Hello all. I know that it's been a while since I updated, but bear with me. I've got a lot going on now — especially a new, personal project that I had to gather the nerve to ask for. But I did, and now I have to commit myself to that. However, I do think of my stories, of what I'll put into the next chapter, and of how I'm going to take the plot. I know that many of you are wondering:
a) What does Kagome's demon form look like?
And
b) How is Kouga thrown into this?
And I am happy to say that in this chapter these two questions will be answered. Further questions will be answered by the end of the story. Anyways, enough of this note. Read please.
Disclaimer: I do not own the original Inuyasha characters. I only own my own, personal characters and the plot.
Enjoy! ^^
.
.
.
The Demonic Flower
Chapter 8: Judgment
*By Chibi Star Vamp*
.
.
.
There was no hiding the nervousness in her stomach as she followed the special attendant to the light-brown-wooded fusuma. She was certain that all of those who merely glanced at her could see how uncertain she was of the situation.
But how could she not feel nervous?
After all, she had gone against Akuma's wishes — she interfered in the battle. She knew that she shouldn't have, part of her said so. She knew that she had done an outrageous thing that could possibly cost her everything. Yet that newly discovered part of her said, 'You did the right thing.' She hadn't been an idiot — she had done what was needed to do — she had saved the life of Kagome-san, her daughter. Any mother would agree with her — or so she hoped.
She nonchalantly swallowed down the lump forming in her throat; making sure that others would not be able to physically see just what a nervous wreck she was.
The door was less than a foot away, and the other female attendant had her hand on it, ready to open it.
She breathed in through her nose. Attempting to calm herself.
"At least Kagome-san is alive… that is all that matters." She thought. The fusuma slid open, and her eyes immediately landed on the dark-haired female that sat at the head of the low table; her arms hidden in her kimono, and a frown on her pudgy face.
Her gaze stayed on Akuma as she entered the room, and the door slid silently closed behind her. Moments passed before Akuma finally lifted her head, and looked at her.
Already she could tell the conversation would be unpleasant.
Locked in gazed of ice-blue and viridian-green, the two fought with their looks. There was a sense of intimidation that Akuma was providing, but she willed herself not to back down. A shield went over her eyes; she would not allow that elderly little girl to get under her skin.
Akuma clearly saw this, and exhaled silently. Her eyes closed once again, and she watched as the elder seemed to ponder what to say.
The tension in the room only grew.
A silent war was raging in the air, and none of the other demons had the nerve to try and play Peacemaker. Why would they? They've seen what Akuma does to a person when they anger her — she is an unstoppable force that could very easily, personally, send them directly to Hell.
Trying to get in her way was a death sentence.
But that did not mean that, in their hearts, they did not wish to stop the demon from destroying the heiress. After all, they all knew that a demon such as her did not deserve the cruel fate that was to come. She had always been one of the best demons, a true role model, and now she was going to suffer the worst death imaginable.
Forgive us… Their eyes whispered to her. Yet it went unacknowledged. Her eyes were set-in-stone on the dark elder.
"I accept my fate." She resolved in her mind. "She can do with me what she wants — as long as Kagome-san remains safe, and can become a part of this clan. Allow her guidance in this world. That is my dying wish."
"How dare you."
The voice came so abruptly, that it actually caught them all off guard. Immediately all of their eyes locked onto the youngest of the elders. The little dark-purple-haired female raised her head and opened her eyes; they were ablaze.
"How dare you disobey an order." She stated.
She shifted. "I did what I had to."
"Betraying your clan for an outsider is not what you had to do — it is what you wanted to do." The elder clarified. The deadly intent in her eyes slightly intimidated her, she will not lie, yet it was not enough to get her to drop everything she had built-up.
She would fight until the end.
"You may believe that…" She started; gaze like steel, voice as strong as ice. Her head was even tilted the slightest bit upward, symbolizing that, currently, the elder was below her and could not strike her down as easily as she believed. The little girl easily caught-on and frowned deeply at this. "…but you are wrong. There is a very thin line between what is right and what is wrong, and sadly, for you, it became blurred."
"Explain." Akuma said; momentarily stunning her.
"Excuse me?" She asked.
"Explain yourself. What makes you believe this?" She hadn't expected this. Of all the things that she expected Akuma to do, to 'explain her reasoning in further detail', had never been one of them. She'd only prepared herself for the basics; not an analysis on her analysis.
But she, like any quick-thinking demon, easily adapted to the situation. There had been a theory to Akuma's actions that she had been mentally debating on, throughout the fight. Perhaps now was a good a time as any to see if it was applicable…
"Your mother." She stated. It was odd — the room seemed to grow further silent, and yet even more violently vulnerable than before.
There was no doubt that no one had expected her to speak of such a thing. The founder of the clan was rarely spoken of. The demons preferred not to mention her, often, due to how she was a very sensitive topic — especially in the presence of the two children whom she left in her wake.
So for her to utter, so openly, the topic in front of the elders… why, she was further digging her grave.
"My mother?" Akuma asked.
"Yes… your mother." She stated. There was a certain level of confidence in her voice that had not previously been there. But she knew that it was false; inside, she was slowly starting to shake.
"Explain." She uttered, once again.
"Your mother, like Higurashi-san, is a miko…" She stated softly, slowly, stoically. The girl's eyes narrowed further; surely not liking her comparing the new blood to the face of the clan — her mother. "…And I have noticed throughout the years that you are quite sensitive when a topic emerges that involves a miko. In my opinion, the reason why you were so harsh to Higurashi-san is because she reminds you of something that your mother had once been — of dark memories. A miko becoming a demon… The story sounds familiar, does it not?" She questioned.
She could feel the area slowly begin to grow more denser. The air was thickening, and there was a drop in pressure. "Do not back down… do not let her intimidate you." She thought; her eyes momentarily glancing black fog that dissipated in the air.
Her skin prickled; a shiver running down her spine.
"Interesting explanation…" Was finally said; cutting through the silence with a sharp blade — however, she found that the silence was much less frightening than when words were spoken. She currently preferred it. "You have quite the nerve for saying such a thing. Comparing that low-level miko to my mother… there is no comparison. No similarity. My mother was a pure miko. A woman who healed many — from royalty to civilians, mikos to monks, humans and even demons… She cannot be compared to the amateur and how dare you even think that she can!" Akuma's hands roughly smashed into the wood of the table, and caused it to crack a little.
The air was growing thicker, around her, and more and more little wisps of black fog were starting to circle her. She knew that the ice had just grown thinner.
"That is not what I am saying—" She tried to explain, but was unsuccessfully able to do so.
"No. That is exactly what you are saying. You are saying that just because that mutt dabbles in my mother's work, that she can be compared to my mother and it is because of these similarities that my test was so difficult. Foolish girl." She held back her gulp of nervousness. "My mother is incomparable. That mutt is no true miko — a guppy in a sea is more like it."
"You want to know of my theory, Heiress?" Her relationship was growing weaker, with the elder. Calling her by her title was a sign of that. Slowly, Akuma would forget who she was… and that would be it. "I believe that you were the one blinded by your relationships in life. I believe that you allowed your head to be taken away, and mindlessly did what you pleased. Have you forgotten your absence?" Akuma questioned; an emotionless look on her face. She held back the urge to frown. "You were gone for moons. The clan was left without a certain level of guidance. Are you aware that a band of rogue warriors attacked the village that you were assigned to protect? Did you know of the casualties that occurred?" The guilt was starting to eat away at her heart — her resolve. "A mother gave birth to her child on that night, and died not a moment after. That baby was ripped limb-from-limb, and fed to the beasts of those warriors…"
"Oh god…" She thought as she continued to hear of what was being said. It was tearing away at her heart.
"It did not even have the time to inhale its first breath, before it was killed…" Akuma stated. By then, the elder knew that she held the heiress' string in her hand. Now all she had to do was cut it… "And why did this all occur? Because you let your personal feelings get in the way of your judgments. Not once did it occur to you to come back to the clan, and tend to your issues here. Whatever it was that you deemed so important to abandon those people for, could have been resolved here — by someone else who did not have to tend to a village..."
