WL1031: Dang... I've been out for a while.

Jade: (mean look on her face) More like two months! You said you wanted to update every week! Well it's been longer than that!

WL1031: I know...things were happening again, on top of the fact that you (pokes Jade in the chest) gave me another story to write. You kept bugging me until I had to sit down and write it.

Jade: (looks sheepishly at the audience) Well, I am a muse. I was only doing my job. Jeez, don't shoot me for that!

WL1031: Oh fine, but let's get back on track! So now, here's the chapter, people. I promise, (pinky swear and cross-my-heart) that the updates will get back to once a week.

Jade: She promised, folks, so I will be holding her to it. cracks a whip Let's get it on!

WL1031: Also, thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Universe. It is the fabulous brainchild of J.K. Rowling. Nor do I own the Inu Yasha Universe, which is the baby of Rumiko Takahashi. So don't sue!

Infinite Possibilities
Chapter Eight: The Return of the Shikon Jewel

Voldemort regarded the man before him over the rim of his porcelain tea cup. His eyes slid over his shiny black hair and cover model face. Not that he flew for the other team, but the one called Naraku was a beautiful man. If anything, he thought that maybe he should be jealous. Shifting his eyes, he watched as a sliding door opened to admit the pale girl that held a mirror against her chest. Curiously leaning forward, he looked to see what she was showing. Voldemort thought it somewhat strange that the child did not talk, instead she relied on a magical mirror to get her point across. However, any time that she held the mirror up, the images of people and places not within their physical reach appeared before their eyes. What he saw never failed to amaze him and sometimes startled him...Who would have thought that Bellatrix liked to do that ...he knew she was a few knuts short of a galleon but bloody hell...he'd speak to her later. He was brought out of his musing by a soft chuckle filling the air.

"What are you laughing about?" Voldemort queried.

"I do have to admit that Kanna's mirror does reveal things that are most unnerving." Naraku shrugged his shoulders. "It does however, keep things interesting enough."

Bringing herself closer, Kanna beckoned the two evil cohorts to look into the mirror. It flashed for a few seconds and then began to show an image. Kanna held the mirror quietly while the pair looked on. Their faces registered no outward reaction at first, not even a muscle twitched under their skin. Then, as the images progressed, their faces unfroze and emotions broke through. Neither of them moved as the rest of the images flashed out. Naraku spoke first, a mixture of anger, shock, surprise and lust mingling in his on his face and in his voice.

"Is this true Kanna?" His voice shifted into a deadly tone. "You are not attempting to betray me are you?"

Kanno shook her head and made an audible gasp when his claws dug into her arm. He had  never touched her before! Her breathing increased as his sharp nails began to dig into her flesh. She was surprised to see a ruby color paint the sleeve of her white garmnet. She didn't even know that she could bleed...

'I could die if I don't do as Naraku asked,' she thought vaguely.

It was a frightening thought that she didn't want to go past.

Coming back into focus, Kanna realized that Naraku was shaking her to attention. His angry face came into focus, the rage radiating off of him like smog. His deadly voice sounded again.

"Do you think to betray me, Kanna?"

The pale girl shook her head to the negative.

"Then show me something else!" Naraku snarled as he shook her one last time.

Kanna collapsed to the floor after she was released from the brutal grip. Ignoring the pain in her arm, she raised the mirror to conjure up something that would please her master.

If she was any other kind of girl, she would have cried in relief at the smiles that shown on the two faces before her. They both went on talking about their plans as if nothing had happened.

Now Kanna knew that her sister was right: if she could help it, she'd never let a man touch her again.

Putting her mirror down, she watched as the glass flashed before settling down to a bleak, empty gray. The same dead gray that reflected in her eyes.

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Kagome's side cramped painfully for the third time in the hour. It was a persistent ache that got stronger and stronger each time. It started near her left hip before spreading to the rest of her body. The pain tingled just under her skin, causing her head to pound and her stomach to boil with nausea. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her skin took on a slightly yellow tinge. Barely making it up the steps to her rooms, she collapsed against the door before sliding downwards. She laid there on the cool stones of the floor for a moment and then began dragging herself through doorway. Curling into a ball, she groaned when the sharp pain wracked her body. She felt hot and cold at once, her body seeming to be battling against the force invading it.

