Chapter 4: Feels Like Home
The moment you've all been waiting for has arrived! THE FOURTH CHAPTER. Dun dun DUUUUNNN... Anyway, feel free to start reading anytime now.
Once they were a good ways away from Kagome's room Sango released her hold on Miroku's ear and turned on him. "You are a complete and utter fool!" She hissed vehemently.
Poor Miroku looked very confused. "I am?" he asked, rubbing his afflicted ear.
"Yes! You were about to tell her about the curse, weren't you?"
"Well… yes, I was, but you kept stopping me…"
"Yes, I did. And do you know why…?"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't."
"Because," Sango explained, as if she were talking to someone who was very slow, "If she knew about the curse she'd feel obligated to emulate emotions like love and affection just so she could break it. And that wouldn't leave any room for genuine love to come in, and even if it did she'd ignore it, thinking that it was just her imagination running amok or something. Then the curse would never be broken because she'd be trying to love him and never succeeding and we'd all be stuck here forever… unless some other hapless village girl happened to wander in here, and the chances of that happening are one in a million seeing as this place is out in the middle of nowhere. I'm at a complete loss as to how that girl came here, besides."
"W-well, I thought-"
"You thought wrong! The best thing to do is to just keep our silence about it all until the curse is finally broken."
"We don't really know that she'll-"
"Well, there's always hope, isn't there?" Sango snapped.
"But we told Shippo-"
"That's different. For one thing, he's a child, and two, he's not female!"
Suddenly a young voice cried, "Who's a child?"
Sango and Miroku both glanced down to see a little boy with blazing orange hair yawning up at them. "Shippo, what are you doing here?"
"I heard Inuyasha yelling about something… actually, it sounded more like a bear going after his prey… What's in that room?"
"Oh, er, what room?" Miroku asked nervously.
"Don't play dumb with me, Miroku!" Shippo pointed an accusing finger. "You locked something in that room!"
"Well, er-"
"It's nothing, Shippo," Sango intervened firmly, her hands on her hips. "Just go back to bed and you'll see in the morning."
"No! I wanna see NOW!" he demanded stubbornly, stamping his diminutive foot.
"But Shippo, it's very late and it's not good for your health if you…" Miroku began, trying to sound stern, but then Sango stooped and squeezed the back of Shippo's neck. He abruptly sprawled onto the floor, snoring like a dozen drunk men.
Sango stood up with the boy in her arms and sighed. "I had to do that or he wouldn't have left us alone," she said in a slightly apologetic tone. "You go, Miroku, while I put him back in his room… And don't you even think of trying anything, because I'll be watching you!" She added very threateningly.
"Really Sango, why must you be so suspicious of me? Do you think I would do anything to rend the love between us?" he pleaded in very convincing tones, complete with begging, outstretched arms. The touching tableau was spoiled, however, when a resounding slap filled the air.
"You… mmrrrgh! That isn't love!" A beet-red Sango screeched, magically retreating further away down the hall.
Even though he now had a nice hand-shaped imprint on his face, Miroku decided to enact the "try, try again" theory… for the 194,772,301th time. "Please forgive me, Sango, I-"
"I don't want to hear it!"
With a stiff back Sango stalked off down the hall, Shippo's snores soon fading into silence.
The warmth of the sun on her face was what finally woke Kagome. At first she merely snuggled deeper into the covers, desperate for five more minutes of sleep, but then her brain slowly started to wake up with the rest of her.
The sun was bright… and warm… which meant that it was probably fully risen… which meant…
"Ack! I'm late for my chores! Why didn't Mother wake me up?" Kagome screamed frantically, shooting upright. Or at least, that's what she intended to do. Instead she gave a kind of pathetic groan as she raised herself up on her elbows lethargically. That done, she set to work on opening her eyes. She had no idea why she was having so much trouble waking up… Her bones ached, too, like she'd been running for hours. Maybe she was sick, and her parents would let her off easy today…
Kagome finally succeeded in prying her eyelids apart, and instantly knew- or remembered, rather- the answers to all her questions.