"Do you still believe that what you did, out there, was right, Heiress — to disobey your clan, and cause another casualty? Not to mention that this time, it was your life on the line. With your death comes those of many — foolish girl." She stated.
She wouldn't deny the fact that she wanted to cry.
She hadn't known… she hadn't known that such a thing occurred in her absence. She had been too occupied with her personal mission to even consider the wellbeing of those whom she had been assigned to care for. Those poor villagers… because of her selfishness — because of her allowing her mind to be blinded by her heart she had brought so much grief upon those people…
"I… I…" She thought in her mind. "What… have I done?"
The elder smirked.
She could read it so easily on the heiress' face — her eyes. Her facial expression spoke volumes. And she knew, ever so clearly, that she had won. The heiress understood — saw the error of her ways. Slowly, she was crumbling inside and would very soon apologize for what she had done, and the clan would be rid of that fake-miko, by sunset.
It pleased her.
"I…" The soft voice came from the conflicted heiress as she continued to register what had been told to her. She was now visibly shaking. "I… am sorry…" She said.
Checkmate.
"I know you are, and that is why—"
"No. You misunderstood." The heiress clenched her fists, and she raised her once-fallen head. She looked at the elder directly in her green eyes. "I was not apologizing to you."
"Oh?" Akuma asked.
"I was apologizing to the souls of those gone… to that mother and her child… to that village whom I had unknowingly abandoned. I beg their forgiveness for breaking my promise to always protect them, and I swear that I shall forever honor their graves…" She stated securely. "However, I am not apologizing for disobeying your orders. While, yes, I had interfered in the battle, I do not regret it. I am happy that Higurashi-san is alive. I am not ashamed of my loyalty to my heart. I will forever be burdened by my actions, but I will not allow say that I disagree with what I did. Yes. I was emotional, and allowed my judgment to be clouded — however…" She paused a moment to strengthen the look of hardness in her eyes. They were alight with a certain sense of blazing fire that stated that she would not be taken down so easily. "However, that does not take away from what I did."
"I managed to save the life of a fellow demon — with assistance, of course. I have also managed to save the life of my daughter… The rewards are more-than-pleasing, easily sufficing all of those who share the same bonds as I… Besides, the death of that village is not entirely my fault…"
Green began to sharpen. "What do you mean?"
"Why, I am certain that the unfortunate event occurred moons after my departure. I suspect at least a month's time passing before it occurred — by then, surely, the clan knew that my return would not be swift…" Black outlined the green. "And yet, when the rogue warriors attacked the village, the clan did nothing to try and aid the villagers in my absence… And you have the nerve to blame it all on me."
The wisp of black that encircled her body was not a good sign. She felt it press down on her waist before it disappeared. The threat was growing.
"You have responsibilities… do not expect that they will be taken on by others just because you are absent."
"That would be correct if I had been gone for a few days, however, it must have been a while before that incident occurred — by then, the clan should have provided a system that would ensure all of my responsibilities were taken care of. Yet it did not. And who do you believe is at fault?"
"Enough of this." Akuma sharply stated; ending the conversation. "Your points are invalid." She was about to say something, but the elder cut her off. "That is something to be discussed of later… You have been brought here to debate whether the mutt—"
"I would appreciate it if you stopped calling my daughter a mutt. Your mother surely never did that when you were born…" If she wasn't already waist-deep in frozen water, she certainly was now.
A low growl.
"Heiress." Akuma warned. She remained still. Not even moved by the unhidden hint that was in the tone. Suddenly, she was feeling braver and more confident. Why? Well, it was simple: Akuma changed the topic.
"Now, as I was saying…" The elder sent her a pointed glare; she didn't faze. "Come. Sit."
She was confident in her movements as she moved from her spot, and walked through the black wisp in front of her as she made her way to the cracked, wooden table. She elegantly lowered herself onto the cushion that had been vacant until now, and she met the gaze of the elder.
"You may present your case." Akuma stated.
Feeling more like herself, Yayuki cleared her throat before once again speaking.
"As I am certain that you all have seen—" She was so glad that her voice was strong, and that she was very confident in her words. It calmed her. "—Higurashi-san has many talents. Her skill in arrows is outstanding, and her reflexes are sharp and precise — her body moves on its own when it comes to her being injured. Then there are the facts that she can form barriers so quickly, and their potency is very effective. We have all, once, tested our barriers against Shi-san's blood, and they are not very effective. However, Higurashi-san's barriers are the best."
"I agree that the girl has exemplary skills…" Yamuhira, her mother, said after she stated her opening argument. "While her reflexes are not necessarily applicable to the situation, her mastery in the art of archery can easily be used to our advantage. I have seen a great deal of warriors wield a bow and arrow, but never like her."
"I agree." Her husband, Ikoroku, said. "If she were to join the clan, we could have her teach her techniques to our warriors, and their aim would become more precise and accurate. It would be much easier to defend a village if most of the attackers had been disposed of by long-range, well-aimed arrows." He said.
"However, that is just offense — we must not forget the defense." Tenshi said. "It is true. I, personally, have tested one of my barriers against Shi-san's blood — a terrible fail." She stated with a bit of an embarrassed smile on her face. It relieved some of the tension in the air. "My surprise when I saw Higurashi-san's barrier hold its own against Shi-san, was more shock than I had ever experienced in my life. Her barriers are a powerful source of protection, and if we further develop her skill and study her techniques, our barriers will be just as good — if not better. Imagine the defense. We would no longer have to worry about protecting one of our own, in battle, if we were able to place them under one of her barriers. I doubt that they would be so easily broken by those… marauders." She stated.
"I will admit that she had a… good offense and defense, yet you all saw the flaws. Her mindset was not right, she was too busy running than fighting, and her barrier was weak." Akuma said.
"If I may be so bold as to disagree with you, please note that it had a weak-spot, not that it was weak as a whole." Yayuki said. "Higurashi-san does not seem to have much training, and that is why her techniques are flawed. However, with the right training, they will be developed to perfection and her… anchors will be fully removed of." She defended.
"And how do you suppose this will occur?" Akuma asked. "To do such a thing would require much work — dedication on her part, guidance, not to mention a training schedule, a trainer willing to help her — most likely a specialist in these areas — and a location. The battlegrounds here are already occupied."
"Correction: the regular battlegrounds are occupied." Yayuki said.
"Excuse me?" Akuma asked.
"Higurashi-san's demonic form was born using my essence, therefore she is also considered a high-ranked noble. Hence, she has access to the restricted areas of the clan — those used by the heads of the clan." She stated. She could tell her response did not sit well with the dark elder. However, the light one seemed to like it.
"Ah!" Tenshi gasped. "She is right. Higurashi-san is considered a noble since noble essence was used to create her." She stated. "However could we have missed that…?" She muttered with her hand and sleeve slightly covering her mouth; pondering.
"Not only that," Ikoroku picked-up. "But because of this, she also has access to the trainers that the First Estate uses. They are full specialists in nearly every battle category…" He said.
"I suppose you are right…" Akuma stated; not at all pleased with what was occurring. "Yet you all seem to have forgotten the fact that the trainers are all busy. The blue moon will soon rise, and the sages must be prepared for it — they are working overtime and surely have no time to take on another student…" She said.
"Right…" Tenshi said. "With no trainer, Higurashi-san's talents will be useless to us if they are not further developed. If she remains at her current level, there is only so much that we can do. After all, who's to say that an enemy demon would not learn of the weaknesses, and share them?" She said.
"If that were to happen, our cells would become vulnerable to attacks…" Yamuhira said.
"They would be defeated in battle if a large group of enemies attacked — then they would go on to the next group, and the next; until they arrive here and use whatever possible information they could have gained, to successfully attack us…" Ikoroku furthered the argument. His face showed dislike. He was slowly starting to believe that adding Kagome to the clan would deal more damage than do good.
Yayuki could sense the tide starting to turn, and immediately racked her mind for any possible solutions. "Those darn trainers…" She thought in her mind. If only they had more…
And that's when it hit her.
"Do not fret…" She said; immediately grasping their attention. "I have found a solution."
The sun had set.