'If I can just get to the bed...' she thought.

Using the last of her strength, Kagome crawled to the bed and heaved herself up onto the welcoming cushions. Soon after, her vision swirled as she fell into the yawning blackness.

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Kagome felt cool fingers brushing across her forehead. Opening her eyes, she could see the blurry outline of a woman.

"Mom?"

A soft laugh echoed into her ears.

"Your mother has not reached this place. She is still with your father, as are you brother and grandfather."

"Who are you?" Kagome asked tiredly. "Are you me?"

The woman helped Kagome to sit up before speaking in her soft voice again. "It is not that I am you, Kagome. It is that  you  are me. We are part of each other. Where you end and where I begin can only be guessed. It is the Shikon jewel that fills in the gaps. The Shikon is the physical embodiment of our soul, Kagome."

Kagome gasped with sudden realization. "You are Midoriko!"

Midoriko smiled. "Yes child, I am Midoriko."

"I don't know what to say! I am not sure where to begin because I have so many questions—"

The priestess held up her hands to stem the flow of questions. "Slow down, Kagome. I have plenty of time to answer your questions. Perhaps an explanation is in order, hmm?

The Shikon jewel was created during my last battle. When it was expelled from my body, I went with it. The demons that fought against me immediately died, having lost their own souls. The energy that it took to expel the jewel caused our physical bodies to be encased in stone inside that cave."

"You knew that we were there in the cave?"

"Yes. When the jewel shards were brought back, the spirits of those demons awoke, fighting as if they were in their last moments. However, I was awakened as well. It was then that I was connected to you. But, the jewel chose not to reveal that to you at the time."

Kagome was shocked, hardly able to form words or thoughts. Finally, she was able to put a sentence together. "The jewel  chose? The jewel can do that with conscious thought? But..."

"Perhaps it would be best if we asked the jewel itself?" Midoriko smiled suggestively.

Just then, the area around them glowed in a blue light. A small orb came from within the light, drifting towards them. It hovered in the air, seeming to emit feelings of comfort. Kagome could not grasp the how or why of the situation because it was too unsettling. She turned her eyes away from the orb to watch Midoriko's face. The woman's features were bathed in the glow and she was smiling as if she was greeting an old friend.

"It has been a long time, my friend." Midoriko's eyes sparkled with tears.

"Yes, it has." The jewel's voice was a soft whisper-like tone, yet it echoed around them. "Ah, you have brought Kagome this time."

Kagome was shocked again. "How do you know my name?! You knew that I was going to be here? But—"

Another soft laugh came forth, only this time it came from the jewel. "If you can relax for just a moment, I can explain everything to you. First, I will change into a form that would be more comforting."

The jewel moved away a short distance, flashing brightly. It began to elongate, forming into some kind of shape. Then, as it continued to lengthen, the body of a woman appeared. Bones, tendons and muscles grew quickly, all of with was covered with soft glowing blue skin.  Finally, the woman pulled a white robe onto her shoulders to cover herself.  She smiled, her perfect white teeth showing, and turned to Midoriko.

"How do I look?" The jewel inquired sweetly.

Midoriko grinned in response. "As good as ever," she shook her head in awe. "You never fail to look any better. Not a hair out of place!" Both women laughed and then turned to their audience, only to laugh again at the completely awestruck expression she wore on her face.

"Wow," was all that Kagome could manage to say.

The two women quickly reached forward to grab the overwhelmed girl as she fell backwards in shock.

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Lavender Brown frowned as she looked in the mists swirling in the crystal ball.  It was not something that she'd ever seen before.  The mists twirled inside the glass dome emitting strange blue and purplish-pink rays of light.  They caressed the inner surface only to dissolve when she made to touch them. Just when she was about to tap her wand against the ball to clear it, an image of appeared before her eyes.  She saw Kagome sitting with two women in a field of white.  One of the women Lavender assumed was an older version of Kagome.  But the other woman seemed to just glow.  She had blue skin the sparkled like moonlight and was dressing in a shimmering white robe.  So engrossed in the images was she that she didn't notice as her boyfriend looked over her shoulder.

