A/N: Some of you might remember this story from a few years back. I took it down after a while since I got a few (read: a lot) of flames. And I didn't want to deal with it and I had many stories going on. But, recently I re-vamped it, and added a lot and decided to re-post it (Back then, I only got to 3 chapters. I plan to NOT taking it down this time and I do intend on finishing it, no matter what). So here we are.

The starting point of this story is that it is based on the Little Mermaid. It's inspired from the tale but it's a twisted spin on it.

The Little Priestess

Chapter 1: Sin and Grace

Once upon a time, far from Edo, deep into the mountains and surrounded by the protection of the forest, was a small village. All the houses were simple, wooden walls, roof holding with branches and hay, barely protecting them from heavy rain. They were all fairly similar in size except for one which was substantial compared to the others. From the outside, it was a village like any. However, unlike all the others it was not home to regular humans; it was a holy village. All the residents were priestesses and monks along with their children who would grow up to be the same as their parents.

They shielded themselves from the regular world because of the on-going battle they had with the youkais. It started when time began, and it would stop when time would come to an end. They were enemies by nature and complete opposites. One sought the light and the others used the power of darkness. They were created to conflict and fight each other until one of them was extinguish, never to walk the earth again.

In the beginning, it was a bloodshed, bodies falling, populations decimated, until all that filled the air was the putrid scent of death. Blood stained the grass, villages were burned down and genocide was well on its way. Until one day, out of the hatred, the desperation and the killing, a jewel was born. It was filled with the youki and the holy powers of all those who died. The most powerful weapon but it was not own by monks and youkais could not lay their hands on it either.

Suddenly, destruction loomed over them and their battles only fueled the need of the jewel. The first years were spent trying to find it, a never ending chase. Unfortunately it was never found. A dreadful truth lurking around the corner and they were forced to come to an awful conclusion; they had to cease the fighting for the sake of both sides and to prevent complete inhalation.

As the years went by, the battles lessened, the deaths decreased, but the hatred remained, their differences too great to be overcome. Both clans sheltered themselves from each other with the help of magical barriers. Only holy beings could see their own village and the same went for the youkais. They never mingled, they never spoke. Usually an encounter resulted in death or injury since they could never come to an understanding.

Children of light were taught from birth to avoid and despise them. Youkais were evil creatures who would slash their chest open and eat their heart without any mercy. Never could on be trusted and if they had the misfortune of encountering one; they had to run and find protection in the village. Even unholy villages had a monk or priestess living there for protection. And children did what they were raised to do; they detested youkais.

Well almost all children because there was always one that was not like the others.

As another day ended, a bright red sun grazed the edge of the horizon while dark blue tones slowly engulfed the sky. The chirping of the birds in the nearby forest died down which announced to the holy village that it was time to retract to the safety of their homes. Slowly, a pale pink light began to form a protective bubble around the village and created a sizzling sound that could only be heard from the outside world.

People scattered around the village to blow out the torches that lite the vicinity. One woman bent down and picked up remnants of herbs that were probably dropped earlier during the day by children. Once everything was stashed away in her little hay basket, she lifted her head and her chocolate brown eyes searched the surrounding until they landed on her daughter.

"Kagome," she called out. "Hurry inside."

As her name was called out, the little girl turned her body to peep at her mother. Her crystal blue eyes were practically covered by her ebony bangs while the rest of her long hair was neatly tied in a braid by a red ribbon. Those blue eyes of hers; they were a rarity. Nobody ever had such an eye color in the history of their world. They made her different, - foreign even.

Instead of providing her mother with a verbal answer, Kagome simply nodded and rose up, her orange kimono flowing with the breeze as she did so. Her hands were filled with colorful flowers – healing flowers. She spent her day collecting them and she was almost done. If she found the last flower, her work would be complete. She could not give up now. She peered at her mother one more time, watching her walk away, before deciding to venture towards the edge of the barrier.