The sky had turned into a mirage of reds, oranges, pinks and tones of yellows and gold as the large star began to further touch the horizon, and disappear beneath it. This she could clearly see from the view that the large window in her room, provided.
Kagome frowned lightly at the beautiful sight.
"She's been gone for hours…" She stated worriedly in her mind. "What could be taking her so long? What could they possibly be talking about? Am I gonna stay or will I be forced to go — or worse? How did I do? Did I pass — fail? Ugh!" She inwardly groaned. "I can't take this not-knowing. I need to know!"
Her stomach was positively overflowed with nervousness as time went on, and her thoughts continued to take a turn for the worse.
They went from her wondering what was being said, to her predicting the future. Already, the negative side of her (the more overwhelmingly dominant side of her) could see herself being denied entry into the clan, and killed where she stood. Her past gruesome sight-seeing had allowed her to envision her blood splattered on the walls, along with her limbs lying miserably on the floor.
She pictured the demon that she had earlier fought (what was her name again…?) licking the blade off her scythe, which she had used to kill her.
'Delicious…' She imagined the demon saying, and it caused her body to experience unpleasant shivers.
"Disgusting…" Kagome thought as she continued to pace around the room. "Then again, I wouldn't put it past her — she licked the blood off my hand for crying out loud." Briefly she glanced down at her right hand; her eyes landed on the faint scar that was there. (She was impressed by how fast it was healing). For a moment, she felt as if she was experiencing the moment once again, and she visibly shook her body; rotating her limps violently. "Gross…" She muttered aloud.
Even though after the battle, she had been scrubbed down graciously, she could still feel the demon's saliva on her. It was a disgusting feeling, and she wished that she could just forget about it, but that had never directly happened to her, and she didn't like it.
She honestly preferred it when demons licked blood off of blades.
For the umpteenth time, she sighed.
It'd been such a long time since she last saw Yayuki. She could still vividly see the heiress' back as she followed one of the elders' attendants. Briefly, her mind recollected the emotion that she had felt, at that time. It had been blank. That spot in the back of her mind that seemed to be connected with Yayuki's emotions, had held no emotion as she followed the woman to where the elders had gone.
And that worried her.
Was the situation really so dire that it requested one to be completely disconnected from their heart? Did she really have to hide her emotions, or risk something bad happening?
The thoughts caused Kagome's stomach to stir.
She could only imagine what might be occurring. What those demons might be saying about her. In her mind, she pictured Yayuki defending her. Yet that elder Akuma was slowly winning the argument. Then, a verdict: her death.
Kagome swallowed.
"Have faith, Kagome…" She told herself. "Don't give up hope, just yet…" She said.
As the moments passed, her mind continued to revolve around the same topics: her friends and the debate. She went through several situations with each topic, in her mind. The most common was that, just as the elders declared her to die, Inuyasha showed-up at the estate and fought his way through the demons.
He used his sword to easily fend-off the demons that roamed the estate walls, and eventually found her.
'Inuyasha!' She imagined herself shouting in surprise, just as he burst through the doors. His clothes would be lightly covered in blood, perhaps even a little torn, but he would show no hints of fatigue. 'You found me!'
'Idiot!' He'd shout at her; stomping in the room. 'Who the hell told you to get captured? Why the fuck do you have to be so weak?!'
'Hmph.' She'd respond, crossing her arms. 'And to think I was actually starting to miss you — I take it back.' He'd growl. And it would be then that he grabbed her by the waist, and threw her over his shoulders. 'Hey! What are you doing?!' She'd question.
'We're getting out of here.' He'd mutter as he made his way to the window; refusing to go through the door since he knew that other demons were headed their way.
'Well… let me be on your back!' She exclaimed. There was a light shade of red growing on her face, due to how he carried her. She couldn't remember the last time she had been handled that way, as if she were a rag doll. And she didn't appreciate it. It made her angry that he was treating her like all those other demons…
'Not happening. You won't be able to hold on while wearing those stupid clothes — why the hell are you dressed like that, anyway?!' He'd exclaim.
She'd huff. 'I'm a princess. They worship me here.' She'd say. And just like she expected, he'd only grow angrier.
'Who'd be crazy enough to worship you?!' He'd ask.
She would be ready to rebuttal, when the shouts of demons reached her ears. She would feel Inuyasha's hold tighten on her as he jumped through the window.
'Inuyasha, slow down!' She'd shout.
'Shut up! I'm trying to save your life, here!'
They'd continue like that until he got her safely out of the area, and brought her back to the others. There, she'd reunite with Miroku, Sango and Shippou, and tell them of everything that had happened to her.
Oh — she could just imagine his reaction once he found that she was not the same Kagome that he had seen, before. No. She would be a demon.
And her later displays of strength, agility, and intelligence would make him come to terms with the new her, and fall in—
She abruptly cut-off her thoughts.
A blush quickly grew on her face, and turned it a bright shade of crimson. She had let her imagination wander too far, and travel to a place that she's refused to acknowledge. At least… until she was certain that she wasn't being a foolish child and that her fantasy had the chance of becoming reality.
She gulped down as she reached the bed, and climbed into it. Like she had done so many times before, at home, she brought the pillow to her chest and snuggled against it. Her heart was pounding, and suddenly she felt upset.
"Silly girl…" It mimicked his voice.
"Kagome-san…" The soft voice was enough to lull her out of her sleep. Kagome began to stir as her senses picked-up on the new presence in the room. Her nose twitched as she inhaled the lovely scent, and her ears jerked as she heard the voice. Her body slowly began to awaken. "Kagome-san, please, awaken…" The soft voice said.
She groaned.
"Grhm… hm…?" She said.
There was a soft laugh.
"Kagome-san, please awaken. It is important." As fingertips brushed through her hair, Kagome's eyes began to flutter open. After a few seconds, their steel-gray color was revealed and her vision was no longer blurry. Turning her head, she found that it was resting on cloth that surely did not belong to bed, and rotating it upward caused her to jump.
"Yayuki!" She exclaimed. She was greeted with the heiress' smile; one that she had grown fond of since it provided her such a sense of much-needed security and protection.
"Good evening, Kagome-san." Yayuki said. "I hope you rested well." She said.
Kagome smiled. "Yeah. I did." She began to sit-up on the bed. She found that her head had been lying on Yayuki's lap, and that the heiress had held her like she had once done to Inuyasha, when he fell ill. It was a little bit strange to have the role reversed, but that didn't mean that she minded. It was… nice. There was an outstanding sense of warmth and comfort.
"I am glad that you were able to have some rest, Kagome-san. Your body must still be fatigued from the battle." Yayuki said; her eyes exhibiting her worry.
Kagome shrugged. "A little. I mean, it hurt after the battle, but now the pain has kinda dulled." The demon's smile returned.
"Oh good. Your body is starting to heal itself." She said. Her statement caused Kagome to become surprised. Then, Yayuki's eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. "If the pain has dulled… that means that you must be healed. Perhaps, you will no longer need to be wrapped in those bandages… Oh this is good news, indeed."
"Really? You really think I can finally take them off?" Kagome asked.
"Depends…" Yayuki said; somewhat stomping down on her flame of hope. "First, I have to have your body inspected… And now is a good a time as any. Haru, Jun…" Yayuki said softly. It was then that Kagome realized that the two attendants were standing on separate sides of the door.
Kagome noticed how they were dressed rather… exquisitely.
Haru had her beautiful pink hair down and falling to its full length; her petite waist. The locks were softly curled, and her bangs were pulled to the side. She was dressed in a beautiful yukata. It was the color of a deep purple, and held tiny imprints of golden leaves on it. The scent of roses and cherries was immensely on her, and Kagome saw that Haru's lips were painted a deep red, that contrasted and yet went well with her female yukata.
Jun, as well, was dressed differently. Her burnt-orange-colored hair was styled in a way where it seemed beautifully tousled, with tiny curls here and there. There was pair of chopsticks on either side of her head that held jewels hanging from their tips; reflecting the light in an exquisite way. Jun's yukata was a light, soft green color. Cherry blossom patterns were scattered about, with orange stems and leaves instead of green. Her face was also further-prettied by light pink lipstick.
