Lost to be Found by Rachael/Cold Fire Phoenix

Dungeons and Cauldrons

"Do you -want- me to talk with your mother Higurashi?"

The young woman paled visibly. "N-No sir."

Dark grey eyes narrowed, while the older man before her grimaced. She met his disapproving gaze with her own blue tinted steel eyes. He sighed. "This is getting out of control. I'm going to have to bring in both you mother and grandfather if you don't start shaping up -now-."

Kagome frowned, staring at her hands. "It's not my fault-"

"Higurashi-" Daichi began warningly.

"Well it's NOT!" she said with vehmnence, standing abruptly. "I can't live up to a dead woman's standards!"

Daichi sighed once more, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his forehead. "No one," he said, "And I -repeat-, no one, expects you to live up to Kikyou's standards."

"No," Kagome stated bitterly, "You're right. No one expects me to live up to her -standards-. They expect me to -be- her." With a thump, she sat back down, listless.

All was silent for a moment. Then Daichi leaned forward, resting his perfectly manicured hands on the polished oaken surface of his desk. "Kagome," he began, softly, "You know that's not true."

She snorted. "Tell that to everyone out -there-," she stated, guesturing vaugely to the door that led out into the academy's halls.

Growing tired of this often said discussion, Daichi stood. "Higurashi, for your lack of respect due an elder and a teacher, you are ordered to dungeon duty. Report to Tanuki Hachi at three o'clock."

With that, Kagome knew she'd been dismissed. Still, a haughty, "Aye, aye, Captain," flew past her lips before she could stop herself. Eariler mortification returned in full force as she fled Daichi's office, feet blindly slapping the uncaring granite as she turned several sharp corners. Daichi would never have chased her down, but she was certain her 'punishment' had probably just been lengthened due to a further disrespect. Sometimes Kagome swore she didn't even understand what she did.

Now was one of those times.

By the time she paused for a breather, her lungs were on fire and she was completely turned around. Even attending the same school for the past seven years hadn't left her with a blueprint in her mind. Every year she had discovered something new, something to revel in.

She was too tired to enjoy her most recent discovery as she leaned against the cool stone, slowly sinking down. At times like these, Kagome wished she could cry.

She never could. She had forgotten how many, many years past.

Somewhere else on campus, students were hurrying to classes that Kagome herself was enrolled in. Daichi had planned her detention of sorts around her schedule, but she saw no point in over-exerting herself just to sit in a room full of morons whose greatest entertainment came in the form of provoking her. They had been getting quite clever of late, but all Kagome could see when she looked at their round, smug faces was a herd of cruel pigs.

How she hated pigs.

Eventually she rose, standing still for a moment in hopes of reorientating herself. Cursing softly under her breath, she spoke one of the simpler words of power. "J'nta." She softly ran her fingers over her left eye-lid, hoping that she had gotten the incantation correct. For once this sorry day -something- should go as she planned. Slowly, and cautiously, Kagome opened her eyes. Briefly her equilibrium was thrown, before she collected herself and rapidly closed and opened her twin orbs. Her focus was off, but she was more than able to cope with that. The day was looking slightly better - If she ignored the later service she was to render.

Kagome began to move, if awkwardly. Her left eye being able to see past the stone that surrounded her, while her right saw only grey, did not help matters. However, if she wanted to make her way back to the front courtyard before she was expected for animal husbandry, such measures were needed.

Though she had to admit, seeing people a good hundred yards away from her move in corridors she couldn't see was disturbing.

Eventually, after several false starts and dead ends, Kagome found herself standing in open air, where if she looked out through the academy's entrance both her eyes captured the same sight. Green pathways lined by ancient, knarled oaks much like the one that had made Daichi's desk.

The young woman shivered. She didn't want to think about Daichi right now, nor Tanuki Hachi.

Right now. . . It was time for the outdoors. Or at the very least the kennels.

Now if she could only remember how to remove this spell before-

"Higurashi! Good to see you up and about, child." A healthy, if friendly, slap on the back sent Kagome reeling forward several steps. She managed a weak grin.

