A/N: Hey all! I'm SO sorry for not updating sooner! I totally just lost all motivation to write for a while there, but I've since regained it over winter break! Sooo, look forward to more chapters in the near future!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Akatsuki no Yona. I want to make it clear that I in no way mean to plagiarize, especially Mizuho Kusanagi's Akatsuki no Yona as I will be using the manga's actual plot as a base and integrating Kagome's character into it, adding new material.
"Good morning, Kagome! Yoon!" Yona greeted cheerily as she exited her tent.
Kagome smiled back pleasantly with a "Good morning, Yona!" but Yoon seemed as if he still hadn't quite shaken off whatever deep thoughts had plagued him the night before when he'd told her about the prophecy.
Yona didn't take the boy's silence personally though and noted lightly, "It's a little chilly this morning, huh? Oh! Are you cold, too, Shin-Ah?" She asked the huddled form of the blue dragon.
Kagome was a little surprised that the stoic dragon was so susceptible to the cold with the amount of layers he was wearing, not to mention the fur headpiece attached to his mask. Suddenly a golden-haired blur burst into the loose circle the group was sitting in, barreling headfirst into Shin-Ah and knocking him onto his side. Kagome struggled to hold back her amusement at the sight he made as he continued to stay in fetal position even after being knocked over.
"So Seiryuu is sensitive to the cold, huh?! You need to push up against the others when you're cold! If you cry you lose!" Zeno declared as he gave a full body shove against Shin-Ah unreservedly.
Shin-Ah staggered unsteadily for a moment then dashed toward the expectant Ouryuu. The collision sent both dragons tumbling across the forest floor.
"You two sure are noisy first thing in the morning," Kija stated as he joined the group and was quickly bowled over by the energetic Zeno.
Frazzled, Kija asked, "What are you doing…?!"
"It's a challenge to get nice and warm! If you cry, you lose!" Zeno informed merrily.
"Lose… you say? I accept!"
Kagome found herself surprised yet again. Who knew that Kija could be so competitive when the competition doesn't involve Yona?
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hakuryuu, you're not allowed to use your right hand!" Zeno shouted backing away with both hands waving in front of him defensively.
Jae-Ha suddenly appeared behind Yona and Kagome saying, "The young ones sure are energetic."
"It looks like fun," Yona confessed.
"Well then, shall I show you how adults play around to become warmer?" Jae-Ha offered suggestively.
Kagome and Hak, who literally came out of nowhere, simultaneously smacked Jae-Ha on the back of his head. Or more accurately, Kagome smacked the dragon while Hak's "smack" was probably closer to a punch.
"That felt like a real punch just now, Hak…" Jae-Ha commented with a masochistic grin on his face.
Zeno's terrified scream filled the clearing followed by a, "Stop it, Hakuryuu!"
Kagome could practically feel her nerves fraying. The morning had started out so peacefully and now…
"BE QUIET, YOU ANIMALS!" Yoon bellowed.
Everyone froze, turning wide eyes towards the furious boy. Kagome was completely caught off guard. Sure she'd seen nagging Yoon and bossy Yoon before, but angry Yoon was a new one.
Zeno dejectedly commented, "What a scary boy."
"And pay attention!" Yoon continued berating them.
"This self-proclaimed pretty boy has more right to speak than the rest of us. Remember if you want good food, do as he says," Hak pointed out.
Not paying any heed to Zeno's and Hak's side conversation, Yoon stated, "Our first goal has been reached. We've gathered the four dragons."
Everyone proceeded to clap at this accomplishment smiling cheerfully.
However, Yoon cut right through the moment saying, "Now… There's still one thing that's been on my mind. It's Ik-Soo's prophecy."
"Do you miss him that much?" Hak deadpanned teasingly.
The tick of annoyance surfaced on Yoon's head again as he answered quickly, "Not that!"
"According to the prophecy, once the Four Dragons are gathered the sword and the shield are supposed to awaken. I think the king it's referring to is most likely Yona. I thought something was supposed to happen once the dragons came together, but nothing special occurred. It just became noisier… Is it saying we need to go find a sword and a shield that Yona is supposed to use? And if the king it's referring to is actually King Soo-Won… We'll have to rethink what we should do."
Kija protested, "That man is a traitor who took the throne by force and expelled the Princess from the castle. He is not the true king. And even if Soo-Won is the "king" from the prophecy… If he uses the sword and shield to form military preparations in order to conduct country expansions, we four dragons will fight to correct that injustice."