Kagome looked over the two attendants with eyes wide with wonder. What were they so dressed-up for?
"Yes Yayuki-hime?" They asked; the smiles on their faces brighter than she had ever seen them. It only further grew her curiosity. What was going on?
"Just like we discussed, prepare Kagome-san for the night. We cannot have her simply dressed, like before — no. Make sure that she is… a vision. A lovely vision." She emphasized. "Remember: she is one of the Guests of Honor…"
"Guest of Honor?" Kagome thought. "What does she mean by that?"
"We will do nothing less, Yayuki-hime." Haru said. Jun nodded.
"Very good. Bring her by my room once you are finished with her." Yayuki began to stand from the bed, and Kagome saw how she was dressed in an all-white kimono that was bare. Odd. She'd never seen Yayuki in such a state of undress. What was going on? "Now, if you would please excuse me, I have preparations to attend to." She said.
"We will see you soon, Yayuki-hime." Jun said as she and Haru opened the doors and provided the heiress' exit.
"Goodbye until then." She said. And with that, she walked through the doors and her body was hidden by the fusuma. Alone on the bed, Kagome looked at the two attendants with confusion swirling in her eyes.
"What—"
"Forgive me for interrupting you, Miss Kagome, but we must hurry." Jun said.
"Huh? Hurry for what?" She asked.
"There is much to do." Haru said as she and Jun began to approach the bed, and thus her. "And we have so little time to do so. This is really a rather… sudden development." She said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"Please Miss Kagome, we must hurry or you will be late." Jun said.
Kagome was still heavily confused. Her mind was a mixture of questions. What was going on? Why was she suddenly being rushed? What did Yayuki mean by Guests of Honor? Was some sort of celebration going on? Or… was it her execution?
In her mind, she gasped.
That would make sense, she said to herself. Guests of Honor could very easily be a code for (s)he who will be executed. She'd flunked the battle, and now they were going to kill her because she had both seen and knows too much.
"No Kagome, no." She mentally scolded as she began to follow the attendant's orders, and stood from the bed. The robes that she had been dressed-in were a little disheveled, and she had a bit of a difficult time getting off of the bed. She got off, however, with the help of Haru. "Don't think so negatively. If that was the case, they'd be cold and distant. They wouldn't be acting like this or—" She briefly paused to examine Haru and Jun, once again. "—look like this… whatever's going on isn't negative…"
Up on her feet, Kagome momentarily silenced her thoughts and began to follow the two lovely-dressed demons, behind them.
The maidens led her out of her room, and took her the, now-familiar route, to the bathhouse. On the way, Kagome noticed how the demons in the hallways were scurrying about. Many of them were running from place to place, and some were even scrubbing the hallways down with cloths.
Vases full of fresh flowers were being placed on each table, and the portraits that hung were constantly fiddled with; even though they looked perfectly aligned to her.
She took note of how the hallway smelled fresher, cleaner, and the wooden floor held a polished shine to it. This became fully apparent to her when she almost slipped on the washed-down floor, and almost landed ungracefully on her butt. Luckily, Jun held quick reflexes and caught her just in time.
"Thank you." Kagome said; a light blush on her face due to the fact that she had almost embarrassed herself in front of so many people.
"You are welcome." Jun said.
"Miss Kagome, are you alright?" Haru asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine…" She said softly. "The floor's so smooth and slippery. Why is everything being cleaned?" She asked.
"Ah! That is because—" Haru quickly shushed the younger attendant with a fierce look in her ruby-like eyes. "Now now Jun…" She said. "We must not ruin the surprise. Yayuki-hime would become quite crossed with us."
"Correct. Forgive me..." Jun said with a somewhat saddened look on her face as they continued to walk.
"Hurry, hurry — we have lost enough time as it is, and I do not believe that Yayuki-hime would enjoy tardiness now of all times… She is in enough stress as it is." Haru said; dismissing Jun's almost slip-up.
This only fanned the flames of Kagome's puzzlement. Why was the current situation to be kept secret from her? Why was she not allowed to know what it was? Could it be… that it was, in fact, something bad; and that Yayuki did not wish her to escape before she learned of it?
"Stop being an idiot." She told herself as they walked through the large double-doors, and made it outside. The sky had now fully darkened and a myriad of stars was visible. "If that was the case, why would she smile at you like that? Besides, you can trust her… right?" Yet as she tried to feel Yayuki's emotions once again, and found nothing, she wasn't so sure. Why the stoniness? Why the secrets?
It was all starting to make her paranoid.
They reached the bathhouse in the few seconds that passed, and Kagome inhaled, deeply, the scent of fresh water lilies in the air. There were also hints of lavender and roses.
She liked the refreshing smells, but they only added-on to her curiosity of the situation. When they reached the changing room, she spotted large buckets of water waiting near the entrances, and saw servants going in and out of the hot spring area, removing and adding buckets of water.
What were they doing, she briefly wondered. But she had not time to debate on the display, as Haru and Jun guided her to the changing room, and handed her a towel to change into.
"Miss Kagome," Haru said before she entered the room. "Jun and I must attend to a few minor things back at your room, and a separate attendant will be with you during the bath. I hope this does not displease you." She stated.
"Oh no. That's okay. I understand." Kagome said.
"Thank you. We will see you when you return to your room." Haru said. She and Jun then gave her smiles before they departed. She wondered what it was that they had to do.
"Calm down Kagome…" She thought as she entered the changing room, and began to remove her clothing. "In a few more minutes, I'm sure you'll get the answers." Biting back the gnawing urge to ask all of her questions at once, Kagome finished the removal of her clothing, wrapped herself in the towel that she was given, and entered into the area where the host springs were at. Surprisingly enough, the water was dusted with rose petals.
Clearly this event that her two attendants had mentioned earlier was very, very, veryimportant. Otherwise, so much would not have been done to… prepare the estate, in a way.
"Miss Kagome…" A timid voice said as it caught her attention. It was soft, and hard to take notice of, but her sensitive hearing picked up on it, easily. Turning her head towards the sound of the voice, Kagome's eyes landed on an unfamiliar demon.
Her eyes scanned the female.
She was petite, and resembled the age of an eight-year-old little girl, from her time. Her hair was a lovely shade of soft, petal green, and it was tied back into a bun, and held a wavy texture to it. Her eyes were the same vibrant shade of red as Haru's, and she was dressed in what she easily recognized as a bathing kimono; a simple, white kimono. In her small hands was a bucket filled with bathing materials, along with a comb.
The little girl stood awkwardly as she addressed her. Her eyes kept darting from some unknown area, and back to her; however when they made contact with her own, her pale-skinned face was lit by a burning red blush
"Hello." She said softly; timidly. "M-my name is C-chie and I w-will be b-bat-th-ing you…" She stuttered-out.
Knowing that the girl was probably shy, Kagome gave her one of her largest smiles, and greeted her happily. She hoped that it did not frighten the sweet little demon. "Hello Chie." She said with kindness in her voice. "I'm glad to meet you."
"I-I am h-hap-py to meet you a-as well, M-iss Kagome… T-there has been m-mu-ch talk about you — it is an h-on-or…"
Kagome lightly blushed. She'd never heard someone say that it was an honor meeting her. That meant that she had quite the positive reputation. She was glad for that. Perhaps the results of her battle would not be as bad as she negatively predicted?
"That's sweet of you to say. Thank you." She said.
"Y-you a-re welcome." Chie softly said. Then she gestured with one of her small and slightly shaking hands, to the pool of water, and Kagome wasted no time in receiving the hint, and stepping inside. She sighed as she entered. The water was perfectly heated, and the smell of the fading roses added to the experience. She could feel her muscles relaxing and healing.
"This is so nice…" She thought. "It's better than before…" She laid her body against the plush set of cloth that Chie placed behind her back, and relaxed further into the water as the young attendant skillfully began to wash her.
Her movements were surprisingly full of confidence, despite her brittle personality.
