Summary: It is said throughout the world of the past, present, and future exist other species and items that live among humankind. A series of many events come into existence, affecting all who hold a part in Fate's whims.

Pairings: Multiple; no main one.

Genre: Drama/Romance/Action/Adventure/Family/Fantasy/Mystery/Tragedy.

!This story is a partnership between myself and AmatistaLuna. The plot, ideas, and all else are discussed and agreed upon together, and the writing is done by me. Many series are used in reference in this story, and we claim zero ownership of any of the series used/mentioned/referenced in this X-Over story.!

Note:
Sibling!Kagome&Dazai
Non-canon elements will appear in this story, as well as elements from the IY Games; Secret of the Divine Jewel, and Secret of the Cursed Mask.
Alternate versions of existing characters and OCs will appear in this story.

Chapter One

~! Heian Jidai Period !~

The new sacrifice had been chosen on, it had been settled, and now her fate seemed to be laid out before her without much of her own voice taken into consideration. Her hair had been pinned up in a topknot. The clothing she was dressed in was much fancier than she'd ever thought she would wear. Tsugumi glanced at her hands with a distant look in her eyes, even as she continued on her way to the shrine. By now her escorts had stepped back and sentenced her to continue the rest of the way by herself.

The dirt was still under her feet. There was no wind blowing, no trace of a brewing storm. She had to bite her tongue to hide the bitter laugh.

Was the sacrifice of her people working? Was he truly appeased with all he obtained for himself? She hoped it'd end with her, but there was never a way to tell the outcome until after a new life had been sent for sacrifice at the hands of the unpredictable God.

Datara, the God of Storms. The God her people tried so hard to appease with the lives of their own kind.

She didn't know what waited for her once she reached his shrine. She didn't know what would happen with each step she pushed herself to take forward. She looked up, holding her head high and proud as the silhouette of the shrine finally entered her vision.

There was no turning back, not for her. Not anymore.

Her nerves were on edge when she entered the stone door of the shrine. It was quiet around her, but she knew he was there. She could feel the stare pressing into her, eying her, trying to figure out her purpose of standing there. She didn't have to wait much longer before the sound of footsteps began to echo off the walls. She tensed up some, but not enough to reveal her trepidation.

She could see him clearly now. His hair was a river-blue color tied back in a low ponytail. As she got a closer look, she was able to see how it bled into a white shade. His bangs, which had a few white streaks in them as well, were pinned back by an elegant golden band. His eyes were molten gold and focused solely on her. He didn't look intimidating, but it wasn't his looks that had caused the destructive storms. Under the docile appearance he looked her over with was dangerous power, a power that could destroy her and everything around her with ease.

This was what it was like to stand opposite of a God. He looked so beautiful, yet she knew that beauty to be a cover. With a single touch, he could destroy her and all she knew. It'd be such a simple task.

Still, she bowed as low as she could. She stood back at her height only when she heard the soft command of "stand up." When she did, she noticed he was a lot closer than he had been moments ago, peering at her face. On his face was the softest smile she'd ever seen, and it almost disarmed her entirely. Her cheeks felt hot, and she suddenly was having to remind herself how to breathe.

"So," he spoke quietly, not needing to speak loudly for his deep voice to carry, "this is the next sacrifice they've chosen to offer up?" The question and his even tone were penetrating. He looked her over more critically than before, turning from her not long after with a quiet exhale. "Not too bad…"

Tsugumi was taken by surprise at his words, but she held her tongue to keep from speaking out. He glanced back at her, clearly not expecting her extended silence.

"Were you ever taught how to speak?" he asked then, genuinely confused. "Are you capable of speech?"

Tsugumi shook her head. "No! I can speak, I just…" she trailed off and looked away again. "I just didn't want to cross you."

He smirked, and that calm smile faded from him for the first time since she'd seen it. "You're amusing for a human," he said then, "if you don't speak, you'll be far too boring to keep around for long."

A bit braver than before, she nodded and met his stare. "Then I'll talk for as long as you want," Tsugumi said.

"Good. I quite like your voice, too," he said then. "Not bad at all," he mused to himself at the thought of her.

x.x.x

There wasn't a clear definitive line for when his feelings turned from intrigue and fasciation to love for the human woman. At least, there wasn't one he could find. From the beginning, he'd been amused by her, deciding she was worth keeping around for a while. The days continued by, but he never seemed to tire of her.

