Before There Were Fairy Tales...
by Faehime
Chapter Nine:No Escaping Destiny
"Oh come on! You're still not talking to me?"
It had been over a week since the incident in the hallway, and Izayoi had been giving her the silent treatment the entire time. While she was happy that the princess hadn't ordered her around anymore, it somehow felt like a step in the wrong direction. Kagome hadn't thought the brat would be particularly grateful about not being ratted out to her mom, but part of her had hoped that perhaps she would be a tad more polite.
Instead, she had refused every one of Kagome's attempts at conversation, only glaring at her when she refused to give up and sometimes actually leaving the area. After seven days of being ignored, she was becoming frustrated with the stubborn princess.
"Look, would it kill you to talk to me?" She whined, sitting down on the table in front of Izayoi. Annoyed brown eyes glared up at her, and she felt a thrill of delight run through her when the girl opened her mouth to respond.
'Yes! Tell me to get off the desk, to leave you alone, anything!' Kagome thought to herself, waiting expectantly for the sound of the princess's voice.
Thus, she was enormously disappointed when all she received was a soft and curt, "No."
"No," she repeated blankly, confused by the answer. Frowning, she watched as the other girl once more stood and moved to leave the room. As she exited, Kagome chased after her, calling, "Well, if it won't kill you, then why haven't you spoken to me all week?"
Izayoi actually stopped, and she felt her hopes rising once more as the shorter girl turned to look at her over her shoulder. The princess's response once again tore them to shreds however.
"I have nothing to say."
With that, she left Kagome standing in the middle of the hallway, fuming over impossible friendships and wondering what she was going to do in the lonely days to come. After a while she returned to her bedroom, sadness over having no one to talk to draining the fight out of her.
The hours passed by slowly, and Kagome simply sat at her window, wrapped in a blanket as she stared out at the grounds, wishing she could be home with her family and friends. While it was true she didn't have very many at the moment, there were three girls who hadn't seemed too bothered by her odd behavior, as they still continued to come over to play with her after school and on their days off. Sometimes they could be annoying, always pestering her about boys and other things she had no interest in until she found some excuse to escape into the safety of her house and send them home.
But right now, even they would be a welcome change from the horrible silence consuming her days and nights. When dinner came, Kagome stayed in her room sullenly, unsurprised when no once came to check on her or bring her something to eat. Kuenai and Tsukau had both been absent from meal times over the past week, both caught up in their duties, and the Lady of Setsuna working overtime trying to figure out her problem.
As the sun began to set, the young girl finally gave in to her melancholy, falling asleep as silent tears tracked down her cheeks like golden pearls, lit by the warm colors of the fading light. She awoke several hours later as pain radiated through her leg. Squealing at the sensation, she stumbled to her feet, limping back and forth as quickly as she could.
"Charlie horse, charlie horse," she gasped out loud, as though identifying the problem would help get rid of the hurt. "Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch...!"
In the darkness of the room, she couldn't see where she was going, and with a loud thump, the toe of her good leg made contact with the corner of her trunk of kimono. Crying out, she grabbed at the stubbed appendage, hopping around in pain as she tried to remain upright. Unfortunately, nothing seemed capable of going her way, and it wasn't long before her heel caught on the edge of the blanket she'd dropped in her haste to stand.
"Ahhh!"
With a lurch, Kagome fell backwards, lower back catching on the window sill and tipping her out through the opening. As she made contact with the ground face-first, the breath was knocked from her, adrenaline from the fall numbing her to the pain of impact momentarily. Coughing, she struggled to take a breath as tingling awareness began to spread outward from her limbs, alerting her to the throbbing in several parts of her body.
'Man, this is going to leave some bruises...' she thought to herself, managing to flip onto her back and push into a sitting position. 'At least this area is all sand!'
Grateful to the meager cushioning that had probably saved her from serious injury, Kagome slowly gained her feet, brushing at her clothes and hair to rid it of the clinging granules. Seeing a nasty scratch bleeding on her forearm, the young girl was about to crawl back through her window and call for a servant when movement caught her eye.