Leaning against the bureau on the opposite side of the room was a young man with long white hair, glaring amber eyes… and…
"C-cat ears?" Kagome squeaked, staring.
"No, they're dog ears," the young man growled, as the furry, pointy white ears that were perched on top of his head twitched. "Can't you tell? After all, you're the one who gave them to me."
"What…?" Then she knew that this was the "man-thing" that had attacked her last night. "Wait, hold on! I-I'm not a witch or anything! I've never even set eyes on you before… well, except for last night, when you tried to kill me," she added accusingly.
"Well, I've got a good reason to!" he suddenly shouted. "It's because of you that I've been stuck like this for-"
Someone knocked on the door. "Lady Kagome? Are you awake? I thought I heard- oh, Inuyasha!" Miroku exclaimed as he peeked in. "I thought I loc…"
"You!" The dog-eared man turned on him, eyes blazing. "What were you thinking, letting her stay?"
"…ked the… door…? Oh Inuyasha, she was a maiden in distress," Miroku said, raising his hands placatingly. "What else could we do but offer her a safe haven for the night?"
"Do you have worms in your eyes?" Inuyasha roared furiously. "She's that witch! You should have tossed her out! You should have let me kill her!"
"Look more closely, fool," Sango said, suddenly appearing at Inuyasha's elbow, clearly determined to restrain him if things got out of hand. "Her eyes are bigger, her hair is more wild, her voice is higher-pitched, and she's shorter by a good inch."
Kagome resisted the urge to dive under the covers as Inuyasha glowered at her. Finally he said grudgingly, "Maybe you're ri…"
"Well then, now that that's settled, why don't we all go and have something to eat," Miroku broke in hurriedly.
Sango nodded and prodded Inuyasha none to gently in the back. Kagome took one look at his stormy expression and thought fast.
"Um," she said quickly, "Could I just, you know, eat in here? I still don't really feel that well…"
"Of course, Lady Kagome," Miroku said courteously.
"And then, well, I should really get going… you know, with my aunt expecting me and all… it was really nice of you to take care of me, but…"
"Well, your dear old aunt's just going to have to wait," Inuyasha spat. "Because you're not…"
Sango practically shoved him out the door.
"Sure. Whatever you want!" she said brightly. "I'll just have something sent up here. Meanwhile, you lay back down and get your rest, you look like you need it."
She grabbed Miroku and tossed him out after Inuyasha before making a more dignified exit herself.
"…Thanks?" Kagome said to the door as it clicked shut.
Half-an-hour later, Kagome was up and wandering around her room, exploring every nook and cranny, while she waited for her breakfast to arrive. She planned to leave right after she got some good food into her system… and then how many more chances would she, a simple village girl, have to enter a place as grand as this?
Correct… none.
She opened all of the drawers and doors of the mahogany chests and bureaus and boxes and cabinets, marveling at the fact that sometimes whatever she opened contained five more drawers, or another smaller door that led to two more drawers. There was even a drawer that opening caused a small cabinet to pop up, and when you opened the tiny doors you found a pair of exquisite, delicate earrings inside… it was like exploring a multi-chambered treasure chest. She found heaps and rows of bright jewelry sorted into neat little boxes, rich silk dressing robes in all sorts of bizarre patterns and shades, riding outfits similar to the one Koga's fiancé Ayame had been wearing, gowns of every single imaginable size, shape, color, and style, outfits for lounging or parties or weddings or dinner or funerals or gardening or chess or a boat ride on the lake… Kagome felt delirious from the sheer mass of all the wonderful things she found.
I feel like a princess… there's everything I could possibly want here, she thought dreamily, standing in front of a full-length oval mirror and admiring herself in an orange dressing robe with blue and gold goldfish embroidered on it. She stood there for a few moments, drinking up how cozy the dressing robe made her feel, before pouncing on an ornate metal-work chest that soon surrendered its contents to her… fantastic scarves for any occasion.
