The Jewel Maker

*** This chapter is mostly talk to set up the story... sorry if there are errors in it I wrote it kinda fast.
Also thoughts the characters are having will be put in ().***


Kikyo lay in a pool of her own blood… her time was running out.
“Kaede… girl I know you are there… come forth.” Slowly the meek girl emerged from the shallow indent near the entrance of the cave. Finally she gathered her courage enough to open her eyes since venturing inside.
“… Kikyo!” The girl stumbled in horror rushing to Kikyo’s side. Scarcely noticing that she was scrambling over the bloodly remains of Naraku.
“Sister Kikyo please lie still!” Kaede pulled off her protective cloak that had hid her so well in the shadows. She laid it carefully on Kikyo’s broken body, sobbing. It was a vain attempt to give Kikyo back her pride for the women no longer care about that.
“I’ll go..go get the village healers! They‘ll - ”
“Kaede tell me can you see… what is inside my belly?”
“Sister Kikyo… please just lie still… you’ve lost too much blood!… I must go get you help!..”
Ignoring her she grasped her arm bringing the girl closer with her final breathe seeping out. Whispering to cut down on the strain of speaking. She had let the girl follow her she knew it was not the wises decision but duty came first she would have willing scarified two lives for the sake of the millions that would die at the hands of Naraku and the Shikon no Tama.
“Kaede you will be my only help… cut my eyes and rub their blood into your eyes then you will see what you need to.. Take my body back and burn it…….you must make sure the Shikon no Tama… it’s glow is gone...”
(The threat is not yet over, I must get out of this cave. As soon as I die the Shikon no Tama I ingested will become tainted with the evil aura of this place. She looked up at the young girl. (Please forgive me.. dear Kaede there is no other way… you must take my place.)
Kikyo could feel the intense pain grip her abdomen. She tried fighting the slashing pain that was ripping her away.
“…do not forget! The glow… must be gone…”


“Sister Kikyo nooo!”

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Many years later………………..

“Stop where you are! What business do you seek! Speak Now!”
“I am Kaede and I’ve come here to speak with your leader.”
“Kaede?… of the Shikon Village?! You can pass but your followers must stay back!”
The large looming walls of the Demon Slayers’ village parted allowing the old women passage. (These demon slayers certainly don’t let their guard down) , she noted. Even as she walked escorted by armed men to the chambers of their leader she observed the sharp grazes of the seemingly ordinary villagers. (Yes, if she could convince them to be her ally she had no doubt she could achieve her objective.)
“My lord your company has arrived.” A talk youth called out knocking at the door to make sure it was suitable to enter. The door opened revealed a tall man in his late thirties. Dismissing his subordinate with a brisk nod he invited Kaede to enter his chambers.
“Lady Kaede we received your message. Please have a seat it is an honor to have so noble a Lady visit us. We have heard so much about you.”
“As I have heard of your noble village.” She had expected an older man yet she could see the wisdom in his bearded face.
“What may I ask brings you to our humble home? Your message left many questions.” Lord Kenshin was no fool it was true he had hear many things about the women in front of him however not all of them were very mercifully actions.
::Knock Knock::
“Enter.”
“I thought you might like some tea…” The young women suddenly paused seeing his company. “Forgive me, Father, I hope I did not interrupt you.”
“Ah, Sango you have good timing come in. Here I have neglected to care for my guest. Lady Kaede pardon my haste would you care for some tea? ”
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Down to business…………

“There was once a priestess many many years ago that held that power of the Shikon no Tama in my village. No doubt you have heard of the great power of the jewel that my village is named after.”