When she turned the age of six summers, her mother explained the importance of the barrier and why she was not to ever go on the other side alone. Since then a few summer went by and Kagome had yet to disobey that rule; if she did, she might be attacked or worst – killed on sight by one of the youkai. But now, things – oh they were much different. Right there, past the pink light and right by a tall, flourishing, plum tree, was the orange flower she required to complete her task.

And she did not see it anywhere inside the limits of the village.

If she waited until morning, her mother would surely accompany her but – morning was a long time from now and her impatience was turning her antsy, her toes wiggling in impatience. Kagome was not certain she would be able to wait that long. She sunk her teeth in her bottom lip while she shifted her weight repeatedly from her left leg to her right one. If she stayed really close, she could run back inside to safety fast enough if something happened. Yes.

Kagome gently put down the flowers she was holding on the ground, gathering them in a bunch, hoping the wind would not carry them away. Her heart beat rapidly while she dared to stretch one of her foot outside the barrier. She almost expected it to hurt her but it did not. Once she confirmed it was safe, she moved the rest of her body on the other side, thrill rushing through her tiny body as she disobeyed the rules for the very first time.

Since only the moon was left in the sky on the starless late evening that surrounded her, she found herself completely blind in the darkness. She let her previous sighting of the flower guide her to its location, hoping it would be enough to find it. Luckily, she reached it and once she did, Kagome dropped to her knees, the fabric of her clothes burning her skin. Immediately her hands dug up the dirt surrounding it which resulted in her staining her perfectly clean clothes.

This would displease her mother greatly.

A few instants later, the flower and its roots were completely free from the ground and Kagome wore a proud smile on her face. She rubbed her hand on her cheek, which left a dirt stain on her skin, and rose back to her feet with the flower secure in her hold. As she was about to turn around and return to the village, a flash of green caught her attention and made her blue eyes widen in surprise.

The green color should scare her but it did not. Her mother told her a long time ago that monk and priestesses only had purple and pink lights. Considering the fact that the rule was never broken, whoever was in the forest had to be… a youkai.

Youkais.

She heard about them a lot since it was the reason why her village protected itself so intensively. It was even why she needed to master archery, despite her obvious lack of talent. They were dangerous, vicious monsters with no heart and they killed priestesses and monks whenever they saw one! If youkais ever spotted a priestess or even a human, they would rip their head off on sight and then eat them. Her mother said she should be terrified of them – until she learned how to dispose of them of course.

At least, those were the ramblings everyone shared with her, ignoring her young age.

In spite of the way her heart was pounding, she took another step forward. So many stories, yet she never saw a real one before! They were described as monsters and yet she always thought they seemed fascinating. Maybe – maybe she could peek at it? It might not see her if she was quiet enough. She folded her little chubby fingers into fists and moved closer to the source of the green light, holding her breath. Scared was what she should be and yet she could not bring herself to tone down the excitement pulsing through her.

A real youkai!

She twisted her mouth into a pout while grabbing the edge of some bushes. She gently pushed the branches out of the way only to reveal an unexpected sight; a little boy. He did not seem much older than she was as he stood straight with his hand stretched in front of him while poison dripping from his claws. With each movement he made, the light green liquid touched the grass and sizzled away as it burned it, leaving nothing but a brown patch behind.

Kagome watched in awe as he practiced stances and fought away his imaginary enemy. In her eyes, he was no beast, but instead she would qualified him as rather magical. His shiny silver hair cascaded down his shoulders while his amber eyes resembled liquid gold, shining into the night brighter than the moon itself. And – and oh kami! Markings! He had markings. On his forehead rested a dark blue half moon and his slightly plump cheeks had magenta stripes on them – two on each side.

An error of nature that only sought to destroy; those were her mother's words. Yet as she watched him so gracefully move, shifting his posture and twisted his limbs around, she was envious. She was supposedly a child of the Earth, filled with grace and patience, yet some days she struggled to put one foot in front of the other without tripping. He on the other hand was moving swiftly though the air like he was weightless and had wings.

