Hello, I'm the lady of Gaia!
This is my second Sesshomaru and Kagome fanfiction.
This will be a lot different from other Fanfiction of this pairing. This one will follow the plot of one of my OC stories and will take on a different writing format then I use for my fanfictions since it is following the plot of my OC.
Anyway, here we go and don't forget everyone, I don't own the characters, just the plot that they'll follow in this story and I'm so not saying this again. This is for all the chapters.
Chapter 1
The forest was quiet and still. The animals knew that she was there and that she was on a hunt, excitement burned in her at the thought of her winning the hunting contest.
Sound suddenly blasted through the forest, from the direction of the other hunters. Kagome glared in their direction for a moment before turning her eyes back to the trail of the bejeweled stag that she followed. Beautiful and powerful creatures, their bones were made of jewels that magic casters desired greatly.
Their flesh could many illnesses and their fur was made of gold and silver. For the people of Tierra Regnum, there was no higher prized kill in their lands and hunters that killed one were seen as greatly skilled…if they were a man.
More sound blasted through the forest, but she ignored it and followed the trail.
Her feet were quick, but silent as they moved across the grassy earth. The air brushed again her skin and hair. Her body felt more alive with each step that she took and as the sun rained down on her.
She would likely be dancing in the freedom that she held in that moment. Sadly, she was not the dancer in the family.
She was good hunter, but her older brother was far better than her and was never interested in the hunting contests anymore. Kagome frowned when the trail suddenly disappeared. It was odd, the bejeweled stags that she had hunted in the past have never disappeared like this. It made no sense to her at all.
She turned to giant ashwood tree beside her.
"Can you help me find my prey?" She asked politely. A few leaves fell from the giant's branches before she hear it voice.
"With pleasure, sacred one. It had been startled from the ground by the other hunters; your prey is in the branches of my lover." Boomed the tree's great voice as its roots burst from the earth.
She climbed on and it rushed up to the sea of emerald green leaves about her head. The air rushed pass, but she barely noticed as her heart roared in her chest at how fast the limb moved. It was faster than anything that she had ridden in her life. It filled her with excitement and joy whenever a tree allowed her to climb on for a trip to the sea of emerald green leaves.
Trees were sacred to her people and it was forbidden to ever harm one. It was also forbidden to her people to go to the sea of leaves unless they had permission from the royal family or had the permission of the trees themselves.
She was one of the rare few that only had to ask the trees. There was likely only one or two like her in every generation. She was one and the crown princess was the other. It made the both of them highly prized by the noble lineage and something that her family would had fierily protected like the princess was if her family knew of her gifts with the land and plants.
But they'll never learn of it. She thought to herself as she stepped onto the ashwood tree's branches. "Thank you for allowing me to step upon your branches to get my prey."
"You are welcome, sacred one. You are always welcome in the sea of leaves." The tree said, which was then echoed by the other trees in the forest. She smiled and then bowed before turning to look for her prey.
The sea of leaves was spread wide with each tree and it took time to find the stag's trail again. It was still a bit surprised that the creature had jumped all the way up here. But the knowledge whispered to her that she needed to be more careful and avoid close-combat killing was clear to her.
It was then that she noticed the bejeweled stag, staring at her and stopped dead in her tracks.
It was truly lovely with silver fur and the antlers made of red crystal. She didn't move a muscle, know that the creature would run like dark god's children were at its heels if she did. So Kagome stood there and waited for the stag to lower its guard and relax.
Hours passed by them as she waited for the animal to lower his guard. Slowly, it did, turning it head away from her, away from the danger that she was to it and she took her bow from her back to aim her arrow at the stag before her. The stag had turned its head in that moment; their eyes met.
She felt the need to give the goddess's prayer to the creature before she killed it.
"Great Goddess of the Earth, mother to the sons and daughters of Tierra Regnum, I am one of your daughters and followers. I take this creature's life and ask that you do not let its death and rage to touch me and protect me. Protect us and keep us both pure in this life and the next." Her arrow flew in that moment and found home within the stag's flesh.
