Chapter 1: Revelations
The day had begun with little sign of anything magnificent. The morning sun looked the same red and orange as it did every day. Breakfast was just as normal, nothing unusual or out of place. Nothing showed a sign of the truly life-changing events that were about to come.
Kagome kissed her mother on the cheek as she came into the front room. She took her place at the table and began to eat her meal. Her mother smiled fondly at her two children. Kagome, her daughter, the oldest, was kind and thoughtful. Her younger brother Sota, who sat next to her at the table, was sweet and happy. They were both great kids. She couldn't be more proud.
"I heard that the town is holding a talent show this weekend. Too bad you can't come, Kagomeā¦" Sota said mockingly, a smirk on his face.
Kagome's eyes twitched in annoyance. "You rat!" She yelled.
Sota returned his thoughts with a protruding tongue. With a growl from Kagome, she held up her fist in an obvious threat.
Oh yes, Mrs. Higurashi thought, I'm so very proud.
O
"And don't forget that the flowers are red with pointed petals, not rounded ones, okay."
For the past ten minutes, Kagome's mother had been reviewing the list of things that she was supposed to retrieve from the village. It included the food, some cloth, a new broom, and the flowers for mother's garden. Kagome knew this by heart, but her mother didn't seem to believe this.
"Mother! I know what to get. Don't worry." Kagome exclaimed, a wide smile on her face.
Kagome's mother looked taken aback for a moment, and then a small smile fell into place.
"I won't." she said.
Giving a scant good bye to her mother, Kagome dashed down the hall and out the door into the bustling village. Breathing in a huge breath of air, Kagome's spirits lifted. She rarely got to leave the house to go into the village, mostly because her mother was a worrywart. Usually Sota was sent to do it, even though he was three years younger than her. Today though, he had gone with his friend's father, to fish in the harbor. His friend was a year younger than Sota, but they still got along well.
In her hand she carried an empty basket, soon to be filled with breads, herbs, and fruits. Standing still in the shifting crowd, she contemplated on whether to go to the herb vendor first, or head over to the meat seller. Deciding on the herb vendor, she turned left and fell in place with the rush of people.
An occasional bump, followed by a rude remark of "Watch were you're going!" was normal in the cramped marketplace, and when this happened more than once, Kagome was not at all miffed. She would simply give them her biggest smile and watch, as they grew confused by her actions. Seeing the familiar herb-vending cart come into view, she hurried over and squeezed in past the wall of bodies walking past her.
She was met with the familiar sight of a middle-aged woman with long grey hair tied away from her face. Over her left eye was an eye patch, giving her a very scary appearance. Her personality was quite the opposite of scary.
"Hello, child. What will ye be buying today?" The woman asked kindly, her right eye crinkling in warmth as she smiled.
Kagome sat her basket on the ground and held a hand to her chin in assessment. The herbs were out on the counter, divided in small boxes, with small signs indicating their names and uses. Kagome no longer needed to use them, and pointed to a few thick, pointed green leaves.
"I'll have three mint leaves." Her gaze shifted to small paper looking leaves, with a hint of green in them. "And a bag of parsley," she continued. She looked at the finer spices and saw the deep red colored one she wanted. "And two bags of ginger." She concluded.
Looking up expectantly, Kagome asked politely, "How much does that amount to, Keade?"
Keade said nothing but began her task of putting the herbs into thick, brown sacs. Three brown bags sat on the counter in front of her. The old woman gave each on a glance before looking up and saying, "I think two pieces of silver will do."
Kagome smiled inwardly as she reached into her pocket for the coins she needed. No matter how much Kagome got from the sweet elderly lady, she always asked for the same amount. Keade was like a grandmother, always sneaking you treats and telling you stories. She loved her like a member of her family.
After handing the money to Keade, she placed the three tiny bags in her basket. Giving Keade a wink, she said jokingly, "Make sure you don't let me get too much for that price. I might take everything."
Keade laughed at this and asked drly, "You wouldn't steal from an old lady, would you?"
Kagome put a finger to her lips and squinted, as if in deep thought. She held the pose for some time, and then sighed and looking defeated; she replied wearily, "I guess not." A silence between them ensued, but was quickly broken by Kagome's giggling.
Wiping small tears of laughter from her eyes, Kagome said, "I'll see you soon, Keade." With a curt wave, she began to melt back into the sea of people.
"Ye be safe now!" Keade called after her.
A pale hand stuck out from above the heads in a sign of recognition. Keade sighed happily and went back to grinding her herbs, a permanent grin on her face.
O
Kagome headed back to her house, which was located near the entrance into the village. Slung across her back were furs and a large sack of fabrics for clothes and such. Her basket overflowed with food and spices. The smells of the fruits and the furs around her head made her content. As she walked, she hummed a tune that her mother used to sing to her when she was young.
In silence she strolled along, till quite suddenly, she was pulled into a dark alleyway, the space no more than four feet apart. Kagome had no time to cry out as a hand was placed over her mouth. It was smooth and small. It felt like a woman's. She tried to steady her fast beating heart, but her hands refused to stop shaking. The basket clattered to the ground, apples and cheeses rolled across the dirt, strewn across the ground. For a moment, Kagome was sorry for the ruined food, but a sharp jerk made her remember her situation.
A tug and she was facing her captor. All she could see was a mouth and nose. The rest was hid in the darkness of a hood. The cherry red lips and pale skin confirmed her assumptions that it was a woman who had grabbed her. Kagome's breath was shallow. Who could this woman be, and further more, what did she want?