Datara watched her closely as she slept, fascinated by how she could lay so peacefully and calm next to him. His smile turned soft, and he rested a hand on the soft skin of her cheek. He trailed his fingers along her skin. Compared to him, she was so delicate and breakable. With heavy reluctance, he finally pulled his hand away. He didn't want to break the contact with her, and pulling his hand away left him with an unsatisfying empty feeling in his chest.

He'd seen such a trait many times in his life, usually while observing humans. He knew what the term for it was called, but he almost couldn't believe that he, himself, had started to feel it.

As he watched the gentle rise and fall of Tsugumi's chest, he realized how content he felt. His aggressive impulses had faded somehow with her there with him. For once, he'd let himself fall into a peaceful state and it felt so wonderful to him.

Yes, there was no mistaking it.

This feeling was what humans called love.

x.x.x

"So what do you think of the newest one yet?" Sugagaki asked Mitsurugi, her voice entailing full curiosity in his thoughts on the human woman their master was so fond of already.

He glanced at her, opening one eye and shrugging. "What about her?" he said then, "she's less annoying than any of the other ones."

"He's become so fond of her," Sugagaki said then, her voice quiet. "He's become calm. It's as if she's put in him a peaceful state. I've never seen anything this like before."

Sugagaki smiled at the thought. How nice… this human woman had done what nothing else could do.

She'd done what none other could do, and placated the fierce God.

x.x.x

His golden eyes peered down at her, and she stared back up at him with purpose and impressive resolve. She could see how he had changed so much from the figure that had caused so much fear in the hearts of the mortals. His features were the same, but it was like the light in his eyes had softened since she had met him.

It had been so long since she had been chosen as the next sacrifice to him. Tsugumi shook her head and looked away, suddenly feeling as though she'd suffocate if she kept his stare with her own.

"I didn't think I'd see the day you embraced peace and calm," she whispered softly, but she knew he heard her words. His hand rested on the side of her face, and she felt her heart flutter delicately in her chest. When had she started feeling this way to him? She couldn't remember how her love had come to be. It was as if it had just popped into existence one random morning, and it never left her since.

"You have yourself to blame for that," Datara said in response. Her eyes widened at his words, and she looked up at him. "With you, I feel at ease. Without you, I just might lose this newfound control."

"I doubt I had any real influence," Tsugumi said in denial. "You managed to awaken that side of you."

"I would have never been tempted to have it not been for you coming here," he said resolutely. "The influence you have over me is truly incredible. You've done something to me, even if you're unaware of it."

"What do you mean?"

"Somehow you've enticed me into falling in love with you," Datara muttered, but his gentle tone showed light to his genial happiness over the truth. "I never thought I'd be one to succumb to the feeling that somehow constantly ensnares humankind, but I have." Datara closed his eyes and sighed, "but I guess even Gods can fall victim to it."

"You love me?" Tsugumi whispered in response, her mind hung up on those few short words. Her heart panged in her chest, a glowing smile appearing on her face. "What a special feeling it is, to be loved by a God," she whispered. "I've fallen in love with you, too."

An air of truth surrounded them, bathing each of them in the serene happiness of the other's confessions. Tsugumi felt Datara caress her cheek gently with his fingers, and she leaned into his touch with a silly smile on her face. The strength he bore could obliterate her, should he want to, yet the only thing keeping it from happening was his will.

There was a feathery touch to her lips, and she felt his love surround her as he sealed her lips with his own.

x.x.x

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Tsugumi-san," Sugagaki grinned up at her warmly. Eyeing her from afar felt so different compared to standing opposite of her. Being near her, she could understand how she calmed her master down so easily. Her gaze fell to land on her swollen midsection and she smiled, reaching a hand out to gently rest it on her stomach.

Before long, Mitsurugi and she would have a new task at hand. Guarding the young their master had with Tsugumi would fall on their shoulders as well. Their children would grow, knowing they're well looked after and cared for.

"Mitsurugi, don't be rude! You should introduce yourself, too," Sugagaki scolded him childishly, and he glared at her in response.

"I can do that without you telling me to."

Sugagaki huffed and turned her head away as Mitsurugi stepped up beside her. Much like her, he introduced himself as one of Datara's servants.

Tsugumi smiled at the both of them. "It's nice to finally meet both of you."

x.x.x

A shrill cry penetrated the tense air in the room, a final squeeze of pain shot through her before the most intense part of it faded some. The ceiling was alight in dancing shadows, the fire lighting up the room providing the only source of light. The sun had gone down hours ago, but, at last, peace settled around her.