It was not a killing blow, but it would pain the creature too much to allow it to move. She ran to it and knelt down at its head. They stared into each other's eyes as she draw her hunting blade.
"The Goddess will take you now and if you take to release your anger to me when I come, then I will accept it as my punishment for your life." She said before putting her blade to its throat and felt the blade slice through the fur, flesh and blood of the creature.
She moved the stage's corpse to the edge of the branch, letting the creature's blood drain away from its body. Little branches grow at its hind legs and held the stag there.
"Thank you." She said to the tree beneath her feet.
"You're welcome, sacred one. But I should be the one to thank you for the blood…I have been feeling unwell for-"
"Sometime? I know; it's why I had it come in this direction. I was worried when I lost sight of it before." She wished that she had acted to aid the tree sooner, but because she had to hide her gifts it had taken some time to do as needed to aid the tree. She regretted it the wait, but knew that she had to think of her future as well.
Touching a gentle hand to the bark beneath her, she looked at the lovely creature that she had killed. Its death had would serve two purposes. The two outweigh the stag's one life, but it didn't make the weight of the death any less to her.
Watching the golden blood fall to the earth below made her think of the poisonous power of the blood. Her people were the only ones that dared to make a meal of the creature besides the dragons of the sky. No other dared because of the stag's blood killing any that attacked. It would kill all but the trees and dragon, which both found to be a strong healing potion for many illnesses of a deadly nature.
"Do you think it will forgive me in the next life?" She asked no one.
"You killed it to heal me and to make a better future for yourself…the Goddess will make the stag see things through your eyes, sacred one." The tree beneath her answered. She took comfort in the kind words.
Soon, all the blood had drained from the corpse and it was time to head back to the village with her prize in hand. Taking the flute at her waist, she played a short but gentle song to summon her mount to her and take her prey back to gain the prize.
The wind carried the song on the wind and it wasn't long before her mount, Koga appeared next to her. The bark rippled like water as he came from it and stood at her side.
It amazed her family that she had been given an earth wolf. They saw it as a sign that she would make a good marriage with a powerful family.
Kagome saw what Koga truly meant. He was the embodiment of the freedom that she would one day soon take for herself. If lucky was on her side, she would soon be free and away from her people and their oppressive traditions and beliefs towards women.
"Quite the catch, Kagome. I want a cut of that meat for my dinner tonight if I'm going to be carrying it back for you." He demanded.
She just smiled and nodded as she moved to get the stag onto his back. It was not an easy task for her since the stag was double her own weight. But she got it on his back and the tree was more than kind enough to help them down from its great branches with its roots.
Despite the fact Koga was a giant of a beast that could carry her and her prey easily, she decided to walk back to the village at his side instead of on his back.
The trees started to sing. It was a sweet and beautiful sing of when many trees had been young enough to meet the first warrior. The song told of the first warrior's battles in their lands against the dark gods and how the first warrior taught her people how to battle with the help of his tribe.
She had asked questions about the ancient warrior, but the trees could not remember if the warrior had been male or female or even the first warrior's name. Those they did remember the first warrior's tribe had become the queendom of Relevandae Animae and that the queens were his descendants by blood and teachings.
It had been surprising to learn that when every country, kingdom, or nation claimed that the first warrior was born in their lands. It seemed a bit foolish to her. But then the first warrior had saved their world from the dark gods and their children.
Who wouldn't want to have a claim to such a hero?
All too soon, she returned to the village. The trees called out to her in welcome, but she did not give her thanks for it. People walked about their lives as always, men and women walked out of their sapling tree homes to shops and vendors or to their places of work.
But one could feel the excitement of the people. Everyone wanted to know that who would win the hunting contest this year.
Walking to the village square, the crowd suddenly shouted in praise and joy. Confused, she headed to the center to that the prize was being handed over to Rikichi for the ground bear that he had hunted down.
The bear was a fine catch with its fur white from age, its fang and claws long as well as sharp from hunting and burrowing into the earth. But she had the better prey and any with eyes in their eyes would know it from one glance.
