Chapter Seven
Dust to Dust
The hum of the engine was the only noise Kagome paid attention to for a long while. She kept feeling the scrape of teeth on her skin, the fanning of heavy breath on her neck. Pressing her hand to the teeth marks, she focused on the road ahead.
"I can't...believe I'm free," she murmured. Turning to the tanned man next to her, Kagome tilted her head. "Why did you save me? Not that I'm not grateful but we haven't exactly talked much."
He lifted a broad shoulder. "Yeah I know, but ya don't deserve to be trapped there. Sorry I didn't warn ya sooner. Figured the least I could do was lend a hand when I saw you escaping. Heh, you looked like the devil was chasin' ya."
Kagome glanced away, watching the scenery pass by. What little she could see of it, anyway. Darkness still swamped the sky, with no sign of sunrise on the horizon. Without anything chasing her, she suddenly felt completely drained. She rubbed at her eyes, feeling a few lines underneath them that hadn't been there before.
"A pretty lady like you shouldn't be trapped with dead things."
"Dead...things..." the feel of Sesshoumaru's heartbeat thudding under her palm came back, real and warm. "What are you talking about?"
Shadowed cobalt blue shifted to her briefly. "Didn't you see Rin?"
A cracked, hollow child stared at Kagome in her mind, right eye caving inwards. She shivered. "I did, but i-it's just a lot to get my head around at the moment."
"Well, just relax. Since I didn't help sooner, I feel responsible." The seemingly amiable man grinned at her. "So I'll explain a few things if you want."
Kagome nodded her head eagerly, hugging her arms and rubbing them to try and rid herself of the biting cold she felt. "That's a relief to hear. I'd really like to know how this whole mess started. Like...why is Sesshoumaru so obsessed with preserving the village? Rin I can understand, kind of. She's his daughter. But I'm lost on everything else."
Koga fiddled with the radio and turned it on, adjusting the volume to let the rock music hum in the background. Her gaze flattened, and Kagome arched a brow tiredly.
He blinked at her. "What?"
"This music sucks. What are you, an edgy 12 year old? My little brother has better taste than this."
Clawed fingers flexed on the steering wheel and Kagome noted their sharpness.
Wolf Prince, Sesshoumaru had called him.
He tsked and chuckled, turning the volume up slightly to spite her. "Fine way to treat a guy who just saved you," he drummed his fingers to the screaming beat. "Alright. I don't know all the details, as I came in later, but here's what I know: This thing started 500 years ago. Sesshoumaru was Lord of the Western Lands, a big deal. I remember he'd gut you sooner than he'd talk to ya. Anyway, he had this sword-"
"Seems like he's got tons of swords in his house," Kagome said dryly, turning the volume down a touch.
"Yeah but this sword was special. Tenseiga could bring people back from the dead."
A cold chill brushed over her shoulders, and Kagome shuddered, reaching forward to turn on the car heating. She felt mild satisfaction when warm air began to fan onto her.
Koga waved a hand in the air, tsking. "With one slice, he could bring a soul back and put it in it's body. That's what he did with Rin. See she'd died by uh...gettin ripped apart by wolves." He sweat dropped, glancing away. "He apparently adopted the girl after that, treated the whole thing as an experiment. But he ended up getting attached to her. So...a few years roll by, and unfortunately, the little tyke gets killed a second time."
"So Sesshoumaru used Tenseiga again?" Kagome predicted.
"It didn't work, unfortunately." Koga said grimly. "Ya can only use the sword to bring back a person once. But Sesshoumaru didn't like that. Not one bit. He held onto her body and found this ogress sorceress demon named Urasue. Real piece of work. She brought Rin back at his behest. Only...necromancy is a nasty business. Using black magic, she was able to create a clay body, with human bones baked into the clay. Rin's soul animated the body, and that's what Sesshoumaru got. A clay doll. Rin was immortal sure, but hollow."
