Hey! Back again! Don't own. Don't profit.
"I'm sorry."
His words reverberated through me. I sat up and looked at him. I rubbed my face attempting to rid it of tears.
"Excuse me?"
His head shot up, "I fucking said I was sorry!"
"Whatever. Get away from me."
"Fine."
He stalked back down the hall, headed the same way that Rin and her husband had gone. 'What was with him? And with her scars… What'd she mean 'lessons'? Did her husband abuse her? What the hell is with these people?'
"They're not all people, Kagome."
I nearly touched the ceiling. "Oh, Kaede. You scared me half to death. How do you sneak up on people like that?"
"Practice." And she turned and walked down the hall, away from my personal hell.
I mused over what she had said, "Kaede?"
"Aye, child?"
"What do you mean they're not all human?"
"I mean exactly what I said. Only Sango, Miroku, I and now you are human here. Rin was once human but can no longer be considered such."
"What is she then?"
"A demon's mate."
"Wait, so you're telling me that all those stories that my grandfather told me when I was growing up are true? About demons and mikos and epic battles?"
"Aye. More likely than not, I was a witness to some of them."
"Exactly how old are you?"
She smiled at me, laughter ringing in her words, "Never ask a woman her age. My dear, I thought you knew that. You are a Lady, are you not?"
I hung my head in shame, "A Lady? Me? I wasn't born to the court. I was born at a small shrine. I guess my beauty caught his eye. He paid my grandfather a massive dowry. I was barely accepted. His mother hated me. His friends encouraged him to cheat on me."
"That was unfair of him. Why didn't he just step down?"
"He'd never do that. He loved being powerful. I guess that I was just a prize wife."
"I know someone who stepped down for a woman who wasn't of his station."
"Who?"
"Rin's husband, Sesshomaru."
"What was he?"
"A demon Lord. They said as long as he fraternized with a human, he wouldn't be accepted as a Lord. His father is the reason that rule was put in place. Inu no Tashio left his demon mate for a beautiful human princess. And you've met the result of that union."
I was confused. The confusion evident on my face, she explained as much as she could. I asked questions, and on what to me seemed to be a lot of subjects, she had been forbid to reveal anything. The biggest thing I gleaned from our conversation was that He was a hanyou.
'Demons, mikos and hanyous. Oh, my!'
I laughed to myself as I headed back towards my room. Or I thought it was the way toward my room. It's hard to tell when all of the hallways look practically the same. The halls led me on and on, eventually widening into a great hall. I stared about in awe. My room was nothing compared to this. One of the walls wasn't even a wall. It appeared to be a window, or something like a window. Someone stood at the far end of the wall. His silken hair shimmered in the light, parts of it catching and flashing like stars. A much shorter pixie-like woman stood beside him. I ran towards them.
"Rin!"
She turned and waved. Her husband tugged on her arm. She laughed, her face lighting up.
"Kagome, just give him a chance. He's a great guy. You just have to look for it."
"Who's a great guy?"
"Inu-"
"Rin."
"I'm sorry, brother."
He stood there, his golden eyes flashing his anger. "How dare you?"
She smiled, and just before she turned to join Sesshomaru, a whisper escaped her lips. "I just want you to be happy. Inuyasha."
She ran for her husband and he touched the wall. An intense aura filled the room. I turned my head from the light. When I looked back they were gone.
I stood there stunned. I lifted my hand to caress the spot where I last saw the Lord and his wife. It felt cool and strong beneath my hand.
"Is that your name?"
He refused to look at me. "The mirror will show you whatever you desire most. You can look whenever you want. No one will stop you."
"Inuyasha."
He stopped in his tracks. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you say my name?"
"Why not? It's who you are."
'Who I am? What does that fucking mean?'
"Do you even know who I am? I am hated by this world. You hate me. You even said so!" He was screaming. His eyes glowed like embers, full of anger and hurt.
I meekly bowed my head, "I'm sorry. I'm not happy to be here. I didn't mean to take it out on you." He seemed shocked by my honesty.
I placed my hand once more on the cold, stoic wall. "Kagome."
I turned slightly towards him, "Yes, Inuyasha?"
"You can't tell anyone else."
"Alright." I was preoccupied by the thoughts buzzing around my head.
I turned my attention back towards the window, towards the outside world, towards the place where I belong. He looked at me, and spoke what I wanted to but was too afraid to ask.
"Show her. Reveal her husband to her."
The wall was filled from floor to ceiling with an image of Hojo.
"Oh, NO!"
It would be forever burned into my mind. Hojo, my Hojo was slamming one of the hussies from the court.
My words caught in my throat, "This is a lie… It's got to be."
"It doesn't lie."
The tears flowed freely. I hadn't even been gone long and he'd already found someone new… No, she wasn't new! I'd seen her before! I'd seen her leave the house on one occasion.
"That BASTARD!"
I turned, "He was cheating on me all along. I don't understand. Am I not pretty enough?"
I ran from the room, and in my haste I almost didn't catch his final remark, "I think you're beautiful."
Almost done with the editing. I know I haven't changed much, but the story should start to pick up soon. -Hedgie