Her father moved to give Rikichi the prize of a chest of fire jewels. Her view turned red with rage and shot an arrow between the two men before she could think twice on her actions. All eyes turned to her and some gasped as the prize on her earth wolf. Her own father looked it with a mix shock and rage, likely because her prey were far better than that of Rikichi's.
Her father turned his gaze back to her.
His eyes promised punishment for her actions and disrespect to him. she would look forward to it as well as the tongue lashing that she would give him for the disrespect given to her by his actions.
oOo
"Your actions were appalling, Kagome! You seek to shame me today? Because you have done so twice today." Her father roared at her the moment the family was locked away in his study. Safe from the ears of servants and from the wagging tongues of the villagers.
"Shame you? I was only seeking to honor this family and myself by winning the contest! I mean, did you see anyone else that bought a bejeweled stag as their prize? No! Only I did that!" Kagome hissed in outrage at her father's words.
She hadn't done anything wrong, she had gone hunting like the hunters of the village and killed a great prize to aid her future. There was no shame to be had in that and if she allowed her father to behave as if there was then it would only make the stag's death meaningless.
"Kagome, be more respectful to your father. Hunting is for men and you are a woman…it is wrong for you to go out into the forest and hunt like the men do." Her mother said.
Her mother's kind brown eyes seemed to beg her to understand and yet it was beyond her understanding to why she should act like she is useless beyond home and hearth. She wanted something more for herself; she wanted to read out in the open instead of in secret. She wanted to learn new things and explore the world beyond the trees. Yet her parents could not understand and would see it as wrong instead of it being right like it was.
"This is the fault of that woman from Relevandae Animae." Her older sister, Kikyo muttered.
Love her sister, she did…but Kagome couldn't stand her sister all the same. They were like night and day, Kikyo being their parent's pride and joy as she was their parent's shame and misery.
"What?" Kagome turn her eyes to her father.
The rage within him grew and he turned it towards her. She had been forbidden to talk with Sango like all women were. But she had disobeyed the order since she had seen no true different between her and Sango. At least not until she had talked with her.
It strike her what she and other women were given was so lacking compare to the lives of the women of Relevandae Animae. There was no limit to what one could do or desired beyond their imagination there. There were no rules that were guided by what was between their legs and it wounded her all the more to realize that she wasn't odd to feel that her country were lacking to her gender.
Her father was suddenly at her side and grabbed her shoulders. "You were forbidden to speak with that woman! Why! Why did you talk with her?!" He screeched her.
She said nothing. There was nothing to say that her parents would understand.
He threw her to the floor and stared at her for the longest time as she stared back at him. The eyes of her mother, sister and brothers were on her like they were watching a game of chess between her father and older brother.
"You have shamed m-"
"I have shamed no one, but you have shamed the death of my kill with your words and actions, father!" she interrupted, her ocean blue eyes wide with defiance of his belief of her shaming him.
She had shamed no one and no one would make her believe otherwise. Her father looked as if he wanted to strike her for her words, but then was forbidden to be done outside of the temple of the Goddess of the Earth. If he were to do otherwise, her older brother would be forced to take their father to the village square and kill him in the name of the Goddess in front of all the villagers.
Finally he sighed and looked away from her as if the sight of her was too much for him. Her brothers took it as sign that they could help her up and moved to do so.
"Leave…your mother and I will have to discuss your punishment alone." All of them bowed to their parents and left their father's study.
"Come Kagome, let's get you something to eat." Her older brother, Miroku said taking an arm to her shoulders and guiding her to the kitchen down below. Her little brother, Sota begged that she tell him of the story of her hunt as she promised to give.
The four of them went down to the kitchen, where the roots of their home were. The old cook, Kaede smiled brightly at the sight of her. It likely meant that she looked a fright from the hunt and her father's rage or that Kaede was enjoying the meat of the stag.
Kagome was going to give guess that it was the former instead of the latter.
"You brought back some fine flesh there. The meat is prefect for the stew pot and my oven." Kaede greeted. So it was the latter. Kagome thought with joy.
"You can have some; just have a care that good bit of it is smoked. I have planned to sell it later at market."