With the help of the midwife, Tsugumi was able to sit up a little better. She had to be careful how she moved, otherwise that pain would return. As she sat up, her eyes landed on the bundle held by another woman. Automatically, her arms were held out in a silent demand for the life she had brought into this world. The woman complied and gently set the newborn into her mother's arms.

Tsugumi cradled her close, all of her attention now resting on the baby girl she held. Before long, she felt a warm presence settle behind her. Datara's arms found their way around her, holding her supportively against him so she could stay seated upright easier. Now that he was able to reclaim his place at her side, he refused to move. He hadn't been happy about being barred from the building when she had given birth, but he had reluctantly complied with the midwife's orders if it meant they'd assist Tsugumi.

"Midoriko," Tsugumi whispered decisively. "Our daughter will be named Midoriko." Datara hummed in approval at the name.

"It's perfect."

x.x.x

The small child in his arms seemed so delicate despite being his own. A fragile body and soft cries showed that she was vulnerable to the entire world. Trusting eyes looked up at him as she held her fingers to her mouth.

Datara looked to Mitsurugi as he cradled Midoriko securely against his sturdy chest. "Though she is small, I want you to be her guardian," he said decisively. His words caught Mitsurugi's focus entirely, and he looked towards the pair. "As she gets older, she will need more than just protection."

Unable to deny the order, Mitsurugi nodded. "Yes, Datara-sama."

Looking on at the small child, who now watched him with those same trusting eyes, he'd give his all to keep her safe. He would not fail this order, not even at the expense of his life.

x.x.x

This flower field was her favorite one to come to. Midoriko sat in the middle of the field, a large array of blooming flowers at her fingertips. She clumsily worked on weaving them together. Her tongue peeked out from her mouth, a sign of her immense concentration at her task at hand.

Much to her mother's pleading not to, she had already run off ahead of her to her flower field. She knew her mother wasn't far behind her, so she figured it'd be okay if she went ahead to work on something she wanted to be a surprise gift for her mother.

She heard the crunch of leaves, and she assumed it to be her mother catching up at last. She heard it again, this time much closer, and Midoriko stood up, turning in the direction with a giggle. "Beat you here again, okaa-san-!"

The rest of her words seemed to die on her tongue when she realized that the looming figure behind her was not her mother. Three horns protruded from the creature's head, sharp teeth barred in a menacing grin. A clawed hand shot out and snatched her up by the throat. She was lifted from the ground, her feet dangling as she was brought to eye level with the demon that had found her alone.

She squirmed to get free, to no avail. Tears burned in her eyes as the demon's grip tightened on her.

"Leaving their young on their own… humans are just asking us to make a meal out of them," the demon growled out.

Midoriko squeezed her eyes shut out of fear. She tried to scream for her mother, but no sound could form. She tried to pry herself free, digging blunt nails into the creature's rough skin, but he only laughed in response.

"Love it with a meal fights back," he growled. "Makes it more satisfying- that fire in ya'."

She didn't know what happened then, but she opened her eyes as a pink glow enveloped her and the demon holding her. The glow came from her, and it sizzled the demon's skin as soon as it touched it. She was thrown to the ground without a second thought, and she hit her head on a hidden rock. She screamed and lifted a hand to cover the bleeding.

"You little…" the demon hissed and closed in on her again, but before he could touch her that pink glow returned. It encased the demon. It gave a horrid screech of agony before turning to ash.

"Midoriko!" Tsugumi barreled through the foliage at hearing her scream. She saw Midoriko sitting on her knees, crying and clutching the side of her head. She ran to her and pulled her to her instantly. "Are you okay? Let me see your wound," Tsugumi said as she gently pulled her daughter's hand away from her head. She was about to reach to dab the blood away with her sleeve when she froze. Before her very eyes, the wound healed, leaving nothing but a thin silvery scar in its wake.

She couldn't speak on it, however. Not long after it healed, Midoriko crumbled into her arms as she cried. Tsugumi wrapped her arms around her daughter and picked her up. "It's okay, Midoriko," she whispered soothingly.

x.x.x

She watched with wide eyes as the feline was presented to her. She had two tails that flicked in a content rhythm, her fur a cream color with black markings.

Datara held the demon cat out to her with both hands, and eventually, Midoriko reached to take her from him. He smiled when she did at last, and he rubbed the top of her head as she cradled the demon cat to her chest.