"While that may be, at this rate, we'll just hit a dead end," Yoon point out, "We don't know where we ought to go!"
Kija agreed, "That is true. What are we going to do?"
"We're going to Ik-Soo to hear what he has to say about it," Yoon stated determinedly.
"You're just worried about that carefree priest, aren't you?" Hak taunted.
Yoon flushed, "No!"
Kagome perked up at the mention of a priest. She wasn't aware that there were others like her in this world… Although, just because we have the same title doesn't mean we're actually the same. After all, this priest seems to have some form of foresight which I definitely do not have. What a help that would've been in the Feudal Era though!
As the group headed to the northern mountains of the Wind Tribe, Kagome took the opportunity to get some of her questions answered.
"So I take it you and this priest, Ik-Soo, are close?" She asked curiously.
Yoon immediately looked defensive as he answered, "Yeah, but only because the old man can't take of himself at all!"
"Of course," Kagome remarked with a knowing smile.
Yona chimed in, "Hak and I first met Yoon while he was living with Ik-Soo. Yoon saved us after we were injured fleeing from Fire Tribe soldiers."
Yoon had a hand on his hip in the universal expression of irritation as he said, "The idiots somehow managed to fall off of a cliff. Lucky for them the trees below broke most of the fall."
Kagome's eyes widened the more they spoke. Sure she'd fallen from great heights before, but someone was always able to catch her before she actually hit the ground. She didn't even want to imagine what the alternative must feel like!
"You really are a kind person, aren't you, Yoon," Kagome commented rhetorically smiling at the blustering young man.
Cheeks reddening by the second, Yoon barked out, "Don't be ridiculous! I just did what anyone else would have done."
Kagome and Yona giggled at the self-proclaimed genius' awkwardness.
"We're here!" Yoon announced with more enthusiasm than he probably meant to let on, "It hasn't even been 3 months since we left, but it feels like we haven't been back in years."
Jae-Ha replied, "You said it as if you were going to pick up something you forgot like it was no big deal, so I was under the impression that it was close by."
"We have to be discrete, so we went the roundabout way," Yoon admitted.
Coming upon a dinky looking shack, Yoon called out, "Ik-Soo, we're back!"
At Yona's startled gasp and Yoon's shocked silence, Kagome stretched on her tip toes in an attempt to see over the tall backs of Hak, Kija and Jae-Ha to no avail.
Everyone rushed into the hut as Yoon knelt by a prone form on the ground. The place was a complete mess! Things broken and tossed around haphazardly.
"Ik-Soo! Ik-Soo, what happened?! Was it thieves?!" Yoon questioned frantically.
The priest stirred listlessly. "Huh? Yoon…"
"Ik-Soo! Hold on, I'll treat you now!"
"I was so hungry… that I knocked everything over."
Everyone sweat-dropped.
"Whew! I narrowly escaped death!" Ik-Soo remarked with an oblivious smile plastered on his bandaged face.
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT YOU STUPID PRIEST! HOW WILL YOU CARRY ON WITH NORMAL LIFE IF YOU'RE ON THE VERGE OF STARVING AND YOU SERIOUSLY HURT YOURSELF FROM FALLING DOWN?! YOU REALLY CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT ME HERE! YOU'RE TOO MUCH OF A PAIN! JUST GO BACK TO THE HEAVENS!" Yoon unloaded all of his pent up worry in such a way that had Kagome swearing she would never piss off the pretty boy.
Oddly enough the priest exclaimed in a sing-song voice, "Wah~ It's Yoon's angry voice."
Kagome sweat-dropped, too stunned to offer any help to Yona and Shin-Ah who were now attempting to clean up the place.
Jae-Ha teased, "You were crying and seemed so frantic, Yoon."
"I wasn't crying! And I wasn't frantic, either!"
"Lord Priest, please forgive us for suddenly visiting. It is an honor to finally meet you." Kagome and Kija bowed respectfully.
Ik-Soo bowed deeply in return. "No, no, the pleasure's all mine! Ah, it's become… so lively. It looks like the princess has gone through a lot of experiences, too."
Yoon interrupted, "Ik-Soo. The Four Dragons are assembled. What are the sword and the shield that protect the king? Is the "king" Yona? Or is it the current king, Soo-Won?"
A contemplative look overtook Ik-Soo's face, or what could be seen of it with his overgrown bangs. "It seems the sword and the shield meant to protect the king both need a little more time to appear. When the time comes… You'll definitely know."