In the midst of the bathing, Kagome was so close to dozing-off as the gentle strokes on her back unwound her muscles. Yes her earlier bath was pleasant, but Chie's work was amazing. She had never felt so harmonious in her lifetime. The moments of her bath allowed her to connect with the breeze, and the plant-life around her. She could feel the wind gently stroke the leaves, and the slight whisper in the air that it created.
She had never felt anything like it before. Suddenly her body was sensitive to everything around her, and she could feel the small vibrations that the moving rose petals created in the water. Where the hot water gushed in, she could feel it. The wind blowing across the water, she felt.
It was a peaceful thing. As if she had reached nirvana.
She knew that, any moment now, she'd fall asleep. Luckily for her, she was brought out of it when Chie dumped hot water on her head. Unluckily for her, she had been taking in a deep breath when the attendant had done so.
"Miss Kagome! I—I am so s-s-sorry!" Chie exclaimed as she immediately began to lightly pat on Kagome's bandaged back.
She pulled back the demon's hair from her face, and even lightly dabbed at it with a small white towel that she had placed at her side. She hoped that Kagome was not upset with her.
"It's alright." Kagome said after she had most of the water cleared. "It was an accident; besides, I shouldn't be dozing-off in a bath. My skin will start to shrivel." She said with a light laugh. Chie mustered a laugh herself (although it was clear that she was still upset over the situation), before she continued to wash Kagome's hair.
Fully awake, Kagome leaned back against the spring, and decided to keep her mind focused on taking in every changed detail of the hot spring, to ensure that she would not be subject to another abruptly-stopped-nap, once again. She took note of how there were lanterns lit, seemingly floating above the hot pools of water, and the peaceful atmosphere that it created.
She liked it, she concluded. And took joy in watching the way the candlelight bounced off of the water, and caused the liquid to shimmer beautifully.
Before long, Chie was done washing her and doused her head once again. This time Kagome made sure that she was prepared, and closed her mouth as the water was splashed on her head. Then she stood from the bath, and Chie helped her inside of the robe that she was to wear to her room. It was as she was removing the wet the towel from her torso that she noticed her body was not covered in bandages.
"Wha—when did I get them off?" She asked as she looked at her hand; the robe now tied around her waist. She examined her free hand. Without the wrappings, she could clearly see that her skin was paler than it had been, before. Her fingers looked longer with the long claws that had formed at their tips, and she was surprised by how polished and sharp they were.
"T-the bandages d-diss-solve in water w-when the b-body is healed…" Chie said to her, softly. Kagome was surprised. She'd never heard of bandages that did such a thing — yet it was clear to her, from the beginning, that the bandages were special. Still, it was her first time encountering such a thing.
"Wow… I wish I could give some of these bandages over to Kaede. I bet they would really help her out…" She thought. It would certainly allow Kaede to tend to other things, what with not having to worry about tending to a person's bandages.
"P-please come, M-iss Kagome. H-h-ha-aru-senpai and Jun-n-senpai a-are awaiting us…" Chie timidly said. Kagome stopped studying her hand, and pressing the tip of her fingers against the claw on her thumb. It was sharp, yet somehow not sharp enough to break through her skin.
"Right." Kagome said as she flexed her hand; like she'd seen Inuyasha do. She never understood why he did it, but now she did. It helped keep the blood flowing in her hand, and thus the movements remained easier.
She waited patiently for Chie to put everything in its proper place (telling the young girl that it was no problem when she apologized for taking so much time), and then silently followed her as she was led-out of the bathhouse, and taken back to her room.
There, she found herself very eager to look at her reflection. Currently, all she'd seen was her hand. And that was not much given as how her hand wasn't a large portion of her body. Now, she felt that it was about time that she'd seen the rest of her body. After all, who knows how long she's had those bandages wrapped around her.
She felt that seeing her body, was something that was overdue.
"I wonder if I have any battle scars. Inuyasha doesn't seem to have any — will he consider me less-of-a-demon if my body isn't perfectly healed?" She quickly switched her emotions. "Who cares? At least I'm a full demon and he's not. Even if my body has scars, I always have that over him…"
When she reached her room, and Chie slid the fusuma open for her, her eyes immediately landed on the kimono that hung from the wardrobe knobs; directly opposite of her.
It was the most lavish kimono she'd seen, by far.
The material was surely nothing less than silk. The way the candlelight placed in the room reflected off of it assured so. It was a beautiful, light pink color with a soft-yellow-colored obi. The print on it was of bright yellow flowers that had both the stems and leaves connected to it, in the color brown. The sleeves of it would surely go down to her waist, and the borders of the kimono were reflecting the light brilliantly, with the sparkles that were embedded into its fabric. (It was the first time she saw a glittered kimono).
She noticed how the symbol of the clan was printed on the left side of the kimono.
She was now fully convinced that whatever was occurring, was definitely something good. After all, why would they have her wear a kimono like that if they were just going to execute her? Why would they have her war their symbol, if they were just going to dirty it in blood?
Surely that was a disgrace, and not something to be done.
"They wouldn't waste something like that on death."
"There you are, Chie." Haru said as she spotted the two younger females. She finished polishing Kagome's matching shoes, and placed them at the kimono's side. "I hope that Chie bathed you well, Miss Kagome."
"I loved every second of it." Kagome said; not missing the light shade of pink appearing on Chie's face.
"I am pleased. You did a spectacular job, Chie." Haru praised.
"Thank you, Senpai." Chie responded. Her head was downcast, yet she tried her best to look at Haru as she spoke to her. It was a difficult task, though.
"Now, prepare yourself for this evening. I am certain that the elders would not be pleased if you, of all demons, attended the event unprepared." Haru said. Chie was part of a special group of demonic attendants that were specifically assigned to tend to the elders. Being as how she was the age they resembled, she was favored the most, by the elders.
"Right…" Chie said softy as she nodded her head. "E-excuse me then, Senpai. I hope to see you all there. G-goodbye." As silent as a gentle wind, the little female left the room.
Kagome's attention was then changed from the little girl, to Jun, as the demoness spoke. "Miss Kagome," Jun said. "I am so glad to see that your wounds have been healed." She was the first to comment on the lack-of bandages on Kagome's body. Kagome smiled as she looked down at her un-bandaged arms. The skin there seemed flawless. Perhaps it was?
"Thank you. So am I — it's great to not have them restrain me, anymore." She stated.
"Unfortunately, while it is good news that your body has healed, you must still drink your medicine, Miss Kagome." Jun said as she gestured to the wooden tray in the room, holding Kagome's special tea. The demonic miko cringed as she picked-up the oh-so-familiar smell of that infuriating tonic.
She honestly hated having to drink it so much; she'd done so each time before she left the room. But the two attendants told her that it was so her soul would stabilize inside her new demonic body. She'd only have to drink it for a little while…
"Right." Kagome said. She sighed unhappily as Jun poured the tea, and then handed it to her. "Exactly how much longer will I have to drink this?" She asked. She stirred the liquid inside by gently rotating the cup, and downed it in one, agonizing gulp. She immediately stuck her tongue-out. What she wouldn't give for some mouthwash.
"Only a few more days; it seems that your soul is accommodating itself well inside its new body." Jun stated. She took the cup from Kagome, and set it down.
The miko shook her head; trying to get rid of the shivers in her body from having to drink that tonic.
The two attendants held back their giggles. Kagome, to them, was one of the most amusing demons they'd ever seen. She has done quite a number of humorous things, but they would be rude if they laughed at her silliness.
"Well then, now that that is taken care of, let us get started in your preparations, Miss Kagome." Haru said. Jun nodded.
"Since you are now healed, after you place on your underwear, I will bind you breasts for you, Miss Kagome. I hope you do not mind, though…" Jun said.
"I don't mind at all." Kagome said. She was used to having her breasts bound for her. Yuksi had done so, many times, back at the mountains. "Thank you." She said with a smile as she began to walk to the bamboo-made three-panel divider that stood next to the large wardrobe, in the room. It was both high and wide, and it would not take much to hide her from behind it.
She got out of the robe, and her un-bandaged body caught her attention. She hadn't even seen a hint of what her new body looked like, in all the time she's spent there. After all, she's spent her last days as a living mummy. Now was the time to finally study her new demonic body, and all the features that it came with. (While she wasn't expecting grand changes, she knew that there would be a couple, and she wanted to know what they were).
