rely and trust them. I might even go so far as to say, love them.” With that final statement, Sesshoumaru looked directly into Nico’s eyes.
The last to speak was Kaede. She spoke of her past and of her powerful sister, Kikyo. How she was intrusted with the Jewel of Four Souls and the trickery Naraku used to pin InuYasha and Kikyo against each other, the end result being Kikyo pinning InuYasha to the God Tree and binding him there for 50 years. How in the end, she died and the jewel was burned with her body. She told of the jewel being inside Kagome and Kikyo being brought back to life and how she wanders the Earth now, still with Kagome’s soul.
Nico just looked at her cousin, wide-eyed. After it was all over, everyone grew quiet. Then Kaede spoke.

“Now, child, I must ask. Is this truly what you want?”
“Yes,” replied Nico.
“Even knowing the danger you will face? You will help in our search for the jewel shards and help to defeat Naraku? You will risk your life for your pack mates and never betray them?”
“Yes and I understand the dangers, but Kagome is my family and now you all are my family and that is worth any price.”
“Then if there are no objections....”

No one said a word. During the story telling, Kaede had made a small fire and throughout the story telling, she had been adding all kinds of herbs and powders to it. Now, she took the hot ashes and mixed them with a small amount of some glowing pink liquid. She then pricked her finger and allowed three drops to fall in. Next, she passed the to to her right, to InuYasha. He did as she had done, adding three drops of his blood. He then passed the bowl to Miroku. He did the same.

“So what are they doing, Eni~si?” asked Nico.
“They are putting their life force and essence into a drink which you will drink,” replied Kaede.
“Oh,” said Nico.
“Then we will give you our mark and we will put some of the mixture on it to help it heal, but don’t worry, it will still be there and visible,” said Kaede.

Sango passed the bowl in front of Nico, to Kagome, Taki adding her blood as it moved. Kagome helped Shippou and then added her own blood. The bowl finally reached Sesshoumaru, who add his three drops and gave the bowl to Kaede.

“Ye see, Nico,” began Kaede, “packs are bonded by birth and blood. A pack, or clan, are connected by the blood of family that they share. We all think ourselves family but our blood is different. This ceremony, which I discovered in some very old and ancient scrolls, allows people to bind their blood with others, making their blood the same. Making them family. When ye drink it, ye take in the essence and life of all the people seated around ye now. Ye will be our family, truly, through blood.”
“I know it may seem gross and vampire like, but once it’s over, it’s really cool. It’s like we are all connected. You can feel it,” assured Kagome at seeing Nico’s face.

Kaede mixed the contents of the bowl and poured all but a few drops into a another bowl. She passed the bowl straight to Nico. Nico took it and held, not sure what to do next. Meanwhile, Kaede took a small, metal object from beside her and held it into the fire. Nico looked over at Kagome and Kagome smiled at her.

“Now,” spoke Kaede, “drink. When ye are finished, hold out to me your right arm.”

Nico did as she was told. She took a breath, put the bowl to her lips and allowed the mixture to flow into her mouth and down her throat. It burned. Badly, too. Nico felt as if her whole mouth was on fire. The rest of her body began to burn as well. The pain was excruciating and Nico’s vision began to blur. Her body shook from the pain but she did not cry out. However, tears fell down her cheeks and her jaw clenched shut. She looked at Kagome and then to Kaede. Kaede held out her hand, and Nico, remembering, gave the old woman her right arm. The next thing Nico new, she felt and extremely painful burning sensation on her upturned wrist. She could hear the sizzle of skin. Hers. Kaede peeled the metal item from Nico’s seared flesh and poured the rest of the drink mixture on the wound. It sent a sharp, stinging pain up her arm and into her chest. She felt like she was being burned alive and this new pain was nelpielping. Finally, her body could take no more. She passed out. Taki, who had stayed behind her, knowing this would happen, caught her and laid Nico down in her lap. She had become pale and was sweating profusely. Her breathing was also very shallow.

“I can’t believe she lasted that long,” said Kouga, surprise evident in his voice.
“Me either,” said Sango, “she is really strong.”

They were all amazed. They had all gone through the ceremony. Kaede had told them how it would hurt. Everyone of them had experienced it and everyone of them had lost it and passed out right after they had drank the liquid. Even the mighty Sesshoumaru. But Nico made it all the way through. Kaede came over and said a silent prayer and placed a string of cherry blossoms around Nico’s neck.

“Let her rest. When she awakens, we’ll welcome her,” ordered Kaede.

Taki picked Nico up as if she were nothing. She walked over to the fire and placed Nico down on a mat and covered her. Kagome came over and lightly kissed Nico’s forehead. They all then got up and walked out of Kaede’s hut to get some much needed rest. It would be morning soon and they would have to embark out on their first journey with their new pack mate. Nico drifted away into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of her new family.