Unable to resist the urge, she sat down quietly and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. Part of her feared he might discover her, but then she was reminded that this area was still close to the barrier and she was probably invisible to him. Plus, she did not think he would hurt her; how could something so beautiful bring pain? The spoken words of her people evaded her mind and she forgot all the stories, all the torment this creature was supposed to inflict upon her.

They were wrong. How could he hurt anyone?

He would not. He could not.

She watched as he freely did as he pleased, clearly outside the limits of his own village. He barely seemed concerned about his safety or his location as if it was not forbidden for him to roam where he wanted. He did not even let the thoughts of enemies or attacks preoccupied him. It was him and him alone. All his focus was on his training which was terribly intense and caused a thin layer of sweat to slowly form on his forehead, glistening across his pale skin.

Kagome wanted that freedom.

Her little eyes observed him and her heartbeat picked up. She even failed to notice the flush on her cheeks and the way she was chewing her bottom lip, ripping away at the thin layer of skin. This was the grace she desired; he possessed everything she dreamed to have.

"Kagome?"

At the sound of her mother's voice she jumped in surprise. She quickly glanced around with her blue eyes dilated as if she expected to see her mother standing behind her. When she was re-assured that nobody found out about her horrible indiscretion, Kagome quickly scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping in the process, and headed for the inside of the barrier, never looking back, afraid that she might stay and get herself into trouble yet again.

Perhaps, she would see him again tomorrow.

-T-

"Kagome!"

A heavy sigh.

"Kagome!"

At her mother's harsh tone, Kagome woke up in a jolt, all her senses on alert. Her panicked eyes scanned the room, all of it nearly empty except for one person. She finally spotted her mother near her with her hands on her hips, her dark eyebrows twisted, her nose wrinkling. She watched as the older woman pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly attempting to hide the annoyance she felt towards her only child.

"The sun has been up for a while now and yet here you are, asleep, again. You are supposed to go help the others and tend to the garden today."

She ran her fingers through her dark, tangled hair, her fingers getting stuck in a few of the knots and nodded quickly. "I am sorry, Mother." Once again, she failed to her task. It was not something she tried to do on purpose. Luck was never on her side when it came to her tasks.

Before Kagome's feet even touched the ground, her mother was already nowhere in sight, gone to tend to her own duties. It was almost hard to blame her for her rage. Every day, Kagome messed up something different. She did everything she did with good intentions – and she did try – but it seemed that when it came down to priestesses' duty, she simply was not gifted. She was the strange one, the one that never seemed to quite belong.

As soon as she rose to her feet, she grabbed her attire from the ground. She quickly slipped on the red and white clothes and then, her hands roamed all over the place until she finally got hold of her ribbon. Quickly, she tied her hip length hair into a braid, her bangs swung to the side with a swipe of the hand, and ran outside. Already the village was buzzing with liveliness, people minding to their daily tasks.

She tried to appear calm as she rushed to the unoccupied garden. Nobody else could tend to it today and she failed to be there on time. It might actually be a good turn out since at least nobody was there to reprimand her for another failure. She kneeled down, her knees covered in dirt and her red hakama shifting to a brown color because of the dirt. She immediately began to fix the ground around the herbs since they were the bases of all their knowledge and healing powers. Without them, they were lost.

Kagome held back a yawn while dragging herself around, the sun reaching its highest point into the sky before she was anywhere near being done. Same day, same thing, same routine. Even when the barrier was not up, they had to pretend it was and never venture too far, pretending there was not a whole wide world waiting for them. Also, if you had to go anywhere, you were forbidden from going alone. Strength came in numbers. Alone you were an easy target and you died.

During those moments, Kagome felt so different from everyone else.

They seemed to think the world was somewhere to be afraid of, never to be explored and that the village was the only thing they controlled, the only safe haven on earth. She knew they were wrong. Every now and then she would dare to go further than she was allowed and each time she returned safely. Nothing was out to get them like they believed.