Tilting her head downwards, she began to study herself.
She was still thin. Only, now there was a muscular tone to her stomach. Before, it had been completely soft, with no hints of muscle underneath. Now she could clearly see the outline of muscle on her stomach, and feel it as she ran her hands through. She was glad, however, that the muscle didn't get in the way. In fact, it worked with her figure, and didn't make her seem overly thin. It made her look… strong.
Placing her hands on her hips, she noticed how they seemed to be the same size. She really saw no difference. Her butt had not gotten bigger nor smaller. She was glad, though, since her new waist gave the illusion that her hips were bigger.
Her breasts, she found, were also the same size. They, like her hips, also hadn't changed in size and shape. She was glad, though. She preferred her body the way it was. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she had to work with bigger breasts, or smaller ones. She was already used to her size and couldn't imagine having them changed.
However, her new toned waist did make her look curvier. Staring down at her body, she noticed how the muscles on her stomach accentuated her light curves, and defined them more.
Her legs seemed longer, even though she was certain that they weren't, and they were slim as well, but with muscle hidden underneath. She patted down on her legs; feeling the tight muscle beneath her smooth flesh. Briefly, Kagome wondered just how fast she could now run. Yes she had run before, at the battle, but she never paid attention to how fast she was going. She was itching to go run through a field — to race Inuyasha.
"Maybe now I'll finally be able to keep-up with him?" She thought as she remembered all those times she had to ride on his back since it was clear that she wouldn't be able to achieve his speed, on her own. Oh yes. She'd very much like to outrun the hanyou, at some point. It would only establish herself as a true demon.
Finishing her analysis of her new body, she saw that her feet were a little bigger than before. It was not by much, perhaps just a centimeter or so. However, she was certain that it was for practicality. Maybe bigger feet made it easier to land on things?
She sighed. "At least they're not too big. I can handle these." She thought; turning her feet from side-to-side. Overall, Kagome was pretty satisfied with her new demon body. It fit her quite while, and it wasn't too much for her to handle. She felt strong, surprisingly lightweight, and fast even though she had yet to put it to full use.
She honestly couldn't wait until she began learning how to use it to its full potential. She was certain that her new demonic body could do amazing things; things she'd dreamed of doing.
Her musings were abruptly stopped when Jun asked her if she was finished. Flustered, Kagome stumbled through a reassurance (somewhat of a fail), and quickly placed the cotton panties on. Then she gave Jun the okay and the older demon entered the covered area, and tied the sarashi (a/n: a long, winding strip of cloth — usually thick cotton — wrapped tightly around the midriff, up to the chest) around her breasts.
When that was done, she blushed as she came-out of the divider. She hid her upper body slightly. Despite these two having seen her undressed — to an extent — she still couldn't help but be self-conscious about her body; especially since nearly all of it was no longer covered.
As usual, she stood on the pedestal. The two maidens complimented her on her body; saying that it fit her, perfectly. Kagome couldn't help but blush. So far, her body had received good reviews. Now all she needed to do was use it, well.
With Kagome atop the pedestal, Haru and Jun quickly began to grab the kimono's underwear and dress Kagome in it. Having done this earlier that day, Kagome knew what they were going to do, and made sure to stabilize herself atop the pedestal as they placed her inside the white cotton skirt and shirt.
The process seemed less time-consuming than before, and before long, they were placing the actual kimono on her. Kagome loved how it glowed in the light of the candles that lit the room perfectly. Its color was extravagant, and the silk felt amazing against the skin of her neck as the kimono lightly brushed against it.
The two attendants fit it perfectly on her before wrapping the belts and obi onto it, and tying it in a special knot, just like earlier. Kagome then held onto Jun's hand as she and Haru helped her slip into the shoes. This time they were wooden, and not as completely smooth as before. She was glad for this. Last time, she always felt as if she was about to slip and fall due to the shoes' smooth surfaces allowing her socked feet to slide.
They then took her to the wardrobe.
"Do you wish to see yourself, this time?" Haru asked her as she took a seat on the bench.
Kagome didn't even think about it. "Yes." She responded.
Haru nodded her head, and momentarily left the area as she went to grasp a large, rectangular mirror. It looked quite heavy to her, but Haru didn't seem to have any trouble carrying it. She reached the wardrobe, and placed the mirror on a space of the wardrobe that held no items on it. When she had it steady, she released it.
Kagome looked at her reflection.
She gasped at what was reflected back at her.
The first thing she noticed was her hair. Just as she had predicted early-on, it was now shortened, incredibly, to the point where her hair rested against her scalp and barely held any length to it (perhaps an inch or two, max). Her bangs, however, had become slimmer and no longer covered all of her forehead, regularly. Instead, it swooped down to the side of her face and landed on the side of her right cheek. Briefly she blew at it; its movements were feather-like.
Next, she noticed how not only her body had slightly changed due to her new demonic blood, but her face, as well. While her lips were the same, her nose was a little more rounder than before. Its structure had changed in a way that allowed her to breathe more clearly, and she found that it changed her face, entirely. Her cheekbones were higher, and her eyes were more almond-like. Her eyebrows looked as if they had been professionally plucked into the most perfectly slim eyebrows she'd ever seen.
Her eyes, she noticed, had completely changed in hue. They were no longer their dark-brown color, but now a steel-gray color. It surprised her that they were no longer the color she'd had since birth. In a way, it made her not able to recognize her own face. Her eyes weren't brown.
She hadn't expected that.
But eclipsing her new eye-color, was her hair color. Just like her eyes, it was no longer dark-brown, but white! Her hair had been removed of all color until it was white. It was the most shocking thing she'd ever seen. Never mind her eyes being gray — that she could deal with, but now her hair was white.
It stole her breath from her lungs and held it prisoner.
Never would she have imagined her hair to be white. She could honestly say that she didn't think her hair color would change, at all. Yet as she continued to think about it, she found that… she liked it. It not only completely changed her image, but it would certainly get an entertaining reaction from Inuyasha.
Oh yes. She could see his face now — and it made her happy. In a way, it allowed her to fully take-in the fact that she was a demon. She was no longer that human Kagome with the normal appearance, but demon Kagome with white hair and gray eyes.
Her new look was the thing that made it official.
"Wow…" Kagome said. "My face… my hair…" She mumbled.
"You have taken on an appearance similar to Yayuki-hime, due to the fact that she was the one who transformed you." Haru explained in the mirror's reflection.
"That explains the hair… and I guess the eyes followed." Kagome thought. She briefly brought her clawed hand up to touch her hair. It was smoother than it had been, and she enjoyed that. However, she knew that it would take a while to get used to her new image. After all, she could barely register that this unfamiliar demon face was now her own.
She hoped she got used to it, though.
"Are you alright Miss Kagome? You seem a little… distressed." Jun said. She held a comb in her hand and was untangling Kagome's wet, white locks as she prepared to do the miko's hair; a style already apparent in her head.
"I'm fine. Just a little overwhelmed. I mean: I never imagined that this could actually happen to me. I'm a demon. It's so… surreal." She confessed.
"I am sure that in time you will become fully accustomed to the new changes." Jun said. Kagome watched her as the maiden stopped brushing her hair for a few moments, and grabbed a white bowl filled with clear liquid. She added some to Kagome's hair using a brush, and then went over it with powder. She then used the brush to pull all of Kagome's hair back, and away from her face; including the long bang.
"I hope so." Kagome said as she tried not to move her head while Jun brushed back her hair.
"You will." Haru said assuredly. "Now, please close your eyes Miss Kagome." She stated. Kagome did as such, and Haru went about placing her in makeup.
The makeup session was surprisingly brief.
Only powder was applied to her face, and that was lightly dusted on so that it was hardly visible. Her eyes were left alone, while her lips were painted-over with a glossy, soft pink color.
When Kagome opened her eyes and saw this, she couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. Her skin looked absolutely flawless, and her lips color made them seem plumper and softer. Her hair was pulled and smoothed back entirely, and a row of flowers had been placed near her hairline, mimicking a headband. There was a tiny jewel placed in the center flower, and for a moment it seemed as if she was wearing a crown.