As she was draping a gauzy lavender-and-scarlet scarf over her hair, there was a knock at the door. Kagome's stomach kicked in, screaming for food, and she called, "Come in!" before stopping to think of her mismatched appearance.
But it was too late. The door opened, and in rolled a trolley loaded with four various-sized covered platters, followed by a small boy.
"Oh, thank you!… What's your name, young one?" She asked him, bending down so they were eye-to-eye. She smiled brilliantly, letting loose on the charm that had launched her into great demand as a nanny back in the village.
This seemed to be one of those rare occasions, however, when the subject proved to be immune. The boy immediately puffed out his chest indignantly. "I'm not a 'young one'! I'm a respectable adult, and the name's Shippo to you!"
Kagome immediately straightened up, waving her hands apologetically. "I'm so sorry! I suppose I should look more closely before I make assumptions."
He's a cute little kid, she thought. Best to humor him I guess.
Shippo didn't respond, just continued to stare stonily at her with glaring green eyes. Then, "Nice outfit."
Kagome immediately whipped the scarf off her hair and threw it back into the chest behind her, blushing furiously. "Th-thanks," she gritted out, not missing his sarcastic tone. Heaven knows he could be a grown up, from the way he acted… the twerp.
Again he ignored her, continuing on, "I like the one with purple Pekinese better, though."
"Oh, I, er, must have missed that one," Kagome replied, going over to the tempting trolley and wheeling it over to the side of the bed, before climbing onto the bed itself and sitting as if the trolley were a table. She reached for the largest platter's lid.
Shippo waved a hand dismissively, climbing up the mini-set of stairs to join her. "I don't blame you. After all, sometimes they aren't the same."
Her hand paused. "I beg your pardon? What's not the same?"
"The clothes, the jewelry, everything! Even the furniture. They get bored just sitting there all the time… and it gets too crowded if they all try to be on display at once, so they switch out places from time to time. Keeps them happy, trying to decide where they want to be next time." He reached for a knife and slid it along the length of a rod-shaped sharpener a few times before pulling the smallest platter forward.
Kagome was too confused to notice that the kid was stealing part of her breakfast. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I still don't understand…"
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon enough. It's kind of fun to get new outfits all the time, anyway… and they always fit, too." Shippo shoved a sausage into his mouth and chewed heartily, making contented noises and reaching for a napkin as juice dribbled down his chin. "Much better treatment then my old home…"
Her curiosity was piqued. "Your old home? What was it like?"
He glanced over at her warily. "It was… oh, it was okay. Not as good as here, though. You'll get to like it here too, trust me."
And with that he proceeded to stuff his face with omelet, signaling the end of the conversation. He didn't notice Kagome slip some buns into her napkin and toss it under the bed before tucking in herself.
The food turned out to be almost as good as the clothes… it looked (and tasted) as if it had come out of a king's kitchen (according to legends, those kings had the best stuff… and Kagome was beginning to believe them). After emptying almost all of the platters with an appetite that surprised herself, Kagome sat back with a gusty, contented sigh.
"That was one of the best meals I've had since… well, ever," she commented with a small, wry smile.
"It's normal for me," Shippo said, patting his mouth delicately with the napkin as he joined her, waiting for their digestive systems to do their stuff. "It was pretty good, though."
Deep down, Kagome felt a pang, the littlest pang, of envy as she thought of what she'd have to leave behind. But she'd told her mother that this kind of life was the exact opposite of what she wanted… and, well, now she felt like the crow calling the raven black.
"Excuse me," she abruptly said to Shippo. Then she went behind the fancy bamboo partitioning where she'd earlier found a convenient pot on the floor just the right size to sit on (and conveniently empty).