"Her name is Kirara," he said, and Midoriko looked from him to the cat she held. The smile on her face was bright, and her joy could practically be felt. "If you want to go off on your own, make sure she's with you. She'll protect you."

Midoriko nodded. "Okay!"

Datara gathered his daughter up in his arms and carried her on his hip. Kirara bounded onto his shoulder and sat there, wide eyes watching the ground below them. When he got close enough to their home in Shinomine Village, he could see Tsugumi sitting with her mother on a bench outside their home.

Even from the distance, he could see the distinct swell of her pregnant body. She rested one hand on her stomach protectively even as she chatted happily with her mother.

He felt Midoriko fight to get free, and he lowered her back to her feet. A second later Kirara lept from his shoulder. She bounded off after the child as she raced to her mother.

x.x.x

Sugagaki cradled the newborn safely against her. Her cries soon silenced as she was slowly lulled to sleep by gentle rocking.

Datara observed Sugagaki with his second daughter, and he smiled contently. Each of them with a guardian of their own, they'd be fine in this life. As Midoriko grew, her divine powers were starting to become active. He knew Miaka would follow the same path.

He glanced to the corner of the room, spotting Midoriko fast asleep with Mitsurugi sitting against the wall next to her, eyes closed as well. Much like her daughters, Tsugumi had long-since fallen asleep, her head resting on his shoulder.

He allowed himself to enjoy the peace that surrounded him. The peace, the bliss of pure happiness, filled him and left him so whole and content. All his curiosities about human nature seemed to fade once dedicating his existence to the three girls that made him whole. Suddenly it all made sense.

Yes, this was what made life so sweet.

x.x.x

The peaceful caw of birds roosting in trees that stretched above the village height gave light to a new day. The rising sun in the distance gave promise of life, waking the many sleeping souls as it lit up the sky and warmed the air.

The shrill cry of a newborn was what woke her, however. Midoriko sat up sluggishly from the mat she slept on, rubbing her eyes as she searched for the noise. She stood up and trotted over to the source, a smile appearing on her face. Another figure joined her not long after, a woman with brown hair haphazardly pulled back out of her face.

Midoriko watched as her mother picked her sister up and cradled her close, and she soon crawled closer to peek closer at her.

"She's so cute!" Midoriko cooed over her, and her mother chuckled softly.

"You'll be such a good big sister, Midoriko," Tsugumi said with certainty. Caring for an infant wasn't easy, but it was a process she had learned over when Midoriko had first been born.

Those words brought a smile to Midoriko's face, and she nodded as if to confirm those words.

Tsugumi looked at her oldest daughter before glancing back at her newborn baby girl. She knew she should expect it- Midoriko was no ordinary girl, so she just knew that Miaka would follow in her path. They'd each bare their own powers, as both of them were Demi-Goddesses.

She saw as Kirara trotted over to Midoriko and Tsugumi smiled.

x.x.x

The flowers surrounding her were bright and colorful, various different types spreading out all around the clearing and beyond. She sat, plucking and playing with them while her mother gathered herbs not that far away from her. She heard a rustle from beside her, and Midoriko glanced over her shoulder, blinking curious eyes when she spotted her guardian, Mitsurugi, standing and focusing elsewhere. She frowned and tilted her head to the side, trying hard to see what he saw to no avail. She glanced back at the flowers in front of her and shrugged, going back to what she was working on- a flower crown.

Completely oblivious to the brewing storm in the distance, she was left to entertain herself. Mitsurugi, however, was starting to grow concerned. He turned to look for Tsugumi. She felt the pressure of his stare and she abandoned her place and basket as she made her way to his side.

"Mitsurugi, what's wrong? Why do you wear such a worried expression?" Tsugumi asked, her voice soft and quiet as to prevent Midoriko from overhearing. She glanced over her shoulder. Midoriko didn't stir from what she was doing. Tsugumi looked back to Mitsurugi.

His expression contorted into a troubled one, and her worry began to double. She felt uneasy. Tsugumi clenched her fists as she waited for some kind of answer from Datara's servant.

"Something's coming, but I don't know what," he responded, and he glanced back over his shoulder in the direction they had come from- in the direction of Shinonome Village. "I can't say for sure, but something bad is on the horizon."

Tsugumi frowned and turned to glance at Midoriko, knowing that she was safe for the time being, but what about Miaka? What about Datara?