"What'cha looking at, Lav?" Ron Weasley asked. Earlier, he had seen the images flashing from the crystal ball in his peripheral vision. Turning his head, he was struck with the sudden urge to sit in front of the object. He felt the need to put his hands on it.  He couldn't explain why, only that he had to do it.  Standing up, he reached around Lavender, unconsciously moving his arms to rest beside hers.

"Ron, what are you doing?"

He only shook his head in response, his chin brushing against the top of her blond head.

"Ron?" Lavender tried again, her voice tinged with worry. She looked around the room, noticing that everyone was watching them curiously.

"Put your hands onto the ball, Lav." Ron's voice, while still his, sounded distant in her ears despite his proximity. Scared but curious, she did as he asked. Ron copied her movements, placing his larger hands on top of hers and entwining their fingers. Immediately, the pair was encased in a bright light. The streams of blue and purplish-pink light broke free of the glass that held them and swirled into the white light filling the area. It seemed to fill in the spaces between the connect boy and girl, pouring into their very beings. It was frighteningly beautiful.
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Professor Trelawney stood back with wide eyes. What was happening before her was something that a Divination craft user only heard about, but never witnessed. The boy and girl were connected in a "vision bond," a binding the only occurred between two people with the gift of prophesy. Sibyll watched as the two began to glow with the magic emitted from the binding. Their eyes were a purplish blue color, illuminating the irises and whites of their eyes. Immediately, the Divination professor knew what was going to happen next. Quickly, she turned to the fireplace and floo'ed the Headmaster.

"Albus, an occurrence is happening in my classroom!"

It was barely a second later when the older man stepped through the flames and into the classroom.

"Students, please clear the area around their work table and report to the Great Hall for lunch."

The students barely did what Dumbledore instructed before Ron and Lavender began to speak. Their voices were disjointed yet simultaneous in speech. The air around them pulsed for a few moments and then they spoke in clear, precise words.

"The jewel of souls has returned from dormancy.

A foreign archer's touch will chase the darkness away

As will the two swords made of the animal's fang.

The snake and spider, once enemies, have combined

In an unimagined evil which shadows the world. Both of

Many entities and influence abound,

Together their plans work two-fold in disguise.

With such power in their grasp only those

Much stronger can stop their task.

The dog and archer must be one to succeed;

Love and family is the key of their bond.

The quiet boy and his fiery goddess

Will lend a hand in the fight for light,

Brought into one with the trio cloaked in night.

The silver dragon and his mistress are strong,

Two hearts beating as one, true love brighter than any sun.

And such it is with the pair who See;

Their truth unclouded in the face of prophecy.

The marked equal and the young scholar,

From seperate to one, will destroy the snake

By what he knew not; it is only then will the spider

Stab poison in the snake's back.

More dangerous than before with long limbs of death,

The foreign archer and dog and awakened jewel

Will stop his creeping  in the third hour before new day.

The great phoenix will die to rise again

And bring dawn's first light; the evil scar

Will burn at the loss of their kin. But,

The silent watchers will reveal their sins.

The home of four will continue to stand;

A place of comfort and learning the magical craft.

Such as it is and such will it be

a place of infinite possibilities.... "

Immediately after the last words had died in the air, the bonded couple fell backwards to the floor. The two professors rushed over, quickly and waved their wands over them.

"Eneverate!"

Ron came to first, his eyelids fluttering before opening. He turned his head around to the right, looking for Lavender. When he glanced down, he saw her blonde head resting against his chest. Raising his eyes, the concerned faces of Professor Dumbledore and Trelawney hovered into view. Feeling Lavender shift and mumble into his robes, he spoke out in search of answers.

"Why are we lying on the floor?" Ron asked in confusion.

"That's what I'd like to know," Lavender mumbled, "how long have we been laying here? Is class over?"

Dumbledore reached down and helped the girl to sit up while Trelawney gently assisted Ron to lean against a pile of pillows that appeared behind him.