"Hm… So the time isn't now, huh?" Yoon commented disappointingly. "Then what should we do? If we can't go out and look for the sword and the shield…"
Kija instantly stated, "I want to enhance my powers a little more."
Prompting Hak's interested, "Oh, you wanna go?"
"I can't guarantee you will live," Kija replied back haughtily.
Hak grinned predictably, "Ooh?"
"Say… Why are you all avoiding the real issue at hand?"
Everyone froze at the pointed question and its unexpected source. All eyes turned to the usually carefree, naïve yellow dragon.
"Miss, what did you want to gather the Four Dragons for?"
Yona tensed as suddenly all the pressure was on her. "Huh…?"
"You and that guy over there were kicked out of the castle, so it's understandable if you needed the power to fight. It was to survive. But now what? Are you going to run away forever?" Zeno persisted without letting up.
Kagome started toward Ouryuu unsurely, "Hey now… That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"
Zeno didn't even turn to acknowledge her, keeping his gaze focused on the princess.
"…No. I'm not planning on running away forever," Yona stated firmly despite her initial hesitation.
Zeno looked at her blankly in a way that could almost be perceived as cold. "No? Then are you thinking of overthrowing Soo-Won, who stole the title of the king, to take back Hiryuu Castle and the throne?"
Yona stiffened.
Yoon interjected, "Th-that's impossible! No matter how strong the dragons are, we can't attack the castle with this many people―"
"It's not whether we can or can't. It's whether we want to or not. Besides, if we four dragons use our powers seriously… It won't be impossible for us to take down one castle," Zeno confessed in an ominously serious tone only to immediately counter it with, "But Zeno doesn't have that kind of power anyway."
Everyone in the room sweat-dropped. Although, his light-hearted admittance did manage to ease any building tension.
Kija started in towards the yellow dragon threatening, "You―"
"The newbie is sorry! Sorry!" Zeno pleaded with his hands clapped together in a praying position. "Zeno wasn't suggesting we do that. It was just a simple question about what we're going to do."
Kagome wryly thought to herself that his intensity when speaking earlier suggested otherwise.
"It was Zeno's own decision to come along. Miss is free to think what she wants, too," he assured hastily. "More importantly, Zeno is hungry!"
Yoon sighed exasperatedly, "You are so restless. I guess I should make some food for now."
"Yay! Food!"
Turning away from Zeno's cheering, Kagome decided to go see if she couldn't scavenge for any wild herbs or fruit in the surrounding forest. On her way out though, she caught Hak staring at Yona with an expression that was hard to place. Yona's expression however was easy to evaluate. Kagome had no doubt that the princess was more affected by Zeno's words than the dragon intended. Or maybe that was his intention… Kagome had the feeling that while the blue dragon used a literal mask and the green dragon used lechery to hide their true feelings and thoughts, the yellow dragon seemed to use unnatural cheeriness to achieve the similar results. Shaking her head, she left the hut.
Kagome wasn't the only one to come upon this realization however. With Yoon preparing dinner for everyone in the hut and Zeno drooling in anticipation beside him, the other three dragons plus Hak gathered just outside.
"He really took me by surprise. Zeno, I mean," Jae-Ha remarked off-handedly, "I thought he was just a boy with his head in the clouds. I never thought he would rip into Yona like that."
Kija assented, "Yes… He is an incomprehensible one indeed. It is not that I never thought about it. However, the day her father was killed was not too long ago. She is barely managing to protect herself as it is. That was such an intrusive question."
"It's not simply a matter of taking down her father's enemy," Jae-Ha started, "Even if he's a traitor to Yona, that's not necessarily the case for the rest of the country. She would need to silence the five generals who follow Soo-Won to retake the throne. Placing responsibility for the entire country upon the shoulders of a girl who is just 16-years old… would be too reckless."
They were all momentarily silent as they each pondered over their own thoughts.
Kija was the first to break it asking, "Hak, you were acquainted with the king, right? What kind of person is he?"
Hak was quiet for a beat before he walked away dismissively saying, "…Beats me."
"As usual, he will not say anything when it comes to Soo-Won," Kija stated both puzzled and mildly irked by the man's closed-lips over that specific topic.
"Haven't you noticed? When that name is brought up… his expression grows a little dim," Jae-Ha corrected.
"So he was someone he did not like very much?"
Jae-Ha shook his head, "It's not that. He was someone Hak really cared for."