"I'll keep watch for now," he said then. "Go back to what you were doing."

"But what if-" Tsugumi cut herself off when the noticeable trace of dark puffs began rising into the sky. Smoke was filling the air in the distance, and she felt as her heart began to race. "That's coming from-"

"Shinonome Village," Mitsurugi finished her thought and readied to head back, only to get stopped by Tsugumi.

"No, you stay here. Keep Midoriko safe. I'm going ahead."

Those words were the last she said to him before she raced past him, following down the dirt path that led through groves of trees. As she got closer, she could hear a barrage of screams and cries that sent her heart into her stomach. The village was ablaze in bright orange and yellow flames when she made it there. Tsugumi froze in her steps, her eyes sweeping over the charred and bloodied corpses littering the ground.

"No…" She forced herself to move again, running over the bodies as she tried to pay them no mind as she made a bee-line for her home. Boody footprints trailed behind her, leaving crimson stains in the dirt.

"Miaka!" Tsugumi ran inside, her legs trembling under her when she spotted it lacking who should have been there. Her mother laid in a corner, blood seeping onto the hardwood under her and staining her kimono a violent red. The infant that had been left in her care was nowhere to be seen. Collapsed against the wall with cuts and gashes covering her arms and face was Sugagaki, another of Datara's servants.

"Sugagaki!" Tsugumi dropped to her knees in front of her, gripping her shoulders and shaking her until she began to stir. "Sugagaki, wake up!"

"Hnngh…" with a grimace of pain, Sugagaki's eyes slowly fluttered open. She winced when she tried to move too quickly, blood dripping from a deep wound on her right arm. "Tsugumi…?"

"Sugagaki, what happened?" Tsugumi's question was a demand. "Where's Miaka?"

"Gorai… he killed your mother and took Miaka from her," Sugagaki explained. "He used her to lure Datara in and coerce him into putting on the Demon Mask. I… I tried to stop him, but I couldn't."

"Gorai…?" Tsugumi narrowed her eyes and stood up, making fast for her bow and quiver of arrows. She paused by the door, casting a look back at Sugagaki, who was steadily working on getting back on her feet. "Sugagaki, go regroup with Mitsurugi and Midoriko. Flee with them- protect Midoriko."

"I- Yes!" As Tsugumi ran off to confront Gorai, Sugagaki left to find Mitsurugi.

Tsugumi looked around one last time and stilled all movement. She tried to calm the panic she felt but to no avail. She opened her eyes and turned to follow the path that'd lead her to her love and their child.

As she drew closer to it, she could feel it- Datara's aura had changed. Along with it was the trace of her daughter's aura. Somewhere near them was the aura of the demon Gorai, the source of all this ruin and suffering. She didn't make it much further before part of his army intercepted her.

"Out of my way!" she snapped at them, but they refused to turn on their heels. She glared and hissed, "so be it," as she rose her free arm up over her head. She summoned the power of her Kamuitama and destroyed the demons facing her down. As more came, she destroyed those, too.

She cleared a path enough to get through them, and she hoisted herself up onto a tower. From there, she had a clear vantage point of everything happening. True to Sugagaki's word, Datara now wore the Demon Mask, turned into the God of Demons. Her heart felt like a stone in her chest.

She knew what she had to do to prevent this from going on any further, but it didn't make it any easier. She had to still her hand from shaking as she drew an arrow back on her bow's drawstring. She took careful aim and blinked back the tears she felt rising to the surface. She could hear them from even here, her daughter's cries- there was no doubt that she must be so scared.

'Forgive me.' That single plea echoed through Tsugumi's mind as she let the arrow fly free. The Arrow of Sealing hit its intended target, and the cries grew silent instantly. It had sealed her husband, but taken the life of her second daughter in the process.

It didn't take long for her presence in that tower to be discovered. Gorai saw her and climbed the tower to join her, his hand snatching her by her throat and holding her hostage there. "Why you…" he growled and tightened his grip in both anger and annoyance. "You miserable, measly human… How dare you intervene with my plans."

Tsugumi matched his glare and attempted to lodge an arrow in his arm. He released her just in time to dodge her attempt. He dropped her, and she looked up at him from her knees as she caught her breath. "I.. I'm not going to allow my village, my daughter Miaka and my husband fall into the vile, wretched hands of some foul demon!"