Kaede looked horrified at her words. "Sell it at market? The fool of a cook in the tavern would ruin the meat!"
"That fool of a cook is your husband and the owner of the tavern, Kaede." Sota muttered as he eyed the stew in Kaede's pot on the fire. He was forever hungry like a growing boy should be. Everyone looked at him and then laughed; Kaede laughed the loudest and hardest of them all.
"You're right about that, Lord Sota and he's good husband. Sadly, he not a good cook…he can burn water for the Goddess's sake. I'll never know how the people of the village can stomach his cooking when they go to the tavern." Everyone laughed at them…everyone, but Kikyo who remained silent.
Kagome knew she was going to get chewed out by her older sister, but wanted a full belly of food for when her sister did.
Kaede was quick to give out bowls to everyone and spoon her stew into each bowl before cutting up fresh bread for everyone to drip into the stew. Everyone went to the table to tuck into the food as Kaede put on a pot of herbal tea.
Silence fell over them with the only sound of their mouths chewing their food. Kagome felt her sister's eyes on her and said nothing to it; her sister would talk when she felt the need become too powerful. Knowing Kikyo as she did, it would only be a few more minutes before her sister spoke. Kagome couldn't help, but wonder why they were so different when they looked almost identical with the exception of their eyes.
Maybe it was because Miroku was closer to Kikyo in age and that's been able to teach Kikyo the same things that he had taught her. After all, she had only learned to read and write because of her brother. Was their brother the reason that they were so different or was it something else?
"Why can't you listen?" Came the whispered words from her sister's mouth.
"Say that again?"
"Why can't you listen? Why can't you be normal? You know that your actions shame and harm this family's reputation, but you do it anyway." Kikyo shouted suddenly.
Their brothers looked at Kikyo as did Kagome and Kaede. Everything turned silence again for a while, but no one touched their food. Finally Kagome sighed and looked her sister in the eye, seeing their mother's eyes reflected in Kikyo's.
"What do you hope your baby to be?" Kagome asked as she turned her ocean blue eyes to her sister's unborn child. She felt Kikyo's confused eyes on her face and waited for the answer to her question.
"A boy…what else?" came the answer stabbed Kagome in the heart.
"You shouldn't hope that's a boy or a girl, sister. You should hope that your baby will be healthy and nothing more. How many do you know that would answer the same? Because I know none at all." Kagome said and felt that it was a loss for women said such about their unborn children.
"What does it matter? My child and other women's children have no place in this conversation. We are talking about how you refuse to be what you are. How are you going to the sacred tree and ask it who your husband is if your impure ways will harm the tree." Kikyo said like that all that was important.
Kagome wanted to tell her sister that she never planned to marry that she planned to run away and be free. But she held her tongue, if anyone knew then they would stop her, force her to the sacred tree and then force her to marry the man that she saw. Her hopes and dreams of the future would be destroyed and she would not be who she was anymore.
She wanted to find love as she travelled, she wanted to them both to grow as people and she wanted him to love her as she was. Kagome knew that she would never find that in Tierra Regnum.
"The tree wouldn't turn me away because I have not been impure with my actions." Kagome said.
"But they are! Kagome, women must be pure at all time…how to you think soldiers survive after the horrid battles? They come home from those impure places and beings to the purity of their wives and daughters."
Kagome glanced at Miroku, to see him glare at Kikyo. She knew that her brother didn't agree with the beliefs of their culture like her after all, he had been forced to marry a shrew because of them instead of the woman that he had come to love.
No woman had come to claim her brother for a husband and no man had come to claim his shrew for a wife. That being the case for both of them, the king made the match and the two met for the first time at the altar. Their parents and Kikyo were happy with the match because of the shrew's beauty and the power of her family. But Miroku and the shrew were not happy about the match at all. Still they married though since neither wished to die.
"I don't agree and I think that is enough talk on the matter for the night, Kikyo." Kagome said, feeling tired and wary of everything suddenly.
"No! We are not done talking about this!"