When she came out again, Shippo was on the floor, directing the trolley and its contents out the door. "Are you leaving so soon?"
"Well, there's not much use in staying now, is there," he replied, looking back. "We've both had our fill… and Sango says to leave you alone so you can rest. She's still not so sure you're out of the clear for… hypaderma, or whatever she called it."
"Hypothermia," Kagome corrected automatically. "And I'm quite sure I'm in sufficient physical health, and as it seems I'm the best diagnoser there is around here, I think I'll follow your excellent example and leave too."
Shippo started to push the trolley out the door, then stopped… then shrugged and pushed again… then backed up a bit… then made a run for it, the platters clanking wildly all the way down the hall.
"…That was… strange behavior," Kagome mused to herself as she browsed the outfits looking for a few to take with her. After all, her old outfit had mysteriously disappeared during the night (she suspected it had to do with Sango and her hygienic fastidiousness), and since there were so many here, she didn't think anyone would mind too much if she "borrowed" a few of the lesser ones.
She finally chose a sturdy riding outfit, a dirt-brown gardening dress with an accompanying blouse, a simple blue summer dress divided into skirt and top, a heavy cloak, and a broad-rimmed hat trimmed with a white ribbon. They would have to do for travel on the road. She also took one gold, one silver, and one rose-colored scarf, as well as a couple brooches, a necklace, and several pairs of earrings that looked like they would fetch a pretty penny if she happened to run short on coin. She bit down idly on one of the brooches as she packed everything into a traveling bag she'd found neatly folded into a wooden pull-out box under the bed while she was searching for the bun-securing napkin of earlier to bring with her. Yep, definitely worth something.
Kagome tied the double cloth ties tightly and walked out the door, newly clad in the blue summer dress, the cloak fastened loosely around her neck in case it started to pour again. Finding herself in a hall that seemed to stretch on forever, she picked a direction and started walking.
After going down several flights of stairs, she found herself in what appeared to be the hall she'd entered last night. Yes, there were the gargantuan double doors! Setting her sights on them, she found herself anticipating a wonderfully sunny day with fresh air filling her lungs all the way.
Humming, Kagome put her hand on the door and pushed, only to receive no response. Well, that could be expected, as they were pretty big. Maybe they were just too bulky to be moved with one little hand. She placed both of them solidly on the door and pushed hard.
Still nothing? Those things really needed some grease. She continued to strain until she finally gave up and stood there, staring at the dark wood dejectedly. She then looked around for another route leading out.
Wait a minute! Kagome suddenly thought, feeling optimistic again. That breakfast had to have been made somewhere, right? And this place has to have a kitchen with a door! Koga's always boasting about his lord's castle having stuff like that…
She inhaled deeply, but could catch no whiff of any sort of food. No matter… she just employed her previous strategy and started walking.
It's so… quiet here. Shouldn't there be more people around? Servants bustling to and thro and that sort of thing? Indeed, the silence grew almost pressing as Kagome continued to search for any sign of a kitchen, or any sort of exit to the outside world whatsoever.
As she neared yet another corridor, she heard voices around the corner.
"No choice…let her stay."
"You won't! I won't! Throw her out the window if you have to… just get her out!"
With no doubt in her mind as to who they were talking about, Kagome was just about to sprint in the other direction when a new voice joined the conversation.
"Stop… two. It doesn't… either of you thinks. You don't have any say in it… stays, until…" The voice, who Kagome recognized as Sango's, trailed away into a mumble she couldn't catch.
Then the Inuyasha man-beast let out an angry yell that made her jump. "OVER MY DEAD BODY! Her! It's impossible! It will never happen, not if I have anything to say about it! I'm the KING, dammit!"
"Inuyasha," Miroku called, "Wait!"
"Don't," Sango warned. "Come, let's let him think it over…"
Kagome felt that now was a good time to get someplace far, far away.
Here it is, the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed it, I'm starting work on the next one now... Please leave a review, they make me happy.
