Author's Note: Okay, so college started today! What does this mean for this story? Not much actually, just that updates may come later than usual, OR they may come sooner than usual. (real specific, right? ) I am working in 20 min of writing everyday into my schedule. So! Depending on how much I can write and how many ideas pop into my head, the story might move along rather nicely!
Chapter 7
"Eh? So you saw her too?" asked Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku had met up with him and Kagome as they had made their way back from the old well, informing them of their encounter.
Miroku nodded. "It was strange. I could swear it was your brother, Sesshoumaru. The aura was even the same." He sat crossed legged, holding a bowl of rice. They were all in old Kaede's hut, eating a meal.
"I felt it too." said Kagome, serving Shippo his portion of fish. "I thought the same thing, at first. But, the aura had strange twist to it...I can't really explain it."
"Where did you meet her, Kagome-chan?" inquired Sango, holding Kirara in one hand, and keeping Miroku's twitching fingers at bay with the other.
Kagome explained her encounter at the tree, meanwhile Inuyasha stared broodingly at the wall.
"Keh! It pisses me off!" he said loudly. Kagome and Shippo rolled their eyes at Inuyasha's unfounded outburst. "What's Sesshoumaru up to anyway? Smelling like a woman, it's sickening!"
"Inuyasha," retorted Kagome, "It's not Sesshoumaru. There were similarites, but if you'd seen the face, you would've realized it was someone else."
"I don't know why you're getting so worked up, Inuyasha, it's not like you even saw her anyway." mumbled Shippo, then grabbed his head in pain from Inuyasha's blow. "Owww! Kaaagoooomeee!!"
Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "Oswari."
for those who don't know: "oswari" means "sit"
"Ach!" Inuyasha yelped as his entire body hit the floor.
Miroku looked deep in thought. "Perhaps Naraku is behind this. New demon walking around, looking like one of us --"
Inuyasha snorted, "Since when has Sesshoumaru become 'one of us'?"
Kagome gave him a stern look, then turned to the monk. "I don't know. She didn't try to do anything to me, and I didn't sense a shikon shard. That particular fact is kind of his trademark when it comes to new incarnations."
"True, but we can't cross out the possibility. Naraku has gained new tricks lately, and he always seems to be one step ahead of us. The fact that she didn't attack you and that she looks like someone we know could be a ploy to catch us off guard. Make us feel safe or disinclined to attack." whispered Sango.
Kagome and Miroku looked at her with concerned eyes. They knew she wasn't just referring to situation at hand, but also her brother Kohaku.
"Gah! This is stupid, we're wasting time! Let's go search for more Shikon Shards!" said Inuyasha with his usual impatience. "There's nothing we can do about this new female demon right now anyway."
"Actually, that's why Sango and I came to meet up with you in the first place." Miroku piped in before Kagome could 'sit' Inuyasha for his rudeness.
"That's right! The last village the monk and I were visiting had some interesting rumors." Sango further explained what she and Miroku had heard and that they decided to find the rest of the group before investigating further.
"Hmmm. I don't know, what could the flash of light be? This doesn't match up to other Shikon shard incidences we've dealt with. More tragic events should be occuring...let's not do anything unless we hear more. We don't exactly have a lot of time..." pondered Kagome aloud.
Miroku nodded. "The villagers did say it only happens once a month. Since this month is nearly over, I'd say we have to wait awhile before we can investigate."
"Forget it then." said Inuyasha, and with that, he left. Kagome sighed and Shippo shook his head.
--
"My Lady, I've heard some rumors in a few villages that may be of some interest to you." reported the Head Guardsman, a raven-type demon, as he crisply bowed.
Hiroko turned from her tall mirror to face the bowing guard. "Really? I doubt anything that happens in the human world is at all interesting." She turned walked out the double doors that lead to her personal garden. Clearly a dismissal.
Undeterred, the guard followed her protesting, "I believe a flash of green light holds some significance to her highness?"
Hiroko stopped and turned around with a cold expression on her face. The Head Guard inwardly gulped. Daring to follow the Great Lady to her garden when she had obviously dismissed him may not have been the best choice.
"Flash of green light? And what, pray tell, does that have to do with me?" she demanded quietly, then gradually rising in volume "Does it matter the color? If it occured in the human villages then it is a human problem and therefore does NOT pertain to this Great Lady!" Her use of the formal third-person always went up a notch when she was angry.
The Head Guard cringed but held firm. Her eminence would absolutely murder him if he did not inform her of this immediately. "M-my Lady. T-t-there were a-a-also reports of loud cries of pain after the light flashed. The villagers mistakenly thought it to be an angry spirit or demon out for vengeance..."
Hiroko impatiently interrupted him, "Again I ask, what is my part in all of this? I care not if..." she trailed off as she caught the last part of what the guard said. "They mistakenly thought? You sound as if you know what caused this."
The raven demon struggled not to look incredulous. How could she not realize? "Y-Your highness, does this circumstance not sound similar to those of your daughter...?" Then he froze. The look the Great Lady Hiroko-sama was giving him at that very moment was like a death glare.
"What. Did. You. Say?" she demanded in a whisper and took a step forward.
The Head Guard's eyes widened as he stuttered, "Your...your daughter, Hiroko-sama. The transformation...I...I thought...?"
Hiroko calmed herself. Clearly this Guard was as ignorant as the rest of the Household. She had no daughter. That kuro-miko had made sure of that, and her husband had gotten rid of the result of that particular crisis. "Since you seem to have an absurd notion about the number of offspring i've had, let me make it COMPLETELY clear to you. I have no daughter, no female pups of any kind. Not then, not now, not ever. That discussion is closed. As for this incident in the human village, you will not waste my time with trivial details. Am I understood." It was not a question. She turned gracefully around and continued towards the small stream in the field of flowers, then stopped in her tracks at his next words.
"Y-You...you didn't know?"
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