The world was beautiful and it had so much to offer. If only her mother would let her explore it properly.

She did not care much for their foolishness. She heard the stories, she grew up hearing them, but they were all lies. How long was it since the last injury? Not only that, but who truly started the battles? All she ever had as a reference of the truth was their side of the stories. Who said they were completely innocent in this war? Perhaps the youkais also had reasons to be upset.

A sigh rolled off her lips and she focused her attention back onto the garden. She began pulling some of the weeds out, cleaning up the area, while her mind wandered away. Oh, all the discoveries she was missing out on. She tucked her loose strands of hair behind her ear since they covered her face because of the powerful breeze. Her expression was showing her unhappiness while she repeated the same meaningless task she did times and times before.

Once all the weeds were pulled out and stacked in a neat pile beside her, she stood up. Gently, Kagome brushed the dirt off her knees and began to scan the area for a basket. She forgot hers in her rush this morning and now she had nothing to carry back the weeds and the herbs. If she did it with her hands, they would notice, and they would all judge and shake their heads. While she peered around, she happened to peek at the little forest near her village.

How could she ever forget it? That night changed her life forever. That night proved she was right.

She might have been young, but it made an impact on her nonetheless. She saw the forbidden world and it did not hurt her like her mother said it would. She did return the next night, hoping to see the little boy again, but it was without luck; she never saw him after that night. Evening after evening, she sat there in the middle of the bushes and waited, but she was disappointed each night. Eventually, the risk was no longer worth it and she ceased to wait for him.

It was not like he knew she existed or that he would be her friend. Although, she did daydream of a friendship with him back then. She found very few friends within her peers. Youkais might understand what it was like to be different? She did not think they were as evil as people portrayed them to be, how could that be a bad thing? After all, they remained in their own boundaries did they not? Perhaps they were as sick and tired of fighting as her people were.

She shook her head at her foolish thoughts and detached her eyes from the luscious, green forest. No matter what did occur, things would never change.

It was then, during her moment of deep hopelessness, that a faint grunt reached her dull human ears.

Right away, she went on alert and searched the vicinity, her eyes shifting in every direction. It took her a few seconds, but she finally realized its origin; it was coming from the forest. Her blue eyes enlarged and her heart began to pound. Her ears fell deaf and she could not longer hear the faint, dreaded grunt that first attracted her attention. A lump was stuck in her throat, her guts twisted. It could not be… could it?

Without even thinking twice about it, she took a few steps in direction of the forest her heart thumping, her mouth dry, feeling like cotton. It was not until her feet reached the invisible boundary that she realized the possible consequences of her actions. This was not night; it was bright day where everyone could see her. Kagome quickly peered around, sweat forming at the base of her neck, and she observed everyone with suspicion dancing in her eyes.

If only one person saw her, she was doomed. Nobody would let her go explore by herself. She was also no longer a child and had no excuses for the rules she was about to break.

Once the perimeter seemed secure, she moved forward at a rapid speed. Her hands were trembling more than she wished to as she slowly leaned closer. Before she was able to move the vegetation out of the way, she spotted blood on the grass. Blood? Her heartbeat plummeted and her pink lips parted. She lowered herself until her knees hit the ground and she then did her best to remained hidden while daring to inspect the area.

Her eyes followed the trail of blood to a puddle and then she barely had to look any further. There, resting in the puddle, was a white sleeve, the tip of it a deep red color.

The orbs of her blue eyes were rattling around as she raised her gaze. The sight in front of her was unexpected and heartbreaking.

A dying man.

Long silver hair was sprawled across the green grass with some of the parts tainted with the crimson liquid. He wore a white kimono that was stained near the stomach which she assumed was where his wound originated. One of his hands rested on his heaving chest while the other was limp by his side. On his right arm, the one that refused to move, there was a deep gash that ran from his elbow to his wrist, blood gushing out of it.