“The Shikon no Tama is real?” Sango said before she could control her childlike outburst. “I mean, I always thought it was just a great myth, Lady Kaede. How is it so that this priestesses had it? I heard it was created before people settled in the land you reside in?” (Smooth cover), she mental patted herself on the back. Papa had let her stay for the negotiations. The time was soon coming for him to train his successor and with Kohaku still so young and struggling with his demon slayer courses his current second in command was Sango.
“You know your legends well, child. It is true that the Shikon no Tama was created by a women thousands of years ago with enormous amounts of spiritual power. Her name was Midoriko and she battled great demons and rid most of the foulest that inhabited my land. Without her my people would not have been able to create a village there.-”
“I see but if that is so.. Then what did this priestesses from your village have to do with the jewel?” Being impatient as always her father scolded her.
“Sango, one must show patience to the wise in order to be taught.”
“…oh …Yes, Father forgive me. I apologize Lady Kaede please continue.” She rushed bowing her head to show her remorse.
“Worry not child you will soon learn my story. Midoriko, of which I spoke of, had a great battle with a multitude of combined demons that wished to devour her power for themselves. The battle lasted many days and at the end in the moment in which Midoriko would have been slain she compressed her very soul around the demon. Trapping the demon within her. When she did that the force of her own weakened spiritual power tried to purify them, when she could not… her body rejected the evil aura.. Pushing out the demon entity from her body and in the process pushing out her own crystallized soul as well. That is how the Shikon no Tama was created.”
Taking a breathe the old women grabbed her tea and drank.
This time Sango did not press the old women further… no matter how much she wanted to. (So then the Shikon no Tama can be used for good as well as evil. If we can find someone strong enough to purify it…it could be used for so much good.)
“The priestesses is the reincarnation of that Midoriko. Most did not believe this was possible because the Shikon no Tama was thought to be Midoriko soul… but it was only part of it. If her whole soul had attack that demon it would not have survived but atlas she was weakened and could only trap most of it instead of destroy it.”
“The priestesses, Kikyo, was the only one who could fully purify it. She died when I was young at the hands of a demon named Naraku. He was once a man that was overcome by the remains of the very same demons Midoriko trapped. Kikyo managed to destroy Naraku but I fear that he will not stay dead for long. Once the Shikon no Tama is in this world again that part of his soul trapped in the jewel will automatic revive Naraku.. And he will become stronger the nearer he gets to it.”

“But Lady Kaede what happened to it? The Shikon no Tama?”

“The jewel was burned with Priestesses Kikyo’s body.”

“If it was taken to the other side why do you come to us now?” Up until now Kenshin had seldom even nodded when the old women had been talked but…….. now he felt a forbidding chill snake it’s way up his back. Where ever this story was heading he could tell it would not be a peace outcome. No one every did come to the Demon Slayers village with simple requests. But this one sounded very bad… he had heard stories of the legendary demon Naraku. Even he thought such atrocity could only be myths.

“..… I have been given the gift of sight… and I have seen… that the Jewel has already returned to our world.”
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Flashback….. 14 years ago

“Lady Kaede could you please visit my house? I fear my little Sota has gotten a bad fever… if you could assist me I would be so grateful.” Mrs. Higurashi bowed she was exhausted from taking care of one sick crying baby and a hyper toddler. Even her grandfather didn’t seem to know how to help Sota’s ailment and she feared for the worse with her husband still away.
“Of course Mrs. Higurashi just let me finish up these remedies here and I shall go pick some herbs to help young Sota. Worry not we shall make him well. I shall be there before the afternoon is over.”
“Oh thank you Lady Kaede!”

It had been a regular day .. People coming by asking for relief from ailments. And then it had spiraled into the day she had always feared. She had never forgotten Kikyo’s twisted body… or what Naraku had done to her… never.

They had just gotten done treating Sota and Kaede had been making her way out the front door when a bouncing little girl had collided with her leg hugging it tightly. An aging man appeared around the corner.
“Oh my! Kagome come back here! Forgive her Lady Kaede she wanted to know what you were doing to Sota and I told her how you were making him better. Heh heh seems she wants to thank you.”
“hmm no problem at all.” she replied waving off his apology. “My what a affectionate child you are. Aren’t you little… Kagome you said?” She looked up at the old man as he gave a nod. “Heh heh yup that Kagome is affectionate and hyper too.”

She bended down to scoop up the little girl in her arms… And that’s when she saw it. Her radiating innocent smile and arms outstretched towards Kaede.. Were overshadowed by a dim glowing coming from her stomach.
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“I see then this is a very serious problem indeed. What would you have us do then Lady Kaede? It seems we have already fallen behind if the jewel has been allowed to return to this world for so long.”
Kenshin thought he had already reviewed every angle of this problem already. They had to secure the girl first to make sure that Naraku did not get the jewel before going after him. Otherwise if he really was as powerful as the stories said they would have slim to none chance of defeating him.. Even with all the demon slayers attacking him at once. He was not prepared for Kaede’s different solution.

“It is simple Lord Kenshin, we must ascertain the girl immediately…… and kill her.”




**Gave you a little twist there.. sorry about basically re-uttering the story of the Shikon no Tama.. but there are some slight differences that are important to the story... and if you didn't get it.. it basically means that Naraku has been chasing the maker of the shikon no Tama (aka the Jewel Marker get it, get it? :]) as Midoriko, Kikyo and yup soon to be Kagome.**