"Nice to see you too, Tamakano."

The robust youkai that stood behind her grinned, rubbing his head sheepishly. "It's Shippou to you, my friend." He straightened as several of her fellow students appeared out of the maw of the academy, collecting in small groups for the moment. "Heard you've got yourself into another spot of trouble, eh?"

Kagome looked skyward. "You could say so."

Shippou grunted, turning around to call out for the others, but Kagome spoke again before he could utter a sound.

"Daichi's given me dungeon duty."

Shippou looked over his shoulder. "That bad, Higurashi?"

"Kagome."

He grinned. "Kagome, fine. That bad?"

"Apparently he thought as much." She paused for a moment. "It's just so damn unfair!"

Shippou started a bit at the anger and hurt in her forceful words. Searching his mind, the adult kitsune seemed to reach a conclusion he liked. "I was thinking of observing the yaks today, but perhaps instead. . ."

Kagome's interest was perked. "Perhaps what?"

He grinned. "Well, the dragon's need seeing to, and-"

Kagome let out a whoop of excitement, smiling so broadly it seemed she was in danger of splitting her face. "Thank you, Shippou, - thank- you."

Still grinning, more at his younger friends sudden change of mood than anything else, he riveted his attention on the other students in his class. "Yo!" Several heads swung around to peer at him in curiosity. Not enough. A bit more forcefully, Shippou repeated himself. "YO!" Now everyone was looking at the kitsune. He grinned, enjoying his job even more as he pondered the varied reactions he'd get from his announcement.

Better just to see for himself.

"'Ello, everyone. It would appear that today we'll be hanging around the kennels."

So far so good. Other than Kagome, no one knew precisely which kennel he was referring to. He was more than pleased by that thought. "Seeing as how the Dragons," he paused, hearing the many groans that greeted this statement before continuing, "Need their stalls cleaned and stones sifted, we will logically be attending their needs. Off with ya!"

The majoriy of the students moved slowly, dragging their feet. Kagome was leading them by yards, though the quick steps of Houjou soon brought the fellow to her side. Too happy to care that her number one hound was hanging around her, Kagome whistled. She even found herself forgetting the spell she had cast upon herself. There was little harm in allowing her odd vision to continue for the remainder of class.

Especially when she was with the dragons.

Kagome's dilemma with the academy was the lack of individuality she was given. Kikyou, a grand-mistress fifty years earlier, had been an astoundingly powerful woman.

Kagome had the astoundingly bad luck to look like that woman - Whom had gone missing forty-five years earlier.

Kikyou had excelled in everything she'd done. Absolutely everything, leaving Kagome little to prove herself in. One area that had at least allowed Kagome to shine was with the dragons - In Kikyou's time at the academy there had not yet been a dragon pacification act in place.

Yet even her success with the draconic beings was passed off to Kikyou, someone she had never met and would likely never care to meet is she still lived. Which was doubtful.

After all, didn't everyone believe Kagome to be the grand-mistress's reincarnation?

Even so, even though her accomplishments with the dragons were belittled, Kagome knew this to be her very own work. Not the predestined work or expertise of another - No, all her own, her unique own.

Houjou was speaking softly, in a tone that could not be mistaken for anything other than demur. He was perhaps the only other person on campus, aside from Shippou, that didn't expect her to do or be the great and all-powerful Kikyou herself.

No, Houjou merely thought her addle-brained.

Which was an admittable improvement, but still. . .

Kagome? One of the morons the academy housed? Sure, she was clumsy at times, or forgetful, but she had a lot on her mind. She wasn't an idiot.

Poor, dear Houjou believed so, deeply. Such a kind boy.

Too bad he was such an idiot himself. She might have liked him otherwise.

Pushing into the dark entrance to the dragon's kennels, Kagome paused to inhale the pleasantly singed air.

Even just a glimpse of one of the crimson beauties would suffice to carry her through the day.

The entire day.

The minutes flew, evolving into hours and eventually the end of Shippou's class. Time was approaching for her to make her descent into the lower levels of the school, where the alchemy labs and libraries of old rested.