'What the...'
Standing as still as possible, she watched the shadows covering the grounds closely, and was immediately rewarded when one of them began moving again, dashing across an open area from the main building to the outer wall. For a moment, the figure was caught in a shaft of moonlight, and Kagome gave a start as she recognized who it was.
'What is she doing out here right now?' she wondered, watching carefully to see what the figure would do next. Amazement flooded her as she saw the person begin to scale the wall, before dropping out of sight on the other side. Not stopping to think about it, she quickly followed, using the natural handhold in the wall to heave herself up and over before falling into a crouch at the base on the other side.
Straining her eyes and ears, Kagome was alerted to her target's location by the sound of crunching twigs and leaves. Curiosity overcoming her aches and pains, she carefully followed the noises until she could see the shadowed figure again. Following her into the dark forest right outside the shiro, the young girl felt apprehension warring with her curiosity the further the got from the safety of the walls.
'What is Izayoi doing out here this late?' she wondered as she did her best to avoid stepping on anything that could give her away. As a result, she moved much slower than the princess, and it wasn't long before she was trailing the girl by sound alone. A bad feeling was growing in her gut, but something told Kagome she needed to keep going. She didn't know what it was, but the young girl knew that if she left Izayoi to go alert someone at the shiro, something bad would happen to the bratty royal.
Worry driving her, Kagome picked up her pace, determined not to loose the other girl in the enveloping darkness. The strange sounds of the forest had her on edge, and she was terrified that she'd be attacked at any moment by some strange animal hunting for it's nightly meal. The air was chilling the later it became, and soon her teeth were clacking together, small puffs of smoke forming in the air with each labored breath.
Still she followed the princess deeper into the wilderness, uncertainty and instinct cementing her resolve to not leave the other girl alone.
'Even if she has left me alone,' she muttered to herself, becoming grouchy as the minutes turned into one hour, then two. She was impressed that the princess didn't stop to rest, and was dying to know what could have driven the other girl out into the woods in the middle of the night. Lost in her own thoughts, Kagome didn't notice that the sounds she had been following had ceased until she heard a blood-curdling roar in the distance. At the sound, she felt all of her fears and worries descend on her at once, freezing her where she stood.
"Get away from her, you monster!"
Izayoi's voice snapped her into action, and within moments Kagome was crashing through the trees and brush in the direction of the furious cry. Her bare feet that had helped her stay silent while pursuing the princess now hindered her. Pain lanced up her legs as her feet were cut by debris on the forest floor, and she tripped as roots and vines caught at her ankles in the darkness. Still she stumbled forward, determined to get to Izayoi as quick as possible.
Another roar split the air, followed by a scream of fright as the young girl finally broke the treeline into a small clearing. Looking up to find the princess, Kagome felt the blood drain from her face when she saw her suspended in the air by a large, clawed hand that belonged to what could only be described as a monster. Gray, oily skin stretched across the creature's body, covered with warts and ridges that gave it's vaguely humanoid shape a disfigured appearance. Large, yellow teeth gnashed together, while blood dribbled down from it's mouth, dripping from it's chin sluggishly.
A pair of coiled horns protruded from it's shoulders and forehead, set above a pair of glowing, red eyes that were now focused directly at her.
'Oh Kami...'
Kagome felt her body shaking in fear, and for a moment she wanted to run in the other direction, back to the safety of the shiro and the warmth of her futon. Part of her thought that perhaps this was a nightmare, but the aching pain in her body told her otherwise. It was only when the princess screamed in pain from the pressure of the claw holding her that Kagome could snap back to herself again. Panic coursing through her, the young girl searched the ground, looking for something which she could use as a weapon.
Finding a rock, she threw it as hard as possible at the creatures head. It fell far short, seeing as the beast was twice as tall as Tsukau, hitting it instead on the chest. The ploy did manage to get a reaction from the monster, and it dropped Izayoi as it came running at her.