"Tch…" Gorai glared at her and glanced over his shoulder. Datara had been sent back to his shrine to protect the seal Tsugumi had placed on him. A second later he shrugged, a grin on his face. "You really think I didn't have a backup plan?" He glanced back at Tsugumi and cornered her. She tried to notch another arrow on her bow, but he grabbed it and snapped it in two, tossing the broken ends away from her. He discarded her arrows as well, tossing them off the wall of the tower.

Before she could try to escape, she found herself falling under the weight of a spell. It stilled her movements, and she felt something darker filling her.

"You can't break the Demon Blood Binding Spell," he said, his voice full of his certainty. "Now you're gonna obey me.

They could not stay much longer, they could feel their strength slipping away and fading from them. Before long, they'd have to return to their shrines, and that'd leave the small girl all on her own.

Midoriko was asleep by now, resting in the arms of Mitsurugi as he walked, Sugagaki tailing behind him the best she could to keep up. After what felt like an eternity, finally, the horizon of a village came into view. The sky was dark and all were in their homes resting for the evening. The stopped before the shrine there, and Mitsurugi finally let Midoriko rest on the ground.

"Are you sure about this?" Sugagaki asked, and he nodded in response.

"She'll be well looked after here. We can't stay much longer. Let me focus."

He held a hand up and pressed it to the sleeping girl's forehead. A yellow glow formed around her before it faded, leaving them in the dark again. She didn't stir any, not even when he moved his palm to gently rub her head in farewell. Kirara sat net to her, guarding her without backing down

"I sealed her memories and powers. I don't know if the seal on her memories will hold, but the seal on her powers won't. When she gets older, they'll come to her and she'll be able to control them."

Sugagaki nodded and sighed. "I wish we could stay."

"We can't," Mitsurugi responded. "Let's go."

"Okay."

With those few short words, the pair were teleported back to their shrines, and Midoriko was left alone with Kirara on the shrine in the cover of nightfall.

She was taken into the shrine and raised there as a Miko. As she grew older, she became well known for her powers and strength. She became something demons hated and feared altogether. She was a force too strong for them, and they despised her for merely breathing.

Midoriko grew to learn how to fend them off to protect the village and villagers she loved so dearly. On the morn of her seventeenth year, she stood ready to set off on her own journey. She felt she had a deeper purpose than just staying here. She'd protect the race of humans against the foulness that was demonkind.

"Midoriko-sama," a small village girl ran up to her as soon as she and descended down the shrine steps. "Can you play today?"

With an apologetic smile, Midoriko shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't play, Hikari-chan." With those words, she gently brushed her bangs from her face. Just as she was about to leave, she heard as someone came to a halt behind her. She turned and came face to face with her sensei.

He hummed at the sight to her ready to leave. "So, you really do intend to set off on your own, do you?"

Midoriko nodded, a warm smile lighting up her beautiful features. "Yes… I feel as if I have a bigger purpose than just staying here for my lifetime. I want to protect humanity, I want to keep the world safe and pure for us to keep thriving."

"Do you plan to return?"

"One day I'll return," she said. "I'll have become far stronger by then."

"I have no doubts about that, my child," he said with a wise chuckle. "I've watched you grow from a little thing. You're meant for great things, I could always tell that about you. Dare I say it? I don't think there's ever been a Miko as strong as you are, and you still have so much to learn."

Midoriko smiled and bowed to her sensei, bidding him farewell at last. "I'll see you again one day, Sensei. Until then, please protect our village in my stead."

"You don't even have to ask, my child."

He watched as she left, her form disappearing from the village as if she'd never been there in the first place

He smiled as she left. "You are a changing force, Midoriko. Go forth and grow, my dear child."

x.x.x

On her travels, her name spread across the lands as the one capable of purifying demon's souls. There were no others like her, and that puled demons to her in hopes that they'd be able to bring her death.

Midoriko slashed her sword through the demon before her, tearing through its rough skin like it was delicate paper. Just before a demon could land a hit on her back, it was grabbed hold of and bit into by the twin-tailed cat fighting alongside Midoriko.

Kirara ripped the demon into several pieces before it could get back up and try to hurt her master again. With the last of the demons taken care of, she looked to her master and rumbled out a warm growl.

"Well done, Kirara," she said softly. She noticed the scratch on Kirara's neck, and she rose a gentle hand to heal the wound before more blood could mat in her fur. After doing so, she turned and looked around. "There must be a village nearby. I can sense humans. That must have been what brought the demons so far from their place in the forests." The clearing she stood in was now covered in blood and demons."