But none of those details held her attention and took her breath away as long as his face did. There, on his forehead, was a blue half moon.

Him. It was him.

He was – grown up. Injured. He was grown up and very injured.

She dared to press her palms against the ground before dragging herself closer to his body. His chest was barely rising which let her know he was having difficulty breathing. That wheezing sound that came out of him each time he tried was definitively not a good sign. He was quite out of it since he did not seem to sense her presence despite her closeness. He never tried to move away, he never even opened his eyes. Meanwhile, she felt her heart painfully hammering inside the confines of her chest.

She was almost touching a youkai! She never dreamed she would be this close to one!

Kagome bent forward, her hair fawning around her pale face while she glanced down to observe him. Regardless of how near death he was, he looked peaceful. His skin appeared to be glowing and his features were so – soft and gentle. She was used to her own kind – humans. They were all rough and full of scars and hatred growing inside their hearts. Anything marked them. But him? His skin was flawless, like even time itself could not affect him. She envied him.

Eventually, wrinkles would appear on her face and she would wither away before death claimed her. But not him. He had – what was it again? Oh yes, centuries. He had centuries ahead of him before he needed to concern himself with aging or even death. He had forever to live in this breath taking world, exploring every hidden corner, taking in every sights, every scent. He could not die since he had to live a long life… because he could.

Out of the blue, Kagome gasped while she felt smooth, cold, wet flesh touching her own. She peeked down at her hand, only to see it covered by his bloody hand, his fingers attempting to grasp her wrist. He was… moving? Her first reflex was to snatch her hand away. For years and years she was taught that they were dangerous. She might believe they were harmless but that did not change the instincts that were imposed upon her during her growing years.

She expected him to keep moving, but all he did was weakly search for her hand – or at least some sort of contact as to confirm that he was not alone, not dying here in this spot. His light red lips divided and a faint groan of pain escaped him while he attempted to speak. Unfortunately, she was unable to make out his words, despite her best efforts. She even leaned forward, hoping the lack of distance would make it easier.

"Do-do you need help?" she dared.

What a foolish question; obviously he did! Although she was not certain she could do much. She was used to healing humans, not youkais. How could she be certain that her remedies would work on him? Did he even need remedy? He could not die; they were strong, hard to kill. Their strength was the reason behind the existence of monks and priestess; their light and power was the source of their downfall. A wound… could it truly be fatal?

Then, he spoke again, this time with distinguishable words. "Do-n't. Stop."

"You do not need my help?" She was right, it could not be fatal. Did youkais heal better? Maybe they did not die until their time came and it was why they lived for so long?

Even with his current situation, he managed to gather enough strength to shock her by harshly slapping her hand away, sending blood splattering around and staining her white clothes. A small red bruise formed on the back of her hand and she knitted her eyebrows. He did not need to be this mean; she was simply trying to help him. Perhaps he recognized her aura and feared her because of her origins?

Her stubbornness hit another level and she decided that despite what he wanted, she would do something. Her lips were tightly pressed together when she turned around and dashed for the village. Once she found herself within the boundaries once more, she did her best to hide her panic. How was she supposed to take supplies without anyone noticing?

The garden!

She sneakily made her way to it and began frantically searching through every herb. There had to be something she could use on a youkai or to at least use to stop his bleeding! Then the bright magenta color caught her eye. Thistle! She delicately pulled a few that were on the edge the flourishing garden in a foolish attempt to make certain nobody would notice they were missing.

She then proceeded to stash them inside her attire and slowly turned around again. Her fast pace of her heartbeat allowed her to sense it all the way in her temple as it pulsed with each beat. Her chest rose rapidly while she returned to her previous location, completely undetected by her village. Almost to her surprise, he was still laying there upon her return.