Kagome calmly added some more freshly plucked herbs into a small pouch attached to her hip. That particular herb was useful in both cooking and healing, so she was sure Yoon would be happy with her findings. Besides that though, Kagome found that the methodical process of collecting herbs was both familiar and soothing. If she was being honest with herself, she had to admit that though Kaede's teachings about the various uses of herbs had originally been fraught with frustration and confusion, eventually she had proven to possess somewhat of an aptitude for the subject. It was one of the few things she could contribute to the quest after she put her mind to it. After all, one of her friends was always getting hurt in one fight or another and her supply of futuristic medicine only lasted so long when Inuyasha was so stubborn about letting her go back.
Sighing wearily, Kagome vowed to herself that she wouldn't think of the Feudal Era again for the rest of the night. Otherwise, there'd be no fending off the depression. She really hoped that a clue or some kind of sign would give her an idea of why she was transported here to this strange world and how or if she would ever be able to get back… to modern-day Japan or even to the Feudal Era. The sound of rushing water acted as a worthy distraction as Kagome steadily made her way towards it. But, just as she neared the edge of the woods, she was stopped by voices.
"I've been thinking…" the feminine pitch of Yona's voice reached Kagome's ears, "since the battle in Awa ended. There may still be towns like Awa in Kouka. So from this point on, I'll stand upon the ground and look out over the country of Kouka. I want to help people who are being crushed in situations of crisis. And… I'll never be able to do this from within the castle.
Kagome hid on instinct, her back pressed against the trunk of a tree. She had no reason to conceal her presence, but their conversation sounded serious… and personal. Deciding she definitely didn't want to eavesdrop on the rest of it no matter how curious she may be, she made to leave quietly. However, when she looked back to check that Yona and Ik-Soo were preoccupied she failed to notice someone else sneaking up beside her. A hand clamped over her mouth followed by a vice-like hold immobilizing her against a firm chest. Her scream of surprise and attempts to free herself were immediately halted upon hearing her would-be captor's whispered voice.
"Calm down, Kagome. It's just me," Hak's deep baritone quieted her, but didn't quell her irritation.
Whirling towards him, she whispered furiously, "What the hell do you think you're doing?! I could've seriously injured you just now! And why are we whispering?!"
His eyebrows rose mockingly at her confidence causing her to scowl back defiantly. An amused smirk spread across his face before it was chased away by Yona's and Ik-Soo's ongoing conversation. Despite her unwillingness to overhear, accidentally or otherwise, Kagome was silenced as well by Yona's next words.
"Ik-Soo, I think it's apparent to you so I'll say it. I… met Soo-Won in Awa."
Kagome resisted the urge to turn to look at Hak behind her as she felt him tense from where they were pressed together to remain hidden behind the tree. In another circumstance their position would have seemed intimate, but in this situation, Kagome just felt uncomfortable. Like she was really intruding on a private moment. Although, Hak was the one who kept her there so really, he was the one to blame.
"I thought I resented him… I thought I couldn't forgive him… B-but… I couldn't pull out the sword," Yona's choked admission caused Kagome's heart to clench painfully.
This was the first real confirmation Kagome has gotten over the relationship between Princess Yona and the false king, Soo-Won. Kagome had been able to guess over their travels that Yona and the king had a bit of a complicated relationship that went beyond him killing her father, but now she could clearly see that whatever their relationship became after the tragedy at Hiryuu Castle, Yona still cared for him deeply. The only question Kagome had now was whether Hak's rigid form beside her was because of Yona's relationship with the current king or his own.
Ik-Soo's even tones filled the silent clearing, "No matter how foolish and incomprehensible it is, certainly there are sentiments that cannot be thrown away. Even if you try to stop your heart by cause of being unable to forgive yourself, there will be times when the heart starts running again much to your despair. King Hiryuu said it, too. 'I am human. Even if I am despised and betrayed by humans… I still love them.' That is why… I think people are endearing."
Kagome's eyes widened at Ik-Soo's words briefly before she glanced up to the ever stoic man beside her. Hak's carefully blank face hid much though. It was nearly impossible to tell what he was thinking. Nearly. Looking at him now, she found the answer to her own question. Kagome has felt the ache of jealousy before and she could tell that that was not what Hak was feeling. What he was feeling was worse, betrayal… from the one he thought was closest to him.
The subtle sound of stray leaves crunching and the rustling of fabric signaled Yona and Ik-Soo leaving causing Hak to pull Kagome back further into the shadows to ensure they wouldn't be discovered. The two stood like that silently, waiting for the sound of footsteps in the distance to fade. His arm had long dropped from her waist before Kagome spoke.