She looked beautiful. And yet, it looked so natural.
It didn't appear that she had the makeup caked on, heavily. It was a light dusting and was blended in with her skin so well, the makeup was transparent. She felt amazing in it. And she had to admit that she wouldn't mind wearing it, more often.
Yet her stunning appearance brought back the curiosity that she'd been harboring, inside, ever since she first spotted Haru and Jun after her nap. Just what was it that was occurring? Clearly it had to be something special — otherwise she wouldn't be dressed that way. Whatever it was that was going on, it was definitely something huge.
She just wondered how huge, and what it was.
"I'll learn eventually." She said to herself; assuredly.
"Come Miss Kagome." Haru said as she fixed some minor parts of Kagome's hair. She would not stop until it was perfect; not that Jun's work was bad. She was just a perfectionist at heart. When she got the aimed result, she said, "Yayuki-hime is awaiting you."
The doors to Yayuki's room, Kagome saw, were some of the largest she'd seen. They were wider than those of her bedroom, and two female demon guards dressed in protective armor stood on each side of the entrance. The women carried sharp, polished weapons that could very easily cause much damage, in very little effort. The women's eyes were cold and stoic, and they intimidated Kagome as she got closer to them.
But to her surprise, the women bowed their heads at her; catching her off-guard, completely. "Higurashi-san…" They said in unison.
"Uh… hello…" Kagome said. She was unsure of what she was to do. She didn't quite understand why these women were bowing at her. What had she done to deserve it? And how was she supposed to handle the situation? Luckily for her, it was brief as the two women straightened their spines.
"We will watch over her from here." Said the woman on the right, to Haru and Jun. The two demonic attendants nodded their heads at the women. They were not hesitant to leave Kagome in their care, knowing that there was a reason why they were personally assigned to protect their heiress. Kagome was well-protected.
"Very well. Goodbye Miss Kagome." They said. She and Jun both gave her smiles before they walked down the hallway. Kagome's attention was brought back to the two demonic guards, as they opened the fusuma.
"Please, go in." They stated in unison.
Kagome nodded and entered the bedroom.
Immediately, she spotted a demon standing beside the large bed dressed in beautiful silks.
The short white-haired demon was dressed in a dark blue kimono, with no print on the skirt of it. The kimono's obi was a vibrant green color, and the demon's white hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail, with a string of beads attached to the side of her head as a decoration. The ends were tied into her hair, and formed a drapery-like scene above her pointed ears. Her face was lightly dusted, just like her own, and her lips were left bare, but glistened with moisturizer.
The demon looked somewhat unfamiliar dressed in that attire, but there was no mistaking those warm brown eyes that she held.
"Yuksi." Kagome said; a smile breaking on her face.
A smile broke on the demon's face. "Hello Miko-san." She said softly. "It is very good to see you, once again." Yuksi said.
"It's good to see you too." Kagome stated; getting closer to the demon. "Where've you been? I kinda expected to see a lot of you while I was here." She said.
"Forgive me, Miko-san. I too wished to accompany you in your time here, but my hands were bound to other things." Yuksi said. "But that is of no importance. At the moment, what is important is that Yayuki-hime has asked me to escort you to her current location. She very much wishes to speak to you in privacy." Yuksi said.
"Okay. Where is she?" Kagome asked.
"Follow me, please." Yuksi said. Kagome did as such, and walked behind the white-haired demon as she led her through the fusuma (which the guards outside somehow knew when to open), and through the mazes of hallways.
Moments later, they had left the estate's wooden hallways behind, and the moon was now their only source of light, as they were walking down a path that led further and further from the large set of buildings. Clearly when Yayuki wanted privacy, she wanted privacy.
Their trek seemed endless, as they headed down a hill and passed an area that looked burnt, and Kagome only knew that it was almost finished when she spotted a beautiful lake, out in the distance.
Yuksi led her down the hill that took them to the lake, and Kagome spotted a lone figure there, with bright, white orbs surrounding it. She easily recognized the objects as souls. And for a split second she thought that Kikyou was around the area. But the more logical side of her told her that if that were the unpleasant case, the souls would be carried by the serpents that delivered them to her.
And at the moment, it was just the souls — no collectors.
The souls disappeared as they went in front of the figure. And when the last soul was gone, there was a large flash of light before the spiritual glow fully disappeared. Kagome and Yuksi stopped walking, standing silently as distance away as the figure stood, and turned towards them.
Yayuki stood meters away from her, dressed in black kimono with a gray obi. The kimono held more layers to it than it normally would, and seemed a little heavy against her skin. The sleeves of it were long, reaching down to past her knees, and it looked as if Yayuki were wearing a coat of the clothing.
Her white hair was wrapped up completely into a single bun, and a decorative piece of jewelry stuck-out from the middle of the bun — a large fan with the clan's insignia printed onto it; similar to the one her father had worn, that morning. Her face held simple makeup to it with a light dusting of white, and yet bold, red lipstick.
She looked beautiful, as always.
"Hello Kagome-san." Yayuki said.
"Hello Yayuki." Kagome responded as the female made her way over to them; her kimono trailing a little bit, behind her. But it didn't seem that she minded that her kimono was getting dirty. In fact, Kagome was very certain that its material was specifically made for that reason.
"I see that your wounds have been fully healed." She said.
"Yes. I'm really happy about it, too. I feel great." Kagome said.
"As you should — the bandages dissolving only mean that you are ready to start taking control of your demonic side. This is good, considering how your training will start soon." Yayuki said. This immediately caught Kagome's attention.
"Training?" She asked.
"Yes." Yayuki said. "Your training will commence soon, and you will receive different types. Healing, fighting, and something I like to call extensive torture; however its real name is etiquette training. And believe me, it will be the hardest of all your training categories." Yayuki said; ignoring the disapproving look that Yuksi sent her.
"I think I can handle it." Kagome said.
"Abandon that thought. Because once you meet that woman, she will painfully crush it for you. It is best that you forget about it now."
"Yayuki-hime…" Yuksi said.
"Yes, yes, I know Yuksi…" Yayuki said. "There is no harm in warning her, though."
"There is when it is done in that manner." Yuksi said.
Yayuki sighed. "Forgive me." She stated. "Besides, there are other more important things to talk about. Come, Kagome-san, let us head back to the estate. There are things that we must speak of, along the way." She said. Kagome turned her body and began to follow Yuksi the way back, while Yayuki walked beside her and spoke to her.
"There are some things that you must know about your training, Kagome-san — especially your battle training." Yayuki said to her as they were half-way up the hill from earlier.
"What is it?" Kagome asked.
"Your battle training holds two parts. One half of it is learning how to control your demonic body, and the other half is learning how to use it. Obviously, the second half cannot be achieved without the first, and, sadly, the first cannot be currently achieved because the trainers of the clan are currently overwhelmed with work. This means that you, Kagome-san, must find your own trainer for the first-half of your battle training."
Kagome's eyes widened.
"What?!" She exclaimed.
"I am sorry, but that is all that can be done. I tried finding a different alternative to it, but when it was broken down to little pieces and details, the alternatives could not work. This is truly the only choice." Yayuki said; sadness in her eyes.
"How am I supposed to find a trainer?" Kagome asked. "I don't think there's a demon on this planet that could be… nice enough to train me if I just asked them."
"I understand that demons are not the most helpful of creatures, but I am certain that there is one with enough patience and heart to train you." Yayuki said. "Of course, there are a few requirements that may or may not make this an easier task for you."
"What are they?"
"Well… the demon must be the same breed as you. If you pick a demon who is the exact opposite of what you are, it will be useless for it to try and teach you how to control your body, when its body is completely different." The heiress said; they had gone up the hill and now were following the brown dirt path through an area that smelled distinctively of ash and blood.
It made her nose cringle.
"So I have to find a Wolf Demon…" Kagome said; remembering that type of demon that Yayuki had told her she was, earlier. And the more she thought of it, the more her mind remembered a very obvious detail. She gasped.
"What is it, Kagome-san?" Yayuki asked; alarmed.