Kagome grimaced as she stepped back into the unfiltered outside light. "Damn."

Shippou rounded the corner of the kennels - Kagome had seen him coming - Deep in thought. Spotting her standing there, the other restless students already off to dormitories, Shippou flashed her a smile. Approaching, he held out a closed fist. Motioning for her to open her hand, Shippou dropped whatever he had been carrying into her palm, closing her hand with his own as he did so. "Here," he began, smiling kindly if conspiritorily. "A bit of entertainment for you. Chores can be tedious." He winked.

Kagome merely stared back, nodding her head the slightest amount. "Thanks. . . I think."

Turning on his heel, the amused kitsune strode off toward the main hall. Slowly, Kagome opened her hand to see what rested in her palm.

The gem-faceted top took her breath away. She felt her chest constrict, and thought that maybe, just maybe she might be learning to cry once more, but in joy. Alas, that wasn't the case. Anyhow, she tucked the top into her inner-pocket, glad for friends as they were so sparringly given to her.

Friends, and their love.

The feeling was slow to fade as she made her way around the back of the left wing, starting on occasion as she caught sight of some individual inside, only to remember the spell she had cast. When she arrived at the door that led downward to the underkeep, she splayed her fingers across the slick, wooden surface. Warmth infused her hand for a moment, quick to leave.

The door swung open.

Kagome went down.

She started as she heard a slamming behind her, knowing that the door had closed to any others wishing access into the lower bowels of the academy. She hated it down here, and hugged herself tightly as she descended to the bottom. The entire place smelt of mildew and wet soil. She shivered once more.

"Higurashi. Have you arrived at last?" There was no malice in Tanuki Hachi's words, though Kagome felt her hackles rise anyway.

"Yes, Hachi. I have."

She heard a grunt from the rather round Tanuki, following him wordlessly as he entered the dark alchemy lab. Unpleasant and indiscernible scents wafted out from the far corners, giving her a rather odd mental picture that was as frightening in its intensity as it was amusing in its complexity.

Kagome shook her head. With her mind wandering like it did, there was little wonder so many of the teachers at the academy thought her to be disrepectful.

She could never keep her mind on the topic.

A broom handle was roughly shoved at her, delayed reflexes on Kagome's part saving the old-style wooden contraption from hitting the uneven ground. She felt the darkness begin to pull in around her as she tightly gripped the broom's handle. It wasn't until the evenly spaced crystals burst into white flames of light that she came to understand Hachi had spoken. One of the middle words of power, no less.

Her dual vision came to focus on his form. He spoke, slowly, as if every word cost him greatly to share with her. Slightly annoyed, Kagome forced herself to pay close attention.

She didn't need her mother being involved in this.

"You will sweep the floors and see to arranging the shelves into a presentable order. You will also take the third string herbs and put them in their respective places - Even you should have no trouble with that."

For once she wasn't being admonished for being less than what was thought - Tanuki Hachi was only commenting on her weaker sense of smell. On her humanity.

That was something she could well understand.

Tanuki Hachi moved off, slowly, to the far east corner, where a cauldron boiled. Imagining the youkai dressed as the traditional apprentice and slaving over one of various noxious brews such apprentices were expected to make had Kagome stifling her laughter.

The look that Tanuki shot her said he did not appreciate her effort. Nor her humor.

Suppressing a sigh, Kagome absently brushed her hand across the surface of the jeweled top before focusing on what task lay ahead of her. Making her way to the corner opposite Tanuki Hachi, she began to sweep. She hoped to avoid Hachi as much as possible - Her past with the youkai hadn't been bad, but it hadn't been great either. He was close to thinking and -expecting- the worst from her.

She hated those kinds of biasis.

The monotony of her work left her mind free to wander, and wander it did indeed. She reviewed what had gone on in the kennels, smiling at the memories that had been made that day. A testy queen had struck out at one of her classmates, the scales of her head unintentionally breaking the unlucky boy's fragile skin. Shippou had left it to Kagome to sing to the agitated queen, something that greatly pleased her. If there was anything she loved more than the work she did with the dragons, it was being able to sing to and with them.