With those words, she took to heading North in search of what she felt. Kirara reverted to her smaller form and leaped up onto her shoulder as she walked.

x.x.x

She was beautiful, almost seeming to possess a godly sense of beauty. Despite needing to leave to head back to her village for a visit, she'd stopped to allow this man to speak with her. His words only startled her and served to make her regret doing so.

"I apologize, but I cannot accept or return your feeling for me," she said without pausing to consider them. "As a Miko, that life is not for me. I will not stray from my mission or purity, for no reason. Please forget about me."

With those words, she gently went passed the villager to leave, long black hair swaying free behind her. Kirara loomed back for a moment before parading around the human to catch back up with her master.

He stood in disbelief as Midoriko left, though he knew he should have predicted her response. A Miko such as herself would never stray for a normal life when she had such power and responsibilities. She'd never allow it for herself. It'd give up far too much.

Knowing that didn't stop him from wishing she'd give it up though. That love he felt began to twist more and more, turning from innocent and getting contaminated with greed and lust. He wanted her for himself, even if she didn't want it. Unable to forget about her, he made a decision to forsake himself.

Demons of all kinds consumed him, twisting his body and turning it into something horrid. He became a monster with the thought of her, believing the only way to claim her would be to claim her life and soul for eternity.

x.x.x

Kirara perked up, fur bristling up as she jumped from Midoriko's shoulder. She took her larger form abruptly. Startled, Midoriko turned as well. It wasn't often that Kaira could sense something she could not. Before long, she could feel it too. A horde of demon aura was making fast for her. She removed her sword and prepared for an onslaught. She was so close to her village, her home, and she could not let them contaminate it.

She was struck with a sense of dread at the sight of the demon. It wasn't an army like she initially thought, no… this was different.

"They've fused into one using a host body?" Horror dripped into her voice in the realization of a human soul buried under the writhing mass. As it got closer, she could see the remains of the human still there. A face and a hand were all that was left, merged into the neck of a dragon.

She recognized the human as the one to confess his love to her, and her mind filled with pity for him.

"You've fallen so low to allow such creatures to consume you as they have," she whispered but readied her blade all the same. "You cannot be spared. They've taken all of you."

The demon attacked her, wrapping around her. Kirara tried to fend it off, only to get knocked into a boulder with a pained roar. It tightened around her, and she fought to free her bound arms. Her sword cut her free, and she hit the ground. Before she could move, she was thrown just as Kirara had been.

She hit the same boulder and landed next to Kirara, and she steadied herself on her feet as she got back up. Dark eyes focused on the demon as it approached her again.

Midoriko summoned her spiritual energy to the surface, and she purified several demons in the amalgamation. As she did, the body lunged for her again and snagged around her, squeezing tight. The tighter it held her, the harder it was for her to breathe.

To get free, she pulled even more of her power to the surface, though to her surprise, that wasn't what broke her free. White wings protruding from her back ripped the demons hold from her. White feathers floated around her as her eyes took one an ocean blue sheen. "Stand down, you foul creation!" Midoriko demanded as she thrust her sword forward. It speared into the demon's body, and a part of it burned into ashes.

The painful roar it made shook the trees and ground under her.

Midoriko landed on her feet and glanced at the wings. She'd never seen them before, but they were sparkling white. Her hands were encased in a soft pink glow, and as was her sword. The feathers on the ground slowly blew away in the wind.

Angered by her actions, the demon lunged for her again. It grabbed her, and both of them slammed through rock and into a dark cave. It crushed her wings, and she felt pain sear through her. She'd never felt pain so severe.

Kirara barreled in after her, fangs bared as she lunged for the creature. She tore a piece from it as she fought to get to her master. One of its many additions coiled around Kirara's body and squeezed hard. The growl of pain that came from the demon cat rattled the cave walls and Midoriko turned to face her faithful companion.

"Kirara!" Though she tried, Midoriko could not dig herself out from her prison of limbs and claws digging into her skin. "Kirara! No!"

The mass of demons squeezed Kirara tighter as she fought to free herself. Her movements came with difficulty and pain as the grip began to crush her.

"Don't stop fighting, Kirara," Midoriko cried to the feline that struggled to breathe, and she looked on in horror as that thing tried to absorb her companion into its writhing mass. Her arms ached and her wings burned as she tried to lunge towards Kirara. "Kirara!"