"Enough!" Miroku roared, gaining everyone's attention in that moment. Kagome sighed and went back to her meal, seeing that her brother wanted to deal with their sister in this moment.
"You will drop this, Kikyo. You want to talk about our sister more than do it with our parents, for I will tell you that I have had enough with you trying to make her something that she isn't."
"I'm trying to help her, Miroku! I want her to have all the things that I have, I want her to be happy like you and me. Bu-"
"Be quiet! I have had enough of your voice talking about things that you do not know or will ever know." He ordered as he cut in.
Kagome looked at Kikyo, and saw how her older sister truly didn't understand why their brother was being like this or why she was the way that she was. There was nothing wrong with tradition and there some that she enjoyed, but she refused to let her culture control who she was as a person.
Kagome turn her gaze to Sota, seeing that the fight was upsetting him.
He was already eleven years of age and was still developing his own opinion of their world and culture. But he was still just child and was never one for fights of words. Fists, he was fine with, but he felt that words were too permanent to be used in a fight.
Looking at him, she knew that he would one day be a great man for his ideas and beliefs…if their culture didn't stop him.
She touched his head and kissed his forehead before getting up, everyone looked at her. She just smiled at them all warmly. "Good night." She said before leaving the kitchen to go and soak in a bath in her chambers.
The wooden halls of her home were warm and so familiar that she had no trouble finding her chambers. Her maids had already a hot bath waiting for her in her bathing chamber.
The chamber was rather big and the pool of water sunken into the floor. She had always loved the wooden craving on the walls.
She dismissed her maids for the night, feeling the need to be alone with herself. Taking her long black hair out of its braid, she thought of her actions through the day before she took a brush to her hair.
She smiled at its odd color, black hair was a rare sight in Tierra Regnum and was more common in Relevandae Animae and Sora Gentem. Then were where her ocean blue eyes were even rarer and both features made her well sought after as a future daughter-in-law. She knew many nobles that hoped their sons would not get matches from the sacred trees and that she would get no match as well so that they could convince the king to make her their daughter-in-law.
She hoped that she would be able to escape her fate before then.
Made her want to laugh at the thought what her parents would think if they knew that she wanted no match from the sacred tree in their village or that she didn't want to get married at all. Most would think her insane and others would think that she would only bring shame.
Taking off her jungle green silk shirt and then her hunting skirt, she turned to the water of her bath.
The burning heat of the water was sweet and soothing to her. It felt better than any professional hands on her body. The color told her that her maids had seen to it to add in some herbs to help relax her body from the tiring events and Kagome was grateful for it.
Time seemed to slow down and let her enjoy the water to the fullest effects.
"Having a good bath?" asked her home. She smiled at hearing the voice of the tree she living within. It was a rather quiet tree compared to the others of the village or the forest. But still it was a kind tree and she still remembered how it would sing her to sleep if she had suffered a nightmare or would talk with her if she needed an ear to listen.
"Yes, it's a wonderful bath." She answered as she moved the edge and touched the wooden floor, touching her oldest and dearest friend as she did.
"They're very upset with you, little sweet. I'm concerned of what they will do to you." It said quietly as if it was afraid that its words would become a reality for her. She knew that her parents were likely to punish her in ways that would hopefully break her and turn her into a proper woman of their culture.
But she would always fight that from happening.
She would always fight to remain herself and to be true to how she was. Her parents could try anything they liked, but she had already proven to them that it would be an impossible task.
"They haven't broken me yet and I doubt they ever will, my dear friend." She said before turned to go about cleaning herself of the day.
"They are thinking of taking you to the sacred tree earlier than is traditional." Her heart stopped as her friend's words and fear ripped through it for a moment. Her breathe chocked her and she thought her body would fail her, that death would take her in that moment.
But she fought the fear and focus on her breathing until she knew how to breathe once more. The fear still held her heart though.
"I'm not nineteen yet, they would need special permission from the priests before they could even think of doing so." Kagome whispered as her mind repeated over and over like a mantra that she wasn't nineteen yet and couldn't go to the sacred tree. Her fear was still there though, it still held her within its grip and she wondered if it would ever go away.