Dancing In The Dark: Meridian
Episode 2
Inuyasha is sitting at the base of his favorite tree. While he could probably make the leap, being on the ground seems more in line with his mood. The sun is setting and he watches it deep in thought. He doesn�t notice the old priestess until she is standing right next to him. She says, �Inuyasha, we have need of more speech between us.� He asks, �Shouldn�t you be lookin after Kagome?� Kaede says, �I have left her to the care of a villager I trust. I still need to know more. Inuyasha, can thou describe the knife that struck ye?� He says, �I didn�t see it too good. Its handle looked gold, there were letters on it, and that�s about all I can say.� The priestess reaches into her robe and draws out a knife. �Might it have looked thus?� she asks. Taking the blade, Inuyasha turns it around and looks at with the point towards him. He says, �Ya, even the letters look the same. Hey, wait a minute! Where�d you get this?!?� Kaede sighs, lowering herself to sit beside the half-demon. She says, �I feared as much. This does not bode well.� Inuyasha asks, �You can help her; can�t you?� �Oh aye,� she says, �Fear ye not. Knowing this, Kagome will be better by dawn. But the meaning of it; that troubles me. This,� she indicates the knife, �is a special knife. Forged with holy power, only a priestess can wield it. This one was one of two powerful charms I acquired for fear that ye might one day awaken. The other is the rosary ye wear about thy neck. That was to subdue ye, although I doubted that I might have the strength to use it. This blade, however, was forged to slay ye. It bears thy death upon its hilt. I admit, when ye had first awoke, I carried it with me day and night. Since then, I have put it aside. Had I call to use it upon ye, only a priestess with mightier powers than my own could have saved your life. If the blade that the demon used was truly of this type, then she has the powers of a priestess; and a strong one too. Aye, for one instant, Kagome was the stronger; but it nearly killed her to win this fight.� Inuyasha asks, �A demon priestess?� Kaede says, �Demons with holy powers are rare mind ye, but not unheard of. Mark me well, Inuyasha. If this incarnation of Naraku truly has priestly power so near to Kagome�s own; then she will be a formidable foe whom only Kagome can face.� Inuyasha says, �I know I can�t fight her. She used sit on me earlier; it would be like tryin to attack Kagome. But the others can.� Kaede says, �Nay Inuyasha, only Kagome. No demon among you might stand against such spiritual strength, mighty though they are, the demon slayers would also fail, and that leaves only the monk.� Inuyasha says, �Ok, so Miroku can handle this one.� The priestess sighs and says, �Sadly, he is the least capable of all of ye to stand against this demon. If she seems enough as Kagome to fool ye, then she would surely be enough like her to arouse the monk�s lust. Kagome is quite a lovely maiden and that is the monk�s greatest weakness.� Inuyasha says, �Well this demon ain�t no maiden. Not any more.� Kaede doesn�t ask for an explanation and Inuyasha doesn�t offer one. He turns away, lost in thought