Unbroken

I held onto my mother tight. I was so afraid that I would lose her again. Yeah, we had out moments. We fought like cats and dogs, but what mother and daughter doesn't? We would still fight for each other even when we were in a fight against each other. No matter the issues we had, I loved her to death.

She held me tight and rubbed my back. I hadn't realized it but I was crying. My mom continued to rub my back, gently sushing me. I stopped crying enough that my mom was able to lead me to the couch were we both sat. Kagome fallowed us in, shut the door, and grabbed the tissues off the table to hand to me before sitting in the recliner across from us.

I wiped my eyes, smearing the makeup that Kagome's mom had used to cover up the marking on my cheek. My mom played with my hair then took my chin in her hand and turned my face towards her. She took a few tissues out of the box and began to wipe my face, taking the makeup off, and revealing the markings on my skin.

I sobbed again and she wiped the tears from my cheek with her fingers. She began to sing softly to me, a song that I hadn't heard since my grandfather passed away when I was seven.

"Baby girl,
Please don't cry.
Mommy's right here
To dry your little eyes.
Hush my child,
Stop your tears.
Mommy will be here,
Through the years."

She began humming at that point and I leaned on her. She wrapped her arms around me and held me close until my tears stopped and all I did was sniffle.

"Angel, honey. Please tell me what happened." Her voice was soft, filled with concern, her eyes filled with worry.

I took a very deep breath and slowly let it out. I focused my eyes on a picture of my Golden Retriever, Skipper, which we had to leave at my grandma's house in the states. I slowly began to tell mom everything that had happened, not leaving out a single detail. Both my mom and Kagome gasped when I told them about the rape. I continued, telling them about how I had been a prisoner in that one room for a month and how every full moon I seemed to change into a different person. I told them about how Naraku injured my neck and after that I had grown to care for him, going so far as to attack Kagome. I finished off the story with what Naraku said to me when he died.

My mom ran her fingers through my hair, not saying anything, but thinking hard. Finally, she seemed to make up her mind. "There is something that I have been keeping from you that I should have told you long ago."

She stood and went to her bedroom. She came back carrying a small box and she sat down beside me. She opened the box and inside was a beautiful sapphire necklace with the same cross-like symbol that adorned my forehead.

"For generations, our family has held a secret, one that would have cost the livelihoods of many if it had ever been discovered." She unclasped the necklace and secured it around my neck. She pulled out a scroll so fragile that it seemed the smallest touch could shatter it. "My family has been protecting this secret for hundreds of years, afraid of letting it fall into enemy hands."

I touched the sapphire necklace and felt a tingle of power course through my blood.

My mother opened the scroll and began reading from it.

"If you are reading this, then you have found your way, my child, and I have passed from this world and into the next.

My sister, Midoriko, and I have been traveling this great land in the hopes to rid it of the evil that courses through its very blood. I fear that one day I will lose one of these battles and my child will be left without a mother, wondering why I abandoned them.

First, let me tell you about yourself. Your father was the great ruler of the Eastern lands, gaining access to the lands across the sea and beginning trade for all of his people. His name was Ryuunosuke. Upon my travels, I met Ryuunosuke and, over many moons, we fell in love. The eve before the Great War that took his life, we made love, which resulted in your creation. With the paring of a strong priestess and a demon lord, I feared for your life.

I'm sure that by now you have to realize that you are different that a lot of creatures in this world. I know not what powers you possess, just that they are strong ones.

I come baring a warning. There will be those that try to use you for your powers, who want powerful heirs to cause chaos and destruction. It is up to you to see through their tricks and prevent maliciousness from spreading across this land.

This necklace that you have before you belonged to me and it is filled with a great power. It will keep your mind clear, your spirit free, but most of all, it will protect you. I have infused it one of my own powers, the power to use your own aura to protect not only yourself, but those around you.

Please, my child, know that I loved you from the moment of your conception and that I will always watch over you.

Take care, my child.
Haruki"

I looked up at Kagome and saw a look of complete and utter shock pass over her face. I didn't know what to say about the letter nor did I know what to think.

"The story goes that long ago, when Haruki died, that she blessed the child she carried within her. You confirmed that with your dream. My ancestors mourned the passing of Haruki and her child but felt that one day her child would be reincarnated. There were a few instances where we thought that the soul of Haruki's child had indeed been reincarnated, but we were wrong. Those were merely attempts. I suppose the soul of the child was waiting for the right time."

I looked at my mother. All of this seemed so weird to me but at the same time it felt utterly right. Somehow I knew that my mother spoke the truth and that my spirit had indeed been testing the waters, so to speak. Whatever my spirit did while testing, remained a mystery.

"Angel, I can't allow you to resume a normal life here. You will have to go back to Feudal Japan and find what has awakened the spirit inside of you."

A look of pure horror must have passed over my face because she immediately added, "I would love for you to stay here with me for a little while though." She flashed me a grin.

"Well, I better be getting back. Inuyasha will be wondering what to do now that we don't have shards to find. Plus, I need to tell him that I've got to finish school. By Mrs. Baxter. I'll see you later, Angel." Kagome gave me a hug before letting herself out.

"Angel, dear, you look utterly famished. Let me fix you something to eat." My mother got up off the couch and went into the kitchen.

It wasn't very long before I could smell the deliciousness of meatloaf, homemade potatoes, and ears of corn being cooked on the stove. I walked into the kitchen and sat down in a bar stool at the mini island that separated the kitchen from the dining room. I watched her until the food was done. She made me a plate with large helpings.

"Don't you dare get up until you've eaten every bite, Missy." She teased me.

My mouth couldn't wait to taste the goodness that sat on the plate. I quickly dove in as my mom watched me. I could help it. I was literally starved. It wasn't long before the entire plate was empty.

"Do you want more?"

"No thanks, Mom. That was amazing!" I rubbed my full stomach and yawned.

Mom smiled at me. "Go to bed, Angel. I'm sure you're exhausted. "

I climbed up the stairs and went into my room. I collapsed onto my fluffy bed and wrapped the covers around me before falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.