"Run!" She screamed at the princess as she ducked back through the trees, hoping they would slow the monster down some. Ducking around trees, she tried to circle back around to the clearing, listening as the monster fell behind as the woods impeded it's way. Coming out of the trees on the far side of the clearing, the young girl ran at Izayoi, who was cradling a tiny, bloody object to her chest.
Skidding to a stop, she reached to pull the other girl up, shouting, "Come on, we have to go now!"
"I can't leave her!" the princess shouted, rushing towards another shadowed figure that Kagome had not noticed until then. Racing after her, she felt terror seize her as the monster burst from the trees one more, making a beeline for the other girl. Roaring, it swiped a large, clawed hand toward the small girl's back, intent on cleaving her in two.
Acting on instinct, Kagome ran at it, grabbing onto the creatures clawed appendage with both arms. The unexpected weight threw it's aim off, and it missed the princess by mere inches. Enraged, the creature shook it's hand in an attempt to get Kagome off, but she held on as tightly as possible, fear giving her strength. Her stomach churned with each violent swing, and she quickly tried to think of what she was supposed to do now.
The moment the shaking stopped, her eyes flew open, only to see the creature's other hand headed straight for her. Letting go, she fell a few feet to the ground and landed hard on her shoulder. Feeling immense pain blossom in the area, Kagome cried out, tears streaming from her eyes at the agony. She quickly pushed to her feet and scrambled towards Izayoi, who was watching the lumbering monster coming their way.
When she was standing in front of the princess, the young girl turned and held her arms out in a weak attempt to shield the other girl. A long, wickedly curved claw swept toward her stomach, and she closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable.
'Daddy...' she whimpered to herself, feeling the familiar sharp pain needling her heart at the thought that at least she'd be able to see him soon. The pain increased quickly, growing unbearable even as the claw cut into her side, razor-like as it tore into her skin. Releasing a scream at the combination, the sensation in her chest changed into a furious heat that exploded through her body. Skin tightened as the inferno burned on, spreading out from her flesh in wave after wave of raw fury.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Her throat shredded under the force of her shrieks, and Kagome could feel herself choking on blood as her eyes finally shot open. To her amazement, a pink light seemed to be shooting out of her, so blinding she couldn't even see the monster trying to kill her anymore. There was a loud roaring in her ears from the energy pouring into the clearing from her body, but as it went on the pain in her chest lessened into a dull throbbing.
Soon, the light began to fade, and where there had once been a towering creature with dripping fangs, there was now nothing more than sparkling ash, which was quickly blown away by the cold breeze. Taking a deep breath, Kagome winced at the feeling of her torn vocals, hand resting gently over her neck. Knees trembling, she tried to turn only to fall to the ground in a dead faint. As darkness overcame her, the last thing she heard was Izayoi's startled voice.
"You're a miko?"
~O~
When she opened her eyes again, the blush of morning was already dusting the sky in rosy hues, warmth returning to take the chill dampness from the air. Someone was shaking her hurt shoulder, and Kagome moaned in protest at the rough treatment.
"Oh, I bet it's dislocated! Hold on," said a soft voice, and before the young girl could place the speaker a small pair of feet were pressed against her ribs. She didn't have time to brace herself before a matching set of hands were yanking on her arm, jerking it away from her body with a grunt.
Screaming in pain, the young girl felt a sharp pop, and within moments the pain had lessened, decreasing into an uncomfortable ache that left her limp with exhaustion. Turning her head, Kagome was startled to see Izayoi crawling back to her side, fingers tenderly prodding her shoulder.
"I think that should do it, but we need to get you back to the shiro."
Copper eyes looked directly at her, and the princess asked, "Do you think you can stand, Higurashi? You're too heavy for me to lift."
Opening her mouth to speak, she was stopped by a hand covering her mouth. Frowning up in confusion, she saw Izayoi scowl right back at her.
"You hurt your voice, and shouldn't try to talk. You had blood coming out of your mouth, so for now just nod your head."
Confused by the princess's concern but not wanting to cause herself further pain, she nodded, sliding her forearms under her to push into a sitting position. Her first attempt ended with her falling flat onto her back again, and she was shocked to realize how weak she was. Gritting her teeth, she tried again, and after a few minutes of struggling, she was sitting slumped over her legs.