Kagome pressed a hand to her head, sadness swamping her. She couldn't imagine what that must have been like for him. The grief, the guilt. Picturing his usually unreadable face, she could imagine the storm taking place inside him. The proud demon had probably never dealt with his emotions.
"Urasue was killed. More years passed, and Sesshoumau kept Rin around. Except she was depressed and lonely. Sesshoumaru was also startin' to notice the humans were taking over. Bit by bit. Demon numbers are falling, and his Lands are next. So he tries to do two things at once. He learns Urasue's old trade of necromancy and brings back a few dead humans for Rin to be friends with. He then patrols his Lands. Revive then Patrol. Revive and Patrol. But then this all changes. See Sesshoumaru learned necromancy from Urasue's books, but they must have been missing something, because Rin's clay friends crumpled to dust one day."
Her brows drew together. "Why?"
Koga shrugged, "he must have missed something. Anyway he was too busy comforting Rin that he forgot to patrol." He sighed, weariness in his countenance as he placed one hand on his side, under his ribs. "His Lands fell. The Western Keep got destroyed along with all the demons inside. They weren't much good against this new thing called 'firearms' and Sesshoumaru came back to a ruined Stronghold. I heard a rumour about a rival demon clan tipping the humans off, but I dunno."
Some things were starting to fall into place. Kagome touched her bite-mark again, wishing Sesshoumaru had been the one to tell her these things. Maybe it wouldn't have changed anything but...
So that's why he's so intense about keeping the things in his life close. Especially Rin.
"Why the village, then?" She murmured, twisting her hands into her hair anxiously. Vaguely, she realised she'd left her bags in Sesshoumaru's car. My pills. Oh no, I left them behind.
"I reckon he just buried his emotions and focused everything on providin' for his tyke. He made more clay people, but this time he found a way to make sure they wouldn't crumble into dust. He made a barrier by plantin' Tenseiga into the earth. By fusing his youki into it and the human bones baked into the clay- the clay people could live within the barrier."
Koga glanced at her. "That's what the village is."
She felt faint, "so...all those people. They're all- they're all dead?"
"Pretty much. They're just animated clay dolls with souls inside. Want some gum?" He offered a stick to her casually, as though talking about the weather.
Kagome shook her head. "Uh...no thank you."
"So, you're headed to Tokyo, right? This truck will get ya there no problem, it's got a full tank."
She turned to him, noticing how his brow had knitted. "What about you? Aren't you coming with me?"
Koga laughed, before wincing. He pressed his hand harder against his side, coughing. "You might have to put me in an urn."
Blue eyes widened to take in all of his appearance. Kagome grabbed his arm and ripped her hand away soon after, paling. He felt agonisingly cold. "N-no, Koga. Not you too. I thought you said Sesshoumaru only revived humans!"
He smirked at her. "So ya figured it out. Yeah I'm a wolf demon, but he killed me personally and then revived me. Wanted to test if he could bring a demon back. See it was my pack who killed Rin the first time. They were just hungry. But Sesshoumaru didn't exactly forgive me-" Koga coughed, and the truck lurched to the side briefly, before he straightened the wheels.
"You've been out of the village barrier too long! Just let me out and then turn around- maybe you can still make it!" Kagome barked, grabbing the wheel. He batted her hand off carelessly.
"Pipe down. I'm dead either way. Sesshoumaru would break me for my betrayal even if I did get back in time. I'm just glad I did somethin' honourable before dying for good." His lips peeled back to reveal sharp fangs, and he grit his teeth, bowing forward slightly. Kagome felt panic erupt in her chest and grabbed his arm, ignoring how the chilled flesh bit into her palms.
"At least pull over, you dumb idiot!" She began to cry, out of tiredness, frustration or fear. It was difficult to tell.
The wolf demon snapped his teeth at her. "Quit your cryin! I'm taking you as far as I can." He grouched, exhaling while keeping one hand curled around the steering wheel. "500 years ago I woulda done anything to survive, but my whole clan has been wiped out. All I've been doin' for years is read books and learn skills, becomin' a blacksmith, carpenter, mechanic. Anything. But it was all damn pointless. Just a way of starvin' off boredom. I'm tired...I'd wager everyone is."