Laveneder, having been quiet for a moment, had a sudden realization of what happened. She clearly remembered seeing an image of Kagome in her crystal ball. She had also recalled Ron's hands entwined with her own as they touched the glass. Looking at Ron, she saw the realization in his blue eyes.

"We are Seers," they said in unison.

This time Trelawney spoke up. For once, the far away look was not on her face nor was the dreamy expression in her eyes. Lucidness had settled on her features and her voice had a serious tone to it. "Yes my children," she spoke seriously, "you are blessed with the gift of the Sight. And yes, Mr. Weasley, I always knew, as I did for you, Miss Brown. From the moment you both came to Hogwarts, I knew of your inclination."

Ron was in awe. He never understood why he kept signing up for Divination—Harry had stopped after the fifth year and Hermione thought it was rubbish for the gulls. Ron had some similar queries, but he kept coming back year after year. He thought, or rather tried to convince himself that it was because it seemed to be an easy grade. It never occurred to him that he had an affinity to Divination. Deciding to think about the matter, he tuned in to the conversation again.

"You, Miss Brown," Trelawney started, "and you, Mr. Weasley have a special gift. You are bonded as individuals by your gift but also by your love. You were meant to be and the prophecy bond only strengthens that."

"I thought this class was something to do for fun. I never even suspected something like this," Ron queried. "Why not tell us before it all happened?"

"Professor, why not tell us before if you knew?" Lavender got in. She had always liked Divination, even when others said that it was foolish and faulty, because she just knew that something about it rang true. It just felt right to her, just as being with Ron felt right: it was the truth, completely undisputable.

"Perhaps, I may be of assistance at this time," Dumbledore said to the young couple. "As you know, there are some things that can not be revealed until the time is right. More specifically, those things can not be revealed because time binds them into revealing themselves only with it deems necessary. We are all bond by time in one way or another. It is only time itself that allows things to happen. Now," Dumbledore's face took on a serious expression as he glanced at the trio before him, "what you revealed was the absolute truth for you. It will come to pass one way or another, with our manipulation or not. You must not tell anyone of what you revealed for it would be a great danger to all involved if it was publicly learned."

"But, I thought the general rule was that Seers don't remember what they prophesized. Does this mean that our memories of the event will return to us?" Lavender asked in concern.

Ron nodded his head in agreement. "I don't want it to come back as a surprise, do you think that it will come back all at once or in parts?" Raising his arm, Ron patted Lavender on the shoulder as she sat on his side.

Dumbledore smiled as he looked at the couple before turning to the Divination professor. She nodded and then allowed the Headmaster to speak again. "I'm sure that it will be a gradual process for you both. Remember, that you must not tell anyone of what you know once the memories return." A bell clanged within the recesses of the castle. "Ah, it seems to be time for lunch. You are both dismissed for the meal."

Both professors watched as the young pair got up, gathered up their things and left for the Great Hall.

"This changes things," Trelawney said quietly after a moment.

Dumbledore nodded and then replied, "We must be sure that steps are taken to protect all of those involved." He began walking towards the door only to turn back. "You know what to do?"

Trelawney nodded. "The same as last time, of course. Time is of the essence."

The two professors nodded in confirmation and then headed down to the Great Hall for lunch.

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Kagome opened her eyes to see the two women from before leaning over her. She frowned and squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again. She sighed. "It wasn't a dream then? I swear things just keep getting more complicated." She sat up with another sigh and then got comfortable.

"Shall we continue, then?" The jewel asked with a smile. At Kagome's nod she started her tale. "As you both know, I am part of you. I am what connects your souls and what separates you. You see, I am both a bridge between your souls and the ravine that divides you from one another. I keep your identities from becoming too enmeshed, yet I make sure that you act as one. But you must understand that I am also separate from the both of you. It is why I was able to choose who should be the keeper or guardian of my inanimate form. I chose to become a part of you Kagome for the specific reason that your heart is true and pure."

"But Kikyo also claimed guardianship of you. She even said that I was her reincarnation; a copy of the real thing." Kagome said with a frown marring her face.