As the queen had drifted off, Kagome's dual vision caught the reason why the dragon had been on edge: She was expecting. Kagome suspected that Shippou already knew, but her own method of discovery was equally as pleasing as the discovery itself.

Which reminded her. "Hachi, how do-"

She stopped, watching with disbelief as Tanuki Hachi's tail followed the rest of his considerable bulk out the door. "Hachi?" she managed to squeak after a time, eyes widening.

He had left.

Just. . . Upped and gone.

Wasn't he supposed to supervise her? Wasn't he supposed to have been mixing up some. . . Some. . . Some -potion-?

The teachers at the academy slipped another notch in her regard.

Even so, as Kagome's gaze rested upon the simmering cauldron, curiosity began to eat away at her mind. Her dual vision gave her no answers, merely observing a rather dark something inside the kettle's confines.

With a glance back at the door, she began moving closer. She paused once more, within reaching distance. Her hands, which lay clenched in fists at her sides, could touch the rim of the cauldron if she so chose.

Yet that didn't draw Kagome's attention as completely as the old scroll pressed between two glass panes on the rough-hewn table. The archiac cryptids, ancestors of the modern runes the academy taught its students in, glimmered iridescently in the crystal light. Chills shot up her spine. "What could Tanuki possibly wish to use this for?"

In spite of herself, the young woman edged closer to the scroll, scanning the lines of characters to find that she understood, if sketchily, what was being said.

"Et canvin laru'ne kian'tr ick nashje-" she paused, thinking. The spell was calling for permanence, though of what she couldn't say. She came closer, rubbing off some of the dust that had settled unto the glass pane from her duties on the opposite side of the room. Odd that such an old scroll lacked even the simplest protection spell.

Something moved in the hallway outside the room's door - Some small sound in the darkness where the light couldn't reach. Kagome started, knocking againsst the cauldron and sending some of what was inside over its lip to the ground. "Great," she moaned, wringing her hands. "I screwed that one over."

Her eyes went to the entrance, but no large bulk came stomping through to tell her how moronic she was or how much she had messed up this time. One minute passed, and then another. Her gaze shifted once more to the curious scroll. She continued to speak the words outloud. "Hika no armni j'tsu et kian'tr j'tsu et canvin." Nothing else was written, though pictures of various herbs and rodents along with proscribed measures of said substances decorated the rest of the yellow paper. Kagome stared at one she couldn't quite understand, one of a star caught within a circle. . .

Yanking on the small amulet hanging around her neck, Kagome held the broken leather straps with her fingers. She was interested quite suddenly in the engraving on the pouch; The engraving that had been on the pouch since her fifteenth birthday. A circle within a star. The exact opposite of the inked drawing before her.

She drew in breathe slowly, filling her lungs before exhaling at the same slow speed. Kagome had always thought there was something more to the engraving, but never knew what. Now she had another piece of the same puzzle, but still no inkling as to why.

Vopices echoed outside in the corridor, and Kagome's head and hands flew up in astonishment. She didn't want to be caught, not like this. She couldn even begin to imagine what-

In shock, she realized that her amulet was no longer in her hand. In desperation she used her linking word of power, speaking the amulets true name as she had decided upon these years past. "Shikon!"

The amulet appeared in her hand, saving her from having to call out its lesser title. With a start, she noticed it was damn. 'It must have fallen into the caul-'

Agony pierced her skull, sending her to the ground in an undignified heap as she cradled her head, eventually lashing out in pain but striking nothing more than the sturdy table's base.

Every inch of Kagome's skin burned, burned and peeled within the same terrifying second as she clutched her arms to her chest. The pain was so great she couldn't make a sound, and as every bone within her body began to shift she couldn't even move. Her eyes were closed, both seeing only the red blankness that had enveloped her mind.

A few seconds later, it was over. Kagome lie panting, blinking rapidly. 'What the hell was that about?' The memory of pain made her cringe, then shoot to her feet.

All four of them.