The woman leaned forward and turned her head in interest, as though she were evaluating Kagome's face. She grew uncomfortable, and slightly angry, but fear rooted her feet and sealed her mouth shut.
Finally, the woman spoke, her voice deep and smooth, creating a chill down Kagome's back.
"Good, you will do."
It seemed that these words unlocked Kagome's lips. She licked them once before asking, "For what will I do?" She was scared, and it showed in her voice.
The woman put a finger to her lips. "Be quiet. Follow me and I won't have to report you." Even though the mysterious woman was commanding, a note of urgency laced her words.
Kagome didn't know what to do. Should she obey this woman? She didn't want anything to happen to her. The woman seemed normal enough, but who knew what was underneath the hood of hers. She could be a thief, a crook. Maybe any moment now, she would slit Kagome's throat and steal her money and food. She'd also said something about reporting her. Clutching her shirt tightly, she nodded swiftly.
A smile graced the cloaked woman's face. "You are smart. Now come, we will find a new place to talk." With a flourish, she turned and made her way down to the end of the alley, her cloak billowing around her. This should have been the moment to run. Why didn't she run?
Kagome knew why, and she felt that it was a silly reason, but still, she knew. She wanted to know just who this woman was, and why she had chose her to converse with. Even more so, she wanted to know just what these "instructions" were, and why she was supposed to do them.
Tripping, she hurried after the lady, leaving the fallen basket and discarded fruits in her wake. The fur cloak still adorned her back, as well as the fabrics in the sac. They grew heavy, and her huffing was loud as they emerged from the narrow passage.
The woman turned on her, causing her to stop short. "We will go into the woods." She said swiftly.
The woman turned, and a question came bubbling out of Kagome's mouth. "What is your name?" She put a hand to her mouth, feeling stupid for asking. Somehow, it felt wrong to say, and knew she would pay for it. When she was met with neither fist nor fury, she began to relax. Still, the woman did not reply.
After a moment, she walked back over and stood mere inches from Kagome's form. She realized that they were relatively the same height and weight. The woman's mouth was set in a firm line.
"My name is not important right now. You will come with me if you value your family's life." The threat was spoken lightly, but Kagome immediately knew she was serious. Gulping deeply, she nodded and resumed her place behind the woman, feeling her insides were a mess. Now her mother and brother's lives were on the line, as well as her own.
They reached the edge of the woods, but they didn't stop there. By now, the sky was growing darker, the sun almost down. Her mother would be worried about her, wondering where she was. A fleeting thought came to her, a sad one. Would she ever see them again? She looked ahead into the black abyss of trees and brush. It did not seem so.
After ten minutes of walking into the woods, the woman stopped in a clearing and sat down on a raised rock. It was smooth, the surface glowing white from the rising moon. She sat softly, and gracefully, she crossed her ankles and placed her hands in her lap. She said nothing.
Kagome stood there in front of her, feeling more confused than ever. Was she supposed to sit as well? Should she remain standing? She bent slightly under the weight of the furs, the pressure making her wince.
"Sit."
Gratefully, Kagome plopped down onto the cool, moist grass. She slipped the pack from her back, rolling her shoulders and neck to ease the aches and pains. She reached up and pulled her hair behind her ears, a habit she did when she was nervous. The woman saw this and commented on it.
"You put your hair back. Why?" Her tone was not without interest, but it seemed that the answer would matter little.
Kagome sputtered, unsure of how to answer. So she spoke truthfully. "I do it when I'm nervous. It's a habit."
The woman nodded slowly. Her thin smile was not kind, but more of a grimace. "We are more alike than I thought." She said softly.
At this, Kagome frowned. What did she mean? "What do you mean?" In her head, Kagome smacked herself. How often did she say what was on her mind? She could be such a nit at times. After her berating, she remembered her posed question and awaited the answer.
For a moment, it was though Kagome hadn't spoken at all. Then, the woman spoke.
"When I was fifteen, my mother told me about my father. She said he was a fisherman. She had met him on one of her outings in the town. She said it had been love at once. They had a secret relationship, one that would be frowned upon if found out. They had been discovered shortly after two months.
My father and mother never saw one another again. He left to go back to the sea, and my mother returned home, heartbroken. It wasn't until a few moons later that she knew she was pregnant with me.
My mother was married away, and by the time the baby was born, my mother said it was her husband's child, not my fathers. The lie was meant to cover up the obvious scandal of having "bad blood" in the kingdom. And so I am. Bad blood, unknown by anyone except for my mother, and you."
Kagome sat there, stunned. She absorbed the new information slowly. She felt bad for the woman for sure. She knew what it was like to never know your father. Here's had died when she was three years old, shortly after Sota was born.
Then the part about the kingdom made her sit up, her eyes wide in surprise. She had said her mother was part of the kingdom. She had been a daughter to royalty. Once again, she spoke her mind.
"You are a member of the palace?" Kagome asked, bewildered.
The woman raised a hand to her forehead, pulling back the hood, letting it fall on her shoulders in a rumpled heap. Shining black hair stood stark in the moonlight. Her pale skin glowed in the dark. Her eyes, a deep brown, pierced her soul.
"I am more than a member. I am Kikyo Edogawa, princess of the Southern Lands." She smiled at the awe that was written clearly on Kagome's face. "And you," she continued, raising a hand to point at Kagome, "are my sister."