The jewel laughed at the girl's confusion. Midoriko rolled her eyes at the thought. "Kikyo was right in a sense, but she was also wrong on many levels." Midoriko said, rolling her eyes again.

"But why was she wrong? Every time I saw her, she wouldn't fail to bring up the fact that I was only a copy of her."

"Kagome," the jewel said gently, "Kikyo was not who I chose. The fact that your faces are similar is but a fluke of time; a mere coincidence. Even more is that she came into possession of the jewel. Yes, she is a miko, but that was all. Her heart was impure and false because she desired something that she was not supposed to have. She sought to deny her place in life and only made that doubt more apparent when she forced Inuyasha to decide to be human to make her happy. I know of how Naraku betrayed them both, but it was not all his doing. Their individual unhappiness is what set them up for failure. Onigumo, or rather Naraku, was only a manifestation of that problem."

"Then how was Naraku able to corrupt you when he gained possession?"

"Ah, now that is the great misunderstanding. I am and never will be corrupted nor will I ever be pure. I am only a vessel for the desires and intents of the person who comes in contact with me. Think of me as being a basket for grain. When harvest time comes, I am filled with as much as that one laborer can carry. When the basket is empty, I can be filled again by that same person or I can be filled by the next person that chances to pick me up. However, I can choose when this is the case. It is why I chose you Kagome and why I lay dormant in your side. You have the power to purify any imperfections and maintain that purity. That is why you hold the jewel, Kagome."

"Wow...it never...I just...is it really...oh my..." Kagome gushed, "this is all so overwhelming. None of this ever even crossed my mind. What do I do now? Are you both going to stay with me? Can I summon you?"

"Yes to all of those questions, Kagome," the jewel smiled and laughed when Midoriko nudged her in the side. "We will and are both with you at every moment. But, it is more so now than when you traveled to the past. We protected you and will continue to do that. However," the jewel's voice trailed off into a girlish giggle, "there is another who will take over that job for us, at least on the physical plane."

Kagome had a slightly confused look on her face. She couldn't think of anyone that would fit the role of a protector and wondered what the two women were smiling and giggling about. She looked to them and got the feeling that it was about something she'd not thought of before.

"Yes, child, I speak of the dog demon," the jewel said with a smile. "He is the one who has vowed to protect you."

"Oh and what a protector he is," Midoriko sighed. "He may be a demon, but what girl wouldn't want one such as him watching out for them?"

"Why Midoriko, you are a naughty girl! I had no idea," the jewel said with a laugh.

Kagome looked on with a flustered expression on her face. "But, we're just friends! He'd never think that way about me," her voice dropped down to a small whisper, "would he really think about me like that? I'm just Kagome, surely there are others more to his liking."

"My dear child, you are definitely Kagome." The jewel's voice took on a mysterious tone, "what's not to like about something so unique?"

Midoriko sighed and began to stand up as did the jewel. "It's time Kagome, you are near consciousness. And do not worry; we are here as is he." The two women were surrounded by a bright, but comforting light that seemed to be drifting them away. "Remember: we're here with you always, as is your family and your protector. You have new friends and you are not alone. Just call on us when the time is right and we will be there."

The two women faded into the bright light. Soon after, Kagome found herself awake and lying down in her bed. She raised her hand to rub her eyes and then looked down to see the Shikon jewel resting on her chest. It was attached to a beautiful silver chain that seemed too flimsy to hold the glowing stone. Suddenly, she heard Midoriko's voice in her mind.

"This chain will not break nor can it be removed from your body. Only you can remove it, Kagome. "

Placing the jewel down, Kagome let out a sigh and wondered what kind of complication this would bring to her life.

Little did she know just how right her worries were.

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WL1031: Interesting chapter, there...

Jade: Oh, I know what you mean!

WL1031: And what did Naraku see in Kanna's mirror? It obviously wasn't something that he liked.

Jade: Shh! Don't say anything, man! Let the readers think on it and guess!

WL1031: Alright, 5 cookies to the person who can guess as to what Naraku saw in the mirror! (holds up a bag of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies)

Jade: Hey, those are mine! Give 'em back! (WL1031 runs off laughing) Oh, that crafty wench! Review, you lovely readers, you!