Kagome watched with alarm as cracks began to spill out over his arm. She quickly removed her fingers when the skin under her hand began to feel brittle and fragile. Heart thudding, she looked around helplessly for something to save him. With a start, she felt her phone still in her pocket.
I must have slipped it in my jeans earlier, yes!
Whipping it out, she dialled for the police, certain the signal would work since they were out on the open road now. There was a long beep, before the line went dead. Kagome removed it from her ear, hand frozen.
"Gn...the hell are you doing, pretty lady? That phone probably doesn't work." Koga grunted, breathing starting to become laboured as he hunched over.
"W-what are you talking about?"
The cracks on his arm started to cave in, the clay crumbling. "You seriously think Sesshoumaru would let you wander around with a working phone? He probably broke it the second you entered the village without ya knowing."
"That's impossible. I've talked to my little brother a few times on it, and my aunt!" She grit out, dialling again. The same dull beep, the same click. "T-the police are probably just out of range."
He gave a dusty sounding laugh, leaning back in his seat. His hair loosened slightly from its pony-tail, showing the tips of pointed ears as they peeped out from his thick black locks. "Not like the police would be much help. For someone so cute, you sure are a dumb woman."
Kagome lowered the phone numbly and watched as his arm crumpled, flattening into dust.
"Koga..." she choked, not sure what to say. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks, and her hand hovered uselessly in the air near his shoulder. He gave a sober, doleful look, before grinning while the cracks spilled up his neck. The truck continued on, the demon refusing to remove his foot from the pedal.
"Don't give me that look, this is a good thing. I can be with my pack now, and lead them in the Netherworld like I was meant to. I just feel sorry for those guys back the village." He sighed, glancing at the road. "Hey...if you feel like it, maybe go back and save them. If you...if you pull out Tenseiga from the ground, everyone will be free. But it's up to you. Not like you owe us anything," he exhaled shakily, wincing as his rib-cage caved in.
Orbs of light started to escape from the cracks over his skin, flowing out. Koga turned to look at Kagome, who could barely see him through the tears blurring her vision. She quickly wiped them away, sniffing.
"You look kinda gross with your nose all snotty." He smirked, closing his eyes as the structure of his body began to cave in. "Still a...pretty lady though..."
Kagome chocked on a sob. Koga's form disintegrated into dust, some specks spilling into the air while others fell into a small pile on the drivers seat. Grabbing the wheel when the truck started to swerve, she numbly watched as the orbs of light from his body rose through the ceiling. Shifting, she saw them travel up into the sky, slowly disappearing entirely.
The vehicle eventually coasted to a stop.
Left alone, her breathing sounded too loud in the small space. The rock music continued on faintly from the speakers, just a dull roar in her ears. Kagome sat back in her seat, a stone in her stomach.
"Damn it," she murmured thickly, rubbing at her eyes. In a burst of emotion, she kicked hard at the dashboard, dissolving into frustrated sobs.
Scooping the dust off the drivers seat hadn't been a task undertaken lightly. Kagome had gotten out of the vehicle and buried what was left of the Wolf Prince in a little make-shift grave behind the cover of the trees by the side of the road. It was left unmarked, but Kagome said a prayer for him, thanking him from the bottom of her heart.
She'd then taken his place in the drivers seat, a chill running through her. Glancing at the road behind her, Kagome wondered if Sesshoumaru would follow.
Starting the engine again, Kagome tiredly carried on. Her fingers found the marks on her neck again and she wondered why loneliness wrapped around her like a gossamer curtain.
The truck pulled away from the hard shoulder, and Kagome stared ahead of her sightlessly. Something was bothering her. Namely the phone. She wished she'd asked more about it. When exactly had Sesshoumaru broken it? She'd managed to speak to Souta a few times.
