To Be Me

Chapter Twenty-Four

A dog barked in the distance, a bird flew overhead to land on the roof. It's tiny black eyes gazed down at the small girl sleeping peacefully below. At first she appeared peaceful until one looked closer. Her chest was moving rapidly due to fear, breaths coming in short gasps. The bird continued to gaze down at the girl waiting for her to wake.

{Dream}

"I have something to show you."

A ten year old Taree ran up to her father as he knelt down in the basement. She gazed up at the man she loved and admired so much. "What is it daddy?"

"Something that has been passed on for generations. My mother gave it to me, once you are old enough it shall go to you." The man pried up a loose board withdrawing a shoe box. "This necklace is said to contain the power of our ancestors. But that's only if you believe in magic and all that nonsense. Yet, it has been our family for countless centuries."

"What's magic daddy?"

"That's a hard question dear. It's when people can make unexplainable things happen I guess. Like tricks but not tricks." He pulled out the necklace letting his little girl hold it. It was made of a special metal, even the jewelers couldn't place it. The small medallion in the middle was made of the metal forming a large circle, inside that circle a large stone sat. It was a blood red color, very dark in appearance. The jewel itself no bigger than two inches in diameter.

"Pretty." The girl squeeled in delight. "Where did it come from?"

"There is some folklore connected to it but all stories, it's really nothing more than a family heirloom."

"I wanna hear the story." She pouted.

"Very well, it says that one of our ancestors used it to save the world and to destroy an evil monster." He took the necklace from her placing it back in box. "I think you mother is calling for us. You will not see it again, until you are old enough."


{Dream changes}

"Momma?" The small girl walked down the stairs flinching when she heard the shouting. Screams filled the air as tears streamed down her face.

Her mother came running out the living room trying to make it up the stairs. "Taree run."

The girl ran down the stairs to help her mother who was bleeding. The blood covered her whole front. The girl could hear her father screaming from the living room. "Get her out of here."

The woman grabbed the girl's hand running for the front door. Before the door could be opened, something long pierced the woman in the back. Blood sprayed across the girl's face , "Momma!" The woman was yanked back leaving the girl standing alone.

"Taree, run. Get out of here." Her father was screaming once more. "Go now."

The girl pulled open the door and ran outside into the darkness. Her feet ran, tears streamed down her face. She couldn't see anything as she ran, branches scraped her face. Laughing could be heard from behind her, hysterical giggling. Her foot got caught on a root, tripping her. Her head snapped around, noises were all around her. Growling, laughing, her mother screaming. "No!"

{End dream}


She woke up screaming, "NO!" The bird took off flying into the air at the harsh sound. Taree sat for several minutes panting as images began flashing through her mind. Her mother, her father and everything she had wanted to forget. Tears streamed down her face and she began to shake violently.

The bird landed on the arm of the chair watching as she cried for over an hour. It chirped trying to give comfort, Taree looked up. "Hey. Do me a favor, deliver a message to Styles for me."


Yusuke woke up when he heard pounding on the door. Keiko sat up in the bed also looking around. He got up swearing, "This better be fucking good." He made it to the door in time so see Kurama coming down the stairs. The door was yanked open to reveal Botan standing there.

"Morning Yusuke." She smiled at him.

"Morning my ass it's still dark out Botan. What the hell are you doing?" He yelled in her face.

"No need to be rude Yusuke, I have an urgent message from Koenma. Will you wake up the others please?"

"No need Yusuke, I believe everyone else is up." Kurama and the others walked down to the living room.

Kagome rubbed her red eyes and flopped down on the couch bed next to Keiko. "It's too early for this shit." She yawned and groaned when Mai sat down next to her. "Hey I was here first."

"I only meant to wake the men up sorry girls." Botan chirped. "Koenma has informed me that a portal of some kind has opened up in the Makai. I'm afraid the news isn't too good. Our sources indicate that something powerful is inside waiting. We believe they are trying to release this Michio."

"That's doesn't sound good." Mia nudged Kagome. "Go check on Taree."

"She's no longer here." Botan informed them.

"What? Where the hell is she?" Yusuke demanded.

"We aren't sure to be honest. We lost track of her about two hours ago. Not long after she left here to be exact. Koenma said it was to be expected."

Hiei searched for her but didn't see her. "Why can't I locate her?"

"Koenma said she wouldn't want to be found."

"Yes, I did say that." Koenma appeared beside Botan causing the girl to jump and fall over. "Really Botan that's not called for." He looked over the six people standing in front of him. "I'm sure you all are wanting answers, I'm afraid I don't have many."

"Tell us what you do know." Kurama placed a hand on Mai's shoulder.

"That the portal of Michio was indeed opened but in the Makai this time. Our research shows us that this cult plans on taking over there. This God of theirs feeds off energy, spiritual energy. The stronger the meal, the more powerful he becomes. The others have been sent to warn those in the Makai."

"Where has Taree gone?" Kagome asked.

"We don't know, all we do know is that when the portal opened she regained her lost memories. We can only speculate as to why." Koenma knew they wouldn't want to hear this next part. "To make matters worse we have no idea how to close the portal. We looked but there is no mention on how it was done before. I'm afraid this time there will be no stopping it."

"You gotta be shitting me. So we just wait for this thing to show itself and hope it doesn't fucking kill us." Yusuke raised his voice another notch.

"I'm afraid so Yusuke. I'm sure after it takes over the Makai, it will come here next. This thing needs to feed daily, it will never stop. You three have always rose to any challange, just do the same here."

"That is not a very good plan Koenma. You can't expect us to just charge in there after this thing is born without knowing anything, it will be sucide." Kurama didn't like these odds. He prefered to know his opponent's strengths and weakness.

"I didn't say it was but there is nothing else I can do, I'm afraid. Our only hope has disappeared, with her memories returned she may have had the answer we needed." Koenma knew his hands were tied.

"She'll come back won't she?" Keiko asked.

"She won't have to, we will find her. Hiei might not be able to find her, he doesn't have to." Mai got up and ran into the kitchen, she snatched the phone off the wall. She dialed the number to the temple, Mr. Sinato picked up on the fourth ring. "Hey, it's Mai. Sorry to wake you up but we kind of have an emergency here. Can you do me a favor and tell me if Styles is gone?"

"Let me look." A few minutes passed and he came back on, "He's gone, I can't find him anywhere. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah they are now thanks." She hung up the phone and walked back out. They were waiting for her solution. "Hiei can you find animals?"

"Maybe, why?"

"Simple we find Styles, we find Taree."

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