'What happened...?'
Her memories were fuzzy, and she was having trouble focusing on a single image. Shaking her head lightly to clear it, she was overcome with dizziness. Regretting the motion as her stomach lurched unpleasantly, she grabbed at something to steady her, fingers latching onto a mass of silks. Looking at her hand, Kagome realized she was holding onto Izayoi's kimono and quickly released her hold.
"I'm going to help you stand, and then we can ride Mimi back to the shiro," the princess said, already moving to crouch behind her.
"Mimi...?" Kagome murmured throat protesting it's use. Grunting in effort as the other girl grabbed under her arms and pulled, she pushed with her legs, struggling to stand. Gaining her feet, she stumbled a bit, leaning heavily on the shorter girl's shoulder to keep from falling back to the ground. Izayoi answered readily, voice more conversational than it had ever been.
"Minashigo," she explained, pointing to a tiny cat that Kagome hadn't noticed until then. At least, she thought it was a cat. Small, the creature had light colored fur with black socks and ears, along with black stripes at the tip of it's two tails, which were part of why she was uncertain. The other part might have to do with the tiny animal's large, red eyes that looked out of place on a cat.
"I named her while I was trying to bind your wounds," the princess continued, a hint of sadness in her tone. Glancing to her face, Kagome was surprised to see tears gathered in the corners of the short girl's eyes, and it was only then that she understood the meaning behind the little creature's name.
Looking back towards the cat-creature, her memories finally swam into focus, and her first thought was of the large shape Izayoi had run towards when she should have been trying to get away.
I can't leave her!
Focusing back on the red eyes staring at her, Kagome imagined she could see a hint of sadness in them. That monster had turned the tiny cat into an orphan, and the young girl couldn't help but feel sorry for the creature. Never looking away from the red eyes that were focused so trustingly on her, she managed to rasp a question.
"Is s-she why- you c-came?"
She felt the other girl flinch, and turned to meet her regret filled eyes. The tears that had been pooling in the corners of her eyes fell, droplets winding down her dirt smudged cheeks as she nodded in response. Feeling her heart break for the princess's loss, Kagome used what little strength she had to squeeze the girl's shoulder in a comforting gesture.
'She did have friends, they just weren't human,' she thought to herself, understanding now how lonely the princess must have been. 'And then I tell her I'm there because her mother sent me... no wonder she didn't want anything to do with me.'
Thoroughly ashamed for not giving the princess the benefit of the doubt, Kagome decided to make it up to the girl by putting in a real effort. Up until now all she'd been concerned with was her own feelings and needs, never taking a moment to consider that she had been trying to use the girl now supporting her trembling frame.
"Mimi, can you carry us back to the shiro?" Izayoi's question brought her back to the present, and Kagome remembered what the princess had said before about riding the tiny cat-creature. Looking at it's small size, she was about to try ask how it would be able to carry them when a burst of energy skated over her skin.
Heat in the bottom of her chest flared to life in response, and the young girl felt her heart beginning to race when the energy disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. Blinking her eyes in disbelief, Kagome saw a giant cat standing where before there had been a creature no bigger than a chihuahua. Stunned at the transformation, she barely noticed when Izayoi nudged her forward, too caught up in admiring Mimi's beauty in her new size.
'Amazing...'
After they were both settled comfortably on Mimi's back, the cat further surprised her by leaping into the air, carrying them above the tree's and then soaring over them. A gasp escaped her when she realized that they were actually flying, and with a laugh that pulled on her throat uncomfortably, Kagome stretched her arms out at her sides, delighting in the feel of air rushing over and under her palms.
Izayoi glanced back and smiled at her, the first smile she had ever seen on the other girl's face, and Kagome felt herself grow even lighter at the expression. As the shiro came into sight, the return trip taking only a fraction of the time as it had to get to the clearing, Kagome felt real hope blossom in her chest.
'Perhaps we can be friends after all...'