The mass of demons hadn't expected her to move with so much purpose, and, even as it tightened its hold on her, she was still able to swing her arm up and tear through the binds surrounding her with her sharpened sword. Glittering pink followed and she stumbled towards Kirara in her short freedom.

She cut Kirara free, and the feline landed on her side with a low whine. Midoriko stood over Kirara's injured form, facing the demons ahead of her fearlessly. She heard Kirara stir, and Midoriko braced herself as something speared through her midsection. It didn't stop her from moving forward with grace and hacking through more of the demon with a powerful swing of her blade.

Kirara lunged for the demon again, only to stop with Midoriko's voice reached her.

"Kirara don't!" Midoriko called out to her, "if you get too close it will try to make you a part of it again. I won't allow that to happen." She slashed her sword again, only to get slung back into the wall from her other side. She hit the wall hard, but she still did not surrender. "Flee from this place!"

Kirara growled in response, shaking her head and changing her stance for battle. Just as she was about to lunge for the demons, she spared another glance at her master.

"Kirara, please, go. It's not safe for you here. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you," Midoriko called softly, a gentle smile on her face. Kirara froze in her steps, ears lowering at Midoriko's gentle plea. Giving in to her plea, Kirara backed up before turning and running away out of the cave and away from their foe.

Kirara made it as far as she could before collapsing to the ground underfoot. She lay limp as exhaustion claimed her body.

x.x.x

This battle raged for seven days, until, finally at her limit, Midoriko did the last thing she could do. The conglomerate of demons was a fierce match against her, and she felt herself weakening.

The demon held her in its grasp, her body steadily being pulled into its massive jaw. She was down to her last resort to defeat the beast, and she let her eyes close gently, despite how she was nearly consumed by the demons.

A soft pink glow surrounded her, starting at her chest and spreading out to cover her entire body. The same glow continued to spread as it surrounded the demon that had her in its grasp. With it, she seized the souls from the demon and forced them out. Her own soul split in half, and part of it merged with the demons. With this combination, a pink jewel with swirls of lurid black burst from her chest and clattered to the floor.

The remaining part of her soul drifted upwards, free from fighting and free to be at peace. The other half lay trapped within her creation. The battle held in the cave ended with their deaths, but within the small jewel began an all-new one that would carry on for centuries.

x.x.x

When she woke next, Kirara could sense the days that had gone past. Rain that was days old soaked the air, saturating it in a dewy scent.

She sat up and sniffed the air when she realized she could no longer feel her master's aura. She turned in the direction she had run from, her ears flat against her skull.

Her master was no more. Midoriko was no more.

A roar of sorrow and pain echoed through the trees, Kirara's cries of loss carrying far into the distance as she called to her master that was no more.

With a heavy heart, Kirara reclaimed her smaller form as she set off, no one at her side.

x.x.x

Midoriko's creation was known as the Shikon no Tama, otherwise known as the jewel of four souls. It was a powerful jewel with powers that varied from user to user.

Throughout the centuries following her death, it was coveted and owned by many creatures, humans and demons alike. All sought to gain something from it, and that lead to the taint in it to get stronger as time continued on.

One day it was discovered by a demon slayer following his disposal of a demon. Cut from the creature's body, he was careful to move it as he took it back to his village.

From there, they thought of what to do with it. During the time of it being there, a new creature came to join them in the village. As if called there by something, a small cream-colored demon cat appeared on the outskirts of the village.

Red eyes lacked all hint of evil intentions, and she became known around the village as a stray kitten of sorts. It wasn't until an aged traveler came by and his eyes landed on the feline that they learned of what she truly was.

He told a tale of Midoriko, having grown up hearing his elders talk favorably about the miko who had hailed from his village. He'd heard tales of her demon cat companion, the creature that fought alongside her even in the most fierce of battles.

He chuckled when she perked up at the mention of Midoriko's name, ears twitching and red eyes glistening. "There's no doubt in my mind," he mumbled, hand combing through his beard. "This is her companion, Kirara." He smiled at her. "No one's seen you around since you left alongside Midoriko-sama all those years ago, but I bet they'll be glad to hear you're still out here. Everyone you knew must be long gone from our world by now, but we all know countless stories about Midoriko-sama and her faithful companion."

"What do you think brought her to our village?"

"If I had to guess it was that jewel," the traveler said. "It holds a part of her master, so she'll stand loyally next to her. Maybe she just wants to see what's left of her cared for properly."

"Mew!" As if confirming his words, Kirara let out a loud meow.