Without looking back at him, she hesitantly began, "…I don't know what exactly you and Yona have been through… and I don't know what your relationship is with the king, but I think that you… all of you were close and that you all cared for each other deeply in the past. And if I'm right about that, then I think… in my experience, feelings like that don't just go away. Whatever you're feeling right now, he's probably feeling the same way too."
At that, she finally peeked back at him to try and gauge his reaction, but he wasn't looking at her just… looking off into the distance. Suddenly his hand was on the small of her back, gently guiding her as he spoke for the first time since he pulled her behind the tree earlier.
"…We should go back," he said simply as he led her in the direction Yona and Ik-Soo had left in.
She studied him for a moment, before saying, "You're right. But I don't know how I feel about you herding me around like cattle."
There was a pause, then a smirk. "Just making sure you don't trip in the dark."
"I'm not some princess in need of saving," Kagome snarked while rolling her eyes.
Hak snorted. "No, you're not."
The priestess whirled around and glared at him with narrowed eyes, considering and eventually deciding against it as she stalked away. "Whatever," she huffed over her shoulder.
Staring at her quickly retreating form, he smiled fleetingly before following at a more leisurely pace.
The next morning, Kagome found herself waking at the crack of dawn. She looked around at the sleeping faces of everyone else and decided go outside so as not to disturb any of them. Her eyelids drifted closed and her chin lifted into the air as she took in a deep breath of the fresh air that almost reminded her of the Feudal Era. Here too, in this mysterious land, the air was more crisp and clean smelling than the polluted air of Tokyo.
"Ah, an early riser I see." The cheerful voice caused her to jump slightly. I really need to meditate or something, being caught off guard so often…
She turned to face the newcomer with a lopsided smile. "Good morning, Lord Priest."
"Please, Ik-Soo is fine," he assured the teen pleasantly.
She bowed her head in acknowledgment.
The two stood in companionable silence for a moment. Strangely, the man's presence didn't at all make Kagome uncomfortable despite how little she knew of him. Maybe it had something to do with him being a priest. She just automatically felt more at ease around those of her own "kind." Then again, Miroku was a priest and she wasn't nearly foolish enough to be at ease around him!
The priest interrupted her inner ramblings. "You have something you wish to ask me?"
It was stated like a question, but he already knew the answer. She turned wide eyes to him. Even though she knew that he had some kind of precognition, it was still a little unnerving when she was the one on the other end of his ability.
"I guess…" She hesitated. "I'm not sure you'd even know the answer…"
He waited patiently for her to continue.
"I don't know how much you can… see, but in case you don't already know I'm not from here." She paused here to wait for his reaction, or anything other than the seemingly ever-present smile on his face. He just nodded.
"I'm from a city called Tokyo, which is in a country called Japan. Neither of which exist here, and oddly enough this isn't the first time that I've ended up somewhere that should be impossible. I mean time travel is one thing, but now it's like I've traveled into a whole other dimension! Which, I don't even know if that's a thing. Just when I thought traveling back 500 years into the past and fighting off demons hunting down magical jewel shards was the craziest thing that could happen, that stupid well takes me here! I mean, what the hell?! If this is Fate's way of trying to tell me something or whatever higher powers there are up there trying to punish me for some crime I committed in a past life… Oh wait! I met my past life and she was a freaking saint! She healed injured people for free and protected the world from a super powerful magical jewel that turned people into crazy, bloodthirsty monsters! So I guess that means I'm being punished for being me, which brings me back to my point which is… I really don't know why this is all happening or what I'm doing here!" She panted heavily after her long-winded rant that had been emphasized liberally with wild hand gestures and arm motions.
"…Sorry, I um, ramble sometimes…" She blushed in embarrassment.
Ik-Soo looked at her sympathetically. "I am afraid, Miss Kagome, that I do not have the answers you seek," her face became crestfallen, "but it is my belief that you are on the right path. Regardless of whatever your true purpose is for coming to be here, Princess Yona, Hak, Yoon and the Four Dragons will need your strength for what is ahead."
Kagome nodded smiling faintly at the mention of the others. They couldn't replace her family in Tokyo or her friends in the Feudal Era, but they had already managed to carve out their own little space in Kagome's heart. She'd help them, in any way she can and maybe along the way, they'll be able to help her find her way back home.
A/N: Hope you liked it! It was a little longer than the other ones since it's been so long since I last posted. As always, I love reading your comments/critiques so please review!