While she was by his side with the herbs in her hand, she realized something. It needed to be mashed. She winced at her stupidity before glancing around for something to use. Luckily, a rock was nearby and she immediately retrieved it. She then laid the herbs on her legs and slowly mashed it, irritating her skin at the same time. She pushed the pain aside and continued until it looked like mush and then she tossed the rock away before scrapping the mixture off of her leg.

She stared at him, a blush creeping upon her cheeks as she realized there was only one way to obtain access to his wound. Kagome used her free hand to pull apart his torn clothes and she finally revealed the injury. A sword. That was the cause of his pain. Although, that did not explain the burnt marks all around the opening. Without wasting another moment, she began to apply the paste on his wound, ignoring the sight of his chest, even though it was the first time her eyes saw such a nude scene.

Once her hands were completely stained, but the wound covered, she dared to move closer. He was no longer moving which meant he had probably gone back into a state of unconsciousness. She knew she should pull away and leave him alone but…she simply wanted to take a better look at him, observe him; a youkai, so close. She waited years for him to return to this spot. To this day she did not know why he came here, both in his youth and now in time of trouble.

Her face was on top of his while she roamed her eyes over his features. His moon, his stripes, his white eyelashes and his pursed lips. Oh, how soft his markings appeared to be. She wanted to run her fingers over them, feel their smoothness beneath her fingertips but she did not dare. She might take a few risks and break a few rules but she was not that reckless.

Then, in a flash, his magenta painted eyelids rose and amber and blue clashed.

Before she could even gasp, his eyes closed again.

In a shock, she ran her tongue over her dry lips. Perhaps she tempted fate enough for today. She did break every rule and command she was ever taught already.

Still, there was no possible way she could leave him there to fend for himself. If someone from her village found him… she did not want to think about what would happen. However, how was she to know where he belonged? She was but a human and human were not to know where youkais lived. Nobody invaded each other's territory since it helped to keep the fragile peace.

Unless… there was a way to detect it. She learned it as a child. It was to be used in case they were lost and they wanted to avoid walking into the wrong territory by mistake. She turned around and grabbed the rock from earlier. Kagome decided that his village had to be close by; it was probably the reason why he came here to train. She spotted a spot without trees and then threw the rock in front of her as far as she could.

Eventually, it bounced back and indicated where his protective bubble was. Kagome stood up before bending down to grab his shoulders. She began dragging him as slowly as possible towards his home. She began panting, sweat dripping down her chest, forcing her clothes to glue to her skin. Moments passed before she was even close to it. Unfortunately, she was not allowed on the other side and it left her with only one answer; she had to roll him in.

Gathering all of her strength, she began pushing on his side while being mindful of his chest. No matter how she did it, she was aware that it would bring him pain. However, nothing was more dangerous than leaving him out in the open. She inhaled deeply before giving him one final push.

In front of her eyes, he disappeared. The invisibility swallowed him and then he was gone.

Kagome stood there for a moment as if she expected him to re-appear and thank her for her help. Of course he would not. As a matter of fact, it was probably best he never found out a priestess helped him during his time of need. Maybe he thought the way her people did and she did not want to know. She even refused to hold him accountable for his display of violence earlier; he was lost, injured and disoriented. The illusion of peace and gentleness was much better.

At least, they were fearless and free. They also seemed kind. It was all the information she needed.

Her heart was heavy with sorrow as she began to walk away. She did not come to a halt until she reached the familiar plum tree that allowed her to meet him for the first time all those springs ago. Once she arrived at that location, she tilted her head to the left. From her current position she could see the cave. Dented light grey rocks covered the entrance, darkness engulfing the inside. Supposedly, an evil being lived in it.

Some said he was a monk gone wrong, while other said he was a youkai cast away by his own people. Some even went as far as to claim he was half of each; a monster, a thing that should never be allowed to live. Nobody dared to visit him, or attack him. They just let him live there, never confirming the doubts and the suspicions. What if he was both? How were they going to destroy him? It was safer to not provoke him.