Exhaling, she leaned forward and turned the terrible rock music louder, letting it wash over her for the remainder of the journey to Tokyo.
Kagome drove along one of the cities many roads, rolling down the truck window to let the breeze tease at her hair. She breathed in the familiar smells of exhaust fumes and looked around at the many sights with a small smile. The sun had finally inched over the horizon, bathing the sky in warm oranges and blues.
Skyscrapers towered high above her, dowsing the truck in shadow. Countless people were already wandering around, probably heading to work at the early hour. Kagome spied Tokyo tower briefly, before it was out of sight behind another tall building. She carried on, pushing fatigue away in order to see her family shrine. Nothing else mattered to her except reaching it now.
"You do not belong outside, in that world," a velvet voice caressed her mind.
He hadn't known what he was talking about. Of course she belonged here.
"This is where you belong."
It was just like Koga had said, she shouldn't be among dead things. Sesshoumaru had gotten everything wrong.
"There is nothing for you past the barrier."
The last one drew Kagome up short. The phone suddenly felt like a heavy rock in her pocket. Why had he said it like that? It seemed a little strange, even for him.
Shaking her head, she continued on to her family shrine, only to find barricades at the bottom of the shrine steps. She pulled the truck up, parking it sloppily and getting out, brows drawing together. That was odd. Kagome made her way to the steel shutters, glancing up at the blocked off stairs. A man came cycling by on the path, and she quickly held out her arm.
"Excuse me, do you know what's going on here?"
The man braked harshly, skidding to a stop. He lifted up his googles and blinked at the structure, as though having passed it so many times it had become part of the scenery. Unnoticed.
"I think there was a fire a few years ago? The shrine is still being repaired, but I don't think the house will be. The city takes so long to do anything, it's annoying huh?" He sighed. "Used to love going to Higurashi shrine for festivals."
Kagome's eyes widened and she froze, limbs locking. "W-what? There has to be...some mistake. Where's the family gone who used to live here?"
He looked at her with confusion, gaze shifting as though he were looking back on some buried memories. He then pulled out his phone and showed her an article.
"They fog your memories. Make you forget a certain thing that happened a few years ago."
Kagome didn't really process what happened next. There was no melodramatic fainting or tears, her brain just went on autopilot. She followed the directions the man had pointed out to her, but she knew the way. Grandma Higurashi was buried there after all.
She stared down at the three plaques, vaguely noticing when the sun became hidden behind the clouds, dousing the land in tinged, dull colours. No grief buckled her. It was more like she'd been completing a jigsaw puzzle for years. Each day, she'd set a piece down or turned over a new one. Kagome had slotted them into place one by one. And now she'd slotted in the last until the full picture gazed back at her.
It made her remember everything.
She'd been staying with her Aunt for the past two years.
The night she'd been kidnapped, Kagome had been on her way to Tokyo to see her family.
To visit their graves.
Kagome knelt in-front of the names with a calm she did not feel. A silent scream stayed locked behind her teeth. She slowly traced the lines of Souta's death date with her eyes and then reached out, touching the cool stone. Sesshoumaru had been right, the pills had fogged her memory, but only in a placebo effect. The actual pills were harmless headache relief.
Bringing out her phone, Kagome placed it numbly to the side. She then sat back on her heels and stared ahead of her sightlessly, hollow as a clay doll.
The woman sat alone in the secluded graveyard, vaguely noticing the unattended flowerbeds that had become ruined and brittle with the encroaching frost. She stayed there for some time, thinking back on everything she'd blocked out in the past few years. A heavy ache pulsed slowly in her chest, solidifying into a stone that weighed down her stomach. Kagome pressed a hand to her mouth and squeezed harrowed blue eyes shut.
One of the larger graves that stood on the outskirts of the burial site stood tall. It's stone was cracked and weathered, with dead ivy clinging to it in vein. A white form shifted out from behind the tombstone, red eyes set on the trembling woman.
"All you need to know...is that it makes you similar to myself."