"I—I think I know who my trainer can be." She stated.
"So quickly?" Yayuki asked. She never thought that Kagome would be able to find, or think of, someone to be her trainer so quickly. She expected a journey out of it — she wasn't sure whether it would've been short or long, but that it was going to be a journey. Yet, it seemed over the second it started.
"Yes." Kagome said. "I know a demon named Kouga; he's a Wolf Demon like I am now, and he's… well… we're on good terms." She stated; unsure of what to call her relationship with Kouga. "I'm sure that if I asked him to be my trainer, he's do it — or at least consider it." She said. This truly astounded the demonic heiress. Not only did Kagome know the demon, but they were, perhaps, friendly with one another. It seemed that this option was the best.
After all, if Kagome already had a good relationship with this Kouga demon, then that means that there won't be time wasted on the introductions and trust-building that she and her trainer would need to go through.
"This Kouga seems like a good candidate, then. However, he will have to be evaluated by me. I cannot have someone incapable of teaching you being your trainer. Of course, this means that he will have to be brought back here, or I will have to go personally see him… Hm…" She hummed. "Which do you prefer, Kagome-san?"
"Well…" Kagome said. "I kinda like the second option, where you come to see him. But I know that you'll probably be very busy during that time — whenever that'll be — so I'm thinking the first option but… I don't know. I kinda thought that this part of me would be a little secret from some people. Then again, it's not like I can hide the fact that I'm a demon now. I mean — look at me! I look nothing like I did, before." Kagome said.
While, yes, she did want Inuyasha to see that she was a demon, she wasn't really sure whether she wanted others to know. She always thought that if she were to become a demon, she could hide the fact that it was her, from others, by changing her name. Then, when the time came, she could reveal it and shock them all. It would be her big moment, she imagined.
But now it seemed as if that fantasy would not be possible. If Kouga was to be her trainer, then he would have to know about this side of her — this new side of her.
"I see…" Yayuki said. "Actually, that is possible."
"What's possible?" Kagome asked.
"To revert to your regular, human form." At Kagome's puzzled expression, Yayuki decided that now was a good a time as any to allow Kagome to know the benefits that came with being a member of her clan. "You see this jewel here, Kagome-san?" Yayuki asked. Kagome nodded as she easily spotted the milky-white orb hanging from Yayuki's neck. "It does many things; one of them being the ability to give the members of our clan a human form where we look like regular civilians." She stated.
Kagome couldn't believe it.
"So, you mean that, if I had a jewel like that, I could turn change back to my regular self?" She asked. It was unbelievable to her. She knew that demons could have human-like forms where they resembled average civilians, but she was never sure of how it was that they could attain it. Obviously, it required a lot of power (in general or of possession) and it seemed that this jewel holds that power inside.
"Yes. And you do. It is back at my room, hidden safely away. I will give it to you tomorrow, when I will have the chance to explain to you many things about it." Yayuki said.
"Does that mean that I can look human again?" Kagome asked. "Not that there's anything wrong with looking like a demon — it's just… there are some people I don't want to know that I'm a demon." She stated.
"It does. With the jewel, you can regain your regular human form, being how it is the one that you were born with. Your demonic scent will be covered, as well as the aura. You will look exactly like you once did, before you became a demon. But be aware of the fact that there are time limits to these things. When the moon rises, during the night, the illusion will dispel and you will regain your demon form. If you truly want to keep this side of you a secret, I suggest hiding yourself when the sun begins to set." Yayuki said.
"Okay. That I can do." Kagome said. She'll just hide beneath her sleeping bag, and be sure to keep her head covered. Her white hair would be a dead giveaway that she was a demon. Or at least, not the same as she was, before.
"So then, the first option is what you will choose? To bring him back here in your demonic form?" Yayuki asked; reminding Kagome of what the original topic was.
"Yes. That'll be just fine." Kagome stated.
"Perfect." Yayuki said. "Before your arrival, you will contact me so that I may send you an escort."
"How am I supposed to contact you?" Kagome asked.
"That will be explained tomorrow. At the moment, there are other things that must be attended to. I am certain that you have noticed the changes around the estate." Yayuki stated. They were currently walking past a set of white gates that were the entrance to the clan's estate. It allowed Kagome to see just how big the house was, and she concluded that it was the biggest she'd ever seen. However, that was all. She could only see the front.
"I have." Kagome said.
"And I am sure that you are curious as to why they are occurring."
"More than you know." Kagome stated. Since she'd first begun to spot the differences, she's wondered why it was that the demonic attendants were running out and about, and doing so much to clean the estate. She knew that the place was to be kept clean always (that was not a hard thing to conclude given who lives there), but she was certain that it was not to that extent. Once-a-week seemed fine to her…
"Well, prepare to learn the reason why the demons here have been moving so rapidly for the past hours." Yayuki said. She walked down a stone path, and around the estate. It took a while since the estate was by-no-means small, but eventually they reached a large wooden gate, and two guards standing post there, bowed and let them through.
What was behind the gates was not something she expected to find.
Kagome was beyond surprised when she saw the demons of the clan participating in what was surely a party. A large party. Everywhere, demons were socializing and forgetting the fact that they held a reputation for being one of the most stoic and prosperous demonic clans to ever live.
They let loose, for once, and went about eating, dancing, socializing and much more. Little demon children played in the large area, and even grabbed at the decorations that hung in the air. Neither their parents nor anyone else made a move to stop them. They were perfectly fine with the decorations being taken down as kids hopped, ran, flew, and dived to grasp them. Some adults even helped their children to do so.
Animals were let free, and lounged about. Kagome spotted a group of Black Panthers atop a roof, staring down at the party while they licked each other clean. Nearby, a group of Wolves was making their way there, and shaking their wet fur; doused in water after taking a quick swim in the pond that was present.
The smell of food was heavy in the air, and it made her stomach grumble. The music playing was old, but festive, and only seemed to add to the mood. The clothing worn was a simple best-of-the-best, and nowhere near the extravagance they could pull off if they wanted. But that night was a night for celebrations, and nothing more. While clothing was required, it did not need to be immensely glamorous, just beautiful enough to please the elders and the heads of the clan as they looked over the festivities, and enjoyed some themselves.
Kagome had never seen such a thing: so many different types of demons... all in one area and not fighting due to their clear differences. But that was to be expected, was it not? After all, they were all a part of the same clan, and breed was not paid attention to.
It was something that she was certain was rare. But here, she concluded, that was every-day life.
"Kagome-san…" Yayuki's voice managed to reach her ear despite the loudness of the music. Briefly she wondered why it was that she hadn't heard it earlier. It was such a boisterous sound, and her sensitive ears had not picked-up on it until now. It was odd, but she supposed that was what made it a more pleasant surprise.
"These festivities are for you." Yayuki said; causing her head to snap towards her and her steel-gray eyes to widen. Yayuki bit back her giggle, and gave her a bright smile; the brightest she's seen on the female, so far.
"Welcome to the clan."
.
.
.
This chapter was more difficult to write than I thought. I ended-up changing so many things, and taking out so much stuff, that I lessened the story by about 3k words. I know you guys wouldn't have minded the long chapter, but I thought that a chapter over 14k words was just fine. Besides, the rest of the stuff will be displayed next chapter.
Anyways… she made it! Kagome is now a full member of the Junketsu Clan — whoop, whoop! You gotta give it up to the girl. She worked hard for that title. And what a nice present for deserving it — an entire celebration created just to celebrate her. Very nice. :) And now we know of her demon appearance (which I changed, many times), and what Kouga's current role will be to her. But, given the rating of this story and its pairing, it will by no means remain trainer. Oh no, no, no. That will not do.
Next chapter: Kagome's Return; we finally catch-up on the happenings of Inuyasha and the gang. Just what happened in the week or so of Kagome's further absence? Will Kagome even be allowed to return to her friends now that she is a clan member? And will she chose to keep her demonic side secret from everyone, or just those outside of her close circle of friends?
Please review, and see you next chapter (hopefully it'll be easier to write than this one). And happy (late) Thanksgiving!
Xoxoxo Chibi Star Vamp