There was also more to his tale. Some whispered that he was the holder of the mysterious jewel. He was a monster of both worlds and he could hold it, find it and feel it. Through the years, it was said that this jewel, containing powerful youki and holiness could grant wishes when the balance was found. However, one wrong move and the destruction it promised for the world would happen.

Nobody wanted to retrieve it or touch it. Everyone who ever managed to found it, died. At least, it was the legend they all shared.

Only he could hold it, control it and for a price, he would let people use it. Unfortunately, it was nothing but a myth. Nobody tried it, and if someone actually did, then they never returned to tell the tale. After a while, they believe the tale of the wish was only a trick, a trap to attract loneliness, foolish, gullible souls to feed them to the jewel or worst – the monster.

Still she mused about it. Could he grant anything or was it nothing but a lie?

She held a wish deep in her heart, one that she never voiced or shared – if she did, she might lose her life, her family and everything that composed her lonesome life. Could he give her the freedom she craved? Could he let her explore the worlds she dreamed of for so many years? Kagome chuckled at her own stupidity. Wishes did not become reality. All she could do was live this life, in this village, following the same boring rules, doing the same tasks every day.

That was her life. There was nothing else, nothing more.

A lingering memory of his face remained in her mind while she returned to the garden. She would think about that and remember that he would live through all of it in her place because she saved his life. Through him, she would have the life she was not allowed to live.

Meanwhile, unknown to the village, someone was watching them, observing their every move. Deep inside the cave, the one no one dared to venture near, a man was laughing evilly. In front of him was a mirror that showed him the village. The edges were made of a dark wood with carvings taking the shapes of swirls and lines, representing a lost language only known to his mind. Currently, it was focused on one girl in particular; Kagome. It often followed her, showing her importance and he trailed her every movement, her every breath. Yes, he watched while she healed that youkai, and risked punishment for a stranger, for an enemy.

And it was perfect.

During the last centuries people began to fear him. He did enjoy the feeling of superiority and he fed off their fright, taking it in to make himself even more powerful. It used to be war that fueled him but once they became scared, they ceased their fighting and despite the dead bodies he dropped from time to time, they never began fighting again. At that point, he was forced to find another source of power and he did.

He also spread the rumors about himself, sometimes disguising himself as a human, other times as a youkai. It worked; they feared the monster in the cave. But unfortunately it did not benefit him. If people were scared of him, they did not come asking for wishes. Oh those wishes; how it fooled them. Not many were brave enough to verify the theories but, there were always foolish fools and once a full moon, he would obtain a victim.

He would always do the same deal, a wish for their soul. Of course, he would not collect it immediately, but once their life would turn to despair, he would take it from them and feed on it. That was true power.

The big mystery, the one secret these fools did not know was that the jewel knew what laid in their hearts. How else could it feed on their youki and holiness? Selfishness was not welcomed and once one wished for it, they obtained nothing but misery in return. Unless they redeemed themselves through their pain, they would end up with a fate worse than death.

And then, they would beg him to take away their soul and end their suffering.

It was always a great feast.

Now however, he only obtained a soul per decade. Priestesses and monks were no longer desperate for safety and they rather never have their selfish dream than die trying to find him. Youkais…they thought themselves invisible and rarely ever sought the help of someone to obtain their desires. But soon, their worlds would burn to the ground. He knew what Kagome wished for her in her heart and he would grant it to her. Then, once she would disappear, her village would think she was taken away from her own home.

Once fear was back in their lives, he knew they would come to him for wishes again or even only to see the jewel. Without the jewel, they would be unable to rage war upon each other. No longer would he have to starve and wait for his next meal in the dark and weak without power. All their souls, their powerful souls, would be his and he would devour every single one of them.

All he needed now was for Kagome to come along and ask her little selfish wish.

And he knew that would happen soon – because he would make it happen. He would drive her to the edge, allow her to slip into darkness without any escape and then he would watch her fall to her demise without being able to swim back to the surface, to the light.

His beautiful little priestess' downfall would be his triumph.

-T-